Author: Okay, I'm going to go off my 'type things at the bottom' code just this once to tell you something very important about the way my story is formatted in this chapter. First off, I do not like this whole new QuickEdit/Privew save thing on here. It wouldn't let me put my squiggly lines on every scene change. ((Growls)) Look it wont even let me do my stars! Evil! I just want to scream. ((Pulls at hair)) So instead I used that stupid line thing that goes all the way across the page for scene changes. ((Starts to cry)) It looks so freakin' bad! What happened to my squiggly lines! So anyway I warn you now it looks hideous. Truly hideous! T.T I miss my squiggly lines already. ((Crys)) But because I love you guys so much I just had to get this chapter out today. If anyone knows how I can get my squiggly lines and stars back please tell me. Thanks, and enjoy.
The Darkness WithinChapter 7: Prince John's Attack
"I must say that this is a most excellent plan your Highness," a green snake hissed as he looked up at Prince John from the floor. The lion prince sat at a desk and counted the new munny that the Sheriff of Nottingham had brought in from taxes earlier in the day.
"Yes, indeed Sir Hiss," Prince John said, "Robin Hood wont be able to resist a prize like the one I'm giving, and since he's an excellent archer I'm sure he'll be the winner." The Prince couldn't help but laugh causing the large crown on his head to slip down. He let out a low growl as he straitened it back up on his head
"He'll never expect what's coming to him," said Sir Hiss as he slithered around on the floor up to the desk.
"Once I've captured him I'll hang him. No, I'll chop off his head," the Prince stopped and thought about it for a moment, "Which do you think is worse Sir Hiss? No head, or hanging by your head?"
"No head sir."
"Yes, me too," Prince John said with a wicked smile, "That should teach him not to rob me blind ever again." Prince John couldn't help but chuckle a bit before he continued to count his munny.
"It wouldn't have happened in the first place if you'd just listen to me," Sir Hiss spat.
"Oh shut up you sniveling snake!" The Prince yelled, and out of frustration throwing his quill across the room. The quill hit the wall and snapped in two before hitting the floor.
"Why sir? That was your mother's favorite quill!"
"…Mother!" The Prince cried out as he started to suck his left thumb and hold his right ear with his other paw. Sir Hiss frowned at the Prince in disgust. It just simply wasn't right for a grown lion prince to suck on his own thumb. It just wasn't in the least bit dignified, and Sir Hiss felt ashamed.
"Oh sir, must you always do that?" Sir Hiss questioned. Prince John just gave him a very ugly look and continued to suck on his thumb. Sir Hiss sighed as he slithered out of the room.
"Good night sir," He said before he closed the door with his tail, leaving the Prince all alone so hopefully he'd pull himself together.
"Oh this is so exciting!" Jetta exclaimed as she started waving at the contestants, "I can't wait for Robin to win. Which one do you think he is?"
"My guess is the hound," Neron said as he sat on a wooden fence. Jetta was sitting beside him along with Max at his other side; Riku chose to lean against it instead, not trusting his sense of balance.
"No way. He's the stork," Riku said.
"What gives you that idea?"
"He just waved back at Jetta-"
"And gave me a thumbs us sign," Jetta interrupted with a smile, "It has to be him."
"We'll find out when they start, I'm sure he's going to be the winner," Neron said.
"He better win," Jetta growled, receiving eye rolls from all three boys.
"I don't think we should be talking about him so loud, I mean after all he is a wanted man. What if one of these people are going to snitch on him after hearing us?" Max said, "I sure don't want to be the cause of him getting captured."
"Don't worry Max," Jetta said, "Everyone loves Robin. They wouldn't do something so coldhearted."
"I don't know. Munny can change people, after all he's worth ten thousand, and practically all of the people here are poor. They might do it for the munny," Riku said.
"Just in case you don't understand, Riku's telling you to shut you mouth in a polite way," Neron said with a smirk.
"Your such a jerk," Jetta half mumbled before she shoved Neron away from her. He let out a yelp as he started to lose his balance. Waving his arms franticly in the air didn't help shake the grip gravity had on him as he plummeted to the ground. Neron grunted as he hit the ground with a thump, and laid there on his back for a moment or two. Riku simply snickered at the boy, while Max looked off in another direction trying to hold in his laughter. A trumpet sounded, signaling the start of the competition, causing them to forget about the fallen boy.
"Oh boy!" Jetta shouted with glee. Neron was picking himself up off the ground when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked to his left to find a green snake slithering away with a suspicious smirk on his face. The fact that his clothes looked regal didn't help the thought either, so Neron decided to fallow.
"There is a tie between the Stork, and the Sheriff of Nottingham," An alligator shouted after everyone had their turn at shooting, "We will now move the target back twenty paces."
"Good luck to you Sheriff," The Stork said as he readied his bow and arrow. The Sheriff smiled as he shot off the arrow. It was flying through the air a little above the target, but before it passed a buzzard inside of the target jumped, giving him a perfect bull's-eye. This caused the crowd to boo and hiss, Jetta being the loudest.
"Come on! Are you blind?" Jetta shouted, "That's cheating you dirty rotten Sheriff! Make him shoot it again!" Riku simply sighed while acting as though he had no clue who Jetta was, scooting away from her a step or two.
"Oh his Highness will be most pleased to hear that I have found Robin Hood," The snake hissed to himself. Neron coked an eyebrow at the snake's comment as he slowly fallowed behind, making sure he was silent and stealthy.
"I guess I can thank those bumbling fools for this," The snake let out a raspy chuckle, "I'll make sure Prince John praises them once Robin Hood is-" The snake started to gag after being grabbed from behind by the throat, apparently Neron had heard his fill.
"We'll see if you tell," Neron snickered, as he looked around for a place to put him. Eventually he shoved him into a barrel of rum and corked it so he couldn't escape.
As he was walking back he noticed something move in a tent. Normally he wouldn't think anything of it, but when the tent fabric lifted slightly from the ground a steamy looking black mist floated out and mixed with the clean air until it disappeared. This one sight worried him so he decided to take a closer look. His eye widened at the site before he took off running for the others.
"Quite a show you gave us Mr. Stork, you have such an amazing archery skill," The Price praised. He glanced back over at the target, seeing the stork's arrow in the bull's-eye, splitting the sheriff's arrow in half.
"Thank you kindly me lord," The Stork said as he bowed at the Prince.
"A little to amazing if you ask me," The Prince mumbled before he pulled out a sword and sliced the shirt right of the storks back. Robin backed away in fright as the Prince ordered for him to be seized. Immediately he was chained at the neck, wrists, and ankles by the rhino guards.
"Robin!" Maid Marian cried as she tried to reach him, but a guard pushed her back.
"Oh no! We have to save him!" Jetta cried but was held back by Max.
"We can't, that would be interfering, and interfering and meddling are the same thing." Max's words, however, weren't sinking through as Jetta tried to get to Robin, but the strangest thing happened before she managed to get out of his grip.
"Release him!" The Prince cried, a slight worried tone in his voice. The guards gave him an odd look before the Prince spook again, "You heard me! Release him at once you fools!"
"Now, tell the guards to lay off Maid Marian as well," a voice whispered to the prince from behind the curtains. The prince would have ignored this unknown person if it weren't for the fact that he had a dagger to his back.
"Let go of Maid Marian as well," The Prince ordered. Maid Marian was released and immediately she ran into the arms of Robin Hood. The Sheriff of Nottingham, however, was still sore about his loss and knew something was up. A moment later the dagger was pulled away from the prince's back and Little John was thrown to the ground where all could see him.
"What are you doing? Capture Robin Hood! I want his head!" Shouted the Prince. Robin wasn't about to get captured again and took off running with Maid Marian in tow. Jetta had managed to escape Max's hold on her wrist and immediately went after one of the guards that fallowed after Robin, leaving Max and Riku with no chose but to help her.
The three were engaged in a battle with the law now, Jetta on the back of a rhino as she pounded her flaming fist into the back of the animal's head, not doing much damage. Riku was fighting off another rhino in a battle against weapons; his sword verses the rhino's mighty ax. All the while, Max stood off to the side and fired balls of fire at any guard that tried to advance on him, missing a few times.
"You guys we have a problem!" Neron shouted as he ran back to them and stopped after seeing the chaos that had unfolded while he was gone.
"We know!" Riku spat as he pushed the rhino's ax away, slicing at the animal's chest while he was unguarded.
"Not them! Them!" Neron shouted as he pointed behind him. Everyone managed to advert their gaze from the battle and to the swarm of heartless that had fallowed Neron.
"And you just had to bring them to us!" Riku spat as he continued to fight off the rhino. Jetta had lost her concentration for only a moment and that was enough time for the rhino to fling her from his back. She grunted when she hit the ground and went skidding on her back across the ground, stopping only a foot away from a tent.
"Kill anyone who interferes!" the Prince roared, "Let the heads roll!"
At this command black smoke poured from the bottoms of every tent in the fair grounds releasing the monster heartless inside. Jetta, not being the luck one, was engulfed by the black mist. The smoke clung to her, pulling her into the tent kicking and screaming. She managed to let out a terrified shout for help before the strange smoke covered her entire body and pulled her into the black abyss of the tent.
"Jetta!" Max shouted, but nobody was able to escape their separate battles they were in to save her. Just as everyone was thinking this battle against both the heartless and the guards was hopeless, it got worse.
The heartless did something no one would have ever guessed; they stool the hearts of the guards. Though it may seem like this would have helped, it didn't. As the guards stood there, lifeless, their eyes began to glow a bright yellow, and their rough, gray skin turned black. And extra horn grew from the guard's head, and oddly enough more grew from their shoulder blades and down their backs. The rhinos grew in size, and strength, the clothes tore from their bodies as they grew, and the heartless symbol appeared in various places, such as: the forearm, chest, and forehead.
"Shit," Riku cursed, "This doesn't look good."
"Wow!" Sora awed as he stared at the tall buildings that rose above him. His mouth became more agape when he caught site of the twinkling stars above him, "So this is Skylight City? Amazing!"
"Let's not forget what we came for Sora," Donald quaked.
"Right, we're looking for Max," Sora said as he pulled his eyes away from the beautiful sky and to his feathered friend, "Where should we start?"
"Good question," Goofy said, receiving a glare from the duck.
"Your his father!" Donald quaked, "Where do you think he is?"
The trio ended up on the other side of the city, standing in front of a dance club. Loud music banged from the inside, and even while standing on the other side of the street they could still feel the shock waves. Sora stared up at the bright flashing lights in amazement while Donald tapped his foot and glared at his goofy friend.
"A dance club?" The duck asked, rather annoyed by his tone, "You really think he's in there?"
"Well, it's that or a Gummi ship shop, and I really doubt they have one of those here," Goofy said. Donald simply growled.
"What makes you think he's in there?" Donald asked.
"If I know Max, he'd be avoiding his job, flirting with girls, and well it has music, and Max likes loud music," Goofy explained.
"Good point," Donald sighed, "Come on Sora, lets get going." Donald said as he grabbed the still gawking Sora by the wrist and pulled him into the building with Goofy in tow.
Upon entering the three, meaning Donald, decided it best to split up and look for him, then regroup at the bar in ten minutes. Sora wandered along in the large room of flashing colored lights getting shoved or pushed into someone else. He was constantly saying either "excuse me" or "sorry", getting really tiered of saying the two. He eventually made it to the other side of the room, and once there he wasn't sure of what he should do next. Truthfully he found this a bad idea since he was only vaguely told about what Max looked like.
"Looking for someone?" A womanly voice asked. Sora barely heard her voice above the music, but he turned to see if she was talking him.
"Are you talking to me?" Sora shouted over the music. The young looking woman gave the boy a head nod, she was probably around sixteen, but her makeup made he seem older. Sora simply smiled at the teen, glad that somebody asked so he wouldn't have to.
"Yeah!" He proclaimed, "I'm looking for someone called Max. Do you know him?"
"I don't know anyone by that name, sorry," the girl said, "What's he look like? Maybe I've seen him?"
"Well, I'm guessing he's around this height," Sora said as he raised a hand in the air above him to specify Max's height, "And he looks like my friend Goofy." The teen gave him a strange look, as if not knowing what he was talking about.
"Who's Goofy?" She asked.
"Well, he's in here somewhere," Sora said as he stared to look around again. The girl simply smiled as she took his hand, causing Sora's gaze to snap back to her.
"Maybe he's out on the dance floor," She said, "We can go look for him together."
"Uh... okay," Sora said with a small smile as he got pulled out into the middle of the dance floor by the unknown girl. Immediately she started to move her body with the music, while Sora just stood there feeling out of place. He started to look around, but the girl took him by the hands, trying to get him to dance with her.
"Come on, dance," She said, "Don't tell me you don't know how to."
"But I though we were looking for Goofy?" Sora asked.
"We still are, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun in the process," She said with a smile as she moved in closer.
"W-wait a second," Sora stuttered as he tried to back away from her, "I don't think-"
"Hey! Watch it!" A girl shouted after Sora had backed into her, "Can't you see I'm trying to..." She trailed off as she stared at Sora, as if not believing her very own two eyes, "Sora?"
"Uh... yeah?"
"Oh my gosh!" She gasped, "Sora! It's been so long since I've last seen you!" She squealed as she pulled Sora into a big bear hug and twirled around with him in her arms. Sora could only gasp for air as this strange girl with black hair tried to strangle him in a hug. She then stopped her hug and pulled him away from her. Holding him by the shoulders at arms length she looked him up and down with a smile.
"You've changed so much," She said with a smiled, "Just look at you, so much taller, and your hair!" The girl squealed again as she pulled him into another hug, leaving Sora to gasp for air once again.
"Do I know you?" Sora managed to ask after she pulled away from him again. This question made her frown.
"Don't you recognize me? ... Oh I see what you're doing. Nice try Sora. Don't scare me like that okay," Sora frowned as he looked away, "You're not joking, are you? It's me, Yuffie!" Sora continued to stare at her as if he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Don't you remember me?" She sadly asked. Sora could only shake his head no. Yuffie's frown deepened as she continued to hold him in place by his shoulders, "How can you forget? I could understand if it was ten years, but it's only been one. Are you sure you don't remember?" Sora looked down at the floor, as if thinking. He looked back up at the girl and then solemnly shook his head no.
"I wish I could, but I can't," Sora sighed, "I can't remember anything."
"Can't remember anything?" Yuffie repeated, "You mean to tell me you lost your memory?" Sora sighed again before he gave Yuffie a head nod for his answer. "That's terrible! Come on, let me take you to Squall."
"Squall?" Sora asked, "Do I know him?"
"Yep," Yuffie answered.
"Is he here?" Yuffie could only smile wickedly.
"Yeah he's here all right." Yuffie couldn't help but giggle as she pulled Sora off of the dance floor.
"Hey! That's my date!" The other woman yelled as she tried to chase after the two, but lost them in the crowd of people.
"Squall! Hey Squall!" Yuffie's voice called over the music. Leon slammed his cup down on the bar, cause the people around him to jump and back away, and turned to Yuffie who had made it over to him.
"It's Leon, Yuffie, Leon!" The man shouted in rage, "I hope you're ready to go? I can't stand being in this place another second. I think I'm starting to get a migraine from this loud nose you call music." Yuffie simply rolled her eyes at the man, not really caring what he had to say.
"Look at who I found on the dance floor," Yuffie proclaimed as she pulled Sora from behind her. The man stared at Sora for sometime with his dark blue eyes locked on him before it clicked.
"Sora?" He asked.
"Took you long enough," Yuffie spat, "But we have a problem."
"What's that?" Leon asked, a little concerned.
"Sora lost his memory."
"... What?" Leon practically yelled, gaining a lot of attention from everyone around him.
It had been at least several minutes and still there was no sign of Jetta emerging from the tent. Riku kept glancing over in the general direction and worried more with every passing second. He was currently in battle with two heartless rhinos, swinging their axes in almost any direction. It was hard on Riku since he didn't know where or when the rhinos would strike, since he normally based his counter attacks on body movement. Not only were their attacks unpredictable, but their movements were too. They wobbled around and leaned in odd directions, as if they were lifeless puppets. Then again maybe that's what the rhino's really were, just puppets being controlled by the heartless that stool their hearts.
Riku had about enough of the rhino's blind attacks and headed for a full force, head on, attack. He got nicked by an ax blade in the back, but in a matter of seconds he had stabbed a rhino directly in between the eyes, but oddly enough it kept on attacking him. Riku backed away quickly, avoiding its attacks rather clumsy like, but nonetheless he avoided them. Finding the whole battle practically useless, he decided to go after Jetta.
Upon approaching the tent he hesitated. He watched as the black smoke swirled in the air around the bottom of the tent and wondered if he would really be able to save her. What if in the process he was pulled back into darkness? But if he didn't at least try then what would happen to Jetta? What if she would submit to the darkness? He didn't want someone else to make the same stupid mistake he had made, so without further hesitation he dove into the darkness.
"Riku?" Neron cried after seeing him enter the tent, "What's he doing? Does he want a death wish?" Max simply shrugged his shoulder at the wolf before he started to attack the heartless again.
"We can't stop battling at this point," Max said, "So lets just hope for the best and maybe Riku will come back with Jetta."
"Easy for you to say," Neron mumbled.
"This was a bad idea," Riku mumbled to himself as he floated in the darkness, unable to control where he was going at the time. Everywhere he looked all he could see was darkness, no sign of Jetta at all.
After floating around for what seemed like forever he heard a small sound. He listened closely and realized it was Jetta screaming, but she sounded so far away. Franticly, he looked around, knowing he'd only see darkness, but to his surprise he saw a light. It wasn't a bright light, considering that it was fading into the darkness, but while staring at it he heard Jetta scream again. So he called out to her.
"Jetta!" he called, reaching for the light, "Jetta can you hear me?"
"Riku? Riku is that you?"
"Are you okay?"
"I...I think so," She cried, "Where are you?"
"I'm coming," Riku said, "Just, whatever you do, don't give into the darkness. I know things may seem a little hopeless right now, but trust me okay."
"... Okay." The light seemed to get brighter now, and as Riku continued to talk to her he noticed her voice was getting closer. Finally, Riku had made it to the light and when he reached out for it his fingers grazed across Jetta's hand. After felling his touch Jetta reached out as well and took hold of Riku's arm.
"Hang on," Riku said as he pulled Jetta into his chest, knowing what had to be done. He knew of only one way out, and that was by using the vortex, he just hoped it would work. Lucky for him it did and he made it to were the other end was at the tent's entrance, that way Max or Neron wouldn't see his portal. He didn't want them thinking any different of him by seeing him walk out of a black vortex appearing out of nowhere.
Jetta and Riku came flying out of the tent, landing a few feet away, surprising Max and Neron. Riku panted as he placed a hand on his chest, suddenly feeling a sharp pain. The darkness, it was calling to him, but Riku refused to move, until he saw what was towering over him. Quickly he rolled off to the side avoiding the rhino's ax that was slammed into the ground the moment he moved.
"Riku, are you okay?" Jetta asked, crawling over to him. Riku's vision started to blur, and his hearing dropped to were he could only hear faint sounds as he stared off at the mixing colors. His head was pounding, and the pain only grew worse as he began to lose consciousness. He felt a securing pair of arms wrap around his torso before his world went black and silent.
Riku: You're so evil. ((Glares at Demon)) I can't believe you made me pass out. It wasn't even from anything big. The least you could have done was made me pass out to loss of blood or something like that. It would have made my effort look more worthwhile.
Author: ((Rolls eyes at Riku)) Oh get over it Riku. Besides, you can't do anything about it anyway for I am the author, and you are just a slave to my magical writer's pen. ((Tries to laugh evilly but fails miserably)) Right... ((Clears throat)) So anyway, I found Sora, nothing was broken. Just a false alarm.
Sora: I had to use the bathroom. ((Grins))
Riku: I think the reviewers could have went living their lives without knowing that Sora. I know I could have.
Sora: I only said it so they would know.
Riku: Whatever Sora. ((Sighs))
Author: Oh yeah! ((Wakes Riku over the head with a pillow)) How dare you throw away my note to Rurouni Saiyan! That was very rude! You can no longer ever read, touch, or even look at the notes to my reviewers. ((Hits Riku with the pillow again)) Never!
Riku: But- ((Gets hit by the pillow again))
Author: I don't want to hear it, you note destroying... person! ((Riku sweatdrops)) Now that that's out of my system, I may now get to what you wonderful reviewers have been waiting for, your notes. - Hurray! The same notes that Riku isn't aloud too read, look, or touch. ((Shoos Riku out of the room))
animefreak321654's note: I don't mind your reviews at all. ((Grins)) Where'd you come up with something like that? I love your reviews. It makes me fell appreciated. I'm super glade you're liking it, and that you thought it was funny. I feel so loved. Thanks!
Rurouni Saiyan's note: First off I'm sorry about Riku's super rude behavior about the note. I swear all that over a little embarrassment. He's such a little baby at times, but we love him anyway. ((Grins)) I'm glade you think my spelling is improving. ((Bounces around the room)) It makes me so happy! I'm super glade you liked this chapter and thanks a bunches for reviewing.
Inuyasha's apprentice's note: The reason I don't like writing fight scenes is because I think I make them so bad. . I'm just not satisfied with them, I don't know why. It's just so frustrating sometimes. So if I ever take long on getting out a chapter it's probably cause I'm stuck on a fight scene trying to make it to my liking. ((Grins)) I'm glade you liked this chapter. I just love Robin Hood so I figured 'hey why not let them go there and make Riku a cute fox?' ((Grins)) And you had a good question there... what would Yuffie be on this world? My guess is maybe a cat or a rabbit... but then again that's just me. Thanks for the review!
Black-Rose72's note: Hello new review! I welcome you with open arms! ((Grins)) I just love getting new reviewers. Can ya tell? I'm so happy that you're liking my story, so very happy. I love your story by the way! Update soon okay. Thanks for the review!
Author: Okay Riku, you can come back in the room now. ((Grins)) I thank you all again for the reviews and I hope to see ya later.
Sora: Bye reviewers! ((Waves))
((Demon hangs up a wanted poster))
Poster: Wanted. Demon's stars and squiggly lines. Reward. Five cookies of your chose. Answer in e-mail or review. You're advise in finding them will be greatly appreciated.