The Legend of Kingdom Hearts
Chapter 18 The Mage
"So what do you have to report?"
"The enemy has defeated Griever, sir," replied the silver headed boy. "And…and…" He couldn't bear to say it.
"Let me guess," Charles said with a small grin. "You found that the wielder is no longer looking for you and your other friend."
The boy did not say anything, but the man knew he had hit home. He walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I told you to forget about that retched boy, Riku."
But he couldn't. How could he forget a childhood friend like Sora?
"He's deserted you for the power of the keyblade. Is he a true friend now?"
But it wasn't like Sora to do something like that. After all, Riku didn't see the keyblade in his hand. Maybe Charles is lying?
"Show me proof that he has the keyblade," Riku told him. He added a grin to try and suppress his doubts from his master. "After all, we wouldn't want to be deceitful, now would we?
"Alright." Charles picked his hand in front and dark energy began swarming it. Soon, the darkness spread out towards the air and spread. It began swirling, fast enough to show a mirror image of something. Riku took a step forward and peeked in.
The image was of the gang and Yuna, all apparently having a good time. There were flashing lights of red, blue, and many others. They were all shouting, and in the case of Link and Sora, eating.
"Dammit." The embarrassed man made a swirling motion with his hands and the image melted.
A new one replaced it. Now it showed the group in battle with Griever. Both watched the film though its entirety without a word. Only the sounds of shovels making contact with something and creaking inside the room were heard, though neither seemed to notice.
When it was over, Riku pointed out, "Sora didn't summon any weapon. All he used were shovels."
Charles was muttering something angrily. All he could hear was, "….curses….stupid boy……..keyblade…." He repeated the motion with his hands and once again the image disappeared and was replaced.
Now it was the group's first fight with the bony boss called Skull Face. Riku watched them leap and scatter from his attacks. He couldn't help but chuckle at Link when he was being thrown from the tails. But he also couldn't help but notice the keyblade either, and hung his head in defeat. Charles was right.
"So does that clear any doubts in that head of yours?" a pleased Charles asked him. He made another sweeping motion and the projection was gone. Riku said nothing.
"Good. You are dismissed now."
The boy walked towards a door at the end of the room. He stopped at the handle and turned to him. "I hope you haven't forgotten our agreement. If you mislead me, you are forewarned now that I will get you."
"As I will to you if you think of betraying me," the man replied calmly. "Just help me in my plan, and I promise you the girl, Riku."
Riku stared at him then closed the door.
"No doubt the keyblade wielder has found that world's keyhole," Charles muttered thoughtfully. "Damn them. I'll have to move quicker. A new plan must be installed soon."
"When will I get the spotlight?" said a new voice with cockiness. A new boy had appeared suddenly. "I've been waiting forever to do something! You never give me a chance, father! Let me prove myself."
Charles pondered this. Perhaps this could be his chance to destroy the group. And this would also shut the boy up once and for all, whether he managed it or not. He gave his answer.
"If you want to make me proud, I want you to spy on the Solo Survivors' hideout, find out any information that they may have found out. I believe you'll know what to do next."
"You've got it, sir! I won't let you down!" In a second, he was no longer in the room, nor was he human.
At Traverse Town……
"Fire door?" inquired Cid. "There's one in the Third District."
Zelda asked, "Do you know what lies beyond it?"
"No one does, missy. There's rumors about a sorcerer or magician or something in there that kills anyone or anything that steps into his lair."
"Do you know his name?"
Cid scratched his. "Rumor says it's Merlin. The name rings a bell, actually. He was one of my customers, I remember him always looking at the crystals upstairs. One day, he just stopped visiting and I never saw him again. Speak of the devil -" He bent down and grabbed something from his cabinets. "I never brought him his book back." He brought up a medium sized book that was old and aging. It had a red cover and back with intricate signs and symbols on the sides.
"You say you needed to go through that Fire door? While you're there, can you return that to him? At least, I think it's his; no one else I know uses spell books." He handed the book to Link.
"Wait, you want us to return something to someone who has enough power to kill us?" said Link doubtfully. "Why can't you just do it?"
"Because," answered Cid.
Before they knew it, all of them were ushered outside the shop.
"Be careful," Cid warned them. "Magicians can be a sneaky lot." And he slammed the door shut.
Third district third district third district (after a few minutes of heartless bashing)
"This is it, right?"
"Link, how many other doors do you see around here with a symbol of fire?" Zelda asked dryly.
"Alright smarty pants, open the door for me. This book is getting heavy."
"Whiner."
Zelda approached the door and began muttering. A few seconds later, her hand shining with red light, she released the energy and shouted, "Firaga!" There was a small explosion as it hit contact with the door. When the smoke cleared, the door did not seem affected at all. Sora and Kail pushed on the door to no avail.
"What was that about?" asked Kari.
"I just thought that if the door was called the 'Fire door', it would be opened by fire," Zelda answered simply.
Kail chimed in, "Well it didn't work."
"That's weird."
With some stroke of brilliance, Sora took a few steps back, opposite of the door. "Move everyone." When they did, he charged the door.
BAM!
"Ouch! Oh crap, I think I broke something!"
The other two guys helped him up. Sora winced as he stood. "I think I broke a rib or something," he commented.
"Let's see then." Zelda approached him and tapped his arm. Immediately, he gave a loud groan of pain. "Nope, you've broken your arm. Maybe this should teach you to think before you act."
"Well it doesn't matter," Kari said. "He managed to open the door." She pointed to the now ajar door. "Let's go."
Inside, they were greeted immediately by semi-darkness and the sound of running water. After their eyes adjusted to the dark, Kail noticed something.
"There's something up ahead." His voice echoed softly.
Everyone treaded lightly across the stone floor. Every step was uncertain, for no one was sure whether it was floor they were stepping on or a trap. The silence continued, save for the echoing of the unsheathing of swords and the constant footsteps.
Splash!
"Help, help, help!" Sora's voice rang with fear as he tried treading water with only one arm. But even in the darkness, the rest could tell.
"Sora, you can touch the bottom with your feet," said Link.
"Really?" He stopped treading and let his feet sink. "You're right!"
"Idiot," everyone muttered.
Sora climbed out, being careful not to put any weight on his broken arm. He gave them an embarrassed grin, and the group continued for a few more steps.
"Hey, Zel, could you put some light on?" Link asked.
Obligingly, she muttered some words and the familiar glow of fire was lit. She moved her hand around, trying to shed light in as many places as possible.
In the light of the spell, a house appeared. It was an odd shaped house at that; the roof looked like an enlarged hat; there were a few small windows, though they could not see through them; the front door was barricaded and barred with wooden planks; the chimney was smoking clouds of soot on its own. The only way to reach it was by stones set in the water, which they crossed easily enough.
Since the front door could not be opened, they checked the sides.
"Found something!" called Kail.
He pointed to a few blue curtains that were almost invisible due to its dark color. Everyone entered.
Upon entry, they immediately felt the warmth of a crackling fireplace in the back. The walls were filled with bookcases filled with books, varying in sizes. A chair by the fire contained another one, blue in color and small in size, left carelessly by its owner.
A faint sound was suddenly heard. The group continued silence until they found that it was a song, a beautiful song at that. Enticed by the melody, they moved toward the sound.
SNAP!
"What the-!" everyone cried out.
While listening to the music, they unfortunately did not notice a trap waiting on the floor, cleverly hidden. For their inattention, the group was now trapped in a strong net. No matter how much they struggled, the web did not give in. Even when Link, Kari, and Sora hacked at it with their weapons, it did not yield.
"Well this is great," said a frustrated Link. The others agreed.
For a few moments, all they could do was sit silently (even though it was quite cramped in there) and listen to the music; now though, they heard a lot of mistakes. The music player was heard groaning from behind a door.
"Jeez, this is hard!" a female voice complained. "I give up for now!" The music stopped and there was a slamming noise. Footsteps were heard coming towards them, and then the door opened.
The girl in the door was taken aback at the trapped ones. She stood for a second, examining them skeptically, and then a small grin appeared on her face.
"Well, well, well." The girl began pacing around the trap with the grin still there. She stared at each person, as if checking for something.
" 'Well, well, well' what?" Zelda inquired.
"Just a sec," the girl answered. She continued to stare at each person until she reached Kari. As they made contact, Kari noticed something about the mysterious girl.
Eyes that are blue, brown, and green all at once…
"Aren't you the one that messed with my head back at Besaid?" she asked hotly. The girl chuckled.
"Well, 'messed with' is a little harsh. I just entered your mind with Mikau's help, that's all." She finished her inspection and walked in front of the net.
"Who cares what you call it?" said Link. "Only sorceresses, warlocks, witches, or wizards can do something as dark as entering one's mind!" He struggled with the net, ignoring the complaints of everyone else.
"Stop moving," commanded the girl. "You might hurt Sora's arm more." As an astounded Link did, she pulled a dagger that seemingly came from nowhere and advanced towards them. Zelda, Link, and Kari eyed her with mistrust and a bit of fear; the mysterious dagger-wielder saw their eyes and said in a gentle tone, "I'm cutting you free. Don't move." With a swift motion, her dagger cut the rope with ease and the group fell to the floor in a jumble. Everyone dusted themselves off, for the ground contained bits of dirt, as if no one bothered to clean it up for months.
"Sorry about that," the girl apologized. "Didn't mean for you to get in the Heartless trap."
"Heartless trap?" Kail repeated.
"Yup. I've been trying to catch them, but the stupid things won't come. Probably don't notice the door in. By the way," she crossed her arms and looked at Kari, "what took you so long? You asked Cid, right? The door has a fire emblem, right? Why didn't you just use fire on it?"
"We did!" answered a frustrated Kari. "The darn thing didn't open! What's the use of putting the symbol of fire on it if it doesn't even open to its corresponding element?"
"What're you talking about?" she said disbelievingly. "It always opens to any and every fire spell!"
"Well not for us, apparently."
"Well that's very weird…" The girl put a hand thoughtfully to her chin. "Unless…" Quite suddenly her hand moved to her mouth and she issued a shrill whistle, then extended her arm and waited.
At first nothing happened. Then they heard creaking, then swishing. Out of the blue came a small red creature, which landed on her arm. Almost knee-length, the creature was like a miniature two legged cat. It had a lion-like mane and large paws. It gave off a small roar to the girl.
"Were you up to mischief again?" the girl asked the creature with suspicion. The creature gave her a toothy grin a made a few grumbling noises.
This did not satisfy her. "Grandpa told you many times to stay away from the door!" she shouted. "Who knows what could've happened if you had tampered with it too much! Now, I want you to apologize to me and promise to never do it again."
Meekly, it put its large paws behind its back in a humiliated manner and made a few growling noises at her. She scrutinized him for a second, then said, "Good enough." She turned to her guests; Sora had a surprised look on his faces, yet the people from Hyrule had mild expressions only. Kail was eyeing the creature with curiosity.
"What?" the girl asked. "Is their something weird about talking to animals?"
"Yes!"
"Not really."
Sora looked at the others with looks of confusion.
"In our world," explained Zelda, "there are plenty of odd creatures. One does not find it unusual to find an individual reminiscing with fish, or trees about the land's past."
"Well on our world we don't have talking animals."
"Then," Kari said, "that is an odd thing indeed."
"If I may," Kail interrupted them suddenly. "Would you mind introducing yourself and your…uh, pet?"
The girl flushed immediately at his question. "Well aren't I the stupid one! My name is Kiyoko." She held her hand out to Kail, who shook it. She repeated the motion to everyone else. "And this-" She pointed to the animal on her shoulder, "-is Lionel. He's something we call a moomba back on my planet."
At the mention of his name, Lionel puffed his chest out in pride. Kiyoko rolled her eyes at him.
"So," she said as she clapped her hands together, "who's ready for some training?"
"Training?" they repeated absent-mindedly.
"Well yeah! How else are you guys going to learn new magic?"
"Since when were you going to teach us?" inquired Zelda.
"Since now!" Kiyoko answered. "I'll explain upstairs."
"But there are no stairs!" said a confused Link.
Lionel swiftly bounded from her shoulder to the ceiling, despite Kiyoko's dark muttering of "show-off". Latching on with his large claws, he moved to a corner of the room with was hidden in shadow from the many bookcases. He began tracing the wall with his paw into a shape, though no one could see from their position.
As Lionel finished tracing, there was a loud click from above. A portion of the ceiling suddenly lowered down to them. Kiyoko climbed on and motioned them to follow.
"All will be explained up there," she told them. They hesitated slightly, then pulled themselves onto the platform. Lionel again traced the same rune into the wall, and it began to move upwards. Before it reached the top, he leapt up to them with superb speed.
I must apologize for last chapter. I was sick while I was writing, so I was in the weirdest of moods. So if you found something off in the last chapter, you know why.
Well, at least you guys didn't have to wait for over half a year!
Responses:
Master of the Dark Trio: Well, I haven't touched FFVII in a long while. It's mostly been FFX for the past few months. That's mainly because I'm thinking about doing a recap of the story in a humorous way. (or at least that's what I think) Actually, you've been waiting since about September, but it's close enough . Hope you enjoyed reading and update your stories!
Ninja Mage: Thanks for the input. Like I said, the sickness put me in a weird (and oddly enough VERY criticizing, to the point that I was criticizing my own story!) mood. I hope I don't have something like that again…Anyway, when DoC comes out, I can hopefully get it. My parents have something against violence. (if they saw how much I did FFX…) Speaking of which, those last battles are pretty freakin hard. Darn you Square!
Venz0r: True, you pointed out a lot of things that are true. I guess that's just how I do it. I'll thank you for your gracious input. Though I don't find the poll that weird…
Kinoarashi: Don't try to bash me! (holds out flame thrower) You might get flamed. . Sorry it took so long, I try to do my best. Mikau will be featured later in the story and maybe in the sequel…
Mikol: Actually, Zidane and Garnet are two of the main characters in FFIX. Yeah, I hate exams, too. I just took an ACT test, and boy was that hard! Thanks and keep reading!
Read and review guys and gals and creatures and aliens and-
Kail: Can you quit that?
Med: Oh alright. You guys get the picture. See you next chapter!
PS: Just want to mention that I couldn't have done it without music. Listening to the FFX-2 piano songs really got me in the mood. Go you!
PPS: If you read one of the reviews, I am thinking about putting a "somewhat" humorous novelization of FFX. I would appreciate any comments on this. Thanks in advance!
Med