Keyblades and Questions

Disclaimer: Same as before…

AN: Bisley is a very famous rifle shooting championship in the United Kingdom.

"What do we do now?" Doc asked as he joined Prue and Godfrey in the hallway.

"We'd best continue looking for this Sora person." Godfrey relied, "There's no telling what the Heartless will do when they find him."

"Wait, we can't just leave Andy here." Prue replied.

"She's right." Godfrey replied.

"Thank you." Prue replied.

"Someone needs to keep an eye on him." Godfrey replied.

"Will you get off this paranoid kick you've been on all day!" Prue snapped.

"Prue, I don't like this any more than you do." Godfrey replied, "But we have to consider all possibilities. First he was reincarnated, by whom or for whom we don't know, and he claims not to know how it happened or why. You, however, know something of how you were reincarnated."

"Considering my reincarnation almost lasted a grand total of five minutes thanks to your trigger happy constables…" Prue began.

"Well, consider the fact that you reincarnated right into the path of a fleeing Heartless, while, I might add, Mayapore was under threat of invasion." Godfrey replied, "Of course we were inclined to shoot first and ask questions later."

"Which is something I couldn't have helped." Prue replied.

"Again, I apologize for that particular error." Godfrey replied.

"I hope you apologize for Andy for interrogating him earlier." Prue replied, in a dangerous tone.

"Look," Godfrey replied, "I'm doing my job as the Intelligence Officer, in case you've forgotten there's a war on out there and the enemy is not averse to sending spies into our midst."

Prue was about to launch another cutting remark when Doc said, "Listen! Can you two save the arguing for when you're married!"

Both of them stopped arguing, simultaneously shocked. Both their jaws dropped at the same time.

"I said that as a way to shut you two up long enough for you to listen." Doc replied, "Since you two are arguing like an old married couple, I figured the metaphor was appropriate."

"Wanker." Godfrey replied.

"I'll be right back, hon, I promise." Prue began and kissed Andy's forehead.

"I can't wait." Andy replied, smiling.

"Godfrey and I will stick around." Doc said, "I've still gotta do a few checks on Andy and someone else needs to stick around just in case the Heartless come after him again."

"You're gonna have your hands full, Doc." Audrey said, having seen Andy and Godfrey's little tiff earlier, "preventing them from killing each other."

"I have more honor than to beat up on an injured man, Audrey." Godfrey replied.

"Don't worry about it, Prue." Doc said, "I'll make sure that they don't start fighting each other."

Prue, Audrey, Bertha and Mole were heading out into the 3rd District to search for Sora when Godfrey said, "Good luck."

"Thanks." Prue smiled and walked outside.

Andy glared at Godfrey from across the room. He seemed to be a bit too close to Prue, too close for his taste, what with the easy banter the shared and everything.

"Feeling a little jealous, are we?" Doc asked, "Don't worry they're just friends. They're almost like siblings, arguments and all. I've gotta go see if that pharmacist delivered that parcel. You two behave now."

"Scouts honor." Andy said.

"Gentleman's honor." Godfrey amended.

"Trying a little one-up are we?" Andy asked, as he sat up in bed.

"I'm British for God's sake." Godfrey replied, "And raised as an English gentleman."

"Whatever you do, don't get any ideas…" Andy glared.

"Ideas?" Godfrey replied, "I'm an intelligence officer, not a psychic. What 'ideas' are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I mean." Andy replied.

"Wanker." Godfrey replied, "Doc told you already, we're just friends. Prue mentioned you were a bit like this in secondary school. I would imagine you'd grown beyond that."

"You've known her for all of three weeks." Andy replied, "And you know about little details of her life, including our relationship?"

"When you're traveling between worlds and there isn't much going on, you talk to people, so of course I know a few things about you." Godfrey replied, and as he was about to say something else he noticed something, and drew his pistol.

"You can't exactly charm her away from me and now you're going to murder me…?" Andy said. Were Godfrey magically inclined he would have noticed a bald man in a black suit with a blue silk shirt and tie standing behind Andy whispering into his ear.

"He's going to shoot you Andy…" the Darklighter whispered as Godfrey drew his weapon.

Just then Godfrey fired and Andy turned to hear a body hit the ground. It was a Heartless, but not like the one that attacked him in the alley. It wore a blue armored suit with a knight's helmet and had a crossed out heart on its chest. It fell because Godfrey's bullet had drilled it through the eye socket.

Doc came running into the room, his .45 drawn. "We've got company." Godfrey remarked.

"You might want some heavier firepower, Godfrey." Doc warned, indicating Godfrey's .38 revolver, "Grab that rifle outta the case under the bed."

Godfrey grabbed the wooden case, which had US government stampings on it. He exchanged a quizzical look with Doc. "No, we didn't steal it. Let's say a guy in the American Office of Strategic Services owes Kolopak a favor or two."

Godfrey popped the case open and it revealed an M1 Carbine, a lightweight .30 caliber rifle with a fifteen round magazine. Doc indicated a metal ammo box and Godfrey opened it. There were several magazines in it.

Andy's eyes widened. Whoever the crew of this Morrowind was they were well connected when it came to World War II era ordinance.

"I don't suppose you know how to use this." Godfrey said, handing Andy his revolver.

"This is the dangerous end, right?" Andy replied sarcastically.

"Bloody right!" Godfrey replied, and opened fire again, dropping a Shadow Heartless that crashed through the bedroom window.

"They rarely go after the hotel." Doc replied, "I wonder why they're going after it now?"

"Perhaps our new houseguest has the answer." Godfrey replied.

"Blame me for everything? Where are your policeman's instincts, Godfrey?" Andy replied.

"Operating just fine. This highly unusual attack did not happen until after you arrived." Godfrey countered, heatedly.

"First cut deductions usually fail by inspection." Andy snapped, shooting at a second Shadow Heartless that leapt at Godfrey's head.

"Sometimes gut instinct can work for the investigator." Godfrey quipped back.

"Where's your evidence, officer?" Andy snapped.

"I'm looking at it right here." Godfrey replied, "You're here for less than a bloody day and we're being attacked."

"Coincidence. One attack does not mean a pattern." Andy retorted.

"Can you two argue about this later?" Doc replied, his .45 blaring as he knocked down a Soldier Heartless that had just caved in the door.

"Of course, Doctor." Godfrey replied, as he turned and fired the carbine again.

"Are you alright?" Doc asked.

"Tell Mr. Bisley Champion here not to fire that thing off so close to my head, I can barely hear as is." Andy replied.

Five Heartless came through the shattered window just then and Godfrey opened fire, killing them all.

"What did I just tell you?" Andy snapped.

"Shut up!" Godfrey retorted as several more Heartless came charging through the window once again.

"Are you alright?" Godfrey asked.

Andy saw the Englishman's mouth moving but didn't hear a thing. However he was still able to guess at sounds.

"What?" Andy said, rather loudly. The Heartless had retreated from the hotel in the meantime.

"That sounded like – " Bertha said.

"Gunfire!" Prue finished, "Back to the hotel!"

The four of them raced back to the hotel where the shots were coming from, Prue frantic with worry as she raced up the stairs three at a time and sprinted down the hallway to Andy's room. She saw Andy was safe and sighed with relief.

"Are you alright?" Prue asked Andy as she almost ran to his bedside.

"Huh?" Andy replied, a bit too loudly for conversational tone, "I can't hear a word you're saying!"

"Not so loud…" Prue winced.

"Sorry." Andy said, indicating Godfrey, "Audie Murphy over here almost deafened me."

Godfrey gestured to the eight dead Heartless near the window, "Would you rather have been dismembered?"

"Would you two rather not argue with each other?" Prue interjected.

"Certainly." Godfrey replied.

"Something tells me our hotel bill will be, how the Americans say, through the roof." Mole said.

"What was your first clue?" Godfrey replied, slinging the M1 Carbine over one shoulder and helping the Frenchman carry the corpse of a dead Heartless out of the room.

After a few hours the cleanup was over, but Kolopak hadn't returned yet. Doc and Audrey had headed for the First District to look for him, while Godfrey was waiting in the foyer for their return. He had an envelope in his hands, but made sure the revolver at his side was loaded in case of trouble. Just then Prue walked downstairs, cradling a cup of tea between her hands.

"You're still up?" Godfrey asked.

"I just tucked Andy in about five minutes ago." Prue replied, "What've got there?"

"First letter from home I've received." Godfrey replied, "And there's a bunch of 'em, from mum, grams, my brothers, my sister, dad, even from Daphne."

"I had no idea you had such a big family." Prue replied.

"You never asked." Godfrey replied.

"How old are your siblings?" Prue asked.

"Well my brother Michael is twenty-five, as his twin sister, Danielle." Godfrey replied, "David, the youngest just turned twenty-two last week."

"You seem worried." Prue observed.

"With the war on and everything, my brothers can easily be drafted into the military." Godfrey replied.

"You're worried about them." Prue added.

"I just got a letter saying Michael volunteered for Air Cadet training with the Royal Air Force." Godfrey replied, "And David is still not sure he wants to volunteer. I keep advising him to volunteer, otherwise he might get snapped up by the infantry."

"He could get stationed in England." Prue replied.

"He's just as likely to get put on a frontier post on the arse end of nowhere." Godfrey countered, "And how do you know that feeling of worry over siblings?"

"My sisters." Prue replied, "I know what it's like to worry when your sisters go out the door. I was more than worried sick when Piper got possessed by a maniac life essence, or when Phoebe was dating a demon…"

"No offense but it seems like you're family's on the barmy side." Godfrey replied.

"None taken, I feel the same way sometimes." Prue replied, and changing the subject asked, "How's Daphne?"

"Morning sick apparently." Godfrey replied, "Her descriptions of nausea make me glad men don't bear children."

"I'm glad too, because if you guys had to have babies reproduction rates so would plummet to zero." Prue replied.

"If Kida's laboring, not to mention the three babies I've witnessed mum deliver are any indication I would say yes." Godfrey replied, grinning, "My granny told me that granddad fainted when mum was born. 'A hero of many of Britain's little brushfire wars felled by the birth of his daughter' she used to say with mock severity, as if she were speaking at a funeral."

Prue laughed lightly, "My dad did the same thing when Phoebe was born. I wound up asking, 'Why are you sleeping Daddy?' about five times."

"Mum says Dr. Poole's grateful for that bottle of Crown Royal Scotch I sent him for his birthday." Godfrey replied.

Prue rolled her eyes, "Could you have sent him something non-alcoholic for his birthday?"

"I already sent him some inexpensive aftershave for Christmas…" Godfrey remarked, "That's non-alcoholic."

"I meant something other than cheap cologne or alcoholic beverages." Prue asked, "Have you ever given him anything other than that?"

"Well, there was that statue of Ganesh (AN: the elephant headed Hindu god) I bought him three years ago. It wound up collecting dust I the basement of his bungalow within two weeks. He said the elephant head gave him the creeps." Godfrey replied.

"Sounds like that ugly statue Grams left us." Prue replied, "I wanted to send it to the basement for months but my powers weren't strong enough to move it. Sadly Piper and Phoebe loved it…"

"I see." Godfrey replied, "So that's when I sent him his favorite whiskey…"

"…or the cheap aftershave." Prue quipped.

"…For his birthday." Godfrey finished, "Anyway, mum wasn't overly happy about the Scotch. And pissing off a hospital matron is like pissing off a sergeant major, which is something all ranks avoid like the plague."

"What does your dad do again?" Prue asked.

"He's retired, a former Warrant Officer with the Indian Constabulary Service. Military or law enforcement are the most common professions for Godfrey men." Godfrey replied, "What about your mum and dad?"

"My mom worked all kinds of little jobs." Prue replied, "To support us, especially after she and dad had their marriage go south. And my Dad's a lawyer."

"So what did your sisters have to say?" Godfrey asked.

"I'm about to find out." Prue replied as she opened the envelope with Piper's handwriting on it.

"I'll leave you to that." Godfrey said, as he walked out for a breath of fresh air.

As they talked back and forth, Andy watched from the top of the staircase as the Darklighter stood by his side. "I wonder what they're talking about?" the Darklighter said, his voice matching Andy's.

"And they're chatting like old friends, even though they've barely known one another a month." Darklighter continued, "That's a bit suspicious, isn't it? Ask her about it when she goes back up to you? What could be going on between her and Godfrey?"

"Look how conversation comes easily to them." Darklighter said, "Godfrey is a self-proclaimed English gentleman, they're masters of subtle romancing…"

Andy watched as jealous thoughts coursed through his head. What exactly did Prue get up to whenever she would be hanging around Godfrey? What does he have that I don't? Andy thought. Besides that high-brow Englishman bit? He headed back to the room he was sharing with Prue as the two continued talking.

Prue walked upstairs, back to the room she was sharing with Andy. Thankfully it was springtime in Traverse Town, so the room wasn't as drafty as it would have been in the winter. She was surprised to see him awake, after she had changed and climbed into bed beside him.

"I thought you were asleep." Prue began.

"I've just been doing some thinking." Andy replied, "Prue, can I ask you something?"

"Anything. Why?" Prue replied.

"Do you love me?" Andy asked.

"Why do you need to ask that?" Prue replied, there was obvious pain in her voice.

"It's nothing, just that I've been away for so long and a lot of time has passed." Andy replied, "I just wonder if you haven't found anyone new."

"Don't be ridiculous." Prue began, "If I had, I wouldn't be lying next to you right now, would I? Can I ask why you're acting like this?"

"Prue, I've been dead for three years, let's not beat around the bushes here." Andy replied, "A lot can change then."

Prue sensed that something was still wrong with Andy, and propping herself up on one elbow she asked, "Wait a minute, you're jealous aren't you?"

"What?" Andy asked, "Of who?"

"Don't try denying it." Prue replied, "Be honest with me…"

"Like you were about being a witch?" Andy replied.

"You are jealous." Prue replied, "Without a good reason."

"You seem to spend a lot of time around him." Andy began, "I just wonder what your relationship with Godfrey is anyway?"

"You're jealous of Godfrey?" Prue asked, incredulous.

"Shouldn't I be?" Andy replied, "After all, an intelligent English gentleman…"

"If that's the case, you've got nothing to worry about. We're friends. He's almost like the big brother I never had." Prue cut him off, tears starting to show.

God could you be a worse asshole? Andy thought. He had done this once or twice around Prue, and it really hurt him to see her in tears for any reason.

"Look, Prue, I'm sorry." Andy began, "It's just that I got a worried that you might have moved on without me, left me as part of the past."

"Andy, losing you broke my heart." Prue replied, putting an arm around his chest, careful to avoid any of his major bruises, "I've never forgotten you, or what we had together. I tried moving on with my life, but I still missed you. Andy, I still love you."

Andy snaked an arm around Prue's waist. How could I doubt you? Andy thought, and kissed Prue tenderly on the lips before the two of them fell asleep.

A few hours later, Andy slid out of the bed, silently dressing as he watched a sleeping Prue. She turned over and mumbled something, and he feared that he had awakened her and a very awkward explanation. He pulled the covers back up to under her chin and was rewarded with a sleepy smile. This isn't right and you know it. Andy thought.

"Are you sure that's all you desire?" Darklighter asked Maleficent, "I could get him to jump from the Traverse Town clock tower to his death if you so desired. It would rid you of Prue by damaging her heart and it would be payback for her Whitelighter vanquishing me two years ago."

"Yes." Maleficent replied, "And I only want you inducing jealousy and strife, for I have other plans for Inspector Trudeau."

"You said you wanted to hurt the Charmed One. What better way than taking her newly reincarnated beloved from her." Darklighter replied.

"As I said before, I have other plans for

Now leave before you are seen."

"As you wish." The Darklighter said, almost sneering before he vanished from sight. After he did so, Andy Trudeau walked around the corner.

"You wanted to see me." Andy began.

"Yes." Maleficent replied, "I want to know, have they made contact with the Keyblade?"

"What? Not that I've noticed. What is a Keyblade?" Andy asked.

"That is not your concern. But it is mine." Maleficent replied.

"What do you want from me?" Andy asked.

"To find information…" Maleficent replied.

"I thought you wanted my happiness." Andy replied. As soon as he spoke he felt like a mailed fist was crushing his heart.

"Andy, yes I do. But even happiness has its price." Maleficent replied, "Do you want Prue to find you dead in this alley?"

"No…" Andy groaned, as Maleficent kept her staff pointed at him.

"Good, because you know how much your dying broke her heart the first time." Maleficent said, icily, "Do as I say, and you can live happily ever after with her."

"Fail," Maleficent continued, making a Shadow Heartless appear, "And this could be you. You are experiencing the first pains that those who ultimately turn into Heartless feel. So answer me, Andy, what will it be?"

"I'll get you what you want." Andy replied. Maleficent vanished and Andy immediately thought. Maleficent is evil. I've got to warn Prue, somehow.

Kolopak swung the Aztec war club in an arc, bringing it smashing down onto the Shadow's head. Alongside him was a boy with spiky black hair and blue eyes, no older than fifteen, holding what looked like a giant key in his hand.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

"I am Kolopak. I understand the nature of this foe that you face."

Sora looked at the man. He was lean and swarthy, with salt and pepper hair that ran down to a ponytail behind his head, and he clutched a very wicked looking wooden club about the length of his forearm with obsidian teeth imbedded in it.

"What are they?" Sora asked.

"We can speak to each other later, but first we must get you to safety." Kolopak replied, as he clubbed down another Heartless.

"I'm Sora." The boy replied, "My world just got attacked by those things, plus one big giant one that I fought off. And then this funny looking dog with a green collar licked me and woke me up…I chased him and then these things appeared and that's when you showed up."

"Come with me, and I promise all will be explained." Kolopak replied.

Sora wasn't sure how to respond to that. First the Destiny Islands had simply vanished without a trace, courtesy of these funny looking creatures, and now this old man with a tattoo on his face wielding some kind of bizarre Indian war club wanted to talk to him. It can't hurt. If he tries anything I'll just whack him with this war club. Sora thought, as he hefted the Keyblade.

"OK." Sora said. Any port in the storm…

TBC