Author's Note-Sorry for taking so long, guys. I am making progress with the rough draft, slowly but surely. I'd like to say Happy Halloween and Merry Samhain (even if it ish a bit late… -smiles and sweatdrops-) And yes, you all get candy. –grins as she passes out candy- Lessee, for the disclaimer…I don't own Kingdom Hearts. As usual. Anyways, on with the fic!
Ed winced as long red streaks delivered by lengthy black claws appeared across his back when he attempted to stand. It was becoming painfully obvious now that if he kept fighting, he was going to lose, and probably pay with his life. He looked up, seeing the Heartless that stood before him. It raised its claws, about to bring them down when…
Slash!
A blade flashed, slicing through the Heartless. The blonde looked up to see a girl with crimson hair standing in front of him amidst the black. One of the girls he and Al had helped…
"Hey…you're one of the kids Al and I helped, aren't you…?" he asked. He then frowned. "You probably shouldn't be up yet-you're injured," he said.
"I'll live. You must be Alphonse's brother. I'm Kairi," the girl said.
Ed blinked. "Edward Elric…" he replied, wincing as he stood. Her statement had brought him slight relief in spite of his pain, however-if Alphonse had the time to make an introduction and explain what all was going on, that probably meant that he and the others were okay inside the house.
Kairi nodded, her blue eyes skimming over the surrounding crowd of Heartless. I can't use cure yet…it's going to take all my strength fighting physically… she thought. Without a moment's hesitation, she reached into her pocket, pulling out a small bottle filled with a greenish-blue liquid and tossed it to Ed. "Here. Drink it," she instructed.
Ed caught it, staring at it warily for a moment before downing it. He nearly gagged-it tasted awful! "What the hell is this stuff?.!" he demanded, making a face.
"It's a potion. Don't spit it out-you need it for healing," Kairi advised.
"Ugh… Sure that it won't be this stuff that does me in?"
"Positive." Kairi firmly replied.
Sure enough-though he would've never admitted it, because it had to be impossible-he was beginning to feel strangely better. The energy was beginning to return to him, and most of the wounds were beginning to heal up hyper-speed. But…at the complete and utter impossibility of all this, he just had to shrug it off. Because if he even attempted to comprehend all of this…well, he couldn't. In a mess like this, he didn't even know where to start.
…And besides, if he stopped to even try, then he'd be mauled by one of those black Heartless creatures.
Either way, point was that as he straightened up just a bit, he knew that he was ready for round two…
…And apparently, so did the Heartless.
"Get ready…" Kairi warned in a low voice, the two teens being pushed into standing back-to-back as the Heartless edged gradually closer.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Ed replied in a matching tone, getting into fighting stance as well.
It seemed to happen all at once. The Heartless sprang forward, almost overwhelming the two. But blades flashed, and the surrounding darkness slowly but surely began to disperse. Ed and Kairi…they were winning…
When the last of the Heartless had skittered off into the shadows, the two fighters sighed, relaxing slightly, but keeping their eyes sharp. "So, anymore unpleasant surprises that I should be expecting? You obviously seem to know a bit more about this than me," Ed asked, glancing over his shoulder at Kairi.
"Well…normally there's a leader to all of them…but I don't think they're here right now. Let's go check on Tifa and the others," Kairi said, heading back into the house. Ed paused, then nodded and followed.
Al, Kiyoshi, and Hyotoko looked over as the door opened. If Al had his body, he would've smiled. "Brother! You're okay!"
"Kairi, Ed, welcome back!" Kiyoshi greeted.
"Yeah. Kairi gave me some sort of medicine that fixed me right up," Ed said, smiling. Medicine…right…in spite of everything, he was still a bit reluctant to call it a 'potion' like in some sort of faerie tale or whatever. "You guys okay in here?"
Kiyoshi blinked. "Um…" He and Al exchanged glances, then looked over at Hyotoko. "Well…yeah, for the most part. But Hyotoko's awake…"
Ed looked over at Hyotoko, expecting to see a pained expression, but frowned when he only saw confusion upon the boy's features. He…feels no pain…? he thought. But…that's not natural, nowhere close… This can't be a good sign…
He pushed his thoughts aside and walked over to Hyotoko. "We're going to get that glass out now. Okay?"
Hyotoko nodded calmly. "Er…sure, okay…" he replied, seeming and sounding just as baffled as Ed felt.
"Okay. Al?" Ed asked.
Al nodded. "Right…" he said, walking behind Hyotoko and gently grabbing the boy's arms to hold him steady and, if need be, still.
"Um…brace yourself…I guess…" Ed warned, wrapping his hands around the shard. He pulled as carefully as he could and the glass came out with a sickening noise, but all Hyotoko did was wince. As the blood began to flow out of the wound again, Ed glanced over at Kairi while reaching for a bandage. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have any more of that medicine, would you…?" he asked.
"Yeah, but we don't have a whole lot, and it would probably be better if we used a hi-potion. But even partially healing the wound and all the other cuts would help out a lot more than nothing," Kairi replied, fishing around in her pocket and producing another small bottle.
"So where exactly are we…?" Hyotoko muttered, looking around. He stared at the potion for a moment, appearing to be somewhat suspicious, then took it and drank it, grimacing a bit at the taste.
"Amestris…" Ed replied as he began to dab the wound with alcohol and wrap it up in a bandage.
"…Oh…"
"So what now?" Kairi asked.
"We're catching a train to East Central tomorrow," Ed replied. "Mustang's gonna want to know more about this. Besides, I have a report to make…"
"How's the condition of our ship?" Hyotoko asked.
"It's not going to be flying anytime soon…" Ed said. "But then, I'm not a mechanic, especially not of some weird technology that I've never even seen before. I'm sure the Rockbells could probably help in one way or the other…"
"We'll probably have to get the military to move the ship, though," Al said.
Ed nodded in agreement. "I can't really think of any other way at the moment…" he admitted.
"When does the train arrive and how long will it take to get to East Central?" Hyotoko asked.
"Calm down, Hyotoko," a voice laughed from the stairs. "It's not like we're on a set schedule, after all…"
The group looked over to see Tifa. "Tifa!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, smiling.
"How are you feeling?" Kairi asked.
Tifa winced slightly through her smile. "Sore. But I'll live…" she assured them.
"That reminds me-Al, what about your wound?" Kiyoshi asked.
Al looked away from Tifa and over at Kiyoshi, then held up his hands. "Erm…it's okay…" he said.
"Wound…?" Ed repeated, looking up from Hyotoko's bandage as he finished tightening it.
"Yeah… One of the claws of one of that Heartless managed to pierce my armor," Al explained.
Ed frowned. "Strong claws. Normally that steel can deflect bullets…" he commented as he clapped his hands together. Searching for the hole and eventually finding it, he said, "That came pretty close. You're gonna have to be more careful next time."
"Right," Al said, watching as Ed reached up and placed his hands on the armor, repairing the hole in a flash of light.
Hyotoko's eyes widened as he watched with fascination. "Woah! What was that? And don't say magic, because magic isn't real."
His friends rolled their eyes, but Ed blinked at the boy. "Hm?" But then he smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "You're right. It's a science called alchemy," he explained. He was a bit relieved and a bit surprised to find someone ignorant about alchemy and not think that it was some sort of magic right off the bat. Apparently the kid was a real scientist like him.
"Alchemy…" Hyotoko repeated in a mutter. Then, to Ed, "Teach it to me!"
Ed sweatdropped. "What…?"
"Teach me alchemy. Please?"
"Now hang on a second…" Ed began to protest. "Alchemy isn't just something you can learn in a couple of days-it takes hard work and dedication-"
"And I have that! I'm an A student, so of course I dedication and the willingness to learn!"
"That's the truth…" Kiyoshi muttered with a slight sigh.
"Like I said, please? I promise I'll pay attention and study really hard," Hyotoko pleaded.
The blonde alchemist raised an eyebrow. "Just why do you want to learn alchemy, anyway…?"
The brown-haired boy frowned a bit in thought, trying to come up with a good enough answer to satisfy the older boy's question. After a moment, he replied, "To help people!"
Ed and Al exchanged glances, then looked back at Hyotoko. "…Nice try," Ed said, skepticism apparent in his voice.
"What? Don't you guys believe me?" Hyotoko asked, frowning.
"…No. You have your own reasons. Believe me, we've been there."
"But it really is to help someone! Our friend Sakura…we're on a quest to find something to help her wake up…and we're looking for our other friends. Knowing alchemy…it would be a really big help on our journey. And besides…I doubt the blueprints and instruction manual survived the crash of our ship, but I've got that memorized. If I could use alchemy, then I bet I could fix the ship easily," Hyotoko replied.
Ed sighed. "You've got to be kidding me…" Taking another look at Hyotoko, he frowned, then finally relented after a moment of internal debate. "….Alright. But only the basics. Remember, alchemy can't be learned overnight…"
Hyotoko's look brightened to a smile. He nodded. "Hai, sensei!"
"I see…" Yukiro said after Seika's explanation. He sighed, leaning against the tall, white garden wall and crossing his arms, looking troubled and thoughtful. "Damn, we've gotten ourselves into quite a mess…and if it's true that he has returned…"
"But he can still be defeated. The true power that he has sought lies within the very kingdom he had left behind," Seika replied.
"So that makes it all more of a race to get to Gaia than before. Great…"
"Yukiro…please be careful. Especially now. I don't think I have to tell you what would be the result of an encounter with him. If he finds you still alive-"
"Of all my fears, it is he that ranks the highest. You don't have to tell me to avoid him, believe me," Yukiro said with a faint smile. "I'll do the best I can. I promise."
Seika smiled, then hugged him. Leaning her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, she murmured, "Thank you…very much. No matter what happens…I'll always be here," she placed a hand on his heart, "to protect you…"
Yukiro blinked, then smiled as he embraced her tightly. After a few minutes that passed by all too briefly, the princess stood up onto her toes, whispering into his hear, "It's time for you to go now…until next time…my love…"
It was then that the prince felt himself being pulled away, not by his own choice. "W-wait a second! Seika!"
"It is not your time to die yet…" echoed Seika's voice as Yukiro seemed to rise into the dark night sky. The kingdom began to be consumed by darkness, until the only pinpoint piercing through was the princess, seeming to glow strangely with an ethereal light from within.
"There are several tasks you must complete. A destiny to fulfill. Many are depending on you, and therefore, you cannot stay…"
"Seika!"
"We will...meet again..."
"Yukiro…" a voice seemed to call in the darkness. "Yukiro…"
Crystal-blue eyes opened, the darkness seeming to part to reveal concerned faces peering down at him.
"Wha…" the pale boy muttered, starting to sit up. Feeling a pounding pain in his head, he only managed to rise halfway before quickly lying back down.
"I think his condition is no longer critical. The second heart is gone, so he's probably out of danger," Riku spoke up, sitting in a chair in the corner.
Vincent glanced back at him, then nodded and turned back to Yukiro. "Don't get up. Just rest," he instructed.
"Where are we…?" Yukiro asked weakly.
"Back in the observatory. With you poisoned and needing rest, it was one of the best places to take you in Cosmo Canyon," Bugenhagen replied.
Yukiro looked over at him, then said quietly, "…I thank you greatly for your kindness…"
Vincent blinked. The normal temperamental, stubborn, and almost cold and sardonic attitude of the prince of light had become oddly almost subdued. What exactly had happened to him…? What had he been told...? Heart shields were uncommon, so he was unsure what happened to the person shielded while being protected.
"Vincent, Riku," Yukiro said, looking over at his two companions.
"Hm?" Vincent asked. Riku 'looked' over at the prince.
"Be prepared to leave soon," Yukiro said.
Vincent frowned. "How soon?"
"Before the day's end."
"Are you sure? You should rest-you're still wounded" Red XIII pointed out.
Yukiro smiled weakly and nodded. "J'm quite sure. As much as I would like to stay and heal, we have no time to waste. I have recently been informed of the urgency of our situation, and have found that the circumstances of our situation have unfortunately become far more grim than we realized."
"But still-"
"Hoohoo, this boy is pretty determined. It will be fine, Nanaki. It is almost certain that they will get all the rest they need when they're on their ship and in space…" Bugenhagen assured.
Red XIII blinked, then nodded. "Yes…"
Vincent nodded as well. "We'll be ready, rest assured."
Yukiro smiled before his eyes closed, slipping back into sleep.
Author's Note-Once again, so sorry for taking so long. I've been quite busy and trying to work up the inspiration for posting. However, it did help to boost my inspiration when I saw a new trailer to the second KH2 game. It showed Jack Sparrow…and Leon…and Cloud… -grin- Oh, on a random note, has anyone played the second FMA video game? They have monsters in there that are just like Heartless! Anyways, in response to the reviews…
KHobsessed-13, thankies! Sorry for taking a long time-I'll try harder next time… -nodnod- Heh, Namine3419, Yukiro's body is in a bit of pain, but he will be okay…for now. Though I may have some evilness planned for him in the future… -glanceglance- Heheh, didn't know that Heartless liked Hello Kitty…now we know their weakness…
Doghouse, wow…you gave me a realleh defiant voodoo doll… -grin- Ah well. Problems like these can always be solved with neon pink duct tape, heheheh… -grins evilly and ties the voodoo doll up in duct tape, then sits him with her Roy and Envy action figures- There ya go. You just need some friends… -smile-
Ah yeah, and you'll see what Vincent's problem ish eventually. Let's just say that he sort of knows 'Riku' from elsewhere…and under bad terms, too. Heh, aren't my Heartless great? Creating them ish the fun part…though it's when you send them into battle that they become a pain. I do not like writing battle scenes all that much…which ish one of the reasons why it's taking so long to write these recent chapters. Hopefully once we're past all these fights and such, things will speed up a bit. Oh, and as for Ansem, well…you'll see. All will be revealed in future chapters. –nodnod-
Kingdom Alchemist, erm…well, I don't mind Yuffie that much (just when she went stealing my materia –grumblegrumble-), and I don't really find much of a problem with Tam. However, I will happily kill off Aerith…if I ever find a chance (though I may not, really. Whichever works for the plot and all…) And um…please don't kill me, even if I do kill off Edo (no promises on if I will or not.) If you do, I can't write more! –hides under a blanket behind Yukiro and her Riku voodoo doll, who sweatdrop-
Demonsurfer, nah, you didn't bore me at all! Good to know that you've solved the s-CRY-ed problem. I hope I can read this fanficceh eventually… -smiles and nods- Wow…everyhthing that's been happening sounds like a nightmare. I hope you can get it all fixed up soon. Oh, and congrats with X-2! I have yet to get through X… -smiles and sweatdrops- Though I'm putting that off for now to play my second FMA video game… Like I said, it has Heartless in it! I swear it! –grin- Anyways, yeah, I'll try to update as soon as possible.
Anyways, thankies for the reviews so far! I shall try to update soon –already has part of the next chappie written out, so hopefully it won't take too long-, so please review. Ja ne!