Tolly: Welcome to Hied's Dream: Part 2! What awaits him behind the door? AAAHH, the horror! …Sorry, getting a little carried away there. Thistle is introduced in this chapter. Like Friday and Autumn, she is a world-hopper.

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Hied found himself back on Destiny Island, on a wooden platform between some trees, but instead of Sora, Riku and Kairi, there were three teenage girls. The first had long black hair, bright green eyes and catlike ears. The second was green-haired, purple-eyed, and was fixing some sort of glider. The third held her brown hair back in a braid, and the instant she saw Hied, her hazel eyes grew wide.

"Hied!" she cried, running towards him.

"Autumn, no!" snapped the green-haired girl. She made a gesture towards Autumn and caused a nearby rope to lasso her before she reached the startled Hied.

Autumn? Wasn't she the one who was spying on us? asked Ed.

Yes. That means that one of the other two must be Friday.

And how did she do that with the rope?

With the proper training and talent, you'd be surprised what's possible.

"But I won't hurt him, honest!" Autumn struggled against the rope. "Let me go, Thistle!"

"Actually, I'm more concerned about him hurting you," said the green-haired girl, evidently Thistle.

Autumn paused to consider this. "Alright, I'll behave," she said with a sigh. The rope binding her relaxed and fell to the floor. She stepped back near the railing around the platform and snapped her fingers. A broomstick leaning against the wall rose to waist level and she sat on it side-saddle.

"If you're finished," said the girl with cat ears; Friday. "We have a job to do, remember?"

"But no matter what he answers, he'll still go on the same mission," said Thistle. "So why are we doing this?"

"Don't ask me," said Autumn. "Ask Hollis. It was his idea."

Think we can make a run for it? asked Ed.

This is only a dream. We probably wouldn't make it too far without something strange happening.

There can't be anything stranger than this.

"I don't even remember the questions or any of the answers!" said Thistle.

"Then we'll make it up," said Friday. "They were dumb questions anyway. Autumn, you first."

"Okay. Hied, what do you care most about? Finding all the answers, making as many friends as possible, or winning every fight?"

She's asking 'Hied', so we have to have the same answer, said Ed.

It seems so. The more friends you have, the more you have to worry about, so we aren't choosing that one.

That's true, but how would you know? You don't seem like the kind of person who has a lot of friends.

No, I don't. Hiei's tone was dangerous.

Okaaaay, moving on. There are worse things to lose than a fight, so that's not my choice.

Like a limb or two?

How about your whole body?

What?

Never mind. So it's 'finding all the answers'?

Yes.

When Hied answered, Autumn merely replied, "Is that really so important?"

"But—but you asked us—" Hied sputtered.

"Don't worry. We're supposed to talk like that," said Friday.

"My turn!" said Thistle. "What is your fondest wish? To live forever, to be able to fly, or to be a hero?"

Hn, said Hiei. Define 'hero'.

Someone who works for the good of everyone.

I didn't need an answer, ningen.

Well, Thistle does. I think the hero one is the best. Immortality usually comes with a high price, and flying…

Is overrated. We'll go with the hero.

"Would it be worth it?" was Thistle's cryptic reply.

Now it was Friday's turn. "What are you most afraid of? Growing old, failing something, or being alone?"

Why wasn't 'being alone' an option on the last question? Hiei asked.

Alone time would be very nice right about now, agreed Ed. That's definitely not something we're afraid of.

What about 'growing old'? As a demon, I'm not going to get old for a while, so I'm not worried.

I'm actually more concerned about not growing old.

Failing…that's not just failing a test. It could mean failing at something much more important.

Ed said nothing, only clenched their automail hand into a fist.

"Failing something," said Hied.

"What's so scary about that?" asked Friday.

"That's really irritating."

"Yes, it is," said Autumn, grinning. "But it was part of Sora's dream as well. Only we weren't the ones asking the questions for him."

Lucky him, though Ed.

Hn.

"Well, you have to go finish the dream now, Hied," said Thistle, picking up the glider she had been working on. "And we have to get back to our other mission."

"Glorious," said Friday, rolling her eyes. She snapped her fingers and wings sprouted from her back.

Autumn's broomstick rose higher into the air as she said, "Good luck to you both!"

Thistle's glider made an odd noise, and with a small burst of blue light, began to ascend. With a final wave to Hied, the three world-hoppers flew out across the ocean and disappeared.

Poor Hollis, said Ed, watching them leave. Imagine having to deal with them on a regular basis.

Remember that he was the one who put us into this situation in the first place.

The platform and the peaceful island scene faded into white light, which in turn faded into blackness once more. Hied was again standing on a stained-glass picture of a young woman. From nowhere in particular, he heard the Librarian chuckling.

"That was not funny," Hied snapped.

"Yes, actually, it was," said Hollis. "But we must move on."

"I still think this dream is boring."

Maybe we could try ending it. thought Hiei.

Want me to pinch you?

Hiei sighed. Baka ningen. Pinching yourself would not help.

I said I'd—oh, right.

Besides, this isn't a normal dream. Hollis would most likely prevent us from waking.

"If you two are finished conversing…" said Hollis.

Can he hear our thoughts? asked Ed.

"No, I can't," said Hollis. "Your face gives you away. Anyway, may I go on?"

Hied nodded.

"Good." The Librarian's voice became more serious. "Do not think that this mission will be easy."

What mission ever is? thought Hiei, as shadows began wriggling up from under the glass circle.

Great. More of these things?

May I take on this batch?

I thought you said you couldn't kill.

I can't kill humans. I'm kind of on parole right now.

Parole? As in, you were in prison?

Yes. I stole a powerful artifact and almost took over the human world.

Ed was momentarily stunned. I'm sharing a body with a criminal?

You've got your past, I've got mine. We'll discuss it later.

Using his demon half's trademark speed, Hied made quick work of the evil creature.

Showoff, said Ed.

Hn.

"You two still aren't quite working as a team," said Hollis.

"What are you talking about?" said Hied. "We're doing fine."

"You're taking turns overshadowing each other. That is not teamwork." Hollis sighed. "Ah, well. You'll come around sooner or later. The dream must go on."

A thin beam of light shone out of the darkness beyond the circle.

"This is one thing I'm sure you both will understand," said the Librarian as Hied peered into brightness. "The closer you get to the light, the larger your shadow becomes."

That makes sense, said Ed thoughtfully.

Yes…wait. Shadow?

Hied spun around to see a huge figure growing out of his shadow.

Who's taking on this one? thought Hiei.

We have to do it together. Overshadowing isn't teamwork, remember?

Alright. Your alchemy and my speed?

Ed glanced around quickly. There's nothing here to transmute, except maybe our clothes.

We could use your arm blade.

On a creature that big, it won't be very useful.

And my katana isn't much longer. Hold on. Could you attach the katana to your arm?

Yes.

Then do it.

Hied clapped his hands together and transmuted his right arm. Laying the katana over the automail blade, he fused the two together with alchemy.

Ready?

Ready.

The Shadow's clawed hand swung down towards him, but Hied ducked out of its way. Almost instantly, he was attacked by one of the Heartless, which had sprung up along with the Shadow.

How many of these things are there? said Ed, kicking a couple of them away.

Don't worry about them. The next time the Shadow's arm comes down, I'm going to climb up to its head, and you attack. Got it?

Yep.

Down came the Shadow's arm again. Hied flitted up and chopped at its head. Before he could inflict much damage, however, he slipped off of its shoulder.

Well, at least we know we can get up there, said Hiei.

Let's go for its hands. They seem like good targets.

While the Shadow was still upright, Hied destroyed a few of the Heartless that were scampering around, but like before, more of them replaced the ones he killed. The Shadow came within attack distance and Hied tried again. On and on it went, seemingly in vain, until finally, the Shadow began to sink into a pool of blackness in the center of the circle, followed closely by the Heartless.

Good work, ningen.

Thanks.

You—uh oh.

That can't be good.

Instead of disappearing, the puddle of darkness that had swallowed the Shadow spread across the circle, to Hied's feet. He struggled, but sunk into it like tar. It pulled him down into pure shadows.

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Tolly: Ooh, kind of long, but that's alright, isn't it? Please review!