Chapter 10: Return to Traverse Town: Hikari's Side
A/N: Boy oh boy we're getting to the home stretch here. Just two more worlds for Hikari and she'll be near the end of her journey! It seems she's been through quite a bit since her exam began but she's a tough girl, so I know she'll pull through lol.
It seems she's been brought back to Traverse Town. Wonder why that is?
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my OC's.
Enjoy!
/
Back at Yen Sid's Tower, Mickey, Donald and Goofy waited for the exam to finish. They were nervous for their friends but had high hopes for them. It was just the sitting around part that they didn't enjoy.
"Gee, I hope Sora and Hikari are ok" Donald said.
"They'll be just fine as long as Riku's with them" Goofy reasoned.
Donald just slumped in his seat. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt helpless right about now. He and Goofy were always looking after Sora and Hikari ever since they met them. They always made sure they were safe and aiding them with their battles. How was he able to watch over them with their exam if he couldn't be there for them?
He never realized how much he needed those two until now.
Mickey was rather quiet as well but for different reasons. He had no doubt that Sora, Riku and Hikari would pass this exam. They had shown time and again just how brave they were and would face any obstacle that came in their way.
He did however have concerns for the reason why they suddenly needed this exam and that meant for them.
Yen Sid mentioned that Master Xehanort was to return and that they needed to prepare. Why mention that now and not before?
It was obvious his old teacher wasn't telling him something. He needed to know if he wanted to protect his friends.
"Master Yen Sid?"
Before he could ask his question, Diablo flew into the room and landed on Yen Sid's desk.
"It's Maleficent bird"
Donald noticed the raven had something tucked within his beak.
"What's that in his mouth?"
Diablo dropped Queen Minnie's crown and a note on the table before flying off again. Mickey paled when he saw his beloved Queen's crown.
"That's Minnie's"
He quickly snatched the note and read it.
"It's from Maleficent…she's kidnapped Minnie"
That caused Donald and Goofy to freak out.
"She took Queen Minnie?!"
"But I thought Hikari's mother and Tsukiko were watching her?" Donald said.
"Something must have happened to them if they let Maleficent take Queen Minnie" Goofy realized.
Mickey read the rest of the letter, each sentence worse than the last one.
"The letter said for me to return to Disney Castle…or else"
Yen Side wasted no time into giving orders.
"Mickey, there is no time to waste"
He didn't know what the sorceress wanted but knowing her, it couldn't be good.
"I'll keep an eye on the exam. You go to Minnie and see what Maleficent is up to"
Mickey nodded in understanding. He knew Sora, Riku and Hikari would be fine without him. Right now, Minnie needed his help.
Taking Donald and Goofy with him, they went onto the Gummi Ship and headed for Disney Castle.
Watching the ship leave, Yen Sid felt something dreadful starting to brew up.
"The timing is too perfect…too calculated" he slowly said.
"Maleficent must sense a chance in the forces of darkness…a change…like Xehanort"
/
"I saved you from a terrible fate" "If you knew what was going to happen to you, you would be thanking me" "Daddy is always watching over his little princess"
Xemnas's words kept playing over and over in Hikari's head. She tried shaking it off, telling herself that he was just spouting words to mess with her head. Yet deep down, she knew in her heart this was something she couldn't ignore.
What did he mean when he said he saved her?
She tried picking through the memories she had of the man she thought was her father and couldn't recall any time he saved her.
He did retract the darkness that was placed in her heart after she defeated him, but that was because he knew he lost control of her. There was no way he would help her. He wanted to use her, plain and simple.
But if that was the case…why did he still act like he was her father? He kept referring himself as such, so why was that? Was he just mocking her that he tricked her into thinking that? Was it a game to him? Or…did he really think he was her father?
She quickly shook that thought away as soon as it entered her head. No. There was no way he thought like that. Someone like Xemnas had no use being a parent. He only acted that way so he could lure her into his trap. All those memories, all those cherished moments she had of Xehanort as a little girl was just an illusion.
As Lulu flew Hikari to her next world, she decided to push always those thoughts about Xemnas.
She wasn't getting any answers and quite frankly she didn't want to find out anymore. She already knew that he didn't care about her so why focus on someone who wouldn't show her love?
/
Hikari found it a little odd that she was back in Traverse Town.
"Why am I back in Traverse Town? Is everyone alright?"
She certainly hoped nothing was wrong. The last time she was here, they Mysterious Figure was causing havoc on her version of this world as well as Sora and Riku's.
Was that creepy kid causing trouble again?
"Why hello there, Hikari. I've been waiting for you"
Joshua strolled up to her with his usual aloof manner. Hikari was relieved when she saw Joshua. If anything was acting up on this world, he would know since he created it.
"Hey, Joshua. Is everything ok?"
Joshua shook his head.
"Sadly no" he said.
"Things have been a little wonky here since you left. This version of Traverse Town has been acting up and causing the other two versions to do the same"
"How so?"
"Well, for starters Rhyme isn't on this version of the town anymore, but rather on Riku's…and like a chain reaction people from both Riku and Sora's version wound up here"
That threw Hikari off. When she was last here, Joshua explained to her that it wasn't possible to travel to Riku's version of the sleeping worlds thanks to the portal. The fact that Rhyme ended up on Riku's version of Traverse Town meant that something must have tampered with the portal.
"Do you think it has something to do with the boy in the black coat?" she asked.
"He tried messing with the portal you created before"
"I can't say" Joshua said.
"Although…while this was happening, a very strange Dream Eater appeared. I noticed it was appearing on Sora and Riku's side as well"
A Dream Eater that could hop between sleeping worlds? Now that was alarming. However, that did raise Hikari's curiosity. If a Dream Eater was able to jump between worlds, did that mean….
"If others are able to swap between different versions of this world, does that mean Riku or Sora could be here too?"
Joshua shook his head as he put his hands in his pockets.
"Hard to say. Portals are rather tricky You could be close to one another or you could be miles away. They may be here now, but chances are they're still stuck on their own version of the town"
"I see" Hikari said quietly.
She should have known it wouldn't be that simple. None of them were tied to the sleeping worlds. What may have affected a 'dream' wouldn't have the same reaction to someone like her. That was the world order after all.
But she couldn't be upset over that. She would see Sora and Riku again once they finished their exam. Waiting a little longer wouldn't hurt her.
"It's ok. I know I'll see them later" she said.
"Besides, this gives me more time to practice and show them what I've learned"
Joshua smiled a little.
"Seems like you're the kind of person who sees the glass as half full. Good trait to have in times like these"
Hikari smiled a little. Since she couldn't do anything about seeing her friends, she felt it was best to focus on their current problem.
"So, do you want help with that Dream Eater? I don't think your friends have much experience with them like I do"
"That would be helpful" Joshua admitted.
"I'll even introduce you to Neku and Shiki. They came from Sora and Riku's version of the town so maybe they can tell you about them"
He took her to one of the next districts where hopefully they would be able to figure out what was going on with this world.
/
They found Neku and Shiki near the fountain plaza. The two of them were trying to get rid of a group of Nightmares that had gathered, but it appeared they were outmatched.
"This is starting to wear me down" Shiki groaned.
Hikari quickly rushed to their aid and stood in front of them.
"I'll handle this!"
Neku was surprised that a sudden newcomer appeared.
"Who are you?"
Hikari summoned her Keyblade and faced against the Nightmares.
"We'll do introductions later. Right now, let me get rid of these guy"
With the help of Lulu and Riki Bat, she was able to clear the plaza out. When the last of the Nightmares were gone, she propped her Keyblade on her shoulder.
"I think I've gotten a lot better since I was here last. Those Nightmares barely put up a fight"
When Neku saw Hikari's Keyblade, it dawned on him that this was Sora's friend.
"That weapon…I saw Sora had something similar to that"
Hikari spun around to look at Neku when she heard that.
"You know Sora?!" she asked.
"I guess that means you came from his version of Traverse Town"
Neku looked relieved that he wasn't talking to another airhead like Sora.
"You're a lot sharper that Sora" he said quietly.
Hikari chuckled nervously. She knew all too well how Sora could be at times and how his personality would throw people off.
"Yeah, it takes him a while to figure things out" she admitted.
"My name's Hikari by the way"
Neku simply nodded.
"Neku. This is my partner, Shiki"
Shiki tilted her head in curiosity as she looked at Hikari. After hearing about her from Riku, it was kind of daunting to see said person.
"So, you're Riku's girlfriend? He's told me a lot about you"
"You've seen Riku?" Hikari asked.
If Shiki came from Riku's version of the town then that meant she knew how he was doing. She was worried about how her boyfriend was handling this exam so now was the perfect chance.
"Yeah, he helped me out before I came to this version of the town" Shiki explained.
"He talked a lot about you. Now that I met you, I can see why he loves you so much"
Hikari smiled sweetly as she thought of her beloved. Even when they were apart, he made it known that his heart belonged to her.
Looking at the two newcomers, she finally had her chance to hear how Sora and Riku were doing.
"Do you know how they're both doing? Were they ok when you last saw them?"
Before either could respond, Joshua cut them off.
"I'm afraid small talk will have to wait. That Dream Eater I mentioned before just appeared from a different version of this world"
That caught Hikari's attention.
"You mean it keeps jumping to where Sora and Riku are?"
Joshua nodded.
"Yes, and we can't get rid of it when it keeps jumping like this" he explained.
"I'm sure Riku and Sora will do what they can on their ends, but we need to trap it before it decides to jump again"
Hikari knew this was a tricky situation. If this Dream Eater could jump between dreams, it could use that chance to surprise attack either Sora or Riku. Not only that but if it got injured in one of the fights, it could just jump to a different version of the town and heal. She needed to contain it fast.
"I think I have an idea" she said.
"Meet me at the Third District. We'll trap it there"
Joshua headed off to see where he could locate the Dream Eater which left Hikari alone with Neku and Shiki.
"Why trap it in the Third District? Wouldn't you want it to be somewhere a little bit bigger, so you have room to fight?" Shiki asked.
"That's exactly why I wanna trap it in the Third District" Hikari explained.
"Less room means less chances for it to escape"
"That is a pretty smart move. I don't know if Sora would have thought of that" Neku said.
Hikari chuckled a little. Neku had a point. While Sora was cheerful and brave, sadly he could be an airhead at times. Usually it was either Goofy or herself that used their brains in the group.
"How are Sora and Riku doing? I haven't seen them since I first came to this world"
"Sora's…ok" Neku said.
"He's a little too cheerful for my taste, but he seemed determined to pass this test he was taking. He wanted to prove to you guys how strong he's gotten"
"Riku was the same" Shiki added.
"But he was looking for you too. He said he didn't want you to be alone on this test you're all taking"
Hikari gripped the front of her shirt where she could feel her heart beating. Even during taking this exam, he was still thinking about her and making sure she was safe.
'Riku'
Hearing this made her even more determined to stop this portal jumping Dream Eater. Sora and Riku always had her back in the past and now it was her turn to return the favor.
Spinning on her heel, she headed for the Third District.
"Time to go stop a Dream Eater"
Neku and Shiki looked at each other and shrugged. They didn't know what was going on through Hikari's head, but they were curious to see what she was going to do next.
/
When they made it to the Third District, Joshua was waiting for them with one of his portals.
"Brace yourselves"
He activated the portal and brought the Spellican Nightmare to Hikari's side of Traverse Town.
Hikari didn't hesitate as she threw herself into the battle. Every time she tried to get close to the Nightmare, it would summon past Dream Eaters she dealt with on worlds she had been on. They put up a fight but so did she. She was stronger than when she began this exam and she showed it by fighting back.
When all the Dream Eaters were gone, all that was left was the Spellican. Knowing it was no match against Hikari, it jumped through a portal and escaped.
"It got away!"
She looked at Joshua, hoping he would know where it went.
"Did it go to Sora or Riku's version of the town?"
Joshua tried sensing where the Nightmare was but shook his head.
"I don't sense it on either image of the town…or for this world in general. I think it really left for good"
Hikari didn't like the sound of that. It was bad enough that thing could jump from one image of this world to the next. If it was able to do that on other worlds, then Sora and Riku were going to be in trouble.
"I have to find it. I don't want that thing giving Sora or Riku any trouble while they're taking their exam"
"You think you'll be able to handle that thing on your own?" Shiki asked.
Hikari shrugged.
"I've made it this far on my own, so I should be ok. And if it gets tricky then that's just another way of improving my strength"
"You want me to give Sora or Riku a message if I see them?" Joshua asked.
Hikari shook her head as she smiled.
"No. I'll see them soon. Besides, I wanna surprise them with how much stronger I've gotten"
Joshua smiled, feeling a little impressed.
"In that case, good luck"
"We're rooting for you!" Shiki cheered.
"Come visit us in Shibuya once you finish your exam" Neku offered.
"It's a promise!" Hikari said.
As she started to leave, Joshua quickly stopped her.
"Wait, Hikari. I forgot to give you a message from Riku"
He looked serious as he tried to best explain what he was about to say next.
"As I'm sure you noticed, Rhyme, Shiki and Neku were able to cross the portal to reach other images of the town. When that happened, I noticed something strange going on with each image. It was as if time was going a different pace. Your version seems to be going the same pace as Riku's, however Sora's was going much slower"
That made Hikari confused. Why was time going slower for Sora but not for Riku or herself? Did it have something to do with the exam? Then again time acted differently for each world.
"Well…time isn't the same for each world" she tried to reason.
"It can be considered a day here on this world but on the next one it's already been a week ahead"
"Riku said something similar" Joshua said.
"Its true different worlds follow different time flow from each other, but that shouldn't be the case for a single world. A world can't have two different time flows, it's just not physically possible"
Now that Joshua said that, Hikari knew he had a point. A world shouldn't have multiple time lines going at once.
"Do you think it has something to do with this world being a dream world?" she asked.
Joshua shrugged.
"I can't say. However, Riku thought you might be able to figure this out. That's why he asked me to tell you this information"
'Riku…do you sense something wrong?'
If Riku was warning her, then that meant something was off.
"Thanks for the information. I'll get to the bottom of this"
As she walked away, she heard Joshua give her one final warning.
"Be aware of your surroundings, Hikari. Dream worlds aren't supposed to act this way"
/
A/N: I think Hikari is slowly starting to realize that she's not in the sleeping worlds anymore. The question is, will she figure it out before it's too late? And Sora's world going slower than Riku and Hikari's?
Looks like Yen Sid senses something is going on with the forces of Darkness. Just what are Maleficent and Master Xehanort up to?
And for those of you who are The World Ends with You fans, I apologize for not adding the time clock gimmick to the characters. I've never played the game to I was confused how it worked so I just had Joshua say that time was running differently between Sora's and Riku's worlds.
Please review and tell me what you think!
Take care!
