Finally, a review! And an update!
Rike-sama: Ooh! I LOVE that pic! I wish I was an artist like you... By the way, in case you're wondering, I'm not telling if you're right about who's Imperfect and who's not. Hehe... Oh, and I'll be sure to get around to that diagram when I find some good pics.
You know what's weird? Sickness seems to cure my writer's block...
Chapter 4 - Midnight
Apparently, White Cherry wasn't the only one dropped on her head. How in the name of Walt was a magicless Rare Truffle supposed to help me? Of course, I didn't dare to say that out loud. Walt knows what Maleficent would suspect if I questioned her orders.
The training arena looked like the Coliseum, only more dark and metallic. Heartless symbols marked nearly every little thing inside. There were doors on either end and one on the side. I stood in front of the back-end door, waiting for Truff and whatever crazy training techniques he had for me.
Suddenly, I began to think about Cherry. Where had she run off to after I had been seized? And, more importantly, why had I got that "she's infatuated" feeling when I was around her, and then it just suddenly vanished? Was there more to my new friend than I had thought?
"Lola," a voice suddenly stated. I snapped out of my sky-high thoughts and saw the Rare Truffle standing there with two Wizards behind him.
"H... How do you know my name?" I asked, thanking Walt (I've been doing that a lot lately) that he did not know that I was really Lilac.
"I know a lot about you," Truff replied, walking over to me. "I saw you cast a Cure spell on White Cherry. No White Mushroom has ever cast a spell before. But what is most curious... is why you cast the spell on her instead of yourself, especially when you were the one who fell." He began pacing around me, and I froze in place. My ribbon was in my back pocket! (Yes, White Mushrooms have pockets. You just can't see them because they're the same color as their skin.) "Maleficent has instructed that you learn to cast magic with the help of these two Wizards here," Truff explained, arriving right into my view again. Phew... He hadn't seen it! "Then, I will teach you how to use that magic offensivly and defensivly in battle."
Ah... So that was how he was supposed to help me. Everything began falling into place... Well, almost everything. I still had my questions about not only Cherry, but the Black Fungus that had glared at me so suspiciously. Did he know I was an Imperfect? I began to fear that he was telling Maleficent behind my back so much that I failed to notice the Wizards floating around me. Great... More personal space invaders.
"To begin," one of the Wizards said in a rasping voice, "we must discover what makes your magic activate." I tried to hold back a shiver of fear, but with no luck. My body began to shake, and I wrapped my arms around myself instinctively. Suddenly, I felt warmer, but not just because of my arms. The next thing I knew, I was throwing my arms into the air, and fire was shooting out of them. When it was through, I was left standing there, completely bewildered.
"Interesting," Truff muttered. "That shivering gesture is the same one performed when Fire is to be cast on a White Mushroom." If he had a visible mouth, I would have seen him smiling. "That must be it. In order to cast a spell, you must first perform the gesture used before a spell is cast!"
I blinked and paused for a few moments. "So, in other words, I have to shiver to cast Fire, fan myself to cast Blizzard, and so on?" I inquired.
"It seems to be that way," Truff observed, nodding his head in affirmation. "So, when you tripped, it caused you to cast Cure on your friend."
Well, at least one of my questions was answered.
The sun had just disappeared under the horizon when I rounded a corner of the Hollow Bastion Castle. A while back, Sora had told me that he was going to stay in a hotel in Traverse Town, so I figured I'd go and tell him about my magic powers. Nobody ever patrolled the teleporters at night, seeing as how the dark look of the castle itself seemed to scare everyone off, so I was safe.
With the ribbon on my head once more, I paced across a downslope to the glowing crystal at the front gates. I reached up to touch it when I was suddenly lifted into the air.
"AIEE!" I shrieked, gasping in shock. When my vision was no longer a blur (I hate heights), I noticed that I was trapped in a net. Oh, crud! I mentally gasped. It's a booby trap!
"Well, what do we have here?"
I looked down and saw nothing but darkness at first, but a certain cluster of black seemed to take shape. A mushroom shape. Upon closer examination, I saw that it was the same Black Fungus who had given my the glare after my tests.
"You!" I growled.
The dark mushroom pulled a lever, and net was lowered to just above his height. "So, the readings were true," he scowled. "You are Imperfect. And one with a heart at that!"
I began to shake in fear. Then it hit me. I wrapped my arms around myself, but his voice interrupted me:
"Don't even try it, Lilac," he snapped, adding extra emphasis onto my name. "This net is magic-proof. You can't escape." He paused for a dramatic effect. "I guess you're identity isn't a secret anymore, is it?"
"Who are you!" I demanded.
"What an attitude this one has," the Black Fungus muttered. "My name is Midnight, but I am referred to as The Imperfect Hunter. I track down all the Imperfects, capture them, and have them destroyed."
Another question formed on my lips: "But... I don't understand. If you knew that I was Imperfect, why didn't you tell Maleficent?"
Midnight scoffed. "I'm feeling forgiving. If you can end your rebellious ways, then I won't turn you in. But if you fail..." He poked me in the chest. "Then you can kiss this heart of yours good-bye."
I almost fainted on the spot. After spending months trying to conceal my true identity, a single Black Fungus with a really bad attitude just had to find out. What a night...
"You're lucky you possess magical powers, otherwise I wouldn't even be offering this," Midnight growled. "I can help you turn into what you truely are... A Heartless!"
And just how does he plan to do...? In an instant, I found myself on the ground with his lips against mine. My eyes were wide, and chills were running up and down my spine. When he pulled away, I knew what he had been trying to do...
Dark Love.
Those two words were the poison of all Imperfects. Somehow, a kiss from the most evil Heartlesses could cause even the purest of Imperfects to turn evil within twenty-four hours. And I knew that he was one of those who had the power of the Dark Love.
The word "Love" didn't fit the special power. There was nothing loving about it. It wasn't even infatuation! It was only a lip-lock made for evil. And, more than anything, it was disgusting.
(A/N: I know the quotation mark style changes here, but I changed to a better word processor for the rest of this story.)
"Like I said, you're a lucky one," Midnight hissed. "I don't just kiss any Heartless." With that, he turned around and walked off.
To be continued...
Yeah, I know this chapter was shorter than the others, but I didn't really have much to write for this one. I'm gonna start getting to the plot-twists pretty soon.
I want at least one review before I write Chapter 5!
