Chapter 17
**Recap: Hinata and Riku are about to leave for their first date. On their way out they are interrupted by Axel at the front gates of the mansion, who claims to have found Thaanix in Halloween Town. With no time to lose, the three of them, along with Jack, leave through a Corridor of Darkness to see how much damage Thaanix has wrought**
Dark blues and greys swirled together in the Corridor, creating the long empty tunnel that led to the new world. The three of them walked through the hall, Jack flying around them, sniffing and examining every inch of the Corridor. Hinata watched the smoky walls, trying to distract herself from her own swirling anxiety in her gut that she was about to be face to face with Thaanix once again. Riku's hand laced in her own, drawing her attention as he gave her a reassuring squeeze and smile.
"Have you ever been to Halloween Town?" Axel asked a few steps ahead, his voice resonating through the Corridor.
Hinata shook her head, even though she knew Axel couldn't see her motion. "No, I've been to Christmas Town, but never Halloween."
"There's a Christmas Town?" Axel asked, spinning on his heel and walking backwards. "What was that like?"
Despite the looming situation, Hinata smiled at the memories as she recalled. "Snow everywhere, Christmas lights on every house, a huge decorated tree; you know, Christmas stuff."
Axel hummed, spinning back around. "What about the big guy in red? Was he there?"
Hinata chuckled, "Are you asking me if Santa is real?"
With a scoff, Axel waved her off. "Course not. I think I'm smart enough to know a fairytale from reality."
"Well, he was there soooo-" Hinata's voice bubbled into a laugh when Axel stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.
"Set him up for that one." Riku commented, sending Axel a smirk as they passed him.
"Right, ha ha, very funny." Axel put his hand on his hip as he continued after him. "Let's bail on this Halloween Town stuff and just go there."
Hinata's laughter died down as she sighed. "If it wasn't for my crazed Replica destroying the world, I'd probably agree to that."
"Yeah, yeah," Axel agreed, "Have to stop the maniac first."
"Maybe after the mission." Riku suggested, getting Hinata to glance up at him in surprise. "We could use a day off."
Hinata's smile returned as she squeezed his hand. "I'd love that."
"Bleck, you guys aren't going to be all cutesy the whole time, are you?" Axel asked, putting up his hands when Riku sent him a glare. "Hey, I'm just sayin. I'd rather not have to worry about you two getting distracted."
"You won't have to." Riku assured him.
"Yeah, we can multitask." Hinata added on, snickering when Axel scoffed.
"Might want to hold your tongue until we actually get there." Axel warned. "Who knows what you'll end up looking like here."
Hinata glanced back at him. "How are we going to change? We only have a magic drive on the ship."
"Well, maybe I learned how to use my own magic to change my looks." He replied with a smug smirk.
With a groan as she looked back forward, Hinata complained, "You're gonna make me look ridiculous, aren't you?"
"You think I have enough fashion sense to design new looks for both of you off the top of my head?" He asked, "I'm flattered, but that's definitely not the case. My magic decides for me."
"This should be interesting." Riku muttered under his breath.
Their conversation died down as they neared the bright light that would lead them to Halloween Town. Hinata slowed to a stop right in front of it, allowing Axel to pass and go through the light first.
"Are you ready?" Riku asked, staying by her side.
Taking a deep breath, Hinata looked over to him with a strained smile, nodding. "Yeah, I'm ready."
"I'll be right there with you." He assured her, sending her a smile before he stepped forward, leading them into the light.
The Corridor wisped away, the light fading from their eyes and showing the the dark world around them. Strings of orange lights were curled around wiry black fence, surrounding a town square that had a brick fountain in the center, where glowing green liquid was pouring out of a statue's mouth. Hinata and Riku's hands slid apart as they examined their new surroundings. The sky was covered in a thick darkness, the occasional star shining through, but even its light was dimmed. Despite the world being seemingly covered with grime and things that should have normally unsettled her, Hinata's heart beat warmly. It was as if the world itself was welcoming, simply relishing in the things that made Halloween grand.
"I like this place." She spoke up, turning around to look at the others.
Axel caught her gaze first. His skin was a gray-blue, thicker than usual with occasional scales along his body that were a deeper blue, that shimmered with his movements. The dark blue scales covered his hands that seemed more akin to claws than actual fingers. Heat glowed between the scales on his hands, as if fire was pouring through his veins. Dark brown cloth was wrapped around his chest, framing his bare torso, before it tightened over his tan pants on his hips.
"Pretty sweet, huh?" Axel grinned, drawing Hinata's eyes to his face to see his fangs and the glow of his eyes. The thing that caught her attention the most, however, were the two horns curling from the top of his head, over his long, pointed ears.
Her mouth hung open, nearly speechless from the sight. He was nearly unrecognizable, but still the same Axel she had always known. His usual bright red hair was dulled, tied back behind his head to be kept out of the way of his horns.
"I know," He sighed wistfully, snapping his fingers to summon a ball of flame that caused the glow in his scales to brighten considerably. "I was nearly speechless the first time I saw it, too. Gotta admit though, I look pretty awesome."
"If you want to call it that." Riku spoke up, drawing their gaze as he stood near the fountain, looking at his own reflection in the liquid.
His clothes were tattered, but regal. A long coat covered his arms, draping to his calves. The inside of the coat was a deep red, with a gold lining around the front and a darker gray on the outside. Golden thread created clasps along the sides, that were worn and broken, but were no doubt noble in their time. Under the coat was an off white tunic that was torn along the chest. A leather satchel was tied at his hips, along a leather belt that wrapped twice around his body. His amber eyes burned with intensity, an unearthly glow that matched the unnerving look of his fangs, making him appear as a vampire. Bandages loosely covered his skin, over the ripped sleeves of his coat, along his chest and over his fingers, as if he were back from the dead, reanimated to walk through the streets of Halloween Town.
"You both look amazing." Hinata told them, finally able to find her voice. "I wonder what I-"
Her voice cut off as she looked down to see a dress. It was full and poofy, but only on one side that reached mid thigh. The other side was tight, along her hip with a cream white in the pattern of sharp teeth. The dress was black, in pleats that rounded off with the same teeth design as along her hip. It zipped up front to her chest, where an upside down heart cutout let to the black straps to criss cross around her neck as a halter. Black gloves went up her arms, ending with a bright yellow trim on her upper arm. The same design covered her legs, where the bright yellow wrapped around like bandages, leading to zipped up boots with large, almost cute skulls on top of her feet. The same design of skull decorated a black satchel tied on her hip, bringing the entire look together.
"I… hate this." Hinata put her hands up at her sides, before glaring when Axel snickered. "You did this on purpose."
Axel struggled to muffle his growing laughter as he shook his head. "I promise I didn't, but man, I wish I did!"
"Axel!" Hinata stomped her foot, her hair bouncing as she realized it was also in a different style.
She reached up her hands, feeling the full, highly tied up pigtails. Her eyes widened as she rushed over to the fountain, her hands clinging to the bricks along the side as she saw the pigtails bouncing with every minute movement. Her eyes glowed along with the others, a shadow over half of her face and fangs protruding from her upper lip. A headband held back her hair right before the pigtails, black bows under two skulls on either side of her head. With a groan, she hung her head forward, seeing the way the ends of her pigtails melded together to create a black wire that spiraled and matched the aesthetic of the world around them.
"Hinata-" Riku placed his hand along her shoulder.
"You can say it," she muttered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I look ridiculous."
"I was going to say we should get moving." He told her, looking over at Axel, who took the hint and began leading the way. Once he was out of earshot, Riku whispered. "But, I don't think you look ridiculous."
Hinata glanced up at him. "Seriously?"
"It's definitely not you," he smirked, looking her over. "But you do look…" He glanced away, letting out a soft chuckle, "I don't know, you look kinda cute."
With a giggle, Hinata stood back up straight. "I suppose I could live with that."
"Good," his smirk grew, his eyes back to dancing over her.
"You two coming?" Axel called out to them as Riku reached into his black satchel.
"Yeah, one sec." Riku told him, pulling out his tablet.
Axel rolled his eyes, "See, this is why I was worried."
"It's not that," Riku assured him, holding up the tablet and turning on the screen.
"Are you taking a picture?" Hinata asked, stepping closer to look over his shoulder.
"I was thinking about it."
"A picture?" Axel walked over excitedly, "Hell yeah. This look needs to be documented."
Axel took the tablet from Riku, holding it out to make sure all three of them were in the frame. Hinata was unsure how to react to having her picture taken, but as Riku's hand went to the small of her back, she couldn't help but smile, as Axel put up a peace sign and stuck out his tongue before snapping the picture.
"Perfection," Axel looked over the picture before handing the tablet back to Riku. "Now can we get going? Won't be a world left if we take too much longer."
His words caused HInata's gut to tighten as Riku put away the tablet, the jovial mood lost. "Um, yes, of course."
A bark caught their attention, all of them simultaneously remembering that Jack had tagged along with them. He came bounding from a metal door, another ghost dog right behind him with long floppy ears and a glowing orange nose. Jack swirled around the fountain, the other dog in tow as they both jovially barked and chased the other.
"I thought you said you've never been here before." Axel crossed his arms, watching the dogs.
"I personally haven't, but I know that Jack is from here." Hinata told him, her smile returning as she watched.
The metal door where Jack had phazed through swung open, a tall, lanky skeleton man rushing out of it. A black pinstripe suit covered his body as he ran out, taking notice of the group standing near the mountain.
"Citizens!" He called out, holding out his bony hand as he approached. "Have any of you seen a red dog-like creature run this way?"
"A what?" Hinata asked, looking away when Riku placed his hand on her shoulder.
"No, sorry we haven't seen anything." He told him. "We were just on our way."
The skeleton hummed as the three of them turned away, also taking notice as Jack whined as he left his game of tag and floated after them. "The three of you are new to Halloween Town."
"Just passing through," Axel sent him a wave as they walked away.
"But your dog seems rather familiar to the town." The skeleton added as his own ghost dog floated to his side. His hollow eyes landed on Hinata's back, darting between her and Jack. "You seem familiar, too. Have you visited before?"
"Who, me?" Hinata asked, stopping and looking over her shoulder at him, despite the hushed scolding from Axel that she stopped.
"Yes," he tapped his bony fingers along his round face. "Perhaps you were here for Christmas… I was sure I gifted some dogs that year I took over for Sandy Claws."
"Sandy Claws…?" Axel repeated.
Hinata looked over at Jack, seeing him floating beside her with his tail wagging wildly as he looked back at the strangers. "Are you… Jack Skellington?"
His smile grew almost unnervingly so as he bowed theatrictly, "Jack Skellington at your service!"
Hinata grinned stepping towards him, "Then you're the one that gave me Jack!"
"Jack?" He looked up, seeing her dog float happily towards him. "So that's what you named him!" He chuckled as Jack licked his face. "Well I'm honored! He's named after me!"
"I saw the name on the card you gave with him and figured it fit." Hinata explained, beaming.
"Not that this reunion isn't sweet," Axel interrupted, grabbing Hinata's arm. "But we have somewhere to be."
"Perhaps I may be of service?" Skellington offered as he walked after them, his dog and Jack floating in tow. "If you are just passing through, you might not know where everything is." He hurried his pace and stopped in front of them, causing the group to halt. "Allow me to be your humble guide!"
"Humble's not the word I would use." Axel murmured, getting a smack from Hinata.
"We're trying to find someone that looks almost exactly like her." Riku spoke up, not seeing the point in not taking him up on the offer. "She's supposed to be hiding in a fortress in some sort of tree."
Skellington's eyes narrowed in thought as he scratched the side of his head. "Hmm… Oh!" His mouth and eyes widened as he pointed upwards. "You must mean Oogie Boogie's tree! It's been abandoned for almost a year now." Crossing his arms, he admitted, "Haven't quite figured out how to get rid of it since Sora took him down."
Hinata smiled, but didn't say anything as Skellington looked back to them.
"Why would anyone want to stay there?" He asked.
"That's what we want to know." Axel sighed, resigning to go along with allowing Skellington to help them.
"Very well," Skellington hit his fist into his palm. "I will lead you to Oogie Boogie's tree." He spun on his heel, pointing forward as he exclaimed, "Follow me!"
He went on ahead, leaving the town square entirely. Hinata walked forward, looking over her shoulder at the others with a shrug. Axel grumbled as he followed, his scowl fading as Jack floated around him, barking before landing on his shoulder.
"Alright, let's see where he takes us." Axel muttered, scratching Jack behind the ears.
"Who are the three of you, anyway?" Skellington asked, walking past the wiry black gate the fenced off the town from a graveyard.
"Axel," he spoke up first, waving his hand. "I'm just along for the ride."
"And I'm-" Hinata paused, remembering him mention Sora's name. She glanced over at Riku, who sent her a nod. "Nia."
Riku's eyes widened ever so slightly, a warmth creeping up to the tips of his ears as he smiled.
"Axel, Nia, and-" Skellington spun around, walking backwards as his eyes focused solely on Riku.
"Oh," Riku cleared his throat. "...Destin."
Skellington grinned, satisfied with their answers as he turned back around. "Well, Axel, Nia, Destin, it is a pleasure to meet you and welcome you to Halloween Town!"
"Trust me, the pleasure's all ours," Axel replied, the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice, but Skellington didn't pick up on it as he began telling Axel a slew of stories and facts about the town.
As they talked, Hinata slowed her pace beside Riku, giving them a few feet behind the group. Tombstones towered above them, placed between the thick, black trees. Chilling wind blew through the graveyard, black leaves swirling in the breeze. Riku traced his fingertips along the engravings in the tombstone, distracted until Hinata spoke up to him with a hushed voice.
"I don't think I've ever heard you use the name, Destin before." She noted, leaning forward so he could see her face.
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's a name I've always liked, but… that was a name I used growing up, when Sora and I would make believe. He was a character I made up, basically."
Hinata smiled, looking back forward. "I love that there's still so much about you I don't know."
"Yeah?" He asked with a soft laugh.
"Mmhm," she nodded, "means that even years down the line, they'll still be things we don't know about the other. New things to learn." She stopped short, choking on her words. "I-I mean… not that I'm saying we'll still be, you know, together- I'm just-"
"It's fine," Riku interrupted her with a chuckle. "I get it."
"Hold up," Axel stopped, the group stopping around him. "You guys hear that?"
Skellington cupped his hand around his ear, his eyes narrowing. They were near the outskirts of the graveyard, the trees becoming thicker and closer together in the dark forest. Wind whistled through the branches an unearthly chill surrounding them as they listened. Further in, there was a growl. It was small, faint, but there all the same.
"I know that sound!" Skellington jumped forward, rushing into the forest.
Axel glanced back at Hinata and Riku, letting out a sigh. "You sure find the strange ones, don't ya?"
"Technically, Jack found him." Hinata pointed to her dog still perched on Axel's shoulder. She snickered at him rolling his eyes as she hurried after Skellington.
"Oh Corro!" Skellington called out, his hands cupped around his mouth as he bent down and looked around. "Corro, where are you?"
"Corro?" Axel repeated, "Are you looking for some sort of pet?"
"Not just any pet," Skellington put up a bony finger, "a brand new creature I've never seen before!" He laughed, "Oh, and they have corrosive saliva."
The group froze as Skellington waved it off.
"Oh, it's harmless, just might be a good idea to keep him with me." He explained.
"So, Corro, meaning, corrosive." Hinata realized, "Got it."
"I don't mean to be rude," Riku spoke up, his arms crossed. "But we don't have time to be searching for a pet."
Hinata stopped and looked back to Riku, her eyes downcasting as she nodded. "He's right. We need to find Thaanix."
"Oh so now you're in a hurry to find her." Axel chided, getting a slight glare from Hinata in response.
"Just a moment, my friends!" Skellington assured them, "I do believe Corro just might have something to do with your friend."
"Really wouldn't call her a friend." Hinata muttered under her breath.
"How do you mean?" Riku asked Skellington, watching the lanky man bend over in a nearly comical way as he searched for Corro. "What does it have to do with the person we're looking for?"
Skellington stood back up straight, his bony hands pressed together in front of him. "Well, you see-"
"Hold it," Axel interrupted, putting up his hand as everyone fell silent. "You hear that?"
Riku turned his head, his eyes narrowed as he listened. "A Corridor."
Hinata gasped, spinning on her heel. "Do you think it's Thaanix?"
"Whoever it is, I don't recognize the scent." Axel told her, shrugging when Hinata sent him a look. "I'm just saying."
"It smells familiar to me," Riku noted, stepping forward as he summoned Soul Eater.
"It does?" Hinata asked, going to his side, about to summon her blades before Riku gripped her wrist.
"We don't know for sure." He told her. "You and the others should hide. If it's Thaanix, we can have surprise on our side."
"And jump out when she least expects it." She finished for him, seeing him nod. "Alright, just - be careful."
The corner of his mouth tipped into a smirk. "I will."
She smiled in return, uncertainty riddled in her eyes before she turned around and nodded to Axel. "Jack-" she paused when both Skellington and Jack turned to look at her. "You should come hide with us. If it's Thaanix, you won't want to be in her way."
"I must say, this is a strange way to greet a friend." Skellington pointed out, following Hinata's suggestion and heading into the thick of the forest.
"Trust me, they are far from friends." Axel assured him, leaning back against a thick tree. He glanced at Hinata as she settled in beside him, keeping her eye on Riku. "You sure he can handle Thaanix by himself?"
"He's not by himself." She whispered in reply. "What do you think we're here for?"
"I hate to interrupt," Skellington walked over to them, bent over as he spoke. "But I think someone's coming this way."
"How can we be sure you know what yer doin?" A whiny girl's voice came from further in the forest. It sounded akin to a child.
"Yeah, what's innit for us?" Another child spoke up, a boy with a nasally voice.
"For all we know, you're just a peeper for Jack!" One more added, getting the other two to readily agree.
"I'm not working for anyone." A familiar voice replied, their tone dripping with exasperation.
Hinata's hands tightened in front of her as her heart jumped to her throat. "That's her," she whispered.
Axel looked back to Hinata. "Seems like she got herself some residential allies."
"I should have known." Skellington hit his fist in his flattened palm.
"Do you know them?" Hinata asked.
"I'm afraid I do." he frowned. "Local hooligans, Lock, Shock, and Barrel."
"They sound like kids." Riku's voice caused Hinata to startle. She looked over to see him standing beside her.
"Indeed they are." Skellington agreed.
"Might not be the best time for a surprise attack." Hinata sighed, realizing why Riku came back to them.
"We can still spy though." Axel pointed out.
"That's what I was thinking." Riku agreed, grabbing Hinata and pulling her over to a neighboring tree.
He kept her back against the tree, motioning towards her glowing tattoo. She nodded, placing her hand over the tattoo to conceal the illumination, her heart beating faster as Riku leaned over her. He stood protectively in front of her, his eyes fixated on the dark forest path as the voices came closer.
Everything was fogged, dull. It was difficult to make anything out between the trees, but as Riku searched, he caught sight of four dark silhouettes. He looked back to Hinata, motioning his head to let her know to look. She swallowed hard, nodding as she peeked around the side. Her heart stopped as she caught sight of Thaanix.
Hinata wasn't sure if the world had any effect on Thaanix's appearance, but part of her hoped it had. Darkness had melded completely into her skin. It twisted up her arms, blackening her veins and making it appear as if she had cracks over her entire body. Dark robes twisted around her body, the hues melding from purples, blues, and reds. Her hair was loose, tousled and choppy. It fell past her shoulders, the ends seemingly dipped in ink. Near her feet, three children toddled beside her. Each of them wore a plastic Halloween mask that concealed their true faces.
"Hey, Lady, you didn't answer our question!" The girl spoke up, stomping her tiny foot against the forest floor as she stopped in front of Thaanix. "What's innit for us?"
The two boys agreed, joining the little girl's side with arms crossed. Thaanix barely cast them a glance, stepping over them with ease.
"How about I keep you alive?" She asked them, knowing they had turned to look at her as a ball of swirling Darkness covered her hand. "I'm sure no one would think twice about hearing screams in a hell hole like this."
"That bitch," Hinata bit, the intensity of her tattoo glowing through her hand.
Barely casting a glance to Riku, she held out her hand to summon her blade, before Riku gripped her shoulders and forced her back against the tree. She glared back at him, her anger faltering as Riku shook his head. She could see the same sentiment in his eyes and it calmed her just enough to not foolishly act.
"OoOoOoh, I like her," the girl shivered, her hands clasped in front of her. She skipped forward, spinning on her heel to face the boys. "You two dummies do what you want. I'm with her!"
"Perfect," Thaanix smirked, the Darkness fizzing away as she walked forward, the girl toddling after her.
The boys held onto each other, scared stiff from Thaanix's threat. They looked between each other and their friend running off. Letting go of the other, they toppled over the other as they scrambled after them.
"H-Hey Shock! W-wait for us!" One of them shouted.
"Yeah! We wanna join, too!" The other added.
A whimpering animal cut through their cries, the three children falling silent as a red, dog-like creature limped towards them. Its body was a dark, near velvety red with crack throughout its body. A gold substance glowed between the cracks, dripping to the forest floor and sizzling with each drop. Its face was reminiscent of Jack with a narrow snout and pointed ears, its eyes hollow and glowing gold. Sharp, jagged teeth filled the sides of its opened mouth, gold saliva dripping from its mouth.
Shock stepped forward, pointing towards it. "What is that thing?"
"It's Corro!" Skellington exclaimed with a hushed voice, his mouth being covered by Axel, muffling the sound even further.
Thaanix scoffed, using her leg to push Shock back a few steps as Corro limped closer, whimpering up at her. "It's useless." She told them, kicking it away. Corro yelped, trying to stand, but crumbled back to the ground as Thaanix barely cast it a glance. "Tell me about your old master."
"Oogie?" One of the boys jumped up, the other looking back at Corro, before turning around and scurrying after the group.
Their voices faded as they went further down the path, leaving Hinata and the others safely hidden behind the trees. Hinata leaned back against the tree, meeting her eyes with Riku's. He averted his gaze from hers.
"I'm sorry I stopped you." he muttered.
She shook her head. "No, it would have been dumb to jump out like that." She took in a breath. "I just-" her voice faded.
"Couldn't believe she would threaten children like that?" He finished for her, getting a scoff in response as a spark of anger returned to her.
"I can hardly believe she's supposed to be me, I would never-"
"She isn't you." Riku interrupted, his hand going to her chin. "We don't know everything the Organization put in her, what they did to make her like this. She has your face, some of your memories, but that's it. Don't make her actions your responsibility."
Hinata blinked, taking a moment to process his words as her rage simmered. Grabbing his hand along her chin, she brought it up to her lips, placing a kiss to his palm. "You're right… thank you."
His concerned frown curved into a soft smile, the tips of his pointed ears warming. "Of course."
"Oh Corro! What sort of monster is this friend of yours?" Skellington's voice cut through their moment, both of them peeking around the tree.
Skellington was knelt on the ground, cradelling Corro in his arms even as the gold substance sizzled through the fabric of his suit. He stood, keeping Corro in his hold.
"Something must be done!" He declared, "We had enough trouble when Oogie was here. We don't need someone new causing trouble."
"Couldn't agree with you more." Axel nodded, leaning over as he examined Corro. "What sort of thing is that?"
"I've never seen anything like it." Hinata agreed, joining them. As she neared, Corro whimpered, nudging its nose towards her, as if begging to be touched. "It - sort of looks like Jack." She noted, moving her hand and patting its head, careful not to touch any of the gold substance.
"She seemed familiar with it." Riku added, his arms crossed as he looked Corro over.
Jack floated from Axel's shoulder, sniffing Corro, his tail starting low, but gradually shaking when Corro replied with a growl. He barked, licking the top of Corro's head, before flying towards Hinata.
"Really wish Ben was here to know what you were saying." Hinata sighed, rubbing her hand along the back of her neck. "What would Thaanix want with those kids? You mentioned they were hooligans, Jack?"
Skellington hummed in agreement, nodding his head. "Yes, those three are professional trick or treaters. But they unfortunately tend to focus on the trick side of it all."
"No wonder they were insisting Thaanix give them something for their cooperation." Riku pointed out.
"What would she need their help with?" Hinata asked.
"One way to find out." Axel motioned further into the forest. "Lead the way, Jack."
"With pleasure," Skellington agreed, holding Corro close as he continued on.
They ventured further into the forest, keeping close to Skellington as the fog thickened between the trees. Passing through a wiry black gate, they reached a pumpkin patch. Nearly every pumpkin was carved, dull, golden light glowing from the faces. It illuminated the black hill in the center of the patch. It was tall and skinny, the top of it curling under itself to create an unsettling, whimsical look. The yellow moon was full, silhouetting the hill as Skellington climbed up it with ease.
Axel spun around, "Sooo, looks like we've hit a dead end."
"Not quite!" Skellington assured him, "Have faith, Citizens!"
As he stepped forward there was a rumble in the earth, causing the others to stumble into the other. Riku held Hinata steady after she bumped into him, watching as the curl of the hill unfurled, leading over the black fence that encased the pumpkin patch. They all looked between the other, before Axel shrugged and followed Skellington.
"Can't say I haven't seen stranger things," Axel noted as the others went after him. "But this is definitely up there."
"It really is," Hinata agreed, carefully crossing the thin bridge as she looked over the side. They were too far up, but it would still hurt if any of them were to fall. "Is this the same way Thaanix took."
"Most likely," Jack called back, patting his hand on Corro's head. "I don't believe Lock, Shock, and Barrel know any other way to Oogie's fortress."
As they stepped off the bridge, the earth rumbled once again as the hill curled itself back up. There were blackened hills with a glowing green river rushing between. Then in the distance stood a massive tree. It was shrouded by fog, the details nearly indistinguishable from where they stood.
"I'm guessing that's where we're heading." Hinata motioned towards the tree.
"Yep," Axel told her, "There's something going on there. Even when I tried to make the connection, I couldn't form a Corridor there."
"She must be blocking it with her Darkness." Riku surmised, getting Hinata to look at him.
"Is that possible?" She asked. "How would she know how to do that?"
"My guess?" Axel shrugged, "Is that she isn't even doing it on purpose."
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked. "Wouldn't something like that take a lot of precision?"
"Normally? Yeah," Axel agreed, "But from what I've seen, she doesn't have a handle on her Darkness. Like at all. It's like it lashes out around her and she just lets it happen."
Riku sighed, "That makes her unpredictable. To say the least."
"Interesting," Skellington spoke up, making everyone look over at him tapping his fingers to his chin. "The way the three of you talk reminds me an awful lot like my friend, Sora. He came from far away, too."
Hinata glanced to Riku, unsure how to respond as he stepped forward. "When was the last time your friend was here?"
Skellington hummed, "I'd say nearly a year. Why? Do you think you know him?"
Riku shook his head, "No, just curious." He walked on ahead, passing the group. "We better get moving."
"Right you are, Destin!" Skellington chimed, following after him.
They walked through the hills and along the chipped stone bridge over the glowing river. The closer they went, the more Corro fidgeted and whined in Skellington's arms. His whine was joined with growls and whimpers as the group came to a stop. Scattered over the hilltops were dozens of the same types of creatures that Corro was. Golden sludge dripped from their bodies sizzling away the blackened grass beneath them with each step. They ignored the group, stumbling over themselves, seemingly disoriented.
"There's more of them…" Hinata muttered.
"It's strange." Skellington agreed. "I don't believe I've ever seen anything like them before…"
"Is that why you believe they have something to do with Thaanix?" Riku asked, getting a humming nod in response.
"What do you make of them, Ri- uh, Destin?" Axel asked, walking up to one and leaning over it as it stared back at him with lifeless eyes.
"They aren't Heartless or Nobodies." Riku noted, continuing to walk towards the fortress. "And they aren't attacking."
"Do you think… Thaanix is making them?" Hinata asked, her gut twisting as her own suggestion.
"I hope not." Riku sighed. "But it's possible." He glanced over his shoulder, "Axel, were these creatures the ones you saw?"
He nodded, going back to follow after them. "They were some of them."
"There were others?" Hinata asked, the dread settling in.
"Yeah, a few different types, from what I could tell."
"Great," she sighed, wrapping her arms around herself as Jack floated off of her shoulder to sniff the creatures.
She watched him interact with them, once again noticing just how similar they were to Jack in appearance. Their crooked tails wagged as Jack talked to them. Groggled barks coming from them in response as they bounced up and down. More and more of the creatures appeared the further they went. Some of them growled at each other, even hunching over and leaping onto the weaker, more disoriented ones to attack. As they neared the final wall that separated them from the tree fortress, the creatures were full on attacking each other. Plumes of red smoke exploded as one creature was taken out after the other. Hinata stood closer to Riku, the sight unsettling her as Jack nuzzled against her neck, whimpering.
"I should have taken Corro home." Skellington realized, holding Corro close. "I've never seen anything like this!"
"You can head back if you want." Hinata suggested. "This is our fight. We don't want to drag you into it."
Skellington looked around at the carnage. None of the creatures seemed to be paying them any mind, as if they were under some sort of orders to only attack the other. He let out a breath, his exuberant personality faded.
"But it is my fight." He told her, turning around to face them as he placed his hand over his chest. "Halloween Town is under my protection. If this friend of yours is going to cause trouble like this, I'm going to do whatever it takes to stop them."
"Welcome aboard," Axel smirked, patting his hand on Skellington's shoulder.
His smile returned as he spun around. "Now, Citizens, are we ready?"
Hinata looked to Riku, who gave her a subtle nod. She smiled uneasily in return as she nodded. "Yes. We're ready."
Skellington spun around, placing both of his hands on the gate that led to the fortress and pushing them open. A towering tree stood in the middle of a trench. Its thick and twisted branches bent and wrapped around the trunk that appeared to have glowing faces carved into it. Pumpkins were speared on the fence that led up the tree to the fortress built into the branches. Hinata's jaw dropped at the sight, her eyes focused upwards as she followed the others past the gate.
Riku gripped her arm, tugging her to his side. She stumbled back, about to ask him what was wrong before she saw that he had pulled her out of the way of another creature. It seemed to be made of Darkness itself. Its arms were long and used to hoist its wiry body off the ground. Golden veins covered its body, matching its long narrow eyes that looked her up and down.
"What is-" Hinata began to ask, before its eyes focused back on hers, its mouth baring tiny sharp teeth. "Oh geez!" She jumped back, summoning her blade.
Before she could do anything else, a chakram sliced into its back, bursting the creature in a flume of red smoke with clear magic orbs left in its wake. Riku's grip loosened on her arm as he looked up to Axel.
"Something tells me these things aren't exactly friendly." Axel told them, pulling his chakram out of the ground.
Hinata frowned, turning around to see the trench they were surrounded by was filled with the creatures attacking each other. Some of them were similar to Corro, while others were the same ones that had attacked her. "They're different from the ones we saw earlier. More hostile and aggressive."
"Just a bit." Axel agreed, keeping his chakrams at his side and ready to strike as the creatures began taking notice of them.
"Stay alert." Riku told them, moving forward to make sure they kept up with Skellington walking on ahead. "If they're like this, Thaanix probably isn't too far off."
"Right…" Hinata swallowed, her blades in her grip as her gut twisted with every step.
She looked over when she heard Jack growl, seeing his pointed ears flat on his head as he attempted to interact with the creatures. Before, they had talked back to him, their tails wagging, but these ones slashed their claws and lunged towards him. With a whimper, Jack floated back, curling up on Hinata's shoulder.
"It's alright, bud," she whispered to him, wincing as Axel shot out a ball of flame towards on oncoming creature. Taking in a breath, she told him, "Looks like we might have to end up fighting our way through this."
Looking on either side, the amount of creatures surrounding them was nearly impassable. Riku moved to the front with Axel, readying his blade as Axel's chakrams burst into flames.
"Wait!" Hinata called out, the group stopping to look at her.
Axel rolled his eyes, "We have to-"
"I know," she interrupted him, walking to the front and placing her hands in front of her. "But if we sit here and fight each one of them, we'll waste too much time."
Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply through her nose, sensing the moisture in the air around them and in the rivers that flowed through the town. Letting out the breath, she could feel the cool sensation of her tattoo beginning to glow brilliantly as she put her arms out at her sides, water rising up from the ground on either side of them.
She opened her eyes, focusing on the tree fortress up ahead as she raised her hands, lifting pillars of water along with her to separate them from the masses of creatures. All that remained was the thin line leading towards their destination.
Riku stepped forward, pulling Soul Eater back as it began to illuminate with a purple aura. With a yell, he thrust the blade towards the sky, bolts of dark lightning striking the mass of creatures in front of them. A burst of red smoke filled the air as the lightning ceased, clear orbs of magic left in their wake as Riku dispelled Soul Eater and moved on.
"It's a good thing I was there when we found Corro." Skellington commented, following the group through the passage of water. He looked at the walls of water, seeing the disfigured creatures through the stream. "You know, we could use something like this at our next Halloween!" Putting up his bony hand, he called, "Nia! Do you believe you would be interested in a job proposition?"
Axel chuckled, Hinata stopping mid step to glance over her shoulder at the skeleton man. "I mean... " she scratched the side of her head, "I might be able to come back for the festival if you really want me to."
"That would be splendid!" He exclaimed, grabbing her hand with his as the other held tightly onto Corro. "Wait until I tell you my ideas!"
"Guys," Riku spoke up, interrupting the conversation. "She's here."
Hinata's heart dropped, her hand slipping from Skellington's grasp as the walls of water around them splashed to the ground. Despite the loss of the barrier, the creatures didn't attack. They simply watched, waiting for the command. Hinata stepped forward to be beside Riku, her heart pounding in her ears as she spotted Thaanix at the base of the tree. The three kids were beside her, somewhat hiding behind her legs as they chittered and chattered to each other, obviously having no idea what was really going on.
"I had a feeling there was a rat following me," Thaanix spoke up, the sound of her familiar voice sending chills through Hinata. Thaanix's glowing golden eyes went to Axel, "Seems like I was right."
"Well, I couldn't just let you loose, now could I?" Axel countered with a shrug, his usual teasing tone in his voice. "I was quite enjoying our little game of cat and mouse."
Thaanix scoffed, "Please, you're just after me in hopes that your precious Organization will take you back. Isn't that right?"
"Maybe, maybe not," Axel slung his chakram over his shoulder, his other hand going to Hinata's shoulder. "Or maybe I've had a change of heart."
The tone in his voice unsettled Hinata, even more than hearing him exchange banter with Thaanix. Grabbing his hand, she slid it off her shoulder, stepping forward and noticing the slight twitch in Riku's arm as he considered pulling her back.
"Why are you here, Thaanix?" She demanded. "What are you after?"
Her brow quirked up. "Thaanix?" She repeated with a laugh. "Is that the little nickname you all came up with for me?" With a mocking tone, she added, "What, was knowing I'm a part of you too much for little cry baby to handle?"
Hinata's eyes narrowed, her blades flashing into her grip. "Answer the question! What are you doing here?"
"Ooh, someone's been learning some new tricks." Thaanix smirked, before sighing heavily, "And like it or not, this is my place now. So you don't get to just barge in and demand things." She walked forward, Darkness seeping with each step. "If anything, I should be the one asking you what the hell you think you're doing here. You really think you can do anything to me?"
"Maybe they can't, but I can." Skellington spoke up, walking ahead and placing Corro in Hinata's arms as she scrambled to catch him while her blades disappeared in a flash of light.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Thaanix asked, crossing her arms.
"Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King and protector of this town." He told her, his eyes narrowed and hands glowing blue as they clenched into fists.
"Ooooh, you're in for it now, Lady…" Shock whined behind Lock, their tiny body shivering.
"Shut it," Thaanix bit over her shoulder before looking back forward with a shrug. "Alright Pumpkin King, say your piece." Walking forward, she smirked, holding up her hand and engulfing it in dark flames. "Careful though, I might get mad."
"You touch him and you're dealing with us next." Hinata warned, coming up to Skellington's side, Corro settled in her satchel along her hip.
Her blades flashed into her grasp as Riku and Axel followed suit on either side.
"You're not welcomed here." Skellington told her, ignoring the threats as the icy glow around his hands covered his arms.
"Oh really?" Thaanix asked.
"You came here uninvited, filled this town with your pets that you mistreat, and coerced children to do your dirty work!" Skellington's voice was level, yet every word held malice and distaste. "How dare you treat my town so shamefully!"
He bolted forward, shards of ice swirling around him.
"Jack!" Hinata yelled, attempting to run after him but the creatures surrounding them sprang into action.
She jumped back, slicing one down midair before throwing her blade into the trunk of the tree. Blue, sparkling mist burst around her, teleporting her to her blade. She pulled it out of the wood, just in time to sidestep a clump of dirt thrown in her direction from the trio of children.
"No way you're gettin through us!" Barrel whined, pulling up a mushroom from the ground to throw at her next.
"You guys really shouldn't be here," she told them, focusing her attention towards Thaanix, who had jumped back to avoid Skellington's attack.
Hinata ran towards Skellington, seeing bursts of flames and Darkness as Riku and Axel took care of the mass of creatures. Thaanix summoned a blade of ice, blocking another attack from Skellington and kicking him back. As he stumbled back, the blade melted in Thaanix's grasp, dripping to the ground as she stared at her open palm.
"What the-"
"You might want to consider getting actual weapons." Hinata spoke up, getting a mocking laugh from Thaanix as she shook the water from her hands and turned towards Hinata.
"So you really did go and learn some new tricks to take me on." She noted, a smirk curving the corner of her lips. "I don't know what to say. I'm almost flattered."
"Don't take it personally," Hinata readied her blades. "I'm going to make sure you don't hurt anyone else."
"I'd love to see you try." She goaded, her hands going to her sides as they engulfed with Darkness.
Hinata swallowed, feeling the swirling power and pull of the Darkness. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, filling her ears as Thaanix rushed towards her. Part of her wanted to run, to give in to her fear, but as she phazed to the right to narrowly avoid the Darkness, she saw the burning hatred in Thaanix's golden eyes. The same hatred she saw back in the labs on Kamino, just before James gave his life for her.
The thought of James choked a lump in her throat, sparking with a rage she hadn't felt since she had discovered Xehanort's true intentions when she was just a child. Her jaw clenched, her blades disappearing to her shield. With a yell, she blocked Thaanix's Darkness headon, sparks of purples and blues bursting upon impact.
Hinata shoved her back, spinning on her heel and throwing her shield, the edge of it nicking Thaanix's upper arm as she barely sidestepped out of the way. Thaanix hissed, her hand covering the wound as blood mixed with black sludge seeped between her fingers.
With a flash of light, the shield returned to Hinata's grasp, ready to be thrown again before Skellington was at her side. Glowing ghosts and firey pumpkins swirled around him as if they were serving as a protective, yet deadly barrier.
"Nia! Hold on!" He yelled, holding out his arm for her to grasp.
She gripped his arm without hesitation, sending him a fleeting smile of thanks before he spun and hoisted her into the air, ghosts and glowing ghouls in her wake. Each one absorbed into her shield, causing it to illuminate as she dove back to the ground and slammed her shield into the coarse dirt. An explosion of magic erupted upon impact, every ghost and pumpkin that had entered the shield burst forth, swirling around Hinata and igniting every creature around her.
As she stood back up, she heard a groggily whimper, just then remembering Corro in her satchel. Her eyes scanned the battlefield, seeing Thaanix being confronted by Riku. For a single moment, she allowed herself a breath, glancing down to see Corro's head poking out from her bag.
"Sorry about that," she muttered to him, patting his head and noticing the bottom of the leather on her bag sizzling away from his corrosive juice.
He glanced up at her, his wriggly tail twitching in such a fashion, she assumed it was wagging. She nearly smiled at the sight, before looking back up at the battlefield. Creatures still covered the trench they found themselves in, but were at least outside the barrier of carnage that the others had wrought. Skellington was confronting Lock, Shock, and Barrel, yelling after them as they scampered off inside the tree in their own secret tunnel. They would have to retrieve them after Thaanix had been dealt with.
Axel held off the creatures with a fiery barrier, his chakrams thrown every which way and occasionally making a point to assist Riku in fighting against Thaanix. Hinata's legs trembled, already weak from the battle and begging for rest. Shaking her head, she forced herself back into focus and rushed to Riku's side. Whatever Thaanix was trying to taunt him with was having little effect as he hardly gave her the chance to speak. Every dodge was met with a barrage of spells, every spell of Darkness met with a larger one of his own. Despite it, she was able to hold her own against him. Her magic more erratic and uncontrollable, lashing out in an unpredictable way that forced him to be constantly on guard.
Hinata darted in front of him, holding out her shield to absorb a strike of electricity from Thaanix. Riku's hands went to her shoulders as she skid back into him, their eyes meeting for just a moment as she glanced at him over her shoulder. He sent her a nod, letting go of her and disappearing in a Corridor, reappearing right above Thaanix and slicing Soul Eater right on top of her. She phazed away with a cloud of Darkness, thick slabs of ice covering Riku's feet the moment he landed. The ice grew further up his legs, before melting in a burst of flames from Axel's chakrams. Riku rolled away, dowsing the sparks on his coat before being helped up by Hinata grabbing his arm.
Everyone readied their weapons, waiting for the next person to strike. Thaanix backed up, Darkness spiralling around her as she looked between the group and glanced over her shoulder to see Skellington returning.
"Last chance," Hinata spoke up, her voice firm, yet wavering from exhaustion. "Why are you here?"
Thaanix's hands clenched at her sides, the Darkness surrounding her twisting and bonding. Cuts and bruises scattered her skin, black sludge dripping from the incisions and making her appeared cursed.
Riku stepped forward, just slightly in front of Hinata to keep her safe behind him. "Thaanix-"
"Why can't you leave me the hell alone?!" Thaanix screamed, cutting him off as her hands went to her head.
The Darkness completely engulfed her in a thick tornado, before vanishing completely.
"No!" Hinata yelled, running past Riku when she saw she had disappeared. "Dammit!" She threw down her shield, the clang of it bursting with the small amount of electricity it had absorbed during the final fight.
"She might still be here," Riku pointed out, going towards her and picking up her shield. "We got her on the run. She knows she can hide forever."
"And what if she's off on another random world?" She asked, turning towards him with a glare that softened when she saw her shield being held out to her. With a sigh, she gently took it back from him, frowning at the scuffs along the polished metal. "Sorry…"
"DiZ said he's working on a tracker," he reminded her, placing his hand along her shoulder. "We'll find her again."
"And now she knows you mean business." Axel pointed out, slinging his chakram over his shoulder. "If she'd stuck around, you would have had a chance at taking her down."
"Seems like that training paid off," Riku smiled as she looked up at him.
She half smiled in return, glancing back at Skellington. His gaze was on the twisted tree, arms crossed and finger tapping his chin while her dog rested on his shoulder. "Jack? Is something wrong?" She asked.
"It's just those kids," he told her, sighing as he turned around. "I just can't figure out what she wanted them for. If she was just planning on leaving the moment we showed up, why bother bringing them along at all?"
"Maybe we interrupted said plans." Axel suggested.
"Or maybe she's not actually gone." Hinata countered, looking up at the rickety fortress atop of the tree.
"She was pretty beat up," Riku noted coming up beside her. "She might not have had the energy to leave the world."
"And who knows what she's got up there." Hinata added, letting out a breath. "Do you think this warrants getting Velcia and Sam here?"
"Velcia maybe, not sure about Sam." He told her.
"She could be put on pest control," Axel pointed out, keeping a keen eye on the creatures still teeming around the tree.
"Not if you're the one doing it with her." Riku told him, looking up at the fortress. "I say we call DiZ and let him know what's up. See where he thinks we should go from here."
"But if we wait too long, she might regain her strength." Hinata frowned, sighing and added, "And I know I was the one that asked about bringing the others, I'm just thinking out loud."
"It's fine," he assured her, "You have a point."
"Perhaps I can assist Nia up the tree to inspect Oogie's fortress, while the rest of you retrieve the backup." Skellington suggested.
"No," the rest of them immediately shot down the idea in their own ways.
"We're not splitting up." Hinata shook her head. "It's never turned out well."
"Hmm, well alright." Skellington scratched the side of his head. "I suppose we should all make our way up to the fortress. If this Thaanix is still there, we can handle her once and for all!" He planted his fist into his palm on the last sentence, a determined smile across his face. "Without her pets in the way, we should be able to handle her with ease!"
"It's a better plan than just sitting around here talking about it." Axel agreed.
"Alright," Riku nodded, "Let's go."
"This way then!" Skellington exclaimed, pointing towards the tree and leading the way there.
Hinata stayed behind a couple steps, staring up at the fortress. Her heart twisted in her chest, uneasy as she replayed Thaanix's breakdown over and over again in her mind. Thaanix wanted to be left alone. In a way, Hinata could have felt pity for her, but after everything she had destroyed, something had to be done. Letting out a breath, she looked back forward, seeing Riku waiting behind for her, a patient, understanding smile on his lips that only she could see. Her frown softened along with her anxiety as she walked forward to meet his pace.
**Author's Note: Hello Everyone! Thank you so much for reading this chapter and for being patient with me as I slowly write more for it. So excited to be in Halloween Town! It's already been such an adventure and I've been looking forward to it for quite some time.
The Halloween Town outfit for Hinata was designed by EddieWeen on DeviantArt! Just like with Third Beginning, I hosted a contest for people to submit world outfit designs for Hinata. The winner would have their outfit and works of choice added to the story.
So thank you EddieWeen for the really fun outfit design! I'm so excited to finally have Hinata visiting Halloween Town.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**