Chapter 18
**Recap: Axel, Hinata, Riku, and Jack Skellington confronted Thaanix at the base of Oogie Boogie's tree. They nearly won the battle, before Thaanix retreated to the manor at the top of the tree. So the group is forced to pursue, in hopes of bringing an end to Thaanix's chaos.**
Axel peeked over the side of the crumbling stone bridge, whistling at the height. They had been climbing and walking along the planks of wood and cracked stone that surrounded Oogie's tree, occasionally having to make a jump over what would be a plummeting drop to the ground far below. Thaanix's creatures seemed more like pools of darkness as they gathered around the base of the twisted tree, attempting to claw their way up after them, but with little to no avail.
With a groan, Axel leaned back, placing his hands along his back to stretch. "You know, it's times like this that remind me why I prefer traveling via Darkness."
Hinata sighed, pausing at the end of the bridge as she ran her hand along the wiry black fence with glowing jack-o-lanterns punctured on the posts. "Have you tried forming a connection since Thaanix disappeared?"
"Yeah, only like every few minutes," he told her, gazing up at the decrepit manor still a ways above them. "Whatever your little doppelganger's got surrounding this place, it's effective."
"Worry not, friends!" Skellington called back to them, already ahead on the next branch with Corro securely in his arms. "We are nearly there!"
Hinata and Axel looked to each other, before drawing their gazes up to the manor.
"I wouldn't call that nearly." Hinata noted.
"We'll never get there if we don't keep moving." Riku pointed out, walking ahead of them with Jack floating at his side.
"Fair enough." Axel agreed with a wistful sigh, leaving Hinata behind as he continued on.
Hinata stayed there for a moment, her eyes scanning their path as it spiraled up the tree. They hadn't encountered a single set back since beginning their trek up to Oogie's manor and given all of the creatures Thaanix had created along with enlisting the help of Lock, Shock, and Barrel, it put her on edge. She looked over the side of the bridge as Axel had done, seeing Thaanix's creatures conglomerating at the base of the tree. It almost appeared as if they were combining, but she couldn't see them clear enough to tell for sure.
"Hey Hin- Nia, you coming?" Axel called back to her, drawing her gaze back forward to see Axel's head poking out from the other side of the tree.
"Yeah, be right there." She assured him, looking back to the creatures once more before jogging to meet back up with the others.
She followed just a few steps behind, smiling as Jack floated back to her. His ghostly head bobbed side to side, as if asking her what was wrong.
"I'm fine, Bud," she assured him with a hushed voice, reaching up to scratch behind his ears. "Something just doesn't feel right about this."
"You mean how we haven't had anything even try to stop us from getting up there?" Axel asked, overhearing her talking to Jack.
"Maybe don't blatantly say it out loud." Riku glanced over his shoulder at Axel, the slightest exasperation in his expression.
"I must say I agree, though." Skellington nodded, stopping along the edge of a wooden plank to look over the world below. The lights from his town could be seen shimmering in the distance, making him sigh. "When I came up here with Sora, we ran into all sorts of trouble."
A giggle interrupted their discussion, bringing everyone's gaze upwards to see three little heads peeking down at them from a tree branch far above them.
"You troublemakers get down here this instant!" Skellington exclaimed, "You have no idea who you're dealing with! This Thaanix isn't anything like Oogie Boogie and-"
His words were lost as the three children nearly cackled, their masks rattling as they jittered with excitement.
"Listen to him!" Hinata tried, stepping forward. "I don't know what she's promised you, but she's dangerous! There's no telling what she'll do to you."
"Miss Darkness Lady is the meanest guy around!" Barrel told them, complete joy in his small voice, rather than uneasiness.
"Yeah! We like her!" Shock added with a giggle. "We're on her good side!"
"Not like you guys, though." Lock told them, getting his friends to laugh.
"I'd get out of town, if I were yoooou." Shock told them in a sing song voice.
"Thanks for the tip," Axel half heartedly saluted them.
"Let's just keep moving." Riku spoke up with a sigh, already turning to move on. "No point in playing their little game."
"Couldn't agree more." Axel whisked back forward, following the group as Hinata remained there.
The children disappeared, their laughs still resonating through the air, "Don't say we didn't warn yoooou!"
Hinata didn't move from her spot as she kept her gaze fixated on where the children had been. She could hear them chattering back and forth between each other, but couldn't make out their words. Part of her considered throwing her blade up there to confront them herself, but with one look to Riku and the others up ahead, she decided against it. With a heavy breath, she turned to follow the others. They were a bit ahead of her, but not so far that she couldn't hear their footsteps against the creaky planks of wood.
The further they went, the more she heard the giggles and whispers of the kids up above. They were following them from their perch. Riku didn't say it, but Hinata was sure he heard it, too. He glanced over his shoulder at her, their eyes meeting as they walked. He was silent, focused, as if he knew just as well as Hinata that something wasn't right.
"They're in for it now," Lock snickered, making Hinata stop midstep.
"Shut up!" Shock scolded him.
Hinata moved back against the trunk of the tree, out of sight of the kids as they peeked over the edge.
"Ready…?" Lock whispered.
"Do it!" Barrel exclaimed, hopping with excitement. "What are you waiting fo- OW!"
"Shut up!" The other two yelled as they scrambled back out of sight.
Hinata moved away from the trunk of the tree, looking between the path ahead and the branch above. With a hastened pace, she hurried after the others in order to warn them that something was about to happen. As she went around the corner, she saw them up ahead and was about to call out to them before a loud metal clang rang through the air.
Everyone stopped, looking between each other and then back at Hinata. She stopped, looking up to the branch above and seeing a massive black cauldron being tipped over the edge. Her eyes widened at the sight, seeing brothy, boiling liquid pouring from the rim.
"Watch out!" She yelled to the others, holding out her hands.
She sensed the heat of the stew in her fingertips. It swirled further up her arm, the heat of it nearly too much as she took in a sharp breath in order to control it. Her hands moved in a circular fashion, taking control of the liquid in the stew and conforming it into a single orb. Even though it was several feet away from her, controlling it forced her into a direct link with the heat. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, making her breaths labored as she gathered the entirety of the boiling brew.
"Very good, Nia!" Skellington encouraged her, handing Corro off to Axel without even looking towards him.
Axel yelped, catching the dribbling creature as an icy glow covered Skellington's hands. Shards of ice sprang into the air, freezing the stew and with a whisk of Skellington's arms, it was sent plummeting off the side of the tree, splattering into tiny shards upon hitting the ground.
Hinata's hands fell to her side, a rush of cold air surrounding her the moment her link to the liquid was gone. She leaned forward with her hands against her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
"Are you alright?" Riku's concerned voice brought her attention to see him standing in front of her.
She swallowed, nodding as Riku helped her stand back up straight. "Yeah, just- a lot hotter than I was expecting."
"Eh, what just happened?" Axel asked, holding Corro away from his body as drips of golden acid dripped from its body. "Did those kids seriously try to drop a stew on top of us?"
"Those were the most amazing instincts, Nia!" Skellington chimed, taking Corro back from Axel and striding over to Hinata. "You'll be the crown jewel of our next Halloween!"
Hinata huffed with amusement, "Thanks, Jack."
"I am sorry about those troublemakers, though." He sighed wistfully, putting his bony hand to his chin. "This was extreme, even for them."
"You mentioned to them that Thaanix was different from Oogie," Riku spoke up, "Did they usually run with him?"
"Indeed they did," Skellington nodded, still deep in thought. "Like everyone here in Halloween Town, they enjoy scaring others. The unfortunate part is that they don't quite understand the line between a good fright and actual harm. They tend to muddle the two together more often than anyone would like.."
"So I'm guessing this Oogie guy used that to his advantage?" Axel surmised, wiping his hands off on his pants as he joined the group.
"Precisely," Skellington pointed to Axel. "And it seems this Thaanix is trying to do the same. It would be best to get them before they cause any more trouble."
"Agreed," Riku nodded, glancing up and seeing the massive cauldron the kids had tipped over the edge. "There has to be a faster way up there."
"Unless you figured out a way to break through the barrier, I doubt it." Axel sighed. "Just have to go the old fashioned way."
"I can use a burst of magic to get me up there." Riku pointed to the upper branch. "And Hinata could warp strike."
Hinata smiled to herself that Riku knew the proper term for it, no doubt from his texts with Noctis. "I could, but that leaves Axel and Jack."
"Yeah, and the only magic I can do to get up there is a fire blast which -unless we're wanting to burn down this entire tree - isn't going to work." Axel pointed out, motioning to the dry wood surrounding them.
"Worry not, my friends!" Skellington assured them. "If you'll just follow me past this bridge, you'll find an easy solution!"
They looked between each other as Skellington turned and led the way. Glowing jack-o-lanterns impaled on black metal stakes illuminated their way across the shambled bridge as wooden boards creaked under their feet with every step. Skellington went across with ease as the others took careful steps, keeping their hands gripped on the stakes to maintain their balance.
"Right this way," Skellington told them, walking down a long, curved branch that seemed to go off the main path.
The end of the branch curled in on itself, creating a black hole in its center. At a first glance, it appeared to simply be a bit of darkness from the thick branch blocking out the light, but Skellington stood beside it proudly with Corro secured in his arms.
"Sooo where's this easy solution?" Axel asked, crossing his arms as the others stopped beside him.
"Through here," Skellington grinned, holding up his hand and wiggling his bony fingers before putting his arm through the center hole of the curl.
The curl of the branch was thin enough that his arm should have easily gone all the way through the hold and appeared on the other side, yet it wasn't there. The others gasped as Hinata stepped forward with Jack floating beside her.
"That's incredible." She muttered, looking through the other side of the hole, unable to see Skellington on the other side. "It's like a mini portal."
"You expect me to go through a random portal?" Axel asked.
"You never have a problem going through a random Corridor, what's so different about this?" Riku asked, joining Hinata beside the portal.
"Do I even have to answer that?" Axel shook his head, putting his hands out at his sides. "We don't even know what made it."
"Or where it leads," Hinata added, going around to the other side of the curl as Skellington pulled his arm out of the portal.
Jack barked, his tail wagging as he rushed past the group, going straight into the portal. Hinata reached out with a gasp, about to call after him but stopped short, sighing heavily instead.
"Am I really surprised he did that?" She mumbled, noticing Riku's lips quirking into a smirk. "Do you know where it leads, Jack?" She looked over to Skellington.
"Not exactly," he admitted, "It's been quite some time since I trekked up Oogie's tree, but I do know it leads higher up."
Hinata took in a breath, "Let's go then."
"Famous last words," Axel pointed out, getting an eye roll from Hinata as she climbed into the portal.
She crawled through the hole, darkness surrounding her as she went further in. It was a tight fit, but she fit all the same.
"I don't know if this actually leads anywhere," she called back, looking behind her to find that she could no longer see the others. "That's not good- ahh!"
Her worries were cut short as she fell forward, tumbling onto a brick walkway from another curled branch. Jack barked, floating over to her and licking her cheek as she grumbled and pushed herself to stand. She found herself standing in front of a large stone room with the front wall completely caved in to show the dark night and the twisting tree branches holding it up. Inside the room was a single, metal platform with an unlit lantern attached to the bottom of it. She patted Jack on the head as she entered the room, looking up to see a floor up above that led to another level.
"I guess that really was a portal." She realized, looking back just in time to see Axel tumble out of the portal the same way she had. Her hand went to her mouth, concealing her snort of laughter as he scrambled back to his feet.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh away," he smoothed out his clothes, joining her in the room. "I'm sure your entrance was just as graceful."
"It was," she admitted with a snicker, "but it's so much more fun to watch."
Riku was next, catching himself before he actually fell forward and climbed out normally, much to the others' disappointment. He scanned his amber eyes over the collapsed room, before glancing over the edge to see how far up they had gone from the portal.
"Thanks for making me look bad." Axel scoffed, getting Riku's attention as his brow quirked up.
"Um, what?" He asked, coming over to them.
"He was just hoping you'd fall like we did." Hinata explained, returning the smile of amusement he sent her.
Skellington's yelp drew their gazes as they saw him nearly somersault out of the portal, Corro rolling out of his grasp. Hinata kept herself from chuckling, unlike Axel, as she rushed forward to help him up. Jack floated to Corro, nudging his head against him to get him back on his feet.
"That was much different from how I remember it," Skellington told Hinata as she pulled him up. Releasing her hands, he smoothed out his pinstriped suit and looked over their new surroundings. "But it did get us to where we needed to be!" He walked past them into the room, Corro toddling after him with Jack at his side. "All we need to do is take this contraption up and we're nearly there."
"Now, is this nearly an actual nearly?" Axel asked, his hands on his hips as he looked up at the opening to the next floor up. "Cause you've been saying that the entire trek up here."
"How do we get this thing to work?" Hinata asked, moving past Axel's question. She walked over to the metal platform, kneeling down beside it and examining the unlit lantern. "There's oil at the bottom of this," she noticed, glancing up at Skellington. "Should I light it?"
"Now that I can do." Axel held up his hand, snapping his fingers and igniting a small flame over the oil.
"Show off," she chided under her breath with a small smile, standing up and stepping back as the contraption lifted off of the ground, rising to the second floor.
"Can't let you have all the special tricks." Axel countered, pretending to admire his nails.
As it lowered back to the ground, Skellington jumped aboard. The group watched the contraption carry him with ease, exchanging glances of who would be next. Hinata took the initiative, bending down to pick up Corro and place him in her satchel, before she climbed aboard the device. Skellington awaited her above, offering his boney hand to grasp as she hopped onto the next level.
She sent him a smile of thanks as she walked forward, seeing the full moon at eye level in front of her. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at it until she noticed Riku come up beside her.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I'm not sure," she admitted, tilting her head to the side. "Does something seem off about the moon to you?"
Riku drew his gaze to the moon, silent even as the others came up beside them. "There's a face."
"I'm not crazy, you see it too?" She asked him, before looking over her shoulder. "Jack, does the moon usually have a face in it?"
"Ah yes, Oogie Boogie's face." Skellington explained.
"Is it normal to have faces in the moon?" Axel asked, being the last to come up the contraption and put out the fire powering it.
"Just Oogie's," Skellington clarified, walking forward and turning towards the group to further explain. "You see, here in Halloween Town we each have a job to scare people in other worlds."
Hinata smiled, realizing, "Just like Santa Claus and the elves in Christmas Town." With a soft chuckle, she admitted, "I didn't even think that it would be the same here."
"Precisely!" Skellington pointed to her with a grin. "And Oogie Boogie's job was dreams!"
"Dreams," Riku repeated, looking past Skellington towards the moon. "He could give people nightmares?"
"But he's gone now, who's taking up the job?" Axel asked, before shaking his head and waving him off. "You know, on second thought, it doesn't matter. Isn't our job to find Thaanix?"
Axel walked past the group as Skellington scratched the side of his head and realized, "We never did find a replacement for Oogie. After I helped Sora defeat him, he appeared on the moon. So I suppose we never found the need."
Hinata's lips twisted into a frown at the information, her gaze focused on the face in the moon, even as Skellington turned to follow after Axel with more tales of Halloween Town history.
"Let's not worry about that right now." Riku told her, noticing her hesitation to move forward. "Axel's right, we've got a job to do."
"But- haven't you and Sam been dealing with nightmares lately?" She asked him, noticing him tense from her inquiry. "What if it's related to Thaanix being here?"
Riku stepped forward, his arms crossed as he too, gazed at the moon. "Then the best thing we can do is get rid of Thaanix. If it's because of her being here, then maybe making her leave will stop the nightmares from happening."
"I hope so." She admitted, looking up towards the manor that was closer than she wanted. The sight of it tightened her chest as she realized that another confrontation was coming. She sucked in a breath, her hands tightening at her sides.
Whatever was going to happen when they saw Thaanix again, she was ready for it.
"Come on," Riku motioned his head further down the twisting path. "We don't want the others to get too far ahead."
"Right," she agreed with a short nod, walking alongside him to catch up with the others.
They turned the corner and faced a thin set of stairs that led up to a tattered wooden shed. Black branches pierced through the walls and the top of the roof, keeping it in place even as it creaked and leaned from the wind.
"Oh gee, that looks safe." Axel quipped as Skellington went up the stairs and grabbed the dented doorknob.
"Worry not, dear friends." Skellington assured them as he opened the door. "This has been secured on this tree for as long as I can remember."
"That's really not reassuring." Axel sighed, holding out his arm for Hinata and Riku. "After you."
Hinata spared him a half smile as she went up the steps and followed Skellington through the door. Lit candlesticks were scattered around the cramped space. Discarded books piled in the corners, sealed shut by the thick drips of wax melted from the candles. Oddly shaped potion vials filled the shelves of a splintering bookshelf, filled with various herbs and pickled eyeballs that made Hinata grimace as she noticed.
Riku followed in close behind, scanning the room for any sign of an exit so they could continue upwards.
"Well? Find anything?" Axel asked as he came in, jumping when the door slammed shut behind him.
Everyone spun around at the sound, realizing they were locked in. Hinata's eyes found Riku's, just before a swirl of wind snuffed out the candlelight and children's laughter filled the room.
"Lock, Shock, Barrel!" Skellington stomped his foot. "You come out here this instant! This has gone on far enough!"
"Of course it's a trap." Hinata muttered under her breath.
"We warned yoooou!" Shock teased with a sing-song voice before breaking into a fit of giggles along with her friends.
"Yeah, now you're in for it!" Lock added.
"We don't have time for this." Riku grumbled, holding out his hand and summoning a dark fireball in his palm.
The room illuminated with a purple hue and they saw Lock, Shock, and Barrel stacked on top of each other at the other end of the room, fruitlessly tugging at a metal trap door to make their escape.
"Hey!" Barrel whined.
"It's locked!" Lock added.
"Yeah! What gives?" Shock added. "Thaanix said it'd be open!"
"What'd you do, Barrel?" Lock accused, wriggling around and causing Barrel to topple to the floor.
"I didn't do it!" He whined, pointing back, "You were here last, I bet-"
"Shut up!" Shock smacked both of their heads, getting the other two pushing and shoving in return as they continued to squabble.
Skellington put his hands on Hinata and Riku's shoulder, moving them aside so he could step forward to be in front of the kids. His hollowed eyes narrowed at the three children as he grabbed the sides of his jaw and unhinged it like a snake. A roar followed the motion, causing everyone to recoil in fright.
"I don't want any more arguing!" Skellington scolded the shivering kids as his jaw snapped back into place. His bony finger pointed at them as he demanded. "What is the meaning of locking us in?"
Lock and Barrel hid behind Shock as she tugged at the bottom of her dress and avoided Skellington's face. "Weeell, you seee-"
The wood creaked around them, cutting off any explanation. Vials dropped off the shelves, shattering against the floor as Darkness seeped in through the cracks in the wall.
Lock, Shock, and Barrel began to panic as they climbed on top of each other and desperately reached for the trapdoor to escape.
"Thaaaaanix! Get us out of heeeeeeere!" They cried, banging on the metal.
"I don't think she's listening, guys." Hinata told them, summoning her blades as the Darkness covered the room completely.
A pulse of blue light coursed through the ground, illuminating the newly created battlefield that was considerably larger than the dingy shack. Lock, Shock, and Barrel tumbled over, no longer having the trapdoor there to support their weight. They panicked, scrambling to their feet and running frantically around in the Darkness. Jack floated away from Hinata's shoulder, barking and floating after them in attempts to corral them. Corro jumped from Skellington's coat, attempting to do the same.
"Stay sharp," Riku warned the others as he summoned Soul Eater. "Something's coming."
"This day just keeps getting better and better." Axel complained as his chakrams appeared at his hands in a swirl of flame.
Glowing, golden eyes rose from the Darkness as shadowy shapes danced around the group. They appeared to be made from smoke, as their limbs and bodies wisped away with every movement.
"How exactly are we supposed to fight these things?" Axel asked when his chakram swished through a shadow without affecting it.
Hinata attempted to slice through a shadow, watching as it billowed away, unphased by the attack. "Maybe- magic?"
She dissipated her blade, summoning a ball of flame in her palm. When the next shadowed figure jumped for her, she threw the flame towards them, gasping as they immediately ignited.
"Oh, I've got this." Axel smirked as he turned around from Hinata's experiment. His arms went out at his sides, his chakrams floating and twirling at his fingertips.
"Everyone get close!" Riku ordered, knowing what Axel was doing.
Jack and Corro pushed the kids towards the center of the group as sparks flew from Axel's chakrams. Flames ignited around the blades as Hinata grabbed Skellington and ducked.
"Burn baby!" Axel yelled in near glee as his chakrams shot out on either side of him and circled the group with a wall of flames.
The shadows screeched upon impact, bursting and leaving behind a mass of clear magic orbs. As the fires died down, Axel summoned back his chakrams, catching them and making them disappear in a spark of light. The Darkness around them wavered, melting away and placing them further up the tree right in the entryway for Oogie's manor.
"No need to thank me." Axel waved his hand with a smirk as the others stood back up straight and realized their new surroundings. "I'm sure the rest of you would have done something amazing, too."
Hinata normally would have quipped in return, but her eyes were instead glued to the manor's entrance. She could hear things clanging and crashing inside, even if it was muffled through the tall double doors.
There was no doubt that Thaanix was inside.
She walked forward in silence, absently hearing Skellington scolding the kids as they whined about being betrayed. Her hand rested against the door, feeling the urge to go in.
"Wait," Riku's voice cut through her daze.
She blinked and looked over her shoulder at him.
"Let's regroup." He told her. "We'll be stronger together."
"Yeah," she nodded, letting out a breath as her hand slipped away from the door. "You're right."
She turned around, amused to see Corro precariously held by Shock like a teddy bear. Corro and Jack had protected them during the battle and the kids seemed to take a certain liking to the acidic dripping dog. Lock, Shock, and Barrel were surprisingly quiet as Skellington lectured them. Hinata doubted they would be changing their mischievous antics any time soon, but she hoped the events would at least make them a little more cautious.
Skellington turned towards the group with a wistful sigh. "I know we agreed on not splitting up, but I don't feel right letting these three go back to town alone. Especially with those creatures down there."
"It's fine," Hinata assured him. "You shouldn't have had to worry about Thaanix in the first place."
"We'll take care of it." Riku added.
"I have full faith in your ability." Skellington told them, patting his bony hand on Axel's shoulder. "I will return the moment I am able!"
"Careful heading back down." Axel half smiled and waved as Skellington swooped the kids and Corro up in his arms.
"Certainly will!" Skellington called back to them as he disappeared down the twisty path with Jack floating in tow.
Axel blew out a breath once they were gone, leaning his head side to side to stretch his neck. "Ready for round two?"
Hinata looked between him and Riku, getting reassuring smiles from both of them. With a firm nod, she drew her gaze to the door. "I'm ready."
Together, the three of them walked forward. Hinata placed her hands on the doors and pushed them open. Darkness greeted them as they entered, with a black hazy smoke that plumed up to their knees. Riku stepped forward, inhaling deeply as he knelt down and placed his hands on the ground. All at once, the Darkness spread to the walls, clearing the floor completely to reveal the room. Vibrant hues covered the floor, masking the skulls and death traps littered about. The trio looked around trepidatiously as they walked further in, looking around for any sign of movement.
"Thaanix?" Hinata spoke up, turning in place. "We know you're in here."
An unearthly chittering sounded in response, making the group stop and look between each other.
"Was that… a bug?" Hinata asked with a hushed voice, noticing Axel squirm in disgust.
"Shh, do you hear that?" Riku asked with a whisper.
They quieted down, hearing broken sobs masked by the sound of clicking and chittering.
Was Thaanix… crying?
Hinata wanted to feel sympathetic, to let down her guard and try to reason with her, but instead, her grip tightened along the hilts of her blades. There was nothing Thaanix could say that could undo the damage she caused.
There was only one way to end this.
"I thought I told you to leave me the hell alone!" Thaanix cried out, making Hinata scowl.
"If you really wanted that, you wouldn't be destroying everything in your path." She bit in return, following the sound of the voice with the boys in tow. "This ends now."
"Maybe don't antagonize her, Hinata." Axel warned her with a hushed tone. "Loving the confidence though."
She didn't react verbally, but sent him a smirk over her shoulder before looking back forward.
Thaanix paused her crying, before it subtly melded into a laugh. "At least- we have one thing in common." She limped out of the shadows, blackened tears dried to her paled cheeks and a subtle smirk tugging at her lips.
Hinata's stomach rolled at the sight of her, unable to formulate a response.
"Yeah? And what's that?" Axel asked for her, slinging his chakram over his shoulder..
Putting her black stained hands out at her sides, Thaanix answered, "She's just as stubborn as I am."
The chittering they heard upon entering grew in volume as twelve golden eyes appeared in the Darkness blinking in unison. The eyes glowered at them, clicking as a black mass slithered out from the smoke and circled around Thaanix. Hinata gasped, stumbling back several steps at the sight of the creature with twelve golden eyes.
Four horns protruded from its maroon head, nearly covered with a matted black mane of fur. It's mouth wasn't fully formed, dripping droplets of Darkness as a long, warty blue tongue dragged out of its mouth with the same golden liquid that had excreted from Corro. Its underbelly glowed a shimmering golden color, with black strands of Darkness keeping it poorly contained. Four straggly legs with cracks along the skin helped it crawl around. Each step as it inched closer left golden residue behind.
"What the hell is that thing?" Axel asked, backing up with Hinata.
"A distraction," Riku held his ground with Soul Eater at the ready.
It hissed at Riku's words, pouncing forward and plunging right into Hinata before they had a moment to react. Hinata screamed at the impact, being thrown out of the room entirely and off the edge of the tree.
Riku cried out her name, but it was too late.
The wind whistled past her ears as the creature watched her fall from above, golden droplets of acid falling with her. A moment of panic settled in as her mind took a moment to realize what was happening. Shaking her head, she focused and hurled her dagger towards the tree. It scraped against the splintering trunk, but stuck inside. With a blue shimmering mist, Hinata warped to the blade, yelping when her weight caused the wood to splinter further, but her dagger remained firm.
She let out a breath, calming her screaming nerves as she looked around. She was nowhere near a path or branch large enough to hold her weight, and she couldn't see any signs of the others. Summoning her other dagger, she swung and stabbed it into the trunk of the tree a little higher up than where she was. It was going to be a long trek, but she could manually climb her way back up.
The howling from the creature rattled the tree, dripping the occasional golden acid that Hinata had to swing to avoid. She could hear the boys yelling and the clang of their weapons, but she didn't hear Thaanix. Her arms trembled from the strain of having to support her entire body, but she continued upwards, stabbing her daggers in succession, each one a little bit higher than the last.
A gentle growl broke through her focus, making her look over to see Riku's Guardian floating beside her. Despite seeing it once before, she shrieked at the sight of it, before realizing it was friendly. It stared at her with yellow glowing eyes as veins of blue pulsated through its black body. Hinata stared back at it, unsure what to do until it gripped her waist with both of its large hands.
"O-Oh, ok, this is happening." She stammered, reluctantly releasing her blades to allow it to carry her.
She settled into its arms more comfortably as it lifted back up to the top of the tree. Riku summoned a Dark Shield as the Guardian came back up, blocking a spit of acid from the creature as Axel held it off. He reached out his hand for Hinata, pulling her back to the walkway and helping her out of his Guardian's hands.
They shared a quick, relieved smile before he turned to run back into battle. Hinata looked to the Guardian and cleared her throat.
"Umm, thank you." She told it, smiling awkwardly before it disappeared. With a long breath, she turned to focus back on the battle.
The creature scurried all over the tree, making Riku and Axel use magic in order to reach it. Their attention was completely on it, having to leave Thaanix unattended in the manor. Hinata peeked inside, knowing deep down that she shouldn't try to face Thaanix alone, but as she scanned the room, she didn't see a trace of her.
"Oh come on," Hinata groaned as she stepped inside.
The dark fog billowed in the corners, spreading over the vibrant colors that covered the floor and walls. Hinata breathed in deeply, heat tingling in her fingertips before a flame sparked in her palm. The fog wisped away from the flickering fire as Hinata fully entered the manor.
"Come out, Thaanix." Hinata spoke into the Darkness. "You don't have anywhere else to run. Let's finish this."
Soft, broken sobs answered her. Hinata paused, her heart stuttering at the sound.
Those weren't Thaanix's tears.
"H-Hina…?" A small, familiar voice whimpered in the fog. "Hina, what's going on? I'm- I'm scared."
Hinata's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. She recognized the voice…
"Kairi?" She called out, running forward as the fog parted to reveal Kairi curled up in a ball on the floor.
Hinata slowed to a stop in front of her, kneeling down to her little sister. She wasn't the way Hinata remembered her from the island; instead she was small, frail, and still the six year old child she recalled from her dreams.
"H-How is this possible?" Hinata stammered, shaking her head. "You can't be here…"
"I-I'm scared, Hina…" Kairi sobbed, her face buried in her tiny hands. "The bad man's coming."
"Bad man…?" Hinata repeated under her breath before she heard footsteps approaching.
With a gasp, Hinata stood up and spun around with her daggers summoned at the ready to see Xehanort coming to a stop, his black keyblade at his side.
"Get away from her!" Hinata yelled.
"Hinata?" Riku's voice came from Xehanort's mouth, making Hinata blink rapidly as she shook her head.
The fog around her cleared, revealing Riku to be standing in Xehanort's place with Soul Eater in his grasp. Hinata's chest heaved as she looked over her shoulder, Kairi nowhere to be found.
"W-What's happening?" She asked, her voice shaking as Riku came in front of her and placed his hand firmly on her arm.
"Hinata, focus," Riku leaned his head forward to get in her line of vision. "What's wrong?"
"I-" She looked back at him, her heart lodged in her throat that she had seen him as her old master. "Something's wrong. Kairi was-"
"Heads up!" Axel called into the manor as he sprinted inside.
Hinata and Riku looked up just in time to see the creature crawling above them. They separated, jumping back as it pounced to the floor. It spun around, hissing at all three of them circled around it. Axel's chakrams spun in his hands, sparking with fire as he threw one after the other at the creature's back. It growled at the impact, but seemed unaffected as it slithered out of sight into the mist.
"A little help would be great!" Axel yelled at the others as he followed the creature into the fog.
Riku sent Hinata a worried glance. She nodded that she was fine before they both ran after Axel. Riku spread out his hands, forcing the Darkness to the walls to reveal the creature crawling across the ceiling. It hissed, spitting a glob of golden acid at him before losing its grip and falling into a colorful pit that seemed to resemble a wheel of sorts. Its legs kicked and squirmed helplessly as it was stuck on its back. The glow of its underbelly grew in intensity, pulsating and making Hinata's eyes widen.
She summoned her dagger, resituating it in her grasp before hurling it towards the glowing stomach. The monster yowled at the impact, golden acid glopping out from around the dagger's hilt.
"Oh that's disgusting," Hinata pulled back her hand, deciding against warping to her blade.
"Yeah, but at least now we know where to hit it." Axel pointed out, igniting his chakram and reeling back to throw it before he froze.
His eyes widened and his weapon fell from his grasp, clinking on the floor and disappearing completely.
"R-Roxas…?" He breathed out, his eyes focused on the fog billowing over the pit.
Hinata whipped her attention to him, following his gaze to see the fog.
"It's toying with us." she realized, glancing over to Riku who was running over.
"Whatever you're seeing isn't real." Riku grabbed Axel's arm, tugging him back and tearing his gaze from the fog. "Snap out of it."
Axel shook his head, struggling to take in a full breath of air as he came to terms with whatever he had just seen.
"Axel," Hinata came to his side as Riku jumped down into the pit to distract the creature as it figured out how to flip itself back to its feet. She placed her hand along his arm before he swatted her away.
"Y-Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He assured her, shaking his head again to refocus as he waved her off.
"I saw something, too." She told him. "Let's just keep our attention on the creature. Anything else we see isn't real, alright?"
Axel's brow furrowed as he glanced back to where he had seen Roxas before. Letting out a breath, he nodded reluctantly following Hinata as she ran back into the fight.
Hinata jumped down into the pit, careful to avoid the globs of golden acid that boiled through the floor. Riku was up ahead, attempting to get the creature back onto its back, but it had learned from its past mistake and was remaining close to the ground. A loud creak caught Hinata's attention, and as she spun around she saw Axel landing on a large rectangular button. It lowered into the floor of the vibrant wheel, and everything around them instantly lit up. Bright neon lights illuminated the edges of the wheel and every part of the room, cutting through the fog and making the creature hiss wildly as it rubbed its eyes into the floor.
"Hinata!" Riku called out, "Can you use your water to flip it over?"
"I think so!" She nodded, closing her eyes and focusing on the moisture around her, even though there admittedly wasn't much.
Just as her hands lifted in front of her, the walls trembled and creaked, before the entire pit began to spin. Hinata stumbled back with a gasp, her focus diverted as she kept herself from falling into a puddle of acid. The creature jumped to the wall, safe from the spinning floor as the others struggled to remain standing.
The room around them swirled and mixed together, making everything difficult to make out. Hinata shook her head, trying to keep her eyes focused on the golden glowing eyes that watched them spin. The dark fog seeped into the pit, shrouding the neon lights and filling the air with voices and illusions.
Hinata could hear Kairi crying, the call of her mother as she was whisked away, and the shrieks of Heartless that filled the halls of Kamino. Her eyes shut tight, her hands clasping over her ears.
"Stop it!" She cried out, hearing Axel's voice over the noise as he called out to Isa.
Riku, however, remained silent.
His grip wrapped around Hinata's wrists, pulling her hands away from her ears. She opened her eyes, looking into Riku's as he stood right in front of her.
"Focus on me." He told her with a low, calm voice. "Whatever you're hearing holds no power over you."
Hinata blinked, focusing on his amber eyes and tightened grip he had on her wrists.
"Trust me." He spoke again, making Hinata's heart jump. "We have to finish this."
She took in a deep breath, keeping her eyes on his and ignoring the cries happening around her. With a nod, she strained a smile, getting a small one in response. He released her and stepped back, keeping her eyes in his until she closed them and focused on her powers. Water formed at her fingertips before splashing against the wall. She continued summoning more and more water, until the entire wall was covered.
"You can do this." Riku told her, making her smile grow genuine as she felt the water cover the creature.
Clenching her hands, she surrounded the creature and threw it out of the pit, pummelling the remaining water into its chest to keep it there. Riku squeezed her hand before he jumped out of the pit that was slowing to a stop. Hinata stumbled forward, her head spinning as the floor stopped spinning. She grabbed onto the edge of the wall, making her way over to Axel, who was knelt on his knees, his hands clenched in his hair.
"Axel, I'm here, you're ok." She told him, falling to her knees beside him, unable to stand from the dizziness. "Remember, whatever you-"
"Yeah, I get it." He cut her off, taking in a deep breath and sitting back up straight. A sheer glaze of tears was over his eyes before he closed them and cleared his throat.
"Axel," she softly said his name.
"Come on," he stood up, flashing a smirk that Hinata knew was faked. "We can't let your knight in shining armor have all the fun."
He jumped out of the pit, leaving Hinata to climb out herself. The fog overhead, spiked upwards, leaving the pit entirely. Hinata's brows furrowed up at the sight, internally relieved that all of the illusions went with it. She climbed out of the pit, shivering at the harsh winds that greeted her once she was back up. The fog circled around the creature, melding inside of its skin as it spasmed and thrashed in the pool of its own acid. Soul Eater was impaled deep in its underbelly, along with Axel's chakram and Hinata's dagger that was still embedded in its skin.
Riku ran over, gripping Hinata's arm and helping her to her feet. He shielded the wind with his arm, their feet skidding back as a cyclone funneled the dark fog into the creature's body. Once the last ounce of Darkness disappeared, everything fell silent. The wind ceased, the illusions and voices gone. With one last screech, the monster collapsed in on itself and a thin sheet of Darkness shot out of its core in all directions.
Before any of them could react, the Darkness passed straight through them before dissipating completely. Hinata staggered back a step from the impact, her hand going over her heart with a grimace spreading across her lips. It left a sick sensation in her chest, one that throbbed before fading away and sinking to her gut.
She looked to the others, seeing them doing the same.
"Is- Is it over?" She asked hesitantly as a wave of exhaustion washed over her.
"With that thing at least." Riku assured her, his hand along her shoulder as he looked over. "Are you doing alright, Axel?"
Axel's eyes were focused on the pool of golden acid left behind by the creature. He glanced up when he heard his name, before looking away. "I'm fine." He muttered, turning around and leaving the manor.
"What was that Darkness it shot out at the end?" Hinata asked Riku, looking after Axel as he left. "And those nightmarish illusions in the fog?"
Riku sighed after Axel left the manor, he stepped forward, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. "I don't know…"
Hinata frowned, the sick feeling in her gut throbbing again. "You didn't seem affected by it."
He was silent for a moment, before admitting. "...I was."
"Oh," she realized. "You handled them really well."
"I've faced my fears." He told her with a low voice. "At least, I know how to deal with them when I'm confronted by it."
"That's… amazing." She smiled to herself, stepping towards him and grabbing his hand. "I hope to be like that someday."
He huffed out a breath of amusement, giving her hand a squeeze. "We should call DiZ about this. He'll probably have more of an idea what was going on than we will."
"Good call." She agreed, looking towards the entryway to the manor. "I want to go check on Axel."
"Go ahead," he told her, releasing her hand. "I'll take care of filling in DiZ."
"Thank you." She smiled up at him before she turned and left the manor completely.
The cool night air greeted her as she stepped outside and she stopped, taking in a deep breath. She looked over, seeing Axel sitting along the edge of a branch that overlooked the full moon and the town below. Pushing her hair back behind her ear, she was about to walk over to him before she heard a low laugh behind her. She spun around, blinking when there was no one there. Shaking her head, she looked back forward and went to the branch.
"Can I join you?" She asked softly, wearing a gentle smile when Axel glanced up at her.
"Um- yeah, sure." He muttered, his hands tightening along the branch. "Be my guest."
She sat down beside him, silently admiring the view of the town below. "It's weirdly beautiful here." She spoke up after a couple minutes.
Axel hummed in agreement, not saying anything in response.
Hinata sighed, looking over at him, before averting her attention back forward when he caught her stare. Sucking in a breath, she clasped her hands in her lap and attempted to break the ice. "Axel… I'm- I'm sorry for whatever happened during the battle. It couldn't have been easy to see Roxas."
She noticed him visibly tense at the mention of Roxas, immediately making her regret saying it.
"It shouldn't be bothering me." He confessed so quietly that Hinata had trouble hearing him.
"Of course it bothers you," she told him, "I don't know what you saw exactly, but mine brought up- a lot of things I thought I had gotten past. So I can only imagine that it was the same for you."
"Yeah…" He hesitantly replied, his eyes downcasting.
Hinata looked over at him, wishing she had the right words to say. Taking in a breath, she looked at the world below, seeing the masses of dark creatures Thaanix had created still piled together at the base of the tree.
"I'm here if you need someone to talk to." She told him, watching the creatures below. "I know that you aren't supposed to have emotions or problems, but even the memories of emotions can be powerful. I spent enough time with Namine to know that."
Axel scoffed, "And you think that just because it applies to her, it would apply to every Nobody?"
"Maybe not every one." She admitted with a shrug, looking back up at him and meeting his gaze. "But I know you well enough to know that whatever you saw is really affecting you."
He looked away, swallowing hard before he bit under his breath. "Knowing that didn't seem to stop anyone from taking and killing Roxas, now did it?"
Hinata gasped, darting her gaze up to him as he stood up. "Axel-"
"Save your breath," he cut her off, surrounding himself in a Dark Corridor and disappearing completely.
She frowned after he was gone, the sickening sensation in her heart throbbing more fiercely than before.
"If only something could have been done to save his heart in the first place." The deep bellowing voice of Xehanort made Hinata tense as goosebumps spread over her skin. "It was your fault he became a Nobody, was it not, Hinata?"
Her breath choked in her throat as she turned her head around, seeing no one there. She hastily stood up, looking around as her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
"Hinata," Riku softly said her name, making her jump. "Woah, woah, is everything alright?"
She spun around to face him, immediately rushing into his arms. He froze for a moment, before pulling her close.
"Something's wrong." She whispered into his chest. "I'm still-" Her voice trailed off as she swallowed hard. "I'm still hearing things."
Riku let out a breath, leaning his head against hers. "I was worried about that. DiZ is sending Velcia and Sam here. They're going to help figure out what's wrong."
She nodded, closing her eyes. "Ok…"
"Whatever you're seeing or hearing, it's not real, alright?" He reminded her.
"They're not wrong though…" She whispered, feeling Riku tighten his hold on her.
"Don't listen to it." He told her.
She was silent for a moment before asking, "Are you…. seeing things, too?"
Riku lifted his gaze, seeing Maleficent standing in the darkness, a wicked smirk across her lips.
He averted his gaze, closing his eyes, before muttering, "Yeah… Yeah, I am."
.
.
.
**Author's Note: Hello everyone! It's been such a long time since I posted anything for Hinata, but it's so wonderful to be back.
These past several months have been filled with writing, just not for the one thing that I really should have been focusing on. I've gone through a love/hate relationship with Hinata's story and there were a lot of moments I considered quitting and starting everything from scratch.
When I first started writing Hinata's journey over 5 years ago, I knew next to nothing about writing creatively. I had never written a full story before and my greatest writing endeavors had never been done outside of school assignments. As time went on and one chapter after another was done and posted, I began to grow. I began to learn. And I began to realize how much I truly adored writing.
Over these past 5 years, I've learned so much about writing, pacing, characterization, etc. and I've come to really despise the original stories I wrote for Hinata. For a long while I looked at them with disdain and shame. Sure, where the story is now is up with my current writing abilities, but readers have to get through nearly two-thousand pages before getting to this. So, for a long while, I've been considering cutting the story where it is now and starting everything from the ground up.
Delete the old stories, the history, and start over.
But, obviously, that's not what I'm doing. My husband and a few of my friends have and have continued to encourage me to keep going. Hinata's story isn't perfect. There are a lot of flaws in every book, this one included… but, that's not the point. No story is perfect, especially a first draft and especially a project that's progressed over years. Not only that, but quitting now would be unfair to myself and to every person that has been crazy enough to stick with this story for all these years. You guys have stuck with this story, flaws and all, and I owe it to you, and I owe it to myself to finish this.
After everything is said and done, then (and only then) I can plan and prepare a rewrite that's fresh from the beginning.
As it stands though, I'm going to continue with Hinata's story. I accept and I acknowledge the flaws and holes within the series. And in a way, I'm really proud of how far I've come, how far this story has come. Without this story, I never would have discovered my love and passion for writing. Hinata is very dear to my heart and her story deserves to be told.
To all the people that don't like her story, that is absolutely fine! Please don't feel like you have to like everything I do and every path I take Hinata's journey. You are allowed to unfollow and exit out of my fanfics. I don't know if you've noticed the X in the top right corner of the screen, it's very handy to get out of things you don't like!
I'm writing Hinata's story for myself. Anyone that would like to join me for that journey is welcomed to!
Anyway, I don't usually like to open up about that sort of thing, but I just felt compelled to at least once. I'm so excited to be back! We're going on a hiatus on the imagine blog soon, and I'm planning on using that time off to focus on finishing this story once and for all.
A huge HUGE thank you to everyone that's taken the time to read the chapter. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.
Stay safe!
-Curry***