A/N: a new chapter guys! A little head ups, there's some mentions of BNHA season 4, so if you don't want to get spoiled please don't read the story! There are many elements from KH3 and Hikari's stories (Little Adventures, New Beginnings and Forget Me Not, Yellow Roses as well), so if you guys have time, please read them to understand the chapter better!
AmericanNidiot: sadly you won't find out until the next chapter... but I hope you'll have fun reading this one!
SilverStar56: THANK YOUUU! Dadmight would totally go up against Xehanort just for his students! More of the Iida family coming soon! XD
MetalQueen: Thank you so much! Miyano is actually Riku's Japanese Voice Actor's name, Miyano Mamoru lololol. Ohohoho we'll find out soon who's the evil msterious 'wielder'! Wink wink
Ironman forever: thank you! And yes, Riku meeting All Might haha
Pabs117: thank you so much! Maybe not in this arc haha, perhaps in a few more?
JaffaArchfiend: lololol
Null-Drei-Acht: Yup! That's true! Don't worry Mina will drop a comment about Hikari's very handsome and dashing friend *wink wink*
SnowAssassin217: Oh! Definitely! They'll definitely have a spar soon lol and we'll see who the wielder is!
Gamelover41592: Thank you!
This chapter was also based on the BNHA school briefs! The light novel spin-off of the anime (specifically chapter 4)
(Sorry I had to delete the chap a few times, cuz there was a mistake haha, I accidentally mixed them up a few times... )
Chapter 20
Panic at Zoo Dreamland!
"Riku, I want you to meet Mr. Toshinori Yagi."
All Might smiled at the silver-haired teen. "It's nice to meet you, Young Miyano. Young Leonhart told me a lot of things about you." he offered his hand for the boy to take.
"All good things I hope." Miyano shook his hand and gave a smile in return.
Leonhart scoffed, slapping Miyano's arm with the back of her hand. "Don't embarrass me." she huffed out.
The pro hero chuckled at the interaction between the two keyblade wielders. From his eyes, they acted like siblings. Leonhart told him a little about her family and friends. She was the second child and her older brother was studying abroad in America. Her parents both knew of her status as a wielder. She also told him a little about Miyano. The boy was two years older than her. They were childhood friends and they both were present during the second Keyblade War. He was bothered by the fact that instead of pros, children fought for the war.
If there was a war—a war, he wondered why he never heard of it. Was there a lack of media coverage?
"When I'm in this form, you may call me Yagi Toshinori." The tall blond said, making the silver-haired teen confused.
"This form?" Miyano parroted, glancing over to look at Leonhart who grinned at him.
"Mr. Yagi is also the number one hero, All Might." Leonhart whispered before taking a step back. Miyano looked surprised, his eyes flickering back to All Might's skinny form. "After the assembly, it might be a bit weird if we take you to the main building again. Other than the teachers, no one actually knows about Mr. Yagi's true form. Principal Nezu would talk our ears out if he ever hears about this. And besides! Mr. Yagi's other form is a bit flashy, so he's bound to catch some attention." she explained, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
Miyano nodded slowly. "I see..." he said to his friend before turning to look back at the hero. "Then I promise not to talk about this to anyone."
All Might chuckled. "Thank you, Young Miyano. I'd appreciate that." he offered the two teens to sit down on the bench. Leonhart insisted for him and Miyano to sit on the bench while she sat on the fountain. "I heard the two of you have been training together?"
"That's true." Miyano confirmed. "We've been training together since we were little. Actually, I decided to drop by and visit to see if Hikari's doing alright." he turned to look at Leonhart who smiled at his answer.
All Might gave him a grim look. "I apologize, Young Miyano. As a teacher, I haven't been doing a very good job in protecting my students." he said sincerely, a gloomy presence around him.
"Don't sweat about it, Mr. Yagi! It's not your fault at all! We're kinda like a beacon for trouble anyway!" Leonhart gave him a thumbs up, trying to cheer him up. She winced when Miyano nudged her knee with his elbow. "Ow! What?" she rubbed her knee, giving him a stick eye.
Miyano turn to look at him again. "What Hikari meant is that being a wielder, is no easy job either. We choose this dangerous path, so please don't blame yourself for what happened." he corrected the brunette's words.
All Might smiled at him. "Worry not, Young Miyano, Young Leonhart. With the dorms being established, I will do my best to protect you and the other students." he said with reassurance and the two teens smiled at the sincerity. "That is right! How do you find the dorms, Young Leonhart?"
"They're awesome! I really like the common area, but..." Leonhart trailed off, exchanging looks with her friend. Her excitement disappeared and a troubled look replaced her expression. Her eyebrows were knitted together—she looked as if she was hesitating to give her answer.
The pro hero tilted his head. "But?"
"We decided not to let her stay in the dorms."
"What?" All Might's eyes widened. Leonhart's case was one of the reasons that pushed U.A. to make the decision to turn the school into a boarding school. They said with recent villain activities, it would be safer for the students to live near the teachers where they could monitor and protect them. He decided to ask about the boy's decision before convincing him to change his mind. "...May I ask what is your reason?"
Miyano sighed softly. "We know the chances of villains attacking her in U.A. would be very low if she lives within the school grounds—"
"I don't want to bring any danger to anyone." Leonhart finished. It was one of the reasons why she agreed with Miyano's decision. She didn't want the villains who are after her to use her friends as their scapegoat. U.A.'s security was one of the best—the top-notch security money can buy, but she wasn't sure if it was Heartless-proof.
"Young Leonhart—"
All Might knew she used the keyblade to protect her team against the dark beings while knowing the risk of being found out. He thought it was very brave of her to do it, but nevertheless she is still his student. He balled his hands into fists, lowering his head a little.
"I'm sure Mr. Aizawa and the others are now aware that I'm a wielder." Leonhart said, stopping All Might's trail of thoughts. She looked at her hand, a serious look across her eyes. "It's because of the things that happened in Gunkanjima. Those Heartless... I won't let them hurt anyone else." she said in pure determination, her expression reflecting her words.
All Might abruptly stood up, surprising the two teens. Without another word, he buffed up, turning into his muscle form in a blink of an eye. The oversized suit from before seem to fit the man much better. He seemed bigger with how he stood in front of them. His back was facing them, but they both knew he was serious.
"I cannot let you children handle this matter alone." All Might said, turning around to face them. He made a promise to Leonhart that he would help in any way he can concerning the matter about wielders. He leaned down to face the two of them, his signature smile on his lips. "Worry not, we'll handle this together." he placed his hands reassuringly on their shoulder.
"First things first, young lady," The pro hero turned to look at the brunette. Said girl turn to look at him and jumped off from where she sat. She took a few steps closer to the man. "You need not to worry about any villains approaching the school. UA will make sure to tighten their security and prioritize the safety of their students as number one. I do not want to force this on you, but the dorm has been made mandatory for your own safety."
Leonhart couldn't help but nod at his words. "...okay."
All Might turn to look at her friend who also stood up. "As for you, young man..."
"It's alright." Miyano politely declined. He didn't need to hear what All Might has to say, but he already knew the content. Unlike Leonhart whose identity as a wielder might be exposed to the villains, Miyano was still safe. Nobody besides him knew about the young man's status as a keyblade wielder. All Might was going to offer him a place in UA, where the pro heroes can give him the same amount of protection he deserved. "I'll be returning back to our Master in a few days, so there's no need to worry about me."
"I see... but please, don't be afraid to tell me anything."
"Will do. It was nice meeting you, sir."
"Likewise, Young Miyano."
Leonhart gave a two-finger salute. "I'll see you on Monday, Mr. All Might! Thank you for your time!"
"Take care, young ones!"
Once the two teens were out of view, the brunette whispered, "I feel bad for lying... but you're not really going back, right?" she asked, glancing at the young man with a smirk.
The silver-haired teen returned the smirk with his own. "Of course not."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Sunday, 10:52 AM
"You're... early..."
Hikari laughed. "I'm actually pretty punctual if it's above 8 AM. I'm not fully awake before that." Of course, she was often late for school, but she tries not to make anyone wait long when it comes to hang-outs. The meeting time they decided was 11 AM right in front of Zoo Dreamland's ticket counter. They were both ten minutes earlier than the scheduled time. "Huh... There's actually not a lot of people today." she hummed as she looked around.
"Indeed. Perhaps it's because we are a few weeks away from final exams." Tokoyami pointed out, his arms crossed over his chest.
The brunette let out a loud dramatic gasp. "No way! I totally forgot we have finals!" she shrieked. She wasn't actually worried about midterms since she studied the subject way before—but the only subject she was worried about was probably about math. "Oh man... it feels just like yesterday we finished midterms!" she groaned, slumping her shoulders.
"That's true." Tokoyami couldn't help but agree. "Not to mention we have to move our quarters to UA by next week. There are many things that needs to be done." he said.
Hikari hummed in reply.
"Calm yourself, Leonhart. We still have time to study and prepare for the finals." Tokoyami said.
Hikari sighed before straightening her posture. "You're right! No gloomy thoughts! Today's the day we have fun!" she pumped her fist up into the air, cheering.
"That's the spirit!"
The two students turned around to see Hawks waltzing towards them in style. Rather than his usual hero attire, he wore something more fashionable to follow the current fashion trends. Hikari noted that some of the stuff he wore were branded—though she expected Hawks was the type of person who has a lot of money from his profession.
'So eye-catching and flashy!' Hikari noticed people were beginning to stare at their group. She checked the time on her phone and couldn't help but whistle at the precision. "Wow! Talk about being on the dot!" she showed the screen to Hawks who slid his sunglasses up to the top of his head.
"What can I say? Time is valuable." Hawks grinned as he took a few tickets out from his pocket. He waved it around before giving Tokoyami and Hikari each of the pass. He had thought about taking the two kids to just dinner, but he thought they deserved something a little more fun after what they've been through. "What are we waiting for? Let's have some fun~" he said in a sing-song voice, walking in front of the two.
Both Tokoyami and Hikari exchanged looks.
"Well, you heard the man, Tokoyami. Let's have some fun!" Hikari said with a smile.
To be truthfully honest, she hasn't visited Disney Town in a while. She had missed their last Dream Festival, though she was hoping to catch this year's festival. She found out there were a ton of festivals going around in the City of Heroes. There were many festivities around the worlds she has visited. If she could, she would visit all festivals to enjoy the feeling and atmosphere of each individual worlds. To her, they were all unique and memorable.
Hikari took the map from the guide post. "Which ride do you want to go first?" she opened the map and showed it to Tokoyami. Hawks had gone somewhere first and told them to wait for him under the same lamp post. "The Wild Wild Roller Coaster seems interesting! Can you handle Roller Coasters?" she asked the boy.
"I'm fine with it as long as we taste the apple pie." Tokoyami answered. "I have never been to an amusement park, so I will leave it all to you and Hawks."
"GASP! You never been to an amusement park?!" Hikari let out another dramatic gasp. She realized the main reason for Tokoyami to come along was to eat their limited-time apple pies. "Then let's get the pies first before they sell out! After that we'll hit the rides!"
"First things first!" From behind, someone came up to them and placed something on top of their head. They both reached their hand up to touch the headband with animal ears. Hawks was wearing a similar one to them, a pair of fuzzy bunny ears. Hikari got the big round mouse ears while Tokoyami got the monkey ears. "Alright! Now we're ready to go!" the pro hero off duty said.
"Hawks, are these accessories really necessary?" Tokoyami asked, fiddling with the ears. It was his first time visiting a theme park and he had to question the purpose of the headbands.
"Why not? We're at the theme park, so we have to buy something cute to remember the fun times." Hawks answered, walking beside his two interns. The bird boy seemed to accept the answer and left the headband where it is.
"And take lots of photos of course!" Hikari beamed happily, pulling out her Gummiphone. Being able to hang out with Tokoyami and Hawks was a rare moment, plus with the sight of Tokoyami wearing a theme park accessory was a bonus. She held the phone away from her, giving a peace sign for a selfie. "Say cheese~!" she smiled.
Hawks quickly pulled Tokoyami in to fit the frame.
Click click click
"Hey, send me those, kay?" Hawks said as he looked at the photos.
Hikari gave an 'ok' sign. "Of course!"
Tokoyami gave a deadpan look. "You seem to be having fun."
"Loosen up a little, Tokoyami." Hawks laughed, hooking his arm around the bird boy's elbow. "Let's make your first visit to the amusement park memorable."
Hawks dragged Tokoyami towards the Forest Sweets. Hikari followed closely from behind, glancing left and right to admire the forest-themed park. The blond man who looked like he had walked the route before, led them straight to the apple-themed shop. The building's structure resembled and painted like that of an apple. It didn't take long for them to find themselves a table with pies and drinks in hand.
"Mm. Good."
"Well, well, I can see you two becoming a food blogger." Hawks joked as he took another bite. Hikari stopped for a brief moment to give him a sheepish grin. While Hawks himself and Tokoyami dig in the moment they sat down, she was in the middle of taking a photo of the pie.
"My brother really likes to cook. I wanna send it to him!" Hikari said, finally putting away her phone to start eating. After a few cooking sessions with the little chef, Sora also took an interest in gourmet cooking. She admitted that her big brother is now better than her in cooking. "It's really good!" she sighed happily, eating the treat with a smile.
"It's Hawks! It really is Hawks!"
"Are they his interns?"
Hawks waved his hand to the direction of his fans.
The brunette could hear whispers in the background—about the pro hero, Hawks. They were his fans she noted, but they didn't come up to their table to ask questions or autographs. When he's off duty and out of his hero suit, his fans seem to respect his space.
"So, what do you kids want to ride?" Hawks asked, taking a look at the map.
"Roller Coasters!" Hikari suggested excitedly.
Tokoyami gave a shrug. "I'm fine with whatever."
"Let's start with something a little slow. How about Oasis Teatime?"
The three of them made their way to their first choice of ride. There was a giant teapot at the center while many giant teacups were scattered around it. The three decided to fit into one teacup. The other riders were parents with small children. They seem to be the only youth to ride the attraction.
"What does this handle do?" Tokoyami asked, looking at the circular grip on the center of their cup.
"The faster you spin this, the faster our teacup will spin." Hawks explained, resting his arms over the teacup. He sat in a relaxed pose, waiting for the ride to begin. It has been awhile since he visited an amusement park and just play games and have fun. He couldn't remember the last time he took a day off. "Go as fast as you can, kids!"
"My brother and I used to sit in different cups and see who can spin it faster!" Hikari grinned from ear to ear, recalling the memories. She placed her hand on the grip to prepare to spin the cup when they hear the buzzer.
Tokoyami placed his hands on the grip as well. "Very well."
There was a buzzer and the attraction began to spin ever so slowly. Suddenly, the teacup Hawks, Tokoyami and Hikari were in began to pick up speed. Hawks couldn't help but be surprised when their cup spun faster than normal.
"You kids, serious?" Hawks asked, staring at the two teens who were spinning the central handle with all the strength they have.
"The goal of this ride is to spin the teacup, right? I would say we're winning!" Tokoyami said over the cheesy carnival background music.
Hikari couldn't help but laugh. "Not exactly the point, but spin faster!"
And they did.
Until Hawks told them to take it easy.
"That was fun!" Hikari was pretty satisfied with the first ride. Both Hawks and Tokoyami seem to already be worn out from the tornado teacup of doom. She realized that they might have spun a little faster than normal. She didn't feel sick since she used a lot of Flow Motion to move around. "Do you guys want to ride something slow?" she offered, pointing to the merry-go-round.
"How about we go for the Wild Wild Roller Coaster next?" Hawks said straightly to the point, pointing his finger to where the faint screams of terror are coming from.
Tokoyami gave a nod.
They spend the rest of the afternoon riding the attractions. The bird boy enjoyed the Roller Coaster and the rest of the attractions Hawks and Hikari chose.
Hikari was happy when her friend enjoyed his first time at an amusement park. Tokoyami's experience reminded her when she brought Roxas and Xion to Disney Town for the first time. Though, Tokoyami didn't show his excitement so openly like her two friends—she could tell he was having a good time.
"Um... excuse me?"
The brunette looked down. At her feet stood a little girl wearing a headband with giraffe horns and ears.
"Hey there," Hikari crouched down to the little girl's eye level. She noted she wasn't with a parent or guardian. "Are you lost? What's your name? I'm Hikari." she asked.
The little girl puffed out her cheeks. "I'm Yuka and I'm not lost! Big girls in kindergarten don't get lost!" she huffed out with a pout. "I just dunno where I'm s'posed to meet my mommy!"
"Right. You are literally a lost child." Tokoyami stood beside Hikari, sighing through his beak as the child continue to deny the fact, she is indeed a lost child.
The little girl seemed to hide beside Hikari, trying to cover herself from Tokoyami's view.
"What's the matter? This is my friend, Tokoyami! I know he looks big, but he's really nice!" The brunette introduced to the little girl who seemed to be frightened by Tokoyami's presence.
"B—Birds are scary... One time one ate my bread and bit me." Yuka explained in a quiet voice.
Hikari hummed, placing her hand on her chin. "That doesn't sound like the Tokoyami I know... Tokoyami just looks like that because of his quirk. He's actually pretty strong and brave. He's a future hero, you know?" she explained and Tokoyami felt a little embarrassed at the compliment. The little girl's brown eyes seemed to brightened at the word hero. "Is Hawks still in the toilet?" she asked to her friend.
Tokoyami shook his head. "He said he wanted to buy coffee after visiting the restroom. Let's take the child to the lost child center."
"But I'm not a lost child!" Yuka argued, stomping her foot on the ground.
"You indeed are—"
Hikari stopped Tokoyami from continuing his sentence. "Do you remember where you're supposed to meet your mom in case you get lost, Yuka?" she hated to admit it, but she was almost the same as Little Yuka when she was younger. She got lost at the big supermarket and didn't want to admit that she got lost. She remembered her mother telling her the story; the brunette was saying that her own mother was the one who was lost and not her.
"In front of the apple!" Yuka shouted, making a big circle with her tiny arms.
Tokoyami hummed. "The Forest Sweets?"
"Well, that was the only big apple around here..." Hikari stood up from her crouching position and offered her hand for the little girl to take. "C'mon, Yuka! Let's go to the big apple and find your mom!"
"I shall wait here and inform Hawks." Tokoyami said.
"No need! We'll go there together." Hawks appeared out of nowhere. He gave a boyish smile at the little girl who seem to recognized who he is.
"You're that guy from TV!" Yuka pointed her finger at the pro hero. "The big guardian angel!"
Hikari snorted in laughter and Hawks shot her a pout. The little girl seemed to find more interest in holding the pro hero's hand and he didn't mind to guide her back to the Forest Sweet. Tokoyami was better at hiding his amusement than Hikari. The brunette was too busy sniggering to herself when Yuka kept on calling Hawks names, but neither of them seem to even come close to his name.
They arrived at the apple-shaped building and, sure enough, found an anxious mother waiting.
Yuka ran to her mother. "Mommy!"
"Oh, Yuka! Where were you? Mommy was worried half to death..." the mother embraced her child with a big warm hug. Hawks and his two interns walked at a slower pace to the mother-daughter. The mother immediately recognized the pro hero and showered the team with apologies and appreciation after she heard the brief explanation. "I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble!" she bowed her head numerous times, apologizing.
Hawks laughed. "We only did what was right, ma'am. There's no need to thank us!" he crouched down to look at the little girl. "It was nice meeting you, Yuka. Don't get lost again, okay?"
Yuka nodded her head happily. "Okay!"
"Say thank you to the nice young heroes, Yuka."
"Thank you, big sis, Mister bird!"
Hikari grinned. "You're welcome, Yuka! Like Hawks said, don't go off on your own without telling your mom, okay?" the little girl gave a nod. The group waved goodbye and started to walk off, but Yuka chased after them.
"Oh! Mister Bird!"
Tokoyami looked down. "What is it?" he asked, turning around.
"Um... Sorry for getting scared of you... You're way bigger than that other bird, so I thought you were gonna eat me up with that big beak!" Yuka apologized, fidgeting with her dress nervously.
The bird boy chuckled at the timid girl. "You've no cause to worry about that, because my favorite food is apples."
At Tokoyami's smile, the girl's cheeks blushed, red and round. The little girl waved her hand goodbye at them one last time before skipping happily to her mother. The bird boy turned around to meet with Hawks' and Hikari's teasing looks. He gave them a deadpan look, wondering what they were smiling about.
"Looks like the little crow has found his first fan." Hawks wrapped his arm around Tokoyami's shoulder as Hikari walked beside them.
"You should smile more often then, Tokoyami!" Hikari poked Tokoyami's cheek, the spot right beside his beak.
"I do not understand..." Tokoyami doesn't really get why they were teasing him.
Hikari smiled. The amusement park does bring back old memories. Yuka running off on her own and getting lost reminded her of when she was younger. The amusement park itself reminded her of the time when Ventus took her to Disney Town.
"You seem to have something you want to say, Leonhart." Tokoyami said, noticing how his friend was smiling.
"Nah, just walking down memory lane." Hikari admitted.
Hawks hummed. "You've been here before?"
"Not really..." the brunette debated whether or not to tell. "Hmm, maybe I'll tell ya guys next time!" she pressed her finger on her lips, facing them with a smile.
"Aw c'mon, now I'm curious." Hawks prodded for a backstory, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as well.
"Nope!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"You guys... serious?" Hikari stared at the attraction in front of them. They could visibly see her left eye twitching in irritation.
Hawks laughed, casually walking towards the attraction. "Don't worry! This is meant for kids, so it's not scary at all! It's not like this was based from a haunted hospital anyway." he stopped right at the entrance, looking over his shoulder to pass a teasing look. "Unless, of course, you want to go through a real one?"
"No thanks!" Hikari crossed her arms, making an X right in front of her face. The pro hero laughed at her respond. She still gave him an irritated look even after he went inside. She averted her gaze to look at her shorter friend. "After you?" she said with a nervous smile.
"Leonhart, this attraction is meant for children. There is no reason for you to be afraid." Tokoyami gave her an 'are you serious' look. She laughed nervously at his reply. He crossed his arms and sighed to himself. "Though perhaps, I'm the one in need of reassurance."
Hikari raised an eyebrow, "How so?"
"If I activated my Quirk in a place where the sun nor light cannot reach, Dark Shadow would be rather difficult to control." The bird boy explained as they walked towards the entrance of the attraction. Though it was the effect of Trigger, the boy was ridden by guilt when he remembered he attacked Hikari when she tried to help him.
"I doubt someone who likes places like this would ever activate their quirk out of surprise..." The keyblade wielder joked, giving a pat to his shoulder. She knew this was just an attraction for children. The animatronics in the haunted house was nothing compared to the much scarier foes in the Underworld and the beings of Darkness combined. She just doesn't like the idea of mazes. "But if you ever do, I'll be sure to guide ya back." she reassured.
Tokoyami couldn't help but feel his cheeks warming up at Hikari's kind words.
Hawks cleared his throat, an amused look across his face. "If you two are done flirting—"
"Flirting?"
"—let's get going."
The trio entered the maze with Hawks leading the way.
"Man! It's darker than I expected! You guys sure this is for kids?!" Hikari whimpered, complaining left and right. It was indeed darker than a normal haunted house meant for children. Usually, the kiddie haunted house at Destiny Islands gave children light-sticks and lanterns to guide them. It wasn't scary at all. This one on the other hand, she has a feeling something bad was going to happen.
"Geez, Hikari, chill." Hawks said with a carefree smile—though the teens couldn't see it. He used her hero name instead since she was jumpy when they heard something shuffling about. "You're training to be a hero! Think of this as a test of courage you need to pass."
"Hawks is right." Tokoyami nodded his head in agreement, siding with Hawks.
The brunette gave an exasperated sigh.
The dim lights suddenly brightened, making the three look up to the ceiling. The lights only continue to grow brighter before they all simultaneously turned off, blowing a fuse. The trio were left in complete darkness, along with all the other families inside the maze. They could all hear the panicked screams coming from around them.
"...That's not normal." Hikari commented as she raised her hand. She casted some magic and her hand glowed, shining some light inside the narrow paths. There was a sound of something breaking—followed by a series of screams. "Now, that's not normal!" she furrowed her eyebrows.
The pro hero immediately took action. He cupped his mouth, shouting into the room, "This is pro hero Hawks! Everyone please stay calm and stay where you are!" there were cheers coming from different directions; relieved there was a pro hero around. He turned back to look at his two interns. When he did, his eyes widened. He quickly sent a flock of his feathers to hit the Kappa jumping out from the darkness. "Damn!"
"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami shouted and the shadow came out, smacking the animatronic against the floor.
"Shaaah!" the familiar shrill roar pierced through the dim space. It tore into the kappa, destroying the puppet in an instant.
Hikari immediately turned around to look at their attacker. It was one of the animatronics inside the haunted house—the Kappa they passed by three minutes ago.
"More... Need more prey!" Dark Shadow swelled up, feeding itself on the surrounding darkness and sweeping left and right. Hawks quickly pushed Hikari behind him, altogether reaching out to Tokoyami who began to distance himself to avoid hurting his friends. "More!"
"Stop that, Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami ordered, but it ignored his command.
"Hikari!"
"Yeah!" The keyblade wielder casted some light magic to illuminate the dark hallways.
"Gyahh!" Basked in Hikari's light, Dark Shadow shrunk back into its host.
"You alright, Tsukuyomi?" Hawks asked as he helped the bird boy up.
"Yes..."
"Puppet monsters, huh?" Hikari glanced to look at the broken puppet. She was honestly afraid it was one of the works of a Heartless possessing a toy. With the appearance of Heartless at Gunkanjima, she expected more Heartless to appear every now and then. She had hoped the Heartless didn't spread out from the island, but she has to be prepared for the worst.
"Are you familiar with the enemy, Hikari?" Tokoyami asked, switched to their alias instead.
The brunette shook her head. Although it may seem like the Heartless' doing, it doesn't seem like it at all.
"—uka! Yuka!"
"Yuka? That sounded like Yuka's mother?" Hikari turned around to look at the pitch-black hallway that wasn't reached by her light. A second passed and there was a frantic looking mother running towards them. It was indeed Yuka's mother—with Yuka missing yet again. "Yuka's mom? Where's Yuka?" she approached the mother, offering her hand for the mother to take.
"We were walking together and when the lights suddenly turned off, Yuka was gone!" The worried mother explained, holding onto Hikari to keep herself steady.
"She's here," objected the pacified Dark Shadow. Even with its small size due to Hikari's bright light, the sentient being peeked out from behind Tokoyami to inform the mother. "She's scared. Hiding in the dark..." it said.
"Do you know where she is?" Hikari asked.
"Not far."
Hawks glanced over to look at the other direction. "There are others who can't get out of the maze in this state." he stated and the two of his interns gave a nod. He turned to look at the mother as well. "The internships are over... but I, pro hero Hawks, give you the permission to use your quirk to fight if necessary."
"Hikari, use your quirk to summon several animals." Hawks ordered and the girl did as she was told; summoning a few Spirits. He noted the Spirits weren't like the ones she summoned at Gunkanjima. The Spirits were nocturnal, though two of them seemed to be a dog and a cat type. "They'll be the ones who will guide the people I found out of the maze. Think you can order them to do that?" he asked.
Hikari looked over to her Spirits; Wonder Meow, Komory Bat, Necho Cat and Peepsta Hoo. "Well, guys, you heard what he said." she smiled at them and they all chirped, moving closer to Hawks' side. "We'll be the ones who'll look for Yuka, right?" she grinned.
The pro hero nodded, "Ma'am, it's dangerous to follow," he glanced over to look at Hikari who mouthed one of her Spirits' name to him. "Necho Cat will guide you out of the maze." he said and the purple cat chirped, bouncing happily over to the frantic mother.
"But my daughter—!" Between fight or flight, the mother stared at the dark hallways.
Hawks smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, ma'am. We'll find your daughter."
"We'll find Yuka! We promise!"
The mother finally agreed, "Thank you." she thanked before Necho Cat guided her out of the maze.
"Alright," Hawks took a deep breath. He turned to look at his two interns, giving them a feather each. "My feathers would be able to sense your location, should there be something amiss. Though I suggest you to get out as soon as you find Yuka."
"Affirmative." Tokoyami nodded.
"Let's move!"
Hawks along with Hikari's Spirits went towards the other direction, disappearing into the dark.
Hikari and Tokoyami also began to move, following Dark Shadow's instructions.
"This way," the familiar said, floating towards a prop well in the corner. On the floor, right in front of the well, there was a headband with giraffe ears.
"Wasn't Yuka wearing that?" Hikari asked. She shone some more light into the corner, but Yuka wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"She's in the well."
Both Hikari and Tokoyami peered inside, but they didn't find a little girl.
"She's not there..."
Tokoyami paused to think. "Maybe her quirk manifested?" his red eyes glanced to look at Hikari who gave him a confused look, silently asking him to explain. "Maybe she can meld with the dark and control objects in that same darkness. It would explain her disappearance, the destruction in here, everything." he explained.
"Perhaps..." Hikari mumbled. She knew quirks manifested when kids reached the age of four at least. She didn't experience any of it, so she wouldn't know how it must've felt the first moment a quirk was activated. "Yuka! It's alright! You can come out now." she said into the empty well.
"She's panicking, probably." Tokoyami said, peering inside the well's inky blackness. "Calm yourself. Pacify your soul and become aware of your own consciousness. Then emerge from the darkness." he instructed.
Hikari gave him a weird look. "Dude! You're talking to a kid. Try something simpler!" she whispered as Dark Shadow gave a nod of his own.
The bird boy paused to think for a moment. He reached his hand out into the well. "Yuka, take my hand."
A faded ghostly hand appeared out of the shallow bottom and touched the surrounding surface before finding Tokoyami's hand. He closed his fingers around her tiny hand and slowly pulled her out. Dark Shadow and Hikari helped the girl out of the well when she popped out of the inky blackness.
"Mister bird..."
Tokoyami placed his hand on her head. "You'll be alright."
"Let's get you back to your mom, okay?" Hikari grinned, crouching down beside the girl. Yuka shook her head, whimpering. "Why not?"
"Mommy got so scared... I got scared too... I hate the dark when I'm all alone!"
Hikari opened her mouth to comfort the little girl, but Tokoyami stopped her.
"The darkness of this place revealed your true nature. That is neither something to fear, not to feel ashamed about." Tokoyami tried to comfort, but ended up confusing the little girl. The brunette beside him gave him another look and he sighed. "What I mean to say is..."
Dark Shadow crept around from behind him, smiling happily. "The dark is your friend!"
Yuka shrieked at the sudden movement. "Who's... that?"
"This guy happens to be my quirk."
Yuka flinched at the sight of the shadowy bird but then slowly reached her hand out to pet its head. Maybe without Hikari's light, Dark Shadow would appear more menacing since it would rampage around, but with the light shining on it, he was as harmless as a little puppy.
"You're not scared of Dark Shadow, Yuka?" Hikari asked, watching the interaction with a smile.
Yuka smiled happily as Dark Shadow leaned into her petting. "Not if it's Mister Bird's friend! Mister Bird is really nice!"
Tokoyami smiled in return. "I'm glad to hear it."
"Let's get going then." Hikari stood up.
Squeak creak
The brunette turned her head sharply when she heard something moving in the shadows. Dark Shadow seemed to also noticed another presence.
"What is it?" Tokoyami asked as Yuka moved closer to him, startled by the creeping sound. He knew the thing that crept closer wasn't a friend but rather a foe instead. Hikari stood in front of him and Yuka, to guard the both of them from any incoming attack. She moved her hand, pointing it at the direction of the foe. They could see a shape and as quickly as they spotted the thing, it lunged forward. "Dark Shadow—"
In a blink of an eye, Hikari summoned her keyblade into hand, smacking the animatronic to the wall. It short circuited before completely shutting down.
'Not a Heartless...' Hikari had thought the animatronics were possessed by the Marionette Heartless, but no, someone else was possessing them. She lowered herself into her signature fighting stance, preparing for a fight with whoever lurks in the shadows. "I don't think this has something to do with Yuka's quirk controlling objects in the darkness." she said, narrowing her eyes when she heard light footsteps.
Finally, another thing came out.
Hikari dashed forward, swinging her keyblade at the small creature. It jumped back and she continued to pursue it.
"H—Hikari!"
The brunette quickly stopped and retreated back to her friend. She couldn't leave Tokoyami alone. If he reattracted Dark Shadow then he has no defense against whatever was in front of them, if he doesn't then there was a chance Dark Shadow might go berserk. Chasing an enemy they're not familiar with was foolish as well.
The creature walked back towards them, standing a few feet away. "You're not going to chase me?" it asked.
"I ain't dumb. You're just trying to separate us." Hikari scoffed, glaring at the tiny creature with the plague mask.
It laughed. "Smart girl!"
Hikari narrowed her eyes. "You have three seconds, so start talking!"
"You're a descendant from the Age of Fairytales, correct?" The creature asked, wasting no time at all to get to the point.
The keyblade wielder's eyes widened. "The... Age of Fairytales? Descendant?" she parroted, sounding confused. She knew from that exact sentence—the creature was with the organization related to the villains in Gunkanjima. "Sorry to break it to you, but I ain't some ancient fairy from a story book." her grip on the handle tightened.
The creature suddenly snapped. "Don't act stupid with me, girl!" it shouted angrily, pointing its skinny finger at her. She instinctively stood in defense right in front of Tokoyami and Yuka who was startled by the voice. "I know who you are! So you better listen carefully if you don't want your friends here to be killed!" it made cutting motions across its neck with its' thumb, threatening them.
"Bold of you to say that!" The wielder shouted as equally angry as the creature. "As if I let you little punk hurt my friends!"
"Just you wait—!"
The creature suddenly disappeared.
"It's gone." Dark Shadow said.
The brunette sighed heavily, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. She summoned her keyblade away and turned around to face Tokoyami and the little girl in his arms. She gave Yuka an apologetic look. "Sorry... I must've scared you." she said softly.
Yuka turned to look at her, shaking her head left and right. "I think Big Sis is pretty cool! You protected us from that thing and—and you yell at it and it disappeared!" her brown eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement. "Heroes are so cool!"
Hikari laughed. "But Yuka was really awesome too! You were really brave waiting for us." she bended down to pick up the headband with giraffe ears. She placed the headband back on Yuka's head who giggled at the gesture. "Now let's get you back to your mom."
"Hawks?" Tokoyami said when he saw the red feathers.
The pro hero sighed when he spotted them. "Are you guys okay? I see you already found Yuka!" he smiled at the little girl in Tokoyami's arms. Just as he finished finding the last family in the maze, he sensed something was wrong with his interns. He came rushing to find them when his feather felt the change of vibration in the air. "Good job, gang! Mission complete!" he grinned, patting the children's head.
The four of them exited the haunted house. The police along with local heroes were already there. Everything was briefly explained by Hawks and after that, the situation gradually calmed down. Though that doesn't stop the heroes and the security to close the park for the time being.
"I don't know what to say... This makes it twice now you have rescued my little Yuka." the mother wanted a proper way to thank the three heroes.
"It's alright, ma'am. That's what heroes do." Hawks smiled, reassuring the mother. He walked behind his two interns, placing his arms over their shoulders. "But the real heroes are them."
The grateful mother bowed her head at the two teens. "These wonderful people are your future heroes, Yuka." she smiled, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders.
"Thanks again, Big Sis, Mister Bird!" Yuka smiled widely at them both. Hikari responded with a grin of her own as Tokoyami gave a nod. The little girl walked closer to Tokoyami, staring at her shoes as she was too shy to look at him. "Um... I, uh..." she fumbled with her words, fidgeting with her dress.
Tokoyami stared down. "What's the matter?"
Yuka took a deep breath and stared up at the bird boy awkwardly, her cheeks red. "You're a Prince Charming, Mister Bird! I love you!" she declared cutely.
Tokoyami's lower beak dropped, Yuka's mother said 'Oh my' with an amused smile across her lips and Hikari was left speechless. Hawks on the other hand whistled, grinning from ear to ear.
"Is that how you feel, Yuka?" Hawks asked the little girl who nodded at his question. Hikari quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from bursting out in laughter. He jabbed her side with his elbow, making her retreat back. His hand was placed around Tokoyami's shoulders—who was too shocked for words. "It's a bit too early for romance. Perhaps when you're all grown-up you can ask again, but you'll first need permission from your parents to date." he patted Tokoyami's shoulder, chuckling at the little girl's innocent declaration.
"Okay! I'm gonna remember all that. Bye-bye, Mister Bird!"
At Yuka's sparkling smile, Tokoyami's face gave every indication that he was blushing.
"The future is surely shrouded in darkness."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
By the end of the day, Hawks took them out for ice cream.
"Sorry," Hikari suddenly apologized out of the blue. They were waiting for Hawks to return with the ice cream they ordered earlier.
Tokoyami turned to look at her. "Why are you apologizing for?"
The brunette frowned. "It was supposed to be a memorable day for you and it ended up with a villain attack. All because that stupid villain confusing me with someone ancient." she ran her fingers through her hair, sighing in frustration. "I'm sorry, Tokoyami... I promise the next time we go to an amusement park, no more villain attacks!"
The bird boy shook his head. "Don't think about it too hard, Leonhart. It wasn't your fault. I enjoyed the day we've spent together." he admitted, the lower part of his beak quirking up to a smile. "I don't mind going to the amusement park again, given the chance."
Hikari smiled. "Yeah!"
"Cheers to that!" Hawks came back with cones of ice cream—each in the flavor of his intern's favorite. "I couldn't remember the last time I had fun, so thanks for today!" he raised his cone, carefully toasting it with his interns.
Despite having majestic wings that could take him anywhere, Hawks drove a car he borrowed from Present Mic to Zoo Dreamland, so that he could drive his interns back home safely.
The pro Hero dropped Tokoyami off at his home first. Hikari joined in walking her friend to his front door step, meeting his parents and exchanging a few conversations. Tokoyami took after his father's appearance and personality while his mother's personality was the exact opposite. She was very cheerful and didn't have the formal speech pattern like Tokoyami and his father. It was nice meeting the family of three.
"Sorry about today, Hawks." Hikari apologized as she placed the seatbelt on.
"I'm still confused why you're apologizing, lil sparrow." Hawks turned the car on, driving to their next destination.
Hikari gave him an obvious look. "It's kinda obvious..."
"That incident at the haunted house? Don't sweat about it! Everything ended well, right?" Hawks glanced over to the passenger seat and saw the troubled look across the girl's face. He averted his gaze to focus on the road, moving the lever beside the wheel, signaling left. "I heard a little about it—the villain who arranged the whole scene, do you know who it is?" he questioned.
"No." the brunette answered honestly. "I think he mixed me up with someone else, but..." she trailed off.
"Hmm?"
"...nothing."
"You sure?"
Hikari smiled. "Maybe next time."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"You're back."
A man dressed in black sat in the middle of the dull looking room, addressing the person who just entered his office. His plague mask was perched on the lower part of his face, covering his nose and mouth. There was another person, dressed completely the opposite of the man. A man in a white coat was standing behind the couch the man in black was sitting on—he was also wearing a plague mask similar to the man in black.
"Well?" The man in black waited for an answer.
The small creature with the plague mask cackled. "Her key seems to be different in design, but it's a key alright! We found the wielder!"
The man in black crossed his fingers together, staring at the book on the table.
"With the key wielder in our sight, the Eight Precepts of Death shall finally make a move."