"Hey Heather have you noticed that Pro has been acting weird lately?" Bael turned to Heather with an expression of deep thought.
" No…? Why would he seem weird? He never really talks after all…" Heather raised and eyebrow and stared back at the man of darkness, confusion entering her crystal blue eyes. The two just finished a quest together, when they noticed that the said man just crossed their path.
"I mean just look at how he is walking. He never holds himself like that, normally his shoulders are in place but now he is hunched as if he is in pain. When I last spoke to him he never told me anything that he got hurt in a quest. I also tried a healing spell on him when he was sleeping it had no effect on him. It's just odd that all." Bael kept his eyes on Pro, observing his every move. That's when Heather noticed a small, yet obvious detail. On his left elbow, Pro's skin slowly began to peel away.
" U-uhm…" Heather raised a finger and pointed to the said spot, Bael's eyes widening in shock.
" That can't be good…" Bael began walking up to Pro from behind. " Pro what's happening to you?"
The man turned his head 180 degrees to face the duo, Heather covering her hands over her mouth to keep her from getting sick right there. His eyes were ghostly white, or rather his eye. The other must've fallen out somewhere. Half of his face was peeled off, only to reveal maggots crawling around his cheeks and teeth.
"Well then I think that answers my question… Heather how fast can you run?" Bael turned to her with wide eyes.
Heather opened up her keyblade only to reveal she was a magic main, not a speedster. "...Fuck."
Bael sighed placing a hand on his forehead. "You fool. I meant actual running, cause we can't fight our friend here now can we?"
" Ohhh… right…. Running well you see-" She was cut off by Pro, who groaned angrily.
" Bosssss…..BOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" The man started to lunge toward the two.
Bael turned to Pro with fear in his eyes. "Umm why is he calling out boss... Pro did some boss monster do this to you?" Bael questioned Pro, utmost hope in his eyes. However, his question didn't seem to reach him.
" BOSSSSSSSSSS!"
" Yep running seems like a great option right now!" Heather grabbed Bael's arms and sprinted as fast as the two's legs could carry them. Which, Heather was thankful they were in a digital world with digital endurance, for the girl knew she would be dead by now if this was a real life scenario.
" With that hungry look in his eyes I would think he is a zombie." Bael said all this very calmly. Heather on the other hand seemed very confused on how Bael became so calm. " And you can let go of me by the way. I am more than able to run on my own." Bael broke free from Heather and began running as fast as his poor noodle legs could carry him.
The duo ran back to the mansion in order to get to safety from whatever Pro has become. The moment they entered the gates of the mansion they closed the gates shut behind them so Pro would be unable to enter the mansion.
"Well at least we're safe here." Bael turned to Heather with curiosity in his eyes " I wonder what happened to him." They starting walking to the mansion. Bael was so lost in thought that when Heather spoke again he jumped into the air
" U-uhm… about that…." Heather fumbled with the hem of her cupid dress nervously. " The whole boss thing maaaaay have been… I dunno… a small... particle of a fraction of my fault…. Heh… heh…?"
"... How? What did you do Heather?"
" N-nothing! I just found Maru's chemistry set and started messing with blood and stuff-Hey I was bored!" Heather frowned at the ground. " This weird green mist came out of this toxin I was making for Tenshi so I could cook her and and-"
"You were cooking? With what!?" Bael looked at Heather with disappointment in his eyes " did that even look like food!?"
Heather sighed and grabbed Bael's elbow and led him into the kitchen. A kitchen that was absolutely disgusting, covered in green slime and black charcoal. The entire thing looked like a witches pot had begun to brew, except there was no pot to hold the liquid inside.
"So you messed up my kitchen again….." Bael sighed heavily " I should be used to this by now but didn't I tell you not to cook last time you tried?"
" Hey this is what happens when you don't give me quests to do, sir. I was bored! And It's not my fault the toxins didn't wanna stay in the cooking pan! I tried stirring yet it just got bigger and bigger and then BOOM!" Heather mimicked the sound of an explosion and spread her arms out for dramatic effect.
"... but what about real food? You know we have a ton in the fridge eh?"
" I used a toad from outside and some mud, as well as some of maru's blood and-
"What?" Bael kept his burning gaze on Heather.
" But that's not important right now! You can punish me later, we need to find the rest of the party and find a cure before Pro-Wait I know I'm not infected because I wore protective gear. If Pro got affected outside the mansion then we can only assume-" She stared at Bael. " Are you sure you're not affected? And what about the rest of the party…? Oh… nononononononono….."
"Well I'm immune to most aliments my darkness helps keep me safe, but I can't say anything for the rest… you have made a mess you know…" Bael looked outside to see Pro trying to climb the fence. " Just look at him…"
" If you ask me he looks great!" Heather crossed her arms and smiled proudly of her work, however Pro ran towards the window and punched it, causing the vanilla haired girl to shriek, jumping behind the man of darkness.
"Oh yeah very great…. So great that he made it over the fence and ran here in about 10 seconds… time to run." Bael and heather dashed out of the room and down the hallway. They got to Bael's room when Saxs and Noa stepped out of their rooms. Their own flesh had began to fall off and decay. "Well looks like they are affected... " Bael turned to his room and dashed inside pulling Heather with him and locking his door in darkness.
" Wait! No! That doesn't mean-! Jerome! He must be too!" Heather dashed to the door and tried to open it, but with no avail. " BAEL! Give me the key! I need to see Jerome!"
"And let you get eaten!? Not a chance you made this mess you find a way to clean it up, and you need to be alive in order to do that." Bael shouted his answer because the three zombies outside his door were busy yelling bosssssssssssssss very loudly. " It's a good thing I wasn't sleeping because I would be so pissed right now." He turned his gaze to Heather " Not that I'm not pissed or anything."
" Yeah yeah, your pissed I get it can you make a dark corridor to Maleficent's castle or not!? I need to reverse the spell somehow and it's not like I can do this level of witchcraft!" Heather panicked and looked out the window, only to see Jerome, Tenshi and Maru all beginning to stumble inside the mansion. " Quickly please!"
"Let me get some things first I need a few weapons just in case something happens." Bael quickly ran from edge to edge of his room picking up his pistols, knives, scythes, bullets and his trench coat. "Okay let's go!" He turned to his wall to start casting his shadowport spell. The moment he finished casting the door to his room came off its hinges. He grabbed Heather and threw her into the shadows and then flung himself into it as well.
" Darkness is so creepy…" Heather whimpered as she hugged herself and stayed close to Bael who walked as if he had a million times. Heather screamed as she stepped aside and flung a lightning bolt at a random corner, Bael patting a hand on Heathers shoulder. "Don't worry you're safe in the shadows." He gave a slight smile at Heather.
The moment they walked out of the shadows they were greeted with a zombie maru. " Well then… ummm bye Maru have a nice day." Bael pushed Heather back into the shadows. "So proud of yourself seems everyone but you and me are zombies who are running around screaming boss?" Bael gave Heather a cold hard stare.
" I know, I know I'm sorry okay? If you don't want to help I'll fix this, don't worry. Just take me to Maleficent's chamber and I'll handle the rest."
"Yeah sure sounds great because chances are you will find a way to turn them into space monsters. I'm coming with you and besides who else is going to protect you? You? Please thats funny." Bael gave Heather soft eyes.
" Hey! I can protect myself-" She stopped herself. " Kinda…? Maybe? ….Great to have you aboard Bael." She turned and began walking in a random direction. " Okay! Which way to Maleficent's tower?"
"And you don't even know where to go…. What would you do without me?" Bael rolled his eyes and opened another portal. "This way don't want to know if there are any more zombies."
" Hey! It's dark in here how can you even see a-DARKSIDE BAEL KILL IT WITH FIRE KILL IT WITH-Oh you opened a portal." She turned and ran through, away from the haven of darkness and into the tower, running to fast she almost knocked over a certain book on a pedestal.
" Oof! Oh! Here it is B-" Bael rushed over and covered Heather's mouth with his hand, pointing toward the mistress of all evil who snored in a black throne just feet away. She murmured and stirred, however did not open her eyes.
"Wake her and we will never get the book." Bael whispered into Heather's ear, Heather nodded and slowly lifting the book. However, with her poor luck and senile remembrance of Indiana Jones movies, an alarm sounded louder than an orcas cry for help. Heather's eyes widened in horror as Maleficent's eyes shot awake faster than a horror movie.
"Oh boy…." Bael melted into the shadows, leaving poor little Heather alone.
Maleficent turned to Heather her eyes turning yellow. " I see someone has gotten into my castle while I was sleeping. Hmm I don`t recall inviting guest over. Unless your that food I ordered earlier."
Poor little Heather's knees were shaking in fear as she gulped. Spells came into her mind, ways to shock her and flea. However what could she even do? She knew not of the castle's grounds, exits were impossible to find before she was captured. Why did Bael leave her?! A test! Was this a test? No, he said he would protect her! Heather fell to her knees, dropping the book and stared at Maleficent in horror. He said-!
In a flash of darkness Maleficent was engulfed in shadows. She rose into the air and vanished into thin air. " Geez she isn't dinner get it right Maleficent she's lunch." The seeker of darkness was sitting on the throne looking very bored. "Listen the sooner we get the cure the better." Bael chuckled "hehe that was fun to watch though. The fear in your eyes, best thing ever."
Heather stared at Bael before breathing a sigh of relief. " Thank god… I thought you left me." She didn't really care why he left, she was just happy he came back before she was fresh meat.
"I had to cast the spell it takes a little so I vanished to make it easier for me. Now hows the cure?" Bael jumped up and picked up the book and started flipping through its pages, Heather looking over his shoulder.
" Page… 567 I think? DLXVII?" Heather advised the man who flipping to the exact page, and began to read aloud. "The dead have been dead for centuries there has never been a way to resurrect the dead. This spell from the depths of hell can allow its user to turn the living into the unstoppable, murderness and bloody…. Zombies. Those who have been turned will follow their targets until that target is dead." Bael looked up and heather with a look of confusion on his face, he looked back down on the page and continued reading. "The dead will continue to call of their targets name while they are pursuing their target. In order to mark a target you must be thinking about the target well you are brewing the toxics in order to cast this spell."
Bael looked up at Heather with flames of angier in his eyes.
" Well…. That explains why you didn't get infected. You're the target… Whoops…?"
"Whoops? That's it thats all? Geez thanks Heather…. I'm so glad im the target…." Bael sighed.
"Hey at least I was thinking about you. Isn't that all that matters?" Heather looked at Bael with big soft blue eyes.
" ...No." He smirked at her jokingly. " Kidding." Heather sighed and put a hand on her head.
" Okay wise guy, what are the ingredients?" She put her hands on her hips and looked at him. " You know full well I can't read this language."
" You can't read it? Fair enough…" Bael turned the page of the book "there is no possible cure for the disease. Once you turn people into the undead they will stay dead." Bael looked at Heather with a calm expression on his face. " So how you plan to fix this now?"
" That can't be what it says! They need a target right? So let's just kill the tar-wait that wouldn't work…" Heather smiled at Bael sheepishly.
"I don't think that would do anything anyways." Bael shook his head in disappointment.
"BOSSSSSSSSSS…..BOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"
The duo turned to the entrance of the room. "Hmm I wonder…" Bael's eye lighted up with darkness.
" How the hell did they CROSS WORLDS?! You need a spaceship!" Heather grabbed her hair and practically ripped it out on anguish, Bael's eyes vanishing in color as he sighed to her left and snapping his fingers, replacing her damaged hair.
"Good question but that doesn't matter now I have a great idea. Also don't rip out your hair it's bad for you." he said it so matter of factly that Heather almost forgot to ask him what his idea was.
" Yeah yeah, what's this idea? And uhm I prefer the speedy explanation. We don't exactly have all the time in the world…" Heather listened as the bosssss sounds got closer and closer, they were so close she could identify which voice belonged to Saxs, Noa, Maya, Maru, Tenshi, Ravens, Taz, Glenn, Keksis, Jerome and Pro…
"Well I'm going to infuse my darkness into them." Bael's eyes lit up with pure darkness again as he rose into the weaving his spell. His fingers waved the air as he chanted each and every word to his incantation. The zombies entered the room in waves , ready to eat the dark lord. Heather flung her lightning magic at the zombies blinding whatever sight they had with bright flashes of her bolts. In the few moments that Heather bought the dark lord he was able to to finish off his spell and blood red pentagons began to form on each of the zombies. The moment Bael's feet touched the floor darkness engulfed the zombies. "Heather shock them with lightning!"
" Got it! Mighty thunder!" Heather clasped her hands together and dropped to the ground as hard as she could, slamming her palms against the pavement as lightning erupted from her eyes down to her arms and into the ground, sending debris flying everywhere as the burst of energy made contact with the party of molding flesh, fully paralyzing them and adding damage.
The moment the energy left the undead, they collapsed. "I think that did something useful." Bael sighed with relief. "Thanks Heather needed that time and burst of energy should be enough for them to fight off the darkness." he turned to their friends. "Look they seem to be returning to normal."
" Thank god…" Heather breathed a sigh of relief, placing a hand over her heart to calm it down. She blinked, before running over to the party and checking their pulses. " ...They're still alive! Bael! We need to carry them back. God, there's so many of them…."
"Carry? That sounds like work… how about shadow porting?" Bael gave a slight smile.
" Huh?" Before Heather could react, Bael touched the floor around each of the bodies and pushing them into their shadows teleporting them back into the mansion. " You're next Heather. Ready?"
" U-uhm on second thought I think I can give Donald and Goofy a call and they can whisk me away in their Gummy ship-" Before heather could finish her sentence, Bael touched the ground beneath her, causing her to freefall through and into the infinite void of darkness.
" I HATE YOUUUUUUUUUU!" She screamed, tears pouring into her eyes due to the wind drying them out, down at what must've been the bottom, a cheshire cat like smile entered the darkness, eyes slowly forming before the portal showed, Bael's arms outstretched as he caught the girl.
"Love you too sis. Know let's never talk about this mess okay? Also don't go into the kitchen again just ask for a raid or something next time…" Bael stopped for a minute then opened his mouth. "Actually last time your going into the kitchen: get your ass in there and clean up that mess." He gave Heather a hard look. "Hope you can clean up fast cause its almost time for supper."
"Y...Yes sir!" Heather ran into the kitchen and began to work, Bael smiling as he crossed his arms, the moon slowly beginning to rise.
Theyallstartoutordinary: This was a collaboration done by me and Baelothon! We both wrote some parts and combined our writing styles together, so if you liked this chapter please go check him out!
Adventures of the Heaven's Knights