Chapter 207: Threatened
Things were going quite well for Sora. He felt much better after a good night's rest, and hadn't sensed a single trace of his Shadow, either. He still hadn't figured out if there was somewhere important he'd been heading before having come here, but he decided not to worry about it. Every time he did, he'd feel sick again, and he'd much prefer to not actually get sick. Mickey and Minnie both seemed very concerned about his health—actually, everyone in the Castle did, and he was sure none of them would actually mind should he get sick, but he'd still rather avoid it.
Besides, he kept telling himself. I'll just stay here another… day or… so. Then I can worry about wherever it was I was heading.
Currently, Sora was on a semi-guided tour through the Castle, led by Queen Minnie herself, though Daisy had tagged along again. Daisy talked a lot, not that Sora minded—he just hoped she wouldn't get too offended about the fact he hadn't been paying attention to most of the things she said.
As for the Castle tour, Sora had simply mentioned earlier wanting to explore a little, and was surprised when Minnie had offered to show him around. Well, technically, Goofy—the Captain of the Guard—had offered first, only to remember he had something else he needed to be doing. He'd been very apologetic about the whole matter, but Sora said he didn't mind if Minnie didn't mind (and mentioned multiple times that he was okay with waiting or not going on a tour at all), and Minnie assured them both that she didn't mind either.
Sora did eventually ask her if she had any… royal duties to be attending to or anything, but between Minnie and Daisy, he learned that the kingdom was very peaceful, and apparently there wasn't usually much to do. A little here and there, of course, to keep things running, but that was it.
"Is that why it's so easy to handle things when Mickey's away?" Sora asked—he'd been told by now that Mickey very frequently wasn't in the Castle or anywhere on-world for long periods of time.
"Well… sorta," Minnie said. She was silent for a long moment, considering it, and then continued, slowly: "But… honestly, I do most of that stuff, anyway, even when Mickey is here."
"Really?" Sora asked, a little surprised.
Minnie chuckled.
"Well, it's just Mickey worries too much about it," she explained. "He's great at helping other people out, but when it comes to running a kingdom all he does is lose sleep over making the right decisions and- and even then he usually ends up asking what I think about the matter anyway." She smiled, a little wryly. "We eventually decided to… to skip the worrying step and just let me handle most of it."
"Besides, that way he can travel the worlds like he wants to," Daisy added.
Minnie nodded. "That too."
"Oh," Sora said.
"Hey! There ya are!" Mickey called, hurrying over to them.
Minnie turned to him, smiling widely. "I was showing Sora around the castle," she said. She paused then, tilting her head to the side. "Is something wrong?"
She looked worried. Sora turned to Mickey, too, but he didn't appear to be distressed or anything—not to Sora's eyes. Maybe Minnie saw something he didn't.
Mickey quickly shook his head. "Nothin' too serious," he said. "Goofy just says he's been seein' things around the Castle—me 'n him 'n Donald were gonna go check it out."
"What sort of things?" Minnie asked.
"Goofy's not too sure—he said he could never quite see it, whatever it was, just things out of the corner of his eyes." Mickey shrugged. Now his face scrunched up a little with worry. "But I feel a sorta… dark presence in the Castle, too."
He and Minnie exchanged looks.
"Dark presence…?" Sora repeated, frowning. And with Goofy having reported not being able to actually see it properly, or, see him properly, if Sora was right about what—who—it was. "That could be…"
"Could be anything," Mickey assured him. "But I think it'd best if you guys stayed out of the west wing until we're done searching."
"West wing?" Daisy asked. "Isn't that where the guest rooms are?"
"Uh-huh," Mickey said. "Apparently it's been hangin' around there a lot—'specially by Sora's room."
Sora's eyes widened. Yup. That definitely sounded like his Shadow. Not that he'd sensed his Shadow near his room…
"I should come, too," he said, nodding determinedly.
Mickey turned to him, a little surprised. After a stunned second he composed himself and shook his head. "No, I- I think it's best if you stay with Minnie."
Sora grimaced.
"Whatever it is might be lookin' for ya," Mickey continued, sternly. "And we wouldn't want—"
He staggered, all of a sudden, doubling over and clutching his chest. Minnie took a step backwards, too, a hand to her heart. Daisy steadied her, and Sora considered helping Mickey—not that he understood what was going on right now.
Before he could even take a step towards Mickey, though, Mickey straightened himself out. He didn't seem hurt, just worried.
"The Cornerstone," he gasped, voice tight, urgent.
"I know," Minnie said. She went over to him, putting a hand on his arm, partially to steady him, partially to reassure him. "I felt it too. Sora?" She looked over at him. "Why don't you come with me, and we'll check on the Cornerstone. Mickey and Donald and Goofy can take care of that… dark presence or…" She turned to Mickey, fumbling for the right words. "Whatever it is you were going to look for."
"You sure?" Mickey asked, grabbing her hand. His eyes narrowed with concern as he studied her face.
"Positive." She sent him a reassuring smile. "If the Cornerstone was serious trouble, we'd know. It doesn't feel like it's too threatened, so me and Sora shouldn't have a problem checking on it. And if it's too much for us—which it shouldn't be—we'll wait for you."
"But the Cornerstone is more important than—"
"Mickey. I can handle it."
Mickey was silent for a long moment, staring at her, thinking it over. Finally, he nodded. "Okay," he said, and nodded again. "Yeah. Okay."
"You comin' Your Majesty?" Goofy called, from down the hallway.
"Yeah, we're all ready to go!" Donald added.
Mickey turned to look at them. "Yeah, I'm coming!"
He looked back at Minnie, and they held each other's gazes for a moment, until Mickey pulled away and ran to join Donald and Goofy.
Minnie let out a long breath, then started walking in the opposite direction. "Sora? This way."
"I'm coming too!" Daisy said, hurrying after them.
"What was that about, anyway?" Sora asked, once they were further down the hall.
"We had a friend cast a spell for us," Minnie explained. She quickened her pace as she talked, clearly wanting to hurry. "A sort of warning that would let us know when the Cornerstone was threatened. It's a little stronger on Mickey, but that's just so it'll catch his attention, no matter where he may be."
"And the Cornerstone?" Sora asked. "What's that?"
"It's what protects this world from darkness."
"So it's… pretty important," Sora said.
Minnie nodded. "Uhhuh."
"How worried should we be?"
"Mm… it didn't feel like it was an emergency," Minnie said, slowly, considering it. Her pace didn't slow, however. "And I don't see any Heartless, so that's a good thing… But a threat is still a threat, and the sooner we stop it, the better."
Her voice was so firm and determined that it made Sora pause.
"Maybe… Mickey should've come…" he mused.
Minnie stopped, too, throwing a questioning look back at him. "What makes you say that?" she asked.
Sora cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze. "Well… this seems a more serious than hunting for my- for that… dark… presence… shadow…" he said, clearing his throat again.
Minnie frowned.
"How do we know that dark presence isn't what's threatening the Cornerstone?" Daisy argued. "Maybe it's a good thing the boys went after it."
"Mm." Sora swallowed. "I just. I think I know what- what the dark… presence is."
Now they both turned to him. Minnie's eyes were wide, Daisy looked skeptical.
"You do?" Minnie asked. Her voice was sharp, strained, urgent.
"Why didn't you say something?!" Daisy demanded.
"I was going to mention it, but—" Sora stopped. He hadn't wanted to interrupt anyone. Hadn't wanted to interrupt the King. But… this was important information, and he should have… and it wasn't like Mickey would've actually minded…
He shifted. "I- I think it's my Shadow," he said.
Daisy scrunched up her face, clearly not following. "Shadow?"
"They're a sort of creature who latch onto people who've struggled with the darkness," Minnie explained.
"Really?" Sora raised his eyebrows, a little surprised by this news. "He said he was like a 'manifestation of my darkness' or something along those lines…"
Minnie shrugged. "I'm not sure which is right, honestly. You'd have to ask Mickey for his input, and even then, he could be wrong." She clenched her fists, then, for the first time looking a little frustrated. "But now is not the time!" She said, raising her voice a little. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to Sora. "Are you positive that that is your Shadow?"
"It- uh- it sounded like him!" Sora stammered. He realized then and there that he'd really never like to see Minnie any more frustrated than this, because when she was frustrated she demanded respect and that everyone listen to her, and somehow scared you into doing just that. He didn't want to think about what she was like when she was actually angry.
"I mean I guess maybe shadowy dark presences are kinda common," Sora continued, still stammering. "But not being able to see them properly can't be and also it'd explain why he's- it's- why Goofy was seeing things around my room and—"
Minnie nodded, satisfied, and Sora closed his mouth.
"Should we tell Mickey?" Minnie asked.
"Well the Cornerstone's more importa—"
"Do you think Mickey needs to know?" Minnie said, more firmly this time.
Sora paused. Swallowed.
"Well, uh, I mean." Sora swallowed again. "It'd be pretty obvious. Oh. If he can see him. Not everyone can see my Shadow and—"
"Right." Minnie turned to Daisy, who'd kept her mouth shut—surprisingly—since Minnie had raised her voice. "Daisy. Go tell Mickey."
"Got it!" Daisy said, and hurried off.
"And maybe tell him that—" Sora called after her, but she was too far gone. "Oh never mind."
"What was it?" Minnie asked.
"I'm just not sure if they can see him since it's really… complicated…" Sora sighed and shook his head. "Well, they'll figure it out…" It wasn't important enough to run after Daisy or go tell Mickey himself. He needed to stay with Minnie. "We should go check on the Cornerstone."
"Right. Let's go."