Simple Movements

Chapter 13

-System-

"I don't want to be a part of it…"

Riku was running on fumes at this point of the night. He and Pocahontas had left the safety of the inner districts early the previous morning before daylight made its presence known. He had no sleep, and despite the fact he had been knocked out at some point in Godmother's house didn't count. Riku rubbed at his eyes a second and third time in an effort to rouse himself up again when he saw the talking mice at his feet.

"Riku we found you!"

The thinner of the two mice, a scraggly looking rodent wearing a red shirt and tunic and matching red hat stood beaming up at him. His companion, a rather portly mouse with a dark mustard yellow shirt barely covering his enormous belly was just as eager to see the silver haired man. Riku smiled at them.

"Who are you guys?"

They made a motion for Riku to pick them up and he carefully brought down a palm for them to step onto. He lifted them off the ground and sat them at the edge of his bed. With a leg pulled up against his chest, Riku waited for the strange duo to reply.

"I'm Jaq, this is Gus," the thinner mouse squeaked in a deep accent Riku couldn't quite pinpoint, "Godmother sent us to find you."

"Godmother did? Is she okay?"

They nodded, "Yeah, Godmother is being held by the people in green coats in a room far up on the highest floor. Without her wand, her magic is limited so she could only summon us."

Riku thought back to the Wish Enforcer Godmother had fought against, how easily she was able to pick him off with a swift movement of her wand. She had been using magic, a concept foreign to him, but one that was staring him right in the face. He dabbed at his sleepy eyes.

"Did she say anything about Pocahontas or my parents?"

Gus shook his head. "Uh duh, yeah, Godmother told us to find Riki and to tell him to get them. They should be on this same floor."

Jaq huffed up at Gus pointing a finger in his face. "It's Riku, not Riki!"

Riku stifled a laugh, finding their banter humorous despite the circumstances he was in. "It's okay Jaq, Gus can call me Riki if he wants."

Gus's smile couldn't grow any bigger. "Riki!"

Jaq let out a defeated sigh, folding his arms. "Ok, well we need to get going, no more time to waste."

Riku looked around the small room but failed to see anything that would aid them in their escape. He wasn't sure what the mice had up their sleeves, but if Godmother had sent them then he was putting his faith on their tiny shoulders.

"How are we getting out of here?"

"With a key," Jaq said matter of fact.

He let out a small laugh, earning him a confused look from Jaq. Riku couldn't believe the simplicity of their plan. "A key? Don't tell me you guys stole it from The Council workers."

"No, no, a magic key."

Jaq searched through his tunic and dug out a handful of glittering dust. He was immediately reminded of the illuminated sparks that fell from Godmother's wand.

"Godmother gave us just enough magic to break the lock on your door."

Jaq scurried over to Riku and held his tiny hand out. Riku leaned over, touching a few fingers to the dust and an imaginary breeze suddenly lifting it into the air and swirling it in a small vortex. They watched the dust form a glowing physical key before it darted for the door on the opposite side of the room and colliding with it. A soft clink rang out, signaling it was now unlocked. Riku jumped back into his shoes and carefully walked to the door. Sweat began building in the creases of his skin as he grabbed a hold of the knob and gave it a gentle turn. Riku barely opened it, allowing the tiniest of cracks to look through. The hallway was empty, not a council worker in sight.

"Alright, we should be okay," he said turning back to the mice. But he watched as they slowly twinkled out of existence, the pair waving enthusiastically at him.

"Don't worry, we just ran out of magic to keep us here. Once Godmother is freed, we'll come back."

Riku nodded at Jaq, mouthing a thank you before they disappeared completely. He focused back on the open door and sucked in a deep breath. Taking a tentative step outside, Riku found out he was situated at the end of the long hall. He looked around, didn't feel any presence and began down the length of the hallway. At first he felt it was odd that there weren't any members of The Council on duty, but then again they probably didn't have the slightest clue that he'd be wandering about freely. Riku quickly glanced through the small windows on the doors as he passed, but was finding empty rooms with every step. He immediately stopped when he caught sight of jet black hair.

"Pocahontas," he whispered, eyes falling on the tan colored woman. She was resting with her back to one of the walls on the bed, face hidden behind the length of her hair. He twisted the door knob and to his great surprise, it opened. The action startled Pocahontas and she shot straight up, only to soften and tear up at the sight of her best friend.

"Oh Riku, you're ok," she barely got out.

He closed the gap and embraced Pocahontas, giving her a tight hug and a peck on her forehead. "I'm fine, are you hurt at all?"

She shook her head. "No, they didn't do anything to me at all. Just interrogated the hell out of me all day, but I didn't say a word."

It made him smile to know he was exactly right. "You're my best friend for a reason."

After filling her in on how he'd manage to escape, the two friends left the room and continued on their trek of the floor.

"I'm afraid to think of what could have taken Godmother out," Pocahontas expressed after a few minutes of quiet walking, "Last night, it all happened so quick. I didn't see anyone behind me before I blacked out."

Riku would be lying if he hadn't been contemplating that exact thought. The look on Godmother's face as his vision grew hazy was one of confusion and astonishment. Something, or perhaps, someone she wasn't expecting happened to be there the night before. He traced a mental picture over his two active wishing orbs and felt a chill.

"Our wishes are still bound. I guess unless we find the Wish Enforcer that did it, we're screwed."

"We'll figure that out later, we need to find your parents."

No sooner had the words left her mouth did they came across their room. Riku's heart sped up and internal words thanking whatever god for their safety. And just like Pocahontas' cell, theirs was unlocked as well. It didn't register that his fingers still had residue of Godmother's magic from when he first touched the dust in Jaq's hands. That must have unlocked their doors. The doctors looked to Riku and Pocahontas.

"You're safe," Dr. Aerith said holding Riku to her chest, "we were worried sick about you. You should have told us what you were planning on doing."

Riku felt a wave of guilt washing over him. His parents had been taken by The Council because of him. They must have been so confused, and yet, his parents' words weren't harsh.

"They are adamant on finding Sora," Dr. Sephiroth said, "and it's important we find him first. These people are not going to give up and I'm afraid of what will happen to him. He's still recovering from his overdose and that has me the most worried."

They weren't yet aware of Sora's past, the fact that he was immortal and that even though he had suffered a terrible incident, he would have continued living in one way or another. But it seemed unfair to tell them that at the moment, not because they didn't deserve to know the truth, but as doctors their pride was also on the line. They would never hold any resentment towards Sora, for the time and effort they took in caring for him, but Riku wanted them to hold onto that sense of compassion that had grown for Sora. Now that they were all gathered, the next question was staring them all in the face- how to get the hell out?

"Hmm, you're right, your wishes are still bound," Dr. Aerith said looking over Riku's orbs and placing a finger underneath her chin. "We need to do something about this."

It struck him in the gut, and Riku let out an almost excited gasp. He walked over to Pocahontas, asked her to show him her neck, and she carefully pulled her hair away. Riku inhaled, and touched his finger to her wishing orb. The warmth immediately returned to the cold green material and Pocahontas blissfully closed her eyes.

"If her magic could unlock the doors, maybe they could unbind our wishes too," he said with conviction. "Looks like it worked."

And apparently, it worked too well. A booming alarm went off that made the hair on his arms stick straight out. It was too convenient that there weren't any council members hanging around in the hallways. After all, even if they had left their rooms somehow, actually leaving The Council building was another matter entirely. They must have placed an extra layer of security to the Wish Enforcer's chains that held Riku and Pocahontas' wishes captive. If they had managed to undo the chains, then they had something to worry about and the alarm would sound out. It would seem that was the case.

"They'll be here any minute now," Pocahontas said cowering back from the noise, "we don't have a choice anymore."

He knew what she was getting at, and Riku wasn't about to let her do it. "You can't use your wish to get us out."

"That's not your decision," she replied with a smile. "I get to decide how to use it."

"But what about all those times we sat in the coffee shop talking about what we wanted to do?"

"And where did that take us? Nowhere Riku, you and I were so indecisive about what we wanted to use our wishes for. But when you made Sora wake up, I know that must have been something you didn't need to think twice about. You did it because you wanted to, and that's more than enough reason. Let me do this."

Riku felt another rushing wave of guilt. He thought back to his many after school dates with Pocahontas, their bits of laughter as they sat drinking away at cider and hot chai tea. The world granted everyone a single wish, and he lead a life where he made it apparent he was just like everyone else. But in reality, he was born with three wishes, a Third Point. He felt a sudden uneasiness, the feeling coiling like a snake in his stomach. They sat together in that Replica-ran coffee shop talking about how their singular wish would be used. The entire time he sat there lying to her, even though it was until recently that he found out she already knew. And Pocahontas never judged him for it. He let out a sigh overpowered by the screeching sounds of the alarm.

"I get you Pocahontas," Riku said pulling on his silver hair and touching his two remaining orbs, "but I just couldn't live with myself if you spent your only wish after everything that's happened."

The Wish Enforcer's chains shattered, rendering his wishing orbs a bright glowing green. He reached out to Pocahontas and his parents, the three holding onto Riku with a strong and powerful grip. They looked at one another and nodded, a teary-eyed Pocahontas punching Riku lightly in the ribs.

"You're such a drama queen," she blurted out.

He smirked, mouthing the words that would set them free. "I wish for our escape."

The group vanished in a series of rippling purple lights flying through the walls and into the night sky. Within a blink of an eye, they reappeared in a clearing of a wooded area. They were no longer in The Council's office, but by the looks of their surroundings, Destiny Islands didn't fare any better. Pocahontas walked past the small group, gazing at the looming trees that reached towards the skies. She clutched the shell necklace she wore and let out an elated breath.

"It's The New World."

Riku and his parents looked at the former princess. Pocahontas couldn't help but smile. "It's my home country."

Her wand sat atop a pedestal made of a beautiful cyan color. It was purposely placed just beyond her reach, not that Godmother had any chance of breaking the tightly bound cords that held her in her seat, but that was beside the point. Her prison was very much like the rooms where Riku was being interrogated, four white walls enclosed around her. But unlike the others, this one had a large mirror placed in front of her. A mirror that would normally show off Godmother's reflection as she peered into it, but that wasn't what she saw. Instead of an old woman aged with countless wrinkles, she saw a small child hidden behind a veil.

"I can't believe it's only been a hundred years since we last saw one another," the child said in a delicate tone, "it feels so much longer."

Godmother scoffed, "For us immortals, the concept of time is irrelevant. A thousand years could go by and it would feel like it was just yesterday we were having tea, Rinoa."

The young council member did away with the veil obscuring her scarred face, the look in her eyes gleaming with a flickering of dark delight. Godmother offered Rinoa the kindest smile she could muster. "How's Zack doing?"

"Oh you know, still "hanging out"," she replied before breaking into an excited bout of laughter, "Oh dear, I'm sorry, that was mean."

"Still have your twisted sense of humor I see."

Rinoa was sitting on what could only be called a throne, the material a sleek marble of cream and onyx. She rested an elbow on the armrest and sat a delicate hand against her cheek. "He is where he needs to be, within Anima's Chamber. You're more than aware that he is being punished for his treason against The Council."

"Yes, I'm aware little girl," Godmother snarled, "because of his attachment to the boy he watched for centuries he forcibly activated Sora's immortality. It's an act that goes against everything that we stand for. It was not in our place, in Zack's place to do."

Rinoa motioned for an attendant at her side, the council worker immediately pouring a cup of tea for the young member. "Yet you seem to have had a problem with our choice to punish him. We loved Zack, that's why we overlooked it at first. It was because of him that we became the people we are today. We live for the people, and because of that fact we tolerated it at first. We allowed Sora's inclusion in The Council, gave him a high rank, but he threw that right back in our face."

Godmother looked to the white, square tiles of the room floor. "Sora was not meant to be one of us. He didn't want immortality or the heavy burden that comes with eternally monitoring the world. I agree in part with you Rinoa, it was wrong of Zack to do."

Rinoa gathered her teacup and saucer in both of her hands, taking the rim of her cup to her lips and gulping a thick sugary glop. "And because of what Zack did and our decision to overlook his crime, things have come to be what they are. It's a mistake that we've come to regret. It shouldn't have been like this."

Two shadows appeared behind Rinoa's throne. Godmother recognized them immediately, The Council members that sided with Rinoa when everything fell apart. With Blank Points being so rare, fewer than ten made up the core group of The Council. The founding member Zack, Godmother herself, Rinoa, Sora, the gambler Luxord she had counted on for the past century to help Sora's memories from returning, they were the rare few. With Rinoa's party, that made seven in a world of billions. With Zack's captivity and the departure of half, The Council was in the hands of three.

"Hi Godmother," the male member said waving enthusiastically through the mirror, "long time no see."

He had a piece of green candy sticking out of the corner of his mouth. Godmother could almost smell the mint permeating through. Rinoa rolled her eyes at him, smiling into her teacup.

"Kuzco you dolt, can't you see we're having a serious conversation here."

"Yes Kuzco, the Lady of the Veil is carrying on with important matters here," the second male member said hanging over the marbled throne. "Hi Godmother."

Axel's bright red hair was hard to miss along with the acid green eyes. Godmother wasn't at all amused with the almost whimsical and giddy nature of the three members staring back at her.

"Remember me?"

The spiky haired man hailed from a country far to the west, born into a family of circus performers. Black teardrop tattoos lay beneath his eyes, giving Axel a sort of clownish look to him. He had an affinity for fire and was skilled with twirling any matter of items. After all, as an entertainer it was his job to keep the audiences amused. This was his life and job before Zack found him one day, relaying the same story he had told Godmother about how important he was for their cause and the world. She remembered him, the confident twenty-something young man they had found in a circus tent countless of centuries ago.

Kuzco, on the other hand, was a former king of an ancient kingdom ousted from power by a devilish woman. When Zack and Godmother came across the young king, he was in the form of a strange animal called a llama, a spell gone wrong that had turned him into the comical looking creature. Kuzco spent many years in this form, losing all hope of being human again. With Zack's power breaking the spell, he jumped at the opportunity for immortality and to have a sense of his former life back. Godmother thought back, perhaps it was that sense of entitlement as a spoiled king that made him side with Rinoa and her selfish nature.

"Well, isn't it nice having this little reunion," Godmother chuckled, "wish it was under better circumstances, but I didn't quite have any of this planned."

"You'd be welcome back," Kuzco began, "if you'd hand Sora over. You're not helping your situation by hiding him from us."

"I don't know about that Kuzco," Axel said with a sigh, "she played a bigger role in this entire operation. It wasn't just Sora that betrayed us."

Rinoa sat her teacup back on the armrest. "Don't you realize how devastating this will be for the entire world? As it is, Godmother, things are reaching a critical limit."

Godmother closed her eyes, thinking back to when Sora first brought the subject up. It was unheard of, but there was something in his words that rang true.

"Why is the world the way it is? What is the point of a wishing system like this when things are not equal? People use their wish for wealth, nobody thinks of anything else. And what of those that are like us? Those born without wishes? It doesn't matter if immortality is only available to us. What if Zack had never found any of us? You would have continued to live a life where everyone around you made you feel inferior for being different. We're only the tiniest fraction of the population, but don't we matter? It's a flawed system, and I don't want to be a part of it. I don't want to think of a world where there will be others born into this kind of life and even more that will look down on them for something they can't help."

Godmother didn't wish for immortality at first, she continued to live her life as Cinderella and served her despicable family. She knew what it was to feel worthless, unwanted, and unloved. She didn't want to feel that pain anymore, even as she grew to old age, it never went away. Godmother finally gave into her immortality as an escape, to find comfort in something that would make her feel needed.

But Sora, a young boy of only 16 changed that. He was meant to die young of an incurable disease as a Blank Point before Zack had found him. Sora didn't want it, he was happy with the life he led. It wasn't until the forceful awakening of his immortality that Sora came to realize how unbalanced everything was. Yes, Zack did save him from a destined death, but the fact he did so proved there was a problem to begin with, a flaw clear as day.

"Sora deserves his punishment, but we are looking out for the better of the world here," Rinoa continued, "We need Sora to return to The World That Never Was."

Godmother was brought back from her thoughts and stared at the three members in the mirror, a smirk on her lips. "The wishes aren't reincarnating, are they?

At this, Rinoa's face contorted darkly. "If Sora doesn't return with the spell he stole, the entire system will crash. There was enough power left for the last hundred years, but it's running out. Before the year ends, wishes will no longer be reborn."

At this, Godmother let out a long laugh, causing Axel and Kuzco to go from their comical sense, to one of seriousness. She lifted a tired eye, watching the trio.

"And the number of Blank Points will skyrocket. Are you ready to welcome all the new immortal council members into your little group? You won't be special anymore, Rinoa. Everyone will be just like you."

-0-

A/N:
Hi everyone. Thank you for taking the time to read this far. I wanted to take a moment and point out a quick tidbit.

In this chapter I introduced Pocahontas' home country, "The New World." As Pocahontas has not been involved in the official Kingdom Hearts games, I took a little bit of liberty to give her more background. In the movie, we're aware that the Native Americans were on the Americas, but calling it "Americas" just didn't sound right and so I decided to call it "The New World" as it was an unexplored land to the early settlers. And I think that's fair and works well.

-Addictive Personality