A/N: Here's part five, in which the plot becomes more convoluted and makes even less sense than before. For whoever was waiting for this update, it took a while to post because I wanted to finish BBS before this. I have to say it's a pretty sweet game. I'll probably include spoilers of some of the games like it and 358/2 days in this story as headcanon, fair warning.
Disclaimer: LOLNO. If I owned them, I'd totally screw up the plot. I'll stick to writing free fanfiction, hah. ~
CH 5: Bewitched
''…Do you have any fives?''
The companion shook his head. ''Go fish. Got any threes?''
A hand, or more accurately, a wing, slammed into the linoleum of the table with a bang.
'You lie! Everyone saw it, right? He switched the cards!'' The duck squawked in anger, positively roaring with the inner anger of being cooped up in the gummi ship for three hours with no constructive outlet.
Goofy's voice came down from the cockpit, trying to blow over the flame that the bird exuded. ''Now now, Donald, I think Chip was telling the tru-''
''Not you too, Goofy. Don't buy into his confounded madness! Look in his face…that's the face of a LIAR!'' Donald hopped up and down in his seat and scattered the loose-leaf cards in one fell swoop, jacks and aces fluttering in the air. His words broke down into unintelligible blubbering.
And true to his word, said face did glisten with something … squirrelly. He was smirking privately to himself, no doubt. The chipmunk rolled down the table, snickering. ''You're just mad that you can't beat me!''
Donald's eyes flashed dangerously. ''Am not!''
''Are too!''
''Nuh-uh!''
''A-huh!''
''CHEATER!''
''SORE LOSER!''
Goofy promptly ascended down the steps, grabbing both by the napes of their necks and frowning. ''G'warsh, friends shouldn't fight. Now apologize to each other!''
The rivals took a tentative glance at the other, then harrumphed and turned back around. The dog gasped at the sudden tension between the two.
Dale, the only individual in the party that kept his vision trained on the monitor screen began to wave his arms frantically. ''Uh, guys? We got a tiny problem here.''
''Huh?'' All three animals said in unison.
''We're falling to our deaths.''
After the energy gauge of the gummi ship was restored to its original supply by the quartet force of wide smiles, the group set the dial on auto-pilot and went to the trouble of finding something to do.
In the end, it was only Goofy and Donald who was left in the incalculable discomfort of jaw-stretching grins in the main compartment, as Chip and Dale busied themselves with checking all the machinery for any kinks or malfunctioning blocks in the unit.
Donald took off his blue cap, emblazoned with zippers that trailed all the way to the tip, and allowed it to rest on his legs and sighed.
''What's wrong?'' Goofy asked, wiping down his knight's shield with a towel.
''Isn't this whole situation strange?'' The duck began with a slow start, thinking out loud.
''How do you figure? I don't see anything odd about the King sending us out to see Master Yen Sid. He wants us to send him his regards, and he was too busy running the kingdom to do it himself.'' He replied cheerfully, giving his buckler a good pat.
''Not that. I mean the book we're supposed to give him.''
Goofy's face lit up. ''Oh, I almost forgot!'' The knight leapt up, only to dig into a burlap sack a few feet away.
''You did forget.'' Donald muttered, shaking his head off-handedly. ''I swear, sometimes you-''
''Here ya' go, ahyuck!'' The book was hastily pushed into his hands, tied up in the crumply tissue that presents always seem to be ensconced in and fastened with a bow, letter dangling off the string. It was so unassuming and ordinary, which struck him as peculiar. What about the book was so important that it needed to be escorted and potentially guarded by the Royal Captain and Magician of Mickey's court? Chip and Dale would have done the job just as well by themselves.
He found himself unraveling the wrapper, and weirdly, Goofy made no comment. It was clear; both of them wanted to know the full implications. Donald hesitated at the last layer, feeling guilt worm its way into his head. The King hadn't specifically said that they couldn't give it a look-through. It wasn't like it was haunted. They'd put it just the way it was afterwards. No harm, no foul.
The duck removed the casing and held the book to the light and stared. …And stared.
''You can't be s-serious.'' Donald found himself saying, shocked. The gears in his mind whirled, whittling down all his suspicions to a null anxiety.
''Gee, who would have guessed?'' Goofy chuckled, making Donald jump as he bent his head down to stare at the cover. ''It's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.''
The magician opened up the book, unbelieving that was all there was to the novel. Yes, Snow White was a Princess of Heart, but there wasn't anything particularly significant about her story as opposed to the others, as he was sure that Yen Sid had heard of it before. Maybe a secret message lay in between the lines, subtext only recognizable by those looking for it? He could barely breathe, shuffling through the pages elaborated on by watercolor illustrations.
He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more morbid in store.
There was a beautiful princess and an envious step-mother. Snow White's harrowing journey to escape her demise, finding refuge with the dwarves. The Queen attempted to kill her, from tight laces to poisoned combs to deadly apples, resulting in an unnatural sleep for said Princess in a glass coffin.
That was where the story diverged, though; instead of the death that had befallen the monarch as it occurred, she lived on. And the Princess wasn't awoken by the prince's kiss, but by the off chance that the apple's center fell out of her mouth through sheer luck. Horrified, he read through the last sentences with a chill; the queen was forced to literally dance at Snow White's wedding clad in iron-hot shoes until she dropped…dead.
''Hey, that isn't how it happened.'' The dog pointed to the last page, squinting as he re-read the text over and over, as if it would make a difference. His smile slipped a few degrees. ''I-I…they wouldn't do that. They're good people.''
Donald blinked, clapping the book shut uneasily, spine prickling. Maybe it wouldn't be so disturbing if they didn't already know who the characters were. ''Of course not. It's only a folk tale, for entertainment.''
''Well, it wasn't amusing to me.''
''For once, I think I agree with you.'' The duck searched the whole outside, binding and cover and all, but to no avail. No secret messages, enchantments (that he could tell of) hiding extra meanings, peel-away papers with strings attached. It was the story itself that served its purpose.
He paused. ''Goofy, why do you think King Mickey wanted us to deliver this book to Master Yen Sid?''
Goofy ventured back to stare out at the constellations. His head turned at the question. ''To return it?''
''Wouldn't he have told us? It doesn't make any sense. Why would the King have such a book in his library anyway? It's so…so…''
''…Gruesome.'' The knight finished. He folded his arms and leaned back against the metallic frame of the ship. ''At least the last part is, a'hyuck. Everything else seems to be in proper order.''
''Exactly.'' Donald added, noticing for the first time a scribble at the edge of the cover, faded ink on a brown cover. ''Wait, there's something here. …The Grimm Brothers? Who are they?''
''The authors.'' Goofy peered down with some disdain, wrinkling his nose. ''They must like to scare little kids and give them nightmares too, g'warsh. C'mon, let's just tie it back up and show it to Master Yen Sid. He'll know what to do. If we asked, he'd probably even explain it to us.''
''Hold on, will ya?'' Donald rubbed at the name with his finger, trying to see if the words would smudge. Upon closer inspection, he saw something nearly indistinguishable wrought right into the leather. Of all things, it was the miniature insignia of an apple carved right next to the name.
''What is it, Donald?''
The funny thing was when he diverted his attention for a second and looked back, the image was gone. Donald rubbed at his eyes with a grumble. He must have been more tired than he thought.
Selphie threw the eraser as far as her strength allowed, harmlessly bouncing off the book shelf.
''I'm tired. I don't want to do this anymore.'' She muttered.
Kairi bit her lip. ''But you're so close to the answer…''
''Who cares. Everything looks like squiggles now, and my head hurts, and this is so not fun.''
The redhead couldn't help it. She burst into giggles, and Selphie pouted and fumed and lay her head down on the desk. Around them, the people were locked in various stages of reading.
''You're helpful.'' The brunette remarked.
''I try my best.'' Kairi casually says, rolling her eyes. ''You're the one who doesn't pay attention.''
''That's because you suck as a teacher.''
''Hey!''
Selphie smiles back, a tad self-satisfied. ''-No offense, but explain it more clearly. You keep going off subject.''
The librarian close by shushes them, and they lower their voices.
''Let's go now, Kairi.''
''Not until you get this last problem!'' the redhead hisses, hair slipping down her face.
''Ugh. Kill me now, please.'' Selphie droops on the table.
A whole hour later, they're standing outside a store window, shifting from foot to foot in the morning sunshine.
''O-M-G. Look at that hat!'' The brunette squeals, bag swinging to and fro in all of its ordinary glory.
Kairi gives it a glance and shrugs. ''Um, look at its price tag.''
'' You're my best friend, right?'' Selphie coos, tugging on her friend's sleeve desperately.
Kairi pushes her off and starts walking away, despite the squelch of her shoes.
Yep. She's just going to ignore her forever now.
''Wait! I won't ask you for any favors again, I promise!''
A pause. The princess has stopped in her tracks, completely immobilized. ''You swear?''
Selphie's smile grows bright.
''…And I just don't know what to do. Should I go?'' Kairi wraps her arms around herself, completely muddled.
Selphie, decked out in green hues (because it matches her eyes, duh) with a brand-new matching beret, twirls next to her. ''The answer's obvious, right? A hot guy invites you to his house, you say yes.''
The redhead deadpans. ''It's Riku you're talking about. The kid, might I remind you, who oh so graciously threw mud in your face and called you stupid when you knocked down Sora's sandcastle.''
She waves her off. ''That's all in the past. Way, way back there. Besides, he's changed.''
''And by changed, you mean gotten ten times more appealing to your raging hormones.''
''That too.'' Selphie skips forward, and then backpedals to her first sentence. ''Anyway, chill. It's not like he's asking you out on a date or anything. Spikey-head won't be jealous that you're with another man for just a day when he sees it's his good pal, you know?''
''You make me sound like I'm cheating on him.'' Kairi rubs her temples, nerves frayed with irritation.
''I wouldn't blame you if you did. You're lucky Riku's one piece of sexy-''
''SELPHIE!'' Kairi screeches, cheeks flaming in embarrassment. ''Shut up! What if someone hears you?''
''Stop being so paranoid!'' Selphie bumps her shoulder into the redhead, crowing maniacally. ''Can't we gossip like normal high school students without you backing out ever five minutes?''
''There's something very wrong with this conversation.''
''Indeed.'' The brunette laughs. ''You know you love it.''
Kairi snorts along with her, trying to get rid of the uneasiness threatening to take hold. It doesn't work, but she keeps up the façade, anywho. She doesn't mention that Riku told her not to tell Sora.
It made sense, considering that the two might do some theorizing on their own about him.
…Namely, how he changed.
Naminé exchanges stares with Roxas evenly, keeping her emotions in check. There was something fluttering in the hollow space in her chest that might have been a heart, but that was impossible as she was now. It was probably just the familiarity of seeing him again; same as the last time they'd met. He didn't look as pleased about it, though, his face contorted in something that vaguely resembled distress.
So she offered him her best rendition of happy that she could conjure up. In response, he grimaced, but the initial shock still lingered, creating an odd blend of emotions. Well, so much for that.
Directing her gaze to Sora was a whole different matter.
Staring at his eyes, seeing the confusion and plain bewilderment across his features was painful to her. It reminded her of her mistakes, which could never be undone. It caused so much damage in the end. Her breath caught and she looked away.
There were so many things she wanted to tell him, so he'd understand, but she couldn't. There was real danger to doing so after all, in a realm more or less observed by darkness. Or pseudo-darkness, really; it was hard to tell with only soft phosphorescence for illumination. Her mouth twitched absently.
She wanted to tell him she was sorry.
The witch dimly wondered if her Somebody even noticed her disappearance.
Nothing was going right, in the end.
Hurry, before it's too late.
The blonde timidly spoke up in a rush, knowing the answer to her question even before it left her mouth.
''Do you remember the promise we made, Sora?'' She couldn't shake the fact that her tone alternated between sharp to quiet, back and forth. It didn't sound right, not her voice at all.
The keyblader looked at her with a sunny beam, melting her insecurities briefly as he stuck his hands on his hips. These were not her words, but she had -
''I think you must be mistaken, Naminé. It's really nice to meet you, but…I haven't met you before this moment. Sorry.''
He outstretched his palm, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. The blonde came up with a white lie, fast as quicksilver.
''O-oh, really? I guess not. It's nice to make your acquaintance, too.'' She turned away before they could make physical contact.
Roxas alternated between surprise and anxiety now, wondering how the hell Sora didn't even faintly recall seeing Naminé become absorbed into Kairi with the faintest hint of recognition, settling on panic.
''How are you even here?'' The Nobody finally managed. ''You're supposed to be whole again.''
Naminé winced. She dodged the question with some difficulty. ''We were going to go together, remember?''
''You're not answering my question.'' He huffed.
''Neither are you.'' She stood to full height, which wasn't much, clutching her fistfuls of colored pencils in each hand and trembling. Thinking back to it all, it would really have to come to this.
''What are you hiding?'' Roxas accuses. It hadn't occurred to her that the void they were all in was having such a profound effect on him.
You know what to do. Catch him off guard; you've only got one shot.
''Please don't hate me for this, Roxas.'' Naminé says inaudibly.
She steels herself, taking a few steps forward until she's facing him. He stares back, still unaware, trusting.
The girl outstretches a hand right through his ribcage, past his lungs to tug at his heart.
She imagined blood, an organ pumping, clench the fist tight, yank it right out. She closes her eyelids shut and visualizes what she needs. When she pulls her hand away though, there's nothing scarlet, only a bright light dancing on the tips of her fingers. It goes right through her, the warmth, the quiet moment of peace.
His eyes widen in shock, and he staggers back, hand passing over his chest again and again, wondering if he's already so far gone that he's becoming transparent.
It wasn't possible.
''Why…how…''
The entity comes straight afterwards, taking place over the gap left behind by the absence.
She senses it, right before Roxas's head snaps up at an odd angle. The girl notices a glint of something else, something not Roxas in his expression as he grabs her by her shoulders, shaking her and shaking her until the world around her wobbles in ebony and silver. Sora's yelling, trying to pull the Nobody away but can't loosen his tight hold. He wouldn't let go.
As if he was possessed.
''What are you trying to do?'' She asks him.
''I…I don't…know what's wrong with me…'' Roxas replies with fear bordering on horror in him. He can feel it boiling. There's something there, something in him.
He stares straight at her in initial fear, before he becomes replaced.
It's one last hesitation, before his lips curl in a twisted sneer, and she can nearly see the other awareness behind his disposition. …The one hiding inside him.
She's frozen.
''You're not fooling anyone by taking her face, puppet. You think that imitating her will give you the same latent abilities? As if. Go on, keep trying to save him. We all know who will triumph in the end.'' It isn't Roxas's voice, either. The witch doesn't even have time to shriek as sinewy filaments of darkness begin to rise up on all sides. And then she can feel it, radiating from him to her, spreading outward, climbing toward her face, latching on like an infection, injecting itself outward. No sound. Her eyes widen.
Sora's running to her, yelling loudly, but she can't hear his words.
I'll handle the rest, says the strange disembodied voice in her head.
Remember, I'm holding you to that, she thinks back.
Both shadow and girl fall into the abyss that sinks around them, papers fluttering.
Just like that, the trance breaks.
Roxas comes back from wherever he was, and the murderous intent fades off. The strange gold shine in the blonde's eyes leeches away until it's the same cerulean it's always been. He becomes himself again.
He stumbles back into Sora and clutches his head, disconcerted. ''W-what .. what…just…did I .. Nami .. né?'' His head's pounding and Roxas can heart echoing somewhere in his head, and he stumbles left and right and back again.
The keyblade wielder tries to stop his momentum, but it's as if some hypnotic force is driving him right into the center. Against all common sense, he dives into the rapidly disappearing hole in the center without a second thought, a second glance at his Nobody. What did she do? Why am I? Where is she goi – His thoughts cut off mid-sentence as he falls straight through.
Roxas is gripping his head, memories flying in and out and re-arranged in his own mind. There's someone else in his head, clouding his judgment. An intruder!, his brain howls painfully. He tries putting up mental walls, but whoever it is knows how to bypass the privacy of his own mind. Struggling in a battle with his own conscience, he doesn't even realize Sora's gone.
He slumps to the floor.
It isn't a portal of darkness, Sora realizes as he falls through the air. There's no haze, just a drop that seems to last forever. There are voices around him, both haunting and terribly recognizable. A cacophony of distortions, image of rush of gnarled trees, dusty mansions, lives crushed and hopes diminished. It makes his heart ache. He can't remember why he came after Naminé. He doesn't…he can't seem to…
He's lost again.
…
The keyblade wielder opens his eyes to see a sky bathed in angry reds. The sun beat down softly, an enormous hovering flame. He's on top of a clock tower? He looks farther down the platform to see a person standing at the edge, precariously on and off balance.
When he recognizes her, his blood runs cold.
''This can't be happening.'' Sora whispers numbly.
It was Kairi, tip-toed, about to launch herself off the edge.
Flashes of purple and white and yellow flip through his head, her absurd jokes and the way she'd tug at her necklace (filled with magic, she once told him, but he didn't believe her) or drop crabs with red shells on his nose if he slacked off on the raft. This couldn't be the same girl.
No…no way.
''Don't jump!'' Sora yells breathlessly, looking around him in a curious panic. ''Don't jump.''
At the sound, she takes a tiny step backwards, and he halts his run.
''Not again. Not again.'' She whimpers to nothing, curling into herself. ''It always ends like it begins, over and over.'' And then she morphs, changing, twisting her figure into something else. It's terrifying, hearing the screams wrack up her throat as the creature loses herself again and again.
Sora wants so badly to run away from the madness, but he can't even look away. Shift. He sees Riku, in god-awful pain, darkness contorting his movements and smothering him like a vise. Shift. Then there's Roxas, writhing and choking as if suspended in the air. Shift.
There it is; his reflection gazing back, copying his expression piece by piece.
''What are you?'' he finally whispers, keeping to the wall.
In response, the entity begins to grow yellow-tallow eyes, skin rapidly darkening and humanity melting away until all that's left is a monster. It gestures toward the horizon with a rapidly decomposing grin, and then plummets to the ground with arms outstretched.
Sora looks out over the rooftop and sees no trace of the creature. He slams a glove into the concrete of the corner. ''Jeez, why won't anyone tell me what the heck is going on?''
''Because I don't know, either.''
With trepidation, he glances at his right. This time, it's someone different. A girl with raven hair, black coat like Roxas's was, ice cream clutched in hand.
The brunette scratches his head. By far, this experience is the weirdest. He wasn't aware of any other Organization member still existing, much less one in material form right here. She doesn't appear dangerous, at least. ''Could you at least tell me where I am?''
''My – no, your – let's just say our memories.''
''A shape-shifting monstrosity says creepy things to you while taking the form of your friends before plunging to the ground too? Uh, if I recall correctly, this has never happened to me. …Ever. EVER.''
''That's because those are my nightmares. It's been the same one for a while, so I guess I grew desensitized to it. Reality and dreams sort of interwove in here.''
He doesn't buy the excuse, and yet he takes it anyway. Sora takes a seat next to her, eying the frozen treat suspiciously, questioning whether it could pop in and out of existence whenever it liked. ''So how do we get out of here? I'm in a hurry. I have to find this girl called Naminé; she was attacked by this…monster-thing, rendezvous with my friend Roxas, and – ''
''I don't think you're going to see Roxas for a while, Sora.'' The uneaten sea salt ice cream starts is slow descent down the stick, gradually dripping away in the late afternoon light.
Plop.
''How do you know my name? And what do you mean? I'll always be able to find him if I believe.'' The keyblader argues, unable to shake that feeling of total familiarity that washes over him every time she speaks.
Plick.
''No, you won't.'' the black-haired girl states, bringing up her knees around her. Absently, she rolls a crayon interlaced between her fingers, Sora notices, which looks just like the kind that Naminé would use.
Plop.
''I severed the connection between you two, the bond that you two share. He doesn't even remember you exist anymore.''
It's Saturday night and Kairi's leaning again the frame of Riku's house. She hasn't been this edgy since the time she let her friend copy her test (an hour and a half of endless, repeating torture).
''It's just Riku!'' Kairi mutters to herself, straightening her jacket and scowling angrily, worn sneakers forced to endure a barrage of pebbles she kicks. ''So what if I don' tell Sora? He doesn't own me. He doesn't own my life!''
She shakes her fist dramatically at the sky, and the man on the moon figuratively looks away abashedly. Normally it wouldn't matter to her, but when gossiping about one's boyfriend, one tends to feel the shame that goes along with it, even more so for a Princess of Heart.
''Couldn't have said it better myself, Kairi.'' Riku's voice floats down from the second floor balcony, where the window is propped open to the wind, and her face goes red.
''Can't you give a girl some privacy?'' Kairi calls back, whipping her head back and forth in case a head of gravity-defying hair was to come into view.
Riku chuckles dryly. ''Hard to do so when you're screaming outside my window. The door's open. What are you waiting for, the world to end?''
''I know, I know.'' The redhead trampled the steps and eased herself inside, feeling odd that Riku's parents weren't there waiting for her. When they were kids, she'd always be greeted by at least one of them and would wait in the kitchen with Sora for Riku to come down. She hadn't realized that so much had changed in his house over the course of a year.
It was sadder, a heavier sensation in the air. The hum of music trailed down from the stairs and she followed it upstairs, turning at the corner of the bookcase and padding down the hall, socked feet tiptoeing across. Finding the source of the music, she twisted the knob and entered the room.
The first thing she noticed was that it was clean; even more than her own, Kairi grudgingly admitted. But it had such a Spartan look.
No pictures or posters on the wall, no miscellaneous doodads lying everywhere, homework and books and games strewn. The opposite of Sora's, which she hated to admit, was a pigsty beyond recognition. Everything was in its place, albeit dusty and empty, sparse and imposing. So impersonal from the last time she'd been there, which was two years ago.
He was sitting in a swivel chair, laptop open and the makings of an essay bright and electronic on the screen; on another tab, musical tunes played. Hearing her come in, he closed both screens and turned to face her.
The sudden silence made it awkward to continue to stand, so she made her way over to sit on the neatly folded bed, placing her hands on her lap.
''Um…'' she murmured, averting her attention to everything but Riku. ''I like what you've done with the place.''
He rolls his eyes. ''Just be honest and say you hate it.''
''I don't! Sheesh, are you always this blunt?''
''You have to be when you spend all your free time with special cases like Sora.''
They both share a grin, but there's that underlying fact beneath it all; it's forced.
Kairi pressed down on her pants, fingernails colored a stark shade of red. She wants (no, she needs) a distraction. ''Why don't we watch a movie first or something? I haven't really spent some time with you, and it'd be nice a way to catch up, I think.''
Riku sighs, but it's one of relief. ''That sounds great, actually. The DVD case is downstairs, follow me.''
He slouches off the chair and heads out quickly, and Kairi makes a move to follow him, but sees a sealed letter on his desk that strikes her as odd, out of place. Going over to the table, she picks it up and holds it to the illumination from the light bulb. She can clearly see the Mickey stamp of approval.
It isn't the same one as the letter she brought Sora once; if she recalled correctly, he still had it somewhere in the recesses in the room. Besides, the one she had now was thicker, physically; its weight was heavy for a simple correspondence back and forth.
Why?
The redhead knows she should put it back (Riku would mention it if it concerned her and Sora), but she finds herself taking it and hiding it in her bag.
Just one peek later on and she'll return it, she convinces herself.
What's the worse that could happen?
