Khgirl08: Howdy! Yes, I have returned!!
Ellie: Yay! More of the getting to meet Sora and Company! Here are our cookie recipients today:
Danielle (the real one) and TwiDawnLight! Thank you for your wonderful reviews, even though she only updates sporadically! XD
Yay! Today's review prize: A chocolate- covered strawberry! (and if you don't like those, you get old, stale cookies!!)
Khgirl08: Ellie! Can it! Please, review! Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Harry Potter, but if I did… Oh, the possibilities… -evil laughter-
Two hours and a pizza- making fiasco later, Ellie had showered, changed into Danielle's slightly too large normal clothes and was currently eating cold pepperoni pizza on Sora and Kairi's front porch while Sora apologized profusely. "Honestly, I didn't realize that you were behind the door holding an open jar of pizza sauce when I threw it open! I didn't exactly mean to get you covered in it!"
"For the last time, Sora, it's okay. I would have had to change clothes and shower, anyway. Those clothes were beyond help, and besides, it was kind of funny, getting covered in tomato sauce!" Ellie winced as her swollen knee twinged; the multiple bruises and red cuts were becoming even more evident against her pale skin as time progressed.
"Oh, okay, then!" Sora smiled broadly and stretched. "Wow, I'm bored."
"Why don't we go back out to that there island that you, Kairi and Riku used to hang out on? That'd be fun!" Goofy grinned while Donald and the king nodded enthusiastically. The other four adults exchanged glances.
"I don't think we should do that…" Riku said sadly. "The island has been taken over by a small group of bullies, and last time we went, they tried to beat up Sky and Hope. We haven't gone back since."
"What? You couldn't take on a bunch of little kids?" Donald asked, astonished.
"Not legally."
Ellie smiled and shook her head. "Oh, you mean those three teenagers I met earlier? They didn't tell me they had won the island from two young kids. To hear them talk, one would almost think that they had beaten the greatest warriors of the Destiny Islands. But, the island doesn't 'belong' to them anymore. I won it from them, so anyone can go now." She stood up, brushing pizza crust crumbs from her borrowed jeans. "Let's go. I agree with Sora; this is way boring!"
"Alright, then, to the docks!"
Hope was running frantically from Sky when Ellie and the gang from Disney Castle reached the island, with Sora and Riku cheering them on.
"Faster, Hope! He's gaining on you!"
"Keep it up, Sky! You'll catch her soon!"
Danielle and Kairi were sitting on the small stone wall, watching the proceedings and laughing. While Donald, Goofy and Mickey joined Sora and Riku, Ellie hopped up on the wall next to Kairi.
"I can't believe that I used to be a part of those two's races. It was so long ago," Kairi laughed. Her laugh fade into a sigh. "They never raced again after our war with the Heartless and Organization XIII… They had too many more important things to think about than the winner of the week's heat…" A tear ran down her cheek, leaving a wet trail on her beautiful visage. "I miss those days when we could just be kids… Back when we didn't have to worry that our planet would be taken over by Heartless, or that our children would fall prey to the darkness. It used to be so simple…"
Danielle gave her friend a little hug. "You have to live for today, though, right? Kairi, you can't keep going back; you have kids to live for now."
"Yes, but you can't live without memories, can you?" Ellie closed her eyes and smiled slightly. "Memories are what make us who we are. We can't just ignore them and continue with our lives… I wouldn't be able to handle myself if I didn't look back at life before everything happened… Before I became an orphan."
"Ellie! Come help me catch Hope!" Sky shouted as he chased his friend past the three women. Ellie smiled and looked back at Kairi and Danielle.
"Yeah, I guess you do have to live for today, but don't forget yesterday!" she finished before jumping off the wall and running after the two younger kids. "Hey, wait up!" Ellie sped around the corner of the wall and passed the shack before slowing down to enter a door that was standing open in the tall wooden wall.
"… thought my friends and I made it very clear that you weren't welcome on this island!!" A bulky figure was towering over Hope, who was crumpled on the ground, and Sky, who was standing in front of his obviously hurt friend, his mouth twisted into a fierce snarl. "Obviously we weren't quite clear enough, so let me tell you again!" Porter reached out, shoved Sky back, and grabbed Hope by the arm, completely lifting her off the ground, before smacking her with a giant hand.
"HEY!" Ellie sprinted across the small ledge she was standing on and jumped onto the sand in front of Sky. She summoned Pure Heart and twirled it menacingly in her hand. "Put her down, Porter! You don't rule this island anymore!" She muttered to Sky from the corner of her mouth. "Go get your dad and the others, now!"
Porter smiled down at her with an eerie lust in his eyes as Sky scurried away. "No, I don't, but I also don't think you're doing an adequate job of ruling. You're obviously hurt," he continued, his golden eyes staring at her battered body, the creepy smile still on his face, "but that's no excuse for what you're doing. Why are you letting riff-raff like this step foot on such precious ground? I'll gladly take care of them, if you want me to…" He was still holding a sobbing Hope by one arm, refusing to let her down. "I'll make you a deal," he said, looking down at his hostage. "I'll leave, but only if you let me take her with me." He reached and stroked her damp cheek. "She would make a lovely wife, don't you think?"
"Put her down. NOW!!" Ellie shouted before jumping into the air. She twisted herself into a flip in mid-air and struck Porter's forearm, causing him to drop Hope and moan in pain. Hope fell to the ground but stood up and ran when Porter lunged for her. "You aren't going to use a nine year old to get back at me, Porter!"
"Fine. I guess I'll just have to really fight this time around!" Porter turned to her, a sick smile on his lips, before jumping into the air over Ellie. He brought his hands down toward her, snarling when he hit the sand instead. Ellie had dodged the attack at the last second and swung her Keyblade back at him. She struck his arm again, causing him to scream.
She ran away from him, trying to climb back onto the ledge. When he grabbed her ankle, she tried to strike his arm again, but this time he grabbed the blade in one hand and jerked it forward. Ellie stumbled into him, and he let go of Pure Heart and grabbed her small waist, pushing her against the rocky wall of the ledge.
Ellie tried to squirm out of his vice-like grip as Pure Heart disappeared. "Let go of me, you creep!"
Porter just grinned darkly before bringing his face down to her own and kissing her roughly. Ellie kicked out at him, but he just chuckled evilly and drew back. "You're contrary, aren't you? Contrary, yet beautiful, even if you are scarred. I always do like my women a little trashy…" He leaned down to kiss her again, but stopped when a black- gloved hand grasped his shoulder.
"Young man, I thank you for tracking down my rather… elusive quarry, but I must ask you to let me take things from here." The gloved hand swung at Porter's neck, knocking the large teenager to the ground, unconscious. Ellie pressed herself closer to the side of the ledge as the black- cloaked man approached her. "Ellie, you must come with me. Things are going to get far too dangerous here."
Ellie flinched away from the brush of his gloved hand on her arm and looked up at the shadows where his face was hiding, underneath the hood of his black robe. "Are you crazy?! Why would I go anywhere with you? I don't even know you!"
The man sighed sadly. "I know, and that kills me. It really does. But that doesn't change the fact that I have to help you at all costs." He reached out his hand again, but Ellie drew a deep breath and summoned Pure Heart, holding it in between them with both hands. "Fight me? Ellie, are you crazy?! Don't you understand that people are going to die?! I swear on my life and everything else that I have that I won't let you be one of them, Elizabeth Clarice Mason!"
Ellie gasped and let her weapon drop to her side. "How… How do you know my middle name?"
"Ellie!" She blinked when Sora shouted from behind her, and when she opened her eyes, the stranger had disappeared. Sora and Riku jumped down on either side of her. "Ellie, are you okay? We couldn't understand what Sky was trying to tell us until Hope came back and said that you needed our help. Then she collapsed, so that held us up even more."
"Looks like you showed him who was boss." Riku bent down and picked up the feebly stirring Porter by the strap of his wife beater. "Hey, guess what, buddy? You just messed with the kids of three of the people who built up 'your' island. You broke a little girl's arm, and you think you're just 'protecting your turf?'" Riku shook him. "Well?"
Porter opened his eyes and turned his golden gaze on Ellie. "Well, maybe I was just trying to get to someone else. I bet Ellie didn't mind one bit, what with the way she-"
Ellie jumped forward and smacked him hard. "The way I did what? Kicked your butt until you pinned me against that ledge?! The way I still managed to beat you? By- the- way- I- definitely- minded?!" She accented her last words with more slaps before turning sharply and jumping onto the cliff. "Let him go, Riku. I don't think you need to worry about him or his friends ever coming back to this island."
Riku nodded and dropped him. Porter's legs gave out and he collapsed onto the sand. Riku and Ellie averted their eyes as Sora walked over to him and kicked him in the gut. He joined Ellie and Riku on the ledge after glowering at the boy for a moment.
When the three Keybearers got back to the others, Sky and Kairi were kneeling on either side of Hope, who appeared to be unconscious, while Danielle cried softly behind her son. Mickey, Donald and Goofy were pacing in a circle, all three of them looking agitated. Sora knelt beside Kairi and took his daughter's hand while Riku went to his wife. "Is she hurt badly, Dan?"
"We don't think so. I think she just collapsed from the pain of her arm, it's definitely broken… Oh, that poor thing!"
Ellie stood to the side and thought about the strange man. He had known her far too well, seeing as how only her grandmother, parents, and Robert knew her middle name. And his voice had been so familiar…
"Maybe you've met him before. Is he from Maple Brook?" Axel wormed his way into her thoughts.
Well, well, look who finally showed up again! I was beginning to get worried.
"Yeah, well, the old geezers up here were reminding me that I had to guide you, not just talk to you. Anyhow, do you think maybe you can remember the owner of that voice?"
Can't you just tell me?
"Ah… No. I don't know everything. What do think I am, a god?"
Ummm… Yes?
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm just a guide. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to guide you over to see little Hope. Get going!"
Ellie blinked and saw that Hope was beginning to stir. As she hurried over, the girl's beautiful blue eyes cracked open. "Ellie? Is Ellie okay? Daddy needs to go help her…"
Kairi smoothed her burgundy hair back. "Your father already went to help Ellie. She's just fine, baby, she's just fine."
Ellie knelt down beside Sky, who had tears pooling in his eyes. "Hope…"
"Ellie, thank you. You saved me from that big evil man… Did he hurt you?" She blinked happily when Ellie shook her head. "Good, because I saw him grab your ankle and then your waist, and when he kissed you I thought I needed to go get Daddy. But as I was leaving, I fell and couldn't stand back up until some man with light brown hair and a black robe picked me up and told me to get help as soon as possible."
Everyone was staring at Ellie, who was staring at Hope in astonishment. "What? He wanted you to get the others? But… I thought he was trying to kidnap me…"
"Excuse me, Ellie, but what is Hope talking about? That jerk kissed you?!" Sora snarled.
"Better me than her." Everyone gasped and looked down at the little girl, who was attempting to sit up. Sora stood up and strode purposefully toward the other half of the island only to be stopped by Donald and Goofy.
"Sora, it won't do anyone any good if you go back there and hurt him even worse. We'll report it when we get back," Kairi said, still petting Hope's hair. "We need to get to the hospital and get her arm set."
"Fine." Sora turned abruptly and knelt next to Ellie, who looked at him in fright. "Did he do anything else to you? Because I will go back and kill him. Don't try to protect him, either."
"No, Sora, he didn't… He kissed me and then laughed in my face before trying to kiss me again, but a man in a black hooded robe grabbed him and thanked him for catching me for him before knocking him out. That same man kept saying something about taking me with him, because it was too dangerous for me. He told me that people were going to die, and said that he would protect me with his life, and he used my full name." Her mind was in overdrive by this time. Brown hair…
"We need to get to a hospital; everyone get in a boat. Kairi, you ride with Riku, Sky and I so we can lay Hope down." Danielle had stopped crying and had gone into teacher mode. "Your Majesty, Donald, Goofy and Ellie, you four get over to the main island and call for help. Sora, make sure you row slowly so you don't hurt Hope's arm any worse than it already is."
Ellie and the Disney Castle trio jumped into their boat and Goofy began rowing them back to the mainland. Hope… Please be okay.
Several hours later, the group of concerned friends and parents of Hope were sitting in a waiting room in the hospital, impatiently waiting for Hope to come out of surgery. Her arm was so broken from the vicious kicks she had received before Ellie saw what was happening that they had to wire it together.
A blue- gowned man walked though the swinging doors and took off his mask to reveal a tired smile. "Hi. I'm Dr. Marone, Hope's surgeon. The surgery went exceptionally well. We'll have to keep her overnight, at least, but she should be able to leave in two or three days, at most. She's still sleeping right now, but when she wakes up her parents will be allowed to be with her."
The group heaved a collective sigh of relief before chatting with each other. Ellie, however, just stared blankly at the wall in front of her. Hope spoke of a brown haired man, and I recognized the voice of the man who spoke to me. Who was it? Was it one of the people who attacked Maple Brook, or kidnapped my parents? No… I don't think so, but … Why do I recognize that voice?
The lights suddenly flickered before going out as lightning flashed across the sky outside the waiting room window. Someone down the hall screamed, and Ellie flinched as the bone-chilling words reached her ears.
"Get away from me! Help me, someone, please! The bug is about to- AAH!!" The woman's high-pitched scream was cut off ominously, and a deep chuckle resounded from down the hall.
Sora, Riku and the king leapt from their chairs and ran down the hall toward the chuckle while Donald and Goofy jumped up to stop Sky and Ellie from following them.
"Hey! I have a Keyblade, and I can fight! Let me through!"
"But I'm already taller than her, and my dad and uncle are in danger!"
"I'm almost an adult!"
"I'm bigger and stronger than you!"
"They're looking for me!"
"So you should stay here, 'Princess!'"
"STOP YELLING!!" Donald shouted so loud that Sky fell over and everyone else jumped a couple inches into the air. "Neither of you are going; The King asked Goofy and I to keep everyone in here, and that's what we're going to do!" He finished yelling and crossed his arms, a stern look on his face. Goofy rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"Well, Gawrsh, I wouldn't have said it like that, but The King has been worried about this since we found Ellie on the beach, and he wanted to make sure nobody got hurt. Sorry, guys…"
Kairi stood up, her eyes blazing angrily. "The King can't stop me, and I'm going to help my daughter, no matter what you say!"
Goofy and Donald stepped back to guard the door. "No, we can't, but Sora told us not to let you get hurt if anything happened." When Danielle stood up and began to make her way over to them, Donald held up a feathered hand and shook his head. "Don't even try it, Danielle. You're far too fragile right now to go out there, and-"
A huge shadow suddenly appeared behind the two friends, and they gulped and looked over their shoulders before disappearing in a green blaze. A woman cackled nearby as an enormously fat creature broke through the door frame in order to get its wide berth into the room.
"Oh no!" Danielle shoved Sky behind her as the huge Heartless turned its tiny head towards them.
Kairi jumped in front of her friend and summoned a flowery Keyblade. "Danielle! You have to get out of here while I distract it! Take the kids and run back to your house! Go, now!"
"But-" Danielle hesitated momentarily as Kairi stared at her, tears running down her cheeks, before nodding and grabbing Sky by the hand. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
Ellie held back. "No, I can't let Kairi stay here by herself! She'll be killed!"
"Don't argue with me, Ellie, just come on!" Danielle grabbed Ellie with her free hand and ran down the hall as fast as her huge stomach would let her as Kairi let out a battle cry and jumped into the air. When they reached the stairwell, Ellie pulled loose and took a step back.
"Danielle, I'm sorry, but I can't just leave Kairi there to die! I can fight, and I know that I will never be able to live with myself if I didn't try to save her. Besides, they'll be searching for me next, and that will put you and Sky in more danger. I've got to go back."
Danielle looked like she was about to protest, but Sky tugged her hand. "Mom, we have to listen to her. She knows what she's talking about, and besides, she does make sense. What's the sense in running home if the Heartless will chase us down?" The boy turned to Ellie and bowed his head slightly. "Please, Ellie, protect Kairi and Hope. They both need you." Ellie saw his brown eyes tear up, even in the darkness of the stairwell.
Ellie nodded and ran back down the hall. A woman with a strange, low voice was speaking in the waiting room, and Ellie pressed herself to the wall just beside the door. "Well, if it isn't the old Princess. How are you these days, Kairi? Have you produced any more Princesses since we met previously?"
"Maleficent? But… I thought that you and Pete were killed in The World That Never Was!"
"Foolish girl! I'm Maleficent! Nothing can destroy me. However, I am not here to make trouble for you. I am missing several of the Princesses I require to create my Kingdom Hearts, and a little bird told me that at least one of them, maybe even two of them, was here. One of their names is Hope. Have you heard of this woman?"
Woman? Hope's just a little girl…
Kairi responded immediately. "Hope? Let me think… I think your little birdie told you wrong, Maleficent, because I have never heard of a woman named Hope."
"Oh, well. I didn't know which one was here. It must be a woman named Elizabeth. What of her?"
Ellie squeezed her eyes shut and waited with bated breath as Kairi thought. "Well… There was a woman named Elizabeth who stopped at my father's home earlier today. But," she cut off Maleficent's cackle of triumph, a trace of smugness in her voice, "she left this evening on a Gummi ship. I've no idea where she was going…"
Maleficent didn't say anything for several seconds before responding, her voice dripping with icy malice. "Well, then , I guess I'll just have to take you as an incentive for your darling Sora to bring me the missing Princesses. Have fun!" Kairi screamed, and Ellie peeked around the broken door frame to see her being dragged into a portal of green and black frames by a tall, pale green woman with a black cape and horns.
Before Ellie could help, the portal had closed, taking Maleficent and Kairi into it. Ellie closed her eyes and drew a deep breath before another scream broke into her senses.
"Mommy, Daddy, help me!" Ellie spun to her left and saw one of the twitchy Heartless from Maple Brook dragging Hope out of a room by her hair. Ellie took off running, leaped into the air, summoned Pure Heart and sliced through the Heartless before it could take Hope away.
"Hello? Is that you, Mommy?" Hope was shaking from head to toe, her normally tan face pasty white and her berry-blue eyes wide with fear. "Where're my parents?"
Ellie knelt down beside her. "Come on, we have to get out of here, now. Can you stand up?" When Hope nodded, Ellie stood up and pulled the girl to her feet, keeping her blade ready in her right hand. "Come on, you can lean on my arm."
Out of nowhere, a gloved hand grabbed Ellie's mouth and dragged her away from the little girl, who teetered before crashing back to the ground and crying in pain. When another hand took her Keyblade away, Ellie bit down on the one covering her mouth, but the person didn't release her. When they finally let her go, she whipped around to confront them, but almost collapsed when she saw Riku, who was now wearing a black robe and gloves. "Riku?! What are you thinking? They're going to capture her, they're looking for her!"
Riku sighed and shook his head. "No, they aren't going to capture her. Sora and the king went to find the source of the Heartless while I got that little girl and ran for it. I met up with Danielle and Sky outside, and they're taking her home. That creature you were trying to help was just a Heartless who had disguised itself as her in the hope that it would be able to capture you. Where are Donald, Goofy and Kairi?"
When Ellie didn't answer, Riku grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Answer me!"
"Donald and Goofy… disappeared when a really fat creature, I think it was a Heartless, snuck up behind them. Kairi made Danielle take Sky and I away, but I came back, and she was talking to some woman with a really low, malicious voice. Kairi called her… Maleficent, maybe? I'm not sure. Anyhow, that lady was looking for two women, one named Hope and the other named Elizabeth. When Kairi said she didn't know a woman named Hope or Elizabeth, the woman said something about taking her as an incentive to find the people she was looking for, and then Kairi screamed. By the time I got inside the room, the woman and Kairi were disappearing into a portal."
Riku closed his eyes and growled. "Great. So now I have to find Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and Sora while keeping all of you safe. This is just perfect! Danielle's going to have our child in less than a month, and I'll be half-way across the universe!"
"Excuse me, but I can protect everyone here, Riku! I'm not just a little girl, you know! I can help you fight!"
Riku laughed and shook his head. "I know I shouldn't be laughing, but you're just too much. You think that just because you defeated three wannabe tough kids you're the best warrior in the entire world! I can almost guarantee that any of the people the rest of us have fought over the years would be able to kill you simply by pointing their weapons at you. Look, if you want to be helpful to anyone, you'll just stay here and-"
Riku suddenly froze. "Riku?" Ellie reached out to poke him in the arm, but her hand went right though him. When she shrieked and drew her hand back, he disappeared completely. Another gloved hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. A man with shaggy brown hair that needed trimmed badly and deep gray eyes was staring at her.
"What that fake Riku said was true, but only to lull you into a false sense of security. They're trying to capture you. They didn't know I would be coming along to save you. What did I tell you back on the island? 'People are going to die!' And while no people have died, they've suffered an even worse fate: they've been turned into Heartless. Nobody important has been transformed so far, and if you get them out of here, they won't be. Riku, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, the king… They've all been captured by the Death Eaters, and you and Danielle and the kids will be next if you don't get away from this world. Here." He pulled her hand out and pressed a small block into it. When she looked up at him in confusion, his eyes were full of grief and pride, and tears were threatening to spill out of them. "It's a Gummi ship. I think Dan should be able to fly it. She was the first one of us who could, anyhow, and the best by far. Chin up!" The man turned on his heel, put his hand in front of him, and created a large portal. He stepped into it, and Ellie could have sworn she saw him cover his face and shake his head mournfully.
Ellie looked down at the Gummi in her hand and squeezed it. It squished slightly, but when she opened her fist it immediately fell back into its original shape. Squeezing it tightly once more, she closed her eyes, nodded, and took off running for the stairs.
"What? Riku…" Danielle collapsed on the plush couch in her cluttered living room and began to sniffle. Sky and Hope, who were pale and trembling, were sitting on the love seat, Hope leaning on Sky's shoulder and patting his hand as he attempted to hide the tears that had begun to stream down his cheeks.
"Danielle, this guy, he mentioned something about you being able to drive this." Ellie fell to her knees in front of Danielle and put out her hand. Danielle opened her eyes and gasped.
"Where did you get that?!"
"That man who told me about Riku and the others. He said, 'Dan should be able to drive this,' and something about you being the best at it… What was he talking about?"
Danielle fell silent for a moment, her eyes glistening with emotion, before taking the ship from her hand and pushing herself to her feet. "It wouldn't be my place to tell you. Let's just say he's someone from a very long time ago. Come on. Sky, can you help Hope get outside? We'll be safe soon, and we can get you both some proper help." When Sky nodded and pushed himself painfully off of the love seat, Ellie was horrified to see that his shirt was dirty and tattered, and he had several deep scratches on his arms and chest.
Ellie jumped over to him and shook her head. "No, I'll help her. You look almost as bad as she does." Sky smiled wearily and followed his mother down the hall as Hope tried to stand up. "Here, Hope, can you climb on my back?"
The girl nodded and clambered clumsily onto her back, clinging to the red- head's battered neck with one thin arm as Ellie half ran outside, where Danielle and Sky were standing in front of a space- shuttle like thing.
"Come on, all of you! We don't have time to dawdle!" A door opened and a set of stairs fell to the ground next to Danielle as she ran her fingers through her curly locks of hair frantically. "Up the stairs, everybody, quickly!" She herded Sky and Ellie onto the stairs, following them as the staircase began to return to the ship.
When Ellie had put Hope on one of the two backseats and buckled herself into the passenger side front seat, Danielle was sitting in the driver's seat with her hands on the steering wheel. Not until a black, twitchy Heartless jumped onto the windshield did she press the button to take the ship into the air. Ellie heard herself join the screams of her three new friends as the ship shot into the air and through the atmosphere of the tiny world, leaving behind her brief home.
"Okay, um, now I think I just… Um, no I think it's this button and that switch, or is it this switch and that button, or maybe I should just turn this knob… Oh crap! We're going to crash into that world!"
All of the occupants shut their eyes and screamed again; it was not until their seat belts unlatched themselves and the door opened that they realized that they had made a perfect landing.
Danielle let out a loud breath of air and closed her eyes. "Whew! I didn't think we were going to make it there for a second! It was almost like the ship knew what to do. I've never seen a Gummi do that before!"
"That's because you've never driven a Disney Castle ship before!" King Mickey's voice appeared so unexpectedly and suddenly that everyone screamed again. "Relax, will ya? I didn't mean to scare you!"
Ellie climbed out of her seat and ran to the little mouse. "Your majesty! I can't believe you're here, I thought you had been captured by the Death Eaters!"
"And so, apparently, did my contact. I gave him this Gummi when he first showed up at the hospital, after Sora and Riku had already been captured."
"Your majesty, do you realize who that was? It was-"
The king held a finger up to his mouth, silencing Danielle. "I know, but I don't think you're supposed to, Danielle. How did you figure it out? Never mind that!" Mickey had just caught sight of Hope and Sky's injuries. "Come on, help me get these two inside. Dr. Quack is waiting for you."
"Dr. Quack? He doesn't sound like a very good physician."
"Aw, he's just one of Daisy's uncles." Mickey led the way out of the Gummi hangar, carrying Hope while Ellie and Danielle supported Sky, who was turning paler and weaker with every step he took.
When Ellie awoke the next morning, she found herself laying in a sea of pink. Pink sheets, pink pillows, pink wallpaper, pink carpet, even a pink ceiling decorated the room that Queen Minnie had supplied her. Both the Queen and King of Disney Castle had insisted upon their four guests getting some rest before talking about the matters at hand, and Ellie hadn't wanted to argue.
"Oh, you're awake, Miss Mason! At last, I was worried that you had lost your heart already." A thin, elderly man with a long white beard and hair to match was sitting in a plush, pink armchair next to her bed. Ellie pulled the sheets up self-consciously, but the man took no heed. "My name is Merlin. I am a resident of Radiant Gardens, and The King summoned me to help with a young friend of yours. The Princess of Heart, Hope, has been seriously injured, not only physically, but emotionally. When the news that her parents had been captured sank in, she became rather… Subdued, I suppose, and she won't talk to anyone, not even her best friend Sky or Donald's daughter Denise. However, maybe if you talk to her, she'll come out of this ridiculous state. At this rate her melancholy demeanor will be quite enough to summon the Heartless in less than a week, and we can't have that. I need to get back to my home now, but please, help her!"
No sooner had the wizard finished speaking did he disappear, and Ellie shook her head. What a crazy life I've begun to lead…
Once Ellie had gotten dressed and found her way to the clinic, she almost cried. Hope was alabaster white, her eyes staring blankly ahead and the breakfast tray on her lap untouched. "Oh, Hope!"
Hope blinked but made no other sign that she had even heard the red- haired girl. "Hope, you need to eat something. You won't be able to help us if you can't stand outside without getting blown away on the breeze! What would your mom say if she saw you right now?"
"… Ellie, go away. I don't want to talk."
Ellie smiled; Hope had finally broken her stony vow of silence. "Hope, I know you're upset, but sitting in bed and refusing to speak, cry, or any of the above won't make the pain go away. Trust me, I know. My whole world was destroyed, and I had to watch my dad, my mom and my best friend disappear before my very eyes, and then I somehow landed on your world. I know how much it hurts, but I also know you can't just lay down and let the circumstances beat you down. Your parents fought through so much the last time this happened, and they came out okay. They're probably scared to death right now, but they also know that you're safe, and that we'll find a way to save them."
A single tear ran down Hope's face before she threw her unbroken arm around Ellie and began to sob. "I want to go home, Ellie! I want my mom and dad and Uncle Riku and Donald and Goofy and everyone back! I want to be able to live normally, I don't want to be a Princess of Heart! Why did this happen to me?"
Ellie hugged her tightly as she sobbed into her chest. "Hope, I know what you're feeling, but I also know that your mother was a Princess, and look at the life she's had! Yeah, there's the occasional day when she gets kidnapped, or her boyfriend turns into a Heartless, but at the end of it all, she'll have lived a pretty good life, and she'll be able to laugh about all of the times she had. Are you going to laugh with her, or cry?" Hope finally drew back and smiled shakily, and Ellie grinned happily at her. "There ya go! Now, I think there's a certain 'best friend forever' of yours who's pretty worried about you, so I'll just send him in now, okay?"
"Okay. And… Thank you, Ellie." Hope began to pick through her massive breakfast as Ellie left the infirmary.
"Your majesty! I want an explanation, right now! What happened after you left the waiting room, and who is your 'contact', and what is up with everything that has happened to me? I just have to know!"
King Mickey sighed and sat back in his chair. Ellie was glaring at him from in front of his desk in the castle library. "Ellie, I've already told you what happened. Riku, Sora and I were all captured by the Heartless, but I managed to escape. I met up with that my contact after I did so, and he told me that he had taken Hope home already, and that he had seen Danielle and Sky on their way, but that you weren't with them. I told him to find you and give you the Gummi, and I destroyed the remaining Heartless and came back here to wait for you. What more do you need to know?"
"Who is your contact, and how does he know me? Why won't anybody tell me? Why did I get a Keyblade? When and why did I randomly acquire a tattoo and colored streaks of hair, both of which change color? Tell me, please!"
"I don't know how or why the color changing attributes appeared. It could be some kind of magical power finally finding some way to come out, or it could just be that you always had them but something on Maple Brook prevented you from seeing them. I do think that someone knows the answer, but I don't. I don't decide who gets a Keyblade and who doesn't, but Pure Heart chose you, which means you have the power it was searching for in a heart Now, if that is all, we both have things we could be doing that we much more of a help around here."
"Your majesty! You still haven't answered my first question, about your contact, and I'm not going anywhere until you do so." Ellie leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, positively seething. "I only want an answer, sir, and I think I deserve one. Don't you agree?"
King Mickey winced and rubbed his temples. "Ellie, I can't. I made a promise before I even met you, and I won't break it. There are certain people who would ultimately kill him and anyone who got in their way if he was rediscovered, and the more people who know, the faster it will be come public knowledge. Those of us who know him are in danger simply because we know his identity, and he made me promise not to tell anyone. I already talked to Danielle, and she has agreed to keep it to herself, as well."
Ellie contemplated him and his answer in silence for several long moments before she stood up. "I understand, Your Majesty. Just… tell him that I'm thinking about him, and that I hope he'll be able to come out of hiding soon, alright?" As she walked out of the library, her head bowed, King Mickey grinned, his eyes darkening.
Ellie stood just outside of the royal library, straining to keep her anger under control. Scowling in frustration, Ellie walked down the hall and rounded the first corner she came to.
"Hi!"
A duck wearing a navy blue tee, blue jeans and a poofy ponytail of feathers was blinking at her, friendliness gleaming in her eyes. "I'm Denise, but everyone around here calls me Deni. I think you know my dad, Donald. Where is he, anyway? He and Goofy left with the king but never came back. Are they on another adventure with Sora?" Daisy squealed in excitement. "Oh, yay! Maybe they'll get to come back to the castle with him, and then I'll finally get to meet Sora and Riku and Kairi!"
A dog that looked remarkably like Goofy appeared behind Deni. He was wearing a dark green shirt over long jean shorts, and his large eyes were kind of confused underneath his fringe of hair. "Hello, Ellie. I'm Max! It's nice to meet you. I'm Goofy's son, by the way. So… Who caught them?"
"Oh, Max, you silly boy, our dads are just fine, and they're bringing Sora, Riku and Kairi back with them!" Denise giggled. "You're such a worry-wart, Max!"
"But Deni… if Dad and the others were all coming, why wouldn't they have come with the king and Ellie and the others who did come? We know something happened; why else would Hope be covered in bruises and refuse to talk, why would Sky have five sets of stitches? It makes sense, Deni."
"Well, fine, Ellie, would you please prove him wrong and tell us why they aren't here yet?" Deni and Max both looked at her, their eyes silently pleading. Ellie shut her own eyes and breathed deeply.
"I want to, Deni, I want to prove Max wrong so, so bad. I am so sorry." Both Deni and Max gasped slightly, and Ellie could see the tears pooling in their eyes. "They were captured by the Heartless and the Death Eaters, as were Sora, Riku and Kairi."
"What? My dad couldn't be captured by any old Heartless, he's far too powerful for that, Max, she's lying to us! Why would she lie like that?!" Deni began to sob uncontrollably as Max pulled her into his chest and hugged her, tears streaming down his own cheeks.
"Denise? Max? What's going on, Ellie?" Sounding alarmed, Mickey ran up beside Ellie, prompting Deni to turn to him, screaming furiously.
"I'll tell you what's going on! Either your stupid princess is lying or you are, Your Majesty! Our dads… they're safe right now, right? No one captured them?"
Mickey just bowed his head. Max squeezed Deni's shoulder while she hiccupped hysterically. "She didn't mean to be rude, Your Majesty, we both know you never lied to us."
"Why didn't you at least try to save them?" Deni sounded slightly calmer, though her eyes were still streaming tears. "Both of you are just fine! Why didn't you at least try?"
"I'm sorry, Deni, but there was nothing we could do. The king was trying to keep from being captured by some different Heartless in another part of the castle, and the Heartless took them before anyone knew what had happened."
"Max, why don't you take Deni up to her room? She needs to rest." Max nodded to the king and led his friend up the hall, her sniffles and moans echoing far after they had disappeared. As soon as the hall was silent, Mickey rounded on Ellie. "What were you thinking? You never should have told them that, they were too young to hear that!"
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but they asked me quite clearly. Max already knew something had happened, and Deni probably did, as well, but she just didn't want to admit it. I didn't want to lie to them; that's utter senselessness, kinda like the way you're chewing me out for spilling your secret that never should have been kept from them in the first place."
"I was only trying to protect them! Now we have two more Hope cases on our hands and we have one person to thank!"
"Protect them? Then you should have told them immediately rather than letting them reason it out on their own! They deserved to know, Your Majesty!"
"And when I told them, they would have known!"
"When you told them…" Ellie sighed and tossed her long red mane angrily. "Who were you really trying to protect, Your Majesty, the kids or your own heart?"
The king looked at his shoes until a soft cough sounded from behind him. "Mickey, dear, what's the matter?" Queen Minnie folded her hands and tipped her head. Pluto was a little behind her, his hackles raised slightly.
"I just got a wake-up call, that's all." Clearing his throat, the king looked up and smiled shakily. "Thank you, Ellie. I don't know what got into me for a minute there, but I wasn't thinking, that's all."
The queen and Ellie stared at each other as the King retreated to the library once more, silently asking the same question. What is going on?
Khgirl08: Thank all so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! If you can believe it, I actually wrote this in the middle of July and just neglected to upload it... -le blush-
Ellie: Yep, and remember to review if you want chocolate-covered strawberries or stale cookies!
Khgirl08: … No one likes stale cookies, Ellie...
Ellie: -munchmunch- huh?
