Chapter Two
Getting acquainted.
Deita stood by the side, watching without her eyes. This newcomer, this...'Tobias'...true, she was with the wielder of the keyblade, two dogs and a duck...but this one seemed a little suspicious.
It was not until Tobias mentioned a bright light did she step forward;
"Soft! You were caught in a flash as well? That's precisely what caused my loss of navigation! My ship is usually very capable-"
BOOM!
A well timed explosion came from the dying engine...
"I...see..." murmured Tobias.
"Uh, guys? Maybe we should-" Donald raised a feather.
Deita wasn't listening, she spun around at the sarcastic remark and stepped past Donald to Tobias, "Strange, you were far more polite as a panther," she said bitterly.
"Oh really?" the black mist began to form in Tobias's eyes again, his teeth sharpening into a smile, "I'd be happy to comply," He raised his eyebrows; daring her.
"Guys- the letter?" Donald waddled over, his brow furrowed.
"Prepare yourself, pussycat!" You can change your body, she thought, but the eyes always remain unguarded. Deita rose to the balls of her feet as if in a dance, brushing the hair from her eyes, trying to lock her gaze into Tobias's.
"Guys!" Donald stamped his webbed foot.
Tobias crouched low, flexing his growing claws. They circled then-
"STAWP!" Goofy pushed the two apart. Deita shot a final glare at Tobias, and then turned away.
"GU-" Deita's scarf caught Donald's zipper and he fell to the ground.
Sora sniggered and tried to adopt a serious face, "So...we all arrived here in a flash but-"
"HOW DO WE GET OUTTA THIS PLACE?!" The ignored Donald who turned a deep shade of red tore from Deita's scarf and kicked the nearby boulder- not a good idea..." $#!$!"
"Hey ya know, maybe we aughta check that letter," suggested Goofy. He picked up the letter and broke the Mickey-shaped seal.
FLASH!
The world around them dissolved in brilliance as the party was swept away into a strangely illuminative abyss.
Tobias was just reverting to human form when the light flooded the group. It was blinding, the light took over and Tobias felt his feet fall from under him, immediately he fell towards... well towards the light.
He heard someone to his left shouting out, it sounded like Sora.
"Everyone try and fall this way! We need to land in the same place!" He shouted from meters below Tobias.
'...try and fall this way!' Not exactly the best way of conveying what was intended, but Tobias understood none-the-less.
He could have somersaulted forward and tried to fall head-first, but falling head-first with no idea where the ground is isn't exactly a comfortable feeling. So Tobias chose the more sensible option; his only other shape-shifting skill: the ability to transform into a red-tailed hawk. As he fell a feather pattern spread across his skin, then 'popped' out as the feathers became 3D, his clothes and weapons melted away and his body began to shrink. His nose hardened, curved and melded with his lips to form a beak, his legs grew thin and smaller as his toes became the sharp talons of a predatory bird. His arms flattened into wings, and all-of-a-sudden his bones became the hollow bones of any creature of the sky. The transformation was complete.
He tucked his wings in and dove towards Sora's voice, the eyes of a hawk that he had taken on soon found the dim shadows of Sora and the others even through the blinding light. He arrived at the same altitude as Sora, Donald, and Goofy; only the girl was left, falling a few meters before Sora and company.
Tobias started to shape shift back to human but whilst the changes took place he used the telepathic skill that came with shape-shifting; thought-speech. The ability to, whilst in an animal form only, communicate with others by thinking what one needs to say; the advantage being that you can communicate without a mouth, voice box, or vocal chords and the fact that you can direct the thought-speech to specific people; very helpful in battle so that your enemy doesn't hear your next move. Tobias used this thought-speech ability to tell Sora, Donald and Goofy to dive forward about three meters where the girl was. Soon Tobias was human again and without his thought-speaking ability, in the company of Sora, his sidekicks, and the girl, he fell towards the unknown.
As the group fell Sora told the two new-comers of why he, Donald and Goofy had been in the strange land of an endless path, of how they had closed Kingdom Hearts and were now trying to find the King, Riku and eventually Kairi. He explained how they had chased Pluto with the letter up until the moment Deita arrived, here Deita briefly explained her first appearance and acquaintance with Sora and the others. Tobias also took the time to explain how he had contacted Sora whilst in the form of a bird.
Eventually the light dimmed a little but remained constant and present still, Tobias and the others were silent and in a state of when faith and fear collide; they believed that the abyss of light was King Mickey's doing but failed to see when it would end, where it was taking them, and whether they were in safe hands. Deita opened her mouth to suggest Tobias shape-shift to hawk again but suddenly her feet arrived on a platform, she looked down but only saw the abyss, the others too were standing and looking down, they continued to fall but while standing on this invisible platform as if it were an elevator.
"Donald? Goofy? Do you think this is the King's doing?" Sora asked, but Goofy and Donald got no time for a reply.
"Yes Sora. Well it seems the introductions have been made and the journey has partially begun." Transpired a voice from the light.
"THE KING!" Donald and Goofy shouted in sync. They frantically began edging around the platform looking for the source of the voice, but to no avail, only being surrounded by light.
"Donald, Goofy, I'm afraid you won't find my body. I'm so very far away, but I was able to send my voice to you for such brief a moment. Sora, the key-bearer, you have a new journey ahead of you. Though it may seem much like the last one; ridding each world of Heartless, it is different. Alas, the number of footsteps you take will grow old before you learn of the difference, a difference so subtle yet so very important. Your journey starts after the light Sora, in a new world, but this time you need help Keyblade Master. Not just Donald and Goofy, however fine a job they do, but more. I have brought Deita and Tobias who may seem like strangers now but will grow to be your companions soon enough, this is important - they share skills like no other, and may be unique but have something in common; good hearts. Let Deita and Tobias help you as they will, trust me when I say they will be most worthy companions in the journey to come." Mickey explained as everyone continued looking around anyway.
"Well to tell you the truth I've been wandering all my life, a drifter if you will, looking for purpose; ridding each world of Heartless will be a difficult task and take great skill but I'm up for the challenge; I'm ready to help you Sora and give my life meaning." Tobias told Mickey through thin air and Sora next to him.
"Great skill that you all share; a wise man once said 'United we stand, divided we fall'; you can do this together all you have to do is believe in yourselves and always remember that no matter how deep the darkness a light always shines within." Mickey explained.
"I must leave now, but I will be there to guide you when the going gets tough. And who knows, maybe we might just meet up." Mickey's voice evaporated leaving the companions-to-be looking to each other.
"Well I'm eager to fight, what about you Deita?" Tobias asked Deita, who's name he learnt whilst falling through the light, they all turned to Deita who hadn't said anything yet.
Deita adjusted her scarf and turned away, "So…The disembodied king of two...farm animals...gives his expectations of myself accompanying you to go gallivanting after himself with the pussycat whilst ridding every world we happen to pass of the heartless...and you immediately assume my consent?" She turned away walking across the platform surrounded by light. Finally, she paused for the dramatic effect, her back still to the party. "Well, you are fortunate;" she pirouetted and smiled, "I just happen to be on the hunt as well!" She smiled.
Tobias was suspicious and just about to ask Deita why she used the word 'hunt' when suddenly the encircling light dissolved and the unseen platform beneath them smoothed out into the texture of grass and a few cobbled stones. The group looked around but only seemed to be enveloped by nature, a few trees but mostly bushes and shrubbery.
"King Mickey?! Where are we?!" Donald yelled to the trees.
Where indeed?