Chapter 2
"Aww…" The old sea witch sighed looking into her cauldron. So far that woman had kept her promise. She had sent the heartless army to Atlantica leaving the sea witch in charge of the proceedings. In turn her only task, to gain more hearts for the evil fairy Maleficent to control and it was going splendidly. The witch was enjoying seeing the royal family squirm. Send a few heartless too start the fear and the rest would come easily.
"Flotsam, Jetsam come, take a look." She yelled to her faithful servants calling them from their shadowy corner. Slowly she twirled her hand in a circular motion over the cauldron, causing scenes from all over Atlantica to flash in the bubbly concoction, Scenes of soldiers fighting of the enemies protecting the city and the palace. While civilians ran for their lives, some succeeding while others failed. Soon she would pull back the army. She had decided that small random raids would be the best strategy. Keep the royal pain on his fin and will confused was the best method for success.
She twirled her hand again and suddenly the palace was there and she saw the whinny princess brats hiding in the throne room, huddling together all except one, the youngest of the brats, Ariel. Oh, how Ursula despised that one mergirl.
That daughter of Triton had given her so much trouble through out the past. Especially with that bad luck creature. The memory of that hideous beast still made her skin crawl. Suddenly it came to her, why not make the girl suffer take something precious away from her. Hmm… that opened up so many different possibilities.
"Flotsam, Jetsam! I want you to keep an eye over the youngest of the Triton brats." Immediately her babies left her side to follow their mistress's orders, making the witch sigh with pleasure. Her plans had already begun and the ocean would soon crumble at her will.
Here it was Atlantica. Xigbar had been searching through this world for a week trying to find this supposedly fabled place. It wasn't all that bad beside the facts that he was wet and had no legs. Who was he kidding it was maddening and hard to maneuver in this ocean. Everywhere he looked fish were swimming or running into him, probably laughing to. He thought he heard a barracuda call him a guppy whatever that meant.
In a nutshell he was a very upset nobody and was questioning Xemnas's judgment on this water hole. With good reason to! He thought as suddenly he felt another fish slam into him.
"Hey, watch it!" He called turning around annoyed. Yet when he saw the perpetrator the anger he felt moments before plummeted to the bottom of his head, which according to Vexen was very deep indeed. Surprisingly it was a young boy no doubt about sixteen or seventeen. He looked flustered and quickly apologized for running into the older man.
"No problem, I've taken worse beatings." He said thinking of when Xaldin had used him as target practice. "Hey what's your name kid?" The younger boy looked up questionably. "What I'm not going to eat you." With that the kid burst into a very adorable laugh.
"I'm sorry, it's just you look a little silly."
"What do you mean?"
"Well," He began. "You look kind of scary, but then you look like you've never swam before." With that he went into another gale of laughter. Xigbar had to give the boy some credit. I bet I do look a little silly. He's been swimming his whole life where as I just started today.
"Point taken, I don't get out much." The freeshooter said hoping that was a valid excuse.
"Ah, okay…" He said amazingly buying the answer. "Oh, I forgot my name is Edym!" He said extending his hand. Xigbar happily took it.
"Xigbar" He said shaking the smaller hand.
Suddenly another youngster burst into the clearing followed by a small yellow fish. "Edym, there you are, I've bee-"She stropped abruptly noticing the freeshooter. "I've been trying to get to the palace. There were strange creatures headed toward the city." She said trying to regain her train of thought.
"Wait, what kind of creatures?" Xigbar asked. It was unlikely but still maybe some heartless were already here. If that was the case Xemnas would probably want his second to check it out.
"They were mostly black and… and…" That probably was them if she couldn't describe them it was worth investigating.
"Okay, where's the palace?"
"Huh? What?" Both of the young mermaids asked looking questionably at Xigbar.
"What, you need to get to the palace right? Will all tag along I'll protect you two." Xigbar explained exasperated for having to explain. Luckily he didn't have to give a better definition.
"Oh, it's this way." The girl said motioning towards the city. While her friends followed. Reluctantly Xigbar followed wondering how exactly he got stuck playing baby sitter.
Edym still didn't know what to make of this obvious outsider. He couldn't be Alantian or Olympian, but he was willing to help them even though they had just met. He also couldn't make out what had gotten Ariel so upset. But once the small party neared the castle it all became clear he heard screams coming from throughout the city.
"Ariel, what did you see?" Edym asked, suddenly nervous about entering his home.
"I'm not sure. It's nothing I've ever seen before." Xigbar nodded as she said this, which confused the blonde even more. Did this stranger know about these bizarre creatures or did he send them himself.
"I've got to know, do you know what these things are?" Edym asked looking into the merman's only exposed eye.
At first the older man looked hesitant to share this information but then said, "I'm not sure."
"But if you had to guess."
"Look kid, if it's what I think it is your better of not knowing." He said clearly getting annoyed. So Edym decided to just drop it. Better to take his help, than to anger him. Edym wisely decided. This merman looked like he could be dangerous. Why exactly he decided to talk to this outsider Edym would never fully know.
"Alright, once we pass through the gates stay close to me." The one eyed man told the children, starring into each of the youngsters eyes. Xigbar then took the lead quickly followed by his merry crew.
When they entered the city it reminded Edym of the horror stories his mother used to tell him of life before Triton rose to the throne. Buildings were destroyed guards were fighting of the creatures while the civilians ran for they're lives. It was horrendous when Edym caught site of bodies crushed under the ruined buildings. He turned Ariel away from the site and moved closer to they're protector.
"What are they?" He whispered so quietly that the others couldn't hear him. Xigbar nevertheless heard the question but being a nobody himself he wasn't allowed to answer. So fluidly they moved towards the palace the freeshooter scanning for any creatures headed his way.
Then from the right they came like the nightmarish creatures they were. "Look out!" Ariel screamed, causing Xigbar to look back at her instead. The creatures seized this chance and pounced on him but with the agility of a cat the freeshooter spun out of range of the attack while pushing the two stunned mermaids away from the battle zone. Edym was stunned with one fluid motion of the hand Xigbar had what looked like weapons pointed directly at the attackers.
Flounder cowered in Ariel's hair as purple lasers shot from the weapons destroying the black creatures, while Edym was stuck in aww…. But what was more startling was how easily Xigbar did it. He looked like he was even enjoying it spinning through a dance only he new the steps too. Bringing on the death of these dark creatures was strangely interesting to watch. For with each monster slain a heart would float upwards and then vanish into a black cloud. While the freeshooter moved to the next one.
"Ariel, are you all right?" Edym asked noticing his princess was trembling. He quickly warped his arms around her in a protecting stance.
"Thank, you." She whispered into his chest. For a moment Edym forgot everything. He ignored the screams of people dyeing, Xigbar fighting for they're safety, even his own terror. For that moment he was completely hers and realized just how badly he wanted to be they're to protect her. But like all moments it passed out of the realm of the present. She screamed. One of the creatures was coming from behind right towards him.
The girl screamed causing him to turn towards were he had pushed the kids. Yep, there was defiantly a heartless heading towards them. Before Xigbar could think of anything, Edym pushed the girl, Ariel, out of the way. He then quickly grabbed a piece of rubble from the once proud building. The blonde charged, quickly Xigbar headed to help the lad dodging more of the creatures. The kid definitely looked like he never fought in his life, swinging the rubble randomly trying to protect the girl.
He had to give him guts if not stupidity, he kept trying. Even when his weapon went right through the heartless the blonde kept at it. He was a few feet from the kids battle the freeshooter took aim waiting for the right shot. If the kid stopped moving he could kill the heartless in one shot.
"Hey, kid duck!" Xigbar yelled causing the blonde to turn around distracted apparently not getting the command. "Move!" That the blonde understood and he quickly moved to the left letting Xigbar take the shot. "AltaVista Baby!" He called as the gunshot hit its mark. He turned and smiled at the kids, expecting his Terminator reference to bring a smile to their faces. It failed; he forgot who his audience was. Stupid, how could two fish know anything about Terminator. Let alone what a television even is.
Swiftly the freeshooter moved towards the kids. "You guys, okay?" He asked largely looking at the girl. What's her name was looking scared shitless. As he approached she turned to stare at him realizing for now they were safe.
"I'm freaked out a small amount; I think Flounder might have died of heart attack though." She said all smiles.
Hearing his name the fish finally came out of the mermaid's hair and spoke for the first time all day. "Did not, I was not scared at all!" He cried trying to save his honor.
Ariel, that was it, rolled her eyes. "Flounder you are such a guppy." The fish starred at her annoyed but let his argument go down the drain when Edym swam up to them. "Edym, are you all right?" The red head said immediately checking for any fresh battle scars.
"I'm fine thanks to Xigbar." With that one sentence the freeshooter swelled up with pride. He just loved hearing the little blonde say that and felt a tad annoyed that the mermaid was all over him.
Ignoring his twinge of jealousy he brought them all back to reality. "We need to get going, before more show up." By saying this everyone in the group was pulled back into the seriousness of the situation. Screams they had blocked out by their joy of winning this miniscule battle flooded throughout they're ears. This was not over not yet they wouldn't be safe until they reached the palace. Reluctantly the party moved further into the city.
Ursula was in shock. How could one pathetic merman destroy fifty-two of her heartless? It didn't make any sense how ten guards got lucky to kill one heartless and he just crushed them without really trying. She needed to find out who and what he was. Then she would either kill him are add him to her army. She sighed after all that this invasion had grown old. It was time to pull back her forces and call it a day.
Slowly she spun her hand around her cauldron and with a single thought pulled back her army. All but two instantaneously teleported out of the city's walls, She had decided to leave Flotsam and Jetsam. They could easily spy on her prey from the shadows and then lead it to her, when she had them in her clutches everything would fall.
So what did you think? Xigbar has entered the building. Chappy 3 will be up soon though I don't know how fast chapter 4 will be done. I've got alot of diffrent projects going on... I'll do my best though to get it done! ;)