20/02/2008 18:55:00
Okay, so my plan to update a story every week didn't work as I hoped. The flu tends to do that to a person. Ehem.
ANYWAY! I hope at least someone has been waiting for chapter 4 of Find Your Light, which I'm seriously considering changing the title of...to something else...
Enjoy!
~Zex
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"INNNGUUUUS!"
Mog looked around the second district of Traverse Town nervously. There was no one in sight, and the air was still and quiet as the dead, all these facts only agitating the moogle more.
"Y-y-you sh-shouldn't b-be sc-c-c-reaming l-like that." Mog stammered, hovering near the chocobo as it hungrily inspected a small swarm of bugs around a dying lantern.
Adelle turned, and smirked. "What's the matter. Mog? Not scared, are you?" She teased. She cupped her hands to her mouth, and called out again. "IIIINGUUUUUS!"
"M-me? Scared?" Mog dashed behind Adelle's left leg, and trembled there. "N-no way! W-what would g-g-give you that impress-sh-sh-sh-sh-" He gulped. "sha-sha-sha-sha." Mog stammered like a broken record.
The moomba smacked Mog in the back of the head.
"Yipes!" Mog exclaimed, climbing up Adelle's leg to her shoulder.
"Oh, no reason." Adelle chuckled slightly.
The sound of metal on metal clanging had Adelle drawing her pistols from her leg holsters.
"Okay! Now I'm scared!" Mog ducked under Adelle's jacket, now a shaking lump of denim.
Adelle walked slowly around the upper level of district two. She kicked open every door, and turned her firearms to the inside. With nothing but shadows for light inside, she continued on, and down the stairs, mog still shaking under the back of her jacket. Her heels clicked on the worn, concrete tiles as she walked slowly toward the alleyway leading to the old Dalmatian home. The front door hung off its hinges, and the inside smelled of dust and decay.
The chocobo walked in, Moomba perched on its back, and inspected a falling lamp. Its beak tapped the ceramic surface, and the lamp crashed to the ground.
Adelle turned swiftly, heart racing then let out a breath when she saw just the chocobo nudging the now broken lamp.
"Don't touch anything." Adelle sighed shakily.
The moomba nodded, and urged the chocobo toward a dusty couch by tapping the back of the bird's head.
Mog peeked out from under the hem of Adelle's jacket, and spied an old, probably out of tune, piano sitting in the corner, covered in a thick layer of dust like everything else in the room.
Adelle turned the creaking doorknob, and started to pull the door open.
A jaunty, yet sour, tune played from the piano, startling all in the room.
Adelle turned, and glared at Mog. "So help me, if you do that again, I'll-"
"You think I could play a piano with these stubby little arms?" Mog held up his arms indignantly.
Adelle gulped. "We'll pretend that didn't happen."
The piano started up again, sending human, chocobo, moogle, and moomba running for the entrance.
"Let's get ooooutta heeeeeere!" Mog tugged the doorknob, but it didn't budge.
"Over here! Over here!" Moomba ran for the door leading to the next room, and threw its weight against it to no avail.
"Look out, Chocobo coming through!" Adelle exclaimed.
The chocobo ran terrified into the door, toppling it completely. Moomba climbed onto its back, and the four ran for the next room, then the next, each door clattering to the ground as the chocobo barreled through it fearfully.
They finally exited the house, the haunting sound of the piano trailing behind them. Adelle slammed the door shut, and grabbed a sword lying on the ground to bar the door shut.
"Wait-" Adelle looked at the sword, and gasped. "Excalibur." She said shakily. "This is Ingus's sword." It had a long silver blade, and golden hilt.
"Wait, is this the same guy we're tryin' to hook up with?" Mog asked, the shiver returning to his voice.
"That clang we heard earlier." Adelle swallowed hard. "I hope it was Excalibur falling, and not Ingus." She looked around, holding the sword at her side.
A splash was heard behind them, and they all turned to see what all the commotion was.
He wore a wide-brimmed red hat with a white feather sticking out the left side, a long red cape over a red long coat, red vest, high red collar with white edges, white ruff, black pants, and thigh-high brown boots, and a gold buckle on each just under the folded white top. He straightened the black gauntlets he wore, and pulled off his hat. He had blonde hair that appeared to be pushed forward around his face, and piercing blue eyes. He drew a tapered silver sword with a hooked silver hilt, and placed his hat on his head once more.
"AAAA!" Mog screamed. "He's gonna kill us!" The moogle sat on the chocobo's head, and pulled its feathers hurriedly. "Run, chocobo, move it, skedaddle!" He shrieked.
"Ingus!" Adelle beamed, running toward the blonde still carrying Excalibur.
Ingus smiled at the sight of the red-head, but his smile soon turned to a grimace as the girl pointed Excalibur at his throat.
"What treachery is this?" Ingus glowered.
"What the hell was that noise?! Why didn't you hear me calling you, you really scared me, you idiot!" Adelle shouted, lowering the sword.
Ingus sighed with relief. "I apologize, but there is a perfectly logical explanation as to why I did not hear you." He turned a perturbed glare to the waterway he had just stumbled out of.
Adelle raised an eyebrow, turning Excalibur's hilt to the blonde in the red garb. "Does the why have a name? Or long blonde hair, and blue eyes, and a sing-song voice that grates on my nerves?"
Ingus opened his mouth to speak then frowned. "No." He said slowly, stowing the hook-hilted sword known as the break blade onto his back, and Excalibur at the sheath on his belt.
"Good, because I would have to leave you here if she was." Adelle smiled, jumping into the water.
"You are referring to Sara, are you not?" The blonde man raised an eyebrow.
"Yesiree." Adelle grinned, wading into the cave beneath Traverse Town.
Ingus held his tongue like a gentleman, and did not engage Adelle in the girl's beloved petty arguments. It would be both demoralizing to himself, and degrading to indulge the girl.
The blonde turned, sighed, and walked reluctantly back into the tunnel from whence he came.
Adelle stood on the only solid ground in the corner of the cavern, which at one time could lead to Merlin's house above, but the magical platform, and house had long since been devoid of magic since the move to Hollow Bastion.
"Sarah aside, Adelle." Ingus said, walking from the water onto the stone island. " Why call me out to meet you in such a barren world? " He asked, watching the redhead look around the cavern nostalgically. She had told him stories about training within these stone walls, having been found here two years ago, and taken in by Merlin himself. Adelle had come a long way, he was told, but those years would be for naught if anyone knew where the girl had come from. "Princess." He sighed.
"I told you not to call me that, remember?" Adelle snapped, pulled abruptly from her thoughts. She missed Traverse Town; it was the closest thing to a home she had ever known. Her years spent here seemed wasted, and she found herself constantly drawn back to the empty streets, the dusty shops, and the quiet, darkness of the underground waterway.
"As you wish." Ingus gave a small bow only he could pull off.
Adelle rolled her eyes, and batted him away. "Idiot, stop bowing. I'm not royalty."
"As far as you know, Adelle, you are not anything." Ingus said pointedly. "That's why you're here, isn't it?" He asked, standing up. "You want to regain the memory you lost before you were found here."
Adelle pursed her lips. Damn him, and his being right. She couldn't hide anything from Ingus no matter how hard she tried. It would be obvious to anyone why she was there. Adelle was always taught when lost retrace your steps. She had lost her memory, and traced it all the way back to Traverse Town, but couldn't go any farther, after all, this place was her first memory so far as she could remember.
"Adelle," Ingus said softly. The redhead turned, and looked at him with a pained expression. "I know why you called me here, actually. I'm your next step. We both know I can take you all the way back to the beginning, but the question remains; do you want to go that far?"
Adelle started to say something then stopped. I don't know, she thought. What if her past was awful like her dream? The image of the slain boy, and Adelle falling from the cliff made her wince. Who were those two people watching her fall? Did they care? Were they her enemies?
Arms circled her, and she could smell the cleanness of him before she opened her eyes. "You smell like bleach." Adelle muttered, unconsciously hugging Ingus.
Ingus chuckled slightly. "Shall we go then?"
Adelle clutched the fabric of the red coat in her hands. "Go where?" she whispered, afraid of the answer.
"The past, and beyond." Ingus winked.
Adelle narrowed her eyes, and looked up at the blonde man. "Are you kidding? I ask you where we're going, and you feed me some corny line you probably picked up from one of those smelly storytellers in Port Royal?"
Ingus shrugged. "I thought we were having a moment."
"HA!" Adelle scoffed. "We," She pointed between them. "Do not have moments, we have an understanding." she rubbed her fingers together. "Preferably one of the munny variety."
Ingus smirked. "Whatever you say, princess."
Adelle started to protest, but the certainty in Ingus's eyes pushed away all of the red-haired girl's words. "Let's just go, okay? The castle gives me the creeps, and I'd like to get in and out as soon as possible."
"Castle?" Mog gasped, grinning. "As in treasure vaults, hidden staircases to locked troves, and-"
"And fire-breathing dragons who guard it?" Adelle smiled sweetly, and turned to leave.
"Castle, castle, castle!" Moomba cheered, both he and the chocobo following Adelle.
Mog gulped. "Dragons?" He shuddered.
Ingus patted the purple-winged creature on its furry white shoulder. "Fear not, friend. The dragon was slain."
Mog sighed. "That, heh, that's a relief."
"Although heartless claim the castle walls." Ingus said as he walked past the moogle.
Mog looked around then followed behind Ingus, wings flapping. "So, Ingus, you're good with a sword, right?"
Adelle was hesitant to set the course. She had black-marked it, reminding herself to never go back. She had no idea what had happened there, but the mere thought of the castle, and everything it held made the girl sick to he stomach.
The elevator to the bridge rose, Mog now trying to buy his protection from the red mage Ingus.
"I'll give your thirty, no, twenty-five! Wait, I mean twenty percent!" Mog babbled.
"There is nothing you could pay me, friend." Ingus sat down in the co-pilot seat.
Mog landed on the console in front of Ingus. "I'll give you my lucky Moomba doll." He held up a moomba doll embroidered with blue thread.
"Heeey! That's one of my magic dolls! You can't barter with that!" Adelle growled, swiping to grab the doll, but Mog pulled it away.
"Whattya say?" Mog grinned.
"I say," Ingus snatched the doll, and handed it to Adelle, who stuffed it in her lap, and stuck her tongue out at Mog. "There is no treasure in that castle. Only death, and silence."
"Sounds boring, let's go to Halloween town instead." Adelle started to input the coordinates, but Ingus slammed his hand down on the console.
"Adelle." Ingus leveled his gaze with hers.
Adelle pulled the doll out of her lap, and hugged it. She stared straight ahead out the window at the dust and eerie heartless-infested floors that was Traverse Town. She bit her right thumb nail, and squeezed the doll against her chest with her left arm.
"Tell me you don't want to know." Ingus said.
"I don't wanna know." Adelle didn't look at Ingus, just stared straight ahead, biting her thumbnail.
"Look at me, Adelle, and tell me, you do not want to know." Ingus said firmly.
Adelle couldn't bring herself to look at Ingus. "I can't." she whispered.
Ingus leaned toward Adelle, and hugged her.
"I want to know, Ingus." Adelle looked up at him. "I have to know."
Ingus smiled, and nodded, and for a moment Adelle felt like she had seen that smile somewhere else; in a different face, at a different time. "Alright, we'll go."
Adelle nodded.
Ingus sat back down in the co-pilot's seat, and set the coordinates. The ship's engines ignited, the thrusters engaged, and the Ragnarok launched from the gummi ship bay of Traverse Town.
Adelle had to excuse herself from the bridge, taking the elevator down to the "wreck deck" as she called it because anything in the large hallway was wrecked, and a perfect place for Moomba and Chocobo to play tag and such.
Moomba galloped by, and ran down a corridor. Chocobo followed moments later.
Adelle deposited the doll in the armory, locked the door with the key, and a barrier spell, and made her way to her room. She sat on the windowsill, watching the stars fly by as the ship warped to "the castle" as it was called now. Once a place of beauty and laughter, it now sat in its own corner of the universe, forgotten by heart and time, referred to more often as "Castle Oblivion" because those who set foot there face the oblivion that is their heart's own memories.
Ingus entered the room without knocking, the door closing behind him.
Adelle turned. "What?" she shifted uncomfortably.
"Am I interrupting what thoughts you have left?" Ingus asked, walking into the room. He wore only a white, long-sleeved shirt with ruffled cuffs, and neck, black pants, his boots, and a shining green stone pendant.
"Ha ha, very funny." Adelle folded her arms, and slouched against the wall. "And no, there's nothing to think about." She stood, and stretched.
"Adelle." Ingus turned as Adelle walked past him to a chest of drawers.
"Hmm?" Adelle looked at Ingus. "Turn around, I'm changing."
Ingus turned as any gentleman would, and folded his arms. "Why do you refuse my advances?"
"Because you're disgusting." Adelle said, pulling off her jacket and tank top, and rummaging topless for a certain t-shirt. "I was sure that shirt is clean."
"Why do you think that?" Ingus turned, and frowned.
"Hey! Half naked, here!" Adelle shouted, crossing her arms to cover her breasts with her hands.
Ingus growled, and whipped off his shirt. "There, now we're even, so tell me why I repulse you so!"
Adelle stared at him for a good long minute. "You don't really, okay?" She turned back to the dresser. "Geeeeez. Masculine, much?"
"Yes, I am," Ingus walked up to Adelle, and grasped her shoulders. "And like any man, I am attracted to a beautiful woman such as yourself."
Adelle gasped, blushing. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! Every time you're here, you try to seduce me!" She turned to grab her discarded tank top, and Ingus hugged her.
Ingus left his skin absorb the feeling of Adelle's naked flesh beneath his arms, and the way her breath increased as they stood in the room topless together. "I do not come to you out of lust, or greed. I lo-"
"No." Adelle covered Ingus's mouth. "Don't say it."
Ingus watched Adelle with confused blue eyes.
Adelle's hands slid from Ingus's lips, and over the teardrop crystal around his neck. "Don't say it." She watched her warped reflection in the crystal. "If you say it, you'll die."
Ingus kissed Adelle's forehead, his arms squeezing her gently.
"I'm serious, Ingus. If you love me, she'll kill you." Adelle looked up at the blonde man. "She kills everybody I get close to."
"Because you push them away to a place where Edea can take them." Ingus brushed red hair behind Adelle's ear. "But you have yet to cause the death of another."
"I killed someone, Ingus, I know it!" Adelle sobbed. "That boy in my dream!"
"What boy?" Ingus started.
"That boy dead on the ground. I see him every night, and then I fall off the cliff every night, and when I wake up I'm crying. I can never remember his face, but I know he's there, and it's my fault!" Adelle shouted, tears welling in her eyes.
"Cliff." Ingus murmured. "The princess...you fell off the cliff."
"You weren't there." Adelle sobbed.
Ingus moved one hand to the back of Adelle's head, and stroked her hair still up in a bun. "I was there, princess."
Adelle turned her head to look up at the man's face. "When? Where?"
Ingus stared at his reflection. "I made it to the castle. They said..." He looked at Adelle, who considered him curiously. Ingus shook his head, and offered Adelle a small smile. "You wouldn't remember me back then, but when you woke up I made sure to be by your side. Always, your highness." He slid his arms from around Adelle, and grasped her shoulders. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.
Adelle grabbed Ingus's arms, and held him before her. "If you ever..." She murmured.
"Princess?" Ingus tilted his head to see the red-head's face.
Adelle glared up at him, and jerked the blonde, flipping him sideways. The motion-sensitive door opened as the blonde was hurled toward it, and crashed into the railing outside.
"IF YOU EVER TOUCH ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, I'LL KILL YOU!" Adelle shouted.
Ingus righted himself, rubbing his head. "Princess, was that-"
Adell threw the man's shirt at his head.
"-really necessary?" Ingus grumbled.
"Yes, and stop calling me princess!" Adelle exclaimed.
-Adelle Adelle!- The Moomba's squeaky voice echoed over the intercom.
Adelle walked to a panel next to the door, arms folded over her chest.
"Cranky gunslinger." Ingus grumbled, pulling on his shirt, and standing up.
"Yes, Moomba, what is it?" Adelle ignored Ingus as he stood up, and wobbled down the catwalk toward his quarters.
-We're dead! We're all gonna diiiiie!- Mog wailed.
Adelle sighed. "I'm on my way." she rolled her eyes, and pulled a black tank-top out of her dresser drawer, and pulled it on as she left the room.
"It's getting clooooserrrrrr!" Mog wailed, jerking the ship's controls, but the Ragnarok failed to move because it was stuck in auto-pilot.
"Closer, closer, closer!" Moomba jumped up and down on the co-pilot's seat. "Danger, daaangerrrr!"
The lift from the observation deck to the bridge came to a stop at the bridge, and Adelle winced. "Everyone shut up!" She exclaimed.
Moomba leaped off the seat, skidding to a stop next to Adelle then stood up on his back legs, grabbed Adelle's right wrist, and dragged her toward the pilot's seat.
"What is that?" Adelle peered at the pilot viewscreens, and the ship following at a distance. It was a small ship, but well-equipped. "Is this ahead of us?" Adelle squinted at the object on the screens. She picked Mog up as he flailed fearfully, and took his place in the pilot's seat.
"It's behind us! It's chasing us, and we're all gonna diiiiie!" Mog wailed.
"SHUT UP!" Adelle shouted at the same time Ingus's voice did.
Adelle turned, and looked at the blonde red mages standing on the lift, and frowned with guilt. She turned to look forward again as Mog climbed on her head, pointing frantically at the screen.
"How long has the ship been following us?" Ingus asked as he approached the forward consoles.
Adelle bit her lower lip, and stared at the screen.
"Adelle." Ingus's voice grew sharp.
"Hm?" Adelle looked at the blonde, and a lump formed in her throat. I shouldn't have thrown him like that. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I don't know." She said softly.
Ingus nodded once. "Alright, I'll man the aft cannon."
"Now wait just a minute!" Adelle snapped as Ingus approached the lift. "We don't know that it's hostile."
"We're in the middle of space, Adelle, who else is fool enough to venture where only the heartless and nobodies go?" Ingus frowned.
"It hasn't shot at us." Adelle gestured to the forward screens now showing a magnified view of the ship. "And besides, I know that ship. It's the Highwind, it belongs to King Mickey."
Ingus squinted at the girl as if it would clear up her statement. "King Mickey?" He repeated. "We're not exactly on the top of his to-do list, Adelle. The last time you saw King Mickey, he turned tail, and ran from you."
"He was busy." Adelle folded her arms.
"With what? In case you haven't forgotton that was at Castle Oblivion."
"I know." Adelle clenched her teeth.
"Where the Nobodies live, in a manner of speaking."
"I know." Adelle said louder.
"The last place you saw your brother, and that god-forsaken witch who-!"
" GODDAMMIT, I KNOW!" Adelle wanted to throw something at Ingus, and Mog was the only unfortunate object in reach.
Mog 's head hit Ingu's chin, and the little white moogle crumpled to the floor.
"Ow..." Mog rasped.
"I hope throwing live creatures isn't going to become a habit of yours." Ingus glowered.
"God know how long you've had to figure that one out, Ingus." Adelle stuck her tongue out at the man.
Ingus crouched, picked up Mog, and stood.
"I see a light. I'm coming mother," Mog reached out a hand, and touched Ingus's chin. His vision cleared, and he saw the blonde frowning at him. "AAAA! IT'S WORSE, I'M IN HELL! GWAAA!" He wriggled, and fell to the floor again.
Ingus sighed, and shook his head. "I'm going to the engine room."
Adelle stuffed her hands in her pockets. "To do what?"
"To get away from you since I seem to be the bad guy on the bridge today. You're being hailed!" He shouted as the lift lowered slowly.
Adelle turned to see her incoming comm. button blinking. "Shit." She approached it in two strides, and pressed it with her palm.
On the screen, Donald, King Mickey's head magician, hopped up and down angrily , on fist outstretched to the screen, the other swinging back and forth.
Goofy stood next to the duck, trying to calm him down, and Sora sat in the pilot's seat, head leaning in his hand.
Adelle pressed a blue button on her console that captured the screen image. She was almost too amused to speak, but since she had driven her sword-wielding compatriot away, she needed someone else to talk to until he decided to come back up to the bridge.
"Hello?" Adelle sang, waving a hand slowly in front of the screen.
-Ah!- Sora jumped up out of his seat, and approached the screen. -It's me, Sora!- He waved. -We've been trying to contact you!-
Adelle twisted a finger in her red hair. "Yeah, sorry, my phone was on silent."
Sora squinted, his confused face more amusing than his bored one.
"You make really funny faces." Adelle laughed. "So what's up?"
-We-GAAH!- Sora fell to the ground as Goofy jumped on him, grinning at the screen.
-Heey there, we been tryin' to call ya, a-hyuck!-
"Oh, Sora! Goofy, should you really be jumping on him like that?" Adelle gasped.
Sora stood up, pushing Goofy off of him. "Yeah, I'm okay."
Adelle sighed with relief. "Hey, how about you guys come aboard? Your ship should fit in my cargo hold. Besides, it'll be nice to have some company for a while."
-Yeah!- Sora beamed.
-Great idea!- Goofy grinned. Even Donald looked like he appreciated the invitation.
"Yes!" Adelle clapped her hands. She pushed a big white button on the pilot's console then trotted toward the lift. "I'm bringin' you in!"
"Great!" Sora gave the girl on screen a thumb up then the comm. channel switched back to black, starry skies, and the rear of Ragnarok drawing rapidly closer. He opened a channel to the engine room where two chipmunks were scurrying around making adjustments to the speed. "Hey, Chip and Dale, we're going to see Adelle on her ship."
-Righty-O!- Dale waved from atop a turbine.
-We'll keep the ship in tip-top shape!- Chip saluted.
"Let's get going!" Donald stomped a foot.
Outside, the ship rose into a brightly-lit cargo bay. Sora closed out the screens, leaving the windows exposed.
Adelle jumped up and down, waving her arms at the ship. A small lion-like creature, and moogle, and a giant chicken were with her.
"Woah." Sora gawked at the chocobo. "What is that thing?"
"Come on, Sora!" Goofy called.
"Heeey!" Adelle hopped as the trio walked down the boarding ramp extended from the Highwind. "Long time no see!" she called.
Sora waved, running down the ramp. He stopped in front of Adelle, Goofy and Donald at his sides. "Hey, how's it goin?"
Adelle frowned slightly. "Slow and steady, I guess. What brings you to this neck of the universe?" She clasped her hands in a praying gesture in front of her, and leaned forward toward Sora, which made the teen jump back. "Before I forget, I'm sorry I was so cold to you when we first met. I really do like meeting new people, I was just bummed about something."
"Hey, no hard feelings." Sora chuckled, scratching the back of his head. This girl kinda looked like Kairi. He blushed at the thought of his red-haired friend.
"And Donald?" she picked up the duck, and hugged him. "Thanks for healing my leg."
"Hey, pumme down, put me down!" Donald demanded, flailing.
"Gawrsh, Adelle, you seem real dif'ernt than before, a-hyuck."
Adelle sighed. "This is me, I swear, but I've been having a bad time recently."
"Yeah, about that. Those hearts you took from the pride lands." Sora folded his arms, looking thoughtful. "You said you were looking for someone's heart, right?"
Adelle nodded. "Yes. I really shouldn't bother, but...I owe him a lot. This is the least I can do." She turned, smiling, and hop/walked toward a door to the right.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy huddled.
"Do you guys know anything about her?" Sora asked.
"Well..." Goofy looked at Donald.
Donald gulped. "We, uh, hehehehe."
"A-hyuck, she's a princess." Goofy smiled.
Sora gasped. "What? No way!"