Rawr.
Char: Yeah, she's pissed off because her swimmeet yesterday was at noon, and it didn't even get out till, like, eight.
Me: It was seven hours of goof-off time wasted!
Char: Oh yeah, and she had to redo her persuasive speech for communications class.
Me: GRR! Don't remind me!
Char: Well, at any rate, here's Chapter 18.
Disclaimer- Chyeah, right. I'll own KH when Riku and Sora find this site.
Riku: (reading) ...why do all these people write about me having sex with Sora?
Sora: o.O
Me: o.O I still don't own... holy shit...
Sora just thanked the gods that it wasn't a long journey, because with Mulan nervous and Char staring darkly ahead, things were unnaturally silent. Not even Donald and Goofy dared to disturb the silence, just glancing awkwardly at each other.
The group reached the top of the mountain, and Sora glanced around. It wasn't really much, just a snow-clad clearing surrounded by the edges of the slope. He was about to turn to the others and ask what to do next when a sudden screech brought him to attention.
A dark brown hawk – or perhaps it was a falcon; Sora had never been good at biology – was flying over them. As his eyes followed the bird's path, it came to land on a man's shoulder. A man that was currently holding a jagged sword similar to the one that they had found embedded in little Ryou's chest.
Sora didn't have to glance over to know that Char's hands had tightened around the hilts of her swords.
Shan-Yu smirked, seeing the weakness in the red-haired girl and liking it. Then he raised the sword in a silent signal.
The next thing Sora knew, a swarm of bird-like Heartless were coming up the rise. Admittedly, they were small, but from the looks of it there were at least a hundred of them.
Donald and Goofy gaped, but whipped out their weapons. Sora did the same, summoning the Star Seeker in a beam of pale lavender light.
"Attack!" Shan-Yu bellowed, waving the sword high in the air.
The Heartless, as one massive group, came forward, drill-like beaks spinning.
Mulan was looking around in panic, but a nudge from Goofy made her unsheathe her sword and start forward.
Sora couldn't check and see what the others were doing, because in the next moment the Heartless were upon him.
All he knew was a blur of gold, sapphire, lavender and pain. He slashed about wildly with his Keyblade, floundering desperately in an attempt to destroy all the Heartless at once. In response, they just bore down even harder.
Darn it…
Sora sliced feebly at the air, blinded by the colors surging around him…
Giving up already? I thought you were stronger than that, Sora.
Sora's dark blue eyes opened wide at Riku's arrogant voice echoing through his head. (1) The thought of his friend sent a fresh burst of energy coursing through his body, and he whipped his Keyblade around in a circle before slashing outward. The Heartless were knocked away and vanished in a puff of dark smoke.
Nearby, Donald and Goofy were fighting back to back, covering Mulan, who still looked totally lost. Char was slashing and hacking wildly, all the while not taking her eyes off a point at the center of the swarm. Sora guessed that was where Shan-Yu must be.
"Hey!"
Sora nearly fell into the snow in his shock. It was none other than Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po. The red-clad soldier was holding what looked like a firecracker.
"Stand back; we'll handle this," Ling said, puffing his chest out arrogantly.
"About time," Char grunted.
Yao just glared at her and placed the small reddish cannon on the snow.
Nearby, Mulan, glancing over, gasped. Abruptly she raced over and knocked Yao aside, eliciting a yell of "Hey!" from the small man.
"Sorry!" she yelled back in her deepened voice. Seizing the firecracker, she aimed it at the peak nearby.
"Oh…" she suddenly murmured. "I need a flint… something…"
Mushu chose that particular moment to pop out of her bag and demand what she was doing.
Realization lit up in Mulan's eyes, and she promptly grabbed the dragon.
"Wait, me? Whoa, hey, wait a second –"
Mulan stretched Mushu's body, causing a jet of fire to light the end of the match, and let go of him so quickly that the dragon ended up clinging to the end of the cannon for dear life.
The cannon exploded, shooting Mushu – and the flame – off the summit. The dragon's screech carried even from where they all were.
"You're going the wrong way!"
Mulan grinned triumphantly. Even Char and the Heartless stopped attacking each other to look up.
Something suddenly dawned on Char, and her expression of wild fury transformed into horrified recognition. "Damn it, that idiot!" Her swords vanished as she raced toward them. "Don't you all get it? She's trying to –"
Crash!
For a moment it was all silent but for the sound of Sora's own pounding heart. Then, in the blink of an eye, snow came barreling down the mountainside in a swirling cacophony of white.
At that very moment, Mulan spotted Shang coming up the slope. "Captain?" she gasped, and looked frantically from him to the avalanche.
Shang's expression of greeting turned to one of terror and shock as he spotted the avalanche. "Ping, what –?"
"Look out!" Mulan cut him off, racing toward him and dragging him away by the wrist.
Char snarled a vulgar word and grabbed Sora's hand. "Come on; we have to get the hell out of here!"
"But…"
"Look, I want to kill Shan-Yu as much as the next person," Char growled. "But this isn't the time! He's gonna get buried anyway. Now go!" She emphasized this last part by giving Sora's gloved hand a tug.
"Run for it!" Yao howled, his voice barely audible above the rushing snow as he turned and fled, with Ling and Chien-Po not far behind.
At last Sora tore his eyes away from hers. He suddenly realized that yes, he was indeed going to get buried unless he got out of the way. The force with which this hit him made him whirl around and start running. He felt Char stumble from where she was still gripping his wrist, and gave her hand a quick yank to steady it. Sora didn't dare look back.
The group had fled behind a rock formation, where the snow slid off the top. Without really thinking, Sora skidded to a stop behind it and fell to the ground beside Donald and Goofy.
They all huddled there, terrified, as the roaring of the snow above them grew to a deafening crescendo. As abruptly as it had begun, the avalanche finished.
Shang chanced a look beyond the rock formation from where he sat next to Mulan, and sighed in relief. "It's okay to come out, everyone."
"Gawrsh, that was scary," Goofy breathed, crawling out from underneath the rock.
Sora looked out as well. As far as he could tell, nothing had changed, except that one of the peaks nearby looked considerably smaller. (2)
Char looked up irritably from where she had flung herself into the snow. "Well, Ping, I hope you're happy."
Mulan wasn't even listening. She was too busy talking to Shang, with something unnamed shining in her eyes.
"Thank you, Ping," the captain said.
Mulan blushed visibly, and Sora sighed inwardly. Even he knew that a girl masquerading as a boy couldn't blush at what their subordinate said. "It… was nothing," the woman murmured.
"I should never have doubted you," Shang went on, smiling at her. "From now on, you have my trust."
"Thank you, Captain," Mulan mumbled.
The others came out from under the rock and stood beside them. "Yeah, Ping, you did great!" Donald said.
Char just looked irritated, folding her arms across her chest. "If you discount the fact that you almost killed us all, then yes, it was great."
"Can't you just be happy for her?" Donald glared at Char.
"Whatever."
Suddenly, Mushu popped out of the snow in front of them in a blur of red and white. "First she uses me as a lighter," he grumbled, "then she uses me as a human cannonball!" He stepped shakily up to Mulan. "Man, the head ancestor's gonna hear about this. Mulan, let's just quit this charade and go home, girl!"
"Mushu," Mulan hissed, glancing frantically at the captain.
Mushu followed her gaze and gasped, clearly realizing that he'd done something wrong. Quickly he darted behind Mulan's legs.
"'Mulan'?" Shang repeated angrily. "A woman? It can't be!"
Sora felt the breath catch guiltily in his throat. Char just glared at Shang, as though daring him to say anything more.
"So she is a woman," she growled. "Does that make a difference? She just saved your sorry life!"
"You all knew, didn't you?" Shang ignored the redhead and looked at Sora, Donald and Goofy. "You knew that Ping was really a woman in disguise."
Sora stared at his snow-ridden shoes. "Yeah…"
"I can't believe you lied to me," Shang muttered, putting a hand to his head in distress. He looked at Mulan, who flinched under the force of his glare. "The punishment for treason and dishonoring the High Army… is death."
He hesitated, and the entire group held their breath. Then Shang turned away. "You're all dismissed. Get out of my sight."
Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po, who had previously looked out from under the rock to see what was going on, were at a loss for words.
"Captain?" Mulan tentatively asked.
"My debt is repaid. Now go! The emperor is waiting for us!"
Without another word, Shang headed back toward the ridge. Yao and his companions gave Mulan a helpless look and followed.
"Mulan…" Mushu groaned. "I'm sorry. I blew it."
"Well," Char muttered, "he was going to find out eventually."
Sora looked at her. Mulan was in despair, and all Char could do was theorize and act pessimistic.
"It's alright, everyone," Mulan said, though she still looked as though she'd just been dunked in icy water. "Um… if you don't mind, I'd like to go change."
"Oh, right," Sora said. He could feel Char's eyes on the back of his neck and winced. Clearly, the temporary good humor between them was gone, clouded by Ryou's death and Shang leaving. Sora felt a burst of disappointment. Char, he realized, actually acted semi-human when she wasn't hitting him or being annoyed.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Mulan came out from behind the rock formation. She looked pretty much the same, but her armor was gone and her hair fell down to her shoulders. Seeing everyone looking at her, she smiled hesitantly.
"Thank you, everyone. Sorry I got you all in trouble."
Sora grinned and shrugged. "It's no big deal. So, Pi – er, I mean Mulan… what are you gonna do now?"
Mulan shrugged back and looked down at the scabbard of her sword. "Go home."
Mushu, who now sat on Mulan's shoulder, sighed. "You know, your daddy's gonna be steamed as a chicken dumpling."
The woman cringed slightly at that. "You're right…"
Sora smiled wider, slinging his arms around Donald and Goofy's shoulders. "Don't worry. We'll take our share of the blame." He gave Char a hard look. "Right?"
Char grunted, which Sora took as a yes.
Mulan returned Sora's smile. "Thank you."
Without further ado, the group started back down the mountain. Sora sighed; they had just climbed all this, and now they were going to have to go down it again. Well, at least downhill treks were easier than going up.
He shot a glance at Mulan. To the young woman's credit, she didn't look like her heart had just been broken and thrown across the summit. She was staring at the ground as she walked, and even Mushu, who almost always had something to say, was silent. It was rather unnerving.
Donald and Goofy were examining each other's wounds, with the mage raising his staff to heal them all. Sora couldn't hold back a smile at his friends. Despite being goofballs most of the time, the duck and the dog had been there for Sora through thick and thin. Even when Riku had briefly become the new wielder of the Keyblade, they had returned to the brunette eventually. Looking at them filled Sora with hope despite the dire circumstances.
And then he looked at Char. Like Mulan, she was also staring at the snow, and her red locks fell forward so that Sora couldn't see her face from the side. The glimmer of the barely-visible sun hit her twin blades, which she was currently gripping tightly.
She really wants to avenge Ryou, Sora realized. Looking at her, one wouldn't normally think that such a teenager would get so riled up over the killer of a little kid she barely even knew. But, as Char had proven in this world, she could get truly passionate about the things she believed in.
Sora's reverie was cut short when he felt himself suddenly stumble on something. He looked down and saw something pale red sticking out of the snow.
What…?
He leaned down and picked it up to examine it more thoroughly, but then Mulan gasped and pointed upward.
Shan-Yu's furious snarl echoed to an alarming crescendo throughout the path, and Sora saw the hawk come flying out of the air to land on the Hun leader's shoulder. Shan-Yu glared down at the ridge, and Sora felt a sudden urge to whimper and hide behind Char like a child with a nightmare.
Then the Hun leader turned away and disappeared down the slope opposite the group.
"Shan-Yu… he's alive?" Mushu gasped in shock. "Are you kidding me? Not even an avalanche can kill that guy!"
"He's heading for the Imperial city," Mulan said. Her eyes were wide with panic. "We've got to warn Shang!"
Sora thought he heard Char gasp sharply behind him.
"Right," Donald agreed, already raising his staff in anticipation for the battle.
The others raced down the slope. Sora started to follow, pocketing the small red charm as he did so, but stopped in his tracks when he didn't hear footsteps behind him.
"Char?" He turned. "What…?"
But he was met with nothing but empty silence. (3)
The brunette finally caught up with Donald, Goofy and Mulan at the very bottom of the mountain path. He was practically gasping for air by the time he reached them, and he'd tripped and nearly fallen enough times.
Mulan turned and saw Sora, who was now bent over and leaning on his knees for support. She frowned in confusion. "Sora, what's going on?"
"Where's Char?" Goofy added.
"That's the problem," the brunette managed at last. His chocolate-colored bangs swung as he lifted his head to lock his frantic gaze with Mulan's. "She's gone!"
Okay, so she'd run off on them when she'd clearly promised Riku she would stay with Sora no matter what. Did it really matter? This issue, or at least in Char's opinion, was dire enough that she could make an exception to the little "follow Sora in a stalker-ish way" rule.
Her fingers tightened even further onto the hilts of her swords. Ryou's last words still echoed in her mind; about how even though he was dead, she had kept her promise to come back.
She restrained a snarl. Shan-Yu… I don't care if he's the leader of the Huns and the Heartless in this world. No one deserves to die the way Ryou did.
Setting her teeth and lifting her chin, she quickened her pace. She could see the crimson buildings of what was obviously the Imperial city spread out below the hill she was on.
The redhead stared down at the city. A brief flame of doubt flickered in her chest, sending an unpleasant wave of discomfort through her.
Then she started down the hill.
"Shang!" Mulan panted, catching up to the captain and his soldiers. Shang turned briefly, then saw who was speaking to him and abruptly looked back away. The woman's brow furrowed, but she kept speaking. "Shan-Yu is alive and he's headed this way!"
Shang looked at her again, this time with a look of sorrow on his face. "And why should I believe you this time?"
"But… she's telling you the truth!" Sora insisted.
Donald, who was staring in wonder at the buildings of the city, suddenly gasped and pointed a ways in front of them. Everyone looked where he was pointing and gasped. It was none other than Shan-Yu's hawk, who now flew just past the crowd and toward the palace.
The captain's eyes widened, and he turned to his soldiers. "Guard the palace! Do not let the enemy get anywhere near the emperor!"
They all nodded and raced toward the gate.
"We should go, too," Mulan said, looking determinedly at Sora.
"Captain, let's go save the emperor," the brunette ordered, whipping out the Star Seeker.
Shang blinked, confused at the young teen giving him orders; then he simply nodded and followed his troops, with Sora, Mulan, Donald and Goofy hot on his heels.
I just hope Char's there… Sora thought. His throat tightened with the thought that she'd left for vengeance. More than likely, Shan-Yu and his Heartless would overwhelm her within seconds; she'd need a Keybearer and healers to back her up.
Then he felt surprised. Why was he worrying about this angry, anti-social girl he really barely knew?
Shan-Yu stood with his blade to an old man's throat, an old man who was clad in royal crimson robes. By the way Shang gasped, Sora assumed that this was the emperor.
"Now you'll bow to me," Shan-Yu hissed. The emperor simply looked at the Hun leader, dignified and regal despite his position on the ground.
"I don't think so," came a voice from up above. Shan-Yu lowered his sword and looked up. Everyone followed his gaze. Sora could've cried with relief as he recognized the long hair swaying behind the dark silhouette on the roof.
Char leaped down from the landing, stumbling a little as she hit the ground. However, she quickly regained her composure, and pointed one grass-stained sword at the Hun leader.
How long has she been here? Sora wondered.
"I recall you killed a certain young child back at the village, to 'show what would happen if anyone dared oppose you'," Char said, putting on a mocking tone at the last words. "Well, I'm opposing you now, for the death of that child. What are you going to do, you bastard?"
Shan-Yu gaped at her for a moment, as though hardly believing that this young woman was talking to him like this. Indeed, Char's voice was all the more frightening because her teeth were clenched and she wasn't shouting at him.
While the Hun leader was distracted, Shang and his troops quickly ran forward and herded the emperor back behind the palace gates. The last thing the group saw before the gates closed was Shang nodding at them.
The Hun leader noticed the emperor's sudden absence and snarled. But before he could run forward to the gate, Sora and the others ran in front of the palace doors. The brunette gave Char a quick grin before getting into his battle stance.
"It ends now," Mulan hissed, unsheathing her sword.
"Right now," Sora added.
The hawk landed on Shan-Yu's shoulder, and a dark aura surrounded the man. He raised his free arm to the sky, laughing evilly. A group of Heartless materialized in front of him.
"And that's our cue," Donald muttered, and raised his staff.
Char raced forward almost at once, slashing and hacking wildly through the Heartless to reach Shan-Yu. The two of them began clashing blades, and Sora charged over to help.
"What the hell are you doing?" Char grunted, parrying one of Shan-Yu's blows and slicing at him with her free sword.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Sora shouted over the battle cries of Mulan, Donald and Goofy. "I'm helping you."
"I don't… need… your help!" the redhead yelled back, slashing at the Hun leader with each word.
"Yes, you do!"
Char glared at him, only to whip to the side as Shan-Yu's sword nearly impaled her. "Grr, all right."
Sora smiled and dashed over, delivering a flurry of blows to the Hun leader's side. Shan-Yu roared angrily and sent a dark aura pulsing toward the Keybearer. Sora quickly danced out of the way just in time.
"See?" he panted. "I told you."
By this time Donald, Goofy and Mulan had defeated all the Heartless, and were now helping to defeat Shan-Yu. Donald cast a couple of Curas here and there, while Goofy and Mulan hung back and got in a few blows whenever they could.
Shan-Yu, however, wasn't finished yet. They had forgotten all about the hawk.
Donald growled when he felt the bird's talons swiping at him. "Stupid hawk!"
Mulan and Goofy, now preoccupied with the hawk, started herding it off to the side, leaving Char and Sora to deal with the Hun leader.
"Damn it," Char grumbled, blocking yet another blow. "Why won't he just let up already?"
Sora was about to reply when he realized something.
"Goofy!" he shouted.
The dog's ears pricked.
"I think I'm going to have to use it," the brunette yelled over.
Knowing there wasn't time to wait for a reply, he closed his eyes. His breath hitched slightly; he knew how dangerous that was in a fight like this, but it was the only way he could concentrate enough to get what he needed.
Sora took a deep breath, reaching far inside himself for what he needed. Again, Riku and Kairi popped up in his mind; the thought of what he wanted reinforced the power he felt from within…
Then Char's furious snarl broke through Sora's concentration. Evidently, Shan-Yu had said or done something to anger her even more. The brunette winced as Char shouted again:
"You bastard!"
The concentration was ebbing, Sora thought with a flash of panic.
No, no, no, no…
Everything would be lost if he couldn't transform.
Then a burst of light rent the air. Sora blinked, then realized that it was coming from himself.
He chanced a look down at the normally Keyblade-free hand, and was greeted by the sight of the Kingdom Key. Relief flooded through him. It worked. (4)
Turning back to the battle, nothing really looked different, except for the absence of Goofy. Char was slashing and hacking furiously at Shan-Yu; her rage obviously had taken her over for the moment. Shan-Yu was blocking her onslaught effortlessly, smirking.
Sora bounded into the melee, noticing vaguely the increased speed of the tread of this form, and raised the Kingdom Key. It occurred to him that he had no idea how to dual-wield other than Char's little training session, but he pushed that frightening thought to the back of his mind.
The blow knocked Shan-Yu's blade to the side. The Hun leader snarled and tried to retrieve it, but a squelching noise stopped him in his tracks.
Char stood there, panting, blood dripping from multiple cuts. One arm hung almost limply at her side, and the sword that normally was held in that hand had vanished. The other arm was raised, holding the sword currently embedded in Shan-Yu's abdomen. On the other side, Mulan could be seen with her own blade impaling the man's side; the woman stared, wide-eyed, down at the gradually-leaking fatality.
The Hun leader stared down at the wound. The dark aura around him vanished, and he fell backward to the ground, blood leaking out of his mouth. Char placed one foot on his belly, dug her blade from his body, and made the sword disappear. Mulan quickly did the same, still staring in shock at her blood-stained blade.
Sora felt something within him jerk. The next thing he knew, the Kingdom Key had vanished, and Goofy was stepping over beside him.
"What did he say?" Sora asked quietly.
Char stared down at Shan-Yu's dead body, as though hardly believing what had just happened. "He said…" She looked up and met Sora's gaze. "He asked if Ryou was my child, and that if he was, I could just forget it."
Sora's eyes widened, but before he could say anything Mushu's voice broke the silence.
"Aww, yeah! Mulan's the best! Mulan's the best!" he cheered, leaping around on the ground. "Wait, wait a minute, no – I'm the best! Mushu's the best!"
The gates opened, and the emperor walked out with Shang and the troops at his side, a stern look on his weathered face. Sora suddenly remembered Shang's words.
"The punishment for treason and dishonoring the High Army… is death."
Mulan gulped audibly.
The emperor directed his gaze at her. "I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan."
Inwardly, Sora sighed. Undoubtedly, a big lecture was on the way.
Mulan bowed, but she was trembling slightly.
"You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, and impersonated an Imperial soldier. You deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonored your family name."
Sora shook his head and groaned. "We get the picture…"
"You're a young woman," the emperor went on, not once taking his eyes off of Mulan. Sora expected Char to step forward and passionately protest that little stereotype, but he didn't see a flash of red out of the corner of his eye that would announce her presence.
"And in the end…"
Donald, whose arms were folded, allowed them to sag at his sides in defeat.
"…you have saved us all."
Mulan's head jerked up in shock. "Your Excellency?"
Sora suddenly heard a soft cheering noise behind them, a sound that grew in intensity until it almost overwhelmed him. He turned around and saw that everyone who lived near the palace had come out.
How long have they been there? he wondered.
Mulan straightened, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Yes, sir."
The emperor looked at Shang. "Captain Li?"
Shang nodded and picked up Shan-Yu's jagged blade from the ground, holding it out to Mulan. Her eyes widened.
"Take this, so the world will know what it is you have done for China," the emperor said.
Shang handed the sword to Mulan, being careful not to cut himself on the sharp point. Mulan bowed again. "Thank you."
Shang just nodded. The shadow of a smile flickered across his features before he turned to Sora and the others.
"Sora, Donald, Goofy…" He hesitated; Sora remembered that they had never really told him Char's name.
Char, who had been staring out at the sky, jerked her head toward him. "Uh, Char. It's Char."
"And Char," Shang finished. "Thank you all."
Sora laughed, patting Mulan on the shoulder. "Can I get an autograph?"
Mulan smiled gratefully back at him. "Thanks for everything, Sora."
Mushu, who had apparently been walking around unnoticed in front of the gates, suddenly spoke. "Now they gotta let me go back to being a guardian!"
"But Mushu, I thought you already were a family guardian," came Char's voice. Sora jumped in shock and glanced over at her. A smirk currently was on her features, and her eyes glittered. "You're not saying you lied to us, are you?"
"Oh, uh…" Mushu hesitated, suddenly blustering. "Oh, you know, that's real technical, just for us guardians."
"You tricked us," Sora gasped.
"Well, uh, I just –"
A piercing light out of the corner of his eye caused Sora to turn. Shan-Yu's sword was glowing and was starting to float upward.
"Gawrsh, you think…?" Goofy murmured.
Sora stared at the sword for a moment, then summoned the Star Seeker. He held it up to the sky, and a beam of light akin to the one at Hollow Bastion shot out to pierce the veil of clouds. Slowly, the light seemed to push aside this world's sky, until the dark clouds of the pathways between worlds showed.
"Okay, guess it's about time to be moving on," Sora said.
"You shall be missed," the emperor told him, giving him a small, subdued smile.
"Is it okay if we come back to visit?" the Keybearer asked, a little jokingly. He'd already vowed to himself at the beginning of this journey that he would revisit everyone.
Mulan grinned back. "Of course it is! Take care."
Char raised an eyebrow. "You two play nice now," she said, referring to Shang and Mulan.
Both gave a start and blushed furiously. "Whoa, take it easy there, soldier!" Shang managed at last, his voice a little high-pitched.
Char's icy eyes met Shang's dark ones. "Thanks," was all she said, and turned toward the Imperial city entrance.
Sora blinked and ran to catch up with her. "What was that for?"
Char gave him a look that said this should be obvious. "For calling me a soldier."
"Well, he does kind of owe it to you, I guess," Donald muttered, coming up on Sora's other side with Goofy beside him.
Goofy was giving Char a look of scrutiny. "Gawrsh, Char, are you sure you're okay?"
"Never better," the redhead answered, and grinned cheekily. "We've gotten that out of the way, and…" Her eyes softened slightly. "Ryou was avenged."
"Why did you care so much, anyway?" Donald asked belligerently. "He was just a little kid, and we all know by now you don't really like anybody. So what was with the hero thing?"
"Donald…" Sora murmured in warning.
Char shot him a glare. "It's fine, I can handle this." Her gaze switched back to Donald. "I guess you could say… Ryou reminded me a little of me. Not now, of course," she added irritably. "I meant back when I first started researching."
A distant look came over her as the memories replayed in her head. "I would get lost so many times in the tunnels, and even though my friends were always there to bail me out, to this day I still can't really go in there without being a little scared." She laughed. "What can I say, though? I liked to learn.
"I saw that, in Ryou. He reminded me of what I used to be, before…"
Abruptly she cut herself off.
"Before what?" asked Goofy, gently trying to push her onward.
Char shook her head; the shell had gone around her again. "It's nothing. I shouldn't have brought it up anyway." She looked back at Donald. "Well, to answer your question… Ryou had so much potential, and…" She took a breath that shuddered slightly, and rubbed a finger across one eye. "It just seemed a shame to waste that for conquest."
Sora blinked at her; he hadn't thought of it that way. Come to think of it, he hadn't really stopped to think about why exactly Char was so driven to avenge this child. The brunette had been too busy fighting back Heartless and worrying about where the redhead had gone.
By this time the old checkpoint loomed up in their line of sight. Sora couldn't hold back a smile. In all the journeys he'd been on, he had learned that, no matter what happened, he would always have the memories of the people he'd met and come to care for as friends.
Unbidden, a flash of a blond-haired girl went through his mind, causing a sharp pang. He didn't get too much of her before she disappeared, but she was definitely wearing white. (5) The pain brought a hand up to his head.
"Sora, you okay?" asked Donald.
"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," the brunette replied, a little shakily.
What was with that? Sora hadn't gotten a headache like that since at Yen Sid's tower, when Char's old black coat had caught his eye. Just thinking about it made his head ache a little dully.
"I think we've got some painkillers on the Gummi ship," Char said, obviously trying to be helpful. Something else was lurking in her eyes, though; but when Sora tried to get a grasp on it, the feeling was gone.
(1) Well, what? I had to think of SOME way to get Sora out of his pity party!
(2) At this part, Char and Sora were originally going to end up tumbling so that they would be in a (ahem) "compromising" position. But I figured a) that would be taking things a little too fast, and b) all you pervs out there would take it the wrong way. -.-
(3) Dun dun DUN!
Char: Right...
(4) Yeah... Sora changed to Valor Form, in case you're a total retard and couldn't figure it out XD
(5) -COUGH-NAMINE-COUGH-
Char: And now everyone will probably gather up in a mob and kill you.
Me: Yeah... because this is the end of the already-written material...
Char: But you DO have part of the next chapter done.
Me: Yup! It's mostly a filler, so they really don't go to Beast's Castle until Chapter 20. Chappie 19 DOES have a Char/Riku flashback, though...
Char: I can't wait till I get to drive the Gummi ship... (smirk)
Sora: (gulp)
Riku: God help you, Sora. Char sucks at driving...
Char: Kekeke.
Me: So, till next time!