Chapter 4

A Town Both Peculiar and Familiar

When he came to, Riku found that he was staring up at tall towers shooting up over him, partially blocking out the orange sky. An audible groan escaped his mouth, followed by sudden confusion as he realized three things. The first was that these 'towers' were not towers but in fact trees. The second thing to note was that he did not have full autonomy over his body. His hands and ankles were tied by rope to a long pole, leading to the third discovery—his body was hanging from said pole placed mid-air between two low hanging branches.

CAW CAW!

Looking back up, Riku spotted a crow perched on a branch above him. Its beady black eyes looked down on him, almost with curiosity, though it never made an attempt to act if curiosity was indeed its motivation.

Riku instead focused on what was in front of him, primarily his hands. They were tied up but whoever had done so had done their job terribly. It was easily the work of an amateur and Riku didn't need to be an expert on ropes (despite knowing how to tie them himself from his days back on the island) to get out of it.

The island… he chuckled at a fond memory that had resurfaced. He and Sora had been practicing using fishing nets, their goal being to bring back 'tons of 'em' in his friend's own words so that they could impress the village. Fish was a big thing back on the island. About thirty percent of the adult males on the island participated in fishing in some way, be it their actual jobs or as a hobby. Perhaps it was his and Sora's way of trying to be like the adults. In any case, Sora had got himself entangled in his fishing net way more times than he probably would ever care to admit or remember…

Riku was snapped out of his memories as he heard some rustling from underneath him. He turned his head to the side and glanced downwards to see the same strange tiny men emerging from the bushes, only there were definitely more this time.

As they all encircled him below, one of them stepped forward. He was different from the others, mainly in that his beard was a youthful brown to the others' grays and whites.

"Well, tickle my pickle, I didn't think this would work. We've finally caught one of you giants," he said. "Welcome to our humble abode, human. Not every day one of your kind wanders this deep into the forest, but then again you didn't exactly 'wander' in, did you, human?"

The gnome gave a wry smile and shook his head before continuing, "Oh, where are my manners? And they say you humans are the rudest. My apologies, I'm Jeff. And going clockwise we have Steve, Carson, Jason, Mike, Andy and… and er… um… what was your name again?"

"Shmebulock!" the other creature cried out. Riku recognised him as the one who had thrown up earlier from his rather scraggly unkempt beard compared to the others.

"Yeah, you really need to change that. No one is going to remember that!"

"Shmebulock," the creature responded.

"No, it really isn't that easy," Jeff said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Oh yeah, and uh, we're basically gnomes. So there's that."

"I don't care," was Riku's unperturbed reply.

"And we're off to a good start…" Jeff said with a wince. "You know, when people usually see us, which isn't all that often, they usually tend to be pretty shocked by our… uh… form."

"Seen stranger," Riku said. "And it isn't what someone looks like that matters. It's what they do."

"Huh. I think that's a compliment? Shucks, human, that was a nice sentiment," Jeff said.

"I think you're mistaken. It wasn't a compliment. You literally kidnapped me. As I said, it's what they do that matters."

Jeff blinked. "Huh. Yeah, I guess that complicates things. The sacrifice probably doesn't help either."

Sacrifice? Riku repeated this word to the gnome who seemed obsessed with digging into his ear as though he were trying to fish out a massive amount of earwax.

"Haven't you seen it? The omen of the eldritch god!"

"Omen!" The other gnomes repeated in unison.

"What are you talking about?" Riku asked. He wasn't even sure why he was giving them the time of day. Perhaps if he kept them talking, he could figure a way out of his predicament. The ropes around his wrists were just loose enough that he could start working on loosening them even further.

"Surely you've seen it? That strange heart-shaped moon in the sky that appears and disappears once in a while. It's a sign of the end times, just like the ancient prophecy foretold. The only way to delay the inevitable is the blood of a virgin and-" At this point, Jeff burst out laughing. "Okay, I can't, I can't… oh brother, that was a good laugh. Did I get ya? Oh, I've seen way too many of you humans' horror movies. Ahh, anyway… but seriously though, we do need a sacrifice to stave off the eldritch god, as the prophecy says. That part's true."

"Of course it's a prophecy…" Riku muttered under his breath. It did intrigue him, but between that and focusing on getting out of his restraints to avoid said prophecy coming to pass, he knew which he would rather have. "Well I don't mean to get in the way of your little fantasy role play but sacrificing me isn't going to do anything. That thing you're seeing isn't a god."

"Then what, pray tell, is it?" Jeff asked.

That… was a good question. How exactly could Riku tell them that what they were staring at was an all-powerful entity of unknown power and wisdom? Well… he supposed that matched the description of a god, in a way. Riku had never really thought about it like that before. The only thing it wasn't was an acting being.

"Listen," Riku started. "You let me go, and we can forget this happened. You haven't already done this before, have you? Ritualistic sacrifice?"

"Oh, goodness no. You're the first, actually. I'm practically sweating just thinking about it. I know you can't see it on our faces but gnomes inwardly sweat, that's why."

"Uh-huh, I didn't ask," Riku said, his brows furrowed. "But the point is you aren't criminals, and there's no reason to start now. At the very least, don't bring your friends into this. If you're going to kill me, do it yourself."

Jeff looked back at his companions for a second. It was enough to Riku to work on the rest of his wrist binds. Finally loose, he drew his hands apart and leaned forward until he was in a curved position. Summoning his Keyblade, he aimed his Keyblade at the binds on his legs and cast Fire. For a split second, he could feel the heat of the flames tear into his ankle, but gravity soon took its toll, sending him on a collision with the ground. The gnomes dived out of the way as he landed, and Riku spared no expense in kicking up off the ground and breaking off into a run. He heard the snapping of twigs underneath his feet as he worked his way around the various trees in the area. He wasn't particularly sure where he was going but he could figure that one out later. As long as it wasn't anywhere near those things.

Eventually, he emerged out onto a dirt path. A better sign than none at all. The only question was whether to turn right or continue on his left. Just then, he heard a heavy stomping coming from behind him. STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. With each stomp, Riku could feel an approaching sense of dread. And then the creature finally emerged onto the path at last.

"You've got to be kidding me," Riku said. He restrained himself from rolling his eyes and summoned his Keyblade. It wasn't that the creature wasn't menacing per se, but looking beyond its greater sum to its constituent parts made the veneer itself seem comical to him. He remembered back to times when, as a kid, he would watch shows where giant robots merged or stacked on top of other robots in order to form new more powerful ones. It was no different here. Rather than working as individual units, the gnomes had seemingly merged together to become something altogether different.

"Right arm gnomes, it's clobberin' time!" The gnome in the middle of the creature (which Riku presumed to be Jeff) ordered. The gnome giant ran forward and swung at Riku, the gnomes on its arms changing their formation as it did so in order to alter the shape of its hand. Riku backed away from the transformed hammer only for the monster to raise its left arm at him. One of the gnomes shot forth like a rocket from the arm, forcing Riku to twist his arms at an odd angle to deflect the living missile.

Damn, that was fast, Riku thought as he watched the detached gnome re-join with its comrades. It may have looked silly but that didn't mean he could let his guard down.

"Do you think that dinky looking weapon can beat us? Face the fully unmatched power of the unbeatable gnome army!" Jeff yelled from within.

"Dinky?" Riku repeated. He quickly rolled out of the way. As the creature shot two more gnomes at him. The creature then quickly followed up by firing off more rounds of gnomes, as though it were assuming the stance of a gun-slinging cowboy. Each time, the gnomes would run back to the creature as quickly as their tiny legs could carry them to resume their bonded formation.

The Gnome giant moved in, this time using its arm as a pointy-hatted blade. After meeting Riku's Keyblade a couple of times. The monster backed away and began spinning with both its arms out. Riku spread his legs and assumed his stance, waiting patiently for the monster to get nearer. Just as the creature was about to attack him however, a foreign object smashed into it from the side, separating the gnomes and knocking them away like bowling pins.

Riku watched with momentary confusion plain on his face as the rolling entity unfurled in front of him, revealing the effervescent legs of a horse. Its body was a translucent glow with branches of electricity serving as its skeletal structure. It reminded Riku of a shining crystal. It was further accompanied by a translucent cape attached to its back, gently fluttering in non-existent wind. Or perhaps it was a mane?

Was it a new type of Wraith or just another strange creature among what seemed to be a land with other strange beings? Well it certainly beat taking on the comedy relief troupe, anyway.

The crystalline horse bucked about wildly, pounding its hoofs into the ground. Quickly it whipped around like a whirlwind, throwing itself at Riku who dived out of the way just in time. The horse's body smashed against the tree, some of its leaves falling off its branches as a result. Relentless in its pursuit, it charged towards Riku once again who was back on his feet. Riku held up his guard with both hands just as the horse was about to slam into him.

Damn, this thing sure is persistent! Riku inwardly cursed with gritted teeth as he felt an incredible force driving into his Keyblade. Snarling, Riku put as much strength as he could muster into keeping his guard up. Quickly parting from the body of his blade with his left hand, he leaned back with his left shoulder before driving his palm back onto the blade. There was a quick vibration from his Keyblade as the horse was blasted backwards following a quick flash of light.

Let up and you lose the advantage, something told Riku in the back of his mind. He leaned back again with the same shoulder, this time throwing out a Dark Firaga as he drove his palm forward. The horse whipped around, its mane dissolving the projectile as it connected. Facing Riku once again, the horse leaned back on its hind legs as though performing a majestic bow. The lightning inside its body began radiating a soft glow as crackling and hissing electricity traveled from inside to out with increasing frequency.

Riku gritted his teeth, wincing as he felt a sudden shift in the air around him. He could sense the thickness of the electrical surge enveloping him, causing the hair on his skin to stand on end. It was as though it had suddenly become harder to breathe.

Come on… focus… Riku looked up at his own Keyblade, trembling violently. Had it just become heavier or was he imagining it?

He looked away and tried to focus back on the foe in front of him. Tried being the key word. Why was he struggling to keep his eyes open? If this was a Wraith, it was unlike any he had fought before.

And then it suddenly stopped. Riku found that he was able to open his eyes fully once again. The feeling of electricity around him had suddenly dissipated and a glow no longer surrounded the creature. Was this some sort of prelude to an attack? He couldn't let his guard down just yet. But no matter how long he waited, the attack never came.

Riku let his guard down, albeit slightly, bewildered. The horse looked off to its side, looked back at Riku, then turned around and galloped off into the trees. Riku's furrowed brow lay plastered on his face, even as his Keyblade dropped to his side and dematerialised. He stood there, for how long he didn't know. He wasn't even aware of how much time had passed when he finally looked away from the direction the horse had escaped off into.

He should give choice. That much felt obvious to him. If that thing really was a Wraith then anyone in the vicinity would be in danger. But something kept him grounded on the spot. The electricity was no longer there, but its presence lingered and had paralyzed him. That feeling of weakness… he had never known it to bother him in recent times as much as it had now. There had been a time when being weak was something he had desperately tried to kill inside him. Letting go of attachments that once were, in order to become stronger and protect what he felt mattered at that point. He was wrong then and he knew it, so why was that feeling creeping back up on him now when he was so much wiser than he was back then?

Probably best not to stay here. Last thing I need is a bunch of gnomes kidnapping me again. It was enough of a motivation for Riku to find the strength to move anyway. His legs began moving on their own accord as he hurried further into the forest on the trail of the mysterious enemy.

Riku had learned to keep track of the time of day as a way of pacing himself. By looking at the position of the water tower's shadow in relation to the sun, this was how he had come to know it was the afternoon by the time he emerged out into the open. He was greeted to a view much unlike any he had ever seen. The buildings in front of him weren't grand by any means. As he stepped out into the town square, he took in shops and places of interest that were less than ostentatious. Looking above them he could see that the entire town was surrounded by trees and mountains. It was an idyllic town. On any other occasion, it would have been perfect for a postcard.

Riku made his way down the street, glancing sideways as the citizens of the town looked back at him with curious faces. He wasn't exactly dressed to fit in, he realized, and the eyepatch certainly didn't help either but there was not much that could be done about that.

More than anything though, Riku was acutely aware of just how hungry he was. He hadn't really eaten anything since leaving Middleton for the Senior's island, and that was quite a long time now. The growling of his stomach only further served to confirm his needs.

He found solace in a diner not too far from his current location. Above it was a large wooden sign that said 'Greasy's Diner' and below was a smaller sign: 'We have food'. Riku smirked at this. It was as though he were being hit with a brick with a note on it that said, "Over here, stupid!"

He pushed open the door and stepped into the ringing of a chime. The sounds of hissing and the humming of electrical applications filled his ears as he transitioned from the relatively quiet scenery into this new setting. Wooden boards reached across the floor, some giving off a creak as he stepped on them. The diner itself gave off a homely vibe, almost like a café but with booths stretching across along the windows from one side of the diner to the other.

"Welcome to Greasy's Diner, hun. Oh? I haven't seen you around these parts before! Handsome to boot too!" The woman at the front of the restaurant greeted him with a wink. She wore a white coffee-stained apron over her pink shirt, suggesting she was probably a waitress. In her right hand, she held a stack of plates over her shoulder. Riku couldn't help but sniff. The scent of onions seemed to be coming from the waitress. One of her eyes was also closed, he noticed, and what he initially thought was a black eye, he realized on second inspection was blue eyeliner.

Riku looked back to the door for a moment. "Err, I heard you have food?"

"Where'd ya get that idea?" the waitress asked with a blank expression. Riku wasn't sure what to say. Then she burst out laughing. "Oh, I'm just messing with you, hun! That's what it says on the sign! Believe it or not we have a few types who come in here thinking we do something else. And I thought my eyesight was bad!"

"That's definitely… a mistake to make," Riku said. He soon winced again as his stomach growled to be satiated.

"Well, someone's hungry! You know what, hun. Since it's your first time here, it's on me. Name's Susan, by the way."

"Riku. And that's okay, I can pay, I… uh…" Riku fished into his pockets and a few seconds later pulled them empty-handed.

"Oh, trust me, it's no problem. Now, what would you like?" Susan walked over to the counter and retrieved a pen and notepad.

"Er, what do you recommend?" Riku asked. It wasn't as if he knew what they were serving but he would take just about anything right now.

Susan seemed to think about it, moving her index finger to the corner of her mouth, but only for a moment. The next thing Riku knew, she had clicked her fingers. "I got just the thing. Simple is best. If you haven't been here before then you have to try our pancakes. Just take a seat by one of the booths there and your food will be with you in the blink of an eye. Well, the one good eye that both of us have.

Riku gave a small smile. She gave a grin in response and walked off, calling out to the cook as she did so. Riku walked over to one of the booths and sat down, his hands cupped as he looked out of the window. The sounds of the kitchen in the back coming alive disrupted the peaceful quietness but even that was calming in its own way.

What was this, the first time in a while he had had a moment to himself? He hadn't thought about it before but he had always been moving. Constantly moving. Only now when experiencing a moment of peace did he grasp how much he truly missed this. It was funny, a town like this, he mused as he took in the small portion of the town he could see in front of him. It wasn't like Traverse Town or Radiant Garden. It was smaller. Quieter. In other words, it was just like his home. What he wouldn't give to be on the Destiny Islands right now, with his friends overlooking the sparkling sea at sunset. Once, he had found it boring. Now, he would rather dream of that than what he currently dreamed of.

The smell of bacon soon wafted its way into his nostrils and soon enough, a plate was delivered right in front of them. Soft, fluffy pancakes stacked on top of one another, drizzled in syrup with butter softly melted on top and two streaks of bacon.

"There you go! Now if that ain't a beaut! Eat up, sugar!"

"Thank you," Riku said.

"Oh, you're so formal. Stop it!" the giggling Susan cried as she slapped Riku on the back a little too hard.

"My bad. I'll try to be less formal," Riku croaked with a wince.

"So what brings you here, Riku?" she asked, sitting on the bench opposite him.

Riku looked down on his plate as if it held the answers he was seeking. "Just passing through I guess. This town's amazing."

Susan dismissed the compliment with a gesture of her hand. "Oh, you don't have to lie. There's not much do in this town unless you're here for family. Although it certainly does have its colorful cast of characters, I'll tell you that."

"I can believe that," Riku agreed. It wasn't everyday he was kidnapped by a bunch of gnomes after all. "Have you lived here your entire life?"

"You betcha! Born and raised. I did dream of hitting it big when I was a kid though. Of being in the pictures and having my name on the walk of fame along with all the other A-listers. What young girl doesn't dream of that at age 11? But instead I just became plain big!" Susan chortled at her own joke.

"You can still do it if you want. You should never give up on your dreams," Riku said.

"Aww, shucks. Well I admire the optimism but it's okay. I've learned that some things you just aren't cut out for. Plus, I love this town too much now to let it go. Sure it's quiet but every now and again some new folk pass by just like yourself and I get to hear some interesting stories. Speaking of, what was your dream when you were young?"

"Mine?" Riku almost scoffed at that. How could he tell her that he had dreamt of traveling to other worlds from a young age? He took up his fork and knife and cut into his pancakes, using this as his chance to choose his words carefully. "Traveling, I suppose." He finally landed on. "I wanted to explore."

"Oh like that Dr. Jones fella!" Susan exclaimed.

"Err, sure?" Riku replied, not sure what she was talking about. "But I guess my dream then isn't too far from what I'm doing right now."

"Always love a good success story!"

"I wouldn't exactly call it a success. I thought that by leaving my home I'd learn more, but I'm honestly finding that the more I explore, the less I understand, not just about the world, but myself. Not exactly sure that this was what 11 year old me was thinking when he thought about leaving his home. Talk about a monkey's paw situation."

Riku lifted the square piece of stacked pancakes he had cut away from the plate and straight into his mouth, tasting the fluffy texture mixed with the sweetness of syrup immediately. He decided he was probably going to eat a little faster now.

Susan laughed at this. "I see you like it! Perhaps you should take things a little slower though. Both with the pancakes and life. Settle down and take it easy."

Wouldn't that be nice, Riku thought. If only he had the luxury to settle down and take it easy. If he had heard that advice a few months ago he may have even considered it, but they were living in a very different world from a few months ago. He was envious of that privilege. She wasn't aware of that. She could go on living her life as normal. He, on the other hand, could not.

But at the very least, in this very moment, who could forget about what was ahead of him and focus on the now. He certainly owed it to the generosity of Susan, at least. He stabbed his fork into the pancake again, about to dissect the next piece to eat when the bell at the door rang. Riku paid the newcomer no attention, his food already touching his tongue when the person stood in front of his booth.

"Well well well, I never thought I'd find one of his friends here. Riku, isn't it?"

A/N: Well hello there mysterious person. Wonder who this is? :shrugs: Anyway, we're not going to be pumping the breaks with this story. We're going to keep going so you shouldn't have to wait too long to see the next part. Until then, be sure to leave your thoughts and I hope to get the next part out very soon!