72. Scar Tissue
A/N: Depression/suicide mention trigger warning. Stay safe, readers.
...
No matter how many times he went through it, the Huntsman could not get used to the roller coaster.
He had tried in vain to find the door that everyone used to exit the laboratory first, but by some enchantment, it seemed to only exist when you needed to leave. As for whatever entrance Vexen used to bring patients to the medical bay, he was keeping that secret hidden. The Huntsman was sure Vexen had brought him through a door when his arm was dislocated, but it seemed to no longer be there. If you wanted to actually enter the laboratory without Vexen's assistance, you had to endure the roller coaster.
So the Huntsman rode the roller coaster. And he kept his arms tightly folded the entire time to emphasize how much fun he wasn't having. This nearly cost him his helmet, as he didn't spare a hand to hold onto it, but the headpiece ended up staying fixed where it was supposed to be anyhow.
His boots hit the laboratory floor, and he straightened his cape and helmet before making his way to the territory Yzma had singled out as her own.
Yzma was hard at work, dressed up in a white lab coat and a black headpiece with dark goggles covering her eyes. She stirred a miniature cauldron, which was filled to the brim with hot pink liquid. The Huntsman took a moment to wonder if all of her potions turned pink as coincidence or if she went to the trouble of dyeing them for uniformity. Yzma took up a flask of a bright blue chemical, swirled it around in her hand for a moment while reading the label, then dumped a good amount of it into the brew.
"Might I ask the nature of your current project?" the Huntsman inquired.
"No," Yzma replied.
The Huntsman stayed rooted to the spot while Yzma took a pinch of a glittering powder and dropped it into the mix, causing a great plume of pink smoke. She worked for a solid five minutes as the Huntsman refused to move an inch.
"All right," Yzma sighed, "WHAT do you want?"
"An answer to my question," the Huntsman told her. "What is that?"
"It's a potion that transfigures people into sloths," Yzma answered. "There! Are you happy?"
"No," the Huntsman replied.
"I answered your question!" Yzma sighed. "Now leave me alone, and I'll turn you into a sloth!"
The Huntsman didn't even bother correcting her conjunction.
After another thirty seconds, Yzma declared, "All right! That does it! You're going to become a sloth!"
She eyed the cauldron sheepishly. "Once this potion is done brewing in roughly half an hour," she added quickly.
"I shall wait," the Huntsman said coldly.
Yzma knew the goal he was after, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out the strategy. She returned to work, reaching for a particular vial before realizing it was on the far counter. "If you're going to wait around here to be transformed into a sloth," she groaned, "you may as well make yourself useful." After all, why do actual work when you had someone you weren't too happy with to make do it for you? "Fetch me the purple vial from that counter."
The Huntsman did as he was told, handing over a glass container filled with a virulently violet liquid.
After Yzma emptied it, she realized she could probably cut her brewing time in half if she made use of the exploitable labor that had presented itself. If the Huntsman was going to do as he was told, she could keep him busy up until sloth time. She pointed to another powder, stating, "That's going to need to be boiled in water in a crucible. You have used a crucible before, haven't you?"
"Don't take me for a fool." The Huntsman used a small scoop to fill the crucible with powder before bringing it to the small Bunsen burner that occupied Yzma's table.
"Not with your fingers, you idiot!" Yzma shoved a metal implement at the Huntsman's chest. "Use these!"
The Huntsman accepted the crucible tongs, using them to keep the metal bowl positioned over the burner. At the very least, he knew how to use the striker to light it – something he was certain Yzma must have learned when she was given updated laboratory equipment, as Bunsen burners weren't commonplace in her world from what he could gather.
"When you're done with that," Yzma commanded, "juice that green fruit on the corner of the table."
The Huntsman could not identify the fruit by sight and ultimately decided he didn't care what it was. Its exterior was lumpy, almost more like a vegetable, but its inside was segmented like citrus, making it easy to extract juice from.
Over the next fifteen minutes, Yzma kept the Huntsman hopping with tasks as she completed her own. The potion was easily completed; she could tell by the smell. "Transfiguration solution with extract of sloth!" she declared. Then, giving it another sniff, "Either that or silver polish. Oh, well."
As she began bottling the liquid for storage, the Huntsman reminded her, "You were going to transform me with that solution, were you not?"
"Ah – " Yzma was frozen. Because now, after all the Huntsman had done so efficiently, it seemed a shame to just turn him into a sloth. That was his plan all along, she realized. To get on her good side by assisting her with one of her projects. "You don't think I don't see what you're doing?" she accused. "You're trying to earn points with me! Well, it won't work!" She waved a freshly bottled batch of sloth essence in his face threateningly. "One more move out of you, and this cork pops!"
"Very well." The Huntsman turned and stalked out of the lab. Of course, now that he was leaving, the door was right there.
She'd given him one more move instead of simply dousing him. Why? she asked herself.
Deep down, she knew the answer, and she was disgusted with herself for it.
She bottled the rest of the potion whilst fuming, but once the initial frustration died down, she was left to reflect on how the brief partnership in potion synthesis had seemed as though something crooked had been righted.
As the Huntsman made his way through the halls, he came upon the control room, where it seemed a literal storm cloud was brewing. The moment he appeared in the doorway, the gray cloud that hovered near the ceiling let loose a deluge of rain.
There were several reasons that a storm cloud could be inside the base. However, the Huntsman had a guess as to the reason for the presence of this particular one, and as his eyes perused the room, he spotted that reason at the far door, staring him down. Mim's angry gaze both warned him and dared him to come closer.
He stepped into the rain. "I suppose this is my punishment," he called across the room.
"Ohhh, just you WAIT for it!" Mim told him.
She was waiting to observe him crossing her threshold, so he moved to the door where she stood; she shifted just enough out of the way to let him pass. As the Huntsman entered the hallway that should have been dry shelter, the cloud crawled after him, sticking to the low ceiling and shrinking enough to become portable. Now the much smaller rain cloud was following the Huntsman, staying positioned above him so that it could continually drench him in cold water. "I now see what I was waiting for," the Huntsman sighed.
Mim let herself have a good laugh. "That'll follow you around until I give the word," she declared, "and I don't intend to give the word!"
Already the Huntsman's cape was feeling heavy from the soaking. However, he wasn't deterred in his quest. He didn't need Snatcher in order to find everyone's sweet spots. These had been his friends, after all. He knew them. "At the very least," he said in a tone that put on the affectation of a moan, "there isn't lightning."
Bingo.
"Ohhh, you don't want LIGHTNING, do you?" Mim said wickedly.
There was a soft "boom." A jolt of electricity zapped right into the Huntsman's shoulder. It wasn't enough to cause harm, but it was enough to shake him up a good bit. He almost regretted deploying his strategy. Charming Mim was a task undertaken by fools and fools alone. Of course, the Huntsman had already proved his own foolishness earlier, so things matched up.
"Have fun," Mim quipped.
The Huntsman simply continued on his grumpy way, giving a yell (half frustration, half pain) every now and again after a bolt of lightning pierced his body. He knew he would be putting up with this for hours and could already feel a tremor developing in his arms.
He'd barely left Mim behind when she reappeared in front of him in a puff of smoke. "Wait just a minute!" she barked. "You planned that!"
"Tell me what I planned," the Huntsman replied cryptically.
"You WANTED lightning!" Mim huffed. "That's why you brought it up!"
"I can assure you this lightning – AAGH! (another bolt struck him as soon as he brought it up) – is causing me considerable discomfort that I could do without."
"Hmm," Mim mused, "so it is, so it is. You weren't trying to charm me by suggesting ways to make my punishment more effective, were you?"
"Why would I do that?"
He had dodged an honest answer, and Mim knew it. That was exactly what impressed her enough to stop pursuing the question. "You've got a twisted mind to think of lightning," she complimented. "Don't go getting a big head about it. I'm still cross with you. You'd better make yourself at home with that cloud, because it isn't going away."
"I figured as much," the Huntsman replied, though he had a feeling it would dissipate one way or another.
Mim waved her hand dismissively. "Carry on."
The Huntsman continued down the hallway, and this time, Mim didn't follow. The cloud, however, kept pace.
...
In the Radiant Garden library, Sora, Ruby, Papyrus, Stork, Jasmine, Katara, and Rapunzel gathered around the table on the lower level, speaking of solemn matters.
"I know how people like him work," Ruby insisted. "No matter what, we can't let on that we're doing this because we're afraid. If he thinks we think he can't be left alone – "
"But he CAN'T be left alone," Katara argued.
"I know," Ruby said seriously, "but he won't take it well if he hears that from us, and he might shut us out."
"Right," Sora said with a nod. "We'll just have to act natural about it!"
"This is never going to work," Stork sighed.
"OF COURSE IT WILL," Papyrus told him.
A new voice broke in, oddly cheerful: "What're you guys talking about?"
All seven jolted in their seats, turning to see a grinning Kazuichi walking toward them.
"KAZUICHI!" Ruby was the fastest one out of her chair, zooming forward to practically tackle him in a hug that could have been considered bone-crushing if it came from someone with thicker arms.
"Hey, hey!" Kazuichi laughed, using the one arm Ruby hadn't caught to ruffle her hair. "It's not like I came back from the dead or anything!" After a few moments: "Seriously, you can let go now."
Ruby backed off, her gaze floating downward. She could see that where his pant legs ended, his left foot was encased in its usual shoe while the false foot of the mechanical leg he'd forged touched down on the right side.
"I, uh…" Kazuichi reached for the brim of his hat, twisting it nervously. "This was how I wanted to break the news to you guys in the first place. I really wanted to take care of it last night without anyone knowing. But Ienzo did a great job fixing everything up, and now I'm officially Junko-free!" He looked back and forth between Stork and Rapunzel. "Thanks for helping me out last night." His gaze fixed on Rapunzel, for once devoid of its star-struck adoration. "And for staying with me as long as you did."
"Always," Rapunzel replied. "I would NEVER leave ANY of you like that."
"But now it's all over!" Kazuichi declared, smiling brightly. "So, what were we talking about?"
The stares he received in reply tipped him off that perhaps it wasn't all over after all.
Stork cleared his throat. "Ienzo and I have been talking," he said. "I'm getting a change in room assignment. There were these three women who had a room with three separate beds, but they talked to him, and since they're each about this tall – " He made a motion with his hands indicating a foot's length. "They decided they didn't actually NEED three beds."
"Besides," Sora added, "Rikku said it would be like a slumber party."
"Riku said what?" Kazuichi replied in confusion.
Sora realized where the hangup was. "Not our Riku," he corrected. "Different Rikku. I'm pretty sure it's spelled different, too." And it was true. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine had agreed to move to a single-bed room. What wasn't true was that they'd suggested it. Stork had asked around for anyone who could make accommodations, and the trio had been the first to oblige.
"Anyway, I'm getting moved to the three-bed room now," Stork went on, "and that should free up some extra space. Currently looking for roommates."
"What, these guys didn't fill it up right away?" Kazuichi asked.
"I kinda wanted to stay closer to Riku," Sora stated.
"BUT I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT AWAY!" Papyrus added. "AFTER ALL, WE MAY NOT LOOK LIKE IT ON THE SURFACE, BUT STORK AND I ARE QUITE COMPATIBLE."
"With him, I know there aren't going to be dirty socks left on the floor," Stork said with a forced grin. "Anyway, that leaves one bed open."
"WHAT DO YOU SAY, KAZUICHI?" Papyrus invited. "CARE TO JOIN OUR SHARED LIVING SPACE?"
"Hey, I'm not the guy you want if you don't want dirty socks on the floor," Kazuchi laughed.
"We'll manage," Stork grunted.
"YOU SHOULD STAY WITH US!" Papyrus insisted. "IT WILL BE MUCH MORE FUN THAN STAYING ON OUR OWN!"
"Eh…I dunno if I feel like it," Kazuichi said somewhat sheepishly.
"NOT EVEN IF I SAY PRETTY PLEASE?" Papyrus urged. "HOW ABOUT PRETTY PLEASE WITH SPAGHETTI ON TOP? HOW ABOUT DOUBLE PRETTY PLEASE – "
"I…just don't know if I'm really the roommate type," Kazuichi interrupted.
That confirmed everyone's suspicions all the more.
"Kazuichi," Stork said sternly, "take the room. You need to free yours up for people who need it. They're still finding people out there whose homes were wrecked by the Nightcrawlers."
"Why aren't you giving Sora shit about it, then?" Kazuichi asked. "It's not like he and Riku are IN the same room. Geez, it's almost like you're trying – "
It finally hit him. "Wait a minute," Kazuichi accused. "You're trying to get me to room with you. You don't think I should be alone in my room anymore."
"I knew THAT chicken wasn't staying in the bag," Stork sighed.
"What, you don't trust me?" Kazuichi said in frustration. "You think I'll do something crazy? I cut off Junko's leg so I WOULDN'T do anything else crazy! That was the end of the crazy!"
"You hurt yourself," Rapunzel reiterated. "BADLY. You almost bled out!"
"And that was the only part of her that was on me!" Kazuichi insisted. "There's nothing left to get rid of! You seriously think that's gonna happen again?"
"Maybe not that exactly," Jasmine admitted, "but…we're worried, Kazuichi."
"This is why I didn't want you guys to know what I was doing last night," Kazuichi groaned. "I knew you'd fucking flip out. What else was I supposed to do? I can actually walk like a normal person this way, you know! And I had to get rid of her! It was WAY better than the alternative!"
"The…alternative?" Ruby repeated.
Kazuichi suddenly felt the horror that he shouldn't have brought that up.
"What was the alternative?" Ruby asked, legitimately confused.
It was Stork who looked Kazuichi dead in the eye. "I know EXACTLY what the alternative was," he declared. "It was my alternative, once." His voice softened, quieted: "More than once."
"I'm lost," Sora admitted.
"You know…" Kazuichi's tone turned somber. "I couldn't just…live with that part of her. So I thought about…maybe…not living."
"Kazuichi, NO!" Ruby shrieked, pressing both hands to her mouth.
"But now you're gonna really think I'm gonna pull something stupid," Kazuichi sighed. "Can't you guys trust me?"
"It isn't about trust or distrust," Jasmine asserted. "It's about keeping you safe."
"Yeah, well, who even gives a fuck if I'm safe?" Kazuichi blurted. "You're gonna say you guys do. But you don't know! You don't know how many people I killed! How much I ruined everything!"
"But you already told us all that stuff," Sora reminded him. "We're fine with it!"
"I KNOW YOU'VE CHANGED," Papyrus said with the utmost gravity. "YOU AREN'T WHAT YOU USED TO BE ANYMORE. NO ONE IS IN DANGER FROM YOU EXCEPT FOR YOU."
"I know I told you!" Kazuichi sighed. "That doesn't mean you get it! And it didn't even feel like anything when I did any of it! I got numb to despair because Junko told me despair was the only way. The stuff she said still stings, you know? I can't just turn it off! I know there's more to life than just despair, but sometimes I'm just really not feelin' it. And if despair is what it all comes back to, all the time, then why stick around for it?" He sighed. "And maybe…maybe that's a better reason to stay with you guys than even Miss Sonia. Because I need to be part of something that actually does some good. Something that actually proves there's hope, you know?"
"I think that's a great idea!" Sora replied. "We can help you find that hope! We'll show you that the old you is gone for good!"
"But we can't help you if you don't let us," Katara insisted.
"And we definitey can't help you if you're not there to help," Jasmine added.
"Fuck," Kazuichi said softly. "Maybe I SHOULDN'T be alone. I dunno. It really wasn't supposed to be a big deal."
"Friendship is always a big deal," Sora insisted. "We look out for each other."
"So, what," Kazuichi asked, "are you gonna follow me everywhere to make sure I don't stab myself or something?"
This resulted in the nervous exchange of glances around the table.
"You weren't even gonna leave me alone for a minute!" Kazuichi realized.
"THINK OF IT AS…HANGING OUT," Papyrus offered.
There was no way out of this, and Kazuichi knew it. He'd dug his own grave. He wondered, briefly, if Hajime, Fuyuhiko, Akane, and Sonia would treat him this way. Deep down, he knew they would be just as concerned, though their own traumas would give them pause. He'd never even stopped to wonder even once if Hajime had considered ending it all in order to purge Izuru from the world. He'd never stopped to consider, even worse, if Sonia had ever entertained such thoughts. He wanted to argue, to lash out, to say he could be trusted and insist he could be left to his own devices…but he knew these seven wouldn't give up on him. It was absolutely frustrating.
And completely wonderful.
Besides, he thought, if it meant Rapunzel would dote on him day and night…
"If we're gonna room together," he muttered, "you gotta know I don't sleep soundly at night. Back home, I would just work on a project in my room instead of sleeping, but that ain't gonna work here. I'll just be quiet."
"I DO NOT SLEEP RIGHT AWAY EITHER," Papyrus admitted. "IT ALWAYS FEELS AS THOUGH THERE IS SOMETHING MUCH BETTER I COULD BE DOING WITH MY TIME."
"You stay awake at night?" Stork said, somewhat surprised. "Both of you? Heh…" He let himself smile for real. "I think we're all gonna get along fine."
...
The cloud had now been following the Huntsman for half an hour, but he refused to show it any sign of weakness, soldiering on as though it simply wasn't there. He did, however, still vocalize whenever the lightning caused him a particularly bad shock.
He found Aghoul, surprisingly, in a dining hall, where a veritable feast was spread out over the table. Aghoul took one look at the Huntsman's predicament and announced, "Mimsie really has outdone herself!"
"That she has," the Huntsman said flatly.
"Now, don't tell me you came here to try to kiss and make up," Aghoul taunted.
"Far from it," the Huntsman stated. "Merely a passing curiosity."
He then took a good look at the food and noticed the commonality between it all: not a single piece of it was in good condition. Mold covered a loaf of bread. Apples were brown and lettuce was wilted. A faint stench wafted up from the lot, and as the Huntsman tried to place exactly what was making the smell, he realized it was everything.
"You're eating spoiled food," he said, as though Aghoul didn't already know.
"Of course!" Aghoul told him happily. "Can't let all this delicious food go to waste! And to think after it was collected from the unplugged refrigerators, Mozenrath was going to have it all pitched out into interspace!"
It only made sense, the Huntsman realized. Aghoul himself was expired. His favorite food would certainly be in that condition as well. Due to his undead nature, he would suffer no ill health effects.
"May I sit?" the Huntsman asked.
"Far be it from me to order a fellow member of the council to leave," Aghoul grumbled.
The Huntsman took that as his cue to pull up a chair. He could hardly hear the buzzing of the flies that surrounded the spoiled food over the gentle cascade of the ever-pouring rain.
"I don't know what you think you're going to get out of this," Aghoul snapped.
"As I said," the Huntsman reiterated, "I am satisfying a passing curiosity."
"Hmm." If that were true, he would have left after Aghoul had described the state of the food. Aghoul realized he wanted to test the Huntsman a little. After all, he'd had time to cool down. Perhaps there was something to his desire to return after all. "So tell me, Huntsman. How would you like to die?"
"Are you threatening me?" the Huntsman asked casually, legitimately not sure.
"Not in the slightest," Aghoul told him. "I merely want to know your preferred method of death. It is a favorite subject of mine."
"I do not consider death," the Huntsman admitted. "As such, I haven't given it much thought. It doesn't do to walk into a battle while entertaining the possibility that one might not walk out of it. Yet I suppose you want an answer. To die in battle would be the mark of a true warrior, but it would also mean a humiliating loss. On the other hand, to die peacefully of old age would mark a life filled with victories, but is absolutely unappealing in every other aspect."
"What about an accident?" Aghoul asked.
"More humiliating than a loss," the Huntsman replied.
"Disease?"
"As though I would be so weak."
"Assassination."
"Another way in which I do not wish to be bested."
"Your own hand?"
"Never."
"Well, you have to pick ONE," Aghoul insisted.
The Huntsman gave it some thought. "A pyrrhic victory," he decided at last. "Trading a final blow with an enemy who died at my hand as I died at theirs."
"Creative choice," Aghoul said with a nod, now munching at a rotted apple whose flesh gave way far too easily to the teeth. "You know, perhaps you coming back isn't all bad."
"I will take that as a complim – AARGH!" Lightning had struck.
Aghoul had himself a cackle. "Good old Mimsie!" he laughed. "Of course she'd think to add lightning! I simply must tell her what a good job she's done."
The Huntsman suddenly found himself dry of conversation topics (though still thoroughly soaked in the literal sense). "I should be off," he said as he pushed back the chair he was seated in.
"You're missing out on the best food the base has to offer," Aghoul teased as the Huntsman made his way out.
Mim appeared at the table but a moment after the Huntsman had left. "What a feast!" she cried at the sight of the plethora of inedible food.
"Dig in," Aghoul encouraged.
Mim knew she was not immune to the health hazards this could present. "I'm not very hungry. I'll let you have the lion's share."
"A gesture of kindness?" Aghoul was taken aback. "Now that's out of character." Then: "Speaking of out of character, I've just had a brief but interesting conversation with the Huntsman."
"I ran into him a while ago myself," Mim huffed. "If I didn't know better, I'd think him coming back to us was actually a good thing. Would you believe he improved my punishment for him? Not that I wouldn't have thought of it on my own."
"If he groveled," Aghoul suggested, knowing very well the Huntsman didn't grovel for anyone, "I might consider reinstating our friendship."
"I just want to see him grovel," Mim cackled. After thinking it over, she realized, "Though he DID walk into my little storm cloud knowing full well what would happen…"
Mim and Aghoul discussed the ramifications of the Huntsman's status over Aghoul's unpalatable lunch.
While the Huntsman had no way of knowing exactly what had happened, he was aware something had taken place regarding Mim, for the storm cloud all of a sudden dissipated over his head. He made way for his chambers in order to get a dry change of clothes. The tremors in his limbs, he would just have to wait out.
...
Riku and Sora entered the art room tentatively; this was the first time either of them had been in this particular chamber. Kairi had insisted they both meet her there and had given them directions to the right place. As it turned out, the room was already occupied by Nora and Yuffie, but they had their backs to everyone else, focusing on where they had hung a great canvas up on the wall, tacked a plethora of balloons filled with paint to it, and begun tossing shuriken at the balloons to pop them and make an array of haphazard colors.
Kairi, in the meantime, was admiring the work that had been left on a couple of the easels. When Sora and Riku walked in, she gave them a wave.
"Hey, Kairi," Sora greeted. He stepped to her side to get a look at the same canvas she was examining, getting an eyeful of a painting of the Radiant Garden castle beneath a brilliant blue sky. "Whoa!" he cried. "This is awesome! Did you do this?"
Kairi shook her head. "It was here when I got here. Somebody must have done it and then left it behind."
"Well, it's really neat," Sora said with a nod.
"I dunno," Riku said from his place before the adjacent canvas, where he pondered over a dark twist of colors that appeared to be the metaphorical representation of a soul. "I kind of like this one better." He faced Kairi; "So what did you want to show us?"
"I made you something!" Kairi said excitedly. She held up a pair of charms molded of clay in the shape of five-pointed stars; one was painted bright red, the other yellow. "They're your very own lucky charms! I know they're supposed to be made out of thalassa shells, but I don't think those exist on this world, so I made these out of clay. I finished firing them just a bit ago."
"Whoa!" Sora took hold of the red one, as Kairi knew he would. "This is awesome!"
Riku nodded as he took the yellow one into hand. "They're beautiful. I'm guessing they're part of a set with your charm."
"Actually, no," Kairi clarified. "These charms are just for you two. It's to commemorate your relationship as friends AND lovers. I figured you two probably wouldn't make them for each other, since you're both useless at arts and crafts." She let herself giggle at that. "There's one more thing. They're enchanted. It's just a simple charm Ienzo taught me. It's called 'Unbreakable Connection.' It means when you hold onto these charms, you'll be bonded to each other. I think Ienzo also said they'll let you know when you need each other most."
"That's amazing!" Sora cried. "Thank you so much!"
He looked across at Riku, whose eyes met his own. "Hey, Riku…" Sora began to suggest. "If these are supposed to be about our bond with each other…"
Riku knew exactly where he was going. "Then we should hold onto each other's," he finished.
"Exactly!" Sora confirmed.
They traded charms, Riku pocketing the red while Sora tucked the yellow away.
"This is a really good gift," Riku told Kairi. "We owe you one."
"No, you don't," Kairi assured him. "I wanted you two to have something special to share. I don't want anything back."
"Soooooo," Sora teased, "think you'll be making any Unbreakable Connection charms for you and Jaune?"
"I don't think we've been dating for long enough for that," Kairi said as her face blushed pink. "We should get to know each other a little better first."
"Maybe you could take him to the Destiny Islands beach someday," Sora suggested, "and find some thalassa shells."
"I seem to recall shell collecting being your thing," Riku reminded her.
"Maybe," Kairi said softly, smiling at the thought. "For now, we'll make do with the Radiant Garden beach."
"Hey, are you talking about the beach?" Nora asked as she and Yuffie, finished with their chaotic mural, made their way toward the trio.
"I'd say sorry for eavesdropping, but I'm not," Yuffie teased. "Anyway, Nora and I were going to ask Lea about the weird barn today."
"Weird barn?" Sora repeated.
"There was a barn on the beach," Nora reminded him. "We couldn't figure out what it was for."
"Lea's lived here longer than I have," Yuffie added. "If anyone knows, it's him."
"That is weird," Sora mused. "Now I kinda wanna know what's going on with the barn."
"Should we all find out together?" Kairi asked.
"You've got my curiosity now," Riku admitted.
"And if he doesn't know," Yuffie suggested, "we should go down there to figure it out once and for all."
"I can go," Sora told her. "Ruby and Kazuichi said they'd be playing board games in the library for a while, so I don't have to worry about him."
"How is he?" Riku asked, having heard tell of the incident.
"Things got a little more complicated than we thought," Sora related, "but his new leg is working fine, and I think it'll all turn out okay in the end."
"Let's not talk about downer stuff all day!" Nora encouraged, sticking out her tongue. "It's barn time!"
Yuffie led the charge out of the art room.
...
The Huntsman's walk was interrupted by Wuya, coming fast and hard down the opposite direction, latching onto his arm and dragging him backward. "Heartless fleet," she explained briefly. "I'm going to cut them down. You back me up from the ship."
"You could ask more politely," the Huntsman growled.
"That's nerve, coming from you," Wuya replied flippantly.
In the ship hangar, Wuya snapped her fingers, dressing herself in a smart black spacesuit with pink accents. The Huntsman obediently boarded the Gummi ship, then the doors opened, letting both the ship and Wuya spill out into interspace.
Heartless fleets attacked every now and again. The Huntsman was sure they were wild roamers, not answering to any master. If Maleficent had organized these attacks, they would be of a much grander scale than crudely constructed shells of Gummi buzzing uncoordinatedly toward the warship.
Wuya hurled enough magic at the first ship to blow it to bits. The Huntsman steered deftly behind her, training his guns on the vessels that followed.
"So you want to be friends now," Wuya's voice piped in over the Gummi radio. The Huntsman was momentarily surprised, but then realized that with her brand of magic, she was more than capable of installing a radio in her suit that hooked back up to the ship.
"I take it you have reservations," the Huntsman replied, not taking his eyes off the ships he was blowing to smithereens.
She soared gracefully past the dashboard as though doing water acrobatics, letting loose blasts that took out the two ships on the farthest edges of the fleet. "Not as many as you'd think. It's in the nature of the job, after all. I never wanted you to leave us, but I'm not going to complain about you wanting back in." She casually flicked another pair of ships out of existence. "That's how it is. Sometimes you're friends with Chase Young. Sometimes you get tired of him and realize Hannibal Roy Bean is a better friend. Sometimes you realize you're better off with both of them on your side."
"I was under the impression we meant more to you than either of those names from your past," the Huntsman said – casually, as he was more curious than offended – while gunning down the center of the fleet.
"You do," Wuya confirmed, sailing right up close to a ship and dealing it a swift magically-charged kick that caused its parts to separate. "Hence I was less than thrilled when you called off the friendship. But now you've figured out where you belong, and I can't fault you for that, now, can I?"
There were only a few stray ships left; the Huntsman gunned down most. One curved around from a crooked path, and by the time the Huntsman saw it through the dashboard window, it was too late to turn the guns on it.
Wuya slammed into it before it could collide with the Huntsman's vessel; the Heartless ship exploded, and the Huntsman's vehicle suffered only minor dents from the shrapnel. "Good work, friend," Wuya said with an emphasis on the final word.
"As was yours," the Huntsman replied.
"Talked to any of the others yet?" Wuya asked as they returned to base.
"Some," the Huntsman related as he parked the ship. "Roman Torchwick is the only one of our inner circle I haven't directly approached."
He didn't hear from Wuya until he disembarked the ship; she had removed her helmet, shaking out her long red hair. "I sure don't envy you," she remarked. "He was NOT happy when you called things off. Don't expect open arms from him."
"Trust me, I certainly don't," the Huntsman huffed as he began to make his way.
...
Roman was back in the training grounds, practicing for accuracy rather than stamina. The Cyclonians had no shortage of drills powered by crystals; Roman had no problem setting up an array of targets to bob and weave around him at high speeds while he awaited the perfect moment to gun each of them down. Boom. Boom. Boom. One by one, they bit the dust. Rather like in that song by that band he'd accidentally gotten Snatcher hooked on.
His success was putting him in a good mood; it had been a while since he'd managed such an unbroken streak. Then the sound of footsteps came into his perception, and he glanced over his shoulder to see the Huntsman approaching him.
Roman's good mood was immediately spoiled, and furthermore, he missed the next target, breaking his streak.
"Do you WANT something, Skullface?" Roman groaned.
"Yes," the Huntsman told him. "To speak."
"Well, I'm busy," Roman huffed. "So how about we reschedule this for never?"
"I hardly expected Mim to be more rational than you," the Huntsman commented.
"You say that," Roman replied, "and yet you probably haven't talked to Mimsy. Just try it. I dare you. She'll curse you with smallpox or something."
"It was a thundercloud," the Huntsman clarified, "and she dismissed it in time."
"Whatever." Roman faced directly away from the Huntsman. "Just don't waste my time."
"You and I can ill afford to have such hostility between us," the Huntsman pointed out. "It will affect our mission."
"A mission you didn't even want to be a part of anymore," Roman said, back still turned to the Huntsman, though he didn't draw on another target. "You wanted us off your back."
"It was a test," the Huntsman reminded him. "I failed. You passed."
"Like you weren't already out the door the minute you told us our friendship was caput," Roman seethed.
"It was not that way at all. If you would let me explain – "
"What is there to EXPLAIN?" Roman whirled on the Huntsman. "We were FRIENDS! And then you went and threw a tantrum over some dragon and decided, no, these aren't my friends, they're just my tools. Well, joke's on you, because you're the only tool in the room."
"I am well aware that I was very, very mistaken," the Huntsman said calmly.
"About what part?" Roman asked him. "About walking out on our friendship? About walking out on us completely? Or just about us?"
"You know quite well what I mean," the Huntsman growled.
Roman's grip tightened on the Cudgel's handle. "Trust me," he hissed, "if I didn't know it would get Righty up in my business, I would be giving my weapon some exercise using you."
The Huntsman had anticipated something like this. He withdrew the huntstaff from where he'd kept it strapped to his back. "Mozenrath does not have to know," he stated. "I doubt, however, you will be able to land a blow." He held the huntstaff out defensively.
"You're serious?" Roman was rather taken aback.
"Show me your anger," the Huntsman commanded.
Without another word, Roman charged, Cudgel held high.
The metal of the cane clashed right down onto the huntstaff's shaft. Roman was ready for the rebound, swinging it from another direction the moment he was blocked; the Huntsman's quick reflexes saved him. Roman gave a spin and brought the Cudgel in from the side, but this too was blocked; the Huntsman gave the staff a twirl for show.
"You think it's gonna be that easy to just walk right back in and ask for your friend card back?" Roman growled. "You think that's the way it WORKS in the real world? Well, let me tell you a thing or two about the real world!"
The metal of the two weapons clanged together.
"In the REAL world, fuckups have consequences!" Roman yelled.
Clang.
"In the REAL world, you better find out who has your back and who doesn't!"
Clang.
"Because in the REAL world, if someone doesn't have your back, you have two choices: get rid of them or let them push you down!"
Clang.
"You think I'm STUPID?"
Clang.
"You think I'm gonna let YOU walk all over me?"
Clang.
"You ACTUALLY THINK I'm going to make that fucking mistake, don't you!"
Clang, clang, clang.
Roman had broken a sweat by this time, done monologuing and now just focused on pummeling the Huntsman, or trying to, with all of his might. Yet at every turn, he found himself blocked. He drew breath rapidly while searching for an opening in the Huntsman's defenses, trying anything, everything.
The edge of the Cudgel cracked hard against the helmet's side. The thick dragon bone did not break, but it was still enough to jolt the Huntsman's senses.
Roman new he would have to settle himself for getting in that single hit. "Not today," he said breathlessly as he backed off. "I am not…making that mistake…again."
The Huntsman had been given quite the workout defending himself from Roman, but he refused to let it show. Roman, on the other hand, was panting and sweating visibly. There was silence between the two of them for a long while; they kept eye contact, the duel almost ongoing between their gazes.
Then, at last, Roman said, "You know, I know you want me to just forget about it and move on. That would be the least complicated way to do things, right? This does not make things FINE between us. But…" He gave a sigh of resignation. "Beating the shit out of you sure helped."
That wasn't exactly an accurate label, the Huntsman thought, as he'd been able to block every blow but one, but he was sure it counted in Roman's mind.
"You've earned your way back to tolerable," Roman stated, drawing himself up to full height. "Don't fuck that up."
"Rest assured I won't," the Huntsman told him as he turned to leave the training ground.
The targets still danced around Roman. A flicked switch at their control panel shut them off. Roman had gotten in more than enough exertion.
...
"LEA!"
Lea was jerked out of his reverie watching the horizon off the balcony of the castle by the sound of five voices calling out his name. He smiled to greet Sora, Riku, Kairi, Nora, and Yuffie.
"Hey there," he said with a wave.
"What were you doing?" Yuffie asked curiously, observing that Lea was all alone on the balcony with no one and nothing else in sight.
"Just going over old memories," Lea admitted. "Nothing to worry about." Thinking about what Roxas might think of recent events; recalling the taste of sea salt ice cream atop a clock tower where anything and everything could be discussed. Thinking back further, to duels in the square with a blue-haired friend who it suddenly became too difficult to think about, ultimately bringing the mind right back to Roxas.
"If you say so," Sora said with a shrug. "Hey, we have a question for you."
"Shoot," Lea commanded with a smile.
"What's with the barn on the beach?" Nora asked.
"The what?" Lea replied.
"You know," Nora urged, "the barn. When we all went down to the beach, there was a big red barn. It really didn't look like it belonged there. Is it just for beach supplies and stuff?"
"I don't know about any barn," Lea said as he scratched the back of his head. "Far as I know, closest building to the beach is the train station."
"It must've been built during the years you were in the Organization," Kairi mused.
"Sooner than that," Lea told her. "You're talking about when you all went down for your trip, right? Well, I was down on that beach a month ago." Another place that reminded him of Roxas simply because he knew it was a place Roxas would love to go. "There was no barn."
"What?" Sora was shocked.
"It's a mystery!" Nora cried. "One we're gonna solve!"
"I think we can just catch the next train to the beach!" Yuffie cried. "Come on!" Then she was off running.
"Hey, wait up!" Riku laughed as he took off after her.
Kairi and Nora followed, laughing. Sora hung back a moment. "Wanna come help us check it out?" he asked Lea.
"Nah," Lea replied. "I'm good."
"You sure?"
"Go have fun," Lea commanded. "Be sure to tell me what that barn was about when you get back."
"Okay!" Sora gave a firm nod before running after the other four. At least he could leave Lea alone without worry.
Lea waited a moment, then made his way down through the castle out into the square. If he recalled correctly, Scrooge's ice cream shop was still standing and in business – the gangs had been more occupied with his vault than his cash register, and nobody had wanted to pilfer a supply of ice cream. Though he knew it would come with memories both sweet and painful, Lea now wanted a bar of sea salt.
...
The barn still stood tall and proud on the beach's edge, its wood strikingly red despite showing the signs of age. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Yuffie, and Nora made it a race to the barn doors as soon as they disembarked from the train, and Riku and Yuffie managed to touch the wood at the same time.
"I totally won!" Yuffie argued.
"I don't think so," Riku retorted.
"Seriously?" Nora broke in. "Don't argue over that! We gotta check out the barn!"
Sora strode to the door confidently, giving it a knock.
"It's a barn," Nora reminded him. "Who's going to answer a BARN door?"
"I dunno," Sora replied with a shrug. "Just thought I'd try."
He eased the door open, and the five ventured inside. The contents of the interior surprised them all. While the structure was indeed that of a typical barn, sheets draped from the ceiling of the lower level partitioned it off into rooms that made it look more like a house. Clearly visible in what was to be understood as the main hall were jumbles of pieces – pipes, wood scraps, loose stones – gathered into curious shapes, presumably as installments of modern art.
"This sure doesn't look like a regular barn," Nora remarked.
As her words broke the silence, there was a sudden scuffle in one of the rear partitions. It seemed the barn was occupied by someone who hadn't realized there were visitors until just then.
"Hello?" Sora called out. "Is someone there?"
The response he got was a panicked "Go away!"
"Um…are you okay?" Sora continued. "We just noticed the barn here, and we were curious about it."
The response this time was silence.
"Maybe we should leave," Kairi said softly.
Sora nodded, about to call out a goodbye, when curiosity got the better of the barn's lonely occupant and she brushed aside the sheet covering the room in which she'd been relaxing in order to enter plain view.
She looked to be a slender young woman, clothed in a deep blue dress with a flowing skirt. What surprised her five visitors was the fact that the rest of her seemed to be blue as well: baby blue skin beneath rich royal-blue hair.
"Who are you?" she asked in awe.
"I'm Sora," Sora announced proudly. "These are my friends Riku, Kairi, Nora, and Yuffie. What's your name?"
She shrank back a pace before realizing that she couldn't demand information without paying a similar price. "I'm a Lapis," she answered. "Lapis Lazuli."
"It's nice to meet you, Lapis," Kairi said cheerily.
"Yeah," Lapis said unsurely. "Nice."
"You must be new to Radiant Garden," Sora realized.
"Radiant Garden?" Lapis repeated tentatively. "Is that what this place is called?"
"Well, duh," Nora replied. "What, have you just been staying cooped up in this barn since you got here?"
"I haven't had a reason to go outside," Lapis said sternly. "Tell me, is this world populated by humans like you?"
"Yeah, for the most part," Sora answered. "You find all kinds in Radiant Garden."
"Are there Gems?" Lapis asked.
"They sell a lot of jewelry in the marketplace," Sora mused.
"I think she means a kind of person," Kairi corrected.
"I don't think I've seen anyone that I'd call a Gem," Yuffie stated. "Going by the name, I'm guessing that's what you are."
Lapis nodded. "So the Diamonds haven't colonized here," she muttered.
"What was that?" Riku asked.
"Nothing," Lapis replied calmly.
"You should really come down and visit the city sometime," Sora suggested. "Things got a little crazy after the blackout, but we're putting it back together."
Lapis shook her head. "I don't think so," she told him. "I came here to get away from…crazy."
"Well, where are you getting your food?" Nora asked in confusion. "Water? Toilet paper? Toothpaste?"
"I don't really like food," Lapis answered. "And I don't need any of those other things."
"You're really something special," Sora observed.
"No," Lapis told him. "I'm really not."
"I like your sculptures," Kairi said as her eyes traveled over the art installments on the floor.
"My what?" Lapis followed her gaze. "Oh. You mean my meepmorps."
"What's a 'meepmorp'?" Sora asked, tilting his head.
"Something that just looks pretty and makes you feel good," Lapis answered. "It doesn't have any greater purpose."
"That's pretty much what a sculpture is," Nora informed Lapis.
Riku caught onto the implication in Lapis' words. "So you're from somewhere where everything has to have a purpose. Even you, I'm guessing."
"I…don't wanna talk about it," Lapis said shakingly, folding her hands over their opposite forearms to brace herself. "Or the meepmorps."
"Something bad happened to you," Kairi realized.
"Yeah," Lapis confirmed. "Something did. And then something else was going to, but I got away before…" She turned away to face the wall. "You should go. I really don't think we're going to get anywhere."
"Aren't you lonely?" Sora asked.
"I don't mind being lonely," Lapis said as she leaned on the wall. "It's better than being afraid for my life."
"Is someone after – " Sora began.
"I said I don't want to TALK about it!" Lapis stood up from the wall, turning back to the visitors to glare them down.
"Well, okay," Sora told her, "but if you ever do want to talk about it, we'll be ready to listen. We live in the Radiant Garden castle right now, so if you want to find us, just come ask for us."
Hadn't they heard a word she said? She wasn't leaving the barn, especially not to go into a crowded human town that may have suffered a catastrophe recently. Instead of conveying this, all she said was "No thanks."
"Offer's still open," Sora told her. "After all, what are friends for?"
"We're not friends," Lapis said plainly, staring directly at Sora.
"Maybe we could be someday," Sora suggested.
"You should really go," Lapis insisted.
Kairi tugged at Sora's sleeve. "I really think we should," she insisted.
"Well, okay," Sora relented.
As Kairi, Sora, Nora, and Yuffie filed out of the barn, Riku hung back a moment. He and Lapis simply looked to each other without saying a word. Riku wondered what wounds lay across her heart. He sensed no Darkness around her, but that didn't mean she hadn't suffered it in the past. Left with only curiosity, Riku finally turned to exit the barn, being gentle as he closed the door behind him.
"Well, now we know what's up with the barn," Nora said as soon as the five were making their way across the beach. "Sort of. Did she bring the whole thing here from her world?"
"I wanna know what happened to her," Yuffie stated.
"It's best that we don't try and figure it out," Riku said quickly. "At least not now. She's healing from something. We don't want to make it worse. She knows where she can find us if she wants to, and that's what matters."
"I've never seen anyone like her before," Sora mused. "There must be a whole world out there filled with Gems. I wanna see it!"
"From the way she was talking about purpose," Riku told him, "I'm not sure you do."
"I just hope she'll be okay," Kairi commented.
"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Me too."
It had once been said of Sora that he was a sponge that soaked up hurt. He had one friend who required surveillance because of his past traumas leading him to extreme measures. He now had a new friend whose past was too painful to even mention except in passing. As he thought it over, he didn't feel discouraged or pessimistic. He was sure they would both find a way to pull through. All he had to do was be the best friend he could be, and things would work out.
...
As Mozenrath awaited his co-founders in the laboratory, he hoped that, having been given the day to cool off, they could respond to his summons via text in a rational manner instead of turning on the Huntsman and making him the focus of the conversation again.
One by one, they filed into the room; the Huntsman was last to arrive. Mozenrath noted that there wasn't a reaction to his presence. That was a good starting point. All the same, he had to test the waters further out to sea: "Before we begin, does anyone have any personal matters they'd like to get out of their system? Or can we actually get work done?"
All looked at the Huntsman, then back to Mozenrath. "We're good," Wuya said confidently.
"Proceed," Yzma bade him.
"We're here to discuss the acquisition of an element of pure Life for our spell," Mozenrath announced. "As the last one we pursued turned out to be more volatile than expected, we have the option of trying to go after her again or of finding something easier to handle." He normally didn't just let things go the way he had done Rapunzel, and everyone knew it, but he hadn't been the one chasing her, after all. If anyone had a claim to trying to take her in to finish what they started, it was Snatcher and Roman. Neither one, however, spoke up. "That being said, there are certainly various elements we could pursue." He held up the compass. "This should point us in the direction of a few."
"So are we just looking for something that has super healing powers like that sundrop?" Roman asked.
"Not necessarily healing," Mozenrath corrected him. "Life is a broader element. You could also find it in something dedicated to creation, like the tool of a god. Or in plant manipulation, which, come to think of it, is also something done by the tools of gods, like the Celestial Brush of Amaterasu. It could come packaged with various types of elemental manipulation depending on the power level. Water, lightning, fire. Really, if you've heard of the story of Amaterasu, the Celestial Brush is the best example."
"Then why not go after this Celestial Brush?" Yzma asked.
"Oh, Yzma," Mozenrath told her, "Amaterasu is an all-powerful sun goddess. She has mastery over all elements of known nature, time included. It's almost adorable how you don't know that trying to get that brush from her would be – "
He froze midsentence.
"Uhhhh…Righty?" Roman said in concern.
"I think he's dead," Aghoul hypothetized.
Mozenrath blinked.
"Never mind," Aghoul corrected.
"Suicide," the Huntsman filled in. "That is what you were about to say, Mozenrath. That retrieving the Celestial Brush of Amaterasu would be – "
"Actually not a bad idea," Mozenrath finished.
"Mozenrath, NO," the Huntsman growled. "We can hardly fare against a boy wielding a key-shaped sword. You want to take on a mother goddess?"
"A sun goddess," Mozenrath reminded him. "If I recall, more than one of us has unresolved issues with the sun."
"In order to retrieve the Celestial Brush," the Huntsman said, "we would need to – "
"Kill Amaterasu?" Mozenrath filled in. "If we brought in enough forces…"
"Even I know better than to try and challenge Amaterasu!" Mim insisted.
"This isn't going to work," Wuya added.
"The odds sound decidedly not in our favor," Snatcher contributed.
"Uh, yeah, I'm not getting roasted by a sun goddess," Roman stated.
"As much as I'd love to," Aghoul said, "it sounds like a losing proposition."
"So what I'm getting is that this is a bad idea," Yzma gleaned.
"Oh," Mozenrath said in response. "I didn't know. I really should have thought it over before I said anything – "
A collective sigh of relief was let out.
" – because I didn't take into account that all seven of you were COWARDS," Mozenrath finished. "You really think our entire combined force can't give Amaterasu a run for her money? And are you REALLY concerned with dying when all it takes is a wave of my hand to bring you back to life?"
"Not if you die first," Wuya reminded him.
"So I just have to not die," Mozenrath scoffed. "Easy enough. Now, am I really running a guild of quitters?"
"QUITTER?" Mim repeated. "I am no QUITTER! Or a coward!"
"Good," Mozenrath told her. "And am I hearing that you all AREN'T looking for a reason to literally snuff out the light of the sun?"
"Snuff out the light," Yzma repeated. "Good choice of words."
"But if you don't want to come along," Mozenrath sighed, "I guess I'll just have to go myself."
"THAT is not happening," the Huntsman insisted.
"After we've come so far," Mozenrath went on, "you're really going to let one goddess stand in our way? I SHOULD go alone if that's the attitude the rest of you are going to have."
"You know," Roman chipped in, "call me crazy, but taking on stuff we really shouldn't is kind of our M.O. And it has actually worked more times than you'd think."
"Pursuing the sundrop would be easier," the Huntsman observed. Then, realization sinking in, he added, "That is exactly why you're not in favor of it."
"I've already made up my mind," Mozenrath stated. "I want Amaterasu's Celestial Brush. And one way or another, I am GETTING Amaterasu's Celestial Brush. Now, are you with me, or are you going to hide in pillow forts and hope your teddy bears will protect you from the big bad sun goddess?"
"I don't fear Amatearsu," Mim huffed, "and I'll prove it!"
"Well, what can she REALLY do?" Aghoul mused. "Kill me again?"
"I really just want to hurt a sun goddess," Yzma admitted.
"Back in business, baby!" Roman cried. "Doing what the WHAM ARMY does and taking on impossible odds!"
"I have wanted to test my skill against a god," Wuya realized.
"And I am certainly no coward," Snatcher realized.
"It is becoming quite apparent that I MUST go," the Huntsman realized.
Mozenrath made eye contact with the Huntsman. "This is your chance to kill a goddess," he reminded him. "That should more than make up for a few dragons."
"So it should," the Huntsman agreed. "All right. Lead the way, and I shall follow."
"Get everyone into the control room," Mozenrath ordered, "and I do mean everyone. We're in for the fight of our lives, and I intend to enjoy every minute of it."
...
A/N: In terms of the Steven Universe timeline, this part takes place between the episodes "A Single Pale Rose" and "Made of Honor" and is meant to be a take on where Lapis spent her time after leaving the moon of Steven's Earth. I'm actually trying to be canon compliant for once. We'll see how long that lasts.