Hikari's POV
The Heartless had come out of nowhere, just as Melody had pulled out the trident and Tip and Dash swam off with her. I had barely just summoned my Keyblade when a trio of Screwdivers charged at me, sending me flying into a pillar. The force caused the structure to crumble under the pressure and I almost wondered if the sounds of cracks were my bones and not the pillar.
"Crap, that hurt," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head and feeling a bump already forming.
"Hikari!?"
My heart skipped a beat as I turned to see through the settling dust Riku... and he was shirtless! "Riku?" I was about to ask what he was doing there when the Heartless continued their assault.
Before I could react, Riku summoned Way to the Dawn and slashed through the water, sending a blast of energy into the Heartless. "We'll talk later. First, we need to clear these guys out."
Good point. I pulled myself out of the rubble and jumped into the fight once more. It wasn't easy fighting underwater; you couldn't side-step and circle your opponents as fast with the added weight, plus I was still trying to adjust to the new form. Thankfully, having Riku assist made it a little easier and he seemed to be much more adapted than me, which made me wonder if he had been to this world or somewhere similar before. I made use of my magic for long-distance attacks, mostly Aeroga and Thundaga, as Firaga seemed to have little effect.
Eventually, we managed to clear the throne room of all the Heartless, but the excessive number of them and lengthy use of my magic had drained me considerably. I dismissed Angel's Keyblade and hunched over slightly, trying to catch my breath.
"Curaga."
I lifted my head up at the sound of the spell, just as a soothing green light surrounded me, my strength returning and minor injuries virtually vanishing. Riku had a smile on his face as he finished the spell, before casting away his Keyblade as well.
I straightened up, trying my best not to blush as I looked at Riku, his well-toned upper-torso visible for the world to see. "Thanks for the save," I managed to utter without stuttering.
I thought I saw Riku blush briefly, but it quickly passed and he just smiled. "Glad I could help." With a more serious tone he added: "So what are you doing here, and where's Princess Melody?"
I was about to respond, when a red-haired mermaid, who I realized was Melody's mother, Ariel, gasped and pointed towards where Melody had pulled the trident. "Daddy, the trident!"
Sebastian quickly swam over to the stand. "But that's not possible. Nobody can release the trident from this stand except you, sire. You or one of your descendants."
Oh no. I felt my heart sink. What have we done?
"Melody." Ariel noticed said girl's pendent lying on the ground and picked it up tenderly. "But how could she have gotten here?"
"It's my fault," I stated, all eyes turning towards me.
"Hikari?" Riku looked surprised.
"I should have known something about this didn't seem right, but I was so desperate to make Melody happy and stay by her side to keep her safe." I bowed my head and clenched my hands into fists, feeling my nails slightly prick the skin. "I'm such an idiot for trusting that sea witch."
"Sea witch!?" A large yellow and blue guppy gasped.
"Morgana," the older merman concluded. "If she gets her hands on my trident... Double the search parties! I want ever creature in the ocean on patrol!"
A group of guards who were standing by acknowledged the order and quickly swam away to perform their tasks.
I just remained where I was, muttering how stupid I was over and over again, when I felt a hand on my right shoulder. My eyes met Riku's again and his face held deep sympathy.
"You're not to blame here," he said. "You did what you thought was right and kept Melody safe up until this point, so stop beating yourself up. Right now, we need to focus on finding out where the princess was headed and stop her from giving Morgana that trident."
I was still frustrated, but knew that Riku was right and that blaming myself wasn't going to fix anything. With that being said, I nodded my head, placing one of my hands atop his that was on my shoulder, silently thanking him.
"So you're Hikari then," a voice joined in.
I turned to see Ariel swimming over to us, still clutching Melody's pendent, the yellow guppy at her side.
"Riku's told me that you were most likely with my daughter, keeping her safe," the red-head continued. "Thank you for protecting her."
I couldn't help but give a sad smile. "I only wish I could have realized sooner that we were being used. Forgive me."
The older mermaid shook her head. "Neither you nor Melody are at fault. Morgana is very cunning, just like her sister, Ursula, was. We'll find my daughter and bring back the trident."
Just as she finished saying this, two shadows briefly glided overhead, causing up to look up and notice a familiar pair of manta rays heading away from the castle.
"Those are Morgana's goons," I realized. "But what are they doing here?"
"Let's follow them and find out." Ariel took the lead as we swam away from Atlantica, heading in the direction Melody, Tip, Dash and myself had arrived.
Why do I get the feeling though that we're being led into a trap?
XXXXX
We had followed the two dark sea creatures for some time before a familiar icy landscape came into view. I could feel the shift in Darkness from the cold touch of my necklace, warning of possible Heartless or perhaps even the Darkness growing within Morgana. We hid behind a small glacier watching the manta rays enter the fortress.
"So there it is," Ariel quietly stated. She turned to Flounder (the yellow fish) and started to lightly steer him back the way we came. "Swim back as fast as you can and tell my father. I'll try and find Melody."
"That's not a good idea, Your Majesty," Riku sternly replied.
"Riku's right," I chimed in. "I can sense a very dark force coming from inside and it could very well be the Heartless. We need to stick together"
Flounder shook his head. "No way you're going in there alone."
"But if we all go, who's going to tell Daddy where Morgana's lair is?" Ariel inquired.
"Hey, what's all the whispering about!?"
Everyone spun around to find a white seagull flying over to us, stumbling as he landed on the ice.
"Is Melody around here? Did you find her yet?" The more this bird talked, the louder he became.
"Scuttle, get down and be quiet." Ariel quickly grabbed the avian by the beak and pulled him down, worried if he had announced our presence.
"Not very bright, is he?" I muttered.
"You have no idea," Flounder replied.
A moment later, Ariel's eyes lit up, seeming to have an idea. "Wait a minute; Scuttle can get help."
The yellow-blue fish gave her a "You-can't-be-serious" look.
The mermaid just brushed it off and turned back to the seagull. "Scuttle, I need you to pay very close attention."
The bird nodded his head and mumbled that he understood through his shut beak.
"We're doomed," Flounder remarked, face-palming himself with a fin.
"It may be better if Scuttle goes to get Eric, while someone else goes to inform King Triton," Riku pointed out.
"Then I'll go back to Atlantica," I volunteered.
However, Riku shook his head. "No, I think it would be better if you stayed with Her Majesty. Besides, you may have better luck talking the princess out of giving Morgana the trident if her mother is unable to."
"Are you sure?" I really hated when we split up, but I also knew that he was thinking ahead. We would need King Triton and King Eric's help if we hoped to have any chance of saving Melody.
Riku nodded.
"Alright then, listen closely." Ariel quickly explained what she needed from Scuttle, then gave Riku a general idea of where her father could be located.
With their tasks given, the bird and silverette took off to find their respective parties, while Ariel, Flounder and myself headed into the icy cavern. We dove below, seeing as how the land part of the glacier was less likely to be used.
We could hear voices not too far ahead, but Ariel came to a halt, causing me and Flounder to shuffle back in order to not bump into her.
"What's wrong?" I whispered.
Ariel looked to me and placed her index finger to her lips. "Stay here; I'll try and get Melody out of here, while you make sure Morgana doesn't try to pull any stunts or summon any Heartless."
I nodded in acceptance, and watched her and Flounder continue around the bend. Meanwhile, I pressed my body against the ice and cautiously watched from a distance so as not to be spotted.
Almost as soon as the mermaid and fish left, Melody was in their sights: just as she was about to give Morgana the trident!
"Melody, don't!" Ariel swam ahead, reaching out her hand to try and stop her daughter.
Melody spun at the sound of her mother's voice; the trident was thankfully still clutched in her grasp. "Mom!?"
"Don't listen to her-" She paused, mouth agape as she took in Melody's appearance, said princess doing the same.
"You're a mermaid?" They uttered in unison.
"Ariel, how nice of you to come," Morgana stated with a strangely happy vibe as she swam around the older mermaid. Her voice suddenly lost enthusiasm, however, as she lightly gestured to Flounder. "And you brought Flopper with you."
"The name's Flounder," said fish retorted, just as he began to charge the sea-witch but was stopped by Undertow. It was quite amusing to see the pipsqueak shark think, that despite being a predator, he could take on Flounder who was well over twice his size.
"Sweetheart~" Morgana said in a sort of sing-song matter, holding her hand out to Melody. "Hand me my trident now~."
Melody continued to clutch the weapon, looking at her mother with a hurt expression. "All this time... and you never told me?"
Ariel looked down, seeming ashamed of herself.
Morgana swam behind Melody, placing both of her sickly thin hands on the princess's shoulder. "Kept the most important secret in her whole life from her own daughter." Her words were cunning, trying to use the ravenette's hurt and turn it towards Ariel.
"Please, Melody; don't let her fool you," I muttered under my breath, doing everything I could to fight my instincts and charge in.
Ariel continued to try and persuade her daughter into handing over the trident, but Morgana continued to feed Melody lies; of how she had given the preteen everything she every wanted and how her mother had lied to her all those years.
"I was trying to protect you," Ariel urged on.
"By fencing me in!?" Melody shot back. "You knew how much I love the sea. Why did you keep the truth from me?" Her voice was starting to crack, almost on the brink of crying.
Her mother swam up to her, running her hand lovingly over her child's face, trying to explain that if she could do things over, she would.
However, Melody pulled away from her and back to Morgana's side. "Too late, Mom."
"Melody, no!"
Morgana took the trident and it began to glow an eerie green. She then began to laugh maniacally, raising the weapon above her head, releasing bursts of magic around her, summoning water-based Heartless that were far more powerful than the ones I had fought earlier.
Using a tentacle, the sea-witch bound Ariel, pulling the mermaid to her.
"Mom!" Melody cried out.
Morgana pointed the trident at the young girl, stopping her in her tracks. "Your mommy was only trying to protect you from moi!" She pulled Ariel forward and grabbed the red-head's cheeks. "What she did, she did out of... love," Morgana said that last part as if she was pitying the queen, pouting her lip, before wrapping the tentacle further around Ariel, essentially covering her mouth and silencing her. She then turned back to Melody, her voice becoming wicked. "Little Melody's been a very naughty girl, stealing from her own grandfather."
Melody's eyes went wide, before her face grew harsh and she went to her mother, trying to find a way to get her free. "You tricked me," she hissed and pointed a finger at Morgana.
"You've got no one to blame but yourself," the hag spat back.
That's it, I decided. I'm not gonna stand here and wait any longer. I need to act now! I summoned my Keyblade and charged in.
I had just reached the open space when Morgana grabbed Melody and threw her across the way to where a small hole in the ice was, Flounder rushing to her side to make sure she was okay.
"Don't you dare hurt them!" I screamed, heading for the sea-witch.
She turned to me and smirked. "And don't think I forgot about you, little Keyblade brat!" She raised her weapon, pointing it directly towards me.
I raised my Keyblade to defend myself but wasn't fast enough to withstand the force behind the force of the energy blast she shot at me. I was once again thrown backwards at a high rate of speed and, unfortunately, the power was so great that my head slammed against the wall and my world immediately went black.
Riku's POV (Third Person)
Riku led the way, batting away the swarm of Heartless that tried to get in his and King Triton's path. They rose to the surface when the glaciers came into view, the older merman being pulled in a large shell by three dolphins and a small platoon of Atlantian soldiers closely behind.
Atop a large glacier and seeming to be sitting on a throne made of ice, a sea-witch that looked slightly similar to Ursula held the trident, Queen Ariel held tightly by one of her tentacles.
"Morgana!" King Triton was furious, ready to fight, even without his trident.
Said woman turned in their direction. "King Triton? Oh-ho, please, is that the best you can do?" She knew she was at an advantage with Ariel hostage and possessing the trident. She spied Riku and smirked. "And what's this? Another Keyblade-wielding brat? Relying on outside help are we, Triton?"
Wait; another? Does that mean Hikari...Riku surveyed his surroundings, searching for his partner, but she was nowhere in sight.
A tiny shark swam up to them, laughing. "Face it, Trident. You're all washed up!"
Sebastian was having none of this and chased after the chibi-sized creature, snapping his claws in an attempt to "teach him some manners."
Suddenly, a burst of green light shot towards the shark, causing him to grow exceptionally larger, most likely his true form.
"Where's Melody!?" King Eric pulled a sword out, pointing it threateningly at the sea-witch. "What have you done with her!?"
"Oh, you wanna join your daughter?" Morgana replied, running her fingers along the staff of the trident. "Well I think that can be arranged."
Riku then noticed two thin grey appendages wrapping themselves around the man's ankles from between a crack in the ice. Before he could warn the royal, however, the king was pulled done and into the frigid water below.
"Your Majesty!" The Keyblade Master dove down, quickly spying the two manta rays from earlier dragging the human deeper.
A moment later, Ariel had somehow managed to escape Morgana and joined the silverette's side. Together, the two of them grabbed hold of Eric's arms, while Sebastian swam further and, using his claws, clamped down on the goons' tails, forcing them to let go.
Riku turned to Ariel and said: "Get him to the surface. I'll try to find Melody and Hikari." He didn't give her a chance to reply as he swam after where the two manta rays had vanished.
Hikari's POV
"Hikari... Hikari..."
"Please... open your eyes..."
The voices sounded distant and muffled, my head pounding and feeling as though cotton was clogging my ears. Pain racked my body and my eyes felt heavy. It took a few moments before I was able to muster the strength to open my eyes. When I did, my vision was tunneled, my stomach queasy and arms feeling like lead. Slowly, though, shapes and colors took form and light filtered my entire eyesight.
When I looked up, I found Melody and Flounder swimming over me, their faces concerned, but quickly becoming relieved upon seeing me awake.
"Thank goodness," Flounder sighed.
I was taken by surprise when Melody wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my right shoulder, her body shaking. "I was so worried," she mumbled, seeming to try and fight back tears. "I thought Morgana had..."
I managed to raise an arm and pet the back of the princess's head gently. "Sorry," I replied, my voice still weak, but slowly gaining its strength back. "I didn't mean... to scare you... Are you alright?"
The preteen pulled back, a few tears seeming to have escaped. She quickly wiped them away though and nodded her head. "I'm fine," she stated. She turned to look behind her before adding: "But we're completely trapped. That wall of ice is too thick for us to break through." Suddenly, she grabbed her whole body, crying out in pain.
At that moment, my pain was temporarily forgotten as I got up and looked over Melody for any injuries. "What's wrong!?"
My question was answered when a familiar green light surrounded Melody's tail, splitting it in half and returning her human legs.
"Oh no!" She cried, regretting it as water filled her mouth.
Crap, she's going to drown if I don't do something, I realized, quickly calling forth my Keyblade. Summoning as much strength as I could, I cast an Aeroa spell and had it surround Melody's head, essentially creating a small pocket of air.
She gasped in the much-needed air and nodded to me in thanks. She placed a hand on her chest, trying to steady her breathing and doing her best not to waste the little air I had been able to provide.
I returned my sights to the wall of ice that blocked our exit. The barrier appeared to several inches thick and the effects of Morgana's attack still lingered, leaving me with little power in my reserve. I couldn't use any magic I had left in fear I would need to conjure another Aeroa for Melody. The saying "caught between a rock and a hard place" suddenly had a whole new meaning. What could I do?
I felt just about ready to try and call on that special attack Master Yen Sid had told me about, when I suddenly noticed a dark speck appearing beyond the ice wall. I swam closer, trying to discern the shape, only to realize that it was getting bigger by the second. I barely had any time- perhaps the last possible moment- to push Melody and Flounder to the side, before the object crashed through the barrier.
Riku's POV (Third Person)
The Keyblade Master stopped swimming having thought he had heard strange cries from nearby. He took a moment to try and listen in order to figure out where the sound had come from, or if it was just his imagination.
Suddenly, Undertow swam past him at an accelerated speed and what seemed to be a... walrus?... sitting on said shark's nose, effectively blinding him.
Riku swam after the predator, ending up in some sort of "clearing." The shark kept charging, not realizing he was to crash into a wall of ice. The silverette could only watch and cringe as Undertow shot through the barrier, breaking off large pieces of ice, the sound of a sickening crunch and what could only be best described as glass breaking quickly following.
The teen peeked inside the hole Undertow had created, finding the walrus and a penguin, the latter muttering something about "another plan perfectly executed."
"Melody! Hikari!"
Riku spun at the sound of the voice, finding Flounder swimming over a preteen girl, who was struggling to hold her breath, and Hikari, who was tightly clutching her left forearm.
The walrus and penguin rushed to Melody's side, while Riku wrapped his arm around Hikari's waist and headed back to the surface.
Flounder and the odd pair shot to the front, desperate to get Melody back up where she could breathe properly. Riku, meanwhile, was more cautious, worried he might aggravate whatever injuries Hikari had sustained.
"Sorry... I seem to be making... a sort of habit... out of this." Riku stopped to look at her at this. Hikari's voice alone showed how weak and in pain she was, if her clouded aquamarine eyes were any other indication.
Using his free hand to summon a Hi-Potion from his inventory (Sora -well, rather Donald- had explained to him once how to retrieve items whenever one's form was changed, though the process confused even him,) the Keyblade Master took the magic item, before handing it to Hikari.
The brunette briefly let go of her left arm, nodded her head in thanks, then began to drink the bitter liquid.
Riku glanced at her arm, noticing a gash that was slowly bleeding. It didn't appear to be too deep, thankfully, but ran about three or so inches around and the saltwater no doubt made it sting. The Hi-Potion seemed to do its job though, as the bleeding stopped and the cut closed, leaving only a faint pink scar.
Hikari sighed as she pulled the now-empty vial from her lips, before tossing it away and disappearing in a sparkle of light. She looked back at Riku, her eyes no longer clouded and seeming more at ease. "Let's go. Morgana needs to be stopped."
Hikari's POV
When we reached the surface, what we found was nothing short of chaotic.
Morgana had created what could be described best as a fortress of ice, the structure resembling that of vines, weaving together in a braid-like formation. Left and right, the merfolk guards were shot with green energy coming from the trident the sea-witch wielded, forcing them to bow down. Even Tip and Dash weren't spared, Ariel getting hit as well, Melody watching helplessly by their sides.
Said princess seemed to notice we had joined her, for she turned to us, looking utterly terrified. "Hikari, please! We have to do something!"
"Watch and see how utterly powerful I can be!" Morgana boasted loudly, grabbing our attention as she continued her assault. "The end begins for all with fins!"
Fins? Does that mean the spell she's using only works on...? I looked back to Melody, and she seemed to have come to the same conclusion as I had, for her eyes glinted with new determination.
"I've got an idea, but you're not gonna like it," the ravenettee stated.
Smiling, I gave a powerful stroke of my tail, allowing me to leap out of the water. As I was in mid-air, I summoned my Keyblade and called forth the spell I had used before, transforming me back into a human before finally landing on the ice beside Melody.
Riku followed suit, returning his legs (plus his shirt, much to my relief) and stood next to me. "We've got your back." He turned to me before adding: "I'll keep her distracted while you help Melody sneak up there."
"Thanks, Riku." Melody turned towards the tower Morgana had created and started to run.
I was about to join her, but Riku grabbed my arm, stopping me. I looked back at him, confused when I saw the blank expression on his face. "What's wrong?"
"Hikari; when this is all over, there's something important I need to tell you."
What's gotten into him? He seems so serious. I didn't voice my thoughts, though, and instead nodded. "Sure." I slipped my arm from his loosened grasp and hurried after Melody.
Said girl was glancing up at the tower, trying to figure out the best way to climb up. More and more arches of ice were sprouting from the sea, so one wrong move could send either one of us plummeting to the icy water below.
"It's too risky to climb with all these pillars popping up," I stated. I closed my eyes for a moment, summoning my wings, while still holding my Keyblade. My jacket opened up in the back, preventing another tear in the fabric like back in Enchanted Dominion (the fairies had been kind enough to adjust my garments when I was last at Mysterious Tower.) "I'm gonna fly us around and look for a better opening."
Melody nodded and stepped forward wrapping her arms around my neck, which in turn allowed me to bring her to the left side of my chest and wrapping my arm around her middle securely.
Once I knew I had a firm grip and wasn't going to drop her, I took a running start, giving my wings time to build up strength, before taking off. I casted Fira spells a few times in order to prevent the growing ice from slamming into us while we circled the tower, going in zigzags as we slowly rose higher.
Riku, meanwhile, was keeping Morgana's attention on him, blocking the beams of energy she shot at him with his Keyblade and quickly dispatching whatever small Heartless she summoned. I once again found myself admiring how nimble and graceful the silverette fought, each motion seeming effortless.
"Over there," Melody spoke softly so as not to alert the sea-witch, pointing towards the base of ice where Morgana had created her throne.
I nodded and flew as close as I could to the structure, before gently depositing the preteen on a wide ledge. I then looked briefly towards where Riku was, seeing that Morgana had summoned a large group that was beginning to surround him. I turned back to Melody and said: "I'm going to help Riku. Just be careful going up the rest."
She nodded and continued her way up, while I swung back around towards the front, casting away my wings and allowing me to free-fall back down. With my wings no longer taking a large portion of my powers, I raised my Keyblade to the sky, calling out a powerful spell. "Thundaga!"
Dozens of lightning bolts crashed down, hitting multiple Water Core Heartless. I quickly cast a light Aero spell, softening my descent and placing me gently next to Riku.
"Your efforts are futile!" Morgana called out to us.
I looked up at said witch while also knocking aside two Blue Rhapsody Heartless. Melody was almost at the top, so I just had to keep Morgana's attention for a few more seconds. "You shouldn't underestimate the power of us humans," I retorted back, pointing my Keyblade at her.
Morgana just tilted her head back and laughed. She straightened a moment later though, a dark smirk on her face. "If you're so confident-" She pointed the trident in my direction and finished "-then I'll just have to send you to oblivion!"
However, before she could fire, Melody leapt forward, grabbing hold of the trident and pulling it out of the sea-witch's grasp. As if by reaction, those who had been affected by the bowing spell were released, allowing them to sigh in relief. The Heartless also seemed to stop their assault, unsure as to what was going on now that Morgana no longer had the powerful weapon.
Melody slid across the top of the ice, coming close to the ledge but thankfully stopping short.
Morgana attempted to grab the trident from Melody by wrapping her tentacles around the preteen's ankles, but cried out in pain when the princess jabbed the prongs into one of them.
"Grandfather, I think this belongs to you!" Melody smiled as she threw the trident to King Triton.
"NO!" Morgana reached out in an attempt to retrieve the weapon, but by doing so shoved Melody off the platform and sending her falling.
"Melody!" I summoned my wings once more and flew towards her. My heart began to race as I realized she was coming down too fast. I'm not gonna make it!
Suddenly, Dash slid across the ice beside me, quickly rolling onto his back, before Melody landed on his blubbery-brown belly. I hurried over, sighing in relief when I found that she was uninjured, just unconscious.
My attention on the princess was interrupted when I noticed the waves begin to pick up. I looked to see that King Triton had retrieved the trident; and he was beyond pissed.
"Never again will you or your magic hurt my family!" The powerful merman called out. "There will be no escape for you!" He pointed the trident and a golden ray of energy shot at Morgana, encasing her in thick ice, quite fitting for her surroundings.
The fortress then began to crumble, and Tip and I quickly began to slide Dash and Melody out of harm's way. We then watched from a safe distance as the trapped Morgana fell into the water, sinking to the darkest depths, never to be seen again.
An older man, who I could only assume was Melody's father, came over to us. He bowed his head in thanks before gently lifting his daughter bridal-style and taking her over to Queen Ariel.
I stayed back as Melody seemed to reconcile with her parents, as well as officially meet her grandfather. Seeing them all together, however, made my heart ache and I placed a hand over it, as if it would ease it. Were my parents okay? Did they miss me the same way Melody's parents missed her?
"We'll find them, Hikari." I turned to see Riku walking up to me, his eyes full of sympathy as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "They're out there somewhere and I'll do everything within my power to help you."
I could only nod as I continued to watch the family reunite.
Riku's POV (Third Person)
"Do you really have to go?"
Hikari nodded, a sad smile on her face.
It was just shortly after the festivities back at the castle where we had first arrived. With the threat of Morgana gone, the wall that separated the land and sea was taken down and the two worlds were once again able to mingle. Melody no longer had to sneak out to enjoy the water and Queen Ariel was able to reconnect with her daughter as well as her original home. The castle staff as well as the townsfolk were overjoyed to be able to see their old merfolk friends and spirits had been high.
Riku and Hikari had decided to stay until the party was over so they could go to a private beach and say their final goodbyes.
"I'm sorry, but Riku and I need to continue our journey," Hikari explained. "There are people dear to us who are still missing."
Ariel placed a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder and smiled softly. "We understand. We hope that you'll find Sora and the rest of your family soon, Hikari."
"And know that you are always welcome," King Triton added.
"Thank you, everyone." Hikari turned to Riku and smiled once more. "Shall we go?"
Before he could respond, a dog's excited bark could be heard nearby. They all looked towards the path that led back to the castle as the barking continued.
"Is that Max?" King Eric questioned.
There were a few more barks before human voices could be heard coming from the same direction.
"What's gotten him so riled up?" This voice belonged to an older sounding man.
"It's like he wants to take us somewhere," another replied, this being that of a woman.
Riku heard Hikari take in a quick breath, almost but not quite a gasp. He looked at her, seeing that her aquamarine eyes had grown wide and her right hand was clenched against her chest.
Just as the silverete was about to ask what was wrong, the owners of the voices appeared around the corner, Max leading the way.
They appeared to be around their mid-to-late 40s and wore casual garments not unlike what the townsfolk adorned. The man was tall and broad-chested, with sharp brown eyes, short black hair that had tiny hints of gray in it and a freshly shaved face. He wore a collared, white button-up shirt with tannish slacks, matching colored suspenders and dark brown lace-up boots. The woman was of average height, with soft fern-green eyes and red-brown hair that was braided and draped over her shoulder. She had a casual but beautiful dress with a white collared top, black waist cincher, a red, floral-printed skirt and simple black flats peeking out from underneath.
The woman's eyes seemed to widen much like Hikari's, before tears began to fill them and she placed a hand over her mouth, looking about ready to cry.
"Mom... Dad," Hikari said in a near-whisper, tears filling her eyes as well. She bolted over to the couple, who ran up to meet her halfway and they all embraced, kneeling onto the sand.
Hikari's POV (Last one I promise)
As I was held in the embrace of my adoptive parents, the uncertainty I had within my heart lessened, replaced by relief. Finally, I thought- things are finally starting to go right.
We stayed like that- kneeled in the sand- for perhaps a solid minute before slowly pulling back. I dried the tears from my eyes before turning to the sheepdog who was happily panting at our side. I reached out and wrapped my arms around the furry beast's neck, feeling new tears threatening to emerge. "Thank you," I said in a slightly croaked voice.
Max responded with a light bark followed by a slobbery kiss to my cheek, which in turn caused me to laugh.
My parents showed their gratitude as well, my dad ruffling the top of his head, while my mom placed a gentle kiss on his nose.
I looked up at the sound of crunching sand to find Riku walking towards us. I got to my feet, brushing off the sand, before smiling. "Riku, I'd like you to meet Yuriya and Hayase Kurai," I introduced, motioning to my parents. "Mom, Dad; this is Riku. He's been helping me search for you as his friend, Sora."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, young man," my mother said with a smile of her own.
"The pleasure is mine, ma'am," Riku replied. Turning to me he added, "I'm just glad we were able to find you. Hikari's been really worried."
My dad placed a hand on my mom's shoulder and nodded his head. "I think I can speak for both of us when I say how we appreciate you looking after Hikari. She may not be of our blood, but we love her as though she were."
I tucked my head in and blushed. It was times like these I wondered what I did to deserve such amazing parents.
"It would seem you have achieved your intended goal, young Hikari."
I turned to King Triton, nodding once. "Indeed, I have." Looking over to Melody and her parents I added "I'm not sure when, but I will find a way to repay you all, Max included."
Ariel shook her head. "You've done more than enough for our family."
Max, having returned to his owners' side, let out another happy bark.
King Eric kneeled and ruffled the top of the pup's head. "We'll make sure he gets a nice big steak for his efforts."
"Don't hold the fat and grease on my part." Looking back to my parents and Riku, I smiled once more. "Let's go to Radiant Garden."
Riku nodded before turning away and summoning his Keyblade. Light streamed the tip as he opened a Corridor of Light a few yards away.
"Goodbye, everyone," I called back.
"Take care now," Ariel said with a wave.
"Come back soon," Melody chimed.
I gave a final wave of my own before taking my parents' hand and leading them into the portal, Riku right behind.