Just a heads up; this chapter has quite a few POV changes, so look out for that. Also, I wanted to thank my many readers for continuing to stick with me while I try to crank out chapters, even with a full-time job.
Hikari's POV
Even though I felt bad leaving Riku to deal with the Heartless, I knew he could easily handle them and that the girl's safety was more important. After all, he wasn't named Master for nothing.
I quickly caught up the Tornado Step pursuing the black-haired pre-teen, seeing it edge closer to the girl, who was pinned to a wall. The Heartless still hadn't noticed me, too focused on the target in front of it. I took note of an open window just above and got an idea. Readying my Keyblade, I looked to the girl - who appeared terrified- and motioned my head upwards.
Her ocean-blue eyes glanced up briefly, quickly bringing them back to me and nodding in understanding.
I waited patiently for the right moment, then, just as the Heartless pounced towards the child, I yelled out "Jump" while casting a Magnet spell.
In quick succession, the girl turned and grabbed the edge of the window, while the Tornado Step was pulled towards me. Swinging The Angel's Keyblade hard, the Heartless collided with the bow, before being thrown towards a nearby tree. It crashed into the trunk, pieces of bark flying off upon impact, before disappearing in a puff of black smoke, a small pink heart appearing and floating up into the evening sky.
I sighed in relief as I dismissed my Keyblade and turned back to the window of the castle.
The raven-haired girl was gone, probably safe inside, but I still wanted to make sure she hadn't sustained any injuries. With this in mind, I walked to the window and jumped up onto the ledge with the help of a simple Aero spell. Stepping inside, I took note of what appeared to be a party of sorts. Very wealthy-looking aristocrats were mingling amongst one another, making me look down at my own attire and realize I was quite underdressed and would stick out like a sore thumb.
A thought then came to me as I lifted my left arm and gazed down at the golden bracelet the fairies had given me, thinking back to the advice they had given me nearly a week ago.
"If ever you need to disguise yourself while traveling the worlds beyond, picture what you need and focus on this bracelet," Flora explained.
"Our magic is infused within and will react with your garments," Fauna added.
"Transforming them into what you need," Merryweather finished.
Guess now's as good a time as any to test it out, I thought to myself. Shouldn't be too hard, just a little adjusting of my normal dress.
Closing my eyes, I formed a picture of what I wished and focused that thought on the bracelet. I saw a small flash of light behind my closed lids and felt a different material replace my traveling garments. When I opened my eyes, I turned to a tall mirror I had spotted earlier and gazed at my reflection.
My dress was still its stunning navy blue, but a few things had been added. While the dress still started just below my collarbone and where my shoulders started, an additional piece of fabric a slightly darker shade of blue lined the first inch or so where the collar started. Instead of the split straps, it now had sleeves that stopped just a few inches short of my wrists. Where my waist started, another darker piece of fabric similar to the collar wrapped around the now slightly wider skirt, opening outwards going doing. It still had the same ripple texture from before, but the bottom was now lined the same dark blue and just barely touched the floor, partially concealing my normal silver flats. My bracelets were gone, but the necklace Ansem the Wise had given me remained like always.
A/N: I based Hikari's party dress off of Ariel's, just a few adjustments and different colors.
What I hadn't expected to change was my hair. My chocolate-brown locks had a slight wave to them and my bangs were swept to the side. The strands of hair that usually framed my face were now braided and pulled back, a quick turn revealing a hair clip in the shape of angel wings with icy-blue gems holding the strands together.
I hardly recognized myself. I never was one for dressing up, since I had always felt insecure about my body, but seeing me like this gave me a sense of confidence. I'm sure Chise would no doubt call me a princess or something if she saw me like this, and would try to convince me that I should try to dress more girly. Maybe when this whole mess was over I would work on my wardrobe.
Satisfied that I at least looked like I belonged, I turned down the hall to look for the young girl. I turned a corner, just in time to see who I was looking for bump into another girl with blonde hair, who was talking with two boys -one tall and slim with slightly dark brown hair and the other short and chubby with dirty blond hair,- all probably within the same age group.
"O-Oh, Your Highness," the blonde preteen said upon seeing the ravenettte.
Highness? I guess that means she's royalty, I thought to myself. Guess that explains how she seems to know the castle so well.
"Sorry; my fault," the princess apologized, quickly hiding her bag behind her back. She side-stepped around the trio, her back away from them, as she headed towards a smaller corridor. "I gotta go. Can't go to the party without shoes," she bashfully added before ducking inside.
The moment she was gone, the small group turned back to each other, snobby looks on their faces.
"If you ask me, she's a little strange," the girl said, punctuating little as she waved her hand.
"I heard she actually talks to fish," the taller boy pointed out, causing him and his two friends to laugh obnoxiously.
I felt my hands clench into fists. While I looked calm and composed on the outside, I was boiling mad underneath. Walking tall and proudly, I approached the trio. "I'd watch what you say, especially when it comes to members of the royal family," I stated.
They turned to me, seeming surprised that I had overheard their conversation. They quickly recovered though, regaining their arrogant posture despite the clearly significant age gap between us.
"And who are? Her guard-dog?" The chubbier boy teased with a smirk, gaining snickers from the other two.
I gave him my own cocky smile and stepped directly in front of the pipsqueak, towering over him a good 18 inches. His snobbish attitude seemed to vanish as he was forced to look up at me, perhaps seeing my hidden rage deep within my icy-blue eyes.
"If there's one thing I hate above all else, it's a bully." I kept my voice solid and stern, with perhaps the tiniest bit of malice mixed in. "I'm usually a very calm and compassionate person, but if I ever see someone bad-mouthing another behind their back, I will not hesitate to show my true colors. You are guests here and should treat your hosts with respect."
I took a step back, satisfied when I saw the uneasy looks on their faces. Having said my peace, I walked away and towards the corridor the princess had disappeared into.
Riku's POV (Third Person)
Meanwhile, back outside...
Riku was surrounded by a group of at least five guards, having him backed against the tall stone wall. While they did not have their weapons drawn, their hands were hovering over the hilt attached to their waists.
"Identify yourself, boy," the guard who had first spoken ordered.
Well this is a problem, Riku silently cursed at himself, unsure of what to do. He had been caught at the worst possible moment, still having his Keyblade drawn and out in the garden late into the evening; it didn't look good. How am I going to get out of this?
Just when it seemed as though the guards would draw their swords, a voice interrupted.
"Is everything all right over here?"
Riku and the men turned to find a woman perhaps in her mid-thirties or so standing a few feet away from the guards. She had long, bright red hair tied up and wore a regal gown of violet, a golden tiara and matching necklace with emeralds in them completely the look that clearly stated she was of nobility. An Old English Sheepdog stood at her side, its head tilted to the side curiously.
"Please stay back, Your Majesty," one guard explained, turning his palm towards her. Turning back to Riku, he added: "We found this youth suspiciously wandering the garden carrying a strange weapon."
"He could be dangerous," another added. "Let us handle this."
"A strange weapon?" The queen repeated. She turned to take a better look at Riku from between the guards, her eyes drifting down to Way to the Dawn in his grasp before going wide with surprise. "Stand down; this boy is of no threat to us."
"But Your Majesty-"
The woman held up her hand, silencing the guard. She looked to Riku with a kind smile before turning back to the guard in charge. "He will not bring harm to anyone inside. Now please, return to your patrol, captain."
The captain seemed hesitant, but eventually relaxed and signaled the others to stand down. They backed away from Riku before heading back to their posts, leaving Riku alone with the queen and her four-legged companion.
Releasing the breath he did not realize he was holding, Riku dismissed his Keyblade and looked to the older woman, before bowing respectfully. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I did not intend to make your guards uneasy."
The queen smiled and nodded. "It's no trouble. I'm just surprised to see a Keyblade Wielder after so many years. It certainly brings back fond memories."
Riku's eyes grew slightly wide in surprise. How did she know about the Keyblade, unless- "Are you Princess Ariel, one of Sora's friends?"
Ariel's smile broadened, seeming quite happy to hear the Keyblade Wielder's name. "How wonderful it is to hear his name again." She seemed to study Riku for a moment before a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head. "You wouldn't happen to be Riku would you? Did you and Sora manage to reunite?"
The silver-haired teen found himself chuckling a little and nodding his head. "He was practically in tears when he found me." He rubbed the back of his head before adding "It's kind of embarrassing thinking about it now."
"He was truly worried about you and your other friend, Kairi," Ariel explained. "He always spoke highly of you, of how special of a friend you are to him. I'm glad that the two of you managed to find each other once again."
"Me too," Riku replied.
The queen nodded her head, turning to watch the dog sniff the earth, as if trying to find something. Her smile seemed to disappear as she asked: "I can only guess that since you're here and were seen with a Keyblade, then that means the Heartless have returned, correct?"
Riku sighed. "Sadly yes, Your Majesty."
"I see. If I may ask, why is Sora not with you? Surely he must wish to fight the Darkness alongside his best friend, yes?"
The teen felt his heart sink, thinking of Sora. "I'm afraid that's part of the reason why we're here."
"We?" Ariel echoed.
Riku nodded. "My friend -Hikari- and I are traveling from world to world fighting the Darkness, as well as looking for Hikari's family and Sora."
"Sora's missing? Oh, my." The news seemed to hit Ariel hard, for she looked up at the wall with sad eyes, perhaps remembering the times she shared with the first person she had met from another world. "It was Sora who encouraged me to look beyond the sea and seek adventure above. It's because of him I found the courage to give up my life in the sea and be with the one I love." She was silent for a bit before turning back to Riku with a determined expression. "Please, let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I wish to repay Sora for all that he's done for me."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The queen smiled and walked towards a small patch of sand where water from the sea came through a series of grates so as not to put too much pressure on the wall. The Sheepdog jumped around happily, voicing his enjoyment with barks and a wagging butt, for he was short a tail. The red-head smiled at the dog's childish antics, looking up at the wall once more with a sad expression. "I miss you, Daddy. I wish you could be here with us." She seemed to get an idea and, looking around to make sure no one else besides Riku was there, slipped out of her shoes and stepped into the water, lifting her dress so as to not get it wet. A small smile returned to her lips as she seemed to relax in the cool waves, the slight breeze flowing gently through her bangs.
Riku watched silently, a sad smile on his face. It must be hard for her, not being able to see those she left back at Atlantica. I wonder though; why did they build this wall if Ariel has such a strong connection with the sea?
Hikari's POV
When I reached the top of the staircase, I saw a door to my left that had light streaming out from underneath. As I approached it, I could hear a voice that wasn't that of a girl, but an older man with a sort of accent.
"I'm getting too old for this," the male voice muttered. "This is why you shouldn't go beyond the wall, Melody child."
So that's her name. It's beautiful, I thought to myself. Summoning up the courage, I lightly knocked on the door. "Your Highness?"
The male voice sounded panicked. "Oh dear, if that's your mother we're-"
"Wait," the princess's voice interrupted. "I think I know that voice." There was a bit of shuffling inside before the door slowly opened and the princess peeked out. "I was right, it is you."
"I apologize, but I wanted to make sure those Heartless hadn't hurt you," I explained.
Melody looked around, seeming to check if anyone else was there, before opening the door a little more and ushering me inside. "Hurry, come in."
I quickly shuffled in before she closed the door behind me and she sighed in relief.
She turned around and looked at me before smiling sweetly. "Thank you for saving me earlier. I'm sorry I couldn't stop sooner to say so."
I quickly glanced over her and, seeing no obvious injuries, sighed and smiled. "Do not worry about it, Your Highness. I'm just glad you are unhurt. My name is Hikari, by the way."
"Melody," she greeted.
"Please, child, you must get ready before your mother notices."
I turned towards where the voice was coming from but was surprised when I found a small, red, anthropomorphic crab on the dresser, his claws fidgeting in agitation.
"R-Right, sorry, Sebastian." Melody turned and grabbed a beautiful salmon pink dress from her bed before heading behind a partition screen and changing out of her casual attire.
"Miss Hikari, may I have a word with you?" The crab now known as Sebastian looked at me with a hard stare, though I wasn't quite sure if he was mad, frustrated, or getting ready to interrogate me. Nevertheless, I nodded and stepped closer to the dresser so Melody was slightly out of earshot. "Now then," Sebastian continued in a slightly lower voice. "Based on how you knew what those monsters were and the weapon you wielded, am I correct to assume you are not of this world, child?"
His assumption took me by surprise, for I was not expecting someone to recognize the general appearance of a Keyblade, despite there being several different types. I quickly realized though that Sebastian could very well be one of Sora's friends Riku spoke of before, so I decided to speak my thoughts. "I am, sir. Does this mean you know Sora?"
Sebastian nodded his head. "It has been several years since last I saw that boy, nearly thirteen years if I'm correct."
Thirteen years!? How is that possible? Riku had said that it had been perhaps close to a year since Sora, Donald and Goofy last traveled to this world, but can time drastically flow so different here than in other worlds?
"If you are indeed a wielder of the Keyblade, then I can only conclude that you have come here to defeat the Heartless, yes?"
I nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm also looking for my parents as well as Sora. They were taken hostage a few weeks ago by the Darkness and my friend, Riku, and I are trying to find them."
Sebastian frowned at the mention of Sora's disappearance. "I'm sorry to hear that. I will do what I can and keep my eyes peeled for any of them, but you have an obligation as a Keyblade Wielder to act with discretion. You must keep the world order."
Just as we finished our conversation, Melody stepped back out, now adorned in her dress and her hair wrapped in a towel.
"That's a very beautiful dress, Your Highness," I commented.
She blushed under the compliment and smiled, walking towards the door that led to the balcony, Sebastian following her and jumping on top of her bag. The pre-teen leaned on the railing, watching the sunset just over the wall, dolphins jumping out of the water and seagulls riding the breeze. You could tell that she adored the sea if her dreamy gaze at the open water or bag of seashells on her bedroom floor were any indication.
Something seemed to catch her attention though, for she looked down below the balcony with a curious expression. "Mother? What are you doing?"
"Umm, nothing," an older woman's voice replied.
Melody came back inside, leaning against the wall next to the window and sighing in relief, Sebastian doing the same.
"I'll be right up," Melody's mother called up.
Both human and crab began to panic as Melody rushed towards a wardrobe and pulled out a pair of shoes. Sebastian hurried back to the dresser and pulled down a long pink ribbon that was hanging on the mirror.
As I watched Melody hurry up, I suddenly realized that I shouldn't be in here and getting caught by the Queen was probably not a great way of keeping the world order. I turned towards the door I had come in from, only to realize I had only seen one corridor that led out of this part of the castle, and the Queen would no doubt be using it to get up here. I spun around, seeing only one other escape route: the balcony.
Let's just hope no one sees me flying down. I rushed towards the balcony, but Melody's voice stopped me.
"Wait; where are you going?"
I looked back to see the princess tying the ribbon around her waist, Sebastian strangely absent. Maybe he went to hide. "I don't think your mother would be too thrilled to find a stranger in her daughter's bedroom and she might spot me coming out of here. I'll be taking my leave now, but I hope to see you again, Your Highness." With one last wave, I leaped off the railing and used an Aero spell to slow my descent.
Down below, I spotted Riku looking up at me, a smirk on his face that seemed to say "Show-off."
Once my feet touched the ground, I let out a sigh of relief before looking back at Riku. "Sorry to ditch you like that," I apologized.
Riku was gazing at me with slightly large eyes, and I could have sworn I saw the slightest blush on his cheeks. It quickly vanished though, as he coughed into his hand, clearing his throat. "R-Right. No worries." He took a moment to recover from his stupor before adding: "Was the girl up there the one that was attacked by the Heartless?"
I nodded. "I wanted to check and make sure she wasn't hurt, so that's why I didn't come back right away. I'll try and not make it a habit."
Riku chuckled and nodded as well. "Yeah, I'd appreciate that. Anyway, I happened to find one of Sora's friends from this world; Ariel."
"Yeah, I met up with Sebastian," I explained. "He was with Princess Melody, plus I found out this world has had a major time skip since Sora, Donald and Goofy were here last; nearly thirteen years!"
Riku put a hand to his chin, taking in this information. "I guess that would explain why Ariel is so much older than before and how she has a kid. Time does travel in some worlds more drastically than others, though this is a bit on the extreme side."
"No kidding," I retorted. "So, what's the plan? Do we stay here at the palace, or go looking for Sora and my folks?"
"Probably best to hang tight for a bit in case the Heartless decide to crash that party going on inside." Looking up and down at my attire once more he added: "You already seem prepared for blending in, so why don't you head back inside? I'll do a perimeter around here."
"Sounds good," I agreed. "Let's meet back up here in an hour." I turned to leave.
"Hikari." His voice stopped me and made me turn around.
"Yes?"
He seemed to get nervous once more as he stated: "You look... very nice."
I felt a powerful blush come over me as I spun around and hurried back inside, not wanting to show my bashfulness in front on Riku. I placed a hand over my chest, feeling my heart beat rapidly. Am I... falling for Riku?
I managed to slip back in without being noticed and entered the ballroom where everyone was mingling. I hung in the background, observing the crowd but trying my best to act normal, taking a sip from the glass of punch I had in my hand on occasion.
The small orchestra had just finished a song and the party-goers were clapping when the sound of someone clearing his throat caught everyone's attention, bringing their focus to the staircase.
An older looking gentlemen, perhaps a steward of some sort, was smiling as he announced "May I present, Her Royal Highness, Princess Melody."
Said girl appeared around the corner, the crowd clapping as she descended the stairs, holding her skirt up in order not to trip. She had a nervous smile on her face, seeming to mutter to herself as she continued down the stairs.
A few children her age were bowing or curtsying to her when a boy with blond hair and wearing a regal blue and gold uniform approached her. She turned to him and he bowed respectfully.
"Um, hi. Would you.. like to dance?" The boy inquired with a warm smile.
Melody seemed unsure, but upon looking up at who I could only guess was her parents at the top of the staircase, she saw her mother encourage her with a pushing gesture of the hands. The preteen looked back to the boy and nervously replied: "Sure, okay." She took his hand as he led her to the center of the room where everyone had been dancing.
Once they were in position, the maestro tapped his thin baton on the music sheet stand, starting up another song. The violins were the first to start the dance, slow at first, but quickly gaining speed as the flutes and harp joined in. As the pace quickened, so did the dancing, the boy seeming to take the lead as he spun Melody around the room. Melody quickly seemed to relax and perhaps even enjoy the dance, if her bright eyes and smile were any indication.
The boy had just pulled Melody close, his hand rested on her back, when his face scrunched up as if in pain. He pulled his hand back, revealing a very familiar crab clutching his finger with his claws, his eyes growing wide in horror as he starting flailing and screaming, cutting off the music. Everyone looked on in shock as he flung his finger upward - sending poor Sebastian flying- and crashed into the table that had the punch, splashing a few guests.
Melody watched her friend soar higher and higher, before coming back down to earth, right where a man was carting in a large pink and white birthday cake, completely unaware of what was happening. The ravenette held her arms up as Sebastian crashed down on the cake with such force that the sweet desert splattered everywhere, mostly on the unfortunate chef.
When Sebastian poked out of the cake, the young princess rushed to her friend, kneeling in front of the cart. "Oh no. I'm so sorry," she apologized.
The boy she had been dancing with turned to her, trying to get his punch-drench hair out of his face. "Well, I should say-"
But it was quite clear she was not apologizing to him for her saw her at the destroyed cake and asking Sebastian if he was alright.
"Who is she talking to?" The blonde girl from earlier teasingly asked, her hands cupping her jawline.
The chubbier boy starting laughing obnoxiously. "She's talking to a crab," he announced. The other guests began to join him, pointing and laughing.
Melody stood up, looking around her with an embarrassed expression in her eyes as everyone continued to make fun of her.
At the same time, the chef appeared quite furious at Sebastian as he pulled out a giant meat cleaver from out of nowhere, jumping on top of the cart in an attempt to cut down the poor crab. Sebastian fled, trying to hide among the salads and appetizers on the food table. The older man slammed his hand on a handful of plates, sending them and Sebastian soaring across the room, nearly hitting the poor maestro, but taking his toupee in the process.
Melody, hugging her arms tightly, could no longer take it as she ran back towards the staircase, covering her watering eyes. Her mother approached her, trying to comfort her, but the girl simply stormed past and disappeared into the corridor.
I felt myself clench my own arms, the teasing crowd an all-too-familiar feeling. No one deserved to be mistreated this way, especially one as young as poor Melody.