Gabriel gasped, sitting up and rolling out of the way as the Boss Nightmare swung its club at him again. The raven turned and ran, reaching into his pocket to pull out a coin before giving a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the Kupo Coin, Kairi. I didn't think I'd need a second chance, but it never hurts to have one…" As he pushed through the fog, Gabriel dodged out of the way as the Nightmare appeared before him again. "Seriously!? It's like this thing can teleport within the fog!"
"Gabriel!" Ephemer called, coming out of the fog and blocking an attack with his Keyblade. "Sorry that I ran off. Turns out that voice just led me to a group of Nightmares that I had to take care of."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure this thing can mimic voices. It used Jasiri's on me," Gabriel said. He held up his hands and shot out a blast of light, pushing away the fog around them into a small arena of sorts. Doing so revealed that the Nightmare was a large human-like figure that wore a black and red outfit with a deep blue skeletal body, its legs replaced by ghostly tendrils and its head covered in a moose skull, the Dream Eater emblem in between the eyes.
"That's a weird look for a Nightmare," Ephemer noted.
"It looks like a Heartless actually," Gabriel said. "Like the one Gaston summoned in Union Cross… Enraged Elk, was it? But this Nightmare is more skeletal, like a Wendigo- a cannibalistic evil spirit from the Great Lakes region. Though it having the antlers and stuff is more of a Hollywood inspired design…"
"I think we should focus on fighting it rather than a history lesson," Ephemer pointed out, blocking another attack.
Gabriel nodded, standing up ad summoning Fantasia for the battle. "Right. Let's do this!"
"Not without me!" Great Prince called, leaping out of the fog and delivering a kick to the Nightmare's face. "Sorry for being late. I got turned around in the fog and followed your light back. Now then, let us get rid of this monster that threatens my forest!" He leaned over to Gabriel and asked, "By the way, what are we calling this thing? Don't you heroes have clever names for these kind of things?"
"How about… Wendifog, because it summoned the fog and looks like a wendigo?" Gabriel suggested.
"Wendifog it is, then," Ephemer nodded.
With that Gabriel called on his music, getting the team pumped up as the battle began.
Darkness, endless, despair, fear no more
Coldness, blackened, no sound, feel no pain
Captured, helpless, ultimate, dreadful fate
Powerless, lifeless, no breath, falling down
As the two sides squared up, Gabriel took point, using Fantasia to create dragon claws around his arms. Ephemer got into his battle stance, Master's Defender held tight in his grip, while the Great Prince called on the power of nature, his horns shining with green magic. The Wendifog gave a roar, holding up its club before going at them to attack.
(Darkness) Lost destiny
(Endless) Far outcry
(Despair) They hear you
Fear no more
The trio scattered away from the attack, with Ephemer casting Fire to deal the first hit to the Nightmare.
(Coldness) Numb feeling
(Blackened) Whole dizziness
(No sound) Deep scars
Feel no pain
"That seems to have done some damage!" Gabriel called.
(Captured) No sanity
(Helpless) Body aching
(Ultimate) Control your
Dreadful fate
"Just be careful not to burn down my forest! Fire is dangerous in this land," Great Prince warned.
(Powerless) Invisible
(Lifeless) Real enemy
(No breath) Ruin your mind
Falling deep down
"Now then, let's get this party started!" Gabriel called, starting to wrap as they all battled against the Wendifog.
Deep, deep down to the basement
Replacement goes as placement
Big bucks payment or dirty like enslavement
Began to lose patience
To these complacent
Successors who assesses rules that assassinate us (What?)
Gabriel used his dragon claws to go in for a quick combo, before being blocked by the Nightmare's club. Wendifog knocked him back into the fog, where the raven was quickly surrounded by Toximanders that appeared out of nowhere. "Great, if we get too far from the Boss Nightmare, it'll just summon its goons to attack us," Gabriel sighed, fighting his way back into the arena.
Me
Lot of confidence but far from vanity
Reason why I got a crew behind me- my family
Even if you try to bribe me
Never ride, believe in beauty of destiny- it's fire
Ephemer did a series of Keyblade swings before jumping back and igniting his weapon with fire magic. "Fire Raid!" he called, tossing his Keyblade multiple times like a boomerang to hit the Wendifog.
Darker the blood, the fresher the flesh
But darker the soul, the lesser the heart
The lessons untaught
Yo backside of TV, to some's like DV
Bottomless dark so may not for the weak kids
"Take this!" Great Prince called, rushing forward with his horns. Wendifog met him with its own horns, the two getting into a shoving match to see who would give out first. The Great Prince managed to beat the Nightmare, pushing it out into the fog once more.
Underestimated way of brainwashing illuminated
Bunch of hallucination but to some's elucidation
Heck nah won't cave I'm an outlaw (outlaw)
Switch my style counterattack from the south paw!
"Okay, I'm back!" Gabriel called, jumping back into the arena. He looked around and didn't see the Wendifog anywhere. "Did it disappear into the fog again? Okay guys, stay close to me…" The trio all got back-to-back as they looked around, waiting for the Boss Nightmare to show back up.
(Darkness) Lost destiny, (Endless) Far outcry
(Despair) They hear you, Fear no more
(Coldness) Numb feeling, (Blackened) Whole dizziness
(No sound) Deep scars, Feel no pain
Suddenly eyes glowed all around them, followed by a blast of ice magic. "Right, wendigos are also ice monsters. Get ready to block!" Gabriel commanded.
(Captured) No sanity, (Helpless) Body aching
(Ultimate) Control your, Dreadful fate
(Powerless) Invisible, (Lifeless) Real enemy
(No breath) Ruin your mind, Falling deep down
The trio all quickly spun around each other, blocking the incoming ice barrage was Wendifog attacked from the fog. Once the barrage ended, the Boss Nightmare lunged at Gabriel, who threw up a shield to block a club swing. "Not this time!" he called, transforming his weapon from a dragon claw into small dragon wings and feet. "If the claws are power, then this is my speed form!"
Nowadays many people abuse, informations better choose
Recognize the source of course or get accused soon
Be careful who you choose to speak in back room
Jealousy, jealousy running like sonic boom
Ephemer and the Great Prince used their deer forms to rush on either side of Wendifog, making the Boss Nightmare have to alternate between them to attack. This let Gabriel rush in and start delivering rapid kicks to its face from the air.
It's messed up how anger and hatred looms large in the dark
Leaving scars to some by who's fumed
I've got my third eye to see through their costumes
Lies after lies, call out from me to you
"Rising Sun!" Great Prince shouted, delivering a swipe of his antlers that burned with fire magic, causing some good damage on the Nightmare.
This pothole's beyond dark, bizarre so intriguing
Lost ones drunk off of pool of money dreaming
Dang some still battling against these demons
Brave souls even screaming 'Oh please Jesus'
"Trinity Cross, Fire Style!" the trio said, using the same Trinity Attack they used earlier but imbued with fire.
Money makes the world go around who the richest
Mother, Theresa but they never listen to me
Kept dressing with a fake coverage
Spitfire, burns these dreads, baby-baby-baby!
The Wendifog roared in anger, holding up a hand and summoning the fog back to its body. The fog quickly gathered in its hands, before it transformed into an arm cannon of some kind made out of ice.
"Did it just make a gun!?" Gabriel exclaimed.
"Yeah, I don't think I can block something from that thing," Ephemer said.
(Darkness) Lost destiny, (Endless) Far outcry
(Despair) They hear you, Fear no more
(Coldness) Numb feeling, (Blackened) Whole dizziness
(No sound) Deep scars, Feel no pain
"Well, I'm not going to stand around and let it fire that thing at us!" Great Prince stated, rushing forward to attack while Wendifog charged up. The stag did distract the Nightmare, but it summoned some Fishbones to defend itself. Gabriel and Ephemer protected their ally from the minions until Great Prince successfully stopped the gun attack.
(Captured) No sanity, (Helpless) Body aching
(Ultimate) Control your, Dreadful fate
(Powerless) Invisible, (Lifeless) Real enemy
(No breath) Ruin your mind, Falling deep down
Darkness, darkness, darkness, darkness-
"You know, I think we're at the end here," Gabriel said. Pulling out the Spirit Whistle, he gave it a blow, a sharp noise coming out of it as one of Jameson's dream portals opened up. Out of it came a Ryu Dragon, which flew out and tackled Gabriel, licking the raven's face. The Spirit Dream Eater was colored reddish-pink with green highlights and markings. "Okay, down boy!" Gabriel laughed. "We have a battle to win!"
Ryu Dragon nodded, flying up into the air to assist in the fight.
(Darkness) Lost destiny
(Endless) Far outcry
(Despair) They hear you
Fear no more
Wendifog roared and backed up from the group, charging its arm cannon again and summoning more Nightmares to defend itself.
(Coldness) Numb feeling
(Blackened) Whole dizziness
(No sound) Deep scars
Feel no pain
"I don't think we'll be able to get close enough to attack it this time," Great Prince said.
(Captured) No sanity
(Helpless) Body aching
(Ultimate) Control your
Dreadful fate
"We don't need to get close- we just have to send its attack right back at him!" Gabriel exclaimed. The raven changed his weapon again, this time creating a dragon's head over one of his arms. "And this is magic form! Ryu Dragon, help me out!"
(Powerless) Invisible
(Lifeless) Real enemy
(No breath) Ruin your mind
Falling deep down
The Spirit flew down next to his master and started charging its fire breath while Gabriel gathered magic. Once both sides were done charging, it was a battle of fire and ice as two beams of flame clashed against one of ice.
Yeah
Bring it up, bring it up
Backside to everything, but we're gonna bring it up
Even if I die my words'll live, bring it up
Until my last breath, never ever gonna give it up
"Come on, Gabriel, you got this!" Ephemer cheered.
"Indeed, you can do it!" Great Prince nodded, taking out the last of the smaller Nightmare.
Hmm, ridiculousness
Suppose it's sick, sick business
But we ain't gonna be fooled by these sickness
My brain is safe and sound with pure goodness
As Gabriel and Ryu Dragon struggled, he closed his eyes and focused on Fantasia. His Harmony Pin glowed, and around him he felt the power of his friends from the pin. The raven opened his eyes and smiled.
Uh, I guess comparably
So just throw your hands high in the air
In the air
So I can see how y'all feeling put it up in the air
"In words of Sora: My friends are my true power!" he called, and with one final push overpowered Wendifog's attack, blasting a massive hole through the Boss Nightmare.
When I say yeah
I wish you say it back say oh yeah
Yeah, I love it now
Let's change the world
Wendifog gave one last roar before exploding, the fog in the area leaving as well. Gabriel let out a sigh of relief before sitting down, Ryu Dragon putting his head in the raven's lap. "Wow, that was intense," Gabriel said, petting his new Spirit. "You know, I'm gonna need a name for you. How about… You know, you look kinda like a dragon fruit, so how does Pitaya sound?" The Ryu Dragon gave a happy nod and tail wag. "Okay then, Pitaya it is then!"
"So the Boss Nightmare is defeated… now what?" Ephemer asked.
Gabriel gave a hum. "Normally the Keyhole to the world would appear and we'd wake it up from there, but I don't see a giant floating lock anywhere…"
The Great Prince stepped forward. "If I may, I believe I know where the Keyhole is. Follow me."
The trio left the meadow just as the sun started to rise once more, the Great Prince taking them into the deepest part of the forest. There he showed the two a small alcove that led into a lush riverside, the area looking untouched and beautiful.
"This is the heart of the forest, where I first met Bambi's mother," Great Prince explained.
"Huh, I guess it makes sense that such and important spot would be where the Keyhole is," Gabriel mused.
As he said that, said Keyhole appeared in the area above them. Ephemer nodded, spinning around before pointing his Keyblade at the lock, a satisfying click noise going off as the world was freed from slumber. "That's the end, then. Time for us to head back to Yen Sid," Ephemer nodded.
"It was great meeting you, Great Prince, but now is our time to go," Gabriel said.
"Thank you for helping me protect my forest as well," the stag nodded. "I hope to see you both in the waking world once more."
"I'll make sure of it!" Gabriel laughed. "Only one more challenge to go before I earn my Keyblade!"
Author's Note
With that, the Wildwood Heart is completed! Wendifog is a Boss Nightmare created by myself, though it is inspired by the Enraged Elk Heartless from Union Cross. There's actually a head cannon that some people have that Gaston is the one that killed Bambi's mother, so I ran with that idea and created a creepy wendigo Nightmare inspired by his Heartless. If you were wondering how it could copy voices of other people, that was inspired by the deer call that Man uses to lure Bambi into the field during the events of "Bambi 2."
Gabriel gets his Spirit here, a Ryu Dragon named Pitaya. If you didn't know, Pitaya is another name for the Dragon Fruit, which is one of my favorite flavors of fruit to eat. We also got to see some more of Gabriel's Harmony powers, including his power form (dragon claws), speed from (dragon wings and talons), and magic from (dragon cannon), which are all based on the three types of medals from Union Cross.
The song this chapter is "The Backside of TV (Lotus Juice Remix)" from the video game Persona 4: Dancing All Night. The Persona games all have great music, and since Persona 4 has a lot to do with fog I thought it fit with the fight against the Wendifog. Some lyrics were changed to make it more appropriate for the Magical World.
Next Time: Gabriel faces his final test to earn his Keyblade!