In which Rhyme and Neku appear.
"So..." Sora began, hands behind his head.
The scenery around them shifted slowly, bright colours glowing all over the district they found themselves in. Emerald green banners flagged the light posts, with one on each side lining the flagstone walkway. At further inspection, it would seem that Nemurin would need to redact her initial thoughts of the town appearing near-permanent late sunset, though the lights still warmed the area in a similar array of colours, shadows falling wide across the corners of buildings distant from the lights, which still glowed a dim orange, as did the windows despite not seemingly being inhabited by anyone, the only sounds that fringed their ears being the tap of their footsteps against the ground and the little bleats and uptight grumbles Sheppy and Morgana would make here and there.
Tilting her head, Nemurin answered, "Yeah?"
"How did you do all of that?" Sora asked. "Like, with the beam you shot out, and how you got here...!" he added.
The clouds surrounding Nemurin's head as constant companions floated alongside her as she tilted it in thought. Obviously, she could say she was a Magical Girl - but there was the explanation about it, and what it entailed. It was a little surreal to her, to be honest; most people in the Dream World never really questioned anything about her apart from her name, likely just assuming it to be part of the illusion - yet the boy with her now didn't seem to, he seemed to be taking it as seriously as he would the real world. It reminded her of an encounter she had with a Magical Girl, a few months ago; back then, she still had been weakened by her real body's death, and the Magical Girl had been dubbed in bright colours and the apparel of a superhero from across the sea. She hadn't thought of her for a little bit, what with the time that had passed since then; she wondered what she was doing now.
Giving it a thought, Nemurin settled for something simple; "Let's just say...I'm a Magical Girl." she stated.
"Heh, guess that's true," Sora agreed contentedly, giving a sunny grin. "You sure are a magical girl, Nemu, being able to purify Nightmares like that. It kinda reminds me of these old posters Kairi and Selphie would look over when we were kids, of these girls in flashy costumes who would come from magical kingdoms to fight evil. Riku and I always called it girly, but it's probably supposed to be, right?" he trailed off as they walked along.
Letting out a quiet laugh, she replied, rather relieved that she didn't need to go on any spiels about what she actually was and all the details that came with it. "Yeah, that sums it up,"
Besides, going off on some long lecture about how she became a Magical Girl and the game that led to it and where that game led her in the end, it was all rather complicated and rather needless, if you asked her. The stories of other people were always more fascinating anyhow.
"Say...is Riku here with you too?" Nemurin wondered - her mind rewound to the scene of the sea she had floated through, of the silver-haired boy dubbed in yellow, assuming at least for the moment that had probably been this Riku person.
"Well..." Sora's hands fell from behind his head as he spoke, his blue eyes falling to the floor instead. "He was. And I'm sure he's still somewhere around here, and I'm sure I'll find him. But when I got to Traverse Town, I couldn't see him anywhere," he admitted, the perplexion he felt over the matter simmering in his voice; clearly he wasn't as aware of the workings of all of this as she suspected he would have been.
"Is he a friend of yours?"
"Oh yeah!" Sora declared, the enthusiasm bubbling back up in his voice again, his eyes turning from the flagstone floor and back to Nemurin. "He's my best friend! Him and Kairi...I wonder how they're doing. Riku and Kairi, I mean,"
"Sounds like you've known them for a while," Nemurin commented as they turned the street corner. Sheppy rolled close to her legs now, as Morgana turned her black, rather doggish-styled nose up at him after she had been rustled by their speedy journey through the post office. Morgana herself padded along near Sora, but not as close as Sheppy did with Nemurin. Still, something told her Morgana would be just as fierce as the term 'Nightmare' would imply should someone threaten her first companion.
"You bet, we've been together for ages," Sora said, now possessing something in him that was somewhat wistful. "I'm sure they're fine. Riku's always been good at handling himself, and I know Kairi's safe, and that's all I need," he added, his gloved hand falling across his chest, across his heart.
It was at this moment that there was some emphasis placed on the boy's shirt - which had a rather distinctive, silver pattern, depicting a cross, one like the letter 'x'. To tell the truth, Nemurin hadn't really taken it into account before now, but she couldn't help but notice a bit, though her mind didn't think much of it. People in N-City, namely flashier folk or tourists, often wore bright stuff like that; big slogan tees and the like, and she would have to say this one didn't look tacky, as he suited it. Really, it made her wonder why it drew her attention at all...
Instead, she turned her mind to what he had said; she found a bit of relief in the possibility that Riku was able to handle himself, as she had been wondering about him when there were moments of silence and peace, even if she had suspected he was, if he was anything like Sora. This Kairi girl didn't seem to be here with them, but it would seem she occupied a certain space in Sora's heart, one that made her smile a little, though she thankfully didn't look too questionable as she did so.
"I bet they're important to you. Well, whatever it is you need to be doing around here, I'm sure you'll get through it soon. Anything you want to do once you're back with them?" Nemurin wondered, darker, almost orange lights beginning to glint at the corner of her eye as they approached their next destination, perhaps even the next district, or the next part of it.
Sora stared at the girl clad in pyjamas for a moment or two; at first, he had just been a bit puzzled by why she was dubbed in them while everyone else was wearing clothes, and then about her unique powers, though awed too. But the aura she gave was a warm one, and it made a grin return to his soft face.
"Thanks, Nemu." he said, gratefully. It was early into his journey but the assurance was something he still appreciated; though she didn't know it, his experiences always tended to last for a long time, and sometimes the feeling of separation ached for him, a pang when his thoughts were free from fighting.
"And that's...actually a good question." he admitted, his expression betraying the fact that he likely hadn't really considered it, and Nemurin did find herself asking why, but only in her thoughts.
Fav might have called her a peeper, but she wasn't that invasive.
By now, the two of them, as they continued their conversation, had reached a tunnel of pitch black, with square-shaped lights lining the lower walls, shading their faces funnily, adding a certain nightlife look to Nemurin's sleepy apparel, and it gave Sora a rather odd look, like the rest of him had been darkened except for a gold glint of the eye.
She wasn't quite sure if she liked it. In fact, she was rather certain it was somewhat disconcerting.
"Honestly...I've not really been thinking of it much. Things have been..." he began, trying to find his words. Nemurin simply listened intently, her long trails dragging gently across the floor, yet never picking up dirt. Something in her told her he probably had something of a longer history than most, the sort that reminded her of the stories she'd hear from other Magical Girls back in the weekly chats. "Busy, let's just say, for most of us. We've had a lot happen really quickly. But..." he trailed off.
Following the path of his gaze, Nemurin's eyes briefly fell upon a banner in the section of the town up ahead; that of a star. Sora didn't add much to it, not directly facing her - was he...was he flustered? Perhaps, but she wouldn't push it if he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
A hiss erupted the once peaceful track of thought, turning Sora and Nemurin's eyes down towards the tunnel's edge - something thin had slid in, but didn't get too far; for Morgana happened to be nearby. Her eyes flicked and she seemed to let out a cry, before bouncing on her wide belly up and down on the ground, resulting in the tiny snake Nightmare fading away, leaving behind purple crystals which faded into Sora. Morgana subsequently plodded on ahead, as if nothing had happened.
"She likes you," Nemurin agreed.
"More than she says!" Sora chuckled, before taking a few steps forward to the Dream Eater, rustling her head. Though initially letting out an outraged hiss, she hardly made much effort to pull away, sitting flatly on the ground before moving forward.
The area outwith the tunnel was even more spacious than the one in which Sora and Nemurin had first met, or at least that's what she thought. The flagstone tiles had shifted to more of a purple colouration, and into rather pretty circular patterns, with tall dark wood forming up into a high semi-circle that piled high against the darkened walls, which they could probably climb in a leap. To the left of the square was a pearly white three-centred archway with blue and teal paraphernalia all over; if the curly baby blue text didn't say 'FOUNTAIN', she would have assumed it was a swimming pool and that there'd be Nightmares floating along on neon floats blowing surprisingly offensive bubbles in their direction. At the centre of the large square stood a golden fountain, even larger than the last, a common trend apparently; this one was the size of a house when it came to width, and above ten feet high, perhaps the height of three Nemurins stacked atop one another. Azure water flowed from multiple spouts that circled the fountain, forming together in a calming pool. Upon closer inspection, it seemed even a little romantic; what with it being shaped like a heart, and the tall decorations in it appearing to resemble a steamboat in some way. She wondered if this was th sort of place Sora wanted to go to with Kairi at his side, but she didn't ask.
She would admit though - the Nightmares that wandered to and thro inside of the water did lessen the romantic idealism it would have otherwise presented.
"Looks like we're not done yet," Sora said, the Keyblade appearing in his hand in a glitter of light. Nemurin simply shook her head, readying her purifying beam. "I'll distract them so you can use your Nemurin Beam! Besides," he began, giving a confident smirk, one that held a boyish desire to impress rather than a sense of superiority. "You've only seen me down and out so far!"
Without saying anything else, Sora sprinted off ahead - the same bright pink light surrounded him the second he made contact with the fountain's tall stone structures, hopping up high into the dark night sky. The enemy Nightmares hopped about fruitlessly, only to begin slamming into the stone, leaving water splashing untidily upwards as they waited for the boy to descend. But the descent wasn't something they were ready for; now in midair, the bright white moonlight glinting across his body with a radiant shine, the handle of his weapon spun swiftly in his hand as if he knew it better than himself, the sharp end pointing towards the stone. When his body reached the ground, it made for quite the show; water splurted upwards all at once, pattering like remnants of rain against the ground, and an audience of startled, distorted growls erupted from the Nightmares, hot pink and black, as they went flying into the air, and into Nemurin's range; and thus that of her beam, the name of which she called out loud. The Nightmares' colours changed to that of Spirits, appearing much like Morgana now, though with a more playful air. Just when it seemed that a sheep-like Nightmare was about to attack, as Sheppy had been, causing him to shudder at what she could only presume to be the memory of the dark forces under control of him, Morgana slammed downwards in a similar display to that of Sora, before hopping atop the creatures before they could roll off.
Running to the other side of the fountain, the glittering beam splintered out of her forehead, hitting the remaining four with a flourish of sparkles, something little Morgana seemed rather pleased with, preening with what she assumed to a sense of contentment, though whether it was for what she had done earlier or Nemurin's sparkle show was unclear. Hopping upwards, the blue and white Spirit purred before shaking herself left and right, splashing the ground a little bit, before stepping downward.
"After you, your majesty~" Nemurin bowed deeply, her sleeves drifting once again to the floor, her voice teasing, Sheppy rolling up to her legs and giving a similar gesture. That much, at least, seemed to please her a fair bit. Turning her body around to Sora, she gave a gentle applause; "Wow...that was really cool, y'know...!"
Giving a sheepish laugh, the boy rubbed the back of his neck, but the glint in his eyes and the hints of deep red dust beginning to touch his cheeks was apparent. "Heh, thanks! Hoped I'd impress you,"
"You definitely did. I've not seen anyone fight like that, not for a while anyways," Nemurin nodded, smiling fondly.
It seemed to her quite clear that Sora was powerful; really, the aura he gave off felt like a mix of multiples, at least when he was fighting. It sort of reminded her of the dream version she had created of Calamity Mary, dubbed 'Beautiful Calamity Mary' the one who helped her train the superhero-themed Magical Girl, Masked Wonder, a while back. She wouldn't say the Calamity Mary that she knew, as it didn't seem fair to Sora to. He seemed like a mix of the version of her she created - strong, yet holding a sense of justice, or more specifically, fighting for a good cause. Really, he did remind her of Masked Wonder in his own way too, though a bit less openly serious. The next doorway was before them now, and the quartet proceeded through, with the lighting seeming to change once again.
Purple faded into a dark blue in the next district, and the glow of orange lights brightened palely, almost white. The path before them now looked like a dark grey, nearly black asphalt, with two light posts, silver, and glowing the colour of pearls standing together as a duo, contrasting the stone houses surrounding them and their dark blue-tiled roofs. A stone ridge blocked the ghosts of this town from falling, and white and pale yellow lines hung above their heads, glowing bright like party decorations, like those at festivals. Sora ran slightly ahead, looking across the many thin white lights, his eyes eventually reaching a tall golden-stoned tower at the centre.
Before he could go further, Nemurin formed a large cloud, white fluff cushioning herself, Sheppy and Morgana. The latter seemed a bit more approachable now, allowing Sheppy to be a bit closer and more snuggled, prompting a happy little 'baa' out of him. Sitting atop of it, she floated it over to Sora, with a space beside her large enough for them both.
"Come on. You showed me your cool tricks in the post office and at the fountain, now you can see some of mine, okay?" Nemurin suggested. Sora's eyes widened a bit as he looked at the cloud, before stepping forward, pulling himself up; for a moment, he flopped onto his belly, almost like a fish, before turning himself onto his back - the cloud thankfully extending to Nemurin's will so he didn't make a sudden landing to the ground, before he sat up straight, stretching his arms.
"Wow, this is like...real clouds, or cotton candy, it's so soft...!" Sora commented, looking at her. "You really are a magical girl! You're like one for the Sleeping Worlds, Nemu!" he exclaimed.
Well, he definitely wasn't incorrect...! She giggled a little to herself, "Yep...I guess you could say that's what I am!"
With that, their shared seat floated upwards, past the blue tiles of the houses and up over the high golden tower. A sea of wired lights of white and cream split across the sky below their feet, bright pink and yellow and orange neon signs lining the walls on the ground, steps set alight by various decorations, as if the whole world seemed to be aglow. A calm nightly air soon brushed them by, and for a moment, there was a feeling of peace and settlement among them.
"Wow...I've never been this way before!" Sora spoke first, almost breathlessly, staring down at the radiant world below.
"It looks like a festival, or a party; it makes me wish there were more people..." Nemurin remarked.
"Me too! That'd be a party for the ages," Sora declared.
"Say, you've been to this town before? It looks like you know a lot of it pretty well," Nemurin questioned, her head tilting a bit.
Sora gave a nod, that turned into a head-shake, and then nothing particularly distinguishable. "Well, yeah...! Uh...no...yes...it's a bit complicated," he admitted, sheepishly.
"I mean, you've been here in the waking world, right?" Nemurin clarified, gently.
"Yeah, I have," Sora answered positively. "Riku and I...we've not really been here, properly."
"The Dream World, right?"
"Right, you get it!" Sora added. "Say, how long have you been in the Dream World, anyways? I'm surprised Yen Sid didn't know about you..." he trailed off a bit, folding his arms as he thought.
"Yen Sid?"
"Oh, he's helping Riku and me! He's the reason we got here in the first place, y'know," Sora explained, before lifting his Keyblade to her view, "Like this, I mean. Anyways, he knows a lot. He's a big deal where I'm from. Wish I knew that when I met him, though..." he concluded, with a bit of lighthearted embarrassment.
The sort that came when you recalled a memory from the beginning of a long journey, the sort you would probably have not ended up with the way you were now, the sort that was small but acted as a reminder of the fact you couldn't go back to the way you were.
As for the 'this' Sora had mentioned, Nemurin deduced that he meant that this wasn't a normal dream he was having; it reminded her again of Masked Wonder, albeit a bit more extreme than that. After all, seeing a Magical Girl's dreams, or rather someone close to equivalent to them in power and unreality, wasn't common, though she'd been one long enough to see more than a few; from the cute, like Sister Nana's dreams of being rescued by her lover and Top Speed winning the broomstick races, to...the ones Nemurin would prefer to forget.
She knew Winterprison didn't talk much, but she hadn't quite expected to walk into that sort of dream when she started out, she'd tell you.
But furthermore, Nemurin thought he probably meant that he was somewhat like her - it was his dream, that much she knew, but he held much more control over it, and more awareness and severity than the usual. After all, when you dreamed at night and saw something rather odd, you didn't tend to ask many questions. But he, on the other hand, seemed to - and sure, it was weird from her experience, but really...basically everything that had been happening around her lately had been weird, and he seemed the least pessimistic out of all of them so far. Though she wasn't sure of the specifics that led him here, they seemed to desire the same things; to take out the Nightmares, and keep the peaceful ways of the Dream World, and that was enough for her. When the next chance came up, they could talk a little more.
That next chance wasn't now though as they scanned the ground below; for a similar silhouette, a young girl with a black beanie, quickly caught her attention. "I've found her!" she pointed out, before lowering them to the square where she stood, prompting a startled shout from Sora as they descended, landing in front of a large building that said 'COLISEUM'.
Rhyme's face lightened with a sweet smile as she turned to look towards the girl, "Nemurin!" she greeted. "Glad to see you after that...I was worried. You okay?" she asked, looking her up and down for a moment or two.
Landing softly to the ground, Nemurin gave a nod. "Uh-huh~ not a scratch. Sheppy really helped me out, isn't that right?" she recounted, before taking the fluffy Spirit into her arms, as if to push him up physically as well as emotionally. Either way, it seemed pretty effective, as Sheppy cried out in delight. Rhyme's lips tipped up, letting out a giggle.
"That's good. Thanks for saving me earlier." Rhyme confirmed, before looking towards her spiky-haired companion. "Hey, who are you?"
"Name's Sora!" he gestured towards himself with a smile that could be considered his trademark. "Say...is there any chance you're partners with someone named Neku?" he asked.
For a second or two, Rhyme stared at him, almost blankly, the gears seeming to turn in her head, but there was no spark of recognition, not of the term 'partner' or the name 'Neku'. "I'm not quite sure. It's just as I said to Nemurin; all I know is my name,"
"Oh...sorry," Sora replied, sympathetically.
"But it's okay. I'm sure something will jog my memory eventually," Rhyme said; for what it was worth, she seemed strikingly good-natured when it came to her circumstance, and the desire to keep her safe was invoked once more for Nemurin, and it looked like Sora shared the same sentiment.
"Hey. Maybe Neku can jog your memory?" Sora suggested. "Why don't we go find him?"
"Sounds like a plan!" Rhyme agreed, chirpily, before turning to Nemurin. "You're coming too, right Nemurin?"
"Uh-huh~" Nemurin gave a nod, her expression relaxed.
Just as they were set to turn around to begin their next search, however, a high-pitched bleat escaped Sheppy's vocals, prompting the group of three (or five) to turn; only to be faced with a small gang of Nightmares. There were of course the sorts they'd seen before, this time some of Sheppy's own darkened brethren, but also a leader; one taking the form of a large, not-very-friendly looking panda, which pounded its fists together.
"We've got trouble...!" Sora observed. He looked to Rhyme, "We'll keep you safe; stay back," the Keyblade flashed into view once more, prompting a bit of surprise from their protectorate at the appearance of the sudden weapon, but she did as asked.
With that, Nemurin and Sora rushed forward; both seemed to agree to take the panda out first, while Morgana bounced assertively to the Nightmare sheep. Nemurin wondered if she wanted to spare Sheppy the possible pains that came with fighting those that looked like he had. Sheppy, in turn, took on the Nightmares that looked like stress-balls, similar to the ones Sora had helped take out in the fountain. The panda stood a head taller than Sora and Nemurin, staring down at them with deep, glowering eyes. Dawdling almost childishly towards them, it lifted a massive arm and swung right, just barely missing the spiky-haired boy as he jumped backwards. Morgana, who fought to their right, defending Rhyme's side, exuded a pale white light once again as she battled - she seemed to favour one attack, bouncing up and slamming into the ground and subsequently creating occasional projectiles, like sparks and shockwaves, that would stun her enemies. However, it would soon seem there was nobody better for these sorts of Nightmares, as being in the air made the focus on rolling on the ground a bit useless for the hostile sheep. They suddenly flew back, and Nemurin turned quickly round, creating the beam from her head, a few pale sparkles beginning to glitter just above her eyes.
A sudden piercing feeling rattled her, like a hand squeezing her heart, rattled her chest like hell freezing over, like ice beginning to solidify within her lungs. Like plague it spread from her chest to her body, sending her reeling where she stood, the beginning of that had formed shattering and dropping to the ground like dust. Nemurin winced as the pain pulsed in her head, in her body, all over, a pain she hadn't known amidst her time as a Magical Girl; as a human, the closest equivalent was an asthma attack she'd had as a child. Winter had come to N-City and she had stood outside with the other children as they entered their school, only for her chest to give in on itself. She didn't remember much of anything after that, only the sensation 'I can't breathe'. It was like that now, even if just for a moment, she couldn't breathe.
It had only been for a second, but the Nightmare took advantage of the opportunity, picking up speed in a way its size did an unnerving job of hiding; air split the floor as it rammed right into Nemurin, sending her to the floor with a heart-sinking thump. Sora's eyes widened as he was a second too late, in turn, to pull her out of the way. Acting on his feet, he turned his Keyblade to the Nightmare, shouting, "FIRE!"
From nothing, and from mid-air; a giant rush of flame burst from the end of his weapon and straight into the Nightmare's side, making it grunt abruptly, its attention turned away from the Magical Girl on the floor. As the panda raised its arms, the pink light formed around Sora again, the moment that followed seeming to be sped-up, and then in slow-motion; a blur spun around it once, twice, thrice, and then circled its side with a force. And strong that force was, for it sent the rather heavyset Nightmare straight into the coliseum wall with an audible crack and shatter of stone.
"Nemurin!" Rhyme called out, straightening her hands at each side of her mouth so her voice could reach her. "There's your chance!" she pointed.
Nemurin took a deep if quick breath into her softening lungs. Rising up onto her left foot and right knee, she breathlessly cried out, "Nem...Nemurin Beam!"
The way in which it came out was in a fashion that she wasn't quite used to; as it was in a way she'd never felt. In every other dream where it made an appearance, there was a flourish, energy, one that lacked now. But it nevertheless did the job, the magical ray cracking the air as it hit the Nightmare dead-centre, its colours softening with her breath, as its ill-intent seemed to fade, just as it had with Sheppy and with the snake. The remnants of the Nightmares were swiftly dealt with; Morgana and Sheppy weaved almost seamlessly between them, their strengths taking advantage of their enemies' weaknesses, ridding the area of them once and for all. As soon as the adrenaline of combat faded, however, any joy or pride faded from Sheppy as he rolled over to Nemurin, letting out one bleat after another, bending his head down so she could get to her feet.
Running towards them, Rhyme looked at them, "You guys were amazing. Are you okay, Nemurin?" she asked, blue eyes glinting in concern.
Letting out a puff, Nemurin offered an assuring smile. "Y-yeah...I'm just fine. Sorry about that..." she yawned a little. "I don't know what happened to me there, but I'm okay now,"
"She meant you too, you know," Sora pointed out.
"I did," Rhyme grinned.
With that, their eyes fell upon a large wooden door to the right of their most recent battlefield. Their way out. After a bit of concern, they were able to proceed as normal, pushing it open, and sure enough, finding their way into another district. It was another dark tunnel, this time the orange lights forming from windows, an adorable wooden bridge at the end. What looked like a massive botany garden stood high before them now, the pillars piercing the dark skies above their heads. Atop the colourfully painted building of pale pinks and greenery, there on the roof was a boy, who Nemurin hadn't seen yet, but it seemed Sora most certainly had, sparks of joyful recognition flicking in his deep blue eyes.
The boy stood alone with hands in his pockets, possessing an expression rather hard to read; the type where you couldn't tell if he was angry, or sad, or both, and if it was at someone else, or at himself. His hair was bright orange, spiking all over at the back and at the front, and he wore what had to be either a hoodie or large purple turtleneck, short white pants and purple shoes, and matching headphones; that which told Nemurin that this boy was the 'Neku' Sora had mentioned during their first conversation. The quiet he held about him quickly faded as they ran up to the roof.
"Hey, Neku! It's you!" Sora greeted, his voice warm like a freshly lit candle. Neku, however, didn't turn around.
"Sora..." he began. It was the way he spoke that made Nemurin decide the look in his eyes was a sad one. "...What...? You actually still trust me?"
"Of course I do!" Sora affirmed.
"But you know that I tricked you, right?" Neku questioned, looking out at the black sea of tall buildings, only illuminated by the fire-shaded windows that lined the walls before them. "That guy in the black coat, he said he could send me home," he explained, a certain longing in his voice at the mention of home, though disguised and faint. "Me and my partner - but..." then, a fold of guilt, "I had to bring you to him first,"
The boy hung his head, closing his eyes. "Sorry..." he said. Truthfully, though the wording was simple, and his voice quiet, she suspected his apology was sincere.
And it seemed Sora did too. He smiled, "No big deal." he assured, as if Neku was apologising for some trivial annoyance, like leaving a door open and letting in a draft. "When it really mattered, you stood up for me. And besides - we're friends, right?"
"Friends..." Neku repeated - and finally, the sorrowful look he grasped onto seemed to fade.
After a peaceful silence, Sora turned towards Rhyme and Nemurin. "Oh, Neku! This here is Rhyme, and this is Nemurin. Is Rhyme your game partner?"
Neku shook his head. "No, sorry. I'm teamed up with somebody else." he answered.
"Hm, that's..." Nemurin began - only to hear something at her right, or rather, see something at her right. Rhyme's stare had become that of a thousand yards, and in a red glimpse of light, and what sounded like the chime of a machine; she...disappeared, as if into thin air. "Huh?"
"Wha- Rhyme!" Sora cried out. "What just happened?" he questioned, frantically looking over the area, as if hoping to find her; only met with the same ghost town.
All three stood tense and stretched and alert, and then they saw him. That same man in the black coat.
"You again?" Nemurin spoke, her eyes narrowing in disdain. Sheppy looked between them, puzzled, before stamping his tiny feet on the ground and revving and almost sounding like he was growling. Sora readied himself, the Keyblade appearing once more, and Neku growled, sprinting across the glass roof; just as his hand raised to attack however, a swirling storm of shadows appeared, slamming the boy into the far wall and sending him plummeting to the garden floor.
"No!" she and Sora called in concern.
"Neku!" Sora added, looking towards his friend.
Before they could go after him, the figure raised his arms, as more shadows formed high in the air; they formulated into a dark, cultish circle of crystals, only for a giant silhouette to fill the void. The colours distinguished it firm as a Nightmare, appearing like some sort of rabid Mandrill, its fur alternating between a dark blue and purple, its hands the size of Nemurin's whole body, its claws sharp enough that singularly Calamity Mary would probably like them in her arsenal, just as sharp spikes protruding from its sides. What was particularly strange, aside from its violent claws and ripping teeth, was its torso; it was like some sort of box, which clattered about it as it landed atop the glass roof, a crack splitting from its feet, as it roared aloud at them, and amidst the chaos, the hooded figure had slipped away without a word.
"Hey, wait!" Sora shouted, but was disregarded.
"...You...have got to be kidding me!"
A/N: A special thanks to Hekkasi for the review, I'm happy you've liked Cosmogyral so far! We're nearing the end of Traverse Town's section for now, and I'll Nemurin and Sora will definitely be meeting more people. I hope you all stay tuned till then! As for Captain Imaginat's question, I'm actually not giving Nemurin a Keyblade - I feel it'd be more interesting to try and work with her current skill set and have her work around it, and I'll definitely be doing more with it as we go along. ^^ Thanks once again to all my readers, I'll see you the next chapter.