Chapter 25
Regroup
Hinata's feet dangled over the edge of Oogie's tree. She leaned back against the palms of her hands and shut her eyes, relishing in the sensation of the cool, whistling wind against her face.
The others finished up their work not far behind her. Sam enlisted the aid of Guardian to find the straggler creatures hidden in the limbs of the tree, while Riku gathered the dark magic in the fortress and Velcia used her light shield to dissolve it. Hinata helped where she could, even though Riku completed the brunt of the work by the time she arrived with Sam and Velcia. With all of them working together, it didn't take long to complete the clean up. Soon, it would be as if Thaanix never appeared in Halloween Town.
"Hey," Riku greeted, coming up from behind.
Hinata opened her eyes and sat up, a smile growing as she scooted over to give him room to sit. "Hey! Everything alright?"
"Yeah, don't worry," he replied, sitting down beside her. He reached over and grasped her hand, settling it between them. "We just haven't had a chance to check in with each other."
Her expression softened and she nodded. Rubbing her thumb along his hand, she admitted, "I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all, honestly." She swallowed and pushed back her hair. "How have you been doing? Sam told me you came here almost immediately after waking up."
"I couldn't stand the idea of waiting around for something to happen." He looked out over the forest outstretched below them. "Being out here gave me something to do and time to think over everything. I knew Velcia would pull through for you and Axel… but that didn't stop me from worrying. I would have been a wreck if I stayed there."
"I think I would have been the same." Hinata turned a bit towards him, moving their clasped hands into her lap. She kept her gaze on his larger hand around hers and gave him a small squeeze. "I'm just so glad we're back. All of us."
"Me too," he agreed.
Hinata's other hand traced along Riku's in her lap. A comforting silence rose between them as Hinata's thoughts wandered. She was sure Riku's mind was too. Even with the warmth of having him there beside her, she couldn't shake the sinking sensation in the pit of her heart. The piercing eye of the Keyblade in her dream, the rush of darkness — she sucked in a sharp breath, forcing away the rising panic in her chest.
"It's alright," Riku whispered just loud enough for her to hear.
She looked up at him with a start, though his gaze remained focused on the forest. "Am I that obvious?"
"To me at least," he teased, squeezing her hand gently.
"Fair enough." She huffed a breathy laugh. "I was just getting used to you not being able to read me anymore. Now you've gone and surprised me again."
"Have to find some way to keep things interesting." He looked over with a lopsided smile.
Her expression scrunched up as if disgruntled, but she couldn't hide her amusement. "With a life like ours, I really don't think you need to worry about that sort of thing."
"That's the truth," Sam butted in from behind.
Riku and Hinata looked over their shoulders, hearing the wooden stairs creak as Sam walked up them. Guardian hovered a few feet behind, arms crossed across its broad chest. Once its gaze met with Riku's it bowed its head and disappeared in a flash of darkness. Sam frowned, realizing it was gone, but moved on quickly and plopped on the ground.
"Please tell me we can leave this haunted wasteland now," she pleaded, falling onto her back. "Believe it or not, I'm tired of being a fish."
"I'm guessing you're done?" Riku asked, ignoring her complaints.
"Huh? Oh yeah, all the weird dark creatures are gone." She waved him off and explained, "Guardian and I checked every damn limb on this thing. If there's any left, they can become a pet for the town or something. That Skellington guy gave a whole speech about it."
"The town did seem rather excited about it," Velcia agreed, floating down to their level from further above. "I'm also finished with my work. Though, if you wouldn't mind double checking Riku, I would appreciate that. I don't sense any lingering darkness in the fortress, but I'm exhausted enough that I'm not a hundred percent certain."
"Yeah, I can do that," Riku replied, getting up. "Once I'm back, we should probably get to the lab to let Jack know we're done here."
"And see where DiZ wants us next," Hinata added. "Hopefully he's made some headway on a way to track Thaanix."
Sam leaned up on her elbows. "You sure you're ready for that already?"
"After what we just went through?" Hinata asked, averting her gaze to look out over the forest. "Absolutely."
An uneasiness rose between the group, each of them heavy with their own thoughts. Riku eventually cleared his throat and told them he would be back, before he disappeared in a Corridor.
"What do you mean, not yet!?" Hinata exclaimed. "With everything that Thaanix did you want us to sit back—"
"That is not what I am insinuating," DiZ calmly interrupted her, his voice glitching and mixing with Ben's.
Hinata let out a harsh breath and went to the window sill. Thick black wood crisscrossed over the circular window, creating a web that overlooked the town and Oogie's fortress beyond the forest. Moonlight silhouetted her, casting sharp shadows over the potion cabinets situated around the room where DiZ requested to speak with her alone. She licked her lips and took a breath, curbing her frustration.
Looking out over the town, she could see the scars the creatures left behind. Claw marks marred the doors, golden acid dripped from rooftops, pooling on doorsteps and sizzling away everything it touched. Townsfolk peered from their windows behind tattered curtains waiting for the word that everything was safe and they could come out from hiding.
"She did this," Hinata muttered. "All this fear, this destruction. James… nearly Velcia." She turned towards him. "When does it stop? I've wasted enough time trying to get over myself and look where it got us. I can't—" she cut herself off and took a sharp breath, "—I can't keep sitting by and waiting, because the longer we wait, the more this will keep happening. We need to do something."
"What all of you need is to recover," DiZ replied.
She scoffed, crossing her arms. "I don't think any of us are going to be sleeping again any time soon."
"What would you suggest then?" he asked. "To charge blindly and with reinvigorated passion to enact vengeance? How would that change the outcome of what transpired here?"
"That's not—" Hinata groaned, raking her hand through her hair. "Stop talking to me like I'm stupid, alright?"
"He's not, Hinata," Ben piped in, his eyes dimming blue. "We're just worried about you."
Hinata paused and looked up at him. She let out a breath and ran her hand over her face. "Look, I get it. But every time we see Thaanix, we're blindsided. She's always a step ahead and leaves a trail of destruction everywhere she goes. And I'm just— I'm sick of it. I don't know exactly how to stop her, and it's infuriating. Maybe I do just want to keep charging blindly after her and hope one of the times will stick." She plopped onto the windowsill and buried her face in her hands. "I guess I am being stupid."
She heard Ben's metal feet plod towards her until he sat down beside her. His metal hand gently rested on her shoulder. "It's ok to be stupid sometimes," he told her.
There was a pause. Then Hinata's shoulders began to shake as laughter bubbled out of her. "Gee, thanks."
"You should have heard all the things Captain Flint called me," Ben told her wistfully. "And look at me now! Working alongside the best captain I've ever had and analyzing data that I couldn't have fathomed in a gazillion years with your dad. Never would have gotten here if it weren't for all my not so bright moments."
Hinata peeked up at him with a soft smile.
"Plus, I'd say you're only being mildly, like a teensy little bit stupid." He squinted his eyes and pinched his fingers together in front of his face. "Which, really is basically me on my good days, am I right?"
"No," Hinata chuckled, nudging him with her elbow. "You are one of the smartest people I know. And, you've always been there for me, even on my 'not so bright days'."
Ben suddenly wrapped his arms around her for a hug, getting a squeak of surprise from Hinata. "Anything for my captain!"
Rather than push him away Hinata let out a long breath, tension leaving her as she rested her forehead on Ben's shoulder while he squeezed her close. "Thank you."
"I understand your drive to pursue Thaanix as soon as possible," DiZ assured her. "More than you may realize."
Hinata took a deep breath and sat up. "I know… everything with Xehanort, your apprentices, our family. You probably understand more than anyone."
DiZ hummed in agreement.
"That's why I don't get why you're suggesting we take a step back." She wrung her hands around the frills of her dress bunched up around her.
Silence lingered between them for a moment. Ben eventually stood and walked further into the room; his stature stoic with his hands linked behind his back. Hinata watched with slight amusement at seeing her father's nature portrayed through Ben's lanky copper body.
"My journey of revenge against Xehanort has spanned across many years," DiZ began, idly picking up potion bottles from the cupboards and examining them while he spoke. "It fueled my rage to escape the Realm of Darkness, brought me to Twilight Town's mansion, crossed my path with Riku and the King… and by a stroke of luck, my own daughter. Each step has been carefully calculated to not only bring revenge to my prized apprentice, but his entire Organization." He gazed down at a half filled bottle in his hands, running his thumb over the tattered label. "Despite my calculations, I have fallen in many ways. I suppose one could even say I've become the very thing I've sworn to destroy…" Placing the bottle back on the shelf, he told her, "It is not a future I wish for you."
"Then… what are you wanting me to do?" Hinata asked.
"Regardless of my failings, I do believe there is wisdom to be found in them," he explained. "Until now, our pursuits of Thaanix have been brash and uncoordinated. There is urgency in her being stopped, however, if there is anything we have learned through your interactions with her is that she is unpredictable. Her powers fluctuate based on her surroundings as she absorbs the magical elements around her and her darkness lashes out beyond her control. If something is to be done about her, you must be ready for anything."
"And how am I supposed to do that?" Hinata's hands tightened around her dress, frustration nipping in her throat. "I get that I can't keep running at her. But I've already spent time training to learn new techniques, we've got Velcia on the team… what else can we do that isn't going to waste time?"
Ben's demeanor abruptly changed as he crossed his arms and sighed wistfully in his normal voice. "You know, there aren't a lot of nice things I can say about Captain Flint."
Hinata's nose scrunched up in confusion. "Yeah…?"
"If I had to describe him in a word— hmmm, nasty, conniving, ruthless, maybe even barbaric, or OH maybe—"
"Ben!"
"Oh, sorry!" he laughed sheepishly. "Point is, he was preeeetty awful, but one thing he wasn't was a bad leader. The guy could set his sight on a capital warship and the crew would whip up and make it happen! There wasn't a ship in the entire quadrant that stood a chance against him! It's no wonder they managed to fill up an entire planet with treasure from all our rampaging across the galaxy." He sighed. "You know, sometimes I miss it."
"Ben…" Hinata repeated his name, her brow arched.
"Kidding! Sort of." He cleared his throat. "My actual point is that you already have everything you need! A crew. And a pretty good one, too, if I do say so myself. And I do. We haven't all gone after Thaanix together as a team. That's what we need, don't you think?"
His eyes suddenly flickered to code before his voice switched back to DiZ's. "I agree." He stood up straight, returning his hands behind his back. "That is the change that needs to be made. Your friends are here because they believe in your cause, they believe in you, Hinata. And it is up to you to be the leader they are looking for. I understand it is not something you asked for, but it is the one thing Thaanix does not have the ability to obtain for herself. If you are able to regroup and talk with your friends, perhaps a common ground can be found and you will be able to form the foundation of a formidable team."
"It's weird seeing you guys like this," Hinata replied with a breathy laugh. "But…" She looked up towards the doorway atop a stone stairway that led back to the lab. Light peeked through the cracks in the wood where she could see the shadows of feet standing outside. She knew her friends were waiting there, attempting to listen in case she needed them. "I think you're right. That feels like the right next step. I've been fighting it because I've been so worried about putting them in danger. But without everyone working together… Riku, Axel, and I would still be trapped in nightmares. This world would still be covered with those creatures. So, maybe it's time I embrace it."
"That's a good answer!" Ben beamed. "I knew you'd come around, Captain."
Hinata chuckled. "I guess I better get used to you calling me that."
"As you rest and work with your team," DiZ continued the discussion, "I will be working on another aspect that will help you on your journey and when you are ready to return, I will present it to you."
"Thank you." Hinata half-smiled. "I'm curious and confused about what it could be, but knowing you, I know you'll only tell me about it when it's ready."
DiZ laughed. "Yes, you do know me well. But I have hopes it will serve you well. Until then, I will disconnect from Ben and allow him some well deserved rest along with the rest of you. Our connection has lasted longer than expected, but proved to be quite useful."
"It was nice to finally be able to talk to the voice in my head!" Ben replied in a way that Hinata didn't know if he was joking or not.
Regardless, she laughed and stood up. "Thank you, both of you, for talking some sense into me. I'm… actually kind of looking forward to this now. Having a plan in place helps, I guess."
"I am always here if you need me," DiZ told her.
Hinata smiled before Ben's eyes dimmed and he slumped forward. She reached for him, mildly concerned, until a whir of electricity sparked over him and he jumped up. Hinata jumped back with a start.
"Hello!" Ben's eyes blinked yellow. "Ooooh man, finally freedom! I've had the worst kink in my back that I just couldn't get out." He stretched and a screw popped out and shot across the room. "Oh dear, well, probably didn't need that."
Despite his nonchalance, Hinata retrieved the screw and handed it back to him. "I'm glad you're back in one piece."
"You have no idea." He replaced the screw and shook out his arms. "Well alright then, Captain." He turned towards her and saluted. "DiZ said we outta regroup and rest somewhere. So where should we go?"
Hinata glanced towards the door with a smirk. "I've got a place in mind."
"Come along, friends!" Skellington called over his shoulder as he led the way through the forest. "Your winter wonderland awaits!"
Jack barked with excitement, zipping between the trees alongside Zero. Their antics caught Ben's attention as he chased after them, attempting to jump up and catch them with his thin metal arms.
The rest of the group followed through the darkened forest. Dead leaves crunched beneath their feet with every step. Moonlight trickled through the overbrush, creating thin glowing rays of silver light that almost seemed to make the black trees around them shimmer. They walked aimlessly, or at least it felt aimless. Skellington seemed to know the twists and turns to take and it was up to the rest of them to keep up.
"I guess it's too late to ask why we're staying on this world?" Sam asked Hinata with a slightly hushed voice. "Why can't we just go back to the ship?"
Hinata smiled. "We all need some time to regroup and this is the perfect place for it." She looked over to Sam and her smile grew. "Trust me."
Sam's brow quirked up. "Sudden change of heart but alright."
Hinata chuckled. "Yeah, Ben talked some sense into me earlier."
"Not sure how to feel about that, honestly," Sam remarked, stretching her arms as they walked.
"It's a good call," Riku pointed out, smirking when Hinata looked up at him. "Besides, I've been wanting a chance to see Christmas Town for myself."
Hinata returned the smile before she glanced over her shoulder towards Velcia trailing behind them. She seemed distracted, her expression difficult to read and eyes clouded. "I hope it will help," Hinata muttered.
"It will," Riku assured her.
"I do hope those creatures haven't made an appearance in Christmas Town," Skellington pondered aloud, pushing aside a low hanging branch and allowing the others through. "Though I suppose if they have, Sandy Claws has the perfect body guards making an appearance."
"Sandy Claws?" Sam repeated.
Hinata snickered and whispered, "I think he means Santa Claus."
"Not the actual guy… right?" Sam asked, looking between her and Skellington. "He's not actually there…?"
"What, afraid you're on the naughty list?" Riku teased.
Sam scoffed. "No, of course—"
"Worry not, dear Sam," Skellington assured. "Sandy Claws is a personal friend of mine. Even if you are on the wrong list, I'm sure I can talk Mr. Claws into changing it. Especially after everything you did to help the Doctor and your friends."
"Thanks, I guess?" Sam rubbed the back of her neck. "I just— didn't realize he was actually, you know, real."
"I'm sorry, but who is Santa Claus?" Velcia asked, floating forward to join the group.
Everyone stopped. Velcia floated on ahead for a moment before realizing no one else was beside her. She paused and turned around, flushing when she saw everyone staring blankly at her.
"What?" she asked.
"Oh Velcia," Skellington laughed, walking past and patting her shoulder. "You are in for quite the treat. I can't tell you how many times I've wished to relive the wonderment I experienced the first time I lay my eyes on Christmas Town." He continued on about it, bringing Velcia along with him.
The others looked between each other.
"I guess Christmas wouldn't happen everywhere in the galaxy," Hinata realized.
"But even I knew about it on backwater Montressor," Sam said. "You're telling me they don't have it on a place like Olympus?"
"You also had space travel in your galaxy," Riku pointed out. "We have no idea what sort of World Order rules Olympus has."
"That's true," Hinata agreed, her hand to her chin as they continued walking. "When I went to Atlantica, King Triton knew I was an off-worlder and what Sora's Keyblade was. He was really protective of Atlantica and what his people knew about the outside world… I wonder if Olympus is similar? Maybe their world leaders don't want things like Christmas and an off-worlder dropping off gifts."
"I mean, maybe." Sam crossed her arms. "That's assuming this Santa is the real deal. He travels not only over a single world in one night, but over the entire universe…? I'm not buying it."
"Well, you're welcome to tell Santa that when you see him," Riku told her, getting another scoff from Sam.
Hinata snickered. "I can't say I know for sure if he does the whole universe, but he's definitely real for this world and at least a few others. He knew about me being gone for several years and had a gift for each year. That's enough proof for me."
There was a beat of silence before Sam muttered, "Well I don't know where he was last Christmas then…"
Hinata's pace slowed, her jovial mood stunted as guilt pulsed in her chest. She couldn't help her eyes drifting towards Sam's mechanical arm. The crystal glowed brilliantly, casting blue light on the dark trees and drawing the attention of every creature they passed. That was always what caught Hinata's eye first, the crystal's soft hum of power, the way Sam channeled it and controlled its blasts. There were times Hinata found it strangely beautiful. Her eyes followed the metal to the place it connected to Sam's upper arm. The skin was irritated and slightly swollen. Scarred tissue webbed up from her arm to her shoulder. Despite the obvious discomfort, Sam never complained about it.
Her nightmare rushed into her mind.
"You and I both know that's not true! What happened to James wasn't our fault. Neither was Sam, or Lea, or Isa."
"Those are stupid lies we tell ourselves to help us sleep at night!"
Disgust burned Hinata's throat. She rushed her hand over her locket. The chill of the metal seeped into her sweaty palm. She swallowed thickly, realizing how dry her mouth had become. Riku glanced back at her, and she strained a smile.
He slowed to match her pace and his hand wound around hers. Neither of them said anything. Hinata's heart jumped when she felt a subtle squeeze around her hand, and she returned the gesture as her strained smile turned genuine.
Their walk continued in silence. Jack and Zero barked in the distance, the sound eerily bouncing off the trees like ghosts howling on the breeze. It sent chills up Hinata's spine, even though she knew the source of the sound, but it seemed to be a trademark characteristic in Halloween Town. Even the most endearing things had a way of being unsettling.
She looked at the trees, darkened and dry as if charred from a fire long ago. Most of them were sickly thin, their scraggly branches shrouding the moon. But then she noticed a trunk thicker and rounder than the rest, with an oddly shaped door carved into the side of it. Hinata slowed to a stop, noticing Riku doing the same as both of them examined the tree.
The door appeared to be the same type of wood as the tree and would have been easily missable if not for the faded green paint that filled in what appeared to be a four leaf clover. A single copper knob stuck out on the right side, begging to be turned. Hinata's hand slid from Riku's. She walked forward and ran her fingertips along the rough wood.
"Ah, here we are!" Skellington exclaimed from behind.
Hinata turned around, seeing trees situated in a circle around them. Each tree was identical to the last, thick and round, with a more natural wood color than the rest of the sickly forest. The only difference between them was the unique door carved into each of them.
Beside the clover was a door with a vibrant red heart. Then an ornately decorated egg beside that and a strange plump turkey on the next. Hinata looked at each one, noticing the others doing the same.
"Sooo, what's this exactly?" Sam asked, walking around the trunk with a firework door. "We're taking a vacation in a tree?"
"It's hard to explain." Velcia's hands gently grazed along the door of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. "But there's a strong magic here. It reminds me of Destin's portals, but without the darkness."
"This is how we'll get to Christmas Town," Hinata realized, jogging over to Velcia and Skellington.
"Right you are!" Skellington motioned to the rest of the trees in the circle. "Each of these doors lead to another town. This one here leads to Christmas Town."
"What about that one?" Sam asked, pointing over her shoulder to the firework door she was just studying.
"I'm not sure actually," Skellington admitted, scratching the side of his head with one of his long fingers. "I've only ever been through Christmas Town's door. There's always so much going on here, I've never really found the time to explore." He put his hand to his chin. "Lock, Shock, and Barrel once kidnapped a large pink rabbit from beyond the egg-shaped door. I can only imagine what that town must be like."
"That's incredible." Velcia looked to the other doors. "Doors that lead to other parts of your world. A dormant magic, out here in the open. I wish I had time to study it."
"Careful, you're starting to sound like that Doctor Finkelstein," Sam teased.
"Oh, I suppose I am," Velcia realized.
"If you ever find yourself back in Halloween Town, I'm sure the Doctor would be very pleased to complete tests with you about this place," Skellington told her.
"I'll certainly keep that in mind," Velcia replied.
"We better get Jack and Ben back before we go." Hinata turned in place, looking to the forest. "I think they ran off ahead and completely missed this place."
"Probably," Sam agreed. "I don't see Ri-"
"Destin," Hinata cut her off.
"Right, Destin either," Sam corrected herself. "Maybe he-"
A corridor sprouted up in the center of the clearing, followed by a series of barks as Jack and Zero zoomed out of it with Ben not far behind. Riku came out last and the corridor wisped away.
"Nevermind, found him." Sam shrugged.
"There you are, Zero!" Skellington patted his dog's ghostly head. "You nearly missed saying goodbye to our friends."
Zero's wagging tail sagged.
"Don't worry Zero, I'm sure we'll be back!" Ben assured him getting a reaffirming bark from Jack floating beside him. "This is Jack's homeland afterall."
"I guess that's true, huh?" Hinata scratched Jack behind the ears. "I never would have gotten him if it wasn't for you." She looked up to Skellington. "Thank you. He's been a good friend."
"Just like I knew he would," Skellington replied, reaching out and patting Jack on the head. "One look at your name on Sandy Claw's list and I got this feeling you needed a friend. I'm glad I was right!"
"You had Santa's list?" Sam asked.
Skellington laughed and waved her off. "Long story for another time!" He suddenly frowned and brought his hand to his chin. "You know, with everything going on, I wonder if Sandy needs some help again this year…" With a flip of his hand, he seemingly dropped the subject. "Ah well, anyway, I should stop holding you up."
"Thanks for everything." Riku stepped forward. "You, Sally, and Doc helped us out a lot."
"Absolutely," Velcia agreed. "Without you, I'm not sure how we would have woken up."
"Or have found Thaanix as quickly as we did," Hinata added.
"Not at all!" Skellington replied. "I really should be thanking all of you. It's been such an adventure. And it's given me ideas for our next Halloween. Speaking of, all of you are formally invited to attend. Each of you would make a marvelous inclusion to the celebration!"
"We wouldn't miss it!" Ben exclaimed, answering for everyone as he grabbed the doorknob on the Christmas tree door. Snowflakes swirled out as he opened it and Ben leaned inside the hollowed trunk.
"Careful," Skellington warned. "It's easy to-
"Oooooooh," Ben cooed, "this is beautif- WOOOAAH!"
Ben waved his arms wildly, losing his balance and falling into the tree. Hinata reached out to grab him but narrowly missed.
"Yes, well I did warn him." Skellington shrugged.
Hinata looked inside the tree to find him and gasped. Frosty magic swirled with blues, whites, and silver, creating a whirlpool that whistled like a snowstorm with the faint ring of jingle bells.
"Wow," she breathed out. A force pushed against her back. "Hey careful," she scolded, but peeked over her shoulder to see that no one was there. "Oh."
Jack barked and zoomed past her, disappearing into the whirlpool of frost. With a shrug, Hinata sent a small wave to the others before jumping in herself.
Her body swirled along with the magic, as if she were caught in a water's current. It was cold, yet exhilarating as everything around her warbled and changed. Then all at once, she was out, falling face first into a pile of snow.
With a yelp, she put out her hands to ease the fall but she never landed. She paused, seeing her shadow hovering above the snow and on her shadow's back was a pair of wings.
"What?" She attempted to look over her shoulder, but the momentum caused her to spin. She fluttered back and moved her feet towards the ground. The tip of her boot dragged through the snow as she tried to get herself to land, but instead she gradually rose higher.
"I got you, I got you!" Ben called out to her, but his voice sounded tiny and distant.
"Ben?" Hinata asked, looking around and causing herself to spin. "Where are- ow!" She bonked her head on a tree branch.
A subtle pressure gripped her foot and she looked down to see a small robot toy hanging from her shoe.
"Oh boy!" Ben's voice came out of the toy. "This is way harder than I thought it'd be!"
"Ben!? Why are you so small?" Hinata exclaimed, trying to keep herself from going higher by gripping onto the tree.
"Why do you have wings?" Ben countered, grunting as he climbed onto her shoe. He jumped up and down. "Come! On! Get! Down!"
Small, jovial barks cut through their panic. Hinata looked to the ground to see what appeared to be Christmas lawn decoration watching the situation. White twinkling lights shined through sheer patches of fabric sewn in the form of a dog with a tinsel Santa hat. Its tail stiffly wagged, throwing flakes of snow in every direction.
"Jaaaack!" Ben wailed. "A little help?"
"That's Jack?" Hinata asked.
With a responding bark, Jack stood up and stumbled over, still getting used to legs after floating for so long. He wiggled his butt before hopping up and biting Hinata's shoe. His entire body dangled off the ground and Hinata remained floating.
Jack growled and Ben listened intently before cupping his tiny tin hands around his mouth. "Jack says to stop flapping your wings for goodness sake!"
"Oh thanks Jack, I hadn't thought of that!" Hinata bit back, laughing despite the predicament. "I have no idea how to control these things!"
The door on the tree Hinata clung to burst open with a forceful gust of wind. Sam tumbled out of it first, falling face first into the snow. She lifted her head with a sputter and a cough. Looking over her shoulder, her eyes widened at the open door and she rolled to the side just in time for Velcia to come flying out. Velcia managed to catch herself from falling completely. She stumbled, her feet disappearing into the deep snow, barely out of the way when Riku plopped out right behind her. He managed to turn onto his back before landing, sending a puffy flurry of ice over the others. With a jingle of bells, the door swung back shut, revealing its pumpkin shape.
"What was that?" Sam asked.
"At least we're here," Riku said. He sat up and brushed the snow off his ornate red uniform. "Huh, this is new." He pulled on the thick, sturdy fabric, examining the golden rope detailing and polished buttons.
"You look great, Riku!" Ben chirped, jumping up and down on Hinata's shoe. "You all do. But if you don't mind, a little help?"
Each of them took a moment to find where Ben's voice was coming from.
"Um, up here," Hinata called down to them, waving with a sheepish smile when they looked up into the branches of the tree.
"Oh my," Velcia stifled a laugh and tried to rush over, but the snow made her approach slow. She stopped momentarily and let out a breath. The snow in her path melted away, allowing her to jog over. "At least now I'm not the only one that's had to learn how to fly unexpectedly."
Hinata laughed nervously. "Any tips on how to get down?"
"For now, how about you grab my hand?" Velcia offered. "I'll help you to the ground, then we can go from there."
Hinata reached out, her fingers barely grazing Velcia's.
"I've got it." Riku stepped in. He gripped Hinata's wrist and pulled her down to their level.
Jack released his hold on Hinata's shoe and Ben jumped onto his back. "Finally!" Ben exclaimed with a bark from Jack in agreement.
Hinata held onto Riku, her feet still barely off the ground as her wings continued to flutter. But for the moment, she remained level.
"You alright?" Riku asked with amusement thick in his voice.
"Just a lot to get used to," she replied with a similar tone. "Thank you." She looked past them to where they had landed in the world. "Where's Sam?"
A hand poked out from a pile of snow, waving them over with a muffled voice. Jack barked and hopped over with his stiff legs. Snow splashed wildly behind him as he attempted to dig. It didn't last long as Velcia melted the snow into a muddy puddle. Sam shook off the excess ice and pushed herself to sit up.
"Thanks," she coughed. "I don't know why but I can't stand straight."
"Could be cause of your hooves," Ben surmised, poking at her feet.
"My what?" Sam asked.
"You might wanna see for yourself," Ben replied, clearing his throat nervously.
Sam looked to her legs and scrambled back, kicking up slurried mud. Brown wiry fur covered her legs that appeared more like a deer than human. The shaggy hair framed two black hooves at the bottom of her feet.
"What? How? Why…?" Sam groaned, running her hands over her face.
"At least you're not a fish anymore." Riku held out his hand for her.
"Oh shut it," Sam grumbled, taking his hand and Velcia's to be helped up. She stumbled forward, her hooves slipping and sliding beneath her.
Ben gasped with a squeal, his hands going to his mouth. "Sam! You have a tail!"
"Please say he's kidding," Sam mumbled.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry to say that he's not," Velcia admitted. "But it's very cute! So-"
"That doesn't help." Sam rested her forehead on Velcia's shoulder, defeated. "What the hell did I turn into?"
"I believe the correct term would be a…" Ben's tiny eyes blinked with code for just a moment. "Faun! Half human, half goat- er, or reindeer, in this case."
"Great." Sam forced a smile towards Ben. "Maybe I'll get the chance to pull the big guy's sled."
"That would be amazing!" Ben beamed.
She rolled her eyes in response before wobbling away from Riku and Velcia. Her arms were out at her sides as she swayed back and forth, but she managed to remain standing.
"So I'm some reindeer halfbreed," Sam said, "but what are you guys?"
"I'm not sure." Velcia looked down at the oversized jacket that covered most of her torso. Intricate embroidery of envelopes and cookies decorated the collar and the several satchels buckled at her hips filled to the brim with letters. Velcia examined each detail with care before addressing Sam again. "I'll admit it's nice to be back on two feet."
"I know the feeling," Hinata laughed, still hanging on to Riku. "I have no idea what I am. Beyond some sort of fairy."
"Doesn't really matter, in the end," Riku pointed out. "We should get to the town and figure things out."
"Like where to stay tonight," Sam agreed. "And somewhere to take a stupidly long shower."
"God that sounds so nice." Hinata sighed.
Riku chuckled and made his way towards the edge of the hilltop they appeared on, bringing Hinata along with him. A myriad of colors greeted them from the town nestled in the valley below. Lights twinkled and dazzled along every rooftop, their details mixing together from the distance and creating a rainbow of wonderment.
"That's it," Hinata said softly with a smile. "That's Christmas Town. Just as I remember it."
Riku placed his hand over Hinata's along his arm. "It's incredible."
"What are we waiting for?" Ben asked. "Come on Jack!"
Jack barked with excitement and ran forward, his legs rigid but moveable. He tumbled forward, falling occasionally into the softer pillows of snow. Each time he jumped out and shook off the ice, nearly sending Ben flying off before continuing their descent.
The group laughed while they watched the two run off, but then quickly realized it was now their turn to follow.
"It will take forever for me to get down there with these things." Sam shook one of her hooves.
"I might have an idea, actually," Velcia told her.
She knelt down in the snow and waved her hand over a small patch. White glowing particles ignited from her hand and a layer of ice formed on top of the snow. With a small push, she watched with a growing smile as the ice slab slid down the hill.
"Is it possible to ride something along the snow?" Velcia asked.
Hinata snickered. "I think you just discovered sledding."
"Sledding," Velcia repeated with intrigue.
"Have you ever seen snow before?" Sam asked.
"I haven't actually," she admitted, standing back up and brushing the snow off of her pants. "I've heard of it, but it's something else to see. Especially so much of it. Chilling, yet it also warms my heart. Jack Skellington mentioned as much to me on the way here and I have to say I agree."
"Me too," Hinata agreed. "But yeah, we should be able to sled… I might be able to use my shield. Riku and I could use it."
"And I can create a larger piece of ice for me and Sam!" Velcia turned around, already getting to work.
Sam playfully rolled her eyes with a smile, while Hinata snickered.
Holding out her hand, Hinata's shield burst into existence with a flash of blue shimmering magic. It was large enough for both her and Riku to fit sitting down, but it would be a tight fit.
Before setting it down on the snow, she turned it around to see its front. Its detailed engravings were still as clear and precise as ever. The blemishes it received in her nightmare were nowhere to be seen. A sizable amount of relief washed over Hinata and she gently traced her hand along the design.
"Everything ok?" Riku asked, his hand on her shoulder to keep her at his level.
"Oh, yes." She turned the shield back around and settled it into the snow. "My weapons were damaged in my dream and I was checking to see if they still were." She looked up at him with a smile. "Thankfully, my shield seems to be just fine."
He smiled in response and helped steady her while she tried to lower onto the makeshift sled. Settling in behind her helped keep her down, despite the way her wings continually attempted to flutter about. Butterflies ruffled in Hinata's chest as Riku held her close, keeping her wings pinned against her back. She leaned into him and warmed at the responding chuckle that rumbled through his chest.
"Ready?" he asked, placing his hands in the snow on either side of the sled.
"Have you ever been sledding before?" she asked rather than answer.
"There's a first time for everything," he told her with a smirk and a shrug.
Hinata laughed and it quickly transformed into a gasp as Riku pushed against the snow and their makeshift sled whisked down the hill. The snowy forest blurred around them, icy wind chilled their faces. Hinata's laugh returned as she cheered in delight at the sensation of adrenaline tingling her senses. She could even hear Riku laughing through the whistling wind.
Then it all came to an abrupt stop. A snowy bank at the bottom of the hill was just frozen enough to tip the shield and both of them went flying with surprised yelps. Hinata landed unceremoniously in the snow, Riku not far behind.
With a sputter, Hinata clambered out of the pile of snow and fell onto her back. Her chest heaved, trying to catch her breath. She looked back and saw Riku on his hands and knees, snow caked in his hair. He also looked up and the moment their eyes met they bubbled into a fit of laughter.
"We have to do that again before we leave," Riku told her.
"Absolutely!" she agreed, still laughing between her heaving breaths.
She scrambled onto her knees and was about to crawl over to him, but her wings flapped wildly and she found herself instead waving her limbs in an attempt to get back to the ground. Riku snorted and caught her ankle before she went too far away.
"We really need to get you some flying lessons." He pulled her back to the snow and stood up.
"Yes please." She held onto his arm to keep herself level.
"Look out!" Velcia called out over the sound of Sam's cheers.
Hinata looked up the hill to see Velcia and Sam barreling towards them in a shallow boat made entirely of ice. Riku grabbed her and jumped back. Hinata's wings buzzed with surprise; it sent both of them hovering back several more feet than intended. Riku skidded them to a stop, trying to talk through his laughter, "Velcia, fix this!"
Velcia also couldn't help herself from giggling at the sight. She quickly climbed out of the ice boat and rushed over while Sam tripped out and plopped face first into the snow. "Hinata, can you take a moment to sense the elements around you? Like we used to do during our journey in Eos."
"I…" Hinata started, her voice trailed off. "All I sense is ice. Maybe a bit of fire from people's furnaces."
"It might seem so at first," Velcia explained. "But there's something else, too. Something causing you to fly. I felt it as well when I was in Halloween Town. It might be the same for you."
Hinata looked around shortly before she jerked upwards. "Oh!" Her eyes widened. "I think I felt it right then." Placing her hand over her heart, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's pulsing in rhythm with my wings. Almost like a heartbeat."
Taking another long breath, she mentally reached out to the pulse. It was erratic and uncertain, much like her heart had been recently. Hinata's grip over her chest tightened.
"Any progress?" Sam asked, her hooves clopping shakily against icy cobblestone.
"Yeah, she's getting it," Riku replied.
"She is." Velcia nodded. Hinata could hear the smile in her voice.
Hearing their voices, all together, safe and sound, it lessened the tight tension in Hinata's body. Her wings beat slower, calmer.
We're all ok.
Hinata comforted the pulse and perhaps herself as well. The soft snow crunched beneath her feet. She opened her eyes and found herself back on the ground with the others smiling around her.
"It worked!" Hinata beamed with a little hop and everyone laughed.
"I knew you would be able to figure it out," Velcia said.
"Now we can finally explore this place." Riku looked out into the town.
They stood right near the entrance to it. A bright red and white swirled sign stood tall in front of them reading, 'Christmas Town' across it. Shops and buildings of all sizes lined the cobbled streets. Golden light glowed from each window, showcasing freshly baked pies and lovingly stitched toys. elves filled the street, each of them busy with a given job. Some carried armfuls of garland, others twinkling lights, or baked goods. They sent the visitors sideways glances, a few of them stopping entirely to gawk and whisper to each other.
"I suppose even with our new appearance we still stand out," Velcia said.
"I was dressed almost exactly like them the last time I was here and I still stood out," Hinata recalled with a chuckle. "I think it's mostly a size thing."
"Then why the hell did it turn me into this?" Sam asked, shakily following along as they entered the town.
"Maybe Santa's missing a reindeer for his sleigh," Riku guessed, smirking when he peeked over his shoulder and caught Sam's glare.
"My guess is that we look like we are from another town," Hinata surmised. "I don't know what fairies have anything to do with Christmas."
A pair of gasps caught her attention. She looked over and caught a pair of pink elves watching her from around a shop corner. Rather than confusion, they appeared downright giddy and hopped up and down. Hinata tilted her head slightly and awkwardly smiled, waving towards them. They squealed in response and scurried over.
"Ohmigosh, you were like, the BEST in last year's performance!" one of them chimed.
"Performance?" Hinata repeated slowly.
"Haah, I can't believe we're actually talking to you!" The other couldn't bring herself to look Hinata in the eye. "But, could we maybe, get your autograph?"
Hinata blinked. She looked down at the tiny notepad held out to her along with the festive candy cane pen. Kneeling to their level, she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm so sorry, but I think you might have me confused with—"
"Noooo, don't be so modest! You have like, been such a big part of my childhood. The Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker? I mean, what a dream!"
"Oh!" Hinata realized all at once. She glanced towards her wings, then towards the candy embroidered on her petal-like dress. "Suddenly this all makes sense."
"And the Nutcracker, himself!" The elves peeked around Hinata towards Riku. "Oh my goodness, he's even more handsome up close!" They squealed together.
Riku blinked in a flurry and coughed in surprise. "I think you have the wrong idea about us."
"I don't mean to disappoint either of you" -Hinata got their attention back- "but we're not the ones—"
"Hey, hey, hey!" a loud, familiar, yet annoying voice cut off their conversation. The elves' glee melded into annoyance as they looked over and saw another elf stomping over. "I come out here to find out where our guests are and who do I find holding them up?" He crossed his arms, tapping his booted foot against the ground. "I should have known it was you, Candice. And you roped Sherry into it too."
"Ugh, lighten up Hermey," Candice shot back.
"Hermey?" Hinata repeated under her breath. She shot up and looked towards him, but he kept his glare steady on the pair of elves.
"Oh I'm sorry," Hermey pulled out his clipboard and began scribbling. "I suppose I should let the big guy know you're once again slacking on your duties for" -he glanced up at the group with a raised brow- "fake celebrities."
Hinata's lips pursed into a straight line.
"We'll get back to work," Sherry timidly assured Hermey. She grabbed Candice's arm and pulled her along with her.
"Thank you!" Hermey feigned a fake smile and waved after them. "Now" -he let out a long sigh and turned towards the group- "it's about time you showed up. Nothing like coming back to keep the old man waiting, huh? It's not like we here at Christmas Town have anything important going on." He turned around and began walking away while he continued prattling on, "No children waiting eagerly for our hard work. No, no, we're completely free to wait for you." He paused and turned around, seeing them unmoved from where he found them. With a huff, he motioned towards them. "And? Are you going to follow or am I waiting for that now, too?"
"Wow, I hate this guy," Sam mumbled.
"We didn't realize you were expecting us." Velcia went ahead. "We apologize if we caused a disruption here. It seems all of you are very busy with important work. We don't want to intrude."
"It's ok Velcia," Hinata assured her, fluttering her wings to catch up to Hermey. "He's like this even if you do everything perfectly."
Herney scoffed. "As if you did anything perfectly. Do you know how many presents I had to repackage after you left? The Easter Bunny could have done a better job."
Hinata rolled her eyes. "Oh please! I was hurt and— wait, you remember me?"
"It's hard to forget someone as giant as you," he shot back. "Though your friend, the fake Nutcracker, has even you beat."
"Huh…" Hinata's walk slowed, allowing Hermey to lead the way. The others caught up to her pace. "Did you hear what he said? He remembers me."
"Could be the magic here," Riku guessed.
"That's possible," Velcia agreed. "From what I've heard of this Santa, it seems he must utilize powerful magic to do what he does. I can imagine his workers would be similar in order to make all the toys."
"It's too bad the one guy that remembers you is an asshole," Sam pointed out, beginning to get the hang of walking with the hooved legs.
Hinata snorted. "Yeah, that's true. But still, better than nothing."
"I heard that," Hermey called back to them.
"Of course you did." Sam shook her head.
They continued following Hermey through the town. elves continued to stare, but quickly scurried on their way when they noticed Hermey leading the way. The small shops they saw before changed into larger and larger factories with candy cane frames and bright illuminating signs that signified their purpose. Giant gears protruded from the sides amongst the pipes that snaked along the outside before disappearing back inside. Past the factories they found what appeared to be the living quarters for all of the elves. Identical homes lined snowy roads, each with bright, metal mailboxes at the end of their fenced lawns with red flags sticking up alerting a postman that there was mail to be delivered.
Reaching the end of their trek, they entered a courtyard of sorts with a completely frozen fountain standing in the center of it all. On the left they noticed a dense forest filled with decorated Christmas trees. Each and every tree sparkled and glimmered with different colors and ornaments, but each of them were tiny in comparison to the massive tree in the center that towered as the highest point in the entire town, spare for the mountain ranges surrounding the area.
The group gawked at the sight, coming to a stop and almost completely forgetting that they were supposed to be following Hermey for some unspecified reason.
"How fast do you think you'd be able to fly to the top?" Sam asked, nudging Hinata.
Hinata laughed. "I'd be lucky to make it halfway. Now warpstrike?" She shrugged with a mischievous smile. "Probably a couple minutes."
Sam grinned. "Oh my God, let's try it."
"Don't you even think about it!" Hermey interjected. "I don't want to know what warpstriking is, but if you scratch even an inch of an ornament on that tree—"
"Holy shit, we were joking alright?" Sam talked over him.
"I don't think I like your tone." Hermey scribbled on his clipboard.
"Feeling's mutual." Sam faked a smile when Hermey glared up at her.
"Alright Hermey," Hinata stepped in before they continued bickering. "Why did you bring us here? Does Santa need help with something?"
Hermey continued to glare at Sam for a moment more before huffing and looking at his clipboard. "As a matter of fact he does. Or really I do."
Hinata groaned, placing her hand on her face. "Hermey, we are not here to work for you. If Santa actually needs us then—"
"Where exactly are you planning on staying over this little holiday of yours?" Hermey interrupted, tapping his foot.
"I believe we were hoping to stay here for a night or two," Velcia replied.
"Oh right," Hermey forcibly laughed. "Because it's widely known that the North Pole is a Bed and Breakfast. Just make yourselves at home here. I'll let Santa know we need to delay Christmas preparations because a group of tourists just couldn't resist our little wonderland. I'm sure he won't mind."
The group collectively took a deep breath to keep themselves from strangling Hermey.
"You want us to work to earn room and board." Riku got to the point, waiting for Hermey's nod before asking, "What do you expect us to do?"
Seeming pleased with himself, Hermey held up his clipboard. "I already sent your dog and robot to the annual tree judging." He motioned towards the forest of Christmas trees. "They'll be deciding what everyone will be decorating with next year."
"That won't turn out badly," Sam commented.
Hermey ignored her and continued, "Our bow factory tangled itself into a knot. Your self righteous reindeer will be taking care of that."
Riku and Hinata snickered while Sam scoffed. Velcia remained silent, listening for her given job.
"Nutcracker, you'll be helping Mrs. Claus prepare dinner for the main factory elves." He peeked up from the clipboard towards Riku and shrugged. "Don't ask, she requested you. I have no idea why."
"Huh…" Riku rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright."
"Post lady, should be obvious" -he pointed towards Velcia- "pick up the mail the elves collected from children and deliver it all to the workshop."
"Oh!" Velcia realized, pulling out the edge of her tunic to look at the embroidered letters. "How exciting! That should give me plenty of time to explore the town."
"I'm overjoyed for you," Hermey replied in a deadpan, turning towards Hinata. "And I learned my lesson with you last time with that horrendous gift wrapping, so you're heading up to the reindeer training facility. We got a couple new recruits that need help learning how to fly."
He pointed up towards a mountain range. Hinata looked and spotted a building near the summit, its golden light glowing against the tundra.
She blinked. "Um, how am I supposed to get there?"
Hermey's brow raised. "I'm not even going to answer that." When Hinata's frown deepened, he rolled his eyes and motioned towards her wings.
Hinata nervously laughed. "Right…"
"Finish that and you've all got a room for the night." Hermey slipped his clipboard under his arm. "Any questions?" He didn't give them time to answer before turning away. "Good. Don't talk to me till you're done."
The group watched him walk away until he disappeared into a building and slammed the door behind him.
Hinata let out a breath and turned towards everyone else. "You guys don't have to do those jobs. I'm sure I could find Santa and figure something out."
"Actually" -Velcia stepped forward, readjusting her postal hat- "I am more than happy to earn a room for the night. The people in this world do seem incredibly busy, and I would like to be able to help." She chuckled. "And I am really looking forward to my given job."
"I am too," Riku agreed. "I don't like the guy, but he had a point. We can help out so we aren't getting in the way. And it gives us something to do."
Hinata nodded, a smile growing as she looked towards Sam. "Well?"
Sam shrugged. "Yeah, I could poke around that factory for a bit. It definitely looked interesting and it beats listening to that elf. He was making my ears bleed."
"Yeah, he takes getting used to," Hinata said. "But alright, I guess I'll figure out how to fly to the reindeer. We'll meet back at sundown?"
They each agreed and said their farewells. Hinata watched them go before turning towards the mountain in the distance. She blew out a breath and bounced between the balls of her feet.
"Alright, let's go train some reindeer."
**Author's Note: Merry Christmas! Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I hope you enjoyed!**