This is where you stopped last time you did this story, isn't it? I really wanna know what happens next, now!
Fanfiction ► Betwixt + Between
- Thread starter Mason Stark
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I so love your Raynie character; she reminds me of myself somewhat. I am also liking the new Adyn character; he weilds a scythe, which makes him really cool in my book. Anyway, great job again, and I look forward to your next update. This story is really getting good.
Thank yew for the comments! :3
I think I stopped there the last time. xD; But, YAY. The story's actually moving forwards!
Shweet! Glad you like Raynie and Adyn. :3 Adyn's really kinda fun or different or something, 'cause I don't think someone timid-ish like him would be running around with a scythe. xD; And, I didn't think Raynie would remind someone of theirself sorta. Wowzers, that's awesome.
Annnd I'm gonna go ahead and post up a new chapter... which may be horribly short. Ack. I might post up the next part tomorrow, since it is that short. :<
------------------------
005 + PRESSURE
I could always imagine the rain to follow me.
Funny, it's here, too...
This world isn't a thing like the others. Not even the deepest, darkest world I've ever witnessed. Not even the home of the shadows compares to this place.
This place is, by far, the darkest and the gloomiest. The only light is the moon; something that I despise that more than anything. The rain only makes it worse.
The reason I'm here isn't a 'normal' one. I guess you could say that it's because of a grudge, or because of opposition. I thought I knew why I was here.
But then again, I don't.
Raynie looked stunned. There were no words to say. Nothing she could scream out. Except for, of course...
"You... little... BRAT!!" she screamed, hoping to scare the crap out of the stupid little keyblader, "WHEN I CATCH YOU, YOU'RE GONNA BE DAM--"
"Raynie! Calm down!" Ven stepped forwards, hoping his words could coax Raynie to calm down or something.
She looked like she was about to bite his head off, "I do NOT calm down when my ti-- er-- that keyblader takes off!"
"Well, maybe if you would actually be consider--"
"AND WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S NOT MY FAULT!"
Ven was very tempted to slam his head against a wall. He turned his gaze over to Adyn (who he wasn't so keen to), as if hoping the strange teen would help him out. No avail: the sickly-pale boy was dragged off by a certain loud-mouthed fist fighter.
"Hurry it up! We've gotta catch the damn kid, or else I'm gonna use those stupid keyblades on you!"
What she was going to use those keys for was beyond Ven. But, he didn't want to find out what she meant; he didn't want a headache later, either.
How he wished Rena hadn't run off in the first place! Or, at least he wished that Raynie didn't care about the young keyblader so much. Why did she care at all? She had done the same sort of thing towards Ven. Why?
He couldn't help but wonder if Raynie would treat him the same way if he ran off just like Rena had.
Splish-splash-splish-splash.
Her lungs gasped for air. Her heart pounded wildly. Yet, she pushed forwards. She couldn't stop. She had to run!
Rena helplessly waded through the water, pushing forwards quickly before anyone got the idea to go after her. Her fingers tempted to grab onto the tall ledge above, but no avail. It was also the same with the strange, moving rocks in the water. She couldn't grab onto those, no matter how hard she tried!
Faster. The tomboy pushed herself faster as she heard a noise outside of the huge door. She still didn't know how she got inside of this place. It was almost like something heard the girl's cries in her mind. But, why would she think that?
Because, apparently, that door needed magic to get past.
Drenched, Rena swam faster going around the isle to the back, hoping there was some way to get onto the rounded surface without using those strange rocks. If she could just hide, then maybe...
"RENA!"
The tomboy froze. Her heart jumped. That voice she hated! Just that one word showed how angry the screaming voice was.
With haste, Rena scrambled onto the back of the isle, using her fingers and shoes to dig into the ground so she could climb up. It was a bit of a difficult task, but as long as she didn't make a sound...
"GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!"
She gulped, hiding beneath a set of perfectly stacked boxes that resembled a stairway. A place to hide until Raynie believed the girl wasn't inside here.
Rena hated that loud teenager. She was just like that Cid guy, but he wasn't loud or mean; just a bit cranky or grumpy! At least he didn't scream at her like Raynie does. That's exactly why she took off. To get away from the stupid girl.
But where was there to go now?
What if Raynie figured out Rena was here? She'd probably shred her to pieces!
Now hopelessly lost, the tomboy merely pulled her arms over her head and shrunk back into the darkness. Maybe, just maybe, none of them would be able to find her! She hoped that would be right.
"Please don't let her find me..." she muttered, pulling her arms tighter now. She tried hard to shrink back, "Please..."
A sound. An unfamiliar sound.
Her deep blue eyes flickered. She glanced up. Stared up.
That... wasn't normal.
The tomboy put her arms by her sides, placing her hands lightly against the ground. She stared at the object before her. Tilting her head back and forth. A curious expression lightened on her face.
She pushed her hands off of the ground, slowly and cautiously standing to her feet. Glancing back and forth.
No one was there.
She quickly peeked around the edge of the house, seeing a shadow. That had to have been Raynie...
She didn't really have a choice, did she?
Instantly, Rena sprung forwards and ran straight through the strange dark portal that appeared before her.
I think I stopped there the last time. xD; But, YAY. The story's actually moving forwards!
Shweet! Glad you like Raynie and Adyn. :3 Adyn's really kinda fun or different or something, 'cause I don't think someone timid-ish like him would be running around with a scythe. xD; And, I didn't think Raynie would remind someone of theirself sorta. Wowzers, that's awesome.
Annnd I'm gonna go ahead and post up a new chapter... which may be horribly short. Ack. I might post up the next part tomorrow, since it is that short. :<
------------------------
005 + PRESSURE
I could always imagine the rain to follow me.
Funny, it's here, too...
This world isn't a thing like the others. Not even the deepest, darkest world I've ever witnessed. Not even the home of the shadows compares to this place.
This place is, by far, the darkest and the gloomiest. The only light is the moon; something that I despise that more than anything. The rain only makes it worse.
The reason I'm here isn't a 'normal' one. I guess you could say that it's because of a grudge, or because of opposition. I thought I knew why I was here.
But then again, I don't.
--------
Raynie looked stunned. There were no words to say. Nothing she could scream out. Except for, of course...
"You... little... BRAT!!" she screamed, hoping to scare the crap out of the stupid little keyblader, "WHEN I CATCH YOU, YOU'RE GONNA BE DAM--"
"Raynie! Calm down!" Ven stepped forwards, hoping his words could coax Raynie to calm down or something.
She looked like she was about to bite his head off, "I do NOT calm down when my ti-- er-- that keyblader takes off!"
"Well, maybe if you would actually be consider--"
"AND WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S NOT MY FAULT!"
Ven was very tempted to slam his head against a wall. He turned his gaze over to Adyn (who he wasn't so keen to), as if hoping the strange teen would help him out. No avail: the sickly-pale boy was dragged off by a certain loud-mouthed fist fighter.
"Hurry it up! We've gotta catch the damn kid, or else I'm gonna use those stupid keyblades on you!"
What she was going to use those keys for was beyond Ven. But, he didn't want to find out what she meant; he didn't want a headache later, either.
How he wished Rena hadn't run off in the first place! Or, at least he wished that Raynie didn't care about the young keyblader so much. Why did she care at all? She had done the same sort of thing towards Ven. Why?
He couldn't help but wonder if Raynie would treat him the same way if he ran off just like Rena had.
--------
Splish-splash-splish-splash.
Her lungs gasped for air. Her heart pounded wildly. Yet, she pushed forwards. She couldn't stop. She had to run!
Rena helplessly waded through the water, pushing forwards quickly before anyone got the idea to go after her. Her fingers tempted to grab onto the tall ledge above, but no avail. It was also the same with the strange, moving rocks in the water. She couldn't grab onto those, no matter how hard she tried!
Faster. The tomboy pushed herself faster as she heard a noise outside of the huge door. She still didn't know how she got inside of this place. It was almost like something heard the girl's cries in her mind. But, why would she think that?
Because, apparently, that door needed magic to get past.
Drenched, Rena swam faster going around the isle to the back, hoping there was some way to get onto the rounded surface without using those strange rocks. If she could just hide, then maybe...
"RENA!"
The tomboy froze. Her heart jumped. That voice she hated! Just that one word showed how angry the screaming voice was.
With haste, Rena scrambled onto the back of the isle, using her fingers and shoes to dig into the ground so she could climb up. It was a bit of a difficult task, but as long as she didn't make a sound...
"GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!"
She gulped, hiding beneath a set of perfectly stacked boxes that resembled a stairway. A place to hide until Raynie believed the girl wasn't inside here.
Rena hated that loud teenager. She was just like that Cid guy, but he wasn't loud or mean; just a bit cranky or grumpy! At least he didn't scream at her like Raynie does. That's exactly why she took off. To get away from the stupid girl.
But where was there to go now?
What if Raynie figured out Rena was here? She'd probably shred her to pieces!
Now hopelessly lost, the tomboy merely pulled her arms over her head and shrunk back into the darkness. Maybe, just maybe, none of them would be able to find her! She hoped that would be right.
"Please don't let her find me..." she muttered, pulling her arms tighter now. She tried hard to shrink back, "Please..."
A sound. An unfamiliar sound.
Her deep blue eyes flickered. She glanced up. Stared up.
That... wasn't normal.
The tomboy put her arms by her sides, placing her hands lightly against the ground. She stared at the object before her. Tilting her head back and forth. A curious expression lightened on her face.
She pushed her hands off of the ground, slowly and cautiously standing to her feet. Glancing back and forth.
No one was there.
She quickly peeked around the edge of the house, seeing a shadow. That had to have been Raynie...
She didn't really have a choice, did she?
Instantly, Rena sprung forwards and ran straight through the strange dark portal that appeared before her.
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Silly, silly Rena, didn't your mother ever teach you not to go through strange black portals that appear before you? Anyway, great job on the chapter, Takushi Rena, even if it was a little short. I look forward to your next update.
Rena isn't very smart there... And it really is a lot shorter than your usual chapters^^ It's still good, though!
Thankies for the comments! :3
Nope, she definitely didn't learn to not trust suspicious portals. xD; But what happens because of it might actually be good. ...At least, I think it is. >:
Annnd here's the next part! It's definitely longer in comparsion to the last bit. Also, sorry about that last part being so short. ^^; Anywho, enjoy!
-----------------
The midst between one world and the next. Did it have a name? Or was it merely just given a simple description? This place, to her, would have merely been called 'a path'.
However, this was no ordinary path. None by which she had ever seen before.
This was a place resembling a cylinder with a horizontal axis for the walkway. The walls were mainly made up of a bright red colour, as if resembling some sort of sunlight or light. However, towards the darker end where a dark hole was, light, cool colours seemed to appear: mainly blues, greens, and maybe even some purple.
The place was almost like a sea, a tunnel in a strange multi-coloured sea. And, in the midst of these swirls of colours were strange insignias that didn't have any sort of meaning to herself.
Rena blinked, wildly glancing around the trail, before finally taking one step forwards into the unknown.
Her pace quickened, the tomboy taking off down the path and towards the darker end. The light begun to disappear...
As she charged closer, the simple dark hole quickly spawned into a gigantic circular portal. Dark green and black swirled around the outside of the white center, beaconing the girl closer and closer.
Rain?
Rena took a step back, hugging her arms.
Rain drenched the ground in a flurry. Rena soon found herself completely drenched.
However, the tomboy was rather taken aback from the sudden change to rainfall. In fact, it wasn't just rainfall.
This was a dark street. A street in nowhere.
Buildings hovered high above, only resembling dark blocks in the darkness, and a darkened, violet, concrete street was now beneath her feet.
It clicked.
Rena glanced around wildly once more, taking in the dark setting as she realized.
"I've been here before..." she muttered, as the rain continued to soak her now drenched clothes and hair.
She was cautious as she walked amongst these streets. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but this place just forced her to put her guard up. Something to be weary about. Or something that happened, making her believe that bad things occurred here.
She walked into the next alleyway, glancing around as she walked through the deep puddles and through the foreboding street.
But, she still had to look where she was going.
"Ow!" she exclaimed as she ran straight into something. Something moveable. It wasn't a wall...
Harsh eyes glared down at the clumsy girl and she gave a nervous laugh. This was...
Rena immediately apologized, taking a step back as those eyes turned around. "S-Sorry... I didn't... um..."
One factor raised her anxiety, however: those eyes. Red. That's all you could see. Red eyes. Terrifiying, piercing, crimson eyes.
As they stepped closer, she realized that this was a boy. She gave a sigh of relief.
As the only light source rose higher into the sky, Rena saw what this boy looked like.
Wet, spiked dark teal hair. A high collar that nearly covered his chin. A short-sleeved shirt with a zipper. And she believed he was wearing some sort of long, khaki shorts and combat boots.
He merely raised a brow at the appearance of the girl. Suddenly, he gave a scoff, "What's a stupid short kid doing here?"
That voice...
"I'm not short!" she exclaimed, pointing an index finger right at the boy's nose.
Giving another scoff, the boy discontently pushed the girl's hand out of his face, giving her another harsh glare.
"It's not nice to yell at a King. Pointing is an even worse offense, squirt."
She tilted her head to the side, "You're a king?"
He gave a vigorous nod.
"...You're short, too."
"Shut up, you stupid child!"
Rena gave a giggle. She thought he was joking! "So, what's your na--"
He was pointing this time. However, it wasn't with an index finger.
"So, peasant, what do they call you?"
There was the tip of a curved sword pointing right at her nose. She staggered. "R-Rena..."
"Pathetic name for a pathetic child out in the middle of nowhere..."
Rena growled, still acting terrified, "Well, what's your name, stupid?"
"You can call me 'Your Majesty' if you wish..."
"Well, I don't think 5-year-olds are allowed to be kings! What's your real name?"
He gave a scoff, "Why should I tell you?"
"Because I'm nice enough to tell you my name!"
"What if I'm not 'nice'?"
"Just say it!"
He growled, "My name is..." Yet, he cringed. "...Haru..."
Rena tilted her head to the side again, "What? Don't like your name?"
"It doesn't suit me..." he crossed his arms childishly.
"I think it's a good name!" she perked up, giving a grin as a raindrop hit her nose.
"...It's worse now..."
"AH! I'M SORRY!"
He gave another growl, "Shut it already, child! I don't need apologizes and I don't need you telling me that you like my name! The last thing is need is your opinion!"
Rena's frown turned into a pout. She looked a bit sad, "Sorry, I was just trying to help..."
"Just screw off, shortie..." It seemed as if the boy was taking off.
This, however, wasn't true.
Once again, he pointed his weapon right at the girl's face, "Or do I need to force you off with a fight?"
Defensively, Rena's hand begun to grasp a blade-shaped light with swirls of black around it. She believed he was going to attack her; no wonder she grabbed it!
Haru's eyes seemed to widen as he watched the light turn itself into a key-shaped weapon.
"You don't deserve to have that..." he spat, his red eyes seeming to brighten.
Rena merely glared and gave a growl, "Why shouldn't I? I'm the one who found it!"
"A pathetic little wench doesn't deserve a weapon like that! You don't deserve a weapon at all!"
"Then why don't you take it from me?" she spat, sticking her tongue out at Haru.
He gave one more growl, "Alright then..."
His fist was quickly raised into the air, the sky's light reflecting onto his black glove. Yet, quickly, his hand was pushed with his palm straight out.
Rena stared, wide-eyed, at his hand. She could've sworn she saw yellow dots, like the ones on...
"Destroy this stupid child, Heartless!"
Rena froze. What were 'Heartless'?
Her stare grew wider. Fear closed its icy fingers on her neck. Her heart pounded in her ears. She realized it now... She remembered what 'Heartless' were.
A black, round head with beady yellow eyes. Two quirky, wonky antenna topped it's head. The body pressed through the boy's gloved hand in a grotesque manner. Unlike their brother, however, the rest appeared around the two humans. There had to be a dozen, maybe two dozen!
An army of those shadows! The same ones from Cucio Bay!
His gaze was apathetic, yet spiteful to the young girl.
"Attack, foul beasts..." he barked, his red eyes seeming to grow brighter in an evil, malicious eyes, as if they belonged to a demon.
Instantly, the tomboy took off in the opposite direction. However, she wasn't running back to her starting point; rather, she was running past the young 'king'.
The Heartless instantly charged after their prey. A mound of the black creatures hurried off after her, nearly on her tail now.
Her deep blue eyes full of fright, she ran. Faster and faster through the streets. Dreary. The rain fell faster. Sliding through the puddles.
They tempted to claw at her feet. She ran faster. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. As she slid through the concrete alleys.
They were going to catch her! That's all she could think of. They were going to catch her... She ran faster, hoping to get away.
Scratching at her shoes. Reaching out. What would happen when they caught her?
And then she was suffocating. A hand pulled over her face. Holding her breath.
Yet, she was no longer running.
A hand was placed on her mouth as an arm was pulled before her, the hand forcing her to hold her tongue. As strange as it may be, it was actually comforting.
Rena's heart pounding madly in her chest. Her lungs gasped her breath. Her feet felt like they were still moving. Yet, she could only watch as those creatures tore past their quarry.
It was only after a few moments, once they all safely passed, that the hand was relinquished. The tomboy immediately gave a sigh, "Thank... you..."
"You really think you should be thanking me? I thought you hated my guts..."
A chill. Running down her spine. Raising her anxiety to the edge. That voice was familiar. In a spiteful way.
Slowly and cautiously, the girl turned her gaze.
And immediately pulled herself to her feet.
Defensively, her key-shaped weapon was pointed straight at their face, as she gave a terribly harsh glare to them.
"Go away!" she screamed, her anger raising past the boiling point.
Dirty blonde hair, emerald green eyes, and that black cloak. It was...
"Aw, I thought you missed me!" Aoi laughed, pulling himself to his feet as the rain dampened his perfectly spiked hair even more.
Rena merely growled, "I'd never miss a jerkface like you!"
"I was just trying to help out.." the enigma gave a shrug.
"I don't need your dumb help!"
"Funny, you accepted it the first two times. Why not the third?"
Rena blinked. What was he talking about? He never helped her before...
"You wouldn't have gotten past that door or to this world if it wasn't for me, kiddo~"
She let out a growl, "...Screw off!"
The dirty blonde gave a smirk, "Telling someone to 'go away', like you should be saying it, doesn't really help when you're trying to run away from the real bad guy, does it?"
"That Haru guy?" she snapped, "I can take care of him! Easy!"
"Oh, so that's why you're running the opposite direction, aren't you? I smell chicken... maybe cat..."
"SHUT UP!"
"Wrong bad guy, too..." the enigma spoke with a shrug. Rena raised a brow. What other bad guy was there?
"Who's been the one calling you a 'brat' this whole time?" he queried.
"Raynie's a..." she froze with confused eyes, placing her keyblade by her side.
"Why else would she be treating you like dirt? Villains always treat the good guys like dirt when they want something..."
The rain continued to fall onto their heads. The random spikes on her head seemed to lower as Rena thought; however, it didn't seem to have anything to do with the rain.
"Why does she want something from me...? It can't be because of that Hollow Bastion place..."
"Maybe it's because of something gone missing..."
She let out a growl, "So now she wants me to go find something stupid for her!"
"Or, maybe, she wants you to get something back for her," he continued as his emerald eyes glanced down at the tomboy.
She frowned and narrowed her eyes.
"That's why you're running away, isn't it? Because of that idiot?"
"Yeah..."
Rena jolted, her eyes wide. Why was he...
"But, what if you tagged along with me? I wouldn't treat you the way that idiot does..."
A hand. It placed itself before the young girl, beaconing her to grasp it. But, what would happen if she did that? She wouldn't know until she took it. But, he sounded a lot nicer than Raynie ever did, even if he ripped her friend's heart out; she wasn't exactly her friend, anyways, right?
She glanced down at his hand. Her eyes narrowed a bit. Her frown said she was deep in thought.
The tomboy cautiously raised her free hand and reached out. She was a bit slow about this; after all, she still wasn't exactly sure. She could barely feel his leather glove down. Her fingers twitched. He was much better than Raynie. It didn't seem so bad...
Then, she was thrown back.
The echo of footsteps splashing through the rain ran through their ears. And a voice, too.
"Don't you even think about it, asshole!" a familiar voice snapped, a flash of light appearing and disappearing with a moment's notice.
"Oy, blondie! The kid already agree--!"
"Really? You think a kid would warm up to someone as emo-tastic as you?" a female voice kicked in.
Every word after that was muffled in her mind, however. She was too busy trying to dig her fingers into her skull and trying to hold back a scream. Why did it hurt so much?
"Rena!" the boy's voice cried as he watched Rena curl up in pain.
Yet, he was shoved backwards against the same wall. He sat next to the tomboy, and the same pain echoed through his mind.
What was this?
Their fingers dug further into their skull.
It was a flood. Of sights and sounds. Ambient, pulsing sounds. Voices. Beating wildly in heartbeats.
Were these...
"Hey!" Raynie exclaimed, charging forwards to at least punch the evil blonde right in the face.
Aoi snapped, "Shut it, wench! Lemme play with the kiddos for a damn--"
The enigma choked. His emerald eyes flashed. He was doubled over in pain, holding his stomach with his arms. His eyes were changing...
"Blondie!!"
The boy managed to break free of the enigma's grip thanks to Raynie's voice, lashing away at the dirty blonde mentally as if he held his keys in his imagination. However, it didn't take much for him to break free. On the other hand, Aoi simply released his grasp on Rena, her deep blue eyes glaring up at him; unlike Ven, she wasn't nearly as strong.
"Screw off!!" Ven screamed, posed to violently strike with his two weapons.
"That wouldn't be fun, now would it?" Aoi choked mockingly, "You guys are fun to screw around with, after all..."
The dirty blonde gave his head a hard shake. His posture was straight now. He didn't look like he had ever been in pain. There was still something weird about him...
Ven gave a nasty growl. Yet, Aoi really didn't care if the boy hated his guts or not.
"I said..."
"Yeahyeah, I know, blondie."
Aoi licked his lips.
"See ya!"
Ven gave a snarl, watching as the enigma disappeared through an infamous dark portal.
"...Why are Nobodies after us?" he mused, his tense grip on his weapons showing how angry he was. "It doesn't make any sense... Kingdom H--"
"Forget that!" Raynie snapped. "Rena!"
Ven felt something behind him. He glanced around, seeing a nervous Rena standing behind him.
Raynie groaned, "Aw c'mon!"
"Why're you here?!" Rena cringed, tempted to pull her hood over her head.
"...Why did you agree to go with that guy?" Ven raised a brow.
"Umm..."
Ven turned around, "Why'd you do that?"
"I-I dunno..." Rena shrugged, "It seemed... like a good idea?"
"Remember those silver things? The Nobodies?"
"Y-Yeah..." Rena glanced up at Ven and cringed at his harsh gaze; she felt like she did something absolutely terrible just by his electric blue eyes staring at him.
"...Oh, what?" Raynie glared at them both, folding her arms and tapping her foot. "I get left out? Thanks."
Rena glanced over at Raynie and gave a yelp.
"Aw, c'mon! What I do?" Raynie snapped.
"Why are you here?!" Rena questioned again.
Ven gave a grumble, "We had to come find you, ya know..."
"No, you didn't!" Rena stood up on her toes, "I can take care of myself!"
Ven folded his arms and raised a brow. He muttered, "Yeah, and if you went with that guy, you'd be screwed..."
"'Course we had to find ya!" Raynie growled, "Goth boy included... Where is he, anyways..."
"Here!" That familiar voice sounded very out of breath. That, and unusually happy; even if it was just a bit. He gave a strange grin, though no one seemed to count it as 'strange'.
Raynie's mako blue eyes glanced around to find Adyn, mouth agog as he attempted to draw in breath. She gave a grin.
"Okay, we can go now!" she excitedly exclaimed.
"Yeah, you can go. I won't!"
Raynie gave a growl and shifted a glare over the protesting tomboy, "Really?" She cracked her knuckles, "Mind if I knock you unconscious, then?"
"Hey..."
Adyn's posture became straightened, the teen taking a step towards Raynie, Ven, and Rena. His golden hawk eyes glanced over the trio and his mouth curled into a frown.
"What happened...?" he questioned, his tone sounding rather nervous.
Raynie gave a scoff, "The brat won't come with..."
"I am NOT a brat!" Rena poked her head out from behind Ven, sticking her tongue out at the brown haired teen.
"Brat!"
Adyn leaned a bit to the side, his eyes meeting Rena's own gaze, "Rena..."
She merely gave a frown.
"C'mon..." the boy spoke.
As if he controlled the tomboy, Rena cautiously took a step out from behind Ven before standing alone by herself.
Raynie instantly reached a hand forwards, snatching Rena's hood into her grasp. Rena looked up, a now panicked expression lit up on her face, from the now-appeared shadow of her hood; Raynie didn't really care if she pulled it over the tomboy's head or not...
"Let's go already! You better actually walk, kid..."
Rena shot her a sour glare; unfortunately, her keyblade was now gone from her grasp.
Raynie, dragging a silently protesting Rena behind, and Adyn stepped off in the opposite direction alongside the two. However, Ven's eyes glanced around the alley.
His deep blue eyes lit up.
Something...
"Blondie!! Don't make me drag you, too!!"
The boy disappeared at the warning.
There were so many strange things in this place. Ven wearily glanced behind him, staring down the street that soon disappeared from view. And, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rena do the same. She felt something weird, too...
She had heard that boy's voice before. That voice inside her mind didn't belong to Aoi, but she knew who it was...
Why was this place so strange?
Nope, she definitely didn't learn to not trust suspicious portals. xD; But what happens because of it might actually be good. ...At least, I think it is. >:
Annnd here's the next part! It's definitely longer in comparsion to the last bit. Also, sorry about that last part being so short. ^^; Anywho, enjoy!
-----------------
The midst between one world and the next. Did it have a name? Or was it merely just given a simple description? This place, to her, would have merely been called 'a path'.
However, this was no ordinary path. None by which she had ever seen before.
This was a place resembling a cylinder with a horizontal axis for the walkway. The walls were mainly made up of a bright red colour, as if resembling some sort of sunlight or light. However, towards the darker end where a dark hole was, light, cool colours seemed to appear: mainly blues, greens, and maybe even some purple.
The place was almost like a sea, a tunnel in a strange multi-coloured sea. And, in the midst of these swirls of colours were strange insignias that didn't have any sort of meaning to herself.
Rena blinked, wildly glancing around the trail, before finally taking one step forwards into the unknown.
Her pace quickened, the tomboy taking off down the path and towards the darker end. The light begun to disappear...
As she charged closer, the simple dark hole quickly spawned into a gigantic circular portal. Dark green and black swirled around the outside of the white center, beaconing the girl closer and closer.
Rain?
Rena took a step back, hugging her arms.
Rain drenched the ground in a flurry. Rena soon found herself completely drenched.
However, the tomboy was rather taken aback from the sudden change to rainfall. In fact, it wasn't just rainfall.
This was a dark street. A street in nowhere.
Buildings hovered high above, only resembling dark blocks in the darkness, and a darkened, violet, concrete street was now beneath her feet.
It clicked.
Rena glanced around wildly once more, taking in the dark setting as she realized.
"I've been here before..." she muttered, as the rain continued to soak her now drenched clothes and hair.
She was cautious as she walked amongst these streets. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but this place just forced her to put her guard up. Something to be weary about. Or something that happened, making her believe that bad things occurred here.
She walked into the next alleyway, glancing around as she walked through the deep puddles and through the foreboding street.
But, she still had to look where she was going.
"Ow!" she exclaimed as she ran straight into something. Something moveable. It wasn't a wall...
Harsh eyes glared down at the clumsy girl and she gave a nervous laugh. This was...
Rena immediately apologized, taking a step back as those eyes turned around. "S-Sorry... I didn't... um..."
One factor raised her anxiety, however: those eyes. Red. That's all you could see. Red eyes. Terrifiying, piercing, crimson eyes.
As they stepped closer, she realized that this was a boy. She gave a sigh of relief.
As the only light source rose higher into the sky, Rena saw what this boy looked like.
Wet, spiked dark teal hair. A high collar that nearly covered his chin. A short-sleeved shirt with a zipper. And she believed he was wearing some sort of long, khaki shorts and combat boots.
He merely raised a brow at the appearance of the girl. Suddenly, he gave a scoff, "What's a stupid short kid doing here?"
That voice...
"I'm not short!" she exclaimed, pointing an index finger right at the boy's nose.
Giving another scoff, the boy discontently pushed the girl's hand out of his face, giving her another harsh glare.
"It's not nice to yell at a King. Pointing is an even worse offense, squirt."
She tilted her head to the side, "You're a king?"
He gave a vigorous nod.
"...You're short, too."
"Shut up, you stupid child!"
Rena gave a giggle. She thought he was joking! "So, what's your na--"
He was pointing this time. However, it wasn't with an index finger.
"So, peasant, what do they call you?"
There was the tip of a curved sword pointing right at her nose. She staggered. "R-Rena..."
"Pathetic name for a pathetic child out in the middle of nowhere..."
Rena growled, still acting terrified, "Well, what's your name, stupid?"
"You can call me 'Your Majesty' if you wish..."
"Well, I don't think 5-year-olds are allowed to be kings! What's your real name?"
He gave a scoff, "Why should I tell you?"
"Because I'm nice enough to tell you my name!"
"What if I'm not 'nice'?"
"Just say it!"
He growled, "My name is..." Yet, he cringed. "...Haru..."
Rena tilted her head to the side again, "What? Don't like your name?"
"It doesn't suit me..." he crossed his arms childishly.
"I think it's a good name!" she perked up, giving a grin as a raindrop hit her nose.
"...It's worse now..."
"AH! I'M SORRY!"
He gave another growl, "Shut it already, child! I don't need apologizes and I don't need you telling me that you like my name! The last thing is need is your opinion!"
Rena's frown turned into a pout. She looked a bit sad, "Sorry, I was just trying to help..."
"Just screw off, shortie..." It seemed as if the boy was taking off.
This, however, wasn't true.
Once again, he pointed his weapon right at the girl's face, "Or do I need to force you off with a fight?"
Defensively, Rena's hand begun to grasp a blade-shaped light with swirls of black around it. She believed he was going to attack her; no wonder she grabbed it!
Haru's eyes seemed to widen as he watched the light turn itself into a key-shaped weapon.
"You don't deserve to have that..." he spat, his red eyes seeming to brighten.
Rena merely glared and gave a growl, "Why shouldn't I? I'm the one who found it!"
"A pathetic little wench doesn't deserve a weapon like that! You don't deserve a weapon at all!"
"Then why don't you take it from me?" she spat, sticking her tongue out at Haru.
He gave one more growl, "Alright then..."
His fist was quickly raised into the air, the sky's light reflecting onto his black glove. Yet, quickly, his hand was pushed with his palm straight out.
Rena stared, wide-eyed, at his hand. She could've sworn she saw yellow dots, like the ones on...
"Destroy this stupid child, Heartless!"
Rena froze. What were 'Heartless'?
Her stare grew wider. Fear closed its icy fingers on her neck. Her heart pounded in her ears. She realized it now... She remembered what 'Heartless' were.
A black, round head with beady yellow eyes. Two quirky, wonky antenna topped it's head. The body pressed through the boy's gloved hand in a grotesque manner. Unlike their brother, however, the rest appeared around the two humans. There had to be a dozen, maybe two dozen!
An army of those shadows! The same ones from Cucio Bay!
His gaze was apathetic, yet spiteful to the young girl.
"Attack, foul beasts..." he barked, his red eyes seeming to grow brighter in an evil, malicious eyes, as if they belonged to a demon.
Instantly, the tomboy took off in the opposite direction. However, she wasn't running back to her starting point; rather, she was running past the young 'king'.
The Heartless instantly charged after their prey. A mound of the black creatures hurried off after her, nearly on her tail now.
Her deep blue eyes full of fright, she ran. Faster and faster through the streets. Dreary. The rain fell faster. Sliding through the puddles.
They tempted to claw at her feet. She ran faster. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. As she slid through the concrete alleys.
They were going to catch her! That's all she could think of. They were going to catch her... She ran faster, hoping to get away.
Scratching at her shoes. Reaching out. What would happen when they caught her?
And then she was suffocating. A hand pulled over her face. Holding her breath.
Yet, she was no longer running.
A hand was placed on her mouth as an arm was pulled before her, the hand forcing her to hold her tongue. As strange as it may be, it was actually comforting.
Rena's heart pounding madly in her chest. Her lungs gasped her breath. Her feet felt like they were still moving. Yet, she could only watch as those creatures tore past their quarry.
It was only after a few moments, once they all safely passed, that the hand was relinquished. The tomboy immediately gave a sigh, "Thank... you..."
"You really think you should be thanking me? I thought you hated my guts..."
A chill. Running down her spine. Raising her anxiety to the edge. That voice was familiar. In a spiteful way.
Slowly and cautiously, the girl turned her gaze.
And immediately pulled herself to her feet.
Defensively, her key-shaped weapon was pointed straight at their face, as she gave a terribly harsh glare to them.
"Go away!" she screamed, her anger raising past the boiling point.
Dirty blonde hair, emerald green eyes, and that black cloak. It was...
"Aw, I thought you missed me!" Aoi laughed, pulling himself to his feet as the rain dampened his perfectly spiked hair even more.
Rena merely growled, "I'd never miss a jerkface like you!"
"I was just trying to help out.." the enigma gave a shrug.
"I don't need your dumb help!"
"Funny, you accepted it the first two times. Why not the third?"
Rena blinked. What was he talking about? He never helped her before...
"You wouldn't have gotten past that door or to this world if it wasn't for me, kiddo~"
She let out a growl, "...Screw off!"
The dirty blonde gave a smirk, "Telling someone to 'go away', like you should be saying it, doesn't really help when you're trying to run away from the real bad guy, does it?"
"That Haru guy?" she snapped, "I can take care of him! Easy!"
"Oh, so that's why you're running the opposite direction, aren't you? I smell chicken... maybe cat..."
"SHUT UP!"
"Wrong bad guy, too..." the enigma spoke with a shrug. Rena raised a brow. What other bad guy was there?
"Who's been the one calling you a 'brat' this whole time?" he queried.
"Raynie's a..." she froze with confused eyes, placing her keyblade by her side.
"Why else would she be treating you like dirt? Villains always treat the good guys like dirt when they want something..."
The rain continued to fall onto their heads. The random spikes on her head seemed to lower as Rena thought; however, it didn't seem to have anything to do with the rain.
"Why does she want something from me...? It can't be because of that Hollow Bastion place..."
"Maybe it's because of something gone missing..."
She let out a growl, "So now she wants me to go find something stupid for her!"
"Or, maybe, she wants you to get something back for her," he continued as his emerald eyes glanced down at the tomboy.
She frowned and narrowed her eyes.
"That's why you're running away, isn't it? Because of that idiot?"
"Yeah..."
Rena jolted, her eyes wide. Why was he...
"But, what if you tagged along with me? I wouldn't treat you the way that idiot does..."
A hand. It placed itself before the young girl, beaconing her to grasp it. But, what would happen if she did that? She wouldn't know until she took it. But, he sounded a lot nicer than Raynie ever did, even if he ripped her friend's heart out; she wasn't exactly her friend, anyways, right?
She glanced down at his hand. Her eyes narrowed a bit. Her frown said she was deep in thought.
The tomboy cautiously raised her free hand and reached out. She was a bit slow about this; after all, she still wasn't exactly sure. She could barely feel his leather glove down. Her fingers twitched. He was much better than Raynie. It didn't seem so bad...
Then, she was thrown back.
The echo of footsteps splashing through the rain ran through their ears. And a voice, too.
"Don't you even think about it, asshole!" a familiar voice snapped, a flash of light appearing and disappearing with a moment's notice.
"Oy, blondie! The kid already agree--!"
"Really? You think a kid would warm up to someone as emo-tastic as you?" a female voice kicked in.
Every word after that was muffled in her mind, however. She was too busy trying to dig her fingers into her skull and trying to hold back a scream. Why did it hurt so much?
"Rena!" the boy's voice cried as he watched Rena curl up in pain.
Yet, he was shoved backwards against the same wall. He sat next to the tomboy, and the same pain echoed through his mind.
What was this?
Their fingers dug further into their skull.
It was a flood. Of sights and sounds. Ambient, pulsing sounds. Voices. Beating wildly in heartbeats.
Were these...
"Hey!" Raynie exclaimed, charging forwards to at least punch the evil blonde right in the face.
Aoi snapped, "Shut it, wench! Lemme play with the kiddos for a damn--"
The enigma choked. His emerald eyes flashed. He was doubled over in pain, holding his stomach with his arms. His eyes were changing...
"Blondie!!"
The boy managed to break free of the enigma's grip thanks to Raynie's voice, lashing away at the dirty blonde mentally as if he held his keys in his imagination. However, it didn't take much for him to break free. On the other hand, Aoi simply released his grasp on Rena, her deep blue eyes glaring up at him; unlike Ven, she wasn't nearly as strong.
"Screw off!!" Ven screamed, posed to violently strike with his two weapons.
"That wouldn't be fun, now would it?" Aoi choked mockingly, "You guys are fun to screw around with, after all..."
The dirty blonde gave his head a hard shake. His posture was straight now. He didn't look like he had ever been in pain. There was still something weird about him...
Ven gave a nasty growl. Yet, Aoi really didn't care if the boy hated his guts or not.
"I said..."
"Yeahyeah, I know, blondie."
Aoi licked his lips.
"See ya!"
Ven gave a snarl, watching as the enigma disappeared through an infamous dark portal.
"...Why are Nobodies after us?" he mused, his tense grip on his weapons showing how angry he was. "It doesn't make any sense... Kingdom H--"
"Forget that!" Raynie snapped. "Rena!"
Ven felt something behind him. He glanced around, seeing a nervous Rena standing behind him.
Raynie groaned, "Aw c'mon!"
"Why're you here?!" Rena cringed, tempted to pull her hood over her head.
"...Why did you agree to go with that guy?" Ven raised a brow.
"Umm..."
Ven turned around, "Why'd you do that?"
"I-I dunno..." Rena shrugged, "It seemed... like a good idea?"
"Remember those silver things? The Nobodies?"
"Y-Yeah..." Rena glanced up at Ven and cringed at his harsh gaze; she felt like she did something absolutely terrible just by his electric blue eyes staring at him.
"...Oh, what?" Raynie glared at them both, folding her arms and tapping her foot. "I get left out? Thanks."
Rena glanced over at Raynie and gave a yelp.
"Aw, c'mon! What I do?" Raynie snapped.
"Why are you here?!" Rena questioned again.
Ven gave a grumble, "We had to come find you, ya know..."
"No, you didn't!" Rena stood up on her toes, "I can take care of myself!"
Ven folded his arms and raised a brow. He muttered, "Yeah, and if you went with that guy, you'd be screwed..."
"'Course we had to find ya!" Raynie growled, "Goth boy included... Where is he, anyways..."
"Here!" That familiar voice sounded very out of breath. That, and unusually happy; even if it was just a bit. He gave a strange grin, though no one seemed to count it as 'strange'.
Raynie's mako blue eyes glanced around to find Adyn, mouth agog as he attempted to draw in breath. She gave a grin.
"Okay, we can go now!" she excitedly exclaimed.
"Yeah, you can go. I won't!"
Raynie gave a growl and shifted a glare over the protesting tomboy, "Really?" She cracked her knuckles, "Mind if I knock you unconscious, then?"
"Hey..."
Adyn's posture became straightened, the teen taking a step towards Raynie, Ven, and Rena. His golden hawk eyes glanced over the trio and his mouth curled into a frown.
"What happened...?" he questioned, his tone sounding rather nervous.
Raynie gave a scoff, "The brat won't come with..."
"I am NOT a brat!" Rena poked her head out from behind Ven, sticking her tongue out at the brown haired teen.
"Brat!"
Adyn leaned a bit to the side, his eyes meeting Rena's own gaze, "Rena..."
She merely gave a frown.
"C'mon..." the boy spoke.
As if he controlled the tomboy, Rena cautiously took a step out from behind Ven before standing alone by herself.
Raynie instantly reached a hand forwards, snatching Rena's hood into her grasp. Rena looked up, a now panicked expression lit up on her face, from the now-appeared shadow of her hood; Raynie didn't really care if she pulled it over the tomboy's head or not...
"Let's go already! You better actually walk, kid..."
Rena shot her a sour glare; unfortunately, her keyblade was now gone from her grasp.
Raynie, dragging a silently protesting Rena behind, and Adyn stepped off in the opposite direction alongside the two. However, Ven's eyes glanced around the alley.
His deep blue eyes lit up.
Something...
"Blondie!! Don't make me drag you, too!!"
The boy disappeared at the warning.
There were so many strange things in this place. Ven wearily glanced behind him, staring down the street that soon disappeared from view. And, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rena do the same. She felt something weird, too...
She had heard that boy's voice before. That voice inside her mind didn't belong to Aoi, but she knew who it was...
Why was this place so strange?
- Joined
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Wow, that chapter was so great!!! I'm glad to see Aoi back; he is such a crazy badass. So, what did Aoi do to Ven and Rena? What were the voices they heard and why were they familiar to them? Who was that Haru kid and is he really a king? Also, was that The World That Never Was? It sounded like it. Man, so many questions, so little time. Anyway, great job again, and I look forward to more.
Nice!!! Confusing, but really nice^^ And it's nice to see Aoi!
Wowzers, long time no post. ^^; I'm gonna be better about updating this; I PROMISEEEEEEE. D:
And Aoi ish very happy to be back in another chapter. 83 I actually wish he would show up more... Also, answer time: what Aoi did and those voices are are a secret for the moment, Haru is... a grumpy butt and he's certainly a king (...maybe maybe not :O), and that was definitely The World That Never Was!
Okies, new chapter time and I have to explain a bit first: the chapter is really pretty long, so I'm gonna post up the halves in two different posts. The first part is an optional read (where Ven and Rena are running around on an adventure; it's pretty much just foreshadowing and explaining how they get to the foreshadowing...) and the second is what's going to drive the story forwards.
I promise that these chapters are going to get shorter soon! They'll start getting shorter after chapter 13. I'm trying to theme something with that number in that chapter, hence why stuff is so cramped into each chapter. xD;
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR HAVE A NEW CHAPTERRRRR.!
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006 + CALLING
Rena's deep blue eyes glared up at the tan-toned teen with discontent.
"Would you cut that out!?" she exclaimed through gritted teeth. Raynie shot her a glare when Rena tried to pull Raynie's fingers off of the tomboy's hood.
"And let you run off? Again? Not gonna happen!" Raynie stuck her tongue out, making Rena fume.
"I won't run off! I swear I won't if you'd just quit dragging me around!"
"Raynie! Just cut it out!"
Finally! Someone stepped in to save the day...
Ven shot Raynie a glare, giving a growl as he hoped the teen would back off for five seconds.
"What?" Raynie questioned, as if she believed she was the victim, "She started it!"
"I DID NOT!"
"Raynie, just leave Rena alone! Maybe if you weren't so obnoxious about i--"
"What was that, blondie?" Raynie's glare was like none other before: fiery, deadly, and rather demonic. (Well, one person would say that...) It struck fear into the hearts of the trio before her, and attempted to make them run off like pathetic little cowards, squealing helplessly to get away from the infuriated teenager. That was one deadly glare...
"I'm obnoxious to you?" she hissed, her glare even more fiery than before as she cocked her head to the side.
Ven merely froze. His blank, terrified expression was priceless. "...Not anymore."
Raynie snapped out of it, a gigantic grin forming on her tan face, "Good then! Now, HURRY IT UP, SLOWPOKES!"
Yet another frustrated sigh from the blonde haired boy.
"Lemme think 'bout it..." the old man muttered aloud, giving his scratchy beard a pensive scrape.
Raynie stared up at him, her mako blue eyes glimmering hopefully as she clasp her hands together. She saw him take a glance at her, staring at her for just a moment with the craziest look in his eye.
He gave a loud, hard laugh.
"Why the heck would I let ya take one of my damn ships!?" Cid shouted in between laughs. He believed this was a joke!
"ASS!" the teen growled, slamming her fists against the counter. One index finger was pointed at the man's nose, unable to think of a retort. He simply rolled his eyes.
"I promise I won't crash any! I swear it!"
"Ya said that 'bout the other 15 ships ya crashed!"
"IT WAS THE HEARTLESS, DAMMIT! THEY KEPT ON SHOOTING AT ME!"
They stood, or sat, within the walls of the Accessory Shop. However, it wasn't just Raynie, Cid, and Rena this time; Ven and Adyn were here, too! Yet, they weren't arguing with Cid, much like Raynie was.
Ven continuously glanced over at Adyn, a chill running down his spine each time he looked at the boy; there was something very creepy about him, and it wasn't just how he looked. The black haired teen, though, kept his silence and followed whatever Raynie, Ven, or even Rena told him. But, Rena wished he would talk more than he did.
Occasionally, Rena would glanced over to Adyn as well, sometimes even trying to duck behind him whenever Raynie screamed. Which she was doing right...
"Gramps, we need a damn ship!! I work for you; the least you could do would be let me use on--"
"You're workin' for me 'cause of those damn ships you crashed!"
"I DIDN'T CRASH THEM!!"
"Then why were they all crumpled up when I got them back?"
"Because Heartless are stupid and they don't like me! I don't like them either!"
"You're still ain't gettin' one!"
"What if I said I would keep it nice and safe, even clean it with my toothbrush or something?"
"Still ain't gettin' it."
"I HATE YOUR GUTS!" growled Raynie.
"Go right ahead then!" Cid exclaimed, giving a hard laugh.
"Whatever..." she snapped, considering to use a nice little finger gesture but managed to stay against it.
"Goth boy..." she growled, grabbing the dark purple collar of the sickly pale boy's shirt, "You come with me..."
With Adyn now in tow, the two exited the Accessory Shop, and it was undeniable that Raynie was heavily fuming now; possibly even ranting to Adyn.
"...What?" Cid snapped, his blue eyes narrowed as he glared over at the remaining two, "Did loud 'n obnoxious start grabbin' people off the streets like you two?" He looked over at Ven with disgust.
The boy gave a gulp as he sat upon the couch, "No, sir... I kinda found--"
"No need to be a liar, kid!"
"But I'm not--"
"Hiya, Mister!" Rena exclaimed as she jumped to the counter, her deep blue eyes sparkling.
Cid gave a cringe, "...You're still short."
"I am not..." the tomboy muttered, folding her arms and proceeding to give a pout.
Ven merely blinked at the sight. Not at the old man's statement, but at the fact Rena actually knew who this guy was. Though, Raynie probably dragged her in here before the boy even showed up in their group.
He watched Rena rummage through her pockets when the shopkeeper asked about something along the lines of 'being skin and bones'. The tomboy pulled out a barely eaten, messily wrapped piece of bread and Cid gave a quick shout before Rena hastily opened it back up. Ven merely gave a shrug. He pulled himself to his feet.
"Rena," he said, placing his arm on the tomboy's sleeve.
"Hm?" she queried, her voice now muffled from the round piece of bread in her mouth.
"Let's go..."
The tomboy gave a nod, following behind Ven as he stepped out of the shop, and sent a wave over to the grumpy old man. He gave a scoff, not even seeming to care.
"Vennn! Where're we goin'?"
"Well, do you know what a keyhole is?" queried the boy.
Rena gave her head a slight nod, "Yeah, but those aren't supposed to be important..."
The blonde haired boy instantly halted in his tracks, skidding to a stop. He jerked his head around to see Rena's confused gaze.
"Not important!? That's more important than... whatever Raynie wants!"
"Oh, good. I hate them more now."
"They're not bad..."
She gave a grumble, "I don't have to rescue anything like Raynie wants, do I?"
"No, of course not! Why would you--?"
"Then why don't you deal with it?"
Ven gave a choke, "Well... uh..."
They stood in the midst of the Second District; this district seemed to interest Rena the most. There were no freaky Heartless things nor any of those Nobodies like before, so there was nothing to worry about! Therefore, she got to stand still and simply glance around; she even spun around at times. Ven thought this was a little weird, probably because of the district was so simple to him.
He gave a quick, little sigh, "My keyblades are kinda... weird..."
"They just look different than mine..." Rena grumbled, bringing her gaze from the sky and down onto the blonde haired boy, "All of those weirdo keys at the same, right?"
"Not... exactly..." he gave a gulp, scratching the side of his head.
"Then what's so different about them?"
A pensive frown curved on Ven's face. He was truly at a loss of what to say, but how could he explain that whole thing?
With haste, he jerked himself around, "...C'mon, let's just go find it!"
"Tell me what's different about them first!" Rena loudly protested.
"Later!" The boy waved his hand.
Rena gave a huff, her frown forming into pout, and she stomped off after the blonde haired boy. However, the boy didn't look like he knew what he was doing.
Yet, at the same time, he knew exactly what to do.
Eyes narrowed, he walked briskly down the street. Past the infamous hotel (Which had a mysterious chill next to it; probably because of the scratches on the glass), up a small stairway, and a turn into a pair of double doors. When the pair went into this room, Ven protectively pulled Rena closer, warning her to stay nearby.
"This place is dangerous. Lots of Heartless show up, so stay close..."
Rena simply rolled her eyes.
They journeyed through the place, known as the 'Gizmo Shop', and Rena soon became distracted by all the weird contraptions that clicked, moved, and made nifty, micro noises as they walked past. There were some that seemed to be fizzing, like a bottle of soda that got too shaken up but strangely with electricity. Levers were moving, platforms were lowering, and lights flashed wildly. It was no wonder that the tomboy stopped once or twice! Fortunately, Ven was able to get both of them out of there before any Heartless started popping up like wildfire.
This place, however, wasn't nearly as interesting as the Gizmo Shop.
It was a simple, quaint, little 'alley' though it had a quick end against the wall and the other side showed a ledge. This place was very dark, much like that rainy world, and only a rickety, old ladder stood nearby. Boring, huh?
"Up here," Ven said, his eyes narrowing once more.
Rena tilted her head to the side, "How'd you know?"
"Not really sure..." he mumbled with a shrug.
He proceeding to climb up the ladder first, seeming to take his time with the task. Rena was right behind him, though she was a little more rushed with the climbing; after all, she just wanted to get out of this boring place.
With one foot on the top, Ven pushed off and landed in the midst of the flat rooftop. Rena, on the other hand, did it the normal, unskillful way by just crawling onto the roof. When they both stood up straight, the tomboy gave a gulp, realizing how high up they were now. They could probably touch one of those stars in the sky; though, that was very much an over-exaggeration.
Now rather weary, Rena slid behind Ven, who simply assured that they'd get down from there in a few moments.
"There's just one thing we have to do first."
The place no longer had wooden boards before it. It was open, revealing a dark corridor with a simple rope inside of it.
Ven looked into the darkness with perplexed expression. How did he know that?
One foot stepped forwards. Then the next. He went straight into the dark area, Rena closely following behind with a fear of falling in mind.
The boy stared at the wall, specifically at the limp rope laying against the pitch black wall.
"We have to pull on this first. It makes the bell ring and..." he narrowed his blue eyes once more, "...makes the keyhole appear."
Rena gave a shrug and decided to just go along with what Ven said. Hesitantly, she grabbed the rope first, giving several quick looks to Ven in case she wasn't supposed to ring the bell, and gave a hard pull when the boy nodded his head.
The ring echoed throughout the district. Possibly even throughout the town. And, at once, Rena dropped the rope out of her grasp, only to take a step back a moment later. Ven, however, instantly took the thick string back into his grasp; Rena gave a nervous laugh as he gave her a quick glance.
It rang twice more. Echoing throughout the district, if not through the whole world.
That's when the strange part came:
Ven hastily latched onto Rena's hand. They charged out of the corridor. The strange part wasn't his impulsive running: it was the fact that they were about to jump right off of the edge.
"VEN!!" Rena screamed, eyes wide with fright. She tempted to wrench her hand from Ven's own.
"Just trust me, okay?" he exclaimed, only seconds away from plummeting off of the edge. What was his rush?
Seconds ticked by. As the boy stepped off of the edge, Rena's grasp became tighter. Foot against the very edge now. She pushed off. Following the blonde haired boy.
They were flying to the ground, the wind rushing past wildly. Rena's eyes couldn't seem to focus, even when her feet touched the ground.
Ven expertly landed on his feet, knees perfectly bent as he used both his hands and feet to push off. Rena, on the other hand, only landed on her feet before proceeding to fall forwards.
"Clumsy..." she muttered, quickly jumping to her feet and following behind the boy once more. The tomboy looked at him with a rather concerned expression, especially since he was now holding both of his keyblades within his grasp. What was up?
"Get going!" he exclaimed, pushing Rena forwards as she ran past; she nearly tripped because of that...
"Why!?" snapped the tomboy as she tried to regain her balance.
"If that's like that for too long, Heartless will show up and destroy the world!"
She gave a gulp. "But how'd I--"
"You'll figure it out!"
She gave a nervous laugh at that answer, but rushed forwards anyways.
That wasn't something you saw everyday...
Now in the midst of that strange, quaint fountain near the Second District's door was a shimmering hole. A keyhole shape, to be specific. It shimmered and seemed to call anyone nearby closer. That only applied to Rena at the moment, unless Ven came closer.
Her empty hand soon became vacant, as her fingers curled around the handle of the blue and silver keyblade. The wisps of black quickly disappeared as she slid to a stop before the fountain. The tomboy's eyes glimmered as she stared at the gigantic keyhole. Yet, she still didn't know how to seal it...
Glancing back and forth between her keyblade and the unlocked lock, she still didn't know! How was she supposed to figure out? Ven wasn't helping, and it wasn't like her keyblade talk... Wait! It did! Sort of, anyways.
The key vibrated at the girl's thought. She knew what to do!
Now, with the keyblade pointed straight at the keyhole and centered before her, a mysterious rush of wind swept through the district. It eclipsed itself around the keywielder, as the keyblade began to glow just like the keyhole. It was a enigmatic feeling, though...
After a moment, a point of light appeared before the tip of the keyblade and shot itself outwards, in the form of a white beam. The beam soon found itself inside of the keyhole.
The wind died down. The keyhole drew itself out of existence. The tomboy's keyblade disappeared from her grasp. Everything felt safe now. But, there was something about it... Why did it feel so empty?
"Look!" Rena exclaimed excitedly, pointing an index finger at the now plain mural, "I did it, Ven!"
A grin quickly appeared on Ven's face. "Great!"
The boy stepped over towards Rena, surveying the mural behind her. There was no trace of a keyhole and everything felt safe now. Then, it worked!
"See? Not so bad?"
Rena gave a nod. Ven's grin grew wider.
"Now we just have to go to other worlds and seal keyholes."
Rena frowned, "But Raynie wants to go to that... umm... Hollow-y Bastion place..."
"And that's why there's persuasion," Ven nodded, "C'mon, let's go see what they're doing..."
"Okies!"
Thank yew!
And Aoi ish very happy to be back in another chapter. 83 I actually wish he would show up more... Also, answer time: what Aoi did and those voices are are a secret for the moment, Haru is... a grumpy butt and he's certainly a king (...maybe maybe not :O), and that was definitely The World That Never Was!Thank yew! Sorry it was confusing, too. *___*;; It made sense in the first draft... but it got attacked with a spork since then. Ahh. I can clear stuff up for you, if you want! Just lemme know what was confusing 'n stuff. :d
Okies, new chapter time and I have to explain a bit first: the chapter is really pretty long, so I'm gonna post up the halves in two different posts. The first part is an optional read (where Ven and Rena are running around on an adventure; it's pretty much just foreshadowing and explaining how they get to the foreshadowing...) and the second is what's going to drive the story forwards.
I promise that these chapters are going to get shorter soon! They'll start getting shorter after chapter 13. I'm trying to theme something with that number in that chapter, hence why stuff is so cramped into each chapter. xD;
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR HAVE A NEW CHAPTERRRRR.
!----------------------------------
006 + CALLING
Rena's deep blue eyes glared up at the tan-toned teen with discontent.
"Would you cut that out!?" she exclaimed through gritted teeth. Raynie shot her a glare when Rena tried to pull Raynie's fingers off of the tomboy's hood.
"And let you run off? Again? Not gonna happen!" Raynie stuck her tongue out, making Rena fume.
"I won't run off! I swear I won't if you'd just quit dragging me around!"
"Raynie! Just cut it out!"
Finally! Someone stepped in to save the day...
Ven shot Raynie a glare, giving a growl as he hoped the teen would back off for five seconds.
"What?" Raynie questioned, as if she believed she was the victim, "She started it!"
"I DID NOT!"
"Raynie, just leave Rena alone! Maybe if you weren't so obnoxious about i--"
"What was that, blondie?" Raynie's glare was like none other before: fiery, deadly, and rather demonic. (Well, one person would say that...) It struck fear into the hearts of the trio before her, and attempted to make them run off like pathetic little cowards, squealing helplessly to get away from the infuriated teenager. That was one deadly glare...
"I'm obnoxious to you?" she hissed, her glare even more fiery than before as she cocked her head to the side.
Ven merely froze. His blank, terrified expression was priceless. "...Not anymore."
Raynie snapped out of it, a gigantic grin forming on her tan face, "Good then! Now, HURRY IT UP, SLOWPOKES!"
Yet another frustrated sigh from the blonde haired boy.
--------
"Lemme think 'bout it..." the old man muttered aloud, giving his scratchy beard a pensive scrape.
Raynie stared up at him, her mako blue eyes glimmering hopefully as she clasp her hands together. She saw him take a glance at her, staring at her for just a moment with the craziest look in his eye.
He gave a loud, hard laugh.
"Why the heck would I let ya take one of my damn ships!?" Cid shouted in between laughs. He believed this was a joke!
"ASS!" the teen growled, slamming her fists against the counter. One index finger was pointed at the man's nose, unable to think of a retort. He simply rolled his eyes.
"I promise I won't crash any! I swear it!"
"Ya said that 'bout the other 15 ships ya crashed!"
"IT WAS THE HEARTLESS, DAMMIT! THEY KEPT ON SHOOTING AT ME!"
They stood, or sat, within the walls of the Accessory Shop. However, it wasn't just Raynie, Cid, and Rena this time; Ven and Adyn were here, too! Yet, they weren't arguing with Cid, much like Raynie was.
Ven continuously glanced over at Adyn, a chill running down his spine each time he looked at the boy; there was something very creepy about him, and it wasn't just how he looked. The black haired teen, though, kept his silence and followed whatever Raynie, Ven, or even Rena told him. But, Rena wished he would talk more than he did.
Occasionally, Rena would glanced over to Adyn as well, sometimes even trying to duck behind him whenever Raynie screamed. Which she was doing right...
"Gramps, we need a damn ship!! I work for you; the least you could do would be let me use on--"
"You're workin' for me 'cause of those damn ships you crashed!"
"I DIDN'T CRASH THEM!!"
"Then why were they all crumpled up when I got them back?"
"Because Heartless are stupid and they don't like me! I don't like them either!"
"You're still ain't gettin' one!"
"What if I said I would keep it nice and safe, even clean it with my toothbrush or something?"
"Still ain't gettin' it."
"I HATE YOUR GUTS!" growled Raynie.
"Go right ahead then!" Cid exclaimed, giving a hard laugh.
"Whatever..." she snapped, considering to use a nice little finger gesture but managed to stay against it.
"Goth boy..." she growled, grabbing the dark purple collar of the sickly pale boy's shirt, "You come with me..."
With Adyn now in tow, the two exited the Accessory Shop, and it was undeniable that Raynie was heavily fuming now; possibly even ranting to Adyn.
"...What?" Cid snapped, his blue eyes narrowed as he glared over at the remaining two, "Did loud 'n obnoxious start grabbin' people off the streets like you two?" He looked over at Ven with disgust.
The boy gave a gulp as he sat upon the couch, "No, sir... I kinda found--"
"No need to be a liar, kid!"
"But I'm not--"
"Hiya, Mister!" Rena exclaimed as she jumped to the counter, her deep blue eyes sparkling.
Cid gave a cringe, "...You're still short."
"I am not..." the tomboy muttered, folding her arms and proceeding to give a pout.
Ven merely blinked at the sight. Not at the old man's statement, but at the fact Rena actually knew who this guy was. Though, Raynie probably dragged her in here before the boy even showed up in their group.
He watched Rena rummage through her pockets when the shopkeeper asked about something along the lines of 'being skin and bones'. The tomboy pulled out a barely eaten, messily wrapped piece of bread and Cid gave a quick shout before Rena hastily opened it back up. Ven merely gave a shrug. He pulled himself to his feet.
"Rena," he said, placing his arm on the tomboy's sleeve.
"Hm?" she queried, her voice now muffled from the round piece of bread in her mouth.
"Let's go..."
The tomboy gave a nod, following behind Ven as he stepped out of the shop, and sent a wave over to the grumpy old man. He gave a scoff, not even seeming to care.
--------
"Vennn! Where're we goin'?"
"Well, do you know what a keyhole is?" queried the boy.
Rena gave her head a slight nod, "Yeah, but those aren't supposed to be important..."
The blonde haired boy instantly halted in his tracks, skidding to a stop. He jerked his head around to see Rena's confused gaze.
"Not important!? That's more important than... whatever Raynie wants!"
"Oh, good. I hate them more now."
"They're not bad..."
She gave a grumble, "I don't have to rescue anything like Raynie wants, do I?"
"No, of course not! Why would you--?"
"Then why don't you deal with it?"
Ven gave a choke, "Well... uh..."
They stood in the midst of the Second District; this district seemed to interest Rena the most. There were no freaky Heartless things nor any of those Nobodies like before, so there was nothing to worry about! Therefore, she got to stand still and simply glance around; she even spun around at times. Ven thought this was a little weird, probably because of the district was so simple to him.
He gave a quick, little sigh, "My keyblades are kinda... weird..."
"They just look different than mine..." Rena grumbled, bringing her gaze from the sky and down onto the blonde haired boy, "All of those weirdo keys at the same, right?"
"Not... exactly..." he gave a gulp, scratching the side of his head.
"Then what's so different about them?"
A pensive frown curved on Ven's face. He was truly at a loss of what to say, but how could he explain that whole thing?
With haste, he jerked himself around, "...C'mon, let's just go find it!"
"Tell me what's different about them first!" Rena loudly protested.
"Later!" The boy waved his hand.
Rena gave a huff, her frown forming into pout, and she stomped off after the blonde haired boy. However, the boy didn't look like he knew what he was doing.
Yet, at the same time, he knew exactly what to do.
Eyes narrowed, he walked briskly down the street. Past the infamous hotel (Which had a mysterious chill next to it; probably because of the scratches on the glass), up a small stairway, and a turn into a pair of double doors. When the pair went into this room, Ven protectively pulled Rena closer, warning her to stay nearby.
"This place is dangerous. Lots of Heartless show up, so stay close..."
Rena simply rolled her eyes.
They journeyed through the place, known as the 'Gizmo Shop', and Rena soon became distracted by all the weird contraptions that clicked, moved, and made nifty, micro noises as they walked past. There were some that seemed to be fizzing, like a bottle of soda that got too shaken up but strangely with electricity. Levers were moving, platforms were lowering, and lights flashed wildly. It was no wonder that the tomboy stopped once or twice! Fortunately, Ven was able to get both of them out of there before any Heartless started popping up like wildfire.
This place, however, wasn't nearly as interesting as the Gizmo Shop.
It was a simple, quaint, little 'alley' though it had a quick end against the wall and the other side showed a ledge. This place was very dark, much like that rainy world, and only a rickety, old ladder stood nearby. Boring, huh?
"Up here," Ven said, his eyes narrowing once more.
Rena tilted her head to the side, "How'd you know?"
"Not really sure..." he mumbled with a shrug.
He proceeding to climb up the ladder first, seeming to take his time with the task. Rena was right behind him, though she was a little more rushed with the climbing; after all, she just wanted to get out of this boring place.
With one foot on the top, Ven pushed off and landed in the midst of the flat rooftop. Rena, on the other hand, did it the normal, unskillful way by just crawling onto the roof. When they both stood up straight, the tomboy gave a gulp, realizing how high up they were now. They could probably touch one of those stars in the sky; though, that was very much an over-exaggeration.
Now rather weary, Rena slid behind Ven, who simply assured that they'd get down from there in a few moments.
"There's just one thing we have to do first."
The place no longer had wooden boards before it. It was open, revealing a dark corridor with a simple rope inside of it.
Ven looked into the darkness with perplexed expression. How did he know that?
One foot stepped forwards. Then the next. He went straight into the dark area, Rena closely following behind with a fear of falling in mind.
The boy stared at the wall, specifically at the limp rope laying against the pitch black wall.
"We have to pull on this first. It makes the bell ring and..." he narrowed his blue eyes once more, "...makes the keyhole appear."
Rena gave a shrug and decided to just go along with what Ven said. Hesitantly, she grabbed the rope first, giving several quick looks to Ven in case she wasn't supposed to ring the bell, and gave a hard pull when the boy nodded his head.
The ring echoed throughout the district. Possibly even throughout the town. And, at once, Rena dropped the rope out of her grasp, only to take a step back a moment later. Ven, however, instantly took the thick string back into his grasp; Rena gave a nervous laugh as he gave her a quick glance.
It rang twice more. Echoing throughout the district, if not through the whole world.
That's when the strange part came:
Ven hastily latched onto Rena's hand. They charged out of the corridor. The strange part wasn't his impulsive running: it was the fact that they were about to jump right off of the edge.
"VEN!!" Rena screamed, eyes wide with fright. She tempted to wrench her hand from Ven's own.
"Just trust me, okay?" he exclaimed, only seconds away from plummeting off of the edge. What was his rush?
Seconds ticked by. As the boy stepped off of the edge, Rena's grasp became tighter. Foot against the very edge now. She pushed off. Following the blonde haired boy.
They were flying to the ground, the wind rushing past wildly. Rena's eyes couldn't seem to focus, even when her feet touched the ground.
Ven expertly landed on his feet, knees perfectly bent as he used both his hands and feet to push off. Rena, on the other hand, only landed on her feet before proceeding to fall forwards.
"Clumsy..." she muttered, quickly jumping to her feet and following behind the boy once more. The tomboy looked at him with a rather concerned expression, especially since he was now holding both of his keyblades within his grasp. What was up?
"Get going!" he exclaimed, pushing Rena forwards as she ran past; she nearly tripped because of that...
"Why!?" snapped the tomboy as she tried to regain her balance.
"If that's like that for too long, Heartless will show up and destroy the world!"
She gave a gulp. "But how'd I--"
"You'll figure it out!"
She gave a nervous laugh at that answer, but rushed forwards anyways.
That wasn't something you saw everyday...
Now in the midst of that strange, quaint fountain near the Second District's door was a shimmering hole. A keyhole shape, to be specific. It shimmered and seemed to call anyone nearby closer. That only applied to Rena at the moment, unless Ven came closer.
Her empty hand soon became vacant, as her fingers curled around the handle of the blue and silver keyblade. The wisps of black quickly disappeared as she slid to a stop before the fountain. The tomboy's eyes glimmered as she stared at the gigantic keyhole. Yet, she still didn't know how to seal it...
Glancing back and forth between her keyblade and the unlocked lock, she still didn't know! How was she supposed to figure out? Ven wasn't helping, and it wasn't like her keyblade talk... Wait! It did! Sort of, anyways.
The key vibrated at the girl's thought. She knew what to do!
Now, with the keyblade pointed straight at the keyhole and centered before her, a mysterious rush of wind swept through the district. It eclipsed itself around the keywielder, as the keyblade began to glow just like the keyhole. It was a enigmatic feeling, though...
After a moment, a point of light appeared before the tip of the keyblade and shot itself outwards, in the form of a white beam. The beam soon found itself inside of the keyhole.
The wind died down. The keyhole drew itself out of existence. The tomboy's keyblade disappeared from her grasp. Everything felt safe now. But, there was something about it... Why did it feel so empty?
"Look!" Rena exclaimed excitedly, pointing an index finger at the now plain mural, "I did it, Ven!"
A grin quickly appeared on Ven's face. "Great!"
The boy stepped over towards Rena, surveying the mural behind her. There was no trace of a keyhole and everything felt safe now. Then, it worked!
"See? Not so bad?"
Rena gave a nod. Ven's grin grew wider.
"Now we just have to go to other worlds and seal keyholes."
Rena frowned, "But Raynie wants to go to that... umm... Hollow-y Bastion place..."
"And that's why there's persuasion," Ven nodded, "C'mon, let's go see what they're doing..."
"Okies!"
"Where the heck did you two go!?
Expression? A sour frown and a pair of harsh mako blue eyes. Tone? Loud, annoyed, ticked off, the rest... Raynie was not happy to see Ven and Rena return.
"I told you two to stay in the shop with gramps!!" she exclaimed with crossed arms.
Ven gave a gulp, "You never did--"
"Of course I did! You two just don't listen!"
"If you had, we would've stayed in there in the fi--"
"So, where'd you guys go? You better not had gone too far!!"
"We just went to the Second District!"
"To seal the keyhole!" Rena jumped in with a bit of a sour tone, "Ven-kun said we had to..."
Raynie choked.
"What... did you... say?"
"We had to seal the keyhole?"
"No, I could've sworn that I heard a cute little nickname in there..." Raynie tempted to hold back a giggle, "If you two wanted to be alone badly, you could've just said that! Not some stupid story..."
They both paused.
"...HEY!" It took them both a moment to figure out what the heck she was talking about, and Ven was the first to protest, "S-She's way too short!"
"I'M NOT SHORT!" Rena snapped, "He's too old, anyways!"
"I'm not that old..."
Raynie tilted her head to the side, "Alright, how old are you, blondie?"
"...Fifteen..."
"And you, kid?"
"I'm thirteen."
"Yeah, too big of an age difference. MOVING ON!"
Raynie rolled her eyes innocently as she muttered something about 'you don't look thirteen...', resulting in a quick glare and a shout from the tomboy.
"So, I figured out how we're gonna get out of here..." the brown-haired teen gave a sly grin. Not good...
"And that would be...?" Ven rolled his eyes.
"Steal a gummi ship, of course!"
The boy nearly fell over. Steal a gummi ship? That was nuts!
"Steal one? You're going to steal one?"
"Yup!"
"But... from where!?"
"Gramps, of course!"
"He already said--"
"IT'LL BE EASY! HE WON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, I PROMISE! Sheesh, don't be such a scaredy cat... It'll all be under control. Promise!"
"But..."
"JUST START WALKING, DAMMIT!"
Raynie was trying to pull Ven towards a large door at the very front of the First District, specifically trying to pull him by the ear. Ven, on the other hand, was pulling back in the opposite direction, a frustrated look sprawled about on his peach-toned face. Rena merely watched, glancing back and forth at a loss.
"...Where's Adyn?" she questioned curiously.
Raynie let out a growl. She snapped, "Stupid! He's right over there!"
"Adynnnnn!" Rena exclaimed excitedly.
Raynie simply rolled her eyes as the tomboy hurried off past both the fist fighter and the blonde-haired boy. The fact that Rena was going over to Adyn, however, didn't settle a bit too well with Ven.
"Rena, wai-- OW OW OWWW!"
"Okay, we can leave now!" Raynie grinned triumphantly, a hand tightly tugging on the boy's ear. He was forced to follow along; perfect!
Ven gave a grumble, "Why is that freak still here?"
"He's not a freak, ya know," Raynie gave a scoff, "He's a pretty damn good fighter, if you ask me..."
"Yeah, but he could be a heartless, too."
"Humans can't be Heartless!"
"And, normally, humans don't have sick-pale skin and tons of scars!"
"Whatever, just walk, dammit!"
Ven gave another grumble. He couldn't win this! He couldn't win against Raynie dragging him off to go steal a gummi ship, and he couldn't win the fight to get Adyn out of their little 'group'. He really didn't care if he was a good fighter or not; he looks way too weird! He gave a bit of a huff at the thought.
His electric blue eyes gazed over at Adyn and Rena. He gave a growl.
That guy had to be a heartless...
"Goth boy! Kid! Get your asses over here!" Raynie snapped, shooting a fiery glare over at the two. Instantly, they both came running over to reduce the risk of being beat over the head with their weapons.
"Mmkay, we're gonna steal a gummi ship and get the heck out of here. Get it? Got it? You better, dammit!"
The youngest of the bunch couldn't help but stop and stare at the outside world, beyond the doors of the First District and into something Raynie called 'a gummi dock'.
It was out in the middle of space! Thousands of stars twinkling against a navy blue-coloured sky, with swirls of a lighter blue seamlessly blended in. What was strange, though, was how they were standing out in the middle of space, feet firmly flat on the ground, and able to breathe.
"There's some weird thing around here. Like the atmosphere around Traverse Town, or somethin'. Not really sure about what it is exactly." Raynie replied when Ven realized they weren't floating off helplessly into space. Rena perked up when she heard the answer and tilted her head to the side.
All four pairs of feet clicked against the strange ground below. Actually, it was more like a deck of sorts. A metallic, steel deck. That made crunchy sounds when you walked on it...
Steel tiles, held together by little steel screws, lined next to each other, creating the gigantic, vast dock that was beneath their feet. Raynie said that it went all the way around Traverse Town, but it disappeared when you were driving away from it in a ship; something about having a gigantic steel dock looking tacky from a distance...
"Here it is!" Raynie grinned. However, her grin wasn't a normal ecstatic, excited one. It was rather mischievous.
Ven's jaw dropped at the sight, "That's... a big... ship..."
"Yeah! It's his favourite!"
"WHAT!?"
Raynie whistled an innocent tune, one that sounded rather heroic after you had beaten up a bunch of monsters, and quickly made her way towards the monstrous ship. She rummaged through her pockets for a pair of keys; how she got them, though, was a mystery.
The ship that she was now trying to unlock was a gigantic, monstrous gummi ship, one that was bigger than any puny little ship that was sitting around aimlessly on the dock. It had a long nose and resembled a lengthened airplane, except it was much more grudgy than any perfectly spotless airplane. Two large propellers sat atop two round parts of the ship. But, despite the fact that it was bigger than the rest of the ships, this dark grey-coloured ship actually seemed smaller than another counterpart that Raynie had in mind. It was still pretty big, though.
"You're insane! You're not stealing that one!" Ven protested, shooting a harsh glare over at the sly Raynie.
"Oh? And you're going to stop me?"
"...Y-Yeah! I am!"
"Okay! Come 'n get it, blondie!"
Another interesting sight, brought to you by Raynie and Ven getting mad. The blonde charged straight forwards. Raynie merely continued to whistle her innocent little tune.
You had to have a pair of fast eyes to follow what happened next. As the expert fist fighter that she was, Raynie slammed her fist into Ven's stomach, dislocated his arm, and flipped him onto his back in the process. All in about two seconds flat.
She gave a grin, "Better get in the ship, blondie, or I'm leaving without you~!"
A painful moan came out of Ven's mouth, his eyes out of focus, as he laid flat on his back.
"...You okay, Ven?" Rena questioned, leaning over to stare down into the boy's deep blue eyes. Ven only gave a slight nod.
"Rena, c'mon!" A familiar voice exclaimed, belonging to Adyn as he quietly boarded the ship.
Ven was nearly on his feet now, thanks to a hand from the thirteen-year-old, but he soon fell back onto his back when Rena nodded and followed Adyn onto the ship.
"...H-Hey!!" Ven screamed, slowly and painfully pulling himself to his feet, "Don't you dare start that ship up yet!"
The dual-wielding-keyblader charged off as fast as he could, growling as Raynie teased him by opening and closing the door to the ship.
When he reached the gummi ship, he snarled as he wrenched the door out of Raynie's hand, thrusting his own fiery glare onto the teen. She merely scoffed it off.
The loud teen stepped off towards the ship's control panel, which stood up on a platform at the back of the room. The place, just like the outside, seemed gigantic compared to any other gummi ship interior. No square little space with two brightly-coloured couches. This was much bigger than that.
Surrounding the dome-shaped room were several large, glass windows that showed the outside world. Some of these windows were half-covered with black seamlessly put over a certain point, as if they were curtains that didn't actually exist; when Raynie pressed a certain button on the control panel before her, however, those black shades rolled themselves up out of existence.
The floor was also made of glass, but there was a round, steel part with two beams pointing outward in the middle of the glass. This floor could also be covered by that currently non-existant black.
Towards the back of the room, however, was a large platform with circular railing that curved around it. Beside the platform were two round objects on each side, that could open to reveal a small stairway; they were apparently able to cover and uncover themselves in case someone got ticked off at another person...
The steering wheel before Raynie was in front of a vast control panel, and a small little video screen that showed various worlds, as well as incoming ships. She gave a scoff as she glared down at the '#%!$' symbols on the circular part of the wheel, which was for slamming your hand against the thing and screaming your head off at stupid drivers, or stupid Heartless.
Before the tall platform were a couch with seatbelts and two chairs aimlessly sitting besides the couch. That was where you were supposed to 'sit yer ass down 'n shut up, dammit!', according to Cid at least. There were also some sort of doors that lead out into other parts of the ship; Raynie said that there were actually rooms to stay in on this ship.
But, the most interesting thing of all, aside from the size of the interior, was the flat 'table' in the middle of the circular, steel part of the floor. When the echo of the propellers started up, this table lit up with holograms of, what appeared to be, worlds!
"It's off to Hollow Bastion, then!" Raynie grinned, as she pressed several buttons on the vast control panel before her.
"What about keyholes?" Ven queried.
"What about 'em? They're stupid little tunnels to the heart of a world... Why should be worry about them? Getting to Hollow Bastion is more important!"
The boy raised a brow, "Actually, if you think about it... If you don't seal the keyholes, there won't be a Hollow Bastion."
"...What?"
"Hollow Bastion will disappear if we don't seal some keyholes first."
"Really?" Raynie snarled, "Since when was this true?"
"Things can change in a couple of years," Ven begun, "And other keyholes can be effected if just one isn't sealed..."
"THEN PICK A WORLD, DAMMIT! Leon is not going to have my ass just because of some stupid world phenomena!"
The covers over the two stairways opened and Raynie immediately rushed down them. She was in a rush to get over to the table in the midst of the room, which lit up as soon as she stepped in front of it.
A grid appeared, followed by small icons of what appeared to be 'worlds'. There were three that were the closest to the biggest, which was Traverse Town, while many others scrolled smaller off into the distance. Ven's eyes lit up at the sight when he stopped before the table, as did Rena's; though her expression was much more curious than Ven's was. Adyn, on the other hand, merely gazed over the holograms, his expression revealing that he wasn't too interested.
"What about this one?" Rena queried as she poked her finger through the hologram of a checkerboard-covered icon.
"No!" Raynie protested, "We're not goin--!"
"WORLD SELECTED!" a chipper, yet rather electronic voice exclaimed; Raynie merely cringed and mumbled something about 'stupid ninja...', "SEE YA IN WONDERLAND!"
"...Brat," Raynie snapped, her eyes deadly with fire, "You just had to pick that place... Of all places!"
"It's not that bad," Ven chimed in, "We have to seal all of them, anyways..."
"But that stupid fat hag is gonna bite my head off when she sees me!" Raynie's tone was now a bit hysterical, though it was still pretty annoyed, "Just 'cause I painted those stupid weeds blue instead of red..."
The teen continued to mumble some incomprehensible words, twiddling her foot around against the floor before jerking herself off into the opposite direction. She only gave an angry huff when that annoying, high-pitched voice returned on the non-existant speakers.
"PRESS THE BUTTON PRESS THE BUTTON PRESS THE --"
"SHUT UP, YOU DAMN NINJA!!" Raynie snapped while seeming to breathe fire into the air, "Dammit, why'd Cid let her record that damn thing in the first place!?"
After expertly pressing several flashing buttons, she snatched a small device into her grasp and her already loud voice echoed throughout the interior.
"GET IN YOUR SEAT, BUCKLE UP, AND IF SWIRLING COLOURS MAKE YOU THROW UP, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND DEAL WITH IT! WE'RE ABOUT TO GO ON WARP!"
At the warning, the trio standing on the floor hastily took their seats as Raynie screamed some other words into the intercom; she was just trying to be completely annoying, wasn't she? Ven, Adyn, and Rena took their places on the couch in the middle of the two random chairs, though Ven forced Rena to be in between himself and Adyn; she, of course, followed this command happily.
Now buckled up and ready to take off, Raynie expertly pressed another few buttons, turned a dial, and happily slammed a button that read 'WARP!' with her fist.
That's when she lowered herself to the platform's floor, curling up in a ball.
The windows showed everything: the ship was lifting off of the ground, raising itself into the air, and turning around to blast off.
The stars disappeared from the sky. As did the navy blue background. It all twisted together into a melody of cool hues, twisting and turning into one little point of light in the middle.
With a brave effort, she slowly raised herself to her feet.
"Okay..." she begun, disoriented, "We'll be there in less than 5 minutes. If not a minute or so..."
"Hey!"
"What're you doin' on here!?"
Raynie raised a brow. Then proceeded to give a cringe.
"You're not Cid!!" the two voices screamed in unison.
"Why, oh why, are you here..." Raynie snapped.
"'Cause someone has to take care of this place!" the more intelligent one with the small black nose exclaimed.
"But Cid already takes care of his ship..." the other with the big red nose and two big bucked teeth muttered to himself.
They were tiny. Tiny little... rodents? There was brown fur, a stripe of black going down their backs to their tails, and little paws covered by gloves. They even wore little 'aprons' of sorts, dyed yellow along with various warm colours, that had a blue pouch on the front.
Raynie cringed once more, beginning to sink down to the floor, "Annoying little rodents."
"HEY!" the two chipmunks protested as they waved their cleaning-ware in their hands; the one known as 'Chip' held a miniature broom, while the one known as 'Dale' held a miniature mop.
"Aw, cool!" a familiar voice chimed in, "Talking chipmunks!"
Raynie snapped, "SIT DOWN, KID!!"
The two little fuzzy creatures slid down from the control panel and landed down on the couch that the trio of Adyn, Ven, and Rena were sitting on. Rena immediately picked up Chip, while Dale jumped onto Adyn's shoulder.
"Hiya!" Dale exclaimed to Adyn, waving his little gloved paw at the black-haired teen. Adyn didn't give a glance to the creature. But Dale had to be annoying and tunnel into Adyn's black hair, giving a grin as he hanged onto one of the spikes.
Chip, on the other hand, shot a glare over to his annoying partner as Rena let him stand in her hand's palm. The two little chipmunks begun to speak in quick, incomprehensible voices, though Ven and Rena managed to catch a few words while Adyn seemed to sulk with a little rodent in his hair.
"Uhh... Rena," Ven begun, tapping the young girl on the shoulder to catch her attention. This question had actually been plaguing him for a bit; now seemed like the perfect time to ask, even if Rena had a little chipmunk in her hand.
"Hm?" Rena perked up, shifting her gaze over to him.
"Ummm... have you ever heard of an 'awakening'?" his voice got low and he frowned when Rena shook her head.
"What's that?"
"It's this trial that keybladers go through, I think. I guess to see if they're worthy to have a keyblade..."
"Have you ever been in one?" Rena tilted her head to the side. Ven merely shook his head. "Then how do you know what it is?"
"I've just heard about it..."
Rena gave a pensive frown, "Well, I guess it can't be a normal thing, 'cause we've never been in--"
"DALE!" the black-nosed chipmunk finally screamed, jumping onto Adyn's shoulder before scurrying up into his black hair alongside Dale.
Rena gave a little laugh, a nervous one at that, "Uhh... you've got chipmunks in your hai--"
"Yeah, I know," Adyn replied with a cool tone, crossing his arms as the two chipmunks climbed up one of the tall spikes on his head while giggling.
"Oh! Ven!" Rena exclaimed quietly, turning back around to face Ven once more. Yet, before she begun to talk, her voice became a whisper, "Did you lie to Raynie?"
"About what?" Ven querying, giving a nervous laugh.
"About the keyhole thing...?"
"That?" another nervous laugh came as his voice lowered, "Yeah... sorta did..."
"Good!" Rena gave a grin, "But, ya know, once we get there... I'm not gonna be going with you guys anymore..."
"Huh?" Ven frowned.
"Well, I'm gonna leave once we get there. 'Cause Raynie won't care what happens to me after that..."
"Yeah, but what about everyone el--?"
"HIYA WONDERLAND!"
The ship came to a fast, abrupt halt. No longer were millions of colours swirling before their eyes. Now, there was that familiar navy blue background behind millions of stars. And, of course, the actual world.
"DAMN NINJA!!" Raynie cursed, attempting to throw something at one of the speakers that echoed throughout the ship. She gave a huff, and instantly took off to the floor.
"Okay, all of you!" she exclaimed, "Get up, get out, and... goth boy! Get those stupid rodents out of your hair!"
"We're not rodents!" the twin voices exclaimed, before they dove into Raynie's hands as she stood before Adyn; she gave a growl as they jumped to the floor.
"Okies, let's go, dammit!!" Raynie snapped, pushed the two boys and one girl towards the large door hastily. She didn't even bother to stop the ship or anything; apparently, she just wanted to get this place over with.
"Uhhh... Raynie?" Ven queried, looking at the door apprehensively, "Shouldn't we just go--"
"Just jump!!"
"But there's nothing down there!"
"Exactly!"
"WHAT!?" Rena exclaimed stopping the line abruptly, "We're not jumping!"
The door slid open. Raynie glared down at the tomboy, her eyes looking either pretty annoyed or evil right at that very moment as a shadow cast over them.
"Too late for that."
Rena gulped. Why did Raynie have to be so serious about...
An index finger pushed against her forehead. The girl went stumbled backwards. Falling right off of the ship. And into a black tunnel.
Expression? A sour frown and a pair of harsh mako blue eyes. Tone? Loud, annoyed, ticked off, the rest... Raynie was not happy to see Ven and Rena return.
"I told you two to stay in the shop with gramps!!" she exclaimed with crossed arms.
Ven gave a gulp, "You never did--"
"Of course I did! You two just don't listen!"
"If you had, we would've stayed in there in the fi--"
"So, where'd you guys go? You better not had gone too far!!"
"We just went to the Second District!"
"To seal the keyhole!" Rena jumped in with a bit of a sour tone, "Ven-kun said we had to..."
Raynie choked.
"What... did you... say?"
"We had to seal the keyhole?"
"No, I could've sworn that I heard a cute little nickname in there..." Raynie tempted to hold back a giggle, "If you two wanted to be alone badly, you could've just said that! Not some stupid story..."
They both paused.
"...HEY!" It took them both a moment to figure out what the heck she was talking about, and Ven was the first to protest, "S-She's way too short!"
"I'M NOT SHORT!" Rena snapped, "He's too old, anyways!"
"I'm not that old..."
Raynie tilted her head to the side, "Alright, how old are you, blondie?"
"...Fifteen..."
"And you, kid?"
"I'm thirteen."
"Yeah, too big of an age difference. MOVING ON!"
Raynie rolled her eyes innocently as she muttered something about 'you don't look thirteen...', resulting in a quick glare and a shout from the tomboy.
"So, I figured out how we're gonna get out of here..." the brown-haired teen gave a sly grin. Not good...
"And that would be...?" Ven rolled his eyes.
"Steal a gummi ship, of course!"
The boy nearly fell over. Steal a gummi ship? That was nuts!
"Steal one? You're going to steal one?"
"Yup!"
"But... from where!?"
"Gramps, of course!"
"He already said--"
"IT'LL BE EASY! HE WON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, I PROMISE! Sheesh, don't be such a scaredy cat... It'll all be under control. Promise!"
"But..."
"JUST START WALKING, DAMMIT!"
Raynie was trying to pull Ven towards a large door at the very front of the First District, specifically trying to pull him by the ear. Ven, on the other hand, was pulling back in the opposite direction, a frustrated look sprawled about on his peach-toned face. Rena merely watched, glancing back and forth at a loss.
"...Where's Adyn?" she questioned curiously.
Raynie let out a growl. She snapped, "Stupid! He's right over there!"
"Adynnnnn!" Rena exclaimed excitedly.
Raynie simply rolled her eyes as the tomboy hurried off past both the fist fighter and the blonde-haired boy. The fact that Rena was going over to Adyn, however, didn't settle a bit too well with Ven.
"Rena, wai-- OW OW OWWW!"
"Okay, we can leave now!" Raynie grinned triumphantly, a hand tightly tugging on the boy's ear. He was forced to follow along; perfect!
Ven gave a grumble, "Why is that freak still here?"
"He's not a freak, ya know," Raynie gave a scoff, "He's a pretty damn good fighter, if you ask me..."
"Yeah, but he could be a heartless, too."
"Humans can't be Heartless!"
"And, normally, humans don't have sick-pale skin and tons of scars!"
"Whatever, just walk, dammit!"
Ven gave another grumble. He couldn't win this! He couldn't win against Raynie dragging him off to go steal a gummi ship, and he couldn't win the fight to get Adyn out of their little 'group'. He really didn't care if he was a good fighter or not; he looks way too weird! He gave a bit of a huff at the thought.
His electric blue eyes gazed over at Adyn and Rena. He gave a growl.
That guy had to be a heartless...
"Goth boy! Kid! Get your asses over here!" Raynie snapped, shooting a fiery glare over at the two. Instantly, they both came running over to reduce the risk of being beat over the head with their weapons.
"Mmkay, we're gonna steal a gummi ship and get the heck out of here. Get it? Got it? You better, dammit!"
--------
The youngest of the bunch couldn't help but stop and stare at the outside world, beyond the doors of the First District and into something Raynie called 'a gummi dock'.
It was out in the middle of space! Thousands of stars twinkling against a navy blue-coloured sky, with swirls of a lighter blue seamlessly blended in. What was strange, though, was how they were standing out in the middle of space, feet firmly flat on the ground, and able to breathe.
"There's some weird thing around here. Like the atmosphere around Traverse Town, or somethin'. Not really sure about what it is exactly." Raynie replied when Ven realized they weren't floating off helplessly into space. Rena perked up when she heard the answer and tilted her head to the side.
All four pairs of feet clicked against the strange ground below. Actually, it was more like a deck of sorts. A metallic, steel deck. That made crunchy sounds when you walked on it...
Steel tiles, held together by little steel screws, lined next to each other, creating the gigantic, vast dock that was beneath their feet. Raynie said that it went all the way around Traverse Town, but it disappeared when you were driving away from it in a ship; something about having a gigantic steel dock looking tacky from a distance...
"Here it is!" Raynie grinned. However, her grin wasn't a normal ecstatic, excited one. It was rather mischievous.
Ven's jaw dropped at the sight, "That's... a big... ship..."
"Yeah! It's his favourite!"
"WHAT!?"
Raynie whistled an innocent tune, one that sounded rather heroic after you had beaten up a bunch of monsters, and quickly made her way towards the monstrous ship. She rummaged through her pockets for a pair of keys; how she got them, though, was a mystery.
The ship that she was now trying to unlock was a gigantic, monstrous gummi ship, one that was bigger than any puny little ship that was sitting around aimlessly on the dock. It had a long nose and resembled a lengthened airplane, except it was much more grudgy than any perfectly spotless airplane. Two large propellers sat atop two round parts of the ship. But, despite the fact that it was bigger than the rest of the ships, this dark grey-coloured ship actually seemed smaller than another counterpart that Raynie had in mind. It was still pretty big, though.
"You're insane! You're not stealing that one!" Ven protested, shooting a harsh glare over at the sly Raynie.
"Oh? And you're going to stop me?"
"...Y-Yeah! I am!"
"Okay! Come 'n get it, blondie!"
Another interesting sight, brought to you by Raynie and Ven getting mad. The blonde charged straight forwards. Raynie merely continued to whistle her innocent little tune.
You had to have a pair of fast eyes to follow what happened next. As the expert fist fighter that she was, Raynie slammed her fist into Ven's stomach, dislocated his arm, and flipped him onto his back in the process. All in about two seconds flat.
She gave a grin, "Better get in the ship, blondie, or I'm leaving without you~!"
A painful moan came out of Ven's mouth, his eyes out of focus, as he laid flat on his back.
"...You okay, Ven?" Rena questioned, leaning over to stare down into the boy's deep blue eyes. Ven only gave a slight nod.
"Rena, c'mon!" A familiar voice exclaimed, belonging to Adyn as he quietly boarded the ship.
Ven was nearly on his feet now, thanks to a hand from the thirteen-year-old, but he soon fell back onto his back when Rena nodded and followed Adyn onto the ship.
"...H-Hey!!" Ven screamed, slowly and painfully pulling himself to his feet, "Don't you dare start that ship up yet!"
The dual-wielding-keyblader charged off as fast as he could, growling as Raynie teased him by opening and closing the door to the ship.
When he reached the gummi ship, he snarled as he wrenched the door out of Raynie's hand, thrusting his own fiery glare onto the teen. She merely scoffed it off.
The loud teen stepped off towards the ship's control panel, which stood up on a platform at the back of the room. The place, just like the outside, seemed gigantic compared to any other gummi ship interior. No square little space with two brightly-coloured couches. This was much bigger than that.
Surrounding the dome-shaped room were several large, glass windows that showed the outside world. Some of these windows were half-covered with black seamlessly put over a certain point, as if they were curtains that didn't actually exist; when Raynie pressed a certain button on the control panel before her, however, those black shades rolled themselves up out of existence.
The floor was also made of glass, but there was a round, steel part with two beams pointing outward in the middle of the glass. This floor could also be covered by that currently non-existant black.
Towards the back of the room, however, was a large platform with circular railing that curved around it. Beside the platform were two round objects on each side, that could open to reveal a small stairway; they were apparently able to cover and uncover themselves in case someone got ticked off at another person...
The steering wheel before Raynie was in front of a vast control panel, and a small little video screen that showed various worlds, as well as incoming ships. She gave a scoff as she glared down at the '#%!$' symbols on the circular part of the wheel, which was for slamming your hand against the thing and screaming your head off at stupid drivers, or stupid Heartless.
Before the tall platform were a couch with seatbelts and two chairs aimlessly sitting besides the couch. That was where you were supposed to 'sit yer ass down 'n shut up, dammit!', according to Cid at least. There were also some sort of doors that lead out into other parts of the ship; Raynie said that there were actually rooms to stay in on this ship.
But, the most interesting thing of all, aside from the size of the interior, was the flat 'table' in the middle of the circular, steel part of the floor. When the echo of the propellers started up, this table lit up with holograms of, what appeared to be, worlds!
"It's off to Hollow Bastion, then!" Raynie grinned, as she pressed several buttons on the vast control panel before her.
"What about keyholes?" Ven queried.
"What about 'em? They're stupid little tunnels to the heart of a world... Why should be worry about them? Getting to Hollow Bastion is more important!"
The boy raised a brow, "Actually, if you think about it... If you don't seal the keyholes, there won't be a Hollow Bastion."
"...What?"
"Hollow Bastion will disappear if we don't seal some keyholes first."
"Really?" Raynie snarled, "Since when was this true?"
"Things can change in a couple of years," Ven begun, "And other keyholes can be effected if just one isn't sealed..."
"THEN PICK A WORLD, DAMMIT! Leon is not going to have my ass just because of some stupid world phenomena!"
The covers over the two stairways opened and Raynie immediately rushed down them. She was in a rush to get over to the table in the midst of the room, which lit up as soon as she stepped in front of it.
A grid appeared, followed by small icons of what appeared to be 'worlds'. There were three that were the closest to the biggest, which was Traverse Town, while many others scrolled smaller off into the distance. Ven's eyes lit up at the sight when he stopped before the table, as did Rena's; though her expression was much more curious than Ven's was. Adyn, on the other hand, merely gazed over the holograms, his expression revealing that he wasn't too interested.
"What about this one?" Rena queried as she poked her finger through the hologram of a checkerboard-covered icon.
"No!" Raynie protested, "We're not goin--!"
"WORLD SELECTED!" a chipper, yet rather electronic voice exclaimed; Raynie merely cringed and mumbled something about 'stupid ninja...', "SEE YA IN WONDERLAND!"
"...Brat," Raynie snapped, her eyes deadly with fire, "You just had to pick that place... Of all places!"
"It's not that bad," Ven chimed in, "We have to seal all of them, anyways..."
"But that stupid fat hag is gonna bite my head off when she sees me!" Raynie's tone was now a bit hysterical, though it was still pretty annoyed, "Just 'cause I painted those stupid weeds blue instead of red..."
The teen continued to mumble some incomprehensible words, twiddling her foot around against the floor before jerking herself off into the opposite direction. She only gave an angry huff when that annoying, high-pitched voice returned on the non-existant speakers.
"PRESS THE BUTTON PRESS THE BUTTON PRESS THE --"
"SHUT UP, YOU DAMN NINJA!!" Raynie snapped while seeming to breathe fire into the air, "Dammit, why'd Cid let her record that damn thing in the first place!?"
After expertly pressing several flashing buttons, she snatched a small device into her grasp and her already loud voice echoed throughout the interior.
"GET IN YOUR SEAT, BUCKLE UP, AND IF SWIRLING COLOURS MAKE YOU THROW UP, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND DEAL WITH IT! WE'RE ABOUT TO GO ON WARP!"
At the warning, the trio standing on the floor hastily took their seats as Raynie screamed some other words into the intercom; she was just trying to be completely annoying, wasn't she? Ven, Adyn, and Rena took their places on the couch in the middle of the two random chairs, though Ven forced Rena to be in between himself and Adyn; she, of course, followed this command happily.
Now buckled up and ready to take off, Raynie expertly pressed another few buttons, turned a dial, and happily slammed a button that read 'WARP!' with her fist.
That's when she lowered herself to the platform's floor, curling up in a ball.
The windows showed everything: the ship was lifting off of the ground, raising itself into the air, and turning around to blast off.
The stars disappeared from the sky. As did the navy blue background. It all twisted together into a melody of cool hues, twisting and turning into one little point of light in the middle.
With a brave effort, she slowly raised herself to her feet.
"Okay..." she begun, disoriented, "We'll be there in less than 5 minutes. If not a minute or so..."
"Hey!"
"What're you doin' on here!?"
Raynie raised a brow. Then proceeded to give a cringe.
"You're not Cid!!" the two voices screamed in unison.
"Why, oh why, are you here..." Raynie snapped.
"'Cause someone has to take care of this place!" the more intelligent one with the small black nose exclaimed.
"But Cid already takes care of his ship..." the other with the big red nose and two big bucked teeth muttered to himself.
They were tiny. Tiny little... rodents? There was brown fur, a stripe of black going down their backs to their tails, and little paws covered by gloves. They even wore little 'aprons' of sorts, dyed yellow along with various warm colours, that had a blue pouch on the front.
Raynie cringed once more, beginning to sink down to the floor, "Annoying little rodents."
"HEY!" the two chipmunks protested as they waved their cleaning-ware in their hands; the one known as 'Chip' held a miniature broom, while the one known as 'Dale' held a miniature mop.
"Aw, cool!" a familiar voice chimed in, "Talking chipmunks!"
Raynie snapped, "SIT DOWN, KID!!"
The two little fuzzy creatures slid down from the control panel and landed down on the couch that the trio of Adyn, Ven, and Rena were sitting on. Rena immediately picked up Chip, while Dale jumped onto Adyn's shoulder.
"Hiya!" Dale exclaimed to Adyn, waving his little gloved paw at the black-haired teen. Adyn didn't give a glance to the creature. But Dale had to be annoying and tunnel into Adyn's black hair, giving a grin as he hanged onto one of the spikes.
Chip, on the other hand, shot a glare over to his annoying partner as Rena let him stand in her hand's palm. The two little chipmunks begun to speak in quick, incomprehensible voices, though Ven and Rena managed to catch a few words while Adyn seemed to sulk with a little rodent in his hair.
"Uhh... Rena," Ven begun, tapping the young girl on the shoulder to catch her attention. This question had actually been plaguing him for a bit; now seemed like the perfect time to ask, even if Rena had a little chipmunk in her hand.
"Hm?" Rena perked up, shifting her gaze over to him.
"Ummm... have you ever heard of an 'awakening'?" his voice got low and he frowned when Rena shook her head.
"What's that?"
"It's this trial that keybladers go through, I think. I guess to see if they're worthy to have a keyblade..."
"Have you ever been in one?" Rena tilted her head to the side. Ven merely shook his head. "Then how do you know what it is?"
"I've just heard about it..."
Rena gave a pensive frown, "Well, I guess it can't be a normal thing, 'cause we've never been in--"
"DALE!" the black-nosed chipmunk finally screamed, jumping onto Adyn's shoulder before scurrying up into his black hair alongside Dale.
Rena gave a little laugh, a nervous one at that, "Uhh... you've got chipmunks in your hai--"
"Yeah, I know," Adyn replied with a cool tone, crossing his arms as the two chipmunks climbed up one of the tall spikes on his head while giggling.
"Oh! Ven!" Rena exclaimed quietly, turning back around to face Ven once more. Yet, before she begun to talk, her voice became a whisper, "Did you lie to Raynie?"
"About what?" Ven querying, giving a nervous laugh.
"About the keyhole thing...?"
"That?" another nervous laugh came as his voice lowered, "Yeah... sorta did..."
"Good!" Rena gave a grin, "But, ya know, once we get there... I'm not gonna be going with you guys anymore..."
"Huh?" Ven frowned.
"Well, I'm gonna leave once we get there. 'Cause Raynie won't care what happens to me after that..."
"Yeah, but what about everyone el--?"
"HIYA WONDERLAND!"
The ship came to a fast, abrupt halt. No longer were millions of colours swirling before their eyes. Now, there was that familiar navy blue background behind millions of stars. And, of course, the actual world.
"DAMN NINJA!!" Raynie cursed, attempting to throw something at one of the speakers that echoed throughout the ship. She gave a huff, and instantly took off to the floor.
"Okay, all of you!" she exclaimed, "Get up, get out, and... goth boy! Get those stupid rodents out of your hair!"
"We're not rodents!" the twin voices exclaimed, before they dove into Raynie's hands as she stood before Adyn; she gave a growl as they jumped to the floor.
"Okies, let's go, dammit!!" Raynie snapped, pushed the two boys and one girl towards the large door hastily. She didn't even bother to stop the ship or anything; apparently, she just wanted to get this place over with.
"Uhhh... Raynie?" Ven queried, looking at the door apprehensively, "Shouldn't we just go--"
"Just jump!!"
"But there's nothing down there!"
"Exactly!"
"WHAT!?" Rena exclaimed stopping the line abruptly, "We're not jumping!"
The door slid open. Raynie glared down at the tomboy, her eyes looking either pretty annoyed or evil right at that very moment as a shadow cast over them.
"Too late for that."
Rena gulped. Why did Raynie have to be so serious about...
An index finger pushed against her forehead. The girl went stumbled backwards. Falling right off of the ship. And into a black tunnel.
- Joined
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Hooray!!! New update!!! Man, so many questions. Why is ven so freaked out by Aydn? Is Aydn a heartless? I hope not; Aydn is too cool to be a heartless. Also, Raynie needs a sedative or something; she is just way to highstrung. Anyway, great job again, and I look forward to your next update. I hope it doesn't take as long as this one did.
Raynie is really starting to get annoying...^^ Nice chapter. Btw, you do know that you posted the part twice?
Thankies for the comments! ! And, yay, the double post is gone. xD; I thought that happened...
Ven's scared of Adyn 'cause he thinks he's a Heartless. I need to actually draw his design, but he's freaked out by him because of his sickly pale skin, his scars, and the eyepatch he wears. I didn't describle him very well when I wrote about him. >.<; And sorry that Raynie's annoying! ^^; I promise she'll stop doing soon! There's a reason for it, though. :O
Here's the new chapter! I'll definitely be updating this much faster than I did before. ^^;
------------------
007 + HOP, STEP, JUMP
Tumbling... downwards.
Floating... upwards?
It didn't seem to make any sort of sense at all! Everything was upside down. The surroundings at least. This couldn't have been right at all.
A table was on its head. A grandfather clock was ringing insanely upside down. There were several chairs, even a couch, and many, many teapots. Everything was against a red background, as everything became painted with red the further you went.
Rena's eyes glimmered as she floated aimlessly downwards, going nowhere but down. Or was it up? That was the strange thing, wasn't it?
Ven found himself the same way, floating down or up aimlessly to nowhere. But, why were Raynie and Adyn upside down?
"Kid! Blondie!" Raynie exclaimed, "You might want to turn upri--"
"OW!" the two keybladers exclaimed in unison. They found themselves truly upside down; specifically on their heads.
"Told ya!" Raynie exclaimed with a grin, lightly floating to the ground. Adyn followed right behind, and he actually put out a hand to help the two keybladers up; Ven instantly jumped to his feet at the sight and became a bit repulsive, while Rena happily accepted Adyn's offer.
"I'm late! I'm late!"
"...Shit," Raynie cursed with a bit of sarcasm. She glared down at the ground as, of all things, a little white rabbit came running past the group. Adyn wasn't interested in it, neither was Ven, and Raynie looked pretty ticked off about the creature. Unfortunately, they weren't childish and attracted to cute little animals carrying watches.
"BUNNY!" Rena childishly exclaimed, her eyes wide with delight, as she proceeded to run after the small creature. Well, attempt to.
"DO. NOT. DARE. GO. AFTER. THAT. THING." Raynie scowled with a vicious tone. Her fist grasped Rena's hood and she quickly reeled the kid back in with the others.
"I think we should go after it, actually..." Ven spoke, his tone rather pensive.
"Really!?" Raynie was sarcastic once more, "And what happens when we fall into some weird little pit of doom, thanks to the pesky little rodent!?"
"...I don't think there's any pit of--"
"WHATEVER! JUST FIND THE DAMN KEYHOLE!!"
Ven gave a sigh, "And that 'pesky little rodent' might know where the keyhole is. Hence the following..."
Raynie paused, looking rather dumbfounded, "...Oh. Right then."
"THEN FOLLOW THE DAMN THING!!" the teen screamed, pushing Ven forwards in a rapid rush. Though she didn't say so, this was Adyn and Rena's cue to follow behind.
"...It was my idea first," Rena looking rejected.
Adyn rolled his eyes upwards, "Yeah, but Raynie's kinda... well..."
Rena blinked. Adyn gave a nervous laugh as the thirteen-year-old stared up at him.
"...You can talk!" she exclaimed with an excited tone.
Adyn gave a nervous laugh, "Of course I ca--"
"I thought you lost your voice or somethin'!"
"But I didn't..." Adyn sounded nervous.
"Well, umm..." Rena scratched the side of her head, "I thought ya did..."
Adyn frowned and briskly took a step forwards, beaconing Rena to follow behind, "C'mon, let follow that thing..."
Ven could only seem to blink.
"I think it's sleeping," he whispered, his nose nearly pressed against that round, bulbous nose.
"Then wake it up..." Raynie snapped, towering over the boy with her arms crossed.
"Can't."
"Why not?"
"Then it'll be grumpy. And that won't do us any good." He gave a shrug.
The boy had been glancing around the room as he stood up. The place was quite small, just bit enough to fit three, maybe four, people inside of it thanks to a table in the middle of the room. Many very bright shades of pink were gathered around. It was definitely quirky place, ranging from strange pieces of furniture to strange looking doors.
Raynie gave a harsh, loud groan, "Whatever! Forget that!"
With a snap, the fist fighting teen pushed Ven out of the way and latched onto the golden nose of a doorknob.
"Ahh!" an English-accented voice exclaimed, eyes wide with fright and alarm.
"Hi!" Raynie grinned forcibly, "Do you know where the keyhole is?"
"W-What...?"
"Raynie!" Ven exclaimed. He pushed the teen aside and bent down before that small little door.
"Sorry... about that..." he replied with a nervous laugh.
"Whoa! What's that?"
"It's a grumpy doorknob, idiot!"
Both Adyn and Rena had just now caught up with Ven and Raynie, who both seemed to be talking to a rather surprised looking doorknob. At the sight of it, Rena had to say something, which Raynie replied to with a snapped remark.
"Uhhh... hiya..." Ven waved to the doorknob with a nervous grin, "Have you happened to see a white rabbit pass through here?"
The surprised doorknob's expression was no longer in alarm: it now gave a scoff and pointed its nose straight into the air, "Why must everyone always ask about that dreadful rabbit?"
"Then what about a keyhole?!" Raynie jumped in, "You have to know where a keyhole is!"
"A what?" the doorknob queried, giving its gigantic nose a wiggle.
Ven threw his hand over Raynie's mouth and shot her a look that said 'shut up'; she folded her arms childishly.
"Nothing..." Ven gave a sigh, "But, don't you know where that rabbit went?"
"If you're expecting me to open this door, I certainly will not!"
"Huh? Why not?"
"Everyone's always chasing that idiotic, rushed rabbit, going off to who knows where! All everyone seems to care about is that stupid rodent..."
Raynie gave a sly grin beneath Ven's hand; the boy simply rolled his eyes at the sight, "Please just tell us where he is! It's importa--"
"Important!? Oh no no no! That thing isn't important at all! I will not let you pass through this gate..."
"But--!"
The doorknob gave a gigantic yawn, "Good night to you..."
"Wait!"
Too late. The animated doorknob had already fallen asleep. Ven gave a frustrated grumble as the brass object snoozed quietly away into dreamland, while four others were stuck in reality at a loss of what to do.
"...Told you it would be grumpy."
"Shut it, blondie!"
Ven simply rolled his eyes to Raynie's childish attitude; she seemed more like a child when she crossed her arms with a big huff. He was actually surprised, though, that she was the only one being loud. Both Adyn and Rena were standing there quietly, but the sight made that defensive thought click.
Immediately, he grasped Rena's hand and pulled her towards Raynie and himself; this was because of Adyn, who Ven knew he would never get used to.
Taken aback, Rena stood beside the blonde haired boy, who waved his index finger as if saying 'this'll only take one second' as he glanced around the room.
"Okay... how'd we get past the door?" Ven queried.
Raynie gave a laugh, "Funny, blondie. How're you going to get past that stupid door!? If we try to open it, the doorknob's gonna wake up and--"
"There's any other way," a pensive frown formed on his face.
Another laugh emitted from Raynie's throat. She rolled her eyes, "Do enlighten me..."
His finger pointed downwards, straight at an object. Raynie raised her brow, as did Rena's whilst she watched the scene from behind.
"The bed."
"Sure. Just let me go call up the mo--"
"No, we just have to move it!"
"...You've gotta be kidding me."
"I'm serious! Just trust me!"
Raynie gave a scoff, "Why should I?"
"Because, if you want to get out of here faster, you're going to have to stop thinking I'm crazy for two damn seconds," Ven snapped, his electric blue eyes seeming to flare as he shot a glare to Raynie; she didn't take his anger too seriously, but...
Raynie gave a groan, "...Alright. Just hurry it up..."
Ven grinned, "Alright!"
How could you move a bed, though? In a place this small? It sounded insane, like swallowing a bunch of fizzing candy and drinking a bunch of soda; it sounded dangerous, but in the end...
The boy narrowed his eyes, just like he had in Traverse Town. He scanned over the quant little bed that was probably small enough for a rabbit, and put his hands forwards. It had to go backwards...
Into a wall? Yeah, it did...
With a great push, as if by magic, the bed disappeared into the wall. And, thankfully, the empty spot now revealed a hole in the wall.
"...Blondie, YOU'RE A GENIUS!"
Ven was very taken back by the jumping hug he received, finding Raynie wrapping her arms around his torso; and, actually, she was choking him.
"R-Ray... nie..."
The teen paused, her mako blue eyes disappearing and reappearing in between a second.
"...Oh! Sorry!"
Raynie gave a cough, take a reverse step and beginning to fiddle with her long black sleeve, "So, now we just have to..."
"Drink this," Ven reached a hand forwards and grasped onto a little bottle that read 'drink me'.
"Give me that!" Raynie snatched it out of the boy's hand. She stared down at the little bottle. And the thought of drinking the stuff sounded atrocious. Especially since the stuff was green...
"...Hey!!"
Lost in her thoughts, she failed to realize that the little bottle was no longer in her grasp. Rena glanced at it curiously, looking at it from the bottom as she raised it over her head and then looking down in the small open hole.
Raynie jumped forwards, "Give me that!"
"Adyn!" Rena exclaimed, pushing Raynie back as if they were playing some sort of childish game. The thirteen-year-old handed off the bottle to the black-haired teen who continued to stand along ever so quietly.
Adyn took the bottle. But, he was at a bit of a loss of what he was supposed to do with it...
Ven's eyes grew wide as he silently watched Adyn glanced down at the 'drink me' flask. No idea of what to do, he pushed himself forwards and jerked the vessel out of the strange teen's grasp, the sight of him already putting Ven's anxiety to the limit; why was he still here, anyways!?
Ven gave a frustrated sigh, "Okay... Raynie, you drink it first."
"Oh, so you can step on me, right?" Raynie snapped with a snarl.
"Just drink it!" A harsh frown formed on the blonde haired boy's face. Out of a bit of annoyance, he shoved the little vessel into Raynie's grasp; she looked at the little thing with much disgust.
"Then... Adyn..." he gave a cringe as he spoke that name, "Then, you, Rena. Then I'll go last."
"Ohhhhh! So I'm first and you're last, huh?"
"Just drink the damn thing! You're the one that wants to get out of here faster!"
Raynie gave an angry grumble.
"Alright..."
Hesitant at first, the teen brought the bottle to her mouth, eyeing the liquid inside the vessel with pure disgust. But, she closed her mako blue eyes and took a gulp.
"...Tastes fruity..." she said while trying to figure exactly what 'fruity' was...
"Whoa!"
Her voice was no longer loud; well, it was, but it was squeaky too. She was no longer just a bit taller than Ven and Rena. Instead, she was the size of a mouse.
Ven held back a laugh as he glanced down at the tiny mouse-sized Raynie that sat on the table placed in the midst of the room. She was sulking...
"Don't look at me like that, blondie!!" Raynie snapped, pointing a little tiny finger up to the blonde haired boy.
Hastily, as the tiny Raynie growled at him to hurry up, Ven passed the bottle over to Adyn, who simply looked at it with confusion. Rena realized this and whispered something into Adyn's ear, which he rolled his eyes at.
The black-haired teen did the same as Raynie: put the bottle to his mouth, took a gulp (Though, he wasn't hesitant like Raynie had been), and soon after...
Adyn was tiny! He stood besides Raynie on the table, both awaiting for the two keybladers to join them.
Rena took the bottle as Ven handed it to the thirteen-year-old, looking down into the small hole to find a sea of green fluid swimming around. Though unsure, much like Raynie had been, Rena tightly shut her eyes and took a gulp before quickly passing it on to Ven.
Ven didn't look to see its appearance, like the other three. He instantly took a gulp and begun to shrink down just as Rena was right at that moment.
The group was tiny now. Not even pint-sized! They were definitely tiny.
"The court shall now come to order!"
A horn blew fluidly into the air. The bang of a wooden hammer against wood echoed throughout. And they were still in complete darkness.
The four stepped out of the dark hole and into a square room. Even though the place was outside; or appeared to be outside. Yes, that made no sense at all; but, of course, why would it?
Sharp blades of lime grass crunched beneath their feet as intricate hedges hovered above, shaped into mazes and many, many hearts. Yet, outside of these tall wall-like hedges was an outside court room.
People dressed as cards, black aces and red hearts specifically, stood in a line on a long, red carpet decorated with hearts. They lined sideways before a wonky, wooden stand, as if those cards created a path.
There was also a stand for the jury, though it had no stairs and trapped those within it, a tall stand with wonky, curved stairs that had a familiar white rabbit standing atop it, and a large place at the front, where a rather large, pompous looking woman sat dressed in black and red.
"Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, presiding!" the rabbit's voice squeaked as he tightly grasped his trumpet.
The queen cleared her throat as she smiled a sweet, petite smile, batting her eyes. Yet, her smile turned into a wicked grin and she pointed a large finger down at the figure standing before the queen, "That is the culprit!"
The group had their gazes looking straight at this trial. A girl, a large hood draped over her head as a cape flowed behind her, stood as the queen glared at her with spite.
"Guilty! Guilty guilty guilty--!!"
A short little figure sat next to the queen, who had bent down to listen to something being whispered in her ear. That was the king.
Ven surveyed the scene with his electric blue eyes, "I don't think that girl's a culprit..."
"Nah, ya think?" Raynie jumped in while shooting a glare at the blonde, "That stupid queen always puts innocent people on trial here..."
"Then, shouldn't we go help her?" Rena tilted her head to the side as she glanced up at the hooded figure.
"Well, people from other worlds aren't supposed to meddle with things like this." Ven mused.
"No, it's called butting in!" snapped Raynie.
"Is not!"
Her eyes seemed to light up as Rena continued to watch the scene before them. Even if they weren't supposed to meddle in this sort of thing, she couldn't help but want to come and save the day.
However, when the hooded girl turned her gaze, the urge to jump in just became a lot stronger for the keyblader. The tomboy's eyes widened at the sight of their eyes. Underneath the shadow of her hood, she stared over at Rena and Rena couldn't stop from staring back. The urge to jump in became a lot stronger.
"Alright, alright!!" the queen retorted to the pint-sized king beside her, "The court finds the defendant guilty... for attempted assassination of her majesty!"
"Rena!" Ven jumped," Wait a se--!"
"OFF WITH HER HEAD!!"
"DON'T YOU DARE!" the childish voice snapped. No longer was she standing still, watching the action unfold, but was standing before the hooded girl on trial, who merely watched this specific scene unfold before herself.
"Another culprit!?" several card soldiers cried.
Rena frowned, though it looked more like a pout, while pointing her blue and silver keyblade straight up at the Queen of Hearts. The queen gave a snarl at the young girl.
"So..." the queen snarled, "I assume you're helping this child..."
"Uhhh..." paused the brunette, "...Yeah! Of course I am!"
"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!"
Rena jumped as the fat woman spat right in the tomboy's face, the queen's mouth wide as her head seem to grow larger in a cartoon-ish way.
"W-What!?" Rena shuddered, "You not gonna listen to why first?!"
"Of course not, dear child!" the queen barked, "Why, that would be against my wishes, and my wishes is that it's my trial and what I say goes!"
"...Huhhhhh?" Rena mumbled, rather densely at that. She blinked several times, "But that doesn't make any sense!"
"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!"
That was the queen's final verdict on this trial.
They came from everywhere. Pouring in a river with their thin bodies floating aimlessly like... well... cards. They wielded spears shaped to their according symbol and these were painted their according colour: black for aces, and red for spades. They waved their weapons vigorously as they pounced forwards, straight towards their prey.
The cloaked girl stood still, hood shadowed over their eyes and body facing the front of the pedestal. On the other hand, Rena turned herself around and launched forwards, standing behind the girl to face the oncoming wave of card soldiers.
The tomboy tightly gripped the handle of her key, knuckles turning white, while an uneasy frown formed on her face.
What was she thinking!? It was such an impulsive act. She didn't even know if it was worth it...
An ace led the pack. Number nine, specifically. It raised its spear high into the air, mouth wide as if to let out a silent battle cry. Rena positioned her keyblade high over her head, fingers curled around the top of sideways, crown-shaped blade.
Heart pounding. Anxiety rising. Lungs gasping for breath. This whole thing seemed terrifying. Facing an army? By yourself?
"Genius, kid!" the female's voice screamed. The soldiers came scattered up into the air at the appearance of the trio: Raynie, Ven, and Adyn!
Raynie merely glared at the tomboy on the stand as she punched another soldier. Ven shook his head, looking rather unhappy about the whole thing. Adyn, though, was off fighting with his scythe.
Rena's face turned red. She gave a nervous laugh.
"...S-Sorry..." she mumbled, her keyblade placed by her side.
"Sorry!?" Raynie snapped, eyes turning red, "That was stupid! Especially since you're not allowed to butt in on--"
"Meddle!" Ven growled, his two keyblades expertly twirling through one of the many soldiers.
"WHATEVER!"
Rena gulped, "I'm sorry! Really! But, I--"
"If you wanted to be the hero so badly, then go finish it!" Raynie snapped.
The tomboy scratched the side of her head, "Oh... kay..."
"NOW!!"
Giving a nervous jump, her hand latched onto the girl's own that limply stood by her side. The cloaked girl followed off on a run towards a dark hole in one of the tall hedges; one that seemed to go somewhere but here.
And the enigmatic adolescent simply leered.
! And, yay, the double post is gone. xD; I thought that happened...Ven's scared of Adyn 'cause he thinks he's a Heartless. I need to actually draw his design, but he's freaked out by him because of his sickly pale skin, his scars, and the eyepatch he wears. I didn't describle him very well when I wrote about him. >.<; And sorry that Raynie's annoying! ^^; I promise she'll stop doing soon! There's a reason for it, though. :O
Here's the new chapter! I'll definitely be updating this much faster than I did before. ^^;
------------------
007 + HOP, STEP, JUMP
Tumbling... downwards.
Floating... upwards?
It didn't seem to make any sort of sense at all! Everything was upside down. The surroundings at least. This couldn't have been right at all.
A table was on its head. A grandfather clock was ringing insanely upside down. There were several chairs, even a couch, and many, many teapots. Everything was against a red background, as everything became painted with red the further you went.
Rena's eyes glimmered as she floated aimlessly downwards, going nowhere but down. Or was it up? That was the strange thing, wasn't it?
Ven found himself the same way, floating down or up aimlessly to nowhere. But, why were Raynie and Adyn upside down?
"Kid! Blondie!" Raynie exclaimed, "You might want to turn upri--"
"OW!" the two keybladers exclaimed in unison. They found themselves truly upside down; specifically on their heads.
"Told ya!" Raynie exclaimed with a grin, lightly floating to the ground. Adyn followed right behind, and he actually put out a hand to help the two keybladers up; Ven instantly jumped to his feet at the sight and became a bit repulsive, while Rena happily accepted Adyn's offer.
"I'm late! I'm late!"
"...Shit," Raynie cursed with a bit of sarcasm. She glared down at the ground as, of all things, a little white rabbit came running past the group. Adyn wasn't interested in it, neither was Ven, and Raynie looked pretty ticked off about the creature. Unfortunately, they weren't childish and attracted to cute little animals carrying watches.
"BUNNY!" Rena childishly exclaimed, her eyes wide with delight, as she proceeded to run after the small creature. Well, attempt to.
"DO. NOT. DARE. GO. AFTER. THAT. THING." Raynie scowled with a vicious tone. Her fist grasped Rena's hood and she quickly reeled the kid back in with the others.
"I think we should go after it, actually..." Ven spoke, his tone rather pensive.
"Really!?" Raynie was sarcastic once more, "And what happens when we fall into some weird little pit of doom, thanks to the pesky little rodent!?"
"...I don't think there's any pit of--"
"WHATEVER! JUST FIND THE DAMN KEYHOLE!!"
Ven gave a sigh, "And that 'pesky little rodent' might know where the keyhole is. Hence the following..."
Raynie paused, looking rather dumbfounded, "...Oh. Right then."
"THEN FOLLOW THE DAMN THING!!" the teen screamed, pushing Ven forwards in a rapid rush. Though she didn't say so, this was Adyn and Rena's cue to follow behind.
"...It was my idea first," Rena looking rejected.
Adyn rolled his eyes upwards, "Yeah, but Raynie's kinda... well..."
Rena blinked. Adyn gave a nervous laugh as the thirteen-year-old stared up at him.
"...You can talk!" she exclaimed with an excited tone.
Adyn gave a nervous laugh, "Of course I ca--"
"I thought you lost your voice or somethin'!"
"But I didn't..." Adyn sounded nervous.
"Well, umm..." Rena scratched the side of her head, "I thought ya did..."
Adyn frowned and briskly took a step forwards, beaconing Rena to follow behind, "C'mon, let follow that thing..."
--------
Ven could only seem to blink.
"I think it's sleeping," he whispered, his nose nearly pressed against that round, bulbous nose.
"Then wake it up..." Raynie snapped, towering over the boy with her arms crossed.
"Can't."
"Why not?"
"Then it'll be grumpy. And that won't do us any good." He gave a shrug.
The boy had been glancing around the room as he stood up. The place was quite small, just bit enough to fit three, maybe four, people inside of it thanks to a table in the middle of the room. Many very bright shades of pink were gathered around. It was definitely quirky place, ranging from strange pieces of furniture to strange looking doors.
Raynie gave a harsh, loud groan, "Whatever! Forget that!"
With a snap, the fist fighting teen pushed Ven out of the way and latched onto the golden nose of a doorknob.
"Ahh!" an English-accented voice exclaimed, eyes wide with fright and alarm.
"Hi!" Raynie grinned forcibly, "Do you know where the keyhole is?"
"W-What...?"
"Raynie!" Ven exclaimed. He pushed the teen aside and bent down before that small little door.
"Sorry... about that..." he replied with a nervous laugh.
"Whoa! What's that?"
"It's a grumpy doorknob, idiot!"
Both Adyn and Rena had just now caught up with Ven and Raynie, who both seemed to be talking to a rather surprised looking doorknob. At the sight of it, Rena had to say something, which Raynie replied to with a snapped remark.
"Uhhh... hiya..." Ven waved to the doorknob with a nervous grin, "Have you happened to see a white rabbit pass through here?"
The surprised doorknob's expression was no longer in alarm: it now gave a scoff and pointed its nose straight into the air, "Why must everyone always ask about that dreadful rabbit?"
"Then what about a keyhole?!" Raynie jumped in, "You have to know where a keyhole is!"
"A what?" the doorknob queried, giving its gigantic nose a wiggle.
Ven threw his hand over Raynie's mouth and shot her a look that said 'shut up'; she folded her arms childishly.
"Nothing..." Ven gave a sigh, "But, don't you know where that rabbit went?"
"If you're expecting me to open this door, I certainly will not!"
"Huh? Why not?"
"Everyone's always chasing that idiotic, rushed rabbit, going off to who knows where! All everyone seems to care about is that stupid rodent..."
Raynie gave a sly grin beneath Ven's hand; the boy simply rolled his eyes at the sight, "Please just tell us where he is! It's importa--"
"Important!? Oh no no no! That thing isn't important at all! I will not let you pass through this gate..."
"But--!"
The doorknob gave a gigantic yawn, "Good night to you..."
"Wait!"
Too late. The animated doorknob had already fallen asleep. Ven gave a frustrated grumble as the brass object snoozed quietly away into dreamland, while four others were stuck in reality at a loss of what to do.
"...Told you it would be grumpy."
"Shut it, blondie!"
Ven simply rolled his eyes to Raynie's childish attitude; she seemed more like a child when she crossed her arms with a big huff. He was actually surprised, though, that she was the only one being loud. Both Adyn and Rena were standing there quietly, but the sight made that defensive thought click.
Immediately, he grasped Rena's hand and pulled her towards Raynie and himself; this was because of Adyn, who Ven knew he would never get used to.
Taken aback, Rena stood beside the blonde haired boy, who waved his index finger as if saying 'this'll only take one second' as he glanced around the room.
"Okay... how'd we get past the door?" Ven queried.
Raynie gave a laugh, "Funny, blondie. How're you going to get past that stupid door!? If we try to open it, the doorknob's gonna wake up and--"
"There's any other way," a pensive frown formed on his face.
Another laugh emitted from Raynie's throat. She rolled her eyes, "Do enlighten me..."
His finger pointed downwards, straight at an object. Raynie raised her brow, as did Rena's whilst she watched the scene from behind.
"The bed."
"Sure. Just let me go call up the mo--"
"No, we just have to move it!"
"...You've gotta be kidding me."
"I'm serious! Just trust me!"
Raynie gave a scoff, "Why should I?"
"Because, if you want to get out of here faster, you're going to have to stop thinking I'm crazy for two damn seconds," Ven snapped, his electric blue eyes seeming to flare as he shot a glare to Raynie; she didn't take his anger too seriously, but...
Raynie gave a groan, "...Alright. Just hurry it up..."
Ven grinned, "Alright!"
How could you move a bed, though? In a place this small? It sounded insane, like swallowing a bunch of fizzing candy and drinking a bunch of soda; it sounded dangerous, but in the end...
The boy narrowed his eyes, just like he had in Traverse Town. He scanned over the quant little bed that was probably small enough for a rabbit, and put his hands forwards. It had to go backwards...
Into a wall? Yeah, it did...
With a great push, as if by magic, the bed disappeared into the wall. And, thankfully, the empty spot now revealed a hole in the wall.
"...Blondie, YOU'RE A GENIUS!"
Ven was very taken back by the jumping hug he received, finding Raynie wrapping her arms around his torso; and, actually, she was choking him.
"R-Ray... nie..."
The teen paused, her mako blue eyes disappearing and reappearing in between a second.
"...Oh! Sorry!"
Raynie gave a cough, take a reverse step and beginning to fiddle with her long black sleeve, "So, now we just have to..."
"Drink this," Ven reached a hand forwards and grasped onto a little bottle that read 'drink me'.
"Give me that!" Raynie snatched it out of the boy's hand. She stared down at the little bottle. And the thought of drinking the stuff sounded atrocious. Especially since the stuff was green...
"...Hey!!"
Lost in her thoughts, she failed to realize that the little bottle was no longer in her grasp. Rena glanced at it curiously, looking at it from the bottom as she raised it over her head and then looking down in the small open hole.
Raynie jumped forwards, "Give me that!"
"Adyn!" Rena exclaimed, pushing Raynie back as if they were playing some sort of childish game. The thirteen-year-old handed off the bottle to the black-haired teen who continued to stand along ever so quietly.
Adyn took the bottle. But, he was at a bit of a loss of what he was supposed to do with it...
Ven's eyes grew wide as he silently watched Adyn glanced down at the 'drink me' flask. No idea of what to do, he pushed himself forwards and jerked the vessel out of the strange teen's grasp, the sight of him already putting Ven's anxiety to the limit; why was he still here, anyways!?
Ven gave a frustrated sigh, "Okay... Raynie, you drink it first."
"Oh, so you can step on me, right?" Raynie snapped with a snarl.
"Just drink it!" A harsh frown formed on the blonde haired boy's face. Out of a bit of annoyance, he shoved the little vessel into Raynie's grasp; she looked at the little thing with much disgust.
"Then... Adyn..." he gave a cringe as he spoke that name, "Then, you, Rena. Then I'll go last."
"Ohhhhh! So I'm first and you're last, huh?"
"Just drink the damn thing! You're the one that wants to get out of here faster!"
Raynie gave an angry grumble.
"Alright..."
Hesitant at first, the teen brought the bottle to her mouth, eyeing the liquid inside the vessel with pure disgust. But, she closed her mako blue eyes and took a gulp.
"...Tastes fruity..." she said while trying to figure exactly what 'fruity' was...
"Whoa!"
Her voice was no longer loud; well, it was, but it was squeaky too. She was no longer just a bit taller than Ven and Rena. Instead, she was the size of a mouse.
Ven held back a laugh as he glanced down at the tiny mouse-sized Raynie that sat on the table placed in the midst of the room. She was sulking...
"Don't look at me like that, blondie!!" Raynie snapped, pointing a little tiny finger up to the blonde haired boy.
Hastily, as the tiny Raynie growled at him to hurry up, Ven passed the bottle over to Adyn, who simply looked at it with confusion. Rena realized this and whispered something into Adyn's ear, which he rolled his eyes at.
The black-haired teen did the same as Raynie: put the bottle to his mouth, took a gulp (Though, he wasn't hesitant like Raynie had been), and soon after...
Adyn was tiny! He stood besides Raynie on the table, both awaiting for the two keybladers to join them.
Rena took the bottle as Ven handed it to the thirteen-year-old, looking down into the small hole to find a sea of green fluid swimming around. Though unsure, much like Raynie had been, Rena tightly shut her eyes and took a gulp before quickly passing it on to Ven.
Ven didn't look to see its appearance, like the other three. He instantly took a gulp and begun to shrink down just as Rena was right at that moment.
The group was tiny now. Not even pint-sized! They were definitely tiny.
--------
"The court shall now come to order!"
A horn blew fluidly into the air. The bang of a wooden hammer against wood echoed throughout. And they were still in complete darkness.
The four stepped out of the dark hole and into a square room. Even though the place was outside; or appeared to be outside. Yes, that made no sense at all; but, of course, why would it?
Sharp blades of lime grass crunched beneath their feet as intricate hedges hovered above, shaped into mazes and many, many hearts. Yet, outside of these tall wall-like hedges was an outside court room.
People dressed as cards, black aces and red hearts specifically, stood in a line on a long, red carpet decorated with hearts. They lined sideways before a wonky, wooden stand, as if those cards created a path.
There was also a stand for the jury, though it had no stairs and trapped those within it, a tall stand with wonky, curved stairs that had a familiar white rabbit standing atop it, and a large place at the front, where a rather large, pompous looking woman sat dressed in black and red.
"Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, presiding!" the rabbit's voice squeaked as he tightly grasped his trumpet.
The queen cleared her throat as she smiled a sweet, petite smile, batting her eyes. Yet, her smile turned into a wicked grin and she pointed a large finger down at the figure standing before the queen, "That is the culprit!"
The group had their gazes looking straight at this trial. A girl, a large hood draped over her head as a cape flowed behind her, stood as the queen glared at her with spite.
"Guilty! Guilty guilty guilty--!!"
A short little figure sat next to the queen, who had bent down to listen to something being whispered in her ear. That was the king.
Ven surveyed the scene with his electric blue eyes, "I don't think that girl's a culprit..."
"Nah, ya think?" Raynie jumped in while shooting a glare at the blonde, "That stupid queen always puts innocent people on trial here..."
"Then, shouldn't we go help her?" Rena tilted her head to the side as she glanced up at the hooded figure.
"Well, people from other worlds aren't supposed to meddle with things like this." Ven mused.
"No, it's called butting in!" snapped Raynie.
"Is not!"
Her eyes seemed to light up as Rena continued to watch the scene before them. Even if they weren't supposed to meddle in this sort of thing, she couldn't help but want to come and save the day.
However, when the hooded girl turned her gaze, the urge to jump in just became a lot stronger for the keyblader. The tomboy's eyes widened at the sight of their eyes. Underneath the shadow of her hood, she stared over at Rena and Rena couldn't stop from staring back. The urge to jump in became a lot stronger.
"Alright, alright!!" the queen retorted to the pint-sized king beside her, "The court finds the defendant guilty... for attempted assassination of her majesty!"
"Rena!" Ven jumped," Wait a se--!"
"OFF WITH HER HEAD!!"
"DON'T YOU DARE!" the childish voice snapped. No longer was she standing still, watching the action unfold, but was standing before the hooded girl on trial, who merely watched this specific scene unfold before herself.
"Another culprit!?" several card soldiers cried.
Rena frowned, though it looked more like a pout, while pointing her blue and silver keyblade straight up at the Queen of Hearts. The queen gave a snarl at the young girl.
"So..." the queen snarled, "I assume you're helping this child..."
"Uhhh..." paused the brunette, "...Yeah! Of course I am!"
"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!"
Rena jumped as the fat woman spat right in the tomboy's face, the queen's mouth wide as her head seem to grow larger in a cartoon-ish way.
"W-What!?" Rena shuddered, "You not gonna listen to why first?!"
"Of course not, dear child!" the queen barked, "Why, that would be against my wishes, and my wishes is that it's my trial and what I say goes!"
"...Huhhhhh?" Rena mumbled, rather densely at that. She blinked several times, "But that doesn't make any sense!"
"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!"
That was the queen's final verdict on this trial.
They came from everywhere. Pouring in a river with their thin bodies floating aimlessly like... well... cards. They wielded spears shaped to their according symbol and these were painted their according colour: black for aces, and red for spades. They waved their weapons vigorously as they pounced forwards, straight towards their prey.
The cloaked girl stood still, hood shadowed over their eyes and body facing the front of the pedestal. On the other hand, Rena turned herself around and launched forwards, standing behind the girl to face the oncoming wave of card soldiers.
The tomboy tightly gripped the handle of her key, knuckles turning white, while an uneasy frown formed on her face.
What was she thinking!? It was such an impulsive act. She didn't even know if it was worth it...
An ace led the pack. Number nine, specifically. It raised its spear high into the air, mouth wide as if to let out a silent battle cry. Rena positioned her keyblade high over her head, fingers curled around the top of sideways, crown-shaped blade.
Heart pounding. Anxiety rising. Lungs gasping for breath. This whole thing seemed terrifying. Facing an army? By yourself?
"Genius, kid!" the female's voice screamed. The soldiers came scattered up into the air at the appearance of the trio: Raynie, Ven, and Adyn!
Raynie merely glared at the tomboy on the stand as she punched another soldier. Ven shook his head, looking rather unhappy about the whole thing. Adyn, though, was off fighting with his scythe.
Rena's face turned red. She gave a nervous laugh.
"...S-Sorry..." she mumbled, her keyblade placed by her side.
"Sorry!?" Raynie snapped, eyes turning red, "That was stupid! Especially since you're not allowed to butt in on--"
"Meddle!" Ven growled, his two keyblades expertly twirling through one of the many soldiers.
"WHATEVER!"
Rena gulped, "I'm sorry! Really! But, I--"
"If you wanted to be the hero so badly, then go finish it!" Raynie snapped.
The tomboy scratched the side of her head, "Oh... kay..."
"NOW!!"
Giving a nervous jump, her hand latched onto the girl's own that limply stood by her side. The cloaked girl followed off on a run towards a dark hole in one of the tall hedges; one that seemed to go somewhere but here.
And the enigmatic adolescent simply leered.
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Hooray!!! New update!!! So, now they are in Wonderland. If they are anything like me, they are really going to hate that world. I can only take so much confusion at one time. So, who was the hooded girl on trial? Was she one of those mysterious Org. members? She definately sounded like one. Also, Aydn, based on your description, sounds a lot like a younger version of Xigbar, with the scratches and eyepatch. Anyway, great chapter again, and I look forward to your next update.
Wow, Ven actually managed to let Raynie do want he wanted (following the rabbit...)! That's rare^^ Really nice chapter, can't wait for more!
Aw man, I suck so much! >.<; Sorries for my lack of updates!
Thank yew guys for the comments! :3 Let's see...
Okies, new chapter time, and because I suck at updating and I'm also going out of town for a week, I'm giving you the rest of this chapter and all of the next one! This may take several posts. :| I hope you enjoy the chapters, though! :]
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Breathless. The two ran from the trial scene and into a wood; a big, strange wood, specifically.
The whole place was dark as trees and strange lilly pads on tall stems hovered above, while the trees made the place seem like a maze. The sky was very dark, so much you couldn't even tell it existed.
Rena came to a halt, hair brushing into her face a bit more than normal, and drew in quick breathes, her eyes wandering around aimlessly.
The enigmatic girl, however, was still quiet; and still.
Rena gave a grin.
"You should be safe here," she spoke while turning about, "Away from that stupid queen, I guess."
She stood still, motionless and stone-like. A shadow covered most of her face, only showing her static-line shaped frown.
The tomboy begun to wonder: why did she try to save her in the first place?
She turned around once more and found herself wandering forwards, as if waiting for something. The girl swung her arms side to side as she twisted herself slightly, her legs taking her off to who-knows-where.
Why did she try to save that girl? Rena frowned. Was it because she may not have deserved that trial? Or maybe she was familiar... Who knows?
"You wish to know why I'm distressed?" a voice whispered in the air. It was just loud enough for Rena to catch it.
"...Wow! You actually talk!" she grinned ecstatically, springing forwards back towards the enigma.
They merely frowned, "Do you not wish?"
"...Huh?" Rena blinked, "What'd ya mean?"
Their frown deepened, "Why did you save me?"
"Uhhh... I dunno..."
"Could it be because of the danger that comes with my rescue?"
"...What?"
Swift. A flash of silver. Steel. Sharp. Massive. Terrifying.
The girl twirled her hand. It had appeared from beneath that cloth. She twirled its handle. And it dove forwards.
A blade. A knife, specifically.
However, this knife was no ordinary knife. Perhaps it was a cleaver. And that thing was slashing straight forwards to its prey. That prey was the only person in this place: Rena.
"AH!" Rena impulsively screamed, lurching backwards as the cleaver aimed straight towards her arm, "What the heck!?"
The girl gave a cackle, "Deception is a funny thing, isn't it? One moment, you're a damsel in distress. The next, you're trying to rip someone to pieces!
"I desire blood and flesh, dear child! Shall you be my next victim?!" the girl let out a wicked laugh, a deadly grin widening on her shadowed face.
When the girl tempted to slash, this time there was something to block it. A flash of white light and swirls of darkness took the form of Rena's blue and silver keyblade. The insane enigma twirled her cleaver and tempted to cut downwards. The keyblade went up, Rena's free hand pressed against the level blade, and the two weapons clashed.
One of them would have to back down eventually, right? Rena didn't know how to get out of that, like everyone else seemed able to do...
Unfortunately, this wasn't the only one of her 'friends'.
The girl gave a giggle and soon it became a rhythm. Bashing against steel blade with the blunt side of the cleaver. Yet, it was almost like a drum.
Why did it sound like two beats?
Because the girl had two cleavers in her grasp, both of which seemed to be coming closer and closer up the steel pole; nearly to Rena!
Rena yelped and, at a loss of what to do next, she jumped backwards. Her keyblade came with her, as did the cleaver-wielding girl.
The girl spun her weapons expertly in her grasp, giving each a twirl then proceeding to slash down towards her prey. Yet, her prey kept on running. Dodging. Trying to get away from this insane enigma.
Why did she rescue her in the first place?!
The tomboy ran faster. Across the woods. Into round recesses. Through trees. She felt like a coward from her running, but what else was she supposed to do?
She glared down at her weapon as she ran, growling at it as she wished it would fight like it had before. Why wouldn't it do that again? Was it only at specific moments? This was a specific moment, one where she needed to not seem like a coward!
The cloaked girl choked. Falling backwards.
Rena stared, eyes wide, as she laid sprawled about on the ground. Was she being overdramatic, or...
"...Ah!" Rena exclaimed as she turned her head about, "Adyn!"
The black-haired teen stood over the girl, eyes bright with discontent. It pointed the blade of his scythe at the girl's neck. She merely cackled.
"I feast for that taste... I feast for that blood..." she whispered in a psychotic ramble. She licked her lips, "They look so tasty, after all. Especially that fat one sitting high upon her throne..."
She giggled, her eyes bright. She pet the soft dirt ground.
"Why is it so wrong to be hungry?"
A hiss. And a lurch.
Rena jumped backwards at the sight of it. Adyn, however, kept his place.
The girl had jumped to her feet, laughing hard and maniacally. "My mistress will be most unpleased with this!" she snapped with a wide grin.
A flicker of black flame. The girl was gone. No trace of her was left in this dim forest. Except her steel cleavers.
Adyn placed his scythe by his side. He felt like he should've said something about Rena running off, even if Raynie actually allowed it, but alas, he couldn't think of the right phrase. However...
"Shizuka?"
The boy raised a brow.
"Who?"
Rena's eyes were wide, as he had seen when he turned about. She looked terrified, or deep in thought with a scared look upon her face. Adyn frowned.
The waving of a hand before her eyes snapped Rena back into reality, only after giving her head a hard shake.
"Who's 'Shizuka'?" Adyn questioned again.
"Umm..." Rena frowned, her hands playing with the very end of her oversized, white t-shirt, "She was this girl from Cucio Bay. She spoke this language that lots of people said there, but I don't think she liked me...
"She wasn't crazy like that, but..." she paused, "That girl glared at me the exact same way..."
"Well..." Adyn gave a little shrug and leaned his head to the side a bit, "People can only have certain coloured eyes. Maybe that girl had the same coloured eyes as this 'Shizuka' girl you're talking about..."
Rena's eyes grew wide. Not with shock or surprise; she actually looked rather... boggled.
She blinked. Her face got just a bit brighter, "Wow... that sounds really smart, Adyn! I didn't know that!"
Yet, the boy wasn't nearly as astonished by the fact as Rena was. He looked more dumbfounded than anything.
"Everyone knows that sort of stuff..."
"Oh." the young girl gave a pause, "...Really?"
"Yeah..."
"But..."
Adyn's brow rose, curious to why the girl sounded so melancholy, but it only lowered a moment later. He realized Rena looked both perplexed and forlorn, perhaps even a bit concerned. The boy remained silent.
"What if it was her?" Rena begun, balling up the bottom of her t-shirt into her black-gloved hands nervously. She dug a hole in the dirt with her oversized, black shoe, "What if she's really crazy like that?"
What was he supposed to say to that? His expression was static, but his thoughts didn't echo the same feeling; he was actually rather concerned, maybe lost as well. This girl named 'Shizuka' didn't seem important to Rena, yet at the same time, she did. He didn't understand why that was, perhaps he would never understand, but he was at a loss of what to say.
He gulped. "Don't worry about it," he cautiously gave a wave of his hand, "If it really was 'Shizuka', then--"
Alas, forgetting is not always the remedy...
A chill. A pair ran down their spines. Their anxiety pushed to the edge. That voice chilled them to the very bone. The air suddenly grew rather icy...
An occult being. This thing, this cat, was beyond enigmatic. It was strange, it was odd, but it was that normal strange oddity. It was something deadlier. Something lethal.
It grinned with those yellow-stained teeth. Grinning the most mischievous grin. It swished its black and grey striped, fat tail back and forth, its body covered with the same dark and light stripes. It had beady yellow eyes, a pair that seemed to bare into you. It curled its little round paws over the edge of the lilly pad, as its eyes grew brighter.
This thing, whatever it was, didn't seem to belong to this strange place. Yet, at the same time, you knew this was its home.
Adyn suddenly grew defensively. Overly defensive.
He snapped, "What'd you--"
The black and grey cat gave a snarl, "Not you. I believe my words are meant for the curious one." It pointed its stubby little claw at the shorter figure, who's lowered stance straightened up.
"Me, right?" Rena queried, pointing her own index finger to herself.
A most mischievous, if not rather wicked, grin grew wide on the cat's face, "Do you not wish to know who that person was?"
She gave a gulp. "Yeah," shuddered the girl, "Of course I do!"
"A cat is always willing to lead a hand to the curious," that thing gave a chuckle, "Especially the Cheshire Cat."
'That can't be right.' Adyn raised a brow, his gaze scanning over the black and grey cat. No, it couldn't be right. At all.
"You sure you're that cat?" he questioned, the cat realizing that the black haired boy was now standing before the 'curious one'.
It gave a bit of a stutter, "Why, of course I am!"
Adyn frowned. Just a mere frown.
"Funny," he begun, giving a glare, "I thought you were supposed to be a bit more... quirky."
Adyn rolled his eyes from that point and gave a quick glance to Rena, before waving his hand towards the forest's exit.
"C'mon, Rena," he whispered, taking the first step forward out of there.
Rena took a quick double take, looking up at the cat then over at Adyn, "Uhh... okies!"
The two briskly made their way out of the forest. They would never dare to set their eyes on that occult cat again.
That cat didn't enjoy being ignored.
"Anyone want to explain to me as to why that stupid girl isn't here?!" Raynie snapped, her frown formed into a sour pout as she gave a nasty growl, "Please don't tell me I just bashed all of those stupid things on the head for nothin'!"
Adyn was the brave one. He was the first to speak; he was nervous enough to fiddle with his dark purple collar, though, "Well, we could... ya know... lie to you and make you happy, but--" Of course, just because his face wore a static expression didn't mean he wasn't the least bit sarcastic.
Raynie gave an intense growl, now at the point of fuming, "Tell the truth, dammit!!"
He begun with a sigh. "The girl was insane, tried to attack Rena with butcher knifes, and then started talking about eating people before she disappeared."
"Oh," Raynie gave a pause, a rather calm pause, "So, bonking cards on the head was for nothing.
"...BRAT!!"
"I'm sorry!" Rena gulped, her eyes peering from behind Adyn, "I really am!!"
"When we get out of this stupid place, you'll be damn sure you'll get a damn leash around your neck!" Raynie snarled, charging forwards towards the hiding girl.
Rena only buried her face into Adyn's shirt in attempt to hide away, "I'm sorry!"
"Raynie, cut it out!" the voice of reason stepped in, though he couldn't help but give a frustrated sigh. Ven folded his arms after his two keys disappeared and stood behind Raynie, surveying the scene that seemed to be created out of nothing in just a few seconds.
"What!?" the angry teen protested, "We just did all of that for NOTHING!"
"You don't have to go around trying to choke anyone just because of it!" Ven furrowed his brow.
Raynie couldn't seem to muster up anything else to say. She wanted to protest, oh so badly, but that would just have them standing there for hours more. She merely gave a growl, and demanded what she had wanted in the first place.
"ALRIGHT!" she huffed with annoyance, "We're getting out of here right now!
"Go find that damn keyhole, blondie!"
Ven raised a brow, "How? I don't know where the thing is..."
"THEN START LOOKING FOR THE DAMN THING!" Raynie retorted angrily. Ven was rather taken aback when he found himself being shoved back towards the Bizarre Room's entrance, all thanks to the hands of a very annoyed Raynie.
"Okay, okay!" Ven protested abruptly, "Don't be so pushy!"
"Oh, I'll be pushy alright..."
Ven's face had suddenly turned bright red, "H-Hey! Cut it out!"
"C'mon you two!" Raynie quickly exclaimed, "'specially you, brat!"
Rena gave a bit of a yelp when Raynie eyed her with a ferocious glare, "Ahh... kay!"
She gave a gulp, "C'mon, Adyn..."
"It's gotta be around here somewhere..." the teenaged girl huffed between glances.
Back into the Bizarre Room. The quant, even quirky, room that was brightly coloured and, being in the middle of a dark, upside-down corridor and a courtyard, its appearance didn't make any sense.
"How'd you expect us to find it?" his eyes glancing around, Ven managed to muster up a query, "It's not like there's some weird keyhole detector or anything..."
A keyhole detector? No, that sort of thing didn't exist. That sort of thing would never, ever exist. Raynie glared at Ven and his thought, believing it was too stupid to even giving the thought to reply to a comment like that.
Yet, at the same time, it could work. Maybe a keyhole detector did exist!
"Of course there is!" Raynie exclaimed, after having cursed herself for her doubt. She gave a grin.
"Rena, where's your keyblade?"
"Uhhh..."
The tomboy had been standing there in the room behind Raynie and Ven, with Adyn standing quietly right behind her. And she hoped that silence would make it seem like neither of them existed; hopefully, that would keep Raynie from shifting any attention on either of them. But, alas, it didn't.
"Hiding," Rena nodded with her hands behind her back.
"Keyblades can't hide!" snapped Raynie, "Where's the damn thing?"
"Sure it can!" Rena gave a grin. But her voice soon lowered into a mutter, her eyes turning off to the side, "It's probably hiding from you..."
"IT BETTER NOT BE, DAMMIT!"
"It won't come out if you keep on yelling about it!"
"It's an inanimate object, kid! It can't hide!"
"How'd you know that?"
"Just call the thing! Grab it, find it, whatever, but just get it here!"
"No!" The tomboy had given a protest, this being shown through her tongue sticking out immaturely at Raynie.
Raynie gave a deep growl at the immature act, "BRAT!"
Once again, he had to be the voice of reason. Ven gave a groan at the thought of having to step in once more between the two of them.
"Rena, just give her your keyblade so we can get out of here..." Ven groaned, rubbing his temples with his hand.
"Why should I?" she questioned behind a pout and crossed arms, "She keeps on yelling about him..."
"Oh," Raynie raised a brow, "so it has a gender now..."
"Yeah! He says he has a name, too! I just call him... um..."
Immaturity again? Raynie rolled her eyes, "Just give 'whatshisname' to me, so we can leave this creepy place..."
I do not believe an escape is a possibility in this world.
"What the..."
A voice ran through the air, chilling you to the very bone, and slithered through your thoughts. It had a sharp bite to it.
However, that didn't mean the 'creepy voice' didn't have a body to go with it.
"Oh!" Rena exclaimed. The sight of a familiar figure seemed to startle her a bit.
The cat had reappeared, now sitting high on the table above, and it looked almost as if it had been watching their idle chatter. It soon found itself floating softly down to the floor below, sitting amongst the tall figures.
Rena gave a hesitant grin, "Hiya, Mr. Kitty--"
The creature let out a hiss. A low, rumbling hiss. It was no longer on its four feet; it was floating.
It begun to slough this appearance. Its perfectly striped fur was no longer 'perfect', but razor sharp and tattered. Its yellow-stained teeth unsheathed themselves, revealing long, deadly fangs, and a hiss emitted from its throat. It retained those beady eyes, but they only seemed more violent. Those perfect round paws revealed long, piercing claws. Its tail seemed to become a knife. And its voice? It hissed with such a demonic tone.
"Okay... that is freaky," Raynie's eyes grew wide at the sight, as did the three others nearby.
Ven stared at the sight in between them all. An evil cat? A talking one, no less? He never heard of such a thing!
"Whoa..."
Do not tempt to anger the Cheshire Cat, the creature hissed, for a cowardice flight would bring this place to ruin.
"Yeah," Raynie gave a nod of her head, "You were cuter last time I saw you... and not nearly as serious..."
Its eyes gained a glint of monstrous light in its sight. It twirled about aimlessly, floating high above their heads. It lowered its head down to Raynie, eyes glimmering, and gave a low hiss to the teen.
"Hey! What'd I do!?"
I fear annihilation is before this company...
A snap of those stubby little cat fingers. It's scary what just a snap can do.
The room suddenly became much darker.
The windows disappeared, leaving just an empty wall where the cat once stood. The open spot that lead to the courtyard slammed shut, disappearing from sight altogether. You could see the gigantic door disappear, too, so that meant no escape to that corridor; even though it wouldn't matter because they were so tiny.
A hole on a fireplace had disappeared and the doorknob soon just became a doorknob sleeping on a wall.
And a little flame came on overhead. On a candle that the cat now stood beside, its pupils transforming into little black slits. It snapped its stubby fingers once more.
And the shadows wish to come present this annihilation...
A small black dot had appeared right in the middle of the floor. A dormant, useless dot.
It grew. So much, so fast.
It gained a pair of legs, it gained a pair of arms, and it gained a body, too! The arms folded out like repeatedly folded strips of paper. Its legs looked like two red and two black poles held together by a purple screw in the middle of its leg, the whole thing scrunching up when it walked, and its feet were two curvy boot-like shapes. Its head many faces, at least 5 blocks on top of each other that were staring helpless down at the group watching from the floor. It carried two large, curved torches for hands, its black pointed fingers curled around each handle, and had a malicious glint in each of its yellow eyes. It almost looked like a toy of sorts.
Yet, something was different. The colours on it were unsaturated; where colours like red and purple were now nearly grey and lifeless. And it seemed to be eroding away by grotesque brown spots all over its body. Its mouthes seemed to be oozing out some strange black liquid, a lifeless, helpless stare in all of those eyes, and everything on its main body was pointed in a malevolent way. And, the final touch? A heart was stabbed through its main body, with two lines stabbed behind the picture of the heart; this too seemed to ooze a thick, black liquid. This thing was vile.
It was like a puppet. Those faces revealed this. It did whatever its master wished. And its master wished for only one thing. The creature begun to twirl its torches as black flames lit up inside, even though it simply hung its head down aimlessly.
The cat hissed one final statement, eyes mad with malicious, and it gave a sadistic grin.
No one shall escape this world in existence!
Thank yew guys for the comments! :3 Let's see...
Yup, even though they don't really talk about it that much, they really hate that world. (especially raynie... who's been there before. FORESHADOWING? :O I think?) That hooded girl is definitely not an Organization member either (you'll see in this chapter!) and Adyn actually isn't that much like Xigbar. xD; They seem like polar opposites to me. I need to give him a better description, too... *___*;;
Yup, that's seriously rare! xD;
Okies, new chapter time, and because I suck at updating and I'm also going out of town for a week, I'm giving you the rest of this chapter and all of the next one! This may take several posts. :| I hope you enjoy the chapters, though! :]
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Breathless. The two ran from the trial scene and into a wood; a big, strange wood, specifically.
The whole place was dark as trees and strange lilly pads on tall stems hovered above, while the trees made the place seem like a maze. The sky was very dark, so much you couldn't even tell it existed.
Rena came to a halt, hair brushing into her face a bit more than normal, and drew in quick breathes, her eyes wandering around aimlessly.
The enigmatic girl, however, was still quiet; and still.
Rena gave a grin.
"You should be safe here," she spoke while turning about, "Away from that stupid queen, I guess."
She stood still, motionless and stone-like. A shadow covered most of her face, only showing her static-line shaped frown.
The tomboy begun to wonder: why did she try to save her in the first place?
She turned around once more and found herself wandering forwards, as if waiting for something. The girl swung her arms side to side as she twisted herself slightly, her legs taking her off to who-knows-where.
Why did she try to save that girl? Rena frowned. Was it because she may not have deserved that trial? Or maybe she was familiar... Who knows?
"You wish to know why I'm distressed?" a voice whispered in the air. It was just loud enough for Rena to catch it.
"...Wow! You actually talk!" she grinned ecstatically, springing forwards back towards the enigma.
They merely frowned, "Do you not wish?"
"...Huh?" Rena blinked, "What'd ya mean?"
Their frown deepened, "Why did you save me?"
"Uhhh... I dunno..."
"Could it be because of the danger that comes with my rescue?"
"...What?"
Swift. A flash of silver. Steel. Sharp. Massive. Terrifying.
The girl twirled her hand. It had appeared from beneath that cloth. She twirled its handle. And it dove forwards.
A blade. A knife, specifically.
However, this knife was no ordinary knife. Perhaps it was a cleaver. And that thing was slashing straight forwards to its prey. That prey was the only person in this place: Rena.
"AH!" Rena impulsively screamed, lurching backwards as the cleaver aimed straight towards her arm, "What the heck!?"
The girl gave a cackle, "Deception is a funny thing, isn't it? One moment, you're a damsel in distress. The next, you're trying to rip someone to pieces!
"I desire blood and flesh, dear child! Shall you be my next victim?!" the girl let out a wicked laugh, a deadly grin widening on her shadowed face.
When the girl tempted to slash, this time there was something to block it. A flash of white light and swirls of darkness took the form of Rena's blue and silver keyblade. The insane enigma twirled her cleaver and tempted to cut downwards. The keyblade went up, Rena's free hand pressed against the level blade, and the two weapons clashed.
One of them would have to back down eventually, right? Rena didn't know how to get out of that, like everyone else seemed able to do...
Unfortunately, this wasn't the only one of her 'friends'.
The girl gave a giggle and soon it became a rhythm. Bashing against steel blade with the blunt side of the cleaver. Yet, it was almost like a drum.
Why did it sound like two beats?
Because the girl had two cleavers in her grasp, both of which seemed to be coming closer and closer up the steel pole; nearly to Rena!
Rena yelped and, at a loss of what to do next, she jumped backwards. Her keyblade came with her, as did the cleaver-wielding girl.
The girl spun her weapons expertly in her grasp, giving each a twirl then proceeding to slash down towards her prey. Yet, her prey kept on running. Dodging. Trying to get away from this insane enigma.
Why did she rescue her in the first place?!
The tomboy ran faster. Across the woods. Into round recesses. Through trees. She felt like a coward from her running, but what else was she supposed to do?
She glared down at her weapon as she ran, growling at it as she wished it would fight like it had before. Why wouldn't it do that again? Was it only at specific moments? This was a specific moment, one where she needed to not seem like a coward!
The cloaked girl choked. Falling backwards.
Rena stared, eyes wide, as she laid sprawled about on the ground. Was she being overdramatic, or...
"...Ah!" Rena exclaimed as she turned her head about, "Adyn!"
The black-haired teen stood over the girl, eyes bright with discontent. It pointed the blade of his scythe at the girl's neck. She merely cackled.
"I feast for that taste... I feast for that blood..." she whispered in a psychotic ramble. She licked her lips, "They look so tasty, after all. Especially that fat one sitting high upon her throne..."
She giggled, her eyes bright. She pet the soft dirt ground.
"Why is it so wrong to be hungry?"
A hiss. And a lurch.
Rena jumped backwards at the sight of it. Adyn, however, kept his place.
The girl had jumped to her feet, laughing hard and maniacally. "My mistress will be most unpleased with this!" she snapped with a wide grin.
A flicker of black flame. The girl was gone. No trace of her was left in this dim forest. Except her steel cleavers.
Adyn placed his scythe by his side. He felt like he should've said something about Rena running off, even if Raynie actually allowed it, but alas, he couldn't think of the right phrase. However...
"Shizuka?"
The boy raised a brow.
"Who?"
Rena's eyes were wide, as he had seen when he turned about. She looked terrified, or deep in thought with a scared look upon her face. Adyn frowned.
The waving of a hand before her eyes snapped Rena back into reality, only after giving her head a hard shake.
"Who's 'Shizuka'?" Adyn questioned again.
"Umm..." Rena frowned, her hands playing with the very end of her oversized, white t-shirt, "She was this girl from Cucio Bay. She spoke this language that lots of people said there, but I don't think she liked me...
"She wasn't crazy like that, but..." she paused, "That girl glared at me the exact same way..."
"Well..." Adyn gave a little shrug and leaned his head to the side a bit, "People can only have certain coloured eyes. Maybe that girl had the same coloured eyes as this 'Shizuka' girl you're talking about..."
Rena's eyes grew wide. Not with shock or surprise; she actually looked rather... boggled.
She blinked. Her face got just a bit brighter, "Wow... that sounds really smart, Adyn! I didn't know that!"
Yet, the boy wasn't nearly as astonished by the fact as Rena was. He looked more dumbfounded than anything.
"Everyone knows that sort of stuff..."
"Oh." the young girl gave a pause, "...Really?"
"Yeah..."
"But..."
Adyn's brow rose, curious to why the girl sounded so melancholy, but it only lowered a moment later. He realized Rena looked both perplexed and forlorn, perhaps even a bit concerned. The boy remained silent.
"What if it was her?" Rena begun, balling up the bottom of her t-shirt into her black-gloved hands nervously. She dug a hole in the dirt with her oversized, black shoe, "What if she's really crazy like that?"
What was he supposed to say to that? His expression was static, but his thoughts didn't echo the same feeling; he was actually rather concerned, maybe lost as well. This girl named 'Shizuka' didn't seem important to Rena, yet at the same time, she did. He didn't understand why that was, perhaps he would never understand, but he was at a loss of what to say.
He gulped. "Don't worry about it," he cautiously gave a wave of his hand, "If it really was 'Shizuka', then--"
Alas, forgetting is not always the remedy...
A chill. A pair ran down their spines. Their anxiety pushed to the edge. That voice chilled them to the very bone. The air suddenly grew rather icy...
An occult being. This thing, this cat, was beyond enigmatic. It was strange, it was odd, but it was that normal strange oddity. It was something deadlier. Something lethal.
It grinned with those yellow-stained teeth. Grinning the most mischievous grin. It swished its black and grey striped, fat tail back and forth, its body covered with the same dark and light stripes. It had beady yellow eyes, a pair that seemed to bare into you. It curled its little round paws over the edge of the lilly pad, as its eyes grew brighter.
This thing, whatever it was, didn't seem to belong to this strange place. Yet, at the same time, you knew this was its home.
Adyn suddenly grew defensively. Overly defensive.
He snapped, "What'd you--"
The black and grey cat gave a snarl, "Not you. I believe my words are meant for the curious one." It pointed its stubby little claw at the shorter figure, who's lowered stance straightened up.
"Me, right?" Rena queried, pointing her own index finger to herself.
A most mischievous, if not rather wicked, grin grew wide on the cat's face, "Do you not wish to know who that person was?"
She gave a gulp. "Yeah," shuddered the girl, "Of course I do!"
"A cat is always willing to lead a hand to the curious," that thing gave a chuckle, "Especially the Cheshire Cat."
'That can't be right.' Adyn raised a brow, his gaze scanning over the black and grey cat. No, it couldn't be right. At all.
"You sure you're that cat?" he questioned, the cat realizing that the black haired boy was now standing before the 'curious one'.
It gave a bit of a stutter, "Why, of course I am!"
Adyn frowned. Just a mere frown.
"Funny," he begun, giving a glare, "I thought you were supposed to be a bit more... quirky."
Adyn rolled his eyes from that point and gave a quick glance to Rena, before waving his hand towards the forest's exit.
"C'mon, Rena," he whispered, taking the first step forward out of there.
Rena took a quick double take, looking up at the cat then over at Adyn, "Uhh... okies!"
The two briskly made their way out of the forest. They would never dare to set their eyes on that occult cat again.
That cat didn't enjoy being ignored.
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"Anyone want to explain to me as to why that stupid girl isn't here?!" Raynie snapped, her frown formed into a sour pout as she gave a nasty growl, "Please don't tell me I just bashed all of those stupid things on the head for nothin'!"
Adyn was the brave one. He was the first to speak; he was nervous enough to fiddle with his dark purple collar, though, "Well, we could... ya know... lie to you and make you happy, but--" Of course, just because his face wore a static expression didn't mean he wasn't the least bit sarcastic.
Raynie gave an intense growl, now at the point of fuming, "Tell the truth, dammit!!"
He begun with a sigh. "The girl was insane, tried to attack Rena with butcher knifes, and then started talking about eating people before she disappeared."
"Oh," Raynie gave a pause, a rather calm pause, "So, bonking cards on the head was for nothing.
"...BRAT!!"
"I'm sorry!" Rena gulped, her eyes peering from behind Adyn, "I really am!!"
"When we get out of this stupid place, you'll be damn sure you'll get a damn leash around your neck!" Raynie snarled, charging forwards towards the hiding girl.
Rena only buried her face into Adyn's shirt in attempt to hide away, "I'm sorry!"
"Raynie, cut it out!" the voice of reason stepped in, though he couldn't help but give a frustrated sigh. Ven folded his arms after his two keys disappeared and stood behind Raynie, surveying the scene that seemed to be created out of nothing in just a few seconds.
"What!?" the angry teen protested, "We just did all of that for NOTHING!"
"You don't have to go around trying to choke anyone just because of it!" Ven furrowed his brow.
Raynie couldn't seem to muster up anything else to say. She wanted to protest, oh so badly, but that would just have them standing there for hours more. She merely gave a growl, and demanded what she had wanted in the first place.
"ALRIGHT!" she huffed with annoyance, "We're getting out of here right now!
"Go find that damn keyhole, blondie!"
Ven raised a brow, "How? I don't know where the thing is..."
"THEN START LOOKING FOR THE DAMN THING!" Raynie retorted angrily. Ven was rather taken aback when he found himself being shoved back towards the Bizarre Room's entrance, all thanks to the hands of a very annoyed Raynie.
"Okay, okay!" Ven protested abruptly, "Don't be so pushy!"
"Oh, I'll be pushy alright..."
Ven's face had suddenly turned bright red, "H-Hey! Cut it out!"
"C'mon you two!" Raynie quickly exclaimed, "'specially you, brat!"
Rena gave a bit of a yelp when Raynie eyed her with a ferocious glare, "Ahh... kay!"
She gave a gulp, "C'mon, Adyn..."
--------
"It's gotta be around here somewhere..." the teenaged girl huffed between glances.
Back into the Bizarre Room. The quant, even quirky, room that was brightly coloured and, being in the middle of a dark, upside-down corridor and a courtyard, its appearance didn't make any sense.
"How'd you expect us to find it?" his eyes glancing around, Ven managed to muster up a query, "It's not like there's some weird keyhole detector or anything..."
A keyhole detector? No, that sort of thing didn't exist. That sort of thing would never, ever exist. Raynie glared at Ven and his thought, believing it was too stupid to even giving the thought to reply to a comment like that.
Yet, at the same time, it could work. Maybe a keyhole detector did exist!
"Of course there is!" Raynie exclaimed, after having cursed herself for her doubt. She gave a grin.
"Rena, where's your keyblade?"
"Uhhh..."
The tomboy had been standing there in the room behind Raynie and Ven, with Adyn standing quietly right behind her. And she hoped that silence would make it seem like neither of them existed; hopefully, that would keep Raynie from shifting any attention on either of them. But, alas, it didn't.
"Hiding," Rena nodded with her hands behind her back.
"Keyblades can't hide!" snapped Raynie, "Where's the damn thing?"
"Sure it can!" Rena gave a grin. But her voice soon lowered into a mutter, her eyes turning off to the side, "It's probably hiding from you..."
"IT BETTER NOT BE, DAMMIT!"
"It won't come out if you keep on yelling about it!"
"It's an inanimate object, kid! It can't hide!"
"How'd you know that?"
"Just call the thing! Grab it, find it, whatever, but just get it here!"
"No!" The tomboy had given a protest, this being shown through her tongue sticking out immaturely at Raynie.
Raynie gave a deep growl at the immature act, "BRAT!"
Once again, he had to be the voice of reason. Ven gave a groan at the thought of having to step in once more between the two of them.
"Rena, just give her your keyblade so we can get out of here..." Ven groaned, rubbing his temples with his hand.
"Why should I?" she questioned behind a pout and crossed arms, "She keeps on yelling about him..."
"Oh," Raynie raised a brow, "so it has a gender now..."
"Yeah! He says he has a name, too! I just call him... um..."
Immaturity again? Raynie rolled her eyes, "Just give 'whatshisname' to me, so we can leave this creepy place..."
I do not believe an escape is a possibility in this world.
"What the..."
A voice ran through the air, chilling you to the very bone, and slithered through your thoughts. It had a sharp bite to it.
However, that didn't mean the 'creepy voice' didn't have a body to go with it.
"Oh!" Rena exclaimed. The sight of a familiar figure seemed to startle her a bit.
The cat had reappeared, now sitting high on the table above, and it looked almost as if it had been watching their idle chatter. It soon found itself floating softly down to the floor below, sitting amongst the tall figures.
Rena gave a hesitant grin, "Hiya, Mr. Kitty--"
The creature let out a hiss. A low, rumbling hiss. It was no longer on its four feet; it was floating.
It begun to slough this appearance. Its perfectly striped fur was no longer 'perfect', but razor sharp and tattered. Its yellow-stained teeth unsheathed themselves, revealing long, deadly fangs, and a hiss emitted from its throat. It retained those beady eyes, but they only seemed more violent. Those perfect round paws revealed long, piercing claws. Its tail seemed to become a knife. And its voice? It hissed with such a demonic tone.
"Okay... that is freaky," Raynie's eyes grew wide at the sight, as did the three others nearby.
Ven stared at the sight in between them all. An evil cat? A talking one, no less? He never heard of such a thing!
"Whoa..."
Do not tempt to anger the Cheshire Cat, the creature hissed, for a cowardice flight would bring this place to ruin.
"Yeah," Raynie gave a nod of her head, "You were cuter last time I saw you... and not nearly as serious..."
Its eyes gained a glint of monstrous light in its sight. It twirled about aimlessly, floating high above their heads. It lowered its head down to Raynie, eyes glimmering, and gave a low hiss to the teen.
"Hey! What'd I do!?"
I fear annihilation is before this company...
A snap of those stubby little cat fingers. It's scary what just a snap can do.
The room suddenly became much darker.
The windows disappeared, leaving just an empty wall where the cat once stood. The open spot that lead to the courtyard slammed shut, disappearing from sight altogether. You could see the gigantic door disappear, too, so that meant no escape to that corridor; even though it wouldn't matter because they were so tiny.
A hole on a fireplace had disappeared and the doorknob soon just became a doorknob sleeping on a wall.
And a little flame came on overhead. On a candle that the cat now stood beside, its pupils transforming into little black slits. It snapped its stubby fingers once more.
And the shadows wish to come present this annihilation...
A small black dot had appeared right in the middle of the floor. A dormant, useless dot.
It grew. So much, so fast.
It gained a pair of legs, it gained a pair of arms, and it gained a body, too! The arms folded out like repeatedly folded strips of paper. Its legs looked like two red and two black poles held together by a purple screw in the middle of its leg, the whole thing scrunching up when it walked, and its feet were two curvy boot-like shapes. Its head many faces, at least 5 blocks on top of each other that were staring helpless down at the group watching from the floor. It carried two large, curved torches for hands, its black pointed fingers curled around each handle, and had a malicious glint in each of its yellow eyes. It almost looked like a toy of sorts.
Yet, something was different. The colours on it were unsaturated; where colours like red and purple were now nearly grey and lifeless. And it seemed to be eroding away by grotesque brown spots all over its body. Its mouthes seemed to be oozing out some strange black liquid, a lifeless, helpless stare in all of those eyes, and everything on its main body was pointed in a malevolent way. And, the final touch? A heart was stabbed through its main body, with two lines stabbed behind the picture of the heart; this too seemed to ooze a thick, black liquid. This thing was vile.
It was like a puppet. Those faces revealed this. It did whatever its master wished. And its master wished for only one thing. The creature begun to twirl its torches as black flames lit up inside, even though it simply hung its head down aimlessly.
The cat hissed one final statement, eyes mad with malicious, and it gave a sadistic grin.
No one shall escape this world in existence!
008 + 1000% SPARKING!
No one shall escape this world in existence!
Those words stung their skin, whether it was deeply darkened, sickly pale, or peach-toned. It stung them all, burying deep within their skin. Their eyes, the three blues and the one golden, stared up wide at the creature before them as it twirled those gigantic torches about.
The creature itself was eroding away. Its mouths drooled black. That, however, didn't halt the earth's shake.
That creature, that thing, slammed those black, boxy torches into the ground, its black fingers curled around the handles. The group fell back, defenseless, and stumbled to their feet.
"We need to get out of here," Ven choked, sounding shaken.
Though shaken as well, Raynie cracked a sarcastic comment, "No, really, blondie?"
The boy shot a glare at her. Yet, he couldn't help but give a frustrated grumble.
"C'mon," he waved his hand, "I know a way out, but all of you have to close your eyes."
Raynie folded her arms, "Not this again..."
"Shut it!" Ven's voice lowered, his eyes nervously gazing up to the cat hanging from the ceiling, "Just close your eyes, cover them with your hands, and--
"Agh!"
A massive choke. As if the boy had been strangled.
He felt himself being thrown backwards. His arms covered in burns. He could only cringe at the sight.
"Ven!" exclaimed Rena, eyes wide.
"I'm okay," the boy choked, "I promise..."
You couldn't see Ven just by simply glancing over at him. He was caged, in black fire to be precise. The flames nearly licked his nose, yet burned his arms deeply. All that over a little attempted escape? Apparently, this angered the creature leering overhead.
Raynie gave a grumble, pulling on her black leather gloves, "Guess we're just gonna have to beat this damn thing..."
"Raynie!" Ven stated with a cringe, "Just don't let Rena defeat the thing, okay?"
She raised a brow, "Why?"
"Remember the whole thing about hearts?"
"Yeah, of course I do! Phft. If you're so worried about that, then I'll make sure the kid doesn't hit it last. But, I don't see how that's a bad thing..."
"Just go fight!" snapped the en-caged boy.
"Okay okay! ...Pushy.
"C'mon kid! Goth boy!" Raynie exclaimed with a wave of her hand.
Rena gave a gulp, her eyes taking a quick glance over to Ven, "O-Okay!"
Raynie pulled her fists together, Adyn's scythe appeared within his grasp, and light with swirls of darkness formed a keyblade within Rena's grasp.
"Let's go, you two!" Raynie gave an exclaim once more, a grin formed wide on her face. They sprung forwards.
The battle begun with the torches slamming into the ground. The Vile Trickster gave the quirky, eeriest laugh, multiple ones at that. Raynie swerved to the side, jumping into the air and slamming a fist into the creature's torso. Adyn flew into the air, swirling his scythe to slash away at the torso as well.
The creature stood up straight. It begun to stomp away with its feet, trying to crush the fighters below.
"Pneumatic Rush!"
Glowing green orbs mixed together into a mad rush of water, twisting and turning. It slammed into the Heartless. The Trickster let out a wild, pain filled screech. Adyn jumped up onto the white table standing overheard, with the help of the chair, and flew into the air once more. He slashed away at the Trickster, whom merely slammed one of the torches into Adyn's chest. The boy let out a cringe and fell to the ground.
The Trickster attacked Raynie by blowing black fire onto the fighter, who was forced to retaliate backwards. Rena hesitantly jumped up onto the same table and jumped into the air, slamming her keyblade into the straightened creature's torso. Adyn followed behind Rena, after he stumbled to his feet. He jumped off of the table once more. However, he aimed upwards and gave a slash deep across the Trickster's tall, strange head.
Raynie opened up a pocket on her belt, pulling out a strange, green orb, and pointed it upwards.
"Blizzard!"
A spiral escaped from within the orb. It was made of snow, swirling and twirling together with snowflakes. It slammed into the Trickster. The creature let out a monstrous screech, especially when the flames from its torches disappeared. Raynie gave a grin as the monster doubled over.
Rena landed flat on the ground and twirled her keyblade around over her hand. The key quickly went flying through the air, as if it were a giant ninja star, and slashed through the creature's center. Raynie jumped high into the air and slammed her fists in a flurry into the beast's trunk.
Yet, the Trickster quickly pulled itself to its feet, torches re-lit and ready to attack once more. It brought the two torches up to its head and black fire quickly escaped from the rectangular cage, engulfing the room in quick flames. But, it had another little 'pest' to worry about now.
Ven! He escaped from the fire-y cage and charged forwards. Jumping high into the air with both keys in his grasp, a pair of huge, deep slashes cut across the Trickster's body, resulting in a high screech from the monster.
"Oy! Blondie!" Raynie exclaimed, now grasping another green sphere. A green light eclipsed the orb and her grasp, before she tossed the light over to Ven at the command 'Full Heal!'. Ven merely watched as the burns around his arms and across his stomach disappeared; though he was pretty amazed, he only gave a quick little nod to Raynie as a thanks.
At the sight of Ven, Rena jumped up onto the chair, then onto the table. She flew off with a kick of her foot, and tempted to slash expertly at the creature's chest. Adyn jumped onto the table as well and a deep slash cut across as he slammed his scythe into the Trickster's torso.
Unfortunately, the Trickster spun around and slammed its torches into Adyn once more, whom stumbled to his feet as he hit the ground. Raynie let out a curse, something about 'stop using up all of my materia!', and a green light eclipsed Adyn as he brushed himself off.
"Heal!" Raynie exclaimed, the green light sinking deep into Adyn's pale skin. He too gave a nod as a thanks, while Raynie just let out a grumble.
Ven spun his keyblades around in his grasp, both of the blades pointing forwards rather than behind him. He glanced at the one in his left hand, feeling in a tingle in his fingers. Expertly, the key in his right hand disappeared. The one in the left was now grasped in both hands. He pointed the point up to the creature, taking in a deep breath.
"Light!"
It started out as a beam of light, a tiny, insignificant beam that came out of the tip of his weapon. It pointed straight at the creature's upper body, who seemed taken aback at the sight of the beam. Then, it became a full blown blast of light, engulfing the whole room and the creature itself.
When the light finally cleared, it screamed. Screamed loud, hard, wild, and in torment. All of the little mouths and eyes on the head lit up, opened wide, and screeched. A hole formed in the middle of its chest, disintegrating the poor creature down to nothing.
The darkness unsheathed its grasp on a red heart that escaped into the ceiling, soon disappearing into nothing.
"Aw right, blondie!" Raynie triumphantly exclaimed.
Ven could only seemed to hold his head, his legs wobbling as he swayed, "Y-Yeah..."
"You okay?"
"'course..."
Raynie gave a grumble, "You don't look okay..."
"No," Ven bend his knees and dung his feet into the ground, removing his hand from his face, "I'm alright. I promise." He gave a smile. He started up at the ceiling, his eyes narrowing with concern.
"But that heart..."
"What was THAT!?" A shocked voice intervened, sounding quite alarmed.
Rena blinked as she saw the doorknob wake up, now on a door, "That? It's a creepy H--"
"Quiet!" Ven pulled a hand over Rena's mouth, reducing his voice to a whisper, "You're meddling if you tell hi--"
"Or butting in..." Raynie folded her arms, giving a sly grin.
"Whatever!"
"Damn fools!" a voice hissed.
The creepy, evil cat had jumped down from its post on the ceiling next to the lamp, curling its paws and arching its back as it stood upon the table. It hissed viciously at the group.
"The thoughtless rise is beginning!"
"Would someone tell me what is going on here!?" the doorknob stared around with wide eyes.
"Well," Raynie begun, "there was this creepy Heartless, ya see, and--"
"Raynie! Shut up!" snapped Ven.
"What!? It asked what was going on!"
"Yeah, but you're meddling!"
"So what?
"You're not allowed to meddle in that sort of stuff!"
"Whatever!" Raynie simply rolled her eyes, "It's not like it's going to know what any of the stuff is!"
Ven could only muster a deep, low growl. Yet, on the other hand, Raynie merely stared up the table, a curious expression formed on her dark-toned face.
"Umm... blondie? Where'd that cat go?"
"Huh?"
The boy turned about. He narrowed his eyes at the sight. The table was vacant. There was nothing there. Nothing strange, anyways.
The room had returned to its normal self, the doors and windows returned as well as those little bottles atop the table. However, that seemed to include that no strange cat was hanging about.
"I dunno..." Ven's mouth curled into a frown, a pensive one at that.
"Wow, you look sleepy, Mr. Doorknob..." Rena cocked her head to the side, deep blue eyes full of curiosity.
"Of course I am, you nitwit!" the object protested, "I just woke up from a nap!"
Ven grumbled. He stood before the doorknob, bending down to look straight at it, "I'm sorry about all of that noise. We had a little thing to take care of..."
The doorknob merely pointed its bulbous nose into the air, yet its eyes showed that it was rather drowsy still, "Oh, nevermind that... I believe I should return to..." it gave a yawn, "my... nap..."
Yet, Ven couldn't help but blink. Something curious indeed.
"Uhh... hey, doorknob?"
The doorknob sleeply rolled up its eyelids, "What?"
"Can you open your mouth a little bit wider for me?"
"Why should I do any sort of... that..." It gave a yawn once more.
Ven quickly tapped Rena on the arm, "Rena! Quick!"
"Huh?" Rena shook her head, "...OH! Keyhole!"
"...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Raynie screamed, eyes wide as her mouth nearly fumbled at a loss of what to say or do.
"Shh!" Ven snapped, "You're gonna wake him up!"
"I'LL WAKE HIM UP IF I WANT TO, DAMMIT!"
"Raynie!" Rena put her index finger over her mouth, as if telling her to 'shush', "Be quiet!"
"Oh! So the kid is bossing me around now!" Raynie let out an intense grumble and begun to vigorously rub her temples, "I can't believe that stupid little thing was here, of all places, in the first place..."
Rena ignored Raynie's annoyed comment. The tomboy jumped to her feet and pointed the weapon straight at the doorknob's mouth when it opened wide to yawn once more. The wind kicked up, swirling around the keyblader, and a beam of light shot out of the tip of the weapon. A locking sound was heard throughout the world, just as the doorknob sleepily closed its mouth once more.
"Erghhhhh!" Raynie growled purely with annoyance, "Can we please just leave now!?"
"Yeah!" Ven grinned triumphantly, "We can!"
No one shall escape this world in existence!
Those words stung their skin, whether it was deeply darkened, sickly pale, or peach-toned. It stung them all, burying deep within their skin. Their eyes, the three blues and the one golden, stared up wide at the creature before them as it twirled those gigantic torches about.
The creature itself was eroding away. Its mouths drooled black. That, however, didn't halt the earth's shake.
That creature, that thing, slammed those black, boxy torches into the ground, its black fingers curled around the handles. The group fell back, defenseless, and stumbled to their feet.
"We need to get out of here," Ven choked, sounding shaken.
Though shaken as well, Raynie cracked a sarcastic comment, "No, really, blondie?"
The boy shot a glare at her. Yet, he couldn't help but give a frustrated grumble.
"C'mon," he waved his hand, "I know a way out, but all of you have to close your eyes."
Raynie folded her arms, "Not this again..."
"Shut it!" Ven's voice lowered, his eyes nervously gazing up to the cat hanging from the ceiling, "Just close your eyes, cover them with your hands, and--
"Agh!"
A massive choke. As if the boy had been strangled.
He felt himself being thrown backwards. His arms covered in burns. He could only cringe at the sight.
"Ven!" exclaimed Rena, eyes wide.
"I'm okay," the boy choked, "I promise..."
You couldn't see Ven just by simply glancing over at him. He was caged, in black fire to be precise. The flames nearly licked his nose, yet burned his arms deeply. All that over a little attempted escape? Apparently, this angered the creature leering overhead.
Raynie gave a grumble, pulling on her black leather gloves, "Guess we're just gonna have to beat this damn thing..."
"Raynie!" Ven stated with a cringe, "Just don't let Rena defeat the thing, okay?"
She raised a brow, "Why?"
"Remember the whole thing about hearts?"
"Yeah, of course I do! Phft. If you're so worried about that, then I'll make sure the kid doesn't hit it last. But, I don't see how that's a bad thing..."
"Just go fight!" snapped the en-caged boy.
"Okay okay! ...Pushy.
"C'mon kid! Goth boy!" Raynie exclaimed with a wave of her hand.
Rena gave a gulp, her eyes taking a quick glance over to Ven, "O-Okay!"
Raynie pulled her fists together, Adyn's scythe appeared within his grasp, and light with swirls of darkness formed a keyblade within Rena's grasp.
"Let's go, you two!" Raynie gave an exclaim once more, a grin formed wide on her face. They sprung forwards.
The battle begun with the torches slamming into the ground. The Vile Trickster gave the quirky, eeriest laugh, multiple ones at that. Raynie swerved to the side, jumping into the air and slamming a fist into the creature's torso. Adyn flew into the air, swirling his scythe to slash away at the torso as well.
The creature stood up straight. It begun to stomp away with its feet, trying to crush the fighters below.
"Pneumatic Rush!"
Glowing green orbs mixed together into a mad rush of water, twisting and turning. It slammed into the Heartless. The Trickster let out a wild, pain filled screech. Adyn jumped up onto the white table standing overheard, with the help of the chair, and flew into the air once more. He slashed away at the Trickster, whom merely slammed one of the torches into Adyn's chest. The boy let out a cringe and fell to the ground.
The Trickster attacked Raynie by blowing black fire onto the fighter, who was forced to retaliate backwards. Rena hesitantly jumped up onto the same table and jumped into the air, slamming her keyblade into the straightened creature's torso. Adyn followed behind Rena, after he stumbled to his feet. He jumped off of the table once more. However, he aimed upwards and gave a slash deep across the Trickster's tall, strange head.
Raynie opened up a pocket on her belt, pulling out a strange, green orb, and pointed it upwards.
"Blizzard!"
A spiral escaped from within the orb. It was made of snow, swirling and twirling together with snowflakes. It slammed into the Trickster. The creature let out a monstrous screech, especially when the flames from its torches disappeared. Raynie gave a grin as the monster doubled over.
Rena landed flat on the ground and twirled her keyblade around over her hand. The key quickly went flying through the air, as if it were a giant ninja star, and slashed through the creature's center. Raynie jumped high into the air and slammed her fists in a flurry into the beast's trunk.
Yet, the Trickster quickly pulled itself to its feet, torches re-lit and ready to attack once more. It brought the two torches up to its head and black fire quickly escaped from the rectangular cage, engulfing the room in quick flames. But, it had another little 'pest' to worry about now.
Ven! He escaped from the fire-y cage and charged forwards. Jumping high into the air with both keys in his grasp, a pair of huge, deep slashes cut across the Trickster's body, resulting in a high screech from the monster.
"Oy! Blondie!" Raynie exclaimed, now grasping another green sphere. A green light eclipsed the orb and her grasp, before she tossed the light over to Ven at the command 'Full Heal!'. Ven merely watched as the burns around his arms and across his stomach disappeared; though he was pretty amazed, he only gave a quick little nod to Raynie as a thanks.
At the sight of Ven, Rena jumped up onto the chair, then onto the table. She flew off with a kick of her foot, and tempted to slash expertly at the creature's chest. Adyn jumped onto the table as well and a deep slash cut across as he slammed his scythe into the Trickster's torso.
Unfortunately, the Trickster spun around and slammed its torches into Adyn once more, whom stumbled to his feet as he hit the ground. Raynie let out a curse, something about 'stop using up all of my materia!', and a green light eclipsed Adyn as he brushed himself off.
"Heal!" Raynie exclaimed, the green light sinking deep into Adyn's pale skin. He too gave a nod as a thanks, while Raynie just let out a grumble.
Ven spun his keyblades around in his grasp, both of the blades pointing forwards rather than behind him. He glanced at the one in his left hand, feeling in a tingle in his fingers. Expertly, the key in his right hand disappeared. The one in the left was now grasped in both hands. He pointed the point up to the creature, taking in a deep breath.
"Light!"
It started out as a beam of light, a tiny, insignificant beam that came out of the tip of his weapon. It pointed straight at the creature's upper body, who seemed taken aback at the sight of the beam. Then, it became a full blown blast of light, engulfing the whole room and the creature itself.
When the light finally cleared, it screamed. Screamed loud, hard, wild, and in torment. All of the little mouths and eyes on the head lit up, opened wide, and screeched. A hole formed in the middle of its chest, disintegrating the poor creature down to nothing.
The darkness unsheathed its grasp on a red heart that escaped into the ceiling, soon disappearing into nothing.
"Aw right, blondie!" Raynie triumphantly exclaimed.
Ven could only seemed to hold his head, his legs wobbling as he swayed, "Y-Yeah..."
"You okay?"
"'course..."
Raynie gave a grumble, "You don't look okay..."
"No," Ven bend his knees and dung his feet into the ground, removing his hand from his face, "I'm alright. I promise." He gave a smile. He started up at the ceiling, his eyes narrowing with concern.
"But that heart..."
"What was THAT!?" A shocked voice intervened, sounding quite alarmed.
Rena blinked as she saw the doorknob wake up, now on a door, "That? It's a creepy H--"
"Quiet!" Ven pulled a hand over Rena's mouth, reducing his voice to a whisper, "You're meddling if you tell hi--"
"Or butting in..." Raynie folded her arms, giving a sly grin.
"Whatever!"
"Damn fools!" a voice hissed.
The creepy, evil cat had jumped down from its post on the ceiling next to the lamp, curling its paws and arching its back as it stood upon the table. It hissed viciously at the group.
"The thoughtless rise is beginning!"
"Would someone tell me what is going on here!?" the doorknob stared around with wide eyes.
"Well," Raynie begun, "there was this creepy Heartless, ya see, and--"
"Raynie! Shut up!" snapped Ven.
"What!? It asked what was going on!"
"Yeah, but you're meddling!"
"So what?
"You're not allowed to meddle in that sort of stuff!"
"Whatever!" Raynie simply rolled her eyes, "It's not like it's going to know what any of the stuff is!"
Ven could only muster a deep, low growl. Yet, on the other hand, Raynie merely stared up the table, a curious expression formed on her dark-toned face.
"Umm... blondie? Where'd that cat go?"
"Huh?"
The boy turned about. He narrowed his eyes at the sight. The table was vacant. There was nothing there. Nothing strange, anyways.
The room had returned to its normal self, the doors and windows returned as well as those little bottles atop the table. However, that seemed to include that no strange cat was hanging about.
"I dunno..." Ven's mouth curled into a frown, a pensive one at that.
"Wow, you look sleepy, Mr. Doorknob..." Rena cocked her head to the side, deep blue eyes full of curiosity.
"Of course I am, you nitwit!" the object protested, "I just woke up from a nap!"
Ven grumbled. He stood before the doorknob, bending down to look straight at it, "I'm sorry about all of that noise. We had a little thing to take care of..."
The doorknob merely pointed its bulbous nose into the air, yet its eyes showed that it was rather drowsy still, "Oh, nevermind that... I believe I should return to..." it gave a yawn, "my... nap..."
Yet, Ven couldn't help but blink. Something curious indeed.
"Uhh... hey, doorknob?"
The doorknob sleeply rolled up its eyelids, "What?"
"Can you open your mouth a little bit wider for me?"
"Why should I do any sort of... that..." It gave a yawn once more.
Ven quickly tapped Rena on the arm, "Rena! Quick!"
"Huh?" Rena shook her head, "...OH! Keyhole!"
"...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Raynie screamed, eyes wide as her mouth nearly fumbled at a loss of what to say or do.
"Shh!" Ven snapped, "You're gonna wake him up!"
"I'LL WAKE HIM UP IF I WANT TO, DAMMIT!"
"Raynie!" Rena put her index finger over her mouth, as if telling her to 'shush', "Be quiet!"
"Oh! So the kid is bossing me around now!" Raynie let out an intense grumble and begun to vigorously rub her temples, "I can't believe that stupid little thing was here, of all places, in the first place..."
Rena ignored Raynie's annoyed comment. The tomboy jumped to her feet and pointed the weapon straight at the doorknob's mouth when it opened wide to yawn once more. The wind kicked up, swirling around the keyblader, and a beam of light shot out of the tip of the weapon. A locking sound was heard throughout the world, just as the doorknob sleepily closed its mouth once more.
"Erghhhhh!" Raynie growled purely with annoyance, "Can we please just leave now!?"
"Yeah!" Ven grinned triumphantly, "We can!"
I've began reading this story on your FF account, but I'm glad I found it over here. I love the flow of the plot and Rena iz just cute! Surprisingly I love Raynie's attitude and I'm glad Adyn spoke up a bit.
:thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2008
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Wait, what the hell just happened? Those chapters were absolutely insane!!! Who is Shizuka? I mean, she is someone Rena knows, but who is she really? And why was she all crazy and murderous like that? Also, what the hell happened to the Cheshire Cat? As far as I know, the Cheshire Cat is pink, not black and grey. And one more thing, who is Aydn really? Has he been to other worlds? I hope you delve more into his past. Anyway, enough of my rambling, great job on the chapters, and I look forward to more.
Was it a heartless version of the Chesire Cat? It must've been something like that. Not that I want you to tell me... I suppose we'll find out somewhere in your story... It was an awesome chapter, btw^^
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