Sorry it took so freakin' long. I was stuck on how to actually start the chapter for a while and after starting to write it, I thought it was stupid the way it was going, so I changed several things and got this. Sorry that it may be seem of rushed towards the end, but I tried to wrap it up as quickly as I could.
Also another note, I'm going to rewrite the first few chapters soon and a thought occurred to me that I should edit several spots in the Disney chapters so that it's not so much the movie's plot with three random characters added in and actually make it part of the story, kind of like how the Disney worlds went in KH1. If anyone has any advice or ideas on how to do this, please don't hesitate to tell me. Also, if anyone has an idea on how to describe the Heartless better so I don't keep saying "the large Heartless", or whatever, also don't hesitate to tell.
Anyway, on with the chapter.
Chapter 23: Discovered
Seika ran through the grounds, looking around each brightly colored tent for his friends. Cheers rang around as arrows flew through the air at the targets. He walked closer towards the center of the grounds and watched as the large wolf shot an arrow in red ring around the center of the target. Seika smirked as Robin raised his bow and shot his arrow. It hit the target perfectly.
"Alright!" Seika muttered excitedly.
A crocodile in a red cape approached the target and pulled the two arrows out. "Attention everyone," he said. "The final contestants are the honorable Sheriff of Nottingham," Several boos came from the viewers all around the grounds as the large wolf bowed. The crocodile continued, "and the spindle-legged stork from Devonshire." Robin bowed and waved at the crowd cheering for him and turned around to wave at Maid Marian, who quickly waved back.
"For the final showdown," the crocodile spoke. "move the target back thirty paces." A vulture ran under the target, but before he ran thirty paces back, the sheriff raised a hand to cover his mouth and whispered something for only the vulture to hear. With that, the target moved back.
Seika began to walk around to get a better view of the target as the Sheriff of Nottingham shot his arrow. The target jumped into the air and into sight, allowing the arrow to hit right in the center.
'He's cheating,' Seika thought. He began quickening his pace as Robin stepped up to shoot his arrow. BAM! Seika fell backward as he ran into a large body.
"Seika!" A voice shouted. Seika looked up to see Max. In front of him was PJ, who was on the ground as well. "We've been looking everywhere for you."
Seika stood up. "Sorry, guys. There was someone running around, I had to see what they were up too. I think he's with Maleficent. He led me out of the grounds and attacked me with a group of Heartless."
"Where you able to catch him?" Max asked.
Seika shook his head. "He vanished after he summoned them." He quickly changed the subject. "What have you two been up too?"
Max and PJ looked at each other and grinned. "That snake was up to no good," Max said. "He was about to give away Robin's disguise. But thanks to Friar Tuck, we were able to take him out."
"Yeah," PJ said, snorting out a laugh. "See that," he pointed to a wooden barrel of ale. "we stuck him in there. He can't do anything now." The three began to laugh. PJ quickly jumped and pointed to the sky. "Look!" he said. An arrow flew straight up. Robin's arrow. Another arrow was shot up behind it to knock it back down at the target. It landed right in the center of the bull's eye, splitting the Sheriff's arrow in half.
Everyone cheered and whistled. A wide smile grew on Seika's face. "He did it," he said softly. "Alright!" But his attention was quickly changed when he noticed Prince John gesturing at the crocodile. The crocodile gave a nod and turned to one of the rhino guards. Seika nudged PJ in the stomach with his elbow. "They're up to something," he said, pointing at the crocodile.
Robin approached Prince John and Maid Marian with a cocky smile. The guards surrounded him as Prince John began speaking. "Archer, I commend you, and because of your superior skill, I shall give what is coming to you. Our royal congratulations."
Robin began shaking Prince John's hand vigorously. "Thank ya kindly, Your Highness. Meetin' you face-ta-face your 'igh and mighty is a real treat-"
"Release the royal fingers!" Prince John said pulling his hand back. One of the guards approached him with a cushion with a sword lying on top of it. He took it and placed it on Robin's shoulder with a devilish grin. Robin bowed down as he was knighted. "And now I name you the winner." Robin bowed lower. "Or more appropriately," Prince John slid the sword through the back of the shirt and cut off the disguise. "the loser." Everyone around gasped. "Seize him!"
The rhino guards lunged at him to tie him down and pointed the ends of their axes at him in case of attempting to escape. "I sentence you to sudden, instant, and even immediate death!" Prince John said. "Traitors of the crown must die-"
"Traitors of the crown?" Robin asked. "That crown belongs to King Richard! Long live King Richard!"
"Long live King Richard!" shouted voices of the viewers.
"Enough!" Prince John shouted, jumping up from his throne. "I am the king! King! Off with his head!"
"Oh no," Seika muttered as drums began to roll and a large rhino wearing a black mask and carrying a large axe marched towards Robin. He looked at Max and PJ. "We need to help him." They gave a nod and the three ran on to the field, with their weapons in hand. They stopped in the large rhino's path, ready to stop them.
"Who dares interrupt this execution?" Prince John shouted, but he paused and looked at Seika, and a grin grew on his face. "Oh? Are you the boy Maleficent was talking about? Yes, the Keybearer." He waved his hands at the guards. "Leave this boy, I have special plans for him. I'll kill them all at once."
With a snap of his fingers, the large, golden Heartless from before appeared. It's emerald cape swung behind it as it raised its two sword-like arms. The rhinos began to run away.
Seika looked at the tied up Robin and ran to his side, slashing the ropes off. A sword flew from beside the throne from Little John, who was still in disguise. Robin hopped up to catch it as he, Seika, PJ, and Max prepared to battle the Heartless.
Two more Heartless appeared at the corners of the field, both resembling music notes and air horns. They began trumpeting an odd melody.
"Attack!" Prince John yelled.
Without any hesitation, the giant Heartless swung one of its sword-like arms at Seika, but he raised the Keyblade to block. The Heartless jumped backwards and swung its cape, producing several balls of fire. The fireballs shot around simultaneously.
PJ slammed his fists together to create his barrier. "Get back," he shouted. Seika, Max, and Robin dodged the fireballs and quickly got behind PJ as the rest of the bombardment hit the glassy barrier.
Seika flinched as he noticed the barrier beginning to crack. 'Oh no, just like from Ramsley. It's not going to take much more.'
"When need to distract it," Robin said. "I'll go." Before anyone could say anything, he ran from behind the barrier and got the large Heartless's attention. It turned to face him and began to march in his direction.
"Let's go," Max said, and the three of them ran as the barrier shattered.
PJ lifted his hands and created several small bombs and tossed them in front of the Heartless. They quickly exploded and sent surges of electricity at it. But nothing happened. "What?" he said, confused to why his bombs didn't harm the Heartless.
Max didn't respond and charged at it. He swung his sword in attempt to slash it, but nothing happened. Suddenly, he was sent back several feet by some invisible force.
"What's going on?" Seika asked.
"None of our attacks are working," Max said as he got back to his feet. "Something's knocking them back."
Seika watched the Heartless as it chased after Robin. "I have to do something," he muttered. He raised the Keyblade and shot a blast of fire, but before it was a foot away, the musical Heartless began playing a quick melody, and the flame vanished. He looked back at one of them. "It's them!" he shouted. "They're blocking our attacks!"
"Destroy it quickly!" Robin yelled as he ran.
Seika nodded and ran towards the melodic Heartless. It began playing a faster melody and a burst of wind blew from its horn causing Seika to fly backwards. Landing on his feet, Seika ran back at the Heartless without hesitation, but again, it played the same song, causing him to fly backwards again. 'Darn it!' he thought. 'There's got to be another way.' He watched the Heartless for a moment, then noticed whenever it finished a song, it paused for a breath. 'There! An opening!'
Seika took this chance to run at it again, but instead of attacking head on, he lunged at it and grabbed the end of its horn with both hands, squeezing it as tightly as he could. A weak sound blew out of the horn and then the horn-like Heartless exploded, releasing its captive heart.
"Good plan," Robin said with a grin.
The large Heartless quickly turned its attention towards Seika and launched into the air.
"Watch out!" he shouted.
Seika looked up as the Heartless dropped down near him. He ran out of the way, but when the Heartless landed, a shock wave flowed from under its feet and collided with Seika, causing him to fly forward.
Seika pulled himself up and quickly readied himself as the Heartless swung its sword-arm at him. A bomb rolled past and exploded. The Heartless's legs became frozen to the ground.
Seika turned around and saw PJ giving him a thumbs up. Seika thanked him with a wave and charged at the Heartless, but before he slash it, a force pushed him back. Another trumpeting melody began to play. He looked behind him to see another horn-like Heartless hopping around.
"I got this one," PJ said waving his hand. He held up his hands and a surge of electricity surrounded him. He charged at the Heartless and before it could react, PJ smashed it with his large body.
When the musical Heartless was destroyed, the large, golden Heartless began to shine, and its color changed from gold to green. He looked at itself, surprised at the change. It looked over to Seika and charged.
Taking a step back, Seika raised the Keyblade and shot a blast of fire at the Heartless, but it didn't seem to harm it much.
It continued to charge towards him into its was a few feet away, then it raised its arms and its upper body began spinning, first clockwise, then quickly switching to counter clockwise.
Seika raised the Keyblade to block the slashes, but after the first few, the Keyblade was knocked away. He jumped out of the way as the blades slashed down towards him and in a burst of light, the Keyblade returned to his hand.
"You okay?" Max called to him.
"Yeah," Seika responded.
The Heartless stared down at him, its blade-arms beginning to spin. It raised its two blades and crossed them into an X, creating a surge electricity around its body. It raised one arm above its head and the blade began to glow. Blasts of lightning shot from the end of the blade.
Surprised, Seika jumped out of the way and began to run, struggling to dodge each strike of lightning that shot from the blade, until he felt himself trip.
Lowering its arm, the Heartless launched into the air again, and landed closer to Seika, who quickly struggled back onto his feet. The Heartless raised one of its long legs and kicked him in the chest.
As the Heartless raised its other leg to kick again, Robin ran towards the Heartless and slashed it with his sword. It collapsed to the ground, but caught itself with its blades.
Seika pulled himself back up and forced himself to run, and attacked the Heartless with one final slash.
The Heartless fell completely. A heart burst out from under its cape and floated into the sky as the body vanished into darkness.
"You destroyed my Heartless?" Prince John shouted angerily. The four turned to face him. He was standing with his hands on the railings around his throne with a look of great anger. "Kill them!" he shouted to the guards. "Don't stand there, kill them!"
The rhinos jumped at the command and began to charge.
"Kill them!" Prince John shouted again as he tried to run away behind the throne to hide behind a barrel of ale.
Robin raised his sword and began to fend off the rhino's axes. PJ tossed a bomb towards them, sending them flying into the air. Robin waved in thanks and hopped up to Maid Marian, flipping his sword to his other hand as another group of guards charged towards him. He grabbed her hand and ask, "Marian, my love, will you marry me?"
"Oh, darling, I thought you would never ask," Marian said. She laughed as Robin knocked one of the archers away. "But you could of chosen a more romantic setting."
* * *
Seika held the Keyblade to block as the red caped crocodile swung his sword at him. He pushed the sword back and swung the Keyblade, but the crocodile blocked it with his shield.
As they fenced, Robin said, "Head towards the woods!"
Seika nodded, and as quickly as he could, he knocked the the crocodile away. Several of the rhinos charged at him, but PJ jumped in the way and created a barrier, sending the guards flying around it.
"Let's get outta here," PJ said as the barrier shattered.
"Right," Seika nodded, but before they began to run, he said, "Wait, where's Max?"
PJ looked around. "I thought he was here- There he is." PJ pointed to Max, who was clashing his sword against the sword of one of the wolf soldiers. Hiding behind one of the booths in a tent was the vulture that hid in the sheriff's target. He raised a crossbow and aimed it at Max. Max was shoved to the ground as an arrow was fired.
The arrow barely missed him by an inch. Seika ran and let magic fill inside him. He shot a blast of fire towards the tent, destroying it quickly.
PJ grabbed Max and said, "We gotta go." Max nodded and the two began to run towards the woods, where the other spectators were running. "C'mon, Seika!"
Seika nodded as his friends vanished into the trees. He looked over at Robin, who was running with Maid Marian, and began to follow behind them. As he and Maid Marian ran into the woods, Robin turned around and shouted one last time, "Long live King Richard!"