Legitimate
Game
Are
you sure this is supposed to happen?
Running
Through My Mind : Chapter Twenty
I
run out to find myself staring straight into a wale's mouth.
¤
"Shh, keep quiet."
"It's not my fault your guardians have cans set up around their house. I mean, who does that anymore? Ouch!"
Terra winced as she tripped over a string of cans in front of the front porch, muttering a string of curses under her breath. Antonia rolled her eyes after a few seconds of watching her and crept quietly to her room window, which was placed conveniently on the first floor.
"Come on; inside!" She whispered to her companion, who climbed in and fell on the bed, groaning quietly to herself in relief. "We're home, finally!"
Antonia huffed as she unscrewed Terra's shard jar. "I didn't know we were going to land that far off; I'm sorry!" She apologized for the tenth time that evening, recalling their two kilometer run to the house.
"Now in you go," she commanded to the Fear, who in turn made a face and concentrated, transforming into her crystal-form in a flash of light.
"…"
The whitenette laughed at the unheard complaint and put the lid back on. "I'll be right back," she whispered before unlocking her door and heading towards the bathroom at the end of the hall.
She stopped at the light coming from under Justin's room.
Curiously, she peeked into the room, smiling when she saw his head on his arms, asleep on his writing desk with the table lamp still on. Shaking her head, she walked forward quietly, but just as she was about to turn the light off, the crumbled picture caught her eyes.
She gasped and covered her mouth quickly as she observed the picture of Rachelle.
Pulling it from underneath the books it was placed under, she turned off the light and headed to the bathroom where she quickly brushed her teeth and ran back to her bedroom as safely as she could.
"Look at this!" She said, putting the drawing in front of the jar, where the shard twinkled for a few seconds, curiously watching it.
"……………!"
Antonia nodded. "It's her. He must have a connection of a sort with her… this, apparently, reflects who she is, in a sort, while away with Alexis and Michael." She paused to look more clearly. "The pond below her with the reflection shows her role in the prophecy, with her bracelet representing her light barely touching the edge. And the mirror above must be representing her past confusion of who she was. He has no connection with me, or to other worlds whatsoever, though, so I have no idea how he knows this."
"…?"
She smiled cheekily at the uncertain question and hid the drawing underneath some books. "It's symbolism, silly. Pretty easy to see, really."
She laughed at the insult thrown at her after the reply and crawled into bed, falling asleep without a second thought.
¤
( Rachelle )
Okay. Today, has not been a good day. First, we have to defeat a gigantically and annoyingly long centipede that is made of pots in a city where the sun beats down on your hot, sweaty back 24/7 just to rescue a Princess, whom I don't even like (that) much. Then we find out that she isn't there and that we, in fact, did not have to fight the zombie-styled bug.
I can understand that. Yeah, evil guy makes us run around for no reason at all. Mm-hmm.
So we head off to the Cave of Wonders where the entrance is a FRIGGING HEAD that spews Heartless and light beams that resemble cheap copies of Star Wars airship beams from its glowing eyes.
I can understand that, too. I can also understand that I am getting pissed off. Slightly. Big tiger head, no big deal.
Then we have to avoid black bottomless pits inside just to find that if you fall you will not die but land in nice, cold, water. A maze, not that bad. We get to rest for a while and refresh ourselves with a supposed Save Point.
Day is slightly looking up.
But then it's all crushing down.
As soon as we enter a room with gold coins, jewels, and who knows what other riches, there is Alexis lying unconscious on the ground, bathed in the light, but deathly pale. Thankfully she wakes up, but starts mumbling about Riku – him, for god's sake! – and then spews some stuff about me being called 'Lightest of the Dark' and disappears.
What the hell?
Well, at least she's okay.
We walk on further, defeat the ever-annoying Jafar once and for all, then get Jasmine kidnapped RIGHT FROM UNDER OUR NOSES. But then we thankfully return to our Gummi Ship where I can get a good nap before being shaken awake by banging furniture around me.
I run out to find myself staring straight into a wale's mouth.
Not something a girl likes to see after having an especially longed-for sleep.
Crash inside the whale, follow Pinocchio to where Geppetto is, get the puppet stolen by non-other than Riku, forcing us to run around the whale's stomach looking for him.
But if Riku's here, then Alexis is here, right?
Right.
So with high hopes, I follow Sora and the ever annoying Disney failures destroying Heartless all the while trying to ignore what we might be running on.
We find Riku, Sora accuses him of being on the completely wrong side to fight on – I almost hugged him and resisted the urge to yell at him happily about having his common sense back – but then the useless wooden puppet who Silver wants to kidnap spluttering about hearts and such gets eaten by a huge – and ugly, mind you – Heartless that has acid spewing from it.
Can you spell 'ew'?
So we defeat it and just as I am about to do my lil' Victory Dance Plus+, Pinocchio falls into a hole that was supposedly under the monster, and just before jumping in after him, Riku turns to me and shouts:
"By the way! Alexis wanted me to tell you that you can stop looking for her, because she officially doesn't care about you!"
Leaving me stumped and having Sora look on in worry at me before jumping after his best friend. Goofy pats me on the shoulder reassuringly but Donald just ignores me before both disappear as well.
Plus one on respect for Goofy and minus twenty for the duck.
I, having no other choice and not really wanting to wander around the insides of a whale alone, go after them and find Riku proposing for Sora to join him in finding Kairi's heart together – the girl had her heart stolen? Ouch… -- but Keyblade Master refuses and yells about the silver-haired brat not having a conscience. Riku in turn muses about him fighting for a puppet.
And all the while Jiminy is ranting about how happy he is to have Pinocchio alive, blah blah. I'm glad for them. Really. Yes, realllyyyy.
But the good moment must come to an end, and we get attacked by the ew-y Heartless that spews acid that somehow managed to get reborn again. And there is no help from Silver, too – he just goes and leaves through a darkness portal.
Wonderful.
So now I'm finally lying back in my room on the Gummi Ship after managing to escape from Monstro, hopefully to never see him again. We're on our way to Atlantica, so that would be kinda cool. I want be a pretty little mermaid, la la la la…
Okay, I think that was just Donald yelling at me to shut up.
I'm appalled.
Anyways…I miss Alexis. Sure, we did not always see the same on things, but she was fun to have around, and was a wonderful friend… why… why would she just go and say she doesn't want to be my friend anymore? That's so unlike her… is it Riku who's affecting her? Is it Maleficent, or whoever else she is working for?
Have you ever considered she was plain tired of you?
I growl at my inner-most-stupider-voice and mentally sqwuash it like a bug. But it doesn't shut up.
Really. Think about it. You've always been just too different.
I pause. It's true… ever since she moved to be my neighbor, she's acted different than most kids her age. And when I asked her why she was like that, she said that when the time was right, she'd change…
So you see, it's all your fault.
"Shut up!" I say out loud, scowling. "She changed when we came to be in sixth grade, so ha. Nothing I'm doing now is changing her."
And it is true, in a way. I remember bugging her for days when we got to Middle School about how she was not worried of what others would think – I was such an idiot back then. It was all about 'fitting it' and 'being cool' to me.
I'm grown up now.
But back then, she snapped at me and almost made a scene in front of the whole school, but thankfully calmed down and told me calmly that if it was worrying her that much, she'd change, to make herself more 'normal'.
Heh. Alexis was never normal. Never was, isn't, never will be.
She just has that little 'zing' inside of her, just as Justin's sister and Michael have, than make them stand out from the crowd, make you notice them. And you can't help but like what you see.
I wonder why I'm not like them. To be truthful, it has never mattered much to me.
You are darkness, that is why.
Okay… so apparently, my subconscious mind has a mind of its own. Um, cool? "What do you mean?" I ask to the air in my room, pretty much ignoring the fact I was talking to someone who wasn't even real.
Have you never noticed it? Your two friends are always so cheerful, so creative, so bright… You leave yourself serious and closed in.
Frowning, I roll over on my stomach and sigh into my pillow. "Who are you, anyways? You're certainly not me." I mumble, bringing my hands under me.
No, I am not you. But I am a part of you.
I blink. Then slowly, ever so slowly, I bring my hand with the staff-bracelet up to my face – and oh my god, I think it's twinkling at me.
My true name is Treumur. Hello, I am your light. Nice to meet you.
I stare stupidly at it as it stretches out to its full length, appearing before me in a few seconds – but it's not the same. The handle is white, the sun is yellow, and the spikes are rainbow, sparkling with colors of every shade imaginable.
"Um, hi?"
As I reach out to touch it, it changes back to its normal state as soon as my fingers brush its base.
Your darkness clouds my light, therefore you cannot unleash my true power.
"True power? Darkness?" I ask, sitting up in interest and putting the staff before me, causing it to instantly change back to the mesmerizing form before.
…Would you like to hear a story?
I feel very foolish now, talking with an object lying on my bed. But hey, I'm flying on a thing that looks like jelly cubes through space towards a Disney world with little mermaids and merman.
And singing. Can't forget that.
"Sure."
I swear I can hear the thing clear its voice.
As I am sure you know, there are three important elements existing, other than the basic ones. These are Light, Dark, and Twilight. A long time ago, they ruled and existed fairly, but greed overtook them, and so Light and Dark begun to fight.
Twilight, as its name suggests, was stuck in the middle as its counterparts dueled. Finally, the other elements grew tired of them, and sealed their powers away. Now, only a fragment of it remains, still causing harm to the people.
In a prophecy… a prophecy made long ago, intertwining with the age-long prophecy, speaks of three humans from a world called Earth – your world, if I am not mistaken – that wield a part of Light's, Dark's, and surprisingly a small piece of Twilight's powers.
Those humans, now, are you.
Gob-smacked, I continue staring at my weapon that just told me a bed-time story. Now, you see, I am not a big fan of fairy tales, but this…
"I am Dark, Alexis is Light. Who is Twilight?"
Somehow, I find myself believing this.
You do not know yet? The boy you know as Michael is currently residing at the castle where Light is.
I blanch. "Michael is here? But how?"
The witch Maleficent brought him here not soon after your appearance. She has the boy under her control, but if all goes as it is told by the prophecy, we shall be fine.
We? What about him? Instead, I ask:
"Can you tell me prophecy you keep on mentioning?"
I think the rod just chuckled.
Gladly.
At
the center of the worlds where a planet stands,
There are beings
who have power in their hands
One is Light; the darkest type
One
is Dark; the lightest kind
One is Twilight; the most forgotten one
The
confusion that will spread,
The lies and tears that shall be
shed,
There will be a fact so clear:
Dark
will fall,
Twilight will stall,
And Light will go
Affecting
a world so close and far away,
Hearts will turn,
And eyes'll be
grave
A future may seem clear to them,
But mist is clouding
through objects at hand
One
is destruction, wielded by the Darkest Light
One is freedom, held
tightly by the Lightest Dark
Last is truth, clutched unknown by
the Stranded Twilight
Though
an object resides,
At the edge of time,
One to help them
live—
Until next time
The
confusion that will spread,
The lies and tears that shall be
shed,
There will be a fact so clear:
Dark
will fall,
Twilight will stall,
And Light will go
"Dark… will fall? That's me, isn't it?" I ask after a few minutes of pondering my thoughts. "Twilight will stall; that's Michael. And Light will go? Alexis…" My eyes widen and I think I am about ready to cry.
"Fall, Stall, and Go! All of them… we'll die, won't we?" I cry and lean towards the item on my bed in rage. "Tell me!"
It is a few seconds before Treumur responds.
I am afraid I cannot tell you, for even I know not the outcome of this. Your destiny will take care of you.
Hiccupping in panic – really, how would you feel if you found you just might die? – I manage to calm myself down enough to speak.
"But it also says an item that 'Helps them live – until next time', doesn't it? And what we're supposed to hold – Alexis, Light, has her sword, Michael, Twilight, I'm uncertain, and I, Dark, have you! That's it, isn't it?"
I am glad you understand. As it states, I am your Freedom – 'one is freedom, clutches by the Lightest Dark'. You are only known as Lightest Dark because you have me, a weapon of light. Alexis, as you call her, holds destruction, a power of dark. And your other friend holds truth – a power of twilight.
"I see now…" I mumble, reciting the prophecy in my mind. "I'm Lightest Dark because I am affected by Light, Alexis is Darkest Light because she has powers of Dark with her, and Michael has something of Twilight."
The staff sighs in relief in my mind.
"But the thing that'll help us live, what is it?" I ask curiously.
Do not worry of that. It has already been found, and is being kept in good hands. It will come into play when it's time is near.
I smile. "That's good." Sighing, I flop back down onto my stomach, now facing Shimmer – Treumur – and slide my fingers across it as it turns back to its boring form.
"I'll never be pure enough, will I?"
He replies when I release him to fall of the bedspread.
I am afraid not, Lightest of the Dark. Your… fate, destiny… it will come to you soon, do not fret.
Sadly, I smile and roll under my covers, leaving the rod to rest by my feet.
"That's good."
And when she finally falls asleep, the voice of Treumur, the blessing of Light, echoes deeply in the recess of her mind, in hopes she will dismiss it as a dream, for she does not need to know.
Yet you must hurry, little dark… I worry for your friend. She is being controlled… like a useless puppet. Hurry, if you wish to save her.
¤
Somewhere, worlds away, on a boat that rocks gently on waves in the night, a silver-haired boy repeats the words, unknown to himself, to a motionless body lying before him.
"So, Kairi's like a lifeless puppet now?"
Maleficent's cloak moves with her as she raises her arms. "Precisely."
Riku frowns and his voice shakes. "And her heart was…"
"Taken by the Heartless, no doubt." Continues the witch, a smug undertone entering her voice.
No one notices as a dark figure with blonde hair slides in from the deck and creeps closer to them.
Riku suddenly whirls around, his hands in fists in fierce determination at his sides. "Tell me!" He cries. "What can I do?"
"There are seven maidens of the purest hearts," lectures Maleficent, using her hands for momentum. "We call them the princesses of heart. Gather them together, and a door will open to the heart of all worlds. Within lies untold wisdom. There you will surly find a way to recover Kairi's heart."
Alexis doesn't like how the witch says the girl's name – as if it was a sweet, yet poisonous candy – but never the less, she walks closer to them, still unnoticed.
"I'd like to help," She finally speaks up, bringing both of their attentions to her. She thinks a flash of uncertainty and doubt crosses the silver-haired teen's eyes, but she is unsure as it is soon replaced by determination and hope.
"Oh?" Maleficent strides closer to the motionless little girl in the center of the room, staring up at the witch imposingly. Alexis doesn't like the look of greed which crosses her eyes, either, but remains silent.
"Do you truly wish to help?" Maleficent asks, and Alexis nods.
"I do."
"Very well then. Hand me your sword."
Unwilling to trust the witch, yet as if controlled by someone, she takes the blade out and holds in front of her as Maleficent's hands run over it – she can't help but notice how unnerving the green glow that settles over her sword looks, or how the blade seems to glint less – and the witch chants for a minute, before pulling away her hands and smiling smugly.
"I have given you large power, child. Use it well." She turns back to Riku and Alexis's hands run over her weapon.
The designs are no longer green but a blood-lusty red and the steel is freezing to the touch.
"Now, I'll grant you a marvelous gift." Maleficent is speaking to the boy again as he looks on curiously. "The power to control the Heartless!"
A cry fights to escape her lips as the blonde watches her friend be surrounded in the same green light, but something strangles it – something cold, unforgiving, and dark.
She wants to bring her hands to her throat to force it out – to wash her mouth, to choke, something to get rid of it.
It stays until she stops trying to scream, but by that time the episode is over and Riku is now looking at his hands in wonder. Slowly, he turns to face the unconscious girl on the red couch.
"Soon, Kairi. Soon." He whispers and Maleficent portals herself out, a sly, wide smile of satisfaction on her face.
"I don't like what she did."
Her words seem unnatural in her mind, but her heart is screaming for them to be heard. "I want to go somewhere," she continues, pacing the room as Riku turns to her in puzzlement.
"Let's go somewhere, please? Please, Riku?"
As she looks out towards the stars shining brightly in the night sky, he can't sqwuash the feeling that stirs within him and agrees.
a/n: ….
Fluff coming. Yeah. And random titles rock.
Oh, and my 75th, 90th, and 100th reviewers get a Kingdom Hearts oneshot written of their choice. Just um, no AexelxRoxas or RikuxSora cause I'm no good at those. If it has an OC, please provide me with a setting, appearance, personality and slight background.
Reviews are luff. 3