Fellowship & Fairydust

“Watch yourselves, you two,” Bernard warned us.

As we climbed along the sides, I found myself focusing on where my feet, or paws, or whatever they were called, were placed because one misstep and I’d die. Kairi moved along with grace and confidence. How could she be so calm about all this? Doesn’t she know that– Gri’s beak! The hole erupted in a cold salty fountain of water that washed over us! “Help!” I called out as my grip began to fail

I then felt someone grab my wrist. “Hang on!” I looked up to see Kairi holding on to me while her Keyblade was jabbed into the cave wall. “I’ve got you!” As the water stopped pouring she was able to pull me back up. 

“What are you doing down there?” We heard Medusa call down.

Turning back, the girl called up, “I’m looking.”

“Well look faster!” I swear she hissed that. Man, I wish I could shrink that woman and throw her down here. See how she liked being in a death trap.

“I am. Have a little patience, please.” The girl said back.

Once I was pulled back to safety, the two of us finished crossing to the other side of the hole. Once there Kairi and I ducked underneath a sword lying on the ground while we looked for the Devil’s Eye. Just how big was this diamond supposed to be, and how was it hidden so well? It wasn’t long before Bernard and Bianca joined us, but even with their help, we couldn’t find where the diamond was. I couldn’t see any sign of it anywhere, plus the lack of light wasn’t helping. From what I could see all there was back here was another dead pirate.

Then, as Penny held the lantern up, there was a flash and then there were sparkles in the air. “What the heck?” Did it just come from the skull? Sure looked like it did, but what was it? I had to know. As the light died down, I got an idea. “Penny, hold the lantern up again.” I requested while the four of us moved towards the remains. She did so and another bright flash of light appeared. As we looked in the skull, we saw the largest diamond I had ever seen lying in the cavity that used to hold the brain.

“Holy mackerel. That’s it.” Bernard said.

“The Devil’s Eye.” Bianca smiled. “Penny, we found it.”

Running up to the entrance, Penny called up, “Medusa, I found it.”

“Good girl. Let’s get it up here.” The woman called back down

Now we gotta hurry up although I wasn’t sure what Medusa would do with Penny then after she got the diamond in her hands. I had my doubts that she’d take Penny back to wherever she’s supposed to be. Bernard began to push the diamond to an eye socket to try and get it out but it was too big. Before Kairi and I could say or do anything more water came roaring in, flooding the skull. However, it managed to drain quickly as we tried again.

“Bernard. We can’t get it out that way. It’s too big.” I told him

“There’s gotta be a way to move it out of here…” Bernard insisted.

“What’s taking so long?”

“It’s stuck tight,” Penny called up.

“Stuck tight? You get that diamond or you’ll never see daylight again!”

With that threat, Penny began to move along the side. “No, Penny!” I called out to her.

“Back, back!” Bernard called out.

Gasping, Bianca warned. “You’ll fall!”

The ground started shaking again and to our horror, Penny slipped as the water came rushing over her, though she managed to grab onto something and get back to her feet. The skull filled up with water again. This was getting ridiculous. How were we supposed to… wait a minute.

“Forget the diamond. We have to get out of here before we drown.” Bernard said.

Shaking her head, Kairi reminded him, “Medusa’s determined to have that rock, and is willing to kill us to get it.”

The hole erupted again, and the water began to pull Penny into the hole! Grabbing a rock, she called up to her captors. “The water’s coming in! Please pull me up!”

“NOT UNTIL YOU GET THE DIAMOND!” Medusa’s voice echoed throughout the cave.

Rock, and sword… of course. Basic science. “Penny, grab the sword and push the blade in between the teeth. Use that rock to support the sword.”

Kairi quickly saw what I was going for. “Bernard, Bianca. Be ready to push that gem out.” Summoning her Destiny’s Embrace, she propped it in between the teeth. “Clair, with me. We’re going to make sure your plan works.”

Nodding in reply I called forth my weapon and placed it in between the teeth. Together we all strained to force the skull’s mouth open. I couldn’t help but feel that Penny was doing most of the heavy lifting. No, we were all working together. Bernard and Bianca were doing a great job at pushing it to the mouth, but the wider part was still stuck. Penny began using every bit of strength she had to get the makeshift lever to work. Was this skull made out of impenetrablium or something? YES! The diamond was finally through.

As she scooped it up we all realized something was wrong. We felt the cave shaking but no more water was coming in. “Now I suggest you give that diamond to me.” A familiar voice ordered. The person from the boat, who told Medusa about the Heartless! Uh-oh!

“Who are you?” Penny asked as she held the diamond close.

As we pulled ourselves free, Kairi warned her. “This person is trouble. She’s the reason the Heartless are here.”

With the snap of a finger, the Heartless from the boat appeared and grabbed Bernard and Bianca. “Let them go!” I said.

“You’re in no position to give orders here, Bookworm.” As the figure said that I felt like someone dropped a mountain on me. It couldn’t be. The only people who called me that were… but there was… someone in the program was a traitor! “Oh, you cannot imagine how amusing that look on your face is, Clair Fay. But enough of that.” Materializing in her other hand was a cage, holding Mortem and Leroy. “It was so easy to lure these two out into my trap. Now, hand over the diamond, or the rats get it.” As Leroy struggled to break the bars the figure shook her head. “Oh, please. Don’t bother. Those bars are made to withstand six thousand times your weight. Double your limit. You’re not getting out anytime soon. Now, the Devil’s Eye for your… pets. And I would hurry. My power won’t hold the tide back forever.”

Penny’s eyes widened as she hesitated. She wasn’t actually considering it was she? If she did, we’d be trapped down here with the incoming flood. I could see she was torn, unsure of what to do. 

“Don’t give her the Devil’s Eye,” Kairi told her. I then sensed energy around the Princess. Was she preparing a spell? 

With a growl, the dark warrior turned to face the being. “I’m going to rip you apart for deceiving me!”

“Oh, be quiet.” The person scoffed, making Mortem growl.

During that moment my mentor made her move. “Light!” With that a powerful blast flew from Kairi’s Keyblade, hitting the person in the chest and knocking her back. Leaping up, the redhead swung her Keyblade and sliced open the bars

Mortem and Leroy leaped out of the cage at that. Transforming his Keyblade into a bazooka, he aimed at the figure. “Eat darkness, you–“

Snapping her fingers a powerful eruption blasted into the cave. We all got washed back while the light from the lantern was doused, enclosing us into darkness. I could still hear the dark warrior cursing in the blackness. 

“No! I won’t let my vengeance be taken!” Mortem snarled.

“Enjoy your death.” I then sensed darkness and the figure was gone

I spat out some water, coughing as I gasped for air. How were we going to get out of this? Right now this was the most hopeless thing we had ever been in. Then the water parted around me and Kairi grabbed me. “Come on!”

With a splash, the Crookedtoo leaped from the water screeching as it came at us. “Incoming!” Bernard warned us though it was too little too late. The Heartless grabbed my friend and me and held us up, and I swear it had hunger in its eyes. Oh, I did not want to have my heart taken by one of these monsters. 

With a roar, Mortem leaped up at the creature. Darkness coated his Keyblade, and seemingly extended it as he appeared to go mad there and then. First, he sliced off the arm that held Kairi, drawing its attention to him. As it fired from its remaining arm the dark warrior weaved through them like it was an unchallenging obstacle course. As the Heartless released me to focus on its new attacker he poured more darkness than I had seen into his weapon. Leaping up until he was eye level with the monster he brought his weapon down upon it, slicing it in two. As the Heartless vanished into darkness the heart it held flew up and ascended through the cavern entrance as if marking the path we needed to take this second. As if we didn’t need another reminder the hole erupted again, sending more water into the cave. 

Gasping for breath, Penny struggled to maintain her hold on the Devil’s Eye while she grabbed Berard and Bianca. “We have to get out of here!” 

“Come on!” Kairi began to work her magic. She began pushing back the tide, but I could see she was being strained. One person couldn’t fight back against the forces of nature, but I couldn’t either.

Then the words Mortem told me when I couldn’t bring myself to fight Brutus and Nero came back to me. “It doesn’t matter the size of the enemy. You are a Keyblade Bearer.” I haven’t forgotten those words, but how could I fight this? No. Come on, Clair. Now’s not the time for doubt. Merlin and Aerith both said they sensed something in me, and Kairi still believed in me. Maybe… maybe it was time I started believing in myself.

Closing my eyes, I tried to center and focus myself. You can do this. What was that feeling? It was like how I felt whenever my mom comforted me mixed in when I would sit and listen to the songs of the Hocamli nation, of my people. It stirred something within me. I can’t explain it, but somehow I felt a connection to the water and the rock. If only they could part…

“What just happened?” Kairi asked, prompting me to open my eyes. The water was consolidated in the hole, freezing solid. “No matter. There’s our opening. Let’s go!” Even though he was smaller than us Leroy curled up into a ball and made it to the bucket before the kid did.

As we dashed to the bucket, we hurried inside while Penny threw the diamond in. “I got it! I got it! Hurry! Pull me up!” As soon as they heard that the bucket began to lift up just as the ice broke and the water came pouring in with vengeance.

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