Fellowship & Fairydust

“Mayday! Mayday!” I heard someone call out as Leroy and I fell through the sky. Turning, I saw a big white bird with smoking tail feathers falling our way. Wait. Were we still small? Oh, come on! Wait a minute. That could work to our advantage. That was how we were going to survive! Grabbing the little red monster, I reached out with my free hand and grabbed a hold of one of the feathers. Our fall didn’t slow down because of how fast this thing was going, but at least we would have a softer landing. 

“What are you doing?” Leroy asked as I pulled us closer to the falling fowl. 

Without looking back, I said, “Saving our skins!” Because of how fast we were going I had to squint or risk my eyes drying out. Once Leroy grabbed the bird with his claws I let go so I could hold on with both hands. I wish I had my glider with me now because I hate being in falls I cannot get out of. 

Just when I thought this fall was never going to end, the bird’s body jostled as it collided with something hard. We were at the ground already? This thing fell fast. I felt it skid a few times on the ground before a wave of water washed over it, knocking the two of us off and into what would’ve failed to classify as a puddle at our normal size, but at the one we were at, it was like wading into a shallow lake.

Immediately the little red monster began splashing around. “Water? Not water! Help me! I’m drowning! I can’t swim!”

Walking over to him, I folded my arms while shaking my head. “You do realize you’re lying on the bottom, right? Just stand up.” 

“Oh.” That was all he said as he got to his feet. It was just my luck. A virtually indestructible beast of destruction is afraid of water. I didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed. This could prove to be quite an inconvenience.

Turning, I got a good look at the bird we hitched a ride with. It was an albatross that had a pair of goggles and a sardine can strapped to its back. Currently, it was letting out a sigh of relief as the burnt feathers were dealt with.

“Look out below!” We heard someone cry out. Turning, I saw a pair of mice floating down on an umbrella, before it broke. As they plummeted down, the albatross got out of their way as they fell into the water. As they got out from the ruined umbrella, a pair of muskrats came over to help them. 

“Oh, dear. Let me help you.” The obese muskrat with an apron and rolling pin said to the mouse with a purple hat and bow. 

While she was being helped, another muskrat with some sort of tent-like shirt and a potbelly grabbed the other mouse and pushed a jug into his mouth. After being forced to down some of whatever was inside it, the mouse coughed out some smoke and looked as if someone had set his insides on fire. Noticing me, the muskrat moved to give me some, but I just summoned my Keyblade with the tip pointed at the vermin. “I promise you this: It won’t end well if you try to give me any of that stuff.” 

“Okay, okay, no need to be so nasty.” The animal said in a thick accent I couldn’t place. “Truth is, here in Devil’s Bayou you need all the help you can get.”

“Devil’s Bayou?” Guess it was a good a name as any for this place. 

Nodding, the mouse who got the unwanted drink turned to me. “Where are you from, and how did you get here?”

“None of your business about where I’m from,” I remembered that much and it was still unpleasant. “As for how I got here, I was just wandering and ended up here.” 

“Now stand back folks. I ain’t gonna be hanging around this creepy place long. Clear the runway!” The albatross told us as he began running towards a ramp. We all got out of his way while he flapped his wings, and the last I saw of him was the bird falling into the swamp water with a splash. 

Turning to the mice, I decided to get some answers. “Why are you two here? This doesn’t seem like the ideal honeymoon site.”
“Oh, no. We’re not married.” The mouse with the bow spoke in a feminine voice. “We’re on a mission to rescue Penny.” 

“Penny? Who’s Penny?” 

Shaking her head, the female mouse answered, “Penny’s an orphan who vanished from the orphanage. Not long ago, we found a message in a bottle from her, and the Rescue Aid Society sent Bernard and me to rescue her.”

“Miss Bianca,” The mouse called Bernard said to her.

“Now, Bernard. I think he can help us.” 

Rescue Aid Society? Orphan? I never heard of such an organization, but for some reason, learning this Penny didn’t have any parents of her own struck a chord within me. Maybe it had something to do with the memories I had obtained, how when I needed help no one came to my rescue. “Do you know where she is?”

“We were following someone who she was last seen with,” Bernard answered. “Someone called Madame Medusa. We think she has her, and so we followed her here to Devil’s Bayou.”

Frowning, the female muskrat told us, “I’d like to give her a few whacks with my rolling pin.”

“We swamp folks would like to run her clean out of our bayou,” The male muskrat added. “Ever since she came, more of them monsters showed up as well.” 

That caught my attention. “Monsters?” 

“Like shadows come to life. The other day I saw one of them devils attack some folks and turn them into more of them.” 

Heartless? That does match what I know them to do, but what are they doing here? If they showed up with this Medusa woman, she must be doing something bad to attract them. Before I could ask any other questions, Leroy spoke up. “I hear something.” 

“So do I. Somebody’s coming this way.” The female muskrat said as she turned. As we peered through the grass a sight that made me feel smaller than I was greeted us. From the reeds and horsetails rose two alligators that looked to be as big as mountains from where I was. Both of them carried something in their mouths: a teddy bear and… that had to be Penny. The gator which held her captive held her tight by the straps of her blue overall dress.

Pushing some of her blonde hair out of her eyes, she frowned at the massive reptiles. “Why did you have to go and spoil everything? Nero, don’t you dare get my teddy bear wet.” Both predators just chuckled at her attitude. A kid giving a warning to two predators that could end her life with a bite or two said a lot about her heart, and it somehow made me more determined to help rescue her.

“Oh. It’s that poor little young one. She’s tried to run away again.” The female muskrat’s words snapped me out of my thoughts. 

Turning to her, I asked, “Where are they taking her? Madame Medusa must have someplace she’s holed up.”

“Oh, yeah. That old riverboat further down the bayou.” The male muskrat told me. “She and the other human have been staying there ever since they got her.”

Riverboat. Further down the bayou. Personal lackey. There was something about the way this woman works that was almost amusing, but the fact that she had abducted a child and brought her to this deity-forsaken swamp just did not merit any humor from me. Pushing my way through the foliage, I spoke my mind. “I’m going after them.” 

“Watch out!” Leroy’s warning came too late as something hit me and made me fly backward. As I crashed against the ground, I let out some curses while I sat up to see what had hit me. A pair of Large Bodies stood in my way, accompanied by some Air Soldiers, Soldiers, and Shadows. With a growl, I got to my feet while Vengeful Chaos appeared in my hand. 

“Stay back,” I ordered the rodents while I readied myself to fight. The Shadows flattened themselves against the ground while the Large Bodies came charging towards me. Leaping over them, I hacked one of the Air Soldiers several times before ending it with a fatal slash. As the heart flew up into the sky I positioned my weapon so it impaled a Soldier when I landed and sent another heart flying up. 

Transforming my weapon from Keyblade to scythe, I felt a strange sense of pleasure fighting the Heartless. Maybe it was just letting off steam from the anger I gained in Wonderland, or from learning about the girl’s plight. Whatever. It was just fuel for my power. Channeling my rage into my weapon, I noticed a coat of energy around the blade. Rushing forward, I managed to slice through the remaining three Soldiers and two of the Shadows, sending more Hearts into the unknown.

Grinning at the pleasure of seeing things fall before my power, I turned my attention to the Large Bodies that were running towards me. Swinging my weapon at them, I managed to knock both of them back into some roots. I swear I saw their eyes fill with bewilderment at what happened. That was when I noticed the energy around my scythe dimming. No. I wasn’t going to let up now that I felt this power. 

Shifting my weapon for the final blow, I swung it with enough force to make a tree fall. From that swing came a wave of red and black energy that flew towards the Heartless with the force of a natural disaster. Even though the Shadows were out of the attack’s path they were still destroyed by its power. The Large Bodies didn’t stand a chance as it passed through them, ending their existence while the hearts flew up into the sky. 

As my scythe returned to its Keyblade form, I suddenly felt all the energy drain from my muscles. Falling onto my knees, I jammed my weapon into the ground to support myself. My body said it wanted to get some rest, but there was no time for that. Just when I thought the battle was over, even more Large Bodies show up. “You’ve… got to… be kid… kidding me…” 

As the Heartless came towards me, something large appeared from behind them. A rock? Well, at this size it was like a small hill. Before the Heartless could react it was slammed down on top of them, destroying all of them while the hearts just flew up like nothing had happened. Who in the world could’ve lifted… Leroy? Yeah, that red thing climbed on top of the rock and smiled at me like he was the greatest being in the universe. 

Shaking my head, I told him, “Thanks.” Taking out an ether, I drank it down and felt my energy return. Standing up, I looked at where the rodents were coming out. 

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