Fellowship & Fairydust

The bucket was then pulled up away from the water, keeping us safe from drowning. I could hear Medusa urging Snoops to pull faster as we got closer and closer to the surface. As soon as we were close enough the woman snatched the gem out of Penny’s hands. “At last! The Devil’s Eye!” She cackled as she held the diamond up in the sunlight.

“It’s worth millions!” Snoops said as he ran over, making the bucket go higher.

“Just look at it.” Medusa seemed to lose whatever shred of sanity she had left. “Filled with power for its owner!”

Snoops got excited. “Let me have a look at it.” He said. When Medusa only showed it for a second before turning it away he got upset. “That wasn’t a very good look.” As he went to grab the diamond he let go of the rope! Thankfully Penny was able to grab the sides of the hole while the bucket plummeted back in. “But I know there’s enough there to cut up into two equal shares.” The fat man continued ignoring her plight.

“You idiot!” Kicking Snoops back, Medusa growled, “Cut up a perfect gem? And it’s all mine!”

“Half of it is mine, you double-crossing crook!”

“Mine! It’s all mine!”

As the two argued, Penny was snatched by her dress by one of the alligators. When did they get here? “Put me down!!” Ignoring her attempts to fight back they ended up carrying her after their mistress who continued to argue with Snoops about ownership of the diamond. I could now sense the darkness in her had increased significantly like she was on her way to becoming a Heartless.

With a growl, Mortem moved to go after them, but Kairi and I grabbed him. “Not yet.” My friend told him as she held him back. 

“Why not? Best time to take them out, while they’re at each other’s throats.” The dark warrior glared at us while the red creature agreed with him.

Shaking her head, Bianca asked, “Do you want those beasts to eat Penny?” 

That made him pause and think about it. “… No.” 

“Then we need to think of a new plan to stop Medusa.” The princess told him. 

Shaking his head, Bernard said, “Not enough time. We’re going to have to modify our old plan.”

“How? Your dragonfly Evinrude was a no-show. How do you suggest we modify the plan?” 

“We still have the trap,” Leroy mentioned. 

Mortem’s eyes narrowed. “Which was to trap the alligators BEFORE they sent her down there! What point is there to trapping them now?” 

“If they’re trapped that’ll leave Medusa two allies short,” I told him. “You can deal with her as much as you want then.” 

Looking at me with those golden eyes, the dark warrior asked me, “What if I said you needed to take her life? What if I refused to go along with anything we come up with unless I hear you swear that you will be the one to end Medusa?” 

Shaking my head, I gave my answer. “I am not, and will not, be a murderer. That’s a line I refuse to cross.”

“You’ll be forced to make that choice one day. Kill or be killed. One day I swear you’ll stand at a crossroad where you’ll be unable to keep your life unless you take another. Sometimes there is no way out except to betray yourself.”

“Not true,” Kairi stepped up. “There’s always another way Mortem. Death isn’t always the answer. There’s more to holding a Keyblade than death and destruction. Those who are chosen to hold one can also bring life and creation.” 

With a scoff, his response was, “Easy for you to say. You were able to seal the water back there to get us out of that abyss.”

“That wasn’t me. It was her.”

Now all eyes were on me. “Whoa. How did I do that? How are you sure it wasn’t you?” I asked her.

“Because I watched you. I saw you glowing, and then the spell was unleashed.” Putting her hand on my shoulder my friend continued, “Clair, our escape was only possible because of what you did. Don’t sell yourself short again.”

Shaking his head, Mortem said, “I think this is pointless but fine. I’ll play along just so I can rub its failure in your faces later when our truce ends. So, almighty mage, what’s your plan?”

 

***

 

Back on the boat, Mortem, Kairi, and I were moving towards a room where the dark warrior claimed he sensed Medusa’s darkness. Bernard, Bianca, and Leroy were already at their position with the trap ready for its next residents. I noticed a nail sticking out on our side of the door while there was a handle for something on the other. Inside Snoops was calling his former boss a swindler. So we just needed to sneak in and tie her ankles… oh no. That wasn’t going to work. 

Medusa was in there pointing her rifle point-blank at both Snoops and Penny, who were backed against the wall. Warning them if they followed her they would be shot, I noticed the horrible woman still had the teddy in her hand. Why would she be protective of a toy unless… 

With a growl, Mortem prepared to move in and attack Medusa, but I stopped him. “No. We attack her, she might shoot Penny by accident.”

“You’re changing the plan again? To what?” He snarled at me.

“Can you change your Keyblade into a chain or something to lasso around that valve over there?” I showed him which one I had noticed and prayed he’d catch on to my plan. 

Eyes widening in realization, Kairi managed to turn her Keyblade into a whip that she threw and lassoed the valve with. Using the nail to make sure it was good and tight, the princess began to pull. Rolling his eyes and muttering about how stupid it was Mortem followed her example and the two of them waited while Medusa backed out unsuspecting. With a cry our common enemy fell flat on her back from our tripwire, firing a shot from the rifle while Penny’s teddy went flying. 

As it landed on the deck the back split open revealing why the woman refused to give the girl back her toy. “My diamond!” Medusa’s cry prompted Snoops to try and snatch the jewel for himself. His former boss, however, tripped him while Penny ran by and snatched up her bear. 

While the two adults fought with each other over who should have the diamond, I ran forward with Mortem and Kairi, Keyblades summoned and ready to do some damage. I proceeded to attack Medusa’s arm while Kairi unleashed a flurry of spells on the wicked being. Mortem, however, was not as gentle. Leaping up he jabbed his blade deep into the back of the woman which horrified my friend. “Mortem, stop! Killing her wasn’t the plan.” 

“I’m following my plan.” The dark warrior growled as I sensed dark energies pouring into his Keyblade. Holy feathers! He was going to blast her insides. 

No way I was going to let that happen. Running up the body of the woman, I focused on anything I could do to keep him from murdering someone I didn’t even like. Why was I trying to save Medusa? I hate her, but I wasn’t about to stand by while someone was murdered. Channeling my magical energy, I fired a Fire spell at Mortem while I reminded him, “The plan isn’t to kill Medusa.” 

“It is for me,” He growled while he ripped his Keyblade out of her back to deflect my attack. “I should’ve known a coward would not have the stomach to do what needed to be done.” 

“Valuing the lives of others isn’t weakness.” 

His response was to try and take my head off. “You are an idiot. Sparing those who have no value because of their actions. You are a mistake just like your Keyblade.”

His words brought back bad memories, the reminder of why people teased me because I was only half-Hocamli, and I just snapped. “I am not a mistake!” With that I leaped at him, slashing at him with my weapon. He managed to block my attack but I was not going to stop that easy. Leaping back I threw a thunder spell at him which he managed to parry although he failed to see the Blizzard spell I threw at him. 

Growling as his left hand froze from my magic, he rushed at me with a determination I could feel in my heart. I tried to dodge but he corrected himself and made a sharp turn to ram me into a railing. As we both leaped to our feet, I could feel the pain from getting rammed into rotting wood. No. I was not going to let him be one of those jerks who made me ashamed for anything about myself. 

As he rushed at me, I felt the same energies from the cave enter me again, only they were a little different. It was like a huge wind combining the pride I felt for my heritage mixed with the anger I harbored for the words people spoke to me over the years. Narrowing my eyes, I pointed my hand at the dark warrior, and the wood in front of him exploded. Even he looked surprised as the splinters flew up and knocked him back, leaving him with several deep cuts. 

However, I could see that it only made him even angrier. He glared at me as he transformed his keyblade into its scythe form, which then began charging dark electricity. He pointed the scythe at me as if intending to send that electric energy on me. I had to do something before he unleashed that attack. I remembered how to do the Barrier spell, but I didn’t want to just keep myself from getting hurt this time. 

Running forward, I held my Keyblade up while Mortem unleashed his electricity upon me. I braced myself to get electrocuted when all of a sudden the field that was essentially the Barrier spell appeared around me. Instead of only working when I was stationary, it seemed to push aside the electricity while I ran towards my opponent. He seemed to notice what I was doing and ceased his electric beam before pulling his scythe back and gathering more dark energy. It was too late to slow down as he swung his scythe, colliding with my barrier rush. I noticed my barrier crack as I was bounced back into the wall. 

With a gasp, my spell faded before Mortem rushed up to me and grasped me by the neck. I tried to pull free of his grip but he only tightened it. No. I didn’t want to die here. However, he failed to notice someone behind him. “Let her go, Mortem,” Kairi ordered as she held her Keyblade up to him.

“Why should I?”

“Because if you don’t then you’ll have to fight me.” 

“I warned her something like this would happen. The only way out is for her to take my life before I take hers. And you should learn to stay out of fights that aren’t yours.” 

He really wasn’t going to listen. He was determined to have blood on his hands, and I was the unlucky soul who was about to meet her ancestors. But I wasn’t done with life yet. I had to get back home, to Mom and Dad. Thinking about them seemed to give me some strength as I managed to start loosening his grip. 

Mortem then looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Well, you’re determined to live, I’ll give you that. Tell me, why do you fight death?” 

“My… parents… I want… to see them… again…” I strained to get free. 

“Your parents? Hah! What good is family? I’ll tell you. Nothing.”

“No. Families… love…”

“Families are a lie. To them, children are nothing but a burden to be disposed of at the earliest convenience. It wouldn’t surprise me if they arranged for you to be kicked off your world so they wouldn’t have to think about you.”

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