"I'm the Boss!" -- Fabled Countryside [Open/Complete]
Years ago, Adam had told Sora about his world. He told Sora about the quaint little village, the wolf-infested woods, and the castle where his staff (they were really more like a family) took care of him. He had told Sora how despite it's moments of tribulation and the predators in the woods, the world was still peaceful and happy.
That is not what they found when they got there. Sora kept silent as he and his companions looked out of the gummi ship's windows in horror. They had seen worlds far worse than this, of course, but it was chilling to know it was a world they had know about since the start of the war. Sora was overwhelmed with a feeling that he had somehow failed.
They landed on a small patch of land just outside the remains of the village. At this point there was no reason to worry about world order. There were no villagers left to be shocked by them and as the home world of a Princesses of Heart it was hard to believe the people weren't aware of the war.
So, making sure that their cricket scribe was tucked safely out of harms way, the trio set out to find what was left to saved.
_________________________
They walked down the street of the village, weapons drawn and senses alert. The buildings were cast in shadow, and falling apart, abandoned and twisted by the darkness.
"Where are all the people?" Goofy asked as he looked around.
Donald made a disapproving sound and asked with an exasperated tone, "Where do you think they are?" But they all knew he was only acting annoyed to cover up the deeper emotions that were welling up inside of him.
Seeing something like this made them remember how serious their job was.
"We need to find the Keyhole," Sora spoke up for the first time since they had arrived. "And Adam." He couldn't stop the worry from seeping into his voice. There was no sign of anyone here. It was unnerving.
"I don't get it," Sora said with a quiet voice. "Where are the Heartless?" They hadn't been attacked yet, usually if a world was this far gone it was expected that the Heartless would jump at the first sign of a new heart, and the Keyblade attracted them even more. Yet they hadn't seen any sign of any movement here.
"I think I can answer that," said a soft, eerily perfect female voice behind them. Sora turned around and blinked at the light that greeted him.
_________________________
"So we've been locked up in here while the oracle keeps the Heartless at bay." The old man finished dusting the book in his hand and placed it carefully back on the shelf.
Sora hopped down rather ungracefully from his seat on the counter. He looked at the people huddled in the room. They seemed to come in every shape and size.
"Oracle," snorted a roundish man with a moustache. "I remember when everyone called her a witch."
"Come, come," said an older woman with a warm smile. "She's been helping us out, hasn't she? She's already explained that she's not the cause of the Master's new transformation--"
"Master?" Sora asked, frowning. "You mean Adam? Wait, you guys are from the castle? Have you seen him? Princess Belle said something--"
At the mention of the Princess everyone in the room stirred.
"Belle?" asked a balding, tiny man. He watched Sora closely. "Is she okay?"
Sora nodded. "Yeah, I met her at Hollow Bastion, she's the reason I'm here."
The book keeper turned from his selves of volumes. "You must be the Keyblade Master," he said, with a knowing smile.
With a glace at Goofy and Donald, Sora nodded and grinned proudly. "I am."
"Wow! Really?" asked a blonde child and he rushed from right under his mother's nose to get a better look at Sora.
"Chip!" she said warningly. "It isn't polite to stare like that."
But Sora was already laughing. "No, I don't mind."
The book keeper cleared his throat and the sound made people turn towards him. "I suppose you three are looking for the Keyhole?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Sora agreed, nodding. "Do you know where it is?"
In a couple minutes a bookshelf was moved away from the wall. It exposed a giant crest, divided into three shapes.
Sora frowned. "It looks like we have to place something in the three spots," he pointed out. "Is that how the Keyhole will open?"
The book keeper nodded. "It's been a secret for a long time. The crest was divided to make it harder to enter. There's one piece in the village, one in the woods, and one in the castle."
"That's all we have to do?" Sora asked cockily. He grinned widely. "We'll save this world for sure."
"You'll have to hurry," said a tall man with an obvious accent and a long nose. "The Heartless are getting closer by the minute."
Sora thought about it for a moment and then a brilliant idea came to him. "Hey!" he said to Donald and Goofy. "There are three of us and three pieces! We can each go find one and get back here as soon as possible! Last one back washes the Highwind!" He grinned at his companions.
As always there were the usual protests, but when Sora got an idea like this, he didn't want to let it go. Eventually, they gave in and drew straws.
And that was how Sora found himself, very alone and heading into the dark castle that Adam called home.
He entered the door cautiously. It was so dark he could hardly see anything at all. "Hello?" he asked, wondering if his friend was there.
That is not what they found when they got there. Sora kept silent as he and his companions looked out of the gummi ship's windows in horror. They had seen worlds far worse than this, of course, but it was chilling to know it was a world they had know about since the start of the war. Sora was overwhelmed with a feeling that he had somehow failed.
They landed on a small patch of land just outside the remains of the village. At this point there was no reason to worry about world order. There were no villagers left to be shocked by them and as the home world of a Princesses of Heart it was hard to believe the people weren't aware of the war.
So, making sure that their cricket scribe was tucked safely out of harms way, the trio set out to find what was left to saved.
_________________________
They walked down the street of the village, weapons drawn and senses alert. The buildings were cast in shadow, and falling apart, abandoned and twisted by the darkness.
"Where are all the people?" Goofy asked as he looked around.
Donald made a disapproving sound and asked with an exasperated tone, "Where do you think they are?" But they all knew he was only acting annoyed to cover up the deeper emotions that were welling up inside of him.
Seeing something like this made them remember how serious their job was.
"We need to find the Keyhole," Sora spoke up for the first time since they had arrived. "And Adam." He couldn't stop the worry from seeping into his voice. There was no sign of anyone here. It was unnerving.
"I don't get it," Sora said with a quiet voice. "Where are the Heartless?" They hadn't been attacked yet, usually if a world was this far gone it was expected that the Heartless would jump at the first sign of a new heart, and the Keyblade attracted them even more. Yet they hadn't seen any sign of any movement here.
"I think I can answer that," said a soft, eerily perfect female voice behind them. Sora turned around and blinked at the light that greeted him.
_________________________
"So we've been locked up in here while the oracle keeps the Heartless at bay." The old man finished dusting the book in his hand and placed it carefully back on the shelf.
Sora hopped down rather ungracefully from his seat on the counter. He looked at the people huddled in the room. They seemed to come in every shape and size.
"Oracle," snorted a roundish man with a moustache. "I remember when everyone called her a witch."
"Come, come," said an older woman with a warm smile. "She's been helping us out, hasn't she? She's already explained that she's not the cause of the Master's new transformation--"
"Master?" Sora asked, frowning. "You mean Adam? Wait, you guys are from the castle? Have you seen him? Princess Belle said something--"
At the mention of the Princess everyone in the room stirred.
"Belle?" asked a balding, tiny man. He watched Sora closely. "Is she okay?"
Sora nodded. "Yeah, I met her at Hollow Bastion, she's the reason I'm here."
The book keeper turned from his selves of volumes. "You must be the Keyblade Master," he said, with a knowing smile.
With a glace at Goofy and Donald, Sora nodded and grinned proudly. "I am."
"Wow! Really?" asked a blonde child and he rushed from right under his mother's nose to get a better look at Sora.
"Chip!" she said warningly. "It isn't polite to stare like that."
But Sora was already laughing. "No, I don't mind."
The book keeper cleared his throat and the sound made people turn towards him. "I suppose you three are looking for the Keyhole?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Sora agreed, nodding. "Do you know where it is?"
In a couple minutes a bookshelf was moved away from the wall. It exposed a giant crest, divided into three shapes.
Sora frowned. "It looks like we have to place something in the three spots," he pointed out. "Is that how the Keyhole will open?"
The book keeper nodded. "It's been a secret for a long time. The crest was divided to make it harder to enter. There's one piece in the village, one in the woods, and one in the castle."
"That's all we have to do?" Sora asked cockily. He grinned widely. "We'll save this world for sure."
"You'll have to hurry," said a tall man with an obvious accent and a long nose. "The Heartless are getting closer by the minute."
Sora thought about it for a moment and then a brilliant idea came to him. "Hey!" he said to Donald and Goofy. "There are three of us and three pieces! We can each go find one and get back here as soon as possible! Last one back washes the Highwind!" He grinned at his companions.
As always there were the usual protests, but when Sora got an idea like this, he didn't want to let it go. Eventually, they gave in and drew straws.
And that was how Sora found himself, very alone and heading into the dark castle that Adam called home.
He entered the door cautiously. It was so dark he could hardly see anything at all. "Hello?" he asked, wondering if his friend was there.