KH: Antipode [Alpha draft] pt 29

[keybearer]

Chapter 29: The Path Revealed

When Riku and the others reached the end of the hall, boy were they in for a surprise. Though at first it’d looked like they hit a dead end, up above they caught sight of another room through some small holes in the ceiling. In that room, they caught a glimpse of a young girl with curled, brown hair in a blue dress. At the sound of footsteps, she crouched down and peered down at them through the ceiling. She must’ve been pretty relieved, since a warm smile crossed her face.

“Oh, Peter! Thank goodness!” she said, clasping her hands together.

Peter floated up to the ceiling and pulled out his dagger. “Hang in there, Wendy! We’ll be right there.”

“But how are we gonna make it?” Riku glanced around the room, placing a hand on his hip. “It’s not like there’s a ladder or anything.”

What sounded like the ringing of bells caught his ear, and he looked up to find Tinker Bell scowling at Wendy. Peter groaned, and he crossed his arms.

“C’mon, Tink! Don’t be like that.”

Rolling her eyes, Tink heaved a sigh and pointed over at the far end of the ceiling. Was there something up there? With nothing to lose, he and the others hurried over. Sure enough, there were two gaping holes up above, a perfect route to the upper floors if they improvised a little. It looked like there was some kind of shelf close by. If they could just get up there somehow…

“Gawrsh, I wonder how we’ll get up there.” Goofy scratched his head, and he took a quick look around. “Maybe we oughta grab some of those boxes and make a big stack!”

Up above, Riku heard something banging against solid wood. What was going on up there?

“Please hurry!”

“Wendy!” Peter scowled, and he floated up to the hole. “I’ll go on ahead. If Wendy’s in trouble, then I’ve gotta be there for her.”

It really did sound like she was in danger. If they were going to get up there, they’d have to act fast. There was no time to shift crates around. Instead, Riku narrowed his eyes and leaped up onto the shelf. It took about two tries, but once he grabbed hold of the edge, pulling himself up wasn’t too big of an issue. So, after getting his footing he crouched down and held out his hand.

“Forget the crates! Goofy, you hold Donald up for me. Then I’ll help you up. Got it?”

“Hey, good thinkin’!”

With Goofy’s height, it wasn’t hard for him to lift Donald up, even if he did grumble a bit after being scooped up. Riku took his hand and lifted him up to the hole. Then, when Goofy was ready, he helped pull him up to the shelf. Together, they climbed up and into the next room, where they found nothing but a single door lining the wall. With nowhere else to go, they slipped through the door and entered one of the ship’s cabins. There, they found a ladder that reached up to another level of the ship, plus a few treasure chests and a hammock. Still no sign of Wendy or Peter, however.

Using the ladder, the trio made it up into the next level of the ship. There, they stumbled upon the elaborate cabin where Riku met with Sora before. However, nobody was there. Not even a single Heartless. Had Sora already taken off with Kairi? Or maybe he was elsewhere. It was tempting to take a look around, but they still had to get to Wendy. Frowning, he began to mosey around the room for any leads.

“Riku, what’s wrong?” Donald waltzed right up to him and tilted his head.

“It’s just…” Riku sighed. “Before I met with you guys, Sora brought me up here, and he had Kairi with him.”

“Ya mean your pals are here?” Goofy blinked, stopping in front of the center table.

“They were, anyway.” He shook his head and stopped in a corner of the room. There, he caught sight of what looked like some kind of trap door. After tapping it with his Keyblade, the floor opened up. Sure enough, it led into yet another room! With the path revealed, he turned around and motioned to the others. Then, he slid down the hole.

Inside, they caught sight of Peter Pan fighting back several of the Pirate Heartless while Wendy cowered in the corner. So there really was trouble.

The room’s cramped quarters weren’t ideal for Heartless fighting, but that didn’t stop Riku and the others from lending a hand. They plowed straight through the small group of Heartless, sending them flying into the walls. Ice crystals wrapped all around their feet, stopping them dead in their tracks, and the force of Goofy’s shield tore through their bodies and left nothing but floating hearts in their place. With the coast clear, they trudged up to Peter and Wendy.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Riku frowned.

Wendy nodded, and she slowly stood up. “Why, yes, thanks to you and Peter.”

“Aw, it was nothin’.” Peter cracked a lopsided grin. “Anyway, Wendy, let’s get you outta here. A pirate’s ship is no place for you!”

“Thank you, Peter. I’ve been so terribly worried.” She stepped closer to him, and he scooped her up.

Though Tink buzzed all around him, Peter didn’t seem to care. He just rolled his eyes and floated up towards the ceiling.

“Well, I’d better get moving! The last thing we need’s for more of those pirates to show up.”

“Hey, it’s cool.” Riku smiled, shaking his head. “We can take it from here.”

“All right, men!” Nodding, Peter flew up above. “Good luck with those Heartless!”

With Peter and Wendy safe, they didn’t have any more leads. Other than the random groups of Heartless that appeared, most of the ship looked pretty empty. And with no sign of the Keyhole anywhere, they were better off going back up to the top. If nothing else, they’d probably stumble upon whoever was running the joint.

“So, now what do we do?” Donald placed a hand to his beak. “There’s no ladder down here!”

“But it looks like there’s some kinda door!” Grinning, Goofy stepped right up to it. “How ‘bout we go through here? Maybe it’ll lead us back up there!”

“Worth a shot.” Riku kept his Keyblade out just in case, however, and as they stepped through the door, he kept his eyes peeled for any sudden attackers. When no Heartless appeared, he heaved a sigh of relief and pushed open another door that lead them back into the cabin. Now all they had to do was climb up and pass through to the deck.

Their trip from the captain’s cabin to the deck went relatively smoothly. On their way out the door, they found no sudden attackers or anything remotely suspicious. It was almost too good to be true, and… sure enough, when they stepped outside, they came face to face with the unpleasant. A squad of Pirate Heartless circled around them, holding their swords out like they were ready to swipe. While Riku lifted his Keyblade and braced himself for a fight, the nearby pirate captain and his chubby little lackey caught his eye.

“I wouldn’t be doing that, lad.” Hook shook his head and smirked. “Not unless you wish to say goodbye to this poor, defenseless pixie.” He reached behind his back and pulled out a little lantern with Tinker Bell inside.

“Why you!” Donald glared at the captain and pulled out his staff. “What’s the big idea?!”

“I’ll put it this way, you scurvy brats.” Hook circled around the Heartless with a smug grin. “I’m here to strike a bargain with ye. Give me the Keyblade, and I’ll let Tinker Bell free. If you don’t…” Chuckling, Hook stepped over to the edge of the ship, dangling the lantern above the water.

Riku grit his teeth. Blackmail was so not his strong point, but he couldn’t just give up the Keyblade! There had to be some loophole. A way to outsmart the captain… Maybe, if he kept the captain busy, he could pull a fast one on them. And maybe if he distracted Hook long enough, he wouldn’t see it coming. Starting with casual conversation might lighten the mood.

So, Riku shook his head and slowly turned towards the plank. “Before I do anything, there’s one thing I’d like to know. Just where the heck is Sora now?”

“Far from here, I’m afraid.” The captain waved his hook. “Why, Maleficent’s taken him back to Hollow Bastion. Perhaps if you cooperate, you’ll live to see it yourself.”

“I don’t know…” Riku took another step towards the plank. “The Keyblade can’t be used by just anyone. Why should I hand it over to a geezer like you?”

“What did you call me?!” Hook gnashed his teeth, and he jerked forward. “Why, you filthy, little codfish!”

“Uh, cap’n?” The chubby little first mate tapped him on the leg. “I hate to be a bother, but—”

Grinning, Riku pointed his Keyblade straight at Hook. “Takes one to know one, old man. I bet that hair of yours is just a wig to hide your balding head.”

“Riku, what’re you doing?” Donald’s brow furrowed, and he waved his staff.

“Oh, nothing.” He looked over at Donald and winked. “Just telling it like is. And, man, you call yourself a pirate? I’m pretty sure real sea dogs don’t wear frilly clothing.”

“Lad, you are trying my patience!” Hook’s whole body shook, and he placed the lantern aside. “Keep this up, and it’ll be the plank for you and your comrades.”

While he kept Hook busy with his words, Riku motioned over to the lantern. At first, Donald and Goofy did nothing but exchange puzzled glances. The Heartless still surrounded them, after all. But, when Riku threw out another insult, the two of them clobbered two of the Heartless and slipped on through, rushing right behind Hook and his little lackey.

“I bet you can’t even swing a sword!” Riku took another step towards the plank.

“Why, you little...! I’ll have you know that I’m the finest swordsman in—”

“Cap’n!”

It was too late for Hook. While Riku kept him distracted, Donald and Goofy had plenty of time to swipe up the lantern and let Tink free. And that’s exactly what they did. So, when Hook turned to face his lackey, he let out a vicious scream. Tinker Bell zipped right up to him and kicked him in the nose, and then she proceeded to sprinkle some pixie dust all over Riku, Donald, and Goofy.

“Now, Riku! Just think of something that’ll keep your spirits high.”

A flash of green zoomed through the air, circling around the ship. Was Peter back already? Well, if he could fly… Riku shut his eyes, taking another step back. All he’d have to do was focus on the positive. It still wasn’t easy for him, but what good would sulking do? Despite the uncertain circumstances all around him, he’d had a good adventure. He’d seen worlds ranging from Halloween made real to the bottom of the ocean, and he’d gotten stronger along the way.

When he opened his eyes, Riku took another step back and leaped down from the plank. Instead of splashing in the cold and chilly water, he soon found himself floating above the surrounding sea. Golden sparkles surrounded him, and suddenly he felt lighter than air. He was really flying, and all he had to do was believe…

Soaring high above the ship deck, he caught sight of the madness below. While Donald and Goofy battled with Heartless, Captain Hook and Peter clashed, sword against dagger. With his newfound flight, helping out would be a breeze. All he had to do was rush in and catch them by surprise. In fact, he was about to do just that when he caught a glimpse of a set of eyes poking out of the water and heard the distinct sound of a clock ticking. A long, toothy snout emerged, and the crocodile’s eyes bobbed up and down with the clock’s ticking.

Down below, Hook stopped dead in his tracks and let out a yelp. When Riku swooped in for a closer look, he overheard the captain yelling and screaming about how the croc wanted to eat him alive. His frantic panicking was the perfect opportunity to catch him off guard, so Riku grinned and dove down, slamming his Keyblade into Hook’s back side.

“Way to go, Riku!” Goofy hopped up and down with an enormous smile on his face. “Ya flew, ya really flew!”

“And if he can fly…” Donald smirked, and he hopped into the air. “Maybe we can, too!”

Before long, the two of them hovered up above the ground, twinkling from the dust. Together, Donald and Goofy zipped up to Riku’s side, and the three of them dove down towards Hook. Gnashing his teeth, the captain tried to take a stab at Peter, but he looped around and poked at Hook’s rear with his dagger. Then, he sliced off the top of his hat, snatched up the feather, and flew up towards one of the sails. Once there, he cut the feather into little pieces and crowed like a rooster.

“Why, you cowardly sparrow!” Hook practically roared with each word, as he climbed up the mast.

Along the way, Donald circled around him and launched flames right at his rear. This sent the captain down to the deck, leaping and screaming in agony. Chuckling, Goofy swerved around one of the masts and charged into Hook’s side with his shield. Riku followed that up by ramming into Hook’s back. It nearly sent him over the edge of the ship, where the crocodile smacked its lips and twirled a claw in the water.

Unfortunately for the hungry croc, Hook managed to regain his footing, and he snarled at the others. “Cowards, the lot of ya! Why, I bet you’re all afraid to fight me man to man.”

“Nobody calls Pan a coward and lives!” Peter narrowed his eyes, and he held out his dagger. “I’ll fight you man to man.” He paused. “With one hand behind my back!”

“Gawrsh, Peter, are ya sure that’s a good—”

“I give my word! We’ll fight one-on-one, no flying.”

“Then let’s have at it!” A twisted grin spread across Hook’s face as he made his way up the mast once more. Riku watched him with a faint frown, half tempted to step in. However, Peter seemed pretty confident that he could handle a one-on-one fight, even with his dinky dagger.

The fight began when Hook reached the sail and stormed right up to Peter. When the two boys came close, Hook grabbed onto Peter’s arm and threw him over the edge—but he latched on with his free hand. Seeing this, Hook sneered and stomped on Peter’s fingers. Though at first it looked like he was going to fall, Peter managed to pull himself back up, right as Hook started swinging his sword like mad. Parrying each blow, Peter walked back and latched onto a piece of rope in an attempt to swing around, but Hook cut the rope in half. Luckily, Peter landed on the top of the sail, even if he stumbled a bit.

But that stumbling was all Hook needed to swipe Pan’s dagger. And without a weapon, Peter could do little when Hook trudged forward his sword held right in front of him. With no way to block, Peter crawled backwards, and Hook laughed.

“Insolent youth!” He held his sword right over Peter’s chest. “Prepare to die.”

Riku groaned, and he held up his Keyblade. “Peter, forget it! Just fly already.”

“No!” Peter shook his head. “I gave my word.”

Then the strangest thing happened. All of the sudden, Peter got to his feet, reached for one of the ship’s banners, and pulled it right over Captain Hook. He swiped the captain’s sword and tied a little knot around him. Then, he held out the sword so Hook wouldn’t squirm.

“You’re mine, Hook!”

Well, that was a surprise turn of events, but it was good thinking on Peter’s part. Grinning, Riku and the others gave Peter a standing ovation, while Hook poked his head out from beneath the banner and managed a wimpy looking smile.

“You wouldn’t do old Hook in, would you, lad?” He brought his hand and hook together and gave Peter a pitiful look. “I’ll go away forever. I’ll do anything you say!”

“Well…” Peter brought a hand to his chin, and then he grinned. “All right. If you… say you’re a codfish!” He held out his sword, and Hook gulped.

“I’m… a codfish.”

“What was that?” Riku leaned forward and smirked. “Sorry, Captain. Couldn’t hear you!”

Donald snickered. “Yeah, you’ve gotta say it louder, so we can all hear it.”

Hook’s brow furrowed, and he swallowed heard. Then, after taking a breath, he practically shouted the words, “I’m a codfish!”

Hearing those words loud and clear was just too much. Riku couldn’t even hold back his laughter for a second, and he wasn’t the only one. Both Donald and Goofy laughed out loud, and even the captain’s little lackey covered his mouth to fight back a few chuckles. All the while, Peter took a bow, flung Hook’s sword aside, and looked Hook straight in the eye.

“All right, Hook! You’re free to go… and never return.” He hopped over to the edge and crowed like a rooster. Unfortunately, his smug little moment left him oblivious to Hook as he slinked up from behind, ready to take a jab at Peter with his hook hand.

“Peter, look out!” Goofy gasped, and he pointed up above.

It was all the warning he needed. As soon as Hook came close enough, Peter hopped back, sending the captain straight down into the chilly waters below… and the crocodile, too. Oh, and once he made it down, Hook let out a blood curdling scream. When Riku looked over the edge, he saw the captain scrambling around, while the crocodile followed in hot pursuit, smacking its jaws all the way. The captain’s lackey scurried over to one of the life boats and rowed like crazy, following the mad chase in the sea below.

“Hold on, cap’n!”

Soon, even the little life boat vanished from sight, and Hook’s screams faded. With those two out of the way, the pirate ship was practically abandoned, and as Riku looked around, he saw no more Heartless appear. Heaving a sigh, he turned around to face Peter, Tink, and his friends. On the way, he caught sight of a few scraps of paper lying on the ground. When he scooped them up, he caught sight of the words “Ansem Report”. So even Hook had a few of them on hand… or hook.

Tucking them away, he shifted focus to Peter. “So, what now?”

Before Peter could speak, Tink flew right in front of him, muttering… something or other. It was hard to understand the ringing of bells, but Peter seemed to catch on. After Tink finished speaking, he nodded and turned his attention back to Riku.

“Tink says there’s something weird by the clock tower. You guys wanna take a look?”

Something strange, huh? Maybe it was the Keyhole… After all, it definitely wasn’t anywhere on the ship. And no matter what was really out there, it was still worth taking a quick look. With a smirk on his face, Riku nodded, and he dismissed the Keyblade.

“Just lead the way, and we’ll follow.”

Sure enough, the journey to the clock tower required a bit of flying from Peter and the trio. Luckily, they managed to soar through the air with ease thanks to the power of Tinker Bell’s dust and pure optimism, something they’d been lacking for a while. Together, they flew through the air, passing clusters of islands, teepees, and a skull-shaped rock on their journey away from Neverland and back to London. Soon, the wild environment gave way to a cityscape lined with countless buildings and lights. And, in the distance, a massive clock tower loomed. Its size made the Gizmo Shop look like a flea at best.

Once they drew close enough, Tink floated over to the side of the clock and pointed to a strange hole between two of the numbers. By the looks of it, it was a… Keyhole! There was no doubting it, given the familiar shape. Riku didn’t even think twice before he summoned his weapon and readied himself. A bright flash of light filled the gap within seconds, making it appear as though no Keyhole ever existed in the first place. And with that out of the way, he and the others followed Peter onto a nearby ledge, where Wendy waited for them.

For a few minutes, the group peered out into the distance, taking in the fantastic view of the city below. The bright lights, the twinkling stars… It all looked so perfect from afar. And to be standing on such an enormous tower… Riku laughed. It really was something else. If only Sora and Kairi could be there with him. They would’ve been amazed. He’d seen them both just a few hours ago, and already he missed them like crazy. But deep down, Riku knew he couldn’t just take the two of them back with him, not now. With Kairi asleep and Sora with Maleficent, there was just no chance.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You know, before I came here, I never would’ve thought I’d fly. And even here, it wasn’t easy.”

Peter blinked, and he hovered over to Riku. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just…” He laughed dryly. “Sometimes it’s easy to let your worries get the best of you. Even now, I can’t stop thinking about what happened to Kairi, not to mention Sora.”

Frowning, Goofy placed a hand to his chin. “Well, sometimes it’s easy to let your worries get the best of ya! It just shows ya care about your pals.”

“Goofy’s right!” Donald gazed up at Riku with a frown. “I know I still worry about King Mickey sometimes.”

“But instead of lettin’ those worries get to ya, you oughta look on the bright side.” Chuckling, Goofy waltzed on over to Riku and gave him a great big smile. “If ya believe in your friends, it’ll make even the bad times feel a little better.”

“Yep, that’s what I do, anyway.” Peter grinned. “Just believe, and you can do just about anything. It must’ve helped a little, since you managed to fly!”

Yes, for a few short moments, Riku did manage to get the best of his worries. He’d focused on the positive memories instead of letting fears and doubts slow him down. And… believing in his friends? Maybe it sounded a little silly and sentimental, but it was the right idea. For as dense as Sora’d been, he was still Riku’s best friend. To lose all hope would be doing a huge disservice to him and Kairi, too. There had to be a way to turn things around. Somehow, he’d find a way. If that meant going straight to Maleficent’s stronghold, then he’d take that risk. It was all just a matter of facing his fears.

Riku took a deep breath, and he placed a fist over his chest. “You guys are right. It won’t be easy, but I guess I’ll just have to keep pushing forward. My journey’s far from over, and I can’t give up now.”

“You mean you’re taking off?” Frowning, Peter took a quick look at Tink, who pointed at Riku and chimed like a bell.

“Yeah, we can’t stay here.” Riku shook his head. “Not when Maleficent and the Heartless are still out there somewhere.”

“Hmm…” Peter gave Tink another glance, and then he smiled. “Well, tell ya what! If you ever need a hand, just give her a call, and Tink’ll be right there. She said it’s the least she could do after you guys saved her.”

“Just a call, huh?” Riku looked over his shoulder as Tink zipped right up to him and nodded. So she was serious about it… Well, he couldn’t fault her for that. “It’s a deal, Tink.”

An extra hand never hurt. And besides, they already had the Genie on their side. If they could keep tabs on him, letting Tink follow along definitely wouldn’t hurt. After all, who knew what they’d encounter on the way to Hollow Bastion? Going up against the one in control of the Heartless would probably be their toughest challenge yet. Maybe even harder than their fight with Sorcerer Jafar…

They had little time to lose. As fun as it’d been spending time with Peter and Tink, the others probably knew it couldn’t last. Not with so much left to do.

“Well, I guess we’d better get movin’.” Donald gazed up at the sky. “We’ve gotta prepare for the worst if we’re goin’ after Maleficent.”

“Hey, I understand,” said Peter. “But if you guys ever wanna come back here, you’re always welcome in Neverland!”

Wendy smiled. “And do be careful!”

Riku nodded, and he managed to smile. “Don’t worry. We will.”

For Sora and Kairi, they’d have to stay strong. The real struggle had only just begun.

TO BE CONTINUED

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