When Darkness Turns to Light

Falling Up the Rabbit Hole

Recappy from the Last Chappy: "The Gummi isn't even running right now . . . we're fine." She yawned. "Plus . . . Donald's probably dreaming about Daisy, and Goofy's just . . . goofy. They'd have us covered. Go to sleep before I make you."

"Okay." There was another brief silence. "Hiki?"

"Hnnnn?"

"Thanks."

[{X♥X}]

Chapter Five: Falling Up the Rabbit Hole

"That little squirt took down the giant Heartless!"

"Such is the power of the Keyblade. The child's strength is not his own."

"Turn him into a Heartless. That will settle things quick enough."

"Those two are the kings lackeys. A couple of bilge rats, by the look of them."

"You're no prize, yourself."

"Shut up, you-"

"Enough. The blade has chosen him. Will he conquer the darkness . . . or will it devour him? Either way, he could be quite useful. . . ."

"What about the girl?"

"She denies power attained. To be any threat, she would have to overcome fear. Even then, her heart has already been lost to the darkness. I don't doubt she wouldn't be susceptible to a little coercion."

[{X♥X}]

"Look after each other. Keep each other safe." Those were Leon's parting words to Hikari, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Akamaru, and Jiminy before they embarked toward the next world. Valedictions were brief, in that morning, so they were quickly on their way.

While the group had been going around town, the chipmunks had fixed the radar, so the ship could be set to auto-pilot when no enemy ships were near and they would be warned when one came within a certain radius. Hikari had it set to that, currently, and swivelled in her chair to face the others.

Most would have raised a brow to the strange sight that met her, but she simply blinked, seeming otherwise undeterred by all of Sora, Donald, and Goofy straining their faces near their elbows. Their tongues were sticking out as far as possible toward the joint with no avail, yet they were persistent, concentrating greatly. Akamaru was at Sora's feet, watching in amusement.

Hikari crossed her arms. "Are you trying to lick your elbows?"

Sora's concentration broke as he glanced at her. Embarrassed, he slurped in his tongue and grinned, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Jiminy said it's impossible. We wanted to prove him wrong," he explained while Donald and Goofy continued trying. Donald appeared to barely be able to get his tongue out of his beak.

"I see. . . . Suppose there isn't much else to do on the Gummi."

"Can you do it, Hiki?"

There was a short pause after his question, and she then turned her chair so her side faced him. Her right arm laid on the arm rest, but she raised that hand to touch her chin. She looked out at the beautiful, star-filled atmosphere outside of the window. "I'm going to say, 'no.'"

In immediate response, Akamaru barked, bringing her attention to him. "What? I didn't lie. I said that I was going to say no, I didn't give a definitive answer to his question. A technicality, but true."

"Um . . . huh?" Sora inquired.

Akamaru looked at her smugly, wagging his tail. He laid just outside of a small cubby that was his when the Gummi went to battle. Hikari met his gaze with slightly narrowed eyes. "It would be much easier if this secret-language-thing was a two-way street." He barked. "Yeah, yeah."