[FONT="]Chapter 18: Pleasure Island[/FONT]
[FONT="]Off again to another world. Having left Atlantica far behind, Riku, Donald, and Goofy drifted through space in silence. What was there to talk about, really? With Atlantica out of the way, Riku hardly expected Donald and Goofy to go look for Sora. They had bigger priorities, like the King and Keyholes. That’s all there was to it. They might’ve stood up for him a few times, but that’s probably because they needed his Key. If he ever lost it, would they even stick with him? Not that he’d lose it in the first place.
Riku sighed, peering out the window with his face propped up by a gloved hand. On the back of his chair, he heard the constant tapping of a pen against paper. Jiminy was at it again with his journal entries. Probably adding more info on the Heartless they spotted or the people they encountered under the sea. What else was new? Everything was starting to fall into a plain old routine. Travel through space, visit world, defeat some massive threat, and leave. Throw in some ambiguity about Sora for good measure, and that pretty much summed up Riku’s experiences thus far.
An abrupt siren from the Gummi Ship’s radar abruptly snapped Riku out of his daze, and he slowly sat up and looked over at the screen. A large… blob appeared, and a warning text flashed on and off, on and off. Just what the heck was going on?
“Bah, confounded radar.” Donald groaned, pressing forward on the controls.
“Wait a sec,” said Riku, raising a brow. “Just what is that thing?”
Donald frowned, scratching his head with one hand, while he kept the ship under control. “It’s a heavy darkness reading. Probably some kind of Heartless.” He shook his head. “We’d better take a detour if we’re gonna get to the next world!”
A heavy darkness reading? Whatever it was, it sure sounded interesting. Too interesting to pass up just because Donald wanted to play it safe.
Riku crossed his arms. “How do you know what it is unless you see for yourself? If anything happens, you can just fire at it.”
“Don’t be silly, Riku.” He rolled his eyes. “We’ve gotta focus on finding the King and those Keyholes.”
“And who’s to say that thing isn’t one step ahead of us? If it’s a Heartless, that’s all the more reason to take it out.”
Goofy looked at Riku and Donald with a frown. He scratched his head and said, “Y’know, Riku might be right, Donald. I’m sure the King would want us to take a look.”
Leave it to Goofy to try and play the peacemaker. Still, at least one of them was on his side. Donald took a moment to grumble something under his breath. That radar continued to beep constantly, getting faster and faster as the ship drew closer to the strange blob. Eventually, Donald sighed, turning the ship towards the mysterious symbol.
“Oh, alright.”
They pressed on for a little while, as the signal became worse and worse. In the distance, a large, shadowy object appeared with bright lights and… was that some kind of sign? It was hard to tell from a distance, but whatever this thing was, it definitely wasn’t a Heartless. It had to be some kind of world. A world shrouded with darkness. If it was really that bad, how could they pass it up? Chances were, it had a Keyhole just waiting to be closed, and one of Maleficent’s goons could be hanging around.
But the closer they got, the less threatening it appeared. Fireworks exploded in a flurry of color. Ferris wheels spun round and round, while roller coasters whizzed by. It looked just like a carnival, and a lively one at that. How could a place like that be teeming with darkness? As the radar’s beeping grew more and more rapid, the world before them became less and less threatening. It got to a point where Donald banged on the controls with his fist.
“Wak! This thing must be busted.”
Either that, or there was more to it. But seriously, a carnival? It looked like a cool place to check out, but it hardly screamed “sudden darkness”.
Yet in spite of all that, Goofy seemed to think otherwise. He looked down at Donald with a frown and shook his head.
“But that there radar was workin’ fine before.” He scratched his head. “I think there’s somethin’ fishy goin’ on.”
Suddenly, Jiminy hopped down from Riku’s chair and in front of the controls. He held up his journal with a huge, dopey smile.
“Well, fellas, there’s only one way to find out!” He turned towards the window, as the ship drew closer to the world. “Why don’t we take a look around? It’d sure make a swell story to add to the journal.”
Jiminy had a point there. A strong darkness reading from a seemingly innocent world? Maybe there was more to the mystery than a mere malfunction. Riku’s lips curled up into a wide smirk, and he leaned closer to the window.
“Think Jiminy’s got the right idea,” he said. “C’mon, it can’t hurt to look. And who knows?” He snickered. “Maybe the King’s there.”
He must’ve said the magic word, because soon Donald readied the ship for landing. He looked kind of put out, though, with a faint frown visible on his beak and a look of wariness in his eyes… or plain old fear. Whatever was on his mind, it didn’t matter as long as he cooperated. And that’s just what he did, for the time being. The ship continued to slow as it neared the ground right outside the carnival’s gate. Before long, it came to a complete stop, and the incessant beeping finally ended. At that moment, Donald heaved a sigh and unbuckled himself from his seat. Goofy did the same.
Sliding out of his seat, Riku pushed the door open and stepped out without a moment’s hesitation. All around him, a jolly melody filled the air, along with the laughter of children and the booming explosions from the fireworks. Though a gate blocked most of the view, there was still something… pleasant about this place. The top of the gate even said, “Pleasure Island.” With a name like that, what could go wrong?
Jiminy, Donald, and Goofy exited the ship before long, and the little cricket hopped up onto Riku’s shoulder with a smile. In response, Riku gave him a deadpan stare, and then he shrugged. Really, if Jiminy wanted to hitch a ride, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Right now, he was more concerned with checking out this strange, new world. Sure the gate was locked, but the Keyblade could fix that in a flash. And it did. Within seconds, Riku and the others entered the bright and flashy carnival, taking in the sights and sounds.
Balloons floated in the air, as the inviting scent of cotton candy and popcorn lured Riku further into the enclosure. A carousel spin round and round at a leisurely pace, and an announcement from afar ensured all visitors that all the attractions were completely free. What a perk! And by the looks of it, it was a popular place for kids. Crowds of little boys darted from place to place, and while Riku certainly wasn’t a kid, he couldn’t blame them for their enthusiasm.
A tap on the shoulder from Goofy brought him back to reality. That dopey dog looked at him with a puzzled expression, rubbing the tip of his nose with a gloved finger.
“Gawrsh, Riku, are you alright?”
“Are you kidding?” He leaned towards Goofy with a massive smirk, placing both hands on his hips. “Just look at this place! Games, rides… what’s not to like?”
Donald rolled his eyes, taking a few steps forward. “Just don’t get too excited. This place could still be dangerous!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“We’ll see about that.” Riku flicked his wrist and took off without another word, even as Jiminy looked back at Donald and Goofy and tried to get him to slow down. Knowing those two, they’d be chasing after him like they always did. Why slow down for their sake? Right now, they had a lot of ground to cover and no time to waste!
First, he stumbled upon the rough house, a massive tent with an animatronic thug inviting reckless kids inside for the time of their lives. When Riku took a peek inside, he spotted numerous kids socking each other with their fists, biting each other on the arms, and poking each other in the eyes. It wasn’t like the play fighting and rough housing he did back home. There was something almost unsettling seeing kids beat each other up just for the heck of it, and he had to take a step back after a few seconds, cringing at the thought.
Jiminy frowned, taking a few notes in his journal. “Y’know, maybe Donald was right, Riku. Those boys oughta be listening to their conscience instead of picking fights!”
“It’s strange, all right.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Still, it can’t be all bad.”
On an island so huge, there had to be some worthwhile attractions, and there was no way he’d miss out because of a few bad eggs. Riku kept moving along with his eyes on the various food stands and games that littered the place. He grabbed some ice cream on his way and watched as a small group of boys fired real guns at some targets. Strange, but at least nobody was getting hurt this time. Even if the prizes looked like booze bottles and cigars… for some reason.
“What in the world?!” Jiminy crossed his arms and let out a soft ‘hmph’. “Who in their right mind would give liquor to kids?”
It was odd. Wasn’t this kind of thing illegal? What the heck would their parents think? Sure, it never hurt to have extra freedom, but some of those boys looked no older than ten. Give them a gun and hard liquor, and they could seriously wreck the place and each other.
Shuddering, Riku pressed on. No point in sticking around, when watching those kids made him sick to his stomach. He made it a few steps when a cold chill ran down his spine. From the corner of his eye, he saw a slim, shadowy figure rush by. Instinctively, he whirled around, but there was nothing there. Nothing but the snack carts and the games surrounding him. That pleasantly upbeat music continued to play from afar, and another set of fireworks flew sky high.
Jiminy tapped Riku’s cheek with his umbrella, tilting his head to the side. “Everything all right, Riku? You looked awfully spooked for a minute there.”
He sighed. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s keep moving.”
The next few stops weren’t so bad. The carousel ride looked harmless enough, even if it wasn’t his thing. It spun around innocently with a peaceful melody fitting for prancing horses bobbing up and down. The nearby slide also looked just fine. Smooth, no sudden traps or spikes. Kids climbed up to the top and spiraled around, laughing merrily on the way down. When they reached the bottom, each kid grabbed free snacks from a nearby vendor and skipped off to the other attractions.
Maybe the rough house and that shooting stall were just the exceptions. Everything else looked pretty standard for a carnival or fairground.
Eventually, Riku arrived at the next big attraction. An announcer invited visitors to come visit the model home, open for destruction at no cost. Past the sign, a horde of reckless kids smashed windows, lit a grand piano on fire, and hurled potted plants down from a balcony. They sprayed graffiti all over old paintings and bounced up and down on a queen-sized bed. It did look kind of fun, and Riku took a few steps closer without even thinking things through. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, if the place was set up this way, and it’d be a good way to let out his frustration…
Another shadow rushed by, and Riku shook off his daze. When he turned around, he spotted Donald and Goofy rushing straight for him, but no Heartless or anything remotely dark. Still, it took those two long enough to catch up. What the heck were they doing? Grabbing some snuff down at Tobacco Row? He shook his head and approached the duo, meeting them halfway.
Immediately, Donald whacked his staff against Riku’s knee, causing him to hiss and hop back a few feet. While it didn’t hurt that much, it still caught him off guard. Besides, if taking off was that big of a deal, he could’ve picked up the pace and followed along.
Riku rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest. “What was that about?”
“For runnin’ off again.” Donald tucked the staff away and started tapping his foot. “This place is fishy. I’m starting to think the radar was onto something.”
“Yup!” Goofy nodded, his normally silly expression replaced with a frown. “Nobody oughta be givin’ those kids guns and beer. This whole place is teachin’ ‘em to be bad to the bone!”
Maybe they had a point. While a lot of the carnival attractions were harmless enough, it was hard to dismiss the tobacco, alcohol, and reckless behavior encouraged all over the island. The bright colors, bouncy music, and overall freedom seemed almost too good to be true. As Riku silently looked around, he witnessed more and more boys trashing property, puffing on cigars, and turning the whole place upside down. Maybe this place wasn’t paradise after all…
He sighed. “So you think there’s more to it?”
“There’s gotta be.” Donald squinted and leaned forward, looking off into the distance. “Just look at this place. It’s got trouble written all over it.”
“Then what are we standing around here for?” Riku shook his head. “Might as well investigate. This place might not have any Heartless, but there has to be a Keyhole somewhere.”
“And somebody runnin’ the joint.” Nodding, Donald turned towards the distant rollercoaster and pointed at it with his staff. “Just don’t run off again, Riku. It’s too risky.”
What, was Donald worried about him for once? Or maybe he just wanted things to go smoothly. Whatever the case, there was no point in taking off again. Instead, Riku shrugged and followed along as Donald and Goofy made their way towards the roller coaster.
On the way, he kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious, but nothing really changed overall. No matter where they turned, kids scampered through the streets laughing, screaming, hollering, and enjoying the sights. They pushed and shoved one another and often ended up in brawls right in the middle of the streets, but it was all standard bad boy behavior. Nothing outright malicious. Sure, some of the kids ended up pushing him around, and one group of boys hurled water balloons straight at Donald and Goofy, but by the time they reached the coaster, they still had no leads. It was like they were going in circles. Nothing changed.
They spent about another hour searching before things started to wind down. Maybe the kids got tired of waiting in line and split up throughout the park. Whatever the case, they started to become less and less concentrated. It was like they disappeared, but what were the odds of that? The place was huge. Those kids had to be around somewhere. Riku smirked, as he and the others made their way back to the center of the park. At least things were quieting down. And not a single Heartless showed up to ruin the mood.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
It was actually kind of funny. Every world had at least a few Shadows lurking around, and then the world full of darkness contained nothing but fun attractions and rambunctious kids. It was almost too good to be true.
All around, the lights began to dim. The music played one final loop before it faded completely. Once a lively carnival, the island started to take on a more eerie appearance, like a ghost town more than anything else. Maybe the staff called it a day. The kids probably had to head back home, and keeping the rides running all night just wasn’t practical. Only the Ferris wheel continued to spin, its lights flickering on and off every few minutes. Riku watched it go for a few seconds before he turned back towards the entrance gate.
A few more fireworks exploded up above, but soon they, too, subsided. The air grew cold, and a harsh breeze swept through the area. Once again, a shadow whisked by, and Riku stopped dead in his tracks. Up ahead, Donald and Goofy continued to move forward, pausing just long enough to urge him to keep going. Then, when he looked over his shoulder, Riku saw nothing but a few empty stands. Maybe he was seeing things…
But before he could move, he felt a sudden push from behind. A split-second later, he fell forward, landing face-down in the dirt. Razor-sharp claws lashed out against his spine, and his body tensed up. Thunder magic struck the ground all around him, sending sparks flying. Quickly, Riku rolled to the side, dodging a swipe from a massive, clawed hand. A shield flew through the air and knocked his attacker back several feet.
When Riku regained his footing, he saw no crowd of eager children waiting for a ride. Instead, a massive mob of Heartless stood in their place. Their pitch black bodies took on a more human appearance than Shadows or Soldiers. They were slimmer, taller, and they swiped their enormous claws at Riku in rapid succession. He had to keep ducking, rolling, and blocking to avoid being slashed. Then, when he tried to fight back, they sank into the ground. This happened again and again. The Heartless moved so quickly that he got in maybe two hits before they disappeared into the dirt. And before he could move, the agonizing pain of their claws paralyzed him for several seconds at a time.
Even with Donald and Goofy’s help, the Heartless persisted. Surges of thunder stunned them momentarily, and Goofy’s shield knocked them around. But try as they might, the Heartless kept coming. For every one they defeated, it seemed like two more appeared in their place. And they crept closer and closer, swinging their arms and diving down from above. Eruptions of darkness shot forth each time they emerged from the ground, forcing the group to constantly move to avoid damage.
They ran through the carnival as fast as they could, fighting back whenever time allowed. No matter where they turned, the Heartless followed, emerging from beneath the stands, within the tents, and down from the towering rides. They formed massive hordes that approached from all directions, forcing Riku and the others to fight their way through with a combination of spells and Sonic Blades. Even then, claws scraped against their backs. Aerial blows from behind sent them flying several times, and they had little time to react before the Heartless piled upon them.
It didn’t make sense! Where were all the kids now? What happened to the carnival staff? Did they all just… disappear? And where did all the Heartless come from? As Riku hurried along, he found no signs of life. Just more and more enemies waiting to rip out his heart. There had to be hundreds waiting to strike. Far more than even the hordes of Shadows that attacked Destiny Islands that night… But how? Could a world really survive with this much darkness, or would it start to collapse just like his island home?
He was running low on potions. Even as he sliced through ten of the Heartless, Riku found himself facing just as many in an instant. What was he supposed to do if he ran out of steam? Just give up? He’d faced countless powerful enemies and made it out in one piece. There had to be a way to end this…
In the distance, he caught sight of a building shaped like an eight ball. He sliced through two more of the Heartless, breathing heavily, and he hurried for his new destination, even as his muscles throbbed and his heart pounded. If they could get to that building, then maybe they’d have a chance to regroup and figure something out. They just needed a few minutes to catch their breath and think of a plan. Those Heartless were tough, but he couldn’t let fear stop him. All he needed was a chance to recover, then he’d show them a thing or two.
When he neared the front steps, Riku flung himself at the double doors, thrusting them wide open and motioning for the others to hurry and get inside. It took a few more seconds for them to arrive, and once they slipped inside, Riku slammed the door shut and collapsed on the floor.
Maybe they should’ve taken that detour after all.
TO BE CONTINUED[/FONT]
[FONT="]Off again to another world. Having left Atlantica far behind, Riku, Donald, and Goofy drifted through space in silence. What was there to talk about, really? With Atlantica out of the way, Riku hardly expected Donald and Goofy to go look for Sora. They had bigger priorities, like the King and Keyholes. That’s all there was to it. They might’ve stood up for him a few times, but that’s probably because they needed his Key. If he ever lost it, would they even stick with him? Not that he’d lose it in the first place.
Riku sighed, peering out the window with his face propped up by a gloved hand. On the back of his chair, he heard the constant tapping of a pen against paper. Jiminy was at it again with his journal entries. Probably adding more info on the Heartless they spotted or the people they encountered under the sea. What else was new? Everything was starting to fall into a plain old routine. Travel through space, visit world, defeat some massive threat, and leave. Throw in some ambiguity about Sora for good measure, and that pretty much summed up Riku’s experiences thus far.
An abrupt siren from the Gummi Ship’s radar abruptly snapped Riku out of his daze, and he slowly sat up and looked over at the screen. A large… blob appeared, and a warning text flashed on and off, on and off. Just what the heck was going on?
“Bah, confounded radar.” Donald groaned, pressing forward on the controls.
“Wait a sec,” said Riku, raising a brow. “Just what is that thing?”
Donald frowned, scratching his head with one hand, while he kept the ship under control. “It’s a heavy darkness reading. Probably some kind of Heartless.” He shook his head. “We’d better take a detour if we’re gonna get to the next world!”
A heavy darkness reading? Whatever it was, it sure sounded interesting. Too interesting to pass up just because Donald wanted to play it safe.
Riku crossed his arms. “How do you know what it is unless you see for yourself? If anything happens, you can just fire at it.”
“Don’t be silly, Riku.” He rolled his eyes. “We’ve gotta focus on finding the King and those Keyholes.”
“And who’s to say that thing isn’t one step ahead of us? If it’s a Heartless, that’s all the more reason to take it out.”
Goofy looked at Riku and Donald with a frown. He scratched his head and said, “Y’know, Riku might be right, Donald. I’m sure the King would want us to take a look.”
Leave it to Goofy to try and play the peacemaker. Still, at least one of them was on his side. Donald took a moment to grumble something under his breath. That radar continued to beep constantly, getting faster and faster as the ship drew closer to the strange blob. Eventually, Donald sighed, turning the ship towards the mysterious symbol.
“Oh, alright.”
They pressed on for a little while, as the signal became worse and worse. In the distance, a large, shadowy object appeared with bright lights and… was that some kind of sign? It was hard to tell from a distance, but whatever this thing was, it definitely wasn’t a Heartless. It had to be some kind of world. A world shrouded with darkness. If it was really that bad, how could they pass it up? Chances were, it had a Keyhole just waiting to be closed, and one of Maleficent’s goons could be hanging around.
But the closer they got, the less threatening it appeared. Fireworks exploded in a flurry of color. Ferris wheels spun round and round, while roller coasters whizzed by. It looked just like a carnival, and a lively one at that. How could a place like that be teeming with darkness? As the radar’s beeping grew more and more rapid, the world before them became less and less threatening. It got to a point where Donald banged on the controls with his fist.
“Wak! This thing must be busted.”
Either that, or there was more to it. But seriously, a carnival? It looked like a cool place to check out, but it hardly screamed “sudden darkness”.
Yet in spite of all that, Goofy seemed to think otherwise. He looked down at Donald with a frown and shook his head.
“But that there radar was workin’ fine before.” He scratched his head. “I think there’s somethin’ fishy goin’ on.”
Suddenly, Jiminy hopped down from Riku’s chair and in front of the controls. He held up his journal with a huge, dopey smile.
“Well, fellas, there’s only one way to find out!” He turned towards the window, as the ship drew closer to the world. “Why don’t we take a look around? It’d sure make a swell story to add to the journal.”
Jiminy had a point there. A strong darkness reading from a seemingly innocent world? Maybe there was more to the mystery than a mere malfunction. Riku’s lips curled up into a wide smirk, and he leaned closer to the window.
“Think Jiminy’s got the right idea,” he said. “C’mon, it can’t hurt to look. And who knows?” He snickered. “Maybe the King’s there.”
He must’ve said the magic word, because soon Donald readied the ship for landing. He looked kind of put out, though, with a faint frown visible on his beak and a look of wariness in his eyes… or plain old fear. Whatever was on his mind, it didn’t matter as long as he cooperated. And that’s just what he did, for the time being. The ship continued to slow as it neared the ground right outside the carnival’s gate. Before long, it came to a complete stop, and the incessant beeping finally ended. At that moment, Donald heaved a sigh and unbuckled himself from his seat. Goofy did the same.
Sliding out of his seat, Riku pushed the door open and stepped out without a moment’s hesitation. All around him, a jolly melody filled the air, along with the laughter of children and the booming explosions from the fireworks. Though a gate blocked most of the view, there was still something… pleasant about this place. The top of the gate even said, “Pleasure Island.” With a name like that, what could go wrong?
Jiminy, Donald, and Goofy exited the ship before long, and the little cricket hopped up onto Riku’s shoulder with a smile. In response, Riku gave him a deadpan stare, and then he shrugged. Really, if Jiminy wanted to hitch a ride, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Right now, he was more concerned with checking out this strange, new world. Sure the gate was locked, but the Keyblade could fix that in a flash. And it did. Within seconds, Riku and the others entered the bright and flashy carnival, taking in the sights and sounds.
Balloons floated in the air, as the inviting scent of cotton candy and popcorn lured Riku further into the enclosure. A carousel spin round and round at a leisurely pace, and an announcement from afar ensured all visitors that all the attractions were completely free. What a perk! And by the looks of it, it was a popular place for kids. Crowds of little boys darted from place to place, and while Riku certainly wasn’t a kid, he couldn’t blame them for their enthusiasm.
A tap on the shoulder from Goofy brought him back to reality. That dopey dog looked at him with a puzzled expression, rubbing the tip of his nose with a gloved finger.
“Gawrsh, Riku, are you alright?”
“Are you kidding?” He leaned towards Goofy with a massive smirk, placing both hands on his hips. “Just look at this place! Games, rides… what’s not to like?”
Donald rolled his eyes, taking a few steps forward. “Just don’t get too excited. This place could still be dangerous!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“We’ll see about that.” Riku flicked his wrist and took off without another word, even as Jiminy looked back at Donald and Goofy and tried to get him to slow down. Knowing those two, they’d be chasing after him like they always did. Why slow down for their sake? Right now, they had a lot of ground to cover and no time to waste!
First, he stumbled upon the rough house, a massive tent with an animatronic thug inviting reckless kids inside for the time of their lives. When Riku took a peek inside, he spotted numerous kids socking each other with their fists, biting each other on the arms, and poking each other in the eyes. It wasn’t like the play fighting and rough housing he did back home. There was something almost unsettling seeing kids beat each other up just for the heck of it, and he had to take a step back after a few seconds, cringing at the thought.
Jiminy frowned, taking a few notes in his journal. “Y’know, maybe Donald was right, Riku. Those boys oughta be listening to their conscience instead of picking fights!”
“It’s strange, all right.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Still, it can’t be all bad.”
On an island so huge, there had to be some worthwhile attractions, and there was no way he’d miss out because of a few bad eggs. Riku kept moving along with his eyes on the various food stands and games that littered the place. He grabbed some ice cream on his way and watched as a small group of boys fired real guns at some targets. Strange, but at least nobody was getting hurt this time. Even if the prizes looked like booze bottles and cigars… for some reason.
“What in the world?!” Jiminy crossed his arms and let out a soft ‘hmph’. “Who in their right mind would give liquor to kids?”
It was odd. Wasn’t this kind of thing illegal? What the heck would their parents think? Sure, it never hurt to have extra freedom, but some of those boys looked no older than ten. Give them a gun and hard liquor, and they could seriously wreck the place and each other.
Shuddering, Riku pressed on. No point in sticking around, when watching those kids made him sick to his stomach. He made it a few steps when a cold chill ran down his spine. From the corner of his eye, he saw a slim, shadowy figure rush by. Instinctively, he whirled around, but there was nothing there. Nothing but the snack carts and the games surrounding him. That pleasantly upbeat music continued to play from afar, and another set of fireworks flew sky high.
Jiminy tapped Riku’s cheek with his umbrella, tilting his head to the side. “Everything all right, Riku? You looked awfully spooked for a minute there.”
He sighed. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s keep moving.”
The next few stops weren’t so bad. The carousel ride looked harmless enough, even if it wasn’t his thing. It spun around innocently with a peaceful melody fitting for prancing horses bobbing up and down. The nearby slide also looked just fine. Smooth, no sudden traps or spikes. Kids climbed up to the top and spiraled around, laughing merrily on the way down. When they reached the bottom, each kid grabbed free snacks from a nearby vendor and skipped off to the other attractions.
Maybe the rough house and that shooting stall were just the exceptions. Everything else looked pretty standard for a carnival or fairground.
Eventually, Riku arrived at the next big attraction. An announcer invited visitors to come visit the model home, open for destruction at no cost. Past the sign, a horde of reckless kids smashed windows, lit a grand piano on fire, and hurled potted plants down from a balcony. They sprayed graffiti all over old paintings and bounced up and down on a queen-sized bed. It did look kind of fun, and Riku took a few steps closer without even thinking things through. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, if the place was set up this way, and it’d be a good way to let out his frustration…
Another shadow rushed by, and Riku shook off his daze. When he turned around, he spotted Donald and Goofy rushing straight for him, but no Heartless or anything remotely dark. Still, it took those two long enough to catch up. What the heck were they doing? Grabbing some snuff down at Tobacco Row? He shook his head and approached the duo, meeting them halfway.
Immediately, Donald whacked his staff against Riku’s knee, causing him to hiss and hop back a few feet. While it didn’t hurt that much, it still caught him off guard. Besides, if taking off was that big of a deal, he could’ve picked up the pace and followed along.
Riku rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest. “What was that about?”
“For runnin’ off again.” Donald tucked the staff away and started tapping his foot. “This place is fishy. I’m starting to think the radar was onto something.”
“Yup!” Goofy nodded, his normally silly expression replaced with a frown. “Nobody oughta be givin’ those kids guns and beer. This whole place is teachin’ ‘em to be bad to the bone!”
Maybe they had a point. While a lot of the carnival attractions were harmless enough, it was hard to dismiss the tobacco, alcohol, and reckless behavior encouraged all over the island. The bright colors, bouncy music, and overall freedom seemed almost too good to be true. As Riku silently looked around, he witnessed more and more boys trashing property, puffing on cigars, and turning the whole place upside down. Maybe this place wasn’t paradise after all…
He sighed. “So you think there’s more to it?”
“There’s gotta be.” Donald squinted and leaned forward, looking off into the distance. “Just look at this place. It’s got trouble written all over it.”
“Then what are we standing around here for?” Riku shook his head. “Might as well investigate. This place might not have any Heartless, but there has to be a Keyhole somewhere.”
“And somebody runnin’ the joint.” Nodding, Donald turned towards the distant rollercoaster and pointed at it with his staff. “Just don’t run off again, Riku. It’s too risky.”
What, was Donald worried about him for once? Or maybe he just wanted things to go smoothly. Whatever the case, there was no point in taking off again. Instead, Riku shrugged and followed along as Donald and Goofy made their way towards the roller coaster.
On the way, he kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious, but nothing really changed overall. No matter where they turned, kids scampered through the streets laughing, screaming, hollering, and enjoying the sights. They pushed and shoved one another and often ended up in brawls right in the middle of the streets, but it was all standard bad boy behavior. Nothing outright malicious. Sure, some of the kids ended up pushing him around, and one group of boys hurled water balloons straight at Donald and Goofy, but by the time they reached the coaster, they still had no leads. It was like they were going in circles. Nothing changed.
They spent about another hour searching before things started to wind down. Maybe the kids got tired of waiting in line and split up throughout the park. Whatever the case, they started to become less and less concentrated. It was like they disappeared, but what were the odds of that? The place was huge. Those kids had to be around somewhere. Riku smirked, as he and the others made their way back to the center of the park. At least things were quieting down. And not a single Heartless showed up to ruin the mood.[/FONT]
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It was actually kind of funny. Every world had at least a few Shadows lurking around, and then the world full of darkness contained nothing but fun attractions and rambunctious kids. It was almost too good to be true.
All around, the lights began to dim. The music played one final loop before it faded completely. Once a lively carnival, the island started to take on a more eerie appearance, like a ghost town more than anything else. Maybe the staff called it a day. The kids probably had to head back home, and keeping the rides running all night just wasn’t practical. Only the Ferris wheel continued to spin, its lights flickering on and off every few minutes. Riku watched it go for a few seconds before he turned back towards the entrance gate.
A few more fireworks exploded up above, but soon they, too, subsided. The air grew cold, and a harsh breeze swept through the area. Once again, a shadow whisked by, and Riku stopped dead in his tracks. Up ahead, Donald and Goofy continued to move forward, pausing just long enough to urge him to keep going. Then, when he looked over his shoulder, Riku saw nothing but a few empty stands. Maybe he was seeing things…
But before he could move, he felt a sudden push from behind. A split-second later, he fell forward, landing face-down in the dirt. Razor-sharp claws lashed out against his spine, and his body tensed up. Thunder magic struck the ground all around him, sending sparks flying. Quickly, Riku rolled to the side, dodging a swipe from a massive, clawed hand. A shield flew through the air and knocked his attacker back several feet.
When Riku regained his footing, he saw no crowd of eager children waiting for a ride. Instead, a massive mob of Heartless stood in their place. Their pitch black bodies took on a more human appearance than Shadows or Soldiers. They were slimmer, taller, and they swiped their enormous claws at Riku in rapid succession. He had to keep ducking, rolling, and blocking to avoid being slashed. Then, when he tried to fight back, they sank into the ground. This happened again and again. The Heartless moved so quickly that he got in maybe two hits before they disappeared into the dirt. And before he could move, the agonizing pain of their claws paralyzed him for several seconds at a time.
Even with Donald and Goofy’s help, the Heartless persisted. Surges of thunder stunned them momentarily, and Goofy’s shield knocked them around. But try as they might, the Heartless kept coming. For every one they defeated, it seemed like two more appeared in their place. And they crept closer and closer, swinging their arms and diving down from above. Eruptions of darkness shot forth each time they emerged from the ground, forcing the group to constantly move to avoid damage.
They ran through the carnival as fast as they could, fighting back whenever time allowed. No matter where they turned, the Heartless followed, emerging from beneath the stands, within the tents, and down from the towering rides. They formed massive hordes that approached from all directions, forcing Riku and the others to fight their way through with a combination of spells and Sonic Blades. Even then, claws scraped against their backs. Aerial blows from behind sent them flying several times, and they had little time to react before the Heartless piled upon them.
It didn’t make sense! Where were all the kids now? What happened to the carnival staff? Did they all just… disappear? And where did all the Heartless come from? As Riku hurried along, he found no signs of life. Just more and more enemies waiting to rip out his heart. There had to be hundreds waiting to strike. Far more than even the hordes of Shadows that attacked Destiny Islands that night… But how? Could a world really survive with this much darkness, or would it start to collapse just like his island home?
He was running low on potions. Even as he sliced through ten of the Heartless, Riku found himself facing just as many in an instant. What was he supposed to do if he ran out of steam? Just give up? He’d faced countless powerful enemies and made it out in one piece. There had to be a way to end this…
In the distance, he caught sight of a building shaped like an eight ball. He sliced through two more of the Heartless, breathing heavily, and he hurried for his new destination, even as his muscles throbbed and his heart pounded. If they could get to that building, then maybe they’d have a chance to regroup and figure something out. They just needed a few minutes to catch their breath and think of a plan. Those Heartless were tough, but he couldn’t let fear stop him. All he needed was a chance to recover, then he’d show them a thing or two.
When he neared the front steps, Riku flung himself at the double doors, thrusting them wide open and motioning for the others to hurry and get inside. It took a few more seconds for them to arrive, and once they slipped inside, Riku slammed the door shut and collapsed on the floor.
Maybe they should’ve taken that detour after all.
TO BE CONTINUED[/FONT]
