Redemption Frägment

Chapter One: Where there is Darkness, There is Light

“OW!”

It’s not the most creative thing to say when landing on your ass as well as the white furry creature accompanying you. Emma, whatever she is, is in possession of some very sharp teeth. I leap to my feet, glaring down at the stupid Memoria Custos, who preens and watches me with the most annoyingly smug look in her luminous blue eyes.

“You’re evil.” I say, pointing at her. “Your cuteness only enhances the level of evil and your fluffiness doubles that enhancement.”

I swear to the Powers That Be Emma is laughing at me. Stupid little furball. I look around my landing pad – or lack of such thing – not really seeing much of anything. After all, what’s to see in utter darkness? Nothing – absolutely nothing. It’s darkness. Heartless-infested darkness, but still darkness. Oh. Wait. Now there are glowing yellow eyes. Shit. Bad sign, really bad sign.

“Um. We should go. Like now.”

I bend down and grab Emma by the scruff of her neck, hauling her behind me as though she were a sack of potatoes as I take off down a path that seems to just materialize before me. I can hear the squeaking calls of the Heartless as they chase us down the path, enjoying this little game of cat and mouse. Do I have a weapon? Did I even get a weapon?

I don’t think so.

Oh, this is going to suck.

I keep running; there’s no direction change to the path, so it isn’t like I can hide anywhere. I have the distinct feeling they know this, like a pack of hungry lionesses can weed out the sick, old, or baby zebra. Ten minutes into this stupid quest and I’m going to be eaten by Heartless. What a comforting thought. I know they’re closing in on me; I’m slowing down, panting hard. This new body of mine is just simply human; distance running is definitely something I’m going to have to work on.

“Hey! Hey you! Over here!”

I spare a glance to my right – about all I can give at the moment – and see someone waving in the muddled, green-lit darkness. I pray that it’s someone – or something – that doesn’t want to eat me.

Oh, hell.

I want it to be Riku.

At least that would be one less objective on my To-Do list. I change direction, the path accommodating and switching automatically under my feet. I feel the wind against my back as the Heartless behind me miss their mark and go flying past. A shiver runs down my spine at the close call. I make it to the stranger in the dark and I can’t help the wave of disappointment that crashes through me as I see it’s just a mouse dressed in a black cloak holding a golden Keyblade.

Wait just a damn minute.

A Keyblade wielding mouse? Mouse. Wasn’t Sora looking for a mouse?

I fall to my knees behind the mouse, panting and shaking not only from exhaustion but revelation as to whom exactly the mouse is. King Mickey.

Oh, shit.

No. Scratch that.

Oh fucking shit.

I turn and scramble back as Mickey begins to swing that blade of his. Emma sits beside me, nudging my heaving chest with her head. Great. Perfect. Evil fuzzy thing is concerned for my wellbeing now. Joy. After much swinging of the dreaded Keyblade, the Heartless finally seem deterred enough to just slink off to wherever they came from. Except for the dead ones; they just kind of go ‘poof’ and turn into pretty coloured Valentine-like hearts and disappear. Then the weapon-wielding rodent turns to me.

“I’ve been expecting you,” the King says with a small smile, “Ansem.”

I stare. “Does everybody know about my little ‘save my soul’ trip or are you just special and omnipotent like that because you’re fucking Mickey Mouse?”

Okay, talking is definitely not a good idea while still trying to get your lungs to obey the order to breathe. I am never running again.

“No.” There was amusement in the rodent’s voice, damn it. “Just I know, at the moment. I sent Riku on a scouting mission to keep him busy until you arrived. He should be back soon.”

And he conveniently avoids the second part of my question. “You’re not in cahoots with that… god-esque thing, are you?”

Damn it. I’ll have to find a q-tip so I can poke my brain and get it to stop communicating with my mouth. It’s taking away the precious air I need.

“No, but I realize what you were sent here to accomplish.”

I merely nod. Good brain, nice brain. No air stealie with talky. The King smiles at me, moving beside me. He pulls out a dagger – an eight-inch long blade with a leather-wrapped handle – and its black sheath. I don’t even bother to try to figure out where he kept it until now. It’d probably only serve to scar me for the rest of my natural – second natural – existence. He hands the blade to me, hilt first, as reverently as he’d be handing over someone’s baby. My fingers wrap around the hilt and at that moment I realize I have no clue how to wield a knife. My old body use magic.

“It’s not that hard to learn. In fact, it should come to you naturally.” Mickey smiles at me and then he helps me slide the blade into its sheath. “It will protect you when you need it the most. Keep it with you.”

I just kind of stare at the black sheath that holds the blade and I tuck it in the waistband of my jeans, working to stand. My breath coming regularly now, I look around for any sign of Riku.

“So,” I start, just for the sake of noise, “Riku has no clue I’m here or what I’m suppose to do?”

“Correct.”

Oh joy of joys. Add in the fact I’m forbidden to lie about who – and what – I am to the fact this is going to be an extremely fun trip, and pending I don’t get murdered first, we should just be dandy, shouldn’t we?

I can feel him before I hear him, which scares the hell out of me. Riku’s footfalls sound in the darkness and I turn away from the sound. I am really not looking forward to this.

“King Mickey?”

Riku sounds much like I do, though he can’t be older than seventeen now. He was what, fifteen, sixteen, when I started this whole mess. It’s been a year, at least. At least I think it has. Hey, Sora killed me; so sue me for not being able to follow time!

“King Mickey, who is that?

“A friend. He’s gonna help you leave here, Riku. He’s your only chance.”

I can feel Riku’ eyes on me. I don’t want to turn, don’t want to face him, but apparently Emma has different ideas. She sinks her teeth into my ankle and holds on until I manage to kick her off, turning around in a sort of hopping dance in doing so. She lets go pretty quick after that, licking her lips and hacking a little. Apparently, Emma doesn’t like the taste of blood. My pant leg is soaked in it by now, the fabric darkening with it. Well, shit. My blood is red. Hell, I’m amazed I have blood. Riku is instantly at my side, helping sit down and tend to my wound.

“I am going to kill you, Emma! I am going to skin you alive and use your pelt as a throw rug!” I reach for her, but the Memoria Custos dances out of my reach. A tingling warmth spreads through my injured ankle and I look back at Riku to see him casting a Cure spell. He looks up at almost the same time and meets my eyes.

Shit.

He throws himself away from me, yanking the gold Keyblade from Mickey’s hand and aiming it at me.

“What the hell are you?” His voice is deadly calm. I feel panic creeping up on me and I know I’m so dead. Thankfully, while my brain is gibbering in terror, Mickey jumps to my rescue.

“Riku, calm down. He’s here to help. He’s human with a tinge of darkness to him. Riku, he won’t hurt you.”

Slowly, Riku lowers the Keyblade, not at all convinced but at least willing to listen. His eyes are still narrowed at me even as he slowly approaches. “All right. I’ll bite. Who are you?”

“Before I tell you, promise you won’t kill me.” I say out of a smidgen of hope. I mean, once I reveal who I am, my name, everything that happens after is up to him. And I really don’t feel like being bludgeoned to death by a Keyblade. Again. Riku looks at the king who just nods, and he looks back to me after sheathing the Keyblade, folding his arms over his chest expectantly.

I swallow and breathe in what could possibly be my last taste of air. “I’m Ansem. I’ve been given a chance to redeem myself and basically to do that I have to help you and Sora.”

Riku stares. This kid is scary when he stares. Where in the hell did he get such an intense gaze anyway? “So I’m supposed to believe you’re Ansem. I’m supposed to believe you’re the same man who took over my body and used me to hurt my best friend and that you’re here to redeem your soul by helping me and Sora.”

I nod. “As crazy as it sounds. Yeah.”

Riku stares once more. Okay, kinda freaky now. Finally, he sighs. “If King Mickey says you’re my only hope of getting back to Sora and Kairi, then you’re my only chance. But we do things my way.”

“Fair enough,” I nod. A smart move, apparently. Emma climbs up my pant leg and shirt to curl herself around my shoulder. Riku stares at her.

“Don’t ask,” I say. “Just don’t ask.”

“Okay.” Riku turns to Mickey then. “So when do Ansem and I get going?”

“Now.” The king replies. He herds both of us to the path that seems to have once again materialized out of nowhere. “Follow this path. When you reach the door, Ansem will know how to open it.”

We stare at each other for a long time, Riku and I. I offer my hand. “Truce?”

“Truce.” And we shake hands. Then we start out, with Mickey watching our backs. Riku doesn’t ask why the king stays behind, and so I take it as a hint not to ask either. He probably has his own way out and he doesn’t want to interfere with the making of our friendship or something. Mickey is diabolical that way.

“What made you want to save us when you originally wanted to destroy us?”

Riku’s question makes me think. Any answer I give him would sound stupid. I mean, “I was sent back to redeem my soul from floating in limbo and reliving my sins to find a place in the afterlife” doesn’t sound all that good. Especially since I’m aiming for trust here.

“First off, I didn’t really mean to destroy much of anything. And second, would you believe a higher power made me?”

Riku looks at me, a small smile teasing his lips. Obviously he doesn’t.

“I wonder why you would let anyone make you.”

“Look at me.” I spread my arms out wide. “I’m as old as you are now. I have an adorable, fuzzy implement of death using my shoulders as her personal chariot. A higher power definitely had a hand in this!”

We stare at each other for approximately ten seconds before bursting out into laughter.

“Fuzzy implement of death?” Riku looks at Emma, who nonchalantly drags her pink tongue through her fur and flicks her tail a few times. I can only nod.

“And Emma is damn proud of that fact.”

We continue in silence for a while. It seems I made a good first impression. Let’s hope I can keep it up.