Crystal Compass Book 1 - Part 3 - CampNano Part 3

“Hey.” Twilight tried not to react to the voice behind her too much, but smiled slightly as she continued to unhitch her vehicle, “Miss me?”

Her smile widened as she felt the warm, slightly stormy atmosphere behind her and recognised the dark skinned hand on her shoulder, “You’re out of season, Sam. It’s not even Summer yet.” She warned him, “Haven or not, April will have your hide if she catches you.”

A young man in his late teens or early twenties, all dark brown skin, shaggy brown hair and piercing green eyes, wrapped in tattered coverings of autumn browns and oranges, moved between her and the moped, an amused smirk gracing his features. “It’s Handover. If April notices anything outside of the Palace of the Dawn, I’ll eat my hat.”

“You don’t wear a hat.” Twilight snorted at him, stepping around the immortal King of Autumn and her best friend’s ally in mischief and mayhem.

“Yes, I do, remember?” Sam asked, letting his illusion drop just long enough to startle the young woman. The half skeletal satyr, with his wide brimmed straw hat, dark furred legs and his creepy, wide grin, only resembled his other form in one way. Those piercing green eyes followed a cussing Twilight as she shoved her helmet on.

“Sam Hain, I swear I will kick you in the nuts the next time you do that without warning.” Twilight huffed as she flicked her eyeguard up so she could glower at him.

“You can’t hurt me.” Sam chuckled, his illusion going back up, his goal achieved.

“If I can see you, I can hit you.” She reminded him, “It’s the one advantage to having to deal with you lunatics. And the only way I can keep the monsters out of town.”

“You’re having trouble again?” Sam’s joking tone vanished, a scowl gracing his normally jovial features.

“Meet me at the house, I’ll tell you about it.” Twilight promised, before walking her bike into the road. She had a moment of envy as Sam vanished in a swirl of warm winds and fallen leaves, knowing that he would be waiting for her when she got home.

It took her two attempts to get her bike started but once it was going it ran like a dream. She had been lucky with the purchase. It had been a second hand bike when she had picked it up cheap from a lady whose husband had no longer been around. It had come with all the paperwork and taxed and MOT’d for almost a year, the lady just had not wanted it in the garage anymore. Twilight was not going to complain.

She rode around the village square, noting the fact that the American family were still in town and were looking at a map of some kind, as she shot past them. She didn’t get a good look at the family as she carefully turned onto the main road that led out of the village.

Her cottage was not very far from the library, only a ten minute drive and one turning off the main road at most, but her closest neighbours lived a five minute walk away so it did not matter what she got up to there. The guests who frequented the property could get up to almost whatever they wanted without disturbing anyone.

She smiled as she turned the corner to her home and Seaview Cottage came into view. She had inherited the old, rustic bungalow from her grandparents when they had passed away. It stood on the top of a cliff overlooking a small spit of beach.

The building itself was rather typical of the way the village itself was built. With its whitewashed walls and thatched roof it looked almost as old as the rest of the buildings in the local area. The only thing that was new about it was the plastic and glass conservatory attached to the living room, which had been an addition made not long before she had inherited it.

Its windows looked out onto the garden, which as per usual, looked less than its best. Spring was never a good time for Seaview’s garden, partly because Twi had no green thumb and partly because she and the Queen of Spring, an immortal that looked like a young girl but was older than most of the other spirits combined, were not on speaking terms.

She had been right. Sam, in his human guise, was waiting for her. The King of the Autumn Spirits was leaning against her front wall, watching and waiting for her as she turned off the engine, dismounted and led the bike into the garden, so she could chain it up by the, mostly unused, well.

“So?” He asked as Twilight pulled off her helmet. “Details?”

“Faebeast.” She informed him as she padlocked her bike into place and entered the house, chucking her keys on the table next to the door and holding the door open for her friend’s friend. Sam followed her in, ducking into the living room to give her a little privacy while she removed her bike wear. “About six foot tall, extra large, ridiculously shaggy fur and stupidly long claws. Best part? It’s bite? Paralysing.” The young woman huffed, “If it hadn’t been for Elena I would have been a Twilight sandwich.”

“Elena? Actually bothered to show up to something?” Sam looked shocked, trying to ignore the implication that his mortal friend had nearly died.

“It’s about bloody time.” Twlight scowled as she thought about the woman in question. Elena was a beautiful, well built woman with long brown hair and soulful brown eyes and the biggest set of rabbit ears and twitchest tail Twilight had ever seen on an immortal of her species, “That faebeast? Not the first one in the village in the last fortnight. I swear they’re getting more active. I thought part of her job was to deal with stuff like this.”

“It is, but Handover’s coming up and you know what the Spring rulers get like this time of year.” Sam grumbled, “She probably didn’t notice until now.”

“Yeah well it’s not supposed to be my job.” Twilight continues as she stepped into the living room and headed for the kitchen and her supply of tea. “I keep doing it, but I’m a Havenkeeper. I keep the Haven.” She gestured around, “Fighting monsters is a side job. Oh, by the way I need some more cold iron bolts for the crossbow you gave me.”

“I’ll make sure you get some.” Sam promised, “But you’ve got to be more careful. You’re mortal, you can be killed. I’d really rather you didn’t.”

Twilight sighed and shoved a meal she had previously cooked, split into portions and shoved into the freezer, into the microwave for ten minutes before flipping the kettle on.

Kingdom Hearts Sonic Book 2 first section

If the Keyblader needed anything now she needed a miracle.

Three years since her journey with Sora and the other Keybladers something had crash landed in the City Centre.

Of course, being who and what she was, she couldn’t just go home once whatever it was started blowing up buildings. She could hear the screams of civilians as she bolted towards the explosions, her hood falling to let long black and cobalt blue hair flow behind her, normally warm blue eyes hardening as she turned a corner and finally saw who she was about to fight above the Skyscrapers.

It was huge. Black and silver metal, over fifty times her size and like nothing she’d ever seen before and she’d seen a lot in her twenty one years, from lions and mermen to ancient Pharaohs and pocket monsters with weird powers.

“Oi!” She bellowed, glaring at it. It had to be a robot, it certainly wasn’t a Heartless. “What the hell are you doing?”

It didn’t answer and blue eyes flickered to the police who were speaking urgently into walkie-talkies and trying to herd people to safety. “Oi!” She shouted again, this time calling her Keyblade to emphasise her point, “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

The robot turned to her, it’s optics taking in the human female with the strange key shaped weapon that seemed to have flames encircling it without harming the wielder.

“I am M078.” The robot said, “Where is the Planet Egg?”

“Planet Egg? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Sam snapped, “There is no Planet Egg here!”

“Sensors indicate Planet Egg in this direction.” M078 murmured to itself turning from her and blowing up another building.

“Hey, don’t ignore me when I’m shouting at you!” Sam snapped, uncomfortably aware of the staring of the crowd. By the Goddesses of Hyrule, she was going to have to skip town again after this. “FREEZE!”

Ice magic shot from the end of her Keyblade, hitting the giant robot in the leg. The ice froze over the metal but didn’t do more then annoy the robot who turned as she ran forward, wondering if she was suicidal, ready to fight this thing if she had to.

“Do not interfere in my objective.” The robot lashed out at her.

She back flipped out of the way in a technique she’d learnt fighting Heartless. She was luckily still far enough back to land out of range. She still hadn’t mastered the techniques of the first Keyblader, chosen of the Sol Blade of Light, Sora, who was stronger and faster then the rest of the Keybladers, except Riku, Twilight’s Keyblader.

Her heart ached as she remembered her supposed friends, the ones who’d dumped her here three years ago and hadn’t gotten in contact with her since, no matter how much she needed to talk.

“I won’t let you wreak this city!” She snarled.

No matter how many of my dreams have been wreaked because the people of my world…

She ducked under a flailing limb, getting close enough to bellow, “THUNDER!” and have her Thundara strike the robot and send it crashing to the floor.

Who can’t leave me alone and expect me to accept all the media coverage and the Government’s attempts to capture me…

The Keyblader was knocked flying as a tentacle like thing with a pincer on the end whipped out and smashed into her.

Civilians cleared her flight path and then closed in around her and let her pick herself up. She glared at those who weren’t running and winced against the pain of her ribs. It was nowhere near the worst she’d suffered, but it certainly hurt like hell.

At least they’ve learnt that they can’t fight these things.

She rushed forward, ducking under one whip like tentacle, diving over another and actually cutting through the next one with her flaming weapon, the Rising Phoenix.

Then she was knocked flying again, this time having to cast Curaga before she could get back up, the green energy surrounding her and healing the injuries caused by hitting buildings hard enough to dent the brickwork.

But I don’t know if I can win either.

Heartless were easy to fight, or they once had been. The Keyblade was a weapon specifically designed to fight the creatures of pure darkness. It wasn’t meant to help her against things like this robot, which had to be of alien origin and if it came from Earth, she would eat her Keychain.

“STOP!” She bellowed, casting Stop on her surroundings, freezing time for her enemies and giving her allies time to get away.

She couldn’t help shaking her head at the fact the civilians who had once been immune from her spell, now counted enough in her subconscious as bad guys for them to be hit by it too.

So much had changed in the last couple of months alone.

“Thunder!” She shouted, not quite as loudly this time, inflicting more damage on the robot as the Stop spell wore off.

She’d never been that great at magic, after all, she’d chosen the path of the warrior. She had worked at Curaga until it was perfect and her Elemental Heart, that of the one of Fire, had powered up her Fira to Firaga, and she’d only mastered Blizara and Thundara because of Beau, the Keyblader of Water, and his endless patience.

The robot snarled at her in another language, lashing out with it’s pincers. She slashed through one, dodged another but was slashed by one set of pincers, wreaking her top, and another knocked her flying, sending her crashing into the side of a car.

“Ow.” She muttered.

“My Porsche!” A man’s voice bellowed.

“Thanks for your concern.” She grumbled, getting up. “Thunder!” Lightening struck a third time, causing the robot to freeze temporarily.

She staggered forward, pain filling each step, crashing into metal hurt almost as much crashing into bricks.

A long tentacle slammed into her again, she hit the Porsche and ricocheted off, landing in the middle of the road.

The loud bangs and rumbling ground were the only things stopping her from passing out as she attempted to get to her feet, her arms refusing to work, refusing to aid her in anyway as a shadow passed over her. A foot shaped shadow…

“Die.” The word filled her pain fogged brain and she instinctively tensed up as the foot came down.

Then there was a rush of wind, blue wind…

Pain dimmed cobalt tried to see through the fog that had invaded her mind and the darkness nibbling away at the edges of her vision.

“Are you alright?” The blue shape asked.

“S…Sonic?” She asked. “It is really you, right?”

The hedgehog was startled that a human from another world would know his name, but nodded, “Yes.” He looked at her, concerned, “Are you alright?”

“F…fine.” She choked out.

Sonic launched himself at the robot, knocking it back as Sam called her Keyblade back to her, distracting Sonic slightly, but not enough for the alien robot to hit him. “H…Heal.” She stammered. Green energy rushed around her, healing all her injuries and any the hedgehog was hiding from his friends, along with any other allies in the area.

As her vision cleared properly she took in the scene. Sonic wasn’t her only friend here, the X Tornado was overhead and probably had a Tails in, Knuckles was attacking too, Amy and Cream, along with some girl the Keyblader recognised but had never met before, were looking around for something.

In her backpack, which she’d discarded when the fighting had started, something was glowing in response to the thing in Amy’s hands. The Keyblader rushed over and opened it.

The huge red gem she’d located when it had fallen from the skies a couple of weeks ago, was glowing brightly and she smiled slightly at the warm energy she could sense from it.

Behind her the robot exploded in a flash of bright, white light and she yelped and ducked as the shrapnel went everywhere.

She was helped to her feet by a white gloved hand attached to a hedgehog who looked from her Keyblade, to the Emerald and then finally to her face, his emerald green eyes widening as she smiled softly, her cobalt blue ones dancing.

“Hi Sonic. It’s been a while.” She murmured.

“Fox Faker.” Sonic breathed, then he looked wary. “Sam? It is you, right?”

She nodded excitedly. “I knew you’d recognise me, even in True Form.”

Sonic’s head tilted slightly to the left as he thought about this. “So, you’re a human normally?”

She nodded.

Sonic shrugged with a small grin, “Where did you get the Chaos Emerald?”

“It crash landed in my backyard.” She said with a small, worried smile, “What was that thing?”

“It was a Meterax, one of a bunch of alien robots who are trying to take over the universe.” Sonic answered as the others rushed over. “You all remember Sam don’t you?”

Everyone grinned and started talking at once but Sonic held up his hand, “Before the general chat gets going, we’re going to need that Chaos Emerald.”

“I can give it to you, but I have one condition.”

Sonic frowned, “What’s that?”

“I want to come as well. If the Meterax are that powerful, you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

“But who’s going to be defending your world if you come with us?”

Sam considered the recent threats, “No, my world will be fine, the Heartless come for me, not for my world, and it’s not like my world is defenceless.”

“You’re sure, Sam?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “Please Sonic, don’t leave me behind.”

“Alright, good to have you on the team.”