//------------------------------// // CH18: War on Two Fronts // Story: Kingdom Hearts F.I.M: Rise of The Elements // by Spirit Shift //------------------------------// Rainbow and AJ slowly made their way through the confusing hallways and twisting corridors of the activated Temen-Ni-Gru tower. Without any enemies to fight, they traveled in complete silence. Even after everything that happened so far, they still weren't on very good speaking terms. Even when enemies showed up they proceeded to fight them separately. Every so often one of them would begin to bring up something only to awkwardly drop the topic almost immediately. Truthfully, neither knew how to approach the other without worrying that she’d start an argument. Eventually, AJ broke braved the void and began a conversation. “I… uh… ahm glad your okay, an’ everything.” “What do you mean?” AJ purposefully avoided eye contact. “I was just saying….. that ahm glad that you're not dead from grabbin’ that ball earlier.” Dash rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks, not like it wasn't my fault or anything.” “Heh, yeah, even so ahm glad your alright.” “Of course I’m alright, I’m awesome!” “Yup, you’re fine alright,” she teased. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Nothin, just-AGH!” AJ found herself being shoved forward harshly. A stinging pain ran down the length of her back. Dash turned and saw a large cluster of Arachne sneaking up on them. Dash cursed silently for being distracted before immediately helping AJ to her feet. Both girls took their normal battle stances. As per usual, Dash rushed forward to attack the first, while AJ decided to break in her new devil arm. “You know, I was thinking...” With surprising speed AJ sent a test punch that quickly dispatched a single Arachne. “That’s a mite bad for you doncha think?” Dash dodged a rush attack. “Bite me.” AJ chuckled as she continued fighting. “So, you were thinkin?” “I’m actually a little glad that Shy isn't here, this place would seriously freak her out.” AJ gave a particularly strong punch that devastated the Arachne in it’s path. “I do see what yah mean, Ah really do. But don’t you think that what you just said would be just the tiniest bit mean?” “Huh?” AJ frowned but continued fighting. “You’re actually happy, that our friend was kidnapped by Spike, just so she wouldn't be here?” Dash quickly killed the few in front of her. “Hold on, that’s not what I said!” AJ turned her head to face Dash’s. “Pig.. dung. That was exactly what you just said!” “Well…” she murmured nervously, “that’s not what I meant by that.” AJ backhanded the Arachne that snuck up behind her. “Then what did you mean!?” Dash lowered herself to the ground. “I just wouldn't want her to be here, okay!” AJ narrowed her eyes and strode right up to her face. “So you’d rather that she’d be kidnapped, and taken to who knows where, bein done who knows what to?” “Jeez, chill I didnt mean it like that!” “Well ya could’ve worded it better.!” “Well you should stop taking everything so seriously!” “Well you oughta be more-Aghhh” During their argument, they failed to notice the remaining Arachne approaching them from AJ’s side. Rather than attacking them directly, it decided to immobilize them by shooting one of it’s webs. Taken by surprise, the web struck AJ on her back, and caused her to crash into Dash, causing both of them to topple over in a tangled sticky heap. Seeing it’s chance, the Arachne dashed forward, intent on slicing them with it’s scythe-like pincers. Hearing it coming, both girls began to struggle to put up some kind of defence, but their efforts were useless due to the fact that most of their limbs were either stuck to the ground, or to each other. Fortunately, the web left at least one of Dash’s arms free. Unable to reach her keyblade that was in her other hand, she quickly she pointed her arm forward and summoned Spiral instead. Pulling the trigger, she quickly shot the Arachne dead before it could harm them. The Arachne fell, squirmed, and finally disintegrated into dust. One section of the wall slowly fell away to reveal a glowing blue orihalcon fragment. Dash lowered her rifle, and let out a relieved breath. “Man, that was clo-oof!” Even though all of the demons were gone, the two girls still lie on the ground haphazardly stuck together. Both of them began frantically struggling to at least get loose. Eventually, AJ struggled in a way where she harshly kneed Dash in her stomach. AJ quickly noticed what she did. “Sorry.” “Don’t worry about it.” she groaned. “How’re we gonna get outta this?” “You’re strong, just break out, or something.” AJ nodded and quickly tried to flex and break through the strangling threads. What she didn't notice, was that she was also pushing against Dash. “Owowowowstop, stop!” she screamed. AJ ceased her struggling. “Well that won’t work. Now what?” “No clue…..” AJ sighed, deep inside she knew that this was her fault for distracting them both. Maybe she did overreact to what Dash had said. It was only a matter of time until Dash would call her on it. “Hey AJ…..” Here it comes, she thought. “Yeah?” “Do you really hate Spike?” This took her by surprise, she really didn't expect that sort of question, nor the resigned voice that she spoke it in. It took a moment for her to answer it. “No…... ah don’t hate him.” “It seems like you do sometimes….” “Ah just don’t like that he took one of mah friends, and then turned around threatened another one.” “I still don’t think that it was really him speaking.” “......ah just don’t know anymore, ah wanna trust him, ah really do.” “Then why don’t you?” “Every time ah try, I keep seeing Shia’s face, and ah remember that she’s not here with us.” “Heh, you always did treat us like family.” “You guys are mah family!” she said resolutely, “An’ I don’t tolerate mah family hurtin’ each other.” “.........” “Ah sorry Dash, but ah just don’t think that ah can’t trust Spike till we’re all back together again.” Dash picked up on what she meant, and smiled. “Then I guess we have to find them then.” AJ mirrored her expression. “Yeah, both of ‘em.” ~~~ “I'm just saying, candy bracelets would be a stroke of genius.” “Diane, who would even wear them?” “Travelers and kids would, duh! They would have something to eat while playing.” “Even so, I don't believe that it's a large enough demographic to warrant a large scale production.” “It doesn't have to be, you can make them for just a few people.” "Like you," she giggled. "Exactly!" Both of them shared a good natured laugh. Whenever they were alone together, Pinkie would always try to convince Rarity to design some food related clothing product. Luckily for Rarity, it never got annoying for her, mainly because Pinkie’s ideas were usually so outlandish and creative. Because of this, they could usually have a semi-serious debate on the usefulness of whatever product she came up with. Right now, they were debating the innovativeness of candy jewelry. Pinkie laughter quickly died down, and she immediately stopped in her tracks. Noticing the unnatural silence emanating from her friend, Rarity also stopped and turned back to her. “What’s wr-” Her voice lost all sense of cheery tone. “Are you sure that you’re alright?” Rarity was taken back by her unusually serious tone. “What do you mean?” “When Virgil attacked you.” “No, I’m fine, I don’t think that he had any intention of actually killing us.” Pinkie let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good.” Right as she said that she immediately disappeared from view in a pink blur. “Dia-” Rarity barely had any time to call her friend’s name before said friend struck her from behind, susequently knocking her out. Pinkie caught her limp body and lifted her up gently. She carefully moved over to a nearby wall to sit her down, her hair growing more and more limp as she walked. By the time she sat Rarity down, Pinkie’s hair had become completely straight. “Come on out, I know that you were waiting to ambush us,” she said, deathly serious. Apparently discovered, nearly a dozen large black reapers fazed into existence. Their purple bladed scythes glowed with lethal energies. Pinkie barely paid them any mind as she moved to the center of the room, her keyblade already out. “Personally, I’d rather track down that bastard Virgil and pay him back for hurting my friends, but I guess she really couldn't hold it back anymore. So I guess you all will have to do.” She held her keyblade out in front of her, and watched as it began shift and change. The slice of cake that acted as the teeth slowly began to melt away to reveal something more sinister; three short, knife-like blades. The entire keyblade gained a deep reddish color, and the balloon shaped keychain morphed itself into a small pink cupcake. When it finished changing, the flat haired girl smiled. A few of the reaper demons backed away instinctively. Some of the more steely nerved reapers, however, charged at her. About 5 scythes were swung in her direction. Without lifting her gaze, she quickly swung her keyblade to her side, releasing a shockwave that violently tore apart the 5 reapers that came close to her. They didn't even have time to scream before they were shredded into dust. Startled, one reaper let out a panicked screech that immediately summoned smaller, lower ranked demons. Looking around, Pinkie counted the amount of demons in the room. “22,” she counted before sighing and groaning audibly. “You could at least let me out during a boss fight or something,” she muttered quietly. One of the reapers screeched and pointed at her, signaling the other demons to attack her all at at once, and her sharp toothed smile returned in full force. “Fuck it! Let’s have a party!”