Twisted Hearts ((On Hiatus))

Chapter Six: Severe Spot!

Hia's POV

The Mirror glowed before showing the area for the mine. Without hesitation, we walked through and stepped on the grounds near the mine. There, was an old abandoned house-no doubt the same one the dwarfs lived in some number of years ago. "So this is the Dwarfs' Mine..." Deuce spoke up, "It used to be prosperous, thanks to magic crystal mining but..." "Oh, there's a house back there." Ace said as he spotted the house, "Let's go ask them about the mine." "No point," I said, "The house hasn't been used since the mine flourish. Now that it isn't, they moved away." "It still wouldn't hurt to try." Ace said as he and Deuce walked to the house. I sighed and followed after them. Deuce knocked on the door. "Good evening." He said before opening the door and looking back at me, "I guess you were right-it's abandoned. It's a mess in here." There cobwebs and layers of dust everywhere and it looked like a fight had happened-a chair is laying on the floor, as if it had been knocked away. There was also a pickax stabbed into the wood of the table in the same area as the fallen chair. "Aren't the tables and chairs on the small side?" Ace said as he too looked around, "Are they for children? One, two... There's seven! So many!" "It's called the Dwarfs' Mine for a reason Ace." I said, "Think about it." "This was probably a lively home when the mine flourished." Deuce said to us. "They did what they had to." Ace said with a shrug, "After all, magic crystals are found inside coal. For now, let's go check it out." We left the house and made out way to the entrance of the mine. The boys hesitated for a second but I got behind them and pushed them into the mine. I continued to do so until Deuce spoke up. "Wait!" He said as he forced me to stop. "What?" Ace asked. "Something...is there!" Deuce said as he noticed something moving in the darkness around us. Then ghosts appeared around us. I rolled my eyes and had Heliodor transform. One started to laugh at us and said, "Our first visitors in ten years!" "Make yourselves at home. For eternity!" Another said. "Heliodor, light the way." I said with a twitching brow. Said creature growled as he entire body lite up like a night light-a sun like hue engulfing the mine. The ghosts screamed and flew away in fear. "You're one scary girl..." Ace said as he partially hid behind Deuce. "I try." I said with a smirk as the light faded from Heliodor's body. I rubbed his head before he shifted back and leaped onto my head instead. "Let's go find that crystal." I said, the boys trailing after me with Emerald bringing up the rear. "The faster we find that crystal, the faster we can get back." I said as I rolled my shoulders. "Right!" Deuce said as he walked on my right side. Ace scoffed but didn't say anything else, not when Emerald growled at him. We continued to walk but I stopped, hearing something in the distance. Deuce was about to question me but I hushed him. ".... on't...ive...wo..." I could make out. "W-who said that?" Ace stammered in fear. "St...one...sssss.... mine..." The voice continued. "I think it's...getting closer..." Deuce said fearfully. Just then, a large creature that looked like a Dwarf with an ink bottle as a head appeared. 'Grumpy? What happened to you...?' I thought sadly as I noticed who the monster was. "Stone....IS MIIIIIIIIIINNNEEEE!!" The monster yelled at us. "I-It's heeeeeeeeeere!" The boys yelled. Deuce picked me up bridal style as he and Ace ran away. I twitched in annoyance. "What the hell is that thing!?" Deuce said once we were a good distance away. I pinched his hand and stood on my own two feet. "It's so nasty!" Ace said with a grimace, "But didn't it mention a 'stone'!?" We heard from monster as it got closer, "St....one, won't...give...!" The boys then realized something. "So there really are magic crystals left!" Deuce said happily-glad there was still a chance to stay in the school. "If you manage to beat that thing, then yeah." I said with a shrug. "But we'll be expelled without it..." The darker haired boy said, "I'm going!" "You've gotta be kidding!?" Ace yelled at him in disbelief. "It's too dangerous for just you." I said but I could tell that he was just being too stubborn for his own good. "I cannot, under any circumstances, be expelled!" He yelled at us and got his pen really to fight. It was a mostly one-sided fight from the monster, seeing as no matter what Deuce did (using mostly cauldron summoning)-he just kept coming. "Leave! Leave!! Leeeeeeaave!!!" The monster yelled at us once he landed a decent hit on Deuce with his fist. Said boy grunted in pain. "Stand back if you have no control, Mr. Serious!" Ace taunted as he readied his own pen, "I'll stop it! Haa!" I rolled my eyes in annoyance. 'One of these days, I'll roll my eyes so hard that they'll fall out of my head.' I thought with silent sigh. The monster sent back the wind magic with yell, causing Ace to land on his back with a grunt. I summoned Starlight, deflecting a blow from the monster's fist easily. It growled at me but I noticed something sparkling far behind it. "There's something behind the monster, it just sparkled." I said to the boys as I kept my Keyblade steady against the fist. "At the end of the tunnel, something..." Ace trailed off as he got to his feet. "That light, is it a magic crystal!?" Deuce said as it caught his attention as well. The monster yelled at us, "WON'T GIVE!" I pushed it back and sent a quick slash at it to buy us some time to retreat. The boys, myself and my two pets ran outside the mine for a safer place to rest. I still had Starlight out just in case something else popped up. Ace groaned and said, "What in the world was that? No one said anything about that!" "It didn't seem like any old ghost." Deuce said with some thought. "Let's give it up and go home." Ace said with a sigh, "I'd rather get expelled than fight that thing." "Wha!?" The other boy said in shock before something about him changed, "Don't screw with me! I'd rather die than face expulsion! There's a magic crystal in front of us and you wanna go home!" Ace scoffed and said, "You talk big for someone worse at magic than me. Go alone if you want. I'm done." "Oooh, that right?" Deuce said before he started taunting him, "Then stay right there cowering like a spineless coward!" My pets and I shared a look, this is getting us nowhere fast. "Huuuuh?? Coward?" Ace said, "Who exactly are you talking about?" I whistled sharply and said, "Knock it off, arguing won't solve anything." Deuce cleared his throat as he calmed down, "My bad. I lost my composure a bit." Then he noticed my Keyblade. "What...are you holding exactly?" He asked me. "A Keyblade." I answered as I showed him, "This one is called Starlight, I used it against the monster back there." "Keyblade?" Ace questioned, "What's a Keyblade?" "A Keyblade is a weapon that's only wielded by those of strong hearts. A person with a strong heart calls forth the weapon to help them in a dangerous situation-life or death really." I explained, "No two Keyblades are the same. Each one is different and has several different abilities tided into its power." "Like what?" Deuce asked me. "Well, Starlight has the magic element of light so that means it gives me the power to use light against things like the monster back in the mine." I said as I lowered Starlight to my side, "All Keyblades have one shared power but I can't explain it to you, it's too complicated without showing how exactly its done." They then realized what I was talking about and slumped a bit. "At any rate, I'm going in there." Deuce said after a bit of silence, "I'll figure out how to beat that thing and come back with a magic crystal." "However, judging by the chandelier incident, you're a complete idiot." Ace snapped back in a heartbeat, "You couldn't land a single hit earlier but now you'll 'figure it out'? It's going to end the same." "Come again!?" Deuce snarled at him, "You think-" I whistled again, giving both boys a glare. They quieted down, frightened of my glare. "What exactly should we do?" Deuce asked in desperation. "I have a plan that will work, all you need to do is listen and do your parts." I said to them. "Strategy? You mean get along and work together?" Ace asked before scoffing, "Ha! That's cold. You have no problem saying lame things with a serious face, huh?" "Disagree." The other boy said before glaring at Ace, "No way I'm working with this loser." "Hmmm, but isn't it even more lame to get expelled from school? On the very first day?" I questioned them, knowing they were going to agree after that. "Uuh, that's..." Ace groaned. Deuce wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. "Either do as I say and work together or be known as the losers who got kicked out on the first day." I said with a shrug. "Fine!" Ace said with a slight whine, "We just have to get it done, right?! So, what's your plan?" I smirked and motioned them closer.