The Pure Hearted Heroine (A Ni No Kuni Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

"C'mon! Old Father Oak is just up ahead..." Jayden turned around and saw that Nicky was gone. "What the hell?"

"Jayden!" Then a roar. He liked around and noticed there was a drop of blood on his arm. "Oh crap!" He ran back and watched as she threw a fiery spell at the Guardian. The beast stumbled back, then hit her, knocking her against a tree and knocking her out. Jayden quickly shimmied up a tree and threw a rock as hard as he could, distracting the Guardian, who ran in that direction. Jayden ran as fast as he could over to Nicky, whose chin was bleeding and she was covered in dirt. He sighed, then tossed her wand into her backpack that had come off, threw it over his shoulder, then lifted her up bridal style and ran as fast as he could. When he got close to reaching Old Father Oak, a bunch of fairies ran over.

"Oi! It's Jaydie-boy!"

"How you doing, mun?"

"Oi, Jaydie-boy! Whose she?"

"Did you find youerself a girlfriend?"

"It's 'bout time, Jaydie-boy! Youer a young lad!" Jayden grunted as he slipped off the backpack and tossed it to a fairy called Sappy.

"Sappy, take that over by Old Father Oak. She's heavy enough!" Then he turned to one called Merry. "Merry, can you let Old Father Oak we'll need one of his healing spells? She's all busted up." Merry nodded then ran off. Sappy, the smallest fairy, stayed close.

"Hey, Jaydie-boy! Who is she?"

"I'll tell you later." He said. "Can you get the barrier?" Sappy nodded, then knocked on the air. Immediately, a gold dome appeared and the two of them walked inside of it. That was the only thing that protecting Old Father Oak and the fairies. The tree himself had created the dome, which had wore him out really bad. So healing spells were really limited.

"Who, goes, there?"

"Oh relax, it's only me." Jayden grumbled. Old Father Oak smiled a weak smile.

"Welcome back Jayden. Have you found the Resistance Island yet?" Jayden shook his head.

"No, not yet. I know where it is, I just need to get to it." He lay Nicky up against Old Father Oak, who if he could would have jumped. He was usually so tired, his eyes were about half closed and Jayden had placed her just out the old tree's sight.

"Oh my! What was that?"

"A friend of mine. I found her in the Rolling Hills." Old Father Oak opened his eyes as Merry took one of his healing leaves. That was his healing spell.

"Her? A girl?" Jayden rolled his eyes.

"Don't start! She was getting attacked by the Flyers." At the touch of the cold leaf, Nicky's eyes flew open and she pushed Jayden away, but he reached up and pushed her hands down.

"Stop, it's okay. It's only me." He said. She panted and winced as he lay the lead back on her chin. "Leave it there. It'll stop the bleeding real quick." She looked around, holding the lead to her chin.

"Where are we?" She asked. He grinned.

"The small bit of the Resistance." He said. "Meet the fairies of the Golden Grove, now residing in the Deep Dark Wood." She looked around, and sure enough, there were a bunch of fairies around her. She giggled.

"Hello." She said. The fairies all stared at her. "What's the matter?" One of the fairies stepped up.

"Most of these guys are littlies. They en't ever seen a human before." Sappy came up.

"I saw a human before! They saved me inside of Mam's tummy!" Nicky stared at the small fairy.

"Were the littlies very cute?" Nicky asked Oliver.

"They looked like eggs! But they were pretty adorable. Swaine thought that they were annoying, though." Nicky's eyes widened.
"What did he say?"

"He said, 'God, they're so annoying? How do we get rid of them?' Harmony punched him in the shoulder for that."

"You, met Oliver?" Nicky asked. Sappy nodded.

"Yeah! He was really nice!" Nicky sighed.

"I can't see your face, but I know that sigh." Said Old Father Oak. Nicky squeaked and jumped up.

"What was that!?" She asked. Jayden laughed and led her to a spot where Old Father Oak could see her.

"Nicky, meet Old Father Oak." She gasped and covered her mouth. The old tree smiled.

"Well, I'd recognise that face anywhere." He said. "The blue eyes, the red hair, even the clothes. You looked just like Oliver." She blushed and smiled.

"He's my father, sir." She mumbled. The fairies all gasped around her.

"You're Ollie-boy's littlie?" Asked Merry. She nodded.

"Yes, and I'm here to save him." If he could have, Old Father Oak would have raised an eyebrow.

"Really? What happened?" She looked down.

"He was taken by Mortui. It was all my fault." Sappy came over and put a hand on her ankle. Jayden looked at the sun.

"We'd better rest here for the night. The night is more dangerous than the day." She nodded, then Jayden turned to Old Father Oak. "Do you mind if I make a campfire, Old Father Oak?" The tree frowned.

"I'd prefer not, but since the night is cold, I'll allow it." Jayden made a campfire and the two of them sat at it surrounded by the fairies. As the dusk turned to night and they were illuminated by the fire, Sappy came over and noticed something glinting on Nicky's wrist.

"What's that?" he asked. Nicky tugged her sleeve down.

"It's nothing." She said quickly, but Jayden wasn't convinced. He went over, grabbed her arm, and yanked her wrist down, seeing Mortui's chain. His face twisted with anger.

"What the hell!? This is one of Mortui's Deal Chains!" He shouted. He looked at her terrified face. "Why the hell are you wearing one of Mortui's Deal Chains!?" She stood up.

"I told you, it was my fault! I made a deal with Mortui! I told him I wanted a normal father and he tricked me! He said he would get my dad to stop telling the stupid stories!" Jayden glared.

"Are you serious!? Why would you want your dad to change!?" She looked at the ground.

"I just wanted the stories to stop. People always called him crazy or weird and I wanted it to stop." Jayden threw her wrist down and went back to his seat on the other side of the fire.

"We'd better get some rest. We have a long way to go. We'll find the Resistance, then go save your dad. If anybody can do it, it'll be the Resistance." Nicky nodded, and she laid down beside the fire, feeling her back get warm, but shivered as she closed her eyes. There certainly was a long way to go.