The Songs in Our Hearts Book One: Reaching Out

Chapter Fourteen: Hallow Bastion

"This will be your room," Maleficent gestured to the dimly lit chamber. Inside, there was a bed with a yellow blanket in the corner of the room, a desk with a lamp and chair, and a large bookshelf. Riku grimaced at the sight. Everything in there seemed to be covered in dust. However, this was the only shelter around the area.

"Thanks," Riku muttered, hoping that Maleficent would finally leave him and Harmonia alone.

"You're welcome, dear. Harmonia, you may sleep in the room next door," the fairy told the young girl. Riku watched as Harmonia gave her a curt nod. Turning to face the two of them, Maleficent curled her lips into a wicked smile, and the silver-haired teen inwardly cringed at the expression. "I will let you know what it is I need help with in time." With that, she walked away, leaving Riku and Harmonia at the entrance of the bedrooms.

Facing the brunette, Riku opened his mouth to say something, but she walked away from him without a word. He watched as her figure moved hastily out of range.

"She's the only other kid here, and she's determined to stay as far away as she can from everyone," he complained to himself. A sigh left his lips as he thought of what to do. Riku stepped into the bedroom and looked around. The only object of interest was the bookshelf, but as the fifteen-year-old perused the titles, he found that most of them were either spell books or instructions for experimentation.

With a disappointed sigh, Riku sat on the bed and covered his face with his hands. None of this was suppose to happen; it was suppose to be him, Sora, and Kairi exploring new worlds— not getting separated to who knows where. Removing his palms from his face, Riku stared at the floor in frustration. Are they even safe? he wondered, worry relentlessly gnawing at him.

Standing up, Riku murmured, "I'm gonna find some answers."

The castle that Maleficent resided in was tall, and the only way to access the upper levels was through the lifts. Riku recalled that as they made their way to the entrance earlier, there seemed to be a lower area. Guessing that Maleficent was there, he decided to check it out. As he walked through the dark hallway, Riku couldn't help but tense at the grotesque statues that lined the walls. While it was a castle, the place was still falling apart.

At last, Riku made it out to the balcony entrance. A cold mist from the Rising Falls – as Maleficent had called the gravity-defying water – blew in his direction, making him shiver slightly. The silver-haired teen began walking over to the place where he believed Maleficent resided. As he stood under a large, broken arch, he heard a flute playing below him. Riku looked to the water for the source of the sound, but there seemed to be no one there. That hag doesn't play the flute, right? he incredulously thought to himself.

"Is there someone down there?" Riku called out. The playing immediately stopped, and the boy let out a sigh. Disappointed, he turned back to the castle's entrance.

After wandering around the castle for what seemed like an eternity, Riku finally came across a nearly-pitch-black room with other... "people". They seemed to be talking about pure lights, and he immediately frowned at this. Something was just wrong with them. The teen soon caught sight of Maleficent.

Stepping into the chamber, Riku called, "Hey, what do you want with us?" All conversations instantly stopped. Everyone in the room turned to him, and he flinched.

"Is he the one ya brought in?" a male, humanoid being with fiery hair asked.

"Yes— he has great potential," Maleficent answered with a sinister grin.

"Awfully rude to interrupt us like that," an octopus-like woman scoffed.

Dismissing her comment, Maleficent asked, "What brings you to our meeting, Riku?"

"I want to know..." he began boldly, but paused, trying to decided on what to ask. "Do you know where my friends are?" Riku inquired after a moment. The sorceress pulled a long frown.

"I'm afraid I do not," she answered solemnly; there was something else in her voice though, but the fifteen-year-old couldn't make it out. "However, I am willing to help you in your search to the best of my abilities. That is, of course, if you would be so kind as to help us as well," Maleficent added.

"You sure 'bout that?" one of the creatures challenged, bugs crawling in and out of the orifices as he spoke. "Kid looks tough, but I doubt he makes the cut."

Irritated by the sack of bugs, Riku asked, "What do you want us to do?" The fairy turned back to him and smiled.

"We've been running some errands in other worlds," she began to explain. She sounded ecstatic at Riku's compliance. "So long as you cooperate accordingly, I shall grant you what you need to find your friends," Maleficent promised, extending her hand. "Do we have a deal?" Without hesitation, Riku took her bony hand and shook it. "Excellent," she marveled. "Truly excellent."

Mild cheers and applause echoed in the room. As Riku eyed everyone in the room, they all seemed to have the same wicked expression on their faces, but if helping this group of crazies was what it took to find his friends, he was willing to do whatever tasks they had in store for him. After all, this pact would only last until he found Sora and Kairi...

"What about Harmonia's brother?" he inquired as Maleficent began to face the other characters. Even when Harmonia did everything she could to avoid him, Riku still didn't like the idea of leaving her here with the witch.

Maleficent's expression turned dark and she asked, "Why do you care about her when she's already turned her back on you?" The boy gave her an incredulous look.

"She's just shy," he retorted. "You're going to help her find her brother," Riku demanded, causing Maleficent's face to twist into a frown.

"Are you forgetting that I am the one providing you with everything you need?" she challenged him.

Crossing his arms and cocking his head to the side, Riku answered, "No— but if you're willing to get help from a kid, then it sounds like you're pretty desperate." His lips curled into a smirk as she seemed to find herself at a loss for words.

"Very well," she spoke with a strongly passive-aggressive tone. "As long as the two of you aid in our plan, I shall do my part in finding your friends and her brother," Maleficent growled. "Both of you shall be joining Hook in Neverland early tomorrow."

On his way back to his room, Riku once again found himself at the ledge that lead to a lower part of the fortress. That person was playing the flute again. Walking silently to the edge, the silver-haired teen looked down to find Harmonia. She was the one playing flute.

Harmonia sat with her legs folded beneathe her on a stone surface on the water. A pleasant song resonated through the crevasse, and Riku felt himself getting lost in the music. It seemed to have a life of its own, becoming soft only to grow loud again. It reminded him of the ocean that surrounded his island, except with a different perspective. It was tranquil and fluctuating, and yet, enticing and consistent. Needless to say, the fifteen-year-old was speechless.

The song ended as Harmonia let the last note dissipate into the cold air. Standing up from his spot, Riku began to clap, catching the girl's attention immediately. Her face seemed to turn pale at the sight of him, and she began to back away.

"Hey, wait!" the boy called out. "What you played sounded really nice," he tried to compliment her, but Harmonia was already running. Riku's aquamarine eyes widened as the girl's feet landed on the water's surface without breaking it. He watched at as she jumped into a bubble that was floating above the water. As the flautist disappeared into the bubble, it carried her beneath the water.

Riku stood there shocked— both at Harmonia's disappearing act and at how he had scared her off again. A sigh left his parted lips.

"Wow, I'm bad at this," he mumbled to himself.