Fan Fiction ❯ Black Orchid ❯ Evening Arrival ( Chapter 2 )

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Orchid opened her eyes to an evening in a dark, dank, back alley full of crates and rubbish. She shook her head to try and clear out the wool that seemed to fill her skull and block her thoughts. How did this happen?

Then she remembered. Eriks had brought them to the cave. There had been a strange door. And there was a voice. She couldn't remember all of what it had said. Something about worlds outside our own. About knowledge and power. That they knew so little. Eriks had walked forwards then. He had opened the door, then stood there, looking back at her with his piercing black eyes, hand extended to her, framed by the roiling… white? Or had it been black? She couldn't tell. It had been all colors and no colors beyond the door. All she knew for sure was that he had disappeared before she could grab his hand. And now she was here.

She got up and walked out of the alley. Outside of it was a town square sort of place, with people wandering all over. All sorts of people, wearing all sorts of things, walked by. In her amazement, she accidentally bumped into somebody.

"Sorry," she mumbled, and looked up into a pair of blue furred, lion-like faces with single horns sprouting from the forehead, looming several feet above her.

"Y-you're cats!" she exclaimed in surprise. Several people nearby started to move away. The people she had bumped into did not look pleased

"Oh, this human cub has the nerve to call a Ronso a cat?" said one in a deep voice.

"What name is this girl-child that insults us so?" growled the other.

"Oh, there you are!"

All three turned to the voice. A small, white furry creature with a red sort of pompom ball on an antenna on its head walked towards them. It was about a foot high with little orange wings on its back, and wearing a green jacket, light brown pants and little brown shoes. Orchid thought it looked very cute.

"I told you not to wander off, kupo!" he said, as he got to them. The voice, though cute and fluffy-sounding, was definitely male.

"This girl-cub is with you, kupo-mog?" growled one of the Ronsos.

"Oh, yes, kupo! She's new in town, so you have to forgive her. She's never seen a Ronso before, nor has anyone told her about them, kupo," replied Orchid's little savior. He turned to her. "Now apologize to the Ronsos."

"Uh? Oh, um, sorry," she stuttered, nodding her head apologetically.

"Fine," rumbled the less angry Ronso. He turned away and added, "We were new here once, too."

The two blue hulks stalked proudly away. When they had gone, the little white creature turned to her.

"Remember, never call a Ronso a cat, kupo?" he warned.

"I will," said Orchid. "And thank you. Um…"

"What?" he asked, his antenna ball swaying from side to side.

"Where is this? Who are you? What are you?" she blurted.

"Kupo? Kupopopo? You've never seen a moogle?"

"No. Where I come from, the only things that talk are human."

"Oh dear, oh dear. It's like Marche all over again," muttered the moogle.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind," he said. "My name is Montblanc. And this," he continued, sweeping his little arm out expansively, "is Traverse Town."

"How did I get here?" asked Orchid, feeling utterly lost.

"Now how can I know that if I don't even know your name?" asked Montblanc.

"Oh, sorry," said Orchid, flushing slightly. "My name is Orchid."

"Like a flower, kupo?"

"Hey, you're the one who's named a dessert!" she said defensively.

"Kupo?"

"Never mind."

*

The door jangled open and the two walked into the shop.

"Ho, Montblanc! Who's that with you?"

"Have a kupo day?" greeted Montblanc. "This is a friend. Her name's Orchid, and she's a little lost."

"Aren't we all?" joked the man behind the counter. He had messy brown hair that stuck up and back, a small pony tale at the base of his skull, a sparse mustache, a spiky beard at the end of his chin, and a very self-confident grin. He wore a sports jacket that hung loosely on him as he leaned against the wall.

"She's a little more lost than most, kupo," explained Montblanc.

"Whatever. She can stay here for a little while," replied the shopkeeper. He started rummaging under the counter. "Make yourselves at home."

They sat down on the couch opposite of the counter.

"You hungry?" he asked, popping back up. Montblanc shook his head, but Orchid's stomach decided it was time to speak up. They all paused as it voiced its complaints loudly throughout the room.

"I'll take that as a yes," laughed the man as he dove back under.

* * *

"Excuse me."

The man turned to face Sora, who was in a state of tatters, mentally, spiritually, and in a very, very real sense. Sora tried to stand tall and not look like some beggar, but he was very tired, and even more insecure. What was happening?

"Could you tell me," asked Sora, trying to smile warmly, and only barely succeeding, "if Cid still runs the Accessory Shop?"

"Huh?" replied the man. "Oh, that? I wouldn't know about still, since I only came here two years ago, but Cid has run that shop since I got here. Don't know about before."

"Thank you," said Sora gratefully, running off. So Cid was still there. At least someone he knew was still around. He hurried as he felt the keyblade tug him on urgently. It was as if it wanted him to go to the Accessory Shop, like something was drawing it there.

He went through a mental checklist of who he would know here as he ran down the familiar streets to the First District. Cid was in his shop. And Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie…no, they had gone home to Hollow Bastion. But if the Heartless were back, perhaps they had ended up here again also. Who else? Merlin and the Fairy Godmother were sure to be in their grotto. And that covered it for Traverse Town. He wondered about Donald and Goofy. Were they here, too?

He brought himself back into reality as he reached the door to the Accessory Shop. The same neon sign still blared above the door. At least some things never change. He opened the door and walked in.

"Cid! You in there? It's me, Sora!" he shouted, waiting for the gruff voice to greet him. Instead all he got was a thump from behind the counter and some muffled swearing. Sora looked around. There was a young girl with blonde hair in a blue sweatshirt sitting on the couch next to a well-dressed moogle, both of which were looking at him in surprise. Then the man behind the counter stood up, still rubbing his head.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Where's Cid?" asked Sora, confused. As far as he could tell, Cid didn't seem like the type to hire others to run his stuff.

"You're starin' at him," said the man, equally confused.

"What?" Sora said in surprise. Cid was a tough, block-jawed guy with spiky blonde hair behind goggles, not some hedgehog-haired, spike-bearded slacker in a jacket.

"My name's Cid. Cid Randell," replied the man, leaning back and assembling a large and sloppy sandwich. "Though I have to say, the name Sora doesn't ring any bells."

Sora couldn't take it. He had been running on pure adrenaline while escaping the Destiny Isles, and on ragged tatters of hope in Traverse Town. Now he had neither, and his body couldn't take it. He was tired and drained, and his mind finally hit the off switch. He collapsed on the floor in front of them.