Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Kingdom Hearts Route B ❯ The Caves ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, nor any of the Disney Characters in this story. The following is purely fan made. Please support the original work.

 

 

 

Chapter 2: The Caves

 

 

 

Madame Medusa stood on top of a rocky shore. She smiled when Sora, Donald, Goofy, Naveen and Tiana arrived, though none of them seemed to notice the annoyed tapping of her foot, or how her lips twitched as though holding her smile was painful.

"There you are! Thank goodness you've arrived."

Madame Medusa pulled out her handkerchief and blew her nose so loudly that Donald couldn't help but grit his teeth together.

"My poor girl! I can hear her voice coming from here." Medusa pointed to an opening in the rocks. "She's in the caves below and refuses to come out until she finds my diamond. I would go in there to stop her but, I don't fit into the opening."

Fat tears rolled down Medusa's cheeks and she lost her balance, swaying back and forth, her pear shaped body bouncing with the motion.

A voice echoed from the caves below.

"Hello? Is anyone up there?"

Madame Medusa cried out. "Oh! There she is! Can you hear me, darling? Are you all right down there?"

"I don't know where I am," called the voice.

One nod from Donald and Goofy was all Sora needed.

"Ma'am. We'll go down there and look for her."

"Oh look for my diamond! It's called the Devil's Eye and it's as large as a baseball." Madame Medusa said excitedly, her eyes focusing into sharp, green needles as she narrowed her gaze. Then, just as quickly, her sobs returned. "I just know my girl will leave the caves if she has it. Oh, why does she have to be so stubborn!"

"Stay out here and watch for the tide," Sora said, "we'll be back."

Carefully, he, Donald and Goofy slipped into the hole. The rock was rough one moment and then slippery the next and Sora yelped as he slid down and down in a limestone tube until he skidded to a stop in an underground cave. Something thumbed hard on his back and Sora slammed face first into the ground as Goofy crashed into him. Donald came next, slamming Goofy down on top of Sora leaving the poor boy to slam his hand against the ground to get their attention.

"Uncle! Uncle!"

"Gosh, sorry Sora."

After helping him up, Goofy and Donald went deeper into the cave. Sora dusted off his shirt and pants. Something dripped on his nose. Looking up, he saw water dripping from the stalactites on the ceiling. The droplets echoed into the tunnels that led deeper into the caves. Seawater leaked in from holes big and small in the cave system, flooding into little lakes and underground rivers.

"Wooow," Donald whistled.

He was leaning over a pool of water and something shiny was reflecting on his face.

Getting closer, Sora peered in.

"Ashidanza!" Naveen sang.

The bottom of the puddle, deep below the surface, was shiny with gold and jewels. Donald couldn't help reaching in. He splashed headfirst into the water, and then kicked his feet. Sora grabbed Donald's webbed feet and pulled. The two of them fell hard against the cave floor.

"Snap out of it! We have a girl to find, remember?"

Donald shook the water from his head. "R-right. I knew that."

"But where should we start lookin' fellars?"

Just as Goofy asked, there was a cry from one of the cave tunnels. The three friends and two frogs hurried toward the sound, ducking and weaving through narrow passageways until they exited out into another large chamber. This time, there were piles of treasure in every corner. Donald clapped his hands excitedly.

"There's loads of stuff here!"

Naveen hopped off Sora's shoulder and picked up the nearest coin, winking at his reflection.

"And just what do you think you're doing with that," Tiana huffed, joining him on the floor.

"What? Surely, the cave can afford to let go of one."

"Exactly," Donald laughed, "one, two, or maybe a hundred."

He got close to the pile of jewels in the corner of the room, and reached for the red sparkling ruby that lay right at the top. The cave shook before he could wrap his fingers around it. Stalactites came lose from the ceiling, stabbing into the cave floor by Sora, Tiana and Naveen. Scooping up the two frogs, Sora dodged and ducked while Goofy and Donald chased after him, screaming all the while.

The cave stopped rumbling as they reached the opening to another tunnel. Above, light shone down from a hole that had opened up when one of the larger stalactites fell loose. "Hello? Anyone down there," Medusa called.

Sora looked up and saw her sticking her head through the hole in the ceiling.

"Have you found my diamon-my girl?"

"No. She must be deeper in the caves."

"Well, hurry it up! The tide is getting higher up here."

"Right." Sora glared at Donald.

Donald laughed sheepishly.

"No more distractions. We've got a girl to save."

Casting one mournful look back at the treasure, Donald followed Sora and Goofy. Deeper and deeper into the caves the friends went, lured by the distant cries of Madame Medusa's girl. With the help of Naveen and Tiana scouting ahead, the three friends were able to navigate the labyrinth of caves by squeezing through tiny passages, climbing up tough rock walls and sliding down slippery hills until they came upon a dead end cavern.

Something clattered under Sora's feet. He looked down and gasped. Donald jumped up on top of Goofy's shoulders. Bones littered the cave floor, gold and jewels glittering between the old, grey remains of countless pirates and adventurers.

"Sora, look there," Naveen pointed.

Up ahead, at the very end of the cave, something was glittering through the eye of a skull. Carefully, Sora approached it, and peeked into the skull through the eye socket. Sitting in the skull was the shiniest jewel Sora had ever seen, the glittering of the gem's facets nearly blinding him.

The Devil's eye.

He grabbed the skull, and the cave lurched. Water splashed up from the underground rivers on the sides of the caves and once again, the roof crumbled. When the shaking stopped, a child stood in the middle of the cavern.

Sora, Donald and Goofy approached her. The girl's eyes were glued to the floor.

"Are you Madame Medusa's girl?" Sora stretched his hand out to her. "We should get out of here, it's not safe."

Slowly, the girl lifted her head. Her eyes were glowing yellow.

A blast of wind sent the three friends back toward the cave wall, as dark ink dripped from the top of the girl's head down to her tiny shoes. Her black body became a blob of goo that stretched and changed shape, the blurry edges sharpening into a two headed, black crocodile that darted forward and snapped its jaws inches away from Sora's chest.

Jumping back, Sora put the Devil's eye in his pocket and summoned his keyblade. The two headed crocodile roared, revealing a heart shaped symbol in its mouth. A heartless.

The crocodile reared back, opened one of its mouths and tried to snap at Sora but was blocked by Goofy, who had jumped in front of Sora just in time for the crocodile's teeth to clamp down on his shield. With one head's mouth full, Sora jumped on the other head and smacked it hard with his keyblade.

The crocodile rolled, throwing Sora and Goofy off. The movement sent Naveen and Tiana flying from Sora's shoulders. They landed on the floor with barely enough time to hop out of the crocodile's way. The heartless regained its balance and spat out Goofy's shield, turning its head toward a dizzy Goofy and Sora.

"Blizzard!"

Blocks of ice rained down on the heartless, stunning it. Regaining their feet, Sora and Goofy charged. The three friends engaged the heartless, until Sora's knees splashed in water.

"We can't stay here much longer! The tide's coming in!"

No sooner had he said it when the heartless' jaws clamped down on Donald. He screamed, using his staff to keep the crocodile's teeth from crushing him, but the other crocodile head darted forward to try and snap his staff away. Goofy threw his shield at the heartless's jaw, trying to distract it, while Sora jumped on top of the head that was trying to swallow Donald. He jammed his keyblade into its mouth and tried to grab Donald's hand, but the head was trashing around so much he could barely hold on.

From down below, Naveen and Tiana watched the battle nervously. The crocodile eventually grew tired of Goofy's shield in his face. It threw a muscular arm in his direction and trapped Goofy under its hand.

"We have to do something," Tiana said.

"Well, you're the chef. Come up with a recipe for success!"

"Up there!"

Tiana pointed to the cave ceiling. The two frogs climbed the ceiling until they were hanging upside down above the heartless. Tiana stopped in front of a stalagmite that was cracked at the base.

"I need you to grab Sora as soon as this falls."

"Of course," Naveen stuck out his tongue.

Tiana kicked with all her might. The stalactite's crack became deeper and deeper until the entire structure shook, inches away from tearing from the ceiling.

"Now!"

Naveen's tongue darted down, wrapping around Sora's wrist and pulling him up into the air. With one more kick from Tiana, the stalactite fell, stabbing one of the heartless' heads, disorienting the creature and leaving its other head to turn and show concern. Seeing the opening, Sora called his keyblade back from within the heartless' jaw. He pulled his keyblade back over hid head and then slammed it hard onto the heartless's back as he fell.

A crack echoed through the caves. The heartless screamed, spitting out Donald into the puddly cave floor. Thrashing, the heartless' body crumbled like a sand castle turning into dust, freeing Goofy as the hand holding him down disintegrated. Panting, the three friends reunited with the frogs.

"Thanks," Donald said.

"A-hyuck! That's twice you two have saved us now."

"Really," Sora gasped, "we owe you one."

Naveen gave them a princely grin, while Tiana put her hands on her hips triumphantly, but there was no time to celebrate. The water level now up to Sora's waist.

Jiminy waved Naveen and Tiana back into Sora's hood. "We'd better skedaddle!"

The trio dashed out of the caves. Donald led the way, using blizzard spells to freeze the water that threatened to engulf them and easily sliding through smaller openings while Sora and Goofy jumped and crawled their way until they came upon the cavern with the hole in the ceiling.

The water had crawled all the way up to Sora's shoulders and Goofy's chest. They approached the slide they had entered from and felt the sudden terrifying feeling of something icy in their stomachs. The entrance had caved in. They were trapped.

There was a call from above.

"Did you find the diamond," Madame Medusa demanded.

Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out the skull that had the Devil's Eye inside.

Medusa threw down a rope. Quickly, Sora, Donald and Goofy climbed up and out of the caves, collapsing onto the wet, coral floor of the cove. The skull rolled out of Sora's hand, breaking onto the shore and revealing the diamond with. While he was disoriented, Madame Medusa snatched the diamond.

"Ah! The Devil's eye! Filled with power for its owner! It's mine at last! And you three, I must thank you for a job well done."

Sora rolled over, rage bubbling in his thoughts, until he felt a boiling terror in his gut. Medusa leered down at him, barring her overly large front teeth. She pulled out a long rifle from under her coat and aimed, her finger tightening on the trigger.

"No!"

Naveen and Tiana sprang out of Sora's hood, landing on Medusa's face and covering her eyes. Madame Medusa reeled backward, her rifle firing into the air.

She shrieked. "AH! Disgusting! Get them off! Brutus! Nero! Help!"

The two crocodiles that had been stalking them in the bayou jumped out of from under the cove water and attacked Sora, Donald and Goofy, distracting the trio long enough for Medusa to get a slippery hold on Naveen and Tiana and throw them into the water.

Sora jumped when Nero snapped at him. He leapt over the crocodile's back and grabbed the Devil's eye from Medusa's hand.

"Guys! Let's get out of here!"

With one powerful shove of his shield, Goofy threw off the two crocodiles, grabbed Donald and chased after Sora. The waves rose, ready to swallow the three friends into the sea as they raced back toward the swamp.

"Get back here, you brats! Give me back my diamond! Brutus, Nero!"

The crocodiles were catching up fast. Mid run, Donald threw a fire spell behind them and clocked one of the crocodiles in the face. It rolled in the water, trying to douse the fire, but it did nothing to stop Medusa and the other crocodile from advancing.

She fired her rifle and Sora felt the bullet whiz by his ear. They were running out of rocks and the water was too ferocious to swim through.

"Look there!" Tiana pointed to some rocks on their left side. "An airboat!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy changed directions, reaching the boat and hoping on.

Sora grabbed the controls.

Donald held onto his seat with a death grip. "Can you really drive this thing?"

"Like driving a gummy ship. Do you have a better idea?"

Letting out a sniveling wail, Donald closed his eyes and Goofy helped Sora pull the stuck lever into gear. The airboat grumbled and then roared to life as the fan began to spin. Madame Medusa was steps away, struggling to load another round in her riffle.

Sora punched it. The airboat launched forward on the swamp water, but they weren't in the clear. Seconds into moving away, Goofy felt something tug on the boat and turned around to look in horror as both Brutus and Nero had snapped down on a rope that was attached to the the underbelly of the airboat. Even worse, Madame Medusa was balancing herself on the crocodiles, sliding along the top of the water as though she were on makeshift skis.

"Uh, Sora, we've got a problem!"

Sora looked over his shoulder. "Well then do something about it!"

Donald shrieked. "SORA! TREE!"

Turning back around, Sora took a hard left, nearly avoiding crashing. Naveen whooped from Sora's hood, but Tiana's eyes were on Madame Medusa, and how she was carefully pulling herself forward on the rope. She took the initiative, landing on Donald's shoulder.

"Now would be a good time for some magic, Duck."

"That's Donald Duck! Goofy! Aim your shield at the crocodiles!"

Goofy raised his shield and waited for the signal. Orange firelight glowed on the tip of Donald's staff. Donald breathed deep, gathering energy. The glow at his staff became brighter, molten lava gathering from the air, into a ball of fire. Donald threw his arm back like a golf club ready to swing.

"NOW! Firaga!"

Donald flung his arm, and the fireball zoomed through the air. Goofy hurled his shield and it ping-ponged hard on each crocodile's head before returning back to his hand. Brutus and Nero thrashed their heads, eyeballs rolling in their skulls. Donald's firaga flew straight at a Medusa, who was too busy trying to balance on two shaky crocodiles to block it.

Her coat caught on fire and her rifle shot, completely against her wishes. The bullet struck the airboat's fan, jamming it. Sora lost control, and the airboat buckled, skidding left and right.

"Everybody jump!"

The trio dived straight into the swamp water, and just in time. The airboat zigzagged across the water, crashing into a group of trees, with Brutus, Nero, and Madame Medusa right behind it. From under the water, Sora Donald and Goofy saw the surface blaze orange. They resurfaced from beneath the water, watching the remains of the airboat as it burned and sank into the swamp.

Medusa and her crocodiles were no more.

The three friends swam back to the bank of the swam and collapsed onto the swamp floor, gasping.

"Woo, boy! Y'all sure made a ruckus," someone said.

Sora and Goofy looked around for the owner of that deep, raspy voice, but it was Donald that caught their attention. He swatted a spec of light in the air, just in front of his beak, but the light was small and tricky, and easily slipped between his fingers.

"Aw, come on now, you don't have to swat me like that!"

Sora grabbed Donald's arm. He squinted at the tiny light and realized it wasn't a light at all, but a firefly with very crooked teeth.

"Thank you kindly," the firefly bowed. "My name Raymond!" He wrote out his name in the air, with his bright behind. "But everybody call me Ray."

Naveen hopped onto Sora's shoulder. "Your accent is funny no?"

"I'm a cajun bro! What y'all doin' here?"

Now it was Tiana's turn to hop onto Sora's shoulder. "Prince Charming here, got us turned into frogs by a voodoo witch doctor and we just barely escaped from a crazed swamp hag."

Ray nodded and rested his elbow on Naveen's head. "Well there ya go."

"You are not surprised friend?"

"I have been round these parts a bit. Seen all kinds o' strange, especially with Mama Odie in the swamp."

"Who's Mama Odie," said Sora.

Ray flew up right between Sora's eyes and buzzed excitedly, "She got magic, and spells and all kinds of hoodoo."

Tiana jumped. "Wait! Do you think she can change us back into humans?"

"Shoo, of course she can! She can do lots, that Mama Odie."

"Could you take us to her?"

"Course I can!"

Naveen grabbed hold of Tiana and spun her around.

Ray put his fingers in his mouth and whistled and the trees behind him light up with a thousand stars.

Naveen stared into the lights, his eyes wide. "Ashidanza!"

"Me an' my relationshionals will show you da way! You ready to go?"

Tiana and Naveen nodded.

"Guess this is where we part ways. Thank you for all your help, Sora, Donald, Goofy," Tiana said.

"I feel like we should be thanking you guys more," Sora grinned.

Naveen bowed. "If it weren't for you, my friends, we would have been hiding from those two crocodiles forever. Safe travels. The next time we meet, Tiana and I will be humans again."

Goofy bowed back. "Are you sure you don't want us to go to Mama Odie's with ya?"

Ray buzzed up to Goofy's eyes and flew left and right.

"Now see here! Me and my family will take good care of them, for sure! Trust me."

Goofy giggled. "All right Ray." Then he went to Sora and took the two frogs into his hands. "We'll miss you, Your Highness. Ms. Tiana."

Tiana hugged Goofy's thump and Naveen bowed once more.

Next Tiana jumped on Donald's beak and kissed him between the eyes. Donald blushed.

Sora shook Naveen's tiny hand and then lifted him and Tiana onto a tree branch.

"Take care of them, Ray," Sora said.

Ray nodded and then turned to all the tiny fireflies in the trees. "All right, y'all! Let's light da way!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy saw the lights dance and watched Naveen and Tiana hopping behind the fireflies into the trees, until both the fireflies and the little frogs had completely disappeared.

"We'd better get back to the door we can through. I don't think there's anything else we can do in this world."

Before they could even move, Donald yelped up into the air and landed in Goofy's arms, bellowing, "Snake!"

Sora pulled out his keyblade, looking around. A green python slithered on the floor between his feet. Sora lifted his weapon, ready to strike.

"Now, why y'all so jumpy? Calm down. It's only Juju, my seeing eye snake."

From between the shadowy trees, a white spark of light illuminated an old woman. She practically glided over the dew covered ferns and mushrooms till she was standing on the bank with Sora, Donald and Goofy, the light emanating from her walking stick glinting off her golden earrings. The python slithered up the old woman's leg and rested across her shoulders like a boa.

"Now, which one of you children got rid of the crazy swamp lady." Sora, Donald, Goofy, all smiled nervously.

"Excuse me, ma'am" said Sora, "but who are you?"

"You can call me Mama Odie."

"Mama Odie? But Naveen and Tiana just went into the swamp looking for you!" Sora turned around. "We have to go get them."

"Don't you fret, young man. I'll find them two in no time. I just wanted to catch y'all before you left."

"Us?" Sora exchanged a look with Donald and Goofy.

"Yes. I know you're not from round here." She pointed to Sora's keyblade. "You're the keybearer. And there's something you should know."

Cold air caressed Sora's neck. "What is it?"

"There used to be a great shadow in this world, but now its left."

"You mean, the heartless we fought."

"That's part of it. No. I'm talking about the shadow man."

"The one that cursed Naveen and Tiana?" Donald asked.

"The very same. Be careful on your journey. Dangerous one that. If he's not in this world, he may be in another." Mama Odie walked past the three friends into the forest.

"Wait!" Sora called after her. "What about Naveen and Tiana. They want to become human again."

Mama Odie sang. "Prince froggy was a rich little man, he wants to be rich again, but money aint got no heart, money aint got no soul. Would that really make him happy? And little Tiana works hard for what she wants, but doesn't know what she needs." She turned to face Sora. "There's a difference between what they want and what they need. They need a princess' kiss to become human again, but there are no more princesses left in this world."

Donald and Goofy hung their heads and groaned a very sad groan.

"But they worked so hard to find you!"

"Now calm down. I never said there isn't a way to break the spell. You listen to your mama now." Mama Odie smiled mischievously. "I'm sure you've noticed, haven't you?"

"Noticed what?"

"That Miss Froggy and Prince Froggy may already have everything they need to change back?"

Goofy covered his mouth. Deep, chuckles escaped from between his fingers. Donald let out a long, "oooh" and then joined in on the laugher. Sora frowned.

"But, you said only a princess's kiss would change them back."

"Uh huh, and whoever becomes Prince Froggy's wife will be a," she put out her hand, inviting Sora to complete the sentence.

But Sora didn't need to finish her thought. His chest filled with warmth as he remembered how Tiana blushed, how Naveen loved her cooking, and, in his heart, he knew they would be all right.

"Right. Thanks, Mama Odie."

"Oh, and one more thing." With her walking stick, Mama Odie pointed upward toward the sky.

Up above, the brightest star in the sky flickered. Sora stared at it, watching it glow brighter and brighter until the light from the star slowly morphed into a familiar shape. A transparent keyhole hung in the sky. Automatically, Sora felt his keyblade materialize in his hands. He aimed it toward the sky, and a beam of light shot out, piercing the heavens and connecting with the keyhole. A clicking sound echoed across the sky and a sense of peace enveloped the world and the keyhole was locked tight.

 

 

 

Bang. Bang. Bang. The door wouldn't budge. Knocking hadn't worked, pulling hadn't worked, neither did kicking it with all her strength. She had even tried asking nicely! Worse, after days of trying to force it open, the door was perfectly pristine, as though it had never been touched.

Panting, Kairi sat down onto the cave floor and leaned her head back. Up above her was a tiny opening that let sunlight through. She looked around the cave walls, at all the pictures that the children on the island had scribbled onto the walls. There really was nothing extraordinary or strange on the island, except for this cave, and the strange door on the wall that had no knob or keyhole.

Kairi knew that door. It had thrown her off the island, the same dark night her world had been destroyed and her heart had sought refuge inside of Sora's. She was sure this was her way to other worlds. A way off the island. A raft wasn't good enough.

She stared at the scribbles on the walls, her eyes falling, for the thousandth time, on picture she and Sora and drawn together when they were little.

"I won't give up, Sora," she huffed and puffed, "I'll find you and Riku. Somehow."

Defeated for another day, but refusing to give up, Kairi left the cave with the mysterious door and exited out into the sunny day above the Destiny Islands. She stood in front of the little entrance to the secret cave, watching two boys on the beach.

They were throwing a ball back and forth on the shore. A little ways away, a girl in a yellow sundress sat on a the tiny pier, watching the two boys with a shake of her head.

Kairi walked down to the pier and sat down next to the girl. They sat in silence for a while, staring out into the waves. Kairi smiled, thinking about the day she and Sora had sat there, talking about what they would do when they got to see other worlds together. And now he was off out there, searching all the worlds without her.

The girl curled her brown hair with her finger. "You've been going to that cave a lot lately."

Kairi watched the two boys aggressively thrown their ball back and forth. The smaller of the two boys was attempting to kick the ball back to his friend in the middle of a headstand, except he kept missing and falling onto his back in the sand.

"What are Tidus and Wakka trying to do?" Kairi asked the girl.

"Trying to come up with a new ball game. I wish," the girl covered her mouth, "never mind."

Kairi smiled, even though her heart ached. "I know. You wish that Sora and Riku were here to help them with their game."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Selphie. I'm sure they'll be back someday. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"We came back didn't we?" Kairi nudged her. "So there has to be a way for them to come back home too." Then to herself, Kairi said, "I have to keep believing that."

Selphie picked up the jump rope that was sitting at her side. "I hope so. I'm going to go help those two dummies before they lose their ball in the ocean!"

Kairi watched Selphie join Tidus and Wakka, watched the three of them play until the sun set, and then said goodbye when they each rode off to the main island in their boats. Alone, she stared out into the sea, remembering how the world reshaped itself after Sora and his friends had put it back together.

She had seen him, standing on the edge of the horizon before the sky reappeared and he was swallowed up by the sun. What was beyond their world, Kairi wondered. What world was the closest to theirs?

A lonely, perfectly round, island stood out of the water to her left. On the island was a tree, and on the tree were sweet, star shaped fruit. Legends said that if two people share the fruit, their destinies were intertwined and they would remain part of each other's lives, no matter what.

"No matter what." Kairi faced the entrance to the hidden cave.

Night was coming, and even though she would be in trouble for not going back to the main island, Kairi just had a feeling that the dark of the night would open the door. She entered the cave just as the sun completely set behind her.

 

 

 

 

Jiminy's Journal

Mama Odie (First Appeared in the Princess and the Frog, 2009): A kind, blind old vodoo priestess that lives in the Bayou with her seeing eye snake, Juju. She's zany and wise and won't give you want you want but will remind you about what you need.

Ray (First Appeared in The Princess and the Frog, 2009): A brave little Cajun firefly that lights up the bayou with his shiny behind. He's a reliable guide.

Kairi (First Appeared in Kingdom Hearts, 2002): Sora's childhood friend and one of the seven princesses of heart. She returned to the destiny islands after Sora's last adventure.

Tidus (First Appeared in Final Fantasy X, 2001): An energetic boy that lives on the Destiny Islands. He's always challenging Sora and Riku to practice fights.

Wakka (First Appeared in Final Fantasy X, 2001): A chill boy that likes to watch the beach at Destiny Islands. He's really good at ball games.

Selphie (First Appeared in Final Fantasy VIII, 1999): A cheerful girl that always sits on the pier, watching the sea. She acts like she's in charge of the other kids a lot of the time.

Pluto (First Appeared in The Chain Gang, 1930): The King's dog and best friend. Pluto is playful and mischievious and has a habit of popping up when you least expect him.