The Girl With Wings Like Glass (A Kingdom Hearts Story)

Krystallvael, Part 5

The black clad man stepped from the shadows.

Then he took off his hood.

Blue hair. Emotionless yellow eyes. An X scar crossing his face.

"Isn't fate so artistic?" The man spoke. His tone was as cold and emotionless as his eyes.

"Why are you attacking this world? Why are you attacking these innocent people?!"

"Thou art not welcometh h're! Wend backeth to whatev'r hole thee cameth out of, filthy creature!" Lazuli called out bravely.

The man let out a humorless laugh. "Ah. Miss Lazuli. So audacious as always. And Esme -" he turned his piercing gaze toward Esme, who gripped her spear fearfully. "You're weak. And scared. Hardly what anyone would expect from a guardfae."

Then his gaze landed on Iris.

"And you. You, who should have died with your world."

Iris stiffened. "don't you dare talk to me like that!"

The man laughed coldly. There was no true emotion in that laugh.

Ruri moved from behind them, fluttering down from the ledge to stand next to the man.

"Wherefore, Ruri? Wherefore doth thee betray thy owneth kind?" Lazuli called in vain.

Ruri didn't answer.  The man laughed. "He's but a slave to me - and so is your advisor."

Then Ulus stepped from the shadows. He had the same blank stare as Ruri.

"Nay, it cannot beest!" Marit cried. He leaned on his spear, shocked and saddened.

"Their minds are feeble. It's easy to take control." The man said, beckoning. Ulus stepped forward to the side of the man,  in a trance.

"Help! Help!" The young prince cried. Ruri jabbed at him with his spear. "Beest silent, knave!"

Kyanite went silent. Esme nearly sobbed. "Wherefore art thee doing this to an innocent child?!"

The blue haired man shifted. "I don't care much for taking hostages based on age. I do care how much the hostage in question is worth." He stepped forward, his steps echoing in the tense silence broken only by the bubbling of the green liquid.

Iris stepped forward to meet him. She flew downward to the narrower ledge that surrounded the green liquid.

The man was taller than her, that much was clear. His eyes were yellow. His blue hair was spiked in the back and down in the front. He wore a black coat.

He was quite intimidating to say the least.

"Leave this world. You have no business here." Iris said boldly.

The man gazed at her with an impassive expression. "But I do, you are wrong on that point. You, in fact, are the reason I am here."

Iris tilted her head. "What?"

He pointed right at her. "Yes. You." He smiled a cold smile. "The girl that should have died with your world."

"Don't say that!" Her wand was in her hand in an instant. She pointed it at the man. "You let Prince Kyanite go. And release your hold on Ruri and Ulus. Or I'll blast you."

He laughed, a humorless sound. "You let off a single blast and you will bring this entire cavern down on us all. This cavern is unstable. One hit to any wall and it will all collapse." He took a step closer. "Here is the offer I will make. You come with me, voluntarily, and I will let all of them go, and release the prince. Refuse and I will bring this cavern down on all of us. Only I will come out alive."

Iris kept her wand pointed at him, her mouth set in a thin line. She considered her choices. Her eyes flicked all around the cavern, looking for possible escape routes. The only way in or out was the way they came in, blocked by Ruri and Ullus. The cavern walls were unstable. Kyanite was hanging by his feet over a pit of who knows what. 

Her chances looked very slim. 

It would seem she would have to go with the mysterious evil man. 

She lowered her wand and stepped toward the man. 

"Nay! Doth not doth this! I bethink not yond i can suff'r through any m're loss!" Esme called out, and leveled her spear at the man. But Ulus jabbed his own spear at her, and Esme backed up, shaking a little. 

The man reached out to grab Iris' arm. Iris didn't resist. In her eyes it was the only way to save Kyanite and the others. 

Then...

Ulus and Ruri were knocked aside. 

The man looked up. Esme and Lazuli looked behind them as a great amber blur shot past them into the cavern and circled above. 

Omi! She crowed in defiance as she landed in front of Iris, her scales shining and her frills extended. The man stepped back and narrowed his eyes. Then he summoned...what looked to be his weapon.  Almost a big sword? 

It didn't matter. All she knew, was that there was a chance to fight. She drew her wand. 

The shadows that were cast on the man's face seemed to make him sneer. Then he did an astonishing thing.

He lowered his weapon, pulled his hood up over his face, summoned a dark portal, walked through, and disappeared. 

Esme, Iris, Marit, and Lazuli all stared at the spot where the man had disappeared. 

"So yond's t?" Marit was disbelieving. "That gent appears, hypnotizes our commandeth'rs, endues grief upon this our home, and then just leaves? just liketh yond?"

"We can worry about that later. Right now, we need to get Kyanite down and back to the king and queen."

"I shall receiveth that gent down" Esme said, and flitted up to undo the ropes. 

There was a shifting from the far side of the cavern. Ulus and Ruri sat up.

 "What hath happened? Mine own headeth doth feel lighteth and....Wh're art we? What day is't?" Ruri looked panicked. His eyes were bright and alert now. 

Ulus also looked concerned. "What hath happened? Who is't art thee, young mistress with wings liketh a stain'd glass window? Wherefore is th're a most wondrous beast h're? And wherefore am i not at the palace?"

"It's a long story." Iris said as Esme flitted down with Kyanite in her arms. "But we need to return the prince to the palace."

"Both of thee hadst been hypnotized by an evil sir dressed in black. Iris h're hast been helping to findeth the prince, who is't hadst gone missing. The evil sir is gone and thou art free from his controleth. We shall wend backeth to the palace and tell ev'rything to the royal family. "

"Then alloweth us beest on our way. Nay timeth to stall. " Ulus helped Ruri up. Omi flew out first, with the others following. 

As Iris flew back, with the knowledge that this world was safe, she couldn't help but wondering why that man had been there in the first place. Was it because of her? Maybe. 

She just hoped that this place was out of danger forever.