paixaorpg | Along Came a Spider, Who Sat Down Beside Her [Complete]

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Along Came a Spider, Who Sat Down Beside Her [Complete]

Character(s): Sonic and Yorda, Larxene later on.
Content: Yorda is in a very unhappy state after being attacked by the Heartless. Sonic comes and finds her, taking her to safety... and then Larxene shows up.
Setting: In front of Yuuko's shop
Time: Morning, before Sonic goes to meet Lara and the Doctor.
Warnings: Larxene. :|b

She was frightened, and she did not like that. The shadow had seemed so like her mother, had even spoken in the same voice and used the same actions, and Yorda could do nothing but meekly follow her. Then the tall, shadowy woman had changed, had shifted and lunged for the glowing princess, claws stretched for her heart. Yorda had stood stock-still, then, until she remembered the warmth of the boy's hands in hers and the way he had tugged her away from danger and managed to run.

She hadn't looked back, only ran as fast as she could, and when she was out of breath, she looked around, hoping desperately that the creature hadn't followed her. It was gone, and so the pale girl huddled in front of a strange building, arms wrapped around her knees and her face pressed to her legs.

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"A strange place with many things" sure wasn't much to go on, as Sonic was starting to discover. He'd looked over the map but hadn't had any luck finding something to help him there, so he decided to do things his way: that is to say, he took off running and kept an eye out for Yorda. He was going slower than usual, sure, but it was still fast enough to leave wind in his wake.

He'd been going for probably ten minutes, searching all the streets and back alleys he came across, when he came across a glowing figure curled up against a building. He took a look - it was tough to tell who that was all curled up like that - then had a second glance. Wait - that was Yorda!

He skidded to a stop and doubled back, coming to stand next to Yorda and placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Hey, Yorda?" he tried gently. "You all right?"

Yorda looked up when she heard the skidding sound, her blue eyes wide but not frightened, and she recognized the hedgehog by his picture. "Hello," she greeted simply, standing up. She had recovered from her initial fright - Yorda was never one to be afraid for long, even in the castle. There, she had simply stood and tensed up, waiting silently for the boy to defeat them. She had only cried out when she had been grabbed - and even then, it had only been a quiet and unhappy sound.

The glowing girl stood, her skin and dress strangely unmarred by sitting on the ground, and smiled. "Yes," she answered, "I am all right."

Oh good. Man, Sonic had no idea where he would've taken Yorda if she'd been hurt. It sounded like he didn't have to worry about that, which was a load off his mind. Now the only question was where to take her...he figured the hotels should be safer than the park he was staying in, especially if Larxene was going to look for Yorda (and he was pretty sure she would).

"Good," he replied, taking her hand and leading her down the street. "C'mon, let's get you someplace safe."

Yorda nodded to Sonic, and the girl took the hedgehog's hand with perfect faith, completely trusting that he would take her somewhere safe. "Where are we going?" she asked, looking around her, always amazed at how bright and beautiful the city was. Her bare feet made no sound as they padded over the ground while she followed Sonic.

"What are you?" asked the princess suddenly. She had never seen anything like Sonic before. She had never even so much as seen a normal hedgehog on the island - the only creatures there had been the insects and birds.

While perfect faith could get you killed in places, here it worked just fine: while Sonic wasn't always the picture of a hero, he wasn't about to let down someone who trusted him. Right now, Yorda fell under that category. "We're goin' to a hotel," he replied. "You should be safe there." He didn't necessarily want to go this slow, but he didn't know if picking up Yorda and running would spook her. Better to play it on the safe side for now.

A week earlier, that question would've made Sonic miss a step. By now, though, he was used to people not knowing what he was. "I'm a hedgehog," he answered smoothly. "Fastest one you'll ever meet." It wasn't bragging if it was true, right?

It never even crossed Yorda's mind that Sonic might try to hurt her. Within the castle, taking the boy's hand had shown utter belief in what was going on. It had turned out to be a good decision; it had saved Yorda's life and freed the tormented souls from the castle, and the boy had hopefully been sent somewhere better. But the island the princess had known all her life was nothing like this strange new place to which she had come. "What is a hotel?" Yorda asked as she followed, looking curiously around her; this city never ceased to amaze the girl.

"What is a hedgehog?"

Yorda was starting to get into questions that Sonic couldn't explain too well. A guy who sleeps outside every night was probably not the best one to explain what a hotel was. "A hotel's a place where a whole bunch of people stay. 'S got a whole bunch of rooms an' stuff." Not too specific, but that was about the extend of what he knew. They should run into one pretty soon, he thought.

He was much better equipped to answer the next question, for obvious reasons. "A hedgehog's....um." That didn't make it any less awkward for him. "It's a kind of animal. Like me!" That would probably lead to more questions, but he'd field those as they came. For now, he just kept walking with her, keeping an eye out for the hotel.

Yorda nodded. "Do they reside there?" she asked, still looking around herself. "Do you stay in one?" Yorda had slept in a building while in the city, but she didn't know what it could be called. The princess had usually rested outside with the boy whenever they could snatch even a few minutes; the shadows had been relentless. Luckily, however, the Queen had been amused with cat and mouse and so had allowed the children to rest every so often. Yorda had slept in a building while in the city, but she didn't know what it could be called.

Yorda smiled, laughing quietly. "I did not see any animals on the island but the birds." That was all there were. Everything else about Yorda was utterly unfamiliar.

"Um..." More answers he didn't have. "I dunno. I think it's only temporary. And no, I don't stay in one," he added. No way would he want a roof, except for maybe when it rained. "But where I'm stayin' ain't as safe, so th' hotel's a better plan for now."

He blinked and looked up at Yorda. "Just birds?" There was nothing wrong with birds, sure, but in Sonic's experience they weren't the most talkative bunch.

Yorda smiled at Sonic again. "I like sleeping outside," she replied. "It is very nice." Despite the face that the couches the princess and the horned boy had slept on had been made of stone, Yorda had always felt contented when she slept. The girl's head canted to one side as she looked curiously at the hedgehog. "Are more of those strange shadows around?" They unnerved Yorda even more than her mother's shadows had.

She nodded. "Yes," came the reply. "Birds and insects. There was nothing else but the shadows, the boy, and myself." Her gaze lowered for a moment before she added, "And Mother."

Yorda's words took Sonic by surprise. "Yeah, me too!" He grinned up at her. "It's open, an' you can see th' stars...you're free." It was everything he loved about the outdoors. "Hey, look - there's the hotel!" He pointed at a nearby building.

He considered Yorda's question as he snagged a branch off a nearby golden tree and held the door open for them both to enter the hotel. "I dunno. S'why you're stayin' inside 'til I come back." Hopefully they wouldn't come inside, especially not to a place as populated as a hotel.

A few short negotiations and a room key later, Yorda and Sonic were in one of the hotel's third floor rooms. "Stay here, alright?" He looked up at Yorda, completely serious. "Don't leave 'til I come back."

"Free," Yorda murmured, smiling to herself, then Sonic. "Yes. I like being free." Especially after an entire lifetime of being locked away, it was wonderful to be able to go where she pleased. She looked around her, then at where Sonic pointed, and nodded, following him inside. The girl felt nervous at the thought of more shadows around - and these weren't at all like the ones she was used to.

Yorda remained silent until they reached the hotel room. "Very well," she replied, equally serious. "I will not leave." She didn't, however, have any way of defending herself, not that she knew of. If something came inside and tried to harm or kidnap her, there would be nothing she could do about it.

"Cool," Sonic nodded. He was also well aware of the possibility of something coming in; however, he figured it was less likely to happen in a hotel than out in the open. Every once in a while, logic worked for him.

"I'll be back later," he told her, heading for the door. "Maybe I'll bring ya somethin' from outside the gates." With that, he closed the door behind him, then took off down the stairs and out of the hotel, heading to the gate to meet with Lara and the Doctor.He was a bit worried about Yorda, yeah, but he was sure she'd be just fine.

Yorda blinked at Sonic, confused at his usage of the word "cool." It was actually pleasantly warm in the hotel; was Sonic cold? Yorda began looking around her for something to keep the other warm when she noticed him heading out the door. Maybe he was headed somewhere that would be warmer for him.

Before she could say anything, however, the hedgehog was out the door and gone. "Thank you," she murmured, a little belated to hear him, but she smiled and sat down to wait patiently for his return.

Larxene had watched as the hedgehog and glowing girl had entered the hotel--they were obvious enough. Unlike Larxene, whose hair was down, the normal antennae resting flat, dressed even in a Victorian dress, blending in with ease.

Yorda and Sonic, meanwhile, didn't have such advantages. She followed from a distance, as if she was going to her own room, and waited until Sonic passed before she knocked on Yorda's door.

Oh how often this innocent little dove was left to the hawks.

Yorda had been thinking of going to sleep when she heard a knock at the door. Had Sonic come back already? The princess stood, walking in quick, graceful steps to the door and opened it. A look of delighted surprise came over her face when she saw her friend.

Or, at least, Yorda thought of "Cora" as her friend. The glowing girl stepped aside to let the taller woman in, a bright smile on her face. "Hello, Cora! I am glad to see you here." Sonic had warned her not to leave the hotel, but she couldn't see any harm in allowing a friend to visit.

Larxene smiled, murmuring thanks as she walked into the room. It was a simple enough hotel room, nothing unusual. But that was fine, as Yorda was unusual enough on her own.

"I've heard things have been chaotic lately," Larxene said, her face dropping into one of worry. "Have you run into any trouble?"

Yorda closed the door behind Larxene, neglecting to lock it as the concept of normal locks was completely unfamiliar to her. Indeed, the glowing girl had no idea of what to do with a guest, as there hadn't been so much as food (something Yorda was still getting used to) in the castle.

The princess lowered her gaze and shivered, remembering the fright she had gotten when the shadows had attacked her. "I am alright," she replied, "but shadows came after me." She thought a moment and looked up at LArxene. "They were different from the ones on the island." As far as Yorda knew, shadows were a perfectly normal occurrence - at least, that's what her life in the castle and her time spent in Paixao was teaching her so far.

Ah, and now the girl had revealed another interesting fact, probably without realizing it. Different, so the ones on her world might not have been Heartless, but perhaps they were simply a kind she had not seen.

"The Heartless take many forms," Larxene replied. "What did the shadows on your island look like?"

If they were heartless, there was a chance Larxene had seen Yorda's world. If they were something else, perhaps it would reveal more about Yorda's nature. Either way the information was bound to be interesting.

Yorda blinked. These strange shadows had names? "Heartless...?" Yorda repeated questioningly, a confused look on her face. "Why are they called that?" The shadows from her island lacked a name, at least as far as Yorda knew.

The glowing girl bit her lip, remembering. "They were made of black smoke," she replied, "and had glowing blue eyes that left trails in the air when they moved quickly." She closed her eyes and gave a little shudder as she recalled them further. ""All of the shadows had horns and tails, all but the strange ones with no eyes. They crawled on the ground and could not harm me." The boy had disposed of those particular creatures easily; one blow had been all it took. "And some of the ones that did not crawl had wings."

Larxene chose to ignore Yorda's question--best not to reveal too much--in favor of focusing on the extra information the girl had provided.

"I don't think those were Heartless," she said. "They must be native to your world. Did they chase you?"

Yorda looked up at the other girl. "They did," she admitted quietly, her eyes lowering. "They tried to carry me away." She hesitated before continuing. "They wanted to take me back to Mother." She didn't say any more at the moment, remembering what had happened.

"So they worked for your mother?" Larxene asked, maintaining an innocent tone of voice. "You were running from her?"

Every bit of information Larxene could pry out of the girl would be useful when it came to figuring her out. Of course, she could simply read Yorda's memories, but she wanted to build trust, not startle the girl.

Drawing out information like this was fun, anyway.

Yorda sat down, her head bowed, her shoulders raised ever so slightly. She didn't want to talk about her experiences in the castle, but Larxene had been so nice to her. Even so, she hesitated for a few more moments before answering. "Yes. I was running and the shadows were hers."

They were all hers. Everything that set foot on the island became the Queen's in some way, until her death.

Larxene patted the girl on the head soothingly. "There, there, you've left the island now, right?"

Yorda's mother was worth looking into. Someone who could control shadows--Larxene didn't think they were Heartless, but it didn't mean Yorda hadn't inherited some sort of power. And it was that power Larxene wanted to use.

She had heard things on the journals, but it would be best not to bring those into the conversation. Eavesdropping was rude.

Yorda smiled and looked back up, soothed by the gentle touch on her head. "Yes. And Mother and the island is gone now." She had felt it begin to sink, the evil magic which had sustained her mother failing to take its hold in Yorda and therefore no longer holding everything together. The castle had slowly crumbled, the birds flying somewhere safer... and there the princess had been, standing calmly among the wreckage.

She knew she had the same potential burning within her now, the power to hurt people and make them do as she wished, the ability to crush others without a second thought. In addition to this, Yorda had he own power to be concerned with - and the last thing she ever wanted was to become like her mother. She would have to be careful.

"And the boy helped you escape?" Larxene prodded gently. "The one you spoke of on the journal."

Had her mother brought the whole castle down on her own head? Had Yorda done it? Larxene didn't have enough answers, but she wove a web of trust that was more important than immediate answers. With the girl's trust, she would have all the time in the world to pry more specific details from her.

Yorda smiled brightly - the brightest she had in this city yet, feeling warmth and affection well up in her upon remembering the boy. "Yes," she replied, still smiling. "He freed me from my cage and took my hand. He fought the shadows who tried to take me away."

That simple, kind-hearted action had helped her develop the strength to finally see her mother for what she was.

So this boy was someone Yorda cared about--the girl's smile made it obvious. That meant Larxene would have to learn more about him and, if he made his way into this city, befriend him as well. It would be unfortunate if he was less naive than the girl, however; she would have to make sure to win Yorda's trust and not allow any loose ends.

"I'm sure you'll see him again," she said, though privately she hoped the boy never showed up.

The boy, from what Yorda had seen of him, was brave and selfless, which is why he had saved her - and why she had helped him. Of course, she would have helped him anyway, but she wouldn't have tried to save his life as hard as she did if he had been like her mother.

Yorda's smile, if it was even possible, grew brighter at the happy prospect of seeing the boy again. "Thank you," she replied. "I hope I will."

Larxene echoed Yorda's smile--oh how easy it was to fake an emotion when there was nothing of your own to get in the way.

"Many people find themselves here," she continued. "Surely he will show himself sooner or later."

But if not, all the better for her. And maybe she could cook up a story or two about him, once she learned more of him. One where Yorda was the hero, and this boy was the one she had to rescue. And as for Larxene--well, of course she would play the role of trusted friend of the heroine.

Yorda nodded hopefully. "Perhaps he will," she replied. "I do not know where the boat I carried him to was headed." She remembered how fragile and tired he had seemed in her arms and had been amazed that such a young boy had not only been able to protect her for so long, but free her and the shadows from her mother's insane tyranny.

"You never know where the currents may bring someone," Larxene said, smiling and patting Yorda on the head. "But I'm keeping you, and you must be tired, yes? I really must be going."

She put on a reluctant face, as if not wanting to leave. "I'll visit again soon, if you'd like."

Yorda smiled, hope brimming within her. Could she really see the boy again? She had ached when she had told the unconscious boy goodbye; he had been the first person to ever show her kindness. He was special, and all Yorda really desired was to see him, if only one more time.

She looked up at Larxene and nodded; she did feel rather tired after the excitement of the day. "Very well," the glowing girl replied. "I would like to see you again, Cora, if it would not be too much trouble."

"You're no trouble at all," Larxene said, her smile not flickering once. "If you need to contact me, I'll be watching out for you over the journals. Goodbye for now, Yorda."

And, with a wave, she left the room. She made sure to walk down the hall, turn a corner, and make sure the girl wasn't following or watching before she summoned a portal and slipped away.

"Thank you so much, Cora." Yorda was happy, genuinely happy; she had never had a friend before. It had been terribly lonely in the castle; Yorda had been alone but for the shadows and her mother, and neither had been good company. "I will be sure to contact you in the future. Farewell."

She watched the wave confusedly, wondering what it was for. The princess didn't follow Larxene but instead sat in a chair, not knowing the purpose of the bed. It didn't take very long at all before the girl fell asleep, dreaming pleasant dreams.

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Along Came a Spider, Who Sat Down Beside Her [Complete]

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