That Has Such People In It

[Mickey Mouse]

Continued from The Astral Realm.

Thrall’s office rematerialized around the mouse as the pair exited the dreamscape the orc chieftain had brought him to. Within seconds, the endless fields of blue light had been replaced by the low-lit stone walls and wooden furniture of the little chamber. Mickey took a deep breath, readjusting to being in his own body.

Before him, Thrall leaned on the front of his desk, his war-torn eyes gazing down at the mouse with intent. Mickey looked up at the large man, trying to discern what, exactly, lay hidden behind his look.

“If ever you need to contact me,” the orc chieftain droned, “all you must do is enter the Astral Realm. It takes nothing more than a simple thought for one as in tune as you are, little mouse.” For a few seconds after that, the conversation lay dormant as the mouse tried to work up the courage to leave. He knew what he had to do: go to Coruscant, and find out about the mysterious yellow light Thrall had shown him.

A few beats of silence hung over the room before the orc chieftain finally stood up. He crossed over to the bookshelves on the far wall and removed a tiny little chest, maroon in color. The amount of collected dust suggested that it had not been touched in a very long time.

Thrall blew some of the cobwebs off of the little thing and approached the King, kneeling down once more. “Before you are off,” he grumbled, “you should take this.”

He opened the chest, and inside lay a small, orange-colored gem. It held a fiery glow that hypnotized the mouse’s little black pupils. Inside the stone, lights of various warm colors danced amongst each other like spirits moving in the wind. “This little thing,” Thrall began, continuing to monologue at Mickey like he had for the majority of the time the mouse had been in his chambers, “is called the Earthshine.” Mickey reached in and placed a gloved finger on the crystal, feeling the energy pulsing through it. It reminded him vaguely of the magic he had felt from the Master Sword, but… more familiar.

“It contains the spirit of a secondary my people captured,” the orc chieftain explained, “He had a noble heart—like yours’—so I did not let them eat him.” Mickey shivered at the rather grotesque idea of Thrall’s orc populace devouring a poor, unsuspecting secondary. “Perhaps… in a time of need… he can help you.”

Mickey’s fingers closed around the stone and lifted it from the box. He didn’t know what else to say, so he just went with the traditional response. “Thank you, Thrall.” He shoved the little stone in the pocket of his shorts, and smiled up at the orc chieftain. Nothing would separate him from his goal—he wouldn’t disappoint Thrall. He would continue to be noble, and he would find out more about that little yellow light.

But, most importantly, perhaps this was the first step toward going home.

The idea, at this point, had already begun to seem slightly far-fetched. Especially after the conversation he and Samus had amidst Dante’s Abyss—it seemed to the mouse as if no one would be heading home any time soon.

But goshdang it, he would try. And Coruscant was the first step on that journey.

“Well, Thrall my pal, I’m off,” Mickey smiled, holding out one of his gloved hands for the orc to shake. Thrall might have been the most civilized of his people, but even he seemed genuinely surprised when the little mouse wanted to shake his hand. Mickey supposed he rarely got the offer, being so big and scary. Nevertheless, the shaman did not pass it up, and reached out with one of his hands. The giant thing was too big for Mickey’s diminutive little fist, but the mouse was persistent, so he grabbed one of Thrall’s fat fingers and shook it as vigorously as he could manage.

Thrall smiled. “Goodbye, little mouse.”

“See ya!”

To be continued in Coruscant.