Kingdom Hearts Prequel part9

Mickey was so starry-eyed the next morning, Lin assumed that he and that princess had been at the saki half the night. Of course he was bombarded with questions from Donald about how it went and how he liked her, but he could only say "She was..." before slipping into a misty smile and staring off into space. He didn't dare to mention that he hadn't actually been with the Princess that night, but luckily Donald was somewhat content with this answer, assuming they'd really hit it off. Goofy was far less pushy about it. He could tell that Mick had a nice time, and that was good enough for him.
This went on for another week, Mickey slipping away in the evening, coming back about an hour after everyone else had gone to bed, and then daydreaming the next morning, unable to reveal anything about his mysterious companion.
It wasn't that Mickey was ashamed of Chu. He wished with all his might that he could just tell his friends all about her, and he grew increasingly tense every time Donald inquired about the Princess. The Prince had discovered so much about the No Face in that short period of time, between the bashful silence and the mutual laughter. Chu was a brilliant storyteller and had an unrivaled sense of humor. Why no one else had ever seen it was beyond him. Anyway, he also knew how introverted Chu was around everyone else, a result of years of stunned glances and gasps at the sight of her. If he tried to convince anyone of her true nature, they would most likely laugh in his face, and he just couldn't risk embarrassing her that way after everything she'd endured already.
"Earth to Mickey," Donald barked one night at dinner.
Mickey came to his senses and tried to compose himself. He'd been thinking already of his next rendezvous with his friend, unable to think of anything else to call her at the moment.
"Wh-what Donald?" he stammered.
"He asked what you had planned tonight," Daisy cut in.
The Prince rolled his eyes and replied, "We never really have a plan. We just wing it."
"For cryin' out loud Mickey!" Donald groaned. "She's a Princess! You're gonna have to do better than that!"
"Oh, so just because she's royalty she deserves better than us regular girls?"
Mickey had never been so grateful for Daisy to initiate a squabble with Donald. He certainly couldn't keep this Princess charade up forever, but what would Chu say...?
The entire room fell silent as if someone had hit the pause button on a tape recorder. Even Donald and Daisy had shut up. Mickey followed everyone's gaze to the lounge entrance, where a shadow lingered beside the door, peering inside with a monotone white and red face. The daggers that were being glared at her made her cringe, though, and she slipped away and out of sight, taking with her the tension in the room and restoring the clamor of conversation. Mickey was the only one disturbed by the fact that she'd left. Had she...wanted to come in here?
Mickey got up from the table and hurried across the lounge, ignoring the queries from Donald, Daisy, and Lin. He hoped he would catch her in time, and a feeling of relief washed over him as he exited the lounge and found her just a stone's throw away down the hall...until he notice the tall, lanky Mouse that was snickering at her.
"Smooth move, baby," he remarked. "If ya hadn't gotten outta there so fast they mighta seen yer face, and then no one would get to sleep tonight."
"Why don't you go give the Radish Spirit a sponge bath, Mortimer?"
Chu's voice was bitter and steely, but Mickey could detect the faint breaking beneath the surface.
"I don't see why everyone's so scared of you," the Mouse called Mortimer said with mock sincerity. "You're as boring as a board, and Lord knows you're flat as one, ha cha cha!"
Chu turned away from him, and Mickey's heart split in to as she hunched her shoulders and covered her chest with her arms while the Rat guffawed at her.
"Don't you talk to her that way!" Mickey blurted out.
The No Face and Mouse looked over at him at once, not having been aware of his presence.
"Mickey..." Chu murmured.
"And who are you to make me?" Mortimer sneered, standing over the Prince like an scrawny gargoyle.
"I'm the one tellin' ya to leave her alone!"
"What's goin' on out here?"
Lin, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy joined Mickey in the hallway, glancing between the Prince, Mortimer, and doing a double-take when they got to the No Face. Chu looked away, yet she didn't leave.
Mortimer approached Lin and spat, "Why don't you teach that Prince o' yours to mind his own business?"
The Rat pushed Mickey out of the way, slamming him hard into the wall. Donald and Goofy sprang into action upon seeing the Prince being assaulted...but Chu was too quick for them. A well-placed Firaga set Mortimer's hakama aflame, sending him running around in circles. After a few seconds of watching him yelp, the No Face extinguished the flame with a Blizzaga attack, and the Rat fell flat on his face.
Lin wouldn't give him a reprieve, however, and hoisted him up by the shirt collar.
"Dish duty! NOW!"
The Rat limped away, not daring to look back at any of them. Goofy's eyes, meanwhile, were focused on the Prince. He hadn't gone to help him up because Chu had already taken care of that as well, earning a grateful smile from Mickey.
Daisy, Lin, and Goofy glanced at Donald daring him to say anything.
Finally, Goofy chimed in, "Chu, would you like ta join us fer dinner?"
Chu flinched as she looked at the three of them, still clinging to Mickey's arms. The Prince gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze, assuring her that everingthing was all right.
"Yes..." she murmured, "...thank you."