A/N – This story is the result of a soda and sugar fueled afternoon in the RPG/anime club at Holyoke Community College. We were tired of waiting for Kingdoms Hearts III the game to come out and decided to write our own script out of irritated fanboy/fangirl boredom. I took the ideas discussed and cobbled them together into a workable story. Yeah, so advice and helpful criticism is welcomed on how our ideas worked out and what needs improvement.

Also, we went by Square Enix/Disney rules and regulations for this to seem official, which include: making things as canon to the Disney/Square Enix/Kingdom Hearts universe as possible, keep the rating for Everyone or Teen as the games are, and make sure to have fun.

So, we don't own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix, or Disney – though if we did we would have worked this into the new KH game.

Kingdom Hearts III: Let Me Give the World to You

– "Disney Castle"

"Sora, you lazy bum, get up already!"

Sora's eyes flickered open and realized he was staring at a white ceiling, pockmarked from the paint dripping down to the floor and hardening into hard spikes and dips. It suddenly made him happy that he hadn't experienced horrid acne like some of the older boys in the Destiny Isles (though he found his memory of the place was suddenly vague).

He couldn't exactly recall why he was in this room. There was one bed and a wide window with a view of a marble-lined courtyard surrounded with perfectly trimmed trees. The bed was stuffed with feathers from some kind of bird, as Sora found himself covered with flecks of white and brown mottled feathers.

And someone was banging on the door and sounded irritated. "Sora, get up!" they yelled. It sounded like an older boy, around 16 or 17 years. He sounded far more experienced (and angrier) than Sora would ever find himself to be.

Riku. He suddenly remembered the name. Why he had forgotten it, he couldn't exactly recall. 'The person behind the door is a friend. Do not bludgeon him with Keyblade.' Sora reminded himself and scurried toward the door.

The first thing Riku did was cuff Sora on the head. Sora winced, although the cuff didn't particularly hurt compared to being whacked by a Heartless or Nobody, and punched Riku in the shoulder. Riku did not even blink. Sora grumbled, knowing Kairi gave harder punches when she was angry enough.

"What was that for?" complained Sora.

"I've been standing out here for almost an hour!" said Riku.

"I didn't know what you wanted." said Sora, "If I knew you were going to hit me, I would have stayed inside."

"I didn't wait outside for an hour to hit you." growled Riku, "In case you forgot, Sora, we have a party to go to."

"Party?" His memory was blank. "What party?"

Riku fought the urge to cuff him again. Sora was a good friend–always full of laughter and could bring a smile to his face but he could be dense as well as naïve. The older boy took a deep breath and spoke slowly, between clenched teeth.

"Sora, listen to me very closely." said Riku, "Do you remember going to Twilight Town, defeating a man named Xenmas, and then after all that getting a letter from King Mickey?"

Sora blinked. "...yes."

"Do you remember what the letter said?"

Sora blinked. "…no."

Ah, that was the source of the problem then and Sora did not (as Riku suspected) have lasting brain damage from fighting so many Heartless, Nobodies, and who-knows-what-else. Riku smoothed back his silver hair, reflecting the hallway lights. "King Mickey invited us to a ceremony at his castle, where we're getting medals for being heroes since we saved the universe. Twice. Without asking for money."

"Then why is my memory so cruddy?"

"It might have something to do with the other party."

It came to Sora in a haze of bad karaoke singing and sugar – moist chocolate cake, frosted yellow cupcakes, soda, juice, and suddenly it made his stomach turn and his face was tinged with green. Riku recognized the look.

"You ate an entire tray of cupcakes, sang a horrible rendition of "I Will Survive", and passed around 3 am." said Riku, "I'm fairly surprised you can still walk without falling flat on your face, which you did by the way, so I had to carry you upstairs."

"So when's this award-ceremony?" yawned Sora. Last night's sugar rush had exhausted his usual supply of energy.

"It started 15 minutes ago." replied Riku, "So maybe you should change out of your pajamas and come with me."

Sora looked down at his blue and red striped boxers, which he had been dressed in the entire time. He groaned and slammed the bedroom door closed.

"Riku! Why didn't you tell me I wasn't dressed?" yelled Sora as he rummaged through the pile of clothes tossed aside on the floor. He was thankful Riku couldn't see through walls and recognize the embarrassing blush across Sora's face.

"I thought you already knew." replied Riku, failing to hide his annoyance.

The noise outside due to the party was deafening. Pages were playing instruments at full volume in the courtyard while others were preoccupied with setting up decorations along the walls and stringing it through the trees. Riku and Sora found Kairi standing near a podium with a sign stating 'WELCOME BACK, HEROES' strung above it. She was wearing a salmon red dress, similar to Queen Minnie's.

"Sora, you're alive!" said Kairi, surprised to see Sora up and about after the party. "I thought you'd still be sleeping since Riku had to carry you before."

"Yeah, I bounce back pretty fast." said Sora. He was wearing all white while Riku had been clothed in all blue. While Sora ran up to Kairi, Riku was not as quick to approach. There was a scowl on his face.

"What's he angry about?" asked Kairi, pointing to Riku.

"I look like a damn blueberry." grumbled Riku.

The three fairy godmothers, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather followed him, fluttering only a few feet above the ground. They were dressed in their finest for the celebration and their long gowns trailed on the ground as they used their diminutive wings to remain the air.

"You look rather charming, Mr. Riku." said Fauna.

"You put me in all blue!" said Riku, "My hair is white and you put in blue! I look like a vegetable!"

"Actually, blueberries are fruit." replied Flora.

"That's not the point." growled Riku.

"If you want to be a fruit so badly, Riku, why didn't you say so?" said Merryweather.

Immediately, Riku was transformed into a large, talking blueberry around the size of a basketball. Sora and Kairi stared at their transformed friend as the other fairy godmothers began to fret at Merryweather. Riku – the anthropomorphic blueberry – was too shocked to speak.

"Merryweather!" said Flora, "What have we told you about transformation spells?"

"He wanted to be a blueberry." said Merryweather, shrugging, but she had done it to vex Riku simply because she wore blue all the time and found it offensive he would insult the lovely color.

"Not literally!" yelled Fauna, "Change him back right now!"

Riku the blueberry squeaked in agreement. His vocal chords had unfortunately shrunken in his violet, bulbous form.

"I…I can't." said Merryweather..

"WHAT?" Flora and Fauna yell.

"I'm out of energy." sighed Merryweather, "We'll have to wait til tomorrow when the sun rises for me to change Riku back. I'm not used to casting such spells and this one tired me out."

Riku the blueberry squeaked in great distress. An elderly man wearing a robe and a pointed hat waltzed by the scene, gazed at Riku, and then shook his head.

"Ladies, you mustn't torment the young hero." said Merlin. He withdrew an oak wand from his sleeve and tapped blueberry Riku on the hand. "Verto ex a bacca ut a puer!"

There was a puff of smoke and Riku was no longer a blueberry, although he did have a blue hue to his skin.

"Riku, you're back to normal!" said Kairi.

"I hate magic." grumbled Riku, looking at his skin to make sure there were no trances of violet left in it.

Sora was more concerned with Merlin's arrival. "Merlin, what are you doing here?" asked Sora.

"I was invited by King Mickey," replied Merlin, "I was thinking of bringing along my young ward Arthur and his friends but they're busy practicing together. He really loves the countryside too much to leave it, sometimes."

"Arthur?" asked Sora.

"Oh, that's right! You never met Arthur, have you?" murmured Merlin, "Well, I'll have to introduce you two after the festival. I'm sure you two'll get along. Arthur's very nice – not very bright but a kind young man none the less."

The conversation would have continued but a series of trumpets sounded, announcing the arrival of the royal family. King Mickey and Queen Minnie entered the courtyard, flanked by guards, knights, and magicians. Trailing behind them were the Princesses of Heart with their Princes on their arms and last came Donald and Goofy in their royal costumes. Then there were the major and minor pages, maid and manservants, and other varied attendants. Last but not least came the flood of commoners that lived around the castle.

Merlin, Merryweather, Flora, and Fauna took turns bowing to the King and Queen, and Sora, Riku, and Kairi followed suit. King Mickey stood at the podium, cleared his throat, and prepared his speech in front of the people.

"Today we are honoring three special guests." said King Mickey, "Their names are Sora, Riku, and Kairi and each of them has helped prevent our worlds from falling into darkness."

"We helped too." whispered Donald.

"Don't ruin the moment." replied Goofy.

"That is why I am bestowing upon them the highest honor in the kingdom," continued King Mickey, "I here by declare that Sora, Riku, and Kairi are now Royal Knights of the Disney Castle!"

The courtyard was filled with gasps of surprise and shock from the announcement.

"Royal Knights?" asked Sora. He looked to Goofy and Donald standing next to him, "What does that mean?"

"Gawrsh, never expected the king to make you into that." muttered Goofy, rubbing the back of his head in surprise.

"It's a big deal is what it is!" huffed Donald, "Royal Knights always march around the castle and make sure it's okay!"

"Guess you three will be taking charge soon as we retire, hyuck." added Goofy.

Everyone was surprised; even reserved Riku didn't seen the king's announcement coming. Only Kairi expressed sadness. Her eyes were downcast and her lips were pressed into a thin, unhappy line.

"What's wrong?" Sora whispered.

Kairi's cobalt eyes glanced at him and she opened her mouth, but her words were masked by the sound of wind violently moving toward them.

A dark blob in the sky moved in front of the sun, covering the entire castle in sudden grey, twilight. Everyone was now distracted from the festival and looked up to the sky. The whirling darkness in the sky began to grow with every passing minute, sucking in air from the castle as it grew. The larger it became, the more air it began to absorb. Soon the tallest towers of the castle began to warp and twist into the growing void.

"Oh not again…" sighed King Mickey and Queen Minnie.

Something dropped out of the growing void and landed on the courtyard floor with a loud "CLANG". Donald was the first to approach it, mostly out of curiosity. It appeared to be a metal container, cylindrical in shape, dented and with sunburst splotches of rust splattered along it. Then it jolted and Donald jumped back. The metal cylinder hovered into the air and shadows burst from inside of it. A large blob came out of the top of the cylinder and a single eye bobbed in the middle of the dark ether.

"What is that thing?" said Sora.

"If it's anything, it's some kind of Heartless or Nobody." said Riku, immediately bringing his Keyblade to hand.

Soon, the sky was raining metal cylinders. They clattered onto the ground and even smashed a few innocent bystanders in the head. As soon as they arrived on the ground, they came to life, bubbling with dark mist and disembodied eyes and mouths floating in their ether.

"Let's go!" yelled Sora, "We have to protect the King and Queen! We're Royal Knights after all!"

He charged at the strange creatures, but his Keyblade slammed against their metal torso. Its mechnaical inside vibrated with an empty hum. The creature's single eyeball stared at him and then its misty head wrapped itself around his body. Sora gasped and struggled in the mist, unable to escape from it.

There was continual darkness, a void without ocean or sky. Sora was standing inside of it, though he did not understand why. He had been here before, though his memory was foggy on the details. He raised his Keyblade and slashed through the murk, only to have it knit back together.

"Where am I?" muttered Sora.

A smooth and silken voice came to him, but it was sweet chocolate drizzled over a slab of pure arsenic. It gave no gender, no sense of identity – whether it was human, animal, Heartless or Nobody.

"I want you to suffer, Sora." it said, "I want you to suffer alone in the darkness as I did."

The voice made Sora shiver. His spine kinked with nervous energy.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The voice laughed and it echoed through the infinite gloom.

"The darkness you threw away!" it chuckled, "The Heartless that you forgot!"

Sora suddenly realized he was sinking. He didn't understand how or why since there was no land or sky in this darkness, but he was falling through the shadow mists. Something in his hand sparked with light – the Keyblade! The Keyblade shined, penetrating the shadows and a circle of light opened under him. Sora fell through, unable to stop himself from screaming in fear.

"Oh, you can run, Sora." mused the voice in the darkness, "but I can see where you tread…"