All of her friends gathered around in Restoration Committee's base as everyone wishes for the sixteen-year-old Radiant Garden princess a wonderful happy birthday. She smiles at everyone including Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Yuffie, Leon, Aerith, Cloud, Tifa, Cid, Merlin, and YuRiPa gathers around the table waiting for her to blow out the candles. "Make a wish." A voice calls. She nods then takes a deep breath and blows all seventeen-birthday candles, then everyone cheered and Aerith volunteers to cut the cake. Leon and Cloud glanced at each other, worried that the pink-clad girl would do clumsy things, or even worse, hurt herself. Luckily for them, Cid took the knife away from her and declares he's the one that's cutting it. She giggles after Yuffie throws her ninja star, otherwise known as Shuriken, in front of Cid and the frosting sprayed all over his face.
Knowing what are going to happen, Tifa, Leon, Cloud, and Aerith pushes the birthday girl out of the building while the cake food fight starts.
The girls had a nice conversation with the boys in front of them when Cloud and Leon stopped.
"Cloud, is there something wrong?" Tifa asks one of the warriors.
Both of them didn't respond and kept on staring forward.
" Leon, take Aerith and Kairi to the nearest ship." Cloud whispers as he draws his worn out Buster Sword. Leon has his Lionheart ready and slowly backs up from the intruder and turns around and grabs Kairi's hand. "Follow me!" Tifa lunges herself on the monster before it could make a move.
"What about Sora and Riku?" Kairi calls as they continue to run away from the new species. The newest Heartless is a huge cat that shows mane around his neck, just like Leon's pendant, and stripes of a tiger just like Tigger except this one isn't so friendly, or bouncy for that matter. Like any other Heartless, these Liger ones have glowing yellow eyes and black covered body. "They can take care of themselves." Leon replies as he slashes one in midair.
"Have faith in them." Aerith responds.
"Ok." She said softly to herself. But she has a bad feeling it won't be the same again.
Four shadowy figures gaze down at magical water. There are seven empty seats gap very far apart from each other. "You told me this plan is flawless!" The first voice shouted, pounding its fist at the rim of the pool.
"But didn't I say earlier this would require no interference?" The second figure replies with its chin on top of the backhand.
"And yet, my babies did a wonderful job." The third said enthusiastically.
"Patience, patience, my friend." The first person sat back down by the last person's waving. "Everything is going according to plan, just as we predicted."
Sora uses his Oblivion Keyblade to block Liger Heartless' jaw from eating his head off. "I thought Heartless are gone forever." Riku sneaks behind the beast and slice it with his genuine Way to Dawn Keyblade. "Then that means there are more dark hearts out there." Riku replies as they were standing back-to-back.
"There is too many in here!" Yuffie calls.
"We'll split up!" Rikku calls then flies outside of Merlin's house with some cake frosting falling off her. Yuna and Paine faeries flew after her.
Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy were kicked out by Cid's shouting but Old Merlin reassured the four of them the rest of the team will take care of the Heartless. Just then, Yuffie handed Riku a brown leather book he looks down at it stupidly. "What is this?" He asks her. She winks and replies, "A place where Sora loves to hang out."
"Ready for another saving the world?" Sora asks his companions as they seated down in their own Gummi Ship. "You betcha." Chip the chipmunk engineer replies. "Right dis way." Dale, Chip's partner and another chipmunk engineer, replies. Everything is new to Riku, since he has been traveling through darkness while Sora, Donald, and Goofy were comfortable to be back here again. He squats on the floor and peers at their tiny-sized clothes. "Aren't you two Mickey's engineers?"
"Yup yup." Dale nods his head, vigorously.
"Yes we are!" Chip replies in a chirpy voice.
"Ah, Riku." He turns his head around to the brunette. "They seem to look like twins, but if you look closely you'll notice the difference." He was right. Chip has a small, pointy, black nose while Dale has big, round, red. Their teeth are shaped differently and so is their 'hair'. Now that he thinks about it, their voices are different.