Disney Castle stood strong and radiant for centuries, towering over the land and surrounded with lush beautiful gardens. The lands surrounding the castle was vast and green with two villages nearby, teeming with life. The castle was made out of the oldest but strongest of stones and its spires stood proud and strong, decorated with banners that have mouse head imprinted on them. Above the castle was the blue sky with white clouds forming shape, promising a beautiful day.

The main hall of the castle was made out of pure marble that made it shiny and cooling. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings and the glazed windows letting in the sunlight from the outside world. The marble walls were covered in red tapestries with the mouse head imprinted on them. In the middle of the hall was a red carpet that was rolled from the main door to a marble throne at the other side of the hall.

Standing in front of the throne that was on top of a marble platform were seven figures. From the left was an old man with long grey beard wearing a wizard robe, standing tall and his eyes piercing. Next to him was a white duck wearing the robes of a wizard and a black dog wearing armour and leather, a shield strapped behind his back.

Standing on the other side of the throne was a tall man with long silver hair and green eyes. He wore a sleeveless jacket and jeans. Next to him was another man with spiky brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a black jacket that covered him from top to bottom. At the end of the line was a woman with long red hair and blue eyes. She wore a red dress that trailed to the floor.

In the middle of the group and sitting on the marble throne was a mouse wearing regal clothing and a cape attached to it. His hands were resting on the throne and his feet were swinging backwards and forward. The group's attention was before them.

Their focus of attention was a seventeen year old girl. Her red hair was cut into a small bob and her blue eyes were the colour of the sea. Her skin was fair and there were transparent freckles on her face. She wore a light red sleeveless top and blue jeans, surrounding her waist was a red jacket and she wore red sneakers. In her hands was a key-shaped sword.

There was sweat appearing on Alice's forehead as she panted softly and gripped her key-blade tighter. Surrounding her in a circle were three apparitions of pure dark energy, summoned by Yensid as part of her final training. The apparitions were humanoid but lacked faces or clothing. Their hands were shaped as swords.

Alice slow down her breathing and closed her eyes, remembering Riku's words of not rushing into a fight while exhausted. She waited patiently, using her senses. Finally her patience was rewarded when one of the apparitions charged towards her, raising it sword-like arm. Alice opened her eyes and parried the strike before slashing the apparition in half.

The first apparition faded away when the second jumped into the air, its arms pointing down towards Alice. Alice stepped back and allowed the apparition to slam both it swords into the marble floor before slamming her key-blade on top of its head. Before the second apparition faded into the nothingness, Alice sensed the last one behind her.

She leapt into the air, dodging the double strikes from the apparition, and spun into the air. She aimed her key-blade at the last apparition and an arrow of light fired from the tip, piercing the apparition through the chest. The apparition made no sound as it faded away. Alice spun in mid-air and landed gently onto her feet like a ballerina. She smiled at the group.

'How did I do?' She asked.

Yensid gave a rare smile. 'You did well young Alice. You have mastered the art of fighting and magic. You're now ready to fight the darkness.'

'Hear, hear!' Donald Duck agreed while Goofy was applauding loudly.

Riki smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. Alice smiled and returned the gesture before turning towards her parents. Sora was beaming happily while Kairi was wiping away a proud tear from her eyes. Then all of them became silent when King Mickey jumped off his throne and stood at the edge of the platform, looking down on Alice.

'Alice, daughter of Sora and Kairi. Within three years you have proven yourself an apt student in magic and one of the best sword fighter of this generation. You have grown from a young girl to a dedicated and brave woman. Come forth and receive our blessings!'

Alice's face transformed into a serious look as she approached the throne. She felt down to one knee with her head bowed, raising her key-blade with both hands. Despite hearing no enchantments, Alice felt the key-blade lifted from her hands and hovering between her and the king. She can still hear Mickey's words even with her head bowed.

'Like the key-blade masters from ancient past, we grant you the strength, knowledge and courage to protect the universe from the creeping darkness.' Mickey's voice rang throughout the hall. 'Do you accept the Light and swear to fight for all that is good and for the weak?'

'I do!' Alice spoke, like how her father taught her to.

Mickey nodded and Yensid's hands glowed, infusing the key-blade with pure light. 'Then I gift you your chosen key-blade, Rising Light! Rise and accept your key-blade!'

Alice raised her head and gasped, pausing. Her key-blade has transformed. The hilt was golden and a single guard. The body of the key-Blade was a mixture of pink and red and the tip was shaped like a star, the three tips enlarged and sharpened. At the end of the chain was a smaller star.

Alice would have stared longer at the key-Blade if it was not for her mother coughing softly. Blushing, Alice gently and gracefully took the key-Blade from Mickey. She gasped again as the Light's warmth filled her very being, making her tingling. She closed her eyes as she embraced the Light, allowing it to course through her body. It felt like an eternity when the Light receded from her. Alice opened her eyes to see Rising Star resting comfortably on her hands and the smile of Mickey.

'The key-blade has accepted you! From now on, you are a key-blade master!'

The group applauded as Alice stood up, smiling happily as she looked at her new key-blade. She did not have long before her father scooped her up into his arms, hugging her tightly. Sora swung her daughter in a circle, laughing as he tightened her in a fierce bear hug.

'Well, done Alice! I'm so proud of you!' He shouted jubilantly.

'Dad!' Alice shrieked. 'I'm going to hurl!'

Sora laughed and placed Alice onto her feet, only for her to be hug by her mother. Kairi's hug was gentler as she buried her face into Alice's hair, whispering into her ears. 'I knew you can do it. You always have a pure heart.'

Alice smiled as she hugged back her mother. 'Thanks mom.'

Kairi smiled and let go of Alice, standing up. Riku came forward and thankfully for Alice, only ruffled her head. 'Great job kid. Wish my boy Orca had chosen to become a key-Blade master instead of a Guardian.'

'Come now Riku.' Kairi scolded him. 'Your Orca is a good boy! Whether or not he's a key-Blade wielder.'

'Yeah.' Sora joined in. 'He's been learning how to fight with Goofy. That kid of yours can fight with that giant shield of his. And I would have no one else shielding my daughter's back.'

'Dad!' Alice whirled on her father. 'I can take care of myself!'

Sora smiled gently. 'I know but you still need companions on your journey. Like how Donald and Goofy had my back when I need it.'

Alice nodded as she turned to Donald and Goofy, giving her smiles. She smiled back. She like them both and always refer to them as uncles. When they were off-duty and when she was in the castle, they would regale her with the adventures they had with her father.

Riku grinned and scratched the back of his head. 'Yeah you're right. A bit naive sometimes but a good and brave lad. He will be fine with Alice.' He winked at Sora who winked back. Alice blushed at their exchange.

'Dad, uncle Riku… Me and Orca don't have that…'

Her protest was cut short when Mickey announced. 'Now that all the formal stuff is out of the way, let's celebrate Alice's promotion in the dining hall!'

'Oh boy!' Donald exclaimed.

'A-Hyuk! Let's eat!' Goofy chimed in as he followed Mickey and Donald out of the hall.

Sora chuckled. 'Things haven't change one bit here.' Then he pulled his wife and daughter into a hug. 'Come on. Let's get something to eat!'

Kairi giggled as Riku joined them. 'You men are all the same.'

'Can I have my first taste of wine?' Alice asked hopefully.

Sora laughed. 'One more year Alice. One more year.'

They all laughed as Alice sulked slightly, leaving the hall.

'You think you can handle it?' Sora asked as Alice threw her rucksack into her Gummi Ship, a worried expression on his face.

Alice rolled her eyes as she checked her cellphone. 'For the fifteenth time dad, yes I can. You taught me how to drive the Gummi Ship. Uncle Riku taught me how to fight. And mom been teaching me about life. Me and Orca can take care of ourselves.'

Sora opened his mouth again but was stopped by Kairi. 'Save it dear. You know how Alice is like if you pressure her too much. Besides, it's only a simple patrol mission and Chip and Dale will be on the ship.'

'Yeah Sora.' Riku grinned, punching his friend in the shoulder. 'It's too soon for you to be getting old.'

Sora punched Riku back in the shoulder. 'Shut up man!'

They laughed at the exchange. Sora was the first one to stop laughing as he looked fondly at his daughter. 'All I'm saying that just stick to your mission and don't do anything that I wouldn't do.'

'But you did what you wouldn't do in your stories.' Pointed out Alice, a smirk on her face.

Sora opened his mouth to give some sort of excuse. 'Well,… that's… Erm… The situation calls… Guys, help me out here.' Sora appealed to Riku and Kairi who grinned.

'You're on your own pal.' Riku smirked.

'What your father meant is that don't be as reckless as he was.' Kairi suggested.

Alice nodded. 'I won't!'

Sora scratched the back of his head sheepishly. 'Not the way I wanted to put it but something like that.' He lowered his arm, looking around. 'Where's Orca?'

'Here I am!'

They all turned as a new figure joined them. It was a boy, the same age as Alice, with short silver hair and green eyes. After breathing in some needed air, he straightened up. He stood taller than Alice by a few inches and his medium frame was covered in a grey short-sleeved top and yellow pants, brown straps formed an X shape across his chest. A giant oval-shaped shield with a comet painted on it was strapped onto his back and he carried his rucksack in one hand.

'Sorry I'm late!' Panted Orca. He was Riku and Olleanne's son. 'Uncle Goofy was giving me more pointers on how to fight with the shield.'

'We were just talking about you.' Sora smiled. 'Glad you can make it.'

Riku frowned at his son's tardiness but did not mention it. 'Have you say your farewell to your mother yet?'

'Yes, dad I did.' Said Orca, pulling himself straight. He was almost taller than his father. 'You better comfort her. Mom is heart-broken that I'm going on this trip.'

Riku sighed. 'I will try. It may take some time for Olleanne to calm down.' His face softened as he ruffled his son's hair. 'Take care of yourself and Alice okay?'

Orca nodded. 'I will dad.'

Riku nodded and stood aside, allowing his son to walk pass him. When he was in front of Alice, they smiled at each other. Alice and Orca known each other when they were little and had grown up together throughout high school. They played together, fought together and hanged out together. Going on this patrol mission before their graduations was too good to be true.

'Ready for our first mission?' Asked Alice, placing a foot into the Gummi Ship.

'Y-yeah!' Orca said as he waited for Alice to board first. 'I will drive.'

Alice nodded as Orca disappeared into the ship's cockpit. Soon the engine roared to life and the Gummi Ship began to hover above the ground. As Gummi Ship got higher, Alice looked down at the group. She waved at them.

'Bye mom, bye dad, bye Uncle Riku! Don't worry, we will send you selfies on us!'

Kairi waved back, a tear in her eye. 'Take care of yourself and make sure you eat healthy!'

'Enjoy yourself!' Sora shouted back. 'Stay safe and text us regularly!'

Alice grinned and disappeared into the Gummi Ship, the door closing behind her. When the Gummi Ship was above the trees, it sped upwards before disappearing into the clouds. The parents continued to wave their farewells until they know that the Gummi Ship had entered hyper-space. Sora and Kairi lowered their hands, automatically clasping each other.

'Don't worry Kairi.' Assured Sora. 'She will be fine. She knows what she's doing and Orca is with her.'

Kairi nodded and smiled back at her husband, holding his hand tightly. She continued looking up at the sky until Sora gently pulled her away from the spot.

Alice leaned against the panel of the Gummi Ship, her face pressing into the thick glass as she looked at the stars and asteroids. The dark abyss of space may looked frightening but safe inside the confine of the Gummi Ship, it was a beautiful and majestic sight. Worlds of different size and colours fascinated Alice and just watching the asteroids rotating in circles mesmerised her. If she was lucky, she would see a different galaxy at the distance.

This was she always wanted. This was what she had been waiting for a very long time. Travelling through space in a Gummi Ship and having her own adventures like her parents did. No adults to supervise her. No parents to lecture her. She was on her own, making her own decisions and choosing her own destiny.

Her only regret was that she was not on an adventure with her father. After listening to Sora's tales, Alice would like nothing else but to be with her father on one of his quests. Unfortunately Sora was part of the Council of Light formed by King Mickey to combat the growing Heartless threat so Sora was sent to other worlds to deal with it. It was already good enough that Sora spent sufficient time with her.

Alice sighed as she looked out of the Gummi Ship, watching a comet zooming passed her. One day she and her father would go adventuring together. Hopefully Sora would take her with him on one of his adventure for her graduation. That would be a treat.

'How are you coping away from home?'

Alice turned away from the window and glanced over her shoulder, making out a figure with silver hair and green eyes. 'Its great! Think about it Orca, away from home on our first adventure! Don't you find that exciting? I mean, we don't get stars like this back home.'

'True.' Agreed Orca, he was right behind Alice. 'But I'm only interested in one star.'

Alice yelped when Orca wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her closer to him. She blushed when their bodies touched and she can feel his breath on one side of her face. Orca slowly moved his face into Alice's red hair while Alice stood still, trying to calm her breathing.

'Orca…' Alice began, her face as red as a tomato.

'Finally just the two of us.' Whispered Orca. 'No one to judge us. No parents to pry into us. We can fully improve our relationship on this patrol mission Alice.'

'Orca…' Alice tried again but could not speak. Although that Orca was her best friend and they were closed, she did not see him as a boyfriend: yet. Sure they spent most of their time together and sure they shared a kiss when they were younger but Alice did not see him as someone she wants to spend her life together. She viewed Orca more of a little brother.

'Must we do it here?' Alice managed to ask. 'Chip and Dale are here.'

She can feel Orca smiling, his fingers tugging at her jacket she wore around her waist. 'I'm sure they won't mind us. After all, your parents did make out when they were on your dad's Gummi Ship.'

'I know but… Wait…' Alice turned around to face Orca but not to kiss him. She frowned. 'If you are here then who's driving the Gummi Ship?'

Orca grinned easily. 'I put the Ship on autopilot. You don't think I'll be that stupid to leave the Ship pilotless?'

Alice narrowed her eyes. 'Which button did you press?'

'The red one of course.' Answered Orca. 'I remember Uncle Goofy saying it was…'

This time Alice pushed Orca away from her, making him fall onto his buttocks. 'You idiot!' She screamed at him. 'The red button is not the autopilot button. It's the emergency landing one!'

'But I thought the emergency landing one is the… Oh…' Orca trailed off, paling. 'That explains why we're going faster than usual…'

Alice ran passed Orca and headed for the cockpit, stumbling as the ship increased speed. When she entered the cockpit, the entire room was red and the control panel was beeping loudly. She jumped onto the pilot seat and pulled on the wheel as she slammed her palm onto the red button to deactivate the emergency landing sequence.

She cursed as it did not stop the process. Alice yanked the wheel hard in some attempt to stir the Ship. Glancing at the top screen, she can make out that they were heading towards a world. Unable to identify the world due to all the chaos surrounding her, Alice pulled a lever and held the wheel to her dear life. She sensed that Orca was taking a seat behind her.

'Brace yourself!' She shouted over the din. 'We're going to crash into that world!'

Hoping that Orca had strapped himself to his seat, she too pulled the seatbelt of her chair across her and buckled herself tight to it. She grimaced as the Ship descended at such speed, feeling her face being stretched and the Ship heating up when entering the world's atmosphere. She closed her eyes when the Ship was nearing towards the ground.

Alice and Orca screamed when the Gummi Ship crashed into the ground, swaying them sideways onto their seat as pieces of earth pelted onto the metallic skin of the Ship. The Gummi Ship gave a metallic groan as it skidded into the earth before finally stopping, dropping heavily flat onto the ground. The siren rang loud in the cockpit and it continues to glowed red. Alice groaned and unbuckled herself from her seat, stumbling towards the exit.

She pressed her palm against the button and the door opened, smoke leaving the aircraft. Alice fell onto her fours, breathing heavily and trying not to throw out. Dimmed lighting and cool air welcomed her as she squeezed the tears from her eyes and pushed her hair away from her face, the sweat threatening to glue them to her skin.

Minutes later, Orca joined her. He too was wobbly as he stumbled out of the Ship and leaned against his knees, panting hard. His silver hair were clinging to his face thanks to the sweat and he looked as if he gone through a storm. Somehow he managed to grab his shield and slung it onto his back. Standing at the door of the Gummi Ship were two small brown chipmunks wearing yellow and blue jackets.

'Phew!' Dale said, rubbing his head and ears. 'That was some crazy ride! I thought I had too much chocolate and was dreaming about the whole thing.'

'Are you guys all right?' Chip, the serious of the two, asked.

Alice gulped back some air and forced herself up onto her feet, wobbling slightly. 'We're okay. Just… A bit wobbly.'

'I'm going to be sick!' Groaned Orca.

Alice glanced at him before turning to the chipmunks. 'Can you fix the Ship?'

'We sure can!' Dale exclaimed as he jumped off the ship, inspecting the front areas. 'All it needs is a good knocking down the dents and some polish!'

'It's not as simple as that!' Chip chimed in. 'Some parts of the ship are damaged from the crash and the Energy Crystals that powers the Gummi Ship is overheated. We can fix it but it may take a day.'

Alice nodded at the assessment and looked around. They were in an alley with weak lampposts and the ground were littered. She looked up and saw dark skyscrapers that towered towards the dark sky, empty of stars and except for a heart-shaped moon. Beyond the alley was nothing but darkness. It did not bother Alice.

'Do what you can guys.' Alice said. 'I'm going to explore a bit.'

Not waiting for Chip and Dale to protest, she strode towards the exit of the alley. She stopped at the exit and looked for any signs of life. Her vision told her that there were only the dimmed lampposts standing at the sides of the streets and the closed stores. Shrugging, she took a step forward. She had reached a corner when she heard panting and footsteps behind her. She glanced over her shoulders and saw Orca running towards her.

'Alice wait!' He panted. 'It's dangerous to walk by…'

He did not get a chance to finish his sentence when Alice hand slammed into his face, making him reeled backwards. He gasped and looked up at the burning anger in Alice's blue eyes.

'What the hell were you trying to pull back there?' Alice finally poured out her anger. 'Thanks to you, we almost died! And now we're stranded on some unknown world!'

Orca rubbed the spot where Alice slapped him. 'Look… I'm sorry. But I thought the red button was the auto-pilot one and… At least we're alive and Chip and Dale are fixing the Gummi Ship.'

'No thanks to you!' Snapped Alice. She then covered her face with her hands. 'Oh my god! My first mission and the Gummi Ship crashed! What will mom and dad think of us?'

'Hey no worries. I will just tell them that I was the one who crashed the Gummi Ship.' Orca offered before he demurred. 'But then my dad will kill me. Can we blame it on… Rogue asteroids?'

Alice gave him a cold look and stormed off, scowling at him. Stupid Orca! She thought vehemently. Why must he do things thoughtlessly? She was aware that Orca was following right behind her, trying to get back into her good book.

'Sorry! Bad joke!' He apologised lamely. 'Listen, I'll make it up with you! When we get back, I could buy you dinner and movie?'

'If we ever get back!' Retorted Alice, marching away. 'Look, do yourself a favour and head back to the Gummi Ship. I just need a good walk so I won't strangle you!'

Alice turned around the corner and gave a loud yelp, falling onto the ground. Orca ran towards her and helped her up onto her feet. To his credit, she did not push him away. Both of them turned to look at what collided into Alice. It was a girl, same age as them, with long purple hair that reached slightly beyond her shoulders and purple eyes. She wore a purple surcoat with collar and bottoms, along with purple boots and gloves. Her tanned face was jaded and grimacing in pain.

'Ow…' the new girl moaned as she rubbed her forehead.

Alice quickly straightened up and held her hand to the girl. 'I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention of where I'm going! Are you all right?'

'Yes, I am.' The girl responded, taking Alice's hand and allowing herself to be pull onto her feet. 'My fault too. I wasn't looking where I'm going.' Alice let go of her hand as the girl shook her head, giving them a smile. 'The name's Mal. What's yours?'

Alice smiled. 'Mine's Alice. And this is Orca. We…'

Orca grabbed Alice by the wrist and pulled her towards him, interrupting her introduction. Then he whispered to her. 'Are you crazy? You can't give your name to a total stranger! What if she's an enemy or a Heartless in disguise?'

'Stop being so paranoid!' Hissed Alice, pulling her arm away from Orca. 'If she was an enemy or a Heartless, she would have attacked us instead of introducing herself to us! Besides, she looks trustworthy. More trustworthy than you.'

Orca was hurt. 'Alice, we have been friends since we're kids and you're telling me you trust a total stranger more than me?'

'For somebody who almost got us killed than yes, I think I should put my trust in a complete stranger!'

'Okay… First of all, me crashing the Gummi Ship was purely accidental! It can happen to anyone! Secondly, you know that I won't let anything hurt you right?'

'Erm…' Mal interjected. 'If you guys are having a lover's argument then I can just…'

'No!' Alice almost shouted, whirling at Mal. Then breathing in deeply, she calmed down. 'I'm sorry Mal but our problem shouldn't concern you. And ignore Orca. He's just being a jerk.' Orca glowered at Alice but said nothing. 'So what's bring you here? Did you crash here like we did?'

'Something like that.' Mal said. 'I kinda… Magicked myself here. You see, I'm looking for my mother. I've been looking for her for hours until I knocked into you guys.'

Alice softened. 'I'm sorry to hear that. How did you and your mom get separated?'

Mal sighed. 'Well… Me and my mom have our differences and we had a big… Fight at out last encounter. I was hoping not to deal with her but she's is still my mother. I was hoping to patch things up with her but I couldn't find her in her usual place. That's when I cast a spell to look for her so here I am.'

Alice nodded. 'If that's the case, why not we help you find your mom?'

Orca gave her a stare and she just shrugged. 'It's not like we have things to do while the Gummi Ship is being repaired. Plus, this is so much better than that patrol mission.'

Mal smiled at them. 'Really? Thanks a lot! It means so much to me!'

'Hey, no problem.' Alice smiled back before turning to the darkness. 'Let's begin shall we?'

At Mal's nod, Alice stepped into the darkness as Mal walked besides her. Orca opened his mouth to protest but because Alice was adamant, he sagged his shoulders and followed after them.

'No way! Are you serious?' Alice asked.

Mal nodded as she displayed a purple-cased cellphone to Alice. 'Totally! This is the latest model they have. They say that you can make calls to other worlds or something. I never give it a try though.'

'Dude we got to try this!' Alice said as she pulled out her cellphone, covered in a red casing. 'Shall we trade phone numbers to see if it's true?'

Mal beamed. 'That's sounds great. My number is…'

As they walked deeper into the dark streets, Alice and Mal were deep in conversation. At first it began with how dark the city they were walking through was dark and empty before the topic jumped to their schools and life. The dark streets were filled with their giggling and chatter as they got to know each other better. The only person who was not enjoying himself was Orca who followed after them as he grumbled.

'Nice!' Alice said after saving Mal's number into her cellphone. 'We can text each other even when we're on different worlds.'

'Yeah!' Mal agreed. She glanced over her shoulder. 'Is your friend okay?'

'He's just sulking.' Alice whispered. 'He always does that when we get into a fight.' She glanced over her shoulders. 'Orca, stop being a baby and joined us! Did you know they have a school where they learn magic?'

Orca scowled and glared at them. 'How can you two be so carefree? We're in unknown territory on some world we don't know about. There could be enemies lurking in the shadows. Heartless maybe.'

'But we haven't been attacked so far despite the noises we're making.' Argues Alice. 'Maybe this world isn't so dangerous after all! You need to lighten up dude!'

'That's the problem with you! You're so naive!' Orca said in exasperation. 'No wonder why they send me to keep an eye on you!'

'"Keep an eye on me?"' Alice questioned hotly, glaring at Orca. 'I can take care of myself thank you very much! The one who needs taking care of is you! You crashed the Gummi Ship in the first place!'

'Must you bring that up as an argument?' Orca snarled.

'Guys…' Mal politely interrupted. 'Call me crazy but I think the shadows are moving.

That brought them out from their argument as their heads whipped to where Mal was pointing to. The shadows before them did move despite then poor illumination from the lampposts. Slowly but surely the shadows rose from the ground and began to take shape. The shadows formed a small body with claws and tendrils on its head, yellow glowing eyes staring at the group. Soon more of the Shadows emerged from the ground, surrounding the small party.

'Heartless!' Alice said and took a defensive stance, Rising Star appearing in her hands. She raised them to her eyes.

'I told you!' Orca said, almost smugly, as he pulled out his shield, Silver Comet. 'Get behind me!'

Alice snorted. 'I told you that I can take care of myself!' She turned to Mal. 'Get behind us!'

Before Mal could protest, Alice and Orca charged into the Heartless army. As the Shadows jumped towards the duo, Alice ran forward and slashed into the air: defeating several Heartless. With lightning speed, she slashed Rising Star vertically and horizontally: cutting down a few more Heartless. As her feet flattened onto the ground, she sensed more Heartless behind her.

Alice turned around and faced three more Heartless, one of them was a Neo-Shadow. Before she could defend herself, a silver shield slammed into them. As the Heartless faded away and their pink hearts floated towards the sky, Orca smiled behind his shield.

'See! You do need someone to watch your back!' He gloated before falling into his knees when Alice threw Rising Star towards him. The key-blade whirled like a mini tornado and flew passed Orca, cutting down the Shadows that were about to pounce on Orca. Orca gasped as he got back onto his feet while Rising Star returned to Alice's hands. She smirked at him.

'You were saying?'

Orca smiled as he readied his shield for a charge. 'Oh it's on!'

The two friends charged into the fray again, Rising Star slashing while Silver Comet pummelling into the darkness. Dark wisps faded away and pink hearts floated towards the black sky as their weapons hit their targets. Both key-blade and shield were in perfect sync, like dancers prancing on a stage.

Alice and Orca met back-to-back, panting heavily with key-blade and shield raised. Surrounding them were the Heartless, swarming closer to them and on their verge of pouncing on them. Alice gritted her teeth and raised Rising Star to her eyes while Orca raised his shield, both of them ready to fight to the bitter end. Before the two teenagers or the Heartless can attack, they heard Mal's voice.

'Alice! Orca! Take cover!'

Before Alice could ask why, Orca grabbed by the shoulder and pushed her down to the ground. He then covered them both with his shield. Since her vision was denied, Alice can only hear the soft growling of the Heartless and Mal's voice. Alice listened closely to what sounded like an incantation.

'Great green fire, heed my call. Burn these Heartless with your fireball.'

Alice heard the roar of flames and felt the shield above her getting hotter. Orca grimaced at the heat his shield was absorbing but continue to hold on tight to it. She heard the howls of the Heartless. It sounded like they were being burnt alive. When they thought it was safe, Orca uncovered his shield and helped Alice up onto her feet.

When Alice and Orca straightened up, they can feel once cool air warm. Not only that, more dark wisps faded into nothingness and the sky was filled with pink hearts before they too faded away. The Shadows that surrounded them were all gone. Before them was Mal who had her arms stretched sideways and both her hands were surrounded with green fire.

The fire died down when she lowered her arms, smiling as Alice and Orca joined her. 'Are you guys all right?'

'We're fine.' Alice spoke, awed at what had transpired. 'You… You are a mage?'

'The proper term is witch or enchantress I guess.' Mal said modestly. 'But yes I can cast spells. I inherited this gift from my mom.'

'Cool!' Alice smiled. 'I know a bit of magic myself but I think you surpass me in this stuff. You must be able to do cool stuff.'

'Always.' Mal smiled. She gestured at Alice's Rising Star. 'You're not too bad with the sword. What kind of sword is it?'

Alice raised Rising Star for Mal to see better. 'This is call a key-blade. This is a weapon of the Light. I'm supposed to use it to fight the darkness and defend the weak. You can say that I inherited from my parents. They're key-blade masters.'

'Neat!' Mal exclaimed as she studied the key-blade closely. 'Why is it shaped as a key?'

'It's supposed to open and lock gates of all worlds.' Answered Alice. 'Though… I haven't done so yet.'

Mal nodded before turning to Orca. 'What about you Orca? Are you also a key-Blade master?'

Orca scowled and raised Silver Comet. 'Does this look like a key-blade to you?'

'Orca is a Guardian.' Alice quickly said. 'Guardians dislike the idea of killing so they use a shield to fight instead of blades. Orca is my shield.' She try to steer the topic away. 'Shall we continue looking for your mother?'

Mal nodded. 'Yeah. I think I can sense her presence. It should be… That way.'

Mal headed forward, heading towards another dark street. Alice was about to follow her but Orca pulled her back towards him. Alice looked at him questionably.

'Orca, what's wrong?'

Orca gave her a serious look. 'I don't think we should trust her Alice. The fire she used were green. She's using dark magic.'

'S-so?' Asked Alice.

'Isn't it obvious? We're champions of the Light while she's an agent of darkness! How do we know that she's not leading us to our death? Maybe she was the one who summoned those Heartless!'

'Don't be ridiculous!' Argued Alice. 'If she was the one who summoned those Heartless then why did she save us? Surely it be so much easier for her if we were being consumed by hundreds of Heartless!'

'True…. but… maybe… she's…' Faltered Orca, not knowing how to push his argument. They stared at each other, their eyes drilling into each other. Then Alice expression became sad.

'Why are we fighting Orca?'

Orca stricken but he had no words to offer. He looked down at his feet, embarrassed and not knowing what to say. When Alice held his hands, he raised his head at her.

'Orca, you're my best friend.' Began Alice. 'You're the only few people I can call brother. But you tend to do or say things recklessly without any thought of consequences. People can get injured if that happens.'

'I know.' Sighed Orca. 'It just that I'm worried about you. About us. If anything happens to you, I cannot forgive myself.'

'But nothing did.' Alice said softly. 'Besides that stupid stunt you pulled, we're still alive and we're still together. That's the important part.'

'Y-yeah.'

Alice smiled and placed her hand on Orca's cheek. 'Sorry I slapped you earlier. I was just upset.'

'I had worst from you.' Orca grinned as he pushed Alice hand down. Then he spread his arms sideways. 'Hug?'

Alice rolled her eyes but wrapped her arms around Orca, hugging him. 'Hug.'

They stood still in their embrace, all the anger out from their system. They must have stood longer than expected when Mal's voice rang into their ears.

'Hey you two lovebirds! Are you coming or not?'

Alice pushed herself away from Orca and pretended to be angry with Mal. 'We're not lovebirds!' Then she winked at Orca. 'Yet.'

Orca grinned as Alice ran after Mal. Then he began running after the two girls, heading into the darkness but no longer afraid of it.

'Still no signs of her!' Mal said exasperation. 'We must have search the entire city by now!'

The small party had spent nearly an hour in search of Mal's mother, to no avail. All they found were more dead ends, closed shops and Heartless that roamed the street. With !al fighting by their side, it took them less time to deal with the Heartless. Now they were at their wit's end, not knowing where to search.

Orca leaned against a lamppost, breathing heavily. 'Maybe you cast the spell wrong and you ended up on the wrong world.'

Mal frowned. 'Impossible… I know my spell worked and I can sense my mother's presence on this world. It's weak but I know she's here.'

'If that's the case.' Alice pointed forward. 'Maybe that White Castle is our best bet.'

Mal and Orca looked up to see the White Castle looming over the city, it contrast so obvious. Above it was the heart-shaped moon where most of the illumination came from.

'Worth a shot.' Mal nodded. 'There no where else to search anyway.' She placed her hands on Alice and Orca's shoulders. 'This is my first time casting a teleportation spell so here goes nothing.'

Before Alice or Orca could protest, their bodies tingled for a bit and then a rush of air. They blinked their eyes as they were abruptly brought into a bright room. All three of them landed onto the white floor, groaning and blinking their eyes several times to allow them to get used to their new surroundings.

'Next time ask us for permission before you do something like that.' Growled Orca, standing up.

'Sorry.' Mal apologised as she helped Alice onto her feet. 'But I'm glad it worked. The last time I attempted it I got stuck in the wall.'

'Glad that didn't happen.' Alice shivered as the thought of her body in a wall. To push that thought out from head, she looked around. They were in a white hall. From the floor to the ceiling everything was made out of white marble. Outside was the black sky they were under a few moments ago. No doubt that they were inside of the castle.

Alice frowned. 'Orca, did your dad mention a White Castle in any of his travels?'

'Yeah he did.' Orca nodded, looking around. 'He said there was only one and it used to belong to these guys called the Organization 13.'

'I know the place!' Gasped Alice. 'Dad told me about it too! We're in the World that Never Was!'

'You assume correctly.'

All three whirled on the speaker. Dark shrouds appeared out of nowhere and a figure stepped out from the shadows. It was a woman with pale green skin and her black eyes looked down at them. She towered over them and her imposing frame was covered in black robes. What appeared to be horns were on top of her head. In her hand was a staff with a green crystal on top of it. At her feet was the churning sea of darkness, yellow eyes peering out from it. Even though it was their first time meeting this woman, Alice and Orca recognised her.

'Maleficent!' Alice gasped and immediately Rising Star appeared in her hands while Orca raised Silver Comet and stood protectively in front of Alice. The two teenagers stared at Maleficent, ready for attack to come.

'Warriors of the Light… You dare trespass into my domain?' Maleficent's staff glowed and more Heartless appeared from the darkness. 'You will regret stepping into my castle!'

Alice and Orca gripped their weapons tighter as Maleficent's staff glowed brighter and more Heartless appeared before her and behind her, they waited for one of them to make the first move. Alice and Orca did not know whether they can fight such a powerful witch but they were willing to try. Mal, however, stepped forward and waved her hand to Maleficent.

'Hi mom!'

Stunned silence followed when Mal spoke those two words. Alice and Orca stared at her as if she had gone mad while Maleficent's eyes widened. She stomped her staff into the floor and the darkness shrunk, some of the Heartless retreated.

'Mal?' Maleficent asked. 'What are you doing here? How did you find me?'

'I've been looking for you.' Answered Mal. 'When I can't find you on the Isle of the Lost, I cast a tracking spell and I bumped into these two. They were helping me look for you.'

'M-Mal.' Stammered Alice. 'Are you saying that… She… Maleficent is your….'

'Yes young one.' Sighed Maleficent. 'This is my daughter, Mal, the black sheep of the family.'

'Mom…' Mal said.

'I knew it!' Orca cried as he faced his shield towards Mal, keeping Alice behind him. 'I knew we cannot trust you! You led us into a trap and now you and your mother are going to torture us!'

Mal and Maleficent exchanged amused looks. 'Whoa… For starters, I didn't know where my mom was in the first place. Secondly, I'm not into the whole evil thing.'

'Like I said, the black sheep of the family.' Maleficent joined in. 'And I would have used a more sophisticated method of capturing you two instead of using my own daughter.'

'Lies!' Orca growled. 'We will not fall for your evil schemes!'

'Orca enough!' Alice shouted and pushed herself towards Orca. 'Mal didn't try to hurt us even when she got all the chance in the world! She helped us with those Heartless back there remember!'

'Stop being so naive!' Orca snarled, pointing a finger at Maleficent. 'That witch kidnapped your mom and used my dad! She almost took over the entire world with the Heartless and now she got her daughter doing all the dirty work!' His finger now pointed towards Mal who looked offended.

'That was years ago and in case you forgotten, Maleficent helped out our parents like twice!' Alice argued heatedly. 'When our parents were stopping Organization 13 and when my dad got kidnapped by the Horned King!'

'She only helped our parents just to serve her purposes!' Countered Orca.

'Wait a moment… I helped out your parents?' Maleficent asked, approaching the two teenagers. Orca raised his shield and Alice readied her key-blade. Orca stiffened when Maleficent placed a hand on his shield and pushed it down, studying them closer. Her eyes widened in recognition.

'Mmmmm… Silver hair… Green eyes… You must Riku's son. And…' Maleficent studied Alice. 'Red hair… Eyes as blue as the sky… Let me guess… Your parents are Sora and Kairi?'

'What is it to you?' Asked Alice.

Maleficent stood up straight, chuckling. 'My… My… My… A key-blade wielder and a Guardian. Your parents had done well to encourage you two to follow in their footsteps. They must be so proud. Wish I can say the same about my daughter.'

Alice and Orca looked at each other, confused at this turn of event. They lowered their weapons but not their guard, wary of any trickery the evil fairy may pull on them. Mal rolled her eyes at Maleficent's words.

'Mom, there are so much more than evil. What about passion, friendships and love? It won't hurt for you to try.'

Maleficent sighed and turned to face her daughter. 'I'm not going to argue with you child. I've given up hope on you since the day you betrayed me.'

'Ouch… Harsh mom.' Mal commented, unconcerned.

Maleficent shook her head before asking. 'So what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? I hope you're not taking me back to that island.'

'Seriously mom? You can't remember your own birthday? I'm here to give you your present.' Mal cleared her throats and waved her hands, glowing with green magic. 'Portrait of Maleficent in my hall, come at my call!'

The green streams of magic poured out from her hands and in front of Maleficent, swirling in a green tornado. The green smoke whirled faster and slowly faded away, leaving a canvas and a portrait behind. The portrait was of Maleficent standing on top of a cliff with her staff raised and glowing with green light. Below the cliff was a horde of pig-men and vultures bowing to her. Her mouth was opened in laughter. An artist herself, Alice can tell that the portrait was spray-painted.

'Happy birthday mom!' Beamed Mal.

Maleficent stood in front of the portrait and stroke it with one finger. A smile slowly spread across her face. 'Ah… Those were the good times. Spreading fear across the land and commanding my army of darkness. Such good times. I must admit Mal that your artistic talents have improved tremendously. I wish it is also true with your evilness.'

'Not this again!' Complained Mal. 'Can we just have a normal birthday without you lecturing me about the evil act?'

'I mean it dear. If you have follow your true path, we would have rule the entire universe and plunged it into darkness. Mother and daughter together.' She raised her hands, gesturing at the castle they were in. 'All this could have been yours one day! As well as an army of Heartless at your beckon.'

'Tempting but staying in an empty castle by yourself isn't much fun. Although…' Mal bent forward and picked up a wandering Shadow. 'These little Heartless things are kinda cute.' Mal giggled and tickled the Shadow in the belly, earning a delightful purr from the Heartless.

'Please do not cuddle my minions!' Maleficent scolded sternly.

Mal let go of the Shadow, watching it wandered off. 'Touchy!'

Maleficent shook her head and turned back to Alice and Orca. 'Dearies, do your parents a favour and don't stray away from the path they want you to follow. They would be so disappointed if you do.'

Alice and Orca only nodded. Their parents' worst enemy was not only going to trap them but she was offering them advice too. 'So…' Orca started awkwardly. 'You're not going to capture and torture us?'

Maleficent shrugged. 'Why should I? It's my birthday after all. Send my regards and congratulations to your parents for me.' She had her back turned on them. 'I will command my Heartless not to attack you as you make your way back to your ship.'

'Erm… Sure…' Alice said awkwardly. 'Thank you.'

Maleficent nodded and tapped the portrait with her staff. The portrait was shrouded in green smoke before disappearing. She smiled at her daughter; that smile never reaching her eyes. 'Well this have been lovely. Thank you for the birthday present, deary. You best be off. Unlike you, I have an army to control and a world to rule.' She began walking up the marble staircase.

'You will be coming for my Graduation right?' Mal asked. 'It's in two months time!'

Maleficent glanced over her shoulder. 'Will your boyfriend allow? Especially what happened the last time?'

'Ben will be okay with it!' Promised Mal. 'As long as you and the other villains promised to be good.'

'I don't know… Being good is not in our nature.'

'Please…' Mal gave her mother the puppy look face. 'This is the VKs' big day!'

Maleficent turned around to face Mal, giving her a resigned smile. 'Very well dear, just this one day.'

'Yay!' Mal smiled. 'You're the greatest!'

Maleficent smiled back as she was surrounded in green smoke, disappearing and leaving the three teenagers by themselves.

It was a long and uncomfortable walk as Alice, Orca and Mal walked out of the castle and back onto the dark streets. As Maleficent had promised, no Heartless attack them and no traps were sprung. Even the lampposts were brighter, lighting their way back to the Gummi Ship. They were a few miles away from the castle when Mal broke the silent stalemate.

'So your parents were the one who saved the universe and foiled my mom's plans?' She began. 'That's cool.'

'And your mom kidnapped mine and was the one causing trouble in the past.' Alice said, trying to wrap the idea that they were walking next to the daughter of Maleficent. 'What a small universe we live in.' Another silence followed before Alice spoke. 'That portrait of your mom was beautiful. Did you use spray-paint all the way?'

Finally Mal smiled. 'Not exactly. First I used oil-painting for the foundation and the outline before using spray-painting for the finishing touches. It brings more life to the portrait my art teacher said.'

'Cool. I always wanted to paint but I'm not so good at it. I only know how to sketch and use water-paint.' Alice said wistfully.

'You got the basics down and maybe with a few practice, you can start with oil-painting.' Encouraged Mal. 'If you want, I can teach you a thing or two about oil-painting.'

'Oh no you don't!' Scowled Orca, stepping in between Alice and Orca. 'I think that it be better if you don't speak to us again and go back to whatever evil castle you lurk in!'

'Orca!' Alice turned Ora around to face her, glaring at him. He glared back.

'No! Alice, she's Maleficent daughter. You heard that witch just now? How do we know that we're not falling for her trap on a later date?'

'Are you still going on with that?' Argued Alice. 'For the last time, Mal is not evil! Maleficent said that Mal isn't capable of evil and even if she was, we would be prisoners a long time ago! Get that through your thick head and apologise to Mal!'

'Okay that's it!' Proclaimed Orca as he dug into his pockets, pulling out a cellphone in silver casing. 'I'm calling your parents right now and telling them that you're… fraternising with the enemy! I bet they will ground you! No more adventures for you!'

'Oh yeah?' Challenged Alice as she too pulled out her cellphone. 'I'm calling your dad and telling him that it was you who crashed the Gummi Ship and got us stranded on this world in the first place! If anyone is getting grounded then it should be you!'

'Don't make me do this!' Warned Orca as he punched the number on his cellphone. 'This is going to hurt me more than you!'

'Good!' Retorted Alice as she strolled down her contact numbers until she reached "Uncle Riku". 'If I'm going to be grounded then I'm taking you with me buster!'

They glared at each other, their cellphones in the air like in the Old West quick-draw and their thumbs an inch on the call button. Before anyone one of them could make a call, Mal's voice whispered in the air.

'Look…' Began Mal, Alice and Orca stopped arguing. 'I understand why you don't want me around. You guys are the good guys while I am a bad guy. It was fun hanging with you Alice but I think I better go.' She backed away, a sad expression on her face. 'I guess this is goodbye.'

'No!' Alice shouted. 'You can stay!' She whirled at Orca, looking deep into his eyes. 'Orca, did your dad ever tell you that he used the power of darkness and became an agent for Maleficent?'

That stopped Orca right in his tracks. 'He… He did. But… he was manipulated by Maleficent and then by Xehanort…. But he turned back to the Light… '

'But he still used the darkness to fight for good right?' Continued Alice relentlessly. 'Same with Maleficent when she fought off that Heartless army to protect our parents when they were fighting Organization 13. She was doing the right thing at that time!'

'Well…' Faltered Orca, trying to think of a good argument. 'That's…. She…'

'Orca, you're a great son to your parents and good friend. You're nice, polite, loyal… A bit shy and stupid sometimes but you're a good kid. Everyone in the village keep saying that you have a good heart.' Alice gestured at Mal. 'If the son of an ex-agent of darkness, let's call your dad that, can have a good heart, why not Mal?'

'True… But…' Then he sighed, slumping his shoulders. 'I suppose you're right…'

'See?' Alice said triumphantly before turning back to Mal. 'We can't just let you wander off in the darkness like that. How are you even getting home?'

Mal shrugged. 'I came with a spell so I could go home using the same way. I know the words.' She hesitated. 'Then again, this is my first time attempting a teleportation spell of such magnitude so doing it a second time while new at it may not be a good idea.'

'Why not come with us?' Suggested Alice. 'Our Ship should be fixed soon. We can find your home world using our navigation system.'

Orca opened his mouth to protest but decided against it. He did not want to argue with Alice again. Mal's face brightened up, no longer wearing a sad expression.

'You mean it?'

Alice nodded and held Mal's hands. 'Of course. You're my first friend outside of Destiny Island. I want to know more about you and Auradon. We can even have an only girls sleepover!'

Mal grinned. 'That's sounds like fun! But who will be driving your Ship?'

'Orca will.' Answered Alice, making Orca looked up in surprise. 'I'm sure that Orca had learnt his lesson.' She turned to faced him. 'Right?'

Orca gaped at her. He expected that because he crashed the Gummi Ship, Alice would not trust him with the Gummi Ship but looks like that was not the case. He quickly nodded his head. 'Y-yeah! You can count on me!'

Alice smiled. 'Then it settled!' She took Mal's hand. 'Come on! Let's head to the ship. We can make some hot cocoa.'

'That will be nice.' Mal said, following Alice. 'It's chilly here. I dunno why mom would choose this world in the first place.'

'Maybe you can ask her to move to a warmer world.' Suggested Alice.

'As if she listens to me!' Giggled Mal.

The two girls continued to giggle as they continue to exchange stories, heading back to the Gummi Ship. Orca stood where he was and sighed. This was the biggest argument he and Alice had and he had failed to persuade her to be careful around Mal. At least he gets to drive the Gummi Ship.

Realising that the girls had left him behind, he quickly pick up the pace. Even though that Alice trust Mal, it would not hurt to be careful. Orca had not intention to contact Alice's parents about her new friendship with the daughter of Maleficent, less he will incur Alice's wrath again, but there was one person he can contact. Although that person may kill him for this.

Then he made up his mind. The most important thing right now was Alice's safety. As long as Alice was not in any harm, Orca was willing to face any punishment. For now, he can only keep an eye on Mal.

He better learn which one was the autopilot button on the Gummi Ship first though.

Back on Destiny Island, Sora was sitting on the couch in the living room: polishing his fishing rod. He whistled as he made the wood gleaming and the lining strong. He had this fishing rod for twenty years and have always brought in fine fish. He intended to make sure it was in good shape.

Sitting on an armchair opposite to him was Kairi, sewing an embroidery with a Paupu Star on it. Her blue eyes studied each sewing meticulously as the needle went through the thin material, careful not to prick her fingers. When she completed the Paupu Fruit, she placed the embroidery on the coffee table in the middle of the room and sighed: rubbing her tired eyes.

Before she can picked up her unfinished embroidery, her cellphone vibrated on the table as it played a short tune. She picked up her phone and tapped on the screen, telling her that she received a message from Alice.

Kairi quickly pressed tapped on the phone again and it opened up the message inbox. Kairi smiled at the content.

'Sora!' She said. 'Alice and Orca met a new friend.'

Sora quickly put his fishing rod down on the table and hurried to Kairi's side, peering down onto the screen. On his wife's cellphone was an image of Alice, Orca and a girl with purple hair taking a selfie together: the two girls were beaming brightly while Orca gave what passed as an uncomfortable smile. Below the image were the words.

Met Mal on our first mission! Tell you more about her when we come back! Love from Alice!

Sora smiled. 'Look at that. It's only her first mission and she made a new friend. This reminds me the time when I first met Donald and Goofy in Traverse Town.'

'I'm glad that she and Orca are doing okay.' Kairi smiled with relief.

Just then the door knocked. Sora and Kairi looked at each other, wordlessly asking one another whether they were expecting any visitors. When their looks told them no, Sora shrugged as Kairi said loudly. 'Come in!'

Their front door opened and came in Riku, he was breathing deeply and there was a look of concern on his face.

'Hey man.' Greeted Sora. 'What's up? You looked like you've been running around the island or something.'

'Sora, Kairi!' Riku began. 'Did Alice tell you about this new girl Mal?'

'Yeah.' Responded Kairi, holding up her phone so Riku can see the selfie. 'The kids had taken a selfie with Mal. We just received it just recently. What's wrong?'

Without saying a word, Riku raised his cellphone so Sora and Kairi can see the message that Orca sent to his father. Their eyes widened with surprise as they stood up. Orca's message contained the same image as Alice's but the words below it read differently.

Hi dad. I know you're going to kill me but I crashed the Gummi Ship on the World that Never Was where Maleficent still resides. The girl in the selfie, Mal, she is Maleficent's daughter.