Last time Sora, Kairi and Riku were summoned to Disney Castle, where King Mickey and Queen Minnie asked them to go on another mission; this time to another universe, The Magical Dimension. The Heartless have been summoned by a trio of dark witches, known as The Trix, whom have also stolen a great magical power from its rightful owner. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

Chapter 2: Arrival and Contact

The portal opened, spilling Sora, Donald and Goofy onto the ground, then closed back up. Donald hit the ground first, followed by Sora landing on him and ending with Goofy landing on both.

"Another happy landing," grumbled Donald as they picked themselves up.

"So this is the Realm of Magix," said Sora as they looked around to get their bearings. They were in a clearing of sorts, surrounded by trees in every direction. The sky above was overcast with disturbingly dark clouds, giving the forest a rather depressing atmosphere.

"I don't like the looks of this place," said Goofy nervously.

"Me neither," agreed Donald.

"Those witches," said Sora, "The Trix, I'll bet responsible for all this gloominess." Indeed, this wasn't the Magix that Sora expected from the images shown by Queen Minnie.

"We'd better be careful," said Goofy, "There could be Heartless all over the place."

"And who knows what other kinds of monsters we'll meet?" Donald asked.

"We'll never find out by standing here," said Sora, "Come on, guys! We've got a school to save!"

"Right!" said Donald, "On to Cloud Tower!"

But the trio paused, as if unsure what to do next.

"Um, which way to Cloud Tower?" Goofy asked as they looked around at the trees.

"The King said he'd try to get us as close to Cloud Tower as he could," said Sora, "But I don't see it."

"Are you telling me that we're lost?!" Donald asked.

"We're not lost, Donald," said Goofy, "We're in Magix."

"Of course we are," muttered Donald.

"Hang on a second," said Sora. He headed to the nearest tree and climbed as high as he could. From the near top, Sora looked around and spotted a single small mountain several miles away, and atop that mountain was a large dark building.

"That way," said Sora as he climbed back down and pointed in the direction of the mountain.

"Then what are we still here for?" Donald asked as he drew out his staff, while Goofy pulled on his shield.

Riku, Kairi, thought Sora as he called forth his Keyblade, please be safe. With that he, Donald and Goofy hurried into the woods.

{%}The Realm of Magix{%}

For Kairi, the transition from one universe to another went more smoothly than it did for Sora, Donald and Goofy. She emerged from the portal atop the blue roof of a large pink building. The first thing Kairi noticed was that it was severely overcast above; the sky choked with sinister clouds.

The second thing she noticed was a Shadow-type Heartless rushing towards her. Kairi summoned her Keyblade and slashed at the Shadow as it leapt at her, slaying the creature.

Kairi then saw that there were hundreds of Shadows and other types of Heartless all over the immediate area. She then saw that the creatures were fighting several dozen teenage girls, the majority of them wearing very stylish outfits that sparkled, even in the gloominess. To complete the image, they all had wings.

Kairi leapt down from the roof, slaying two more Shadows and one Soldier-type in the process. As she reached the ground, Kairi saw a girl with long, red hair, bright blue eyes and was wearing a blue and yellow shirt with jeans and wedgie sandals.

With her was one of the girls with wings. This one had long, bright blond hair done up in pigtails and hazel eyes. She was wearing a sparkling orange top and mini-shorts, with knee-high boots of the same color. She also wore light blue tube wrist bands. Her wings were three leaflets with the color of powder blue with teal tips. In her hands was a long blue staff that ended in several circles.

Kairi then noticed that the two girls were unaware of a Shadow creeping behind them in its two-dimensional form. The creature stopped less than two yards from the red-headed girl, regained its 3D form and prepared to attack the red-head from behind.

Acting on instinct, Kairi threw her Keyblade at the Shadow, destroying the creature before it could attack. The Keyblade then returned to Kairi's hands as if it were a boomerang.

Keyblade technique- Strike Raid

Kairi then ran over to the two girls, "Are you okay, Bloom?" she asked the redhead.

"I'm fine," said Bloom, for that was who the red-head was, "Who are you? And where did you come from?"

"It's a long story," said Kairi, "I'll explain later. But the important thing is that you're alright. Excuse me, please." She then slashed and destroyed the two Soldiers that were scampering towards them from the left.

"Cool sword," said the blond.

"Thanks, Princess Stella," said Kairi.

"How did you know who I am?" the blond, Stella, asked, "And how do you know Bloom's name?"

"Like I said," Kairi replied as she took out another Shadow, "It's a long story, and it looks like I'm gonna have to wait to tell it." At that time quite a few of the attacking Heartless had sensed the presence of a Keyblade and were converging on Kairi.

"Forgive me for stating the obvious," said Stella as she, Kairi and Bloom found themselves surrounded by over two dozen Shadows, ten Soldiers and several, recently spawned Gargoyle-type Heartless, "But we're in trouble."

"You're telling me," said Kairi, "Bloom, stay close to me."

"Why?" Bloom asked, even though Kairi sensed that Bloom sensed that Kairi was someone worth staying close to.

"I promise I'll explain later," said Kairi as the Heartless began creeping closer, "Just stay close to me. Stella, I hope you know how to use that staff of yours."

"This happens to be The Sun Staff of Solaria," said Stella, "And yes, I know how to use it. Observe," she raised her staff and shot a beam of pure sunlight at The Heartless, causing five Shadows and two Soldiers to disintegrate.

"Cool," said Kairi as she swatted away two leaping Shadows.

Just then another batch of Shadows and Soldiers scampered towards them. But then a bolt of green lighting fried four Shadows, while four Soldiers were trapped and crushed by vines that emerged from the ground. Three Shadows and two Soldiers were then shattered by what sounded like a blast of hip-hop music.

Kairi looked to see three fairies landing next to Bloom. The first had long, caramel colored hair with blonde streaks within her bangs, emerald colored eyes and a tan skin tone. She wore a fuchsia and orchid sparkling one piece, bare shouldered dress that modestly concealed a pair of mini shorts of the same color, and ankle-high boots also the same color. A delicate looking, orchid colored and shaped choker adorned her neck, while detached sleeves of the same color complimented her arms. Her wings were green-yellow in color. Kairi could sense that this girl radiated with kindness and serenity

The second fairy had blackish blue pigtailed hair, deep blue Asian-looking eyes and pale skin tone. She wore a sparkling red top with translucent pink fabric at the middle, a red mini skirt, and knee-high wedge red boots. She also wore purple headphones atop her head and purple ribbons around her fore-arms (the one on her left arm had loose ends hanging from it). Her wings were translucent bright blue with purple bands in the middle. From what Kairi could sense, this was a girl who loved to have fun and truely enjoued music for the sake of music.

The third fairy had magenta colored, pixie/boy-cut styled hair, teal eyes, and a pale skin tone. She wore a full body suit with sparkling lavender color lavender covering the torso and legs. She had powder blue sleeves which covered her hands and blue knee-high boots. She wore a lavender helmet which has a lime green tear-shaped brooch on it, similar to the one on her chest. Her wings were green bars which formed small squares on her back, in the form of a glider. It was clear to Kairi that this girl possessed immense intelligence.

(Note: I got this information, and a lot more, off of Wikipedia)

"Are you alright, Bloom?" the tanned girl asked.

"I'm fine, Flora," said Bloom, "Musa, Tecna, I'm perfectly fine."

"No injuries," replied the girl in the sparkling suit as she used a wrist-mounted scanner of sorts, "You're in perfect health."

"Of course she's fine," said the girl with the headphones, "It'll take more than a bunch of creepy creatures to hurt our Bloom."

"They're called Heartless," said Kairi, "Your enemies, The Trix, they're the ones who summoned and are controlling The Heartless."

"How are you aware of The Trix?" the girl with the sparkling suit, whom Bloom identified as Tecna, asked.

"And just who are you?" the girl with the headphones, whom Bloom identified as Musa, asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Kairi, "I should have introduced myself." She then jumped up and took out two Gargoyles with an Aerial Sweep attack. She then landed, and smiled at the five girls, "I'm Kairi, I'm here to help."

(Note: for this fic, and all future fics, Kairi knows all of Sora's techniques from the first Kingdom Hearts game, as well as a few that Sora and Riku used in Kingdom Hearts 2. We now return you to your regulary scheduled fanfic.)

********

For Riku, his arrival in the Realm of Magix wasn't as smooth as Kairi's, but far less rough than Sora's. He emerged from the portal several meters above the roof of Red Fountain. He landed hard on the red-slate roof and nearly fell off, but quickly regained his balance to slash two leaping Shadows into oblivion.

Riku then looked below to see dozens of teenage boys fighting a hoard of Shadows, Soldiers, Gargoyles, and a scattering of Large Bodies. The boys all wore the same matching blue and white bodysuit uniform with blue capes. Each was armed with a different energy-based weapon, each with its unique color.

As Riku made his way to the large stone courtyard where the majority of the fighting was taking place, slaying any Heartless that had the unfortunate luck to be in front of him, he saw two boys trying to destroy a Large Body. The first boy had shoulder-length blond hair and dark blue eyes. He was armed with a blue energy sword shaped like a long sword. The other boy had short, shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. He was armed with a green broadsword.

Riku sensed that both boys, while possessing great strength of heart and courage, had vastly different personalities. The blond seemed the more compassionate, while the brunette seemed a bit more self-centered. Both of them kept trying to stab and slash at the Large Body, but the oversized Heartless just shrugged off the attacks.

"How do you destroy this thing!?" shouted the boy with the broadsword. Just then the Large Body raised it's enormous arms to crush the boys.

Seeing this, Riku rushed behind the oversized Heartless and slashed at its back. The Large Body disappeared.

"You've got to get behind it," said Riku, "That type of Heartless is nearly indestructible from the front. Its defenses are weaker on the sides, but the back is its most venerable spot."

"Thanks, I guess," said the blond boy.

"Any time, Prince Sky," said Riku as he slashed and destroyed two Shadows and a Soldier that tried to sneak up on him.

"How do you know his name?" the brunette asked as he destroyed two Soldiers.

"It's a long story," said Riku, "I'll explain later."

"I agree," said Sky after stabbing two Shadows, "This really isn't the time for stories, right, Brandon?"

"I'm all ears if you are," said the other, identified as Brandon.

Riku was about to retorted, when he noticed that dozens of Heartless were heading straight for him. He hastily counted over a dozen Shadows, nearly 20 Soldiers and four Large Bodies that were drawn by the presence of his Keyblade.

"Looks like they're not happy you're here," said Brandon.

"I'm only part of what's getting them riled up," said Riku. Focusing on his mastered inner darkness, Riku shot a beam of negative energy at the ranks of Heartless, destroying six Shadows, eight Soldiers and one Large Body in that one shot.

Riku's Technique: Dark Aura

"Awesome," said an impressed Sky.

"You think that's cool?" Riku asked, "I'm just getting warmed up." But then he tripped on a lose piece of concrete. Riku barely regained his balance to see the Large Body rearing up in front of him, the oversized Heartless' arms raised to crush him.

But then the Large Body disappeared with the report of a loud shot. Standing behind where the deceased Heartless stood was another Red Fountain student. This one had short orange hair and wore large glasses. He was armed with an energy blaster. Riku could tell that this boy possessed a high degree of intelligence, but lacked wisdom on certain levels.

"Hey guys!" the boy with the glasses exclaimed, "You can destroy the big ones from behind!"

"We know, Timmy," said Brandon, "This guy just explained it to us."

"Huh?" Timmy asked as he saw Riku, "Who are you?"

"I should have introduced myself earlier," said Riku, "I apologize." He then saw another Large Body charging headlong at him. Focusing his inner darkness again, Riku extended his energy outward to form a barrier that stopped the charging Heartless stone cold. He then got behind the stunned Large Body and destroyed it with one slash.

Riku's Technique: Dark Aura

"My name is Riku, I'm here to help."

********

The fact that dozens upon dozens of Heartless were closing in on her didn't really bother Kairi all that much. No, the main worry for her was making sure that Bloom was safe from harm. Some of the Heartless that attacked tried to get to Bloom, but Kairi was one step ahead of them, destroying every fell creature that tried to get close.

She wasn't alone of course, Bloom's friends were there as well. Kairi noticed that each Fairy's power tended to mach her name and personality. Stella used sunlight based magic, while Flora was more in depth with nature and could summon and control plants that attacked the Heartless. Musa used spells that blasted the Heartless with music waves, while Tecna blasted the enemy with bolts of green lighting and other spells that focused on technology.

More and more Heartless became drawn to the presence of Kairi's Keyblade. With the enemy attention focused elsewhere, this allowed the other fairies their chance to gain the advantage. It wasn't long before The Heartless were being destroyed faster than fresh ones could arrive.

It was another minute or so before Kairi realized that no more fresh Heartless had been spawned and that the school was free of the enemy, for the time being. With the battle over, or at least on pause, Bloom's friends reverted back to what Kairi correctly guessed was their normal attire.

Stella's hair was now straight and set with a hair band. She wore a green halter top and orange miniskirt and gold sandals. Her staff had collapsed into a ring which she now wore on her right hand. Flora was now wearing a green midriff, off-the-shoulder top, a fuchsia colored, faux wrap, short skirt decorated with strawberries, two sets of yellow bangle bracelets on each arm, and fuchsia colored platform sandals.

Musa was wearing a red one shoulder top, one purple colored armband on her left arm, baggy jeans and red sneakers. Tecna was dressed in a soft purple and lime green vest top, soft purple flared fitted cropped pants and same color shoes.

"Well," said Tecna, "That was fascinating, to say the least."

"I'd call it something else," said Musa, "Something not so nice."

"The important thing is that we're all fine," said Flora.

"You said it, Flora," said Stella, "Those things kept trying to eat us."

"I don't think Heartless eat people," said Kairi, "Or at least, none that I've seen."

"And what do Heartless do?" Bloom asked. In her arms was a blue-furred rabbit named Kiko.

"And what exactly are Heartless?" Musa asked

"They were ordinary people once," said Kairi, "People whose hearts were consumed by darkness. The creatures that attacked were born from that darkness. Heartless act on instinct and seek out other hearts to corrupt. So, to answer your question, Bloom, Heartless are only interested in turning you and everyone else into one of them."

"Again, fascinating," said Tecna.

"Okay," said Musa, "But that still leaves the question of Kairi."

"Yeah," said Bloom to Kairi, "You said you're here to help. But why?"

"I'd like to know that myself." Kairi then saw an elderly woman approach them. She had gray hair, wore glasses and wore a blue and white suit. Kairi sensed a great power from this woman, whom seemed to emanate authority and wisdom. "I have heard of Keyblades, but I did not expect someone as young as you to have one, and use it so well."

"Life's full of surprises, I guess," said Kairi, "You wouldn't happen to be Eleanor Faragonda, Headmistress of Alfea, would you?"

"I am she."

Kairi pulled the letter out of her pocket and handed to Faragonda, "King Mickey sends his regards."

"King Mickey?" a surprised Faragonda asked as she opened and read the letter.

"What is it, Professor Faragonda?" Bloom asked.

"It would seem," said Faragonda as she finished reading the letter, "That young Kairi here was sent to us, not only to defend against The Heartless, but also to protect you, Bloom, until you recover your powers."

"Recover my powers?" Bloom asked, "But how? The Trix stole The Dragonfire from me."

"Not really," said Kairi, "All those psycho witches did was siphon off a lot of magical energy. The core of The Dragonfire still exist in you, Bloom. It's my job to help you reignite that core."

"Oh really?" Stella asked, "And just how are you going to do that?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea how," said Kairi honestly, "But I'm sure we'll figure it out."

"I'm not so sure we can trust her," said Musa.

"I think we should," said Flora, "Kairi did help us defeat all those Heartless."

"True," said Tecna, "But on the other hand her arrival seems too much of a coincidence for me."

"Well I for one don't trust her," said Stella, "For all we know, she could be working with The Trix."

"No, she isn't," said Bloom in a determined tone.

"How can you be sure?" Flora asked.

"I can see her inner self," said Bloom, "It's the most pure aura I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few. No one whose inner being is so free of darkness can possibly be working with someone like Icy, Darcy and Stormy. There's no doubt about it, Kairi is here to help us."

"You can still see her inner self?" Musa asked, "So you still have that power."

"Then there's still hope," said Faragonda, "Bloom, I agree with you, for I can also sense Kairi's inner goodness. Believe me when I say this, girls; Kairi is someone we can trust."

"If Bloom and Ms. F. think so," said Musa, "Then so do I."

"Same here," said Stella as she held out her hands, "Sorry for not trusting you, Kairi."

"Apology accepted," said Kairi as she shook Stella's hand. She then faced Bloom, "I don't know how, but I promise you, Bloom, I will help you regain your powers. And if any Heartless or psycho witch tries to hurt you or your friends, they'll have to go through me first."

"I think this is the start of a great friendship, Kairi," said Bloom as she shook Kairi's hand, "Welcome to Alfea."

"Glad to be here," said Kairi.

********

A similar situation had happened to Riku. Sensing the presence of his Keyblade, the majority of Heartless at Red Fountain had swarmed towards Riku. However, with the enemy's attention focused elsewhere, the students of Red Fountain quickly gained the edge, destroying Heartless faster than they could spawn. It wasn't long before the enemy had ceased their attack and the school was free of Heartless, for the moment.

Riku then located and delivered the letter to the Headmaster of Red Fountain, Armando Saladin; a man while short in stature and advanced in age, possessed great martial strength and wisdom. Saladin wore a yellow suit and carried a tall staff with the top carved in the shape of a dragon.

"King Mickey sent you," said Saladin as he finished reading the letter, "Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time." he then addressed the students, "Specialists of Red Fountain! This young man was sent here to give assistance to our proud school in this time of crisis! I expect you all to give him the same courtesy and respect as you would give any teacher and alumni of Red Fountain!"

The assembled students saluted as one in acknowledgement

"Okay," said Sky to Riku, "I get it that you're here to help out against The Heartless, that we're all clear on. But how did you know who I am? Did my parents hire you?"

"I've never met your parents," said Riku, "No, let's just say that King Mickey and I go back a while. Anyway, I've been asked to stay close to you, Prince Sky, and keep you safe."

"Keep me safe," Sky repeated, "Are you sure my parents didn't send you? Because I told that idiot Diaspro that I wasn't leaving."

"I said that I didn't know your parents," said Riku, "And neither do I know this Diaspro, is that even a name?"

"Oh it's a name alright," said Timmy, "Unfortunately."

"She's my fiancée," said Sky, "Or, she was. We broke up like ten minutes before you got here."

"Sorry I missed the show," said Riku.

"But that still doesn't explain why you were sent to protect Sky," said Brandon, "Which is my job in the first place."

"I'm sure you've been doing a great job," said Riku, "But I've been asked to stick to Sky like glue until this whole mess with The Heartless and The Trix is resolved."

"But why?" Sky asked, "Why me?"

"I honestly don't know," said Riku, who thought it would be best that Sky and everyone else didn't know the full details of the mission.

"Well whatever the reason," said Sky, "I'm glad you're here." He held out his hand.

"Glad to be here," said Riku as he shook Sky's hand.

"So am I," said Brand as he shook Riku's hand, followed by Timmy, "You've got some serious moves. The way you took out all those Heartless, that was out of sight."

"You guys aren't so bad yourselves," said Riku.

"But you've obviously have more experience against these creatures," said Timmy, "What else can you tell us about them?"

"More than I'd like to know," said Riku, "But if you've got questions about The Heartless, I'll answer them as best as I can."

It was at that exact moment when Riku and Kairi both sensed something bad. They stared off towards the sinister clouds overhead, a distant look on their faces. Kairi head Bloom asking her, "What's wrong?" while Riku heard Sky ask him the same question.

"I've got this terrible feeling," said both Kairi and Riku, "That we're being watched."

********

Riku and Kairi had no idea how right they were, for all this time they were being watched, by three of the most detestable, malevolent, remorseless and downright nasty girls in all of The Magical Dimension; three dark witches who are living proof that one doesn't need to be a Heartless or a Nobody to be without a heart.

The Trix, Icy, Darcy and Stormy, had been viewing the respective battles at Red Fountain and Alfea, through a magic-based observation device that resembled a large, translucent eye.

The three dark witches were laughing like the demented villains they were at the sight of the respective students of the schools as they fought against the seemingly endless hoards of Heartless that The Trix kept sending at the schools. But then something unexpected happened that ruined the good moods of the dark trio.

The eye-viewer thing was, at the time, focused on Bloom about to be taken down by a Shadow, when said Heartless was destroyed by Kairi.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Stormy as she and her sisters glared at the image of Kairi talking to Bloom and Stella, "Where did she come from!?"

"And what's with that weird sword of hers?" Darcy asked as she saw Kairi slaying more Heartless with nearly effortless ease.

Icy said nothing as she commanded the eye-viewer thing to shift half its view over to Red Fountain, so it showed a split image of both schools.

"Why did you do that?" Darcy asked.

"Call it a hunch," said Icy darkly as she commanded the imager to do a search of the fighting over at Red Fountain, "But there's more going on here than we think. Aha!" the image then focused on Riku taking down the charging Large Body.

"Another one!" said Stormy.

It was then that The Trix realized that most of The Heartless were being drawn towards Riku and Kairi.

"No!!" exclaimed Icy, "Don't focus on them! Attack the students! Turn them into Heartless!"

"They're not listening to us!" said Darcy, "Why won't they listen!?"

"They're stupid!" said Stormy, "But that's no excuse!"

It was several more minutes as the three dark witches attempted to reassert their authority over The Heartless, but with only minimal success. Most of the creatures that kept arriving at Red Fountain and Alfea ignored their masters orders and rushed at Riku and Kairi.

"You stupid Heartless!!" spat Stormy, "Obey me! You will obey me!"

"Just forget about it, Stormy," said Darcy, "They're not paying attention. I think we should stop for now."

"I agree," said Icy, "Sisters, we need to figure out what's going on before anything else happens."

"Whatever," muttered Stormy.

The Trix focused their dark magic and ceased the flow of Heartless into Magix. The eye-viewer thing showed that the battles at the schools had stopped.

"Now," said Icy, "let's think this through. First of all, who are those two who showed up out of nowhere?"

"And why were The Heartless so hell-bent on destroying them?" Darcy asked as she commanded the eye-viewer thing to show both Riku and Kairi.

"Well whoever they are," said Stormy, "They've crossed the wrong witches."

"I'll bet those weird swords they've got have something to do with this," said Darcy.

"They are weird," said Stormy, "kind of look like keys."

"Key swords," said Icy, thinking out loud, "key blades, Keyblades! Hey, didn't that weird sorceress with the yellow eyes warn us about a bunch of kids with Keyblades?"

"Huh?" a confused Stormy asked, "Oh, yeah, I remember."

"Like I could forget someone like that," said Darcy.

FLASHBACK

Several hours earlier, The Trix, having consolidated their takeover of Cloud Tower, along with imprisoning the staff and students in the dungeons, had begun summoning what they called 'The Dark Army.' The dark trio believed that, with the power of The Dragonfire at their command, they would possesses a great and terrible host that would sweep aside all that stood in its way.

Using a book that was marked forbidden in most magic communities, the dark trio completed a ritual to summon 'The Dark Army.' They didn't know what kind of fell creatures they would get, but when the smoke cleared, the appearance of a dozen Shadows seemed a bit anticlimactic to The Trix, leaving the dark trio with the feeling that they'd been cheated.

"This is it?" Icy asked as the dozen Shadows began creeping around the room, "This is The Dark Army which we'll use to rule The Magical Dimension?!"

"Are we sure we did the summoning spell right?" Darcy asked.

"Sure are weird little critters," Stormy remarked as she bent down to get a better look at one of the Shadows, which wiggled its antenna and stared back with its glowing yellow eyes.

"Well I'm not impressed," Icy said contemptuously.

Just then a dark voice filled the room, "Many have underestimated The Heartless, and many have perished."

"What's going on?" a startled Darcy.

"What indeed?" the voice replied.

"Quit playing games!" spat Icy, "Who are you?!"

"Ah yes," said the voice, "How rude of me not to introduce myself." There was a flash of green and black flames. When The Trix could see again, there before them stood a tall woman dressed in black and purple robes. She had pale skin and yellow eyes with a pointed headdress that gave her the appearance of horns. In her left hand was a tall metal staff that had a large green orb at the top, on which was perched a raven.

"I am Maleficent, and like the three of you, I am a servant of the darkness, a servant who wishes to become the master."

"I've heard of you," said Darcy, "But weren't you sealed inside an enchanted sword?"

"That was a long time ago," said Maleficent. "But enough about me, this is all about the three of you."

"What about us?" Stormy asked.

"I have seen many things in my time," said Maleficent, "Many dark deeds and foul undertakings. I have witnessed hundreds of worlds consumed by darkness, many of them by my own hand. But you three, are something else indeed.

"You ancestors, The Ancestress Witches, they sought to control The Dragonfire. For their greed and folly they were cast aside by fate, leaving destiny to be fulfilled by you. I congratulate you for succeeding where you ancestors failed."

"Getting The Dragonfire from that loser Bloom was easy," said Darcy, "Once we had the right chance to do it."

"And opportunity you exploited marvelously," said Maleficent, "Forcing the girl to choose between her powers and her family, a work of pure wickedness."

"Glad you liked it," said Icy, "Wait, you've been watching us?"

"For many years," replied Maleficent, "As I have been observing many other worlds, searching for allies to stand with and cover all of existence in darkness. Not too long ago I attempted to forge a union between multiple dark souls and myself. That union has failed, so now I am searching for new partners in darkness. I believe you three are of the kind that I am searching for."

"I'm flattered you think we're worthy of working with you," said Icy, "But that still doesn't explain what these things are," she pointed at the scampering Shadows.

"Of course," said Maleficent, "enough pleasant talk. The creatures you see before you are called Heartless. They are created when a person's heart is consumed by darkness. This particular breed of Heartless is known as Shadow."

"Interesting," said Darcy as she watched one of the Shadow Heartless become two-dimensional and move about the floor for a few seconds, before resuming its 3D form.

"They are cool," said Stormy, "In a creepy way, but so what?"

"You'll have to forgive my little sister," said Icy, "She can be a little impatient."

"Understandable," said Maleficent, "But regretful nonetheless. She'll have to learn to be patient, the same for you and your other sister, for I have much to say on the subject of Heartless."

The self-claimed Mistress of all Evil then explained to The Trix how Heartless instinctively seek out other hearts to corrupt. Maleficent then instructed the dark trio on how to assert control over The Heartless, as well as how to summon more, and how to manipulate them into more advanced and more powerful forms.

It wasn't long before The Trix had a sizeable force of Heartless at their disposal; the entire school and area around Cloud Tower was soon swarming with thousands of Shadows, hundreds of Soldiers, Gargoyles, dozens of Large Bodies, and a wide variety of various Heartless types.

"Well now," said and impressed Maleficent, "It seems you three have things well in hand here. I must say, for such younglings, you three have a thirst for imagination, and a grand vision for maliciousness."

"It just comes naturally to us," said Darcy.

"Now this is what I call a dark army," Icy said as she reviewed the assembled Heartless; the multitudes of foul creatures standing at the ready of their mistresses commands.

"With all these Heartless," said Stormy, "Those pathetic fairies and wanabee heroes won't stand a chance! We'll crush them like bugs!"

"Excellent," said Maleficent as she stroke her raven. But then her face grew more serious, "And now a warning."

"Now a warning?!" an exasperated Darcy asked.

"Just a bit of advice," said Maleficent, "Remember that The Heartless are darkness come to life. While countless worlds across many universes have been devoured by the darkness, one should remember that those who, while attempting to master the darkness, have proven themselves unworthy to do so, and in turn, found themselves consumed by the darkness. My advice is not to allow yourselves to be immersed too deeply in the darkness, you you'll surely find yourselves among The Heartless, instead of commanding them."

"We'll keep that in mind," said Icy, "right, sisters?"

"You bet we will," said Stormy as she and Darcy nodded in agreement.

"Well spoken," said Maleficent, "I shall now leave you to your conquests. If by some means you require my assistance, simply say my name three times, and here I shall be."

"Thanks for the offer," Icy said sardonically, "But we'll be fine."

"That remains to be seen," said Maleficent. She turned to leave, but stopped, "Oh, I almost forgot. If you three should come across a certain group of meddling brats, do not take them lightly. While they many seem unthreatening at first, they'll soon prove themselves more troublesome than you can imagine."

"And who are these meddling brats that you're so scared of?" Darcy asked.

"You will know them and their companions when you see them," said Maleficent, "Two human boys and a girl. The others with them are of little consequence, but the three human children whom you should be concerned about carry weapons that are most effective in destroying Heartless; Keyblades."

"Keyblades?" Icy asked.

"Again, you will know them when you see them," said Maleficent, "Until our next meeting." With another flash of green and black flames, Maleficent and her pet vanished.

"That was weird," said Stormy.

END FLASHBACK

"That sorceress was right," said Darcy, "Someone with a Keyblade did show up."

"Two someones' you mean," said Stormy.

"Whatever," said Darcy, "The point is, what Maleficent warned us about came true."

"But there's only two of them?" Stormy asks, "Both the boy and the girl have Keyblades. Isn't there supposed to be a third?"

"Doesn't matter," said Icy, "with The Dragonfire and The Heartless at our command, it's only a matter of time before Red Fountain, Alfea, and all of Magix is under our control. Then nothing will stand in our way of ruling The Magical Dimension, and if those meddling brats get in our way, well, let's just say it won't be a pretty sight. Anyway, I believe it's time to deliver our demands to Alfea and Red Fountain."

At this the mad sisters laughed on into the night like the lunatics they were.

The end of chapter 2. Next chapter, while Riku fights along with Sky to defend Red Fountain, Kairi goes with Bloom and her friends to help recover her powers. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!