More of a branch chapter here to sort of lead into the next part of the story. Nothing much really to say but, enjoy.^^

Disclaimer: I do not own any KH related characters, plots, etc, all original characters have been added to the story with permission from original creators.

Chapter Nine – We're off to see the Wizard

The sound of the bells ringing in the distance, caused Kairi to glance out one of the many windows that ran along the large train carriage, her eyes widening in wonder as all the many levels to the town stretched high above the tram tracks on its huge sloops.

"It's so beautiful!" Said Kairi, her gaze still looking out towards the town.

"It is, isn't it?" Said the newest person to the group, Brol.

Laying lazily back against the seat, the tanned skin young man still had the biggest smile on anyone's face there, his arms reaching behind his head as he relaxed.

Fast asleep beside her, Sora gently moved as he slept without any care, as if nothing from the time of the quarry had ever happened. Slowly sitting back down to face those inside the carriage, the young princess glanced towards everyone else with a kind smile.

Standing straight as he watched the passing buildings through the window, Riku seemed completely on guard, just waiting for anything to happen on their short journey. Donald appeared to look worried, as he quickly flipped through a rather large book in his hands, though still taking the time to nudge the snoring Goofy beside him whenever he got too loud.

"Quite a mismatch group you've got here." Stated Brol, his big smile still present as he watched Kairi smile back at him.

"Yeah they are, but I wouldn't change any of them." The princess said as she playfully ruffled Sora's hair, still not stirring the sleeping man.

Turning his head away from Kairi, Brol seemed to scoff to himself before crossing his arms infront of his chest, now choosing not to make any sort of contact with the princess.

"I can't believe I'm going along with you guys."

"You said you would, don't tell me you're going to back out now?"

"No no, don't get so worked up. I'll come along. I'm just not sure what I can do."

"Well..." Started Kairi as she gently stood up from her seat beside Sora, before quickly sitting beside the much larger Brol as she removed the large black tome from a sack the group had placed it in.

"What's that?" Asked Brol as he eyed the strange title, The Brothers, making his heart beat harder and faster as he glanced from the large letters and up towards Kairi.

"It's how we found you! It's got lots more inside it. We haven't even had time to look through it all." Beamed Kairi happily, while Brol gingerly took the book, causing it to momentarily shake in his hands as he opened it. A small sad laugh escaped from him as he ran his fingers along each of the crossed out names written upon the first page.

"It's been so long, I thought I would have completely forgotten their names by now." Said Brol while he closed the book and handed it back to Kairi, not daring to view any more of what was within its pages.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. You must have been very close to your brothers." Kairi said as she held the book close to her chest sadly, before her head turned to another scoffing laugh from Brol.

"You kidding? Sometimes I couldn't even stand them. Same goes for them though. Makes sense as they locked me away."

"You're own brothers did that? Why?"

"Not all of them to be fair, but a few. I guess...they didn't want me in the way. Heh, it's funny, I wasn't mad at them, not entirely. They did, what they thought was right."

As Brol said that, his smile quickly returned to him, before his gaze caught something from outside the window, causing his grin to grow even wider as he motioned his thumb towards it.

"Looks like we're almost there."

Following his motion, Kairi's eyes would have easily popped out of her head if they could, as she excitedly pressed her hands against the glass watching the darkness of space and the bright glow of lights pass her by along the train.

"So what's this guy like anyway? No one's really said anything about him."

"Master Yen Sid is a brilliant man!" Answered Donald firmly, before quickly going back over the notes in his book.

"Yep! Master Yen Sid taught the King when he was very young. And even trained me and Donald." Said Goofy, happily pointing his thumb to his chest rather proudly.

"I wouldn't really know. This would be my first time as well." Stated Riku as he continued to look out the window of the train, while Kairi nodded in unison.

"Me too! So see, you're not alone." Said the princess as her words caused Brol to laugh, which in turn finally woke the sleeping Sora.

"Hmm huh! What's going on?" Asked Sora slightly in panic, as he shot up straight on his seat while Kairi laughed.

"We were just talking about this Yen Sid guy. What's he really like Sora?"

"Hmm well, old, mean, scary looking..." Sora said one after the other, using his fingers to mark off each point, which seemed to bring a pale complexion to the young woman's face with each description.

Stopping as he noticed each person on the train watching him, with looks of shock at him for saying such things to the slightly timid Kairi, Sora merely looked back at everyone there with a confused expression on his face.

"What's wrong? It's like someone said something bad?"

"So how was the meeting? Was Queeny in one of her moods again?" The voice of Rauxlen said, as she walked along one of the partially collapsed walkways of the castle. The wind, rushing in from the many colossal cracks along the shell of the structure continued to blow around those that were there, easily able to take a person off if they weren't careful.

"Luckily she didn't get much time to talk. Just same old things. How about you? Where's Brixan?" Questioned Xanele, as she swung her legs over the side of the walkway, her short red hair bouncing with every swing of her body. Beside the short red haired Nobody, Xina was once again in the midst of drawing another sketch on her pad as Rauxlen spoke, again of the area everyone was in.

"Pretty boring actually. He's telling the Iron Giant all about what we saw." Jumping up onto the wall of the walkway itself, Rauxlen smiled before coping the rocking nature of Xanele until she moved in time with the young woman.

"So...how did they do?" As Xina asked that, both red haired women stopped rocking, while Xanele looked towards Rauxlen herself, interested to know as well.

"They were pretty impressive, barely though. I tell you, that was some big bad Heartless."

"And the Brother?"

"Definitely worth it."

"Fantastic."

"What's fantastic?"

Coming from further up the path, Brixans dark green hair were the first to be noticed after he spoke, blowing against the icy winds just like everyone else's.

"Brixy! Was the Giant happy with the news?" Asked Rauxlen as she bounced off the wall and ran up to Brixan, just as the Poison Remnant nodded his head.

"Very pleased. In fact he has our next assignment set for us, all of us actually." As soon as Brixan said those words, a rather loud audible groan came from Rauxlen and Xanele, as they slumped their arms and heads together.

"Come on you two, it might not be that bad." Chimed in Xina as she gently closed her sketchpad, and stepped off the wall she had been sitting upon.

As the group of Nobodies came closer together to discuss their assignments, a single dark figure watched from one of the many shadowed beams of metal which stretched across the area, a smile growing on its face as the high pitched happy yes from Rauxlen could be heard clearly.

A whiny no escaped from Sora, as he trudged up each of the almost never ending steps of Yen Sids tower, moving at the tail end of the group, as everyone else seemed content with the climb.

"Aren't we almost there yet? Why are there so many steps?" Sora continued to whine, his arms and back hanging with invisible weight as he heavily placed one foot infront of the other.

"Haven't you been here already Sora?" Questioned Kairi as the princess stopped her ascent, already another level above Sora as she peered over the banister of the floating staircases.

"Well, yeah, I just forgot how many stairs there were!" Said Sora as he proceeded to climb higher and higher, while the Brother Brol still seemed transfixed with the increased size of the tower itself when compared with what they saw on the outside upon arrival.

Pushing open the large and heavy door, Donald and Goofy were the first to enter the round shaped room, taking up guard like postures on either side of the doorway as Riku, followed by Kairi, entered the room.

"It's great to see you all again, Riku, Kairi." Said King Mickey, the mouse's happy smile as warm and friendly as ever, to which Kairi instantly replied with one of her own, as Riku smiled and merely nodded his head.

"But uh, where's Sora?" Asked the mouse, his quizzical expression causing Kairi to momentarily look behind her, before giggling to herself as the two final figures slowly grew larger towards the doorway.

Breathing heavily and rather overdramatically, Sora clung to the shoulder of Brol, who after also climbed the steps, along with carrying the heavy body of Sora with him, didn't seem to break even a drop of sweat.

Dropping the Keywielder off him though, Brol straightened his shoulder and clothes while Sora fell with a thud onto the ground, quickly righting himself as he jumped back up onto his feet just as instantly.

"Piece of cake!" Beamed Sora as he brushed the dust off his mostly dirt ridden clothes, not noticing that the brushing merely spread the dirt around instead of removing it.

"So, you have all finally arrived." Said the slow deep voice of the tallest figure within the room, who was currently staring out of the moon shaped window of the tower.

"Master Yen Sid!" Said Donald, Goofy and Sora, all in unison as the young keywielder took a straight stance along with the Guard and Wizard, while Yen Sid turned to face all those there, his large eyes staring at them rather unnaturally.

"Please come forward, Riku, Kairi, Brol." Spoke the powerful wizard as he slowly and delicately took his seat behind the huge wooden table, as the three warriors looked at one another rather confusingly and surprised.

"How exactly do you know our names?" Questioned Riku while Yen Sid chuckled deeply.

"I've been informed by his Majesty here, of course. Would you assume I could read your minds?" As the wizard said that, everyone in the room took a moment to glance at one another, no one knowing if the man really could do it, while also not daring to ask.

"Now, about why you are all here, especially you Brol."

"I was planning on asking about that yeah. I've got some kind of understanding on the situation, but not on what I can do."

"You know that Sleif has returned?"

"Yep."

"And you still willingly came along?"

"Yep. Sort of had to, thanks to these guys helping me out."

"I'm quite sure. Well then, to come straight to it, I want you to help find the other Brothers."

Crossing his arms as he heard it, Brol began to shake his head before turning away from Yen Sid and walking across the room towards the only other window.

"I know it's a lot to ask."

"You damn right it's a lot to ask!"

"Brol!" Shouted Kairi at Brol's sudden exclamation, while Yen Sid tenderly raised his hand stopping the young princess from saying any more.

"The young Brother has the right to act such a way to my request. But it does not change. You must find your fellow Brothers Brol."

"And if I don't? What are you going to do about it?"

"I will do nothing. But you know full well the lengths Sleif will go to find them. He will not stop for even worlds in his way, if he believes he has found one of them!"

Lowering his head, Brol's fists clenched tightly, as the Brother's mind continued to flash with past memories of terrible destruction.

"Finding them is your only change to protect them. They will be sitting targets, not knowing of the danger coming for them. You are their only chance of a warning."

"Fine then...let's do this already. How do you suggest I get to them?"

"A gummi ship is being prepared at this moment. You may board it whenever you are ready." Before the great wizard had finished his sentence, Brol had suddenly turned and stormed out of the room, leaving everyone to look on as he disappeared from sight, before glancing back towards Yen Sid himself. Nodding to them all, everyone remaining bowed their head before silently leaving the room one by one. Just as Sora and Kairi reached the door, the wizard spoke once again.

"I suggest Sora, you should take the young princess to see the godmothers in the next room. I believe they will be able to help you, just as before."

Looking questionably at him, Kairi tilted her head confused, while Sora seemed just as clueless before a large smile grew on him as he happily pulled Kairi after him, and straight into the side room of the tower.

Swirls of darkness and energy formed and dissipated randomly throughout the endless abyss, while tiny just liveable islands of rock floated in unison with the energy. Cracking and crashing into one another, the islands would bounce and change directions with each collision, all except one. Floating motionlessly in what could be considered the center of the area, a single silver haired figure sat with his arms holding onto his legs. His face, entirely buried into his knees, simply rocked back and forth as if fighting with some force that wasn't there.

Finally stopping, Sleif raised his head up slowly, his bright yellow eyes shining even more, as the small island he sat upon stayed perfectly still infront of the colossal sized sphere of energy. The realms own version of a miniature sun, the other islands appeared to slow form into place around it, rotating on their own axis, like tiny planets.

Petting another of the small Shadow Heartless as they appeared around him, the human Heartless continued to stare at the pulsating sphere, the power it radiated causing Sleif to smile for some reason, before finally standing to his full terrifying height.

"Let us hope you do better than your fallen brother." Said the Heartless, speaking towards the giant sphere, as the shadow of a creature slowly grew larger within the cocoon of pulsating energy.