A Tale of Two Hearts

by KingdomKat

One with a heart so pure…I fear the visions of the future I receive; the worlds drowning in darkness, one man standing triumphant above it all…Only you can stop this from happening. Travel with the Key Bearer, seal the hearts of each world, but do not forget: Many lives depend on you, and sometimes that calls for personal sacrifices. (Rewrite of a Kingdom Hearts Sora/OC story)

10. Never Had a Friend Like Me

Chapter 9: Never Had a Friend Like Me

"Sometimes people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them. But you keep the promise anyway. That's what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway."

—John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

---

The rest of the travel continued in an uneventful manner. Sora didn't bring up the kiss or the conversation we had, but I could tell part of him wanted to. It showed in his sideways glances, the concern that crossed his face when he thought I couldn't see him.

But that was okay. He did a good job at pretending nothing was wrong, even teasing Donald about the quality of his singing voice with me. It made me feel better, pretending like nothing was wrong. But when we were alone I felt the intensity of his gaze, and it made me feel like we were hiding the elephant in the room by placing a blanket over it.

Eventually, our attention was drawn to the approaching world. Apparently, it was a desert and would be the harshest world we would face yet, environmentally speaking. Donald tossed us the clothes we would need for protection against the sand and fitting in with the citizens. I viewed them with my lips pursed, not understanding why you'd put more layers on in a hot environment.

As the Gummi Ship lowered to the world, I saw our desired location standing out against the horizon. It was the largest city I'd ever seen, the Palace itself was probably larger than the entirety of Destiny Islands. I pressed myself against the glass, viewing the impressive spirals of gold that glinted against the hot desert sun. However, I soon realized we weren't getting any closer. In fact, the ship was starting to land.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" I said with a frown, looking towards Donald. "The city is still, like, miles away!"

"Darn, I thought I was closer." Donald replied sarcastically.

"We need to take better precautions towards protecting the ship," Goofy explained. "So we're hidin' it out here!"

Sora voiced his opinion on the matter in the form of a long groan. I couldn't help but agree with that sentiment. This desert was no joke; there was only sand as far as the eye could see.

Unfortunately, all our complaining was useless. The Gummi Ship settled down into the sandy ground with a crunch, and soon we were all stepping out into the sandstorm.

KH

The wind howled over the messy metropolis, and the Royal Vizier was forced to cover his face against the sharp sand carried by the wind. Off in the distance stood the palace of the Sultan, and he wondered bitterly why Maleficent hadn't requested to meet him there, away from the sand and the filthy commoners.

"Have you captured all who would stand in our way, Jafar?"

Jafar turned, viewing the witch. She stood tall and proud, the wind parting around her as if even the sand didn't want to touch her. A raven was perched on her shoulder, viewing him with contempt.

He smiled, simply a formality, and nodded his head. "Of course, Maleficent. The Sultan is not a problem. Agrabah is now fully under my control."

Her face remained stolid as she reached a hand up to stroke the raven fondly, turning around to view the streets of the city. "What about the Keyhole?" she questioned without facing him.

"The Heartless are searching for it now. I'm certain they will locate it soon enough." He responded. Jafar's heart rate increased slightly as she stood silently, observing the city. He knew what she would inquire about next, but he hoped some miracle would prevent her from asking. No such luck.

"And the Princess?"

"I…well you see, the Princess is—" His spluttering stopped as a squawk rang through the air, followed by the sound of heavy panting. A disheveled parrot flapped his way down to Jafar, landing heavily on his shoulder.

"Bad news Jafar! I've looked everywhere for Jasmine!" The parrot shrieked loudly. Jafar glowered at the bird, a sign for him to shut up, but he didn't get the hint. "She's disappeared like magic!"

"Calm yourself, Iago," Jafar hissed. The parrot, Iago, suddenly perked up, realizing they had guests. He laughed nervously and shuffled behind Jafar's head.

Maleficent narrowed her eyes at the duo, her raven seeming to imitate this gesture. "I thought you said you had things under control." Her voice was cold and her gaze piercing, even more than the sharp particles of sand blowing in his face.

"Agrabah is full of holes for rats to hide in," Jafar said quickly, giving a reassuring smile. Even as he said this, however, his faith in the ability to find her wavered. "But why worry about Princess Jasmine? With her or without her, surely we can find the final Keyhole?"

"We need the Pure Heart to open the final door. But before we can do that, we need all seven Princesses of Heart to reveal the door. Any fewer is useless." Her voice held a hint of exasperation, as if she had already explained this to him. "This world is merely a speck in what will soon be our Kingdom."

"Of course, Maleficent," Jafar said with a small bow, "We will find the Princess." As he stood he snapped his fingers. A moment passed before several dark portals opened on the ground, Heartless forming from them. Large shawls covered their faces and their swords gleamed against the sunlight. They might've been mistaken for natives, unless you happened to glance into their yellowed eyes. "Locate Princess Jasmine," Jafar commanded, "Bring her to me. Unharmed."

As they scattered to various parts of the city, Maleficent looked on with her usual calm demeanor, a slight scowl on her lips betraying her annoyance. She wished she could've sent Riku here instead, he was so much more competent. Knowing the two wielders would soon be arriving stopped her from doing so. She didn't want another run in ruining her plans.

Waving her staff, a dark portal appeared in front of her. Before she stepped through, she glanced back at Jafar. "Don't steep yourself in darkness too long. The Heartless consume the careless."

Jafar chuckled slightly. "Your concern is touching, but hardly necessary," he scoffed, turning to follow one of the Heartless.

Maleficent raised one of her thin eyebrows at his bravado before she disappeared into the tendrils of darkness.

KH

I shut my eyes firmly, tugging the scarf further up my face to cover my nose. Putting a hand up to guard my eyes against the sharp particles of sand, I pressed on. The three boys were ahead of me, dragging their feet against the sandy terrain.

I was used to having sand get everywhere, but this was a different situation entirely. Back on Destiny Islands the sand was soft and pillowy, it ran through your fingers like silk. Here it was hard and grainy, and it hit your skin like hot pieces of coal.

The travel was silent, mostly because the winds made talk impossible. Every once in a while, Sora would glance back to make sure I was still in sight. I would nod as reassurance each time and he would return to pushing his way through the sand storm. Eventually, the city we first spotted on the Gummi Ship came into view. The palace stood as high as ever, guiding our party into the safety of the city walls.

As soon as we entered, I tugged my scarf down and spat sand from my mouth then attempted to shake most of it from my clothing. The boys followed suit, Sora shaking his hair, Goofy taking off his boots and patting them, and Donald casting aero on himself. Small piles of sand soon started to gather under our feet.

A man watched our antics and shook his head, muttering "Tourists." under his breath as he passed.

Donald scoffed at this, tugging at the scarf around his neck. "I hate this world already."

The sun beat down on us even in the city, and I found myself wishing we didn't have to wear so many layers of clothing. The inhabitants of this world were dressed the same as us, but they seemed better accustomed to the heat all the same.

As we walked further into the city, I found myself agreeing with Donald's opinion on the world. The sandy colored buildings were packed tightly together, creating only narrow alleyways for you to walk. However, that didn't stop people from setting up shops everywhere you looked. Colorful tarps hung over various stands, the merchants selling all sorts of food, pottery, and knickknacks. People pressed closely together, pushing past each other to get to these stands. I bristled each time someone hit my shoulder or knocked me back, holding my tongue as they shouted obscenities at me. This place was hot, crowded, and all around suffocating. I couldn't take much more.

I tugged on Sora's sleeve, gesturing to an alleyway. Thankfully he got the hint and pulled Donald and Goofy from the crowded streets. Once we were in the alleyway I took a deep breath and leaned against the cool surface of the house. "Sorry, I just needed a break from that," I said, gesturing to the streets.

"Take your time, Akira," Goofy said, patting my shoulder.

"Yeah, please," Donald grumbled. "I'm in no hurry to push my way back in there. Do you know how many times I almost got trampled?"

"Happens when you're short," Sora shrugged.

Before they could get into it further, a scream rung out across the town. People in the streets slowed their movements, their heads turning in unison to face the source of the scream. As they did, a panic broke out. People started bolting and diving into the corners and holes of the buildings along the road. I exchanged a glance with the boys, dreading to fight against the crowd's panic, but knowing the cause of the scream was most likely Heartless.

We dodged the running people and pushed through to the sounds of screaming; a difficult task, considering we were fighting against the flow of the crowd.

Once we arrived in the center of the bazar, our suspicions were confirmed. A group of Heartless were currently knocking over stands and peering into houses, almost as if they were searching for something. They were mostly ignoring the panicked citizens (strange for Heartless) and wielded large curved swords (even stranger for Heartless).

"They have weapons now?" I gaped, summoning the Heartblade. The Heartless jerked their heads towards us, forgetting whatever task it was they were doing.

"This is highly unusual," Donald agreed, summoning a bolt of thunder to strike several of the Heartless. The sand under their feet rose into glass-like structures as the Heartless were blown back.

Those that weren't hit by Donald's magic jumped towards us, their swords swinging wildly. I parried and delivered a counter strike to one that tried to attack me, pushing a second one back with a blast of fire. As I leaped forward and sunk my Heartblade into the stunned Heartless, a large dark portal opened in front of me. From it emerged the largest non-boss Heartless I think I'd ever seen.

Its massive body was basically a perfect circle; its pudgy arms couldn't even reach around its midriff. It was wearing a sort of face mask, which it tugged down to reveal a fireball forming in its mouth.

I let out a yelp and dove away as the fireball hit the sand, exploding the particles outwards. I covered my face and stumbled backwards blindly, letting out an oomph as I tripped over my own feet. "Guys!" I cried, scrambling backwards as the Heartless stomped its way towards me. "What do we do?"

"It's just a Heartless! Attack it!" Donald answered, casting blizzard into its body. The block of ice hit the Heartless in its stomach, ricocheting into the side of a building. Sora ran forward and swung the Keyblade into it, which also bounced harmlessly off the Heartless. It grumbled in displeasure, swinging its heavy fist into Sora's side. I winced as he hit the sand hard, his breath leaving in a harsh gasp.

I ran over and helped him to his feet, Goofy blocking another fireball from the Heartless's mouth. "We gotta run!" Goofy shouted, his shield moving back from the force of the blast.

"But—" Sora started to protest, but another fireball exploded beside us, sending dirt and sand flying. That settled our reluctance to flee. We scrambled into the nearest house, which, as luck would have it, was abandoned. It obviously had been for a while, as our flight up the stairs left the weak wood crumbling.

The second floor still looked run down, but the way things were arranged made it seem like someone was living there. A bedspread was laid out on the floor, various belongings were scattered across the ruined furniture, and a large hole in the wall was covered with a makeshift curtain. As I moved the tattered cloth to peer out of the house, I saw the large Heartless was still wandering around the streets. It turned its head upwards and I hastily let the curtain fall back into place.

"I guess the Heartless are getting stronger," I said with a sigh, turning back to face the boys.

"How are we supposed to defeat something that isn't even bothered by our attacks!" Sora cried, throwing his hands in the air.

"Maybe we can drop bricks on its head," I mused, staring at the broken bits of wall scattered around the room.

"I dunno, that might make it mad," Goofy voiced, his hands over his mouth.

"Wait, shut up for a second," Donald hissed, holding a feathered hand out. I looked towards him with a glare before the sounds of a struggle reached my ears. I tilted my head curiously, summoning the Heartblade as a desk in the corner of the room started to shake.

Glancing around at the boys I found they also had their weapons drawn, and we all approached the desk cautiously. A large pot hid whatever was struggling under the desk, and I pushed it aside to reveal…nothing. There was only a slightly disheveled carpet. I lowered the Heartblade, wondering if the Heartless somehow escaped. Suddenly, the carpet shot into the air, wiggling madly. I shrieked and fell backwards in surprise, Sora managing to catch me before I hit the ground.

The carpet seemed to gesture with one of its tassels to the desk, which kept it pinned to the ground. We simply continued to balk at the scene. The front of the carpet dropped slightly, almost like it was disappointed we weren't doing anything.

Magical weapons? Okay, I can accept that. Talking animals? Yeah, no problem. Living furniture? That's where I started to draw the line.

"So, are we gonna help it?" Sora finally spoke up, gesturing to the desk. The carpet pointed wildly at Sora with its tassels as if it was agreeing. We broke out of our stupor, working together to lift the desk and free the creature. As we finally lifted high enough for the carpet to escape, a voice sounded through the room.

"Wait!"

We all jumped in surprise, letting the desk crash back to the ground. The carpet moved out of the way just in time. It zoomed to the corner of the room, circling around a young woman who had just climbed the set of wooden stairs.

"Carpet, I know you want to help, but Aladdin told you to stay here!" she scolded. The carpet gave a shrugging gesture before flying out of the hole in the wall. The girl jerked forward as if to stop it, but it was too late. Her shoulders drooped before she turned to fix a sharp glare on us.

She was no commoner, that was for sure. The blue bedlah she wore and the golden hoops dangling from her ears signified a royal status.

She started towards us, jabbing a finger in our faces. "Who are you? And what are you doing in Aladdin's house?"

I put my hands out to ward her off. "Hey, sorry! We didn't know anybody lived here. We were getting away from the Heart—er the monsters in the street." Her gaze softened at my hasty explanation, and she dropped her finger.

"If you're running from the monsters then you're not working with Jafar. My name is Jasmine, and I'm very glad to have run into you." We all perked up at this tidbit of information she let slip. A human was commanding the Heartless…?

"So, this Jafar is controlling them?" Sora spoke up.

"Yes, but not many people know that. He used them to depose my father, the Sultan, so I saw first hand what he's is capable of. I barely escaped the palace."

"Oh, so then you're a princess!" Goofy gasped, dropping to bow.

"Please, there's no need for that," Jasmine waved her hand dismissively. "It's beside the point. We need to find my friend, Aladdin. He went to the Cave of Wonders to try and find something to fight against Jafar, but he hasn't come back. I'm afraid he's in trouble."

"We?" Donald repeated her phrasing with his eyebrows arched.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just I don't have much to protect myself, and you seem to be well armed." She gestured to the weapons we still had in our hands. "I need your help to save my city."

"Of course we'll help!" Sora declared, standing proudly. Donald was quietly seething beside him.

"There's only one problem, that thing is in the way," I rubbed the back on my neck, gesturing to the hole in the wall. Jasmine raised her eyebrows, walking over to move the curtain aside. We all leaned out, viewing the tubby fire-breathing Heartless. Jasmine hummed thoughtfully, looking around the room before picking up a large brick and tossing it out of the house. It landed squarely on the Heartless's head, knocking the massive creature out cold.

We stared in shock as Jasmine brushed her hands off before running towards the stairs. She picked up an old cloak which she used to conceal her face before she waved for us to follow. "C'mon! We have to hurry!"

"Glad we're still messing around in everyone's affairs! Nothing like interfering in every world we go to!" Donald grumbled. "We need to focus on finding the Keyhole!"

I ignored Donald, instead turning to smile at Sora. "I like her," I whispered, and he nodded in response.

"She kinda reminds me of Kairi," he laughed, and I realized he was right. Maybe that's why I liked her so much.

As we left the house, the crowd started to cautiously return to the bazar. Soon the streets were bustling with activity again. As we traversed the city, Jasmine seemed to lead us through the least crowded alleys and knew the path to take whenever one street was blockaded.

As we entered the city outskirts, I finally decided to mention it since no one else was around to overhear. "You navigate these streets pretty well for a princess."

As she looked back at me I could see a light blush shaded her cheeks. "Well…Aladdin has taught me a lot. I used to sneak out of the palace to come and see him all the time."

"Something between you two?" Sora asked with a smirk.

Her blush deepened as she let out a giggle. "I guess you could say that. He's just so handsome, crafty, and brave," she sighed wistfully. "Oh Aladdin…I hope he's okay."

"Aladdin? And where might I find this street rat?" A cold chuckle echoed through the street and we all stiffened, whirling around to find the source.

Jasmine's mood had pulled a 180, and her face was now contorted in a snarl. "Jafar," she hissed.

A man slowly emerged from one of the sandy abodes, dressed in black and red robes. He raised a long golden staff, on top of which the red eyes of a snake glowed menacingly. "Jasmine, allow me to find you more suitable company, my dear Princess."

As he stalked closer to us, the same dark aura I had grown accustomed to seeing flickered around him. "High alert, Sora," I muttered, summoning the Heartblade. Sora summoned the Keyblade in response, stepping closer to Jasmine.

"Pure Heart, it would be in your best interest to follow the Princess, here. This Key Bearer is nothing but a filthy street rat. You could do so much better," Jafar crooned.

"Take one more step and you'll be toast!" Donald quacked out before I could even snap a reply. His wand crackled with electricity in a warning.

"Are you sure about that?" Jafar laughed before slamming his staff into the ground. Heartless appeared instantly, surrounding our group.

I felt a light touch at my elbow and looked out the corner of my eye to see Jasmine with her head discretely turned towards me. "Follow the desert storms to find Aladdin," she whispered before bolting from the group.

"Jasmine!" We cried in unison, jerking forward to try and grab her. She slipped through my fingers, leaping clear of the Heartless line and running towards the crowded streets of the bazar.

"Bah, that girl is more trouble than she's worth," Jafar hissed. He waved his staff and the Heartless took off in pursuit of Jasmine. He turned to us then, his eyes narrowed. "I have no quarrel with you four…yet. You'd do best to stay out of my way. Give up on finding the Keyhole, run away with your tails between your legs. You may still live another day." He turned, his robes flapping behind him, and marched after the Heartless.

Sora growled and jumped to hurry after them, but I grabbed his arm. "Wait, Jasmine did that to buy us time! She said we need to find Aladdin." I kept his arm in a firm grip, unsure that if I let him go he'd listen.

"But what about Jasmine?" Goofy offered up hesitantly. "Shouldn't we help her?"

"She seems resourceful," I reassured them, but still…leaving her alone did still seem wrong.

"Maybe we should…split up?" Sora said. "Two of us go find Aladdin, two of us stay here and watch after Jasmine."

I frowned at this idea, unconsciously hovering closer to Sora.

"I guess…" Donald huffed, tapping his foot rapidly. "I'd feel better if one of us went with you, but something tells me Akira wouldn't be too fond of that idea."

Sora glanced towards me in surprise and I held his gaze steadily. I didn't want to admit I was compromising the plan, but I wouldn't be separated from Sora again. I just knew I'd worry myself sick.

"Don't worry Donald," Goofy placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. "They're tough! Plus, Akira'll keep Sora outta trouble!"

Sora bristled and glared at the two. Eventually Donald relented and handed us the bag filled with water. "You two go after Aladdin. Jafar seems like a powerful sorcerer; me and Goofy are better equipped to handle this anyways."

We reluctantly parted then; Sora and I heading towards the city gates while Donald and Goofy headed after Jasmine. As we reached the entrance to the desert I tugged the scarf over my mouth, scanning the horizon for sights of a storm. The sand seemed to stretch for miles, a thought that made my mouth parched.

"So," Sora spoke to me, his voice slightly muffled by the scarf. "Where is this Cave of Wonders?"

"Jasmine said to follow the desert storms," I mumbled, squinting to peer further out. A circle of dark clouds caught my attention and I pointed towards it. "There! C'mon!"

We trudged through the desert, the city drifting further and further behind us. Any people that had left the city the same time as us had now scattered to the winds, it was just me and Sora now. The desert winds weren't as harsh as they were when we had first landed, so I decided to break the silence.

"I think I hate sand now," I said sarcastically.

His eyes narrowed, the only sign I got that he was smiling. "You can't say that; you were raised on an island!"

"I know, but this is really ruining things for me."

We drifted into another silence, the crunching our shoes made beneath our feet echoing in the dry desert air.

"Do you think we can ever go back home?" Sora suddenly spoke, turning to look at me. I was taken aback by the sudden question, but found I had no answer to give. "I mean, the islands are gone. But do you think we could ever get them back?" Sora continued.

"I'm not sure. I think it would take a whole lot of power to recreate a world," I finally answered. "Power we don't really have."

He pondered this for a second before speaking again. "I guess we could live with Leon and the gang back on Traverse Town. When all of this is over."

"I wouldn't mind that."

Sora hummed in agreement. Before I could think of a response, the wind started to pick up speed. I drew the cloth tighter around my face, huddling closer to Sora as a sandstorm formed around us. No more conversation allowed.

KH

It felt like we had been walking for hours, but the storm seemed as far off as ever. Maybe we were just chasing a moving target. I looked back the way we came, seeing the city as a barely distinguishable shadow on the horizon.

I checked the bag, noting the water levels on the canteens. The water sloshed around as I did so and my mouth burned at the sound. I shook my head, pressing forward. We needed to conserve water, no matter how badly I wanted it.

Rivulets of sweat dripped down my forehead and I tugged the scarf from it, letting my skin breathe. Sora did the same and we paused to fan ourselves, panting in the heat. I had to choke back a laugh when I saw the strip of sunburnt skin on Sora's face, the only part of him that was showing to the harsh rays. He let out a short laugh and I realized I had the same thing on my face.

When we continued forward I draped the cloth over my head instead of wrapping it around my neck. I wasn't strong enough to endure the suffocating feeling of the scarf around my face. I would just deal with the small scrapes the sand delivered when the wind kicked up.

A few minutes passed, or maybe it was a few hours, and Sora was asking for a drink. I took the canteens from the bag and took the smallest sip. The water was lukewarm by now, but it was still soothing against my parched throat. I took another, bigger sip to try and stave off the urge to drink again.

Before I knew it all the water was gone. I turned the bottle completely upside down, letting the last drop fall into my opened mouth. As I lowered it again, my mouth returned to being parched almost immediately.

"This was a terrible idea," Sora uttered huskily, his throat also dry.

I nodded my agreement, tugging at him to press on. "We're almost there."

The sun was unforgiving. I ended up pulling a layer off and tying it around my waist in an effort to cool off. All that ended up happening was my arms and shoulders developing sunburn. I found myself in a sort of begrudging awe over the huge expanse of sand; I honestly had no idea this much could exist in one place. My head hurt just looking at all of it.

At least it seemed like we were making progress. The storm was closer; I could tell by the darkening of the sky. Or…maybe the sun was just setting? I looked towards Sora who was now sunburnt just like me. He seemed to feel my gaze and turned his head, giving me a smile when our eyes met. It would've been reassuring, if his lips weren't so chapped they split and started bleeding.

I let out a gasp and immediately stepped closer brushing a hand against his lips softly. He hissed in pain and jerked back. "Ow! Stop!"

"I'm trying to help!" I scolded, bringing him in again. He looked at me warily as I raised my hand, trying to still my hand's trembling. I closed my eyes, willing a healing pulse to come through. My ring burned slightly and I heard Sora sigh in relief. When I opened my eyes his lips were healed, and the sunburn on his face and neck was gone too. I nodded in approval and stepped back, stumbling slightly on the sand.

Sora's hand flew out and caught mine, yanking me towards him. Unfortunately, he used a bit too much force. I crashed into him and we were sent tumbling backwards over the sand dune. We landed in a dazed pile of limbs and I couldn't stop the laughter that rose from the back of my throat. Sora joined as we laid in the sand, the heat exhaustion taking over.

"This sucks," I croaked.

"Tell me about it," Sora whispered. "I wish we were back on the Islands. So I can dive into the cold ocean."

"With Riku and Kairi," I added.

"And none of this world saving business," Sora said with a nod. "Then we could be together and we wouldn't have to feel bad about it."

I squinted against the sun's rays and I tried to think of a response to that, even though my brain felt like it was slowly melting. All I could think about was how badly I wanted to be somewhere else. "We could be normal kids."

"Yeah," he mumbled, rolling over in the sand with a flop. "Normal."

"What're we doing here again?" I asked, propping myself up on my elbows. "We're looking for somebody, right?"

"Aladdin," Sora voiced, muffled by the sand.

"Oh, right." I tried to get my legs to lift me, but nothing was happening. I was just so tired. Falling back onto the sand, I shielded my face against the sun and looked at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight, but something was currently making its way towards us. It kind of looked like a flying carpet.

I was convinced it was a mirage, but the carpet landed beside us and started nudging me with one of its tassels. That's weird, mirages don't usually touch you. Wait—that carpet was from Aladdin's house. Jasmine got mad at us for freeing it. Jasmine. Suddenly the urgency of our mission came flowing back full force and I jerked upwards.

Sora let out a groan of complaint at my fast movement, groaning even louder as I started to shake him. Seeing as he wasn't going to rise willingly, I pulled him to his feet and shouldered his weight. Carpet seemed exasperated at our slow movements, lying flat and gesturing to itself with its tassels.

"You want us to get on?" I asked. The front of the carpet nodded and I laid Sora down with a grunt, following suit. As soon as we were settled down the carpet took off. I was surprised at the speed it put on and I held onto the edge tightly, afraid I would fall off.

The wind generated by the Carpet's speed helped to rouse Sora and he blinked as he looked around at his new surroundings. "Where—How?" he spluttered, gazing over the carpet's edge to the rapidly moving ground.

"Don't question miracles, Sora."

As we traveled further into the storm, thunder rumbled above us and lightning illuminated the area. In one particular flash, I saw a crescent shaped outcropping looming in the distance. Carpet seemed to spot this as well, as it took a sharp dive to drop us in the middle of the rocks. Sora and I tumbled to our feet, looking around at the new area cautiously. Why had it brought us here?

"Akira, look!" I looked to Sora, seeing him pointing at the ground in front of us. Another flash showed a young man, his waist stuck in the sand. A small monkey was on top of his head, waving wildly at us and chirping madly.

"Nice going Carpet!" The man shouted, looking up as us with a strained smile. "I hope you guys are friendly. I'm in a little bit of a…predicament." As he said this another shift in the sand made his body sink lower, submerging him to his chest.

I cautiously approached the edge of the pit, testing the loose sand. It crumbled easily under my feet, so there was no way I could reach him without sinking in myself. I looked around the area desperately for some sort of stick or something I could hold out to him before I mentally slapped myself. The Heartblade!

"Sora, be my anchor," I waved him over and he nodded, grabbing my waist. I leaned out as far as I could before summoning the Heartblade and stretching it to them. "Grab on!"

The man and monkey exchanged a surprised glance before the pit sucked them further in, breaking their stupor. The monkey shrieked and leaped onto the Heartblade, clambering over us to the safety of the stones. The man grabbed onto the blade and I leaned back digging my heels into the sand. Sora tightened his hold on me, pulling back as well. The man slowly emerged from the sand and I smiled slightly, relieved the plan was working. That was until the Heartless showed up.

"No, not now!" I groaned, watching them approach us with their swords glinting threateningly in the lightning.

Sora let go of me to summon the Keyblade, but I could see his arms trembling. From the heat exhaustion to pulling this guy from quicksand, he was in no shape to fight all of them off. I grunted and pulled harder, adrenaline adding temporarily to my strength.

As one Heartless jumped forward I held a hand up and cast aero, blowing it back into the others. I stumbled forward, my one arm not enough to hold the man's weight against the tug of the sand. Barely stopping myself before I tumbled into the pit myself, I quickly backtracked to regain my ground. By this point the man's waist was now visible, and he tried to wiggle his legs loose. "Everything okay up there?" he called up.

"Just peachy!" I replied, watching Sora slice through the final Heartless. He was panting and his arms were shaking badly. The Keyblade dropped from his grip just as more Heartless swarmed the area.

The boy, seeming to realize things were not just peachy, stuffed a hand into a pant pocket. He produced a bronze lamp from them triumphantly, letting go of the Heartblade to rub it furiously. "Genie, get rid of these guys!"

I watched as a blue smoke emerged from the lamp, solidifying into the shape of a man. His skin was a light shade of blue, and as he raised his hands I saw two golden bangles clasped tightly to his wrists. "Wish number one, coming riiiight up!" he shouted before clapping his hands together. Every single one of the Heartless disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The genie floated down to the ground with his hands behind his head, reclining as if he was in a hammock. "That was too easy, Al." He seemed to notice the man was in a sand pit and sighed, snapping his fingers. In a flash the pit disappeared, replaced with solid ground, the man standing on top of it in a slight daze. "Now you got two wishes left!"

The boy with the lamp chuckled and gave a sly smile. "Are you sure about that Genie? I didn't actually wish for your help."

The genie held up a finger, about to snidely correct the boy, before his jaw dropped. He placed a hand on his head, shrinking until he took on the form of a sheep. "Well, I feel sheepish." He strode up to the boy, jumping up to baa angrily at him. "Alright you ba-a-a-ad boy! But no more freebies!"

"Fair deal," the boy said with a shrug before turning to us, smiling widely. "Thanks for helping guys! I was pretty set on not wasting a wish, so Carpet went to go get help."

"We didn't do much," I laughed, dismissing the Heartblade.

"Speak for yourself," Sora sighed, plopping down onto the sand.

I kneeled on the ground, feeling Sora's forehead. He felt clammy and his breathing was shallow. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, I didn't feel too good myself. "You don't happen to have any water do you…" I drifted off, not remembering the man's name.

"Aladdin," he finished for me, handing us a flask.

"Oh, thank goodness, we finally found you," I sighed, grabbing the flask and handing it to Sora. He took it and drank greedily before Aladdin snatched it back.

"Hey, watch it! You're gonna make yourself sick!" he scolded, handing it to me while watching Sora cautiously.

"I already feel sick," Sora said as he sat up slowly, pressing a hand against his head. "Sorry though."

I took a few small sips, resisting the urge to gulp it down like Sora had, before handing it back to Aladdin. "So, you said you were looking for me?" He questioned with a grin. "Nice coincidence, huh?"

I nodded urgently. "Jasmine sent us."

"Jasmine?" Aladdin's eyes widened as all humor dropped from his face. "Is she okay? What happened?"

"She might be okay," Sora offered up hesitantly. "We left two friends to try and guard her. She was going to come with us to search for you, but Jafar ambushed us."

"That two faced son of a jackal!" Aladdin hissed. "He won't be around to bother us for much longer though, now that I've got this!" He held up the lamp, a thin blue wisp connecting it to the Genie resting above our heads. "Now I've got an all-powerful gen—"

A sudden poof of smoke erupted between our group, interrupting Aladdin. The genie appeared with a wide smile, leaning on Aladdin's shoulder. "Whoa kid, leave the introductions to the professionals! I only get to do this every once a millennium."

With a wave of his hand, fireworks shot off into the night sky, exploding in grand designs and chasing away the storm clouds. A spotlight descended from seemingly nowhere, illuminating the genie. "Now introducing the ever impressive, the long contained, often imitated, but never duplicated: GENIE OF THE LAMP!" Fireworks exploded directly behind him, spelling out the word 'Genie' before disappearing.

I laughed as Genie duplicated himself, several of them standing behind us and cheering wildly. "Yes, that's right folks! Rub-a-dub-dub the lamp and have your dearest wishes granted!" He disappeared again, reappearing in a smaller size beside Aladdin with a bucket of confetti, which he promptly dumped over the boy's head. "Today's winner is Aladdin! Congratulations!"

"Genie, cut it out! I'm being serious," Aladdin huffed, fixing his hair and straightening his vest. "If Jasmine's in trouble we need to leave now!" He whistled and Carpet flew to the ground, saluting Aladdin. "Let's go!"

He climbed onto the Carpet, the monkey from earlier emerging and climbing onto Aladdin's shoulder. Sora and I scooted on as well, fitting as close as we could so none of us dangled off the edge. Carpet took off from the desert floor with a start and I felt Sora's arms wrap around me instinctively as we were jostled around. As the flight steadied he started to withdrawal, but I grabbed his arm quickly. Being held by him made me feel much less nauseated. I could feel him tense in surprise before he puffed out a small laugh, letting me relax back into his arms.

"Aladdin, you said you got Genie to help against Jafar?" I asked, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Yeah. I've been to the Cave of Wonders once before, hunting legendary treasure. It's where I found Carpet," Aladdin explained, patting the carpet affectionately. "I figured there had to be something, like a magical sword to help fight him! Instead, I found Genie."

"An even better find!" Genie chimed in.

"So, you can grant any three wishes?" Sora asked, wide eyed.

"There are a few, uh, provisos, a couple of quid pro quos," The Genie hummed, his face taking on a serious nature as he tapped his fingers together.

"Like what?" I questioned.

"Well, for starters, I can't kill anybody." He made a slicing motion over his neck, his head popping off into his hands. "Rule number two: I can't make anybody fall in love with anybody else." He replaced his head, batting his eyelashes at us sweetly. "But it's not like you two would need any help with that."

I felt Sora's grip on me loosen as he shifted uncomfortably. I coughed into my hand, my throat closing from embarrassment. If only he knew.

"Rule number three: I can't bring people back from the dead." Genie's form morphed into a sickly green monster, slime hanging from his arms. "It's not a pretty picture. I don't like doing it!" He returned to normal in a puff of smoke. "And ixnay on the wishing for more wishes! Three is all you get, no substitutions, exchanges, or refunds."

Aladdin snorted out a laugh at Genie's antics. "He's always like this," he told us over his shoulder.

"Well what'd you expect, master?" Genie smiled, flying parallel to Carpet. "This much energy bottled up in that tiny lamp? I have to get it out somehow before I'm forced back in!"

"You have to stay in there?" I frowned, viewing the lamp distastefully. "It's so small. You can't just get out to take a breather every now and then?"

"Comes with the job, my friend," Genie sighed. "It's always: 'Poof! Whaddya need? Poof! Whaddya need? Poof! Whaddya need?' Then back to my portable prison." He stretched his arms wide, closing his eyes against the wind. "Ah, but these moments of freedom make up for it."

We were silent for a moment as Genie performed loop-de-loops around Carpet, flipping around in the air, laughing to himself as he did so.

"Say…Genie," Aladdin suddenly spoke up, summoning the Genie back down to our level. "What if I used my last wish to set you free?

"Uh-huh, yeah right," Genie scoffed.

"No, really. After we save Agrabah, I'll use my last wish to set you free." Aladdin extended his hand to the Genie, who looked at it skeptically. "I promise," Aladdin laughed, spreading his fingers wider as incentive.

"Well…even if you don't really mean it, it's a nice thought," Genie paused, his hand tugging on his small wispy beard in thought. "Aw what the heck. Here's to hoping," He finally said, grabbing Aladdin's hand. They shook on it, Aladdin smiling widely.

KH

As we entered Agrabah, night had already fallen. The streets were deserted, save for the shadier parts of town. To avoid the guards Jafar posted throughout the city, however, Aladdin took us to the roofs. We snuck across the flat hovels, jumping over gaps, and sliding past windows to reach the safety of his house.

When we pulled ourselves through the window, we were greeted by the surprised faces of Donald and Goofy. They both screamed and pulled their weapons on us, causing us to shush them loudly. When they realized it was us, they rushed to deliver a crushing hug.

"We were worried about you!" Donald cried, ignoring my exclamations of pain as he agitated my sunburn.

"What took ya so long?" Goofy agreed, peering at us with a worried expression.

"Well, we had a run in with heat exhaustion," I said hesitantly.

"Then we had to save Aladdin from a huge hoard of Heartless," Sora chimed in.

"I knew splitting up was a bad idea!" Donald shouted, balling his fists in frustration. "I am never letting you two out of my sight again!"

"Maybe we didn't think things out fully, but at least we did our job," I huffed, gesturing to Aladdin who was hovering awkwardly in the background, watching the reunion.

Donald and Goofy perked up at this, then exchanged guilt glances. Aladdin stiffened at this, pushing forward to stare at the two. "Jasmine?"

"We couldn't find her," Donald sighed.

I was disappointed, but I didn't blame them. This city was a complete maze.

"Uh, but that doesn't mean she's not safe," Goofy added, trying to reassure Aladdin.

Aladdin growled, stomping towards the hole in the wall. He pushed the tattered cloth to stare at the palace in the distance. "There's only one way we can know for sure if she's safe." He spoke without taking his eyes off the palace.

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" I questioned, not liking the way things were going.

"Maybe," Aladdin responded, finally turning around to face us. "Do you guys trust me?"

Donald and Goofy looked towards Sora and I with questioning expressions. We both nodded without hesitation. Aladdin smiled at this, bringing us closer. "Then here's the plan…"

We formed a huddle, Aladdin speaking quickly and quietly. Even if Jasmine wasn't in the palace, Jafar would be. If we snuck in, Aladdin would use the Genie to deal with him while the four of us were on Heartless control. I was a little concerned about sneaking past the real human guards, but then again, Aladdin had been doing it for years.

It ended up being the easiest part of the job, actually. We scaled the stone walls with the help of Carpet and snuck past the guards, who seemed more interested in playing cards than guarding the walls. I gaped at the majesty of the marbled walls and golden domes before being hurried forwards into the inner walls. As we reached the first set of doors to enter the palace, the sun had begun to rise, glinting off the golden walls.

I shielded my eyes against the bright lights and looked upwards, my breath catching in my throat as I spotted a figure on the balcony. I couldn't distinguish who exactly it was due to the sunlight, but as they laughed my blood ran cold. It was Jafar.

"Setting your sights a little high, aren't you, boy?" He sneered, glaring down at our small group. "The Palace is no place for a street rat like yourself."

"You know why I'm here Jafar," Aladdin growled. "Where's Jasmine?"

He laughed again before holding a hand back towards something out of our view. We all gasped as Jasmine was thrown forward in Jafar's arms, gagged and bound. "Here she is, safe and sound. Now then, back to your hole, filthy rat."

Now it was Aladdin's turn to laugh. He dug into his pockets, producing Genie's lamp proudly. "Genie! Get Jasmine out of here!" In a small puff of smoke, Genie appeared beside Aladdin quite anticlimactically.

"Was that an official wish? I said no more freebies." Genie whispered into Aladdin's ear.

Aladdin stared at him with a look of total exasperation. "Genie, I wish you'd hurry up and save Jasmine!"

With the magic words spoken, Genie appeared beside Jafar and pulled his hat down over his head. As Jafar spluttered and tried to free himself from his own hat, Genie picked up Jasmine and floated back down to us. "Alright that was officially wish number one! No give backs or refunds!"

Jafar's response to this situation was not appropriate. He began to laugh, which immediately made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. If he was laughing when a plan seemed to be foiled, it meant we were the ones who made a mistake.

"I see you brought me the legendary lamp! Thank you so much street rat, it seems you were more than just simple vermin after all," Jafar cackled as a blur of red dove down and snatched the lamp out of Aladdin's hands. He stared at his empty hands in momentary shock before looking up to the balcony, where a red parrot dropped the lamp into Jafar's expectant hands. "But I'm afraid your wish has been denied!"

Genie's jaw dropped at this sudden switch, his eyes darting between our group and the sneer of Jafar. His grip loosened slightly on Jasmine, who still dangled above the ground at a sickening height.

"Genie!" Aladdin called out to his friend desperately. "Please, don't!"

"I…I'm sorry Al," Genie sighed. "The one with the lamp calls the shots." We all gasped as he dropped Jasmine, who landed miraculously on a pile of soft pillows that appeared out of thin air. At least Genie still had a heart.

Aladdin bent down to make sure she was okay before looking up at Jafar with a snarl. If looks could kill, Jafar would be long gone.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," Jafar sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "I can't help the fact that you're a street rat. Genie! My first wish! Get rid of these troublesome pests!"

I looked up at Genie with a horrified expression, but it was Aladdin's turn to start laughing. "Nice try Jafar, but a Genie can't kill!" I let out a sigh of relief as Genie simply shrugged in agreement. I forgot the three cardinal rules of wishing, if those didn't exist we would most certainly not be here anymore.

"Then I'll just have to do it myself," Jafar scowled, stomping his staff into the ground. At first nothing happened, but soon the ground started to rumble from vibrations deep within the earth. I shouted in surprise as the sand exploded out, a centipede like Heartless crawling from the split in the ground. It circled us with its entire body, which seemed to be made of pots, its antennae wiping as it hissed slightly. Our group was forced to press together, protecting Jasmine at the center.

"Genie. This wish you cannot deny." Jafar shouted, pulling Genie closer by his beard. "I wish for you to reveal to me the location of the Keyhole!"

I, along with Sora, Donald, and Goofy, let out gasps of dismay, turning our attention towards Genie and begging with our eyes for him to deny the wish. Genie was smiling nervously, tapping his fingers together in attempts to stall, before a literal lightbulb appeared above his head. "Ah, yes, oh great and humble master," Genie said with a bow, "I will now take you to the Cave of Wonders! In the middle of the desert; the wonderful Cave of Wonders with the large sand guardian who watches over the treasures with a—"

"Get on with it!" Jafar shouted, pulling Genie's beard harder. Genie sent a not-so-discrete wink our way before the two disappeared in a poof of blue smoke.

"Gawrsh, I think Genie was tryin' to tell us something," Goofy said with a frown.

"We need to get to the Cave of Wonders, like, now!" Sora shouted.

"There's something rather large preventing that…" I growled, gripping the Heartblade tighter. I watched the Heartless slowly constrict around our group. We could probably vault over the pieces of its body if we timed it right…

"On three, vault over the pots," I whispered to the group. I looked back to see them all nod, their muscles tensing in preparation. Aladdin took Jasmine's hand as I began the countdown. When I shouted three, we all leapt, just as the Heartless closed its jaws around the empty space we had been in.

I pushed off one of the pots forming its body, using the momentum to carry me out of harm's way. As I rolled to my feet I was smiling at the success of the plan, but it quickly faded as I heard a scream ring out. Jasmine had been caught around the ankle by one of the antennae. Aladdin tried in vain to pull her from its grip, but the Heartless was too strong. With a yank, it pulled Jasmine into one of the pots forming its body.

Aladdin cried out her name, running to lift the pot lid, but he was kept at bay by the antennae wiping around, now crackling with electricity. I rushed forward to try and help, but the pots quickly disassembled, running in all directions. I lost sight of Jasmine in the chaos, but Aladdin was hot on the trail.

"Wait—Aladdin!" Sora called after him, blocking an attack from the head's pinchers. Now devoid of pots, Sora easily knocked it away with a frustrated growl. "Don't split up! Aladdin!" He desperately called after the boy, but it was too late.

"Heartless first, Aladdin after!" Donald shouted as Sora moved to follow. Sora hesitated, but eventually nodded, turning around to focus once again on the Heartless's head.

I, however, was currently surrounded by pots. I smashed one with the Heartblade, turning to deliver a swift kick to another. The ceramic pieces cut at my ankles, but it was enough to turn the pot inanimate once again.

Goofy's shield made quick work on the rest, while Donald tackled the tail of the Heartless with long range magic, avoiding its electric whips. Unfortunately, the fight was loud, and we were still trespassing in the palace. The guards had abandoned their game of cards and found us in the clearing, surrounded by broken palace pots with weapons in hand.

"Freeze, scoundrels!" They shouted, drawing weapons of their own.

We did freeze, from shock rather than compliance. "Guys?" I said with a tone of warning, dismissing the Heartblade in efforts to seem less threatening. It didn't work, and as they continued to advance Donald broke from his surprised state.

"Scatter!" He screeched, running towards the bushes, seemingly forgetting all about never splitting up again. His sudden movement made the guards burst into action, and soon we had no choice.

I ran towards the entrance we came from, jumping over bushes and dodging through the screaming servants. A quick glance behind me revealed two guards in close pursuit and I returned to running, putting more effort into it than any races on Destiny Islands. Suddenly, my hero appeared: a street vendor selling things in large barrels. With a quickly uttered apology, I cast aero on the bottom of the pile, resulting in the barrels toppling over and blocking the guard's path. I let out a loud laugh, a mix of fear and amusement, and dodged into an alleyway.

Once the guards ran past, I cautiously emerged. Okay, I got rid of my pursuers, but now I was separated from my group. Right when we needed to be hurrying towards the Cave of Wonders too, just our luck. The crowd eyed me suspiciously as I trotted back the way I had come, peering into alleys and houses with increasing amounts of anxiety. As I was looking behind some crates, someone tapped on my back.

The adrenaline from the guards and Heartless hadn't yet faded, so the Heartblade entered my hand without hesitation. I whirled around to point it at my accuser, only to meet the startled face of Sora. "Whoa, hey! It's just me!" he pushed the tip of my blade away with a nervous laugh.

I dismissed it with a relieved sigh, hugging him fiercely. "What's with this world making us have terrible ideas?" I mumbled into him.

"It wasn't that terrible," a voice behind him quacked. I peeked over his shoulder to see Donald and Goofy approaching us. "We got rid of them, didn't we?"

"Barely," Goofy responded with a slight chuckle. "Now we can go after that Jafar fella!"

"But," I sighed, looking around at our group with a frown. "What about Aladdin?"

The boys suddenly mirrored my concerned expression. We called his name along the streets, citizens familiar with Aladdin pointing out where he had headed. We hurried to the area, arriving to see Aladdin standing in front of several broken pots. His hands were cut and bleeding, and he was viewing them in a trance.

"Aladdin…" Sora stepped forward, his hand outstretched.

"I heard her calling for me," Aladdin said in a whisper. "She was calling out for help, but I couldn't…I couldn't find her." He clenched his fists, making the blood run down his hands. I cast a quick cure, sealing the wounds.

"She's probably with Jafar, in the desert," I explained softly. "We need to hurry Aladdin; he's planning something really evil."

Aladdin stood still for several moments, gazing down at his hands before turning back to us with a determined expression. He nodded before bringing his fingers to his mouth and whistling loudly. Within seconds, Carpet appeared over the rooves, swooping down to stop before us. It seemingly bristled at the large crowd it had to carry, but at Aladdin's desperate voice it seemed to accept the daunting task.

We climbed aboard, the Carpet only straining slightly before zooming towards the stormy skies in the distance. With all five of us aboard there was barely room for breathing, and it was made all the more awkward with the lack of conversation. The seriousness of the situation didn't leave a lot of room for joking around.

Once we reached the storm, I balked at the sight before us. A giant tiger head was rising from the sand, its mouth agape, and it appeared to be breathing. The four of us hung back as Aladdin approached confidently, until he was standing right in front of the tiger.

"Who dares disturb my slumber?" It growled in a booming voice that shook the sands at our feet. Donald gave a screech and dove behind Goofy, who was hiding behind Sora and I. Aladdin remanded undeterred.

"It is I, Aladdin. The diamond in the rough."

The tiger head paused, seeming to peer down at Aladdin. "You and your companions may enter."

Aladdin looked back at our cowering group and gestured to us to follow, as if this was nothing to be phased by. We climbed past the tiger's lips and teeth cautiously, the creature's breathing generating a small breeze at the cavern's entrance. A long staircase descended downwards into the maw of the beast, ominously lit by lamps hanging on the wall.

"Keep an eye out for traps," Aladdin said over his shoulder, pointing at the false step Goofy was about to land on. Goofy gulped and drew his foot back slowly. At that point we followed behind Aladdin, who managed to avoid each and every trap hidden along the staircase. I suppose he had done this before, but it was still impressive.

Once we reached the bottom of the stairs, the cave suddenly became a lot less menacing. I gaped at the mounds of gold stacked to the ceiling, the treasure chests spilling their dazzling contents onto the floor, and the golden columns supporting the ceiling. Just a handful would probably be enough to support me for life.

The boys were captured by the beauty of it all as well, but none were quite as enamored by the sights as Donald. He scrambled towards the gold, just about to start shoving coins into his pockets, before Aladdin interrupted him. "I wouldn't if I were you. This treasure is supposedly cursed."

Donald fell back with a sigh, eyeing the gleaming piles of gold sadly. I'll admit, I was tempted to slip a few coins into my pocket, but I didn't give in. Well, until I saw a certain green gem laying on the floor. It had a figure of a lion carved into it, and looked suspiciously familiar. "Sora, you still have that summoning charm, right? The little dragon?"

He searched his pockets, producing it with a questioning look. I compared the stone to the one on the ground, calling him over to take a look as well. "Think that's a summon?" I asked, bending down to view it closer.

"Only one way to find out," he responded, calling the Keyblade into his hand and pointing it at the stone. I shifted away from it as a light shot from the Keyblade, hitting the stone squarely. A bright light overtook the stone and it started to shift, morphing its shape slowly. When the light faded, a fully-grown lion was in its place, looking around the room with wide eyes.

"Where…where am I?"

"We're already off to a better start than with Mushu," I muttered to Sora.

"I'm Sora, this is my friend Akira. You're…well it's kind of hard to explain, your world was destroyed," he said, his thumbs twiddling as he broke the news to the lion.

"Way to break it to him soft, Sora!" I hissed.

"Destroyed…?" The lion muttered, a dumbfounded expression on his face. "But I…I was just with Timon and Pumbaa a few seconds ago!" His paw lifted to cover his face as he grimaced. "I hope they're okay…"

"If you made it out, I'm sure they did too," I smiled, stepping forward to place a hand on his mane in comradery. It was surprisingly soft, and I was overwhelmed for a few seconds with the fact I was consoling a fully-grown lion.

"Yeah, you're right. Those two could get out of any situation. I shouldn't worry." He sighed before letting out a sad laugh. "Hakuna matata." Before we could question the meaning of the phrase, he reverted to the stone state, bouncing on the ground and rolling into my shoe.

"Well…curse or no curse, we can't leave him here," I decided, bending down and slipping the stone into my pocket. When no bolt of lightning struck me down I relaxed, looking back give a shrug at Sora. "Cursed treasure? More like somebody didn't want all his stuff getting stolen," I snorted, but my laughter fell short when I heard a small click below my feet.

Before I could even look down, the ground below us opened up. Sora and I fell with a shriek, sliding down the smooth rock wall and landing with a splash in cold water. I rose to the surface spluttering and looking around the room wildly. Sora surfaced beside me, shaking the water from his hair.

"Not cursed, huh?" Sora said sarcastically.

"Guys! Are you okay?" Donald voice echoed from the hole in the ceiling which we fell through.

"Yeah! We're fine!" I shouted back up at them. I spoke too soon. The hole in the ceiling closed with a snap, triggering stone panels on the sides of the wall to open and spill forth even more water into the room. The water level began to rise steadily, and horror dawned on me when I realized there wasn't an exit.

"Sora?" I called out to him, the panic clear in my voice.

He didn't waste a second before diving below the surface of the water. I ducked my head below, peering into the room we were trapped in. Sora was currently pulling at what looked like a door handle, but it wasn't budging. I took a deep breath before swimming down to view it as well. Sora silently pointed to an inscription above the door before continuing his work on the handle.

As I read it, I resigned myself to death. Riddles were the worst.

I am just two and two

I am warm, I am cold,

I am often sold dear, Good for nothing when bought;

An extraordinary boon, and a matter of course,

And yielding with pleasure When taken by force.

Sora tugged on my arm and pointed upwards and I followed him to the surface. As we surfaced, breathing heavily, I realized we were a lot closer to the ceiling. "I-It's a riddle," I gasped, treading the water roughly. "The door won't open without the answer."

"How are we supposed to answer under the water?!" Sora cried.

"It…it must be non-vocal," I responded, taking another gulp of air before diving to reread the riddle. Maybe there was something on the door to move? No—the door was completely blank, besides the inscription of the riddle. The only odd thing about it was a small hollow circle in the middle of the door. I tapped it, deciding it had something to do with how to answer the riddle.

By this time, Sora was beside me again, both of us staring at the riddle with squinted eyes. Warm and cold…often sold dear…an extraordinary boon…oh god, this was hopeless—I can't think when my lungs are burning for air! I desperately pushed to the surface, barely managing to get my face above the water level to take another breath before the gap between the surface and the ceiling closed. Okay, that was that. Now we had to answer or we would die.

I looked back down to Sora, who had once again resorted to furiously pulling against the door, bracing his foot against the wall. Didn't he know that straining yourself would deplete your oxygen even further? And there was none left to get at the surface.

I swam down to him, tugging his sleeve and pointing towards the surface before making a slicing motion over my neck. No more air. His eyes widened and he looked upwards dejectedly. When our eyes met again, he grabbed his throat with his hands. I can't breathe. I was in full panic mode, and my brain was only focused on helpfully reminding me that I couldn't breathe either. The bubble of oxygen in my mouth was slowly depleting.

What do you do when someone is drowning? CPR! Okay, underwater CPR? That could work if I just—my train of thought crashed as Sora's eyes started to flutter shut. I had to struggle not to cry out, that would ruin everything, before grabbing him and bringing our lips together. I shared the last of my air with him, feeling him revive enough to realize we were kissing.

It's funny, his lips were so cold now, but they were so warm on the Gummi Ship—wait. Two and two. Warm and cold. Often sold dear, good for nothing when bought; a kiss! That's the answer! I couldn't stop the excited yelp that escaped my mouth as we broke apart. Sora looked dazed and confused, as well as horrified that I had just yelled out the last of my air.

I didn't waste any time; I swam to the door, pressing my lips against the hollow circle. A slow rumble echoed through the room as the door slowly retracted into the wall, creating a suction that pulled Sora and I from the room.

The small waterfall dropped us onto the stone floor of the next room, and I felt myself retching slightly as my lungs spat back out the water I swallowed. I raised myself onto my hands and knees, drawing in ragged breaths, and looked towards Sora. He was mirroring my kneeling position, the back of his hand pressed against his mouth.

"Am…Am I gonna say it or are you?" He asked, laughing slightly.

"Yes, it was a cruel fate of irony that the answer was a kiss," I returned, hearing him choke out another short gasp of laughter. Slowly, I felt the strength ebbing back into me. I stood cautiously, helping Sora to his feet as well.

Three separate splashes echoed above us, and we barely had time to move out of the way before Aladdin, Donald, and Goofy flowed into the room with the remains of the waterfall. Sora and I stood over them as they jumped to their feet, Donald and Goofy checking us over frantically.

"Sora, didn't you hear Aladdin say there were traps?!" Donald screeched, anger outweighing concern and relief after he realized we were okay.

"Actually, Donald," I said, my hand timidly raising, "That was my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

Donald huffed before hitting my arm with his wand, stomping forward and muttering "These kids are gonna kill me…"

"Nice going, not dying," Aladdin said, clapping us both on the shoulder as he passed. "You get used to thinking on your feet after a while."

I was stopped from responding when Aladdin suddenly held a hand out, his head tilting as if he was trying to listening in on something. We all paused barely picking up on the faintest of conversations. However, that was all it took for Aladdin to identify one of those voices. "Jafar," he growled, his face visibly darkening. He took off, hot on the trail, forcing us to run and catch up.

As we ran, the hallway widened, eventually leading to a large open cavern. Our footsteps echoed through the air, alerting the two people to our presence. One of them was indeed Jafar, and the other…I didn't know who she was, but the aura of shadow that clung to her frame made me stop in my tracks.

Sora seemed to sense something as well, as he took several cautious steps to view the cloaked woman in a better light. "Are you…Maleficent?"

The woman, if she was Maleficent, didn't respond. Instead she kept her gaze on mine, a smile growing on her face. "Careful with that one dear," she cooed, "You've heard the stories, haven't you? You'd be much safer coming with me…" she extended a hand towards me and I physically flinched back. Her dark aura was just so overbearing.

A fierce growl echoed beside me, and I turned to see Sora summon the Keyblade and point it straight at her. "No way! It's time to pay for all the hurt you've caused! This ends here!"

"I disagree, Key Bearer." The woman, who was most definitely Maleficent, let her gaze drift back towards me. The look she gave me was one a cat might give a mouse before delivering a killing blow. "We're only just getting started."

I wanted to say something or do something; spit in this witch's face or threaten her with the Heartblade, but I was completely frozen in fear.

Thank god I had Sora. He stepped in front of me, effectively blocking my view of Maleficent, before throwing the Keyblade in a perfect arc towards her face. She disappeared into a burst of flames before it had a chance to hit her, leaving nothing but the echo of a cackle behind.

"Enough of this," Aladdin growled, stepping forward to point his sword at Jafar. "Where's Jasmine?"

Jafar's face contorted in a wicked grin before he stepped back, revealing the prone figure of Jasmine laying on a set of stone stairs.

"Jasmine…!" Aladdin stepped forward, his hand stretched towards her before it curled into a fist. "Jafar, you'll pay for what you've done!"

Jafar seemed to find this especially hilarious, as he leaned on his staff to catch his breath. "How can you possibly hope to stop me, when the power of the Genie is mine to command?" He reached into his robes, producing the bronze lamp of Genie. "Genie! My second wish: I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in of all the worlds!"

Blue smoke slowly trickled from the lamp, solidifying into Genie's dejected form. He seemed to perk up at seeing us gathered before Jafar, an exchange Jafar did not miss. "Genie! I am your master now! You will obey me!"

Genie sighed heavily before covering his eyes and slowly pointing a finger at Jafar. A small beam of magic struck the man, who began to laugh manically, rising from the ground in a golden glow.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a harsh voice echoed from above. I turned my gaze upwards to see the same parrot that stole the lamp from Genie lazily circling overhead. "Please give a warm Agrabah welcome for Sorcerer Jafar!"

"That's not good…" Goofy muttered, raising his shield higher.

Jafar remained hovering in the air as he stroked his twisted beard, viewing us passively. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, pest control. But first, abject humiliation!" He pointed his staff towards us, and suddenly I didn't have control over my body. My leg buckled from under me, forcing me into a bowing position. I struggled against the control to see the boys all bowing to Jafar as well

"You're one to talk about being a pest!" Aladdin spat. He whistled loudly, all of us but Jafar knowing what would come next. Carpet zoomed from the ceiling, heading straight for the lamp still in Jafar's hands.

"Your plans are unravelling quick, boy!" Jafar cried, pointing his staff at Carpet. A zap of magic and soon Carpet was just a pile of string and golden tassels. "Get the point?"

We were all released from Jafar's control seconds before swords dropped from the sky, striking the ground where we once stood.

"H-How are we gonna beat him?" I cried, dodging another flying sword.

"How indeed? After all, I'm just getting warmed up!" Jafar cackled, hovering over our group before taking a deep breath. When he exhaled, a plume of fire was headed straight towards us.

"Aero!" Donald cried, creating a shield of air that dispersed the fire.

"You're just afraid to fight me yourself, you cowardly snake!" Aladdin taunted, holding his sword high and maintaining his confidence despite the displays of power Jafar was showing. Unfortunately, Aladdin's word choice was very poor.

"A snake, am I?" Jafar crooned. He lowered himself to the ground, striding towards us purposefully. "Perhaps you'd like to see how sssssnake-like I can be?" A forked tongue suddenly shot from his mouth as his body morphed, growing in size and shape until a massive black and red cobra stood in front of us.

His movements were lightning fast, and each time he struck venom flew from his massive fangs. We all had to depend on magical barriers to stop the acidic-like substance from burning our skin.

Aladdin was still not going to be deterred, and I understood for the first time that love truly does make you do crazy things. Bearing only a sword, Aladdin swung instead of taking cover when Jafar snapped at him, slicing into his forked tongue and cutting it clean off.

As Jafar screamed in pain, we followed Aladdin's lead, jumping onto the elongated body of the cobra and sticking our blades through the tough scales. Blood flowed from the wounds we inflicted and Jafar whipped wildly around, flinging us from his body.

"Rick 'em, rack 'em, rock 'em, rake! Stick that sword into that snake!" Genie shouted, taking on the form of a cheerleader.

"Enough!" Jafar hissed, encircling us before we knew what was happening. All five of us were soon being constricted by the cobra's body, the life slowly being squeezed from our lungs.

"You foolsssss can never hope to defeat the most powerful being in all the worlds? Now even Maleficent would cower before me!" Jafar opened his mouth in a smile, revealing fangs longer than my body. "Without the Genie, you are nothing!"

"The Genie…" Aladdin whispered. We all looked to the side-lines to see Genie, nervously watching the fight progress. He gave a shrug as if to say he couldn't intervene, and yet Aladdin smiled. "The Genie has more power than you'll ever have!"

Jafar drew back at this statement, seeming to be considering what he said. The coil of his body loosened its grip around us and we all drew deep breaths. "That's true…the Genie's power doessss exceed my own…But not for long."

Genie smiled uncomfortably as we all turned our attention onto him. "Al, what are you doing, why are you bringing me into this." I agreed with Genie's dismay, why was Aladdin teasing Jafar at a time like this?

Jafar dropped us onto the ground and slithered towards Genie, who began to laugh uneasily. "The boy is crazy! He's a little punch drunk—one too many hits from the snake!"

"Ssslave!" Jafar coiled around Genie arching over him with a fierce smile. "I've decided my third wish! I wish to be an all-powerful genie!"

"Alright…your wish is my command," Genie paused to shoot Aladdin a dirty look. "Way to go, Al."

Aladdin only continued to watch the scene unfold impassively.

Genie covered his face once again, aiming his finger towards Jafar. A beam of magic struck the giant snake in the chest, throwing him back. He fell onto the ground with a thud, cracking the ground we were standing on. We all watched in horror as Jafar's form grew, bursting from the snake skin like some sort of sick metamorphosis.

An enormous, muscled, red genie rose in an explosion of smoke, its sharp teeth gleaming in a vicious smile. "Yes! Yes! Absolute power!"

"Aladdin, what did you do?!" Donald screeched, waving his arms wildly.

"He wants to be a genie? He's got it, and all the rules that come with it!" Aladdin pointed to the wisp-like waist of Jafar, showing how it connected to a jet-black lamp. "Get the lamp!"

We made a mad dash for the lamp, but before any of us could grab it, the stupid parrot from earlier swooped down and carried it away. "Sorry bozos! Iago's too fast for ya!" He panted, flapping his wings madly as he struggled with the extra weight.

Jafar-Genie slammed his hands into the ground, decimating the already cracked flooring. The entire centre portion of the room fell away, revealing a river of lava bubbling below our feet. At Aladdin's cry of surprise, we turned to see Jasmine's unconscious body sliding towards the opening in the ground.

We were too far away to reach her in time, but maybe— "Sora! The summoning gems!" I yelled, digging for the lion's gem in my pocket. Thankfully it was still there, and I threw it as hard as I could towards Jasmine before calling the Heartblade into my hands. I pointed it at the stone and a beam of light unlocked the spirit within, calling the lion forth once more. A second later and the small dragon from earlier was beside him, courtesy of Sora.

"What in the—" Mushu broke off with a scream as he spotted the Jafar-Genie hovering over the pit of lava.

"No time to explain, grab her!" I shouted, pointing towards Jasmine. The lion blinked before realizing the situation Jasmine was in, launching forward to grab her by the scruff of her clothing. As it started to rip Mushu sighed heavily, running forward to pull at her arm.

"I better get back my guardian status after all this!" Mushu cried as they both dragged Jasmine back to safety. Unfortunately, the ground was still crumbling away, leaving us sliding towards the pit of death. My feet scrambled for a perch against the ground, managing to stop with one leg dangling over the edge. As I looked down, I realized a platform was raised out of the floor of lava, so maybe we'd be okay if we fell—

My thoughts stopped as something bumped into me from behind, effectively knocking me clear of the ledge. It felt like time slowed down as I tumbled in the air, viewing the horrified face of Donald, who had accidently ran into me from behind.

This would be the only time I was thankful for the Gummi Ship crash; because of it I knew I could use the light shield to survive the fall. I summoned it and it bounced against the platform before dispersing, effectively breaking my fall. Drawing myself to my feet, I found myself looking at the massive form of the Jafar-Genie. His yellow eyes glowed like a Heartless, but I knew he was much more powerful than any Heartless could be. The Heartblade by itself couldn't take him out. Still, I summoned it, taking a defensive stance.

"So, this is all the Pure Heart has to offer? How…pathetic," Jafar laughed, pointing a clawed finger at me. I felt myself fly backwards, skidding against the stone platform and stopping just before the edge. I lifted myself off the ground, gritting my teeth against the pain, and looked up with narrowed eyes at Jafar. "You are just so…mortal. I fail to see how someone like you could ever open The Door."

"Open…The Door?"

Jafar smirked, seeming like he was about to explain something, before two golden bangles suddenly snapped closed around his wrists. He viewed them with confusion before turning with a snarl to the upper level, where all the boys stood triumphantly. Sora was holding the dazed form of Iago by his foot and Aladdin brandished the black lamp with a shout. "Okay Jafar, back to your lamp!"

Jafar's face blanked, as if he never even considered the fact being a genie came with terms and conditions. "What did you say?"

"The one with the lamp calls the shots," Sora taunted, "And we say to get back into your itty-bitty living space!"

The wisp connecting Jafar to his lamp began to pull him forward, even as he kicked and screamed every bit of the way. His clawed hands dug into the walls for support, but there was no use. By this time Iago had awoken and, seeing Jafar defeated, tried to flap his way out of the consequences. Unfortunately for him, Jafar managed to grab the end of his tail, pulling him into the prison of the lamp.

I shouted my praises towards the group, thankful we managed to stop a seemingly unstoppable force. Genie seemingly joined in the praise, as a huge bucket of confetti appeared above the boys and dumped itself over their heads. "That was so savvy!"

With a snap of Genie's fingers, Carpet soon came to my rescue, bringing me back up to join in the celebrations. Sora, Donald, and Goofy both tackled me in a hug when I stepped safely away from the ledge.

"I thought you were a goner!" Goofy cried, squeezing me tighter.

"I thought I'd killed you!" Donald joined in the crying, and I felt like I was back in the grips of Jafar's snake form.

When I managed to pull back from the group, I saw Sora's eyes lingering on me, discreetly checking me over for injuries. "I'm fine, Sora," I laughed, nudging him as I passed by. "Just a few scrapes and bruises, nothing that can take me down. Now, let's lock this place up and get out of this god-forsaken cave."

Sora's face flushed at having been discovered, but he laughed along with me as we headed towards the Keyhole. However, as we drew closer, I realized there was someone missing from this equation. Jasmine was gone. The two summoning gems that were protecting her laying on the ground. I picked them up, turning to give the group a bewildered look. "Where is Jasmine…?"

"No, no!" Aladdin pushed past us, gazing around at the empty area. "I just—she was just here! I saw her!"

But looking out over the empty cavern revealed no answers, she was nowhere to be seen. Aladdin took off anyways, searching every nook and cranny he could find.

A hand on my shoulder brought my attention away from him, and I met the concerned eyes of Sora. "Maybe the summons saw what happened?" He suggested, gesturing towards the stones in my hand.

It was worth a shot. I threw them into the air, Sora and I summoning our weapons and unlocking the spirits once again. Mushu, once he had formed, immediately shouted "Simba, look out!" before gazing around at the different environment with a deadpanned expression. "Man, I am never gonna get used to that."

"Guys, what happened to Jasmine?" I questioned, looking between the two. The lion, who I guess was Simba (I felt slightly guilty about not asking for his name before now) lowered his head in shame.

"We…were taken by surprise," he explained without meeting our eyes. "Someone came for Jasmine, and knocked us out to get to her."

"Maleficent?" Sora growled, clenching his fist.

"Nah, he didn't look like a Maleficent. That name doesn't fit a dude with silver hair," Mushu said with a dismissive sniff. I inhaled sharply at this, feeling like a knife had just been driven through my heart. That couldn't be…Riku? Could it? My head whipped towards Sora, whose shocked expression showed he was thinking the exact same thing.

"What did he look like? Did he say his name? Or anything?" Sora said, stepping forward eagerly.

"All he said was that he was here for the Princess," Simba replied.

Mushu nodded at this, adding on "Looked like your typical teenager."

There's no way that couldn't be Riku, but what was he doing?! Was it possible he was working with Maleficent? But that didn't make any sense, Riku was always the first among us to know when someone was bad news! There's no way he'd be gullible enough to follow her. There must be an ulterior motive…

"Guys, I hate to interrupt this, but we need to seal the Keyhole before Heartless are drawn down here," Donald said, stepping between our group. It looked like the summon charms were out of time anyways, Mushu and Simba returned to their stone form in a flash of light. Scooping up the stones, I returned them to my pockets.

When I stood, Sora was beside me, his expression unreadable. We locked the Keyhole without another word. The Keyhole dissolved into sand, only leaving behind the imprint of once was the entrance to the world's Heart.

As soon as that occurred, the entire cavern began to shake. When I turned, I half expected the Jafar-Genie to be standing over us, but it seemed like the cave was collapsing with the absence of the Keyhole. The ceiling started to fall in on itself, and Goofy covered our heads with his shield.

"We gotta get outta here!" He cried.

"Anyone order one ticket to anywhere but here?" Genie pulled up beside us with Carpet dressed as an air flight attendant. We climbed aboard, the only one hesitating being Aladdin.

"Aladdin! Let's go!" I stretched my hand out to him, watching as the ground behind him slowly collapsed into the rising level of lava.

"But, Jasmine…" He trailed off, taking a step back.

"Aladdin, come on! She's been taken to another world!" Sora shouted in desperation. We all froze, including Aladdin. Sora let out a small curse at the slip up but yanked Aladdin onto Carpet. As he roughly jostled us, I fell back into Donald, causing him to bump into Goofy, who was knocked off the back of Carpet.

He yelped as he fell in a direct bee line towards the lava. We all screamed his name, seeming to bring Aladdin to his senses.

"Genie! I wish you'd save him!" Aladdin brandished Genie's bronze lamp.

"That would be your second wish, Al," Genie added on hesitantly.

"I know!"

With a snap of his fingers, Goofy stopped an inch above the lava, floating back onto Carpet. As soon as he was dropped back into position, Carpet took off like a bullet. Every falling rock and burst of lava made me scream like never before, I swear I'll never understand how we stayed on with Carpet dodging left and right every five seconds.

As we flew past the treasure room, a piece of paper hit my face. I flinched back with a shriek, Sora managing to snatch the paper before it was lost forever. We viewed it curiously, finding that the writing managed to stay intact even as the paper was singed at the edged. I recognized the neat cursive style of Ansem the Wise almost immediately.

There wasn't more time to view the paper, as Carpet suddenly skyrocketed upwards. We all clung to each other as we flew from the Cave of Wonders, Carpet skidding to a stop and sending us flying into the sandy ground. Behind us the tiger guardian was roaring in pain, making the lightning crackle with each shout of its mighty voice. Eventually, it crashed in on itself, becoming nothing more than a pile of sand. The storm broke apart almost instantly, revealing the sun high in the sky.

I was never happier to feel that hot, dry, desert sand below my feet. I would've kissed it if I had less common sense.

Unfortunately, now that our lives weren't in danger, Donald had time to chew out Sora. He was currently pacing back and forth, gesturing wildly with his hands. "How could you say that? Out of all my rules, you couldn't have obeyed that one?!"

"It just slipped out!" Sora huffed, crossing his arms. "If I didn't say something, Aladdin might've been hurt!"

"He is right, Donald," Goofy chimed in, attempting to pat the angry duck on the shoulder. Donald jumped into the air with an angry shriek, claiming that didn't change anything.

"Please, I don't know how but take me to this different world!" Aladdin stepped forward, effectively ending Donald's anger.

"Look, I wish we could, I really do," Donald said, holding his hands out. "But we can't. That's just how it is."

"Yeah, it'd be meddling too much," Goofy sighed, his head hanging slightly.

Aladdin looked towards me, noting my silence as if I was withholding some sort of information. I shook my head and shrugged; I was just as helpless. I felt for him, though. We all did.

Genie was the only one smiling, and he waved a hand in front of Aladdin's face. "Uh, hello? Earth to Al? You still have one wish left! Just say the word and I'll find Jasmine for you!"

Donald and Goofy perked up at this seemingly simple solution, but Sora and I met eyes and frowned. Aladdin's last wish was supposed to be for Genie's freedom. He had promised.

Aladdin looked at the lamp in his hands, his eyebrows creased as he fought within himself for the answer. Free the Genie? Or rescue his love? "I…Genie…"

"Look, Al," The Genie smiled, resting his hands on Aladdin's shoulders. "You're not gonna find another girl like her in a million years. Believe me, I know. I've looked!"

Aladdin sighed heavily, seeming to reach a decision. He held the lamp up. "Genie…I wish for your freedom!"

"One located girlfriend coming up," Genie said with a laugh, cracking his fingers before freezing in place, realizing what Aladdin had just said. Everyone's jaw dropped, including the Genie's. He had just given up Jasmine to fulfil his promise.

Light emerged from the lamp as it was raised into the air, releasing a film of blue smoke. The smoke surrounded Genie's body, fading away to reveal Genie now had two legs, and his wrists were freed from the golden shackles. The lamp, now uninhabited, fell to the ground with a small thud.

Genie bent down and picked up the object that had kept him trapped for thousands of years, laughter building up as he slowly registered what this meant. "I…I'm free. I'm free! I'm free!" His body shot around us like a pinball, fireworks exploding into the sky.

He paused in front of Sora, shoving the lamp into his hands eagerly. "Quick! Quick with for something outrageous! Say—say I want the Nile!" When Sora gazed around at us with a bewildered expression, Genie egged him on. "Wish for the Nile! Try it!"

"Uh…I wish for the Nile?"

"No way!" Genie screamed into his face, bursting out into laughter and pointing at Sora's confused face. "Oh does that feel good!" His excitement came to a halt when he finally met eyes with Aladdin, who was watching Genie's antics with a sad smile. "Al…"

"A deal's a deal, Genie. You can do whatever you want now. You're your own master." Aladdin said.

"I never thought you actually meant that," Genie sniffed, wiping a tear from his eye. In an instant, he was beside Aladdin, hugging him fiercely.

"Hey, that's what friends do," Aladdin replied with a smile, returning the hug.

As they broke apart, Sora stepped forward with a determined expression on his face. "Aladdin, don't you worry. We'll find Jasmine and bring her back safe and sound!"

"And I'll put my travel plans on hold to keep you company until they do," Genie added, pulling a packed suitcase from thin air and unlocking it, letting clothes and random items spring out over Aladdin. Despite the whole situation Aladdin started to laugh, pulling the clothes away to beam at Genie widely.

"Genie…thank you."

KH

"That smarmy Vizier coulda had 'em…if someone had stuck around to give them a hand," Hades murmured, gesturing to the teenager in the background.

"You're one to talk about sticking around to lend a hand!" A woman leaned over to give him a smile. It came across as more of a snarl when her pointed canines shined through. "Couldn't even get a hired crony to take care of a single kid."

"Shuddup, you disgusting Sea Witch," Hades snapped.

"It would be wise for both of you to shut your mouths," Maleficent sighed, waving her sceptre towards them. They paused their squabbling to stare at her. "There was no point in helping Jafar. The fool thought himself above us and our quest, and now he is no more. Let that be a lesson to all of you. Riku did right by leaving him behind."

"I can hear all of you, y'know," the aforementioned teenager scoffed. The villainous bunch all turned their heads towards him, watching as he ascended the stairway towards their huddle. "Why did you call me here anyways? I did my part."

Maleficent smiled down at Riku, whether the fondness in the smile was genuine or not, no one could tell. "Yes, you've performed admirably, Riku! Our total of Princesses is up to five, thanks to your efforts. Now we—"

"Get on with it," Riku huffed.

The villains around the table all stiffened in shock. No one talked like that to Maleficent and lived to tell the tale. Her smile only widened, however. How special was this kid?

Maleficent drew a hand over the stone table they were currently crowded around. In a flash, an image of a girl fast asleep was projected onto it. Riku snapped to attention, lurching forward with an estranged shout. "Kairi!"

"We've managed to locate her, but I'm afraid…well, it seems the Heartless got to her first," Maleficent sighed dejectedly. Of course, Maleficent already knew this fact. Kairi's body was currently on Neverland, where she was found by one of their members, Captain Hook. She was there this whole time, in a deep stasis. With only two Princesses of Heart left to find, the time to act was drawing near. It was time to prod this boy further down the path of darkness.

Riku stepped closer to the projection, gripping the edges of the table. "But…her body is still there. She's not a Heartless?"

"No, indeed not. Her heart is missing, but her physical form remains strong!" Maleficent placed a hand on Riku's shoulder, and for the first time he didn't flinch away.

"So…so she can be brought back? It's not too late?" Riku leaned forward, his eyes glued onto the image of Kairi's sleeping form.

"It is never too late, my dear. We can bring her back…with the help of your friend." Maleficent's grip on Riku's shoulder tightened ever so slightly. At this point he stiffened and stepped out of her reach.

"Akira?"

"Yes! Kingdom Hearts will not only restore the heart of any world, but the heart of any person as well. Now that her friend is involved, perhaps Akira will be ready to listen to reason. It is up to you to convince her to come willingly, if not…" Maleficent let the rest of the statement hang in the air. Riku's eyebrows furrowed and his eyes darted from Kairi to Maleficent. Eventually, he let out a barely perceptible nod.

"Excellent," Maleficent's grin spread even wider. Everything was going perfectly. "Now go, your vessel is waiting. Captain Hook will take you to Kairi. Once you arrive, we can discuss matters on Akira."

"Just remember, this is no pleasure cruise," Captain Hook spoke up from the circle of villains. He let his hook gleam against the projection's light for Riku to see. The boy didn't seem phased at all.

"Let's just go."

KH

Oh boy! Things are picking up now.

Did you enjoy their first kiss? What do you think will happen to their relationship now that Akira is trying to keep her heart separated from his? Do you think this mysterious figure was right to warn Akira of a future that might not even happen? What do you think of Riku's task? Let me know in a review!

Also, I'm really glad all of you love Akira as much as I do :3 I hope she continues to grow on you!

OKAY one last thing, I just have to mention it (I love talking, it's why I write lol). Six reviews last chapter?! You guys are awesome! I know I'm gonna say thank you way too often, but I really do mean it! These reviews make my day every time!

ST3PH3Nii3: I read this during my bio class and I made this really weird choking noise of happiness and my friend just looks at me like "?" I just thought you should know because it literally made me so happy I couldn't help myself! I hope I continue to impress!

KittyKatKate: I knowwwwwww I was even like "omg this is so cute" while I was writing! Thank you so much :D These comments really mean a lot! And writers block should be less of a problem in summer! (by the time this gets out I'll probably already be on my summer break lol)

AnimeQueen82: Thank you! I wanted his crown to be something special, so when his birthday came up I was like perfect. It'll get even more interesting from here on out!

TheRoseAlchemist17: I don't think you've reviewed before! Thank you so much! Your review made my day :D I try to stick close to the canon view of the characters, so I'm super happy you said that! I hope you continue to enjoy!

Sharia013: I'm glad it flew by for you! Every day that passes without me updating takes a year off my life lol. I'll be on my summer break soon, so I'll be able to update even quicker then! And yeah, I have fun adding extra stuff! Filling in the blanks left by the games/manga is super fun to me (if a little tedious at times writer's block

That's awesome his birthday is so close to yours! (Happy super early birthday!) I decided on the date because Kingdom Hearts came out March 28th, but I wanted Sora to have a summer birthday so I just moved it to July 28th! I'm glad you're still enjoying!

NuncaNeim: I'm so flattered! Thank you so much :D I'm trying to make Akira as realistic as possible! And honestly you're making me blush so much omg uwu

Yup! Pure Hearts were the OGs in my universe! Spicin' things up! And I don't think you have to worry about them not kissing anytime soon ;3c I mean…maybe you do now but…anyways (;_;)

I decided not to do the tournaments! Cos one: I take them as more of a game mechanic than a plot device. And two: Donald wouldn't let Sora waste time in a fighting tournament now that they have a definite job to do (locking up the Keyholes on each world and all)!

I'll definitely be doing more summon stuff though! I probably won't do all of them, but for sure more Mushu and Simba. (cos they have to have an actual friendship with those two)

Thank you for always reviewing and giving your support! :D