Chapter IX- which concludes Agrabah.

Once again. It won't be happy. (Maybe even sadder than the game in this rendition- look for the surprise at the end.)

Quick Note: I'm hoping she doesn't seem like such a damsel in distress…! After all, she's only fifteen. Against a crazed lune with more than an entire deck of card tricks up his sleeve…and sorcerer powers to an extent…and soon a genie…! ^-^'

Disclaimer:

I own nothing but my OC(s). Everything else belongs to either Square Enix or Disney.

KINGDOM HEARTS I

Chapter IX

Arabian Sun; Arabian Moon

If she had to guess, Ari would assume she and Jasmine had been out of commission for at least a day. With the desert sun blaring down so heavily on them as they were dragged from the palace and out into the daylight of the gates- it was a good guess on her part. In her black and blissfully numb slumber, the shallow gash in her thigh had almost entirely healed over. Which, to her puzzlement, she couldn't figure out how. Jafar didn't seem the type to mend his captives. And she highly doubted she could have healed it herself. Not alone, anyway…

So what did that mean…?

"Keep pace," came the rough voice. She growled behind her gag, throwing a narrow-eyed glare to the captain of the royal guard- Razoul. Jafar's toxic poison of a voice had easily managed to convince not only the captain, but most of the entirety of the staff of the palace that what he was doing was surly for the good of the princess, and all of Agrabah. And for some reason, they even believed the snake, that she herself was a delinquent- led wrong by miscreants and street rats. But he would see to the purging of her mislead ways- personally.

'For the good of everyone my ass,' Ari thought bitterly, easing her way down the hall leisurely despite the captain's gruff reprimand. 'Now what is that slimy serpent up to…?'

Jafar had roused them- ensuring she and Jasmine were bound (she herself especially), and headed a small parade with the guards out towards the palace courtyard. But why? What could he possibly want, or utilize, with a captured princess and a bound kid?

She found her answer soon enough. Passed marbled walls and pillars, into the blinding blue and yellow that captured this world's color palate- she found herself squinting into far away eyes of rivaling blue.

"SHMOWRWA!"

"Ari…!"

A man stood beside him- young, roughed around the edges, with something warm still illuminating his eyes. And the curious caution he held, as he stared down at the boy, showed his still warm heart. But Sora didn't have time to respond. Because the man's attention was drawn to the princess- wrinkled and tired, but otherwise whole. "JASMINE!"

"Setting your sights a little high, aren't you, boy?" Jafar derided his uncouth gatecrashers.

The mockery set off the young man, whose eyes remained solely locked onto the young princess. Ari could see it- that dangerous affection. But…it was sweet, in a way, as she turned her eyes to the helpless young woman just behind her.

No. She frowned; not to Jasmine, nor to anyone in particular. She frowned at the situation. Shifting, her right shoulder rotated upwards, snagging the cloth gag muffling her enraged snarling. The soggy fabric fell to her chin, the guards catching notice moments too late.

A sharp intake of breath, and she let it go. "Donald! Goofy!"

The two protecting the hero of the Key startled at her call to them.

She grinned faintly at their undivided attention. "Get Sora out of here!"

"But what about you…?"

It was Donald- of which was immensely surprising to her. It wasn't like they had spent much time around each other. They were familiar strangers, if she was honest. Of which, she was. But she'd be lying if she said she wasn't touched. Smirking faintly, she responded with cracked humor coating her dried out voice- even Razoul snatched her by her bound arms again. "I'll be fine. If they wanted to get rid of me, they would've already, right?"

"Indeed," Jafar impeded, his face a façade of disinterested boredom. "Bid your precious little counterparts behind, my little viper. I have bigger plans in store for you."

She snarled as he encroached on her space, face crunched and teeth visible between chapped lips. It was a giant blue…something…that faltered her disposition.

"One wish left!" the blue one mused cheekily. In his arms, he held Jasmine close. "You're making this really easy, you know?"

Ari watched the blue…man?...as he winked her way, making to take off with Agrabah's princess. 'What…what have I…missed here?'

"So sorry, boy." In long bony fingers, a weather-worn brassy-gold lamp lay cradled. Jafar's serpentine grin accompanied the cocky glint in the small parrot's eyes who perched lazily on his shoulder. Where it had come from, Ari was sure none of them could answer that. "I'm afraid your second wish has been denied."

Denied indeed.

Wisps of blue and violet surrounded the magic man with the blue skin. A weak, "I'm sorry, Al," echoed behind him as he vanished; returning to his prison within the old lamp.

Chaos ensued, as Jasmine fell- plummeting fast and hard to the red sand below. A Heartless, taking shape and hiding among merchant clay pots, scurried forward- lurching and snatching the princess into the confinements of its hollowed interior.

"JASMINE!"

Guards, and taking up the frontlines an entire onslaught of Bandit Heartless, prevented their barrier to break. More Pots maneuvered in, from over the walls and burrowed deep inside market stalls, gathering together. A head and end scurried amidst the movement and commotion. Jasmine's pot was lost among the elongated body.

The young man, Aladdin, was hellbent on finding the girl. But Sora was torn, and Ari could see that. But she couldn't deliberate a way to reassure him. Three Bandits broke through their ranks, passing by Razoul and his guards. Clawing and slicing them away, they swarmed around her. And she swore she could hear the glee permeating off of Jafar.

"ARI!"

"And now," the vizier cackled. "I bid you all farewell."

Sora panicked as Ari was drawn deeper into the chaos away from him.

But she couldn't worry about herself. No. He…no, they had to get away from it, and find a way to seal away Agrabah's Keyhole.

"DONALD! GOOFY!" She shrieked after them. "Get him out of here!"

No matter what befell her, Sora had to stay alive. If anything were to be righted, he was the only one who could do just that.

Pitch blackness. Silence; save for sifting of sand and the soft high squeal of the wind's whistling far above. Sunlight had fallen to nightfall. Time was passing. But she remained alive. However, she was completely alone.

'I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Change of heart?'

She scoffed. Back pressed into the cool warmth of the shining glass platform beneath her, she peeked an eye up into the endless black gray expanse that surrounded everything above her. "What else did I have to do?"

A snicker. Amusement.

'I'd imagine you'd stay awake. Who knows what that sorcerer plans to do.'

She rolled her eyes behind closed lids. "I'm still alive for now. He doesn't want me dead- not yet, anyway."

'Hmmm. Indeed- you're right about that.'

Silence surrounded them. But, and Ari would never admit it, this silence at least had company- something she found a bit of comfort in.

She was caught off guard, though, but not entirely surprised, when the voice brought up their earlier conversation.

'Since you've come back to visit me-'

"I thought this was my domain?" Ari countered snidely. "If that's the case, then you're intruding. Not me."

Laughter- echoing, gentle, but boisterous.

'You make a solid case in point. Let me reiterate- have you considered my inquiry?'

She smirked, peeking an eye again into the upwards abyss. "…Yeah, I have."

'Oh? And what have you come up with?'

Ari's laugh traveled lightly. "I need more time to mull it over."

"What a fine piece to the collection," his voice crooned; his fingers tracing over her jawline. "And do I know a number of associates who will be ecstatic to have you in our possession."

Her lips thinned, pressing close to her teeth as she let out a low growl. "Yeah?" Ari countered, "and who would that be?"

To her disgruntlement, Jafar merely laughed. "Patience- you'll see for yourself, soon enough." He snapped his fingers. "But first, I think I'll have my Heartless keep you company, until my work here is done."

She could hear the slithering clacking of pointer legs crossing over the treasure-loaded floor of a carved out room filled to the top with riches. The clicking hisses warned her of the very thing that carried both she and Jasmine deep into the heart of the desert. Ari watched from the corner of her eye. Waiting.

"Now don't have too much fun in my absence." A heavy sandstone pillar slipped upwards from the floor, Jafar's mocking laughter echoing off the stone walls as the pillar settled into place. The way was locked.

Ari scowled when she skidded to a halt in front of the rounded stone. "Tch," she scoffed. "Fine then."

She rounded, slamming the heel of her boot into the Centipede's face. Its recoil splayed a brutal grin over her face. "Let the fun begin!"

"Here buggy-bug-bug," she murmured, stepping cautiously over loose gold and pieces of gemstones. In one hand she held a rounded, flat gold plate…of some type. Last she saw of it, the Heartless had dove into the piles of treasure, hiding away out of sight. It was irritated, but then again- so was she.

"C'mon, you damn pest," she relaxed her stance. "I'm tired of this waltz."

The chamber shook.

Treasures were dislodged from their piles left and right, as was the Pot Centipede.

Chancing a quick peek, Ari noted the pillar slip the last bit back down into its crevice in the floor. "Wha-?"

She was knocked off her feet as the Heartless made a mad dash for the inner chamber. Perplexed, she shook off the stun, and chucked the gold platter after it. "HEY!" she yelled. "I don't think so! We're not done here!"

The platter grazed sharply over the side of its head. Angered, it whirled around, bearing its pinschers and antennae at the girl.

'Well…that wasn't my smartest move…'

No matter. She scurried back onto her feet, crouching low and ready to move and dodge. The Centipede reared as it let out an unholy screech. It came at her- swift and livid. An electric-like charge pulsed through its antennae, but it struck first with its pinschers. She moved, falling into a side roll. But there wasn't time to think as it struck again, using its antennae for the second go.

Ari reacted faster.

A thick sheet of ice formed a partial barrier. The Centipede's antennae dug in too far. The heat of the electric pulse and charge melted just enough of the inches thick ice. The charge backfired, electrocuting the Heartless. It wailed a high pitched cry of anguish as it writhed. Dark wisps broke from its exoskeleton, and the few remaining pots Ari hadn't managed to destroy in her deadly dance with the damned creature, shattered on themselves from the violence of the electrocution.

With the last of the dark smoke dissipating into the air, Ari finally fell backwards, legs sprawled and knees bent. It took a moment, then three, before a small, nervous, almost hysterical hiccup of a giggle bubbled in her throat. She brushed back her lengthening bangs, fingers tangling and sifting through her hair.

"Way to go, Ari!"

She gasped from shock. In frame of the other doorway, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were galloping clumsily her way. With an outburst laugh of her own, she scrambled to her feet, only to be tackled again back to the ground.
"We saw that last part," Sora explained as he tried to stop crushing her. "Way cool!"

Donald crossed his arms when he stood back up, as he smiled at her. "Not bad, kid."

Flushing lightly, she grinned cheekily. "See? Told ya I'd make it out okay!"

That sent Goofy into a bout of soft, yet surprisingly vocal laughter. "Gwarsh- jus' no more stunts like that again!" He abruptly smothered her into another backbreaking hug.

"Guys."

Ari looked up. The young man from before stood a few feet from the dogpile. Anxiousness, but a small sliver of relief too, painted his sun-worn face. Sora and Goofy moved away. To her surprise, the man knelt down, offering her his hand. "I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to meet yet! These guys were really worried about you!"

She blinked, then giggled behind the back of one of her hands. "Yeah. They must've been a wreck without me!" Ari joked, laughing harder at the scowls and flushed faces she received.

The young man laughed too. She took his hand, and he pulled her back up onto her feet with absolute ease. "The name's Aladdin."

She grinned. "Nice to meet you! The name's Ari!" Her smile faltered. "Anyway. Jafar went through this archway. He's taken Jasmine in there. Sora…" she looked directly to the boy with a face of paled stone. "He's after the Keyhole."

"Then we better get goin'!"

The sound of voices echoed and distorted over deep stone walls.

"Doing so may actually prove useful to our- "

Jafar silenced his discussion with a tall woman clothed from the neck down in nearly complete onyx black at the sound of multiple footsteps resounded off the chamber walls. Turning his head his brow furrowed at the sight of the five below him.

Jafar wasn't a surprise to find- they had followed his trail. But the other…
The frown on Ari's face deepened. 'No…'

"Wait a second…" Sora was catching on quick. "Are you…Maleficent?"

Without a word, she vanished in transparent onyx smoke, giving them nothing but a good guess at confirmation.

"Jafar!" Aladdin barked. He didn't care about the witch. He had other priorities. "Let Jasmine go!"

Jafar leered above them. "Not a chance. You see," he beckoned at the unconscious woman at his feet, "she's a princess. One of seven who somehow hold the key to opening the door."

"Open…" Goofy murmured.

"The door?" Donald finished the statement.

"But you fools won't live to see what's beyond it." Jafar fixed his gaze on Ari. The moment the others caught his eyes on her they stepped in front of her, acting as a makeshift shield in an attempt to protect her.

The vizier laughed with a careless air. "Such a pity. You would have made a fine addition at my side. Your guard, however, will not be able to protect you nor themselves from this!" Reaching into a pocket on his dressing, he pulled out Genie's lamp. "Genie! My second wish."

At his master's call the blue genie slithered from his entrapment's spout.

"Crush them!"

"Genie, no!" Aladdin begged of his blue friend.

"Sorry, Al…" Genie sniveled as he grew in size, readying to strike the five on the ground below. "The one with the lamp calls the shots. I don't have a choice…"

Realizing the sudden danger they were in, Sora grabbed his friends and lunged out of the way as Genie's fist came crashing down. "We've got to stop him!"

Ari rubbed at her hip where she'd fallen to the ground. "But how?"

Aladdin was the one with an answer. "I've got an idea…"

Knock the scepter from Jafar's grasp. Easy.

Yeah, right.

Genie was a pest compared to Jafar. While so far not lethal, he managed to split the group as the attack turned into a bizarre and painful cross-game of "Duck, Duck, Goose" and tag. The vizier enjoyed trying to fry them with his newfound sorcery, while floating high above and out of their immediate reach.

"Oh come on!" Ari dragged Sora backwards as another round of bright orbs sought them out.

"This is crazy!" Sora agreed full-heartedly. "There's no way to land a hit…!"

"No, I hadn't noticed," the girl gasped for air. "There's gotta be a way…" From where they hid behind one of three stone-structured rises, she caught a glimpse of Donald and Goofy scrambling away from Genie's oncoming onslaught, Jafar cackling away. Aladdin leaped from one of the stone platforms as Jafar drifted his way. He didn't have enough momentum to quite reach him…

If he'd had a boost…

Quickly she grabbed Sora's hand and bolted for the platform that Jasmine lay out cold on. "W-what're you doing, Ari?!"

Jumping, the girl grabbed the ledge of the platform, clambering with surprising ease upwards. "I've got an idea," she told the boy as she reached for his hands, pulling him up to join her. "I'm going to give you a slight boost. After I place my palm down, step carefully onto it. When Jafar is circling towards us, lunge for him. Understand?"

Sora blinked at her blankly, before grinning. "Ari, you're a genius, you know that?"

Rolling her eyes and chuckling, she crouched down by the platform's edge. "Yeah, yeah." Holding out her palms, she cupped her hands, creating an improvised step. "Ready?"

Placing his right foot into her palm, Sora nodded. He crouched to give himself an extra spring into his leap, and waited.

Jafar was halfway around the chamber, and swiftly approaching.

"Get ready. Three…"

Sora called upon the Keyblade.

"Two…"

He readied the blade and his body.

"One…"

Jafar was nearly upon them.

"GO!"

Sora leaped at the vizier, Ari's added step giving the boy just enough power to reach him. As the Keyblade struck the unsuspecting vizier's hand, the scepter went flying backwards. Swiftly, Ari caught the staff before it crashed into the platform, and slammed the scepter's cobra head onto the carved stones at her feet.

Jafar gave a shrill screech the very moment the staff shattered; he himself dissolving into a thick black cloud.

The others climbed up onto the platform, eyeing the unresponsive girl and the Keyhole warily.

"Genie!"

They whipped around to see an infuriated and critically wounded Jafar hovering high above them one last time.

"My final wish!" He clutched at the old lamp in desperation with one hand, the other clawing where his heart thundered wildly with rage in his chest. "I want you to make me an all-powerful genie!"

They all gasped as Genie shielded his eyes, pointed a finger, and granted his master's final wish. As the spell wrapped around Jafar's body, his physical appearance changed drastically. Rather than thin and wiry (as well as clothed), Jafar's physique enlarged, while his skin blotched into a dark crimson. Cackling like a mad man, Jafar detonated a portion of the ground below as he made his descent farther and farther down into a hidden cavern below.

Aladdin turned to Sora then, proclaiming they had to go after him. Sora, however, looked to the princess behind them. "What about her?"

"She'll be okay." Ari reassured the boys. "Maleficent and Jafar want her alive…for something. Give her time to rest, and she'll wake up in no time."

"Then…" Sora turned back to the new pit below. "We'll go after Jafar! Ari, you stay here and keep an eye on her!"

"But- !" Too late. Sora and Aladdin were the first to dive in after the rampaging red genie, with Donald and Goofy following their lead mere seconds after.

Standing at the platform's edge once more, steel-blue eyes peering down at the spectacle below. "Not going to complain about leaving this fight to 'em," she mused to no one. "But…"

A sudden rustling sounded behind her.

"Huh?" She looked behind her. 'What was that? Nothing?'

Silence. Then rustling again.

Assuming it was Jasmine stirring from her slumber, Ari approached the girl. "About time you woke up. You have no idea how worried Aladdin is." She crouched, reaching a hand to brush over the princess's arm; unaware that Jasmine was not the one making the noise. "You alright, Jasmi-"

WHAM.

'What a predicament. How did you not notice the dark creature?'

Ari growled, knees pulled to her chest. "I just couldn't!" she yelled to the voice.

No laughter. But a calmness in the silence. Empathy, perhaps?

'Lucky for you, it did not kill you.'

She looked up to black-grayness above. "Yeah…why is that?"

'Why indeed…?'

The voice giggled- giggled.

Ari was startled. "You know…? You know! Why? Please…! I just want answers…"

The giggling settled, but there was a warmth still present.

'Answers will come. For now, take comfort in the fact that even in shadow, care still comes.'

Ari was silent. Confused, but somehow better accepting of the riddle than answerless silence.

'…Do you finally have an answer?'

Closing her eyes, Ari took a long pause. But her smile held truth to a reply found. "…Yeah."

'Is that so? And what is it that you seek from this life?'

The depth of the gray-blue river irises of her eyes flashed with the challenge. "I seek freedom to find truth in this chaotic world!"

A rippling laugh boomed in echoes. The sound was not demeaning, nor derisive.

'A noble answer. For what is life but not a search for understanding beyond bound books and bordered boundaries?'

"-mine?"

'What…happened…? Who are they calling for?'

"-ri?"

'Who is that? Who's calling my name?'

"Ari come on!"

'So…ra?'

"Ari, wake up! Come on!"

Slowly, eyelids raised to unveil unfocused eyes as Ari woke from the pit of her unconscious state. "So…So-ra?"

"Finally!" the boy cried out in relief. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I…don't know." She took the boy's proffered hand, easing her body up onto her unsteady feet. "I'm…fine. I'm alright," she tried to reassure not only him, but Donald and Goofy as well.

"Jasmine!"

Looking around, Aria looked around for the princess. But she was nowhere in sight. "What…happened?"

"We don't know." Sora kept a grip on the girl's arm, unsure if she was about to collapse again or not- her slight swaying did not give reassurance.

"We didn't hear nothin' while we were down there fightin'." Goofy told her.

"But when we won, and came back up here," Donald explained, "we found you knocked out, and Jasmine was gone."

Eyes hardening from the situation, Ari looked away from her friends to glare at the carved shrine of the Keyhole. "What about the Keyhole, then? Did at least one good thing come out of this?"

Sora chuckled cheekily, letting her go as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Already done with. And Jafar is imprisoned in his own lamp. So things aren't a total loss!"

Before Ari could say 'good job', the entire cave trembled from a sudden violent quake.

"Whoa!" Goofy yelped. "We'd better get out of here!"

Sora grabbed Ari's hand, and tugged her along to an awaiting carpet...that was alive…to her bemused amazement.

When he knew she was settled, Sora helped Goofy and Donald wrestle the distressed Aladdin onto the magic rug, and off they flew in a desperate attempt to flee the crumbling cave around them.

"Jasmine!"

"So, Jasmine's no longer in Agrabah." It wasn't a question. Aladdin abruptly stood up from his seat at the glassless window of his rundown home. "Sora…Let's go find her!"

"Hold on!" Ari cried out. "I'm sorry Aladdin, but…"

"We can't take you with us." Sora stated firmly, albeit regretful in the way he couldn't make eye contact with his new friend. "I'm…I'm sorry."

Aladdin was taken aback. "Wh-Why not?"

Goofy stared at the street rat sympathetically. "I sure we wish we could…"

"But we can't." Donald sighed. "If we take him to another world, we would be- "

"Muh… Mudd…" Goofy fumbled for the word.

"Meddling." Ari corrected him gently.

"Aladdin." Everyone turned to Sora. "We'll find Jasmine. I promise."

From the corner, Genie laughed loftily. "Uh, earth to Al. Hellooo? You still have one wish left. Look, just say the word. Ask me to find Jasmine for you."

"But Genie," Ari murmured. "The others told me that you're still imprisoned in that lamp. What about your own freedom? Aladdin told me the deal you two ha-"

"Eh," Genie shrugged. "Someone else will come along and set me free. Besides, isn't finding Jasmine more important all in all?"

"But- "

"I…I wish…" all eyes looked to Aladdin. From the crease in his brow, it appeared he had made up his mind. "For your freedom, Genie!"

The others let out collective gasps and breathy chuckles of surprise as Genie's shackles unlocked and glittered away in particles into the dry desert air.

"But Al- !" the free genie cried out in surprise.

"A deal's a deal, Genie." Aladdin smirked. "Now you can go anywhere you want. You're your own master. But…if you can, it'd be great if you could go along with them and help Sora find Jasmine."

Genie hummed at the suggestion, before turning away with his arms crossed. "Sorry, Al. I'm done taking orders from others. Buuut…" he turned around, giving everyone a cheeky grin. "A favor, now that's entirely different. I guess I could give that a try. After all, we're pals, right, Al?"

Aladdin's tired expression softened. "Genie…"

"Just leave it to me!" Genie winked.

"You okay?"

"Hm?" she turned her gaze from the starry sky out of the gummi ship's window to find Sora watching her worriedly from her small bed chamber's doorway. "Yeah…I just…" she sighed. "I just want to know what happened back there. I'm usually good at staying on my game. I'm…" she sifted her fingers roughly through her own hair. "I'm frustrated."

"Hey, don't worry." Approaching her unhurriedly, Sora ruffled her hair with sibling-like affection. "You're okay, and we will find Jasmine. So relax! Try and think positive!"

He was right. Even though she was confused, banged up, and stressed- there really was no point in trying to find answers when there were none to be found. Maybe later it'd all make sense. Not even attempting to suppress it, she burst out laughing.

"Heh. Maybe you're right, for a change."

"Hey!"

~.:*:.~.:*:.~

In another place, where the walls were crafted beautifully from the most striking stones to be found, another stands idly with his back pressed to the cool rock walls. This place should have been holy, he thought from time to time- ornate stained glass windows high above the ground the only source of color within being an obvious giveaway. Though it was far from holy now, what with this strange world's current residents- and Riku knew it, too.
He let out a bored sigh, crossing his arms over his stomach, as his mind drove back to his thoughts. Thoughts of betrayal, of her and him and everything falling apart.

Quirking an eyebrow as one of his current 'associates' spluttered in indignation from something or another, Riku chose to keep to himself and refrain from mouthing off. He needed these… people, if he wanted to find Kairi.

His thoughts, however, were unfocused and frazzled, and far from what his current goal was. They kept reeling back to Agrabah…

~.:*:.~

The mission was simple. Collect Jasmine and bring her back to the ruins of Hollow Bastion. Maleficent had even sent with him a few of her Heartless to aid him, and ensure that his task remained easy.

Yeah…easy.

Jafar had already sunk down below into the fiery pit- Sora and his newfound friends diving in after him. Ari had stayed behind, though she looked more annoyed than anything else as she watched the others dive head first into the next battle, and leaving her behind.

No matter. She wasn't looking, so Riku simply planned on snatching the princess and getting the hell out of there before she caught wind that he was nearby.

Oh no, he didn't want her to see him. He was pissed as hell, still, at both she and Sora. Sora had chosen his newfound friends over him, and she chose Sora's side over his.

Shaking the reminding thoughts plaguing him aside, Riku crept along the shadows where the Keyhole stood. Silently treading closer, he didn't notice that one of his Heartless guard had suddenly grown very much alive and energetic at the scent of a victim that shouldn't have been targeted from the get-go.

The Soldier Heartless pranced away from his charge. Ari, thinking it was Jasmine finally stirring, didn't think twice that it could be danger. Instead, she leisurely approached the princess, striking up a conversation in the process to the princess who remained unconscious to the world. It wasn't until she crouched down to check on the princess that she realized the noice wasn't Jasmine at all…

WHAM.

Emerging from the Princess's shadow, the Soldier swiftly kicked the girl across the side of her skull- sending her down for the count.

Riku, catching sight just as the Heartless attacked, reacted upon instinct. Brandishing the blade Maleficent had so generously gifted to him, he slayed the monster without hesitation. The Soldier's comrades held back, quickly very aware by nature that this boy was in command.

Ignoring the huddled monsters behind him in the shadows, Riku knelt down at Ari's side. Brushing back several locks of her hair, he examined with utmost care to see if she was in dire need of medical treatment. Oddly relieved to see she was perfectly fine- just a light bruise and momentarily knocked out, his fingers continued sifting through her soft hair almost of their own accord.

He lingered…

Until he heard Jasmine stirring behind him. Snapped from his trance-like state he fell back into the shadows.
He still had a mission, now wasn't the time to remember attachments and sore spots.

No matter how much a part of him yearned for it again…

~.:*:.~

'I guess habits die hard,' Riku thought bitterly, 'along with sentimental crap.'

"That smarmy vizier could've had 'em." The God of the Underworld griped. Riku looked up, uncrossing his unusually tensed arms and approaching the circular table in the center of the room. "If someone had stuck around to give him a hand."

"Hey," the adolescent boy barked out in retaliation. "I did my part. I brought the princess, didn't I?"

~.:*:.~.:*:.~

~.:*:.~.:*:.~.:*:.~

"Much of my life has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.

That knowledge has guarded this world well. Not a soul doubts that.

I am blessed with people's smiles and respect. But though I am called a sage, there are things I do not understand.

I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart.

I have witnessed it many times. Darkness...Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to affect us so?

As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness."

- Ansem's Report 1

~.:*:.~.:*:.~.:*:.~

Author's Note:

I. AM. SO. SORRY.

Third year of college. Third year animation student. PLUS SLIGHT WRITER'S BLOCK. Forgive me!

I know this isn't super spectacular. But there are parts I'm surprisingly pleased with.

Anyway! I'm slowly back in the swing of things. So take this extra-long chapter as my apology? :)

Anyway, hope all my readers/watchers are doing well. (:

~ AoZ