Chapter 10
While flying through space and trying to avoid the few Heartless they happened to meet, Geni pondered on the fate that awaited her at Disney Castle. All she could think of was the horrible argument she had had with Queen Minnie just before she left with him. She had said some pretty terrible things, and many that she didn't really mean…
'But Queen Minnie!'
'No buts! I want you to stay inside today and rest. Yesterday's training session with Leon really took a lot out of you, and I don't want you getting sick. Now please finish putting away these bowls and find something quiet and relaxing to do.' Queen Minnie sighed, placing several odd looking instruments back in a drawer. They had been cleaning up one of the various laboratories in the castle, and King Mickey (like always) had not thoroughly cleaned up afterwards when he had finished.
'But I feel fine! I'm not tired, I have plenty of energy, and there is still a plethora of work that needs to be done if I want to complete the latest spell Master Yen Sid assigned me!' The bowls clinked gently together as she put them away. Geni scowled and mentally smashed each and every one of them. So what if she was 14, she could still act childish where no one could see.
'I said that is enough! If you are going to insist on arguing with me about it, then stay in your room all day with no dinner!'
Geni whipped around to face the small monarch. 'No I won't!'
'Young lady, watch that tone of yours,' Queen Minnie said, her eyes narrowing as she looked up into the angry face of her foster daughter.
'No! You can't force me to do anything; this isn't even my real home! You can't tell me what to do – you're not even my real mother!' And as soon as the words left her mouth, Geni regretted them immediately. Queen Minnie looked like she had been slapped; she backed up a little and slowly turned around.
Geni tried to say something, reaching her arm out towards Queen Minnie, but her strength failed her. Gathering up her skirt she raced as fast as she could out of the room, twisting and turning through the many corridors of the castle. She almost ran into several of the castle workers, even Lady Daisy tried calling after her as she raced past. Within a few minutes, Geni was outside of the castle, but still running as fast as she could to escape her malicious words. Finding herself in one of her favorite meadows not too far from the castle, she collapsed onto her knees amidst her favorite flowers.
Shaking her head at her immaturity, she still had to wonder. Queen Minnie still had come after her with Lady Daisy, even though what she had said and done should have earned her more than a year long sentence within Organization XIII with no free will of her own.
While Donald and Goofy had been discussing their latest game of "who can destroy more Heartless with the gummi turrets," Sora had been quietly studying one of the old maps they had made before the worlds had returned to their original states. They had encountered Traverse Town, the Coliseum, Wonderland, the Deep Jungle, Agrabah, Atlantica, Neverland, Halloween Town, the giant whale Monstro, Hollow Bastion, and of course the End of All Worlds. Well, they already had found Twilight Town and Hollow Bastion, and thanks to directions from Cid and Merlin they were on their way to the Disney Castle. Sora was wondering if they would meet up with any of their other old friends at all. He turned to ask Geni if she had any current knowledge of the state all of the worlds' were in when he noticed her sour expression.
"What are you thinking about?" Sora asked.
Geni snapped out of her musings, realizing Sora had caught her with her mind in a time warp. "Oh, nothing really. Just thinking of the last time I was…home. Queen Minnie and I were having a stupid argument, and childishly I ran away. That was why I was alone when the person from the Organization found me."
Sora nodded, remembering his conversation with King Mickey before he had released Geni from said spell. "But wait. King Mickey said Queen Minnie and someone else had come after you."
"Yes, she and Lady Daisy." She whispered the next part: "Of course, if you didn't know, she's Donald's girlfriend." Geni accentuated the last word, making it sound even more feminine and batting her eyelashes coyly at the same time.
"I heard that!" Donald yelled from front seat. He didn't turn around, but Sora and Geni could see that his feathers were bright red. The both snickered until Goofy reminded Sora of how much he wanted to see Kairi again, and then there were two redheads in the cockpit. Geni laughed so hard she probably would have fallen out of her seat had she not been strapped in.
"Cut it out!" Sora protested, his ears shining like a beacon. "I bet there's someone you really like – what's his name?"
Geni stopped laughing, and smiled at Sora. "Well…"
"Come on! Spit it out; you've had your fun and now it's our turn."
"Yeah, come on Geni. Who's this mystery guy?" Donald inquired mischievously.
"You don't know who it is?" Sora asked.
"Nope, we would have known if it was anyone in or around the castle," Goofy replied. "Some handsome feller in Hollow Bastion?"
"No."
"Then who is it?" three impatient voices asked.
"I'm not telling. And besides, he's just…a good friend, nothing more."
"Sure he is," Sora drawled, as if not believing her.
"Think what you want Sora. When your IQ reaches your shoe size, I'll tell you his name." Sora involuntarily shot his gaze downward to his shoes, which at the moment looked quite large compared to Geni's more dainty feet. "Oh my gosh Sora; you actually looked?!" Geni started laughing uncontrollably all over again, clutching her sides for support. Sora tried to look hurt, but with Geni laughing so hard he ended up joining her.
"Okay, okay. Enough of the giggle fest back there. Were arriving at Disney Castle in five minutes, so prepare for landing," Donald intervened. Geni suddenly stopped laughing and began looking very nervous.
"Already? Are you sure?"
"Yes, according to the ship's navigation gummi. Hey look! There it is – home at last!" Donald pointed out the forward window; in the distance and growing larger every second was a pretty blue, brown, and green world that sparkled in the dark of the universe. Guiding the gummi ship with years of practice, Donald flew through the bumpy outer atmosphere until they began to see signs of civilization. Small towns dotted the landscape, with large farming communities surrounding them. After a few minutes, a large white castle with blue turrets came into sight surrounded by lush fields of flowers; behind it a sparkling blue bay lead into the sea.
"Wow," Sora exclaimed, staring out the portside window. "I didn't know the Disney Kingdom was so thriving!"
"Well, maybe Geni can give you a tour once we've landed and sorted everything out. Right now, we need to send in our landing confirmation. How's that coming Goofy?"
"Almost done Donald." While Donald, Geni, and Sora had been talking, Goofy had been conversing through the radio with Chip and Dale. Even though most of it sounded like high pitch squeaking, Goofy was able to communicate with them just fine. "They'll be opening the southern hatch on the far side of the castle for us."
"Good, that side has a bathroom on the platform; I already have to make a pit stop. Sora, Geni, make sure you're strapped in – we're about to land in the hanger." The twins nodded and double-checked their seatbelts, bracing for the landing. But, as usual, Donald's skills with the gummi proved very reliable when all that was felt was a slight bump, and they were in the hanger, engines shutting down and cooling.
"Alright, everybody out! Make way!" Donald quickly unbuckled himself and practically shoved the cockpit door open, racing towards a small door in the side of the hanger. The door slammed, leaving Geni, Sora, and Goofy to unpack the gummi. The hanger was filled with all kinds of machinery for building, repairing, and launching gummies; they were lucky enough that their platform was large enough to hold at least three gummies comfortably.
"Must be nice to be home, huh? Donald always has excuses for not helping to unpack," Sora grumbled as he helped Geni haul boxes out of the gummi. Of course, he tried to take many of the larger ones so Geni could take the smaller boxes. Goofy took inventory as they unloaded, seeing what they would need for when they left.
"Don't worry, fellers', we're almost done. Then it's time for a late lunch!" Sora's stomach rumbled loudly in agreement, and Geni laughed as she headed back into the gummi. Suddenly, the group heard the clanking of feet. Turning around, they saw a guard in shiny metal armor running towards them.
"Hey everyone! Welcome back!" The guard came up and stood next to Goofy. "Hey pop."
"Maxie! Good to see you! My, how you've grown since I've been away," Goofy became teary eyed, giving his son a large bear hug.
"Dad! Can't…breathe."
"Oops! Sorry," Goofy said, letting go.
"So…this is Max, I presume?" Sora said, feeling slightly left out of the warm welcome.
"Oops again! Max, this is Sora. Sora, my son Max." The two teens shook hands.
"Oh, one moment." Max took off his helmet, showing off a striking resemblance to his father. Same long ears, same elongated nose, two large buck teeth in front. He looked at Sora quizzically before continuing. "Much better. So where's Donald?"
"I'm back!" Donald came strolling over from the restroom, a clear flushing noise in the background. "How are you, Max?"
"Good, but everyone has been worried about you. Dad – you, Donald, and King Mickey haven't kept in contact with the castle like you were supposed to. Queen Minnie –" Just then, Max paused, letting his jaw drop.
"Queen Minnie what, Max? Max?" Goofy gave his son a questioning look, and then followed his gaze toward the gummi ship. Geni had just stepped out, but a large box had been hiding her face until she set it down.
"Lady…lady…lady Geni?!" Max stumbled. He slowly walked over to her.
"Hi Max, nice to see you again," Geni said, smiling. Max stared for a moment, before a large smile almost cracked his face in two.
"Lady Geni! It is you! I have to go tell – they'll be happy to see you – you are in a lot of trouble." Max tried to start a few sentences, before he clamped his mouth shut and ran up the side stairs. "See you later, dad!" Donald, Goofy, and Sora watched Geni for a reaction.
"I was hoping to let everyone know I was back myself, but I suppose this is better. Max is a talker, so the whole castle will know within the hour. Oh well, back to unpacking." With that, Geni headed back into the gummi ship.
"She took that quite…well," Donald said while raising his eyebrow.
"I'll go help her," Sora volunteered quickly, heading back for the gummi ship. Geni wasn't in the cockpit or the first storage room, which was empty except for a few very small items. Sora continued on, climbing down a ladder into the hold where Geni was arranging boxes.
"Geni?"
"Almost done, Sora; just a few more boxes to go." Geni still had her back to Sora while she spoke. However, she was arranging several of the same boxes in various positions. Sora walked up behind her and put a firm hold onto her shoulders, turning her around to face him. Her hands were shaking slightly.
"Geni? It's okay to be nervous, you know."
"I know. I was just…"
"I understand. Don't worry; I'm sure Queen Minnie will more happy than angry to see you."
"I know. It's been so long, and I said horrible things to her the last time I saw her. And then running off to join Organization XIII…"
"You were tricked into joining, remember? Don't worry, okay? Everything will be fine; I'm sure of it." Sora hesitated a moment, then gave his sister a quick bear hug. He held it for a moment until Geni, also hesitantly, hugged him back. They were quickly learning what it meant to be brother and sister as well as twins – becoming a large part of each other's life. "Well, let's get going. The sooner we finish, the sooner I can trash your room!" With a laugh, Sora ran towards the ladder.
"SORA!" Turning red, Geni ran after him and up the ladder. By the time they had reached the door, Geni was out of breath and Sora was doing a victory dance claiming full rights to demolish her room. Donald and Goofy were waiting for them, and enjoying Sora looking like a clown.
"Are you two ready or not?" Donald asked, looking impatient. "We should get upstairs and report to Queen Minnie."
"Alright, alright, we're coming," Geni said as she began walking towards them. "I'll let you guys lead the way."
"Okay." Donald, Goofy, Geni, and Sora ascended the same staircase Max had used. After two flights of stairs, the group opened a door which led into a garden full of ornate topiaries. Two people were milling around the entranceway, affirming that Max had already been hard at work.
"Lady Geni!" they shouted. A slim cow and a robust chicken ran up to greet them as a broom brigade marched by.
"Madame Mouvelle, Mrs. Roosterville, how do you do?" asked Goofy, tipping his hat towards the ladies.
"Oh Goofy, Donald, how glad we are to see you! And especially Lady Geni too!" The women crowded around Geni, fussing over her and acting motherly. Geni took their prodding, poking, and pulling with a strained face.
Donald was the first to intervene. "Um, excuse us ladies, but we must go meet with Queen Minnie. We have…uh…important information to give her straightaway. If you'll excuse us?"
"Of course, of course," Mrs. Cluck said pluckily. "We'll talk with you later, dearie."
As the two ladies left, Geni let out a loud sigh. "Thanks; those two are quite a handful." As she straightened her slightly wrinkled clothes, a young maid came up to the group.
"Lady Geni, Court Wizard Donald, Captain of the Guard Goofy, and Keyblade Master Sora, please follow me to the Audience Chamber where Queen Minnie and Lady Daisy are awaiting you." She bowed to them and turned, walking towards a side door in the garden. The four quickly fell in step behind her.
"Well, that was quick," said Sora.
"There isn't anything in this castle that can escape Queen Minnie's knowledge; trust me – I once tried to raise a baby dragon in my room," Geni said.
Sora gave Geni a raised eyebrow that could have reached the sky. "And how did you, by chance, get a baby dragon?"
Geni shrugged. "It happened to be a wrong delivery. We had ordered a crystallized Hagen egg and they accidentally sent us one dragon egg instead. Crystallized Hagen eggs are good for replacing and repairing crystal balls. Unfortunately, Queen Minnie made me release it into a dragon sanctuary on one of the nearby worlds. I wonder how Talyn is doing these days."
"I wouldn't mention that too loudly, considering she almost burned down the whole castle!" Goofy added.
Geni grinned sheepishly. "What did you expect from a teething hatchling?"
Sora smacked his forehead. So his sister did have his knack for getting into trouble while helping people…well, dragons. Examining his surroundings, Sora noted the exceptionally clean castle. It seems most of it was built out of a white marble, with tapestries hung everywhere. The hallway they were currently in led to a pair of humungous purple doors, at which their guide stopped.
"Here we are," she said. Turning to the group, she bowed again. "Her majesty and Lady Daisy are waiting for you inside."
"Thank you, Mita," Geni said, bowing back. The maid looked up in surprise.
"You…you remember my name? But I only joined the staff…"
"Yes, a few days before my departure. I remember you brought me my afternoon tea the day before that, correct?"
"Yes, I did miss! Thank you for remembering! I'll…I'll see that a lunch is prepared for all of you right now!" The maid smiled back, and then dashed off down the hallway.
"Have you got a photographic memory?" Sora asked.
"Something like that." Geni smiled, and then turned to the large doorway. Pushing against a corner of one of the large doors, a smaller door opened up into the Audience Chamber. "Here we go."
The Audience Chamber was vast, the marble stone everywhere. Large columns lined the walls, while an elegant red carpet runner ran from the giant doors to a pair of thrones. Behind the thrones were statues of previous rulers, along with a tapestry with King Mickey's insignia. The four began the long trek to the thrones, seeing that two people awaited them at their destination.
The thrones were magnificent; both were gold in color with high backs and curled armrests. The royal insignia was placed atop of both, giving the thrones a look of innocence and authority at the same time. Standing next to the right throne was a female duck dressed in a purple gown with beads down the front and a small tiara upon her head. Her feathered hands were crossed in front of her, giving her an anxious look. However, to completely differentiate from her, was a female mouse sitting on the right throne. She was wearing a regal dress of white and pink draped flowers, and wore a golden crown upon her head betwixt her large black ears. However, her face was hard, eying the group walking down the aisle with a sense of derision.
Reaching the throne, Goofy and Donald immediately bent down to kneel, while Geni gave a low curtsy to sit on her knees. Sora looked around, unsure of what to do, finally opting to follow Donald and Goofy's choice of action. Kneeling in respect, all four waited for Queen Minnie to speak.
After a moment of silence, Queen Minnie stood up from her throne. "Goofy, Donald, it is good to see you home again. I trust your journey has been going well?"
"Yes, your majesty," Goofy replied, looking up. "Sorry for not keeping in touch. Ya see, we were sleeping for a while at a place called Twilight Town. We've only been back on the road a few days."
"I see; thank you for contacting the castle so quickly then."
"Queen Minnie, have you heard anything from King Mickey about his travel destinations? We recently saw him at Hollow Bastion for a short while, and then he left again without saying goodbye." Donald looked up expectantly.
"The king's letters have kept me informed of part of the situation with Organization XIII, the Nobodies, and the Heartless. However, each letter has come from a different world, and he never says where he will be next just in case the Organization happens to intercept them."
"Makes sense," Sora added.
"You must be Sora, the Keybearer. Welcome to Disney Castle. I thank you for your exceptional efforts in your last quest, and now your current one." Queen Minnie paused, her gaze resting upon the last of the four whom she had yet to speak to. "Lady Genevieve Keilanyi Astraea, come forward."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy moved out of the way so Geni could slowly step forward. Curtsying low once again, Geni waited for the shouting to begin.
"For verbally disrespecting me, disobeying a direct order, running off on your own, causing several small accidents in the process, joining Organization XIII, and causing willful destruction to other inhabitants and their worlds…" Geni flinched at each charge, waiting for her punishment with her head bowed low. The silence and anticipation were so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. Suddenly, a whoosh of skirts was followed by gripping hug. Geni's eyes shot open wide with surprise and looked down at the tiny monarch. "Welcome home," Queen Minnie said with a smile.
"Queen Minnie…I'm so sorry," Geni said, her eyes filling with tears. She hugged her foster mother back, crying and apologizing (several times over) all at once.
Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Sora let out a breath most of them didn't realize they had been holding. Queen Minnie continued to comfort Geni, letting her use her own handkerchief. "There now, everything will be alright." She dotted Geni's eyes, smiling at her. Geni smiled back, only a few tears leaking from her still moist eyes.
"Queen Minnie…"Geni began. Queen Minnie held up her hand, stopping her from continuing.
"I was never really angry with you," she began.
"But I said…"
"You spoke things that were true, yes, but also things that were said because of anger and frustration. At first I was a little shocked, but after thinking it over I realized why you said them in the first place. I forget sometimes how hard it is when everyone treats you like you're helpless – when in reality you're not. About ten minutes after you ran out, I began searching the castle. Soon I found the path you had used to exit the castle – following the people you had bumped into. I eventually found Lady Daisy, who told me that you had gone outside of the castle walls. We both ran as fast as we could, but by the time we reached you…"
"It was too late," Lady Daisy finished. "You know, you really had Queen Minnie in a fright. Even if she isn't your real mother, she sure is a great surrogate one."
"I know," Geni said with a smile.
Queen Minnie stood up and held out her hand. "Rise, Lady Geni." Geni grasped the small hand and stood up to her full height. "By the royal authority of King Mickey and myself, you are absolved of all grievances against you. Don't worry about this matter henceforth, because it will be forgotten. Now, I assume you all have not had lunch yet?"
"Your assumption is right, as always. We left Hollow Bastion a little after noon, so we haven't had anything to eat since earlier. Although, Mita said something about preparing some before we entered."
"Mita's always on top of things; she always seems to know what is needed before I have to say anything. Well, I will go check on it. If you would like to freshen up a bit, your rooms have been readied for you. Sora, a guest room has been prepared for you as well – Geni will show it to you since it is near her own room."
"Thank you, Queen Minnie," Sora said graciously.
"No thanks needed. I will see you all shortly." Queen Minnie nodded, and Donald, Goofy, and Sora kneeled while Geni and Lady Daisy curtsied as she left. Lady Daisy waved goodbye to the group and followed Queen Minnie out the side door.
"Shall we?" Geni said happily.
"Okee-dokee. We'll meet you fellers' in the dining hall then in a half an hour or so, okay?"
"Sounds fine, Goofy. I'll show Sora around the castle then," Geni said.
"Okay, but don't get into too much trouble!" Donald warned.
"Who, me?" Geni said innocently, but with a look of mischief in her eye. "Come on, Sora, let's go. Do you want to see my room or your room first?" Sora rolled his eyes, his choice obvious. Grinning, Geni led Sora back down the long aisle towards the large purple doors. Opening the small door, Geni exited and headed to her left.
Walking down the large corridors, Sora felt like an ant. The castle was huge, with passageways leading off in all directions. Also, there were different kinds of doors everywhere. There were plain brown doors, dark blue doors with stars on them, red doors with small holes in them, purple doors, all of which had odd signs on them – some with words and some with just shapes. Geni continued walking, entering a great hall with a huge crystal chandelier lighting it, and began ascending a grand staircase, leading to the right wing of the castle. Another grand staircase on the opposite side of the great hall led towards the left wing of the castle. Most of the floors were made of the same white marble, but all of them had a carpet running along the middle of them for comfort.
Along the way, Sora and Geni happened to pass numerous castle workers, all who were very happy to see her back at the castle. They conversed with her, asking her how she had been and vice versa, before returning to their duties. Geni seemed happy to talk with them, asking them different personal questions; Sora was amazed that she knew all of their names and much more besides.
Finally, after climbing up to the fourth and last landing of the grand staircase, they walked down a long hallway until Geni stopped in front of a beautiful cherry wood door. "Well, were here," she said to Sora.
"This is your room?"
"Mm-mmm. I'll unlock it; it will only take a moment." Putting her hand near the doorknob, Geni quietly whispered a word and a yellow light surrounded her hand. Suddenly, a click was heard and the door swung in. "Shall we?" Geni offered for Sora to go in first.
Sora's mental images of how Geni's room could have looked were completely smashed when he entered the real one. The floor was made of beautiful oak wood, soft and shiny. The first room was a circular chamber, including a table in the center with fresh flowers and a small sitting area. There were also several doors leading off in different directions. Geni walked over to the left-most door and opened it. Looking in, Sora could see a large four poster bed made out of the same cherry wood as the door with a sage green coverlet and fluffy pillows. The same cherry wood furniture included a nightstand, a large armoire, and a dressing table with an oval mirror attached to it. Several windows facing the bay were covered by sheers blowing gently in the breeze. On the table were various boxes and bottles, but all neatly arranged. On Geni's nightstand were several photographs; on closer inspection, Sora noticed a few were from when Geni was younger. One when Geni was the same height as Queen Minnie and King Mickey – probably when she first arrived at Hollow Bastion – and she looked very shy standing next to them. In another she was in a field of flowers, probably the one outside of Hollow Bastion, adorning Lady Daisy with a chain of daisies for her head. One showed her hugging a small emerald and violet lizard with wings – Sora assumed this must have been Talyn. A few other photographs showed various ages with various people: King Mickey, Queen Minnie, Lady Daisy, Donald, Goofy, and an older woman with silvery-white hair Sora didn't recognize. Picking up that particular photograph, Sora asked, "Hey Geni, who's this?"
Geni came and looked at the photograph in mention. Smiling sadly, she said, "Do you remember when you asked who had taught me to sing? That's her."
"Really? She looks very…" Sora tried to place his thought into kind words.
"Old? Wrinkly?" Geni supplied. Sora put down the photograph apologetically. "Don't worry; she's much older than you think. Maybe one day you can meet her. Either way, let's keep going. We don't have much time until lunch." Geni walked across her bedroom and opened another door, leading into a small but comfortable bathroom which held a large tub, sink, and other amenities. "Well, that's my room in a nutshell. Any questions?"
"Of course! If this is just where you live, do other people share the main room with you?"
"No, this whole area is mine. I'll show you." Geni walked out of her bedroom and opened up the next door. "This is one of my favorite rooms. It's my own personal library and study room." Sora was amazed at what he saw; from floor to ceiling, covering every wall, were bookshelves filled of all kinds of books. Big books, little books, old books, new books, spell books, historical books, books about entire other worlds, mathematical and scientific books, as well as a large section of fictional novels. Sitting in the middle of the room was a sturdy desk with papers neatly stacked on it, pens and pencils sitting in a small cup, as well as bright lamp giving off a cheery glow. A cabinet in one of the corners held many differently shaped instruments that Sora could only wonder what their uses could be. The windows sitting on top of the bookshelves bathed the room with a merry light.
"How many books are in here?" Sora asked, wandering around looking at the different titles.
"Hmm…I don't really know. Several hundred, probably, but I'm always borrowing some from the Great Library."
"Several…hundred?!" Sora cried. "I haven't read that many in my whole life!"
"Well, when you have King Mickey, Queen Minnie, Lady Daisy, Donald, Goofy, Master Yen Sid, and other highly educated people home schooling you, it's a daily occurrence to be assigned several books."
"Your brain must be huge then," Sora commented. He pulled a book off of the shelf entitled The Abstracts of the Light Medium and Their Opposing Characteristics. "I don't even get what the title of this book means," flipping through several picture-less pages.
"It describes the eternal struggle of the light versus the darkness," Geni said nonchalantly.
Sora laughed. "You and Riku would make a great pair! He's always reading too; no wonder he was number one in school!" Sora didn't see the knowing look come into Geni's eyes, but if he had he would have realized Geni already knew this.
"Well, let's keep going. There are still two rooms left to go." Leaving the library, Geni opened up the next door and revealed an indoor greenhouse filled with exotic plants and shrubs. Some of the flowers were in full bloom, showing off bright pinks, purples, blues, oranges, and reds. Some bushes had different kinds of berries growing on them, while one section had short scrubby plants. A small sign next to them read "Watch Your Step!" "This is my personal garden, where I grow most of the ingredients I might need for spells, potions, salves, ointments, and so on. Some of these plants have ceased to exist on their original worlds, and so we cultivate the most needed ones and send seedlings back to be replanted."
"Wow, you sure are busy. When do you find time to relax?"
Geni smiled. "Follow me into the next room." Sora and Geni walked carefully out of the greenhouse and to the final door in her suite. "You might like this room the most, Sora," she said mischievously. Opening the door, Sora and Geni entered a training facility. The main room was shaped like a dojo, and the adjacent room held an assortment of different weapons: several types of swords, spears, bows and arrows, kunai and shuriken, nun chucks, and Geni's favorite: the long staff.
"This is where I would exercise and practice my battle skills and fighting in general. Queen Minnie thought it would be best to keep the training area close to my room in case of emergencies and the like."
Sora was carefully examining the weapons; he had to admit they were in good condition, and most look well used. "Who taught you?"
"Well, Donald and King Mickey taught me battle magic, while Goofy, Leon, and sometimes Cloud taught me fighting skills. I also am a decent gymnast as well." To prove her point, Geni ran towards the center of the room, flipping herself into a handstand leading into a front to back spinning flip and landing gracefully on one foot in the crane position.
Sora clapped congratulatory, then said, "That was amazing! It must have taken years of practice, considering."
Geni nodded, walking back towards him. "A little every day, and more so when no one was watching me. Anyway, it's just about time for lunch, why don't I go and show you to your room?"
"Ahh, soft sheets; it's not like I slept a lot at Merlin's house."
"Donald and Goofy's snoring?" Sora nodded. "Queen Minnie made them soundproof their walls because every night they kept everyone awake in their part of the castle with their snoring. Anyway, let's get going." Geni and Sora headed out of the training room and back into the circular room and out the door. Locking it again as they left, Geni turned down the hallway leading back towards the grand staircase they had come up.
"All of the guest rooms are located around the grand staircases so any guests we have don't get lost easily. Your room is on the floor directly below mine." Climbing down part of the staircase until it leveled off onto the floor below Geni's, Sora and Geni only walked past a few doors before Geni stopped at a plain brown door that had a key-shaped insignia on it. "Here's your room; to open it just hold your hand onto the doorknob for a few seconds until you hear it click. There are spells on the knobs that are attuned to the people staying in the room. Try it."
Sora stepped towards the door and grabbed the knob. It began to glow softly, and after a moment Sora heard a gentle click and the door swung inwards. The room wasn't very fancy, just like Geni's, and had a very homey quality to it. A full size bed sat in the corner with a red comforter, a nightstand, a dresser, and a table and chair opposite the bed. Several windows let plenty of light into the room, and off in the corner was another door leading into a bathroom.
Sora gaped. "This is one of your guest rooms?! It looks like a palace compared to the guest room back at home."
"Well, considering some of our guests are royalty, all of the rooms need to be very nice. This will be your room whenever you come to visit. I'm going to go wash up and change before lunch, so if you want to do the same…?" Geni's statement was more like a large hint.
"Sounds good."
Geni nodded. "I'll be back in about fifteen minutes. Have fun." She turned and headed out the door, closing it behind her. Sora looked around, before eying up the bed. Tossing off his shoes quickly, he ran and jumped onto it. He was met with a soft down mattress as well as silky smooth sheets and comforter. Sinking down into bliss, he almost decided to go to sleep instead of eating. However, his stomach loudly disagreed with him, so he got up and headed into the bathroom. Seeing a shower with towels and shampoo, he quickly decided to jump in. Five minutes later, Sora was drying off and feeling better than he had in a while. Looking in the mirror, he was amazed to see how much he had changed. Rippling muscles were beginning to appear on his torso, arms, and legs. He smiled, knowing Riku couldn't really call him scrawny anymore. Walking into the main room and putting his clothes back on, he realized they had been cleaned as well. What the?! When did this happen? I'll have to ask Geni if there are some kinds of self cleaning spells around here or something like that. Feeling good with a clean body and clean clothes, Sora noticed that Geni would be coming to pick him up in a minute. Putting his shoes back on, he headed towards the door. Just as he was about to open it, he heard a knock.
"Sora, are you ready?" he heard Geni call.
"Yeah, coming," he said as he opened the door while simultaneously – and metaphorically – dropping his jaw to the floor. Geni had definitely cleaned up too; she had washed up like Sora, but her clothes! Geni was wearing a deep purple tiered skirt with a matching lighter purple long sleeve shirt with flared sleeves. She wore a pair of tall brown suede boots that reached up to her knees, and a silver pendant in the shape of a heart encircled her neck. Her hair was the same as before, except she had twisted her braid into a circle on the back of her head for a more dignified look. (Imagine Princess Leia's braids on the side of her head, but now on the back). "Wow, uh, you look…nice."
"Thank you; it seems Queen Minnie made some alterations to my wardrobe while I was gone, elongating most of my outfits by several inches." She twirled around for effect. "Look at you, though! I can hardly recognize you without a layer of dirt on."
"Ha ha ha, very funny. By the way, do the rooms here have some kind of self cleaning spells on them?"
"Sort of. Did you leave anything in the main room to go and wash up?"
Sora nodded. "Yeah, my clothes while I took a quick shower."
"Thought so. Most of the guest rooms have spells on them to keep them clean; considering there are many of them, the castle workers don't have the time to clean them every single day. So the spells help out with the less used rooms of the castle. Understand?"
"I bet the castle employees love it that their rulers' can use magic like that."
"Actually, I was the one who created the spell we use. It's a timed spell, physical activation spell, and a cleaning spell all rolled into one. Not too difficult, but getting down the fine details of it was quite tedious."
"Geni, one – Sora, zero. You're really going to have to start teaching me more of this practical magic, you know."
Smiling, Geni replied "I know. But for right now, if we don't hurry, we'll be late for a late lunch. Let's go – I'm starving!" The twins walked the short distance to the grand staircase and walked down it once again. Instead of going through the hallway leading to the southern wing of the palace where the Audience Chamber was, they headed toward the north wing. Each wing of the castle looked the same because of the same use of the white marble all over, but the doors and tapestries indicated otherwise. Also, Sora began to smell something delicious as they continued down yet another long hallway. Even more castle employees could be seen, transporting goods or talking with one another in small groups. After turning down one last hallway, they found a large pair of olive green doors (not as big as the doors to the Audience Chamber, though).
"We're here!" Geni announced. Pushing open one of the doors, Sora was amazed to find a large banquet hall. There were five immensely long tables, with a smaller table up front on a small dais. People were still scattered around the hall finishing a late lunch or talking together for a short break. Geni began walking towards the dais at the front, while greeting people who happened to come up and talk with her as she passed. As if appearing out of thin air, a group of very young children ran up to her and hugged her skirts.
"My! I haven't been gone that long, have I?" she laughed.
"Lady Geni! Don't be mean! You've been gone for –" a little female bear cub tried counting on her fingers "– for a long time, and you promised you would play with us last time!"
"Yeah!" chorused several other small voices.
"Alright, after I finish a late lunch with Queen Minnie and some friends of mine, my brother Sora and I will come and play with you. Where should we meet you?"
"Your brother? Really? Can we go outside to the meadows? Pretty please?" Tiny, whining voices asking so many questions were making several heads turn.
"I'll ask Queen Minnie. If she says yes, then okay. For now, meet us in the central garden, okay?"
"YEA!" they ran off through the main doors. Geni turned back to Sora only to see him giving her a strange look. "What?"
"Oh, nothing. It seems you were missed around here more than you thought."
"Sorry, all I had been thinking about lately was my fight with Queen Minnie. I guess from time to time the most important people to you sometimes make it harder to remember the other equally important people in your life. Well, shall we? I think everyone is waiting for us." Proceeding to the dais, Geni was right. Queen Minnie was sitting at the head of the table followed by Lady Daisy; Donald and Goofy were already eating a few sandwiches.
"Finally!" Donald grumbled. "Your fan club couldn't wait?"
Sitting down opposite Lady Daisy, Geni smiled. "Of course not; thank goodness all they had was a play date on their minds!" She reached for a sandwich situated on a plate in the center of the table.
"Well, everyone here at the castle is glad the three of you are home safely. Now, as long as we have a little time, I would like the full story beginning when you two left the castle." The group nodded, and began to relay their story: beginning their first quest in Traverse Town where they first met Sora to closing the door to darkness with King Mickey and Riku on the other side, then beginning again since they woke up in Twilight Town and finding Geni in Hollow Bastion to their arrival that afternoon at Disney Castle.
Several sandwiches later, the group finished their tale – considering the variations within the four different view points. Queen Minnie was quiet, pondering on their account. "Hmm, everything seems to make sense; however, what about the part of your memories that is missing? From the time between closing the door to darkness and awakening."
The three sat in silence, pondering. "We don't really know, your majesty," Goofy said, speaking first. "We only had one clue that Jiminy Cricket found in our travel log; it said 'Thank Naminé.'"
"Any idea on who this Naminé is?"
"No, but King Mickey or Riku might, once we find them," Sora said.
"I see. Well, thank you very much – I'll be having Jiminy place your travel log into the Grand Library for reference; for now, though, he will still accompany you in your travels."
"Speaking of which, Queen Minnie, I haven't seen Jiminy since we landed. Where is he?" Donald inquired.
"Currently he is speaking with Pinocchio and Geppeto, who had been visiting the castle. Geppeto has been working on a few of the gummi ships for us, and were quite glad when you showed up with Jiminy. Since I know you will have to leave soon, I gave Jiminy all the personal time he could with them, considering how close he and Pinocchio are."
"Speaking of close, I must excuse Sora and myself. We have a play date to attend to before it gets too late. I am supposed to ask you if it is alright to visit the meadows outside of the castle, Queen Minnie," Geni asked, looking directly at her.
Queen Minnie nodded, saying, "Since Sora will be with you, it is fine with me. But please be inside the castle gates well before sundown."
Geni nodded, then stood and excused herself, carrying her plates over to a small window in the side of the hall. Sora followed suite, seeing that there was a kitchen hand on duty to take their dirty dishes. Thanking the person, Sora and Geni excited the dining hall, heading for the central garden where the ornate topiaries were and the entrance to the gummi hanger.
As they walked, Geni noticed Sora had an intense look on his face. "Thinking about Queen Minnie's question?" she asked.
Sora nodded. "It seems odd that we can't remember a whole year, but I have a feeling the memories are lurking somewhere in my heart – forgotten, but not lost."
"I'm sure you'll remember with time, as will I. But for now, it's time to play with some small friends." They had entered the garden, and the group of five youngsters was eagerly awaiting them. Smiling, Geni approached them and said "Queen Minnie gave us permission to go outside the castle for a while. Are you ready?" Small shouts of joy filled the air, implying a definitive yes. The small bear cub and a female duckling grabbed Geni's hands, while a small male hare grabbed one of Sora's hands.
"Let's go Geni's brother Sora! Time's a wasting!"