Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls Chapter 14: The Emperor's New Groove, a kingdom hearts fanfic

Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls

Chapter 14: The Emperor's New Groove

AN: Hey sorry it took four months. I'm just in a tough situation because I'm doing four different stories at once and barely have enough time to work on one regularly. But one of them will be finished up soon, so this isn't permanent. To try to make up for the time, I've packed a lot of stuff into this chapter, including most parts of the Emperor's New Groove movie (one of the funniest Disney films I've ever seen).

A single oval of darkness erupted on the dark floor. Braig, still injured from the battle, limped out of it, and whistled at the sight of Xehanort's renovations. The once gloomy throne room had more lighting in it, and the Keyhole was hidden by an extravagant white throne with gold lining. The Heartless symbol that once sat on the floor was now gone, replaced with a huge menacing blue eye, the same one that decorated dark Keyblades like Xehanort's and Vanitas's. And Xehanort, of course, was sitting on the throne.

"What's with the changes?" Braig asked.

"Since this is my throne room once more, I felt I should give it a better aesthetic design," the dark lord replied.

The subordinate nodded with a grin. "It does look better, though I still don't get the blue eye thing."

"You seem to misunderstand myriads of information these days," Xehanort added.

The man nodded. "Definitely. I still can't figure out why Sinarem looks exactly like you did when you were a grouchy old man all those years ago, Xehanort."

The Keyblade Master ignored the derogatory comment. "Sinarem is my original body and soul, Braig. When I fought Terra at the Keyblade Graveyard, I sent my heart into his body and soul, casting off my own. And the transformation gave birth to my Guardian."

Upon even being mentioned, the monstrous shadowy creature emerged from behind Xehanort. The sniper was shocked at first, having never seen the beast.

"This Heartless corresponds to Sinarem's creation," the manipulator explained. "Thus, whereas Sinarem is my original Nobody, the Guardian acts as my Heartless of sorts."

The monster faded back into Xehanort, the memory of its horrific features imprinted in the sniper's mind. Braig scratched his head. "So, whose heart is the Guardian?"

"He isn't a corrupted heart like normal Heartless," the dark lord answered. "Rather, he is a physical manifestation of my darkness. And that's what pureblood Heartless really are."

"Still confusing, but I'll go with it," Braig said. "By the way, what was the point of saving the mouse? Mickey is just a nuisance."

"By keeping him captive, I'm hoping that his old master will come out of hiding," the master said.

"What's so special about Yen Sid?" Braig asked. "I mean, are we doing this because Riku was looking for him or what?"

"Master Yen Sid may be growing old, but he is still very powerful," Xehanort explained. "As for Riku, let's just hope he plays his part, otherwise I fear I'd have to utilize our old connection."

The underling stared in puzzlement. "Connection?"

The manipulator smirked, his white teeth forming the same sinister smile they always did. "When I returned to my homeland to put Ven to rest there, I stealthily searched for suitable candidates. Among them, I found a Riku as a baby boy, yet even then his heart's strength and valiance seemed to radiate. At that moment, I connected my heart to his, hoping to one day use Riku as my vessel. When I found Terra though, I resolved to be proactive and make the change sooner."

Braig scratched his head. "So you've been connected to his heart this entire time?"

"Yes, and that's the reason my Heartless sought him out," Xehanort replied. "However, when Ansem the Wise's machine exploded, my heart and Terra's were expunged. I reverted to this form upon reuniting with Xemnas."

Braig glanced at the armored figure standing beside the Keyblade wielder. "Speaking of mysteries, who's tall, dark, and ugly over there?"

"My lingering sentiment," Xehanort answered.

The freeshooter scratched his head, chuckling a bit. "I miss the days when the mission was simple: trick Sora to slay Heartless and gather hearts."

Xehanort stared at him, not even laughing a bit at the joke. Ignoring the awkward silence, Braig glared at him. "Now I'm REALLY confused. How could you have a sentiment? I just thought only people who were…you know, GONE could have them."

"Sentiments are animated objects brought to life by one's emotions," Xehanort said. "Despite being alive and well, I've used my powerful emotions to animate the armor."

The sniper smirked. "I'm impressed! That thing really did a number on Aqua and the others. Until Sora turned into Vanitas of course."

At that, Xehanort's yellow orbs froze in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I was taunting Sora during the battle, trying to make him snap," the freeshooter said. "Instead of freaking out, this burst of darkness surrounded him, and suddenly he looked like Vanitas. But kiddo was still the one calling the shots."

The Keyblade warrior mused over this. He had spent years raising Vanitas, and knew the boy more than anyone else. What truly defined the youth was his existence. He was pure darkness, and thus was incapable of genuinely feeling compassion or any other positive emotion. So why would he choose to help Sora? Vanitas must have some ulterior motive.

"I'm…not entirely sure what he's up to," Xehanort admitted. "But Vanitas is no fool. For one reason or another, he wants to lend Sora his power. Perhaps he simply thought that doing so would give him control."

"I guess that makes sense," Braig agreed.

The tan man held out his hand, summoning his weapon. "You recall the initial agreement we made, correct?" the man inquired.

The sharpshooter nodded. "Yeah. I did a few tasks for you, and in return my darkness was enhanced."

"How would you like to make another promise?" his boss asked.

Another one? Braig had no idea what the man was getting at.

"Well, I guess so," the freeshooter answered. "What's the deal?"

"Aqua is becoming far too dangerous for her own good," Xehanort remarked. "I need you to eliminate her, once and for all."

Braig rolled his eyes. "Well I don't know where she is, but that's BRILLAINT! Except I've been trying to do that for DAYS! And every time I didn't come close to beating her!"

"The reason for that is your weapon," the Keyblade wielder reminded him.

"Are you suggesting I don't even USE a weapon!" Braig yelled. "You're insane you crazy old-"

In a blur of movement, Braig found Xehanort's Keyblade at the tip of his neck, ready to slash his throat and terminate his existence. Darkness was flaring around his boss, and his yellow eyes seemed to be glowing with rage.

"Stop making foolish assumptions and listen!" the leader barked.

Braig nodded, and Xehanort lowered the weapon a bit.

"I'm saying you need to upgrade," the man explained.

As Xehanort flipped his weapon around so that the handle was facing Braig, the underling stared in shock, his yellow eyes filled with glee. He knew that Keyblade Masters can pass on the ability to wield the legendary key.

Xehanort menacingly smiled as he was about to speak. "Grab hold of it."

Inside a small dining hall, an incredibly muscular man with black hair began lighting two candles. The man's name was Kronk, and just as his appearance implied, he had much more brawn than brain. Still, the man had talents outside of his physique, including a marvelous cooking skill. The assistant smiled at the exquisite dinner he had prepared on the table.

A woman wearing dark clothing entered the room with a smile on her face. She looked incredibly old, with more lines and wrinkles than the interior of a tree trunk.

"So, is everything ready for tonight?" she asked excitedly.

Kronk, misunderstanding what she meant, nodded and held up a bowl of vegetables. "Oh yeah, I thought we'd start off with soup and a light salad, and then see how we feel after that."

Glaring, the woman lowered bowl. "NOT the dinner. The you know…"

Dimming his eyelids in confusion, Kronk suddenly realized what she meant. "Oh right! The poison…the poison for Kuzco…the poison chosen specially to kill Kuzco…Kuzco's poison…"

Yzma rolled her eyes, able to tell he was still confused.

"That poison-" he asked.

"Yes, that poison!" she cut him off.

The assistant took out a pink vial. "Gotcha covered."

The woman maliciously grinned. "Excellent! A few drops in his drink, then I'll propose a toast, and he will be dead before dessert."

Kronk frowned. "Which is a real shame, because it's gonna be delicious."

When Yzma was about to chide him for worrying about that, the door suddenly slammed open. The pair turned their heads to see the man of the hour standing there, dressed in his casual red and gold robe.

"Boom bam baby!" Kuzco exclaimed arrogantly. "Let's get to the grub. I am one hungry king of the world!"

He spun his chair and took a seat in it, rubbing his eyes as he looked at Yzma. "So, no hard feelings about being let go?"

"None whatsoever," she lied through her teeth. "Kronk! Get the emperor a drink."

At first he was about to react normally and grab a tasty refreshment, but then he realized what his boss meant. He pointed to her. "Drink! Righttttttt!"

The servant walked behind Kuzco toward the table with glasses on it. After filling them with the normal liquid, he poured the poison into one of them, emitting a quick puff of smoke that Kuzco didn't even seem to notice. Kronk walked back to the table, rotating the disk so that the altered drink was facing Kuzco.

"Your highness," he said.

Kuzco smiled at the beverage, but stopped at the smell of smoke. "Is something burning?"

Kronk gasped. "My spinach puffs!"

The cook rushed back into the kitchen, leaving Kuzco and his former advisor alone.

"So…he seems nice," the emperor said in an effort to break the awkward silence.

She nodded. "Uh, he is."

The ruler mused to himself. "He's what, in his…late 20s?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," she responded honestly.

At that point, Kronk appeared out of the door frame, holding his hot plate of food. "Saved them!"

"That's great! Good job!" Kuzco said.

Trying to go along with it, Yzma smiled. "Yes, very good job!"

He began preparing to serve the puffs, yet Yzma cleared her throat to get his attention. She cleared it again, yet he seemed lost in his own stream of consciousness.

"Kronk…the emperor needs his drink!" she reminded him.

He nodded, and then understood what she meant. "Right…oh…righttttt."

The man was about to grab the poisoned glass when he suddenly turned nervous. He had forgotten which one was poisoned. Smiling, he took the entire tray of refreshments and rushed to the table far behind Kuzco. Frustrated with his incompetence, Yzma smacked her head.

"Hey Kronky, everything okay back there?" the emperor inquired.

Realizing the vial was empty, Kronk emptied out the vase and poured all the liquids into it, and then distributed the poison equally to each glass. "Erm, drinks are a bit on the warm side."

Laughing, he walked back over to the table, setting down the tray. "Hey, did you see that sky today? Talk about blue!"

She raised her glass. "A toast…to the emperor!"

Kuzco picked up his glass, ignoring her.

"Long live Kuzco!" she exclaimed.

The boy began spinning his glass. Kronk, on the other hand, motioned towards his glass, with Yzma staring in confusion.

"Don't drink the water…poison!" he said in a muffled voice.

Thirsty, Kuzco downed the drink, whereas Yzma tossed hers into a nearby cactus and Kronk pretended to drink it by flowing it past his mouth and down his shirt.

The ruler smiled. "Ah…tasty!"

With no change in his facial expression, the boy's head fell into the bowl on the table. Yzma grinned. Her plan had succeeded. After being harassed by an adolescent emperor for all her life and even being fired by him, Yzma had finally extracted her revenge. Kuzco was dead.

"Finally!" she said. "Good work, Kronk."

"Oh, they're so easy to make," he said in reference to the puffs. "I'll get you the recipe."

She ignored him. "Now, to get rid of the body…"

Suddenly, Kuzco sharply raised his head, not hearing any of what they said. "Okay! What were we saying?"

The woman was in shock, but tried to adapt to the surprising circumstances. "Uh, we were just making a toast to your long and…"

In a split second, huge ears popped out of the boy's head. The woman felt even more confused, and Kronk merely shrugged in puzzlement.

"…healthy rule!" she finished.

Kronk stared at the boy, yet Kuzco didn't seem to notice.

"Right," the emperor said. "So what are you gonna do?"

The boy's neck extended another foot, yet he didn't seem to notice. "I mean, you've been around here a long time."

Yzma stared, her eyes wide at the site.

"And I REALLY mean a long time," he said in a derogatory tone.

The woman began humming, looked towards Kronk, and smashed two pieces of broccoli against each other, in the same motion one would smash a hammer.

"Uh…and it might be, hmm, difficult for someone of your age," the boy continued.

He continued to transform, this time a hoof replacing his right hand.

"Adjusting to life in the private sector," he said to end his statement.

He looked towards Kronk, holding up his glass with his normal hand. "Hey Kronk, can you top me off pal? Be a friend?"

As he chuckled, his human face suddenly distorted and took the shape of a llama's.

Kronk tuned Kuzco out, focused on Yzma smashing the vegetables. He held up his plate. "More broccoli?"

She shook her head, and pounded one fist on top of the other. The muscular man widened his eyes, comprehending what she wanted.

"Let's face it, you're no spring chicken!" Kuzco admitted.

Kronk approached the llama emperor, holding a plate over him. Yet the boy didn't even notice this.

"And I mean that in the nicest way possible," he assured Yzma.

In an instant, Kronk slammed the bowl on the llama's head, knocking him out cold. Yzma rushed over, staring at the blueblood in shock.

"What?" she screamed. "A llama? HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!"

Kronk rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…weird."

Glaring at her servant, the elderly woman held out her hand. "Let me see that vial!"

He gave it to her, and she noticed that the label was pushed down a bit, forming what seemed to be a skull. By pushing it up, it was revealed to be the silhouette of a llama.

"This isn't poison!" she yelled. "This is extract of…LLAMA!"

The woman groaned as Kronk prepared an alibi. "You know, in my defense your poisons all look alike. You may wanna think about relabeling some of them."

"Take him out of town and finish the job NOW!" she angrily commanded.

Raising his eyes in thought, the man stared in confusion. "What about dinner?"

At that point all the emotion drained from her face. "Kronk…this is KIND OF important…"

"How about dessert?" he asked in a saddened tone.

Raising her finger in protest, Yzma began having second thoughts. "Well I suppose there's time for dessert."

He smiled. "And coffee?"

"Alright, a quick cup of coffee," the traitor agreed. "THEN TAKE HIM OUT OF TOWN AND FINISH THE JOB!"

The toughest aspect of exploring worlds was adjusting to the environment. As Aqua pushed her way through blankets of bushes and tree branches, the Keyblade Master realized that after all these years, she still hadn't gained mastery over adaptation. Sora and Kairi were having even more difficult traversing through the jungle.

"Ugh, the ground feels like quick sand!" Sora exclaimed. "I can barely even move!"

Turning her head, Aqua realized he was in fact in quick sand. Quickly casting Blizzaga on the area around him, Aqua stopped the sand from pulling her apprentice in. Stretching out her hand, she took hold of Sora and pulled him to safety.

"Thanks," he replied. "Sorry if I'm slowing you down."

"Honestly, Sora, I've never been in an environment as difficult as this," Aqua admitted.

The woman was relieved to see an exit from the marsh in the distance. "Let's head for that exit!"

Before she could go any further, two dozen Neoshadows popped out from the ground. Gritting her teeth, Aqua held her Keyblade high in the air. An orange spark from the tip of Bright Crest morphed into a large sphere, and from it countless fireballs blasted out and homed towards the beasts. Most of the Heartless were consumed in flames, the black goo evaporating like smoke. Sora spun around just as the remaining Neoshadows slithered toward him. He summoned Oathkeeper, and sliced through the enemies with ease. The final pair of monsters crawled towards Kairi, and once they reverted from their flat forms on the ground, the girl blasted two spheres of light from Destiny's Embrace. Still silent, the Heartless faded into darkness.

The three warriors calmly unequipped their Keyblades.

"Man, looks like Xehanort's getting more serious about these Heartless," Sora remarked.

Kairi widened her eyes in shock. "Xehanort's back?"

Her friend nodded. "Apparently. Then again…we're just taking Braig's word for it…"

"Don't rule out the possibility of Xehanort being back, Sora," Aqua said.

The boy crossed his arms. "I just don't see how that could be possible. His Heartless and Nobody were both destroyed."

"That is correct," she agreed. "However, the expulsion of those two halves only ensures the return of the whole."

Sora narrowed his gaze in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Heartless and Nobodies are incomplete beings, in both their existence and their inexistence," she explained. "Thus, for them, death is nothing more than a true birth."

"So, he could just keep coming back?" Sora inquired.

"Theoretically, yes, which is why I need to stop him this time," Aqua told him.

As she began to walk away, the apprentice stared in confusion. "Don't you mean WE need to stop him?"

"No," she affirmatively stated. "He is too powerful for you, Sora. I won't let you fight him."

"What?" he yelled. "I beat his Heartless and his Nobody."

She raised an eyebrow. "On your own?"

The hero of the Key lowered his head. "Well, no…"

"Exactly, and that's why I'm worried, Sora," she said to him. "If you couldn't defeat parts of Xehanort, how could you beat the true Xehanort?"

"I've gotten stronger!" Sora argued. "I even went toe-to-toe with that armored guy even when you could barely hold your own."

Kairi snapped her head towards him. "Sora! Don't insult Aqua like that!"

"It's fine, Kairi," she assured the girl. "Sora, you don't know what end results that form could have given you. For all we know, Vanitas might have taken control of your body."

"Don't worry about Vanitas right now!" the apprentice commanded. "Just focus on Xehanort. He's the one who needs to be stopped."

"And I'm going to be the one to stop him," Aqua bluntly stated. "Alone."

"You're being irrational!" Sora defiantly declared. "What if you fail, Aqua? If that happens, we won't stand a chance. Our best option is to fight him together!"

She sighed. "You don't understand. He can use you as hostages, as bait. I don't want that to happen."

Just as he was about to counter, Sora vaguely remembered when Xemnas took him hostage in their final battle. The boy stopped arguing, and continued to obediently follow his master out of the jungle. Silently, he promised himself to do everything he could to help Aqua against their malevolent antagonist.

Darkness. Ages ago, it invigorated him with power. It once gave him strength, confidence, and a false sense of invincibility.

Now it mocked him, acting as a testimony to his arrogance and mistakes. Terra opened his cobalt eyes, finding himself surrounded by endless swirls of gray and black darkness in his heart. He glanced at the shadows, each of them representing one of his sinful acts. And before him stood the greatest shadow of all. Its shape was familiar, representing a figure whom Terra once called "father".

The young man turned away. He couldn't bear to look. He couldn't stand the shame.

"What's wrong, Terra?" a voice spoke. "I thought I taught you better manners than this."

His eyes widened, quickly recognizing the compassionate tone. Terra whipped his head around, and seeing that the humanoid shadow was gone. In its place was the true being. The man's black hair contrasted with his white cloak. A set of scars decorated his face. Brown and blue eyes locked, and in an instant, Terra was brought to tears. He knelt at the man's feet.

"Master Eraqus," he said. "I…am so sorry…for everything…"

The man grabbed Terra. Yet he didn't lecture him nor beat him. Rather, he embraced his surrogate son.

"I forgave you long ago, Terra," Eraqus said.

Terra gulped. "But so much chaos has been dealt from my hand. I failed."

"No, you never failed me, Terra," Eraqus assured him. "I was the one who failed you. I pushed you away when I should have kept you close…I treated you with deceit when I should have given you my trust."

Eraqus's tears slowly stopped, and his face became serious again. "As for the hand behind all this disorder, it's not yours. Rather, it hides behind a white glove, just as its master hides in the shadows."

Terra nodded. "Xehanort. I'm going to find him. The last thing he'll see will be my suit of armor squeezing the life out of him."

"Terra, don't speak like that!" Eraqus exclaimed. "We cannot rely on hatred again. It led to both our demises."

The younger man nodded. "You're right. But he has to be stopped, Master! I thought he was destroyed a while ago, but then I could sense him again…feel him again. He's out there somewhere, I know it!"

"Terra, if you are so determined, then why haven't you left this place yet?"

The earth warrior shook his head. "I'd rather not say."

Eraqus rested his hand on the youth's shoulder. "I'm not here to judge you. Please, just explain your reasoning."

The young man sighed. "The shame is too much to bear, Master. If I visit the worlds, I will start thinking of Aqua and Ven again."

"But they're your best friends," Eraqus argued.

"That's the point!" Terra yelled. "They were EVERYTHING to me. They pushed me beyond my limits, beyond the limits of existence. And yet every time I so much as think of them, I'm overcome with grief. The same memories replay in my head like a broken record, until I feel like bursting into tears. Venturing the other worlds will just make that pain worse, until I can't even move my armor anymore."

The Keyblade Master's expression grew sorrowful as he looked upon his broken and sorrowful student.

Sinarem stepped out of a dark portal, his new apprentice following suit. Riku examined the surroundings, realizing they were in the Land of the Dragons.

"Why are we here?" the boy asked.

"Believe it or not, this world has a substantial aura of light," Sinarem told him. "By submitting this place to darkness, we will be one step further toward our goal."

Somewhat uncertain, Riku summoned his Keyblade. "So, where's the keyhole?"

"Unfortunately, I am not completely sure," the old man honestly responded. "However, you need only listen to your heart to find it."

"Listening to my heart isn't really my thing," the boy answered. "Sora's much better at that."

"Who is this Sora?" the old man asked as if he didn't know.

"He's my best friend," Riku responded.

Content that the boy was falling for the ruse, Sinarem held the boy's shoulder.

"Riku, are you jealous of Sora?" Sinarem inquired.

Riku's eyes widened for a bit when he began to reminisce.

Riku and Sora were surrounded by concrete buildings, all of them practically identical…lacking an identity just like their leader. Sora and Riku landed on the throne, both wielding their Keyblades and ready to resume the fight.

Xemnas tilted his armored head toward them.

"Riku…are you jealous of Sora?" the Nobody asked.

Flinching for a moment, Riku snapped out of it as Xemnas swung his long blade toward them. The white haired boy ducked just in time, and held out his hand to launch another barrage of Dark Firaga.

The boy didn't understand. Why did Sinarem say the exact same thing? Did he have some connection to Xemnas? Speaking of which, where WAS this guy when the Organization was causing trouble. Riku tried to identify the man's scent, but the black cloak completely masked it.

Riku shook his head. "Trust me, I'm not jealous of him."

"Ah, so then is it anger that fuels your darkness?" the elder asked.

The boy smiled. "Well I can be grouchy sometimes, so maybe that's it."

"I can sense your power, Riku," Sinarem stated. "You have so much potential…and yet all you're capable of is creating dark fireballs."

Riku winced. "Hey, if I'm gonna have to put up with your insults, you can forget our alliance."

Sinarem shook his head. "No, no my boy. Just hear me out."

Riku crossed his arms, and the old man took his usual stance with his hands behind his back. "The darkness you hold within is incredibly powerful. Yet you choose to hold it back, there's no way you will be able to overcome Sora."

"I don't WANT to beat Sora," Riku argued. "I don't even want to fight him! We're on the same side."

"Sadly, not for long," the Nobody insisted.

Riku glared at him. "You better stop with the cryptic words and explain what you mean."

Silent for a moment, Sinarem sighed. "Sora is going to betray you, Riku."

The boy began walking away. "You're insane. I can't believe I even agreed to go with you."

"When he discovers your new mission, he won't understand," the old man said. "He'll attempt to defeat you in a misguided effort to preserve world order."

"Since when were you psychic?" Riku asked.

"Believe it or not, it's a rare but incredible power of Keyblade Masters," Sinarem explained.

The youth chuckled. "Is this some kind of sick joke? How could that even be possible? And if it is true, then tell me, what will happen once I unlock the last Keyhole?"

"Alas, the extent of this power is not absolute," Sinarem replied.

Riku rolled his eyes, not surprised with the answer.

"Terra experienced the limits first-hand," the old man remarked.

At the sound of that name, Riku's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, how do you know Terra?"

"I met him a long time ago," Sinarem responded. "He delved into the full depths of darkness and was able to unlock powers beyond human imagination."

Smiling, the old man curled his hand into a fist. "I can teach you how to release your inner strength."

The boy stared at Sinarem for a moment. "Show me."

The man raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Show me the strongest darkness attack you have," he demanded. "Unless you're all talk."

Nodding, Sinarem held out his hand. A small flame erupted from his palm. The fire grew bigger, and Sinarem launched it into the sky with a grunt. Once in the sky, the darkness took the form of a heart, and from it countless beams and spheres of dark infernos erupted. They scattered across the area, evaporating the mountain's snow instantly upon contact.

Riku stared in shock at the destruction. "Amazing."

Confidently, Sinarem stepped past him. "Shall we get going?"

Briefly nodding, the youth followed suit, skeptical about his master's intentions but determined to learn his power.

Kairi knelt on the ground in relief. "Finally, we're out of that jungle!"

Sora crossed his arms. "But where are we now?"

Looking at the road ahead, Aqua noticed a set of houses situated on a small hill. "Seems like we're finally going to meet the locals."

As the blue haired knight began walking, she noticed someone walking towards them. The man was dressed like a peasant, and behind him was a brown llama towing a cart with several bags and boxes in them. Sighing, he sat down on a log and held his hands over his face.

Aqua approached him. "Are you alright."

He opened his eyes. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

The peasant rubbed his chin with curiosity. "Say, I don't think I've seen you three before. And you're not dressed like peasants. Do you work for the emperor?"

"Emperor?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, his royal highness," Pacha said as he rolled his eyes. "Royal brat is more like it."

"Sounds like this ruler is a despot," Aqua remarked.

Pacha nodded, and then widened his eyes in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was so caught up with my problems that I didn't even catch your names."

"I'm Aqua," the woman said. "And these are my two apprentices, Sora and Kairi."

"Pleased to meet you," he said. "I'm Pacha, one of the villagers here."

"This village looks peaceful," Sora stated.

The man nodded. "It sure does. And take it from me, when the sun hits that ridge just right…these hills sing."

Aqua smiled, already able to sense the immense light in the man's heart. Suddenly, the group saw something shift in one of the cart's bags. Pacha opened it to see a disoriented llama with black fur pop its head out.

"Where did you come from, little guy?" Pacha inquired.

"No…touchey…" the creature replied.

His eyes wide with fear, Pacha screamed. "Ah! DEMON LLAMA!"

"Demon llama, where?" the black haired llama yelled.

The talking llama turned to the brown llama. Shocked that the talking llama could talk, the normal llama screamed in fear.

"AHHHHH!" the talking llama fear as he struggled to get away.

He leapt off the bag, running on two feet for some strange reason. Suddenly, he tumbled and landed with his head on the ground. "My head…"

The humans stared in shock at what was happening. Sora was about to summon his Keyblade, but Aqua held him back.

"Okay demon llama, just take it easy!" Pacha calmly told him. "I mean you no harm!"

"What are you talking about?" the llama asked before recognizing him. "Wait…I know you! You're that whiney peasant!"

Dumbfounded, Pacha squinted for a moment. "Emperor Kuzco?"

"Yeah, who did you think you were talking to?" Kuzco asked arrogantly.

"THAT'S THE EMPEROR?" Sora yelled in confusion.

"I guess humans serve the animals on this world," Aqua assessed.

"No, everyone serves me," he said.

Realizing how beautiful the girl was, Kuzco smiled and sat next to her. "Although, I am single if you're interested in ruling by my side."

Disgusted, Aqua glared at him and kept her distance. The llama turned to Kairi. "How about you? Red-heads are pretty rare around here."

Sora angrily stepped in front of him. "Why don't you find someone who looks like YOU?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" the llama said in confusion.

"Uh, you don't LOOK like the emperor," Pacha claimed.

"What do you mean I don't LOOK like the emperor?" Kuzco inquired.

Pacha scratched his head in confusion. "Well…uh…"

Suddenly, he understood how to show him the truth. The peasant held up his fingers, clapping them. "Do this."

The llama rolled his eyes. "What is this, some kind of game you country folk like to…"

The moment he looked at his hand, he gasped upon seeing a hoof instead.

"It can't be!" Kuzco yelled.

Rushing over to a nearby puddle, Kuzco looked at the reflection in horror to see that he was a llama. "My face! My beautiful beautiful face!"

As Kuzco hysterically cried, Pacha sat next to him. "Okay, okay."

"Llama face!" Kuzco whined to end his rant.

"What happened?" the man asked.

"I'm trying to figure that out, okay?" Kuzco angrily replied.

Trying to stand again, he fell to his feet, laughing in a psychotic tone for a moment before growing nervous again. "I can't remember! I can't remember anything..."

He looked at Pacha. "Wait a minute…I remember you! I remember telling you that I was building my pool where your house was, and then you got mad at me."

Suddenly, Kuzco widened his eyes in understanding, and glared at Pacha. "Then you turned me into a llama!"

"Wh-no I did not!" Pacha responded.

"I doubt he would do that," Aqua remarked. "He has too much light in him."

"Light shmight!" Kuzco exclaimed.

Aqua glared at the llama, already disliking him for apparently trying to rid Pacha's home for his own desires.

"Yeah, then you kidnapped me!" Kuzco said to Pacha.

"Why would I kidnap a llama?" Pacha asked with genuine puzzlement.

The llama continued glaring. "I have no idea. You're the criminal mastermind, not me!"

"What?" Pacha yelled.

The emperor's expression relaxed once more. "You're right, that's giving you WAY too much credit."

While the man seethed from the insult, Kairi mused over the situation. "Maybe the Heartless did this."

Just as she said that, a battalion of black jaguar Heartless with red eyes appeared.

"Way to jinx us, Kairi!" Sora yelled.

"Ah, monsters!" Kuzco yelled.

The llama rushed into the jungle, fearful from being caught by the Heartless.

"Wait, slow down or you'll get lost!" Pacha called out as he chased after him.

Ignoring him, Kuzco continued running, knocking over a squirrel in his path. "Out of the way, tiny!"

Growling, the squirrel began to follow after him while Pacha still lagged behind in the distance. Kuzco ran on to a tree branch, but it broke under his weight. Screaming as he fell, Kuzco hit the ground hard, and slowly opened his eyes to see himself surrounded by jaguar Heartless. Lucky for him, they were sound asleep.

Sighing a breath of relief, Kuzco saw something emerge from a bush in front of him. It was the squirrel from before. Smiling deviously, the critter held out a limp piece of rubber.

"What are you doing?" the llama whispered.

It put the rubber to its mouth, inflating it into a balloon and molding it into the shape of a llama. To make the symbolism even more fitting, the squirrel held a sharp pin next to his creation.

"No, no!" Kuzco whispered.

Still smiling, the squirrel popped the balloon, creating a huge explosion of wind that fluffed back Kuzco's fur. His eyes wide with fear, Kuzco realized that the Heartless were still snoozing.

The llama grinned as he pointed at the squirrel. "HAA!"

Realizing how loud he yelled, the emperor covered his mouth just as the Heartless awakened with a snarl. The llama sprinted away on all fours, yet the jaguars were just as fast. Pushing through a thicket of bushes, Kuzco found himself on a small cliff high above a river. Certain his life was about to end, Kuzco heard a scream in the distance, and saw Pacha swinging on a rope towards the jaguars. He kicked toward them, prepared to knock them off…

…and completely missed when the pureblood Heartless flattened themselves against the ground.

The dark creatures growled, ready to have their dinner. Unexpectedly, Pacha swung back the other way, grabbing the royal llama. Kuzco screamed as the two hung in midair.

"Don't worry your highness, I got ya!" he assured him. "You're safe now!"

The vine caught on a tree trunk horizontally hanging over another cliff. Winding around the wood, the vines tied the two on opposite sides on the plant.

"Maybe I'm just new to this whole rescuing thing, but this, to me, might be considered kinda a step backwards, wouldn't you say?" he asked.

Pacha stayed positive. "No, no, this is okay! This is alright. We can figure this out."

Out of nowhere, the tree trunk cracked at the base supporting it, slowly leaning down toward the river.

"…I hate you," Kuzco remarked.

Just as the Keyblade wielders dashed towards the jaguars, the tree trunk broke apart, with the huge piece carrying Kuzco and Pacha plummeting into the river. The wood floated and kept them above water as they twirled through a series of sharp rocks as they descended two levels on the river. Whether it was an act of providence or cruel coincidence, the trunk smashed Kuzco against every rock in sight due to the rapid water flow. Finally, the pair arrived on a level area of water with a slow pull.

"I don't know about you, but I'm all funned out," Kuzco stated.

His eyes droopy, Pacha looked in shock at what he saw ahead.

"Uh oh," he muttered.

"Don't tell me," Kuzco said. "We're about to go over a huge waterfall."

The peasant nodded. "Yep."

"Sharp rocks at the bottom?" the llama asked.

"Most likely," he replied.

Kuzco's face showed no fear or apprehension. "Bring it on."

The two fell hundreds of feet toward the deposit of water.

"BOOYAHHH!" Kuzco screamed as they descended.

Soaked and wet, Pacha emerged from the water. As he gasped for air, he saw an unconscious Kuzco float next to him before sinking once more. Taking a deep breath, Pacha dived down and grabbed the emperor. Hearing the roar of engines, Pacha turned to see the Keyblade warriors on their vehicles.

"Need a lift?" Sora asked.

Nodding in gratitude, Pacha climbed aboard Sora's glider with Kuzco in hand. Sora glided toward the shore before his rider collapsed from Pacha's weight. The Keyblade took its true form and vanished in a burst of light.

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked.

"I am, but I don't know about him," Pacha replied.

The peasant laid out Kuzco, listening for a heartbeat yet unable to hear one. "Your highness? Your highness, can you hear me?"

The man groaned. "Oh boy? Come on, breathe! Breathe!"

He slapped the llama, yet there was still no response.

Pacha tilted his head toward the sky. "Why me?"

"Huh?" Kairi said in confusion.

Pacha opened Kuzco's mouth, allowing the long tongue to pop out and limp on the ground. Gulping, Pacha leaned towards Kuzco.

"What's he doing?" Sora yelled.

Aqua silently pitied the poor guy, yet realized there was little she could do. Cure spells only healed injuries. They couldn't revive the dead or prevent drowning.

Just as Pacha made contact with the creature's lips, Kuzco's eyes opened a bit, and expanded in horror at what was happening. Pacha widened his own eyes when he realized Kuzco was awake.

The two broke apart, spitting continuously even though no fluid had been exchanged.

Kairi awkwardly rubbed her shoulder. "You know, if you told me THAT'S what you needed to do, I could have shown you a method that doesn't involve anything with the face."

The two glared at her for a second, locked gazes, and then shivered before turning away from each other.

Gargling his mouth to rid himself of any impurities, Kuzco sat next to the lake to spit in it. Pacha and the others were seated next to a roaring fire.

"For the last time, it was NOT a kiss!" Pacha told him.

"Bleh, well whatever you call it, it was disgusting!" Kuzco said before spitting at the fire.

Just as the flame went out, Aqua summoned her Keyblade to reignite it.

"That's quite a sword," Pacha stated.

Aqua nodded. "It's a legendary weapon known as the Keyblade."

"Is that thing part of the reason you guys are here?" Pacha inquired.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. We're traveling worlds to seal their keyholes and protect them from monsters like the ones you just faced."

Pacha stared in surprise. "There are other worlds?"

Glaring at her student for revealing that secret, Aqua turned her attention back to Pacha. "Yes. But try not to tell anyone. Non-wielders shouldn't know about it."

"My lips are sealed," Pacha promised.

"I wish they were sealed before!" Kuzco called out.

The peasant glared at the spoiled blue blood before the llama arrogantly sprawled in front of the fire. "But, now that you're here, you can take me back to the palace. I'll have Yzma change me back, and then I'll start construction on Kuzcotopia! Oh yeah!"

"Okay, you know what, I think we got off on the wrong foot here," Pacha said as he walked towards his green vest.

Kuzco grunted indifferently as he snatched the vest and dried himself with it. As he tossed it aside, Pacha resisted the urge to scowl at him.

"I just think that if you really thought about it, you'd decide to build your home on another hilltop," the man argued.

"I doubt he would, Pacha," Aqua said. "Not from what I've seen so far."

"Exactly!" Kuzco exclaimed. "I shouldn't have to! Even miss sword-key agrees with me."

"It's a Keyblade, and I didn't-" Aqua said before being cut off.

"Why would I do that?" Kuzco asked him.

Trying to be patient, Pacha looked at him while folding his hands. "Well, deep down I think you'll realize that you're forcing an entire village out of their homes just for you."

Kuzco stared. "And that's…bad?"

The three outsiders wanted to smack their heads. Exchanging looks, they all understood they were thinking the same thing: Kuzco was ridiculously arrogant.

"Well yes!" Pacha said with a chuckle. "Nobody's that heartless!"

Sora looked around, and smirked at Kairi. "Funny, they don't get summoned when he says it."

The girl glared at him, playfully shoving the boy with her elbow.

"Now take me back!" Kuzco commanded as he began walking away.

Pacha stood up in protest. "Wait, wait! How can you BE this way? All you care about is building your summer home and filling it with stuff for you!"

"Uh yeah, doi, me!" Kuzco said. "Everyone else in the kingdom seems to get it."

"I don't," Sora stated.

Glaring at the boy for a moment, the llama turned back to Pacha. "You're the only one who doesn't seem to be with the program. Eh, Pacha?"

Shaking his head with pity, Pacha looked into the llama's eyes. "You know what…someday you're gonna wind up all alone. And you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

Kairi was surprised at how wise the peasant was. From the stories she had been told as a girl, she expected peasants to be inferior and stupid. Clearly though, Pacha had more wisdom than some people did in their entire lifetimes.

Kuzco rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that, I'll log that away…now for the final time, I order you to take me back to the palace."

"Looks to me like you're stuck out here," Pacha said. "Because unless you change your mind, I'm not taking you back."

Kuzco repeated his words in a girly tone while the peasant ignored him. Realizing how scarce his options were, Kuzco sighed.

"Okay, fine!" the emperor said. "I'll build my summer home somewhere else."

"Really?" Pacha said skeptically. "You changed your mind just like that?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm a spontaneous guy," Kuzco replied naturally.

Pacha held out his hand. The llama nearly grabbed hold of it when Pacha reeled his arm back.

"Don't shake…unless you mean it…" Pacha warned him.

Nervous at first, Kuzco held out his hoof and firmly shook Pacha's hand. The peasant happily smiled.

"Alright, then let's get you back to the palace," the man announced.

"We'll come along too," Aqua stated. "There could be more beasts like the ones we faced earlier."

"Sounds good," Pacha said.

The hefty man stepped beside Aqua, and turned back to Kuzco one final time. "By the way…thanks…"

The emperor deviously smiled. "No…thank YOU…"

The whole palace was in mourning. Every servant was dressed in black, and Yzma had an extravagant black cloak on as she stood in front of the crowd. Between her and Kronk was a portrait of Kuzco as a human, smiling his trademark grin of pride.

"And so, it is with great sadness that we mourn the sudden departure of our beloved prince," Yzma stated. "Taken from us so tragically on the very eve of his 18th birthday."

Kronk sadly sobbed as she spoke. "Poor guy."

"His legacy will live on in our hearts for all eternity," Yzma stated.

After a moment of silence, she smiled as she raised her hands. "Well! He ain't getting any deader!"

She threw off the cloak to reveal a fancy purple dress. "Back to work!"

The minions began painting symbols of Yzma's face across the palace walls. In her private chambers, Yzma lied down on a lounge chair while Kronk entered with the door sharply shutting behind him.

"Kronk, darling," she purred. "I must admit, you had me worried when you mixed up those poisons. But now that Kuzco's DEAD, all is forgiven."

The underling flinched before smiling. He accidentally placed his hand on the grill. "Oh, oh yeah! He's dead alright."

His mitt ignited in flames, and the servant threw it to the ground in an effort to stomp the fire out. "I mean you can't get much deader than dead, unless of course we killed him again!"

A bit stunned by his wording, Yzma raised an eyebrow. "I suppose…"

"Hey look!" Kronk announced awkwardly. "The royal dresser's here."

"Kronk?" Yzma asked.

The man ignored her, approaching the dresser. "I should tell you right now, I'm kinda hard to fit."

"Kronk," Yzma called out while approaching him.

"I wear a 66 long with a 31 waist," he explained.

Annoyed, Yzma kicked the dresser off the edge, the midget screaming whilst he fell.

"Kuzco IS dead, right?" she asked Kronk.

The youth awkwardly twiddled with his thumbs, leading Yzma to cup his face.

"Tell me Kuzco's dead!" Yzma commanded. "I need to hear these words!"

"But do you need to hear all those words exactly?" Kronk inquired.

Traumatized, Yzma's face burned red with rage. "He's still ALIVE?"

Recalling how he lost track of Kuzco when he hesitated to kill him earlier, Kronk awkwardly rubbed his shoulder. "Well, he's not as dead as we would have hoped."

"Yeah, I lost track of him in the marketplace," he explained. "Just thought I'd give you a heads up in case Kuzco ever came back."

"He can't come back!" Yzma insisted.

"Yeah, that would be kinda awkward…especially after that lovely eulogy…" Kronk agreed.

"Ya think?" Yzma yelled.

Not waiting for an answer, Yzma grabbed him by the collar. "You and I are going out to find him. If he talks, we're through! Now, let's move!"

"I wouldn't recommend it," a cocky voice called out. "You'll have more trouble than just some llama."

Searching for the voice, Kronk saw a portal of darkness rise from the ground. From it emerged a man dressed in a blue outfit with a red scarf. His one good eye was a menacing shade of yellow, while the other was covered by an eyepatch.

"Who are you?" Yzma asked.

"Your trump card," Braig responded with a devilish grin.

Sora mentally cursed his sore legs. Even with all his experience, he never had to walk for so long before.

"Why couldn't we have just used our Keyblade Riders?" the boy inquired.

"They're only designed to carry one person's weight," Aqua replied. "I learned that the hard way when I tried to save Terra."

Sora awkwardly looked down. "Sorry…I didn't mean to remind you of that."

The woman sincerely smiled. "It's fine, Sora."

Weary from walking himself, Pacha was relieved to see a familiar bridge up ahead. The structure's floor consisted of old wooden planks that looked as though they would break at any second. Just as they got closer to the bridge, a Behemoth appeared in their path.

"What is that?" Kuzco yelled.

Leaping into the air, Aqua landed on the other side of the Heartless. The maiden turned her head towards the two natives. "Pacha, Kuzco, get going! I'll hold him off for now!"

"Quickly!" Pacha exclaimed. "The palace is only an hour away from here!"

Stomping his feet as he rushed towards the other side, Pacha suddenly fell through the floor and found him suspended in a tangle of vines below the bridge.

"Kuzco!" the helpless man called out.

The llama tapped his chin in thought for a moment.

"Kuzco!" he yelled again.

The animal leaned his long neck towards Pacha. "Yeah?"

"Quick, help me up!" the peasant begged.

Grinning, Kuzco jumped over the hole in the bridge effortlessly. "No, I don't think I will."

"You're gonna leave me here?" he asked in shock.

The llama leaned down again, taunting the man. "Well I was gonna have you imprisoned for life, but I kinda like this better."

"I thought you were a changed man," Pacha said angrily.

Kuzco rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, I had to say SOMETHING to get you to take me back to the city."

"So all of it was a lie?" Pacha barked.

"Well yeah," the llama said. "No, wait…uh yeah, yeah it all was a lie."

The blue blood trotted away, confident he had finally won. Yet with every step he made on the bridge, its blanks grew weaker and weaker.

"WE SHOOK HANDS ON IT!" Pacha screamed at the top of his lungs.

Sneering with pride, Kuzco returned to the plank overlooking the peasant. "You know…the funny thing about shaking hands is…"

Kuzco clapped his hooves in front of Pacha. "You need HANDS!"

The llama turned his back to Pacha. "Okay…bye bye!"

Suddenly, the planks underneath Kuzco split into pieces, and the llama fell into a state of suspension similar to Pacha.

"Are you okay?" Pacha inquired. "Are you alright?"

Kuzco nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright."

"Good!" Pacha exclaimed.

The peasant punched the emperor, untangling him a bit from the vines. Kuzco oriented himself as if he were on a swingset, glaring at the man.

"That's for going back on your promise!" Pacha stated.

Angry, the llama kicked him back. "Yeah! And that's for kidnapping me and taking me to your village…which I'm still gonna DESTROY by the way."

Kuzco fearfully saw Pacha charging headfirst.

"No touchey…" Kuzco softly said.

Ignoring the arrogant animal, Pacha bumped his head directly into Kuzco, slamming the llama against the cliff's wall. The momentum carried Pacha back towards the other wall, leading him to quickly grab hold of a small indent in the rock.

"Why did I ever risk my life for a selfish brat like you?" Pacha asked out loud. "I was always taught there was some good in everyone but oh you proved me wrong!"

The llama feigned sadness in his face. "Oh boo-hoo, now I feel really bad…bad llama…"

"I could have let you die out in that jungle," Pacha reminded him. "And then all my problems would be over."

"Well that makes you ugly AND stupid," Kuzco countered.

Meanwhile, the pair saw the Behemoth fall off in the distance, evaporating in a puff of smoke upon hitting the bottom. Above, Sora and his friends rushed to the end of the bridge. Kairi immediately noticed the two were hanging below.

Rather than glare or fill his face with hatred, Pacha smirked a bit. "Let's end this!"

"Ladies first!" Kuzco insisted.

Yelling with determination, Pacha swung towards Kuzco. The llama did the same, intent on finally ridding himself of the peasant.

"Guys, stop it!" Sora demanded. "If you don't cut it out, you'll both fall!"

The two exchanged jabs and hits, clearly ignoring the boy's warning. Upon hearing a crack, they stopped to look up. The vines supporting them from the bridge snapped, leading the bridge's pieces to fall down along with the two natives. Aqua summoned a Magnega field, but the duo was too far away. They bounced off the cliff walls as the two ends narrowed. At the very edge of the parallel walls, Kuzco and Pacha were scrunched in place with their backs to each other. Looking down, Kuzco looked in horror to see a swarm of crocodiles gather in the lake below.

"How can we help them?" Sora asked.

Aqua aimed her Keyblade to the side of the rocky formation, slowly creating an icy slope leading down. "I'm working on it! Sora, Kairi, help me build a staircase."

Meanwhile, Pacha was developing his own plan as he spotted a loose vine above him.

"What are we gonna do?" Kuzco yelled. "We're gonna die!"

"No we're not!" he assured the llama. "Calm down. I have an idea."

Pacha rotated his left arm back. "Here, give me your arm."

Kuzco nervously did so, and Pacha firmly wrapped it around his arm.

"Now the other one!" the peasant ordered.

The emperor did likewise with his other arm, silently wondering what Pacha's plan was as Pacha took hold of that one too.

The peasant tilted himself up, which in turn moved Kuzco a bit. "When I say go, push against my back, and we'll walk up the hill. Ready?"

The llama shook his head no, yet Pacha ignored it anyway. "Go!"

Intent on making it to safety, the man pushed as hard as he could, yet that just crushed Kuzco against the rocks.

"Ow, you did that on purpose!" the llama whined.

In retaliation, Kuzco pushed against Pacha with all his strength, slamming him against the other wall.

"No I didn't!" the peasant insisted. "Now we're gonna have to work together to get out of this, so follow my lead!"

Still skeptical if he had pushed purposely, Kuzco eased on the force he was exerting against Pacha.

"Ready?" the peasant asked. "Right foot!"

"Whose right?" Kuzco asked. "Your right or my right?"

Pacha didn't understand why the emperor was even arguing over this. "I don't care…mine."

"Well why yours?" the animal inquired.

"Okay, your right!" the portly man agreed. "Ready?"

"Got it!" the llama said with a smile.

"Right, left!" Pacha said as he began walking with Kuzco. "Right, left."

The emperor smiled. "Hey look, we're moving!"

He looked down, and screamed at the sight of the gators. "AHHHHH!"

"Don't look down!" Pacha ordered. "Now stay with me…stay with me."

The pair continued walking, their bodies slowly growing apart. Finally, only their necks were touching, yet the rope was still out of reach.

"Now…what…genius?" Kuzco asked.

Suddenly, the pair saw a thick blanket of ice form underneath them. Kairi and Sora connected the ice to the opposite rock walls with Blizzaga.

"Quickly, walk up this staircase!" Kairi told them.

"Wow, walk on slippery ice…what a BRILLIANT idea…" the llama sarcastically remarked.

Surprisingly, the ice was made of a rough enough texture to prevent them from slipping. The group walked up the staircase, quickly arriving at the top of the mountain.

"Whew!" Kuzco said. "Finally got out of there."

Suddenly, they heard a crack, and the edge Pacha was standing on began to break.

"Look out!" Kuzco called out.

The llama extended his neck, biting Pacha's vest and reeling him back to safety. He watched the rock crumble into the river with a smile. "WHOO YEAH! Look at me and my bad self!"

He pointed to the peasant. "I snatched you out of the air!"

The royal animal turned back to the open air. "Oh I'm a crumbly canyon wall and I'm taking you with me…well not today pal!"

The Keyblade wielders stared in confusion as the animal began dancing…or at least the closest a llama could come to dancing. "Uh huh…uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!"

Pacha was not only shocked by what the cliff did, but more so by what Kuzco did. "You…just saved my LIFE…"

"Huh?" Kuzco said in surprise.

Pretending he didn't care, the llama apathetically gazed at the man. "So?"

Aqua saw through the disguise easily though. She could tell that Kuzco had been fully aware of what he was doing.

"I knew it!" Pacha asserted.

"Knew what?" the llama asked.

"That there is some good in you after all," Pacha responded.

"Oh no," Kuzco insisted.

The peasant pointed to him. "Admit it!"

"You're wrong," he said.

"Yes there is!" Pacha insisted.

"Nuh uh," Kuzco told him.

"I think there is," the man defiantly said.

"Nuh uh!" Kuzco exclaimed.

"Hey, you could have let me fall…" the man pointed out simply.

"Come on!" the llama yelled. "What's the big deal? Nobody's that heartless!"

Realizing he had just echoed what Pacha said earlier, Kuzco shut his mouth in shame. The humans smirked at him.

"That was nice of you, Kuzco!" Sora remarked. "I guess you have more light than I thought."

"Eh, don't read too much into it…it was a one-time thing…" the animal assured them.

The poor man smiled. "Right. Sure."

"Well…better get going," Pacha said. "With that bridge out, it's a 4 day walk to the palace."

Kuzco was shocked. "What? You're still taking me back?"

"I shook on it, didn't I?" Pacha replied.

"Well yeah," the llama answered. "But I hope you realize that doesn't change a thing. I'm still building Kuzcotopia when I get back."

While Aqua's eyes twitched at his selfishness, Pacha kept his smile. "Well, four days is a long time. Who knows…maybe you'll change your mind."

"Uh huh…" Kuzco said as they began walking.

The native duo went on ahead while the Keyblade warriors remained behind.

"Aqua, why don't we just repair the bridge with a spell?" Sora suggested.

"I would normally, but Kuzco's starting to change his ways," Aqua responded. "I wanna see if he'll decide to build his complex somewhere else. That way, Pacha's village will be safe, and this world will be ruled by a more compassionate monarch."

"That's a good idea, Aqua," Kairi agreed.

The trio began trailing behind Kuzco.

"Four days…" the llama muttered. "What are the chances of you carrying me, Pacha?"

"Not good," the man answered.

Angry and preoccupied, Yzma, Kronk, and Braig stepped out from a portal conjured by the dark sniper. She found herself in a disgusting jungle surrounded by fauna.

"Huh, not exactly the most scenic world," Braig muttered.

Suddenly, Yzma realized her shoes were trapped in the gooey mud. Trying to break free, she fell face-first on the liquid jungle floor. She glanced up to see a squirrel offering an acorn, yet since he was part of the jungle, the very sight of him disgusted her.

"Get away from me!" Yzma shrieked.

Frightened, the squirrel rushed into Kronk's arms. Standing on his hand, the creature said something in its native tongue, yet Kronk seemed to comprehend every syllable perfectly.

"Yeah, tell me about it," the man replied.

The squirrel spoke again, his words leading Kronk to shake his head. "No, no it's not you. She's not the easiest person to get close to. There's a wall there, trust me."

"Are you talking to that squirrel?" the woman asked.

"I was a junior chipmunk, and I had to converse with all the woodland creatures," Kronk explained.

The muscular man turned to the squirrel. "Please continue."

Braig scratched his head. "Wow, this kingdom is REALLY strange."

"Tell me about it," Yzma agreed. "Oh, why me?"

"Hey, it doesn't have to be all about you!" Kronk reminded her. "This poor little guy's had it rough. Seems a talking llama gave him a hard time the other day."

Upon hearing that, Yzma rushed to her assistant's side, frightening the chipmunk. "Really? A talking llama? Do tell!"

"Uh, how does that matter?" Kronk inquired.

Braig stepped forward. "Kronk, who's the only talking llama you know?"

Kronk tapped his chin. "Uh…I don't know any."

The sniper sighed. "Kuzco! Kuzco's a talking llama!"

"Well how do we know he can talk?" Kronk inquired.

The man nodded. "You have a point there."

"Forget logic right now!" Yzma exclaimed. "Kronk, ask him which way the talking llama went."

Exchanging a glance with the chipmunk, the strong man realized the critter was still fearful. "Uh, he doesn't want you near him. You scare him…beyond all reason apparently."

Braig snickered. "Glad I'm not alone here."

Growling, Yzma walked far away. "Is this far enough?"

The squirrel shook its head, leading her to go even further.

"How about this?" she yelled, her voice barely able to reach them.

Satisfied the squirrel nodded.

"Now ask him which way the talking llama went!" the woman demanded.

The squirrel pointed to its right, leading Braig to sinisterly smile and run in that direction. Kronk ran as well, except he was carrying Yzma on his back.

Inside of a diner, an impatient elderly waitress approached a strange group of five people.

"Welcome to Mudka's Meat Hut, home of the Mug of Meat…" she announced.

The waitress glanced at the woman wearing lipstick and a hat, or more accurately, Kuzco in disguise.

"What'll it be?" she asked.

Pacha glanced at her. "We'll have five specials."

The peasant turned to Kuzco. "Is that alright…dear?"

"Oh whatever you say pumpkin, you know what I like," Kuzco said while fanning himself.

Sora was having a hard time not laughing at the situation. Turning to his left, he could see that even the females were trying to resist giggling.

Pacha turned to the server. "We're on our honeymoon."

"Bless you for coming out in public," the waitress said. "Especially with three friends."

She walked into the kitchen, giving the group the green light to laugh. All of them hysterically began cracking up.

Pacha finally calmed down. "Okay, so I admit this was a good idea."

"When will you learn that all my ideas are good ones?" Kuzco inquired.

"Oh that's funny," the peasant remarked. "Because I thought that you going into the jungle by yourself, being chased by jaguars, lying to me to take you back to the palace…were all really BAD ideas."

"Oh, well anything sounds bad when you say it with that attitude," Kuzco responded.

The waitress returned with five plates, each adorned with a circular blue bug. "Five pill bugs for the happy couple."

She threw confetti in the air. "Masaltov."

Pacha smiled at the sight of the meal while the others stared in disgust. "Oh boy!"

The man poked the bug to reveal its liquid yellow insides. He proceeded to suck it out while the others stared in horror. Kuzco, naturally, was on the verge of puking.

"Here, let me get that for you!" Pacha said.

He poked open Kuzco's bug, and the emperor gagged at the sight. Too accustomed to his royal food, Kuzco stepped out from his seat.

"Where are you going?" the man asked.

"I'm just going into the kitchen to have a word with the chef," the disguised llama replied.

"You're gonna get us thrown out," Pacha stated.

Kuzco smiled. "Please. With this disguise, I'm invisible."

He walked into the kitchen, and at the same time, three newcomers sat in the table next to the heroes. Sora looked in shock to see Braig looking toward a muscular associate.

"Aqua, Kairi, look!" the boy whispered.

They were stunned to see him, yet Aqua glared at him. "I'll take care of this."

She confidently walked pass the table. Her eyes locked with Braig's yellow orbs, and the man smirked a bit at the sight of her.

"I'll be right back," he said to Yzma.

The man stepped outside behind the water warrior, his hand itching for a fight. After taking a few more steps, Aqua turned around wielding her Brightcrest Keyblade.

"Okay Braig, it's time we finished this," she stated.

The man smiled. "Well aren't you eager? And here I thought we could be friends. After all, we have so much in common."

"We have NOTHING in common," she barked.

"That's not entirely true," the man assured her. "You see…"

Braig held out his hand, dark flames coursing through his fingers. Slowly they took on the shape of a hilt with the same design as his crossbow. From the hilt rose a purple colored blade with three perpendicular sharp spikes at the tip. Aqua stared in shock while Braig grinned, his yellow eyes filled with enthusiasm.

"We're both Keyblade wielders!"

Inside the diner, Yzma was sighing to herself. "We've been walking around in circles for who knows how long! That is the LAST time we take directions from a squirrel. Oh, I should have done away with Kuzco myself when I had the chance."

At the sound of this, Pacha began choking on his food, his back turned to Kronk.

Despite the situation being his fault, Kronk shook his head at Yzma's complaint. "Ah, you've got to stop beating yourself up about that."

Angered by his incompetence and stupidity, Yzma bent her fork.

"Uh oh, I'll get you another one there, Yzma," the muscular man said.

Pacha, sweating with fear, felt somebody tap his shoulder. He turned to find himself face to face with Kronk.

"Yo, you using that fork, pal?" the sidekick inquired.

Turning his head away nervously, Pacha handed him the utensil. Kronk, feeling the man looked familiar, studied him carefully.

"Hey, don't I know you?" the assistant asked.

"Uh, I don't think so," Pacha responded.

"Wrestled you in high school!" Kronk guessed.

"I don't remember that," Pacha replied.

"Oh, metal show?" Kronk asked.

"Uh, no," the peasant said.

"I got it!" Kronk exclaimed. "Miss Narka's interpretive dance, two semesters. I was usually in the back because of my weak ankles."

He realized that the stranger still wasn't looking at him.

"Hey, come on, pal, you gotta help me out here!" Kronk told him.

"Uh no, I don't think we've ever met, but I gotta go!" Pacha sputtered.

The peasant leapt to his feet and rushed into the kitchen to find Kuzco.

"Don't worry!" Kronk called out. "I'll think of it."

The man turned to Sora and Kairi, who slightly smiled at him.

"So…how long have you two been dating?" Kronk asked.

Blushing the two shook their heads.

"No, we're not dating," Sora responded.

"Anymore, that is…" Kairi said with a glare.

"Uh oh, looks like someone's in trouble, haha," Kronk stated before turning around.

Sora sighed. "Look, Kairi, if you're still hurt over that, I could-"

"Just forget it, Sora," she said.

The boy guiltily turned away, still regretting breaking up with her.

In the kitchen, Kuzco was lecturing the chef, who just happened to have low self-esteem. "All I'm saying is this food looks iffy, alright, and I'm not the only one who thinks that I'm sure."

Pacha opened the door, turning his attention toward the llama. "Hey, hey!"

Kuzco didn't seem to hear him, and kept his focus on the chef. "So I'm just making sure that you're going to take the main course UP a notch."

"Is there anything on this menu that isn't swimming in gravy?" Yzma asked herself.

Sora turned to Kairi. "She's got a point actually."

"She's with Braig, Sora," Kairi whispered. "Just don't talk to her."

Back in the kitchen, Kuzco continued berating the cook. "It's a simple question. Is there or is there not anything edible on this menu?"

Pacha pulled him toward the door, but realized Kronk was about to enter. Quickly, he rushed to the closet on the other side with Kuzco.

"Hey, I didn't ask him about dessert yet!" Kuzco called out while being shoved.

The peasant slammed the door shut fearfully just before Kronk arrived.

"Hey pal, what's your policy on making special orders?" he asked the chef.

The chef was infuriated. "Alright buster, that's it! You wanna special order, then YOU make it. I QUIT!"

He threw his hat on Kronk as he began packing his things. "You know I try and I try…there's just no respect for anyone with vision…that's it, there's just nothing I can do about it."

The man walked out, ignoring Kronk's presence. Kronk heard a bell and turned to see the waitress giving an order. "Ordering! Four combos with bacon on the side, two chili cheese sandwiches, a basket of liver and onion rings, a catch of the day and a steak cut in the shape of a trout."

Dumbfounded, Kronk stared at the woman.

"You got all that, honey?" she asked.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Three oinkers wearing pants, plate of hot air, basket of grandma's breakfast, and change the bull into a gill. Got it!"

In the closet, Kuzco looked at Pacha in confusion. "What's going on?"

"There's no time to explain!" the peasant exclaimed. "We gotta get out of here."

He opened the window. "Come on!"

"In a minute, I'm still hungry," the llama replied.

"No, Kuzco!" Kronk harshly whispered.

Not even noticing Kronk was the chef, the emperor walked by. "Okay, I'll make it simple for you. I'll have a spinach omelet with wheat toast. You got it?"

The new cook didn't even spare him a glance. "Can do!"

Pacha tiptoed out of the closet, yet dived under the table when Yzma walked in.

"What's taking so long?" the woman retorted.

Not paying attention to her, Kronk put his first order on the server's window, ringing the bell. "Pick up!"

"KRONK!" she yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Kinda busy here," he responded.

He reached underneath the table for something. Worried he'd be caught, Pacha handed him a ladel. Satisfied that he had what he needed, Kronk took his arm out from underneath the table.

"Why am I not surprised?" she asked out loud.

"Yo, order's up!" Kronk said

The woman grinded her teeth with rage. "Oh well. While you're at it, give me the special. And hold the gravy!"

"Check," the chef responded.

He placed another order in the window. "Pickup!"

At the same moment, Kuzco walked back into the room. "You know what, make my omelet a meat pie."

"Meat pie, check!" Kronk agreed.

Pacha came out from below the table, but saw Yzma coming through the door. Quickly, Pacha took the stance of a statue behind him to blend in.

"Kronk, can I order the potatoes as a side dish?" the villainess asked.

"I'm gonna have to charge you full price," the cook simply answered.

Just as Yzma exited the right door, Kuzco entered the left door. Since the hinges were in the middle, neither saw the other.

"Hey, how about a side of potatoes, buddy?" Kuzco asked.

"You got it!" Kronk said in compliance.

Yzma walked back into the room, yet the chef was still focused on the emperor's order. "You want cheese on those potatoes?"

"Thank you, Kronk, cheddar will be fine," she replied.

She exited through the right door, and Kuzco entered through the left one.

"Cheddar spuds coming up!" Kronk announced.

"Spuds yes, cheese no," the emperor stated.

"Hold the cheese," Kronk said with obedience.

Just as he said it, Yzma walked back into the room. "No, I want the cheese!"

Kronk, who still hadn't turned around, continued changing the same order. "Cheese it is."

Of course, when he said that, Kuzco walked back in. "Cheese me no likey!"

"Cheese out!" the chef agreed.

Yzma, who had just walked back in, glared a bit. "Cheese in!"

"Aw come on, make up your mind!" Kronk exclaimed.

Kuzco popped his head through the door. "Okay, okay…on second thought…"

Yzma popped her head through the other door.

"Make my potatoes a salad," they said in unison.

Kuzco didn't hear her, and merely walked back to his table. Yzma, on the other hand, was confused at first as to why she heard someone else talking. None the less, she approached her table. If Kuzco hadn't been holding up his menu, she would have had a clear view of him.

Coincidentally, when Kuzco put down his menu, she put hers up, and they alternated again. Sora and Kairi watched with awe.

"Wow…this is really weird…" Sora remarked.

"Sora, we have to do something!" Kairi whispered. "She wants to KILL him!"

"Please, that hag barely looks like she's in any condition for that!" Sora assured her.

After taking a quick drink, both Yzma and Kuzco put up their menus. Pacha stepped out of the kitchen, and whispered something to the waitress.

"No problem hun, we do that ALL the time," she responded.

Yzma looked over her menu towards the "woman" sitting at the other table. And for some reason, she felt like they had met before.

Her train of thought was broken by the sound of voices. "ONE TWO THREE FOUR!"

She turned around to see a group of people holding a birthday cake and throwing confetti.

"AH!" Yzma yelped.

"HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FROM ALL OF US TO YOU!" the restaurant servers sang. "WE WISH IT WAS OUR BIRTHDAY, SO WE COULD PARTY TOO!"

As they were singing, Pacha grabbed Kuzco and rushed out the main entrance. Sora and Kairi promptly followed him. At this point, Yzma was angered by the practical joke and the sombrero they placed on her head.

"HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE. WE WISH IT WAS OUR BIRTHDAY, SO WE COULD PARTY TOO. YAYYYYYY!"

Kronk stepped out of the kitchen laughing with glee. "haha…it's your birthday?"

Outside, Sora and Kairi spotted Aqua locking blades with Braig in the background.

"He's got a KEYBLADE now?" Sora said in shock.

The warriors rushed towards their master to help. Pacha, on the other hand, kept pushing Kuzco. "Come on, we gotta move!"

"What's your problem?" Kuzco demanded.

"Look, there's two people in there looking for you!" Pacha explained.

Pacha used his hands to describe them. "A big guy an a skinny old woman."

Kuzco raised an eyebrow. "Wait, was this woman scary beyond all reason?"

"Oh yeah!" Pacha told him.

"That's Yzma and Kronk!" Kuzco said in relief.

The llama wiped off his female makeup. "I'm saved!"

Pacha grabbed him. "Trust me, they're NOT here to save you!"

Kuzco didn't seem to hear him. "They can take me back to the palace! Hey, thanks for the help, you've been great. I can take it from here…"

As the emperor began walking away, Pacha blocked his path. "No, no, you don't understand! They're trying to kill you!"

"Kill me?" Kuzco asked in confusion. "Their whole world revolves around me!"

Pacha grabbed him. "No, I can't let you!"

"What?" Kuzco asked.

Then, the llama's gears began to spin in thought. "Oh…oh now I get it!"

"What?" Pacha asked in genuine confusion.

"You don't want to take me back to the palace!" Kuzco deduced. "You wanna keep me stranded out here…forever!"

"No, no!" Pacha insisted.

"This has all been an act…and I almost fell for it!" the llama said in shock.

"Would you just LISTEN?" the peasant asked.

Kuzco glared at him. "No, no…YOU listen to me. All you care about is your stupid hilltop."

"What?" Pacha said with genuine puzzlement.

"You don't care about me!" Kuzco said. "Now just get out of here!"

"But I-" Pacha started saying.

"Go on, get out of here!" Kuzco demanded.

Tired of fighting with the selfish emperor, Pacha mirrored the glare. "FINE!"

Satisfied, Kuzco rushed in the other direction after Yzma and Kronk, hiding in a log behind them.

"Uh, this is all YOUR fault!" she said to Kronk.

"What did I do?" the assistant asked.

"If you hadn't mixed up those poisons, Kuzco would be dead now!" Yzma explained.

Still in shock, Kuzco glanced to his right to notice Braig rolling out of the way of a fire blast. Yzma glanced at the three heroes in understanding.

"Ah, so you must be the ones he was referring to," she remarked. "You hardly look like a challenge. And besides, the odds are evenly matched."

Suddenly, something stomped down on the hag. She looked up to see Kuzco standing on her. "Guess again!"

"KUZCO!" she yelled.

The llama rushed beside the heroes. Braig merely chuckled. "It doesn't matter WHAT you three do. As long as Kuzco stays like that, there's no way anyone will believe he's emperor, talking llama or not!"

The man opened a dark portal. "This mission was hopeless long before your trio got involved, Aqua. And without the human potion, Kuzco will never return to normal."

Smiling, the villains stepped into the portal, but Kuzco raced after them.

"Get back here!" he screamed.

The Keyblade wielders followed suit. Just as they entered, the dark portal remained open. Pacha approached the portal, studying it cautiously before turning away to look at his hilltop.

Kuzco and the fighters emerged in a dark chamber.

"Ah, the old secret lab," Kuzco said. "Pull the lever, Sora!"

After an awkward moment of silence, Sora looked around. "What lever?"

"Oh, right…we're already inside…" Kuzco muttered.

"And already too late!" a shrill voice called out.

They turned to see Yzma holding a potion in her hand.

"Now, back to business, Kuzco," she said.

The blue blood nervously chuckled. "Okay I admit it…maybe I wasn't as nice as I should have been. But Yzma, do you really wanna KILL ME?"

She sadistically smiled. "Just think of it as…you're being let go…that your life's going in a different direction…that your body's part of a permanent outplacement."

Kuzco breathed heavily with fear.

"Hey, that's kinda like what he said to you when you got fired!" Kronk pointed out.

"I know, it's called a cruel irony," she said. "Like my dependence on you."

"I can't believe this is happening!" Kuzco said in shock.

Yzma grabbed the bottom of her dress. "Then I bet you weren't expecting…THIS!"

"NO!" the others screamed in horror. Everyone else, even Braig, was covering their eyes. Luckily, Yzma was merely grabbing a knife underneath her outfit.

"Ah ha!" she said.

The others breathed a sigh of relief. She tossed the knife to Kronk. "Ha ha…finish them off…"

Aqua stepped in front of the llama. "If you even TRY to hurt him, anything you use will be deflected right back at you."

Kuzco smiled. "You mean…you're gonna help me after all."

She nodded. "Of course. I mean, how could I leave you? Nobody's that heartless…"

Kuzco frowned. "Okay, that phrase is starting to get butchered…"

Meanwhile, Kronk was contemplating over his decision.

"Hey, you're not backing down now, are you big guy?" a voice called out.

For some reason, only Kronk heard the voice. He turned to his left to see a small version of himself wearing a red bodysuit with evil wings and horns standing on his shoulder.

"Uh, where's the other guy?" Kronk asked.

On his right shoulder, an angelic version of himself with a halo, white gown, and wings appeared out of thin air. He was busy reading something.

"YO!" Kronk barked.

The angel took his professional stance with his harp. "Sorry I'm late. So, what did I miss?"

"Well Yzma just tossed me this knife and asked me to…you know…take them out…" Kronk explained.

While he spoke to the imaginary creatures, the others only saw him talking to himself. Yzma pointed in confusion, looking to Kuzco and Pacha for an answer. Just as puzzled as her, the two shrugged.

"Is he insane or something?" Braig whispered to the old woman.

Kronk continued talking. "And then this guy popped up and…you know…and then you…quite honestly-"

"KRONK!" Yzma yelled.

The real Kronk, as well as the imaginary ones, turned to her. "Why did I think that you could do this? This one simple thing. It's like I'm talking to a monkey!"

"Whoa now!" the angel said.

She didn't hear it. "A really, really big stupid monkey named Kronk."

"Ouch," the devil said.

"And you want to know something else?" Yzma asked. "I never liked your spinach puffs!"

The Kronks gasped while Yzma smiled. "NEVER!"

The angel tried to console Kronk while the devil pumped back his pitchfork. "That's it…she's going down!"

"Now, now, remember guys…from above, the wicked shall receive their just reward," the angel reminded them.

The three looked up, seeing a burning chandelier conveniently above Yzma.

"That'll do it," the Kronks said together.

Aiming the knife, Kronk threw it at the rope suspending the decoration. The chandelier fell down towards Yzma, the metal about to take her out.

Unexpectedly, Yzma was standing in the chandelier's center hole when it landed, perfectly safe from harm.

"Strange…that usually works," the muscular man noted.

"And so does THIS!" Yzma exclaimed.

The hag pulled a lever resembling a potion, opening the floor panel beneath Kronk.

"Huh…should have seen that coming…" he muttered.

The man fell down, screaming for his life. While Yzma smiled victoriously, the heroes approached her. Confident, she held up the potion.

"One more step and I break the vial, rendering it useless!" she threatened.

The heroes stopped.

"Think again, Yzma!" a voice called out.

The woman turned around to see a fist rip the vial from her hand. Kuzco smiled at the sight of whom the fist belonged to.

"Pacha!" he joyfully exclaimed.

The two rushed towards each other. Kuzco suddenly looked guilty. "Hey, Pacha, about what I said back at the diner…I…"

Pacha held up his hand. "Don't worry. I understand."

The two smiled, but Braig ruined the reunion upon grabbing the vial. The free shooter rushed towards the potion cabinet, and spilled them. The vials rolled on the floor, and Braig rolled the human potion with them.

"Whoops!" he said. "Which one COULD it be?"

Pacha and Kuzco nervously began looking at the potions, trying to find some sort of distinct difference in appearance. Yzma, on the other hand, pulled a string sounding an alarm.

"Better hurry!" she said. "I'm expecting company!"

From three different gates, all of Kuzco's royal guards poured in. The men were holding sharp metallic weapons in their hands.

"Kill them!" Empress Yzma demanded. "They murdered the emperor!"

Kuzco watched in horror at his former guards racing for him.

"No, wait, I'm the emperor!" Kuzco claimed. "It's me, Kuzco!"

The guards ignored him, worrying him even more.

"They're not listening to me!" the llama said fearfully.

Pacha began gathering them in his vest like a pouch. "Just take them all!"

Sora, Kairi, and Kuzco helped put the rest of the potions in the pouch. Just as the guards were about to corner them, Pacha knocked over a table of potions, turning all the guards into animals.

Yzma approached the creatures. "GET THEM!"

"Hey, I've been turned into a cow," one guard said. "Can I go home?"

Yzma pointed the other way. "You're excused."

As the cow ran off, she looked at the rest of the animals. "Anyone else?"

"No, we're good," they all agreed.

"Get them!" Yzma ordered again.

As the guards chased after Kuzco and Pacha, Aqua glanced toward her apprentices.

"Go protect them!" she said. "I'll take care of Braig."

As Sora and Kairi rushed off, Aqua noticed Yzma run past her. Ignoring the old woman, Aqua glared at Braig.

"You know, Aqua, this could be the last time we face each other," Braig said.

She smiled. "I hope you're right. I'm getting sick of your ugly face."

"Such hostility!" he said with feigned sadness. "And I was going to tell you the truth about Terra."

The woman glared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Come on…doesn't it seem strange to you?" he asked. "You left him in this realm ten years ago. And when you saved him, he was possessed by someone, right?"

"How do you know this?" Aqua asked.

"Because I've met the possessor," Braig replied. "And here's the sad truth…Terra's gone…for good."

Aqua gritted her teeth in anger, feeling flames dance around her. Suddenly, three pillars of fire erupted around the girl. "YOU LIAR!"

She charged toward the sniper, eyes burning to kill. Impressed with her attack, Braig merely teleported out of harm's way. He reappeared a few feet away, noticing that the woman was still charging at him. He summoned his Keyblade, creating a unique reflect shield with a design similar to his crystals. Yet Aqua easily broke through, burning and searing the man's outfit. Leaping into the air, Braig teleported on to a high ledge, creating a dark sphere with his Keyblade. From the sphere, a barrage of his red crystals shot toward Aqua, each one sharp enough to pierce through her in less than a second.

In response to the sphere, the Keyblade Master made one of her own. Her ball of fire began to shoot countless fireballs, each one dissipating Braig's crystals. Braig teleported beside Aqua, and slammed his blade against hers. The two exchanged another strike, neither one gaining the edge as they stood in deadlock. Aqua's pillars of fire suddenly began to tilt, pounding against Braig's body. The shooter was knocked back, and looked up just as Aqua prepared to deliver the final blow. He held up his Keyblade in defense, blocking her blade once more, and teleported into the air.

Aqua gazed around, not seeing a sign of her opponent. Then, she heard a crystal break against her fiery pillar. She turned to see Braig's hands appearing and disappearing everywhere at once, launching salvos of shards from every possible angle. Aqua took a deep breath, and her pillars spun even faster, forming a complete sphere of fire around her. Unafraid, she walked towards where Braig was standing. Nervous, he began to shoot faster, yet it had no success. The woman dug her heels against the ground, holding back her Keyblade. She aimed it towards Braig, launching a growing inferno of fire.

Fearing for his life, Braig teleported as fast as he could. Yet suddenly, the man found himself cornered at a wall. He turned to see the burning embers charging toward him. Just before they made contact, the freeshooter teleported once more, appearing behind Aqua. He struck towards the girl, yet she reacted quickly enough to guard his move. Her expression still angry, Aqua pressed her Brightcrest against his Quickshot, slowly forcing him back. Sparks flew between the metal as the heat traveled like a conduit through his Keyblade. His hands began to burn, and Braig dropped his Keyblade in response to the heat.

"OW!" he yelled.

Just as the weapon fell, Aqua swung for his head, barely missing the sickening man as he flipped backward. While in midair, Braig summoned his Keyblade once more, ignoring the warm feel of the handles. He glared at the girl, and aimed his Keyblade toward her. A huge crystal, bigger than him, began to grow at the tip of his weapon. Just as she went in front of him, he released the shot. Yet she didn't back down. She kept walking forward, the flames spinning faster than ever. Braig watched the crystal touch the flames, expecting it to explode and knock her unconscious.

Instead, the flames seemed to guide it like a sun guides a planet, and the shot was redirected towards the sniper. He dived to the floor, barely evading the blast as he soared over his head. Glancing up, he saw Aqua blasting a small fireball towards him. He jumped up, but when the spark hit the ground, it erupted into a huge burst of fire soaring vertically toward Braig. Aqua blasted the rest of her fire towards him as well. The flames overtook him, draining the little stamina he had left.

"GAHH!" the man cried out.

Unable to muster the strength to teleport, Braig fell against the ground, defeated. Aqua stood over him, her flames finally gone. The man glared at her.

"Do it…" he muttered. "Go ahead and finish me off. I know you want to."

"Not until you tell me the truth about Terra," she said.

He chuckled. "Trust me, you don't want to hear the whole truth. It's heartbreaking really. But rest assured…Terra ended up turning into a monster…two monsters really."

"That's not true!" Aqua said in denial.

Braig laughed. "Fine, don't believe me. Just keep pretending that he's fine. Have you even considered that over eleven years have passed here and yet you haven't seen head or hide of your precious lover?"

"How did you know that?" she asked.

The man laughed. "Call it a lucky guess. Terra's body, after all, was just as obsessed with you as he was…"

"Enough cryptic words!" she ordered. "Tell me where Terra is!"

"It doesn't matter where he is," Braig replied. "All that matters is where he WILL BE. And that's something even I don't know. I'm just one of Xehanort's seeds."

Aqua noticed Braig's feet evaporating into darkness. She realized his time for the world was limited. "Just tell me who it was. Who possessed Terra?"

Braig laughed. "Seriously? And here I thought you'd be smart enough to figure that out."

The man glanced to see his torso slowly evaporating. "It's been a pleasure, Aqua. Your looks are just as sharp as your fighting skills."

She growled. "Just die already."

The rest of Braig vanished into darkness. Yet this time, unlike when he was a Nobody, he truly was no more. The man had been brought to the highest level of strength and completely destroyed.

Aqua took out her charm, the one she had held on to for over a decade. "Terra…"

The woman began to cry to herself, worried over what had become of her friend. And slowly, as the anger from her heart melted into sorrow, the small darkness within her began to fade. Before crying again, Aqua noticed a Keyhole on the wall behind the potion cabinet. She aimed her weapon at it, locking at as her tears resumed.

Sora, Kairi, Kuzco, and Pacha rushed down a staircase away from the guards.

"I'll change you back!" Pacha said. "Try this one!"

Kuzco drank the potion, turning into a turtle. "Uh, Pacha?"

Pacha turned to see the emperor as an even more helpless animal. He picked him up and continued running ahead. Sora and Kairi stayed behind, and aimed their Keyblades at the guards.

"Graviga!" they shouted together.

The guards were thrown away from them, slammed against the walls. Satisfied, Kairi and Sora continued running with the other two. The four ran down a staircase, narrowly avoiding an octopus swinging an axe toward them. The four slid down the smooth part of the staircase, yet noticed another group of guards at the bottom. Pacha grabbed another potion.

"Oh please be something with wings," he muttered.

Kuzco drank the potion, and began flying the other three to safety as they held on.

"Yeah, we're flying!" he shouted.

Suddenly, he realized that he was barely a few inches big, not nearly enough to keep carrying their weight.

"Uh oh," he said softly.

The four heroes fell to the ground, and upon seeing dozens of guards behind them, rushed towards the bridge ahead.

"We're not gonna get anywhere with you picking the vials!" Kuzco exclaimed. "I'm picking the next one!"

"Fine by me!" Pacha agreed.

"Just hurry!" Sora said.

He and Kairi sealed the entrance with ice. Pacha gave Kuzco the new potion, and suddenly he was a huge whale.

"Don't you say a word," Kuzco demanded.

The bridge collapsed, and the four fell into the water. On the artificial shore near the river, Yzma and the guards rushed towards them.

"Quick, drain the canals!" the woman ordered.

"Oh no you don't!" Sora said as he aimed his Keyblade.

He launched a lightning attack, and the opponents were shocked with electricity. Although the guards were injured, Yzma was only angered. Just as Sora prepared another attack with Kairi, Pacha gave Kuzco another potion. The three humans fell, and Kuzco emerged from the water as a llama.

"Yay, I'm a llama again!" the emperor exclaimed.

Suddenly, he realized what he just said. "Wait…"

Choosing to act rapidly, Yzma pulled a lever, sending the group swirling down the drain.

The royal palace was unique in design. The palace itself was a giant head with the emperor's crown on it. From the nose of the head, water poured out from the canal system as Kuzco and company held on to the nostrils for dear life.

High above the group, Yzma saw them struggling to hold their grip. "There they go! After them!"

A guard transformed into a lizard turned to them. "Come on, men! Nobody lives forever!"

The guards jumped down the nostril, yet lost their grip completely and fell down. As they emerged from the nose, Sora and the others were climbing on the outside of the structure. The four managed to make it on the long ledge above the nose. Yzma tied herself to a curtain on the inside, and using it as a bungee cord, emerged from the nose. She held on to it, and ran up the side of the face in a counterclockwise direction toward the group.

Pacha took out the two remaining potions. "Okay, we got two left. It's gotta be one of these!"

Out of nowhere, Yzma dropped down and knocked the two apart. In doing so, she caused Sora and Kairi to lose their balance. Kairi held on to Sora, who tried to hold on to the ledge for dear life.

"I…can't…hold on!" he yelled.

His hand slipped, and the two heroes fell. As they did, both activated their Keyblade riders just before hitting the ground. The boy glanced back toward the top.

"I think they have this covered," he said. "Let's go make sure Aqua's alright."

Nodding in agreement, Kairi followed him back up the nostril.

Yzma and Kuzco struggled for the potions, and the elderly woman fell back on one of them. The vial exploded, covering everything in smoke. A sinister face appeared in the smoke, resembling that of a panther. When it cleared, Yzma was revealed to be a small gray kitten. Smiling, Kuzco grabbed the vial.

"I'll take that!" he said.

"This is the one!" Pacha said gladly. "This will change you back to a human."

Just as Kuzco tried to open it, Yzma jumped on his face, claws and teeth blazing. As the feline scratched him endlessly, Pacha rushed over to his aid, only to have the cat scratch his arm. Harmed and caught off balance, Pacha fell, his fingers barely grabbing hold of the stone head's eye. Realizing Yzma was on his head, Kuzco crushed her against the wall. He looked below to see Pacha hanging on for dear life.

"Drink the potion!" Pacha yelled.

"Okay, okay!" Kuzco agreed.

He looked at his hoof, yet realized the vial was gone. "huh? Where did it go? Where is it?"

"Looking for this?" a squeaky voice asked.

Kuzco turned to see kitty Yzma holding it. The cat looked surprised.

"Is that my voice?" she asked.

The feline coughed a bit. "Is that MY voice?"

"No, no!" Kuzco begged. "Don't drop it!"

"I'm not going to drop it, you fool!" Yzma said. "I'm going to drink it! And once I turn back into my beautiful self I'm going to KILL YOU!"

Yzma bit the cork on the vial, yet despite all her effort couldn't get it loose. Frustrated, she threw it against the wall. The potion bounced off the edge, and she walked after it. When it was already too late, she realized she was in midair.

"Uh oh," she said.

Screaming, Yzma fell to the depths below, while the potion landed on a ledge below Kuzco and above Pacha. The llama rushed for the potion, yet realized Pacha was slipping.

"OH!" Pacha screamed. "Kuzco!"

"Be right there," he said. "Give me a minute!"

One of Pacha's hands slipped. "Kuzco!"

The emperor reached for the vial, and almost had it.

"KUZCO!" Pacha screamed.

Finally Pacha's fingers slipped.

"NOOOOOOO!" the man shrieked.

Just as he lost his grip, a pair of hooves caught his hand. Relieved that he was safe, Pacha noticed the vial fall off.

"The vial!" the peasant said while pointing to it.

Kuzco watched it fall down. The potion fell, just as Yzma was continuing to fall. Below Yzma, a trampoline salesman was arguing with a guard.

"For the LAST TIME, we did NOT order a giant trampoline!" the guard said.

"You know pal, you could have told me that BEFORE I set it up," the man said.

Yzma landed in the trampoline, her momentum immediately reversed as she was launched back into the air. As she ascended in the air, she caught the human potion. Kuzco and Pacha saw her rise toward the sky, laughing as she held the glass. Suddenly, she was flattened headfirst against a ledge high above. The vial rested on a ledge shortly above Pacha and Kuzco. Conveniently, it was on a ledge overlooking two parallel walls close to each other.

The man looked up. "The vial!"

When he noticed the structure of the walls, he smiled at Kuzco. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

The two grabbed hold of each other's arms, and slowly walked up the wall. Yzma recovered from the disorientation, and realized what they were doing. She began leaping down each step toward her treasured potion. As they reached the top of the wall, Kuzco pushed against Pacha, getting the peasant close enough to snatch the vial. But before he could, Yzma grabbed it. She laughed, and jumped to a higher ledge nearby.

The kitten pointed to the potion. "I win."

Suddenly, a circle on the wall near Yzma rotated 180 degrees, slamming the cat in the face. Kronk had popped out of the secret entrance.

"Whoa!" Kronk said in surprise.

The potion fell, right into Pacha's hand.

"Got it!" the peasant said with pride.

Kuzco smiled with excitement, happy he was finally going to return to normal.

"What are the odds that trapdoor would lead me out here?" Kronk asked.

Pacha climbed to the ledge above, taking Kuzco with him. The two hugged, but upon realizing how affectionate they were being, broke the embrace and awkwardly looked away from each other.

"Here, uh, let me get that for you," Pacha said.

He unscrewed the cork, handing it to Kuzco.

The emperor smiled. "Well, see ya on the other side."

He drank the potion, and a bright red and white flash emitted from it.

Sora and Kairi walked in the secret lab to find a surprising sight. Their master, the strongest person they had ever met, was sitting on the floor, her face streamed with tears.

"Aqua!" Sora called out.

They rushed over, and the woman looked at them, trying to calm herself.

"Oh…hey guys," she said. "Sorry you had to see me like this. Normally I don't get this upset."

Sora and Kairi sat next to her.

"Where's Braig?" the young girl asked.

"Gone…for good," her master replied.

Kairi widened her eyes in shock. "Wow. At least he's taken care of."

"Aqua…what did he do?" Sora asked. "How did he bring you to tears?"

"He started saying things about Terra," the woman responded. "Braig was saying how Terra was really gone and that I wouldn't find him."

"Don't listen to him!" Kairi exclaimed. "He's trying to trick you."

The Keyblade Master shook her head. "But everything he said made sense. I saved Terra over eleven years ago, and yet we haven't even found a trace of him yet. For all we know, he might be gone forever."

Sora sat next to her. "Aqua…try to see the hope in all this. I know it's tough to believe, but someone like Terra wouldn't just be gone. I'm sure he's out there…somewhere. We just need to keep looking."

Aqua glanced at her pupil, and then back to her charm. "I made this charm. And when I did, I enchanted it with a spell…a bond that would ensure that Terra, Ven, and I all see each other again, regardless of how or when."

"And who knows," Kairi said. "You might even see him sooner than you think."

Aqua nodded. "You're right. Thank you…both of you."

She hugged her students, and they hugged back. Suddenly, they turned their heads at the sound of footsteps. Pacha entered the room with a skinny teenager next to him. Immediately, Sora realized who it had to be.

"Kuzco!" he exclaimed. "You're back to normal!"

Sora hugged the emperor, but Kuzco lightly pushed him away. "Sorry, but still no touchey."

Kuzco noticed that Pacha seemed depressed about something. He noticed that Pacha was staring at the model of his village Yzma had stolen, which quickly made Kuzco realized why he was upset.

"So…you lied to me," Kuzco stated.

The man was genuinely confused. "I did?"

The emperor nodded. "Yeah. You said that when the sun hits this ridge just right, these hills sing. Well pal, I was dragged ALL over those hills, and I did not hear any singing."

Confused at first, Pacha smiled when he realized what his friend was doing.

"So…I'll be building my summer home on a more MAGICAL hill…thank you," Kuzco said while grabbing the Kuzcotopia part of the diorama.

Pacha chuckled. "Couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, huh?"

"No, no I'm sharp, I'm on it!" Kuzco replied. "Looks like you and your family are stuck on a tuneless hilltop forever, pal."

Pacha smiled at Kuzco, and the emperor took a seat next to him on Yzma's bench.

Aqua grinned. "Amazing. Just by meeting someone as good as Pacha, Kuzco turned into a wonderful person. That just shows how powerful the light is. It spreads like fire and warmly embraces everyone."

Tapping his chin, Pacha pointed to the other hill on the diorama.

"You know…I'm pretty sure I heard some singing on the hill next to us," he mentioned.

Kuzco was intrigued by that prospect.

"In case you're interested," Pacha said with a shrug.

On a bright sunny afternoon, Kuzco emerged from a small hut in swim trunks.

"Ha!" he exclaimed. "Boom baby!"

From another house, Pacha, Sora, Kairi, and Aqua emerged in their own bathing suits.

"Boom baby!" the group exclaimed together.

The five of them rushed down the hill towards a waterfall. On his way, Kuzco passed a midget with an afro.

"Theme song guy!" Kuzco ordered.

The man nodded, and began singing as the group rode down a water slide.

"You could be the coolest kid in the nation…or the hippest cat in creation…but if you ain't got friends then nothing's worth the fight!"

As he emerged from the lake, Kuzco hugged Pacha's wife upon receiving a smaller version of Pacha's vest.

"A perfect world will come to thee…but everybody here can see…that a perfect world begins and ends…"

Pacha rushed next to them, receiving a hug from Kuzco and a kiss from his wife. The Keyblade warriors rushed next to them, along with Pacha's kids and the other villagers, as well as the theme song guy.

"…a perfect world begins and ends…A PERFECT WORLD BEGINS AND ENDS WITH US!"

In front of a new group of youthful Junior Chipmunk rangers, Kronk was leading a lesson with his squirrel friend.

"My acorn is missing," Kronk said.

"Squeak-squeaking-squeak-squeakiddy," the kids repeated in the language of the squirrel.

"Did you eat the acorn?" the instructor asked.

"Squeaker-squeak-squeak-squeaking," the children responded.

"You owe me…a new acorn…" Kronk said.

"Squeak-squeak-squeak…squeak-squeaker…" the kids began to say.

Suddenly, one child noticed that kitty Yzma was not following along. He nudged her, and angrily the feline held out an acorn like the others.

"Squeaking," Yzma said in her high pitched voice.

Kronk dried a tear from his eye. "I'm so proud of you guys."

Deep in a cave within the Land of the Dragons, Riku and Sinarem arrived upon the keyhole.

"There it is," Sinarem said. "Now you can take another step toward our goal."

Riku turned to the man. "If I unlock this…what happens to the people in this world?"

"Does it matter?" Sinarem asked.

"You're a Keyblade Master, you tell me," Riku said.

"If you are disputing my status as a Keyblade Master, then I can't help wonder if you have any other skepticism toward me," the Nobody said.

"Of course I do!" Riku said. "You claim to be a master, but where were you for the past two years? Where were you when the Organization was wreaking havoc and I was trying to keep Sora safe? Where were you when Sora and I had to save Kairi and fight Xemnas?"

"I was travelling the worlds, trying to protect it from bigger threats," he simply replied.

"Oh, and yet you weren't able to save it from the Heartless?" Riku asked. "Honestly Sinarem, your story gets more and more complex every time I ask a question."

"The life of any wielder is convoluted my boy, you should know that more than anyone," Sinarem said.

"And your eyes…those are what bother me the most," Riku said. "They're almost the same as the ones belonging to Xehanort's Heartless."

"We have no connection," the man said. "I don't even know who that is."

"You're full of it," Riku said. "I've been wary of you from the beginning, old man. And now I'm starting to understand that you're a fraud."

The boy unveiled his Way to Dawn. "Now reveal your true name and identity or I'll destroy you."

The man laughed. "If I told you my REAL name, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," Riku said.

Sinarem smiled. "Xehanort."

The boy stared in shock. "Wh-what…you liar!"

The elder began to hysterically laugh. "You aren't very good at determining when someone is being honest, are you?"

Suddenly, a portal appeared beside Sinarem. At first, the man emerging from it appeared to be Xemnas. But considering his hairstyle was different and his clothes were those of Xehanort's Heartless, Riku understood who it really was.

"Xehanort!" the boy spat.

The dark master chuckled. "Riku…I see you're unhappy to see me."

Even the voice was the same as his Heartless. Riku flinched at the sound of that voice. The dark lord turned to Sinarem.

"You worthless Nobody," he sneered. "I thought you could actually pull it off, but now it seems I'll have to step in."

Ashamed, Sinarem stepped aside. Xehanort approached Riku, summoning his Keyblade and encasing the boy in ice. Riku tried to melt it with his darkness, but it was having little effect.

"You're trying to melt it?" the complete being inquired. "You of all people should know that darkness is cold, Riku…I thought you would have inherited that knowledge from me…"

"What are you gabbing about?" he asked.

"Let me fill in some holes for you, boy," he said. "First, the body you see me in right now…is Terra's body."

The youth stared in shock, unable to even speak.

"And the body you see next to me is my ORIGINAL body," he said. "Sinarem is my discarded body and soul. But my heart, the essence that truly defines a being, is within this body…Terra's body. That's where it was over a decade ago, when I possessed the lad."

"You WHAT?" Riku yelled.

"Just as my Heartless possessed you, I possessed Terra," he explained. "But long before that, I connected my heart to a little boy on Destiny Islands…intent on using him as a seed in my plans if I needed to."

Xehanort circled the frozen boy. "Did you ever wonder why you were the only person in your travels who had white hair? Did you ever wonder why you and you alone were so obsessed with travelling the worlds? Did you ever wonder why you had such an affinity for darkness?"

The man smiled. "It's because I had ALL of these things, Riku. When I visited Destiny Islands in my old body to leave Ven to a peaceful death, I came across you… a baby boy bristling with potential. I connected my heart to you, and since then a part of me has always been within you, ready to take control when I deemed it necessary!"

Xehanort pressed his hand against Riku's forehead. Swirls of purple darkness erupted from the contact.

"GAHHHHH!" the boy screamed in pain.

The ice melted away, and Riku fell to the ground. Slowly, he stood up with his eyes closed. His old bodysuit covered his older body. When he opened his eyes, the orbs had shifted from a cyan tint to a cruel shade of amber, the same as Xehanort's.

"Are you ready, Riku?" the silver haired man asked.

The boy smiled. "Whatever you bid…master."

And when he spoke, he spoke with two familiar voices…the voice of an innocent boy from Destiny Islands…and the voice of a twisted man from the same world.