Chapter 21: Haunting Heart to Heart
When Riku finally got to take the Gummi Ship for a spin, he didn't expect things to run perfectly smooth, but he at least hoped for a safe trip, free from embarrassing crashes and damage from enemy vessels. Maybe the controls were a bit complicated. A wide array of buttons, dials, and knobs lined the control panel, and Donald had to walk him through all their functions. It was a lot to take in at once, but how hard could it have been? All he'd have to do was steer the ship on course, fire some lasers, and scoop up some blocks along the way. Even a learning curve couldn't hold him back… or so he thought.
It just so happened that during his first flight, he encountered a small cluster of asteroids. He managed to swerve between a few of them, but they just kept adding up. Riku had to act fast in order to blast through, pick up the Gummi Blocks inside, and keep pressing forward. And then he had to deal with a huge onslaught of ships ganging up on him at once. To make matters worse, he bumped into the edge of one of those pesky rings. So, needless to say, it was a bumpy ride… but at least he hadn't crashed.
Yet.
"Riku, look out!"
Donald pointed at the screen frantically, and Riku had to really swerve to avoid a full-on collision course with one of the Heartless ships. Unfortunately, in doing so, he sent the ship flying towards a very large asteroid. Though Riku fidgeted with the controls, trying to steer it back on course, he accidentally triggered the acceleration. Then, when he tried to turn it around, the ship ended up spinning rapidly as it continued to zoom towards the space rock.
"Gah, slow down!"
"Believe me, I'm trying."
"Uh, fellers? Ya might wanna buckle uuuuup!"
Too late to turn back. The ship rammed into the asteroid, causing it to shake violently and then take a nosedive. It fell down deeper and deeper as it continued to pick up speed. Donald and Goofy ended up clinging to one another, while Riku held tight to the control panel. His head was practically spinning along with the ship as they rocketed down towards something huge, round, and orange. But given their current situation, the trio had little time to spend peeking at the radar to see just what they were headed for. Before they knew it, they hit the ground with a THUD, as dust coated all of the windows.
Talk about a rough landing. Though they'd managed to stay safely planted in their seats, Riku and his friends stayed perfectly still for about a minute or two, letting their stomachs settle from the insane crash landing. It was almost like they'd been on an insanely fast rollercoaster and then gotten knocked right off of the rails. Maybe if the circumstances had changed, it would've been exciting, but for Riku, it was embarrassing above all else. So much for his first time at the wheel.
Groaning, he undid his buckle and pushed himself to his feet. "Remind me to…" He took a deep breath. "Never do that again."
"Believe me, I will." Donald shook his head and slowly slid down to the floor. "You really oughta watch your steering, Riku."
"Not my fault that these controls are complicated." He shook his head, placing his hand against the door. "So, what now? Think we should see what's out there?"
"Well," Goofy pointed at the radar screen, "looks like we landed in a place called Halloween Town, a-hyuck! Sure sounds spooky."
"And if this world's spooky…" Donald pulled out his staff, "then we oughta be spooky, too!"
"So, what?" Riku smirked, tapping his fingers on the door's frame. "You gonna set us up with your magic?"
"You betcha!"
With an enormous smirk on his beak, Donald waved his staff around, and a blackened glow spread from the tip all around the cockpit. Flesh became bandages and rotting flesh. The middle of his torso became an empty void of black space, and his eyes grew yellow and decayed. Goofy's once colorful clothes transformed into dark and dusty attire, and claws burst through his shoes and gloves. His fur became shaggy, and his eyes swirly. A horn replaced his nose, and an enormous screw took the place of his hat. He looked like some kind of Frankenstein creation more than anything.
As for Riku, his bright, island attire shifted almost completely. A long, tattered cloak took the place of his sleeveless top, and the X-shaped straps gained a set of spikes down the center. His gloves gained a bone décor at the very top, and his skin grew pale. Dark circles formed around his eyes, and his overall attire changed from blues and yellows to blacks and greys. By the time the spell was complete, Riku took a moment to look over his new appearance, and then he grinned.
"Not bad, Donald." He crossed his arms. "Your magic's done it again."
"Yep, and now we'll fit right in!" He snickered. "And if anybody tries to scare us, we'll scare 'em right back."
"Gawrsh, are ya sure?" Goofy frowned, poking at his new horn.
"Hey, it's called Halloween Town." Riku shook his head. "I'd say fear just comes with the territory."
"Well, we'll see when we get there!" Moseying on over to the door, Donald grinned. "Let's take a look around."
He didn't have to say it twice. Once Goofy made it over, Riku shoved the door wide open and stepped outside…
And, needless to say, the name 'Halloween Town' fit to a T. Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes lined the streets. Some on the ground, some decorating street lights, and others hanging flat against the brick wall all around them. Iron bars with jagged points sat atop the walls, and Riku caught sight of a gate just a few yards away, leading further into the creepy town. Perhaps the most notable feature, though, wasn't the spooky décor or the blood red sky up above, but the sound of jolly singing in the distance. It sounded like something festive was going on before their very eyes and ears.
Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of HalloweenAs the singing continued, Riku and the others made their way for the gate, watching as ghosts and ghouls drifted from place to pace, dancing along to the bouncy tune. Shaggy werewolves with razor sharp claws, a trio of vampires as pale as snow, and rotting zombies pranced all around. A round, pale clown tore off its face, while witches zipped through the air. By the looks of it, these creatures were having a ball, just celebrating everything that made Halloween so great. Riku was content to just watch their antics at first, but then something in particular caught his eye.
No, it wasn't the bubbling, green ooze leaking out of a dragon-shaped fountain, nor was it the guillotine chopping a jack-o-lantern in half. It had nothing to do with the lanky man wearing a pumpkin on his head, as he lit himself ablaze. What really stood out was the group of Heartless floating around the town square, moving almost as if they were dancing alongside a boy with an all too familiar head of spiky hair. Sure he had an orange, pumpkin mask covering part of his face, and the tiny wings were definitely new, but there was no mistaking his terrible dancing or enormous grin.
Riku shoved the gate open and rushed into the square, right as the Heartless flailed their arms around and fell to the ground, and the music came to a grinding halt.
"Sora!"
"Riku?"
The crowd of Halloween monsters stood speechless as the two boys ran for each other. They grumbled and groaned about how the 'new ghosts' just weren't scary enough and how their whole rehearsal had been interrupted by Riku's sudden appearance. Some of the younger creeps and creatures complained that they'd have to start all over, while a cone-shaped man with an extremely tall top hat rushed around the square. Out from the fountain emerged a very tall and lanky skeleton, clad in a black-and-white pinstripe getup. He stepped down and approached the two boys, right as Donald and Goofy hurried into the square.
"Well, this is a surprise!" said the skeleton with a smile. "I don't think I've seen you folks around town. Come to attend the celebrations?"
Riku took a quick look around, crossing his arms. He glanced at Sora, who sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, and then he nodded.
"Something like that."
"But what're all the Heartless doin' here?" Goofy scratched his head, glancing around the square and hopping back when one of the Heartless came too close.
The skeleton looked down at the Heartless and sighed. "Well, right now I'm trying to teach them how to dance. The problem is, they just can't get the movements right."
"Are you sure that's safe?" Donald raised a brow, tapping his foot. "The Heartless feed on people's hearts, you know."
"Oh, but that's what makes them perfect for this year's show." The skeleton grinned, leaning forward and wiggling his bony fingers. "Imagine, Heartless creeping out from the shadows, leaping forward to snatch your heart! It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it." He laughed. "Of course, they won't hurt anyone once I'm through with them."
Dancing Heartless… Riku shook his head. Man, what a thought. If they could pull it off somehow, it'd definitely make for one interesting Halloween. But how would they even do it? Usually Heartless just attacked on impulse. Getting them under control and choreographed would be no easy task.
Riku was going to ask about it, but he felt someone tapping his shoulder, interrupting his train of thought. When he turned around, he came face to face with Sora.
"Hey, Riku," he said, "let's get outta here! There's something I need to tell you about."
"Oh yeah?" Riku raised a brow, resting a hand on his hip. "Well, that goes double for me."
"Then let's go meet in the—"
"Anyway," the skeleton walked over to Sora and smiled, "I think a few tweaks to the guidance system should get things moving again. Shall we, Sora?"
"Oh, uh." Sora's shoulders sagged, and he laughed shakily. "Right! We should get some more ingredients for the heart, huh?"
"Wait, you're making a heart?" Donald blinked.
The skeleton nodded. "Of course! We figured that if we can't get the Heartless to cooperate, then a heart might put them on the right track."
"Yeah, and the heart's already gotten us this far." Sora frowned, looking at the small group of Heartless again. "But it's just not working right, like it's missing something really important."
"So… how are you making it in the first place?" Riku crossed his arms. The idea that a heart could just be made sounded awfully weird, even compared to what he'd seen on his adventure so far.
But the skeleton beamed, turning his attention toward Riku. "Why don't you come along? I think you'll be in for a surprise."
"Hmm." Riku turned around, focusing on Donald and Goofy. "You guys game? Might as well see what the fuss is about."
For a split second, Sora's body grew tense. Was something wrong? He seemed to hit it off pretty well with Donald and Goofy last time, so it couldn't have been about them. Shaking his head, Riku waited for a response.
And, sure enough, Donald nodded. "Well, okay. It sure beats fighting Heartless, anyway."
"Great!" Placing his hand on Riku's shoulder, Sora grinned. "You guys go on ahead! Me and Riku will be right behind you."
Okay, now that was weird. If Riku didn't know any better, he'd almost think that Sora was trying to get him away from Donald and Goofy. But why now? They didn't have issues traveling together back in Traverse Town. Still… some alone time with Sora wouldn't hurt. So, after pushing Sora's hand aside, he nodded.
"We won't take too long. You guys cool with that?"
"Sure thing, Riku!" Goofy grinned, moseying on over to the skeleton. "You 'n Sora can take all the time ya need."
And with that, the skeleton began to lead the group through the spooky streets of Halloween Town. They passed several tall buildings with spooky décor ranging from pumpkins to cobwebs. On the way, they caught sight of the townspeople moseying around the square and cleaning up from the rehearsal. A few Heartless bobbed around, but they didn't make any sudden moves to attack. It was almost refreshing, after the madness on Pleasure Island. Maybe the Heartless here wouldn't be such a big deal, and they wouldn't have to rush for the Keyhole.
The skeleton led them over to a door leading into an alleyway with a large staircase that lead up to what appeared to be a strange, metallic building. While Donald and Goofy followed the skeleton along, when Riku tried to go with them, he felt Sora grab onto his arm and pull him back. Sighing, he turned around to face his friend with a deadpan expression. It wasn't that he didn't want to catch up with Sora, because he definitely did, but it was just kind of weird how he was the one trying to get away from the group for a change.
Still, it couldn't hurt to take some time to catch up. Especially when Donald and Goofy were okay with it. So, he leaned back against the door's frame and locked eyes with Sora.
"So, what's up?"
"Well, you see…" Sora sighed, shaking his head. "Riku, it's about Kairi."
"Kairi?" His eyes widened, and he took a step back. Did Sora find her? Was she even okay? And if he did manage to get to her, where was she now?
He waited and listened intently, while Sora's whole body drooped, and he gazed down at the ground.
"She's…" He took a deep breath. "Riku, there's a reason why I'm helping with the heart, and it's because—"
"What does the heart have to do with Kairi?" Riku narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't right about this.
"It's got everything to do with her!" Sora's voice grew sharp. "Riku, you've gotta listen to me! When Maleficent found Kairi, she was… it was almost like she…" He winced. "She won't wake up."
"What?"
'Won't wake up'? What did he even mean? Riku jerked forward, and he clenched his fists. Was she sick? Hurt? What could have possibly happened that would keep her from waking up? Sora was fine, he was fine too. So why? Why would Kairi…?
"We need that heart, Riku." Sora shook his head, moving over to the steps. "I don't like tricking Jack this way, but… it's the only way to save her."
The only way… How would an artificial heart save Kairi? It wasn't like she—unless…
For the next few moments, Riku stood silently, watching as Sora made his way up the steps. It didn't make sense. What could that heart possibly do for Kairi, unless, somehow, she'd lost her own? And if she did lose it, wouldn't that make her a Heartless? And it'd be all his fault... No wonder she disappeared when the islands went down, and no wonder Sora was acting so strangely. Biting his lip, Riku rushed up the stairs and followed his friend into the laboratory.
He trudged across the cold, metal floor and past the kooky contraptions that filled the lab. Creepy specimens sat in jars, while vials bubbled with brightly colored chemicals. Riku barely gave them a passing glance, however, and kept moving until he met up with Sora and the others in the center of the lab. There, he caught a glimpse of one of the Search Ghosts lying on a metallic slab, completely motionless. Sitting right next to the slab was a tiny, little man with pale skin, two very large and flat lips, and screws all around his cranium. He wore a lab coat and a pair of black boots and gloves, plus a small set of spectacles that concealed his beady little eyes. This man moved around using a wheelchair.
Jack, Donald, and Goofy stood right behind him, peering down at what looked like some hideous, pulsating contraption. Pale, stitched up, and grotesque, this thing looked kind of like a heart, but there was something… off about it. Definitely artificial. Was this really supposed to be the key to controlling the Heartless and saving Kairi? When Riku looked over at Sora, he frowned. It still didn't add up.
As Riku crept closer to the slab, Jack and the Doctor slowly turned to face him. While the Doctor. scowled, Jack greeted him with a bright smile.
"Ah, there you are!" he said. "You're just in time."
"So, this is the heart, huh?" Riku raised a brow, leaning in to get a closer look. "You really think this will work?"
"Of course!" said the Doctor, wheeling his way over to one of the many contraptions. "My creations are always flawless. All we need is a few more ingredients, and it will be perfect."
"So, what're we missing, Doc?" Sora grinned, waltzing right up to the Heartless. "We've got all kinds of emotions already, but there's gotta be something that'll make it work."
"Hmm…" The Doctor wheeled around the lab, and he stopped to open his head and scratch his brain. Okay, that was weird, and Riku took a moment to stare at the sight.
"Memory and surprise should do the trick," he said.
"But how're you gonna add memory?" Donald tapped his foot. "That's not something you can find lying around."
"Maybe he could use a keepsake, a-hyuck!"
Riku sighed, barely listening to the conversation go on. Something about a girl named Sally and talking to the mayor for the last ingredient. These were all details that just didn't matter right now, not with Kairi's fate looming over his head. He needed to talk to Sora about this… alone. And not just about Kairi, but Maleficent and the Keyholes. With on his plate, Riku could barely focus on what happened all around him. Minutes flew by in the lab, as the group discussed the finer details of the heart project.
And then he turned around to find Sora looking at him with a faint smile.
"Hey, Riku… We're gonna head over to the graveyard. You coming?"
The graveyard? Was that for one of the ingredients? Riku shrugged, brushing back some of his hair.
"Sure, might as well. Beats moping around in a stuffy, old lab."
While Riku followed the others outside of the lab, he kept towards the back, moving slower than the rest. Occasionally, Sora would look over his shoulder at him, but otherwise he kept moving up ahead. Together, the group made it outside the lab and neared the entrance into Guillotine Square. At that time, Donald and Goofy stopped and turned around, heading right over to Riku's side. Once again, Sora's body grew tense, and he watched them with a faint frown on his face. Riku didn't take the time to question it, however.
"Hey, Riku," said Donald, frowning. "You okay?"
Riku sighed, shaking his head. "No… Not really." It'd be stupid to hide it from them. Even if he tried, they'd probably see right through him.
"Gawrsh, did somethin' happen with you and Sora?"
"Don't worry about it, Goofy. I'll figure it out." He stepped ahead of them, approaching Sora and Jack near the doorway. "Right now, we should focus on that heart. I want to see if it'll actually work."
Without another word, they stepped outside. However, the moment they set foot out the door, they were greeted with an unpleasant surprise. All around, the townspeople frantically dodged claw swipes from floating Search Ghosts, while a group of lanky, big-headed Heartless wrapped in bandages spun about. Shadow Heartless emerged from below buildings, behind objects, and out of the fountain. Reflexively, Riku summoned the Keyblade and dashed forward. This had to have something to do with the heart.
As he slashed through two Shadows, he looked at Jack with a glare. "Just what's going on?"
Jack frowned, bringing a hand to his chin. "There must have been a malfunction." He shook his head, firing a burst of flames at one of the Search Ghosts. "Well, nothing to worry about! As soon as we pick up those last two ingredients, everything should be just fine."
"Easy for you to say!" Donald groaned, unleashing the power of a thundara spell all around the square.
"Riku, c'mon!" Sora pulled out his sword, pointing towards a nearby walkway. "Let's keep moving! If we team up, those Heartless won't stand a chance."
Fighting with Sora, huh? It'd give him a chance to see how his friend had improved since Maleficent got her hands on him. Heh… well, he nodded, rushing forward and launching his weapon at two of the mummies. It soared through the air and sliced straight through them before it flew back into his hand. With the Heartless out of the way, he hurried around the square, toward a set of stairs in the distance. Jack and the others ran right alongside him, and he watched as Sora sent flames soaring through the air, bolts striking down from above, and ice crashing into any nearby attackers.
Eventually, they made their way up the steps and through the gate, passing from the square and into dark and dismal graveyard. Tombstones of all shapes and sizes lined the brick walls all around it. Statues of gargoyles stood all around, while pumpkins lay scattered here and there. A coffin rested at the very far end of this graveyard, so large that even somebody like Jack could probably squeeze through with no trouble.
Now, they were going to keep moving, but the sudden appearance of whirling corridors forced them to stop once more. Two of the mummy Heartless dropped to the ground, while statues all around the graveyard shook and shuddered. As stone cracked and pebbles flew through the air, a group of four, flying Heartless emerged, smacking their jagged jaws and swiping their narrow claws. Their horned heads and enormous wings gave them the appearance of Gargoyles, and coupled with their dark purple bodies and tendency to open their mouths extremely wide, these Heartless had an unsettling appearance.
But it wasn't the time to dwell on appearances. With the five of them against the pesky Heartless, this battle would be a cinch. While Jack and Donald fired away with an onslaught of magic ranging from thunder to flames, Goofy rammed into the Gargoyles from below. This left Sora and Riku, who tag teamed the remaining Heartless using swordplay, quick maneuvers, and a bit of magic on the side. Riku's Sonic Blades were joined by the furious combos of Sora's sword, topped off with a downward blow. He'd really improved since the islands; if there was one thing Riku could give Maleficent credit for, it was that.
Against five powerful fighters, the Heartless didn't stand a chance. It didn't take long for the group to plow through them, leaving the graveyard empty once more… or so it appeared. Not long after the Heartless vanished, a pale, white dog floated up from one of the graves with its red nose aglow. It hovered around Jack for a few seconds before it scurried behind one of the larger tombstones. Seconds later, a stitched up hand reached around the stone, followed by the face of a strange looking lady.
Her whole body looked like it'd been sewn together, and her skin was a pale grey. As she stepped out from behind the stone, Riku caught sight of her tattered, old dress, which looked like it'd been quilted together out of various pieces of cloth. She slowly approached the group with a faint frown on her face and a dry looking flower in her hand. Grinning widely, Sora was the first to approach her.
"Hey, Sally!" he said with a wave. "What're you doing out here?"
"Oh, hello, Sora." Sally gave him a quick glance, and then she turned to Jack. "Is everything all right? I saw all the Heartless here—"
"Oh, it's more than all right!" Jack grinned, sweeping his arms in a broad gesture. "Once we gather a few more ingredients, my Heartless Halloween is sure to be a scream!"
"That's what I'm afraid of." Sally sighed, shaking her head.
"Don't worry, Sally! We've been working really hard to make sure the heart's perfect." Sora smiled, placing his hands behind his head. "And if anything goes wrong, we'll make sure nobody gets hurt."
"Speaking of that heart…" Riku stepped forward, placing a hand on his hip. "You guys said something about memory, right?"
"Oh, you must mean this." Sally held out the strange plant, and she hesitantly handed it to Jack. "Please be careful, all of you. I had a terrible vision, and—"
"Splendid!" Jack beamed, stepping past Sally and over to the coffin. "The more terrifying, the better. After all, I'd like this Halloween to be our best."
"That's not—"
He didn't stop to listen. Instead, Jack lifted up the coffin's lid and slid inside, vanishing from sight. Donald and Goofy looked at one another and then back at Riku. Once he gave them a nod of approval, they followed Jack through the opening. However, Riku didn't make any sudden moves to leave. Instead, he turned his attention to Sally and approached her with a frown.
"So, what's this about a vision?"
"Well," said Sally, heaving a sigh, "there was darkness, an explosion, and a terrible scream. Something just seems wrong about this."
Well, that was reassuring. Riku wasn't sure how much stock to put into this vision, but coupled with how grotesque the heart looked, it just didn't sit well in his mind. Making an artificial heart just seemed too good to be true, and using it to control the Heartless? There was no way it'd end well. Nevermind the fact that Sora wanted to use this heart for Kairi… He shuddered, looking over towards his best friend, who leaned over the coffin's edge.
Sora shook his head and slid through the opening without a word. He probably heard Sally's warning, but given what he'd told Riku earlier, that probably didn't deter him one bit. For a moment, Riku stood by Sally and contemplated her words. Disaster, all because of a fake heart… He couldn't let that happen.
Narrowing his eyes, Riku hopped through the coffin, which led him through a narrow chute and into another graveyard. There, he caught sight of withered, dead trees and dangling skeletons lining the walls. As he stepped further into the cemetery, he passed a massive pumpkin, about the size of a small house. Fog filled the area, making it difficult to see, but as he moved along, he caught sight of the others speaking with that same cone-shaped man from before. So that was the mayor…
"Gawrsh, so all we've gotta do is hit those tombstones? Ya sure the ghosts won't mind?"
"Oh, not at all!" Jack grinned, gesturing towards one of the stones. "In fact, it's like a game to them."
Games with ghosts… It probably had something to do with the 'surprise' they needed. Well, he'd let the others take care of it for now. Though Riku did watch as ghosts popped up from the stones and Donald and Goofy clonked them with their weapons, he kept his eyes on Sora and slowly approached from behind. While the others were busy with the ghosts, this'd be the perfect chance to talk to him and figure out what was going on. At least, as long as any pumpkins didn't blow sky high.
"Sora, about Maleficent—"
"You're coming with us, right?" He grinned. "I asked her about it, and she said it'd be great if you came! And there's loads of room in the castle, so once we save Kairi—"
"That's just it, Sora." Riku shook his head, bringing a hand to his face. "Look, she's not who—"
BOOM! Bits and pieces of orange residue flew through the air, splattering all over the ground, the tombstones, and on Riku's clothes. Wonderful. Groaning, he turned away from Sora to see what just happened, only to find a pile of gunk in place of the once enormous pumpkin. And in the center of this squishy mess sat a little jack-in-the-box. Was that supposed to be the 'surprise'? Well, whatever the case, it didn't take long for Jack to scurry over and grab it.
"Perfect!" he said, marching over towards the entrance. "Now we have everything we need for the heart. Good work, everyone!"
So much for that. With Jack crawling through the small entry hole, Riku didn't have much of a choice. Reluctantly, he followed along as the others returned to the upper level of the graveyard. They'd picked up 'surprise' and 'memory,' meaning that the so-called heart was probably going to get another test run. Would it work, or would the experiment fall flat on its face? They'd find out soon enough.
When they returned to the lab, Dr. Finkelstein immediately took the remaining ingredients and shoved them inside the heart. After a bit of tinkering, the ugly, old thing started to beat slowly and steadily. With the heart in motion, Finkelstein sat it down near the Heartless and rolled over to the guidance system to mess with the machinery. As he tinkered around, Sora slowly stepped up to the slab, and Riku watched him very carefully. He knew what was coming. Sora did say they needed that heart, after all, but that thing hadn't even been tested!
As Finkelstein rolled back to the slab, Riku cringed. He didn't even have time to speak up before Sora scooped up the heart with both hands and turned towards the door. All around the lab, everyone gasped. They never saw it coming. After all, why would somebody like Sora up and steal a key part of the machinery?
"Sora, what are you doing?" Jack tried to reach him, but Sora hopped back and drew his sword.
"I'm sorry, Jack!" He took several steps towards the door. "But I really need this heart!"
There was no time to act. With the heart tucked under his arm, Sora high tailed it out of the laboratory without another word. Donald, Goofy, and everyone else just started, while Riku shut his eyes tightly and clenched his fists. How could he have stood there and done nothing? Kairi's safety was important, but that heart… it wouldn't save her. It was ugly, repulsive, and hadn't been properly tested on Heartless, much less human beings.
They couldn't just sit there. Taking a deep breath, Riku stormed towards the door.
"We have to stop him!" he said, glancing back at the others. "C'mon, before he gets too far."
"Yes, we can't let that little hooligan get away with this." Finkelstein growled, slamming his fist on the arm of his chair. "Nobody steals my creations!"
Jack sighed. "I just don't understand… Why would Sora take the heart?"
"We can worry about that later." Riku shook his head. "Right now, we need to knock some sense into him before this gets out of hand."
He still hadn't gotten to talk to Sora about Maleficent, and he still didn't know the whole story behind Kairi. With Sora gone and on the run, they'd have to pick up the pace in order to sort things out. Maybe the heart wasn't perfect, and maybe it'd all backfire in the end. If that was the case, then there was no time to lose. Not when Kairi's well-being was at stake.
TO BE CONTINUED