The two Keybearers composed themselves after reappearing aboard their Gummi Ship. An interesting, risky, and trying venture in the world of pirates had finally come to an end for the two of them. Determining their new destination was their next move. One problem arose immediately, however.

"We need to fix the teleporter," Steven informed. "It went really bizarre on us when we landed in Port Royal."

"I landed on the deck of the Pearl," Sora corrected. "Where did you land?"

"In Port Royal," Steven repeated, being sure to take a trip to the ship's controls to press a few buttons. "Just in time to get arrested by Beckett," he added with chuckle. He stood upright and stepped away from the dashboard. "Autopilot has been engaged. We should try to get it fixed before we arrive at our next world." Sora curiously followed Steven to a panel on the wall, leading to the teleporter. "Can you help me?" Steven asked. He knelt down and positioned his fingers beneath a small crack in the floor, gripping it.

Sora knelt on the other side, finding an identical opening on the other side of the panel. He hooked his fingers under it. "Together?" he asked. Steven lifted his head, gave Sora a quick nod, and the two lifted the panel. They moved it to the side and set it down. "So how do we fix it?"

"That's the question in the balance, isn't it?" Steven moved to the other side and laid down. He peered in, examining it. "Aha!" He immediately moved his hand towards and lifted two loosely connected wires, one blue and one green. He put his hands back into the wiring and carefully inserted the blue one back into a socket. "That one allows better power when teleporting multiple people," he informed, then reconnected the green one. "This controls our landing location." He took the panel in both hands and set it carefully back over the array of wires. He listened for a few moments, cupping his ear. Then the teleporter softly lit up and began to hum.

Steven proudly stood up and bowed. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announced to an imaginary crowd. "I have magic fingers."

"And cursed feet," Sora reminded. "Only those could fall for a banana peel,." He laughed, plopping down in the copilot's chair

"Not cool..." He didn't let Sora see it, but Steven broke a weak smile in response before he took the main pilot's chair, lounging in anticipation for the impending trip. Once down, he let out a long sigh. "That was some crazy stuff, Sora, and you weren't lying about Maleficent either. She's one nasty lady."

"If you want to put it lightly," Sora answered. "That still doesn't explain your nightmares about her."

"I don't think they're nightmares," Steven said speculatively. "I think they're visions. The thought of her destroying the village I came from seems too connected to me to be just a dream. Besides, I hated that place. She's the scary part of the visions, not that."

"What about the people living there?" Sora asked, slight concern in his voice. "What if she hurt them?"

Steven felt a hard thump in his chest. He was silent a few more moments, then sighed. "I want to say good riddance to them for how they treated me." He looked up at Sora. Making eye contact with the innocent blue eyes seemed to soften him. "But I used to sneak around to avoid their insults. I heard them going about their business and...they aren't evil. They just acted that way to me." He huffed, clearing his head with a quick shake. "At the end of the day, I do hope they're okay, though I don't have high hopes for that if Maleficent was involved."

As it had previously occured, the alert of a new approaching world interrupted Steven's train of thought and shifted his focus. "Oh!" Steven took a look at the navicomputer. "Looks like we'll be headed to..." His expression drooped and he groaned quietly. "England..."

Sora couldn't help chuckle at Steven's disappointment. "I thought you always wanted to debate it out with the king."

"Yeah," Steven replied. "But not on his turf. On his turf, I could be dead before I even realize he gave the order." He shook his head. "If we're lucky, this is a different kind of England than the one in Jack's world. These places vary, I'd imagine." He typed more commands into the computer. "Get on the teleporter pad. I'll join you in a minute."

Sora hesitantly put one foot on the pad. "You sure you repaired it right?"

"Of course I did!" Steven declared adamantly. "The connections are firm. They're not going to come loose again." He finished adding input to the computer. "Done!" he said, hitting the final key. The teleporter hummed to life. Sora spotted this.

"Steven!" he cried out, moments before vanishing in a flash of light.

"Oh crap!" Steven typed furiously into the computer to try canceling the teleportation, but Sora was already gone. "Shoot..." He took a few deep breaths. "Okay, don't panic...take it easy..." He scanned the map before him, zoned into the land mass. "Why doesn't this thing have a tracker?" Sticking his his hands into his pocket, the circular object he felt in there gave him an idea...but he shook his head. "No time." Instead, he looked at the land mass and selected an area for him to warp down to. "There, easy! Now I just have to get down there real quick and find Sora. He can't be far."

He ran over to the teleporter and flipped the manual switch on the wall. Within moments, he was sent out of the ship and into this new world.

The feeling of regret was instant. Steven was not surrounded by England, nor a city of any kind. Instead, he had transported himself onto a tree trunk in the middle of a large pond. This stump was positioned beside a much larger tree that enclosed the particular area of the pond with long branches in a massive, hut-like formation.

"Well, this is just fantastic," Steven sighed, getting to his feet. He wasted no further time complaining about where he wasn't so that he could focus on finding out where he was. He stood on his toes and grabbed a thick branch, the lowest one within his reach. He held tight to the branch and began to walk his feet up the trunk. One foot came down upon a knotted area in the bark and he flinched when he felt it shift beneath him. "What in the worlds...?" He moved his foot away from the spot and concentrated on it.

A breeze interrupted his brief time to concentrate and his focus shifted. He looked in the direction the breeze came from to see orange and purple leaves gliding along the current of moving air. It was no coincidence, it seemed, that they were floating in the wind towards him. However, they didn't collide. Instead, they circled around Steven in a fluid motion, keeping his attention on them. He didn't allow his grip to weaken, but he suddenly felt the urge to take a deep breath. He didn't deny this urge and when he exhaled, he suddenly felt something he could only describe as...changed. Fresh. Opened up. The epiphany of these new feelings were made clear only seconds later.

"What's this?" Steven's eyes, like his attention, were yanked back to the knotted spot when his ears picked up a soft, creaking female voice. The knot had shifted into the form of a face, sporting two flatly colored black eyes as well as a nose and a mouth. The bark on this tree was alive, not to mention that it was smiling at him. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise," the tree said.

"Ah!" Steven's flinch of surprise cost him the grip he held and he splashed into the water below. He came up a moment later treading water. Though drenched, he didn't get out. He instead looked up at the tree again. "The smile is still there," he slowly said to himself. "A dunk in the water should have cleared up my senses...but no. A tree is really talking to me..."

A gentle chuckle came from the tree. "Easy, now. You're not going crazy. Here, let me help you." By sheer will, the tree's branches lowered into the water towards Steven. His wrists were wound up in them before they proceeded to lift him from the pond and deposit him on the trunk before the tree-woman. "Tell me your name, child," the tree gently requested.

"Steven..." The Keybearer was hesitant with his answers. "Who are you?"

"I am Willow," the tree answered. "What brings you down into my midst, boy? I must say your appearance was rather sudden."

"I...dropped in." Steven was still hesitant with his answer. He didn't want to give too much away.

Willow's eyes narrowed at him. A branch came down and pushed him gently towards the face imprinted on the tree. "Let me take a closer look." Her eyes stayed narrow for a short time, then became wide briefly. "An odd combination. You have a handsome appearance, but I also see darkness inside." This elicited a very visible gulp from Steven that was quickly set at ease when the tree smiled. "Beneath all that, though, I do see a very good heart."

Steven sighed deeply as the branch came away. Despite having just met Willow, the fact that she somehow seemed to see the goodness in him, though he was very curious as to how she was able to see into him, was very relieving. "That means a lot for a first impression," Steven informed. In this craziness he dealt with, he was oblivious to the fact that an entrance was being parted at the outermost border of where Willow's branches grew. He remained unaware until another branch gently coaxed his head to turn so he could behold this visitor.

It was a young woman riding in a canoe. Long black hair hung down her back. She wore tan clothing with few other colors making up a pattern. Her legs were bare from the base of her thighs to her feet. She held a paddle, but she didn't care to use it to steer anymore. Her brown eyes were widened, in great confusion as to Steven's presence. This wasn't a shock, as Steven's appearance was drastically different. His skin was a bit more pale than hers and his clothes contrasted heavily with hers.

Still, she advanced and stepped up to the trunk. She was just as tall as he was and they saw eye to eye. Willow pulled her branches away, needing their assistance no further, and smiled. "Steven, I would like you to meet my grandaughter: Pocahontas."

After a brief, heavy sigh of exasperation, Sora collected himself and walked onward. The destination he had ended up in had been more on track than Steven's. Stone bricks made up the streets. People traveled either by walking or by horse-drawn carriages. When he made it far enough through the town, he spotted the water and docks, where a ship was getting ready to set sail.

"New world, old habits," he muttered to himself. Having plenty of experience aboard a ship before, Sora quickly located a table by the ramp where a burly, black-haired man with a ponytail was sitting. Sora knew this to be the post of a last-minute recruitment for the voyage. He jogged over, easily ignoring strange looks he got for his attire, looks he had gotten used to by now. "I'd like to sign up for the crew!" he declared, standing proudly before the table.

The man behind the table tilted his head, disbelief clearly visible in his expression. "You're serious, lad?" His accent was a thick Scottish. "You look a mite too young to be singing up for any voyage, let alone one going all the way across the Atlantic."

Sora groaned inwardly. Though he was used to being shunned for his young appearance, it easily got on his nerves. "I've sailed before," he promised. "I even just got back from a voyage!"

The man drummed his fingers on the tabletop and stroked his chin with the other hand. Clearly, this was a deep thought despite such a simple issue. "Can you tie down a sail?"

"Yes," Sora replied.

"Slack the braces?"

"Aye!"

"Fire a cannon?"

"Uh-huh!"

It was futile. Sora was prepared for every question thrown his way. So the man shrugged. "What the heck? You're not the only eager lad looking to make a fortune in the New World."

"Not fortune," Sora answered. "I'm more of the...adventerous type. I'm also looking for a friend of mine."

The man dipped a feather in ink. "Whatever your desire, I'll sign you right up! What's your name, laddie?"

"Sora," the Keybearer replied. "Just Sora," he added before the man had the chance to request his surname.

"Sora...alright!" The man put away his feather pen and held out his hand. Sora shook it tightly, though he cringed a bit under the tight grip of the man. "My name's Ben. Welcome aboard! Just in time, too. We cast off in only thirty minutes."

" 'Just in time' is my specialty," Sora answered with a weak smile. He freed his hand and rubbed it gently to relieve the pain dealt by Ben's handshake.

"Oi!" A voice had cried out to get attention. "Is that Smith?"

This statement was a head-turner for much of the crowd. Sora followed suit to get a glimpse of this Smith person. Crowds of townspeople, mostly family members of crewmen, were parting the way for a lone man. Marching up towards the ship, he was wearing bright blue clothing. Wavy blond hair grew down to his chin on most sides of his head. His face was clean-shaven and he carried a sword on his back.

"I knew he'd be along!" Ben shouted, clapping his hands.

"Captain John Smith?" said a red-haired man wearing a green cap and with a sense of awe in his voice, as well as on his face. "I've heard lots of amazing stories about him!"

"You coming on this voyage too?" asked a man with thick, ginger-colored hair and a beard.

"Lon, you half-wit!" Ben chastised, walking up the ramp to board the ship. "Of course he's coming! You can't fight Indians without John Smith!"

"That's right!" the man named John Smith heartily agreed. He stepped onto a cannon that was about to be lifted onto the deck via pulley. He held to the rope, allowing himself to be carried with it. "I won't let you boys have all that fun without me!

Sora quickly boarded the ship and followed John across the ship. While the other sailors prepared the vessel for casting off, John leaned up against the mast on the bow end. When Sora got close enough, he turned to look. He did a double-take on the shoes Sora wore, having heard their claps against the deck. "This is the crew that England has to offer?" he questioned. "Either they're getting desperate or you're the finest young sailor out there."

"I've been across the sea a few times," Sora countered. "My name's Sora."

"John Smith," he introduced. "Though I'm guessing you heard the crowd already."

"Your name is pretty big around here," Sora observed. "How did you manage it?"

"I'm no household man," John admitted. "My stories are what makes me a household name, though. I travel a lot and I bring back tales of what I see. People are fascinated by new things, so the stories stick in their memories." Reminscence was apparent in John's eyes. "No exaggeration, either. Everything I see is as glorifying as I tell it." He turned to Sora. "I may not have much of a home here, but you can understand, right? Some are content with just hearing that amazing things are out there. I am not. I have to go out there and see it for myself."

A smile spread on Sora's face, beginning to feel a connection with John. "I agree completely," he promised. "I've always dreamed of going to see new places since I was a kid and I've seen quite a few in the last couple years.

"You're a lucky kid," John said, patting Sora's shoulder as he walked by to look upon the deck. "I've seen more indigenous places than I care to count. I would have killed to do it at your age."

"Mine was a...special case," Sora confessed.

John's envy gently melted from his face and he extended a friendly handshake to Sora. His grip was just as tight as Ben's had been. "Then this should be no problem for you, eh Sora?" He gestured to some sailors carrying cargo on board. "Even I have never been on a voyage of this caliber. It's headed all the way across the Atlantic to the New World. The ones who come along have been promised great fortune." John leaned his back against the railing. "What are you looking for?"

"Uh..." Sora almost answered, but was interrupted by a shout.

"Atteeeention!" By instinct, Sora and John flattened their hands and pulled them up to their eyebrows. The rest of the crew saluted in unison, apparently awaiting the arrival of an important person. A man stepped on board, to which some sailors straightened their posture. He was portly with black hair that tied down to a ponytail in the back. Purple clothing covered most of his body, including a hat, and he wore black shoes with buckles. Stern command was etched onto his face; the expression loudly spoke of command. He was followed closely by a shorter, skinnier man with brown hair and dull orange clothing. A pillow was in the man's arms, where upon a small pug was snidely sitting.

"Governer Ratcliffe, sir!" the crew simultaneously greeted.

"At ease, men," Ratcliffe pardoned. He turned to walk up the stairs where John and Sora were standing. Coincidentally, Ratcliffe took attention to Sora. "What is a boy doing on board our vessel? When I asked for England's finest, I didn't imagine they'd send some eager child."

Sora, offended, began to respond, but John stepped up in his defense instead. "Governor, surely you won't tell me that you've not heard of the great boy sailor, one called Sora?"

"Huh?" Sora was caugh off-guard by the protection, but John didn't let up.

"Young he may be, Sora is a fine seaman. He does work on board equal to that of any one of us. From new world to new world, he's traveled and seen sights that are so unimaginable, they have to be real. In battle, he holds few equals, felling many a savage in his time."

Ratcliffe's sneer didn't go away at all, but he did raise an eyebrow. "Is this so, boy? Sora, was it?"

Sora looked up at Ratcliffe open-mouthed, then to John. John tilted his head and winked at him. The Keybearer turned back proudly and stood up straight. "Yes sir, it is!" he confidently confirmed.

"Hmm..." Ratcliffe straightened himself up and nodded curtly. "Very well, young man. You are welcome aboard. With all those adventures John speaks of, you should be right at home with such a journey." He turned away and strolled down the stairs. "Let us not waste any more time. It's time to cast off!" He opened the door leading to the ship's interior and headed towards, no doubt in Sora's mind, the captain's cabin.

"Alright, men!" Ben bellowed to alert the other sailors. His booming voice didn't diminish much once he had their attention. "Let loose the sails and tie 'em down!"

Sora peered out at the ocean. From this point onward, he was headed across the Atlantic. With any luck, Steven was now out and about, actively searching for Sora as Sora was searching for him.

BOOM.

Sora, along with the rest of the crew, had been doused by the rain that came down. If this wasn't uncomfortable enough, the ship was caught in a bucking assault of waves, greater than any Sora had dealt with previously. Through all this wind and pouring rain, his hair continued to stand on end without hindrance. Still, cries of panic were ringing loud on deck.

"Faster!"

"Tie them down!"

"She's taking in water!"

Sora ran down the ship, trying to squint so that pouring rain wouldn't blur his vision. He spotted a red-haired man, Thomas, trying to tie down a cannon. He weaved through the chaotic crowd of sailors and picked up the slack of rope left behind Thomas. "I've got it!" he called out. "Keep the cannon steady!"

Thomas pushed at the cannon to keep it as close to the edge of the ship as he could. "I'm trying...I can't hold it!"

"Come on, Thomas!" Sora encouraged, pulling the rope towards the railing, but he felt the cannon sliding anyway. When he thought Thomas might let it loose on accident, a pair of boots thudded against the deck and a blue and yellow blur wasted no time in stepping alongside Thomas to hold the cannon steady.

"Don't worry, boys!" John assured. "We'll get her tied down!"

With John's added strength, the cannon rolled back into place while Sora tugged the rope through a ring. He wound the rope around itself and tied a firm knot. "Cannon secured!"

This was followed by a gush of water from the ocean as the ship descended quickly from the peak of a wave back onto level water. Sora held tight to the railing and John held to the cannon. Thomas tried to, but he was swept across deck. The lurching of the ship caused a sudden turn in his path and he crashed into a railing. He didn't stop there, bursting through and washed off deck entirely.

"Heeeelp!" he called out before he splashed into the deep ocean beneath them.

Sora could see the splash just after hearing the call. "Man overboard!" he called.

"Stay your course!" Ben called out. "He's lost!"

"What?" Sora turned, seeing Ben at another area.

Meanwhile, John had already begun to act. He tied a rope around his waist. "Sora!" He pointed to a pulley wheel. "Watch that for me!" With that final word, he took a running start towards the ship's edge and leapt once he reached it.

"John!" Sora called, running after him and looking over the deck as the man plunged into the water and swam for Thomas' struggling form. "John!"

"Smith!" Ben was at Sora's side in an instant, having seen the same thing. "Are you crazy, man?"

The ship hadn't travelled far from Thomas, so John easily got to him. "Hang on, Thomas!" John wrapped his arm around Thomas' torso to keep him above water. "I've got you!"

Sora spotted the save. "Alright, John!" he cheered. Then he saw that the rope had been tugged abruptly. Thomas' added weight cut off the slack John had. The pulley broke and the rope flew across the deck, threatening to go overboard. "Ah!" Sora swiped at it with both hands and leaned over the deck to grab it. His balance threatened to tip until Ben and Lon, who both stood near the railing, took hold of Sora's arms and yanked him back. Once they were all situated, they began to work together pulling the rope. With the combined strength of two men and a spiky-haired teenager, Thomas and John were pulled underwater briefly, then lifted up from the water.

"Pull!" Ben's muscles bulged a bit as he helped tug the pair from danger. "Put your back into it!"

"It's okay. We've got them!" Sora promised. "Hang on, guys!" He and the others tugged further. They discared the rope and pulled the drenched bodies of John and Thomas over the railing to plop on deck.

John casually squeezed Thomas' hat of water before he plopped on the owner's head. "That was refreshing," he quipped with a smile.

"Well done, Smith!" Lon congratulated.

"Oh, it was nothing," John waved off. "You all would have done the same for me."

"Of course!" Sora replied without hesitation. The other sailors were surprised by this outburst, but quickly, very adamantly, echoed Sora's agreement.

"Trouble on deck?"

That voice brought even the shivering Thomas to his feet. "Governor Ratcliffe!"

"Thomas fell overboard, sir," John explained.

"Thank the Lord he's been recovered," Ratcliffe said, showing a bit of a sign that he was impressed. "Well done, Smith."

"Thank you, sir." John's professional, loyal tone didn't waver.

"The rest of you," Ratcliffe spoke up, turning to address the rest of the crew. "I urge you not to lose heart." Sora silently chuckled at the phrase, which had a very literally meaning for his experiences. "We will not reach the New World soon enough if you lose sight of the goal. You are the finest crew England has to offer." He spared a corner-eyed glance at Sora and added a statement. "And the best of those who would offer themselves. You can get us there if you only remember what awaits; freedom, prosperity, and the adventure of our lives! Rain, wind, and a thousand savages thirsty for violence will not stop us! Now, carry on!"

A cheer sounded through the crew and they hastily went back to their duties, invigorated against the storm. The man in orange trailed closely behind Ratcliffe, holding an umbrella for the governor. "Most inspiring speech, sir!" he complimented. "The men seem very exhil-AAH!" He lost his footing for a moment as the wind tugged against the umbrella, pulling him back with it. Hastily regaining footing, he ran into the doors to the inside of the ship to get shelter. "Exhilarated is what I meant, sir. Very energized."

"They'll need to be." Ratcliffe held up the pug before his face and smirked. "I'll need those peasants to dig up the gold for me, won't I?" The pug smiled back and growled in a pleased tone.

John tossed a bundle of rope at Thomas, who caught it and wound it around the cannon. "The New World will be great, John. I'm going to find a bundle of gold, build myself a big house, and blast any Indian who gets in my way!"

"Spend most of your worry on that good fortune, Thomas," John advised, taking hold of the rope and pulling the cannon along. "Leave the savages to me."

"What do you suppose it'll be like?" Thomas asked, turning to Sora.

Sora started to tie up another cannon and shrugged. "I've seen a lot of places, Thomas," he said. He looked out at the ocean and smiled. "But if experience has taught me anything, I think this world will be just as incredible as the others."

Steven stroked the water with enough force to keep the canoe he sat in moving. Pocahontas paddled up front. There had been much river behind them, but Pocahontas had assured him that their destination was close.

"Are you sure this will work?" he asked her up front, lifting his paddle to stroke the water on the other side.

"Of course it will," Pocahontas assured cheerfully. "You may be a little..." She turned back to glance over Steven briefly before continuing to paddle. "Different. Still, my father will believe your intentions are good. Besides, your complexion isn't different from mine by much."

Steven glanced over his skin, noticing it was noticably a a shade darker than it had been in recent times. He silently thanked the fact that he'd spent time in the Caribbean, as it had given him a light tan. "Any advice on how I should approach him?"

"Be yourself," Pocahontas replied. "If you are hiding behind a mask, my father will know. Just show him who you are and be proud of it."

"And if he doesn't like who I am?" Steven inquired.

Pocahontas took a moment of silence before answering. "We'll cross that river if we come to it."

Steven sighed. "Great..."

Before he could think it over any further, the canoe thudded against the shore, causing him to shake a bit where he sat. Without further ado, he exited the boat and hopped out into the water. He had gotten wet from his previous splash in the water, so he cared little whether it happened again. Pocahontas gracefully stepped onto land, then tugged at his hand.

"Come!" she urged excitedly. "It is early, so few will be out. It is best not to present you before a crowd until you have spoken with my father."

"Then don't make a spectacle!" Steven protested softly, though he ran a bit to keep up with Pocahontas' forceful leading of him.

Faithfully, she slowed down. Steven admired the surroundings that were no longer passing by him at breakneck speed and marveled. Rather than the cone-shaped tipis he expected of Indians, he gazed upon small huts made of sticks bunched together and branches weaved together for the roof of every shelter. He glanced around at the few members of the tribe that were up and about, a few that were staring at him in confusion and suspicion. He watched one man with a stoic face marching along as if he was simply there to look strong. He realized that it took one, if not more of these men, to build even one house. Seeing how many there were in total was an incredible shock to Steven.

Among all of the huts, there was one larger one near the center of camp. It equaled the size of four different huts. When Pocahontas lifted a fabric flap to allow them both entry, he could see a chamber-like exterior that the size gave it. Despite his instincts telling him to think first, Steven stepped into the tent after Pocahontas. She walked up to a tall, burly man, a large cloak made of animal skin on his back, who turned to face her. No doubt this was the chief. Pocahontas was the first person he saw, which put a smile on his face. He opened up his arms as she ran up and gave him a gentle hug.

"It is a good day, daughter," he greeted, stroking her hair with his right hand. "What has life brought you today?"

"Wingapo, father," Pocahontas returned. "Life has brought me a new friend. A boy," she added, pointing to him.

The chief looked up. His eyebrow instantly furrowed at the sight of Steven. Not to be blamed for, of course, as the contrast between Steven's appearance and the chief's was painfully obvious. He lifted his arms from Pocahontas' head and took slow, intimidating steps towards Steven. Getting a hint quickly, Steven backed up gently, then got down on one knee and bowed his head.

"Hello," he said, carefully taking Pocahontas' advice. "My name is Steven. I...come in peace." He lifted his head to see the chief standing above him, looking down in his eyes. Steven gulped visibly, then continued. "I am a...warrior in search of dark creatures that may exist here. With your permission, I'd eradicate them for you." He felt silly speaking this way to the chief, but it was necessary. "My only request is a humble one; I would like to stay within your people while I search for them so that I may be in comfort."

"Rise," the chief bid him in a soft, yet commanding voice. Steven obediently stood. "I am Powhatan, leader of these people. I must ask of you: what threat is posed from these dark creatures of which you speak?"

"They are known as the Heartless," Steven answered slowly. "They are creatures who thrive off of devouring hearts of others. I have special skills involved with defeating them, should they show up."

"Should such danger arise," Chief Powhatan began to explain. "Our warriors are strong and perfectly able."

Steven had to tread carefully so as to not label these warriors as weak. "Any warrior with great strength can defeat them, I won't lie," he admitted. "However, I possess another power that can fight them. A power of light to fight creatures of darkness." He held out his hand and allowed his Keyblade to manifest in his grip.

Powhatan's eyes widened and his mouth opened. "What Kekata said is true..." He stepped back and looked concerned upon Steven. "You come from a place not of our people, Stee-Ven," he said, tugging an involuntary gasp from Steven. "Our Oracle has spoken that your arrival would be an omen of what will come after; it is a blackness, a mysterious evil too great for our warriors alone."

As Powhatan spoke, Steven felt a gentle chill in his arm. He looked at his hand and saw a flicker of a dark aura. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he flinched. Looking beyond, he saw a larger form of darkness appearing behind Pocahontas. His eyes widened and he charged. "Look out!"

Pocahontas turned to face the darkness and gasped. Three Shadow Heartless had formed from a dark portal on the floor. As they reached solid ground, they reared themselves and sprang into the air. Steven put on a burst of speed and jumped at them. He sliced them all in the air, killing two of them and knocking one back to the ground. When he landed, he turned around and quickly swung down, eliminating that one as well. The dark portal on the floor vanished and he was left alone with Pocahontas and Powhatan, who had come to his daughter's aid and held her while Steven had been taking care of the Heartless.

Steven took a few deep breaths, getting some of his energy back and calming the adrenaline rush he had been afflicted with. He stood upright and dismissed the Keyblade. He looked uncertainly at Powhatan, who turned and looked directly at Pocahontas. She smiled up at him, bringing a smile to her father's face as well. They both looked upon Steven with the same smile.

Merely an hour later, Steven stood before the entire tribe. Tribal garments now adorned his midsection, covering his more sensitive areas from the environment. His torso, arms, and legs were now completely bare. His long hair hung freely as usual. Despite the breeze, he stood perfectly still. Pocahontas held a wooden bowl in her left hand. With her right, she dipped a finger into the bowl to paint red marks on his chest in the shape of the sun. Then she set it down and took a bowl of white markings. Dipping her pinky into that one, she painted an arch on his forehead. Then on his cheeks, she drew two arrows that pointed diagonally outward from his face.

Powhatan stepped in front of Steven. "My brothers!" He gestured to Steven. "It is my greatest honor to welcome another among us. By his display of great power and great honor, he summoned the power of light and defeated the dark creatures, as well as saved the life of my only daughter. Henceforth, with us, he will be known under the name: Shakti!" Several of the other tribesmen clapped, while some made loud celebration calls that echoed into the woods for all the animals to hear as well.

Steven leaned sideways to Pocahontas. "What does that mean?" he asked in a whisper.

"Shakti," Pocahontas replied. "It means strength."

Strength. By saving the chief and his daughter, Steven had instantly changed from a foreigner to a symbol of strength. The cheers he was receiving added to that was a wonderful ego-boost. Steven walked down a procession, putting himself further in plain sight. Others around him grew quiet in anticipation. Glancing back and forth, Steven lifted his right arm. By his will, the Keyblade formed in his hand. Another unified cheer rang through the air in honor of him.

It was no question that a great adventure was beginning for Steven. From the looks of the company he now kept, it was going to be an awakening one.

Author's Note: Hey, guys. I know it's been about six months since my last update, but school and life in general has been very intense for me, especially this past month. For those who haven't given up on this story, thanks for your support. I'll do my best to keep the chapters coming, at most, every couple of months. However, please keep in mind that school is a very important thing that I have to focus on.

I also have a message for a fan.

MysteryGirl,

I have not ignored your reviews requesting that I use your OC in my story. The biggest reason that I've been unable to directly contact you with a response is because you're an anonymous reviewer. You type out 'MysteryGirl' every time you review, but I can't send you PM's unless you have an account that I can contact.

As for my response to your request: I appreciate your enthusiasm for the story and your desire to contribute to it. However, I have essentially plotted the entire story and have a fixed continuity for how it will progress. Thank you for offering up the OC, even though I will most likely be unable to incorporate her. She is certainly not a bad character and I recommend you use her for your own purposes, if you can.

-Steven (J0hnny0hm

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