The Magic Mirror

The castle seemed to grow darker as the two key bearers continued their trek through the fortress of Maleficent. As they neared the area where Maleficent was thought to be, the increase of guards and sentries became all too apparent. Not even the cover of the shadows was enough. While the faction guards were stationed about on every corner, the little goblin troopers were marching about, up and down the corridors. To add, winged Heartless hovered in the air, scanning the halls from above.

"It's getting to difficult to move about in here." Riku said.

"What are we gonna do?" Sora asked. "There are faction soldiers, goblins, and Heartless everywhere. Can't we just do like what we usually do, just cut loose and try to take out as many as possible?"

"We could do that, but unfortunately, we don't know what kind of traps or special foes they have in here. Who knows, they may have some booby trap set someplace that we don't know about and they'll just wait until we fall into it."-

"I get it."-

"We have to know our enemies abilities before we're in a position to do anything. And right now, we're at a standstill. We can't advance any further than we already have, unless…" Riku then spotted a hooded cloak, a black scarf and an armored jacket. "I have an idea."

Grabbing the jacket and cloak, he and Sora ran behind a corner and put on their confiscated gear. Since Riku was already dressed in his leather black trench, he simply zipped up the front of his coat and placed the black armor piece over his chest. He then wrapped the scarf around his head to conceal his identity. Sora, however, because he was not dressed in a full black uniform, had to wear the cloak. The cloak itself was heavy and rather stifling, but it was enough to conceal him completely.

"Are you ready, Sora?" Riku asked.

"As good as I'll ever be." Sora replied.

"Then, let's go."-

The key bearers then walked through the halls as if they were members of the faction. They didn't bother to slink about, fearing that doing so would only attract suspicion. So practically marching through the hallways seemed the best solution. Besides, knowing that many of the soldiers wouldn't stand a chance against them, they easily moved about the castle corridors as if they had been members of the faction the whole time. But little did they know, that their movements had been observed since the moment they set foot in the realm of the Forbidden Mountains. Above their heads, the dark figure of the lone crow of Maleficent was watching. The crow quickly swooped down and flew passed their heads. The key bearers saw the crow fly by and disappear into the darkness of the corridor.

"That was a bird." Sora uttered.

'Damn it," Riku said, "Its Maleficent's crow. That bird has been spying on us the whole time. He knows who we are and he's seen everything."

"What do we do?"-

"We have to catch him."-

But as they began their pursuit, a Heartless shield suddenly flashed before them. They could not advance any further.

"We've been cut off." Riku uttered.

"They know we're here already." Sora said.

"And I have a feeling I know who's going to battle us." From the ground, two shadowy figures appeared, they were the Super Antis.

"Not these guys again."-

"Unfortunately yes…" Riku and Sora heard the rushing of hundreds of feet coming down the corridor. This indicated the worst for the key bearers. From the opposite direction, the two key bearers were caught by a mass of soldiers, goblins, and heartless, who prevented any form of withdrawal from the corridor. "It was a trap all along and we fell right into it."

"What are we gonna do?"-

"The one thing that we always do, we're going to fight them here." Riku unleashed his keyblade. Sora did the same and the two made ready, standing back to back."

Meanwhile, the crow had returned to the side of Maleficent who sat upon her grand thrown of darkness. The crow landed right next to her, perching on the arm rest. Maleficent stroked its back.

"So, the boys that wield the keyblades have come have they?" she chuckled. "And they have fallen into our devious little trap." She continued to pet her black bird, ruffling its feathers. "To think that those poor boys came all this way only to fail in the end. Such a pity I think."

"One must never underestimate the power of the key bearers." A figure uttered from the other side of the throne room. "You of all people should be aware of that my now." The figure stood at the base of the throne room, standing at the chambers very center. He was a man with Black flowing hair, a pale complexion, and one good eye, the color of red. He wore an eye patch over his right eye, concealing the eye that had been badly damaged in a battle long ago and had been rendered useless, or as it was perceived to be. He wore a black overcoat over a bright red frock with white trim. On his side was a large saber with a double hand gripped hilt.

It was none other than the top brass of the Blade Generals, General Saber.

He turned to gaze at Maleficent.

"I did not believe it at first, but it is true." The general continued. "The key bearers have somehow reached this realm. Perhaps it was by fate that I should be in this realm at the same time of their appearance."

"Heed them not," Maleficent chuckled. "I have been hoping to exact my revenge on these key bearers for quite some time, especially with that bothersome youngster of the two, Sora. He's the one who coaxed my dear Riku into turning against me. I had Riku in my hands; I had him under my spell, but that friend of his managed to break that grasp. To further add, it was he who caused my downfall in the first place. But I will show them, I will show them both that no one shall ever make a fool out of me and live to tell about it."

"Your arrogance is sickening, Maleficent. You certainly aren't the type to learn from your mistakes are you?"-

"There is no need to learn from my mistakes, General Saber." Maleficent then gazed a large object that hung opposite her throne. It was covered by black curtains, torn and ragged in appearance. She stood up from her thrown and walked down one of the staircases that cascaded down to the base of the chamber against the wall. She then turned to the curtains and drew them open. Behind the tattered curtains was a magnificent mirror. "This present that you have given me had been the cause to the success that I have had for the past few weeks. It was because of this magic mirror that I was able to overthrow King Stephen and King Hubert and had them thrown into the dungeon. I had also managed to capture Hubert's son, Prince Phillip. Now all three monarchs, along with their closest subjects are now rotting away at the bottom of my dungeon. With the capturing of their kingdoms, I have begun the formation of an empire."

"But yet you let one escape."-

"Ah, Princess Aurora…" Maleficent continued to pet her crow. "She is insignificant to me. What threat can she cause?"

"As long as she is free, the people maintain a sense of hope, knowing that peace and justice will once again return to their grief stricken land."-

"And what can hope alone do against me?"-

"It only takes one person to start a revolution, no matter how minor or trivial they seem in appearance. Speaking of which, you forget that we still have another foe to be rid of. The leader of the Arakis Foundation is still at large in this realm."-

"He is insignificant here. What harm can he inflict upon us?"-

"He has the ability to summon the whole of the Arakis Foundation upon this world. Not even your minions could stop that kind of force."-

"As long as I have this mirror, there will be no need to act so hastily."-

"Then, apparently, you do not yet fully understand the limitations of that mirror."-

"Is that so?"-

"You will soon find that out."-

"Then I will show you different." Maleficent summoned the spirit of the mirror. "Slave in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee, speak, and let me see thy face!"

Immediately, there was a strange mist that appeared from the mirror and a sudden flash of light. Then, appearing in the mirror, a face, like that of a mask, green in complexion, with eyes hollow and dark, made its presence known.

"What is thy bidding, my lady?" the spirit asked.

"Where is the leader whom we search for?" Maleficent requested.

"You will find your answer not far away, for behind jagged rocks this young soul lay. Look to the west down the rocky lane and you will fine a fellow filled with suffering and pain."-

"Is that so? Send out the scouts then." From the air appeared a squadron of flying heartless. "Find the leader and bring him to me." The Heartless obeyed and went on their way to find their target. Maleficent then turned to the mirror again. "Now, show us the fight against the key bearers."

"As you wish." The spirit replied. The mirror changed its image to show the two young key bearers surrounded by the Heartless and the faction and goblin soldiers.

"Let us observe this inevitable demise of the keyblade masters."-

"This will be anything, but a demise." Saber thought to himself. "The key bearers are far more skilled than they are thought to be."

The heartless and their comrades drew nearer toward Riku and Sora, who now had their backs pressed against one another.

"This isn't looking good." Sora uttered.

"Then the only way to fight our way through is with a few unexpected allies." Riku replied. "I'm gonna see if I can use the manipulation stone."

"Alright, I forgot all about that."-

"Here we go!" Riku aimed his keyblade and made ready to unleash the power of the stone.

There was only silence. Nothing had happened.

"What happened, Riku," Sora asked, "Are the Heartless on our side now?"

"I don't think so." Riku replied. The stone did not glow as it did before, when Dagger used it. There was no bizarre light coming from the keyblade. Only silence resulted in the end. "Nothing happened?"

"Maybe you're doing something wrong."-

"Probably, I still don't know how to use this thing. It's not as if the thing came with any instructions. I felt the energy heightening and was ready to be deployed, but unleashing must require some procedure." Now it seemed even grimmer for the key bearers as it seemed that there was no way out for them this time.

"Well, now what do we do?" Sora asked.

"The only thing we can do for now, fight them." Riku replied.

Suddenly, the forces of the Heartless and the faction soldiers rushed head long into them. The two Super Antis joined the fray as well.

"Sora, hyper mode fusion…!" Riku shouted.

"Right…!" They fused together and began to fight off the faction soldier and Heartless with all their might as a single warrior. Wielding the two keys, the hyper mode warrior, cut down the heartless as if they were nothing.

"What is this?" Maleficent uttered. "The two key bearers became one warrior."

"Now do you realize how wrong your predictions can be?" Saber said.

"This battle has only begun, general. I'll send in more men and more heartless."-

"So you're willing to sacrifice hundreds just to halt the advance of only two?"-

The battle continued as Riku and Sora, in their hyper mode form, maintained a tight defensive strategy. Unfortunately, however, like all things, their fusion eventually came to an end. They separated not soon after and yet they still found themselves surrounded by the enemy. And because it was in a rather confined area, their movements were limited. To add, because of their premature separation with the rest of the KH team, the key bearers were not properly equipped with potions, ether, or senzus. Thus, they found their attacks becoming more limited and less effective. Initiating there more powerful attacks would only drain them more of their mp. To regain their full magic power status, they had to strike their opponents, but doing so only fatigued them more. Sora would provide a few shots of Curaga to replenish both he and Riku's strength, which was deprived from ether the Heartless strikes, or from their overuse of energy. But with the Curaga spell alone to aid them, though they were able to continue fighting, they were not proceeding very far and they were not defeating as many enemies. And it seemed as if the enemy was continuing to accumulate around them.

The fight had lasted for only ten minutes, but those ten minutes seemed like an eternity. And in that period of time, a great deal of ether and potion had been used to heal the heartless wounds that were inflicted on them. As for physical wounds that drew blood, those injury types bearers were a little harder to manage, which is why Riku and Sora were always on their feet, hoping not to get cut or shot at. The enemy by now was drawing nearer and was swelling in number.

"We're not gonna last here much longer, Riku." Sora said. "Our own resources and energy are starting to die down."

"You're right." Riku replied. "This plan was initiated too hastily. We have no other choice right now, but to withdraw."

"But how will we do that? They have us surrounded."-

"The only thing we can do right now is unleash one last devastating attack. Sora, use the rage and Saiyan Devotion to buy us the time we need."-

"I can't, I don't have enough energy or MP in order to activate those modes. Besides, I can only activate Saiyan Devotion through the rage. And Cuchulain told me never to rely on the rage too much."-

"Then, why couldn't you have used it before?"-

"Because we're also in a confined area, Riku. If I were to have used that extensive amount of energy, not only would we have caused this castle to fall on top of our heads, but many of these faction soldiers would have been killed. And I don't want to have to take responsibility for killing these men is such a ruthless fashion."-

"This is no time to be sentimental about the lives of the enemy, Sora. They're trying to kill us! You either kill or be killed!"-

"If I were to kill them in such a ruthless manner, I would only be succumbing to the darkness! The rage, anger, hatred, they all lead to darkness. And I don't know about you, but I am not willing to become as ruthless as the Midnight Faction itself and stoop myself to their level in order to win."-

"If we don't survive, than no one will be left to close the doors."-

"I'd rather die with a clear conscience than live with such horrific guilt. Even if this is a war, there's no reason transform it from war to genocide."-

"Damn it," Riku gripped his keyblade tightly. "You're the same sentimental fool as you always were, Sora. But I guess there's no harm in that." The enemy started to close in, the two Antis in the very front, ready to annihilate them. "Do we have any ether left at least?"-

Sora pulled out a bottle of ether.

"This is the last one." Sora said. "And it's not enough to fully charge me up. I've regressed to less than a quarter of my mp."

"Then let me use it. I still have at least two thirds of my mp status left." Sora handed the vial to Riku and he dowsed himself with the ether. Riku's magic power had been fully restored. "Alright, you guys, now take on the heat if you can handle it!" Riku then began to accumulate his inner energy, concentrating his magic. Then suddenly, he unleashed a combination of two off his most deadly attacks, the Cinder Canister and the Hurricane Slash. "Take this on, you bastards, my elemental combo technique, Flaming Typhoon!" The two attacks converged to become a flaming wind strike. The Heartless and the faction soldiers were blown away, blinded, and burned at the same time. The intensity of the heat caused many to withdraw, while others were severely charred from head to toe. The majority of the Heartless were consumed by the flames and eradicated. The two antis, however, managed to avoid being caught in the attack and scurried to a safe distance and they watched as the majority of their comrades were extinguished.

"Now let's go, Sora!" Riku shouted. He threw off the armor and dropped it on the ground. The two key bearers started to run towards the exit of the castle. The majority of the soldiers, still trying to recover from the unexpected attack, could not stand up in time in order to halt the retreat.

Maleficent cackled as she watched these two powerful key bearers suddenly run away with their tails between their legs.

"As I had said before," she implied, "The mirror's predictions are never wrong. That last incident, with the attack on the leader of the Arakis Foundation, must've only been a mere fluke. Perhaps the leader managed to escape before we initiated out preemptive strike." Maleficent turned to General Saber. "With this device you have given for my use, not even the wielders of the keyblade could outwit me, though I must confess that I was rather surprised to see that bizarre outcome occur." Maleficent turned away from the general and walked to the door.

"And where do you think you are going?" General Saber inquired.

"Where else, I will personally see those two upstarts are extinguished from this world once and for all." Maleficent thus exited the room without a second thought. Victory was in her grasp as it appeared, now that power key bearers were running from the fight. "Those two young men will not go far from here. They'll eventually reach the exit out of my halls, but when they do, they'll be meeting a quite unfortunate turn of events, thanks to your efforts, General Saber."

"You will never learn, Maleficent." Saber thought to himself. "The key bearers are more full-hardy than what you give them credit for. Soon you will realize how many flaws you actually have in your plan."

In the meantime, Riku and Sora had made it out of the trap. The blockade of soldiers had been broken for the moment, but it wouldn't be long before they would initiate a retaliatory strike, regaining their positions and mounting a counter offensive. The two key bearers scurried down the hallways, looking for the exit.

"Where the heck is the exit?" Sora asked.

"We look for the main hall," Riku replied, "Then we'll find the exit."

"I can't believe that we were forced to retreat. I bet Maleficent is laughing at us behind our backs."-

"There would have been no point in continuing. Our magic has been spent; we are outnumbered a hundred to one by Heartless, goblins, and faction soldiers. We have two super antis who are equal in strength. To add, those guys know how to coordinate themselves as large fighting units. And our mistake was the premature involvement we were getting into, so we were limited in our own resources, potions, ether, and senzus. Sure we're powerful, but we're only human and we do have our limits."

"But why didn't we come more prepared?"-

"Well, if you hadn't decided to go skydiving for a puzzle piece, maybe this wouldn't have happened!"-

"Well excuse me for being human! I make mistakes too you know!"-

"You jumped out of the gummi ship cockpit without thinking of the consequences did you, Sora."-

"I did it because it was my duty, Riku. It was my duty for Mickey. He needs our help just as much as anyone!"-

"OK, OK, we can argue about this later! Right now, we have to get out of here and regroup ourselves!" The two key bearers rushed down the many corridors before finally they finally reached a well lit corridor with torches illuminating it on every side.

"Which hallway is this?" Sora asked.

"Good question." Riku replied. "I bet this must be the main hallway." They scanned both ends of the hall. One side was dark, which indicated that it only led to the interior of the castle. But as Sora scanned, he noticed two large doors at the other end of the hall. They were made out of charred oak, giving them a blackened and eerie appearance.

"There it is!" Sora shouted. "The exit, it has to be!"

"Now we can get out of here!" Riku shouted.

"Yeah, we made it; we're getting out of here!"

But as they ran, there was a sudden glimmer that caught Riku's eye. He looked down to see what looked like a thin piece of wire running alongside of the corridor. He followed the wire's trail to the twin doors that lay before them.

"I wonder why there's a thin wire running towards the doors." Riku thought to himself. "Could it be possible that…!" He suddenly feared the worst. The doors, being the only way out of that corridor, may have been booby trapped. He then saw as Sora rushed forward, making ready to push the door open.

"Sora, don't open that door!" Riku shouted. But it was too late. Sora had laid his hand on the door and pushed away. The moment he did, there was a sudden snap from the opposite side of the door. Then, without warning, there was a loud explosion and the doors seemed to shatter in front of them. Both key bearers were caught completely by surprise, as the bright light and thunderous sonic boom blinded them and blew them away.

The explosion was heard throughout the castle, causing the halls to shake violently. Maleficent had just reached the area where the battle before had taken place. She looked on as many of the soldiers, charred and burned by Riku's combination attack, many others still in shock and trying to regain their composure, staggered to their feet.

"It seems as though the key bearers have reached the end of their journey." Maleficent chuckled, when she heard the explosion and felt the violent rumbling. "They have fallen right into another trap. That explosion must've killed them both."

"Are you so sure about that?" Saber uttered, trailing behind, observing the damage. "I told you that the key bearers are more resilient in stature than you think."

"What utter nonsense. Not even the key bearers, for all their might and cunning, could ever have predicted that trap. Both of them must be dead for sure, taking an explosion and point blank."-

"Instead of making idle speculations about whether they died or not, why don't you go to the gate and investigate for yourself that the two have been successfully eliminated?"-

"Very well then, it seems the only way that you'll be convinced is when I present you before their lifeless bodies."-

"Then be on with it."-

Maleficent, Saber, and the rest of their men proceeded to the doors.

In the meantime, as the debris and dust settled from the explosion, Riku raised his head. He coughed and choked as the wooded dust lingered around him. One eye slightly opened, he looked to see the damage. Both doors had been practically knocked off their hinges. The one door that had the explosive device attached to it not had a gaping hole. The outside was gloomy and stormy looking. The clouds outside were black and ominous.

Riku observed his body. He received no wounds, not injuries. Say for a few fragments of splinters embedded in his coat and a few frayed stitch lines, he was otherwise unharmed.

"Thank goodness," he said to himself, "No damage. How about you, Sora, are you OK?" But as Riku looked on to see if his comrade alright, he noticed Sora lying still on the floor, not moving from his response. "Sora…?"

"R…Riku…" Sora suddenly uttered, weakly.

"Sora…!" Riku crawled over to his friend and turned him over on his back. The moment he did, Riku was overwhelmed by a terrible shock. Sora, being the one to open the door, had taken the full blast of the explosion. The right side of his shirt had been completely torn off and embedded in his skin were deep cuts from the shard wood and several splinters embedded in his flash. The right side of his face was bloodied and cut. The blood from his wounds spilled profusely, dripping onto the stone like rivers. "Sora…!" Sora cried out in pain.

"It burns, Riku!" he cried. "It burns…it burns…" Blood dripped from his mouth as he continued to speak, indicating that internal damage was done by the explosion. Sora's teeth were stained with blood and he could only taste its salty texture.

"It's alright, Sora." Riku said. "You'll be alright." He placed his hand around Sora's neck, his glove and coat staining with blood. He lifted Sora to sit upright. Placing his dying friend's arm around his neck, he picked up Sora and scurried out. Rush as fast as he could, with his comrade in his arms, Riku scrambled to the main gates of the castle.

It wasn't long before Maleficent and the others had reached the main hall just in time to see the key bearers making their escape.

"What," she uttered, shocked, "They're alive, they're still alive!"

"What did I tell you?" Saber said. "They are more resilient than you think."

"No, it cannot be, after them!"-

"There is no need." Saber said. "I have the solution right here." He pulled out from his coats inner pocket a detonation switch. "It was not only the doorway to the castle that was booby trapped." He pressed the button.

Riku on the other hand, holding his friend tightly against his bosom, was crossing the wooden draw drawbridge that led from the castle to the outer territory.

"We're almost there, Sora." Riku uttered. "Just hang on a little longer."

But suddenly, there was a sudden explosion and Riku was knocked nearly unconscious by the shockwave. The bridge was detonated beneath his feet and both key bearers fell down into the deep ravine.

"No," Riku uttered, "So close to safety…"

Both fell towards the bottom, which had the strong flowing river. Both fell into the water, nearly hitting the jagged rocks and rapids below. Riku shook his head and regained full consciousness. He looked down to see Sora still unconscious and wandering further away from him down the river.

"Sora!" he cried, pursuing the downed key bearer. Sora was dragged underneath the chilling current, the water turning a crimson red from his blood. Riku dived and quickly saved him, pulling upward towards the surface. He held tightly onto Sora dodging every rock they came across. Eventually, both key bearers found themselves nearing the edge of the large waterfall. Riku clutched on Sora, pressing his head against his chest. "I won't let you go, Sora, I won't let you go, I promise!"

Maleficent and the others reached the demolished bridge to find the two key bearers breeching the edge of the falls. Riku watched as is seemed the edge of the world had come. Looking down, he held onto Sora, who still lay limp in his arms.

"Sora!" Riku cried as they went over the falls. Soon, his cries were drowned out by the sound of the rushing waters.

"Went over the falls, I see." Maleficent chuckled. "They're both as good as dead."

"I would advise you to send soldiers to search for them." Saber said. "That blast alone couldn't have killed them. They're far more resistant than that."

"Even so, surviving the falls would be a miracle indeed. But I doubt that even those two could live through it. They would've struck the jagged rocks below." Maleficent turned away. "And just to prove that they are dead, I shall consult the mirror."

"You have too much faith in the use of magical objects. They too can make false predictions."-

"We shall see." Maleficent resumed her path back to the throne room.

In the meantime, the little boy, Muli, watched from afar as he had seen his two friends plunge to their deaths.

"No…" he uttered. "Riku…Sora…"

But suddenly, there was the sound of flapping wings behind him, followed by an ominous shadow hovering above him. The boy looked to see…

Upon reaching her throne room, with Saber behind her, she stood before the mirror.

"Magic mirror on the wall," she said, "Tell me if the key bearers are dead!"

"The answer received, which you shall boast," The spirit of the mirror said, "For the foes have died at the hands of their hosts."

"You see," Maleficent chuckled. "Both of them are dead, nothing more to it."

"I still can't see how that mirror can be so positive about everything." Saber uttered to himself.

"You must put more faith in the power of magic."-

"Magic is not the only element that works in this realm."-

"As long as I have this mirror to serve me, then no one will be able to defy my rule. Now with the two other kingdoms in my grasp, I have gained complete control over this world."-

"My lady." A faction soldier said, walking into the throne room. "General Saber, look at what the Heartless picked up, snooping around the place?" The soldier had holding by the collar, with hands bound behind him and gagged, little Muli who had been picked up by the Heartless. The soldier pushed the boy before the two leaders. Muli fell on his face. He then gazed up at the two.

"Well, well," Maleficent chuckled, "Look at what we have here. It's a little boy. And not just any little boy, but the little boy."

"We've spent a lot of time and resource looking for you." Saber said. "Take him to the dungeon and hold the boy until I call for his presence. Have our prison cruiser report here immediately, with an escort of mobile dolls."

"Sir," the soldier replied. Picking the boy up, he escorted the child to the dungeon.

"A little lenient weren't you, General?" Maleficent asked.

"That boy is the key to our absolute victory." General Saber said. "I have orders from his Excellency, Lord Sirius Viicous to have him delivered safely and unmolested."

"I would find it more advantageous to kill him. So why not execute him now?"-

"I will not repeat myself if you didn't bother to listen to my first explanation." General Saber walked away.

"But the Arakis Foundation…"-

"The Foundation won't stir up any trouble, not with that boy in our custody." Saber stepped out of the chamber. "You can celebrate your victory and triumph now, Maleficent."

"Yes." Maleficent gazed at the magic mirror. "Now, only victory awaits me."

As saber walked away from the throne room and back to his quarters, a nagging question kept emerging at the back of his mind.

"I wonder how the boy got here in the first place?" he thought to himself. "Did he come here at his own free will, hoping to get his revenge or something? Perhaps it was just sheer curiosity? Or was he urged to come here? Is so, by whom?" Saber sighed. "Oh well, he's in our hands now, so these personal questions are irrelevant."

Back at the lake side, as Donald and Cunla continued their debugging of the virus from their system, Cuchulain, sitting upon a rock, was sharpening and refining the ends of the Gae Bulga's three prongs. It was during this time that something had caught his attention, which caused him to accidentally cut his thumb. Cuchulain, like all people, reacted with a shock. Looking at his blood, he realized the wound was not as bad as he had feared, but what caused him to cut his thumb was the real question at issue.

He stood up and gazed around the area, sensing the air. There had been a sudden shift in the air and it was this shift that made him uncomfortable. By this time, the sun was going down and a fire had been built on the shore line. Goofy and Ophelia sat there, warming themselves. But as Ophelia observed, she saw the concerned look on the Hound's face as if he had encountered a restless spirit. She walked up to him.

"Cuchulain," she uttered, "Are you alright?"

"I just suddenly felt two large spirit sources die out," Cuchulain replied, "Two familiar spirits."

"Are you talking about Riku and Sora?" Cuchulain hesitated to respond. Instead, he slowly nodded his head. Ophelia feared the worst. "No…Riku…Sora…"

"I don't know if they're still alive or not, but we can't confirm anything until tomorrow. Perhaps what I felt was a mistake. Perhaps they're just suppressing their energy to evade the enemy. We'll just have to wait for now."-

"Should I tell the others?"-

"No, we can't give up on our boys yet. Riku and Sora are tough. I don't think they'd just keel over and die when there is still so far to go."-

Both gazed out over the lake to the setting sun and hoped for the best for the two key bearers.

Miles down the river, a storm began to form as dark rain clouds clustered together. The shoreline of the river lay with smooth pebbles and stones. It was there, lying on his belly, Riku lay motionless. The water rushed over his feet as they still sat in the river bed. The river had managed to wash him ashore safely. Feeling the rocks and stones under his finger tips, he slowly opened his eyes. With the strength he had left, he slowly staggered to his feet.

"Where am I?" he uttered. The setting he found him self in was a deep rocky gorge. Stones and rocks protruded from out of the ground, giving this part of the river a stumbling appearance where one could not easily venture. The area was wet and moist, indicating that it had recently rained their. By the looks of the clouds above, it was possible for more rain to fall. Riku stood up, but collapsed again. His vision was still blurry and his strength still weakened from the ordeal he had gone through. "What is this place? The last thing I remember was going over the falls." But as he recalled the events, he came to realize something terrible. He had let go of Sora sometime during the tumble and now they had been separated.

"Oh no, Sora…" Riku uttered to himself. He frantically regained his composure as best he could and slowly staggered through the rocky shoreline, hoping find his friend. He looked back and forth, left and right, browsing the area, hoping to spot his missing comrade, but Sora was nowhere to be found. "I said that I would never let go. How come I can never keep my word as well as he." Riku proceeded with his search. By now, the sun had nearly gone halfway down the horizon and the dark soon fell upon the gorge. Riku for a time could not even see the rocks beneath him. He stumbled and tripped and fell, but continued to look for Sora. Finally, after thirty minutes of searching, full of frustration and exhaustion, Riku pounded his fist against a rock. "Sora, forgive me. I couldn't hold on to you."

Just then, there was a moaning sound coming from not too far away from where Riku had stopped his search. Riku, upon hearing the moan, quickly rushed over. And there, lay nestled in a rocky crevice, still halfway into the water, Sora lay, his blood still flowing from his wounds. Riku quickly went to his friend's side. He picked Sora up and trying to wake him. There was no stir in the young key bearer.

"Sora, Sora," Riku uttered, "It's me, it's Riku. Please wake up, Sora…"

Sora didn't stir. Riku nudged his friend again, but still no stir. By this time, Sora had lost a great deal of blood and it was apparent that he would die at this point. Riku, seeing his friend dying in his arms, suddenly began to drop tears in his eyes. He held Sora closely, caressing him gently like new born infant, tenderly rocking him back and forth. Rain began to fall now and sprinkled upon the two key bearers in a light and gentle, spring shower. The drops pelted Sora's face and the water washed his bloodstains away. Sora suddenly opened his eyes halfway. He then looked at Riku.

"R…Riku…" he uttered.

"You're alive," Riku said, his eyes filled with tears of joy, "Thank goodness Sora, you're alive."

Sora shuttered for a moment and looked up at his friend a second time.

"I…I'm sorry, Riku." he uttered.

"Sorry for what?" Riku asked.

"I'm sorry…for getting you into this…" Sora's eyes closed again. "If it wasn't for me…jumping out of the gummi…we might not have gotten…into this situation…"

"It's not your fault, Sora. That doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that you're still alive."-

"Riku…"-

Riku looked up to find a cave at the base of the gorge.

"C'mon Sora," he said, "Let's take shelter in that cave." He picked Sora up and carried him to the cave. Sora, however, because he was drained of so much blood, could barely keep his eyes open.

"I'm not gonna make it, Riku." Sora uttered. "I'm not gonna make it…"

"You'll make it, Sora. You have to. We still have so far to go. Remember, our friends need us. They need us to finish this task." Sora shuttered again, but kept up his strength.

"I'll try, Riku, I'll try…" His breathing became more labored with every passing minute. The rain continued to pelt them both until finally, Riku managed to get inside of the cave. The cave was rather deep, extending at least a hundred feet or more. Inside, there were piles of driftwood which had flowed into the cave at one time. But now, the river's flow had turned in some other direction, thus stranding the cave on the shoreline. Its dry floor was evidence of the shift. Riku carried Sora to a high corner of the cave and set him down gently on the rocky surface. Leaving Sora on the ground, he then went to pick up some of the drift wood inside the cave and at its opening. Placing them down in a pile, Riku used the last of his magic to unleash Firaga and created a small fire. Once the fire was going, Riku reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, which was waterproof with the help of an airtight zipper, and pulled out a plastic back. In it were few sheets of cotton, a water bag, a dry sponge, and a couple of rolls of bandages.

"I knew that something like this might happen." Riku said. "It's a good thing I came prepared this time." He sat next to Sora and stripped off the remnants of his bloodied shirt. He took the rage collar and the kingdom necklace out from around Sora's neck. He took off his gloves and his shoulder armor. He then began to clean Sora's wounds, using the sponge to clean up the dried blood. He then used on sheet of cotton to dry the moisture. He then took another sheet of cotton, cut it into strips and placed each one onto an open wound. Riku then took the bandage rolls and began to wrap it around Sora, fastening and sealing the wounds. Sora was limp in Riku's arms, still not strong enough to be fully aware of where he was.

After his wounds were mended, Riku lay Sora down next to the fire. He then went out into the driving rain to get some water from the river with the water bag. Riku filled up the bag and returned to Sora's side. He then held Sora in his arms gently.

"Here you go, Sora." He said. "I have some water for you." He put the bag's opening to his friend's mouth and gently poured the water in. Sora sipped the water little by little, a few stray droplets running down his chin and the sides of his mouth. Riku smiled as he saw that life was slowly returning to his friend. He made ready to put Sora down. "I'm gonna stand watch for a while." But as he pulled the water bag away, Sora suddenly grasped at his hand.

"Riku…" Sora uttered. "Please stay…"

"I won't be too far away."-

"Please stay, Riku." Sora shuttered, his eyes still closed. "I'm so cold."

"But Sora…"-

"Just a little longer…" Sora uttered, tears began to form in his eyes. "Just a little longer…" Riku could feel Sora's body turn cold, despite the fire that bellowed near them. It wasn't the chill in the air, but rather Sora's yearning for company. He had encountered near death as he had years before. And in his time of need, he just wanted to a friend to be there, in case he did not survive the night. "I don't want to be alone, Riku…"

"Sora…" Riku said. He only smiled and did as his friend requested. Remembering the time when Sora nearly lost his life back in Halloween Town six years before, or when he himself was dying beneath the city of Gombria and Sora was the only one present to keep him company in his final hours, Riku stayed where he was. He sat down cross legged and gently placed Sora's head in his lap. He took off his jacket and placed it over Sora, dry inside only. He tucked the dry inside of the jacket around Sora's shoulders. "Are you warm Sora?"

"Hold me…" Sora replied, shivering from the cold, his hands still like ice.

"Sora…"-

"Hold me…"-

Riku nuzzled up closely to Sora, now cradling him. He smiled, knowing that at least his friend would be happy. Sora's head lay nestled in Riku's arms.

"All I can do now is pray and hope that Sora lives through the night. But he has a strong will. I know he'll make it."-

The young key bearer grew weary himself and fell asleep up right, still holding his dying companion. The fire slowly simmered down as the night drove on. On occasion, Riku would reawaken and throw another piece of drift wood into the fire. He would then fall asleep again next to Sora.

At the same time however, young Muli was not in such a warm and caring position. He had been placed in a dark dungeon chamber. There was no bed, no hay to sleep on, no blanket to keep him warm, no food or water. He was shackled to the wall by the neck and was left to sit in an upright position in the corner. He had been stripped of his uniform and was left with only his shirt and trousers, which now bore holes, caused by the severe abuse he encountered. He had received a bruise that streaked down the left side of his face after a faction soldier and slapped him in the face with the sheath of his sword.

"Riku…Sora…" He uttered. "Why…why did you have to die?" He curled up in a ball, his knees touching his chin. He tightly held himself, trying to keep warm from the ever present draft that flowed and lingered in his cell. "I'm going to die here. I know it."

"Don't give up hope, young lad." A voice uttered from the cell next to his. The boy looked up to see another young man, perhaps in his late twenties, or early thirties, glancing at him from the shadows. He was tall and lean, with a muscular tone. His complexion was a light appearance and his hair was short and brown, combed with the cowlick on the left side of his head. He wore a brown vest and black trousers, like that of a Medieval or Renaissance style type of garment. The young man walked up to the bars as best he could, but he too was shackled. "You must never give up hope. You are still young and your life cannot be lost so quickly."

"W…who are you?" Little Muli asked the man.

"My name is Phillip." The young man replied. "Prince Phillip. I was supposed to be the next heir to the throne after my father, King Hubert, had passed away. But now, he and I, and many others have been imprisoned here."

"Phillip, my boy," another voice cried out from the chamber next to the prince's, "Who are you talking to?"

"I'm talking to this young boy in the cell across from me, father."-

"A young boy you say?"-

"A young boy?" another voice uttered. From the second cell, two elderly men appeared. One was of course King Hubert. A stout and short man, he did not really have the distinguishing characteristics of a king. It was the remnants of his old robes, not tattered and torn, that proved his position. He was pale in complexion with fat rosy cheeks. He had a small beard that grew under his chin and a moustache that linked themselves with his side burns. All hair from the top of his head to the beard on his chin, were a snowy white. He was slightly bald at the top having a mediocre glow reflected from the torchlight.

The other elderly man was a tall, lean, distinguishable gentleman of the same pale complexion. He had black hair on the top of his head, to the thick handlebar moustache over his lips, to the fluffy black beard he had on his chin. This was King Stephen whose daughter, Princess Aurora, was married to Hubert's own son, Prince Phillip. He was dressed in a royal robe of black with gold trim, now tattered as well.

Both kings spotted little Muli who was shackled to the wall.

"Oh how barbaric." Stephen said. "How could these people be so cruel as to treat such a young boy like that, shackling him around the neck like this, let alone throwing him in a dank cell in the deepest dungeon?"

"Aye," Hubert replied, "It's that Maleficent, you know, she does this deliberately."

"I believe it is more due to that pompous general of the Midnight Faction, General Saber, that's responsible."-

"At any rate, Stephen, he's in the same situation we're in."-

"His presence here only indicates that he's of either great importance, or a significant threat to both the Midnight Faction and Maleficent." Phillip said.

"How is it that you managed to come to be in this dank dungeon?" Muli asked.

"We too were great threats to Maleficent and her allies." Phillip explained. "My father and my father-in-law were and still are the two most powerful monarchs in the land. My beloved Aurora and I were wedded to unite our two kingdoms to become one great kingdom. But not too long ago, Maleficent descended from her castle along with her new allies, the Midnight Faction, and took over both of our kingdoms. No one was safe and many submitted without putting up a fight. We were eventually brought into submission."

"And so here were are." Hubert added.

"And till death do us part." Stephen said.

"Heaven forbid."-

"So all hope is lost for this world then." Muli uttered, silently.

"Not all hope is lost." Phillip said. "There is but one voice that the people listen too and are willing to take up arms for."

"Who's that?"-

"My own dear love, Aurora, she has the ability to motivate the people and give them hope. That is why she is still considered a threat to Maleficent and the Midnight Faction, though they try to say that she is insignificant."-

"She and her mother were the only ones to make it to safety." King Stephen said.

"Really," Muli asked, "Do you know where she is?"

"No we don't." Phillip uttered. "Sorry, but they were wisped to safety before the invasion of the faction and Maleficent began. They were accompanied by our closest friends and advisors, the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Meriwether.

"Wherever they are," Hubert said, "I'm sure that their safe and sound from any type of danger."

"Of course they are." Stephen added. "No one knows their whereabouts, say for the three good fairies, but they vanished without a trace soon after."

"But maybe they took up shelter in..."-

"Father," Phillip uttered. "You forget where you are? We must not discuss such things before the boy, or for that matter amongst ourselves."

"Oh dear, I almost forgot?"-

"Why?" Muli asked. "Why can't you discuss such things?"

"The walls are known to have ears here." Stephen replied.

"Aye," King Hubert added. "No conversation can go unnoticed without those…those shadows always eavesdropping in our discussions."

"The faction is also known to send in spies, disguising them as prisoners," Phillip added, "to see if they can find any vital information that can prove useful to them."

"Well, I'm not a spy if that's what you're implying." Muli said.

"No, you don't seem to be the type to be sent in as a spy, but there are other elements involved. Spies don't have to be brought in. Maleficent and General Saber use the shadows to do the scouting. To add, Maleficent has that God forsaken crow working for her too."-

"He may be in here as we speak." Hubert uttered.

"Then of course there's a rumor saying that Maleficent has a special device that can seek people out, no matter how far they run or how well they hide."-

"It's a magic mirror I think." King Stephen said. "It can see through any veil and search out whoever the faction or Maleficent want to find."

"That's how they've been able to move about so easily."-

"So that's how the Midnight Faction did it?" Muli thought to himself. "That's how General Saber was able to so easily counter the movements of the Foundation soldiers. He and Maleficent must've used that mirror to seek us out. That's how they were able to attack our convoy, even when we had planned to move in secrecy."

In the throne room of the castle, Maleficent sat about on her throne, stroking the back of her faithful little crow ever so gently. She sat there, gazing at the mirror, which was once again shrouded by the tattered black curtains at its sides.

"To success my pet," she uttered to the crow. The crow too was smiling a rather sinister looking smile. "After all these years, after all this time, waiting patiently for my time to rule, I have finally gained the ultimate power in this world. With King Hubert and King Stephen, along with that meddlesome Prince Phillip, now imprisoned in my own dungeon, the people of their former kingdoms will have no other choice than to pledge their loyalty to me and only to me." She stood again and gazed closer at the mirror. "That mirror is the reason for my success. It is because of it that I have achieved my dream of total conquest of this realm."

Just then, as she was busy wallowing in her own achievements, General Saber reentered the chamber and placed his hand behind his back. He looked up at Maleficent with a rather crude glance.

"Ah, General Saber," Maleficent said, "I take it that you have successfully overseen that young boy placed in a cell of my dungeon."

"I did." He replied.

"And how long will it be before you can take him away to your lord?"-

"I have made contact with the Midnight Faction Headquarters, but unfortunately, they cannot afford to spare any cruisers or mobile dolls for now."-

"Oh, that is a real pity. How long before they do have a spare vessel for you?"-

"It will be not until tomorrow afternoon at the latest."-

"And why is it that they can't spare any vessels for you?" Maleficent asked.

"It appears that the fight against the Alliance Coalition under Athrun Zala and Kira Yamato has intensified."-

"Well, if this Kira Yamato or Athrun Zala were to attack us here, I will know their every move and will know how to counter them."-

"You know very little of them, though, to fight them effectively."-

"With this magic mirror to guide my hand, I will be able to halt all who dare to defy me."-

"You believe that faith in that mirror is all that you need?"-

"So far, this mirror has brought us nothing but success." Maleficent descended from her throne platform and pulled on the rope, which opened the drapes and revealed the mirror. "And just to show you how much faith I have in it, I will predict anything you wish. Now tell me what it is you want to know.
"Very well," Saber replied, "But if you don't mind, I will ask the mirror myself."

"As you wish."-

General Saber stood up and looked up at the mirror. From the depths of the mirror, the face of the spirit appeared.

"What is thy bidding my good sir?" the spirit asked.

"Tell me, spirit." General Saber asked. "I would like to know of the next strategic movement of the Arakis Foundation."

"Thy enemies are close. Coming down the western passage, no more that twenty miles, a large force of soldiers, ten thousand strong, they come in force, they come in vengeance and seeking retribution for the honor that you have deprived them of. They come to take back the key; they come to take back the lives and pride of the brothers in arms that you have slain."-

"And where is it that they are headed?"-

"They come to the castle domain of the forbidden mountains, where I and thee reside."-

"Thank you." Saber gave a wave of his hand and the spirit of the mirror suddenly vanished from out of sight. Saber turned away from the mirror and Maleficent lowered the drapes, covering the mirror once again.

"You did not bother to request seeing this approaching foe." Maleficent stated.

"There was no need." Saber said.

"There was no need?"-

"There was no need."-

A silence had broken between the two. Maleficent, despite her evil and her intuition, she was unable to read what it was that flowed through the mind of the general. She only smiled in a sinister fashion. Her crow seemed to be doing the same thing as well. The tall witch then walked up behind General Saber as if she were his shadow.

"Well," she asked, "Are you satisfied with the results?"

"Not at all…" Saber replied. "The movements of the Arakis Foundation and their hopes for retaliation were apparent to me this whole time."

"And how did you come to know about their movements?"-

"Isn't it obvious? There's no way that you can't pick up a body of ten thousand strong."-

"You mean you can see them?"-

"Of course I can." Saber turned to Maleficent. "Not literally though, but through energy I can detect them. But of course with you being of a Middle Ages philosophy, I wouldn't hope or expect that you'd understand."

"And tell me, how is it that you came to see them?"-

"I have the ability to seek out their energy."-

"So you are a practitioner of magic as well?"-

"I am not a practitioner of magic. I just have a great deal of knowledge at my disposal."-

"Is that so?"-

"Soon you will realize how much of a folly you have made, putting your trust in a mirror."-

Back at the lakeside, things had finally settled down. With one last click of the "Enter" button, the last remnants of the intruding virus had been eradicated and the disk, which had carried the virus, was destroyed. Cunla laid his head against the hull of the downed gummi ship.

"Finally," he sighed. "All finished."

"I'm just doing a final check to see if we missed anything." Donald added.

"You two did well." Cuchulain implied. "I'm surprised, Cunla, that you knew so much about technology, despite coming from a world where sophisticated technology like this doesn't exist."

"That's what happens when I have a lot a spare time on my hands." Cunla replied. "If I'm not doing training for my mind and body, I'll be sitting in front of the computer screen all day playing video games." Cuchulain shuffled his hand on his son's head and smiled. He then looked up at the starry night.

"It's a nice clear night tonight."-

"I know."-

"Well, it's too late for us to do anything now." Donald said. "The best thing we should do for the time being is stay put, and wait until morning."

The party grouped together around the campfire to keep warm. Each one had their own blanket to bundle themselves up in. Goofy even brought out some spare overcoats. Cuchulain and Cunla were two who wore these thick wool jackets. The shoulder length capes of the jackets were used at temporary hoods or scarves to keep the face and neck warm.

Ophelia in the meantime, had taken a few cans of spare beef barley and had it cooking over the fire in a steel pot. She stirred it about. It was thick and hearty like a stew. Tasting it, it was hot and not too salty.

"Food's ready." She said. "Come and get it."

"Alrighty then," Goofy said. Ophelia dished out a portion of the stew to each person, placing the thick soup into a tin plate. Along with the tin stew, they ate hardtack, which was more like a hard cracker. Donald tried biting into, but almost broke a tooth.

"This thing is as hard as a rock." He complained.

"Well, I guess that's the reason why they call it hardtack, Donald." Cunla said.

"You do have a point."-

"This is not bad." Cuchulain said.

"It makes me feel all warm inside." Goofy added.

But as the night wore on, Ophelia stopped eating altogether. Some of her friends ceased their consumption of their food as they saw her sitting there, next to the fire, with this sad look on her face.

"What's wrong Miss Billiard?" Cuchulain asked.

"I'm wondering," she said, "While we're eating here and stuffing our bellies, I wonder if Riku and Sora have anything to eat." The others stopped eating and suddenly gained this sudden guilt. Here they were, eating and keeping warm by a nice fire, when the thought of Riku and Sora were on their minds. "What if they're out there, cold and hungry? I mean, they should have been here by now. They should have returned to us. What if something bad happened to them?" There was a silence now and no one dared to even look up because the thought of their two key bearers kept returning to their minds.

Cuchulain suddenly placed his plate aside.

"I wouldn't worry about them right now." He said. "Riku and Sora are two tough young men, a lot tougher than we are. I'm sure that they've managed to find a place to take shelter. And Riku's very resourceful when it comes to survival. I'm sure that he's made a fire and has prepared some kind of a meal for him and Sora."

"Yeah," Donald added, "There's no way that those two would allow themselves to be caught in some sort of situation where the chances of survival are slim."

"Don't let their safety concern you, Miss Billiard." Cunla said. "They'll make it back. I know they will."

"I guess so…" She uttered. Turning about, Ophelia looked into the distance over the lake. The lake waters were glimmering under the moonlight and the sound of crickets gave her some comfort. There was no threat or danger that disturbed the night, but rather the softness of the surrounding that was soothing and tranquil.

Her worries were not ones to fret over, for the two key bearers were still nestled close to each other against the small fire. Sora slowly opened his eyes and looked up to find Riku still sitting there next to him, keeping him bundled up. Sora only smiled.

"Riku…" he whispered softly. Riku shuttered his eyes before opening them slightly. He then looked down at Sora.

"Hey Sora," he uttered, "You're awake."

"Have you been here at my side all this time?" Sora asked.

"You asked me to hold you and that's what I did." Riku then looked at the fire. "Besides, not even the flame of our fire was enough to keep us warm." He then looked down at Sora. "And how are you doing now?"

"I feel a little better."-

"I'm glad."-

"I have you to thank for that."-

"How's that Sora?"-

"Well," Sora stalled for a second or two before carrying on with his statement. "If it wasn't for you Riku, I might have already been dead. You came prepared with bandages and cotton to patch up my wounds. You made a fire to keep us warm. And you even cradled me while I was asleep. It was like what Kairi did for me when I was sick with the flu. She cradled me in her arms just as you are doing now." Sora looked up into Riku's eyes and tears began to fall from his eyes. "Why, why are you doing so much for me?"

"You can be such a cry baby some times." Riku chuckled. "Kairi and I are not only your best friends, but we also owe a lot for what you've done for us in return. Your hopes for finding us, when the Heartless first came, never died out. Even when we had separated, you were determined to reunite us. When I was your enemy for a time, you never once fought me in anger or hatred. Even when you and Kairi reunited and were close to returning home, you found it your duty to see that I was brought back. When I went into a depression after acknowledging all the terrible things I did to you, and locked myself up in my room for three weeks after the day we returned home, you still were able to forgive me, even after all the crimes I committed against you." Suddenly, Riku's own eyes were filling with tears. "And when Namine died those many years ago, you were always there to help get myself on my feet and enjoy life. Even in the catacombs of Gombria, when you were fighting against General Ameba to save me, you didn't want to take my life, despite knowing the sacrifice you had to make in order to defeat that tyrant. I've gained an admiration for you Sora. We've always been friends as we have been rivals. Nothing can tear us apart, nothing."

"Riku…" Sora uttered, feeling the tears drip on his forehead. Sora too became teary eyed. He smiled and placed his arm on his friend's shoulder. Riku looked at Sora, who still had that same sad smile on his face. "Thank you, Riku, thank you for being my friend. That's all that matters to me."

Riku, full of such sorrowful happiness, embraced his friend tightly. They both were more like brothers rather than friends. The bond between these two was strong and inseparable. Riku smiled as he slowly released Sora and lay him down on the rocky surface. He wiped his eyes of tears.

"Damn, look at me," Riku uttered, "I'm getting all emotional." Riku stood up and walked towards the cave entrance. "I'll just go stand watch for a while Sora, if that's alright with you."

"I'll be fine now, Riku." Sora uttered. "Take care of yourself now."

Riku nodded and strolled out of the cave. Sora curled up to face the fire, whose flames still flared high into the air. He once again dozed off to sleep, now warm and comfortable inside.