Recappy From the Last Chappy: Triton watched her to make certain she left and turned his attention back to the group. He addressed Hikari first, and then Sora. "Regardless of her appearance, outsiders are not welcome here. As a Keybearer, you may already know. . . . One must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds."

"Of course I know that," Sora began, "but. . . ."

"You have violated this principle. The Keybearer shatters peace and brings ruin."

"Aw, Sora's not like that," Goofy injected with a stupid grin.

"I thank you for saving my daughter," the sea king responded as he turned around. "But, there is no room in my ocean for you or your key." He swam away.

Sora stared hard at the Keyblade and Hikari looked down at her open hands, which she closed. She also shut her eyes and trembled.

Chapter Thirty-seven: Bijuu

Triton's palace appeared to be barren of sea life and Heartless. Not even the sea king was present, but his trident was suspended behind his throne, unprotected.

Isaribi lingered at the entrance and scanned the area, confirming that she was alone. Her expression was a mixture of caution and apprehension. She swam a few feet forward and looked back over her shoulder. Ursula emerged from the darkness, wearing a shadowy smile.

Similar to Ariel's grotto, the Undersea Garden was practically enclosed; however, the area was considerably wider, and there was a lot more sunlight breaking through the ocean's exterior. Underwater plant life thrived, growing in the shelves and on the head of a rock shaped like a chaise lounge.

Ariel sobbed on the arm of that rock, her tears becoming lost in the sea. She was kneeling, and buried her face into her crossed arms. Hikari, Sora, and the rest of the gang found her in this state when Flounder led them to the garden.

"I'm so sorry, Ariel," Sora said. "We all are." His eyes expressed genuine pity, as did most everyone else's.

Hikari hung back in the entrance silently. She was still as the others nodded in agreement; she was contained in herself, recounting what had occurred with Triton and Isaribi.

I'm—shocked. It always angered me to see those eyes, but when they were directed at me, I'd lose my nerve. I never blew up to the villagers' faces like that. . . .

It just all feels so wrong—what Triton did, and what he said. I can't stand that look, all of that fear and hate. I get that he's afraid. . . . The villagers were afraid of me and Naruto. She hugged herself and drifted toward the wall so she could lean her back against it. It makes me feel cold . . . not just being on the receiving end, but also seeing someone look that way at someone else who doesn't deserve it.

Isaribi . . . she's just like my brother. Except her problem is her looks. People who didn't know about the Fox didn't bother Naruto, but she has a point . . . a lot of people won't look passed her appearance.

Ariel was rubbing her eyes, positively responding to efforts to cheer her up. "Thanks, everyone, but it's not your fault. Like I said before, my father just doesn't understand. Anyway, I'm really sad that now we won't be able to see what that crystal does, or if it does anything at all!"

Red XIII chimed in. "On a higher note, we have a theory on where one might find this world's Keyhole."

The little mermaid brightened. "You do?"

"Yes. We believe it may be in King Triton's palace."

She winced, seeming uncertain. "The palace? There isn't anything special there, though. . . ."

"Remember, Keyholes are typically inconspicuous, so most residents will not recognize their presence. It is as much a part of this world as the water." Mentally, Red XIII added, We all deduced that because of King Triton's awareness of the Keyblade, he may want to keep a closer eye on it.

"Oh. . . ." She closed her hand and straightened, appearing determined. "Let's go!"

Meanwhile, malevolent laughter rang inside the palace, as Ursula brandished Triton's prized weapon. "The trident is mine at last! And I couldn't have done it without your help, my dear." She glanced at Isaribi.

The little sea monster floated near the throne, where Triton sat in a weakened state. She frowned and looked away, feeling contrite. She did not speak.

Two green eels, Ursula's lackeys, circled the sea witch. Each had a bad eye, one left and one right. Flotsam, the first, stated, "We cannot find the Keyhole."

Jetsam, his other, reiterated, "The Keyhole is not here."

"What!" she exclaimed; then she noticed figures approaching the entrance and turned. She smiled, seeing Sora at the head of the pack. "Why, we have company. I'm afraid you're a little late, handsome!"

Ariel saw her father and swam swiftly to his side, their previous contention forgotten. Concern was written all over her face, and her stomach was in knots. She touched his arm, but received little reaction. "Daddy. . . ." She looked at Ursula accusingly. "What did you do?"

"Don't look at me, sweetheart," she replied as she caressed the trident. "My hands are clean of this. Why don't you ask Isaribi?"

Hikari stopped next to Sora just inside the room and looked toward Ariel and Triton. She also saw Isaribi a few feet away, at Ursula's prompting; the little sea monster had been looking on with an expression of guilt, and she now looked away in shame.

"Isaribi . . . what are you doing here?" She glanced at Ursula and back. "Did you. . . . Are you helping her?"

The blonde did not receive a response. She furrowed her brow. "Why?"

Isaribi felt all eyes on her and hung her head. "It . . . it can't be helped." She looked at Hikari, eyes pleading and amphibious hands curled into fists. "This is the only person who can return me to normal!" Her heart twisted and she closed her eyes. "It's in our contract. . . .

"People are judged based solely on appearance. On the Land of Shuriken and Kunai, people didn't dare come near me, even though my scales were covered with bandages. . . . I want to return to my former body, I want to be human!" She raised her head and added strongly, "For that reason, I decided I'll do anything!"

Hikari closed her eyes, absorbing her words, and rested a hand on her hip. When she opened her eyes, they were cold. "Idiot! It's not your appearance that makes you a monster. You 're still a human being. It's what you're doing that makes people think you're a monster! You're one of the 'sea monsters' who's been terrorizing people! Aren't you?"

"Stop it. . . ." Isaribi shouted and covered her ears. "Shut up!"

"Doing bad things, allying yourself with the sea witch—those are what make you fit to be called 'monster.'"

Isaribi sobbed and screamed, "I don't want to hear it! Shut up! Shut up!" She hunched over and her shoulders shook. Quieter, more pathetically, she asked, ". . . Are you bullying me, too?"

The blonde's eyes softened and she let her arm fall to her side. "No, I'm trying to open your eyes to the light. My brother is a jinchuuriki. He has a Heartless inside him. Everyone in the village hated him—and me. I know what it's like to have those eyes turned at you! And—," she hesitated and lowered her head. "And I know how sad, and angry it can make you feel. It hurts so much, and the darkness starts to blind you—it feels like you have no choice but to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. But you do have a choice, Isaribi."

Her shark-like teeth grinded. "You're lying! You're normal. And even if you're telling the truth, at least you didn't have to face it alone. I want to be like you, too! The experiments that made me this way—I want them reversed!" She whipped toward Ursula. "I helped you get the trident, so now it's your turn to help me! That was our deal. Do it, do it now!"

The sea witch offered a sly grin and cooed. "Absolutely, child. Don't cry. The day has come and the trident is mine, hnhnhn. You've held up your end of the contract."

Isaribi relaxed, looking hopeful.

"Yes. . . . I will liberate you of this sea monster vessel, as written in our contract . . . ," she pointed the trident at Isaribi, ". . . by turning you into a Heartless! HA HA! You should read what you sign more carefully, my dear!"

Sora darted in front of Isaribi and summoned his Keyblade, taking on a protective stance. "You witch!"

Ursula smirked, lowered the trident, and disappeared into ink and bubbles, leaving the resounding echo of her cackles behind.

Ariel continued tending to her father. "Daddy. . . ."

Weakly, he said, "The trident . . . we must get it back."

"We'll go after Ursula and bring it back," Sora promised. He turned to Isaribi. "You're coming too, right? I don't think you're a monster. You did something wrong because you thought it was the only way, and even though it wasn't right, you can still redeem yourself."

He lowered his head. "I have to believe that, because one of my best friends is doing the same thing."

Hikari also looked down. Riku. . . . Calmly, and even kindly, she addressed Isaribi. "Listen . . . you said experiments made you this way, right? There might not be any reversing them. But then there might be." She raised her wrist which held her summon gems, drawing attention to Tsunade's. "See this gem? It contains Fifth Hokage Lady Tsunade, one of the most renowned medical ninjas ever. Her power is what helped me heal you earlier." She lowered her arm. "I don't know how to restore her, but her student, Sakura Haruno, is also exceptionally skilled, and we know where she is.

"Help us. Clear your conscience, and we'll take you to someone who may be able to help you—and who won't betray you."

The girl was still in a state of shock, staring with wide eyes at the spot where Ursula made her escape, but slowly turned her neck to look at Sora and Hikari. She tightened her brow. "How do I know you won't betray me, too?"

"You don't, I guess," started Sora. "But we've only helped you so far."

She looked down and thought about it for a few moments; then, she raised her head and nodded with determination. "I want to help. Not just to reverse my mutation, but to redeem myself, too. I don't want to be a monster, in either sense of the word. I don't want scales on my body or darkness in my heart."

The gang regarded her genially; Hikari smiled. "I'm glad you see it that way. Sora, Donald, Goofy. Red XIII and Isaribi. Let's move!"

Ariel stopped everyone before they would leave. "Wait, stop. I'm going with you. My father's hurt. There must be something I can do!"

Sora nodded. "Come on!"

A trail of ink left behind by Ursula's escape led the group to Atlantica's surface, where the sea witch waited. She was ten times larger than before; should she choose, she could eat anyone of them in a single bite. She also wore a crown like Triton's as she brandished a larger version of his trident.

The gang all poked their heads above water. There were tiny islands everywhere, though none were large enough to house the Gummi (as Donald had earlier testified.) The skies began to blacken with rolling black clouds.

"You pathetic fools! I rule the seas now," she cackled. As she raised the trident, she bellowed, "The sea and all its spoils, bow to my power!"

The trident glowed brightly and projected a beam of light that cut through the darkness. Under the water's surface, there was an inky blackness, and a massive shadow—as massive as Ursula's current form—took its place. Once still waters rippled constantly.

A strange mist rose from the surface, cloaking first Ursula but wafting toward everyone else. Her expression fell as her eyes darted toward invisible persons and she flinched back. "What! No . . . no! You can't take this power from me! It's mine! Get away! Get away!" Fear marking her visage, she started swinging the trident recklessly. Darkness seeped from her pores, and her eyes glowed yellow.

Something, looking almost like a tail, suddenly lashed out and struck the sea witch across her waist with concussive force. She screamed and her body disintegrated in darkness, leaving behind a heart. The heart was consumed by darkness.

The group watched in shock as the consumption transpired. The mist was wafting their way, but they did not pay it much attention; their cognizance was occupied by the sea witch's disappearance. "Gwaaaaah! Where'd she go!" yelped Goofy.

"Forget that! Who was she yelling at?" Donald squawked.

"Don't forget. She summoned something also," added Red XIII.

Among the group, there was an uneasy tension as they kept their senses open, waiting for the invisible threat. The mist enveloped them, darkening the area a little more. Sora summoned his Keyblade and scanned the open sea.

Then, abruptly, his eyes fell on a familiar sight: the shores of the island where he and his friends once played. His jaw dropped.

Three stygian souls gathered in Villain's Vale around a circle of green magic that cast a glow on everyone's faces. All wore black robes, but only two were decorated with artistic red clouds; the third had varying shades of purple in its folds.

"Another fallen member," Pain uttered. Although his words were of pity, his face was as emotionless as always. Konan, his silent partner, was similarly neutral.

"A tragedy," Maleficent remarked with false sympathy. "But with the Heartless under our control, the loss is hardly staggering. That overconfident vizier, the puppet freak, the Zombie Combo. And now the briny sea witch—"

"You shouldn't speak so callously of fallen members," chastised the Akatsuki leader. "It's disrespectful."

Maleficent leered at him from the corner of her eyes, but then let her blood-red lips curl. "Of course." Her scarlet nails touched the robes over her dark heart. "My deepest regrets." She turned back to the image on the table. "I understand the darkness took Ursula in its embrace, but it was remarkably abrupt, wouldn't you agree?" The images in the circle rewound to the point when Ursula began shouting. Quietly, the sorceress murmured, "What happened here . . . ?"

"A Tailed Beast," he answered. "A bijuu."

She looked at him again. "A jinchuuriki, you mean? How quaint. She had one all along, and never shared."

"It's what a jinchuuriki contains. This tailed beast, this Heartless, does not have a jinchuuriki host." The image paused when one of the tails struck the sea witch. If one were to look close enough, there were two more tails barely emerging from the surface. "The Three-tailed Turtle, to be exact.

"Before the Land of Shuriken and Kunai met its end, the Akatsuki gathered some information on the Turtle. One thing we learned was that it could excrete an hallucinogenic mist. This mist causes one to face their worst fears, memories . . . in a sense, great darkness, and pain."

"I see." The witch fingered her chin. "Thus, the Three-tailed Turtle drew out the darkness of her pitiful heart and facilitated its consumption." She turned away from the table. "But it simply won't do to bring that massive, wild thing here in that state. You should send one of your grunts to seal the beast in the Keybearer or one of his friends. It will be much easier to handle with a host, yes?" She glanced back fleetingly and stepped away.

Pain looked at her back. "Actually, you would be most suited for the task."

Maleficent stopped walking and Konan, who had remained silent and almost motionless all this time, turned her face toward her partner.

"Do you!" she snapped. "Treating me as a subordinate when you and I are meant to be standing on equal ground is an insult, Pain. Your insolence is rather remarkable." Her words had bite, and her smile was angry. "Why do you feel grunt work like this is most suited to me?"

"You are a formidable sorceress, Maleficent. And while members of the Akatsuki are indeed powerful, jutsu used to seal a Tailed Beast inside the host usually sacrifices the life of the user. Given the recent losses to our factions, it would be advisable to avoid them. Your magic is capable, correct?"

The sorceress laughed and caressed the bulb of her scepter. "I did not think shinobi to be so feeble, or your jutsu so taxing. Yes, my magic is capable of sealing that beast. My power over darkness would be strong enough to control it, too. I am the Mistress of All Evil, after all.

"I will abide your request this one time." She disappeared in shadows.

After a few moments of silence, Konan finally spoke. "You're planning something."

"I told you. Maleficent is practically useless to me now. Her ego is inflated with her superiority complex, but she has no right." He looked at her. "I will be God."

Sora. . . .

"Who's there!" The brunette turned 360-degrees, and did not see a soul. He looked down, and to further his surprise, he wore his typical attire instead of his merman disguise. "But . . . I was just in Atlantica . . . wasn't I?"

He cupped his mouth and shouted. "Hiki! Donald! Goofy! Red! Jiminy . . . ! Where is everyone?"

Once again, he heard his name; it sounded like it came from the island.

Taking a deep breath, he swam for the shore. He quickly reached shallow waters and took to his feet. He noted that he had not crossed paths with a single fish, or seen any of the small crabs usually native to his home. Discounting gentle waves rolling onto the beach and the voice, Destiny Islands appeared to be stagnant.

Another whisper carried by a light breeze directed him toward the secret place at the base of a large tree. The leaves hiding the entrance rustled eerily. If it were not for the fact that the voice sounded familiar to him, he would have been more hesitant to approach.

The brunette entered without trepidation and walked through the corridor to the cave. Countless drawings decorated the walls, many etched by his hand in his youth. Memories were preserved in rock, tangled in the tree's roots. Toward the back wall, a familiar door remained closed.

None of those caught Sora's attention, however. His eyes were fixated on a petite, redheaded female standing with her back toward him. He uttered her name. "Kairi. . . ."

The girl twisted his way and gazed at him with soft blue eyes. One of her hands touched the wall while the other held a smaller rock typically used to create marks on the wall. Behind her was a picture he and she had collaborated on as kids. She drew him and he drew her; her artistic ability was certainly better than his.

The drawings had simply been of their faces, but the day before his journey began, he had modified it just a little. In-between their faces, he had drawn an arm extending from his face to Kairi's, holding a paopu fruit.

Someone else, however, had drawn a big bold X through it all.

"You remembered!" Chalky white residue marked her hands. She directed her attention back to the wall. Her voice was cheerful, teasing; just like he remembered. "Lazy bum. I'm not surprised it took you this long to find me. You were always snoozing on the beach."

He did not think she was serious, so his reply was just as light; he laced his fingers behind his head. "Give me some credit, Kairi. I've been searching everywhere for you."

"No, you gave up," she said flippantly; as if she had not a care, she began drawing on the wall again. Sora could not see her face, but her voice did not change its tone. "It was easier for you to replace me and Riku, wasn't it? You've made so many new friends. . . ."

Sora's blood ran cold. Her tone was not accusing, but that made the words all the more trying to hear. He was not sure that she would jest about something like this, and Riku had accused him of similar things. He clenched his fists.

"That's not funny! They're helping me." He straightened a little and softened. "Kairi, are you feeling okay?"

The hand she was using to draw with suddenly stopped and lowered to her side. The drawing was a poor attempt at Riku; her lips curled into a fond smile at it. "But I'll always be able to depend on Riku. He's stronger, more mature, and he isn't lazy, like you. He would do anything for me. Even side with the darkness. . . .

"I always liked him better."

Sora felt a sharp pain in his chest, but before he could truly react to her words, something strange occurred that caused him to step back. As if they had been drawn with Sai's ink, the drawings sprang off of the cave wall and were suspended in the empty space.

Kairi turned to face him, still wearing a familiar smile that showed teeth. Then, the drawing he had made of the hand sharing paopu fruit suddenly pierced her back and punched through her chest, tearing her heart out of her chest cavity. She still smiled.

Blue veins became puffy and popped out on her skin. A bright yellow glow set in her eyes, and her hair darkened from ruby to ebony. Her fair complexion turned ink black, and her body mutated; antennae grew from her scalp, and her posture became ape-like. "Sora. . . ."

"Kairi!" He started running toward her, but the distance would not close. Shadows grew in the cave to consume the rock and camouflage Kairi, until her glowing yellow eyes were all he could see. "Kairi!"

But it all disappeared.

He stared into Hikari's face.

He was a merman again.

He had returned to Atlantica.

Hikari had a hand on his shoulder and gained his attention. "Sora. Hey, are you back with us?"

The Keybearer looked around with saucer-wide eyes. The mist that had been hanging around them was gone, but everyone remained vigilant. Though he still felt ice from Kairi's words, he began to wonder if he had ever left Atlantica in the first place. Shadows set in his eyes, he asked, "What happened?"

"You were hallucinating," she answered. "Everyone was. The mist we saw—that was the cause. It made everyone see scary or hurtful things. I'm told they were very vivid trips, and felt real. I was able to use a good wind jutsu to get it away, though."

"You weren't affected?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I don't know why, though. . . ."

Everyone else was yelling, shaking, or on the verge of tears. Donald was squawking like his family had cast him out, Goofy sounded like his son had snapped at him, Ariel was having more father issues, and Red XIII looked to be in the exact state we found him in on Monstro. And Isaribi. . . .

She looked at the little sea monster. I think she relived being ostracized by the civilians of her home, and the experiments that made her the way she is.

I heard her whisper Orochimaru's name, too. If he's the one who made her this way, then she's not like Naruto . . . she's like me.

She placed a hand over her curse mark. I lied a little. The mist did affect me, I think, but not as strongly as everyone else. I didn't see anything, but my curse mark began to ache, and I couldn't stop the memories from flowing into me. . . .

Those thoughts were shaken from her head when the waves rolled strongly once more. Knowing this was not the time to dwell on things, she prepared for action by deactivating her transformation jutsu; if this fight was going to occur on the surface, she would do it without the hindrance of a mermaid's tail. Expending chakra, she lifted herself on top of the water, revealing her legs.

Ariel and Isaribi reacted; the redhead exclaimed. "What!"

"We'll explain later," Hikari said quickly. "It's easier for me to fight this way. Right now, we should focus on the enemy. Looks like it's going to show itself, now."

"Uh. . . ." The little mermaid closed her mouth and turned her head, heeding the kunoichi's advice. A determined expression crossed her visage as the monster Ursula summoned began to surface.

An aqua green, crab-like shell emerged with shrimp-like tails counting to three. Water ran off the behemoth, and one could see red muscular tissue under the shell. Horns adorned a disproportionately large lower jaw as well as its large forehead. Its forelegs looked similar to human arms, but it had no hind-legs to speak of. It had dark eyes with red pupils but the one on the right was closed. Primarily, the beast resembled a large turtle with tails.

"It's ginormous!" Goofy exclaimed.

"What is that thing? A Heartless? The other sea monster?" questioned Red XIII.

Hikari's eyes were wide, and her heart beat faster. Memories of the Nine-tailed Fox stealing her heart crossed her mind. No way. . . . "It's both, and it's a tailed beast—a bijuu. See the three tails? But, it doesn't look like it has a jinchuuriki host."

Her eyes hardened as she brainstormed. Can we win this? The Nine-tailed Fox caused a lot of damage to my village, and we had an entire ninja army. We even lost the Fourth Hokage that night. One swing of its tail could destroy mountains and create tsunamis. There are only seven of us, including Ariel, and she's not a very skilled fighter.

I think more tails is supposed to equal more power, so this one shouldn't be as strong as the Fox . . . but Shukaku, the bijuu in Gaara was also overwhelmingly powerful. Naruto had to summon Gamabunta, the boss toad, to defeat it. . . . Ah! She looked at the gems on her wrist. I think I've got it—!

While Hikari had been consumed in her thoughts, the others exchanged looks and nodded; the magic-users, namely. Ariel, Sora, Donald, and Red XIII casted varying levels of ice magic—the mermaid could muster only Blizzard, the Keybearer had learned so far as Blizzara, and the mage and lion-like animal had mastered Blizzaga.

Numerous ice projectiles of different shapes and sizes flew toward the Three-tailed Turtle, carrying cold winds with them. In response, the bijuu roared with a force that created sizeable, rippling waves and shattered the ice into tiny snowflakes that melted almost instantly; this broke Hikari from her thoughts.

The beast smashed its tails onto the water, creating a column of water nearly two stories high heading straight for everyone; the beast's subsequent submergence added to the unstable surface. Hikari lost her footing and fell, only to be swallowed by a giant wave.

Maybe I was a little too hasty in deactivating the Mermaid Form, especially when I can't activate it myself, she thought. She held the breath she had taken just before her submergence as she felt the water pull her down further; she did not bother exerting herself by fighting the current.

To ease the ache setting in her lungs, she released the breath slowly. Her sinking slowed, and she turned upright before she would end up too deep. Fortunately, however, she would not have to make the ascent herself; Isaribi appeared at her side, took her arm, and swam speedily toward the surface.

She carried the blonde to a small island as the latter caught her breath and climbed onto the land with her. While Hikari laid on her back, taking deep breaths, Isaribi stood by and closed her eyes. The mass of her arms, legs, and torso shrank a smidgen to resemble a lanky, human teenage girl, and many of her scales disappeared. They now covered only a part of her arm, one leg, a patch on her neck, and on her cheek. Her skin returned to a fair complexion and she had short purple hair that was cut very close to her scalp, except for some chin-length locks on either side of her face.

Hikari sat up and looked at her. You can see the girl she once was. . . .

The others appeared and gathered around the small island. Ariel spoke up. "We lost it. For being so big, it's really fast!"

"That's okay," Hikari reassured. "We need to plan right now anyway." She began removing Tsunade's summon gem from her bracelet. "We can't defeat it. It's too big, and too strong. But, we can seal it—," she raised the gem for them to see, "—with her help."

"You can summon the person inside the gem—?" Sora began; then he shook his head. "Hold on, you want to make someone here a jinchuuriki?"

She crossed her legs, lowered the gem, and rubbed the back of her neck. "Me, specifically. Honestly, I don't know what'd happen if we put such a mass amount of chakra in a magic user." Both hands laid down in her lap and she looked down.

"Look—the Akatsuki are already after me. We know they're after jinchuuriki, which means they're after the Three-tails. It'll be a lot easier to make sure they don't get their hands on it if one of us is a container." And I'm already cursed . . . could this truly taint me more?

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Red XIII were somber. Isaribi frowned. Ariel was perplexed, only partly certain what was going on.

Hikari took their silence as agreement. She twisted to stand. "I'll be fine. Naruto managed with it inside him for twelve years before he even found out he hosted the Fox. So I guess that means its presence would be minimal."

They nodded. "Do it," Sora said.

Isaribi grit her teeth. "How can you do that? Now I know you were lying. If you know what it's like to be treated like a monster, you wouldn't willingly make yourself one!"

Hikari had her palms together and fingers laced around the summon gem as if in prayer. She looked over her shoulder at the girl and gave a small smile. "I told you, Isaribi. Your appearance doesn't make you a monster. And containing the Three-tails—it won't make me one either. Only your actions can determine that."

The girl clicked her tongue and glared. "Tch!"

The blonde faced forward and relaxed her face. The Cheshire Cat said that if you had a heart, you could use these gems to summon the person contained in them. She closed her eyes and her lip brushed against her finger. Hopefully, my incomplete and broken heart will be enough.

A multi-colored light emanated through the cracks of her fingers from the stone. A few feet away from her, smoke produced itself out of thin air. Some munny and lottery tickets rained among the smoke like confetti. A curvy figure could be made out in the center.

Hikari opened her eyes and smiled. "Granny!"

End of Chapter Thirty-seven

Next Time in When Darkness Turns to Light! Chapter Thirty-eight: Search, Bind, and Lock

Briefly they explained the situation to her, and their plan to seal the Three-tailed Turtle inside Hikari. Tsunade listened and asked questions occasionally. Her expression was calculating, serious as she absorbed the information. She had her thumb on her chin and a finger covering her mouth.

When they finished, she lowered her hand, rested it on her hip, and spoke. "I'm telling you right away that I'm not sealing the Three-tailed Turtle inside anyone."

"But we—," started Hikari.

"The purpose of sealing Tailed Beasts in ninja was chiefly political; jinchuuriki were to be used as weapons, or deterrents. There is no need to do that here," the lady Hokage interrupted sternly. "Instead, we are going to seal the Three-tailed Turtle in another dimension."

My favorite part, without a doubt, is Sora trippin' out XD I love Sora, but I also love torturing him. Same with any character, really...

I'm actually very satisfied with this chapter. It is part two of three for the Atlantica arc, after which will be the third and final Coliseum visit! :D That visit will include two Naruto characters (completely canon, non-filler) and a surprise appearance by a Final Fantasy XIII character! (Wanna guess who? :P 'Cept you, narcotic-lullaby... 'cause you already know...)

Thanks to everyone who's continually reviewed-I absolutely love feedback. It provides incentive for writing :) Thanks for reading, God bless! Please, leave a review!