Sora and his friends went with Hazel back to the castle where Sir Kay spots them. "Ah, Miss Hazel! Nice to see you again. Did you think about my offer?"
"I did, but my answer is the same like last time. My heart belongs already to somebody else," told Hazel.
"You know each other?" asked Goofy and Hazel nods. "We met once while I was on training. Apparently he and his father were on a trip to check something out for Arthur."
Sir Ector who came in slaps his forehead. "Now I remember where I heard the name Maluz before: This girl told me about him. But I never thought he would look like some kind of beast."
"Believe me. He is a beast, and due to his views he tried to kill some friends of mine. I also was a target of him," told Sora and Hazel wondered, "Maluz was so kind to me, teaching me everything I know today. So why is he have so much hatred against you?"
"Because we have something he views that might endanger everything. While it is true that some are abusing it for their own goals, most I know with it are responsible," told Sora. Donald crossed his arms and told, "I think somewhat responsible is the better term."
"Donald!" countered Sora and the two began to argue while Hazel began to laugh at the antics of the two… whatever Master Maluz told her, he obliviously didn't meet these two on a personal level.
This picture went on for a while until Goofy told, "Uhm… Sora… Donald. Shouldn't we get her to Merlin and Arthur?"
The two stopped, staring at Goofy since he was right! They quickly said their byes to Sir Ector and Sir Kay and went back to the castle where they were directed to the throne room where they studied a map.
Merlin looked up. "Ah! You three are back! But who is the girl behind you?"
Sora wanted to answer, but was interrupted by Hazel. "I am Hazel. The Lightbringers are here because of me. However… I never meant harm to anybody."
"So you claim that you had good intentions with them, but they slipped out of your control?" asks Arthur and Hazel nods. "That's right. And… it has been a while. Though I think you looked better without the beard."
Arthur stared at her. "I cannot recall to have met you before."
She stroke a hand through her hair and told, "Well… it isn't easy to be recognized if you looked different in the past."
However, before this conversation could continue, the castle suddenly shook and they rushed to the next window to see what is going on. In front of the castle was a Heartless. And what a big one!
Imagine an Invisible Heartless, 10 to 20 times bigger with a knight's armor, calling with each move dozens of other Heartless. Sounds bad right?
Anyway… what disturbs more was the laughter that could they hear while the Heartless are going to wreak havoc.
Merlin and Archimedes looked at each other and they called together, "Madam Mim!"
"Madam Mim?" asks Sora. "Is this the one behind this mess?"
"That right boy!" called a voice. "Cause I'm the magnificent, marvellous, mad Madam Mim!"
With a puff of smoke the witch stands in the throne room and laughs. Then she hopped up and down like a child with her hands clapping together. "I am really loving this destruction caused by the Heartless. I wish if it weren't for Maleficent I would just let it destroy everything."
"You are working with Maleficent?" asks Sora and Mim mused, "Oops, I guess I slipped it. Wanted to tell that anyway! Now hand over this sword and I'll call the Heartless back!"
"Why do you want Excalibur?" asks Goofy and Mim told, "Most powerful sword on this world. Don't you think it has some kind of value for the likes of us?"
"I won't let you have Excalibur!" called Arthur and draw his sword. Madam Mim grins and snapped her fingers, causing soldiers, magician, and dual blades. Sora, Donald, and Goofy got their weapons ready and Madam Mim laughed. Merlin points at her with a staff and called, "I challenge you to a wizard duel."
"Oh! I was waiting for that!" called Mim. "This time you won't win by making me sick!"
Sora and the other two looked odd at Merlin. However, Arthur just told, "It's a longer story."
"Uhm… alright!" told Sora and he rushes at the Heartless while Merlin and Mim began their magical fight. Since no rules are set this time… the outcomes of their transformations are different. Or who of this world could tell that Madam Mim just transformed into a Spear Dragon to impale Merlin who countered by making himself into a Gengar, causing the witch to pass through him and hitting the wall behind the "ghost".
Arthur was finishing off a Dual Blade has he tried to block the kick of an incoming soldier. However, the soldier was never able to touch the king since an arrow of light hit it. He turned and saw Hazel shooting light arrows at the Heartless. In a calm moment she whistled and Lightbringers appear, beginning to attack the Heartless since they were the ones with the strongest darkness. Even the Heartless outside were facing the light creatures. Only the largest one of them seems only to be annoyed by these light creatures nothing more.
Sora pondered what to do and then he remembered something. "Guys! Do you think you can hold on your own here for a while?"
"What are you doing, Sora?" asks Donald and Sora told, "I am trying something! If it works, this Heartless won't bother us anymore."
"Oh brother," sighs Donald and told Goofy, "Better we don't disappoint him!"
"Hyuck! I agree, Donald" laughed Goofy while smashing a magician with his shield.
Sora rushes on the roof of the castle and took his Dragon Key Amulet out. Sighing loudly he mumbled, "I hope it works like I thought it will."
Holding the valuable item up he called, "SPYRO!"
The crystal flashes and a rock shook due to a torrent of fire underneath out of the ground and ice formed around it while thunderbolts hits the structure. Then the fire and the bolts disappear while the rocks and ice shattered, revealing the purple dragon.
Flapping his wings he looked at Sora but also spots the giant Heartless. With a knowing nod towards Sora, Spyro speeds up and greets his opponent with a fire ball.
The Heartless roared and slashes its enormous sword against the dragon. Spyro dodges and attacks once more, this time with a release of electrical torrents, which also destroyed some random Heartless and Lightbringers on the way.
Sora saw that Spyro could handle the situation for himself right now and went back to his friends. Once back with them, he slices a Heartless in half that wanted to jump at Donald's back.
With that in the throne room was empty from Heartless, but… "Where is Merlin? And Madam Mim?" asks Sora.
Goofy points to a hole in the way. "Madam Mim turned into an ape and hit Merlin who was at this time a rock."
"A rock?" asks Sora confused and Hazel told, "First he got into a sort of blue ball with arms, legs, and his beard. He got above Mim and turns into a rock to smash her. She dodged it and hits it after turning… what did you call it?"
"Ape," told Goofy.
"Thanks," told Hazel and adds, "We better get out and help so far we can,"
"I agree on that," told Arthur. "The people should see that their king is fighting for them."
They rush out and attack any Heartless which comes in the way. Knights and troops watching this get encouraged and fought with new energy. However… a few still wondered where the dragon came from and why it is helping them.
They catch up to Merlin and Madam Mim. Both were worn out by the fight and Mim growled, "I might not defeat you today, Merlin! But this place is gone for with the Heartless rampaging around!"
However, they turned as they heard a crash. The large Heartless was on the ground and a large rock sticking out of the chest. The dark creature fades and a large heart raises into the air before vanishing.
Madam Mim laughed weakly. "Well… looks like I have to think things over."
With that she took her broom out and disappeared into the sky, but was sent flying as she was hit by a fire ball of the dragon. She cries loudly while leaving a trail of black smoke behind.
"Glad that's over," told Sora, but Merlin disagreed. "I don't think so, Sora!"
He points to a direction and saw that the remaining Heartless and Lightbringers were still fighting and Hazel seems to have lost control over them for good since no matter what she calls to them they weren't listening to her.
"What?" asks Sora. "Why are they no longer listening to her?"
"Because I took over," told a voice. Sora turns around and calls, "Maluz!"
Here was indeed Maluz. However, his shape was far from the best. Hazel noticed it and asks, "Master Maluz! What happened to you?"
The lion/wolf hybrid growled, "That blasted darkness user got a keyblade! We have to hurry to get the destruction of darkness down as fast as possible! Starting with this world!"
He turns to King Arthur. "You have seen what darkness is doing to your world! Allow me to get rid it for you!"
"After what the Lightbringers have done to my people, I refuse! They are bad as the Heartless and I refuse to let any of them act like they please anymore," told Arthur however Maluz just growls, "That you just decided the fate of you and your world!"
Raising to attack, an light arrow hits Maluz and Hazel suddenly called, "Stop!"
Maluz turned around, not fazed by the light arrow and looks at her while she aims with her bow another light arrow at him. "Hazel! What is the meaning of this?"
"I only want to help Arthur, but seeing what the Lightbringers have done, I don't know if this course is the right one," explains Hazel. Maluz narrows his eyes and growls, "I took care of you! I trained you! I taught you everything you know! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?"
"I am sorry," told Hazel and shoots the arrow. It hit Maluz in the head, however, he acted like as if the arrow wasn't there. In fact, the arrow disappears and the light user roars "YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR BETRAYAL!" and a burst of light hits the girl. She cries in pain while her armor disappears and flew at a wall. Gasping in pain and with wide eyes, she collapses on the ground.
"HAZEL!" called Sora and rushes to her side with Arthur and the others. They tried to wake her, but she didn't move. Sora stands up and got his Keyblade in hand, glaring at the leader of the Lightbringers.
Maluz got his sword out, which still shows cracks, and Sora wanted to make a remark on that, but suddenly Maluz gasps and holds his side while muttering, "Damm! I am still recovering."
He turns to Sora and growls, "You have seen us the last time, Keybearer!"
Then he disappears and with the lack of a leader on this world, the remaining Lightbringers took their leave as well.
Sora dismissed his Keyblade and turns to the others. "How is she?"
"I don't know, Sora…" admits Merlin. "This blast seems to be intense. While she is awake now, I don't know if she will get through."
Indeed Hazel was breathing hard and looks at Arthur. "I… only wanted to be with you…"
"Don't talk! You need to save your strength," answered the king. However, Hazel just giggles and smiles. "It… was great… to see you again…"
And with that her eyes close and she was covered in a light which fades away. Once the light was gone, the only thing left was a squirrel. Goofy scratched his head. "A squirrel?"
"I… I think I know this squirrel," told Arthur. Merlin looked as well and nods. "I guess you are right about that, Arthur! This is the squirrel that you encountered years back."
Sora looked up and Merlin told, "While giving Arthur his lesson, we turned into squirrels once, and this one fall in love with Arthur."
"Oh… so… her love to him made her human?" asks Sora, but Merlin shook his head. "No… there is more! I think magic turned her into a human, but now the spell is broken."
He nods, but doesn't know what to tell more… he knew her only for a short time but considered her as friend… he cannot believe she was gone now.
Then small coughs were heard and they looked at the source. The small squirrel was the one coughing, weakly opening their eyes.
"You're alive!" told Sora with a cheer and Merlin told, "Quickly! Bring her into my room!"
With that said, they got into his room and Merlin took some potions and spells to treat her. Once he is done, he told, "She will live, just needs a lot of rest now. Incredible that she survived."
Sora wanted to agree on that, but suddenly Sir Ector bursts in and called, "King Arthur! King Arthur!"
"Calm down, Sir Ector! What is wrong?" asks Arthur and Ector told, "Somebody has stolen the stone!"
"The stone where Excalibur was in?" asks Merlin and Ector told, "That's right!"
"Why should anybody steal this stone?" asks Archimedes. "The sword is much more valuable."
"I think Madam Mim was only here to distract us," told Merlin. "It was odd she didn't even really try to keep fighting even with the Heartless gone. By the way Sora… if I were you, I would send the dragon back to his home."
"Why?" asks Sora and Merlin explains, "Simple! Your Dragon Key Amulet can summon the dragon for a much longer time then your other summons. However, it takes magnificently lot more time to recharge. Not to mention we have here dozens of knights running around with the idea of getting honor by slaying a dragon."
Without a second to think, Sora rushes out and found Spyro defending himself from dozens of knights which want to have the "honor" to boast that they have slain a dragon.
Sora called to Spyro and used his Keyblade to end the summoning. A last glance came from the dragon before returning to his own world. Sighing loudly, Sora lowered his weapon, but still wondered why somebody would steal a stone…
Magica De Spell and Madam Mim were walking in a hall with Heartless carrying the stone where the sword was in once in. On the way Mim asks, "Why did I have to distract them so you could steal this stone?"
"The Blob found something that includes the capture of this item," told Magica. "But I don't have the full details on that… and back to your incomplete potion… which effect does it have in its incomplete form?"
"Expands your life a lot and allows you to survive deadly blows once or twice! However, once completed, it would have caused a lot of suffering, like people deadly sick, plants stopping growing, rivers filled with anything but drinkable water, and so on! However, with this squirrel falling in, it got these nasty nice effects and the hair ruined the potion."
"So your world could have the oldest living squirrel now… nice," chuckles Magica and keeps walking.
In the meanwhile, in the Mirage Arena, Aqua and Riku were overlooking the training of Kairi and Kuran while Terra was sitting elsewhere to think about the topics he talked with the others earlier, setting in the events of the last 10 years.
Kairi and Kuran were facing right now a Heartless which manipulates the time and was in fact a giant clock with arms and legs.
It wanted to use one of the time based attacks again, however, Kuran was planning to interfere with that and used a Portal of Darkness to get close, shouting a warning to Kairi. However, she already casts a Warp spell to the object the Heartless has summoned to unleash its attack.
And now with the odd chances the warp spell hits the object in the second where the time based attack was unleashed WITH Kuran coming out of the other end of his dark corridor.
The two spells intervened with the Dark Portal and Kuran could only shield his face from the bright light forming before an explosion happened.
Kairi covered her eyes from the dust and as she looked up again… everything was gone. "Kuran? KURAN!" called Kairi, now fearing for her friend.
