As a quick note, the Olympus Coliseum (Chapters 1 -7) arc has recently seen some reworking. You do not need to read it before finishing this chapter, but if you want something to keep you busy before the next update, we highly recommend it! We retooled a lot of scenes to fix plotholes and characterization and provided a much bigger climax with more involvement from Hades and the Gods alike. 5 – 7 have the most substantial changes, but all have seen some added polish.

Now, on with the Treasure Planet finale!

x.x.x

Chapter 50: The Loot of a Thousand Worlds

The ocean of starlight luminescing across the triangular projection seized Riku's focus and refused to let go. Every innumerable star, so close, yet so far. But, it had to be an illusion. There was no way it could really be…

Only a vague grunt escaped him as he tried to put his thoughts into words. If his eyes stung from the lack of blinking, it barely registered at all. A cacophony of gasps, shrieks, murmurs, and shouts echoed over the cliffside. He refused to turn his head. His daze only ended when he a tight grip around his armored wrists dragged him back to reality. A brief look down revealed that an eel-faced pirate had already bound his wrists in rope. Further glimpses revealed that the others met a similar fate.

Though Donald kicked and squirmed, a single laser mere inches from his feet squeezed a shriek out of him. His struggling ended then and there, though he continued to glower at the tentacled freak tying him up. Jim, in the meantime, spat in the face of the fat, horned pirate beside him.

"You call that a knot?"

The pirate roared in response, smashing his fist against Jim's back. He fell to the ground, but wheezed out a chuckle. Silver surprisingly cringed at the sight, but said nothing. Instead, he set his sights back on the projection before them.

"Wait. I recognize that star system."

"Why, it's the Lagoon Nebula!" said the Doctor, who seemed to have taken his hostage status with relative stride. At the very least, he made no efforts to squirm like the others. He even smiled. "Ah, how astounding! But…how? By my calculations, it ought to be—"

"Halfway across the galaxy," Amelia said with a sneer. "But with all due respect, Doctor, this is hardly the time for your usual brand of whimsy."

Their wonder earned only a chuckle from Xigbar, who tapped the hovering sphere beside him. A green wave swept over the projection, wiping away the stars. In their place, a sandy desert sprawled before them, with a tiger-shaped cavern glowering in silence. The Cave of Wonders.

Another tap erased the familiar sight of Agrabah. In its place, an ivy-coated tower appeared, surrounded by roaring waterfalls and steep, rocky cliffs. Then, just as soon as it formed, the image shifted to a stone castle with green-roofed spires, surrounded by walls and a vast body of water. Stone bridges paved the path to a small village nestled amidst a grassy mountainside. Then it, too, flickered away in favor of a child's bedroom littered with toys and posters of spacemen and cowboys.

Xigbar whistled, continuing to click from world to world. "Well, how 'bout that? Instant world-hopping at my fingertips. Guess that explains the old scallywag's track record."

One of the pirates shouted, "But where's the blasted treasure!"

Another chimed in, "Aye! Get to the bloody point!"

Xigbar's shoulders rolled in a shrug. "Hey. I'm as clueless as the rest of ya, but let's see…"

Something bumped Riku's shoulders, finally prying his attention from the Nobody and the map and over to Kairi. She looked him dead on, but before she could speak, Riku cut her off with a whisper.

"Kairi, what were you even thinking? You shouldn't have—"

"And you shouldn't have run away from us after Xemnas hunted you down." She huffed, and if her arms weren't literally tied, he suspected she would've crossed them. Still, her words made Riku avert his eyes.

"Yeah, well, look at what it's come to! You're captives along with the rest of us."

"And if we hadn't followed you, Delbert and Amelia might've been Heartless food. Sora and Jim could've died. And you… You…!" The rough edge to her sigh spoke volumes. Though, when she spoke again, her voice was a low monotone. "Well, obviously, turning yourself in didn't do you any favors."

"Hey. I was trying to stall for time so the rest of you could—"

"Get captured as well?"

Riku winced. "No, but…" He wanted to say that he expected backup, because a part of him truly did. He longed to argue that he was banking on Sora and the others finding a solution and catching Xigbar off-guard, but some good that did. He'd one-upped all of them, and even if they got their act together, the dozens of Snipers trained on their entire group left too much at risk.

What could Riku even say to that?

Kairi carried on. "…Look, I'm not mad. Well, maybe I am a little mad, but I get it. You were looking out for us. But, somebody's gotta look out for you, too."

"Yeah, especially given your track record," Donald groaned, waddling closer. "But look, Riku, the odds are way better now that we're all here."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Even though we're all hostages?"

"Aw, phooey. We always do our best work under pressure!"

Okay, that got a tiny snicker outta Riku. "You know, I'm not even gonna dispute that."

Before Donald or Kairi could say another word, however, one of the pirates roared with agony. Judging by the smoking, black burn on his exposed forearm and the Sniper's glowing arrowgun, the source was clear. But why?

Silver stumbled up on his feet, growling through clenched teeth. "Xigbar! Have you gone stark raving mad?!" The other pirates broke into an uproar, shouting in affirmation. Stomping their feet. Raising swords, daggers, and blasters alike.

Three more shots aimed at the metallic floor made them immediately double back, and Xigbar turned from the map with an ice-cold scowl. "Hey, don't blame me. You barnacle brains are the ones who let the Heartless slip under the radar."

Wait, what? Riku glanced around, but just as Xigbar said, Sora was either gone or hidden.

Xigbar pressed on. "So, here's how it's gonna be…" He cleared his throat, pointing at the entire group. "Sora! You better crawl outta your hiding spot soon, 'cause as of now, everyone on this cliff is my hostage. And lemme tell ya, kiddo, once my Snipers get an itchy trigger finger, there ain't much stoppin' them…"

Silence. Dead silence crept over the clifftop. Then a one-eyed, big-mouthed pirate piped up,. "What are you threatening us for?!"

Instead of responding with words, Xigbar shot the alien on the spot. He collapsed in a smoking heap, leaving everyone speechless. Still, Riku knew better. Of course he'd prioritize a bunch of alien mooks over the heroes of the Keyblade. Though a select few pirates retained weakened glares, a small handful even shivered in place. Silver's robotic eye burned bright. Jim sharpened his glare.

But Xigbar just snorted. "Sorry, kid, but you ain't even at the top of the list when it comes to death glares."

Jim made a sound like he was about to retort. The red light from a Sniper's crossbow cut him off before the first syllable, and he stumbled into Delbert, who leaped up with a shriek. Otherwise, not a peep escaped the mob of hostages.

Not even a minute passed before a terrible, bloodcurdling roar exploded from the portal. A giant, flaming bird rushed at them from the other side. Xigbar hastily clicked onto another world. A tropical island where a little girl and some strange, blue…koala? Demon koala? Whatever it was, it tugged on her skirt with a delighted cackle, and the two both rushed toward the gate.

Until another click of the map shifted the display to a vast, purple landscape and a seemingly endless sea. Riku looked away, not wanting to face the End of the World again.

Finally, Xigbar eyed his Snipers again. "All right. Time for a change of plans."

Steel crashed against Riku's back, sending him to his knees. He glared back at the Sniper before offering Xigbar the same courtesy.

And just like that, Xigbar howled with laughter. "Now, see? This guy's got the angry look down!" The laughter soon ceased, and he gestured to the map. "So. Kid. I dunno if you've noticed, but we're in a delicate situation. These pirates are gettin' stir crazy. My Snipers are raring to shoot… So. How's about you make this easy for all of us and tell us how to find that treasure?"

"Seriously?" Riku snapped. "All I did was activate the stupid thing. You can't seriously expect me to— GAH!"

Kairi screamed as lasers assaulted Riku's armored back. Her cry was cut short when Riku's armor saved him from a fatal shot. His face smashed into the moss-coated, metal floor. With his arms restrained by rope, he rolled onto his side in a desperate attempt to right himself.

"HEY!" Donald squawked furiously. "What're you doing, Xigbar?! Riku's a Keybearer!"

Xigbar fired at Donald, but he panicked and stumbled outta the way, and the blast struck the pirate behind him instead. Xigbar grinned behind the steaming barrel. "Like I said. Everyone's a target."

Riku stumbled back to his feet, ignoring the pain in his back as he looked over his shoulder and shook his head. "Guys, don't—"

Another blow from the butt of the sniper's rifle returned him to the metallic ground.

Xigbar spoke once more, "So, I'll say it again, Jimbo." He aimed one of his guns straight at Jim. "What's the secret? You're a smart kid. Bet you've gotten real familiar with this map's functions…"

Grumbling, Riku tried to regain his footing. But one of the Snipers stomped on his back and pinned him down. Still, Riku locked eyes with Jim, who nodded, then grinned.

"Nice try, but I know you're not gonna kill him. And if I've got the secret to the treasure, then you can't kill me either."

"True," said Xigbar, "but ain't you forgetting something?"

"No, not you. Your little dog, though…" He aimed at Doppler, who immediately gulped. Jim's smirk faded that instant.

Xigbar pressed on, idly tapping at the map. "As for you Mouseketeers, you use your magic to burn the ropes? We fire. Jimmy decides he doesn't wanna cooperate? We fire. So, keep your self-righteous schtick to yourselves, because as far as I'm concerned, you're all just a statistic waiting to happen."

He circled Riku, still on the ground, and kicked his pauldron in a specific spot. Riku's armor flashed, then vanished, save for the few lingering pieces intermixed with his clothes. This only enlarged Xigbar's grin.

"Aw, lookit that! It's just like their armor. And see, that's the other thing. I'd prefer Riku breathing, but I don't need him walking. So. What'll it be?"

Riku turned his head. Tried to tap his pauldron with his chin, but Xigbar caught his cheek with his boot before he hit the mark. He held Riku's gaze firmly upon him, preventing him from seeing the others' reactions to this news.

"I'll say it again, Jimbo. There are lives on the line."

The Snipers drew closer. Each of them took aim, one at Donald's skull, another at Goofy's neck. A third at Silver's eye, a fourth at Amelia's chest. Though Delbert stepped in front of her, the Sniper's aim remained true. The rest aimed at the pirates.

"And the fact is, even if your magic buddies break free, my Snipers are fast. By the time they break loose, well…"

Xigbar didn't need to articulate; the picture was clear as day. Sora remained missing. Jim remained silent. Even the slightest move to escape their binding risked fatality at this rate. So what now?

He should've thought this through, but now…

Now…

"Gettin' real impatient, kiddo." He looked at Doppler again, waving his gun.

Jim's eyes squeezed shut. He gulped, then shouted, "Look, I don't know! Just—"

A glassy sphere burst from the bushes, sloshing some sickening, black sludge as it rolled closer. Within this glorified hamster ball, a big-eyed, brass robot leaped forward and gushed more of that disgusting slop from his mouth as he shouted, "HEY! You didn't tell me there was a PARTY out here!"

Jim's eyes flew wide open. "BEN?!"

"Aw, look! You even got the door working!" He clasped his sticky, dripping hands together, and more sludge trickled from one of his eyes before he wiped it away. "And here I was, wasting my time getting firewood when I can't even grab the stuff!" He tapped the barrier for emphasis, but by then, Xigbar had already warped beside him and was nudging him along.

"Sounds to me like they were holding out on ya."

"No kidding! I mean, I know I can be a bit of a chatterbox, but really, I can help! I know pirates like the back of my…" His goopy hand burst into flame. He shook it to put the fire out. "Well, the point is, I could totally persuade those pirates to—"

Xigbar stopped him beside the map, though he kept one of his guns aimed at Jim. "So, when were you gonna tell me 'bout the tin man?"

"Uh. Right before he showed up!" Jim said, clearly forcing his smile. "But, hey! BEN used to work with Captain Flint, so if anyone would know how to find the treasure, it's him."

"Heh. That so?" Xigbar turned the barrier back to the map in question. How Riku yearned to smack that smug look off his face.

As it stood, he could only watch as BEN squinted and scratched his head.

"Well, it's a bit fuzzy. I mean, you've got the big door, but the treasure's… It's." He reached for the map, but the barrier stopped his advance.

Xigbar turned to Kairi. "Get rid of it."

She glowered in response, but nodded all the same. The barrier faded, and BEN tapped a sticky finger on the map, shifting the image to a race track with dozens of cars zooming by. On its own, that would be fine, but the eyes on their windshields, their big mouths…

Well. That was one image that would haunt Riku's nightmares.

"Nope, that's not it." Another click, and a wooden figure appeared in the thick of a forest maze, clad in a blue hat and cape. BEN blinked at that. "Mmm…. Seems kinda iffy." Another press wiped away the forest, replacing it with a crowded alley. In the middle of the crowd, a blond man with a goatee strummed on a small guitar, while his taller, black-haired companion in blue tossed a pair of dice. BEN gave the door one look, then tittered and clicked away. "Don't mind that! Lousy Katzenbergian interference! Gave us a real headache when Flint was making the darn thing. And then there's the Bluthian Anomalies. Now, those were a real pain in the—"

Xigbar's grin had vanished completely by then, and he spoke in a dry tone. "You done messin' around?"

"Right, right! The treasure. It's buried in the s—steroid of the megazord? Or was it sentry of the macaroni? AGH!" Sparks burst from the back of BEN's head, igniting the blobs of sludge on his shoulders,

Jim moaned, shaking his head. "He means the centroid of the mechanism."

Ignoring the blazing robot, Xigbar tapped his boot on the cliff. "Well, I'd say this planet here's lookin' pretty mechanical. And if the trail ends here…" He pressed his finger against Treasure Planet's projected form on the map. One more green flash shifted the display to a jungle of thick, metallic pipes and constructs stretching down into the darkness like artificial stalactites. Past the pipes, Riku caught just the faintest glimpse of gold.

"As I live an' breathe…" Silver stumbled closer until three Snipers swooped into his path. "Gah! Blast it all! Can't I even get a peep at it?"

"As if." Xigbar strode toward the doorway, snapping his fingers. Before Riku knew it, two more Snipers seized his tied arms, dragged him back to his feet, and forced him towards the one-eyed Nobody. Riku didn't even get the chance to process what had happened before Xigbar seized him by the arm and dragged him along. "C'mon, kiddo. It's time for a little field trip. You too, robot. And as for the rest of ya…" He began pointing at the various pirates. "Fart-face, tentacles, four arms, you're with me. Heck, bring along the tummy goblin and his talking hat, and that angler fish for good measure. But if anyone else even thinks about moving a muscle…"

The Snipers fired off another warning shot. Though Donald started to stomp forward, Goofy leaped in his way. Amelia's ears folded back and her pupils slitted, but she remained still, as did Kairi and Delbert. Jim, though…

His back arched. His shoulders drew up to his chin. Fire blazed in his eyes. Riku couldn't blame him. After everything, the treasure was so close. His hopes for a better future…

Riku wanted to offer words of reassurance, but Xigbar dragged him through the gate before he got the chance.

It only took a few steps before Riku's jaw dropped. For a fleeting moment, Xigbar and the pirates vanished from his mind as he took in the endless sea of gold spanning far into the distance. Sparkling, shining, drawing him closer with each passing second. This momentary euphoria only ended when the others shoved him aside and stormed past him. One by one, they plunged into the treasure heap. They cackled and cried as they scooped up armfuls of coins, diamonds, sapphires, and rubies.

While the tiny, tentacled head skittered on top of a half-buried chest, his tubby, torso partner seized a gold helmet and held it high. That fat, slug-like alien kept making those disgusting fart sounds as it planted kisses on a half-buried, gold shield. The massive, four-armed pirate seized four jewel-encrusted swords and bellowed in triumph. Truth be told, Riku couldn't blame him. Sure, he'd seen spoils before, back in the Cave of Wonders, but that…that was just a fraction of the loot before him.

Following Xigbar, Riku stared at the spectacular sapphires, polished to perfection despite the decades buried in secret. Scrolls and books lay littered among metal and gems; how he longed to take a closer look and unfurl the secrets within. Several more weapons stuck out of the shimmering shallows, too, and—

No way. Riku rushed to the platform's edge as one particular object in the sea of gold caught his eye. But that one became two, then two became six. Dull blue handles. Keychains marked with hollow stars. Shafts coated in nicks and rust, perhaps once a brilliant silver.

Riku's heart froze. His stomach churned. The world seemed to rock as realization set in. "Are those…Keyblades?!"

Xigbar hopped down, moseying up to one of the Keyblades and yanking it out of its resting place. "Man, these things must be ancient."

"Put it down!" Riku snapped, though the words came with zero thought. His wrists were still bound behind his back, and he remained outnumbered, so it wasn't like he could just launch an attack.

Xigbar laughed at his remark, giving the Keyblade a swish. But why didn't it vanish? Was it because it was so old? Discarded? Did it even have power anymore? Well, whatever the case, it hardly mattered! This was wrong.

But Xigbar clearly didn't care. He fiddled further with the rusted weapon. "C'mon, buddo. What's the harm in takin' a few souvenirs? It ain't like their wielders are here to use 'em anymore."

"Yep! It's true!" said BEN, raising a dribbling finger. "See, mercy wasn't exactly one of Flint's best qualities."

Riku gawked at the implications. "Wait, so he killed Keybearers?!"

"Uh, maybe? It's still kinda hazy. And I sorta—maybe—kinda remember something about a desert, too. Lots of keys stuck in the dirt…"

Under normal circumstances, Riku would've asked for more details, but with Xigbar still swishing that Keyblade, his focus shifted. His hands clenched.

"Doesn't matter! You've got no business wielding a Keyblade, Xigbar!"

"Ha! As if." Xigbar twirled both Keyblades, catching them mid-spin. "The way I see it, I'm the worthiest one here."

Was he serious?! Blue sparks surged from Riku's fingertips. The ropes blackened. Smoke trailed up past his shoulders. All instinctively. Riku's hands remained behind his back seconds after, and once the lack of pressure on his wrists registered, he stepped back, eyes wide.

Only, to Riku's surprise, Xigbar just chuckled and shrugged. "Showtime's over, and you performed flawlessly. Go on and stretch your legs. Or your arms." But why was he so casual about it? With Riku free, he could draw his Keyblade. Pick a real fight.

Except his friends were still Xigbar's hostages. Still trapped by Snipers and pirates alike… So, was he really free at all? He slumped, trailing behind Xigbar as if yanked on an invisible leash. Nonetheless, he reactivated his armor as a precaution.

As they wandered, Ben tapped his head. A thick, bubbling trail of black sludge trickled behind him, much to the pirates' chagrin.

"Oy! Get yer gunk off our spoils!" one of them shouted.

BEN stopped, then gulped. "Geez. You know, in hindsight, maybe that barrier wasn't such a bad idea after all."

Xigbar carried on, whistling as they brushed past piles upon piles of gold coins, gemstones, and knick-knacks. The further they walked, the more rusted Keyblades appeared, and…what? Riku knelt down, scooping up a strange medal with a frilly, wing-like border. Dust coated its center, but a quick rub revealed a faded image of…

"Wait. Is that…me?" Younger, sure, with longer hair, but he'd know that old look anywhere.

"Now, how 'bout that?" Snickering, Xigbar scooped up another medal. "Look, they even got one of me. Funny how that turns out, eh, kiddo?"

"But this treasure's at least a hundred years old…"

"Yup. Talk about a crazy coincidence…" Though Xigbar's tone was oddly nonchalant about the whole ordeal. "Hmm… Looks like we got some more right here. And here… Nice." He scooped 'em up and tucked them in his pockets.

"Coincidence? Seriously? There has to be more to it!" He knelt down, grabbed another medal. Seemed awfully smudged—it was difficult to make out the image, even after the initial rub.

But Xigbar just waved his hand and shook his head. "Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. But what do I know? I wasn't there."

Riku nearly retorted, but was cut off by BEN criticizing one medal in particular. "Why is this elephant flying?! They have flying elephants, but no studly robots?!"

Ugh. None of this made any sense. Well, maybe he could ask Aqua about it later. Maybe Yen Sid or King Mickey. For now, he joined Xigbar in grabbing more medals. However, his eyes soon wandered to a distant barge with tattered, red sails, and a border of Keyblades spanning along its circumference.

BEN scratched his head. "This feels…very familiar." Xigbar opted not to comment, continuing to stroll toward the far off barge.

Once they reached their destination, several objects caught Riku's eye. First, a loose, crumpled page, which Xigbar snatched up before he got a closer look. Second, a spiral-bound green book, its cover faded and slightly smudged. Riku could just barely make out the words 'Dandelion Rulebook' beneath the layer of dust. Like the torn page, Xigbar took a long, hard look at the book, the thick, nauseating odor that permeated over the ship deck dragged Riku's attention over to a six-eyed skeleton stooped over in a throne of old, rusted Keyblades. The corpse was garbed in a loose-fitting black jacket, tattered red pants, a black bicorne hat and matching boots.

A Keyblade impaled the skeleton's ribcage, its guard resembling a ship's helm and its keychain adorned with a golden skull coin. Unlike the others, this Keyblade lacked rust, but it lay as still as the corpse before them. And as Riku and Xigbar approached the old bag of bones, the pipes spanning high above them bellowed and gushed torrents of black smog into vast holes scattered across the treasure trove. The air seemed to bubble with rising pressure. The hair on Riku's neck stood on end.

"I. I, uh…" BEN's movements suddenly grew shaky. He clamped his dribbling mouth shut, then staggered forward. Collapsed on his knees at the foot of Flint's throne. A waterfall of that disgusting black slime gushed from his jaws onto the ship deck. It poured out, trickling outward in a miniature river, spiraling and stretching and bubbling before Riku's eyes.

Riku scrambled beside him. Even dared to reach for his shoulder, but BEN raised a hand to stop him.

"D—don't. This is…" He retched more and more ooze, and it all came pouring toward that makeshift Keyblade throne.

Xigbar watched this and stroked his chin. For now, he kept quiet, making his way up to Flint himself. With nothing else to do, Riku followed suit, eying one of Flint's hands. His bony fingers coiled around…something wiry. Riku reached for his fingers and pried them apart. The metallic piece that greeted him bore the same shade as BEN's body, and Riku's eyes wandered to the sparking, exposed wires atop his head.

He stepped around the growing puddle and dashed behind BEN. With a target in sight, he slapped that metal piece into place, and BEN jerked upright, eyes flashing from green to bright blue.

"WHOA! Ever heard of personal space? I don't think… Wait. But I am thinking, aren't I?" His vomiting ceased, and he whirled toward Riku. The dark sludge slowly evaporated away. All of it. "YES! It's all coming back to me! This ship. The treasure! Captain Flint's darkest secrets…" BEN's face scrunched up in revulsion. "All of his darkest secrets."

Meanwhile, Xigbar propped an arm over Flint's shoulder and brushed his fingers over the guard of the Keyblade skewering his chest.

"Dark secrets like what, exactly?" There had to be something. The continuously mounting pressure. The stench growing thicker and thicker. The dark ooze encircling the base of Flint's throne.

Before BEN could speak, Xigbar reached for the Keyblade's hilt. But those six empty eyes lit up in a flash. Riku gasped as Xigbar staggered back. The bony fingers of Flint's corpse seized the Keyblade, tore it from his chest, and blasted the three away in a single, devastating blow.

Riku crashed against the deck, followed by Xigbar half a second later, while BEN landed face-first. By then, Flint had risen from his throne of keys, hissing as black smog swirled around him. The entire ship rumbled. The throne rumbled. Flint thrust his free hand toward the pipe-coated ceiling, and all at once, his throne blew apart, hurtling its Keyblades at the intruders.

x.x.x

By now, the pirates had all begun pacing around the cliff. Yes, even with the Snipers still poised to strike at any second. Every few minutes, they'd fire off another warning shot, and those brutes would scuttle back, stumbling over each others' feet and collapsing like dominos. It might've been funny, were it not for the guns locked on literally everyone. There were even several blast marks on the Highwind just a few feet behind Kairi. She growled. How could they just sit here? Not even Amelia came up with a plan. At least Morph scuttled around a little. Disguised as a rock. A very tiny rock. With overlarge, cartoon eyes. Eyes that closed whenever the Snipers looked his way.

Maybe, if Kairi scooted back against the downed Highwind, she could use her magic to burn through the ropes. But, with so many Snipers overlooking the group, would she really get the chance?

As a test, she slid back. The Snipers' heads turned. She cocked her fingers. They cocked their guns. Sighing, she remained in place, right next to Silver. At this point, it hardly mattered. They were all in the same boat.

He looked to her and let out a hushed laugh. "Ah, 'tis a crying shame. Spent a whole lifetime searching for that treasure, I did, and look at what it's come to."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't betrayed us, it would've been different," said Jim, still fuming. He sat just a few feet away.

Silver shook his head. "I doubt that, Jimbo. Xigbar played us all from the start."

Goofy chimed in, "But here's what I don't get. What good's treasure gonna do for the Organization?"

"Couldn't tell ya, mate. That man's got his share of secrets, I wager. A closed book if there ever was one."

"Gah! Who cares?" Donald hopped to his feet, stretching as tall as his stubby legs could reach. "Xigbar's gone, so I say we go in there any—YEOWCH!" A blast from a Sniper ignited his tail feathers, and he ran in a circle, quacking like mad.

All the other Snipers turned on Donald as well. Even the pirates ceased their endless stomping to watch the show. Kairi groaned, and if her hands weren't tied, she would've slapped her face.

But the air crackled before she could scold him. Streaks of violet lightning tore through the clouds, smiting several Snipers without warning. And that wasn't all. Tomatoes sailed through the air, splattering several other Snipers' faces. Then came a wave of forks and knives. The Nobodies retaliated by blasting in all directions. Kairi and the others huddled by the Highwind for protection while she shielded them all with a barrier. Then, to top it all off, a tsunami of White Mushroom Heartless swirled out from the thicket in a destructive congregation alarmingly similar to a Demon Tide. They bore metal bowls, pots, and lids over their heads as they stormed into the downpour of lasers.

It happened so fast it left Kairi staring in a stupor. A stupor that only ended when a black blur crashed beside her, tearing her bindings with glowing green claws before tossing an Ether into her hands. Nodding, Kairi snarfed it down without further delay, while Sora rushed off to aid the others. These others did not include the pirates.

To buy Sora some time, Kairi glanced over each of the Snipers and unleashed a wave of luminescent Shotlocks. Completely blindsided by this, the Nobodies took the blasts head-on, allowing the Mushroom swarm to smother them in their swirling assault of nubby arms and merciless pots and pans. At the same time, Donald and Goofy reclaimed their staff and shield. Goofy grabbed Donald by the ankles, clearly without a heads-up, and twirled the startled duck around as he caught on and lit the air with a rainbow of fireworks.

Four White Mushrooms slammed into the fat, grey, horned pirate's back, pinning him to the ground. Two more scooped up the little, six-eyed alien and flung him straight into Donald's fireworks. Six of the Snipers, all the while, rushed at the Highwind. Kairi skidded into their path.

She raised her Keyblade and cried, "Gather!" A sphere swelled at her command, tearing all the nearby Snipers into its ruthless rotation while Sora dashed behind the ship.

Seconds later, Jim, Delbert, and Amelia rushed dashed across the battlefield, scooping up discarded blasters from the pirates. Amelia took aim, only for a small Mushroom to tug on her pant leg to get her attention. She looked down and found that the Mushroom friend offered up a massive, six-barrel rotary machine gun. Amelia's eyes sparkled.

By then, Silver had burst from his bindings. His robotic arm transformed into a cannon, and he fired a barrage of burning plasma into droves of flying Nobodies, reducing them to smoke in seconds.

Light pillars cleaved across the battlefield. Fireworks erupted in rainbow plumes. Some Snipers hit the ground, dozing. Others stiffened in midair. Others crashed into minefields and exploded on impact. With Jim, Amelia, and Delbert all providing backup blasts and the Snipers dwindling further every second, the tide of battle shifted outright. Soon, all that remained were the pirates, pinned down by White Mushrooms, who then proceeded to splatter their faces with tomatoes and bash their faces with metal spoons.

Amelia and Delbert scoured the cliffside for any remaining rope. Unfortunately, thanks to Sora's rescue efforts, the only remaining pieces had been chopped up and blackened. When the two looked to him, he smiled sheepishly and shrugged. But Donald snickered and blasted the pirates' bodies with chunks of ice, leaving only their faces exposed.

"That'll teach ya!"

The pirates cried out, squirming inside their icy prison.

"Arr, blast that Xigbar!"

"Nobody backstab all of us!"

"Forgive us, cap'n!"

But Silver did not respond. Kairi peered further into the frozen horde, but Silver wasn't among them. The others must've realized this as well, and soon everyone scanned the cliff with their weapons drawn, expecting the old cyborg to strike at any moment.

But there was no sign of him.

Amelia called, "There's no use in hiding, Silver! You and your crew are done for!"

Doppler gasped, alarming everyone. "Wait a moment…where's Jim?"

All at once, everyone on the cliff turned to the massive portal. They all saw how both Silver and Jim eyed it during their capture, how they both craved the treasures within. But, with Xigbar already inside

Donald gulped. "Uh oh."

Doppler sprinted for the portal in a panic. "Jim! Don't be reckless!"

But Amelia caught his arm. "Doctor, don't be a hypocrite! If Xigbar's already inside, then we cannot afford to rush in blindly."

Kairi nearly objected, concerned for Riku more than anything else, but stopped when Sora whistled and gestured to a corridor. He then pointed at Amelia and Delbert and lifted a sheet of paper that read 'LEGACY' in big letters.

The two locked eyes, then nodded. Hand in hand, they plunged through the darkness. The White Mushrooms and Morph, meanwhile, huddled around the wrecked Highwind and whipped out screwdrivers, hammers, and even soldering irons. Where they got them was anyone's guess. Why Morph thought smacking the nails in as a squeaky hammer would help was also anyone's guess but with time so short, Kairi offered the Heartless a quick smile before turning her attention back to the gate and the darkness billowing from those pipes.

Donald and Goofy waited at the cliff's edge. A tap on the leg brought Kairi's attention to Sora, who bumped a fist against his chest and scurried ahead. Right—no time to stall. So, taking a deep breath, Kairi activated her armor and dashed after her friends, passing through the portal and onto a metallic platform.

The second they entered, that very same platform gave an abrupt jerk that nearly sent them all to the floor. Another tremor came seconds later. To top it all off, sounds of scattered wailing echoed throughout the core, and on further inspection, Kairi spotted scampering pirates darting across the golden field before them, pursued by—

"WAK! Those are Keyblades!"

Yes. Dozens upon dozens of Keyblades, clouded in dark mist. They tore through the air, obliterating everything in their path. That was all Kairi needed to see before she flung herself down from the platform and charged across the rumbling terrain. No time to question where Riku or Xigbar were. The second she touched the golden ground, five of the Keyblades snapped toward her and charged all at once. They bounced off a barrier, and she tumbled backwards. Along the way, she caught a glimpse of Jim in the distance, scooping up a discarded shield and clumsily blocking the assault.

Yet again, Kairi incanted, "Gather!" At least a handful of the blades flew into the orbit. By then, both Donald and Goofy rushed in. While Goofy ran ahead, Donald raised his staff and repeatedly summoned electrified pillars down upon the battlefield.

Eyes still wide, Jim sprinted over to them. Kairi met him halfway, calling his name.

Jim responded swiftly, "Kairi, what's going on?"

"I don't kno—" Another quake. The piles spewed even more darkness into the scattered craters. Kairi's skin tingled. This darkness…

She grabbed Jim's wrist, leaping away from three more Keyblades and retaliating with a volley of Pearls. But, stranger yet, fissures began tearing through the treasure, culminating in inky-black tendrils that writhed far over their heads.

And then, just as swiftly as the crevice appeared, a massive, shadowy hand burst forth.

x.x.x

Riku's Dark Barrier shattered. The force of the Keyblade torrent still sent him tumbling back. Hissing, he rolled to the right. He dashed in a streak of shadow just as Flint's skeleton dropped down and rattled the entire ship with a violent shockwave. The planks beneath him cracked and cratered inward. Wicked cackling burst from the hideous skull's jagged jaws.

Xigbar hovered above the skirmish, priming his arrowguns. "So. Old Flinty's alive and kickin'."

Flint cackled and spoke in a hissing, whispery voice. "Oh, death stared me in the face, it did, but I had me ways around it." As he spoke, the Keyblades surrounding the ship rocketed from their resting places and tore through the air like a raging tornado. Five of them shot toward Xigbar, but he thrust his hand out, halting them mid-flight and sending them back toward the decayed pirate.

Riku flickered behind Flint, readying a Dark Break. But he was blasted away by the Keyblades that Xigbar returned, redirected by Flint to blast Riku out of the air, sending him crashing into the Keyblade tornado. His armor saved him from dozens of would-be fatal blows before the torrent rammed him into the gold-covered ground, over the edge of the ship.

Riku groaned as he crawled back to his feet, only to discover another conglomeration of Keys thundering his way. He thrust Oblivion outward and shouted, "Force!" The dome that spread over the Keyblades halted their advance, compressing the tornado just long enough for Riku to dash over the top.

Flint sprung into his path. Their Keyblades collided. Each flailed their weapons wildly, slashing and clashing. Gritting his teeth, Riku ignited his Keyblade with crackling Dark Firaga. Flint did the same. The combined, explosive impacts of their strikes sent the two skidding back. Riku struck the bow, and lasers from Xigbar's arrowguns streaked over the stern where Flint landed. The relentless barrage knocked the skeleton sky-high, but he righted himself and smashed the deck. Another shockwave followed, this one twice as high. Twice as fast. Riku warped above Flint to evade the attack, then plunged over his head. Flint raised his Keyblade and blocked the blow.

"'Twas bold, trying to steal me Keyblade, son. And what intrepid explorers, to have found yer way to me trove."

BEN cried from nearby, "I didn't do it, I swear! They had the map! They figured it out all on their own and—" A stray Keyblade smacked BEN upside the head, knocking him flat against the mast. It was so uncanny seeing him fall without spilling dark slime everywhere.

Riku shuddered. Any other time, he would've rushed over to help. Instead, he flipped backwards and landed atop a pile of gold. He extended Oblivion in preparation for Shotlock, but found Flint rushing his way before he could strike, half-emerged from a billowing trail of shadow. Riku raised his Keyblade too late. Flint crashed into him. Pinned him down. Raised his Keyblade for the kill.

"FORE!" cried Xigbar, and an upward swing from a supercharged Keyblade smacked Flint's back, knocking him high into the air.

Flint crashed into the mast, sliding down into the crow's nest. Xigbar flew after him, with two more of those old, rusted Keyblades hovering beside him. As Flint struggled to his feet, Xigbar sent the Keyblades flying, following up with a blast from his arrowguns. Though his attacks made their mark, another torrent of Keyblades burst up below Xigbar, blasting him away before the wave swerved back to catch Flint mid-fall.

Soon the entire wave shot after Riku like a giant snake with Flint perched atop the head. Riku warped away repeatedly, but the Keys kept up their relentless advance, giving him little room to breathe, let alone retaliate. To make matters worse, individual Keyblades continued flaking off from the pack, crashing only inches away. To the right, the left. Riku dived through a corridor in a desperate attempt to escape, but as soon as he tumbled onto the deck, the Keyblade trail burst through the portal before he could close it and shoved him over the edge once more.

He struck the ground, which trembled beneath him as cracks tore through the golden path. Before he could question why, a shadowy figure pounced Flint atop the Keyblade torrent, delivering a swift kick to his skeletal snout with a goofy, oversized shoe.

"Sora!"

The Keyblade wave shivered as Sora kicked, clawed, and slammed fireballs in Flint's face. Flint swung wildly. Sora melded into his shadow.

Dashing over the spreading fissures, Riku took one look at the wobbling mass of Keyblades and teleported above Flint.

Black smoke seeped from Oblivion as Riku rocketed down and tore clean across his exposed ribcage. Then he warped away, leaving an afterimage, which Flint sliced through instead as he reeled back. A shrill roar followed as Sora sprung from behind Flint and ignited the skeleton's jacket with green flames. When Riku reappeared, three Keyblades sailed his way. He warped about, slashing them one by one and leaving more afterimages in his wake. The parried Keyblades froze in place—a gift of Stopga from Riku's Dark Splicer.

But something yanked those very same Keyblades backwards through the air. A brief look up revealed that Xigbar had already formed a half circle of discarded keys and trained them on the clueless pirate.

Just this once, Riku'd let it fly. He kept on warping. Slashing. Freezing key after key. Scattering afterimages of himself that absorbed the frenzied onslaught while Sora kicked, clawed, shoved, and pounced.

The crevices spread further across the treasure trove. Coins spilled into the dark depths. Massive tendrils twirled and stretched. But why? How?

More Keyblades incoming. No time to think. Riku slashed and warped again. And again. And again!

The Keyblades all drifted toward Xigbar, forming a massive circle around him. Tens, dozens of Keyblades. All poised to strike. He held up three fingers, then two, then one…

Nodding, Riku shouted, "Sora, jump!"

Eyes wide, Sora complied. Flint froze. Looked up. It was too late. The deluge of Keyblades obliterated him in a deafening roar that drowned out his own.

The crashing torrent gave one last shudder, then collapsed upon the fracturing core. Flint's remains lay among the heap, thorny wisps rising from what was left of his body.

Despite his ravaged form, the disintegrating pirate gave a wheezing laugh. "Ah… Crafty lot, aren't ye… But ye fools be wasting your time."

The roar of an explosion pulled Riku's attention to one of the gargantuan pipes overhead. It burst into flames, then came crashing down just a short distance away. Another quake seized the treasure field all around them. From afar, Riku heard Goofy's voice wail, joined by the sound of frantic quacking.

"What the?!" He turned around, jaw dropping at the sight of a mountainous figure clawing its way out of the planet's core. Its spindly, skeletal physique radiated pure darkness. Like Flint's devastated form, it bore six bright, gleaming eyes. Unlike Flint, it bore six arms, all dripping black, viscous fluid alarmingly similar to what BEN previously suffered from. Its elongated jaws snapped as it dragged itself further into view.

Flint continued, though his voice grew weaker and weaker. "Always knew someone would come… So I split meself in two. Meself, an empty husk. And Me Heartless, buried deep within this world's heart. My heart…"

BEN hopped down from the barge, landing with a clink. "I'd, uh, forget the monologue and start RUNNING right about now!"

"Too late to run, you bucket a bolts. This world was lost the day I tied its heart to mine…" Flint's body faded after one final, choked out laugh, but explosions continued to bellow from on high. And if his friends were here…

Riku flung Oblivion overhead, transforming it into its Glider form. He grabbed Sora and BEN by the wrists and dragged them aboard. "C'mon! We gotta go help the others!"

x.x.x

Kairi clutched her Glider's handlebar as she swooped between slashing, skeletal arms. Jet-black streaks tore across the treasure trove. Coins, gems, and all manner of trinkets sank through the volcanic ruptures. Explosion after explosion decimated the pipes. Down below, she heard Donald's shouts, followed by repeated ticking. Enough to freeze at least a few pipes temporarily, and—shoot, another claw swipe. Kairi ducked down, then rammed into the Heartless' ribcage. Beads of light pounded against its shoulders and jawline.

While she circled around its monstrous face, she heard the crack and sizzle of laserfire from Jim's blaster. He must've known that couldn't harm it. Was he serving as a distraction? Dodging another swipe, Kairi dived down, grabbing Jim's arm and pulling him awkwardly onto the platform beneath her Glider's wings.

"Hold on tight, okay? I'll get you out of here."

"But what about Donald and Goofy?" Already, he'd turned his sights on the apocalyptic landscape. He was right to worry. Donald and Goofy could barely keep up with the explosive, collapsing terrain, let alone join them in battling the giant Heartless. The continued landslide dragged them closer and closer to the fiery chasms. To the Heartless. It wasn't just them, either. The few remaining pirates scurried away, slowed down by their greedy efforts to carry armfuls of goods in their escape.

Slowed down enough for that Heartless beast to lurch forward and snatch up the angler fish pirate and the tall, tentacled one with spindly eyestalks. Its jaws clamped over them, sealing their fate. Kairi shuddered at the sight, but flew on.

Still, Jim was right. One Glider couldn't carry them all. And that was disregarding Riku, Sora, and Silver. Jim was right to hesitate.

The Heartless' jaws flew wide open. A jet of molten lava burst from within. Kairi's Glider took an abrupt dive, and she coasted between two more of its swiping arms. Further Pearl spells assaulted the beast, but it retaliated with another burst of magma. And though she ducked and swerved and her barrier deflected the scattered residue of the molten blast, another pipe plummeted directly above her.

"G—Gather!" Magnega snatched up the pipe at the last possible second, dragging coins, gemstones, and even Keyblades along the way. Heart hammering, Kairi flew over the Magnega sphere, and Jim tapped her shoulder.

"Hey! Think you can reach that boat in time?"

Only then did it register. A distant ship with tattered, red sails, sliding steadily toward the center of the core. Far enough that, at this rate, it'd take a few minutes to meet its doom.

A black speck zoomed their way as well, along with something smaller. Glittery.

Kairi took one last look at the Heartless before blasting their way. But jets of lava spewed through the cracks before them. Jim yelled and recoiled on impulse, but Kairi's reflexes were fast enough to summon another barrier precious milliseconds before they passed through. Kairi wished she had the time to appreciate Jim's terror and wonder at flying through lava and surviving. Not so long ago, she would've reacted the same way.

"Guys!" she heard Riku call, and she instinctively picked up the pace. Another lava stream erupted, and Riku crashed straight through it with his own Dark Barrier shielding him from certain death.

Sora and BEN were on Riku's Glider as well, along with a pouting Tinkerbell. She heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of them all.

Jim gaped beside Kairi. "Uh…is that a fairy?"

Kairi nodded and said with a smirk, "Yup. It just wouldn't be an apocalypse without Tinkerbell!"

The small fairy's relieved smile scrunched into an offended grimace. After Olympus, Kairi couldn't blame her.

But Kairi ignored her and called, "Great job, Sora! Now let's just hope Riku doesn't bail on us again."

Riku grumbled at her remark. "Look, can we talk about this later? Kinda in a hurry here."

"And so are we," said Jim, leaning past Kairi. "There's a ship back there that we can stock with gold and ride outta here."

"What, Flint's barge?" Riku frowned. "It looks totaled."

"Just gotta hotwire it," Jim said. He nudged Kairi, but Tinkerbell closed in, showering him with glitter. "AGH! It's molting!"

Tink glared and kicked his nose.

"Just think happy thoughts!" said BEN. "Fairy dandruff is great for flying! I know, it's kinda hard right now, Jimmy, but—"

A distant roar echoed from afar, followed by more of Goofy's yelps and Donald's quacks. They had to act fast.

Riku raised a first. "Don't sweat it, Kairi. We'll buy you some time—you just focus on getting that boat up and running."

Kairi frowned, realizing something. "Wait. Where's Silver?"

Jim scowled. "Who cares? If all he wants is the treasure—"

Another lava stream burst forth, and Kairi swerved to the side, while the others flew back towards the gargantuan mass of shadows before them. But the sudden maneuver knocked Jim from Kairi's Glider, and he fell to the gold below before she could catch him.

She quickly descended to check up on him. He nodded, indicating he was fine, and she offered her hand to hoist him back up. He nearly took it before he looked past her and his eyes widened in shock. "Silver!"

Kairi followed his gaze and found the elusive cyborg prepping the gold-laden barge for takeoff.

They sped to the ship on their Glider, ignoring the enclosing fissures and the treasure trickling through the gaps. All that mattered was making sure Silver didn't get away. Kairi sent her Glider into a nosedive. They reached the deck, Keyblade and pistol drawn, only to find Silver leaning casually at the helm, his mechanical arm's plasma cannon already primed and aimed at them.

"Ah, Jimbo! Lass. Fancy meetin' you 'round these parts."

Jim bristled, his grip on his gun shaking. Kairi said to him, "Don't let him get to you. We'll stop him." She turned to Silver, her Keyblade still leveled at his chest, secretly charging Shotlock for the moment he made a wrong move.

Silver snickered. "Oh, children. Are ye really willing to kill over some treasure? Maybe you'd make fine pirates after all. That bein' the case, why start a squabble when we all have somethin' to gain from this arrangement?"

Jim scoffed, his trigger finger growing itchier by the second. "Is that what you told Billy Bones?"

Silver's eyes widened, the mechanical one especially.

Jim pressed on. "Yeah, whose inn do you think that was that you burned? And how do you think I even got the map?! I remember the day my world died. I remember that old salamander's warning. Beware the cyborg."

Silver breathed a heavy sigh and, against all expectations, lowered his plasma cannon. "Listen, Jimbo. I like you, lad. And it's like I said before—I meant every word I ever said to ya. If you and the lass are willing to go so far for some doubloons, then I won't stop ya."

The planet shuddered again. The ship too. It began sliding.

And Kairi lowered her Keyblade.

Jim bristled. "Kairi, what're you doing? He's a pirate. He's—"

"Not attacking. If he really wanted us out of the way, he would've fired alrea—"

He fired. Faster than she could blink, Silver redrew his plasma cannon and blasted her dead center on her visor. Her helmet shattered as the shock of the blast whipped her head back, knocking the breath and the sense right out of her, right over the barge's edge—

x.x.x.

Jim screamed. "KAIRI!"

The horrifying way her head jerked back from the blast, the sickening way she landed on her neck and didn't move… He nearly leaped after her, but a second shot from Silver's cannon exploded against Jim's pistol, obliterating it and stopping Jim in his tracks. He stared at Silver in a paralyzing, cold sweat.

The old pirate smirked behind the smoking barrel. "Only room for two on this ride. Unless you'd rather make it one."

Keeping his trembling eyes locked on the cyborg, Jim slowly backed away from the barge's edge. He couldn't fight back. His gun was gone. Kairi was…gone. And Silver…it just wasn't right. How could all those months in space, all those hardships he suffered just to get here—how could it all end like…this?

The barge hovered into the air. Away from the gold-covered ground. Away from Kairi. With the cannon aimed at Jim and the other arm on the wheel, Silver steered the boat on a course that would fly right past the giant Heartless and straight for the portal.

"Better hold on, son. It's gonna get bumpy."

Right on cue, another falling pipe crashed overhead, rocking the side of the boat. Silver and Jim both toppled over as the barge was kicked into high gear, flying onward with a disoriented helmsman. Jim didn't wait for him to get up. Gritting his teeth, he scooped up a leftover Keyblade from Flint's throne and swung at Silver with every ounce of fury burning within him.

The pirate's reflexes were faster than his age let on; he parried the Keyblade with his mechanical arm—now a thick cutlass—only inches before the blow could connect with his skull.

That single, impulsive swing was strong enough to send Jim some steps back, and Silver didn't hesitate to follow through with a blindingly fast riposte. Strike after strike drove Jim back, humiliating him with the knowledge that, of all the fistfights and firefights he'd been in, he'd never once held a sword. And he didn't hold this one for long.

A final swing knocked the Keyblade out of his grasp, lost to the rushing blur of their surroundings. Silver must've assumed that meant he won. That grin vanished when, not a second later, Jim brought a left hook crashing into the right, cybernetic half of his face.

The effort knocked them both back, putting a distance between them that Jim couldn't afford. Not when Silver raised his cutlass once more. But then Jim caught something from the corner of his eye.

A smoking, skeletal monster of a hand bursting through the fumes and chaos, blasting the side of the ship harder than cannonfire ever could've. The barge was sent hurtling back, twisting and spiraling and crashing while Silver and Jim held on for their lives.

x.x.x

"Heal!" cried a muffled, warbly voice from much closer than it seemed.

Kairi groaned under the wave of emerald washing over her, crawling back to her feet with Donald's help. That was one heck of a headshot, and one heck of a headache. Thankfully, with Donald's magic, that was all it was.

"What happened, Kairi? Where's Jim?"

She moaned as she grabbed her temple and fought to regain her balance. "Jim… He's…he's right—" Her eyes shot open. "Jim!"

Off in the distance, beyond the massive, six-armed Heartless that Riku and the others fought, was the smoking husk of the crashed barge, dangerously near a widening fissure threatening to blow at any moment.

Gulping and clenching her teeth, she hurled Destiny's Embrace outward, transforming it into its hang glider-like state. "Donald, help Riku! Don't wait up for me!"

"WAK! But Kairi!"

She took off in a dive. Swerved between further lava pillars. Off to the side, she caught Sora hovering with some glowing blades around him like wings. One of Ven's skills, maybe? He charged at the giant Heartless, slashing and striking and dodging. Riku joined him with his own barrage of shadowy strikes and afterimages. A disc-shaped shield flying around in a shockingly coordinated formation—all without returning to its wielder—indicated some collaboration between Goofy and Tink.

And beyond all the mayhem was the ship.

But that gargantuan Heartless shot up before her, retching magma into her path. She narrowly blasted out of the way, only for its gargantuan fist to smash into the top of her Glider and send her hurtling down. At this rate, she'd never reach Jim in time.

x.x.x

He coughed violently from the smoke. The crash was…unexpected. Somehow. Silver cursed at himself. He should've known better than to bring Jimbo along. They'd been enemies since before they set foot on this planet, and despite all that, Silver still had the daft idea to bring the kid along for the ride.

He hacked again, clearing out the last of the smoke from his lungs as he peeked over the edge of the tilted barge. A massive chasm separated the downed ship from the chaotic battle ahead.

The gargantuan, six-armed Heartless was now completely enveloped in a raging wall of flame. Silver nearly lost his breath. He realized, if that Heartless was like BEN used to be and it secreted that dark slime as well, it was only a matter of time before it became a living inferno.

Riku, the lass, all the others…they didn't stand a chance.

But he did. He could still escape. He scrambled to the control panel, found it still operational. He checked the compartments, found that all the treasure stuffed below deck was still intact. He sighed in relief, readied for takeoff once more…

"SILVER!" The terror, the desperate agony in Jim's voice stopped Silver's heart. He looked around for him, his robotic eye scanning every yard of the crumbling, apocalyptic landscape. And then he found him.

Several yards down, gripping one of a series of shallow panels jutting out of a sheer, adjacent wall. Nothing below but the roiling lava and nothing to reach for. For a moment, Silver considered abandoning the treasures and rushing to save him.

That moment didn't last.

He'd come this far without a care for those he'd pillaged, backstabbed, and cast into the deepest, darkest depths. It was all about the prize. The years spent in desperation, sacrifices made, all in the pursuit of the greatest treasure in the universe…

Material riches. Lifeless stones cut real pretty. Metal forged and melted and shined, but objects all the same.

But…who said he had to choose? Silver leaped down, clamping his mechanical hand to the ship's bow and extending his arm. He strained under the weight, lowering himself over the cliff's edge and reaching as far as his limbs could stretch.

"Jimbo! Reach for me, now!"

Jim nearly did, before sense and gravity threatened to send him plummeting to the magma below. "I can't!" There was something so heartbreaking in the way he pleaded.

A ways behind, Silver heard Kairi call over the battle, "Riku, we have to hurry!" Silver made a mental note that Kairi was still alive and probably wouldn't forget his treachery any time soon.

Just as far back, Riku answered, "Right. At this rate, who knows how long this world's even gonna hold?" Another explosion. Another roar.

The Heartless was just too strong. Time was running out.

Silver glanced wildly from the barge to Jim. From the treasures to his friend. Silver's arm was creaking. Jim's fingers were slipping. The lava wasn't getting any colder.

At last, Silver growled and cursed himself, "Oh, blast me for a fool!" Against every entrepreneurial and survival instinct he'd acquired over his long, agonizing life, he did the unthinkable. He released the barge. Dashed to the edge of the cliff. Grabbed Jim's arm the moment he lost his grip and yanked him up.

The look in Jim's eyes. The wild, disbelieving…childlike stare, like a boy amazed that his father had pulled through after all—no. No. Silver was overthinking this.

Thankfully, another explosion bellowed from behind, giving Silver the out he needed from this sappy epiphany. But the explosion was followed by a devastating crash: one of the massive pipes crashing from the ceiling and demolishing the barge. Silver and Jim just barely leapt out of the way as the wreck slid off the edge and into the lava below.

Silver flinched at the sight, realizing he might've been on that boat had his moral compass been a bit rustier, but when Jim grabbed his arm, he made no effort to resist. It wasn't until he turned around that he noticed Jim was…flying.

…Flying?! Just a foot or so off the ground, and with the most bewildered smile on his face. Silver staggered back. "Since when the bloody hell could you do that?!"

Jim looked down, stupefied, and seemed to finally remember something. "I think…BEN said something about…happy thoughts?"

Silver snorted. "Well, ya could'a remembered thirty seconds sooner!"

If Jim meant to apologize, he never got the chance. The mountainous, Heartless corpse roared and shook the core as more and more fiery eruptions burst from the sinking gold. Silver and Jim looked back at the others and found they were all reatreating for the portal. They decided to join them.

As they soared, Sora, Donald, Riku, and Kairi launched one last magical bombardment at the burning giant's eyes. It shrieked and shielded its face, buying them enough time to dash beside their friends and join them in escaping the portal.

x.x.x

"You sure you don't regret it?" said Jim, as the group returned to solid ground.

But Silver let out a breathless laugh. "Ah, there's bound to be other treasures scattered 'cross the stars, lad. But there's only one of you…and you can fly."

Jim held up his hands. "Hey, I just found out, too!"

Riku smiled beneath his helmet. Good to see Silver'd gotten his priorities straight, but there was no time to comment. The planet gave another abrupt shudder, the planet's surface and sky were burning apart as well, and to top it all off, two familiar, flaming, skeletal hands tore through the portal. Then two more. Soon, Flint's Heartless' over-sized head burst out. The group fanned out, stopping only when two more lava pillars erupted behind them.

Only for a relentless volley of lasers to rain down upon the emerging Heartless. A quick look up revealed the source: the Highwind, free of its prior dents, nicks, and cracks. Stranger still, a swarm of White Mushrooms and a miniature Scroop waved from behind the window. It took a moment for Riku to realize the tiny Scroop was Morph.

But there was no time to question their surprise saviors or their dark sense of humor. Instead, Riku and his friends blasted further away from the Heartless menace. Soon, even the Legacy descended from the fiery clouds, and BEN greeted them all with an, "Aloha, fellas!"

Jim wasted no time in soaring up to the ship. Then, he wasted no time in realizing he'd forgotten Silver. It took both him and Riku to carry Silver aboard, while the others followed close behind. As they landed, Captain Amelia's ears flattened against her head, and she scowled at the cyborg.

"You're quite fortunate that I'm not the murderous sort, or I'd have you thrown overboard this instant."

Jumping between the two, Jim said, "Hey, c'mon. Silver just saved my life."

"And he almost killed me," Kairi said with a huff. This instantly made Riku rush closer.

"He did what?!"

"'Twas a tense moment for all of us," said Silver with a titter. "But, cooler heads prevailed."

"You broke my neck!"

"Attached heads prevailed."

Delbert's eye twitched, and he shivered as he glanced at Silver. "W—well, that's…mildly reassuring! Especially in light of this cataclysmic turn of events..."

"I'll say!" BEN added, tearing off the compass face from his chest. "By my calculations, we've got a little less than three minutes before this whole planet goes sky high!"

Amelia folded her arms, ears still flat and her voice in a dull monotone. "And would anyone care to explain why this planet is facing a spontaneous apocalypse?"

"Oh, it's because my old boss had indigestion."

"Can somebody with a brain answer the question?"

BEN pointed to his restored mind at the back of his head. "Actually—"

Riku cut him off. "Let's save the backstory 'til we get off the exploding planet."

"R—right." BEN cranked one of the levers, Amelia spun the wheel, and the Legacy lurched forward, twice as fast as before, maneuvering between geysers of lava that erupted across the planet's splintering surface.

From behind, Riku heard the continued laserfire from the Highwind's cannons, coupled with the Heartless' bloodthirsty roars. He looked back, watching their Gummi Ship orbit the giant beast and barrel roll past its lava breath.

Donald scurried to the edge of the deck, gripping the rail. "But what about our ship?!"

Goofy crouched beside him, patting him on the back. "Somebody's gotta hold that big ol' Heartless back, Donald! And if ya ask me, those lil' Mushroom fellers are doin' a bang-up job so far."

But despite Goofy's reassurance, one of the Heartless' giant hands smacked the Highwind's nose, sending it spiraling back. It scampered in hot pursuit, jaws wide and glowing bright. Though Riku looked to his Glider, Kairi intercepted him.

"Don't, Riku! It's too risky!"

The Legacy continued building speed and rising toward the atmosphere. Luckily, the Highwind righted itself, delivering another round of lasers at the Heartless' dripping, black ribs. Unluckily, this only strengthened the fires that seemed to give the monster strength.

Massive chunks of metal shrapnel tore from the planet's surface, shooting straight for the Legacy's bow. Amelia winced, but steered them out of harm's way. So far, so good. If they could just keep it up—

CRASH!

Another strike from Flint's Heartless sent The Highwind spiraling straight into the Legacy's mast, tearing off its central sail. The shock of the impact sent Delbert staggering into Amelia. Worse, the Heartless scampered in hot pursuit, and with the controls momentarily unmanned, the Legacy sailed straight toward a pillar of lava.

Amelia reclaimed the wheel, swerving it out of the path, but one of the Legacy's jets grazed the magma. Donald spun around, blasting ice on the double, but the damage was dealt. The Legacy dipped and sputtered.

BEN's eyes flashed to exclamation points, and he looked down at his makeshift clock. "Yikes! Thrusters down to thirty percent capacity."

"Thirty percent?" A grim look overtook Delbert's face. "But at this rate, we'll never clear the planet in time!"

Sora struck the deck with a fist. And we can't just open a portal. That'd leave Morph and those poor Mushrooms as sitting ducks!

Sora's words lit a metaphorical lightbulb in Riku's head. He snapped his fingers. "But, Sora, there already is a portal open!"

Jim must've gotten the same idea, as he'd already risen from the deck. He didn't get far, though, before Delbert cried out.

"Portal or not, have you all forgotten about the giant Heartless out there?"

Jim leaped over the edge, ready to rocket right toward the gateway. He realized too late that pixie dust was much slower than the Legacy's engines and he zipped behind faster than anyone could blink. An awkward silence hung in the air, until Tinkerbell shook her head and dove after him. Moments later, Jim and Tink popped back into view, presumably with a stronger dose of pixie dust.

Riku called to Amelia, "C'mon! You gotta turn this ship around!" Naturally, with Jim risking his neck, he hopped on board his Glider and followed along.

As he flew away he heard BEN exclaim, "One minute!"

Within seconds, Kairi mounted her own Glider, and Sora soared after her with a quick salute. That salute was undermined the moment he realized he'd made the exact same mistake Jim had, and he tumbled out of view behind the Legacy. Tink went back for him moments later.

Below, Delbert locked eyes with the Amelia. "Captain, I just don't see how this is going to—"

Silver cut him off. "Well, do ya got any brighter ideas?"

"W—well, no."

His robot arm transformed into a cannon, and he fired at some incoming debris. "Then if I were you, I'd listen to Jimbo and his magical bat!" Luckily, Tink wasn't around to hear that.

Though Amelia sighed, she nodded all the same. "For once, you raise a valid point."

With the plan in motion, Riku, Kairi, Jim, and Sora took off all at once. Riku and Kairi charged ahead and fired orbs of pure light and darkness as the burning Heartless turned its head on their group. It bellowed in rage, then lurched toward them, but the Highwind dived back down, blasting it head-on. Sora broke from formation, following this up with a giant tornado, which swept up lava and chunks of metallic shrapnel before slamming straight into their foe. The Heartless shrieked and skidded backwards, buying the others time to slip past it.

From afar, BEN's voice shouted, "Thirty seconds to planet's destruction!"

They rushed further ahead, lava gushing in their wake as barriers flashed over the four fliers, deflecting magma and metal alike. Still, the Heartless pursued. But it was capable of far more than running. It leaped up, higher than the Legacy, and landed right in front of Riku and the others, cutting them off from the portal. It roared as it poised its flaming claws to strike.

Panicked but acting on impulse, Riku warped over its head, flinging Dark Firaga into its eyes long enough for Sora and Kairi to launch combined waves of blinding light, blasting it off its feet and opening the path to the portal once more. Jim plunged down, tapped the map. The crescent shape of the Space Port took form just as both the Highwind and Legacy closed in.

From atop the Legacy's deck, Silver fired off balls of plasma at Flint's Heartless while shouting, "Atta boy, Jimbo!"

"Ten, nine, eight…"

Donald twirled his staff, bringing down a maelstrom of fireworks over the Heartless' head. The Highwind followed up with one last surge of lasers. Riku, Kairi, Sora, Jim, and Tink all returned to the Legacy. BEN counted down the seconds to the planet's destruction.

"Five, four—"

Then, an unfamiliar voice echoed, "Time stop!"

x.x.x

Everything stood still. Lava columns froze mid-eruption. The ships halted precious feet before the portal. Chunks of shrapnel hovered in the air, and even the once mighty Heartless became a statue. Even the flames that once danced over it came to an eerie standstill. Xigbar applauded slowly as a certain silver-haired, golden-eyed wonder floated aboard the Legacy. He traipsed across the deck, eyeballing Riku, then Kairi, and more importantly, their Keyblades. His right hand sparked and crackled as he drew a Keyblade of his own: a black guard adorned with cogs, and a neon-blue blade that faded to black at the tip, where a clock's face reposed inside the ring of teeth. At the top of that clock face? The carved relief of a demonic goat's head.

He raised that sinister Keyblade and struck Sora across the back side of his head. Though time remained still, Sora toppled over, only to freeze again mid-fall. Xigbar swooped in, scooping the kid up and draping him over his shoulder.

The runt of a Xehanort chuckled. "That should do the trick."

"Great job, Skippy!" Xigbar patted him on the back. The kid immediately swatted his hand away. "So, any luck with the treasure?"

Xehanort turned around, a frown glued to his lips. "Not as much as I would have liked. To think that so much of the Keyblade's legacy lay buried in the farthest reaches of space…" He dug out an all-too-familiar green booklet and flipped through its yellowed pages. It still floored Xigbar, seeing one of those old rulebooks here of all places. "Well. What's done is done. It's a wonder we claimed even a fraction of those artifacts with that beast laying waste to everything."

"Ain't that the truth?" Chuckling, Xigbar warped down to the map's projection. Sure, he coulda left it on the Space Port, but… Nah. He flicked his fingers over one of the other worlds. A very specific one. A chance for their new member to test his mettle. "So, kid. Think you can grab this sucker once they all pass through?"

Xehanort scoffed. "Of course I can. What do you take me for? A novice?"

Man, if looks could kill…the kid's would tickle. Xigbar had to bite his lower lip to fight back further laughter. "Well, you sure ain't a Master yet."

"Perhaps not, but I am destined to become one. So, if I were you, I would watch my tongue."

x.x.x

It happened so fast.

One second, Riku and the others had landed on the Legacy's deck. The next, that voice. Then, before BEN could count down to the next number, the image on the portal had shifted. Gone was the port. In its place, a snowy mountainside. A violent blizzard. Both the Legacy and Highwind continued into the portal despite this. It was too late to change course.

His eyes darted around. Kairi, Jim, Silver, Donald, Goofy, BEN, Morph, Amelia, Delbert…all of them present. All of them panicking at the sudden shift in the gateway. But, there was something else…

Where was Sora?

The answer came seconds later as the Legacy slipped halfway through the gate. Up above, Xigbar hovered with Sora draped over his shoulder, and a strange boy with silver hair and tanned skin floated beside him. He wore the exact same coat.

But why? How? It didn't make sense! Riku turned. Raised Oblivion to attack. To get his friend back!

But the sight of Sora and his abductors against the blazing sky vanished before he ever had the chance. The Legacy phased completely through the portal, temperatures plummeting and frozen winds assaulting the ship. And so the Legacy and the Highwind plunged down, down, down, torn and tossed by the destructive blizzard raging all around them.

The last thing he saw before the portal disappeared was Xigbar vanishing through a dark corridor with Sora none the wiser, while the silver-haired boy plucked up the map. No explosion followed. No rubble. He blinked, and the gate was gone.

And then the Legacy crashed against the mountainside.

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: And that's a wrap for Treasure Planet. As always, I want to thank chickenscrews for being a terrific editor and beta and to all of my readers and reviewers! Your comments always bring a ton of joy. :)

Worlds and cameos here include the Cave of Wonders from Agrabah, the tower in the Kingdom of Corona, Lilo and Stitch, Andy's room, Arendelle both before and during the storm, Cars, Geno from Super Mario RPG (it's a Square game), and… Miguel and Tulio from The Road to El Dorado as a joke. It's not a Disney movie, but we thought it'd make a funny gag. Antipode is still sticking to Disney worlds, however.

I'll let the rest of the chapter speak for itself, but before I go…

Guest Isa: YX is certainly up to something, yes! He's very frustrated at how things seem to have derailed. He's supposed to have a grand destiny, and yet everything is all wrong! How irritating.

As for Vanitas… That's a good question. What do you guys think? There's something quite a few people seem to have overlooked, but it has also been a very long time since due to that lengthy hiatus. Hehe.

Gummiphones will probably have to wait for the next installment.