It was a quiet, somber ride to the next world. There was a shared sense of hopelessness in the Gummy Ship as the four passengers contemplated. A friend had been lost, and their chances of finding the Black Cauldron in time were growing ever slimmer. Sora was grateful that the Heartless ships were far fewer on this journey.
"Looks like the next world is coming up," Donald said. Sora glanced over to see it: it was almost as if the world had been split in two: one half was rolling green hills dotted with red tents and large rocks, as well as what looked like a castle on a cliffside, while the other half was frozen in a monochrome winter, with forests and mountains covered in pale snow, with what looked like a palace of ice nestled in the mountainside.
"Where do we go?" Sora asked.
Donald shrugged. "It's up to you guys," he replied.
Kairi looked out with them. "I think we should land somewhere in the middle," she said. "That way, we can go either direction."
Donald nodded, and he and Sora steered the ship downward.
They landed in a small forest, full of looming trees and large boulders. It was dusted with sparkling white snow, and the air was crisp and cold. Sora shivered a bit in the frosty air, but admired the sunny sky and peaceful landscape. He thought he heard running water nearby, probably a river.
"A bit chilly, isn't it?" Kairi said, rubbing her arms.
Sora nodded. "Yeah," he replied.
"So," Goofy said, seemingly unaffected by the temperature, "which way?"
Sora glanced in both directions, seeing the mountains in the distance in one way. "Let's go this way," he said, pointing towards the other direction. "Looks warmer."
Kairi giggled at his reasoning, but agreed with his decision. None of them felt an immediate need to activate their weapons, so they just walked through the snowy forest towards their destination.
The more they walked, the more they warmed up. There was the occasional cold breeze that made Sora and Kairi shiver and grow goosebumps, but it was otherwise pleasant. Kairi listened to the faint breeze and the sound of water. Suddenly, she heard a scream. It was faint, but not too distant. She stopped and listened. Sora turned and looked at her.
"Kairi?" he asked. "Is everything okay?"
Kairi's eyes scanned the area. "I thought I heard something."
There was a yell next, followed by what sounded like loud conversation. Sora, Donald, and Goofy heard it this time.
"What is that?" Sora asked.
"It sounds like somebody's in trouble," Donald quacked. He pulled out his staff. "Come on!" He began running towards the direction the sounds were coming from. His allies activated their respective weapons and followed him.
The snow crunched under their feet as they ran, and the cold air blew against their cheeks. They rounded a hill, then saw it: a partially frozen river, connected to a wall of ice that was once a waterfall. On the thin ice spanning the water, there were two groups of figures: the one closest to them was what appeared to be three children, a boy and two girls. Accompanying them by their feet were two large beavers, one hiding behind the taller girl's feet and the other snarling. The boy was the tallest and presumably oldest, and was pointing a long sword at the other group: three vicious-looking, dark-colored wolves. Surrounding them were Soldier, Fluttering, and Blue Rhapsody Heartless.
"Oh, come on," the biggest, meanest-looking wolf was saying. "This isn't your war. All my Queen wants is for you to take your family and go!"
The taller girl turned to the boy. "Peter, maybe we should listen to him!"
The wolf chuckled. "Smart girl."
Sora shook his head. "Well, that looks like kids being attacked by Heartless," he said. "Let's go!" He raised Flowering Friends and charged forward. Kairi lifted Destiny's Embrace and followed closely.
The wolves and the Heartless were the firs to notice them, perking up their heads and snarling as they approached. Sora and Kairi hurried onto the thin ice, careful not to make it crack, and weaved in front of the kids and the beavers. All three children were startled by their sudden appearance, but then saw Sora and Kairi point their Keyblades at their enemies. Donald and Goofy guarded from behind.
The wolf sniffed, then chuckled again. "Another Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve," he said.
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Son of Adam?" he asked. "My dad's name is-"
"I suggest you leave, now," the wolf growled. "Stay out of this." The Heartless inched closer as he spoke. Donald cast a quick Fire spell at one of the Blue Rhapsodies, destroying it.
There was a cracking sound, and Sora looked over to the source. The frozen waterfall was beginning to thaw. Cracks formed in the ice, and water was beginning to spray out. Sora quickly looked around, and got an idea. He leaned into the boy.
"Tell the girls to grab onto you and to not let go," he instructed, saying it just loud enough for Kairi to hear as well. "When I say so, stab your sword into the ice and hold on tight." The boy nodded and gestured for the girls to grab him. They did, cowering.
"Now!' Sora shouted. He raised his Keyblade and quickly cast a Gravity spell on the frozen waterfall. There was loud cracking and spraying, and suddenly the ice gave way and the water rushed down towards them. The boy stabbed his sword into the ice, and Sora and Kairi did the same with their Keyblades. The wolves whimpered and the Heartless panicked as the flood engulfed them, shattering the ice they were standing on. It washed them all away, plunging the wolves and the Heartless into the water. The children were kept above water by a raft of ice, Sora tried to keep his balance on the chunk of ice under his feet, Kairi held onto her chunk of ice, Goofy threw his shield under him like a surfboard, and Donald and the beavers were swept into the water. The jolt of speed compounded with the frigid cold of the water shocked Sora's system, but he allowed himself to be washed away. The river carried them a good distance, and soon they all washed up on the riverbank nearby. The children climbed onto the snow, coughing and shivering, all sopping wet. Sora and Kairi had been drenched as well, and Sora was beginning to regret his move as every uncle in his body ached from the cold. Donald, Goofy, and the Beavers joined soon after. Goofy had stained mainly dry, and the Beavers shook off. Donald had stayed on the surface of the water, but was probably the most wet of them all. The water rolled off his feathers, but he shivered and shook something fierce.
Sora and Kairi deactivated their Keyblades, and Sora crawled over to a rock. He sat on it, and began doing his best to ring out his soaking wet clothing. He scanned to make sure everyone was okay. The children were shivering with cold as well, but looked safe. The smallest girl was dressed in a brown coat, grey leggings, and black shoes. She had a short haircut with a small bow in her brown hair. The other girl was much older, with flowing brown hair, a black coat, and a bow and quiver of arrows on her back. The boy, who looked to be just a bit younger than Sora and Kairi, was tall with blond hair, black pants, and a brown coat over a grey shirt. He saw Sora looking over at them, and walked up.
"Thank you," he said, panting and shivering.
"No problem," Sora replied, doing his best not to shiver as well.
"My name's Peter Pevensie," the boy said, extending his hand. He gestured over to the girls. "Those are my sisters, Susan and Lucy."
Sora shook his hand. "I'm Sora," he introduced. He motioned towards his friends. "These are my friends Kairi, Donald, and Goofy."
"It's nice to meet you," Peter replied.
As Sora tried to dry off his arm, the two Beavers waddled up to him.
"That was a very brave thing you did," one of the Beavers said in a sweet, motherly female voice.
"Yeah," the other said in a gruff, but supportive male voice. "Dangerous, but brave."
"You're welcome," Sora said. He decided to inquire about the Heartless. "Those monsters that were with the wolves, are there a lot of them here?"
"Whole bloomin' place has been covered with them ever since the Witch took over," the male beaver said.
"The witch?" Sora asked.
"Jadis, the White Witch," the male beaver said. "She took over Narnia with those dark monsters when Aslan left."
Sora wondered if this White Witch was somehow affiliated with the Horned King. He felt bad asking so many questions, but he figured that, if he was going to help this world, he needed to know everything. "Who's Aslan?"
"Well he's only the king of the whole wood," Mr. Beaver replied. "The top geezer. The rightful king of Narnia."
"He's been away for a long while," Mrs. Beaver said.
"But he's just got back!" Mr. Beaver said. "He's waiting for us near the Stone Table, with an army to fight back against the Witch and her monsters. The Son of Adam and Daughters of Eve you helped save are the prophesied King and Queens of Narnia!"
Sora nodded. So the name of the world was Narnia. It was all good information.
"But," Mrs. Beaver said, "the Witch kidnapped their brother Edmund. Aslan is the only one that can help him now. So we need to get there fast, but the Witch's henchmen and monsters keep chasing us!"
Sora took everything in. It was a lot of explanation, but it was easy to determine that the Witch was the villain, and that this world needed saving from the Heartless. Sora glanced over to his friends. He wondered if Aslan would know about the Keyhole or the Black Cauldron.
Sora stood up and approached Peter. "The Beavers explained everything. We'll help you," Sora said. "We'll protect you on the way to the Stone Table. We have some things we might ask Aslan too."
Peter nodded. "Thank you" he said. "You don't know how much that means to us."
Sora then headed over to Donald, Goofy, and Kairi, who were still drying off. "These guys are fighting against someone named the White Witch, who is working with the Heartless," he explained. "They're also trying to save their brother by getting help from someone named Aslan. I said we'd help protect them until they get to where they're going. We can also ask Aslan if he knows anything about the Black Cauldron."
Kairi nodded as she finished ringing water out of her dress. "Sounds good to me," she said.
"Alright," Sora said. "To the Stone Table then!"
As Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Peter began walking in the direction the Beavers were leading them, the little girl skipped over to Kairi.
"Hello," she said with a wide smile. "I'm Lucy. Lucy Pevensie." She extended her hand. Kairi smiled back and shook it. "I'm Kairi," she replied.
Jadis, the White Witch, looked down with a cold stare below. The river and waterfall had thawed, and the snow around her feet was melting. Some Light was weakening her Dark power over the land, and her eternal winter was fading.
Beside her, her dwarven henchman, Ginarrbrik, was in shocked awe of the dripping icicles and patches of green grass. "It's so warm out…" he muttered. Instinctively, he began removing his thick fur coat. Suddenly, his senses returned. He quickly looked over to his queen, who was glaring down at him with a gaze as icy as her magic, disgust evident on her face. Ginarrbrik quickly tossed the coat back on, and then quickly said, "I'll go check the sleigh," before running off.
Edmund Pevensie smirked. He had been promised so many things by the Witch, but she delivered on none of them and instead took him prisoner, tormenting him. It was nice to see her resolve and power weakening.
There was a rustling nearby. Both the White Witch and Edmund turned to see the wolf Maugrim, the Witch's chief of Secret Police, emerging from the brush, shaking water off of his fur. Next to him was Vardan, holding something in his mouth. Soldier and Fluttering Heartless surrounded them.
"Your majesty," Maugrim said in his gruff voice. "We found a traitor. He was rallying your allies in the Shuddering Woods." Vardan spat his prisoner onto the grass in front of him. Edmund could now see it was a bright red fox, which yelped as it hit the ground.
"Ah," the Witch said in her regal voice, "nice of you to drop in." She walked over towards the fox, dragging Edmund behind her.
"Also," Maugrim continued, "there is another Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve. They came, accompanied by two others. They wielded weapons unlike any I have seen before. They helped the children escape down the river."
A feeling of anger rushed over the Witch. They must be the ones the Horned King had told her about, the Keyblade welders and their pesky friends. She had to find them now more than ever, both so she could end the prophecy and so she could ensure the Darkness remained. Not letting any of her rage boil over to her attitude, she instead coldly and demandingly pointed her sharp staff at the fox.
"Maybe you can help me," she said. "Where are they headed?"
The fox lowered its head. "Forgive me, your majesty," he said.
The Witch scoffed. "Oh, don't waste my time with flattery!"
The fox raised its head and looked her in the eyes. "Not to seem rude," he said, "but I wasn't actually talking to you." He then shifted his eyes over to Edmund.
The Witch was reaching her breaking point. Her anger began to burn in her frozen skin. She furiously raised her staff, preparing to lunge its sharpened point into her victim. Edmund gasped and jumped in between them.
"Wait!" he shouted. It took all of the Witch's restraint to let him speak. "The Beavers said something about a Stone Table, and that Aslan had an army there!"
The Witch lowered her staff. This was information that both surprised and disappointed her. She knew that Aslan would try to fight back, but she could not have guessed he had arranged an army so quickly. She glanced over to the fox, who sighed and dropped his head, confirming it to be true.
"An army?" she muttered. Then she glared back over to Edmund. "Thank you, Edmund," she said in a faux polite tone. "I'm glad this creature got to see some honesty… before he died!"
With a swift motion, the Witch jabbed her staff at the fox. He yelped once before his red fur turned grey and his features hardened, magically turned to stone.
"No!" Edmund cried. He tried to step forward, but the Witch grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged him up painfully.
"Think about who's side you're on, Edmund," she spat. "Mine…" She yanked him to look at the stone fox. "…or theirs." She released Edmund, who fell to the ground.
The White Witch turned to her wolves. "Go," she commanded. "Gather the Heartless. If it's a war Aslan wants, it's a war he shall get."
The further they walked, the warmer it got. The Pevensie children discarded their coats as to not overheat, and they all began to forget the chill of the icy river. There were noticeable blooms on the trees, and color in the grass they walked on. Even the sun seemed to shine brighter, unobscured by clouds. Soon, the forest had ended and before them were rolling green hills and plains, dotted with boulders and cliffs. There was a sweet scent in the air, like wildflowers.
Shortly after they had entered the new terrain, dark energy materialized in front of them. Sora and Kairi instinctively activated their Keyblades as Donald and Goofy pulled out their weapons. Three Soldiers, three Flutterings, three Blue Rhapsodies, and a large Assault Rider appeared before them. The Assault Rider stomped its hooves and twirl its spear as it approached.
As Sora raised his Keyblade and locked his eyes on his target, one of the Blue Rhapsodies, he heard footsteps beside him. He glance to either side to see Peter, holding his sword, and Susan with an arrow in her bow. She aimed it at the Heartless.
"No, it's too dangerous!" Kairi warned.
"Yeah, guys, we've got this," Sora agreed.
"I'd listen to them, Your Majesties!" Mrs. Beaver called out.
Peter shook his head. "No," he replied. "It's about time we started pulling our weight. If we're supposed to help Narnia, we need to be better at it."
Susan nodded in agreement. "At the very least, we'll get some practice."
"Okay," Sora relented. "But stick close to Kairi, Donald, Goofy and me. Lucy, stay with the Beavers."
The Flutterings were the first to attack, swooping down in formation and beating the air with their bat-like wings. Peter was forced to duck away from their attack, and Kairi jumped into the opening and blocked the wings with Destiny's Embrace. She lifted her weapon up and hooked the Heartless with the bit, then slammed it to the ground. As it bounced up, she swatted it away.
The Blue Rhapsodies closed in, and one shot icy crystals from its form. Sora dodged, and Susan shot her arrow. It missed, but only barely, as it skimmed across the Heartless' body. Susan wore an expression of disappointment and concern as the monster flew closer to her.
Suddenly, a projectile flew from beside her. It struck the Heartless, hitting it cleanly between the eyes. The Blue Rhapsody fell and vaporized on the ground. Susan looked behind her to see Lucy, the small sheath on her belt empty. In the grass where the Heartless fell was her tiny dagger.
Susan gave Lucy a look of pride, then ran over and retrieved the blade. She hurried back over to Lucy and handed it to her.
"Show off," she whispered with a smile on her face.
Lucy smiled back and returned the knife to the sheath.
Sora struck down a Soldier, and prepared to face another, when suddenly the Assault Rider charged him, twirling its spear. Sora was not prepared, and felt sharp blows knocking him off his feet and into the air as the Heartless rammed him with its spinning blade. Sora was launched upwards, but found his composure midair and backflipped to recover, landing on his feet. The Assault Rider readied its spear like a jouster with a lance, then charged again. Sora readied himself this time and dodged the spear, kicking up onto the Heartless and hitting its head repeatedly with an arial attack. The monster was dazed and kicked backwards, slumping over for a moment before shaking its head and standing straight again. It swung its spear downwards, and Sora jumped over it, pointing Flowering Friends at the Heartless and lunging. He stabbed into it, knocking it backwards before it vanished in black smoke.
Donald cast a Thunder spell, destroying a Blue Rhapsody. Goofy there his shield at a Soldier, knocking it back. As Sora turned his attention back on the other foes, he noticed Susan shoot an arrow into a Fluttering. Though it did not destroy it, it made it fall from the sky and crash onto the grass. It slowly got back up and screeched, then began clawing its way towards her. She shot another arrow and destroyed it.
Sora then saw Peter, fighting a Soldier. He was swinging haphazardly, and the Soldier was dodging or parrying his attacks. Peter was almost tripping over his own feet as he swung.
"Peter!" Sora called, running over. "Keep your feet on the ground, and swing where it's going!"
Peter planted his feet, turning his body only to follow the Heartless. Its armor clanked as it charged, flailing. Peter anticipated its path and clumsily brought the blade down, knocking it on the head and causing it to stumble. He whirled around and slashed at its back as it tumbled, causing damage. As he raised his sword to slash down at it, the last Fluttering swooped in and clamped its jaws around the sword, attempting to pull it from Peter's grip. Peter turned and grabbed the hilt with both his hands as he tried to yank his weapon away from the monster.
Sora arrived as the Soldier was rising. Sora swatted and destroyed it, then leapt in and struck the Fluttering, forcing it to let go. He slashed until it was destroyed. Goofy slammed his shield down on the last Soldier, and Kairi defeated the last Blue Rhapsody.
"Everyone okay?" Kairi asked. There were nods from everyone except Peter, who sheepishly wandered over to Sora.
"Thank you," he said, sounding disappointed in himself. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Sora assured, deactivating Flowering Friends. "You just need some more practice is all."
Peter smiled softly and slowly nodded.
"Look!" Mr. Beaver shouted. Sora and the others looked to see him standing on top of a large rock on top of a nearby hill. He pointed his claw towards something. The group hurried up the small hill and was greeted by a burst of crimson and gold. Nestled between cliffs and hills, dotted with pink and green trees, was a large encampment of bright tents, deep red with golden trims, or shiny yellow tents with red trims. Figures scurried about it like ants on an anthill.
"We made it!" Mrs. Beaver exclaimed. She and her mate hurried down the hill towards their destination. Peter, Susan, and Lucy followed, and Kairi, Sora, Donald, and Goofy took up the rear.
The sounds of chatter, cloning, and rustling became louder as they approached the encampment. Sora looked at the place with wonder. There were so many various creatures working and training, from half-man, half-horse centaurs to goat-legged fauns, and a menagerie of noble animals, like cheetahs, gorillas, horses, and bears. All of their eyes gradually lifted from their tasks and locked on to the newcomers, watching them with curiosity and astonishment: three human children, two beavers, and four strangers on guard.
All three of the Pevensie children could not help but smile as they soaked in the attention and amazement, though they themselves were fascinated and amazed. They marched through the grassy opening made as a path, and reached a large tent on a small, raised piece of land.
Peter, not sure of what to say, called out: "We have come to see Aslan," in as authoritative, but peaceful a voice as he could muster.
As if on cue, the various creatures looked to the large tent and bowed, as did the Beavers. There was a rustling, and then Sora saw the flaps of the tent part. From out came a wondrous sight: a massive lion with golden fur and a flowing mane. It had deep, piercing amber eyes that carried wisdom, and a posture that conveyed authority and respect. It was clear that this was Aslan.
Peter kneeled down, and Susan and Lucy followed. Kairi and Goofy did the same, but Sora and Donald were astonished. Goofy tugged gently on Donald's shirt to get his and Sora's attention.
"Oh!" Sora exclaimed, and he and Donald quickly kneeled down.
"Welcome, Peter, Son of Adam," the lion said in a booming, but kind male voice. "Welcome Susan and Lucy, Daughters of Eve." The lion turned his head so that the Beavers, Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy were in his sight. "Welcome Beavers, and welcome Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy. You have my thanks."
Sora was not sure how Aslan knew who they were, but he assumed it was due in part to his wisdom, or perhaps he had affiliation with their allies.
"But where is the fourth?" Aslan questioned.
Peter sighed, then rose to his feet. The others followed suit, and Sora stood up as well.
"That's why we're here, sir," Peter said. "We need your help. Our brother has been captured by the White Witch."
"Captured?" Aslan shook his head. His mane swayed. "How could this happen?"
Peter hung his head. "It's my fault," he replied. "I was too hard on him."
Susan placed her hand on her brother's shoulder. "We all were."
"I will do what I can to save your brother," Aslan assured. "But please, think on what I ask of you. I too want my family safe."
The Narnians in Aslan's army had been generous to the Pevensies. They provided Peter with a leather tunic, and the girls with regal dresses. They went back to their hard work after the meeting, readying themselves for conflict. A few even had to eliminate some Shadows that appeared on the edge of the encampment.
Aslan watched over on top of a high hill, looking over his people. Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy slowly headed up the hill towards the large lion. Sora was almost too intimidated to approach, not out of fear, but rather, he did not feel worthy. There was some kind of mystical aura around the lion, one of strength and nobility.
As Sora and Kairi got closer, both of them slowed. As if he sensed them, Aslan spoke. "You may approach, young ones," he said in his noble voice. He chuckled. "I don't bite."
Sora and Kairi smiled and walked over towards Aslan, who turned to greet them. Donald and Goofy followed.
"The Keyblade Wielders," he said. "It is an honor to meet you."
"The honor is all ours, Your Majesty," Kairi said.
"I want to thank you for protecting the Pevensies on their way here. The Witch has allied herself with dark and terrible forces," Aslan said.
Sora nodded. "Well, that's part of the reason we wanted to talk to you, Your Majesty," he said. "A terrible evil called the Horned King has returned, and is spreading Darkness and the Heartless everywhere we go. We think the Witch is working with him."
Aslan shook his head. "The Horned King. An evil that terrible should never have returned. So many worlds fell to his Darkness. So many innocents lost."
Sora cleared his throat. "He's looking for a relic. An artifact that can grant him even greater power. The Black Cauldron. We were wondering if you would know anything about it."
Aslan's furry features shifted into an expression of concern. "The Black Cauldron is not something to be taken lightly," Aslan warned. "It's power is terrible and dark."
"Do you know where it is?" Sora asked.
Aslan paused, then continued. "To ensure that it was never found, magic spell was placed upon it, transporting it to different worlds every few years, sometimes far beyond even my sight. But I know where it currently is. But first, I must make sure: are you certain you want to pursue such a dangerous relic?"
Sora and Kairi paused and glanced at each other. They glance over to Donald and Goofy, who both shrugged, and then turned back to Aslan.
"Yes," Sora said. "For no other reason than to make sure that the Horned King doesn't get it."
"A noble goal," Aslan said. "The next world you visit will have a gateway open to the place where the Black Cauldron currently resides."
Sora breathed a sigh of relief. It was just the next world over? They were closer than they thought!
"Oh, I almost forgot," Kairi said. "Do you know about this world's Keyhole?" she asked.
Sora had completely forgotten about the Keyhole. That was something they still had to take care of.
"Yes," Aslan replied. "But it is hidden. The Witch has sealed away too much of the Light for it to appear."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy sighed. Just when they thought things had gotten easier, they got hard again. Both Kairi and Aslan chuckled.
Suddenly, the levity was broken by the distant sound of a girl screaming. Sora jumped and instinctively activated Flowering Friends, and Aslan turned to look back at the camp.
"Come on!" Kairi called, activating Destiny's Embrace and leading the charge down the hill. The screaming continued from the edge of the camp, leading the group right to where they needed to go. Sora dashed past the colorful tents to a small grove of trees overlooking a thin, stony brook. Up on one of the taller trees were Lucy and Susan, gripping on for dear life. Below them, growling and barking, were Maugrim and Vardan. They looked up into the tree, and tried jumping and snapping their jaws to try and catch one of the girls. At the same time Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and Sora reached them, so did Peter, drawing his sword.
"Get back!" he yelled, pointing his blade at the wolves.
The two villains lowered their heads to look at Peter. Vardan barked and huffed.
"Come on!" Maugrim growled. "We've been through this before! We both know you haven't got it in you!"
The wolves began to circle Peter. He was unsure of which one to focus on, as both snapped and threatened him. Maugrim huffed and growled, and Peter turned his blade towards him. Vardan saw his opportunity and prepared to punch.
"Peter, watch out!" Susan warned.
Before the wolf could attack, Kairi, Sora, Donald, and Goofy stepped in front of him. Vardan growled, then gnashed his teeth as he leapt towards them. Goofy lunged forward and held up his shield. The predator struck it and fell to the ground. As he tried to attack again, Sora and Kairi quickly jumped away from each other, Sora lingering towards the wolf's front and Kairi leaping behind, and quickly and in succession swept the dog's legs with their respective Keyblades. Vardan yelped as he fell, landing on his side. Donald jumped on top of him and pointed his staff at his face, daring the canine to make a move.
Just as Sora and Kairi turned to go fight Maugrim, Aslan stepped between them. "Stay your weapons," he instructed. "This is Peter's battle."
Kairi lowered Destiny's Embrace. Sora hesitated and looked with worry out towards Peter and Maugrim, but held back. Even then, he did not lower his weapon, ready to jump in if Peter was in danger.
Peter shot a glance towards his allies, and saw their concern but also their belief in him. Maugrim howled, snapping Peter's attention back to his foe.
"You may think you're a king," Maugrim snarled viciously. "But you're going to die… like a dog!" With the final screaming threat, Maugrim jumped at Peter, claws forward and teeth gnashing. Peter yelped and raised his sword to meet the threat. The two foes collided and Peter was tackled to the ground.
"Peter!" Lucy screamed.
Sora jumped forward, ready to help. Both fighters lay motionless on the ground until Sora thought he saw Maugrim stir. He raised his weapon to bring it down on the wolf, but then saw that it was Peter moving underneath, pushing Maugrim's lifeless body off of him, the sword buried deep into the villain's chest.
Vardan yelped in fear as he saw his ally fall. He kicked and bucked, and Donald fell off. Instead of attack, Vardan fled, his tail tucked between his legs, over a hilltop.
"After him!" Aslan said. "He'll lead you to Edmund!"
Sora quickly glanced over to Kairi. "Hey, stay here and protect the Pevensies. Donald, Goofy and I will go get Edmund."
Kairi nodded in agreement and rushed to Peter's side. Susan and Lucy defended the tree and did the same, checking on their brother.
Sora did not want to waste any more time. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him after Vardan, with Donald and Goofy following him. The wolf had gotten a considerable head start, but Sora could still see him in between the trees. Incorporating a little magic into his step, Sora dashed forward after the wolf.
"Peter," Aslan said. "Clean your sword."
Edmund felt like crying, but tried his best to hold it in, as it would be just another reason for the dwarf to mock him. The Witch had set up camp in a dark part of a forest. Heartless filled the area, terrifying him. He had been bound and gagged next to a tree, and Ginarrbrik had been keeping himself entertained by mocking the poor boy.
"Is our little prince uncomfortable?" the dwarf spat. "Does he want his pillow fluffed? Special treatment for the special boy! Isn't that what you wanted?"
It was a longer journey than Sora thought it would be. The sun had set, and he was beginning to run out of breath. He could tell Donald and Goofy were tiring as well, as both had slowed. He had kept Vardan in sight the whole time, and wondered when the wolf would lead them to where they needed to go.
As if fate was reading his thoughts, he saw up ahead tents of grey, black, and white. The all-too-familiar sounds of Heartless grew louder. Sora knew they were there.
"There are too many Heartless!" Donald warned as they approached the camp.
"That's okay!" Goofy called out. 'We just need to rescue Edmund. We can deal with the Heartless later!"
"Spread out to look for him, but don't go too far!" Sora said. "We don't want to get overwhelmed."
Vardan ran yelping into the camp. The Heartless all turned their attention towards him, and Sora, Donald, and Goofy burst into the clearing. Soldiers flailed towards them, and a pair of Flutterings depended from the treetops. Donald cast a Thunder spell, sending a well-placed lightning bolt down into the crowd of Heartless. The strike electrocuted several of the Soldiers and even one of the Flutterings.
"Go!" Donald quacked.
Sora and Goofy raised their weapons and charged through the Heartless, ramming them and destroying a few. As they breached the crowd, they looked back to make sure Donald was handling himself. He quacked his war cry as he cast a Blizzard spell and caught several enemies up in it.
Sora and Goofy pressed forward, running further into the camp when suddenly an Assault Rider and Blue Rhapsody leapt into their path. The Assault Rider stabbed its spear at them, but Goofy raised his shield and blocked. Sora jumped up and struck the Assault Rider on the head. While he was airborne, he saw a tree nearby, with what appeared to be a young boy tied up next to it. Sora landed and jumped back next to Goofy.
"I see Edmund!" he exclaimed, casually blocking an icy projectile from the Blue Rhapsody.
"Go on ahead!" Goofy said. "I can handle this."
Sora nodded and hurried forward. The Assault Rider stabbed its spear at the ground where he stood. Sora dodged in time to allow the blade to pierce the ground, then he jumped and very carefully positioned his feet to land right on the shaft. He ran up the thin weapon and vaulted himself over the Assault Rider's head, slashing and destroying the Blue Rhapsody as he flew. He landed on his feet behind the Heartless. As it turned to face him, Goofy threw his shield at it, drawing its attention back.
Sora ran towards Edmund when he suddenly saw an ugly, hairy dwarf step out from behind the tree. He smiled evilly though his beard, then put his fingers in his moth and whistled. From out of the flag, a large Heartless emerged: a Werewolf. It galloped on its four legs, swaying its blue-and-white tail. The heavy metal chains around its front paws clanked and clicked as it walked. It stepped between Sora and Edmund, making the former come to a stop. Ginarrbrik cackled as he waddled over to the Heartless and grabbed onto its fur, mounting it like a horse. He snarled at Sora, then pointed at him. The Werewolf growled and lunged at him, snapping its jaws.
Sora dodged the attack, slashing at the Heartless' side as he whirred around. The Werewolf spun around and raised its hind legs, kicking its crimson-clawed paws. Sora was hit, and skidded back. The Werewolf turned and swiped at Sora with its claws, but Sora blocked the attack. The impact with the Keyblade made the Heartless recoil, and Sora took the opportunity to leap upwards and, with on swift swing of his Keyblade, knock Ginarrbrik off of his mount. The dwarf hollered as he fell, landing with a thud on the ground, dazed.
As Sora descended, he felt pain engulf his leg. The Werewolf bit down and pulled, yanking Sora violently into the dirt. Sora yelped and groaned, then pointed Flowering Friends at the Werewolf's head still clamped around his calf. He cast a quick Fire spell, burning the top of the Heartless' head and forcing it to release him. He jumped back up, slightly favoring his leg at first before shaking it off. The Werewolf chomped at him again, but Sora dodged around it and stabbed at its side before slashing repeatedly. The monster attempted to bound away, but Sora cast a Gravity spell to drag it back down before leaping up, whiling his Keyblade above his head, and slashing the Heartless, destroying it.
Sora quickly checked to make sure Ginarrbrik was not after him, then ran over and slashed at Edmund's ties with the Keyblade. The ropes fell loose, and Edmund stretched out. Sora knelt down and helped him remove his gag.
"Thank you," the boy said sincerely.
"Don't mention it," Sora said. "Come on, your brother and sisters are eager to see you."
Edmund hesitated as he started to stand up. "They… want to see me?" he asked. "after what I did?"
Sora was not entirely sure what Edmund was referring to, but decided to explain what he could. "Sure do," he assured. "They went all the way to Aslan to get help for you. But we need to go fast before more monsters show up." Edmund nodded.
Sora heard quick footsteps behind him, and turned to see Donald and Goofy approaching.
"We've gotta go," Donald warned. "I think they know we're here."
Sora nodded, then looked down to see Ginarrbrik starting to get up, holding his head. Sora looked at him with disgust, then got an idea. He grinned.
"Real quick," he said. "I want to do one last thing."
The White Witch was sitting on her cushioned seat looking over the map before her. She studied the landscape that her general pointed towards.
"The Heartless will take the flanks," General Otmin, a massive black minotaur, said in his baritone voice. "We'll keep some in reserve, sending in the smaller ones first."
Suddenly, both the Witch and the General heard a commotion. It sounded like magic and weapons.
"The prisoner!" General Otmin exclaimed, turning to look in the direction. He began hurrying towards the disturbance. The White Witch stood up and briskly followed. As they approached, they heard retreating footsteps into the forest. As they rounded around a large tree, they saw that it was not Edmund tied to the tree, but Ginarrbrik, gagged and all. He grunted in annoyance and fear as the Witch sighed angrily, approaching him. With one swift swing of her scepter, she cut the dwarf loose, causing him to fall. Ginarrbrik was shocked when she turned away from him.
"You're… you're not going to kill me?" he asked, lowering the gag so he could shakily speak.
The Witch turned only her head to glare at him with her icy gaze. "Not yet," she spat. She turned back to General Otmin. "We have work to do."
Kairi sat outside Lucy and Susan's tent, enjoying the morning sunshine. Sora, Donald, and Goofy had been out almost all night, and she was beginning to worry. She reached down and picked a small dandelion, admiring it. She looked up from the dandelion just in time to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy approaching from down a hill.
"Hey!" she called, standing up and jogging towards them. "Are you okay? How'd it go?"
Sora pointed to the top of the hill, and Kairi looked and saw Aslan, sitting and talking with a boy she assumed to be Edmund Pevensie.
"We got him out in time," Sora said. "The Witch has a lot of Heartless at her command.'
Kairi shrugged. "Nothing we can't handle, I'll bet."
As they spoke, Peter emerged from his tent, and looked up to see his brother. His expression was one of relief. As if they noticed they were seen, Aslan and Edmund looked down to him. They slowly began walking down the hill. Susan and Lucy came out of their tent. Susan smiled when she saw Edmund, and Lucy began to giggle with happiness.
Aslan and Edmund came up to them. Edmund hung his head with regret, and Aslan spoke. "What is done is done. There is no need to speak to Edmund about his past." As soon as he finished speaking, the other three Pevensie children wasted no time embracing their brother in a hug, just happy for him to be back safe.
Aslan approached Sora. "Thank you," he said. "I invite you to receive honors at my tent at midday."
Sora bowed slightly. "I would be honored," he said.
When midday came, all of Aslan's army had gathered to watch the proceedings. Susan, Lucy, Edmund, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy all watched proudly as Peter and Sora stood in front of Aslan. Peter drew his sword and Sora activated Flowering Friends, and both knelt down with their blades pointed into the ground. Aslan raised his mighty paw and gently placed it on Peter's shoulders, then did the same to Sora. His paws were heavy and powerful, but soft and graceful.
"Rise, Sir Peter Wolfsbane," Aslan said in a loud voice, "and rise, Sir Sora Lightkeeper, knights of Narnia." Sora and Peter both did as they were told, standing triumphantly. Sora could not help but smile. He may have failed the Mark of Mastery exam, but he was actually being knighted. He wished Riku and King Mickey were there to see it. Kairi was certainly proud.
Suddenly, the moment was interrupted by the sound of horns. Everyone, including Sora and Peter, turned to look, and saw a wave of Darkness approaching. However, it was not a swarm, but almost like a precession. There were gasps and murmurs from the army as they parted, allowing the Heartless forward. The monsters did not attack, but stared and lunged at the army. Leading the procession were four ugly ogres carrying a gestatorial chair. Seated in the chair was the White Witch, dressed in a gown of grey and white. As they reached the front, the ogres set the chair down, and the Witch stood up.
"You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan," she mocked. "Have you forgotten the laws on which Narnia was built?"
"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch," Aslan growled, hostility evident in his voice for the very first time. "I was there when it was written."
"Then you'll know well that all traitors belong to me," the Witch said coyly. She turned and pointed to Edmund. "That boy must die on the Stone Table, as is tradition!"
"Try and take him then!" Sora called out, raising his Keyblade. Peter stood beside him and raised his sword.
"Enough!" Aslan boomed. He locked eyes with the villain. "I shall talk with you alone."
The Witch hesitated, but stepped forward. Aslan led the way into his tent, and the Witch followed.
Kairi hurried over to Sora. "What's going on?" she asked.
Sora lowered his weapon, but did not deactivate it. "I think Edmund made a mistake and hurt his family," Sora explained. "And that Witch wants to destroy him for it!"
"We can't let that happen," Kairi said. "Narnia needs him."
"We'll hear what Aslan has to say," Sora said. "But I won't hesitate to fight her here and now."
"I'm more worried about them," Kairi said, motioning towards the crowd of Heartless behind them. Sora nodded and looked out at the army of Darkness, who seemed to be fighting all instincts to not attack everyone.
"Still," Kairi said, patting Sora on the back, "I'm proud of you, Sir Sora Lightkeeper."
Sora blushed. "Thanks," he said.
There was an extended moment of silence before Sora heard rustling. He turned back around to see the White Witch exiting the tent. Aslan followed her. She walked back to her seat, glaring at Edmund the entire time as he stared back in fear. Sora readied his Keyblade, and Peter held up his sword.
"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood," Aslan announced.
The Pevensies all sighed with relief. Peter sheathed his sword and hugged his brother. Sora sighed as well and deactivated his weapon as Donald, Goofy, and Kairi cheered.
"How do I know your promise will be kept?" the Witch called to Aslan amongst the cheering.
Aslan beard his teeth and roared, putting aside his dignified nature to show her the beast within. The Witch sat down on her chair, and the ogres lifted her up. They slowly turned and marched out of the camp, the Heartless following close behind.
"And don't come back!" Donald shouted as the last Shadows slinked back into the distance. He shook a fist.
Sora was glad that everything had been settled. He glanced over to Aslan, who he could not help but notice looked upset.
The sun had just recently set. Sora, Donald, Kairi, and Goofy had spent the day trying to figure out what to do: help the Narnians, or go to find the Keyhole. They had ultimately decided to stay, knowing that Aslan could help them with the Keyhole and whatever relic they needed to open the next pathway after they had defeated the Witch and the Heartless.
When it was dark, Sora offered to camp with Peter and Edmund, both so they could discuss strategies and so the Keyblade welder could guard them overnight. Kairi offered to do the same with Susan and Lucy. Donald fell asleep on a cot before they had even finished talking, and Goofy volunteered to sleep under the stars with him and make sure he did not sleepwalk halfway across Narnia.
Susan reclined in the hammock in her tent, tired from the day's events. After the knighting, she had practiced her archery for hours. Her arms were tired and she did not feel like brushing her hair before sleep.
"Are you sure you don't want the hammock?" Lucy asked.
Kairi smiled warmly as she stretched out on her wool sleeping bag. "No, I'm okay, Your Highness," she said.
Susan chortled. "None of that 'Your Highness' stuff here," she said. "Just 'Susan' and 'Lucy'."
Kairi grinned. "Of course, Queen Susan," she said knowingly. Susan rolled her head over and gave her a sly smile.
"So…" the curious Lucy said, "how long have you been a warrior?"
Kairi smiled and lied back. "Not long," she said. "Sora's been doing this far longer than I have."
"Those swords you carry," Susan inquired, "what are they? I don't know if I've ever seen anything like them."
Kairi held up her hand and summoned Destiny's Embrace. "Keyblades," she explained. "Special weapons that appear only for certain people, bonded to them." She sighed. "Sometimes I wonder how I came to be worthy of one. Sora and Riku I know… but me?" She said the last part in a quiet whisper.
"Well, Sora certainly seems to know how to use his," Susan said, rolling back over and looking up at the roof of the tent. "He was magnificent."
"He's handsome, too," Lucy said sheepishly.
Susan giggled. "Lucy's got a boyfriend!" she said in a slight singsong voice that retained her sophisticated tone.
Kairi giggled as well as she deactivated her Keyblade, but said nothing as she became lost in thought, which she was snapped out of by the sound of rustling outside the tent.
"Shh!" Kairi hushed, sitting up. Both Lucy and Susan quieted and sat up, listening. They all heard the rustling, and Lucy jumped off of her hammock and peeked out through the tent flaps.
"Careful, Lucy," Kairi warned.
"It's Aslan," Lucy whispered. "He's heading into the forest."
"Where would he be going this late?" Susan asked.
"I don't know, but I'm going to follow him," Lucy said, slipping her feet into her shoes and throwing a cloak around her.
"Lucy…" Susan muttered, getting up. Lucy slowly waled out of the tent, and Susan tied to encourage her to come back, but to no avail.
Kairi stood up and followed Lucy. "I'll go with her," Kairi said. "I'll make sure there aren't any Heartless around."
"All I'm coming with you," Susan said defiantly, slipping into shoes and a cloak like Lucy had. Together, she and Kairi exited the tent and hurried to catch up to Lucy, who followed the great lion from a safe distance.
The three girls entered the woods, careful of their footing as not to alert Aslan or trip and fall. However, they did not make it so much as a few minutes before three Shadows appeared from the ground. Lucy yelped in fear, but cupped her hand over her mouth to stiff the sound. Susan stepped back, and Kairi activated her weapon again. She swung at hit one before striking it again and smiting it, the poked at another. The two Heartless melted into the ground, traveling like silhouettes on the already-dark ground. As one began to rise next to Susan, she raised her leg and kicked it into Kairi's range, allowing her to destroy it. The other Shadow moved further away before rising. It twitched before it lunged at Kairi. Kairi raised her Keyblade, only for a large lion paw to emerge from the brush and step on the Heartless, destroying it.
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Aslan said, looking gently at the three girls.
Kairi deactivated Destiny's Embrace as Lucy stepped forward.
"We couldn't sleep. May we come with you?" she asked.
Aslan sighed and grinned softly at her. "I would be glad of the company for a while. Thank you."
Lucy and Susan slowly walked over beside Aslan. He turned and began walking back in the direction he was headed. Kairi walked next to Lucy, observing Aslan. His stride was careful and slow, but was full of purpose and drive. However, she thought his expression looked sad.
As they walked, Kairi kept her eyes peeled for any Heartless emerging from the dark, but none emerged other than the singular encounter. The night was seemingly calm, with not so much as a breeze rustling trough the trees. Everything was absolutely still, save for the three girls and lion wandering through the wood.
After a few minutes, Alan stopped. He looked to Lucy as he spoke. "It is time. From here, I must go on alone."
"But Aslan…" Susan started.
"You have to trust me," Aslan said. "For this must be done. Thank you, Susan. Thank you, Lucy. Thank you, Kairi. And farewell." With that, Aslan walked forth into the shadows of the forest.
"I wonder what's going on," Susan said.
Kairi tapped her foot. "Well, I'm not set on being left in the dark," she said. "Come on, let's go up that hill and see if we can still see him." She jogged up the hill, Susan and Lucy close behind.
As they reached the top, Kairi saw a gathering of stones, one being upright like a wall with a large gap in it. She, Susan, and Lucy all knelt down next to the gap and peered through. It was the perfect vantage point.
Not far from where they hid was a stone structure, appearing almost like small ruins. There were massive stone blocks place on top of one another, and a stone staircase that lead to a rectangular Stone Table with engravings and an elongated top. The entire structure was swarmed with Heartless. Soldiers, Werewolves, Shadows, Blue Rhapsodies, Darkballs, Invisibles, Assault Riders, and more filled the area. There were even Flutterings on top of the stones. Among the Heartless stood General Otmin and Ginarrbrik.
In the center of the Darkness, standing on the Stone Table, was the White Witch, dressed in a dark grey dress and with her light hair pulled back in a tight bun. She looked sourly at Aslan as he approached up the stairs.
"Behold," she said. "The Great Lion." Ginarrbrik cackled. Aslan finished his climb and stood strong at the base of the Table.
After gazing upon Aslan for a few more moments, the Witch spoke again. "Attack."
The Heartless obeyed. All the restraint they had been put under to maintain their commander's regal and sophisticated appearance was removed. An Assault Rider began by ramming Aslan, knocking him over and onto his side. Susan and Lucy simultaneously gasped, and Kairi looked on in horror.
The girls watched helplessly as their friend was enveloped by Heartless. Shadows and Soldiers slashed and struck at him. Darkballs pushed him around. A Fluttering clawed at his mane. An Invisible slashed at him with its blade. The entire time, Aslan took the beatings.
"Why doesn't he fight back?" Lucy questioned, growing more and more upset.
"Kairi, can't you do something?" Susan asked.
Kairi shook her head. "No, I can't fight that many Heartless by myself. Sora could, but…" She trailed off. It was almost as if she was frozen in place from shock.
"Bring him to me!" the Witch commanded. The Heartless were reluctant to end their onslaught, but a Werewolf clamped its jaws around the scruff of Aslan's neck, dragging him forward. The Assault Rider jabbed the lion with its spear, pushing him up onto the Stone Table. Slowly, the White Witch knelt down next to her foe, brandishing an obsidian dagger in her fist.
"You know, Aslan, I'm a little disappointed in you," she said. "Did you honestly think by all this you could save the traitor and hold back the Darkness? I will ensure this world in taken in Darkness, and the Horned King will ensure that all others follow. You are giving me your life… and saving no one." She chuckled evilly.
With that mock, the Witch stood up and, in a loud voice, addressed the Heartless crowd. They did not understand anything other than the Dark commands they were given, but the Witch desired an audience, and before her was a Dark Army forced to listen.
"Tonight… the Deep Magic will be appeased! But tomorrow, we will take Narnia forever!"
"Oh no!" Lucy whispered. Kairi stared with disbelief. She could not believe what she was seeing.
"In that knowledge, despair…" the White Witch said, "…and die!" She hollered as she drove the dagger down. Aslan trembled once before slowly closing his eyes, breath escaping from his body.
Kairi's heart dropped, and both Susan and Lucy burst into tears. The sisters hugged each other, Lucy burying her sobs. Kairi just stared, frozen and shocked. She could only barely shake her head. "No…" she muttered.
"The Great Cat is dead!" the Witch yelled. She turned to General Otmin. "General, prepare the Heartless for battle," she commanded. "However short it may be."
Kairi, Lucy, and Susan waited until the Heartless vacated the area. The night somehow grew darker as clouds rolled in. As soon as they were sure there would be no opposition, the three girls emerged from their hiding place and somberly approached the Stone Table. Both Susan and Lucy began to cry again upon seeing their friend's lifeless body lying on the stone. Kairi quickened her pace over towards Aslan and activated Destiny's Embrace. She came to a stop beside him and placed her hand on his cold fur. She lifted her Keyblade in the air.
"Heal!" she said. The magic took effect, but Aslan did not stir. Frustrated, Kairi deactivated her Keyblade and pulled a Potion out of her pocket. She was about to use it before Susan gently grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
"It's too late," she said in between tears. "He's gone."
Kairi squeezed her eyes shut as tears formed in them. She put away the option and gritted her teeth. First Ray, now Aslan. She did not know how much more loss she could take. She had not known him for long, but every moment she had with him built a bond. Kairi despairingly fell to her knees, placing her hands on the lion's body.
"I'm so sorry, Aslan," she said. "I could have save you. I should have saved you."
Susan sighed and sat down on the Stone Table. "We need to tell the others."
"I…" Kairi stuttered, "I can't leave him. Not now."
"I think I may know a way," Lucy said quietly.
Peter shifted subtly in his hammock, lightly sleeping. Edmund snored a bit. Sora was fast asleep in his sleeping bag below, a rest that he sorely needed after going so long without one. As the boys slept, a gentle, cool breeze wafted through the flaps of the tent, carrying pink petals with it. A petal drifted across Peter's cheek, causing him to wake slightly and instinctively brush it away. The wind gathered the petals, and they began to converge into a mass in the center of the tent. Through his hazy vision, Peter thought he saw it take the shape of a person. Suddenly startled by this thought, he jerked awake and grabbed at his sword. The commotion woke Edmund and Sora, the latter of which quickly activated Flowering Friends and pointed it at the figure.
"Be still, my princes and knight," the figure made of petals said in a calm feminine voice. A few of the petals parted as it spoke, like a mouth. "I bring grave news from the princesses and their guardian."
Sora and Edmund stood next to each other, looking down at a map of Narnia on a small table. The morning wind was cold, and the first rays of sunlight were rising over the horizon. The tension was almost unbearable, and Sora's Heart was in his throat after hearing the tree spirit's report. He hoped it was not true.
The flaps of Aslan's tent parted, but it was not Aslan that emerged. Peter did instead, his head low and his expression distraught.
"She's right," he said. "He's gone."
Sora felt his Heart drop. So it was true. He sighed and shut his eyes. Peter walked slowly over to the table and put his hands on it, leaning and attempting to keep himself from falling. There was a long moment of silence as Peter, Edmund, and Sora took in what was happening and contemplated what to do next.
"You'll have to lead us," Edmund said to Peter.
"I can't!" Peter protested.
"Aslan believed you could," Sora said. He lifted his head. "So do we."
Peter hesitated, then looked up at Sora with an expression of sincerity. "Are you with me?" he asked.
Sora nodded. "To the end," he replied.
It was almost midday by the time Aslan's Army reached the battleground: a sprawling green field with short hills and one large cliff sloping down into large rocks. Creatures of every kind stood behind Peter, Edmund, Sora, Donald, and Goofy: centaurs, fauns, griffons, unicorns, leopards, and bears all stood ready to fight. It was the largest army Sora had ever fought beside. However, he knew, even despite their numbers, the Heartless horde was larger. He thought back to when he had fought a thousand Heartless in Radiant Garden, and hoped he would be able to hone his abilities to that extent again.
"Are you ready, Sora?" Donald asked, as if reading his mind.
Sora sighed. "As I'll ever be."
"I hope Kairi's all right," Goofy said.
"Me too, Goofy," Sora replied. "Me too."
"Here they come," Edmund stated, wrapping his hand around the grip of his sheathed sword.
Come they did. Cresting a distant hill was the lone figure of General Otmin, welding a massive two-handed axe. Two Werewolves then crested the hill alongside him, pulling a black chariot. In it rode the White Witch, adorned in furs and a golden crown mockingly resembling a lion's head. Behind her came her army. Easily five thousand Heartless, ready for battle: Soldiers, Shadows, Werewolves, Blue Rhapsodies, Darkballs, Invisibles, Assault Riders, Armored Knights, Large Armors, and a single, massive, purple, horned Behemoth all poured like a Dark flood towards them. Ginnabrick stood next to the chariot, jumping up and down with an axe.
"There are so many," Peter worried.
Sora activated his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy took out their weapons. "We can handle them if we all work together," Sora assured. Despite the danger and importance of this battle, he could not help but feel some of the excitement that came with a challenge. "Just leave that big one to me," he said, smiling ever so slightly.
As the army behind them stirred and readied themselves, General Otmin suddenly released an ear-splitting, guttural war cry like that of a charging bull, and the Heartless began to charge forward. Peter and Edmund lowered the face plates on their helmets, and Sora glanced over at Donald and Goofy.
"You guys gonna be okay without me?" he jokingly teased.
Donald grinned. "One hundred Munny says I beat more than you."
"You're on," Sora said before looking back out at his foes with a look of steely determination in his blue eyes.
"The Behemoth still only counts as one," Donald teased.
Peter raised his sword. "For Narnia!" he called out. "And for Aslan!" Then he charged down the hillside. Sora and Edmund followed close behind, and Donald, Goofy, and the rest of the army cried out as they bolted towards the Heartless, ready to meet them. Sora used a bit of magic to enhance his speed, and locked on to a Werewolf barreling towards him. Time seemed to slow as the two sides got closer and closer, and Sora could hear his Heart beat. Then time shot back to blinding speed as they collided, Sora stabbing at the Heartless beast in front of him.
Lucy pulled her cloak tighter around herself. "I'm so cold," she muttered.
Susan stood up, prompting Lucy to do so as well. Kairi was still on her knees, her head hung and her eyes leaking tears. Susan placed her hand on Kairi's shoulder.
"We should go," she said.
Kairi slowly nodded, and even more slowly stood up. Her knees hurt from being on the stone so long. She ran her hand across Aslan's fur one more time.
"I'm sorry," she muttered. She turned away to see Susan and Lucy already behind her. The three began to head away from the Table and down the stairs, favoring every step.
Suddenly, the ground shook. Susan and Lucy lost their balance and stumbled, but caught themselves before they careened down the stairs. Kairi instinctively activated Destiny's Embrace. The shaking ceased with the sound of a sound crack, and Kairi whirled around, ready for attack. Instead, she saw something else. Lucy and Susan turned to see it as well: the Stone Table, split completely down the middle, and more concerningly, Aslan's body gone. Susan gasped as the three of them hurried back up the stairs and to the Table.
"What happened?" Susan asked.
Kairi did not deactivate her Keyblade as she investigated. She ran her hand across the Stone Table, feeling the crack and coming to the conclusion that a tremendous amount of force must have been required to split it in two. She ran her hand over the stone where Aslan's body had been, and it was cold as if it had never been there. A glow caught her eye, and she looked up to see sunlight coming over the distant mountains and coming through the archway. The clouds parted, allowing the light through. Then, a silhouette stepped out from behind the archway and in front of the sunlight, illuminating his golden mane.
Susan and Lucy's expressions lit up like the sky above them, and Kairi's eyes widened in amazement and relief. "Aslan!" they all said in unison.
The gentle lion chuckled and walked down to the. Susan and Lucy sprinted towards him and embraced him, hugging his neck.
"I don't understand," Kairi said, though she could not help but smile. "We saw the Witch…"
Aslan chuckled. "If the Witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice, she might have interpreted the Deep Magic differently. That when a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the Stone Table will crack, and even Death itself will turn backwards."
Kairi slowly walked towards the lion, then hugged him as well. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Don't be, dear one," Aslan assured. "In order for us to win, I had to do what I did. You showed far greater courage in protecting Susan and Lucy."
"We sent the news that you were gone," Susan said. "Peter, Edmund, and Sora will have gone into battle! We need to go help them."
"And we will, dear one," Aslan said. "But first, Lucy, I need you to do something."
Lucy perked up. "What is it?" she asked enthusiastically.
"That bottle of Fireflower Juice; please give it to Kairi," Aslan asked. "She will need it soon."
Lucy obeyed, reaching onto her belt and pulling out an elongated, decadent glass bottle filled with dark red liquid. She handed it to Kairi.
"It's said it can heal people," she explained to the Keyblade wielder.
"Thank you," Kairi said, "but I have means to heal."
"It may not be for that," Aslan said. "You'll know when the time comes." Kairi shrugged and pocketed the bottle.
"Now," Aslan said, "climb on my back. We have a long way to go, and little time to get there."
Sora leapt up and brought his Keyblade down on the Soldier, destroying it. He was doing his best to make his way through the crowd of Heartless to reach the Behemoth. He wanted to take it down quickly so that it could not take out more of his allies, but the other Heartless kept getting in his way. He charged through the Darkness, swinging his Keyblade to knock smaller foes from this path. The Behemoth reared up and stomped down on the ground, sending Narnian and Heartless alike flying from the shockwave. Sora pushed forward and almost reached the giant monster when a Large Armor marched in front of him. Sora sighed and readied his Keyblade. The fat Heartless swung its fists at Sora, who dodged them. He slid around to the Heartless' back and struck it. The monster's armor softened the blow, but it was still knocked off-balance. Sora attempted to swing at its head, but it jumped back up and body-slammed the ground, causing a shockwave that forced Sora back. It turned to attack him again by ramming him with its plated stomach. Sora blocked the attack, parrying it and forcing the Large Armor backwards. Sora jumped up and executed an air combo on the Heartless' head, destroying it.
Sora turned to see the Behemoth beginning to wander away. He quickly ran after it. Fortunately for him, it stopped to shoot lightning from its horn, and Sora took the opportunity to jump up onto the Heartless' leg and carefully climb up its back. The Behemoth barely noticed anything as Sora used parkour and careful footing to get up on the Heartless' back, then jump up on top of its head and begin furiously striking its horn. The Behemoth noticed Sora now, and began shaking its massive head and flailing to throw its attacker off. Sora wobbled but maintained his footing, then cast a Gravity spell on the horn. The Behemoth's head was yanked downwards, and Sora jumped above the defending horn. He pointed his Keyblade down as he fell, stabbing the horn before kicking off of it and front flipping back onto the grass. The dazed Behemoth stood still, and Sora again began striking the horn. The Heartless emerged from its daze and threw its head up, shooting a bolt of lightning into the sky and down onto Sora. Sora grunted as the electricity struck him and forced him back, but was otherwise alright. He decided to give the beast a taste of its own power. He lifted Flowering Friends and cast a Thunder spell, striking the horn with a powerful lightning bolt. The Behemoth shook violently, then dematerialized in a massive blast of purple and black smoke.
Sora looked around to make sure there were no more massive Heartless in the crowd. As he looked and did not see any, he suddenly felt something ram him on his right side. He yelled as the crushing pain surged through his body, lifting him off his feet and throwing him to the ground. Sora gritted his teeth as he got up and identified his attacker.
General Otmin raised his head, content with the bull-like charge he had inflicted. He gripped his axe tightly and bellowed at Sora, stomping and kicking at the grass as he prepared another charge. Sora got back on his feet as the minotaur began another charge, his head lowered and his horns pointed forward. Sora knew that, even if he blocked with his Keyblade, the force of this foe would still probably send him flying. He quickly cast a Blizzard spell, but the General dodged by swerving from his course, then straightening out after the ice had passed him. Sora took a defensive stance. As the minotaur reached him, Sora whirled around, just barely letting General Otmin's horns pass him. As the minotaur charged past, Sora swiped at his legs, making the villain stumble. He surprisingly regained his balance before turning to Sora, huffing loudly, and swinging his axe. Sora raised his Keyblade to meet it, and the two weapons clashed. General Otmin pressed the blade down, and Sora struggled not to collapse under his strength. General Otmin bellowed, and Sora gritted his teeth and pushed back as hard as he could. He began to press the axe back, then broke off the connection. The General's axe fell forward, and Sora dodged out of the way. He jumped behind Otmin and struck at his back, making the villain cry out. General Otmin swung his axe behind him, and Sora ducked in time for it not to remove his head. The minotaur kicked up dirt, some of which got into Sora's eyes. As he stood up and tried to rub the debris away, General Otmin rammed Sora with his axe, causing him to skid backwards.
The General bellowed again, then lowered his head and charged again. Sora blinked away the dirt, then readied himself. When Otmin drew near, Sora quickly dodged to the side. This time, he stabbed his Keyblade forward, hooking it under the minotaur's horns. General Otmin grunted as he was suddenly halted, his horns caught. He stumbled, and Sora mustered his strength to lift Otmin off the ground and throw him. The Keyblade became unhooked as the General flew through the air, and Sora quickly slashed at him as he was overhead, causing cries of pain from the beast. As General Otmin neared the ground, Sora quickly pointed Flowering Friends at him and cast the same magic he used to unlock Keyholes. The beam pierced the Minotaur and blasted him backwards. He flew yelling in pain and defeat into the sea of Heartless behind him, never to emerge again.
Sora panted and groaned, still hurting from his foe's attacks. However, the Heartless would not let him catch his breath. several Armored Knights and Blue Rhapsodies closed in, and Sora raised his Keyblade and rushed in.
Aslan had not been joking about the distance. The lion had carried Kairi, Lucy, and Susan farther than Kairi had been in Narnia, past the snowy forest and into felids of slowly melting ice and snow. As they approached the mountains, Kairi saw, in the distance, a large castle. It was a place of ice and rock, set between two mountains. It looked sharp and foreboding, and was undoubtedly the White Witch's domain.
They quickly reached the castle and passed through its jagged gates. Aslan slowed to a stop, and the girls dismounted. They looked around to find themselves in an indoor courtyard, a single dead tree growing from the snow. Filling the courtyard were what appeared to be stone statues of various creatures. As Kairi examined their frozen expressions of pain, fear, and anger, it dawned on her that these had been Narnians that had stood up against the Witch and were magically turned to stone.
No sooner had they begun to wander, Armored Knights materialized from behind the tree, brandishing their bladed arms. Susan and Lucy stepped back as Kairi activated Destiny's Embrace. The Heartless lunged at her, one of them swinging its arm at her. The two weapons clashed, and the foes battled until Kairi took advantage of a missed swing and slammed the Knight to the ground, destroying it. Ass another Heartless approached, Aslan pounced on it, pinning it to the ground. An Assault Rider materialized, and swung its spear at Kairi. It clipped her, painfully cutting at her arm and dress. She yelped and jumped back, seeing a red line on her arm and a gash in her pink dress, right below her collar. The Assault Rider jousted towards her, and Kairi dodged, swinging at the Heartless' legs and tripping it. She jumped on top of her fallen foe and stabbed it in the back, destroying it. Aslan disposed of the last Armored Knight, then turned to see Lucy and Susan approach one of the statues.
Lucy approached the statue, a faun, from behind, and slowly walked around to its front. When she did, she gasped. Almost immediately, her eyes filled with tears. Susan wrapped her arms around her sister as Lucy began to sob.
"Was that someone she knew?" Kairi whispered to Aslan.
"Tumnas," Aslan replied. "Her first friend in Narnia."
Kairi looked over at the young girl and pitied her. However, Aslan approached the stone figure of Tumnas, and slowly and gently breathed warm breath on him. There was a crackling sound, and Lucy, Kairi, and Susan all watched with amazement as the grey coloring drained from the faun's face. All of them heard sounds of struggle and grunting as the petrification was undone, melting away like summer ice. Though it were subtle at first, Tumnas began to move. Soon he was flesh and blood once more, and he fell to his knees gasping for breath and sweating. Lucy rushed forward to catch him. The faun felt her hands and looked up at her with kind eyes.
"Lucy?" he said, his mouth spreading into a relieved smile.
"Mr. Tumnas!" Lucy cheered, hugging him.
Kairi smiled, then saw a glow out of the corner of her eye. She reached into her pocket and pulled out Lucy's Bottle of Fireflower Juice, which levitated into the air. A crown-shaped aura of light appeared below her feet, and Kairi soon found herself in swirling energy. She pointed her Keyblade at the bottle and emitted a beam into the materialized Keyhole, opening the next path. With a flash of white, Kairi returned to the courtyard as the bottle floated back down into her hands. She smiled, turned, and handed the bottle back to Lucy.
"Thanks," she said.
"That was so cool!" Lucy said, awestruck. "How'd you do that?"
Kairi grinned. "Magic," she said.
Kairi turned to see that Aslan has revived the other creatures in the courtyard, who were all waking from their daze and beginning to move.
"We must hurry and search the castle," Aslan said. "Peter and Sora will need everyone we can find. And with the Light no longer trapped, the Keyhole will appear."
Peter, Edmund, and Sora all charged together at an Invisible, teaming up on it. It swung its sword as Sora, who dodged it. The other boys took to its left and right, slashing at both of its sides as they ran past. The Invisible quivered, and Sora jumped up and impaled it through the chest, destroying it. After her had defeated the Heartless, Sora looked up to see a nearby Centaur be turned to stone. It fell over, and the White Witch stood behind it, clenching a golden sword in one fist and a bladed staff-like wand. As her attention was on another Narnian, Sora prepared to attack her, but saw a bright glimmer out of the corner of his eye. He looked back, and over by the cliffs they had charged from was the distinctive glowing outline of a Keyhole on the grassy hill. Sora was glad to see it, but then realized he was still in the middle of a battle, and the Witch was approaching.
Sora struck down a Shadow, then made his way through the crowd to Peter, who finished off a Soldier.
"Peter!" Sora said. He gestured towards the Keyhole. "I need to get over there in order to stop more Heartless from coming, but the Witch is pressing forward."
"Fall back!" Peter ordered. "Edmund and I will keep her busy long enough for you to do what you need to do."
"Are you sure?" Sora asked.
"Don't make pull rank on you!" Peter said, subtly smiling.
Sora smiled back. "You're not king yet!" he called before retreating back to the cliffs to get to the Keyhole. A Darkball flew in his way, and Sora began rapidly slashing at it while still running, pushing it back towards his destination before it was defeated.
The White Witch saw Sora running back. Though she could not see the Keyhole where she was standing, she knew he had to have an important reason to be running away from the fight, and she knew it was not cowardice. Whatever reason he had, she had to put a stop to it. She began moving towards him, clenching her staff and planing on turning him to stone.
Then, Edmund jumped out, swinging his sword at the Witch. She dodged, then attacked with her sword. Edmund raised his and parried her attack, then she stabbed at him with her staff. Edmund dodged, and when the wand passed by him, he brought his blade down on top of it. The wand flashed blue before shattering and falling to pieces. The Witch looked stunned, then tried to attack again by stabbing Edmund with her broken staff. Before she could, Peter rammed her with his shield, forcing her back. The two brothers stood side-by-side, lady to fight. The Witch discarded her broken tool and grabbed a sword off the ground, holding up both blades. The two boys charged in, their sword clashing with their foe's.
Sora cut down another Soldier before he made his way to the Keyhole. With the sounds of battle still raging behind him, he quickly check to make sure he was not in any danger, then raised his Keyblade and pointed it at the Keyhole. The familiar beam of Light emerged from his weapon and into the Keyhole, locking it. It flashed white and vanished.
Sora sighed with relief, but knew that he was not done yet. He turned around to see Edmund and Peter sword fighting with the White Witch. The Witch slid one of her blades past Edmund's defenses, catching him off-guard. She pushed at him with the flat side of her blade, sending him falling backwards off of the short incline they were fighting on top of. He fell on his back, winded and slightly injured. Sora gripped Flowering Friends tightly, then charged at the Witch.
"Edmund!" Peter cried when he saw his brother fall. The Witch took a swing at him, and Peter raised his shield and blocked it. The two dueled, their swords clashing loudly and reflecting the high sun. The Witch spun around and knocked Peter off-balance. As she raised her sword to stab at him, Sora jumped between them and blocked her attack. Peter regained his balance, nodded at Sora, and the two attacked.
The Witch held off both boys with her swords, twisting and spinning to keep up with attacks from both sides. She forced Peter back, then stabbed both of her swords at Sora. Sora quickly fell to his knees and threw his head back, allowing the blades to just barely miss his face. As the swords retracted, Sora stood back up and kept up his assault. The Witch was a skilled warrior, and was able to keep up with Sora's maneuverability and strength. Peter came from behind and hit her in the back with his shield, and Sora rammed her in the stomach. The Witch grunted as the boys pushed her away, then swung their blades at her. She raised her swords to meet theirs, then spun around, swinging her swords around her. Sora was forced to step back, and the Witch turned on Peter and slammed both swords into his shield, putting pressure on him. Sora tried to rush in, but an Armored Knight jumped in his path. He quickly dueled it and got the upper hand, striking it down and stabbing it, then ran back to slash at the Witch. The Witch blocked, but a touch late, as only the tip of one of her swords caught the Keyblade. Sora knocked it aside, getting up close, then quickly cast a Fire spell. Rings of flame surrounded him, and the White Witch yelped as the magic burned her. She jumped back and readied both her swords as Sora and Peter did the same.
Suddenly, everyone heard a rumbling sound, and all eyes turned to look at the cliffs. From on top of the highest point, a giant, bold lion appeared, roaring loudly.
"Aslan?" Sora said.
"It's not possible!" the White Witch muttered.
Alongside Aslan, Sora could see Lucy, Susan, and Kairi. Susan had a bow in her hands, and Kairi had Destiny's Embrace. Then, swarming from the cliffs, were more Narnian reinforcements of giants, fauns, centaurs, and various animals. They charged at the Heartless, attacking with whatever weapons they held. Susan began shooting arrows at Flutterings in the air, and Kairi jumped from the cliff and onto the gras below, rocking to not injure herself, and ran into battle.
Kairi expertly sliced down Shadows and Soldiers. An Invisible materialized in front of her, and she blocked its sword swing. She pushed its blade away and slashed at its abs, then whirred behind it and slashed at its back. As the Heartless turned to attack her, one of Susan's arrows pierced its he'd and destroyed it.
Kairi took down a Blue Rhapsody, then saw another foe emerge. It was not a Heartless; it was a short, hairy, foul-looking dwarf. Ginarrbrik yelled as he swung his axe at her, and Kairi blocked. She grunted from the pressure; the little dwarf had more power behind his swing than she had expected. As he raised his weapon to attack again, Kairi quickly cast a Fire spell, engulfing the dwarf in flames. He screamed and jumped out, but his long beard was on fire. As he tried to put it out, Kairi slashed at him. He took the full force of the attack and fell off the steep cliffside.
Despite the momentary distraction, the White Witch continued her assault on Sora and Peter. She slashed at them repeatedly, not holding back to conserve strength anymore, but becoming desperate to finish the guardians of Light off. As she fought, a rage built up inside her. A Dark aura began to shimmer around the Witch. She felt her passion and hatred take control. She dropped all other thoughts than her drive to win, her desire to take Narnia, and her hidden fear of the Horned King. Her attacks became more fierce, and Sora could feel her shift in power and force. He pushed her blade away and slashed at her, but she brought the blade right back and stabbed at an opening, cutting Sora's side, he yelped and grabbed at his wound, pulling his hand away to see a small streak of blood. Peter attacked next, but the force of her sword on his shield caused his knees to buckle, and she swept his legs and forced him onto his back. She raised her sword to stab him, but Sora pushed her out of the way. She swung her hand back at him, striking him in the nose with her sword handle. Sora felt a stinging as he was knocked back, the feeling of some blood running from his nose. The Darkness had made her attacks hurt more.
Sora ignored the pain from his wounds and attacked again, getting a slash in and cutting the Witch's dress. She swung her swords at him, and Sora jumped back, dodging them. Instead of attack again, the Witch suddenly turned away from Sora, raising her blades to stab at the still-vulnerable Peter.
"No!" Sora shouted, rushing forward.
Before he could reach her or she could drop her blade, they heard charging footsteps. The Witch and Sora looked to see Aslan rushing towards them. With a mighty leap, Aslan opened his fanged mouth and clawed paws and tackled the Witch to the ground nearby. The Witch grunted loudly as her swords were thrown from her hands and she landed painfully on rocks, a massive lion pinning her down.
The White Witch struggled for only a moment before looking up into the eyes of the foe she thought she had killed, but who had returned. She could only stare in fear and disbelief as Aslan gave her a pitying glare, then opened his jaws and bit down.
Sora hurried over to Peter and gave him a hand up. Edmund slowly walked up the hillside, clutching his injured chest, but otherwise alright. Susan and Lucy came down from the cliffs and joined their brothers.
Sora looked out at the Heartless. With the Keyhole locked and their harbinger defeated, they began to either flee or fall to the Narnians. He heard a loud quacking, and looked to see Donald smiting an Armored Knight with a Thunder spell. Goofy was nearby, bashing a Darkball with his shield until it was defeated. After finishing off their respective Heartless, they looked up and saw Sora, and both gave him thumbs-up.
"Sora!" Kairi called. He turned to see her hurrying towards him. She stopped in front of him, panting.
"Nice of you to drop in," Sora joked.
"Yeah, well, I almost didn't make it," Kairi joked back. "First I thought Aslan was gone, then he wasn't, then I opened the next pathway… it's been a day."
"Tell me about it," Sora chuckled, looking out at the thinning tide of Darkness on the battlefield. As he did so, he saw Aslan emerge from the rocks and nod his head.
"It is finished," he declared.
"Sora, Kairi," Sora heard. They turned around to see Peter, panting and embraced by his brother and sisters, looking at them with hope and sincerity. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you."
"Indeed," Aslan said, approaching Sora. "Narnia owes you a great deal of debt. However, your journey is far from over."
Sora sighed. "Yeah," he said. "We still have to find the Black Cauldron."
"Then please, accept these gifts as a token of our gratitude," Aslan said. He motioned his paw to two shiny objects lying on the grass in front of him. Sora leaned down and picked them up, and handed one to Kairi.
Kairi examined the gift. It was a red stone emblazoned with the golden lion emblem of Aslan and his army.
"Use this when you need my assistance," Aslan said.
"Thank you, sir," Kairi said, smiling at the Summon Gem.
Sora's gift was a small iron chain. At the end was attached a gold trinket resembling Aslan's emblem, and a tuft of what felt like lion fur. Sora activated Flowering Friends and detached its Keychain, then attached the new one. His Keyblade changed, now resembling a long silver sword. The bit was made to look as if it was made of a small bow and three sharp arrows with red feather fletching. The guard resembled smooth stone, carved with Narnian symbols. The bottle-shaped handle was a deep scarlet and tipped with a golden pommel. Sora admired his Keyblade's new form, Lightkeeper.
"Thank you, Aslan," Sora said. "We are truly honored."
"You are welcome to Narnia anytime," Aslan reminded. "The kingdom's doors are always open to you, a Knight of Narnia."
Sora beamed from the praise. He raised his new Keyblade to the sky, and admired it as it was illuminated by the bright sun.
Donald walked upbeside Sora, twirling his staff. "Well, well, well," he said. "Final count, one thousand."
Sora chortled. "One thousand and one," he said.
Donald stomped his webbed foot. "You've gotta be kidding me!" As he pouted, he saw a lone Shadow creep out from behind rocks. Both he and Sora locked eyes on it. Donald glanced at the Heartless, then at Sora, then back at the Heartless. He raised his staff and ran quacking after it. The Shadow saw Donald charging and ran.
"Hey, that doesn't count!" Sora yelled after Donald, swinging his Keyblade as he chased Donald and the Shadow down.