With only three seats in the ship and 5 people, it made seating awkward as Sora shot down enemy ships on their way to pick up the others. Kairi sat in Jasmin's lap and Alice sat on Ariels'. Making Sora's hands free to use the controls.
Ariel looked back as her world shrank from view when they went to pick up the others. The enemy ships hovered near but Sora took them out too.
Sora's explanation in the throne room echoes in her mind for every ship destroyed. Looking back at him, she thought back. He said he met her a few times in the future. Their interactions helped him stand up to her father. She's both flattered and sad for him.
Eventually, he slowed the ship a distance away from the whale in the distance. It didn't notice them yet due to it facing the opposite direction.
He just leaned back and looked deep in thought.
"Hey, Kairi?" He eventually spoke up.
"Hm?"
"Remember when I told you all what happened and I said your heart migrated to me for a while?" He nearly whispered to the other girl's confusion.
"Yes?"
"I remember last time, before going to Hollow Bastion the first time, you showed me a memory of when you were little. From before you came to the Islands. It was of a story your grandma told you."
She whipped her head up in shock. "A memory?!"
"Yeah…" He trailed as he kept his gaze on the whale. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to her. It was a rough sketch of her grandma and a young Kairi.
"You were running in the castle library and she was sitting at a desk under the stairs. When you stopped before her, she told the story."
"C-can you tell me?" She pleaded, hands shaking as she cried at the picture of a relative long forgotten. The girls peering over to see the drawing.
In the dome's reflection, Sora closed his eyes.
"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of the light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it to themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's Hearts. It covered everything and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived… In the hearts of children. Within these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open. And the true light will return. So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away. Do you understand, Kairi?"
He spoke as if in a trance. The girls soaked up the tale in a somber silence.
Kairi gripped the photo as Jasmine hugged her.
Eventually, the whale spat out their friends. Sitting up, Sora tracked their trajectory. Gepetto was thankfully heading towards Traverse Town so he sent a message to Cid to keep an eye out.
With Mostro hightailing it outta there, that gave Sora the opportunity to fly towards the Kingdom.
With Sora grinning at his disoriented friends, Riku glared at him.
~/~
Hollow Bastion
Maleficent, Oogie Boogie, Ursula, Jafar, Hades and Captain Hook.
In the Grand Chapel, the group stood watching around Maleficents' table with the illusion of Sora and company departing their ships and making their way to them.
They spent hours since Agrabah talking about Sora's proposal.
About Xehanort playing them for fools.
About Sora's future knowledge.
There was a lot of yelling and the room suffered damage from spells cast in frustration. Eventually, their anger simmered to them now just waiting for the boy's arrival.
At some point, Maleficent released the captive Princesses from their slumber and had them wait near the fireplace she absently lit earlier for warmth.
Sora's proposal gave them too many benefits to be real.
All in exchange for teaching the Princesses what they know, to throw off as many of Xehanort's plans as possible.
He spoke with too much confidence of their respective defeats by his hand to be ignored. Sora can beat them all easily. Repeatedly. It was both humbling and a massive blow to their egos.
And he wants to work WITH them.
For the sole purpose of being unpredictable.
Well, if there was anything they all agreed on is this: Xehanort will regret crossing them. And… They want what Sora's offering.
The large doors opened with Sora and Riku doing the pushing. Both boys opened it further to allow the rest to fall in.
The villains stood straighter and walked forward to greet them, table behind them.
Sora walked forward to the front of the group with the confidence of a man who knows he can win against them. And on a 14 year old, it was both strange and intimidating.
"Maleficent." He stood a safe distance from the witch. Her staff loudly hit the floor upon her last step before him. Diaval crowed from her shoulder.
"Sora." She acknowledged with a nod.
Riku flinched, avoiding her gaze.
Maleficent raised a brow, clearly a story there. She focused on the group before her.
"Allow me to introduce everyone." Sora started and gestured to his group respectively. "This is Riku and Kairi. Both are from my home world and my friends since I was little. Next are Royal Court Magician Donald Duck, and Captain Goofy of the Royal Guard under King Mickey of Disney Castle. With them is Jiminy Cricket, Royal Chronicler to record everything that happens on behalf of Queen Minnie. Then we have our other Princesses of Heart: Alice of Wonderland and Princess Jasmine of Agrabah. And lastly we have my friend Princess Ariel from Atlantica whom I'm hoping to also train with a Keyblade."
He allowed a moment to absorb the introductions before turning to the villains to introduce them.
"Everyone, allow me to introduce you to your hopeful new teachers." He cracked a grin, and reached out to gesture to the respective villain. "Meet Maleficent. Dark Fae and witch, she is the self proclaimed and earned Mistress of all Evil." Said witch gazed in shock at 'earned'. He winked before moving on. "Then we have Captain Hook of Neverland. Surprisingly, he's the only other person to have a working ship to travel between worlds. An impressive feat!"
The captain gaped at that new intel. Truly? The only other with a space-worthy ship?!
"Next is Ursula the sea witch, also of Atlantica like Ariel. Next is Oogie Boogie of Halloween Town. A place dedicated to fear. Next is The Royal Vizier, Jafar, also of Agrabah like Jasmine. He's also a magic user. And lastly is Hades, Lord of the dead from Olympus."
(He snorts, "I wish!" mumbled the god.)
Then he startles at the sight of the girls huddled near the fireplace. "Hello!" He smiled gently. He waved them over. Fearfully, they looked to Maleficent. She nodded and the girls scrambled to him.
Running towards the new group, the girls ran to them for protection from the Villains. Sora mouthed off who they were, satisfied that they were all here and unharmed.
Kairi and co took the initiative to calm the girls down, which he shot her a grateful look.
He shot Maleficent an unimpressed look.
She raised a brow in return.
He rolled his eyes and got back on track.
"Right. Ladies?"
Belle caught on to him wanting names. She stood up bravely. "My name is Belle. This is Cinderella, Aurora and Snow White." She gestured to the others as he smiled thanks.
"Thank you Belle, do you and the others (gesturing to the previously introduced) know why you're here?"
They shook their heads.
"Right! OK! Everyone? Do you mind if I remind everyone what's going on? To make sure we're all on the same page?" He twirled around to look at everyone.
"Please do." Jafar stabbed his staff following his demand.
Sora nodded.
~/~
It took an hour of both explaining and backtracking to explain what something was. But, he only provided the basics (Hello! Villains! Who knows what they'd do with the new intel! He's TRYING to be smart about his future knowledge, ok?). But they got the gist, eventually.
In the end, there was:
Even more damage to the room. Princesses angry over what would've happened to them. Princesses crowding and hugging Riku and making sure he understands they aren't angry at him. Villains demanding details from Sora…
He snapped. He lept on top of the table and cupped his mouth. "ENOUGH!"
Eventually they quieted.
"Can we please get back to why I brought you all here?" He dramatically drooped in exasperation. They looked at each other and nodded.
Sora looked around at them as they all gathered around the table where he stood.
Everyone mixed with each other compared to what he expected. He smiled and stood straighter.
"Now, old man Xehanort is a master manipulator. Right now, he's just a heart under a grey cloak waiting to possess Riku." Said boy winced. Hades gripped his shoulder in support (surprising both boys. "Otherwise, we have his Heartless Ansem and Nobody Xehanort. Ansem wants to use the princesses to open Kingdom Hearts. It ended with me as a Heartless and making Roxas and Namine- mine and Kairi's Nobodies."
"I want you all to focus on Ansem, I'll deal with Xemnas. Before I died, I figured out the deal with every member of both old and new Organization 13 members. I plan to help them before Xehanort gets his claws into them. It's going to keep me busy for a while. With you, if Ansem can't get to the Princesses, he can't open Kingdom Hearts. You all (the Villains) wanted to open it for the power and knowledge it provided, right?"
They nodded and grinned.
"Everyone." He ginned. "That's why I'm providing myself as an alternative for you. Not only can I provide future knowledge, but I can get you access to Scala ad Caelum, homeworld to the previous generations of Keyblade wielders. From what I saw in the future, it was abandoned."
They all grinned in greed, nodding at his alternative. Knowledge of past wielders? Priceless.
"So! Help me train these lovely ladies, and I give you access and if possible when I find Aqua, Terra or Ven, your own Keyblades. Deal?"
Oogie and Ursula laughed, but they all otherwise agreed.
"Get ready girls!" Hades rubbed his hands together. "Class is in session!"