Road to Light
A clear blue sky hovered over the trio, the wind was particularly lovely blowing up against them giving everyone a nice cool breeze. This large grassy plain with its yellow dirt road was one of the most peaceful areas Sora and company had ever been too. Far different from the last place they had been. A horrish nightmare of darkness and Heartless. Here there was light as far as the eye could see, and again compared to last time that was pretty far.
For the last few days, it was hard to keep track, maybe days, they had just been walking down the path.
Sora was on top of the world for what felt like the first time ever. Who would have thought that after starting an adventure with absolutely nothing but a wily magical key, losing his friend to darkness, that he would not only defeat the evil responsible for it all, but now have two new friends to add to the ever growing lists of companions and pals who he had made during his first great journey.
With a smile on his face, he felt the brightness of the sun press on his lightly tanned skin, his spiky brown hair and bright blue eyes practically shimmering as Donald and Goofy continued upon a grassy trail forward. They had been on this trail for a while since closing the door to darkness and defeating the evil Keyblade Master Xehanort. Riku and Kairi were out there somewhere, and he was determined more than ever now to find them.
After all, that's why Sora started this journey and went through this story in the first place.
"Gee, wonder how long this road goes?" Goofy asked as he looked back, continuing to press on. "Seems like we've been walking in the same place for hours now."
Sora shrugged. "Well, we've been here ever since we defeated Xehanort so I guess we keep walking."
"My feet hurt." Donald moaned looking at his webbed feet, he took a pause to stretch them before he caught up. "Can we take a break?"
"Oh, come on, Donald! It's not THAT bad." Sora argued keeping up the pace. "We've been walking for what, a few hours today, at the most...Besides most of the best stories involving walking for long periods of time "
"Yeah, well, my feet still hurt." Donald muttered, "And I bet those people in the stories took breaks"
"You should start working out more." Sora chuckled, "Come on, Donald we've done way harder stuff than walking. Don't go Goofy complaining."
"Yeah, you gotta keep up the pace." Goofy ran past both of them. "See it's easy."
Donald rolled his eyes "Oh brother."
Sora gave him a cheek grin and laughed. He loved Donald and Goofy company, having them was a blessing that he wished he figured out earlier.
Goofy, the oldest of the two, was a single father to his son Max, and a good one at that. He was a sort of anthropomorphic Dog by Sora's thoughts but he never thought too much as well as Captain of the Guard to King Mickey. While silly and had a tendency to be extremely clumsily he was also very wise and good at making you feel better while dispensing good advice. In a way he had become an almost surrogate father to Sora who had lost his own father many years ago when he was younger. Though despite the goofiness of Goofy, he had a certain wisdom about him, always able to say things that calmed the rest of the group.
Donald, a duck, on the other hand was a bit more brash, always tended to be more negative about things. Most likely because he was constantly worried for their safety because of some unknown, at least to Sora, events regarding his sister Della Duck and how it affected his three nephews he raised. Yet he was a loyal companion nonetheless. He was King Mickey's court mage, and quite the expert on all things magical. Most of the time though he spent thinking of back home and wanting to get back to his nephews.
Then finally there was Jiminy Cricket, small, he was a vital crew member for he had recorded their journey from the beginning keeping vital records, one that he could not wait to put in the royal archives of Disney Castle.
"Well I know one thing fella's" Jiminy said hopping onto Sora's shoulder, a small tiny journal in hand, "This grassy plain sure is peaceful, probably one of the more nicer places we've visited"
"You have enough info there Jiminy to write a novel" Sora chuckled looking over his shoulder to the tiny cricket
"Well I am a chronicler so, maybe I should...One day" Jiminy stated taking a note in his journal, "Imagine, will call it, the Adventures of Sora and Friends"
"Sounds stale," Donald muttered.
Jiminy frowned and huffed, "Well I don't see you coming up with any titles"
"Needs something flashy" Donald argued back
Sora laughed as the two continued to have their argument. He wondered what it would be like for his life to be a novel. Chronicled to be a great hero of the world. Sounds daunting, but also exciting. To be a great legend like the one his mother read to him about as a kid back on the Island
At first, he wasn't so sure about Donald Goofy and Jiminy, they were a bit silly, and wasn't always sure if they were interested in finding his friends and more interested in just getting him to their King who they thought would fix it all. However it was Sora who needed them perhaps more than they needed him. It was tough at first exploring whole new worlds and without his Island friends by his side he was lost. But they guided him and aided him. When Riku fell to darkness and became his enemy for a brief time it was Donald and Goofy who stood by him and picked him back up when he was knocked back down again.
Sora sometimes wondered to his horror what would have happened if he had never met Donald and Goofy.
He was happy to call them friends. No...More than friends...Family. They were just as much his family as his mother, Riku and Kairi were now. How could they not be. Not with the things they went through, saving the world, standing together against evil. Sora was so grateful.
"So, uh, how do you suppose we will know when we find their door to the light?" Goofy asked as he scratched his head.
Sora shrugged looking out to the horizon. "Who knows, we'll find it when we find it, you can't rush these things. That's what my mom always told me".
Donald scoffed. "That's rich, coming from you, you're never patient."
"What? It's true, these things will happen when they happen." Sora casually put his arms behind his head as he kept on the road.
"Pfft, okay Mr. Patient" Donald snickered.
Sora rolled his eyes but smiled, "As long as we keep going, we will find them. Besides we don't have to worry too much right? I mean I already defeated Xehanort and saved the universe. Everything else after that is gonna be easy."
"Now don't get overconfident Sora," Jiminy cricket hopped onto his shoulder looking disapprovingly at him, "Just because you defeated one villain doesn't mean there aren't other dangers out there"
"Then I'll fight them and face them head on, I did with Xehanort, like any good hero would ,I have my Keyblade, what could go wrong".
Goofy nodded, "I agree, we can take on anything, and right now, we need to take on getting back home to our loved ones"
"Yeah!" Donald agreed, giving him the thumbs up.
"Well what are we waiting for," Sora said, smiling widely, with a spring in his step he started to run off looking back at his friends to catch up "Lets not keep them waiting, lets go!"
They rushed off and for the first time since Sora started his epic quest with Donald and Goofy, he truly felt confident in his abilities. Nothing could really stop him, he was the Keyblade Master after all. He defeated Xehanort, no dark force could stop him after this.
Sora felt a rush of confidence. Something he hadn't had in a long time.
During most of his first journey Sora always had a lot of doubt. He wasn't sure if he even wanted a Keyblade let alone help Donald and Goofy. Even when he traveled the world's he still wasn't sure if he yearned to be a hero.
"So long as we're together guys, we're unstoppable. Come on guys, we got a whole bunch of people waiting for us to come home!"
The next big quest had begun to find some friends and return back home with the nice and bright and grassy beautiful and fresh things that were definitely looking up.
Sora
Life is like a journey on a road that's within.
Heads says you should stay
But your heart says to begin.
So you go
Donald, Goofy and Jiminy
But you don't wanna go
Sora, Donald, and Goofy
Time flies by in the city of lights.
Time stands still in the country.
There's no time for a fuss or a fight.
As we travel the land.
Donald and Goofy
And I be satisfied
As to be
Not denied
Everyone
To reside
With some pride
While I ride
To the city, the city of lights.
Donald
Light shines like a Diamond
In the city of light
Goofy
When that Diamond shines you know that everythings alright.
Donald
But you know.
We got a wit a go.
Sora
Let us meet its master
We don't want to make them late
Everyone
In that city of lights.
Goofy
The light it has a plan
And one I can understand.
Sora
The light it's something grand with reflection.
Donald
Light like a person's mighty hand bearing across the entire land.
Jiminy
Light is a person of our affection.
Everyone
Time flies by in the city of light.
Time stands still in the country.
There's no time for a fuss or a fight.
As we travel the land.
And will be satisfied
Just to be
Not denied
To reside
With some pride
While I ride
To the city
The city of lights.
The journey continued until the sun began to set and the moon finally covered the dark starry sky. Sora, Donald, and Goofy rested on the grass, as they slept and prepared for another day. Sora particularly was tired, having felt he walked for hours without stopping for a single break. His legs hurt and ached and he just wanted to rest up back in a nice cozy bed back home, his mother in the other room after giving him a big hug and tucking him in at night.
That thought alone eased him during his sleep.
-000-
-000-
Sora awoke to find himself in the middle of a pit of complete darkness. There wasn't a single speck of light that could be seen for miles. That was until from down below things began to glow, as a giant glass mural began to form below him. Blue in frame, green in the inner frame. An image of himself appeared sleeping, as other images of Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy and his mother surrounded the tapestry. Everything that represented him was on this mural. The mural was him, it was his heart.
He didn't know how he knew that now he just did, memories of other murals from his dream began to appear just like before. Except last time it was the Princesses of Heart, he wondered why this time it was himself.
"Hello!" Sora called out sounding nervous, "Mr. Voice, are you there, didn't we go through this last time?"
Don't be afraid
"Oh no not again" Sora sighed, as the dark void continued to surround him "Look My. whoever... Voice, whoever you are ...Um...I kinda did the thing I think you wanted me to, I'm honestly not sure, I mean I had a big adventure, saved the universe from the forces of evil...Pretty proud of myself if you ask me. Just saying...I'm just saying"
No response, Sora just signed as he realized that he probably wasn't going to hear much of the voice again. He began to mozy around the small area trying to see if there would be some sort of staircase or other platform that would appear. Sadly none did show up however, leaving him alone in the middle of this strange dream again.
What was even the purpose this time?
What was even the reason, hadn't the hard work been done.
Eventually the dullness ended as Sora's keyblade appeared before him. He stepped back in shock, knowing that when his weapon appeared that meant the Heartless were nearby. Last time he had faced a few in his dream. They would certainly appear again, but this time, he was ready for them. He knew what these creatures of darkness were and he had defeated them multiple times.
The brighter the light the deeper the darkness.
"Voice?"
Sora turned around as a portal of darkness arrived, a figure emerging from it. A few moments passed before the figure revealed themselves to be no other than Riku himself. Standing there in the center of the platform.
"Riku!" Sora gasped as he ran up to his friends, so close to finally reuniting with him.
That was not to be though as darknesses consumed his friend, forming the same darksuite from before. When his eyes opened, they were no longer the cyan green but the bloodshot yellow. In his hand, a sharp edged sword appeared. His grip tightening on it
Sora stepped back as his own Keyblade appeared without his knowing it "Riku?"
Without warning Riku jumped into the air and landed right in Sora striking hard. Sora defended with his Keyblade as the two sabers clashed with one another. Each clang and move was more intense and rough. Sora tried to avoid the sharp edges as his friend kept trying to slice him open. With great speed he ran always keeping some distance, keeping his Keyblade up high as the two blades clashed over and over again. The two of them gave practically dancing on the platform, but this was a dance of the death.
"Riku stop!" Sora said trying to play only defense, why was his friend attacking him. Didn't he save him, wasn't all of this over. He tried his best to miss and run, keeping a safe distance between the two.
"Weak" Riku sneered, blasting him with a dark blast, Sora defectled.
Again Riku kept lunging at him trying to strike him down but each time he missed. Sora felt his knees starting to give in. Riku's power was intense, like an unstoppable beast who just didn't give.
Eventually Riku leaped back to the center of the room again and was once again engulfed in darkness. Sora watched in horror as the dark aura took him. Once free though, a new figure emerged. The white hair and tall figure of Xehanort now stood before him, an evil grin on his face as he slowly walked towards him now.
"All words begin in darkness' He stated, "And all shall end, like your friend his heart once again belongs to darkness!"
"No!" Sora tried to reach but was bolted back against him landing on the ground with a loud thud. Xehanort laughed as he exploded in darkness, leaving Sora standing there, breathing heavily, in fear.
"R-Riku" Sora gulped, was his heart really engulfed in darkness.
A moment of silence passed…his mind was racing.
Only to be broken by the sound of applause as a high pitch voice echoed from below, Sora could see a figure slowly beginning to lower themselves down towards them. A small looking figure with a very triangle shaped shape. Because it was an actual triangle floating towards him with one large eye, a top hat, and a bowtie.
He looked weird.
Continuing to float down the strange triangle applauded him and when he spoke it was in a high pitched echo of a voice.
"Well, well, well...Bravo! I must say kid you really do have the stuff. You know how to put on quite the show, very impressive I gotta say".
"W-What are you?" Sora asked, seeming nervous taking a step back, "Where's Riku, and Xehanort"
The Triangle seemed taken a back but tipped their head and hat, "Names Bill...Bill Cipher, all seeing dream entities at your service, here have some deer teeth."
Sora was soon given a bunch of teeth which creeped him out. Bill just laughed as he continued to float around. This dream of his was starting to feel a bit too real to just be part of Sora's imagination but something that was actually happening.
A moment of silence passed between the two now, as they just looked at each other. Sora wondered when he would speak again thinking best to perhaps ask a question. The Triangle just floats around him, his one eyes staring at him, as if to gaze into his soul.
"Man battling your bestie only to have been consumed by a benign of darkness, must be hard to watch huh" Bill chuckled, his eye gazing at Sora as he floated around him "Good thing you forgave him when the real thing happened, otherwise...Woo...well, I'd hate to be him".
"So...Um, hi...Um...Not to be rude or anything but, why are you in my dream? Or are you even real?" Sora voice shook a bit, afraid he was tempting faith
Bill remained quiet for a moment but just laughed, "Oh good one kid, yeah, I'm real, well, real in that I exist, however I can only communicate with you in your head. Long story, don't wanna get into it. But the point is I am a BIG FAN, and I just wanted to just meet you".
"A fan?" Sora was shocked. This was definitely a first, Sora wasn't used to having a fan. Although he did remember some admirers in Traverse Town for defeating the Heartless a few times. However now it seemed that his fame was starting to spread to people in other dimensions. Just for defeating Xehanort and saving the world? Saying it in his head now though it did make sense. Of course he would. That thought alone made something inside feel quite good, a sense of becoming a legend. He sorta liked the sound of that. Smiling wide Sora looked at Bill and held out his hand, "Well Bill, glad I can inspire"
"Oh believe me kid you more than inspire" Bill said shaking his hand back, "In fact, so much I wanna offer you my powers of foresight to help you".
"You wanted to help" Sora was shocked.
Bill nodded, "Yep? Wished I could have been there for the first quest as well. I felt almost ashamed to appear feeling useless, not being able to be a part of the story" Behind Bill a violin began to play sad music, "Oh my cowardice and shame...But I got over it and now I wanna help! Even from realm I want to help"
Sora didn't know what to make of this creature right now. He had met plenty of oddballs in the past, many of them he liked. But Bill seemed to be quite strange. He wasn't sure what he was, except a triangle. Also why was he in his dreams, he never really had visitors in his dreams before. Perhaps he was the voice.
"Are you him, are you the voice?"
"The voice, I wish...No, like I said I didn't help at all the first time" Bill said waving it off, "And no, I don't know who it is...Which is a shame because I actually do know lots of things, and that's why I'm here. I wanna give you some info on the happenings of the worlds, since you've been gone"
Sora took a moment to take in what he was saying. It was then he realized that yeah, he had been gone. Gone quite a while, well not that long since he closed the door to darkness and defeated Xehanort, also saving his friend Riku in the process.
"Oh, um ...How? How can you do that?" Sora asked looking curious
Bill form changed again to just a giant eye as it began to show off various images. Worlds, these worlds, not only words but world's Sora had visited. Agrabah, Wonderland, Traverse Town, he recognizes these places, even saw people he knew. Aladdin, Alice, Leon, his friends, the people he met. All of them seemed to be safe, happy. It was seeing this that it hit him, that he did it, he really did save the universe from the Heartless.
A sense of euphoria came over him, the weight of his actions finally clicking. He saved the universe. Sora really did save the universe. Xehanort had threatened everything, manipulated Maleficent and her villains to launch siege after siege of Heartless against them, and he stopped it. He along with his friends stopped it.
"W-Wow" Sora blinked, "All these people"
"You care about them kid?" Bill asked, his tone softer than earlier
Sora nodded, "Yeah, if it weren't for them I would never have gotten as far as I would have. My friends are my power after all".
"That's your catchphrase?" Bill asked leaning back in the air
Sora chuckled, "Maybe"
It was sort of true, so many of these people had helped him during his first journey. If it weren't for them he would never have gotten through the horde of Heartless that were against him, find his friend, and defeat Xehanort. He might have been the hero, but even hero's needed help.
Bill revered back to his normal form again and went back to floating in front of Sora, twirling his cane leisurely. "See...I know lots of things, info, people, if you want to know, I can show you ...Consider me your muse, someone to turn to for need and advice. I wanna help yuh kid ...Get to know yuh, after all I think your fascinating...weird...and I like weird"
"So you can see anything?" Sora asked his mind, starting to wonder.
Bill nodded "Yep anything, from what the weather is like to dark horrible secrets of ones enemies, anything?"
Sora thought about what he said for a moment and then realized something, "Show me Kairi!" He asked.
"Kairi? Oh...I getcha...I getcha…" Bill returned back to being a viewing mirror again.
There she was, Kairi, standing there on the beach looking out into the ocean, someone else was with her too. It was his mother, they were standing there together looking out on the ocean waiting, waiting for him. Sora's eyes widened and his heart sank. She was waiting for him, along with his mother too. Both wanted him to come back home and he needed to get back home to them.
Bill turned off the image and returned to the normal triangle again, "Anything else?"
"Riku! Where is Riku!" Sora asked, looking desperate now.
"Ah...Yeh...about that…." Bill twiddled his thumbs looking nervously, "See, I kinda have a inkling of where he would be...But, i'm not sure you wanna know"
Sora widened his eyes and got his knees, "Come on Bill, show me, you said you wanna help, show me! Please! I need to know where Riku is"
Bill sighed, "Okay kid" he again turned into a viewing portal one more time, and this time, showed a large castle on the edge of the void.
"What castle is that…."
"I...I can't say because your about to wake up"
Sora seemed taken aback, "Wait...what about Riku"
"Just follow the signs kid….Trust me! Here...My card" Bill Cipher summoned a card and put it in Sora's hand, "You'll find it in your pocket when you wake up, I have powers like that, call me if you ever need help with anything, but only if it's get desprate okay?
Sora seemed unsure as he looked at the card, "Um, okay?"
"Good...Now remember...REALITY IS ILLUSION THE UNIVERSE IS A HOLOGRAM BUY GOLD BYE!"
-000-
"MAMA!" Sora's eyes burst opened as he looked around, there was no sign though of
Breathing heavily, Sora looked around only to find himself back in the middle of the grassy plane again. It was dark out and the moon was shining high above them now. A sound of a cricket chirping could be heard in the distance, though that could just have been Jiminy.
Sora went into his pocek and to his shock he saw the card. It was just a normal card except with a symbol of Bill Cipher on it, and on the back, a strange incantation. Putting it in his pocket he took a deep breath as he tried to think more about his dream.
"So strange, w-who was that guy?...Perhaps it was nothing though," Sora muttered aloud as he stood up looking at the road beyond. "How long does this place go I wonder?"
What was Bill Cipher trying to tell him? Was he even real. The dream felt real but it was hard to tell. The last thing he said was look for the guys in black hoods. What hoods? What was that castle, and was he close to finding Riku. He really wanted to find him, he did anything to find him, and get his friend back. Especially after having to fight him, he just wanted things to go back to normal, be back on Destiny Island, with his friends, with his mother.
Once calm he did a quick check to make sure everything wasn't a miss. Donald and Goofy were still sound asleep and they were in the middle of the large grassy null. He rubbed his head trying to remember if he did anything different before he went to sleep, yet nothing of fruition came to mind.
Riku
Sora frowned thinking about the dream again. He hated having to fight his friend again. There first falling out was one of the most painful things he had ever experienced before and hoped to never experience again. Watching his friend fall to darkness, and have to fight him, and maybe even worse. If Riku hadn't come back to back at Hollow Bastion well...He didn't want to think about what he would have to do.
Their journey to find Riku and get back seemed to not be going anywhere useful lately. All they did was go down the long grassy plains ever since they had closed the door to darkness and defeated Xehanort. Either then that it had mostly just been walking. Lots of walking, not even really anything useful as of late. Hopefully he would find Riku soon, he really had a lot he wanted to talk to him about.
Part of him wanted to know if he was okay, whatever his ordeal with Xehanort was took probably a large toll on him. Still, what Sora wanted to know the most was what exactly had caused Riku to go down the path he did n the first place. One just simply go down the path of darkness without a good reason right?
At least, that's what Sora thought.
Darkness never sounded appealing, no matter what the reason was for.
Taking a deep breath Sora stretched his back, and tried to tire himself out so he could go back to sleep, his mind still racing because of his dream.
"Everything okay, Sora?" He looked down to see Jiminy sitting by himself with his journal in hand and pen in another as he scribbedl inside it. "You seem stressed."
Sora shook his head, thinking it best to keep the identity of Bill Cipher a secret...For now. "Oh sorry, I had the weirdest dream and I, uh...Wait a minute, how long have you been awake?"
"I heard you calling your mom," Jiminy stated, sounding worried, "Have a bad dream huh? Something you need to talk about? All ears".
Sora sighed, sitting back down on the grass, Jiminy hopping on his shoulder now "Sorry, whenever I get a little scared she'd normally come in and calm me down" he looked up in the sky getting nostalgic.
"Sounds like a wonderful woman"
Sora nodded and sighed, as he sat down crossed legged and looked at looked up at the stars with a wide smile, "She is, I remember one time she used to sing me this funny song...how it go...Shake, Shake, Shake Senora...But she'd changed the name to Sora since it sounded similar"
Both Jiminy and Sora just laughed, it was nice to talk about his mom. Sometimes he worried how long he was gone and what she was thinking right now.
"So, what are you doing?" Sora asked.
"Oh most of the night, I've been working on this journal. Lets just say being your pocket most of the time doesn't leave for the most calming of environments to work. Thankfully, I have a pretty good memory so I've been able to get at least most of the journey down and now I'm just making sure I have the finer details all nailed down."
Sora leaned down to take a look at the tiny journal. "Wow, you've been working that hard, have you?"
As he squinted his eyes, Sora could see all the details that Jiminy had put into his journal. Images of the various worlds and locations they had visited. Pictures such as the Agrabah palace, and Traverse Town second district filled the pages. There was even a photo or two of Leon and Dipper inside here, All these friends and places, so many good memories with his friends.
Suddenly a small wave of sadness came over him as the memories started flooding in again and deep fear took him. A more darker fear began to take hold of him now as he remembered his first quest.
"Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if Riku and Kairi came with me from the start." Sora thought, "Think Riku would have gone to darkness if I was with him from the start?"
"Well, we can't dwell on the past forever, Sora." Jiminy said putting the book down for a moment. "While it's important to never forget it we have to continue to press forward."
Sora sighed. "You're right…you are right, anyway! Seriously, Jiminy it looks great."
"Oh yes." Jiminy nodded. "It's been both an honor and a passion, to chronicle your journey from it's a start."
"Well more like Donald and Goofy's journey, I came in a bit later."
"You've been around from the start pretty much." Jiminy interjected. "It became your journey, you defeat Xehanort after all. That's not an easy feat Sora, especially someone your age."
Sora blushed a bit. "Gee. never thought about it like that"
He got up and looked out into the distance, "You know, I never set out to be a hero, I mean I like helping people, but honestly, I just wanted to see the world just for the heck of it. Riku was more the warrior type.
Jiminy hoped on Sora's shoulder and looked at him sternly but kindly "You may not have set out to be a hero Sora, but heroism called upon you. The Keyblade picked you, so clearly the universe or something must have seen something in you. I think you should be proud about that"
"Ah come on. Stop..." Sora blushed, "I'm not that special".
Jiminy shook his head. "No, Sora, I mean it. You lost your home and had to find your way to your friends. You went through trials and tribulations, and yet throughout all that you thrived. You stayed true to yourself and your moral compass. Not a lot of people could do that."
"Jiminy, I-"
"Face it Sora, you're a hero, whether you want to admit it or not".
Sora took a moment and began to ponder this. Jiminy did make a good point, he did save the universe from the Heartless. Not to mention defeated a Heartless of an evil Keyblade Master. Those were impressive feats. He felt a bit of pride at this idea of him being a hero. When he was young on the island he and Riku would always tussle to play hero, now however Sora was actually being one, with actual accomplishment to him.
"Yeah, yeah I should, still..." Again Sora sighed. "Do you think we'll ever get back home."
"Come on, why the long face? Of course we will, you promised my girlfriend."
Sora blushed. "Kairi's not my girlfriend."
"Ah, don't be bashful now. Besides, you're not alone. I bet Donald and Goofy feel the same way. They're gonna find their kind and return back home to their loved ones and so will you too Sora."
Sora looks up at the stars, knowing that one of them was his Island home, just waiting for him to come back home. He hoped that her, his mother, all the rest of his friends he left behind would not have to wait too long. Just the thought of his mother waiting for him, probably worrying made his heart feel pain. Hopefully Kairi would explain what was going on and that they would believe her. More reason to find Riku and get home quickly.
He looked down at his cricket friend and smiled.
"Thanks Jiminy you know your-" Sora paused as he felt something in his pocket, the first time in a while he actually checked. Slowly he removed it and found a piece of paper scrunched in. "What's this?"
Suddenly Sora felt a chill run down his spine as he saw a hooded figure in a black coat standing upon the road. Already he had an eerie familiarity to this situation. Once on the island he had seen another figure in a hood. Later it turned out that it was Xehanort.
"Along the road lies something you need." They speak yet it seemed like no on was could hear them
Sora was confused, it all sounded like riddles in his own head.
"However, in order to claim it, you must lose something that is dear to you." The voice spoke in his mind, yet he did not dicen the tone.
With those final words the coated figure vanished leaving Sora standing there very, very confused. Jiminy hopped on his shoulder looking concerned.
Sora tried to chase them. He looked around and saw nothing but empty plain again. No sight of the mysterious figure anywhere.
"Who was that?" Sora shook his head as he came full stop.
"Who?" Jiminy asked before
"I don't know, but I wanna find out."
Once Sora's head cleared he rushed over to Donald and Goofy and began to wake them up.
"Guys, guys...Wake up." Donald and Goofy muttered as they woke up. They saw Sora standing up looking out into the horizon. They both looked at each other with worried expressions as they joined him.
"What's wrong Sora?" Goofy asked, yawning deeply.
"I saw someone." Sora pointed to the empty road
"Who?" Donald asked as he stood up, rubbing his eyes out of annoyance.
Sora bit his lip and turned facing them, he took a deep breath. He knew what had to be done.
"Come on, we need to get moving...Quickly!" Sora ran now as fast a bit, "Just a bit longer Kairi ...mom, I'll be home soon."
-000-
Sora ran as fast as he could, his mind fixated on what the hooded figure had said. Could Riku really be closer than it appeared. He sped so fast that Donald and Goofy were able to catch up with him. His legs sprinting as fast as they could through the grassy road in the middle of a cold moonlit night. That didn't stop him though from running off and the adrenaline was going to keep him going until he reached his destination.
The further he went down the road the longer it seemed the road went on. The yellow pathway went on for miles and miles without end as grass surrounded everything. It just made him more frustrated. He felt so close to Riku now than ever and here this road continued to get in his way.
It just made him want to scream in frustration.
Was he really that close to finally reuniting with his friend, and even was that hooded figure in the first place. He ran as fast as he could down the grassy road, the plains seemed to be going for miles on end without ever coming to a halt. It didn't matter that his legs were starting to give in, he was going to find that castle and more important find out who the guy in the black hood was all about.
It couldn't have been Xehanort that he saw, he was destroyed. They had destroyed him for good.
No, no, it had to be someone else, a new threat perhaps. There were other villains and evils he had faced during his first adventure, Maleficent being one of them. Though she was now trapped behind a magical barrier in a ruined out old castle in Hollow Bastion. Was it possible that there was a new threat rising. Jiminy had mentioned earlier something about other evils out there. But he didn't think he would have to face them so soon. Then again, whenever he read tales of the stories, no one really talked about what happened after happily ever after.
So many of the stories his mother told him never really talked about what happened after the first great adventure. When the story was over it was over. Even when things had sequels it normally ended with the story being over and he felt his first journey could have felt a series of books and stories to tell.
Something inside him felt numb now as Sora began to think that maybe everything he had attempted was for not.
Sora didn't want to think about it right now. If his friend Riku was out there he needed to find him and quickly.
Instead he just focused as he ran down the grassy field in the middle of the night with as much speed as he could muster. He had so much he wanted to discuss with Riku. Sora wanted to know how he was feeling, what had happened that
Suddenly Sora stopped as a thought occurred. What exactly was he going to say to him. The two had tried to kill each other. Multiple times. It would definitely be an awkward reunion. What would they say, or do, would their friendship be different? So many questions now wracked through his brain.
As Sora kept thinking Donald and Goofy continued right behind him, barely managing to keep up the pace. Both sprinting as fast as humanity or in their case, Duck and Goofy possible.
"Sora, wait up" Donald called, barley out of breath as he ran as fast as he webbed feet could make it, "We can't run that far, we need to rest"
Goofy agreed, his long legs being able being able to carry him further "Yeah, what on earth did you see"
"Riku! Riku is close...Someone...Something is going on!" Sora said his breathing thinned as he began to lose speed.
On the back of his jacket Jiminy hung on for dear life. "Slow down Sora, just because you heard someone say Riku was around doesn't make it true"
"But what if it is!" Sora countered, feeling pain in his legs, "We gotta find him, he could be in danger or falling to darkness again, Xehanort could have gotten him for all I know!"
"You aren't gonna get anywhere if you're out cold!" Jiminy yelled.
Instantly Sora stopped Donald and Goofy bumping into each other, landing on the ground with a thud. All three of them are still standing in the middle of the grassy plane once again. He felt tired, exhausted, and worst of all, Sora felt a hint of sadness come over him as he thought that .
"W-what, what, what if we didn't win" Sora said, clenching his fists for a moment with a surge of negative emotions rushing through him.
"What do you mean?" Goofy asked.
Sora flinched, and looked at Goofy wide eyed "What if we didn't win, what if we can't find Riku and the King because we lost, or we didn't really defeat Xehanort. What if everything I did was for nothing and that this was all one big hoax"
"But we saved the world" Donald assured him, "Riku looked fine"
"But what if he isn't" Sora looked desperate, "What if Xehanort is still in his heart and took over again, I mean he went into the realm of darkness and who knows what could have taken him again"
"Ah come on Sora, don't think like that" Goofy said sympathetically, "I'm nervous too, but I know we one, I remember, how you, me, Donald and Kairi all defeated Xehanort"
"Did we?" Sora asked nervously, "Did we really, I remember the door opening and the Kingdom Hearts striking light at him and...That's it"
"Yeah, and then Xehanort vanished and we won," Donald finished.
Taking a few moments Sora just looked out over the horizon. His mind raced. He fought so hard to be the hero he wanted to be for his friends. He wanted to be for Riku and Kairi. Donald and Goofy. If the keyblade came to him then he was the hero right?
Sora wished that all of his confidence would come back to him because he could really use it right about now.
"I mean, we don't really know what's going on out there" Sora pointed to the stars, "All we know is we closed the door to darkness and that's it, but what if bad stuff is going down. How do we know? We don't have the Gummi Ship or anything"
"Well, nothing bad has happened to us" Goofy shrugged, "So maybe nothing bad is happening to our friends.
"But we don't know that" Sora sighed and began to pace around, "Then why are we still traveling, like I don't wanna say goodbye to you guys, but ...But I wanna get home...To Kairi...To my mom..what if...what if Riku doesn't wanna be my friend anymore"
There was a moment of silence, Donald and Goofy exchanged looks, even Jiminy gave Sora a worried expression.
"Sora," Goofy said taking a deep breath, "We're worried too, and believe me, no one wants to get home more than me. I got my boy Max out there waiting for me, I've been gone for a while now, he's probably getting worried. But I made a promise to the king that I was gonna follow the Key so, that's why I'm gonna follow yuh until you don't need to follow no more".
Sora looked up at Donald and Goofy, then Jiminy and smiled, he was so lucky to have friends like this still by his side. He wouldn't have made it far without them. He owed them so much and didn't know how to repay them.
"As for Riku he seemed pretty friendly to me when we closed the door" Goofy added
Donald rolled his eyes, "Sure then"
Goofy gave him a disappointment look before looking at Sora, "I bet he can't wait to see yuh again"
"Think so?" Sora asked sounding hopeful ,
"Yep I know so!" Goofy gave him the brightest of smiles
"Having hope is easier said than done," Donald muttered.
"What does that mean?" Sora asked.
Donald sighed, "You know I lost my sister? It's hard still to this day"
"She could still be out there, heck she might be even in the place we're going" Goofy said.
Donald just shrugged back not wanting to continue the conversation.
Sora tried to give a faint smile but still looked sad, "Goofy, your optimistic but...I know but...I didn't get to really know WHY he did any of it, not really...I mean I forgive him and everything but still, I-I wanna know, you know" He took a deep breath, "We've been friends for so long, and then just like he turns to darkness and tries to kill me, I mean I forgive him yeah, but I still wanna know why"
"That's fair, it's no fun when friends fight" Goofy said,
"Or kill each other" Donald muttered.
Goofy just nodded and smiled. "Heck I know I get sad when me and Donald have big fights, but we always manage to keep moving forward because that's how much we care"
"Have you tried to kill each other before?" Sora asked.
"Yes" Donald stated bluntly, "At least me"
Sora grimaced.
"Hey, remember what I told you when we first met?" Donald said sternly, tapping his foot"No frowning, no sad face okay. Happy faces!"
Goofy
Smile, darn ya smile.
Ya know this old world is a great world after all.
Donald
Smile, darn ya smile
And right away watch Lady Luck give you a call
Goofy and Donald
Things are never black when they are painted
Time for you and joy to get acquainted
Make life worthwhile
Come on Smile, Darn Ya Smile.
Sora laughed and smiled, "Thanks guy, I needed it, come on, we got friends to save...Together"
"Yeah!" Donald cheered.
Goofy nodded taking Sora's shoulder, "Together"