Ryou found himself sitting on a bench just outside the gates of
Traverse Town. Any requests of his to help with the ship had been ignored,
so he simply waited for the time when they would leave. He wasn't even
sure if they'd be able to fly in a ship that looked like it was constructed
from some child's building blocks.
Looking over to the edge of the platform, he spied Yugi peering over the edge. He lifted himself off the bench, and walked over to his friend.
"What is it Yugi?"
Yugi looked up at his companion.
"I really hope that this thing can fly. If not, it's a long way down."
Ryou peeked over the edge and gasped at what he saw. The area beneath Traverse Town was a mirror image of the starry night sky above. Traverse Town was floating in the middle of space. He sank to his knees.
"I feel dizzy."
Yugi's expression became one of concern. "Will you be alright?"
"I'm not sure if I can go through with this."
Yugi frowned. "We have to go through with this. We need to find the others before something terrible happens to them. It isn't going to be safe, and may even be a bit scary, but you have to think of the others."
Ryou managed a weak smile. "I guess you're right. Flying blindly into space is a better option then facing the shadow realm, I suppose."
"We're ready!!!" Yuffie yelled to them from her position inside the ship's door. The others had already gone inside. Yugi ran to the ship's hatch and climbed inside.
Ryou shook his head. "This still stinks big time."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^^***^*^*^*^*^*^**^^*^*^*^*****^*^^*^^*^*^*^*^***^**^*^*
The ship was fairly comfortable on the inside. There was enough room for all five people to move comfortably. Cid was busy in the front with various controls, and Yuffie was strapping herself in. Leon came up to Ryou.
"If you continue to carry your sword like that, you're going to end up cutting off your leg."
Ryou looked at where he had thrust the sword in his belt.
"Here."
Leon was holding what appeared to be a sheathe. It was a simple leather one, and looked the right size for his sword.
"Thank you."
"No problem. Too many casualties have been realized because of the Heartless. Nobody wants you to die as well."
Leon walked off to the front of the ship and began speaking with Cid. Ryou clipped the sheathe to his belt and slipped his sword inside.
Cid's voice floated over the group. "Prepare for liftoff!"
Ryou began to feel a bit anxious. He looked over at Yugi, who smiled and gave him the thumbs up sign. Ryou began to feel a bit better. The ship lifted off the ground and smoothly shot into space.
As the flight wore on, Ryou felt his nerves calm completely. The ship was clearly capable of flying them to their destination. Yugi was enjoying the trip immensely and watched the beautiful night sky out of the cockpit window. He wished he could say the same for Yuffie. He could still hear the female ninja emptying her stomach from the back of the ship. Apparently, she got motion sick very easily, despite the smooth ride. Suddenly, Cid swore.
"We've got trouble!"
Yugi and Ryou ran to the front of the ship. Yugi could see something approaching out of the window.
"What is that?"
Cid swore again. "Heartless ships!"
He turned to Leon. "Get to weapons and blast those %#$^^$# things out of the sky!"
Leon ran for the weapons controls which were a few feet away from the front of the ship. However the oncoming ships were moving in much too fast.
"They're gonna ram us! Everyone brace."
The entire cockpit rocked with the impact, and a large hole was torn in the ship wall. Ryou was thrown across the room and out of the gaping hole.
Yugi gasped in horror.
"Ryou!"
Like a baseball player sliding for home, he leaped across the room and grabbed his friend's hand before he slipped away. However, the larger boy's weight was too much for him, and they were both pulled out into space.
"Oh $##@#%^#$."
Leon looked over at his elder companion.
"For once I agree with you entirely."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^
Yugi slowly pried his eyes open. He was laying on a hard, cold surface. Sitting up, he found himself to be laying on a white path. On either side of him was the abyss, black and devoid of light. He began to feel a bit scared of his predicament.
Ahead of him was a gigantic door. It was white, and had a strange symbol engraved upon it. Yugi stumbled to his feet, and moved forward. He placed his hand on the smooth surface of the door, and began to trace the curves of the carvings. Suddenly, the doors flew open with a blast of light, causing Yugi to fly backwards a few feet. His shoulders were only inches from the darkness below, and he scrambled for safer ground. His eyes wandered to the door again.
Inside it was dark, yet light at the same time. From what he could see, there were a few rocky outcroppings and holes inside. He thought he could see something swarming down one of the holes, but he wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Suddenly, a voice rang out.
"Your majesty, the door is open! Let's get out of here!"
Yugi moved closer to the door to attempt to identify the source of the voice. As he came within a few feet of the open door, he was bowled over by two fleeing figures. They all toppled to the ground in a tangle. Yugi was at the bottom of the heap and began to groan.
"Did someone get the license of that truck?..Oaahh."
Whoever landed on top of him pried themselves off. One of them pulled Yugi to his feet.
"Sorry about that. I was just so happy to get outta there that I wasn't looking where I was going. Who are you anyway?"
Yugi managed to get a closer look at his helper. His eyes widened.
"Ryou?"
The silver haired boy laughed. "Nice to meet you Ryou."
Yugi shook his head. "No, my name is Yugi. I thought you were my friend for a minute."
The boy laughed again. "Sorry to disappoint you. My name is Riku."
Looking closer, Yugi could tell easily that this boy was not Ryou. His eyes were a piercing blue, whereas Ryou's were a soft doe brown. Riku's hair was a bit flatter than Ryou's spiky do. Riku also seemed to have a more confident smile and posture. Yugi's attention was then drawn to the person standing behind Riku.
"Who is that?"
"That, my friend, is King Mickey."
Yugi was clearly startled. King Mickey looked like a giant mouse. He was also carrying what appeared to be a giant golden key. Yugi wasn't sure whether he should bow or not. King Mickey stepped forward.
"Was it you who opened the door to Kingdom Hearts?"
Yugi frowned. "I think I might have. I touched the door, and suddenly it flew open."
King Mickey mirrored Yugi's frown with one of his own.
"But how is that possible if you don't have a keyblade?"
Yugi looked puzzled. "Key what?
The king smiled. "A keyblade. It is used as a weapon against the heartless. It also is used to open and seal certain things, including the door to Kingdom Hearts. There are, or were three keyblades in existence."
Yugi felt more confused than ever. "Kingdom Hearts?"
The king nodded. "It is said that all people's hearts are born from Kingdom Hearts. It hides a light that continues to shine through all hope."
Yugi nodded. "So, I really shouldn't have been able to open it. Only those people with keyblades should be able to." Yugi seemed thoughtful. "You said there were three keyblades. Can you tell me about them?"
King Mickey nodded. "The first is the one I hold here. It is known as the Royal Keyblade, or sometimes just as the Golden Key. The second is the Kingdom Key. It is said to be the most powerful of all keyblades. It can change its form to fight the heartless, and can seal anything. It can also be used to open certain things. That keyblade is owned by Sora. He sealed Kingdom Hearts and the heartless the first time. Am I correct in believing that the heartless are back?"
Yugi nodded. "Yes, your Majesty. They attacked my home, and caused me to be sent here." Yugi got curious again. "What about the last keyblade?"
Riku visibly winced, and appeared uncomfortable. Yugi was concerned.
"What's wrong Riku?"
Riku lowered his head. He answered Yugi's question.
"The last keyblade was a dark keyblade. It was created by the stolen hearts of seven princesses. It was able to unlock the darkness and evil in people's hearts. And I was its wielder."
King Mickey walked over to Riku and put his hand on Riku's back.
"That's all over now, in the past. You were being used and misguided. I know it's hard, but you should try to forget that. If you were faced with the choice now, you know that you would choose differently."
Riku kept his eyes downcast. "How can I just forget what I did? I betrayed my best friend. I saw the hurt look in his eyes and enjoyed it. I caused so many lives to be lost with the heartless. I nearly caused a dark destruction to be unleashed upon the entire world! How can I just forget that!"
The king shook his head. "You are sorry for what you did, and regret it. Don't forget, you were possessed by Ansem for most of that time. I'm sure others can forgive you, Sora included."
Yugi chose this moment to insert himself into the conversation.
"So, umm, how was I able to open Kingdom Hearts?"
King Mickey turned to him and shook his head.
"I am unsure as to that. Have you ever come into contact with unusual magic, or something like that?"
"Well, there's the Millenium magic."
King Mickey looked puzzled. "Millenium magic?"
Yugi nodded. "In my world, there are seven magic artifacts known as the millennium items. Each holds an unusual power, usually having to do with someone's soul or mind. Many people have tried to possess this power for themselves, usually to gain more power. There is the rod, tauk, scales, ankh, eye, ring, and puzzle. The rod, ring, and puzzle are especially unusual."
Riku spoke up. "Why is that?"
"The rod, ring, and puzzle all have an ancient spirit locked within. These spirits possess great power and a mind of their own. The spirit and item origins are from Egypt, during a time of great battles of monster and magic. Of course, we're still unsure whether the spirit of the rod actually comes from Egypt, or its owner's mind. He's definitely a separate entity, though."
Riku nodded. "How close are you exactly to all these items?"
Yugi smiled. "Most of the owners who had plans for world domination have given them up and are now my friends. My good friend Ryou, who I was with for a while before an accident with a gummi ship, owns the millennium ring. The spirit of the ring used to be a tomb robber, and was using Ryou as a vessel to try and take all of the millennium items. This spirit, Bakura, isn't soo bad once you get to know him, a little bit tempermental. The owner of the rod, Malik, isn't quite as friendly, but has given up the hostile takeover bit. The spirit of the rod, Marik, has given up the destroy the entire world bit. He's still fairly insane, though. Malik's sister, Isis, owns the millennium tauk. She's a very nice person, and tried to stop her brother's evil schemes many times. The millennium eye belonged to Pegasus, but it mysteriously disappeared. I have a feeling that Bakura knows where it went. Shadi owns both the ankh and scales. I don't know him all that well, he appears and disappears at the oddest times. And last, but not least, the millennium puzzle belongs to me."
King Mickey smiled. "With the way you knew all of this so well, I thought you would have one item yourself."
Riku frowned. "If you own the puzzle, that means you must have some kind of spirit living inside of you."
Yugi smiled. "Technically, we're separate now. If I had the puzzle with me, I could probably call Yami back to me now. I think he has the puzzle though. Yami is definitely the nicest of all the millennium spirits, the sanest too. He may be a little cold at first, but he can definitely warm up to people."
King Mickey nodded. "I'd love to find out more about this millennium magic sometime. It still doesn't explain why you could open the door though."
Yugi frowned. "There are a couple things I'd like to know too. Why did that door open? How did I get here? What happened to Ryou if I am here now? Also, what happened to the rest of my friends?" He clenched his fist. "I have to find them. I don't want the heartless to hurt the people I care about. Nobody deserves to be hurt, especially not them."
Riku nodded. "I know how you feel. But how are we supposed to get out of here?"
The king looked up. "I don't know but something's happening!"
They all stared in shock as the area was bathed in a bright light.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^***^*^*^^*^^^*^*^*^***^^**^^*^*^*^^^^*^*^^*^*^^^*^^
Yugi and the others found themselves falling down an odd hall. Falling did not seem to be the right word, as they were almost floating, along with various other pieces of furniture. The floor below crept up to meet them, as they had a slightly hard landing. Yugi found himself sitting on something soft. He looked down.
"What luck! I found Ryou!"
Ryou groaned. "Whose luck, mine or yours?
Riku stared around, an incredulous expression on his face.
"Where are we? This place is really weird."
King Mickey looked around.
"Judging by the surroundings, I'd say we're in Wonderland. You're right when you said it was weird. Wonderland is definitely one of the strangest of worlds."
Ryou shoved Yugi off of him gently, then leapt to his feet.
"While we're here, we should check for our friends. There's no telling what or who is still waiting out there."
Yugi sighed. "And I though Malik's quest for world domination was bad."
Looking over to the edge of the platform, he spied Yugi peering over the edge. He lifted himself off the bench, and walked over to his friend.
"What is it Yugi?"
Yugi looked up at his companion.
"I really hope that this thing can fly. If not, it's a long way down."
Ryou peeked over the edge and gasped at what he saw. The area beneath Traverse Town was a mirror image of the starry night sky above. Traverse Town was floating in the middle of space. He sank to his knees.
"I feel dizzy."
Yugi's expression became one of concern. "Will you be alright?"
"I'm not sure if I can go through with this."
Yugi frowned. "We have to go through with this. We need to find the others before something terrible happens to them. It isn't going to be safe, and may even be a bit scary, but you have to think of the others."
Ryou managed a weak smile. "I guess you're right. Flying blindly into space is a better option then facing the shadow realm, I suppose."
"We're ready!!!" Yuffie yelled to them from her position inside the ship's door. The others had already gone inside. Yugi ran to the ship's hatch and climbed inside.
Ryou shook his head. "This still stinks big time."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^^***^*^*^*^*^*^**^^*^*^*^*****^*^^*^^*^*^*^*^***^**^*^*
The ship was fairly comfortable on the inside. There was enough room for all five people to move comfortably. Cid was busy in the front with various controls, and Yuffie was strapping herself in. Leon came up to Ryou.
"If you continue to carry your sword like that, you're going to end up cutting off your leg."
Ryou looked at where he had thrust the sword in his belt.
"Here."
Leon was holding what appeared to be a sheathe. It was a simple leather one, and looked the right size for his sword.
"Thank you."
"No problem. Too many casualties have been realized because of the Heartless. Nobody wants you to die as well."
Leon walked off to the front of the ship and began speaking with Cid. Ryou clipped the sheathe to his belt and slipped his sword inside.
Cid's voice floated over the group. "Prepare for liftoff!"
Ryou began to feel a bit anxious. He looked over at Yugi, who smiled and gave him the thumbs up sign. Ryou began to feel a bit better. The ship lifted off the ground and smoothly shot into space.
As the flight wore on, Ryou felt his nerves calm completely. The ship was clearly capable of flying them to their destination. Yugi was enjoying the trip immensely and watched the beautiful night sky out of the cockpit window. He wished he could say the same for Yuffie. He could still hear the female ninja emptying her stomach from the back of the ship. Apparently, she got motion sick very easily, despite the smooth ride. Suddenly, Cid swore.
"We've got trouble!"
Yugi and Ryou ran to the front of the ship. Yugi could see something approaching out of the window.
"What is that?"
Cid swore again. "Heartless ships!"
He turned to Leon. "Get to weapons and blast those %#$^^$# things out of the sky!"
Leon ran for the weapons controls which were a few feet away from the front of the ship. However the oncoming ships were moving in much too fast.
"They're gonna ram us! Everyone brace."
The entire cockpit rocked with the impact, and a large hole was torn in the ship wall. Ryou was thrown across the room and out of the gaping hole.
Yugi gasped in horror.
"Ryou!"
Like a baseball player sliding for home, he leaped across the room and grabbed his friend's hand before he slipped away. However, the larger boy's weight was too much for him, and they were both pulled out into space.
"Oh $##@#%^#$."
Leon looked over at his elder companion.
"For once I agree with you entirely."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^
Yugi slowly pried his eyes open. He was laying on a hard, cold surface. Sitting up, he found himself to be laying on a white path. On either side of him was the abyss, black and devoid of light. He began to feel a bit scared of his predicament.
Ahead of him was a gigantic door. It was white, and had a strange symbol engraved upon it. Yugi stumbled to his feet, and moved forward. He placed his hand on the smooth surface of the door, and began to trace the curves of the carvings. Suddenly, the doors flew open with a blast of light, causing Yugi to fly backwards a few feet. His shoulders were only inches from the darkness below, and he scrambled for safer ground. His eyes wandered to the door again.
Inside it was dark, yet light at the same time. From what he could see, there were a few rocky outcroppings and holes inside. He thought he could see something swarming down one of the holes, but he wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Suddenly, a voice rang out.
"Your majesty, the door is open! Let's get out of here!"
Yugi moved closer to the door to attempt to identify the source of the voice. As he came within a few feet of the open door, he was bowled over by two fleeing figures. They all toppled to the ground in a tangle. Yugi was at the bottom of the heap and began to groan.
"Did someone get the license of that truck?..Oaahh."
Whoever landed on top of him pried themselves off. One of them pulled Yugi to his feet.
"Sorry about that. I was just so happy to get outta there that I wasn't looking where I was going. Who are you anyway?"
Yugi managed to get a closer look at his helper. His eyes widened.
"Ryou?"
The silver haired boy laughed. "Nice to meet you Ryou."
Yugi shook his head. "No, my name is Yugi. I thought you were my friend for a minute."
The boy laughed again. "Sorry to disappoint you. My name is Riku."
Looking closer, Yugi could tell easily that this boy was not Ryou. His eyes were a piercing blue, whereas Ryou's were a soft doe brown. Riku's hair was a bit flatter than Ryou's spiky do. Riku also seemed to have a more confident smile and posture. Yugi's attention was then drawn to the person standing behind Riku.
"Who is that?"
"That, my friend, is King Mickey."
Yugi was clearly startled. King Mickey looked like a giant mouse. He was also carrying what appeared to be a giant golden key. Yugi wasn't sure whether he should bow or not. King Mickey stepped forward.
"Was it you who opened the door to Kingdom Hearts?"
Yugi frowned. "I think I might have. I touched the door, and suddenly it flew open."
King Mickey mirrored Yugi's frown with one of his own.
"But how is that possible if you don't have a keyblade?"
Yugi looked puzzled. "Key what?
The king smiled. "A keyblade. It is used as a weapon against the heartless. It also is used to open and seal certain things, including the door to Kingdom Hearts. There are, or were three keyblades in existence."
Yugi felt more confused than ever. "Kingdom Hearts?"
The king nodded. "It is said that all people's hearts are born from Kingdom Hearts. It hides a light that continues to shine through all hope."
Yugi nodded. "So, I really shouldn't have been able to open it. Only those people with keyblades should be able to." Yugi seemed thoughtful. "You said there were three keyblades. Can you tell me about them?"
King Mickey nodded. "The first is the one I hold here. It is known as the Royal Keyblade, or sometimes just as the Golden Key. The second is the Kingdom Key. It is said to be the most powerful of all keyblades. It can change its form to fight the heartless, and can seal anything. It can also be used to open certain things. That keyblade is owned by Sora. He sealed Kingdom Hearts and the heartless the first time. Am I correct in believing that the heartless are back?"
Yugi nodded. "Yes, your Majesty. They attacked my home, and caused me to be sent here." Yugi got curious again. "What about the last keyblade?"
Riku visibly winced, and appeared uncomfortable. Yugi was concerned.
"What's wrong Riku?"
Riku lowered his head. He answered Yugi's question.
"The last keyblade was a dark keyblade. It was created by the stolen hearts of seven princesses. It was able to unlock the darkness and evil in people's hearts. And I was its wielder."
King Mickey walked over to Riku and put his hand on Riku's back.
"That's all over now, in the past. You were being used and misguided. I know it's hard, but you should try to forget that. If you were faced with the choice now, you know that you would choose differently."
Riku kept his eyes downcast. "How can I just forget what I did? I betrayed my best friend. I saw the hurt look in his eyes and enjoyed it. I caused so many lives to be lost with the heartless. I nearly caused a dark destruction to be unleashed upon the entire world! How can I just forget that!"
The king shook his head. "You are sorry for what you did, and regret it. Don't forget, you were possessed by Ansem for most of that time. I'm sure others can forgive you, Sora included."
Yugi chose this moment to insert himself into the conversation.
"So, umm, how was I able to open Kingdom Hearts?"
King Mickey turned to him and shook his head.
"I am unsure as to that. Have you ever come into contact with unusual magic, or something like that?"
"Well, there's the Millenium magic."
King Mickey looked puzzled. "Millenium magic?"
Yugi nodded. "In my world, there are seven magic artifacts known as the millennium items. Each holds an unusual power, usually having to do with someone's soul or mind. Many people have tried to possess this power for themselves, usually to gain more power. There is the rod, tauk, scales, ankh, eye, ring, and puzzle. The rod, ring, and puzzle are especially unusual."
Riku spoke up. "Why is that?"
"The rod, ring, and puzzle all have an ancient spirit locked within. These spirits possess great power and a mind of their own. The spirit and item origins are from Egypt, during a time of great battles of monster and magic. Of course, we're still unsure whether the spirit of the rod actually comes from Egypt, or its owner's mind. He's definitely a separate entity, though."
Riku nodded. "How close are you exactly to all these items?"
Yugi smiled. "Most of the owners who had plans for world domination have given them up and are now my friends. My good friend Ryou, who I was with for a while before an accident with a gummi ship, owns the millennium ring. The spirit of the ring used to be a tomb robber, and was using Ryou as a vessel to try and take all of the millennium items. This spirit, Bakura, isn't soo bad once you get to know him, a little bit tempermental. The owner of the rod, Malik, isn't quite as friendly, but has given up the hostile takeover bit. The spirit of the rod, Marik, has given up the destroy the entire world bit. He's still fairly insane, though. Malik's sister, Isis, owns the millennium tauk. She's a very nice person, and tried to stop her brother's evil schemes many times. The millennium eye belonged to Pegasus, but it mysteriously disappeared. I have a feeling that Bakura knows where it went. Shadi owns both the ankh and scales. I don't know him all that well, he appears and disappears at the oddest times. And last, but not least, the millennium puzzle belongs to me."
King Mickey smiled. "With the way you knew all of this so well, I thought you would have one item yourself."
Riku frowned. "If you own the puzzle, that means you must have some kind of spirit living inside of you."
Yugi smiled. "Technically, we're separate now. If I had the puzzle with me, I could probably call Yami back to me now. I think he has the puzzle though. Yami is definitely the nicest of all the millennium spirits, the sanest too. He may be a little cold at first, but he can definitely warm up to people."
King Mickey nodded. "I'd love to find out more about this millennium magic sometime. It still doesn't explain why you could open the door though."
Yugi frowned. "There are a couple things I'd like to know too. Why did that door open? How did I get here? What happened to Ryou if I am here now? Also, what happened to the rest of my friends?" He clenched his fist. "I have to find them. I don't want the heartless to hurt the people I care about. Nobody deserves to be hurt, especially not them."
Riku nodded. "I know how you feel. But how are we supposed to get out of here?"
The king looked up. "I don't know but something's happening!"
They all stared in shock as the area was bathed in a bright light.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^***^*^*^^*^^^*^*^*^***^^**^^*^*^*^^^^*^*^^*^*^^^*^^
Yugi and the others found themselves falling down an odd hall. Falling did not seem to be the right word, as they were almost floating, along with various other pieces of furniture. The floor below crept up to meet them, as they had a slightly hard landing. Yugi found himself sitting on something soft. He looked down.
"What luck! I found Ryou!"
Ryou groaned. "Whose luck, mine or yours?
Riku stared around, an incredulous expression on his face.
"Where are we? This place is really weird."
King Mickey looked around.
"Judging by the surroundings, I'd say we're in Wonderland. You're right when you said it was weird. Wonderland is definitely one of the strangest of worlds."
Ryou shoved Yugi off of him gently, then leapt to his feet.
"While we're here, we should check for our friends. There's no telling what or who is still waiting out there."
Yugi sighed. "And I though Malik's quest for world domination was bad."