"That boy again? Did you not say you had things under control?" Maleficent said with a scowl, examining the Keyhole that had appeared on the wall.

Jafar cleared his throat as he nervously collected himself. "He's more persistent than I expected."

He shot Genie a warning glare as Maleficent continued to scour the premises, ensuring that all was in order. Everything had gone according to plan so far; Genie was under his control, and he found the princess and the Keyhole. Yet, he remained anxious; Agrabah was filled with holes for rats to hide in, as he had said before, and rats can crawl their way to the depths of the Cave of Wonders.

Jafar had a sudden idea. "Why not explain the situation to that boy Riku? Doing so may actually prove useful to our-"

He was suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps splashing in the puddles that were strewn across the circular middle of the room, gritting his teeth in anger. Of course they would find their way here; these foolish pests knew not what they were throwing themselves into.

The group of five came to a halt before the large stone pillar Jafar stood on, weapons drawn. There was nothing beyond this chamber; the royal vizier was cornered, and they were not going to leave without a fight.

Akira was momentarily stunned by the presence of another villainous character behind Jafar, someone with a calmer demeanour but whom exuded a tremendously evil aura. She approached her old friend, eyes wide with surprise. "Sora, I think that's her."

Sora nodded and addressed the evil witch. "Wait. Are you Maleficent?"

The horned witch pressed her lips together and turned away, softly disappearing into thin air. She had no interest in the would-be hero, as long as he did not interfere with her plans. She gave Jafar a nod before vanishing, a silent request for him to take care of the nuisance, something he was all too eager to do; after all, he was not only a royal vizier, but a skilled mage as well.

"Jafar, let Jasmine go!" Aladdin cried, pointing his scimitar to the smirking villain.

"Not a chance," he responded with a cackle, "You see, she's a princess – one of seven whom hold the key to opening the door."

"The door?" Goofy asked, perplexed.

Sora's eyes grew wide at the mention of a door, recalling the awful nightmares he had begun to have on their last few days on the islands, before that terrible night of fate, before this exciting adventure he had embarked on. He recalled the door in the secret place, an impenetrable gate that no one was able to open, save for that terrifying robed man with his cruel words. And another door; a dazzling rose gold door that held a brilliant light within the deepest darkness. He had only ever seen this door once, in one of his various dreams of stained glass pillars and ornate weapons, but he never forgot the words that spoke to him during his grimmest moments.

"You hold the mightiest weapon of all. So, don't forget. You are the one who will open the door."

"Sora!" Akira cried, snapping him out of his daze. He shook his head, remembering the intensity of the situation they found themselves in. He gripped his Keyblade tightly, scowling at Jafar; he wasn't sure of this door just yet, but stopping the villain from getting his hands on it was their first order of business.

"But you fools won't live long enough to see what lies behind it!" Jafar yelled, beckoning to Genie, "Genie! My second wish! Crush them!"

Genie despondently floated towards Aladdin, his arms outstretched and ready to attack. Aladdin flailed his arms in an attempt to get his attention. "Genie! Please stop!"

"I'm sorry, Al," Genie said with a frown, "The one with the lamp calls the shots."

Jafar cackled as he clicked his staff to the ground, summoning tiny pellets of ice around the arena, trapping them in the vortex. Genie gasped, shooing them away as readied to attack against his will. "Get out of the middle, guys!"

The team took his advice and sprinted for the walls of the chamber, narrowly escaping as Jafar unleashed a hurricane of ice and hail, blocking off the centre of the chamber. The evil mage scowled at Genie; he can order him to attack but ordering him to keep his mouth shut as well will cost him his final wish. He readied another attack, raising his staff to the heavens as the snake motif pulsed with dark energy.

"He's going to hit the left side! Hurry, move!" Genie called as he swiped at Goofy, who rolled out of the way just in time.

Sure enough, Jafar unleashed a streak of dark energy to the left end of the arena, hitting walls and ledges but missing his targets entirely. He gritted his teeth in anger; if he wanted something done, he'd have to do it himself.

"Enough!" he boomed, "I grow tired of this charade!"

The vortex of ice dissipated as Jafar stepped into the centre of the chamber, Genie's lamp in hand and a devious grin painted on his face. His plan was brilliant; he truly could not believe he didn't come up with it sooner.

The five of them hurried to Jasmine's side as Jafar rose in the air, holding Genie's lamp with a mighty grip. "Genie! My final wish! I want you to make me an all-powerful genie!"

Genie's breath caught as Jafar spoke. Sure, by granting his final wish, he would be free to return to his friends. But no power in the cosmos could match the power of a genie; there was no stopping Jafar now. He shielded his eyes as he reluctantly pointed to Jafar, granting his wish.

Jafar vanished from view in a flash of light as the floor cracked and detonated below him, revealing a massive cavern beneath. Hot lava poured from the cracks in the walls and stone ledges rose from the ground, offering stepping stones from the magma. Donald gulped at the sight; they had to jump down in order to stop Jafar once and for all, and there didn't seem to be a way back up.

"Jasmine," Aladdin said in a brittle voice as he held the princess in his arms, cradling her head in his hand.

"She's passed out, but I doubt she's hurt," Akira said upon closer examination.

"Then, she'll be okay while we take care of Jafar," Sora said with resolve.

"I can't leave her here," Aladdin said in a low whisper as he gazed at Jasmine.

They felt the pain in his cracking voice as he spoke those words. To finally find the person he longed for, the one he cared for, after such a grueling ordeal... they understood why he was reluctant to leave her there alone. But Jafar grew stronger by the minute, and they could not tolerate his evil pursuits any longer.

Akira softly put her hand on her heart in understanding. "You guys go. I'll stay and watch Jasmine," she said firmly.

Sora blinked, echoing the rest of the group's sentiments. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'll keep an eye on her. You guys show Jafar what we're made of," she said with a nod.

Sora didn't need to be told twice. He turned to face Aladdin, his voice filled with resolve. "She's in good hands, Aladdin. So, what do you say?"

Aladdin wiped the mist from his right eye, his heart still filled with worry. But, no matter how his heart ached, he knew leaving her here with Akira was the smartest decision. "Yeah, let's get him," he said as he gingerly lay Jasmine back down onto the floor, silently praying for her recovery.

He stood up alongside his friends and approached the massive hole in the ground. With a deep breath, each one courageously took their leap of faith to the danger below, one after the other, with Akira waving goodbye from above.

"Where… is he?" Sora asked as they quickly circled the area below. Not a trace of Jafar could be found, which made very little sense considering his yearning for power and might; they'd almost expect him to greet them into his humble abode.

"So, you have mustered the courage to face me once more," they heard his booming voice echo through the walls, "Then I shall give you the death you so desperately crave."

Beyond the safe ledges they could stand on, Jafar rose from a pool of magma, grinning as he crossed his arms. Barring his crimson red hue, Jafar looked quite similar to Genie, with his golden cuffs on his wrists and his red wrap of cloth on his abdomen. He was a massive size, with his faithful parrot Iago carrying a coal black lamp at his side for scale.

"That… lamp," Aladdin whispered, an idea forming in his head, "Of course!"

"He beat himself at his own game," Sora said with a smile, understanding Aladdin's plan.

Aladdin nodded in response. "Guys, no matter what, get Jafar's lamp!"

Jafar cackled as he picked up a massive boulder from the pools of lava that surrounded him, preparing to launch it towards his targets. The group sprinted towards a raised ledge, hiding behind it as the boulder crashed into the floor, breaking into pieces of solidified magma. Iago, in the meantime, had fluttered away from his master, choking on the smoke that rose from the lava.

"Ugh, it's so hot in here," Iago squawked.

"Iago! Keep the lamp away from them!" Jafar bellowed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Iago said boldly, "Nag, nag, nag. That's all he ever does."

Donald and Sora nodded to each other as the complaining parrot soared above them, slowing down as he felt the fatigue of the heat and carrying the heavy lamp. "How about we cool him off?" Donald asked with a wink.

The two stood up from their hiding spots, pointing their weapons at the unassuming bird. "Blizzard!" they yelled in unison, sending two snowflakes of ice darting through the air.

Iago fell to the floor when he was hit with the ice, flapping his wings wildly as the lamp came crashing to the ground. Sora took the opportunity to dash to the now incapacitated parrot, lifting the lamp in his hands as Jafar prepared another boulder, aiming it directly at him. Sora pointed the lamp to Jafar, fervently hoping to execute his idea quickly enough to avoid being pulverized by a rock.

"Okay, Jafar!" Sora yelled as sparks began to shoot from the tip of the lamp, "Back to your lamp!"

Jafar let out an awful screech as sparks of magic burst around him, the cuffs on his wrists forcibly pulling him towards his lamp. The bursts of magic enveloped him in a golden light as he began to dissipate into a stream of red smoke, creating a crimson vortex as he was sucked into the lamp. He gasped and screamed as the pull of the lamp became more and more intense, his massive stature becoming nothing more than flimsy smoke as his entire being was locked away in the tiny lamp. The area immediately grew quiet once he was confined to his prison, the lava pouring from the cracks and lapping on the ledges being the only sound they heard.

"That was brilliant, guys!" Genie called as he emerged from his hiding spot.

"Phenomenal cosmic power, itty-bitty living space," Goofy said with a smile, "You're the one who told us that."

Genie praised them for having such a sharp ear as Carpet came zooming from the chamber above, waving its tassels frantically in the hopes of catching someone's attention. "Whoa, calm down there, fella," Genie said, attempting to calm the anxious carpet.

"Carpet, what happened?" Aladdin asked, giving Carpet his full attention. He watched closely as Carpet frantically waved its tassels in a panic, trying his hardest to decipher the message his old friend was trying to convey. But, when he finally realized that Carpet was frenetically pointing towards the chamber above where they had left Jasmine, he felt his heart sink. "Is it Jasmine? Is she in trouble?" he asked quickly, his fear rising.

Goofy clapped his hands over his mouth. "If Jasmine's in trouble, then-"

"Akira!" Sora cried in alarm.

Carpet immediately straightened itself horizontally, allowing the group to step on. Goofy put a hand on each of Aladdin and Sora's shoulders in an attempt to soothe them. "Gawrsh, I hope we're not too late," he said under his breath.

Genie shook his head. "Can't lose hope now. Come on, buddy," he said as he motioned Carpet to follow.

With that, Carpet and Genie took off into the air with their friends in tow, zooming towards the surface as fast as they possibly could...

It was so hard to see what went on down below. When Akira squinted, she could faintly make out the battle scene that raged below her, but it wasn't enough to quell her fear. What if something awful happened? She sighed as she turned over to sit beside Jasmine, gazing at the princess. She was still unconscious but luckily seemed to be breathing. Once this ordeal was over, hopefully they could bring her to a doctor in town...

"What did he mean by one of the seven princesses? And a lock and a door?" she whispered softly to herself as she pulled her knees into a tight hug. There was so much they didn't know. Sure, it was nice to pick fights with Heartless and drive the darkness away from these worlds, but when would it ever end? Is there a beginning to these shadows? Perhaps some all-powerful leader that commanded the Heartless?

She vaguely knew the answer; buzz words like 'Maleficent' and 'Ansem Reports' were thrown around a lot, but they hardly meant anything. She felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. What were Maleficent and Jafar planning? What sinister and vile scheme were they concocting, and did she and her friends even have a chance at stopping it? After all, they had fallen for every cunning trap Jafar had thrown at them so far...

No. The first step to foiling their plan was to keep Jasmine safe and sound, and out of their grasp. She could do this. Just a few more moments and Sora should wipe the floor with Jafar... she just needed to be patient.

"Well, what have we here?"

The voice was unlike any other Akira had ever heard. A soft, gentle voice filled with malice and devilry; the voice of a doting mother spoken through the lips of a demon. The air around her chilled as the hair on the nape of her neck stood on end. She released her legs and scrambled to her feet but, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to lock eyes with the frightening being that had suddenly appeared before her. She took in the witch's tattered black robe as her gaze slowly travelled upwards, her heart racing a mile a minute.

The witch carried herself regally with her head held high as the frightened girl before her mustered the courage to raise her eyes and meet her gaze. She curled her violet lips into a smile as Akira finally locked eyes with her, softly tapping the dark orb at the tip of her staff as she relished in the young teen's anguish.

Akira's heart felt like it was going to jump right out of her chest. "You're... Maleficent..." she said, her voice filled with fear.

"Ah, so you've heard of me," Maleficent responded, her smile never leaving her lips, "How quaint. Rest assured, I have heard a lot about you, Akira."

H-how did she know her name? Akira kept her frightened gaze locked on the witch's pitch black eyes, trying to sort through the frantic thoughts that raced through her mind. Yet the only thing she heard consistently screaming in her head was the memory of Cid describing Maleficent to them back in Traverse Town. "She's a witch! She's a witch! She's a witch!"

"How strange," Maleficent continued amidst the silence, "Jafar told me he had things under control, yet when I arrive to collect the princess, I'm greeted by a child." Maleficent's gaze was no different, but she was all the more terrifying without her sickly sweet smile. Akira almost wished she'd smile again, just to appease her anxiety.

Akira felt her knees shake as she stepped to the side in a sorry attempt to shield Jasmine. Could she really take Maleficent on? Just the air around her was enough to sap Akira's strength and courage; how could she possibly hold her own against this villain?

Maleficent wrinkled her nose at Akira's gesture. "Step aside, child," she said in a stern voice, her gaze growing harsh.

Akira summoned her staff and raised it quickly with both hands, pointing it directly at the evil witch. There had to be something she could do... Fire? Yes, fire! Fire is a good spell! Plus, it'll hit her right in her face, a great weak spot to aim for. But wait... what if she was immune to fire? What if it didn't work? What if whatever measly spell she could muster does nothing but anger the evil witch? She gathered all her strength to keep her staff aimed straight, though her shaking arms failed her.

"Whatever devious trick you have planned will not work on the likes of me," Maleficent warned sternly, reading the apprehension in the teen's eyes, "Lower your weapon at once."

Akira shook her head. "N-no!" she managed to say. For crying out loud, what was she thinking? She was almost begging for death at this point. But she just couldn't let her take Jasmine without a fight... she'd never live with herself if she did. This really was hopeless, wasn't it?

Maleficent's lip quivered as the anger began to bubble and rise in her heart. "I will say it once more. Lower your weapon."

"No!" Akira squeaked. She hoped and hoped that Sora and the others were on their way back and swoop in right in the nick of time and save her from this mess; it was all she had left at this point. She winced, waiting for something, anything. For her demise or for her rescue, though she prayed it was the latter.

Maleficent gritted her teeth, raising her hand to push away the staff. "Insolent child! How dare you defy-"

A deafening cry escaped the evil witch's mouth as she flicked Akira's weapon.

Maleficent seized her now burning hand, growling through her teeth. Even though her hand barely grazed the surface of the metal blade, it burned with the ferocity of hot iron. The blisters bubbled and formed against her skin as the pain shot through her hand, further feeding her now insatiable anger.

Akira peeked at the evil witch as the relief began to sink in. Sora and her friends had made it! But, as she fully opened her eyes and took in the scene before her, not a trace of her friends was in sight. Maleficent seemed to be in pain... but how?

"Did you do this?" Akira asked quietly, directing her question to her weapon, but no answer came.

Maleficent straightened her posture, glaring daggers at the teen. "What manner of power is this?" she asked in a menacing voice. This power clearly wasn't her own, yet... for it to hold such might against the Mistress of Evil herself...

Maleficent smirked. To engage in battle now while this weapon was in the child's possession was foolish; but Maleficent craved power, and this weapon would compliment her ever so nicely. She broke her gaze away from Akira, raising her eyebrow as her smirk transformed into a grin.

Akira gasped. Such a gesture could only mean one thing; she wasn't alone.

And all she heard was the sound of shuffling steps before everything went dark.

"How cruel, Riku," Maleficent said with a smile as she placed a hand on her heart, "Is she not like a sister to you?"

Riku didn't respond right away. He didn't know how to feel. Of course he didn't want this; he expected to jump in, get the princess, and leave. Nobody told him he'd have to face an old friend... Besides, he only hit Akira hard enough to knock her out for a minute or two. It's not like he injured her or anything. He wasn't a bad person. He just wasn't. "I had to... for Kairi," he responded, his expression stoic.

"Ah yes, I suppose we do have an understanding..." she said, placing her hands on her staff as she watched Riku tip-toe around the now unconscious teen, "Did she share anything of interest to you regarding her staff during your little reunion in Traverse Town?"

"I don't know," he responded as he slowly took Princess Jasmine into his arms, "What do I care?"

She scowled. "That weapon holds a great deal of power. You should not underestimate it, lest you meet your demise at its hand."

Riku snorted; the irony was hilarious to him. "Are you saying lazy, useless Akira almost beat you? That's rich."

"The child's power is not her own, nor does she have proper control over it," Maleficent said sternly. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a portal of darkness behind her, gesturing at Riku to pass through.

"So what do you care?" he asked nonchalantly, stepping into the darkness.

Maleficent put a finger on her chin as her lips broke into a devilish grin. "A weapon such as that has no place in her hands. Mine, however..."

She took one final look at the unconscious teen. What a poor, sorry sight; such fear and doubt within a weak and brittle heart, mindlessly attempting to command a power beyond her control. To foolishly stand between herself and the princess, when naught but a simple blow to the head was enough to incapacitate her... Maleficent almost felt sorry for the child. She stepped through the dark portal, her evil mind concocting a slew of villainous plans.

Little did she know Carpet had taken in the entire scene from afar. Once her portal of darkness had closed behind her, the rug quickly jumped into the hole, desperately trying to reach Aladdin and the others as fast as it could.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin called as they reached the top chamber, scanning the area around for any sign of her, "Jasmine!"

The princess was nowhere to be found. Not a trace or a clue was left behind save for her guardian, whom lay unconscious on the brick floor before them, her fingers curled around her staff that glistened amidst the radiance of the Keyhole outlined on the wall ahead.

"Akira!" Sora cried as he stepped off the carpet. He rushed to her side with Donald and Goofy close behind.

Goofy placed his ear near her mouth, checking for the sound of breathing. "Looks like she's just knocked out," he said with a sigh of relief.

"Sora, go take care of the Keyhole," Donald ordered, "We'll carry her to Carpet."

Sora exhaled deeply; he was so overcome with worry, but he knew they were right. They needed to find Jasmine and get Akira some help, but the Heartless would do naught but hinder them. He gave his allies a stoic nod as he approached the glittering Keyhole in the wall. Raising his Keyblade, he watched as the familiar sparks of light burst around his weapon, sealing the Keyhole with a beam of light and a familiar locking sound.

Immediately after Sora sealed the world from impending darkness, the ground below them shook as pieces of stone and concrete fell from the ceiling; the Cave of Wonders was collapsing around them, and they needed to escape fast. Donald let out a panic-stricken quack as Goofy stepped onto Carpet with Akira in his arms. Sora was close behind and hopped onto the Carpet right after Goofy had settled in, but Aladdin was still frantic.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin called desperately as Genie forced him onto Carpet. The rocks that fell from the ceiling had grown bigger in size, and they had very little time to escape.

"Jasmine's not in this world anymore, is she?" Sora whispered somberly as he gazed at his unconscious friend. There was no doubt in his heart that Akira would be okay... but what ordeal could she have possibly lived through to end up this way? To what extent will these villains go to pluck these innocent princesses from their homes and their lives?

Donald and Goofy drooped their heads in agreement, recalling the incident with Alice as Carpet darted through the familiar pathways they took to reach Jafar before surging out of the entrance's gaping maw, soaring through the star-filled night sky of the Arabian desert.

Akira sputtered as she came to. Genie had just finished pouring what little water remained in Aladdin's waterskin on her face as her friends crowded her, hoping that did the trick in waking her.

She slowly opened her eyes as she came to. She saw the familiar ceiling of the tranquil loft where they had first met Carpet, which sent her head spinning. Maleficent's black eyes were the last thing she remembered before that painful jab to the back of her head... so how did she end up here?

"What... happened?" she asked as her vision began to clear.

"Thank goodness," Donald said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"We found you passed out in the lamp chamber," Genie explained as he handed the waterskin to Aladdin, "Good thing it wasn't serious. We were worried about you, kid."

Akira rubbed her forehead. "What happened to Jafar?"

"We showed him what we were made of, just like we promised," Sora said with a relieved grin.

Akira returned his smile. "That's amazing. At least now he won't bother J-". Her eyes fluttered open as she suddenly gasped, sitting up straight amidst the still throbbing pain in her head. "J-Jasmine! Where's Jasmine!?"

The answer was still too painful to utter. She watched as her allies lowered their gazes in silence, feeling her heart drop as the realization settled in.

"We... were hoping you could give us a clue," Aladdin managed to say through his cracking voice.

Akira turned her head to face Sora, Donald, and Goofy, silently pleading with them to confirm her suspicions as untrue. "When we came back after the fight, you were the only person we found," Goofy said solemnly.

So it was true. She failed. The irony was almost laughable. Her staff literally melted the wicked witch's skin off her hands, and she still failed to stop her.

With whatever strength she had left, she inhaled deeply, attempting to blink away the tears that formed in her eyes. "Maleficent. She showed up out of thin air. Then I remember getting hit..."

Sora nodded, his suspicions confirmed. "So she and Jafar were working together."

Aladdin took a seat on a broken step on the floor of his loft, hanging his head above his knees, still despondent over their ordeal in the Cave of Wonders. And now that Akira confirmed that Jasmine was in the clutches of evil, he wasn't sure if his heart would ever recover. Akira felt the sting of her failure that much more as she watched Aladdin struggle to keep his feelings contained. "I'm sorry, Aladdin," was all she could say before the tears spilled from her eyes.

He shook his head in response. "It's not your fault. I know you did everything you could."

Sora placed his hand on her shoulder as she buried her face in her hands. He took a deep breath before speaking up, attempting to make his words not sound too harsh. "Aladdin… we don't think Jasmine is in Agrabah anymore."

Aladdin nodded. It seemed like he already knew this conversation was coming. "I see… Sora, let's go find her," he said with resolve.

Sora shook his head. "I'm sorry but I can't take you with me."

"Why not?"

"If we take you to another world, we'd be meddling," Donald said softly.

Aladdin couldn't quite understand what they meant by 'meddling' but the realization sank in just the same; they couldn't take him with them, meaning there was no longer anything he could do for Jasmine.

"Aladdin, we'll find Jasmine, I promise," Sora said with resolve as he let his hand fall to his side. Akira had regained her composure and wiped away what little mist remained in her eyes.

Genie slowly approached Aladdin, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Um, earth to Al? Hello? You still have one wish left! Just say the word. Ask me to find Jasmine for you!"

Aladdin continued to stare at the ground, taking in Genie's words. He wasn't wrong, yet...

"I wish… for your freedom, Genie."

Genie's smile dropped as a brilliant flash of light enveloped his body, destroying the golden cuffs that held him prisoner. The blue smoke that kept him connected to his lamp vanished in the air, replaced by two sturdy legs of his own. His golden lamp grew dark and tarnished, becoming nothing more than a flimsy oil lamp.

"Al!" Genie cried, examining his newly freed wrists, "But why?"

"A deal's a deal, Genie. Now you can go anywhere you want. You're free," Aladdin said with a smile, "But, if you can, it would be great if you can go along with them and help Sora look for Jasmine."

Genie smiled as his eyes grew misty, still reeling from the magnificent act of kindness. "Well, Al, I'm done taking orders. But, a favour? Now that, I can do." He approached Aladdin and placed both hands on his shoulders, smiling. "After all, we're pals now, right?"

The group chuckled at the wonderful scene that unfolded before them, hope filling their hearts. Even among the evil and darkness that surrounded the worlds they visited, the light of those who remained true to themselves always burned the brightest amidst the darkness.

Yet, even with this semi-happy ending, they still felt a tinge of anxiety. Jasmine was the second princess to be taken, and Jafar mentioned she was one of seven. Whatever villainous deeds Maleficent had in store, she was gathering her resources at a steady rate, and the time they had left to stop her was slowly ticking away.

"That smarmy vizier could've had them… if someone had stuck around to give him a hand," Hades sneered, crossing his arms at the figure that stood across the table where they watched Sora and his companions board their ship.

Riku glared at him. "Hey, I did my part. I brought the princess, didn't I?"

Maleficent scowled at Hades as well. "Jafar was beyond help, consumed by his own hatred. One should beware of letting it burn too fiercely."

Hades huffed as he waved his hands, attempting to control the situation. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Lighten up. I'm as cool as they come, okay? By the way, kid, have we got something special for you."

Riku narrowed his eyes suspiciously, glancing over at Maleficent, who smiled and softly nodded to him. "We had a deal, yes? You help us, and we grant you your wish…" she said as she gestured to the table.

The image of Sora laughing at Donald's failed attempt to start their ship slowly melted away to reveal an image of Kairi. She seemed to be unconscious amidst a room made of wood with a bunk bed visible in the corner. Her whereabouts weren't easy to decipher, but Riku didn't care; he finally had a clue as to where to find her.

"Kairi!" he cried with a smile, slamming his hands onto the table.

Maleficent grinned at his excitement. "Go to her. Your vessel awaits."

A well-dressed man in a thick red coat and a matching feathered hat entered the chamber, the hook on his left hand glistening brightly with the glow of the table. He looked to be some sort of pirate, though he lacked the threatening look. "Just remember this is no pleasure cruise," he said in a harsh voice, "It won't be a pleasant voyage."

Riku exhaled loudly, turning to face Maleficent. "Why are you doing this for me? What's the catch?"

Maleficent blinked for a moment before bending down to place a hand on his cheek, keeping up her act of a doting mother. "Catch? Silly boy. You're like a son to me. I only want you to be happy."

Riku saw right through her charade and knocked her hand away. "I seriously doubt that."

Maleficent scowled and pursed her lips, standing tall as she watched him, her sweet demeanour instantly gone. She didn't take too kindly to defiance. "Believe what you wish. But lest we forget, I kept my end of the bargain."

"We'd get there faster if you would just let me drive, you know," Sora said with a grin.

"Not in a million years!" Donald exclaimed.

Sora poked his head between the two front seats, eyeing the console of the Gummi Ship as Donald steered the ship past a belt of asteroids. "If the next world falls to darkness before we get there, you'll have no one to blame but yourself, you know," he said with a smug grin.

"Aw, phooey!"

"You know, Donald," Goofy said as he scratched his chin, "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to teach him a few things... just in case something bad happens, y'know?"

"Who's side are you on?" Donald quacked angrily.

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Sora said with excitement, "Please, Donald? Pleeeaaassseee?"

Their booming laughter and vivacious banter could probably be heard three worlds over. There was no slowing this group down when their spirits were high. Yet, Akira remained silent in her seat as she gazed out to the stars, her spirit still broken. It didn't matter how many times they told her it wasn't her fault; it never took the sting of failure away. Though they insisted there was nothing she could have done, that sickening feeling in the back of her mind simply wouldn't let it go.

Sora momentarily tore his attention away from the excitement unfolding before him, and stole a glance at his old friend. No matter how much they reassured her, he knew their words didn't make it to her heart; her pained expression said it all. She had smiled when they bade Aladdin farewell, but he knew her well after all those years spent together, and those eyes of hers were never good at hiding what she felt inside.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come.