A/N: I was in this weird place with my rewrite where I wanted to keep the original flow of events in Halloween Town, but I had to make some drastic changes to the cringy dialogue and scenes. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it!

Though mischief and trickery were their calling, they were still children, and they almost regretted their most recent decision. The three costumed children shivered under the shadow of the dastardly villain, clutching at each other as they shook with fear.

Far from the bustling and spirited Halloween Town, the villainous Oogie Boogie took refuge in his lair, a veritable torture chamber of scythes, guillotines, and electric chairs. Oogie Boogie was a gambling man, and quite fond of slot machines, roulettes, and the occasional game of dice. If one were unfortunate enough to end up in his torture chamber, the villain may feel sympathetic and offer a game of chance to win their freedom; but Oogie Boogie was also a cheating man, and very few won their freedom from his clutches.

His terrifying appearance mimicked his awful disposition; Oogie Boogie was a burlap sack filled with bugs, his eyes and mouth being nothing more than nightmarish holes ripped at the seams. His cackle boomed across his torture chamber as the three mischievous children shuddered in fear.

"A heart? That bonehead Jack is really making a heart? I'll be jiggered! That works for me!" he laughed as he slapped his belly, "Ohoho! When I get my hands on that…"

He looked down at his hands; being a burlap sack, he had no real hands to show off, but simply a long, cloth arm ending in a point. "Well, I've got no hands… but I'm still gonna nab that heart and control the Heartless!"

He let out another villainous laugh as the children backed as much as they could against the wall, wincing in fear.

"Bah, who does he think we are? His delivery service?" Donald grumbled as he crossed his arms.

Sora placed both his hands behind his head. "Aw, come on, Donald. One more favour couldn't hurt!" he said with a smile.

"This heart had better be worth it!" he quacked angrily in response.

The doctor was delighted with the memory they had brought back, but he promptly sent them on their way again in search of another ingredient called 'surprise'. He had reassured them that it was the final ingredient he needed, but that did nothing to soothe Donald's frustration.

"No need to worry, my fine, feathered friend!" Jack said confidently, "Surprise shouldn't be too difficult to find. The Mayor is the master of surprises, and he's decorating the Boneyard for Halloween as we speak!"

"Gawrsh, that sounds easy enough," Goofy said as he placed a hand on his chin.

Donald quacked something unintelligible under his breath but, if Sora had to guess, it was a string of profanities he was more than happy not to have heard. He laughed as Donald waddled on ahead, which did nothing but frustrate the duck that much more.

Akira shivered as she tried to catch up to the group ahead. She had put quite a distance between them after having been frightened half to death by a strange-looking reptilian monster attempting to steal her apple core. She let it go without protest, though she wished the damn thing would have asked her nicely for it…

As she scurried ahead, something peculiar caught her eye. She screeched to a halt and craned her head to the side, curiously scanning the area. It certainly didn't look strange; then again, during their escapades in Halloween Town, she had gotten used to running across crumbling gravestones every couple of steps. But something about this one in particular caught her attention, and she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Strange…" she muttered to herself, taking another look at her surroundings.

Find something interesting?

Of course it would strike up a conversation, now that she had nothing interesting to say. "Hmm… no, can't say I have," she said, placing a finger on her chin.

You're a poor liar.

She furrowed her brows. Of course it would know she was lying. But it was just a patch of dirt with some crumbling gravestones on it; what interesting thing was she supposed to find there? Regardless, her staff didn't need to speak so rudely. "That was uncalled for," she replied.

Do you deny it?

She sighed in disgust. "Look. I thought I saw something, I stopped to check it out, turns out I didn't. Case closed." Her staff had the unfortunate tendency to pry on sensitive topics, but this was an unnecessary time to pick on her.

You're happy to leave it at that?

"What are you even talking about?"

You're oddly defensive about it.

Akira's nostrils flared. "Gee, I wonder why."

She heard Sora's distant call for her to hurry up and rejoin the group. She offered him a friendly wave in response, though she felt anything but friendly in that moment. It was rare for her staff to speak to her so rudely, though the stupid thing barely spoke at all. She quietly wondered if it knew she had thought of it as a 'stupid thing' as she began to walk towards her friends, though she figured it would have made a fuss a lot sooner if it had.

You're going to join them?

She snorted. "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

You're not the least bit interested?

"Would you just drop it?" she hissed.

Have you never tried to follow your heart? Not even once?

"What does that even have to do with anything?"

You have spent your entire life following others on their paths… is it not time you carved your own?

That's it. That hit hard. "This conversation is over!" she said through her teeth.

Suit yourself. But I have seen your heart, and its words do not match those that pass your lips. Perhaps you'd hear the same, if you stopped and listened for once.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

She marched towards her friends, biting her lip to stop it from visibly quivering. There was nothing in her heart; nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing of importance. It took her so many years to ignore it, and now that she had finally mastered its art, this damn otherworldly voice had to swoop in and unravel all her hard work. All she wanted was to find her friends, go home, and sleep under the shade of the paopu tree. Was that really so much to ask for?

Of course it's not much of a life; she knew that. But following her own path and listening to her heart would invite old wounds to reopen, and she was too fragile for that.

She strode past a perplexed-looking Sora, not daring to meet his gaze. He obviously noticed she was flustered, but she didn't want to deal with that too. Seeing Sora upset as well… it would just be too much.

Her heart felt heavy; and that alone was unbearable.

"Splendid, this will be perfect," Dr. Finkelstein said with glee as he accepted Jack's offering.

The group had returned to the laboratory after a spirited conversation in the Boneyard with the Mayor, whom had given them a Jack-in-the-box to represent 'surprise', though Akira remained silent for most of it while Donald complained under his breath.

"This had better be the last thing we need," the duck grumbled with a scowl.

"Settle down," the doctor replied, picking up the now beating heart, "I've installed the surprise. This is sure to work!"

He wheeled over to the examination table where the ghost-like Heartless remained limp and lifeless as the group watched with bated breath, their anticipation rising. This could truly end their need to fight the Heartless; how simple their quest would be without the looming threat of the shadows lurking at every corner…

"Ya!"

The doctor's wheelchair suddenly came crashing to the ground as a small figure jumped from under the table, tripping him. He tumbled to the floor, dropping the heart across the examination table and watched in horror as it slid across the table, flying off the other end. Before the team even had a chance to blink, a young boy of six years wearing a devil costume emerged from under the table, accompanied by a similarly aged young girl dressed in a witch's costume; they leaped into the air and grabbed the heart, cackling amongst themselves. They scurried towards the exit with the heart secured tightly in their grasp as their mischievous partner in crime, a young boy wearing a skeleton costume, arose from underneath the doctor's wheelchair and darted for the exit.

"Oh no! The heart!" Goofy cried.

"How are they so fast?" Sora asked as he peered out the door, seeing no sign of the children anywhere.

"The nerve of those hooligans!" the doctor cried as Jack helped him back into his wheelchair, "Stealing my work? Confound it!"

"It will be alright, doctor," Jack reassured, "We'll go after them."

"Who are they?" Sora asked.

"Lock, Shock, and Barrel. The trick-or-treaters of Halloween Town," Jack explained, "Though they don't take their job seriously…"

"Mischievous vermin, more like it!" the doctor fumed, "Causing trouble wherever they go!"

Sora put his finger on his chin. "In that case, we should get that heart back, and fast!"

"My thoughts exactly," Jack said, "Hurry, everyone!"

Sora and Akira scurried towards the exit, followed by Goofy comforting a now very aggravated Donald. Jack gave the doctor a nod before proceeding towards the door.

"Jack?"

Jack stopped in his tracks and turned to face the doctor. "Yes?"

"Those are Oogie's children. If they've returned to his manor, it could prove to be dangerous."

"Don't worry, doctor, I've got this under control," Jack said with a smile, nonchalantly waving his hand.

The doctor wheeled his chair forward, closing the distance between himself and the pumpkin king. "And those kids?"

Jack chuckled. "No need to worry! They can hold their own just fine."

The doctor shook his head, sighing as he placed his hands on his lap. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed, Jack?"

Jack's smile fell as he understood the doctor's words. He raised his eyes to the exit, watching his new friends clamour about in Guillotine Square, searching for the mischievous tricksters. "Oh, I have…" he replied.

Jack guided them through the streets and alleyways, past the swamps and graveyards, over and under the hills and the underpasses before directing them towards a wooden bridge overlooking a massive steel gate. He answered their various questions, laughed at Sora's jokes at Donald's expense, and even snuck in a few of his own. Yet, during this entire journey, Akira trailed behind, her eyes to the floor and her expression blank. Sora glanced at her here and there to make sure she was keeping up, but her lack of enthusiasm did little to calm his nerves. He slowed his steps as the others moved on ahead.

"Hey, um… what's eating you?" he asked as he scratched the back of his head.

The sound of his voice startled her. "Nothing. Um… just thinking," she replied.

"You've been awfully quiet," he said as he pursed his lips.

She nodded but said nothing in return. Her mind kept wandering to her staff's words, echoing over and over. Following hearts, following paths; following, following, following, though she hadn't the slightest clue what she was even following anymore. The staff hadn't said a word since their dispute, which only fed her aggravation.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, bending forward to meet her gaze.

"There's nothing to say."

"There's got to be. You've been sulking since we left to find 'surprise'. What with you almost passing out before, I'm just worried-"

He had to bring that up again, didn't he? "Well, I'm fine," she snapped.

Sora blinked and backed away as she furrowed her brows at him. "H-hey, sorry," he said as he scratched his cheek, "I didn't mean to pry."

The guilt flooded as she raised the palm of her hand to her forehead. Ugh, what was she doing? It wasn't fair to take it out on him. "No, I'm sorry," she said, gazing off to the distance, "I shouldn't snap at you; I know you're only trying to help."

He snickered as he placed his hands behind his back. "Yeah, that's what I was going for."

"It's just," she sighed, exasperatedly raising her hands in the air, "This is going to sound so stupid…"

"What is it?"

"There's this place… this dull spot with nothing interesting going on back there. Next to the graveyard where we met Sally, you know? And I just can't stop thinking about it."

She must sound so dumb to him. But what else is she supposed to say? That a random patch of dirt is interesting and the voice of her weapon in her head told her to check it out while simultaneously almost making her cry? That's rich; he'd totally believe that.

"Why don't you go check it out?"

She raised her eyes to his, perplexed by his abrupt suggestion. "I… can't possibly-"

"Why not? You can just catch up with us when you're done."

He grinned one of his signature grins, though she didn't know how to feel. He had always been that way, ever since they were children… the first one to climb the tallest trees, to dive into the deepest parts of the ocean… No ifs, or buts, or whys. Of course, his casual rowdiness would occasionally land him in deep trouble but…

He followed his own path. And his own heart… didn't he?

She scratched her cheek, entertaining the idea. "But, what about-"

"Ah, forget Donald. I'll make him understand."

"Are you sure?"

He flicked his nose. "Don't you start worrying about me, now!"

She slumped her shoulders as a smile began forming on her face. She didn't even know what she was looking for. For all she knew, she'd just find dirt. But Sora… he just believed her without question. She chuckled as she crossed her arms. "Of course," she said, "There's no Heartless you can't handle."

"Hah. Now you're getting it!" he laughed.

She gave him a nod of thanks; she still couldn't believe she was actually going through with this. "I won't be long, promise!"

"Go on, get out of here!" he said as he motioned for her to leave.

She beamed at him before scurrying back where they had travelled from, disappearing into the fog. He grinned as he continued on his way, catching up with his friends. He placed his hands behind his head, striding along as if nothing had changed.

"Hm, where did Akira run off to?" Goofy asked, scratching his chin as he scanned the area around him, searching for their fourth member.

"Oh, she just went to go check on something," Sora replied.

"What? And you let her!?" Donald fumed.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Relax, Donald. She'll be fine."

"But, Sora, aren't you worried?" Goofy asked, nervously placing a hand on his mouth.

It was the strangest feeling; in a way, he often was worried. After her troubling first days being confined to a hospital bed, he remembered her to be a spirited child: not quite as enthusiastic about things as he was, but always willing to try new things and go on new adventures with little persuasion. The three of them – Riku, Akira, and himself – had shared so many laughs together, which were only multiplied once Kairi arrived.

And then, the years came… school came, classmates came, friends came… and they went. He slowly watched her spark fade as they stared at her hair and questioned her origins… and her own questions about her past slowed to a halt. She was always somehow the Akira he remembered as a child, but her eyes seemed distant and reserved, like watching her through a screen. Kairi was more vocal about her worries but, truth be told, it affected them all, and it added a weight to his heart that he just couldn't shake off.

But now… she found an adventure she wanted to see through. A strange adventure, but an adventure nonetheless. She looked so excited when he told her she should go. So, if staring at a patch of dirt for an hour will make her happy, just like he remembered, then…he'll do what he can to make it happen.

"For once, I'm not," he said with a tender smile.

Now this is surprising. Why the sudden change of heart?

Akira crossed her arms as she stepped through one of the countless graveyards Jack had guided them through, retracing her steps. She could see the decorations the Mayor had put up in the Boneyard, meaning she must be closing in on her target. It was time to put this conversation to rest once and for all, and she was nothing but giddy at the idea. Though, she had to admit… she hadn't felt this excited to go on an adventure in a long time.

"I'm going to prove you wrong," she replied to her staff with a grin.

You're quite stubborn, aren't you?

"Look who's talking."

She slowed to a halt as they arrived at their destination, stretching out her arms as a smile broke across her face. It was the exact spot that had caught her attention earlier, but nothing stuck out to her this time; the crumbling gravestones, decaying plants, and dead soil matched the rest of the scenery so well, she almost walked right by it without noticing.

Nothing, nothing, nothing. Just like her heart; though she'd never admit that.

"Hmph, just as I thought. Nothing." She was so relieved; perhaps her staff would take it as a hint to not pry in her personal affairs.

You are… happy about this?

She bit her lip. "Yes. So now, you can leave me alone about it. And I can forget any of this ever happened."

I have not spoken to you since that time.

No. No, no. She wasn't going to fall for this mind trickery. "Don't you start. You saw an opportunity and used it to stick your nose in my business." She gestured around the area. "See? Look around us. There's nothing here."

Who are you trying to convince? Me? Or yourself?

"I… I…"

Damn this stupid thing. Damn it to hell, or whatever infernal abyss it crawled out of. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, clutching her chest.

You are the one who brought us here.

She hated this; everything about it. She hated its insistence. She hated its wicked way with words that stung in all the wrong places. But most of all, she hated how it knew. It really knew, didn't it?

No matter how hard she struggled to find the words to respond, she knew in her heart it was right. Something was here, and her heart screamed its truth with every rhythmic beat. She tried to drown it out with all her might, but she was fighting a losing battle.

"No," she growled in a last-ditch attempt, "You're wrong. You're delusional." She pointed to a tiny monument beside the gate enclosing the graveyard. "That has a switch that opens a path leading to town. We passed by earlier when searching for ingredients for the doctor." She kicked up the dirt beneath her feet. "This soil is completely unusable. It's no wonder nothing grows here." She pointed to the crumbling cenotaph that had caught her attention earlier. "Except for the flowers. They tend to grow right behind that gravestone. Jack said so; its because the moonlight reaches that far, and those flowers bloom in the night."

That's it. She knew she noticed something. It was probably a patch of flowers. All this energy, all this arguing, all these problems over some stupid flowers.

What flowers?

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, you don't remember? When we were on our way to find 'surprise', Jack told us about them!"

I have no recollection of this.

She sighed, placing her palm on her head. "Are you kidding me?" She marched towards the monument, crouching forward to take a peek. "How did you miss that? They're literally right here – "

She blinked as her mind drew a blank.

Where are they?

No no no. They were there before. She knew they were there. She had never felt so certain about something in her entire life. The memory of these flowers in this spot was permanently etched in her mind…

Where are the flowers, Akira?

Someone must have picked them while she was gone. But then, wouldn't their stems and leaves still be there? She clawed at the earth for any sign of the elusive bloom, but the dirt she clutched in her hand was dry and sandy. Nothing had been able to grow here in years. And as the realization began to sink in, she felt the tears form in her eyes as she counted the loud, rhythmic pounding of her heart beating in her chest.

It had a lot to say.

"The flowers here… they have white petals and red pistils… and they only bloom in the moonlight." It was so hard to speak, so hard to breathe, but the words she wanted to say rang clear in her mind. "They were… my favourite."

I see.

"What's happening?" she choked, clutching her chest as the thought of flowers filled her mind. Their colour, their aroma, their smoothness and fragility. No such flower bloomed on the islands. Where did this one come from? Why did she know it? Why was it filled with such gentleness, security, and pain?

Her eyes grew wide. It couldn't be. "You… on the Gummi Ship. You said there was something here… this is what you meant?"

I merely echoed the words in your heart.

"My heart…"

She couldn't tell when she first started closing her heart. Perhaps it was when her childlike innocence began to fade. When she began to notice the stares, and when they purposefully crossed the street to avoid her. When the fact that she was not one of them became too visible to ignore. When any question about where she really came from was shot down by the one whom she trusted more than anything. When she saw children of any age walk hand-in-hand with their mothers...

She closed her heart and mind the moment she felt any pain, loneliness, or sadness, and learned to close her heart to everything. There is no joy without sadness, no friendship without loneliness, no family without loss, and no love without pain. She wasn't equipped to handle the darkness… so she closed off the light as well.

And these flowers... they were full of pain.

"Why do I remember this?" she managed to ask as a tear rolled down her cheek.

It seems you've unveiled an old memory buried deep within.

"Why does it hurt?"

It must be very painful.

She exhaled, holding back a sniffle. She hadn't sobbed like this in a long time, though perhaps it was her own fault.

Do you want to see it?

She blinked, caught completely off-guard. "See it?" she repeated, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Yes. You've done it twice before. I can help you, if you desire.

She didn't know what to think. She knew exactly what it was talking about; she remembered those moments when she caught Sora asleep and somehow peeked into his dreams. But to uncover this? When she already felt such a heaviness in her heart? The thought of having that experience again was enough to turn her stomach, but the pain she felt was undeniable.

"I… don't."

You do not care for it?

She shook her head. "It's not that. I… don't think I can handle it…"

…I will be by your side. I understand I cannot replace the ones you hold dear, but you will not be alone.

She placed her hand on her mouth as she sorted through her thoughts. As it spoke, the voice sounded so gentle and compassionate, a nice change among the sadness and confusion. She wanted to say no a million times; to scream it at the top of her lungs. But she knew in her heart that if she did, she'd regret it forever.

"Okay…" she said softly.

Think of your flowers. I will do the rest.

It was almost impossible not to think of flowers. Her heart pounded as she laced her fingers together and brought them to her chest. It felt like such an awful idea to do this, but what other choice did she have? She knew her staff would not lead her astray; she was worried for herself and what she'd find, as well as how she'd handle it. She closed her eyes and shielded her heart, expecting the worst.

The wind changed. And as she gradually opened her eyes, she found her hands filled with flowers.