Sora had a feeling that running onto the main deck unprepared may come back to bite him; after all, Riku and the Heartless had done nothing but bait them from one room to the next, leading them into unsuspecting danger, if AntiSora was any indication. So, when he took in the sight that lay before him as he and his comrades burst through the door, he could hardly say he was surprised.
Captain Hook stood before him with a smirk on his face and surrounded by an army of Heartless. Sora gulped, feeling the dread rise within; the pirate captain alone was intimidating enough, but the army of Heartless did nothing to assuage their fears.
"Quite a codfish, that Riku – running off with that girl without even saying goodbye," Captain Hook said, the smirk never leaving his face.
Sora whipped out his Keyblade, preparing himself for the worst. "Run off where? Tell me, where did he go?"
"To the ruins of Hollow Bastion, where Maleficent resides."
Akira felt an awful shiver run down her spine and settle itself into her gut as she summoned her staff into her hand. It was as she feared… and there was no more running from it.
"But you won't be going there," Captain Hook continued in a terrifyingly sweet voice as Mr. Smee pulled out a glowing lantern, showing it to the group. They could see Tinker Bell's faint outline tapping on the glass as she tried to escape her prison. "Unless you intend to leave your little pixie friend behind?" he said, scraping his Hook across the glass as he terrified the pixie within.
The Heartless quickly advanced, circling the group with their pirate swords bared and ready to attack. There was simply no escape; if they fought, Hook would only injure Tinker Bell, or even kill her. Sora withdrew his Keyblade, hopelessly eyeing the ground.
"Hand over the Keyblade and I'll spare your lives. Be glad I'm merciful, unlike the Heartless," Hook threatened, "So, which will it be? The Keyblade or the plank?"
He pointed towards a flimsy plank of wood leading straight into the ocean, the kind they had always read about in those children's pirate stories. Akira winced; she never thought she'd ever see one, let alone be threatened to walk one. She eyed Sora carefully, addressing him as he kept his eyes to the floor. "Sora?" she whispered.
Keeping his gaze to the ground, he faced the plank and took his first step towards it. She gasped as she watched, unable to process his actions. "Sora? What are you doing!?" she hissed.
Without a second glance, he continued forward, despairingly watching the floor as he inched closer to the plank, a small army of Heartless following his every move. Donald and Goofy exchanged worried glances with her, but none made a move; the Heartless tasked with watching them inched ever closer to ensure they didn't attempt to stop him.
But Sora himself had stopped walking. And as Donald, Goofy, and Akira watched him with perplexed gazes, the anxious beating of their hearts slowed to a normal pace, and they were finally able to hear a beat of another kind… or perhaps ticking would be more appropriate.
"I-it's him!" Captain Hook cried in horror, "The crocodile that took me hand! Oh, Smee! He's after me other hand!"
Sure enough, a mangy crocodile floated in the ocean below, licking its teeth as it prepared itself for another meal; as to why it was ticking, the group decided that was a story better left for another day…
Captain Hook screeched as he darted towards his cabin. "I can't stay here, I can hardly stand the sight of him!" He fumbled with the door as his hands shook, finally prying it open before turning to face his first hand. "Smee! You take care of them!" he hollered before slamming the door shut.
"What a coward," Donald grumbled, crossing his arms.
"You said it," Akira answered.
Heeding Captain Hook's orders, the group of Heartless turned their attention to Sora, pointing their swords threateningly as they continued to pressure him towards the edge of the plank. He stood facing the deck, though he lacked any more space to move before falling to his demise. The crocodile stretched open its mouth, ready to devour its dinner.
Goofy clapped his hands over his mouth. "Oh no, Sora!" he cried.
Yet Sora made no attempt to escape; he truly intended to take the plunge, for the sake of the pixie's life. Akira's breath caught as ideas raced through her mind, yet none of them held any substance. Even if they split up to try and save Tinker Bell, the Heartless would just push Sora over the edge. She wanted to say something, anything… Sora closed his eyes, preparing to jump, and his friends could do nothing but watch.
And just before he jumped, the corner of his lips pulled into a smirk.
"Fly, Sora! Just believe and you can do it!" Peter Pan's words echoed in his mind.
Sora jumped over the edge, letting himself fall into the crocodile's mouth. Unable to keep her composure, Akira darted towards the edge of the boat, anxiously scanning the water for any sign of him. Yet, she saw nothing. Not even a ripple amidst the ocean's waters. She frantically scoured the water's surface again and again, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "Sora! Sora!" she called.
"Akira."
It couldn't be. He was so close.
She raised her eyes, and her heart had never been fuller. Her lips broke into a smile as she sighed with relief. Sparkles of gold radiated from Sora's body as the pixie dust kept him afloat. He floated in the air at eye level with a mischievous grin on his face. "Sorry for scaring you," he said apologetically as he put his hands on the deck.
She chuckled and shook her head. "How did you manage to make it work?" she asked.
"Peter was right. Faith, trust, and pixie dust."
Akira hung her head, chuckling all the while. How could she forget? Nothing fazes her cheerful friend, not even the most frightening of situations. And in their current predicament, with the threat of darkness looming ever closer, with Riku acting nothing like his former self, with Kairi always slipping away… maybe, just maybe, now was the most important time to keep faith and trust. And she could start with a smile.
"If Sora can do it, you guys can get the hang of it too!"
She whirled around, catching a glimpse of the familiar person whom had swooped into the fray. Peter Pan readied his dagger, barreling through the Heartless on deck as he flew towards a very frightened-looking Mr. Smee. He tore through the air, knocking out a trail of Heartless before grabbing the lantern from Mr. Smee's hands, whom stood with a flabbergasted stare. Peter Pan opened the lantern and freed the pixie, whom in turn fluttered over to the captain's first hand and gave him a swift kick in the nose. With a yelp, Mr. Smee fled for safety, rushing down the stairs towards the ship's hold as the Heartless dispersed.
"Thanks, Peter," Sora said with a laugh.
Peter Pan saluted the teen. "Hey, don't mention it. You didn't think I'd leave you and Tink behind, did you?"
"Well, you sure fooled us!" Donald grumbled as he crossed his arms.
"Maybe that's why you can't fly!" Peter jabbed, "You gotta put more faith and trust in your friends."
"I've got plenty of faith and – WAK!"
Donald's butt began rising in the air, pulling the duck upside-down as the pixie dust shimmered around his body. He crossed his arms and grumbled as he remained in that state, watching his laughing friends with a disdainful glare.
"Aw, see, Donald? It was never really hard to begin with!" Goofy said cheerfully as he allowed himself to float off the ground in a shimmering puff of pixie dust, "Why, we could have probably done it all along!"
Donald let out a frustrated quack as he straightened himself out. Sora flew onto the deck, turning to face Akira with a smile on his face. "Alright, your turn to try it!" he said, stretching out his arms towards her.
She nodded as she walked over to join the group. But, before she could make a real attempt at flight, they heard the harsh knocking of a hook against the door of the captain's cabin.
"Smee? Smee?! I heard the commotion. Did you finish them off?" Captain Hook asked from behind the door.
Peter Pan chuckled silently and motioned to the others to remain quiet. He flew over to the door and pinched his nose before responding. "Aye, Captain!" he said in a voice so eerily like Mr. Smee's, he could pass off as the real deal, "They walked the plank, every last one of them!"
Captain Hook burst through the door, narrowly grazing Peter Pan as he rushed onto the deck to take in the scene. However, what greeted him was far worse than he ever imagined; Smee was nowhere in sight, and his Heartless had vanished into thin air. Sora, Akira, Donald, and Goofy greeted him with cunning grins as Peter Pan burst into a fight of laughter beside him.
Captain Hook growled as his cheeks blazed red with fury. "Blast you, Peter Pan!" he shrieked as he drew his cutlass, slashing at Peter Pan, whom narrowly dodged the attack. The boy flew behind the pirate and poked him with the pointy end of his dagger, further angering him. Captain Hook shrieked once more as Peter Pan soared towards his friends on deck, weapon drawn and ready to fight.
"Ready to make a splash, you codfish?" Peter taunted, "Now it's your turn to walk the plank!"
Captain Hook gritted his teeth. "Not so fast, Peter Pan. You and your friends will be shark bait soon enough!"
As he descended onto the main deck with his weapon at the ready, Captain Hook summoned a group of flying Heartless, ready at his beck and call. He wasn't blessed with the power of flight, certainly a clear advantage in any fight… but he would not let them take him down so easily.
Peter Pan, Donald, and Goofy took to the skies, aiming for the Heartless as Sora readied his Keyblade, fully intending to use his ability to fly circles around the angry captain. Yet, even with this advantage, Captain Hook was not to be taken lightly. There was a reason he was one of Neverland's most fearsome characters, and his skill with the blade was proof.
Sora blocked one of his quick slashes with his Keyblade as Akira snuck up from behind. Accustomed to this overused trick, he pushed back at the Keyblade master as he used his hook to slash at the girl behind him, narrowly missing her nose. She fumbled on her steps before falling on her behind, surprised by his sudden attack. Sora took off into the air, readying another attack, but Akira remained on the ground; and that is when the devious pirate understood.
"You can't fly, can you, lass?" he said with a grin, baring his teeth as he smiled wickedly.
There was not time to think about what to do next. She hurried to her feet as Captain Hook brought his cutlass down onto the floor where she sat a mere second prior. Without a moment to think, she sprinted across the deck, the pirate captain hot on her heels as he screeched in anger, arm and cutlass lifted in the air and ready for another attack.
Sora gasped from above. "Akira, fly!" he yelled as he began to make his descent towards them.
She nervously exhaled as she began to lose her breath. Okay, fly. Sure. It's as simple as that. Just fly, just fly. "As if it were that easy," she said anxiously as Captain Hook began catching up to her.
Well, you already have the pixie dust.
"You just talk whenever you feel like it, don't you?" she said to her staff as she rolled her eyes. Though, no matter how tense the situation, or how much her staff annoyed her with its one-liners, she had to admit… it was right. All she needed was the faith and trust.
She thought of Donald teaching her magic spells, Goofy keeping her spirits high when she was sad, Kairi's wondrous gaze as she watched the sunset by the beach, Riku's chuckle when they discussed the possibility of finding zombies… and Sora's kind smile as he watched a field of white flowers under the moonlight.
"Faith, trust, pixie dust. Faith, trust, pixie dust," she repeated as she approached a dead end with a pile of wooden boxes, "Faith, trust –"
She raised her foot and stepped on the box, using it as a springboard as she jumped high into the air, closing her eyes as she prayed for the spray of salt water on her face, rather than colliding with the hard, wooden floor.
She opened her eyes and saw nothing but the glimmering stars that twinkled across the night sky as the pirate ship below became nothing but a blur of colours amidst Captain Hook's cries of frustration.
"Pixie dust!" she exclaimed with joy as she let herself fall back towards the ship. Perhaps it was her practice from swimming through the currents in Atlantica, or it truly was the magic of pixie dust, but Akira let herself fly every which way, backwards and forwards, feeling the exhilarating breeze as she soared through the air. She giggled with excitement as she allowed herself to soar faster and faster, leaving a trail of shimmering pixie dust in her wake.
Though perhaps a little restraint would have done her some good.
"Gah!" she yelled as she screeched to a halt in front of a large flying Heartless, flailing her arms as she backed away from its oncoming punch.
I know you're excited but do watch where you're going.
She rolled her eyes. "I know," she mumbled. Okay, so maybe she could have been more careful; can't she have a little fun here and there?
Before the Heartless could attempt a second attack, Goofy's shield came pummeling from the right, while a powerful fireball came blazing from the left. The Heartless disappeared amidst the attacks, with Goofy's shield returning to his arm like a boomerang.
"Gawrsh, looks like you were able to fly too, Akira!" Goofy praised as he floated to her side.
"Good thing we were here to help you, huh?" Donald sneered.
"Hmph, I was handling it just fine," Akira mumbled. Alright, maybe she wasn't handling it just fine… but all she needed were a few minutes to gather herself and she could have taken that Heartless on…
"Please!" Donald scowled, crossing his arms, "You've been in tons of battles and practiced a bunch of spells, but you still don't know your Fire from your Firaga!"
"Firaga?" she asked blankly.
Donald sighed. "There are three levels for the basic spells: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. You can tell which is which by their suffix, such as Fire, Fira, and Firaga."
"Blizzard, Blizzara, and Blizzaga," Goofy added with a smile.
"Thunder, Thundara, Thundaga?" Akira surmised.
"Correct," Donald explained, "But knowing their names isn't enough. Each one is more powerful than the last, but they also require more magic power. A beginner should never attempt Blizzaga; but given how far you and Sora have come, you should probably attempt to cast intermediate spells in a secure and closed environment–"
There was a sudden, loud crack. The three of them immediately averted their attention to the pirate ship, where Sora and Peter Pan's battle with Captain Hook raged on. The crafty pirate had begun to use the ship's cannon to his advantage, and it seemed to have thrown their friends for a loop.
Goofy nervously put his hands on his head. "Oh no! We have to help them!" he cried.
"No time to waste!" Akira added as the two of them soared towards the pirate ship as fast as they could.
"H-hey!" Donald called, "Remember what I said! Secure and closed environment! Don't go trying anything stupid!" He quacked and quacked as loud as he could, but Akira and Goofy were already out of earshot. He sighed in frustration as he began to make his descent as well.
Amid the rogue cannon fire, one of them managed to hit Sora in the leg, sending him crashing down onto the boat's surface, and right into Captain Hook's clutches. Peter Pan attempted to put himself between the pirate and his friend, but the cannon fire made it all but impossible. Sora grabbed onto the railing of the boat for support as Hook slowly approached him, cutlass drawn and wicked grin at the ready.
"We won't catch up to them in time!" Akira called.
Goofy furrowed his brows. "Then we'll have to do something from up here!" He rolled up his sleeves and flipped his shield. "Alright. I'll throw my shield at him from up here and distract him long enough for you to get there and help Sora out. Sound good?"
Akira nodded to Goofy in understanding. "Alright then, here we go!" he shouted, tossing his shield like a boomerang towards the unsuspecting pirate captain.
She soared through the air behind Goofy's shield, though no matter how fast she flew, the distance between herself and his shield began to grow. She had entertained the idea of withdrawing her staff, which may have been weighing her down, but it would be foolish to just swoop into battle without a weapon at the ready… wouldn't it?
She watched in terror as his shield collided with the pirate, yet she was still so far away. He fumbled as he got back to his feet, and she was still so far away. He straightened his cutlass, and she was still so far away. And she simply had to be foolish.
Her feet finally met the wooden floor as she landed on the other side of the boat. Captain Hook was a meagre inch away from Sora, cutlass at the ready, and she had no time to catch up with them. Her heart beat a mile a minute at the mere thought of her friend being sliced to ribbons. There was only one option left.
She took one frightened breath and clutched her staff between both her hands, aiming it directly at Captain Hook. "Firaga!" she yelled.
Pain shot through her hand as her staff was blown out of her grip. It spun through the air before crashing onto the floor of the deck with a loud, metallic thud. The force of the shock sent her flying backwards, her back colliding with the wooden rails as she fell on her behind. Every inch of her arm tingled with an awful sensation, and she winced as the pain reverberated about, hoping to every star in the sky that she hadn't broken anything. Amidst the pain that began to spread, she raised her eyes to the pirate, fervently praying that her stupid decision had done at least something to help.
The fireball that erupted from her staff had almost completely missed him. But the blaze grazed him ever so slightly, just enough to light the end of his coat on fire.
Captain Hook stopped his advance when his nose caught the scent of burning fabric. He quickly checked his clothes and let out a horrified yelp, dropping his cutlass at Sora's feet. "Me coat!" he screeched as the fire began to grow and spread.
Without a second thought, he jumped over the railing and dove into the ocean in an attempt to put out the fire. "Blast you!" he cried at the top of his lungs, splashing about as he tried to keep his head above water.
And he would have been able to, were it not for that dastardly ticking sound.
Captain Hook turned his head in absolute horror as he laid eyes on the one thing he feared more than anything else in the world. The crocodile he hated with such passion floated in the water beside him, staring him down as it licked its teeth. After all, considering Sora simply flew away after walking the plank, the crocodile didn't get to have its dinner…
Captain Hook shrieked at the top oh his lungs as he comically jumped out of the water, jumping and skipping towards the distant shore as the crocodile snapped at his behind. It wasn't long before his shrieks became nothing more than distant echoes on the wind as he faded from view.
"Serves that old codfish right!" Peter Pan said as he flew over to Sora, offering his hand to help him stand, "How are you doing?"
Sora took the boy's hand and hoisted himself up on his feet but kept his gaze on the floor. His leg had recovered enough for him to be able to stand, but he still walked with a limp as he strolled towards the guardrail above the captain's quarters. Peter Pan frowned as Sora wordlessly walked by him; the pain in his leg may have been faint, but the pain in his heart must have been much greater.
Donald's quacks of fury could be heard from miles around as he floated to the ground beside Akira, glaring daggers at the teen. "What. Do. You. Think. You're. DOING!?" he shrieked.
She closed her eyes and shamefully placed her hand on her face. "Something stupid," she sighed.
"What did I say?" he barked.
She kept quiet; no matter what she said, he'd continue scolding her anyways, and with good reason. So, what was the point of answering?
"I said to practice in a secure and closed environment!" He drew his staff and pointed it towards her as a green glow began to emanate from the tip. The aura softly enveloped her as he focused his Curaga spell, and she could feel the cool relief as the pain dissipated from her body. "What in the world was going through your head?" he scolded again.
"I don't know," she said, forlornly letting her hand drop to her lap as she bumped her head against wall, "It was a spur of the moment thing. I was so scared and wasn't thinking clearly and… ugh…"
"Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?" he asked angrily.
"Something awful…"
"You could have been severely hurt. Do you have any idea how lucky you are to come out of it with just a few injuries?"
"I… I'm sorry. Really."
Donald ended his healing spell and withdrew his staff as she buried her face in her hands. She knew it was a dumb decision; she never meant to be reckless. But the fear and distress at seeing Sora in dire need of help stopped her from thinking clearly. And it was such a foolish thing to do; had she been hurt as badly as Donald insinuated, it wouldn't have helped either of them during that fight. They were so lucky things turned out the way they did, amid her stupid, thoughtless, foolish imprudent idea…
Akira felt the gentle touch of a feathered hand on her head, and the guilt washed away from her mind. She raised her gaze to meet Donald's, whom watched her with a kind gaze. "You'll get it someday," he said calmly.
A small smile tugged at her lips. "Next time, I'll think before I cast. I won't try it again."
"Not unless I'm watching you," he said with a smile, "Come on. Let's go see Sora."
She picked herself up off the ground with ease; Donald's healing spell had certainly done the trick. They walked together and joined their friends near the now empty captain's quarters, where Goofy and Peter Pan exchanged worried glances as Sora continued to watch the ground with a melancholic gaze. "Um, what's going on?" Akira whispered.
Peter Pan shrugged. "He's been pretty blue since we defeated Hook."
"I think I know why," Goofy chimed in, "Kairi couldn't wake up, so maybe she's really lost her –"
Donald promptly shushed him before he said anything too offensive. Akira brought her hand to her chest as her expression fell. Even though she'd known for a while, it still hurt to even mention it.
"Sora?" Peter Pan asked gently.
"I still can't believe it." Sora raised his head to the sky, a wide smile forming on his face, "I really flew! Wait 'till I tell Kairi. I wonder if she'll believe me. Probably not."
They sighed with relief when they witnessed his joyful smile. "Hey, why don't you bring her to Neverland sometime?" Peter Pan suggested.
"I think she'd love that," Akira said.
"Great. Then she can try it for herself!"
Sora released the guardrail and approached his friends, a look of resolve painted across his face. "If you believe, you can do anything, right? Just like faith, trust, and pixie dust." He nodded to Peter Pan. "I'll find Kairi. I know I will. There's so much I want to tell her – about flying, the pirates, and everything else that's happened."
"I'm sure you will, Sora," Goofy responded with a happy grin.
Yet their cheerful moment would be interrupted by Tinker Bell, whom fluttered around Peter Pan with a melody of chimes and jingles. "What's that, Tink?" he asked as she came to halt in front of his face, "What about the clock tower? You say there's something there?"
Tinker Bell nodded with a few more gentle rings as Peter Pan turned to face his friends, grinning widely. "So, what do you say, guys? Want to see a clock tower?"
"Lead the way," Goofy answered.
"Then, follow me!"
Peter Pan jumped and took flight, soaring into the night sky as Donald and Goofy trailed behind. They were followed by Tinker Bell, whom left a shimmering trail of pixie dust in her wake. Before Akira could take off and do the same, the sound of Sora's voice at her side kept her grounded.
"And when I do tell her, about everything… you'll be there too. Won't you?" he asked.
She chuckled softly before responding. "Of course. Someone has to make sure you don't forget anything."
"Haha, I might," he said as he scratched the back of his head.
"We'll tell her together," she said firmly.
Sora nodded and allowed himself to be taken by the wind, soaring into the night sky as he caught up with their comrades. Akira wasn't sure; she wasn't sure if it was the sight of her friends bantering and playing along the wind, the countless stars that glimmered in the sky, or the shimmering trail of pixie dust that trailed along the breeze… but as she raised her eyes to the heavens, one thing was certain.
The beautiful night sky of Neverland looked exactly like the one back home.
Riku crouched on his hands and knees, entirely exhausted and out of breath. The journey took a lot out of him, and he hesitated to believe he'd even have the strength to make it back. Yet here he stood, kneeling before the Mistress of Evil herself, overly fatigued yet alive and healthy.
Maleficent sternly watched the young man as he gasped for air and glared at the ground below him. "It was reckless to bring her here without at least using a vessel," she warned, "Remember, relying too heavily on the dark powers could cost you your heart."
A booming roar resounded from outside the castle, echoing through the stone walls. Riku quickly rose to his feet and defensively faced the door, surprised by the sudden noise.
Maleficent smirked. "A castaway," she explained as Riku narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze towards her, "Though his world perished, his heart did not. When we took the princess from his castle, he apparently followed her here through sheer force of will. But fear not. No harm will come to you. He is no match for your power."
Riku had been listening here and there, but now the evil witch had his full attention. "My power?" he asked.
"Yes, the untapped power that lies within you. Now, child, it's time you awakened that power and realized your true potential."
A green aura began to surround him as he felt the power course through his veins. He felt refreshed and ready to take on anything. He balled his hand into a fist with a mischievous grin; next time he and Sora met, he would be ready.
Buildings and streets of all shapes and sizes fit neatly on the ground below them, though all the group of heroes could see were the faint glows of lights radiating from the windows. They soared high above the loud plazas and quiet neighborhoods as they flew towards the city's crowning jewel: an architectural marvel of a clock tower with the most accurate and precise time in all the land. That is, until Tinker Bell led them to one of the tower's four faces.
"What is it, Tink? The time is off?" Peter Pan asked as she pointed towards the clock, "Well, that's no good. Big Ben is never wrong."
Sure enough, unlike the other three faces that clearly pointed to midnight, the one Tinker Bell was focused on seemed to be stuck at 11:45. Sora took it upon himself to fly over to clock's hand, striking it a few times with his Keyblade until the clock accurately read midnight. Almost as soon as he had done so, the clock shined with a brilliant light, revealing a hollow Keyhole at its centre.
Just as Sora had done many times before, he pointed his Keyblade to the Keyhole and released a familiar beam of light, locking the Keyhole and sealing Neverland from the threat of darkness. And when she witnessed the spectacle and heard the locking sound they had grown so accustomed to, Akira slid her hand in her pocket and pulled out the object that had weighed her down this entire time. The time of secrets had come to an end, and she had to tell them. Her heart felt strangely at ease, for she finally understood. She didn't fear telling her friends about it; she feared the dangers that awaited them in the world beyond.
They flew towards the stone alcove where Wendy awaited them with a gentle smile, though the pain in her voice did not match her cheerful gaze. "Peter, are you really going back to Neverland?" she asked.
"Afraid so," he answered, "But we can see each other anytime. As long as you don't forget about Neverland, that is."
Wendy chuckled. "I could never forget. You will always remain with me. And, Sora?" She turned to face Sora, her gentle smile still radiating from her lips. "You will find Kairi as long as she remains in your heart. Just don't give up, and I'm certain you will."
Peter Pan nodded in agreement before the two of them began to walk off on their own, spending some much deserved time alone together after their ordeal.
Goofy turned to face his comrades, addressing the one topic that consumed their thoughts. "So, fellas, uh… what next?"
"Isn't it obvious? We have to go to this Hollow Bastion place Captain Hook mentioned. He said Kairi was there," Sora suggested.
Donald tapped his foot on the ground. "And how do you propose we get there? Before we landed here, I picked up on another world's signal, but it was completely shrouded in darkness; the Gummi Ship can't possibly get through that."
"There is one way," Akira said. The three of them lay eyes on her as she stretched her open palms forward, revealing the small orange gummi block she had been carrying in her pocket. "Riku gave this to me before throwing me in the brig. He said… it's part of the set we got back in Traverse Town, and that it would open the way to Hollow Bastion."
Goofy dug his hand into his pockets and pulled out the old gummi block he had been carrying since it popped out of the Second District's mural, presenting it for all to see. "Gawrsh, they do look pretty similar," he said upon further inspection.
"Then it's settled," Donald quacked, "We'll go back to Traverse Town and ask Cid to install it on our ship. After all, you two need time to recover."
Sora sighed. "I'm fine. My leg feels fine."
"I don't want to hear it!" Donald barked as he pointed a feathered finger at the teen. "Just because it feels fine doesn't mean it is fine! And you!" He pointed to Akira. "Just because my healing spell took the pain away doesn't mean you're fully cured from that reckless stunt of yours. The second we land, both of you are going to the hotel to rest, no complaints! Understand?"
Sora grumbled and slumped his shoulders. "Ugh, fine."
"Don't take that tone with me!"
"Are you serious?"
Donald and Sora continued their loud bickering as Akira and Goofy laughed at the familiar scene that unfolded before them. There was never a dull moment with those two, and a day without friendly squabbling would be a strange day indeed. "Aw, we're just looking out for you two," Goofy said to Akira with a smile.
She turned to face him as the argument continued to rage before them, trying to suppress her laughter as she tried to be honest with him. "I know. We know," she answered, "And we appreciate it more than you know. So, Goofy? …thank you."
Goofy wore a proud grin as he softly ruffled her hair with his gloved hand. "You're welcome," he said.