A.N. Okay so real chapter this time, the offer still stands for OCS and for you who supplied me with some already. Thanks, and now without further ado I will start the chapter.

Chapter 11

Stampeding feet raced through the dense forest as a group ran from their pursuers. The had no time to talk, and even if they did they were all practically out of breath as it was. Goofy looked over his shoulder noticing that those pursuing them had almost caught up.

"Guys... we'd better... pick up the pace!" Goofy yelled up as he took his own advice.

After they had all picked up the pace they quickly found themselves in an open field covered with roses of different shades and behind them their pursuers had stopped.

Sora turned and watched as the large beasts glared down at them and Sora watched as the slowly turned and walked away.

"Guys, something isn't right." Sora called out to the group as the turned to watch those who had been pursuing them leave.

"Maybe this is sacred ground to them."

Eva suggested unaware of Amalia's nervous glances around the area. Amalia heard Evans idea but knew that wasn't right, she took one last look around and realized what the field was.

"Guys, stop! Nobody move!"

Everyone stopped at the said a princesses outburst, Amalia wasn't even aware of the stares sent her way by the rest of the group, she quickly continued.

"This is a patch of Demonic Roses, one bite and your a goner."

Everyone was now sending nervous glances around the field, watching for any movement, from the corner of his eye Sora saw a log over a gap to another cliff, if they could just get to the other side everyone would be safe.

Time almost seemed to stop after Amalia's yell, then quickly sped up as the roses came to life and started racing towards the group. Eva quickly got to the other side of the log and started taking out roses as they got to close to the others, Ruel just raced across not really concerned with anyone's safety at the moment but his own.

Percedal tried slashing at the roses but he had trouble swinging Rubilax close enough to the group to get all of them, so he ended up racing across the bridge, followed quickly by Donald and Goofy. Yugo quickly found himself on the other side with the use of his portals.

Sora had just reached the bridge with Amalia close behind him when Eva yelled from her spot on the other side.

"Amalia!" Sora turned and saw roses closing in on the runaway princess, who stood rooted to the spot in fear. Sora ran to her aide ignoring the yells from the other side. He quickly placed himself between Amalia and the roses, pushing the princess back toward safety as one of the roses let for the attack.

Amalia watched in horror as Sora swung his weapon a little to late, and stared as the bright red rose dug it's fangs into the back of Sora's leg. Amalia quickly scrambled to her feet and raced to Sora side, Yugo coming through his portals to help her.

Between the two of them they half dragged half carried Sora to the rest of the group. After they made it past the midway point Eva made it impossible for any of the roses to close by coating the log with ice.

Sora lay on the ground unmoving, already signs of a fever were showing and his breathing was labored. Amalia turned from Sora to Ruel, with a look that could kill.

"This is your fault Ruel!" She grabbed ahold of the strange golden statue that the Entry had stolen and held it above her head, ready to throw it.

"All because you had to steal this damn trinket, Sora... Sora will.."

Amalia stopped and through the statue to the ground, Eva was at her side is seconds trying to comfort her friend while Donald and Goofy were at Sora's side.

"Amalia it'll be fine, we won't let that happen." Eva said as she tried to calm Amalia down.

"Eva, you don't understand!" Amalia stood up practically in a rage now. "The rose that bit him was bright red, not a single person has walked away from a bite from one of those!" Donald and Goofy listened in horror.

There was no way that Sora wouldn't come back after this, he came back from anything destiny threw his way. Sora had even managed coming back after loosing his heart in Hollow Bastion, although there were still side effects from that, side effects that Sora wasn't even aware of.

Eva turned on Ruel.

"Amalia is right, this is your fault, how about I make you swallow the damn trinket that you just couldn't seem to live without!"

Ruel was looking anywhere but the Cra's eyes he tried to think of a way out of this when he remembered.

"Wait! There's an Eniripsa that lives in the area; if anyone can help him I know that she can."

With that they were off Goofy carrying Sora on his back, as they all raced down the hill towards the small house that lay at the bottom. Ruel knocked on the door and a kind voice greeted them when a short, plump Eniripsa opened the door.

"Well Ruel, it's about time you paid me back for those ointments even though it did take fifteen years." She smiled at the group outside, but her smile dropped when she noticed the serious expressions on those outside.

"Nausea we need your help." Nausea then saw Sora slumped against his friends back as the poison continued working it's way through his body.

"Right bring him in here." The Eniripsa quickly moved from the doorway and lead them to the bed that she used for patients. Goofy placed Sora down, as he was moved Sora winced and Nausea took in the teen's appearance.

Everyone sat in silence as the Eniripsa worked, Donald and Goofy couldn't sit still so the ended up pacing the room, Amalia hovered around the side of the bed hating how she wasn't able to do more since Sora had saved her life, Eva leaned on the wall next to the door glaring at Ruel who sat in a chair across the room, Percedal and Yugo just opted between sitting to walking to sitting down again.

Finally after what felt like forever Nausea stood and turned to the group.

"I've done all that I can, but since the poison wasn't removed from his body after he was bit it wasn't much." The room was silent all for Sora's labored breaths, when Amalia suddenly remembered a story she had been told when she was younger.

"Wait, what if we were to find a cure all?" Amalia asked as she quickly got to her feet. Everyone gave the princess confused looks, she continued all the same. "When I was younger I was told that the sap from a certain tree could cure any illness, or affliction. If we were to get that would we be able to save Sora?"

Nausea thought about it then looked back to the princess. "I do believe that would work, but where would we even get the sap?" Amalia looked out the window and noticed the thick wooded area away from the house and tried to remember what she had been told about the tree. Other then the fact that the sap was a cure all, she was having trouble remembering. Finally she remembered and she nearly raced out of her skin towards the door.

"That's it!" Everyone turned toward the princess once again. "The tree may be there." Amalia pointed out the window towards the forest, Nausea looked towards the forest with worry, if the tree was there, getting it would be close to impossible, especially with the amount of time their friend had.

"This was my fault so I will get the sap." Ruel said making his way to the door; Eva practically ripped his arm off as she pulled him away from the door.

"No way are we letting you get the sap, because knowing you you'll get as much of it as you can and run off with it to get rich." Ruel tried to defend himself but the glare that the Cra gave him told him to keep his mouth shut.

"But fine if you want to go, Yugo will go with you." Ruel wanted to argue about taking a child, but then Donald interrupted. "I'll go to, he's my and Goofy's friend so at least one of us should go out to find the cure."

Eva nodded in agreement and just as the group of three opened the door Amalia ran to join them. "I'm going too." Now Ruel argued.

"Now Amalia this is no task for a princess to take part in, you can wait here and help Nausea take care of Sora." The princess looked about ready to explode, she hated when people told her what she could or couldn't do sue to her title.

"I am not just going to sit here twiddling my thumbs!" Amalia yelled out, everyone sat shocked at her outburst but no one could calm her down as she continued. "I hate when people use my title as princess to keep me from making my own decisions. Sora saved my life, so I am going to go with you, and we will find that sap!" Nobody had it in themselves to argue with Amalia so solemnly they nodded and the group of four left on the backs of the dragoturkeys.

...

Nausea dampened a small towel and placed it on Sora's forehead, trying to keep his temperature down. She had told Ruel and the others that at the most they had till sunset to retrieve the sap, if they didn't get it by then... well there was no helping the teen at that point. Behind her Percedal swung his sword around bored out of his mind while Goofy looked out the window, keeping watch for Heartless. After looking out the window he would move to the door and glance outside, knowing that sooner or later the Heartless would come, and he wanted to be ready.

"Goofy, would you just sit still." Eva almost demanded as Goofy moved back to the window. He didn't even seem to have heard her as he continued his watch. Eva walked up to him and placed a hand on his tense shoulders.

"What are you keeping watch for? Everyone just left, and they aren't going to find that sap right away." Eva explained as Goofy turned to look at her, he shook his head.

"You don't understand,I'm not watching for the others I'm watching for the Heartless." Percedal stopped mid swing and stared at Goofy, he heard the name of the new enemy they had faced a few times on the journey and felt excited at the idea that they may come.

"Why would they come now?" Eva asked as Goofy turned back to the window, he explained without looking at the Cra.

"The heartless fear the keyblade, and since Sora is it's wielder they fear him. Now that he is weak they will come to take advantage of it and attack, most likely hoping to rid the world of one of their enemies." Eva took this in as Percedal tried to piece it together with his fight driven brain.

"So are you and Donald also their enemies?" Eva asked as she pieced together that Goofy had said 'one of their enemies'. Goofy shook his head.

"Donald and I aren't that big of a threat to them since we don't wield keyblades but there are quite a few wielders out there, the three of us are even looking for two of them." Eva listened as Goofy explained that bit of detail.

"So how you connected to the two you are looking for?" Eva asked, finally getting some insight. Before Goofy could answer a small, yet clear voice called out.

"Goofy." Goofy turned and watched as Jiminy Cricket crawled out of Sora's hood. Eva watched as the cricket made its way to where they stood and then as Goofy knelt down to help the creature to the windowsill. Jiminy gestured for Goofy to lean in.

"Goofy, be mindful of how much you tell her." Jiminy whispered into Goofy's ear, he nodded and stood back up, Eva was still staring at Jiminy. The cricket turned to Eva and bowed.

"Excuse me miss, I have not yet introduced myself. I am Jiminy Cricket at your service." Eva nodded and turned back to Goofy, she didn't really want to ask about the new member of the group and so brought the discussion back to her original topic.

"So what are your connections then?" Goofy turned to Sora and noticed that his friends was mumbling in his fever induced sleep.

"The first one is a friend of Sora's, he left their island and after running into him a few times we lost rack of him. The second one is an old friend of Donald's and mine, we believe that Sora's friend and him are together. So right now we are traveling, trying to find any word of them." Goofy explained, giving as little as to where they are from away.

Eva nodded and turned back to where Sora lay, still mumbling. She listened and caught the end of what he said.

"-do..don't go... Riku, please."

Eva could only assume that this Riku was the friend Goofy had mentioned.

...

The group of four followed the short Sadida hermit to her home, under the promise that she would lead them to the Ceverom Tree. Donald grumbling and always looking over his shoulder back the way they had come.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Amalia asked trying not to do the same thing.

Donald just turned forward as they neared a strangely shaped tree that had windows and a door, most likely the croan's house, Donald thought to himself as they entered. Once inside, Sybanak began giving them orders as to chores and or personal care, Donald was about ready to loose his patience. He looked out the window and knew that their time was quickly running out as the sun sank lower.

He fetched Sybanak the water she had requested and was making his way back to the Sadida when a familiar pain erupted in his head and he fell to the ground, unaware of Sybanak's yells or his friends concerned looks. He knew this pain could only mean two things, one of which was that they had less time.

A.N. So I wanted to get all of one episode into the chapter but I felt like this story needed at least one Cliff hanger, so yep here yay go, now I know that two people know what will happen next so I will ask that you not give it away. but other then that find out next time what happened.

(I feel so evil right now)

Until Next time Peace, Love, and Virtual Hugs ^.^