Ok guys. I actually meant for this sotry to be done by this chapter. But now that I've written it, it seems to only be about half-done. So, I hope you guys are set for a long ride! Here goes, the 40th chapter!

Sora rolled, preventing another ornament from crashing into his skull. It was the same blindfolded exercise. Leon had put him through it again, and again and again, until the Keyblade Master was sore all over, with nice shiny black bruises covering parts of his body that he didn't want to think about.

But he was making definite progress. He could already hear things that he couldn't before, feel things that he would not have noticed. It had only been a couple of days, but at one point, Sora was doing so well hopping around that he pretended he was Spider-man…before a wardrobe closet brought him back down to Earth. Quite literally.

"Alright, Sora. That's enough. I think you've got the gist of it." Leon said from beyond the darkness.
"Aw, c'mon-! Leon-I can-keep going…!" Sora said, panting heavily. There was laughter.

"Sora, you do realize you're sprawled over the floor gasping for breath?" Yuffie informed him. So he was. He lifted his head, and slowly lowered it again, feeling the wood beneath him.

"C'mon," He heard Leon say, "Let's get this blindfold off him." A moment later, the cloth was removed from his head and Sora let out a yelp of pain as light flooded into his eyes.

As his eyes watered and adjusted, Leon gave him a mug full of a fizzing liquid. "Its one of Merlin's concoctions. It'll give your body everything it needs to keep going." Sora, (very warily after having been exposed to Merlin's cooking in the past) drained the mug in one sitting. Instantly, an energized tingling swept through his body. Sora hopped to his feet, ready and raring to go.

"Alright guys! Let's rock! Time's a-wasting we gotta go! Go! GO!" Sora yelled, with a goofy grin on his face. Then, mid-bounce, he keeled over and hit the floor again, snoring loudly.

Several hours later, Sora's eyes snapped open and he bolted into a sitting position. He was on his bed, and Yuffie was by the door, grinning at him. "Morning Sora! Leon's waiting for in the practice room. Better hurry too! I think you'll like this." Yuffie hinted, walking way.

Sora crawled out of bed and slipped into his shoes, which had been removed during his slumber. Sora then made his way to the chamber, scowling when he caught sight of Leon. "What'd you do to me! That stuff knocked me out cold!" Sora told him.

Leon waved his hand dismissively. "I didn't do anything, Sora. I told you that potion would give your body what it needed to keep going. Apparently you needed rest. So that's what you got. Besides, look yourself over. Those bruises are gone now at least."

Sora tried not to look too pleased about this fact. He was still rather angry about (from his point of view) drugged. "What'd you call me here for anyway?" Leon's eyes twinkled. It creeped Sora out.

"Our time here is coming to a close Sora. Merlin and the Godmother tell us that the darkness is beginning to shift again. Who knows what the Organization is up to. We felt that you might still need a more power for the job, just in case.

"Merlin found this technique from some of his ancient scrolls. It has no proper name, so I like to call it the Drive." Leon said. Sora's eyebrows lifted, his curiosity piqued. "So what is the 'Drive' exactly?" He asked.

"The Drive is a type of temporary fusion of two hearts. Very few people have been able to perform it successfully, the initial ritual can be rather dangerous if done incorrectly, but we feel you can handle it."

"How does it work?" Sora asked, not at all fazed by the threat of dangerous rituals.

"From what we've been able to gather, its something like a merger of two Hearts. The Drive is based off of trust, and the two Hearts must be in sync for this to work. Now the first person, the Faith, will surrender their heart and life force to you, the receiver."

"Why's he called the 'Faith'?" Sora broke in.

"Because he has the most to lose." Leon told him firmly. "The Faith is the most vunerable person in this spell. It is that heart that gets transferred for the time, the body is completely vulnerable. Now, Merlin has thought of a way to protect the body from harm after a successful Drive. It should fade away, then come back when the heart is released again."

"Sounds cool enough. When can I learn? And who's going to be the Faith?" Sora asked.

"We're starting as soon as the others get here. We want all of our spellcasters and mages here in the event that something goes wrong. Merlin, Godmother, and even Donald should be present. But Donald is really here just so he can learn to be the Faith."

"Donald's my faith! That's never going to work." Sora said doubtfully.

"Donald is not the faith. Goofy has already volunteered, considering you guys don't fight, its probably for the best." Sora looked over at the King's knight, who was napping peacefully in a corner.

"Whatever you say."

Within minutes, the three aforementioned people trooped in, looking excited, anxious and in Donald's case, very skeptical. "If so few people have done it, then how do you know Sora can? He can barely even tie his shoes right!" Donald huffed.

"Sora held the Princess' heart with him all that time two years ago. That's why we know his heart has the capability. But the actual action will be all up to him, and his will. He'll do it." Leon said.

"Okay Sora, Goofy. We need perfect focus." Merlin told them. Goofy was now awake, standing next to Sora with a slightly more serious face than usual. Slightly. "Now then, Sora. There's no real explanation for this, but apparently you need to call his heart unto yourself. And Goofy, you must be willing to give."

'Call? How do you call to a heart that doesn't belong to you?' Sora wondered silently. A sudden idea popped into his head, and he imagined Goofy handing him his heart. After several long moments, Sora unscrewed his eyes and looked around. Goofy was looking at him while scratching his head. Everyone else looked rather bored. Even old Merlin.

"…Er, right. Well, that didn't work." Sora said quite obviously. "What were you thinking of?" Merlin inquired. Sora shrugged. "I dunno, I just imagined Goofy handing over his heart?" Donald snorted and Sora realized the stupidity of the idea now that it was out loud.

"Imagination isn't strong enough Sora. You need to feel for his heart, then bring it to you." Sora shrugged.

"I'll give it another try." Sora closed his eyes again, searching for a different approach. Sora wondered what Goofy was thinking, just standing there, waiting for something to happen. 'Probably wishing he could take a nap.' Sora thought, laughing internally. A mental picture formed of Goofy snoring peacefully in the background.

That's when he felt it. He couldn't describe the feeling, he just knew it was there. And, as the memory faded away, so did that feeling. Sora quickly summoned more memories. Being part of everything he knew about Goofy. His silly face, his relaxed slouch, all down to, "Hyuck!". The feeling returned, and grew stronger. Sora now knew what it was. The connection between Goofy and himself. The bond between friends. "Goofy! I summon you!" He heard himself say. "Lend me your strength!"

Sora magic crackling around him, and could feel Goofy close by. He opened his eyes. His body was glowing, and his keychain shone. Goofy was gone, but Sora knew where he was.

Within him.

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