DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!

A/N: I AM BACK - AND AFTER LESS THAN A WEEK! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HUZZAH! HALLELUJAH!

Okay... maybe that was a bit TOO Much enthusiasm for Chapter 3.

So, I would like to say how EXCITED I was at the reception for Chapter 2. Sora's Birthday was a HUGE Success!
I thank you for liking it - and Sora thanks you for attending!

Seeing as I don't have much else to say, I'll let you go on reading.

PLEASE ENJOY! READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT - AND MORE! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!

CHAPTER 3
A Meeting With Master Yen Sid

CHOMP! SLURP! GULP!

Sora scooped another bit of vanilla ice cream out of his bowl and stuffed it into his mouth. He had already finished his slice of chocolate cake and was moving on. He glanced around, noticing everyone else was busy eating their own ice cream sundaes.

Beside him, Amemi was carefully making sure her ice cream didn't drip as she ate. Further down, Donald was frowning at Goofy and Launchpad; his head was against his right hand and his left fingers drummed the table. Sora saw how much larger the pieces of cake Goofy and the pilot had gotten were in comparison to Donald's. He shook his head slightly. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered; Donald usually got jealous over anything.

That, and Sora knew he'd gotten the biggest piece of all.

"Sora?" Amemi asked. "How does it feel to be seventeen?"

Sora relaxed in his chair with his hands behind his head. "I dunno, Amy. It feels like I'm eighteen."

Amemi shook her head. "Maybe I will feel that way in about another four years."

Sora nodded. "True enough."

"You know something," Riku spoke up, drawing everyone's focus. "I used to believe Sora would never get a kiss from Kairi."

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy added. "Me, too."

Sora was startled. "Aw, cut it out! Forget it ever happened!"

When everyone else snickered out loud, Sora covered his face with his hands. At that moment, Star came marching into the room playing a musical triangle. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to her.

"You know what time it is? Present time!"

In the form of a stampede, everyone rushed from the table and straight into the living room. Sora was the first one there, leaving Donald to gasp and Goofy to chuckle.

Sora was busy looking at all the neatly wrapped packages. He smiled, remembering the time he had helped Jack Skellington retrieve a bunch of Christmas gifts that had been stolen from Santa. After discovering a robotic Heartless was responsible, Sora and the others had dismantled the creature before Santa told them the moving puppet had only wanted a heart of its own. Later, Sora had learned presents were a method to share one's heart, which made him feel bad for the robot. He also learned it's the act that counts, not what's inside the box.

As everyone sang "How Old Are You?" Sora sat beside the presents while his mom took several pictures. Next, it was time to open them. Riku handed Sora the first one. Sora tore open the wrapping paper to find a blue skateboard with a Mickey Mouse logo on it. "This'll make you cool," the silver-haired youth said.

Kairi gave hers next, which Sora discovered was a helmet. "It's for the skateboard," she told him. "You can't marry me if you're hurt or in a coma."

Sora shook his head and smiled. "Okay, I'll wear it."

King Mickey's present was next. Sora opened it to find a hand-knitted Mickey Mouse. "It's a Keyblade warmer," the King said. "Your Keyblade needs some love, too."

Sora smiled back. "Yeah, you're right."

Donald's present had a red hammock. "In case you get tired," the duck explained.

Goofy's was a large container of chocolate-chip cookies. "Will you share them with me?" the knight asked.

When Sora opened Launchpad's gift, he found a cardboard box with a half-eaten slice of pepperoni pizza. "Aw gee," the pilot muttered with a hint of humility. "I must've wrapped the wrong box."

Donald glared at Launchpad. "What's the big idea, ya big palooka?! Don't you know anything about presents?!"

Jiminy's present turned out to be a small book with a blue cover. The title read "How To Listen To Your Conscience". "Remember," the cricket stated. "Always let your conscience be your guide."

To Sora's shock, there was a present from Herbie. Sora opened it quickly, finding a small horn for a bicycle. He smiled and squeezed it. Herbie honked a reply.

All that was left was Violet's gift. When Sora opened it, he found a necklace bearing a miniature heart. He looked at the charm closely, spotting the words "Never Forget Your Dreams" written on it. "Never let those words leave your heart," Violet instructed. "There is a super-strong Light within them."

Sora nodded. "Yeah." He immediately put on the necklace. He glanced down, knowing he now had two necklaces. His crown necklace to represent his family, and a heart-shaped necklace to represent his friends.

Sora was busy thanking everyone for the presents when the sound of something ringing filled the air. King Mickey reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, red cellular phone. He answered it. "Hello? Oh, Master Yen Sid! Just a moment."

Mickey looked at everyone. "Sorry, but I gotta take this call. It's very important."

"Okay," Sora acknowledged.

Everyone else simply nodded.

With a grin, Mickey strode into the house's foyer. "What is it? What?! A-are you sure? …I see. When should we come? Okay… I understand. So long!"

After hanging up the phone, Mickey placed the device back into his pocket and returned to the group. They were cheering on a blindfolded Goofy as Sora's mom spun him around. A grey tail with a pinkish-purple bow was in his hand. On the nearby wall was a picture Sora had made of his friend, Eeyore.

Mickey smiled a little as he watched his friend wobble around the room, feeling for the picture of the gloomy donkey. Goofy wandered around a little like a blind ghost, causing everyone gathered in the room to step backward. The anthropomorphic dog finally felt something that seemed to be missing a tail. "A-Hyuck!" he called. "Found it!"

Goofy placed the tail onto what he had felt. A deafening "WAAK!" filled the air as Donald jumped in pain. As the duck noticed he had a donkey tail on his rear end, everyone else burst out in laughter — especially Sora, Riku, and Violet. "What's the big idea?!" Donald scowled, yanking the tail off.

Goofy removed his blindfold. "Oops," he chuckled, seeing the tail in the duck mage's hand. "Sorry."

Mickey shook his head before strolling into the room. This drew the others' attention; everyone noticed the look of fearfulness in his eyes. The room became eerily quiet.

"What happened?" Riku asked.

"That was Master Yen Sid," Mickey answered. "He wants us to return to the tower for an emergency meeting. And he wants us to bring Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi along."

"Aw phooey!" Donald sighed for everyone. "Now I can't have more cake."

Goofy sighed. "And we was havin' so much fun."

Sora had to shake his head. If there was one thing Goofy preferred to do more than anything else, it was have fun whenever he could. It was no surprise why he was so happy — most of the time. The head of Disney Castle's Royal Knights had always been quite a natural friend, even in times of trouble and uncertainty.

Sora turned his head around to look at everyone. "Thanks for coming, but now I have to go. This sounds important."

"It does?" Violet asked, clearly interested. "Is it alright if I tag along?"

Mickey nodded. "You are a Keyblade Master, Violet. Of course you can come."

Violet gave a brilliant smile in return.

A few minutes had passed since King Mickey's phone call. Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Riku, Kairi, and Violet had gathered outside on the driveway.

Sora shifted his gaze up, noticing the various constellations in the sky high above. One he quickly recognized as the "Arrow of Truth", a shape he had found years ago. He smiled, knowing it was always there for him. Even on his birthday, the stars had never looked more peaceful than they had the night Riku and him had been stargazing and created their own constellations. He could almost hear their voices on one such night nearly ten or eleven years ago.

"Here's one," Riku spoke up. He pointed at a bunch of stars shaped like a gigantic square with a line on one end. "I call it, 'The Mighty Flipper'."

Sora shook his head and scanned the sky elsewhere. He spotted a row of three stars in a vertical layout. "Look!" he cried. "It's 'The Abandoned Stoplight'! Dad told my one was left in the sky so everyone could find it."

Riku smirked a small grin. "That's too easy and boring."

Sora stared at his friend. "It is not."

"Yes, it is."

"No it's not!"

"Yes, it is! Look at my new one — 'The Crooked Kite'! Now there's a real constellation!"

Sora saw the diamond Riku was referring to. He sighed, wishing he could make another shape to top it. His eyes searched the sky for several long seconds. Finally, he stopped on a cluster of stars forming what looked like an arrow pointing at the island.

"There," he called. "I found the 'Arrow of Truth'."

Riku also saw the arrow after gazing in Sora's direction for a few minutes. "Why'd you call it that?"

"Because it will keep us friends forever," Sora replied.

Riku had to smile. If there was something Sora knew a lot about, it was how to make good friends.

"Launchpad," King Mickey's voice spoke up. "Is he ready?"

Sora whirled his focus towards the others. Launchpad was busy wiping down Herbie's windshield. The modified racecar seemed to be watching him. "Almost," the pilot answered. "Just need to get this windshield cleared for all those meteors we gotta fly through."

Herbie honked in reply. Sora smiled as he watched Launchpad continue to wash the car's windows. Despite how rapidly the pilot was moving his rag in circles, he was barely clearing enough space to consider a passable wash-job.

It took several minutes before the windshield was clear enough to see through. Launchpad opened the door for the driver's seat. "All aboard!" he called to the others. "Even if we're not on a train."

Donald and Goofy raced for the passenger side while Riku, Kairi, King Mickey, and Violet all walked to the backseat area.

Sora was about to follow suit when he saw someone running from the front door to him. If it wasn't for her sand-colored hair, he would've assumed it was a figment rather than his sister. He also took into account she had her purse with her as well as a yellow backpack on her back.

"Sora, are you off on another adventure?" Amemi asked.

Sora shrugged. "I guess so."

Amemi smiled. "Then I'm coming with you."

Sora stared in surprise. "No! You can't!"

Amemi crossed her arms. "Why not?"

"Cause it's gonna be dangerous."

Amemi looked hurt. "Sora, you promised I could come."

Sora sighed, suddenly recalling what he had told his sister at the schoolyard earlier that day. Now he felt so stupid making a promise he couldn't keep. Then again, he hadn't been serious when he'd told his sister she could come along. Boy was he in hot water now — even more than the time he'd taunted Sephiroth and was forced to take on the sinister, silver-haired man!

"Look, I'm really sorry," Sora said, trying to sound as apologetic as he could. "It's just… I don't want you to get hurt."

Amemi's disappointment turned into tears. "Fine! I'm never trusting you again!"

Before Sora could respond, his sister had turned and rushed down the street, sobbing the whole way. He felt a patch of guilt on his heart. Why didn't I just let her come? he thought. It would've prevented all this.

"Sora?" King Mickey's voice called. "Are ya coming?"

Sora turned his head to the left. The King was waving him over. Donald and Goofy were jumping up and down beside the anthropomorphic mouse. Launchpad was behind the wheel, Riku and Kairi were gathered in the backseat with Violet, and Herbie's headlight eyes seemed to be looking at the seventeen-year-old standing in the driveway.

"Sorry!" Sora shouted back. "I'm coming!"

He rushed down the gradual hill and around Herbie to the right side. He hopped into the front seat. Donald and Goofy climbed in beside him. King Mickey hopped into the back.

"It's too cramped in here," the brown-haired youth exclaimed. He glanced around the interior. Donald and Goofy were piled on top of his lap. Launchpad was buckled in the driver's seat. Riku and Violet were directly behind Sora, Donald, and Goofy. King Mickey was sitting in Kairi's lap.

"No problem-o," Launchpad said. He pushed an orange button on the dashboard and pulled a matching lever. The vehicle's interior expanded so rapidly, Sora only had to blink his eyes to see the result. He was now sitting between Donald and Goofy; Donald on the left and Goofy on the right. Everyone in the back also had their own seats.

Jiminy Cricket hopped out of Goofy's pocket and landed onto the dashboard. "Remember, we're off to see Master Yen Sid," he informed Launchpad. "No crashing, you understand?"

"Aw gee," the pilot grumbled in reply. "Some people get all the luck — I don't."

Sora looked around the cabin once more. He saw some tray tables were located before each seat, except Launchpad's. A few television screens were positioned in the back and one in the front. A series of buttons beside the driver allowed him to choose a type of snack and receive it from a slot at the bottom of the list. Each of the seats had a light that could be switched on at the push of a button. A bunch of CDs were stacked in a case inserted by Donald's feet and a CD player was located with an AM/FM radio on the dashboard. Each seat was equipped with a series of buttons Sora noticed were labelled according to their use: pillow… blanket… recline… the list went on. Spotting a small handset near Goofy, Sora saw it had a list of various movies and T.V. shows one could watch on the television screens; he took note of the show "Happy Days" at the top of the list.

"Wow," the spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder marveled. "I've never seen anything so… cool!"

"And you can't tell a thing on the outside," King Mickey told him. "If someone walks by, Herbie'll look like any ordinary car."

Sora was beyond impressed. Perhaps he needed to take a robotics class next semester and try these things out for himself.

Launchpad started the engine. "It's take-off time!" he declared. "Fasten your seatbelts!"

Everyone else hurriedly strapped in. Sora was puzzled. Why did they seem so concerned?

He got his answer a moment later. Herbie reared up and shot into the sky with such force, he was thrown back in his seat and his head banged against the ceiling. The force of the speeding Gummi Ship caused Sora to hang on while Donald and Goofy speedily strapped him in place.

"That's why you should always wear your seatbelt," Donald lectured him. "Launchpad's flying is why I joined the navy."

Sora nodded. He knew the duck was telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He leaned in Goofy's direction and saw the clouds rush by. Before long, the dark sky was gone and countless stars amidst blue-green colors could be seen in all directions. Sora smiled, recalling how he'd felt the first time he'd seen all these colors on his first journey through the worlds. He'd always wanted to show this view to both Riku and Kairi… and now the two of them were in the backseat.

He glanced in the rearview mirror; everyone in the back was admiring the view. Violet was beyond amazed; it looked like she'd never seen outer space before. Sora had to smile all the more, certain this was true.

King Mickey pointed out a bright star to Kairi. "…And there's Sweethaven," he informed her. "The most peaceful place I've been to during my travels. They say 'God will always bless Sweethaven', and I think they're right."

Sora shook his head and turned to face the front. At once, the ship started zigzagging. Everyone leaned this way and that.

"Sorry about that," Launchpad called. "Herbie's tryin' to take control cause the meteor field's up ahead."

Sora stared into the distance. At least twenty if not forty irregularly-shaped rocks were drifting around up ahead. Beyond them, a very bright star could be seen; it was surrounded by a few clumps of reddish clouds.

The ride quickly became turbulent as Herbie zoomed into the field. Launchpad grasped the wheel as tightly as he could, trying to regain control. The movement caused Donald's face to turn green; the duck leaned into a paper bag. Sora looked away and held onto his seat's arms as the vehicle shook.

Man he thought to himself. I never thought interplanetary travel would be this violent!

Sora suddenly felt a pair of hands grab his neck from behind. When they wouldn't let go. He gasped for breath. "Help! I'm being choked!"

The hands released their grip. "So sorry!" a voice called from the back. "I was not attempting to strangle you, Sora."

Sora glanced back. When he saw Violet's smile, he shook his head and returned with one of his own. The ride continued throughout the entire meteor field and into the distance beyond. Herbie started honking in anger at Launchpad, to which the pilot refused to let go of the steering wheel.

Sora sighed. "This's gonna be a long ride… "

Sora wobbled as he stepped out of the Gummi Ship. Herbie had landed gently on the ground despite the rickety ride on the way. He saw King Mickey was okay along with Launchpad and Riku. Only Kairi, Violet, Donald, and Sora himself were a little dizzy. Herbie honked angrily at Launchpad. "Geez," the pilot muttered. "Tough crowd."

Sora shook it off and followed the others up to a tall, crooked tower with faded golden walls and peaked, sea-green towers. He smiled at the sight, recalling the various other times he'd been there. One of those times he'd been exploring a series of dreams in the Realm of Sleep with Riku and Violet. The first time had been when he'd come there by train with Donald and Goofy per King Mickey's request. He'd first encountered Pete on the front steps. Inside, he'd met the King's teacher, Master Yen Sid — a powerful sorcerer and former Keyblade Master.

It was here he and Riku had started their last quest during their Mark of Mastery Exam. They'd also ended it here with Violet. Riku had become a Keyblade Master alongside Violet.

This was The Mysterious Tower — home of Master Yen Sid and the location of the Symphony of Sorcery.

As everyone strolled inside, Sora spotted a grouping of stones forming a pond beside the front steps. A spout was flowing water into the pond and a pair of wooden buckets were lying beside it. He could almost picture a broom walking to and from the pond carrying those exact buckets.

He smiled, recalling this as the well Mickey had collected water from in the dreams he'd witnessed. That was back when the King had been training to use magic to improve himself as a Keyblade wielder. Of course, he also knew Mickey's plan had been to have a broom carry water for him, only it had ended in disaster — the tower's interior had become flooded.

"At least that'll never happen again," Sora remarked in a soft voice. He was relieved when no one overheard him.

Taking notice everyone was already inside (except Donald and Goofy who were stepping through the open doorway), Sora yelled, "Hey! Wait up for me!"

He hurried into the tower after the others.

After marching up a long, twisty flight of golden stairs, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, King Mickey, Kairi, Launchpad, and Violet finally reached the top floor and walked through the doorway. Inside, they all gathered in a circular chamber with green carpet and a moon shaped window and a star one, too. A greenish-blue cuckoo clock was hanging on the wall; the hands were not moving. A chalkboard was upon an easel to the right of the main doorway, and a shelf was positioned on either side of the doorway with a series of books.

In the center of the room was a wooden desk with a candle shaped like a human skull. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and King Mickey stood to the left of the desk while Riku, Kairi, and Violet stood to the right. Being the last one in, Sora found himself in the middle. He noticed the others bowing down (Violet was curtseying) and stared straight ahead.

Seated in a tall chair behind the desk was an older man with a dark-grey beard and eyes that never showed a hint of emotion. He was wearing blue robes and had a pointed hat on top bearing some golden stars and a crescent moon.

Sora felt himself gulp. He was in the presence of Master Yen Sid himself. Recalling how Donald had scolded him for saying "Hey there" before, the seventeen-year-old Keyblader rapidly bowed. He smiled and added, "Hey there, Master Yen Sid!"

Everyone else stared at him in shock. "Sora!" Donald snapped. "Show some respect! He's the King's teacher!"

Realizing he'd made the same mistake twice, Sora felt his cheeks turn a faint shade of pink. He hastily covered his face with his hands. The color faded and he removed them.

"So, you all came," Master Yen Sid spoke, turning to see the group on both sides. "Thank goodness. This a very serious matter for which I must inform you about."

King Mickey was the next one to speak. Sora knew this was common with those in authority having top priority. He listened intently as the King of Disney Castle discussed with the retired Keyblade Master. What he heard surprised him in more ways than one.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"The stars are not shining down very kindly. I fear something is amiss between the delicate balance of Light and Darkness. Something powerful like… Xehanort, or Maleficent."

"And… you think they're gonna try somethin' now — during the season when the Light's strongest?"

"I sense at least one of them might very well be plotting to take advantage of the Holiday Season to corrupt the places where the Light is most significant."

Sora was startled to hear Goofy's voice next. "But I thought thuh Light was stronger at Christmas time."

"Yes, that is so," Yen Sid agreed. "However, as you all already know, the greater the Light, the even greater the threat of Darkness becomes. I fear someone is planning to disrupt the Light with the stronger Darkness."

He glanced out the window. "If this is true, some of those stars we see twinkling outside at this moment won't be there tomorrow, let alone when the New Year comes."

Sora was shaken. If what Master Yen Sid had just claimed was true (and he had the strongest feeling it was), there were worlds in extreme danger of being consumed by the Darkness as they stood in the tower. For all he knew, this could only allow the Heartless to access additional worlds and destroy them as well. The whole quest he'd been on long ago to stop Ansem — Xehanort's Heartless would've been in vain.

Unlike the first time, this quest might not have the safety valve of the Door To Darkness since it had been sealed. He felt a wave of anxiety rush through his body. "This doesn't sound good," he uttered under his breath.

Now King Mickey looked serious. "Yen Sid, this means the Princesses of Heart are in trouble! How many of the Guardians of Light are ready?"

The sorcerer looked down and closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, only you and Riku are set to handle this responsibility. Despite being a Master, Violet needs a little more training before she can join. Kairi is yet to finish her training, as is Niccole, and Lea is working overtime trying to decipher the 'data' you and Sora discovered beneath the mansion in Twilight Town and learn how to effectively utilize his own Keyblade."

Sora sighed, certain this meant no one could protect Kairi and the other six princesses from the Heartless, Nobodies, and whatever else was lurking in the shadows. He scanned the group, wondering if anyone else could prove helpful. As his eyes hit Violet, he suddenly remembered her telling him something about seven "Angels of Light". He wasn't sure if she had been serious, but decided it was time to find out for certain.

"Violet," Sora called out. Everyone whirled their attention to the spikey, brown-headed young man. "Are there really any 'Angels of Light'?"

All eyes turned to the angel. Violet shook a little from receiving so much attention at once. "Actually, I have absolutely no clue how many angels exist at this current second," she confessed. "Except for one."

"Gawrsh," Goofy said. "Who's that?"

Violet checked to ensure she had everyone's undivided attention before speaking. "She is my sibling, Indigo — The Angel of Hope."

Everyone stared at her. Sora was both amazed and puzzled. Why hadn't Violet told Riku and him this before? He had seen no evidence prior to now that showed the angel had a sister. He had only assumed she was the only angel, like Tinker Bell was the only fairy he's learned was born from a certain child's laugh. He'd never heard of fairies having brothers or sisters and this had led him to assume the same was for angels.

Now that he knew Violet had a sister, he wondered if fairies also had siblings.

Riku looked shocked beyond belief. "I knew you were hinting at something in the House of Mouse," he told Violet. "I just didn't realize this's what you meant. Why didn't you ever tell Sora and I you had a sister?"

Violet shrugged. "You two never enquired that to me."

"So," Kairi spoke up. "Does this mean I don't have to learn to use my Keyblade after all?"

"Not unless you want us to do all the hard work," Riku smirked. "Besides, I thought you wanted to help."

"I do," Kairi admitted. "I was worried I wouldn't be doing anything because you'd found someone else."

"Well, at least we know angels can be singles or doubles," Launchpad chatted. "Maybe there are triples — like Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Maybe more!"

"Yeah!" Goofy agreed. "Maybe all them angels are ticklish, too! A-Hyuck!"

Donald, Kairi, and Riku all rolled their eyes at this random comment. King Mickey looked a little annoyed, Violet crossed her arms and frowned, Sora laughed a little, and Master Yen Sid shook his head. Jiminy hopped onto the desk and sighed. "Perhaps we should get back on topic," the cricket offered. "What're we gonna do about all this?"

"Yeah, Jiminy's right," Donald approved. "What're we gonna do now?" This question resulted in several minutes of complete silence.

Sora's mind started wandering. He knew either Maleficent or Xehanort was probably trying to cause trouble to many worlds as they were gathered together. He was well aware of the dangers and possible risks involved with so many worlds' keyholes having never been sealed with a Keyblade. He realized the seven Princesses of Heart could be in danger now.

Despite all this, he had just one thing repeatedly going through his head.

Indigo probably = Violet… Violet = lots of help…

Indigo probably = lots of help

Before Sora could stop them, the words left his mouth. "How about Donald, Goofy, and I go out and find Indigo? We'll tell her what's going on and maybe she'll help us!"

Everyone stared at the young man. "I don't know," Kairi said. "This might be taking too much of a chance."

Riku nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't get my hopes up. Remember how hard it was getting along with Violet in the Sleeping Worlds, Sora? Indigo might be harder than that."

Master Yen Sid, on the other hand, smiled at the brown-haired youth. "I believe that is an excellent starting strategy."

King Mickey nodded. "Yeah! You'll never know unless you try. You can also defend the worlds while you're at it."

Donald and Goofy quickly huddled together. "This might be our chance to do somethin' important," Goofy whispered.

"Yeah," Donald agreed. "As long as he doesn't ruin it."

The duck was clearly referring to Launchpad. The pilot shrugged, clearly unsure what his role would be.

"If I recollect correctly," Violet thought aloud. "The last time I had contact with Indigo was via telepathy."

"What's 'telephony'?" Goofy asked.

"Telepathy," Kairi corrected. "It's what people refer to as a form of communication without speaking or listening with mouths or ears."

"How does it work?" Donald inquired.

"In various ways," the seventh Princess of Heart answered.

"I sensed her presence in a spooky-sounding world," Violet explained. "She informed me she was attempting to maintain world order there. I lost contact a moment later."

"When was this?" Riku asked.

"Not long before you and Sora entered the Realm of Sleep. Indigo and I have kept in contact via our antennae. I temporarily lost mine while in the Sleeping Worlds."

Sora looked puzzled. "Why'd you seem so surprised when Merlin's magic gave you some?"

Violet shrugged. "I suppose it was due to it being so unexpected. Plus, they did not resemble my real antennae."

Sora and Riku exchanged glanced that seemed to read "Huh?" They shrugged it off.

"What kinda world was she in?" Goofy asked.

"Someplace spooky-sounding," Violet told him. "It seemed to resemble the identity of a castle. That is all I could identify."

"Well that helps," Donald stated in a sarcastic tone. This made Sora sigh seeing his friend getting so irritated so easily.

"Perhaps you should just explore the worlds," King Mickey suggested. "And take Launchpad and Herbie with you."

"Yeah! Good idea!" Sora acknowledged.

Donald rolled his eyes at the thought of having Launchpad coming along. Goofy chuckled giving his usual grin. Launchpad looked the happiest of all. "Maybe now I can do something important!" the pilot declared. "Maybe be a hero of my own!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gathered before the desk. Donald hopped onto Sora's shoulders for a moment before Goofy helped him down. They stood at attention before the old sorcerer. Master Yen Sid turned to face the group. "Now, now, just a moment."

Sora and his group slouched. "Aww," Donald sighed.

"I have something for you," Yen Sid revealed. He waved his hand across the desk. A piece of torn paper appeared on it. He scooped it up and held it up for everyone to see. "This is part of a letter written by someone I know. I have a feeling the rest has been scattered around the worlds. Throughout your journey, I request you find as many pieces of this letter as you can. I fear it is important, so it shall be imperative you do not miss one."

"Thanks," Sora said as he strode forwards. Yen Sid handed him the letter fragment. Jiminy hopped off the desk and landed in the young man's hoodie.

"I'll be here every step of the way," the cricket explained. "You'll need someone to chronicle your travels. It's time for the Jiminy Memo Volume III."

"Okay," Sora said to the other gathered behind him. "Let's get going."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded in approval. They saluted as a group before running out the door and down the stairs. Since the door had been left open, Riku strode over and closed it.

"Hey!" a voice said from the other side. Riku quickly reopened the door to find Niccole standing there in her normal yellow dress with short sleeves and a blue bandanna tied around her waist. He noticed her bracelet was still on her left arm and she also had a green ribbon in her hair, silver shoes, and a pair of sparkles on her cheeks. She was holding her nose with her left hand. Her Keyblade was in her right hand.

"Sorry," the silver-haired teenager said. He tried not to laugh. It didn't work.

"We need to have a serious talk later," Niccole whispered to him before striding into the room.

Riku felt a sense of uneasiness surge throughout him. Whatever Niccole had meant, he only knew one thing.

It wasn't going to be good news.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy had been sitting in the backseat of Herbie for almost an hour. The ship hadn't left the ground outside Master Yen Sid's tower yet. Since the Gummi Ship's interior had not altered, they were watching an episode of the older T.V. show, "The Odd Couple". Goofy was chuckling at everything Oscar was saying and Donald was laughing away at Felix's excessive neatness. Sora was starting to feel a little impatient.

"Can we go now?" he called. "Other worlds need our help — fast!"

"Hold on," Launchpad called back. "I'm still finishing my pre-flight check. In case anything goes wrong, we can always have a successful crash-landing."

"Aw phooey," Donald remarked at watching Oscar throw Felix's clean pillows onto the floor and stomp on them. When Felix and Oscar got into another heated argument over "bedbugs" and "cleanliness", both Donald and Goofy burst out laughing. Sora shook his head and retained his famous smile.

He couldn't help noticing how much those two friends on the show resembled him and Riku. If anything, he was Oscar Madison and Riku was Felix Unger. He snickered softly at the thought of Riku and him owning a condo on the beach — that would turn out to be disastrous!

When the episode ended, Launchpad shouted, "All done! Let's get this racecar airborne!"

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked as everyone strapped in.

Herbie beeped in reply and before long, the group had soared away from the tower and into the space beyond. Sora felt good, knowing they were finally on their way.

More challenges were waiting and he knew they could handle every single one of them together — no matter what! The worlds were counting on him, Sora was not about to let them down.

A/N: YEESH! TALK ABOUT A DETAILED CHAPTER! Let's recap, shall we?
Sora's birthday continued and we saw ALL the presents he received from his friends. Next, King Mickey gets the phone call and everyone heads to the Mysterious Tower to see Master Yen Sid. Then, while everyone learns trouble is taking place elsewhere in the universe, Sora and his friends learn Violet has a sister. Now, Sora and his team have set out to find Violet's sister and maintain order in the worlds.
See? I Told you it was a lot!

So, I hoped you enjoyed all the presents Sora got. I tried to match each of them up with his friends' personalities. Actually, King Mickey's present (the Keyblade Warmer) is a reference to the hand-kitted one Master Yen Sid gives Sora in the "Kingdom Hearts 2 Manga". The present Violet gives Sora plays a role later in this story, in case you wanted to keep an eye out later.

Poor Amemi... she must be COMPLETELY Disappointed by Sora's decision. For those of you who are upset about this, DON'T WORRY! Amemi WILL be in this story sometime later. I won't say When or How - it would be a Spoiler!

Plus, since Violet was such a popular character, I knew I HAD to reveal she's not the Only angel character I've created! Now you know the truth; Violet has a Sister named Indigo. Of course, this also means Indigo is another of My Original Characters.

I wonder if any of you noticed the way I wrote this Chapter. I just had fun writing and started to get carried away. Therefore, I had to look over it here and there to ensure I kept the story moving and didn't linger for too long. It wasn't easy - Especially during the flight sequence.

I also chose to include some indication of the similarities between the main characters of the older T.V. Sitcom, "The Odd Couple" and Sora & Riku. This may have to do with the fact today's Friday, and that show comes on EVERY Friday Night!

Finally, I would like to include a HINT for the first world in this story. It's Not a Disney-based one, but it does have Disney characters in it.
HINT: "SORA AND HIS TEAM TRAVEL TO A FAMILIAR WORLD WHERE THE LIGHT IS AT ITS STRONGEST. NEW AND OLD FRIENDS ALIKE ARE WAITING AND THE HEARTLESS ARE NOT FAR BEHIND. DESPITE ALL THEIR EFFORTS IN THE PAST, SORA AND THE OTHERS ARE YET TO REACH THIS WORLD'S DREAM GOAL: COMPLETE PEACE (WHICH IT USED TO HAVE)!"

It case you cannot tell, that is a RIDDLE HINT! So, if you think you know which world in the Kingdom Hearts universe I am referring to, please post your answer(s) in the Reviews section for THIS Chapter!

In addition, keep an eye on the torn letter Master Yen Sid told Sora about. THAT is one of the Key Plot Points for This Story!

Lastly, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!

REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!

This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"