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

A/N: IT'S OFFICIAL! This is the Last Chapter for the world of ANCIENT EMPIRE.
To THAT end, this is a LONG Chapter - in a way!

I was glad to see 4 Reviews had been posted rather quickly on Chapter 11. Keep THAT Up, And The Goal Will Be Met REALLY QUICKLY! THANKS FOR ALL THOSE REVIEWS SO FAR!

I Hope you've enjoyed This Story so far. Maybe THIS is how Tetsuya Nomura is imagining how to include Atlantis in "Kingdom Hearts 3"!

Now that Square Enix has confirmed a world based on TANGLED, who knows what shall appear in the not-too-distant future! I'm personally hoping for Robin Hood to appear, as well as Never Land - I REALLY want to go there again! It ALWAYS feels so exciting! Maybe we could explore the Entire Island as one area! Only the indoors locations will be separate.

So, HERE IT IS! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW - PLEASE! OR I [MIGHT] HAVE TO SET A GOAL!

IT'S TIME TO DIVE, DIVE, DIVE - INTO THE LOST CONTINENT OF ATLANTIS!

CHAPTER 12
Rescuing The Crystal's Light

In the volcanic chamber was brighter than before. The walls seemed be giving a faint red glow, which happened to be bright enough the illuminate the entire cavern. The distant smell of rotten eggs had seeped in and was drifting on the ground level.

Amidst the wreckage of the expedition's vehicles, the Heartless soldiers had proved to be quite handy. Many of the totaled machinery had been taken apart and remade into various things. Among them was a truck that had been modified into a plane launcher. Heartless soldiers were taking orders from Helga to construct small battle planes in case anyone showed up and tried to interfere.

In the center of the area, a rather large Heartless shaped like a mobile cannon was aiming into the darkness of the volcanic shaft above. The Heartless shot an enormous fireball up the shaft. The fireball collided with the top of the tunnel and sent a series of falling rocks. The rocks crushed the Heartless and destroyed it.

Rourke and Isa emerged from their hiding place behind a large boulder. They strode up to the rocks and gazed upward. In the middle of the ceiling far above, the blue sky could be seen and the sunlight was shining down.

Rourke gave a sinister grin. "I love it when I win," he remarked.

Isa shook his head. This almost seemed to remind him of how Lea behaved before the two friends had become Heartless and Nobodies. Thanks to some meddling puppet and a "make-believe" friendship, the two had turned into hateful enemies.

Deep, deep down, Isa still wanted to amend their friendship. Still, with Xehanort's heart of Darkness inside him, there was no way that would be happening anytime soon.

The Atlantian air force was well underway. Sora and Milo led the others across the gap between the city's plateau and to the opening beside Molière's drilling machine. They were now soaring down the volcanic tunnel towards the heart of the volcano. The cavern was still dark except for a strange reddish glow.

Sora was focused straight ahead. After all, Milo wasn't paying attention to where they were flying. If the linguist and brown-headed youth crashed into the wall, everyone else would do the same.

Milo turned around to see everyone behind. "Okay," he called back. "Here's the plan. We're going to sneak in low and take them by surprise."

"I've got news for you, Milo," Audrey replied from nearby. "Rourke is never surprised, and he has a lot of guns."

"Yeah?" Milo said in turn. "Well, do you have any suggestions?"

"Yeah!" Sora heard Vinny shout. "Don't get shot!"

Sora had to roll his eyes and maintain fixated ahead. The demolition expert had most-likely learned this behavioral pattern from either Goofy or Launchpad. Otherwise, he'd had it long before they met him in this world.

He glanced to the left a little and saw Goofy steering both Donald and himself. The knight had his tongue sticking out like he was thinking hard while the duck magician was gulping and sweating with anxiety. Behind them, Launchpad was driving with Cookie seated directly behind him.

Sora had to grin as he turned his focus straight ahead. It seemed there was still a chance to stop Rourke, Helga, and that no-good Organization XIII member, Isa.

Rourke and Isa were standing beside a parked truck with a gigantic barrel-shaped compartment on the back. Helga was shaking her head, recalling how Donald had originally tried to take control of this exact vehicle before the Ulysses had been launched.

Isa nodded to a Heartless soldier on the vehicle's roof. With a strong pull of a lever, the Heartless leapt off the truck and returned to the shadows. The truck's compartment opened, causing an enormous, airship to inflate. Isa stared while Rourke retained his sinister grin. The airship resembled a giant, red hot-air balloon with two matching, smaller balloons. A propeller on the bottom allowed the airship to rise vertically.

"This is your plan?" Isa inquired.

Rourke's grin darkened. "Yes," he said. "I will take the Crystal to the surface where a ship will be waiting. From there, the black market will have its doors open."

Isa snorted. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "How pitiful. All this power… and you use it for greed."

Rourke wasn't paying any attention. He was too busy ordering a few Heartless to lift the container (or pod) with the Crystal into the air. Up above, Helga secured the container to the airship using a winch. As the airship started to carry the Crystal upward, Rourke's grin intensified. Isa saw the commander's body glowing the power of Darkness.

Rourke's eyes switched to the tunnel leading towards the ancient city. His mouth dropped open and the matchstick fell out. Before his eyes was a number of flying vehicles shaped like fish and hammerhead sharks. His eyes landed onto the lead shark. Rourke glared and gritted his teeth when he recognized Milo and Sora.

"There they are!" Milo declared. At the same time, Sora's Keyblade magically appeared in his hand.

Rourke's glare remained. "We've got company!" he yelled to the Heartless.

Before Isa could react, the corrupt commander clambered aboard the airship and climbed up to a metal landing where Helga was located. The blue-haired man scowled at the two before doing the same towards Sora and his friends. "I haven't finished — yet."

He hurried over to where the Heartless were launching makeshift airplanes.

The second the Atlantian flying machines were in the cavern, the battle was underway. Sora and Milo watched with alarm as numerous Heartless suddenly appeared in a few patches of Darkness. The former instantly recognized them as the Air Soldier type, primarily because of their mechanized appearance.

"Not now!" Sora groaned as he slashed his Keyblade through an attacking Heartless.

That's when the pair saw the flying airplanes with the Heartless. One of the planes shot directly at Milo and Sora. The two barely dodged it. "Holy smokes!" Milo exclaimed. He turned around to see Audrey and Sweet on a large fish behind. "You told me he only had guns!"

"What I said was 'Rourke's never surprised'," Audrey argued.

"Forget about that problem!" Sora blurted. He pointed at the Heartless swarming the cave. "Let's deal with this one!"

Milo nodded before swooping into view of the airship. A couple Heartless planes gave chase. Before Sora could act, the planes were suddenly terminated by a flying shield. He glanced up and smiled, spotting Donald and Goofy flying overhead.

"Thanks, guys!" he called to them.

Goofy saluted while Donald waved. The two flew on. Sora and Milo took the time to fly in closer to the airship. As they did so, Sora saw a Heartless plane shooting at Launchpad and Cookie. The pilot and chef ducked down, causing Cookie to accidentally bump Launchpad into the control panel. A surge of blue-colored electricity flew from the fish's mouth and struck a truck down below where a few Heartless were shooting from. The vehicle exploded in a huge fireball.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed in astonishment.

"Nice crash!" Launchpad announced, clapping hands with Cookie.

Vinny swooped in close. "Now things are gettin' good," he congratulated.

"Vinny!" Milo called, pointing to the airship. "Stay focused! We can't her reach the top of that shaft!"

Vinny nodded before soaring away. Launchpad and Cookie now turned their attention to the truck launching the Heartless planes.

Upon reaching the plane launcher, Isa seized a plane from a Heartless solider and struck them down with haste. He tossed the plane onto the launcher and jumped on before reaching for the controls. He ordered the Heartless to launch it, which they did.

Seconds after Isa took flight, Launchpad and Cookie fired their fish's electricity at the truck. The vehicle and Heartless disintegrated on impact. The pilot and chef gave each other a high-five. They flew on.

Isa ignored the destruction. He was focused straight ahead… where Sora and Milo were headed. He glared with determination. His body started to glow with Darkness….

Milo steered the flying shark while Sora continued to fight. The Heartless were now dropping like flies. Goofy's shield had knocked several into each other to destroy them. The Atlantian warriors were using surges of electricity. Launchpad and Cookie were busy swooping around, getting Heartless planes to follow them before causing the enemies to crash into the rocky walls.

Milo suddenly swooped closer to Vinny. "Vinny!" he called to the demolition expert. "New plan! You and me, we're going to be decoys."

Realizing what plan Milo had created, Sora spotted Donald and Goofy close by. "Donald! Goofy!" he called them over. "Fly over to the balloon and cut the Crystal free!"

Goofy saluted. "Got it!"

"Let's go!" Donald agreed in turn.

Once the tall dog and short duck had left, Milo bent low over the control panel. "Okay, this is it, Sora," he said. "Any last words?"

Sora shook his head. "No, how about you?"

"Yes," the linguist confessed. "Wish I had a better idea than this!"

Their vehicle veered around and head directly for one of the balloons holding the airship up. As they zoomed in closer and closer, bullets of Darkness started pelting their craft. Sora and Milo spun their gaze around.

Behind them was one of the planes the Heartless had been using. The vehicle glowed with a dark-purple color. At the aircraft's controls was Isa, a ferocious scowl and matching glare written on his face.

"Look out!" Sora yelled. He and Milo ducked as a shower of Darkness bullets struck the front of their vehicle. Several struck the control panel. A surge of blue electricity flew from the shark's mouth and headed for the balloon.

Rourke and Helga were using every possible weapon they had to keep the Atlantian battle vehicles away from their airship. When he saw Launchpad and Cookie flying in close, Rourke pointed a hand-held machine gun at them. He started to shoot, causing the duck-pilot and chef to turn back. A surge of blue electricity suddenly appeared from above and crushed the weapon out of the commander's hands. He glared upwards, where he saw Isa chasing Sora and Milo around in the air. He shook his head.

"At least someone's doing what they need to," he grinned.

He glanced down and saw Donald and Goofy below. The two were attempting to use Goofy's shield to break the chains holding the container to the airship. Rourke turned to Helga. "Looks like someone's working overtime."

The lieutenant nodded before approaching the platform's railing. She pushed a small torpedo off the airship. It flew down and nearly hit Donald. The duck panicked, grabbed Goofy, and dragged back onto their vehicle. They soared away, just as Helga pushed a second torpedo after them.

Rourke turned back to see Isa still pursuing Milo and Sora. "You had better get them," he sneered.

It was taking everything Milo had to avoid Isa's shooting. The blue-haired man was in constant pursuit of the flying shark… and closing in. Sora gulped nervously, watching how angry Isa was. He pointed his Keyblade at the villain.

"What do you guys want here?!" he demanded to know.

"Everything," Isa replied, not taking his eyes off the Keyblade wielder. "If you expect to leave our Organization and face no consequences, then you're mistaken."

Sora glared back. "I never was part of your Organization! Riku and Violet said it was your guys' doing!"

"They're wrong," Isa stated. "Now, I think one more attack should do it."

Sora and Milo ducked down in their seat as Isa sent another barrage of Darkness bullets onto the shark-resembling vehicle. The panel was struck and shorted out.

"There," Isa snorted. The Darkness on his vehicle seemed to dwindle a little. "Let's see how you manage this one."

A dark portal opened before the two vehicles. With the panel out of service, Milo ordered Sora and him to lean to the left. Their vehicle just avoided the portal while Isa flew straight inside. The portal sealed up a moment later.

Sora relaxed a little, knowing Isa had left the world. Unfortunately, he had also damaged the control panel. Milo and Sora were now on a direct route for the airship's third balloon.

"Oh no!" Sora shouted. "We're gonna crash!"

Milo pointed at a series of brown ropes keeping the airship together. "Look! Let's grab those!"

Sora felt a bit uncertain about jumping into mid-air and grabbing some ropes. For all he knew, they were so flimsy, they would snap apart the second anyone touched them. Despite this, he gave a nod. "Okay. Let's do this!"

Their vehicle zoomed into view of the third balloon. Just as the shark was about to collide, Sora and Milo leaped from its cockpit and grabbed the ropes. Sora's snapped free as the shark crashed and burst the balloon. Milo reached out and grabbed his hand before pulling him back up.

Sora smiled. "Thanks, Milo."

Milo smiled back. "Friends help each other. Right, Sora?"

Sora had to nod. "Right!"

Rourke was furious when he watched Isa disappear into the dark portal. He was even more outraged when he saw Sora and Milo destroy the airship's third balloon. The corrupt commander glanced down and saw how the whole vehicle was slowly starting to descend.

"We're losing altitude," he informed his lieutenant. "Lighten the load."

Helga grabbed a container of extra fuel and tossed it over board. She then shoved some wooden crates over the side. She wiped some sweat from her forehead. "There," he said. "Unless someone wants to jump."

Rourke snuck up from behind and grabbed the blonde-haired woman's arms. "Ladies first."

He shoved Helga over the railing. The lieutenant grabbed the edge of the platform and jumped back. She kicked a startled Rourke in the mouth and knocked him back.

"You said we were in this together!" she snapped, repeatedly kicking his face. "You promised me a percentage!"

Rourke grabbed her foot. "Next time, get it in writing!"

With a great shove, he threw Helga over the railing. She yelled in alarm and panic while she fell towards the volcanic ground below.

"Nothing personal!" Rourke called down to his demoted lieutenant.

Before he could return to fighting off the Atlantian army, the commander was shocked to see Sora and Milo swinging over on a pair of ropes. The two both clobbered him in the head and knocked him onto the floor of the platform. Sora's Keyblade was ready to fight. Milo charged at Rourke, only to get pushed back by the much, much stronger villain.

"Well, I gotta hand it to you," Rourke told the young linguist. "You're a bigger pain-in-the-neck than I ever thought possible."

Milo and Sora scowled before glaring at the corrupt commander. "I trusted you!" Sora snarled.

Rourke laughed. "You show know better than to trust anyone nowadays."

Sora could barely hold in his anger.

Helga was stuck on her back. The impact from the fall had caused her to lose control of both her legs. She gazed up and saw the airship still soaring up the shaft. The Atlantian vehicles were shooting down Heartless, enemy planes, etc. The Heartless were dropping rapidly.

She struggled to reach behind her back and barely was able to pull out a large pistol. She pointed the weapon straight at the airship's central balloon.

"Nothing… personal… "

She pulled the trigger. A ball of fire flew in a spiraling motion at her target.

Sora was about to rush forward and deliver a string of attacks onto the villain when a fiery flare flew past the three and struck the main balloon of the airship. The whole vehicle burst into flames.

Rourke was beyond appalled. Not only had he lost his only means of escape with the Atlantian Crystal, but now he still had to deal with Milo and his brown, spikey-headed friend. He punched a small red box and crushed its glass before reaching in and pulling out a fire axe. He started to approach Milo quickly. "Tired, Mr. Thatch? Too bad, because I'm just getting warmed up!"

Sora jumped between the two. Rourke stopped in his tracks.

"We're not letting you steal this world's Light!" Sora declared. His Keyblade was positioned in his typical fighting stance.

Rourke sneered at the two. His body started to glow with Darkness. The scent of Darkness also filled the air. "I'm impressed! I consider myself an even-tempered man," he told them as the Darkness grew stronger. "It takes a lot to get under my skin — but congratulations! You've just won the grand prize, solid-gold kewpie doll!"

Sora and Milo retained glares of their own. The former rushed forwards and swung his Keyblade. Rourke hopped backwards and swung his axe. The two weapons clashed. The pair started swinging at each other, but each time they attacked simultaneously. It seemed the duel was a stalemate.

Milo marched forwards. He delivered a punch to the distracted villain. Rourke was distracted by the unforeseen attack, which gave Sora an opening to strike. The spikey-headed young man struck his Keyblade onto Rourke's arm, causing the villain to groan in agony. Rourke swung his axe at Sora and clobbered the latter's head with the side of the weapon. Sora flipped in midair so fast, it looked like a blur of movement. He swung his Keyblade directly overhead like he was chopping a log in half. Rourke was knocked back and slammed into the railing.

"Good job!" Milo congratulated.

Sora nodded. He pointed at their opponent. "It's not over yet!"

Milo turned back in time to see Rourke slicing his axe at the linguist. Milo jumped back and tripped backwards over the railing. He flipped over and grabbed the rail from the other side. Sora was about to rush over and save him when Rourke stomped over and shoved Sora onto the platform. The villain unleash some clouds of Darkness that significantly resembled smoke. Five Air Soldier Heartless appeared around him.

"Take care of him," Rourke ordered the creatures. He glanced at Milo. "I've got this one."

As Rourke walked away, Sora jumped to his feet and glared at the Heartless. "Outta the way!"

He swung his Keyblade through one of the Heartless and slashed it clear through the other four. The monsters were vanquished immediately and a group of captive hearts were sent drifting into the air.

Sora felt a little relieved. He turned his attention back to Rourke and Milo. The villain had grabbed Milo's arms and lifted him up. He was giving an evil grin at the young linguist and his right arm was extended back like he was about to swing it forward; in his right hand was the axe. Milo's facial expression told Sora how worried he was.

"Say goodnight, Thatch!" Rourke called before swinging his arm over his head.

Sora clutched his Keyblade. No way was he letting this happen before his eyes! He hopped onto the railing and slid down the handrail like he was riding a skateboard. When he reached Rourke, the spikey-haired seventeen-year-old jumped and delivered a slashing attack onto the villain. Rourke was thrown forward so suddenly, the railing broke loose and sent both the corrupt commander and Milo falling off the platform. The two landed onto the container several feet below.

"Oh no!" Sora exclaimed. He grabbed a rope and swung after the two. Behind him, the wooden platform caught fire.

Rourke was now determined more than ever to kill the linguist. Milo ducked as the commander swung his axe in a chopping motion. The axe smashed into a porthole-shaped window on the container, causing pieces of glass to go flying about. One flew so far, it landed into Donald and Goofy's vehicle as it soared past.

Goofy took a moment to examine the shard of glass. "A-Hyuck!" he remarked. "Shiny!"

Donald snatched the shard. "Gimme that!"

The duck took a closer look at the shard. He sensed the Light of the Crystal on it. "Wow!"

Spotting Sora sliding down a long rope to the container, Donald tossed the glass shard to him. "Sora!"

Sora saw Donald and caught the shard. He slid down the rope until he was dangling just above Rourke and Milo. He handed the shard to Milo — just as Rourke grabbed the linguist by his shirt collar.

"Give it a rest, Thatch!" Rourke stated firmly. "You can't beat me!"

"Yes I can!" Milo countered. He sliced the glass shard along Rourke's left arm. The villain dropped his axe in alarm and pain. Milo broke free from the commander's grip and grabbed the rope with Sora. Rourke glared at them. It didn't last long. The villain suddenly started transforming into a blue-tinted figure with yellow-and-red eyes.

Sora and Milo gazed down. Rourke had completely transformed. They each gave a sigh of relief. "Thank heaven!" Milo said.

A large, muscular arm grabbed the linguist's arm. There was the transformed Rourke. Though he had become a blue figure, the commander was still alive. Sora gasped in shock, unsure what to do now.

From where they were orbiting the burning airship, Donald and Goofy saw the blue-colored Rourke trying to attack Milo and Sora. "Gawrsh, looks like one of them blue men," Goofy muttered.

Donald wasn't paying any attention. His eyes were focused on the chain keeping the Crystal's container attached to the airship. "Look!" he declared, pointing at the chain. "Hit that!"

When Goofy saw what the duck was referring to, he nodded. He took out his shield. "Stand back! Here goes nothin'!"

The knight tossed his shield into the air. It spun in a straight line for the chain. At the same time, it went clear through Rourke; the villain yelled in alarm just before he shattered into countless shards of glass. Sora and Milo ducked to avoid the glass pieces as Goofy's shield snapped the chain in half.

"We did it!" Goofy cheered. "Yahoo!"

Even Donald had to admit it — Goofy actually did have a point.

The container fell so quickly, Sora and Milo had to leap off as they neared the ground. They landed into the volcanic ash a few inches from it. Sora rubbed his head; Milo did the same. They both gazed back up when the blazing remains of the airship headed directly for them.

"Oh great," Milo complained.

Sora didn't have time to nod or respond. The two young men clambered to their feet before rushing around the pod to the other side. They pushed with all their might and sent the container rolling into the middle of the chamber. They dashed after it.

KABAM!

Sora and Milo fell face-first onto the ground. The entire cavern shook so violently, it would have appeared to have been an earthquake. The Keyblade wielder and the linguist both climbed to their feet as Donald and Goofy, Launchpad and Cookie, Vinny, Audrey and Dr. Sweet, Molière, and the other Atlantian vehicles set down around the two.

"Sora!" Goofy exclaimed, hopping out of the vehicle. He raced over to the young man. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sora admitted. "I'm fine."

Donald rushed over and gave Sora a hug. "I'm glad you're okay, Sora."

Sora had to nod. "Yeah, me too, Donald."

That was when the ground started shaking all the more. Turning around to gaze upon the burning wreckage of the airship, Sora, Milo, Donald, Goofy, and the others saw large, deep cracks appearing in the ground. Bursts of hot steam came shooting out. The entire cave was soon trembling.

"The volcano," Molière realized with alarm. His eyes were filled with fear. "She awakes!"

"Hey, I had nothin' to do with it," Vinny stated.

"This here would not be the place to be," Cookie called from his Launchpad's flying fish.

"Yeah!" Donald agreed in turn. He froze for a second, realizing he had just agreed with the expedition's chef. Oh no! Now he was agreeing with someone on Goofy and Launchpad's level?! This was not going to look good to Daisy!

"C'mon!" Goofy urged, trying to lead Sora to his and Donald's craft. "Let's get outta here!"

"No!" Milo proclaimed loudly and strongly. He grabbed the remains of the chain that had connected the pod to the airship. "We've got to get her back or the whole city will die!"

Sora nodded. "There's nothing else we can do! No other way to set things right!"

The other team members seemed hesitant and full of fright. This was not good enough for Milo. "Just do it!" he demanded.

Milo hooked the chain onto the pod and tossed the other end to Sora. Sora tossed it over to Launchpad. The pilot immediately hooked in onto the fish-shaped vehicle he and Cookie were on. Sora and Milo hopped aboard with the duck-pilot and chef.

Within minutes, the Atlantian vehicles were airborne. As they flew off, the pod started to drag behind. A loud CRACK could heard as the chain suddenly broke free of the container. Sora and Milo spun around and stared in shock. They hastily slid down the chain.

"Milo!" Audrey shouted from her and Sweet's craft. "Don't!"

Donald was starting to freak out. "Sora!"

Sora and Milo reached the ground in record time. The cavern floor was now filled with violent tremors, enormous cracks, and oozing lava. They instantly seized the chain's hook and dragged it to the pod. Sora assisted Milo in wrapping the chain around the container before the latter yelled, "GO!"

Sora and Milo both jumped onto the pod as the container was dragged through the air behind Launchpad and Cookie's vehicle. Sora glanced back and wished he hadn't. The lava flow was directly behind them. He turned back as the vehicles swooped through the tunnel. Both the seventeen-year-old and the young linguist clung to the pod as they were carried down the passage.

The flying, Atlantian vehicles soared out of the tunnel super quickly. They flew so fast, Sora and Milo barely saw the lava flowing out of the tunnel and slamming into Molière's drilling machine. The enormous vehicle was shoved aside and sent falling over the edge of the cliff.

"Yeesh!" Launchpad remarked at the sight. "So much for that oversized dentist tool!"

Sora and Milo shook their heads when they heard this. They remained focused on the city in the distance. The sky overhead was still dark and there was no sign of any strong Light around. Flying pieces of burning rock shot across the sky.

It did not take long for the Atlantian vehicles had set down on a plaza near the edge of the city and just outside the palace. The pod was dropped off and Sora and Milo hopped off. An Atlantian guard handed Milo a spear. The linguist tried to crack the container open, but the metal was so secure, the point broke clear off within seconds. Milo stared in disbelief; Sora did the same.

"The fissure!" Molière declared, pointing at the rock wall in the distance. Plumes of lava were starting to pour out in a hurry. The geologist started jumping up and down in a frantic state. "It is about to eject its pyroclastic fury!"

"Milo! Sora!" Sweet translated with a shout. "Mole says the wall's gonna blow!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were in complete and utter panic mode. "Hurry, Sora!" they yelled.

Sora spun around in a full circle. He could see all the native Atlantians, the expedition's crew, and his teammates watching with worry-filled anticipation. He knew he could not let them down. Even though Rourke, Isa, and the Heartless were gone, the world's heart was still in grave danger of being lost — and Kida's heart with it!

'I can't let them down!' Sora thought to himself. He just had to find a way to open the pod and free the Crystal.

That was when he saw the glowing shape on the container's front side — the one with the broken porthole. It was so faint, he could have skipped over it if he wasn't really looking as close as he was. It resembled a keyhole.

Keyhole? That was it! He had located a way to free the world's heart. That's when Sora's mind circled back to what had taken place in the Atlantian throne room earlier. His Keyblade had refused to lock the world's Keyhole when Rourke and Helga had uncovered its whereabouts. He had wondered why… now it was clear. He shifted his eyes to the sky above. The inky blackness overhead was easy to make out.

"Darkness," the spikey, brown-haired youth whispered in realization. "There's too much Darkness here… "

He knew he would need more than one Keyblade to unlock the keyhole. Recalling how the now-late king had given Milo his own Keyblade, Sora realized Milo had probably become its wielder. If so, perhaps there was still a chance.

"Milo!" Sora called. "I need your help!"

Milo darted over. Sora summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at the keyhole. At once, the Keyblade Kida's father had handed the linguist appeared in the latter's right hand. Milo was taken aback. "Wow… "

"Just do what I do!" Sora instructed the young man. Milo nodded in return. The two Keyblade wielders pointed the tips of their weapons at the keyhole. To Sora's relief and Milo amazement, the Keyblades sent beams of Light into the keyhole. The keyhole unlocked and vanished quickly.

With a series of clanging and flying bolts, the pod came apart. Sora and Milo took several steps back as the pod's parts started to orbit the now-freed Crystal; the glowing matter still had had the shape of Princess Kida. After a few seconds, the pod's pieces drifted away and the design of the plaza's ground started to light up. Sora and Milo watched as little by little the entire city was illuminated in a bluish glow. Donald jumped onto Goofy's shoulders in alarm. Goofy then hopped onto Launchpad, which caused the three to fall flat onto the ground.

It was now just the illumination Sora sensed. He also felt something. Something… comfortable, soothing, and warm. It was cozy and gentle. He rapidly understood.

"Light," Sora concluded. "This's the power of Light."

The Light flowing through the city vanished a moment later. A series of humungous stones suddenly crashed through the ground, forcing everyone to step as far away as possible. Sora stared in wonder, recognizing the stones as the same ones from inside the Crystal's chamber. He remembered how these stones had fallen from the air when the Crystallized Kida had walked off. They had even stopped glowing! Now they had returned.

The Crystallized Kida and the circle of stones rose high into the air. Sora and Milo both watched in awe. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad looked up in question. Molière, Vinny, Audrey, Sweet, Cookie, Ms. Packard, and the Atlantian warriors gazed up in curiosity. The stones started to spin around the Crystal. They spun so rapidly, the Light from the Crystal became a complete blur.

Sora was astounded. Recalling how Kida had said she remembered a "bright Light", he realized this was most-likely the same Light she'd been referring to.

"A 'bright Light'," Sora said to himself. "'Like a star'… "

A beam of bluish-tinted Light suddenly shot out from the Crystal and zoomed across the sky. All eyes turned to where the beam was headed. It struck a pointed object submerged in the water. The object started to move before it rose. To everyone's amazement, it was a gigantic robotic man with bluish eyes that were glowing. To Sora, the robot looked more like a giant statue walking around. The figure turned to its right and started to march to the edge of the plateau.

Several more beams of bluish Light flew across the sky. They struck more figures who were identical to the first one. The figures each walked to the edge of the plateau. Here, they stood as though they were soldiers stationed on guard duty. The city was surrounded by the figures who now formed an enormous circle.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered to himself. "Looks like we've got some giant men around here. Let's hope they hurry, or we're gonna be roastin' like marshy-mellows."

Sora watched in marvel. He saw a flash of white light and turned his head back. Ms. Packard was standing a little bit behind with a camera and tripod set up. He shook his head and turned back.

The lava started to burst out of the rocky wall. Sora was starting to feel very nervous. What were these guys doing? Were they there to save the city? Or not? Whatever the case, he knew time was running out. The lava would soon consume all of the city of Atlantis unless a miracle happened.

Sora knew what that meant. All he and the rest of the people around needed was a true miracle.

One of the gigantic figures reached out and clapped its hands. One by one, all the other giants did the same. When they retracted their hands, a magical blue wall appeared before each of them. The walls grew rapidly. When a blazing piece of rock from the lava struck a wall, it disintegrated.

Sora realized the wall was really a shield to defend the city. He know understood what the king had meant by the Crystal offering protection for both itself and its people. He had meant the Crystal would create a shield to defend the city and its inhabitants. He gave a quick nod, knowing what was going on.

The lava finally burst from the wall and flowed like a raging river straight for the plateau. By this time, the shield had formed a large dome over the city, sealing the Crystal away from harm, too. The lava washed overhead, seeking a way inside. To Sora's relief, the shield kept the molten rock out.

Before long, the entire shield was covered in lava. In a split second, the Crystal unleashed a powerful Light. Sora and the others turned away to shield their eyes. The lava hardened in an instant. Time passed slowly….

"What now?" Donald asked, his voice echoing about the interior of the shield and solidified rock.

Then the Crystal's Light pierced through the solid rock above. It continued down the length of the shield's dome until it reached the plateau. The shield now started to disappear. Chunks of rock started falling all over the place. Sora saw this and yelled, "Look out!"

Goofy used his shield to protect Donald, Launchpad, and himself. Sora had to utilize his magic to reflect the rocks from crushing Milo and himself. The rocks slammed into the outer rim of the plateau and forced the water trapped inside to flow out like waterfalls. None of the rocks struck the gigantic figures standing guard with their outstretched arms.

The sky's bluish color returned. Alongside it, a flurry of clouds had appeared and taken the form of a fog-bank; Sora could no longer see the Crystal hovering in the air. A bright Light shone down from above. Both Milo and Sora looked upward.

There was Kida, slowly descending from the clouds. She was still unconscious but no longer crystallized. Sora and Milo gradually stepped closer to where she was about to land. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and the other team members did the same.

"Now there's something you don't see every day," Launchpad quipped. "A girl falling like an angel."

Donald shoved the duck-pilot's scarf into his mouth.

Kida gently landed on her feet. The Light faded quickly and she started breathing. She opened her eyes and looked around. Since both Milo and Sora were the closest to her position, she said, "Milo… Sora… "

Kida felt something in her right hand. She opened it to find what Sora realized was a tiny bracelet. It had three gems, one was a large red and it was surrounded on either side by a tiny blue one. It sparkled in the light from the crystal around her neck. She sighed. "Mahtim… "

Kida gazed at Milo. Tears started to form in her eyes. She threw herself into the young linguist's hands and started to cry. Milo felt startled for a brief second before he gave her a hug.

Sora smiled a little. He reached into his pocket and found Kairi's good-luck charm. His eyes grew, realizing he had never returned it to her. Oh well… his journey wasn't over yet. It would not be finished for some time to come. He put the charm away.

His mind continued to wander. He remembered how he had been reunited with Kairi in The World That Never Was — back when he had infiltrated the castle to destroy the surviving members of Organization XIII. When he had apologized for not returning quickly with Riku, Kairi had given him an unexpected embrace. She had told him it was for real, so he had chosen to return the hug. After that, Donald and Goofy would not let him hear the end of it! It didn't help when Kairi had given him a kiss on his birthday. Apparently, based on what he had overheard at the campground, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were still talking about it. If only he could back in time and prevent it from ever happening. If only he could….

"Wow!" Donald's voice perked up.

"Hey!" Goofy's voice added in turn.

"Look at all that!" Launchpad's voice agreed. "It's a submarine city — without any water!"

Sora spun around. He stared in astonishment as he approached the edge of the plaza. In the distance, the ruins of a rather large city could be seen where the water had once been. It was clear they had been submerged for a long time, but the remains were still quite obvious. He smiled, knowing the falling rocks had caused the water to disperse and reveal the ruined buildings.

Milo and Kida approached the others with smiles of their own. Sora noticed they were holding hands. He nudged Milo a little, gazing at it. Milo instantly broke free from Kida; the princess did the same. The two smiled at each other. Sora shook his head, knowing he had just acted like Riku — something he'd always wanted to do.

Sora was still smiling as he stood with Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Jiminy had hopped into view and was now standing on the Keyblader's shoulder. Milo stood beside Kida as the princess placed a tiny crystal around Vinny, Audrey, Dr. Sweet, Molière, Cookie, and Ms. Packard.

"Atlantis will honor your names forever," Kida said as she placed four more crystals around Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. She also placed a tiny one around Jiminy. "I only wish there was more we could do for you."

"Thanks anyway," Vinny said. "But, eh… I think we're good."

The demolition expert nodded at a large swordfish-shaped vehicle behind the crew members. Atlantian warriors were loading bowlfuls of golden items onto it via a ramp.

"I want some!" Donald spoke up, his eyes turning a greedy shade of green. Goofy and Launchpad held him down.

"Thanks," Sora said, waving his hand. "But no thanks."

This made Donald sigh in disappointment. "Aw phooey!"

"They'll take you as far as the surface," Milo pointed out for Vinny, Sweet, and the others.

"You know," Vinny said as he gave Milo a quick hug. "I'm gonna reopen the flower shop, and I'm gonna think of you guys every single day, Monday through Friday, nine to five, Saturday till two." He paused in thought as he walked away. "Sunday… I'm gonna take Sunday off probably… maybe I'll go in for a couple of hours, I don't know. August — I'm gonna take August."

"We're really gonna miss you Milo," Audrey said. She was about to punch the linguist, but Milo dodged it. "Two for flinching," she said, dealing two friendly punches before walking away with a wave.

"Milo? I ain't so good at speech-ifyin', but… I want you to have this," Cookie said as he strode up next. "It's the bacon grease leftover from the whole trip."

Milo seemed a bit uneasy. "Cookie," he said, hardly able to grin. "I-I… "

The chef wandered off, not wanting to say goodbye. Sora had to shake his head — especially when he saw Donald fainting onto the ground and both Goofy and Launchpad helping him to his feet.

"Hey, Milo!" Molière declared as he prepared for a hug. The geologist's alarming stench caused Milo to simple pat him on the head.

"Goodbye, Mole," the young linguist said.

"You sure you wanna stay?" Sweet asked. "There'll be a hero's welcome for the man who discovered Atlantis."

"The world doesn't need another hero," Milo replied. This answer caught Sora's attention; his smile faded. "Besides, I heard there's an opening here for an expert in gibberish."

"You take good care of yourself, Milo Thatch," Sweet told him. The two shared a handshake followed by a hug. Sweet squeezed so tightly, he had to jolt Milo's head back and forth to get rid of the crick.

"Can we go home now?" an impatient Ms. Packard inquired.

"Come on ya'll," Sweet told everyone. "Let's get one last shot in front of the fish."

The crew members, Milo, Kida, and Sora's team all approached the swordfish-shaped vehicle. They stood around a large mound of golden trinkets. An Atlantian guard took charge of the camera and tripod. He grinned at everyone. "Say… "

"A-Hyuck," Goofy suddenly blurted.

"A-Hyuck!" Everyone repeated in turn. Once the flash went off, Donald tipped over backwards and fell onto the ground. It looked as though he was in a daze. Goofy and Launchpad gazed at him and shrugged. Sora, Milo, and Kida did the same.

The team members started to board the vehicle. Milo rushed up to Dr. Sweet and handed him a tiny package. He told him something Sora was unable to make out. "Sure thing, Milo," Sweet said as he joined the others on board.

The ramp shut. Before long, the craft was airborne and sailing away. Off it soared until it was no longer in view. Sora smiled; he had the feeling the crew members would one day return to Atlantis to visit both Milo and Kida. He turned to Milo. "What'd you give Sweet?" the seventeen-year-old inquired.

"Mr. Whitmore once told me how he wanted a 'shred of proof' to know this place was real," Milo replied. "He told me my grandfather was laughed at for claiming The Shepherd's Journal and Atlantis were real. But he still found proof."

Sora nodded, recalling the older man he had met aboard the large ship at the start of the venture. He smiled.

The waterfalls down below were flowing gracefully down the plateau. The ruins of the city were heavily under reconstruction. Sora could also see the ruined structure Milo, Kida, and him had swam into earlier — the one with the mural. He knew the painting was still there, even if the air pocket wasn't.

Sora sighed and leaned onto the stone railing overlooking the ruins below. He heard footsteps and caught a glimpse of the approaching Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad.

"Sora!" Donald said.

"Here you are," Goofy added. "We was lookin' everywhere for you."

"Heh," Launchpad chuckled. "Even in the old kitchens. I found some moldy pizza in one."

Donald started to turn green at the thought of what the pilot had discovered while searching the ruined building.

Sora nodded before turning back to the view. He sighed deeply. "Gee," Goofy observed. "You've been quiet for a long time, Sora. Is somethin' on your mind?"

"Kind of," Sora admitted. "It's just… I was thinking about what Milo said. You know, about the world not needing another hero. I wonder… " He summoned his Keyblade. "…Do I still have to use the Keyblade? I don't know."

"Well, I do," Donald stated in a very strict voice. All eyes turned to him. "We're on an important mission — one Master Yen Sid and the King gave us! We can't stop now!"

Sora nodded and smiled brighter. He knew Donald was correct. Either what Milo had said had got him confused, or he was feeling uncertain about what was next. Whatever the case, he also knew it didn't matter. He still had a job to do. This world was safe, but another one was probably awaiting. "I found it funny how this world's heart didn't have to be inside a keyhole," the spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder said. "Maybe the king of Atlantis was right — every world's heart has power you can use. That power's gotta be the Light… right? Which means, though there may always be Heartless on every world, their Darkness can't beat the world's Light. It's like what Kairi showed me and King Mickey said — 'No matter how deep the Darkness, there's always a 'Door To The Light''."

Both Goofy and Donald nodded. "Yeah!" the duck said.

Jiminy hopped into view from Sora's hoodie. "Of course!" he confirmed. "Remember, there's always going to be some Light hidden somewhere — even when you can't feel it."

Only Launchpad seemed puzzled. "Say, what's this you guys are talking about? I've seen doors, but none of them led into complete daylight. There were always shadows."

Sora shook his head. "I'll tell you some other time," he said.

Launchpad nodded. It was then the crystal around Sora's neck started glowing brightly. Everyone watched as it floated up until the point was facing the sky. A beam of Light shot straight up, revealing a gigantic Keyhole-shape in the air. Sora pointed his Keyblade straight up. A beam of Light formed on the weapon's blade and shot out at the Keyhole. It made a direct hit and caused the Keyhole to unlock in a brilliant Light.

Knowing what had just taken place, Sora nodded. "Guess it's time to go on," he said.

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"Well then," Goofy spoke up. "Do we have everything we need?"

"Yup!" Sora affirmed, reaching into his pockets. Everyone else did the same. They pulled out a variety of Potions, Ethers, and Elixirs. "Good thing those Heartless still had them."

"And we got 'em back," Goofy added. He paused. "What about your cell-y phone, Sora?"

Sora's eyes lit up in recollection. He reached deeper into his pocket and pulled out the crushed device. He sighed deeply. "Man… my mom's gonna be mad when she sees this."

"Say," Launchpad said. "How about we put it back together?"

"I don't know," Donald said, crossing his arms.

"Okay," Sora agreed. "It's better than doing nothing."

"Except we've got a small problem," Launchpad said. Everyone turned to stare at the pilot. "How do we get outta here?"

Goofy pulled out a small, grey box with a bunch of buttons on it. "Well, why don't we just telly-port out?"

Sora, Donald, and Launchpad stared at the knight. "Where'd you get that?!" Donald demanded.

"Thuh King gave it to me," Goofy explained. "He said it would be helpful."

"Okay," Sora agreed. "Let's get going. Other worlds need our help."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded in return. Jiminy hopped into Sora's hoodie before Goofy pushed a bright, blue button. The group rapidly disappeared into beams of light.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had finally departed from the world of Ancient Empire, leaving the world in peace.

The circular chamber inside Villain's Vale was mostly empty, with the exception of Maleficent, Pete, Mortimer, and the Beagle Boys. They were busy watching a projection of Sora and his friends as they soared away in Herbie.

"So," Mortimer said, breaking a long, on-going silence. "Why were the Heartless in such a middle-of-nowhere world?"

"Maybe they wanted some money," one of the Beagle Boys suggested. "Did you see all that gold they had?"

Pete shook his head. "The Heartless would never go after gold!" he declared. "Hearts, maybe… but gold? Come on!"

Maleficent shook her head. "The answer is so simple," he announced, drawing everyone's attention. "The commander brought them there, along with that no-good 'Xehanort follower' who helped him. It was his desire for money that did the trick. But it seems he lost all control of his greed. That was his downfall, and how tragic a downfall it was."

Pete gave a laugh. "Yeah! He stood no chance dealing with such powers! Any idiot with a strong heart can handle them."

"Like me, you mean," Mortimer stated, pointed at himself.

Pete snorted his disapproval. It was the Beagle Boys' turn to speak.

"Why would anyone be destroyed by money?" one of the taller ones asked.

"I can't imagine it happening," the other tall one added.

"Yeah," the short one agreed. "It doesn't make sense."

Pete shook his head. After his meeting with Captain Barbossa about a year ago, he knew all too well how much Darkness greed could create. What he had witnessed in the projection had been a more serious case, but he refused to say so. After all, Pete himself had always been a victim of greed and he knew it. He just didn't do anything about it. If anyone else was going to be consumed by greed, he might be n— he refused to think about it.

"Let's all just watch Sora and his friends," Maleficent recommended. "There is a weakness we can still use to our advantage. We need to seek it out, or we will be unable to locate the 'Tome of Prophecies', rule all worlds, and destroy this ridiculous 'holiday season' once and for all."

At that moment, Cinnamon Teal strode into the room. She saw what they were doing and crossed her arms to wait, uneasily. She started to tap her foot softly. Maleficent saw her through her peripheral vision. "What is it now?" she asked.

"Bad news," Cinnamon Teal replied. "Thistle is gone missing. I searched the whole place. She is gone."

Maleficent snorted her disapproval. "Let that fool play her little game. We've got more important things to worry about."

Her raven flew into the room and landed onto her staff. Maleficent started petting it. "Isn't that right?"

The raven gave a sinister grin in return.

The Mysterious Tower was filled with racket. Mainly, it was shouting. Up in Master Yen Sid's chamber, King Mickey was watching a display that made him feel sad. In the middle of the study, Riku and Niccole were in a heated argument. The King felt relieved to know his former Keyblade instructor wasn't around to see this (he was off helping Oswald train Kairi), but he still felt saddened watching two friends fighting.

"For the last time," Riku yelled. "I told you what happened!"

Niccole shook her head. "You really expect me to believe you did not trip me?!" she snapped. "There is water spilled all over the floor down there! That was not by accident!"

She snorted and crossed her arms. She turned around. "Ever since I met you, everything's gone downhill for me. First it was the Queen of Heart's guards. Next, it was that stupid bag of bugs. Then, I nearly drowned getting you and Tink out of that so-called 'human house'. Among other things, that is already a long list!"

Riku shook his head. "You didn't have to leave Wonderland," he said. "You could have stayed there with the other flowers. I didn't make you leave — it was your choice."

Niccole gasped and spun back. "So, you're blaming me for everything!"

Riku shook his head rapidly. "That's not what I said! And it wasn't my fault Maleficent caught you when you should've been hiding."

"So, you do admit you're blaming me!"

"Maybe a little… "

"A little is a lot! Are you too stupid to understand that?!"

"Hey! I am not stupid!"

Niccole started to shed tears of sadness. "You never did try to rescue me from the dungeon… "

Riku gave a groan of annoyance. How many times did he have to go over this deep regret he had? "I told you a thousand times — Ansem, I mean Xehanort's Heartless, had already possessed my body. There was nothing I could do!"

Niccole turned towards the doorway leading downstairs and marched through. She slammed the door so violently, the bookshelves on either side of the doorway broke free and several books tumbled onto the floor.

Riku gave a deep sigh and shook his head. He wondered if he would ever be able to set things straight with Niccole. Since he had met her in the land of giant flowers, he had never seen her get so angry. The idea of her being capable of such anger was unheard of — until now.

On the other side of Master Yen Sid's chair, Violet peeked her head out. She gave a deep sigh of relief. The argument was over. At least for now. She started to wonder if she should give Riku some advice to straighten this conflict out….

A/N: Don't worry! Riku and Niccole's "Side-Story" has only JUST Started! More is to come... sometime soon. Stay Tuned!
Then again, I wonder what Violet's going to do...

I HOPE you enjoyed the ending of the world of Atlantis! I actually wrote the entire Chapter rather quickly since I was in a "Creative Mind". As for the battles earlier on, I was imagining KH2 music as I typed away. The song "Dance To The Death" for the air battles in the volcanic shaft, and "The Corrupted" for when Sora and Milo fight Rourke. IF Atlantis DOES appear in "Kingdom Hearts 3", those two songs would work just nicely with it!

Some of you might be wondering where Isa went. That answer might not be revealed until close to the END of This Story!

Since this was the end of World #1, it is time to give another "RIDDLE HINT" for Disney World #2!
HINT: "SORA AND HIS FRIENDS END UP IN A FOREST THAT SEEMS PEACEFUL, BUT THERE'S MORE THERE THAN MEETS THE EYE! HEARTLESS AND VILLAINS ARE NOT FAR AWAY AS SORA'S TEAM TRIES TO SEE WHAT'S AROUND THE NEXT RIVERBEND! PERHAPS WAR IN THIS NEW LAND IS INEVITABLE... OR IS IT?!"
IF You think you know which Disney Movie I am referring to, please post your answers in the Reviews section for THIS CHAPTER!

So Then, I Shall See You All Next Time!
In other words, 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!"