DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: IT'S JULY 3RD! HAPPY DAY-BEFORE-INDEPENDENCE DAY - AT LEAST HERE IN THE UNITED STATES!
SoraLego278: I know Independence Day is Not until July 4TH, but I decided to post This Chapter today instead. After all, I might not have access to a computer tomorrow.
Donald Duck: Yeah...
SoraLego278: Well, today Donald 'volunteered' to help host this particular Chapter.
Donald Duck: I hope Daisy isn't watching, or reading...
SoraLego278: Either way, I wanted to congratulate all of you who were able to determine the world of Jamestowne was based on "Pocahontas (1995)". I thought the Riddle Hint I gave at the end of Chapter 12 was one of the more challenging ones I've made.
Of course, I wanted to also let you know I do not have any Trivia for THIS Chapter.
Donald Duck: Why not?
SoraLego278: I have decided to save it until Chapter 15.
Donald Duck: Oh...
SoraLego278: Well, I guess I could give a DIFFERENT one.
DID YOU KNOW? Most Disney Characters are inspired by either one of their previous characters, a fantasy character, or someone who was/is real. They are often based on multiple ones. For an example, Jafar's character was partly inspired by the actor, Vincent Price.
In the case of the Disney movie, "Pocahontas", John Smith's character was inspired by both the REAL John Smith & Indiana Jones. Make sense?
Donald Duck: Yeah!
SoraLego278: In addition, I will answer at least ONE of the questions from the previous Chapter. As for the point in the movie when this story takes place, I can tell you Chapter 14 might give you a better clue. I will explain it at the END of This Chapter.
SoraLego278: Plus, I want to reply to a Guest Review. I cannot reply to these via a PM as the system on here doesn't allow it.
"GrovLight": I agree with you. Square Enix SHOULD include "Aladdin III: Aladdin And The King of Thieves (1996)" in "Kingdom Hearts 3". I would also like them to include The Beast's Castle one more time so we can actually SEE the spell being broken; imagine THAT being on the PS4 (I do not believe the End Credits of "Kingdom Hearts 2" confirm anything.)!
As for My Stories, I can tell you this much, Agrabah will NOT be included in This Story as it does not fit with this story's theme of HOPE/The Light In The Darkness. However, I do have plans to create a Third Story. There is a significant chance of it appearing there - as long as a minimum of 214 Reviews are posted on THIS Story!
Donald Duck: I wanna go back to Agrabah!
SoraLego278: I hope you will. So, GO AHEAD AND READ! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!
Donald Duck: And make it about ME! Not those big palookas!
SoraLego278: Whatever...
CHAPTER 14
Grandmother Willow And John Smith
The river finally slowed down. The sounds of a few birds filled the air. The smell of the water had become much more pleasant over time. Sora was looking around the immediate area. Pocahontas had led the canoe down the zigzagged stream until the group had reached a large pool of water. On the edge of the river, a giant willow tree was situated. Pocahontas steered her canoe through the willow vines up to the riverbank.
Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad looked around in wonder. The scenery looked so picturesque. Almost like they were inside a painting. The canoe stopped on the edge of the bank. Sora and his team followed her up a large trunk to the top of a stump. The sounds of animals hooting, chirping, and scurrying around started to fill the air.
Sora was still looking around. "Whoa," he marveled. The last time he had seen such a nice landscape was when he had entered the bright green musical score in the Symphony of Sorcery. However, not even that world's scenery was as fascinating as what he saw around him. It had been a simple layout, even within a piece of music. Trees… flying horses… waterfalls… centaurs… they were nothing compared to the beauty of the environment all around them.
The group sat down on the tree stump beside Pocahontas, Meeko, and Flit. "Is that my Pocahontas?" a voice asked.
Sora was mystified. He glanced around. No one was there — no one except him, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Pocahontas. Was this all in his imagination? Had he been hearing things? How would he determine its source? For all he knew, it was Violet's sister, Indigo. …Then again, the voice sounded rather old and a little like Merlin The Wizard. Since Violet had claimed Indigo was her twin sister, he doubted this voice was the unknown angel's.
"Yes, Grandmother Willow," Pocahontas replied to the voice. "I need to talk to you."
When they saw the native woman was facing the tree's trunk, Sora and his team stared at it. As if by magic, a face appeared. Sora continued to stare in surprise. Donald fainted onto his back. Goofy and Launchpad both covered their mouths to keep from shouting.
"Good morning, child," the tree said. "I was hoping you'd visit today."
Sora could barely contain his amazement. "A talking tree?!"
"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked with his hands still covering his mouth.
The tree's face gazed at the group. Its eyes lit up. "Oh my! Who are your friends?"
Sora gulped, unsure what to say. What could someone say to a living tree? Before Pocahontas could speak, he opened his mouth. "Sora," he introduced. He gestured to his teammates. "Donald, Goofy, Launchpad."
The tree gave a smile. Pocahontas gestured to the tree. "Meet Grandmother Willow."
"Hello," Goofy waved to Grandmother Willow. "It's nice ta meetcha!"
"I've heard of people talking to their plants," Launchpad said. "But never have the plants talked back, until now."
"Oh brother," Donald muttered. "Everyone knows trees can't talk."
Grandmother Willow gave the duck a stern look. Before Sora's eyes, the tree lowered a willow vine. The vine curled back and slapped Donald's tail. "Ouch!" the duck magician wailed in agony. He glared at the tree. "What's the big idea?!"
Sora had to laugh. It was clear (to him anyway) Grandmother Willow had a heart, and a kind, gentle one at that. Unless someone teased her, that is. He then turned to Pocahontas and asked, "So, why'd you bring us here?"
Pocahontas opened her mouth to speak. Grandmother Willow shifted her eyes to Sora and spoke before the native woman could. "Come closer, young man," she said in a voice that sounded strict.
Sora gulped softly before rising to his feet. He strode across the stump to the tree's face. Grandmother Willow squinted to see into the brown-haired youth's eyes. Sora grinned with a hint of anxiety. "You have a good soul," the tree said. "And you're quite the handsome lad, too. Much better than that Kocoum."
Sora's grin grew larger. He placed his hands behind his head and relaxed. Whatever Goofy and the others had noticed about him and Darkness was probably nothing more than a complete mistake. It wasn't uncommon for Goofy to make a good now and then. Donald was constantly panicking about one thing or another. And Launchpad, well… he tended to take things a little too literal.
He nodded. "Thanks, Grandma Willow."
Grandmother Willow gave him a stern look. "I'm not your grandma! You should call me 'Grandmother Willow'."
Sora instantly corrected himself. "Sorry about that, Grandmother Willow." He glanced back to see Donald shaking his head, Goofy stifling a chuckle, and Launchpad trying to shoo a couple mosquitoes.
"He is nice," Pocahontas spoke up at last. "But here's the thing. My father wants me to marry Kocoum."
"Kocoum?!" Grandmother Willow exclaimed. "But he's so serious!"
Sora and the others stared at the native princess. "Really?" Sora inquired. "He does?"
"Who's 'Coconut-hum'?" Goofy questioned.
Donald did not bother to correct the knight's mispronunciation. Launchpad quickly filled the two in. "I think he was the one attacking some of those 'Heartless' guys back at the village." The pilot turned to Sora. "Right, Sora?"
Sora nodded. "Right. He's a warrior. He really handled those things."
Pocahontas gave a smirked smile. "I know," she admitted. She proceeded to talk to the group. "But lately, I've been having this dream. I think it's telling me something's about to happen — something exciting!"
"Oh! A dream!" Grandmother Willow declared. "Let's hear all about it!"
Before Pocahontas could start to explain, Sora's ears became filled with dozens of chirpings, croaks, and trilling. He covered his ears, noting the others were doing the same. For some reason, all the animals around them seemed to be causing a loud enough racket to become nearly deafening. He saw Meeko and Flit were adding to the noise.
"Quiet!" Grandmother Willow shouted. When the sounds continued to get louder, she hollered louder. "Quiet!"
The noise ceased. Sora and the others uncovered their ears. Grandmother Willow returned her focus to Pocahontas. "Now, child, you were saying?"
"Well, in it, I'm running through the woods," Pocahontas began. "And then, right in front of me, is a spinning arrow."
"An arrow?" Donald asked.
Grandmother Willow was equally amazed and perplexed. "How odd… "
"It spins faster and faster," Pocahontas went on. Sora watched as Meeko and Flit's eyes started spinning in turn. "Until suddenly… it stops."
The two animals stopped whirling their eyes. They fell to the ground, dizzy. Sora had to shake his head. Hadn't he seen enough nonsense on his adventures these days?
"What does it mean?" Pocahontas questioned.
Silence followed. Sora sighed, wishing his friend, Violet (the angel) had been there. If anyone could explain a dream like that one, she could. She was the Angel of Dreams! He remembered how often Violet had tried to manipulate the illusions of the Sleeping Worlds, but only a few times did it do any good. He had learned it was not a good idea to interfere with a world's dreams, especially when it could lead to more trouble.
He recalled the time he had stood up for Wart… err Arthur in the dreams of Camelot. Riku and Violet had tried to tell him to stop, but Sora had continued to firmly state how unfair Sir Ector's rules and regulations were. To him, it was complete and utter injustice. Those were two things he would never put up with. He had a strong sense of justice, and he was proud of it… kinda.
"Well," Grandmother Willow finally said. "It seems to me this 'arrow' is pointing you down your path."
"Yeah," Sora agreed, jumping straight into the conversation. "Like it's leading you to your destiny."
Pocahontas's face told the group she was hesitant. Sora knew that look. He had seen the same thing on Donald and Goofy's faces many times. "But Grandmother Willow," she inquired. "What is my path? How will I ever find it?"
Grandmother Willow chuckled. "Your mother asked me the very same thing."
Pocahontas's eyes lit up. So did Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad's. Was the tree really that old? True, trees typically outlived people, but exactly how old was Grandmother Willow?
"She did?" the native princess asked. "What did you tell her?"
"I told her to listen," Grandmother Willow responded. She glanced around the scenery, which was primarily made up of her branches and vines. "All around you are spirits. They live in the earth, the water, the sky. If you listen, they will guide you."
Sora's team looked around in awe. Sora had the feeling he'd heard something like this before. Maybe it was just his imagination… or was it?
"Ay ay ay ya… Ay ay ya… "
A faint voice appeared in the wind. Sora and Pocahontas both overheard and stood up. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Meeko, and Flit continued to watch in wonder.
"I hear the wind," Pocahontas said.
"Yeah," Sora added. "Me, too."
"Yes," Grandmother Willow smiled. "What is it telling you?"
The two young adults stood on the stump for a few seconds. Sora thought he could heard some distant whispers alongside the voice. They were so faint, he couldn't make them out. He shrugged. "No idea."
"I don't understand," Pocahontas admitted.
Grandmother Willow started speaking what sounded to Sora like an ancient Native American chant. "Que que na-to-ra. You will understand. Listen with your heart. You will understand."
A strong breeze seemed to descend from above. Sora only knew it was there because he could feel it. And he saw some colorful leaves spiraling down gently. The wind circled Pocahontas's neck before doing the same for the spikey-headed Keyblade wielder. They closed their eyes.
"Let it break upon you," Grandmother Willow went on. "Like a wave upon the sand."
Sora continued to concentrate. Before long, two images flashed through his mind. He paid close attention, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
There was Pocahontas, crouched low on the edge of a riverbank. A small, rushing waterfall was to her right. She seemed to be behaving both cautiously and curiously. She carefully hopped onto the first stone in the river. Then the second.
A loud splash occurred from behind. Pocahontas spun around and stood up. Through the mist, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing armor and a helmet, and he also had a musket in his hands. He was pointing the weapon straight at the young woman.
A few moments passed. The man lowered his gun and stared at the woman before him. He rose to his feet and could now see the concern in her eyes. He removed his helmet and stepped into the water to approach her. Before he could, Pocahontas was dashing away as fast as her feet could take her.
"No! Wait!" the man called. "Please!"
Pocahontas did not stop running. She dodged trees, ducked under branches, and jumped over logs. She was almost to a canoe sitting on a riverbank. Meeko and Flit caught up with her. The two animals hopped into the boat as the native princess started to paddle away.
"Please!"
Pocahontas spun around in alarm. There was the young man from the waterfall. He gently placed his musket against a tree. "Don't run off," he said.
Pocahontas looked at him funny.
"It's alright," the man as he slowly approached. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He smiled and offered his hand. "Here, let me help you out of there."
Pocahontas shook her head in confusion and said something in an unknown language.
The man seemed to comprehend. "You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?"
He continued to offer his hand. Pocahontas looked at it anxiously. "It's alright," he said again.
The wind started to blow. Pocahontas gave a hint of a smile at the man and carefully accepted his hand. The wind flowed around their hands lying tying a knot. Pocahontas smiled and stepped out of her canoe.
"Who are you?" the man inquired with a curious look.
Pocahontas took a deep breath and answered. "Pocahontas."
"What?" the man asked. "What did you say?"
Pocahontas smiled. "My name is Pocahontas."
From the canoe, Meeko and Flit were astonished. The man gestured to himself. "I'm John Smith."
It was storming outside. The rain was pouring down. The wind was howling. Yet, it was relatively calm inside a large, golden tent. Inside the structure, a rather large man with long black hair tied into short pigtails with red ribbons, thick black eyebrows, and notable lavender eyelids. He was wearing a long V-cut shirt with lavender collar and cuffs, crimson knee-length pants, lavender socks, and black boots. The man was throwing map after map from the table onto the floor.
He grabbed a particular map and winced in worry. "I'm doomed! I should be wallowing in riches by now, but I haven't found as much as a speck! It's got to be here somewhere. Where could it be? I've mined the forests, and the hills, and the swamps, and… nothing!"
He clenched his fists. "Why can't I find it? What am I overlooking?!"
A sharp yellow of pain filled the air. The man spun around gasped. A thin, young man with brown hair and brownish-tan clothing. He had an arrow sticking through his head.
"I… I," the young man pulled off what happened to be a broken arrow with a curved piece of wood in the middle. It looked a little like an April Fools' toy. "I made it myself!"
The larger man marched over and snatched the arrow in anger. "Wiggins! Take that silly… !"
There was a rustling outside the tent. The two men watched as a figure in a black-hooded coat stepped inside. His hood was on, so they couldn't see his face.
"Who are you?" the man named Wiggins asked.
"I have reason to believe you are searching in all the wrong places," the figure replied in a nasal-sounding, high-pitched voice. "I know this land. I have been here many times before. I know what you seek is far from where you have been searching."
The larger man snorted. "And where do you suppose the gold is?"
The man pointed at the arrow. He gave a creepy laugh before opening a dark portal. He stepped through the opening before the portal vanished from view.
The large man stared at the arrow. His eyes lit up. "Of course! The Indians!" He grabbed the young man and pulled him closer. "Wiggins! Why do you think those insolent creatures attacked us?"
Wiggins paused in thought. He counted on his fingers. "Because we invaded their land, cut down their trees, and dug up their earth?" He paused again. "Do you really think they could be leading those strange monsters in the forest?"
The large man strode up to the table. He gazed back with a sinister look on his face. "It's the gold!" he declared. "They have it, and they don't want us to take it from them. Well, I'll just have to take it by force then, won't I?"
Wiggins nervously gulped.
Sora's eyes opened. What had he just seen? Two flashbacks? They sure seemed to resemble what he'd seen Violet's necklace show back in the Realm of Sleep. Perhaps these were a series of events that had unfolded prior to his team's arrival? If so, he had even more questions to ask.
Had Pocahontas actually met someone at a waterfall like that? He hadn't seen such a small waterfall in this world. When had that taken place? Who was the man? Sora assumed he had said his name, but had been unable to make it out. He was all the more puzzled by the second scene. Who was the guy in the black coat? He had sounded somewhat familiar…. Who was the larger man in the tent? Could he have been behind the Heartless threat in this world? The only man he had been to make any identification with was the one referred to as "Wiggins". He couldn't make out anything else.
Unless… he was sensing a strong Light in the wind. It held the same tranquility, calmness, and serenity he had felt while diving through the tunnels of Light. Could he be feeling the world's Light in the wind? Did this mean the world's heart was close by?
Pocahontas opened his eyes in surprise. "It says something's here!" she declared. "'Look for the strange clouds'?"
"Huh?!" Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad said at once.
"Climb my branches," Grandmother Willow suggested. "See if you can see anything."
Sora and his friends nodded. Pocahontas clambered onto a branch and started climbing. Sora and the others were seconds behind. Launchpad was having a little trouble, so Grandmother Willow gave him a boost with one of her vines.
When they reached the treetop, everyone gazed into the distance. To Sora's amazement, he could see large, white shapes near the edge of the forest. He squinted a little. Where had he seen shapes like this? He mind started whirling…
The raft! Of course! He had almost completely forgotten about the raft. The sail! He put two and two together and realized what they were seeing. These weren't "strange clouds". They were sails! The sails of a ship, no doubt!
"What do you see?" Grandmother Willow called up.
"Clouds," Pocahontas replied. "Those strange clouds."
"They aren't clouds," Sora informed the native woman. "They're sails… from a ship. Has someone new been around here?"
Pocahontas's eyes lit up. "Yes," she confirmed. "You."
Sora shook his head. He was having just as difficult a time talking to the young woman as he did speaking with Kida. "No, no! I mean, have you seen anyone else you didn't know?"
Pocahontas paused in thought. Her eyes lit up a second time. "Yes. John Smith… "
"Who is John Smith?" Goofy questioned. Sora saw Donald staring at the knight in surprise. Goofy had actually asked a question without making a mistake.
"He's… a friend," the native princess answered. "We met and… he's nice."
"Heh, heh," Launchpad chuckled. "What a lucky guy."
"Yeah," Goofy added. "Sounds like you're more than just friends." He pointed at Sora. "Like Sora an' Kairi."
"What?!" Sora exclaimed. He saw Pocahontas smiling. His hands flew into the air. "You're wrong!"
Donald showed a mocking grin. "We know who you're thinking about, Sora. She kissed you, remember?"
"And your face became all red," Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck!"
Sora covered his face as Donald and Goofy burst out laughing. He felt so humiliated. Why did the anthropomorphic duck and dog have to keep reminding him of what had happened at his birthday party? Why did they have to do it in front of Pocahontas? The native woman was smiling at him. He really wished they'd give it up!
"Sora and Kairi, sitting in a tree," Launchpad started to call out (though he was practically tone-deaf). "K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love! Then comes marriage! Then, here comes Sora — with a little carriage!"
"Cut it out!" Sora snapped. He had heard enough. It was bad enough hearing Donald and Goofy consistently saying such stuff. "That wasn't in the script! Let's get focused! We've got a job to do! The Heartless are still running around!"
Pocahontas looked puzzled. "What are 'Heartless'?"
"Come back down!" Grandmother Willow shouted. "There are some horrible-looking creatures here!"
Sora gave a nod. "Yup! That's the Heartless, alright."
The brown-haired young man leaped down the tree branch by branch. Donald slid down the trunk. Goofy swung his way down like an acrobat (kinda). Launchpad simply jumped to the ground. Pocahontas climbed down the way she'd come up.
Back on the ground, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Pocahontas found themselves face to face with a horde of shadowy creatures. The monsters possessed yellow eyes, ant-like antennae, and claws. Among them were a few hawk-shaped creatures, similar to the ones that had attacked the village.
"C'mon!" Sora declared as he summoned his Keyblade. He charged into the swarm. Donald pulled out his wand and Goofy took out his shield. The two rushed after the Keyblader. Launchpad pulled out the gas-gun he'd used earlier and started shooting at the Heartless. Pocahontas watched from the side-lines, a determined look on her face.
The Heartless were relentless. Sora had to swipe his weapon this way and that, this way and that, this way and that — repeatedly to keep from getting attacked. Goofy shoved his shield through a handful of Shadow Heartless and eliminated them moments later. Donald used his magic to freeze a few of the hawk-Heartless and then set them ablaze. The creatures were terminated in a flash.
The Heartless kept coming. Sora grabbed a nearby tree and shouted, "Power of Light!"
In a single flash of Light, his Keyblade transformed into the red, white, and blue-colored surfboard from earlier — the one with the wheels. He dashed across the Heartless, destroying each and every enemy he touched. He continued to do this for several seconds.
The Heartless had been mitigated down to only a few hawk-shaped ones. Just as Sora's Keyblade transformed back, two of the creatures soared up to Pocahontas. "Oh no!" Sora yelled in alarm.
He charged over. On the way, he saw something surprising happen. Pocahontas reached out her arms and closed her eyes. "Spirits of the earth," she called.
A gust of wind surrounded her and she rose into the air a few feet. She reopened her eyes and pointed at each of the Heartless. The wind sent columns of air spiraling into the monsters. The Heartless were thrown about and crushed when they slammed into the nearby trees.
Sora was astonished. He had never though the native princess was capable of such power. Chances were, she didn't know it either. Did she?
Pocahontas landed back onto her feet. The wind died down. She looked around in surprise. "Huh? What happened?"
Sora gave a quick nod. Pocahontas had used the power of Light and didn't even know it.
"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered, seeing how the Heartless were finally all gone. "Guess this means we have a lot ta do."
Sora sighed. He knew Goofy was right on the money. He turned to Pocahontas. "Let's go see where those 'strange clouds' are. There might be a clue."
Pocahontas gave a short nod. "Maybe there is."
Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gathered around the two. They were all about to go marching off into the forest when they heard a rustling in the foliage. They stared in surprise.
"More Heartless?" Donald said, a hint of worry in his voice.
Sora's Keyblade returned to his hand. "I'll check it out."
He carefully neared the edge of the clearing. The rustling grew louder. He didn't care. If there really was a Heartless hiding there, he would find it. No problem. He reached for a small patch of underbrush beneath some towering trees.
CLICK! Sora froze. The end of a musket was pointing straight at him. He did his best not to show how shocked he was.
"Sora!" Donald and Goofy yelled in alarm.
Sora took a deep breath and positioned his Keyblade back. He swung the weapon straight ahead and sliced it into the bushes. The blade struck the gun and knocked it onto the ground a few steps away. The sound of the Keyblade hitting something metallic could be heard.
"Hey!" a voice said from the bushes.
Sora scowled. "Who are you? Show yourself!"
A figure strode out from the underbrush. Sora was taken by complete surprise. It was a muscular young man sporting blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a dark-brown satchel, and was wearing a long, faded blue shirt, long blue trousers, and tall brown boots. His chest was covered by a piece of metal armor, and he had a matching conquistador helmet on his head. Sora was beyond amazed. This was the same guy he'd seen in the vision.
"Sorry about that," the man said with a grin. "I thought you were, well you know, someone else."
Sora took a deep sigh of relief. He allowed his Keyblade to disappear and smiled.
"John Smith," a pleased Pocahontas declared. She came hurrying over to the young man. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to see you again," Smith answered. He removed his helmet and carefully hung it on his back.
"'Again'?" Goofy questioned aloud. "Gawrsh."
Smith saw the other three standing near the riverbank. "Friends of yours?"
Pocahontas nodded. "Yes."
"I'm Sora," Sora introduced himself. His teammates each did the same.
"Donald."
"The name's Goofy."
"My name's Launchpad McQuack. If it's got wings, I can crash it."
Smith smiled at them. "Here's something you don't see every day. Two talking ducks and a talking dog."
Sora had to shake his head. His mind was starting to wrap around who Pocahontas's friend was and why he'd come to see her. Deep down, he had a feeling it had something to do with the Heartless. He turned to Smith. "So, how'd you two meet?"
"At a waterfall," Smith explained. "I was out scouting the terrain. My men and I have just landed in this new world, and we set up a colony called 'Jamestowne'."
Sora nodded. He understood what the blonde-haired young man was saying. He had seen this happen in the vision. Smith had encountered the native woman while searching for… something or other. Perhaps, he was investigating the source of the Heartless. There was only one way to find out. "Hey," the seventeen-year-old started to say. "Do you know where the Heartless are coming from?"
"'Heartless'? So that's what they're called," Smith replied. "I don't know where they came from, but my men were attacked by a swarm of dark monsters and some Indians. I wasn't there, but I learned about it from my friend, Thomas. They seem to think the Indians are responsible. We have built a whole fort to protect ourselves."
Sora crossed his arms. If what John Smith had just said was true, then the men under him were convinced the Heartless had come from a native tribe. He was sure it was Pocahontas's tribe. Of course, he also knew Chief Powhatan, Kekata, and Kocoum believed the Heartless originated with a group of "beasts". He now had the feeling the so-called "beasts" were really Smith and his men.
Sora reached a conclusion. Both Smith's men and Pocahontas's tribe were certain the Heartless were being controlled by the other. The next question to answer was… which side should he believe? Was the answer itself linked to both? How would he find out?
"Where are you from?" Launchpad asked Smith. Sora shook his head. There was one question he hadn't thought of asking.
"The city of London," Smith replied. "Like I told Pocahontas, it's a very big village."
"What's it like?" Goofy inquired.
"Well, there are streets filled with carriages, bridges over rivers, and buildings as tall as trees." Smith gestured to Grandmother Willow as an example.
"Wow!" Donald awed.
"Cool," Sora added. "Wish I could go there and see those things."
"You will," Smith spoke up. "We're going to build them here. We'll show Pocahontas's people how to use this land properly. How to make the most of it."
Sora was puzzled. He saw Pocahontas was shaking her head. He had the feeling she'd already heard all this stuff before. "What do you mean by 'make the most of it'?" the brown-headed Keyblader asked.
"Simple," Smith explained. "We'll build roads and decent houses and… "
"…And may-bee all them houses will be ticklish!" Goofy interrupted. Everyone stared at the knight. Goofy shrugged.
"Where'd that come from?" Sora asked.
"Who cares," Donald grumbled. "He doesn't know any better, just like her."
The duck pointed to the native woman standing behind him. Pocahontas frowned before marching off towards her canoe. Everyone else watched her leave.
Sora scowled at Donald. "Thanks a lot, Donald!"
"What did I say?" the duck inquired.
Sora pushed the thought aside and hurried to catch up with the native princess. "Wait up!"
Smith was way ahead of the spikey, brown-haired Keyblade wielder. He stopped Pocahontas just before she could paddle away. "Wait, wait! Don't worry about what he said. There's so much we can teach you. We've improved the lives of savages all over the world."
At the mention of the term "savages", Pocahontas glared at the blonde-haired man. "'Savages'?!"
Sora waded over to the boat. He knew he had to say something. Clearly, Pocahontas had never heard such a word used before. "He doesn't mean you're a 'savage'."
Smith nodded. "Let me explain."
Pocahontas splashed the two with her paddle. "Let go!"
"No," Smith stated. "I'm not letting you leave."
A frustrated Pocahontas leaped from her canoe and into the branches of the willow tree above. Sora watched her climbing away. Higher and higher she went. He and Smith hurried after her.
"Look, don't do this," Smith called as he clambered up the branches.
"Yeah," Sora said as he climbed the tree's trunk. "Everyone knows 'savage' is just a word. It refers to people who're uncivilized."
Pocahontas was still outraged. "Like me."
"No," Smith shook his head. "What I mean is… "
It all happened super-rapidly. Sora watched as Smith reached for a branch above his head. The branch snapped. Down plunged the young man to the ground below. His helmet fell after him and landed directly on his head. Sora and Pocahontas returned to the ground level. The latter approached Smith and gently lifted his helmet so she could see his eyes. Sora watched while Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad walked over to him.
"What you mean is, not like you," she said. "You think I'm an ignorant savage, and you've been so many places, I guess it must be so." She handed him his musket. "But still I cannot see, if the savage one is me, how can there be so much that you don't know? You don't know… "
Pocahontas started to stroll away. Curious about where she was headed, Sora and his team followed behind. So did John Smith. They stopped when the native woman picked up a long, wooden stick and stuck it in the ground. The shape of the stick reminded Sora of a flag. "You think you own whatever land you land on," she said in a voice that sounded like chanting. "The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim."
She let go of the stick and approached a rock and tree beside the riverbank. She touched the rock and tree. Out of the blue, a flock of pinkish butterflies appeared from the surrounding trees. "But I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name. You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you. But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew you never knew."
A large cloud suddenly blocked out the sun. The clearing was now covered in shadow. Sora started to recall how much this reminded him of how his journey through the Realm of Sleep had been. Maybe he was dreaming now? Probably not. How could he be dreaming when he was wide awake and alert? It didn't make any sense.
Pocahontas gazed up at the sky and continued. "Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"
She turned to Sora and Smith and extended her hand. "Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"
Sora shrugged and accepted her hand. Smith did the same. Pocahontas led them along as they ran into the forest. Trees lined either side of them. Pocahontas seemed unafraid of this. "Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest. Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the Earth."
Before Sora knew it, the three had run out of trees and were sliding into a meadow. "Come roll in all the riches all around you. And for once, never wonder what they're worth."
They neared a large stream. "The rainstorm and the river are my brothers. The heron and the otter are my friends. And we are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends."
Sora watched as a pair of falcons… or hawks flew to the top of a tall tree. "How high will the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know."
A second later, Sora found himself with Pocahontas and Smith on the top of a gigantic cliff. In the distance was a red sunset. A strong wind was blowing all around. "And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon. For whether we are white or copper skinned, we need to sing with all the voices of the mountains. We need to paint with all the colors of the wind."
The native woman handed the two young men a pile of dirt she had scooped from the ground. Sora let it slide through his hands. "You can own the Earth and still, all you'll own is Earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind… "
"Sora?"
Sora opened his eyes in a flash. To his amazement, he was standing in the clearing. Last he recalled, he'd been on the edge of a cliff. He looked around in perplexity. "What… happened?"
"The wind blew on you," Donald replied.
"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "You was in some kinda daze."
"I tried to wake you," Launchpad shrugged with a grin. "But you were sleeping while standing. I thought only Gizmoduck could do that."
Sora's eyes finally landed on two people standing on the edge of the riverbank less than five feet away. He smiled, knowing they were just Pocahontas and John Smith. He mind started wandering. Where had he been? Was everything he'd seen, experienced, and heard nothing more than a dream — a complete illusion? He didn't know, and wasn't sure how he'd find out.
He saw a gust of wind blowing high around the trees. Spotting the colorful leaves with it, he smiled. It was clear all he'd been through was a dream. But not one of his own. It was a dream the world had shown him. Why? He didn't know. At least he knew where it had come from.
"This place is incredible," Smith marveled at the nearby landscape. "And to think, we came all this way just to dig it up for gold."
"Gold?!" Donald's eyes burst to life. To Sora's perspective, the mage was starting to fill with greed. He shook his head, having seen this same behavior during his last visit to Agrabah. The duck had almost grabbed a valuable gem from the Cave of Wonders, but Aladdin had ordered him to "snap out of it".
Later, when it was revealed Abu had secretly swiped the gem from the cave, Donald had snatched it and started to eye it carefully. Goofy had muttered, "I guess some things are just hard to resist," which had urged Donald to throw the gem. When it never landed, Abu had spotted the item still in Donald's hands. The duck had been slightly embarrassed.
With all this replaying in his mind, Sora had to grin.
Pocahontas looked confused. "What's 'gold'?"
Donald stared at her in disbelief. "You don't know what gold is?!"
"It's golden and shiny," Launchpad told the native princess. "I should know. Mister McDee dragged me along on many of his expeditions to find golden objects. Too bad we only got half of them."
Sora rolled his eyes. "Okay… don't know where that came from."
"Maybe I should explain this," Smith offered. He turned to Pocahontas. "It's yellow. It comes out of the ground. It's really valuable."
Pocahontas's eyes lit up. "Oh! We have lots of it."
"Oh boy!" Donald declared in a happy tone. His eyes were more filled with greed than ever before. Goofy shrugged at the sight. Sora shook his head, again.
Pocahontas walked over to Grandmother Willow's roots. She picked up a handwoven bag. She reached into it and pulled out a long, green object that Sora could tell was part of a plant. She pulled down one of the leaves, revealing something yellow. "See? Gold," she said.
Donald stared at the plant in shock. "Aw phooey!"
"That's not gold," Goofy commented. "It looks like corn."
"Yeesh!" Launchpad murmured. "And I thought I was the naïve one."
Sora smiled as friendly as he could. "I think they're right. That's not gold."
Smith shook his head. "No," he told Pocahontas. He pulled out a small, yellow coin. "Gold is like this."
Pocahontas looked at the coin with fascination. She reached for it. "There's nothing like that around here."
Before she could take the coin, Donald seized it and started to eye it. He was so busy focusing on the item, he failed to see Meeko approaching. The raccoon jumped over and snatched the coin. "Hey!" Donald shouted as he chased Meeko. "Give that back!"
Sora, Goofy, Launchpad, Smith, and Pocahontas all laughed. Donald tried to grab the raccoon, but Meeko was too fast. The animal dashed around a low-lying branch, but Donald slammed head-first into it. Meeko was able to stop long enough to nibble on the coin. Unable to bite into it, he tossed it aside like a piece of trash. Donald raced after the bouncing coin and snatched it. "Aha!" he proclaimed with pride. "I got it!"
"So," Launchpad asked. "There's really no gold?"
Pocahontas shrugged. "Not that I've seen."
Smith shook his head. "All this way for nothing," he grinned. "Well, those boys are in for a big surprise."
"Will they leave?" Sora asked. "Since there's no gold."
Smith grin grew. "Some of them might."
Pocahontas looked worried. "Will you go home?"
Smith now looked hesitant. "Well, I don't really have much of a home to go back to. I've never really belonged anywhere."
"You could belong here," Pocahontas suggested, leading the young man to the stump beside the giant willow tree. Sora could see a hint of sincerity in the native woman's eyes. He continued to wonder what she was leading up to when a faint voice caught his attention. When was the last time he had heard it? It sounded so… familiar….
At once, Smith gasped. "What was that?!"
Pocahontas smiled. She a playful look in her eyes. "Did you see something?"
"No… no way… I… I didn't see anything," Smith told her. "Did I?"
Sora had a feeling the blonde-haired man had seen something, or someone unexpected. Having just met the strange in question, he believed he knew who it was.
"Look again," Pocahontas instructed.
Smith stared at the willow tree. Sora and his team did the same. Slowly, but surely, a face appeared in the bark. It smiled at them. It was especially smiling at Smith. "Hello, John Smith."
Smith looked as though he had just seen a ghost or worse. "Pocahontas, that tree is talking to me."
"Then you should talk back," Pocahontas recommended.
"Don't worry," the tree said. "My bark is worse than my bite."
Sora shook his head. He knew this was only Grandmother Willow. True, he had just met the tree earlier, but it still made him question why this particular tree could speak. Pocahontas had "shown" him how the world was full of hearts — something he had finally realized. Only thing he still wondered, why was Grandmother Willow the only one who could talk?
"Say something," Pocahontas urged.
"What do you say to a tree?" Smith inquired.
"Anything you want!"
Smith cautiously stood up and looked at the tree's face. "So, uh… "
"Come closer, John Smith," Grandmother Willow told him. She eyed the young man carefully. Sora remembered how she'd done the same for him earlier. "He has a good soul, and he's handsome, too."
Smith smiled. "Oh, I like her."
Pocahontas smiled all the more. "I knew you would."
"Me, too," Goofy chuckled. "It's not every day ya meet such a nice tree."
"You said it," Launchpad agreed. He paused in thought. "Though, I'm not sure what 'it' is."
"Yeah," Sora affirmed. His famous smile was showing on his face. He was enjoying every minute of this. Perhaps one day, he should write a book about his adventures. Someone would read it and see everywhere he'd been. The people he'd met would be the characters. Of course, chances were, no one would believe the story, even though it had really happened.
"Smith! Smith! Where are ya mate?"
The group spun their eyes in the direction of the accented voice. Two men carrying rifle-shaped guns were approaching the clearing. They were both dressed in a similar manner to Smith. One had long, black hair. The other had red hair and a matching beard.
"Uh-oh!" Goofy worried.
"We can't let them see us," Smith informed the group. He and Sora ushered everyone behind Grandmother Willow's trunk. There wasn't enough room, so Donald and Goofy jumped into the bushes. Launchpad did the same, which only made Donald frown. They watched as the two men approached.
"This place give me the creeps," the red-haired man gulped. "Savages could be hiding anywhere. Maybe those beasts are with them."
"Aye," the black-headed man said in turn. "Well if you spot any, don't ask questions. Just shoot."
Sora felt his heart racing. For some reason, the turn-of-events unfolding around him just made him feel more and more anxious. He wasn't sure why. He saw Grandmother Willow frowning at the pair of men. The tree lifted raised a long root before the two men. They tumbled to the ground.
The black-haired man glared at the red-headed one. "Watch your feet, you big oaf!"
"It wasn't me!" the other man replied in defense. "It was the tree!"
The first man seemed to take this as a complete fantasy. "Oh, of course," he sarcastically returned. "The tree just felt like lifting its roots, and… "
The two men stared in alarm. Grandmother Willow had just lowered her root before their eyes. They gulped nervously. "Let's get out of here," the black-haired one suggested in a worried voice.
Before they could move, the sounds of things appearing seized everyone's attention. A small group of Shadow Heartless had appeared on the riverbank. Among them were a few larger Heartless Sora recognized as Large Bodies. These Heartless were big and bulky, and wore armor on the front side. He remembered how they could only be struck from behind. He sighed softly.
The two men stared at the Heartless in fear. "It's them again! Run!"
They took off like a gunshot. "But what about Smith?"
"He's a big lad! He can take care of himself!"
Once the two men had left, Sora summoned his Keyblade and glared at the Heartless gathered on the bank. He charged into the horde and started to fight. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were directly behind him. They slashed, struck, and slammed their weapons through the creatures. Sora quickly found himself surrounded by Large Bodies. He sighed in annoyance. He was about to slash at all of them at once when Goofy leaped into the middle and spun around wildly. "Oh boy-o!"
The knight's shield went clear through all the Heartless and vanquished them all. Sora thanked Goofy before returning to the battle at hand. It wasn't long before all the Heartless had been vanquished.
"I'm glad you're on our side," Smith congratulated Sora's team. He turned to Grandmother Willow. "Same with you."
"There's still some snap in these old vines," the tree replied.
Smith grinned. "I'd better get back before they send the whole camp out after me."
Pocahontas seemed sad. "When will I see you again?" she asked.
"Meet me tonight — right here," Smith answered. He started to walk into the forest after the two men.
Sora shook his head and sat around the area with his teammates. Well, he didn't exactly "sit". He leaned against a nearby tree, crossed his legs, and put his hands behind his head. He saw Donald plopping onto the ground beside the stump. Goofy was lying on his back with his legs crossed. His hands were tucked behind his head and he was watching the clouds far above. Launchpad was sitting on the riverbank, skipping some stones. They were all relieved the Heartless were gone.
"Well," Grandmother Willow perked up. "I haven't had this much excitement in two hundred years."
Pocahontas sighed deeply. "What am I doing? I shouldn't be seeing him again. I mean, I want to see him again."
"Who wouldn't? I want to see him again."
"But still, something inside me is telling me it's the right thing."
"Perhaps it's your dream."
"My dream?" Pocahontas's eyes seemed to light up. "Do you think he's the one the spinning arrow was pointing to?"
Grandmother Willow simply nodded. Sora and his friends all turned to their focus to the two. They each gave a nod in turn.
"Yeah," Sora approved.
"Why not?" Donald added.
"Don't be thinkin' too much," Goofy recommended.
"Makes sense to me," Launchpad remarked. "Even though I haven't any cents on me. Unless it's common sense… "
Sora shook his head at the pilot's comment. He wondered if Pocahontas had a point. Perhaps he didn't need Violet around after all. Maybe all he needed to do was bring both the native woman and English settler together. The only question was, how? At least he had until nightfall. There was a chance he could also learn why the Heartless were roaming about, too.
What did he have to lose?
The sounds of drums beating in the distance stole everyone's undivided attention. Pocahontas now showed worry on her face. "The drums," she realized. "They mean trouble. They're louder." She turned to the others. "We shouldn't be here."
"We can we go?" Sora asked. "Back to the village?"
Pocahontas nodded. "My father will know what's happening."
Sora nodded. He recalled having met Chief Powhatan earlier. Maybe he could be of some help. Perhaps the Native Americans had discovered the real source of the Heartless. Maybe another member of Xehanort's Organization was lurking in the foliage. Could Pete or Maleficent be responsible? He hadn't seen either of them for quite some time. Were they even around anymore? He wasn't sure. But he couldn't afford to take any chances. He made up his mind.
"Yeah," he agreed with the native princess. "Let's go back to the village."
Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded. Sora knew why. Donald and Goofy had never seen the village. Launchpad just wanted to do something. Hopefully he was not planning on crashing for a long, long, long, long time….
A/N: That's that! Another Chapter completed.
Donald Duck: And I got a gold coin! Well, what's next?
SoraLego278: You'll just have to wait and see. Now, I need to explain where in the movie this story takes place. It actually doesn't follow the movie exactly, as you can tell in this chapter.
Donald Duck: Why not?
SoraLego278: Mainly since I REALLY wanted to include the "Colors of The Wind" segment. I also wanted to have John Smith and the settlers already there. I originally wrote a version of Sora, Donald, and Goofy visiting Pocahontas's world a few years ago. It follows the movie, but it also feels strange when I read back over it. It lacks the style a Digital Storyteller would use and feels rather boring. That's why I decided to change things around. It made it more interesting for me - and creative, too. Of course, I don't like the way something is written, there's a pretty high chance none of the readers would like it either. That's just common sense when it comes to New Media.
Donald Duck: You sound like Walt Disney.
SoraLego278: Okay... Of course, there is a chance the majority of the next couple chapters will follow the movie. I won't say how either. If you've ALREADY seen the movie, you probably have an excellent idea about what's going to happen... maybe. If you haven't, that's alright. You can just wait for Chapter 15.
By the way, I did hide a Fourth Wall Joke in there... somewhere. See of you can find it!
Donald Duck: Oh boy!
SoraLego278: Lastly, what ELSE does Goofy think is "Ticklish?"
Donald Duck: Who knows?
SoraLego278: So Then, I'll See You Next Time!
Donald Duck: Aw phooey! I want some REVIEWS!
SoraLego278: You will get some - I promise. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!
DONALD IS GETTING UPSET ABOUT HAVING NO REVIEWS ON HIM!
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!"
Donald Duck: Bye-bye!