DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: HELLO THERE! CHAPTER 38 HAS ARRIVED!
Yes, yes! I know. I already posted Chapter 37 online on Sunday. Yet, seeing as Chapter 38 is a Short Chapter, I decided to get it done as rapidly as possible. Therefore, here it is!
To start off, I wanted to let you know it might be a while before I post Chapter 39. After all, THAT Chapter shall start off the next Disney-based world! I have "'special'" plans in mind for it! To be honest, I CANNOT WAIT TO GET STARTED WITH IT!
I won't tell you why - just that I am getting REALLY excited about the rest of "'Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light'"!
So,... I do not have much else to state here. Well... I suppose I could inform you about how Chapter 38 completes This Story's ACT II portion. ACT I consisted of Chapter(s) 1 through 7. Chapter(s) 8 through 28 composed ACT II.
So, up next is ACT III. Overall, I planned for FIVE ACTS For This Story!
In addition, please keep Reading AND Reviewing alike! After all, This Story is only just over its halfway point REVIEW-WISE! At this rate, the goal will NOT be met, which may result in the THIRD Story - the Sequel To "'Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light'" not being posted for a VERY Long Time! I might even consider cancelling it.
After all, "'Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light'" is the story I wanted to write the most - it is my FAVORITE STORY in This KH Story Set!
Anyways, I think it is time to READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE - WITH SEA-SALT ICE-CREAM ON TOP!
CHAPTER 38
Is It… Another Clue?
The library seemed rather quiet. Donald was under the impression that was normal. Why else did all libraries have that "No Talking" rule? He shoved the thought process out of his head and looked around.
Goofy and Launchpad were leaning over the desk, talking with Myrna. The young woman was showing them some pieces of paper and such. Aerith was on the second floor, seated at a desk. She was gently tapping a pencil against her lip and had her eyes focused on the stack of papers on the tabletop.
Donald sighed and leaned against the staircase's wooden handrail. This was one of those days when everyone else had something to do, and he had absolutely nothing to do except wait on them. He placed his hands in his lap and tilted his head forward. His eyes slowly closed, and before long, he was snoring soundly.
All he could picture was his hammock back home. All those cans of Gurgle-Up soda. His AJAX candy bars — the ones he'd always "bought" from the Junior Woodchucks. It was so easy to trick them since Huey, Dewey, and Louie were all members of that Boy Scout-like organization.
A loud sound jolted him awake. "Waak!"
Donald leapt into the air. He went straight up into the air and bonked his head against the ceiling. Down, down, down, down he went — directly into Amemi's outstretched arms. He gave a slight chuckle, an enormous grin showing over his mouth.
Sora shook his head. "Oh, Donald…. "
"Sorry, Sora," Donald apologized. "You two startled me when you jumped out of the book."
Amemi had to roll her eyes. She drew her arms back in so suddenly, the duck mage instantly fell to the floor with an audible THUD! She slapped her hands against each other. "I'm not your caretaker, Donald," she grumbled.
Donald laid there on the floor, his fingers tapping against the floor at a steady beat. His other hand was leaning against his chin and he had a scowl inscribed upon his face. "Very stupidly," was all Sora and Amemi were able to make out of his long line of gibberish.
Sora wanted to shake his head. He and his sister had just returned from the inside of Pooh's Storybook, and now Donald was on his case. The last time someone had been upset with him when he left that world, he had gotten a small scolding from Merlin for entering without waiting for the old wizard to return.
"Sora! Amemi! Yer back!" Goofy and Launchpad came rushing down the stairs. Aerith was directly behind them, although she was not running as fast.
Goofy swung around the banister at the bottom of the steps. He moved so rapidly, his feet flew wildly to the side and banged into Launchpad. The duck pilot was knocked into a slight daze, the knight's shoe's toes' metal plating having rammed into his head.
Launchpad stumbled around for a few moments. Stars, moons, and airplanes went swirling around his head as though he was in a graphic novel. He grabbed his head and leaned against the nearest bookshelf. The pilot's weight caused the bookcase to topple over, banging into the one behind it. The one behind that bookshelf was next. Then the next one. And the next one. Before long, all the bookcases were falling over like a line of dominos.
Books went flying. Loud crashing noises filled the library. When the last bookcase started to fall over, Indigo rushed out from the other side and dove onto the floor. The bookshelf crashed down upon the green tiles of the floor. The whole room shook for a couple of seconds.
To Sora and Amemi, the resulting movement resembled that of an earthquake happening back home on the islands. Such tectonic activity was quite common on the Destiny Islands, mostly since some of the islands were still active or dormant volcanoes. Fortunately, there had never been a tsunami there, at least as far as they knew; for Sora, that was not much.
Another small crash followed. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Aerith all looked to the desk behind the brown, spikey-headed Keyblader. Myrna was lying on the floor, her chair sideways on the floor. "Not again," the golden-haired girl sighed.
Launchpad shook his head as he came to. He pointed to the ceiling and chuckled. "What a crash!" he remarked. "I never thought I'd crash bookshelves in a library!"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, light-blue booklet. He opened it, flipped a few pages and used an inkpen to mark an "X" in it. "Just another crash to mark off the official 'Crash Everything List'!"
Donald stormed up to the pilot and grabbed the latter's scarf with such intensity, Launchpad's face was yanked down to his level. "Stop being so clumsy, ya big palooka!" he scolded. He pointed at Goofy. "One klutz is enough!"
Goofy shrugged. "Gawrsh, it was only an 'ack-see-dent'."
Sora wanted to smile and laugh. This reminded him of how everyone had reacted when Goofy had shown up in that crystal-filled fissure. For a while, they had believed he was dead, killed by being bonked on the head from a small rock and then slamming headfirst into a wall of blue stone. Of course, the knight had acted so calmly, even going as far as to say, "I get bumped on the head all the time", which only made Donald infuriated.
Indigo rose to her feet. She took flight and soared over to the group. She landed before Launchpad with such grace, it seemed unrealistic. She offered the pilot her head. "Are you alright?" she asked.
Launchpad put his hands against his hips and proudly stood like a recognized hero. "I've never been better!" he declared. He proceeded to take a step, only to get his foot caught in a pile of fallen books. He stumbled over and crashed onto the floor. "I meant to do that…. "
Indigo folded her arms and shook her head. "Let me help you up," she said, bending down to lend the duck pilot her hand.
A loud series of footsteps stormed from outside the doorway. Sora and the others turned their attention to the doors in time to see Leon, Yuffie, Reno, and Rude rush in.
Leon saw the mess of books and shook his head. He placed his hand to his face. "You've got to be kidding…. "
Yuffie crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. "A bunch of bookshelves falling. That's what made all that crashing? We thought there were Heartless in here."
Leon turned to Reno and Rude. "Can you both handle things here? Yuffie and I will check out the town."
"Might as well," Reno grinned. "Anything to stay away from that loud-mouth Elena."
"I heard that," a voice snapped over the hand-sized radio in the reddish-haired man's jacket pocket.
Rude shook his head. Leon and Yuffie headed out of the room and away from view. Reno and Rude proceeded to scoop up the fallen books. Myrna and Aerith scurried over to help them. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad quickly joined in the clean-up. Indigo was not too far behind.
Sora scratched the side of his face and gave a grin. "Sorry about this."
"It's okay," Aerith assured him. She stood and turned to the young man. Three books were trapped in her arms. "I had a feeling we should reorganize the shelves."
"I guess making this like a real library was a bad idea," Myrna added. "Even if someone could get lost again, maybe Lord Ansem's maze was better."
Sora wanted to shake his head. He recalled the maze of books and bookcases he, Donald, Goofy, and The Beast had been forced to solve in order to progress through this very room.
Amemi and the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder started to help pick up the mass of fallen books. Every color of the rainbow seemed to be mixed in the mounds of tomes.
As Sora scooped up a reddish book (that look familiar), a piece of torn paper caught his eye. The parchment was drifting down from the ceiling. He dropped the book in his hand and caught the torn scrap of paper. He quickly looked over the neat handwriting on it. He thought the writer must have had good penmanship. The text was easy to read.
"I nearly ran into a nun last night,
She seemed very nervous and rather clumsy and she slammed into me.
When I helped her pick up the bag of supplies she'd dropped, I saw a bright Light,
I wonder… is she trying to be someone she wasn't meant to be?
I encountered two kids earlier, one girl and one boy,
I could sense they were brother and sister, even as they continued to roam.
They looked lost, worried, and with no hope to deploy,
Should I have helped them find their way home?
Two others stick out,
They both have important roles, I should state."
He looked up in surprise. If his gut feeling was correct, this was one of the pieces of that mystery letter Master Yen Sid had told him about. The one for which the retired Keyblade Master had requested he locate the missing pieces. He remembered retrieving pieces of this letter from Master Yen Sid, Cody's mother in The Outback, and the piece Hacker, Buzz, Delete, and Scratch had dropped in that underground cavern. He wondered what was so significant about this letter. Why did Master Yen Sid want him to collect all these pieces?
There had to be a reason. Still, he was unsure what that explanation was. It was all so mysterious. It felt a little like one of those cases Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew might take up.
"What's that?"
Sora turned his eyesight to the right. There stood Amemi, her hands full of books. The teenager's shiny, blue eyes were fixated on the piece of the letter. "What are you holding?"
"It's part of a letter," he told her. "I just don't know what it means."
A soft gasp echoed from across the room. Sora and Amemi turned their focus over to Myrna. The young woman was hastily checking the pockets in her dress. "I thought I'd lost an important piece of paper," she said, strolling up to Sora. "And you found it."
Sora gave her a nod. "Yeah, but it seems to be part of this letter we've been collecting pieces from."
Myrna marched over to her desk and put down the books in her hands. "Can I see those pieces?"
Sora shrugged. If anyone might be able to make sense of all this, perhaps the golden-haired girl could. He and Amemi approached the desk. Seeing something going on, Goofy dropped the books he was carrying and hurried over. Donald jumped out of the pile of fallen books, waving his fists and shouting illegible gibberish.
"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Goofy inquired as he approached.
Sora, Amemi, and Myrna all swerved their attention to the knight. "It's the torn letter," Sora explained. "Remember?"
Goofy put his finger to his chin, an astounded look in his eyes. "Ya mean thuh one Master Yen Sid told us about?"
Sora gave another nod. "Yeah! That's the one."
He reached into his pocket and found Jiminy Cricket. Jiminy hopped off the young man's hand and landed onto the desk. He opened his small book and tossed out a few pieces of folded parchment. "This is all we have," he informed the group.
It was not long before Donald, Launchpad, and Indigo were with the others. One look at the pieces of torn paper and Indigo's eyes lit up. "I sense some mystical power coming from these scraps of paper," she commented, her antennae slightly wobbling.
Everyone turned to look at her. Indigo paused, a tad hesitant with how to respond. All those eyes staring at her made her feel, well… a little discomfort. She grabbed one of the torn papers and unfolded it. "I sense something mystical locked inside this paper," she elaborated. She proceeded to gesture at all the other papers. "The same is true for all these others."
Sora grabbed one of the papers. For some reason, he thought he felt some kind of energy inside the parchment. He was not sure what it was. Just that it was there. He turned to Myrna. "Can we hold on to your piece?" he asked.
Myrna smiled. "Sure," she answered. "It's all yours. It doesn't do any good around here."
She righted her chair. As Sora grabbed the pieces of torn paper, he noticed the golden-haired girl was looking directly at him. "Just please let me know what it means," she added. She gestured to all the books stil lying on the floor. "These books can't explain everything."
Sora nodded. He felt a small nudge in his side. He glanced at Amemi. The sandy-haired teenager handed him the book she had been reading earlier. One look at it and Sora recollected what it was supposed to be about.
That strange project he'd heard about — "Project C".
He nodded and turned to Reno and Rude. "Say, would you two show this to Even?"
The two men stopped what they were doing and headed over. Rude softly grunted as he took the book. "'Project C'," he muttered aloud, glancing over the title.
"Right," Reno said in a rather sarcastic tone of voice. He gave a decent-sized grin. "Hojo's lost project."
The reddish-headed man turned to Sora. "Your ride's all set to go. Just, be gentle, will ya? That old racecar's been through a lot."
"No kidding," Sora had to murmur.
Herbie had been through quite a lot on this single adventure. Launchpad had toppled the vehicle over the edge of a waterfall and damaged the wings in addition to scattering Gummi blocks all over the place. The modified racecar had been trapped in a deep snowbank following a crash-landing at the Beast's Castle. Then, there were all those other crashes at the marketplace in this world. Not to mention, a really rough landing in The Outback.
Clearly, Herbie needed to be treated a lot nicer than as some old racecar. He was the only living vehicle Sora had ever known. He possessed a heart, which was something the brown-haired youth had never expected to see in a car, Gummi Ship, etc.
"And the town's Heartless population is lessening," Reno went on. "But more and more are crowding around that fortress in Villain's Vale."
Amemi looked puzzled. "What's 'Villain's Vale'?"
"Gee," Goofy spoke up. "Ain't that thuh ruined place outside of town? The one with all them Heartless?"
"That's right," Reno approved. His grin grew large enough to show his somewhat-clean teeth. "You're not as slow as Lea said you were."
Sora crossed his arms in thought. If what was being stated here was true, then there was a major threat of Heartless located somewhere beyond the town. That odd-looking fortress in the distance had always looked peculiar. It felt like something straight out of a monster movie. It probably was, given all the Heartless that tended to gather around it.
For all he knew, that was the headquarters for Maleficent, Pete, Mortimer, the Beagle Boys, Don Karnage, and any other evildoers in their group. If what they'd learned was true, it sounded like Maleficent had organized everyone into some type of "council". He wondered what all those villains and villainesses were up to. What could they be plotting?
He knew one thing for certain. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be anything good. And with Christmas not too far off, the worlds were still in serious danger. And that meant they had work to do.
Sora nodded and bumped his fist against his chest. "We'll handle it — again!"
"Say, may-bee all them Heartless are super-duper ticklish!" Goofy blurted.
Everyone immediately spun around to face the tall dog. They all had startled, mystified look inscribed on their faces. Goofy looked at each of them and shrugged. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Okay," Sora said after a few minutes passed. He turned back to Reno and Rude. "Let us know if anything happens."
Amemi shook her head. She knew it was like her brother to react in a heartbeat. He was always leaping into stuff without taking the time to think things through. He automatically trusted every total stranger he met.
He was so naïve….
Sora's Keyblade suddenly appeared in his right hand. All eyes turned to it. The book in Reno's hand began glowing. Sora and the others all watched as the glow grew brighter. A beam of Light flew from the book and formed a large Keyhole-shape near the ceiling. Sora pointed his weapon at it. A beam of Light formed and shot out from the tip of the blade. It shone across the room in a single line and struck the shape above. The Keyhole-shape became as brilliant as it always did while it unlocked.
Once all the dazzling rays ceased, Sora gave a nod of comprehension. "Looks like it's time for us to go."
"Back to the King and Master Yen Sid?" Goofy inquired.
"Not yet," Sora replied. "Other worlds still need our help."
He turned to Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo. They all nodded in turn. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all saluted. "Okay, let's get going," Sora decided as Jiminy hopped into his pocket with all the torn papers safely back in his journal.
"Wait," Myrna said as the group headed for the exit.
Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all turned their attention back to the young woman.
"What's up?" Sora inquired.
"I wanted to know something. Who's going to perform in the 'Christmas Celebration'?"
"We are," Amemi said, pulling Sora in close. Sora gave a large grin, a little uncomfortable about being so close to his sister.
Myrna nodded. "Anyone else? I need to start the preparations now."
"I know!" Donald declared. He turned to Indigo. "Indigo and I will sing a song!"
Everyone else except Amemi and Indigo shook their heads. "That would be a terrible idea," Sora said. "Your voice has too much 'QUACK'."
Donald scowled. "Hey!"
Indigo took a deep breath. She approached Myrna. "I could try to sing for your event," she said.
"What song would you sing?" Myrna inquired, taking out a small notebook and pencil.
Indigo leapt into the air and hovered above everyone. "Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains," she sang out. Her voice seemed to carry throughout the room in a sweet, gentle style. For a moment, it might have felt like there was a siren in the library. "And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains!"
She extended her arms. "Glor-or-or-or-ria! In Excelsis Deo! Glor-or-or-or-ria! In Excelsis De-eo!"
Sora hastily held up his hands. "Okay, okay, we get the idea!"
Indigo landed super-gracefully back on the floor. "Well, how about 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing'? That is my favorite Holiday Song."
"Yeah!" Goofy agreed. "Yer singin' is really beautiful."
"Yeah!" Sora approved.
"Sure," Amemi smiled.
"Okay," Donald sighed in disappointment.
"And we'll do the instruments," Launchpad stated. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Amemi all turned to him in complete astonishment.
Sora had to rub his head. "Well, I guess I could try the keyboard. I had a few lessons…. "
"And they sounded terrible," Amemi indicated. "I'll do it with you."
"I could play thuh ge-tar!" Goofy proclaimed.
"And I'll hit the drums," Donald threw in. He nudged the knight. "That way, no one'll hear his terrible playing."
"What about if I play the electrical guitar?" Launchpad offered. "Twice the sound, twice the crashing!"
Donald fell backwards onto the floor. Amemi helped the magician back to his webbed feet. Myrna had to giggle, even if it was just a little. "That's all the information I'll need," she informed them.
Aerith placed her arms behind her back and smiled. "I believe this year's 'Christmas Celebration' will be the best ever."
Indigo politely curtseyed. "Thank you so very much!" she said. She turned to face Sora and the others. "I was not sure how good I was at singing. I used to practice on a stage in one of the worlds. Yet, that was a long time ago. I think everyone knew I was not a fairy, yet they were alright with my singing — and my storytelling."
She then turned to Amemi. "Now that I think about it, I once saw a fairy who looked similar to you, Amemi."
Amemi's eyes lit up in surprise. "Who was it?"
Indigo shrugged. "I never learned her name. Yet, her hair was the same color. She was busy writing down every word I said in the story. I wonder whatever became of her…. "
Amemi was bit perplexed. Had Indigo been to another world where fairies lived? She had never heard of such a place before. Maybe her brother knew about it. Either way, now was probably not the best time to inquire him about such.
Sora turned to his teammates. "Well, time to go!"
Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all nodded in return. Reno and Rude stepped aside, allowing the group to proceed out of the library and back to where Herbie awaited in the town's market. They knew they would (sooner or later) return to the Radiant Garden. Until then, other worlds were still calling.
They library now felt a little too quiet. Reno and Rude returned to picking up the fallen books. Myrna remained looking at the doorway.
"They will be back, won't they?" the golden-haired girl inquired.
Aerith smiled brighter. "Yes, they will."
Myrna scooped up a book off the floor. She took one look at the cover and stared at it in surprise. The title sounded a little like the starting lines of a classic fairytale — "Once Upon A Time".
There was a series of footsteps coming from the second floor. Aerith and Myrna both shifted their gaze up. Reno and Rude did the same seconds after. Leaning over the railing was the girl from the Medical Wing. Her pale skin seemed to be a little darker in the shadows. Her short, reddish hair seemed to point downwards on either side of her head and the back was tied into a small ponytail. She had a pair of bobby-pins stuck in her right bang; they criss-crossed each other in the form of an "X". Her face was smoother than expected and her chin came to a point above her neck.
Now that she was awake, it was clear she had reddish-orange eyes. She was holding a small bag of ice to her head. Plus, she was still wearing the tannish patient uniform.
"What was all that racket?" she groaned, wincing at the pain on her head. "It woke me downstairs."
Aerith and Myrna both stared at one another. They smiled, relieved to know the unknown girl was alright.
The circular chamber with the rising water in the walls was rather quiet. Well, it would have been silent had Pete and one other not been watching a projection of Sora's team in the middle of the room. The six friends had just departed from the castle's library.
Pete snorted at the display and pounded his fists onto the floor. "I could've had 'em if they weren't so meddlin'-ish!"
The other figure shook his head. Pete knew who this guy was. He was a tall, slender man with dark-black hair and blue eyes and decked on in a nice, black suit. His constant glare always made Pete feel uncomfortable, which did not help since the man's left hand had been replaced with a metal claw.
The man snapped his claw shut, which only made Pete jump back a few inches. "I believe they're heading for Doc Terminus's world," he remarked. He turned to Pete. "It's time to let Maleficent know."
He headed out of the room. Pete remained behind. A feeling of relief washed over him, knowing that snapping claw was no longer around him.
A few minutes passed. That was when the Beagle Boys came strolling into the chamber. They looked quite surprised, almost like they had seen the impossible happen.
"What's with yer reactions?" Pete enquired.
"Maleficent was really calm," one of the taller Beagle Boys said.
"And she didn't punish Mortimer," the other tall Beagle Boy added.
"She gave him a second chance," the third and short Beagle Boy elaborated.
Pete snorted at the thought of Mortimer getting a second chance. Then again, he wondered what had spurred Maleficent — The "Mistress of All Evil" — to show mercy. He was not sure, only that it sounded out-of-character for her.
One thing was for certain. Such behaviors would be quite a rare sight. A rare sight, indeed.
Riku calmly strolled down the flights of stairs from Master Yen Sid's study. As he went around all the twists and turns, his mind went back to what Mickey had told him.
Apparently, the King had released Niccole from the dungeons underneath Hollow Bastion's castle. Deep down, Riku knew the golden-haired girl cared about him. Ever since he had first seen her singing with those flowers, she had seemed to stick to him like peanut butter stuck to jelly on a sandwich. No matter how many times he had tried to let it all go, it kept coming back.
He wished her could hop into a time machine and change the past. Like in those movies about the scientist and his young friend from the 1980s. He wanted to make up for his mistakes.
However, like Xehanort's Heartless had told him, he knew he could not change the past. What was done was done. It was impossible to erase past events. The only thing he could change was the future.
Maybe… maybe now was the time he needed to start. Perhaps he couldn't start over. Yet, that did not mean he couldn't try to fix things. He knew he could not ask Mickey for help. This was his problem and he needed to resolve it himself.
He reached the last turn and saw the first floor of the tower. There was Niccole, sitting on the last step, her eyes looking down at the book in her hand. Her golden ponytail was gone, replaced by flowing hair that seemed to reach down to the step behind her. As he took another step closer, Riku saw her green ribbon was absent. Either she had removed it, or….
…Or it had fallen out.
Riku took a deep breath, knowing now was as good a time as any to repair his relationship. He continued down the steps. As he proceeded, something caught his eye. There was a greenish ribbon lying on the step where he was just about to place his foot.
His eyes lit up. Niccole's ribbon. She had not removed it. Somehow, it must have slipped free. He scooped it up in his hand and slowly approached the young woman.
"Niccole?" he said.
Niccole turned her head and nearly leaped up when she saw Riku standing beside her. She gave a relieved sigh and closed the book in her lap. She put it to the side and held her right hand above where her heart was. "You startled me."
"Sorry," Riku said. He sat down on the step beside her. He stretched out his legs and turned his head to face the young woman. He held out his hand, revealing the ribbon. "Did you lose this?"
Niccole's eyes lit up. She quickly felt the back of her hair and nodded. "I didn't know it was gone!" she declared, her eyes growing wide in alarm.
Riku handed the green ribbon over. Niccole grabbed it and carefully tied it back in place. She gave a small smile. "Thank you, Riku."
Riku gave a nod in return. "What were you reading?"
Niccole showed him the book's cover. The title read, "Her Handsome Hero". "It's an interesting story," she explained. "It's all about this young man named Gideon who tries very hard to become a hero so he can…. "
Her voice trailed off. Riku found himself feeling curious. "'So he can' what?" he questioned.
Niccole took a deep breath. "…So he can prove himself for the woman he loves," she put the book aside and put her hands in her lap. A shy smile formed on her face. "I know, it sounds silly."
Riku shook his head. "Not at all. I once was the same way, always trying to prove I was strong for everyone back home. They looked up to me like I was their hero."
Niccole's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Really? You never told me this."
"It's not something I like to look back on. All those competitions with Sora were pointless. I never should have put him and Kairi through so much. I just wanted to prove I was strong — like the character from my favorite video game."
"You thought you were weak?"
"I don't know. I always wanted to stand out — become a hero. Like in those fairy tales. I wanted to be someone. My Dad was a good man, always working hard in his office. He spent his time making video games," Riku gazed at Niccole. "Including the one I played all the time."
Niccole put her hand against her lip. "I see. You wanted to be like your father."
Riku shook his head. He rose to his feet and took a few steps forward. "I didn't want to be a 'good' man," he admitted. He turned to face the golden-haired girl. "I wanted to be a 'great' one. I wanted to be Prince Charming, Thomas Edison, and Walt Disney — all in one!"
He looked down at the floor and gave another deep sigh. "But I failed. I'm no one's hero. I'm not a 'good' person. I'm a victim of my own Darkness."
Niccole took a deep breath and rose to her feet. She approached the silver-haired youth and put her hand on his shoulder. "I know you have regrets," she said in a soft voice. She looked down. "I have some, too. I really wish I could have done something to Hojo in the Organization's fortress, but I… I couldn't. I couldn't avenge my mother."
Riku looked up in surprise. "Wait! Are you saying that 'Hojo' guy did something to your Mom?"
Niccole removed her hand and turned away. "It's quite a long story," she admitted. "One that's too personal to say."
Riku kept his eyes locked onto the young woman. Niccole did not respond, let alone acknowledge that he was still there. For a moment, he wondered if she was alright. Then again, it sounded as though something tragic had happened to her mother.
Violet peeked in through the doorway. There was Riku standing a feet steps away from Niccole. The young woman's head was down and turned away from the angel's view. Riku gave a deep sigh and headed for the staircase.
Violet gave a deep sigh of her own. She turned away and let the door close. She let her legs give way and slid down the wooden doorway to the stone steps below. She sat there, not sure what to do. She tucked her arms and legs in. Her antennae started to droop, even though they were not soaked.
"I wish I never had traversed between them," she said to herself. "This is all my culpability."
Violet looked up into the sky. She saw a few stars up above sparkling like diamonds. Two of them reminded her of Riku and Niccole. Another three seemed to take after Sora, Riku, and Kairi.
Three others seemed to group together rather closely. One was orange, the other two were green and blue. For some reason, the angel thought she sensed something intriguing about these three stars. A sensation of sorrow seemed to linger on them….
Violet gave a deep sigh. "Perhaps, I shall depart for the outlying spreads of the worlds, or perhaps I shall issue my resignation as a Keyblade Master," she tucked her head in. "Yet, I cannot decide which one to commence."
A small tear slid down her cheek. She pulled her wings around her. "What shall I do?"
In a far-flung world, a young man in a black-hooded coat was looking out across a vast plain. The grasslands below were greener than anything he had seen back home. All those flat-topped trees were so distinct, he could make them out from atop the tall mountain he was looking out from.
In the distance, the Sun started to rise. The man's reddish hair seemed to blend in with the rays of the morning's light. A slight wind picked up, slightly shifting his hair.
He reached out his arms and declared in a loud, clear voice,
"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess.
We seek it thus, and take to the sky.
Ripples form on the water's surface.
The wandering soul knows no rest."
Loud trumpeting sounds and roars were the only answers.
A/N: THAT'S THAT! CHAPTER 38 IS COMPLETE AND FIVE MORE DISNEY-BASED WORLDS ARE AWAITING DOWN THE ROAD AHEAD!
I suppose you shall want a HINT, am I correct? Well, before I give it to you again, I would like to go over a few things.
(1.) Donald's reminiscing over "'Gurgle-Up Soda'", "'AJAX'", and "'Junior Woodchucks'" were references to Classic Donald Duck Graphic Novels/Comics!
(2.) Yes, I DID enjoy including the "'LIBRARY INCIDENT'"! It actually makes me think of Disney's "'An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000)'"!
(3.) KEEP IN MIND ALL THOSE PIECES OF THAT TORN LETTER! IT MIGHT HAVE A LONGER ROLE IN THE STORY ARCS TO COME!
(4.) Do you remember Villain's Vale from "'Kingdom Hearts 2'"? That was the fortress where Maleficent and Pete were for much of the story!
(5.) As for Goofy's statement, "'Say, may-bee all them Heartless are super-duper ticklish!'", it was NOT in the original Storyline Summary! You have GOOFY to thank for that small interruption!
(6.) Yes, I honestly DO believe Donald has a terrible singing voice. Listen to him in the Atlantica Musical in "'Kingdom Hearts 2'"!
(7.) I cannot tell you specifically who the reddish-haired girl from the Medical Wing is. It would be a [SPOILER]! Plus, I gave some Hints as to where that character originated back at the end of Chapter 34!
Perhaps I should restate what I stated then:
I WILL Tell You All THIS MUCH! IF YOU WISH TO LEARN THE IDENTITY OF THAT CHARACTER NOW, LOOK UP THE ANIMATED SHOW ON NETFLIX!
Not enough information? Here are the show's initials: "GF"!
STILL Not enough information?! Here is a HINT to help you figure it out!
HINT: "SHE IS ONE OF FIVE GIRLS WHO TRY TO SAVE EARTH AND THE 'KINGDOM OF [FAIRYTALES]' FROM A GROUP OF DANGEROUS VILLAINS! THEIR MAIN GOAL IS TO BRING ABOUT HAPPY ENDINGS! THEY LIVE IN A REAL-LIFE FAIRY-TALE, AFTER ALL!"
I HOPE THAT IS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO HELP YOU PINPOINT WHO THE CHARACTER IS AND WHERE SHE CAME FROM! I SHALL BE REVEALING ALL OF IT AT A LATER DATE - HOPEFULLY, SOMETIME IN 2017!
~KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT~
(8.) I know I included some references to the ABC Show, "'ONCE UPON A TIME'" in there!
(9.) Yes, yes! Riku DID mention Walt Disney! Someone once told me it would most-likely be impossible for Sora, Riku, Kairi, King Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy to be aware of Walt Disney since they are fictional characters. Still, I have the feeling that, if Sora and the others know the names of the worlds they have visited, and there IS world called "'DISNEY CASTLE/DISNEY TOWN'", perhaps SOMEONE is aware of Walt Disney? Imagine if everyone knew about Tetsuya Nomura, too! Then again... I think that is Enough for now!
(10.) I nearly wanted to cry when I read back over the scene with Violet. The fact she is blaming herself for what happened between Riku and Niccole made me feel sorry for her. Technically, it was not her fault (I'm sure you have noticed this). Yet, that does not mean she has accepted such. For the record, I am only pointing this out for those of you who decided to read the Author's Notes first.
(11.) Try To Guess Where The Last Scene Takes Place - The One With The Man In Black! HINT: "'It's The African Savanna!'"
With all that done and taken care of, it is time to Renew the "'RIDDLE HINT'" for the next, upcoming Disney-based world featured in THIS Story!
HINT: "SORA AND HIS TEAM VENTURE TO A FAR-FLUNG COASTAL TOWN WHERE RUMOR HAS IT THERE IS A MYTHICAL CREATURE RUNNING AMOK! ONLY THE LOCAL L.H. KEEPER MIGHT KNOW THE TRUTH! MYTH AND TRUTH EXIST SIDE BY SIDE, ALONG WITH A CANDLE ON THE WATER! A SECRET TO AMEMI'S STORY IS YET TO COME TO LIFE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS MORE LIKELY TO COME TO LIGHT!"
IF You Believe You Know What World Is Up Next, Please Post Your Answers In The REVIEWS Section For THIS CHAPTER!
So Then, I'll See You 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!" In Addition, "Fly With You All Later!"