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

A/N: I HAVE RETURNED - WITH CHAPTER 42!
As you can imagine, this is also The Last Chapter for the world of COASTAL TOWN... !
Therefore, it should be time to celebrate, correct?

Well... not just yet. I have a few things to say now.

Here is some TRIVIA for all of you who are reading This Chapter!
DID YOU KNOW? The song, "'Candle On The Water'", is One of Two Disney Songs from 1977 to be nominated for the Academy Award For Best Original Song. The other song was "'Somebody's Waiting For You'" from Disney's "'The Rescuers (1977)'".
Sadly, neither of them won the award. Instead, it was awarded to a song titled, "'Love OF Your Life'", which was from a movie of the same name. Since I have never seen that movie nor heard the song, I cannot comment specifically on either of them.

Yes, I have seen the latest trailer for "'Kingdom Hearts 3'"! I noticed how they have shown quite a lot of footage of OLYMPUS COLISEUM, yet the Coliseum itself has still not appeared. And I did enjoy the scene involving Maleficent, Pete, and Hades.
One thing about the last scene, I noted how Goofy seemed more pugnacious than Donald Duck. For the record, "'pugnacious'" means somebody who likes to fight a lot. Talk About A Switch!

One last thing, I have seen Two Disney Movies in less than a month now!
On Sunday, May 28TH, 2017, I saw Disney's "'Pirates OF The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)'"! It was surprisingly good, considering how the fourth movie [(Disney's "'Pirates OF The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2017)'")] turned out.
On Sunday, June 19TH, 2017, I saw Disney-Pixar's "'CARS 3 (2017)'"! Yes - That WAS Just Yesterday! I REALLY Enjoyed it! It was nice to see a continuation of the first movie, even with its own twists and turns along the way!
Overall, I declare that BOTH of those movies were Outstanding!

So Then, The Time Has Come!
YOU MAY READ AND REVIEW ALIKE! PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! I REALLY WANT TO GET TO THE NEXT STORY!
THERE ARE STILL 110 REVIEWS LEFT TO GO BEFORE THE GOAL OF 240 REVIEWS IS MET! YET, THERE ARE ONLY 28 MORE CHAPTERS TO COME!
IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE?! I CERTAINLY HOPE SO!

(

CHAPTER 42
Not A Heartless Dragon

The sky had an ominous dark tone to it by the time Amemi, Pete, and Doctor Terminus reached the town square. The wind was picking up, sending high waves crashing into the shoreline. The boats swayed against the moving ocean, their sails fortunately tied down. If not, the fabric would have been torn apart by the gale-force winds.

Amemi's eyes were focused on the sky at this time. She had seen this view before. Once, a long time ago. Say… at least two years ago? She just could not place the exact date and/or time.

Besides, her mind was fixated on helping Pete find Elliott. According to Dr. Terminus, the dragon had barged into the town and started creating quite the calamity. To be honest, she did not quite believe such a story. After all, Elliott had never been a violent creature. Just a playful, innocent one.

Unless the Heartless had anything to do with a possible change in behavior. Whatever the case, she was not about to let anything terrible happen to Elliott. Chances were, everyone had cornered the now-terrified dragon in an alley or inside a large warehouse. Maybe even a boathouse.

Terminus pointed to a large boathouse on the edge of the town's square. Like Amemi had expected, the building was old and worn. And it had the stench of millions of fish and the taste of seawater mixed into one. "He's in there!" Terminus declared. "Come on!"

The doctor rushed forward and helped Pete and Amemi open the doorway into the building. "Elliott!" Pete yelled once they were inside.

"Elliott!" Amemi added.

The boathouse seemed rather empty. There was no sign of Elliott anywhere in sight. Amemi frowned, suspecting a trick.

Hoagy came forward, a trying-to-hold-back-his-laughter look on his face. "Did I say the primary was really the tertiary?" he asked, gesturing to the ceiling.

Terminus, Amemi, and Pete all shifted their gazes upward. A number of fishermen were dangled from the nets hanging from the ceiling. Many of them were tangled into the netting so much, they were practically failing their arms and legs around.

Terminus frowned. "Never!"

"Where's Elliott?" Pete inquired.

"Nowhere!" a voice declared in return. Pete screamed, forcing Amemi to spin around. There was Pete, now trapped in the hands of the Gogans. All four of them held him down, covering his mouth the best they could. "Your hokey-pokey dragon's out helping Santa Clause pull his sled!"

Amemi took out her slingshot. "Let him go!" she glared.

A pair of arms wrapped around her torso. The sandy-haired teenager found herself yanked back into someone's clutches. Her slingshot bounced a few times after it hit the floor. A hand clamped over her mouth. "Ha cha cha!" a voice gave a sinister laugh. "Looks like I've got the catch of today!"

Amemi knew that voice. She had heard it once before, back in The Outback. That tall, anthropomorphic mouse with the long snout. The one who was aligned with Maleficent's Council.

Mortimer Mouse.

The Gogans wrestled around with Pete as the latter struggled to break free. Dr. Terminus saw all this and turned to them. "Okay, okay," he chided. "Tear him to pieces in your own time. Right now, he is the bait for the trap."

He indicated a small space beyond where all the fishermen and dock workers were re-installing a network of nets, clearly intended to catch something large. Amemi knew what they were up to. Everyone was attempting to capture Elliott.

"Take him in there where that thing can see him when he comes through the door," Terminus instructed. "He'll head straight for Pete. We spring the trap. After the tertiary net drops on him," he turned to Cinnamon Teal, who only looked like a duck-woman to Amemi. "I'll give you the signal, and you fire the harpoon right into the middle."

"No! No!" Pete yelled.

"Yes! Yes!" Terminus countered. "Got it?"

"Got it!" Hoagy nodded. He paused. "But what I don't got is,… h-h-how you gonna get that monster, that hideous beast, that nightmare sent by the devil, to come here?"

"Easy," Terminus turned to his assistant. "We get someone he knows to bring him here."

"Well, who'd be crazy enough to do that?"

Terminus gave a sinister grin at Hoagy. The latter started shouting in protest and panic. "NO! NO!" he hollered out loud.

"He knows you. He trusts you."

"He scares me! He hates me!"

"Hoagy, we are all on this Earth for a purpose, and the time for your purpose is now. I know that inside this pale, frail, pathetic shell of a man there is a Vesuvius ready to erupt," Terminus turned his full, undivided attention to his assistant. "Now, I've know you, man and beast, since… since you were nothing. But now, Hoagy, now… you're still nothing."

Hoagy looked down. Terminus frowned. "But you could be something! You can be a somebody. A legend, Hoagy — a legend in your own lifetime, not a joke! The moment's here, Hoagy. Grab it!"

Hoagy raced for the exit. As Terminus turned back to Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal, the red-haired man came rushing back in a panic. "NO!" he whimpered.

Dr. Terminus pointed to the doorway. "Get out!" he ordered.

Hoagy sped out the open doorway, a lit lantern in hand. Amemi tried again to break free from Mortimer's grip. The tall mouse's grasp was too much for her to handle.

She hoped Sora was already on his way.

The waves crashed against the shore less than two yards away from the cavern's entrance. Hoagy peered into the darkness of the cave. He could hear the deep snoring of the dragon further inside. His hands trembled, barely keeping the lantern steady.

"E-Elliot," he whimpered. "C-Can you come out here for a second? Please?"

A loud snore echoed about the cavern. Hoagy gasped. C-Could this be Elliott coming after him? He hoped not! "Wake up," he called out. "W-W-Wake up!"

A silhouette deep inside the cave stirred and started to snarl. Hoagy had never been so uncomfortable in years! For all he knew, this dragon was about to charge at him and either set him on fire or devour him in a flash. He certainly hoped neither would happen!

The large dragon he had seen before came marching into view. He green, scaly skin looked dull in the darkness, and his messy hair was cloaked in shadow.

Hoagy started to whimper and ducked down. "D-D-Don't get n-n-nervous!" he gulped. "I'm a friend."

Elliott scowled and snorted some thick, black smoke out of his nostrils. Hoagy yelped. "Don't roast me!"

Elliott started to snarl. Hoagy trembled in fear. What was the dragon doing? Was he about to strike him down? Was he on the verge of setting the cavern ablaze and roasting him into a crispy marshmallow for his nighttime snack?

"Boo!" Elliott said in a very playful way.

Hoagy ducked down all the way. He barely held onto the lantern in his hands. He looked back. The dragon was laughing. Knowing the creature had not meant him any harm, and was simply playing a prank on him, the red-haired man started to speak. "H-Hon… Honest. I have a m-m-m-message about P-P-Pete!"

Elliott stopped and stared at him, eagerly awaiting the news. "T-The G-G-Gogans," Hoagy stammered in hesitation. "Got P-P-P-Pete!"

Elliott snarled, a dark glare in his eyes. He bellowed so loudly, it echoed about the cave. It quickly became a roar. Hoagy was so started by this, he dropped the lantern. The object crashed onto the floor and went out. Glass shattered all over the place. Elliott stomped over and grabbed Hoagy by the back of his suit jacket. He marched to the exit of the cave and took flight (even though it was only a few inches off the ground).

"Follow me!" Hoagy declared in a panic. He could tell Elliott seemed to already know which direction to head in. He assumed it was something a dragon automatically knew.

Instinct, perhaps?

A deafening thunderclap filled the air. The sharpness of the explosive sound was enough to make Donald jump into Goofy's arms. The knight stumbled backward and bumped into Launchpad which resulted in all three of them tumbling onto the ground. Sora stopped and turned around. He sighed, knowing the storm was starting to get to him and his friends. He turned back and proceeded down the street ahead.

The lack of daylight had made it difficult to tell exactly where they were in the town. Most of the buildings around them were full of darkness. Either the town's electricity had gone out, or nobody was home. He hoped it was latter.

The group passed the schoolhouse. The walls had been torn down and were in the process of being replaced. No workers were there, however, making the place look spooky. Much of the town looked empty and lifeless. That, and some very large, very strong Shadow Heartless were roaming the streets.

He shrugged it all aside and continued to battle the way through. If this Darkness was part of the Darkness Storm like Indigo had claimed, then it as not a good sign — not good at all!

At last, the group arrived in the town square. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo looked around. The place seemed completely deserted, with the exception of some rather powerful-looking Heartless. One of the creatures resembled a magician with a black cape and red wand. Its top hat was a silver color.

Sora scowled at the monsters. "First things first," he told the others as he summoned his Keyblade. "We've gotta get rid of these Heartless! Then we can search this area."

Donald had his wand out in no time and was sending ice attacks of the Blizzara level all around. Goofy smashed his way into three dozen Air Soldier Heartless after Launchpad grabbed him and hurled him into the air like a rocket.

Indigo leapt into the air and used her wand to send attack of various magical forms around the square. Heartless after Heartless was obliterated. Sora charged around, striking down each and every Heartless that crossed his path.

Before long, it was the five friends against the Crooked Magician Heartless. The creature removed its top hat and bowed in a rather polite manner for a monster. Sora turned to Indigo. "I thought you were going to use your Keyblade for this."

Indigo's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes! I nearly forgot I have one," she smiled. "I am used to wielding a mystical wand."

She put her wand away and held out her hand. In a flash of Light…. The wand returned. Indigo was startled and shocked alike. "I do not understand. Where is the Keyblade?"

"May-bee it disappeared?" Goofy suggested.

With a sigh of annoyance, Sora readied his weapon. "Never mind! We'll worry about that later."

He glared at the Heartless before them. The creature waved its wand. A chunk of blue ice appeared in the air and descended for them. "Look out!" Donald screamed.

The five rushed off in different directions. The ice smashed onto the pavement, shattering into a multitude of pieces. Sora whirled his attention back to the Heartless. The enemy pointed its hat towards him. A ball of Darkness shot out. In one swift movement, Sora rolled out of the way. The sphere crashed down where he had been moments before.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked as he blocked another sphere the Heartless shot his way. "I always thought there was bunnies in magic hats."

"Not this guy!" Launchpad declared. He pointed his gas-gun at the Heartless and fired four times. The projectiles seemed to irritate the creature to the point it turned to the pilot. Goofy slid in front of Launchpad and blocked the creature's wand when the latter swung it their way.

Donald raised his wand. "Thundara!"

A series of decent lightning bolts rained down onto the Heartless. The monster whirled its focus to the duck and shot another dark sphere from its hat. Donald was unable to get out of the way and ended up thrown into the air when the sphere exploded onto the ground. "Help!" he yelled in alarm.

Indigo was so busy trying to find a vantage point to launch a successful fiery attack, she did not notice Donald falling her way. The duck mage landed in her arms, pulling the angel down to the ground.

Sora raced towards the Heartless again. He raised his Keyblade and, with a yell of "It's over!", he slashed the blade clear through the enemy's head. The Heartless started to shrivel before it stopped moving and fell to the ground. A gigantic, glowing heart escaped its body and the creature vanished from sight.

Sora wiped some sweat off his forehead. He was relieved the Heartless had been defeated. He turned both left and right, glad to see his teammates were alright. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo headed back over to him.

"Are you alright?" Indigo asked.

"Yeah," Sora swiftly answered. "No worries!"

He looked around the square. Only two buildings had lights on. One of them he could tell was most-likely the town hall. Its formal appearance and neat architecture seemed to possess that vibe. That, and he could make out the distant voices of some people in there, including Mayor Howell.

Nope. That was not the correct way to find Dr. Terminus and Cinnamon Teal. The only other place was an old boathouse that looked run-down. The doorway was closed and seemed to be getting battered by the strong gusts of wind blowing all around.

As Sora neared the structure, Indigo's antennae started to vibrate. She gasped. "There is a powerful Darkness coming from inside this boathouse," she informed the others. She pointed into the sky above the building. "Look up there! The Darkness sphere is floating above it."

Sora's eyes shot straight up. To his shock, there it was. The sphere of Darkness. It was nearly an exact copy of the one he had seen that fateful night. The reddish glow from the inside of the ball looked more ominous than a ghost carrying an orange-tinted candle on Halloween night.

Knowing it was only a matter of time before everything and everyone in this world would be swallowed up in that very sphere, Sora marched up to the doorway and summoned his Keyblade. Behind him, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo all did the same. With a deep breath, Sora pushed the doorway open. "Here we go," he said in confidence.

The doors swung inward. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo could not believe what they were seeing. The inside of the boathouse seemed to be in an uproar. A number of fishermen and dock workers were trying to use a series of nets, ropes, and canvases to hold down a giant creature. The shape of it reminded Sora of a dinosaur, something like the skeleton of such a creature he had seen at the museum back home.

His mind stopped. Could this shape actually be the dragon Pete and Amemi had been talking about? "Is that… ?" he could barely get the words out of his mouth.

"A dragon!" Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all declared at once.

"A real one!" Indigo realized. "It is not something from a fairy tale!"

Sora was still having a difficult time accepting the fact he was looking at a real dragon — right here. Right now. In this very boathouse. How was this even possible?!

Then again, he had seen a multitude of impossible things during his adventures. He recalled how nothing in Wonderland had made any sense. He had hopped across hippopotami in the Deep Jungle. He had flown on a magical carpet across the desert sands of Agrabah. He had flown through the sky in Never Land. And that was all in his first quest.

What about this one? He had taken part in an expedition in search of the lost continent of Atlantis. He had gone over the edges of at least two waterfalls and not gotten badly hurt or killed. He had ridden on a giant snake back in The Outback.

In addition to lots of other things, Sora knew he had basically done the impossible on more than one occasion. He just needed to accept it. Even if it seemed it would make even sense to do that.

The seventeen-year-old's mind returned to reality in time see something else. Dr. Terminus was on the other side of the room. His assistant, Hoagy, was beside him, cowering low to the floor. The black-haired man was pointing a harpoon at the shape struggling in the middle of the building.

Sora's eyes lit up in total alarm. He knew what this meant. He rushed forward, Keyblade in hand. "Hey!" he shouted. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Before Sora could have counted to two, he was whisked up into the air and rapidly found himself tumbling inside of… a net? He was caught in a large, fisherman's net. And a strong one, too. He tried to slice his way out using the Keyblade. No good. The ropes forming the net had been wound together too tightly.

A second net was yanked into the air. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were in it. Sora looked back down below. Only Indigo was on the floor. Cinnamon Teal was less than five feet away from her and closing in with….

His mind stopped. It was Mortimer Mouse — the same tall, anthropomorphic mouse he had believed was lost back in The Outback, or so it had seemed. And he knew Mortimer was a member of Maleficent's Council. There was no denying that fact!

When he saw Amemi down below trapped in the claws of some Heartless, Sora wanted to rush down there and rescue his sister. His promise. He had to keep it!

He looked back at Indigo. The angel had her wand out and was holding it in both hands like it was a club. Both evildoers were almost upon her. Knowing he could not allow her to fight alone, the spikey-haired youth pointed his weapon at the net's higher strands. "Fira!" he declared.

A medium-sized ball of flame shot out from the Keyblade and struck the netting. The ropes immediately went up in flames. The threads snapped apart, causing the net to fall into pieces. Sora jumped through the gap and flipped as he descended to the floor.

He landed, feet-first between Indigo and Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal. He positioned his Keyblade into his fighting stance.

"Sora!" Indigo declared. "I am so glad you are alright."

"Don't worry," Sora told her. "I can handle myself, but it seems you need some help. Right?"

Indigo had to shake her head and smile. "Sora, your heart is nowhere close to the level of Darkness I was sure it was at."

That made Sora beam with delight and determination. He was still no good at handling compliments. He doubted he ever would be any better at it. Even so, he knew he still had to rescue Amemi from these corrupt manipulators of the Heartless.

"Ha cha cha," Mortimer laughed, drawing the Keyblade wielder's attention. "Ya think yer so bad just because you've got yerself a Keyblade. I could've had one too, if I hadn't been rejected by Yen Sid."

Cinnamon Teal glanced at the taller mouse. "You never said you almost had a Keyblade."

"It was a long time ago, toots."

Sora sighed in annoyance. He needed to concentrate on saving his sister, the dragon, and Pete… who he still had not located in this place — yet. He turned his head to Indigo. "Set the others free," he told her. "I'm going after Amy!"

Indigo smiled. "I understand! Let's move out!"

She leapt into the air and was airborne in no time. Mortimer reached into his pockets and pulled out a pair of silver and gold pistols, one in each hand. "Ya won't get to them in time," he stated, pointing the weapons towards the angel.

Sora rushed past Cinnamon Teal so fast, the duck woman was sent spinning in place. She fell onto the floor and held her head with her right hand, a bit dazed. The brown-haired young man did not look back. He swung his Keyblade clear through the Heartless keeping Amemi captive. The teenage girl elbowed the Large Body Heartless behind her, forcing the creature's shield to break off and the whole monster to explode into Darkness.

Amemi rushed away from the enemies and reached her brother in the nick of time. "Thank you, Sora," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. I was…. "

Sora held up his hand. "I know, Amy. You think I don't trust you," he returned his focus back to the Heartless. "But let's worry about that later. We've gotta get rid of these Heartless and save Elliott."

Amemi gave a nod. "Leave it to me!" she declared.

The sandy-haired teen pulled out her slingshot and pointed it directly at the complexes of netting, rope, and canvas pinning Elliott to the floor. She fired two shots at it while Sora rushed forward and slashed the last few Heartless in the room out-of-existence.

The trap collapsed when Amemi's shots hit its two critical points (the pulleys on the ceiling). People were thrown about as Elliott shoved the canvas, nets, and ropes away. As the dragon stood up, Sora turned to him and his mouth dropped open.

There he was, face to face with a real dragon. And a green one, too, with messy, purplish hair. The creature's head did resemble that of a camel, and he had the neck of a crocodile. And he did seem to resemble a half-fish, half-mammal being.

Just as Pete had claimed. Speaking of which, where was the young boy? Sora turned to his sister. "Amy, where's Pete?"

Amemi opened her mouth to speak. Loud gunshots filled the air. The two swerved their attention to the left. There was Mortimer, firing his pistols into the air over and over. Indigo was flying around above, desperately trying to dodge the attacks.

"Ha cha cha!" Mortimer gave a sinister laugh. "Yer more pathetic than that stupid, smelly Pete!"

Indigo scowled. "Do not compare me to someone on your level!"

When she saw Indigo was fluttering around and around the netting where Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were being held, Amemi began feeling something she had not felt for a long time. The determination to rush in and attack.

She stormed a few feet closer to Mortimer and jumped. Her right foot went forward as she flew through the air. With an audible WHAM!, her foot slammed into Mortimer's back and knocked the villain onto his stomach. His two weapons went flying across the floor.

Sora gasped in complete surprise. Had his sister really just used a karate-style move? He wondered where she had learned such a thing. After all, she had never taken a martial arts class in her life. Then again, she had also kicked Don Karnage in the face back Bueno Nacho HeadQuarters.

…Perhaps she was capable of looking after herself. Then… what about the promise? How would he keep it now? So many questions, and very few answers.

Elliott marched across the room and approached Amemi. Sora's initial reaction was to jump between the two and tell his sister to take cover. That was when he saw Amemi and Elliott smile at one another. The dragon lowered his head, allowing the young woman to pat him gently on the nose. It became a hug.

"I missed you, too, Elliott!" she said with happy tears.

Sora had to smile. He could tell Elliott was not a Heartless Dragon. He wanted to punch himself in the face for thinking such a thing. Not to mention, he felt guilty for not believing his sister when she had claimed to have known Elliott. He knew she had known Elliott for a long time now.

Ever since the islands had vanished into the Darkness. If it had not been for Elliott, who knows what would have become of the sandy-haired girl? She might have never returned home. In fact, she could have perished in this world or another one. She could have been attacked at one time or another. Maybe she would have been assaulted and killed.

He had a lot to be grateful for, and this dragon was one such individual he needed to thank. Sora calmly stepped forward until he was close enough to touch Elliott. The dragon's eyes opened wide and a look of astonishment filled his eyes.

Sora waved. "Hiya!"

Amemi smiled. "Elliott, this is my brother, Sora."

Elliott panted his tongue like a dog. Sora had to smile all the more. He could tell Elliott was definitely friendly, in every possible way. "Thank you for helping Amy, Elliott," he said.

Elliott seemed to say something playful. Having never heard a dragon speak words to him before, all Sora could make out was gibberish. Instead, he chose to continue smiling.

Amemi folded her arms and shook her head. "Oh, Sora."

Sora knew it was true. Elliott was far from heartless. Not a Heartless Dragon — at all!

With both Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal toppled onto the floor of the boathouse, Indigo knew now was her chance. She flew over to the net and held out her mystical wand. She pointed it into the air. "Flames!" she called out.

A series of flaming spheres formed around the netting and attacked the top of it. In a flash, the ropes' fibers were burned apart, sending Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad falling to the floor. Donald landed onto a still-dazed Cinnamon Teal. Goofy plopped onto the mage. Launchpad grabbed a nearby rope and held on as he descent slowed. The rope suddenly snapped, sending the pilot spiraling around through the air. Sora looked up in time to see the large duck crashing down on him.

"Get off me!" Donald barked.

Realizing he had landed onto the duck, Goofy chuckled. "Sorry, Donald."

Launchpad quickly hopped onto his feet. Amemi rushed over and helped Sora back up off the floor. "Man," the young man muttered. "Now I know what it feels like to be on the bottom of a haystack."

Indigo came in for a landing. "Are you alright?" she asked Sora.

Sora nodded. "Yeah! No worries."

"I think there's something to worry about," Amemi stated. She pointed to the exit. Mortimer had risen from the floor and was standing at the doorway. His scowl had turned into a heated glare. Sora knew such a look; it was the same one he had seen on the faces of various villains and villainesses before he had fought them in a serious battle or three.

"You think yer so tough, why don't ya prove it?" Mortimer stated in a stern voice. It sounded as though he was ready to pull out the big guns and shoot everyone and everything in sight. He turned and raced into the square. Moments later, the sound of a large contraption made Sora gulp.

He knew it was not going to be good.

There was the large wagon from the square. Mortimer was seated in a black, cushioned chair at the front of the vehicle. A wooden panel-like thingy was positioned before him. He grinned as he pushed a button on it. At once, the sides of the wagon opened. Instead of showing the banners and streamers as they did before, they were instead armed with weapons.

The left side had a large, yellow buzz-saw. The right one had a grabbing claw, similar in design to the ones from those arcade machines where you could win a prize by snatching it up. The whole view of such a thing reminded Sora of that monstrous thing Hacker had used back in the Realm of Sleep. Fortunately, it seemed there was no fan on this one, so there would be no danger of being sucked into it.

Even so, the sight of seeing Mortimer using such a weapon made the Keyblader certain he had to do something — and now!

From where he was trying to re-aim the harpoon at Elliott's new position, Dr. Terminus gawked when he saw the changes to his wagon's appearance. "What did you do to my wagon?!" he exclaimed, his voice more than filled with shock.

"While you were off looking for that dragon," Mortimer patted the side of the wagon. "Yours Truly added some tricks to take out Sora and his gang."

Terminus looked more than shocked. "But, my wagon!"

"Save it for Maleficent!" Mortimer pulled a pair of levels around. The grabbing claw reached for Sora. In a heartbeat, the young man jumped and landed beside his sister.

"Try that again!" Sora snarled. He had a glowering look evident in his azure eyes. His Keyblade was positioned in his fighting stance, ready to be slammed into the modified-wagon.

Cinnamon Teal was off the floor now. She hopped onto the wagon and stood beside Mortimer. Her eyes opened wide and seemed to glow. "Look into my eyes," she instructed, her voice coming out in a very hypnotic tone.

Donald and Goofy gasped. "Look away!" the knight shouted as loudly as he could.

"She'll hypnotize us!" Donald added.

Amemi reached into her green purse and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. These ones were a silver color and seemed to shine whenever the Sun was shining down. Of course, at this time, there was no Sun. Therefore, it was safe to conclude they were not shining at all.

Even so, she placed them over her eyes all the same. One look at the sandy-haired girl's glasses and Cinnamon Teal seemed to scowl intensely at her. "Foolish girl," she stated in anger. "I will have revenge."

She hopped off the wagon and stomped away. Her shoes click-clacked against the floor of the boathouse as she stormed out the door and completely out-of-sight. The sound of a dark portal opening and closing could be heard.

Sora was feeling a little relieved, knowing Cinnamon Teal was no longer a problem in this world. He returned his focus to Mortimer. The tall mouse was non-too-happy about watching the duck-woman leaving. His scowl had turned into a glare. "You may have driven one of us off, but I'm stronger than C.T.!"

He pushed one of the controls forward. The buzz-saw raised into the air and swooped low for a slicing attack. Sora told everyone to jump. The group hopped into the air and watched as the weapon swiped its way under them, missing by a matter of one inch. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo joined Sora and Amemi. Goofy held out his shield. "Gawrsh," he muttered. "This sure is gettin' dangerous."

"Be careful," Donald said to Amemi.

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "This is not going to be easy!"

"I know!" Amemi yelled back to her brother. "This isn't the first time I've had to do this!"

Sora was startled by this outburst. Why was his sister acting this way? Was she still sore at him for not trusting her? Not to mention, it seemed the fourteen-year-old had developed somewhat of a short-fuse in just a few hours. That did not seem like her.

He hoped nothing was wrong. If there was… he refused to think about it! Instead, he remained focused on the battle.

Mortimer pulled another lever, causing the front of the wagon to pop off like a piece of dynamite had blown it clean off. A roller came out, similar to the ones used to smooth out asphalt on roadways. Only this one was covered in spikes so sharp, they could rival the teeth of a Great White Shark.

Sora ran up several times to deliver an attack, only to have the mechanical arm reach for him. Each time, he had to double-back. Amemi stepped forward and aimed her slingshot at the control panel. The clawed arm reached down and snatched her from the back of her jacket. The young woman quickly found herself dangling in mid-air from the clutches of the machine.

Donald marched up. "Thundara!" he declared, raising his wand as high as he could, even though it meant he had to jump a few feet into the air.

A bolt of lightning rained down onto the mechanical arm. The arm endured a strong power surge, yet held onto Amemi nice and tight. Donald could not believe his eyes. His attack had… failed?! He hoped he was not losing his magic, again! The last time he had used up all his spells was back when the Heartless (under the control of Rourke and Isa) had stolen all their items and drained all his Magic Points (MP).

He had to try again! He held up his wand. "Thundara!"

No result. He sighed deeply.

"Look out!" Goofy yelled as the arm with the buzz-saw charged for the group.

Launchpad hopped into the air and did a full flip as the saw raced under him. Sora raised his Keyblade when the weapon closed in. The spinning blades clanged against the Keyblade, sending the seventeen-year-old recoiling a few feet. When the weapon came spinning back across the area, Sora swung his Keyblade out of desperation.

CLANG! SNAP!

The buzz-saw went flying into the air, completely dislodged from its arm. It went slicing into the rooftop of the boathouse and got itself jammed into the metal framework above. Sparks went flying for a couple seconds as it ground to a halt.

Sora wanted to sigh in relief. One weapon down, two to go. And he had to rescue his sister — again. It seemed every time he went up against a major opponent like this, something happened to Amemi. Why? Was she unable to hold out on her own? He was unsure, and he doubted he would ever find out. He shoved the pondering aside and turned back to what was going on now.

Goofy jumped into the air and flipped backwards as the roller charged at him, Donald, and Launchpad. Donald ducked, just barely avoiding the spikes; one of the sharp points seized his hat. "Gimme that!" he demanded, rage filling his red-hot face.

Launchpad shot his gas-gun at the roller. The smoky substance ejected by the weapon appeared to conceal the spikes in a thin mist. When they shot out again, Goofy was prepared. His shield was up and the spikes banged against it with a loud crash. Several of the spikes broke free.

Donald marched up to the spike where his hat had been caught. He grabbed it off the floor and pulled his hat off. Despite the small tear in the top of the garment, he stubbornly put it back on his head. "I'll show you!" he snapped at the wagon.

He raised his wand. "Thundaga, Level 3!"

A strong surge of lightning bolts rained down on the wagon. Mortimer was touching the levers at the time and the electricity rushed throughout his body, showing his skeleton flashing in plain sight, similar to that of an animated movie and/or cartoon. The mechanical arm holding Amemi shook when the enormous amount of energy rushed through it.

Certain this was his chance, Sora hurled his Keyblade at the arm. The weapon spun through the air and struck the claw in a hurry. The "fingers" of the grabber broke off, one-by-one, as the blade crashed through them. The weapon continued to spin around like a boomerang before it returned to Sora. The young man reached out and caught the handle of his Keyblade in the air.

With the claw destroyed, Amemi fell to the ground. Sora raced over and held out his arms. He felt the floor quacking beneath his feet. He looked behind himself. Towering above his head was Elliott. The dragon reached out his small, somewhat short arms. The sandy-haired teenager landed gently into the creature's claws.

When she realized where she was, Amemi turned and smiled at Elliott. "Thank you, Elliott," she said in gratitude.

The dragon grinned with delight. Sora had to smile. He twirled his Keyblade in his hand as though it was a pinwheel before placing it on his shoulder. A victory-sounding piece of music played in the background. He shrugged, still not sure where that melody had originated from.

"Yeah," the brown, spikey-headed youth said to Elliott. "You're not a Heartless dragon, Elliott."

From where he stood, Sora could see a friendly Elliott smiling his way. The dragon bent down and stuck out his large tongue. He slipped it up against the young man's cheek like he was a dog. Sora had to laugh, knowing it was a sign of friendship.

Elliott lowered Amemi down to the ground. She calmly hopped off with glee. She approached her brother and turned away, her arms crossed. Sora tried to reach for her. Then stopped. He sighed, sure she was still upset with him.

A deafening crash occurred behind them. Sora and Amemi spun around. The surge of electricity had been plenty to fry all the gadgets Mortimer had added to the wagon. The entire vehicle had collapsed, pieces of wood and mechanical parts were now scattered all over the place.

"Man," Sora remarked. He had rarely seen such a sight on his quests. He could not even recall the last he had seen such a thing. Then again, so much had happened, he sometimes had a hard time remembering everything exactly. In the heat of battle, he had even less time to reflect on what had taken place.

'Wait,' he thought to himself. 'Why am I thinking about this?' He knew his mind was going off on another tangent.

Mortimer was both astounded and outraged. He glared with such vigor at Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad, it seemed he was going to pull out a machine gun and shoot everyone in a 360-Degree spin. Instead, he pointed an accusing finger at Sora. "I'll get you one of these days, Key-brat!" he sneered.

"That's Sora!" Sora argued. He pointed his Keyblade straight at the long-snouted mouse. "And don't you forget it!"

Mortimer grinded his teeth together. He turned and stormed off in a heated fit. As he marched out into the square, a dark portal opened. He stomped his way inside. The portal sealed up behind.

Sora wiped some sweat off his head. At least he no longer had to worry about either of those two causing trouble here now. He wondered how Maleficent would react when they returned empty-handed. For some reason, he now wished he could see what she had in store for them.

That was when Indigo descended from above. She set down before with unnatural grace. It made Launchpad rub his eyes, even though he had already seen this sight multiple times before. Sora hastily noted how large the angel's eyes were getting, the speed her antennae were moving, and the fact she was slightly shaking.

"Hey, what's up?" Sora inquired.

Indigo grabbed his arm. "We must hurry! The Gogans have Pete, and they are trying to leave with him!"

Elliott snarled. Sora gasped. How could he have forgotten about those four?! "No way!"

"They must've been workin' with Doctor what's-his-name," Goofy thought aloud.

"'Doctor Terminus'," Donald corrected.

"A-Hyuck! Yeah!"

"Guys, cut it out!" Sora stated. He pointed into the distance. "We've gotta rescue Pete!"

"I saw where they went," Indigo said. She leapt into the air and soared into the direction of the town hall. "Let's hurry, or we shall miss them!"

"Right!" Sora gave a nod. He held his Keyblade tightly in hand and raced after the angel as she soared through the sky. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were not far behind. Elliott followed the group, a stern expression showing on his face.

They proceeded across the square until they reached an old warehouse. The building was boarded up and bore a sign indicating it was going to be demolished; "CONDEMNED". A number of old barrels were situated outside.

Rolling past the structure was an old wagon pulled by a worn-out donkey. Four people were seated in it. Sora did not have to look twice to know it was Merle Gogan, Lena Gogan, Willie Gogan, and Grover Gogan. A sack was squirming in the front of the wagon, which Sora was sure contained Pete.

"Stop right there!" the spikey-headed youth declared. He positioned his Keyblade, anticipating a conflict. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all held out their weapons. Elliott came marching over.

The Gogans turned around in their seats. Even as the wagon rocked about, the four of them remained as steadfast as stones. "Get outta here, kids!" Merle Gogan waved them off.

"You got no business here!" Willie sneered.

"Git your things an' high-tail it," Grover added.

"Elliott, save me!" Pete's voice shouted from the sack. Lena Gogan banged her fists on the bag. "Shuddup!" she snarled.

The dragon stormed closer and grabbed the back of the wagon with his claws. The vehicle came to such a sudden halt, the four people in it were shaken about. In one swift movement, Indigo descended over the sack, grabbed it with her hands, and lifted it out of Mrs. Gogan's hands. "Hey!" she snapped.

"You have no right to hold onto him," Indigo stated.

"Yeah," Sora seconded.

"You just listen to me! That there boy belongs to me," Mrs. Gogan countered. She held up the bluish-tinted paper. "I paid fifty dollars for him, plus legals, and I got a bill of sale right here to prove it."

"That sale's no good," Sora argued. He remembered the last time he had seen such a contract. The time Ursula had tricked Ariel into signing a glowing parchment in exchange for having human legs. He refused to believe there were such things as legally-binding contracts.

Economics…. One of the many classes he had failed this past year. At this rate, he would never graduate from High School. He would probably end up dropping out.

Oh well! As long as he got to have all these cool adventures, what more did he need? Maybe one day, he and Kairi would go out on a journey of their own, and they would…. Never mind!

Indigo landed onto the ground and opened the sack. Pete climbed out and hugged the angel. "Thank you, Indigo," he smiled.

Sora could tell Indigo was a little uncomfortable about being hugged by somebody. He knew that look. It was the same one Violet had whenever he had thrown his arms around her. Only less stern and more nervous.

Elliott snarled at the large woman. With a deep breath, he sent a plume of flame out of his mouth. The fire lit the surrounding space for a few moments. It ceased shortly after. The bluish paper in Mrs. Gogan's hands was badly burnt and parts were still in flames. Knowing her bill of sale was useless now, she tossed it to the side and stared at Elliott in appall.

Elliott continued to snarl at her. He leaned in close, making all four of the Gogans fell more and more nervous and frightened. Just as it seemed the dragon was going to devour them, Elliott grinned. "Boo!" he said in a playful manner.

Mrs. Gogan screamed. She tumbled off the wagon and landed into a barrel full of something black. And sticky. It did not take Sora long to realize what it was.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy blurted. "Tar!"

Mrs. Gogan was stuck. She turned to her husband and two sons. "Merle, help! Don't just stand there! Come on! Get me outta here! Get me outta here!"

The other three quickly rushed over and tried to lift the woman out of the barrel. The container toppled onto its side, pouring tar all over the ground. All four of the Gogans were rapidly covered it the substance. As it approached Sora and the others, they stepped back a few feet.

Sora had heard about being tarred and feathered. He knew it was a terrible punishment, especially for someone who had actually committed no crime. At least, this time, the victims were not innocent. That allowed him to put his mind at ease.

Elliott roared with laughter. Donald raised his wand. "Blizzara!" he called softly.

A patch of ice covered the ground beneath the donkey. The animal's hooves started to slip and slide. Away it ran, pulling the wagon behind. Seeing this happening, the Gogans rushed after their vehicle.

"Wait!" they shouted. "Wait for us!"

Elliott laughed so hard, he fell to the ground. Sora found himself laughing along with the dragon. Same for Pete, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Indigo covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing. It was not enough, and she found herself laughing in turn. Her laugh made Sora smile, mainly since it sounded very lively and serene. And it was very high-pitched.

"Aaah-hoo-hoo-hoo!" A loud crashing sound filled the air. Sora and the others immediately swung their focus towards the boathouse. A gaping hole could be seen in the roof. And a harpoon was sailing through the sky. Attached to the other end of the rope was none other than Dr. Terminus.

"Whoa!" was all Sora could say.

"Gee," Goofy commented.

"Wow!" Amemi marveled.

"Yeesh!" Launchpad muttered. "And I thought only shooting stars could sail across the sky."

Donald could only gawk at the sight. Indigo pointed to a telephone pole near them. "Look at that!" she announced.

The harpoon descended to the square — directly for the pole. It stabbed itself into the wooden side. Terminus was left dangling from the rope, only upside-down since his foot was caught in a loop. "Hoagy, get me down!" he demanded.

As swiftly as a hummingbird flying away, Hoagy raced over. He started to untie his boss. "We've gotta do something!" Terminus stated. "That dragon's gonna get away!"

"I know," Hoagy admitted. He pointed behind them. "He's right there!"

"Elliott!" Terminus yelled as he turned to face the dragon. "Elliott! Hey, Elliott! I want to make a deal with you!"

Elliott whirled his focus to the black-haired man. To Sora, he seemed curious.

"I want to buy up all your used and spare parts," Terminus continued. "You know, like a hang-nail, or if you shed your skin, or if your hair falls out! I'll play you top-dollar!"

Elliott paused. He pulled down some strands of his hair. For a second, it looked to Sora as though the dragon was considering the conman's offer. Elliott turned back to Terminus and shook his head, waving his arm in front of his face with a friendly grin.

"What's the matter with you?!" Terminus bellowed. "Don't you have any business sense?!"

"Don't you?!" Hoagy whimpered.

Terminus shouted at Elliott, pleading over and over for the latter to give him something to sell. The dragon continued to decline. Sora knew any begging on the knees would be turned down.

Finally, it seemed Terminus had given up trying. He turned to Hoagy and demanded to be taken down. As the two got to work, Sora could only smile. He was glad to have all that taken care of. At least, for now.

A bright flash of lightning lit up the sky. Sora and the others nearly jumped in complete surprise. That was when Sora saw it. The telephone pole a few buildings down had been struck and sparks were flying from it like miniature fireworks.

To make matters worse, the pole was located beside the town hall. And the door to the place was opening. Out stepped mayor Howell, alongside the schoolteacher (Sora had learned from Nora that her name was Miss Taylor) and a few others.

"…In the street," Mayor Howell was saying to his guests. He looked up into the sky. "Quite a storm here."

Miss Taylor headed for the steps down. "Wait a minute," Mayor Howell spoke up. "Watch those stairs."

The sparks of electricity surged from the pole. The wind picked up, causing the whole column to topple. As it fell, the wires split apart, sending sparks all over. Sora had to hold his arms in front of him when a shower of such fireworks landed not too far away from him and his teammates.

"Oh no!" Sora exclaimed. The instant they saw the telephone pole was headed their way, Mayor Howell and the others gasped. There they stood, frozen in place, unsure how to respond. Elliott bounded away to help. Amemi was directly behind him. Sora reached out his hand. "Wait!" he yelled, loudly as he could.

The electricity continued to cackle as the pole headed for the Mayor and his associates. "Look out!" Mayor Howell shouted.

Elliott stopped between the pole and the staircase. He held out his arms — just as the pole landed into his grasp.

Sora gave a sigh of relief. Elliott had somehow managed to catch the sparking wooden column. For about five moments, it had looked like the pole was going to crush the people on that short flight of steps. Either that, or it would have electrocuted all of them.

"Oh, look!" Mayor Howell declared. He gestured at Elliott. "Th-Th-There really is a dragon!"

Amemi stopped a few feet away from the town hall. She beamed. "And he saved you!" she informed the others.

Miss Taylor was so startled, she fainted on the spot. One of the other men on the stairs reached out his arms and caught her.

Pete smiled as Elliott shoved the downed telephone the other way. It landed onto the ground, not harming anyone. "Attaboy, Elliott," he congratulated.

Elliott clicked his tongue in response. Sora had the feeling that was a good thing. Well, at least the Mayor and the others were alright! He knew this was another sign that the dragon was no Heartless.

A distant blast filled the air. Sora's ears perked up the instant he heard it. He knew that noise. The foghorn. Back up at the lighthouse. The one Nora had given permission to sound when Dr. Terminus and Hoagy had started to leave. She had later agreed to sound it when the Gogans refused to leave without taking Pete.

Recalling how the foghorns were used back home on the islands, Sora knew such a sound was not a good thing! It meant the lighthouse's light was unable to pierce through the weather to warn ships about where the coastline was. Many ships had been wrecked after running aground due to the sharp rocks at the bases of the shores.

Indigo's eyes lit up. Her antennae seemed to stand on end. "I completely forgot!" she declared. "Just as we left, there was a giant wave, and it put out the lamp!"

Everyone spun around to face her. "What?!" Donald exclaimed.

"To make matters worse," the angel elaborated. "I saw a ship coming close to the shore. They were sailing for the rocks."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Amemi enquired.

"I forgot," Indigo folded her arms. "So sorry."

Sora had to grit his teeth to keep from scolding the angel. Now it seemed the Darkness Storm had caused more trouble than they had known. He would never understand why Indigo had not told them about such a thing sooner. Clearly, angels were just as human as he himself was.

"C'mon!" the seventeen-year-old Keyblader proclaimed. "We've gotta get to the lighthouse!"

"Let's take Elliott!" Amemi suggested. "He'll get us there in no time!"

"Unless I crash him," Launchpad remarked.

Donald slapped himself in the face. "Aw, phooey! Not again!"

The group clambered aboard Elliott. Pete was in front, followed by Amemi, Sora, Goofy, Launchpad, and Donald. Having wings of her own, Indigo volunteered to fly solo. It was not two minutes before they were airborne and racing off to reach the lighthouse. Sora was sure they would make it in time.

At least, he hoped they would!

The waves were raging higher and higher. Fortunately, none of them were tall enough to break into the top of the lighthouse, again. Not like that one wave. Lampie was busy trying to use a box of matches to relight the lamp. The wick was dry. Yet, for some reason, it refused to light.

He figured it was because of all the water dripping from the mirrors and parts of the ceiling. The dampness of the chamber was plenty to keep the oxygen away from the wick. Therefore, unless he were to dry off everything, it was most-likely going to be impossible to light the wick and warn that ship out there — the one Nora had spotted several minutes ago.

He paused long enough to gaze out the soaked windows. Despite all the dripping water, the view was surprisingly clear. He could see a long way out. He knew it was more-than-likely due to the splashing water effectively cleaning them.

There was the ship. It was still heading towards that shoreline. And there was a large reef of rocks just off the coast. "That ship's headed for the reef!" he told his daughter. "Keep that foghorn sounding!"

Nora was directly beside him, trying to wipe down the lenses from the dripping water-droplets staining them. Due to the storm, she had thrown on a yellow raincoat and matching rainhat. She marched down the steps a short way and straight over to the switch on the wall. She pushed the handle up into place.

The sound of the foghorn roared to life. Nora came back up and headed for the exit doorway to the balcony. She opened the door. "Nora," Lampie spoke up. "Let me have the light so I can see what I'm doing."

A loud rapping happened on the door leading outside downstairs. Lampie turned to see what was going on. To his surprise, the doorway was open. And there was Pete, alongside Sora and… and… Amemi? He had not noticed she was here, too!

When was the last time he had seen her? It seemed so long ago…. He really needed to keep track of time better. And stay away from the tavern more often.

The wind was rushing outside. To Sora, it sounded like a roar. All these gusts had made it difficult for Elliott to reach the lighthouse. Indigo had nearly been blown away by a surge of wind. If the Keyblade wielder had not reached back and grabbed her hand, who knows where she would have ended up.

Now, here he was with Pete and Amemi inside the lighthouse. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo were downstairs, helping Elliott clamber through the doorway and up the steps to the beacon.

Pete turned to the staircase. "Elliott, quick! Quick!"

Sora turned to the stairs. He could see Elliott trying to push his way through the building. The curvature of the steps was making it a challenge to proceed. "C'mon!" he called for the fourth time.

"You can do it, Elliott," Amemi encouraged.

Pete approached Lampie. The lighthouse keeper was busy rubbing a pair of matches together. Sora was puzzled. That was no way to start a fire. Rubbing two sticks was one way, even though it would take practically forever to do! Using a bow and spindle was a little bit faster, yet it was also very time-consuming!

He still wondered how anybody — even Scouts — could manage such a strenuous task.

"What's the matter?" Pete asked the lighthouse keeper.

Lampie turned to the boy. He seemed frantic, the way he was shaking all over the place. "Everything is wet in here, that's what's the matter!"

"Is that why it isn't a-lit?" Launchpad asked. "I thought this place had turned into the haunted lighthouse!"

"Don't worry, Lampie," Pete tried to sound assuring. "Elliott came."

Lampie seemed confused. "Elliott? That's all I need is a dragon in here," then he stared in disbelief. There was the dragon's head, sticking up from the staircase. "Ah! Get him outta here!"

Elliott stared in bewilderment. Sora frowned at the lighthouse keeper. "At least let him try," he stated.

"Light the wick," Amemi encouraged.

Elliott scrunched up his face, thinking long and hard. He muttered a series of unintelligible gibberish. It reminded Sora of how Donald sometimes sounded, only impossible to make out. The dragon clicked his tongue.

Lampie gave a deep sigh. He removed the glass cylinder from its place over the wick. He looked directly into the dragon's eyes. "All right, Elliott. Go ahead. Light it."

Elliott gazed at Pete. "Now, Elliott! Now!" the boy urged.

Elliott took a deep breath and puffed. Only a few clumps of smoke came out of his mouth and nostrils. No flame. No nothing, really.

"All right," Lampie said. "Where's the fire?"

Elliott groaned. He tried to wiggle his way up to the top of the stairs. Sora noticed he was not moving. "What's going on?" he called down below.

"Elliott's stuck in thuh stairs!" Goofy called back. "And Donald's on the wrong side of his tail!"

"I am not!" Donald hollered in anger.

"Yes, you are," Launchpad said. "I can see you stuck there, and you aren't even covered from head to toe in glue!"

"You must hurry!" Indigo shouted as she flew up the last steps and reached the top floor. Her voice lowered as she landed. "That ship out there is getting dangerously close to the shoreline!"

Sora groaned in annoyance. How could they get Elliott up here now? He was all squished up in the stairs. What could they do to resolve this problem?

The foghorn continued to blow over and over again. Sora knew that old ship out there was getting closer and closer to running aground. In fact, he could see the vessel through the darkness of the night and the storm's gales. The sails were torn apart beyond repair. The hull was listing every time the ship got tossed about by the waves.

The doorway opened. Into the room stepped Nora, her raincoat and hat still on, although they were soaked completely. She stared at the sight of the dragon in the chamber. "El-Elliott?!" she could barely bring out the words. Her eyes immediately switched over to Sora, Amemi, Indigo, and Pete. Then back at Elliott. "He's real. He's really real."

Amemi nodded. "Yes! Elliot is real and here to help!"

"He's gonna light the wick," Pete explained.

"Can he do it?" Nora questioned.

"Can he?" the lighthouse keeper blew a breath of air straight up as though unable to believe what his own daughter had said. "He can throw a flame clear across to Bar Harbor… if he can get his own burner goin'!"

Elliott gasped for air. Indigo hurried to the window. She peered into the darkness and turned back to face Sora. "Sora, use the power of Light!" she declared.

Sora had to take a double-look. "Huh?"

The angel cupped her hands over her mouth to be heard over the roar of the wind outside. "Use your Keyblade! Help Elliott light the lamp!"

The spikey, brown-haired youth gave a nod. He knew what to do. His Keyblade appeared in his right hand (even though he was a little ambidextrous). He stepped up to the center of the room and pointed the weapon at the wick.

Elliott continued to gasp for air. "Come on, Elliott!" Pete encouraged. "Go on!"

The dragon whined. "Blow, Elliott!" Lampie bellowed.

"You can do it, Elliott!" Nora said.

"Yes!" Amemi urged. "I know you can!"

Drawing a deep breath, Elliott blew out. A small, plume of flame escaped his mouth. Sora's Keyblade shone in the process. Working together, the two watched as the flames and the Light from the Keyblade left a large, brilliant flame situated on the wick.

Elliott panted. "Wow!" he mumbled in awe.

Pete hugged his friend, his arms wrapped around the snout. "Elliott, you did it!"

"Way to go, Elliott!" Sora beamed as he pulled in his fist in triumph. "I knew you could do it!"

Amemi ran up and threw her arms around the dragon's neck. "Thank you, Elliott," she had some tears flooding her eyes. They were tears of joy. "You saved the day!"

Elliott muttered a long line of gibberish mixed with the clicking of his tongue. He looked caringly at the sandy-haired teenager and grinned. Sora could see the Light shining in the dragon's eyes. That Light was the Light of someone whose heart was full of innocence. Not Darkness and Shadow.

Not a Heartless Dragon at all.

Indigo gazed through the window. "The ship is sailing away from the shoreline," she called. "They saw the beacon!"

Nora grinned at the dragon before her. "Elliott, I could give you a great big kiss."

Elliott stared at her, an expression full of shock covered his face. And he shuddered. The sight made Sora burst out laughing. Amemi and Pete started to laugh and giggle. Even Lampie found himself laughing, even if it sounded more like a harsh chuckle. The sounds of Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all laughing could be heard from the staircase.

From where she stood, Indigo turned around to see Elliott's reaction. Despite trying to hold it back, the angel found herself weak against everyone's laughter. She unleashed a laugh full of warmth, serenity, and joy. Her antennae vibrated up and down repeatedly as her head shook. Her wings fluttered a little, though she remained standing on the floor.

Sora would have laughed longer had a bright Light not suddenly caught his eye. He turned and found himself looking out the nearest window. The lighthouse's lamp's beam was moving in a circular motion all the way across the bay and beyond.

The Light was coming from the middle of the beam. The seventeen-year-old strolled over to the window. He could scarcely make out a shape in the beam. It looked kind of like a keyhole.

Keyhole? His mind jumped ahead. It was the world's Keyhole — located inside this beam of light. He knew what he had to do.

Sora held his Keyblade up with both hands and pointed the end of the blade at the Keyhole. The Keyhole seemed to move with the lamp's beam, so he had to be quick.

A beam of Light emerged at the end of the Keyblade in the form of a sphere. The beam shot out through the window and into the distance. It struck the Keyhole directly. There was a faint lock, which Sora assumed was due to the distance.

The Keyhole vanished. Sora had every right to be delighted then. The world's heart was officially protected from any threat of Darkness. No longer would a Darkness Storm come here. No longer world the Heartless try to steal the heart of this world.

For it had been sealed away, never to be revealed again.

The clouds shifted away and the stars came into view. Millions of them, from the looks of it. The waves calmed and the wind died down. Sora was ecstatic about successfully protecting another world. He spun to his left and threw his arms around the first individual he found. He wrapped them tightly around the figure's torso and started to spin round and round with glee.

"Yes!" he cheered, knowing this world was safe.

"Sora!" a voice shouted. "Let me go — now!"

The young man opened his eyes. He released his arms. Indigo dropped to the floor and swiftly sat up. Knowing he had accidentally hugged another angel, Sora felt a tad embarrassed. Especially when he saw that her wings were slightly bent down the middle. He must have squeezed her a little too much.

Indigo looked up at him. She rose to her feet and wiped her hands over her dress. Then she turned her eyes to him and frowned. "That was not silly," she stated in a very stern tone-of-voice. Her arms were folded across her chest now. "Do not squeeze me like that ever again!"

"Man," Sora shook his head and smiled. "You sound just like Violet."

Another roar of laughter filled the room. Indigo grabbed the edges of her wings and pulled them around her. The view reminded Sora of how bat would cover itself while sleeping. Only the angel was not sleeping; she was hiding. Plus, her antennae were dropping a small amount.

Sora scratched his cheek with his finger. His eyes veered over to Amemi. His sister was scowling, her arms crossed. He knew that look. She only gave it whenever she was upset with something somebody did to her and/or someone else.

"Sorry, Indigo," he said at last. He watched as the angel opened her wings and peered out at him. "I got caught up in the moment."

Indigo had to shake her head. She smiled sweetly. "I know you did not mean any harm," she said, allowing her wings to return to their proper positions. "Yet, you are so naïve, you let yourself get carried away with just about anything."

Sora placed his hands behind his head and relaxed. "Oh, thanks!"

Everyone burst out laughing at once. Even Sora was laughing. He saw Indigo smiling brightly at him. He could feel the Light coming from her heart. It reminded him of how he felt whenever Kairi was close by. Her strong heart of pure Light was detectable from any direction, even from half a mile away. He had felt her presence coming to his birthday party this year before she had come into view.

Since everyone was laughing, Sora knew it was silly.

The next morning was a very lively one. The Sun was bearing down brighter than before. There were only clear, puffy clouds in the sky. Seagulls were all the place, holding squawking competitions throughout the length of the shoreline.

And the town was busier than ever. Fishermen were returning from their routine dawn sailings with crates and nets overflowing with fish. The docks were filled with workers taking the fish to the local warehouses. All the while, everyone was chanting away, "A dragon, a dragon! You bet we saw a dragon! So big and brave, he came to save a village in distress! He kept the ship from crashing when he heard the S.O.S.! He faced a group of villains and he fought them with success!"

"He's great!" someone called.

"A chum," another added.

"A pal," a third stated.

"A mate," declared a fourth.

"Yeah!" Sora approved. The young man was accompanying his team as they walked through the masses of workers to the piers. Nora, Pete, and Lampie were with them. Just that morning, Nora had received word that somebody was here, waiting to see her.

The group was now gathered near a small pier. They looked around. Nothing stood out to them, other than the hustle and bustle. That was when they heard it. "Nora! Nora!" a voice shouted above the chanting.

Nora spun around. Her eyes became filled with astonishment and overjoy. "Paul!"

Sora, Amemi, Indigo, Launchpad, Goofy, and Donald all swung their attention to the end of the pier. There he was, a tall, muscular man sporting a mustache and decked out in a simple sailor's uniform. It did not take long for Sora recollect the portrait from the lighthouse. It was the same man.

Nora and Paul ran into one another and threw their arms around each other and kissed. The sight made Sora and Amemi smile. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad covered their eyes. Indigo folded her arms, and with a smile, she shook her head. After a few moments, Nora finally asked the question Sora had the feeling she would. "What happened?"

Paul removed his wool hat. "We sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras. I was the only survivor. When I woke up in the hospital, I… I'd lost my memory. Then, the other day, a strange thing happened. My bed suddenly tipped over. I don't know how, but… I bumped my head and everything came back to me."

"It's a miracle," Lampie beamed.

Pete was looking to his left. Sora had the feeling he knew what had really occurred. Elliott had flown off to find Paul. He had located him in that hospital, tipped the bed over, and knocked him onto the floor. All the spikey-haired youth could was smile when he thought about a playful dragon doing such a thing.

At least he knew he did not have to worry about such a thing happening between him and Kairi. Or did he? Would he one day wake up in a hospital somewhere far away? And then have Elliott come along and help him get back to her? What did this mean?

Was he going to end up marrying her someday?! The thought of tying the knot with the auburn-haired girl made him feel sick and uncomfortable.

"It's Elliott," Pete declared, taking Sora out of his fantasy.

"Gather around, everyone," Mayor Howell proclaimed from a nearby stage. Well, it was not much of a "stage". Just a short platform located near the town's square. "I'm going to have a few appropriate words to say."

Sora and his team found themselves allowed to the front of the crowd, alongside Pete, Nora, Paul, and Lampie. The Mayor smiled when he saw them. He cleared his throat, holding his cigar in hand. "Ladies… Ladies and gentlemen," he nodded to Pete. "Pete, I want you to thank Elliott the dragon…. "

He gestured to the pair of older men standing behind him followed by everybody else around the "stage". "For the council here and all the townspeople. You do that?"

Pete seemed a tad displeased. "Well, he's right here," he calmly said in a matter-of-factly sounding voice. "He'd appreciate it if you'd thank him yourself."

"Yes," Amemi agreed. Her arms were still crossed. At least she was smiling. Sort of….

Several people gave short bursts of laughter. Mayor Howell grinned and placed the cigar back in his mouth. "You mean I can talk right to him, hmm?" he turned to the other council members and smiled. Then, he looked around. "Go right to the main source. That was my campaign…. "

"No," Amemi spoke up. She pointed to the front of the platform. "He's over here."

"Oh!" Mayor Howell stepped forward. "Oh, over that side. So, uh, on behalf of…. "

His voice trailed off when his cigar scrunched up. Sora knew the Mayor had walked straight into the dragon's side.

"Thank you," The Mayor removed the cigar from his mouth. "I guess I deserve that," he quipped.

The crowd roared with laughter for a short while. Even the Mayor was smiling. He then turned his attention to Sora. "For helping Elliott the dragon save our town from those terrible monsters, and for assisting in the arrests of Doc Terminus and his apprentice, I would like to present to you a small token of our esteemed appreciation."

Sora held up his hand and shook his head. "Not at all!"

Donald and Goofy instantly fell forward. Launchpad groaned. Amemi turned her head away. Indigo shook her head. It was clear that none of them were pleased with Sora's decision-making in these types of situations.

Mayor Howell shoved a piece of folded parchment into his hand. "I insist," he declared. "And I wish you luck on the rest of your adventure."

Sora smiled and nodded. "Alright. Thanks!"

He looked into his open palm. The parchment seemed a little torn on the sides. He unfolded it to see the handwriting inscribed upon it. As he swept his eyes along, the brown-headed Keyblade wielder's eyes grew large.

"The mayor is questionable, but seems good,

She talks about caring for one another.

I cannot help but sense she's somewhat rude,

Maybe because she's annoyed about being a mother?"

He could not believe his luck. It was another piece of that torn letter. The one Master Yen Sid had requested he locate the missing pieces for. Perhaps he was now one step closer to finding out what this was all about.

Jiminy clambered out of his hoodie. "I'll handle these from now on," the cricket offered. "We wouldn't want to risk losing one."

Sora knew Jiminy had a valid point. He casually handed the parchment to him. The cricket opened his journal and, after folding it back up, carefully stuck it into the book with the others they had already located previously.

Then, Jiminy leaped back to his spot in Sora's hoodie.

That was when Goofy sniffed the air. "A-Hyuck! Fishy!"

Donald scowled. "No more fish jokes!" he snorted.

Sora had to roll his eyes and shake his head.

The Sun's rays had never looked so pleasant to Sora. The view felt just as warm and comforting as it did back home on the Destiny Islands. The sounds of the waves in the distance also added to the feeling, making him long to return. He just wanted to complete this quest and be back in time for Christmas.

He strolled along the road back towards the lighthouse. Seagulls were flying all around above his head. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo were less than three feet away, all walking in a straight line. Pete, Nora, Lampie, and Paul were with them. All of them, including Amemi, were smiling.

"It's a brazzle dazzle day," Nora chanted.

"So throw off the past and everything in it," Pete added.

Elliott could be heard clicking his tongue as he soared through the sky above. Sora looked up to see the big, friendly dragon flapping his tiny wings and circling the lighthouse at the summit of the cliff. Even the dragon seemed thrilled.

"That's the brazzle dazzle way," Amemi chimed in. "Enjoying your time from minute to minute!"

Elliott swooped low and came in for a landing near some trees. Sora wondered why he had not taken note of the foliage growing so close to the cliffside before. Then again, his mind had been focused on learning more about the local rumors of a dragon back then. Back when he and his companions had first arrived in this world.

Pete and Amemi went running up to Elliott. "Hi!" the dragon seemed to mumble. This made Sora shake his head and smile. Perhaps the dragon did know some legible words after all.

Pete threw his arms around the dragon's chest. "Oh, Elliott, you're the greatest. You've made everybody happy, especially me. I'm very proud of you."

Elliott muttered something as he hugged the boy back. Pete gestured to Nora, Lampie, and Paul. "We've got a real family now and a place to live."

Amemi smiled. She curtseyed. "It was wonderful to see you again, Elliott. I missed you so much… I don't know how to explain to you how I felt when you left."

"When you left"? The words seemed to stick into Sora's mind. What was his sister talking about? He stopped walking and turned to see what was going on.

Elliott cleared his throat. He muttered a list of gibberish that apparently only Pete and Amemi could make out. "You've gotta go?" Pete realized. "When will you be back?"

Amemi's smile faded. Sora had the feeling this was not good news. Elliott gulped and muttered something else. He sniffled, a teardrop sliding out of his eye and splashing against his cheek.

Pete looked shocked. "You… You won't be back?"

Elliott muttered softly. He gave a slight nod. "But why?" Pete gently pleaded. "Did I do something wrong?"

Amemi put her hand onto the boy's shoulder. "He's got someone else to help," she informed him.

Pete's eyes lit up. "There's another kid in trouble?!"

Elliott muttered a little louder, followed by some growling and a soft roar. Sora felt his heart beating faster. This did not sound good. Whatever it was, he was certain it was far from good news. Not to mention, it appeared somebody else out there needed help. And only Elliott could help them.

"Well, if anyone can get him out of it, you can," Pete stated. He paused, a tad hesitant. "I won't see you again, will I? Ever."

Elliott looked down. Amemi sighed deeply. "It can be sad," she said aloud. "I've known Elliot since I was twelve, and I never dreamed I'd see him again. I know how you feel, Pete."

Sora's ears perked up when he heard those words. He knew this meant his sister had once been helped by Elliott at least two years before. Based on what he had learned, it sounded like it was the night the Destiny Islands were attacked by the Heartless and shrouded away in the Darkness. Just like him, Riku, and (in a way) Kairi, the sandy-haired girl had been cast out into the sea of worlds, possibly through a dark corridor.

While he had ended up in Traverse Town, Amemi had apparently been washed ashore here in this world. Not having anywhere to stay or anyone she knew around was what had most-likely drawn Elliott to her. He knew how scary it could be, being lost and alone in an unfamiliar place. Especially if the Heartless were roaming about.

He knew he needed to thank Elliott for saving his sister from anything terrible. He could not even imagine how terrifying it must have been for Amemi when she first realized she had ended up cast away in this world. The town aside, most of this place was seemingly wilderness (at least, as far as he had seen of it). And he knew his sister was not too fond of being lost in the middle of the woods, especially late at night.

He strolled in the direction of Elliott. The dragon was using his tail to wipe away a tear from Pete's cheek. One look at the teardrop and Elliott started to sniffle and whimper. And then sniffle some more.

"What are you sniffling for?" Pete inquired.

Elliott gasped loudly and then sneezed — straight into Pete and Amemi's faces. The two shut their eyes and closed their mouths and a strong gust of air rushed past. They reopened their eyes to see Elliott smiling at them. His tongue was dangling from his open jaw, similar to that of a dog.

The two burst out laughing. Sora had to admit, it was a silly sight to behold. Watching a dragon sneeze, and in such a playful manner, too. "Now, remember," Pete instructed. "Don't scare people."

Elliott nodded in understanding, returning with gibberish in the process. "Good-bye, Elliott," Pete waved as the dragon took flight again. "Good-bye."

"I hope I'll see you again someday," Amemi waved. "Until then, have fun, Elliott!"

Sora waved goodbye as the dragon flew past his head. "Thanks for helping my sister!" he called.

Away Elliott soared, stating gibberish in reply. As he swooped across the sky, Paul pointed at him. "It is a dragon!" he declared.

"It's Elliott!" Pete, Lampie, and Nora proclaimed together.

Elliott started to circle the lighthouse. As he neared the top of the building, Pete and the others ran after him. "And remember," the boy shouted. "You're supposed to be invisible!"

The dragon slowly vanished from plain sight, even though Sora knew he was still there. Just invisible. He waved long and hard, hoping Elliott could see him still.

Elliot flew away into the distance, leaving everyone on the ground waving happily behind. Pete, Lampie, Nora, and Paul were gathered by the lighthouse. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were beside the foghorn. Sora and Amemi were running across the ground, trying to keep up with Elliott.

Indigo was hovering in mid-air, soaring up to where the dragon had last been. She stopped and stayed in place. A tail brushed up against her wings and hair. She laughed. "Stop it, Elliott," she laughed. "That tickles!"

Goofy marveled at the sight. "Indigo is… ticklish? I always thought she was sorta silly."

He leaned backwards, accidentally bumping into the switch on the machine behind. The foghorn roared to life, blasting its noise across the landscape. Donald jumped into the air in alarm. He landed in Launchpad's arms. "Hey!" the duck snapped. "Put me down!"

"Whatever ya say," Launchpad expanded his arms. Donald tumbled onto the ground. Goofy stood up straight and tall. The foghorn stopped. From all directions, laughter could be heard.

Donald laid on the ground, one hand on his cheek, the other fingering the ground impatiently. He scowled. "Aw phooey!"

Twenty minutes had passed since Elliott's departure. The Sun was now at its highest point in the sky. Seagulls could be seen flying away into the distance. The waves lapped against the beach, giving a comforting sound.

As she leaned against the railing, Amemi gazed out across the ocean. She had not seen this view for nearly two years. Two years too long. Ever since that night when she had washed ashore on the beach here. She still could recall how spooky it had felt.

The sand had felt familiar. Still, when she had looked up, that was when she had realized it was not the same place. For a moment, she had assumed she had been washed ashore on another island nearby. It was not until she had seen the lighthouse high on the cliffs above that she had realized this was a completely unfamiliar area to her.

Now, it felt like a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

A series of footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs to the chamber. She glanced back and then back to view. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She did not need to look twice to know Sora had come up to see her.

"Hey, what's up?" her brother questioned. "Everyone's downstairs eating lunch."

He paused when he saw Amemi's unamused look. "Is there something on your mind?"

"No," Amemi answered. "Nothing."

Sora crossed his arms. He knew his sister was not telling the truth. She was not a very good liar. In fact, she was worse than Riku when it came to such a thing. "Are you sure?" he interrogated.

Amemi sighed deeply. "Actually, there is one thing," she added. "I wish you'd start trusting me, Sora. I can defend myself! I'm self-determined, and very independent."

She turned to him. "Why can't you give me a chance to prove it?"

Sora sighed deeper than before. "It's just… I made a promise to Mom."

"A promise?" Amemi asked. She gave the young man her undivided attention. "What promise was it this time?"

"I made it the day you were born. I promised I would keep you safe," Sora looked away. "But I haven't kept it. Look what's happened. You've been captured by Don Karnage, held hostage by the Heartless, you nearly got hit by Beast…. "

He looked down. "You're right. I can't keep you safe. I'm just getting you into trouble."

"You were only doing the right thing," Amemi indicated. "Besides, some of those incidents were my fault."

Sora swung his head back the other way. "What do you mean?!"

"I removed the glass cover from the rose. I should've known something was going to happen when I did that. It was just so… fascinating. I'd never seen a magical rose that could float."

"So you removed its cover," Sora shook his head and smiled. "No wonder you were on Beast's bad side!"

"And… I should have told you about my meeting of Elliott and Nora and Lampie here," Amemi leaned back on the railing. "And Paul, too. Nora and him had just gotten engaged when I was taken back home. I didn't get to say goodbye to anyone. Not even Elliott."

She sighed. Then smiled. "But now, I did," she turned to her brother. "And it's all thanks to you, Sora."

Sora had to admit, he had not seen his sister smile like this for a long time. "I'm sorry I was so protective. Will you forgive me?"

"Sure," Amemi gave a nod. "As long as I can help you out for the remainder of this quest."

Sora shrugged. "Why not? You can handle yourself."

Amemi's smile grew and she giggled a little. The two shook hands. At once, a bright Light shone down on them. Sora and Amemi turned their attention to the sky. Up in the thin, wispy, Cirrus clouds was a gigantic, glowing Keyhole.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. A ball of Light formed at the end of the weapon and sent out a beam of Light through the air. The Light struck the Keyhole and unlocked it.

The two siblings headed downstairs to have lunch with the others. As they left, a voice seemed to be chanting through the sky, "A cold and friendless tide has found you… don't let the stormy darkness pull you down… I'll paint a ray of Hope around you… circling in the air… lighted by a prayer!"

It seemed to fill the air with color and life. "I'll be your candle on the water! This flame inside of me will grow! Keep holding on, you'll make it! Here's my hand, so take it! Look for me, reaching out to show… as sure as rivers flow… I'll never let you go! I'll never let you go! I'll never let you go…. "

To Sora, it seemed the world's Light was calling out to him, thanking him for saving its heart from the Darkness. He smiled, knowing this was the second time such a thing had occurred.

It was not long before Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had teleported back aboard Herbie. They soared away into space, knowing everything well and good in Coastal Town.

The circular chamber inside the fortress of Villain's Vale was in an uproar. Noises of all sorts could be heard echoing as far away as the fissure of crystals on the far side of the Great Maw.

"Imbeciles!" Maleficent hollered. She spread her arms. A barrage of dark lightning bolts rained down across the room. Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal raced around, trying to avoid them.

"Not only did you fail to locate the case, but you left Doctor Terminus to be arrested in that town," the sorceress snarled. "And now our Council has one less member to aid us in our search for the Tome of Prophecies!"

"We did find some black and silver cases," Cinnamon Teal revealed. "But they were all empty."

Pete poked his head into the chamber. "Uh, Maleficent, I think we've got trouble," he said.

Maleficent turned her focus to the large cat-man. "Explain," she demanded. Diablo hopped off her shoulder and flew over to the villain. Pete gulped when he saw the raven's eyes piercing into him, almost like the bird could see inside him.

"Thistle's been out dere, lookin' for the book herself," he informed the evil fairy. "If we's don't hurry, she'll get control of all them Heartless and worlds before we can."

"Pete," Maleficent clutched her staff so tightly, it appeared it would snap in half should her grip tighten much more. "Do you believe I am stupid?"

Pete shook his head and waved his arms in denial. "N-N-N-N-No, Maleficent! I was just tellin' youse the latest in that fairy's movement, considerin' yer both fairies and all…. "

Diablo cawed at the large cat-man. "I am NOT a 'fairy'!" Maleficent raged. "Do not EVER put me on the level of those idiots — again! If you do, I will see to it that you are turned into a Heartless before you can scream for help."

Pete rushed out the door and down the corridor as fast as he could. He now doubted Maleficent even had a "good side". He continued on his way down to the meeting room downstairs.

He failed to notice the reddish-orange-haired fairy standing in a small cubby in the hallway. He probably missed her due to the immense amount of Darkness present in the area. Or he had simply ignored her presence.

Whatever the case, he did not see the fairy clambering out of her hiding place and fluttering out to the chamber in time to hear Maleficent giving instructions to a few others. Judge Doom, Camille Chameleon, and Sanford Scolex. "You are to search this world for the black-and-silver case. If you find it, you know what to do."

The fairy gave a snicker, certain the sorceress was looking in the wrong place. She opened a dark portal and disappeared in it.

Riku pushed the enormous door open. The right door was plenty to get through without any problems. He started for the steps leading outside. He looked up into the sky. The stars were twinkling nicely above. He wiped some sweat off his forehead.

At least it now seemed no worlds were in danger now. That was a plus. He had already caught a glimpse of four stars blinking. He knew it meant a world was in serious trouble. Since the stars had stopped blinking and gone back to normal, he figured Sora and the others must have been there and saved the day.

He shook his head. It was so like Sora to be somewhere just in time.

As he started down the steps, his foot knocked into a wooden bucket. The container tumbled down the stairs, splashing water all over the steps and the grass below. A rather angry broomstick marched down and grabbed the bucket before storming along the ground to the nearby well.

Riku could not believe what he was seeing. Either Mickey had brought the broom to life again (under Master Yen Sid's approval this time), or someone else had made the same mistake he had long ago. The thought of the study and tower being flooded yet again made him eager to find the source of this issue.

He marched across the ground and up to the well. He stopped when he got there. "Violet!" he declared, surprised to see the angel at the well.

Violet turned to face the silver-haired youth. "Riku! Is anything incorrect?"

Riku gestured to a few more broomsticks collecting water from the well. "What's all this?"

"I enchanted those broomsticks so they could accumulate the water for me."

Riku jumped back. He shook his head. "Have you forgotten? That's what Mickey did in the dreams, and you know how that turned out."

Violet sighed deeply. "Yes, I recollect," she held out her mystical wand. Riku was a bit surprised. He had not seen the angel's wand for a while. He had almost forgotten how it looked.

Violet waved her wand around in a sideways arc. All the brooms stopped moving and became lifeless, their arms and legs vanishing. The buckets all fell to the ground, pouring and splashing water everywhere.

"Why would you do that?" Riku inquired.

Violet sighed deeply. "I was on the verge of departure, so I had to assign something to complete this task."

"Where were you going?"

Violet shook her head. "I have no clue. Anyplace except this land. You do not require me to be here alongside you, Riku. You already have Niccole… or had, I suppose is the correct term."

Riku wanted to slap himself silly. This was not Violet's fault she had wanted to leave. Nor was it Niccole's. Just like Mickey had said, these were his problems. And only he could resolve them. Nonetheless, he had never anticipated Violet wanting to leave like this. What about when Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad came back with Indigo? How would it look, with Violet gone and her own sister here instead?

Riku placed his hand on the angel's shoulder. "You don't have to go," he said. "If anyone leaves, it should be me. All my mistakes have become others' problems."

He marched to the end of the landmass. "Xehanort was right. I succumbed to the Darkness, but I could not control it. And I lost my Keyblade, the Keyblade Sora's using right now," he clenched his fists. "If I had only not let Maleficent talk her way into me. She knew my weakness, and she used it against me. That was how she manipulated me into fighting against Sora."

Violet turned into the direction the silver-haired young man was standing. "That was an extensive time ago, correct? You should not insist on allowing those spiteful memoirs to control your actions nowadays. That is your weakness. If you do not take action to oppose those memoirs, they shall deteriorate your heart. They might very well end up crushing it into dust."

Riku did not look at the violet-haired angel. Yet, Violet was sure her words were not going unnoticed. "You can overcome this, Riku. I am convinced you can succeed. All you have to do is attempt it. That is all the guidance I can provide you. The rest is up to you and your heart."

She turned and walked back to the tower. The doors opened and closed as Violet headed inside. Riku remained where he stood. He looked up into the sky. He could see the three distinct stars shining quite beautifully up there. One green, one blue, and one orangish-brown.

He was stumped. Would his friends forgive him for all this? How could he face them now? If only Sora was here to help….

Medy was busy tuning up his instrument when he heard footsteps echo down the corridor behind him. "Man," he complained. "When can I be left alone without being interrupted by another blabbermouth?"

"Talk that way to me again, and you'll be subject to clean-up duties for the next month."

Medy spun around. There stood Isa, his long, bluish hair a bit longer than it had been two days before. He was frowning and his arms were crossed. "Xehanort has lost patience with you," he stated. "Have you anything to report on Genesis?"

Medy rolled his eyes and groaned. "If I could find the guy, I wouldn't be here now, would I? Recon is my thing, right?"

Isa snorted. "How pitiful. You call yourself a member of the Organization, but here you are, playing around with your music."

"Hey," Medy pounded his fist hard. "I had to run from a boulder, remember? Gimme a little credit for trying!"

Isa gave a sneaky grin. "I'll consider, on one condition. You must find Genesis and remind him who's in charge of the Organization. And ignore any snakes you might find."

Medy gulped. The thought of running into another snake made his skin slither. After he had escaped that boulder, he had travelled through a dark corridor, only to end up in a strange world full of underground passages, bugs, and swarms of… snakes.

He had high-tailed it out of there, only travel through another dark corridor into a jungle. He had then encountered a long snake who tried to hypnotize him with a soothing voice and the words, "Trust in me!". If it had not been for that herd of elephants trampling through the vicinity, who knows what would have become of him.

Medy sighed. "Alright, man. I'll try."

"That's good to hear," Isa turned to leave. As he marched off down the hall, he left one last comment. "If you don't, you'll be better off not coming back at all."

That was the last thing Medy needed to hear. He scooped up his instrument as he stood and opened a dark portal. He proceeded inside, knowing this might be his last chance.

A/N: There Is It - The End OF COASTAL TOWN! THE WORLD HAS BEEN BOTH SAVED FROM THE HEARTLESS - AND - THE DARKNESS!
NOW, It Is Time To CELEBRATE! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HUZZAH! YIPPEE! YES!

So, I have a few things to go over before I can give you the you-know-what-H-I-N-T!
(1.) I nearly considering using the Crooked Magician Heartless for the final battle of this world! Yet, there is no such creature mentioned in This Story's Storyline Summary. Therefore, I had to include the battle against Mortimer Mouse and Cinnamon Teal. I honestly thought both of them turned out rather well, all things considered!
(2.) Yes, Miss Taylor is the name of the schoolteacher in the movie!
(3.) Yes, the shout from when the harpoon shoots through the roof of the boathouse with Doctor Terminus in tow IS Goofy's shout. The same is true for the movie!
(4.) I HAD to laugh at the part where Sora absent-mindedly squeezes Indigo with glee at sealing the world's Keyhole!
(5.) Despite what Donald said to Goofy about "'FISHY JOKES'", I cannot state either way in regards to whether or not we shall see more "'FISHY JOKES'" coming up in This Story, let alone the next one!
(6.) For those of you who did not notice, Medy accidentally encountered Kaa from Disney's "'The Jungle Book (1967)'" sometime in-between Chapter 35 and This Chapter!
(7.) I enjoyed adding the Reprise to the song, "'Candle On The Water'" in there! For those of you who did not know, that Reprise IS on the movie's soundtrack! I should know so, considering I was listening to it on my iTunes while I wrote This Chapter!

Now, it is time for the "'RIDDLE HINT'" for the next, upcoming Disney-based world featured in This Story!
HINT: "'SOMEPLACE OUT IN DEEP SPACE IS A SMALL PLANET, WITH AN EVEN SMALLER, TROPICAL ARCHIPELAGO! ON A RATHER SMALL ISLAND, SORA AND HIS FRIENDS SHALL ENCOUNTER A FAMILIAR FACE AND A WEALTH OF NEW ONES! THEY MIGHT BE UNAWARE OF SOME EXTRATERRESTRIALS HUNTING ANOTHER, ALONGSIDE THE HEARTLESS BEING ON THE PROWL!! SORA MAY HAVE TO AVOID THE HULA IF HE HOPES TO HELP HIS OLD FRIEND FIND HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THIS WORLD!'"
IF You Believe You Know What World Is Up Next, Please Post Your Answers In The REVIEWS Section For THIS CHAPTER!

Well then, I do not have much else to say now.
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!"