DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: HELLO THERE! LONG TIME, NO SEE NOR HEAR!
WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE! After three and a half years of hiatus, Chapter 51 is at last finished and ready for viewing!
Before we get started, I would like to take the time to apologize for not posting this chapter for so long. Life had pulled me away from this story and, in turn, I started working full-time on my original stories. Still, "Kingdom Hearts - Season of Light" was always on my mind and I remained determined to finish it once and for all. Well, that time has at last come, so here you are!
Thank you for your patience!
I would also like to take the time to remember some actors and actresses who have passed away from 2018 to present.
2018:
JERRY MCCORD VAN DYKE - (July 27TH, 1931 TO January 5TH, 2018; AGE 86). He was the younger brother to world-renowned comedy actor, Dick Van Dyke himself. In fact, he even played Stacey Petrie on "'The Dick Van Dyke Show'".
CHUCK MCCANN - (September 2ND, 1934 TO April 8TH, 2018; AGE 83). He was probably best known for his work as Duckworth, Scrooge McDuck's butler, in Disney's "'DuckTales'", alongside some of the Beagle Boys. He also appeared in "'TaleSpin'" and "'The New Adventures of Winnie-The-Pooh'", among several other Disney shows and movies. He even played Santa Claus in Disney's "'Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas (2005)'".
In 2013, he reprised his role as Duckworth for the video game, "'DuckTales: Remastered'".
DAVID OGDEN STIERS - (October 31ST, 1942 TO March 3RD, 2018; AGE 75). He was the one who played Governor Ratcliffe AND Wiggins in Disney's "'Pocahontas (1995)'", The Narrator for several of the "'Winnie-The-Pooh'" movies, Dr. Jumba Jookiba in Disney's "'Lilo And Stitch (2002)'" and "'Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep'", Cogsworth in all the "'Beauty And The Beast'" movies and "'Kingdom Hearts 2'" (as well as The Narrator for Disney's "'Beauty And The Beast (1991)'"), The Archdeacon in the Disney version of "'The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996)'", Fenton Q. Harcourt in Disney's "'Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)'", among other smaller roles here and there.
He also voiced Nicky Flippers, the froggy detective, in the animated movie, "'Hoodwinked! (2005)'" and its sequel "'Hoodwinked Too! Hood V.S. Evil (2011)'", and had many other animated roles. In Late 2018, I learned he was also the voice of Kamaji in the English (Disney) Dub for the Japanese-animated classic, "'Spirited Away (2001)'".
Starting in 1977, he played Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on the classic television series, "'M*A*S*H'".
(For those of you who recall, back on Chapter 15 of This Story, this actor was the subject of the Trivia for That Chapter.)
KEN BERRY - (November 3RD, 1933 TO December 1ST, 2018; AGE 85). He might be best remembered for playing Captain Wilton Parmenter on the 1960s sitcom, "'F-Troop'", farmer and town councilman Sam Jones in "'Mayberry R.F.D.'", and Vinton Harper in "'Mama's Family'".
He also appeared as lawyer, Willoughby Whitfield, in Disney's "'Herbie Rides Again (1974)'" and Dr. Frank Wilson in Disney's "'The Cat From Outer Space (1978)'".
He still remains one of my favorite actors . . . .
PENNY MARSHALL - (October 15TH, 1943 TO December 17TH, 2018; AGE 75). She was the sister of actor and director, Garry Marshall. Her performances included Laverne Defazio in the 1970s sitcom, "'Laverne & Shirley'". She also made guest appearances in "'Happy Days'".
2019:
CAROL CHANNING (January 31ST, 1931 TO January 15TH, 2019; AGE 97). She was a well-known comedy actress, singer, and dancer.
Personally, I only know of her from these two roles: Cornelia C. Contralto II in the episode, "In The Haunted House", for Scholastic's "'The Magic School Bus'", and the ceiling fan, Fanny, in Disney's "'The Brave Little Toaster Goes To Mars (1998)'". The latter was her last role in anything outside of documentaries.
TIM CONWAY (December 15TH, 1933 TO May 14TH, 2019; AGE 85). He was a beloved comedy actor best known for his sketch (skit) routines with Harvey Korman on the 1970s variety show, "'The Carol Burnett Show'" and the role of Ensign Charles Parker in "'McHales Navy'", a sitcom from the 1960s. On top of that, he also played these roles: Amos Tucker in Disney's "'The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)'" and Disney's "'The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979)'", Tim (the ice-cream man) in Disney's "'The Shaggy D.A. (1976)'" (SO SILLY, I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT!), and even was the original voice of Barnacle Boy in "'SpongeBob SquarePants'". He even did the voice of Bampy Botsford in Scholastic's "'WordGirl'".
He was a comedic legend in his own time and still remains one of my All-Star Favorite Actors.
Unfortunately, I cannot recall any other ones from 2019 since I went through a difficult time starting in Late Summer and it continued through November of that year.
So sorry . . . .
2020:
CARL REINER (March 20TH, 1922 TO June 29TH, 2020; AGE 98). He was a comedy legend in his own time. One of his best known roles was that of the notorious Alan Brady on "'The Dick Van Dyke Show'", for which he was also the head creator and producer. He also played the Tower Controller At Rancho Conejo in the classic "'It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1964)'" and did the voice for the Blue Blazer in Scholastic's "'WordGirl'".
HELEN REDDY (October 25TH, 1941 TO September 29TH, 2020; AGE 78). You might know of this particular actress and singer for the role of Nora in Disney's "'Pete's Dragon (1977)'". She even sang the memorable song "Candle On The Water".
DAWN WELLS (October 18TH, 1938 TO December 30TH, 2020; AGE 82). She is best remembered for the role of Mary Ann Summers on "'Gilligan's Island'"; she reprised the role for the reunion movies in the Late 1970s and Early 1980s. She also did the voice of both her character and movie star, Ginger Grant, in the animated spin-off's spin-off, "'Gilligan's Planet'".
In 2016, she became the Marketing Ambassador for the METV Network. She even shared her memories of "'Gilligan's Island", the making of it and the other cast members alike.
Sadly, I cannot recall anyone else from 2020 since I stopped keeping up with the news. This was largely due to the outbreak and pandemic taking up all the media at the time. I am sorry . . . .
2021:
CLORIS LEACHMAN (April 30TH, 1926 TO January 27TH, 2021; AGE 94). She was an exceptional actress who is best known for playing the landlady, Phyllis Lindstrom, on "'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'", the pirate mother, Dola in the English (Disney) Dub for the Japanese-animated movie, "'Castle In The Sky (1986 / 2003 Dub)'", Aunt Louise Trend in Disney's "'Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)'", Bart Millard's Grandmother in "'I Can Only Imagine (2018)'", and Gran in "'The Croods (2013)'" and "'The Croods: A New Age (2021)'".
SAMUEL E. WRIGHT (November 26TH, 1926 TO May 24TH, 2021; AGE 74). He is best remembered for doing the role of Sebastian in all of the Disney's "The Little Mermaid'" movies, shows, video games, and even the "'Kingdom Hearts'" video game series. He also was the original portrayal of Mufasa for the Broadway Edition of Disney's "The Lion King". Furthermore, he was the voice of Kron in Disney's "'Dinosaur (2000)'".
EDWARD "ED" ASNER (November 15TH, 1929 TO August 29TH, 2021; AGE 91). He is best remembered for playing Lou Grant on "'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'".
He also did the voice of General Araneus in the episode, "Spins A Web", for Scholastic's "'The Magic School Bus'". A LOT of you might recognize him for doing the voice of Carl Fredricksen in Disney-Pixar's "'UP (2009)'". He also did the voice for Kid Potato in Scholastic's "'WordGirl'" and played Santa Claus in "'Elf (2003)'". He also was the manager of the football team in Disney's "'GUS (1976)'".
He LOVED to play the role of Santa Claus in so many things . . . .
I apologize if I do not recollect everyone who has left our world behind in the last few years.
I would like to mention that I did play "'Kingdom Hearts III'" the day it came out (for me, Tuesday, January 29TH, 2019) and it swiftly became one of my favorite titles in the series.
So, with that all said and done, IT IS TIME TO READ ON TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!
PLEASE ENJOY AND DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW! THANK YOU!
CHAPTER 51
An Incomplete Story
The rainbow of stars were twinkling brightly against the backdrop of The Other Sky. The voyage aboard Herbie was very smooth for a change. …Or it would have been, if only a certain Keyblade wielding teenager had kept his mouth closed….
"Are you serious?!" Donald quacked. He kicked Sora's seat from behind. "We gotta go all the way back there again?!"
"Yes," Sora approved, rubbing the back of his neck. The kick had lurched him forward for a second. He held up the torn page Tinker Bell and Periwinkle had given him. "I can't leave Pooh and his friends without their full world."
"But thuh Radiant Garden is a long ways away," Goofy pinpointed. "Are ya sure we can't wait?"
"No," Sora shook his head. "I need to make sure Pooh's okay. Then we can continue our quest."
"Yes," Amemi approved. She smiled. "I was hoping I'd get to see Winnie-The-Pooh again."
"So, let's soar away," Indigo pointed into the distance through the front windshield. Countless stars seemed to wink in tune to the angel's declaration.
"No, let's Sora away," Launchpad stated.
"Hey!" Sora gawked. Donald, Goofy, and Amemi all burst out laughing. The whole backseat area was louder than a dinosaur wailing through the night. Jiminy Cricket hopped out of the young man's pocket to chuckle. Sora covered his face with his hands.
Indigo nudged the Keyblader with her elbow. "You should be used to this by now," she told him. "I have sensed your heart is telling you this is not the first time anyone has teased you."
"I know," Sora confessed. He gave a smile. "And I know it won't be the last time. Some things just never change."
Herbie beeped a small laugh before shooting forward and into the distance. It would not be long before the group arrived at their destination. Amidst the somewhat turbulent ride (no thanks to Launchpad competitively trying to seize control of the flight pattern from Herbie), Sora relaxed in his seat and placed his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what new misadventures awaited within that old book. Already, he and Amemi had helped Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, and Tigger realize it was not anywhere near Groundhog Day, and joined Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, and Rabbit in celebrating Thanksgiving with a humble party in the woods.
Whatever lay ahead now, he was still eager to find out.
Sora led the way up the flight of reddish stone steps to the entrance of the castle. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo were moments behind. The castle seemed more complete since their last visit. The outside walls had gone from silver to a bright shade of lavender. The tallest tower was a bright yellow and the second tower leaning out the other side was a bright red. One of the two towers jutting from the base was almost done with bright blue paint across the lower half. The other tower was just over halfway through its framework stage.
Sora had to admit, the castle at Radiant Garden looked brighter. It was an evident sign the world was improving. With each step the construction teams made, everything was getting closer and closer to completion. And not just the castle. On the walk over from the marketplace (Launchpad had crash-landed Herbie on another vacant stall), Sora and his friends had taken note of how more houses were completed, along with tile-stone walkways replacing the dirt roads. A few more fountains had been added to the neighborhoods, alongside some small waterways and dirt patches filled with flowers that were starting to bloom.
Overall, Sora felt this world was becoming a better place, and that made him feel good, especially since he had helped it get this far — he and his companions, Donald Duck, Goofy, Launchpad McQuack, his sister, Amemi, and the angel, Indigo. Now he was the leader of the committee responsible for putting things back the way it used to be with the hope of making something better.
The group hurried over to the front entrance. Dilan and Aeleus once again barred the way, so Sora showed them their VIP cards. "You may enter," Dilan said.
"And be quick," Aeleus added. "Aerith and Myrna have been awaiting your return. You can find them in the library."
"Thanks," Sora nodded. He led his team into the castle. Once inside the entrance hall, Sora saw something new. In addition to all the Christmas decorations from the last time they had been there, a Christmas angel hung from the platform suspended in the middle of the hall. The decoration had a white robe with feathery wings and a golden halo and harp. She was smiling. The song playing in the background had changed. It now contained a choir singing, "Angels we have heard on high…. "
Indigo folded her arms. "That is not how angels look," she stated, an unamused look showing on her face. "That is a stereotypical angel."
"What's the difference?" Goofy asked her.
Indigo pointed at the decoration. "Angels do not carry harps unless they choose to have them. Plus, I do not know of any angels who have halos on their heads."
"Have you ever used a harp?" Donald inquired.
"I tried it once," Indigo replied. "I was not very good at it. I was better at playing the clarinet than a harp. Violet is best at the violin, and Teal can play the flute."
"I like the flute," Amemi smiled. "I tried it myself a year ago. I still have the instrument."
"But you take lessons," Sora told his sister. "Mom made you do it. It was that or dance class."
Amemi shrugged. "I know. It's still a fun instrument to play."
"Aw, gee," Launchpad grumbled. "I never could play an instrument. The best I get is a quacking sound on the trumpet."
Sora shook his head. "Let's forget about this and keep going."
The others gave nods in return. Sora led everyone up a short staircase and up to the door into the library. On the other side, they made their way past the shelves to the staircase. Seated at a desk there was Myrna. The golden-haired girl looked up when she saw them. "Hi," she waved. "I was wondering when you'd get here."
"Sorry about the wait," Sora answered. He held up the torn page. "We got another one."
Myrna clapped her hands with a huge smile. "Yes!" she excited cheered.
Sora's smile faded for a moment. He had not foreseen such a reaction from anyone — especially when it regarded a small side-quest on the verge of completion. "Okay," was all he could say.
"Aerith and I have someone we'd like to introduce you to," Myrna added. "Would you like to see her now or after you return that page?"
"Let's do it now," Sora decided.
Myrna gave a nod and rose from her desk. "This way," she instructed. She speed-walked to the stairs and straight up.
"Hey!" Sora called as he and the others ran after her. "Wait up!"
Upon reaching the second floor, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo came to a stop. Myrna had stopped and was gesturing to a small desk before them. Seated at the table was a girl around Amemi's age. She had short, reddish hair that seemed to point downwards on either side of her head with the back tied into a small ponytail and orange eyes. A pair of bobby-pins were stuck into her right bang; they criss-crossed each other in the form of an "X". Sora stared for a second. This girl truly did look like one of the characters in a Japanese anime show Kairi's sisters used to watch. Maybe this girl was one of those characters! "This is her," Myrna said. She turned to the young woman seated in the chair opposite the new girl. "Aerith, they're here."
Aerith turned to face Sora and the others. She smiled. "It's good to see you," she said. She turned to the new girl. "Someone we'd like you to meet is here."
The reddish-haired girl turned her attention to the group. She gave a huge smile. "Hello," she said.
"Hiya," Sora said, waving. "I'm Sora."
"Donald," Donald said.
"The name's Goofy," Goofy introduced.
"The name's Launchpad McQuack!" Launchpad proclaimed. "If it's got wings, I can crash it!"
"My name's Amemi," Amemi said.
"Please, call me 'Indigo'," Indigo introduced.
"And I'm Kelsey," the girl nodded. "I still don't know how I got here, but I don't recognize any of this place."
Sora crossed his arms. "You mean, you're not from this world?" he questioned.
Kelsey shrugged. "I don't know, but wouldn't I have remembered this castle if I had?"
Myrna leaned in close to Sora's ear. "She still has a touch of amnesia," she said. "Her memory's a little fuzzy."
Sora gave a nod of understanding. He knew what that was like. After mysteriously falling asleep during his search for Riku and King Mickey, the spikey, brown-headed youth had awoken alongside his friends, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Jiminy Cricket. However, none of them had any memories of falling asleep. To top it off, Jiminy's journal was mostly blank, with only one line in it. He was still a little unsure as to who this "Naminé" was, except for the fact Roxas had (somehow) told him about her. He figured this "Naminé" might be the reason Kelsey lacked her memories. On the other hand, something else could be happening. He knew there were times when things made even less sense than normal. So, what was normal? This train of thought needed to derail.
"Could we enter the book now?" Sora asked.
Myrna nodded. "Yes! It's downstairs. Follow me!"
She raced down the stairs in a hurry. Sora and Amemi immediately followed suit. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo stayed upstairs to speak with Kelsey.
Myrna was the first one to reach the book. Next was Sora, followed shortly by Amemi. Sora unlocked the latch and opened the storybook. He flipped to the next page with tear marks. Based on a small slash in the page after, it was clear this damage was the Heartless's doing. He carefully reattached the paper in his hands. Once it connected, a brilliant flash of Light filled the air. When that Light faded, Sora, Amemi, and Indigo were gone. The book was still open, lying flat on the desk. Donald and Goofy gave a nod to one another, certain the three had been magically transported inside the cover and onto the pages.
"Every season brings a reason to be joyful (joyful)
Every season brings a song your heart can sing (sing)
When the wintry wind begins a-blowing
You'll soon be playing in the snow
And it won't be long till Christmas comes to set your heart aglow! (ooh)
So every season brings a reason to be giving
Giving thanks for all the seasons of good cheer
But most of all, we're grateful
For the loved ones we hold dear
Every glorious season of the year
Every glorious season of the year!"
As the song came to a close, Sora and Amemi could see again. They were standing on a white page. Below was a large illustration. Above were long sets of letters, all typed texts. They had landed between the two. "We're back," Sora told his sister.
Amemi gave a nod. "I wonder where we are," she said, pointing to the picture. It showed a large tree surrounded by some fields of vegetables.
Sora smiled, recognizing the location in a heartbeat. "That's Rabbit's house," he said.
"What in Dreamland?" a familiar high-pitched voice squealed. Sora and Amemi whirled their focus to the side. Standing on the page was a young lady draped in an indigo dress with matching shoes. Her hair, antennae, wings, and eyes were also indigo. "Where am I? This is too strange…. "
"Indigo?!" both Sora and Amemi declared in unison.
Indigo spun around to face them. "Sora! Where are we?"
"We're inside the book," Sora explained.
Indigo looked around in surprise. She relaxed. "This is the inside of that book?"
Sora gave a nod. "Yeah!"
"Then how do we get out of here?"
"We need to finish the story."
"How do we do that?"
Sora pointed to the illustration below them. Indigo paused and crossed her arms. "That is a drawing."
"No, it's a way into the world," Sora stated. He bent down a little and jumped. He dived, straight as an arrow, into the picture. The instant his body touched the colorful backdrop, he slipped into a swimming pool full of algae.
Indigo took a deep breath. "Are you sure this is safe?" she commented. "It seems a little dangerous to me."
"It's not too bad. I've done it twice," Amemi reassured her. Seeing the concerned look on Indigo face, the sandy-haired girl offered her hand. "I'll do it with you."
Indigo still seemed a little hesitant. Following another deep breath, she reached over and took Amemi's hand. Together, they counted to four and jumped. They soared through the air for a second and then dove straight through the painted illustration. Sora and Amemi were now back in The 100-Acre Wood, and this time, Indigo had come along.
The day inside the illustration was bright and sunny with clear skies visible from all angles. Sora and Amemi led the way down a path through a large forest. Indigo kept her focus aimed at the ground, careful not to trip over any roots sticking up from the soil. When Sora came to a stop, Amemi and Indigo did the same. Up ahead they could see a large clearing that perfectly matched the illustration where they had entered. "This is Rabbit's house," Amemi asked. "Where we had the party, right?"
Sora gave a nod. "Yeah!" he pointed at one of the fields stretched before Rabbit's front door. There was the bunny, busy using his watering can on the soil. A number of short green plants were nestled around him. "Come on! Let's see if Rabbit needs help with his garden."
He took off before the other two could say anything in return. Without a word, Amemi and Indigo quickly followed. The yellow rabbit looked up when he saw the three approaching. He put down his watering can and waved. "Hello again, Sora, Amy!" Rabbit paused when he saw the angel. "Oh my, who might this be?"
"My name is Indigo," Indigo answered. "I am the Angel of Hope."
"She's a friend of ours," Sora added in. "We were wondering if you needed any help."
Amemi shook her head and folded her arms. "You mean you were wondering," she told her brother.
Rabbit rapidly regained his composure. "Well, the more the merrier, and you're just in time to help Kessie and I weed these carrots."
Now it was Sora's turn to cross his arms. "'Kessie'? Who's that?"
"Am I doing this right, Rabbie?" came a higher-pitch voice. All eyes swung to a small bluebird holding a dandelion's steam and petals. The instant she saw Sora, Amemi, and Indigo, the bluebird rushed behind a nearby plant.
"Don't worry, Kessie," Rabbit said. "These are my friends, Sora, Amy, and Indigo."
"'Amemi'," Amemi corrected.
Kessie poked her head out from behind the plant. "Oh. I'm sorry, Rabbie."
Indigo knelt down and waved at the bluebird. "Hi there, Kessie," she smiled.
Rabbit patted Kessie on the head. "Not bad, but you've got to choke up on your grip," he took a couple of steps away and rammed his foot into something hard and heavy. "Ouch!" he gazed down at the small flower pot. A small carrot decorated with a blue ribbon was planted firmly in it. "And what is this?"
"Looks like a carrot in a flower pot," Sora surmised.
"Well, it's… it's mine," Kessie said, tucking her wings together. "When you taught me how to plant carrots, that was my very first one. I was going to save it special… for you."
Sora and Amemi traded glances. Was Rabbit supposed to be Kessie's teacher? Or was there some other reason why the bluebird seemed relatively close to him? Until now, the only family members Sora had met in the storybook were Kanga and her son, Roo. Perhaps Rabbit was a foster father for Kessie? …Since when? They decided to shove the contemplation aside.
Indigo calmly knelt down onto the ground. "I understand you wished to keep that carrot as a surprise, yet maybe you should have told him? He stubbed his toe."
Kessie walked up to Rabbit and hugged his sore foot. "I'm sorry."
Rabbit smiled and gently patted her on the head. "That's all right. Now, why don't you just run along and play with Sora and the others?" he turned to gaze at Sora. "I can count on you to keep her safe… can I?"
Sora pounded his fist against his chest. "Of course!"
Amemi leaned in close to Indigo. "Here he goes again."
The sound of something springy bouncing along the ground echoed into everyone's ears. Before anyone could speak or move, Tigger came bounding into the garden. He leaped too much and slammed straight into Indigo, thus sending the pair tumbling over and over for a few yards. "Say! What have we got here?" he said, his beady eyes peering down at the angel he had knocked over. Indigo was face-down in the soil, the tiger perched on her back. Her wings lay flat to the sides. He picked up one of the wings and began squinting at it. "Looks very inter-roost-ling! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!"
"Please put my wing back down," Indigo said in a soft voice.
Sora strode up. "Tigger?"
Tigger dropped the wing and swung his attention to the spikey-headed seventeen-year-old. "Hey, Sora! Come to play with Ol' Long Ears, have ya?" he bounded off his perch and banged directly into Sora, knocking the young man into the carrot patch. "Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! What should we play first? Bounce-the-carrotzes-into-the-ground?"
"Hello, Mister Tigger," Kessie waved her wings. Tigger hopped off Sora and up to the bluebird. This distraction allowed plenty of time for Amemi to help Indigo off the ground and for Sora to return to his feet.
Tigger grasped Kessie with both hands and spun her around and around with a delightful look. "Whatcha all doin'?" he asked.
"We were gonna play with Kessie," Sora replied.
An overly-excited Tigger gently put the bluebird back onto the ground and began hopping with too much glee. "Then let's go bouncin' at my favourite bouncin' spot!"
"'Bouncing'?!" Rabbit's eyes burst with alarm. He scowled and marched at Tigger. "No! You stay out of this! I was busy teaching Kessie something useful: how to weed carrots."
"Really?" Tigger sputtered for a second. "Well, why didn't you say so? Tiggers are the best at weddin'!"
Before anyone could stop him, the tiger bounded into another patch of carrots alongside the brook. He started yanking on the carrot stalks, sending pieces of orange and green and brown flying in all directions. "Tigger!" Sora shouted amidst the commotion.
"Stop!" Amemi called out.
Indigo shielded her face from the debris. "Please stop it!"
Tigger paused, a carrot tightly clutched in each hand. "What's the matter? Am I makin' you look bad in front of the kid?"
Rabbit's face was redder than ever. "You're pulling up my carrots!" he snapped.
"Oh!" Tigger chuckled, holding up a pair of carrots. "So these are carrots. Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!"
Indigo sighed. "Oh, brothery…. "
Amemi turned to her brother. "Does Tigger always act like he knows what he's doing when he doesn't?"
Sora shrugged. "Beats me. I still don't get why he bounces so much."
Rabbit sighed very heavily. "Sora, can you please take Tigger and Kessie somewhere else? I've got to replant everything."
Sora gave a quick nod. "Yeah!"
"Yet, you are forgetting something important," Indigo spoke up. "Where is Tigger's 'bouncing spot' located?"
"Don't worry, Miss Spark-lily-Bird!" Tigger cheered. "I'll show ya the way!" he scooped up Kessie and put her on his shoulder. "Let's go bouncin'!"
With another "Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo", Tigger darted down the long dirt road into the forest. "The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things!" he sang aloud. "Their tops are made out of rubber! Their bottoms are made out of springs! Their bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy — fun, fun, fun, fun, fun! But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one! I'm the only one!"
"Okay," was all Sora could think of saying. With a nod at both Amemi and Indigo, he headed into the woods. The two were directly behind. Before long, they were deep in the forest. The sunlight streaming down through the trees was more than they had expected. Then it began getting lower and fainter. Sora knew this meant they had been following Tigger for a long time.
"Sora," Amemi finally asked. "Is this the way?"
Sora shrugged. "I've only been to Tigger's bouncing spot once, and that was two years ago," he paused. "Or was it three?"
Indigo pointed straight ahead. "No matter how long ago it was, Tigger is bouncing up and down trees up ahead. Look at that!"
Sora and Amemi swung their focus to the path before them. There was Tigger, bouncing up and over entire trees in single bounces. Amemi smiled and reached into her purse. She pulled out her jump-rope and started jumping rope down the path. Indigo and Sora exchanged looks before shrugging and following the sandy-haired girl.
The daylight seemed to fade into the treetops. Although Sora knew it was only the middle of the afternoon, this also was a clear sign the canopy was thicker than anywhere near Rabbit's home. He hoped they were getting close to Tigger's Bouncing Spot. Either that, or perhaps they were lost in the middle of the woods near that spooky cave in the forbidden mountains.
Wait… that did not sound correct. Maybe he was dreaming again? He pinched one of the spikes in his hair. Nope. He was awake.
The path opened into a large clearing littered with large, small, and medium tree stumps. A gigantic, empty pot of hunny sat atop one of the stumps, its color faded and label long deteriorated. Tigger started to bounce between the stumps at a rapid pace while Amemi skipped her jump-rope atop one of the stumps sitting off to the side.
"Sora?" Indigo inquired, her eyes shifting around the area. "Is this supposed to be the 'bouncing spot'?"
Sora smiled, recognizing this very clearing from his first adventure in the world. "Yeah! This is it," he raced to a wooden see-saw a few steps away. He hopped onto it and began bounding back and forth between each end. The wooden plank moved accordingly, sending the young man higher and higher into the air with each leap. He gestured to the angel. "C'mon!"
Indigo folded her arms and shook her head. "No, thank you," she declined with a smile. Her eyes turned to a small swing dangling from a tree towards the edge of the space. She raced over and plopped onto it. She was careful not to let her wings get squeezed by the ropes as she started to pump her legs and get the swing rocking forward and back, forward and back, forward and backward. "I like swings more than see-saws."
Sora smiled brightly. "Well, okay!"
"Wheee!" Kessie squealed with delight from atop her noble Tigger. "This is so much fun!"
Tigger paused and grinned very cheekily. "Well, what do you say, Kesserino? Does Uncle Tigger know how to bounce or what?"
Kessie giggled. "I bet you're the best bouncer in the whole world!"
Tigger stopped bouncing for a second. "Ohh, that was nothin'," he tried not to blush. His eyes shifted to a tree on the edge of the clearing. "Now, I'm gonna clear that tree."
Sora paused his movement on the see-saw and bounded over to the stump next to where Tigger and Kessie were located. "Why did you stop, Tigger?"
"He's going to bounce over a tree!" Kessie replied.
Sora turned his eyes to the tree Tigger had set his gaze upon. It was a very tall, very old tree lacking any leaves. The bark was peeling away, making it appear as though the plant itself was long dead. "Wait! That tree?"
Tigger frowned. "Uh, actually, uh… I'll embarrass the tree if I jump it all at once. So, I'll take it in three bounces."
Sora hesitated. A tree like that one probably wouldn't be very sturdy, especially if it really did turn out to be dead. Before he could say anything, Tigger bounded toward it. Like the bouncing tiger had claimed, he hopped onto one of the branches and then another one. Finally, he reached the top on the third leap.
Kessie gave Tigger a fond hug. "Oh, Uncle Tigger! That was fun."
A loud creaking and cracking sound echoed throughout the surrounding area. Before Sora's eyes, the tree with Tigger and Kessie started to topple over. Down it went, taking the two of them with it. An enormous crash followed. Amemi fell to the ground midway through one of her jumps, and Indigo screeched her feet against the ground to stop the swing. The two hurried to Sora.
"What happened?" Amemi asked.
"That sounded like a huge crash!" Indigo declared.
"Tigger took Kessie up one of the trees, and it just fell down. I hope they're okay," Sora explained. "C'mon!"
He charged across the clearing, his sister and the angel directly behind. In less than two minutes, the three were at the tree. Sora came to a sudden stop when he realized they were at the edge of a tall cliff overlooking a vast amount of the forest below. He halted so fast, he started to teeter over the trim. Indigo and Amemi grabbed his arms and pulled him back up.
"Thanks!" Sora approved. He turned his attention to the tree now dangling over the cliff. There was Tigger, clinging to one of the branches and Kessie, clinging to the former's tail. "Oh no!"
"Help!" Kessie screamed. "Rabbie! Help!"
"Hang on!" Sora called to them. He turned to Indigo. "Can you reach them?"
Indigo was about to answer when a blur of something yellow and white raced across the tree's trunk. Rabbit had arrived and now saw where he had ended up. He grasped the tree, unable to move. Sora sighed and hurried across the trunk to help anyway he could. If there was one thing he could not stand, it was not being able to help someone in need.
"Sora!" Amemi shouted. "Stop moving!"
The instant his sister's voice filled his ears, Sora came to a stop. That was when he noticed the tree was wobbling, determined to tumble off the cliff soon. 'What to do?' he pondered. An idea sparked into his mind. "Tigger!" he shouted. "Swing Kessie up to me and Rabbit!"
Tigger took a deep breath and grasped the tree's branch with both hands. He started to swing back and forth, causing his tail to move more and more. "One for the money," he called. "Two for the show. Three to get outta here, and here you go!"
With one giant swoosh of his tail, Tigger sent Kessie flying into the air. Sora and Rabbit both reached for the bluebird at the same time and managed to grab her wings. Although Sora tried to hold on, the small bird's wing slipped before he could think twice. Rabbit tried to cling onto Kessie, but his grip was too loose. "Kessie!"
Down went the bluebird, plunging toward the forest down below. Sora was in shock, yet not enough to keep him from reaching out and helping Tigger climb onto the sideways tree. Rabbit jumped from the tree to rescue her, an act that caused Sora to grab him and yank him back onto the trunk.
"Wait a minute, buddy boy," Tigger said with lots of sorrow filling his voice. "She's… she's gone."
Sora knew this was one thing to do. He turned to where Amemi and Indigo had been waiting. Indigo was nowhere in sight. He looked straight down. There was Indigo, diving after Kessie in the fashion of a skydiver trying to save a fellow parachutist who'd lost consciousness mid-fall. He had heard of such a story happening once according to one of the books he had looked at when he was really young. Now he was hoping the angel could make it in time, particularly since he knew her flying was not the most reliable due to the torn wing.
Still… she had to make it in time — no matter what!
Indigo could feel the wind rushing past her ears, wings, and hair as she sailed downward at the tumbling bluebird below. Within a minute, she was level with her. "Hold on, Kessie!" she called.
"Why, a vertical half-gainer and a nosedive turned into a swan dive! How unusual!" came a voice. "You know, I used to have an Uncle Horatio who used to dive in just that manner."
Indigo looked up to see a large brown owl soaring over to see the falling bluebird and angel. "An owl?"
"Pardon me," the owl said to her. "I don't believe we've met. You can call me 'Owl'."
Indigo gave a nod. "My name is Indigo. I am an angel."
"Oh my!" Owl beamed. "I do declare! That reminds me of the time my Great-Aunt Suzanne tumbled out of her nest as a hatchling and claimed she saw an angel helping her break out of the fall and return to the nest. No one believed her tale, mind you, but it would be an awful coincidence if…. "
"It was not me," Indigo spoke up.
"Uh, excuse me, Mister Owl and Miss Indigo," Kessie blurted.
"Oh, yes, yes, yes. Now where was I? Uncle Horatio," Owl went on with his tale.
Indigo sighed. She swooped down, reached out and caught Kessie, and whooshed all the way back up to the tree as steadily as her wings would allow.
"Rabbie!" came a cheerful announcement.
Sora felt a strong relief fill his body. "Kessie!" he declared.
"Yahoo!" Tigger cheered with a bounce. The tree rocked for a few, quick seconds.
Moments later, Indigo arrived at the tree and held out her hands. There was Kessie, safe and sound. Rabbit rushed over and grabbed the little bluebird. "Kessie, you're all right!"
"Did you see us?" Kessie asserted with glee. "We were flying!"
Sora smiled at his angelic friend. "I'm so glad you saved her."
Indigo had to smile. "That is my job as the Angel of Hope."
The tree started to creak and crack some more. "Let's go!" Sora said. He raced across the trunk to the cliff with Rabbit and Tigger in tow. Indigo hopped off the trunk seconds before the whole kaboodle tumbled off the cliff and down into the forest far below. A deafening crash echoed throughout the entire wood and into some of the nearby farmland and towns.
"That was a close call," Amemi sighed with relief.
"But you didn't do anything," Sora pointed out.
The sandy-haired girl shrugged. "You and Indigo had the whole thing covered. What else could I do?"
Sora paused in thought for less than a second. He put his hands behind his head. "No idea, but at least everyone's all right."
"More than 'all right'," came the voice of Owl. He fluttered into view and landed atop the cliff. He gestured to Kessie. "She was absolutely made for flying."
"Yeah!" Kessie said. "And Owl's gonna teach me."
Owl grinned. "It shall be my pleasure my dear. A little practice and… you'll be able to fly south for the winter."
"Are you sure?" Sora asked. Owl's look of certainty convinced Sora that was indeed the case.
"Fly south?!" Rabbit exclaimed. His face became quite cross. "Never! Why, if she were meant to fly south, she'd have wings — so there!"
"Rabbit, she does have wings," Amemi indicated.
Rabbit scowled at the teenager. "Sora! Keep your sister out of this!"
Sora scowled back. "Hey!"
"But Rabbie," Kessie spoke up. "I do have wings — like she said."
Rabbit turned to Kessie. "Flying will lead to know good. Remember the promise you made me about not going too high?"
"Well, yes, but…. "
"Good," Rabbit stated in a very firm tone of voice. "Then no more talk about flying."
Without another word, Rabbit carried Kessie off deeper into the forest. Tigger leaned in close to Sora. "That didn't go so well, did it?"
Sora crossed his arms. "Well… I don't know… I mean… "
"He means, we should get back to bouncing," Amemi said.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" Tigger cheered before bounding off back into the woods. Owl took flight and soared away into the sky.
Sora, Amemi, and Indigo were alone on the cliff. "What now, Sora?" Amemi asked.
Sora gave a shrug. "I… don't know."
"Is this how these 'stories' are supposed to end?" Indigo inquired.
"Not usually."
Amemi gave a yawn. "Then, what's next?"
Sora looked up. "Let's visit Pooh. He's probably looking honey and needs some help."
The other two looked at one another and shrugged. Sora raced into the forest. Not wanting to be left behind, Amemi and Indigo followed suit. To Sora, this story seemed to be much longer than normal. True, most worlds had long series-of-events happening at the time he and his friends got to them. Yet, this was very unusual for Pooh's Storybook. Unless… could this be due to the missing pages still absent from the book?
The instant the thought left his mind, Sora saw the forest fade away into a bright light. Though Indigo and Amemi were still behind him, the woods suddenly vanished. All any of them could see, hear, touch, taste, or smell was the brilliant Light that had engulfed them.
"Sora? Are you okay?"
Sora opened his eyes. The bright Light had faded. He was back in the library of the castle, only this time, he was lying on the floor near the desk where the storybook was kept. Amemi and Indigo were lying beside him. Both were rising from the tiled floor, intact and conscious. Standing above the three was Aerith, a look of concern spread across her face.
"I'm okay," Sora assured her as he rose to his feet. He turned to his sister first and helped her off the floor. Next, he offered his hand to Indigo, but she turned it away. Once all three of them had risen from the floor, the questions started to pour in.
"What happened?" Amemi asked. "That story wasn't finished."
"Correct," Indigo agreed. "Why did we only see part of it come to life?"
"I think I know why," Aerith spoke up. She stepped up to the desk and cradled the storybook into her arms. "Myrna and I were wrong. There's only one more page missing, not two."
"So, the rest of the story's on the last missing page?" Sora surmised.
Aerith gave a nod and a smile. "But that's one less worry for you."
Sora gave a nod in return. Then he started to ponder. Where could he find the last page? What about Kessie? Would Rabbit ever let her fly? Most importantly — why was the suspense of the cliffhanger bothering him so much?
"We shall have to keep our eyes open for the last page of the storybook," Indigo mentioned. "Until we find it, shall it be business as always?"
Sora felt unsure. It must have been evident on his face because Amemi folded her arms. "He is uncertain what to do next. That's my brother for you," she remarked.
"Hey! I'm not done!"
"But I want to see what happens next!"
"A-Hyuck! It must be somethin' really excitin'!"
The sound of the voices filled the air, snatching Sora, Amemi, Indigo, and Aerith's focus. Myrna came hurrying down the steps of the staircase. "They are fighting over that book again," she sighed. "The fairy tale one."
Aerith gave a nod and handed the storybook in her hands to the golden-haired young woman. She hurried up the stairs. Myrna turned to Sora and the others. "Sorry about that," she apologized. "Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad have been quarreling over a book upstairs since you went inside that book."
"What book are they fighting over?" Amemi asked, curiosity etched in her voice.
Myrna smiled. "One about fairy tales that all take place at the same time. It seems magical as you read it. Even the title is magical — 'Once Upon A Time'."
Sora paused. Why were his friends fighting over a book about fairy tales? Why was that particular book so "magical" (as Myrna had put it)? After everything he had undergone to save the worlds from the Heartless, Nobodies, Organization XIII, and Maleficent's Council, and after enduring strange things and atypical objects, he was not always so quick to question the bizarre items and experiences he witnessed. Still, every now and then, he could not help yet wonder why things were the way they were.
Perhaps he was finally growing up and his mind was developing more and more? Or could this have anything to do with the so-called "Darkness" Xehanort had supposedly implanted in his heart a few months prior?
Aerith came down the stairs followed by Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. She held a rather large storybook in her hands. The cover was brown and had golden text and lining. The other three, on the other hand, seemed rather glum. "Gawrsh," Goofy muttered. "I sure hope Snow White and Prince Charmin' get together."
"We'd know if Launchpad would stop turning the pages so fast," Donald grumbled.
"It's not like those stories aren't predictable," Launchpad commented. "We all know the traditional fairy tales."
Aerith turned to the group. "I'll be holding onto this book for now. Sora can you please keep your team from causing trouble? They could have torn it open."
Sora gave a nod and pounded his chest with his first. "Yeah! You know it."
"By the way," Amemi spoke up. "Where's Kelsey?"
"She went out into town," Donald responded. "She's busy fighting more Heartless for us."
"At least things are mostly under control," Aerith murmured.
"Yes," Myrna acknowledged. She turned to Sora. "Yet, we still need to know if you shall be doing anything for the Christmas Celebration."
Sora shrugged. "I… don't know."
"We could sing," Amemi suggested. "You know we make a good duet. How about… 'The First Noel'?"
Sora snapped back to attention. "Huh?!"
Myrna smiled much more brightly than earlier. "Great idea!" she reached over to a desk a few inches away and removed a small cellular telephone from her purse. She flipped it open and started typing. "I shall schedule you both in it."
"W-Wait!" Sora started to say.
"All done!" Myrna grinned.
Sora gave a very deep sigh. If fighting the Heartless and stopping Maleficent's Council was not enough, now he had to sing a song with his sister in front of the whole town at the Radiant Garden. There would be rehearsals, no doubt, and that could take away from saving worlds. Stars could be blinking out right now. The more he thought about it, the more overwhelmed he felt. Like he didn't have a lot already on his plate….
The noise of his cellular telephone's ring flooded the room. Sora gave an exasperated sigh and reached into his pocket. The caller id on the screen read "Leon". His eyes lit up. The only time Leon would call him was if it was something serious and super important. He flipped the device open and held it up to his ear. "Hello? Leon?"
"Sora," came Leon's voice. It was followed by some deep gasps for breath. "Can you come outside? We need help in the construction yard."
Sora gave a swift nod. "You got it!"
The spikey-haired youth hung up his cellular telephone and slipped it away into his pocket. He turned to everybody else in the room. "Guys, we've got trouble. Leon needs us in the construction yard."
"That's to the southwest of the castle," Aerith called out from the other side of some bookshelves. "You can get there by heading right once you reach the plaza under construction."
Sora grinned. "Thanks!" he summoned his Keyblade and hurried to the door. "Let's go beat up some Heartless!"
"You got it!" Donald declared. He raised his wand and followed.
Goofy took out his shield and raced after them. "Here goes nothin'!"
Launchpad had his gas-gun at the ready when he trailed behind. "More folks need our help!"
Amemi had her slingshot locked and loaded. "I'm right behind you!"
Indigo held her Keyblade with both hands. The light shining through the windows by the staircase seemed to glisten off the blade. She smiled with determination. If Heartless were on the loose, Leon and Sora would need all the assistance they could find. "Please wait for me!" she proclaimed while she zoomed to the door.
Aerith and Myrna were alone in the library. "I hope they'll be okay," Aerith mumbled to herself.
Myrna smiled. "They shall be alright. I am certain."
Aerith had to share the smile. "You're right."
A/N: Shall Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy, Launchpad McQuack, Amemi, and Indigo be alright? Those Heartless might mean business.
Of course, as to what specifically is taking place in the Construction Yard is to be saved for the next Chapter. Keep the imagination and predictions coming!
For the record, Kelsey is actually from the Japanese-animated show, "'Glitter Force'".
In the meantime, I would like to thank you all for continuing to support me through the troubled time I underwent over the last three-and-a-half years. It was a VERY Challenging time for me.
Now that the semester is starting to wind down, I Sincerely Hope I can continue to work on This Story more often than not.
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 / NIGHT!"