:sigh:...If you haven't read "A light to show the way", stop reading and read that first!

XD What's up guys! I totally had a good portion of this typed since the last update, but I have been so busy with work and travel that I haven't had time to work on this particular story. I hope you like it!

This story is in a "back seat", so to say, because I'm really concentrating on "After the Battle" and the plans for my new AU KH story "Life or Something like it". I will still update, just don't expect them to be too close together like "A light to show the way" was. 3

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

I also don't own Mickey, Donald orGoofy. If you get right down to it, I work for them, sooo...(I work at the disney store)

Enjoy!

P.S. This chapter is dedicated to my friend, Rikus-kitsune-mate. I really hope things get better for you! 3


Chapter 3- Disney Castle

Sora sat down on the floor in the safe haven of the throne room, sighing greatly. He grabbed the gold band around his head and pulled it off, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Who knew those heartless would be so strong…" Sora said, looking up to Riku. Riku smiled down at him.

"You know you loved every second of that…" Riku commented. Sora grinned in response, but said nothing, placing the band back in its place, his brunette locks hiding it from view.

"I always wanted to ask…" Riku said, sitting down on the floor with him, "Why do you always wear that thing?"

Sora pointed up to his head. "This? Oh, it was a gift from my parent's years ago. I hated wearing crowns when I was little; I would take them off and hide them in places so my parents wouldn't find them. My mom came up with this idea. It's got a strange spell on it to always fit my head. I wear it when I don't have to wear that heavy one at home. That and I feel like it's kind of like a good luck charm, because I wore it when we defeated Ansem…"

Riku smiled. The king was talking with his captain and wizard in hushed voices. The two looked over to the trio and wondered exactly what they were talking about.

"You've got to take him to Master Yen Sid, your majesty," said Donald, looking over to Sora and Riku, who had giving up on reading lips and started talking again.

"I know…Yen Sid did say he wanted to meet the Keyblade master…to see if he had merged with the white knight…" Mickey said, his eyes worried, "But I'm more worried about the state of the castle…The Cornerstone of Light…we haven't even been down there to check…"

The two friends held up their weapons defiantly.

"We'll do it!" They said together.

The king smiled greatly at his best friends. "Thank you…but it's so far. I can tell Sora just to try and go by there…I'm sure he'll end up in Twilight Town…I would really like to make sure the state of the worlds is safe first. He just wanted to tell Sora about the other Keyblade master…"

The two gave him quizzical looks. Mickey looked over to Riku and Sora, both laughing at something one of them had said, sitting on the floor. It was very nice to see Sora so relaxed, something Mickey couldn't really see in the boy when he had conversation with him. It must be something Riku did, because Sora leaned his head to the guard's shoulder.

Mickey smiled. "Let's go, Donald, Goofy…"


A cloaked woman sat lazily on the floor, waiting for something to happen. Around the cornerstone was a cloud of cloud of darkness that blocked its light. The woman pulled back her hood to reveal blue eyes and slicked back blonde hair. She smiled as the door opened and she heard a loud male voice.

"Come on guys!"

The woman stood, as the king of Hollow Bastion came down, Keyblade out and ready. The group stopped and looked at the women, who smiled.

"Well, Well, Look at who decided to come down," She said, "I haven't had the honor of meeting the kings of the worlds. King Sora, King Mickey…" She bowed dramatically, listening to Sora growl.

"What did you do to the cornerstone?" He yelled, his voice wavering with anger.

"Oh, I just did a little redecorating dear…." The women said, watching Sora's blue eyes narrow, "What's wrong little king? Mad?"

Sora growled and charged at the girl, ignoring the protests of Riku and Mickey, plunging forward. Smirking, the women flicked her wrist and produced throwing knives between each of her fingers, jumping back when Sora finally closed the distance between them. With lightning speed, she threw one out and Sora dodged it, only barely. His sleeve was torn and he could see a small cut on his arm.

"Damn it…"

The woman laughed. Riku was immediately beside Sora, the others right behind him.

"Stop rushing in like that…" Riku said quietly, "She's strong…real strong…"

Sora just held up his Keyblade. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall…"

Riku smiled as they both readied themselves. The woman just shrugged.

"You gonna make it that way….Fine." She threw more of the daggers, this time, the group separating. Donald through couple spells, but they seemed not to have hardly an effect on her. King Mickey and Sora were trying to get close, but every time they tried, it seemed like more daggers would come at them.

Sora looked at Riku, who was also trying to find a way to get around her. The two locked eyes and immediately knew what to do. They had to get in close, because her range was dependent on staying far away. They could have a clear shot if they could just get close without getting impaled.

Sora looked over to Goofy, who knocked away some knives with his shield. He was suddenly struck with an idea.

"Goofy! Throw your shield!" He yelled, the dog looking at him for a moment. Goofy nodded and threw it, it whizzing through the air for a moment before landing on the ground and skidding on the polished floor. Sora ran up to it and jumped onto it while it was sliding, his jump giving it enough of a push to slide faster towards the women.

Riku smirked and ran away from his position, taking his place behind the blonde. He waited until Sora was at least a foot away from her before jumping up himself and heaving himself heartily from the wall with his feet. The two were rushing towards her, but her distraction was on Sora, who was at her front.

Sora swung his Keyblade out and the women tried to back away, but when she did, Riku landed a solid hit to her back, causing her to fall forward. Sora jumped off the shield and let it slide to a stop at the far wall. Riku and Sora stood with their weapons pointed down. The blood from the wound on her back was drenching her clothes. She coughed and looked up the boys.

"Who are you?" Sora demanded, "Who are you working for…"

The women smirked, her face pale. Around her, a portal was opening. "The name's Larxene…," She said, "And I work for someone who is going to make your life hell, your highness, just wait…"

Riku tried to grab her, but she faded into the darkness. The portal disappearing, Sora relaxed, but didn't dismiss the blade. He turned back to see the king with his own Keyblade pointed to the corner stone, a light collecting at it's tip. A stream of light shot through it and landed in the center of the dark clouds. The four smiled when the room returned to its normal state.

The brunette boy walked over to the wall and picked up the shield and trotted over to Goofy, handing it back.

"Thanks a lot, Goofy! This really helped!"

"A-huck! No problem, Sora!" Goofy said, patting the boy on the shoulder. The others were around him when he looked back over to the spot where Larxene had disappeared from.

"Someone who is going to make my life hell…I wonder…who could it be?"


X3

Review please! Remember, the next update might be in a week or two, okay? It really all depends on work! 3 Thanks for reading!