DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, nor the Disney and Square Enix characters. Please support the original works.


Author's Notes

So... This chapter is my favorite so far, and I really had to hustle to get it out this fast. This is also the last chapter I had a draft written up for. So I'm out of buffers...and I may take a while for updates because I have to start from scratch again. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and hope I have the time to write up the next ones just as fast. Thanks for the patience!

Also shout out to stuff3 for their amazing reviews! Thank you so much! I always love your words!


Chapter 8: Reunion


Kairi walked around on the bridge of Cid's new ship, whistling at all the controls and gadgets. It seemed as though every engineer she met was determined to one up each other. Cid's ship was nothing like the one Professor Von Drake and Gadget had built. Cid's bridge was roomier, with metal floors, three large, computer control panels on each corner of the room, and all kinds of pipes that extended into the wall, no doubt connecting to the engine room below. A massive half, sphere of glass served as the ship's viewpoint, letting in natural light from the outside as well as providing an extensive view of their surroundings.

"Welcome to the Highwind," Cid announced as he entered the cockpit behind Kairi. "My pride and joy. Took a while to get this baby all the new gear she needed to be able to travel between worlds." Cid pinched the bridge of his nose. "Now imagine how great I felt when all my hard work turned out to be for nothing. Made a ship that can pass through walls, only for the worlds themselves to come together."

Kairi turned, opening her mouth to speak, but her question died on her lips. A tall, fair skinned woman, with gentle brown eyes, long, dark brown hair, and a leather outfit, entered the bridge. She walked over to Kairi and gave the shorter girl a hug.

"Hi Tifa," said Kairi, after letting the older woman go.

"It's great to see you," said Tifa. "Did you find your friends?"

"Found them, punched the bad guy in the nose, went home, got grounded, took a raft ride, and lost them again." Kairi shrugged. "Feels like that's a thing lately, especially when all this crazy stuff started happening."

"No kidding," Tifa agreed.

Just then, a young man climbed the steps that led to the bridge. He was tall, with a strong set of muscular shoulders. His spiky blond hair, ice blue eyes and serious expression made Kairi feel as though he were about to give her some grave news. Instead, he leaned against a nearby wall and crossed his arms. He didn't bother saying hello, greeting Kairi with a simple, quiet wave.

Kairi shrugged. "Nice to see you too, Cloud."

"Looks like you've gotten stronger since I saw you last," he said.

"You bet I have," replied Kairi, putting her hands on her hips.

Cloud gave her a tiny, half smile. "Tough kid."

"See, I told you we'd find her," Tifa teased. "And you were so worried."

Cloud looked away, pressing his lips together.

"Just how did you find me?" asked Kairi. "I don't even know where I am. Everything is one big mess." She looked at Tifa. "Has something happened to Hollow Bastion?"

Cloud left his wall. He reached out and put his hand on Tifa's shoulder. "You'd better tell her."

Reaching into the pocket of her shorts, Tifa pulled out a pair of letters. She held one out to Kairi. The young girl gasped, recognizing the letter's wax sea. It was shaped like a wizard's hat, a blue triangle with white, wax stars. The letter's seal was broken. Kairi looked at Tifa, waiting for her to explain.

"Merlin gave this to us. It has instructions on what to do with the remainder of Ansem's research and his lab."

Kairi swallowed. "Which was?"

"Seal it off, for now," Cloud answered. "Don't want anyone else getting that knowledge. Cid put all the remaining notes and information in a confidential place. We destroyed the remnants of the heartless machine, and cleared out the lab as well."

"That's good."

"The letter also told us where to look for you," Tifa continued. She reached out and place the second letter, unopened letter in Kairi's hand. "This one is for you."

Kairi saw her own name, written in neat cursive, on the letter's surface. She turned the envelope over, and popped the wax seal. The parchment inside was smooth and light, like silk, but to Kairi, it might as well have weighed a thousand pounds. Her hands shook as she unfolded the letter and read.

To the princess of heart on the Destiny Islands. I thank you for destroying your grandfather's abominable machine. Yet now, a new, more daunting task awaits us. Find His Majesty, gather your comrades in arms. Meet me where the sun never sets.

Kairi swallowed. Yen Sid knew about her grandfather. And he wanted to meet her. Questions pounded around in her head. What else did the great wizard know? Could he know why the worlds were smashing together?

Placing the letter back in its envelope, Kairi tucked it into the pouch at her belt, facing Tifa.

"Hollow Bastion. Is it safe? Are the heartless still a problem?"

"Only pure bloods appear now," Cloud answered. "The emblem ones are rarer. The team takes care of them."

Tifa nodded. "They're easier to handle now that there isn't a machine spewing out an endless supply of artificial monsters. The world's keyhole is locked, so the only danger the pure blood heartless pose is to the regular citizens, but we've got a pretty good security team to take care of them."

Cid rubbed his thumb on the corner of mouth, grinding his teeth on the twig between lips. "Not to mention the town's got itself a brand new defense system, specifically designed to target heartless. Built by yours truly."

"The real problem," said Cloud, "is the ocean."

"Check this out, kid."

Cid waved Kairi over to one of the ship's computers. On the screen was a map of Hollow Bastion. She noticed how the castle on the map looked more like the Hollow Bastion of her childhood, not the twisted pipe monstrosity it had been when Maleficent was in control of it. Briefly, she made a mental note to ask Tifa and Cloud how the world's restoration was going.

"See, normally," Cid explained, gesturing to the map, "there's an ocean around the castle." His finger circled the perimeter of water on the map. Hollow Bastion and its nearby town, sat in the center of a massive disk of water. The circumference of the disk had a border of mountains, depicting the edges of the world. "Up until ten years ago, no one questioned what was out there, beyond those mountains. Hollow Bastion sits in an endless sea. It was the only world in existence, the only one we knew back then."

Until her grandfather brought the heartless to their world, thought Kairi, destroying it and forcing the survivors to escape to other worlds.

"Now, look at this."

Cid pressed a button on the computer keypad. Hollow Bastion's map widened. Unnamed islands appeared in the seas beyond the mountain.

"Our world has expanded," said Cid, "and people are popping up where they shouldn't be."

"Just like how Ariel had appeared on our island," Kairi mumbled. She began to pace. "So every world that has an ocean is somehow being connected to each other. But why? How? The worlds have been separate since, well, forever."

There was a burst of pain in her heart. Thought it was small, nothing uncomfortable, just sudden, Kairi still put her hand on her chest. If this had been a year ago, when she was still alone on the island, she would have jumped for joy at the idea. If the worlds were becoming one, that meant she would never be separated from Sora and Riku again. She could take over her role in Hollow Bastion and still have her friends. But, for some reason, her heart screamed that this was wrong.

Something, a voice from far away called her then. In that second of time that stretched endlessly, Kairi could almost understand its words, its warnings. Only one thing could reunite the worlds. Only one-it was gone as the moment sped up, passing quickly. When Cid spoke, the thought had vanished from Kairi's mind as though it had never been there in the first place.

"We're just as lost as you kid. Not even Ansem, our so called, great wise man leader, had any notes on something like this happening."

Cid walked over to another computer, pressing buttons. The hum of the engine morphed into a low growl as the ship prepared to speed up it's flight. The clouds beyond the viewport moved faster.

"The sooner we get you to where you need to go, the sooner we can be on our own way. Ya got coordinates?"

"Yes, actually, I do." Kairi walked over to Cid's panel and punched in the numbers. "What do you three plan to do."

"Recon mission, from Merlin," said Cloud. "Going to see how far the connected worlds go."

"Can you check in with me from time to time, if you get new clues?"

Cloud nodded.

Tifa sat in the seat in front of the third computer terminal. She waved Kairi over. When she stopped to stand next to Tifa, the older woman leaned close, whispering.

"I'm worried about Cloud."

"How come?"

"Leon was going to come on this mission. Cloud told him to say behind with Aerith and Yuffie, to protect the town."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

Tifa cast a sad look down at her shoes. "Cloud didn't want me to come along either. I feel as though he might want more on this mission then he's letting on."

Her words reminded Kairi of a memory, one that belonged to Sora. When she had been in his heart, she had first met cloud at Olympus Coliseum. Sora had dueled with him. Afterward, she remembered Sora talking to Cloud.

"Cloud once told Sora, that he's looking for someone."

Tifa's eyes darkened. "So, he still hasn't let that go."

Kairi looked over her shoulder. Cloud wasn't paying attention to them. He kept an eye on a nearby computer screen, helping Cid navigate to Disney Castle.

"Is something bad going to happen to Cloud?"

Tifa smiled. "Don't worry about him. I came along for a reason. Someone has to keep him from sinking too far into the dark."


Peter had dropped off Riku in a noisy, busy world. The constant movement around him distracted him from his worries. He quickly forgot about how Alice had vanished from Hook's pirate ship, or all the other concerns her disappearance brought to the forefront of his mind. Sensory overload had completely taken over his brain. Clip-clip-clop. Hooves pounded down on the cobblestone street. Wagon wheels squealed, making Riku cringe, but not nearly as much as the series of meows that reached his ears.

Riku reacted, dashing out into the busy street, his arms outstretched in front of him. No longer in Neverland, no longer covered in pixie dust, he could only rely on his feet. The horse drawn carriage sped closer and closer, its panting, screaming driver, getting louder in Riku's ears. But Riku wouldn't stop out into the street.

A girl screamed. "No! Marie, Berlioz, Toulouse! Stop!"

Dust from the horse's hooves scratched against Riku's skin. The driver pulled on the wagon's reins. The horse reared back, the wheels screeched, but the wagon was still coming at him. Woodsmoke from the wheels stung Riku's nose. One more second and he would be trampled. His reached out, his arms closing around three shivering kittens. Pulling the cats close to his chest, he rolled, barely missing the carriage as the horse's hooves stomped on the ground mere inches away from his back.

The wagon roared to a stop. The driver leaned forward in his seat, gasping. Then, an angry shout reached Riku's ears.

"Crazy boy! Stupid cats! Stay out of the road!"

Riku stood, panting, listening as the wagon restarted its journey. Something soft patted his cheek. Two of the kittens had jumped on his shoulders, nuzzling his jaw as thanks. Purring rumbled on Riku's chest as the softest kitten rubbed its cheeks into his shirt. He couldn't help chuckling as the kittens meowed happily.

Someone ran up to him. A girl. He sensed her leaning forward, hands on her knees, gasping.

"You're my hero! Thank you so much! I don't know what I would say to Duchess if something happened to those three!"

Riku recognized the girl's voice. It was the same girl that had screamed when the cats had walked out into the street.

He offered his hand, helping her stand up. Her palm was covered by a soft layer of downy fur. He sniffed. She smelled like dandelions. Her aura was different then regular humans, reminding him of Mickey, Donald and Goofy. He guessed that she was some sort of animal.

"It's no bid deal," said Riku, handing two of the kittens over. The last kitten, the one on his chest, sunk its claws into the fabric of his shirt, not letting go.

"Marie," the girl scolded, trying to pull the kitten off. "Let him go. This is no way for a lady to behave. What would your mother say?"

The kitten wouldn't listen, and the girl had no choice but to let her go before she ripped holes in Riku's shirt. The little furball curled up in Riku's arm, purring.

"Looks like she likes you. There's no way I pull her off now. She's way more stubborn then her brothers. Would you mind bringing her back to her owner with me?"

Riku nodded. "Good thing I'm not allergic."

He was rewarded with a giggle. "My name's Roxanne, by the way."

"I'm Riku," he said as he followed her through the town.

"You're new here, aren't you? I haven't seen you in town before."

"Actually, I'm kind of lost. Can you tell me exactly where I am."

"This is Disney Town."

"King Mickey's home?"

"Yes."

Riku smiled wryly. Peter was either extremely lucky, or his optimism had a magical property to it.

"Think you can lead me to the castle after we drop these three fluffs at home?"

The kittens meowed angrily, as though annoyed at not being taken along.

Roxanne huffed. "You three have caused enough trouble for one day. I'd better get you back to your mother and Madam Adelaide before you go running off to the countryside. Hey!"

Riku felt more paws on his shoulders. There were some annoyed hissing, and the one of the kittens settled into the crook of his neck. The other patted his jaw.

"Toulouse! Stop that."

The cat ignored Roxanne, rubbing his head on Riku's cheek.

"Guess I'm a cat person," Riku quipped.

Roxanne let out a half sigh, half snort. "Well, as long as they're comfortable, they should be easier to transport."

"Then lead the way, Roxanne."

"Thanks, Riku. It's a good thing those three are so cute, otherwise I would never volunteer to cat-sit again."

She led the way through the town. Riku extended his senses, taking in the shape of things. He didn't know what colors and patterns there were, but he had a feeling that the town was ridiculously colorful. The buildings were askew, with rounded corners. The town smelled like flower bouquets and churros. He and Roxanne passed by a race track, a tennis field where everyone was throwing around what smelled like giant fruit, and even a small stage that smelled faintly of ice cream.

Roxanne was pretty popular. Walking through the town, tons of citizens called her, saying hello or thanking her for working some odd job, or doing someone a small favor. Eventually, they reached a tall house where Riku met with a genteel, elderly woman at the gate. The kittens were sad to let Riku go. An adult cat rubbed against Riku's legs. Her meows were soft and elegant, and the kittens obediently jumped off Riku, following their mother and owner into the house.

Roxanne clapped. "And that's that. Thanks again Riku."

"Any time. Should we head to the castle?"

"Yup. I owe you. I'm sure Max will let you in if I ask him."

"Max?"

Roxanne tilted her head. "You know him?"

"Goofy's son, right? I know of him. He taught my best friend how to fight." Riku rubbed his chest, remembering how hard Kairi had poked him when they had reunited in the World of the Forgotten.

Just then, Riku felt the rush of a familiar light. Sea salt and clear ocean air reached his nose, followed by a shriek and pounding footsteps. Speak of the devil.

"RIKUUUUU!"

The light pounced on him, making him stumble backward. He would have fallen over if he hadn't grabbed his sudden attacker around the waist, swinging her around. Finally stopping, he squeezed her back before letting go.

"Kairi! You're okay."

"So are you! That's good. Hi Roxanne."

"Hey Kairi."

She stepped back, pointing from Riku to Roxanne. "Wait, you two know each other?"

"Riku helped me with my kitten problem."

Kairi squealed. "Kittens? Where?"

"We just gave them back to their owner."

"Bummer. I wanted to pet some kittens."

She sounded as disappointed as a kindergardener that was denied ice cream. Riku pressed his lips together, and had to taken a moment to smooth over his features into a serious expression before he could let the chuckle escape from his mouth. Careful not to betray his amusement, he cleared his throat. Too bad his attempt at seriousness completely evaporated when Kairi turned around, faced him and spoke the exact same words that came out of his mouth, at the exact same time.

"Is Sora with you? No. He's not with you? Jinx! Hey, I said it first!"

Riku raised his eyebrows. He could practically feel Kairi glaring at him. Finally, he said, "Call it a draw?"

"For now."

"Oh bring it on," Riku lowered his voice. "I could think of several sodas you owe me for all the time I spent helping you with all the catch-up homework Instructor Trepe gave us when we got back to the islands, little miss 'I'm grounded but I'm going to sneak out and to get Riku's tutoring.' If it weren't for me, both you and Sora would be remedial classes right now."

Kairi's light sparkled. She knew when to admit defeat. "Okay, you win. I'll drop it. But if Sora's not with you, then where is he?"

Riku shrugged. "Don't know. He'll be fine though. I'm sure he'll find his way here. For now, we should head to the castle and let Mickey know what's going on."

Once again, Riku followed Roxanne through the town. As they walked, Riku and Kairi exchanged stories, reviewing all the strange phenomenon they had experienced on their journeys. When Riku told Kairi about Alice's disappearance, Kairi's heart sped up. She quieted for a moment. Before she could speak again, shouting came from further up the road.

Roxanne shifted her weight nervously. "What's going on?"

A crowd of citizens were gathered around the castle gates. Angry energy vibrated from the crowd, voices melting together as people spoke over each other. Riku sensed three guards standing in front of a set of tall, metal gates. Though the guards weren't roughing people up or pushing them back, their weapons were raised. One of them was nervously holding a warhammer to his chest. The other guard held his spear up horizontally before him, as though setting up a line the people couldn't cross. The final guard, standing between the other two, didn't have his weapons drawn. His hands were raised in a placating gesture. Even as the people shouted at him, he didn't tense nor move from his position.

"We demand to see the king!"

"What's going on? Why are people popping up everywhere?"

"Some stranger appeared on the race track yesterday! They nearly caused an accident!"

Roxanne dove into the crowd, wiggling through until she was standing in front of the gates. She reached out and held the hand of the guard that had been addressing the people. When she waved at the crowd, a few voices quieted down, allowing Roxanne to speak. Her tone was calm, but firm.

"Please, shouting at each other is not going to solve anything. I'm sure there's a reason for what's happening. If you'll calm down, I can start taking notes of everyone's worries. I'll make sure all your concerns get to the king. Right, Max?"

The young guard that was holding Roxanne's hand stood up straight. "Yes. Exactly. Great idea, Roxanne."

There were murmurs among the people now. The electric anger dissipated a bit, allowing Kairi and Riku to move through the crowd. One of the citizens, a horse with that wore a thick wooden collar around his neck, raised his hand.

"But this is an emergency, Ms. Roxanne. I thank ya for all the kind work you do fer us round town, but the longer we stay here waitin', the worse it's getting."

"I hear you, Horace," said Max, "but I can't let any more people into the castle right now. The king and queen are doing everything they can. So please wait until they're ready to speak to you."

Roxanne pulled a pencil and notepad out of her pocket. "If you would all come with me, I'm sure we can make an organized list of concerns together. Follow me to the square."

Before she left, Max gave her a tiny "thanks" that only Riku was able to hear.

"Sure thing, handsome." Roxanne kissed Max on the cheek before she led the crowd away.

Next to Riku, Kairi giggled, whispering, "I called it."

The people slowly dispersed, leaving only Max, his two guards, Riku, and Kairi at the gates. The skinner guard, came forward and gave Kairi a high five.

"Yo, Kairi, my lady! What's happening?"

He lengthened the words "lady" and "happening," as though it were meant to be sung and not spoken.

"Hi Bobby," Kairi responded. "How have you been?"

"Terrible," said the chubby guard next to Bobby. "The town is full to bursting. People just keep popping up all the time! We're so busy stopping fights and trying to figure out who's who."

"Like PJ says," Bobby sighed, "total buuuuuum-mer."

"Can you take us to Mickey," said Riku, "we have something important to tell him."

Max stepped in front of Riku. His head moved up and down, as though he were trying to get a good look at the tall, silver haired boy.

"Haven't seen you before."

"This is Riku," Kairi explained.

"Oh. Well come on then. Peej, Bobby, guard the gates."

PJ snapped to attention. Bobby sang. "Yes sir!"

Max pushed open the gates. As Riku stepped into the courtyard before the castle, the scent of clean marble and freshly mowed grass refreshed him. Passing under the cool shade of the castle, Riku almost had to jog to keep with Max's brisk pace. Even Kairi's words were a little breathless as she tried to stay by his side.

"What kind of people have been showing up in town? Is the fighting really as bad and PJ says?"

"King Mickey will tell you," came Max's curt reply.

"Oh, okay." Kairi cleared her throat. "I see you and Roxanne are doing well. So, how did your tea date go?"

"It went fine," Max snapped.

"That's," Kairi lowered her voice, "good."

She slowed down, putting distance between herself and Max. They entered a large foyer and walked up a long set of steps in total silence. Kairi sighed. A few times she reached out to Max, about to say something but then she pulled her hand back and continued walking. Max didn't bother talking to either of them until they walked down a long colonnade. He stopped in front of a pair of doors at the end of the hall.

"The king's inside. I have to get back to my post."

"It was nice to see you," said Kairi weakly as he passed by.

"Yeah," said Max.

When Riku could no longer smell the scent of Max's silver armor, he turned to Kairi and said, "Boy, he's real mad at you. Want to tell me what that was all about?"

Kairi rubbed her shoulder. "Remember when I said that owe Max a huge apology?"

"Yeah?"

Kairi looked down at her shoes. "I found Sora's broken keyblade and I just jumped right through the door that led to the World of the Forgotten. I didn't even think about it. The door was fading away, and I couldn't take the chance of not rescuing Sora if he was in trouble. I left Max behind."

"A friend mad at Kairi. I never thought I'd see the day."

Riku waited for her to hit him, but when she didn't move, he grew concerned.

"When you and Sora left me on the island, all by myself, I was so sad. I hated being left behind. I can't believe I did the same thing to Max."

"But you had to make a quick decision to help Sora, right? I'm sure he'll forgive you, though something tells me he's not the 'poke you in the chest and rant at you until he accepts your apology' type."

Kairi giggled. "Thanks Riku. Say, when did you get so smart?"

"Please. I've always been the brains of our group."

"What about me?"

"The heart."

"And Sora?"

Riku smirked. "The mascot."

"Come on. Give me a serious answer."

"You mean you haven't already figured it out?"

Kairi tilted her head.

"Never mind. I'll tell you later." Riku pointed at the door they stood next to. "Where does this lead."

"The library," said Kairi. "Ready to meet our friends?"

"Lead the way."

Stepping into a clean, spacious room, Riku took in the smell of soot and paper. A dog barked. Riku felt the animal's exuberant, loyal light as it ran past him. It jumped on Kairi's legs.

"Pluto! How have you been boy?"

The dog whined happily as Kairi rubbed behind his ears.

"Sit."

He sat.

"Shake?"

Pluto placed his paw in Kairi's palm. She fell to her knees to give the dog some much deserved belly rubs. "Who's a good boy? I missed you so much!"

Riku smiled as he listened to Pluto's happy panting. His attention quickly shifted however, as Mickey pushed himself away from the desk he had been sitting at and came to stand at his side. Reaching down, Riku shook his old friend's hand.

"Long time," he said.

"It's good to see ya, pal," replied Mickey.

Another mouse came to stand at Mickey's side. She smelled of sweet, cherry pie, and the cool breeze at sunset. If the king's light was full of courage and guidance, hers shined with grace and understanding.

"Minnie, this is Riku."

"My, he's a lot taller then I imagined." The mouse curtsied. "Pleased to meet you, Riku. I am Queen Minnie. Thank you for helping Mickey in the realm of darkness."

Bowing, Riku said, "The pleasure is all mine, Majesty. And I really, I should be thanking him. I don't think I could have escaped without him."

Her Majesty gave Riku an approving nod. "My, what a polite young man."

"Yep," said Mickey proudly. "He's really grown a lot."

Queen Minnie gave him a delighted giggle before she turned to Kairi. "It's wonderful to have you back. Max and Mickey told me all about your adventures. I'm glad you were able to face your fears and destroy that terrible machine."

"Can't keep anything secret from you, can I, Majesty?"

"Not all all." Minnie reached out to hold Kairi's hands. "You're an open book."

"I wish I could catch up with and Daisy over tea. I have so much to tell you. But-"

"Yes I know," sighed Minnie. "I'm sure you've noticed the crowd at the castle gates."

Kairi nodded. "I hear that people are appearing where they shouldn't be?"

Mickey and Minnie sighed.

"It's been total chaos here over the last few days," Minnie began.

"At first," Mickey continued, "there were a few newcomers in town. People that don't belong in this world. Like Madam Adelaide and her cats."

"The poor dears were lost and confused, so naturally that led to a few small incidents. We were able to find a few homes for them, at first. Then..." Minnie trailed off, folding her hands in front of her gown. Riku felt her light dim for a moment.

"Then more and more people started popping up, which led to misunderstandings, which led to fighting," Mickey explained. "Goofy, Max's team, and Donald have been working to keep the peace. They patrol, talk to the newcomers, and try help the people in town adjust to the sudden change. Some people panic and need to be removed from the town for their own safety. Even Scrooge has been having trouble maintaining the peace in Duckberg."

"Not only that," said Minnie, putting a hand on her cheek, "but these poor people have no homes, and we can't accommodate them all. We've converted the castle throne room into a shelter for now. Daisy has taken over making sure everyone there is cared for, while Mickey and I try to figure out why this is happening."

Riku reached out, putting his hand on Kairi's shoulder. She took a deep breathe and began explaining.

"We've had someone show up in our world too. Someone that doesn't belong there."

As Riku and Kairi shared their stories, the queen sat at the desk and took careful notes. King Mickey paced, listening without interrupting. Finally, when everything was finished, he stood in front of the fireplace, his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

"Oceans from different worlds connecting together, black blots in the sky at night, a massive outpour of pureblood heartless, a princess of heart disappearing into thin air," he mumbled into the fire. "And to top it all off, Master Yen Sid has summoned us."

"That's not all," Riku said. "The darkness sort of...spoke to me."

Kairi stiffened at his side. "Did it sound like Ansem?"

"No," Riku replied. "It didn't really have a voice, more like, a feeling? I don't know how to describe it."

"What did it say?"

"It recognized me, asked me what I traded for my power, and said that it had traded much worse." Riku grit his teeth. Frost tingled on his skin from the memory of the formless creature that spoke to him. "Then it said that this will all be over soon."

"Does the darkness have a...consciousness?" Kairi swallowed. "What's going on in the realm of darkness then? What will happen to anyone that's trapped inside it?"

At that moment, Queen Minnie left the desk. She stood in front of the bookshelf, pointing upward. "Kairi dear, would you get that book for me?"

As Kairi reached for Minnie's book, Riku went to stand by the fireplace next to Mickey.

"I don't want to leave Minnie to handle this mess alone, but Master Yen Sid may have some answers," Mickey said.

"Don't worry. I'll help you figure out what to do. We'll go to the master after everything here is handled."

Mickey chuckled. "Thanks, pal."

"Nothing like this has ever happened before," said Minnie. "There aren't that many clues in the books I've searched through so far. However, this book might be of some use to you, Kairi. Look at the bookmarked page."

Kairi tapped her fingers on an old tomb. The book smelled sour to Riku's nose, as though time had pickled it. When Kairi opened the pages, a faint cloud of dust spread throughout the room. The page she read made her gasp. Suddenly she knelt down, and hugged Queen Minnie.

"Is this really him?" came Kairi's breathless voice.

"Yes," said Queen Minnie, softly. "This is a book of every powerful mage in Disney Castle's history. It's old, and it's the only record we have of him. Master Yen Sid may know more. Take the book with you."

"Thank you! So much! I can't wait to find him." Kairi sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"Who are you talking about," said Riku and Mickey together.

Minnie straightened her dress. "I'm sorry. I don't know if I should tell you just yet. Leave it for when you meet with the master."

"But, Minnie. I can't leave."

She shook her head. "I can handle our kingdom. You should meet with Master Yen Sid. The worlds may need you."

There was a hesitant moan in Mickey's throat. Before he could say anything, a duck suddenly burst into the library. Lifting her skirts, she panted as she stopped in the middle of the room.

"Daisy? What's wrong?"

"Majesty Minnie, it's the gummi ship!"

"Has something gone wrong in the hanger?"

"No! It's the gummi ship! The one that Donald and Goofy took on their first journey! It's landing in the topiary garden!"

Riku extended his senses. Sure enough, he felt a powerful vessel moving through the sky nearby. Its thrusters vibrated in the air, and he could hear the distant screaming of two familiar voices, but what surprised him the most was the light of laziness and optimism nearby. He was about to bolt out of the library, and run down the colonnade, but Kairi beat him to it.

She raced out of the room, screaming, "It's Sora!"


The wind in the topiary garden was so strong that the only reason Donald hadn't gone off flying was because he was holding on to Goofy's shoulders. Goofy's height, helmet and shoulder armor provided enough weight for him to stay in place, but he wore the same nervous look as Donald. Waving his arms at the gummi ship that was slowly descending from the sky, Goofy cried out.

"Look out! You're going the wrong way!"

Donald wailed, shaking his fist at the ship. "Veer left, dummy! Left! You're going to crash into the hedge animals!"

Somehow, Donald's screams reached the gummi ship's pilot and the vessel changed course. The rocket's shadow moved as the ship hovered down over a clear patch of the lawn grass. The thrusters powered down, and peaceful air settled over the garden. Donald's flippers met the floor. Now that he was no longer being pushed upward by angry winds, he ran with Goofy toward the gummi ship.

The glass dome of the ship popped open and Sora jumped out. Landing in the grass, he ran toward Goofy. The two of them collided into a big bear hug.

Goofy stepped back, ruffling Sora's hair. "Ahyuck! It's so good to see you!"

Donald came forward, hands on his hips, his beak set in a disapproving frown. "You big palooka! You nearly squashed the topiary castle. Who taught you how to drive?"

"You did." Sora snorted.

Donald ground his teeth. "I, well, yeah I did. A-and I taught you better then that! Yes, that's right. I would have done a much better landing then you."

Sora, grinning, put his hands on the back of his head. "Sorry?"

"I guess I can forgive you, this time." With his hands on his hips, Donald leaned toward Soar, mumbling. "I'm happy to see you too." "Aw, come here you old sourpuss!"

Sora grabbed Donald in a tight hug, giving him a noogie.

Donald flapped his arms and kicked his legs, his feathers sticking up. "Hey! Put me down! Stop that!"

A scream came down from the sky. Sora dropped Donald, looking up to topiary pig above him. His jaw dropped at the sight of Kairi leaping up from the top of the pig's head. In midair, she turned, outstretching her arms.

"SORAAAAAA!"

Gritting his teeth in shock, Sora ran backward, waving his arms like a panicked fireman trying to catch a falling baby. Kairi landed in his arms, and the force of catching her made Sora stumble backward. Huffing and puffing, with one arm around her back and the other under he knees, he nearly lost his balance, barely standing on one leg, careful not to drop Kairi as he focused on planting his feet back down firmly on the ground.

Kairi, on the other hand, didn't care that he had almost dropped her on the lawn grass. She threw her arms around his neck, the sound of her happy giggles tingling his ear. Kicking her feet, she leaned back to smile at him. In response, Sora's flashed his teeth in a wide, ecstatic grin.

"Nice catch!"

"That was crazy!"

"Yeah, but I knew you would catch me."

"Really?" Sora's stupid grin was starting to hurt his cheeks, but the pain was nothing compared to the way his heart lit up at the sight of her. "I mean, of course I would. There's no way I wouldn't."

"Are you alone? What happened to Ariel? Did she find her family?"

"She found Flounder. Oh, and Nemo found his dad."

"He did? That's wonderful! I'm so happy! That'll teach those stupid coconuts!"

Sora's put his tongue between his teeth, snorting. "What? Coconuts?"

"Yeah, I fought some coconut pirates."

"Me and my fish friends took down a heartless tidal wave."

"I fought a giant crab."

"I explored a sunken submarine!"

"Cool! I learned how to sail!"

"Nice! I made friends with a sea turtle! He was a hundred and fifty years old."

"Awesome! I love sea turtles! Oh! I met a goddess!"

"No way. For real?" "For real!"

Sora stood there, looking down at the girl in his arms, not wanting to say anything, or do anything, other then look into her bright, blue eyes.

"I missed you," he said.

"I missed you too, lazy bum. You need to work on your landing skills."

"I haven't driven a gummi ship in, like, a year. Give me a break, Kairi."

"Okay," she tapped his nose, "since you did such a good job catching me, I'll let it go."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

The pair of them started laughing. Sora could care less that his arms were starting to ache. He never wanted the moment to end.

Someone cleared their throat. Sora and Kairi's little bubble popped. Their eyes widening, they turned to look out into the garden, and realized they had gathered an audience. Riku, King Mickey, Queen Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy watched them. Every single one of them wore a bright smile.

"Ahyuck, it sure is nice to meet back up with someone ya care so much about."

"Yeah, don't mind us."

Donald's beak was curved into a sneaky snicker. Daisy, who had been standing next to him, put her head on his shoulder.

Minnie put her hand in front of her mouth to hide her giggles. She reached out to hold Mickey's hand. The king winked at Sora.

Kairi wriggled and Sora put her down. The two of them stepped apart. Not even the sun could burn as hotly as their faces had then. As if their display wasn't embarrassing enough, Riku had the gall to reach into his pocket and pull out a small paopu fruit.

"Do you two need one of these? I brought it with me, just in case."

"No!" Sora and Kairi snapped.

They're faces blazed twice as bright when Riku laughed with his whole chest. Donald, Goofy and the others joined in. Sora and Kairi exchanged a look, and then snorted, joining in the laughter. For a few glorious seconds, they forgot about the overcrowding in Disney Castle, about the worlds melting together, and just bathed in the joy of being surrounded by trusted friends. Finally, Kairi led Sora forward, introducing him to Queen Minnie and Daisy.

"Well met, keyblade master," said Minnie, curtsying. "You've come at just the right time."

Daisy gave Sora a more critical look. He stood straight, trying his best not to twitch under her watchful eye. Finally, she crossed her arms and said, "Yes, I suppose he'll do."

Before Sora could ask her what she meant, there was a clamoring of armor. Bobby and PJ ran into the clearing.

"Captain! Your Majesty! We've got trouble!"

"Yeah, King Bro! It's, like, total bum-age out there!"

Minnie clapped her hands, and the two guards halted, snapping to attention.

"Now what's all the fuss about," she demanded calmly.

"There's a riot in the town square," PJ gasped, "and Max went down there to try and calm things down."

Goofy bolted, running out of the topiary garden, screaming, "I'm coming, Maxie!"

Sora and Donald were hot on his heels. Riku and Kairi was about to run when PJ got in their way.

"Wait!" PJ called. "We've got another problem!"

"Which is," Mickey pressed.

PJ swallowed as though the news was enough to give him a death sentence. "A whole castle has appeared near the edges of the town."

"A whole castle?" Mickey repeated slowly. For a moment he stood, stunned. Then he quickly shook his head, his mouse ears flopping as he did so. "Where?"

"It dropped right onto the racetrack," said PJ. "The spectators are in total panic."

Minnie picked up her skirts. "Daisy, we'd better get down there fast and make sure no one is injured."

"Right behind you!"

Just as the queen and duchess ran out of the topiary garden, Mickey pointed at PJ and Bobby.

"Patrol the town before things get worse. There may be people that are confused and need help."

PJ and Bobby saluted. "Yes sir!"

"Riku, Kairi, we're going to check out that castle."


Jiminy's Journal

Marie, Berlioz, & Toulouse (First appeared in The Aristocats, 1970): Three cute kittens that now live in Disney Town with their mother, Dutchess, and owner, Madam Adelaide. Marie, the smallest, is a white fluffball, while Berlioz is black, and Toulouse is a tabby, tough kitten. They really endeared to Riku after he rescued them from oncoming traffic.