Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 22

"Your Majesty! Queen Minnie! We're back!" Donald called as he pushed the doors to the library open.

"You're here!" she called in relief.

"Your Royal Highness, did ya happen to summon us?" Goofy asked as they moved to stand before her.

"Yes," she nodded, her gaze landing on Sora.

"Your Majesty, this is our friend, Sora."

"Oh, Sora! The King told me all about you in his letters. He said you're a very brave young man," she smiled and Sora shifted uncomfortably.

"He's a good friend, your Majesty. Do you know where he is?"

She shook her head and they all sighed.

"Your Majesty, what are Heartless doing in your castle?" Donald asked, very concerned by their presence. It shouldn't be possible.

"Oh my... So those are the Heartless."

"Don't worry, we'll take care of 'em!" Sora grinned at her, but Donald picked up something off with his grin.

"I know I can count on you, Sora. Now, there's something I'd like all of you to come and see. Would you please escort me to the audience chamber?" She asked and they saluted but then she gasped in alarm. "I forgot to warn everyone else in the castle about the danger! We must be sure they're hidden somewhere safe!"

"Okay, we'll go tell them!" Sora promised.

"The whole castle!?" Donald cried in alarm. Where was Daisy?

"We just gotta split up, Donald," Goofy tried to calm him down.

"I'll make sure that everyone knows what's going on," Sora offered, but Donald shook his head.

"No, Sora, you'll just get lost!"

"Okay. Then I'll stay with the Queen."

She giggled at that.

"Good," Donald nodded.

"All righty then, see ya later!" they quickly left the Library to warn everyone.

,,,,,,,

"Um, the audience chamber, right, ma'am?"

Minnie looked at the boy her husband spoke of so fondly. "Yes, Sora. Let's be on our way."

She went to the door but he moved in front of her, acting as her bodyguard. She watched him fight the Heartless and for someone so young, he was amazing. She did her bit as well, using magic to help lower the number of attackers. She was shocked to find Heartless even in the audience chamber but between them they had soon made it to the Throne. She pushed on the throne which receded with a flash of light, destroying the remaining Heartless. Where it had been was a set of stairs leading down.

"Whoa..." Sora stared down, and she hid a smile.

"The room below is called the 'Hall of the Cornerstone.' Our castle has always been safe from worlds that are evil...thanks to the Cornerstone of Light which we keep down there."

"The Cornerstone...of light?" He asked, and she was confused by what sounded like nervousness in his voice. Still, he followed her down the stairs and into the Hall.

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Sora followed the Queen down into the Hall of the Cornerstone and saw an unbelievable mass of thorns filling the room. A giant ball of swirling light stood in the middle of the room and Sora found himself wincing slightly, it burned…even through his protective clothing and magic. The tropical sun of the Islands didn't burn but that thing did?

"This is the castle's cherished Cornerstone. But look, the thorns...They must be the work of someone very evil. I wonder what this could mean..." he half listened to the Queen, wanting to leave but not willing to leave her alone.

A burst of familiar green flames appeared before the Queen, and Sora moved between her and them, only for an image of Maleficent to materialise. He heard feet pounding down the stairs but didn't turn, knowing it was Donald and Goofy.

"Maleficent!" Donald squawked in alarm.

"Well, well, well. What have we here...? If it isn't the wretched Keyblade holder, and his pitiful lackeys!" She sneered, but the hostility was lacking when he met her eyes.

"What!? Now you're gonna deal with me!" Donald leapt to attack but flew right through her.

"All in good time. I promise you'll be able to partake of my vengeance. But you must be patient," she smirked.

"Vengeance? For what?" Sora spoke up. "Ansem's the one that did that to you, not us or Riku." He picked up the slight shift when he mentioned Riku. Sora focused the magic he'd been practising with Merlin, hoping it would work. He doubted they'd ever work together but if she truly cared about Riku… "The Organisation took Riku," he focused on that phrase over and over, and he saw her eyes widen slightly in acknowledgment.

"Just what are you doing here, Maleficent!?" The Queen demanded.

"Ah, Queen Minnie. Radiant, as always," Maleficent mock bowed. "I'm here on a property venture, I want this castle for my own. However, it's a bit too "bright" for what I have in mind. I suppose I'll just have to fill every room with my personal touch of darkness," she smirked, reaching out to touch the Cornerstone of Light, but it rejected her hand.

"You'd better stop right now if you know what's good for you!" Queen Minnie told her firmly.

"Ooh, how frightening. Very well. I'll stop... Just as soon as the castle belongs to me!" She cackled, vanishing.

"What a…" he grimaced.

She'd gotten his message and he hoped she'd act on it, even if she only managed to distract the Organisation, giving them an opening. If she rescued Riku…at least Riku would know how to deal with her and she wasn't interested in hurting him.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before. I looked through all the records in the library, but I couldn't find a single clue," the Queen explained.

"Ohhh! We should go ask somebody who knows lotsa stuff that ain't in any book!

"Merlin," Donald stated, and Sora nodded.

"I'll get him," he told them, reaching out to open a Corridor, he had the feeling that shouldn't work in the Castle and yet it did, and he darted through.

,,,,,,,,,,

"Oh!" Minnie gasped in alarm.

"It's alright Your Majesty."

"But that's…he's…"

"It's not our story to tell…" Donald trailed off, obviously uncomfortable.

"Sora was attacked but he isn't Dark, Your Majesty. The Keyblade still comes to him," Goofy added seriously.

She looked at her husband's dearest friends and she understood, they would defend Sora. For him to have such loyalty from them… she nodded and they relaxed. She would not judge the boy on his apparent ability to use the Darkness but on his actions.

She smiled as Sora and Merlin appeared via Merlin's method of teleportation, talking quietly together. Merlin nodded at her and approached her and the Cornerstone, humming softly to himself, calling Sora to his side. They talked as they wandered around and she looked to Donald who moved closer.

"Sora is Merlin's apprentice," he explained quietly, and that helped with her lingering doubts. Merlin would not train someone who was evil or heading towards being so.

"Interesting..."

"What's happening, Merlin?" She asked in concern.

"This is not good. In fact, I'm afraid, it's quite serious," he cleared his throat, and then glanced at Sora who grimaced but shrugged, making her wonder if the Cornerstone was making him uncomfortable. Merlin waved his arms and a door appeared across the room.

Sora walked over to examine it. "Wow. This is…time?" he asked, and Merlin nodded, smiling proudly.

"My boy, that is a gateway to a special world. Someone in that world is responsible for what's going on in this castle. Of that, I'm certain."

"Oh boy!"

"We knew we could count on you, Merlin!" Goofy grinned.

"Then we should go get him!" Sora looked at his companions who nodded. Sora walked over to the door and placed his hand on the handles.

"Wait a moment! The perpetrators must be stopped, of course. But there's something else to do first. Somewhere in that world, there should be another door that's identical to this one. I believe our enemies are utilizing that door. As long as it remains open, the castle will be in grave danger. Listen carefully, Sora, you must find that door. And when you do - lock it with your Keyblade," Merlin ordered, and Sora nodded.

"Got it."

"You can count on us!" Donald agreed.

"Now, one more thing. You're heading into a very special world, as Sora worked out, time magic is involved. While you're there, the nature of that world may tempt you to do something Dark. You must resist that temptation at all costs!" He warned.

"What do you mean?" the boy was definitely worried, wary.

"You'll know soon enough. I have faith in you, my lads!" Merlin smiled, and Sora straightened at his faith.

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Goofy caught Sora as he stumbled, gasping, a hand pressed to his chest, a small whine of pain coming from his throat. A glance ahead made Goofy feel sick even as he pulled Sora further back…and away from the Cornerstone.

"Wha…What's going on? Everything's black and white…it hurts," he whimpered the last.

"This is kinda like...um...uh..." Donald stumbled over the right word.

"Deja vu?" he offered, as Sora slowly straightened the further they moved away from the stone.

"Yeah, that's it!" he nodded, but then grimaced as he looked at Sora. "That's gonna be a problem when we fix things at the Castle."

"Yeah," Sora agreed sadly.

Goofy felt really bad about that, Sora had been so excited to see their home. What if…what if he was kept out by the Cornerstone once everything was fixed?

"Let's find whoever is causing the trouble, then we can work everything else out," Donald told him, and Sora nodded.

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Kairi sat on a boulder, staring out into the distance. She was so worried for Riku, there had been nothing since his cry for help, but she refused to even consider that he might be…gone. She'd been distracted since then, even after Sora had sent a message saying he'd felt the same thing, that Sora was fine and moving on to the next destination. She glanced over as Axel sat down beside her.

"You're worried about Riku, that's normal. You have to accept it and get your head in the game or else you're a liability in the field."

"You suck at pep talks," she snorted, shaking her head.

"Nobody," he shrugged, and she slapped his arm lightly.

"Don't," she told him. "Your heart may be tiny and new, but you do have one, so don't talk about yourself like that."

"You know, you're nothing like I expected from a Princess of Heart."

"Thanks, I think." She grinned but then sobered. "Okay, back to training. I am not letting Sora go after him without me!" She stood up, determined, and Axel smirked.

"That's the spirit."

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"The thorns have disappeared!" Minnie called in relief.

"By George! The lads have accomplished their mission," Merlin laughed, obviously proud of them.

"Hooray!" Chip cheered.

"Let's have an acorn feast to celebrate!" Dale added happily.

Donald suddenly fell out of the door into the room, followed by Sora and Goofy.

She fought back a laugh at his undignified entrance. "Welcome back! Because of your bravery, the castle is safe and protected again. Thank you so much for all you've done!"

"Good work, you guys!" Chip 'n' Dale told them, and Sora grinned at them.

"Now boys, I hope you didn't do anything reckless while you were there?" Merlin asked sternly but there was a smile hidden by his beard.

"Of course not!" Donald denied, but Sora and Goofy giggled, giving him away. So that was why he'd been thrown through.

Daisy peeked into the room and Minnie put a hand to her mouth, trying not to give anything away.

"Daisy!" Donald half yelped, half called, as Daisy walked in.

"Daisy, I'm back!"

"Who?" Sora whispered loudly to Goofy.

"Daisy is Donald's very special sweetheart," Goofy answered just as 'quietly'.

"Really..."

"Donald, you forgot about our date again! You'd better have a good excuse this time!"

"But Daisy...I..."

"I know it's an important mission, but you could at least check in every once in a while."

Donald looked to Sora and Goofy for help, but then his eyes went wide. "Sora!" he yelled, and they all turned, Goofy barely catching him as the boy crumpled.

"Sora?"

"Oh dear!" Minnie rushed over, worried for the boy who her husband cared for and who had helped save their home. She knelt beside where Goofy was sitting, the boy cradled against his chest.

Merlin quickly joined them, even as Sora whimpered in pain. He touched Sora's forehead and then frowned. "We must get him away from the Cornerstone. For some reason it is affecting him very badly when nothing else has," the wizard explained. "Oh my!" he called as there was a crackle of magic around Sora, and then suddenly he looked very different. "That should not have happened!"

Minnie stared in shock at the claws, fangs, and…wings? She was sure Mickey had said he was human. What was he?

"We must go," Merlin stated firmly.

Donald looked at her and then them. "I'll bring the ship, go."

Merlin nodded and the three vanished.

"Donald? What's going on?" Daisy demanded, and he groaned but nodded.

"Let us retire to the library," Minnie decided, and they left the Hall.

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Sora groaned in pain, he really hated getting knocked unconscious. He slowly forced his eyes open to find himself staring up at a familiar ceiling.

"Welcome back."

He turned his head to find Merlin sitting beside his bed. "What happn'd?" he asked, before a blood pack was pressed to his lips, drinking hungrily.

"You saved the Cornerstone and returned to the Castle. Unfortunately, you had a rather severe reaction to it."

"Oh…" he looked away. He wasn't Dark…was he? Yeah, he could use the Corridors, but so could Naminé and she was one of the gentlest people he knew!

"You cannot change what you have become Sora," Merlin told him. "But what you are does not determine who you are. Yes, you can touch the Darkness, but you are not falling to it. Donald should be here soon, he remained behind to bring the ship back and explain to the Queen. For some reason, the illusion failed and she saw."

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He floated in the dark, unable to move…to think…to remember… He had to…something important…someone… there was noise but he couldn't understand, couldn't respond…awareness faded away.

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Saïx stared at the form on 'Ansem', the Sleep spell had been removed days ago and yet he showed no signs of waking. It was odd and made him think that perhaps something had gone wrong. Had the boy managed to fight somehow? Were they even now locked in battle? It was possible that both had been destroyed.

What a waste. They should have turned the boy into a Heartless and Nobody, at least he could have been useful. Seeing him like that would have caused the Keyblade bearer a lot of pain if they needed to motivate him.

Hearing that Axel had betrayed them was not so surprising. It meant they had even more members to replace, that was all, it did not matter to him personally. Axel had been useful to their plans and that was that.

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Axel sat with the group at the table, eating a meal. Kairi and Sora were off wandering the town, something he was very reluctant to do. Besides, kids in love needed time together, without chaperones. Still, being around the Restoration Committee was strangely…uncomfortable. It wasn't like he'd known any of them before, though he'd seen the Wizard around and he thought Leon as well…though under a different name? Maybe because they were a reminder of everything he'd lost?

Seemed Sora might be right about him somehow having a heart. He still wasn't sure how he felt about that. If it was true then Xemnas had been lying to them all about a lot of things. Did Saïx know? His one-time friend had changed so much, even beyond what becoming a Nobody had done to himself or the others. He doubted Demyx would remain if he found out and could safely get away, he wasn't sure about the others, maybe Luxord? Most of those who would have left if they had realised they were gaining a heart…had died at Castle Oblivion. Had that been the true point behind his orders? Nothing he could do about it now.

He shook his head, refocusing on the discussion, frowning as he listened. "Ventus?" he asked, unsure if he'd heard right.

"Ah yes, did you meet him?" Merlin asked.

"There was a blond kid with a wooden sword, said to call him Ven. The sword had another name on it…" he paused to think. "Terra?"

"Then it would have been Ventus you met. Yes, his heart has somehow come to reside within Sora's, much like Kairi's did when their home fell to Darkness. Although Ventus' heart has been there for a long time, likely since shortly after he came here. I am looking at ways to remove it but before then we need either his body or another suitable vessel."

"So you need access to the Replica program. A lot of that stuff was left behind at Castle Oblivion, I can retrieve it."

"Take Sora for backup," Leon told him.

Axel almost argued but gave in. It'd be more interesting with a partner and it'd give him time alone with the kid to see if he could figure out how he could open Corridors.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kairi held Sora's hand as they wandered around the shops of Hollow Bastion. She wasn't all that interested in actually buying anything, just spending time with him was what she wanted. He led her up some stairs above the shops, giving them a good view of the castle and the barren land around it. "Do you think she's there?" she asked as they sat on the edge, feet swinging in the air.

"Yeah, I do. She…she really does care about Riku, or did before his possessed body stabbed her. We saw her at Mickey's castle and I told her they took Riku."

"What? Why?"

"Because she's powerful, maybe enough to grab him, or at least distract the Organisation. Riku knows how to deal with her, he can keep himself safe."

"Better the devil you know?" she asked, and she could feel him tip his head, taking that as confusion. "Leon said that once, seems to fit your idea." She leant against his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her waist. "I want him back," she whispered.

"I know, me too," he answered, and she felt him press a kiss to her hair.

Every time he showed affection was wonderful. Sora had always been free with hugs and hand holding, but kisses were definitely new. He'd seemed hesitant at first, even before they had admitted their feelings, back when he'd woken up after freeing her heart. She'd been worried he felt guilty for what had happened to her but that didn't seem to be it. And they hid it well, but she was sure that the whole group was keeping something from her, something about Sora, and that worried her.

"Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" she turned her head and pulled back enough to look at his face.

"Yeah, just…frustrated about having to wait," he smiled slightly.

"Sorry," she apologised. She knew his promise to take her was holding him back.

"For what?" he turned to face her, one leg tucked under himself.

"If you weren't waiting for me then you could have gone after him already," she answered softly.

"Maybe, maybe not. Merlin doesn't think we're ready yet, even with Axel as back up," he shrugged, taking her hand again. "Everyone's right, if we rush in…we risk Riku…"

"Dying?" she asked quietly, and he nodded. "At least this time he's not possessed," she offered, and Sora laughed.

"There's that." His attention moved off of her, gazing at the town square below, frowning.

"Sora?" she turned to look, and then scrambled up as Heartless formed.

A flex of his hand and the Keyblade appeared before he glanced at her. She straightened, took a deep breath, and then threw a fireball into their midst, getting a laugh from Sora.

"Guess I don't have to ask then," he said before launching into the air, landing in the remains of the fire, taking out several Soldiers in one slash.

Kairi kept to the high ground, throwing magic where she could without risking hitting Sora.

TBC…