This is a bit of a long one, just so you know. I had so much I wanted to put in this chapter, but rather than removing anything, I just left it all in. Anyway, please enjoy and let me know what you thought, also if you like longer chapters or not.

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance

Chapter 5: Disney Castle part II

Leading Maleficent through the multitude of people in the party, Sora couldn't help but grimace slightly. Despite so many people being here, not one of them wanted to approach the witch. If anything, upon coming within a few meters, everyone tried their best to move away. Leaving a rather wide berth around the pair, whom walked toward a series of buffet tables set up along the walls. These containing a large array of meals that ranged from fruits and vegetables, to smoked and grilled meats.

"So what brought you here anyway? I imagine you didn't come for any simple reasons." Sora questioned, glancing over to the woman and releasing her hand.

Maleficent merely chuckled softly to this, watching as the teen gathered a pair of plates. "Perhaps...but if you understand that, then you also know I have no intention of telling you." she claimed before waving a hand when Sora offered her one of the plates.

"Fair enough, but you can't blame me for asking." the girl uttered out with a shrug, placing one of the plates back on the top of the tall stack.

The girl soon let out a slow sigh though, as 'this' seemed to be an almost commonly rehearsed exchange between the two. Noticing Sora's mild exasperation, the witch allowed a sigh of her own to escape before ending it with a huff. "Well...I suppose can tell you one of the reasons for my presence here." she started, intentionally trying to sound manipulative and mysterious.

"Which is to confirm whether or not you will still honor our agreement, even during your personal Mark of Mastery?" she finished in a more firm tone, adding to the weight of her words.

Sora turned to Maleficent for a moment, raising a brow curiously as to how the woman always seemed to be 'in the know' for such things. After so many interactions with the witch however, she learned to stop being shocked by every little thing. "Of course, I fully intend on making good on what we agreed on." the teen answered, smiling softly and nodding her head.

Following these words, Sora then began placing some fruits onto her plate, seeming to be very picky about which ones she wanted. All the while, Maleficent just arched a brow and looked to the teen inquisitively. "What?" was all the girl muttered, shrugging once more.

"I've been meaning to try some of the food here, but I kept getting distracted." Sora hummed out before laughing softly.

The witch gained a smile of amusement from her words, briefly waving her free hand. "Well, don't let me stop you" she said in a somewhat entertained manner.

"And by the look of things..." Maleficent continued with a slow glance around the hall; "...it seems that everyone else will leaving you alone as well."

Letting out a soft giggle, Sora shook her head in response. "I'm pretty sure I have you to thank for that." she stated in her own tone of amusement.

Despite there being many eyes on the pair, not one person made a move to approach. As the brown-haired girl gave her own look around, she just offered everyone an encouraging smile. "Though, I'm sure if you were a little nicer, you might even get an invitation to dance." she claimed, placing more fruits onto the plate while glancing to the witch.

Maleficent herself immediately chuckled darkly and rolled her eyes; "Oh I seriously doubt that." she claimed, clearly getting great enjoyment in scaring everyone to this degree.

"Besides, I have no interest in dancing with a partner whom cannot match me. It's far more entertaining to watch other people try and fail in their own attempts." she continued as the usual sense of superiority was felt even stronger in her voice.

Sora glanced to the woman a bit surprised, having never heard about this ability to dance from her previously. Yet the spark of competition flared in the girl's eyes, before she spoke her next words. "If you're saying something like 'that'...you must be quite the dancer then." the girl stated in an obviously challenging manner.

Hearing this shift in tone, Maleficent slowly looked back at the teen, a confident smile curling her lips. "Perhaps I am." she retorted, now awaiting a further provocation.

As an even wider smile formed on both their features, Sora then giggled softly and nodded. "Then you won't have any problem proving it, will you?" she questioned, daring the witch to accept.

Though Maleficent stared at the brown-haired teen for a few extra moments, she eventually offered a slow nod in return. "Perhaps I won't." was all she said before slowly turning and beginning to walk off on her own.

Sora gained a grin while watching her walk away, as it basically confirmed that at least one of the reasons for the woman being here. To enjoy herself. Though the witch began her search for a dancing partner, it was more accurate to say they would be more like a puppet for her. "I'll definitely need to step up my dancing game." the teen whispered silently, looking to the mound of fruits she had been unconsciously piling onto her plate.

"Oops." she squeaked out sheepishly, to which she quickly began putting most of these fruits back, while eating the rest.

As she did though, Sora noticed someone finally beginning to approach her from the side. Turning toward this person, she saw a frowning Mickey giving her a stern gaze. Clearly annoyed by her acceptance of Maleficent's arrival, he came right up to her with a heavy sigh. "I understand she means something to you, but I do ask that you be careful and keep a close eye on her." the mouse king whispered, briefly glancing to the side as the woman was currently approaching a few unsuspecting guests.

"She is the self proclaimed 'Mistress of Evil' for a reason, and I don't want you or anyone else getting hurt as a result of being too close to her." he finished silently, simply offering a hopeful glance to Sora before heading off on his way once more.

Mickey had constantly being surrounded from the second he arrived, barely able to find a moment to go anywhere. But such was the role of royalty, leading him to literally resort to sneaking around to find any respite. As Sora watched him leave though, her gaze drifted back toward Maleficent again. Whom was currently casting a hypnosis spell on the guests she managed to stealth upon. The teen let out a heavy breath as a result, instantly regretting not setting up a rule for not using magic. However, her eyes slowly drifted downward as she started really musing about Mickey's words.

'She is a very powerful and dangerous person, sure...but is it really 'that' dangerous to be friends with her?' she asked inwardly, feeling a little unsure.

'She basically lived inside my heart for a whole year, so I guess it's hard for me not to think of her as friend. I mean, we've taught and learned together...we've laughed together...we've fought together. We know so much about..one...another.' her inner words slowing down, as she truly began to question the validity of them.

'Though...do I actually know 'that' much about her? While she's told me many stories, they never really had anything to do with her. It was always about something she witnessed, or caused...rather than being something personal to her. So...do I really know Maleficent?' Sora questioned as she turned to look at said witch once more.

Of whom, had released her hypnosis on the guests, not seeming to have found a proper candidate to be her dance partner. Seeing this, just made the brown-haired teen to smile softly and let out a gentle laugh. Her previous musings almost seeming to disappear, shaking her head of them. 'If she didn't value our friendship, she wouldn't be going through 'this' much trouble to find someone she could use to beat me. And in a dance competition of all else.' she claimed, her smile simply widening.

"Next time though, we'll definitely need to set a few guidelines." she added aloud with a heavy sigh, but it ended in a soft giggle.

After finishing the last of the fruits she had been eating during her thoughts, Sora placed the empty plate to the side. Her then taking a few steps forward and looking around, hoping to find some more of her friends. It wouldn't be too long before the next dance, so she wanted to make sure she asked Kairi to be her partner before then. But as she turned to the right, she saw two figures making their way toward her. Instantly recognizing Goofy as one of them, despite his more formal appearance.

Him having on a white and blue military suit, which was adorned in all manner of metals, pins, and awards. These nearly covering his entire left side, but it was to be expected for the Captain of the Guard. Meanwhile, the one beside him was almost like a younger version of Goofy himself, yet not entirely. The similar front teeth he had, gave at least a visual indication of them being related. He too was wearing the same outfit, just without most of the decorations.

"Hiya Sora~." Goofy called out with a wide smile and wave.

"I'd like ya to meet my boy, Maximilian Goof." he continued in a proud tone, gesturing to the one next to him as they stopped a couple steps away from the girl.

"It's an absolute honor to meet you." Max said with a small smile and bow of his head, sounding quite respectful and mature.

"My father has told me a lot about you." he continued as he looked to Sora in a mildly star-struck way.

Said teen just stared back at him for a moment, before quickly clearing her throat and offering a returning smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well." she responded softly while giving a quick curtsy, as she was taught to do.

"Though...your father hasn't mentioned you before." Sora continued with as subtle of an urging tone toward Goofy as she could, all while turning to him slowly.

"Gawrsh..." said anthropomorphic dog hummed out, letting out his signature laugh; "...guess it just never really came up." he added with a quick shrug.

The brown-haired girl looked to him with a brief pout, yet nodded her head in response. "Yeah, you're kinda right. Fighting Heartless and Nobodies doesn't really offer too many opportunities to talk about family." she conceded, as even she never made mention of her mother during their travels.

Sora then turned her gaze back to Max while giving a slightly wider smile. "It's good to meet you though, your father and I have gone on a lot of adventures." she hummed out softly.

"But I hope that I haven't been keep him away from home too often." the girl added in a more sheepish tone.

Max simply waved a hand dismissively, offering a smile of his own as he did. "Not at all. If anything, it helped me get through the Royal Guard Academy easier. Since, as I'm sure you know...my pops tends to try and help a little too much. Which typically ends with him doing the opposite." he claimed, briefly nudging his father's side with an elbow.

Goofy chuckled softly and scratched the back of his neck, somewhat embarrassed by this. Though, Max then placed a hand to his dad's shoulder and gained a happier smile on his features. "But...he does occasionally get things right, and offer some really good help." he stated in a proud tone, leading for all three of them to smile once more.

"So..." Sora started while glancing between the two; "...the 'Royal Guard Academy', huh?" she finished with a curious gaze and tilt of her head.

"Yeah, it's the biggest school in the land. And while it produces all of the members of the Royal Guard, it's for general schooling too. Both my dad and Donald attended when they were younger." Max explained, yet he soon turned to Goofy with a heavy sigh.

"Although, there were a few months when he had to go back at the same time as me. Since it turned out, he never technically graduated." the young man finished, him letting out a huff at the end.

Sora glanced between the two as Goofy chuckled and scratched the back of his neck once more. 'Oh~, there's a story there.' she mused silently, eager to hear all about it.

But just as she opened her mouth to speak, the music began to pick up once more to signal the next dance. Gasping in surprise of how she lost track of time, Sora swiftly turned toward Maleficent. Said woman already moving into place together with a clearly hypnotized Cloud. This further shocked the brown-haired teen, as the witch was clearly determined to win. As they locked eyes with one another, the two had a brief, but intense stare down. Which broke as Maleficent gave a knowing sneer of confidence, making Sora huff and turn to a confused Max and Goofy.

"Sorry for cutting our conversation short, but I have a dance to win." she claimed while offering a swift curtsy and rushing off, lifting the front of her dress slightly.

The two watched her go before turning to one another and laughing lightly. "She's exactly as you said." Max uttered out with a smile on his features.

'I need to find Kairi quick. If it's the two of us...we should win no problem.' Sora mused to herself, looking around for any sign of the auburn-haired teen.

"What's the rush?" Riku called out from the side, leading for the girl to pause and turn to him.

"Do you know where Kairi is? I have to beat Maleficent at dancing!" she declared quickly, not even realizing how little this made sense out of context.

The silver-haired boy just stared at her for a second, clearly taken aback at the sentence that just left her lips. But he cleared his throat soon after and leaned forward a bit to whisper his next words; "She just went to the bathroom." he answered silently, not wanting to publicly announce it.

Sora gasped in response before groaning; "Dang it, I need a dance partner." she huffed out impatiently as the next dance was seconds away from starting.

Riku raised a brow to his friend, to which he glanced from one side to the next before letting out a sigh. "Fine." he groaned out, grasping one of Sora's hands and leading her to the middle of the hall.

Though the brown-haired teen blinked a few times in surprise, she immediately grinned. 'We did practice together as well, so this might also work out.' she mused as they moved into position, right near Maleficent and Cloud.

"May the best pair win." Sora claimed with a competitive tone and look in her eyes.

"Oh believe me, I intend to." was all Maleficent stated before the dance began.

During which, both Sora and Riku moved in surprising synchronization, appearing very skilled in their performance. It was clear however, that Maleficent and her hypnotized partner were the more superior pair. Not only were their movements perfectly timed, but they carried the grace that only years of practice could show. Even if Cloud didn't normally dance, his well trained muscles made it easy for the witch to make him do exactly what she needed him to do, exactly when he needed to do it. Though, the most surprising thing that everyone in the hall noticed, was just how genuinely beautiful Maleficent looked as she danced.

A gasp of surprise was followed by an immediate silence as the music continued to play. In seeing the sheer difference in ability, Sora and Riku swiftly realized that they were inevitably going to lose. Unsurprisingly though, they too were quite taken aback from the woman's display and were quite impressed. "I'm surprised." Sora whispered after a few moments.

"So am I." Riku uttered back, him letting out a sigh in accepting that they couldn't win.

"Not of 'that'. I'm surprised you volunteered to have this 'dance off' against her." the girl claimed with a soft chuckle, the two finally looking at one another after being so focused on their competition.

Riku laughed briefly from this as he shook his head, spinning Sora away before spinning her back to him. "Well, I have a lot I'd like to pay her back for...so I figured 'this' might be a way to knock her down a few pegs." he started, sending a brief look toward Maleficent as she was elegantly lifted into the air before back down.

With a heavy sigh and shrug, the boy turned back to his friend. "But it doesn't look like that'll be happening. At least not this time." he huffed out in an obviously disappointed manner.

Sora looked to him silently for a moment before slowly gaining a small grin; "Well...maybe we still can." she stated in a hinting way, which the silver-haired teen seemed to immediately pick up on.

"Master Yen Sid said we shouldn't use that style. It's too much for the occasion." Riku said quickly, almost sounding nervous as he spoke.

"It's now or never." was all Sora answered, her look being one of great determination.

As he gazed back to her, Riku just gained a faint smile of his own while nodding. "Alright, lets do it."

Instantly after their exchange, the pair's dancing style altered radically. While it was originally like a simple ballroom dance, their new movements were more akin to a salsa dance. Seeing this, the musicians began to pick up the pace in order to match this change of style. All the while, Maleficent blinked briefly when hearing the shift in music. Upon which, her eyes moved to see what the opposing two were up to. Her own dance slowly coming to a stop, as she simply watched them with a huff.

The aggressive, yet smooth movements between Riku and Sora were very impressive. The latter's long dress twirling from side to side with each step, never once touching the floor throughout their dance. More impressive still, was the fact that they kept their eyes locked onto one another throughout. Yet they never missed a beat, seeming to trust the other to know when and where to move at all times. Even though Mickey sighed when seeing them using a dance Yen Sid told them not to, it was still quite the incredible display for everyone witnessing it.

This included a newly returned Kairi, whom stood at the edge of the crowd. While there was a soft smile on her features, a hint of jealousy was seen in her eyes while gazing at the dancing pair. Whom came to an eventual stop, as the music crescendoed with the final note. Sora ending with an outstretched pose, leaning back far enough for her hair to touch the floor. All the while, Riku held her up with one arm, allowing his free hand to extend outward in his own pose.

Breathing a bit heavily, the two just grinned to one another as they knew Maleficent had no choice but to accept defeat now. "I think 'that' definitely knocked her down a few pegs." Sora claimed confidently as she looked to Riku, whom nodded and turned back to her.

"I'd say so." he hummed out in a satisfied manner, lifting himself and his friend back into a standing position.

With their eyes still locked for a few seconds, their breathing gradually slowed now that their dance was done. However, the two seemed to linger on one another for a few seconds longer than they expected before turning toward Maleficent. The witch approaching them with a raised brow, looking between the two somewhat suspiciously. "While it was quite the performance, I wouldn't say it was better than my own." she started firmly, making the pair huff slightly in response.

"However, I will concede this match for your sheer tenacity." Maleficent added with a slow and accepting nod of her head, leading for the teens to blink slightly in surprise.

"For the future though...changing the dance type midway through will be an immediate disqualification. Understood?" she ordered, rather than asking.

Though her tone held her usual sense of superiority, there was also a hint of bitterness that comes from someone who is a sore-loser. Something of which had brought a small smile to Sora's features; "You got it."

And there you have it, Max is finally canon in my story. ;)

The finale for the ball will be next chapter, which will also mark the beginning of Sora's Mark of Mastery. I hope you all enjoyed and will let me know your thoughts. Until next time.