Original author's note redacted since I edited this chapter to the point of rewriting it completely. Basically like the last one, I made it way less like KH3, so hopefully you'll like it! Let's get started!
Chapter 12: To Infinity and Beyond
Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am,
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them will ever love you
The way I do,
It's me and you, boy
By the time the group of toys manages to make it to the store's second floor, customers and employees alike start to trickle back in. While some of them are still shaken by the Heartless' earlier attack, most of them are more than comfortable with getting back to business as usual. Even so, their return is set to make the toys' trek to find their lost friends even more of a challenge than it might have been before. Which is why, almost as soon as he notices the first few employees passing through the front doors, Woody is quick to issue another timely warning to the trio.
"Remember what I told you fellas," he says as the entire group peers over the edge of the second floor railing. "Make sure to steer clear of people as best you can. Unless you want a repeat of what happened earlier."
While Donald and Goofy affirmatively nod their agreement to this sound advice, Sora simply glances away. "Not really…" he mutters, lightly skimming his once-detached arm.
"So what's the plan to track the Potato Heads down?" Jessie asks as the group surveys the second floor. It's layout is a bit different than the first, with several sectioned off departments selling everything from dolls to action figures to outdoor playsets. And as dense and expansive as each of those different departments on their own appear to be, searching through them all is bound to be an arduous task for such a tiny collection of toys.
"Hm…" Woody ponders this problem for a moment or two before voicing his first solution. "Maybe we ought to split up…"
"Excellent idea, Woody," Buzz immediately, surprisingly agrees. "You, Jessie, Bullseye and I can search this side of the floor, while the three of you," he offers the trio a dry decisive look as he dismissively waves them away. "Can head over there. Way over there."
"Um… ok, we can do that," Sora nods tentatively, sharing a quizzical frown with Donald and Goofy.
"Got any clues we might need to know to help us spot your friends?" the captain inquires curiously.
"Well, they ain't called the Potato Heads for nothin'," Jessie jokes, waving to the trio as both groups part ways. "We'll catch up with you boys soon, ok?"
Sora shoots back a cheerful thumbs up as he trails after Donald and Goofy, all three of them making a beeline to the other side of the second floor. Fortunately, most of the returning people are still on the ground level, meaning they aren't exactly hard-pressed to hide and evade them, at least not yet. Still, they keep their conversation hushed as they continue on their way.
"So we're still not any closer to finding that Key," Donald reminds, sending Sora a pointed look. "Are you sure there's really one here after all?"
"I'm pretty sure," Sora nods, hanging his arms behind his head. "But I guess we won't know for sure until we find it."
"So what happens if we don't find it?" Goofy wonders.
"Uh… then we'll have to look somewhere else…?" Sora ventures with a bit of a wavering smile.
"Then we'll have wasted all this time here on nothing," Donald retorts much more bluntly.
"Not nothing," Sora counters. "Woody and Buzz need our help, and so do the rest of their friends. As long as someone like Young Xehanort is hanging around, then it's our job to keep them and everyone else here safe."
"Shucks, that's a mighty responsible thing to say, Sora," Goofy notes with a proud grin.
"Especially for you," Donald teases. "Riku would be impressed."
Sora simply lets out a small, flustered scoff at this, and if his current form was capable of displaying it, his cheeks certainly would be bright red. Fortunately for him, this bout of embarrassment doesn't linger too long as Goofy interjects with a change of subject. "Say, speakin' of Young Xehanort," he begins, his tone turning a touch more serious. "He didn't do nothin' to hurt you when he found you on the floor earlier, did he, Sora?"
"Um… well…" Sora hesitates, his hand drifting toward his shoulder socket once more. Something that isn't lost on either of his companions this time.
"Aha, I knew it!" Donald exclaims hotly. "I thought I spotted him holding your arm in his other hand. He tore it off, didn't he?!"
"No," Sora replies truthfully. "Actually, he… fixed it."
"What?" Donald and Goofy ask in baffled unison.
"Why would he do that?" the captain asks as they venture into the action figure section.
It's a question Sora largely knows the answer to, an answer that Young Xehanort himself had relayed to him in that frightening moment when he hadn't a trace of control over his own plasticine body. "Fortunately for you, I prefer to not have any of my vessels in pieces." Yet for as clear and concrete as that answer is, it's one that Sora refuses to accept, much less repeat to either of his curious companions. So instead, he decides to feign ignorance, knowing that it's a much easier path to take than the alternative. "I… don't know," he says diffidently. Only to be coldly contradicted almost immediately.
"You do know, far better than anyone else would, my thirteenth."
The trio gasps in mutual alarm as they hear their foe's voice, his ominous statement all but lost in the shuffle against the stark suddenness of his appearance. He stands, still as small as they are, atop one of the first displays within the action figure department, grinning down at the trio, or more specifically, at Sora, with a look of smug superiority. A look that Sora would love nothing more than to wipe clean off his face.
"Oh, come on, seriously?!" he huffs, exasperated. His Keyblade is quick to appear in his hands, and likewise, Donald and Goofy take up their own weapons alongside him, ready for anything. "You just can't leave us alone for five minutes, can you?"
"We all share the same purpose in coming to this world," Young Xehanort counters smoothly. "It's only logical that our paths would cross as we all inch ever closer toward it."
"At least that means he probably hasn't found that Key yet," Goofy whispers to Donald, aside.
"Neither have we," Donald points out dryly.
"Indeed, the first of the thirteen Keys is still out of reach," Young Xehanort overhears them anyway. "But not for too much longer. Any emotion at all could bring its appearance about. So," his grin widens as he focuses on Sora once more. "Perhaps we should all try to be a bit more 'hands on' in determining what that emotion might be."
"What?" is all Sora has time to let out before the young master abruptly vanishes. He reappears only a split second later, this time on the floor immediately in front of the trio. Only this time, he's many times larger than they are, a full-sized human as opposed to a mere miniscule toy.
As a result, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all freeze up almost instantly. Their bodies topple limp and rigid onto the floor, their weapons vanishing into mid air. They're forced to wear a set of manufactured grins even as their sudden inanimacy shocks them all. Since each of them lands face-first on the ground, none of them are able to see Young Xehanort still towering over them, but they can hear his haughty tone every bit as clearly as ever.
"Utter helplessness is a fitting form for the three of you," he muses, completely unsympathetic toward their plight. "Now, let's see if you're able to remain the full set you're used to being in like this."
Without warning, the young master's boot suddenly collides with the tiny trio, and his heavy kick sends them sliding across the slick floor back toward the department's entrance. As stuck stiff as they are, they don't even see when he disappears into the darkness once more, though his departure does little to lift them from their lifeless state. Because as soon as they skid to a stop just outside of the action figure section, a store employee just so happens to spot them lying on the ground as she passes them by.
"Huh?" she stops, confused as she glances down at the discarded trio of toys. Frowning, she reaches down and picks them up, Sora in one hand, Donald and Goofy in the other. "Where did you three come from?" Of course, the trio is unable to answer, not that the employee expects them to as she takes a curious glance around. "Hey, boss!" she calls to another nearby employee, a manager, and a surly-looking one at that. "I think someone left these toys behind when everyone evacuated earlier. Do you think we should try to find their owner?"
"And waste even more time on the clock?" the manager scoffs dismissively. "Yeah, right. Some dumb, clumsy kid probably just dropped them. No big deal."
"But… that kid will probably be missing them, don't you think?" the employee proposes, concerned.
"That's not our problem," the manager rolls his eyes. "Action figures like that are a dime a dozen anyway. Of course, we're gonna sell them back for way more than a few dimes."
"Sell them back?" the employee asks, not following.
"Sure," the manager waves his hand. "Seal 'em up in a few of those left over generic boxes and stock 'em over in clearance. If their owner really wants them back, then I'm sure their parents will be willing to buy them back, full price. And if they don't, then someone else will."
"But sir, isn't that kinda… sleazy?" the employee winces, not impressed with her boss's scheme.
"Sleazy sells," the manager shrugs just shy of walking off. "The sooner you learn that in this business, the better. Now, get those pieces of junk boxed up and shelved already, would ya?"
"Oh, uh, ok… if you say so," the employee sighs, shaking her head as she heads off to do exactly that. Though not before muttering another disgruntled statement solely to herself. "Pretty sure this has gotta be illegal somehow…"
As they're carried away, Sora, Donald, and Goofy still remain all but immobile, not even able to exchange a passing glance with each other to offer silent pleas for help. However, even if they're unable to escape their static state themselves, someone else just so happens to spot their troubles from afar. And as soon as they do, the spectating pair only needs to offer each other an affirmative nod, both of them knowing exactly what they need to do to help.
What unfolds next feels like it takes ages to the increasingly impatient trio. The employee takes them to a small back room where several cardboard boxes lay waiting. They're unable to do much of anything at all as they're each positioned into three of these boxes, secured to them by notably tight plastic ties to make them more presentable to a customer. Once they're all strapped down, the employee seals their boxes up tight, piles them into a short stack, and carries them back out into the store, ultimately planting them squarely alongside each other on a shelf boldly labeled "clearance". And with that, they're finally left alone in a relatively quiet corner of the store, movement and speech at last returning to each of them as soon as the employee rounds a corner out of earshot.
As soon as he regains full control of his limbs again, Sora wastes no time in using them to pull against the ties keeping them tightly bound to the box encasing him. He lets out an exasperated groan when they don't budge, alerting Donald and Goofy to his obvious frustration.
"Sora?" Goofy speaks up. "Are you ok?"
"Are you kidding?" Sora huffs as he pulls against the ties once more. "I'm strapped down to the inside of a box. Of course I'm not!"
"It's not like we're much better off either," Donald fusses as he struggles inside his own box.
"Donald, can't you just-I don't know-set the boxes on fire or something to get us out?" Sora suggests, thoroughly annoyed by this point.
"Oh yeah, brilliant plan, Sora, I'll go ahead and set the boxes on fire while we're still in them," Donald deadpans rather crossly.
"Now, now, fellas," Goofy interjects much more patiently than either of his companions. "I'm sure we'll figure out some way to-"
The entire conversation is brought to a grinding halt as the trio is suddenly forced back into silent stillness as a group of cheerfully chuckling children runs by. With the Heartless gone, customers have been cleared to return to just about every section of the store again, and its clearance area is no different. Shoppers stream past the shelf at a steady enough rate to keep the trio frozen solid, hampering any of their prior plans to escape. For the most part, they remain completely unnoticed by any of the surrounding customers; that is, until a young girl, no older than 10, happens to stop short just shy of passing the clearance section by.
She swiftly spins around, her attention piqued as she looks at the trio of toys on the shelf before her with genuine awe. A moment or two later, she tugs on the arm of the woman accompanying her, an eager, pleading grin spread across his face. "Mooooom!" she exclaims excitedly. "Look at that cute little duck and that silly dog! Can I get them? Please, can I, can I?"
"Hm…" the mother takes pause, glancing over the pair of toys in question, or more specifically, their price tags. "Well… they are in clearance, and you've been very good today, so I don't see why not."
"Yes!" the girl cheers as she readily pulls both Donald and Goofy off the shelf. "Thanks, Mom!"
"Sure, sweetie," the mother chuckles before stealing another glance at the only one of the trio still remaining. "But you know, it looks like they're supposed to come in a set. Are you sure you don't want that little guy too?" she asks, pointing to Sora.
"Nope!" the girl gleefully shakes her head. If he were capable of it, Sora would certainly voice his offense with this staunch rejection, but his irritation soon shifts to apt alarm as he watches the girl carry both of his companions away.
"Donald! Goofy!" he shouts internally. Even so, he knows they won't hear him, knows he can't free himself to go after them, knows he can't even do as much as let his rising panic be known on his currently frozen face. All he can do is sit alone and abandoned on a shelf as his friends are taken away from him, until they're ultimately out of his sight completely.
For what feels like an eternity, Sora remains in that same spot, stiff and silent as countless shoppers continue to pass him by, most of them without so much as a second glance. For all he knows, Donald and Goofy could already be long gone by now, entirely unable to return to him just as he's unable to follow them. In truth, he wants nothing more than to tear out from these feeble plastic bindings, burst free of this confining, claustrophobic cardboard prison, find his friends, find that Key, and move on to a world where he won't lose complete control over his entire body without a single moment's notice. Yet regardless of what he wants, there he stays, unmoving, untouched, unwanted. And unable to do a single thing to change any of that.
But then, that all changes when his box slides backward entirely on its own accord.
The movement is sudden, yet subtle enough that none of the passing shoppers seem to notice. As he's pulled away from the front of the shelf, Sora finds movement slowly starting to return to him, though he still isn't able to move much with the ties keeping him pinned down. At the very least, he is finally able to speak up again as he strains to get a better look at what might be happening to him.
"Who's there?" he asks, startled as his box is suddenly shoved to the far end of the shelf. "What's going on?"
"Oh, you've got nothin' to worry about there, pard," an unseen voice speaks up, presumably belonging to whoever's pushing him toward the shelf's edge. "We're here to help."
"We?" Sora questions, though he doesn't get an answer. Instead, his box suddenly tilts over the side of the shelf, and his startled cry is only halted when he's somehow stopped just shy of hitting the floor. He bounces back up a bit as he hangs upside down, absolutely disoriented and still all but out of the loop about who's just come to his haphazard rescue. At least until another toy steps into his limited frame of view.
"I can get him down from here, thanks, Slink!" the toy, a porcelain doll clad in a wide pink polka-dot dress, calls up to whoever's holding onto the box. She offers Sora a friendly smile as she gently eases his box onto the floor in front of her, though he's still hanging helplessly upside down within it all the while. "You ok in there, kid?"
"Um… not really," Sora answers truthfully, lightly tugging against the ties on his arm.
"I figured," the doll chuckles. "Repackaging lost toys… what will they think of next? Let's get you out of there, ok? Slink, mind lending me a hand over here?"
"Not at all, Miss Bo," the voice from earlier chimes in as something metallic lands on the floor. That voice soon becomes known as another toy joins the doll, a dog this time, with a plastic head and rear and a long, spring-like midsection. He similarly sends Sora a greeting grin just shy of catching him off guard again, this time by pushing the box backward with his front paws until it collapses to the floor. From there, the pair works together to pull him out of it, though his limbs are still bound to the cardboard slate behind him.
"Try to stay still," the doll advises, raising her long shepherding hook high over Sora's prone form. He winces, closing his eyes and glancing away as she brings the hook down, only for its tip to collide squarely with the fastener of the tie around his left arm. It takes a bit of doing, but after a moment or two, she manages to successfully wedge the tie loose, finally releasing at least one of his limbs. She makes quick work of the others, and within seconds, Sora is completely free, allowing him to accept the hand the doll offers to help him sit up.
"Thanks," he breathes out a sigh of relief as he looks between his pair of impromptu rescuers.
"Don't mention it," the doll smirks, a hand on her hip. "I'm Bo, by the way. Bo Peep."
"The name's Slinky," the dog pipes up with a blithe grin. "Pleasure to meet ya, uh…."
"Oh, I'm Sora," he introduces himself, smiling. It's quick to vanish, however, the moment he remembers the stressful straits he's still very much under. "Oh my gosh!" he cries, jumping to his feet. "Donald! Goofy!"
"Are they your friends?" Bo asks, concerned. "Slink and I saw what happened to you boys earlier."
"Shame we weren't able to get to you before those two were snatched up off the shelf," Slinky shakes his head. "But that's just the way sometimes. Ya can't always stay a full set forever."
Sora jolts upon hearing this, Young Xehanort's recent words echoing hauntingly in his head: "Now, let's see if you're able to remain the full set you're used to being in like this." If the young master's goal had been to separate him from his friends, then it's one he refuses to let him get the satisfaction of. Not now, or ever.
"No," he says tensely, desperately. "You don't understand. Donald, Goofy, and I have to stick together; we always have! We're a team, we need each other. I…" he hesitates, his next statement coming out much quieter as he realizes just how off he feels without his constant, loyal companions standing by his side. "I need them."
"Hm…" Bo takes a moment to ponder the situation. She even goes as far as stealing a peek out from behind the shelf they've taken refuge behind, scoping out as much of the store as she can from that vantage point before reaching her conclusion. "I have an idea. Slink, you're with me. Sora, sit tight back here for a bit. We'll be back before you know it."
"What?" Sora starts, though neither Bo nor Slinky offer him any answers. Instead, they rush off without another word, intent on carrying out whatever unspoken plan they might have in mind. "Wait!" he calls after them, making an effort to follow. He quickly stops short however, just before he can fully step out into the open as he remembers all too well what will happen if he does. His body already starts to feel a bit rigid as he approaches the bustling crowds, and he only sees relief from that sensation when he draws back into hiding once more. And as he does, he realizes that he's once again been left entirely, inescapably alone.
He stumbles backward into the shadows behind the shelf, his breathing sharpening even though he doesn't need to breathe at all in his current state. Still, even if he's denied most physical sensations, he can certainly still feel the icy tide of panic rapidly swelling up within him. A tide that surges violently with every fretful question his dread-addled mind forces upon him. What if Bo and Slinky don't come back for him? What if something happened to Woody, Buzz, and Jessie? What if Donald and Goofy have already been taken out of the store? How will he ever find them like this? What if he never sees them again? What if he's separated from them forever, without even getting a chance to say goodbye? What if-
His own frightened gasp is what puts the breaks on his frantic train of thought as he suddenly backs into something. Or rather, someone. And of course, instead of Donald or Goofy or any other friendly, familiar face, who that someone is is just about the very last person Sora wants to see right now.
"Passed over again, I see," Young Xehanort muses, his size small but his presence still more than imposing enough to unsettle Sora. "It's a wonder you're not used to this by now."
"U-Used to what?" Sora dares to ask, even though he knows he shouldn't take such obvious bait. He takes a sizable step back, intent on putting as much distance as possible between himself and the young master. His hand twitches, desperately begging for his Keyblade that won't appear, not now, not when he's far too afraid to properly wield it.
"To being overlooked, left behind… unwanted," Young Xehanort replies with a cool, steady grin. "First by your own Keyblade, then by your fellow guardians of light, and now by a mere insignificant child. It appears as though you're nobody's first choice, Sora. Nobody's… except for ours…"
Sora shakes his head, words falling short as he tries to make sense of what he just heard. "I-I don't… that's not-"
"There's no point in trying to deny what's proven to be true time and time again," Young Xehanort interrupts. "The so-called 'failure' of your Mark of Mastery exam should have been enough to make it quite evident that no matter how much you struggle and strive for success, you always seem to fall short. There's always going to be someone better, someone who can take your place without skipping a beat, at least as far as the lights are concerned. They don't need you, they never have. And as much as you might try to prove your worth to them by running menial errands and simple tasks for their cause, they never will."
"N-no," Sora tries to counter as he continues backing away from the young master. "That's not true, they… they wouldn't just-"
"They wouldn't name you a Keyblade Master, even after all of the good you've done to keep the worlds safe," Young Xehanort says, feigning sympathy in his tone. "Instead, the title you deserved was given to someone who once played a hand in their near-destruction." Sora starts at this, wanting to rush to Riku's defense even more than his own. And yet… he stops himself as soon as some small, unshakable part of his mind happens to wonder if what the young master is saying might actually make sense after all. Sense that only starts to grow as he continues. "Instead, they decide to recruit a Princess of Heart, endangering one of the seven hearts they're supposed to be protecting. Instead, they accept a former foe into their ranks, trusting him as if he hadn't once served the Organization not that long ago. And really, once they recover those missing Keyblade wielders, is it that outlandish to think you might be replaced in favor of someone with much more experience under their belt?"
Sora doesn't have much of a response to such a daunting claim, mostly because he can't help but wonder, can't help but fear that it might somehow be true. After all, only seven guardians of light are needed, and with Riku, Kairi, Axel, and the king, four have already been found. So who's to say that once they eventually recover Aqua, Ventus, and Terra, they won't easily fill the vacant spots, and in the process, push Sora straight out of their ranks entirely? Could he really just be a placeholder, a temporary fixture that they've only decided to let stick around until someone better, someone stronger, someone far more capable than he could ever be, comes along to take his spot? To prove that he's every bit as much of a failure as he's been feeling ever since that ill-fated exam had shown him just how weak he really is?
"However," Young Xehanort cuts through his distressed, distraught thoughts once more. "Even if your place isn't among the guardians of light, there is somewhere that you will always belong. For you see, to your Organization and to your master, there's not a single other soul in any world who could fill such an essential role in our plans… a role that's only meant for you and you alone, my thirteenth."
"Stop!" Sora shouts, gripping the sides of his head to block out such a horrid thought. The thought that he really doesn't belong with the lights, with his friends, and instead, is only meant to stand alongside the darkness of his treacherous foes. "I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work! Even if… y-you're right," he hesitantly says, not wanting to voice it, not wanting to even say that the lights might not need him aloud. "That won't stop me from staying with my friends and doing anything I can to stop you!"
"Saying that is one thing," Young Xehanort notes, completely unphased. "But whether or not you'll be able to remain true to that vow remains to be seen. Regardless, you still have far to go on the path laid out before you; and at its end is where you will find your true friends waiting for you."
By now, Sora is nearly on the verge of calling upon his Keyblade to put an end to the young master's vicious rhetoric. Yet right before he can, a sudden call rings out, one that fills him with an immediate sense of relief as soon as he hears it. "Sora!"
"Donald! Goofy!" he spins around at the sound of their approaching voices alone. Even so, he almost immediately glances back over his shoulder, not wanting to take his focus off the unpredictable young master for too long. And yet, when he looks back, he finds that in the split second he'd turned his back on him, Young Xehanort has disappeared entirely.
Despite the young master's unnerving claims, Sora can't help but take a palpable sense of comfort in the fact that he's finally gone. That comfort expands tenfold, however, when he finally sees Donald and Goofy round the corner of the shelf and rush toward him. They ultimately end up crashing into him and the entire trio topples to the ground in a messy, laughter-filled hug, one that's more than welcome after how they'd nearly been separated indefinitely.
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys," Sora smiles as he looks between the pair. "I wanted to go after you but, you know…"
"Believe us, we do," Donald concurs, more than familiar with the recurring struggle they all share in this world.
"How'd you escape anyway?" Sora asks them, curious.
"We have Bo and Slinky to thank for that," Goofy nods to the pair as they step forward to join the trio.
"I tell ya, distracting that little lady long enough to pull those two away wasn't easy," Slinky notes, a bit beleaguered.
"That's where I came in," Bo grins, adjusting her disheveled bonnet. "I haven't met a little girl yet who can pass up some playtime with a 'free' doll. I'm just lucky she was gentle with the porcelain," she rubs her pristine, uncracked arm. "Just like Andy is."
"Did you say Andy?" Sora inquires, standing alongside his companions.
"You know him?" Slinky asks, confused.
Donald nods. "We've heard all about him from Woody and Buzz."
"You know Woody and Buzz?!" Bo gasps, immensely intrigued. Likewise, Slinky's ears perk up at the pair of familiar names, also eager to know more.
"Oh my gosh!" Sora exclaims in sudden recollection. "You guys must be two of their missing friends. We came all this way to help them find you."
"Woody's here?" Bo presses, an elated smile spread across her face.
"Yup, him, Buzz, and Jessie should be on the other side of this floor," Goofy informs.
"Well, what are we still doin' sittin' around here for?" Slinky pipes up. "Let's track 'em down."
"This way," Bo motions to the trio as she leads the way to a small gap behind the shelf. "We've been stuck here for a few days, so we've gotten to know the vent system pretty well. It's a lot easier to get around through then than risking it out in the open like you boys tried to. No offense."
"Eh, chalk it up to us still being new at this," Sora jokes as he, Donald, and Goofy follow the duo's lead.
"Ah, so you are new toys after all," Bo nods knowingly. "You three sort of have the vibe of being fresh out of the box."
"What vibe?" Donald asks sourly.
"The vibe of not knowin' what in the heck you're doin," Slinky chuckles. "'Specially around people. It takes a whole lotta time and practice before you can start movin' around when you're anywhere close to 'em."
"That's what Woody said too," Goofy recalls. "But how much time are we talking about here?"
"It's different for just about every toy," Bo shrugs, deftly guiding the group through the maze of vents. "Most never really get the hang of fully unfreezing around people, but we're not supposed to anyway. Just getting up and walking and talking in front of your kid would break just about every rule there is."
"There are rules to this?" Sora asks incredulously. "Yeesh, who knew being a toy could be so… complicated…"
"Don't worry," Bo shoots him a reassuring smile. "You'll get the hang of it sooner or later."
The trio exchanges a befuddled glance at this, wondering just how long they'd have to stay in this world if they really want to get the hang of their peculiar new forms. And, wondering if doing exactly that might somehow get them one step closer to finally finding that mysterious Key at long last.
The group emerges from the vents in another section of the store entirely, a department that's still on the second floor, specializing in toys for babies and toddlers. Unlike the rest of the store, it's closed off to customers due to ongoing renovation, leaving it fortunately free of shoppers and employees alike. What it isn't free from, however, is a noisy air of chaos that the group immediately picks up on the moment they arrive, the source of which immediately becomes clear as soon as they see what's happening on the ground.
A large doll, one that could easily tower over the entire group watching it from above, hovers across the floor, its eyes a lifeless, vibrant shade of gold that focus on nothing at all. However, what catches Sora, Donald, and Goofy's attention the most is the all-too familiar emblem that's been branded onto the doll's back, A clear sign of yet another toy that's been overtaken by the Heartless' steady, unyielding, violent control.
And yet, that doll doesn't go without any sort of opposition. Because it isn't long before another group of toys runs into view, all three of them doing whatever they can to protect a potato-shaped pair from the doll's unruly rampage.
"Yeesh, who put her petticoat on too tight?" Mr. Potato Head scowls up at the doll, sweeping out a protective arm in front of his wife.
"Oh, this is so horrifying!" Mrs. Potato Head wails, leaning against her husband for support. "And her hair is so gorgeous! I wonder if she has a stylist she can recommend…"
"Take cover, you two," Woody instructs, spinning his pull string as he races to come up with a plan. "We'll handle her."
"Woody!" His focus is completely broken, however, when he hears this familiar call ringing out from one of the shelves above.
"B-Bo?" he spins, awestruck when he catches sight of the shepherdess. They only have time to exchange the briefest of distant smiles, however, before the larger doll lunges right at him.
"Woody! Look out!" Buzz shouts, pushing the cowboy out of harm's way just in time. In the process, however, that leaves the doll's path to the Potato Heads perfectly clear, at least until her approach is abruptly halted from behind.
"Got her!" Jessie yanks her own pull string tight, keeping it lassoed tightly around the doll's ankle. She's mounted atop Bullseye once more, the horse keeping her grounded even as the doll tries to break away. "B-but I can't hold her for long on my own. Woody-"
"On it!" Woody swiftly hops to his feet. "Thanks for the save, Buzz. Mind lending us a hand with the rest?"
Buzz hesitates at this request, especially as he steals another glance at the possessed doll, at another toy unable to act on its own accord, forced to fight entirely against its own will. And yet, he ultimately folds when he sees just how much Jessie is struggling to restrain her, when he sees the hand Woody is holding out to him, a soft, confident smile on his face that comes with a simple message. That together, they can overcome anything, just as they always have before.
"Not at all, sheriff," he takes Woody's hand in an affirmative shake before they charge forward into battle together. They join Jessie in wrangling the doll down, restraining it in the hopes of bringing it down entirely. They get some much-needed help in doing exactly that as Sora, Donald, and Goofy rush down to enter the fray. With Woody, Buzz, and Jessie holding the doll steady, they're able to land several solid blows against it, slowly but surely starting to wear whatever Heartless controlling it down from the outside in. At the same time, Bo and Slinky keep their high ground above the impromptu battleground, with the latter springing down to pull the Potato Heads to safety. Bo, on the other hand, hops over to another shelf with several heavy display boxes resting atop it. She perches the end of her hook underneath them, whistling to catch the attention of the trio fighting the doll directly below her.
"Clear out, boys!" she urges, making her plan clear. "Things are about to get messy."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy don't hesitate to heed her, rushing away from the doll just in the nick of time. It finally manages to rip itself out of Woody, Buzz, and Jessie's steady hold, sending the trio of toys flying in opposite directions as it prepares to continue its crazed frenzy. It doesn't get very far, however, before the boxes rain down upon it from above, slamming it to the ground. Such a violent collision is enough to finally banish whatever Heartless had been controlling it, leaving the toy that had once been under its sway just as still and lifeless as it had been before.
"Woo!" Jessie speaks up first in the immediate aftermath of such a hectic fray. "Well, she sure didn't seem to have a knack for playing nice, did she?"
"No…" Buzz answers, almost to himself. "She didn't…" He keeps his sights set on the downed doll as the others also begin to congregate and regroup on the ground, none of them thinking too much on their defeated foe, other than the space ranger himself. "What if... we end up just like her? Taken over by those creatures, forgetting ourselves and… attacking each other?"
"What are you talking about, Buzz?" Jessie asks with a concerned frown. "There's no way something like that would ever happen to any of us!"
"That's right!" Donald firmly agrees.
"You fellas are too strong!" Goofy chimes in. "Right, Sora?"
While normally, Sora would readily, enthusiastically side with his companions' optimistic sentiments, this time, he ends up hesitating instead. By now he knows the Organization all too well; they have a particular, frightening talent for bending innocent hearts to their twisted intent, twisting them to fulfill their dark purposes. An outcome that, after everything that's happened thus far, Sora still finds himself fearing for his own. Because if someone like Young Xehanort can indeed cause his heart, a heart that he had once believed to have grown strong through the many experiences and challenges it's been through in the past, to waver, then who's to say he can't do the very same to the less-fortified hearts of others?
And yet, Sora doesn't voice any of those building concerns, instead opting to bolster the team with a smile that, despite how genuine it might seem, doesn't truly meet his eyes. "R-right," he says somewhat halfheartedly, though fortunately, none of the others really notice.
"You can't be sure!" Buzz counters sternly. "What if I get taken over, then attack you?"
"Buzz, you're overthinking it!" Woody cuts in, placing a steadying hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Overthinking it…" Sora muses to himself, his eyes widening with growing realization and hope. Hope that maybe his rising fears aren't as founded as he's been believing them to be. "Of course! The Heartless—the darkness—" He corrects himself as he addresses the others. "Can only find a way in when we lose sight of what's most important." He pauses briefly at this, smiling to Donald and Goofy, to his treasured companions, who always do their best to keep him grounded, to keep him strong when nothing else can. "Trust me," he says, assuring both himself and the others. "You'll be just fine as long as you have your friends to stand beside you."
"Well, that means you have nothing to worry about, Buzz," Woody smiles, a grin that Buzz slowly finds himself returning as his worries finally begin to ebb away. "'Cause we're not going anywhere."
"No, we're not." Woody starts as a new voice from behind him chimes into the conversation. Two voices in fact.
"Not this time, or any time soon, for that matter."
"Bo," Woody sighs, grinning from ear to ear as he turns to face the shepherdess. "And Slinky!" He gives the dog a friendly pat on the head before affectionately embracing Bo. "I'm glad to see you're both alright."
"Not as glad as I am to see you, sheriff," Bo offers him a flirtatious wink just shy of lightly readjusting the brim of his hat.
"We're just catchin' up with everyone around these parts, huh?" Jessie says, hands on her hips. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, did you boys find Bo and Slinky while you were out and about?"
"Um… more like they found us…" Sora admits, rubbing the back of his neck.
"They got boxed," Slinky whispers to Woody and Buzz, aside.
"But we bailed them out without causing too much of a scene," Bo assures with a small chuckle.
"We wouldn't have gotten boxed if we hadn't walked into an obvious trap, Sora," Donald chastises.
"Hey, how is that my fault?" Sora protests defensively.
"You can be a bit careless sometimes…" Goofy notes, though Donald is quick to agree much more dryly.
"Too careless, if you ask me."
"Oh yeah?" Sora shoots back daringly. "If you wanna see careless, I can show you careless!" At this, an impromptu, playful chase ensues, with Donald cackling while Sora tails him in circles around a confused, yet amused Goofy. The other toys all watch on, joining in on the laughter of such a ridiculous scene, with Bo and Jessie both cheering Sora on in his insincere pursuit.
"Heh," Woody lets out a much more subdued chuckle as he spectates alongside Buzz. "You know, I think they really are good guys."
"Well, you wouldn't have trusted them otherwise," the space ranger remarks with the smallest hint of a smile. "And I know that your trust is a hard-earned treasure." Of course, Woody is genuinely surprised to hear such a heartwarming sentiment from the usually stoic and stalwart Buzz Lightyear, of all toys. But even so, he readily accepts it with a warm smile, one that Buzz returns, albeit too briefly. "Well, for all our sakes… let's just hope you're right. They did help us reunite with Bo and Slinky, so I suppose I'm willing to give them a chance, at least for a little while longer. Especially if it means getting the rest of our friends back."
"Agreed," Woody nods, his smile taking on a determined turn as he finally breaks through the ongoing levity nearby. "Alright fellas, as fun as this is, we should probably be getting a move on."
"You're the boss, sheriff," Jessie remarks with a playful salute. At the same time, Sora and Donald bring their brief, insincere bickering to an end, though not without exchanging a series of faux sour expressions first.
"Er, heya, Woody," Slinky speaks up. "I was just talkin' to the Potato Heads, and if you don't mind, I'm gonna take 'em back down toward the store's entrance."
"Not that we don't want to put the necks we don't have on the line with the rest of you," Mr. Potato Head begins pointedly. "But… demonic dolls is where me and the Mrs. draw the line."
"Oh! But before we go," Mrs. Potato Head interjects. "We did spot Rex and Hamm up on the third floor earlier this morning before the store opened. It looked like they were going into the video game section, if I'm right."
"Video games," Woody notes with a nod. "Got it. Look out for each other on the way back downstairs. We'll catch up with you so we can all head home together soon."
"It'll be about time," Mr. Potato Head notes as the small group begins to head off. "When we get back, I'm gonna need a vacation every bit as the one Andy's on."
"Ooo, we should take one once we get home!" Mrs. Potato Head enthusiastically agrees. "I hear the downstairs bathroom is lovely this time of year."
The couple continues rambling on about their "vacation" plans, largely not hearing the exasperated sigh Slinky lets out as he trails right behind them. Bullseye decides to accompany them as well, just to make sure they're safe from any further marauding Heartless. The remaining toys wave them off as they leave, before they set off to find Rex and Hamm, the only pair of missing toys still left to be found. As well as a Key that still seems to be as far out of reach as its been since the beginning.
Taking to the vents again makes the group's trek to the third floor much quicker and easier than it otherwise would be if they tried slipping through the crowds of shoppers outside of them. As a result, it isn't long before they make it to the video game department, a bustling section packed with kids trying out demos of all of the latest games and gadgets on sale. The group keeps the upper ground atop the high display cases lining the walls, ensuring they remain well out of sight of the people below them as they survey the area for any signs of Rex or Hamm. Woody leads the way, Buzz, Jessie, Bo, and the trio trailing close behind as they try and fail to find a dinosaur and a piggy bank amidst the ever-changing crowd below. Ultimately though, where they end up finding the duo isn't on the store floor itself, but rather in an unoccupied manager's office tucked away toward the back of it.
They're alerted to the pair's presence within that office as they pass its cracked-open door by, only to hear a plaintiff wail that a handful of the toys recognize on the spot. Without hesitation, Woody and Buzz are the first to charge into the room, believing their friends to be in some sort of danger… only to find that they're anything but.
Instead, Hamm and Rex have taken up a spot on the desk of the rather cramped office, where a small TV sits, complete with a video game console hooked up to it. Rex lets out a disgruntled groan as he sets the controller down, handing it off to Hamm for his turn once more. "Augh! I can't believe I lost to that same boss again!"
"Hey, don't look at me," Hamm remarks unsympathetically as he begins his round. "You're the one who wanted to play it in expert mode."
"I need the practice!" Rex insists. "Plus, according to the strategy guide, it's the only way to unlock all six secret endings!"
"Six?" Hamm scoffs incredulously. "With how long the cutscenes in this game are already, that's a bit overkill, don'tcha think?"
"Not when you're as deeply invested in the lore and characters as I am!"
"Hamm? Rex?"
The pair pause their game, briefly glancing over the edge of the desk at Woody's curious call. "Oh, heya, Woody," Hamm greets casually, despite not having seen the other toys in several days now.
"Oh! You're all just in time to watch us take on the final boss!" Rex exclaims excitedly. "We can all see the ending together!"
"Maybe some other time, Rex," Buzz counters. "We've been in this toy store long enough. Now that everyone's been found and accounted for, it's time we leave and head back home."
"Leave?" Sora echoes in newfound concern. "But we can't leave yet!"
"Yeah," Goofy agrees. "We still haven't found that Key."
Buzz crosses his arm, turning his nose up at the trio. "I fail to see how that's our problem."
"Oh, c'mon, Buzz," Jessie says, a hint of disapproval in her tone. "Don't be like that."
"Jessie's right," Woody concurs. "Sora, Donald, and Goofy helped us find our friends; it's only fair we return the favor by helping them track that Key down too before we go."
"Have you both forgotten that Key is the exact reason we're in this mess to begin with?" Buzz counters crossly. "The man in the black coat said he had those creatures haul off our friends just so he could find it. And that's why any of us are here at all, isn't it? That Key has caused us nothing but trouble, and while I can't speak for anyone else, I want nothing more to do with it!"
"But Buzz, that's not fair!" Jessie argues sternly. "After everything they've done for us, we can't just leave these fellas hanging like this!"
"Then go ahead and stay if you want," Buzz turns away dismissively. "But as for me, I'm going to head home, where we belong. Bo, Woody, you with me?"
Bo hesitates, largely indecisive over what to do as she looks to Woody for a decision instead. The cowboy frowns as he glances between Buzz and the trio, already knowing who he has to side with, as much as he might not want to in this case. "Sorry, you guys," he says to the trio. "But I've gotta do what's best for the others, and for Andy. He could be coming home any day now, and like I said before, the last thing I want is for him to return to an empty room. Which means it's time for us to go."
"I… guess you have a point…" Jessie hesitantly agrees as Bo nods her solemn agreement. "Now that everyone's safe, we oughta make sure they stay that way, right?"
"Absolutely right," Buzz soundly agrees, an air of finality in his tone as he begins to head for the office door.
"Are you guys sure?" Sora asks, trying not to come across as too disappointed. "We could have used friends like you to help us find that Key, and in the final showdown, but… if you really want to go…"
"Then we won't stop you," Goofy finishes acceptingly. "Organization XIII is our problem to solve, after all."
"Yeah, I can take 'em!" Donald exclaims with a broad sense of confidence.
"I'm not so sure about that…" Sora remarks with a wry, teasing grin.
"I'll show ya!" the magician huffs, whipping out his wand to take a swing at Sora, who dodges it easily, laughing all the while.
At the same time, Woody calls up to Hamm and Rex, who are still all but engrossed in their ongoing video game. "C'mon, fellas! We're heading out."
"Aw, but we're so close to finally winning the game!" Rex protests.
"Eh, scratch that," Hamm interjects as he gets a 'game over' screen. "I don't think it's happening for us. Least not without leveling up some more."
"I told you we should have grinded for experience when we had the chance!" Rex shakes his head as the pair begins to climb down from the desk.
"You guys don't mind if we see you off, do you?" Sora asks Woody while they wait for the duo to descend. "It's the least we can do after everything."
"That would be great," Woody grins, tipping his hat at the trio.
"The more the merrier," Bo agrees as Jessie happily nods.
Buzz says nothing to this request, but seemingly allows it all the same, though it's clear that leaving the store is still his highest priority. With that, the group prepares to set off and part ways, likely for the last time, by the time they reach the store's exit. Or at least, that had been the plan.
"Oh, but you needn't rush off…"
The office door abruptly slams shut alongside this sudden statement, just before any of them can reach it, somehow locking entirely on its own accord. The culprit behind both soon becomes apparent as Young Xehanort steps out of the shadows just a short distance behind them all.
"Uhhhh…. Who's the creepy guy in the black coat?" Hamm asks, confused.
"Oh! Is he the final boss but in real life?" Rex proposes, cowering behind the others.
These questions go unanswered, as Sora steps forward, his Keyblade flashing into his hand as he glares fiercely at the young master, refusing to let him tear him down or intimidate him any longer. "How many times do we have to tell you to get out of here and leave us alone?!"
"I have no intentions of leaving," Young Xehanort replies easily. "And if you truly hope to find that Key, then neither will you."
"We're not leaving," Sora staunchly confirms. "But the others are."
"And if you send any more Heartless after them-" Goofy begins, his shield in his grip.
"Then we'll make sure you regret it!" Donald exclaims, holding his staff up threateningly.
The young master merely smirks, amused by their brazen resolve to do what's right. "How noble," he mocks haughtily. "But I have to wonder; can you still be so determined to protect your friends if you have to protect them from each other?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asks suspiciously, only to not receive a response. At least, not one in words. Because as Young Xehanort remains ominously silent, no one notices the lone Heartless steadily approaching them from behind. Or more specifically, approaching Buzz.
"Buzz?" Rex is the first to notice the odd clouds of darkness budding up around the space ranger. "What's the matter?"
Strangely, Buzz doesn't answer as the darkness seems to disappear, though as he opens his eyes, they're noticeably vacant and dull. But even more alarming than that is when, without even skipping a beat, he turns, activating his laser and taking aim… directly at Woody.
The cowboy flinches, caught off guard by the red dot trained on his chest. "Buzz, what are you doing?" he asks, raising a confused eyebrow. The space ranger doesn't answer, his expression harsh and cold as he keeps his laser tightly focused on Woody, something that quickly unsettles the other toys around him too.
"C'mon, Buzz," Jessie urges, stepping over to him. "Quit fooling around and-"
"Look out!" Goofy shouts, rushing in to block off the Buzz's unexpected blast with his shield just in time. A completely real blast that could have proven to be quite destructive if it hadn't been deflected just in the nick of time.
"Yikes!" Bo gasps, gripping her hook protectively as she sticks close to Woody. "Since when has Buzz been able to do that?"
"Since never," Woody replies, shaking his head in shock. He watches, jaw dropped, as Buzz fires again, shooting his lasers at literally everything and everyone in his range.
Jessie has the wits about her to dodge his next blast, as well as push Hamm out of its path. "W-what's going on?!" she asks, aptly alarmed by such a distressing turn of events.
"No way," Woody starts as a daunting realization strikes him. One that hits even harder when he spots the aura of darkness thinly hovering over his best friend. "I think… Buzz has been taken over!"
This is all but confirmed as Buzz continues firing blast after blast at his very own friends without a beat of thought or hesitation. It takes a bit of doing, but eventually, Jessie manages to get over to Woody and Bo, joining them behind Goofy's shield while Donald runs over to give him some much-needed support in warding the space ranger off. Sora, however, focuses his attention on the very person responsible for this disaster in the first place.
"What did you do to him?!" he demands, disgusted that Young Xehanort would stoop so low as to harm the innocent inhabitants of this world. As outraged as he is, he doesn't give the young master much of a chance to answer before he rushes at him, Keyblade at the ready to attack with all his might and frustration behind him. And yet, just as he tries to land a heavy strike, Young Xehanort completely vanishes into thin air, only to casually reappear just a few feet away.
"I thought I made it clear," he muses, barely paying Sora's continued attempts to land a hit on him any mind at all. "I am testing the strength of their bonds. In this world, toys have hearts. And those hearts come from a powerful bond."
Just when Sora thinks that Young Xehanort is within his range for a possible swing, he disappears once more, this time rematerializing on the desk high above him. "So what happens when those bonds are stretched to their limits? When barred from each other by distance insurmountable, can cloth and plastic hold onto their hearts? And can the deluge of emotions that will doubtless come about when those bonds inevitably break be enough to call upon the Key that could very well be tied to this world's heart?"
By now, Sora's growing anger, coupled with immense annoyance at his foe's elusiveness, has largely made him reckless. He chases Young Xehanort up onto the desk, all in a haphazard effort to land so much as a single blow of retaliation against him. Something that the young master always seems to effortlessly avoid every time. "All I needed was a wedge to widen the divide—someone like you to fill them with distrust and doubt. And that chasm you created," Young Xehanort's dark grin widens as he materializes down on the floor, far out of Sora's reach yet again. "Can be filled with immense shadows. In that way, it seems as though you're already fulfilling your purpose as the thirteenth seeker of darkness, Sora, all without even realizing it. I commend you for your efforts to our cause."
"Like I'd ever do anything to help you!" Sora shoots back as he lands squarely back on the ground. As soon as he does, however, Young Xehanort once again disappears, this time without immediately showing up somewhere else. Despite his immense desire to get some sort of justice against the young master and his twisted tactics, this brief break does provide Sora the chance to see the continued peril his friends are in just a few feet away.
"Sora!" Donald's warning shout alerts him first. He spins around to see Buzz still open firing his laser on Woody, Bo, Jessie, and Goofy. The captain's shield is the only thing protecting the trio from the space ranger's dangerous attacks, and despite Rex, Hamm, and Donald's best efforts to pry Buzz away, he remains grounded and unphased in the harmful onslaught he's been forced to unleash.
"We could really use some help here!" Goofy adds just as urgently, struggling to keep his shield as steady as possible.
"On my way!" Sora calls, rushing forward from the far side of the office. He doesn't get very far however, before he's harshly yanked back by his Keyblade. Within seconds, he finds himself face to face with Young Xehanort as he's hoisted up into the air, his feet dangling as he freezes up in newfound fear. Fear that he can't seem to shake, no matter how much he forces himself to try.
"Perhaps you need a reminder since it looks as though you've clearly forgotten," Young Xehanort remarks disapprovingly, hardly heeding Sora's attempts at struggling against his hold. "Try as you might, you can't save everyone. Not them," he nods over at the ongoing conflict in the distance. "Not your missing lights, and especially not yourself. You lost this game far before you even knew you were a player in it. There's no use in using what little time you have left trying to change that fact."
"O-oh yeah?" Sora asks as defiantly as he can manage. "Watch me."
"Oh, I intend to, until the day you belong solely, unquestionable to me," Young Xehanort smirks as his dark Keyblade flashes into his free hand. "Which is why it is my deepest honor to impart you with something that will show everyone who sees you exactly whose property you truly are…"
Before Sora can even react, Young Xehanort suddenly swings his Keyblade up fiercely. The strike slashes Sora sharply across the chest, easily slicing through the supposedly sturdy plastic it's currently composed of. The blinding, booming agony he somehow feels from this blow is only doubled as the young master brings his blade down once more, creating yet another long, painful tear in the exact opposite direction. As soon as the decisive, damaging strike is fully dealt, Young Xehanort finally releases his unyielding hold on Sora's Keyblade, allowing his heavily injured body to fall to the young master's feet with a dull, empty clunk.
And for a moment, the most Sora can do is lay there, practically drowning in pain that he shouldn't even be feeling in his current form. It all spikes at his heart, waves of searing heat and frigid cold tearing at it together as his new horrendous wound suddenly flashes with inexplicable darkness. Young Xehanort continues to stand over the listless boy before him, watching in muted satisfaction as the scar, or sigil rather, blooms black yet again. As it does, a wave of pure white washes over Sora's otherwise chestnut hair, his tightly shut eyes forced to momentarily open as bright, bitter gold sparks through them both. And yet, the young master's sadistic grin swiftly falls into an irritated scowl when these physical signs vanish just as quickly as they had appeared, leaving Sora heavily wounded still, yes, but just the same as he'd been before.
"Hm…" Young Xehanort says to Sora, who hardly cares to pay him any mind amidst his own anguish. "I suppose I underestimated just how much of a fight they were willing to put up to protect you. No matter. Their interference will all end up being for nothing at all when you finally free their hearts from the depths of your own. And when you do, the empty chasm left behind will just be begging to be filled with the very darkness you try so hard to fight against. And trust me when I say, my thirteenth, that will take the greatest of pleasures in filling the empty void your heart is bound to become with that darkness, until there is nothing left to tether you to the light that no longer even wants you at all…"
The young master finishes with a cold grin as he makes his exit into the dark corridor he calls upon behind him. Sora only barely hears another one open up somewhere else in the room, though as blurred as his vision currently is, he can't exactly make out where. Everything around him feels dull and muted as another small burst of pain ripples across his chest, his head swimming as he instinctively curls in on himself. He knows that if he wasn't a toy at the moment, there'd be tears in his eyes, albeit involuntary ones in response to the inexplicable anguish tearing away at him. He lets out a dry, weak sob all the same as he reaches a trembling hand out toward Donald and Goofy's unclear figures in the distance of a few feet that feels like miles to Sora, craving comfort that neither of them are able to provide.
Mostly because what just happened to Sora is all but lost on the pair as they desperately try to help the others. They hadn't even seen Young Xehanort's Keyblade cut across their young companion's chest, not when they'd been in the midst of trying to somehow safely stop Buzz instead. Their efforts don't amount to much though, as another dark portal suddenly forms around the space ranger, swallowing him up to whisk him well out of everyone's reach.
"No!" Rex cries just as the dark portal vanishes into nothing. "Buzz!"
"Where did he go?!" Jessie asks, just as upset. "Where did that… that thing take him?!"
"And better yet…" Woody takes on a more determined tone, knowing that panicking will do nothing for Buzz now. "How do we get him back?"
"That was one of them dark corridors," Goofy explains, forlorn. "As for where it leads… well, garwsh, that's just about anyone's guess."
"B-but don't worry!" Donald quickly interjects in an attempt to raise morale. "We'll find him and get him back to normal! Won't we, Sora?" The magician pauses for a beat, only for both him and Goofy to receive a terrifying shock the moment they glance over at their young companion. "Sora!"
They run toward him without a second thought, the others all trailing not too far behind. He's still lying on the ground, doubled over with his arms wrapped around his chest, his face wrenched into an expression of unspoken agony. As soon as he hears his companions' concerned cries, however, he forces himself to put his still lingering pain aside, especially as they come to stand over him. As they look down at him like he's something fragile, something broken, someone who couldn't even defend himself when it mattered most.
And really, by all accounts, he couldn't.
"Sora!" Goofy cries, both him and Donald kneeling down to his level. "What happened to you?!"
"Are you ok?!" Donald asks just as intently, his wand at the ready to cast some healing magic if need be.
"Y-yeah…" Sora says, his voice strained as he struggles to sit up. His pain is finally starting to pass, but something still feels off, something he can't properly place as he tries to placate his companions' concerns. "I'll be fine, I just-" He stops short, looking between Donald and Goofy in apt confusion when he notices the shocked stares they're both sending his way. "What?"
The pair answers only in the form of pointing directly at Sora's chest, and the moment he glances down at it himself, he's quick to understand where their alarm is coming from. Young Xehanort's brutal attack has indeed left a vicious mark in the form of two long, jagged, diagonal cuts torn right across the center of his chest. With his body being as plasticine as it is, the wound fortunately offers no blood or signs of internal damage, but it still creates two deep, sharp cracks across the surface of his chest, a scar that might as well be more than skin deep.
"Oh no…" Jessie gasps softly as the others approach to get a better look.
"That's… a lot of damage…" Bo remarks, just as concerned.
"More than I've seen on any toy in awhile, that's for sure," Woody tensely agrees. "Are you sure you're gonna be alright, Sora?"
"It's… an x…" Sora mutters, largely to himself as he continues staring down at the glaring scar in growing horror.
"What?" Donald asks, confused.
Sora nearly repeats himself, though he stops short as he slowly reaches a hand up towards the damming mark, realizing the sickening truth behind it. "You've been on a path, one that we laid out for you. That sigil on your chest is the proof," Young Xehanort had explained during the Mark of Mastery exam. Or rather, during the very intentional trap that had been set for Sora, when that sigil had been branded onto his clothes rather than his very body. "That sigil, the x, it tells us where you are at all times. You had wondered aloud before—why we kept showing up where you were. It's because we need you, Sora, or—to be more precise, we need what will be left of you—the thirteenth dark vessel."
A sigil, an emblem, an undeniable brand with the sole intention of signaling him out, of ensuring that he stays under the Organization's ever-watchful eye, no matter where he goes. Only this time, that mark is much more impactful, much more painful, much more permanent. Much like the Organization's persistent, invasive attempts at goading him onto their side, Sora knows that this is a mark he'll never be able to escape either. With it torn across his chest as deep and as clearly as it is, he'll never be rid of it, he'll never be able to shake their constant, cunning surveillance, their treacherous, shadowy scheming. It'll never stop, never go away, not unless—
"Donald!" Sora exclaims, immediately desperate. "Can you heal—I-I mean, can you fix it?" he corrects, remembering the need to maintain the world order.
The magician can't help but smirk at this, even despite Sora's obvious worry. "Well, only because you asked the right way," he complies, swiftly casting a powerful curaga spell. However, instead of acting quickly and correctly as that type of magic usually does, as its healing glow washes over Sora, the scar still remains, as deep and damming as it had been the moment it'd been torn across his chest.
"W-wha-?!" Donald balks at his magic oddly failing. As a result, he doesn't hesitate to try again, only for the scar to stay, much to Sora's ever-increasing dread.
"W-why isn't it working?!" he demands as he finally pulls himself up to stand.
"I don't know!" Donald shoots back, giving his wand an impatient shake. "Darn thing, it never acts up like this!"
"What if your healing magic isn't workin' right because—" Goofy pauses, dropping his voice down to a whisper so the other toys won't catch on. "'Cause we're toys in this world?"
"Hm… that could be the reason…" Donald muses, somewhat skeptical.
"W-well, then you can always just heal it after we leave," Sora proposes, both anxious and hopeful. "Right?"
"As long as you can hold out for that long," the magician nods. "Are you sure that it doesn't hurt?"
Sora pauses at this, lightly tracing a finger at the edge of the scar. For the most part, it doesn't really hurt, and yet a strange, dull sort of ache still pangs through his chest, one that refuses to go away even long after he's steadily standing again. He already knows this is no ordinary wound, given the dark connotations that are no doubt behind it; but he can only hope that it doesn't bring him any other ill effects than that. "N-no," he throws on a small, easy smile to ease his companions' shared worries. "It's ok. I feel just fine."
"Well, at least that's one good thing to hear right now," Woody interjects as the other toys tune back into the conversation.
"You might wanna be more careful from here on out, Sora," Jessie advises earnestly. "Keep roughing it up with a crack like that and you might just end up breaking!"
"Tell me about it…" Sora sighs, wondering exactly when the Organizations' assaults against him and his heart will finally end up going too far. He's quick to shake such troubling thoughts away, however, hoping to shift the focus away from him to much more dire matters at hand. "Anyway, we've gotta find some way to help Buzz!"
"Agreed," Woody nods, initially resolute, though his tone quickly turns to defeat. "But… we still have no idea where that 'dark corridor' thing took him…"
"Sir, did I hear you say 'dark corridor'?" Sarge cuts into the conversation as he and a few of his men hop down off of the desk.
"That's right, Sarge," Woody tips his hat. "Any ideas?"
"Well, it might be a long shot," Sarge begins. "But we've sighted a shadowy portal in the Kiddy Korral. We can infiltrate from a window in Babies and Toddlers. We'll head there now and get it open."
Needless to say, Woody instantly perks up upon hearing that there's a chance, however small, that they could rescue Buzz after all. "Sarge, you're a lifesafer! You guys in?" he asks with a daring smile as he turns to the others.
"Yee haw!" Jessie shouts first, bold and excitable. "You know I'm always up for saving my—I-I mean our favorite spaceman!"
"I'm with you," Bo smiles at Woody as she adjusts his hat for him once more. "Every step of the way."
"So are we," Sora says, his usual verve returning as Donald and Goofy nod their steady agreement.
"Er, n-not that we don't wanna help," Rex interrupts, clearly intimidated. "But…"
"Fighting the forces of evil isn't really our schtick," Hamm finishes. "Unless those forces are on the other side of a TV screen and we have a good save file to back us up."
"Alright, you two," Bo chuckles, amused. "You can hang back near the entrance if you want. Slink, Bullseye, and the Potato Heads are already down there."
"Yay!" Rex cheers, relieved. "Oh! But please, bring Buzz home safely!"
"With batteries included," Hamm adds as the pair heads off, with Jessie unlocking the office door for them.
"Don't worry," Woody assures as he sees them off. "We're gonna get our friend back."
"All our friends back," Jessie says, harkening back to their overall mission. A mission that, as they all set out towards what will no doubt be a critical showdown, they're more than ready to complete. Especially if it means finally bringing all of their lost, scattered, or even possessed friends together again once and for all.
Not wanting to leave Buzz in the hands of the Heartless for too long, the group doesn't waste any time in following Sarge's intel towards the Kiddy Korral. The colorful play place is naturally packed with kids, but at the very least, all of them are too preoccupied with rushing about to notice the small group of toys narrowly skirting the edges of the area. They remain unnoticed as they scale up the back of the play place, working their way toward the dark portal hidden somewhere at its peak. Their trek is largely a silent one, both for the sake of evading any unnecessary detection and because of the unanimous sense of worry hanging over them all. Worry for Buzz, still lost to himself and trapped under the oppressive hold of the Heartless. Worry for the long, gnarling scar still marring Sora's chest, containing a dark, hidden meaning that only he really knows about. And worry for whether or not they'll all be able to make it out of this store safely after all.
Before long, they make it to the top of the Kiddy Korral, where sure enough, a dark corridor stands wide open and waiting, as if Young Xehanort is offering them all an open invitation. Which, by all accounts, he very likely is. They exchange only a series of terse, determined nods with one another, all of them as ready as they'll ever be for the daunting battle ahead. And without wasting any time on words, they venture into the blackened portal together.
They emerge into a vast void that appears to be composed of the very same sort of immense darkness itself. A few scattered blocks and other fixtures hang scattered, suspended throughout the space and all localized around its centerpiece: a long tendril of sturdy darkness, one that's holding a certain space ranger firmly in place.
"Buzz!" Woody exclaims, spotting him first. Oddly enough, Buzz is completely unresponsive as he remains hovering in the darkness' thrall, though fortunately it isn't actively controlling him now. However, just as the group takes their first steps closer to him, Young Xehanort himself appears in the space between, sending the group a bitter scowl that's enough to mostly stop them in their tracks. All except for Woody, who refuses to let this twisted man toy with his friends any longer. "You!" he shouts fiercely. "What do you want with Buzz?!"
Of course, Young Xehanort largely ignores the sheriff's demand as he instead gestures to the nightmarish void all around them. "Look… such immense darkness. All brought on by feelings of resentment, isolation, separation, the very seeds that inevitably bloom into the shadows we now stand in."
The darkness surrounding the toys seems to pulse with power at this, almost as if it can sense the growing fear among them all, as if it's thriving off of the dread rising within each of their hearts. "So… all of this is happening because we were all split up?" Bo wonders fretfully, gripping her hook tightly.
"And we're still split up," Woody mutters, keeping his sights set on Buzz high above them. "If we can't come together again… does that mean… we'll all end up like Buzz?"
"You certainly will," Young Xehanort smirks before he focuses his attention specifically, purposefully on Sora. "In fact… some of you already are…"
Sora flinches at this, only barely resisting the urge to steal yet another glance down at the sinister sigil scarring his chest. And yet, for as much fear as it brings him, for as deep as that scar and the lingering worry that darkness truly is starting to take a hold upon his heart, he quickly reminds himself that he can't let that fear, that darkness overtake him. Not as long as his friends, both old and new, are at stake.
"Wrong," Sora counters as firmly and as boldly as he can. "Distance doesn't matter. Their friends are always going to be part of their hearts, even when they're out of reach, just like my friends are part of mine. Those are the kinds of bonds, the kinds of friendships that can't be broken. No matter how hard you try, you can't tear them apart."
Woody, Bo, and Jessie all exchange a brief, yet earnest glance upon hearing such inspiring words. True, they had been separated, ripped away from each other by forces beyond any of their control. Yet, even despite that separation, they never stopped striving to find each other, to bridge the gaps that had been so cruelly torn between them. They'd toughed it out, traveled to unfamiliar territory and faced dangers untold. And now, at the end of the road, they've at long last managed to come together like the team they've always been. The only problem is… there's still one member left of that team to save. A member, a friend that they have no intentions of leaving without.
That warm sentiment is completely lost on Young Xehanort, who simply scoffs at the building hope that Sora has given them. His dark power propels Buzz upward, far out of their reach as he regards his proposed vessel dryly. "What? 'Your friends are your power'?" he sneers knowingly. "Ah, how very true. After all, Sora, you are, and will be nothing without your precious friends, friends that are already more than ready to leave you behind even as we speak. But what you fail to see is that if the light of friendship is a form of power, then the darkness of being alone is a power even greater. Darkness is the heart's true nature, and for some, that rings more true than others. Especially in your case, Sora…"
Despite Sora's prior resolve, this grim reminder of the horrific threat constantly hanging over his heart is enough to finally make him falter. He races to come up with anything to say to rebuff it, but instead he finds himself at a loss, especially as he finally does look down at his scar once again, the very sigil that intends to mark him as something he desperately doesn't want to become.
Fortunately, though, he doesn't have to come up with any sort of counterclaims as Woody, Bo, and Jessie step in to do it for him. "Whatever you're talking about, we don't care," the sheriff begins crossly. "Put Buzz back the way he was, then get lost!"
"Or else what, toy?" Young Xehanort challenges, clearly not taking him seriously.
"Oh, you don't even wanna begin to find out, buster…" Jessie threatens, tightly adjusting her hat.
"Yeah, we are toys," Woody agrees sternly. "But we're also friends."
"Not that someone like you would know what that means," Bo adds every bit as resiliently. All the while, the trio of toys continue pressing through the darkness towards the young master. Or more specifically, towards Buzz.
"My guess," Woody says, brazen and confident. "Is that no one's ever loved you before. Because maybe if someone had you might actually know the first thing about what having friends really means."
For perhaps the very first time, Young Xehanort seems to be taken aback by such resistance, even more so as the group continues forward, each step they take disbanding the darkness around them. Their courageous resolve is not just surprising; it's inspiring. Because it doesn't take long for Sora, Donald, and Goofy to all catch the practically contagious hope and resilience they're spreading. And in that hope, they eagerly join their courageous cause.
"You might have tried to tear them apart," Sora begins, deciding to defy the young master with perhaps the best weapon he has at his disposal: the truth. "And even if you did split them all up, the one thing you couldn't take away from them is how much they care about each other. That's why they're here, why we're all here; because real friends refuse to give up on each other. That's the heart's true nature—to never, ever let go."
"We know we may not always be together," Woody admits, an inevitable fact no toy is really able to deny.
"But we're going to make the most of however long we are together for," Bo asserts, placing a supporting hand on the sheriff's shoulder.
"And we can't do that without Buzz," Jessie chimes in, just as determined. "Which is why we're getting him back, whether you like it or not!"
Young Xehanort takes a sharp step back at this, his hands in tight fists as he fixes the entire group with a furious glower. "You pathetic playthings really think you can even come close to-"
"Xehanort," Sora cuts him off, more than happy to interrupt the young master for a change than the other way around. "You're so caught up in finding the shadows that you forgot about the light that casts them. But you know what? You are right about one thing: my friends are my power. And it's stronger than any power you think you might have. Because the connections between friends, real, true friends, is the sort of light that no amount of darkness can ever wipe out!"
Such a bold proclamation causes a ripple effect in the shadowy void, causing the darkness to retract and retreat. However, it barely manages to go anywhere at all before it suddenly stops, freezing right in place in coiled, blackened waves. And that isn't the only thing to freeze up, something that Sora instantly noticed as he looked over to Woody, Bo, and Jessie, and even Donald and Goofy behind him, realizing that they're all practically stuck in place. In fact, he seems to be just about the only one capable of moving at all, for even Young Xehanort doesn't budge or react in any sort of way outside of the very beginnings of shock now inexplicably frozen on his face.
"W-what…?" Sora's confusion is almost immediately cut off as a bright flash of unknown light, spectacular and radiant, practically blinds him from out of nowhere. Tentatively, he turns to take in the seemingly endless expanse of golden light he now stands in, everything and everyone else having somehow disappeared entirely. And amidst this light, comes a voice, soft and smooth and indistinguishable as it echoes seemingly from all around him, ringing the loudest from within the depths of his very own heart.
"You are the one who will open the door…" it whispers something Sora swears he's heard before, though when and where he can't quite place.
"Who said that?" he asks, glancing around the glittering void. "Who's there?"
Despite his confusion and concern, that unknown voice simply answers his question with another one entirely, one that comes out calm and curious, as if whoever's asking it already knows the answer:
"Is friendship really that important to you?"
He still has no idea what's happening here, and yet, when he hears this question, he realizes he doesn't really need to know. Instead, he finds himself guided by awe, by instinct, perhaps by something else entirely into answering that simple question with something he knows to be true with every fiber of his being. "Yes," he nods, a small, soft smile finding its way onto his face. "More than anything else."
The voice says nothing more. It reacts only by taking away the unearthly light it had brought upon Sora, leaving him with something else entirely in its place. Something that absolutely amazes him when he catches sight of it resting in his hand as the world returns to its proper place around him.
Time still feels slow and subdued as he holds the shining new Keyblade up to get a better look. In many ways, it bears a passing semblance to the Kingdom Key, though it's a touch grander, a touch more elegant as much as it is simple and compact. But above all else, this Keyblade radiates power, sheer, raw, and unbridled, unlike any Sora's ever felt before. Power that feels so right, so strangely natural in his possession.
Like it was meant to belong to him all along.
"Impossible… There it is!" Young Xehanort exclaims, shocked to the point that he doesn't even notice the fading shadows sweeping out behind him. "The first Key to the Kingdom!"
"What?!" Sora gasps as he turns the Key in his hand. "The first Key? This is one of them?!"
"Wha-?! Where did you get that?!" Donald demands, baffled.
"I-I don't know!" Sora exclaims, absolutely mystified. "Everything just… stopped, and there was this light and this voice, and then it just… showed up in my hand!"
"Well then, worry not…" Young Xehanort interjects. A dark smirk slides onto his face as he begins his approach to claim the Key as his own. "It won't be your burden to bear for much longer…"
Before the young master can get very far in his attempt, however, he fails to notice the darkness finally snapping out behind him. The shockwave of resounding light ripples back to Buzz, still hovering high above the ground. Young Xehanort only has time to turn around in angered surprise as his darkened restraints on the space ranger finally break altogether. And as they do, the young master finds himself beset by Sora, Donald, and Goofy all at once. He summons his own Keyblade just in time to counter their unified strike, but little does he know that actually landing their attack isn't the trio's intention.
"Woody! Jessie! Bo! Now!" Sora calls, making sure to give the trio the exact opening they need. They make sure to take it as they make their move, Jessie and Woody whipping out their pull-strings yet again, this time launching them out at Buzz. Their loops both catch onto his limply hanging hands, and Bo offers the pair her hook to keep them grounded, just in case. On one swift, simultaneous movement, all three of them yank as hard as they can, and in doing so, pull Buzz down from his spot high above them. With gravity now acting upon the space ranger normally, Woody and Jessie rush forward in an attempt to catch him, while Bo stands guard, defensively wielding her staff in the event that Young Xehanort tries any surprise attacks. And yet, the young master is largely preoccupied with Sora, Donald, and Goofy, to the point that he barely notices when Buzz falls out of his control, landing on top of Jessie and Woody in a messy, haphazard pile.
While Woody and Jessie are both initially dazed by their rough landing, Buzz, surprisingly enough, is the first to stir among them. "Woody? Jessie?" he asks, leaning up to see the pair laying upon him.
"Buzz!" Jessie exclaims, overjoyed to the point that she doesn't hesitate to pin the space ranger back down with a tight hug. "You're back!"
"Back?" Buzz rubs his head, confused as all three toys move to sit up. "From where? A-and… how did I get here… wherever 'here' is?"
"Oh, I don't know," Woody remarks with a hint of a wry grin. "Maybe somebody switched you into 'dark and brooding' mode."
"But I don't have a-" Buzz stops, unspeakable shame filling him as he all too quickly realizes what had happened to him. By all accounts, his very worst fears had come true, and all because he hadn't been strong enough to overcome them. But fortunately for the space ranger, his friends are still there to support him, even after he'd fallen short.
"Hey, no hard feelings," Woody smiles, offering a hand to help him up.
"You're yourself again," Jessie adds just as warmly. "And that's all that matters."
Buzz is hard pressed to deny this as he accepts the sheriff's helping hand. "Thank you, Woody. And you too, Jessie."
"Anytime," Woody says with a tip of his hat. "Good to have you back, Buzz
"Aw, there's that sweet spaceman I know and love!" Jessie beams brightly.
"…L-love?" Buzz repeats, suddenly flustered.
"Sorry to cut in," Bo speaks up, glancing back at the trio of toys behind her. "But I think those boys might need our help!"
She nods over to Sora, Donald, and Goofy just as Young Xehanort manages to push them back with a broad swing. Even so, they refuse to be shaken so easily, standing their ground every bit as much as the other group of toys rising to the occasion to form another line of offense against the young master.
"Enough," Young Xehanort hisses in tranquil fury. "This childish game has reached its end."
"Yeah, it has," Sora sharply agrees, rushing forward with the Key at the ready. "And you lost!"
Despite the decisive swing he sends the young master's way, it's stopped dead in its tracks as Young Xehanort catches the edge of the golden blade with merely his hand alone. "You would do well to learn here and now that I never lose," he says, his voice dangerously quiet, his golden eyes practically glowing as he smiles smoothly. And then, before Sora even has a chance to pull the Key or himself away, he suddenly shifts sizes in less than a second.
Sora doesn't even have time to get a gasp out before his body abruptly snaps back into stiffness, an oblivious, unmoving grin overtaking his features as his limbs fall limp and listless. He vaguely hears the other toys helplessly collapse to the ground somewhere behind him, falling victim to the same predicament he's already met. Only Sora is quick to realize he's in much more immediate danger than any of the others; because as Young Xehanort flashes into the size of a full-scale human, his tiny wrist is still tightly held in his foe's gloved grip.
"My sigil suits you well, my thirteenth," he holds Sora up, whispering in a voice that only he can hear. "Bear it with pride, for it is the very effigy of what you are ultimately meant to become."
Sora isn't able to respond, isn't even able to show just how much he hates the prospect of becoming anything close to what his foes want him to be. But what Young Xehanort says to him next is something he can't hang idle and inanimate for any longer.
"I'll be taking this," he pinches the tiny Key Sora is still clinging onto, preparing to pry it out of his frozen hand. "And in return, I'll make sure to give you the privilege of watching firsthand as I tear every last one of these pitiful toys to pieces."
No, Sora's thoughts ring out in distress where his voice currently can't. He can feel the young master begin to pull the Key away from him, can sense its power being taken out of his hold. No! He can imagine so very vividly what will happen as soon as the Key is taken. He can see Young Xehanort carelessly dropping him, can see his Keyblade carelessly slicing and slashing away at the helpless group gathered at his feet. He can see it striking, damaging, breaking Woody and Buzz and Bo and Jessie and Donald and Goofy. And he can see himself, unable to move, unable to do a single thing as his companions, as his friends are hurt and harmed for literally no reason at all.
And… even if he knows there's nothing he can do about it, he still refuses to let it happen all the same.
"No!" his voice strains its way out of his throat, his mouth miraculously moving out of its insincere smile. Control pours back into the rest of his body in turn, and he forces it into action, fights against everything instinct that's still trying to keep it as still as it should be in the presence of a person. He manages to swing himself upward, his plastic feet connecting with Young Xehanort's jaw hard enough to startle him to release his hold on the Key. As soon as it's free, Sora slams the side of it into the young master's hand, landing a surprisingly impactful cut as he pushes himself out of his range altogether. He lands squarely back on the ground, and even though Young Xehanort still towers high over him, he finds he has enough control to stand strong, taking aim at his much-larger enemy with every ounce of strength the Key has to offer him.
"I already told you," he begins harshly, glaring up at the young master with sheer, unbridled defiance. "You can do whatever you want to me, but you will never keep me from fighting for my friends!"
Young Xehanort's already severe expression darkens as he looks down upon his proposed vessel, clearly not appreciating his brazen, rebellious attitude. "If that's the case, then I will relish the challenge of proving you wrong," he hisses viciously just shy of abruptly disappearing. He's quick to show up again, this time back on Sora's level, which finally allows the other toys to freely move again in turn. None of them hesitate to hop to their feet and race to support Sora, especially as Young Xehanort extends his hand out in a stern demand.
"I will only ask this of you one final time, my thirteenth," he says , keeping his golden gaze set on Sora alone. "You will hand over that Key to me, or a simple scar and a touch of darkness will be far from the worst you and your foolish friends will suffer."
"Oh yeah?" Sora retorts, completely unafraid of the young master this time. Not now, not when he finally has the upper hand over his enemy for a change. "Then go ahead and try to take it."
"But we can guarantee you won't get very far if you do," Buzz speaks up, keeping his wrist laser trained on the young master. Bo, Jessie, and Woody all stand alongside him, Donald and Goofy with Sora as they all stand ready to keep the Key from falling into his hands.
"Hm, how impudent," Young Xehanort simply grins in bitter amusement at this show of resistance. "You really do think you've won, don't you? So soon? So early? A single Key hardly ensures any sort of victory. After all, there are still 12 more to find."
"Oh believe me, we know," Sora assures, still boldly brandishing the Key. "And we're going to do whatever it takes to make sure you and the rest of the Organization never get anywhere close to them."
"Then by all means, go ahead and find them," Young Xehanort oddly encourages. "By the end of this fateful battle, each and every one of those Keys will find their way into our hands all the same. As will the most important Key of them all, Sora…"
For as pointed and leading as this remark is, Sora doesn't bother dignifying it with a response. Instead, he rushes for the young master just as darkness begins to converge around him. And yet, his broad swing never lands as Young Xehanort disappears, instead phasing cleanly through him as he offers Sora one final, whispered instruction. "Free the hearts joined to yours."
"Yes, master," Sora says immediately and just as quietly. His eyes, sparked with the briefest hint of sudden gold, widen in shock the moment the involuntary words leave his mouth. The last glimpse he catches of Young Xehanort is a smug, satisfied smile just as he vanishes into the darkness.
With the void the young master had brought on now finally lifting, the familiar sights of Galaxy Toys' upper floors open up around them, particularly to a quiet corner of an otherwise empty storeroom. Woody, Bo, Jessie, and Buzz all share a celebratory cheer at their success, one that Donald and Goofy mostly join in on, though not without a hint of apprehension.
"Ha! Looks like that creepy fella was no match for us after all!" Jessie grins proudly, throwing an arm around both Buzz and Woody's shoulders.
"No match for the rest of you, more like it," Buzz says with something of a bittersweet chuckle.
"Don't sell yourself short, Buzz," Woody remarks, hands on his hips. "I have a feeling it was that arm laser of yours that sent him running."
"Hm… I'd say you were the one who really put him in his place, sheriff," Buzz smirks, elbowing his friend playfully.
"Nah, Buzz, that was all you," Woody wryly shoves him right back.
"Even when they're complimenting each other, they're competitive about it," Bo jokes to Jessie, aside. "Some things never change."
"Boys will be boys," the cowgirl shrugs with a warm laugh.
Despite the ongoing levity, Donald and Goofy find themselves hard-pressed to share it as puzzled as they are by Young Xehanort's seemingly sudden retreat. "Huh, ya know, that was kinda… easy…" Goofy remarks with a small frown. "Especially considerin' that was Xehanort himself."
"Oh, he's a big chicken!" Donald huffs, shaking his head. "I expected him to put up way more of a fight than that. Don't you think so, Sora?"
Sora's back is still turned away from the group, the shining Key now held loosely in his grip as he desperately tries to make sense of what he'd somehow just said. He would never, ever give Young Xehanort such respectful acknowledgement willingly, and what had brought it on at that moment is far beyond him. But whatever it is downright terrifies him just as much as the very sigil carved across his chest does, to the point that it feels like that terror might just drag him down and drown him completely if he lets it. Which is why he decides to not even think on it any further, to not even tell Donald, Goofy or anyone else for that matter about it, lest it bring them all down from the miraculous victory they've just achieved.
"Oh, uh... I mean, yeah it might have been a little easy," Sora finally answers, putting on a fake smile as he turns to face the others. "But so what? We still won! And we still got this!" His smile turns genuine as he holds the Key up once more, relieved to finally have the first of hopefully many more claimed for the light.
"So that's the 'Key' you've been looking for?" Buzz asks, looking over it curiously. "Impressive. Though, you still haven't explained exactly what it's supposed to do…"
"Er—let's just say it'll help us out in a big way," Sora says, deciding to keep it simple. "Still, I… don't know if I really understand where it came from…"
"Well… didn't it show up right after you stood up to Xehanort?" Goofy asks.
"Yeah," Sora nods, frowning. "But I don't really see what that has to do with anything. I mean, all I did was talk about-" He stops short with a gasp of realization, remembering both Yen Sid's advice as well as the very voice that had granted him this Key in the first place. Or more specifically, the question it had posed him. "Friendship! 'Feelings of the heart', that's it! I think it showed up because that's what my heart was feeling!"
"You got that Key just because you were feeling something?" Donald asks dubiously. "It can't be that simple."
"Who knows? Maybe it can be," Sora shrugs. He smiles as he looks to the Key in his hand once more, warm and bright as it symbolizes the first piece of the rest of the important mission ahead of them. "After all, we got this one, didn't we? So maybe that'll be the key to helping us find all the rest!"
"Oh! Key! I see what you did there!" Jessie laughs, slapping her knee. "Good one, Sora!"
"Yeah, that was real clever!" Goofy chuckles, Buzz, Woody, and Bo joining in on the levity.
Of course, the only one who doesn't is Donald, who simply crosses his arms and pouts, before inevitably breaking out into a small begrudging, smile himself. "Eh, it wasn't that funny," he says, elbowing Sora's leg lightly. "But you get an A for effort."
"I'll take it," he smirks, more than glad to have the company of such good friends to keep him grounded. Even when it seems like everything else around him is only just starting to fall apart.
With all of the lost toys found and no Heartless still roaming about to cause anyone harm, the group decides to leave Galaxy Toys behind. They slip past the last few shoppers of the day easily enough, rejoining the others toward the entrance before they all head out together. The sun's just starting to set over the toy store as the entire group leaves it, stopping to regroup in a small, grassy area just out of sight of the parking lot.
"Status report, sheriff," Sarge pipes up as he and his men gather around Woody.
"Alright, Sarge, shoot," Woody nods, briefly returning his salute.
"After a head count, all of the missing toys have been safely accounted for," Sarge updates succinctly.
"Yeah, tell us somethin' we don't already know," Mr. Potato Head deadpans to his wife, aside.
"Oh! Oh! Since we're all safe and sound, that means we can finally go home, right?" Rex asks, clearly eager to do just that.
"We certainly can," Buzz confirms with a solid nod.
"And we better hurry too," Woody grins as he turns to the path that will lead them back to where they belong. "We don't wanna keep Andy waiting."
With this, the majority of the group begins to set out, only to stop short when they notice a certain trio hesitantly lagging behind. "Sora? Donald? Goofy?" Jessie glances back at them first. "Is something wrong?"
"Aren't you boys coming with us?" Bo inquires just as curiously.
The trio exchanges a fretful glance at this, all three of them realizing what has to happen here. It's something they've done many times before, saying goodbye to new friends in new worlds to take off to entirely different ones. Such is their lot as they set out on each new mission to protect the worlds. But as used to it as they are, that never makes doing it any easier.
"Um… actually… we can't," Sora admits with a small, sad sigh.
"What are you talking about?" Woody counters, confused. "Of course you can! Trust me, Andy will love to have three more great toys like you to call his own."
"And… well," Buzz clears his throat, clearly not used to being so sentimental. "We'd love to have you there too."
"Aw shucks," Goofy grins. "That's awfully nice of ya, but…"
"We have to go," Donald interjects, shaking his head.
"We still have to find the rest of those Keys, remember?" Sora reminds.
"Oh, then let us help you look for them!" Jessie readily volunteers. Likewise, a handful of the other toys pipe up their support to help their new friends, only for Woody to be the voice of reason above them all.
"Now, now, everyone, let's all calm down for just a minute," he quiets the group patiently. "I'd love to go off and help Sora, Donald, and Goofy as much as the rest of you, but we have a mission of our own too. Making our kid happy; it may not be some big, huge adventure, but to a toy, well, that's just about the most important mission we could ask for."
"Being there for your friends always is," Sora readily, warmly agrees. He accepts the hand Woody extends to him to shake in parting, though he is a bit surprised when Buzz approaches next to do the same.
"I'm sorry that I was being so stubborn before," he confesses earnestly, humbly. "Please, forgive me."
"Hey, you were just looking out for your friends," Sora easily accepts the space ranger's handshake. "No biggie."
"Yeah, somebody's gotta be the sensible one," Hamm interjects. "Especially since Woody's always getting into trouble."
"W-what?" Woody balks, surprised.
"He's got you pegged, sheriff," Bo smirks flirtatiously, pulling him a bit closer to her with her hook. "You've got a bad habit of getting tangled up into all sorts of messes."
"And no one would know that better than us," Buzz adds with a firm nod.
"Garwsh," Goofy chuckles to Donald. "That sounds a little like Sora, doesn't it?"
Sora and Woody exchange a baffled glance at this, both of them feigning offense to being framed as reckless. Yet even still, Donald chimes in to add onto the playful teasing.
"Yeah, and I'm the dependable one!" he announces, crossing his arms.
"Like Buzz," Slinky chimes in. "...Sorta. In a roundabout way, I suppose."
The entire group erupts into a bout of bright laughter at this, something that ignites the magician's rather short fuse, though fortunately, he doesn't get the chance to explode entirely. "Heh, guess that would make the likes of me and Goofy here the fun ones," Jessie remarks, pointing to herself and the captain.
"Which rounds us off at two whole sets of three!" Goofy proclaims with a bright grin.
"It sure does," Woody chuckles, though his tone turns a bit more sincere a moment later. "Good luck with finding the rest of those Keys," he says to the trio. "If you ever need any help-"
"Then you know where to find us," Buzz finishes solidly.
"Yeah, you can count on us to help you boys out if you're ever in a jam!" Jessie proudly proclaims.
"Not that you'll need it after how you handled that man in the black coat," Bo acknowledges, impressed by their efforts.
"Still," Woody interjects sincerely. "Feel free to drop by and see us anytime. After all, you've become a part of our hearts," he gestures at himself and his friends before pointing to the trio, smiling all the while. "So let us become a part of yours."
Needless to say, Sora, Donald, and Goofy don't have to think twice about this request. With shared, elated smiles, they rush forward, readily embracing the various toys of the group, sad to part ways with them, but so glad to have met them all in the first place. Glad to have formed the very bonds of friendship that had brought them the Key this world had to offer. Bonds that won't be so easily broken or forgotten, no matter how great the distance between them.
"Now, off you go," Buzz encourages the trio after all of the fond farewells have been exchanged. Of course, the space ranger isn't one to see such close friends off without his signature catchphrase, and that's exactly what he offers Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they set off on to wherever their newest journey might take them next
"To infinity and beyond!"
So yep! That's the end of the Toy Story saga! Honestly, I had fun with it as our first full-fledged Disney world in this. And hey, one Key down, 12 more to go (oof this story is gonna be LONG). Next time around, however, we're actually gonna pop in on Riku and Mickey and see what they're up to (and maybe get a... surprise appearance from someone special... ;) Anyway, if you liked what you saw, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the REVIEWS! Until next time! :)
