Boy oh boy, welcome to the now longest chapter of Keys so far (again). Would you believe it only took me 4 days to write this? Not even kidding, that's how incredibly motivated I was on this one because a TON happens in it. Its one that I've had in the cards for a long time now and I REALLY love how it turned out (I seriously think it might just be my favorite Disney-world centric chapter in this fic so far, I'm quite proud of the emotional roller coaster it is). And with that said, strap yourself in for that roller coaster because... oh boy... here we go ;) (UPDATED 11/10/20)
Chapter 27: What Once Was Mine
Heal what has been hurt
Change the Fate's design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine
What once was mine
The next morning is every bit as bright, warm, and sunny as the previous day, one that starts calmly and quietly enough. Everyone managed to get a full, interrupted night's sleep, bereft of any unwanted, unexpected appearances from Heartless, Nobodies, or any of Eugene's various pursuers alike. Of course, that peace is soon broken as Eugene awakens first to see one of those very pursuers standing over him. The white palace horse is infuriated to say the least, clearly exhausted from tracking down the thief throughout night. He glares down at Eugene relentlessly, ready to apprehend him and haul him off to the castle dungeon where he belongs. Yet for his part, Eugene merely meets the stallion's fury with a wry grin as he prepares to go right back to sleep.
"Well, I hope you're here to apologize," he remarks. His easygoing tune switches into a panicked scream, however, as the horse violently lashes out at him. That scream easily wakes Rapunzel and the trio up to see the newfound chaos unfolding before them as the horse begins to forcibly drag Eugene away by his boot. "N-no! Put me down!" he protests, clawing at the ground. "Stop it! No!"
In an instant, Rapunzel, Sora, Donald, and Goofy are all on their feet to give chase after the steed, with Rapunzel reaching Eugene first as she pulls against the horse's tight hold on him. "H-hey! Let go of him!" she shouts, her grip on Eugene's hands secure as the trio joins in to help her get him back. Despite Eugene's frantic pleas for both sides to stop yanking on him, Rapunzel and the trio ultimately win out against the horse, resulting in everyone getting knocked back as the steed only manages to claim the thief's boot out of the scuffle. That hardly deters the horse however, as he storms forward once again, ready to apprehend the wanted criminal himself, only for Rapunzel and the trio to rush in to his rescue once more.
"Whoa! Easy, boy!" Rapunzel calls to the horse, which is trying to break past the line of defense before it. "Settle down." She evens her tone as the horse finally begins to still, smiling up at him as he eyes her distrustfully. Even so, the steed is caught off guard by Pascal, perched atop the blonde's head as he dryly motions for the stallion to cool his rampage down. Confused, the horse likewise looks between the trio, each of whom are silently asking the same thing out of him as Rapunzel issues a calm, soothing command. "Now, sit," she says and surprisingly the stallion does just that, much to Eugene's bewilderment.
"Aw! You're such a good boy!" Rapunzel gives the horse's muzzle an affectionate hug. "Yes, you are!" The horse eases up much more at this, his tail wagging as he allows Rapunzel to continue petting him. "Are you all tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?"
"Excuse me?" Eugene protests as he picks himself up off the ground.
"Nobody appreciates you, do they? Huh?" Rapunzel continues, embracing the horse himself as he shakes his head in disappointment.
"Oh come on! He's a bad horse!" Eugene exclaims, baffled.
"I dunno, Eugene," Sora remarks with a small chuckle alongside Donald and Goofy. "He seems pretty friendly now."
"Rapunzel sure does have a way with animals," Goofy adds just as amused.
"Tch, that's only 'cause she's not the one that fleabag's been harassing for the past day or so," Eugene huffs, crossing his arms.
"Fleabag?" Rapunzel glances back, shaking her head as the horse continues soaking in her praise. "Aw, no, he's nothing but a big sweetheart! Isn't that right…" she trails off, briefly checking the nameplate on the horse's bridle. "Maximus?"
"You've got to be kidding me…" Eugene grumbles. He flinches as the horse suddenly sends him a vicious, threatening scowl.
"L-look," Rapunzel interjects, calming Maximus down once more. "Today is… kind of the biggest day of my life, and the thing is… I need you to not get him arrested." She pulls Eugene forward, eliciting a disgruntled huff out of the horse in the process. "Just for 24 hours! And then… you can chase each other to your hearts' content, ok?"
Rapunzel looked between Eugene and Maximus at this, her expression earnest and pleading all the while. And while Eugene was the first to hesitantly extend a hand in a peace offering, Maximus was having no parts of it as he fiercely glared away in refusal. "And… it's also my birthday…" Rapunzel continued, upholding her hopeful smile. "Just so you know."
Maximus can't help but relent at this, meeting Eugene's hand with a hoof so they can shake on their tentative cease-fire. Still, as on-edge as the steed already is, it isn't long before Maximus turns his suspicious attention toward the trio instead, largely since they haven't particularly garnished his trust the way Rapunzel already has.
"Hey! What are you looking at?" Donald asks, returning the steed's dubious scowl.
"C'mon, Donald, be nice," Goofy advises with a lighthearted grin.
"Um… is everything ok, big guy?" Sora asks Maximus himself, uncertain of what the horse might do next. Fortunately though, just as Maximus lets out a bitter sneer, Rapunzel steps in to calm him down once more.
"Hey now, it's ok," she pats his side gently. "This is Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They're friends of mine. You can trust them."
Maximus seems to listen to her as he looks to the trio once more, ultimately nodding in approval. At the same time, Eugene finishes packing up their makeshift camp, far from pleased that they'll have the relentless horse as an unexpected tagalong. His annoyance soon breaks however, as he looks to Rapunzel, who overhears the morning bells sounding from the kingdom that they're only a short distance away from now. Not wanting to wait another moment, she urges the rest of the group onward down the forest trail, practically running along it in the hopes of making it to the city on time. And after about an hour or so of traveling, fortunately without encountering any further obstacles along the way, they do exactly that.
Rapunzel is practically beside herself with elation as she rushes down the long, cobblestone bridge that leads toward Corona's towering capital city, a picturesque collection of homes and buildings topped off with the kingdom's glistening palace at its peak. The entire city is surrounded by a wide, crystal blue bay, and even from outside its main gate, the hustle and bustle from within can be clearly heard as the group approaches it. Rapunzel eagerly leads the way toward that gate, with Eugene and Maximus trailing not too far behind her, only barely avoiding petty conflict with each other the entire time.
The trio follows a ways behind them, with Sora in particular largely caught up in Rapunzel's rather infectious excitement about what awaits them at the festival just ahead. "Rapunzel sure looks happy," he notes with a pleased smile.
"Well, her dream's about to come true," Goofy points out. "Once they send those lanterns up after dark, that is."
"Yeah! We don't wanna miss that!" Sora nods, his enthusiastic grin widening as he begins to push on ahead.
"What about that Key we still need to find?" Donald asks, raising a knowing eyebrow. "You always seem to forget about them whenever you get too "busy" with something else."
"I didn't forget," Sora retorts, glancing back over his shoulder casually. "We're winging it, remember? I'm sure we'll find that Key sooner or later."
"That's the spirit!" Goofy chuckles as he follows Sora's lead. Donald lets out an exasperated sigh before ultimately doing the same, all three of them venturing into the town to catch up with Eugene and Rapunzel.
As they do, they're met with the sight of a busy, yet vibrantly colorful market, alive with activity from the countless happy townsfolk roaming about. The entire town is decorated for the festival with flowers and flags alike, creating an air of patriotic merriment that captivates Rapunzel the moment she steps foot into it. Never before has she ever seen so many people at once, and she can't wait to be a part of the cheery crowds before her. Yet as she rushes ahead to join them, she's held back, quite literally, by her hair of all things.
As long as her locks are and with so many people around, it doesn't take long before passerby begin trampling upon it unintentionally. Eugene and the trio rush to gather the lengthy train of gold up to protect it from any further harm, but even so they're still presented with the problem of what to do with it moving forward. It doesn't take very long for Eugene to spot a solution to that problem in the form of four young girls avidly braiding each other's hair next to a nearby fountain. And as soon as he presents Rapunzel's nearly endless locks to them, the girls are more than eager to tackle such an incredible challenge.
Between all four of the girls, it's only a matter of minutes before Rapunzel's hair is contained to a thick, sturdy braid, accented with an array of colorful flowers as it hangs down her back, its tip still nearly touching the ground all the same. Eugene can't help but smile warmly at how lovely she looks, how happy she seems to be here, with him. Not that he's willing to admit that to anyone, especially not to Sora, Donald, Goofy, or Maximus as they all send him a series of wry, knowing looks, looks that he makes sure to rebuff just as playfully as they all join back up with Rapunzel.
From there, she takes charge, brightly leading the group through the busy streets so they can partake in all the festival has to offer. From checking out the local bookstore, to joining in on creating colorful sidewalk art, to narrowly avoiding patrolling guards, the group finds there was plenty of fun to be had as the morning carries on into the afternoon. Various vendors have been set up for fruits, bread, cakes, pastries, flowers, flags, souvenirs, and just about everything in between, all delights that they make sure to explore. However, as they all stand in line for one of those vendors in particular, Rapunzel happens to take notice of a nearby mosaic mural adorning one of the walls nearby. She steps out of line to get a closer look, particularly to watch the family that's placing a flower on the ground before it in apparent homage to a "lost princess". Curious, she sets her sights on the mural, clearly depicting the kingdom's king and queen, a kindly-looking couple proudly holding their infant daughter. The infant herself, however, the lost princess most likely, is what catches Rapunzel's attention the most: a child with bright green eyes and noticeably long, golden hair, especially for a baby. A baby that Rapunzel can't help but think looks almost like-
Her train of thought is soon broken by the sound of music rising from the nearby square. Intrigued, Rapunzel hurries to investigate, only to find a band of minstrels playing an upbeat, lively tune. Eugene and the trio alike turn to find Rapunzel joyfully dancing to the melody, the only one among the spectating townsfolk to really be doing so, at least until she begins to pull a handful of them in to join her. And within a few mere minutes, the square is alive with this festive communal celebration, one that Rapunzel is delighted to bring even more dancers in to join.
"C'mon! Dance with us!" she urges, catching Sora off guard as she grabs his arm to pull him toward the square first. For his part, Sora doesn't argue, instead warmly laughing as he falls in step alongside Rapunzel and the other townsfolk, easily getting a sense of their rhythm as he gladly follows their lead.
As Sora properly joins the spirited dance, Donald and Goofy remain on the sidelines, both of them wearing a shared, contented smile as they notice just how much he seems to be enjoying himself. "Boy, Sora sure looks like he's having fun," Goofy says with a bright grin.
"Good," Donald earnestly agrees. "It's like you said before; he deserves something like this after everything he's been through."
"Hm?" Eugene speaks up, both him and Maximus sending the pair a curious glance upon overhearing this. "What do you mean by that? What exactly has Sora been through?"
Donald and Goofy exchange a hesitant glance, hard pressed to even discuss what had happened to Sora now that he seems so far removed from it all, so free from the trauma and strife he had gone through because of it. So genuinely, purely happy as he heartily dances seemingly without a single care in the world, a stark contrast to the crushing low he'd been at just a few short weeks prior. "Um, well…" Donald begins apprehensively. "Long story short, not that long ago, one of our enemies, um… well, she captured Sora-"
"A-and she poisoned him," Goofy adds just as gravely. "W-we managed to save him, but… he was down and out for weeks after that. He's really only startin' to get actually better now, and-"
"And that's why something like this might be just what he needs," Donald conclues, smiling as he spots Sora cheerfully spinning alongside Rapunzel within the crowd. "Ever since any of this happened, all we've wanted to do is help him feel better. It's… good to see him smile again."
"Really smile again," Goofy adds, sharing the magician's genuine relieved grin as they continue to watch their young companion from afar.
"...Wow…" Eugene frowns, sending a deeply sympathetic glance Sora's way. "I… I had no idea. Poor kid. He must be pretty strong to go through something like that and manage to bounce back at all."
"Oh, he's strong alright," Goofy firmly, readily agrees.
"More than he likes to give himself credit for…" Donald nods with a sense of mutual pride.
By now, the dance in the square is going full swing, the musicians ramping up their performance to accompany it. Rapunzel offers Eugene a bright grin as she spots him on the edge of the crowd, gesturing for him to join her the moment she manages to catch his attention. Though he returns her smile, he ultimately rejects her offer, not too keen on dancing in public, only for Maximus to give him a literal shove in the right direction. Despite his initial hesitance, it's not long before Eugene finds himself dragged into the dance alongside the participating townsfolk, trying to catch Rapunzel's hand as she trots by only for someone else to pull her off in a different direction instead. As they both swing through the square once again, they continue to reach for each other several times over, though their hands never get quite close enough to connect, even as the dance grows more and more elaborate.
Even amidst the fast-paced promenade, Sora can't help but notice one of the pairs' several failed attempts to dance with each other, and from there he quickly devises a makeshift plan to get them together. The music, and therefore the dance, are rapidly approaching their shared crescendo, but even so Sora manages to pair up with Rapunzel, pulling her away from the bulk of the crowd so he can lead her over to Eugene instead, both of them still actively dancing all the while. While initially confused, Rapunzel understands the point of his unspoken plan as he suddenly spins her out, specifically in Eugene's direction. And, on the final, bombastic beat of the song, Rapunzel and Eugene finally come together, their hands intertwining as they find themselves breathless after such a lengthy, rapid dance, their faces unintentionally close together as the crowd erupts into elated cheers around them. It's a bright, jubilant sort of moment, one that the pair can't help but relish as they exchange a mutual ecstatic smile, though it's soon broken by an announcement ringing out across the square.
"To the boats!"
With this signal that the lanterns will soon be taking off, the pair parts, both of them somewhat flustered as their warm, red cheeks clearly tell. Still, they waste no time in joining the majority of the townsfolk in making their way down to the docks, checking in with the trio along the way to find they intend to watch the lanterns from there. Still, Sora, Donald, and Goofy gladly see Rapunzel and Eugene off as they take to the lake on a small canoe, just as the sun begins to set and give way to twilight.
"Where are we going?" Rapunzel asks as Eugene paddles them out toward the center of the lake.
"Best day of your life? I figured you should have a decent seat," Eugene grins as he finally stops the canoe on the far edge of the large lake. By now, night has fully fallen, the skies fittingly bereft of any stars in favor of the lanterns that are about to rise in their place. The town itself has gone dark as it reflects upon the water, which means that all the pair can really do now is wait.
Yet in that waiting, Rapunzel lets out a small, anxious sigh as she leans against the side of the boat to face the kingdom. Eugene quickly takes notice of her obvious worry, finding it strange given just how much excitement she'd shown toward what she's about to see since the moment he'd met her. "You ok?" he asks softly from his spot beside her.
"I'm terrified," she admits earnestly. "I've been… looking out a window for 18 years, dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if… it's not everything I dreamed it would be…?"
"...It will be," Eugene assures her with a soft, gentle smile.
"And what if it is? What do I do then?"
"Well, that's the good part, I guess," his smile widens somewhat. "You get to go find a new dream."
She finally returns his grin at this, her heart stirring with far too many emotions to count, though she finds most of her dread fading away, especially as her gaze lingers on him. Eventually though, she finds her sights wandering back toward the water, only for her to spot the smallest speck of newfound light glistening upon its reflection. She gasps when she sees it, knowing beyond a doubt what it was; after all, she's seen the very same thing every year on this very night for as long she could remember. But now, she isn't just watching from a window; she's there, where it actually happens, about to be a part of it all for the very first time in her entire life.
She nearly tips the canoe over completely as excitement overtakes her, prompting her to clamor to stand against its bow so she can get a better view. Sure enough, more lanterns begin to rise from the kingdom in wake of that first one, tens, hundreds, thousands of lights taking to the air as they fill the night sky in a gentle, radiant, heavenly glow. It's beautiful, far more beautiful than she could have ever imagined, than she ever could have hoped, like something out of a dream, a dream that she's had many times before, but now, for the first time, it's actually real.
The lanterns soon drift out across the lake, surrounding them and reflecting off its surface to heighten the splendor of it all even more. Rapunzel takes pause, however, noticing that there's a sudden bloom of light behind her, one that she discovers the source of as she turns to see Eugene sitting behind her. He offers her a knowing, yet easy smile as he holds the pair of lanterns he'd bought and lit earlier, just for the two of them to truly take part in this momentous event. It's a simple gift, really, but one that touches Rapunzel deeply as she takes her seat across from him once more. And in that moment, she has no doubts, no questions left in her mind in the slightest about his sincerity. Which means that perhaps it's finally time for her to be sincere with him in return.
"I have something for you too," she says, pulling out his satchel. Eugene seems somewhat surprised to see that she has it, but she smiles as his attention quickly shifts back to her while she explains. "I should have given it to you before, but I was just scared. And the thing is… I'm not scared anymore. You know what I mean?"
Slowly, Eugene reaches forward to push the satchel down, hardly caring about the treasure hidden away within it in favor of the much greater treasure now sitting right out here in the open before him. A treasure worth far more to him than anything money could possibly hope to buy. "I'm starting to…" he says as he gives her one of the lanterns.
Together, they send their lanterns skyward, watching them drift up into the air together in what almost looks like a graceful dance as they float around each other into the night, rising to join the myriad of distant lights hanging high above them. Rapunzel is still completely captivated by their beauty, but all the while, Eugene finds himself amazed by another beautiful sight entirely. He can't help but smile with the utmost affection as he watches her, practically glowing in the lanterns' light, her smile wide and awestruck and her eyes sparkling as they reflect the countless lights all around them. She's a wonder, a mystery, a miracle, to say the least, perhaps the very miracle his mess of a life has always needed. For so long he's been searching and scraping by to find his place in the world. But when he's with her, for perhaps the first time in his entire life, everything finally feels right. As long as he's with her, he feels like he's exactly where he's meant to be.
Carefully, he places his hand over hers, drawing her attention away from the lights, though her smile grows exponentially as she meets his own. With their hands now both intertwined, they begin to lean in close, their hearts warm and full with emotions that feel brand new to both of them, emotions that are more than welcome for just how fulfilling and bright they really are. The lanterns around them practically feel blurred, a golden halo surrounding them both as their sights settle solely on each other and nothing else. Yet despite that blur, despite those sights, everything feels perfectly clear, almost as if both of them are finally, finally seeing the light for the very first time. A light that they know will always lead them to where their hearts truly want them to be.
And yet…
Just before Eugene can properly bridge the small gap between their lips, his gaze happens to drift upward, toward the lake shore not too far away. Standing in the darkness is a pair that makes his blood run cold: the Stabbington Brothers. Clearly they're waiting for him, a fact made apparent as they motion for him to join them on the shore. He doesn't even have to think twice about what they want either, especially as he looks down at the satchel sitting on the seat beside Rapunzel.
"I-is everything ok?" she asks him. Her smile fades somewhat as she glances back to the now-empty shore.
"Uh, y-yes," he replies with a nervous chuckle as he grabs the canoe's paddle once more. "I just… um…" He trails off, stealing another glance at the satchel as he realizes exactly what he needs to do, what he hopes will be the last act of his thieving career if all goes well.
Rapunzel has plenty of questions for him as he pulls the canoe to the shore, none that he has proper answers for, at least not yet. "I'm sorry," he begins earnestly as he takes the satchel. "Everything is fine. There's just… something I have to take care of."
Briefly, Rapunzel eyes the satchel in his arms warily, her mothers' harsh accusations dully ringing through her mind once more, though she's quick to put such thoughts away. She trusts him, he's worthy of her trust. He's proven that several times over by now. Yet even so, she can't deny the steady dread that fills her heart as she offers him a small smile and a nod. "O-ok."
"I-I'll be right back," Eugene assures her as he begins to head down the shoreline, hoping that the Stabbingtons won't drag this out for too long. Especially since he has someone so important to get back to.
All the while, Rapunzel watches him, trying her hardest not to let her nerves and fears get the better of her as Pascal takes up his usual comforting perch on her shoulder. "It's alright, Pascal," she says, trying to convince herself more than the chameleon. "He'll be right back, just like he said." She sighs, however, wanting more than anything else to believe that, and yet… her heart still finds room to doubt it all the same. "I-I know he will…"
While it isn't the same as a boat out on the lake, the docks are just about the next best spot the trio could have hoped for to watch the lanterns take flight. Their collective radiance is breathtaking, to say the least, especially as the lights drift all around them in seemingly every direction. True, they've seen plenty of other incredible, beautiful sights in their countless journeys to other worlds, but they're hard-pressed to think of any as magically luminous as this.
"Garwsh, this sure was worth all the trouble it took for us to get here, huh?" Goofy asks, thoroughly impressed.
"I'll say," Donald soundly agrees. His bright smile quickly shifts to annoyance however, as he happens to glance over at Sora, who's eagerly tapping away at the Gummi Phone instead of paying any attention to the lanterns surrounding them. "Really, Sora? You're on that phone now, of all times for you to be messing with it?"
"If you're distracted with that, you're gonna miss out on seeing the lights!" Goofy points out with a small, amused chuckle.
"I'm not gonna miss them," Sora assures, rebuffing them with a wry grin as he briefly glances up. "Don't worry; this'll only take a sec."
"It better, otherwise we won't have to worry about it distracting you because it'll be at the bottom of this lake," Donald threatens, crossing his arms.
Sora simply offers a small, playful laugh in response as he holds the phone out a bit, watching it expectantly as it rings in the hopes that who he's calling will actually answer. After all, if there's anyone he'd want to share such a special sight with, it's her.
Kairi lets out a loud, disgruntled groan as her quiet, peaceful slumber is interrupted by the sound of her Gummi Phone ringing on her nightstand. Groggily, she sits up, wiping a bit of the sleep out of her eyes so she can answer the device, initially far too tired to even wonder or care about who might be calling her at such an incredibly late hour of the night. That is, until she sees who happened to pop up on screen once she manages to answer it.
"Kairi! Hi!"
She gasps, immediately awake as a sudden burst of worry floods her heart. "Sora! What's wrong?!" she asks, gripping her phone tightly as she looks at his image on it intently. After all, he'd promised that she'd be the first one he'd call if he managed to get himself into any sort of trouble he couldn't handle on his own. "A-are you alright? Where are you? Do you need me to-"
"Whoa, hey, hold on, it's ok," Sora quickly assures with a small, light laugh. "Everything's fine. Great, actually. Right, guys?"
Donald and Goofy voice their agreement to this, something that confuses Kairi more than it sets her mind at ease. "So… you're alright?" she asks apprehensively. "Well… then what's up? In case you didn't know it's… pretty late here in Radiant Garden, so…"
"Oh! Sorry…" Sora scratches the back of his neck, flustered. "I guess I forgot that time works differently in every world. A-anyway, I wanted to show you something."
"Oh? What is it?" Kairi asks, finally taking on a small, curious smile.
"Close your eyes."
"Sora…"
"C'mon, you made me do it when you surprised me on my birthday," Sora counters with a knowing smirk.
"Alright, fine," Kairi relents with a faux exasperated grin.
From there, Sora carefully turns the phone around, making sure that Kairi will get the best view of the lanterns as she possibly can, even if the phone's camera itself can only offer a limited perspective. "Ok… you can open them."
Sora can't even try to hold back a smile upon hearing Kairi's awestruck gasp, one that reflects the delighted amazement her own expression conveys upon seeing the thousands of shimmering lights hovering over the wide lake on her screen. "Oh… they're so beautiful…" she whispers, fascinated as she pulls the phone closer to her to try to get a better look. "But I can't really see them that well like this. What are they?"
"Lanterns," Sora explains. He reaches up to retrieve a nearby lantern that's floating low overhead so he can properly show her one. "Every year, this world has this huge festival where they send hundreds of these things up into the sky! If only you could have been here earlier today, Kairi; there was food and dancing and all sorts of fun stuff. You would have loved it!"
"I'm sure I would have," Kairi chuckles. She only barely leaves out the rest of what she really wants to say: especially if I was there with you, Sora.
"See, this is why you need to finish up your training already," Sora teases with a light smirk. "So you can finally come with us and be here for things like this."
"Hey now! I'm training as fast as I possibly can," Kairi lets out an amused laugh. "Either way, I'm really glad to see you're out there enjoying yourself, Sora. I know you're very busy looking for the Keys, but you definitely deserve a chance to take it easy and just have a little fun every now and then."
"Uh… heh, yeah, I guess," Sora rebuffs with something of a halfhearted smile. He's quick to perk back up once more, however, upon taking another glance at the lantern in his hand and coming with a newfound idea. "Hey, so… I know it's not really the same as you actually being here to do it yourself, but… how about I send one of these up for both of us?"
"I'd love that," Kairi nods eagerly. Even if a large part of her wishes she could actually be there for herself, with him, to treasure such a special moment together.
Sora wastes no time in handing the phone over to Goofy, who positions it just right so Kairi can have a decent view of him and the lantern. He isn't sure if there's anything in particular he's supposed to say in letting it fly, so instead he simply offers Kairi a bright smile as he carefully lifts the lantern up, allowing it to rise into the air on its own accord. As soon as it's airborne, Sora reclaims the phone and points it in the direction the lantern drifts to, allowing both of them to watch until it eventually disappears into the seemingly endless collection of other golden lights around it.
"That was wonderful," Kairi lets out a contented sigh as Sora turns the phone back around so she can face him. "I don't know how, but… you almost made it feel like I'm actually right there with you. Thank you, Sora."
Once again, Sora finds himself completely helpless to hold back a wide, warm smile at this, one that largely reflects the very one Kairi sends his way. For what seemed like ages, neither of them really even say anything at all, instead allowing themselves to soak in the blissful moment they're sharing together, even if they're physically worlds apart. Yet neither of them can deny their hearts feel much, much closer than that, almost as if there is no great span of distance to separate them at all.
And all the while, Sora relishes the newfound sense of pure, genuine happiness that's managed to find a place in his heart, happiness that had started as a spark earlier during the day's festivities, but has only grown into a vibrant, welcome glow from there, especially now, especially thanks to her. It's a feeling he hasn't really experienced in earnest like this in quite some time, and after having lost it for so long now, it's something he doesn't want to slip away from him anytime soon.
He's just about to thank Kairi for her immense contribution for that sense of satisfaction, when suddenly the light of the lanterns around him seems to amplify tenfold. Or rather, as the world itself is overtaken by a radiant golden aura that he's grown quite used to finding himself within by now, just as much as he's used to the always questioning voice that rings out to his heart from within it.
"Is there joy in your heart?"
The question hardly surprises him, and he's certainly in no place to deny something that's so incredibly obvious at a jubilant moment like this. "Yes," he responds, letting out a small, buoyant laugh in spite of himself. "Yes, there is."
The Key that comes to him in exchange for his honest answer feels light and natural in his grip, illuminating the same sort of brilliant aura each one always carries. Donald and Goofy gasp in awe alongside him at its sudden appearance, but for his part, Sora simply smiles at his newfound prize as he holds it up for both of them to see.
"Sora?" Kairi cuts in, curious and confused. "What's going on?"
"Well… I just got the next Key, actually," Sora points the phone at the aforementioned Key so she can have a look.
"Really?!" Kairi exclaims with an excited grin. "Sora, that's great! Congratulations!"
"Yeah, uh… I-I actually think I owe finding this one to you, Kairi," he admits, suddenly flustered even as he maintains his own easygoing smile.
"Me? How?"
"Uh…" Sora falters somewhat, especially as he spots the coy, knowing glances both Donald and Goofy are sending his way. "I-I'll, um… I'll tell you later, ok?"
"Ok," Kairi chuckles, largely understanding what he means. "Still, I'm glad I could help you find it. Hopefully it won't be too long before I'm actually out there searching for you with them myself."
"I can't wait until you are," Sora says earnestly. After all, he knows that the pure, perfect light her companionship always manages to bring is just the kind of steady comfort he longs to have on any occasion.
"Neither can I," Kairi soundly agrees as she lets out a bit of a tired yawn. "But for now, I should probably get back to sleep. I've got another long day of training ahead of me tomorrow."
"Oh, right!" Sora exclaims with something of an embarrassed smirk. "Sorry to wake you up so late."
"Don't be," Kairi kindly assures. "You know you can talk to me any time about anything. I'll always be right here to listen."
"Y-yeah… I know..." Sora's steady smile falls a bit upon hearing this. Despite his prior joy, he's unable to shake the thought of all of the things he hasn't told her, things he can't tell her, at least not yet. If he can ever muster the courage to tell her at all. "Uh, t-thanks again for helping me get the Key. Good night, Kairi."
"Good night, Sora," Kairi bids him a fond, if not somewhat sleepy farewell just shy of hanging up. As she does, Sora manages to regain his former smile in full as he lets out a small, contented sigh while looking over the Key he just obtained, even if his thoughts aren't particularly focused on it. His attention is soon diverted away, however, as he happens to glance over at his companions, both of whom offer him a set of wide, smug smirks after everything they'd just heard and seen.
"What are you guys looking at?" he asks them, raising a playfully suspicious eyebrow.
"Admit it," Donald goads mischievously. "You like her…"
"Uh, y-yeah, of course I like her," Sora rebuffs defensively. "She is one of my best friends after all."
"Yep, a very special best friend," Goofy adds with a wry chuckle.
"You might even say," Donald continues this round of good-natured teasing. "She's more than just a best friend, huh, Sora?"
"Oh! C-come on, you guys!" Sora retaliates by swinging the Key out at the lake before them, catching his companions in a sudden splash that does nothing to curtail the bout of hearty laughter they're both all but lost to. Still, for as flustered as he is, Sora can't help but join in on that laughter eventually, still awash in that deep sense of quiet joy that led him to this latest Key to begin with. Joy that's largely mutual between the trio as a whole in light of their most recent successful find.
"Well, we got ourselves another Key," Goofy notes once that bout of levity has ended. "Guess that means we can be on our way to the next world."
"Aw, do we really have to go so soon?" Sora asks in slight disappointment. After all, it's a rare occasion for them to land in a world as seemingly peaceful as this.
"Yes," Donald affirms as both he and Goofy stand. "We still have plenty more Keys we need to find after all. And I bet the rest of them won't be as easy to track down as this one was."
"Well… I guess you're right about that…" Sora relents as he stands himself, letting the Key disappear out of his grip. "But, before we leave, can we at least go say goodbye to Rapunzel and Eugene? Who knows when the next time we'll be able to come back here will be?"
Donald and Goofy exchange a brief glance at this, knowing that they can't really deny their young companion a request as simple as this, especially since both of them largely want to bid the couple a proper farewell too.
"Alright, let's go find them then," Donald sighs in faux exasperation. "And let's be quick about it too! Which means no getting sidetracked, Sora."
"C'mon, Donald, when do I ever get sidetracked?" Sora counters with an easy scoff as the trio begins to make their way back into town.
"...You don't want me to answer that."
By now, Rapunzel has been kept waiting for quite some time, to the point that she'd stepped out of the canoe to try and peer past the rocks Eugene had disappeared behind some time ago. The lanterns have largely all gone out by now, leaving the shoreline steeped in misty darkness that carries a hint of an uneasy chill with it. Rapunzel exchanges another nervous glance with Pascal, but for the most part, both remain silent, hoping to hear Eugene's voice or footsteps sooner or later to signal his return. Eventually, Rapunzel catches onto the soft sound of someone approaching, a figure making their way toward her from the far end of the shore as the shadowy mist largely conceals their appearance. Yet even so, she can't help but let out a small, hopeful sigh all the same when she sees them.
"T-there you are," she smiles, releasing her tight hold on the canoe's bow. "I was… starting to think that you ran off with the crown and left me…"
"He did."
Rapunzel's relief is immediately shattered at this, especially as the silhouette stepping out of the mist soon becomes clearer to the point that she can finally make out the unsettlingly familiar black coat he was wearing. "Y-you again…" Rapunzel shudders, taking a defensive step back before Marluxia can get any closer. "You… you're wrong. Eugene wouldn't-"
"He would and he has," Marluxia interrupts, motioning out toward the lake with a cool smile. "See for yourself."
Hesitantly, Rapunzel glances toward the lake, only to see a single sailboat gliding across its surface, one that's only just departed from that very shore. As she manages to get a closer look, she notices its lone occupant, her heart practically being torn in two with disbelief and grief at the mere sight of him. "E-Eugene?" she wavers, stepping out toward the shallows of the lake. "Eugene!"
Despite her desperate cries, he doesn't seem to hear her, or if he does, he doesn't seem to care. He makes no effort to turn toward her, his hands gripping the wheel of his boat as he steadily steers it away from her. Away from the happy life she had thought they could have had together.
"Forget Flynn Rider," Marluxia says from somewhere behind her, his tone cold and condescending. "You know where you belong, and it's not with him. Now…"
Rapunzel seizes up in fear as a pair of particularly large, blade wielding creatures, Nobodies to be precise, materialize out of thin air before her. With her hair as securely tied up as it is and her frying pan nowhere to be found, she knows she'll be hard pressed to fight them as she instead turns to confront the man in charge of them as brazenly as she possibly can. "W-why are you doing this?" she asks, eying him warily. "What do you want with me?"
"It's not what I want with you," Marluxia grinned as his Nobodies drifted in a bit too close for Rapunzel's comfort. "It's who you can help me get to…"
Rapunzel jolts, instantly recalling a very pertinent, distressing conversation she'd been a part of the previous night. One that had helped her learn more about exactly what, or who this dangerous man and his equally dangerous Organization are after. "Sora…" she whispers fearfully, though she soon forces that fear to become ferocity instead. "I-I'm not going to let you hurt him!"
"He's not the one you should be worried about…" Marluxia dryly muses, nodding back to his pair of Nobodies. Rapunzel only barely manages to dodge out of the path of one of their heavy blades, prompting her to flee, not just for her own life, but in the hopes of finding Sora and warning him of Marluxia's schemes before it's too late. She doesn't make it very far down the shore, however, before her lengthy braid happens to snag upon a heavy log, pulling her back in the process. Panicking, she struggles to pull her hair free, hoping that the Nobodies won't catch up with her and knowing that they easily can. Until…
A sudden heavy clamor echoes from where she'd just run from. A din followed by an immensely concerned call she couldn't possibly mistake for anyone else. "Rapunzel!?"
"M-Mother…?" she whispers tentatively. Carefully, she pulls her hair free and skirts back around the bend, only to sure enough, find her mother, a heavy stick in hand as she stands between the pair of now-defeated Nobodies just as they begin to vanish into thin air.
"Oh! My precious girl!" Gothel cries in sheer relief upon spotting her flower.
"M-Mother!" Overwhelmed with far too many emotions to count, Rapunzel doesn't hesitate to rush toward her mother's open arms, falling into her familiar embrace in the hopes that it can somehow heal her aching heart.
"Are you all right?" Gothel fretfully checks over her. "Are you hurt?"
Rapunzel shakes her head, still rather shellshocked from the daunting danger she'd just been in. "I… H-how did you-"
"I was so worried about you, dear," Gothel explains, gripping her shoulders protectively. "So I followed you. And I saw them attack you and-" She cuts herself off, locking Rapunzel into another tight, secure embrace instead.
"B-but I don't understand," Rapunzel pulls back a bit, bewildered as she looks around. "W-where did that guy in the black coat go?"
"It's hard to say," Gothel says quickly, her tone tense as she begins to pull Rapunzel along after her. "But let's hurry, before he has a chance to return."
"B-but, wait," Rapunzel hangs back anxiously. "Mother, I think one of my friends is in trouble. I need to find him and warn him about-"
"Rapunzel, please," Gothel interjects impatiently. "It's far too dangerous for you to remain out here any longer, as if you couldn't already tell. We need to get you home where you'll be safe, now."
"B-but, my friend-"
"Can take care of himself, I'm sure," Gothel concludes staunchly. "Now, come along. And hurry, child! We haven't a moment to lose."
"But…" Rapunzel's final protest trails off, hoping that her mother is right and that Sora really does have the means to defend himself from whatever Marluxia is planning. Yet even so, she finds herself hesitating to follow Gothel's lead, especially as she looks back toward the lake. Specifically, toward the boat she knows Eugene is on, perhaps the last glimpse she'll ever get of him at all.
He'd left her, just as her mother had said he would, and yet… a part of her still wonders what might have been if he hadn't. If he had stayed, if he came back. If the two of them could begin an entirely new dream together.
But as it stands, that's a dream Rapunzel knows will never have a chance at coming true now… or ever.
Tears are in her eyes as she slowly turns back to her mother, who stands waiting, lantern in hand, at the edge of the nearby forest, ready to guide her back home. Ready to lead her back to the isolated, lonely, ultimately empty tower she'd always known, tucked far away from the big, beautiful world she's only now had the chance to fall in love with. Safe… yet hardly satisfied after everything she's learned and seen.
Yet there's something else her mother is offering her too as opens her arms out wide to receive her once more. She's offering an escape, a chance to live a simple, easy life, bereft of anything even remotely similar to the anguish she's feeling now. It'll take some time, she knows, but perhaps she can learn to forget about this grief, forget about this loss, maybe… even forget about him. And maybe someday, she can manage to convince herself to be happy again.
Even if she knows that happiness can only ever be a facade from here on out.
All the same, she weeps openly as she runs to her mother, letting the familiarity of her comforting embrace wash over her as she sobs into her arms. "Y-you were right, Mother…" she whispers mournfully as Gothel begins to lead her down the long trek back toward the tower. "You were right about everything…"
Of course, what Rapunzel couldn't possibly know as she solemnly follows her mother, is that Eugene's supposed departure was really just a set-up, a trick designed specifically to trap them both. To keep them both apart and imprisoned in different, yet equally awful kinds of ways. And yet, they aren't the only two set to fall into such a twisted sort of trap, as Marluxia continues to stand by, waiting in the shadows for the right time to launch another sinister snare all his own.
"Look, all we're sayin' is, you said these Keys show up whenever you feel a certain strong emotion in whatever world we're in," Goofy rationalizes with a bit of a playful smile as he and Donald follow Sora's lead down the lake shore.
"And we both know Kairi can bring out some pretty strong emotions in you," Donald adds just as teasingly.
"Uh huh," Sora rolls his eyes, though he grins all the while. "Do you guys actually have a point with all this?"
"We sure do," Goofy nods. "It's a pretty easy point to come to too; if talkin' to Kairi helped you get this world's Key-"
"Then maybe the emotion that brought it out was..." Donald continues every bit as leadingly before Goofy joins him in their final eager verdict.
"Love!"
"Mm… good guess," Sora smirks, glancing over his shoulder at the pair. "But you're a little off the mark; this world's Key was all about joy, not love. Sorry."
"So?" Donald rebuffs stubbornly. "That doesn't prove that you're not in love with her!"
"Doesn't prove that I am either," Sora counters as smoothly as he can, even though he tries his best to suppress a flustered blush. He can tell Donald and Goofy are more than ready to keep this insincere debate going, yet he stops short before they can as he notices two figures walking toward the woods afar in the distance. One of whom just so happens to have several unmistakable feet of long, golden hair running down her back. "Hey, isn't that Rapunzel?" he asks, diverting his companions' attention that way.
"Sure looks like it," Goofy agrees. "But Eugene doesn't seem to be with her…"
"It looks like her mother is instead," Donald notes, barely making out the cloaked figure walking alongside her.
"Hm…" Sora frowns, immediately troubled by the recollection of the distrustful, almost downright dark aura he'd sensed from Rapunzel's mother during their brief encounter the previous night. "I don't like the looks of this…" he steps forward a bit, plenty of questions on his mind that he hopes Rapunzel can make some sense of for him. "Hey! Rapun-"
He's abruptly interrupted, however, by the sudden appearance of a dark portal just a few feet away. "Show some decorum," Marluxia advises with his usual calm smile as he emerges from this darkness. "The girl has found her dear mother. You should let them be."
"I have a better idea," Sora counters crossly as he, Donald, and Goofy take up offensive stances against their foe. "Why don't you leave us be instead?"
"Oh, I intend to do exactly that," Marluxia nods. "Just as soon as I get what I was sent to this world to retrieve." His icy, yet malicious smile deepens as he extends an open hand out toward the trio, or more specifically, toward Sora. "I'll take that Key you found. Along with the long-awaited acceptance of your inevitable role as the Organization's thirteenth vessel."
Sora falters, but only briefly at this appeal, knowing that he can't afford to lose his nerve against such threats, not now and not ever again. No matter how true they might actually be. "A-and what makes you think I'd just give up that easily, huh?" he asks, the Kingdom Key taking up its usual spot in his hand as he offers his foe a resilient glare.
"Because," Marluxia says, still hardly phased by Sora's show of brazenness. "This… negotiation can go one of two ways; the easy way where you surrender yourself and that Key and we'll be on our way. Or… the hard way."
"...What's the hard way?" Sora asks, an intentional air of challenge in his tone.
"I don't think you'd like to find out."
"I think we would," Sora persisted sternly, and by now Donald and Goofy have called upon their own weapons alongside him. Certainly, between the three of them, they'll be able to handle whatever attack or swarm of Heartless or Nobodies Marluxia might send their way just fine. The only problem is, that isn't exactly what the Organization member has in mind.
"Hmph, I just knew you would go and make a scene," Marluxia sneers haughty. "Very well. I suppose we'll be doing this the hard way. Which means… it's lights out for you."
With this, Marluxia suddenly lashes out, a strange wave of unknown magic launching from his outstretched hand. That magic targets Sora alone, striking him soft yet brutally all at once, as it immediately takes its effect on him. Exhaustion, so immense and heavy, like a sudden weight around his neck, instantly begins dragging him down, his eyes heavy and the rest of his body feeling even heavier as his thoughts seem to grow completely numb and distant. He only barely hears Donald and Goofy's shared cry of alarm for him as his Keyblade slips out of his hand, his vision blurring as he struggles, practically fights just to remain conscious. But it's ultimately a battle he has no hope of winning as he slowly collapses to the ground. The last thing he hears is a final triumphant statement from Marluxia just as he's ultimately lost to the dark void of this forceful, uncertain slumber.
"You always were such a sound sleeper…"
For their part, Donald and Goofy are panicking before Sora even fully falls to the ground. Their reactions are stark, yet completely contrasting from the very start; Goofy remains by Sora's side, already trying his best to rouse him and wake him up, yet his attempts are to no avail. Donald on the other hand, is furious, doesn't didn't hesitate to show it as he rushes forward, his wand raised and ready to attack Marluxia out of sheer, infuriated retaliation. He's more than ready for such retaliation, however, as he calls upon a plentiful horde of powerful Nobodies to confront them in his stead.
"The two of you have kept Sora from achieving his true potential far too many times now," Marluxia remarks darkly as his pack of Nobodies launch their first wave of attacks. "You're both only obstacles along the path that will lead him to where he truly belongs."
"You mean the path you want to put him on!" Donald accuses, fiercely casting a powerful fire spell to take out several of the smaller Nobodies.
"And that's a path that Sora's not gonna take, no matter how much you try to force him to!" Goofy adds just as brazenly, upholding his shield in a defensive stance before Sora's still listless form.
Despite their shared determination and verve, Marluxia simply responds to their resolve with a quiet, yet mocking laugh. "He really has convinced you to believe his endless string of lies, hasn't he?" he asks, sparing a brief glance down at Sora. "How sad. Perhaps if he actually trusted either of you, he might have told you."
"...Told us what?" Donald asks, aptly wary.
"That he knows without a shadow of a doubt that he's already well on his way to becoming the missing piece the Organization needs," Marluxia says, his sinister satisfaction over this claim quite clear. "In fact, he's known the truth of what's been happening to his heart for quite some time. And all the while he's been purposefully, intentionally hiding that truth from both of you, his closest companions. Then again, if either of you actually cared for his wellbeing, you might have seen through his lies from the very start."
"We do care about him!" Donald protests, absolutely livid as he takes on another round of Nobodies with as much firepower as possible.
"A-and Sora wouldn't lie to us, not about something like this!" Goofy asserts as he blocks off a sudden attack by a Nobody that slipped past Donald in the fray. "He promised us he wouldn't!"
"That 'promise' was just another one of his countless lies," Marluxia says dismissively. "Anything to make sure his abundant secrets remain exactly that." At this, he summons a dark corridor, apparently in the guise of leaving altogether, even as more Nobodies continue to show up in his wake. Donald and Goofy persist in fending the creatures off, largely for the sake of protecting Sora when he largely can't do so for himself. Yet as distracted with the barrage of Nobodies as they are, both of them fail to see another shadowy portal appear on the other side of the shore behind them. And they don't even notice Marluxia reemerging from that portal to approach Sora-who's still completely out of it thanks to his mysterious magic-until it's far too late for either of them to stop what's about to happen.
"But worry not," he speaks up to catch the pair's attention. They both turn to find a sight that practically scares both of them stiff; Marluxia has easily hoisted Sora over his shoulder, his dark corridor lingering right behind them to give him an easy getaway with his easily-claimed newfound captive on hand. "The burden of his safe-keeping is no longer yours to bear." Marluxia's consistently calculated smirk deepens as he turns toward the dark portal and begins to carry Sora away into it. "It's ours, and I can assure you we'll take exceptional care of him…"
"No!" Donald and Goofy cry in frantic unison, leaving the Nobodies behind as they race forward in a desperate attempt to stop him. Yet despite their best efforts, from shield tossing to spell casting, they're ultimately unable to keep Marluxia from stepping into the dark corridor with Sora in tow. Unable to do anything but helplessly, painfully watch as their newfound worst nightmare comes true once more, as Sora is stolen away from them by someone who only wants to bring him untold harm all over again.
"There," Gothel grins as she finishes plucking the last of the flowers out of Rapunzels' hair. "Like it never happened."
Rapunzel says nothing, her expression downcast and despondent as she sits on the edge of her bed, even despite her mother's chipper tune. The entire trip back to the tower had been an agonizing one for her, filled with plenty of grief and tears that she can't quite shake, no matter how much Gothel convinces her to try. Because every time she so much as thinks about Eugene, about how practically perfect things had felt between them only a few short hours ago, a newfound burst of pain always rings through her already anguished heart. Pain over what she thought she once could have had, but will never get to experience again.
"I really did try, Rapunzel," Gothel says with a sympathetic sigh as she lingers for a beat in the doorway. "I tried to warn you what was out there. The world is dark, selfish, and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it."
With that, Gothel leaves her alone to mourn in silent solitude. Slowly, Rapunzel opens her enclosed hands up to look at the sole souvenir she'd managed to save from the festival, a miniature Corona flag Eugene had bought for her, emblazoned with the kingdom's signature sun emblem. With a small, sad sigh, she lay back onto her bed, clutching the flag close to her chest, the last remaining remnant, a bittersweet momento of her first, and likely only time out of the tower.
And yet, as she opens her eyes to stare up at the countless paintings adorning her ceiling, she can't help but notice something among them. She knows each of those paintings well, after all, they've all been carefully crafted by her very own hands over the years. But now, as she looks between them and the flag in her hands, she can't help but spot a puzzling similarity between them. Because scattered there, hidden well among the art she's been creating since she could pick up a paintbrush, is the sun, the very same sun on Corona's very own flag. It exists in several subliminal spots, in flowers and leaves and in spaces between birds and animals, and even on a few of her own playful self portraits, but they're all the same. Hundreds upon hundreds of suns, identical to the symbol that represents Corona, a symbol she knows, one she's seen even before her trip outside the tower, somewhere in the back of her mind, like a long-forgotten, faded memory.
Her eyes are wide as she practically leaps off the bed, her jaw dropping in shock as that memory finally makes itself apparent. The mural she'd seen at the festival, the king and queen depicted upon it, the baby girl, the princess they held in their arms. But most of all, the crown, the one that had been in Eugene's satchel that she had curiously tried on when he'd first barged into her tower. A crown that looked so right, so natural, so familiar on her, that there's no doubt, it has to be hers', which means...
She gasps, stunned by this revelation as she stumbles back into her nearby vanity. The sudden clamor alerts Gothel almost instantly from downstairs as she calls up to her, though that call is only barely heard amidst the sound of her own heartbeat practically pounding in her ears. "Rapunzel? What's going on up there?"
Her breathing is tense and shallow, the shock of it all rolling over her in heavy, daunting waves. It's only as she managed to emerge from her bedroom to meet Gothel's confused, concerned approach that she somehow finds the words to voice what she now knows is the truth. "I… I'm the lost princess…" she mutters, still scarcely believing it herself.
"Ugh, please speak up, Rapunzel," Gothel scowls, annoyed. "You know how I hate the mumbling."
"I am the lost princess, aren't I?" Rapunzel repeats louder, hardening her expression as she offers her "mother" a distrustful glare. Gothel's alarmed expression alone is enough to tell her that she's absolutely right on the mark, that everything she'd ever thought she knew had been nothing more than a series of endless lies. "Did I mumble, Mother? Or should I even call you that?"
Despite her initial shock, Gothel is quick to recover from it with a harsh, forced chuckle. "Oh, Rapunzel, do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?"
"It was you!" Rapunzel roughly shoves her away before she can lock her in another placating embrace. "It was all you!"
Gothel's fake smile turns into a stern, icy glower at this, her tone every bit as chilling to match. "Everything I did was to protect you."
Disgusted by such a dishonest claim, Rapunzel pushes Gothel aside once more, storming down the stairs as the full weight of what this woman has done to her her entire life completely sinks in. "I've spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power-"
"Rapunzel!" Gothel shouts fiercely as she hurried after her.
"When I should have been hiding from you!"
"Where will you go?" Gothel counters bitterly. "He won't be there for you."
"W-what did you do to him?" Rapunzel dares to ask, knowing that Eugene "leaving" her certainly hadn't been what it seemed. At least not in light of what she knows now.
Gothel smirks, a twisted, sadistic expression that sends chills down Rapunzel's spine. "That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes," she says simply, smugly, even.
"N-no…" Rapunzel gasps, fear gripping her heart like a vice, especially as Gothel continues to approach her.
"Now, now, it's all right," she assures in a sickly sweet soothing voice. "Listen to me. All of this is as it should be…"
"No!" Rapunzel adamantly protests, catching Gothel's hand just before it can reach in to touch her coveted hair once again. "You were wrong about the world. And you were wrong about me! And I will never let you use my hair again!"
Gothel shouts furiously as she rips her arm out of Rapunzel's steady hold, stumbling back into the nearby mirror, which trips over and completely shatters on the ground behind her. Even so, Rapunzel stands her ground, refusing to let this wicked woman manipulate her any more than she already has for the past 18 years of her life. Because as far as she's concerned, she's going to leave this tower and never come back. She's going to find Sora, Donald, and Goofy and recruit their help in rescuing Eugene from his grisly fate. And she's going to finally meet her real family, a family that's bound to love her and care for her far more than Gothel has ever falsely claimed to.
And yet, Gothel has much different plans in mind. "You want me to be the bad guy…?" she hisses, ready to do whatever she has to to keep both her flower and her youth exactly where she wants them. "Fine. Now I'm the bad guy…"
The fact that Donald and Goofy had found themselves in a daunting situation identical to this once before was bad enough, but twice is almost more than either of them can bear. And while they'd been immensely distraught the first time around, now they're completely beside themselves with fear and disarray, especially in light of what had ended up happening to Sora the last time he was apprehended by one of their foes. They've only just ousted the last of the Nobodies Marluxia had left behind to keep them busy while he made his escape, and even as the immediate threat disappears from the lake shore, there's hardly any sense of calm between the duo in the aftermath of what they'd just lost.
"AUGH!" Donald's loud, outraged shout echoes across the lake along with the heavy lightning spell he haphazardly casts to accompany his unbridled fury. "I can't believe this! Sora got captured again and we just let it happen! AGAIN! Why didn't we see this coming?! It was such an obvious trap, we should have known what he was planning from the very start and-"
"M-maybe…" Goofy suddenly speaks up, his tone and expression both dejected and forlorn. As opposed to Donald's heated anger, the captain is awash in grief and guilt, his hat in his hands as he tries his best to hold back his pressing tears. "Maybe Marluxia was right… maybe we're not cut out to take care of Sora after all…"
"What, so you're saying the Organization is?!" Donald shoots back harshly.
"N-no, of course not! But…" Goofy sighs remorsefully. "This is twice now we weren't able to protect him… We're supposed to keep him safe, Donald, that's our job. And… w-we keep failing at that job. We keep failing Sora. No wonder he doesn't trust us anymore… With how things have been going, he has every reason not to…"
Donald stills somewhat at this, realizing just how right Goofy actually is. Because how could either of them claim to be remotely adequate companions, caretakers, friends to Sora after proving to be powerless to keep him from being taken away from them not once, but twice now? Yet even despite both of those horrific occasions, that doesn't mean now was the time to give up and let it happen, especially since they hadn't before. "We haven't failed him yet," Donald concludes sternly as he begins to lead the way onward. "Come on, Goofy. It's time to go."
"G-go where?" Goofy asks fretfully. "We don't even know where Marluxia might have taken him. They could be worlds away by now!"
"W-we'll figure something out!" Donald huffs indignantly. "If worse comes to worse, we can always go get Kairi and see if she can find him like she did last time. But we can't just let the Organization have him, not when we know what they want to do with him."
"...Do ya think it could actually be true, Donald?" Goofy asks after a beat of hesitant silence. "Do you think Sora really has been lying to us all this time about… y-you know…?"
For what seems like ages, Donald has no real response to such a question, largely since the mere thought alone adds an entirely new distressing layer on top of everything else they're already facing. When he does answer, however, his tone is stiff and rigid for the sake of not conveying his fear that it actually might be true after all. "It doesn't matter if it is or not," he says simply as he continues on toward the forest. "He still needs our help."
Goofy solemnly agrees with this as he readily follows Donald's lead, though before the pair can make it too far in their endeavor to leave this world behind, they're caught off guard by the sudden noisy clamor coming from the kingdom's bridge behind them. Startled, they both turn to find a familiar white steed galloping across it, bearing a rider who only barely manages to fend off the horde of Nobodies tailing him.
"Eugene!" they both call from their spot on the shore. As soon as he notices the pair, he doesn't hesitate to prompt Maximus to race toward them, hoping that they can take care of the flock of Nobodies besetting him, which they quickly do.
By the time Donald and Goofy finish up the last of the creatures, Eugene pulls Maximus to a stop behind them, giving the horse a much-needed breather after the hectic escape they'd just pulled off. Briefly, he checks back toward the kingdom to make sure no guards are pursuing them, but he assumes they'll be kept quite busy with the remaining monsters that had been causing chaos in the dungeons he'd only narrowly managed to break out of.
"Donald! Goofy!" he calls to the pair as soon as the last few Nobodies are gone. "Boy, am I glad to see you two. Wait," he stops short, glancing around the surrounding area. "Where's Sora?"
The pair exchange a nervous glance at this before they both blurt out the terrible truth at the exact same time. "He was captured!"
"What?!" Eugene exclaims incredulously.
"That Marluxia fella made off with him just a little while ago," Goofy explains as quickly as he can.
"Which means Goofy and I need to leave now so we can find-"
"Donald, wait," Goofy stops the magician short on a newfound bout of realization. "If Nobodies are still roaming around this world," he whispers so only Donald can properly hear him. "Then maybe that means Marluxia is too."
Donald balks at this, grasping onto this ray of hope, however small, for everything it's worth. "You think…?"
"Uh, hey, fellas?" Eugene interrupts, his tone and expression both rather urgent. "I'm willing to do whatever I can to help you guys look for Sora, but I don't think he's the only one in trouble here. Rapunzel-"
"Oh yeah!" Goofy cuts in. "We saw Rapunzel earlier; it looked like her mother was takin' her back to the tower."
"That's right," Eugene nods gravely, remembering what he'd heard from his former partners in crime during his brief stint in prison. "And two little birdies told me that her 'mother' just so happens to be in league with a certain pink-haired, black-coated friend of ours."
"Rapunzel's mother is working with Marluxia?" Donald asks, baffled. "But why?"
"Hard to say," Eugene shrugs. "But if they have teamed up, then I have a hunch that there's a good chance that we might just find both Rapunzel and Sora in the exact same place."
"The tower!"
"Exactly," Eugene nods, determined to get there as quickly as possible. "This calls for a rescue mission. Are you guys with me?"
"Of course!" Donald and Goofy immediately agree, wasting no time in joining Eugene atop Maximus' back. The horse nearly wavers under the combined weight of all three of them, but even so he stands fast, understanding just how important their mutual mission is as he quickly carries them down the path to the tower as fast as his hooves can carry him. And all the while, Eugene, and Donald and Goofy alike all share largely the same exact noble resolve: to rescue both Sora and Rapunzel from those who seek to use them for their own twisted ends, before it's too late.
When Sora opens his eyes, he finds himself within a space that's made an appearance in his dreams, or rather nightmares once before: a round wide room adorned with thirteen opulent, towering thrones on all sides. However, this time Sora realizes he's actually sitting in one of those thrones, the lowest one among them, and that no matter how much he tries to rise from it, his body strangely refuses to move in the slightest. And while his sudden loss of autonomy is more than enough to spike an all-too familiar kind of panic in his mind and heart alike, that panic practically skyrockets as he notices what he's wearing: one of the telltale black coats of Organization XIII.
His breathing hitches, his body still mostly forcefully unmoving as he manages to steal an anxious glance up at the other thrones around him. Each of them are occupied by the similarly clad members of the Organization, their identities all concealed by the shadowy hoods covering their heads. They all have their hidden gazes focused down at Sora, yet none of them say a single word, instead only watching ominously and intently as his throne abruptly begins to rise into the air from its spot close to the ground.
By now, Sora's thoughts are running rampant with terror and distress that he isn't even able to voice, even as he frantically tries to remember what had happened, how he got here, what's happening and why. Yet those distressed thoughts all come to a grinding halt along with the throne he's on as it stops high above the others, to the point that it's directly across another one of the seats in particular. Upon which happens to sit the very leader of the Organization himself.
"M-Master…" Sora says before he can even try to stop himself, the very word starkly startling him as it unintentionally leaves his mouth.
"Hello again, Sora," Xehanort offers his newest vessel a cordial grin. "It's good to see that you're progressing quite nicely. After you manage to remove the three excess hearts from your own-which I know you will soon enough-I can't imagine that it will be too much longer before your transformation into our thirteenth vessel will finally be complete. And once it is, then the long awaited clash between darkness and light can at last come to be!"
At this, Sora finds himself overwhelmed by a particularly heavy wave of anguish that targets his heart above all else. It's a tactic he's far too familiar with by this point, yet one that always seems to wear him down with just how raw and unbearable it always proves to be. But in light of just how much of that pain and fear the elderly master has already put him through, it isn't something Sora is about to bend to now or, at least as far as he's concerned, ever. "N-no…" he says, struggling against the oppressive silence Xehanort is forcing upon him.
"No?" the master raises a curious eyebrow, still smiling confidently all the while.
"No," Sora repeats, his tone much firmer and resolved as he offers Xehanort a bold, defiant glare. "M-my heart's stronger than you think it is. Y-you can go ahead and do whatever you want to it; you can even do your absolute worst. But I'm not going to let you use me to hurt my friends!" By now, he's finally managed to regain his lost ability to move and he takes advantage of the opportunity to rise up and stand atop the throne he'd been forced into. His Keyblade flashes into his hand as he points it directly at the elderly master without a single shred of fear or hesitation. "I don't care how hard it might be, I'm going to keep on fighting this, fighting you until I find a way to stop it once and for all!"
As his courageous proclamation echoes through the hall, Xehanort says nothing to it for quite some time. When he does respond however, his former smile is gone, replaced with a displeased scowl as he also stands upon his throne. "I see," he says, his tone surprisingly calm and calculated. "There's still much you don't understand, it seems. Very well." At this, Xehanort calls upon his own Keyblade, devastating dark energy radiating across its entire surface. "You shall learn respect for your master and your Organization… and suffering will be your teacher!"
Before Sora even has a chance to react, Xehanort swings his Keyblade out wide, the darkness surrounding it unleashed as it flies toward him in a heavy, powerful wave. It strikes him squarely in the chest, knocking him backward off of the throne in the process, and as he falls, the white room soon gives way to a void of thick, inky darkness instead. Sora lands hard at the unintelligible bottom of that seemingly endless void, and while pain still ripples sharply throughout his heart, he forces himself to stand amidst it, knowing well that Xehanort likely isn't finished with him yet.
"Tell me, my thirteenth," the elderly master asks from somewhere behind him. Sora doesn't hesitate to spin around to face him, still gripping his Keyblade tightly as he takes up a defensive stance, even if the steadiness of that stance wavers as Xehanort continues to approach him. "Why are you so intent on hiding the truth of your… condition from your so-called 'friends'?" Sora doesn't answer, completely on his own volition and refusal to reveal such vulnerability to his enemy. Unfortunately, Xehanort is well equipped with a way to force him to make that vulnerability known regardless. "Well?" he asks expectantly, pushing his oppressive power upon Sora's heart until he can literally remain silent no longer.
"B-because…" he chokes, his voice tight and weak amidst the agony that's forcing the truth out of him. Tears are just starting to well up in his eyes in light of that agony, as well as the real reason why he's kept what he's been going through hidden from the others for such a long time now. "I… I'm scared…"
"Scared?" Xehanort repeats with a broad, knowing grin as he begins to circle his shaken vessel as if he were his prey. Which is certainly comparable to how Sora feels at the moment, at least. "And what would the brave young hero of the Keyblade have to be scared of? Perhaps… you're scared of what they might think of you if they knew what you were becoming?"
Sora gasps as he glances up, only to see a familiar crowd standing within the darkness before him. While some of the figures among that crowd are obscured by shadow, a handful of them are perfectly clear. In particular, he spots Donald and Goofy, both of whom look to him with wide-eyed, genuine fear. Fear that's only rivaled by the absolute unbridled anger, hatred even, that Riku and Kairi send his way just through their intense, bitter expressions alone.
Sora stumbles back, narrowly suppressing a sharp, heartbroken sob as he forces himself to look away from the disdainful stares his friends hold him under. Even so, Xehanort manages to find yet another cruel way to twist the knife of his sadistic scheme even deeper within his hapless vessel's heart. "Or… maybe what you're truly afraid of is facing the truth for yourself…"
When Sora dares to look up once more, the group that stood before him is gone, instead replaced by his own mirror reflection standing before him. He's still clad in that horrendous black coat, but other than that, he still looks like himself. At least until Xehanort casts his twisted pall of darkened malice over his heart once more. "The harsh purity of the light often outshines what should be plain to see," the elderly master continues as evenly as ever. "But under the cover of darkness, nothing can ever really hide. Search long enough, my thirteenth, and soon you'll find that in that darkness… all is revealed."
Sora freezes, horrified as he watches more and more wisps of white overtake the chestnut brown of his hair to the point that there's so much of it he can't hope to hide it anymore. To make matters worse, the gold that's only recently started sparking in his eyes is practically glowing now, nearly eclipsing any hints of natural blue that still remain in them completely. The sight of his mere reflection looking so mismatched, so wrong, so very much unlike him is more than he could take, just as it had been that awful night weeks ago back in Radiant Garden. Only this time, he has his Keyblade on hand to shatter the illusion standing before him completely.
And yet, the moment the tip of his Keyblade crashes into his supposed "reflection", he is the one to feel the incredible sting of the blow instead. His vision violently flashes and when it clears, his reflection is gone… and the Kingdom Key is somehow stabbed clean through his own chest in place of his mirror image's.
He seizes up in pain that's far more unspeakable than any he's ever experienced in his entire life, his body frozen and his mouth hanging open in an anguished scream that refuses to come out. All the while, his own Keyblade continues to pierce his heart, a grave and fatal wound that he has no power to free himself from. Just as he has no power to free himself from the frightening fate he knows will eventually consume every part of him: body, mind, and heart alike.
"Beware, my young vessel," Xehanort warns softly, patronizingly as that wound begins to take its agonizing toll on him, flooding his vision with even more inescapable darkness as pain continues to pull him under. "For if you're not careful, you may end up destroying yourself far before we get the chance to…"
The next time Sora manages to ease his way back into consciousness, he does so slowly, immediately realizing that his Keyblade is no longer running him through as it had been before. In fact, his heart is strangely free from the agony that had been searing through it mere moments ago, further evidence that whatever he'd just been put through at Xehanort's hands had fortunately been nothing more than a horrific nightmare. And yet, as he quickly finds out, he's been thrust out of one nightmare, only to be thrown into a completely new one instead.
Because as Sora gradually opens his eyes, there are several things he becomes acutely aware of all at once. The first is the room he's now lying in, a well-lived in place only dimly lit by the overcast skies outside its only window on the far side of it. More alarming than that is that something seems to be tightly covering his mouth, a gag of some sorts, though how it got there, he has no idea. But by far the most frightening part of all are the cold metal bands secured around both of his wrists, tightly locking them into place behind him and keeping him tethered to a nearby wall by chains of all things. And as he hears those chains rattle dully behind him, his mind is thrown into an instant, immediate, incredible panic.
It's happening again; it can't be happening again, but it is. He's chained, locked up, restrained, trapped all over again, just like he had been before, just like he'd hoped to never be again. His breathing picks up underneath his heavy gag as he frantically sits up, wasting no time in feverishly pulling against the chains holding him back in a desperate attempt to escape them. His heart races just as fast as his mind does, his chest tense and tight as he struggles against the binds keeping him held tight. Amidst his panic, he doesn't even think about summoning his Keyblade to try to unlock his shackles; instead, his most basic, anxious instincts take over, a muffled scream escaping him as hot tears begin to well up in his eyes. In fact, the only thing that manages to break through his distraught round of hysterical sobs is a soft, obscured sound of confused concern coming from not too far away from him.
Tears are still brimming in Sora's eyes as he glances up to see none other than Rapunzel, bound and gagged almost exactly as he is, sitting on the floor a few feet away. Her eyes are awash in immense worry for him and the clearly terror-stricken state he's in, her expression conveying countless questions she can't ask and he can't answer in their current mutual state of misfortune. Yet for as bewildering and disconcerting as their shared captivity is, the ones who were behind it soon become clear as they both happen to catch onto a hushed conversation, or rather an argument, going on within the shadows on the far side of the tower.
"Well, clearly you've gotten what you wanted," Gothel remarks with a flippant, impatient scowl. "And so have I. Which means our little… 'collaboration' has reached its end. So that begs the question, why are you still here?"
"Because our 'partnership' isn't quite over yet," Marluxia says, glancing over his shoulder to set his gaze on Sora in particular. "Not when there's still something to be gained from it."
Gothel watches in disgruntled confusion as Marluxia begins to make his way over to his own captive, eventually coming to stand between him and Rapunzel. "I'm pleased to see you've awakened," he says to Sora, who tried glaring up at him with as much brazen defiance as he can possibly manage. Which, given his current terrible position, isn't really much at all. "I've received word from our master that you require a lesson in… obedience before you can properly take your place within our ranks. So allow me to make this quick and simple." A large, sharp scythe appears in Marluxia's outstretched hand, one that he wastes no time in pointing directly at Rapunzel, much to her and Sora's mutual alarm. Likewise, Gothel lets out a shocked gasp, appalled by the sudden threat on her flower's life as she rushes forward to try and stop it.
"What is the meaning of this?!" she asks hotly, only to be forced to come to a stop by the threatening crowd of Nobodies that have materialized between her and Rapunzel. "Get that weapon away from her immediately! This is not what we agreed to!"
"Agreements are often prone to change," Marluxia retorts dryly, unconcerned as he keeps his scythe trained on Rapunzel, who does her best to shy away from it with what little range of motion she currently has. "Besides, no harm will come to Rapunzel. At least…" He grins down at his own nervous captive at this. "As long as you're willing to offer your compliance in exchange for her safety, Sora."
Sora shudders at this, his focus settled on Rapunzel alone as she anxiously eyes the weapon threatening her very life. Marluxia has its deadly tip aimed directly at her neck, and all it would take was a simple flick of the wrist to end her life in an instant. A horrifying thought that makes this already awful situation all the more unbearable.
Yet for his part, Marluxia simply smirks, clearly able to tell that he has Sora right where he wants him before he even spells out his specific terms. "Hand over the Key," he says succinctly, inching his scythe just a bit closer to Rapunzel as she presses up against the wall to avoid it. "Or else she pays the price."
Despite the gag wrapped around his mouth, Sora still attempts to protest this sadistic "deal", even if his arguments are all completely muffled. Surprisingly, Marluxia magically removes the gag with a mere wave of his hand, finally allowing him to speak his piece on the twisted ultimatum he's been presented with. "Y-you…. You can't," he barely manages to say, his voice small and weak amidst the still-persistent panic pounding through him. "You wouldn't…"
"Believe me, I would," Marluxia coldly counters, finally pressing the edge of his scythe up against Rapunzel's neck until it lightly begins to draw blood. She lets out a small, pained cry under her own gag and when Gothel hears it, she tries lashing out at the Nobodies holding her back, desperate not to lose her precious flower now, after all the trouble it took to finally get her back. Still, it's to no avail as the steadfast Nobodies continue to keep her out of this negotiation, leaving Rapunzel's fate solely up to Sora alone.
"W-why?" Sora asks, unable to wipe away the tears still streaming down his cheeks as he tries to make sense of this bewildering bargain. "W-why are you doing this? You already have me, a-and I have the Key! You don't need to hurt her!"
"No, I don't," Marluxia astutely agrees, still not moving his scythe. "But as I said before, you clearly need to learn how to properly comply with our master's commands. If you are to become his final vessel, then he expects nothing less than your complete and utter respect."
"You shall learn respect for your master and your Organization… and suffering will be your teacher!" Xehanort's cruel words ring loud and clear through Sora's thoughts at this and now, he knows exactly what the elderly master had meant. There's no doubt that Xehanort and those following his lead are willing to do whatever it takes to get him to submit himself to their side. And unfortunately, they seem to know exactly how to get to him, what his biggest weakness is: that he'd always, always yield for the sake of innocent people, for his friends in particular, if it means keeping them safe. Right alongside that disheartening fact, Sora also knows that the Organization doesn't care for the lives of any of the residents in any of the worlds they go to; the only thing they do seem to care about is furthering their own malicious ends. Marluxia isn't bluffing; there isn't a chance that he is, not with a Key on the line. Which means, as hopelessly trapped as he currently is, with no one by his side to bail him or Rapunzel out of this deadly disaster, Sora finds he has no choice but to give the Organization exactly what they want.
"O-ok," he quietly relents, keeping his sights set on the desperate, fearful look Rapunzel is sending his way. Rapunzel, who had done her best to try and heal him, even if it had been in vain, and had earnestly listened to his troubles and loyally kept her promise to keep them a secret. Really, making this sacrifice to save her life is the least he could do to pay her back for the kindness she's shown him. "Y-you can have it, just… don't hurt her, please."
Marluxia says nothing, his scythe still trained on Rapunzel, just in case. Sora gasps as one of his hands are suddenly freed, the shackle around it disappearing so he can summon the Key and deliver it into the expectant hand Marluxia extends out to him. The pure, warm light of that Key almost seems mocking now as he hesitantly calls upon it, his heart aching with grief and longing as he remembers the joyful, blissful moment he'd received it through, a moment that seems like distant years ago now. Losing one on accident had been bad enough, but purposefully, intentionally giving one away like this is more than he can stand. He lets out a small, mournful sob as he closes his eyes, ensuring that he won't have to watch as he holds the Key out, as the prize he claimed in a moment of such immense happiness is stolen from him in a moment of such sheer despair.
Just like that, Marluxia unceremoniously takes it and the entire exchange is over. In an instant, Sora finds both of his hands securely restrained once more, his mouth covered and silenced, and, at the very least, Marluxia's scythe finally moves away from Rapunzel. "Thank you, Sora," Marluxia says, looking over the newly-claimed Key with a broad, triumphant smile. "The Organization appreciates your loyal service. And we look forward to your further assistance in obtaining the rest. Now…" A tight, terrified whimper escapes Sora as he watches Marluxia summon a dark corridor, not even needing to wonder if he'll be dragged through it alongside the Key to whatever unknown fate the Organization has in store for him. "Let us be on our way."
"Finally…" Gothel lets out an annoyed, but relieved sigh as the crowd of Nobodies holding her back finally disappears. She's more than ready to make off with her own captive as well, only for a sudden call from outside of the tower to stop her dead in her tracks.
"Rapunzel!?" Eugene's voice echoes up to the tower's peak, his tone urgent and intense. "Rapunzel, let down your hair!"
"Sora!" A concerned shout from Donald comes next, followed by a similarly worried call from Goofy. "Are you up there?!"
Rapunzel and Sora both go stiff upon hearing this, exchanging a set of surprised, yet hopeful glances as they realize that perhaps there was a chance they'll both be freed from the dire straits they're in after all. Even if their captors have far different plans in mind for how this encounter will go.
"That miserable thief just doesn't know when to quit, does he?" Gothel scowls, though she quickly gets an idea as she bundles up a handful of Rapunzel's hair. She explains nothing as she tosses it over the edge of the window, letting it down over the side of the tower just as Eugene had begged, almost as if she wants him to come. Though for what reason, Rapunzel has no idea.
"Indeed, it seems as though your friends are quite persistent," Marluxia says to Sora, his tone all but unreadable as he lets his dark corridor disappear. "Very well then; they've come all this way, so I suppose it's only fair to let them say their final farewells to you. Or rather," he wears an icy grin as he calls upon his scythe once more, sending a stark burst of newfound panic through Sora's heart and mind alike. "To let you say your final farewell to them."
Eugene is the first to begin the long climb up Rapunzel's hair to the top of the tower, though Donald and Goofy are only a few paces behind him. Still, they all hurry toward the top as fast as they possibly can go, knowing that there's no time to waste in a precarious situation such as this.
"Rapunzel!" Eugene lets out a sigh of relief as he finally makes it to the window perch. "I thought I'd never see you agai-" He freezes the moment he glances up, only to see Rapunzel, chained, gagged, and terrified on the far end of the room. Sora is largely in the same frightening spot, though with the dangerous addition of Marluxia looming over him, scythe in hand and poised to use it. Rapunzel is quick to catch his attention again, however, in the form of a muffled, suddenly horrified scream through her gag, one that Eugene doesn't understand the meaning behind until it's far too late.
It happens so quick there wouldn't be any time to prepare even if he had known it was coming. The knife slips into his back, creating a clean, deep, agonizing wound that pounds sheer pain throughout every fiber of his body from the very moment it happens. To make matters worse, Gothel pulls her dagger out of him just as quickly, sending him collapsing to the ground all while Rapunzel's muted distraught screams continue to echo through the tower.
"Now look what you've done, Rapunzel," Gothel scoffs cruelly, outright ignoring Eugene as he languishes at her feet. "Oh, don't worry, dear," she smirks as she approaches Rapunzel, who's awash in misery, her broken sobs speaking volumes where words can't. All the while she keeps her gaze locked on Eugene as she desperately tries to get to him, to have some chance at healing what's no doubt a fatal wound, a chance that Gothel isn't about to let her have. "Our secret will die with him. And… with them."
No sooner does Gothel step away from the window than Donald and Goofy both practically vault through it, both of them noticing the most immediate cause for alarm in the room first. "Eugene!" they exclaim in apt shock, not hesitating to rush to his aid, only to be quickly blocked off by the largely invisible magical wall that's been erected in front of them.
"You know, it's quite rude to involve yourselves in affairs you have no real part of," Marluxia instantly diverts their attention, cueing them in on a sight that relieves and horrifies them all at once.
"Sora!" they cry, once again in unison as they beat hard against the wall separating them. Sora meets their panicked gaze slowly, his eyes wide and filled with tears and his expression absolutely shellshocked in light of the horrible act of violence that's just been inflicted against Eugene. Violence that he's been pathetically powerless to prevent.
"So, the two of you have come to stand between Sora and his true purpose yet again," Marluxia remarks dryly. He aims the tip of his scythe at his beleaguered captive, much to Donald and Goofy's immense alarm. "Not at all surprising. Unfortunately for you, your constant interference has ceased to be amusing. Which means the time has finally come to put an end to that interference, once and for all."
"Enough!" Donald shouts furiously. He casts a lightning spell that's merely rebuffed by the barrier that's been put in place to stop such magic. "Let Sora go now and get lost!"
"Yeah!" Goofy firmly, bravely agrees. "You can try to do whatever you want to us, but there's no way we're gonna let you drag him back to the Organization! Not now, not ever!"
"Oh, but it's not a matter of what I'm going to do," Marluxia counters evenly. "The deciding factor here is what Sora's going to do instead."
Sora flinches, shaken out of his distraught revere just in time to glance up to see Marluxia raise his scythe high above him. Briefly, he fears that it's for the sake of launching some sort of unknown attack at Donald and Goofy, but he quickly realizes that isn't the case far too late as the tip of the weapon swiftly swings down at him instead. It strikes him hard in the side, its sharp edge brutally grazing his hip and creating a deep, devastating cut in the process. He doesn't even hear his companion's shared shocked cry for him since his own muted scream of anguish overtakes them both. He collapses, his hands still bound as his injured side strikes the ground, sending an all new wave of intense agony through the already heavily bleeding wound.
Needless to say that upon watching not just one, but two people she cares about be so viciously injured out of petty spite alone, Rapunzel is far past her limit by this point. Even though Gothel is in the midst of dragging her out of the tower by her chains, Rapunzel pulls hard against her hold, knowing she can save both Eugene and Sora, knowing that she has the power to save them both before it's too late.
"Rapunzel, really!" Gothel shouts, infuriated as she harshly yanks her captive, fighting back against her stubborn resistance. "Enough already! Stop fighting me!"
With a particularly powerful pull, Rapunzel rips herself away from Gothel, her gag finally slipping off of her face as she falls to the ground. "No!" she shouts, absolutely livid as she continues her relentless struggle. "I won't stop! For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight! I will never stop trying to get away from you!" She pauses, only for a moment, affirming the sudden, risky idea that just occurred to her, one that she can only hope will finally bring this violence and bloodshed to an end, even if the cost is her very own freedom. "B-but if you let me save them, both of them, I… I will go with you."
"N-no!" Eugene chokes from his spot on the ground, still succumbing to the pain of his own heavy wound. Yet even despite that wound, he knows that what Rapunzel is about to resign herself to is far worse than any mere injury could ever be. "N-no, Rapunzel… p-please…"
"I'll never run, I'll never try to escape," Rapunzel continues her negotiation as steadily as she possibly can. "J-just let me heal them, and you and I will be together… f-forever, just like you want. Everything will be the way it was. I promise. Just like you want. Just… let me heal them…"
Gothel meets her desperate pleas with a hateful glare at first, and briefly Rapunzel fears that she won't relent. And yet, after a moment or two of tense silence, she finally releases her unyielding hold on her chains, allowing Rapunzel just the chance she's hoping for. As Gothel hurries over to secure Eugene in shackles all his own to keep him from following them, Rapunzel tries running over to help Sora first, only to be stopped by the still quite sturdy magical barrier surrounding him.
"My apologies, princess," Marluxia says to her as she begins beating against the unseeable wall just as heavily as Donald and Goofy already are. "But your powers won't be necessary here."
"N-no," Rapunzel shakes her head, her tone fretful and pleading, especially as she looks at Sora. He faces away from her as he lay on the ground, largely motionless now even if his heavy, ragged breathing conveys that he's still hanging on, if only just barely. "No, please, you… you have to have to let me help him, I-I can't just-"
"Rapunzel!" Donald and Goofy quickly garnish her attention, both of them still trying to do everything they can to reach their hurt young companion. The captain continually bashes his shield against the impenetrable barrier while the magician fires off several healing spells, none of which even reach Sora thanks to the wall's dispelling effects.
"We'll take care of Sora!" Donald insists adamantly.
"You go heal Eugene!" Goofy adds, knocking his shield against the wall once more.
"B-but…" Rapunzel hesitates, sparing a glance over at Eugene. He's still gripping his own deadly injury, still desperately in need of her healing just as much as Sora is. And while she hates to choose one over the other, she ultimately knows the pair is right; she has to help whoever she can, however she can, especially since time is quickly slipping away for her to do so.
All the while, amidst all of this chaos and distress, Sora remains still, the cut torn across his side creating the pool of warm blood he's only just realized he's lying in. The immense pain flooding his side alone is enough to tell him that the injury is awful, even if he can't properly see it; maybe not entirely deadly, though it has the potential to be if he continues bleeding out unfettered like this. But with his hands still tightly chained, there's little he can do to staunch that bleeding, nothing he can do to stop himself from dying, he all-too quickly realizes.
And once again, he knows exactly why that is, why he can't free himself, why he can't save himself, or Donald or Goofy or Eugene or Rapunzel or anyone else for that matter. Because he is weak, far too weak to break the chains, both past and present, that keep him bound to pain and fear and guilt and grief. Chains that weigh him down, that have wrapped themselves tightly around his heart. Chains that suffocate his spirit, that keep him forever trapped, unable to escape and find the sort of freedom he needs, the freedom he knows only the warmth of the light can provide. Because instead, those chains just keep pulling him under, brutally, endlessly dragging him down into darkness so deep he's sure to drown in it. And as his vision begins to grow dim and his body starts to go numb, he realizes that since he's far too weak to keep himself above the surface of that darkness, there's nothing left to do now but let himself finally be pulled far beneath its overwhelming waves.
When his eyes open again a mere second or two later, they're nothing more than wide beams of pure, empty gold. Marluxia smirks and Donald and Goofy gasp in fear as they notice the shroud of heavy shadows starting to overtake Sora's listless form. That darkness swells over his entire body, causing it to shift and mutate in a number of dangerous, monstrous ways. His fingers extend into knifelike claws, much sharper than they usually were, and tipped with a crimson color akin to blood. His mouth splits open unnaturally wide, his newly-fanged maw filled with hollow light as he easily tears the gag covering it apart. At the same time, he rips his hands out of the shackles holding them with the immense strength this gruesome form allots him. The wound in his side is all but gone, yet the x-shaped scar on his chest strangely seems to glow under his equally shadowy clothing, adding another all-new horrific level to his already nightmarish appearance.
"Now…" Marluxia steps back as Sora properly sits up, savagely snarling all the while. Donald and Goofy notice almost immediately that the invisible walls that had been erected have finally disappeared, leaving nothing standing between them and Sora any longer. Not that it's actually a good thing at a moment like this. "I believe I'll leave the trouble of tearing down the obstacle you both pose to him."
With this, Sora suddenly lunges forward, ready to viciously, wildly attack whatever or whoever he can get his claws on first. Since Donald and Goofy are immediately in front of him, he targets them instantly, not even recognizing either of them in the slightest, despite their panicked pleas for him to remember them as well as himself. From the far side of the room, Rapunzel gasps in apt terror as she watches this frightening, unexplainable scene unfold, yet despite her desire to step in and help somehow, a small, feeble cough from Eugene catches her more immediate attention instead.
"E-Eugene!" she gasps, leaning down close to him to check over the grave injury Gothel had inflicted upon him. Over the course of a few short minutes alone, it's already taken a heavy toll, to the point that blood soaks his abdomen, a sure sign that she has no time to waste. "I-I… I'm so sorry. E-everything is going to be ok though," she assures him, bundling up as much of her hair as she can only for Eugene to suddenly stop her.
"N-No, Rapunzel…" he shudders in obvious agony.
"I promise, you have to trust me," she counters quickly, still pulling her hair over to him as she begins to gently press it against his wound. "Come on, just breathe-"
"I-I… I can't let you do this…" Eugene pleads, tears brimming in his eyes, which are quickly starting to grow dull and heavy.
"And I can't let you die…" she whispers painfully, knowing exactly what she's giving up so he might live. A high price to buy just about the most worthy thing she can think of.
"B-but if you do this… t-then you will die…" he protests. While Gothel won't let her literally die, the pure, precious light and laughter inside her heart, the very things he loves about her most, certainly will from being essentially kept in a cage for the rest of her life.
"Hey," she offers him a quiet smile as she presses a soft, affectionate hand against his cheek. "It's gonna be alright…"
He finally gives her a ghost of a smile at this, seeming to accept her aid as he lightly brushes his hand through her hair, stopping her just as she prepares to sing. "Rapunzel, wait..." he says, his voice barely a whisper by this point as he looks into her eyes with nothing less than absolute love and adoration. He sits up a bit, and Rapunzel allows it, watching as his face draws closer to hers to the point that she doesn't even realize his hand reaching around to grasp her hair tightly. And in a moment so quick, so shockingly swift she could have never seen it coming, he lashes out, using the stray shard of glass in his hand as a knife to suddenly slice through her hair, cutting the vast majority of her lengthy golden locks clean off.
"E-Eugene! What-" Rapunzel gasps, bolting upright. She reaches for her hair, which no longer even reaches down to her shoulders as it steadily shifts from blonde to brown.
"No!" Gothel's horrified scream starkly echoes through the tower. The shrill sound catches Sora's attention in particular and draws it away from Donald and Goofy as they try their best to defend themselves against him. At the same time, all Rapunzel can do was watch as the now severed length of her fallen hair also turns brown, losing its magic almost instantly, even despite Gothel's frantic attempts to capture that magic before it's too late. "What have you done?!" she shrieks, watching with panic as her hands begin to shrivel up, the same sort of age rapidly graying her raven hair and filling her once-beautiful face up with deep, unpleasant wrinkles. "What have you DONE?!"
With her bones withering and her energy waning, Gothel haphazardly stumbles toward the nearby shattered mirror, aghast by her own hideous reflection. Hysterical, she pulls her hood tight over her head so she won't have to look at her practically ancient body any longer. In doing so, however, she fails to notice the sudden violent attack coming her way until Sora harshly rams into her, lashing his claws out at her wildly in the hopes of claiming a heart that he can easily sense is on the verge of decay. Gothel howls in agony from the heavy wounds she sustains, scrambling backward toward the window as she rushes to avoid enduring any more. Yet as she nears the window, she fails to notice Pascal, who pulls some of Rapunzel's fallen hair taunt just in time for Gothel to trip over it and fall, not just to the ground, but out of the window entirely. Sora nearly leaps out after her, unable to think of anything other than his instinctual, animalistic hunger for a heart, any heart, in place of the one he believes he's lost. But fortunately, Donald and Goofy manage to catch him and pull him back into the tower just in time.
Gothel, however, isn't so lucky. Her screams eventually echo into silence as she falls the full length of the tower she'd kept Rapunzel prisoner in for 18 years. Before she even hits the ground far below, she turns to nothing more than dust, a testament to the hundreds of years she'd managed to falsely keep herself young for before the magic of her flower, magic that had never really been hers' to begin with, finally failed her for the first and last time ever.
Almost as soon as Donald and Goofy manage to properly reign Sora back into the tower, he turns on them, growling aggressively as he hunches low, ready to relentlessly attack them both in retaliation. The pair winces, clutching their respective weapons tightly as they silently, stressfully wonder what they could do to help their darkened young companion. Appealing to his sense of logic and personality never seems to work when he's like this, his mind and heart alike both heavily veiled by the shadows he's submerged in to the point that words and pleas, no matter how desperate or earnest, are always lost on him in this monstrous form. But while neither Donald nor Goody have the faintest idea as to what to do, Sora just so happens to pick up on the presence of another target, or, at least as he's still able to tell, a threat.
For perhaps the first time since this entire ordeal began, Marluxia seems to be genuinely surprised as Sora suddenly bolts past his companions, letting out a furious, feral hiss as he runs on all fours toward him instead. The Organization member reacts swiftly, using his scythe to defend himself against Sora's unexpected onslaught. "Stand down," he commands firmly, scowling down at his former captive after he roughly shoves him back. Sora pays him no mind, however, as he instead persists, a shadow-seeped Keyblade in his hand now as he swings hard and brutishly. The two weapons clash violently against each other, and once more, Marluxia manages to repel Sora, though just barely. "I order you to stand down!" he repeats fiercely, taking a wide swing that Sora easily blocks and countered with his own dark blade.
"H-he's not listening to him…" Goofy notes, absolutely dumbfounded by this turn of events.
"Of course he's not," Donald remarks as they both watch this skirmish unfold apprehensively. "Nobody can control him when he gets like that. We can't, Maleficent couldn't, and neither can…"
"The Organization!" they both exclaim in dawning realization that this could, ironically enough, be just the shift they need to save Sora after all.
As the pair rushes forward to offer their transformed companion some aid against their mutual foe, Rapunzel pulls Eugene in close to her, forcing herself to focus on him instead of the violent scene unfolding just a few feet behind her. "R-Rapunzel…" Eugene speaks, his voice soft and feeble as he struggles to keep his eyes open. "W-what's… what's going on?"
"Shh… it's ok…" she comforts him, holding his pale face gently as tears begin to well up in her eyes. "I-it's nothing you need to worry about… J-just… just look at me, I'm right here. S-stay with me, please, don't go-" She's starting to grow desperate, realizing that his pulse is slowing progressively, his eyes sliding shut as his head lolls to the side. She's losing him; she's losing him and now he's made sure there's nothing she can do about it. He's indeed saved her, set her free from Gothel and her treachery once at for all… and in doing so, he's selflessly forfeited his own chance at life in the process.
"F-flower gleam and glow, let your power shine-" she sings as fast as she possibly can as she presses his limp hand against her head, hoping that her hair still contains some small shred of its former magic. "Let your power shine-"
"Rapunzel-"
"M-make the clock reverse," she sobs on each word, but she doesn't care, she can't care, she has to save him somehow. He's given her so much, shown her so much, made her feel something she's never truly felt before; and now that she's gotten even just the smallest glimpse of what her life could be like with him, she can't imagine living it without him. "Bring back what once was mine."
"Rapunzel…" He catches her attention this time, meeting her heartbroken expression with the softest, sweetest smile he can muster.
"W-what?" she asks, absolutely agonized.
"Y-you… you were my new dream…" he whispers lovingly, his voice barely audible, but she hears it all the same.
"And you were mine…" she replies sadly, unable to do anything else but helplessly watch as the life fades out of that dream, out of him, altogether.
Amidst her crushing grief, the clamor of the sudden battle raging on the far side of the tower is all but lost on her. That battle only intensifies as Donald and Goofy join it, launching their own barrage of attacks at Marluxia right alongside Sora. As bombarded as he is, he doesn't get much of a chance to summon any Nobodies to ward them off like he usually would. Instead, the trio essentially manages to corner him, blocking or evading his scythe's swings in the hopes of driving him off once and for all.
"Fools…" Marluxia growls as he swings at Donald and Goofy hatefully. "You really think you can save him from what he's ultimately destined to become? Just look at him. Darkness has already found a place within his heart; it can only stand to grow from here."
"You're wrong!" Donald protests resiliently as he casts a powerful wind spell. "Even if Sora does have darkness in his heart, he'd never use it to serve the Organization!"
"That's right!" Goofy readily agrees, solidly blocking another swing with his shield. "His heart's a lot stronger than you think it is; he's a lot stronger than you think!"
Marluxia's more than prepared to send back a haughty retort, but just before he can, he's completely caught off guard by a sudden attack from Sora himself. As if prompted onward by his companions' show of confidence in him, he leaps up and lashes out, the tips of his claws catching Marluxia clean across the face. He stumbles back, clutching the now-bleeding wound across his cheek with a furious shout of pain as his scythe falls to the ground before disappearing completely.
"All right…" he mutters darkly, a dark corridor forming behind him as he continues to nurse his sizable wound. "If you wish to wallow in the light you no longer belong in, that's fine," he speaks to Sora specifically, who still doesn't have the faintest idea as to what he's saying as he hunches low in preparation for another strike, growling hatefully all the while. "But just remember... you won't be able to keep yourself out of the shadows forever; and that when you finally do come to take your proper place within them… we'll all be right there, waiting for you…"
Marluxia offers the trio one final twisted smile as he steps into his darkened portal, finally taking his leave from this world with a Key in hand, but fortunately not Sora as he'd originally intended. With the more immediate threat gone, Donald and Goofy refrain from letting out a much-needed sigh of relief, knowing that they'll see no such relief so long as Sora remains trapped in his current monstrous form.
"Sora…" Donald begins. He takes a cautious step back as their young companion rears low and snarls threateningly at them both, still unable to distinguish them from friend or foe.
"L-listen," Goofy says just as warily, upholding his shield all the while, just in case. "Please, we need you to-"
Sora silences both of their appeals himself as he suddenly perks up, his tense, bitter expression shifting into one of apparent confusion and curiosity, particularly as he spots Rapunzel and Eugene on the far side of the room. He slowly begins inching toward the pair, and Donald and Goofy anxiously follow, hoping that he won't do anything to hurt either of them. Or rather, to hurt Rapunzel since it seems as though Eugene is too far gone by now, much to the pair's immense remorse.
Yet for her part, Rapunzel pays the trio no mind, still holding onto Eugene as she slowly finishes her incantation one final time, even if she knows that it won't do him any good anymore. "Heal what has been hurt… Change the Fate's design…"
Strangely, Sora stops short upon hearing her song, his glowing eyes wide and intrigued as he leans in to listen. Donald and Goofy stand back just a pace away from him, unsure of what he's doing, unsure of what he's thinking or feeling, if anything at all. But even so he remains oddly still and quiet as Rapunzel's mournful melody continues.
"Save what has been lost…"
"Bring back what once was mine…"
"What once was mine…"
A single tear slips down her face as her song comes to an end, her heart lost to grief and pain too unbearable to even speak of. That tear lands squarely on Eugene's cold, ashen cheek as dense silence fills the darkened tower, silence that grips Donald, Goofy, and even Sora as they all stand by solemnly. The only thing that permeates that silence are Rapunzel's broken sobs, her immense, immeasurable sadness seeming to fill every square inch of the room. Sadness that she knows will swell inside her heart for every minute of the rest of her life that she'll never get to have with him.
But then…
A small speck of light catches her eye, light that only begins to grow as it bloomed from the wound he's succumbed to. That light spills from the injury in vibrant golden tendrils, sweeping out far and wide across the tower to chase the heavy shadows filling it away, replacing them with crisp, warm, healing radiance.
And the tower isn't the only thing that light banishes the darkness from. Almost as if this miraculous blaze knows what it's doing, several of its swirling rays slowly begin to weave themselves around Sora, their incredible luminance eliciting a loud, pained hiss out of him as they contrast with the incredible darkness covering him. Yet in the end, the light is what wins out, stripping away the shadows that have overtaken him as they steadily purify his heart and mind, restoring both in the process. As the last of the shadows fade from him, Sora collapses weakly to the ground, his own heavy wound still very much apparent, though not for long as Donald and Goofy rush in to aid him in any way they can.
At the same time, all Rapunzel can do is continue to watch in awe as light pours out of Eugene's injury, taking on something of the shape of what seems to be a golden flower, even as its power begins to fade. When it's gone, she nearly dares to check where his wound had been, only to inspect his face for any possible signs of life instead. And sure enough, against all odds, his eyes slowly begin to open, a small, but steady breath escaping him as he focuses his bleary gaze on her.
"R-Rapunzel…?"
She gasps, the sound of his voice alone sparking more joy and relief through her than she could have ever thought possible. "Eugene!"
"Did I… ever tell you I have a thing for brunettes?" he asks, finally managing to crack a small, flirtatious smile.
She laughs brightly at this, unable to contain her excitement and elation as she throws herself against him in a tight, loving embrace, one that he's more than happy to return. They're caught in a tide between laughing and sobbing as they cling onto each other joyously, both of them alive and together, now with nothing or no one to get in their way. And in celebration of the beautiful newfound freedom they've found together, Rapunzel doesn't hesitate to finally pull Eugene's lips against hers, both of them easily falling into a warm and welcome kiss, the first of many they'd be sure to share in the years to come.
While Donald and Goofy are certainly happy for the couple, they can't really focus much of their attention in joining in on their levity as they instead rush to neutralize the still bleeding wound on Sora's side as much as possible. He's largely out of it, wincing in tight pain as Goofy helps him properly sit up to take a potion while Donald casts one of the most powerful healing spells in his arsenal. It's enough to seal the cut, even if it does still leave a rather nasty scar behind and the blood lost from it largely leaves Sora listless and weak. Yet as his companions give him a moment to properly recover and come to, both of them immediately notice that something has changed about him, his appearance now markedly different than how it had been before his most recent slip into darkness. Neither of them know what to make of it, and they're particularly stunned into shock as Sora finally opens his eyes to look up at them, even if he doesn't notice the clear alarm in their expressions right away.
"D-Donald? Goofy?" he asks, his voice timid and tired as he struggles to properly sit up on his own without their support. "W-what happened…?"
"Uh… w-well…" Goofy exchanges a nervous glance with Donald, neither of them sure of what to say at a moment like this. "A-a lot happened, but…"
"Sora…" the magician picks up just as anxiously, apprehension that Sora finally manages to catch onto as he finally pulls himself up. "Y-you… you're…"
"Rapunzel! Eugene!" Sora interrupts with a surprised gasp. He hastily rises to stand, even if he nearly falls right back down again if not for his companions steadying him just in time. Even so, he can't help but smile in immense relief as he sees the couple step forward, even if the shared startled glances they send his way are largely lost on him. "You guys are ok! Wait… Rapunzel, what happened to your hair?"
"Uh…" Rapunzel frowns, running a hand through her now short, brown locks.
"Her hair?" Eugene asks incredulously as he looks Sora over. "Kid, you should see your ha-"
"O-ok, Eugene!" Rapunzel quickly interjects as she grabs his arm and begins leading him toward the once-hidden staircase. "Why don't we give Sora, Donald, and Goofy a bit of privacy? I-I have a feeling there's something they need to talk about alone…"
Eugene gives her a puzzled look at this, though he ultimately folds upon meeting her own insistent expression. "Uh, ok..." he says, still largely out of the loop as he follows Rapunzel out. "Guess we'll meet you fellas outside then."
As Rapunzel escorts Eugene out, she sends a brief glance back to Sora, offering him a tight, worried, yet encouraging smile, one that he doesn't understand the meaning behind in the slightest. Even after the couple is gone and he turns back to his own companions, their own mutually fretful focus on him is still a complete mystery that he's determined to get the answers to.
"Ok… what's going on?" Sora asks them almost hesitantly, not entirely sure he wants to find out after everything he's able to remember recently happening. Yet when neither Donald nor Goofy make any attempt to answer right away, he finds himself prompted to push them for the truth again. "Seriously, what's wrong?"
"Uh… i-it might just be easier to show you instead…" Goofy says, retrieving one of the countless scattered broken mirror shards off the ground.
"Show me what?" Sora asks as he curiously takes the mirror piece. However, as soon as he catches the briefest glimpse of his own reflection in it, all of his questions are immediately answered in the worst way possible. Where there had only been a few sparse, easily-concealed hints of white in his hair before, much of his bangs and several of his tips have been starkly, blatantly overtaken by the unsettling snowy shade that clashes harshly against his natural brown. But even more alarming than that are his eyes, the gold in them now bright and sharp and beyond obvious to see even upon a first glance. That garish yellow practically seems to glow against the calm ocean blue its corrupting, and when combined with his whitening hair, both serve to make his very own reflection look like a stranger, like someone he doesn't even recognize in the slightest.
Like someone who would fit right in within the ranks of Organization XIII.
As the mirror shard slips out of his grip, he also notices his hands, even as trembling as they currently are and largely covered by his gloves, have been completely blanketed by shadows, his fingers wholly darkened to a practically monstrous degree. He'd taken notice of these sinister signs before, but now that they've expanded, now that they're all absolutely out in the open for everyone else to see, for his friends to see, it's all far more than he could possibly hope to bear.
Donald and Goofy can do nothing but worriedly watch as Sora collapses to his knees before them, overwhelmed by dread and fear both gripping his heart like a vice. Both of them are compelled to comfort him, especially as he inevitably breaks down into a round of loud, heavy sobs that he's completely powerless to hold back as he pours out his immense grief freely. And yet, for as much as they want to console that grief, neither of them really know where to even start.
At least until Sora ends up starting this very difficult conversation off for all of them. "I-I… I'm sorry…" he weeps brokenly, unable to even look up at either of them out of sheer, crushing shame and guilt combined.
"F-for what?" Donald asks carefully, quietly.
"I-I promised I wouldn't lie to either of you anymore…" he begins in a mournful mutter as he wraps his arms around himself tightly. "B-but that's all I've been doing for a long time now…"
"W-what do you mean…?" Goofy presses, even if both him and Donald have a steady hunch about what this lie is all about. Especially as they remember the ominous claims Marluxia had made to them earlier, claims that suddenly don't seem so outlandish now.
"Everything the Organization's been saying… a-about me becoming Xehanort's thirteenth vessel…" Sora shudders, his heart wavering with terror at the thought of even saying it out loud. And yet, considering his current damming appearance, it's practically impossible for him to keep it hidden any longer, as much as he wishes he still could. "I-it's all true!"
Needless to say that despite all of their prior worries and suspicions, nothing could have prepared either Donald or Goofy for hearing Sora admit this horrific fact himself. Yet before either of them can so much as say a single word in response to it, Sora keeps going tearfully, frantically, unable to stop himself from revealing the full nightmarish scope of what he's facing now that he's revealed the most basic level of it all. "I-it's true and I've known that it was true for months now, j-just like I knew that the scar and the cracks in my Keyblade and this-" he motions to his hair and his eyes alike, another tight sob escaping him in the process. "Were all signs of what's been happening to me, b-but I didn't think they were that bad because I thought I could fight it a-and keep it from getting any worse, but I…" He hesitates, staring down at his shadow-streaked hands in hopeless despair. "I don't know how to stop this… I don't even think I can…"
Silence fills the tower once more, only barely permeated by Sora as he continues mourning his miserable fate, his face buried in his hands as his companions offer him shared, earnest compassionate frowns. For their own part, their grief is also quite measurable, both of them practically on the verge of tears themselves as they think about the very real possibility of Sora being torn away from them permanently in such an agonizing, awful way. But even so, they both do their best to remain steady, knowing that they have to at least try to be strong to offer their devastated young companion the support and solidarity he so clearly needs right now.
"Sora… why didn't you tell us?" Donald asks, his tone surprisingly lacking any of the fury Sora had been expecting out of him at a moment like this.
"I… T-there were… a lot of different reasons why I didn't…" Sora begins quietly, finally managing to glance up at the pair remorsefully. "I guess the biggest one was…" He can't help but let out a small, fake, bitter chuckle as he remembers what Xehanort had forced him to reveal in his most recent nightmare, deciding to echo it now since it's still very much the truth. "I was scared…"
"Scared of what?" Goofy asks with earnest sympathy.
"I… I was scared that you'd both be mad at me, and not just for lying to you either…" Sora sighs, closing his eyes as tears continue streaming down his cheeks steadily. "I thought that… i-if you knew the truth, if you knew what was happening to me, w-what I might… turn into… t-then… then you'd leave me… And after everything that's happened and all the trouble I've caused you… I wouldn't blame you if you did..."
"Aw, phooey!" Donald suddenly exclaims, absolutely adamant. "We'd never leave you behind, Sora! You know that!"
"And that's no chance we'd leave you over something like this," Goofy firmly agrees. "Especially since it looks like you're gonna need our help now more than ever."
"H-help?" Sora asks, looking between them incredulously. "W-what… what could you guys even try to do to stop this when I don't know what to do about it myself?"
"Well, we can start by getting you to someone who might know what to do," Donald suggests, offering him a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, like Riku," Goofy points out, not noticing the instant burst of panic that fills Sora's expression at this mere suggestion alone. "He knows a lot about how to deal with darkness, and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to help you-"
"No," Sora interjects, his tone tense and rigid as he finally forces himself to stand. "No, we are not telling Riku about this. Or Kairi or the king or Yen Sid or anyone else! Nobody else needs to know!"
"Yes, they do!" Donald argues sternly.
"Sora, this is really serious," Goofy agrees. "If we don't figure out a way to stop this, then… you could-"
"I know," Sora huffs, not wanting to even hear such a horrific thought spoken aloud. "I know. B-but… that doesn't mean we can't find a way to fix this on our own. We've made it through a lot worse than this before, haven't we?"
"I… don't know if we can say we have…" Goofy frowns worriedly, not even needing to note Sora's startling change in appearance as proof of how dire this situation really is.
"Why won't you ever just ask for help when you need it?!" Donald asks him harshly, even if he knows he's venting his frustration with this largely hopeless situation at large to the victim of it all. "You always wait until the last minute, until things are already way too out of hand! Maybe if you had just told us what was going on from the beginning, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now!"
"You don't get it, do you!?" Sora shoots back just as fiercely, the gold in his eyes seeming to shine in the low light of the tower as if in response to his anger. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you! I didn't want you to…" he trails off, glancing away bitterly as he tries fighting back his returning tears.
"...Didn't want us to leave?" Goofy infers fretfully.
"...I-I… I didn't want you to see me like this…" Sora admits softly, still not looking to either of them despite their intent stares. "I don't want anyone to see me like this…"
"Like… what?" Donald asks, not entirely following. Both him and Goofy initially assume he's referring to his current unsettling appearance, and yet there seems to be more to it than that. Much more to it.
"Like I-I'm… like I'm weak," he whispers, the admittance alone absolutely agonizing. "I-it was bad enough after you guys rescued me from Maleficent and everyone thought that they needed to take care of me. But if they knew about this?" he sighs, running a hand through his whitening hair. "I don't even know what they'd do. And I don't want to find out either. I'm so… tired of everyone acting like I always need to be saved; I don't. I can save myself! I-I will save myself from this, I just… need to figure out how…"
"Aw, Sora…" Goofy says, placing a secure, comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know we aren't tryin' to make you feel weak; that's just about the last thing we want."
"But this is much more important than you trying to prove yourself," Donald insists evenly. "You have to understand that if we don't find a way to stop this, you could-"
"I KNOW what could happen to me!" Sora practically shouts as he pulls himself away from both of them, desperate for some kind of relief, however small, from the endless torrent of painful emotions constantly dragging him down. "It's all I've been able to think about for weeks now and it's awful! Do you really think I want to just… lose myself like this and be forced to fight everyone I care about?! Do you think I don't already know that this is just bound to get even worse from here if we don't find a way to stop it?! I get it, I understand it, every terrible part of it! I don't need either of you to remind me about it, ok?!"
As Sora succumbs to another round of angry, agonized sobs, all Donald and Goofy can do is stand by, their hearts practically breaking for all of the severe strife he's clearly going through. The captain is the first to speak to that strife, hoping that a few reassuring words might serve to ease it in at least some small sort of way. "Sora… you know that all we wanna do, all we've ever wanted to do is help you… right?"
"I-If you really wanted to help me, then you'd actually listen to me," Sora says succinctly, looking to the pair pleadingly. "I don't want anyone else knowing about this. We can't let anyone know, a-at least not yet. I-I… don't know how long this whole thing might take, but… right now I still don't think it's that out of control. I-I mean… aside from… stuff like this," he briefly glances down at his hands before offering his companions a small, barely manageable smile. "I'm still me. Which means there's still time! We can still find a way to undo this, just the three of us; I know we can."
"A-and if we can't?" Goofy asks, dreading the very thought of such an unthinkable outcome.
"Then… I-I guess we can get some extra help," Sora mutters quickly, far from fond of the idea as he hopes it'll never come to that. "But for now, can we please, please just keep this between the three of us? That's all I'm asking, a-and I know that's a lot, but… if there's anyone I know I can trust with something like this… it's you guys."
At that moment, the only thing either Donald or Goofy can really think of are Marluxia's coldhearted claims that Sora doesn't trust them, and sure enough, he really hadn't before in keeping such a significant secret from them. But now, he's essentially relying on his trust for them, hoping that they'll help him shoulder a secret he's been carrying entirely on his own for quite some time now. What he's asking of them is risky, downright dangerous even, especially since there's no real guarantee that they'll actually be able to stop Xehanort's sadistic schemes for Sora on their own. And yet, as they both look to their young companion's saddened, earnest, practically desperate expression once more and remember just how many times they've failed to protect him in the past, they ultimately know neither of them have any real choice. After all, it's the least they could do to try and make up for all those failures, even if they hope they won't end up failing him in the worst way possible by even agreeing to this uncertain secrecy.
"Fine," Donald folds with a tired sigh, one that Goofy echoes as he nodded solemnly. "We won't tell anyone. But someone's bound to find out eventually just by looking at you. I don't know how you plan to hide what's happening to your hair or your eyes or your hands. Unless…"
Sora perks up in sudden interest at this. "Unless… what?"
Donald flinches, realizing he's probably already said too much, especially given the immensely curious look Sora sends his way. But even so, it's already too late to backpedal from it now. "Er… I… might be able to use a little magic to hide all that… maybe…" he admits apprehensively, not really wanting Sora to set his hopes too high on such a plan, even if he already had from the moment he heard it.
"Really?" he asks with a newfound smile. "How?"
"Oh! Couldn't ya just use the same sort of spell you cast on all three of us whenever we need to look different in another world?" Goofy asks knowingly.
"That's… exactly it," Donald nods, still on the fence about this idea, even if he can see Sora growing steadily more excited about it by the second. "It's actually called a glamour, and it-"
"It can make all this go away?" Sora presses, referring to the white in his hair and the yellow in his eyes.
"No," Donald corrects. "It can hide it. It won't do anything to get rid of it; but it can basically cover it up so nobody else will be able to see it, not even you."
"W-well, that definitely sounds better than going around like this…" Sora says, pulling his shadow-covered hands in close as he looks to the magician earnestly. "Can you cast that-what was it called again?-uh… glimmer spell on me, Donald? Please?"
"It's glamour," Donald scowls as he crosses his arms stubbornly. "And I don't see why I should. We're already doing you enough "favors" by lying to everyone for you, if you ask me."
"Aw, c'mon, Donald," Goofy coaxes much more reasonably. "It's just one tiny little spell. And I'm sure it would help Sora feel a whole lot better, wouldn't it?"
"It really would," Sora nods, still maintaining a small, pleading smile.
And under scrutiny from both of them, and under the practically begging look Sora in particular gives him, Donald finds that, once again, he has no choice but to agree. "Ugh! Ok, ok!" he grumbles as he summons his wand. "Just stand still and close your eyes, will ya?"
Sora certainly doesn't protest, doing as he's told while Donald focuses on casting the rather powerful glamour powerful spell. There's a noticeable burst of comforting warmth that comes along with it, light briefly covering his entire body as it essentially masks what the darkness besieging his heart has done to his appearance. When it's over a moment later, both Donald and Goofy can immediately see that it's indeed worked, as every single trace of stark white has miraculously vanished from his hair, leaving only its usual brown behind. They receive even further confirmation of that fact when Sora opens his eyes, which are completely blue once more, with not even a speck of gold to be found in them at all.
"So…?" he asks, already wearing an immensely relieved smile as he notices that his hands are finally free of the shadows that once marred his naturally tanned skin. "How do I look?"
Donald and Goofy exchange a rather weary glance at this, both of them knowing that this spell, that their promise to keep the terrible truth hidden in general, are both only temporary fixes to a much larger problem. A problem that, at least at the moment, none of them have even the slightest idea how to truly solve. "Like you…" Donald concedes with a small, somewhat sad sigh.
"That's more than good enough for me," Sora says with a smile, a genuine, earnest smile that both of his companions can't help but share at least a little in return. "Now come on," he leads the way to leave the tower, knowing that without the Key, there's largely nothing left for them in this world. And that time is of the essence to get the rest, perhaps now more than ever before. "We've got a lot of work to do…"
The trio's parting with Rapunzel and Eugene is relatively short and sweet. While both sides have plenty of questions about what had fully transpired in the tower, they ultimately decide that some of them are better left unanswered in favor of more optimistic sentiments. While Rapunzel and Eugene are certainly sad to see the trio go, they understand the reason why, with what little Sora, Donald, and Goofy are actually able to explain of it, at least. For their own part, the couple express their plans to return to the kingdom (accompanied by Maximus and Pascal, of course), where Rapunzel hopes to finally reunite with her real family, the king and queen of Corona themselves. Eugene is more than content to stay by her side for whatever happens, knowing that he never wants to stray away, a sentiment that Rapunzel mutually, lovingly shares with him and always will for the rest of their days.
And yet, despite the happy ending she knows she's receiving, Rapunzel can still tell Sora still isn't anywhere close to his own from his reserved, almost sad manner during their farewells. Which is why, knowing what she does of his condition, she briefly pulls him aside just shy of the two groups heading their own separate ways in the hopes of offering him what little hope and encouragement she can. "I know it might not seem like it now, Sora," she says, her tone gentle and consoling. "But things will get better for you, I know they will. After all…" she smiles up at the morning sun's rays that are just starting to peek through the dark clouds above. "The sun always finds a way to come back out after even the worst storm somehow, right?"
He thanks her for her kind words, but doesn't really know what else to say outside of that. It's a lovely thought, one that he might have once truly believed in himself. And yet, even though he can't see the physical signs of what's happening to his heart anymore thanks to Donald's magic, he can still feel the stormy clouds hovering heavily over his heart. Clouds so dark and thick that he wonders if any amount of light will be enough to truly chase them away.
So they say their final goodbyes to Rapunzel and Eugene as they all head off on their respective paths. By now, the sun fully shines through the overcast skies, casting its radiant warmth upon the forest just as it had when the trio had first arrived only two short days prior. Two much happier days that feel like a lifetime ago now.
Yet as the trio silently trudges down the path that will take them back to the Gummi Ship, Sora can't help but stop short as a sudden realization strikes him. Because for all the time he's spent wondering, fearing what might happen if Donald and Goofy knew the truth about what's happening to him, horrified by the very idea that they might turn away from him in hatred or disgust for what his heart is steadily starting to fall victim to, in the end, they hadn't. If anything, they'd done the exact opposite; they'd vowed to stand by his side, to help him search for some kind of cure, no matter how difficult that might be or how bad things might get. They'd promised to uphold his confidence and bear the weight of his largely unbearable secret right alongside him. They'd even gone as far as to help him hide away the evidence of that secret in the hopes of keeping it from bringing him any more worry and woe than it already has. They've done everything they possibly could to set his battered heart and frayed mind at ease. And even if it isn't enough to fully chase all of his doubts and fears and dread away, it certainly is enough to show him just how much their loyalty, their friendship truly means to him.
"D-Donald? Goofy?" his call stops them, and their concern is palpable as they turn around to see the tears starting to well up in his eyes once again. Yet for as bittersweet as those tears are, they both immediately understand his intent as he rushes forward, pulling them both into a tight, intent embrace. The pair doesn't hesitate to return their young companion's almost desperate hug, both of them more than ready to offer him any sort of comfort from here on out, even if that comfort can only come in the form as something as relatively simple as this.
The three of them maintain that hug for quite some time, awash in the peace of the mid-morning forest, not even bothering to think of what might come next and instead giving themselves just a moment to simply let this moment be solely what it is. And in that moment, Sora offers both of his companions a soft, yet earnest message, exactly the sort of thing he knows, after all of the sacrifices and struggles they've gone through for his sake, they deserve to hear.
"Thank you."
:D So I'm an emotional mess after writing this chapter. For a number of reasons. Mostly because I'm drowning in feels about a pair of duck and dog dads and their anxiety-ridden, slowly-corrupting son ^_^ Seriously tho I might have cried while writing this one... it was... a lot. Either way, I really hope you enjoyed it! Next time around will be a bit more lighthearted, with another chapter focused on Kairi and Axel that may or may not happen at a little place I like to call... Disney Castle ;) And may or may not feature an appearance from a certain antagonist who we haven't seen in quite some time... ;) ;) ;) Anyway I won't spoil any more of it for you. For now, PLEASE let me know what you thought of this one in the REVIEWS! Until next time :D
