SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

-CHAPTER START-

Twilight Town – Main Square

As Sora, Donald, & Goofy approached the bistro, they saw a familiar face seated at one of the outdoor tables, having a cup of tea: an old man in a blue wizard robe & hat, with a long white bead, and little black spectacles over his eyes.

"Ah, greetings, gentlemen" he said to them. "What brings you all the way out here? Besides the finest tea this side of Big Ben, of course."

"Huh?" Sora looked confused. "But Merlin, I thought that you sent a message asking us to stop by."

"Gracious, did I?" the old wizard put a hand to his chin.

"Didn't ya leave a message for us with Chip & Dale?" Goofy asked.

"About a book?" Donald asked.

"Ah, yes!" Merlin recalled. "Yes, the book. That's right."

He tapped his travel bag with his wand, levitating out a familiar enchanted book: the book that led into Pooh Bear's world. However, on the front cover, Pooh was sitting on a log looking up at the stars… alone.

"Sora's not on it" Donald pointed out.

"Did somethin' happen?" Goofy wondered.

"Well," Merlin said to Sora, "that's what you need to find out, lad."

Concerned, Sora nodded and handed the book to Donald. Using his Keyblade, he enveloped himself in Light magic and then zipped into the world within the book.

-Scene Break-

100-Acre Wood

Beneath a blue sky, Sora approached a large house-tree surrounded by gardens. Outside the front door, a tubby yellow bear in a red shirt was deep in thought, a little piglet in a black-striped pink outfit beside him.

"Pooh Bear!" Sora called out as he approached. "You okay?"

Pooh looked up and got to his feet. "Oh! Hello there, Sora. You're home."

"Uh… huh? Good to see you, Pooh. And you too, Piglet."

"Hello!" the tiny pink figure waved.

"You're not in trouble?" Sora asked. "But I thought something odd must be going on."

"Hmm, let me see…" Pooh thought. "I don't remember anything oddish, but perhaps I've forgotten. Think, think, think…"

"Oh, we've got trouble, all right!" Rabbit cut in as he came over.

"Would that be the 'Rabbit' sort of trouble?" Piglet asked, being a little cheeky.

Rabbit frowned, crossing his arms.

"Sora!"

Hearing Roo's voice, Sora turned and saw the tiny joey riding atop a cuddly lavender-colored elephant-looking thing.

"Wow!" Sora grinned. "Who's this?"

Roo leapt off the heffalump, turning to him. "It's okay" he told the shy new addition. "He's my friend."

Sora grinned, crouching down. "Hi, I'm Sora."

"I'm Lumpy!" the heffalump said. "It's nice to meet you!"

He started stomping around happily, and in response the ground burst open nearby, letting a little furry critter emerge.

"Sufferin' sassafras!" Gopher piped in. "Stomp around a little louder, why don't ya?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Gopher…"

Piglet giggled. "I kinda like it when the ground gets bouncy."

"Well, I suppose if something has to bounce…" Gopher started. Then, he and Piglet heard a *boing-boing-boing* sound, turning to face it. "Speaking of…"

Confused, Sora turned around just in time to get pounced by Tigger, bowling him over.

"Back for some more bouncin', Sora?" the toon-tiger asked. "C'mon, let's go! You too, Roo!"

As Tigger and Roo started bouncing around, Kanga came over and helped Sora back to his feet.

"Tigger's his usual self, I see" Sora said with a grin.

"As always" the mother kangaroo giggled. "I think you've gotten a teensy bit taller, Sora – perhaps by an inch or so?"

Sora put his hands behind his head. "Yeah, but I don't think I'll manage to catch up to my friend Riku in that department."

"Oh, don't be so sure of that, Sora" Owl said as he flew in. "You're still a growing lad, after all!"

"Yeah, but so is he, and he's a year older than me…"

"Might as well just wait and see what happens" Eeyore said as he moseyed on in. "Course, it'd be best not to get your hopes up…"

"Oh, I remember now" Pooh spoke up. "Rabbit's trouble is harvest-related."

"Well, thank you for remembering my plight, Pooh" Rabbit remarked. "Better late than never." He turned to Tigger, Roo, and Lumpy, who were still hopping around. "Excuse me!" he shouted. "Would anyone else care to remember why we're here?"

The trio stopped bouncing, pondering and trying to remember.

"As I recall," Pooh replied, "we came to help you with your garden, Rabbit. After which, perhaps, you'll invite us in for a smackeral or two of honey?"

"Correct." Rabbit suddenly registered that last bit. "Uh, n-no, no! I mean, uh, we'll see about that, Pooh. Now, the garden, if you please? You can help too, Sora."

"What?" the human was a bit shocked. "Me, too?"

-Break-

After helping harvest some veggies, fruit, and flowers from the gardens, Rabbit presented Pooh with a reward for his hard work: a big ol' jar of delicious 'Hunny'. As Pooh happily dug in, a cool breeze sent many of the flower petals flowing in the wind, making for a beautiful and soothing scene.

"Look at 'em all!" Tigger cried. "They're bouncin' even higher than me!"

"Sora," Pooh said, "I believe the one I should thank for all that yummy, delicious honey is you."

"Don't mention it, Pooh" Sora smiled. "Besides, we all pitched in to help!"

"Um… Sora?" He held a hand to his heart. "You used to be right here. Why is it that you went away?"

"Away? …Oh. That's what you meant by 'you're home'."

"Yes. You see, when I get a rumbly in my tumbly, it's very hard to think of anything but honey. So I was worried that I might have forgotten you away."

Sora chuckled. "Silly bear, I'd never."

"Oh, good, because I want us to be together forever."

"Pooh… We are together. There isn't a second that we're not."

'Except… I can feel it' he thought, worried. 'Our connection's weaker… Why is that?"

"What's wrong, Sora?"

"…Oh, it's nothing. What matters is I'll be here" he pointed to Pooh's heart "from now on. No going away."

Pooh chuckled. "Thank you, Sora."

-Scene Break-

As Sora emerged from the book, its front cover changed to show him & Pooh seated together on a log, under a bright blue sky with puffy clouds.

"Splendid" Merlin said. "All is as it should be!"

"But how come Sora's picture disappeared in the first place?" Goofy asked.

Sora hung his head, looking glum.

"Sora?" Donald came closer, concerned.

"…Something's happened to me that made me vanish from Pooh's heart." He looked up, turning to the old wizard. "Merlin, I don't ever wanna lose my friends."

"Hmm…" Merlin pondered. "Well now, there's no need to fret, lad. Whatever's lost can be found again. There are always new paths between Hearts for us to discover and traverse." He smiled. "But you already know that."

He showed Sora the book's new cover, and Sora's smile returned.

"Hey, I just thought of somethin'!" Goofy spoke up. "Remember how when our memories were damaged after our first adventure, and Naminé had to put 'em back together? And Leon & the gang mentioned that their memories of us faded away, only to suddenly come back once our memories were back how they were supposed to be? What if Pooh forgettin' about Sora temporarily was caused by when Master Xehanort damaged his Heart, at the end of the Mark of Mastery Exam?"

"Yes… Yes! That would certainly explain it!" Merlin replied. "During the brief period when Sora's Heart was damaged, memory of him began to fade from Pooh Bear, only to come back once Riku repaired the damage."

"So that's it!" Sora pounded his palm. "In that case, I'm gonna have to be extra-careful not to let that kinda thing happen again."

"Considering what we're going up against…" Donald remarked warily.

"Yeah, I know – easier said than done…"

Just then, Sora's Keyblade manifested itself, the tip pulsing softly with light.

"Time to go" he said. "The Keyblade is guiding us to another place. Come on, you two – let's get a move on! Merlin, thanks for giving me the chance to see Pooh and his friends again!"

"No trouble at all, lad!" the old wizard waved to the departing trio. "I'll keep the book safe, and I'll tell Leon and the others you said hello. And feel free to stop by if you want any more magic lessons!"

"I wonder where we're goin' next?" Goofy said. "I hope it isn't too far away…"

-CHAPTER END-

Okay, the next chapter will be another 'original' one, with Team Sora visiting a World they didn't go to in the game. However, this story will be going on a little hiatus for two weeks or so, because in order to write that chapter, I need a novel for reference and details. I've ordered it, and it's due to arrive by the 30th; I'll then need to read through it, and then I can get to work on the chapter.

See you guys in the new year!