Hey! It's been a long time since I last posted. But school's over for now so I'll be posting more often. Meanwhile I'll leave you an extra long chapter in compensation. Thanks to everyone who's reading the story. I'm having a lot of fun writing it haha Enjoy!

The empty teacups were still on the table and the chairs were exactly as they had left them in Merlin's house. The light was dimmer, the orange and yellow hues of twilight passed through the window, making small particles of dancing dust visible. Merlin was nowhere to be seen.

"I wonder where he went" Kairi sighed. They really needed to discuss the so called dementors. Kairi, Lea and Rapunzel had been quite surprised when Riku and Sora told them those horrid dark beings weren't Heartless. Apparently when they took care of the family and the man in the bar, they told them the dementors suddenly came to attack them. There wasn't much room left for questions as it would seem suspicious, but it was a start.

"Before he left he said he was going to be late for somethin'…" Riku's eyes narrowed.

"Late for what?"

"Not sure" Riku met Rapunzel's eyes as he replied to her question. Merlin was the type of person to have a mysterious and very unstable agenda.

"He was gonna be late, you say? Then I guess that's it for today." Lea scoffed in defeat. "Whenever he says that, it means he'll come back tomorrow. Or the day after. Or the day after the day after". He pressed his palm against his forehead.

A few complaints went through the group. Yen Sid was quite busy helping King Mickey and Dumbledore, so waiting for Merlin was the best option for now. If he really did choose to come in three days and wasn't here by tomorrow, then they would be left with no other choice than to interrupt Yen Sid's work.

"I suppose that leaves us a little extra time to prepare before going to Hogwarts in two days" Kairi said and noticed Sora's and Rapunzel's childish grins. Maybe they could all practice making magic and have fun together.

"Where does Merlin even go?" Riku's eyebrows furrowed. As much as a deep part of him loved the idea of just hanging out with his friends and discover what his new abilities were, more important things had to be taken care of. The success of the mission depended on it. Yen Sid and everyone else were counting on him and he simply refused to let them down. He wouldn't fail anyone. He wouldn't lose to darkness. Not this time and not ever again.

Lea let out an exasperated breath. "Time traveling" He quoted with his fingers and rolled his eyes. He believed in Merlin's powers and he could definitely see his potential, but sometimes the wizard was too… eccentric. He then sighed. There was nothing left to do now. "I'll call it a day. See you in the morning at Yen Sid's so we can come and talk to the crazy wizard." He dismissed them with a quick wave of his hand, as he made his way to the door and pressed his palm against it to push it open.

"Lea?"

The former Nobody spun on his heels and was a little surprised to see Rapunzel's slender figure standing in front of him, her emerald eyes full of concern. He gazed down right at them. Even if he looked slightly younger now, he was still taller than the girl. How could she look so worried?

"Whoa, what's with the frown? It doesn't suit you at all, Punz. Your face could stay like that, you know? And that'd be a pity". Lea gave her his trademark smirky grin. An old habit by now. Nonetheless, there was a hard glint in his eyes this time. The corners of his lips fought to fall down and reveal his true self, but he wouldn't let that happen. He never did. He had figured out how to carry out the 'care-free guy' role and it had worked for him pretty well so far. However, Rapunzel's face remained intact. Lea frowned inwardly.

His features softened. "C'mon, Punzie, don't gimme that look. I'm just gonna relax. Look at me, I'm okay, see?" He motioned to himself and his smirk came back. "And I've got good looks in case you didn't notice."

This time the corners of her lips twitched slightly, nowhere near her usual wide grin. Lea took it as a victory nonetheless. A small one, but a victory all the same.

Her big puppy eyes pleaded. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Maybe. "Nah, I got some stuff to do. Don't wanna drag you into the boredom" He shrugged dismissively.

Rapunzel grimaced, but didn't push it farther. "Where are you going?" She tilted her head and Lea thought that if he didn't leave soon he might as well end up letting her come with him and drop his façade.

"Hmmm…" He pondered on it for a couple of seconds. "Time traveling."

He winked and ruffled the hair of a disconcerted Rapunzel, before even giving her a chance to reply. "See ya, guys" Looking at everyone else, he waved and pocketed his hand, giving Rapunzel one last forced playful smile, and for some odd reason, the soft click of the door closing behind him stirred a sour familiar feeling inside the blonde.

Guilt.

Kairi walked up next to her followed by the others and said, "Hey, I'm sure Lea's fine. He just… needs a little time" The redhead caressed Rapunzel's hair comfortingly, looking at the door as well. Though, if she were asked, she wouldn't deny she was a little worried too.

"Time traveling, huh? What did he mean by that?" Sora spoke to Riku.

Riku crossed his arms. There were times where Lea would suddenly disappear and go somewhere else by himself. No one had really questioned him before about the places where he spent his free time on, but his getaways were starting to get more and more frequent lately. What was he up to? And how does "time traveling" fit into all of that? It was the first clue they'd gotten from him about his mystery visitations since he joined the team.

"Hey! I've got an idea" Sora snapped him out of his thoughts. "How about we practice some magic, huh?" The brown-haired teen suggested, lacing his hands behind his head.

Kairi smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me".

Riku had something else in mind and interrupted before Rapunzel could nod in agreement.

"Actually we've got a mission. Sorry to ruin your date, lovebirds" Riku smirked. Kairi grinned knowingly and Sora's cheeks turned bright red as he found himself at a loss for words and began stuttering something incomprehensible in his defense.

Turning her gaze up to them, the blonde smiled weakly and Riku was glad to be the distraction that took her sad features away even if only for a moment. But the task at hand was more important. "Rapunzel, Yen Sid wants us to investigate the way Heartless react to you in other worlds. Sorry I didn't tell you before but I told him that if you didn't want to-"

"I do" Rapunzel nodded quickly, pushing her worries about Lea to the back of her mind. Riku gave her a look of disbelief.

"I really do. Please. I want to help" Rapunzel reassured him, making sure her eyes were convincing enough, until Riku nodded in understanding. "We won't let anything happen to you. I'll personally make sure of that"

"And we'll protect you and Riku" Sora winked at her and Kairi agreed cheerfully.

Riku's gaze turned to his other two friends. "It's settled then". He said, sounding amused.

"Guess we'll have to be back tomorrow morning to meet Lea and look out for Merlin" Kairi added and Sora started to get excited about the adventure that was to come. "A mission sounds good"

"Let's go then!" Kairi beamed.

Rapunzel's mind traveled back to her life in the tower. Sure, Gothel had talked a lot about needing protection before. That was the reason she had never left the tower in the first place, right? It was the main topic of every conversation they had and the center of her lifestyle until now: she was to be kept "safe". That had always been the priority. But this protection felt different even though she couldn't put her finger exactly on what it was. And unlike the only way of protection she ever knew, this time she actually wanted to be part of it.

I can't wait for you to meet my new friends, Pascal.

"I have a promise to make"

All the attention went to Rapunzel, her sudden choice of words taking everyone by surprise.

"Promise? What kind of promise, Punzie?" Kairi asked.

Rapunzel stood firm. "I promise to protect all of you too. What happened earlier… I don't want that to happen. Not ever again. I couldn't protect my mother or my friend Pascal from the Heartless and I couldn't protect Lea today. I want to be there for all of you too."

"Aw, Rapunzel, I know how you feel, but you know none of that was your fault." Kairi gave her an understanding look.

"You didn't know of the existence of the darkness and neither of us knew those things that attacked Lea weren't Heartless. You did your best and your best is always enough. Nothing to feel bad about" Sora smiled and was quick to try to take Rapunzel's guilt away, but Riku just stared at her, his features plain, making completely unreadable whatever thoughts or emotions took place in that complex mind and that complex heart of his.

"I know…" She sighed. She knew it hadn't been her fault. How could it be? But a part of her just… She had to make up for it all. "But I do have something to ask of you…"

Everyone remained silent, expectation almost tangible in the air.

"Please, teach me to fight."

Surprised looks crossed the Destiny Islands trio. They exchanged hesitating glances and Rapunzel pushed the topic. She had to do this but she couldn't do it alone.

"Please, I promise I'll learn fast"

"Rapunzel, it's not that we don't think you can. It's just too dangerous" Riku locked his eyes with hers. "I just told you I'd keep you safe and I intend to keep my word" His stern gaze was not going to stop her. Not this time at least.

"And I also just promised to protect all of you, Riku. And when I promise something, I never ever break that promise." They continued to hold each other's gaze, neither willing to look away. "Ever"

More than a promise to all of them, it was a promise she'd made to herself, and they both knew it. Riku knew exactly how she felt and he couldn't blame her for it. To not be able to protect those you care about in the past and the determination of not letting them down ever again. The refusal of re-experiencing that burning impotence, the guilt and the anger at yourself. The chance of redeeming yourself and make things right this time.

To yearn for the strength to protect what matters.

"Please, Riku. After what happened today it's obvious I need to learn to fight. Xehanort's very dangerous, you said so, and he's not alone this time. You're going to need your full potential. And with all those Heartless going after me, you might not always be there to protect me. There are many other things you have to take care of. I understand that"

"Rapunzel's right." Kairi stood next to Rapunzel and Riku glared. "I know what you're thinking, but we need as much as help as we can get. You already saw what she's capable of. She already proved herself. Can you imagine what she could do with a few training sessions?"

Riku gave her a patient look. How could Kairi take her side? Couldn't she see what was at risk? He tried to speak calmly his next words. "Kairi, I know what she's capable of. I saw her risking her life for a stranger so I know how serious she is when she says she promises to protect all of us" He paused and shot a quick glance to Rapunzel. "But she's no Keybearer. This isn't her fight, it's ours."

"It became my fight when I lost my world because of it!"

A heavy silence permeated the air and settled on the small house. Kairi and Sora shifted uncomfortably and Riku remained quiet, guilt slowly building inside him. He lowered his gaze for a moment.

She was right. Maybe it was her fight. Still, he was right too. Letting her fight beside them without any training background, while in an undercover mission in a magic school, and while having a particular popularity amongst Heartless, was total nonsense. Unethical, even. It would take months for her to learn the basics properly and they didn't have that time. He'd even left her alone in a world with no Heartless, and they'd seen how that turned out, hadn't they?

Riku pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I'm sorry, Rapunzel. But I'm not putting you in any danger" He lowered his hand and met her frustrated face. "Already did once."

Rapunzel's eyes widened for the briefest of moments, and Riku averted his concerned gaze, turning his back on her. For a few heartbeats she stared at him. Did he blame himself for what happened back in Montressor? Was that it?

She took a deep breath and slowly walked, until she stood in front of him, placing her soft hand in his firm shoulder and tilting her head, but failing to meet his evasive gaze.

"Please, let me keep my promise, Riku. Besides, you'd be keeping yours too". Even if his head didn't move, his aquamarine eyes finally resolved to meet her jade ones.

"You'd be protecting me by teaching me to fight, don't you think?" She smiled faintly, lifting her eyebrows. Through his peripheral view, Riku caught Sora supporting Rapunzel, giving her a thumb up. How could no one support him? And to top it all, the logical part of his brain kicked in. She actually had a point. What was she supposed to do in the case none of them were able to help her? Even if he kept convincing himself that that would never happen, there was still a chance. As much as he hated to admit it. Would the Heartless just take her heart? He dismissed the thought immediately. That was not an option.

"You and I know it's impossible to interfere with people's hearts. I think the right choice is pretty obvious, Riku" Sora punched lightly his best friend's arm.

A deeper smile found its way into Rapunzel's defined, fleshy lips and Riku fought the urge to smile himself. Boy, this girl was stubborn. Just like some certain silver-haired Keyblade Master with aquamarine eyes.

He stared a little longer at her and his jaw clenched in anticipation of what he was about to do. Would he regret this? Better to be safe than sorry.

"Fine" He sighed in defeat. "But it has to be on my terms"

The other three celebrated right after his first word, not really paying attention to the rest of what he said. The odds of winning an argument against Riku were always pretty dim, and even though it'd have to be under his rules, it was a victory nonetheless. It was exciting having an new member in their team.

"Only self-defense" Riku said before they celebrated too much, and Rapunzel listened attentively. "There's no time to properly train you. And when we're on missions you have to do exactly as we tell you. You won't fight unless it's a life-or-death matter, got it?"

Rapunzel nodded excitedly and her smile grew wider. "It was a pleasure making business with you"

"Wish I could say the same" Riku raised an eyebrow and this time he couldn't help but grin back. Who would've thought she was a negotiator too? Once again he underestimated her…

"So that settles it! The only thing left is, where should we go?" Kairi placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, since Rapunzel's learning to fight now, I think I know the perfect people and the perfect place for the job" Sora took his hand to his chin.

"And where's that?" Riku asked.

The brown-haired teen smirked. "Port Royal"

"P-p-pirates?!" Rapunzel's hands reached out to both Kairi and Riku's arms as if to hold still, each occupying a seat next to her, while Sora piloted his gummi ship. The idea of visiting a world inhabited by pirates did not sound appealing in any way. At all. Especially after having already dealt with space pirates and almost dying in the process. "I-I don't think I can do that" Her voice quivered.

"We'll be safe, Punzie, you'll see. We'll never leave you alone. And you know, it's also my first time visiting this world" Kairi beamed, excited at the idea of adventure. But the fact that it was also Kairi's first time on that world, just unsettled Rapunzel further.

"Hey, we just made you a promise." Riku said quickly as if sensing her thoughts. "I know Sora can seem like a total sap sometimes but-"

"Hey! You know, maybe you can spacewalk your way to the next world" Sora warned mockingly and the four of them laughed.

Once the chuckling ceased, Riku continued. "And even if this world is Sora's choice," Sora glared at him but didn't say anything else when Kairi giggled, "these aren't evil pirates. I wouldn't go as far as saying they're good, but they're okay I guess."

Rapunzel bit her lower lip and remained silent for a few moments, then glanced up to meet his and Kairi's eyes. "If you say so then… I believe you." The blonde forced a small smile. She had to be ready for anything now, right? Then she'd better start facing her fears because there was still a much bigger adventure ahead and an atrocious villain to stop. It seemed like many of the threats her mother had warned her about were exactly as she'd described them.

Maybe a lot worse.

But her mother also hadn't warned her about friendship, fun, freedom and magic. And it turned out those things were just like Rapunzel had imagined.

Maybe even better.

"Ok! We're here!" Sora exclaimed with a devilish expression on his face as he put his hand in one of the levers. "And you know what that means"

Every alarm went off in Riku's head, but it was already too late. Everyone joined in a screaming chorus, a strange mix of fun and panic, as the gummi ship went into a nosedive.

Jewel-blue waves crashed against the shore, darkening the cold, golden sand and stealing rests of fallen palm trees with it. The smell of salt intoxicated the air and ghost-grey mist hovered over the tall but quiet mountains deep in the island, blocking the blinding sun.

"Sora, this is nothing like you said Port Royal was…" Kairi whispered in Sora's ear, a slight annoyance audible in her voice.

"That's because this isn't Port Royal" Riku eyed the shore. A vague memory of his home surfaced, except this beach wasn't nearly as nice. And even if it were, Destiny Islands would always be his number one favorite. Nothing would ever change that. But if this wasn't Port Royal, where were they? And most importantly, how would they find the people they were looking for?

"Sorry" Sora lifted a shoulder as he smiled apologetically.

"Hey, it's okay" Kairi grinned.

"NO WAY! Look! It's a ship!" The three teens followed Rapunzel's finger and surprise transformed their faces.

"Not just a ship, it's the Black Pearl!" Sora said. "We found it! C'mon!"

The four sprinted across the chilly shore, the massive ship that stabbed the sand becoming closer and closer with every step. Rapunzel silently marveled at the footprints that were left behind in the sand, enjoying the wet sensation under the soles of her feet, and the soft crunching sound that accompanied it. Soon her gaze lifted and she was distracted by the old, ragged black sails of the lonely ship.

Unnervingly lonely ship…

No ship had black sails in the pictures of her books. But then again, what did she know about the real world? Leave alone other real worlds.

After a minute of running, they stopped in front of the ship and Kairi and Rapunzel slowly stepped closer in order to reach out to touch the wet wood.

Nothing could be heard besides the crashing sound of the waves. Not even seagulls. It was strangely quiet, considering a legendary crew of a pirate ship was in the island.

"I wonder where Captain Jack Sparrow is" Sora wandered around and right before Kairi could reply, a loud, low moan-like sound echoed from the mountains, sending shivers to anyone unfortunate enough to hear it. The teenagers' heads whipped around and tension quickly built thick in the air. Black smoke started emerging from somewhere deep within the island and started dancing along the mist of the mountains.

Silence again.

"We'd better hurry and find him now" Riku's jaw clenched. This couldn't be good. "Rapunzel, come with me. You two stay here and keep watch. We'll be back in a minute" After Sora and Kairi nodded, Riku quickly moved next to one of the ropes that hung from the ship. Rapunzel followed right after.

"Can you climb this?" The silver-haired teen signaled the rope, but Rapunzel looked up at the ship instead.

"I think I can do this" Riku either ignored or didn't notice the slightest hint of a grin in her face.

"Good. Try to follow my lead. I'll help you as soon as I make it to the deck" Riku began climbing the rope, his strong and athletic body allowing him to keep a good pace and a perfect balance. If it turned out Rapunzel couldn't climb, then he might help her a little with magic just like the day they met.

And to think that day felt far away.

Once he almost made it to the wooden edge and was about to grasp it with his hands to push himself up, something came from inside the ship and reached out to him, barely making him let go of the rope.

His heart began beating at a normal rate as soon as he saw the owner of the small and delicate hand.

"Oops" Rapunzel resisted the urge to chortle and offered him an apologetic smile. "I thought you could use some help"

A relieved look crossed Riku's face as he huffed and took her hand. "How did you even-"

"Years of practice" Rapunzel grinned proudly and helped him up, until he landed gracefully. He miraculously didn't step on the long, silky trail of gold that he soon recognized as Rapunzel's loose hair, and only then he understood what she meant.

Still, how could he be over the fact that, not only could her hair probably cover the entire deck, but it was also useful to reach the highest of places within seconds? The memory of last night when they talked in the roof of the Mysterious Tower resurfaced in his mind and he felt stupid. Of course she could climb and now he knew how she did it. But what kind of home did she live in to practice climbing with her hair? Was it a thing of her world? He fought against his curiosity and decided to ask her later about it. No time for that now. There were so many things he didn't know about her though.

"That was impressive" He forced himself to snap out of his thoughts, and she sheepishly thanked him for the compliment.

He motioned for her to follow "We gotta go. Stay close"

They made their way into the crew's quarters, quickly lowering a flight of stairs and Rapunzel's nose wrinkled. The salty fresh scent of the sea had been replaced by rotten wood and the acid reek of sweat that grew stronger the deeper they went. A shadow moved out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned around nothing was there to be seen. She gulped.

"Riku, what exactly, um, are we doing here?" Rapunzel quickly followed his steps and stared as the Keyblade Master proceeded to rummage through the piled stuff under one of the many old hammocks that the blonde assumed was where the pirates slept. He continued, quickly discarding guns, swords, stinky clothes and more weapons, before moving to the next hammock only to repeat the same process. He didn't seem so pleased with the things he was touching either.

"Getting you a weapon". His disgusted look momentarily disappeared and the corner of his mouth quirked up. "Found it".

Before Rapunzel could say anything, he got up, dusted himself off and half proved the sword in the air with simple moves. He pursed his lips. "False alarm". He shrugged and dropped the sword back to its' place in the wooden floor, before he moved on to search in the next hammock.

Against her own will but following her curiosity, Rapunzel grabbed the worn hilt of the dropped sword. It was a light, shiny, thin blade. "A weapon? But I thought-"

Sensing her thoughts, Riku shook his head while searching. "Mm-mmm. Can't use your wand. Not here."

Rapunzel sighed. Of course. How could she forget? "No meddling in the affairs of other worlds, right?"

Riku blinked and turned his head. So she actually paid very close attention to what he taught her last night in the Mysterious Tower. A strange pride stirred inside him as he remembered the way her eyes struggled to remain open just to listen more of what he had to say even after he insisted many times on her going to sleep. However, she'd only say that she needed to understand how things worked in order to be able to do something. Eventually, her unwavering will was overcome by the weight of her eyelids, so Riku wasn't really expecting her memory to retain many details. After all, there was so much to process and she was completely new to all of this. Still, he found his expectations proved wrong by her once again. "So you weren't lying when you said you're a fast learner, huh?"

She shrugged "What can I say? I have a good teacher" Her lips curved upwards and Riku grinned back at her. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel the light she irradiated. Her warmth, her purity, her kindness…

Then he cleared his throat.

"But you're right. Wands don't exist here, so you can't use yours. But after handling a sword, a wand should be kid stuff." He rolled his shoulders. "Let's keep searching"

Rapunzel nodded absentmindedly. "But… what about-"

Glass broke.

The blonde spun around in her heels, quickly scanning her surroundings. Everything was silent except for the soft sound of the ropes of a hammock that moved from side to side in a barely perceptive motion. Heartless? Thugs? Ruffians? ...Pirates?

"R-R-Riku" Rapunzel stepped back, almost tripping with the Keyblade Master that was already behind her, his keyblade firm in his grip. He stepped in front of her, his intense eyes looking for the source of the noise.

"Take this" He ordered in a low voice that left no room for hesitation and handed her a silver sword. Rapunzel shakily grasped the hilt, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest. This was it. One of her hands traveled to a strand of her hair. Contrary to her mother's opinion, Rapunzel always knew it would be an advantage and that it would come in handy to take care of herself out there. She was pretty skilled with it and this was the time to prove it.

And this was the time to learn to use a sword.

Noises started to come from behind them, then in front of them, as if a gust of wind traveled across the room in circles, making its presence known through the violent movement of the objects it touched.

"Don't move" Riku whispered sternly, his knuckles white around his Keyblade. He couldn't sense any darkness. But if he had learned something in the past two years, was that the darkness you can't sense is the most dangerous of all.

Suddenly, the noises stopped.

Rapunzel could almost listen to her heartbeat. Their nerves were on the edge, and at this point any sudden movement would cause a lethal slash of one of their blades. She wouldn't hesitate. Not this time. This was the time to be brave.

And she was.

A guttural screech was heard and in a second all Rapunzel saw was a pair of pointy fangs an inch away from her face. In the space of a blink, the flat side of her blade clashed with Riku's Keyblade, and a capuchin monkey fell to the ground.

A poor, defenseless, lanky monkey.

Rapunzel's hands muffled a gasp, and the sound of metal against wood was heard as she let go of her sword.

Her knees hit the ground, and her face distorted with terror as she came closer to inspect the unconscious creature. "No, no, no, no! Wake up, monkey! Please!" It wasn't moving and it wasn't breathing. As she was about to poke it to look for a sign that indicated the monkey was still alive, her hands were firmly grasped by Riku's. "Ah ah. You don't wanna do that. Trust me" His eyes were unreadable and Rapunzel frowned. What was he up to?

"What are you talking about? We did this, we have to help!"

She released her hands from his, and reached out to the creature's body. It was gone.

She blinked once. Twice. She was tempted to do it a third time as if that would make it reappear, but instead she turned her face to Riku.

Riku smirked at Rapunzel's dumbfounded face and released a chuckle. "Told ya. Relax, he's fine"

She contemplated him for several moments, then went back to the empty spot. The monkey was unconscious a second ago, where did he go? And how did he move so fast? She hadn't seen monkeys in her life before, but Rapunzel was sure that couldn't be natural.

She pressed a palm against her forehead. "Argh, I'm a despicable human being. I just hope you're right".

"C'mon, you just reacted. And I'm pretty sure I'm right in this case. He's fine" He sounded amused for a strange reason as he stood up and offered her his hand. "Let's head back. I think we've given Sora and Kairi enough quality time" He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it with a smile, picking up her sword in the way as he helped her up. He turned around and began leading the way out.

"Riku, wait."

"Hm?"

"I'm not sure about this."

He tilted his head "About what?"

Rapunzel looked down at the blade in her hands. "I mean, this sword belongs to someone else. I know it's not like we have many other choices but what if the owner needs it? Or what if it's precious to them, like a gift from someone special or something? I can't just take it." As much as Rapunzel understood that a weapon was needed in order to learn something -anything- about combat, she refused to simply steal it from someone else.

A flicker of confusion crossed the Keyblade master's aquamarine eyes and for a full second he looked at her, perplexed, as if she were some unsolvable riddle or a modern urban painting he couldn't understand.

When that second ended, he snickered. Rapunzel's eyebrows furrowed and it took every ounce of his strength to repress a full laugh from escaping his lips.

"Rapunzel," Riku paused, and the blonde noticed his voice was a little strained. What was so funny? "I know the owner. We won't get in any trouble, 'kay? Pirates lose and get new weapons all the time. I can assure you…" He paused, fighting to maintain his shoulders still and to keep them from shaking. "…it's not a gift from someone special"

A flicker of disbelief crossed her eyes, but then it disappeared. It wasn't him that she didn't believe him, it just didn't feel right. Her eyes returned to the blade. "Okay, but… at least can we give it back when we're done using it?"

This time, Riku couldn't suppress his laugh.

Rapunzel frowned again. "Why are you laughing? I mean it, I want to give it back" She mumbled before crossing her arms and Riku was finally able to regain some of his self-control.

"Sorry, I'm not making fun of you, it's just…" His voice trailed off and Rapunzel, though she didn't show it, could tell he was telling the truth. His grin wasn't a mocking one.

"Just what?"

Riku pondered on it for a few moments.

"Rapunzel! Riku! Everything okay?"

"C'mon guys! We gotta find Captain Jack Sparrow!"

"Coming!" Riku shouted back at Kairi and Sora. "Never mind, we gotta go" He added and Rapunzel agreed as he began leading the way out of the ship.

Right after a few steps, her eyes caught sight of something shiny on the floor. It was a tiny golden object.

She stepped closer, curiosity getting the best of her, and couldn't help but bend to pick it up. "Riku, I think I found something…"

It was a small medallion, with a shiny skull at its center and an intricate pattern around it. It was cold and light to touch, but with an odd aura around it. She held it in front of her eyes. "Look, do you think the monkey dropped this?"

"Hm?" His smirk vanished, eyes popping open in realization. "Rapunzel, don't-!"

"GAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Riku, I am so SO sorry! Are you sure you're alright?"

"Mm hmm"

"Please let me do something about it"

"I'm fine"

"I-I really shouldn't have picked it up, I should've known he was going to get upset after that first warning. It's his territory after all. At least let me take care of those scratches-"

"I'm okay"

The ashamed blonde sighed as she walked besides a stoic, bitten and a much scratched Riku. It turns out the medallion did belong to the monkey, and as soon as he found out it was in the blonde's hands, he quickly proceeded to defend his precious belonging from the intruders. Riku noticed a second too late, but threw himself and managed to knock the medallion from Rapunzel's hands, becoming the monkey's target of wrath releasement in the process. He stood up frenziedly trying to knock him off. Rapunzel threw and pulled her hair, aiming at the raging monkey in an attempt to remove him from Riku's lower body, which the monkey dodged, and the strand became tangled in the silverette's legs making him fall, which also resulted in a far worse attack. Eventually, Rapunzel made good use of her animal communication skills and managed to apologize to the monkey and convince him to leave the Keyblade Master alone. He became her friend and even led her to a thin belt to keep her sword in.

I'm sorry, Rapunzel thought remorsefully.

Finally the duo got off the ship and landed on the shore. Fresh air was exactly what they needed, but it was time to do what they came to do.

"Sora, Kairi, let's get moving" Riku announced in a steely voice. Rapunzel could tell he still wasn't himself. She wondered how their friends would react to suddenly see him full of wounds, bites and with his clothes slightly tattered.

But they didn't.

Because they weren't there.

"Sora! Kairi!" Riku called out for the third time but no one replied. Rapunzel walked around the nearby area, making attempts of finding them on her own calling out to them as well.

"If this is a prank, it's not funny! Quit the games, we don't have time for this!" Riku waited for an answer, suddenly feeling his body tense at the unpleasant hypothesis that began forming at the back of his mind. He cursed under his breath.

"Riku, look! Footprints!" Rapunzel pointed to the sand and Riku saw several marks. She ran after a trace that led straight into the island. Riku didn't need to be told twice.

'These are from at least ten people. Ugh, what did you two get into this time?' Riku told himself as they sprinted full speed through the tropical jungle. He observed several ropes hanging from the trees, but found his thoughts interrupted when Rapunzel abruptly came to a halt almost making him trip.

"Wha-"

She put her hands over his mouth, her eyes as big as saucers.

"Ubaga shebeni!"

"Numuku, munumulu baga"

Five men in loincloth with large spears and blowtubes stood a couple of feet away from them. Their bodies were completely covered in dry mud and their faces streaked with yellow stripes, each with a different pattern and several bone piercings. They didn't look happy.

Riku and Rapunzel held their breaths and lightly shifted in their feet to hide behind the palm trees in front of them.

"Munumulu baga guak guak" The corpulent man of the group groaned, eyes burning with anger, punching his free hand into fist and sticking his spear on the ground. The other four fell deep in thought, as if meditating on his words.

"Baga buga guak guak" Another nodded and the others whispered unintelligible sounds, determination etched on their faces.

"BUGA GUAK GUAK!" They roared unison, fiercely stabbing the sky with their spears. Soon they raced towards the mountain, growling and howling as if their lives depended on it. Other voices replied from the distance. Soon the rattle of branches and leaves that followed their steps slowly drifted away along with their voices. Not soon enough in Riku's opinion.

When the voices were barely audible, Rapunzel exhaled heavily, pressing her forehead against the palm tree that saved them a lot of trouble and Riku leaned his hands on his knees. That could've gone terribly wrong.

"That was close" Riku said, adjusting to the sudden adrenaline rush. "We gotta be more careful"

Rapunzel's head and back were now pressed against the trunk. "Do you think they have Sora and Kairi?"

"I dunno". Riku straightened himself and shook his head. "They wouldn't get caught just like that, I know that for sure." Especially because Kairi's here this time, he thought. Sora would be extra protective. "But I don't like the number of footprints."

"Neither do I" Rapunzel pushed herself off the palm tree. "We should follow those men before they get too far"

"You're right. I can't tell if they've gotten Sora and Kairi but judging by their camouflage they must be skilled ambushing unsuspecting people. I bet the Black Pearl crew must've had a fun encounter with them. There are broken traps everywhere. Let's go" He helped Rapunzel carry some of her hair and they ran after the natives of the island.