The Tides Go Out

by Regiss

Four months later, the war between Maleficent's Heartless and Braig's Nobodies threatens to consume all worlds. In the middle of the conflict, Sora, Xion, and their friends continue the search for Riku while also dealing with Vanitas, who will stop at nothing to get Ven's heart. Sequel to Remember the Tides.

47. The Loot of a Thousand Worlds

Chapter 47: The Loot of a Thousand Worlds

At a clearing within Treasure Planet's humid mushroom forest, the Highwind descended upon the surface. Obtaining the real map had been no trouble at all, it was still where Morph had left it at the bottom of the ship, with no pirates nearby since they had no idea it was there. After securing the ball, Jim, Sora, and Xion had hurried the ship back to the was approaching, and the time Silver had given them was almost up. Of course they had no intention of handing the map over, but they still had to get out of there before he fired the ship's cannons.

As soon as the Gummi ship landed in the clearing, the door swung open and Jim jumped out onto the spongy ground. Morph circled around his head, cheering and hooting, as Jim triumphantly held up the map with a smile. He looked over his shoulder at Xion and Sora. "Let's go tell them we got it. Come on!"

"Yeah, we're right with—Jim, behind you!"

Jim raised an eyebrow at Sora's shout, spinning around just in time to see a muscular hand swipe the map out of his grasp. Pete laughed loudly and shoved Jim onto the ground, holding the orb in his mighty fingers. Silver chuckled beside Pete and motioned for the large cat to hand the map over, which he gratefully complied to.

"Oh…" Jim held up the orb and admired it in the glowing light. "Fine work, Jimbo. Fine work indeed."

"Silver?" Jim climbed up to his feet in a daze. "How did you know…?"

"You're just like me, Jimbo. Ya hates to lose." Silver patted Jim on the head and turned back into the crowd of the pirates, leaving a laughing Pete at the head of the group.

"Pete!" Xion and Sora dashed past Jim and charged at their foe with Keyblades in hand, not even giving the pirates a chance to speak. As one the two Keybearers leaped at Pete, but the boisterous bruiser stepped out of the way—revealing a horrified dog-man behind him. Shocked, Sora and Xion cast synchronous Aero spells that blew them off-course and sent them colliding into the earth seconds before they pierced Dr. Doppler. Xion immediately jumped back up onto her feet and spun around, leveling her Keyblade at Pete while investigating the sight before them.

It wasn't just Dr. Doppler. Captain Amelia and even Donald and Goofy had been captured as well, the four of them tied up in pairs and surrounded on all sides by the pirate crew. Donald and Goofy's arms were bound especially tight, so they couldn't call on their weapons. And Xion and Sora couldn't even get close enough to free them with the wall of pirates.

"Guys, how could you let Pete beat you?!" Sora shouted at their friends.

"It's not our fault!" Donald snapped as he struggled against the bindings.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Goofy, unlike Donald, didn't attempt to free himself. He shook his head and nodded toward Silver. "Gawrsh Sora, they caught us off-guard! Heartless attacked us after you left, and while we were fightin' them Silver and Pete jumped us!"

Sora slapped a hand over his face. "Ugh, guys!"

Pete's laughter roared up once again. "That's right! I've got your precious pals locked tight, pipsqueaks. And now you can't do nothin' while me and Silver find the treasure." He looked over his shoulder. "Ain't that right, Silver?"

"That it is, Pete. You've certainly held up your end of the bargain, aye." Silver held the map up in his good hand while his robotic fingers extended and pressed down on the map at various points. "Now then, what say you boys? Let's get this open and find Flint's treasure!"

"Aye!" the crew cheered as one.

Pete shot a fist into the air. "And from there, the treasure of all the worlds yous guys help me conquer!"

"Aye aye!"

Silver chuckled and turned his attention back to the map. "The loot of a thousand worlds and a thousand more. I like the sound of that, Pete." His robotic hand began rotating, the gears whirring and fingers moving. He twisted separate pieces of the map this way and that, he pressed buttons, he solved every tiny puzzle on the orb's surface.

And the map did not open.

"What the…? I was sure I had it right…"

"Havin' trouble?" Pete frowned. "Give it here, one-eye."

Silver pulled his arms back. "Back off, Pete! The map's mine. I just gotta…twist this here…press that…and…. Aha!"

Nothing.

Silver ground his teeth and narrowed his eyes. He grew red in the face and let out a mighty roar before tossing his arms up in defeat. Spinning around, the angered captain marched right up to Jim and slapped the map down in the boy's hands. Immediately his robotic hand transformed into a gun and, while glaring at Jim, he pointed it back at Dr. Doppler.

"Solve the map!"

Xion watched Jim stare at the map for a few moments, processing what was going on. Then, for the briefest of flashes, Jim's face lit up. It took Xion a moment to recognize what he had just figured out, but when she caught on she had to bite back a gasp. They were in a position of power here.

"Hurry it up, or the duck gets it!" Pete called with a fist placed above Donald's head. Donald in turn was shouting unrepeatable words at the fat cat.

The barrel of Silver's gun began to whir. "NOW, Jimbo!"

Jim looked up at Silver and then down at the map once more. Shrugging in feigned helplessness, Jim began working his magic on the ball in his hands. As Silver had, he turned parts of it and pressed in others. Xion herself couldn't tell what he was doing differently than the cyborg, but nevertheless he was doing it. As Jim clicked the last piece into place the runes on the map began to glow green—it was the same shade as the band of energy orbiting the world, Xion now realized—and the ball opened up.

Unlike when Jim had shown them this back aboard the RLS Legacy, however, it didn't generate a map of the universe. Instead, the green energy emerged from the open sphere as a beam of light that shot off toward the horizon. Silver, Pete, and the rest of the crew watched it fly past them and vanish into the distance in a stunned silence, none of them quite knowing what had just happened. Xion didn't either, and she could tell neither did any of her friends; not even Jim, who looked at the green light with silent awe.

Something clicked within Silver, however. He adjusted his hat and marched forward; not to the skiff, but toward their Gummi ship. Toward the Highwind. "Take the ship, boys! That light will take us right to Captain Flint's trea—"

Before Silver had finished speaking, the light retreated as quickly as it had come and the map fell lifelessly into Jim's hands. Silver whirled around and breathed deeply through his nose, but Jim looked down at the ball and then met the captain with half-open eyes and a smug grin. "You want the map? You're taking us, too."

Silver began to grind his teeth, prompting Pete to speak up in his stead. "Now why do you think we—"

"We'll take 'em all!" Silver shouted, cutting Pete off. With a huff he whirled around one last time and marched off to the red and yellow ship as Jim began to activate the map once more. The pirates followed swiftly behind him, muttering amongst themselves and leaving a shocked Pete behind. Pete looked between Xion and Sora, still holding their Keyblades, then back at Silver and the Highwind. Stomping his feet and grunting in anger, Pete shot like a bullet back to the captain.

With the pirates cleared away, for however short a time that would end up being, Xion and Sora quickly dismissed their Keyblades hurried over to their captive friends. Jim soon joined them and immediately began to undo the binds around Amelia and Dr. Doppler as Sora worked on Donald's and Xion on Goofy's.

Xion grunted as she tugged on the rope; whichever one of the pirates had tied them up, he did a better job than the one who had caught them for sneaking aboard the Legacy. They were on a timer here, and she'd normally just cut the rope with her Keyblade but it was bound so tightly around Goofy that she'd probably risk getting him too.

"Ooh, ticklish," Goofy giggled quietly.

"Hurry up, Sora!" Donald snapped.

"Hey, these things take time, okay?" Sora pulled tight, prompting a strained gasp from Donald.

Beside them, Amelia looked over her shoulder at Jim and gave a gentle, proud smile. "That was quick thinking, Mister Hawkins."

Jim shrugged as his face turned a shade of pink. "Well, you know, I've learned to think on my feet." He rubbed his face with one hand, perhaps trying to hide the blush, then nodded once. "Anyway, I think I almost got you guys out…"

But before he actually did have those two free, the sound of Silver's shouting came from the Highwind. "You idiots, 'take 'em all' means bring them aboard the ship!"

Immediately, a handful of pirates barreled out of the Gummi ship as if Heartless were at their heels. Sora and Xion quickly jumped back onto their feet and called their Keyblades once again, ready to defend the others, but the pirates ignored the two of them completely. Their alien figures dashed past the three kids and reached for their captives, picking Amelia, Doppler, Donald, and Goofy up by the ropes.

"Hey, watch it!" Donald snapped as he kicked at the pirate holding him, but it was a death grip. As Donald began to shout in protest the pirates marched back to the Highwind with their prizes in tow.

A moment later, Xion felt something hard press into her back and turned to see a pirate with his laser pistol, ready to shoot at her if she didn't comply. "Fine, I'm going." She dismissed her Keyblade and marched off to the awaiting Gummi ship, with Jim and Sora beside her in a similar predicament.

Aboard the cool, metal halls of the Highwind, the usual quiet atmosphere was completely absent as the crew began to make themselves at home. Xion's face turned into a grimace when she noticed a handful of them walking over to the bedrooms. A thought occurred to her and, biting back a gasp, her hand flew to her chest. Thank goodness… She sighed; Stitch's summon charm was around her neck so the pirates wouldn't be stealing it from her room.

Angry and confused voices came from the cockpit, which the pirates were also bringing everyone toward.

"Whaddaya mean ya can't pilot it?!"

"Does this look like a ship's wheel to you?!"

Pete and Turnbuckle stood in front of the controls, in each others faces and teeth bared. Pete raised a fist and shook it threateningly while Turnbuckle waved his tentacles in the air like an angered octopus. The controls sat unmanned, leaving an exasperated Silver to rub his face off to the side.

"You're the crew's navigator!" Pete snapped. "So get to navigatin'!"

"I can't pilot this…this…thing! How can anyone?! There's no wheel!" Turnbuckle spun around and crossed his tentacles like arms in a huff. "You're from the world this ship was created, aren't you? Then you drive it!"

Pete's jaw fell. He took a step or two backwards and waved his hands nervously. "W-Well, I—"

"Can't drive stick, can you, Pete?" Sora asked with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. Donald, Goofy, and Xion laughed beside him. Pete groaned over their laughter and stomped his feet, looking like he was about to start shouting all over again, and then…

"Ah!' Pete snapped to attention and turned to Donald, pointing a fat finger at the duck. "You! You're the pilot, duck!"

"I am, yeah…?" Donald confirmed, but he was confused as to what Pete was getting at. Xion didn't quite understand either, not until Silver stepped up beside Pete and rested his hands on his hips.

"You know how to drive this ship, then?" Silver asked.

"I'd hope so," Donald deadpanned back at him.

"Watch that tongue, duck." Silver nodded toward the pirates, who glanced at each other before shrugging. One of them drew a knife and crept forward, prompting Donald to cry out and try to run away. Another, however, held him in place as the sharp blade drew closer and closer—and then cut Donald free.

"What?" Donald glanced down at his hands, but before he could do anything else a pistol was jammed into his back.

"Get movin'!" Silver snapped. The pirate shoved the pistol further into Donald's back. "You're takin' us to the treasure!"

"Why would I do that?" The gun clicked, and Donald gulped. "Aheheh… Yes, sir, captain sir!"

Donald sat down in his pilot's seat and began activating the Gummi ship. Beneath their feet the engines came to life and a moment of weightlessness passed as it lifted up off the ground. The ship rose slowly above the mushroom forest and vast field, leaving the shelter they had used last night behind. Donald leveled out before leaving orbit and brought it to a stop in the air, turning the nose of the ship to face the green beam of light hat Jim had created earlier. When they were aligned, Donald pulled a lever and the ship was off.

Treasure Planet sailed beneath them, the biome never changing from open moss field or humid mushroom forest. But despite the bird's-eye view of the world Xion couldn't get comfortable in the cockpit, not with the crew's guns looming over them; especially Jim and Dr. Doppler, who had no fighting experience at all. Donald continued to fly over the surface with Silver and Pete practically breathing down his neck. And the ship continued to follow the light ever onward.

Several hours passed with the scenery never changing. If they hadn't been following a straight beam of light, Xion would have thought they were just flying around in circles. Silver was growing agitated, and it was beginning to show. His fingers drummed against the head of Donald's seat and his organic leg bounced up and down impatiently.

The ship did eventually come to a stop, however, when they quite literally ran out of land to follow. The beam of light and the Highwind halted on the edge of a tall cliff overlooking more of the mushroom forest. As Donald began to lower Xion glanced outside the window. This was weird, wasn't the beam meant to lead them to the treasure? Because it just…stopped. There was nothing here but the cliff.

Silver seemed to be as confused as her, but ordered the men begin marching out nonetheless. As Xion complied with the gun in her back, she looked over her shoulder to see Sora quickly and quietly burning away Goofy's bindings with a fire spell. He was about to free Amelia and Dr. Doppler when Pete shoved him and Goofy aside and toward the exit.

"Get movin', nimrods! They'll still be here when you're done."

"Oh yeah? Well—" Goofy put a hand on Sora's shoulder, holding him back, and Sora sighed. "Fine." He crossed his arms as he marched out of the Highwind alongside Donald and Goofy, with Pete right behind them.

"I'll get you guys out soon," Xion heard Jim say to Doppler and Amelia before he followed them as well.

They had to walk a bit to reach the edge; the Highwind wasn't parked on the cliff proper, but rather a little further back right before the mushroom forest began. The cliff wasn't huge, but it was large enough to fit them all and have room to spare. As Jim closed the map and the light retreated inside the ball, Silver scanned the horizon with his hand over his eyes to block the sunlight.

"I don't see any treasure." His voice had a dangerous growl to it.

Pete laughed. "You sure about that, Captain?"

"What are you on about, Pete? If you know something I don't, then say it."

Pete grinned. "Look, all I'm sayin' is maybe you oughta check—" He swiftly spun around and swiped the map from Jim's hands, holding it above his head triumphantly.

"Hey!" Jim jumped at Pete, but Pete knocked him aside with a powerful backhand. He didn't even look at Jim while doing it.

"—right under your nose!" Laughing, Pete slammed the map onto the ground and into a round slot that had been partially hidden beneath the moss. Immediately the runes on the ball's surface lit up a brilliant green, and the glow quickly crawled onto the very earth beneath their feet. The moss melted away as long-hidden runes carved into the metal beneath their feet began to glow in time with the map, causing gasps to rise up from the crew. The map opened as if Jim had activated it and green light poured out, forming a miniature, holographic map of the universe that floated in the air before Pete. But the light didn't stop there. It flowed over the edge of the cliff and up into the air, meeting many yards above their heads and then cascading downwards.

Pete's chuckling transformed into uproarious laughter as the light formed a triangle shape on the edge of the cliff. He raised his fists into the air and jumped for joy. "Maleficent was right! Ol' Pete's finally won!"

Donald waved his fists in the air and shouted over the surging energy of whatever it was that Pete had activated. "Pete, ya big palooka! What have you done?!"

"I've come out on top, that's what! I've found a way to get to every world out there, and you all led me right to it!" He held his arms out while the triangle shape completed itself. "Maleficent can't control the Heartless, so she sent me to find this here doorway!"

"'Doorway'?" Sora asked.

A brilliant flash erupted from the inside of the triangle, forcing everyone to cover their eyes or risk going blind. When the light faded, Xion lowered her arms from her face and then let out a startled gasp. Pete stood silhouetted against the light coming from within the triangle, and beyond him was a shockingly familiar sight.

Within the doorway was a thick rainforest, with the sound of waterfalls and hooting gorillas in the background. Vines and thick trees hung from the canopy, and in the distance a well-crafted and large tree house was visible.

Sora spoke up beside Xion. "Is that…Deep Jungle?"

Pete laughed and pressed his finger into the holographic map. In another flash, the image on the other side of the door had shifted: bountiful green fields and trees, a bubbling brook, a castle with a long stone bridge leading up to it, and a peaceful cottage in a glen.

Xion gasped. "That's the Enchanted Dominion!"

Pete continued to press his hand into the map, and the world beyond the door continued to change. Beast's Castle, Halloween Town, Arendelle, Olympus Coliseum, Neverland, La Cité des Cloches… This thing could go anywhere and everywhere!

"Blimey…" Silver muttered, wiping his forehead. "So this is how Flint did it… This is how he got around to all those worlds so quickly…" His eyes widened and he stood up straight. "But where's his blasted treasure?!"

Jim took a few steps forward. "Well, if it's on Treasure Planet, then maybe…" He held his hand out and moved toward the holographic map—toward the miniature Treasure Planet within the map—but Pete shoved him aside.

"Ohhh, no! This here is mine, see? You all have played your parts, but now this doorway belongs to Maleficent! Go on, scram!"

"What?!" Silver turned his robotic hand into a cannon and marched right up to Maleficent's celebrating servant. "Pete, you dirty double-crossing—"

"Can't double-cross who I never worked with in the first place." Pete cracked his knuckles and pulled back a fist. White energy flashed to life around his body and crackled off of him like lightning.

"Look out!" Goofy hollered.

"And I said to SCRAM!" Pete's fist slammed like a freight train, arcing upward into Silver's large gut. Silver let out a guttural sound halfway between a scream and a cough before he was sent flying backwards to the edge of the mushroom forest. Shouts of fear and alarm rang out from the pirates, who ran into a frenzy at the sight of their captain on his back.

"Silver!" Jim shouted, running over to his side. Their bond stood regardless of recent transgressions, it would seem.

Xion didn't even have to look at her friends to know what they were thinking. She and Sora ran at Pete with their Keyblades, and Donald and Goofy followed closely behind with their own weapons drawn. But Pete was prepared for them; he quickly threw up his golden barrier and blocked their blows, then raised a hand into the air. Behind them a wall of hexagons flashed for a brief moment before vanishing into thin air, cutting off the pirates, and more importantly the ship, from the battle.

"You pinks ain't stoppin' me this time!" Pete roared. He swung a supercharged fist out at Sora, who parried it with Oathkeeper. In the brief opening that gave him, Sora swung a foot out at Pete's leg and tripped him up. Xion took the opportunity; she tightened her grip on Two Become One and swung it forward, casting Aerora and sending it flying toward Pete at high speeds. The razor winds buffeted Pete in the back while he was still dazed from Sora's attack, each blast hitting its target.

When Pete regained his balance, however, he spun around on his foot as bombs materialized in his open hands. The explosive balls flew at Xion at startling speeds, scorching her skin as they erupted. Xion inhaled sharply and fell onto her knees, hacking and choking as she coughed out the smoke and ash. Aero churned the air around her and blew away the remaining smoke, but did nothing for what was already inside her. And Xion's prone form as she tried to clear her breath was an open target.

Pete slammed his fists together and ran at her, swinging his fists wildly. She gasped and jumped up to her feet, but not in time. Pete's powerful punches sent Xion flying up into the air, and before she had come back down he grabbed her by the ankle and threw her far. Xion felt the wind get knocked out of her as she slammed hard into the invisible wall, the hexagons flashing for a brief moment, before she collapsed onto the earth. Her entire body ached and she couldn't push herself back onto her feet, but a moment later green light filled her vision.

Donald's Curaga worked wonders, and Xion regained her composure. Her Keyblade returned to her hand just as Pete whirled around to strike again, but this time before he could attack her a flying object knocked him in the side of the head.

Goofy jumped up and caught his shield as Pete grumbled and grabbed his aching head. While he recovered, Goofy held his shield up in front of him and barreled toward Pete. On the other side, across the battlefield, Sora, too, ran at Pete with everything he got. Goofy's ram attack knocked Pete high into the air, where Sora jumped up and met him. He slammed the broad side of Oathkeeper against Pete's back, sending him higher still. On his way back to earth Sora gave Goofy a boost, allowing the knight to gain more air.

"Wooooah—OOF!" Goofy brought his shield down on Pete's head, sending their foe quickly and painfully onto the hard earth. Even that gave him no reprieve; as Pete struggled to stand icicles appeared in the air above him, and at Donald's cry the Blizzaga crashed down upon Pete.

"Sora!" Xion was back in the game now, too. At her call, Sora hurried beside her and the two Keybearers charged their Keyblades with power. They leaped at Pete together only to be met by his round barrier. Pete let out a guffaw, but his laughter was quickly silenced as the golden Keyblades shattered the shield like glass.

"Wha-?!" Sora rammed his Keyblade into Pete's shoulder, and Xion his leg. Both pulled back and struck again from another angle, slashing and jabbing with their glowing weapons as they completed Ars Arcanum. Pete was rocked back and forth, bounced between the opposing strikes of the two Keybearers, until Sora pressed the soles of his feet against Pete's gut and used him as a springboard to leap away.

Sora halted in the air, hovering with the aid of magic, and held his Keyblade out. It flashed one and a golden ring of magic orbs extended outwards. When the rings flashed again Sora flicked his Keyblade upward, sending the orbs flying. Ragnarok's streams of magic spiraled through the air and crashed into Pete, where they were met with Thundaga and Firaga from Donald.

Xion took a deep breath and held her Keyblade out to her side. She carefully watched the tumbling Pete, watched his movement through the air and plotted out where he would land. Her legs tensed up and her grip tightened. The instant Pete once again slammed into the ground Xion spun the Keyblade in a circle in her hand and then dashed at him with her weapon pointed forward, performing Zantetsuken. The instant the tip of her Keyblade hit Pete she swung it in a wide arc and slashed him across his open chest.

"Why you…!"

"Give it a rest already, Pete!" Donald emphasized his shout with a stomp of his foot.

Sora smirked and held Oathkeeper over his shoulder. "How many times have we fought like this, man? Come on."

"Rrgh…" Pete growled in the back of his throat and ground his teeth. "No way! I promised Maleficent I'd get this door, darn it!"

Xion glanced up at the doorway in question, which was still glowing as brightly as ever and currently open to…

"Oh, shit."

"That's Disney Castle!" Goofy cried, gasping and pointing a gloved finger forward. And indeed it was; beyond the triangle doorway they could see the bright and colorful buildings and the white and blue spires.

"That old Cornerstone may block Maleficent's teleportin' to the castle, but it can't stop her from just walkin' on in through a door!" Pete began to laugh despite his injuries, but Xion's attention was still on the glowing gate. Without a second thought she raised her Keyblade and pointed it forward. Light gathered at the tip in a ring and then shot forward, a blue-white beam flying from the key to the door.

And nothing happened.

Pete's laughter grew louder. "There's no lockon that door, lady! Ya can't seal what don't exist!"

"Darn it…" Xion lowered her Keyblade and let out a sigh. "Fine. Then if we can't close it, the only way to make sure you don't use it is to chase you away!"

Pete's laughter halted immediately. "No, wait—!" He held his hands out defensively, but before he could get another word in Goofy's shield slammed into his face.

Pete cried out in pan and grabbed his bruised nose, muttering under his breath, as Sora and Xion once again moved to attack him. As Sora ran forward and swung his Keyblade, Xion cast a series of Pearl spells. When the orbs of light exploded, she swiftly met Sora at Pete's side and swung her own Keyblade in time with his. The weapons crashed into Pete's arms and legs, into his shoulders, against his chest and back. And he collapsed.

"M…Maybe it'd be better if I…got outta here after all..." Pete's legs shook as he stood on his feet, one beaten arm hanging at his side. He held the other out and opened a corridor behind them, then slowly stepped back as he kept an eye on them. "Ohhh, Maleficent ain't gonna be happy about this one…" The corridor closed and Pete vanished, and with him went the hexagon barrier.

Xion's heavy breathing evened out as she calmed down from the rush of battle. Her eyes turned once again to the massive doorway hovering just off the edge of the cliff, still open to Disney Castle as it had been a moment ago. They had seen their fair share of magical doors throughout this, but this one was something else. It could go anywhere, huh…?

Xion found herself stepping forward, to the holographic map that controlled what world the door led to. She was on autopilot as she moved and examined the map, looking at the basketball-sized universe standing before her. A thought occurred, and she spoke without looking back at her friends. "Do you think we could use this to get to the Realm of Darkness?"

Her hand brushed against the ball and the door opened to Twilight Town. Another press switched it to Atlantica. It seemed to have no limits, but the Realm of Darkness wasn't actually a world. How would she tell it to go there? And then she saw it. Lingering beyond Hollow Bastion was a vortex shaped like a storm cloud. It somewhat resembled the End of the World. Was that it, the way into the darkness? Xion moved to press it…

"Out of my way!" A powerful hand shoved Xion aside, knocking her onto the floor with a pained grunt. She looked up to see Silver, illuminated by the green glow of the runes, as he poked and prodded at the map. "That double-crossing cat may have called it quits, but I'm not leavin' until I get what's owed me!"

He pressed Treasure Planet's representation on the globe. The door flashed brilliantly one last time, and when the light had faded the gathered crowd was face to face with the largest amount of treasure any of them had ever seen. A soft blue glow illuminated the entirety of the scene. It dwarfed even the Cave of Wonders, as the very walls themselves of the vast mechanical cavern on the other side of the door seemed flooded with gold, jewels, and munny. In the center of the cavern, attached to robotic pillars, was a giant orb literally made out of treasure with the wreckage of several old ships upon it. It was onto this ball that the door led.

Her jaw dropping in surprise, and perhaps some greed, Xion climbed back onto her feet. Donald was giggling like a madman at the sight of the treasure, which earned him a smack on the head from Sora.

"The loot of a thousand worlds…" Jim said in an awed whisper. Silver grinned beside him, and then moved forward as quickly as his bad legs and large frame would allow. Jim started in surprise and held out a hand. "Wait, Silver!" When the captain did not halt, Jim ran in after him. The pirate crew followed, swarming around Xion and her friends as they remained on the cliff.

"What now?" Donald asked, tearing his eyes away from the sight of the treasure. "Do we go to the Realm of Darkness anyway?"

Sora shook his head. "I'm not leaving Jim all alone in there with Silver. And besides, if we change where the door goes then who knows if they'll even be able to get back out?"

"I'm with Sora!" Goofy said, holding his shield up and stamping his feet. "Chaaarge!"

Goofy led the way into the core of Treasure Planet, with Sora, Donald, and Xion close behind him. Their feet clinked on the uneven ground made out of coins and gemstones, forcing them to move carefully to Jim who was hurriedly stuffing his pockets with munny. All around them the pirates imitated Jim's own actions, picking up as much as they could possibly hold—and some even more than that.

"Jim! Jim!" Xion began to move over to the boy, but as she took a single step a bright light from hr hand caught her attention instead. Two Become One willed itself into her grip even though she had not called on it. "What…?"

"Xion, look!" Sora—with Oathkeeper bizarrely appearing on him as well—pointed up toward the source of the blue glow that illuminated the chamber. What was it? It was incredibly high up, how could something so small illuminate this entire place? Xion squinted and shielded her eyes from the light, trying her absolute best to get a good look at the thing Sora was pointing out. Slowly but surely, its shape came into view.

"Is that…the Keyhole?!" As if in response to her words, the entire chamber rumbled and shook. The lights on the machinery began to flicker, the walls around them consumed by shadow. No, wait, not a singular shadow. Shadows. "Heartless!"

The chamber shook once again, this time much more violently; it felt like the entire world was shaking with it. Immediately everyone grew silent, the pirates included; the only sound was the subtle jingling of dropped munny. Several long, drawn-out seconds passed where no one said anything and all eyes were glued on the Heartless climbing the spherical walls.

Up… Xion gasped and turned her attention to the Keyhole once again just in time to see an Air Pirate shove its claws inside.

The brilliant blue light vanished, and Treasure Planet's reaction was immediate. The shaking grew more intense, the lights on the machines failed entirely only for the emergency lighting to flood the entire chamber a dull red. The wind began to roar as it picked up speed, and far above them a spark of purple appeared.

Xion paled. "Oh, no…"

The purple expanded into a dark mass, with black and red mixing in. The large black orb hovering above them expanded to take up the vast majority of the massive chamber, twisting and churning all along like a horrible, nightmarish storm. The ground beneath their feet shuddered and began to collapse, massive holes opening in the orb as millions of munny worth of gold poured into the abyss and took screaming, frantic pirates with them.

"We gotta get out of here!" Xion heard Sora shout over the roaring of the storm. "This whole world is going to be destroyed!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Donald held onto his hat and took off at speeds Xion had never seen him run before, bolting through the door and back onto the cliff with Goofy hot on his heels. Outside, through the glowing triangle, Xion watched as the skies of Treasure Planet grew into a horrific black and the powerful winds tore the giant mushrooms out of the very earth. Donald and Goofy didn't stop, they kept running until they were aboard the ship.

"Xion!" Sora shouted again, grabbing her arm.

"Not yet!" Xion called back to him, then she turned away. She looked into the chaos, searching for a certain someone. Her heart was pounding, sweat was forming on her brow. Surely Jim wasn't gone, was he? He couldn't have been one of the victims of the darkness! Surely!

A Heartless dove into the Keyhole, and the blue glow quickly changed into a purple one. It felt like the entire world shook, then the wind grew stronger. Even larger trees and rocks broke off the ground and flew around them. Crevasses began forming in the earth. Far up above, a swirling globe of red, black, and purple formed in the sky. Xion held Stitch tight. She was too late.

"Not again…" Xion ignored Sora calling her name and took off into the chaos, running along the shaking, uneven floor and twisting her head this way and that as she scanned the area with wide, frantic eyes. They had to get out of here, fast! They had to run! But she couldn't. She absolutely would not allow herself to leave without saving as many as she could. And she didn't need to convince Sora; she could hear him running up beside her, evidently having caught on to who was missing.

"There!" Sora pointed off to their right, and Xion felt relief wash over her. Jim was aboard the remains of a ship, desperately pulling the Gummi blocks apart and reshaping them the best he could in such a short amount of time. "Jim!"

He looked up at them at their call, but with a horrified expression instead of relief. "What are you two still doing in here?!"

"What are you still doing here?!" Xion demanded as she and Sora leaped onto the ship. She looked down at their feet, where Jim's hasty work was sitting. The blocks had been reshaped into a board, with a makeshift engine hurriedly attached to the back and a sack of munny hanging on the side. "Jim-!"

"My mom needs this munny, I can't leave without it!"

"Then we gotta get out of—AAAH!" The ground began to collapse once more, right under their feet. Xion tumbled over backwards, her jacket snagging on the jagged remains of the mast and tearing off. She climbed onto her feet and tried to catch her balance, then glanced up and let out a cry of alarm. "The door!"

While still open, it was beyond their reach now. The ground had collapsed too much, too much gold had fallen into the storming darkness. They couldn't get up to it.

Jim grunted in desperation and began to tear off more of the Gummi blocks from the ship. "I'll just have to make more for you!" He worked remarkably fast; this kid could have a real future as a Gummi engineer if they got out of here in time. Within minutes (though they felt like hours), he tossed two amateur Gummi hoverboards to Xion and Sora. "They're awful, but they should last us at least to your ship."

Sora shook his head. "But we've never—"

Xion was ready to try anything. She cut Sora off by dropping hers onto the ground and standing on it, feeling the balance. "We can do this, Sora. It's just like skateboarding."

"I don't know how to do that either!"

Jim shook his head and pushed Sora onto his board. "Well you'll just have to learn as you go! Come on, this whole place is going to—WOAH!" Jim was shoved overboard, landing in a pile of gold and jewels and rolling a distance away. Xion and Sora quickly turned to his attacker, the menacing cyborg who was now preparing to steal Jim's board as well.

"I like you, lad." Silver's voice was low and melancholy, and he refused to look Jim in the eye as he spoke. "But I've come too far to let ye stand between me and me treasure."

"Silver!" Sora jumped at Silver as the board lifted up into the sky, grabbing at the captain's leg and struggling to pull himself up.

"Wha—? Get offa me, boy! You'll take me down with ya at this rate!"

As they struggled just above the ground, the chamber creaked and groaned. The mechanical pillars fell from the ceiling and crashed into what remained of the ball in the center, sending shockwaves across it. Xion let out a panicked cry as the ground under her feet lurched backwards and the ship began to tumble into the storm of darkness with what was left of the treasure.

She, fortunately, was able to stabilize herself on the hoverboard and stop her fall. Xion stood unsteady on the Gummi material as she also held Sora's forgotten board in one hand and had to fight to keep her balance. Speaking of which…

"Sora!" Racing forward on her board, Xion zoomed underneath the struggling Sora and Silver just as the pirate captain succeeded in kicking him off. Sora very nearly fell into the abyss, but he managed to grab the edge of his board and pull himself up. Xion sighed in relief, at last they were safe and— Oh no.

"H-HELP!" cried a voice from below.

"Jim!"

"Jimbo?!"

Three heads turned down, where Jim was hanging on for dear life as the ship and treasure were consumed by the darkness. One hand slipped, three limbs now dangling over the consumed darkness. Jim would not last much longer, they had to save him! But these were one-man boards! They weren't nearly large enough for another passenger! What could they do?!

"Jimbo, hold on!" Before Xion and Sora's shocked eyes, Silver turned his board around and flew down set for Jim. He extended his

"Silver…" Jim gasped in surprise and relief, and then he took the captain into a warm, if out of character, hug. Silver smiled gently and returned the gesture, then patted Jim on the head.

"Jimbo… Remember me as I was to you," he said softly. "Not as the man I really am."

"What?"

Silver removed his hat and placed it on the teenager's head. He smiled softly, but it was so warm that his eyes smiled with him. "I sure am glad, James Hawkins…that I got to catch your light after all."

"Silver, what are you…?"

"Now, go! Live! Ya can't help your dear mother if you don't make it out of here, now can ya?!" Silver's voice rang out on the echoing walls, it resounded over the storm, and then…he leaped.

"Silver?!" Jim reached for Silver's hand, and the pirate reached as well. But just as their fingers brushed, Silver pulled back. "SILVER!"

The board wouldn't fly with a passenger. It couldn't handle two men, and Long John Silver knew that. He gave his life for the boy who was like a son to him.

"Jim! We have to go, NOW!"

Jim's head whipped around to Sora and Xion, who were already halfway to the door. He bit his tongue and squeezed his eyes shut, holding back tears…and he flew away from the darkness.

They passed through the door. They made it out of the frying pan, and into the fire. The earth was a bright red under the black and purple sky, fire was everywhere and the entire world was collapsing. Xion looked around, searched for a familiar sight among the wreckage of Treasure Planet, but it was nowhere to be found. Her eyes widened and her heart rate skyrocketed in terror. Where was it?! Where was the Highwind?!

"Hey, fellers!" Their heads shot up at Goofy's holler to see the red and yellow ship hovering above them. The knight hung out of the door, waving them over. Relief washed over the trio, who directed their boards up to the ship, but as they got closer they realized Goofy wasn't smiling. "Donald says there's no way we can break orbit in time!" he cried.

"What?!" Sora demanded, but then he looked away. "Then…what do we do?!"

Jim was silent. He looked back, at the doorway, where the vast treasure room it led to was now just an empty blackness. "We gotta turn around."

"Are you crazy?!" They heard Donald shout. He joined Goofy at the doorway. "I'm not going closer to that mess!"

But Jim didn't pay the duck any attention. He did as he had said he would and turned his board around, aiming right for the door—no, for the map. A spark went off in Xion's mind. Of course!

"Donald, no matter what happens, keep the ship heading straight for that portal!" Jim called over his shoulder as he flew down to the cliff.

"Sora, come on!" Xion said before going down to join the other boy.

"I'm right behind you!"

The three Gummi boards flew right back into the dying world. They dodging leaping flames and falling rocks, flew through newly-formed crevasses and under flying mushrooms. But they were amateurs at this, or at least Xion and Sora were. Xion found herself assaulted by sharp shrapnel that had been caught in the wind, which sliced at her skin and clothing. Sora's hasty Cure spells may have helped the former, but they did nothing at all to fix her torn-up outfit.

But it wasn't a concern. No, there concern was changing the doorway to somewhere safe. Somewhere where they could escape the imminent destruction, it didn't really matter where. And unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

The cliff had collapsed.

The earth crumbled, the green runes ceased glowing. The holographic map tumbled through the air, about to crash into the ocean of lava that had formed beneath the door. But the door still stood, so if they…if they just went a little faster… Faster!

Xion cast Aeroga, forcing the winds to push them along. But it still wasn't enough. They were too far, and in just seconds the map would be lost forever. "Jim, we're not gonna make it!" She got no response, the boy was focused on his goal. "Jim?!"

Jim leaped.

"Aaaaah!" His cry drowned out all other sounds, and time seemed to slow to a stop. The globe was inches from the lava, Jim was inches from the lava. Jim stretched out his hand…and a brilliant light burst forth from the portal.

"Gotcha!" Sora grabbed Jim by the arm just before he fell to his death. His board shook unevenly with the two of them, but it only needed to last just a little longer…just a little longer! At Xion's direction, she and Sora shifted their board upward to meet the Highwind. They made way toward the door, and Xion's eyes lit up as she recognized the world Jim had set.

In the skies above Traverse Town, a Gummi ship and two Gummi hoverboards appeared out of nowhere. Cheers of triumph and relief rang out in the night even as another star vanished into the darkness.

x-x-x

Some time later, the group gathered in the central plaza of the First District. Jim leaned against a stone wall, his legs weak and shoulders slumped, as he stared down at his feet and the cobblestone ground. He had been silent for a long time, as the last sight he had of Silver replayed over and over again in his mind's eye. Despite everything, he had still loved that man.

Beside Jim, Xion let out a sigh of her own. She glanced down at her torn up leggings, her lack of a jacket, the large cut running down the length of her shirt…and then let out a soft chuckle. "Well," she said, "I guess it's a good thing Shiki dragged me shopping after all."

Dr. Doppler cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "Well! That's certainly enough excitement for one life time. Jim my boy, just wait until your mother hears about this!" He paused for a moment then frowned ever so slightly. "…Of course, we may downplay the life-threatening parts."

Low laughter rippled through their group, after which Amelia crossed her arms and turned to Sora. "So, where are you four headed next?"

Sora moved his hands behind his head. "The Realm of Darkness, to find a friend."

Goofy nodded. "With Treasure Planet and the door gone, we'll need to find another way there. It's back into space for us."

"I suppose this is goodbye then." Amelia smiled and brought her hand up into salute. "Mister Goof, Mister Duck, Mister Sora, Miss Xion… It was a pleasure to know you all."

A caring hand placed itself on Jim's shoulder. "Jim?" He glanced up, meeting the kind face of Dr. Doppler. The doctor smiled gently and squeezed Jim's shoulder. "I know it hurts now, son, but in time it will get better. You'll see."

"Yeah… I guess so." Jim shrugged off Doppler's hand, placed his own hands in his pockets, and began walking down the road. "I'm gonna head home, I think."

"Jim—"

"Let him go, Delbert."

As Jim sulked through the dark streets of Traverse Town, he passed no one but the occasional drunkard. It was late at night, even by this town's standards, and most everyone was tucked safely away in their beds by now. He'd been gone a long time, and his mother was sure to be missing him. He shouldn't linger. But…

Jim's thoughts and steps came to a stop outside an alleyway as his ears picked up a twisting, surging sound. It sounded like those corridors of darkness that the Heartless and Pete used. Holding his breath, awaiting an attack, Jim slowly poked his head around the corner and peered into the darkness of the alley. A man groaned.

Jim's face brightened.

x-x-x

The Proof of Existence sat lifeless near the top of the Castle That Never Was, its many magical doorways having fallen apart long ago. Half of the nameplates signifying the deceased members of Organization XIII were ruined beyond recognition, and of the ones still legible only the thirteenth still glowed, however faintly it did that may have been. Like the rest of the castle the dark walls were lined with thick, thorny roots that both kept the collapsing towers together and added to the dark atmosphere.

"U…Ugh…" A corridor of darkness opened near the upper door to the room. Pete stumbled out of it with a limp, clasping one aching arm with the other. His fur was a mess, his jaw slacked open, and he was pretty sure he had lost a couple of teeth…but at least he was alive.

"Guess I bit off…more'n I could chew… Those pipsqueaks…ain't half bad."" Pete leaned against the remains of one of the doors and stopped to catch his breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed in deeply, then let out as a sigh. "Ohh, but what'm I gonna tell Maleficent? I didn't get the door like she wanted…"

The door to Naught's Skyway opened up. Was that her? Pete bit back a grunt of pain and climbed to his feet, hoping that it was Diablo and not Maleficent. Neither would be forgiving, but he'd at least rather face the lesser of two evils.

"How pathetic."

It wasn't either of them. Half-recognizing the voice, Pete spun around and found himself face to face with a silver plate helm molded into the shape of a face. He jumped back with a yelp of surprise, making his bad leg cry out in protest. Steadying himself on the broken door, Pete looked up again at his visitor.

"O-Oh, it's you—the new guy. Uh, Garland, right?" Garland stood in front of the doorway with his arms crossed across his broad, armored chest. Pete gulped. "So uh, where are the others?"

A deep growl raised from Garland's throat after a moment's pause. Lowering his arms, he took a few steps forward while he began to speak. "The sorceress is on her throne, and Diablo is off-world on assignment. As you should be." The intimidating knight came to a stop next to Pete, their shoulders practically touching though he faced the other direction. "Why have you returned early? Were you truly beaten so easily?"

"Now look here, bub. I don't hafta answer to you, see?!"

"Hmph. I suppose not." Garland continued down the walkway, heading to the lower door. Right before leaving, he paused once again. "Though I have to wonder, why is it that the sorceress wastes her time with you?"

He left without another word and before Pete could reply. Not that he would have… Garland's words struck something within Pete.

"Now what'd ya have to go an' say that for…?" He rubbed his face and then stared up at the ceiling with his arms hanging limply at his sides. "I'm doin' the best I can…"

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The Xion drawing in the new cover art was originally by a person named forgetxivnot and is used with permission, though I edited it slightly to reflect this story's version of Xion.