"This is your pilot speaking. We have arrived at Disney Town," Riku called out from the front of the Gummi Bus.

"We're heeere!" Kairi chirped, bouncing to her feet. "Wake up everybody!"

The enthusiasm was infectious. Roxas and Xion pressed their faces against the window.

"Oh wow, everything is so bright and cheerful!"

"I can see Disney Castle from here!"

"Look! Walking brooms!"

"There are mouse ears everywhere!"

"Axel, wake up! You're missing everything!"

Axel yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I'm up, I'm up. Are we playing football yet?"

Namine looked confused. "Football? I thought we were going to make a fruit bowl?"

Kairi giggled. "You're both half right. We're going to play Fruitball. According to Aqua, it's like volleyball, but with fruit! Doesn't that sound exciting?"

Axel kept yawning. "Couldn't we have just played volleyball back home?"

"Yes, we could have," Kairi said, forcefully nudging Axel, "but I thought a change of scenery would allow all of us to bond, as a group."

"Oh, right. Uh, all for one and one for all!"

"That's the spirit! Disney Town is 'The Happiest Place in the Realm of Light' according to the brochure, so let's have some fun!"

After several more minutes of flying around, Riku finally found a parking space large enough for the Gummi Bus.

Kairi grabbed Roxas and Xion before they could leap out the door. "Not so fast, you two. We have to change first."

"Change?"

"Yep! I'm not sure how Fruitball works, but it sounds messy, and water magic can only do so much to get stains out. Namine, Xion, I always pack spare clothes for myself in that box over there. There should be enough for all three of us -"

"Eee!" Xion ran over to the box like a child in Christmastown, throwing it open and holding up each piece of clothing in turn.

"- and they're all kind of worn out, so it's fine if they get ruined. Roxas, I packed a bunch of spare clothes for you over there, take your pick, and - Xion, sweetie, the boys don't need to see those," Kairi said, gently lowering Xion's arm before she could hold up Kairi's spare undergarments in front of everybody.

Kairi wasn't fast enough to stop Roxas from holding up a pair of briefs from his own box. "Kairi, why do you have my underwear?"

"They're actually Sora's."

"...oookay, why do you have Sora's -"

"Axel, I grabbed one of my dad's old tracksuits that should fit you. Don't worry, he hasn't gone jogging in years. Riku, you've got your own spare clothes, right?"

"Always. Demon Tides like to destroy shirts sometimes. Not sure why."

Wearing his spare tank top, shorts, and a dozen belts, Riku almost felt overdressed next to the rest of the group. Kairi was wearing a flannel shirt and pants that looked suspiciously like pajamas, Xion had picked the exact same clothes as Kairi, Namine had chosen a T-shirt and (with some persuasion) sweatpants, and Axel was in a tracksuit made for somebody far more rotund than himself.

Roxas's clothes - a gray shirt and dark green shorts - made him look almost exactly like Sora, the day he had defeated Xehanort once and for all in Scala ad Caelum. Had Roxas dressed like that on purpose?

Nah. Had to be coincidence.

Upon reaching the entrance to Disney Town, Kairi pulled out six passes and started handing them out.

...wait, passes? How had Kairi gotten passes for another world?

"I bought them from Mr. McDuck," Kairi said in response to Riku's unspoken question. "They weren't cheap, but we got a group discount. And a markdown for buying the passes ahead of time. And there was a special offer for keyblade warriors (active or retired) who've helped save worlds from darkness. We just have to show our keyblades when we go in."

"Oh." Namine frowned. "What about me?"

"For your pass, I used a coupon I found on the back of a soda can. The savings were exactly the same. Isn't that lucky? See, you don't need a keyblade after all!"

"Um, ha ha, yeah...sure is great..."

After passing through the front gate, Riku grabbed a free map from a nearby stand. The Fruitball Court was right over -

"Kairi! Kairi!" Xion tugged on Kairi's sleeve. "Can we do that first?" She pointed at a large sign above a bright green gate: 'Disney Town Speedway: Rumble Racing'.

"Oooo," said Roxas.

"Oooo," said Axel.

"Oooo," said Riku.

"Oh! Oh dear. More racing? Like those glowing bike things?" Namine looked nervous.

"This is supposed to be a group outing," Kairi reminded everyone. "If not everybody is comfortable -"

Riku pointed to the track beyond the gate. "Looks more like go-karts. Maybe some of the karts have two seats? Namine, you can ride with me."

"Really? Okay then, let's go!" Namine immediately started walking towards the entrance.

Huh. That was easier than expected. Did Namine really trust him that much?

Nah. She probably didn't want to disappoint the others. Namine was nice like that.

After a brief overview on Rumble Racing rules and regulations from Chip and Dale, everybody walked out to the track.

Riku regarded the selection of go-karts with disdain. Brightly colored. Oddly-shaped. Clearly designed for spectacle instead of speed. Nothing like Light Cycles at all.

At least Kairi was getting into it. "The go-karts are floaty!" she laughed. "They're so cute!"

Other racers were already on the track. Two ducks, an old horse, a large bear/cat thing in a purple jumpsuit, and...a Dusk?

Said Dusk ran up to Roxas, gave him a hug, then ran back to his kart.

"We call him Roy," the horse explained. "Roy the Rumble Racer. He doesn't cause any trouble, and he's got a lifetime pass. Shows up every day."

Riku's keyblade hand twitched. He'd seen a lot of low-ranking Nobodies in his day, none of them friendly. "He's, uh, a good Dusk?"

"Well, he goes wide on corners, and he's easy on the accelerator when he really doesn't need to be. Great reflexes though. Usually winds up in third or fourth place."

Riku shook his head. 'Roy' was currently waving bashfully at Xion, who was cheerfully waving back. Best to leave well enough alone.

"Um, Riku?" Namine pointed at the karts. "There are only a few go-karts left, and none of them have two seats. What are we going to do?"

Riku walked over to the largest kart available. The seat was deep down in the body of the kart. Perfect. Riku hopped in, then extended a hand to Namine.

"You'll have to sit on my lap."

Namine sputtered for a bit but took Riku's hand anyway. The kart was apparently meant for larger racers, like that bear/cat guy - even with Namine on his lap, Riku could still reach the pedals and oversized steering wheel.

Namine finally found her voice. "Um, is this okay?" she squeaked.

"Sure. You don't weigh anything, and my arms fit around your waist just fine. You need to lean back though," Riku said, gently tugging on Namine until her back was flat against his chest, "and hold on to me tight so you don't fall out."

That set off another round of Namine sputtering. Had he said something wrong? He'd have to worry about that later; a clock was counting down...

With a ding, all the karts took off.

Riku found himself grinning in spite of the less-than-professional atmosphere of the track. The karts weren't as fast as Light Cycles, but they were fast enough, and -

"Aah!"

- the tornado obstacles, like the one Xion had just discovered, were a nice touch. Not to mention the -

"Yaah!"

- attack/defense options, which Roxas apparently was still getting used to, as well as the -

"Eeek!"

- speed boosts, like the one Kairi had just gone over. Perhaps unintentionally.

"Oh, I can't look!" Riku felt Namine's grip tighten as he aimed for another jump ramp.

Riku laughed. "Don't you dare close your eyes!"

"This is so fast!"

"Hold your breath, it gets better!" Riku drifted into a turn.

"Look out, there's a - Oh!"

"Every turn a surprise! Every moment, red-letter!"

All too quickly, the race was over. Riku lifted Namine out of the kart, then continued to hold onto her until her knees stopped shaking.

A bright yellow scoreboard lit up with names. Third place was Roy. Second place was Roxas. First place was...Axel? Riku hadn't even noticed him on the track.

"Yeah! Flurry of Dancing Flames, rising to the top!" Axel cheered. Xion and Roy applauded politely.

"Aw man," Roxas said. "How'd you do it? You kept disappearing."

"The name's Axel, remember? Me and four-wheeled vehicles have a natural camaraderie. And the shortcuts helped."

"Shortcuts!? That's cheating!"

"Nuh uh! It's a legitimate strategy."

"Boys, don't fight," Kairi said. "We're all winners here, and -"

Chip appeared from underneath the scoreboard. "Congratulations to our first-place winner, Axel! Here's your prize: the Fire Dash ability!"

"Darn, I already know that one." Axel turned to the others. "Anybody want Fire Dash? Kairi?"

"Me? Really? Um, I don't know," Kairi said, "I'm not strong enough to use it yet..."

"Something for you to grow into then. Here you go! Pretty soon you'll be as dashing as me."

"Thank you! You're so sweet. And thanks to Xion to pointing this game out. It was fun! Now on to the main event!"

Kairi read a brochure as Riku led the way to the Fruitball Court. "So apparently Fruitball is like volleyball, except you try to hit fruit into a designated goal area. And the goals move. And there are several pieces of fruit at once. And you hit the fruit with bats. And the net appears at random."

Riku looked up from the map. "How is that anything like volleyball?"

"Well, the teams stand on opposite sides of the court."

"...can we go back to the go-karts?"

"Oh, hush. It's a team sport! We can all play together." Kairi had stars in her eyes. "And I'm glad fruit is involved. I've been worried about nutrition. Some of us have been eating nothing but ice cream lately, and it's not healthy."

Axel gasped in mock horror. "Kairi, I thought you didn't have any darkness in your heart. How can you say such terrible things?"

"I'm serious. Imagine what Ansem would say if he found out. We need to set a better example."

The group arrived at Fruitball Court at the same time as a large number of enchanted brooms.

"Excuse me!" Kairi said, running up to the brooms and flashing her best Princess of Heart smile. "Would you be willing to play a game of Fruitball with us?"

The brooms hopped up and down.

"Thank you so much!"

"Hey, look at this!" Axel gestured to a bin containing the Fruitball bats. "There's a sign here that says we can use our keyblades!"

"Really?" Kairi turned to the brooms. "Um, is that fair? Are you okay with that?"

The brooms hopped up and down again.

Namine grabbed a bat - a wedge of foam, nearly as large as herself - while the others summoned their keyblades and took position on one side of the court. On the other side, the brooms paired off. One broom in each pair picked up its partner and settled into something remarkably similar to a keyblade stance.

Once everybody was ready, Axel asked the obvious. "So where's the fruit?"

Four machines whirred to life. Two were flying contraptions at the ends of the court, each carrying a large net painted with the word 'GOAL'. The other two, on the sides of the court along the center line, looked like comically oversized spigots. The spigots started shaking, and then -

Axel screamed. Namine screamed. Riku made a noise that was very uncharacteristic of him.

One of the spigots had launched an apple. Said apple was roughly the size and shape of a Large Body - bigger than the players, to say nothing of the machine that had launched it.

And it was hurtling directly at Kairi, with no Sora to leap heroically in the way.

"Yaah!" Roxas dashed in front of Kairi, swinging his keyblade in a wide arc. The strike sent shockwaves down the court. It was one of Roxas's best techniques - powerful enough to disintegrate lesser Heartless instantly.

The apple, not even bruised, bounced to the other side of the court. One of the brooms in the front row smacked the apple back, swinging its fellow broom like a tennis racket.

Roxas, winded, fell to one knee. Axel and Xion jumped in, hitting the apple simultaneously with a X-shaped double-slash made of light and fire.

The apple bounced once. A broom in the back row jumped and knocked it back with a powerful spike.

Riku responded with a jump of his own, meeting the apple just behind the centerline with a forward slash, and then -

The other spigot rumbled. A pineapple, roughly the size of a Darkside's fist, shot out. Caught in midair, Riku was helpless as the pineapple struck him head-on.

Riku had just enough time to throw his keyblade and change the pineapple's trajectory before he slammed into the ground.

Was somebody calling his name? Vision still blurry, Riku could barely make out a pair of sweatpants running towards him. Now who was wearing...oh no. The spigots were shaking again. Riku tried to wave off his would-be rescuer. "Namine, don't -"

Bananas - bunches of normal-sized bananas - launched onto the court. Namine promptly slipped, her forward momentum carrying her until she tripped over Riku's legs and collided into a still-kneeling Roxas. Xion screamed - but she wasn't looking at them.

The apple was coming back.

Axel dashed, cloaking himself in fire before slamming himself into the apple. The apple exploded, sending juice and chunks of burning fruit through the air. A large chunk ricocheted off a spigot, flying past all the brooms and into the goal net.

"So, uh, is that a point?"

"Axel, hold still." As one of only two players left standing, Xion was tasked with casting Cure on her teammates as Kairi said goodbye to the brooms. She had just finished healing everybody else. "There, all better! I mean, you're not bruised anymore. I don't think healing magic does much for, um, aroma."

Axel groaned. His hair was going to smell like burnt apple for days.

Kairi trotted back, a good deal more subdued than earlier. "The brooms were fine with ending the game early. They don't like getting too sticky. Oh, and they said we played well for our first time, and they had a lot of fun."

"At least somebody did," Axel said. "Kairi, Aqua recommended this game, right? I thought she liked you."

"Yes, but -"

"No buts. Even Larxene wouldn't have suggested Fruitball as a group activity. This was clearly a trap. Aqua's mad at us for something."

"She's not -"

"Did you make a pass at Ventus? He does look like Sora, so I'll understand if -"

"Axel, I don't know! Maybe Aqua forgot she's so much better than me. I'm sure Fruitball isn't a challenge for her." Kairi looked frazzled. "I'm sorry."

Okay, maybe he'd gone a bit far. Time to act nonchalant. "Meh, it's all good. I used to fight Heartless bigger than that every day. I was just surprised - who knew an apple would have a better track record against keyblade warriors than Xemnas?"

Riku chuckled. "Maybe Xehanort should've put his heart into pineapples instead of Nobodies?"

"Hoo boy. Organization 13, the Seekers of Fruit." Axel put on his best Old Xehanort voice. " 'Have you heard of the ancient Fruitball War?' "

That earned laughs all around, and a small smile from Kairi. Good.

Axel smirked. "Y'know, I could use a hug though."

Kairi shrank back, already guessing what Axel had in mind. "Ew, no. You're all sticky."

"Aw, come on! It would cheer me up."

"Don't you dare -"

"I thought you wanted to bond?"

"Get away from me!"

Kairi was a decent runner. But the mischievous Flurry of Dancing Apple Juice was on another level, and it wasn't long before she felt long arms surround her in a very gummy embrace. She couldn't really complain - it was an appropriate penance for inflicting a fruit-related near-death experience on her closest friends.

Kairi sighed. She'd lost sight of Riku and the others. So much for keeping the group together. Hopefully they were having fun exploring the rest of Disney Town without her.

Axel poked her cheek. "That's not a happy sigh. Is something wrong? I mean, besides how I'm tormenting you right now."

"I'm fine."

"Did you know that Princesses of Heart make terrible liars?" Axel shifted his arms so he could see Kairi's face. "Kairi, I grabbed you so we could talk. Today's not turning out the way you wanted, is it?"

"I don't know. I mean, I don't regret coming here, and I'm glad everybody's having a good time. It's just...this really isn't changing anything, is it? Namine's lack of a keyblade keeps coming up, and Riku and I aren't getting any closer to Roxas and Xion." Kairi sighed again. "We really could've just stayed home. Maybe my plan to bring everybody together was a bad idea."

"You're giving up that easily? Kairi, we've only gone on two trips so far. And you don't know my brilliant plan for the next one."

"You have an idea? Really?"

"Oh yeah. It's a surprise, but it's something I've wanted to try for a long time. Ever since my days in Organization 13, actually. Demyx told me about it."

"That...doesn't inspire confidence."

"You'll see. Everything's gonna work out great. Just trust in your Big Brother of Dancing Flames, okay?" Axel grinned. "I'd pat you on the head, but I don't want to ruin your hair. You'll have to imagine it."

"Thanks, Axel. This means a lot."

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah."

"That's good. Because we, uh, might be stuck to each other."

"Axel! Axel! We have to show you something!"

Riku watched with amusement as Xion and Roxas sprinted to their friend. Apparently just in time too.

"Roxas! Xion! Could you guys, like, grab onto Kairi and pull?"

Good thing Kairi's father wasn't going to miss that tracksuit.

Once separated, Roxas and Xion grabbed Axel's hands and ran off. Kairi followed at a more leisurely pace with Riku and Namine. "What's this about? Is it another ride, or...oh no."

Axel was in front a machine that looked like a cross between a cannon and a pipe organ. Overhead was a bright blue sign with the words 'Ye Olde Rhythmic Ice Shoppe: Ice Cream Beat.'

Axel was transfixed. "I've...I've come home. I've found my calling."

Riku turned to Kairi. "We asked one of the ducks who works here. Years ago, they got this machine for mixing ice cream flavors. It was missing a timing belt, but some kid found a way to run it manually by listening to music. So they turned it into a game: follow the music correctly, and you create 'the next taste sensation.' It's supposed to be really challenging."

Axel was running his hands over the machine. "I was born for this."

"This is so unfair," Kairi said. "I was trying to get us away from ice cream. Just for one day! Was that too much to ask?"

"I was reborn for this." Was Axel crying? "It all makes sense now. Every struggle - losing my heart, working for Xemnas all those years, getting a keyblade - it was all leading up to this moment! I am going to mix ice cream!"

"Um, Kairi? I don't think you're going to win this one," Namine said, looking apologetic. "Axel's really excited."

Kairi suddenly giggled. "It's fine. I'm glad Axel's happy."

Axel sat at the machine. Three ducks stood on a stage, holding ice cream cones. The music started.

"Oh my gosh!" Kairi said.

"The ducks are dancing!" Xion said.

"They're so cute!" Namine said.

After playing the game for thirty-five minutes and setting a new high score three times, Axel finally relented and turned the machine over to Roxas. One small problem: the ducks were tired.

"Oh! We could take their place!" Namine said. She grabbed Riku and Xion - Axel and Kairi were busy eating Axel's masterpiece, the 'Feel the Heat! Frozen Flurry' - and dragged them onto the stage as the music started up.

Riku wasn't sure why he'd allowed Namine to drag him onto the stage. Or why he hadn't jumped off immediately. Or why he was allowing Roxas - who, it turned out, didn't have the best sense of rhythm - to fling ice cream in his general direction. He was sure of one thing - Namine was having the time of her life, bopping to the music. Somehow it made the whole mess worthwhile, at least until the ice cream went up his nose.

Roxas played for several minutes until he accidentally hit Xion in the face, knocking her over. He promptly jumped off the machine and ran up to the stage.

"No! Xion!"

Xion sat up and cleared the ice cream from her eyes. "Roxas, I'm fine -"

"You can't die!"

"I'm not dying, you dummy, you just have terrible -"

"Xion...who else will I have ice cream with?"

Xion threw some ice cream at his face. "Roxas, snap out of it!"

Roxas calmed down but decided he was done. He took Riku's place on stage as Riku ran the machine.

Riku only tried the game once. He watched Namine dance the entire time and missed all of the music prompts.

Upon returning to the Gummi Bus, everybody rinsed themselves off with water magic and changed back into their regular clothes before taking off. Namine promptly fell asleep - the little dancing machine didn't have the best stamina - but everybody else quietly discussed which attraction had been the best. One thing was certain: none of them wanted to hear 'It's a Small World' ever again.