Keys to the Kingdom: Life Goes On

by thepenishellamightier257

Sequel. Alternate Continuity. For Sora and friends, it seems that their days of adventuring are over. But just because evil forces aren't threatening to destroy the universe, doesn't mean everything is so simple. New relationships, old enemies, and an upcoming wedding ensure that for the saviors of the worlds, life is anything but normal. Contains Original Characters.

27. What A Wasteland

As events are playing out below the audience chamber, Kairi is having a fairly major freakout within it. It starts when there are five minutes until Azlyn is going to walk down the aisle, and neither Telary or Sora are at the altar waiting yet. Donald Duck and Goofy stand outside the audience chamber doors, looking bewildered at their comrades' absence as well.

"I know, I know," Kairi agrees off their expressions. Not only is she nervous, but whatever has been affecting her all day is steadily growing worse. Though even at its worst the ailment is no more than a little fatigue and some dizziness, this is hardly the appropriate moment for any of that. "Tel was just in his room, right?"

Donald shakes his head. "Not when I looked in. I figured he was already down here!"

"Do you think he mighta snuck down to talk to Azlyn?" Goofy offers. "I know it ain't exactly proper, but if Telary needed any last minute pep, Az would sure be the one he'd go to!"

Kairi nods, thinking it over. "Yeah sure, that could work. I guess I should go check on…"

"Kairi?" Daisy asks suddenly, walking out of the chamber. "I can take over now if you're ready to…"

"Yes, of course," the redhead replies, practically tearing the headset off and throwing it at the lady duck, who fumbles the device for a moment. "I'm gonna go see if he's with Azlyn." She turns on her heel and starts walking to the library, casual for a moment until she realizes there's no time for that and sprints the rest of the way. Upon reaching them, she gives the doors a solid knock, trying to keep bad thoughts from getting to her. "Azlyn…"

"Do ya mind?" Azlyn's voice interrupts through the door.

"Sorry," Kairi apologizes almost reflexively. "But, uh, is Telary in there with you? Because if he is, then you're just gonna have to deal with the additional bad luck piling on our usual crap." There's no response for several seconds. "Azlyn, I mean…"

"Do ya mind?"

The Princess of Heart takes a step back, frowning. Preoccupied, she doesn't notice Riku standing behind her until she's walked right into him. She turns on reflex, Keyblade springing to her hand in a flash.

Riku, already backpedaling from the impact holds up his hands. "Whoa, I surrender. Isn't it enough that I already have one woman stalking me and another…"

"Have you seen Sora?" Kairi interrupts, lowering her blade before dismissing it. "Or Telary? When was the last time Azlyn made a disparaging comment about your sexuality?"

"I haven't seen Sora for hours, and Telary all day," Riku replies. He adjusts his gray suit jacket a bit, frowning right back at his friend. "Shit's going down, isn't it?"

Kairi nods, sweeping her foot back to kick at the doors behind her. After the sound of impact settles down, she hears Azlyn calling, "Do ya mind?" The exact same words, tone, and volume as before. Obviously not good.

She swivels on one foot and throws the doors open, revealing the entirely empty library. Really not good. "Oh, of all the days!"

Riku, looking over her shoulder, grimaces. "I assume you have this scenario covered in that door stopper you've been lugging around all weekend?"

"This is stage one of several scenarios, Riku," Kairi explains as her older friend walks into the room with a strange, pensive expression. "The contingency plan depends of what happens next. So tell me if you run into a version of anyone who came back from the future to…"

"This is wrong," Riku interrupts, standing in the middle of the room. He's grimacing something terrible, and for some reason he keeps sniffing the air. "This is so wrong."

Kairi regards him with puzzlement. "What's with the Pluto impression?"

"A holdout from Xehanort's Heartless," the silver-haired young man explains, still looking sour. "Someone used dark powers in this room. I can sense the energy."

The Princess of Heart's confusion turns to a cold fear in the pit of her stomach. "But that's impossible, right? The Cornerstone protects the castle from darkness." Suddenly, an even more sickening thought hits her. "And if it was corrupted somehow I would know. Which means this bad feeling I've had all day is…"

"This is bad," Riku declares simply, already moving back to the hallway. "Really bad. We've got to…"

And then what must be dozens of screams burst out from the audience chamber, echoing down the hallway.

KH-KH-KH

If only to add insult to injury, when gravity brings Azlyn back to the ground it's on hands-and-knees in a huge patch of thick mud. She squelches down into it from the force of her landing too. Looking down, she realizes there'll be no recovering her uniform from this. It's the absolute last straw, the cherry on top of the shit sundae that is supposed to be her wedding day. Throwing her head back, the knight unleashes a primal scream.

She's still going when Telary stumbles out of the brush he'd landed in. The wizard is ready for a fight, palms open and mana flowing. When he realizes there's no danger, he relaxes and lets his bride finish. Honestly, he's quite tempted to join her.

Eventually her cry peters out, and Azlyn sags into the mud as she attempts to regain her breath. Once she's had a moment, Telary decides it's safe to approach her.

"What did we expect, right?" he says, resignedly dropping to the ground beside her. A little mud splashes up, and of course that's it for his pants, but neither one comments. "A good day, an easy path? Of course…"

"Didn't expect this," Azlyn interrupts, her voice still tired from screaming.

"How do you mean?"

"The king screwed us," she continues, looking straight ahead without expression. "Or he screwed his brother, at least. What's up with that?"

"Hey." Telary slips an arm around her, pulling her closer and looking at her with a soft smile. "Remember who gave us all that exposition, right? Y'know Pete, our constant bad guy who admitted he wanted to see how he could hurt the king?"

"I know," she replies, letting out a deep breath afterwards. "But do you think the other thing was true? The heirs stuff?"

Telary shifts uncomfortably, his face moving through several different expressions. Eventually, he just settles on biting his lip. "That…" He huffs out a breath, forcing himself to return to some semblance of calmness. "I think that's something we'll deal with when we're sure we'll even be going back to the kingdom, huh?"

Azlyn grunts her agreement. Once the knight is on her feet, she makes a token attempt to wipe some of the muck from her clothes. The streaks of mud only widen and elongate. "Well, whatever. Okay, first things first, we should find the others."

"With a focus on Sora, I think," Telary points out. "Considering he's probably still trapped in that gunk."

The pair take a good look around. They've landed in some kind of murky bog, wet grass and sucking mud comprising most of the visible ground. A few deeper pools of water stand out as well, most of them so dirty as to be impenetrable visually. Plant life is everywhere else, tall trees with dark purple leaves, thick black vines hanging down from them. The smell is unsurprisingly ghastly, and it's terribly humid.

But perhaps the worst part of all, for a reason neither can identify, is the complete lack of insect or other animal noises. Minus the thick squelch of their footprints and leaves rustled by wind, the bog is completely, unnervingly silent.

"Pete's got a few new tricks," Azlyn points out as they begin their search. She hadn't had her shoes on yet when things had gone south, and every step is a squelchy, cold agony.

"He certainly seemed… different," her fiancé agrees, grimacing. He combs through a few large ferns, then asks, "Do you think Maleficent was in on this scheme of his?"

Azlyn shakes her head, looking up in the branches of a scraggly tree. "Nah, I actually don't. No way he could've talked that much without mentioning her otherwise. Bragging about her 'eminent arrival' or whatever."

"I guess that's…" Telary pauses, pushing through a few bushes at the edge of a tall slope. He kneels to examine the ground, focusing on a shallow impression in the wet grass. It starts at the hill's apex, continuing down in a noticeable furrow until it hits a patch of thick foliage about a yard away. "Okay, I think I've got something."

Telary tries his best to carefully navigate the incline with small steps and lots of leaning back for counterbalance. Azlyn doesn't bother, simply sitting and sliding all the way down, digging her heels in to stop at the bottom. It isn't like there's much point to preserving her outfit anyway. After a moment of contemplation and mild horror, Tel opts to follow her lead.

They push through the foliage into a decently large clearing, thankfully more grassy than muddy. The depression in the ground continues another foot or so, and then there lays the still-entrapped Sora.

"Oh, hey guys," he greets his companions, nonchalant despite the fact that he's immobile in a strange dimension. Or that he's forced to look at them upside down. "Was that screaming earlier you, Az?"

"Yeah," the knight admits as she and Tel walk up to the Keybearer. She gives him a single quick nod, the only acknowledgment he needs that it's good to see him safe. "I landed in some mud."

"Oh, how terrible," Sora replies, playfully deadpan. "I just cannot imagine how that could be worse."

Telary rolls his eyes, crouching next to his younger friend. "Okay, let's see if we can't get you out of this mess, huh?"

"That would be appreciated."

Sora watches silently while the wizard explores his problem from a few angles. After a moment Telary closes his eyes, placing both palms on roughly the middle of the hardened gunk. He mutters a few words, likely some kind of spell. There's a few seconds of still silence, and then the gunk begins to melt back into its original gelatin-like form. Sora attempts to stand, thrashing about in the goop until Azlyn reaches down and halls him up up the collar of his jacket. Before the stuff can begin to dry again, she shoves him down into the wet grass. Once his wits are about him again, the Keybearer starts rolling. The gel breaks down upon contact with the water, and once he's on his feet again Sora starts wiping it off along with the moisture.

"And now we're all matching," Sora declares with a thin smile, absently brushing at his soiled torso. "Thanks for the help guys. Or wait, should it I be calling you 'Your Majesties' from now on?"

"Can it, Sora," Azlyn warns him, pointing sternly at the boy. "We aren't focusing on any of that until we're out of this mess, okay?"

He nods, lips pursed to stop himself from saying anything further on the subject. That lasts for only a moment. "But, I just want to say that I personally think it's really a great decision on the king's part."

"Really?" Telary asks with a sheepish expression.

"Totally," the Keybearer assures him. "And hey, if you aren't then I guess I'll just have to overthrow you or whatever. I'm sure Riku would help if I gave him first shot at Azlyn."

"Once again," Azlyn says, not even cracking a smile, "we're talking about it later, okay? We've gotta find the king and get out of this hole before there can be any more discussing… that stuff. Okay?"

"Okay," Telary repeats.

"Sure thing."

Azlyn turns and starts walking. After a few steps, she turns on her heel, face screwed up in anger. The boys stop, ready for a rant. But she only scoffs again, turning right back around. Sora and Telary exchange a look, shrug, and follow after her.

"MICKEY!" Sora calls at the top of his lungs, hands cupped around his mouth to attain even slightly more volume.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" Telary yells beside him, looking around desperately.

Azlyn joins in as well, her voice not quite as strong. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

There's no reply, and after all that yelling the silence of their surroundings only seems more pronounced. So the trio just keep on yelling as they go, none of them willing to let that silence overwhelm them once more.

"OSWALD?" Sora yells out after a few minutes. Azlyn and Telary stop dead in their tracks, turning to look back at the Keybearer with puzzled expressions. He shrugs. "What? You heard Oswald, he's been banished to this Wasteland place for years. He probably knows his way around."

"And what makes you think he'd help us?" Azlyn demands, hands on hips as she gives her man of honor a grade-A stink eye.

"I like to believe in the goodness of all people," Telary adds, looking more uncomfortable than angry, "but Azlyn does have a point there, Sora."

The Keybearer shrugs. "Well, maybe if we're nice to him and show some concern, he'll do the same for us?"

Telary turns to face Azlyn, also taking a step back so he's more or less at Sora's side. "Okay, now I guess it's Sora with the good point. I'm sure even a little compassion would go a long way. After all, it isn't like we ever did anything to him."

"Which didn't stop him from…" Azlyn cuts herself off mid sentence, sighing and shaking her head. "Fine, fine. You can shout for that bastard all you like, I'm going to stay focused on the king. Him I've got a few questions for."

Telary's about to say something, when suddenly the trio hear their first ambient noise. Something rustles through grass up ahead, a steady noise that slowly gets closer. All three go on red alert, Azlyn preparing her fists while Telary gathers magic and Sora summons the Keyblade. Or, at least he tries to.

"Uh, not good," he whispers, trying to be quiet but still attracting the attention of his fellows. He holds out his arm at the usual forty-five degree angle he does for summoning his ancient weapon, but there are no sparks of light.

"N-no Keyblade?" Telary stammers.

Sora shakes his head, hand still held out. "Not like it usually does, but I do definitely feel something. Like there's this…"

The rustling starts up again, this time close enough that Azlyn can see the grass moving as whatever's coming scurries through it. She adjusts her stance a few degrees to face it, primed and at the ready. After the day she's head, something to punch will be quite welcome regardless of the possible danger. Telary prepares as well, the mental command for a fire spell ready to be unleashed.

Sora just stays concentrating, the strange feeling in his hand building into an odd tingle that only grows more intense. He grits his teeth even harder, willing whatever is going to happen to just hurry up already.

Finally, something emerges from the underbrush. It's strange creature, colored the dark blue of an ink pen and shaped oddly like a lightning bolt with arms and legs. No hands or feet though, the limbs just end in points. It regards Azlyn and Telary with slightly glowing red eyes, then moves like it's gathering itself for a launch, some kind of attack.

The thing doesn't get that far before Telary's fireball hits it straight on. The tiny thing is propelled backwards through the air, slowly becoming less defined until it fades away into nothing.

Another noise, louder and deeper like something hitting a tree and keeping on moving, sounds from behind. Azlyn and Telary swivel to face it, as the same sound comes again, only closer. Sora doesn't mind or even notice, his entire body shaking and his face the practically crimson from his intense concentration.

A silver object shoots through the air, so fast it appears as nothing more than a brightly colored streak. Azlyn and Telary's eyes go wide as they realize that whatever the flying thing is, they are right in its path. Luckily, it actually begins to slow down as it approaches, until finally the object's true from can be grasped: the Kingdom Key! The blade's handle lands in Sora's open hand with a loud smack.

The Keybearer releases the breath he'd been holding, face rapidly resuming its normal coloration. For a moment he simply stares down at the blade in his hand, focused on regulating his airflow. Once he's finally calmed down, the spiky-haired young man turns to his friends with a wide grin. "Well, whaddya know?"

"Guess the Keyblade works differently here," Telary suggests. "Why though? Hm…"

"The important thing is that we've got it," Azlyn declares, frowning. "I wanna know what that weird thing was."

"Looked sort of like a Heartless," Telary says, thoughtfully scratching his chin. "Like one of those Shadows. Wasn't one though, the eyes were weird. And the coloration was different, and it looked less bug-like…"

"Just another reason to find Oswald and the king," Sora notes. He throws the Keyblade a few feet, holding his hand out once it lands and pulling it back.

"But we can't just keep walking around and yelling like idiots," Azlyn argues, oblivious to Sora playing with his new Keyblade summoning power behind her. "Especially if there are gonna be things running around after us."

"You're right," Telary agrees. He's startled by a noise then, but when he looks over his shoulder it's only Sora's Keyblade again. The boy seems to have hurled it with all his strength, landing in a patch of tall grass beneath two particularly leafy trees. "You can cut that out any time, you know."

The Keybearer has the good grace to look sheepish. "Okay, yeah. Sorry, it's just so fun!" Grinning, he holds up his hand again, eyes instinctively tracking its course. His grin vanishes quickly after that, when he notices several pairs of red eyes peeking out from the darkness. "Not fun anymore!"

A veritable swarm of the small creatures come rushing out of the tall grass, their pointed limbs making unsettling skittering noises as they come. Sora drops into his battle-ready stance, ready to face the threat head on.

"None of that!" Telary screams, hurling the largest fireball he can into the horde. It smashes into the creatures at the group's head, incidentally throwing up some steam as it evaporates some of the bog floor's standing water. "Time to run!"

Neither Azlyn nor Sora are very happy with that idea, but their wants don't really matter in this scenario. The trio take off, running back the way they came until Telary decides to veer off. The creatures continue to pursue them, like the unrelenting waters of a flash flood.

The bog's foliage only slows the trio down, forcing them to dodge low-hanging tree limbs and step carefully through sucking mud. The creatures in pursuit seem to have no trouble with the environment, gaining ground with every second. Telary mentally prepares another Firaga spell, waiting for an opportune moment to slow them down.

But before the moment comes they emerge from the thick vegetation, grass sloping gently downward until it reaches a slow-moving river. Sora gasps, wordlessly calling for the others to follow his lead now. It doesn't take long for his companions to see what the Keybearer sees: a short wooden dock next to a ramshackle hut. Even more importantly, a boat sits tied at the dock's end.

They stop at the shore's edge, Sora taking a moment to carefully examine the dock's wooden planks. He knows the signs of weakness in such a structure, from poor maintenance or old age. Luckily, it looks fairly well-maintained, if unused for a period of at least a few months. He judges it safe, and can only hope the boat is similarly functional.

Telary lets loose his Firaga, focused on the grass instead of the creatures. It's too wet to effectively catch fire, but the loose steam of evaporating moisture is enough to give the horde pause. The wizard turns to find the other already in the boat, Sora position to cut its tether once he's inside. So Telary turns, running a pair of steps before he hops into the boat. Sora brings his blade down, severing their connection to the dock.

The boat begins to drift down the river, moving slowly in the lazy current. The trio watch with bated breath as the swarm of creatures reach the riverbank. If they continue to pursue, it could mean trouble.

But they merely watch as the boat moves along, red eyes tracking it for several seconds. Then the horde turns, fleeing back into the dark forest. The final pair of creatures stop at the foliage's edge, looking back at the boat for a long moment before they disappear as well.

Sora lets out a sigh of relief, sagging onto the closest bench. "Well, that was something," he says, shaking his head as he props the Keyblade up against the boat's side. "Wouldn't be a trip for us without running from a dark swarm of thingies."

Azlyn doesn't look so relieved, angrily stomping on the wooden floor. "Probably screwed us even more. What if this stupid river only takes us farther away from where the king is? We may never find him now. Not in time to make a difference for the castle."

"Maybe…" Telary hesitates, wringing his hands as he considers what he's about to suggest. "Maybe it would be better, in that case, if we just focused on finding a way to get out of here? With… Without finding the king first."

"I don't like that," Sora says, grimacing at the prospect. "And anyway, that's like suggesting tackling a practically impossible thing before we put in the effort to do just an incredibly difficult thing." He cups his hands around his mouth. "KING MICKEY!" he screams at the top of his lungs, slowly moving his gaze from one riverbank to the other. "OSWALD, KING MICKEY!"

There's no reply, but he keeps going. After a moment the others join him. For several minutes they just float along and yell, hoping desperately that they will be heard. It seems hopeless, until they're coming up on a fairly sharp curve in the river.

"Kids?" The voice is faint, but undeniably belongs to Mickey Mouse.

The trio share excited look, Telary designating himself as group spokesman and standing up in the boat. "YOUR MAJESTY, WE'RE HERE, ON THE RIVER. WHERE ARE YOU?"

They round the river bend then, receiving their answer rather dramatically. After several yards there's a slight drop, leading into a larger lagoon. Sitting in the middle is dilapidated, filthy old riverboat, half-emerged nose-first in the murky water. Though he's small, Mickey can be seen on the vessel's topmost deck of three.

"RIGHT HERE, KIDS!" the king yells back, waving enthusiastically. "OH, THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE SAFE!"

Eager to be truly reunited, Sora grabs his Keyblade and sticks it into the river. Using it as a makeshift paddle, he begins to row them down the river. The slight drop into the lagoon gives the trio a bit of trouble, but they all manage to stay safely aboard.

"Gosh, I was so worried about all of you!" Mickey declares as the trio struggle to get aboard.

"We were worried about you too," Sora says, smiling at the king.

Neither Azlyn nor Telary say anything for a few seconds. It's not lost on Mickey, who regards both his wards with a pensive expression. "Aw gee guys, I know you must have a lotta questions, and be pretty mad to boot. But you gotta understand…"

"I think," Telary interrupts, one arm around Azlyn's shoulders, "that we do have a lot of questions, and things we want to say, and…"

His fiancée butts in. "Look, a lotta stuff just got thrown at us at once, right?" she says, shrugging of Telary's arm and stepping up loom over the king. "It's going to take some time to just… to deal with it, y'know? So, let's just focus on getting home first, then everything that comes after, huh?"

"Speaking of," Sora says, looking around the deck with a frown, "where's Oswald? Did we lose him too?"

Mickey shakes his head. "Nah, we pretty much ended up in the same place. He's belowdecks."

"Trying to get this ship restarted?" Telary asks, taking a look over the railing. He grimaces at what he sees. "Because I don't think we're going anywhere in this thing."

"That's what I figured," Mickey confirms. "Anyway, come on down. I think it's time we all sat down and had a discussion."

They head for the main staircase, creaking and clanking accompanying their every movement. Telary is basically just one tensed muscle the entire time, only Azlyn's guidance keeping him moving. After he almost takes a header down the stairs, the wizard manages to relax himself.

The cargo hold is in as good a condition as the rest of the vessel. It's fairly small, though sizable enough for everyone to stand in comfortably. Water damage and some growing molds dot the metal walls, and the only furniture is a table that has completely collapsed and two chairs. In one of the chairs sits Oswald, scowling at the new arrivals. He's tied up tight, which might have something to do with that.

"Great, looks like your brats made it in one piece," the rabbit mockingly announces. He shakes the chair suggestively. "We can go now I guess."

"He wanted to leave us all behind," Mickey elaborates, rolling his eyes. "I decided we needed him to stick around." The king sighs, somehow coming out looking smaller than before. He focuses on the mildewed wall for a moment. "Besides, we really need to hash some things out here."

"Givin' me my 'due' now, eh Mickey?" Oswald asks, face contorted in a defiant scowl. "Go ahead, give it all ya got. I can take it like a rabbit."

"I'm calling first shot," Azlyn declares, already walking towards him and cracking her knuckles. "This first one is for ruining my wedding day, you…"

"Azlyn!" Mickey yells, his voice ringing with iron will. The knight turns back to him, frowning. "That is not what we're going to do. I'm trying to explain all this crazy mess, alright?"

"Good," Sora says, leaning up against the wall. "I'm pretty curious about all this stuff myself."

"So you're serious, about me and Azlyn inheriting the kingdom?" Telary asks, shaky and nervous.

Mickey nods. "Kids, I wouldn't leave it under anyone else's care."

"Unless you two start getting ideas that you might be better at it," Oswald interjects. "The second Mickey thinks he isn't the best and most beloved…"

"Stop that!" Azlyn warns the rabbit, pointing at him sternly. "You got issues, man." She swivels her gaze to Mickey, not exactly lessening its harshness. "Why does he have so many issues?"

Mickey sighs, shaking his head. "Well, Oswald hasn't had the… easiest time of it, I will admit." He looks at his brother, frowning. "Though don't deny that most of it is your own fault!"

The rabbit struggles against his binds again. "Why dontcha say that to my face, huh? Don't even mention how you've been undercutting me ever since you came on the scene! Everything I wanted, Mickey just had to have for his own!"

"Because I worked for it!" Mickey shoots back. The human trio's mouths all drop open at the small king's sudden, uncharacteristic aggression. "I wasn't content to just sit back and follow any supposed 'luck'. Every time something didn't go your way, you never thought to try again, improve yourself. Then, the one time I give you a chance, you go right ahead and try and stab me in the back!"

Oswald doesn't say anything for a few moments, just frowning off into the ether. Finally, he turns to look at his little brother. "I know, Mickey. I know. I made a mistake, trying to do what I did. I just… I just wanted to win for once, to be the guy in the spotlight."

"You went too far, Oswald," Mickey says, stern and definite. Then, he seems to let the anger go, his whole demeanor seeming to shrink. "But I did too. Sending you to this place, getting rid of anything that could remind me of ya… But you hurt me, Os. Ya really did. Seeing any trace of ya, it only caused me pain."

"It couldn't have been all bad though, right?" Sora interjects, moving to stand between the anthropomorphic siblings. Azlyn and Telary eye him with some incredulity, but he carries on. "Come on guys, you've got to think of all the good times you spent together. All the… the brotherly camaraderie, eh?"

"Remember all the scams we used to pull, to get outta work?" Oswald suggests, giggling despite his situation.

Mickey's laughing too, just a little. "Oh boy, do I. Ha, remember when we convinced Pete to give us a week off for… Heh, what did we call it again?"

"Rodencia," Oswald recalls, openly grinning now. "That scam worked for two whole years before we realized the holiday didn't exist, much less the Church of Smaller Mammals!"

"He nearly threw us in the river," Mickey concurs. Both brothers laugh easily now, good time recalled. Azlyn and Telary seem amused as well, though they keep themselves fairly subdued.

"Good, we're in a more positive mood!" Sora interjects, smiling at the pair. "Now, maybe we can have a talk like rational people. Whaddya say?"

"First of all, I say huh?" Azlyn declares, staring skeptically at the Keybearer. "You really are taking that time I told you to be a shrink to heart, aren't you?"

He shrugs. "Well, I guess the idea isn't bad. I've been looking at some stuff."

"Oswald, you can't believe what Pete told ya about that decree," Mickey tells his brother, looking at him dead on and maintaining eye contact. "He only told ya part of it, the part that sounded bad."

"Well," the rabbit replies, not quite returning his brother's gaze but not looking away either, "I guess maybe I let myself get caught up in the moment. And maybe I have some resentment issues I need to work on."

"No 'maybe' on that last one bucko," Azlyn quips. Telary and Sora give her disapproving looks, but she just rolls her eyes. "Once again, he ruined my wedding. Let me be a little pissed, huh?"

"You three are going to have to learn to work together," Mickey says, looking at the trio from Disney Castle. "Because what I meant about Oswald getting his due is that I would like him to come back to the castle, in an advisory position to the two of you."

"What?" Azlyn and Oswald ask simultaneously, giving each other brief incredulous glances before looking at Mickey once again. Telary doesn't say anything, just gets a little paler.

"I knew there wasn't much hope that you'd be able to work with me again, Os," Mickey explains, looking sincerely at his brother. "But I thought, maybe, you could see it in your heart to help out the castle under different rulers."

Before Oswald can respond, Telary cuts in. His face is flushed, sweating profusely for reasons that have nothing to do with the bog's heat. "But, Your Majesty, Azlyn and I can't be the king and queen! We wouldn't know how, we have no formal, y'know, training or…"

"So you get training," the king interrupts sternly. The look on his face is one Telary has seen Mickey direct at Azlyn before, but never him: just the slightest disappointment. "I'm not running off to go open a nightclub on Radiant Garden and leaving you and Azlyn in charge immediately. And another thing, do you think I knew anything about being a king when I started out?"

"He didn't," Oswald says, shaking his head. "He was just some young punk who got lucky and saved the future queen! When he first told me about it, I nearly laughed myself to death."

"It's a lot of responsibility," Telary continues to fret, nervously wringing his hands. Not even having Azlyn by his side seems to comfort him.

Of course, she isn't exactly sanguine at the moment either. "We've seen how I handle power. And besides, I thought it was Goofy I was supposed to take over for."

"Kids, are you even listening to me?" Mickey asks, reaching out to both of them. They each grab a hand, letting themselves feel the love coming from the mouse. "Were ya not paying attention this last hour? I've made mistakes too, I haven't always been the perfect wise king you seem to think I am."

"And I'm living proof!" Oswald interjects.

Mickey nods. "What I said last night, about wanting the next generation to surpass me… I was talking about you two, and I truly believe you can do it."

"Me too," Sora concurs, stepping up behind his friends and putting an arm around both their shoulders. "And I'll be there if you need me too."

"I don't really know ya," Oswald chimes in, drawing everyone's attention to him. He shrugs. "But eh, I guess you can't be half bad, huh? Maybe I can give this 'advising' thing a shot."

"We'd be happy to have you," Telary says, though his tone is far from definite.

"After you spend some time making up for ruining the wedding," Azlyn adds, glaring. But it's far from her harshest, and that'll have to do for now.

"I guess that's fair," the rabbit admits, hanging his head penitently. A moment later, he looks up. "Now that we're all… whatever we are, would somebody mind getting me outta here! I am the only guy who knows his way around here, y'know."

"I can do it!" Sora thrusts out his hand, the Keyblade leaping from where it had been leaning against the bulkhead to smack into his palm. Mickey watches the maneuver with wide eyes.

"I see your Keyblade made the trip with you," the king says as Sora slices through his brother's bonds. Oswald hops to the floor, brushing himself off. "I can't seem to get mine to appear."

"My Keyblade isn't acting normal either," Sora reports, frowning at the ancient weapon. "You saw that magnetic hands thing, but I can't put it away. I think the only reason it's here at all is that it was on the floor next to me when Pete transported us over."

"Speaking of Keyblades," Azlyn chimes in, "why didn't you summon yours back at the castle. You could've kicked Pete's butt with it easy."

Mickey frowns. "Funnily enough, the same reason Pete couldn't call Heartless yet. My Keyblade is from the Realm of Darkness, remember? The Cornerstone repels it as surely as anything else that comes from there."

"It's a definite good thing we have that weapon with us," Oswald says, frowning. "I dunno if you saw any, but out here in the wilder parts of the Wasteland is where creatures we call Wastes like to run free. Nasty things."

"Is that what those little shadowy things were?' Telary asks, shuddering at the memory of the encounter. "Yeah, we ran into a whole swarm of 'em."

Oswald nods. "Yep, that's them alright. The little buggers we call Floods, on account of they like to hunt in big packs. Even with that Keyblade thingy and whatever magic you have, hopefully we don't run into too many of them on the way to the projector." Shaking his head, Oswald moves to the stairs.

"What's a projector?" Azlyn asks, following him out of the cargo hold and into the clouded swamp.

"How you get around in the Wasteland," the rabbit explains, stopping at the derelict ship's edge. "There are a few different zones out here. Most of them you don't wanna go to, unless you need something specific from them."

"So, I'm assuming you live in one of the other zones?" Telary asks. He looks over the side and grimaces, noting how the small boat the trio had taken here has drifted a few feet away from the wreck.

"Yeah, there's one central zone that seems pretty tame," Oswald says, also frowning at the drifting boat problem. "That's where the Gremlins mostly live, where I set up OsTown."

Mickey raises an eyebrow at that. "OsTown, really?"

His brother doesn't reply for a few moments, rummaging around in some smashed crates and various other jetsam that has accumulated in a corner. He quickly emerges with a rope and grappling hook. As he walks to the deck's edge, he gives Mickey a look. "You really wanna play this game with me? What city is your castle next to again?"

Azlyn snorts, quickly catching herself before it can grow into an all-out laugh. Oswald grins at the response, tossing his rope over toward the boat. It misses by a few feet, splashing into the murky water. Frowning, he pulls back to try again. The next throw fails as well. The boat is only drifting further away, pushed along by the failures' currents.

"Maybe I should give it a go, Os," Mickey suggests, holding out his hand. Oswald looks ready to fire back with something scathing, but stops himself from saying anything. Nothing audible, anyway. Muttering under his breath, the rabbit begins pulling the hook back in.

Or trying to at least. It appears to be stuck, so he adjusts his grip and tries for a big pull. There's a little give, but soon the rope is rocketing back into the water as if it's being pulled from the other side. Oswald's feet leave the deck, pitching almost entirely overboard before Telary reacts by grabbing him around the waist and holding steady. Combining their strength, the pair tug the line hard.

A few feet of rope emerge from the swamp, along with a hand that splits into five clawed fingers. Just below the water, a pair of glowing red eyes shine. A moment later, they vanish back into the depths without a trace.

Nobody has time to say anything before a scratchy skittering noise can be heard from behind. Whirling, the party takes in the sight of the small blue creatures Sora, Azlyn, and Telary had fled from before. There are easily over a dozen of them gathered now.

"Wastes!" Oswald cries, scowling as the small monsters begin charging en masse.

With the way the ship is tipped, the creatures have to run up at a slight angle. It gives Sora just enough time to prepare. Swinging the Keyblade in a wide arc, he knocks back at least five at the group's front line. His next swing catches several as well. Sheer numbers and the way the creatures pack together ensure that at least several go down with each hit.

Telary uses that fact to his advantage even more so than Sora. A deluge of lightning rips into the middle of the horde, depleting their reserve while Sora holds the front line. Then Mickey adds a ball of shining light to the equation, clearing even more back.

But they just keep coming, crawling over the edge of the ship and falling to the deck. Telary and Mickey keep firing off magic, and Azlyn starts kicking anything she can get in range. Oswald frantically pulls the hook back, but when it clears the water all he sees is rope. Looking over the deck, he spots a few more creatures, larger and more humanoid with sharp claws, scaling up the boat's side.

"We got a major problem here!" the rabbit yells, as if there was doubt from any corner about this.

"Higher ground!" Mickey declares with absolute authority. He leaps atop the control cabin with a single bound, continuing on up to the conning tower without pause. Once he's situated, the king begins hurling down Holy spells. "C'mon!"

Telary sends a fireball hurtling sideways down the horde's front lines, burning two rows and giving Sora and Azlyn their opening. The pair follow Mickey's path, Telary scrambling to follow.

"Hurry up, Oswald!" Sora yells as he scrambles to the top, Azlyn helping pull him up.

Mickey's brother nods, hopping up onto the rail and then again. As expected of a rabbit, he easily makes it to the third deck's roof with the second leap. Now all five members of the party are high as they can get, the Wastes still following.

"What now?" Azlyn demands as she stomps down a creature.

"Now we get the boat," Mickey says with an oddly mischievous smile. "Tel, give me your biggest thunder and clear these things off the cabin roof." Telary nods, summoning up as much power as he can. While that happens, the king turns to address Sora. "Throw your Keyblade into the boat, Sora. Try to get it…"

"I think I've gotcha!" the Keybearer replies. Telary's spell crashes down then, an absolute deluge of electricity that completely clears the lower deck of creatures. With no more need to slash, Sora turns and hurls his blade. It clatters into the wildly bobbing boat, the tip falling to rest underneath one of the benches.

Mickey looks at Azlyn. "Get ready to catch!"

Though she doesn't quite know what he means, the knight does as she's told. Sora reaches his hand out, calling the Keyblade back. It rises into the air, finding itself stuck within the boat. With no way out, it simply pulls the small vessel up as it goes flying to Sora. Once the momentum is sufficient, he ceases concentrating, the boat continuing to fly toward him. He backs away from Azlyn, giving it a corridor to go through without spearing anyone.

The boat falls onto the top deck with a loud crash, losing a few splinters but remaining thankfully intact. Just before it falls back the other way, Azlyn and Sora lay hands on it. Mickey calls for everyone to get in, but by then they're already halfway there anyway.

"This is crazy!" Oswald screeches, but he does it anyway. Sora remains standing a moment, holding everything in place until everyone is in. The Wastes are organized enough to be coming once again, crawling up both decks with hunger in their shining eyes.

But they're too late. Sora pushes himself into the air, barely getting his feet on the small boat's floor before it begins sliding back. Everyone leans to the aft, keeping them from doing a complete nosedive. For a few brief heartbeats they're falling through the air. And then they hit the swampy water hard enough to send up a splash two feet high.

A few brave Wastes leap after them, but Sora quickly frees his Keyblade from beneath the bench and swats them away. In the same motion, he plunges it into the water and starts paddling.

"Afraid that won' quite do the trick, Sora," Mickey says apologetically. Closing his eyes, the king lowers his gloved hands, palms flat. Then, muttering a few words of incantation, he pulls his arms upwards. The water beneath the boat responds, sweeping the vessel forward in a large wave.

They rocket toward a tributary, their personal wave pushing them along despite the slow current. After a moment, Sora starts paddling frantically.

"No need to wear yourself out, kid," Oswald says. He sounds out of breath, and the way everyone else is huffing and puffing suggests they concur. "We lost 'em."

"What exactly happens when those things catch you?" Telary asks. He and Azlyn share a bench, holding each other close.

"Not good things," the rabbit replies, staring off into the middle distance. "Not good things at all." He shakes his head, snapping himself out of his stupor. "But we got away, and it isn't far to the projector."

"I'm guessing those aren't the only things that live out here," Mickey says inquisitively.

"No," Oswald says. "Just the most dangerous. The locals have developed their own ways to deal with 'em, just like me and the Gremlins in OsTown."

"What's a Gremlin?" Sora asks.

"The people I live with," Oswald explains. "An eccentric bunch, but they're really handy with tools and machinery. Together we developed a shield to keep the Wastes out of town."

"It's so weird," Azlyn notes. "That this whole other place exists. Like another world but not, y'know? What did Yen Sid tell you about this place, Your Majesty?"

"Not a whole lot," the king relays, leaning back and thinking hard on it. "He mostly just showed me that it existed to get me thinking in wider terms than just my own world. Said it was a place where lost things could gather. I meant to give it a closer look one day, but never got around to it."

"You just decided that 'lost things' included anything you wanted to get lost," Oswald mumbles.

"I guess years-deep resentment doesn't just go away after one conversation, huh?" Sora says, chuckling awkwardly.

For the next few minutes, no one says anything. Until Oswald indicates to Sora that it's time to row ashore. The Keybearer gladly acquiesces, his arms burning a bit from the effort of rowing. As the boat gets closer to the bank, though, the entire party starts psyching themselves up, in case there are more Wastes to deal with. Oswald disembarks first, Telary following behind with his hands already raised in case spells are required. The bog is quiet, only the river and what sounds the group makes as they all come ashore.

"Follow me," Oswald commands in a low whisper, looking around warily before heading northwest. Deeper into the forest, where increased tree cover only makes things darker. Everyone stays behind them. The ground is much drier here, solid enough dirt with only a few patches of mud. They clear the thick foliage a minute later, emerging into a large clearing with a pond in the middle. A small grass and dirt island floats in the pool, a glowing gold rectangle sized ten feet by twelve hovering over it.

"It does look like a movie projector!" Azlyn notes, brazenly stepping toward it. The boys don't react so mundanely, eyes widening at the sight as they approach with caution. "How does it work?"

"You just walk in," Oswald explains with a shrug. "Probably I should go first, since the Gremlins are pretty sure there's some kinda hippie-dippy 'your mind makes it real' stuff involved."

Mickey gives him a skeptical look. "You go first? And leave us here to hope you decide to…"

"Would you relax?" his brother snaps. "Gee, you've just told me that you're okay with me getting outta this place. Assuming you can find some way that nobody else ever has to do that."

"Well, it's worth a shot, right?" Sora says, the reality of the situation suddenly crashing down on him. "We've been gone for so long now…"

"I wouldn't sweat things too much," Oswald assures the boy. "I calculated it out, and time runs at about half speed in the Wasteland compared to the regular universe. And you've barely been here for an hour."

"Still," the Keybearer says, saying a silent prayer that Kairi, Riku, and all the rest are safe. The others add their own noises of agreement.

Oswald concentrates very hard on the shimmering portal for a few moments, until it starts to change. Colors begin bleeding in, slowly coming together and becoming less hazy. When the picture finally comes together, it's of a fairly standard town square, shop buildings and eateries surrounding a central greenspace. Without any more explanation, Oswald hops onto the grassy islet. The portal briefly flashes to pure white, then right back to the picture.

"Looks harmless enough," Telary says, clearly fighting to keep steady. "Not like we haven't jumped into worse, right?"

"Right," Azlyn confirms, rolling her eyes as she grabs his hand tight. "We can go together, okay?" Before they make the jump, she sighs. "We should be doing this at an altar right now."

Telary yelps, thankfully getting his bride to realize she's applying to much pressure to his hand. Once everything's smoothed out again, the couple jump to the screen. Another flash, and then they're gone too. Mickey jumps in next without a thought, leaving Sora alone in the bog. He gives the place another look around, just in case. Something about this whole place fascinates him, though he can't quite get a grip on why. Maybe it's just the Keyblade's strange behavior, but maybe…

He shakes his head, forcibly clearing away the thoughts. No reason to stand around and wait for the monsters to come out. Steeling himself, the Keybearer jumps into the shining projector.

For a few seconds, he can feel almost nothing other than an all-encompassing heat. His vision is only white, and suddenly it feels like he's going to simply vibrate apart. Then another, brighter flash of a bluer energy, and regular sensation returns. The only heat he can feel is the normal sun-given variety. Sora opens his eyes.

He's standing in a sunlit alley between two tall buildings. The roof to his left is white, and the right one is blue. His companions stand at the alley's end, underneath a large arch that is clearly not meant to be read from behind. He can make out what looks like the tops of the letters B-O-G, but other than that it's just simple wood. Looking even further up, he can see blue sky. But there's something just a bit off about it, as if a a mild heat haze hangs over the town.

"Just the force field I told you about," Oswald explains, already heading out into the street. He leads the expedition off, the others following. The streets of OsTown are pleasant, squat buildings lining a paved roadway. Signs advertise everything from a grocer to a library, even a detective agency.

Strange creatures, presumably the Gremlins, move up and down the street. They all dress in jumpsuits of various colors, complete with brown gloves and boots so their entire bodies are encompassed. Most wear color-coordinated caps as well, small horns sticking out of their foreheads. Their faces are green, with big eyes and round orange noses. Perhaps most interesting of all, very few of them touch the ground, floating above instead. The small round tubes attached to harnesses on their backs are the most likely propellant.

And here Sora had though the anthropomorphic residents of Disney Castle were odd.

Most of the Gremlins the group pass take note, especially where Oswald is concerned. Hardly a single person can stop by without some word of greeting to the rabbit. He deals with each of them in a brief but lively manner, denying no one his attention. Azlyn and Telary exchange quick looks, before glancing at Mickey. The king watches his brother with a confused (and slightly awed) expression.

"You sure are popular around here, huh?" Mickey finally says, after Oswald has noted the fine weather to a gremlin in yellow.

The rabbit shrugs. "Well, it isn't impossible. Despite what you might think."

"I do not!" his brother responds, a gloved hand on his chest. "It's just, well…"

"You've always been the more popular one," Oswald finishes for him. Then he shrugs. "Well, not here you aren't."

"That's kind of funny then," Azlyn suddenly notes. "I mean, the king banished you and everything, but it turned out you got exactly what you wanted out of it."

"Hey, you're right!" Sora cheerfully chimes in. "You're not living in anybody's shadow here, Oswald."

"Heh," the rabbit chuckles, shaking his head just slightly. "I guess you're right."

They've reached the street's end now, and a large building awaits them. It's facade is simple brick, "OsTown City Hall" written in large black letters to the left of a set of glass doors. They walk up a few steps and right inside. The lobby isn't much bigger than the sinking riverboat's cargo hold, a small wooden desk situated between two staircases leading to the upper level. Th e sun shines in from a skylight above.

The Gremlin working at the desk wears a purple suit, and when he looks up to see who has entered his entire face lights up.

"Mr. Oswald!" he practically cheers, rising into the air and giving the rabbit a crisp salute. "And I seen you've even brought some visitors. It's been some time. Gus was beginning to get concerned. And me too of course, sir."

"Well, I'm back now Sunray," Oswald says with more cheer than the rest of the group has heard from him all day. "Speaking of Gus…"

"Oh, he's in all right sir," Sunray replies enthusiastically, lowering himself back into his chair. "You can just go on back and see him, said he wanted to know the second you arrived."

"Thanks, Sun." Nodding at the others, Oswald leads them up the stairs. The next level up is just a simple walkway, the wall behind it made of windows that let even more light in. Oswald goes left down the corridor, and the others follow. They pass several closed doors, heading to the farthest one. A window of fogged glass takes over its upper half, blocky letters reading "Mayor's Office". Oswald walks right on in.

It's a reception space, a desk piled high with files and papers pushed off to the side. Another door with fogged glass sits across the room, presumably for the mayor himself. It flies open a moment after the party enters, a Gremlin in orange with a grey mustached and pilot's goggles pushed over his eyes bursting through.

"Well," he says huffily, crossing his arms over his chest, "look like you decided to come back after all." He peers suspiciously at the others. "And you brought some…"

Oswald cuts him off with a raised hand. "Gus, this is my brother and his kids," he explains. "And it's a huge, long, tragic story that lead us here. But the main thing is that they need to get back to the Outside Realm."

"I fear it simply can't be done, Oswald," Gus replies, shaking his head. "You should know that better than anyone."

"There has to be something!" Azlyn protests, shoving past the others. "C'mon man, I'm trying to get to my wedding here!"

"And our friends are in serious danger," Sora adds. In all his excitement he drops the Keyblade, which falls to the carpeted floor with a muffled thump.

Gus notices, his eyes suddenly lighting up. He hovers closer to Sora, forcing Azlyn to practically dive to the side. "You can't… You don't… That cannot be…!"

"My, uh, Keyblade?" Sora asks, calling it back to his hand. Gus gasps at the sight, his mustache hair jumping.

"Key is right, my boy!" Gus declares, hovering around the boy in a circle. His eyes never leave the Keyblade.

"What are you going on about?" Oswald demands, frowning at the entranced Gremlin. "You told me specifically…"

"Well, I just didn't want to get your hopes up," he interjects, holding up a gloved finger. "You hadn't a Keyblade, and you weren't likely to ever get one, so I simply forgot to mention it."

Oswald's palm smacks into his forehead.

"So we can get home?" Telary asks, cautious hope beginning to fill his voice.

Gus nods. "Using the Keyblade, it will be a cinch to return to the Realm of Light from this level."

"Level of what?" Mickey asks, eyebrows raised curiously.

"Who cares!" Azlyn says, cutting off any explanation from the Gremlin. "We're going home, and I'm going to kick Pete's ass from Disney Castle to Twilight Town!"

"We just require the use of a projector," Gus continues. "The Osmore caverns terminal in the basement should do nicely. Come along then!"

"I can't believe this!" Oswald declares as they walk the stairs once again. "All this time, you've known how to get me home."

"I know how to spend a mountain of gold, too," Gus replies, leading the group down still another level. "But seeing as I haven't got said mountain, there's no use expounding upon it."

As with the bog clearing, a rectangle of light floats above the floor of a small room. Sora moves to the front of the group, blade ready.

"Just as with using the projectors to move within the Wasteland," Gus explains, "you need only think on your destination. Point the Keyblade as if unlocking a Keyhole…"

"You know about Keyholes too?" Telary interjects. Shaking his head, he says, "When there isn't a crisis going on, we should revisit all this."

"But there is a crisis!" Azlyn shouts, shaking her fists in the air. "So hurry up and let's get outta here already!"

Sora nods, raising the Keyblade with the tip pointed square at the projector's middle. Calling Disney Castle to mind, he allows old instinct to take over. Energy swirls around his weapon's tip for a moment, before coalescing into a white beam that shoots straight through. Energy splashes along the portal, until just as before colors bleed together into an image of the Cornerstone room.

"It really was that simple, huh?" the Keybearer says to himself, shaking his head.

"Now it's on to the main event," Azlyn declares, cracking her knuckles pointedly

Telary nods, expression settling into stony resolve. "Yeah. Let's make Pete and his buddies regret ever messing up our wedding."

I've got three things to say here.

1. Probably should've been longer, I know tried for some kinda boss-type monster at the end. But I'm a) on a time crunch, b) on a chapter number crunch. and c) the next chapter is basically one long fight scene, so dragging things out here seemed a bit... I don't know, but I didn't really want to.

2. The Wasteland and its realm actually has fairly elaborate history/geography/purpose in the KttK mythology in my head, but those tie more into the potential Keys to the Kingdoms IV and V. So if you wanna know more, I guess you'll just have to pray I get around to those.

3. I nearly had something appear in this chapter that I am only allowing myself to show up once in this entire series. But I decided to save it for next chapter instead, because put here it felt a little forced.

Shoutouts to goddragonking and Nightwing2013 for their reviews. See you next time for a whole lotta ass kicking!