DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!

A/N: ...And here it is at last - CHAPTER 5! YAHOO!

Just so you know, this chapter does introduce the first Disney-based world. Still, I won't reveal which movie it is... until the END of this Chapter!

IF you truly wish to know what [it] is, YOU'LL just have to READ ON...!

CHAPTER 5
Dreaming In Captivity

After soaring through a long tunnel jam-packed with warm, soothing Light, Riku started to feel the tranquility he had yearned for since leaving his island home to see the outside worlds. Had he never wished to venture into the unknown, he wouldn't have succumbed to the Darkness, battled the Nobody of his best friend, struggled with the shadow of his worst enemy clinging to his heart, and have had to undergo a dangerous quest to awaken a number of "lost" worlds inside a realm full of dreams. Although these regrets were still replaying throughout his mind, Riku had resolved to do whatever was necessary for him to become an exceptional Keyblade Master. From now on, he was planning to continue to make positive choices, something Sora had told him to do after the two had defeated Xemnas.

At long last, the tunnel of Light came to an end. Riku found himself flying into a lush, green meadow at the heart of a hidden valley. As he quickly rolled to a stop in the soft, healthy grass, Riku looked up to see the early afternoon sun shining down. As a smile slowly crept onto his face, he closed his eyes.

"In your hand, take this blade."

"So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be made… "

"…And you will find me, friend."

As he slowly opened his eyes, the brilliant sunlight was still shining down. He raised his head for a brief second before letting out a deep yawn. When he laid his head back onto the grass, Riku noticed someone staring at him from above. He swiftly sat up and spun around. He quickly realized he had startled Sora. The latter snickered while Riku smirked, "Give me a break, Sora!"

Sora shook his head. "I thought I was supposed to be the lazy bum," he stated with merriment. "And here you are snoozing in the sun."

Riku smiled without showing a hint of humility; his behavior seemed to be transforming into Sora's. "Do you remember who did all the work on the raft?"

"Yeah!" Sora acknowledged. The two were beginning to laugh when Violet stepped over. She rolled her eyes at this unexpected scene of awkward amusement.

"You two are so atypical," the angel commented. "It is no wonder you could possess a strong connection through friendship."

"Huh?" Sora and Riku both said in perplexity and wonder. They hadn't expected a statement anywhere close to what they'd just heard.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora inquired, wondering whether or not the angel was hiding vital details from them.

"Is something wrong?" Riku asked, adding to Sora's list of unanswered questions.

"No! Everything is adequate," Violet rapidly responded. She turned towards the other side of the valley where a single waterfall flowed gracefully down a rocky cliff. At the base, the water formed a small stream. "I was just contemplating in regards to that peculiar tower."

Both Riku and Sora turned their attention to get a glimpse of what Violet was referring to. On the opposite side of the valley near the waterfall stood a steep-sided tower with a stone base. The top of the tower had a wooden structure with a peaked roof. Being the first to speak, Riku asked, "What about it?"

"Does it not seem peculiar to identify a tower in the middle of such a secluded location?" Violet replied with puzzlement.

Sora thought for a moment, his eyes gazed upon the distant building. "It does feel out of place," he muttered.

"Exactly my point!" Violet firmly stated. "There should not be a tower in a secluded valley. Am I correct?"

"Unless it's abandoned," Riku suggested. To his surprise, no one seemed to have heard him, let alone understood his words.

"Let's check it out," Sora emphasized, darting in the direction of the structure's base. Noticing this reaction in his friend, Riku was surprised. He barely heard Violet inquire, "Does he usually leap directly in without getting his feet wet?"

Rather than respond with his voice, Riku simply shrugged before following Sora toward the tower. Although unsure what Riku was trying to tell her, Violet ran after them both. Not one of them realized they had ended up in the kingdom of Corona.

Being the first to reach the building, Sora raised his eyes up to the top. He began to wonder what secrets laid within the tower's walls. Was it empty? Was anyone home? Was the guy in the black coat waiting up there? There was only one way to find out the truth. He turned his attention toward Riku and Violet as the two caught up. Riku looked straight up at the tower's peak before saying, "Sora, you'd better go first."

Sora was startled. "Why?" he asked. "You're the better climber."

Riku shook his head. "I fell off that building, remember?"

"That's because you were knocked off by that monster!"

"No it's not!"

"Please stop talking!" Violet sharply snapped, forcing both Sora and Riku to focus their attention on her. Sora was completely startled. Even though he hadn't known the angel as long as Riku had, he hadn't expected her to yell at them like Donald would when losing his temper. After a few deep breaths, Violet continued, "It does not matter why Riku fell! What does matter is who shall clamber up the tower's side first and check if it is safe or not. Get the picture?"

When Sora and Riku both nodded, the former noticed the angel giving a deep sigh of relief. "Sora can clamber up a wall much more rapidly than I can soar straight up," Violet stated. "He should clamber on up."

"Yeah," Riku added. He turned to Sora. "See if you can find some rope."

Although feeling a little confused, Sora nodded and quickly jumped onto the base of the tower, rapidly climbing the steep walls. As he climbed higher and higher, Sora began to feel what he assumed was a gust of wind. He glanced back down for a moment. The view was so dizzying, he shifted his focus back up and continued to climb.

Moments later, he found himself on a wooden ledge outside an open window. He carefully watched his footing as he clambered through and into the tower. Sora took a moment to sweep his eyes around the large room for anything suspicious. Due to the significant quantity of shadows, all he could see was a wooden staircase leading up to a landing before disappearing through a set of what seemed to be curtains. He softly said to himself, "There's got to be some rope around somewhere… "

As he cautiously took a few steps into the shadows, Sora thought he caught a glimpse of a large shadow in a nearby oval-shaped mirror. Wanting to investigate, he halted in his tracks and backed up to the mirror. He stopped in front of it when he noticed the silhouette was creeping up on him from behind. Before he could react, the Keyblade wielder heard a voice shout, "Sora! Behind you!"

With extremely swift-moving reflexes, Sora whirled around as he summoned his Keyblade to his hands. He barely managed to block the stranger moments before they could smash an item onto his head. He resisted them with all his might before shoving them backwards to the other side of the room. There was a sound of a THUD quickly followed by an "Ouch!"

For a moment, Sora was too startled to move. The next, he was so shocked he was speechless. The last thing he would have anticipated was the voice of the stranger to sound like a girl. Sora turned his attention towards the window where he spotted Riku standing in the room. He also saw Violet peering through the window from the outside ledge. Alarmed, Sora exclaimed, "Riku? Violet! How'd you two get up here?!"

"I had to carry Riku," Violet replied. "You took too long."

"Yeah," Riku acknowledged. "You didn't throw any rope."

Even though he was still perplexed, Sora simply shrugged his shoulders at Riku's bizarre behavior. If Riku falling asleep in the sun wasn't ironic enough, now Sora's best friend was acting more and more like he did. At this rate, it would have been assumed that Riku was going to end up becoming just like Sora, while Sora was going to turn into Riku. Yet, neither one would have noticed it. As Riku walked up to him, Sora placed his hands behind his head with a deep smile shining on his lips. Riku simply gave his usual smirked grin at the sight of this. Violet clambered through the window into the room, only to discern the pair smiling at each other. With this image in her eyes, the angel paused to admire the duo. It was quite clear to her that they shared an unbreakable bond of friendship.

Out of the blue, a golden lasso flew from the shadows, snatched Sora and Riku right from their places, and pulled them tightly together. Startled, Violet ran over and attempted to break them free — with no success. The only thing the angel could do was declare, "It is too thick! I cannot snap it apart!"

Sora took a closer look at the lasso, only to realize it wasn't even rope. He heard Riku exclaimed, "This isn't rope! It looks like… hair!"

Realizing that Riku was right, Sora followed the trail of golden hair into the shadows. A voice suddenly snapped, "Struggling… struggling is pointless!"

The mere sound of this voice caused the group to shift their focus towards the shadows where the same silhouette Sora had shoved backwards was standing. The voice continued, "I know why you're here, and… I'm not afraid of you!"

Stunned and mystified, Violet called out, "What is your identity?"

As the three watched, a figure stepped into the sunlight coming in through the open window. Sora's eyes grew wide in amazement. The figure was a girl with glaring green eyes and long, golden hair. She was wearing a long, pink dress. The only thing she was lacking was a pair of shoes. In her hands was a large, iron skillet, which he speculated had almost hit him earlier. She said to them, "Who are you and how did you find me?"

Violet opened her mouth to answer, but Riku beat her to it. He questioned, "What does that mean?"

The girl only glared all the more. "Who are you and how did you find me?"

Seeing that they were getting nowhere, Sora said, "I'm Sora. This is Riku, and she's Violet."

What happened next was the last thing Sora had expected. First, Riku frowned at him. Next, the girl raised her skillet directly above of the two. "Who else knows my location?"

Without warning, Riku snapped, "Nice going, Sora!"

Sora was taken so far aback, he snapped, "What?!"

"You shouldn't tell your name to just anyone!"

"Hey! I'm just trying to get out of here alive!"

"That's not the way to get out alive!"

As the two continued to argue, the girl looked at Violet with a look of suspicion and bewilderment. The angel blurted, "I had absolutely nothing to do with this!"

The girl lowered her skillet with a sigh coming from her lips. She said, "Does anyone else know I'm here, or are you two going to argue all day?"

As if on cue, Sora and Riku looked at her in astonishing silence. Riku said, "If anyone else knows about this tower… "

"We just got here," Sora interrupted. "We'll go, ma'am."

"Rapunzel," The girl clarified. "That's my name!"

Sora smiled. "Nice to meet ya, Rapunzel!"

Either it was Sora's imagination, or Rapunzel actually was staring in the direction of a small, green chameleon on the floor. When the creature nodded, the Keyblader realized this was really happening. He watched with the others until Rapunzel proclaimed, "In that case, I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

She climbed up onto the top of a nearby fireplace and moved aside a large velvet curtain, revealing a painting of hundreds of lights hovering over a forest at night. With a loud voice, Rapunzel questioned, "Do you know what these are?"

While Sora was taking a closer look, Riku said, "They seem to resemble… lanterns."

As soon as the words registered within his brain, it occurred to Sora that Riku's claim must have been correct. For a moment, he had pictured the lights being stars. However, the possibility of them being lanterns felt more accurate than the idea of stars.

At first it appeared that Rapunzel was awestruck at this statement from Riku, even as she explained, "Well tomorrow night, these 'lanterns' will fill the sky. All of you will act as three of my guides, take me to see these 'lanterns', and bring me home safely. Then — and only then — will I let you go."

Sora began to think about everything Rapunzel had said. Since she had both Riku and him trapped in her hair, the only one who could do something was Violet. Yet, even someone like the Angel of Dreams might not be capable of setting them free. For all Sora did know, escorting Rapunzel would be the only option if they were to locate this world's Sleeping Keyhole. All at once, Sora realized something Rapunzel had said. "You said we're three of your guides," he inquired. "Who else will be going?"

Without a single verbal word, Rapunzel pulled a nearby switch, allowing the top of the tower to open up like a sunroof. In the middle of the room stood a young man with short, dark-brown hair, and a scruffy goatee on the end of his chin. He was wearing a blue vest over a long, white shirt, tan pants, and brown shoes. "Hey," he smiled pleasantly. "The name's Flynn Rider. How's your day going?"

"It would be moving a lot better if Sora and Riku were not imprisoned by Rapunzel's hair," Violet answered after having been silent during the earlier conversation. All this did was make Sora speculate if she was secretly reluctant around strangers.

Flynn turned to Rapunzel. "It's alright," he reassured. "They're harmless."

With a nod of approval, Rapunzel hastily tugged on her hair, yanking Sora and Riku out and knocking them onto the floor. It was not a full minute before Violet hurried over to help the two get off the floor. "Sorry," Rapunzel said, very timidly. "Guess I'm still a bit… jumpy."

"I guess that makes sense," Sora softly muttered. He glanced over to the chameleon; the creature was watching his every move with a smile.

A few minutes later, Sora, Riku, and Violet were both outside looking up from the grass as Flynn Rider was climbing down the tower using two sticks with fins. The latter reached the ground as Violet called back up, "Are you tagging along?"

Feeling somewhat impatient, Riku added, "We don't have all day."

Rapunzel was still standing at the edge of the window, her iron skillet tucked under her arm, while her pet chameleon sat on her shoulder. She took a deep breath and threw her hair out the window. Everyone watched as she slid down with a squeal of delight and froze before landing on the ground. To Violet, it appeared she was nervous about stepping onto the grass. She gently set each foot down — one at a time. Seeing nothing terrible, she again squealed with delight. Sora and Violet looked one in confusion while Riku asked, "What's she so happy about?"

Violet shrugged, although she had a feeling that Sora might know. As far as the angel could tell, Sora seemed to comprehend any such circumstance. Yet, she had a feeling that Rapunzel had never been outside before. All at once, Rapunzel exasperatedly exclaimed, "I can't believe I did this!"

"Okay," Sora quelled. "Calm down before you lose your head."

"Mother would be so furious!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

"Too late… " Sora sighed. At this statement, Violet could only roll her eyes. Why was Sora assuming it was okay to be rude? The importance of politeness and having good manners was always something Violet had pictured everyone having. Yet, this teenager was showing the complete opposite of her expectations. How was that possible? As far as she understood, such a question was incapable of bearing a definite explanation. The angel came back to reality when Rapunzel said, "What she doesn't know won't kill her, right?"

A moment later, she exclaimed, "This would kill her!"

Therefore, it came as no surprise when Rapunzel collapsed to her knees and started sobbing into her hands. Sora, Riku, and Flynn briskly approached her; the latter said, "Y'know, I can't help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself."

Rapunzel looked up with tear-filled eyes. "What?"

"Sounds like your 'mother' was overprotective," Sora muttered. Violet stared at him for a couple of seconds before Riku saw this peculiar behavior pattern. His look of suspicion immediately stole Violet's attention, making the angel pretend nothing had occurred.

"Although, if you go back now, you won't have to worry about anything," Flynn called out. "It's simple! I get back my satchel, you get back a mother-daughter relationship based on mutual trust, and then we all part ways like unlikely friends."

"No," Rapunzel snapped, "I am seeing those lanterns!"

"Oh, come on," Flynn argued. "What's it going to take for me to get my satchel back?"

Rapunzel raised her skillet at his face. "I will use this!"

Without warning, a rustle came from a nearby patch of ivy. Rapunzel exclaimed, "Is it ruffians? Have they come for me?!"

Sora and Riku rapidly summoned their Keyblades. To everyone's surprise, all that emerged was a small, fluffy rabbit. Rapunzel gave a sigh of relief. "Sorry," she hesitated. "I guess I'm just a little bit… jumpy."

Sora nodded. Riku said, "It'd probably be best if we avoided ruffians. No telling what real ones would do."

Rapunzel nodded in agreement. Flynn suddenly exclaimed, "Are you guys hungry? I know a great place for lunch!"

"Huh?" Sora and Violet said together.

"Where'd that come from?" Riku added. The whole statement felt particularly abnormal. One minute, they had been discussing bandits. The next, the conversation of attaining food for lunch had spontaneously emerged from thin air. How?

"Where're we going?" Rapunzel bashfully asked. After her brief scene of fright from a harmless rabbit, she was showing signs of awkwardness. Even Sora was beginning to indicate signs of uneasiness. He crossed his arms like he was considering every last piece of information he had absorbed over the complete course of his sixteen-year-old lifetime.

"Don't worry," Flynn insisted with a comforting smile. "You'll know it when you smell it!"

Flynn gently locked his hand onto Rapunzel's arm and led her through a nearby ivy patch. Though they were all equally confused as Rapunzel, Sora, Riku, and Violet all shrugged. They quickly followed the two through the ivy and into a nearby forest of enormous tress, large bushes, thick moss, and cool shade.

As he stepped through the dense foliage, Riku started to ponder over the sincerity in Flynn's statement. For some odd reason, it felt as though he had reassured Rapunzel with a hint of sarcasm. Even as the young man led Rapunzel and the others to a dirt road, the Keyblade wielder was having his doubts. When they began to march along the road and into the distance, he glanced over to Sora with an expression he hoped his friend was able to understand. When Sora returned him with a smirked smile combined with his hands behind his head, Riku shook his head before grinning himself. If Sora was okay, surely everything was going to be all right.

After what felt like ten minutes, Flynn turned to the right with a declaration of, "There it is! The Snuggly Duckling!"

Riku halted in place when he caught sight of the wooded, duck-shaped building resting against a grassy slope just ahead. Beyond it was a thick gathering of trees. Even as Sora and Violet seemed confident they were not in any danger, Riku detected what he concluded was the scent of Darkness radiating from inside. He was beginning to wonder why Flynn had led them all straight here when Rapunzel said, "Well… I do like ducklings."

"Yay!" Flynn cheered with a large smile. Upon noticing the smile, Riku was almost positive it was nothing more than a fake. As the group marched up to the door, Sora turned to Riku with a look of excitement. In return, Riku gave a nod of relief, though the feeling of dread remained. Flynn swiftly opened the door of the building and called out, "Your finest table, please!"

Even before Rapunzel's squeal had escaped her lips, Riku knew his previous feeling had been accurate. He kept an especially close eye on his surroundings as Flynn led Rapunzel, Sora, Violet, and him through the interior of what happened to be a bar filled with hunters, murders, thieves — the list just went on. While Rapunzel had her iron skillet extended at her arm's full length, the thugs had already paused whatever activity they had been doing just to witness the arrival of what Riku perceived was unbelievable uncommon. Even Violet seemed extra cautious as she followed Riku and Sora. For a moment, Riku thought he heard the angel's heart thumping loudly — possibly out of discomfort, fear, and anxiety.

"Do you smell that?" Flynn asked, breaking Riku's train of thought. The latter took a deep sniff of the interior air and nearly choked. The scent he detected was a weaker version of the stench Xehanort's Heartless had reeked. He heard Flynn add, "What are you getting? For me, it's part bad-man-smell, and the other part is really-bad-man-smell. Overall, it just feels like the color brown."

Sora glanced at Riku with a hint of uncertainty. Riku returned with a nod. "It's the scent of Darkness," he whispered.

It was then the pair noticed Rapunzel's face was gradually turning pale. In turn, Flynn stated, "Gee, you don't look so good. Perhaps we should call it a day. This is a five-star joint. If you can't handle it, maybe you should be back in your tower."

All of a sudden, the door leading out slammed shut and a voice snapped, "Is this you?"

A large thug with antlers sticking out of his hat pointed at a poster on the crooked door. To Sora, Riku, and Violet's shock, the picture on it looked identical to Flynn Rider; the only difference was the shape of his nose. Riku was even more alarmed upon reading what was written on the poster.

WANTED: FLYNN RIDER

Flynn said, "Now they're just being mean."

Sora exclaimed, "You're a… bandit?!"

Riku was speechless; they had been trusting a criminal the whole time. Now he, Sora, Violet, and a girl named Rapunzel were trapped in a room reeking of Darkness. One of the other thugs — a large, bald man with a hook for his right hand — exclaimed, "It's him alright! Find some guards! That reward will buy me a new hook!"

Another thug shouted, "I could use the money!"

"What about me?!" the thug blocking the door yelled in turn. "I'm broke!"

Within seconds, a multitude of thugs were quarreling over who would receive the reward money for Flynn's capture. All Riku could do was shake his head. He had previously witnessed many others yield to the Darkness through their selfish desires for money and almost always become Heartless. The mere sight of the thugs disputing was no different. Without any warning, Rapunzel shouted, "Put him down!"

The result was one turn of events Riku had never imagined was possible. All the thugs stopped and whirled their attention to where Rapunzel now stood on the other side of the room. After a few moments, she rushed, "Look, I don't know where I am, but I need him to take me to see the floating lanterns because I've been dreaming about them my entire life! Find your humanity! Didn't any of you ever have a dream?!"

Her answer came from the thug with the hook. He pulled an axe out from a sheath on his back and marched right up to her. Riku was so speechless that he simply froze in place, even as Sora attempted to save Rapunzel and the other thugs rapidly blocked his path. He spotted Violet leaning against the wall directly to his right, her face frozen with fright. All anyone could do was watch the axe-wielding bandit get dangerously close to Rapunzel as his face showed determination of hurting her. Just when Riku was sure Rapunzel was about to be injured, the thug stuttered, "I had a dream once!"

To everyone's amazement, the thug tossed his axe across the room and into the wall — just above an accordion player's head; terrified, the musician immediately started playing a tune on his instrument. Bewildered, Riku glanced at Violet; the latter did the same. The thug announced, "I'm malicious — mean and scary! My snare could curdle dairy! Violence-wise, my hands aren't the cleanest! But despite my evil look, temper, and hook… "

The thug marched to a nearby stage in a small corner of the room. As he hopped to the keys of a dusty, old piano, he continued, "…I always yearned to be a concert pianist!"

He began playing as Rapunzel and Sora walked over. "Yes, I'd rather be called deadly," the thug declared to them. "For my killer show-tune medley…"

After a quick scale on the piano's keys, the thug called out, "Thank you! 'Cause way down, deep inside, I've got a dream!"

As if on cue, the rest of the thugs began chanting along, "He's got a dream… "

"You see?" the first thug added. "I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem! Though I do like breaking femurs, you can count me with the dreamers! Like everybody else, I've got a dream!"

Riku gave a smirked smile as he shook his head. Whatever he had just seen was usually the impact Sora's interaction had on others. He could easily leave an everlasting mark on whomever he met. At the very thought of Sora calling a total stranger a "trustworthy friend", Riku nearly giggled aloud.

"Well, I've got scars, lumps, and bruises… " a second thug declared from behind Riku. He spun around to see a thug with an extremely big nose calling, "…Let's not even mention my complexion! Despite my extra toes, my goiter, and my nose… "

The thug twirled to where Violet was standing next to Riku. He gracefully handed her a golden flower. It took Violet a few seconds to realize what the guy had done. Meanwhile, the thug continued, "…I'd really like to make a love connection! Can't you see you me with a special little lady… "

As the thug continued singing, Riku watched as the former snatched Violet off her feet and tied a rope around her waist. When he pulled on it, the angel was yanked into the air like a puppet. As the thug tied the rope down, he added, "…While I'm one disgusting blighter, I'm a lover — not a fighter! 'Cause way down, deep inside, I've got a dream!"

As the rest of thugs began chanted along, Violet attempted to break free, which made her swing around the room in a series of slow circles. All the thugs admired the angel as she swung overhead, though Sora could tell she was starting to blush and get dizzy. The thugs speedily crowded around Sora. One said, "What's your dream?"

"Well…," Sora stammered momentarily. For a few seconds, he pondered over what to say. Finally, Sora said, "My dream is not the same as you — that much you can make true! It takes place beyond this very world… "

As Sora chanted away, he spotted Riku staring with an expression that appeared to say "What?" He simply shrugged this aside and continued, "…To protect the Light, and keep it burning bright! Like all the rest, I've got a dream!"

The thugs all nodded at each other before they turned over to face Flynn. "Well forget about me," he grinned. "I don't sing!"

Unfortunately, all the thugs pointed their weapons at him. Flynn sighed deeply before he started, "I've got dreams like you — no really! They're just less… touchy feel-y! They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny… "

Although Sora seemed to be about to ask if Flynn was referring to an island, Flynn added, "…On an island that I own, tanned, rested, and alone… surrounded by enormous piles of money!"

This only brought out a series of boos from the crowd of thugs. As far as he could tell, Riku was certain Flynn Rider was going to be injured when Rapunzel proclaimed in a cheerful, peaceful voice, "I've got a dream! I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam! With every passing hour, I'm so glad I left my tower! Like all you lovely folks, I've got a dream!"

The entire building echoed with the sounds of cheering, joy, and chanting as the occupants began to sing as a chorus. One chimed, "Call us brutal… sadistic… and grotesquely optimistic!"

The whole room continued to echo with the feeling of happiness when Riku suddenly realized the strong sense of Darkness had nearly vaporized — replaced by the sweetness of the warmth of Light. He smiled brightly as everyone else cheered loudly, "…Way down, deep inside, I've got a dream! Yeah!"

The final burst of cheerfulness had created such a vibration that the rope Violet was connected to broke loose, causing her to land onto a wooden, round table beside both Sora and Riku. The two instantly spun to her and Sora asked, "You okay?"

After a brief moment, Violet nodded though Riku was certain her landing had stunned her arms and legs while her wings appeared to be unharmed. As the pair of Keybladers helped the angel off the table and onto her feet, the door to the bar banged open. A voice hollered, "I found the guards!"

Despite concerned for Rapunzel and Flynn's safety, Riku and Sora gently lifted Violet off the table. Her legs were so unsteady that she painfully collapsed almost immediately after her feet touched the floor. Grabbing her arms, Sora and Riku carefully dragged her behind the closest table, leaned her up against the wall beside it, and took their seats; pretending nothing had happened. They kept their focus on the soldiers as the latters stomped into the building; their leader scanned the room before snapping, "Where's Rider? Where is he?! I know he's in here somewhere!"

He turned to the rest of the guards. "Find him," the head soldier ordered. "Turn the place upside-down if you have to!"

The rest of squadron scattered about; Riku assumed they were ruthless hunting Flynn. He glanced all around the bar's interior, but saw no sign of Rapunzel or Flynn Rider. His eyes continued to wander, even as the head guard marched over.

"Have you see this fugitive?" he interrogated, holding up a copy of Flynn's wanted poster. Riku and Sora both gazed at each other for a second. "Nope," Riku lied. "Sorry."

"Better check outside," Sora smirked with his hands positions behind his head. If the guard was amused, he was so well-disciplined that he refused to show any identification of it. At that moment, a wheezing cough flooded their ears, followed by a small cloud of dust emerging from the wall. The eyes of the Keyblade wielders instantly grew with distress; they both knew its source. With a slow turn of the head, both Sora and Riku saw it was true; Violet was gasping for clean air as she slowly rose from the floor.

Sora and Riku both gasped in fear when the head soldier spotted the angel and instructed another to seize her. One of the other guards snatched her right wing, only to quickly release it as she began laughing uncontrollably. "Please stop," Violet had insisted between bursts of laughter. "That tickles!"

"Maybe she's who you're looking for?" Sora teased; Riku slapped his right hand on his face. Now Sora was going too far. Earlier, he sought to conceal Violet's presence from the skeptical eyes of the soldiers. Now, he was mocking her and apparently attempting to get her detained. Fortunately, the head soldier let the issue pass. "We don't have time for this," he scolded. "There's a dangerous convict on the loose!"

"Sir!" A soldier came sprinting over. He came to a halt in front of the captain, panting, "There's no sign of Rider!"

For several, extensive seconds, the captain glared doubtfully at Sora, Riku, and Violet. The two Keyblade wielders acted as innocently as they could while the angel was attempting to do the same. At once, a large, white horse with a blonde mane and tail came barging in through the doorway. Everyone's eyes whirled to face the unexpected visitor; the lead guard exclaimed, "Maximus!"

Maximus; the horse marched through the room, speedily sniffing the floor like a bloodhound. The very image of the animal was utterly beyond mystification for Riku. He noticed Sora's baffled expression as his friend was watching Maximus's every movement in disbelief. He shook his head; anything confusing to Sora truly was astonishing — especially since his best friend had witnessed such things countless times.

Maximus leaned over the bartender's counter, pointing one of his hooves at it with a nod of his head, though the soldiers stared at it with expressions of bewilderment; the head soldier shook his head. With a snort of disgust, Maximus pushed a lever on the counter, triggering a panel of floor to lower into a ramp. Beyond was a shadow-filled tunnel. "A passage!" the head guard exclaimed. "C'mon men, let's go!"

As the entire squadron filed one-by-one into the unknown corridor in pursuit, Riku swiftly decided this was the chance to leave unnoticed. He yanked onto Sora's hoodie — towing his friend out the doorway; Violet silently followed.

It all happened less than three yards from the saloon's entrance when a startled Sora violently forced Riku's grip off his jacket. Having lost his balance, Sora stumbled backward and banged into Violet. This resulted in both the Keyblader and angel toppling down an incline and ramming into an enormous, thick tree. As he strolled over, it took every last piece of self-control Riku had to prevent himself from exploding with uncontrollable laughter. This was not something he would've seen every day — unless Sora was within his field of vision. It wasn't enough.

There they were; the Angel of Dreams and a Keyblade-Master-In-Training lying in a pile at the base of the slope. Sora's right arm was trapped under Violet's left leg; Violet's left wing was pinned beneath Sora's right shoe. Sora's face was frowning as Riku approached, stopping a few feet short of the two. The latter's amusing smile suddenly exploded into a burst of laughter; his arms flew to his stomach to keep himself from getting sick. All Sora could do was roll his eyes before his best friend snickered, "You're still the lazy bum, Sora. Always have been… always will be."

"Hey!" Sora's frown had unexpectedly transformed into an appalling glare. "I don't see you trying to help untangle us!"

Riku's arms crossed his chest with a mischievous aspect in his eyes. "Now's your chance to be useful."

The frustration and humiliation had been stifled for too long. With a yell of anger, Sora leapt onto his feet. Violet was thrown off and onto the grass, a painful yelp escaped her mouth as her left wing was roughly tugged underneath Sora's shoe. Even as the angel was recoiling in agony, Sora jumped onto a dumbfounded Riku — knocked the latter into a shaded pond of slimy muck.

"Take that back!" an enraged Sora snarled as the muddy water splashed everywhere. His hands lunged for Riku's neck until a voice screamed from someplace inside his head.

"STOP! DON'T GIVE IN! FIGHT!"

Without a second to spare, the ravaging flames within Sora's eyes vanished in the same amount of time it takes a flickering candle to blow itself out. He hopped off Riku, his eyes filled with utter perplexity as the latter clambered to his feet.

"What… happened?" Sora wondered aloud. His eyes fell to his open palms. "…That was so… "

He quickly looked at Riku for an explanation, yet all his friend could was shrug. Still mystified, Sora turned to Violet, only to get the same reaction. He didn't have an explanation, but he still knew was something was definitely wrong.

"That was the power of Darkness…" Sora sadly realized. His eyes closed as he bowed his head towards the ground and his shoulders dropped.

Sora heard a splash of water a few minutes later; it was followed by a spray of fresh water on his body. He slammed his eyes open in alarm. There stood Violet with a small, wooden bucket that had once been filled with water. That water was now dripping from his entire body, even his head was drenched. Thanks to the gel he had previously applied before departing on this adventure, Sora's hair was still spiked. He smiled pleasantly at Violet with his hands placing themselves behind his head. "Thanks, but I don't really need a bath," he quipped.

The angel shook her head. "You shoved Riku into that filthy pond," she clarified. "If you ask me, you both required one!"

She gestured towards a small slope upon which Riku sat with drops of water still dripping from his silver hair; his back turned in their direction. Placing his hands at his sides once more, Sora's smile faded as he understood what had occurred. He exhaled in a deep sigh as he eyes closed once again.

When they reopened, the sun had disappeared and nightfall had just descended upon the forest. Sora felt a hand on his right shoulder, wincing for a moment when he realized what it was. The Angel of Dreams was spreading comfort to him. From his peripheral vision, Sora saw her smile and knew this meant that everything would turn out well in the end. He gave a small smile of approval in return. Violet nodded kind-heartedly, permitting Sora to accept a few minutes of calm, relaxation.

"Being a Keyblade Master is all I've dreamed about!"

"Well you're not the only one!"

"I know! You, me, and Ven… "

"…We all share the same dream."

"Hey!"

The shout brought Sora and Violet's focus to Riku, the latter waving his arms around as though signaling a passing ship — with the notable exception of the absence of flags. He shouted down to them, "Are you two 'lovebirds' busy, or can I show something?"

At the mere mention of 'lovebirds' both Sora and Violet instantly stepped two feet apart from one another. They darted up the steep incline to where Riku was eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Riku watched impetuously as both his friends slowly poked their way up the hilly terrain with the pace of the slowest snail in existence. He had glanced at a water-proof watch on his left wrist for what felt like the millionth time when the duo strode up, panting with faint wheezes in-between. He simply shook his head before Sora questioned, "What's… up?"

Riku pointed into the distance. About two miles down the gradually-descending road was the flickering light of a campfire; a column of smoke was rising into the air overhead.

"What about it?" Violet inquired, staring at the light in question. Sora gave a nod in turn.

"I was thinking," Riku explained. "Whoever made camp down there may have seen them."

Violet and Sora exchanged looks of mystification with each other. After a long minute, Sora asked, "Who's 'them'?"

With a groan of disbelief, Riku elaborated, "I meant Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. Remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Sora exclaimed, his eyes growing in recollection. "We promised to help guide Rapunzel to see those 'lanterns' and bring her back home safely."

He crossed his arms, deeply pondering. "At least, I think that's right… "

"Talk about semi-photographical memory!" Violet marveled. This made Sora grin with a hint of pride.

"Then let's check it out." Riku asserted. A moment later, he was leading the group down the declining road in the direction of the illuminating campfire.

As they drew closer, familiar voices filled their ears.

"…As you wrap your magic hair around my injured hand."

"Just don't… don't freak out."

The three hid under the cover of a set of trees on the outskirts of the clearing. Peeking out, Riku quickly recognized Rapunzel and Flynn sitting on two logs beside the campfire. Rapunzel's golden hair was lying about the clearing with the very end of it wrapped around Flynn's left hand in the shape of a bandage. This sight not only made Riku feel a tad worried, but also a bit confused. Why was Flynn's hand wrapped in Rapunzel's hair? The very concept was mind-boggling; there wasn't a logical explanation. Was there? He didn't know.

With a deep sigh, Rapunzel shut her eyes and began singing, "Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine… "

The pupils of Riku's eyeballs grew in surprise. As Rapunzel sang, her hair started to glow with a golden illumination. It travelled from her head along the entire length of her hair. As it reached Flynn's hand, Rapunzel sang, "…Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine — what once was mine."

As Rapunzel finished her song, her eyes opened and the golden glow of her hair disappeared. With a curious look on his face, Flynn unwrapped the hair from around his left hand. As he removed the last strand, his eyes erupted in alarm and he quickly began to hyperventilate. At the same time, Riku was puzzled beyond belief. What had Rapunzel done to Flynn's hand?

"Please don't freak out!" Rapunzel blurted an instant before Flynn could yell in fright. Instead, he began asking a load of questions at an alarming rate. "I'm not freaking out! I'm just interested in your hair and the magical qualities that it possesses! How long has it been doing that exactly?"

For a moment, Rapunzel paused from being caught off-guard before showing a smirked smile. She reluctantly hesitated, "Forever… I guess?"

"Really?!" Sora exclaimed, rapidly emerging from the surrounding foliage and grabbing the attention of the two. Riku amusing gave a shake of his head as he and Violet appeared from their own hiding places.

It took barely three minutes for everyone to get re-acquainted. Finally, Riku heard Sora ask, "So, why does your hair glow?"

For a few minutes, Rapunzel froze with uncertainty. With a sigh, she replied, "I don't know. Mother said when I was a baby, people tried to cut it — they wanted to take it for themselves. But when it's cut… "

She carefully moved her hair from behind her neck, revealing a tiny strand of short, brownish hair. "…It turns brown and loses its power," Rapunzel finished.

Now Riku was speechless — alongside sad, curious, and concerned. Rapunzel's hair was magical as long as it remained intact. From some reason, this story sounded pretty familiar to him. He was on the verge of pondering when Sora said, "That's… that's awful!"

Rapunzel nodded sadly. "A gift like that needs to be protected, which is why Mother never… I never… "

Her voice trailed off as Riku finally knew what she meant. "You never left that tower," he summarized. "Did you?"

Rapunzel's eyes began to show signs of tears. It was true; she had remained inside the tower for the duration of her life so far. This made Violet question, "You're still going back?"

"No! Yes!" Rapunzel asserted firmly, burying her face within her hands. "It's complicated!"

For approximately two minutes, the clearing was full of complete silence. Although he didn't speak it, Riku already understood the dilemma Rapunzel was facing. Her heart longed to be free to explore. Unfortunately, her mother had sealed her in the security of a secluded tower so her "magical gift" could be preserved. However, this only had resulted in her heart becoming a prison — she was both the captor and the prisoner.

At last, Rapunzel sat up and took a deep breath. She turned to Flynn (who Riku noticed had remained silent) and inquired, "So, 'Eugene Fitzherbert', huh?"

"Eugene Fitzherbert?" Riku questioned, surprised by this unexpected comment.

"Who's… Eugene Fitzherbert?" Sora asked while Violet stared in bewilderment.

"I'll save you all the story of poor, orphaned Eugene Fitzherbert," Flynn muttered. "It's a little bit of a downer."

Despite this, everyone looked at him with anticipation. Flynn smirked a grin before he began. "There was this book I used to read every night to all the younger kids, The Tales of Flynnigan Rider — swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, and not bad with the ladies either!"

"Was he also a thief?" Riku interrogated.

Flynn paused in thought. "Well… no," he answered. "He had enough to do anything he wanted to do; go wherever he wanted to!"

Sora blurted, "So why did you become a thief?"

Flynn finished, "I don't know… I was a kid with nothing. Probably seemed like the better option."

"I see… " Riku said, thinking hard. Though he wasn't sure if Sora or Violet had noticed, Riku was positive Eugene Fitzherbert was the actual identity of Flynn Rider. He smugly smiled, already knowing Eugene was no different than Xehanort. The latter had craved for answers beyond the limit his teacher, Ansem The Wise, had firmly placed to prevent harmful things from happening to the universe. Yet, that wasn't enough to keep Xehanort from rebelling against his instructor, banishing him into the Realm of Darkness, and continuing the forbidden research to well-beyond the extreme — and accomplishing it all under the name of "Ansem". Xehanort's Heartless became known as "Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness" and the rest was history.

Having been lost in the depths of contemplation, Riku snapped back into focus as Flynn said, "I'll just… I'll go get some more firewood."

"I'll come," Sora perked up. "You'll need a strong man!"

Riku slowly shook his head in amusement. The only thing he knew Sora would end up doing was leaning against a tree and snoozing, leaving Flynn to do all the work.

As the two set off for the nearby trees, Rapunzel's voice stopped them. "Hey," she called. "For the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider."

In response, Flynn said, "You'd be the first, but thank you."

He led Sora off into the darkness of the forest beyond the clearing. As Sora began chatting away, Violet wondered aloud, "Let's hope they get some wood. It is starting to get chilly around here, even if it is Summertime."

All Riku could do was shake his head. "With Sora, that'd be a dream come true," he remarked, even though Violet gave a look of repulsion in return. He added with a smile, "…Just kidding."

This seemed to allow Violet a chance to relax. She smiled.

"Well! I thought they'd never leave!"

The sound of the unknown voice caused a shiver of fright to fill Riku's senses. He and Violet quickly whirled their eyes over to a section of the clearing directly behind Rapunzel; the latter was doing the same. There stood a slender, pale-skinned woman with curly, greying-hair and grey eyes. She was wearing a crimson-red dress and gold earrings, though her body was largely shrouded by a black cloak. For what felt like ten minutes, Riku assumed this was the figure in the black coat come to seek vengeance upon their enemies.

"Mother?!" Rapunzel exclaimed in alarm. "H-how did you find me?!"

Rapunzel's mother stepped forwards and immediately hugged her daughter. "It was easy — really," Rapunzel's mother explained. "I just listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that."

The words escaped Riku's lips before he could stop them. "Who are you?"

Rapunzel's mother looked at both Riku and Violet, only to frown. Rapunzel broke free of her arms and said, "Mother, this is Riku and Violet. They've been protecting me out here."

After Riku and Violet nodded, Rapunzel's mother introduced herself. "You can call me 'Mother Gothel'. I'm… thankful someone was able to defend my daughter."

With that, Gothel grabbed Rapunzel's arm. "We're going home, Rapunzel," she declared. "Now!"

"But Mother," Rapunzel persistently blurted. "I've been on such an incredible journey and seen and learned so much — I even met someone!"

"Yes, the wanted thief," Gothel sarcastically proclaimed. "I'm so proud… come on!"

Rapunzel continued to break free of her mother's tight grip. All of a sudden, she blurted, "Wait a moment, Mother! I think… "

At this sudden pause, Gothel released her hold on Rapunzel's arm. Riku and Violet both watched closely as a huge smile formed upon her face. "…I think he likes me!"

"Likes you?" Gothel scoffed. "Please, Rapunzel! That's demented! This is why you never should've left!"

Riku spotted Violet spectating this entire series of events with a feeling of skepticism. He knew they were probably both wondering the same thing; had Mother Gothel truly kept Rapunzel locked inside the tower to protect her from harm? They silently agreed to continue watching.

Gothel was still ridiculing away. "Why would he like you? Look at you; you'd think he was impressed! Don't be a dummy! Come with me!"

"No!" Rapunzel self-confidently retorted. This brought looks of shock and surprise to Riku, Violet, and Gothel alike.

In return, Gothel's face transformed into a creepy smile. "No?" she began. "Oh, I see how it is! You think you're so mature now — such a clever, grown-up miss!"

Looks of puzzlement formed upon Riku and Violet's faces while Rapunzel's showed signs of uncertainty. Gothel continued, "If you're so sure, go ahead and give him this!"

She reached behind her back and pulled out a brown satchel. Riku was still puzzled, even as Rapunzel exclaimed, "How did you…?!"

"This is why he's here!" Gothel interrupted, reached into the satchel and pulling out a golden crown with a glass point. "Don't let him deceive you! Give it to him!"

As Gothel tossed both the crown and satchel to Rapunzel, an unprecedented wave of astonishment surged through Riku. He still heard Rapunzel cry, "I will!"

"Trust me my dear!" Gothel scowled, snapping her fingers. "That's how fast he'll leave you! I won't say I told you so! If you know best, then go put him to the test!"

Gothel started to storm off into the surrounding forest when Rapunzel yelled, "Mother! Wait!"

Gothel halted in her footsteps, twirled around, and declared, "If he's lying, don't come crying! You know Mother knows best!"

Less than a second later, Mother Gothel had vanished into the trees. Rapunzel, Riku, and Violet stood frozen in place when a voice called out, "We brought the firewood!"

Riku took a peek back and saw both Flynn and Sora marching into the clearing, their arms loaded down with heavy logs and a variety of sticks for the campfire. He glanced at Rapunzel, who had mysteriously hidden the satchel in the brief amount of time. He shrugged the feeling of tensed worry off and proceeded to rejoin the others at the campfire.

Still, the feeling of looming Darkness was not too far away….

A/N: ...CLIFFHANGER! Yet, it's NOT hanging from a cliff! Nevertheless, it's still hanging with TENSION - THE OVERWHELMING SUSPENSE...!

ANYWAY, it's time to reveal what Disney Movie this world [CORONA] is based upon; "TANGLED (2010)".
THERE! NOW YOU KNOW!

I have just ONE final thing to express, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!

This is SoraLego278 saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!"