DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!

A/N: Well now, THIS was one easy Chapter for ME to write! Might be because it happens to be one of my FAVORITE PARTS of The Sword In The Stone!

So, since I am feeling especially excited today, I am going to give a piece of TRIVIA on this particular Chapter!

DID YOU KNOW: The Sword In The Stone is one of three Disney Movies to be based upon a legend about someone who actually lived on Earth? There has been some evidence found (such as Excalibur in the Vatican where it was supposed to be) to support these claims.
The other two Disney Movies with this structure are Pocahontas (we know she was real based on Historical Evidence) and Robin Hood (Sherwood Forest IS a real place, and the towns around it have records of a barbarious outlaw who lived in the woods, who the lower class considered to be a Hero).

So, now that you know this piece of TRVIA for today, I'd like to point out how this Chapter has a Darker Theme about it - sort of when Ansem appeared in PIXIE HOLLOW, but I don't wish to spoil it for you.

Finally, there IS a Musical Number hidden in this Segment. I was listening to the Sountrack while writing it, which might have to do with why there's a section you may not have noticed. That's typically what comes to my mind now whereever I hear it.

Go on ahead! Read to your heart's content! Also, PLEASE don't forget to Review! We're still not at the GOAL of 100 REVIEWS - YET!

CHAPTER 30
Riku's Dark Regret

The ground started to vibrate seconds after the witch had departed. It didn't take long for an enormous ball of black matter to form in the sky above. At the center of the ball was a deep-reddish glow, which strongly resembled red-hot coals from a campfire. It took a matter of minutes for the blue expansion to become engulfed in the same shade of black as the ball.

The wind whistled through his ears as the ground began to move quicker. The tremors swiftly transitioned into a roar of suction as a gigantic whirlwind picked up. From his eyes, the figure could see countless trees being yanked from the earth and into the air. Clouds of dust and dirt were abundant as the wind grew stronger. Before the figure's eyes, the stone castle began to shake like it was in an earthquake. The tallest, most rickety tower suddenly crumbled to the ground as the walls were pulled apart by the suction. Splintered pieces of wood and chunks of stone went swirling through the air in a similar fashion to a tornado's vortex.

Witnessing all the destruction occurring all around him, the figure was horrified, shocked, and worried. The only thing he could say was, "How could I have done this?!"

Riku awoke with a start. His head darted this way and that. It took a few seconds for his eyesight to adjust to the darkness of the room. He gave a sigh of relief; he was only in the room of the tall, rickety-looking tower of the castle Sora, Violet, and him had ventured to with Merlin the wizard. Recalling the events of the previous night, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder had to smile.

Not long after Merlin had unpacked every last item from his suitcase and arranged them neatly about the room had a clap of thunder filled the group's ears. Sora had rushed to the only window in the chamber and pointed out the incoming storm. It wasn't long before the rain began pelting on the peaked roof and the lightning was flashing across the night sky. Although Sir Ector had said the Northwest Tower was supposedly the "best room in the house", Merlin had rapidly been forced to use umbrellas and a variety of containers to stop the constant leaks. Violet had managed to stay dry when the roof started leaking, until a sudden gush of water descended from above. As he had placed another umbrella through a major hole in the roof, Sora had shaken his head and smiled. The angel's wings had become so water-logged they were drooping at her sides. Even her typically neat hair was dripping water. The result was Violet showing signs of discomfort — especially when Sora muttered aloud, "You're drenched to the bone, Violet."

Merlin had seen the incident as he placed his sugar container upon a pile of books. When the container realized it was being used a collector for the rainwater, it hastily scooped out the water in itself and slammed its lid back on. Archimedes was complaining about how the wizard and him should've returned to the woods, but Merlin reminded the owl Wart needed an education as he still had a future. Even Sora had stated such knowledge was important, making Riku shake his head.

A moment later, a bugle had sounded outside. From what the group had heard, a messenger had arrived with some "big news from London". Seconds after Merlin had forced Archimedes to discover what the "big news" was (following a threat to turn the owl into a human if he refused), Riku had finally found himself dozing off back-to-back with Sora. Violet had collapsed in the same chair Wart had been in back in the woods. The last thing Riku had recalled hearing was Merlin muttering, "Works every time. Just like magic."

Now wide awake yet again, Riku gave a deep sigh. If his friends were to find out about what had been done nearly two years before… he didn't want to think about it. The point was Camelot was now a Sleeping World, and that meant it had to possess a Sleeping Keyhole somewhere within. Once he found that Keyhole, the silver-haired youth would have the chance to relax much more easily. He dozed off once more.

CHARGE!

The abnormally loud shout was enough to make Sora jolt awake. He leapt to his feet only to find Riku had been awoken. Now taking into account how the two had been sleeping on the floor back-to-back, the brown-haired teenager gave a nervous smile. Riku returned with a shake of the head and a grin of his own. Moving his eyes across the room, Sora noticed Violet slumped in the same chair she had dozed off in; her wings dangling on either side with a small pool of water beneath them. Merlin was lying in his bed and giving an occasional snore or two.

Before Sora could react in any way, shape, or form, a violent tremor struck the tower. The room began vibrating at a rapid pace. A few books tumbled off their shelves and Archimedes' birdhouse fell from its perch on the ceiling, landing directly in a fallen mound of books. A voice from somewhere else in the castle hollered, "Heads up!"

The miniature quake had been more than enough to knock Violet out of her chair and jolt Merlin awake. The Angel of Dreams took a few seconds to squeeze the last droplets of water from her wings as Merlin slowly swept his eyes around the room. The latter called out, "A-Archimedes… w-w-where are we?"

Clambering out from his toppled home, Archimedes stubbornly answered, "In a tumble-down, old tower in the most miserable old castle in all Christendom! That's where!"

"C-castle?" Merlin seemed puzzled. To Sora, it almost appeared the wizard had entirely forgotten last night's events.

Archimedes was far from pleased. "Don't you even remember the boy?"

"W-what boy?" Merlin scratched his head in thought.

A concerned Sora gestured to himself. "Don't you remember me?" he asked.

Merlin glanced at him as he put his glasses on. "W-who are you?" the old wizard inquired.

"He doesn't remember," Riku muttered softly. He shook his head. This was no different than how he knew Sora tended to forget. If there was one skill the sixteen-year-old Keyblader had acquired successfully, it was being as naïve as ever — not mention forgetting stuff he had once learned in school. Whenever a quiz came up, Sora often circled the answers at random. It was thanks to these multiple choice tests Sora had succeeded through school, even though Riku knew it was merely a total coincidence.

"Can't you remember one blasted thing?!"

Certain the voice was coming from Archimedes, Merlin glared at the owl. "Now, now! Just a moment!" he demanded.

"Keep a firm grip on the lance!"

Everyone whirled their eyes toward the open window. Merlin hopped out of bed and placed his hat on as he joined Sora, Riku, Violet, and Archimedes at the ledge. Down in the courtyard below, the group could see Sir Ector standing beside a tall, thin man with a bald head and thick, gray mustache. The stranger was wearing a purple shirt and skirt that had some pink design. The two men were attempting to place Kay onto the saddle of a horse.

Noticing Kay's torn clothing, Sora realized the young adult must have slammed into the tower while doing something or other. However, what had he been doing?

Once Kay was on the horse, Ector snapped, "You keep losing your grip!"

"It's not a mere matter of muscle, sir," the other man politely stated as he handed Kay a semi-dented helmet. "J-jousting is a-a fine skill. I-it's a highly-developed science."

Kay clearly didn't wish to hear anymore as he put his helmet on to block out the noise.

Up in the tower, Sora was perplexed. "What's 'jousting'?" he questioned.

It took Riku and Violet a moment to realize he was looking in the direction of Merlin. The wizard was shaking his head and grumbling to himself. "Science indeed!" he muttered aloud. "One dummy trying to knock off another dummy with a bit of a stick! Bah!"

Sora paused in thought. So that's what "jousting" was all about? Two people trying to knock off each other with sticks? What was the point in such actions? It sounded to the spikey-haired Keyblade wielder as though the very point of "jousting" was to create unnecessary violence. "So much for keeping the peace," he silently murmured to no one in particular.

"And the Wart's just as hot for it as the rest of them," Archimedes clarified. He indicated Wart down below rapidly preparing a wooden knight in armor for a second round of training. As Wart placed a long lance onto the dummy, Merlin gave a nod.

"Yes, he certainly is," the wizard admitted. "That boy's got real spark. Lots of spirit; throwing heart and soul into everything he does. That's really worth something if it can only be turned in the right direction."

"So," Violet spoke up. "You mean he has the potential to accomplish anything he sets his mind to?"

"Not just his mind," Merlin corrected. "His heart, too."

Hearing this, Sora gave a nod in agreement. Wart's heart did seem to be filled with Light, which was most-certainly a quality that had to be encouraged and protected. Such a value as that was not something the spikey-haired teen saw every day. While it was true everyone had the potential from the start, most people Sora had encountered had long since wasted such potential on stuff that really didn't matter.

"Heh! Heh!" Archimedes mocked. "Fat chance of that!"

Merlin smiled. "I plan to cheat of course," he confessed. "Use magic! Every last trick in the trade if I have to."

Sora smiled. If there was one attribute Merlin had always had, it was the ability to frequently use magic. Based on what he had once heard from Leon before leaving Radiant Garden, Cid had called Merlin an "old loon". The latter had gotten so offended, he launched a ball of magic at Cid's computer. The computer had burst into flames as Cid handed Leon what happened to be a program that could potentially defeat the now-late MCP.

All this story did was make Sora smile and snicker. Cid and Merlin had appeared to be rivals since the beginning. After all, Cid preferred to use computers over magic, and Merlin hated computers as they easily interfered with his magical powers. Hopefully the wizard would never find himself teleporting straight into The Grid or Space Paranoids anytime soon. That would be a catastrophe waiting to happen! Sora continued to smile as the sun continued to rise in the sky.

It was about midday when Merlin decided to take Wart for a little stroll outside the castle's walls. Since everyone else was still in the Great Hall eating lunch, Sora, Riku, and Violet had agreed to accompany the two as they left. During the walk through the courtyard, Violet used a piece of tattered cloth to wipe off the pieces of food from her arms and wings. Even though the angel had managed to avoid Sora's messy eating habits, the strange, bald man with the mustache — Sir Pellinore the group had learned his name was — was constantly spilling drinks, dropping pieces of bread, and shaking food particles out of his mustache. At one point, he and Ector gave a toast to Kay's future success in learning how to joust efficiently. When the pair's glasses had clanged together, Pellinore's shattered, spilling grape wine all over Kay and Violet (who happened to be sitting directly below the other two). Kay had snarled, "Watch it, will ya?!"

Violet's wings had continued to droop until Merlin ushered Wart out the door and Sora had followed suit. Riku was next in line, leaving Violet to rush after the others.

Now just beyond the drawbridge, Violet could tell her wings had dried up, even though they still felt a tad sticky, almost as though Pooh had covered them with his honey. She shrugged it off her mind as the group proceeded alongside the moat.

Further up ahead, Riku found himself between Sora (to the left) and the moat (to the right). As he continued to casually stroll on by, the silver-haired youth stared into the water. A few lily-pads caught his eye, reminding him how Tinker Bell had tried to control water back in Pixie Hollow. The bluish-green tint in the liquid substance seemed relatively calm compared to the fact it was part of a world that was currently fast asleep. As his eyes continued to look into the tiny ripples, an image of Darkness filling the sky above came into focus. The calm reflection of the castle transformed into one of movement as wind seemed to be picking up and the building appeared to be swaying. At once, a black ball appeared above the reflection and the castle started to crumble into pieces. The wood and stone debris went swirling into the sky…

Riku immediately slammed his eyes shut. Why did that image keep coming back to him? At the time it had occurred, he didn't quite comprehend what was going on. That is, until Maleficent had explained everything. The point was it was a disaster, and chances were nothing could be done to change it back. History was supposed to be impossible to change. Everything was already set-in-stone. Wasn't it?

To try and keep his mind off the dark picture, Riku turned his attention back to Wart. The young boy was swinging a wooden stick around like a sword. "I'd give anything to go riding about on a great, white charger," he said. "Slaying dragons, and griffins, and man-eating giants… "

Merlin chuckled with a hint of excitement. "Well… won't you?"

Wart shook his head. "Oh no," he admitted. "You see, I'm an orphan, and a knight must be of proper birth."

Violet halted in her footsteps and turned to face Wart. "So, you are on your own?"

Wart gave a slight nod. "I only hope I'm worthy to be Kay's squire. T-that's a big job too, you know."

"No kidding," Sora muttered out loud. "Sure sounds like it."

The brown, spikey-haired Keyblade wielder stopped in place, a blank look on his face. "What's a 'squire'?"

Riku had to shake his head when he heard this. Recalling how Pooh had tended to forget a variety of different things back in The 100-Acre Wood, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade-Master-In-Training knew it was okay to compare Sora to the bear.

Wart turned to face Sora. "A squire helps a knight," he explained.

Sora crossed his arms. "Sounds like a lot of hard work."

"Oh, yes, yes," Merlin approved. "I'd say almost impossible."

By this point, the group had arrived at the edge of a small pond at one corner of the moat. Peering into the water now, Riku gave a silent sigh of relief. All he was seeing was his own reflection. Noticing how both Wart and Sora were bending down to look into the same pond with looks of amazement on their faces, Riku listened as Wart asked, "You mean, you can turn yourself into a fish?"

Merlin smiled proudly. "After all, I happen to be a wizard!"

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed in such a tone of voice anybody would realize he had never known Merlin could do such an action.

Riku gave another shake of his head. Sora had known Merlin for a long time, and yet the former still had not learned the full capacity of the wizard's magical skills? Then again, perhaps Sora had simply forgotten such knowledge. The very idea of Sora transforming into anything else made Riku snicker to himself. He recalled how Sora had informed him about how the sixteen-year-old Keyblade wielder had changed into a lion and even a merman.

Wart was impressed. "Could you turn me into a fish?" he questioned.

"Can you do me, too?" Sora begged with a light shining in his eyes.

Merlin looked down at the two. "Well, do you have any imagination? Can you both imagine yourselves as fish?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Wart admitted. "I've done that lots of times."

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Me, too."

Riku had no choice but to shake his head once more.

"Oh, well, good," Merlin said as he raised his cane into the air. "Then I think my magic can do the rest."

Waving his cane into the air, Merlin paused in thought. He absent-mindedly bumped his cane onto the top of Wart's head before jolting Archimedes awake with it. The owl had been perched upon Merlin's hat the entire time. "Archimedes," Merlin said. "W-w-what is that fish formula?"

Archimedes gave a yawn when he was jolted awake. "Who?" he asked softly. "Wh-wh-what?"

Merlin jabbed once again. "You know, that Latin business."

Archimedes gave another loud yawn. "Fish? Latin? Oh, um… 'Aquarius, Aquaticus, Aqualitus'."

As he leapt from the hat and onto a nearby tree branch, Archimedes added, "Now, if you don't mind, I say good day to the lot of you, if you please!"

Seeing this behavior from the owl, Merlin leaned in close to Wart and Sora and whispered something. From his position, Riku could hear what they were saying. Merlin whispered, "When he stays out all night, he's always grumpy the next morning."

Wart and Sora snickered quietly. "Then he must stay out every night," Wart replied.

Sora nodded in agreement. For a moment, Merlin nodded when he realized what Wart had said. "Oh," he chuckled. "I say! That's very good, boy! Very good, indeed!"

Overhearing the giggling and chuckles, a startled Archimedes blurted, "Who? What? What?"

Riku nearly slapped himself in the face when he heard this. From what he could tell, Merlin found pleasure in teasing Archimedes based on his behavior. Even so, the owl did not seem to think such statements were very humorous — not in the least, little bit. That much the silver-headed Keyblader easily comprehended, even if Violet might not have. Through the corner of his eye, Riku saw the angel standing in place with her arms crossed; her face showing indication of bewilderment.

"Oh, all right, you two," Merlin declared as he raised his cane high into the air. "All set?"

After Sora and Wart both gave silent nods, Merlin waved the cane a few inches above their heads. At one point, the latter inadvertently banged it on the top of Wart's head for the second time. "Here we go! Aquarius, Aquaticus, Aqualitus, Qum! Aquadigitonium!"

With a poof of blue smoke and few tiny, flashy stars, Sora and Wart instantly transformed into a pair of small fish. Wart had turned into a dull-yellowish fish and Sora had become a faded-reddish fish. From his perspective, Riku took into account how Violet had bent down to grab a closer observation of the two. An amused smile formed on her lips.

"Merlin," Wart called out from the ground below. "Am I a fish? Am I a fish?"

"Yes, yes," Merlin answered. He dove onto the ground, desperately trying to grab the pair as they wobbled around. "But you two don't stop that flipping-flopping around and get into the water quickly, you won't last long."

Fortunately, Violet had gotten ahold of Sora by his tail at the same time Merlin snatched Wart. Spectating the entire event, Riku noticed something different about Violet. That's when it dawned on him. The Angel of Dreams had put on some violet-colored gloves that strongly resembled the ones worn by engineers and repairmen. Before letting the two fish go free in the water, Merlin reminded them to stay close as he would be joining them shortly.

Riku had to shake his head as he watched Merlin stride up to a nearby log and place his hat and cane alongside it. In the blink of an eye, the wizard approached the edge of the pond and said yet another enchantment (one which Riku was unable to understand) and instantly transformed into a fish himself. Merlin hopped into the water himself, leaving both Riku and Violet behind on the edge of the moat. Their curious faces continued to stare into the ripples on the water.

Once in the water, Sora had taken a few seconds to familiarize himself with the surrounding environment. The visibility was so clean, he could see for about halfway across the moat. Above him was what looked like a clear pane of glass with some lily pads growing from down below. The green stems of the pads barely reached the sandy floor, leaving a decent amount of space for Sora to swim around. Remembering how Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder had helped him learn how to swim as a merman, Sora decided now would be a golden opportunity to try to do the same as an actual fish like Flounder. In a matter of moments, he found himself spinning around in circles. Glancing down below, he caught a sight of Wart trying to move about, only to end up face-first in the sand. Unable to shake his head and smile, Sora had to resort to just smiling.

"So," a voice called out from nearby. "You thought you could take off like a shot. Did you?"

Turning around, Sora spotted a partially-wrinkled blue fish with white eyebrows swimming down to where Wart had ended up. Thanks to some miniature glasses on the fish's face, Sora recognized them as Merlin.

Once Merlin had plucked Wart from the sandy bed, the latter started to float upwards. "Well," he asked. "I am a fish. Aren't I?"

Merlin nodded his head slightly. As this was going on, a medium-sized, green bullfrog with a mischievous look in its eyes used one of its webbed feet to shove Wart back down. "You merely look like a fish," Merlin explained. "That doesn't mean you can swim like one. You don't have the instinct. So, you'll have to use your… your brain for a change."

Sora's smile grew larger. Why hadn't he thought of that?

Merlin gazed up towards the surface. "You are living between two planes now. The ceiling and the floor."

A passing water-creature caught Sora's attention. The animal was a brownish color and using a pair of arms to push itself along. When Wart saw it, he tried to copy the movement, which allowed him to push forward at about the same rate as the unknown animal. The creature stopped a few moments later and started propelling itself upward like it had a motor on the bottom.

"Lots of ups and downs," Merlin went on to say. "Like a… like a helicopter."

Wart and Sora stared at Merlin with blank expressions evident on their faces. "'Helicopter'?" Wart inquired.

"What's a 'helper-cop-tear'?" Sora questioned, not realizing how his mispronunciation was no different to how Goofy spoke.

When Merlin realized what he had said, he hastily changed the subject. "Every flick of a fin creates movement. So let's start with the cordial fin."

Unsure which fin the wizard was referring to, Sora and Wart tried each of their side fins, only to end up rolling from side-to-side. Spotting this, Merlin corrected, "No, boys. Your tails. Tails!"

It had taken until the second "tails" for Wart to realize what Merlin had been talking about. Sora had already understood seconds before and given it a try. He speedily collided with Merlin's face, almost knocking the wizard's eyeglasses from his face in the process.

Merlin appeared unfazed from this incident. "That gives you the forward thrust," he continued. "Now, let's get in rhythm."

As he led the way for the other two, Merlin chanted along, "Right… left. One… two. Left and right. Like day and night. That's what makes the world go round."

As Sora and Wart followed the wizard into a small log forming a tunnel, Merlin began singing away. "In and out. Thin and stout. That's what makes the world go round. For every up, there is a down. For every square… "

"There is a round?" Wart finished in question.

Merlin nodded. "For every high… "

"There is a low?"

Merlin gave another nod. "For every two… "

"There is a… "

"Fro," Merlin corrected.

"Fro?"

"Yes. Fro. To and fro. Stop and go. That's what makes the world go round… "

Sora smiled even more brilliantly as he heard all this going on. He paused when Wart darted to the surface and gobbled up a small water fly. The latter swallowed it hesitantly before swimming toward Merlin very frantically. "Merlin! I just swallowed a bug!"

Merlin simply smiled. "What's wrong with that? After all my boy, you are a fish. Instinct you know."

Sora was both baffled and perplexed. "But you said we had no instinct," he indicated.

Merlin nodded before halting. His were wide with realization for a brief second. "Oh! Oh, I did!"

Sora rolled his eyes for the first time he could ever think of doing so. Once again, Merlin had forgotten what he had previously claimed not long before.

Merlin shrugged the incident off and swam up to the duo behind him. "That's a minor hint. The point is… "

Gazing up towards the surface, Merlin gave a bigger grin.

"…You must set your sights upon the heights. Don't be a mediocrity."

"'Mediocrity'?" both Wart and Sora asked together.

"That's right," Merlin affirmed, watching as Wart proceeded to swim through the links of one of the drawbridge's rusted chains. The wizard continued to chant at the same rate as Wart swam back and forth. "Don't just wait and trust to fate, and say that's how it's meant to be. It's up to you how far you go. If you don't try, you'll never know."

Catching up with the rapidly-moving Wart, Sora and Merlin found him stopped at the entrance to a small undersea cave. The interior was shrouded by loads of shadows with some sunlight reflecting on the outside. As a whole, the cavern looked rather ominous and uninviting. Merlin smiled as he stated, "Now my lad, as I've explained; 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.'"

A moment later, the wizard swam into the cave with both Sora and Wart following behind. As they swam through a patch of grass, the three started laughing as the plants were tickling their sides. Merlin suggested going back through it again, upon which Sora and Wart agreed. As they swam back through the cavern, Sora thought he could make out the voices of thousands of clams chanting through the open water of the moat.

"Left and right. Like day and night."

"That's what makes the world go round!"

"In and out. Thin and stout."

"That's what makes the world go round!"

As he continued to swim along, Sora began swaying to the beat of the song and chanting.

"For every up, there is a down. For every square, there is a round."

"For every high, there is a low. For every to, there is a fro."

"To and fro. Stop and go."

"That's what makes the world go round!"

"In and out. Thin and stout."

"That's what makes the world go round!"

Once the trio was outside of the cavern entrance, Merlin almost had a collision with a large, red catfish. The wizard chuckled, "Oh, I beg your pardon!"

"Yeah," Wart agreed. "Me, too!"

"Sorry," Sora apologized in turn.

As the three swam along, Wart started to sway back-and-forth at a steady pace. He chanted aloud, "For every to, there is a fro. For every stop there is a go. That's what makes the world go round!"

All of a sudden, Wart got snagged by the tail. He glared back at what Sora instantly realized was a dark-green bullfrog. "Let go!" Wart demanded.

The frog obliged a second later, sending Wart flying into an abandoned jug. As he swam back out through an opening in the container, Wart sneered, "You big-eyed bully! You—"

"Who? Me?" Merlin inquired in surprise. It took a few seconds for the wizard to look back and spot the mischievous frog. He smiled.

"Hear here now, boy," Merlin said, turning back to face Wart. "No sense in going around insulting bullfrogs."

Sora was perplexed. He glanced back, only to see the frog's grin and hear the latter RIBBET. He shrugged it off and continued to follow Merlin and a scowling Wart. The three proceeded to swim into deeper, darker waters.

"A fish has lots of other problems," Merlin went on to explain. "The water world has its forests and its jungles, too. So, it has its tigers and its wolves."

"I get it," Sora murmured softly. Recalling how he had witnessed both Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket getting swallowed by Monstro the Whale back in Rascal's Dreamland, Sora could only imagine what else was lurking about in the depths of the moat around the group.

"You see my boy?" Merlin added. "That's nature's way. Upon the weak, the strong ones prey. The human life, it's also true. The strong will try to conquer you… "

Sora's mind left what Merlin was saying when it dawned on the former how Wart had seemingly vanished from sight. He turned this way and that before catching a glimpse of Wart heading straight towards him. That was not all. To Sora's shock and horror, a gigantic fish-like creature was in hot pursuit of the small, golden fish. However, it wasn't the size of the monster that caught Sora's attention; it was the color scheme it possessed. The fish had a yellowish body with cream-colored fins and an orange tail. The reddish glow coming from its mouth hinted at the possibility of the creature having teeth that glowed red. There was only one possible reason for such a physical appearance.

The humungous fish was a Nightmare.

"Merlin!" Sora yelled out. "Wart's in trouble!"

Merlin was so busy chanting along, he didn't notice. "Brains and brawn. Weak and strong. That's what makes the… "

The wizard paused, having seen Wart and the monster chasing him through the corner of his eye. When the Nightmare opened its mouth in an attempt to gobble up its prey, Merlin grabbed its tail with his mouth. The creature slammed its mouth closed moments before it could catch Wart. When the chase took a swift U-turn, Merlin was sent flying into an empty knight's helmet. The eye-shield closed up seconds after, leaving the wizard trapped inside.

In shock at such an event unfolding before his eyes, Sora summoned his Keyblade, which appeared momentarily into his mouth. He charged at the Nightmare, allowing Wart to have enough time to scoop up the top half of a broken arrow from the ground below.

"Remember lads," Merlin called out from the helmet. "He's the brawn and you're both the brain! Don't panic! Use your heads!"

Sora gave a slight nod as he prepared to use his Keyblade in combat against the enormous Nightmare.

With another pluck from the stem, Violet had picked another flower. She took a moment to sniff its pleasant fragrance before adding it to the others she had previous picked. She smiled as she gazed back in the direction of the moat. Noticing how Riku was still sitting on the ground beside the pond, the angel's smile grew larger. What a surprise she'd have for him until Sora, Wart, and Merlin returned from their miniature underwater adventure. Until then, the two would have all the time to themselves.

As she bent down to pick a lovely yellow daisy, Violet thought she heard a strangely-familiar sound. She paused and turned her eyes back to where Riku was waiting. To her astonishment, a dark portal had appeared a few yards behind the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder's position. She continued to watch in silence when a figure stepped out of the portal and it closed up. One glimpse at the man, and the Angel of Dreams could tell who he was — mostly thanks to his long, spiked-silver hair and dark-tanned skin, not mention a white-and-black coat with a red lining and black boots.

Before Violet could shout over to Riku, she was grabbed from behind and a gloved hand was thrown over her mouth. Although she tried desperately to break free from her kidnapper, the latter proved to be too strong for the angel. An all-too-familiar voice whispered in her ear, "Don't struggle, or I'll be left with no choice but to do something I don't want to do."

Violet was appalled. Not only was she in danger, but there was nothing she could do about it. With frightened eyes, all she could do was watch as the distant man approached Riku and took a seat on the ground beside him.

Riku sighed as he continued to wait for Sora and the others to return. How long had it been since Merlin had dove in after Wart and Sora? Ten minutes? Maybe even twenty? It was impossible to tell as the environment was trapped within a dream. Yet, it was still quite obvious it had been too long. All Riku could think of doing was sitting down and waiting patiently for them to come. As time seemed to move slowly, he found himself staring down into the pond or gazing up at the outer stone wall of the castle. Once more, he sighed deeply.

"Something troubling your mind?"

The instant the deep voice entered his ears, Riku's eyes lit up with recognition. He swerved his head to the right where he came face-to-face with Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. The latter was simply sitting on the edge of the pond directly to Riku's right.

"Why are you here, Ansem?!" Riku demanded.

Ansem seemed unoffended by the silver-haired teenager's tone of voice. He continued to stare out at the moat. "This castle," he spoke in a soft, gentle tone. "It reminds me of the one I used to live in at Hollow Bastion. Except, there's too much Light in these walls. Perhaps if I could darken things up… "

"Not a chance!" Riku stuck, raising to his feet in an instant. His hands were clenched into large fists of refusal. "I won't stand around and let that happen!"

Ansem climbed to his feet as a giant smirk formed on his face. "Are you sure?" he questioned. "If I recall correctly, you once did stand around as a world crumbled to Darkness. Your island, for instance. But, you willingly did that on your own."

"What's your point?" Riku interrogated his arch-enemy.

"However," Ansem paused, tapping his right index finger against his chin in thought. "Wasn't there another world you regret sending into the Darkness? Perhaps… this one?"

Riku's Keyblade appeared in his hand. "Shut it!" he shouted, pointing the blade threateningly at Ansem's neck. "I told you before, 'I walk the Road to Dawn!'"

Ansem raised his hands as though in surrender. His smirk did not fade away. "You still think you can do me harm? You can't run from the past. What happened then will never be erased from time."

For about a minute, Riku remained glaring when he realized Ansem was telling the truth. No matter what he tried, there was no way he would successfully be able to avoid the terrible memories of his past in the Darkness. Not even earning the Mark of Mastery would… no! It had to work — no matter what! Once he became a Keyblade Master, Riku knew he would no longer have to worry about the Darkness currently looming inside his heart.

As his Keyblade disappeared, Riku looked down. With a deeper than normal sigh, he closed his eyes. "I may not be able to avoid the hurtful memories," he admitted.

"Yes," Ansem nodded as his smile grew larger. He extended his hand out warmly. "And?"

Riku reopened his eyes and raised his head back up. Seeing the villain's hand open for him to accept, Riku stated firmly, "And I don't care!"

Ansem was taken aback. "What did you say?"

"I don't care about the past," Riku elaborated in return. "What matters is what I choose to do in the future."

Re-summoning his Keyblade, Riku finished, "The Darkness is behind me. And you're with it, Ansem!"

Ansem gave a short-lived snarl in response to what he had just been told. Turning around, the villain gazed in the direction of where Riku noticed Violet had been taken captive by the same young man in the black coat from the past several worlds.

"Forget her," Ansem ordered. "Let's get going."

Once the strange, young man had released his grip on Violet, the two had enough time to watch Ansem open a dark portal. Turning back to gaze on Riku, Ansem said, "I've been waiting patiently for you to reconsider your decision, but I suppose it'll just take a little longer than I anticipated."

As Ansem disappeared in the dark portal, the corridor vanished from sight. The young man opened a separate portal for himself. Before he strolled inside, the stranger glanced at Riku. "How much longer until you accept the Darkness?" he asked just before departing.

Violet rose from the ground where she had been dropped long enough to the see the second dark portal close up from view. "What is with him?!" she muttered softly, scooping her fallen flowers off the ground.

Riku could not answer. As his Keyblade vanished once again, he looked down sadly. "He's right."

Violet turned to stare at the silver-headed youth. Wondering what was bothering him, the angel strode forwards and placed her left hand onto his shoulder. Riku nearly leapt in surprise when it occurred to him Violet was standing beside him. He sighed, "What is it, Violet?"

Violet seemed to have a flicker of worry showing through her violet-colored eyes. "Riku, what is wrong? I can sense something Ansem said is upsetting you."

Riku gave another deep sigh. "Well," he stammered, unsure how he could tell the Angel of Dreams about the terrible event Ansem had been referring to. "It's just… "

The two were interrupted without warning when a series of loud splashes filled their ears. They turned their focus to the moat in less than an instant, only to gasp from shock. The flowers in Violet's hand fell to the ground in an instant.

In the middle of the water was a gigantic creature with a yellowish body, cream-colored fins, an orange tail, and red-glowing teeth. The monster was chasing around two fish, which Riku immediately recognized as both Wart and Sora. Also taking into account how Sora had his Keyblade in his mouth, Riku summoned his Keyblade and was about to charge into the moat to fight when Violet grabbed his arm. Turning to his right, Riku noticed how Violet had also summoned her Keyblade.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"Let me handle this," Violet returned as she started to flap her wings. In no time, the angel was hovering above the moat and headed straight for the Nightmare as the latter continued to leap into the sky. She swung once and missed. She swung again, only to miss again.

Riku was starting to feel a tad bit amused. Just watching the angel's drastic attempts to defeat the Nightmare were enough to cheer up his spirit once more.

"Who? What? What?" Archimedes' voice called out from the branch above Riku's head. When the owl saw the skirmish taking place in the water, he realized what was going on. "What in… blue blazes?!" he exclaimed before leaping from the branch and diving into the moat to save both Sora and Wart.

Now Riku had to cover his face in amusement. Once Archimedes had joined the quarrel, it was quite obvious to the silver-haired youth how the owl was having an extremely difficult time trying to grab Wart and keep him away from the Nightmare. At one point, the monster slammed its jaws shut, trapping Archimedes' foot within and making the owl howl in pain for a few seconds. After that, the chase apparently vanished under the waves for a couple minutes before Archimedes reemerged with Wart and Sora and started to swim for shore — the Nightmare a few feet behind them. As the creature opened its mouth to show rows of jagged teeth giving off a reddish glow, Violet dove over to vanquish the monster. Riku strode forward and slashed his Keyblade through the Nightmare when it collided with a rock in the pond. At the same time, Violet tossed her own Keyblade into the monster, resulting in the creature exploding into a flurry of bubbles that floated into the air for a couple seconds before bursting out of existence. The angel set foot back onto the ground a few feet from where Riku now stood. The two gave relieved sighs knowing that the Nightmare was no more.

"Thank you, Riku," Violet said with a friendly smile.

Riku nodded back. "Yeah!"

All the Angel of Dreams could do was shake her head and smile all the more.

"What in blazes is a monster like that doing in a moat?!" a voice exclaimed. Riku and Violet turned their eyes toward its source, only to see Merlin stepping out of the pond with a rusted knight's helmet stuck on his head. Once the wizard had pulled the helmet off and tossed it aside, he grabbed his hat and cane and marched back towards the moat. "I'll turn him into a minnow!"

Riku had to roll his eyes and shake his head. If only Merlin had known that "monster" had been a Nightmare — a figment of the dreams in Camelot. The fish-creature had been eliminated and now the wizard was headed back to the pond for nothing.

"Merlin!" a pair of voices hollered from the ground. Turning their eyes to see where the voices came from, Riku, Violet, and Merlin found the two fish, Sora and Wart, bobbing on the ground.

Merlin waved his cane in the air. "Snick, Snack, Snarrol!"

Following a poof of magically blue smoke, both Sora and Wart transformed back into their normal human selves. Riku had to smirk as he knew Sora was anything but a normal human being.

"How in the world did you both ever get out of that mess?" Merlin asked.

"That monster almost swallowed us!" Sora replied.

"Yeah!" Wart elaborated in turn. "And Archimedes, he… he saved us!"

Both Sora and Wart pointed in the direction of a tall, leafless tree situated beside the pond. At the base of its trunk was an upside-down, dripping (and possibly half-drowned) brown owl that Riku instantly recognized as Archimedes. The look in the owl's eyes was not one of amusement.

"Well now," Merlin chuckled as he picked Archimedes up from the ground and placed him on one of the tree's many branches. "How about that?"

"I did nothing of the sort," Archimedes denied, shaking the water out of his feathers. "I intended to eat them! Young perch is my favorite fish — you know that!"

Riku had to shake his head and give an even bigger smirk. The owl was being as stubborn as Donald Duck probably would've been if he had been forced to admit how smart Goofy actually was. Chances were not even Sora was aware of the knight's hidden intelligence. Riku quickly made up his mind to keep such knowledge a secret from Sora, too.

Sora had to smile. If there was anyone else Archimedes reminded him of, it was Phil from Olympus Coliseum. The satyr was always as stubborn as ever whenever it came to declaring Sora, Donald, and Goofy as "True Heroes". At the moment, the three were still considered "Honorary Heroes" for saving Auron and preventing Hades from killing Hercules. Even so, Phil always seemed to be refusing to admit the truth. This had started long ago when the satyr had refused to let them participate in the Games. Later, Phil gave Sora and his team the license of "Junior Heroes", and still later they had had a constellation form in the sky above commemorating their heroism forevermore. Yet, Phil was still unwilling to give them the title of "True Heroes", and he dubbed them "Honorary Heroes". Whatever the satyr's issues were, Sora was eager to learn and exploit to his advantage in one way or another.

"Wart! Where are ya, boy?!"

The loud voice of Sir Ector filled everyone's ears in the blink of an eye and removed Sora from his deep contemplation. Wart called back, "Coming!" as he headed for the open drawbridge.

Still at the pond, Merlin proceeded to squeeze the water out of his beard and smile at an annoyed Archimedes. "Now Archimedes," the wizard chuckled. "Why would you half-drown yourself for a tidbit of fish? And after a very large breakfast if I may say so?"

Archimedes didn't reply, only grumbled to no one in particular, "Pinfeathers and Gollyfluff!"

A little bit later, Sora, Riku, and Violet were taking a small stroll inside the castle's walls. As Riku continued to gaze upwards, he thought he could hear Ansem's voice speaking to him.

"You can't run from the past."

"What happened then will never be erased from time."

He shoved the thought aside. That's when the group heard voices from around the corner of a section of wall. Peering from behind the wall, the three saw Ector and Kay dressed in partial suits of armor and wielding swords and shields. Kay said aloud, "I told you the Wart was loony, Dad."

Ector paused in thought. "Either he's lost his mind," he admitted. "Or there's something mighty 'fishy' going on around here."

Sora was mystified. Had Wart tried to tell them the entire story about the Nightmare? No wonder they believed he was a lunatic! Anyone who spoke about the existence of other worlds was probably assumed to be crazy, even if it was true.

"Where's Wart?" the brown, spikey-haired teenager questioned to the others.

"Maybe in the kitchen," Riku answered.

Violet nodded. "Let's check it out," she stated.

The group headed down a nearby corridor and into the shadow-filled hallways of the castle.

It was about five minutes later when the trio found themselves in the castle's kitchen. To their surprise, Merlin was already inside talking to Wart. The latter was busy cleaning up a small, iron cauldron. As they approached, Merlin noticed them and smiled.

"Well now," he said. "Good to see you three again. I was just discussing to Wart about how squirrels have enormous problems. How they have survived the ages is one nature's greatest mysteries. Would you like to try it with him?"

"Sure," Sora immediately responded. "I'm game!"

"Yeah," Riku agreed. "As long as there aren't any 'monsters' this time."

"Yes," Violet stated in turn. "I'd like to give it a try."

"Very well then," Merlin acknowledged.

"Oh," Wart blurted. "But I can't."

Everyone seemed surprised at this response from the boy.

"Oh," Merlin spoke up. "Too dangerous for you, eh?"

"No," Wart confessed. "It's just that I've got six demerits. All this work to do."

He gestured to the piles of dirty dishes scattered about in one humungous heap. One look at it and Violet covered his mouth to prevent a scream of shock. All the mess did was remind her of the condition Pleasure Island had been in back in Rascal's Dreamland. It had taken a few minutes to wipe off the sticky butter from her hands. Fortunately, she had put some gloves on soon after that incident.

Merlin shook his head in disgust. "What a medieval muddle! We'll have to modernize it! Start an assembly line!"

In a matter of moments, the wizard hopped onto a small, three-legged stool and waved his cane in the air. "One and a-two and… "

In the blink of an eye, the filthy dishes neatly organized themselves into stacks and then began floating off in the direction of a giant wooden washtub where they were scrubbed by a pair of brushes. From there, they were dried off by a fireplace blower and proceeded on into organized stacks of clean dishes.

Wart was alarmed. "But I'm supposed to do it!"

"No one will know the difference," Merlin replied as he danced back-and-forth on the stool. "Who cares as long as the work gets done?"

This comment made Riku sigh and roll his eyes. That statement sounded just like something Sora might typically say whenever it came to doing schoolwork and chores. Kairi and the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder would end up doing all the work for Sora, and still the latter would get all the credit.

Violet leapt into air for a brief second when a passing broom nearly ran into her. Across the floor, a couple brooms and mops were sweeping and washing the floor of the room.

"Come on, lads," Merlin called out in a soft, gentle voice. He danced from the stool and proceeded in the direction of the doorway outside. "Let's go! Let's go!"

Wart took one more look at the assembly line Merlin had concocted before heading out after the wizard. Riku and Violet were next in line, leaving Sora to take one more look at the scene. He had a bad feeling someone was going to notice it before the group returned. Until then, what did they have to lose?

Sora was out the door in a flash. The group proceeded into the nearby forest, leaving the kitchen cleaning itself.

A/N: YEESH! TALK ABOUT A LOT TO READ!
For the record, I probably won't be posting Chapter 31 for a few weeks (when Spring Break comes along about mid-to-late March).

In the meantime, I REALLY hoped you enjoyed the Chapter! The song "That's What Makes The World Go Round" is one my Favorite Disney Songs, too!

I will also let you know the stranger who abducted Violet was the SAME guy in the black-hooded coat who has been following Sora, Riku, and Violet throughout their journey so far. IF you've played KINGDOM HEARTS 3D, you'd know who he really is. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait and find out for yourself.

Okay, I'll admit I played a "HINT" of Romance with Riku and Violet in there, but that's because it MAY be leading up to something or other.

Hopefully you understand by now what Riku's Problem in CAMELOT is. IF you don't, DON'T DESPAIR! IT'LL ALL BE CLEARED UP BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!

Last, But STILL Not Least, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!

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