DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: So... The Time Has FINALLY Come. This Is... The LAST Chapter... Of... The SYMPHONY OF SORCERY. This Means This Chapter ENDS both roles for Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 In This Story. This ALSO Means It's The LAST CHAPTER FOR THE DISNEY-BASED WORLDS!
Nevertheless, THIS CHAPTER HAS ALOT HAPPENING IN IT! After All, Sora, Riku, And Violet Have FINALLY Gained Access To The "SPELLICAN" Nightmare! Now, All They Have To Do Is DEFEAT It, BREAK The Spell, UNLOCK The Sleeping Keyhole, And Return To The Real World For A "VICTORY WELCOME PARTY"!
At Least... That's The Way It Would APPEAR To Be! This Story STILL Has A Few "SURPRISES" In Store!
You Don't Know What I Mean? In That Case, Perhaps You Ought To READ To See What I [MIGHT] Mean!
It's TIME - TO READ! PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO! 107 TO 120 IS THE GOAL-RANGE WE'RE STRIVING FOR!
CHAPTER 41
"Demon of Nightmares!"
As they stood in the steadily-rising water level in the circular study, Sora, Riku, and Violet paused for a few seconds; their eyes remained fixated on the red songbook sitting in the music stand before them. Somewhere in the world between the clefs and notes inscribed on the pages of music was the Spellican Nightmare.
They recalled how one of the Cybersquad's enemies, Wicked, had originally summoned the monster to fight Sora and Riku. After the pair had eliminated all three of the creature's minions, Wicked had given the Spellican some additional power to prevent it from being defeated so easily. The Nightmare had then turned into a coward and fled through a glowing keyhole-shape in the sky above Traverse Town.
Sora, Riku, and Violet had thus assumed it was gone for good — until they had arrived in the Symphony of Sorcery. It was then they realized the Spellican had placed a powerful spell onto Mickey — the Sorcerer's Apprentice. After retrieving several "Sound Ideas" from within other musical scores, the three had succeeded in removing the barrier of Darkness the Nightmare had created. All that was left to do now was enter the songbook and defeat the enemy once and for all.
Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hands. Riku summoned his own Keyblade, while Violet allowed her Keyblade to magically appear in her right hand. They hastily pointed the tips of the weapons straight at the red songbook. Three beams of Light shone out from their Keyblades, merged into one thicker beam, and struck the songbook directly. The beautiful sounds of musical notes flooded all five of their senses as all variety of clefs and notes filled the air with a rainbow-like color. The two teenagers and the angel shut their eyes as they were teleported into the musical realm inside the songbook.
~The Sorcerer's Apprentice~
By Paul Dukas
A swift, soft, and steady musical piece started playing in the background when Sora, Riku, and Violet reopened their eyes. They immediately recognized it as the same song being performed during the flashback soon after their arrival — the one where they had learned the Spellican Nightmare had possessed this particular musical score. The group took a few moments to observe the local environment. They were standing close to the very top of a rocky tower high above a gently rolling sea. The stone was a bluish color and gave the two youths and angel a sensation of a magical land. The tower was set into a series of what appeared to be steps leading to the peak. Up above, a sky covered in countless stars could be seen. A long curved cloud could faintly be noticed as the brightness of the stars behind blotted it out.
As the three Keyblade wielders waited patiently for something to happen, the song continued to play its steady melody. As it continued to fill the air, Violet turned to face the other two.
"This is ridiculous," she complained. "Here we are situated on a precipice and the 'Spellican' is yet to show itself!"
"I think it might be coming soon," Riku countered. "We won't know unless we wait a little longer."
"Yeah," Sora agreed, placing his hands behind his head as he leaned against the rock. "No need to rush! We have all the time in the world!"
Riku had to smirk at the spikey-headed youth's statement. In truth, Sora tended to rush into action without thinking everything through. This had typically caused him to get into fights — some he should never have gotten involved with. It was those situations where two or more other people were having an argument or dispute and Sora would break in, often demanding they stop.
Only once had Riku spectated one such incident where Sora attempted to break up a heated dispute between two residents of Twilight Town. The silver-haired teenager had stared with alarm when one of the two individuals had grabbed Sora's collar and reached out to punch him. In turn, Sora had thrown his cotton-candy into the bully's face before somehow slinging his festive mask straight on top. With his face covered in sticky candy and a toy mask, the stranger had vowed revenge against Sora — although the other disputer seemed to appreciate the brown, spikey-headed Keyblader's quick actions in such a situation.
Of course, Riku had witnessed the entire display from the rooftops; the black-hooded coat he was wearing kept anybody from taking notice. That was probably a good thing, considering he had looked just like Ansem at that point in time, which was just after Sora had awakened. Nevertheless, Riku had secretly snickered to himself afterwards.
As the melody began to get louder, Sora noticed a silhouette standing at the summit of the rocky tower. He pointed the shape out to Riku and Violet. The three stared in surprise as the small figure was pointing at the stars, causing them to twinkle very brightly. It was a mouse with big, round ears and dressed in a long-sleeved red cloak tied around his waist by a brown cloth, dark-blue pants, pointed brown shoes, and white gloves. When they saw a pointed, blue hat bearing a yellow crescent-moon and a few matching five-pointed stars upon his head, Sora, Riku, and Violet instantly knew who it was.
Mickey Mouse — The Sorcerer's Apprentice had shown up inside the songbook. It was clear to the three they were witnessing his dream unfold directly before their eyes.
When Mickey gestured for the stars to come closer, the entire left half of the sky headed over in the form of sparkling comets and shooting stars alike; the music seemed to mimic the action. Mickey spun around and did the same thing for the right half; the stars soared toward him in the same manner. Once all the stars were exactly above him, Mickey started to swing his arms around; the song's pace picked up. The result was a series of shooting stars flying around in circles, several stars twinkling more brilliantly than before, and a comet or two spinning round and round. The sky was so active, Sora awed in silence while Riku smiled and Violet partly shielded her eyes from so much light. It would've seemed the mouse believed he possessed unlimited magic.
"He's messing with the cosmos," Riku remarked. He had learned the universe was also referred to as the "cosmos", "heavens", and probably several other terms.
One of the shooting stars flew lower as Mickey instructed it to follow his finger. Once it had flown past, he whirled around and pointed in the opposite direction; the shooting star made a sharp U-turn and headed the other way. After the star had zoomed past him, Mickey looked straight into the sky with a huge smile on his face. The song hit a rapid-moving climax; he leapt up a few inches and clapped his hands together. All the shooting stars and comets immediately switched their courses and headed straight for the stationary, twinkling stars. When they all collided, an especially bright flash of white light occurred, forcing Sora and Riku to shield their eyes with their hands; they had previously noticed Violet doing the same.
Mickey bent down and lowered his hands gradually like a shower of rain; the music followed his movement. The remnants of the stars' material descended into the sea below. A moment later, Mickey gave a serious look at the sea to the left of the precipice. Before Sora, Riku, and Violet's eyes, the water moved violently and a giant wave rose into the air as the music became steadily quicker and the volume increased. The wave rose so high, it appeared to be about to rush over the rock tower; it fell as rapidly as the music allowed it to. The sound of a cymbal filled the air as Mickey instructed a second wave from the other side of the precipice; at its highest, Sora and the others realized the wall of water was taller than the first. Mickey commanded two additional waves to rise; one on each side. The cymbal clashed as each wave reached the rock tower.
"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed in astonishment.
The song became intense as its pace accelerated. Sora, Riku, and Violet continued to watch as a cheerful Mickey gestured for some thick, puffy storm clouds to come closer. As the clouds came from the left, he did the same action to the right, bringing a second group of dense, extremely dark-grey clouds. When the clouds were directly overhead, they collided. At Mickey's command, bolts of lightning flashed up above; the cymbals clanged repeatedly on cue in the background. The waves continued to rise and fall with the song reaching the climactic moment.
Violet started to feel a little nervous. "He has composed a sea storm!" she exclaimed. "Those are especially hazardous in comparison to critical weather phenomenon on land!"
Sora and Riku both nodded, recalling the storm they had encountered shortly after setting out on the raft. After Ursula had shown up, it became quite obvious the sea-witch was most-likely responsible for the unexpected turn-of-events leading to the pair getting sucked underwater and thus locating the passage into the Realm of Sleep. Then again, perhaps there was more to the story than met the eye? After all, Sora had admitted he'd defeated Ursula twice before, and still she had returned — again. Why?
Their contemplation was put on hold when Violet pointed into the sky; shock and alarm evident on her face. "Look!"
Sora and Riku both swung their heads back and froze as their pupils grew from recognition. From the thick, dark clouds was a humungous bird-shaped witch zooming into view upon a green broomstick with a blue brush; the tip of its handle contained a sphere carrying a thick, half eighth musical note. The creature had a blue beak, green Y-shaped feet, a red hat with a curved top, and its body was covered in orange feathers. Its wings were black and white, and they resembled a piano's keyboard. It was clear to the group what the monster it was.
"It's the 'Spellican' Nightmare!" Riku shouted.
The Spellican swooped in low and neared the peak of the precipice while the background music hit an intense climax. As the Nightmare rushed past Mickey, it reached out and grabbed the mouse before ascending back at the clouds. It had all happened with such speed, Sora, Riku, and Violet didn't have the chance to summon their Keyblades; they were nearly speechless.
"Mickey!" Riku hollered.
"Your Majesty!" Sora yelled. He rapidly realized what he had said and corrected himself. "Mickey!"
"We must rescue him!" Violet declared.
Sora and Riku nodded at the angel. Before their eyes, the clouds faded from sight and the sea stopped raging. Up above, they could clearly see the Spellican soaring into the sky. Sora, Riku, and Violet all glared at the monster. The long, curved cloud from before caught their attention. Sora jumped to the peak of the rock tower before leaping into the air; he landed feet-first on the cloud. His shoes began sliding and he dashed along as the cloud led in the direction of the Nightmare. Riku and Violet nodded at each other before they each followed suit. Riku kept his balance upon on the cloud, although his landing was a little shaky. When Violet set down, her feet slipped completely and she fell flat onto the cloud. As she started to slide along, the angel carefully regained her footing before trailing the other two.
In the background, the music was moving at a swift pace. The familiar melody had nearly ceased and the song was going through a speedy crescendo. Sora, Riku, and Violet failed to notice it; they were entirely focused on saving Mickey's dream-self from the Spellican Nightmare.
When the Spellican realized it was being pursued, it slowed its pace long enough to wave its broom like a wand a few times. A handful of purplish bubbles came flying at the three Keyblade wielders. When Sora saw them, he immediately raised his Keyblade and blocked the ones headed directly at him. Riku leapt into the air to avoid the poisonous obstacles, and Violet slashed her Keyblade through the last ones. The Spellican began vibrating with frustration; it waved its wand once more. A large asteroid with a greenish-blue tint appeared on the cloud. The monster was satisfied — certain it had prevented the attackers from reaching it.
Sora was the first one to reach the asteroid. In one giant leap, he vaulted over it and continued the chase from the other side. Zooming close at such a fast speed, Riku jumped into the air and conducted a perfect flip before landing and dashing along the cloud once again. When Violet came in close, she started to flap her wings. The angel took flight and fluttered over the obstacle at the last second. By the time she landed upon the cloud, Sora was almost upon the enemy.
The Spellican panicked after watching its plans fail twice in a row and attempted to sail out of reach. It was then the song hit another deafening climax consisting of several short notes. Sora jumped and slashed his Keyblade clear through the monster. Riku sprang into the air and did the same a second later. Before Violet could reach the enemy, the Spellican put its mystical shield up — the same one it had used against Sora and Riku before. The song reached an obnoxiously-loud volume just as the air filled with a bright flash of white light. Sora, Riku, and Violet covered their eyes as the flash engulfed them.
The music suddenly became soft. Sora, Riku, and Violet turned their heads back and stared from both shock and total mystification. The area had transformed. Instead of gliding upon the transparent cloud, the three were now standing on solid ground in the middle of the star-filled sky. At least… it seemed solid; the ground consisted of the cloud from before. Violet took one step and nearly slipped; Riku grabbed her at the last second. Several feet away was a disorganized cluster of asteroids, each bearing a different color of the rainbow.
"What happened?" Sora inquired.
Riku shrugged. "I think the Nightmare brought us here."
"Yes," Violet acknowledged. "The 'Spellican' is attempting to prevent us from approaching it. It must have teleported us to an alternate version of Mickey's dream."
Sora's eyes lit up. He had just recollected the time Riku and him had fought Xemnas in The World That Never Was. After the two had used an abandoned Organization hovercraft to dismantle a gigantic dragon-resembling Nobody, the latter had unleashed a whirlwind of Darkness. Everything had gone dark for a brief period while Sora and Riku remained baffled and wondering what was taking place. It was when the whirlwind ended they found themselves in an alternate version of the same world. Unlike the original, the newer version contained an enormous, red black hole. It was in the dragon's head Sora and Riku had faced Xemnas. For all Sora knew, the Spellican had just used the exact same move the leader of Organization XIII had. Therefore, the Nightmare had to be close by.
The music grew louder at a much slower pace. The melody returned as an enormous creature popped its head out from behind one of the colorful asteroids. Sora pointed at it in the blink of an eye. Riku and Violet spotted it in turn. All three glared as their eyes filled with determination. The Spellican spotted them and spun around; the music suddenly burst into an earsplitting volume level as the melody continued. Not willing to let the enemy escape again, Sora, Riku, and Violet split up and rushed in different directions. Sora hurried down the middle of the area, Riku darted to the left, and Violet flew to the right.
The super-rapid actions of the three made the Spellican spin its head around in complete puzzlement. Noticing how the Nightmare was unable to follow all three of them at once, Sora jumped into the air as the song hit another suspenseful climax. He sliced his Keyblade straight through the monster's right wing.
"It's over!" Sora shouted as the Spellican dropped its broomstick/wand and winced in pain. The wand fell to the ground and its sphere shattered upon impact. The thick, half eighth note drifted out from the broken glass and faded away.
Riku leapt from the asteroid and slashed his own Keyblade into the Spellican's feathered body. The monster remained stunned as he yelled, "You're done!"
With the Spellican's right wing torn and its body scarred, Violet vaulted from her position on a lower asteroid and glided directly at the Nightmare. She pointed her Keyblade straight at the Spellican's head. "This is for producing Nightmares, fleeing 'Traverse Town', and abducting Mickey!" she declared in a much louder voice than Sora and Riku had heard before.
The music's climax echoed in the background as the angel sliced her Keyblade straight through the Nightmare's beak and eyes. As she landed back into the cloud, Violet spun around as Riku and Sora neared her. Together, the three immediately shifted their attention to the monster above. Unable to cast spells thanks to a broken wand, torn right wing, a scarred body, and a damaged head, the Spellican started to quiver rapidly. It released Mickey from its left wing as the vibration became worse. The monster's hat fell from its head as Sora and the others rushed over to Mickey. At the same time, they saw the Spellican Nightmare give an extremely annoyingly-loud SCRAW that sounded like a thunderclap compared to the song in the background. For a moment, Sora, Riku, and Violet's ears were ringing as the bird-witch creature started imploding. In one especially bright flash, the Spellican exploded with such force, a miniature shockwave flew through the air. The group ducked down to avoid it.
When they gazed back up, the Nightmare was gone and a flurry of transparent bubbles were drifting all around. One by one, each of the bubbles touched one of the asteroids and burst. When only three remained, Sora reached his Keyblade out and popped one while Riku and Violet each did the same. They all gave silent sighs of relief. The Spellican Nightmare Wicked had summoned long ago had — at long last — been vanquished. In the backdrop, the song finally ended.
"That should do it!" Sora proclaimed.
"Yeah!" Riku approved. "The Nightmare is gone."
Violet smiled. "The spell should be terminated at any time."
As Violet, Riku, and Sora all rose back to their feet, a mysterious, brilliant Light filled the air and engulfed them.
The Light finally dissipated, allowing Sora, Riku, and Violet to find themselves back in the circular study. On one side, three music stands were situated — the first holding a bright-green songbook, another with a sea-blue songbook, and the third carrying a deep-violet songbook. Along another wall, three additional music stands could be seen; one with a golden-yellow songbook, the second carrying a dullish-orange songbook, and the last holding a dark-scarlet songbook. They automatically knew those were the musical scores they had retrieved the "Sound Ideas" from.
As the three continued to sweep their eyes around the chamber, they quickly realized something was wrong. Despite the Spellican Nightmare being vanquished and the very memorable, deeply sentimental song playing much clearer through the air (thanks to the six "Sound Ideas"), nothing had changed. The room was still half-swamped with water and the cauldron was now fully submerged, the broom was started to pour another bucket of water into the container, and Mickey remained slouched in the chair with his eyes closed and his arms moving in slow arcs. It was official — the spell hadn't been broken and the mouse was still in a trance.
Sora sighed. "It didn't work… "
Riku looked down sadly. "Did we miss something?"
Violet gave a deep sigh of discouragement when she spotted a holographical version of Mickey descending from the ceiling; the transparent mouse was awake. She nudged Riku and Sora and pointed it out for them. "Look over there!"
Taking a few moments to examine the hologram-like figure from a distance, Riku finally said, "Looks like an illusion."
The transparent Mickey landed upon the desk, glanced at his sleeping body in the chair, and hopped into the air. He landed directly into the sleeping mouse as a brilliant flash of white light filled the chamber. As the group shielded their eyes from it, Sora murmured, "What's with all these flashes?"
"It is part of the illusion," Violet replied. "We are reconnoitering through the dreams of a Sleeping World! Do you not recollect all that?"
Sora's response was simple. "Not really… until you mentioned it."
The flash died down. To the amazement of Sora, Riku, and Violet, the water flooding the room had magically vanished. The broom was leaning against the wall beside a brass cauldron and a pair of wooden buckets. All around the chamber, the forest-green carpet could now be seen. Throughout the air, the group could see tiny sparkles of magic or Light (whichever they were) floating in the air. The sparkles were fading out one by one while the music from the "Sound Ideas" began providing the circular chamber with a peaceful, calm sensation.
"The spell's broken," Sora marveled. "What a way to do it!"
"Truly marvelous," Violet awed with a smile. "This is definitely the true potential of the Light at its finest!"
Riku nodded. "Yeah! We did it!"
An audible yawn grabbed the group's attention. They whirled around to find Mickey stretching his arms, though he was still slouched in the chair with his feet on the desk. The mouse sprang from his previous position and landed on the wooden desk. He promptly checked to see if he really had regained control over his physique. Seeing he could freely move his arms, Mickey leapt with excitement; a giant smile showing up on his face. This seemed to continue for several minutes instead of seconds.
Sora smiled; the sight of Mickey behaving so happy reminded him of Goofy's reaction to most situations. It was usually Donald who fought the Heartless — Goofy sometimes would simply stare at a random enemy, point a finger, and utter an audible "A-Hyuck!" Such occurrences tended to happen whenever a Heartless was sneaking up on the knight… or Donald or Sora for that matter. Then again, perhaps Goofy was paying more attention than Sora himself was aware of. Either way, one thing was for certain — Sora had seen it a lot in the Country of The Musketeers — Goofy's silliness often irritated Donald's temper.
Mickey stopped bounding suddenly and froze. Sora's reminiscing came to a halt in time to see the mouse sadly gaze at the pointed hat on his head; guilt and shame were filling his eyes. Mickey gently clambered off the desk and turned to face it. Placing his hands around the hat, he cautiously lifted it from between his ears and softly placed it onto the desk. The hat gave a glow for a few seconds before it faded.
Mickey swept his eyes around the room and found Sora, Riku, and Violet all gathered together before the red songbook. He smiled brightly when he saw the stained-glass window image the combination of all six of the "Sound Ideas" had created. The mouse shifted his gaze to the three. "That was amazing!" Mickey declared. "What happened?"
"We vanquished the 'Spellican' Nightmare within the musical score," Violet explained. "That shattered the spell it had cast upon you and released your dream-self from the imprisonment of the monster. That was what allowed you to awaken from you slumber and trance."
"Huh?!" a totally perplexed Mickey asked. He switched his focus over to Sora when the latter began speaking.
"What Violet means is," Sora interpreted. "The monster's gone and the spell's broken."
Mickey nodded in comprehension.
Violet crossed her arms after hearing someone interpret what she had said once more. Through her peripheral vision, the angel noticed how Riku remained smiling with his gaze aimed at the stain-glass image. The silver-haired seventeen-year-old was staring at it like a critic who enjoyed a painting in a museum.
"Thank you, Sora, Riku, Violet!" Mickey announced in a friendly voice. "Don't know what I would've done without ya!"
"Yeah!" Sora affirmed.
It was then the two noticed Riku's abnormal behavior. The silver-haired Keyblade wielder looked as though he was now in a trance instead. "Riku?" Violet inquired.
"Sora!" Riku declared.
Sora and Violet were equally puzzled. Why was Riku thinking about the brown, spikey-headed sixteen-year-old? Perhaps he was in a trance like Mickey had been.
"'Sora'?" Mickey snickered innocently. "Just hearing that name kinda makes me wanna smile."
"Yeah," Riku admitted as he finally moved his focus elsewhere. His eyes landed upon Mickey. "That's how he is."
Sora's enormous smile formed on his face while Riku added, "Sora can find the brightest part of anything and pull off miracles like there's nothing to it. It's difficult not to smile around him."
Sora bumped his right fist against the left side of his chest. "What'd you expect? I was told I'd open the Door to Light!"
Riku nodded while Violet stifled a giggle. They both knew, without a doubt, this meant Sora truly was the key that connected everything and everybody throughout the entire known universe — and beyond. It was no wonder to Riku why his best friend would possess such supernatural abilities. Indeed, Sora was one-of-a-kind. Even Violet had to admit, she had never before met anyone quite like the brown, spikey-haired teenager.
"He is the most-extraordinary individual I have ever known," Violet admitted. "His heart is truly full of significant Light!"
Mickey smiled at all three of them. "No wonder the music sounds like so much fun!"
Sora, Riku, and Violet all stared at the mouse in surprise.
"Huh?!" Riku exclaimed.
"What'd you mean?" Sora asked.
Violet nodded. "Could you please elaborate your claim?"
"It's like each of you is clinging onto the others' hearts," Mickey explained. He gazed directly at Sora and Riku. "You two have the strongest connection, so it's no wonder you're so close."
The mouse turned to Violet. "And you've got a strong Light, too! I can sense it! All that Light is what binds you to whoever you meet along the way. The longer you're with 'em, the stronger the connection becomes."
Mickey shifted his eyesight back to the other two. Knowing he had the group's undivided attention, the mouse spoke again. "Sora, Riku, Violet, the 'Sound Ideas' you three set free all joined together. When they did, they made a beautiful and powerful harmony! But I guess you've got each other to thank for that! Having someone beside each of you means y'all could really enjoy it! Your hearts are always in tune, so they're free to sing!"
Mickey's smile increased all the more. "That makes all three of you really 'True Friends'!"
Sora had to smile. He knew every word Mickey had said was true. Everyone the brown-headed youth had encountered along his quests as a Keyblade wielder he typically considered a friend almost immediately; this often applied to total strangers, too. Yet, it was still Riku, Kairi, King Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy who he considered to be his closest friends — and as such — his strongest friendships. Of course, he could still add Violet to that list… or could he?
With a nod, Riku's smile turned much, much, much brighter than before. For as long as he could recall, his friendship with Sora was intended to be an everlasting bond and connection between their hearts. Even when the silver-haired Keyblader had chosen sides with Maleficent, the Heartless, and the Darkness, his friendship with Sora did not falter — even though the two looked through opposite viewpoints. Riku had known their friendship was especially strong when he had fought Roxas in order to help Sora awaken, which exceeded above and beyond once he had willingly transformed his own physical appearance to succeed.
Such strong friendships were not uncommon for the seventeen-year-old. From the moment he had first met her, Riku had been convinced Violet would be a true friend, too — just like Sora, Kairi, Naminé, and… what was her name?
With a slight nod, Violet relaxed and allowed a cheerful smile to show on her face. She knew what Mickey had claimed was accurate information. Since the time her earliest memories had occurred, the angel had known she possessed a strong Light. That was what made her somewhat unique; her heart was pure Light just like the seven "Princesses of Heart" she had learned about.
After her first encounter with Sora, Violet had taken into account how the brown-headed Keyblader typically did "leap in without getting his hair wet". The first time she had witnessed such an event was when Sora had hurried to Rapunzel's tower in the long-since-awakened world of Corona. The same thing had repeated itself when Sora had started to run into the amusement park in Rascal's Dreamland. It happened in The Grid when Sora had rushed off to find Rinzler… or Tron? Either way, Sora hadn't changed when he sped off from Pooh's house and into the clearing in The 100-Acre Wood. Unable to recall any moments where Sora had acted in such a bizarre manner in Pixie Hollow, Camelot, the Country of The Musketeers, and the Symphony of Sorcery, Violet shifted her mind over to Riku. It was true… she had known about the silver-headed Keyblader long before actually meeting him, which was thanks to the confidential wish he made. Other than that, the angel had detected a growing uneasiness since she had met the young man. She wasn't sure what it was. Then again, it could very likely be her strong bond with him — it was greater than the one between her and Sora. Still, she had the feeling it was something entirely different… was it?
"Golly," Mickey declared joyfully, removing Sora, Riku, and Violet from their deep contemplation. "I hope I can be part of the team someday!"
He extended his hand. Sora knelt down first to shake it. "Yeah," he acknowledged. "You know it."
Riku was next. As he shook the mouse's hand, his smile could be seen becoming as large as was possible. "You will," he informed Mickey. "Trust me."
Mickey gave a yelp of glee in return. When Violet knelt down and shook Mickey's hand, she told him, "You confirmed I am never truly lonesome. The same truth applies to you, too. Never disremember it, although I sincerely doubt you will."
Mickey smiled brightly at her. He glanced over each of the three kneeling down to be at eye level. All of a sudden, the mouse's eyes filled with worry and he jumped in alarm. Sora, Riku, and Violet nearly leapt backward in surprise.
"Oh no!" Mickey exclaimed. "The water! I'm in big trouble if I don't fetch it!"
As Sora and the others rose to their feet, Mickey hurried across the room and up to the cauldron. He grabbed the pair of wooden buckets, one in each hand, and sped for the door. He set them down for a brief moment and grasped the door handle. After opening it, the mouse picked up the buckets and turned to face the group watching him. He smiled at them.
"See ya real soon, Sora, Riku, Violet!" Mickey called.
Sora nodded. "Yeah! You know it! So long!"
"'Til we meet again, Mickey!" Riku called back.
Violet saluted. "Toodaloo!"
With the smile secured on his face, Mickey gave the three a nod in reply before turning and heading down the stairs. The wooden door closed behind him. Once the mouse was gone, Sora placed his hands behind his head and began rocking and forth at a slow pace. "Well," he said. "There he goes."
"Yeah," Riku agreed. "The future king of Disney Castle."
Violet gently rubbed her hands together. "He is such a sweet, softhearted, adorable character… "
Sora and Riku glanced at each other. They rapidly placed their hands to their mouths to prevent the angel from overhearing their snickering. She would probably get annoyed by them — just like Sora's reaction when Donald and Goofy tended to tease him about Kairi and… Naminé, too.
The music playing in the background suddenly stopped. Wondering what had happened, Sora, Riku, and Violet all spun around. They froze in astonishment as a sense of fury filled their facial expressions.
Standing on the other side of the chamber beside the music stand carrying the red songbook was the same strange man in the black-hooded coat they had long grown accustomed to seeing on occasion.
The first time he had appeared was when Sora had confronted him in Traverse Town after he had kidnapped Inez and Jules. He also had summoned a Nightmare on resort rooftop. He had shown up briefly in Corona following Rapunzel's reunion with her real family; he told Sora the latter's heart was "a prison". In Pixie Hollow, he had come to Springtime Square with Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness to persuade Riku to "embrace the Darkness". He had appeared in the clubroom at Rascal's Dreamland alongside Xemnas. Jiminy had even claimed the guy had visited Pinocchio sometime before that, too. Sora had encountered both him and Xemnas in The Grid while the former was looking for Tron. He had gone as far as to claim the world wasn't even asleep, which turned out to be accurate information (for a change). In The 100-Acre Wood, he had used a Nightmare to swipe the map, knocked Riku and Tigger into a crevice, and even informed Riku and Violet how the world was an illusion. He had held Violet hostage while Ansem spoke with Riku at the edge of the castle's moat in Camelot. Sora had been thrown back by a strange shockwave the guy had unleashed at the Musketeer compound in the Country of The Musketeers — moments after the other guy had told Sora some "strange" things. He had also shown up at the volcano's crater deep inside the musical realms of the Symphony of Sorcery. Now, here he was in the study with them.
Sora was the first to speak. "Not you again!" he snarled.
"What do you want now?" Riku demanded.
The young man gazed at the three with a dark smirk. He strode to the middle of the room and sat in the tall, green chair before putting his feet up on wooden table. His shoes were only a few inches from Master Yen Sid's magical hat. The man put his hands behind his head, crossed his legs, and took a minute or two to observe the brown-headed sixteen-year-old, the silver-haired Keyblade wielder, and the angel with the violet glow. All three of them summoned their Keyblades in a hurry.
The man shook his head. "So typical and naïve," he muttered loud enough for the group to hear. "You always assume I'm gonna pick a fight."
"Yeah?" Sora spoke up. "Well you're always messing with everything we do!"
Riku nodded. "How do we really know what you're going to do next?" he interrogated. "You're wearing an Organization uniform and are hanging out with Ansem, Xemnas, and two other guys we don't know and can't trust."
"It is completely unpredictable," Violet surmised. "Besides, you have been a thorn in my side ever since you created all those extra Nightmares in the 'Realm of Sleep'!"
The man's smirk transitioned into a sinister grin. "And I'm enjoying every minute of it. It is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you know."
He gazed at the ceiling. "Imagine! Being able to see events before they really happen! It's a real adventure — nothing can compare to the idea of foreshadowing!"
"Who are you?" Sora questioned as his glare intensified.
The young man turned his eyes to the sixteen-year-old. "My name is of no importance to you. Why would you need to know such information? Nobody cares about the details of their guides."
Sora stared at the man in shock. He stood straight and tall. "You mean… you guys were our 'guides'?"
The man gave a nod. "Yes," he stated in a firm voice. "This place isn't a playground, tourist attraction, or amusement park. This is the 'Realm of Dreams' — a very dangerous region to explore! If 'we' hadn't been watching every step of the way, you and Riku would have gotten crushed, smashed, or vaporized."
Sora lowered his head and his eyesight aimed at the floor. Taking note of this, Riku realized the strange man was trying to manipulate the spikey-haired youth to believing stuff that wasn't true. His eyes darted back and forth between the stranger at the desk and Sora. In the end, Riku pointed his Keyblade at the mysterious youth in a threatening pose.
"If you're trying to control Sora," Riku warned. "You'll have to get past me!"
Violet strode forwards a few paces and pointed her weapon straight at the man's neck a few feet away. "I shall not tolerate such deception!"
The man's smile faded into a glare. "As for you, angel," he snapped. "I told you to 'stay out of our way'! And I meant it!"
Violet gasped the instant her ears registered the youth's insult. She regained her determination quickly and resumed her position. "That was uncalled for!" she struck back. "You should be the one remaining a distance away from us!"
The strange man turned to face Sora. "Don't forget what I've told you," he added. "Sleep on, and we shall meet again."
Returning his focus to the angel and Riku, the mysterious youth's glare increased to the point where his dull-golden eyes almost seemed to be transforming into an amber color. "Keep in mind, Riku, your abyss is still waiting."
With those final words, a dark portal appeared around the young man and consumed him. It disappeared a moment later, leaving the chair and desk deserted. Except for the silence as the music had stopped playing, the circular study was back to normal.
Sora sighed deeply. "What if it's true?" he murmured aloud. "What if those guys have just been our 'guides'?"
Riku and Violet whirled their attention to the spikey, brown-headed Keyblader. They stared at each other, unsure what to do. They finally turned back.
"Sora?" Violet asked as she stepped forwards. "Are you feeling alright?"
Riku was a few steps behind the angel when Sora raised his head and looked directly into Violet's eyes. A few tears and a look of concern was in his eyes.
"Are there really seven 'Angels of Light'?" Sora inquired.
Violet hesitated in surprise. "Well," she stammered. "I was informed there were initially seven, although I have never seen them all myself."
Sora's blank stare made Riku sense something terrible was about to occur. His doubts were proven when the brown-headed Keyblade wielder's face suddenly filled with anger and hurt alike. "You lied to me!" he accused, glaring at Violet. "You said there were seven of you! I bet everything else you've said is a lie, too!"
Riku was appalled; he'd never heard Sora talk to a girl like that! If anything, Sora was often a little shy around girls, which easily made him an easy target for teasing — especially Donald, Goofy, and Riku himself. The very sight of Sora yelling at Violet would've been completely unheard of… until now.
Violet stepped back a tad and flinched after Sora had pointed the finger at her. "Sora, I… "
"You convinced me and Riku to help you leave this realm," Sora continued in his raging state. "But you've been using us to get out of here!"
"Actually," Violet anxiously stammered. "I was doing that initially… However, I—"
"See?!" Sora indicated, not finished with his argument. "You didn't want to help us on our quest! You were just pretending to be our friend! You never cared!"
"Now just a minute!" Violet scolded at the new accusation.
"Sora!" Riku shouted, wanting to break up the dispute before Sora did something he would end up regretting forever. It was in vain; the brown-headed teen's anger was out-of-control.
"You're not the 'Angel of Dreams'," Sora ferociously emphasized, pointing his Keyblade straight at Violet. The angel had been forced to step back a couple paces to avoid getting hit. "You're the stupid 'Demon of Nightmares'!"
As Violet gasped from shock, Riku rushed over in a frenzy. This time, Sora had completely crossed the line. He hopped between his friends and glared furiously at Sora. "Sora!" Riku scolded. "Snap out of it! That really was uncalled for!"
Sora's body shook for a second before he stared at Riku, his eyes showing signs of someone being startled. "Riku?" he started to say. "Wha… what happened?"
"You said some horrible things to Violet!" Riku stated, he turned and gazed at the angel. "Why'd you do such a thing?! You've never done it to Kairi!"
Sora was alarmed. He spotted Violet staring down at the floor. "Violet! I'm sorry! I… I don't know what came over me!"
Violet turned her gaze at the two, her eyes were swiftly filling with tears. She scowled at spikey-headed Keyblade wielder. "So," she said between sniffles. "If that is sincerely what you truthfully believe, then I have no motivation to advance on this venture any further."
She turned towards the door leading out of the study. Riku started to sense a wave of shock and concern. He reached his right hand at her. "Violet," he began. "I—"
"Never mind it!" Violet snarled, interrupting Riku's sentence. She opened the door. "From now until this realm ceases to exist, I shall reside in solitary! Go ahead and unlock the seventh Sleeping Keyhole and awaken this world! I shall return to where I truly belong — inside the dreams of others. I had no reason to depart! So what if I do not have the opportunity to experience a wish of my own? I did not deserve to see it become a reality. It was all an enormous fantasy — another figment of the dreams!"
She stepped through the doorway and grabbed the door handle. Turning back to face the two, Violet gave a tearful salute. "Toodaloo… Riku!"
Before Riku or Sora could react, the door slammed closed. It was too late. Violet was gone and chances were, after everything Sora had said, she'd never reconsider her decision in a million years. Riku stared at the floor in depression.
"How could this have happened?" he sighed in a very soft voice. "Why did it happen?"
The silver-haired, seventeen-year-old Keyblade Master-In-Training didn't have much time to reach a possible conclusion. A brilliant Light filled the air behind him. Sora and Riku turned their attention in the direction of Master Yen Sid's desk. A few feet above the sorcerer's pointed, blue hat was a glowing shape; they immediately recognized it as a keyhole.
"This is it," Riku sighed deeply. "The last Sleeping Keyhole. If only Violet was still here… "
"It doesn't matter," Sora said, causing a startled Riku to stare at him. He pointed his Keyblade at the keyhole. "Let's do it to it!"
Riku gave another disheartened sigh; Sora was still angry at the angel. "Yeah," he said, lifting his own Keyblade straight at the glowing shape. "Let's go home."
Shortly after Riku had spoken, two small balls of Light formed on the tips of their Keyblades. A pair of beams shone outward from there and headed for the keyhole. As they were within inches from their target, the beams merged into one, thicker beam and struck the exact center of the glowing Sleeping Keyhole. It unlocked in a brilliant glare of white light before the renowned tunnel of tranquility and Light came into view.
Riku and Sora gazed at each other. With a pair of nods, the two turned back to the tunnel. In a single leap each, they soared into the Light-filled tunnel. The entrance sealed up directly behind them. Sora smiled, knowing the Symphony of Sorcery — the seventh Sleeping World had been awakened, which meant their quest was officially completed. It was only a matter of time before the pair of Keyblade wielders returned to Master Yen Sid's real study and were each awarded the "Mark of Mastery".
Riku tried to relax, but the thought of leaving Violet behind continued to trouble him. For all he knew, she was now in the clutches of the strange young man in black and his accomplices; Ansem, Xemnas, and those other two he still didn't know.
Hopefully, his doubts were incorrect. Either way, he could still see the angel inside his dreams….
The circular study was quiet — too quiet for Donald as he continued to pace back and forth… back and forth… back and forth across the room. Every few minutes, he took a moment to look over at the wooden desk. King Mickey was standing before it, his eyes looking very downcast. Master Yen Sid was leaned forwards slightly and his eyes were closed as though meditating. Overall, the mood felt unnaturally eerie, almost like Donald's initial reaction to both Halloween Town and the depths of the Underworld's caverns. He recalled how Goofy had admitted to feeling unusually anxious when the two had ventured to Hades's lair with Sora; the young man hadn't shown the least amount of nervousness the whole way.
A series of hushed snickers filled his ears. The duck sighed in irritation, having heard the occasional "Yeesh", "A-Hyuck", "Hey", and "Gawrsh" during the last several minutes. His eyes landed upon Goofy and Launchpad; the two were sitting on the floor directly between the door and the fallen bookshelf. In Launchpad's hands was the pinkish-red journal Yen Sid had identified as belonging to his former student, Shelly. Donald himself had taken a glance at the book's first few pages and hadn't seen anything interesting — except for the name scribbled on the inside cover; "Shelly Sayuri". Apparently, that was the owner's full name… wasn't it?
Goofy pointed at the book with a silly grin on his face. "Hey! '…He was talking about the 'Bare Necessities'. Bagheera was annoyed, even when Baloo told him to 'get with the beat'.' That sure sounds funny! A-Hyuck!"
"Yeesh!" Launchpad remarked. "Wish I had been there!"
Donald had heard enough. He stomped over to the two and snatched the book from the pilot's hands. "What's the big idea?!" he growled. "This isn't your journal!"
Goofy looked hurt and confused alike. "Gawrsh," he finally said. "I thought it was supposed to be a book of riddles."
"Yeah," Launchpad added, sounding just as puzzled and disappointed as the knight. "And lots of jokes, too."
Donald started to turn as red as fire. Before he begin his normal list of complaints, annoyances, and threats, an undeniable, high-pitched voice entered their ears from across the room. "Yen Sid," it said. "Do ya think they'll both be able to do it?"
The magician, knight, and pilot all spun their focus to the middle of the chamber. Mickey was looking at the retired Keyblade Master still sitting at the desk for an answer. The three strode over and positioned themselves to the king's left.
Yen Sid's eyes reopened. "Well, it is true you cannot teach a cat to bark or a dog to meow," he stated. "But Merlin, the three good fairies, and Oswald have taken them both into a 'special dimension' where their training should be simplified and the amount of time reduced."
"'Oswald'?" Donald inquired.
"Ya mean the King's closest relative?" Goofy asked.
Launchpad shrugged. "I thought the King was a mouse and Oswald was a rabbit!"
Donald slapped his face when he heard the pilot's statement.
Yen Sid nodded. "Yes," he acknowledged. "Oswald has proven to be of capable of some powerful magic. He trained to be a sorcerer here — just like Mickey did before him. Likewise, he can also wield a Keyblade."
Mickey nodded. "Do ya think Lea and Niccole will be able to learn everything in such short notice?"
Yen Sid started to stroke his beard. "Well… Lea certainly has fire, which will depend on how long it burns. On the other hand, Niccole is very determined — an unmatched quality for one seeking such skills."
Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all gave nods of agreement. Mickey proceeded to ask another question. "So, do ya believe Sora and Riku will succeed in their quest?"
"I cannot say," Yen Sid replied. "If our assumptions prove to be true, Xehanort had everything planned from the beginning. However, he would've had to be in the exact place in time where they entered the 'Realm of Sleep'. Otherwise, Sora and Riku would already have been beyond his reach. If so, they should have nothing to fear during their journey."
Goofy placed his hand to his head in thought. For a few minutes, Donald stared at the knight uneasily. "Gee," Goofy finally said. "What if 'Zen-ha-court' did what Sora and Riku did and jumped through time?"
"That's 'Xehanort'!" Donald corrected in frustration. "How could you forget his name?!"
Goofy paused in deep thought. "I dunno know."
Launchpad seemed totally perplexed. "I don't know anyone named 'Zen-ha-court' or 'Xehanort', but he sure sounds silly having two names for the price of one."
Donald slapped his face once again before fainting onto the floor. Now Launchpad thought their adversary was 'silly'?! This was really getting to him.
Yen Sid glanced at Goofy. "That is a possibility," he admitted, shocking Donald. "However, he would've had to have a version of himself waiting at the source and destination."
Noticing how Goofy and Launchpad looked lost, Yen Sid clarified, "He would've had to have been at both the start and finish lines. Even Xehanort cannot move his entire body across the vast reaches of the time stream."
The Captain of the Guard and the pilot both nodded with haste, indicated they had comprehended at least part of what Yen Sid had said. There was silence for a few minutes as everyone gave inaudible sighs of relief.
"Oh no!" Mickey exclaimed, breaking the silence. His eyes were filled with alarm. "I just remembered! Xehanort did give up his body! It was his Heartless that had been possessing Riku! He was there at the same time the islands were lost to Darkness!"
Yen Sid gave a silent gasp of total shock; his eyes showed a flicker of concern for the first time anyone could recall. "No!" he declared. "It cannot be! Could he really be that cunning and possess such foresight?!"
Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gave each other super-quick stares of worry. If what Yen Sid and Mickey had both claimed was accurate, chances were Sora and Riku had unknowingly stumbled into a trap set by Xehanort himself. Unless they had managed to catch on (which seemed more likely for Riku, having been in the Darkness), the two teenagers were in extreme danger and probably didn't even know it. They had blindly taken the bait and were unconsciously being reeled in.
Mickey's facial expression shifted to a determined glare. "If it's alright with you," he asked his former instructor. "Can I go help Sora and Riku out?"
Now Yen Sid was staring at the mouse like the latter had lost his mind and was about to do something very stupid. "How? You cannot enter the 'Realm of Sleep'! It's a separate dimension."
Mickey was unconvinced. "If Xehanort truly is behind the whole thing, they won't be in that realm forever! They'll soon appear — someplace where we can reach 'em. We can probably guess the place, too."
He placed his hand over his heart. "'Follow the hearts and you'll find the way'," he said before gazing back up. "That's something Master Aqua told me once. I wouldn't have ever believed it if… "
The mouse gazed at the pinkish-red book in Donald's hands. "…If Shelly hadn't shown me how it works."
While Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad glanced at each other in astonishment, Mickey shifted his eyes back to Yen Sid. The latter nodded. "Mickey," he said. "I was unable to locate Sora. However, I did sense Riku's presence with a strong Light somewhere in the 'Realm Between'."
Mickey gave one last nod. "Then that must be where they both are! I'm going to warn them of Xehanort's plot."
Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all saluted. "We're goin', too!"
Mickey glanced at his friends. "Sorry fellas," he told them. "But I've gotta do it alone. This time, the dangers are greater than anything we've ever faced before. Why, if anything were to happen to Sora, Riku, and me — you three would be the only ones left to keep this world safe. Otherwise… we won't stand a chance against what's to come!"
The two ducks and the tall dog bent over in disappointment.
"Aw phooey!" Donald sighed.
"Aw gee," Launchpad sighed in turn. "And here I thought I could show off more of my crashing skills."
"Gawrsh," Goofy sighed. "I was lookin' forward to seein' 'em, too."
Donald rolled his eyes in annoyance at pilot and the knight's word choice.
"Don't worry," Mickey said in an attempt to cheer his friends up. "I doubt anything will happen to us — I hope!"
He turned back to Yen Sid. "I promise I'll bring Sora and Riku both back here safe and sound!"
A/N: YIKES! WHAT A DARK, SERIOUS PLOT TWIST! WHY WOULD SORA SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!
...Although I DID Mention How This Story STILL Had Some "SUPRISES" In Store! This Was CERTAINLY One Of Them!
So, I REALLY Hope You Enjoyed The "SPELLICAN" Battle! I Tried To Make It As INTENSE As Possible! I Later Had A Feeling That I Made The Nightmare's Demise A Bit TOO Graphical. I Decided To Let It Past Since The Remainder Of The Chapter Became Darker And VERY Detailed, Too!
Yes, I Included Oswald In This Story! For Those Of You Who Don't Remember Or Never Knew, Oswald The Lucky Rabbit Was The Original Animated Character Walt Disney Created; He Worked For UNIVERSAL STUDIOS At The Time. When Disney Asked For The Company To Help Make The Character More Popular, They Refused And Threatened To Make An Example Of Him. The Result? Disney And His Friend, Ub Iwerks, Quit And Teamed Up With Walt's Older Brother, Roy Disney, To Found The Animation Company We All Know As "THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY". Disney Created MICKEY MOUSE To Replace His Character OSWALD, which had remained UNIVERSAL property under recent years (Soon Before EPIC MICKEY First Came Out). I'M NOT KIDDING! THIS IS THE TRUE STORY!
This Version Of Oswald Is From "EPIC MICKEY: POWER OF ILLUSION" That Was The ONLY "Epic Mickey" Game I Have Ever Come Close To Finishing - I Got Stuck At The Final Boss.
Also, I FINALLY Revealed Some Details In Regards To My Character SHELLY And Some Of Things She Went Through. Her Last Name - "SAYURI" Was Originally Transformed From "SAMURAI"***. I Also Included A Reference To The Disney Movie, "THE JUNGLE BOOK (1967)", which you probably noticed when Goofy And Launchpad Were Flipping Through The Journal. That SHOULD Explain Why That Particular Disney Movie Did NOT Appear In This Story - ITS STORY HAD TAKEN PLACE LONG AGO, AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE GIVEN MUCH WORLD VARIETY IF TWO WORLDS HAD MULTIPLE SAME CHARACTERS IN THEM! THE ONLY EXCEPTION WAS "THE COUNTRY OF THE MUSKETEERS" AND "THE SYMPHONY OF SORCERY" - MICKEY, DONALD, AND DAISY APPEARED IN BOTH!
By The Way, Here Is A HINT Pertaining To The Next World In The Story. IF You've Played "KINGDOM HEARTS 3D", You'll ALREADY Know Which One It Is!
HINT: "THE STORY STARTS TO NEAR ITS CLOSURE WHEN ITS CLIMAX UNFOLDS! MANY DARK SECRETS ARE REVEALED WHEN SORA AND RIKU FIND THEMSELVES IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORLD THAT PROBABLY NEVER WAS ANYTHING FROM THE START! THEY SEARCH FOR ANSWERS AND ENCOUNTER BOTH FAMILIAR FOES AND A FEW FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY! THEIR FRIENDSHIP WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST AS THEY STRUGGLE TO FIND ANSWERS! WILL THEY SUCCEED IN UNCOVERING THE TRUTH? ONLY TIME WILL TELL... AND NOW EVEN TIME ITSELF MAY BE WORKING AGAINST THEM, TOO!"
Now THAT Is Quite A HINT! Perhaps I Should Use "Riddle-Hints" From Now On!
Before I Sign Off, I'd Like To Review The MOST-IMPORTANT EVENTS That Happened In Each World - STARTING WITH TRAVERSE TOWN (VISIT ONE)!
TRAVERSE TOWN (VISIT ONE): Sora and Riku first met Violet and the young man in black here. When Violet insisted on travelling with them, Sora and Riku welcomed her company. They promised to return and help the Cybersquad sometime in the future.
CORONA: Sora and Riku agreed to help Violet find a way of the "Realm of Sleep" so she could fulfill her own wish to have dreams of her own. Sora also sensed a bond forming between Riku and Violet during the "lantern sequence". Sora also found himself viewing Violet as a close friend.
PIXIE HOLLOW: After the Nightmare had ruined Springtime Square, Ansem (The Seeker of Darkness) showed up and revealed how the world was only PART of "NEVER LAND" since it had TWO Keyholes. Pixie Hollow had been lost with the Main Island while the Clock-tower and Mainland hadn't because Sora had already sealed ONE of the Keyholes . Ansem attempted to persuade Riku to embrace the Darkness, but Riku refused.
RASCAL'S DREAMLAND: After Xemnas told them Pinocchio's ability have a heart was unique, Sora started to wonder if Nobodies might have hearts, too. When he saw himself as another guy in black, Riku revealed how his struggle with the Darkness had resulted in him now facing himself.
THE GRID: While going after Rinzler/Tron, Sora encountered Xemnas and the young man in black. They revealed the world was a "back-up file" and the one Sora had previously been to was a modified copy of it. The man told Sora the world wasn't asleep and didn't count for the seven Sleeping Worlds.
TRAVERSE TOWN (VISIT TWO): Sora, Riku, and Violet helped the Cybersquad stop Hacker through a series of battles. Wicked summoned the "SPELLICAN" Nightmare, which fled after its minions had been destroyed. Ledge sent JULIUS to fight and nearly won - until Willie The Giant happened to show up and scared the monster. Hacker tried to use an converted car/street cleaner to capture Sora and Riku; he would've succeeded had Sandora not stepped in and ruined his chances (he thought she was a ghost). Sandora gave Violet a Keyblade before the Cybersquad returned to Cyberspace.
THE 100-ACRE WOOD: Sora, Riku, and Violet learned the world was an illusion of the same world Sora had visited before. Its Keyhole had already been sealed before the Heartless attacked, so it couldn't count as one of the seven Sleeping Worlds. Although Sora got to meet Pooh and his friends all over again, he also met Christopher Robin for the first time. He knew the world was trapped in Darkness, which kept it in a never-ending dream.
CAMELOT: For a while, Riku refused to reveal his past experience, which didn't help when Ansem tried to use such information to manipulate him. He later confessed the truth to Sora and Violet. Another man in black also appeared in the treetops, one who spoke in "mysterious riddles".
THE COUNTRY OF THE MUSKETEERS: Sora realized the world was set in the past and featured three Keyblade wielders who had been there at the time the dreams had taken place: Carlos, Crystal, and Shelly. Shelly reminded Sora of his mom, and made him wonder if there was any connection. He also saw a new man in black who said something about "an experiment"; Riku and Violet never saw him.
THE SYMPHONY OF SORCERY: When it was revealed the "SPELLICAN" Nightmare had possessed a songbook and trapped Mickey under a spell, Sora, Riku, and Violet entered some musical scores and retrieved "Sound Ideas". They had to get more when the monster stopped their first attempt. This time, each of them encountered someone familiar - Sora with the man from the Musketeers world, Riku with the man from the treetops, and Violet saw Hacker, Buzz, and Delete. When they met the young man in black, he said Riku was the Keyblade's TRUE wielder and informed them he wasn't part of the dreams. After defeating the "SPELLICAN", the spell was broke, and the man returned. He convinced Sora to believed his claim, which caused Sora to accuse Violet of lying and being disloyal. Having lost her motivation, Violet left the team. Sora and Riku continued to unlock the last Sleeping Keyhole on their own.
YEESH! NOW THAT WAS A NUMBER OF MAJOR EVENTS! As You Can See, MOST Of Them Happened In The World We Just Finished! The Reason Why I Wanted To Recap All This Is Because Many Of The Purposes BEHIND What Took Place Are ABOUT To Be Revealed In The Next Few Chapters!
Plus, I Wanted To SHOW You I Was NOT Making Up This Story As I Went Along! A Few Scenes Were Modified A Little Since The Story's Flow Went In A Slightly Different Direction, But I Made CERTAIN That EVERY WORLD IN THIS STORY HAD AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY!
Last, But Definitely Not The Least, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!
REMEMBER - A MINIMUM OF 107 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 120 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME CHAPTER 49 IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!
This is SoraLego278 saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Also, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"
***In JAPANESE LANGUAGE, The Word Is Pronounced "SAW-MOO-RA-EYE" - NOT "SAM-MA-RA-EYE" As People Say In English Sentences. I Know This Is The Case As I Took JAPANESE As A Foreign Language For One Year In High School.