DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: HELLO THERE! IT'S TIME - TIME FOR CHAPTER 49!
HERE'S AN ANNOUNCEMENT! Today, I Wanted To Tell You Have Pleased I Am With The Number Of REVIEWS This Story Has Received - 127 REVIEWS! Therefore, It Gives Me GREAT Pleasure To Declare How THE SEQUEL SHALL BE COMING! To Top It Off, THERE SHALL ALSO BE A SECRET ENDING! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THOSEREVIEWS! THEY HAVE REALLY ENCOURAGED ME TO KEEP GOING WITH THIS STORY!
HERE'S A [FUN FACT] For Today - December 21ST! It's No Surprise Why The Mayans Were Incorrect About December 21ST, 2012 Being The End Of The World! Up Until The Renaissance Era, People Believed The Sun Was Getting Too Low In The Sky, And That Was Why Winter Came. In Fact, They Believed The Sun Would Eventually Fall Below The Horizon And All Life On Earth Would Freeze To Death. To Prevent This, I Created Large Fires To "Strengthen The Sun". When The Sun Started Rising Back Up As Spring Came Around, They Would Celebrate - Certain They Had Succeeded. There Is Evidence Of This Type Of Event All Over The World. We Have Records From The Middle Ages In Europe That Reveal Such Notable Occurrences. The Giant Hole(s) Found In The Abandoned Native Dwellings In The American Southwest (Like Mesa Verde) Show They Would Do The Same Thing.
Imagine If They Had Known The Earth Was Going Around The Sun The Whole Time! How Different Would History Have Turned Out?!
Plus, I Am Officially Done With Classes For This Semester, So I Should Be Able To Complete This Story By The End Of 2014 - THAT IS MY CURRENT GOAL! And, Of Course, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THOSE REVIEWS!
Like In Chapter 48, I Included A Segement At This Chapter's Start. Check It Out!
Lately, I Have Been Playing "Kingdom Hearts -2.5 HD ReMIX-". I've Watched ALL Of "Kingdom Hearts: Re Coded" (Loved The Detailed Animation)! I'm Still Playing "Kingdom Hearts 2 -Final Mix-" (Standard Mode To Refresh My Memory) And Have Started Terra's Story In "Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep -Final Mix-" (Critical Mode, And I STILL Have The Strategy Guide -Ha Ha-!)
So, That's ALL I Have To Say Today! IT'S TIME FOR THE REST OF THE "HOUSE OF MOUSE" - AND MORE! PLEASE READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! PLUS, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW - PRETTY, PREETY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY AND BACON ON TOP - TOO!
CHAPTER 49
The Link To All
Time seemed to go by slowly. Unless time itself had stopped. How long had it been? Days? Weeks? Months? Maybe years? There was no way of knowing for certain. It did not matter anyway. There was no sunlight or moonlight present anywhere in the dark tunnel. They were only in the Light. Here, there was no Light. True, she could see where she was going, but there was still no indication of Light anywhere in sight.
"How long has it been?" she muttered with a sigh. "Nothing ever seems to change around here…."
Taking another step along, she gave another sigh; this one was much deeper. The sound of a strong wind echoed in the distance. Still, her sand-colored hair failed to move. Not even her red skirt seemed to move a little. Then again, it was probably weighed down by the pink handbag around her shoulders — the one now feeling extremely heavy.
It didn't matter how much pain she was going through. She had to find a way out. She had to find her friend. There was nothing she regretted more than being unable to find her friend and then getting stuck in this strange realm far from home. If she could leave, she would. Yet, it appeared such a method of escape didn't really exist. In fact, she had been in this place of Darkness for so long, she had nearly given up hope.
But she hadn't. Not yet. She refused to give in. It didn't matter what temptations crossed her mind. She was not ever going to surrender her heart. Her friend needed her.
And she was going to leave this terrible location — no matter how long it took.
The sound of sinister laughter echoed through the air vent. It did not bother the little creature currently crawling through. His enormous eyes were plenty to see everything around him as well as in front. Thanks to his giant ears, he could hear every word the evildoers in the main clubroom were saying — even if it was a simple whisper.
"Ih," Stitch muttered to himself. He could not afford to get distracted. Maybe Lilo was still somewhere close by… he had to get her out. Perhaps the only way possible was how Riku had explained it; use the air vent behind the building to sneak inside and unlock the side door.
Once inside, they could retake the club and restore it back to its true self. It would be the "House of Mouse" once more.
First, however, he had to dismantle the alarm….
The exterior of the club had turned a bright shade of blood-red mixed with orange. The door Tinker Bell had recommended sneaking in through was still sealed shut. The only method Riku could think of infiltrating the club without alerting the villains inside was by sending Stitch in through the air vent just around the corner. Once the friendly, little creature had disabled the alarm, Riku could use his Keyblade to unlock it — given it was locked. Until then, there was nothing to do but wait just outside. To pass the time, Riku had decided to sit on the curb just beyond the door. Donald and Goofy were playing cards with Mickey, Daisy and Minnie were talking to each other with what sounded like an occasional giggle, and Pluto had kept watch with Tinker Bell — just in case any of the villains was in charge of security.
Time itself seemed to have slowed down tremendously. The only indication the clock was even turning its hands was by watching how the stars above seemed to rotate in a circle. There was not enough lighting in the immediate area to blot out all the stars, and Riku could make out some of the constellations he and Sora had created when they were much younger.
The Big Slipper… The Mighty Flipper… The Crooked Kite… The Abandoned Stoplight… The Banana Split… The Bouncing Pogo-Stick… the list just went on and on and on. One of the silver-headed youth's favorites was the "Arrow of Truth", which Sora had pointed out to him. Deep down, he had believed that arrow-shaped constellation meant he would never be separated from his friends. Sadly, that was not the case.
"Riku?"
Riku found himself looking at a curious Violet; the curiosity itself was evident in her eyes. "Huh?" he asked. "What's up?"
Violet shook her head in a hurry. "Nothing," she replied. "I simply took notice of how you were sweeping your eyes across the sky above. Were you stargazing?"
"Yeah," Riku admitted with a nod.
Violet sat down on the curb beside him. "Can I join you?"
Riku gave another nod. The angel reached her arms back and leaned her head straight up into the night sky. The stars overhead all seemed to want to dance on this particular moonless night. In fact, the ground felt strongly warmer compared to the cool night air. The stars themselves were shining about ten or twenty times brighter than they ever had back on the Destiny Islands.
His mind started to wander, again. As far as Riku himself was aware, these stars were the same no matter where you looked in the universe. He remembered how he had once been told how every star was another world, which meant they were all connected by one great, huge sky. He'd also heard about the legend of the "Keyblade War" — first from Mickey, and then later from Master Yen Sid. From all accounts, that one war had divided the original world into all the individual worlds he could now explore and wander about. Of course, none of it could keep him from imagining what the original world was like — the one filled with Light. Unfortunately, he would never know what it was like since that particular was long gone. Anyone who would have survived that catastrophe was no longer living — at least as far as he knew.
That's when it dawned on him. Master Yen Sid's telling of the major event had been so much more graphical and detailed than Mickey's version. Was it possible for the retired Keyblade Master to have been an eyewitness to that specific event? That didn't make any sense; the war had ended too long ago for that to be possible! Then again, maybe it had ended sooner than anyone realized…. How would the answer ever be confirmed?
"Say Riku," Violet spoke up, snatching the silver-haired teenager from his pondering. "Do you recollect a specific girl who provided assistance back in Traverse Town?"
For a full minute, Riku was astounded; had there been a girl back in Traverse Town? He suddenly remembered the teenage girl who had strongly-resembled Kairi — the one who had saved Sora and him from Hacker's attacking machine. What was her name again? Sandy? Son-dry? Sandora? Yes! That was it!
"You mean 'Sandora'?" he asked. When Violet nodded, Riku added, "What about her?"
"I was starting to contemplate over how she is doing," the angel replied. "I sincerely hope she is uninjured and intact."
Riku had to shake his head. If what he recalled was accurate, that Sandora girl was still in one piece. After all, she had single-handedly dismantled Hacker's weaponry and even threatened him without a care in the world. Of course, such actions were typically along the lines of what Sora would normally do — especially in his naïve state of mind. Then again, he had barely gotten to know her. How was that girl doing? Why had she suddenly shown up in Traverse Town? How would he and the angel ever know for sure?
All at once, Violet's necklace started to glow. Riku and her stared at it in surprise. A beam of Light shot out from the charm and formed a projection on the wall of a nearby building. In the image that came into view, both Riku and Violet could see a girl about seventeen years old with medium-length, auburn-colored hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. She was very slender and wore a pink jacket, golden-yellow skirt to just below her knees, and red hiking boots. A hand-sized bag was strapped across her upper body and a pair of bluish-yellow sunglasses were nestled in her hair. She was sitting on a railing with a key-shaped weapon in her right hand; it had a red handle, a sky-blue-tinted blade, and yellow-orange flowers upon the blade. Both Riku and Violet were positive this was the same girl from Traverse Town — Sandora herself. Beside the girl was a slender young man who was somewhere between fifteen to sixteen years old. He had brown hair tied to a brief rattail, thick brown eyebrows, blue eyes, and fairly-tanned skin. He was wearing a golden earing on his left ear, a black jacket, ochre V-neck shirt, gray pants, a tan belt, and black bucket-top boots with tan-colored linings, straps, and soles.
The sky around the two was darker than night and filled with countless stars. A piece of rigging for a sailing ship could be seen behind the two. As Riku and Violet watched, another figure strode onto the scene. It was a tall, large human with a bear hand who was also half-man and wearing a large, tannish-colored shirt, mildly-dark-brown coat, brown three-cornered hat, red-and-green-striped shorts, a shoe on his left foot and a robotic peg-leg on his right. What stood out the most about this figure was how he had a large nose and a cyborg right arm.
As the cyborg-man approached the clearly-depressed girl and young man, he leaned against the railing near them. With a deep sigh, he said, "It weren't your fault, you know."
Seeing how the pair still weren't acknowledging his presence, the cyborg-man added, "Why, half the crew would be spinnin' in that black abyss right now if you two hadn't—"
The young man and the girl hopped down from the railing and stared at the man with complete dismay. "Don't you get it?!" the young man shouted. "I screwed up! I thought, just for a minute I could do something right! I just—!"
The girl was in no better mood. "The first-mate wouldn't have been lost if I had—!"
The cyborg-man refused to let them finish. "Now, you two listen to me, James Hawkins — you too, Sandora," he declared. "You got the makings of greatness in ya! But you each gotta take the helm and chart your own courses! Stick to it, no matter the squall! And when the time comes you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails, and show what you're made of, well… I hope I'm there, catching some of the light comin' off ya both that day."
The young man and girl both looked at the cyborg-man with tears in their eyes. When the cyborg-man smiled at them, the young man placed his head onto the former's chest and the girl gave him a hug. The cyborg-man paused for a couple seconds before reassuring them everything would be alright.
Nearby, a duck and a tall dog came marching up a flight of stairs with a duck-pilot. Seeing the scene before them, the tall dog muttered, "Gawrsh, reminds me of Sora and Kairi."
"Yeah," the first duck admitted. "I have to agree — for once."
"Maybe Jim and Sandora will get married!" the duck-pilot declared.
As the first duck shushed the duck-pilot, the scene ended.
The image faded out and the projection vanished back into Violet's necklace. The angel and Riku were equally shocked, perplexed, and relieved alike. If the girl they had just seen in the display was the same one from Traverse Town, then she was most-likely someone from the future — probably the distant future. Their conclusion actually seemed to make some sense considering Donald and Goofy had made an appearance. Then again, had this scene played previously; had it happened a long time ago?
Riku was thinking deeply. Why had Goofy mentioned Sora and Kairi's names? That duck-pilot had said something about "marriage". Did this mean Sora and Kairi would someday get married? He froze. Perhaps he could alter this event by proposing to Kairi first! Boy! Would that make Sora ultra-jealous! Surely Kairi's adoptive father and her three foster sisters would be in favor of such a union. After all, the silver-haired youth was considered the strongest, smartest, and most-dependable of all the kids on the smaller island. Of course, even Kairi's youngest foster sister treated Riku with so much respect, it could've been described as nearly-worshiping him — now that was going a little too far.
As Riku was still thinking about what else the future might have in store, he felt a tap on the shoulder. Spinning around, he found Donald and Goofy trying to get both his and Violet's attention. "What is it?" Riku inquired.
"Your friend opened the door," Goofy informed them. "We can get in now."
"Yeah," Donald approved. "Let's take back my club!"
Violet looked a little confused. "I do not recollect anybody stating how it was your possession, Donald."
"It is my club!" Donald snapped. "Mickey and I paid for it!"
"So," Riku smirked, noting a small fallacy in the duck's words. "It's also Mickey's club. You're partners?"
Donald was starting to turn red when Tinker Bell swooped closer and gestured for the group to follow. Rising from the curb, Riku and Violet trailed Donald and Goofy as they all followed Mickey, Minnie, and Tinker Bell into the building through the side door. The alarm light was flashing a bright red, but no siren was wailing. To Riku, that was a good thing.
The hallway was a dull shade of white. For some reason, the interior was also very stinky — at least for Violet's sense of smell. Even though she could not detect the exact location for the stench, it was obvious to her how the Darkness was so strong, it flooded the entire night-club. The only possible explanation she could reach for such an occurrence was that the Darkness was radiating outwards from whatever its source happened to be. Either way, it was still clear to her how the group was slowly getting closer to its source; her antennae were quivering a little more with each few steps she took along the hallway's length.
From what Violet had heard from Mickey, the corridor was what most people would refer to as a "hidden passage" and only used for emergencies. Of course, its main purpose would be for evacuations — not "specialized situations" like this one where they were entering instead of leaving.
As Pluto and Stitch led the way, Riku and the angel were directly behind them. Next in line were Mickey and Minnie, followed by Donald, Daisy, and Tinker Bell. In the rear end was a slightly-anxious Goofy; the head-waiter seemed to be talking to himself. "I'm brave," he muttered over and over again in a very hushed whisper. "But I'm careful."
Violet had to push the seemingly-randomized dialogue from her mind. She had to retain her focus on somehow infiltrating the night-club — without being detected by any of the villains currently in control. She started to feel slightly anxious. Perhaps there was a reason to worry.
Less than ten minutes after entering the hallway, the procession arrived at a wooden doorway. Through a crack in the bottom of the door, a reddish-orange light mixed with dark shades of yellow could be seen. The glow seemed to resemble the colors typically seen on Halloween night. Stitch peered through the door's keyhole. "Ih!" he said to the others.
"You want us to go through there?" Riku asked.
When Stitch nodded with another "Ih", Pluto sniffed the door. He gave a low growl. Mickey looked concerned, which reminded Violet of how the mouse had reacted when Pluto had sensed the corrupt captain Pete in the Country of The Musketeers.
"What is it, boy?" Mickey asked.
Violet strode up to the door. She leaned up against it and placed her right ear to it. When all she could hear was a THUMP-THUMP from the other side, the angel shifted her eyes up. As expected, her antennae were bumping against the wood above; she grabbed them and held them with one hand while listening with the other.
"Now," Jafar's voice came from the other side. "Let's see what happens when Mickey, Goofy, and that 'scared-y-cat" duck of theirs got a real fright!"
The sounds of shouts and yells of approval came from the crowd Violet assumed was the audience. The sound of a cartoon starting could be heard.
"It sounds to me like they are starting an animated cartoon," the angel informed the others as she stepped away from the door to face them. "It should keep them occupied for several minutes. Correct?"
Minnie nodded. "Yes! This might be the chance we need!"
Donald stormed up to the door; he was raising his sleeves the whole way. "Stand back! I'm gonna break this door down and take back my club — no matter what!"
"Donald," Daisy gasped. "Stop!"
Before anyone else could stop him, Donald rushed ahead and slammed his head straight into the door. The impact caused the door to bounce like it was made of rubber and send the duck flying back straight into Riku, who in turn bumped into Mickey followed by Minnie and Daisy. Violet's hands flew to her face to cover her mouth. Once again, almost everyone was lying around in a pile on the floor. All the angel could do was shake her head; this sight was not uncommon — not anymore.
With a shake of his head, Goofy stepped over. "Let me give a go!" he declared, getting a running start.
As the head-waiter charged for the door, Tinker Bell zipped ahead of him and seized Violet's attention. The little fairy was pointing at the doorknob. Certain this meant she was supposed to turn the handle, Violet reached over and turned it. To her surprise, it opened. She turned back to where Goofy was dashing down the corridor at semi-lightning speed. "Goofy!" she called. "You can halt in your footst—!"
Goofy sped clear past the angel with such haste, she had reach down and hold onto her dress as it flapped around for a few seconds. She watched through the open doorway as Goofy darted straight across a wide-open chamber and directly into a wooden door on the other side. He smashed through the door and the sound of clattering metal could be heard from within. As everyone else rose to their feet, Goofy stepped out of the now-damaged doorway; he had a tin bucket on his left foot, a mop stuck on his right arm by a coil of what seemed to be rope, the broken handle from what appeared to be a broom in his left hand, and water was dripping from his soaked uniform. He was stumbling about in a daze, mumbling, "Uh… the door's open."
Violet had to give a somewhat-audible SIGH. Goofy's behavior was exactly like he had been back she had initially encountered him in the dreams of the Country of The Musketeers. Even Mickey and Donald both had seemed to lack altered personalities, too. She had reached the conclusion that all three of them had never changed!
"What now?" Donald inquired, snatching Violet away from her contemplation. The duck, Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Pluto, Stitch, Riku, and Tinker Bell were stepping out from the corridor.
Hearing the sounds of sinister laughter echoing about, Violet assumed the villains in the main room were all pre-occupied with whatever cartoon they had chosen to present on the club's screen. "We shall require a strategy," the angel spoke up.
Goofy looked confused. "Uh… what's 'strategy'?"
Gazing in the direction of the now-fully-conscious dog, Violet shook her head. "It is a specialized 'plan-of-action'."
"Oh yeah!" Goofy acknowledged. "A-Hyuck!"
Riku was deep in thought. "We can't just run out and risk getting caught," he said aloud. "And we can't sneak around for long or they'll be suspicious."
"Well," an impatient Donald stated. "What can we do?"
Everyone else shifted their focus to Riku. The silver-haired Keyblader sighed. "We're just going to have to face them."
Violet peeked around a corner. She stared in shock before looking away. "We cannot waste time!" she declared. "Sora is among the audience, and this structure is flooding with Darkness at an extremely intense pace."
Riku took one sniff of the air and held his nose. "She's not kidding," he commented. "This place has a foul stench, and it's getting worse by the minute."
"What can we do?" a worried Goofy asked.
A determined Mickey marched across the chamber and approached a wooden door marked by a golden star. He crossed his arms. "Don't worry!" he announced. "I'll take care of 'em!"
Pluto rushed into the room with Mickey while Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy hurried to a stack of crates two feet away. Violet and Riku watched anxiously as a few minutes dragged past. Close by, Tinker Bell and Stitch were watching with both uncertainty and mystification. Time seemed to slow down….
The door with the star opened. To Violet and Riku's amazement, out stepped Mickey followed by Pluto. The mouse was wearing a long-sleeved red cloak tied around the waist by a brown cloth, dark-blue pants, and brown pointed shoes. Daisy walked back over with Minnie; the two had scowls of determination on their faces. At the snap of a finger, Daisy summoned Donald and Goofy. The pair rushed over to Mickey and placed a blue-colored pointed hat bearing a yellow crescent-moon and a few yellow five-pointed stars; they placed it on the mouse's head in a hurry.
Both Violet and Riku were equally amazed. Mickey was dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing back when they had encountered him in the Symphony of Sorcery. Once again, he was the "Sorcerer's Apprentice".
"Get 'im, Mickey!" Minnie cheered.
Rolling up his long, red sleeves, Mickey marched over in the direction of the stage. As the mouse neared the curtain, Violet's eyes grew and she gave an audible gasp. How could she have forgotten something so important?! Even if Mickey was able to stop Jafar, Ursula, Captain Hook, and the other villains in control of the club, Sora's Nightmare was also out the audience. There was no way the mouse would be able to handle such a monster as Sora-turned-to-the-Darkness. He would be struck down before getting the chance to strike.
"What's wrong now?" Riku questioned.
"It completely slipped my contemplation," Violet replied. "Mickey should be capable of dealing with those villains, but he cannot survive a duel against Sora's Nightmare!"
Riku gasped in alarm. Violet could tell her realization had just registered in the seventeen-year-old's mind. "We have to help him!" Riku decided in an instant.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Violet had to show a small smile. This reaction was no different than when Sora had decided to rescue Eugene from the soldiers in Corona. "You have indeed transformed into Sora," she said with a slight giggle.
Riku stared at her. "Not now," he stated. "We need to save Mickey."
Violet nodded. "Correct!"
The two raced for the curtain. They had to help Mickey before it was too late.
The cartoon had just finished and the crowd was going wild. Their obnoxiously-loud cheers sounded more like roars that filled the clubroom. All at once, the two giants in the room — a demon from a mountain and Maleficent as a dragon — both noticed something off to the far right of the stage. The man Riku's potato had been flung at and the three girls swung their attention next. A large queen and her card-soldier army were next in line. The snake who had attempted to hypnotize Violet was shocked at what he saw. Then came a giant rat dressed in a fancy, black suit. After that came Ursula… Cruella De Vil… Captain Hook… Hades… and finally Jafar. By this point, all the villain gathered in the audience and on the stage were staring at right end of the stage in total surprise and shock.
There stood a mouse about half the height of Goofy with large, round ears. His outfit consisted of white gloves, a red cloak with long sleeves that was tied around his waist by a brown cloth, dark-blue pants, and pointed brown shoes. On his head was a blue, pointed hat with a golden moon and a few matching stars decorated on it. The villains all stared in complete recognition; the mouse glared back.
Mickey Mouse had arrived to use magic against the evildoers.
Jafar was not amused. Raising his golden, snake staff, he unleashed a ball of fire magic and sent it at the mouse. Mickey easily caught the ball of magic and casually bounced it in his hands like a baseball pitcher preparing to throw at a batter. An angered Jafar swung his staff over his shoulder in the form of a batter.
The other villains were filled with shock and perplexity. How had a simple one-on-one match turned into a baseball game?
After winding up like catapult, Mickey threw the fireball at Jafar. The villain timed his swing so carefully, he struck the ball, sending it straight back at Mickey. The mouse ducked and the ball nearly slammed into Donald backstage; the duck had jumped at the last second. Mickey's glare intensified as Jafar gave an evil laugh.
Rubbing his hands together, Mickey produced a second magical ball of fire and tossed it much faster than the first one. Jafar swung, but missed. The ball of magic slammed into Captain Hook's hat, knocking it aside as well as startling the pirate captain.
As Mickey produced another ball of magic, Riku and Violet had just reached the edge of the stage. The mouse threw it, only to have Jafar hit it and send the fireball flying through the air. It bounced off a nearby curtain before vaporizing. The silver-headed youth and the angel were startled and concerned alike.
"This is getting dangerous," Riku mentioned.
Violet nodded. "We must hurry!"
Both Mickey and Jafar were sweating from anxiety as the former magically summoned yet another ball of magical fire. He wound up his arm like a windmill before throwing it clear at the villain. Jafar easily raised his staff horizontally and knocked the ball of flame back. Mickey reached to catch it and successfully did so. He threw the flaming ball once again.
This time, something unexpected happened. A black, spikey-headed creature that was as black as night with glowing yellow eyes, a radiance of pure Darkness, and claws on its hands and feet and tentacles sticking out from its back leapt onto the middle of the stage and growled like a wolf. The new arrival slapped the ball of flame easily with its tentacles, sending it directly at Mickey. The mouse tried to catch the ball, but was unable to; the ball of magical fire struck his hat and knocked it off-stage. The glow of magic from Mickey's gloves faded. Riku and Violet were shocked.
Just off the stage, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Stitch, and Tinker Bell were witnessing the events in the clubroom. All of a sudden, a blue, pointed hat decorated with golden stars and a matching moon landed a few feet behind Goofy. A thin line of smoke was coming from its side.
"Mickey's hat!" Goofy exclaimed.
The group hurried over as the tall dog picked up the hat in both hands; his eyes were filled with fright and his mouth was open. Stitch was confused and Tinker Bell was covering her mouth with both hands. Minnie was as equally horrified as Donald, Daisy, and Goofy.
"Oh!" Minnie screamed. "What'll we do now?!"
Riku and Violet were now face-to-face with the creature they knew was clearly Sora-turned-Nightmare. The monster swerved its attention at the pair. Through its yellow eyes, they could see what appeared to be Sora; the sixteen-year-old seemed to be pleading for help. An especially soft voice caught their attention; it sounded just like Sora's.
"I'm sorry… Mom. Kairi, please understand. Riku… find Violet… stop Xehanort… "
"What?!" an alarmed Riku shouted.
Violet pointed at creature. "It is Sora!" she exclaimed. "He is attempting to break loose from the Darkness! It must have been the outcome of one of that stupid Xehanort's schemes!"
Riku gave a nod of approval when he sensed a flicker of Light in the creature's eyes. The angel was telling the truth. Yet, not only was Sora trying to get free, he was also asking the two to stop the Darkness. Even though Riku knew stopping the Darkness overall would be impossible, he could at least defeat the Nightmare that had imprisoned Sora's heart.
"Alright," the silver-headed Keyblade wielder stated in a very firm voice. "He needs our help, so let's help him!"
Following a nod from Violet, the two turned their complete attention at the Nightmare in the middle of the stage. The time had come to liberate Sora's heart from the clutches of Darkness. They summoned their Keyblades in the blink of an eye.
Before either of the two could move, the Nightmare lurched forwards and slashed its claws at them. Riku and Violet leapt to either side of the monster. The Nightmares quickly realized it had been evaded and spun towards Violet. The angel took to the air, but the enemy's tentacles lashed out and struck her left arm. With a scream of agony, Violet plunged onto the stage, her Keyblade fell from her hands and clattered onto the platform. Although she reached for it, the angel was unable to grab her Keyblade when the Nightmare got ahold of her and started to drag her closer.
Riku was shocked. Not only had Violet been unsuccessful in avoiding the enemy, but she was clearly in extreme danger. With his Keyblade clutched tightly in his hand, he charged straight at the monster. Unfortunately, the Nightmare noticed the youth attempting to launch an assault and speedily hopped to one side. Riku landed onto the stage and swerved his head around. Seeing how the Nightmare was behind him, he raised his weapon and let out a loud shout as his Keyblade slashed into the monster. The Nightmare unleashed an annoying sound of pain before lashing out its tentacles in retaliation. Riku would have blocked them, but it at that moment when he was seized by a giant, dark-purple tentacle from a sea creature. The tentacle started to squeeze him so tightly, Riku was beginning to wonder if he would be able to breathe again. He caught a glimpse of a laughing Ursula close by.
Now Riku felt very dumb. How had he forgotten the clubroom was full of villains? He had been so busy concentrating on the Nightmare, he'd let them all slip his mind. Now Violet was the monster's hostage and Ursula had taken him prisoner. To make matters worse, the entire clubroom was no longer colorful. In fact, the rainbow-colored design it had possessed earlier had vanished without a trace for orange, red, and yellow. Still, even those colors were fading out as inky Darkness was taking over. It was only a matter of time before the entire building and everything in it was shrouded completely in stinky Darkness.
Unless he could somehow break free, save Violet, and help her rescue Sora from the Nightmare's control, this entire club would be consumed by Darkness very, very, very, very, very soon.
A very bright Light. To Riku's shocked eyesight, a group of about three preteens and a robotic bird came swooping into view. If he hadn't thought about what he was seeing, he would've believed Matt, Jackie, Inez, and Digit from the Cybersquad were in the clubroom. Of course, he knew all too well they were back in Cyberspace. Besides, these versions of them were more like holograms; he could see through them, which meant they were nothing more than illusions. The three youths seized the attention of Sora's Nightmare while Digit flew circles over its head.
Another very bright Light caught his eye. An illusion of the girl with the extremely-long golden hair and her pet chameleon came into view. She was swirling her hair like a lasso. In one thrust of her arm, the lasso of hair grabbed the monster and held it in place.
There was another very bright Light. Into view came a larger version of Tinker Bell with a strange gadget in her hand. Riku was a little puzzled; wasn't Tinker Bell off-stage with the others? The holographic-like fairy twisted a knob on her gadget and sent pinkish paint raining onto the tied-up Nightmare.
When another very bright Light occurred, Riku knew someone else had shown up. This time, an illusion of Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket hopped onto the stage. They snatched the Nightmare's focus from the others and allowed Rapunzel to tighten her hair-lasso.
Another very bright Light. From above came Sam Flynn, Quorra, and the masked sidekick of CLU's — Rinzler, Riku had heard his name was. Then again, he'd also heard it was Tron. The three just arriving each pulled out a disk-shaped weapon and threw them at the Nightmare. The enemy was unable to react (thanks to being trapped in Rapunzel's hair) and suffered each and every attack.
A very bright Light followed the previous one. To Riku's surprise, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, and Eeyore all landed onto the stage; each with a pot of honey in their hands. They rushed around, dumping honey all over the Nightmare's being. It wasn't long before the creature was stuck onto the stage. This allowed Violet the opportunity to get free, which she successfully did and took flight to escape.
That's when another very bright Light took place. When Merlin magically appeared on the stage, Riku had to smile. The wizard waved his wand and muttered some inaudible words. The trapped, tied, and still-ferocious Nightmare was sealed inside a block of ice in an instant.
Another very bright Light happened. The Musketeer versions of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy marched onto the stage and started hacking their swords at the frozen monster.
As another very bright Light filled the air, Riku was finally realizing what was happening. Once he saw an illusion of Mickey as the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" set foot on the stage beside a tiny, black pegasus (flying horse, of course!), fairies with dragonfly-like wings, a tin soldier with a paper ballerina, Donald and Daisy, the girl-creature and elk from the musical score(s), a large Stegosaurus, and two triangular-shaped butterflies, he knew they were all from the world of the Symphony of Sorcery. All the creatures gathered on the stage reached out with Mickey and caused a powerful Light to form on the Nightmare.
Riku had to smile. Every notable friend Sora, Violet, and he had made during their adventure through the Realm of Sleep had shown up to assist them in defeating the Nightmare.
When the Light faded away, Matt, Jackie, Inez, Digit, Rapunzel and the chameleon, Tinker Bell, Pinocchio and Jiminy, Sam and Quorra (and Rinzler/Tron), Pooh and Piglet and Tigger and Rabbit and Eeyore, Merlin, Mickey and Donald and Goofy, and Mickey and the others from the musical score had seemingly vanished without a trace.
To top it off, Ursula had also released her grip on Riku and he was standing on the stage next to Violet. Before their eyes was Sora's Nightmare; the monster was struggling to remain in control of itself. Now Riku was perplexed. Had everything he'd seen really happen? Or was it all simply a dream he'd made up?
"What happened?" Riku asked.
Violet shrugged. "I cannot state exactly," she answered. "All I can say is we just witnessed a series of illusions, which have apparently defeated the Nightmare for us."
"So," Riku summarized. "You're saying all that was a dream?"
"Yes," Violet approved. She paused for a brief moment. "More or less."
Although Riku wasn't sure what the angel meant, his attention was suddenly grabbed by the Nightmare. The creature was vibrating more and more. At once, a pool of Darkness formed directly underneath the creature and spread about for about five feet in every direction. Riku and Violet stepped back to avoid it; they noticed Mickey Mouse doing the same thing and suddenly recalled he had been there the whole time.
A number of cracks formed on the Nightmare's face and body. Its tentacles melted away and its claws cracked too. In one flash of darkened-light, the Nightmare's being shattered into tiny shards like it was made of glass. Out came a young man of about age sixteen with spiked, brown hair. He was wearing a red shirt with a large, black "X" in the middle, a red jacket complete with a black hoodie, red shorts, oversized yellow shoes, and white fighting gloves. As he unconsciously fell face-first into the pool of Darkness, Riku and Violet knew there was no mistaking him.
This was their "TRUE FRIEND" — Sora himself.
The unconscious Sora started to sink into the center of the pool of Darkness. He dropped what appeared to be a darkened version of his own Keyblade, which clattered halfway across the stage and then beyond the curtain.
"Sora!" Riku yelled. His Keyblade disappeared from his hand and he rushed over.
Violet was beyond shocked — she was terrified! Even though Sora had been released for the Nightmare, he was now on the verge of ending up trapped deep inside the Darkness. Unless the two hurried, Sora would be lost to the Darkness — forever!
Riku was at Sora's position in less than a second. He reached for Sora's right hand and grabbed it. He pulled with all his might, but there was no use. Violet knelt onto the floor and seized Sora's right arm. Despite the pair's efforts, it was in vain. Sora's arm and hand alike slipped from their grasp and disappeared into the pool of Darkness. "SORA!" they both shouted louder than they had ever tried to shout before.
It was now clearly hopeless. Sora had disappeared and the pool of Darkness was rapidly fading from sight. It wasn't long before the darkness was gone, too. The Angel of Dreams and the silver-headed Keyblade wielder knelt onto the floor in discouragement.
"How unamusing," Jafar snorted at the pair. "Well, no matter. It's time to finish this once and for all."
Riku and Violet remained on the floor. They only caught a glimpse of Jafar, Ursula, Hades, Cruella, and Captain Hook moving in on the now-defenseless Mickey. Jafar raised his staff and was about to say an enchantment. That was the moment when Riku and Violet shifted their attention to the villains.
Off-stage, a frantic, concerned, and downright fearful Pluto, Daisy, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy were uncertain about what to do now. Even Tinker Bell was worried. Only Stitch looked confused about what was going on. All of them were staring at Mickey's empty, blue pointed magical hat.
A knock at a nearby door grabbed their attention. Daisy ran over and pulled it open. Inside was a young man on a flying carpet. If he had stayed long enough, they might have recognized him. The young man tossed an item at Daisy, who caught it quickly. "Here," he said. "Use the lamp!"
Riku and Violet watched in alarm as the villains were about to harm Mickey. Before either of them could respond, a voice shouted from off-stage, "Mickey! Catch!"
A golden lamp shaped like the ones for lighting homes in the desert came flying through the air. Mickey caught it and pointed it at Jafar and the other villains.
"Thuh lamp'll hold 'em forever!" Goofy's voice shouted from off-stage.
"The lamp!" Captain Hook exclaimed. He sped off the stage and for the exit. Cruella, Hades, and Ursula were directly behind him. All the other villains in the audience fled their seats in a hurry. To Riku and Violet, it appeared to be a mass evacuation combined with a major stampede for the exit. Mickey gave a grin at Jafar; the villain gasped in alarm. Mickey rubbed the lamp, causing a cloud of bluish magic to surround Jafar. The villain gave one final shout of agony before he was sucked straight into the lamp without a trace. Just off-stage, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto were cheering as Stitch was simply saying, "Ih!"
Tinker Bell flew to the sign just outside the club and pulled out a magical wand. She waved it around before pointing it at the sign. It instantly changed from "HOUSE OF VILLAINS" back into "HOUSE OF MOUSE". She swooped back inside a moment later. The audience cheered and clapped away with glee. In less than a day, the nightclub had been stolen and saved. For Riku and Violet, it was clear there would no longer be any additional trouble in the club.
"Oh, Mickey!" Minnie said as she approached the mouse on stage. She gave him a great, huge kiss, which made some audience members sigh happily, some giggle, chuckle, and laugh, and some cheer louder than before.
"Yeah!" Donald exclaimed. "We did it! We saved my club!"
"Un-un!" Stitch said as the others appeared from off-stage with him.
"Huh?" Donald said to the alien.
Riku had to shake his head. "Even Stitch knows it isn't your club, Donald."
Donald groaned in annoyance. He let out a series of illegible garble that ended with, "Aw phooey!"
"C'mon, everyone!" Goofy called out. "Let's hear it for Mickey!"
The crowd cheered away. Before long everyone was chanting away, "Mickey Mouse Club! Mickey Mouse Club! Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! Hey there! Hi there! Ho there! You're as welcome as can be! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! Mickey Mouse!"
"Donald Duck!" Donald shouted in turn.
"Mickey Mouse!" the audience chanted aloud.
Donald was beyond irritated. "Donald Duck!" he snapped.
"Forever let us hold our banner high, high, high, high!" the audience continued to chant. "Come along! Sing our song! And join the jamboree! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!"
"YAY, MICKEY!" everyone in the club cheered in unison.
Donald was about to blow a fuse. "DONALD DUCK!" he shouted as loudly as he could.
"A-Hyuck!" Goofy said. "One more time!"
As everyone started chanting away once again, Riku and Violet paid them no attention. They were once again staring at the floor where Sora had gone. Only now, it appeared hopeless. The pool of Darkness was long gone and there was no other way to reach him. It would seem their quest was a failure and they had no choice but to return to Master Yen Sid and report what had taken place. Of course, they couldn't say anything about the House of Mouse; it could most-likely puzzle Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. Not to mention, it would be too mind-boggling for Niccole and Lea to follow.
A sensation of fading Darkness seized the pair's focus. To both Riku and Violet's surprise, they spotted Sora's Keyblade lying on the stage beside them. Last they recalled, the weapon had been sent flying off-stage. In fact, there was no indication of how it had reached them.
That was when they saw spotted him before them. "Ih!" Stitch stated before roaming off into the audience. The two glanced at each other before shaking their heads. Riku reached out and picked up Sora's Keyblade. He walked towards the exit doorway, Violet directly behind.
They glanced back and smiled at their friends on the stage. It was clear they had saved the House of Mouse from certain disaster.
~"SPECIALIZED LINE BREAK"~
Outside on the street, Riku pointed Sora's Keyblade into the night sky high above. A giant keyhole appeared and started glowing. With a deep breath, Riku said, "I'll find you, Sora."
A second hand touched the weapon's handle. Riku turned to the left and saw Violet nodding. "Together, we shall locate Sora. Am I correct?"
Riku gave a nod in return. "Yeah."
With the two both touching the Keyblade, a ball of Light formed at the end of the weapon. It sent a beam of Light at the keyhole. The beam struck the opening in the exact middle. The keyhole unlocked and glowing brilliantly as it faded for a pillar of Light. The Light shone down onto the pair.
Before Riku knew it, he was floating in the air. He saw how Violet was doing the same thing, even though she wasn't flapping her wings. The two rose straight at the keyhole and vanished inside. They both closed their eyes and waited for something miraculous to take place.
The sound of waves entered their ears. As they reopened their eyes, Riku and Violet saw they were standing in the sand of a beach. A clear, reddish-orange sunset filled the sky near the horizon. The sounds of a few seagulls having a squawking competition could be heard in the distance.
Riku's eyes were wide and focused rather quickly. He noticed the wooden dock he and the angel were standing on. Far to the left he could see the smaller islet with the bent-over palm tree and the long, wooden bridge that connected it to the main island. The shack leading to the bridge… the waterfalls with a hint of a rainbow… the starfish gathered somewhere near the sea… the tall palm trees swaying in the gentle wind… it all felt familiar.
"Is this," Riku started to say. "Are we on the islands?"
Violet was a little surprised. "Are you trying to inform me this shoreline is part of an island of which you are familiar?"
"Yeah," Riku acknowledged. "You could put it that way. It's my home. Sora and Kairi's, too."
Violet crossed her arms. If what Riku was saying was indeed accurate, then the two of them were standing somewhere in his home world. The next question was… why? Why were they here in this particular location out of countless other worlds?
"So, if what you just claimed is truthful," the angel said. "Why did we suddenly get transferred to this particular location?"
Riku paused to think. That's when he sensed something from behind. Turning around, the silver-haired teenager found himself-face-to-face with a young man with bright, blue eyes and golden blond hair with the front spikes seemingly blown to the right and a flaky, yet smooth, back. He was wearing a black, high-collared jacket under an unzipped, white jacket that possessed a black, block design and grey parts on the ends of the sleeves, black pants with beige coverings on the upper half(s), and grey-and-black shoes with red straps for shoelaces. His inner jacket had a red collar that was also pleated and folded back. He also possessed a wrist-band with a black-and-white pattern on his left wrist, and two plain-colored rings on his left hand; a black ring on his left index finger, and a white ring on his left middle finger.
One look was all it took for Riku stare at the young man. He knew who it was. "Roxas?"
Through his peripheral vision, Riku saw Violet spin around the instant he had spoken. "You know his identity?" the angel inquired.
"Yeah," Riku admitted. "Roxas is Sora's Nobody."
Violet nodded. "I recollect you disclosing all that information previously."
Before Riku had the chance to say anything else, Roxas looked straight at him and spoke. "What is it that you're so afraid of?"
Riku was perplexed at first. What was Roxas trying to tell him? That's when it suddenly dawned on him. Riku's memories started coming back to him rather swiftly. The day he'd first set out to find Kairi with Maleficent's help… the hour he'd "betrayed" his friend, Niccole… the minute he'd chosen to face his innermost Darkness and defeat Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness/Xehanort's Heartless… the second he'd been forced to give into the Darkness so he could stop Roxas and Sora could awaken… the moment when he'd watched the world of Camelot crumble apart, become consumed by the Darkness, and eventually be restored and fall into a state of seemingly-eternal slumber… and the day he had returned to this island with Sora after struggling with the Darkness for more than a year.
Fortunately, all those events had turned out well in the end… more or less. Maleficent was still around, but not as powerful as she used to be. Niccole was alive and well, though she was angry with him for abandoning her, which was no thanks to Xehanort's deception in the long run. Xehanort's Heartless no longer had control over him, even though he was still around and probably going to try again someday. Roxas had returned to Sora and was most-likely living happily while Sora had awakened and succeeded in destroying the original Organization XIII. Camelot had been awakened and was no longer a Sleeping World; Violet had also reassured him the entire event wasn't even his fault. The island had never seemed so nice to come home to — especially for a victory welcome with Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Sora!
He now knew there was only one thing he was afraid of. It was the one thing that had forced him to overcome all these challenges and resulted in these various outcomes.
"Losing something… that's important," Riku replied to Roxas's question a few moments before. The instant the words had left his mouth, Roxas faded away from sight like a candle flickering away. Riku and Violet were shocked.
"Where did he go?" Riku wondered aloud.
Violet was busy scanning the immediate area for any clues. Her eyes fell upon a figure near the shack and just below the bridge. She pointed them out. "Look over there!"
Riku spun his focus over to where the angel was pointing. Seeing the figure, the silver-haired Keyblader nodded and walked down a short flight of steps to the sand below. Violet was seconds behind. As the two proceeded towards the figure, the sunlight started to dance on the sea's surface. Sparkles of light moved about on the distant waves.
Being the first to reach the figure, Riku was in for a surprise. "Roxas?" he asked.
The figure was a young man with the same physical appearance as Roxas; eyes, hair, and major of his clothing. The only notable differences were his jacket being white on the right side and black on the left, a grey vest bearing one button, a chunk of dull, green-and-grey armor under his vest and another piece of matching armor on his left shoulder, grey, black, and white pants, and dull-grey-and-green boots resembling armored versions of street boots. His wristband was also checkered, but with white edges. In fact, his appearance was similar, you could almost refer to him as "Roxas's Twin Brother".
Riku shook his head upon taking note of all these differences. "No, wait… "
Violet took a moment to examine the young man before them now. "He does bear a strong-resemblance to Roxas," she concluded. "Then again, his outfit is mainly reversed."
Riku was about to reply when the young man spoke. "What is the one thing you care about more than anything else?"
Riku stared for a second before pausing in thought. Violet looked at him with concern showing on her face. Deep down, Riku could think of only one possible explanation. It was the only common theme he could imagine that connected everything in his adventure throughout the Realm of Sleep. He had seen it with the Cybersquad while in Traverse Town; it had allowed them to reunite with each other. It had held strong for Rapunzel and Eugene back in Corona as well as the others they'd seen in that world. It was evident between Tinker Bell and her fellow fairies from Pixie Hollow. It had been the main link between both Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket in Rascal's Dreamland. It was what had concerned Sam Flynn about Quorra's safety when she'd been captured by CLU back in The Grid. It was the whole reason why Pooh and the others had gone to search for Christopher Robin in The 100-Acre Wood. It had been shown to bear a strong connection between Merlin and Wart/Arthur back in Camelot. It was why Mickey, Donald, and Goofy had stuck together throughout everything in the Country of The Musketeers. It was also the one virtue Mickey had sensed between Sora, Riku, and Violet during their mission in the Symphony of Sorcery. It had also been the purpose in Riku and Violet returning to awaken Sora's heart from its slumber and wander into the House of Mouse to do so.
"My close friends," Riku answered the young man. As before, the young man suddenly disappeared like a light switch had been turned to the "OFF" position.
Violet looked in doubt. "Something very peculiar is occurring here," she stated.
Riku nodded. "Yeah," he approved. "But as long as we're together, we can handle it."
The angel had to nod back. "True enough."
It was then Violet's antennae started whirling a little. She pointed at the bent palm tree on the smaller islet. "There is something over there."
Riku nodded before leading the pair to the shack. They both strode inside and raced up a flight of stairs to a doorway at the top. Once they had stepped through the door, they hurried down the wooden bridge and reached the islet in record time. Sitting on the tree was a figure. Riku's eyes lit up. "Sora!"
Yet, when the pair reached the tree, they saw something completely different. The figure was a young, teenage girl with raven-black hair in a similar fashion to Naminé's design. She had blue eyes and seemed to resemble a younger version of Kairi. Her clothing was simple, being the black-hooded coat of Organization XIII, although her hood was down. The coat had slightly-pointed shoulder and close-fitting sleeves. She also had heeled, black boots and black gloves. She was smiling as she peered out at the horizon. When the silver-headed seventeen-year-old and the angel approached, she gazed at them with the same smile.
Riku was more perplexed than before. He had absolutely no recollection of ever meeting this girl. "Huh? Who are you?"
"Riku," the girl spoke up. "What do you wish?"
Riku smirked a grin. "More wishes."
Violet crossed her arms. "Does anybody out there actually realize it is impossible to wish for additional wishes?"
Riku turned to the angel. "I was just kidding."
Violet shook her head while Riku strode up to the raven-haired girl on the tree. "All right… "
Riku paused for a minute and let the ocean-to-island air come into him. He started to remember all the things he had once wished for. A new bicycle… Kairi's attention… his brother's dog… spending the night with Kairi… winning every match against Sora… proposing to Kairi and making Sora jealous… naming the raft "Highwind" after the 1997 videogame he'd played… marrying Kairi when she was eighteen… being number one… telling Sora he had shared a Paupu fruit with Kairi to tease him… seeing the outside world… living happily ever after — with Kairi… not doing any chores… teasing Sora about Kairi… having friends… making Sora do all the work for being too lazy… the list just went on.
Of course, there was also one wish he'd never asked. He wasn't even sure if Violet knew about it. It never had been one of his dreams. Then again, if Violet had known about one of his secret wishes… perhaps she also knew about this one? There was no point in hiding it anymore.
"I wish," Riku began. "To recover something important that I lost."
As expected, the mysterious girl on the tree vanished as well. Now Riku and Violet were beyond mystified. "What is going on?" Riku questioned out loud.
Violet was about to suggest something when she spotted another figure over by the waterfalls. She pointed them out. Without another word, the two rushed over.
Upon reaching the waterfalls, the two were caught by another surprise. The figure turned out to be someone they recognized. It was a very slender girl who seemed to be about seventeen-years-old with medium-length, auburn-colored hair, pale skin, and shiny blue eyes. She was dressed in a pink jacket, golden-yellow skirt, and red hiking boots. A blue hand-sized bag was strapped across her shoulders like a camera bag and a pair of bluish-yellow sunglasses were nestled in her hair. She was standing on the edge of the pool of water gazing at the faint rainbow in the falls.
"Sandora?" Riku inquired.
"I believe you are correct, Riku," Violet said. "She is the same girl who rescued you and Sora alike from Hacker's machine. She was also the one who handed me her Keyblade."
"So," the girl the two believed was "Sandora" started to say. "What are you searching for?"
Riku paused. "More questions… "
The girl shook her head. Violet stepped forwards and turned to face Riku. "I can provide you with three possible answers to this query," she said. "Yet, you shall have to choose the one you wish to respond."
"Really?" a little-surprised Riku said. "You'd do that for me?"
"Sure," Violet answered. "I am the Angel of Dreams!"
Riku had to grin. Violet summoned her magical wand with the glowing star-shaped tip. After waving it in a circular motion, an image bearing three sentences appeared. Each was marked with a number as seemed to form a list.
(1.) My Destiny.
(2.) My Closest Friends.
(3.) Fame, Glory, And Money.
Riku paused to think it through. Although he could have said "My Destiny", it was clear he didn't really care about what would happen. Things had already taken their course(s), and many of them hadn't turned out so well. Giving into the Darkness wasn't exactly the best option when it came to deciding one's fate. Too bad he hadn't realized it until the last few months.
The answer had to be "#2". Riku couldn't think of anything more important than his closest friends. He'd already been searching for Sora and Kairi since the night their island had been lost to the Darkness. Now, he was searching for Sora once more.
As for "#3", there was absolutely no way he'd pick that one! He didn't even have to explain why! It was too obvious!
"My closest friends," Riku responded to the "Sandora" girl's question. Both the image Violet had summoned and the girl vanished at the same time. This was really starting to seem particularly peculiar….
"Look over there!" Violet called out.
Riku spun around to see the angel pointing at another figure kneeling on the beach with their knees where the waves were lapping against the sand. They rushed over in a hurry.
Upon arrival, the two realized the figure was a slender, young woman possessing long, sand-colored hair tied in place by a yellow ribbon on top. A small cowlick curved towards her left eye before pointing at the side of her face. Her eyes were a deep shade of azure-blue, which now seemed to resemble Sora's. She was wearing a short-sleeved pinkish jacket, a red skirt that stretched down to just above her knees, and blue tennis shoes. Around her shoulders was a pink handbag, and she had a shiny, seashell necklace was around her neck. To Riku, she looked like a duplicate of Sora's mother — only younger and more serious.
"Do I know you?" Riku asked.
The girl looked straight at the horizon, not even bothering to turn her head. "What do you care about the most?" she quizzed.
Riku turned to face Violet. "Weren't we already asked this question?"
Violet shrugged. "You could utilize an answer from before," she said. "It might provide a shortcut."
Riku nodded and turned back to face the girl; she was still staring at the horizon. He froze. Use which answer? Violet hadn't been specific. He recalled the question this girl had asked was very similar to the one that guy who'd looked a lot like Roxas had posed. In fact, it was pretty much the same question, just different wording. He had decided on an answer.
"I care about… having 'True Friends'," Riku replied. The girl vanished a moment later. Violet strode up to him.
"Did you sincerely mean that?" the angel inquired.
"Yeah," Riku admitted. "Friends like you, Violet."
With her hands folded over her chest and her smile showing brightly, Violet looked like she had tears of joy showing in her eyes. "That was such a sweet thing to say," she commented.
Riku had to smile. This was no different than how he'd pictured Kairi's reaction being to Sora nowadays.
As the two continued to stand on the beach, they heard a voice calling out from above. Riku and Violet whirled their attention to the sky and listened as a voice started singing.
"I'll be your candle on the water. My love for you will always burn. I know you're lost… and drifting. But the clouds are lifting. Don't give up. You have somewhere to turn."
Riku froze, instantly recognizing the voice as coming from Kairi. On the other hand, Violet (having never met Kairi herself) looked completely puzzled and surprised.
"I'll be your candle on the water. 'Till ev'ry wave is warm and bright… my soul is there beside you. Let this candle guide you. Soon you'll see a golden stream of Light. A cold and friendless tide has found you. Don't let the stormy Darkness pull you down. I'll paint a ray of Hope around you… circling in the air… lighted by a prayer."
As he watched the clouds closely, Riku almost thought he could see a face shining through. A hint of shiny blue eyes and auburn hair flashed through the air, reminding him of Kairi.
"I'll be your candle on the water. This flame inside of me will grow. Keep holding on… You'll make it. Here's my hand, so take it. Look for me reaching out to show… as sure as rivers flow… I'll never let you go."
Riku smiled and closed his eyes. He could feel a warm, peaceful Light shining from above.
"I'll never let you go."
Reaching out, Riku found himself holding Violet's hand. The angel was startled for a super-quick second before she relaxed and felt the Light, too.
"I'll never let you go… "
Next thing Riku and Violet knew, the Light had faded and they were standing on the beach. This time, the area seemed much brighter than before. In fact, they couldn't feel a single trace of any Darkness around them. The sea's waves were still sparkling in the light of the still-setting sun.
It was then they spotted something amidst the waves. A bluish-tinted glass bottle with a furled piece of paper inside. Seeing how the currents were pushing the item their way, Riku and Violet waited for it to come to them. When it did, Riku bent down and scooped the bottle up. The two looked at it in question. "What's this?" Riku asked.
Violet took a close look at the bottle. "I cannot say," she said. "It seems a little unique, although it still possesses a standardized design."
Riku shook his head. Now Violet was discussing stuff he could've cared less about.
A deep voice from behind gave a deep sigh, causing the two to freeze in place. "You were not the visitors I expected," it said.
They whirled around. Approached them from the direction of the waterfalls was a tall man sporting long, blond hair that was slicked back, a short mustache complete with goatee, and amber-yellowish eyes. He was wearing a pitch-black shirt with a white symbol on it, grey, segmented armor over his sides and stomach overtop his shirt, and a long, red cape with yellow edges and an odd angular cut over his chest. Around his waist was a yellow sash bearing three identical brown pouches that descended downward diagonally from his left hip. He also had a dark colored scarf around his neck and light-colored sleeves.
Riku stared in recognition of the man. "DiZ!" he declared in an instant. He suddenly recalled that was not this man's real name. "I mean… Ansem The Wise," he corrected.
Violet was surprised and shocked alike. "Do you recognize him, Riku?"
Riku nodded to the angel. "Yeah," he said. "He's an old friend of Mickey's. He helped me awaken Sora before and tried to destroy the Organization's plans."
Violet was still a little perplexed. Riku failed to notice; his attention had shifted back to Ansem. "What are you doing here?"
"Perhaps I wanted to atone for events of the past," Ansem answered as he strode up to the water. His eyes were focused on the distant horizon and the still-descending sun. "Even if no apology can undo the harm I have wrought. I felt… that I ought to leave at least something behind. So I digitized myself and my research, and hid them both within Sora."
Now Riku was as surprised as Violet. He glanced down at the bottle. If what Ansem had said was true, the island wasn't real. It was a data-made version of the island and everything on it was also constructed from countless zeros and ones.
This wasn't as much as a surprise for him. Ansem had created a digital version of the entire setting of Twilight Town for Roxas to live in until Sora was ready to awaken. Although that town had been a complete fake, it still had seemed realistic as all its residents had been made from data of the real residents' hearts.
"So this is… data?" the silver-haired teen questioned.
Violet crossed her arms. "This is becoming too difficult for even me to comprehend," she muttered. "And I am supposed to be the Angel of Dreams… "
"Yes," Ansem confirmed. "A clue, I hope, to finding yourselves or your lost friends in your hour of need. The heart has always been quick to grow. Each exposure to Light, to the natural world, to other people, shapes this most malleable part inside of us. Nobodies are not different from us in that manner."
Now this was one thing Riku had not expected to hear from the scientist. Up until now, Ansem had shown how much he despised Nobodies — especially Organization XIII. And why not? Xemnas was Xehanort's Nobody, who had once been Ansem's pupil. According to what he had learned from Mickey later, Ansem had been betrayed by his apprentices, of which Xehanort had been the foremost one; they had stolen his research and banished him into the Realm of Darkness. The result was Ansem being filled with vengeance — something Riku and Mickey had both told him time and time again they couldn't help him with. When Ansem had requested Riku dispose of Naminé despite all her assistance in helping Sora recover, Riku had refused to destroy the Nobody. He could sense Kairi's presence within her, which meant Naminé was Kairi's Nobody; he couldn't destroy her, so he chose to let Axel look after her instead.
"Sora was the only one able to return to his human form without destroying his Nobody," Ansem went on. "That is a statement to the love in his heart for other people, and the bonds that tie them together. Perhaps… he has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him — to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever."
Riku had to admit, Ansem was right on the money. Sora was special. So special, Riku had felt jealous of him many times over. If there was one thing Sora knew how to do, it was following his heart throughout every single decision he ever made. Such unique characteristics were uncommon, which was probably due to everyone else being connected to Sora than the other way around.
"Our most precious treasures," Ansem continued with a hint of a smile. "Even a hollow puppet… the friends we've made in this world or another… a floating lantern… a tiny fairy… a small cricket… a program made of data… the inhabitants of a storybook… an old wizard who utilizes magic for education… the music we listen to and the scenery within… a passing snowflake… a single drop of rain… a wave at sea… the trees of the forest… and the petals on the wind — there are hearts around us everywhere we look. And it does not take superhuman powers to see them."
Riku and Violet both nodded in understanding. They knew Ansem was referring to everyone they had met along their journey in the Realm of Sleep. The "hollow puppet" and "the small cricket" were Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket from Rascal's Dreamland. The "friends" included Matt, Jackie, Inez, Digit, and the others of the Cybersquad from Cyberspace in addition to Mickey, Donald, and Goofy from the Country of The Musketeers. The "floating lantern" referred to Rapunzel, Eugene, and Pascal in Corona. The "tiny fairy" represented Tinker Bell and her friends from Pixie Hollow. The "program made of data" clearly stood for Tron from The Grid; even CLU's "repurposing" hadn't wiped the friendly program's heart from existence. The "inhabitants of a storybook" obviously meant Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and the others living inside The 100-Acre Wood; Sora had informed them how it was a world within a book and had never been lost to Darkness. As for the "old wizard who utilizes magic for education", Riku and Violet both knew it meant Merlin from Camelot. Finally, the "music we listen to and the scenery within" stood for the worlds inside the musical scores from the Symphony of Sorcery.
Without even realizing it, Riku and Violet had basically recollected every moment of their quest until now. So much had happened, and yet it all seemed to have flown by so quickly, it felt like a dream — even if it was a dream or two or nine-to-ten.
"Surely we remember as children the way our hearts made everything seem so shiny, and perfect," Ansem added. "Sora has a heart like that — uncorrupted, willing to see the good before the bad. When he sees the heart in something, it then becomes real. When a connection seems broken, he may have the power to mend it. He has touched countless hearts, he has accepted them, and he has saved them. And some of those hearts have never left him — whether they fell into Darkness or were trapped there — whether they sleep in the Darkness of Sora's heart, or were welcomed into its warmth — they can be saved. All Sora needs to do is be himself and follow wherever it is that his heart takes him. It is the best… and the only way."
Riku and Violet nodded in agreement. If there was anyone capable of saving everyone who had been wronged by Xehanort and the Darkness in general, it was Sora himself.
"In fact," Ansem suddenly added. "I would like to believe… Maybe he can set things right. A boy like him who touches so many hearts — he could open the right door, and save all those people whose lives Xehanort and I managed to ruin."
Glancing at the bottle, Ansem nodded. "The rest is in there."
Riku and Violet both stared at the bottle for a few seconds. Riku gave a nod of approval. "All right," he said. "Thanks. Thank you."
Violet shook her head. "Only one 'Thank you' should suffice."
Riku had to smile at the angel's smile.
Ansem smiled brighter. "Of course," he said. "Now why is it that you two are here?"
Riku smirked a grin upon his smile. He hesitated for a moment, deciding how to explain the angel and his predicament to the scientist. "Uh… I kinda need to wake Sora up."
"That would be correct," Violet approved.
Ansem gave what sounded a little like a chuckle. "Don't tell me he's gone off to sleep again?"
Riku gave a full smile. "Yeah," he said with a hint of laughter. "What'll I do with him?"
Ansem smiled all the more. "What, indeed."
The two laughed together for a couple moments. Violet shook her head and smiled at this display. Riku was making a joke the same way she had seen Sora behave around total strangers.
"Never fear," Ansem said. "Sora is safe."
"Huh?" a startled Riku and Violet both said in unison. This was clearly not the answer they were expecting.
"He's not here," Ansem explained. "You see, by defeating the Nightmare of Darkness imprisoning Sora, you two freed him — with the assistance of all the friends you've made as of late. This released his heart from the Darkness inside him. The nightclub you two visited was also part of the data I hid, so Sora could always have friends living inside his heart to remind him what's most important."
Riku and Violet were equally baffled. The House of Mouse had not been an illusion after all! It was a data-world locked somewhere inside Sora's heart after being inserted by Ansem while Sora was sleeping. Everyone there had been data that was most-likely inspired by the friends Sora had made over time, as well as the others he was connected to, even if he hadn't met them before. Talk about irony! They had been sure it was all a dream or another dimension, when it had been neither one from the start.
"Do you mean… the Sora wrapped in that black phantom?" Riku inquired. His eyes were filled with shock; Violet's were no different.
"Then, you two came here," Ansem continued. "And one of you was questioned by five young people — they are also connected to Sora with very close ties. This opened a link to Kairi's heart, allowing her Light to sing to him."
"So it was Kairi," Riku stated in amazement.
Ansem nodded. "That was the final key to awaken him," he confirmed. "Sora is awake. You can both go home now."
"Really?" Riku asked. He smiled all the more. "Thank you."
"Thank you so much!" Violet agreed.
With Sora's Keyblade still in his hand, Riku pointed it at the sky above. Violet touched the weapon's handle, too. A giant keyhole appeared in the clouds directly above the sun. As it started to glow, a beam of Light shot out from the Keyblade. The beam struck the keyhole and caused it to unlock in a brilliant display of Light. The tunnel of warm, soothing tranquility formed in place of the keyhole. Riku and Violet nodded at each other; it was time to return to their friends.
"Young man and young lady," Ansem spoke up, snatching the pair's attention. "I don't believe you ever told me your names."
Riku and Violet smiled at each other while the latter took the bottle from the former's hands. They retained their smiles at Ansem. "It's Riku," Riku said.
"My name is Violet," Violet confirmed. "I am the 'Angel of Dreams'."
Without another word, the two leapt into the sky and dove straight into the tunnel of Light. They were going home — at long last. Sora would be awakened and all three of them would be reunited. What a victory welcome that would be!
A/N: DUN-DA-DUN! THAT'S THAT! THIS STORY IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING ITS CLOSURE! Still, What Shall Happen Once Riku And Violet Return To Master Yen Sid's Tower? Stay Tuned For More!
So, I Sincerely HOPE You Enjoyed The Battle Sequences With Mickey VS Jafar And Riku & Violet VS Sora's Nightmare! I Had A Little Trouble Trying To Picture All That Happening At Once, So I Hope It Turned Out Well! I Also Hope You Liked The Flashback Sequence Earlier On! Try To Guess Which Disney Movie It's From! Also, See If You Can (Or Can't) Identify Each And Every Individual From The Island Segment!
Also, See If You Can Identify The Individual In The Sequence At This Chapter's Start!
Plus, I Wanted To State How I Was Looking Forward To Including The Two Song(s) In This Chapter! The "Mickey Mouse Club March" And "Candle On The Water" Seemed To Make Interesting Scenes And Added More FUN To This Story! As It Is, They Are Two Of Favorite Disney Songs! Yet, I Wonder... Would You LIKE To See More Such Musical Sequences In The Sequel? Currently, I Have Planned To Include Some Of The Songs From The Movies Featured In The NEXT Story, But I'd Like Your Input Nonetheless. Please Post Your Answer(s) In The Reviews Sections For THIS Particular Chapter!
Also, Thank You So Much For Accomplishing Those Goal(s)! ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS HELPED IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!
So, Now That "Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams" Is Drawing To A Close... I Have One More Thing To Say:
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!
REMEMBER - BOTH GOAL(S) WERE MET! THIS MEANS THE SEQUEL AND SECRET ENDING SHALL BE REVEALED - VERY SOON! I Still Have Chapter 50 And An Epilogue To Go Through!
This is SoraLego278 saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" In Addition To All That, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"