(Same Disclaimer as always, I own nothing.)

Chapter 4

Sora, Kairi and Goofy sat down to dinner, but a somber mood hung in the air.

Kairi and Goofy ate, but Sora just sat with his head in his hand, frowning miserably. "Reputation. Reputation!" He moaned.

"Oh Sora, you've got to stop beating yourself up about this!" Kairi said concernedly. "I mean, look; you haven't even touched your food."

Sora slowly raised his head to look at her. He turned to look down at his plate and began slapping his hands in the food like a spoiled ten year old. "There," He said. "Now I've touched it… Happy?.!"

Kairi just shook her head and sighed.

"Ya know," Said Goofy. "I'll never forget my ol' Dad. When these things'd happen to him… the things he'd say to me."

Sora looked up in curiosity and turned to Goofy. "What did he say?" He asked.

Goofy smiled at Sora before replying, "'what the heck are ya doin' in the bathroom day and night?.! Why don't you get outta there and give someone else a chance?.!'"

Sora blinked in confusion a moment.

"Oh, maybe it's better this way…" He finally said. "The poor lifeless hulk, maybe it is better off dead.

---

Down in the laboratory, the body still lay on the table, motionless.

But just then, incredible as it sounds…

…The body's hand moved! And a moaning began to rise from its throat.

---

Back upstairs, Kairi and Goofy finally convinced Sora to at least eat dessert. The three finally seemed to be having a good time again, as they all enjoyed the food.

"What is this?" Goofy asked.

"Shwartzwalder Kirschtorte." Sora explained.

Suddenly, there was an "MMmm!" from somewhere in the castle.

"Oh, do you like it?" Sora asked Goofy. "I'm not partial to desserts myself, but this is pretty good."

Goofy looked around confusedly. "Who are you talkin' to?" He asked Sora.

"To you," Sora replied. "You made a 'yummy' sound, so I thought you liked the dessert."

"I didn't make a 'yummy' sound."

"Yes you did, I just heard you."

"It wasn't me."

"Me neither." Kairi added.

"Well wait," Said Sora. "If it wasn't you, and it wasn't you… then who…?"

There was another "MMmm!" and everyone jumped up from the table as they realized it had come from the lab.

Sora led the others quickly down to the laboratory and they surrounded the table… where the body was now moving and alert.

Sora looked down at the creature lying before him and couldn't help but laugh. "Alive…" He gasped excitedly. "It's alive… IT'S ALIVE!.!.!" The creature just stared uncertainly at Sora as though he thought the spiky haired scientist were crazy. "Stand back." Sora warned Goofy and Kairi. He smiled and placed a hand on the creature's head. "Hello there," He said, as though talking to a child. "I think I'll call you… Riku."

"Riku?" Goofy asked.

"It's a nice name." Sora explained. He turned back to the newly named Riku. "Guess what? I'm going to set you free." Sora still smiled, but from the corner of his mouth asked. "Is the sedative ready?"

"Yes Doctor." Kairi replied.

Sora undid the restraints slowly and stepped away from the table. "I want you… to sit up." He commanded gently. Riku slowly shifted his weight and sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the table. "Now stand… on your feet." Riku moaned uncertainly. "You can do it…" Riku moved off the edge of the table to land on his feet. Sora helped steady him. "Now, I want you… to walk." Sora moved away, holding his hands out to help steady Riku, like a toddler learning to walk.

"Sora, I'm frightened." Said Kairi.

"Don't be afraid." Sora replied, walking Riku around the room until he finally began to balance on his own. "Good… Good!"

But then, trying to light a candle nearby, Goofy struck a match. The sudden light scared Riku and he roared, grabbing Sora around the neck.

"Ack!" Sora yelped. "Quick, give him the…!"

"The what?" Kairi asked, as she and Goofy looked on, terrified. Sora, unable to speak, held up three fingers. "Three syllables?" Kairi guessed. Sora held up one finger. "First syllable…" Sora put a hand near his ear. "Sounds like…" Sora, still being strangled, cupped his hands around his mouth, as though he was shouting. "Uh… said! Sounds like Said!"

Sora held up two fingers. "Second syllable…" Said Goofy.

Sora held up a thumb and fore-finger close together. "Little word…" Said Kairi. "This? That? The?"

"A?" Goofy asked. Sora gave a thumbs-up.

"A!" Kairi cheered. "Said-a…"

"Said-a… Dirty word! He said a dirty word!" Goofy shouted.

Sora shook his head and held up three fingers.

"Third syllable…" Kairi said. Sora held a hand over his ear. "Sounds like…" Sora began moving his hands, as though he was handing something to someone. "Uh… to give!"

"Said-A-give…" Said Goofy "Give him a sed-a-give!"

Suddenly, Kairi's eyes went wide. "Oh! Tive! Sedative!" She quickly grabbed a hypodermic needle and injected the sedative into Riku's butt.

Riku finally let go of Sora and fell over on a nearby table.

Sora moved away quickly and gasped for air as he sat down in a chair. He frowned at Goofy angrily. "SED-A-GIVE?.!" He shouted. Goofy just grinned sheepishly.

Kairi wrapped her arms around Sora and kissed his cheek. "Oh Sora, I was so frightened!" She cried.

"It's okay Kairi," He replied calmly, patting her comfortingly on the back. "Everything's okay. Only, would you give Goofy and I a minute alone?"

"Oh, of course."

"Thank you." Kairi walked away, but looked back worriedly. "Goofy, may I speak to you a moment?" Goofy nodded. "Have a seat."

"Thanks." Goofy said as he sat on the floor next to Sora.

"No, no, up here." Sora said with a friendly smile, pointing to the table.

"Oh, thanks." Goofy got up and sat on the table near where Riku lay.

"Now then," Sora continued, speaking in the tone a father would use when speaking to his children. "That brain you gave me… was it Hans Delbruck's?"

Goofy hesitated, but finally shook his head. "No."

"Ah, I see. Do you mind telling me… whose brain… I did put in?"

"And… you won't be angry?"

"I will not be angry."

"Um… Abby-someone."

Sora's eye began to twitch. "Abby-someone. Abby-who?"

"Abby… Normal."

Sora's eyes widened a little. "Abby… Normal…?"

"I'm almost sure that was the name." Goofy said with a smile.

Sora seemed ready to blow, but managed to keep a smile on his face as he stood up and stood behind Goofy. "Are you telling me… that I put an abnormal brain… into a six and a half foot tall… twenty-five inch wide…" Sora grabbed Goofy by the neck and lifted him off the table. "…GORILLA!.?.! IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?.!"

Kairi quickly ran up. "Quick!" Goofy shouted. "Give him the- Ack!"

"What?" Kairi asked. Goofy held up three fingers as Sora strangled him. "Three syllables, yes…"

Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on the door outside and everyone stopped to look in its direction. "I wonder who that could be at this hour." Sora said, once more perfectly calm. Meanwhile, Donald stood outside the door knocking with his heavy wooden wing. "Kairi," Said Sora, letting go of Goofy. "Go up and see who that is." Kairi nodded and ran to do just that. Sora turned to Goofy. "As for you… put that… thing back on the operating table. And strap him down tightly!" He stormed off.

"What're you gonna do?" Goofy asked.

Sora turned back to face him. "I'm going to wash up." He explained, as his collar popped open. "We've got to look normal – We've all of us got to behave normally!"

---

"Ha! Monsters!" Sora scoffed, as he threw a dart at the board on the wall. Kairi had let Donald in and he and Sora decided to play darts. Sora threw all the darts, three of which hit the center. "Monsters are passé Inspector Duck," He continued. "Like ghosts and goblins."

"Not to the good people of this village Herr Doctor." Donald quacked, taking the darts down from the board, sticking them into his wooden wing. "To them, it is a very real thing. Especially when there is a Frankenstein residing in this house." Donald moved back to the proper throwing distance, but while Sora's back was turned he snuck over to the board and stuck all of the darts in the center, then moved back and imitated the sound of darts flying and hitting the board.

Sora, having a drink, heard the sound and did a spit take when he turned to see the darts in the center of the board. "…Nice grouping." He said.

"Thank you." Donald replied.

Sora moved over to the board and took the darts out again. "I wouldn't think an intelligent duck like you would fall for all this superstitious rot!"

"It is not superstition that worries me Herr Doctor," Donald explained, as Sora prepared to throw a dart. "But genes and… chromosomes!"

Startled, Sora threw the dart into the wall near the board. "Rubbish!"

"Well, you might say." Donald continued. "But this is… Halloween Town!" Sora missed the wall again and prepared to throw the next dart. "And you are a… Frankenstein!" This time Sora hit a window. Donald raised an eyebrow. "Am I upsetting you with this discussion?"

"Not in the least," Sora replied. He threw another dart and there was a sound of a cat yowling in pain. "I just find it extremely amusing, that's all." He moved his hand back to throw the next dart, but it flew back before he moved his hand forward again. Sora noticed he was out of darts and tried to keep a dignified look on his face. "Well," He said. "This was fun; we'll have to do it again sometime." He turned to take another drink.

"Then I can give the villagers your complete assurance that you have no interest whatsoever in carrying on your grandfather's work?" Donald asked.

From deep down in the lab, Donald heard Riku moan "MMmm!" and turned to Sora, thinking it was him.

"May I take that as a yes?" He asked.

"Mmm." Sora replied, trying to cover.

"Good. Then until we meet again Herr Doctor." Donald swung his wooden wing up to salute Sora.

"Yes, stop by again sometime." Sora replied. "We are always open."

Donald nodded and tried to pull his wing down, but it didn't budge. He tried some more, chuckling embarrassedly, before walking out. He swore under his breath at his wing, still stuck in a salute.

Donald walked out to his car where the driver waited with the door open, a dart stuck in his hat. Donald got in and closed the door, as did the driver, and they drove away slowly, the tires flat because they had darts sticking out of them.

---

Down in the lab, Maleficent snuck in through a secret door and moved to the operating table where Riku was awake again.

She smiled as she placed a hand on his head. She looked up to the sky and cried tears of joy. "Xehenort…" She gasped. "We have done it!" She smiled down at Riku who frowned uncertainly at her. "I'm going to set you free." She said, in an eerily maternal voice. "Would you like that my darling child?"

"Mmm." Riku said with a nod.

Maleficent moved to the restraints and slowly undid them. "They wanted to hurt you… but I'm going to help you."

Just then, Sora, Kairi and Goofy walked in. "What a relief that's over." Sora sighed. But when he saw Maleficent he gasped in shock. "Frau Blucher!" He called. From out of nowhere came the sound of horses whinnying in fear. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to set him free!" Maleficent replied.

"No, you mustn't!" Kairi shouted.

"Yes!"

Sora, Kairi and Goofy rushed down the steps.

"Stop!" Maleficent said warningly. "Don't come closer!"

"Are you insane?" Sora demanded. "He'll kill you!"

"No he won't! Not this one. He is as gentle as a lamb!"

Suddenly, Riku roared and violently tore off the final restrain and got to his feet.

"Stand back!" Sora shouted. "For the love of God, he has a rotten brain!"

"It's not rotten! It's a good brain!" Maleficent countered.

"It's rotten, I tell you! Rotten!"

"RAAAHH!" Riku roared.

Sora and the others jumped back in fear. "Ix-nay on the otten-ray." Goofy said to Sora.

"I'm not afraid of him!" Said Maleficent, taking up a violin. "I know what he likes!"

Riku roared again, but instantly calmed when Maleficent began to play the strange haunting tune from before. She played the music and walked backwards up the steps, Riku following all the while.

"That music…" Said Sora.

"Yes," Maleficent said with an evil smile. "It's in your blood. It's in the blood of all Frankensteins! Your grandfather used to play it to the creature he was making."

"Then you were the one playing that music in the middle of the night!" Sora said, as realization sank in.

"Yes." Maleficent replied.

"To get us into the library!"

"Yes!"

"That was your cigar smoldering in the ashtray!"

"Yes!"

"You left Xehenort's book out for me to find!"

"YES!"

"So that I would…"

"Yes!"

"And you and Xehenort were…"

"Yes!.!.! Yes, say it! He was… my boyfriend!"

Suddenly, a nearby generator shocked Riku and he ran our roaring, breaking through the doors.

Sora, Kairi and Goofy ran after him, but Maleficent laughed. "You will never catch him now!" She called. "He is free, do you hear! Free!.!.!"

Riku finally made his way outside and stormed into the mud as rain fell down heavily. He roared up at the thunder and lightening and ran off.

Sora, Kairi and Goofy ran to the door and looked out through the rain.

"Gone…" Said Sora. "Gone! We've got to find him, do you understand? We've got to find him before he kills someone! Oh what have I done? God in Heaven… what have I done?.!" Sora worriedly placed his hand over his mouth, as did Kairi and Goofy.