Chapter VII: Hassle in Disney Castle

Nightshroud: I already had this chapter written out, so all I had to do was edit it. So you get two chapters in one day! All right then, enjoy!

"Tyson, are you sure we're going in the right direction?" asked Namé. Tyson frowned at her.

"Of course we are. I know how to pilot."

"Really? I'm almost positive Leon and the others told us to go straight after we left the burrough. I think you turned us around." Tyson was silent. He knew he had gone off course, but what could he do know anyway?

"I'm sure we'll find somewhere to stop and get back in the right direction," he told the girls. They sat silently for what seemed a long time before Reyna said," I think I see something." Everyone looked out the window and saw that they were getting near somewhere. It looked like a castle.

"We might as well land here," Tyson said. He flew the Highwind towards the castle.

"Goofy! Wake up!" Up until a minute ago, Goofy had been napping comfortably under a tree in the Royal Gardens. Unfortunately for him, his nap had been cut short by a frantic Donald.

"Come on you big palooka!" Donald yelled. Goofy lazily opened one eye lid.

"What's all the excitement about?" asked Goofy. Donald could barely keep his temper under control. Goofy always made him get that way, even if they were best friends.

"Don't you even remember the Royal Conference this afternoon?" Donald asked. Goofy thought for a moment. Then he nodded.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. The King wanted to talk to us about the new threat to the Keyholes." Goofy answered. Donald pointed to a clock.

"It started five minutes ago! We're late!!!!!" he yelled. He grabbed Goofy by the arm and dragged him into the castle.

Tyson landed the Highwind in some gardens near the front of the castle. The three got out of the ship and approached a small door on the side of the castle. They knocked several times before it was answered.

"Hello," said a female duck. "My name is Daisy. Can I help you?"

"Yes, we would like to see the king of the castle," Reyna told Daisy.

"Of course, come right in," Daisy told them. She led them up some stairs and down a white hallway with a red carpet before they reached the library, where the king and his subjects were meeting. They heard several voices inside, speaking earnestly about an obviously important matter. Daisy poked her head in.

"Your Majesty, you have three visitors," she said.

"Show them in," they heard the king say. They walked in and saw a mouse with a crown sitting at a desk. Next to him was another mouse, who was obviously the queen. There was another duck dressed like a wizard and a dog (if that's what Goofy is!) dressed like a knight.

"Welcome to Disney Castle," said the king, "I am King Mickey. This is Queen Minney, the court wizard Donald, and Goofy, captain of the Royal Guard."

"Greetings your Majesty," said Reyna as she and Namé curtsied and Tyson bowed, "I am Reyna. This is Tyson, and his sister Namé. We are on a journey to seal the Keyholes, and we think we got a little lost. Could you help us out?" The king and his subjects looked at each other.

"Do you mean to say that you are the Keyblade master and Angel of Heart?" asked the king. Reyna looked at Tyson and Namé. How did these people know about them? She decided to tell them everything. After they listened to Reyna's story, the king and his subjects conversed. After they had finished, the king said, "Well! It's so nice to see the daughter of our hero, Sora, and the children of Naminé and Roxas. We believe your story entirely and are grateful to you for coming. In fact, we have a Keyhole here that needs to be sealed. Also, we'd be grateful if you filled in the missing pieces of what's going on with the Organization and the Keyholes."

Reyna, Tyson, and Namé told them all that Aerith had told them in Traverse Town. After they had finished, the king thanked them for the information. "I think we should show you the Keyhole before anyone tries to open it," the king told them. They left the library and headed towards the throne room. Donald and Goofy opened the doors and everyone saw a figure in a black cloak standing by the king's throne. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" yelled Donald. The figure paid no attention to them. Instead, it phased through the ground beneath the throne and disappeared. Goofy scratched his head.

"Uh, gorsh! I wonder what that was about?" he wondered out loud. The king was very pale.

"He's heading for the Keyhole! Come on!"

Everyone immediately ran towards the throne. "How are we going to get through?" asked Reyna.

"There's a button on the throne that slides it aside to reveal the passage," replied the king hastily. Donald pushed the button and the throne slid to the side, revealing stairs below it. They ran into the Hall of the Cornerstone to see the unknown, gazing intently at the Keyhole.

"Hurry! Before its too late!" shouted King Mickey. With weapons drawn, they rushed at the unknown. Just as they reached him, they were all blown back by a strong force. It was too late. The unknown had released the Seal of Kronos. Darkness poured forth from the Keyhole.

"Everyone, retreat!" ordered King Mickey. They rushed from the Keyhole chamber, out of the throne room, and back into the hall. Heartless started to appear around them. "We're not safe here! Retreat to the library!" Everyone rushed down the hallway and into the library. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, until they looked about.

"Where are Minney and Daisy?" asked the king. He ran from the room to see Minney and Daisy being held by someone familiar.

"Pete!" said Mickey.

Pete laughed and held the two frightened girls up. "If you want these two, I suggest you get in that ship of yours and leave. This here is my castle, as that creepy black hooded guy said."

Mickey suddenly leaped high into the air and pulled out his keyblade. He slashed at Pete, knocking him back to the ground. Minney and Daisy flew from his grasp and landed safely on the carpet.

"You two run to the hanger! If anything happens, get out of here!" Mickey called to them. They nodded and ran down the hall.

Pete stood up and growled. "Heartless, come on out!"

Back in the throne room, the unknown sat in the king's throne, pleased with his job well-done. He hadn't nearly enjoyed it enough when another unknown appeared in front of him.

"Slacking off on the job, eh?" said the new unknown. The unknown on the throne frowned.

"Stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, Valon." That comment amused Valon.

"Hah! That's my job! To make sure you and the rest of the members do what you're supposed to do. Now what would the Superior think if I told him how you were slacking off on the job? He'd be pretty sore at you, maybe even take your heart, no that it's worth taking," Valon said with a leer. The other unknown slumped in the king's throne.

"All right, all right. I'll finish the job now. Just don't tell the Superior!" he said. Valon sighed.

"I do hate it when people grovel. Pitiful sight," Valon said. He looked at the other unknown sternly. "Just make sure you finish the job and wipe this place out," he said as he faded out. The other unknown clenched his fists. One day he'd get at Valon and those other two Archguardians. But for now, he had to do what he had to do. He rose up from the throne and walked towards the Keyhole.

Shadow and Soldier Heartless appeared all around. Tyson pulled out his keyblade, and he and the king jumped forward, slashing through the Heartless with ease. Pete put up a shield around himself and began to roll around.

"Pete's Pinball!" he called dizzily.

He bounced all around the hall, crashing into walls as everyone frantically dived out of the way. Tyson jumped and kicked off the wall and brought his keyblade down on the shield, but it only threw him off. Donald nudged Namé and said, "You can cast magic right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I have an idea."

Pete suddenly whirled about and flew at Donald and Namé. Goofy jumped in front and blocked with his shield.

"Hurry!" he called, Pete pushing him slowly back.

Donald and Namé pulled out their staffs and cast blizzard magic.

"Double Magic Deep Freeze!"

Pete's shield was suddenly encased in ice, and he found himself unable to move.

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

"We don't have time to deal with the likes of you, Pete," said Mickey. Pete suddenly released the shield and smashed his way out.

"I don't think so! I'm gonna-"

"Suddenly a loud crashing noise came from the throneroom. Pete stopped and peered in through the doors, then drew back.

"Uh, I think I'll be going now. Good luck getting your castle back!" he called as he ran down the hall.

They opened the doors to the throne room and burst in, weapons drawn. The unknown was nowhere in sight. Suddenly he teleported right in front of them.

"I'd love to destroy you all now, but it looks like you have company," he said as he motioned to the Keyhole room. Everyone turned and saw a giant Heartless emerge from the room. It resembled a Guard Armor, but had the head of a black metal mouse and was black and yellow. They turned and realized that the unknown had disappeared. The Guard Rodent (haha I'm so creative lol) attacked with its claws, spinning them wildly. Everyone scattered to the corners of the room to avoid it.

"Come on, everyone! Let's take this thing on!" said Tyson. Tyson pulled out his Lionheart Keyblade and attacked with Strike Raid. They keyblade scratched the surface of its armor, but did no real damage.

"Are you kidding?" said Tyson.

Suddenly the Guard Rodent threw its claw at Tyson. Goofy jumped in front and blocled with his shield, but the impact threw the two against the wall.

Namé and Donald combined their magic and cast Firaga at the Guard Rodent. The impact knocked it back, but in a moment it had regained itself and was back on the attack. The king leaped into the air and jumped from its head to its arms and legs, slashing his keyblade about. He jumped back as it collapsed to the ground. They all sighed with relief, till it began to shake and the pieces lifted into the air, reforming it. Tyson, Mickey, and Goofy charged at it, but the Rodent spun its arms in a giant arc, hittinh Tyson, King Mickey, and Goofy, knocking them to the floor. Donald and Namé cast a blizzard spell and froze the Guard Armor's hands and feet. Reyna, Donald, and Namé rushed to help Tyson, Goofy, and the king. Donald quickly cast a cure spell and then he, Reyna, and Namé dragged them back to safety in the corners. The Guard Rodent broke free from the ice and continued its rampage.

"Its armor is too strong," said Donald. Then he started to quack with excitement.

"Goofy!" he said, "Where is that visitor we had before these three arrived." Goofy thought for a moment.

"Uhhhh………….oh, yeah! He was in the west tower last I saw. He was sitting there readin-"

"Never mind that!" Donald yelled, "See if you can go get him!" Goofy nodded and ran through the door.

"I guess we'll have to hold it off until Goofy comes back," said the king. Tyson, Reyna, and the king attacked head on while Donald and Namé supported them from a distance. They continually damaged it, but it just wouldn't go down.

"It's hopeless!" yelled Donald. Just then, in burst Goofy and the stranger. "Can you weaken its armor?" asked the king. The stranger nodded.

"Stand back!" he yelled. He held up his hand in front of him with two fingers extended upward. His hand started charging up energy and strange symbols started appearing around it. Then he extended his hand and shouted, "Acid Rain!" Out of nowhere, acid raindrops started falling all around the Guard Rodent. It burned through its armor and significantly weakened it.

"All right!" shouted everyone. The stranger pulled out his sword and said, "Shall we?" Everyone nodded and attacked full-force. This time, the Guard Rodent was no match for their combined forces. The Guard Rodent toppled to the ground before long. It struggled to get back up, but the stranger once again channeled energy, but this time shouted "Gravity Field!" The Guard Rodent was crushed by a field of intense gravity. Everyone sighed with relief.

"Come on," said Reyna, "We still have some business with that unknown!

The unknown watched silently from out of sight. With the Guard Rodent destroyed, he had no other option but to take these nuisances out himself. He knew that if he failed his mission, the Superior would punish him, if he didn't decide to capture his heart. He knew he wasn't a good fighter, especially with seven on one. The odds weren't exactly in his favor. He knew he was as good as dead if he didn't fight, so it really didn't make too much of a difference. He pulled back his hood and introduced himself.

"My name is Kelno," said the man, who was kind of old, with very short brown hair in a square sort of cut and a beard. He continued, "I will give you the option of leaving this castle with your lives or staying here and perishing. It's your choice." No one had to think about it. They were all prepared to stay and defend the castle.

"There's no way we're going to abandon this place!" said Tyson. Kelno closed his eyes and sighed.

"Then I have no choice," he said. He revealed his weapon, a staff, and began attacking them with spells from a distance. Reyna and Co. didn't have much trouble dodging the spells and making their way to him. Then Namé performed Spell Impact and knocked him back. He fell back over the throne and stumbled backward. They watch as he staggered to his feet then threw his staff into the ground, sending off an explosion that blinded them. He tried to slip past them, but he was suddenly blasted back with an flash of light.

"Faith!" called Queen Minney.

"Minney!" Mickey said with delight. She ran over to them as Kelno staggered back and slumped against the wall. He thought he was going to be finished off when Valon teleported into the room. Kelno was relieved. Reyna and the others figured he was of high importance since he had an emblem resembling the Seal of Orichalcos on the front of his hood. Valon walked up to Kelno with a grin.

"Have I got news for you, mate!" he said in his distinct accent, "The Superior gave me permission to let you off the 'hook'." Kelno was relieved until he saw Valon pull out his Kronos Stone fragment. His eyes widened.

"You don't mean-" he stammered.

"I told you that you were off the hook. Permanently. This is goodbye, old geezer," Valon said. The seal encircled Kelno, and he cried out as a red light shot from the seal, before fading away. His body faded almost instantly. Reyna and the others were shocked. Valon chuckled.

"Never did like you much, mate." he said, "But now you're out of the way, and good riddance!" He laughed again. He turned to the others and grinned.

"Sorry for the interruption, mates! I'll be going now," he said. With that, he teleported and left the group in shock at what had just occurred.

"Come on, no time to stand here. We have to seal the Keyhole," said King Mickey. They ran into the Keyhole room and Reyna and Tyson sealed the Keyhole. The group returned to the library and found Daisy waiting. King Mickey turned to Tyson, Reyna, and Namé.

"We didn't have the time before, but now I'd like to introduce you to our other guest. This is- well, I'll let him introduce himself." The stranger walked up. He had short slightly spiky black hair in the front and a small spiky ponytail in the back. He was slightly taller than Tyson and seemed to be about the same age as them.

"My name is Fayt. I come from a distant world, the Kingdom in the Clouds. Our Keyhole was opened and the Heartless attacked. I am one of the only survivors that escaped during the attack. I came in search of the Keyblade Master and the Angel of Heart, hoping that they might save my world from darkness." he said. Reyna assured him that they would help him.

"In fact, why don't you come with us and help us in our quest?" Reyna asked.

"It's the least I could do," he said. King Mickey thanked them for their help. And some of the others decided to give gifts of gratitude. Donald gave Namé a new staff, called the Crescent Moon, with a gold handle, silver shaft, a gold moon on the tip, and a red jewel on the inside of the moon's arc. Minney taught Reyna Faith, and Mickey taught her Pearl. They said goodbye to Daisy, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and the king and left for the Highwind. After they had gone, the king sat deep in thought. His subjects could tell that he was worried about Reyna and the others. This was a dark and sinister thing that they were getting involved in. He only hoped they would make it out all right.

Mickey-

Mickey is the king of Disney Castle and a powerful keyblade weilder. He left the castle some time ago to aid Sora and stop the Heartless.

Donald-

Donald is the court wizard of Disney Castle. He has a hot temper, and is always yelling at Goofy. He and Goofy were Sora's constant companions during his quest some years ago.

Goofy-

Goofy is the captain of the knights at Disney Castle, though he dislikes weapons. He is brave and loyal, and is often seen with his pal Donald. He and Donald traveled with Sora a while ago.

Pete-

A constant nuisance to King Mickey and the others, Pete is always looking for ways to cause trouble. Sora beat him long ago, and he came back again in a bargain with Kelno to take down Mickey and the others in exchange for Disney Castle. Ran off before Reyna and Co. could capture him, but it's unlikely he'll cause more trouble for them.

Kelno-

Number XVI in the Organization, Kelno conflict at all costs, but can fight with a various array of spells if necessary. He met a surprising end when Valon turned the Kronos Seal on him.

Nightshroud: Yay, new OC. I hope you guys will like him. Consider him Tyson's new rival of sorts hehe. Anyway, nex chapter is going to be very good. I've already thought the whole thing out. Can't wait! R&R!

Next chapter: A Surprising Encounter and the Nature of Love