During May, there was a Three Weeks for Dreamwidth fest, which took place on Dreamwidth, basically another one of your everday blogging sites. Anyway! The Kingdom Hearts community decided to take part by having a comment fic fest, from drabbles to ficlets, whatever length you like, as long as it fulfilled a prompt given by another user. These are the prompts that I filled during that time (seven, in total), posted in the order that they were filled (each one will be a seperate chapter). Since they're all comment fic, I'll post the prompt at the top of each one.

Prompt: Minnie, defending the castle.

The sound of scuttling was everywhere.

She heard it most of all when she was alone; but, mostly particularly when she was in the long, empty, silent throne room after all her vassals disappeared and attended to their many various duties. It often started quietly, at first - like a trick of the light, but only with her hearing – yet that never lasted, as it grew louder, and louder, and louder, until upon it almost reaching its crescendo, Minnie left the room, unnerved, hoping it would leave her behind. But the pattern always repeated. And she always, always knew what it was. She hadn't doubted it for a moment.

It was the Heartless, creeping in, trying to take her and the castle down. Harrying her every move; waiting for the moment to strike. Minnie didn't know when it would happen, but she knew it would. She also knew she had to somehow protect those around her – her friends, her subjects which were like her family, and, above all else, the castle. That was without question. She had promised herself, and to Mickey, that she would reign whilst he was away, that nothing was going to happen to the kingdom and the people she so loved. The castle was the sign of that – if it was taken over, if she fell along with it, all would be lost once more.

One morning, Minnie was in Mickey's study, attending to her queenly duties in paper and pen, and occasionally gazing up at Mickey's portrait in fondness. She could do this work anywhere – she usually did it in the throne room – but being here, it felt almost like Mickey was with her, like he was close, not far away.

All was calm, until the next minute, the castle was in chaos.

The only thing that alerted her to the disturbance was the sounds. First of a crash, then some screams in the courtyard followed by the movement of many pairs of feet – she herself was stood up at once, flying to the door with speed, but upon reaching it, her lady in waiting, Daisy, suddenly rushed in, followed by a few guards, flinging the door shut behind her and bracing herself against it.

"Daisy, what's happening?" Minnie said, alarmed, as the rumbling outside grew louder, and the assemble of guards too pushed themselves up against the door: whatever was on the other side seemed to growl in protest. Part of her felt like she already knew what the commotion was.

"It's the Heartless, your majesty," Daisy said, urgently, but as she opened her mouth again, there was another crash from outside, louder than the first, followed by shouts from all sides.

Minnie turned to the window, to see what was happening outside, but between her and it was a guard; she truly was fenced in, protected. She turned back to Daisy, who was saying, "They've been so quiet recently, but now they're all riled—I don't know what's—" she paused, as Minnie was walking towards her, no longer still. "Your majesty?"

"Please let me through," she said, her face set in a line, determined – but with a hint of anger. Not at them; but at the fact she was the one being protected, whilst her kingdom faced those sounds beyond the door. And, whatever they were, they weren't good.

Daisy's mouth fell open, and she automatically seemed to meld more with the door, unmoving, refusing the Queen passage. "Your majesty!" she protested. "You have to stay here. You have to stay safe!"

"Daisy," she said softly. "I can't stay here. Is it right that I stay here? You know those Heartless are after me. After the castle that is in my charge. I can't just let you all get hurt, and do nothing. I have to protect my kingdom."

"But—your majesty—" Daisy flailed around for a reason to why she should stay, but Minnie spoke once more.

"I'll come back. I promise. I'm not going to let them win," she said, looking particularly humble, but her stance was the same determined one. "I know what to do, Daisy. Please."

Daisy visibly grimaced, shook her head, and then her face had the smallest of grins, before she stood upright, her voice saturated with authority, as she spoke to the guards around her. "You heard her majesty! You will accompany her through these doors! Now, let her through!"

At once, the guards all retreated from their position against the door, and Minnie swept through to face the oncoming danger, her hands already tracing spells in the air, her whole being absorbed into the light that came from her, in the peace she so wanted to bring – that she would grant to her people with her own power.

Whilst she was here, the castle would never fall.