AN: Final chapter in the Land of Dragons. I think I'm going to try and do all the worlds in 3 chapters at most so that this story doesn't get too dragged out. Anyway, now we meet our mystery man from last chapter and we get some explanations.

Enjoy!

The path up the mountain was more dangerous than the group had expected. Not only were there countless heartless that would attack them every ten feet, but the weather itself seemed to be against them. As soon as they'd started up the mountain, a storm had rolled in, blocking out the sky that had been completely clear for the entire morning. Now they were engulfed in a blizzard that blanketed the entire trail in a fog of white for as far as the eye could see. The poor visibility not only led to the risk of separation but made it extremely difficult to see the heartless until they were right on top of them. And since half the party consisted of individuals from locales where it rarely snowed, it really was a miracle that any of them were still alive.

"Are we really going to climb the entire mountain like this?" Ed called forwards to the people he could barely see, but knew were there. He pulled the fur coat they'd given him tighter around him, but it did little to block the wind chill. He wasn't used to cold weather, but based on what he could see, neither were Sora and Riku, at least he wasn't the only one.

"The storm will die down as we go higher and clear the clouds." Mulan called back. Somehow, the thought of hiking higher than the clouds was not particularly comforting to Ed.

But they didn't really have a choice did they; they had to climb the mountain, after what Mushu said...

Several hours ago...

"An immortal man?" Sora looked completely baffled.

"I thought that was just an old fairy tale." Mulan didn't look like she understood either.

"Wait! I thought you said that there was no immortal man!" Ling Yao didn't seem too happy.

"Ed? You okay?" Ed looked up to see who was talking to him. It was Lanfan, she seemed concerned about him.

He hadn't realized how quiet he'd been, but now that he thought about it, he hadn't said much since Mushu had told his tale. About the old farmer, who Mei claimed wasn't that old, and his story about a man in the mountains who'd been able to jump from a cliff and just walk away. It didn't sit right with Ed, it sounded too much like one of them. Ed had hoped that they'd been destroyed with his world, but maybe not...that was probably too much to hope for…

"Brother?" Al looked concerned, and maybe it was just a trick of the light, but he seemed a little pale. And that definitely had nothing to do with the little Xingese girl hanging off his arm. "Are you...thinking what I think you're thinking?"

Ed nodded; he had a pretty good idea of what would make Al go pale like that. "Chances are, it's one of them."

"What do we do?"

"I don't know." Ed wanted to go up the mountain and see if he could get more information, but that probably wasn't an option. And then there was the off chance that he was somehow connected to the heartless. Ed wouldn't have come to that conclusion if Mushu hadn't brought it up at the beginning, but now it was nagging at the back of his mind. And they had come to the conclusion that someone was messing with the heartless, could it be one of them? But that would mean they were on the same side...that didn't really make sense either...

"You want to go check it out?" Sora looked concerned about Ed's silence.

Ed sighed, "Yeah, do you mind? I'll make it up to you."

Sora smirked, "Equivalent exchange right? Don't worry about, if this is connected to the heartless attack then it's my responsibility."

"And if this guy is what I think he is, then he's mine."

And so here they were, freezing their asses off on a hunch that there might be a connection to the heartless and maybe to the Elric's world just beyond the snow storm.

"We're almost there!" Mei called from the front of the group, holding the marked map and grasping it hard to keep it from flying away in the wind.

And sure enough, within the next ten minutes the snow and wind began to die down as they climbed out of the storm clouds and rounded the corner on the trail. By the time they entered the remains of the old village, burnt and crumbling, the storm had died down to a light snow flurry. But that didn't change the fact that the ground in the village was covered in a thick layer of snow that reached up to their knees, it froze their feet and ankles and made walking difficult for certain members of their group.

"Damn! I take it back, I like living in the tropics!" Riku struggled to regain his balance after stumbling through the wet substance. "So where is this guy?"

Mei looked at the map and then pointed to a peak a little ways north, but still visible from the village. "According to the man, he saw a figure leap from that cliff," she pointed to a trail climbing a neighboring mountain just beyond the valley, "He was standing there when he saw it, he wasn't really sure what he was seeing, but he was certain the man stood back up and walked this way." She closed the map and shrugged, turning to the group. "So, I guess he should be somewhere around here..."

Ed scanned the snowy scene. The village was as quiet as one would expect an abandoned, burnt out village to be, the only movement being that of the falling snow as it dusted the ruins. It was eerie, and a little unsettling.

"What happened here?" Al asked, reaching out to gently touch the remains of a house, careful, as if it would crumble into dust if he just breathed on it.

They'd been warned about the state of the village, but seeing it was totally different.

"Heartless attack." Sora explained casually. "We were tricked, and couldn't stop it in time." He lowered his eyes to his snow covered feet. "The guy who did it, was possessed by heartless. This is why we have to stop them...this is what they're capable of."

Al watched as Sora just looked quietly at the white, blanketed ground. There was a certain look in his eyes that Al hadn't noticed before. Like wisdom, but different somehow. He thought about the guilt Sora probably felt over the fate of the village and felt a little bad. He hadn't taken the heartless very seriously at first, but now he was beginning to understand the gravity the situation. Of what Sora had to deal with all the time, and the responsibility that lay on his shoulders.

"I know full well what they're capable of..." Ed broke the silence as he mumbled to himself. He had witnessed them consume his world, he knew. And he knew what responsibility meant. They were all responsible for the safety of this world, and it was time for him to put his theory to the test.

Ed walked off towards the clearing in the center of the grouping of buildings. "Hey! Where are you? I know you're here!"

"Ed! What are you-" Sora was cut off by Ed raising his hand in a silencing manner. He was staring at something just beyond the roofs of the houses. No-one spoke, mostly because no-one knew what to say.

"They're here, they gotta be!" Ed whispered to himself, as if his words would make it happen. But there was nothing but the wind and snow. Everything remained still.

"Took you long enough!"

Ed moved so fast that if one blinked they probably would have missed it. Within a heartbeat he had the speaker pinned against a crumbling wall, keyblade drawn and at the stranger's throat.

But the man only grinned, "I see you haven't changed a bit. Still as hot-headed as ever."

"Shut up! What are you doing here? How are you controlling the heartless?"

"Oooh! Jumping to conclusions are we?" The man reached up with his free hand and smashed it into the wall with inhuman strength. The plaster crumbled and Ed had to jump out of the way to avoid getting crushed by falling rubble. The man stepped back away from the collapsed wall, still smiling. "I'd like to say that, but I guess the more appropriate statement would be 'you catch on fast'."

That caught Sora's attention. He turned to talk to Al. "Hey, who is that guy? How do you...Al? Al? What are you-" Al was bolting, full speed ahead towards the stranger. Keyblade held high and a somewhat alarming battle cry escaped from his mouth as he leapt at the back of the man.

"Greed!" He called as he brought the keyblade down across the man's soldiers. Sora was worried for a moment, but then the man did something almost impossible, he caught the keyblade in his bare hands. Al tried to hold onto his weapon, but being held several feet in the air was too much and his grip slipped from the handle, dropping him to the remnants of the paved walkway below.

"Geez, don't you guys think you're over reacting? I'm trying to tell you something, you know?" This guy didn't even sound worried.

Sora tried to lunge forward and help the Elrics, or maybe help the stranger; he didn't know what was going on. Was this man someone he should be worried about, or was he an innocent person, that the Elrics just didn't like? But he didn't have to worry about the confusion because Riku put his hand out to stop him. Sora turned to protest, but his friend looked dead serious, so Sora just sat and waited.

Al looked up from his spot on the ground and smirked. The stranger's smile faded as he realized something was wrong, suddenly a flash of sparks lit up the square and snow went everywhere as the ground beneath it was transformed into javelins rising up and spearing the stranger right in the chest.

Sora winced and averted his eyes from the scene; it was a little too much for him. Whatever it was that Ed did on his world, it was clear that he was no newcomer to battle.

"Alright, Greed, tell us what you know!"

Sora flinched. Greed? That's what Al had called the man before, could it be? He braved a glance and, had he not been through everything he'd gone through, he probably wouldn't have believed what he saw. And he was still pretty shocked. The man, Greed, was pulling himself off of the blood stained spear, a massive whole straight through his chest. Blood dripped down into the snow, mixing with the white and tinting the ground an odd shade of pink. As his feet touched the floor, he simply cracked his neck and to Sora's amazement, the gaping hole began to heal itself. Red sparks danced around until there was no longer any evidence that he had ever been in a battle.

"What the-" Sora didn't even know what to say.

Suddenly Ed clapped the ground and the stones changed again, this time into the bars of a large cage. Al scrambled to his feat, grabbed his keyblade, and stumbled out of the way as the cage sealed up. Greed just stared at the bars, then turned towards Ed. "You know this isn't gonna do anything right?"

Ed just scowled at him. Greed shrugged and held up one hand. To Sora's, and he hoped he wasn't the only one, shock the hand suddenly hardened into a gray, stone-like material. He grabbed one of the bars and started to squeeze it, within seconds, the bar started to crumble.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Ed barked his orders but was ignored. Instead, it was Sora that seemed to stop Greed. He stared at the keybearer, and Sora had to admit that it made him more than a little uncomfortable.

"You, you're the keyblade guy, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah..." Sora wasn't quite sure if the guy he was talking to was human, after all that.

"Glad to see you survived that attack, this means that we still have a chance."

"What attack?" Sora asked.

"What do you mean we?" Riku stepped forwards, sensing a connection, and seeking answers.

"Well, not me really, more like you. I just wanted to relay some information, since it might help if you actually know what's going on."

"What are you-" Sora's question was cut off by a silencing hand from Ed.

"You really think we'll take information from a homunculus like you?"

"A what?" Sora did not understand that big word.

"Tell us what you know." Riku suddenly demanded.

All eyes fell on the silver haired boy, and Ed looked just about ready to protest, when he was cut off by Greed.

The man stood casually with his hands in his pockets, and didn't appear to be dressed well for cold weather, despite hanging out on a mountain summit. But he didn't look bothered by it, he wasn't shivering or shaking and his skin wasn't discolored at all. "I doubt the pipsqueak over there told you anything." Ed visibly reddened at the word 'pipsqueak'. "So I'll start by telling you that there are six others like me."

"Six other immortals?" Ling asked.

"Yeah, but we're not really immortal, just more durable. Anyway, I dunno if any of them are connected to the world's destruction or not, but I do know that they're up to something with the heartless."

"Like what?" Al asked.

"Dunno, but I know that they're trying to control 'em. And that they probably sent all these heartless here to get rid of me."

"That's why they're here?" Mulan sounded furious.

"Aren't you their ally?" Li asked, placing a calming hand on his subordinate's shoulder.

"Not really, we don't get along. It's, uh, complicated. But I know a lot about 'em and I know how they think, so I'm a liability ya know? Kinda like you."

"Eh?" Sora was just confused.

"What? You think they attacked those worlds by accident? No way man! They knew about you and they knew they had to get you out of the way! So they sent the heartless after you! And the others too." He gestured vaguely towards Ed. "And they're chasin' me down. They're determined to get us all out of the way."

"But the heartless just came here." Mulan pointed out.

"I haven't been here for very long either. Truth is I'm looking for someone, well, a couple of someones. They're different, like me, but not like me, ya know?"

"No..." And Sora really didn't get it...at all.

"Well, if you see anyone like that, let 'em know I'm looking for 'em." And with that, Greed crushed the bars of his makeshift prison and walked off towards the cliff.

"Wait!" Sora called. "What did you do to the heartless?"

"Hm?"

"They're...weaker...and they were attracted to Ed. What did you do?"

Greed shrugged, "Wasn't me. Maybe someone else is meddling with 'em. I don't really know. But here's a guess." He turned towards Ed. "They're stronger 'cause of the power of alchemy, maybe that power has been drained somehow, so now they need more, where are they gonna get it?" He was smiling again.

"Alchemists." Ed responded.

"Bingo! I dunno what's makin' 'em weaker, but that's probably why they're after you. Plus you're a threat. Now if you'll excuse me." Greed turned back towards the cliff, ready for a flashy exit.

"Wait!" Sora called again.

Greed rolled his eyes and turned around. "What is it now kid?"

"If you're on our side, why don't you fight with us?"

Greed chuckled. "Please kid, I'm may not be working with them, but I'm not on your side either. I don't need allies, only henchmen, and there happens to be no open spots right now." He smirked, shrugging. "I guess I'm not really on anyone's side, ya' know? In it for myself. Guess I'm just greedy like that." And with that, he stepped forward and fell from the edge of the cliff drifting downwards into the clouds and white eternity of the blizzard below.

"Now what?" Asked a disgruntled Donald.

"We have to stop them." Ed was dead serious, his hands balled into fists and his eyes cast downward with a serious glare.

"The 'others'?" Riku asked.

Ed nodded, "Homunculi, really dangerous, and even harder to kill."

"And now they have the heartless under their control." Sora added.

"Not for long." Riku stepped over to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Following the path of Greed's exit with his eyes. "He may not be on our side, but he told us enough. We'll find them, and we'll end them." Riku didn't actually know who these people were, or what they were after, but he wasn't going to let them run rampant on his turf.

The trek down the mountain was infinitely less exciting than the trek up. Mostly because they waited in the town for the storm to die before they made their way back down the trail. Since the encampment was destroyed, they decided to go to the palace instead. The emperor was too busy to meet with them, but they were granted permission to use the courtyard to load up the gummi ship for departure.

"You're not coming with us?" Ed asked Ling.

The young prince shook his head. "I can't, I gotta find Greed and make him tell me the secret to his immortality." He was smiling like an excited child in an amusement park.

"Just don't get killed okay?" Ed said, shaking his head. "Until Greed leaves, those heartless'll probably stick around."

"Don't worry! I can take 'em no problem!" Ling laughed, swinging his sword around.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Ed shouted, ducking to avoid being decapitated by the sword's blade. "Damn, idiot prince!" he grumbled.

Ling just laughed and patted the blonde boy on the head, mumbling something about his height that Ed somehow managed to hear despite the lack of volume.

Mei looked away from the Yao prince and fuming alchemist and turned to Al, whose arm she was clinging to, eyes watery and tears already escaping down her cheeks. "Mister Alphonse, I have to stay too. I can't let the Yao clan gain the secrets to immortality before me! I must find Greed first!"

"Good luck with that." Lanfan mumbled under her breath. Mei stuck her toungue out at her.

"Be safe okay?" Al asked kindly, and Sora thought the girl was going to melt right there.

He chuckled at the scene and then turned back to Mulan. "Will you be okay?" He asked her.

Mulan nodded. "We can defeat them now, so we should be able to deal with the invasion. What about you? What are you going to do?"

Sora looked over at Ed who was being teased by Ling again. "We have to find these guys, but we don't know where they are...so we'll just have to look everywhere until we find 'em." He turned back to Mulan with a smile. "It could take a while, but it'll be nice to see everyone again."

The young warrior smiled back. "Be careful."

Sora nodded and flashed a cocky thumbs-up. "I'm the keybearer! What could go wrong?"

"Don't say that! You'll curse yourself!" Riku said through a mocking grin as he came over to the conversation. "We're all packed up, you ready to go?"

Sora nodded and started over to the gummi ship where Donald sat behind the controls and Goofy sat beside him, scanning their map. He waived for the Elrics to come, and they said their farewells and ran over.

The group said their final goodbyes and climbed into the ship. It wasn't until they were leaving the world that they realized they never did find out who or what was making the heartless weaker.

AN: And it's Greed! (Like it wasn't obvious XP)

Sorry, but there's no epic battle at the end of this world…and that's not just because I was too lazy to write one...honest…I swear…

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go throw some spitballs at a map and determine where everyone will be headed next. (Er, not really…)

Hope you liked it!