Chapter 15
Halloween town
Our last trip to Halloween town was a little eventful, but I'm hoping it is not a hectic as last time. We arrive in the forest outside of Halloween town, we look around to see that there are presents scattered everywhere.
"Huh?" Donald said pointing out Jack in a Santa Clause outfit, he was picking up the presents until he noticed us.
"Perfect timing! Lend me a hand, won't you?" Jack asked waving us down, he walks up to us, "These presents must belong to Sandy Claws. So I thought I'd better return them. We all look at him not entirely thrilled with his story.
"You just happened to find them?" Sora said not trying to sound rude, but honestly, we didn't believe him.
"Of, course Sora," Jack kneeled down to make eye... well he doesn't really have eyes... we'll just say he came down to a personal level. "I'm finished with Christmas fantasies. You know that."
"Sure..." I added,
"But you thought you'd hold onto the suit?" Sora continued
"What this? It's just a costume." Jack looked away, "And Sally worked so hard making it! Come on. We've got work to do!" Jack said changing the subject. We all grab armfuls or presents and fallow Jack to Christmas town.
"Hey Sara, after we find Kairi and Riku and go back to the Islands, maybe we can all celebrate Christmas together." Sora suggested.
"I'd like that." I said with a smile, we make it to Santa's workshop to see him pacing around the room,
"Oh!" He cheers seeing the presents in our hands, we place them on a table on front of us, "Where ever did you find these?" He asked walking up to us.
"In Halloween town, You'll be needing them for Christmas, right Sandy?" Jack said,
"Of course. But these are just a few of the Christmas presents that were stolen." Santa said we all looked shocked,
"Stolen?" Sora and I yell, we turn to look at Jack,
"Oh Sandy... you don't think it was me?" Jack said, shocked at the notion,
"Still wearing the outfit, I see." Santa said,
"I'd just thought I'd dress for the occasion... But. if you don't believe me, then we'll just have to find out who really did it!" Jack said,
"We?" I said letting out a loud sigh, "Sometimes I think were automatically on the volunteer list." I added,
"Very well, I'll leave it to you." Santa said... and here we go again,
"Alright, Sora, Sara, Donald, Goofy! We're off!" Jack said as we fallow him to the toy room. We arrive to see Lock, Shock and Barrel making a mess.
"Hey!" Donald yelled causing them to stop,
"So you three took them!" Sora proclaimed,
"Took what?" Lock asked,
"You stole the presents, didn't you?" Jack said
"It wasn't us!" Shock argued,
"But..." Barrel said as they all begin to ponder,
"It really sounds like fun!" Lock said
"Run for it!" All three of them yell as they run in different directions. We all run after them having trouble at first, it's like trying to grab a piece of cotton in a rapid river, but we finally manage to catch them.
"Alright, out with it!" I demanded as they all cowered in fear
"It really wasn't us!" Lock pleaded,
"We were getting parts for Dr. Finkelstein." Barrel explained,
"Then let's go give the Doctor a visit." Jack said as we make our way back to Halloween town.
"Sora," I said getting his attention as we start to exit the forest,
"Yeah?" Sora asked still walking,
"I'm trying to piece everything together, so tell me if I'm missing anything." I said,
"Um... ok?" he said.
"So, Xemnas is the nobody of Xeanort and he's the leader of Organization XIII. His heartless, Ansem... who wasn't the real Ansem was the one who took over Riku's body and tried to open Kingdom Hearts?" I began,
"Yeah... that's right." Sora agreed.
"Now Xemnas is collecting hearts to create his own Kingdom hearts," I said
"That sounds about right." Sora said, I could tell he was still confused about the whole thing.
"But why do they need hearts when Kingdom hearts already exists? and who is this princess that Xaldin referred to?" I asked,
"Well..." Sora stops and thinks, "That's a good question..." He said
"You! you can't be here! Leave Halloween town by order of the mayor!" We hear the Mayor yell in town square, "Somebody? Anybody! I'm only an elected official - I can't handle this by myself." He said as we run up to find heartless carrying around presents.
"We've got to get those presents!" Jack said as we quickly defeat the heartless. Jack walks over to a ruined present box but steps on the actual present in the process.
"What a shame! it looks like it was such a nice present." Jack said standing on top of the real present.
"Uh... Jack..." Sora tried to get his attention when the Doctors door swings open and he comes out.
"Oh, help! Someone help me!" The Doctor yelled, "My latest experiment is gone- it's been stolen!" the Doctor yelled, we all run up to him, so now someone has stolen a bunch of Christmas presents and a giant robot? ... this place is just full of surprises.
"With the heartless gone we're at a dead end..." Jack said
"Maybe not!" I said as everyone turns to me... it took me by surprise at how everyone was staring intently, "Um... what if we bait the thief into coming to us?" I said,
"That's a great idea!" Donald praised,
"And I think I know just the thing!" Jack said running off with us right behind.
"Jack wait!" Sora yells as we arrive back in Christmas town, Jack explains the rest of his idea that we make presents as the bait and take him by surprise. We ask Santa to use his workshop to make the presents and quickly get to work.
"All done!" Donald cheers,
"Not quite." Jack said
"There's more?" Goofy looked at him confused,
"Don't worry, I'll take care of the rest." Jack said, we left him too it and headed back down to Santa.
"Did you finish making the presents?" he asked,
"Yep," I said,
"Just waiting on Jack," Sora added,
"So, uh, where do you think we oughta leave them?" Goofy asked.
"Hmm... Oh, I know a good spot." Santa said
"I'm back," Jack said entering the room.
"Good, fallow me," Santa said as we fallow him outside to the town square. he opens a pair of large doors and turns to us, "This plaza should work well for your plan." Santa said setting his gaze towards Jack. "Now Jack... what is your plan?" He asked
"I've got it all figured out." Jack said,
"You do?" Santa said not convinced,
"Of course! And I also have a wonderful idea. If we catch the thief for you. I would be honored to deliver the-," Sora and I quickly run over and cover his mouth.
"And on that note..." Sora said
"We'll be going," I finished, all four of us start dragging Jack into the plaza.
"What are you doing? let me go!" He muffled out as we entered the plaza. after we manage to calm Jack down, he throws us into a giant box that looks like a Christmas present. we all wait for the thief.
"Stop kicking!" Donald yelled, it was pitch black inside the box.
"It's not me, Donald." Goofy said,
"Will somebody get there elbow out of my back!" I yelled
"Sorry..." Sora said,
"Patience, friends..." Jack said.
"Shhh!" We all said. waiting for something to happen...
"I said cut it out!" Donald yelled again, starting to shake the box
"Gawrsh, was that you?" Goofy asked, I have no idea to whom he was referring to.
"How come we have to be the bait?" Sora asked as I feel somebody wrap their arm around my waist.
"Good plan, eh?" Jack said, I could feel Sora pull me closer, I remembered that Sora doesn't like enclosed spaces.
"Ouch!" Donald yelled, we begin to hear the sound of creaking metal in the rhythm of footsteps coming towards us. just before it grabs the box we jump out.
"Gotcha!" Sora yelled,
"Huh?" Jack said confused at what we were looking at. It was a pieced together robot that looked like it was barely alive, "Dr. Finkelstein's experiment did it!" Jack said, we quickly jump out of the box, tripping each other in the process, and begin fighting the thing. It breaks into five pieces and we all fought them one on one. But the more I fought, the more the pain began to hurt in my chest, was the Darkness trying to get out? I didn't want to risk Sora seeing me control Darkness until I had more answers. I keep fighting until we all defeat it.
"We did it! The mystery is solved!" Jack cheered, I tried to hide that I was out of breath. Santa rides up in his sled and walks up to us.
"Did you catch the thief." he asked,
"Naturally!" Jack said,
"I just can't figure out..." Sora looks over at the scraps of the monster, "Why the Doctors experiment would go around stealing Christmas presents." Sora said,
"His experiment?" Santa said,
"The thief!" Jack said, "It was a moving puppet made by Dr. Finkelstein."
"Hmm... The Doctor's made a moving puppet? I see... he is always tinkering with things." Santa quickly changes the subject, "Now listen, Jack. I'd like to thank you, and while delivering presents is something only I can do, I can give you an idea of what it feels like." Jack smiles,
"Sandy Claws!" Jack jumps into Santa's sled.
"Yes, all that poor puppet wanted was a heart." Santa said taking Jack on a ride. We head back to Halloween town to say good-bye to Sally, and tell the Doctor about what happened to his experiment.
"Interesting! So the puppet wasn't stolen after all! It ran away on its own. in other words. My experiment was an overwhelming success!" The Doctor praised himself.
"Santa Clause thinks it left because it was trying to find a heart." Sora explained,
"That's quite possible, unlike my Sally, it wasn't equipped with a heart." he said leaving.
"But if it wanted a heart, why was it going around stealing Christmas presents?" Sora asked and I just shrugged,
"Maybe it's because presents are a way to give your heart to someone special." Sally said walking up to us.
"Hmm... when you put it that way." Sora said, I grab onto my necklace.
"I know what you mean," I said, we begin to Christmas bells as Jack falls from the sky landing right in front of us.
"Happy Halloween!" Santa yells flying off as it begins to snow.
"What a nice present." Sally said in reference to the snow.
"I don't understand." Jack said."There's no box! No ribbon to tie in a bow!"
"Jack it's not about the box or the ribbons, it's about what's inside the box." Sora said... which was completely wrong.
"No Sora," Sally said
"It's the act of giving the gift." I said, I knew where Sally was going.
"To wish deep in your heart to make someone else happy." Sally said.
"Right... of course! your absolutely right Sally." Jack said holding onto his chest, "Wait! what's this? I feel so strange... So very happy!"
"Jack, that must be Sally's Goofy said,
"Really? This wonderful feeling?" He runs up to Sally and grabs her hands. "Oh, Sally! you've given me the nicest present in the world! And I've got nothing to give you in return. What would you like? Just name it. Absolutely anything."
"The nicest present I could ever ask for, Jack, is just to be with you." Sally replied.
"You don't even have to ask for that." Jack said as they begin to dance in the snow.
"Maybe, I never gave her a real present after all." Sora said,
"Who?" Donald asked, Goofy pats Sora's shoulder,
"Aw, I bet Kairi would like most anything you gave her." Goofy said
"I know, That's what made it so hard to decide." Sora said
"It's not the gift, it's what's in your heart." Donald said
"Besides, you have me to help now." I said as we all laugh,
"Kairi's like Sally." Donald said,
"How?" Sora asked,
"Well, as long as she can be with you, what else does she need?" Goofy said,
"I'm the same," I said with a smile,
"You mean with Riku?" Sora asked as I blush,
"No! I... I meant with you!" I said... Although, now that he mentions it... Sora giggles at me. We said our good- bye's and head back to Agrabah.