Internal Struggles

How long has it been? Too long, reckons me. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I told you I'd get back to that book! And to the prophesy too, which will be in more detail in the next chapter, when it eventually comes around. Man, I need a life. I've had to force myself to write this, so I'm sorry if it isn't up to scratch. Exams, you know.

So, in the future we'll be pulling a traditional Kingdom Hearts move and revisiting all of the worlds, and one extra one, which my friends blackmailed me into including.

I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or Kingdom Hearts, savvy? On with the story!

King Mickey lies on the bed, a look a pain etched across his face. Aerith is rubbing a dripped towel on his forehead to sooth a fever that has sprung up. I lean against a wall with dodgy wallpaper, while Donald and Goofy pace around the small room. Cid's too busy fixing the dents in the Gummi Ship that we acquired when Disney Castle collapsed to be here, Yuffie is out getting medicine, and who knows or cares where Leon is.

When we arrived back at Traverse Town with the King in our arms, we got a welcome that can't really be described. People were happy we were safe, upset that the King was hurt, and maybe a bit hungry, or was that just me? Regardless of whether anyone had eaten or not, we'd immediately moved him to the empty house where I also woke up in. People seem to wake up in that house a lot.

Aerith had been appalled when she'd looked over him. She'd said he was injured, but the marks that she could see would have been a few scraped and bruises. Nothing severe enough to incapacitate him. The damage was on the inside. The thought made me shiver. Good thing Eggman isn't here – he'd have loved to have figured out how to do that to me.

So I rest my weight against the wall while he groans slightly in his slumber. He'll probably feel worse when we tell him his world's gone to pot. I know how that feels. Poor Donald and Goofy must be even worse off, having both their world disappear and their King in critical condition.

That chick in the black coat is asking for a hiding.

We're distracted by the Ming opening his eyes. Donald and Goofy charge over, but resist the urge to crush him in a bear hug. He groans and sits up slowly, rubbing his head with one hand and glancing around in confusion.

"...Where am I?" he asks hesitantly, like he doesn't really want to know.

"We're on Traverse Town," Donald explains. "Thank goodness you're awake! We were starting to worry you might not..."

They're overcome with their desire to smother the King and do just that. He doesn't seem too bothered – more happy at the fact that he still has all four limbs attached. I watch with amusement in the corner. I've never been a 'hugging' person: that job goes to Amy every day of the week and sometimes on weekends. Aerith smiles softly at the show of affection and shakes her head.

When they finally back of to let the poor mouse breathe, he notices me. I nod and give him a small wave, pondering over where I've seen him before I charged in on him getting his butt kicking in front of an audience. He smiles to himself, like he's suddenly remembered where he parked the car and is oblivious to the fact that the car, the car park and the whole mall have been swallowed by the ineffably pungent forces of darkness. I know how that feels.

"Oh, your majesty," Goofy says. "This is Sonic." He turns to me. "Please me nice."

I snort and stand up straight. Then it twigs. I know where I've seen that head before!

"In that place, with the mosaics and the creepy rubber thing!" I exclaim. "You saved me! What were you doing in my dream?"

The King blinks at me before rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"It's a long story... one which should wait until we gain some lost ground."

I groan and flop into a chair in a sulk. He turns his focus back to Donald and Goofy.

"What happened to the castle?"

They exchange defeated looks. I think the Ming gets the idea, because he silently puts his head in his hands. I feel bad for him – my world's gone too, except someone's already popped back up. I'm about to say something encouraging when Yuffie storms into the room carrying an armful of potions.

"Do you know how expensive these were?" she rages. "Someone's gotta pay me back for this. Oh, hello, your majesty."

She tosses the potions onto the bedside cabinet and collapses into a chair. The King removes his hands, but hasn't been crying like I thought he would. Way to be strong! I like him already.

"Thank you, but it'll have to wait. I have more important things to talk about." He turns to me. "Do you have the Keyblade?"

"I have both," I answer. The King doesn't look impressed.

"That only makes things more difficult. Have you been sealing the worlds?"

We nod. He now looks somewhat relieved.

"I suppose that is a start, but I fear for the other worlds now that the Nobodies have revealed themselves again. And I was hoping they'd all been wiped out..."

I have a very vague idea of what a Nobody is, but not enough to warrant a legitimate point in this conversation, so I just pretend like I know what he's talking about. I have a lot of practise, believe me.

"First the Heartless, and now the Nobodies..." Donald states dejectedly.

"... I thought the Nobodies were white things," I point out. "Not humanoid and wearing black coats."

"One moment, please," he says to me. Turning to Donald, he asks: "Did Yen Sid give you a book?"

"Uh-huh."

"If you wouldn't mind."

He salute and whirls through the doorway back to the Gummi Ship. King Mickey turns back to me.

"Did Yen Sid tell you about the Organization?" I nod. "Well, there used to be an Organization made of thirteen very powerful Nobodies with human forms. It seems like they've been reformed with new members, and I'd bet anything they're trying to achieve the same goal."

"And what might that be?" I ask. Man, I feel like a moron.

"Kingdom Hearts," says King Mickey, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, and shame on me for not knowing. "The heart of everything. If they get the power of Kingdom hearts they could conquer every world that exists, or destroy them all. It depends on what this new bunch want."

He shakes his head.

"The one who attacked me... she took her hood off and I saw her face. I've been such a fool."

Uhh... right. He catches my confused look.

"She's only been our newest cleaner at the castle! I guess that's how she knew the area so well and why the siege went so perfectly."

"Did you get her name?" I ask. "You know... maybe we can ask around..."

He nods.

"Her name was Naxann. Perhaps the 'x' should've warned me, but I got lenient in our security after I thought we'd won the last battle against Organization XIII. Well, it's too late to do anything now," he says, with a little bit more pep in his voice. "We should focus on making things right."

I nod enthusiastically. Donald bursts back in with the book Yen Sid shoved on me when I paid him that little visit. He takes a quick breather before handing the book to his King, who observes the cover with a mix of awe and relief.

"Perfect," he states to himself. Realising we're all still here and not taking a coffee break, he addresses us: "This is a compilation of the Ansem Reports that Sora found a few years ago. Yen Sid was having them bound together for me. Perhaps this will help us predict what this new Organization will do next."

All the talking seems to have taken a lot out of him, because he leans back on the pillow with sleepy eyes.

"A fairy used to live in Disney Castle before it was stolen by the Heartless. She prophesised that a one whose fur was the sea, and eyes the land appear and would connect light and dark together and end all feuds, in her words. She fled to Yen Sid's castle when the Nobodies started flooding over the walls, and should still be there. I'd recommend a visit."

The three of us nod. Goofy pats the bed.

"Don't worry, your Majesty, we'll stop this before you know it."

He smiles to himself and passes out. Aerith reapplies the wet towel to his forehead, and looks at us.

"He'll be fine," she says sweetly. "He just needs some rest. Go and see this fairy before she moves again."

Seems like a good plan. To infinity and beyond!

Oh man, that was so lame.