[A/N: To be perfectly honest I didn't have a muse or any ideas for this chapter, but after a couple days of nothing, but reading and brain storming I came up with an idea I think is pretty good. Let's see….we got past page 200 with this chapter and we're almost to 100,000 words which I think is pretty exciting. Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy the chapter!]

The world that they landed in was dark. In fact it reminded Juliet of both Traverse Town and Prankster's Paradise. She pulled the map out glancing at the route they'd taken from Dwarf Woodlands. "It looks like we're in Castle of Dreams." Juliet looked around the grand courtyard that they were in and saw a translucent white castle that was bathed in a pale blue light looming over them. "There's the castle. Now what do they mean by dreams?"

Before either Akio or Clementine could say something the doors of the castle opened to reveal a tall thin man with dark hair wearing a monocle and a light blue suit. The man bustled over to them and bowed deeply. "You lovely ladies must be the princesses we've been hearing so much about." He looked over at Akio all though he'd been ignoring him at first. "And you must be their butler of course."

Akio frowned before he looked back over at Juliet and Clementine. "Butler? Is he talking to me?" He rolled his eyes when he heard Clementine giggle. "Look Mister these two are the furthest things from princesses and I'm no butler."

The Grand Duke's monocle fell from his eye and he fumbled to replace it. "Oh, but that can't be right." He pulled a scroll from his pocket and uncurled it. "This says two princesses are supposed to be arriving this very evening and they look just like the two of you." It looked like the Grand Duke was going to burst into tears as he looked over the scroll again. "Oh the King will have my head if I can't find the princesses."

Juliet looked like she would be sympathetic to the Grand Duke's plight. "How about this we're looking for something in this world, but if it would make you feel better I'll stay here if you let them continue to look what we're looking for."

The Grand Duke dabbed at his eyes with a flowery handkerchief beneath his monocle. "Would you? Could you?" He saw Juliet nod and went forward to grasp her hands. "Oh what a kind lady you are. Thank you, thank you!"

"Give me just a minute would you?" Juliet freed her hands from the Grand Duke's and walked back over to Akio and Clementine. "I'll keep an eye out here. It looks like there's something beyond the gate why don't you two go look in that direction?"

"And abandon our fearless leader?" All though Clementine looked like she would go along with the plan she couldn't help, but feel a little nervous. She and Akio had managed to find Belle on their own, but who knows what could be lurking in this world.

"I'll be fine. Besides what do I have to do besides flirt a little with some Prince?" She didn't seem to notice the slightly annoyed look on Akio's face.

"If that's what you think is best."

Juliet smiled back at them before turning her attention back to the Grand Duke. "Well, it's decided I'll stay here and meet the Prince while my friends go look for what we're looking for."

The Grand Duke looked like he was starting to get interested in what Juliet was talking about. "What is it exactly that you're looking for?"

"They're called the seven pure lights. We've found first four and we've been led to believe that the fifth is here somewhere."

"Well I've certainly never heard of these lights. Perhaps the Prince or the King could direct you in the right direction."

Akio watched Juliet and felt was still feeling a little apprehensive. "Do you think she'll be ok?"

"She'll be fine. Most Princes are gentleman. Now come on there's no time to waste." Clementine led the way out of the courtyard into another garden type area that was beyond the gate. "Doesn't look like there's much of anything here."

It was still dark and the garden was dotted with hedges. There was a sound of something rustling around in the hedges that caught their attention.

Akio pulled out his disk while keeping his gaze fixed on the hedges. "Do you think the wraiths have finally caught up with us?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Just to be on the safe side Clementine formed a small ball of ice in her hand.

The both of them were ready to attack at whatever was in the hedges when something sprang out at them. It wasn't a wraith at all, but an old hound dog with matted fur. The dog looked up at them with deep set puppy eyes before turning around and running off into the garden.

Akio looked over at Clementine. "I think we should follow the dog. Maybe he lives with whoever it is that we're looking for."

When they emerged from the garden there was an imposing terrace blocking the rest of the way. The dog had gone to the front door to start scratching at it and howled. The door opened after the dog had been scratching and howling for a few minutes.

Standing on the other side of the door was a pretty young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a tattered brown dress. "Oh Bruno how did you get out of the barn?" She was scratching Bruno behind the ears when she looked up and saw Akio and Clementine. "Oh…..who are you?"

Akio looked over at Clementine and nudged her. "Do you feel that warm feeling in your heart?" He saw her nod. "Now we just have to learn her name." He looked back over at the woman and smiled at her. "I'm Akio and this is Clementine. We're travelers."

She smiled at them and was about to introduce herself when a shrill voice came from further in the house.

"Cinderella! Where is that blasted girl? Cinderella!"

Cinderella cringed as she ushered Bruno inside. "Wait here I'll be right back." She disappeared back into the house shutting the door behind her.

Clementine took a couple steps closer when she heard more shouting and quickly backed away. "So she's Cinderella is she? She looks more like a princess then either Juliet or me. I mean I know she's wearing rags, but there's just something regal about her."

A few minutes later the door opened again and Cinderella stuck her head out. "Its all right if you want to come in now."

They looked between themselves for a few seconds before following Cinderella into the house.

Pacing the floor of the house were two rather ugly women about Cinderella's age. One was a red head wearing a pink dress while the other had curled dark hair wearing green and blue. Cinderella pointed over at them. "They're my step sisters. Anastasia is the one in pink and Drizella is the dark haired one."

Akio was eyeing them suspiciously. "Why are they so upset?"

Cinderella giggled into her hand. "My step-Mother Lady Tremaine wants them to find someone rich to marry. The sooner the better."

"What about you?"

"I'm just a maid. I don't matter enough to get married."

Clementine was about to tell Cinderella that she did matter when she felt something warm and furry rub up against her legs. She looked down to see a fat black cat with evil yellow eyes rubbing against her legs. "Oh….that's one fat cat."

"Lucifer go away she doesn't like you." Cinderella swatted at the cat who in turn batted back at her.

"Its fine I don't mind cats….that much." Clementine stiffened as she felt Lucifer's thick tail wrap around one of her legs. "How did he get so fat?"

Lucifer heard this and looked up at her with a look of indignation before putting his tail in the air and plodding off.

Cinderella smiled after Lucifer before she turned back to Clementine. "He's not used to being told that he's fat."

"I can tell."

There was the soft sound of padding feet coming down the stairs. The person coming down the steps was an older woman with graying dark hair piled on top of her head wearing an elegant purple dress with a cane that matched. She looked down at Akio and Clementine with a slight sneer on her face. "Letting the rabble into my house now are we Cinderella?"

Cinderella looked like she'd been caught off guard. "Step-Mother, these are my friends Akio and Clementine."

Lady Tremaine was paying particularly close attention to Akio. "You don't look like a Prince, but maybe you could be a suitable husband for one of my daughters."

Upon hearing this Anastasia and Drizella stopped their pacing and rushed over to Akio; both of them clambering for his attention. It was Drizella who managed to push her sister out of the way first and was so close to Akio that he was backing up against a wall.

"Do you like music?"

"Do I like music? Well, yes I do like music."

Drizella looked thrilled to hear this and whipped a flute out from behind her back. She proved to be a poor player to say the least which caused Akio to clap his hands over his ears.

Before Drizella was able to finish her song Anastasia pushed her out of the way. "Its not instruments men like its singing. You do like singing don't you?"

Akio was rubbing his ears and gave Clementine a dirty look when he heard her giggling. "I like singing just fine, but I think I'm going to have to pass for now."

Anastasia was not one to let up easily. She cleared her throat and began to sing a rendition of Sing Sweet Nightingale that made Akio cringe.

However, her song was cut short when Lady Tremaine hit her in the back of the head with her cane. "You're coming on to strongly girls. Best to let the man come to you."

"But Mother you said we need to marry someone soon," Drizella pointed out. "And he's a boy and I'm girl it would be a perfect match."

Akio blanched and could feel bile raising in the back of his throat while Clementine continued to silently cackle to herself. He shoved her in the side with his elbow and glared at her. "Well ladies, as lovely as this visit as been I'm afraid we can't stay for too much longer."

Anastasia and Drizella both looked horrified and were climbing over each other to try and get to the door first.

Akio looked back over at Lady Tremaine disliking her more and more as the seconds dragged on. "So if Anastasia and Drizella can marry does that mean Cinderella can too?"

Lady Tremaine looked like she was trying not to laugh. "Cinderella? Cinderella is nothing more than a scullery maid. She will work for me until the day she drops dead."

Cinderella put her head down like a kicked dog which only made Akio feel angrier.

"Don't talk to her like that. Everyone deserves a chance for happiness and you're saying you're just going to take hers away?"

Lady Tremaine bristled at Akio's comment. "You have no right to talk to me in such a manner in my house, boy." She gestured at the door with her cane. "I think its time you and your little friend left."

Akio only continued to glare at Lady Tremaine before he turned and yanked the door open slamming it behind him with Clementine close in pursuit. He'd hardly walked a yard when the door opened again this time by Cinderella who was chasing them down.

"Wait, wait." She was breathing hard when she caught up with them. "I'm sorry about my Step-Mother and sisters really I am and I wish I would have been able to stand up for myself." Cinderella had that kicked puppy look again. "You're probably angry with me now right?"

"No, I'm not angry I just don't like it when someone mistreats someone they're supposed to love."

Cinderella smiled sweetly down at him and kissed his cheek. "Well I'm very happy that you stood up for me, but if you insist on leaving so soon I have to warn you about something. There's something lurking in the garden. I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard it so just be careful."

Akio blushed as Cinderella smiled at him. "We'll keep our eye out." He started to walk away, but would look back over his shoulder at her every once in a while.

Clementine noticed this and was struggling to hold in a smile. "She's sweet isn't she?"

"She is sweet I just wish she'd stand up for herself a little bit more."

"Juliet would be lucky to have a man like you. If only she'd pay more attention to you."

"Can we change the subject?"

The rest of the walk back to the castle was in silence and they were surprised to find Juliet pacing the front steps of the castle. She looked over at them and waved. "So did you have any luck?"

Clementine was able to pipe up before Akio was. "We found her. Her name is Cinderella and she lives in this house not far from here. Oh, and Akio really likes her."

Akio felt his face heat up again when he noticed that Juliet was looking curiously at him. "She also told us that something was lurking in the garden between here and her house so I thought maybe we could go check it out."

"Sure why not." Juliet looked like she was more than ready to get out of the castle. "Nothing against royalty or anything, but the King was ready to have me marry the Prince as soon as I set foot in the castle. I had to politely decline since my heart belongs to another."

Clementine snickered under her breath. "Akio was getting quite a lot of attention himself from a pair of sisters."

"Really?" Juliet looked over at Akio in mild curiosity. "Well let's discuss our love lives later and find that wraith."

They were back in the garden that Akio and Clementine had gone through before when there was rustling coming from within the hedges again. Clementine took a few hesitant steps forward. "It couldn't be Lucifer or Bruno they're in the house."

As soon as these words left her mouth something sprang out of the hedges at them. The thing resembled a scarecrow, but it had a large rotting pumpkin for a head; a ghoulish smile carved out on its face. The Midnight Pumpkin swung a spindly arm at Clementine, but before it was able to get very far Juliet's Keyblade hit it so hard that it knocked its head from its shoulders.

Juliet nudged the pumpkin with her toe. "That was easy. I was guess it was all bark and no bite." She turned to walk away when the pumpkin shuddered violently.

From the pumpkin's mouth came twisting vines that wrapped themselves around Juliet's ankle sending her stumbling to the ground.

She whacked at the vines with her Keyblade only to feel the vines tighten their grip around her legs.

Akio came to her aid hitting the pumpkin square between the eyes with his disk.

The vines loosened their grip on Juliet and began to go after Akio while Clementine hit it with a ball of fire magic.

The pumpkin shuttered violently before collapsing into a pile of mush.

Juliet got back to her feet and brushed dirt from her pants. "Like I said easy. Now, shall we be going?"