Hello everyone! Sorry for the long update and thank you for the commenters and readers. Your words, likes, are one of the things that drive me to finish this aside from personal wants and desires. :) So, once again thank you. :)

I hope you guys like this, if not, then say so and I'll see if I can do something about it. Uhm anyways, enough with my rambling.. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Kingdom Hearts franchise and everything in it. The rights belong to the respective company it belongs to, specifically Square Enix and Disney.

The black fairy smiled serenely at the sight of the former Radiant Garden. Thunders loomed on the distant horizon of the castle. The rumbling was akin to an angry deity. What served as a beautiful kingdom, whose light shone brightly, annoyingly so too, was now shrouded in everlasting darkness. What annoying peasant village was below, were no more. Ransacked. Emptied. Destroyed surely by the Heartless along with its pitiful servants. The power that made her go to this world in the first place and bending it to her will.

Whilst below Maleficent, the view she had of the heartless on the former town of the world was a sight to behold! Heartless of different sizes and shape all scattered on the world. The power the darkness gave, it was hauntingly chilling. She feels the darkness emanating from it.

Her defiling of the light of this world was the symbol of her power. No other being in the worlds out there can match her now. The Keyblade warriors of old, gone. King Mickey, disappeared finding a way to stop her, a futile endeavor in the end. Merlin, who trusted the King's lackeys who was doomed for failure. The Wizard (and former Keyblade Master), Yen Sid, who sits in his tower doing nothing but relying on these pitiful heroes to stop her.

No. Not one of these entities would be able to stop her nor her Heartless army marching to swallow the other worlds. For they do nothing directly against her.

Yes, the patience was all worth the effort.

Everything is falling into place. Soon, darkness shall smother the light. The woman, thought with glee hidden by her impassive face as she waited with abated breath for the future. Her Kingdom, encompassing everything.

Now, what she needed was the one last piece. The center of it all to thwart everything that bright-eyed King Mickey will throw at her. The Key itself.

Maleficent said nothing to Jafar as she sensed the man approaching her. Let her underlings speak and she shall deign it worthy or not she responds. Such compliance to others was below her, and they knew it too no matter how much the others denied it. They deign her highly. Rightly so, even if they refuse to say it verbally.

"Maleficent, we have found the other Princess." Ah, good. The horned fairy waited for the man to continue. "Who would have known that Princess Jasmine is one of them. Surprising… but of no consequence to me."

Jafar deigns himself above her, she knew that. In the end, this wise Vizier only aspires of conquering his world of Agrabah. Such a pitiful creature indeed, such small ambition. He thought he conquered darkness when the darkness conquered him instead. The threads of shadows wrapped around his heart unknowingly to him.

Let the man have himself delusions of grandeur as long as they serve their purpose. "Capture her quickly. Time is on our side, but it is prudent that we do so while the young heroes still fumble." Hate as she could on Merlin, the fairy godmother, and those wretched three fairies, they were still smart enough to know when things were not right. For they were wise as they are old. Such a shame they chose to serve those weaker than they were for they could stand equally than her current friends.

Yes, only few remains. It will continue to elude them, but not for long, that she knew assuredly. "As you wish," the man drawled as the swishing echoes of the dark portal broke their silence.

Caressing the sphere of her staff, she grinned, unseen by the man. "Take with you the silent swordsman. You will need it."

"I highly doubt that," neither his scoffing nor biting words affected her. It was below her to be angry at such an ant looking up. "But as you wish, Maleficent."

"And Jafar," she turned her head slightly just seeing in the fringes of her eyes. "Do be careful. Lest darkness swallows your heart."

"I hardly need it," he paused ang glanced towards her briefly. "Still, the thought is appreciated, dear." The malevolent fairy didn't need to see that the arrogant man was already gone through the portal.

Such arrogance with no way of reinforcing it. How far the wielders of shadows had fallen. They were only a pale imitation of what they used to be. Of course, she was the only exception. And soon, someone else too. And she, Maleficent, the dark Fey, the Master of darkness, shall stand beside that one as the Ruler of all worlds as she held Kingdom Hearts and her will impose by him.

It was too much to swallow what they've read and heard. Too much. How could this,…. this Ansem do this? King Ansem of the Radiant Garden experimenting on people? On the people he was protecting in the first place? That was just too much for Sora to think about, even if his reasons of doing it is for the sake of knowledge. For the hybrid boy, there is a thing as too much.

The others were mulling on it too, especially the ones from Radiant Garden. Leon's look was too impassive, Aerith had this look of askance on the files that they had read. All in all, some of them didn't know what to think of Ansem's reports.

A sigh, Cid's specifically, broke the silence, "Who knew the Kin' under all his nice attitude hid something so dark. I worked for him when we made the Gummy ship. He was so nice and even gave us nice bonus for our efforts."

"He was experimenting on people and in turn made the Heartless." It seemed even Yuffie's disposition was affected by this revelation.

I guess we can't judge someone base on how nice they are.

"At least, we know he did it with reason," Sora said to try and lift their moods. Base on Leon's sharp look, he was guessing the man wasn't impressed. Not that he would be too, but he had to try to lift the mood. "I said at least," grumbled the hybrid.

"He discovered the Heartless," Donald corrected. "Ansem's curiosity knew no bounds that he uncovered how powerful the darkness in ones' heart was in his experiments." Lying on the bed, he stared at the ceiling and the hope that they had when they had discovered the letter, that was somehow gathered by Pluto, they could somehow glean what the Heartless was. It did, at least in a way, answered their questions but in created new ones. Why would Ansem do that? In his search for forbidden knowledge, look where it took the other worlds as well as his Kingdom.

"Regardless," said Riku beside him, "we need to find a way to end them." When Sora kept looking at Riku, he couldn't help but feel this anxiety within him. Briefly closing his eyes, he put that matter aside for the one at hand. "How can we stop them. We can't lock the hearts of every world, it would take too much time. We need to find their source," his best friend declared, and a tad too determined in the inflection of his voice. Much more obviously emotional than his usual.

"Maleficent is the source."

"Oh no no no, me boy," Sora had to chuckled at Merlin calling Leon a boy. "Maleficent is merely its controller, not the cause. She has the power to do so, but to create those vile creatures? I surmised it is beyond her, nor is Ansem, for he discovered how it is made."

Glancing at what the old man was doing, a board was suddenly their complete with illustrations. "These mindless beasts had to come from somewhere. You cannot mean to tell me that all the Heartless Ansem created became too much and escaped?"

"Ye'r right," Cid offered his confidence of the Wizard's statement. "It was not how Radiant Garden fell, I remembe' it clear as day. Hulking size Heartless suddenly appeared out of nowhere along with strange ones, not the one described in the report. Among them was that fairy."

Donald dismissed all their suggestions with a wave of his hands, "I don't care about who or what the source is. What we need is how to stop it. Where does the Heartless originate from? What world?" Deciding, he didn't have anything useful to say, Sora remained silent and wordlessly agreed with Donald's point. Maleficent is a threat yes, that is much true. But, how the Heartless comes to our realm is another. If we can find out how and stop it, without it, the evil fairy would have no army of darkness and the creatures couldn't and wouldn't harm a person anymore.

"What about them navigation gummy? Maybe the worlds in it has the answers."

Cid's grunting negatively reached his ears and easily answered Goofy's query, "No go. The parts only extend to four worlds. You lot would get lost without another, I reckon' yer' king left one for yo' to find."

"No need to rush," Merlin with all his sagely wisdom stated. "Only a fool rushes without a plan. For now, we must do what we can."

Sora was really (really) excited to journey with Riku. After a good night rest, he was brimming with energy, though he wished Kairi were here to complete the journey, but the brunet boy thought to remember that that she was doing this for her. To cure her of whatever she was inflicted with. Focus Sora. Focus.

He felt highly smug (and rightfully so) because this time he was the one teaching Riku and he playfully gloated that fact at his older best friend. The boy instructed Riku how the systems of the Gummy ship ran and even with this fact the silveret's eyes was gleaming in turn as if to say, "Enjoy this while you can." Oh, he would enjoy this because all the time he looked at Riku for answers he couldn't have but now, he was in charge.

"Is that clear?" he beamed at his friend after his explanations.

Said friend only smirked in return. "Crystal."

With that said and done, he turned to pour his focus on maneuvering the ship because their path was becoming more and more littered. Heartless could be hiding anywhere. "Keep an eye out for those Heartless ships."

"I know," Riku replied in a clipped tone.

The boy would be annoyed if there really was Heartless because time they need to hurry and find answers. Time was a luxury they didn't have, tried as he might to temporarily forget that fact, with every rest they had Maleficent power grows.

His annoyance grew when the Heartless showed up and blasted them without warning. Sounding the alarm, he drove straight through the horde of flying monsters with his older best friend shooting them down easily with the improved defense of the Gummy ship. Thanks to to Cid's insistence, of course.

Spinning the ship, he bashed one Heartless in his way and pierced it. He gritted his teeth when they hit the Gummy ship and the alarm hit his ears. It was distracting him with that thing blaring like thunder.

Sora pulled the wheel upwards dodging a swarm about the home in on them and the ship shook as he suddenly brought it down careful to not let himself be led astray from the path lest they find themselves going lost. His co-pilot didn't waste time, blasting those in their way.

"Sora! Is everything alright!?" Donald screamed as the door hissed open and in came the obviously irate duck which stood next to him. The boy couldn't talk as he then swiveled left scraping the hull as another flyer went pass him. Every second, he noticed, was their enemies' numbers increased.

Donald hastily (and not so politely to his annoyance) pushed him aside. If the wizard wasn't such a great pilot, then he would had been angry. Still it annoyed him, but the boy conceded. The door hissing open again and he could then sense Goofy enter.

"Donald," the dog said amidst the chaos of battling ships. "How's thin's?"

The pilot grunted in reply as Sora then strapped himself behind the pilot seat. He was becoming queasy, damn his body for still not fully getting use to fast travelling. The boy had near hurling but bear it.

A sharp left pushed the seatbelt to its limit and the nausea served to only increase. Missile blowing a contingent of those beasts blocking their way. Goofy groaned as he saw the knight struggling to balance himself and buckle himself in.

He could only breathe in happiness once the storm passed, then did he only lean back in the chair peacefully. Adventuring was good and all, but Gummy ship trip was one thing he liked the least. If there was an alternative to it the boy would take it without second thought! "Oh god, I thought I was going to die!" exaggeration but he put the value of that experience to that high of a level.

"Phooey," Donald waved his dramatics off. "You're being a drama queen, you lazy cat."

Riku snorted in agreement. Of course Riku would say so, he thought rolling his eyes. "Only since he was born." Goofy snickered in the background.

"Hey!" he shouted and giving Riku a glare. "I am not. Jiminy, back me up here."

The scribe in his hood only hummed as he write away made obvious by the scratching pen against the paper. "See, Jiminy believes me."

The knight snickered some more, "Hyuk, didya' hear Jiminy agree guys?"

"Nope," respond the duck and emphasizing the p with a pop.

It was official, Sora hates Agrabah. Hairy feline hybrid or otherwise was not meant for hot place! He was raining sweat here. Don't get him wrong, he loved it and wants to explore it, but the place was just not for his kind. The blaring sun was so much hotter than the hottest summer of Destiny Islands. He had to take his blazer he was forced to be bear footed.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Donald whispered.

The town they were currently in was eerily silent. No bustling people in what looked like a path leading to the markets. He shared a look with his groupmates, all of them had the same idea. Something's not right.

Darkness permeated the air; the boy could sense. It spread throughout the town, but otherwise obvious in its lingering. The people with their mostly inaudible whispers echoed like the crickets of night. Fear, was what he thought of why none went out in such a bright day.

Much as he liked to gaze curiously at the sand constructed houses, or the lively looking environment with its hanged banners and whatnots, the young lion was already prepared to cast a spell.

A creaking door, a very miniscule sound, made him turn around. Their, he smelled a man. Most likely observing them. "Psst!"

"Psst! The man called again.

Sora seeing as no one heard the man nor noticed his presence, the boy called them towards a simpler house than others. A little beaten door and window but otherwise the same as the other houses in terms of style. "You lot better hide!"

"Why's that?" an irate Donald questioned their caller.

"Black monsters roam the city."

Heartless, was his immediate conclusion. He briefly glanced at the others and saw that whatever good humor was gone. Even Goofy. They had come to the same conclusion. "Ever since Jafar, the Royal Vizier, overthrew the Sultan. The Royal guards and the people were no match for these monsters! I assume that Jafar found these things somewhere where God won't dare go."

His lips were left slightly open at the man's warning. This "Jafar" was using the Heartless as an army to conquer Agrabah. This smelled fishy for Sora. Was he in any way in league with the dark fairy?

"Thank you, sir," Riku said bowing and the man looked at his friend in a weird way. "But we got to keep going. Important things are at stake if we don't."

"Don't say I didn't warn ya."

When they were far away the man called them again, "From the looks of it, your all outsiders." They didn't reply to him and waited for the man to finish speaking, "If you need a guide, find Aladdin. The boy's got good heart 'ven though he's a sneaky thief. He must be in the market raiding it for all its worth. I heard ruckus earlier."

"Thanks!" Sora waved back as they followed the instruction of where the market was. Along the way the silence was killing him. He'd rather fight Heartless than battle this paranoid feeling invading his mind! Heartless could jump them anytime and it was making him wary of everything.

They reached the market in all its quiet glory. Objects all strewn about, food left on the sand in what looked like a panic rush. The clashing sound made his ears twitch. "Guys! I hear a battle. Just ahead." He rushed forwards, but the young brunet lion boy jumped backwards when something dropped before him and released a sand cover. The stench alone was easily identifiable as a Heartless. Lots of them if he was correct as they waited for the sand to dissipate but he prepared to cast a wall if they attack behind the veil of sand.

Their enemy was revealed when the dust settled. He identified as the large rotund Heartless dropped in on him dressed in light vest and a towel cap(?). The armored ones accompanied it but was dressed differently as it was wearing a white turban and mask with a purple vest and pants. The yellow eyes stared at them lifelessly and brandishing a curved sword. They supplemented by the flying magician wizard Heartless.

"I thought everything was going well," the duck grumbled. "Thundaga!" lightning blew out of Donald's staff, but the yellow floating ones banded together and absorbed it for the others. No doubt the other blue and red ones could also absorb its respective element. The round ones blew fire together with the flying elementals, both his and Donald's wall spell blocked it.

Without words to each other, they attacked in a triangular formation providing cover for Donald. Sora took the left, Riku the right and Goofy the center. Their lead knight faced the running huge round dark monster and stopped it with his shield alone. Sora ran past him and slid between another one's legs then proceeded to freeze its back followed by a Keyblade throw.

The young hybrid warrior jumped and plucked (literally!) a red and blue flyer, in his hand and tail as he crushed the red one it with his claws. He threw one upwards and burned it to a crisp. Rumbling sands made him glance to see a big one running towards him and then blew fire. Casting a wall to his left where Riku unsuspectingly didn't know a spell hurtling towards him, the boy then iced the sand and making his would be attacker slide and stop the spell. A thrown shield ensured its swift end.

"Reflect!" a thud banged against his round barrier briefly before he released the defensive spell. He sensed something behind him when the dark sword cut it in half as he turned. "Thanks," said Sora to Riku.

Their enemies' number increased as two of them, best friends, stood together back to back. Conjuring a wall, he stopped a hail of ice towards them and briefly glancing at his best friend both nodded at the same time as two fat ones each running towards them from opposite direct. Sora and Riku jumped as their attackers hit one another with their belly. With a joined thunder spell, the two met their end swiftly.

It was a good thing that there was no collateral damaged yet. Whatever that clash was up ahead was strong. The scent of darkness was where it was situated but returned his focus on their current battle.

Blocking a sword as he landed and pushing it away, Sora called an Aero spell and tackled the fat one on the other direction making it skidding back a few feet. "Blizzaga!" Sora launched just as his enemy, the fat bandit Heartless, released a fireball. The two spells clashing hissed as it melted. The boy followed it with three more ice freezing the damn thing and dashing to it then broke it to a thousand pieces by stabbing.

Locating his friend surrounded by sword wielding enemies. He wasted no time flipping in the middle of the fray and ducked as he kicked the foot then killed it with a single slash. Turning briefly, from Riku came a fireball but he followed with his own ice. The fat Heartless attempting to help the smaller ones stumbled as Riku went to offense against it while Sora jumped and conjured a reflect midair to defend himself against the myriad of sword heading his way.

He spun midair and grabbed onto a wall and throwing his Keyblade. The weapon soared the air like a boomerang and hitting multiple of those flying magicians and he unleashed electricity upon the sword wielders which killed some while others spasmed on the sand.

From his vantage point, it seemed Goofy garnered the attention of the sword wielding bastards, and he was doing a hella good job of fending them off with only his shield. Still, without hesitation, the boy jumped to the knight, or near as he could. On the way, the boy was spinning in midair and summoned the Keyblade catching two more of those elemental Heartless off guard.

Sora landed smoothly then stabbing one sword wielder from behind and sliced horizontally cutting the one beside it before it could react. Donald's spells cut through their numbers as lightning speared the Heartless. Fire burned those nonmagical types.

They didn't waste anytime when their group defeated the ambush. Sora, huffed, the heat getting to him. He was thirsty as hell, so he fished a potion and drank it rather hungrily than he would prefer.

Right. Grabbing a pole, spun on it and propelled himself on a wall pole to see better. There, few meters away from a large gate just passed the market was a young man older than him by few years, he surmised. Sword in one hand while the other used to climb a building as the pot-snake (?) Heartless kept bashing against it.

He hoped that its Aladdin and they're not too late to save him from his recklessness. "Guys! I see Aladdin." He said pointing forwards because the path was littered with debris.

Jumping the walls of the narrow street as his friends followed. Quickly stopping on a wall pole. "Riku!" the young lion called and reaching for his friend as he spun and looking at them upside down like a monkey.

The silver hear teen did not hesitate to make a grab for his hands as he then called upon his lower body strength swinging forwards then backwards. "Ahh!" Once it reached the forward peak he threw his best friend soaring into the air and Sora followed after.

The wind whipped sharply around his being as he spun and fell but they would make it! Seeing or sensing that he was swiftly approaching the monster, the boy summoned Gaia's Heart, with a scream, both him and Riku bear down their blades at the monster. Side by side. A sharp clank, breaking vase, cut it. It didn't let up though and turned on the two of them. "Wallra!" the spell he made cracked under duress from the electric bashing. Relief washed over him when Riku jumped to the other side of the body and he himself jumping back when it was destroyed. His panic and annoyance rose when the sand blinded him!

He sensed the creature making a beeline for him as its pot body slithered in the sands. Damn it! I can't see! I ca- ugh! The boy coughed as he fell on the sand and wood ungracefully. His tail was throbbing badly despite being wrapped in his waist. He screamed when he was launched with a hard hit to his sides. Both his shoulder cried in pain as his other one was used to soften then landing.

The creature was getting closer once again, but then a blade fought against its hard clay body whilst he cleans his eyes best as his complaining body can.

"Hold on!" A strong squeak broke the domination of the thunderous fight. A strong swirling sound came in between the fight, Sora was being lifted in the wind! He was being pulled.

The boy, hurt as it may have to move his arms, conjured a wall in between whatever spell it was and himself. Sora welcome the banging of his self on the wall and continued blinking the dust away.

The boy slid down when the spell was over and the sight he came upon when he opened his eyes once again was funny had it not been for the seriousness of the situation. The aching didn't help matters.

Goofy was cannonballing downwards.

Their knight's strike was strong enough that it sent the strange Heartless barreling to the large wooden gates.

"Sora, you okay?" Riku said pulling him up after his friend healed him. The feeling was most welcome. The mending bones and thundering ache was soothed.

"Find its head!" Aladdin shouted from above. "Or the tail! It'll used the other pots to distract you!" The monkey screamed it curse and at the monster and briefly gave them his support.

"Damn it," the boy cursed as they ran around chasing many pots. "Whoa!" He jumped and grabbing the edge of a building when an electric whip passed by him in a wide arc destroying the landscape more. His friends followed suit except for Donald who defended with a reflect. With the thing turning its back to him, Sora jumped down aiming to stabbing the thing.

The centipot (he decided to call it that as it seemed fitting) screech as electricity buzzed louder and tried to shake Sora off, which he gladly did and landed near Goofy. It kept screeching and thrashing around and breaking walls.

"Ah!" the duck in his frustration, screamed. "Thundaga!" Electricity from above exploded on earth, scattering sands and blowing things away with its force.

He would scream profanities at Donald for his haste, but it was forgotten in the many broken pots and few left body pieces of it. It slithered away with its remaining body, and they ran after it but Riku jumped before its head and pierced the lead pot, but it bounced. Deflected by whatever means the monster has.

Okay, just because it's made of pot doesn't mean its easily breakable. The things' individual pots ran around as it slowly reformed. Raising his weapon to the sky, "Simba!" He shouted putting power in his spell. The lion's roaring that pierced the sky made him nearly deaf and tremble.

The proud lion with its back facing him stood in front of Sora. No curt greeting was given between them. "Everyone, get away!"

Sora shouted to warn them and Riku dived to the side when the pot monster dashed to escape. Simba's growling became stronger until he released it! The power of his voice was so strong that their opponent was sent hurling forwards as he crossed his arms in defense of the excess force and closed his eyes as a sandstorm was made.

He detected Riku's scent in the air probably grabbing onto something to hold on from Simba's roar. Donald and Goofy stood close to each other amidst the roaring chaos. Buildings were beginning to tear, he could somehow hear it. This was what Merlin meant, the next time he vowed to only put sufficient power in summoning Simba.

When he opened his eyes, it was an utter mess. Wood strewn everywhere as cracks and the silhouette of the centipot far way from the.

All of them ran to its downed form and hacking it. Riku form dropped down from above ahead of them and threw his weapon at it. The dark sword slammed in its head successfully this time. They reached just in time to gang up on it and defeat its downed form.

Sora only plopped down the sands when the thrice cursed thing became dark smoke and becoming a heart. What was left of it was its many glowing legs. Drinking a potion, the boy stood and quickly pocketed the damn potential materials in his belt bag. Thanks for the gift, Merlin! Your enchantment came in handy! Infinite pocket as long as whatever he wanted to put in was a fit into the bag itself. The leftover materials of the metal Heartless was at the safekeeping of the Moogles, even the souvenirs. He intends to keep his promise and obtain that Moogle made Keychain.

Giving Simba his appreciation, the boy let the lion walked freely in the town until he reached his limit and called back to being a crystal again.

Aladdin came down a little out of breath before them and the monkey looked at them warily. "I don't trust them." Chittered the animal while pointing at them and then hiding behind the man.

He was right in his observation that Aladdin was older than him and had a very lithe but athletic body with darker skin tone.

Aladdin rolled his eyes good naturedly. "I know Abu. You said it earlier. But you saw how they took care of that monster Jafar brought with him." The monkey, Abu, harrumphed in disagreement and cross its arms. "We need them if we're to rescue Jasmine and Genie."

The young brunet warrior wondered if Aladdin can understand Abu. But base on his observations, maybe it was their closeness? Perhaps they know each other inside out?

"What're they talking about Sora," Riku whispered.

"Abu," he said pointing at the animal. "Doesn't trust us."

Aladdin walked towards them. His smile easy and his demeanor light as he grinned at their group. "Thanks for the help. I thought that thing would finish me for sure. Name's Aladdin, and this here's my partner Abu."

"I'm Sora!" he immediately shook the older man's hands with fervor. "These are my friends, Riku, Donald, Goofy! Oh and Jiminy." The cricket came out of his hoody and sat on his shoulders.

"Outsiders, huh," Aladdin smirked. "Well, if you're visiting Agrabah this time of year. It's bad. The traitorous snake and Grand Vizier, Jafar took control of the Kingdom with these monsters. He took the princess too!" Aladdin's face scowled before setting to a neutral expression.

"We'll help you."

"Wak! Whoa whoa whoa… timeout!" Donald quickly pulled him away from the animal-man duo before he the other two could say anything. Once he deemed it far the duck then said his piece, "What're you doing, Sora? I thought we taught you never mess with the world order! We also have no time for this! We're here to find clues about his majesty and the Keyhole."

His best friend next to him interrupted the wizard. "This Jafar, controlled or summoned the Heartless, he's too dangerous to be left alive. If we stop him then we could easily find the Keyhole without disturbance."

"Besides," he added while leaning against the Riku. "Isn't the normal world order without Heartless? Then if we defeat them here then wouldn't it put things back to normal?"

The duck scowled at his statement which made him snicker in return.

"Ye, I thin' we should help 'em, Donald. I mean," Goofy scratching his chin looked deep in thought, "ain't tha' the right thin' to do? Ain't that wiuld King Mickey would do?"

Jiminy chose this moment to jumped out of his perch in his hoody again, "Exactly. It may slow us down, but I know it's the right thing to do."

Donald paced back and forth grumbling to himself for a minute before he turned to look at them all and sighing as he slides down his palm in his face. "Fine. I see the point." The duck then glared at his best friend. "If you're wrong I'm blaming you."

Said best friend shrugged, "Fair enough."

It was funny how Donald marched his way back to Aladdin that Sora had to stifle his laugh. The wizard tapped his foot in annoyance, "Fine, we'll help you," the mage grumbled.

Aladdin's eyes brightened. "Really? Thank you." He then whistled only to hear for another presence head straight for them.

Flying. Carpet. A flying carpet. A freaking flying carpet!

Sora can't seem to wrap his head around it. It seemed childish but awesome! If his Keyblade had other powers, then he'd want it to be a flying carpet transforming Keyblade! That would be more exciting and less nauseating than the Gummi ship.

Yeah, their situation was dire, but the brunet lion boy hybrid can't help but be excited as carpet flew at neck break speed and the winds met them with loud gusts.

"So," their driver began. "What brings you guys to Agrabah."

"I hear it's a beautiful city." He hummed in agreement with Riku, accepting his reasoning. It was a very visitor thing to say and technically wasn't a lie. The brunet hybrid may hate the hot weather but it was beautiful in its own way.

Aladdin positioned himself a little bit closer to the edge to give more room for Goofy. "You'd be right about it. But ever since Jafar took over, the people had been fearful of him and those monsters."

"Any more excitement and your jaws gonna break from grinning."

"Who wouldn't Riku!" he nearly shouted (with a carefree) just to be heard from the speed they were travelling at. Aladdin was saying something but honestly, with all this excitement he was prone to just enjoy every moment. "This would make things damn easier if we had this earlier." Whispered the boy at his older friend.

He could imagine, just flying around the Deep Jungle. Maybe not Wonderland but it would've greatly helped in Spring's world. Then again, he could imagine Donald's heated face saying; "No! We can't break the world order." His mind imitated the ducks voice best as he can.

It seemed he knew Donald well enough by now because his guess was closer than he thought it would be. The duck did state they wouldn't be using this if they had it.

"Carpet's great right? I met him from the cave of wonders."

Assuming from the name, it had to be something wonderful. Maybe even magical. Because, no way is something called Cave of Wonders for it to be only a boring old cave.

"You keep saying it like were supposed to know what it is," the duck stated.

The young man laughed at Donald's words. "I suppose outlanders wouldn't know of it. Its more of a legend. But not anymore!" Looking at him, he grinned at them. "I've been inside it! I've seen it with my own two eyes. It's real! It's where we met my friend… Genie…"

Goofy laughed good naturedly, "Hyuk, what's wron' Aladdin?"

The dark skinned young man glanced at them on the fringes of his eyes. "It's my friends. Jafar has genie, and the Princess."

"What's that?" Goofy pointed to a darkening horizon.

A storm? Was his first answer. It didn't seem anything unusual at all. Except they were in a desert, a place where Donald stated rain was a rarity. Aladdin apparently agreed with that too. The longer he stared at the blackened horizon was the more he was getting a bad feeling. Still, they continued heading in that direction as that was where the cave of wonder was.

When they were near it, he couldn't make it out yet but, he was wary of heading straight to it. The boy wasn't sure of what it was yet, really, but he learned to veer anything off anything that has black on it. Leon and Cloud was not an exception, those two swordsmen were beasts of their own kind. The former trains him down to his last, the latter was powerful enough to fend three of them and more than match Goofy. Still, he couldn't suggest changing direction when Aladdin was in great worry for his friends.

"It's Heartless," Sora realized too late as he saw it near them now.

It was a swarm of humanoid Heartless with wings. "Fire!" One sweeping motion of Donald's staff a large fire came out of it and swallowed many heart eating monsters, thus creating a pathway but it was not enough.

Riku covered their vulnerable form with barrier. The horde banged helplessly but was slowly cracking under pressure. A single swipe of Donald's staff caused the massive horde to circle like a storm.

He gaped at the sight. Identifying what spell it was occupied his thoughts. They were pulled, he guessed? "Donald, what was that!?" screamed the boy in the middle of the chaos of the gushing wind.

The grunts of Aladdin, as he pulled carper was obvious. "Hold on guys! It'll be a tough ride!" He held into carpet's smooth fabric as they went around the strong pull of the spell. The winds pulled them in but Sora gripped carpet for his life, in the back of his mind he planned an apology if his claws hurt the magical being.

To make sure, the three of them blew three different spells. Lightning, ice and fire clashed, and many hearts floated to the sky. It looks like it won't be following them anytime soon if the power Donald put into it was that strong.

In no time they left the Heartless and continued on their journey.

"Is tha' the Cave o' Wonder?" Goofy pointed to a giant cat head. The hybrid could feel the magic emanating from the object itself. It called for anyone to enter, no, not called but dare. He shivered at just watching it. He couldn't look at it longer because he felt its eyes scrutinize him.

"Let's go!" Aladdin said excitedly, and Abu shared his feelings as carpet zoomed towards the open mouth. "I'm coming for you Jasmine! Just wait!"

Sora's excitement dropped when a rumbling reached his ears. It came from below, nothing was around them. A rumble again, but he shook it away as his nerves. "Whoo!"

The fun scream turned horror as a giant blade nearly cut them and what happened next was a blur for Sora, but he soon found himself spitting sand much to his annoyance. "Guys! Riku! Donald! Goofy! Aladdin!" he called but none replied. "Jiminy? Still hanging on?"

Smelling the air, only the strong scent of the permeated the air. Nothing else. The thing was horrendous smelling, but he'd seen enough Heartless and darkness to be used to it by now.

"Yikes!" it was a relief that he wasn't alone in this matter, even if Jiminy was technically not a fighter. "That thing almost got us."

"Don't worry, I'll cover you," What would he call the monster he was currently facing? It had a huge white and yellow armored thing with freaking six arms! Two of which held swords. The six armed Heartless was the only thing blocking their path towards the Cave. Its low thrumming growls brushed his ears a moment, but its intentions were clear. He cursed when weird tall humanoid shadows rose from the sand. With it came its sword wielding partner, the round one, and those flying magicians.

Shit.

Narrowing his eyes, Sora summoned the Keyblade and quick as he could, and attacked first with a spell only for it to fizzle out. "What the?" confusion hit him. Damn it! Not now! the brunet Keyblade warrior was sure he did it right. Focusing on the monster, it was preparing for a spell of its own with two glowing orbs in its hands. The other two, it raised to the sky, and not a moment later the sand shook. Pillars, from behind it came out of the earth and looking around, the same was happening with the pillars making a circle. He knew from the telltale sign it shone that it was a barrier. Not just any barrier, a huge ass barrier.

Oh fuck.

As if on signal, they all ran towards him. The boy flipped back barely missing a damn claw strike from the tall shadows. Claw after claw struck him but Sora was nimble enough to avoid them. Despite them being new types of Heartless, he had enough experience to be prepared to combat any popping new ones.

He had no time to contemplate what they were, and only thoughts of survival came to him foremost.

The boy flipped back too many times as the largest creature ran to him and nearly cut him in half! Then, he cartwheeled aside letting the sword passed him. Damn, it cut its allies in half! The thing is too fast despite its size. Its comrades, the fat bandits, squashed in its feet with the rest dodging its rampage.

"Sora!" he heard someone scream but didn't care who. His life came first as he kept dodging its swings. He breathed deeply when it stopped to turn. There, Riku looked triumphant as he just came down from cutting the amethyst orb in its right hand.

Boy, was he glad to see Riku. Now all they need was the Donald and Goofy. He didn't know what the orb was for but right then, it was decided he would go for it.

As soon as the massive curved sword dropped, Sora jumped into its arms and ran its length. Throwing his Keyblade, it bounced against the damn thing, but he summoned it back to his arms as he rotated to deflect an annoying fireball and bouncing it to a blue flying mage and destroying it quickly.

Yelling as he jumped, Sora pierced the large damn thing proceeding to follow it with a punch the cracked it like glass.

The brunet hybrid warrior didn't notice it before but, he could feel it. The rush of magic returning to him. Perhaps even the others!?

"Wallra!" gritting his teeth in focus. He had to hold the spell! It was the only thing separating him from being cut in half. The rumbling of sounds on the other side, and Riku's scent made him sure that his best friend was holding his own and preventing the other from being brought to him. Slowly, he could see it. Cracks, a tiny web, spreading all across it like cracking glass.

Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! The shuffling around him plus a shifting sand was all it took for him to decipher those roach like-shadows was heading for him and the fat one rampaging on his location.

"Thunder!" a throaty voice declared just as he registered the humanoid shadows shuffled out of shadows.

He cannot sigh but relief washed over his being. "Ugh," he fell down to one knee. His body sung with pain. Though in pain, he held one as he could.

"Sora!" in the midst of his intense focus didn't give up. The cries of his battered form groaned in happiness when a light feeling went through him. Releasing the spell, and then sidestepping, only to fall on his ass. With sand disrupting his vision, he cannot just clear it on the middle of the battle, still, he trusted his other senses. It was all he trained to do his entire life.

There it was again, it was brief flash of feeling, but it was there. "Destroy the orbs! It's some sort of spell blocker!" he warned the other two in case they forgot it. Whatever it did, it was dangerous to combat it without spell and must be freed from its effect first.

Donald cursed. "A silence spell." His voice carried all the way to his pot behind the group as he battled his own set of demons.

Sora grabbed the wrist of the tall one when he detected it just about to impale him and stabbed it. The brunet lion Keyblade warrior kept jumping back continuously until he felt he was safe from the range of the six-armed beast.

There! A swooshing behind him made him duck then turning quickly looking upwards in bending backwards position as he slashed the damn persistent Heartless to oblivion. Rolling forwards, a fire diffused on where he formerly stood.

The boy was hard pressed on focusing against the battle against the big baddie and his fight. Donald screamed spells to no avail against its tough hide and the two warriors faced off the large monster. Quickly rubbing his eyes of the sand, blearily, he yelped when another man-shadow lunged but recovered enough to deflect the claw and punch its face only to fall down as his tail pulled it foot. A brief fire spell ended its life.

Hold on guys! Throwing the Keyblade at its face, Sora casted a wall as a platform and jumping and summoning the Keyblade back to him. The hybrid boy landed on its shoulders and resisted to wrinkle his nose. Their Heartless opponent shrieked when he brought down his weapon on its face and shook as he tried to get him off. A fast spell headed towards him which prompted Sora to jumped backwards.

Raising his weapon into the air, a beam of light came from its tip. From it came Simba, roaring proudly and seeing the monster they are fighting, he immediately pounced on it. Claws scratching it and Sora joined the lion. It seemed that this monster was not interested in him as it was turned back to him. Suddenly, he had an idea, but he had to try. The thing was damn tough so desperate measures it is despite not sure if it will work.

Releasing the Keyblade, Sora jumped up to the wall spell used as platform. Hands separate, the left held a fira. The other held an aero spell symbolized by its swift whooshing echoes. The boy found it hard to control two spells. It took his focus greatly to two spells simultaneously and drained him quickly, but he held strong fighting the nausea as he then raised his arms and fused the two spells quickly throwing it.

The fira spell grew in size and its roaring blaze flew faster than he would have expected when he launched it. It staggered forward as the blast covered its head entirely making it screech in pain. Taking a breather to rest as the spell took a lot out of him, he chugged down a potion and suddenly felt his energy and magic returned.

Simba roared again, its power nearly knocking the huge monster blocking their way before fading. Donald casted a spell that had the thing stop and suspended animation like a statue. Not waiting for it to move again, moved and unleashed a series of strikes in its head along with Riku.

"It's too stron-g!" their mage grunted. "It's resisting!"

The stop spell didn't even stop the damn thing and even as they observed it, it was shaking in resistance.

Sora screamed when the thing roared and with its extra arms moving blasted sand all over and blinding him again. The shout echoed in his ears and dominated all other audial stimuli's effectively blinding him. Furiously wiping his eyes for the second time while his nose detected his allies somewhere in the smell of darkness.

The boy resisted the pull fierce winds as it roared and scattered more sand while he cleared his vision. When he did clean his eyes, the brunet boy gasped as three large tornadoes circled around the large Heartless. The young Keyblade wielder didn't wait to a summon a bunch of walls to stop this force from dragging him.

He couldn't sense his friends anywhere aside from Jiminy who held on inside his hoodie. The boy let himself transform and strengthened his footing on the sandy plains. The moment he did so he did a large intake of air as the sensations hit him like a rock. The feeling, he started growling but stopped it, it was too much for him and still he resisted. It was unlike any other shifting to his fury form! His anger was bursting stronger than ever and his senses was not helping in controlling himself. The singing gale of the Heartless was deafening. Wasn't he already learning to control his wild side! Control was far away from his reach.

Control! Just like the dream. Control yourself! Sora tried to remember the feeling of when he controlled the darkness within so perfectly. The stench was not helping the young Keybalde wielder achieve the balance he so desired as he could only wrinkle his nose at the repulsiveness of darkness all around. It was spreading everywhere unlike the worlds he'd been. The stench was so dense he cannot locate his friends. Senses on overload he could only forget everything happening around but fight the pain. What is this?

Bearing the painfully throbbing head of his and he hanged on waiting for spell to stop.

The tornado stopped and he took his time to regain his lost breath only to dodge a bunch of tall shadows. One shadow tried to claw him, but the boy was fast in his evasion and clawed its face before his tail pulled another the leg of another behind him. At point blank range, Sora burned it easily then ducking to turn right and cutting its abdomen.

The boy detected its presence when it came out of the ground before him and he stabbed it at the same time he released an agonized cry when the claw penetrated his left waist. Casting a cure, he cursed when the wound took his focus from the spell making it partially healed.

His head swiftly twisted to where he heard a commotion but only to growl then hastily jumping back to avoid the large blade of this bastard and landed on his butt. With a raging exclamation, he delved deeper and launched a large dark fireball that caused it to cry in pain when it hit his mark.

On his far north facing the monster was Donald and Riku. "Thunder on my mark!" the duck screamed barely audible on their side as both him and his best friend raised their weapon.

"Thundara!" Sora declared pouring his every magical reservoir, most of his power into the spell. The sky darkened and their combination spell made the sky rumble and looking up, two large thunders fell from the heaven, one light and a dark one, before feeling the sudden clipping of his, their power. The silence spell won't affect it now! Gritting his teeth, the brunet young warrior crossed his arms and for a second, he held on but then flew from the force of the spell while the winds cried audibly. Not only that but the wind was terribly painful that he could feel it cutting him.

"Oof!" the boy cried upon hitting the sand. "Ahh!" The process of hitting the sandy surface and rolling repeated for many times before he lay face down out of breath and out of magic (with stifling headache). "Arhhh…, shit," cursed and groaned the boy when the wound reopened as he then reached for his potions with shaky arms. Thinking solely of a megapotion, he grabbed it and dragged it on the sand and lazily looking at it for a second before deciding to turn drink it all in one chug.

Blegh, he gagged but forcibly stopping it and relished the feeling of relief numbing his pain instantly.

The heat of Agrabah's weather was not helping him at all and cursed the bright sun. This was his thoughts before the effects settled that he now managed to stand and popped the bones and gently fingering his vanished wound in his battered form which gave a small relief. That was one of the hardest fight he'd ever been since his journey and he had a feeling it'll get worse from there. "That spell took a lot out of me," he said to no one with a sigh. "More control practice then."

Great, he assessed his clothes as the gust earlier ripped it apart in many places, Chip and Dale are so gonna kill me. He grimaced (both from the fatigue and scenario) already imagining the twin chipmunks scolding him and saying it was not easy to manufacture clothes even with machines.

"Jiminy," Sora called but no one answered. Reflexively he felt his hoodie and found that the presence of the cricket was not there. His worries doubled, and the boy looked around to see any sign of his friends, where he was but he found himself alone and lost.

The weather become darker scared him as scent of darkness still lingers despite the Heartless' defeat. "Jiminy!" he tried again but the result's still the same. Summoning the Keyblade, he conjured a wall and see where he was. He hoped the others faired better than him because he was ready to plop any minute and they still had a lot more to go before this day was through.