Sora had gone and asked Selphie if she saw a suspicious-looking guy in a robe. But all that question did was creep her out and get her to look at him weirdly. Sora then gathered the rest of the mushrooms, along with the water bottle, and made his way back to Kairi. When he found her, the redhead was leaning against the mast of their raft. She seemed to be in the middle of crafting something as he approached her.

"Hey, Kairi," Sora shouted as he approached. "I got the rest of the food."

"Nice work," Kairi replied, smiling but also not looking away from her work. She seemed to be sewing something together. Were those seashells?

"Whatcha making?" Sora asked.

"Oh, this?" Kairi asked. "I'm making a necklace out of thalassa shells."

"Huh?" Sora asked. "What for?"

"In the old days, sailors always wore thalassa shells. They were supposed to ensure a safe voyage. See this?" Kairi finally lifted her head and showed Sora the incomplete lucky charm. So far, it consisted of four of the uniquely shaped seashells that each had holes carefully carved into them. A small chain was looped into one of them, while the others were stitched together. There was an empty space for one more shell, but Sora could already see that, once completed, the charm would be shaped like a star. Just like a paopu fruit was.

"It's a charm to help us find each other if we ever get separated," Kairi explained. She then held the unfinished charm carefully in her hands as she smiled at Sora. "The three of us will always be together."

"Oh, I get it," Sora replied. "It looks great so far." Kairi always had a knack for arts and crafts for as long as he could remember. Heck, the fact that she had just managed to carve those holes in so many seashells without cracking any of them was proof of her craftsmanship.

"Thanks, Sora," Kairi giggled. She then put the unfinished charm aside and reached into the supply box nearby. "I found something today, too. Here, it's yours." She pulled out a bottle of glowing, green liquid that Sora instantly recognized.

"A Hi-Potion?" Sora asked. Those things were lifesavers when it came to healing injuries. Even broken bones could be quickly healed, so long as you used it fast enough. "Where'd you get it?"

"I found it lying by the zip-line tower," Kairi answered. "It's a little old, but the expiration date's not for another couple months. With how much you and Riku put yourselves through in those competitions, I figured you could use it."

"Thanks." Sora graciously accepted the gift. "Oh yeah! Kairi, this may sound weird, but have you seen anyone suspicious lately?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Um…" Sora scratched the back of his head, not sure how to proceed. "It's just, I thought that I saw someone earlier in a brown hood. But then he vanished and I couldn't find him. Have you seen anyone like that?"

"No," Kairi said, shaking her head, now looking concerned. "Should I be worried?"

Sora hesitated to press her. He hated to make anyone worry, especially Kairi. He still wasn't entirely sure if what he'd experienced was real or not. After all, how could someone have gotten out of that cave without anyone noticing him? Sora decided that it'd probably be best that he just keep his eyes peeled in case that guy showed up again. It wasn't like anyone was going to believe him anyway.

"Never mind," Sora finally conceded. "Maybe I just saw an old tarp in the wind or something."

"Okay…" Kairi didn't seem entirely convinced, but thankfully she didn't press him. "Well, once I finish with this, how about we call it? We've got a big day tomorrow. Gotta rest up, right?"

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Sure thing."

...

Once Kairi had finished making her good luck charm, she and Sora decided to watch the sunset before heading home. Riku had volunteered to finish all the preparations for the raft. Kairi was currently sitting alone with Sora on the pier, watching the sun set on their beautiful home.

As she sat there, Kairi couldn't help but think of Riku's words from the previous day. He had always seemed confident that they would one day be able to leave the islands and go out exploring. As if such a thing were guaranteed. But lately, that confidence seemed to become more like a determination to beat the odds. It was almost as if he'd been waiting for a chance before, but then lost his patience and decided to make his own.

"You know, Riku has changed," Kairi thought aloud.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, turning his head to look at her.

"Well…" Kairi hummed. Did she really want to make it sound like they were just making a desperate move? For all she knew, they might actually find a way off world out at sea, somewhere.

"You okay?" Sora asked, clearly catching onto her worries. She decided to break the tension by saying the first thing that popped into her head.

"Sora, let's take the raft and go— just the two of us!" Kairi hastily declared.

"Huh?" Sora asked in astonishment. She could immediately see his face turning an adorable shade of red that always brightened her mood.

"Just kidding," Kairi giggled, looking away and hoping that he didn't notice the blush that she could feel in her cheeks.

"What's gotten into you?" Sora asked incredulously. "You're the one that's changed, Kairi."

"Maybe…" Kairi replied. "You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready." Whether it was her new charm or Riku's speech giving her courage, Kairi felt much better about searching for her own past. "No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?"

"Yeah, of course!" Sora answered without hesitating, making her smile even brighter.

"That's good," said Kairi as she turned her gaze back to the sea. That reassurance was one of the reasons that she enjoyed spending time with Sora so much.

Sure, Riku was great and usually won their constant competitions. But Kairi had always admired Sora for his unwillingness to give up. No matter how many times Riku had beaten him, he'd always try again. She also loved how Sora was willing to drop everything and help anyone in need. Like when he'd helped her, the strange girl who'd mysteriously washed ashore all those years ago. So long as she was with him, Kairi just felt safe and happy.

"Sora, don't ever change," said the redhead.

"Huh?" asked Sora as she stood up on the pier, gazing out at the sea.

"I just can't wait," Kairi said contentedly. "Once we set sail, it'll be great."

Donald,

Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out, one by one. And that means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I've gotta go check into it.

There's someone with a "key"— the key to our survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him and stick with him. Got it? We need that key or we're doomed!

So go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction.

P.S.

Would ya apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks, pal.

"Oh dear! What could this mean?" asked Daisy in a fretful tone. Donald hated to see her so worried, though he wasn't sure if it was better or worse than when she'd yell at him.

"It means," Queen Minnie hesitantly replied, "we'll just have to trust the king." She gingerly placed her husband's letter on the desk in the royal library. The white room contained a myriad of books on a huge, wiggly-shaped shelf along the back wall, an ornate fireplace along the right, and the previously mentioned desk on the left.

Despite her words, Donald could tell that Queen Minnie was worried about her husband. This was only further proven to him when she reached for a framed photo on the desk and stared sadly at it. Recognizing the landscape frame, Donald didn't need to see the picture to know what was in it. Minnie was clearly worried that history might repeat itself.

"Gwarsh, I sure hope he's all right," said a worried Goofy as he brought a finger to his chin. Donald had half a mind to smack the dummy for speaking without any tact. But he could also understand the royal knight's concern. This wouldn't be the first time they'd lost someone with the king's kind of power. Still, he needed to reassure the others that everything would be okay.

"Your Highness," Donald quacked, formally placing a fist against his chest. "Don't worry. We'll find the king and this 'Key.'" The matriarch of Disney Castle placed the framed photo back on the desk and turned to Donald and Goofy with a thankful smile.

"Thank you, both of you," she said as her duchess came to stand beside her.

"Daisy, can you take care of the—," Donald began.

"Of course," Daisy interrupted in a gentle tone. He was glad to have a girlfriend who understood him so well. "You be careful, now, both of you."

"Oh," Minnie gasped, as if remembering something important, "and to chronicle your travels, he will accompany you." She gestured towards the king's unoccupied desk. Donald blinked in confusion. He couldn't see anyone sitting or standing around the wooden furniture.

"Over here!" shouted a voice. Donald blinked in surprise to see a little anthropomorphic bug hopping up and down, trying to get his attention. He was dressed in a snazzy suit with a blue top hat on his head. After getting the duck mage's attention, the little guy adjusted his coat and composed himself. "Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket, at your service." He finished the introduction by removing his hat and taking a bow.

"We hope for your safe return," Minnie decreed. "Please help the king."

Donald straightened himself and formally placed his right hand over his chest. As the Royal Magician of Disney Castle, he was fully committed to his duty. The queen smiled at his gesture, Daisy nodded happily by her queen's side, and Goofy saluted Donald from where he stood… beside the girls. Donald scowled in irritation. 'Did he seriously not pay attention to what the king said in his letter?' thought the duck.

"You're coming, too!" Donald shouted as he grabbed Goofy by the wrist and practically yanked him out of the library.

...

"Gwarsh, Jiminy," Goofy asked in horror, "your world disappeared, too?"

"It was terrible," Jiminy continued to explain from atop Goofy's inadequately sized helmet. "We were scattered. And as far as I can see, I'm the only one who made it to this castle."

The royal captain couldn't help but feel bad for their little chronicler. To have lost everything and then wake up in a world that he didn't recognize? It must've been something terrible. Goofy sure hoped that the Pinocchio kiddo and Geppetto that Jiminy mentioned were alright.

"Goofy?" Donald spoke up, eyeing his old friend. The aforementioned knight looked at him in confusion. The duck magician sighed and gestured at the large, spiraling staircase that they were descending. Suddenly, it clicked in Goofy's head what his old pal was trying to remind him.

"Oh!" Goofy exclaimed. "I gotcha. Ya mean while we're in other worlds, we can't let on where we're from, huh? We've gotta protect the world border."

"Order," Donald corrected.

"Right," Goofy agreed. "World order. Hoh-hoh-hoh-HOHH!"

Donald sighed in exasperation. Goofy knew that he tended to get words mixed up every now and then, but it didn't bother him too much. He figured that as long as he got his meaning across, it'd be fine.

"Oh. I guess we'll need new duds when we get there." Goofy realized they'd reached the bottom of the stairs and headed for an automatic, crown-shaped door at the end of a short hall. After walking through, the three agents of Disney Castle entered the hangar, where the secret pride of the castle was kept: the gummi ship.

The three entered a huge chamber with rotating gears and pipes lying about. Giant mechanical hands moved about above them. Goofy could spot the elevated room where the castle's gummi engineers, Chip and Dale, were stationed.

Below a flight of stairs was the landing platform, where the gummi ship sat. It may have looked a little blocky on the outside, but this large ship was the key to inter-world travel. There was a cockpit at the top where you'd be able to drive or look outside while flying through the lanes between worlds. There were also some interior rooms for engine maintenance, bathroom breaks, eating, etc. It was basically an armored, flying camper with laser cannons.

Of course, most people in this world didn't know about all this, what with the world bor—er… order and all. The only folks that did know were the higher-ups in the castle and a few others. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Donald walked up to a speaking tube and leaned in.

"Hello up there?" he called into the pipe. "Donald Duck to launch crew! Anytime you're ready."

After a few seconds, there was a loud click as one of the mechanical hands reached from above and plucked a startled Goofy from the ground. Jiminy nearly fell out of the royal knight's pocket as the hand carried them to the ship's entrance. Sometimes Goofy wondered why these hand-thingamajigs would always carry someone upside-down. It gave him a headache every time. Donald was soon deposited by the ship next to Goofy.

The two of them headed inside, only to jump in surprise when they heard a loud "RUFF!" from behind them. The two turned around to see none other than Pluto sitting right behind them, wagging his tail and panting excitedly.

"Aww," Goofy couldn't help but gush. "It looks like Pluto wants to come with."

"I don't know…" Donald folded his arms in concern. Goofy chuckled at his old buddy's strict adherence to the king's orders.

"It's okay," Goofy assured him. "Ya know how Pluto always seems to get around anyway. I think we can let him help out around here." After thinking it over, Donald sighed and nodded.

"Fine," he rasped. "Let's get going."

The mage and knight both made their way up a ladder, through an automatic hatch, and into the circular cockpit, where four seats awaited them. Donald sat in the pilot's seat while Goofy took one on the left. After the duck pressed some buttons, the multicolored lights throughout the cockpit lit up. The ship lifted into the air and turned to face the hangar doors (which were shaped like the king's head) as they slid open.

Down below, Donald and Goofy could see both Queen Minnie and Daisy watching them with hopeful smiles. Goofy decided to wave with a smile, while Donald just gave a thumbs up to them and winked. With another flip of the switch, the gummi ship's engines roared to life. Donald and Goofy nodded to each other, signaling that they were ready.

"Blast off!" Donald shouted, proudly pointing towards the tunnel ahead, only for the ship to not respond and a giant arrow, pointing down, to appear ahead of them. "Huh?"

"It's a SECRET ship, remember?" said Chip's high-pitched voice over the ship's communications. "That tunnel's for regular airplanes and stuff."

"Yeah," came Dale's voice next. "Ya gotta use the SECRET tunnel."
"Well, where is that one?" Donald griped.

As if to answer his question, the landing platform below popped open while the ship's engines were remotely cut off. The ship plummeted through the apparent secret tunnel, tumbling through the air as it went.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!"

"YAAAAAAA-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOEY!"

Donald and Goofy fell out of their seats, scrambling in the air from within the cockpit. The ship tumbled out of their control for a terrifyingly long time. Eventually, though, they came out of another opening and popped into the skies above an isolated area of the world. The ship's engines roared to life again, stabilizing itself. Donald and Goofy plopped messily back into their seats, exhausted and hurt from the exit.

"Dawgunnawarethefiguvit!" Donald mumbled incoherently as he got back into a proper sitting position. "Who designed that tunnel anyway!?"

"Ya think we can give them some pointers later?" Goofy moaned as he struggled to get back in his seat.

"I'm gonna do more than that when I find 'em," Donald grumbled. "But no time for that now." He took the pilot's controls and steered the ship into a world-escape trajectory. "We gotta get going and help the king."

"Uh-huh." Goofy nodded in agreement. "We ain't sittin' by while trouble's brewin' in the worlds. Not this time."

"You said it," said Donald. He held out a finger and pointed forward as he piloted the gummi ship. "Next stop, Traverse Town!"

As they left, Goofy couldn't help but think back to the "Key" that the king had mentioned in his letter. It reminded him of some friends that they'd lost way back when. Maybe now that they were getting involved, he and Donald could stop that sort of thing from happening again.