Another Friday Another chapter, and at long last Halloween Town is here. I desperately wanted to write this chapter last October for the anniversary of The Nightmare Before Christmas but as some would know. I got locked out of my computer during that month and just didn't have motivation to write at all. However better late than never so get your favorite snack enjoy the chapter.


Ansem's Report Number 3:

The shadows that crawl beneath the castle... Are they the people who lost their hearts, or incarnations of darkness? Or something entirely beyond my imagination?

All my knowledge has provided no answer. One thing I am sure of is that they are entirely devoid of emotion. Perhaps further study will unlock the mysteries of the heart.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of test samples. They are multiplying underground even as I write this report. They still need a name. Those who lack hearts... I will call them the Heartless.


We all basked in wonder at the dreary-colored world. Halloween Town felt different compared to the worlds we visited before. It prided itself on being scary and, true to its name, loved Halloween, so much so the denizens spent the entire year working on new and innovative ways to celebrate it.

"Wow, I didn't expect Halloween Town to be so gloomy." I observed,

"Yeah, this place is sort of a downer, but it's perfect for the people who live here." Emily agreed: "Plus, who can say no to free Halloween costumes?"

I agree with Emily. As I looked at my friends dressed up in various new outfits, Sora was dressed in a black variation of his normal clothes with bat wings on his back, his eyes basked in shadows, a pumpkin mask covering the left side of his face, white gloves, and tiny vampire fangs.

Donald was a mummy adorned in bandages and missing part of his torso for some reason.

Goofy looked like a Frankenstein monster—so wacky. I don't even know how to describe the goofy rendition.

Emily was a DJ, Amy was a mad scientist, Cindy was Little Red Riding Hood, complete with a basket of apples. And Chloe was a fairy with a pink sparkly dress, bigger wings, a magic wand (not to be confused with her Rainbow Wand), and a pink crown.

I was wearing a Cinderella dress paired with my own plastic glass slippers. I didn't even know how Donald's magic conjured it up; since it's a costume I had at home, over all, I loved our new looks.

"So, where do we go first?" I questioned in excitement, bouncing up and down.

"The main square." Amy answered, "That should be a good place to investigate."

"Gowsh, maybe we can get some answers on the Keyhole."

"Or at least some candy." Donald snickered, "Halloween isn't Halloween without candy."

"Mmmm." I hummed, licking my lips. "You're right, Donald, Halloween is the best time to get candy."

"But, Dakota, you rarely eat it." Emily pointed out, "You put lollipops back in their wrappers to save for later, and never go back for them."

"I I know." I shrunk into myself, feeling embarrassed.

"Ha ha, it's okay, Dakota. I try not to eat too many unhealthy things either." Sora laughed, grabbing me and putting me on his shoulders. "I need my energy, not the artificial rush sugar gives."

"Thanks, Sora; you're the best." I smiled, hugging him, careful not to hurt his neck.

Then we took off, following the path while looking at all the decorations that had passed us by.

"Sure, it is a spooky place." Goofy trembled, biting his nails. "I'll bet the people are scary-looking too."

"Don't worry. We look spooky too." Donald reassured, "If they scare us, we can scare them right back."

"You think so?" Goofy wondered,

"That could work." Emily agreed, "Pretty sure scaring people is a greeting in this town. Might want to warm up those vocal cords; something tells me we're going to need them."

Going through the gate leading to the Guillotine Square, we weren't surprised to see the Heartless already invading the world. But that didn't stop us from exclaiming their names as we posed for battle. Just daring them to make a move, and for some odd reason they didn't.

"Huh?!" We were surprised that our presence didn't spook them; for the first time, the Heartless were completely docile.

"Um, is it me, or should we be fighting right about now?" Goofy questioned, scratching his head,

"Yeah, this is freaking even me out." Amy replied, just as confused as the rest of us.

"Did they not get the memo or something?" Emily wondered as Cindy, who was behind her, shrugged.

Jiminy and I took a risk and got up close and personal to the Search Ghost's who paid me no mind. Aside from an orange and purple color palette, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

"Amazing, I've never seen anything like this before!" He exclaimed happily as he sketched the Heartless in his journal, "Oh, do you mind turning around for me?" He asked, and the Search Ghost nodded, turning around and lifting its arms as the little cricket drew a spot on drawing.

"You know something, guys? I think we found our next group of Heartless friends." I declared,

"I don't know; they don't seem like the friendly ones we've met before." Cindy pointed out,

"They didn't even talk to us." Chloe added, "Sea Form, Bubbles, and Wendy can. I don't think this is the same."

"But if they're not self-aware, then what's going on with them?" Emily questioned,

"And now, allow me to introduce the master of terror!" A short man announced through his megaphone, "The King of Nightmares: Jack Skeleton!"

"Hey, what's going on over there?!" I wondered aloud, pointing to the scene playing in front of us. A group of Search Ghosts gestured grandly, revealing a tall skeleton wearing a black suit who rose out of the fountain.

"Great show." I complimented as we applauded it.

"Bravo Jack Bravo!" The mayor cheered, running towards us. "Those ghosts will be a big hit at this year's Halloween!"

"Thank you, thank you. But their movements still need some work; it's not scary enough."

"I don't know about you, Mr. Skeleton, but they're pretty scary to me." I spoke,

Jack sighed as he patted my head. "Thank you, little one, but it's not enough. I want to strike bone-chilling terror. I'm going to consult the doctor." He decided,

"Mind if we come?" Sora wondered, coming forward, "I've never met a mad scientist before."

"Certainly, I'm sure the good doctor wouldn't mind the extra company. Fellow me…" Jack paused, getting a better look at us, then smiled joyously. "Why, Mayor, look what we have here. Newcomers, let's see, we have a DJ, a mad scientist, and, oh, Doctor Finkelstein will want to meet you. A red-hooded girl with a basket of apples—oh, let's hope there's no hungry werewolves around. A fairy princess, or perhaps you're this little princess's fairy godmother?" I giggled as Jack tickled my chin.

"Hehe, that tickles."

"A vampire, a mummy, and a monster—so that's where Finkelstein's latest experiment went. Now you kids practically radiate the spirit of Halloween; how did I not see you come into town?"

"Uh, well, the thing is..." Sora tried to explain, hoping to come up with a convincing excuse.

"No need to explain, young man. I know exactly who you are."

"You do?!"

"Of course, what did you think I was born yesterday? This isn't my first Halloween—not even close. I see your kind every year. You're trick or treaters; I must admit you've come quite a long way. Not every day we have human children in town. Not to mention you're a little early; Halloween isn't for a little while; did you stumble across a door in the forest?"

"Uh sure." Sora admitted one part relieved that he didn't have to keep his identity completely secret. But the other part was a bit confused on what Jack was saying.

"Well, it doesn't matter how you got here; what matters is that you're here to enjoy the festivities. Everyone is welcome during this time of year. I'll introduce you to my friends; they'll be overjoyed to meet you. But I must warn you: stay away from Oogi Boogie. He may be our top scarer, but he's a nasty kind. He won't take kindly to your presence."

"Stay away from the Oogi Boogie man." I repeated so I wouldn't forget, "I'll remember that."

"It'll do you well, my dear. Now come with me; Doctor Finkelstein should have what we need. We'll be back shortly, Mayor!" Jack waved as we followed.

"Gotcha Jack; meanwhile, I'll go attend to the decorations." The literal, two-faced mayor giggled as he ran to make sure everything was in order.

Jack led us up some stairs leading to the mad doctor's laboratory. We made eye contact with a few Heartless, who just waved as we walked by.

"You know, I'm starting to think the Heartless think we're one of them." I guessed,

"Hmm, that's an interesting theory." Goofy hummed, scratching his head. "What do you think, Donald?"

"Wak, what are you asking me for? I don't know. Amy, what do you think?"

"I think we should take advantage of this warm welcome; it's not every day the Heartless fight against their nature. This could be beneficial for us." She spoke as Jack held the door to Finkelstein's laboratory.

"Ladies first."

"Aww, aren't you such a gentleman?" I curtsied as we went inside.


Inside, we saw a man in a wheelchair who was working on something.

"Hello, Doctor, I'm back." Jack greeted,

"Aw, Jack, I've been expecting you." Finkelstein replied, turning around to face his new guests. "Oh, I see you've brought guests."

"Doctor I'd like you to meet Sora, Donald, Goofy, Dakota, Emily, Amy, Cindy, and Chloe. They're trick or treaters who have come a long way to enjoy the festivities." Jack introduced us as we told him our names on the way. "Gang, meet Dr. Finkelstein. He's our resident scientist who has been studying the Heartless that showed up recently."

We all perked up at that. "Wait? You know what the Heartless are?" I asked,

To that, Jack and the Doctor nodded. "We've been observing these little fellas for a good few months now. I believe they're perfect for this Halloween, that is if we can get them to dance and move to the music. I can't have a Halloween party with it." He smiled,

We could tell Jack was very passionate about his craft, and while we wanted to help, we knew enough about Heartless to know it was a matter of time until they attacked someone. "I don't think..." I tried to speak, but Jack was stuck in his ideals and unintentionally cut me off.

"I don't understand. Maybe the guidance system was damaged in the explosion."

"Nonsense." The good doctor refuted, "My devices are always perfect!"

We watched intently as Jack dragged his finger down a book. "Oh, I've got it!" He exclaimed, "Why of course, the Heartless need a heart. Doctor, do you think we can add a heart to that devise?"

"Certainly, a heart's not all that complicated." Finkelstein agreed to the request and got closer to the Search Ghost on the operating table. "Now let's get to work."

"To make a heart, first take a container with a lock on it."

"We need a key to this thing first." Finkelstein noticed,

"Uh, Sora, should we step in?" I questioned,

"I don't see why not; I mean, it seems artificial I doubt the Heartless would cause much trouble with that. Besides, maybe we can learn to tame them."

"If we can get the Heartless to switch sides, dealing with Maleficent will be a sinch. Let's do it, guys." Emily smiled on board with the plan. However, Amy wasn't as convinced.

"Now hold on; hearts, along with Heartless are unpredictable. If something goes wrong, the citizens of Halloween Town could suffer for it."

"Are we even sure the citizens of Halloween Town even have hearts? They seem a little dead." I observed in a whisper,

"Every living creature has a heart," Cindy came forward, "or at least in theory. It's your call, though, Sora." She continued, "If you want to help them, go ahead; however, the consequences will be on us."

Sora considered the risks; it's true we were messing with something we didn't fully understand. However, if it meant extra help with stopping Maleficent and saving Riku and Kairi, then the reward was worth it. Sora was about to walk forward when Donald stopped them. "You're really gonna unlock that thing for them?"

"Why not? If they succeed, we won't have to fight the Heartless anymore, right? Besides, I want to see them dance too, don't you?" He asked, walking towards the makeshift heart.

"Not really." Donald replied, as Sora used the Keyblade to unlock the heart.

"My, that was amazing, Sora." Jack applauded, "Good thinking, young man. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to be a part of this year's Halloween."

"What's this Heartless doing here?" He asked,

"Oh, as I said, the Heartless came to town just recently. What's frustrating is that I can't get them to dance with me. So, Doctor and I are trying to improve the guidance system."

"Are you sure that's going to work?" Chloe questioned as she and I peeked around Sora to get a closer look. "I'm pretty sure controlling Heartless is more complicated than that."

But the Pumkin King didn't seem too concerned. "Oh, I wouldn't worry; after all, Doctor is a genius." He gestured to his good friend, "Okay, let's continue. The ingredients for a heart: pulse, emotion."

"Terror." Finkelstein read aloud,

"Fear, hope, and despair; mix them all together, and we have a heart." Looking at the mishmash of so-called ingredients made me second-guess whether or not this was a good idea.

"I'm starting to have second thoughts about this. Maybe we should reconsider before someone gets hurt or worse." I gulped,

"Don't be ridiculous; we've been studying these creatures for weeks, and so far, they don't show any signs of aggression." Finkelstein brushed off flipping a huge switch, electrocuting the Heartless, it slowly rose. With baited breaths, we waited to see what it'd do; in the end, it flopped forward, unmoving.

"No!" Finkelstein shouted, "It failed! Hmm, maybe we're missing some ingredients. Let's try memory." He thought aloud, opening the metal hatch on his skull and scratching his brain. "Sally! Sally!" He hollered, no reply, "Good-for-nothing girl. I don't know why I bothered creating her."

"Um, who's Sally?" I questioned,

"My creation, what else would she be? Sally's got the memory we need. See if you can track her down."

"No problem, Sora, Dakota? Would you and your friends like to come along?" Jack offered,

"Sure." We agreed,

"We'll be back in a jiffy, Doctor. Keep researching in the meantime."

"Yes, yes, I'll be here." He said he was shooing us away. "Now, what's a good substitute for blood? Hmm, ah, this pickle juice might work."


Outside, we were greeted by chaos as the mayor yelled through his megaphone. "Jack! Jack! We have a major crisis! The Heartless are completely out of control; we can't stop them!" He informed us,

"Hmmm, maybe our experiment triggered something." Jack pondered,

"Uh, oh, this isn't our fault, is it?" I feared,

"I knew it; this is what happens when you mess with the forces of nature." Amy feared, "The Heartless know about our presence; it won't be long before someone loses their heart."

"Hey, you're the mayor; why don't you do something about this? Can't you see we're busy?!" Emily commented a bit rudely,

"I can't do anything; I'm only an elected official. Jack calls the shots around here; he's the Pumpkin King for that reason."

"Everything will be fine." Mayor, we'll handle it; you have nothing to worry about." Jack reassured however Amy and Donald weren't too sure.

Heading back to the main square, the once-docile Heartless were wreaking havoc around the town.

"Well, so much for the warm welcome." Cindy frowned as we got our weapons out and began slaying the familiar foe.

"Now that's more like it; I have to admit seeing them so calm is somehow more disturbing than anything in this town." Emily smiled,

We continued our fight, not really sure where we were going, but as long as people were safe, that's all we cared about.

"Hey, where are we?" I wondered, looking around,

"It looks like a graveyard." Cindy observed, "I don't see anything of interest here; let's head back."

"Now hold on a second; Sally could be hiding around here." Jack reminded,

"That's right I forgot we were looking for her." Chloe remembered,

"If we can give the heartless a real heart, maybe they'll calm down." Goofy theorized,

"Let's hope so." Donald agreed. "Now, how do you expect us to navigate this place?"

Jack hummed, then whistled, "Zero here, boy!"

A white ghost dog floated out of a doghouse and happily came to see who his master met."

"Aww, a puppy." I cooed,

"Zero, have you seen Sally anywhere?" Jack asked, the little dog perked up and flew to a statue, where he bumped into someone.

Sally yelped and revealed herself; she was a blue voodoo doll with light brown yarn hair and patch-stitched clothing.

"Is something wrong, Jack?" She questioned,

"No, everything's going great."

"Expect for the rampaging Heartless." Emily cut in,

"Well, expect for that. We kind of ran into some unexpected hiccups; however, we're gonna have the best Halloween ever. All we need now is your memory."

"Memory, you mean this?" She wondered, giving us a forget-me-not flower, "Jack, I have a bad feeling about this. Why don't you try something else? There's still time."

"Nothing could beat what I've got planned! Once we give the Heartless a heart, they'll dance just as I envisioned it." Jack seemed pretty sure of himself, but none of us were really convinced, Sally especially. "Trust me, you're gonna love it."

"Even I'm starting to question if this is a good idea." I spoke up,

"I'm with her. We already know how dangerous the Heartless are. What if the heart just makes it worse?" Chloe backed me up,

"Nonsense I'm sure they'll straighten themselves out. Come on, Sally and Zero. The Doctor may need extra help."

We shrugged, realizing it was no use to put some sense into Jack. Once he set his mind on something, there was no trying to change his mind.

Sally and Zero followed us, just as mischievous giggles echoed out. Inside a coffin, three kids hopped out.

"Lock."

"Shock."

"Barral."

"Did you hear that?" Shock asked,

"Yeah, I sure did a heart! What should we do?" Lock questioned,

"Gosh, you really are stupid; isn't it obvious?"

"Tell Oogi Boogi." Barral finished, as the three laughed,


"Okay, all clear." Chloe called out, seeing no Heartless in the square.

"Oh, I sure hope this works." Emily said,

"If we can't tame the Heartless at least we have a plan B." Amy stated,

"Uh, what plan B?" Goofy wondered, scratching his head,

"You know the key."

"Oh, that's right, a-hyucka the Keyhol...

"Keyblade, we'll just need to continue using the Keyblade until they leave." Sora hastily covered up as Donald put a hand around Goofy's mouth.

Sally seemed a little suspicious about that, but she let it go as she and Jack returned to the lab.

"Nice going; you nearly blew our cover." The magician scolded,

"Sorry."

"Alright, enough messing around; we need to set the Heartless straight. Then take the battle to Oogi Boogi; he could be the reason they're here." Amy reminded us as we followed her inside.

"Doctor, we're back." Jack announced as he handed him the memory,

"Yes, this is it. Now, just one more ingredient: we need surprise to complete the heart." Finkelstein said, "The mayor should know where it is."

"Well, if that's the case, come on, gang, let's go." Jack ushered as we followed, including Sally.

"And where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow Jack to do this alone. I have a really bad feeling about this Halloween's plan; he could get hurt."

Finkelstein wanted to argue, but upon remembering last Christmas, he realized Sally's instincts may be on to something. "Fine, have it your way, but once you come back, you're doing extra work. got it."

"Thank you. I promise you won't regret this." She beamed, thankfully.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Now leave before I change my mind."

Sally quickly caught up to us as we returned to the cemetery.

"How wonderful of you to join us again, Sally." Jack smiled,

"I can't let you do this alone, Jack; I fear you're biting off more than you can chow. Why don't we take inspiration from our new friends? They look scary and a little funny." She chuckled,

"Sally, you and I both know they're just kids in costumes. Not that you aren't scary, but you don't understand raw terror like we do."

"That's just it, Jack. What if someone sent the Heartless to ruin Halloween?"

"No, you aren't saying what I think you're saying."

Sally nodded, fearing the worst. "Oogi Boogi."


The sack of potatoes in question laughed evilly as the kids cowered in fear. "A heart?" He asked, "That bonehead Jack is really making a heart? I'll be jiggered that works for me. Once I get my hands on that, well, I got no hands. But I'm still gonna nab that heart and control the Heartless." He laughed as the kids trembled.


"Alright, I got it." Sora announced, holding up a Jack in the Box,

"A Jack in the Box, of course. Those always surprise me." I smiled as I turned the handle until a little clown came out. "Whoa!" I exclaimed, then laughed.

"I know the toy is fun, Dakota, but we need to return to Dr. Finkelstein. Come along, everyone."

I nodded, gave Jack the toy, and followed everyone out.

A short walk later, we returned to the lab and gave Finkelstein the Jack in the box.

"Yes, this is it!" He exclaimed, putting the new ingredients into the artificial heart. "There you go; this time it's sure to work." The Doctor wheeled his way to the Heartless when Barrel slid in and knocked him over.

Finkelstein yelped, losing the heart, as Lock, Shock, and Barrel ran off. "Blasted kids, well, what are you waiting for after them?"

"Go, Jack, I'll stay here."

Jack nodded as all of us ran outside, but there was no sign of the trouble-making heart thieves anywhere."

"We lost them." Sora grimaced,

"Zero, Zero!" Jack called as his loyal dog came floating, "After them quick." Zero obeyed, following the scent as we rushed after him.

Once again, returning to the graveyard, we gave chase to a hill where the three kids rode their walking bathtub up the curve and behind the fence.

"There they go; come on, gang." Chloe ushered as we climbed the hill.

"Wait!" I yelled, making everyone stop in their tracks. "Before we move on, can someone tell me who those kids are?!"

Jack facepalmed, realizing he forgot to fill us in. "How foolish of me; we've been chasing after that heart, yet you know nothing about the kidnappers. Allow me to explain: their names are Lock, Shock, and Barrel, a group of troublemakers whose pranks cause more harm than good. They're truly nuscence."

"Sounds like you're not very fond of them." Sora gathered,

"To be fair, many in town aren't. They're very disruptive while we plan for Halloween, not to mention tattle to Oogi Boogi whenever I have a grand idea. I just don't get why they even bother; all of us fear the Boggi man; even I'm a bit intimidated by him."

"Wait, Oogi Boogi has extra helpers?!" Emily gasped,

Jack tilted his head side to side, trying to describe the relationship. "Yes, but they're not completely fond of him... Well, none of us are his idea of scaring is scarring kids half to death. It's much more fun to give them a fright that'll have them laughing later. As much as I love scaring, it's better when it's fun for all ages, regardless of whether you celebrate or not."

"Wow, Jack, you really are a gentleman." I praised, "They're lucky to have you as the Pumpkin King."

"Thank you, Dakota; I'm happy to have your respect. Now let's get that heart back and save Halloween; if Oogi Boogi has it, there's no telling what he'll do."

"Let's also teach those rugrats a lesson while we're at it." Emily smirked,

Jack flipped a switch behind a headstone, and the hill uncurled its tip, creating a bridge and leading us to a tall house.


"Just as we suspected, Oogi Boogi was behind this. Why am I not surprised?" He said,

"What do we do now, Jack?" I wondered,

"We take the battle to him, that's what." Cindy stated the obvious:

"This outcome couldn't have been better. No hoops to jump through, no chases. He practically led us straight to him." Amy pointed out,

"Hmm, it seems you too have a bit of beef with him." Jack noticed,

"Oh, we've got more than a little." Emily added as she and the other Heartless Angels removed their wigs and accessories, showing their antennas.

The Pumpkin King's eye sockets widened as he recognized the familiar creatures. "Why you're Heartless! How did I not notice it sooner?!"

"We're not actually Heartless." Cindy clarified, "However, a few years ago, we were cursed into these forms by an evil witch."

"Oogi Boogi happens to be working with her; they're the reason the Heartless are here." Amy revealed,

"Oh, you poor things." Jack pitted, then sighed, "So, Sally was right; it was all a trick and not the fun kind. I should've listened to her and you when you tried to warn me. I'm deeply sorry, everyone. I got so excited about my plans that I didn't realize how dangerous they were until it was too late. When we get back, I must make it up to her."

"Figure it out in your own time bud. We got to get moving so Oogi Boogi can be losing." Emily reminded us as we took the long trip to his front door.

After fighting off guard, Heartless, and even recovering some Dalmatians, we finally made it inside.

"Okay, you worthless brats, give us that heart, or we'll give your boss a slow and painful death!" Emily yelled, smashing the door to pieces. "Well, we're going to do that anyway, but I'll make sure it really, really hurts!"

"Uh oh." They trembled as we got the jump on them; unsurprisingly, it was pretty easy. I mean, they were only kids. It took a few minutes, but using teamwork, we grouped them up, and I used my rainbow wand to apprehend them.

"Alright, you three." Jack said, crossing his arms, "You have a lot of explaining to do."

At first, the three kids were quiet, but seeing the gig was up, Shock began their confession. "We were just following orders, I swear. Oogi Boogi told us to steal the heart. It's all Barrel's fault."

"Huh, it is?"

"It was you who told us to tell him about the heart." She blamed,

"Oh." Barrel said, remembering the conversation,

"Do you guys know a witch named Maleficent?" Chloe wondered,

"We know nothing about this witch." Lock spoke up, "We have no idea what Oogi is planning; all we know is that he wants the heart to control the heartless, honest."

"You three should be ashamed of yourselves." Jack scolded hands on his hips, "Not only did you help put the town in danger, but our holiday as well."

"We're sorry, Jack." They apologized,

"Nope I'm not falling for your tricks. I'll forgive you on the condition you never work for Oogi Boogi again and stop playing your cruel pranks."

"But but we love playing pranks." Shock whined, feeling that the condition was unfair.

"Yeah, it's fun." Lock agreed, "Have mercy on us, Jack."

"To be fair, I never liked playing pranks; I just didn't want to be left out. I promise to behave, Jack."

"Tarator." Lock spat,

"Enough!" Jack bellowed, scaring all of us. "Where's Oogi Boogi?"

Lock, Shock, and Barrel pointed to the door, and we didn't hesitate to walk through. "You three, stay here and think about your actions; we'll be back." Jack instructed as the kids begrudgingly sat in the corner.


"There he is!" Amy shouted,

"That's Oogi Boogi?!" I questioned, "He looks like a sack of potatoes or an inflatable Halloween costume."

"Why I never, in all my life, been called..." Oogi Boogi looked himself over and realized I was right. "You know what, kid, I see your point." He admitted,

"Oogi Boogi, give me back the heart." Jack ordered,

"You want it? He said, "Well, then come on over and get it." Oogi swallowed the heart, laughing while at it. "Now let's see if I can get their attention. Oh Heartless!" He called as two Gargoyles came to his aid. "This is it?" He questioned and became frustrated at the lack of respect. "No one disrespects me, no one!"

Seeing our enemy getting railed up, we prepared ourselves as the roulette began starting up and pushed us into the ring.

"Alright, Amy, what can you tell us about our new foe?" Jiminy inquired, trying not to get burned by the exploding dice.

"Oogi is a trickster; he always plays dirty and hates losing. However, as Dakota said, Oogi Boogi is like a potato sack; if we can get him stuck on a lose thread, he'll unravel himself."

"Sora, let's back him into a corner." Donald said with determination,

"Let's do it." The keyblade welder agreed,

We started the battle by taking out the gargoyles protecting the boogie man. Oogi was safe on top, but using switches on the roulette, we were able to get equal ground for a limited time. Of course, Oogi didn't make it easy for us to beat him. The battlefield was booby-trapped; scythes came down from the ceiling to decapitate us; gates that separate us; and just as we got close to Oogi, an explosion pushed us back. It was frustrating, to say the least, but we weren't giving up.

"Why won't you just give up?" I grunted, wishing Oogi would just unravel already. I looked around me and saw everyone slowing down, despite the fact Oogi didn't attack us outright; his attempts to tire us was working.

"Aww, what's wrong, guys?" Boogi gloated, "Getting tired already? Why, we're just getting started!" Tossing more dice in the ring, they exploded on impact, knocking Donald, Goofy, and even Sora out.

"Sora!" I yelled, rushing to him. Oogi cut me off by opening the gates.

"Ah, ah, ah, no cheating."

I looked helplessly as my friends were picked off one by one. I had to do something, or else Oogi Boogi would win. As I was coming up with a plan, I noticed a glowing green stone. I completely forgot about the summon stone Jessabelle gave us after we escaped Monstro. I grabbed it and, with all my heart, pleaded for it to help us.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but my best friends are in trouble; we can't do this alone. Please help us!" The stone glowed as a young deer came prancing to me. He licked my hand and kneeled so I could get on his back.

Bambi skipped around the room, making health and magic orbs appear, restoring the party's strength as everyone slowly got up to watch the show.

Sora was awestruck at the little deer who saved his life; he had no idea I even had the ability to use summon stones. Oogi Boogi was also shocked, but for different reasons, as Bambi, who was attempting to rip his cloth.

"Hey, that's cheating; let me go!" he demanded as he pulled himself from Bambi's grasp, maybe a little too hard as a huge ripping sound was heard. Oogi looked at the damage in disbelief. How on earth did we manage to beat him?

"No no!" He yelled, struggling to cover the hole as countless bugs crawled out of their prison. "How is this even possible?! Why Why!" He screamed as the fabled Boogi Man became nothing but a tattered sheet, a singular bug, and a makeshift heart.

Jack crushed the bug with his foot and recovered the source of this whole ordeal.

"So, the heart was a failure after all." He sighed. "I'm sorry I got you roped into this. All I wanted was to create the best Halloween ever, and, in my ambition, I almost got you killed. Oh, and Sally, she warned me about this, and I ignored her again; I must make it up to her; she's been far too kind." Jack reached into his pocket and gave us two objects: a ring and an Ansem Report.

"Finkelstein gave me the paper during the heart heist; the kids must have dropped it during the chaos. Oh, and that ring was given to me by a friend who makes jewelry. I have many more at home, so I want you to have it. Consider it my way of apologizing."

"Hey, no apologies are necessary; we were going to take Oogi down anyway. So, no harm done." Sora forgave his arms behind his head.

"And you were very brave while doing so. Especially you young lady, that little deer saved our lives."

I giggled, very proud of myself for saving the others. "He really came through for us, didn't he?" I asked, holding the summon stone.

In response, Jack nodded. "Now that we have the heart back, let's return to Finkelstein and tell him my plans are off. If Heartless are as mindless as they appear, I suppose they wouldn't have made good dancers anyway. First, though, how about some candy? It's only the second most important thing for Halloween after all."

"Um, this candy is safe for humans, right?" Cindy checked,

Jack chuckled. "Of course it is; do you kids like M&M's? Maybe some Dots? Oh, how about some Kitkats or Licorice, or if you like severed body parts, we have gummy kinds and jawbreaker eyeballs. They have a chewy, sour middle that tastes great. However, I'm very fond of gummy worms, especially the ones that taste like mix barriers. Have you ever had real fruit? I can't say I'm too fond, but I like the freshness." Jack continued to ramble about his favorite holiday as we laughed and chatted about our favorite parts, memories, and how we celebrate. For such a scary-looking world, Halloween Town made us feel welcome. We may have been outsiders, but Jack treated us as equals. In the end, Jack didn't get his heartless Halloween.

He gave us a heartfelt one.

Chapter 20: Abord the Crash! Bang! BOOM!

"Whoa!" We wobbled, trying to stop ourselves from falling into the pit. We frantically searched to see where the source was, and we saw Oogi Boogi bigger than ever.

"What the?" Sora questioned in shock, "How did he get so big?"

"Look, it's brimming with the power of darkness." Donald answered, "Oogi Boogi is drawing power from those dark globs."

"So, we just have to destroy those things, right?"

The magician nodded. "That's normally how it works."

"Wait, does anybody hear that?" Cindy cut in; we listened closer and realized it was children screaming.

"Oh my gosh!" I shouted, seeing Lock, Shock, and Barrel still inside.

"Help! Help!" They pleaded,

"Somebody save me!"

"Whaaa! I want my mommy!"

"Okay, you win. I promise I'll never play a single prank again."

"Hold on, I'm coming!" I reassured, leaping into action, as did everyone else. Sora and Jack covered me as I rushed up the damaged and falling-apart pathways. Cindy and Chloe summoned Dumbo and Simba to wash and burn away the dark globs.

While Emily and Amy mapped out the effective way to quickly remove the darkness, I flew, dodged, and fought my way to rescue Lock, Shock, and Barrel.

"Oh, we're doomed." Lock feared, as Shock held onto Barrel,

"It's all over for us; our misdeeds were our undoing." Shock replied,

"Remind me again why we wanted to work with Oogi Boogi?" Barrel wondered,

"Hold on, guys, help is on the way!" I called out.

"Now way, it's a bat."

"No, no, it's a gargoyle!"

"Um, guys, it's just a flying girl." Barrel noticed, "Wait, hold up, is she coming to rescue us?!"

I landed safely inside and smiled at the three troublemakers. "Are you three, okay?"

"We are now, but what's the plan to get out of here?" Shock wondered,

"Get in my backpack quick; we have to move now this house is falling apart."

The three obliged without argument. Looking out into the night, I braced myself for the dangerous trip down. "Wings, don't fail me now!"

I tried to stay airborne, but the added weight made us too heavy. We hit the ground running, sliding on the tree truck, praying for safety.

"Girl, what's the status?!" I checked, trying to keep myself steady.

"I almost got it." Sora said, whacking the last dark glob,

"Take your time. It's not like we're in mortal peril!"

"Guys, this place is going down; we need to get out of here." Cindy realized,

"Say no more, Goofy, now."

"I'm on it." He replied, putting his shield on the ground like a sled. "Come on, Sora, let's go." Goofy grabbed Sora as Donald used fire to destroy the last glob. With his power gone, Oogi slowly collapsed, taking the house with him.

The kids and I were catapulted into the air by his flailing arm. Seeing us fall to the ground, Jack reached out his arms out to catch us.

"I got you. I got you." Just as he was about to land, we were rescued by three Gargoyles who chirped in response.

"Is everyone okay?" Jack questioned us as we reunited.

"I am now thanks to them." I smiled as the Gargoyles waved, flying off into the night to who knows where.

"I can't believe it; we defeated Oogi Boogi twice." I beamed, holding up two fingers.

"Yes, we did do it, didn't we?" Jack pondered, "Thank you everyone for everything."

We cheered and embraced until we saw the remains of Oogi's house collapse, leaving a barren field.

"How about we return to the doctor, shall we?"

We nodded, but not before the world's keyhole revealed itself.

Sora walked forward and pointed his weapon at the moon. A beam of light shot out, sealing the Keyhole.

"Well, that should take care of the Heartless problem, Jack." I smiled,


"Sally, why didn't I listen to you? You were right about everything, and yet I ignored your advice anyway."

"Don't feel bad, Jack. We'll come up with another plan for Halloween. Next time, we'll do it together." She smiled, holding his hands.

"Awww." We gushed,

"I guess we have no choice. We'll have to cancel the Heartless Halloween festival for now. Oh, that reminds me here: I wanted to give you something extra for your trouble. It's not much, but it may do that key of yours some good." Jack said he was giving Sora the Pumpkin Head keychain.

"Thank you, Jack, for everything." I thanked,

"No, thank you. I see the Heartless Halloween would've been a disaster if you didn't intervene. You are welcome to visit anytime."

"We will; maybe next time we can help you plan next Halloween." Sora waved as we exited the laboratory.

"Next year's Halloween will be the scariest ever; just you wait." Jack waved,

"Emotion, memory… We put in all the necessary ingredients. What else do you need to create a heart? What is a heart anyway? I can't figure it out." Finklestein huffed,

"I suppose a heart is something not easily replicated." Sally guessed.

"So, does that mean you're not making another?" Shock questioned,

Finklestein shook his head. "I suppose not; if one heart caused this much trouble, who knows what more would do? Though that doesn't mean I don't have more brilliant experiments in mind. Now as for you three, clean up this mess!"

"Yes Finklestein.

"Of course, Finklestein."

"Meh, we were going to do that anyway." The threesome began cleaning the laboratory as Jack and Sally watched. Happy the kids were turning a new leaf.

"Do you think Sora and the others will be okay on their journey?" Sally questioned,

Jack nodded. "Yes, Sally. I do. I really do." He smiled as the two stared into the night.


Asem's Report 8:

There is no doubt that the Heartless are deeply connected to the people's hearts. Further study may unravel both their motivations and the mysteries shrouding the heart.

As a start, I have built a device that artificially creates Heartless. By recreating the conditions that spawn the Heartless naturally, I should be able to produce them artificially. This device is the culmination of all my research thus far. The machine's test run successfully created a Heartless.

This may be a step toward creating a heart from nothing. The artificially and naturally created Heartless showed nearly identical traits. But the two types remain distinct for the purpose of the experiment. So, I will mark the ones that are created artificially.


I think my favorite part was definitely having Dakota team up with Bambi and I think I'll have the two team up again in the future considering Bambi is only in KH1 and Chain of Memories I want Dakota to have her own summon temporarily. Battle scenes are still pretty hard for me to write but I think I did it well. I'm not sure I'll be able to get another chapter out for next week, but I'll do my best. I think I'll take a month off of writing soon, so I don't get burnt out. With that said thank you all for reading and reviewing this fic.

Starting next world, we'll be reaching the beginning of the end arch and my five-year journey with this fic; gotta admit I'm kind of sad my first fanfic will be completed I've created so many fic's during my time here and this is the one to last the longest. I hope future mainline Kingdom Hearts fic's won't take as long. With that said thank you everyone and hopefully I'll see you all next week