Chapter 6

The flight back to Traverse Town was relatively quick, and full of talks about their adventure so far. Half of the things they talked about, they all agreed no one would even believe them! This just kept getting wilder!

"Say, Sora, you haven't really told us about your friends, Riku and Kairi, all that much. What're they like?" Goofy asked, from his seat in the cockpit. Sora perked up, "You wanna hear about Riku, and Kairi? My islands?" The boy looked to Donald. Donald was trying to be more upbeat. A little, anyway.

"Sure, but don't take all day. We're almost there." Sora smiled.

"Well, I'm from a place called Destiny Islands! The beaches are white, the ocean is blue, and there's always an island breeze." Sora smiled.

"Wow, sounds beautiful!" Goofy said with a smile of his own.

"Are you talking about your Islands, or just reading from a travel brochure?" Donald teased. Sora went on a bit, describing the main island's layout, as well as his own favorite island.

"We used to play there, me and Riku and Kairi." Donald and Goofy listened on, "See, Riku was actually the one who showed it to me. We'd been hanging out after he saved me from getting beat up at school one time. After a week or so, he asked if I wanted to see something cool. He'd been rowing out to sea alot, and found this little tiny piece of land out there. I had an old family boat, so I rowed out, and man, from there on out, we were there almost everyday. Almost every single bit of free daylight we had, we'd spend over there." Sora reminisced.

"Then, Kairi came along. We were hanging out on the shore one time when we saw a meteor come crashing into the ocean. Only, after it did, we heard a little girl screaming. We both jumped into the water, but I was faster. I made it to her first, and then managed to get her back to the beach. She was barely breathing, but once we got her back to the main island, the doctor saved her. After she was okay, and everything, Riku and me wanted to go and meet her, you know, without the threat of imminent death." Sora laughed.

Goofy scratched his head, "Gawrsh Sora, I don't think I've heard you talk about your parents. Ya do have some, don'tcha?" Sora's smile was wiped away, as his face became somewhat stoic.

"Oh..." He paused. He didn't like talking about his life at home. He liked these two, a ton, but he still wasn't ready to talk about this.

"They're there, I just suppose I really miss Riku and Kairi." He shrugged, chuckling, a fake chuckle.

"Well, yeah, but I mean, didn't your island dissappear, and all? So, aren't ya worrie--"

"Goofy." Donald scolded. Goofy shrunk into his seat some.

"Right. Sorry, Sora." Sora was ready to tell him it was okay, he knew he didn't mean any harm, but he didn't get the chance. "We're here, boys. Let's go find Leon." Donald ordered.

With the Gummi ship landed and cloaked just outside the gates of the first district, Sora, Donald, and Goofy stepped through the large gates, and immediately noticed a difference. There were more people here than last time.

No, not a massive amount, but it was definitely livelier. Some were patrons to the much more bustling cafe, some were shopping in the stores, some were conversing, and some were just out and out crying. Sora was puzzled by this. Why were so many more people here, now?

"Hey you three!" Yuffie called to them, from the mailbox to the right of the accessory shop. They approached, "Hey, Yuffie!" Sora said with a wave and a smile.

"What're you guys doin' back in town?" She asked.

"We're looking for Leon." Donald clarified.

"Oh, well, there's a place he usually goes to train, whenever he feels like it. Second District, in the waterway. Can't miss it, it's through a tunnel, so you'll have a bit of swimming to do." She chuckled, with a smirk.

"Great." Donald muttered. Goofy shrugged, "Oh c'mon Donald. It'll be fun goin' for a swim!" Sora nodded, "Besides, shouldn't you love wat--"

"Can it!" Donald raised a fist at the Keyblade master. Yuffie, Sora, and Goofy all shared a laugh.

"Anyway, thanks Yuffie. See ya around!" Sora said with a wave. Yuffie watched as they walked away. "I'm surprised you've made it this far..." She said under her breath with a snicker.

The trio made their way up all sets of stairs, and through the doors to the Second District, which, they also discovered was much more bustling itself. Some women shopped over at the hat store, whilst a group of weary looking people were trying to check into the hotel. Sora even noticed a few couples dancing to a tune played by a violinist in the square below.

"Wow, this place sure has gotten busier." Sora remarked.

"Yeah..." Donald quacked quietly. He looked up at Goofy with a frown, Goofy returning the gloomy look. Sora was still puzzled.

"What? I don't get it?" He asked.

"Well, Sora, uh..." Goofy struggle to find the right words, glancing down at Donald and shrugging his shoulders.

"Sora, when we first met, it was here, on this world. Only, we came here on the Gummi ship. Think about it. How did you get here?" Sora frowned. He got it now. The melancholy reason why this place was so much busier.

"Oh. So, all these people..."

"Right." Donald replied.

"C'mon fellers. Let's go find Leon." Goofy stated, moving on ahead to the waterway. Sora and Donald followed suit, but Sora couldn't help but notice the assortment of people that were here. It was really incredible, the diversity. There was almost something inspiring about that.

That is, if it wasn't tainted with the fact that all of these people had lost everything but their lives and the clothes on their backs. Damn this Darkness, and damn the Heartless, Sora thought. It only strengthened his resolve. He wanted to help, however he could. Whilst finding Riku and Kairi, of course. That was still his main goal.

They entered into the waterway, and, much to Donald's chagrin stepped into the watery part of the passage and began to swim through the only opening that could be called a tunnel. They had to slip past some iron bars, dunking under the water to do so, but eventually resurfaced in a watery cavern of sorts. The water was deeper than any of them were tall, and the rocky ceiling was very tall. After a short swim, they finally felt their feet touching gravel.

This whole place was made out of rock, spare the intricate and old looking tile floors that were just out of the water. They were lit by firelight, from the few torches that were burning, giving the whole place a warm glow, with a pleasant crackle for sound.

Accompanying that sound were the efforts of Leon, and the occasional swing from his large gunblade. Aerith watched on, ready to assist in case Leon harmed himself in anyway, accidently. Climbing out of the water, Sora flicked his arms and legs shaking water off, Donald shook his whole body, and Goofy mimicked Donald.

"Well, well. Look who's back." Leon said with a smirk, whilst Aerith waved politely.

"Hey!" Sora smiled, waving himself, Donald and Goofy joining in. "You won't believe what's happened..."

Sora began to explain the events that had transpired over the past few weeks. Everything from his training, to the whacky Wonderland, even to the crash landing, each tale seemed to escalate with absurdity.

"So, you found a couple of Keyholes." Leon remarked, once Sora had finished.

"Yeah! I guess? The Keyblade just locked them automatically! It was like instinct or something?" Aerith nodded, "Good."

Leon and she exchanged glances, "Thing is Sora, every world among the stars has a Keyhole, and each one leads to that world's Heart." Leon closed his eyes, thoughtfully, "Our guess is, there must be one in this town as well." Sora scratched his head, "Every single world? How do you figure?"

Aerith spoke this time, "It was in Ansem's report." Leon nodded, "The Heartless enter through the Keyhole, and do something to its core." Sora's eyebrows raised, with suspicion,

"What happens to the world?" Leon looked away, "In the end, it disappears." Aerith fielded that question.

"What!?" Sora, Donald and Goofy all shouted in unison.

Leon looked back at Sora, "That's why your key is so important." Aerith nodded in agreement, "Please, Sora. Lock the Keyholes. Any you find. You're the only one who can."

Sora smiled, and pointed a thumb toward himself, "You can count on me." Sora wasn't sure why he had been chosen, but, for the first time in his life, he felt important. Like, actually important, not the bull that teachers give you about being special. How did a kid from some nowhere Islands end up being the key to everyone's salvation?

"Well, if that's the case, then we're gonna need to see some more worlds! We gotta find your friends, and King Mickey!" Goofy smiled.

"Yeah! Speaking of which, we found this Gummi block, that's different than the rest. Do you know what it's for, Leon?" Donald asked. Leon took the Gummi from Donald's hand, and gave it the once over.

"Hhhmmmm..." he groaned, handing it back. Leon didn't like to be wrong, but even more than that, he hated to not have an answer. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he turned and sighed, shutting his eyes tightly. Aerith stifled a chuckle, "Ask Cid. He should know." Sora, Donald, and Goofy all held a hand over their mouths. No reason to embarrass poor Leon, afterall. Leon meanwhile, had taken a small charm from his pocket, and handed it to Sora.

"Wait. Take this with you." Sora looked it over, raising an eyebrow. "This stone holds mysterious power." Leon said softly. "I've been carrying it for a long time now, for luck. But, seeing as how I was nearly whipped by a kid, obviously, my luck has run out." He said with a smirk. "I want you to have it, now." Sora looked up, and smiled.

He was touched, "Thanks, Leon. How do you use it?" Leon again sighed, and repeated his previous stance.

'Right. You don't know.' Sora thought, with a mental chuckle. Sora nodded his thanks, and with that the trio headed back out, the way they came, and then made their way back to the First District and into Cid's shop. Sora pushed the doors opened, and smiled, "Hey Gramps."

Cid chucked, looking up. "Hey kid. What can I do for ya?" Sora placed the block down on the counter, and before he could get a word out Cid had already begun, "Well, I'll be damned..." He took a long drag from his cigarette. "If it ain't a Gummi. Where'd you find a block like this, kid?"

"It's a long story." Sora said through a sheepish smile. Goofy raised a hand, "Do ya know what it's for?" Cid was taken aback. Dismissing his current cigarette, and lighting another, he hollered in response, "Are you kidding!? You three're flyin' a Gummi ship 'round, and don't even know what a navigation Gummi is for?" Cid shook his head, sighing, "Bunch a pinheads. Space ain't no playground, boys." Sora wasn't gonna take this crap, no sir.

"Hey, we don't know alot, but we've done just fine so far! So what if we don't know about your fancy little block!" Sora called forth the new look Keyblade, raising it as he did, "We have to go to other worlds, and using the Gummi ship is the only way to do it. We don't have a choice."

The room was getting a bit tense, "Whoa, easy there." Cid said through a puff of smoke. "Look, no hard feelings, alright? I'll lend ya a hand." Sora dismissed the Keyblade.

"Thank you." He replied. Cid placed both hands on the counter, rolling his neck, "The thing with these little buggers, is, they can take ya to new places. You're gonna want one on your ship, I'm guessin'?" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all nodded. "Good. I can install it for ya." Cid took a drag, "But, I got this thing I gotta go deliver first."

Sora saw where this was headed, "What is it?"

Cid smiled, "Oh, just this old book. Actually, it's real old. Thing was nearly fallin' apart, when I got tasked with fixin' it up. Too beat up, to entirely restore, but, I did an overall pretty good job, puttin' it back together. Anyway, so..." Cid chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, give it here. Where's it going?" Sora said holding out his hands. Cid reached under the desk, and passed the old book to Sora. Sora stifled a cough, from the smoke.

"The old house, past the Third District. Big fire sign, ya can't miss it." Suddenly, however, something ominous occurred. The entire building began to tremble, and a loud bell ringing could be heard from not too far off.

"Wh-- What was that!?" Sora shouted, trying to steady himself. Cid groaned, trying to maintain his own balance, "The bell at the Gizmo shop? It hasn't rang in years!" Cid finished the one cigarette and lit another, breathing in the smoke. As he spoke next, the smoke flowed freely from his lips, "Go check it out, if you want, but deliver that first. When you're done, stop by the house at the top of the stairs in the Third District. I'll be there. Where's she parked at?" Cid asked, seemingly grabbing some tools from under the counter.

"Right outside the gates." Donald quacked, grabbing at a key fob, and undoing the cloaking. The four exchanged their goodbyes, before the trio made their way back to the scene of their first meeting.

"Fire sign, fire sign, fire sign." Sora chanted.

"It's not that hard to remember." Donald noted.

"I know, I just don't wanna screw things up." Sora replied. Goofy meanwhile, had been tasked with carrying it, and, naturally was curious.

"Gee, I wonder who these guys are?" He asked, looking down at the cover. Indeed, it did have three little characters on the front. A yellow bear, a little pig, and even a silly looking tiger.

"Who knows. Or cares. C'mon, let's find this door." Donald replied. Sora was curious too, however, stopping alongside Goofy, also looking down at the cover.

"Good question, Goofy. I guess they're the main characters. I bet it's a good read." Sora smiled.

"Ya think? Maybe we could--" Goofy was interrupted, "Fire!" They both heard Donald shout. Around the corner from the middle of the Third District, where Sora and Goofy stood, Donald had made a discovery. A flame flew from his staff, and collided with the aforementioned door, and he smiled smugly, as it slowly slid open. Sora and Goofy, no longer distracted by the book's cover, ran to the sound of Donald's voice.

"Whoa. Nice goin'." Sora said with a smile, as he stepped through, and into a cave of sorts.

"Thanks." Donald replied, following suit, Goofy taking up the rear. All around them were rough, rocky walls, that stretched high into the ever present night of Traverse Town. There was no roof in this moon lit cave, and the three could tell that they stood upon a bank of sorts. The water lapped against the edge. Across the watery expanse stood a two story, dilapidated, old, brick house, on a piece of land that barely fit it. It was hard to make out details without any artificial light, but they figured that's where they needed to be. Luckily for Donald, and the book, there were large grey stones that led across the water to the acient domicile.

Carefully hopping from one to the next, Sora led the way, and after a series of jumps, all three were safely standing face to face with a boarded up door. This place was in even worse shape than they thought.

"Ya think this is the right place?" Goofy asked.

"I don't know..." Sora sighed.

"No way. No one would be stupid enough to live in this dump." Donald quacked. "C'mon. Let's go tell Cid that this guy burnt his place down and skipped town." Sora wasn't convinced.

"You sure? Maybe this guy is just broke? I remember one time when me and Riku were playing catch. I missed a catch, and we broke a window on my house." Sora chuckled. "My Mom was passed out, so she didn't even notice, but me and Riku couldn't pay to have it fixed, right? So, we went down to the beach and got some drift wood. Well, once we had--"

He was interrupted, "Hey, I think there's a hole in the side here!" Goofy hollered out. Sora and Donald walked over, and sure enough, there was a large hole covered by a tattered curtain. Pushing it aside, Goofy, book still in hand was disappointed to discover that the house was indeed empty. Sora followed him in, and began to look around, whilst Donald had seen enough.

"Yup. Told ya. Guy is probably halfway to Olympus by now. See you gotta listen to..."

Sora heard Donald going on and on, but, for some reason it was as if his speech was slowing to a halt. Goofy too, was seemingly becoming frozen in time.

"Uh, guys?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow. Then, he heard footsteps, and even caught a whiff of a scent. A lovely scent.

Her.

Sora turned sharply looking back toward the hole they came through, and there she was. As heavenly as ever.

"There's something about this musty old place..." Kairi said softly, staring into his eyes. She began to walk toward him slowly, smiling, with her hands behind her back. She was wearing that same old white tank top, and that familiar skirt. Her red hair framed her face so exquisitely, Sora thought. He was wowed by her, yet again, as he always seemed to be.

"It reminds me of the secret place, back home, where you and I used to scribble on the walls. Remember, Sora? " She asked, coming face to face with him. Of course he remembered. He treasured those times, now more than ever. Her voice, uttering his name made him almost weak at the knees.

"I remember every second with you, Kairi." He said softly. Her eyes remained glued to his. He offered her his hands so that they could come even closer, and, just as she went to place her own in his, Sora heard a familiar voice.

"Sora! You're not even listening to me, are you!?"

"Wha...?" Sora muttered, turning his head to see Donald steaming, whilst Goofy stifled a laugh. Turning back, he now saw that she was gone. Time wasn't frozen, she wasn't here, and the three adventurers were simply standing alone, in a dank and sad little room.

"How..." Sora mumbled.

"Why I oughta..." Donald was fuming.

"Well, well." A lively, and mature voice spoke up. All three turned to look at the hole in the wall, and discovered an older man, wearing a blue robe, and matching tall wizard's hat. His face was jolly, and smiling, and he had a long, straight, white beard to accompany his bushy white eyebrows.

"You've arrived sooner than I expected!" He said with a chuckle. Sora was still in a state of confusion, "You-- You knew we were coming?"

"Of course!"

"A--Are you a Heartless?" Sora stupidly asked.

"Yeah, 'cause so many of them have stopped to talk to us." Donald chided. Sora glared at the duck.

"Oh my. No, no sir." The old man snickered. "My name is Merlin, and, as you can see from my ridiculous outfit, I'm a sorcerer." Merlin walked past the three, and headed for the center of the room, where, Sora just now noticed was a stone podium of sorts. A small staircase wrapped around it, also made of stone. Ascending the steps, Merlin cleared his throat, "I spend much of my time traveling, so, it's nice to be home." Merlin opened his bag, and focusing his gaze on Donald and Goofy, he lowered his glasses, "Your King has requested my help."

Goofy's eyes opened wider, "Ya mean King Mickey?"

"Yes, indeed. Donald, Goofy. And, who might you be, young man?" Merlin asked Sora.

"I'm Sora."

"Ah. So, you've found the Key." Donald was still a bit suspicious, "What exactly did the King ask you to do?" Merlin smirked.

"One moment."

With a flick of his wrist, the magician summoned forth a wand. "Presto!" He giggled, and began a dance atop the stone podium. Like something out of a book, Merlin's bag flung open further, and a miniature chair began to levitate out of it. Only it wasn't remaining miniature. No, it was growing as it spun around the room.

As was a table.

And a lamp.

And a bed.

And books, teacups, teapots, a small carriage, lanterns, bottles, a desk, a telescope, and even more odds and ends, simply floated out of the old man's bag, and began to grow in size as they danced around the room. Before Sora, Donald, or Goofy even knew it, the entire room was well lit, entirely decorated in a mish mash assortment of Merlin's findings over the years, and even smelled pleasant. A far cry from the depressing dungeon like room they'd just been standing in.

Merlin rolled his neck, dismissing his wand, "There, now." He cleared his throat again, "Your King, Donald, asked me to train the Keyblade Master, in the art of magic."

Donald nodded, that made sense. He wasn't the best teacher. Sora smirked.

"I've kind of been picking up a few things as I go along."

"Of course!" Merlin laughed, "But, nonetheless, you'll need to know something very important. That wonderful Cure spell, Donald casts, no doubt. Do you have the slightest idea, my boy?" Sora thought, for a moment.

"No, I guess not." Merlin smirked, "It's just like any other spell you've learnt. Focus on a healing presence. Something you've always known to cure your ailments. I for one am partial..."

Merlin began to chatter on aimlessly, while Sora knew what to do. He calmly pinched his arm, and wincing, left a mark. With that, he now held his hand over the bruise, and began to do just that. Focus...

Sora, a year younger, sat on the curb outside of school. Riku had detention, again, and Sora had only avoided it this time, by luck. The teacher hadn't caught him engaging in any fight, only getting his butt whooped by the buddy of one of Riku's enemies.

They ganged up on him and Riku, trying to rob them after Riku had made one of the punks look stupid in class. Riku threw the first punch, and it was a melee from there. Sora wasn't doing too bad, but, oddly enough he was lucky in that when his math teacher stepped out for a smoke break, he noticed Sora's face getting crammed into the pavement.

Riku wasn't so lucky, as he was busy keeping one kid in a headlock, whilst head butting another. Sora winced, as he reached his hand up to gently wipe away some of the blood. His face had sustained a nasty scrape. It wasn't something that would scar or anything, but, it still hurt like hell.

The rest of school had already been picked up, or gone home, and while Sora would usually just start walking home, he didn't feel like it this time that his Mom had forgotten to come get him. He groaned.

He didn't feel like going home, was the real issue. He didn't feel like having to answer questions about it. He knew he would have to, he just didn't feel like it, right now. Sora suddenly didn't feel so alone now, though. He knew why. It was still too late for Riku to be getting out, just yet.

"Hey." Kairi said, taking a seat next to him, assuming a similar position.

"Hey." Sora responded.

Kairi had decided to walk home earlier, but doubled back. She couldn't just leave him sitting there like that. She watched him for a little while, before deciding to sit with him, and, ultimately, comfort him. He needed it, and she wanted to be there for him. More than anything.

"What happened?" She asked.

"A few punks jumped me and Riku. I was waiting for him, you know..."

"Right."

"What're you doing back?" Sora asked.

"I noticed you sitting all alone, and didn't want to just let you sit here and wallow in self pity." They shared a laugh.

"Thanks."

"Of course. Does..." Kairi paused. She didn't want to hurt his pride, it was so easy to do with boys, but she also wanted to ensure he wasn't in too much pain. "Does it hurt, or?"

Sora snickered, "Nah, it's fine." Kairi rolled her eyes. Without any warning, she gripped Sora's chin, and moved it up and toward her. It wasn't pretty. A scrape from underneath his eye, down to nearly his jaw.

"Oh, Sora..." She sighed.

"It's fine." Sora groaned, looking away.

"You don't have to--"

Kairi stopped herself. She knew this would just make him close up further. "Look, can I just clean you up, at least?" She asked. Sora rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess..."

Kairi stood, removing a small cloth from her book bag. She noticed the water fountain at the corner of the street, and quickly dampened it.

"C'mere." She ordered, stepping in front of him, and kneeling, so that they were both at eye level. With one hand she gently held his chin, whilst the other began to cleanse some of the dried blood from his face. Sora winced with each gentle swipe, yet, the cooling sensation did feel nice.

As did her touch.

She finally finished up, and Sora's cut still looked fresh, but significantly cleaner. She went to stand, and discard the cloth, but felt his hand wrap around her wrist.

"Kairi, I..." Sora paused. She knelt back down, and noticed Sora's gaze wasn't upon her, anymore, and even noticed what appeared to be a small tear forming.

"Yes, Sora?" She asked, trying to will his eyes back to hers. What was he going to say? Or ask? What?

"I, just..." Sora mumbled, "Thanks. Thank you, for, you know. Being here, and everything. Would you..." Kairi hung on every word. "Would you let me walk you home?" He asked. Kairi smiled, placing a soft hand on his cheek.

"Of course."

Sora opened his eyes, and noticed a small glow emanated from his hand. Merlin was still talking, Donald was tapping his foot impatiently, and poor Goofy's arms were about to give out holding up that book for that long. Sora's arm meanwhile, had no bruise.

"Heal." He whispered. "Thanks, Merlin." Sora said softly. Merlin meanwhile, noticed he'd stopped paying attention some time ago.

"Oh! I see you've done it! Excellent! Well done, boy!" Merlin poured a cup of tea for himself, and smiled, taking a sip. "Now, I've someone I'd like you to meet, young man. Leon no doubt gave you a charm, no?" This guy knew everything! And everyone!

"Hey, uh, before we get into that, could uh--"

Goofy was interrupted, "Yeah. He said he didn't know how to use it. Well, he sort of said that." Sora chuckled, producing the charm from his pocket.

"Splendid! Yoohoo!" Merlin called, waving a hand over at an older woman, who was now standing in front of the miniature carriage. She smiled at Sora. "Please, speak to her about that." Merlin took another sip from his cup.

"Say, Merlin, do ya think there's any where I could--" Poor Goofy was interrupted, again.

"Go boy, what're you waiting for? Carpe Diem, and all that, no?" Merlin ushered Sora over to her. She was wearing blue, and had kind eyes, with white hair to frame her face.

"Hello, Dearie. I understand you have something for me to see?" She asked. Sora handed the charm over, "Do you know what it is, ma'am?"

"Please, I'm the Fairy Godmother. No need to be so formal." She grinned, Sora returning with one of his own. "The poor thing..." She muttered, taking the stone in her hands. "He's..." She paused, "He's turned into a summon gem, dear." Sora gave her a confused look. "Well, this little creature lived in a world that was consumed by Darkness, see? When a world vanishes, too often its inhabitants do as well. This one here, though. His heart was too strong willed for him to simply dissappear. So, he became a summon gem instead." She handed the summon gem back to Sora.

"Can he ever regain himself?" Sora asked.

"Partially. Only in spirit, dear boy. However, when their worlds are restored, they'll return there. Only you can help them, Sora. Please do."

Sora nodded, "Don't worry. I will."

The Fairy Godmother smiled warmly, "Good. Remember, whenever you call, he will help you, whoever the poor soul is." Meanwhile, Goofy had finally managed to get the old wizard's attention, and was able to set the book they'd been tasked with delivering down on a nearby desk. Donald was impatiently waiting by the door, frowning, as Sora passed him, to say his goodbyes.

"Hundred Acre Wood, huh?" Goofy asked.

"That's right, my good Knight. Oh, hello, Keyblade Master! Thank you, for returning my book!" Merlin offered a hand for a shake.

"Of course!" Sora replied, happily. Sora shook Merlin's hand, but couldn't curb his curiosity any longer. "So, uh, what kind of book is it?" Merlin smirked, straightening his glasses, "I don't know, actually. It's not even mine, originally that is. It found its way into my bag one day, and I thought, 'What a curious book!'. So, I brought it to Cid, to be repaired. Be sure to give him my thanks, but, there are many missing pages, you see. I guarantee this book holds a great secret, one just has to reassemble it, to unlock that secret."

Sora was intrigued, "Where are these missing pages?" He asked.

"No one knows. You'll have to try and find them, yourself!" Merlin laughed. Sora was determined now. He wanted to do just that. "Don't forget to thank Cid, for me, Sora. I'll see you all a little later, then?" He asked.

"Sure! Sounds good. Thanks for everything, Merlin." Sora waved goodbye, as he Donald, and Goofy exited, the same way they came in.

"What a weirdo." Donald said quietly.

"I like him!" Sora said cheerily.

"Me too!" Goofy agreed.

The trio walked back out of the flame door, and out into the square that was the Third District. What Sora saw next, was almost enough to break him, but it seemed that someone, or something, somewhere was looking out for him, if only a little.

"There you are! What's going on?"

Were his eyes just playing cruel tricks on him, again?

Was it, really?

"Ri-- Riku...?" Sora asked.

There he was, standing in the middle of the Third District, with a new weapon. Its blade appeared to be made out of a wing of something, whilst an eye connected its easy grip handle to said blade. If Sora wasn't so shocked, he'd probably remark how, 'kick ass' it was.

Slowly approaching his old friend, Sora couldn't resist, this time. If Riku was just an apparition, so be it, but he wanted to know sooner rather than later. Sora grabbed Riku's face, and stretched it from side to side.

"Are you real!?"

Riku tried to chuckle, and slapped Sora's hands away.

"Hey! Cut it out, man!" He leapt back a bit. Sora smiled, so big he thought his face might break.

"Oh, man. I'm not dreaming this time, then. Right!?" He asked, looking back at Donald, and Goofy.

Riku shrugged, smirking, "I sure hope not. Took forever to find you." The two boys shared a genuine smile. They'd been separated for longer than they'd ever been, since meeting all those years ago. Sora and Riku's hands collided in a shake, before both bent their arms, and wrapped their free one around the other.

"Riku!" Sora said happily.

Donald rolled his eye, and Goofy couldn't help but feel a warm sensation in his chest. He wasn't using Sora, afterall. Albeit, totally by chance, Sora had found one of his friends. After the two separated, and everyone began to walk toward the house Cid had mentioned, Sora absolutely had to know.

It was killing him, now more than ever, "Where's Kairi?" He asked. Riku scoffed, the smallest bit,

"I figured she'd be with you..." Sora hung his head, stopping. Riku couldn't help but feel conflicted. On the one hand, he wanted confirmation that she was okay, but on the other, he didn't mind that she wasn't with Sora.

That particular feeling really confused him.

Even angered him, slightly.

"Well, that's okay." The silver haired youth said calmly, "I'm sure she made it off the islands too. Now, we've just gotta find her." Riku was a prime example of confidence, and even a little arrogance. "We're free, Sora. Who knows, she's probably looking for us, right now." Riku's voice was filled with wonder, and excitement. "We'll all be together soon. Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this--"

Riku was interrupted, as he heard a slicing occurring behind him. In the midst of his little speech, a small Heartless had formed behind him. Thankfully for Riku, the little bugger had not gone unnoticed by Sora. Riku turned, and saw Sora on one knee, having just finished the Heartless off, one hand wielding a mysterious weapon. Sora stood, smirking and propping the Keyblade on his shoulder.

"Leave everything to who, now?" He teased. Riku was admittedly shocked.

"Sora, what...?"

Sora dismissed the Keyblade, "I've been looking for you. Kairi too. With their help." Sora said smiling, gesturing to Donald, and Goofy. Riku wouldn't even look at the pair, "Uh, okay. And who are they?" He asked. Donald patted his chest. He'd had enough of not getting to introduce himself.

Clearing his throat, "My name is--"

"We've been to so many worlds, man. Looking for you." Sora interrupted. Donald looked up at Sora, frowning.

"Really?" Riku asked, with a surprisingly annoyed tone. "Well. What do you know? I never would've guessed." He dismissed, shrugging.

"Oh, and guess what?" Goofy asked, sweetly, placing both hands on Sora's shoulders, like he was a little brother. "Sora's the Keyblade Master!" Donald was still irritated from being interrupted, "Yeah, and who'd have thought it." Sora stomped his foot, and bent down so he could look the duck in the eye, "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"So, this is a Keyblade?" Riku asked. Sora wasn't sure how, but Riku had managed to get ahold of his signature weapon, holding it up, inspecting it.

"Hey! Give it back!" Sora cried, leaping forward, in an attempt to snatch the Keyblade back. Riku leapt back, again, chuckling. "I like it. You mind if-- whoa!"

Riku was cut off from his fun. Even though Sora was sat on the ground, having fallen while trying to retrieve it, the Keyblade suddenly materialized in his hands. It chose him for a reason. It sensed a weakness, in Riku. More than one. Riku offered a hand down, and Sora took it, standing.

"Okay," he began, dusting himself off, "so, you're coming with us, right? I mean, we've got this awesome rocket. Wait 'till you see it!" Sora was more excited now than he'd been in a long time. Maybe even ever. Then, Donald happened.

Again.

"No! He can't come!" Donald quacked loudly. Sora's head whipped down so fast he might have snapped his neck, had he not been so mad.

"What!?"

"Nope!"

"Why the hell not!? He's my friend!" Sora asked. Goofy meanwhile, was trying to get a word in, but was unsurprisingly, unsuccessful.

"I don't care!" Donald was stubborn and he wouldn't budge on this. Sora was ready to scream in his face, maybe even throw a punch, before Goofy spoke up, "He's gone!"

Sora once again whipped his head up, in a panic. It was true. Riku was no longer standing before them. He'd slipped away during Donald and Sora's little fight.

"Riku?" Sora asked, pitifully, looking around. He wasn't even mad, now. He was disappointed, and upset that Donald had scared his best friend off. He sucked through his teeth, and kicked the pavement, "Nice goin', Donald." He groaned. Donald's arms were crossed, as he tapped his foot, and looked away, dismissively. Goofy gave Donald a disapproving glare.

Sora shrugged and sighed, "Well..." he began. If Sora was anything, it was an optimist. He didn't want to stay too upset. Besides, at least he'd found one of them. Sort of. "At least he's okay. Who knows? Maybe we'll find Kairi soon. I hope, anyway..." Sora said softly. Goofy and Donald shared a look at the mention of her name. It hadn't gone unnoticed that Sora seemed to become particularly starry eyed at the mention of her name.

Sora meanwhile, had noticed that the lights were on in the house at the top of the stairs. Last he remembered, that was a vacant lot, when he was here. Which, must mean that's where Cid had wanted to meet. Climbing the stairs, the trio opened the door, to a room that was well lit, but sparsely decorated. The wallpaper was beginning to peel in places, and the furniture, was clearly second hand. The bed in the corner, wardrobe, table, chairs, bookshelf, and even the small desk all had various nicks and scuffs.

"Hey, guys." Sora said, greeting the room. It wasn't just Cid, apparently. Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie were all present, as well.

"Hey." Leon said softly, motioning with his head to them, causing Cid to turn. The mood of the room wasn't great, for some reason.

"Hey, boys. Y'all, uh..." Cid lit another smoke, taking a deep inhale. "Y'all ever heard of Maleficent?" Sora shook his head, as did Donald, and Goofy. "I heard she's in town..." Cid said quietly.

"Who is she?" Sora asked. Cid spoke much louder, now, "She's a witch! A witch, man!" Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith all bristled. Clearly this witch was bad news.

"She's the reason this town is full of Heartless, again." Leon said, leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and eyes closed. "Don't take her lightly." Leon's voice was firm. Aerith ran a hand through her hair, "She's been using the Heartless for years. She's evil..."

"She's a part of why we lost our world..." Leon said softly. "Yup. One day a whole swarm of Heartless just took it over." Cid said his tone somber.

"Wow..." Sora said through a sigh.

"That was nine years ago." Leon clarified.

"That's awful." Donald quacked. Leon's eyes opened, slightly, "Yeah. Our ruler was a wise man, named Ansem. He dedicated his life to studying the Heartless. Ultimately, it drove hi--"

"That's why we think his report will help us figure out how to get rid of 'em." Cid interrupted.

"Where is this report?" Sora asked.

"We don't know. It was scattered, when we lost our home." Leon said, glaring at Cid. "That old witch probably has most of the pages." Cid finished the one cigarette, and lit, yet another.

She watched from just outside the window, unbeknownst to the little house's inhabitants.

The horned witch.

The sickly, tall, gaunt, woman in black. With a young man, by her side. The same young man she'd found a little while back. She'd given him a place to sleep. A roof over his head. She'd fed him a hot meal, that was even delicious, according to the boy. She'd armed him, with a new sword. She'd shown him how to get between worlds, with nothing but a flick of her wrist. And all she asked in return was to acquire a few things for her. Actually a few girls. Three, to be precise.

Maleficent.

Pure darkness.

"See? It's just as I told you, Riku..." she whispered softly. She stood much taller than him, yet had bent down to find his ear. Maleficent had been slowly, and expertly poisoning Riku's mind. She sensed the anger in him. The hurt, the loneliness, and the envy. No, not harmless jealousy.

The kind of envy that turned into black hate, when he couldn't win, or have what he wanted.

"While you toiled away, trying your hardest to find your dear friend, he simply replaced you, with new companions." She smiled, wickedly, "Evidently, he now values them far more than he does you. Or perhaps ever did..."

Riku cringed.

"You're far better off without that wretched boy. Now, think no more of him, and come with me..." she placed a cold, bony hand on his shoulder, gently. With almost a motherly touch, if it hadn't been so icy.

"I'll help you find what you're looking for. Or perhaps, who..." she grinned, even wider. Riku's eyes remained fixed on the window. He was hard to read, but she could feel the darkness inside of him.

He wanted to scream.

He knew what she was doing. He wasn't stupid. In his traumatic, memory filled mind, he knew that people who helped always had a motive. Hell, even he'd been guilty of it. He was always a little ashamed of it, but it turned out good, in the long run. All those years ago, when he'd rescued poor Sora, he didn't just do it out of the kindness of his heart.

He did it because he was lonely.

He saw a poor little kid, beat up and picked on, and figured maybe if he came to his aid, he'd want to be his friend. For a long time Sora was his only friend, and he Sora's. Maybe that was why this hurt so much, and he didn't snatch away from that witch. He watched on, and while he was steadfast in his belief that Sora was still his truest friend, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't experiencing any doubt.

In Sora, or himself, he did not know which.

"So, you delivered that book? Good. The navigation gummi is installed and ready to go, y'all. You find another one, bring it back to me. That ship of yours has a few slots for 'em." Cid lit another smoke, as he headed for the door. "I'll be in the First District, if ya need any spare gummis. Figure with there being a ship now, and all, I can go back to doin' what I love!" He said with a hoarse laugh.

"He's gonna smoke himself into an early grave, that old geezer." Yuffie chuckled. Leon smirked, "He'll probably outlive us all." Aerith smiled as well, but she had a more pressing issue.

"I've been thinking about the bell, in the Second District."

"The one that rang real loud, earlier?" Goofy asked.

"That's the one. There's a legend about it, you know." Yuffie replied. Aerith tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "But, it's all boarded up. No one can get to it."

"If you manage to get to it, ring it three times. Maybe we can finally put that stupid rumor to rest." Leon groaned. Sora chuckled, and said his goodbyes as he left, alongside Donald and Goofy. The trio immediately noticed Cid, sat firmly on his rear end, just outside, rubbing his lower back.

"You okay, gramps?" Sora teased.

"Smart ass." Cid groaned, as Sora and Goofy helped him to his feet "No, I'm not alright! Some punk ran right into me! Knocked me on my ass!"

"Maybe it was an accident? What did he look like?" Sora asked. Cid lit another cigarette, speaking as he did, "Hard to tell, the little bugger was runnin' so fast. Short, though. Black hair, maybe? I don't know. He made a clacking noise when he ran. Almost like he was made out of wood, or somethin'." Cid dusted himself off. The ever present, and ever journaling Jiminy Cricket leapt from Sora's pocket, to the Keyblade master's shoulder.

"Black hair? Wooden? Oh no..." He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"You know the kid?" Donald quacked.

"Yes, I do. I think. If this is the same boy."

"Which way did he go, Cid?" Goofy asked. Cid pointed toward the door at the far end of the Third District, in the square. "Through there. Leads back to the First."

"I'm terribly sorry about this. Don't worry. I'll have a talk with him." Jiminy said firmly. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the rarely visible Jiminy headed for the First District. Through the now open door, and back out into the aforementioned district, they began their search, and it ended a moment later, after Goofy's suggestion.

"Why don't we try the Accessory Shop?" It seemed a fine enough idea. Hell that was where Sora had tried when he first showed up here. They walked along the brick path, climbing the stairs, and pushing open the doors into the well lit shop. Looking around, there didn't appear to be a shopkeep, at the moment. Cid, apparently, had neglected to have someone man the counter while he was busy. With a shrug of his shoulders, Sora turned to leave, but spotted something out of the corner of his eyes, just behind the counter.

"Huh?" He placed both hands on the counter's surface, and looked over it spotting, who he imagined, was the boy in question.

"Pinocchio!" Jiminy hollered from Sora's shoulder. He jumped down, to come face to face with him. "Oh. Uh, hi Jiminy!" Pinocchio said softly.

"What in the world are you doing down here?"

"Um..." the boy was clearly trying to come up with a lie, and quick, "Playing hide and seek!" He was satisfied with that, but, much to Sora's amazement, Pinocchio's nose seemed to shoot forward an extra few inches. Jiminy Cricket gasped, "Pinocchio! You're lying again! You knocked down that poor shop keep, and then ran to try and hide, didn't you? Well some luck! This is his shop!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy couldn't help but giggle at the irony.

"Look, Jiminy, I'm sorry. I just was in a hurry is all. Have you seen Father? I've been looking all over for him, in this town."

"Gepetto? He's not with you?"

"No. Remember that big storm? Well, after that I woke up here. Where'd you end up?" Jiminy sighed, lowering his head. He proceeded to explain where he woke up, "... and now, here we are. Still, you lied, Pinocchio! You know what happens when you lie!"

Pinocchio's chin caved into his chest. He was ashamed, apparently. "I'll never tell lies, as long as you're around, Jiminy. You're my conscience!" Like magic, the wooden boy's nose shrunk back a bit, and Sora was beginning to get the feeling something wasn't quite normal about Jiminy's friend.

"That's right! You keep being good, and you can become a real boy!" The cricket chirped.

"Then let's go! We'll find Father together!" Sora glanced down at Donald. He didn't mind, but if Donald allowed that, then the way he acted earlier would have been just to get on Sora's nerves. Donald never got the chance to say anything, however, "Now hold on! There's all kinds of danger out there, Pinocc! No, you just wait right here in this town, and I'll find Gepetto. We'll make sure to get him right back here, to you, kiddo!" The tiny cricket smiled, but that clearly wasn't the answer Pinocchio wanted. He sighed, "Okay..." He said softly.

Sora rubbed the back of his neck. Now they were looking for another guy? This was getting complicated. But, Sora hated the thought of the poor boy all alone in the world. He knew it was the right thing to do. Sora couldn't help but be driven to the right thing, no matter how much harder it made his current goal.

"Yeah, Pinocchio. We'll find your old man. Don't worry." Jiminy and Pinocchio smiled at that. Sora's enthusiasm could really be infectious sometimes.

With Jiminy back in Sora's pocket, and writing away feverishly, the trio managed to reach the top of the Gizmo Shop, in the Second District, where the aforementioned bell was. Just as Aerith said, it was indeed boarded up. You could still see the large golden bell behind the pieces of wood, and it looked as if it hadn't been rung in years.

So, how did it do just that earlier?

Donald walked up to the boards, and began his own inspection, "Looks rotted. I'll bet we could just slam through. Goofy?" Goofy smiled, and gave a salute.

"Stand back, old pal." He chuckled. Sora could barely contain his excitement. This was gonna be fun. Watching Goofy plow through this old wooden board wall. With a few steps back, Goofy cracked his knuckles, his back, and his neck. With his signature holler, he ran as hard and fast as he could, and, leading with his shoulder, he slammed through, and subsequently into the stone wall at the back of the bell's housing. He hit it so hard that it actually caused the bell to ring once, loudly. Sora and Donald covered their ears, wincing.

"Shoulda brought ear plugs!" Sora yelled. Goofy meanwhile was in a puddle after connecting with the wall, groaning.

"Oh...", before Donald walked up, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Goofy."

"Yeah, Donald?"

"Why didn't you just lead with your shield?"

Sora snickered. "Huh. Guess I didn't think of that..." He groaned, scratching his head. Sora walked up to a hanging rope, and shrugged. He figured this had to be the proper way to ring this thing. He pulled hard, and immediately went to cover his ears, as the large bell rang so loudly you could hear it at the front of the First District.

"C'mon! How about lettin' us get outta here first, before you ring that thing?" Donald quacked, helping poor Goofy to his feet.

Sora cringed, "Sorry..."

"Why I oughta..." Donald fumed, walking out of the bell's chamber with a dazed Goofy. Sora grabbed ahold of the rope and tugged again, with vigor. The bell repeated its deafening boom, for the third time.

"Sora! Look!" Goofy cried, looking down at the old defunct fountain of the Second District. Perhaps it wasn't so defunct. Mysteriously, the square had cleared out, and the Second District was as empty as it was when Sora had first arrived on this world, yet, the fountain now shined, almost as if it were ethereal. The water shot up from the jets, and it looked more beautiful than it probably had in a long time.

Sora had joined his partners, "Whoa..." he said softly, watching on. It was quite the sight.

"Okay. What do we do now?" Donald asked.

The back of the fountain had an intricately carved piece of art depicting butterflies, but that began to fade to black. An all too familiar shape formed in the fountain. It was that of a keyhole. The Keyblade suddenly appeared in Sora's hand, still with its jungle motif. The three made their way down to stand in front of the fountain, and Sora raised his Keyblade. He knew what he had to do, but before he could the whole district began to rumble. Then, a pair of large metal feet slammed into the pavement.

"This thing, again?" Sora asked in disbelief. It was the same Heartless they'd fought when they first met! Sora thought that they'd licked this thing for good! With a roll away from one of the big Heartless' armored gauntlets swing, Sora sliced upward and connected. It even fought just the same! With one gauntlet down, Sora watched as the other exploded into green light as well.

Goofy had thrown his shield clean through it, whilst Donald had zapped the feet away with a well placed lightning spell. All that remained was the torso and head. Sora looked into Donald's eyes, and they had the same idea as last time. Sora angled his Keyblade down at the ground, and, just as Donald was casting the same spell, the ground began to quake again.

The big Heartless began to tremble and shake violently, and before they knew it, the torso began to turn upside down. New gauntlets appeared, as well as new feet, that now apparently doubled as claws. All four limbs floated around the upside down version of this soulless armor. Sora glared into it's yellow, dead eyes, and watched in horror, as it's face mask sprung open, with a roar.

They'd kicked the last one's ass, but this version looked alot meaner. Sora leapt back from one of its appendages coming flying toward him, and swung down when he did. The hand was fast though, as his swing only hit air.

"Ice!" He called out, shooting the torso with icicles. His aim was true this time around, but that wasn't gonna be enough.

Goofy meanwhile, was trying to block attacks from the two gauntlets, and Donald was trying his luck at perhaps catching the head on fire.

"Sora!" He heard Goofy cry, as one of the former boots came careening at his head. With a gasp, and an upward swing he finally did away with at least one of them. Nodding his thanks to Goofy, he took off in a full sprint toward his friend, slicing through another one of the hands. The remaining two swung at Goofy, however, and knocked him to the side. He was still woozy from earlier.

"Goofy!" Sora cried. He didn't have time to check on the Knight however, as one of the appendages crashed into Sora as well. He didn't feel any pain, or even move for that matter, though. He then noticed he was encased in a wind dome, of some sort.

"Wind!" He'd faintly heard Donald quack out. Apparently that spell cast some kind of protective tornado around its target, refreshing their energy as well. Sora felt lighter, and with renewed speed, cut through the attacking hand. He jumped, bring his knees as high as he could to avoid a sweeping attack from the final remaining one, and swung when he landed, but missed.

A fireball from Donald also missed the elusive hand, but a well thrown shield from the recovered Goofy proved to be its demise. Sora had noticed that Goofy was still holding his head, and now side in pain. Donald meanwhile was casting another lightning spell on the Heartless' head. Sora closed his eyes, and focused, angling the Keyblade at Goofy.

"Heal!" He shouted. Goofy suddenly seemed to perk up. He shook his head, and laughed when his shield materialized back in his hand. "Gee, Sora! Thanks!"

"No problem!" Sora chuckled, only now recognizing that his wind spell had vanished. Gripping the Keyblade he turned to see that the armored Heartless had resorted back to its old tricks, and had once again turned itself into a cannon, of sorts.

"Fire!" Donald quacked, sending a fireball into the 'cannon's' mouth. That proved to be a mistake, however, as it only seemed to add fuel to the charging Heartless.

"Watch out!" Donald cried, ducking for cover. Sora was right in the line of fire, however. He couldn't just jump out of the way, and Goofy was too far to assist. He had only one choice. Time began to slow, again, and Sora focused...

Sora and Riku stood out on the beach, not just six months ago. With a deep inhale, Riku sighed, "You feel that? I live for that." Sora chuckled, "What the wind? Sure, it's nice, but--"

"No, not just the wind. It's air, from another world. Like a gust of change, and new." Sora shrugged, tossing his hands behind his head, casually.

"If you say so, man." It'd been a challenging school year, to say the least. Summer was finally, almost here, and the boys couldn't wait. Sora just generally hated school, and Riku was tired of learning about things that he didn't care about. Both sought adventure, in their own way, and neither liked being shackled to a desk all day, when they could be exploring out in the fresh air.

"Sora..." Riku said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Let's do something great this summer."

"Don't we always? I mean, besides get into fights, or steal anything." Sora chuckled.

"No, man, I mean something really great. Let's go. Let's build a raft, and sail. Let's see what else is out there." Riku's eyes sparkled. "Look out at the ocean. There's gotta be an endless amount of places and things to see." He spoke with an almost distant tone to his voice. As if he was speaking to himself, more than Sora.

"Build, a raft?" Sora asked, skeptically.

"Yes. Build a raft. Then go. Seriously. What's holding us back? Why not? Wouldn't it be fun? Plus, what do we have to lose, here?"

Sora thought for a second. It was easy to get lost in thought out here, on their favorite island. The night air was cool, but not at all cold, and the waves lapping against the white sand sounded so tranquil. The wind was really whipping tonight, so the palms made that all too excellent sound as they crashed together, and against the wind itself. The more Sora thought, the more he came to the conclusion that Riku was right. He didn't really enjoy his life, outside of the time he and Riku spent together. Especially when they were exploring something new. Yeah, Riku was right. Well, almost, anyway.

"What about Kairi?" Sora asked.

She would be the only thing that would hold him back. As dear a friend as Riku was to him, he knew he couldn't just leave Kairi. Wherever he went, he needed to know he'd be able to see her, again, and soon.

Riku in turn had some thinking to do of his own. She'd also crossed his mind. Perhaps a little too often, for his liking. He could feel what was happening to him, regarding her, but he could also see how she looked at Sora. Maybe that was why he wanted to do this just the two of them. Maybe it was because he wanted to get away from her. Seeing her everyday, listening to her voice, watching her move, and all the while knowing that she could never be interested in him, hurt.

Or maybe it was that he wanted to keep them separate.

Nowadays, every time they'd all hang out together, he couldn't help but notice the way they looked at one another. That damn, starry-eyed look. It filled him with confusion, which turned to anger often. But, he also knew that doing this without her would be wrong. Kairi had stuck by the two of them through a lot of stupid stuff.

Like, a lot.

So to just run away, looking for adventure without her, who craved it just as much as they did wouldn't be right.

"Of course..." Riku said softly. "She'd come too. We'd all go. Get out of here, and go see what's out there..." Sora was silent, for a moment, before nodding.

"Alright. If you're serious. Let's talk to her tomorrow. See what she thinks, and if she's in? Let's do it. I'm in." Riku smiled, and nodded, before they clasped their hands together in a shake.

"Alright, let's get back home. I'm sure your old lady is worried sick." Riku said, heading for the pier. Sora snickered, though he thought nothing funny, "Yeah, remember who you're talking to, Riku. I seriously doubt-- Whoa!"

Sora cried, as a gust of wind blew so hard it knocked him off of his feet, and into the soft sand. Sora sat puzzled for a moment, before the two shared a laugh.

"Wind!" Sora hollered out, holding his Keyblade in front of him. Then, he felt it. That wonderful breeze, all around him, and when he opened his eyes, he discovered that the Heartless' attack had crashed into his windy shield, and flew all around him, harmlessly.

"Alright!" Donald praised. Sora smiled, and with a nod of acknowledgement to Donald, held his Keyblade high in the air.

"Thunder!" Donald quacked, as a bolt of lightning struck the Keyblade. With a step back, and a bend of his knees, Sora tossed the Keyblade directly at the Heartless' cannon mouth. This iteration was quicker, however, and moved just out of the way.

Which, would have been bad for the trio.

Of course, Goofy had forseen this circumstance, and with a well timed and well placed throw of his own shield, he caused the Keyblade's course to be altered, mid-air. Which, sent it directly into the Heartless' opening. Within a few seconds, the entire opposite version of this armored monster burst, into beautiful green light, and all three watched on as it faded away. They'd done it again!

"How you like that!?" Sora asked through a laugh, alongside the other two.

"You want some more? Got another version hiding somewhere?" Donald asked the night sky.

"Well bring it on! We got the Keyblade Master, right here!" Goofy said chuckling, patting Sora's shoulder.

"Me? That one was all you!" Sora laughed.

"You're both wrong! It was all me!" Donald pointed at his chest, with authority. That was enough to make Sora and Goofy keel over with laughter. Before Sora knew it, the black keyhole at the back of the fountain was apparently drawing the attention of his blade. With a jerk forward, his hand suddenly was aiming the Keyblade at Traverse Town's Keyhole. A beam of light shot forth from it, and, just like the ones before it, a magnificent, and booming locking sound echoed loudly. As quickly as it had appeared, the Keyhole then began to break apart and fade, evidently satisfied, and the beautiful butterfly mosaic reappeared. The entire fountain looked brand new, now.

"Was that...?" Goofy asked, dismissing his shield.

"Yeah. I think so..." Sora said softly.

"Traverse Town is safe!" Donald said, happily. The three all shared a high five, and even a hug.

"All for one, and one for all!"

Pinocchio had watched as the three had fought so bravely from the rooftops. He'd watched as they rang the bell, and even saw people start to clear out, somehow in anticipation of the battle. As much as he wanted to be good, and listen to Jiminy, and as much as he wanted to become a real boy, his curiosity was just too much of a draw. He couldn't stand the thought of missing out. He wanted, more than anything, to see what was happening, and why Jiminy had been so insistent that he stayed behind.

It was quite the show too. With the big Heartless defeated, Pinocchio clapped, and danced with joy. He was so high up, there was no way they could hear or see him, unless they were specifically looking for him. Unbeknownst to the poor puppet boy, he wasn't the only one doing the watching.

He was being watched, himself.

He was the center of a sinister plan.

He collapsed onto the ground, smiling. He watched on as Sora, Donald, and Goofy hug, and the next thing he knew, everything went dark. A hand covered his eyes, and mouth, and Pinocchio felt fear. Real fear, as he and his mystery captor began to fall, he assumed off of the rooftops. But they didn't hit the ground, and the air all around became much colder. Not the chill of Traverse Town, but something else.

A darker cold, that seemed to chill your bones. Then he felt himself begin to pass out. He awoke rather quickly, and found himself laying face down, on a dark and cold castle floor.

Meanwhile, back at Traverse Town, the sky above was still and beautiful, full of brightly shining stars. One of them shot off, fading away, and down below, a poor child could be heard asking, "Hello? Has anyone seen my Mom?"