Hello everyone! And welcome to the next chapter of "The Key to the Titans!" I hope you all are taking care of yourselves, and that June treats you all great! I hope to get this chapter out soon so let's not waste anymore time. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Teen Titans.
Chapter 68: Kingdom of Corona Part 1
(Yen Sid's Tower)
After completing their business at the Toy Box, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Titans found themselves back at the great wizard's tower with no new answers and no new developments either. The wizard was in his seat as Raven's book still floated next to him as the heroes stood on the other side of the desk.
"Sora, have you made any progress in obtaining the Power of Waking?" Yen Sid asked in a serious tone. Everyone turned their gaze to the boy in question as he looked at the ground and crossed his arms.
"Sorry master but no. And what's worse, we haven't made much progress in helping Roxas either." Sora said.
"We've tried to keep him motivated, but it doesn't seem to be helping." Goofy replied.
"On the Roxas front, we've found that it is possible to bring him back, he would just need his own body first." Cyborg said.
"Luckily, we have some help from the people over at Radiant Garden who are working on it." Donald replied.
"Yes, Riku and King Mickey have seen to that." Yen Sid replied. As if on cue, the door that led to the other room opened up, revealing the two Keyblade masters walking into the room, making everyone burst out in excitement.
"Your Majesty!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed as they tackled and hugged Mickey, who laughed in response.
"Mickey!" The Titans, sans Raven, yelled out.
"Riku!" Sora yelled as he hugged his best friend.
"Good to see you all. And good timing too, since we found something you might want to see." Riku said.
"Oh cool! Um, before you show us, I wanted to pick your brain about something." Sora said.
"Sure, what's going on?" Riku asked.
"Would you know anything about helping this Roxas dude get his own body back?" Beast Boy asked, making Riku and the King share a glance of concern.
"The Replicas…" The duo replied.
"What?" Robin asked.
"Replicas…they're basically human. The previous Organization developed them as realistic vessels to place hearts in." Riku said.
"They're so real, that you'd think they're actual people. And with hearts, the replicas become real." Mickey said.
"Oh, that is why the Xehanort was in the Toy Box." Starfire gasped.
"In where?" Riku asked as Robin came to the same conclusion.
"Empty vessels. I think Xehanort is looking to add some replicas to his ranks." Robin said.
"That is how he brought the rest of the Seekers here. And we can only assume that he's still filling in the last members." Yen Sid said.
"Riku, how did you guys know about this?" Sora asked in a curious tone while Riku and Mickey shared a glance.
"You…wouldn't remember, Sora." Riku replied, confusing his friend even more.
"What? Why wouldn't I?" Sora asked.
"Sora, what do you remember after you defeated Ansem?" Mickey asked, making Sora look down in thought while the Titans watched their teammate concentrate.
"I-I don't…I don't remember. But wasn't it because I was incomplete without Roxas and had to be hidden away?" Sora asked.
"And because of Namine too, right?" Goofy asked.
"Namine? Who's that?" Beast Boy asked.
"She's Kairi's Nobody. Like Roxas is Sora's Nobody." Donald said.
"Woah, so wait…does that mean Kairi became a Heartless?" Cyborg asked.
"Not…exactly." Donald said, just raising even more questions for the Titans.
"It wasn't just that, Sora…after closing the door to the Realm of Darkness, you guys ended up at a place called Castle Oblivion. While you were there, Namine manipulated your memories under the order of the Organization, making you guys forget about everything and insert herself in your memories. They were trying to turn you into a puppet, Sora." Riku said, shocking everyone.
"Woah, man…that's…insane." Cyborg said.
"Sora, dude and I thought your journey was already nuts." Beast Boy said.
"B-but, w-why can't I remember? A-any of it?" Sora asked, clutching his head in a vice-like grip.
"Well, after you and I defeated the Organization members there and when all was said and done, your memories were completely scattered and had to be repaired. So, Namine had to place you guys in a deep sleep so that she could get you back to normal. It took a bit longer than it should have…" Riku said.
"A full year of sleeping?" Donald replied while shocking the Titans.
"You've been asleep for an entire year?! My dream!" Beast Boy asked with an excited look in his eyes.
"Not even the great people of Tamaran can manage being asleep for more than a few hours." Starfire said.
"So, that's how we ended up in those pods in Twilight Town." Goofy said.
"Yup!" Mickey said.
"But that doesn't answer why Sora can't remember anything." Raven asked.
"That's because Namine had to erase all the events at Castle Oblivion from your memory. To restore your original ones. Otherwise, you would've been stuck with the memories of Namine forever." Riku said.
"Wait, if they wanted to control Sora, she must've taken the place of someone important in Sora's memories, right? Who was the person Namine replaced?" Robin asked. Riku and Mickey shared a glance and were about to say who when suddenly a blue cloud of smoke erupted in the room, scaring everyone as the fog dispersed to reveal three new occupants in the room: One was Merlin the wizard who was dressed in a long blue robe and a long blue hat, had a long white beard and glasses resting on his nose, Lea or Axel who was dressed still in his Organization coat, and Kairi, who was now rocking a new hairstyle and her new clothes.
Her red hair was now cut to slightly reach her shoulders and her outfit had a unique hooded pink and black dress with two small cat ears hanging from the hoodie. She had black ruffles on one side of her skirt and a plaid design on the other and a pair of black bike shorts under the jacket. She also wore black belted boots on her feet and on each of her wrists were white bracelets and wristbands.
"Ah, a little warning next time, Mer!" Axel yelled as he tried to shake his headache and dizziness away while the princess did the same.
"Oh, I would've thought you'd be used to it at this point. Ah, hello Yen Sid." Merlin replied as he wiped his glasses clean.
"Hello, Merlin. I hope you are faring quite well." Yen Sid replied, nodding his head with a smile.
"As best I can with new students. But they are good students. Oh, and new faces. Hello everybody!" Merlin said, as everyone smiled in reply.
"It is the wizard, Merlin!" Starfire cheered.
"Oh well it seems my name precedes me." Merlin exclaimed with a smile.
"Looks like we got some new faces, Kairi." Axel said.
"Yup. Hi, everyone, I'm Kairi and this is Axel." Kairi said. The Titans smiled and waved while Raven's eyes widened upon hearing the girl's name.
'Kairi…she was the one who…' Raven thought to herself, remembering that she was the girl Sora was with. She quickly composed herself as Sora suddenly stepped forward.
"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed with a smile, making the girl smile as well and run to him.
"Sora!" the girl said as they both embraced in a hug, making everyone's mood change to happy, while Raven watched with a worried look, though she managed to hide it.
"Looks like you got some competition, Rae." Beast Boy whispered though he was quickly silenced by the evil glare she gave him in return. Meanwhile, Sora and Kairi broke their hug as they observed their new looks.
"It feels like I haven't seen you for so long. You look good." Kairi said, running a hand through his hair and making him laugh.
"So do you. Your hair looks really nice." Sora said while she ran a hand over her hair. Axel then walked up to them and placed a hand on Sora's shoulder.
"Glad to see you're still going strong, Sora. And who are the new guys?" Axel asked.
"Oh, right. Um, this is the team that I was with while I was away. This is Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven." Sora said as everyone nodded upon hearing their name, though Raven kept her eyes to the ground when she was mentioned. Kairi noticed the girl's look and how excited Sora was and smiled a little to herself until Yen Sid cleared his throat.
"Now that we are all here, I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on our current situation. Sora and his friends are protecting the worlds from Xehanort and the other forces of darkness while also seeking to gain the Power of Waking. And Riku and King Mickey are retracing the steps of one of our missing Guardians, Master Aqua." Yen Sid said, making everyone look down.
"So, why are we here? Don't we still have some training to get back to?" Axel asked.
"Actually, Yen Sid had a great idea that I think would benefit you both." Merlin said.
"What's that, Master?" Kairi asked in a curious tone.
"I believe that you both would benefit from some real-scenario experience. So, I was hoping that Kairi would go with Sora while Lea-" Yen Sid said.
"Axel." Axel replied in a no-nonsense tone.
"Axel…goes with Riku and King Mickey to search for clues for Aqua." Yen Sid finished, making the two trainees react differently.
"Yes! Finally, some real training." Kairi said.
"Uh, no offense, master, but I have plenty of real-world experience." Axel said.
"Indeed, you do, Axel. But wielding a keyblade is very different from your chakrams. You still have much to learn about how to fight with it." Merlin said, making Axel grumble to himself in response.
"Master, if you want, we could separate so that the groups are evened out." Robin said.
"How so, Robin?" Yen Sid asked.
"Starfire and I can go with Riku, Lea and the King." Robin said.
"I can go with Sora." Raven said.
"And I want to see more worlds!" Beast Boy said.
"Me too!" Cyborg exclaimed.
"I think they're with me too, Master." Sora replied while Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.
"Very well. Kairi and Lea, you will accompany Sora and Riku on their journey for one world so we can gauge your progress. After that, we will decide if you require any further training." Merlin said.
"Also, with the recent developments that Riku and the King have discovered. I also ask to place a hold on searching for ways to bring back Roxas and Namine. We must await new developments from the apprentices at Radiant Garden before we make any progress on bringing them back." Yen Sid said, making Axel cross his arms and look down, worried for his friend.
"Before I forget guys, Maleficent and Pete are back too. They're looking for some sort of black box or something but they didn't say." Sora spoke up.
"Hhm, a black box? First, I'm hearing of it but if Maleficent and Pete are around, then that spells nothing but trouble." Mickey said.
"Indeed. We must remain vigilant of those two." Yen Sid said as everyone nodded in agreement.
"Another question, if I may my friend. What is that book floating there?" Merlin pointed to a nearby corner where everyone saw Raven's book still floating in an orb of magic.
"That is a book that Raven brought with her. When she showed it to me, I sensed a powerful spell surrounding it. I've been trying to break it for some time now but haven't made much progress." Yen Sid said.
"Oh, well old friend why didn't you ask? If anyone knows about special books, it'd be me. Let's take a look at it." Merlin said, walking over to the book.
"Uh, another question, what makes Sora's new friends so important? What about that whole order thing for the worlds?" Axel asked. In response, the Titans summoned their keyblades in a large flash of light, shocking Merlin, Axel and Kairi in response.
"Oh, guess that answers that question." Axel replied.
"Wow, you guys are all keyblade wielders?! Awesome!" Kairi exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's really cool!" Cyborg exclaimed as everyone desummoned their blades.
"Now, unless there was anything else, I believe it is best you all get- "Yen Sid said when suddenly the door leading to the other room opened up, revealing the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather flying in. Each of them had grey hair, and wings and carried small wands in their hands and they looked similar, but you can tell who was who their color choices. Flora, the lead, was dressed in red, Fauna was dressed in green, and Merryweather was dressed in blue. Merryweather was holding a large stand with a cloak covering something.
"Ah, good news your majesty. We just finished cleaning it up. Oh, look sisters. New visitors." Flora said.
"Oh, hello, I'm Fauna. She's Flora and the one in blue is Merryweather." Fauna said as Merryweather set the display down.
"Very nice to meet you all." Merryweather said as she wiped off the sweat from her brow.
"It's the three fairies!" Starfire exclaimed as she clapped her hands in excitement. Cyborg and Beast Boy freaked out a little as well while Robin had to calm Starfire down.
"Oh, looks like we're well known. Hello, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Axel, Your Majesty, Donald and Goofy." Flora replied as everyone waved and/or nodded in response.
"What is that?" Sora asked, pointing at the large object Merryweather set down.
"Oh, Sora! This is what we wanted to show you before we told you about Castle Oblivion. Is it all good, Flora?" Mickey asked.
"Yes, your Majesty. It took us awhile, but we've restored it to its former glory." Flora said.
"It took us awhile to agree on the color." Fauna replied.
"As usual." Merryweather spoke up while fanning herself.
"I thought we agreed on it, dears. No more arguing about colors. But we were so happy to get this cleaned for the dear when she returns." Flora replied, making the two fairies shrug in response. The fairies then removed the cloak, revealing what was hidden beneath it and bringing a shocked look to Sora's face. The hidden object was revealed to be the now-restored armor of Master Aqua. It was colored in shades of silver, black, purple, and blue while dull white lines decorated the rest of the armor. The breastplate resembled an upside-down crescent moon and the dark-visored helmet had two prongs on the sides that were angled downwards. Finally, a grey cape hung from the back of the armor that reached down to the ankles of the armor.
"It's Master Aqua's armor! We found it back at Radiant Garden. We may have an idea of what happened, but the armor was taken deep within the castle. It's been down there for who knows how long and- "Riku said but was interrupted when Sora stalked past him toward the armor like he was in a hypnotized state.
"Uh, Sora? Are you okay?" Kairi asked, but she went unanswered as Sora got closer to the suit. Sora could soon only hear a slight buzzing noise in his head as he placed a hand on the chest piece of the armor. Suddenly, a sharp pain went through his head, making him gasp in shock as everyone stood up in alarm.
"Sora!" Everyone shouted in worry as Sora saw a vision flash through before his eyes.
(Land of Departure)
Terra and Aqua were walking back into the large castle after dealing with a minor threat to another world. The forces of darkness were easily dispatched, and they were quick to leave before they interfered with the order of the worlds. They still had their armor on, but their helmets were off as they started climbing the stairs.
"Thank goodness that didn't take too long." Terra said.
"Agreed. I couldn't stand being away from Sora for a second longer. I just hope we didn't miss anything. Like his first steps…his first words…his first- "Aqua rambled but was silenced by Terra gripping her hand.
"Aqua, we're not going to miss a single important moment of our son's life. We're going to be with him, every step of the way." Terra said with a smile while Aqua smiled back in response.
"Hey, guys!" The two heard and they turned to see Ventus running up to them. The boy came to a stop before he crashed into them. "Glad to see you made it back safely. How was it?" Ventus asked.
"Easy. It was just a couple of big creatures. Nothing too serious." Terra said.
"Where's Master Eraqus? We were hoping to address him quickly so we can see Sora." Aqua said.
"Why not do both?" They heard and they turned to see Eraqus walking up to them while holding baby Sora in his arms. The child was wrapped in a small white blanket but had short, brown, spiky hair; bright, blue eyes and a large smile aimed directly at Aqua and Terra. The two parents cooed and smiled as they walked over to their master and their son.
"Oh, hello little one." Terra said, ruffling Sora's hair as Aqua set her helmet down and took the baby out of Eraqus' hands, cradling him in her arms.
"He woke up just as you two returned. Almost as if he knew when you were home." Eraqus said. Aqua smiled and beamed down at the child with a smile as Sora moved his arms up to reach her face.
"Thank you both for watching him." Aqua said to Ventus and Eraqus.
"Oh, it's no problem. The little tike was really nice." Ventus replied.
"I trust that everything went well." Eraqus said.
"Yes, Master. The threat was taken care of, and peace was brought back to the world." Terra said while bowing. Eraqus smiled and nodded in response.
"Very good. You have both done very well today. We will resume our training tomorrow. For now, rest and enjoy your free time." Eraqus said.
"Thank you, Master." Aqua and Terra said together as they bowed to him. Eraqus bowed back before walking away, leaving the trio and Sora alone.
"Well, I dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna go get some sleep. It's been a long ti- "Ventus said until he noticed Sora running his hands along Aqua's armor and mouthing something, catching everyone's attention.
"Sora? What is it, son?" Terra asked, his excitement growing. Sora seemed to struggle with something as he looked up at Aqua more.
"M…mmm…ah…." Sora struggled out as everyone crowded around him.
"Is-is he saying his first word?!" Ventus exclaimed.
"I-I think so!" Aqua said as tears formed in her eyes.
"M…Ma…" Sora slowly got out.
(Present)
"…Mom." Sora said as he placed a hand on the armor. Sora smiled a little at the armor as he could only imagine how Aqua wore the armor and how brilliant it must've looked.
"WHAT?!" Everyone's voice exploded behind him, and he slowly turned to see everyone staring at him, making him nervously chuckle in response.
"Aqua's your- she's-you- "Donald exclaimed.
"Aqua's you're mom?!" Goofy asked.
"But that-that can't…how is that possible?" Riku asked.
"You…you've always been at Destiny Islands, right? That can't be." Kairi said.
"And Aqua never brought up having a son either. Can it really be true?" Mickey asked.
"Great, another thing I have to memorize." Axel replied.
"Does anyone know what's going on?" Cyborg asked, while most of the Titans shook their heads no while Raven remained silent.
"Well, that's quite the development, huh ladies?" Merlin asked while Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather nodded in agreement. Yen Sid suddenly stood up from his chair, making everyone go silent as the wizard focused his gaze on Sora.
"Sora, what do you mean when you said 'Mom?'" Yen Sid asked.
"W-well…it's ah…really hard to…uhm…explain." Sora shyly responded.
"Please do my boy. We're all ears." Merlin encouraged, as Sora took a breath and started the tale.
"While I was in my team's world…I somehow unlocked a part of my memory that was hidden away. I'm still not sure of everything…but since then, I've been having memories or visions of me as a baby with Aqua, Terra, and I believe Ventus and Master Eraqus." Sora said.
"How did you come to unlock these memories Sora?" Yen Sid asked, making Raven step forward.
"I did. My powers allow me to enter people's minds and help them in some way. After a series of strange events, I went into Sora's mind and managed to unlock the memories for him." Raven said, surprising everyone.
"You?" The Titans asked, while one of Kairi's eyebrows went up in thought.
"Impressive. You have quite the power, young madam." Merlin replied. Raven nodded before looking at Sora and pointing at his necklace.
"Oh, right!" Sora replied as he opened up his necklace, shocking everyone even more as Sora pulled out the folded-up picture of him, Aqua, and Terra and placed it on the desk for everyone to see.
"When I remembered, my necklace suddenly glowed and when I opened it, that picture was there." Sora said. Everyone crowded around as they saw a painted image of child Sora being held in the arms of Terra and Aqua with big smiles on everyone's faces.
"That's him. That's who I met on the island…that's…Terra's your father too?!" Riku asked and Sora gave him a compassionate look.
"I guess so." Sora said, making Riku look down in thought.
"Wow, your father looks cool." Robin replied.
"She's your mother, Sora?" Kairi asked, looking at the picture in a curious gaze.
"She is very beautiful, friend Sora." Starfire said.
"You can see where he got the blue eyes from." Beast Boy responded.
"And his strength too." Cyborg replied.
"Uh, question, if this is true, then how come Sora was at the Destiny Islands for, oh I dunno, his entire childhood?" Axel asked.
"That is a good question, and also how come your memory of it was locked this whole time?" Kairi asked.
"And most importantly, if Aqua and Terra saw you at Destiny Islands, why didn't they take you with them? If you are their son, not saying you're not, you'd think they would take you back home right then and there." Mickey said, making Sora look down in thought.
"I…I dunno. I'm not sure how I ended up on the islands, why I can't remember anything, or why they never took me back. But I know in my heart that they loved me and that whatever choices they made, they made it for the right reasons. That's why I'm so dedicated to finding them." Sora said, making everyone nod in agreement while Donald and Goofy placed their hands on his shoulders. Yen Sid took the time to sit back down as he looked at the drawn picture while everyone stood before him.
"Sora, thank you for sharing this info with us. We will do all we can to save everyone. But I must ask that you continue on your journey on gaining the Power of Waking. I know you want to headlong the search, but…" Yen Sid said.
"No, Master I…I understand. The Power of Waking is most important. And I wouldn't trust anyone else to look for her." Sora said, smiling at Riku, who smiled back in response.
"We'll find them. And I'll keep you up to date on anything we find." Riku replied.
"Thank you. And if you need me, just call on our Gummi Phone." Sora said, pulling out the phone. Suddenly, the phone beeped as Tron's voice spoke out.
"Already connected you both." Tron said.
"We should get going if we want to save everyone." Donald replied.
"Right, Master, is there anything else that we need to know before we head off?" Sora asked.
"No, unless you have any other secrets you wish to reveal, Sora?" Yen Sid asked. The boy racked his brain over anything else he may have forgotten, but nothing came to mind.
"Nothing that I could think of." Sora replied.
"Hhm, very well. Then we should proceed with our missions. Be careful and trust in each other." Yen Sid replied as everyone bowed in response.
"Yes, Master." Everyone replied as they started walking out. Raven was about to exit as well when she suddenly felt someone tap her on the shoulder and she turned to see Kairi standing next to her.
"Hi, you're Raven, right?" Kairi asked, surprising the Titan.
"U-uhm yeah, I am. It's nice to meet you Kairi." Raven said as the two shook hands.
"Nice to meet you. So, you were able to help Sora with his memories, right? How exactly?" Kairi asked.
"Well, it's just what comes with my powers. I can tell you more if you want." Raven said.
"Sure, I'd love to hear it. Along with the other adventures you all have been on." Kairi replied. Meanwhile, Axel walked closer to Robin and Starfire.
"So, your name is Starfire, huh?" Axel asked.
"Yes, that is my name. And you are either Lea or Axel?" Starfire asked.
"Just Axel. Got it memorized?" Axel said, pointing at his forehead.
"Yes, I…believe so." Starfire replied, a little confused as the group of heroes walked out leaving Yen Sid, Merlin, and the three good fairies alone.
"May your heart be your guiding key." Yen Sid whispered to them.
"Yen Sid…" Merlin spoke up, making the tall wizard stand up and look to see Merlin concentrating and struggling with his magic on the book.
"What have you discovered?" Yen Sid asked.
"This book…has a dark history latched to it. The aura it's giving off is…overwhelming and painful." Merlin said.
"It was that Raven girl who brought it, right? Could it come from her?" Merryweather asked, concerned.
"Oh, Merryweather." Fauna replied, lightly patting the blue fairy on the shoulder.
"No, Raven, may have dark powers, but her heart shines brightly. This aura could not have come from her." Yen Sid replied. Suddenly, the book let out a powerful shockwave of energy, making Merlin fall to the ground and pushing Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, and Yen Sid back a little.
"Oh my!" Flora exclaimed along with the other two fairies. Yen Sid helped his fellow wizard up as Merlin put his glasses back on before turning his gaze back to the book as it continued to float in the magic field.
"This concealment spell is stronger than I anticipated. What is this book and who went through the trouble of hiding its truth?" Flora asked.
"I do not know Flora. But we are going to require more help if we're going to break this spell." Yen Sid replied.
"Sounds like I'm going to have to make a few visits." Merlin said as they all crowded around the book, the glow of the field illuminating their faces as the same question passed through their minds: What was this book?
(Meanwhile, in Riku and Mickey's Gummi Ship)
The King's personal ship lifted into the air and pointed toward its destination as everyone strapped themselves in the cockpit. Riku and Mickey were seated in the main pilot seats while Robin, Starfire, and Axel were seated behind them.
"Everyone set?" Riku asked.
"Good to go." Robin said.
"Yes, I am ready." Starfire said.
"All set for lift off." Axel replied.
"Here we go!" Mickey exclaimed as the ship took off and into the stars. Eventually, the ship entered warp space, allowing Riku and Mickey to place the ship in autopilot.
"We should be reaching our destination soon." Riku said, as he turned his attention to the other statuses of the ship.
"Uh, where exactly are we heading?" Axel asked.
"Cinderella's World. The Castle of Dreams. According to Aqua, that was the first world she went to when their journey started. Hopefully, we find something there." Mickey said.
"Yes, I am looking forward to seeing the new worlds and finding clues to Sora's mother." Starfire said, making Riku let out a breath and sulk into his chair.
"What is it?" Robin asked.
"I still can't believe it. She's Sora's mom…the same woman who we met back home, the same woman who saved me in the Realm of Darkness…it's a lot to take in." Riku said.
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting that in the slightest. Can't even remember the last time we brought up families or parents or anything of the subject." Axel said.
"Can I ask you something, Riku? When you guys met Aqua all those years ago, what did she say?" Mickey asked, surprising the boy as he thought it over.
"Oh, well…she asked Sora that if I ever go down a dark path, would he be there to help bring me back? He said yes of course and after that, we had to leave." Riku replied.
"And this was before or after you met Terra?" Mickey asked.
"After." Riku said.
"Hhm, it sounds like she was forewarning you both of what could go wrong since Terra bequeathed the keyblade to you. And hate to say, she was right." Mickey said.
"Agreed. But at least, this explains why Sora reacted like he did. We have to find them both soon." Riku said.
"Your Majesty, could you tell us what exactly happened to Terra, Ventus, and Aqua? We'd really like to know." Robin said.
"Yeah, a refresher wouldn't hurt." Axel said, leaning back in his chair and getting comfy.
"Sure, but it is a long story." Mickey said, turning his chair to face them.
"We have nothing but time, Your Majesty." Starfire said.
"Well, it all started with a beautiful meteor shower…" Mickey explained as everyone listened while the ship continued its warp-speed journey.
(Meanwhile, in Sora's ship)
Sora sat in his chair looking down at the floor while Donald and Goofy piloted the ship and Beast Boy manned the cannons. Cyborg was in the back room working on something while Raven and Kairi were seated behind Sora, looking at him with a concerned look in their eyes. Raven was about to walk up to him Kairi beat her to it and walked to Sora's side.
"Sora, are you okay?" Kairi asked. Sora snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at his lifelong friend.
"Y-yeah, I guess. It was hard to believe…them being my parents, but…telling you all, really makes it a bit more believable. My parents…are out there somewhere…and they're waiting for me." Sora said, with a bit more determination in his voice. Kairi smiled and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"We're going to find them. Everyone who needs help and then everything will be straightened out." Kairi said. Sora smiled and took her hand in his.
"Thanks, Kairi. And thanks for coming too." Sora said as they both smiled at each other. Raven watched from her chair and looked down at the floor, feeling a little left out. She couldn't help but notice how quickly she made Sora happy from his stupor and wondered how Kairi did it. Was it from their bond? How long they knew each other? Or was it something else entirely that Raven just lacked? These thoughts quickly rushed through Raven's head, suddenly making the chair she was sitting in shake and rattle a little from her powers.
'No, no, have to suppress it.' Raven thought to herself as she took several deep breaths as her chair stopped. Her breathing caught the attention of Sora, who turned to look at her.
"Raven, are you okay?" Sora asked, walking up to her, in concern.
"Y-yes, Sora, I'm fine. I'm just gonna go meditate for a little bit." Raven said, getting up from her chair.
"Oh, o-okay. Let me know if you need anything." Sora replied. Raven smiled and nodded in response and was about to walk out when suddenly, Cyborg came rushing into the cockpit with a huge smile on his face. Thankfully, Raven was able to move out of the way before being trampled.
"Boo-yah! Guess what, y'all? Just finished my very own wings! Check them out!" Cyborg exclaimed, about to press a button on his chest when suddenly Donald turned his seat around.
"Ahahaha, not in the ship! Are you nuts?! Save it for when we're on the ground." Donald retorted, turning his chair back to focus on his piloting.
"Oh, right. Sorry…" Cyborg said, slumping into his seat as his excitement went down. Raven let out a breath and walked out of the room, while Sora watched with a concerned look in his eye, to which Kairi couldn't help but notice.
"I'm looking forward to seeing them, Cy! Won't have to carry you around so often now." Beast Boy said.
"Focus, Beast Boy!" Donald called out. Beast Boy yelped and got back to shooting down asteroids and Heartless ships.
"So, you're a robot, but you're also a human? How does that work?" Kairi asked, in a curious tone.
"I'm half robot. A cyborg actually, hence the name." Cyborg replied.
"Wow, what can you do with your technology?" Kairi asked, intrigued.
"Well, I can create weapons out of them, hack into different computers, and scan other electronics…" Cyborg explained while Kairi listened in interest.
"That's so cool! And what about him? Beast Boy, right?" Kairi asked.
"That's right. And yours truly can turn into all kinds of animals." Beast Boy said about to show off his power.
"BB, look out!" Goofy yelled out.
"Aah! Sorry!" Beast Boy yelled as he got back to shooting other asteroids.
"He can transform into any animal he can think of. Dog, horse, swordfish, even a cat." Sora explained.
"Oh, a cat! Really?!" Kairi exclaimed with wide eyes.
"You know it." Beast Boy replied.
"Now that's just adorable. And what can Raven do?" Kairi asked.
"She didn't tell you back at the Tower?" Sora asked.
"She just gave me a vague answer. But I think there's more to it." Kairi replied.
"You're not wrong. But it's best if she explains it. Her powers come with a lot of baggage." Sora said.
"If you say so. So, what world are we heading to this time?" The girl replied.
"Actually, we don't know. The last world we went to was a new one. So, this could be anything." Goofy replied.
"Speaking of which, I think we've arrived." Donald spoke as a bright light started to cover the cockpit of the ship.
"Huh, this one seems easier than the last one." Beast Boy spoke up.
"Either way, we should be ready for anything." Sora said as the light started sparkling with gold lights as they got closer to the world.
(In the Unknown World)
The group was brought down from their ship and landed safely on the ground, finding themselves in a large, dense, green forest.
"Let's see, large green forest…this could be Robin Hood, King Arthur, Bambi…" Beast Boy listed off.
"C'mon, man, this could be Sleeping Beauty's Forest for all we know. And besides, even if we were in Bambi's world, we would've transformed into animals already." Cyborg replied.
"Would you two be quiet? Someone could hear us." Raven said.
"It sure is a pretty day though." Goofy replied as he looked up at the sun.
"It is and that clear blue sky. Perfect for a picnic, huh?" Kairi asked.
"I think so. Seems like you could just set up anywhere here." Sora replied as he rested his arms behind his head, making the redhead smile. Raven grimaced in response, making some tree branches rattle in response.
"Sora, why do you think we came here?" Raven asked.
"Got me, Rae." Sora nonchalantly replied, making her go red in annoyance. Goofy stopped and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Guess we'll just figure it out as we go." Goofy remarked.
"Guess so." Donald said while letting out a breath.
"I'm sure we were brought to this world for some reason, but can we worry about it later? Just enjoy the open space." Sora asked.
"I'm cool with it. As long as we don't run into any trouble." Beast Boy replied. Suddenly, the sound of someone yelling echoed across the forest, catching everyone's attention and making them come to a stop.
"You had to say it." Donald replied. They heard more sounds of struggling and someone grunting before something tumbled into view behind them. Everyone turned to see a young man lying on the ground while rubbing his back in pain. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and a goatee on his chin. He also wore a long-sleeved white shirt that was rolled up to his forearms, with a turquoise vest on top. He also wore a small satchel belted around his waist on the left side, brown pants, and boots. The man let out tired breaths as the group walked over to him.
"Um, sir. Are you okay?" Kairi asked. The man looked up at them as a look of confusion passed over him until he heard a noise up above him. He and the group followed the noise to see several new forms of Heartless jumping down in pursuit of the man. Some of the Heartless resembled small archers with large bows in their hands while others looked like small little flowers with yellow leaves for arms. The man quickly got back on his feet and made a break for it as the Heartless gave chase, running straight toward the group.
"Make way! Make way! Clear a path! Move! Move! Move!" The man yelled out as everyone moved out of the way for the man while the Heartless ran closer. Raven quickly created a shield in front of everyone, making the Heartless come to a stop as they started bashing away at her construct. Meanwhile, the man took cover behind a nearby rock and peeked out to see the team standing their ground against the dark creatures. Everyone summoned their weapons while Raven set the shield down, allowing the team to engage the Heartless.
Kairi summoned her own keyblade, the Destiny's Embrace: the hilt is shaped like a heart with one side in the shape of a breaking ocean wave, while the other is formed in a beige vine of sand that wraps and continues around the shaft, the color resembling a setting sun. The vine connects to a bouquet of flowers which creates the teeth and entwines to outline another heart. The keychain was a red silken chain with a star-shaped fruit token.
Beast Boy turned into a tiger and charged at the flower Heartless, ripping into them with his claws while Cyborg covered him by shooting the archers with his cannon and other weapons. Raven and Donald were using their powerful Thunder magic to clear out the archers who were using the trees and branches as firing points. Goofy was blocking and retaliating against the Heartless while Sora and Kairi tagged teamed the creatures. The man in hiding watched them from behind the rock as he watched the group fight the monsters.
"Say, you don't mind if I leave this to you guys? Since it seems like you all know what you're doing?" The man asked aloud to them.
"Yeah! Surprised you're still here!" Sora yelled out as he struck down another Heartless.
"We'll take care of them! Go!" Kairi continued.
"You have my thanks. The guards and that horse were enough. Don't need these monsters on my trail." The man replied.
"What was enough?!" Cyborg asked.
"Oh, nothing, nothing. The name's Flynn, Flynn Rider if we ever meet again. I'm outta here!" The man now known as Flynn, ran off into the forest.
"Hey, wait!" Donald yelled out.
"Guys, we got more incoming." Beast Boy yelled while he turned back into a human. Everyone looked to see more archers and plants while a new green Heartless with a small tornado floating around its body appeared. Everyone went to attack while Kairi and Raven ran together.
"Good luck." Kairi said with a smile.
"Oh, uh thanks." Raven said. Kairi then suddenly threw her keyblade in a similar way Sora did at one of the Heartless before teleporting over to the creatures in a pink flash. She continued her attacks with a strong water spell taking out a few of them while Raven used her powers to grab one of the plant Heartless and used it as a swinging mace to take out the others. Beast Boy turned into a rhino and plowed through the Heartless, sending them flying into the air while Goofy spun in the air in a whirlwind, bashing the rest of the creatures away. Sora, Donald, and Cyborg were working back-to-back by destroying the remaining archers, with Sora finishing the last one with a Strike Raid, putting an end to the Heartless for now.
"Well, that takes care of them. Good job." Kairi said, offering a high-five to Raven. Confused, the empath returned it with her own high-five.
"Hey, where'd that Rider guy go?" Beast Boy asked.
"I think he took Sora and Kairi's advice." Goofy replied.
"Last I saw, he went toward that rock corner over there." Donald said, pointing further into the forest where a mountain could be seen.
"But…that doesn't make sense. That's just a dead end." Sora said.
"I can track his footprints with my eye. He went this way." Cyborg said, walking ahead of the group while his robot eye glowed brighter.
"Thank goodness he came with us." Sora said.
"Agreed." Raven and Kairi replied, causing Raven to look down in embarrassment. Everyone followed Cyborg as he continued tracking the prints.
"Flynn, where are you?" Sora asked aloud but got no response.
"Oh, Flynn!" Goofy called out, but still nothing. Raven looked around the forest for any sign of the man until her eyes landed on a nearby tree that had two sheets of paper hanging from it. She took a closer look to see that the papers were wanted signs showing the face of one Flynn Rider and a pair of brothers called the Stabbington Brothers. One of the brothers had a scar across his right cheek while the other had an eyepatch over his left eye and a scar over his lips. She looked closer at the Flynn Rider poster and saw that it was the same man that they met, though the nose on the poster was far from accurate. She tore off Flynn's poster from the tree and hid it in her cloak as she walked to catch up with the others.
Cyborg continued to track the prints until he came to a stop next to the corner of the mountain where a small patch of green vines hung from the wall.
"Strange, his footprints just vanish here. Looks like a horse came by here before taking off." Cyborg said, tracking the other steps.
"You thinking he took the horse?" Beast Boy asked.
"It's the only thing that makes sense." Kairi asked.
"It still doesn't though. Why would he even come over here?" Sora asked, walking over to the vines.
"Well, at least he got away safe and sound, right?" Donald asked.
"That's right." Goofy agreed.
"Yeah, true. Still thou-WHOA!" Sora said, about to lean back against the vines, expecting a smooth surface, but found nothing as he fell backward onto the ground.
"Sora! Sora, are you okay?!" Raven yelled out, about to run in until Sora stood up and pushed the vines aside, revealing a cave on the other side of the vines.
"I'm fine. And I think I found where Flynn may have gone. C'mon!" Sora said, running back in. Raven and Kairi followed suit along with Donald and Goofy while Cyborg and Beast Boy watched.
"We would've figured that out sooner, right?" Beast Boy asked.
"Just c'mon." Cyborg said, grabbing the changeling by the arm and pulling him in. Sora led the way through the cave until they came to a large open clearing.
"Woah…" Sora exclaimed.
"Now that is a sight." Kairi replied. Everyone looked to see a large Tower settled by itself in the clearing next to a nearby waterfall that was tall enough to nearly reach the mountain tops. The tower had a tall purple roof, and a white middle with a window, and the tower itself had cobblestone bricks with some grass growing in certain parts of the building.
"Woah, look at that!" Cyborg replied.
"Looks like something out of a fairy tale." Beast Boy said.
"That might be the point." Raven said.
"Do we think Flynn might be in there?" Goofy asked.
"It's the only place he could be." Donald said.
"Let me go up there. See what I can find." Sora said as he took off toward the base of the tower.
"Sora, be careful!" Kairi yelled out but was left unanswered as the boy got further out of range. "Could've taken one of us with him." she said under her breath.
(Meanwhile, inside the Tower)
Flynn Rider suddenly opened his eyes after feeling something small slap him on the side of his head, making him try and swat at whatever was on his shoulder. But unfortunately, he found that his entire body was tied up in a chair. He looked down to see that the thing that was tying him to the chair was hair; very, very long, blond hair to be exact. He tried to break free but the hair was tied tightly, so he started following the source of the hair to see it hanging up from the ceiling.
"What…what is this?" Flynn asked.
"Struggling…struggling is pointless." The voice of a girl spoke from the rafters. Flynn gave a confused look in response as he heard a pair of feet land in front of him as someone started walking out of the shadows. The figure turned out to be a young woman who was the source of the inhumanly long blonde hair, and bright green eyes. She wore a pinkish-purple dress that went down to her bare feet, and she had white sleeves on her arms. In her hands was a black frying pan which she held as a weapon.
"I know why you're here…and I'm not…afraid of you." The girl said.
"What?" Flynn asked, even more confused.
"Who are you? And how did you find me?" the girl asked in a calm but fierce tone. Flynn could only stare in amazement before clearing his throat and regaining his calmness.
"I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you, but may I just say…Hi, how are you doing? The name's Flynn Rider. How's your day going, huh?" Flynn asked with a wide and confident smirk. The girl could only stare in confusion before pointing the pan at Flynn's face in a threatening motion.
"Who else knows my location, Flynn Rider?" The girl asked.
"All right, hang on, Blondie." Flynn replied.
"Rapunzel." The girl replied.
"Gesundheit. Anyway, here's the deal. I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest when I stumbled upon a- "Flynn explained until he realized that he was missing one of his main accessories, his satchel. "Oh! Oh no no! No no no! Where is my satchel?" Flynn asked in a worried tone while Rapunzel crossed her arms with a smug smirk on her face.
"I've hidden it. Somewhere you'll never find it. So, what do you want with my hair? To cut it?" Rapunzel asked as she started circling the chair, wrapping Flynn in more of her hair.
"Wha- "Flynn asked as the girl pointed the pan at his throat.
"To sell it?" Rapunzel asked again.
"No! Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair is to get out of it! Literally!" Flynn explained.
"Really? Wait. You don't want my hair?" Rapunzel asked in surprise.
"Why on earth would I want your hair? Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, and I climbed it, okay? End of story." Flynn replied.
"You're telling the truth?" Rapunzel asked again.
"Yes!" Flynn replied. Rapunzel could only stare in confusion as if she was expecting more from him when suddenly, a small, green, chameleon poked its head out from the girl's hair and climbed down to the edge of the pan to stare Flynn in the eye, before pointing to the corner with its tail. It continued to stare down at Flynn until Rapunzel moved them over to the corner.
"I know, but I need someone to take me. I think he's telling the truth too." Rapunzel argued with the chameleon while Flynn tried to free himself. "Okay, Flynn Rider. I'm prepared to offer you a deal." She replied.
"Deal?" Flynn asked as Rapunzel pulled on her hair, making the chair spin and fall to the ground.
"Look this way." Rapunzel said as she climbed up to the top of a nearby fireplace and pulled back a red curtain, revealing a large mural of a castle and several lights floating in the night sky. "Do you know what these are?" She asked. Flynn looked up from the ground to see the painting on the wall.
"You mean the lantern thing they do for the princess?" Flynn asked.
"Lanterns? I knew they weren't stars. Well, tomorrow evening they will light the night sky with these 'lanterns.' You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal." Rapunzel proposed. Flynn managed to push his chair onto its side so that way his face wasn't planted on the floor.
"Yeah…No can do. Unfortunately…the Kingdom and I aren't exactly 'simpatico' at the moment, so I won't be taking you anywhere." Flynn replied. Rapunzel looked down at her chameleon, who made a motion to get a little tougher on the thief. Steeling herself, the girl hopped down from the fireplace and started tugging on her hair, bringing Flynn back up from the ground.
"Something brought you here, Flynn Rider. Call it what you will: fate, destiny…" Rapunzel said.
"A horse and a bunch of other monsters." Flynn said.
"So, I have made the decision to trust you." Rapunzel continued.
"…A horrible decision, really." Flynn replied.
"But trust me when I say that you could search the entire tower, but you'll never find your precious satchel without me." Rapunzel said as she brought the chair closer, so they were a few feet away from each other, unnerving Flynn as he cleared his throat again.
"Let me get this straight. I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back home…then you'll give me back my satchel?" Flynn asked to confirm the whole deal.
"I promise." Rapunzel said, making Flynn narrow his eyes at her. "And when I promise something, I never, ever break that promise." She spoke. This only made Flynn raise one of his eyebrows at her, still questioning her. "Ever." Rapunzel said as the chameleon nodded in response. Flynn looked away from her as his thoughts ran over this deal.
'Oh, what to do? I cannot let her find that tiara. Okay, just think…I need the satchel and Blondie has it. Those brothers are still out there, plus that horse, oh and those monsters…if there's more out there…Wait! I've got it! Those guys in the funny outfits. They looked tough enough to be handy.' Flynn thought to himself.
"All right, I'll take you. But on one condition: my sidekicks come along." Flynn responded.
"Sidekicks?" Rapunzel asked. Flynn responded with only a cheeky grin until someone suddenly knocked on the closed window a few times, making Rapunzel back away in fright and hold the pan in front of her like a weapon while Flynn fell to the floor again.
"Who is that? More thieves? Are they here for my hair this time?!" Rapunzel asked in worry.
"Hello? Is anyone in here?" Sora's voice said through the door, making Flynn smile as he recognized the voice.
"Oh, that's one of my sidekicks. It's okay, you can trust him." Flynn said in a muffled voice again. Rapunzel, still cautious, slowly walked over to the closed window and opened it up, letting the sunlight in and revealing Sora sitting in a crouched position on the windowsill. Sora and Rapunzel locked eyes for a second before she pointed her pan again in a threatening stance
"Oh, uh…hello." Sora said, nervously waving since he'd never been threatened by a pan before, nor had he ever seen such long hair on a person before.
"Who are you and why are you here?" Rapunzel asked.
"Uh, I'm Sora and I was looking for someone. His name is Flynn Rider and- "Sora said.
"Oh, you must be one of his sidekicks, right?" Rapunzel asked, confusing the boy.
"Sidekicks?" Sora asked.
"Hey, Sora! Perfect timing. Listen, Blondie, here- "Flynn said.
"Rapunzel." The girl corrected again.
"Gesundheit. Anyway, she offered us a job to take her to the Kingdom to see a special lantern event and I thought why not? Something might come out of it, right? I was also hoping you could talk the rest of the team into it, too?" Flynn asked while moving his chair again to better speak.
"Uhm…why are we your sidekicks?" Sora asked.
"Don't worry about it. So, how about it? Are you all in or not?" Flynn asked.
Sora let out a confused sigh but nodded his head in response. "Well, I don't see why not. But let me talk to my friends and see what they say." Sora replied.
"Excellent! Why don't you go on ahead and talk to the team and we'll meet you all down there? Sound good?" Flynn asks, flashing two thumbs up.
"Uh yeah, sure. We'll be down there. Very nice to meet you, Rapunzel." Sora said as he waved and jumped down. Rapunzel could only wave back sheepishly until Flynn cleared his throat again.
"So, uh, gonna untie me now or what?" Flynn asked, making Rapunzel roll her eyes.
(Meanwhile, down at the base of the tower)
Sora had just touched down and explained the whole plight that Flynn had thrust onto them, and the team all had looks of confusion on their faces. Everyone remained silent as they thought over the deal until one of them spoke her mind.
"No." Raven replied, shocking Sora.
"Wha- No? Why no?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, Rae. Overall, it sounds pretty straightforward." Cyborg replied.
"Yeah, take this girl to the castle, see some pretty lights, take her back home. Easy-peasy." Beast Boy said.
"It's not this girl that I have a problem with, it's that Flynn guy." Raven said.
"What about him?" Kairi asked.
"How can we even trust him? From what it sounds like, he sounds like a fast talker. And besides…" Raven said, pulling out the wanted poster of Flynn and showing it to everyone. "This doesn't paint a pretty picture either." Raven said as everyone walked closer to see the poster.
"He's a thief?" Donald asked.
"Looks like it." Goofy replied.
"He could be using us for his own gain. Or leading this girl on to trick her. We can't trust him." Raven said.
"I understand Rae. But what if he does something that hurts this girl, or tricks her even? I've met her up there and she looks like she's new to all of this. She could use our help." Sora said.
"I don't like this, Sora." Raven replied. Sora smiled and took her hand in his.
"Trust me, Rae." Sora replied. Raven still gave a disapproving glare while Sora gave a knowing look. "I know what'll change your mind." Sora said with a smirk as he bowed his head while making Raven's eyes go wide.
"What?! Sora, no, don't do it. Please!" Raven exclaimed, but the boy didn't listen as he raised his head to reveal a wide, pleading smile and wide eyes, showing his sparkling blue irises.
"Please?" Sora asked. Raven let out an exasperated growl at the smile but started cracking under the pressure of the cute smile.
"Mmh, curse that smile…why did I have to love that smile…" Raven replied under her breath. "Ugh, fine! We'll help. But no distractions! The last thing we need is for this trip to take longer than it's supposed to. Ya get me?" Raven asked.
"Yup, no distractions. Thanks Rae." Sora said, running back to the Tower. The empath let out an annoyed breath in response as Beast Boy walked up to her.
"Ooh, so that's how we can convince you to do things. Let me try." Beast Boy said, lowering his head and quickly raising it again to reveal his cute face, with sparkling, wide eyes and a cute smile on his face, but Raven didn't even budge, only crossing her arms in boredom. Beast Boy shook his head and looked at her in shock and confusion.
"What?! Oh, come on! Why does that work for him, but not me?!" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"You know why." Raven retorted as she stepped away while Beast Boy let out a growl of frustration. Cyborg, Donald, and Goofy were laughing at the interaction while Kairi continued to watch the interactions between Sora and Raven. After calming down, everyone grouped around the base of the tower to see Flynn climbing down the side of the tower with nothing but two arrows that he used as climbing picks. He was halfway down as he looked up to see Rapunzel let down her long hair, which landed in a big pile in front of the group.
"Woah! Wait, is that…hair?" Kairi asked.
"I think you left out this part, Spike." Cyborg said.
"Yeah, the girl has really, really long hair." Sora replied.
"How long are we talking?" Beast Boy asked. They then heard a yell of joy, and they looked up to see Rapunzel sliding down her hair like a pole. She then came to a halt before she hit the ground as she softly placed her bare feet on the grass.
"Very long." Sora replied.
"It looks like she's never been out of the tower before." Goofy replied as everyone nodded in agreement. Rapunzel soon fell to her knees and felt the grass in her fingers.
"It's so soft!" Rapunzel exclaimed as she saw dandelions floating through the air. She completely ignored the group she ran toward the flowers, her long hair trailing behind her. "I'm free. I'm finally free!" Rapunzel yelled as she ran off. The team could only watch with wide eyes as she ran feet-first into a nearby lake while Flynn climbed down from the tower. Sora, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg ran over to him as Flynn turned to see them.
"Ah, Sora! Perfect. I hope you've all agreed on our arrangement?" Flynn asked.
"We have and we've agreed." Sora said.
"Haha! Yes! Excellent." Flynn celebrated as everyone heard a loud splash of water and they turned to see Rapunzel trudging through the lake while her hair trailed behind her.
"So, that's the girl, right?" Donald asked.
"Yup, that would be Rapunzel." Flynn replied.
"What's with her hair? Why is it so freakishly long?" Beast Boy asked.
"Dunno. Still trying to figure that out. But I would suggest trying not to cut it, she's really defensive about it." Flynn said.
"Really?" Kairi asked.
"Really. She knocked me out with a pan 'cause she thought I was trying to steal it." Flynn replied as everyone cringed in pain at the thought of it. Rapunzel splashed some water around more before running around the water again.
"We better get going now. We don't need to be held up anymore." Raven said.
"Woah, c'mon Raven. This is her first time being outside in who knows how long. Let's give her a few minutes, at least." Kairi proposed.
"Yeah, what the redhead said, gloomy." Flynn said, as he walked ahead of everyone.
"Something tells me where gonna be here a while." Cyborg replied as Raven groaned audibly again.
(Later, outside the cave)
Rapunzel stood outside the cave as she basked in the light of the sun and took in her surroundings while the rest of the group trailed behind her.
"I can't believe I did this! I can't believe I did this! I can't believe I did this!" Rapunzel cheered, stomping her feet in excitement, when suddenly her whole personality did a complete 180 as a frown went over her face and her whole body slouched over.
"Mother would be so furious if she knew I disobeyed her and left the tower…" Rapunzel said in a downed tone. Suddenly, she quickly changed as she now sat on a rock in a nearby pond while holding a flower in her hand.
"But that's okay-I mean, what she doesn't know won't kill her… Right?" Rapunzel said, trying to convince herself. Again, her attitude changed as she sat by herself in another deep, dark cave.
"Oh my gosh. This would kill her." Rapunzel replied to herself. Not too soon after, the girl was running through the grass and kicking leaves into the air around the group.
"This is so fun!" She exclaimed as Sora and the others dusted the leaves off. Not too soon, she was standing on a tree branch and leaning her head against it while her hair hung down to the ground.
"I am a horrible daughter. I'm going back." She replied. Just as fast, Rapunzel was cartwheeling through the flowers and rolling down a hill while her hair rolled her up like a rope.
"I am never going back!" she exclaimed while laughing. But just as soon, she was lying face down in the grass now free from her hair while Flynn and the group stood around her.
"I am a despicable human being." She replied. After that, she was swinging from a tree, using her hair as a rope while the team leaned against the tree, now getting tired of the girl's inability to make up her mind.
"Best. Day. Ever!" Rapunzel screamed happily.
"Sora…we're getting set back." Raven finally spoke up.
"I know, I know." Sora replied as they and Flynn walked up to the girl who was now sitting down on the ground and crying to herself.
"I notice you seem a little at war with yourself here." Flynn spoke up.
"A little?" Goofy asked.
"More like a ton." Donald said.
"Is everything…ok?" Sora asked. Rapunzel looked up slowly until she noticed Sora and the others. In response, she quickly stood up and pointed her pan at them in a threatening manner.
"Stop right there! All of you!" Rapunzel yelled, finally noticing Raven, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Cyborg, and Beast Boy.
"Have you seriously not noticed us at all yet?" Beast Boy asked.
"Woah, Rapunzel. It's okay. They're my friends. They're here to help. This is Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy." Sora replied.
"My sidekicks, as I said before." Flynn replied.
"Hey, man, who said we were-"Cyborg yelled but was silenced by Raven flicking his ear.
"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Goofy replied as everyone waved. Rapunzel looked at them all while her pet chameleon poked out and looked at them all. She smiled and lowered her pan in response.
"It's…nice to meet you, too. I'm Rapunzel." Rapunzel replied.
"Yup, my loyal sidekicks." Flynn spoke up when Sora reached over and pulled Flynn closer to them.
"Look, this is only temporary. We're helping you both out." Sora replied.
"If we see any funny business, then we're done." Kairi spoke up.
"I get it, but she really wants to see the lantern show tomorrow night. Now, since I'm a nice guy, I've decided to help her." Flynn whispered.
"Or some other reason." Raven spoke up, while Flynn gave her a deadpan look.
"Only problem is those monsters might come back. I can take her to the castle and you guys are cut out for fighting those things. That's all I'm asking." Flynn replied. Sora let out a breath and stared at his team, who nodded in agreement.
"We are the best ones suited for the job." Donald replied.
"And we are heroes." Beast Boy said. Sora nodded and turned back to face Flynn and Rapunzel.
"We'll make sure you get to the castle safely. Leave it to us." Sora said.
"Done. This way to the kingdom, m'lady." Flynn replied. The two took the lead while Sora and the group trailed behind.
"She sure seems interesting, huh?" Donald asked.
"Yeah, her heart's pulling her all kindsa ways." Goofy said.
"Yeah, both backwards and forwards." Beast Boy replied.
"She can't make up her mind to save her life." Raven exclaimed.
"Let's just give her time. She's still adjusting to all this new stuff." Cyborg said.
"And the outside world sometimes seems so big and scary. Imagine how Sora, Riku, and I felt when we left our islands." Kairi said.
"True, but thankfully we ran into some good people along the way, right? The rest has been an unforgettable journey. All for one and one for all, right?" Sora asked as he rested his arms behind his head. Everyone smiled in response when suddenly, Beast Boy fell to the ground, making everyone stop and turn.
"Ow, what the- "Beast Boy replied, rubbing his head until he looked down to see that he tripped over Rapunzel's hair.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I got to remember to keep it close." Rapunzel replied, pulling her hair up into a large bundle that she carried in her arm, still leaving a good amount of it trailing behind her, but not long enough.
"Oh, it's fine. Bound to happen sooner or later." Beast Boy replied as he stood back up. Everyone soon got moving through the fields and past the lake as Rapunzel stopped to look at the flowers but was quickly pulled away by Flynn. Eventually, the group reached a small clearing where there was a bunch of flowers growing and one giant Dandelion set right in the center.
"Oh, look at that! What is it? It's so fluffy!" Rapunzel exclaimed in excitement while running up to it.
"Uh, are those things supposed to be that big?" Kairi asked, in a curious tone.
"No, no they're not." Cyborg replied. Rapunzel stopped in front of the large puffball and reached over to touch it.
"Rapunzel wait!" Sora yelled out but was too late as she placed her hand on it. Suddenly, several small puffballs erupted from the main one and landed softly on the ground, before turning into several Heartless. The large puff ball suddenly shot up and sprouted its own leaf arms.
"Great." Raven grunted out as everyone ran in front of Rapunzel and summoned their weapons.
"Take cover, Rapunzel!" Sora yelled out. Rapunzel nodded and quickly took cover behind Flynn. The thief could only smirk as the girl clung closer to him.
"All right, I hate to say it, but I'm letting you off this deal." Flynn replied, making Rapunzel let go of him.
"What?" she asked in confusion.
"I mean, c'mon. It's way too scary out here. Let's just turn around and take you home." Flynn said, pushing Rapunzel back in the direction of the tower. But the girl quickly pushed him away and turned to look at him.
"No. I am seeing those lanterns." Rapunzel said, picking up her hair and pushing Flynn aside while leaving the pan in his hands. She then ran back toward the monsters while Flynn looked at her in shock.
"Oh, come on!" Flynn complained. Rapunzel ran up next to Sora, surprising everyone.
"Hey, what are you doing back here?" Donald asked.
"It's okay. I'm not afraid to face them." Rapunzel said. Sora nodded determinedly, along with the others.
"Just be careful, Rapunzel." Raven said.
"I will." The girl replied. Everyone soon charged at the Heartless as they stacked together in a large tower, with the Chief Puff at the very top while more Heartless spawned in.
"Of course, they stacked up." Raven said.
"Let's knock it down then!" Cyborg replied as everyone charged forth. Sora summoned his new keyblade that he got from Buzz and Woody. The handle was a black cylinder with coils around it, and the guard was a white square with blue highlights, referencing Buzz's wings and his spaceship. The blade is a green cactus with Woody's hat at the top and a rope and red bandanna coiled around the cactus. The teeth were made of the rope which was wrapped around Woody's Sherriff badge. The keychain itself was a black string with a little claw holding one of the green aliens as a token. The keyblade was called Favorite Deputy.
"Thanks guys." Sora said as he activated its formchange. The keyblade then changed into a large hammer, with the head looking like a giant rocket booster. Sora then takes the hammer and swings it around the place, sending several of the Puffballs flying while Kairi dashed by several times in the air, taking out all the ones in the air. Beast Boy meanwhile turned into a rhino and barreled through the Puffballs, before turning into an eagle and swiping down at them with his claws. The Leaning Tower of Puffballs managed to smack Beast Boy out of the air with one of its leaf arms, before being shot in the back by Cyborg's missile.
"Any ideas on how to knock this thing down?" Cyborg asked.
"I got one. Aero!" Raven said, casting a powerful gust of wind on the tower, making all the Heartless fall to the ground. Everyone quickly went to work on destroying the Heartless, along with Rapunzel who was using her hair as a whip to destroy the creatures. One of them leaped behind her and was about to strike when suddenly it was destroyed by her pan. Shocked, she looked to her side to see Flynn standing behind her, wielding her pan like a weapon.
"Flynn?" Rapunzel asked.
"What? Can't afford to lose you now, Blondie." Flynn replied as he threw the pan in the air and caught it with a confident smirk. Rapunzel smiled back when suddenly more Heartless spawned in and formed into new Towers.
"Oh, come on!" Flynn complained. Rapunzel looked around for a better vantage point until she saw a nearby branch hanging above the Heartless. She smiled and threw her hair at the branch wrapping around it, using the branch and her hair as a swing as she kicked the Heartless whenever she got the chance.
Meanwhile, Sora was smashing the rest of the puffballs that were surrounding him when two of the towers snuck behind him and readied their sharpened needles to launch at the unaware boy. Raven blasted another Puffball away until she saw Sora about to be shot by several needles. Worried, she quickly flew over to protect him with a shield when Rapunzel suddenly swung in between the towers and toward the keyblade wielder.
"Sora, look out!" Rapunzel yelled as she reached out and grabbed Sora by the arm. Raven quickly stopped and watched in shock as the girl swung around the branch with Sora until the towers fired at her. She quickly put up a shield and flew away as Kairi, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Donald, Goofy, and Flynn engaged the towers again. Meanwhile, Sora and Rapunzel swung around the branch from above.
"Woah, nice save Rapunzel!" Sora exclaimed.
"Oh, uh thanks. Now what are we gonna do about those things?" Rapunzel asked. Sora looked down at the towers before an idea came to his head.
"Can you throw me in the air?" Sora asked.
"Uh, I think. But not that far." Rapunzel responded.
"That's fine. Just as far as you can." Sora said. Rapunzel nodded and with a great swing, she flung Sora up into the air, just high enough to build up some speed. He spun in the air a few times before slamming the hammer hard on the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that launched the towers high in the air. He then casted a powerful aero spell, which broke the towers apart and made the Puffballs crash into nearby trees, destroying them. Sora smiled and transformed his keyblade back to normal and desummoned it as everyone regrouped, along with Rapunzel who jumped down from the branch.
"Wow, that was amazing! You guys are- I can't even describe it." Rapunzel said.
"Thanks, you were pretty good back there, too Rapunzel. Thanks for the safe back there too." Sora said, making the girl smile.
"Oh, uh no problem." she said, rubbing her hair. Raven watched the two talk and she couldn't help but feel that annoying emotion come back to her.
"See? I told ya they were the real deal." Flynn said, as he walked in front of everyone.
"We should get going before anymore trouble shows up." Kairi replied.
"Don't need to tell us twice." Beast Boy said.
"Which way to the Kingdom Flynn?" Cyborg asked.
"This way, through the rocks and out toward the fields." Flynn replied.
"Let's get going then." Goofy said as everyone followed Flynn toward the field. Raven is the only one who remained frozen in place as she tried to deal with her emotions. She tried to focus and regain control, but she couldn't help but notice how Rapunzel was walking close to Sora, asking him a bunch of questions while he smiled and laughed in response. Suddenly, the branch that Rapunzel previously swung on broke off and fell to the ground, making Raven jump and look at back to see her powers covering it.
"No…" Raven responded in a worried tone. Her powers left the branch while Raven ran ahead to catch up with the group, making Donald turn to look at her.
"Are you okay, Raven?" Donald asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Raven exclaimed as they walked faster to keep up with the party.
(Meanwhile, back at Rapunzel's Tower)
The tower was completely dark since Rapunzel left, leaving it quiet and empty, which it hadn't been in years. But another occupant of the tower has returned after being away collecting supplies. This occupant was Rapunzel's mother: She has curly black hair and gray eyes. She wore a shiny, dark magenta dress with a black cape draped over her shoulders. This was Mother Gothel, and she had nothing but a worried look written on her face as she looked around the tower for Rapunzel.
"Rapunzel? Rapunzel!" Gothel yelled as she looked in the bedrooms, and across the room, but found nothing, eventually ripping the curtain down from the window to let the sunlight beam in. Mother Gothel let out several breaths as she clutched her hair in worry until she saw something hidden under the stairs that was shining in the light. Gothel ran over and lifted the first step up, revealing a hidden compartment that held a small, brown satchel. She quickly opened it and reached in, pulling out a small tiara that shined in the sunlight. Gothel suddenly dropped the tiara as if it were poison and watched it clatter to the ground with a look of fear on her face.
Wanting to know more, she searched the satchel again and pulled out a wanted poster of a man with a rather large nose with the name Flynn Rider written on the bottom.
"Missing someone?" Someone suddenly said behind her.
"Who's there?" Gothel asked when suddenly she saw a man standing before an open dark portal. This man was tall, dressed in a long black hooded coat with gloves and boots to match. He had bright yellow eyes and pink, shoulder-length hair. The man stared at her with a smile as the portal closed behind him. He started walking toward her as Gothel cowered in fear.
"She's such a precious gift. Allow me to assist you in getting her back." The man said, walking closer to her. Gothel was frozen in fear as her eyes changed color from her normal grey to a bright pink.
And that is the end of the first part! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as we head into further shenanigans in the Kingdom of Corona. I also hope you all had a great 4th of July and stayed safe and had fun either launching or seeing fireworks. Now on with the reviews:
Shobu556: Yes, yes it was.
D.J. Scales: Glad you enjoyed it.
CRabbit3428665: First things first, Kingdom of Corona and next is Monsters Inc. Looking forward to that too!
3bodyjaa: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
XenoBlaze: I'll definitely think about it, but so far just Sora.
Althea Sirius: Seemed like the logical choice.
Cman6465: For sure thanks for the help. I'll message you if I gotta chat.
The Disquieting One: Yeah, if I were to ever rewrite this, I would take that out.
Jake: Maybe one day. I'll see if I can do something with that.
As always I want to thank you all for being so supportive and patient with me and for how long it takes to write these chapters. I also want to thank my friend Ultra Royal Bloodedge for beta reading and helping me with these ideas as well. I hope you all are staying safe and sound as July continues on and summer gets hotter. I also wanted to let you all know that I will be away for awhile so the next chapter might take longer than normal. Thank you all as always and I hope you have a great day. Peace!
