Hello everyone! And welcome to the next chapter in "The Key to the Titans!" Once again, I hope you all are taking care of yourselves, and everything is going ok as July comes to a close and August comes around. Damn, this year is flying by. Anyway, let's continue where we left off. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Teen Titans.
Chapter 69: Kingdom of Corona Part 2
( Castle of Dreams)
After landing the Gummi Ship in a nearby forest; Riku, King Mickey, Lea, Robin, and Starfire departed their vehicle and made their way to the castle that stood high above the treeline and high up into the sky. With its purple colors giving it an almost mystical aura, the castle truly was a marvel of beauty to behold.
"*whistle* now that is one beauty of a castle." Lea replied.
"Indeed, I cannot wait to see the inside." Starfire said.
"This is one of the worlds Aqua visited?" Robin asked.
"Yes. According to her, this was the first world she visited after she was made a Master." Mickey replied.
"This is one of the Princesses' worlds, right?" Riku asked, unknowingly letting some nervousness creep into his voice.
"I believe so. I think this is Cinderella's world actually." Mickey replied.
"So, what's our plan? I'm pretty sure we can't look around without looking well, weird." Lea replied.
"That's why we gotta get to the castle first. See if we can get permission to look around." Mickey said.
"Sounds like a plan." Robin said as everyone continued their trek through forest while Riku lingered back, looking at the ground. He knew exactly what this meant; he would have to meet most of the princesses again and could only imagine what might happen when they saw him. He doesn't even know if they remember him when they were all captured. He knows one of them remembered him specifically, but the others he didn't know.
For all he knows, Jasmine told the Princesses about him while they were back at Hallow Bastion or they found out another way and the Princesses would immediately have him arrested or wo-
"Riku?" Mickey asked, snapping him out of his thoughts as he saw the king standing next to him. "You're lagging behind. Everything okay?" The king asked. Riku sighed and stopped walking.
"Do…you think the princesses remember me? Back when I was with Maleficent, I mean?" Riku asked. Mickey looked down in thought before looking back up.
"It's possible, Riku. But I know what you're thinking, and everything should be okay." Mickey replied.
"But what if they do remember me? What if they don't help us because of what I've done?" Riku asked.
"Then we'll understand and find another way. But Riku, you need to believe in yourself. You're not the same person as you were back then. Look at how much you've grown." Mickey exclaimed with a large smile, making the boy smile.
"Thanks Mickey. Anything is worth a try, right?" Riku asked and the King happily nodded as the two went to rejoin the others, a more hopeful step in Riku's stride this time as they inched closer to the looming castle before them.
( Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Corona)
Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy just cleared out another batch of Heartless while Rapunzel used her hair to back them up while Flynn helped out where he could with the pan. Eventually, the Heartless were all destroyed as everyone placed their weapons away.
"That takes care of them." Raven said.
"Wow, you've gotten really good, Kairi." Sora replied.
"Thanks, Sora. And you certainly haven't changed." Kairi said with a bright smile, making the boy smile back. Raven couldn't help but notice their smiles, so she put her hood up to hide her face from everyone.
"Wow, you guys are so incredible!" Rapunzel spoke up after collecting her hair.
"Yeah, they sure are dependable." Flynn said.
"We should keep moving." Donald said.
"Yeah, before more monsters show up." Goofy said.
"I dunno about you guys, but I'm getting a little famished." Cyborg said.
"Yeah, is there anywhere we get some food. Preferably that serves tofu." Beast Boy said.
"What's tofu?" Rapunzel asked.
"Dunno, but it sounds nasty. I do know a place though where we can get some grub." Flynn replied.
"Lead the way, Flynn." Sora replied.
"Really? So soon? When we have all of outside to explore? I mean, just look at this!" Rapunzel said, running over to some nearby dandelion flowers, unknowingly catching Sora by his foot with her hair and dragging him with her. Almost everyone burst out laughing, along with Sora, while Rapunzel looked down in shock.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Sora!" Rapunzel exclaimed as Sora stood back up.
"Haha, it's okay, Rapunzel. Anyway, what did you want to look at?" Sora asked. In response, Rapunzel kneeled down in the grass and blew some fluff balls off the dandelions, making them float in the air for a little. Sora watched them float down slowly until an idea came to his mind.
"Wanna see a lot of them fly?" Sora asked, in an excited tone.
"Yes!" Rapunzel exclaimed with the same energy. Sora motioned her to back up and as she did, he summoned his keyblade and cast a powerful Aero spell right over the dandelions. Several fluff balls flew into the air as everyone watched in amazement while Rapunzel watched with wide eyes and an equally large smile.
"Wow!" Donald, Goofy, Cyborg, and Beast Boy said all at once.
"Amazing!" Kairi replied.
"They're just like floating lights. C'mon, let's see what else we can explore." Rapunzel said, grabbing Sora by the hand and dragging him further into the forest. Everyone followed them while Raven lingered behind as a small fluff ball landed on top of her hood. Suddenly, the ball was covered in Raven's magic and was crushed into even smaller pieces, making her back away in fear and grip her hood in fear.
"C'mon, you need to stop! You've dealt with emotions before, this is just a new one…" Raven said to herself, taking a deep breath and chanting quietly to herself.
"Rae?" Cyborg asked, snapping the girl out of her meditation as she looked up to see her fellow Titan standing in front of her. "You ok?" he asked.
"I'm fine. C'mon, we better stop them before we get even more sidetracked." Raven said quickly as she marched past Cyborg and toward Sora. Beast Boy walked over to Cyborg in confusion upon seeing Raven walking.
"What's with her?" Beast Boy asked.
"If I'm right…something very funny. Let's see how this plays out." Cyborg said with a mischievous look on his face while Beast Boy curiously followed him. The Titans walked up to see Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Rapunzel, and Flynn were standing in front of a group of rabbits and a now-open treasure chest.
"Oh guys! You just missed it! We protected these rabbits from the Heartless and they showed us this little chest!" Sora said, excited, though Cyborg and Beast Boy were disappointed that they missed a battle.
"Thank you! Stay safe!" Rapunzel and Kairi called out to the rabbits as they bounded away.
"Being outside is even better than I imagined. Wow, look at all that water!" Rapunzel said, running toward a nearby lake.
"Someone say water?!" Sora yelled, running after her.
"Sora, wait- "Raven called out, but the boy didn't listen as he and the blond girl got closer to the lake. Raven fumed in anger as smoke shot out of her ears while she stomped after them while everyone worriedly trailed behind her. Everyone arrived at the lake to see Sora and Rapunzel already in the knee-deep lake and splashing each other back and forth.
"Sora!" Rapunzel giggled as she splashed him in revenge.
"Okay! You asked for it!" Sora replied, summoning his keyblade and swinging it into the water, creating a large splash around them and a small rainbow streamed above them from the sunlight and the water glistening down.
"Look, a rainbow!" Rapunzel exclaimed as she and Soa watched in amazement.
"That is beautiful!" Donald replied from the shore.
"Sure is pretty." Goofy said.
"Rapunzel's enjoying herself out here, huh?" Kairi said.
"It's a waste of time. We need to hurry and get this done." Raven said.
"C'mon, Rae, this is her first time seeing everything. Let her spread her wings and fly like a bird." Beast Boy said, suddenly turning into a bird and flapping away.
"Besides, she seems to be having more fun when Sora's with her, huh Raven?" Cyborg asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Raven growled with red eyes and grabbed Cyborg by the shoulders, launching him into the lake and creating a large splash as the half-robot landed in between Sora and Rapunzel, ending their little splash war. Beast Boy and Flynn had to struggle to contain their laughter, while Donald, Goofy, and Kairi stood in shock at the throw.
"Cyborg? What happened?" Sora asked as Cyborg lifted himself from the lake floor and spit some water out.
"Ah…Raven's getting a little impatient." Cyborg replied, deliriously.
"Oh, sorry." Rapunzel said, as she and Sora helped the Titan to his feet.
"Moody girl is right. We better get going if we want to get some food soon." Flynn replied.
"He's right. C'mon guys." Kairi said. Sora, Rapunzel, and Cyborg sauntered out of the lake, their feet dripping wet from the lake as they rejoined the group.
"Sorry, Rae." Sora said to her when he was close to her.
"It's okay. Let's just go." Raven said. Sora nodded and walked ahead while Rapunzel walked next to him, making the half-demon growl to herself. Suddenly, her powers covered the entire lake and erupted in a huge splash, making the water splash everywhere.
"I'm getting sick of this new feeling…" Raven groaned to herself as she walked away from the lake. Kairi soon ran up to her upon hearing the loud splash.
"What was that?" Kairi asked confused.
"I think it's just the water settling. C'mon, we need to catch up." Raven said, walking past the redhead. Kairi looked back at the Titan with a confused look before looking back at the now-resting water. A knowing look crossed her face as she realized what was happening with Sora and Raven and all the weird occurrences. She couldn't help but notice the worried looks Raven got whenever Sora and Rapunzel were having fun or that Cyborg and Beast Boy were teasing her about it and now it all made sense to her.
"Hhm…" Kairi thought about how to clear this all up as she ran to catch up with the group.
( Meanwhile, in Castle of Dreams)
Riku, King Mickey, Axel, Robin, and Starfire were gathered together in the Palace Courtyard, standing not too far from the doors to the castle. The courtyard was laid out like a square with a large wall surrounding it and a large water fountain right in the middle.
"Ooh, Robin, look how glorious the water is. The night sky makes it even more beautiful." Starfire said, about to dip her hand in the water, but Robin stopped her.
"Uh, let's hold off on that, Star. At least until we make sure it's- "Robin said but was interrupted by a splash from Axel. The Boy Wonder could only glare at him while Axel chuckled to himself.
"Ah, c'mon, don't be so square, Rob. It's just water…what's the worse that could happen?" Axel asked. Starfire laughed as well until Axel splashed her too. Axel laughed out loud until he was splashed in retaliation by Starfire. The two redheads stared each other down before launching into an all-out splash war, making Robin, Riku, and Mickey back away. Robin shakes himself dry while Mickey laughs to himself a little at the splash fight.
"Uh, we should go see the Princess now. This way." Mickey said, walking toward the castle doors. Riku lagged behind as he stared at the large castle, starting to think about what Cinderella would do upon seeing him. Would she remember him, despise him, send every guard on post after him or even-
"Hey, you okay?" Robin asked, snapping Riku out of his thoughts.
"Uh, I think so." Riku said, unknowingly letting his nervousness slip out.
"I'll watch them. Go, and hope for the best." Robin said. Riku smiled and took another breath before running after Mickey, who was already knocking on the front door. The two nodded at each other as they waited for someone to open the door. Eventually, the door opened, revealing a thin, but well-dressed man standing on the other side. He wore a high-collared, lilac jacket and pants of the same shade. He had a tasseled, sliver pauldron on each shoulder, a silver belt with a jeweled buckle, a red sash over his left shoulder and a monocle over his right eye. He had black hair, a thin mustache, black eyebrows, and close-set eyes.
"Oh, good evening. Forgive me, but I don't believe we're taking in guests now." The man said, wiping his monocle so he could see better.
"Actually sir, we're here for another reason." Mickey said.
"W-were hoping to speak to the Princess. Princess Cinderella." Riku said, making the man's eyes widen.
"Oh, Cinderella. Oh, well, apologies, but I would have to ask for the Prince's or the King's permission to let two guests into the castle. Please, wait here while I go find- "The man said until another voice spoke up behind him.
"Sir Duke, is someone at the- oh." A female voice said. The Duke moved away in response, revealing said princess behind him. Riku felt his breath leave him as Mickey nervously waved as Cinderella walked closer to the door. She had long, blonde hair and blue eyes and she was dressed in a brown and light blue dress with a white apron tied around her waist and small black shoes on her feet.
"Oh, my dear Cinderella, these two asked to speak with you. They have not said why yet. Oh, and madam, may I ask why you're wearing that and not your dress? You know you don't have to assist in cleaning." The duke explained. Cinderella looked at the two in confusion as she stared at Riku mostly, making the boy even more nervous in response.
"Oh, Duke, please relax. I don't mind helping out around the castle. It calms me." Cinderella replied. Mickey stared at the two, noticing the situation before clearing his throat.
"Your majesty, we were hoping to speak with you about three visitors you may have met 10 or 11 years ago. A man, a young boy, and a woman." Mickey asked, making the duke and Cinderella share a look.
"Oh, you mean the young man who fended off those monsters and the woman who protected Cinderella too?!" The Duke exclaimed.
"And Ven too, right?" Cinderella asked, excited to hear about the boy.
"Y-yes, ma'am. Could you help us?" Riku asked. Cinderella looked at the both of them before nodding in agreement.
"Yes, of course. Duke, I can take care of them from here." Cinderella said.
"Oh, thank you Princess. I was engaged with another matter that needed my att-Oh good gracious! What are you three doing in the fountain?!" Duke screamed out, making Riku, Mickey, and Cinderella look to see Robin, Starfire, and Axel in a three-way splashing war that resulted in the fountain nearly being emptied. The three froze in place from the duke's scream as the man marched over to them while Riku ran a hand over his face.
"They're…with us, Princess." Mickey said. Cinderella smiled and nodded as she stepped after the Duke.
"I'll go calm him down. Then we can talk." Cinderella replied, lightly running after the king's servant who was right in the middle of scolding the three keyblade wielders. Mickey looked up at Riku with a big smile on his face.
"So far, so good." Mickey replied as he turned to run off and help the others. Riku watched them go as he took a calming breath.
"Yeah, so far…" He replied slowly as he watched the whole situation escalate.
( Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Corona)
The group were now walking through the dark caverns of the tavern they just visited in order to avoid being spotted by pursuing guards. Flynn was leading the group through the caves with a lantern in his hand while everyone trailed behind him. Thankfully, the patrons of the tavern were surprisingly nice and helped them escape from the guards. Even though the patrons were threatening at first glance, they showed their true selves in one of the weirdest ways possible.
"Did they really have to sing back there?" Raven asked.
"I mean, it worked, right?" Kairi replied.
"Yep, and now we're avoiding the guards thanks to them." Cyborg said.
"Though I wonder what they usually are up to-AHHH!" Beast Boy suddenly screamed as he jumped on Cyborg. Everyone turned to see a decayed skeleton stuck to the wall, making everyone back away in disgust.
"That is…freaky." Donald said.
"It's okay, Donald. Just don't look and walk away." Goofy said, blocking both of their eye sights and leading them away.
"That was pretty impressive back there. Didn't know you had that in you." Flynn replied.
"I would say more than impressive. That was amazing Rapunzel." Sora spoke up.
"I know!" Rapunzel blurted out but cleared her throat and tried to play it cool. "I know." She said in a laid-back tone.
"Where did you learn to sing like that, Rapunzel? You're really good!" Goofy replied.
"Oh, well whenever mother left the tower, I would have a lot of time to myself, so I would spend the day painting, singing, cooking, pottery, sewing, ballet, playing chess..." Rapunzel said.
"That explains a lot." Raven said.
"What's your mother like by the way? From how you described her, she sounds really controlling." Donald asked.
"I really shouldn't say. And I wouldn't say controlling…" Rapunzel said.
"She locked you in a tower for most of your life." Cyborg replied.
"Okay, maybe a little overbearing." Rapunzel said.
"Well, I got a question and don't worry it's nothing about your hair, or your frog friend…" Flynn said.
"Pascal." Rapunzel corrected.
"Frog. If you want to see the lanterns so badly, why haven't you gone before?" Flynn asked, making everyone stop and look at Rapunzel in confusion.
"Uh, huh…well…" Rapunzel started to say nervously but was interrupted by a pebble dropping from the roof of the cave and bounced off her head, making her look down to see the ground shaking below them. Everyone stood in cautious poses
"W-what is that?" Sora asked as the shaking intensified. Rapunzel looked behind the group to see a bunch of lights getting closer to them.
"Guys!" Rapunzel yelled out. Everyone turned to see the group of guards running after them with a white horse galloping along.
"Run! Everyone run!" Flynn yelled as everyone broke into a sprint and ran further into the cave, eventually running outside to a large chasm and a humongous dam.
"Ok, where to now?" Cyborg asked.
"Look there! An opening on the other side of the chasm." Goofy exclaimed. Everyone followed his gaze to see two openings on the other side, though one of them was boarded up. Suddenly, something cut through the boards, revealing two threatening-looking figures breaking through the caves. These figures were the Stabbington Brothers, who quickly noticed the group standing high above the chasm.
"Who are they?" Rapunzel asked.
"They don't like me." Flynn responded. Suddenly, the guards ran through the opening behind them, cutting off their exit.
"What about them?" Sora asked.
"They don't like me either." Flynn answered. Suddenly, the horse pushed past the guards and let out an angry growl.
"Oh, come on, how'd you make the horse mad?" Cyborg asked.
"Look, let's just assume for the moment that everyone here doesn't like me." Flynn said.
"Any ideas anyone?" Sora asked, summoning his keyblade and standing before everyone to protect them from the guards. Rapunzel quickly gathered her hair and threw it like a whip at a nearby wooden plank high above them. Her hair tightened around the plank, and she grabbed onto Flynn and swung across to a nearby ledge that led closer to the dam. Raven quickly created a platform with her powers between the two ledges, allowing the rest of the group to jump across, leaving Sora and Raven with the guards.
"Stand aside, kids. We only want Rider. Do so and you won't be placed in the same cell as him." The captain of the guard ordered as they got closer to the two.
"Sorry, can't let you guys take him yet." Sora said as he and Raven fired a Blizzard spell in front of the guards, creating a large ice wall in between them and trapping the guards near the entrance. The two Titans quickly jumped across to the next ledge, joining the others.
"Okay, what now?" Kairi asked. Everyone looked around until they saw one of the dam spouts leading further into the chasm and closer to the open caves.
"Everyone, head down to the caves quickly! Rapunzel, Flynn, wait for my say." Sora said. Beast Boy turned into a bird and flew down with Cyborg following him with his new wings. Donald and Goofy slid down the spout while Raven gave Kairi a lift to the bottom. Sora was about to go down the spout too until he heard a noise behind him. He, Rapunzel, and Flynn turned to see the horse kicking down a loose pillar and making it fall between the two ledges, creating a way across and destroying the ice wall.
"That horse is really persistent." Sora exclaimed as he quickly slid down the spout. He then slid to a stop in the middle of the spout.
"Rapunzel, toss me your hair! I'll swing you guys across!" Sora yelled out. Rapunzel quickly threw her hair to Sora, who caught it and hung on tight. Meanwhile, the horse quickly crossed the pillar and started running after them.
"Quickly! Quickly!" Flynn yelled out in worry as the horse got closer. Suddenly, Rapunzel grabbed Flynn again and swung the two across just as the horse was within chomping distance of her hair. Sora held on tight as the two swung across safely and rejoined the others while the Stabbington Brothers pursued them. Sora slid down the rest of the spout and jumped down from it, consequently destroying the spout and making the dam collapse, releasing all the water into the chasm. The water washed away the guards and the Stabbingtons, leaving only the heroes as the water got closer.
"RUN!" Beast Boy screamed as everyone made a break for the two caves. Suddenly, a large rock pillar was knocked over by the force of the water, making it fall and separating the groups in two: Sora, Donald, Goofy, Beast Boy, and Cyborg on one side and Raven, Kairi, Flynn, and Rapunzel on the other.
"Sora!" Raven and Kairi exclaimed.
"Guys!" Rapunzel yelled out.
"Raven! Kairi!" Sora yelled out.
"Run! Keep going!" Flynn yelled out, pushing the girls into the cave as the pillar collapsed in front of it and sealing it off. Sora was about to run to it but was pulled away by Donald and Cyborg.
"Sora, c'mon! We gotta go!" Cyborg yelled as the water got closer to them. They quickly ran into the next cave as the water started to fill up the cave. They ran until they came to a dead end, forcing them to stop as the water level started to rise.
"Uh, guys what are we gonna do?! I can't drown now!" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"Can't you turn into a fish?!" Donald yelled out.
"Oh, right." Beast Boy said.
"That doesn't apply to the rest of us!" Cyborg said as the water level reached their knees.
"Hey, look up there!" Goofy said, pointing upward. Everyone followed his gaze to see a large door high above them.
"It's a trap door! Good eye, Goofy. Everyone hang on!" Sora said, summoning his keyblade.
"Uh, hang on to wh-WHOA!" Donald said as Sora suddenly manipulated the water to push them up like a giant water jet. Everyone screamed as they got closer to the door as it suddenly burst open upon impact, letting the group fly out and land in a small forest. Everyone let out exhausted breaths upon landing as Sora closed the trap door shut.
"Whoo, that was too close." Cyborg said.
"Agreed." Everyone replied.
"C'mon. We gotta find the others fast." Sora said, walking ahead of everyone as he looked around. Everyone stood next to him as they took in their surroundings.
"Uh, does it have to be so scary looking?" Donald asked as he and Goofy started to tremble as the group stood in a dark and ominous forest.
"It never gets easy, does it?" Beast Boy asked.
"Nope." Sora replied as they started walking through the forest.
( Meanwhile, with Kairi and Raven)
Kairi, Raven, Flynn, and Rapunzel ran further into the cave, only to find it completely sealed off as the water started to fill up quickly. Raven, Kairi, and Rapunzel looked around for any possible opening, but nothing was found. Flynn quickly dove underwater looking for a way out as well but came back with nothing.
"I got nothing. You?" Raven said.
"Nothing." Kairi replied. Rapunzel started to hit the walls with her pan while Flynn climbed around looking for any possible opening as the water got to their waists. Raven quickly grabbed the pan from Rapunzel in annoyance to her.
"That's not helping!" Raven said, aggressively passing the pan back to the blonde, who took it nervously. Flynn kept climbing around when he suddenly cut his hand on a sharpened rock.
"Flynn!" Kairi said, taking his hand in hers and looking at it.
"It's no use! I can't see anything down there!" Flynn exclaimed. Suddenly, Rapunzel took a breath and dove under the water, but Raven reached down and grabbed her.
"Didn't you hear him?! There's no point." Raven replied.
"Here, let me try." Kairi said, diving under the water. She tried to create a ball of light in her hand, but it quickly fizzled out in her hand. She tried to look around more but it was far too dark to see anything, forcing her to quickly surface back up with the others.
"Ugh, I can't concentrate down there. Sorry guys." Kairi said.
"Worth a try…" Flynn said. Everyone took a breath as the water level rose.
"This is all my fault. She was right. I never should've done this. I…I'm so sorry guys." Rapunzel said, as she started to cry.
"Hey, no need to beat yourself up about this. We'll find a way out of this…somehow." Kairi said.
"Eugene…" Flynn suddenly spoke up, making the three girls look at him.
"What?" They all asked.
"My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. Someone might as well know." Flynn said.
"That's interesting." Kairi replied.
"I have magic hair that glows when I sing." Rapunzel revealed, making everyone look at her in shock.
"What?!" Everyone but Rapunzel replied, making the girl look down in thought.
"I have magic hair that glows when I sing." Rapunzel realized as the water level rose even more.
"Well, better start singing…" Raven replied as the level rose up to their heads.
" Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine" Rapunzel sung as everyone took one last big breath as the water fully encased the cave, making everything go pitch black. Suddenly, Rapunzel's hair glowed brightly, illuminating the entire cave. Raven and Kairi's eyes widened while Flynn let out a gasp but quickly closed his mouth to stop his water intake. Everyone followed Rapunzel's hair to see it being pulled toward a small pile of rocks, indicating a source of air. The group quickly swam toward it and Raven and Kairi summoned their keyblades and started chipping away at the rocks. Eventually, the rocks were fully pushed out, making the water pour out and freeing everyone from the cave and into a nearby river. Everyone quickly swam to a nearby bank as they took a deep breath.
"Huh, huh, we made it. We're alive." Rapunzel said as she stood up and started drying her hair out.
"Wow, her hair actually glows. Didn't see that coming." Kairi said, spitting out more water.
"Me neither." Raven said, wringing out her cloak.
"Her hair glows! Why does her hair glow?!" Flynn asked out loud in complete and utter shock.
"Guys! Guys!" Rapunzel said, catching their attention. "It doesn't just glow." She replied, making everyone look at her in confusion.
"What else can it do?" Raven asked.
( Meanwhile, in the dark forest)
Sora and the group were walking through the dense and ominous forest, looking for any sign of their missing friends or any way out.
"Okay, there has to be a way out of here." Beast Boy said.
"Any chance of you flying up and looking around for us?" Goofy asked. Beast Boy looked up at the trees, only to hear scary insect noises and crows cawing.
"Uh, no thanks." Beast Boy said, shrinking away.
"Hey, what's that?" Cyborg asked, pointing at something ahead of them. Everyone looked to see a large, white object in the shape of a blooming flower sticking out from the ground in front of them.
"Okay, that doesn't look suspicious at all." Donald said.
"Let me take a look." Sora said, walking up to the object cautiously.
"Be careful." Beast Boy replied. Sora got close to the object and inspected it a little.
"Looks alright. But…" Sora said, slowly reaching a hand out to touch it. As soon as he got close, the object suddenly opened up and transformed into the shape of a pink Nobody wielding a pink scythe in its hands. It quickly took a swing at Sora, who rolled out of the way and regrouped with his friends while summoning his keyblade. More of the Nobodies appeared while the heroes summoned their weapons.
"Nobodies! These are Nobodies, right?!" Beast Boy asked.
"Yeah, and new ones too by the look of them." Donald said.
"It's always new ones, isn't it?" Cyborg replied.
"C'mon, let's take these guys down." Sora said as he and others charged at the Nobodies. But the creatures responded by releasing several pink flowers in front of them, pushing the heroes back as the Nobodies disappeared.
"Are these…cherry blossoms?" Donald asked.
"Better question, where did they go?" Cyborg asked as they all looked around for the Nobodies. Suddenly, the creatures reappeared and started spinning their scythes around and rushing at the group. Everyone took cover as Goofy blocked most of their strikes with Cyborg's help while Donald, and Beast Boy struck at them Aero and Thunder spells, taking the Nobodies out of the air. Sora then finished them off by zipping past the Nobodies with high-speed strikes, taking them all out. Everyone desummoned their weapons and regrouped after the quick battle.
"Surprised we haven't seen any of those dark-spooky fellas yet. They usually come right about-" Beast Boy said when suddenly a dark portal opened up behind them. "Huh, actually called it this time." The changeling replied as the pink-haired man walked out of the portal.
"Hhm, glad to see you haven't lost a step after all this time." The man said.
"Still bossing around Nobodies I see. You has-beens haven't changed a bit. And you are?" Sora asked.
"My name is Marluxia. It certainly is interesting to see you again, Sora." Marluxia replied, making Sora look at him in confusion.
"Again? Wait, are…you one of the Organization members from Castle Oblivion?" Sora asked, clutching his head and bringing a surprised look to Marluxia's face.
"Oh, so you do remember?" Marluxia asked.
"Well, not everything specifically. But…I was told that some of the Organization members went there and I don't remember anything from there or meeting you…so you must be one of the members." Sora said.
"Hhm, a true shame, since I remember you exceedingly well. Though, it's those memories I'd soon erase." Marluxia replied.
"Dude, what are you saying?!" Beast Boy yelled out.
"Nor should you or your friends. You never will, for that matter. Now, if you'll allow me, I've come to ask a favor." Marluxia replied.
"Whatever you're asking, we're not helping!" Cyborg said, aiming his cannon at Marluxia.
"Please hear me. I'm sure you've noticed that that maiden with you, Rapunzel, is the very light of this world. I ask for you to guard her from the horrors that may beset her on her journey." Marluxia replied.
"Uh, are you blind? We've been doing that since we got here." Donald replied.
"And we'll keep doing it by taking care of you." Sora said, summoning his blade back.
"All we seek is balance. You must understand, our ultimate objective is not to clash with the light. We seek to complement it. Use your keyblades…and keep Rapunzel safe." Marluxia said with a smirk as he disappeared in a dark portal. Everyone relaxed as they stared at his previous spot in confusion.
"They don't make any sense. Protect the girl but send these monsters anyway. Like what do they even want anyway now?" Cyborg asked.
"Besides Kingdom Hearts, we have no idea." Goofy said.
"Even so, we still need to find Rapunzel and the others. Make sure they're safe. C'mon." Sora said, as he took off in a run, along with everyone else. Suddenly, someone stepped out in front of them from a nearby corner, revealing herself to be Mother Gothel.
"Excuse me, good travelers. Do you know Rapunzel?" Gothel asked. The group shared a confused glance before replying.
"Yes, ma'am we do." Goofy said.
"Why do you ask?" Donald asked.
"My apologies. I'm Rapunzel's mother. The poor child left home without a word, and I've just been worried sick. Please tell me: where is my dear, sweet girl?" Gothel asked in a worried tone.
"We got separated a little bit ago. We're looking for her, but our friends are with her too." Sora said.
"If you want, we could look for her together." Beast Boy replied. But the woman's face went from concerned to annoyed in a second as she glared at the group.
"Separated? You're of no use to me. I'll find her myself." Mother Gothel replied as she walked further into the forest by herself, eventually disappearing from sight.
"That was…weird." Beast Boy said.
"We should be careful of her. Remember what Rapunzel said, about her being overbearing?" Cyborg said.
"C'mon. Let's keep going. Hopefully, we find Rapunzel first then that Marluxia guy and her." Goofy said.
"Agreed." Sora said, running ahead with the group running behind him.
( Meanwhile, with Raven and Kairi)
It was nighttime near the river as Kairi set a fire for them to settle down while Rapunzel and Flynn sat down on a nearby rock. Raven walked up to her with a dozen pieces of extra wood carried by her powers and set them down on the ground.
"Good catch. Should be all set for tonight." Kairi said.
"Thanks." Raven said, sitting down next to her. The redhead sat down too after making sure the fire was all good before noticing Raven's worried look along with the empath's wringing hands.
"Don't worry. Sora and the others are going to be fine." Kairi said, snapping Raven out of her thoughts.
"Who said I was worried?" Raven asked, trying to hide her emotions, when suddenly one of the pieces of wood broke into several pieces. Kairi looked at her while Raven looked away.
"That means nothing." Raven said. Kairi smiled while they looked at Rapunzel and Flynn to see the blond wrapping her hair around the criminal's hand.
"Rapunzel, what are you doing?" Kairi asked.
"Yeah, you're being strangely cryptic, ah!" Flynn said, letting out a grunt of pain from Rapunzel wrapping his hand cut too tightly.
"Sorry. Just please, all of you, don't freak out." Rapunzel said, nervously. Raven and Kairi share a look but nod in response while Flynn slightly nods as well. Rapunzel let out a breath and closed her eyes.
" Flower gleam and glow…let your power shine…make the clock reverse….bring back what once was mine…" Rapunzel sung. Suddenly, her hair started to glow brightly as the light traveled all the way to Flynn's hand. His hand started to glow too as Rapunzel stopped singing and her hair stopped glowing. The blond opened her eyes while Flynn unwrapped his hand to see that the cut was completely gone, surprising him and the two girls watching.
"Whoa! Your hair can heal?!" Kairi asked, with wide eyes.
"Cool." Raven said, impressed. Flynn was completely shell-shocked by the now non-existent cut, almost letting out a scream in response.
"Please don't freak out!" Rapunzel yelled back. Flynn held in his scream as best he could but still had a shocked look on his face.
"Ah, I'm not freaking out! Are you guys freaking out! I'm just really interested in your and the magic qualities it possesses." Flynn said sheepishly while rocking back and forth.
"How long has it been doing that, Rapunzel?" Kairi asked.
"Well, forever I guess. Mother said when I was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted to take it for themselves." Rapunzel said.
"What happens if it is cut?" Raven asked. Rapunzel moved her hair back a little to reveal a small braid of brown hair on the back of her head.
"If it's cut, it turns brown and loses its power. This gift has to be protected. That's why she never let me leave. Why I never…" Rapunzel said.
"Why you never left the Tower." Flynn finished and Rapunzel looked at him in acknowledgement.
"But Rapunzel, what happens after we see the lights? Were you still gonna go back?" Raven asked.
"No!...Yes. Ugh, it's complicated." Rapunzel said, planting her face in her hands.
"Rapunzel…maybe you should speak to your mother when you go home. I mean, you've handled yourself pretty well out here so far. Maybe you can show her that you're stronger than she realizes." Kairi said. Rapunzel peeked her eye out from her palms to look at Kairi as she let out a breath.
"Maybe…" Rapunzel replied, before turning her attention to Flynn. "So, Eugene Fitzherbert. Huh?" Rapunzel asked with a smirk, making the criminal roll his eyes.
"Oh, yeah well, I'll spare you all the sob story of poor orphan Eugene Fitzherbert. It's a little bit of a downer." Flynn said. Rapunzel scooted closer to him while Kairi and Raven leaned in a little closer, making Flynn smile.
"It was this book, a book I read to all the younger kids, The Tales of Flynnigan Rider, swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies either. Nothing to brag about of course." Flynn, making the girls either giggle or roll their eyes.
"Was he a thief too?" Rapunzel asked.
"Uh…well no. Actually, he had enough money to do anything he wanted to do. He could go anywhere that he wanted to go…and for a kid with nothing, I dunno. Just seemed like the better option. You can't tell anyone about this okay? It could ruin my whole reputation." Flynn said.
"Right, we wouldn't want that." Raven said.
"Well, a fake reputation is all a man has." Flynn replied, making Kairi and Rapunzel laugh. Kairi and Raven looked at the night sky to see stars sparkling above them.
"You guys should get some rest. Raven and I will keep watch." Kairi said. Flynn and Rapunzel nodded as the blond gathered her hair up.
"Thanks. We'll see you guys in the morning." Rapunzel said as she and Flynn walked over to a nearby tree. "Hey, for the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider." Rapunzel said, making the thief look down.
"Well, you'd be the first. Thanks." Flynn replied as they walked away, leaving the two girls alone next to the fire.
"That's definitely a lot to process, huh?" Kairi asked.
"Hhm…not as weird as she made it out to be." Raven replied. The redhead smiled at that as she threw another piece of wood into the fire.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Kairi asked. Raven nodded in response while Kairi moved a little closer to her. "What's going on between you and Sora?" She asked with a wide smile, making Raven's eyes widened and her face to go red.
"U-uh w-what do you mean?" Raven asked, making the redhead smile.
"Raven, I've noticed the looks you and he share. You don't really hide it. Plus, I've noticed all the weird things going on too." Kairi said, making Raven look down.
"Look, I'm sorry if I'm making things weird between you and him. With all that he's told me, you both seem really close and I understand if you're angry at me too and-"Raven rambled, confusing Kairi.
"Whoa, what do you mean? Why would I be angry?" Kairi asked, making Raven just as confused.
"You mean…you're not?" Raven asked.
"No, if anything, I'm happy Sora found someone who cares about him. Wait, is that why you've been a little standoffish with me? You were worried I was angry?" Kairi asked, making Raven slowly nodded.
"It's just…you've known him longer than I have, and he even saved you too and you saved him. When we first met back in Yen Sid's Tower, I was worried that I was just getting in-between you two and he would go back with you." Raven admitted. Kairi nodded and placed a comforting hand on Raven's shoulder, making her look up.
"Sora and I…will always be connected in some way. Whether as a couple or two very best friends who care for each other's happiness. For us, we've come to accept each other as best friends through and through. And we support each other through whatever we have to deal with." Kairi replied, making Raven turn to look at her.
"So…you're okay with us being together?" Raven asked.
"Of course, as long as you don't do anything to hurt him." Kairi said.
"Wouldn't dream of it. Unless he hurts himself." Raven, making the two chuckle.
"With that out of the way…is everything okay between the two of you?" Kairi asked, making Raven let out a sigh in response.
"Yes, but…seeing him hang around with Rapunzel and being all happy and close with her, I just…" Raven said.
"Got jealous? That's pretty natural to feel, Raven." Kairi said.
"Not for me it's not." Raven replied.
"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.
"The power I have, it requires me to have control over my emotions. If I lose control, bad things tend to happen. Most of my base emotions are under control, but jealousy…jealousy is completely new to me. I never thought I would experience it ever, but seeing Sora with her just brings that out of me." Raven said.
"Well, you know how he is at this point." Kairi said.
"An easily distracted Goofball." Raven said "An easily distracted Lazy Bum." Kairi said.
The girls look at each other and laugh together about the boy they both come to care for.
"When we find the others, you should talk to Sora and let him know how you feel about this. As history shows, he's usually not good at picking up on things. But he does care about you and would want you to be happy." Kairi said, making Raven nod in agreement.
"I will." Raven said. Kairi let out a yawn and stretched her arms out. "Get some sleep. I'll take first watch and then you can go next. It's been a long day." Raven said.
"Cannot argue with that." Kairi said, standing up and walking over to another nearby tree, but she stopped and turned to look back at Raven. "Oh, and hey…thanks for looking out for Sora while he was in your world." Kairi said with a smile, making the empath smile as well.
"Someone has to." Raven replied, making the two smile and laugh as Kairi got as comfy as she could against the tree and fell asleep, leaving Raven alone to tend the fire.
( Meanwhile, out in the dark forest)
Back in the dark forest, Mother Gothel was walking through the trees, looking for any sign of Rapunzel or for anyone that could help her. Suddenly, a door hidden inside a large tree was pushed open, making her take cover and pull out her knife. She peeked out to see two men crawling out of the hole, both dressed like thieves and one of them had an eyepatch.
"I'll kill him. I'll kill that Rider!" One of the brothers yelled out.
"Listen, we'll cut them off at the Kingdom and get that crown back. Let's go!" The other brother replied. Mother Gothel smiled and quickly climbed up on the rock she was hiding behind.
"Or…" Gothel called out, catching the brother's attention as they turned to face her. "Perhaps you want to stop acting like wild dogs chasing their tails and think for a moment." Gothel replied and holding up the satchel that held the crown inside. In response, the Stabbington Brothers pulled out their swords and pointed them at her.
"Oh, please, there's no need for that." She said, tossing the satchel toward them. The two wrestled for it and reached in to pull the crown out, making them both smile.
"Well, if that's all you desire, then be on your way. I was gonna offer you something worth 1000 crowns, which would've made you rich beyond belief and that's not even the best part. Haha, oh well, enjoy your crown." Mother Gothel replied, starting to walk away. The Brothers share a glance before looking back at her.
"What's the best part?" One of the brothers asked. Gothel smiled and pulled out the Wanted poster of Flynn from her cloak.
"It comes with revenge on Flynn Rider." Gothel teased. The Brothers look at each other and smile as they sheath their swords.
"We're in." The brother replied.
"Excellent. Just one more thing to ensure you won't turn on me." Gothel said, extending her arm out and releasing a pink aura over the Brothers, making them go slack jaw and their eyes turn bright pink. Gothel smiled to herself as the brothers regained their senses and smiled at her.
And that is the end of Part 2. I apologize for the long wait, but this world turned out to be much longer than I anticipated, so Tangled is being split into three parts. I hope you all are taking care of yourselves as summer comes to a close and schools start back up. Halloween is also on the horizon, so I hope you're all getting into the spooky season. Now, onto the reviews:
CRabbit3428665: Pretty much and it was fun writing Raven being jealous.
XenoBlaze: You're welcome! Yup, everyone knows about Blueberry Mom. The book has a lot of secrets. Those encounters are going to tug on the heartstrings.
3bodyjaa: Thank you, hope you enjoyed it and this one.
D.J. Scales: Indeed, and things only get crazier.
Guest: Close, but you'll see when you read.
Cman6465: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one too. Things will get more intense as the story progresses.
Darkshot99: Aw, well thank you for giving my story a chance. Glad to see your enjoying it.
QuintinFMA: Hah, you actually got it about the worlds. And no, Rose will not get a keyblade.
Khy Dragon: Not good at all. Hope you're having a great day.
The Keeper of Worlds: I know right? Things are getting intense.
As always, I hope you all are staying safe and sound in these weird times. I know things are getting tougher and I won't pretend to understand everyone's struggles, but I hope my stories bring a little bit of happiness into your lives. As always, I want to thank my friend Ultra for helping me with ideas and beta reading my chapter. If you all enjoy the story and want to see more, please favor and follow to stay up to date. If you have any opinions or ideas to share, please leave a comment or PM me at any time. I hope you all take care of yourselves and I'll see you in the next chapter. Peace out.
