?

"...Pudding..."

"Um, Neptune? Please wake up"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, the girl in question woke up almost immediately.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Histy! How's it been?"

"Same old, same old, I'm afraid. You?"

"Oh, we had an amazing time since we last talked, Histy!"

"Is that so? Can you tell me?"

"Of course. Basically, blah blah blah blah blah"

"Hmmmmm, I see. Drifters. Keyholes. A Newtype and new companions who just vanished. Not to mention being poisoned by a witch! You have been through a lot in those worlds, Neptune."

The girl grinned as she rubbed her nose. "All in a day's work for this Nep! So, hey, quick questions"

"Shoot"

"Remember that feeling I had whenever I was near Sora?"

"You're referring to the connection between you two, yes?"

"Something like that. Ya see, when I met Noire a while ago, I got the same feeling from her. What's that mean?"

"This could take a while to explain, but to condense it, it means you are approaching a fellow CPU, Neptune."

Questions marks appeared around her. "CPU? What's that?"

"Again, this could take a while to explain, and I don't have the time for it right now, but basically, you and this Noire person are a special kind of people. One native to a certain world."

"A certain world? You think it could be the same world Compa and Iffy once lived at?"

"I cannot say for certain right now if that is indeed the same world most of the Drifters came from. Nevertheless, the fact that you are able to meet one of your kind is excellent news, Neptune!"

Neptune giggled. "Ya think so? But, uh, here's the thing..."

"Yes?"

"That feeling I felt with Noire? I felt something similar with the Newtype back then"

"Really now? Have you encountered anyone else like Noire or the Newtype on your travels?"

She shook her head. "Nada."

"I see. Hmmmmmmmm."

Feeling that this could take a while, and that they don't have a lot of time with this conversation, Neptune changed topics.

"Anyway, we can shelve that for later. I do have one more question, however"

"What is it, then?"

"Is the witch who kidnapped you go by the name of Maleficent?"

"No. Where did you hear that name, though?"

"Heard it from Leon and the others. Said she was the one who squatted on their home world after the Heartless ruined everything there."

"I see. I apologize for not informing you of my kidnapper's name sooner."

"It's no biggie!" Neptune smiled. "Besides, if my Nep Senses are correct, I get the feeling your kidnapper and this Male-ficient are working together, somehow"

"If that is the case, then it would make a gr...ve...nce..."

"Uh, Histy? Hello? Are we hanging up?"

"We...of...me...Pl...refu..."

Ocean Between – Approaching Agrabah

"WORLD AHOY!"

Neptune snapped awake at the duck's declaration.

"Woah!" the girl said as she yawned. "That does not make for a good alarm clock."

"Good morning, Nep-Nep" Compa greeted with a plate of pudding on her hand. "Here's your morning pudding!"

"The right way to start the day! Thanks, Compa!" Neptune thanked, taking the plate and started chowing down on the pudding.

"For you, yeah" IF snarked. "So anyway, what're we looking at?"

"Sand!" Goofy declared.

"Lots and lots of sand, apparently" Sora followed.

"Ugh, sand" Compa groaned. "It's coarse, rough, irritating and it gets everywhere! I knew I should've bought new clothes back at Traverse Town"

"Instead, you stocked up on more pudding ingredients aside from the usual grocery list..." the guild agent spoken out, causing the duck to groan at the handling of funds.

"But they were on sale!" the nurse complained. "I HAD to get them now!"

IF sighed. "At least we still have enough for a few items and accessories"

Goofy nodded. "Can't afford to remain unguarded out there!"

Neptune gulped, swallowing the last of the pudding. "You think there's time for me to change?"

"You packed clothes?" Donald asked.

"More like Arty insisted on giving me them" Neptune laughed. "Anyway, be back in a jiff! Hope we don't have any stowaways here or whatever!"

She then took to the infirmary to get her clothes changed.

The guild agent sighed. "The random things she says, I swear..."

"How about the rest of you?" Sora asked around. "It's bound to be hot down there"

"I think I'll be fine" IF boasted. "Adapting to different weathers is pretty much a must for a guild agent like me"

"We'll be okay!" Goofy answered. "Right, Donald?"

The duck nodded as the party turned their attention to the nurse.

"I guess you'll have to tough it out, Compa" Sora said apologetically. "Sorry"

The nurse groaned. "I hope we packed enough water for this trip"

"I'M BACK~"

Everyone turned to see Neptune, who changed her signature parka for a smaller jersey.

"Well, what do y'all think?" Neptune asked around "Cute, right?"

"Super-duper cute!" Compa complimented.

"At least you'll last better under the sun, that's for sure" IF said, narrowing her eyes against the purple-haired girl. "You made sure you're wearing bloomers, right?"

"Totally!" the girl with the key answered with a salute. "I know this is not just our franchise this time!"

Neptune then approached her fellow Keyblade wielder. "So, Sora, thoughts?"

"Well..." Sora scratched his cheek. "It...suits you?"

Neptune chuckled. "C'mon, buck-o! If that's all you have to say, what will happen if Kairi shows up in a fan-tabulous dress one day? And all you can then is 'It...suits you'? Man up, buck-o!"

Sora became flustered at that. "Uh. Well. That's..."

"Alright, you guys, break it up!" IF said, getting in-between the two. "We got a world to explore, friends and Drifters to find and a Keyhole to seal. So, let's all get going already."

"Okay!"

Agrabah – Alleyway

"So, this is the world you live in?" Arfoire, who is tagging along with Jafar and Maleficent, said as they walked through the sandy streets.

"RULE over, thank you very much" Jafar insisted.

"Oh, my mistake" Arfoire bowed to the man in red. "I forgot to pay my respects"

Maleficent sighed. "And the Keyhole?"

"The Heartless are searching for it now" the vizier answered as he approached the evil fairy. "I'm certain we'll find it soon enough"

"With that covered, there's only one more matter to attend to here..." the purple hag looked up to see a red bird flying down to Jafar's shoulder.

"Ah, Iago" the vizier called over. "Have you found her?"

"I've looked everywhere for Jasmine" the red bird reported. "She's disappeared like magic!"

"The girl is more trouble than she's worth" Jafar scoffed. "And the rat that aided her?"

"Not a clue either!" Iago said. "I swear, that cat-lady's really good at covering her tracks!"

Arfoire huffed. "Trouble in paradise?"

"You said you had things under control" Maleficent reminded.

"Agrabah is full of holes for rats to hide in" Jafar defended. "But why worry about Princess Jasmine? With her or without her, surely this world will be ours when we find the Keyhole."

"Surely you're not informed?" the purple witch said, grabbing the vizier's attention. "Our ultimate goal is to reach the heart of all worlds, and in order to do that..."

"We need all seven princesses of heart to open the final door leading to it" the green witch finished. "Any fewer is useless."

"Well, if the princess is that important, we'll find her."

Jafar then summoned his band of Bandit Heartless, scimitar-wielding warriors native to sandy areas like these, and gave them his orders.

"Find Jasmine and bring her to me!" he ordered. "And if you see that strange woman, kill her on sight!"

Sending Iago and his Heartless on their way, Jafar proceeds forth as well.

"Don't steep yourself in darkness too long." Maleficent warned the vizier. "The Heartless consume the careless"

Jafar laughed at the warning. "Your concern is touching, but hardly unnecessary."

Arfoire chuckled. "Well, this ought to be entertaining..."

As the three left the city, one figure who was eavesdropping on the conversation emerged from behind the stalls once the coast is clear.

"That was unsettling...I wonder what the Princess has to say about this..."

Agrabah – Hideout

"I'm back!"

The figure returned to the designated hideout. It wasn't impressive, considering the open holes, numerous displaced bricks and three entrances to the room, one of which has a pole on it.

But it did have an open view to the Sultan's Palace over yonder, so that's a plus.

"Ah, welcome back" a woman wearing teal approached the figure. "How was the reconnaissance, CyberConnect2?"

The figure, wearing a gray shirt, green shorts, a green cap and has some face paint on her face, scratched behind her head which sported cat-like ears while her cat-like tail swayed. "C'mon, Princess, you can just call me CC2. My name's a bit long anyway..."

"Only if you call me Jasmine" the princess sighed. "Anyway, did you find anything interesting?"

"I happened to overhear the creepy vizier talking to some folks in the streets" CC2 reported.

"You found Jafar?" Jasmine gasped. "What did he say? Do you know where's he headed?"

"About that..."

Before she could continue, they heard voices.

"...about we start searching here?"

"...take a break? My sweater's all drenched..."

CC2 put a finger on her mouth, silently telling the princess to hide and keep quiet. The cat-like lady silently sprinted to the nearby pathway and hid near the corner as she drew out one of her twin daggers out.

"...about that place over yonder? It looks spacious enough!"

"...idea! Let's go there, Donald!"

"...right. Alright!"

The voices stopped, but the sounds are replaced with footsteps drawing in closer...

And closer...

And closer...

"...!"

When the steps became too close, CC2 drew her dagger at the seeming intruder, causing them to yelp in surprise.

"Woah-hao!" a loud voice screamed.

"What's the big idea!?" a squeaky voice shouted.

"Goofy!? Donald!" a boy's voice shouted from the back. "You two okay!?"

"Sora!" the second voice (Donald, right?) called out. "Someone's in this place, and they're not too friendly!"

"I could say the same to you!" CC2 replied back with gusto, never moving from her spot. "Did you at least bother to check if people are living in these places?"

"Huh?" the first voice (Goofy) wondered as he regained his bearings. "Hang on, are you normal?"

"Huh?" CC2 raised her eyebrow. "Normal?"

"Like, not a dark, spooky creature normal?" Goofy elaborated.

"Heck yes!" CC2 replied indignantly. "We've been hiding our butts off from those things since they kept showing up, one after the other!"

"Then we can help out!"

"Huh?"

CC2 looked to the pathway to see a young boy with brown hair, a duck with a staff wearing blue and a..dog(?) wearing green with a shield.

"Who the heck are you guys?" She asked, surprised.

"We could ask you the same thing!" Donald yelled.

"O-Oh!" CC2 immediately put her dagger away in shame. "Sorry about that! I thought you could be with that sleazy vizier or those weird creatures roaming on the streets"

"D'oooh, it's alright!" Goofy said happily. "We're just glad you're okay!"

"Excuse me, but..." the boy (Sora, I think they called him) called out "...we got more friends waiting in the back, so do you mind letting us in?"

CC2 turned back to see Princess Jasmine giving an okay sign with her hand.

"Sure thing!" she replied to the boy. "This is just a temporary hideout, anyway!"

One explanation later…

"I see..." CC2 said, understanding their story (as much as they were able to tell without upsetting the World Order) "Heartless roaming around and searching for a Keyhole that could end up destroying this place if they found it"

"Jafar mentioned that they haven't found it yet" Princess Jasmine said. "But I worry if their search has gone well"

"Same here" IF shook her head. "Anyway, why are you two here in hiding, especially the princess over here?"

"Yeah!" Neptune exclaimed. "Shouldn't you be over in the castle or something?"

"Well, the thing is..." Jasmine tries to explain.

"Oooohhhhh!" Compa smashed her fist onto her hand. "You ran away from home, didn't you?"

"N-Not exactly" the princess stuttered. "I...needed to get a fresh perspective from the commoners, so I snuck away, and while I was, I heard from the city folk that my father, the Sultan, was deposed by the royal vizier, who then unleashed those dreadful monsters upon our people..."

Everyone's faces were filled with dread and sympathy.

"I bet it was a nightmare, huh?" Neptune said, her voice laid with empathy, recalling the first time she saw someone turn into a Heartless. It was not a pretty sight...

"Unfortunately." Jasmine closed her eyes. "I ran as far away as I could, but the monsters caught up to me. That's when a nice, young man came to save me..."

"You okay? C'mon. This way!"

"Oho~!" the girl in the jersey chirped. "Do I smell love in the air, or is it just me?"

Jasmine started to blush at that. "W-Well..."

"A WHOLE NEW WORLD~" Neptune started to sing, only to be bopped in the head.

"Quit the sudden number, Nep" IF scolded. "Anyway, someone came and saved you, right? What's next?"

"He told me to go hide in here for the time being before he left, saying he has some left-over business to take care of..."

The princess sighed. "Oh, Aladdin. I hope you're okay."

Goofy looked to CC2. "Did'ya know where he was going?"

The cat-like girl shook her head, not noticing that Neptune was playing catch with her tail. "Didn't even get to meet him. I met the princess when she was out by herself after all that huba-dub happened."

Eventually, the girl in the jersey caught the tail! "Gotcha!"

"Huh?" CC2 turned to see Neptune playing with her tail, who could only laugh. "Curious about that, huh?"

"I mean, we don't get to meet cat-girls every now and again..." Neptune said sheepishly.

"Well, sorry to say this but..." CC2 looked away in shame. "But that's a fake"

"Nep-wha?" Neptune's eyes became comical circles upon hearing that.

To further prove her point, CC2 pulled apart her 'cat-ears'. "See? All fake. Part of my look, though"

Neptune became downcast upon hearing that. "W-Why? Is my whole life a lie all along?"

"Neptune..." Sora became worried for his fellow wielder.

IF sighed. "Does she have to be so dramatic?"

"Don't mind me, guys..." Neptune said, walking towards a cabinet. "...I'll just sulk here and rethink my whole life while sitting on this nice carpet..."

"You're exaggerating..." the guild agent muttered.

As she sat down on said purple carpet, it begun to shake!

"Nep-huh!?" Neptune yelped. "Geez, can't you see I'm in the middle of an existential crisis here!?"

"That carpet just moved!" Compa shouted. "Everyone, that carpet just moved!"

"And once again, the worlds have proven to surprise us yet again..." IF sighed.

"We've been here for a while..." Jasmine said. "...and I don't think I ever noticed it move an inch..."

"Should we let it out?" Donald wondered as he approached the moving carpet.

"I think we should..."

Upon Goofy's word, the boys moved the cabinet out, letting the carpet...fly away to the outside.

"It flew!" Compa shouted again. "Everyone, the carpet just flew away!"

"We can see that, Compa. Thank you" IF said, patting Compa's head.

"Never thought I'd see a flying carpet in my entire life..." CC2 murmured, as a wide grin graced her lips. "...This just gets even more amazing!"

After a few more minutes of the carpet flying in its freedom, it returned to the hideout and stood against the party.

"It came back" Jasmine said.

"Yeah..." IF eyed the carpet suspiciously, which replied by folding its ends as if it were its arms. "What's it want?"

It then waved its upper left corner, as if beckoning them to come with it.

"It wants us to go with it?" Compa said, confused.

"I think that's what it wants" CC2 guessed.

"But the question is, where does it want us to go?" Donald wondered.

"Ooooohhhh~" Neptune cooed with star-lit eyes. "Maybe it will guide us to some treasure as thanks!"

IF sighed. "Really, Nep?"

"Think about it, Iffy!" the girl in the jersey exclaimed. "This has to be one of those secret finds where it leads to hidden rooms with all the fancy bonuses are! It's video game logic, Iffy!"

"Look, sometimes I can't keep up with your meta-logic here, Nep" the girl in the coat said.

"Well, my Nep Senses are telling me this carpet's trustworthy" Neptune exclaimed. "so I'd say we go for it!"

Compa nodded. "It's like my grandpa used to say. 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'. I say we got for it"

IF hummed as she gathered her thoughts. "Well, we're going to need more information about this Jafar and his movements. Having the lay of the land will be good to have"

She then nodded. "Okay then. Let's go where this carpet wants us to go and explore more of this place"

"That's great, but uh..." Sora said with worry. "There's a problem"

"What is it, buck-o?" the female Keyblade wielder raised an eyebrow.

They looked at the carpet, which seemed to be dancing wildly now.

"I don't think he can fit all of us" the boy said.

Everyone began to think about the one question that is now on everyone's mind...

Which Neptune said out loud.

"So...who's gonna go?"

Agrabah – Desert

"Woo-hoo!"

Extending her hands out, Neptune, along with Sora, Donald and Goofy, rode the recently-freed magic carpet to their destination amidst the night breeze.

"Enjoying the ride?" Sora asked with a smile.

"Heck yes!" Neptune cheered. "You never get to feel the wind back in the Gummi Ship!"

"Welp" Goofy started. "It IS outer space in the Ocean Between..."

"Keep your guard up, guys!" Donald warned the group. "This is no pleasure ride!"

The girl in the jersey giggled. "You say that, but I bet you wanted a piece of the treasure too, don't ya ducky?"

"W-Wak!" Donald yelped in embarrassment. "Of course not! Why would I want some gold for myself? That's ridiculous!"

"Really~?" Neptune asked. "Then why's your beak riddled with drool?"

"WAK!"

Sora chuckled as the duck wiped off the saliva coming out of his beak. "I guess Donald's got a bit of the greedy streak, huh?"

"Welp, when you lived impoverished for a long time, that old habit tends to die hard..." Goofy remarked offhandly.

"I smell a troubled past there..." Neptune wondered.

"It's not much" Goofy said. "Before the King, Donald and I became who we are, we were simply janitors at the Royal Castle. Then, all of a sudden, we became musketeers, and long after that, we became royalty, in a way."

"Wow!" Sora's eyes widened in amazement. "That must be quite the story!"

"We'll tell ya all about it once we find King Mickey!" the royal captain urged. "Then the three of us'll tell ya the whole story!"

Donald, who was on lookout, noticed something on the ground.

"Look!"

Specifically on an open-circle rock formation, where he could swear he saw two figures about to be submerged in quick-sand!

"Those guys are in trouble!" Sora cried.

"Hey, Mr. Carpet! Take us there!"

The flying carpet heeded Neptune's request and swiftly landed the team in the open circle.

"Hang in there!"

Just as Goofy ran to where the figures were, Bandit Heartless emerged from the sand, their scimitars at the ready!

"Gah! They've got weapons!" Neptune cried in a panic.

"You idiot!" Donald scolded as he summoned his staff. "We all got weapons!"

"Oh yeah! Hehehe!"

Neptune and the rest summoned their weapons for a brawl.

Two of the Bandits attempted to charge at the defenseless girl, but she caught on to them...

"...Oooohhh, wanna play?"

...and blocked their incoming strikes as she started to channel magic.

"Time to try this! THUNDER BLITZ!"

Crashing her thunder-infused Keyblade against her attackers, all that was left of them was dust.

"Hehe! How's that!?"

Meanwhile, three of them attempt to assault Goofy, who was meeting their attacks with his trusty shield.

"We're getting nowhere at this rate!" the royal guard yelled.

"I got an idea!"

Channeling his magic to his friend's shield, Donald imbued Goofy's shield with ice magic.

"Good thinkin', Donald!"

Unleashing the magic imbued within, Goofy charged at his attackers, leaving them frozen and shattered against their icy combination.

This is their Combination Skill, Goofy Elements!

"Awesome!"

Lastly, Sora was clashing blades with the last remaining Bandit.

"You're good..."

However, the boy deflected his last strike and slammed his Keyblade against the Bandit, ending him once and for all with a mighty Blitz!

"...But you're no Riku!"

Sensing no danger, the team of four went to retrieve the figures, a man wearing an open purple robe and white pants along with a monkey wearing small robes and a hat.

"You okay?" Sora asked the man.

"How many fingers am I holding?" Neptune asked the man, holding her fingers up.

"Y-Yeah, I'll be fine" the man replied, shaking off the sand from his person.

The monkey screeched, turning the team's attention to more Heartless in the area, including Fat Bandits, fire-breathing cousins of the Large Body!

"We've got trouble!" Goofy warned the group.

"Too much trouble!" Donald said, keeping his guard up.

The rescued man, however, had a trump card in his pocket.

Pulling out a golden lamp, he rubbed it and shouted. "Genie! Get rid of these guys!"

As he rubbed the lamp, blue smoke emerged from it, revealing a large blue man with no feet, and a whimsical attitude!

"Wish number uno, coming right up!"

With a snap of his fingers, the Heartless are suddenly popped into a giant glass ball and loaded into a giant cannon.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

He then fired the cannon, shooting the ball out into the night sky, releasing fireworks and taking all the Heartless out with it.

"Seriously, Al, this is quite a simple wish you made." the blue man said quickly with a disappointed expression. "Maybe something a little more exciting or complex will do the trick, hm?"

The rescued man chuckled. "I'll try, Genie. I'll try."

Agrabah - Oasis

Taking the chance to recuperate, the whole group gained some distance as they exchanged information.

"I see..." the rescued man chuckled. "Thanks, Sora"

"Aladdin, what are you doing out here?" the boy asked.

"Aladdin?" Goofy mumbled to himself as he begun to think.

"Same old stuff" Aladdin answered. "Hunting legendary treasure. Just paid a visit to the Cave of Wonders"

The flying carpet landed nearby. "That's where I found that carpet..."

He then revealed the golden lamp he was using earlier.

"...and this lamp."

"Man, getting those treasures sure ain't easy, huh?" Neptune wondered.

"Believe me, it was tempting with all those treasures around..." Aladdin said. "But I pulled through and got this out. Legend has it that whoever holds the lamp can summon the-"

"Please, kid!" the blue man suddenly interrupted as he danced around. "Leave the intros to a professional! The one and ONLY Genie of the Lamp!"

"Rub-a-dub-dub the lamp and have your dearest wishes granted!" Genie declared with a bow. He then flew down to Aladdin as he shook his hand. Confetti also rained down on him out of nowhere. "Today's winner is...Aladdin! Congratulations"

"Any wish?" Neptune and Donald asked in unison.

HIs giant hand stopped them. "Patience, my fine and fairly excited friends!"

"Any THREE WISHES!" Suddenly, three of him appeared as he held three fingers up.

"A one wish, a two wish, a three wish." As he counted down, his doubles vanished into genie smoke. "Then I make like a banana and split!"

"Our lucky winner made his first wish-"

He then flew down to Sora and loudly whispered in a falsetto. "and let me tell you, what a doozy that wish was, that I had to be a little extra about it-"

And then two of him appeared as he danced again. "So, he has TWO left! So, master, what'll you have for Wish NUMERO TWO!?"

A spotlight shined on Al as cheers could be heard amidst the hot desert sands. "Hmmm, how about making me a fabulously wealthy prince?"

"A...prince?" Goofy slowly said.

"Oooh! Money Royalty! Fame! Why didn't I think of that?" Genie exclaimed. "Okay, you asked for it! A hundred servants and a hundred camels loaded with gold!" He then made gestures akin to dialing a phone, complete with fitting sound effects! "Just say the word and I'll deliver it in 30 minutes or less, or your meal's free! Hey, I'll even throw in a cappuccino!"

"No, thanks!" Aladdin shook his hands. "I don't even know what a cappuccino is."

"Okay" Genie shrugged.

"A prince, eh?" Neptune said with star-struck eyes. "Is this the advent of Prince Ali!?"

"FABULOUS HE-Hey, hey, hey! Hold it, Ms. Meta Girl!" Genie called out. "I already have a great number lined up for that one!"

"Then it's all yours, Meta-Man!" Neptune chuckled.

"I think I'll put that on hold until we reach Agrabah" Aladdin said after giving it some thought.

"So, why a prince?" Sora asked as he crossed his arms.

"You see, there's this girl in Agrabah named Jasmine" Aladdin answered with a swoon. "But she's a princess, and I'm just a lowly street rat. Aw, she could never fall for a guy like me."

"Jasmine...?" Goofy realized something..."Hey, Al!"

"Okay, hold the phone here!" Neptune suddenly yelled, unknowingly interrupting the walking dog. "Cupid Neptune is here to tell you, lucky guy, that that is load of balarkey!"

"Ba-larkey?" Sora wondered, causing the girl to shush him.

"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked the girl.

"It means that your girl totes got the hots for ya!" She replied, putting her hands on her hips. "We spoke with her in your hideout and she was worried sick about you"

"Me? Please..." Aladdin rejected. "She's probably like that with everyone she meets. It's what's expected from royalty..."

"Nuh-uh!" Neptune loudly shook her head. "When she thought aloud about you, her eyes had that look of longing that said "Where for art thou, mine love?""

Aladdin looked down, still in doubt. "Are you really sure about that?"

"Exaggerated a bit there, but positive!" Neptune nodded furiously. "As a matter of fact, we should get back to the hideout and confirm for ourselves! What say you!?"

The street rat sighed. "Fine. The hideout's originally my place, anyway."

Despite the wind taken out of his sails, Goofy simply shrugged. "Aw, well."

Agrabah – En Route to the City

The team, riding on the magic flying carpet, along with Aladdin, who rode on Genie's hand, flew straight for the city to meet with Princess Jasmine and their remaining party members (plus CyberConnect2)

"Ah, fresh air!" Genie breathed in the breeze. "The great outdoors!"

"I know, right!?" Neptune cheered as she extends her arms out again.

"I guess you don't get out much, huh?" Sora wondered.

"Comes with the job!" Genie answered. "PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!" He said with a booming voice. "itty bitty living space" he continued with a squeaky voice.

"It's always three wishes, then back to my portable prison" he continued in a normal voice. "I'm lucky to see the light of day every century or two..."

"Really?" Neptune wondered. "You can't get out of your lamp yourself?"

"Sadly no, my fellow 4th wall-breaker" the giant blue man replied sadly. "My lamp's got enchantments that'll make SURE I can't get out until someone rub-a-dubs it."

"Yeesh, if Iffy were here, she'd say something like 'Makes sense, wouldn't want all those 'phenomenal cosmic powers' to end up destroying the universe' or something." the girl in the jersey mimicked.

"That's one way to put it, yes" Genie nodded. "But all the same, I'm bound by the rules all Genies should adhere to. The three-wishes thing is one of those, I'm afraid..."

Aladdin hummed. "Say, Genie, what if I use my last wish to free you from the lamp? What do you think?"

"What a coinkydink!" Neptune slammed her fist onto her palm. "I had the same idea, too!"

"Is that even possible?" Sora wondered.

"Hmmm, lemme check" Genie, conjuring a book called the "Genie's Guide For Dummies" and a librarian's getup, scanned through the pages in lightspeed. "Oh, there's nothing here saying that!"

"Wow" Neptune intoned. "Not even a sticky note?"

"Nada!" the Genie answered, dispelling the book and the getup.

"Guess someone must'a overlooked that, huh?" Goofy commented.

"Still, Al" Genie, having reverted back, asked his master. "You'd do that?"

"Genie, it's a promise" Aladdin swore. "After we check up on Jasmine"

The street man sighed upon thinking about the princess again.

Noticing this, Donald called out to him. "Hey, Al"

"What's up, Donald?" Aladdin responded.

"I heard what you said about Princess Jasmine" the duck said. "And...I can relate with that"

The street man raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"You see, I have a girlfriend like her. She's the waiting lady to our home's queen. When we first met all that long ago, she...didn't really like me all that much"

"Oh..."

"I was charmed by her, yes, but I was focused on not being a burden to my friends. Back then, I couldn't stand as tall as them and ran away like a coward. But, once I got my act together, she gave me a chance and we've been hooked with each other since."

"I see..."

"So, what I'm trying to say is...give yourself a chance and just talk to her, not as Prince Ali, but as Aladdin. If she's worried about Aladdin, you should go to her as Aladdin."

Aladdin sighed. "I dunno...I just..."

"Hey, if it helps, we'll be right behind you!" Donald encouraged the street man. "So, chin up and look at her, straight in the eye, okay?"

He could only chuckle to respond to his advice, mostly to hide his flabbergasted-face. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Donald"

The duck responded with a thumbs up.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Neptune breathed in. "Don't you just love budding friendships?"

"I'll say!" Goofy nodded. "It's not everyday Donald gets to open up to anyone else like that!"

"Really?" Sora wondered.

Goofy nodded. "I bet'cha he misses bein' with Daisy right now. And I know she misses bein' with him just as much. Queen Minnie definitely feels the same with the King!"

"All the more reason for us to find them!" Neptune cheered. "We can't let these good ladies be waitin' any longer!"

Sora nodded. "Yeah!"

"Sounds like you folks got a lot on your plates, huh?" Genie asked them.

"You can say that!" Sora answered sheepishly.

"Hey!" Donald yelled. "Remember! World Order!"

"Ah! Sorry..." the boy with the key rubbed his head.

"Oh right, Wizards' and Faeries' Orders!"

Genie then zipped his mouth shut, literally.

Agrabah – Hideout

"Hmmmmm..." IF paced back and forth. "They're sure taking a long time..."

"I hope they haven't passed out of heat exhaustion." Compa hoped with worry.

"If Aladdin has been out for this long..." Jasmine wondered. "I fear something might have happened to him..."

"Well, with that creepy vizier and those dark creatures runnin' around" the cat-like woman stated as she looked out of the open hole. "I'd say that's likely..."

As CC2 looked out into the distance, she noticed a red dot floating around the sky...

"Wait a sec..."

The red dot then stopped for a while, and then turned away.

"SHOOT!" CC2 screamed as she retreated. "It's that bird!"

"A bird?" Compa tilted her head.

"Yeah" CC2 scrambled to get her weapons. "Jafar's pet bird. Loud and annoying and can talk for some reason"

"Oh no!" Jasmine gasped. "That must be Iago!"

"If he saw you, then..."

Sure enough, Bandit Heartless spawned inside the hideout.

"Oh, come on!" IF angrily unsheathed her qatars and slashed one of the Bandits away. "Can't we have a moment of peace here!? We're waiting on some people here!"

"W-What do we do!?" Compa yelped, barely blocking two Bandits with her syringe.

"The only thing we can do!" Channeling wind energy onto her twin daggers, CC2 made her move. "We run!"

Unleashing a torrent of wind against the surrounding Heartless, CC2 urged the group out of the hideout and onto the streets.

Agrabah – Palace Gates

"DId we lose them!?" Compa wondered, gasping for air. "I can't stand this heat!"

"Hopefully so" CC2 looked around. "Any more of them, IF?"

The guild agent looked around as she tried to catch her breath. "None so far. Still, we gotta find another place to hide or we're-"

"I'm afraid that won't happen, you street rats!"

The current group looked up on a nearby building to see the vile vizier himself!

"Jafar!" Jasmine called out.

"Princess Jasmine, it has been a while" Jafar bowed to the princess. "But I'm afraid your services are required elsewhere."

"No!" Jasmine answered defiantly. "I won't go with you! Not after what you have done to my father!"

"I assure you the Sultan is out of harm's way" the vizier reassured. "However, the same cannot be said for your dear friends!"

Tapping his staff down, he summoned a band of three Bandits and a Fat Bandit to surround them. However, these Heartless have an eerie red aura around them.

"This feeling..." IF thought aloud as she noticed the red auras. "That armored Heartless back then had those auras too!"

"So...what does that mean?" CC2 asked.

"It means very bad news!" Compa whined. "We are so goners!"

"Tch" Jafar clicked his tongue. "That vile witch...Must she interfere with my business?"

He scoffed. "No matter. Nothing will stop me now! Seize the princess and kill the rest!"

Two of the Bandits charged against IF, who could barely block their assaults...

"This isn't good..."

And sure enough, she was deflected and one of the Bandits pinned the guild agent down.

IF groaned. "Why did I think...it was good idea to send those two away...?"

"Iffy!"

Compa tried to spring to her friend's aid, but the third Bandit knocked her down and kept her pinned to the ground.

"IF! Compa!"

Distracted, the Fat Bandit shot out a fireball from it's mouth, sending CC2 down as well!

"Oh no..." Jasmine panicked, petrified by fear.

"Princess..." CC2 pleaded as she was being restrained. "You gotta run...Wait until...he shows up..."

"That will not happen"

Jafar appeared in front of the princess, extending a hand to her.

"Come with me, princess" Jafar pleaded with the princess.

Jasmine could only look between the vizier and her downed friends, who are pinned by the empowered Heartless.

"If you come with me, I will call off the Heartless..."

The princess hesitated. A part of her believed that he was lying. Most of her screamed to go away from him, having never trusted the vizier since the day he showed up at the palace. Indeed, it would be best to follow CC2's advice and run away...

But...

"Will you..." she started. "...truly call off these monsters if I go with you?"

The vizier bowed. "You have my word"

"D...Don't..." IF pleaded.

After a few more seconds of hesitation, Princess Jasmine came to her answer. "I..."

"Don't you dare finish!"

The princess looked to the source of the voice.

"After all this time...after all that bluster..." It was CyberConnect2, looking up with anger on her face. "Are you really going to give up just like that!?"

"B-But..." Jasmine pleaded.

"Stop!" CC2 shouted back. "You told me once how frustrated you were with your life there. You may have been princess of this world, but you didn't want to have your choices handed to you. You wanted to make your own decisions, come up with your own answers. Isn't that why you ran away!?"

Jasmine recalled that well. "Yes. I didn't want my future handed to me. I didn't want my goals and my love to be decided for me! I wanted someone who looked at me not as a princess of the land, but as a person who wanted to see more of the world, not just beyond the palace!"

CC2 grinned. "Then hold onto it. That anger. That frustration. That is something you felt. Something only you yourself can be proud of havin'. Once you make yourself somethin' good out of those, that's the part when you can be proud of yourself. That will be proof that Jasmine made her own choice in her life!"

Jafar growled. "Silence! You street rats know nothing! Of the great power that is within our grasp! The power that will change the world as we see fit! I will have that power at any cost! You made your choice, princess! Now suffer for your mistake!"

The girls that were pinned down started to scream as IF and Compa were being choked. However, CC2 continued to resist.

She even laughed. "That's it, huh? World domination, eh? That's a boring goal..."

This frustrated the vizier even more. "You dare! Heartless, kill that girl first!"

The Bandit restraining her lifted her up from the neck, putting it's sword close.

"...And yet, people like you dared to even exist? People like you, who would quash the dreams of others for your own selfish goals!? That's ridiculous..."

A fierce aura began to glow from the cat-lady. Her once-green aura of power began to slowly turn red.

"You dare to have low lives kill me?" her voice growled, as if something terrifying had awakened inside of her. "YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!"

Her aura burst forth, wiping out her captor and pushing back all the others.

"What is this...power!?" Jafar said, shielding himself from her aura.

"CC2?"

Jasmine could only look agape at her friend. Her overall appearance hasn't changed much, but the green eyes CC2 once had, has become a fierce red.

"Holy..." the desert princess started.

"...Moly!" Compa finished, both girls staring in awe. "What is that?"

"It feels like she's channeling her anger into raw power..." the guild agent looked on in a mix of amazement and fear.

Jafar gritted his teeth. "Don't just stand there, you fools! Kill that girl, now!"

Two of the boosted Bandits charged right at the enraged woman, only to met with swift strikes on their chests, eliminating them instantly.

"She wiped them out in one hit!" the nurse commentated.

"This girl..." IF wondered. "Could there be a reason why she didn't use this power right away?"

Not done with the battle, the Fat Bandit breathed a stream of flame against the cat-lady, but she leapt up upon sensing the danger...

"You're dead..."

...and landed right behind it!

"DOUBLE STRIKE DEATH!"

The enraged woman unleashed her three-hit Power combo, wiping out the Fat Bandit and leaving the vile vizier all alone.

"Such...power..." Jafar gasped. "To think you held on to this power and never used it freely! Are these children more of a threat to our plans than we first suspected?"

CC2 proceeded to give Jafar a deadly glare, causing him to flinch back.

"You think this is all I have!?" Jafar tapped down his staff, causing the nearby red pots to grow giant spider legs! "I still have an ace up my sleeve!"

Two of the pots, however, exploded, revealing a giant bug head and a giant hind legs, almost that of a giant caterpillar.

The hind legs gathered each of the pots and the head together, forming the Pot Centipede Heartless!

"...Weak..."

However, CC2 remained undeterred. In fact, her aura glowed even stronger.

"Die..HAH!"

Down goes three Pot Spiders in it's midsection...

"HRAH!"

A power slash through the two in the rear!

"YAH!"

A heave against the two near the head!

"YOU'RE FINISHED! BLACK FANG SOUL!"

Unleashing her most powerful attack, she struck against the Heartless's head brutally in a flurry of slashes.

"TAH!"

Leaping up from the head, the resident Drifter surrounded herself in an orb...

"FACE YOUR END!"

...and all of a sudden, several slashes of wind cut through the Pot Centipede's head like butter, ending it with a final wind slash!

"Unbelievable..." Jafar muttered. "What...are you!?"

"Enough yapping around" CC2 growled as she aimed straight for the evil vizier. "Time to die!"

She swiftly struck against the vizier, who responded with a magical sphere to protect himself and entrap Jasmine at the same time!

"I'm afraid not, fool!" Jafar declared. "Not when our final goals are within reach!"

"Jasmine!"

"Iffy! Compa! CC2!"

Everyone looked to see Sora and the rest of the party, along with the rescued Aladdin in tow.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine called out in joy.

"You all came!" Compa said so happily she cried.

"What took you so long?" IF wondered as she slowly got up.

"Well, I could do the blah-blah-blah..." Neptune started. "But a more elaborate flashback wouldn't hurt, now would it?"

Agrabah – Alleyway (A Few Moments Earlier)

"Um, question, guys?"

Donald looked to the girl in the jersey. "Yeah?"

"When we left the town, it was relatively quiet, right?"

"Yup!" Goofy nodded.

"And now that we're back, there seems to be a band of Heartless roaming the streets, right?"

"Seems like it" Sora nodded. "Nothing we can't handle, but yeah"

"What are you trying to get at here?" Aladdin asked the girl impatiently, causing Genie to shush him.

"Calm down, Al" the blue man, having shrunk himself to the group's average height, said, conjuring a detective's outfit and a spyglass as he scans his master with it. "This young lady's sleuthing right now, and I say we let her reach her conclusion, first, wouldn't you say?"

"If all these Heartless are now roaming around," Neptune started. "That usually means bad things are coming or the main bad guy has shown up around here. So, that means that fugly vizier may be around here somehow!"

"You mean Jafar!?" Aladdin nearly shouted. "But why?"

"No doubt she's going after Jasmine" Sora figured.

"From what she told us," Goofy started. "the royal vizier's on a womanhunt against her."

"CC2 said that he needed her for some final goal" Donald continued. "Whatever it is, it can't be good."

"Haa-hahaha!" an evil laugh boomed throughout the alleyway. "That's right! That foolish vizier has his sights set on the princess for a particular reason!"

Purple smoke emerged in front of them, and from that smoke, an evil witch greeted them with a sneer.

"Who in the-" Neptune wondered.

"Haa-hahahaha!" the witch laughed. "We meet again, Neptune! I see you managed to recover from the poison. How fortunate for you!"

"Hey!" Goofy pointed to the lady.

"You're the one who poisoned Neptune!" Donald pointed out, readying his staff.

"That's right!" the wtich answered smugly. "Call me Arfoire! I will be the agent of your demise!"

"THAT'S HER!?" Sora shouted to Neptune as he pointed at the witch. "But she dresses up all lame! You sure this is the same hag who poisoned you?"

"How should I know!?" Neptune shouted back. "I couldn't get a look at her since I was passin' out, ya know? If I did, I would definitely question her sense of fashion, no doubt about it!"

Hearing those only served to tick Arfoire off. "You dare make a fool out of me!?"

"What are you doing here?" Aladdin demanded as he brought out his scimitar. "Are you in league with Jafar?"

"Not quite" Arfoire chuckled. "I have no interest in the results of his plans. However..."

She then scanned both Neptune and Sora. "I need to see for myself what the Keyblade's Chosen Ones can really do!"

The witch brought out her weapon, a dark heavy spear, with dark magic.

"You wanna fight us at this stage of the game?" Neptune laughed. "That's so totally what a mid-boss would do!"

"Say what you want, you fool!" Arfoire twirled her spear. "Pretty soon, I'll have you fools kneeling on the floor!"

"Hey, Al" Genie whispered to the street man as he punched the air. "What'dya say we give that old hag the good ol' one-two, eh?"

But his master shook his head. "It's alright. We got this"

"Oki-doki" Genie vanished in a puff of smoke. "But don't hesitate to call on me. Remember, two wishes left!"

"So then?" the witch readied her stance. "Are you ready to fall here?"

"We'll see about that!" Donald channeled energy into his staff. "FIRA!"

The witch boredly raised her hand, blocking the attack with an energy shield.

"Is that all?" the purple hag asked mockingly.

But as the smoke clears, she could hear the sound of a dog charging at her.

"This is for Nep-Nep, witch!"

Goofy unleashed a powerful Charge that pushed her back despite her magic barrier...

"...!"

...right where Aladdin snuck up behind her and slashed at her!

"You're quite the sneaky one!" Arfoire complimented, barely blocking the incoming attack in time.

"It's how we fight in the streets!" the street man said. "We sneak in, take what we get and get out in style!"

Aladdin hopped back as he prepared another strike.

"Do you really think you can beat me?" the witch mocked him as she blocked his strike.

But Aladdin grinned. "Not just me..."

The purple lady sensed two presences behind, jumping right after her!

Realizing that the two Keyblade wielders may be attacking her, she immediately prepared her counterattack!

"SYLHET SPEAR!"

She summoned a large spectral spear and aimed directly behind her. However, her aim was a bit off and the two managed to scrape through the spear and land a hit against her!

"We're not done yet!"

Sora followed up with a three-hit combo, ending with a Blitz through her head...

"Ah-ha!"

...sending the witch reeling back!

"You little!"

"Time to freeze!"

Seeing the opening, Donald prepares a strong Blizzara attack and aims right at her!

"Pesky vermin!" the witch barely blocked the attack again, but shards of ice formed in front of her.

"Trying to distract me, are you!?"

Angered at their insolence, the purple hag prepared the technique again.

"SYLHET SPEAR!"

Summoning another spectral spear, Arfoire crashed through the forming ice, leaving a snowy mist admist the desert town.

"Now...where are you?"

She looked around for presences and managed to spot a silhouette in the mist.

"Got you! RAINY RATNAPURA!"

The witch launched the technique, piercing the silhouette with a flurry of spear strikes.

"Gah!"

"Ow-wowow!"

As the mist cleared around her, she saw Aladdin and Goofy downed, the former knocked back behind the royal captain.

"That's the best you can do?" Arfoire said smugly.

"So much for our plan..." Aladdin bemoaned.

"Sorry, Al..." Goofy apologized.

"Hey!" Sora called out to his opponent as he charged against her. "Get away from them!"

"And why should I listen to you?" the witch summoned another spectral spear at him. "SYLHET SPEAR!"

Sora stopped his charge and proceeded to block the incoming attack with all his might...

"Haaaaaaaa!"

...which he did!

However, he was already exhausted from the non-stop battles that was he was barely able to stand.

"Child's play!"

Arfoire then took advantage of the opening and launched another attack...

"KINESTRA SLASH!"

...knocking Sora down!

"Tired already?" Arfoire mocked the boy. "And here I thought Keyblade wielders were supposed to be a challenge. You're still wet behind the ears, boy!"

Sora groaned at that remark, turning his head up to glare at the vile witch.

"Then how about this!? THUNDARA!"

As soon as she heard the loud cry, Arfoire immediately raised a magic barrier, blocking out lightning bolts coming out of the sky.

"Grrrr!" Arfoire growled. "Pesky little duck!"

She then charged straight at the royal wizard in her sights, who only smirked.

"What are you-" Throwing caution to the wind, she attacked again. "RAINY RATNAPURA!"

After striking down the duck, she looked around at the fallen state of her opponents.

"Is this all you have to give?" Arfoire mocked the party, but then noticed something missing.

Or rather, someone..."Wait. Where is that fool Neptune?"

"Yoo-hoo!"

She looked up to see Neptune, having climbed up to the nearby stall, as she waved at her opponent.

"Fleeing like a coward, are you!?"

The girl with the key laughed. "Like heck! Nope, you hurt my buddies one too many times! Time for me to dish out Nep Justice!"

Arfoire taunted her. "Then bring it on! I'm ready!"

The girl stepped back, pointing her Keyblade at Arfoire for a sec...

"Time for my new technique..."

...and then jumped down the stall and ran straight against Arfoire!

"SYLHET SPEAR!"

Arfoire launched another spectral spear at her, but found it's mark off, as if repelled by a gust of wind!

"What!?" the purple hag's eyes widened at the revelation. "An Aerora spell?"

Donald snickered. "How's...that?"

"So that's his aim!?" Arfoire bemoaned as Neptune closed the distance.

"Critical..."

Landing a slash, Neptune then launched her opponent upward...

"EDGE!"

...and after a quick step back, launched herself straight against her opponent, slashing her with all her might!

"GAH!"

This attack sent Arfoire reeling back. "To drive me into a corner like this...I suppose that's what vermin like you can do!"

The party slowly gets up and bunch up together, preparing for another battle.

However, the witch sneered. "But this will have to do for now. I suspect that our dear vizier will be wasting the gift I granted him. We will meet again, fools! Watch every corner or I will get you!"

Arfoire vanished in a puff of smoke, her evil laughter resounding throughout the Alleyway.

"Yeesh" Sora shook his head. "That was certainly one tough hag. You all doin' okay?"

"We can go for one more round!" Donald boasted.

"Don't forget to drink your potions, guys!" Goofy reminded as he brought out said potions.

"Oh, thanks!" Aladdin took a potion and drank it. He then noticed Neptune, who was just staring ahead. "What's up, Neptune?"

"That old hag's a witch, right?" she wondered.

"Sure looks like it" the duck answered.

"She said her name's Arfoire, right?" the dog asked. "Isn't the other one we're lookin' for named Maleficent?"

"Yeah" the boy with the key nodded. "But according to...the others, she's green, but this hag's purple, so..."

"Oh man!" Neptune facepalmed. "I was supposed to ask her about Histy!"

"Oh yeah!" Sora remembered.

"Histy?" Aladdin tilted his head.

"Just someone Neptune's looking for!" Sora answered immediately.

"I...see" Aladdin nodded hesitantly. "Do you know what she looks like?"

The girl shook her head. "Nope. Just heard her voice. She even said she was held captive by an evil witch. Maybe that Arfjord has her."

"Ya sure it's not Maleficent?" Goofy asked.

Neptune nodded. "Positive."

"If you say so..." Donald said.

"Anyway! Let's get going" Aladdin urged the group. "Hang in there, Jasmine..."

Back to the present...

"And there you have it!" Neptune finished the flashback.

"So you've been fighting a witch all this time while we're this close?" IF said in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, you never know!" Neptune replied. "That Arforite lady might've casted a barrier between our areas so we couldn't hear each other!"

"She has a point" Compa said, treating IF's wounds as hers are being healed by Donald.

"So that witch was useless, after all..." Jafar scoffed, repelling the cat-woman's assault. "No matter! Thanks to her, I have what I wanted here!"

"What do you mean?" CC2 asked, still in her enraged state.

Suddenly, Iago appeared on the scene, carrying a golden lamp on his feet.

"Hey, isn't that..." Donald started.

"The Genie's lamp?" Goofy finished.

"Huh?"

Aladdin inspected his pockets, only to find it isn't there!

"That little!"

"Don't tell me you dropped it during our fight with that witch?" Neptune complained.

"This is bad..." Sora said, feeling dread.

Jafar laughed. "How does it feel to be pick-pocketed, you filthy street rat?"

He then rubbed the lamp. "Now come to me, Genie of the Lamp!"

Blue smoke emerged from the lamp, and the Genie took form, slumped down in despair.

"Genie...No!" Aladdin pleaded.

"Sorry, Al..." Genie bemoaned. "But he's got the lamp, so I have to follow. Genie's Rules, remember?"

CC2 growled. "Just when I thought you couldn't get any lower..."

"Say what you all will, but this world will be mine! Ahahahahaha!"

The cat-like woman growled louder. "That's it! YOU'RE DEAD!"

Before she could hit her mark, Jafar teleported away, taking both Jasmine and the Genie with him!

"Aladdin!"

"Jasmine!" Aladdin reached out in vain as the smoke showed no one left behind.

And as the smoke cleared, the vizier's evil laughter rang throughout the sandy town.

"Curses!" CC2 slammer her fist onto the ground. "I couldn't protect her! After all I said, too!"

"CC..." Compa said, feeling bad for her.

"This has been an exhausting day..." IF started. "Let's take a breather for now. We'll decide our next move from there..."

"But...!"

The guild agent placed a reassuring hand on the raging woman's shoulder. "I know how you feel about this. This...helplessness in failing to save someone. I get it. Really. But nothing will happen if we just keep throwing fits. Let's cool our heads first, then we'll go save her."

CC2 took a deep breath, her raging aura dissipating as her eyes return to their normal green.

"Okay..."

With nothing else said, the party of eight headed back to Aladdin's hideout to regroup and recuperate, their worry over Jasmine and the Genie heavy in their hearts...

As they left the streets, Arfoire was up above, watching the scene with interest.

"Well now, I guess staying put was the right choice. Now I have something interesting to do here..."

Hello again, Mr. Author here! You probably noticed the weird numbering of this chapter. Welp, the current chapter is split up for this one (and small spoiler, at least two more chapters get this treatment, too). Don't worry, you wont' have to wait a week for the next part of this chapter (the next chapter WILL come out next week as normal, though)

Now, I wanna get into some of the recent reviews, mainly because I can say stuff that I don't want to subject Sora into (Nepstation will come back in the next part of this chapter). Anyway, let's get to it!

For keybladelight:

- They were talking about the new mainline Neptunia game, not the recently released Katamari-like one.

- That would be interesting, but the girls there are far more forgiving than you might think (this is shown in V-II where they were willing to believe the Older Neptune and are willing to help her out despite her previous affiliation before).

- That's...quite the outlandish idea you have there, haha! Although, I already have something in mind for them come DDD, so we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

- Nice to notice that little reference I snuck in there, and yes I read KH:Grand Order too! Kinda sucks it hasn't been updated in forever (last I heard the author was in an acting gig or something?). Hopefully it starts updating again after...maybe this year's FGO Collab event?

For Fezzih:

- I'm planning to have the tournament arc in Olympus done differently here, so having a little bit of foreshadowing helps here

- She is wearing her Ultradimension outfit for this story. The 'Newtype' is still wearing the Hyperdimension fit, though

- Noire is pretty sassy at certain points. I did add some lines from her after the fact to reiterate her point of defending herself.

- You gave me the idea, so I went with it.

- Let me remind you that most of the party is...pretty dumb. I mean, Neptune and Compa didn't piece together that Noire=White-Haired Newtype for a good while. Only IF pieced it together (and even suspected Neptune was a CPU then).

- As for Noire and IF, the latter is mainly gauging to see how much Noire is hiding, since unlike the others, she clearly overheard a lot of what she said and was waiting for Noire to out herself (in RB1, IF didn't out Noire when she joined the party for the first time and she had plenty of chances to do that). The former, on the other hand, hoped no one heard her and assumed no one did. I added more inner thoughts to show that after the fact too.

- The poison part is a nod to when Neptune was poisoned in the OG/RB1 game. Heck, Arfoire disguised as Conversation even GAVE the poison used there, and that was also pretty lethal.

- Sora was experience belated-PTSD from his island being destroyed. I added lines to show that.

- No Nep Cure? Fixed that.

- Riku still hung around a bit, and was explained later why he jumped in. I mainly wanted him to tag with Sora, since he doesn't get too many opportunities to do this, even with all canon material taken into account. But really, this last-minute tag-team is pretty cool to me.

- Sorry you didn't like how the fight went.

- Oof, quite the downgrade there. You don't hold back, do you? Nothing wrong with criticism, but hey, thanks for the review!

For Enemy Stand, I won't answer all your questions for now. I'll leave those to the Nepstation hosts:

- Pooh's book will be tackled, but not now. In fact, it's gonna be a bit special.

- As for the summons, you'll see in the next part of this chapter.

Okay, with that out of the way, I'll see you on the next part of Chapter 6 in three days, and then the next chapter in a week! See ya next time!