Kingdom Hearts 1. Gathering of the Chosen

Chapter 1: Gathering of the Chosen

It was a peaceful day in Twilight Town. Of course that depended on where you were at the moment. If you were in the area where Hayner and Seifer were having an argument with each other it definitely would not be considered peaceful. However the woods around the old mansion were definitely quiet and undisturbed except for the calls of the birds. Inside the mansion debris was everywhere. There were still very few who dared to venture inside. Some would say ghosts resided there although right now the only souls inside were the rats and spiders that made the mansion their home.

However the horror that was to follow made ghosts a much better option.

Several dark portals opened up in the main room. The darkness swirled around them as several figures emerged from the oval-shaped doors. Each one was dressed in a black coat except for one, who had a train flowing from his outfit. The majority of the people were known as Organization XIII, a group of Nobodies who sought the power of Kingdom Hearts to make them whole. The last was known as Ansem, though he was really the Heartless of Xehanort. All of them stirred as they slowly regained consciousness.

"Wh-what happened?" One of them, a young teenage boy by the sound of his voice, asked as he struggled to get up.

"It appears we have been reborn." One of the members of the Organization said as he stood up. The hood fell from his face to reveal that he was Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII. Xemnas was the Nobody of Xehanort, and like Ansem had long white hair, gold eyes, and brown skin. Xemnas's hair was a little messier than Ansem's was, but he didn't really care. He had something bigger on his mind. He watched as everyone in the black coats removed their hoods.

"How is that that we have returned?" Xaldin asked. Xaldin was a tall man with long black bangs. He was also one of the most skilled fighters in the Organization, which if you played the game Kingdom Hearts II you would know.

"Who cares? I want to get revenge on the brat who did this to us, and his little friends too!" Larxene snapped. Larxene was the only female member of the Organization, and despite her looks was a savage beast. Her short blonde hair matched how short of a temper she had.

"There are many who desire the same thing." Ansem said from where he stood. People were surprised to see that he was among them as he had been defeated long before they had been.

"Well, well, well. You're back too." Xemnas said, although his voice lacked any emotion.

"What do you want?" Xigbar asked, raising an eyebrow. Xigbar had long hair tied in a ponytail. His face was heavily scarred and he had an eye patch over his right eye. However the eye color from the remaining eye was gold.

Ansem answered mysteriously, "Same as all of you: Revenge on the Keyblade's chosen. And I know a way to do it…"

* * *

Netokan is a thriving metropolis. If you were to see it you would think of a futuristic combination of New York City, Tokyo, and London. It wasn't far future with everyone wearing tights and having holographic butlers. However there were robots roaming around and instead of doors and windows special force fields that let in light and air while keeping people from falling out on accident.

In his room Jason Norman awoke with a fright wig of pillow head hair. He yawns as he looks around. His room is a complete disaster zone. Clothes were scattered all over the floor and his shelves looked like they had never been dusted. Jason never bothered to clean. He saw no point to it. He could function well in his mess. Other people could cry him a river if they saw otherwise.

Jason was not a nice guy. In fact most people saw him as the class bully. Netokan's school system was very anti-bully but Jason didn't care. He was always looking for someone to pick on and he never ran from a fight. Jason would've preferred to sleep in, but one more missed day and he'd be expelled. Not even Jason wanted to be kicked out of school.

Moaning and groaning Jason pulled himself out of bed. His comb was able to fix his hair problem in the bathroom and the toothpaste they have cleaned his teeth really well. Jason grabbed a red shirt from the floor and pulled his favorite jeans from the chair. Both knees had holes in them, but Jason had worn them many times and wouldn't throw them out. Once he had dressed he headed down for breakfast.

"Rise and shine, Jason." His mother said from the kitchen. Jason's mother was a woman in her late thirties, and she was a brunette while Jason had walnut-brown hair. She had a fit build and kindness radiated out of her face. All that came from Jason's face was trouble.

"Morning Mom." Jason muttered, sitting down opposite of a man reading something in a high-tech phone. He wasn't one for conversations. He preferred action. Jason poured some cereal into a bowl and the milk splashed in shortly afterwards.

"You could say something more." The man said without looking up. He sported a buzz cut that made his head look covered with dark stubble. This was Jason's father, and most of Jason's bad attitude was a result of him.

"Like what?" Jason asked without looking up. He was more interested in eating and getting out of the building.

"Maybe what you're going to be doing."

"Just the usual."

"What usual? Picking fights again?"

"Why do you care? You're always telling me a man fights."

"A man fights wars! He makes a name for himself on the field of battle. He doesn't go giving others black eyes." Now Mr. Norman was looking at Jason, who glared at him.

"What difference does it make if I fight at school or in the battlefield? I'm going to be going there eventually so why wait until then?" Jason asked.

"Young man, you need to get control of that temper!" Mr. Norman shouted at him, knocking the chair over as he stood up.

Jason slammed his hands on the table and stood up to face his father. "I need to get control of my temper? You're the one who's always yelling so loud the entire city hears it! All you ever do is yell about what I'm not doing right!" He argued with him.

"Jason, you're going to be late for school." Mrs. Norman reminded him.

"Why do we keep sending him? All he does is cause trouble for the other students and he keeps hurting his record. There's no way he'll get accepted into military service with his attitude." Mr. Norman said to his wife.

Jason snorted in exasperation. "See you later." He growled as grabbed some toast and stormed out of the room. At the entrance he pulled out a phone device similar to one his father had and began playing music on it. Although it was loud the device created a special field so only Jason could hear it. All the way to school he listened to some heavy rock music.

* * *

Clair Fay lived on the other side of the block. Clair was about thirteen years old, a year younger than Jason. Unlike Jason she had sable-black hair and brown skin as if to suggest she had been tanning all her life. She was a descendant of some of the original inhabitants of Netokan. Her people had been promised a place in Netokan if they helped to overthrow the oppressors. They accepted the deal and now were among the more populous residents.

Right now Clair was having eggs and waffles with her parents. She had gotten most of her looks from her mother, who was also a descendent of Netokan's original people. Her father, however, was descended from the people who settled Netokan. Clair's grandfather had not approved of their marriage, but when Clair came along had been happy that they did.

"Hurry up Clair or you'll be late for school." Came the warning from Mrs. Fay. Clair gulped down her remaining eggs and washed them down with a glass of milk. After wiping her mouth she picked up her things and kissed her parents good-bye.

"Don't forget you have a dental appointment this afternoon." Mr. Fay reminded her as she headed for the door.

"I won't. Thanks Dad." She said as she walked out the entrance. Clair took the monorail to school because she felt safer that way, and it gave her the opportunity to continue reading. Books were becoming rare in Netokan, but she knew a place where they sold them still. She preferred turning the pages themselves instead of sliding down a hologram. Every stop she looked up to make sure she didn't miss the one closest to school.

When she finally got off the monorail she headed for Henry Netokan High School. It was the best high school in the country, and she was among the top students. Clair always loved learning and constantly had an open mind. Some people were expecting her to go to college before she was sixteen.

As she walked up she heard lots of shouting. She couldn't make out the words, but what do you expect when something's going on and people are shouting encouragement to them? Clair hurried over and groaned at what she saw.

Jason and Aurora were having another one of their arguments. Aurora Kara was a year older than Jason, and had long black hair. Her attire made Clair think of a school outfit some students across the sea were required to wear, with the blue long-sleeved shirt and black pants. However Aurora was an official tomboy. She would not hesitate to get into a fight and was an enemy to all the cheerleaders.

For some reason Jason and Aurora had a long-going feud between them. As far as she could tell they had been going on like this since Kindergarten, and no one knew why they kept on going at each other like cats and dogs. How she wished that they would let the subject go.

A shrill whistle blew announcing the approach of the school coach. Coach Under was a former professional wrestler who retired after he had an accident that left him hospitalized. He was still remarkably fit for a man of about fifty. One of the unofficial rules among the student body was never make him mad.

The crowd broke up at the approach of Coach Under. No one dared to mess with him, except maybe Jason and Aurora. They weren't afraid to let Coach Under get involved in their fights. That's why they usually spent their afternoons in detention, thought the teachers knew better than to have them in the same room. That was just as smart as standing in front of a twister. Clair then joined some of her friends to go to class.

* * *

Nettie Juarez sat eating some nachos in the lunchroom later that day. She shivered despite the room being at a good temperature. Most of the girls had on similar tank tops with shorts like she did, and the metal legs of the chair she sat on felt like ice. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right today.

Looking around to make sure no one was looking Nettie lifted up her backpack and unzipped it to peek inside. Mabul had eaten all her seeds. Mabul was a brown and white ferret that Nettie loved with all her heart. It was against school rules to bring pets to school, but Nettie hated being without Mabul's company. She even lied to her mother when she asked about the backpack so she wouldn't get caught.

"It's okay girl. I got some more from the lunch line." Nettie opened a bag of seeds and poured them into her backpack. Mabul eagerly began to eat the seeds. Nettie smiled. The ferret was so cute.

"Please tell me you didn't bring Mabul again." Nettie was so startled she almost dropped her backpack. She sighed as she saw it was Clair who had spoken. Clair and Nettie bore a good resemblance to each other, except Nettie had brown hair and green eyes while Clair's eyes were brown. She saw Clair was wearing her favorite blue sleeveless shirt with her jeans and red sleeveless Raptors jacket. Clair wasn't much of a sports person. She just wore the jacket to show her school spirit.

"What if I did?" Nettie asked.

"Nettie, you know the rules. If you get caught you'll be in a lot of trouble." Clair warned as she took a seat by her friend.

"That doesn't stop Jason and Aurora from tearing each other's throats out." Nettie resumed eating her nachos.

"True. Not to mention some of the other delinquents around here." Clair scanned the cafeteria to see people she mentioned. Ashley was making her way to the table with the popular girls. Ashley was the average girl you expected to become the next Miss Popular, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. However she also had a strong dislike at being told what to do. She didn't really care about school and was famous for sleeping during her classes.

Jason was sitting next to his best friend Phil. Phil had messy brown hair and a smiling face. He was laid back and preferred to spend time in his video games. Jason once took his system from him to mess with him, but when Phil actually fought him he won Jason's respect. The two had remained good buddies for a long time. He referred to Jason and their other friends as his gang, and Clair could only hope that was only figuratively used.

Stella Valleys was among the popular kids in school. She had beauty and brains, and most of the guys were heads over heels for her. She had dark brown hair and a warm face. She always got straight A's, and always was happy to take a test. Clair in some ways looked up to her as a role model. However Clair always felt she could never be as beautiful as she was.

"Oh no. Look what the cat dragged in." Nettie warned after swallowing some chocolate milk. Clair looked to see the Mr. Truant of the school had arrived. Seventeen-year old AJ Miyazaki was the biggest flirt in the entire school. His spikey black hair seemed to attract girls like moths to a candle. AJ however never was committed to a serious relationship. If he saw a pretty face he'd go flirt with that girl. Several hearts had been broken because of him.

"Let's just hope he stays on the other side of the cafeteria." Clair munched on her cookies.

"Or that he decides to go back to the arcade." Nettie said.

"That guy spends so much time gaming I'm surprised he still has eyes in his head." Clair added.

"Well there's nothing wrong with games." Nettie said.

"The guy obsesses with them. Not to mention the female characters." Clair remembered seeing the inside of his locker was filled with pictures of various video game characters. She never allowed herself to be anywhere near that guy. "He needs a serious reality check." Clair added with a shudder.

"Amen to that." Nettie stood up with her tray. However she never took it to the trashcan. It was at that time that their world was changed forever.


	2. Everything Changes

Chapter 2: Everything changes

The doors all opened in unison as if people were coming through them yet no one did. The wind picked up as well, blowing into the cafeteria and scattering homework assignments, pieces of trash, and other odds and ends of students. Clair and Nettie shivered not because of the cold, but because there was an ominous feeling that they were not going to like what happened next.

To everyone's surprise a bolt of lightning hit the middle of the cafeteria and ringing shrieks from several girls. As they watched a green flame rose up and began to take form. When the flames died there stood the last thing anyone expected to see: a person.

They were looking at a woman who was dressed very strangely. She had on a long black robe with jagged sleeves. A pair of horns came from her head like she was supposed to be some devil woman. The strangest thing about her was her green skin. Clair had a feeling this might actually be some magical person like she read about.

"What a pathetic sight." The woman said in a voice that gave you goose bumps. "An entire generation left unattended. So many accidents could happen while you are gathered."

"Just who are you?" Jason asked. Clair groaned as she saw he was on defensive mode. Jason never liked people with arrogant attitudes, and if he felt she gave him a reason to he would fight this woman.

"Silence, silly boy." The woman replied. "I shall enlighten you of my identity when I choose to." As she looked at everyone in the cafeteria to make sure their attention was undivided she continued, "You obviously have no idea who I am, but fear not, for after this day you shall always fear me. I am Maleficent."

Jason blew a raspberry. "Maleficent? What kind of a name is that?" He asked while laughing.

"One you shall learn proper respect for!" In rage Maleficent thrust her hand out toward him in a pushing motion. Students screamed as Jason flew backwards into the wall. As he hung there the posters around him came to life and wrapped around him, binding his arms and legs. Despite his strugglings to get free it was obvious he was trapped as if vine snakes had seized him for dinner.

"Hey! No one can do that to him but me!" Aurora stated as she picked up her empty bottle and threw it at the witch. It landed at her feet and melted into a puddle. Maleficent gazed coldly at her as if trying to say even making attempts like that merited death. She then flicked one of her green wrists and sent Aurora sprawling to the floor.

That was it. The other students decided they had had enough and began to flee to the exits. Without warning all the exits slammed shut in front of them. All terrified eyes looked around them for any possible means of escape.

"Don't bother searching for a way out. There are none. Not one soul here shall leave this room until I've obtained what I've come for." Maleficent explained.

"Do you promise to go away and never bother us again if you get it?" Stella asked.

"It is not a question of if I find them. It's a matter of when." Maleficent gave her answer. "And I do not make pacts with peasants."

"Peasants? Hey lady, maybe you don't know this but Netokan is a city where no one is regarded as better than the other. We're basically all on the same level of the pecking order." Phil yelled as he struggled to free Jason.

"Hold your tongue." Maleficent ordered. As if controlled by some other person Phil's tongue reached up and grabbed his tongue.

"Now then," The witch continued, "My magic tells me that among all of you are those who possess a certain…gift. I need their assistance for a time to help with a rather complicated problem. Rest assured I will leave no misfortune upon you. Once the issue has been taken care of I shall return them to you alive and unharmed. Should they choose to not help me every single one of you will be given a fate worse than death."

"Is that a threat?" AJ asked. "You know that making threats in public areas is considered an act of terrorism."

"An act of terror?" Maleficent asked, a smile creeping upon her face. "I'll show you an act of terror." With those words she raised her arms above her head, the orb on the tip of her staff glowing. Several students gasped as they saw the floor become dark as if all the shadows in the school were gathering there.

"Hey, what's going on?" Came the voice of Coach Under. The Coach started to make his way towards Maleficent. Ashley noticed a smile appeared on Maleficent's face. She had a bad feeling about it. For some strange reason while Maleficent's spell prevented people from leaving it allowed Coach Under to enter. No sooner had he stepped into the cafeteria than the horror began.

A creature literally leapt out of the shadows on the floor and tackled Coach Under. The man's screams were cut short as a glowing heart floated up from his chest and disappeared into the darkness. The real panic began when in Coach Under's place came a huge dark creature with a big round body, long arms, and a small head with a helmet.

As students ran to get out of the cafeteria more creatures like the ones that had attacked Coach Under pursued from the shadows. They had antenna like ants with bright glowing yellow eyes and bodies resembling crouching children. Clair and Nettie tried to follow a group of girls but other creatures resembling knights with armored helms and gauntlets blocked their way. Nettie noticed these creatures had a strange insignia shaped like a heart with an x over it.

The creature that had been Coach Under also had the same mark. Running with surprising speed it cut off AJ and Phil from the other boys, the force of the motion sending them back into the cafeteria. Both felt like a brick wall had run into them. Maleficent flicked her wrist and whatever force kept people from leaving now allowed them to stampede out of the cafeteria. Soon all the students had run out of the place except for eight. Aurora, AJ, Ashley, Clair, Nettie, Stella, Phil, and a still tied-up Jason were all that remained of the student body.

"Now that we've sorted you out it's time we got down to business." Maleficent grinned with anticipation like she had some torture planned for them. However she never got close to them because things got even stranger.

Several white creatures seemingly flew out from the ground. These resembled humans without hair, faces, hands, or feet. They bended around with such flexibility any acrobat or gymnast would've been jealous. They bore an insignia on their heads that can best be described as a fountain of sorts. There were also those among them that had long arms covered with sharp spikes. Clair shivered at the sight of them.

Behind the white creatures opened several portals leading into what looked like darkness itself. From within came several hooded figures who walked as if they had authority over everything.

"Beat it, witch. You'll have nothing to do with these children." One of the taller figures said.

"It is you that has no business here!" Maleficent pointed a finger at them and shouted, "Be gone or feel my wrath!"

"Nobodies, stop the Heartless." One of the other cloaked figures, a man by the sound of his voice, commanded. Instantly the white creatures started attacking the dark monsters. A couple of the sharp armed ones climbed up to Jason and with a few swings of their arms sliced Jason free. Before he could crash against the ground a portal similar to the ones the cloaked figures came through opened beneath him and Jason fell through.

"What happened to him?" Clair asked out loud.

"He's fine, but we need to go!" The cloaked figure who had ordered the white things to attack stated.

"No, we're not going anywhere with you!" Netti snapped at the figures. Several portals opened up behind them much to their surprise. When they looked back they saw one of the figures who had spoken now had several lances around him.

"We're not asking." The figure replied. With a swing of the lances came a strong wind. The students tried to resist, but it was too strong and they were all blown into the dark portals.

When everyone regained consciousness they found themselves in the middle of a great white room. Circling them as if barring them in were thirteen tall white thrones. Eleven of these thrones had people sitting in them, looking upon the group as if trying to decide what to do with them. All around the room were the symbols on the white creatures that had taken on the dark things.

"Welcome to our domain." Said one who was seated higher than the rest, with brown skin, white messy hair, and golden eyes. "We so glad you could come."

"Not like we had much of a choice." Nettie said.

"You totally kidnapped us!" Clair shouted up at them.

"Only to keep you safe. You see, you were all in grave danger." The man replied.

"Thank you so much for stating the obvious." Stella said. "We were under attack by a witch and a bunch of demons!"

"Maleficent was there? Things are far worse than I thought." The man said with concern. Jason's eyes narrowed as if he sensed something was not right. Before anyone could say anything the man continued, "You're probably wondering who we are. I am Xemnas, leader of Organization XIII."

"Either you need to work on your math or you got some people absent. There are only eleven of you." Phil noted.

"Thank you so much for stating the obvious." Said a blonde-haired woman.

"I'm afraid we were betrayed by two of our number." Xemnas explained. "They were turned by a boy who wields a mighty weapon called the Keyblade."

Jason blew a raspberry. "Keyblade? What kind of a name is that for a weapon?" He asked while laughing.

"An appropriate name, as the Keyblade's powers are greater than you can conceive. Not even we know the full extent of its powers." Xemnas explained. "The keyblade can be used to bring light to the universe or plunge it into eternal darkness. This boy has used the Keyblade to fight us and bring chaos and disorder wherever he goes."

"Why doesn't anyone stop him?" Ashley asked.

"He's made some very powerful allies. Their alliance has allowed them to tap into much of the hidden powers of the Keyblade. However there is a solution.

"As we looked into ways to stop this threat we noticed energy similar to the boy's coming from your world. We searched it out and found all of you. We realized you too have the potential to wield keyblades."

"Whoa dude, back it up. You're saying there's more than one of these doomsday weapons out there?" AJ asked.

"And we can somehow use them as well?" Stella asked.

"Yes. That is why Maleficent came after you. She knew what you were capable of and tried to eliminate you. That's why we had to get you out of there." Xemnas continued. "I sense some of you doubt what I say."

"This is all just insane!" Jason snapped. "How can we be sure that this is all real?"

"Well you could try pinching yourself and see if you wake up." A man with a ponytail and a scarred face with an eye patch over one eye suggested.

"Here, this may help you to choose." Xemnas said as he waved his hand. In front of the students appeared several sword-like items that were shaped like keys appeared in front of them. There was one for each of the teenagers and the more they looked the more they felt as if the keys were calling to them.

"Well, go on. They don't bite." The ponytailed man egged them on.

"What if we don't want anything to do with them?" Aurora asked.

"Then you risk the future itself." A man with long blonde hair stated.

"You must know that this is for the safety of your home as well as yourselves. If you were to leave here now the boy of whom was mentioned will seek you out and destroy you, your families, and your city. Take these keyblades and with them you'll be able to protect yourselves and all you care about." Xemnas added.

"Should we?" Clair asked everyone.

"I don't trust these people one bit." Jason said.

"Well we don't know where we are, and this boy sounds like he's going to bring us trouble sooner or later. I say we'd better take our best shot at stopping him!" With that Aurora reached out and grabbed the Keyblade in front of her. Instantly it changed its design so the blade looked like some sort of dragon emerging from a mist of magic. Everyone gasped at that.

"Your keyblade has chosen you." Xemnas said. "Now it will help you bring out the power you hold within, the power that can stop the menace once and for all!"

"Will taking these help us get home?" Netti asked.

"You have my word." Xemnas promised.

"Then let's do this!" Phil said as he reached out and grabbed his. Instantly it changed to resemble some sort of game controller with wires. Everyone took the keyblade in front of him or her and one by one they changed in accordance with each person's personality.

"It is done." Xemnas said. "Now you must go and stop the threat before he can strike again."

"Where will we find him?" AJ asked.

Xemnas stood and extended his hand. Instantly the dark portal which took them all from their homes opened in front of them.

"This will take you to the archipelago where he resides. He thinks he has no one to fear and rests before he makes his next move. If you can strike at him now you will do a great deed for all. Now go." Xehanort said.


	3. Winds of Fate

Chapter 3: Winds of Fate

At the Mysterious Tower the old sorcerer Yen Sid was deep in thought. He had sensed that the darkness seemed to be growing stronger lately, but what could be the cause seemed to be eluding him. The shift seemed familiar, yet Yen Sid could not put his finger on it.

Opening his eyes, Yen Sid said, "Mickey, keep an eye on Sora and his friends."

Meanwhile it was a nice sunny day on the Destiny Islands. The smallest island in the archipelago was rich with joy as the many friends played on the beaches. Silphie was playing a game of Blitzball with Tidus and Wakka. The three of them had been surprised when Sora, Riku, and Kairi, who had been missing for some time, had finally returned to the islands. Their families had been overjoyed to see their children safe and sound. Naturally the three of them had a lot to catch up on, but after all the adventures they had been on school didn't seem that much trouble.

In between some bushes a dark portal opened up and the eight teens from Netokan arrived on the island. Nettie, Ashley, Clair, and Stella all looked around the place as if surprised. Clearly none of them had expected to see such a beautiful little island.

"When Xemnas said we were going to an archipelago I kind of pictured something more like a resort." Ashley said.

"You have to admit this would be a nice place to spend the day at." Nettie said. "I didn't think islands like this still existed on Harthyn. I thought they had all been developed." Harthyn was the name of the world that Netokan was part of.

"It is strange. If this place existed all this time why hasn't anyone found it?" AJ asked.

"I've seen pictures in my books of islands before they were made into resorts, but to see one with so little construction is beautiful." Clair said.

"If we're done sightseeing can we get back to what we came here to do?" Jason asked right as a ball hit him in the face. "Hey! Who threw that?"

"Sorry, man." Said a boy about their age with sandy hair. A girl with brown hair and a muscular guy with a long orange-reddish quish accompanied him. If you're not familiar with the games you should know that those were teenage versions of Wakka and Selphie from the Final Fantasy game series, and the speaker was Tidus who also originally came from those games. "Would you mind handing back the ball?"

Jason answered by chucking the ball as hard as he could. Tidus caught it with no problem.

"Nice throw, man." Tidus said as he began to walk off with his friends.

"Wait, where are we?" Stella asked them.

"Destiny Islands." Wakka answered.

Everyone from Netokan stared at each other. It was a location none of them were familiar with.

"I've got a feeling we're not in Bunom anymore." Clair said. Bunom was the name of the province Netokan was the capital of.

"I don't think we're on Harthyn anymore." AJ said.

"What are you saying? That we're on another planet?" Phil asked.

"That's impossible!" Jason said.

"I don't think so." Nettie said. "Look, didn't you see the way they were dressed? No one on Harthyn dresses like that, not even on any of the islands. Also look at the plants. None of them match the island flora we know of."

"The places have been developed." Stella pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. You know that every single plant and animal species has to be documented before a place can be developed. None of the plants here match what has been recorded for any of the islands. And look at those birds. I've never seen them before, and seabirds live near the ocean no matter what. Someone would've spotted them years ago."

"Look, we can stand here arguing all day about what planet we're on or we can do what we came here to do." Aurora said.

"Did anyone remember to get the guy's name from Xemnas?" Nettie asked.

Everyone looked at each other as they realized they didn't.

"Well that's just great." Jason said with a lot of sarcasm. "Now how are we going to find this guy? Walk around going, 'Hey Mr. Keyblade guy! We need to talk to you!'"

"That never works." Stella rolled her eyes at them.

"Shhh! Listen." Ashley said. Everyone did as she said. Sure enough they heard the sound of clanging metal.

"Sounds like swords of some sort." Phil observed.

"We should check it out. Xemnas did say the guy used a keyblade, and right now I'd bet my bottom quart that he's in that direction." AJ said, using the Netokan equivalent of 'I'd bet my bottom dollar.'

On the other side of the island Sora and Riku were practicing with their keyblades. Ever since they had gotten back to the islands they trained with each other to improve their skills. Right now they were evenly matched.

"Had enough Riku?" Sora asked his best friend. Sora had brown spikey hair and a black jacket with shorts. Why anyone would wear such an outfit at the beat is beyond me. All I know is that Sora did not seem to mind.

"Giving up already? Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that." Riku said. Riku was a year older than Sora, and had long white hair. He wore jeans and a white and yellow jacket. Unlike Sora, Riku's hair was white and smooth. Not one strand stood up.

"Not when I'm about to win!" Sora said as he pushed Riku back and swung his keyblade around. The Kingdom Key resembled a long white pole with the teeth shaping a crown. The handle was black with a golden guard around it. The keychain token attached at the end was a Mickey Mouse shaped head.

Riku's keyblade was of a different make. The Way to Dawn mainly resembled a red and black dragon wing with an angel wing for the teeth. The handle was also red and black while the guard was a combination of the wings of an angel and a dragon. A blue eye was at the connection between the wings. The keychain was a heart shape token similar to the symbol some of the Heartless had without the X.

The keyblades clashed with each other again. "Since when did I ever let you win?" Riku asked. The two continued while their friend Kairi watched. Kairi was close to Sora's age with dark auburn hair and a pink dress. She had blue eyes similar to Sora. She too could use a keyblade. However for right now she was content to watch her friends practice with each other.

None of them had any idea that further down the beach they were being watched by a group of interested observers.

"Great. There are two of them." Jason said.

"We can count just fine." Aurora said. Jason glared at her.

"Well, let's get this over with." Phil said as he summoned his keyblade.

"Wait, I don't feel good about this." Clair said.

"What?" Several people asked.

"Don't any of you understand what we're being asked to do? We're being sent on an assassination mission. We're being told to murder someone!" Clair pointed out.

"Yeah, and they don't seem like dangerous psychopaths to me. They just seem like guys having a good time." Nettie observed. "If they were really a threat wouldn't they be trying to kill each other?"

"Good point." Ashley said.

"That's it. I'm going to take care of this!" Jason said as he summoned his keyblade. His was called the Born Fighter and the blade was a long black pole with a fist forming the teeth. The handle was white with grey guards. The keychain token was a basic boxing glove. Without waiting for anyone Jason charged down at the three surprised friends.

"Well there goes the element of surprise." Aurora said as she summoned her keyblade. The Fantasy Warrior had a strong resemblance to a sword with the head of an open-mouthed dragon forming the teeth. The handle was gold with silver dragon wings forming the handle. A star was the keychain token here. Everyone else summoned their keyblades and followed after Jason.

"What the…" Sora asked as Jason swung his keyblade down between him and Riku.

"What do you want?" Riku asked. Jason just swung his keyblade in response. Seeing he was not going to be able to reason with this kid Riku began blocking his attacks. Riku was obviously more skilled than Jason was because Jason was just swinging his keyblade around like a madman. Riku kept calmly blocking and sending some Dark Firaga blasts at him. AJ, Aurora, and Stella soon joined Jason in attacking Riku while everyone else converged on Sora.

Both Sora and Riku worked to keep their distance from these crazy kids. The students from Netokan kept rushing in while Sora and Riku kept blocking and knocking them back. Kairi didn't just stand idly by. She summoned her keyblade, Destiny's Embrace, and rushed in to help her friends. Clair and Nettie both silently agreed that they liked the design of her keyblade. The blade was multi-colored with flowers forming the teeth. The guards seemed to hold the theme of waves against the beach. The handle was blue and the keychain token was some star-shaped thing they had never seen before. Kairi's initial attack was to knock some of the combatants away from Sora and Riku. Soon Kairi was facing off against Clair, Nettie, and AJ.

"Hey there, good-looking." AJ smiled at her. Kairi shook it off and blocked an attack from Clair. Like the people from Netokan Kairi mainly relied on her melee moves. She was more calm and coordinated than her foes though. Still there were more of the Netokan students than there were of her and her friends.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere a pair of chakrams flew threw the air and knocked the keyblades of the Netokan students to the ground. Everyone looked to see a person in a cloak similar to Organization XIII grab the flying weapons. Someone else in a similar black cloak accompanied him.

"Axel?" Sora asked. The figure with the chakrams removed his hood to show a man with red hair and green eyes underneath.

"Still got it memorized, I see." Axel said.

"But how?" I thought you were…" Sora couldn't finish his sentence.

"So did I. Unfortunately I can't answer how I'm not pushing up daisies right now."

"We're here to help your new friends." The second figure said. The voice identified this person as a woman.

"We're not their friends!" Jason snapped at them.

"You're the traitors Xemnas mentioned, aren't you?" Ashley asked. Her comment earned gasps from Sora, Riku and Kairi.

"Xemnas?" They asked in unison.

"So Xemnas is also back huh?" The woman said. "I guess this makes things more complicated."

"Listen, I don't know who you think you are, and frankly I don't care. All I know is that you are in the way of us getting back home!" Aurora said.

"Hey relax. We come in peace." Axel said.

"Just hear us out. Whatever Xemnas promised you he won't give it." The woman said.

"Liars!" Jason said as he grabbed the Born Fighter keyblade and charged towards them. The woman moved so fast she vanished, only appearing right behind Jason. She then wacked him on the head with an unseen weapon that caused Jason to fall to the ground unconscious. Everyone except Axel gasped as they saw she too had a keyblade.

The woman's keyblade was a heavy white with an octagon for the teeth. Angel wings formed the guard with a pearl in the middle. The handle was a greenish color and the keychain token was the sun.

"I don't think that's the best way to calm someone Mika," Axel said to Mika.

"Well it worked." She replied as she took off her hood. Mika too had blonde hair, but her face was friendly and inviting. Her brown eyes were just as warm as the expression on her face.

"That doesn't score you points on the trust board." Clair said as she held her keyblade out in front of her. Clair's keyblade was a design that hinted at magic. The blade was an array of colors intertwining with each other. A combination of a crescent moon and the sun made up the teeth. The hilt was pure white with a dark guard around it. The keychain token was a simple white orb.

"Wait. There's a lot that doesn't make sense." Kairi said.

"Like how did all of you come into contact with Organization XIII?" Riku asked.

"And how are they even back?" Sora asked.

"Here's the thing. We don't go around telling our stories to strangers. However we will make a deal. If you promise to be honest with us about everything we'll spill the beans as to how we crossed paths with the Organization." AJ said.

"Sounds good to me." Axel said.

"Yeah, that sounds fair." Sora agreed.

Everyone from Netokan took turns explaining how they had been attacked at their school by Maleficent, with Riku commenting that her doing such a thing didn't surprise him, how the Organization got them out of their, and what Xemnas promised to do for them if they helped them out. Axel and Mika made corrections about the Heartless and Nobodies from time to time, and gave them the names of the Organization members. During this time Jason regained consciousness and was brought up to speed. He sat glaring at Mika the whole time. Jason did not like getting bested by anyone, especially if that someone was a girl. The fact that Mika was older than he was didn't help.

"So you agreed to help the Organization and it never occurred to you to ask them to just send you home?" Mika asked after the explanations were done.

"They made a reasonable agreement. Besides we didn't know if Maleficent would try again to attack us.

"Something just doesn't seem right about all this. The Organization invades your school while Maleficent is on the attack, and it sounds like she might've been holding back on you. If she really wanted to destroy you nothing would've been left. No one would've survived." Riku said.

"Are you suggesting the whole thing was a setup?" Stella asked.

"It could be. Xemnas is clever that way. Better memorize that." Mika said.

"Why do you two insist that we memorize everything?" Clair asked.

"It might come up on your final." Axel joked.

"Sora! Riku! Kairi!" A familiar voice called out to them. Everyone looked to see a familiar face waving down the beach.

"King Mickey!" Sora, Riku and Kairi said in unison. They all stood up and began to race down the beach to greet their old friend. However as fate would have it everyone was going to receive an unexpected surprise. As soon as Sora and Kairi entered the shade of the thick foliage cast by the setting sun they cried out in pain. Everyone watched as they fell down while two shadowy rises appeared. What made it more surprising was when the rises had grown enough that everyone could see underneath them. They seemed to be roots of some sort, yet that didn't seem to fit. While rushing down to the aid of Sora nad Kairi everyone realized what it was.

Those were giant fingers that belonged to some giant, unknown being. Ashley was sure that the hand these fingers were connected to could grasp all fourteen of them with no problem.

Sora and Kairi continued to cry out in pain as the fingers dug in at their feet. From the way the fingers were slowly dragging Nettie thought that it looked as if they were pulling on something. As she looked she realized the fingers were pulling on Sora and Kairi's shadows.

As soon as they caught up to Sora and Kairi they began to assist Riku and King Mickey. The two of them had summoned their keyblades and were attacking the fingers. Everyone else joined in too. It wasn't too long before the fingers receded back into the shadows that they came from.

Of course that was only after Sora and Kairi had stopped crying out in pain.

It didn't take long for Riku to check on his friends. "You two okay?" He asked them.

"Yeah, we're fine." Kairi said as she stood up.

"But what was that all about?" Sora asked.

"If you ever find out please let me know." Phil said.

"Uh guys? Where did they come from?" Aurora asked as she pointed to something on the ground. Everyone looked down to see two blond-haired kids lying not too far from where the fingers had stopped pulling. One was a girl in a white slip, the other was a boy with a white jacket with black blocks and beige pants. He almost looked like a walking checkerboard.

Axel, Mika, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and King Mickey all looked at each other knowingly.

"Could this day get any weirder?" Phil asked.


	4. Enlightened by Truth

Chapter 4: Enlightened by Truth

Everyone stood there as the two kids started stirring. Jason could tell that the people who were not from Netokan knew who they were, and were quite shocked to see them. He was feeling pretty mind blown. There was no way that these two could've come from Sora and Kairi, yet the more he thought about it the more it seemed like it was the only explanation.

As the two figures stirred everyone seemed to hold their breath. The boy and girl then opened their eyes at the same time. Clair was surprised at how blue their eyes were, just like Sora and Kairi's.

"Naminé?" The boy asked the girl.

"Roxas?" Naminé asked the boy in return.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Axel joked with them as he and Mika both extended a hand to help them up. AJ couldn't tell out of the entire group who was the most surprised.

"But how…" Roxas questioned.

"Would someone please explain what's going on?" Jason asked.

"Gosh, I wasn't expectin' this," King Mickey admitted. "But I know just who can answer some of our questions."

"Master Yen Sid?" Sora asked the mouse.

"Yep." Mickey said.

"Who's Master Yen Sid?" Stella asked.

"You'll see. Now everyone, hold on to each other." Mickey instructed. Sora, Riku, and Kairi each held on to Mickey while everyone else found an arm to hold on to. None of them knew what to expect, but Clair, Nettie, and Stella had their suspicions that magic was going to be involved. With his free hand King Mickey held up a blue gemstone shaped like a star.

"Alakazam!" No sooner had the word left Mickey's mouth than everyone found themselves being pulled along at what felt like the speed of light. All around them the stars whipped by so fast they appeared to be nothing more than blurs. Whether they were traveling through space or somewhere else wasn't clear. All that many of them could feel was pure light racing by as they were pulled to their destination.

Back in the (name of the room with the thrones) Xemnas looked troubled. He was sure that the children would've carried out the mission by now. He knew when it came to different worlds time was sometimes an issue, yet it shouldn't have taken them this long. He suspected Sora might've overcome them, yet that didn't feel right.

"Report." Xemnas said. A dark corridor opened in the middle of the room and from the oval-shaped door came Xigbar.

"Bad news: the children were stopped by Axel and some girl he was with," Xigbar explained.

"Kamix has finally betrayed us," Xemnas mused.

"What's worse is now they're all with the rat king, and he's probably taking them to see his master," Xigbar finished.

Xemnas's eyes flashed angrily. "Master Yen Sid," He growled.

Everyone crashed into the ground with the force of a meteorite. Everyone felt like they had been accelerated into a brick wall. Jason complained about feeling like every bone in his body was broken. Ashley was sure she was going to have a headache for a month.

"That was faster than the express monorail." Phil said as he staggered to his feet.

"You'll move faster to the hospital unless you zip it," Jason warned.

"What is this place?" Clair asked.

"Welcome to the Mysterious Tower," Mika clarified. The Mysterious Tower certainly lived up to its name. The building itself was crooked and bent with windows shaped like stars and moons. The cone-shaped top made people like Clair, Nettie, and Ashley think of a sorcerer's pointed hat.

"Why is it called The Mysterious Tower?" Stella asked.

"If we knew that it wouldn't be mysterious. Got it memorized?" Axel asked.

Stella rolled her eyes in response.

"Your Majesty!" Two voices called out. Everyone looked up to see an anthropomorphic duck and dog walking towards them. I'll save you the description because you'll soon know who they are.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora cried out as he ran up and embraced his friends.

"You know them?" Phil asked.

"Yeah. These are my friends, Donald Duck and Goofy." Sora introduced them.

"Donald's my court wizard, and Goofy's my captain of the guard." Mickey explained.

"I'm confused." Jason said.

"What else is new?" Aurora asked.

"Come on. We've got answers to find," Riku reminded them. With that everyone started towards the tower. Clair looked up the spiral staircase to see it appeared to only go up one floor. As they ascended the stairs she noticed a strange feeling. She felt open like there were no limits and no restrictions.

"Can you feel it?" Nettie whispered to Clair.

"If you mean like nothing's impossible, then yes," Clair whispered back. "Do you think it's magic?"

"That's what I would assume." Ashley whispered behind them.

"Private conversation," Nettie informed her.

"Then you should talk softer," Stella suggested.

They would've started arguing, but they didn't because at that moment Mickey opened a door at the top of the stairs. One by one they all entered to meet Master Yen Sid. Clair had seen pictures of wizards and sorcerers in her books and what she saw matched her imagination. Master Yen Sid was dressed in a blue robe with a forked beard and a pointed blue hat decorated with gold stars and moons. For those of you unfamiliar with the games Yen Sid was the sorcerer who was training Mickey in _The Sorcerer's Apprentice_ from _Fantasia_.

"Master Yen Sid." Mickey, Donald, and Goofy said as they bowed before the sorcerer.

"Welcome all of you. I've been expecting you." Master Yen Sid said.

"Expecting us?" AJ asked.

"Yes. I've seen that you would all come eventually. There is so much that you need to be made aware of if you are to find your way back home."

"Are you really a wizard?" Ashley asked.

"Sorcerer, though that was a good guess," Master Yen Sid corrected her.

"The greatest ever," Donald added.

"That's right. Yull never find a better sorcerer anywhere," Goofy informed them.

Master Yen Sid raised his arms to stop them. "We have more important matters to discuss," He explained. "You all are aware that your school was attacked by Maleficent."

"Duh." Several of the students from Netokan said in unison.

"And not too long after we were rescued by Organization XIII," Stella added in. That statement came as a shock to Master Yen Sid because his eyes widened.

"Organization XIII? Are you sure?" Master Yen Sid asked.

"That's what that Xemnas dude said." Jason said.

"Xemnas?" Master Yen Sid closed his eyes. After a minute he opened them and said, "Yes, I see now. The darkness has been blocking so much from my vision lately. I knew something was amiss, but I did not expect the Organization was behind it."

"Why?" Aurora asked.

"Because we thought they had all been killed." Riku explained.

"What?" Everyone from Netokan asked.

"Are you saying we were working for ghosts?" Phil asked.

"Ghosts don't have a lot of power, and from what you told us earlier they seemed pretty powerful." Mika said.

"I'm afraid Organization XIII is back, and they will be seeking revenge on you and your friends." Master Yen Sid said.

"Xemnas did mention that the keyblade could plunge the universe into eternal darkness," Stella mentioned.

"Which is what he will undoubtedly try to do again. Xemnas cares nothing for the worlds or those who—" Master Yen Sid began to say.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it. Worlds?" Jason asked.

"You mean like parallel worlds? As in other existences besides our own?" Nettie asked.

"Xemnas failed to mention that," Aurora stated.

"There's a lot the Organization didn't tell you. Got it memorized?" Axel said.

"There is much you need to know." With a wave of his hand Master Yen Sid caused a big brown book to float off one of the shelves in his round room and placed it on his desk. "Read from this book. It will give you the information you will need."

"Uh, slight problem? If we from another world what makes you think we'll be able to read it?" Clair asked.

"It's a magic book. Whoever reads from it reads it in their native language." Master Yen Sid explained.

That seemed to satisfy the group as they all looked at the book to start reading. Jason was never a book person and Phil and AJ preferred their video games to reading. However that didn't mean they were illiterate, and as they looked they saw the words appear as if they were written on Harthyn. These were the words they read:

Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return.

"Nice fairy tale." Aurora said as she finished.

"I don't think it's a fairy tale, Aurora," Clair stated.

"It's not. We've seen the place where the light sleeps." Kairi said.

"Kingdom Hearts." Sora and Riku said in unison.

"Kingdom Hearts?" Nettie asked.

"The heart of all worlds. The place where the light still lingers," Master Yen Sid explained. "It is that power that Xehanort seeks to control for himself."

"Xehanort?" Everyone from Netokan asked.

"Let me explain." Master Yen Sid waved his hand and an image of Jason appeared next to everyone. A second later it was replaced by an image of the black creature with yellow eyes and antenna. "Whenever a person succumbs to the darkness in their heart a Heartless is born. This form, called a Shadow, is the most common. They hunt in packs seeking to consume the hearts of others, and for every heart they take their numbers grow."

Pausing for a second, Master Yen Sid caused an image of the white flexible creature to appear. "If a person with a strong heart falls to the darkness their bodies will eventually start to move on its own. Eventually they fade back to darkness because Nobodies like the Dusk don't really exist."

"Heartless? Nobodies?" AJ thought out loud.

"Organization XIII is made up of Nobodies." Sora added in, causing the students from Netokan to look at them wide eyed.

"Those guys are Nobodies?" Ashley asked.

"That explains why they've got a vendetta against you," Jason remarked.

"Organization XIII tried to recreate Kingdom Hearts to take its powers for themselves. They were stopped thanks to Sora, Riku, and their friends." Master Yen Sid said.

"Why do I get the feeling that if they succeeded they would've brought about Necrodies?" Stella asked.

"What?" Roxas asked.

"Death day, the end of the world." AJ explained.

"But who is this Xena-hart dude?" Jason asked.

"Xehanort was a former apprentice to Ansem the Wise, the ruler of Radiant Garden." Master Yen Sid continued as an image of a man with silver hair and a lab coat appeared next to the image of a bearded man with blonde hair, with a lab coat and a red scarf around his neck. "However Xehanort betrayed his master, took his name, and banished him from his world. Xehanort continued studies that his master had forbidden which ultimately led his heart to succumb to the darkness. He became the Heartless Ansem and the Nobody Xemnas." The respective images appeared.

"So what's the deal with the keyblades and all that?"

"Keyblades are powerful weapons that were once used to protect the light. However when people sought to control the light for themselves they made keyblades of darkness. Whoever uses a keyblade can use it to bring order to the worlds, or chaos." Master Yen Sid answered.

"So does your book give any idea as to why we got keyblades from Xemnas?" Stella asked.

"It does not. No one knows how a person is chosen. All we know is that the keyblade choses who wields it." Master Yen Sid answered.

"Hold on. Are you saying these pieces of metal are alive?" Jason asked.

"In a way, but not the way you think."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Only you can find the answer for yourselves."

"So if Xemnas and the Organization are back, will they try again to succeed with their plans?" Clair asked.

"Yes, which is why all of you must stop them." Master Yen Sid replied.

"You can count on us. The Organization doesn't stand a chance with everyone here." Sora said.

"You feel up to fighting against your former team with us?" Riku asked Axel and Roxas.

"Sure. Not like I've got the heart to care about them anyway." Axel said.

"They treated me like a tool before and hurt innocent people. I will do what I can to help you." Roxas promised.

"Before you embark on your quest, I have some gifts for you," Master Yen Sid said as he stood up. With a wave of his hand everyone noticed that their clothes glowed with a soft light for a few seconds. "Now whenever you visit another world your clothes will change to help you blend with the inhabitants."

"Why is that important?" Jason asked.

"Because you must not let other people know other worlds exist. Knowledge like that would bring chaos. Keep all such knowledge secret. Don't even tell them the name of your city," Master Yen Sid explained.

"Thank you." Several people said.

"Now for your second gift." Master Yen Sid pointed to the window and everyone looked out to see several brightly colored spaceship-like vessels waiting for all of them.

"Why is there more than one gummi?" Sora asked.

"The Organization will be looking for you. A large group will attract more attention than is needed. Divide yourselves into smaller teams, then choose a vessel to transport yourselves in." Master Yen Sid answered.


	5. Crashing wedding crashers

Chapter 5: Crashing wedding crashers

Sora's group

The first group set out eagerly. Nettie and Phil looked out the window with wonder and awe. The scenery outside the Gummi ship was unlike the skies they had seen in Netokan, Destiny Isles, and Mysterious Tower. It constantly changed from dark violet to lime green and all sorts of colors. To Nettie it almost seemed to be something wonderful, like pure imagination. She was sure that whatever she imagined she could see outside.

"So where do you think we're headed to first?" Phil asked Nettie.

"I don't know. It's not like we had a class on other worlds." Nettie said.

"True." Phil said. He then inhaled deeply and then started gagging. "Ugh! What's that smell?" He asked.

Nettie's eyes went wide as she remembered something. "I forgot!" She said as she pulled her backpack off her back and opened it. Mabul was sitting there looking a little miserable.

"What is your ferret doing in your backpack?" Phil asked.

"I brought her to school with me."

"You know the rules. No pets at school."

"We're technically off-campus now."

"Good point."

Mabul by this time had poked her head out of Nettie's backpack and was looking out the window. The ferret seemed just as amazed with the few as Nettie had been. Mabul had never seen anything as interesting or beautiful as this before.

Then the moment ended. The ship jolted violently and caused Phil and Nettie to lose their balance. Nettie was glad that she avoided landing on her backpack. As soon as they could Phil and Nettie got back on their feet and rushed to the cockpit. Nettie made sure to zip her backpack shut so Mabul wouldn't fly out on accident.

As soon as they reached the cockpit they saw what was wrong. Out the window were lots of spaceship-shaped Heartless attacking them. The attacks were rocking the ship, and both realized unless stopped they would be going down.

"About time you two showed up!" Donald said as he struggled with the steering.

"The Heartless are gonna knock us outta here!" Goofy cried out as he held on to his seat for dear life.

"Are there any weapons on this ship?" Phil asked as he looked around.

"Take the control panel by your hand!" Sora instructed. Phil noticed a panel with buttons on it that slightly resembled a game controller to him. He put his hands to it and found it worked like a game controller. Once he figured out which buttons fired the lasers he was shooting heartless out of the sky.

Nettie found another panel similar to Phil's and also got to work. She wasn't a heavy gamer like Phil, but she still played a few. Her father had not approved of playing video games, saying that they were worthless and would do nothing to help her.

Nettie smiled as her gaming skills now came in handy. She was able to quickly press the right buttons to shoot the Heartless and adjust directions quickly. Even though she, Phil, and Sora were able to shoot the Heartless out of the sky there were still lots coming.

"Ruins up ahead." Phil said. Everyone looked to see some Arabian-styled ruins floating up ahead just a little to their left.

"Quick, we'll take that route." Sora said as he grabbed the steering and piloted the ship into the ruins. It might've seemed like a good idea at first, but then more Heartless came out of the ruins. Some had wings, others had legs like spiders to allow them to keep a hold on the ruins. Phil and Nettie kept shooting while Sora and Donald worked at steering the ship through the ruins.

Eventually they lost the Heartless and the scenery changed to that it was bright all around them, like they were traveling through a tunnel of light. Nettie and Phil covered their eyes to avoid being blinded. When they opened them again they saw an amazing sight.

A mighty city laid just in front of them. A great desert surrounded this city, but their attention was drawn to the largest building there. Phil and Nettie were certain it had to be a palace of some sort because it looked like it was made from alabaster stone with bronze domes topping several thick minarets.

"What is that place?" Nettie asked as she unzipped her backpack so Mabul could see.

"Our first stop. Agrabah." Sora said.

Agrabah was very different from Netokan. There were no paved roads and the buildings were all made of stone. From what Phil and Nettie could see all the stores were located outside in the stalls of the marketplace. Compared to the high tech world of Netokan this place was totally alien to them.

"Welcome to Agrabah." Sora said as walked through the streets. No one cast strange looks at them because Master Yen Sid's magic had worked. They were now dressed in attires similar to what the people of Agrabah wore. Sora did have to keep adjusting the turban he wore because it kept slipping down his face. Goofy's attire was similar to his old one, except it was in the Agrabah style. Donald now had a robe on.

Nettie had to admit she liked the new dress she wore. The color was similar to her old clothes, except she also had a hood. She assumed it was to keep the sun out of her eyes. She also liked the pointed shoes she now wore. Her backpack had turned into a satchel that hung over her shoulder. Nettie hoped that it wouldn't be easier for Mabul to get out of. The only change to Phil apart from his clothes now being Agrabah style was that he wore a fez like Goofy. She thought they looked a little silly.

"Everyone seems really happy today." Goofy observed as they walked around.

"Maybe Aladdin and Jasmine will know what's going on." Sora said as they kept walking.

"Haven't you heard? The two of them are finally getting married!" One of the shop owners said as he held out some watermelons to them. Phil and Mabul would've taken some, but Sora's attention was now elsewhere.

"They're getting married? Come on, we need to get to the palace!" Sora said as he started to run off.

"Sora, wait up!" Donald and Goofy said as they followed after him. Nettie and Phil chased them too, not wanting to be left alone in a strange city. They moved through the narrow streets and alleys of Agrabah, until they came to these large wooden gates.

"Look at the size of these gates Phil. It must've taken a long time just to carve them." Nettie said.

"No time to be admiring the architecture. We need to get to that wedding." Donald said as they pushed the gates open. However what they heard as soon as the gates were open was screaming and crashing. Whatever was going on it didn't sound like a wedding.

"Come on." Sora said as they hurried across the courtyard to the palace. When they arrived they saw chaos and pandemonium. Several men were grabbing all the gold they could find and elephants were running amok. Phil and Nettie didn't know that the animals were elephants because elephants were not native to Harthyn. What they saw were big beasts with big ears and long noses that were trashing the place.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" A voice cried out. Everyone turned to see a big blue guy with a black goatee and ponytail trying to keep things under control.

"Genie!" Sora called out. "What's going on?"

"The wedding's under attack by the Forty Thieves!" Genie said as he continued to keep the thieves at bay.

"We'll help you." Phil and Nettie said as they summoned their keyblades, which Sora did as well. Donald drew his staff while Goofy pulled out his shield. Nettie's Keyblade, the Sunrise, had a white and gold color to it. The main blade resembled streams of light while the teeth were shaped like a rising sun. The handle was white while the guard was golden beams of sunlight. The keychain was also a sun.

In addition to fighting off the Forty Thieves they also had to deal with the elephants. It wasn't easy to do, especially since the Forty Thieves kept ganging up on them. Nettie and Phil kept hitting them with basic melee moves with Goofy while Donald kept unleashing blasts of fire, ice, and lightning upon them. Sora sometimes unleashed some magic upon them. Nettie's biggest fear came when Mabul actually ran out of her satchel.

"Mabul, no!" Nettie tried to get her ferret, but Mabul wanted to help. To everyone's astonishment Mabul tackled one fat thief and actually knocked him to the ground. Nettie then felt exhaustion come inexplicably to her, but she had no time to dwell on that. One elephant was charging into another room where a young man was struggling with an older man over a scepter. The older man jumped onto the elephant while the younger man jumped out of the way.

After the last of the thieves had been driven away and the guests had been escorted out of there everyone was looking at the mess. The entire hall had been totaled, and the wedding was ruined.

"Those Forty Thieves really know how to crash a party." Phil joked.

"This isn't funny. A wedding's been ruined." Nettie said while stroking Mabul.

"Thanks for your help. Things would've been a lot worse if you hadn't shown up." The man they saved from the elephant said.

"No problem, Al," Sora said.

"Hold it. Al? As in Aladdin?" Phil asked.

"You're Aladdin?" Nettie asked.

"This is him. The one, the only, Aladdin!" Genie said. "The hero of Agrabah, with whom your friends Sora, Donald, and Goofy worked with to stop the evil and malicious Jafar twice!" Genie explained.

"Jasmine and I owe you three a lot." Aladdin said.

"And we're so glad that you three have returned, but who are your friends?" Jasmine asked as she joined them.

"I'm Nettie. This is Phil and my ferret Mabul." Nettie said. Mabul then leapt out of Nettie's arms to interact with a monkey and a parrot.

"Long story short, we were kidnapped and Sora's trying to help us get back home." Phil explained.

"These Forty Thieves, I take it they're really bad." Phil said.

"They're the scourge of the desert." Jasmine said. "They've been robbing and stealing from the people for years, but I never thought they'd actually come to Agrabah. Or our wedding."

"I guess something like this was too tempting for them to pass up." Nettie said.

"Hey! Watch the feathers, you weasel!" The parrot said as he flew up and over to them. Nettie saw Mabul had a few feathers in her mouth. The monkey soon followed, speaking in Monkey to explain what happened.

"Abu says you insulted Mabul first, Iago," Aladdin said.

"And your point is?" Iago asked.

"It seemed that guy you were fighting really wanted something you had." Sora said.

"Yeah. The King of Thieves was trying to get this." Aladdin said as he pulled out a gold scepter with a green jewel.

"An entire palace full of treasure and the King of Thieves only wanted this?" Donald asked.

"It's not as valuable as some of the other stuff. Why would they want this thing?" Iago asked as he perched on the scepter.

"Your question is mine to answer!" A mystical female voice said as the scepter floated out of Aladdin's hand and a woman dressed in white robes appeared.

"Whoa…" Sora, Donald, Goofy, Phil, and Nettie said in unison.

"The King of Thieves wanted me to guide him to a treasure." The woman answered.

"Genie, what is she?" Aladdin asked.

"Looks like an oracle, Al," Genie answered.

"What's a door-acle?" Goofy asked.

"Oracle!" Donald corrected him.

"I see things that were, things that are, and things that will be." The oracle answered.

"Oh yeah, definitely an oracle." Genie said.

"You said something about treasure. Tell me, where's the treasure?" Iago asked.

"You've already asked your question." The Oracle answered.

"Aladdin, do you know what this means? We can find out about our future!" Jasmine said.

"And we can find out how to get back home!" Nettie realized.

"Aladdin, aren't you excited?" Sora asked.

"It's just, there's so much I want to know, yet I don't know where to start." Aladdin said.

"Perhaps it would be best to ask your father." The Oracle said, which surprised Aladdin. The Oracle then showed them a man who looked like Aladdin, but with greying hair along the sides. Aladdin was shocked.

"My father's alive?" Aladdin asked. Aladdin then left the room with the scepter on a flying carpet with Abu and Jasmine following. Sora and the others were about to follow him but Genie stopped them.

"Hey guys, I think Al needs a little time alone." Genie said.

It was much later when Jasmine and Aladdin returned to the palace. The sun was setting and everyone had been busy cleaning up the mess. A lot of tension was relieved as they saw the two of them were back.

"Are you okay Aladdin?" Sora asked.

"I am now, and I'm ready to ask the Oracle my question." Aladdin said.

"We have questions, we'd like answered too." Phil said.

"One at a time though." Nettie said.

Raising the scepter up, it floated in front of everyone and the Oracle appeared.

"Have you chosen your question?" The Oracle asked.

"Yes. Where is my father?" Aladdin asked.

"Follow the trail of the Forty Thieves. Your father is trapped within their world." The Oracle answered.

"The Forty Thieves? Is he hurt? How long has he been their prisoner?" Aladdin asked.

"I am sorry. I can only answer one question." The Oracle said.

"Wait, Phil and I have questions too!" Nettie said before the Oracle could vanish.

"Very well. Ask your questions." The Oracle said.

"How was it that Mabul was able to fight off the Forty Thieves earlier today?" Nettie asked.

"Mabul was drawing strength from the power you hold within." The Oracle answered.

"Power within? What do you mean?" Nettie asked.

"I can only answer one question." The Oracle reminded her.

"How do we get back home?" Phil asked.

"You must find the people who abducted you and stop their plans. Once their evil is ended you will be able to return home." The Oracle answered before vanishing.

"So what are you going to do now Aladdin?" Goofy asked Aladdin.

"I'm going after my father." Aladdin answered.

"Take as much time as you need." Jasmine said.

"I'll be back in time for our wedding." Aladdin promised.

"We'll go with you too." Sora said before being stopped by Phil and Nettie.

"I think ours is a different path." Nettie said.

"I know you're willing to come with me, but I have to do this." Aladdin said. "Your friends need you to help them now."

"Okay." Sora agreed.

"We'll be back as soon as we can." Nettie promised.

"Please take these with you." Jasmine said as she handed Sora, Phil, and Nettie green gems. "They may help you."

Back on the Gummi Nettie and Phil were looking at the gems. They didn't seem that special, yet Nettie was glad that Jasmine was thinking of them. Still how could they use these gems? And what did the Oracle mean that Nettie had a power within her?

"If only these things came with instructions." Phil said.

"It's never that easy." Nettie said. As she held the gem to the keychain of her keyblade, something extraordinary happened. The gem attached itself to the keychain, effectively replacing her sun. The keyblade then transformed itself to a new form. The blade was now long and pure gold with three beams of white light forming the teeth. The hilt was a big emerald with the guard now shaped just like the oracle. Nettie and Phil looked at each other with wide eyes.

"That's interesting." Phil said.


	6. What in the Underworld is going on?

Chapter 6: What in the Underworld is going on?

Riku's Group

AJ and Stella were just as fascinated with seeing The Lanes Between as Phil and Nettie were. Well, AJ was not so fascinated with the scenery as Stella was. AJ was always one to fall head over heels whenever he saw a pretty face and he wouldn't take his eyes off the pretty face.

"So why do you think that we were assigned to travel with each other?" AJ asked.

"Because Mickey thought it would be safe if no more than two of us were in each group." Stella answered.

"So why does our group have four members?"

"I was talking about people from our world."

"Oh. Well, of all the people we could've been partnered up with I find it interesting that we were together. Some would consider that fate or destiny." AJ changed the subject.

"Others call it bad luck," Stella said. She may have been beautiful but she was far from shallow.

"Now don't play hard-to-get," AJ teased.

"Why in, or off, the world would I play hard-to-get with the biggest, most arrogant, stuck up, selfish tramp in Netokan?" Stella said. "Don't think I don't know your game. You see some good looking girl, sweep her off her feet, and then ditch her for another pretty face. You have no respect. You have no loyalty. I highly doubt you even have a heart."

"Hey, I'm not a Nobody, you know."

"Okay. Your heart is just rotten then."

AJ would've said more but it was then that an alarm went off. AJ and Stella both hurried to the cockpit where they saw Riku and King Mickey firing away at strange looking ships. It was only when Stella and AJ took a second look that they realized those weren't ships. Those were lots of Heartless.

"Quick, grab the controls near you and help out." Riku ordered as he quickly gestured to the controls. Stella and AJ both grabbed some of the controls and began aiming and clicking. AJ smiled as he blasted some Heartless out of existence. This felt really similar to space games he used to play like _Intergalactic Crisis_. Stella was comfortable using the controls too. She had dabbled in video games before, but not to the extent of people like AJ.

It wasn't long before Stella noted their surroundings took to looking more and more like fluffy clouds, though they were in a vast assortment of shapes and colors. The Heartless seemed to be changing tactics too, using the clouds to duck in and out between attacking them and trying to lure them into traps. Thankfully Riku was not a gullible idiot. He seemed to see their traps coming from a mile away.

After maneuvering through the Heartless and cloudy area they found themselves staring at a world that appeared to mostly be a huge mountain with clouds hiding the top. The base was lined with lots of buildings with huge stone pillars. If Stella had to take a guess she would say these people were master architects.

"What is that place?" AJ asked.

"Olympus Coliseum." King Mickey answered.

"It's a training ground for heroes. Sora told me about it," Riku added.

"Well let's get down there and get training." AJ said.

"Hold it. We're not here to train. We need to find Organization XIII and stop them," Stella reminded him.

"We may have. I sense something's not right down there. We should check it out." Riku said with the confidence of a leader. Everyone knew they were not going to leave until they took care of business.

Olympus Coliseum looked even grander up close than it had from The Lanes Between, as AJ and Stella learned to call the place between the worlds. Many of the buildings were so tall they would've matched the grandness of the skyscrapers of Netokan. Other than being made completely of stone and no sign of electricity anywhere it seemed like the city functioned a lot like Netokan.

What impressed Stella more was how Master Yen Sid's magic had worked. As he said their outfits had now changed to match the togas that seemed to be the primary fashion fad here. Well, only the boys wore togas. Stella was in a dress very similar to what many women were wearing here. The only difference was that the color scheme of their new clothes matched what they had been wearing before.

"I'm so glad no one here has a camera," AJ said as he looked himself over. "I look ridiculous."

"Good. You now have an outfit that matches your brain." Stella said.

"Now's not the time to fight, fellas. We need to find out what's wrong here." King Mickey reminded them.

Some screaming came from the next block. Everyone looked to see a crowd running their direction, fear written on their faces.

"Hey, my adoring public coming for autographs," AJ joked.

"This isn't funny. They're frightened of something." Stella said.

"Then we should check it out." Riku said as he ran opposite of the crowd. Mickey, Stella, and AJ followed him. It wasn't easy when the majority of the people were pushing against you, but they managed.

As they arrived they saw the problem. A lot of Heartless had filled the streets, from the ones that resembled Coach Under when he had been changed to the ones Master Yen Sid had called Shadows.

"Big Bodies and Shadows all over the place!" King Mickey exclaimed as he summoned his Keyblade, which resembled Sora's Kingdom Key except the blade was gold. Stella, AJ, and Riku summoned their keyblades as well. However they weren't the only ones who had come to face the Heartless.

A man dressed in Greek-style armor with the addition of pants also charged into the Heartless. He slashed through the Shadows. However it wasn't long before the Big Bodies began to surround him and crash into him. It was obvious that they'd grind him to dust with their fat bodies unless someone came to help.

Thankfully someone did.

"Get off him!" Riku said as he shot some Dark Fire at the Heartless. One of the Big Bodies was knocked right off its feet. The others turned to see who had attacked them now.

"Hey there Thunder Butts! Over here!" Stella taunted them from the side.

Some of the Big Bodies ran towards her with surprising speed and knocked her into a column. Stella groaned from the pain in her back and front.

"No, over here, Fatsos!" AJ called from another side. "You're just balls with arms and legs!"

That really got their attention. They charged at AJ with surprising speed and knocked AJ to the ground. He tried to slice their stomachs opened with his keyblades, which were the same as Sora and King Mickey's. However that only bounced off their stomachs and left them confused.

"Aim for the backs! That's their weak spot." King Mickey said as he sliced through a Big Body through the back. Sure enough it vanished in a puff of darkness like it was nothing. Stella did notice something fly up, but she had no time to think about it.

Rolling out of the way of the Big Bodies Stella took a few swipes at their backs like Mickey had done. She laughed as she saw the Heartless vanish and the others trying to figure out where she was. She sliced through another before they could turn around.

"Take that, you obese…shades!" AJ said as he sliced through the back of a Big Body. The man they rushed to help also got the message and began attacking from behind the Heartless. This could be seen as literally stabbing someone in the back, but Heartless never play by rules. It wasn't long before the new strategy cleared the Heartless off the street.

"Gosh, are you okay?" Mickey asked the armored man.

"Never better. I would've gotten the jump on those guys before you showed up." The man said. He took off his helm to show he had spikey black hair and blue eyes. "Name's Zack. Who are you?"

"I'm Riku. This is Mickey, Stella, and AJ," Riku introduced everyone. "How long have the Heartless been coming here?"

"Oh, so they're called Heartless, are they?" Zack asked. "They show up wherever there's an entrance to the Underworld."

"The Underworld?" Stella asked.

"The Place of the Dead, the Domain of Hades. Or it was his domain. Everyone knows that." Zack explained. "According to Hercules Hades fell into the river Styx after he and Sora faced him the last time. No one's heard from him since."

"Well, you wouldn't happen to know where we could find the Underworld could ya?" Mickey asked.

"We just want to make sure he didn't swim out of the river." Stella explained.

"Just look for a hole in the ground. It'll take you straight to the Underworld." Zack said. As he answered everyone saw a hole in the middle of the street just a little ways away from them.

"Thanks." Riku said as they walked past Zack towards the hole. As they approached it AJ and Stella looked nervously in. It was pitch black, like the light of day had never shined in there.

"If this leads to a sewer, I swear…" Stella began. Whatever she was going to say was lost because AJ did something Stella never expected him to do.

He descended into the hole. That was shocking to Stella because she expected Riku or King Mickey to take the lead. She didn't expect AJ to make a move like that. She didn't really have time to wonder why because Riku and King Mickey followed him. With a great deal of apprehension Stella followed them.

She was surprised to find stairs awaiting them below. However descending the stairs into the Underworld was the worst. She wasn't sure how she could see, but everywhere was a feeling of darkness, gloom, and hopelessness. The jagged obsidian walls twisted and turned in ways that felt unnatural. She understood why the Heartless would be attracted to such a place. It was evil.

"Gosh, it's kinda chilly down here." Mickey commented. Stella and AJ shivered, not because of the cold but because of the dark feelings. Everything here was horrible, and the stench was worse. It smelled like someone had cracked a room full of rotten eggs and then threw in some week-old dead fish.

"Brimstone." AJ said.

"What?" Stella asked.

"Smells like brimstone." AJ clarified.

"Since when were you such a know-it-all?" Stella asked.

"School. I don't spend my entire time gaming. I do learn and study. I have to if I'm going to go to college."

"The day you're accepted into college is the day I kiss you."

"Sshh!" Riku shushed them. "Look."

Looking ahead of them Stella and AJ saw the bottom of the stairs leading out into an open lobby area. It was who was in there that their attention was attracted to.

Maleficent stood at the edge of the river Styx. Next to her was a large fat black cat in a red and blue jumpsuit. Even though he stood about as tall as Maleficent, if not a little taller, Stella thought he looked ridiculous. There was something about this cat that screamed he was a male.

"Who's Fat Cat?" AJ asked.

"That's Pete!" Mickey said.

"I remember him from The World That Never Was. Looks like he's still causing trouble with his mistress." Riku said.

"It doesn't matter where he is. Pete will always be a troublemaker." Mickey said. "Time and time again I offered him the chance to change and redeem himself, and each time he didn't take it."

"What are they saying?" Stella asked. Even though they had been speaking in whispers, everyone stopped talking so they could hear.

"It was 'cross the river in the Underdrome that Hades fell, My Lady," Pete said. "I tried to convince the river guy to take us across but he refuses."

"Hades will deal with him soon enough." Maleficent said. "Today the Lord of the Dead will rise again!"

"But how? You know what this river does to ya. You'll die before you get anywhere near him!"

"I am immortal, you imbecile! I would be just fine. As fortune smiles upon us I will not need to get my hands wet." As she turned her back to the river, everyone pressed themselves against the wall as best as they could without cutting themselves or allowing them to be seeable. As they watched, they saw Maleficent raise her arms like she was about to cast some curse or summon some Heartless. However she did neither.

"Master, hear me know. We have found the place where lies the Lord of Death. With thy power bring him back so he may serve our purpose!" Maleficent cried out. For a few seconds nothing happened. AJ was about to make some sarcastic remark when they all saw something that made their eyes go wide. The feeling it gave all of them made the feelings they had upon entering the Underworld seem like a nice sunny day at the beach.

The darkness bulged around them until at last the shadows formed an immense dark arm. It was darker than night, darker than black, even darker than darkness. The claws on its fingers made Riku realize it was the same being that had attacked his friends back at the islands. Whatever the arm belonged to it could wrap its arm around several skyscrapers with no problem.

As they watched they saw the arm reach into the river Styx. They were all too far away to see clearly, but according to what AJ and Stella could glimpse it seemed as if the river itself was recoiling in fear of this arm, like it didn't want the limb to touch it. After a few minutes the arm raised itself up with its hand clenched in a fist. It approached the area where Maleficent and Pete were standing. The fist uncurled to release a grey-skinned figure with a black robe and blue fire for hair.

"Ladies and gentlemen, yours truly, Hades, is back!" Hades cried out with his arms raised as if a crowd were watching. As he looked around he noticed Maleficent and Pete standing there. "Well if it isn't my old partners. Maleficent, babe, you are doing excellent. You're definitely a sight not for sore eyes."

"Flattery only gets you so you know." Maleficent replied indifferently. "You know who it was who fished you out of that river?"

"The Old Act. I knew I recognized that feeling." Hades said.

"The Old Act? Who are they talking about?" Stella asked. Her question went unanswered.

"What? Riku and the King are here with two of those brats?" Maleficent asked the unseen master.

"Riku? The little traitor?" Hades asked.

"Traitor? Did you used to work for them?" AJ asked.

"It was a long time ago, and I didn't know who they really were," Riku began explaining. However explaining was going to have to wait.

"So we need these people alive?" Hades asked.

"If our plan is to succeed then yes." Maleficent answered.

"Very well. Cerberus, find the trespassers!" Hades shouted into the darkness. Everyone then felt the ground vibrate violently as if something large and heavy were bounding across it. It was also accompanied by a very deep sound, but none of them could tell whether it was supposed to be a bark or a roar.

"Go! Go!" Riku said. As they hurried back up the stairs they saw a black furred leg appear in the entrance behind then only to be replaced by a large snow filled with huge white fangs. Stella screamed as the fangs snapped shut inches away from her. The panic and dread overtook her and AJ. Without looking back the two of them led the way out of the Underworld.

They had all barely gotten back to the surface before the hole behind them exploded. When the rubble finally stopped falling they got a good look at Cerberus. He was a huge black dog with three heads. Stella didn't know which was more frightening, the tiny red eyes on all three heads or the mouths filled with equally sharp fangs. It looked like something that crawled out of a cat's worst nightmare.

"Oh my gosh!" King Mickey said, which evaluated all their feelings.

"What does that dog eat for breakfast? Dinosaur bones?" AJ asked.

"Right now I think we're on the menu." Riku said as he summoned Way to Dawn. Everyone else summoned their keyblades and prepared to fight.

Needless to say fighting a giant, three-headed dog was hard even when you have it outnumbered. Every footstep Cerberus took caused a small shockwave that kept knocking them back. Stella and AJ kept following King Mickey and Riku in attacking the heads. The only problem was each head kept moving so they usually ended up with a different head than the one they were attacking.

"Go for one head!" King Mickey said as he attacked the head farthest to their left, which would be the right most head of Cerberus.

"Gee, ya think?" Stella asked. Cerberus then shot columns of dark fire into the ground which reappeared underneath them. In addition to being burned Stella was knocked off her feet and her keyblade flew out of her hands. As she laid in a daze she heard the heavy footfalls of Cerberus and saw the three heads look upon her. Despite Riku and King Mickey's attempts to distract the heads Cerberus seemed to have one thing on his mind. Stella put her arms over her head and braced herself to feel those sharp fangs close on her.

The feeling never came. Instead she heard angry barking and snarling above her. Stella peeked through one eye before opening the other. Somehow she was sitting in the middle of a bubble that prevented Cerberus from sinking his fangs into her. Stella wondering how this could've happened, but was surprised to see AJ double his efforts on the monster dog.

Reinforcements soon came to their aid. Zack used Stella's bubble to gain momentum as he sliced some of the whiskers of Cerberus off. Growling in anger, Cerberus turned his attention to the new human who dared challenge him. However Zack seemed to be more than human. He moved with a speed that seemed almost impossible and pulled off maneuvers that didn't seem scientifically possible. If any of you are familiar with the Final Fantasy games you'd know he was using some of his signature moves on Cerberus. However since this is not a video game to them all they saw was Zack and AJ working together to fight Cerberus. Finally the monster collapsed on the ground exhausted and beaten.

"Did we win?" Mickey asked.

"Don't worry. Once Cerberus has enough energy he'll crawl back to the Underworld. See? He's doing it now." Sure enough it was as Zack said. Cerberus was using what energy he had left to return to his home down below.

"Thanks for helping out Zack." Riku said.

"It was fun. Besides, you guys did most of the heavy lifting. I just finished the job." Zack said. "It was also AJ who worked to keep Stella from becoming dog food."

"But she cast the spell," AJ pointed out.

"Yes, a very interesting Barrier spell. Very powerful for a novice." Zack said.

"Ya know, I think I know someone who can tell us more." King Mickey said.

"Great. Where is he?" Zack asked.

"I'm afraid going there will mean we have to say good-bye for now." Mickey said.

"Huh? Why?" Zack asked.

"It's too far away for you to come with us," Mickey explained.

"Oh, you mean to another world." Zack said.

That surprised everyone.

"You know about the other worlds?" Riku asked.

"I know a lot of things. Let me come with. I could be helpful." Zack said.

"He did pull some fancy moves back there." AJ said.

"And you know how to work with others. Still, it's against the rules for us to bring you along." King Mickey said.

Zack thought for a minute. Stella thought he was going to protest and insist he come with them. He seemed like the kind of guy who would do that. In several ways he reminded her of AJ. However it was a surprise when Zack simply smiled and said, "I understand. Good luck with that." As he turned to leave, he looked at Stella.

"What?" Stella asked.

"From the looks of it you've had plenty of surprises today, and not by Cerberus. I say you misjudged your boyfriend over there." Zack said gesturing to AJ.

"My boyfriend? He's not my…" Stella said defensively.

"I know that look. It's the look of when you've misjudged someone." Zack said. With that he finally walked off leaving Stella with some food for thought.


	7. No lion around on the job

Chapter 7: No lion around on the job

The Gummi ship that Axel, Mika, and Roxas were using was experiencing trouble. Not only were Heartless attacking in the Lanes Between, but the last two members of their group were in chaos. Jason and Aurora seemed more interested in fighting each other than the Heartless. It was giving the other three quite the headache.

"Will you two knock it off already? We've got bigger problems than your issues!" Axel yelled at them.

"Well don't blame me! It's all knucklehead's fault!" Aurora said.

"Me? At least I'm not the one whose people started a war!" Jason snapped back at her.

"And just how many wars since have your people started since?"

"There were power mad dictators rising in those countries just like they did in yours!"

"Trigger-happy nut job!"

"Superstitious traditionalist!"

You can probably imagine how chaotic the entire trip has been. The two of them would've probably used the weapons controls on each other if they could've. Roxas wasn't sure what was worse, getting attacked by the Heartless or listening to those two. Being without a heart made it difficult to feel emotion, yet physical pain was not exempt from Nobodies. Right now Roxas had a giant-sized headache.

Axel was not much better. He had the job of piloting the ship and the constant arguing was driving him nuts. As if trying to deal with all the weird stuff wasn't enough. Now he could understand why dads hated road trips.

"Are you two still at it?" Mika asked as she walked into the cockpit. She had slipped out to change into something more comfortable, and to get away from Jason and Aurora's arguing. Now she was back in a white tunic with a reddish-pink short skirt and dark blue pants. The tops of her boots were light blue while the rest of them were dark red.

"They've been at it ever since we took off!" Axel shouted while turning the wheel to move the Gummi out of the way of a torpedo-shaped Heartless.

"If a certain somebody would stop correcting me on how to use these stupid things…" Jason started.

"Come on, you jerk the control so hard you'll yank it out!" Aurora retorted.

"Enough! Give me those!" Mika ordered as she took the controls away from Jason and Aurora. "Roxas, you and I will handle the Heartless." She said as she tossed him the controller used by Jason. Jason and Aurora started to protest, but Mika just held out her hand as if to say "I don't want to hear it." However she curled her fingers and seats appeared behind the two teenagers. Before they could say anything they found themselves seated and strapped in, unable to do anything but watch, for Mika had also caused the chairs to strap their mouths shut.

Mika and Roxas worked better than Jason and Aurora did. They didn't let a single Heartless get away from them. Jason and Aurora had let several get away because of their bickering, but the change at the controls left no stragglers around.

"That's much better." Axel said once they were clear of the Heartless. It was then that the straps around Jason and Aurora's mouths were removed. They were about to protest but a raised finger from Mika silenced them.

"What you two are doing isn't good for either of you. The Heartless are attracted to darkness in hearts, and your little feud is attracting them like vultures to a carcass. If you want to keep your hearts where they belong I suggest you shape up and stop fighting." Mika told them.

"Telling Jason not to fight is like telling the sun not to shine." Aurora said.

Jason just turned his head. He didn't want to talk to these people. He had no reason to explain or justify his actions. They weren't his parents. Not that he'd talk to his parents anyway.

"Maybe our time in this world will help you two to figure yourselves out." Axel said.

The world they found themselves in was Olympus Coliseum. They too weren't at the coliseum part of this world. They found themselves in the main city, in the exact area where the group from the last chapter found themselves in. Right at this moment that group was entering in the Underworld. Unfortunately the peace was about to be broken again, though not by Heartless or Nobodies.

"Is this someone's idea of a joke?" Jason complained rather loudly as he looked at his clothes. A red and blue toga had replaced his shirt and pants and he was wearing sandals instead of shoes.

"If it is, I like it." Aurora said. She was now in a blue and black dress that she felt was the common fashion in this world. Normally she wouldn't be caught dead in such attire. However Jason being humiliated in his new clothes made it all worthwhile.

"I don't remember seeing this part of the world before," Roxas said, not at all bothered by the black and white toga he wore.

"You probably were never sent on assignment to this specific area. Got it memorized?" Axel asked. He was completely indifferent to his new toga, which strangely was red and brown instead of black like his cloak.

"I really don't want to go parading around in this curtain!" Jason said.

"First, we need these outfits to blend in. Second, as much as I would really like it to, it's not going to kill you to try a new outfit." Aurora said.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." A familiar voice said. Everyone looked around for the source but saw no one. That is until some crystal-like projectile embedded itself in the ground beside them. They turned to see a member of Organization XIII standing on the roof of a building next to them.

"Xigbar," Axel named the man.

"You know, you kids really made a mistake not doing the job we gave you. We're really disappointed in you. I mean, was it really that hard to kill one keyblade-wielding kid? I know people who could've done it blind," Xigbar said.

"You done yet, Gramps?" Jason asked, his voice full of insult.

"Far from it. Now I'm going to show you and your girlfriend what happens when you cross the Organization." Xigbar said. Jason and Aurora were unanimous in denying that they liked each other. However Xigbar didn't care. Raising his arrowguns at the two teens, he prepares to shoot. However two flaming chakrams fly his way and Xigbar is forced to jump out of their way. Axel, Mika, and Roxas all land on the roof with their weapons drawn. Jason and Aurora saw that Mika had another keyblade with her light colored one. This one was black with a jagged crescent moon for the teeth. The handle was also black with a black circle joined by a bluish gem with bright blue wings forming the guard. The keychain token was a turquoise crescent moon.

"Three against one seems a little unfair. How about I even up the odds?" Xigbar suggested as several Nobodies appeared behind him. These in a way resembled Xibgar except they were purple in color. They also kept folding themselves over to take on the shape of Xigbar's arrowguns.

"You never get tired of the Snipers, do you?" Mika asked.

"Tired? As if." Xigbar said. "I think the people of this world would enjoy the excitement the Snipers can give them. Boys, go have some fun." With that order several snipers flew off into the town.

"Jason, Aurora, stop the snipers. We'll handle Xigbar." Axel ordered them.

"Hey, why do I have to work with her?" Jason protested.

"Just come on!" Aurora pulled Jason after the Nobodies by his hair.

It was in the heart of the city that Jason and Aurora were speechless. Sure everyone was dressed in togas and were riding around in chariots pulled by these strange animals and the buildings were all of the same design and made from stone, but other than that the city strongly reminded them of Netokan.

And they knew that there was bound to be more trouble than just Xigbar and his Snipers.

"Too many places to hide, and too many people for us to engage with the Nobodies directly," Jason said as he looked around.

"How can we just lose flying, purple, gun-folding monsters in a city? It's not like they blend in with the crowd." Aurora said.

"And we do?" Jason asked. Even though they were in fashion Netokan was a live-action world. Some people cast strange glances in their direction.

"Let's just find the creeps and get out of here." Aurora said.

"There!" Jason pointed to a Sniper flying up a column. "If I didn't leave my blaster back home I could take him down from here."

"Never mind that now. Just get him!" Aurora said. She summoned her Fantasy Warrior keyblade and charged after the Nobody. People parted at the sight of Aurora with her drawn weapon. Jason summoned his Born Fighter keyblade and followed after her.

The Sniper folded itself into the arrowgun form and began to fire at them. Jason and Aurora dodged out of the way to avoid getting shot. Jason tried to climb up after the Nobody, but he kept sliding back down. Aurora would've enjoyed the sight if she wasn't busy trying to find some way to get to it herself. The Sniper kept firing at them, forcing them to keep backing up. Aurora soon found herself with her back to a building. Nowhere to hide, and the Sniper was about to fire again.

As it fired something strange happened. Aurora couldn't explain it, but it was like she could see the projectile coming her way in slow motion. She readied herself with the Fantasy Warrior in hand. As it neared her, Aurora swung her keyblade with all her might. What would've been her death was turned back and hit the Sniper right where its heart would've been. It vanished into a white light.

"There's another!" Jason pointed one out just above Aurora. She repeated the same tactic and got the same result. "How are you doing that?" Jason asked.

"My secret." Aurora said as she ran to a Sniper looking for a place to take position. Jason noticed the area seemed to be getting deserted but he had no time to dwell on that. There was no way he was going to let Aurora get all the Nobodies. Unfortunately she got to the third one first and took it out.

"Only two more," She said as she looked around.

"How do you know?" Jason asked.

"Unlike you, I took the time to count them." She replied. "There's number four." She said as she charged towards some pots where a Sniper was folding itself up. Jason looked around and saw the last one at a building's corner.

"You're mine!" Jason said as he charged towards the Sniper. He didn't make it halfway across the plaza before a large brown paw stepped on the Nobody. Jason looked up in shock. The paw belonged to a large brown lion with a black mane. He didn't know what this thing was, but he could tell it was hungry for him.

"Aurora!" Jason called out. She looked up from among the broken pots to see the lion advancing on Jason. She actually considered walking away and letting the creature eat him. Helping Mika, Axel, and Roxas would've been a legitimate excuse.

"Go and help him." A voice said. Aurora looked around, but didn't see anyone. The person sounded really close but there was no one except her and Jason. The lion was upon Jason, who was now attacking its massive paws. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Aurora charged across the plaza to help him.

Jason was hacking away at the paw like no tomorrow. As long as he stayed under the creature it couldn't get him. He really hoped it wouldn't get the idea to lie down on top of him. That would so make this day worse than it already was.

"I take out four Nobodies and you can't handle one overgrown cat?" She asked as she started hacking away at another paw.

"Those guys kept flying out of the way and were a lot smaller than this thing!" Jason said. The lion then pounced, landing away from the two annoying morsels attacking its paws. Before they could regroup the lion charged at them, mouth open to devour the two of them. However before it could eat them someone punched the side of its head, knocking it off its paws and sending it crashing away from Jason and Aurora.

"Are you two okay?" Their rescuer asked. He was a man who looked to be about one or two years, maybe three, older than AJ. He had light brown hair and was incredibly buff. He was also dressed in what looked like an armored tunic with a blue cape.

"Just fine. We had that cat." Jason said.

"Except where the Nemean Lion almost ate you." The man said. He took a step back as a paw came crashing down where he had been standing. The Nemean Lion slowly rose, growling and looking at them angrily.

"Jason, now isn't the time to argue." Aurora said. Rolling his eyes, Jason turned and the three of them focused on the Nemean Lion. Taking down this lion was easier said than done as it kept leaping away to unleash a powerful pounce on all three of them. It also kept swiping at them several times doing massive amounts of damage. Twice it almost swallowed Jason, and he had to use what he had to keep himself on the other side of the fangs. Jason may not seem like a lot, but if there was one thing he knew it was how to survive.

Aurora kept surveying the area. She noticed that where the Nemean Lion had come from there were a lot of wrecked buildings. She noticed a large block of rubble at the base of one building. She wished she could levitate it over. Then it hit her. Looking at her keyblade, she remembered what people had said about it being an item of great power. Now seemed like a good time to test that theory.

Pointing her keyblade at the rubble, Aurora focused all her mental energy on that block moving. She squinted her eyes in her attempt to get it to work. However nothing seemed to be happening.

"Look out!" Aurora heard Jason call out. She turned to see the Nemean Lion taking another swipe at her. She dove to the side to escape those huge claws, and swung her keyblade at the same time. It was then that she saw the rubble block zoom all the way over to their position, hitting the Nemean Lion on the head. The lion wobbled for a few seconds before crashing down in front of them. She was fairly certain that it was dead.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but thanks for your help." Jason said to the man.

"That's what heroes do. We help people." The man said.

"You're a hero?" Aurora asked.

"Yep. I'm Hercules by the way." Hercules introduced himself.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a name is Hercules?" He asked.

Aurora slugged Jason for that. "The name of the guy who just kept you from becoming kitty chow!" She said before explaining to Hercules, "Jason's a thickhead. Doesn't respect anyone but himself."

"I only respect people who earn it." Jason said. "Aurora is Miss High-and-Mighty…"

Aurora slapped him. "I am not!"

"You two do have a lot of potential. However if you keep fighting with each other like this you'll never become heroes." Hercules said.

That got their attention. "Heroes?" They asked in unison.

"That's why most people come to this city nowadays. They all have hopes and dreams of becoming true heroes. Phil had to close the coliseum so he could narrow down the list. You should see him. He might train you." Hercules explained.

Jason and Aurora stood there taking his offer into consideration. Both of them looked as if the idea appealed to them. Well, maybe Jason more than Aurora. She was never one to try out for anything.

"We'll think about it." Jason said.

"Well, be sure to head to the coliseum if you decide to," Hercules said as he began to walk off.

"Jason! Aurora!" They heard a familiar voice call out to them. They turned to see Axel, Mika, and Roxas coming towards them.

"You two okay?" Mika asked.

"Things could be better if Jason got eaten by that lion we fought." Aurora said.

"Come on. You had the easy job!" Jason argued.

"That's no excuse."

"Well the next time you're taking on some monster I may just turn a blind eye!"

"Don't you always?"

"I think we're going to need to get them separated A.S.A.P." Mika whispered to Axel.

"I've got that memorized." Axel said.


	8. News at Twilight

Chapter 8: News at Twilight

At Disney Castle things were going relatively peaceful. Queen Minnie was able to keep things running with her longtime friend Daisy. Both of them wished that Mickey, Donald, and Goofy didn't have to leave all the time. However they knew how evil people like Maleficent could be, and with Pete working for her that spelled more trouble.

"Do you think their doing okay?" Daisy asked her queen.

Minnie nodded. "I know they are. The three of them have accomplished a lot in the past, and with friends like Sora there's nothing they can't do."

Daisy nodded. "Whatever is going on in the worlds they'll be able to stop it. I just wish they would tell us more before they just leave." Daisy said.

"Well they have their reasons. We just have to believe they've told us what we need to know." Minnie said.

Meanwhile Pluto was lying in his bed in the library. Pluto had been on his own adventures before, but this time all he wanted was sleep. He had more than enough excitement to last him a while.

Pluto's nose twitched. His content smile turned to a frown as he opened his eyes. He had learned to smell darkness, and he was picking up a lot of it. But who would come to the castle?

As Pluto continued to sniff, he saw someone in a black cloak standing in front of the bookshelf. Pluto growled. He knew this was someone from Organization XIII. He never met all of them, so he didn't have their smells memorized. Regardless they always smelled of trouble.

The person turned around. Pluto couldn't see under the hood, but something told him the person wasn't even intimidated by him. The last thing Pluto saw was a wave of darkness coming towards him.

The last group to depart from the Mysterious Tower had a relatively peaceful flight. Clair and Ashley did take time to look at their surroundings, but they also enjoyed talking with Kairi. It turns out the three of them had a lot in common. All of them enjoyed reading and taking in the scenery.

"So this is the first time that you've actually gone exploring other worlds on your own?" Clair asked.

"Sora and Riku are usually called off on an adventure to save them, and I've had to wait for them." Kairi explained.

"Must be hard to have your friends go off like that." Ashley said.

"It is. But I know they will always come back home." Kairi answered.

"So how long have you wielded a keyblade?" Clair asked.

Kairi said, "About a year. Sora and Riku have been training me to use it, though I'm not sure either of them understand theirs. Especially Sora."

"Something so mysterious and we're just given them by some psychos in black. Why?" Clair wondered out loud.

"We'll find out when we stop them." Ashley said before turning her attention to outside the window. "We've got a world coming up." She said causing the other two to turn their attention towards the window.

"It's Twilight Town!" Kairi recognized the place. "I remember this place."

"You've been here before?" Ashley asked.

"A long time ago." Kairi answered.

"It does look pretty calm. We should check it out." Clair said.

The three of them found themselves in Market Street, just outside of Station Plaza. Clair and Ashley looked behind them to see a large clock tower with two bells sticking out from the sides like elaborate earrings. They could hear trams rolling on by. It wasn't as advanced as Netokan, but it seemed a lot nicer.

"This is a nice place. I wouldn't mind living here." Clair admitted.

"Well we're not her to house hunt." Ashley reminded her, though deep down she felt the same way.

"Kairi? Is that you?" A voice called down the street. They looked to see a girl close to their age with peach-colored skin and brown hair dressed in an orange tank top with khaki-style capri pants. Kairi's eyes widened with recognition.

"Olette! Is that you?" She asked as they ran and embraced each other.

"It's been so long Kairi. Hayner, Pence, and I were worried when that guy dragged you off." Olette said.

"I'm fine. Sora found me."

"Somehow I knew he would."

"So who's you're friend?" Clair asked.

Kairi stepped back so she could better introduce everyone. "Clair, Ashley, this is Olette. Olette, these two are Ashley and Clair."

"Hello." Olette said to them.

"It's nice to meet you." Ashley replied.

"What brings you back to Twilight Town?" Olette asked.

"I wanted to see how you, Hayner, and Pence were doing." Kairi said.

"We're doing great. They'll be so excited to see you," Olette said as she started leading them down the street. They didn't go far before they turned and entered into a back alley that led to a dead end behind a chain-linked fenced gate.

This place had been furnished to be some sort of shabby living room. There was still water in the ground and a couple of couches upon which sat two boys. One had spikey blonde hair and was dressed in baggy camouflage pants with a grey sleeveless vest and a black sleeveless shirt with skull and crossbones on it. The other was a little obese with black hair held up with a black headband. He was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt under a red jersey and blue pants.

"Hayner! Pence! Guess who I ran into." Olette said as she brought Kairi, Clair, and Ashley into the place.

The blond haired boy sat up with a start as he saw Kairi. "Kairi? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"You're alright!" The heavyset boy said with a smile on his face.

"It's good to see you two again, Hayner, Pence," Kairi said. "Have things been okay since I was last here?"

"We haven't seen any creeps in black if that's what you mean." Hayner answered. "If not, Seifer's still the same."

Ashley said, "Then I guess there's no point in us staying here,"

"No, there isn't." Said a cold voice behind them. They turned to see a man with long blond hair and cold green eyes dressed in the familiar black cloak.

"Who are you, Creepy?" Clair asked.

"You may know me as Vexen," The man introduced himself.

"You're with those Organization creeps, aren't you?" Hayner asked.

"Gee, I wonder what gave it away." Ashley said sarcastically.

Vexen scoffed. "Such disrespect for your elders. Especially after we offered to do you and your friends a favor in exchange for helping us." He said.

"We learned you wouldn't have kept your promise, and the kind of people Organization XIII really are." Ashley said.

"You haven't learned anything about us yet, but you will." Vexen said as he vanished into a dark corridor.

"I thought for a second that we were going to have to fight him." Clair said.

"What did he mean by they offered to do you something for you?" Pence asked.

"Organization XIII took us from our home, and they promised to send us back if we helped them." Ashley explained.

"Sora, Riku, and I helped them see through the Organization's lies." Kairi added.

"So you're not with those creeps anymore, right?" Olette asked.

"I'd sooner kiss a rat." Ashley said.

"We're going to have to go. If the Organization's here we need to find out why." Kairi said.

"We'll go with you." Hayner said. The look on his face said he was not going to be talked out of this. The six of them headed back out to Market Street and headed down to Tram Common. No sooner had they arrived than they encountered a large bird-like Nobody with the Nobody insignia on it's chest. The feathers looked as if they were made of icicles. A cold air seemed to be coming from its beak.

"Whoa," Clair and Ashley said in unison.

"Hayner, Pence, Olette, you'd better leave this to us." Kairi said. The three friends hurried off while Kairi, Ashley, and Clair got ready to fight the Nobody. All three girls summoned their keyblades.

"So anyone have any ideas on how to beat a giant, creepy Icebird?" Clair asked, unintentionally naming the Nobody.

"Hit it with fire?" Ashley suggested.

"Fire!" Kairi said as she cast the Fire spell, shooting a ball of fire at the bird. The Nobody cried out in pain. Evidently it didn't like heat. However now it was on the offensive. The Icebird flapped its wings and sent icicles flying their way.

"Look out!" Kairi said as she cast a spell that created a force field of sorts around all three of them, blocking the icicles.

"Think you could teach me some of those spells?" Clair asked.

"Later. For now we need to concentrate." Kairi said. The Icebird flew up and circled over them, creating clouds and causing the weather to start hailing. After managing to dodge the chunks of ice the Icebird swooped down low, its breath freezing the ground, and Clair and Kairi's feet to the ground.

Ashley managed to dodge out of the bird. Before it could get up high again Ashley jumped onto the bird's back. As they rose Ashley began to attack the Icebird with all her might. She could tell she was really hurting it with her keyblade, but it wasn't as cool as the spells Kairi had casted. "_If only I thought to ask to learn magic_," Ashley thought to herself.

The Icebird suddenly pitched downward. Ashley grabbed on to its back to keep from falling off. The Icebird crashed into Tram Common and Ashley ended up flying off its back. Kairi and Clair, who were now free from the ice, ran forward and began to slash at the Icebird with their keyblades. Kairi kept casting the Fire Spell at the Icebird, which looked like was actually melting the Nobody.

The Icebird then began to shudder, and the three of them realized it was recovering. Clair and Ashley jumped onto its back as it began to fly up again, and continued their attacks. Things seemed to go faster this time than they had before.

"I don't think our parents would like to see us doing this," Clair joked while attacking.

"Probably not." Ashley agreed as the Icebird started to fall down. As the two girls jumped off, Kairi pointed her keyblade to the darkened sky.

"Thunder!" She cried out as a bolt of lightening came down from the sky and struck the Icebird. The Nobody cried out and shuddered violently. Clair and Ashley prepared themselves for more action, but it didn't happen. The Icebird flew up and then faded away in streams of white.

"Is that it?" Ashley asked, a little disappointed.

"That's it." Kairi confirmed.

"That was stronger than the Dusks. Are there more like that?" Clair asked.

Kairi nodded. "From what I've heard from Sora and Riku, yes."

It was then they heard a soft whine. The three of them looked down a neighboring street to see a yellow dog with black ears and a tail lying on the ground. It didn't match any species Clair or Ashley were familiar with.

"Pluto!" Kairi said as she ran up to the dog. She knelt beside Pluto and looked him over. Clair and Ashley could tell Kairi knew this dog.

"Heal!" The two of them saw Kairi cast another spell that caused a flower to bloom over Pluto. As the petals fell, Pluto's eyes opened and he began to run around full of energy. Clair and Ashley both decided they needed to learn these spells.

"Kairi! Clair! Ashley!" Olette said as she ran up to them. "You'd better come quick. We found something you might want to see."

As they followed Olette down the street they found themselves at the Sandlot, where the town commonly held their Struggle Tournaments. Struggle, for those who are not familiar, is a sport played in this world. However Hayner and Pence were not hiding behind a corner because a game was going on. As Kairi, Ashley, Clair, and Pluto arrived with Olette, they saw several familiar figures standing there talking.

"So it seems the little peasants learned the truth about our plans," Maleficent said as she stroked a raven on her shoulder.

"Now they work with the Keyblade's Chosen, The King, and the others instead of against them," Xemnas said.

"Then I think it's time we move on to some of our other plans. Vexen has created Heartless and Nobodies that have never been seen before." Said a man who looked a lot like Xemnas, except his hair was smoother.

"Yes. No matter what side they choose, all will still go as we have foreseen." Maleficent said.

Everyone ducked back into the street.

"Who was that lady?" Pence asked.

"Maleficent. She's a powerful sorceress who's been causing trouble for a long time," Kairi explained.

"I recognized Xemnas, but who was the other guy? His twin brother?" Ashley asked.

Kairi shook her head. "That was Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. He's Xemnas's Heartless." She explained.

"His Heartless?" Clair explained.

"If he's back along with Organization XIII…"Kairi's voice trailed off. "We need to warn the others."

"They're gone." Hayner said as he peeked around the corner again. Sure enough the Sandlot was deserted.

"I'm sorry. We need to get going." Kairi explained to the gang from Twilight Town.

"We understand. We'll keep an eye on things here and let you know if we find anything." Hayner promised.

"Thank you so much." Kairi said.

Soon, the three of them were on their way again with the addition of Pluto. The mood in the Gummi had turned serious because of what all three of them had learned.

"So any idea where the others are right now?" Clair asked.

"According to the ship, the others should be getting close to Radiant Garden. We'll meet them there." Kairi said as she piloted the ship towards the world.

"Xemnas and Ansem being together isn't the only thing troubling you isn't it?" Ashley asked.

Kairi shook her head. "I know we suspected that Maleficent was working with Organization XIII, but to see it's true is just shocking. I've seen them before, and they aren't the best of friends." She said.

"Looks like they've found a common enemy to unite themselves against." Clair said.

"That's why we need to warn the others." Kairi said. It was then that the ship started rocking violently. Alarms flashed as everyone grabbed a hold of their seats.

"What's going on?" Ashley asked, panic in her voice.

"I don't know!" Kairi answered.


	9. Dangers in the Shadows, Part 1

**I would've tried to get this chapter up sooner, but I had homework and tests to do, and I was visiting with family and friends over the weekend. I apologize that this chapter is shorter than the others, but I don't want to drag a chapter out longer than I need to. **

Chapter Nine: Dangers in the Shadows, Part 1

Vexen sat on his throne waiting impatiently. Xemnas rarely left their stronghold, and when he did such trips were short. Today he seemed to be taking his time. He was actually starting to drum his fingers like Axel sometimes did when he was waiting for something.

Finally Vexen saw the sight he had been waiting for. A dark portal opened on the highest throne, and when the darkness cleared Xemnas was seated there as if he had never left.

"Did you find it?" Xemnas asked.

Vexen pulled out a red book from his sleeve. "From Disney Castle, right where you said it would be." Vexen tossed the book to his master, who looked at it and smiled.

"Excellent. I truest the queen was no problem." Xemnas said.

"She never noticed. I did have to put their mutt out of its misery." Vexen's voice was emotionless.

"And the Icebird?"

"Released into Twilight Town like you ordered."

"Good." No sooner had Xemnas said this than the room shook violently. Vexen gripped the arms of his throne to keep himself from falling off. Even Xemnas seemed genuinely surprised at this. It continued for a few minutes before it stopped.

"What happened? Last time I checked this world didn't have earthquakes." Vexen asked.

"Something we will have to investigate." Xemnas said.

While Xemnas and Vexen were discussing Organization business the four groups were experiencing the shaking in their gummi ships. Sora was trying to keep the ship under control with Donald while Goofy was holding on to his chair for dear life. Nettie was hugging Mabul while Phil was trying to regain his footing.

"What's going on?" Nettie asked while making sure Mabul didn't fly out of her arms.

"That's what I was going to ask!" Donald shouted. He also started saying things to the controls that no one could understand. Nettie had a feeling that even though Donald was having a tantrum he wasn't swearing.

"We should make sure everyone else is okay!" Goofy said.

Sora without a word pressed a button next to a little screen. The image of Kairi flickered onscreen, though from what he could see in the background and on her face they were experiencing similar problems as well.

Kairi's face changed from concern to surprise. "Sora?" She asked.

"Kairi, are you okay?" Sora asked.

"Apart from the ship rocking out of control, fine." She replied. It was at this point that the shaking seemed to cease. It didn't vanish all together, but it did ease up to where things went back to normal.

"So you experienced all that too?" Sora asked.

"I'm pretty sure that's what she said, genius." Ashley said from the background.

It was then that Riku's face popped up on screen as well. "Sora? Kairii? Does anyone read me?"

"We're here Riku. What's wrong?" Kairi asked.

"We felt the Gummi shake so hard we thought it was going to break."

"Same here! We experienced the same thing!" Sora said.

"Is everyone in your groups still there?" Riku asked.

Sora and Kairi nodded, both with raised eyebrows. "Why do you ask?" Kairi asked.

"When we did a head count, we were short one AJ." Riku said.

"What?" Everyone on two gummi ships asked in unison.

"AJ's missing?" Clair asked in the background.

"Duh!" Ashley said. Nettie was sure she was rolling her eyes too.

It was then that Axel's image appeared on the screen. "Is everyone alright?" He asked.

"We're fine, but AJ's missing!" Sora replied.

"Axel, do you think this is the work of the Organization?" Riku asked.

"Offhand I want to say yes, but I've never known Xemnas for being able to do something like this." Axel said.

"That reminds me. We have information about Organization XIII!" Kairi said.

"Better save it for later. If the Organization is behind this, then we should probably wait until we're all in person to say it." Jason's voice called out from behind Axel.

"How close is everyone to Radiant Garden?" Without waiting for an answer Axel said, "Let's meet up there and then have our little chat. Got it memorized?" With a groan that everyone was sure had to be Jason Axel's picture flicked off.

"There it is. I'll see you down there." Riku said before closing communications.

Sora then looked up to see his ship had also arrived at Radiant Garden as well. "We've arrived too. We'll meet with the others and then hear what's been going on." Sora explained to Kairi, who looked a little concerned with having to wait longer, but she nodded in agreement before closing communications.

Radiant Garden, despite having about three years of reconstruction, showed little progress. The stalls in the marketplace were nicer, and the buildings looked a little more permanent. The main castle, however, was still being repaired and looked as if little to no work had been done on it. Evidently even with the technological levels of this world castles took time to build.

Sora and his group was waiting in the middle of the open square with Donald, Goofy, Nettie, and Phil. Nettie was holding Mabul in her arms and stroking her gently. It wasn't long before Riku, King Mickey, and Stella appeared in front of them. Riku appeared to be serious as usual, though he also appeared concerned. King Mickey didn't hold back any emotions. Everyone could tell he was concerned. Kairi, Clair, Ashley and Pluto there as well followed shortly thereafter Axel, Mika, Roxas, Jason, and Aurora. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy's eyes went wide when they saw the dog was with the last group. Pluto wasted no time running up to his longtime friends and licking their faces.

Axel quickly counted heads before saying, "You weren't kidding. AJ really is M.I.A,"

"One second he was there, the next he wasn't," Stella said.

"Maybe we'd better get a full report of what's been goin' on with everyone." Mickey suggested.

"What do you think we're doing? Smelling the flowers?" Jason asked.

"He means from our record keepers, ya big palooka!" Donald snapped at him.

Jason balled his fists and glared at the duck. "What did you call me?" he asked.

"What do you mean record keepers?" Clair asked.

Mika raised an eyebrow. "Don't you remember? Master Yen Sid asked us to keep a record of our journey so we can get an idea of what's going on in the universe, and something about making sure the future knew of our adventures," she explained.

"Each group must've someone to take notes about where they've been an' who they've met," Goofy added.

"He probably wasn't paying attention at that part." Ashley suggested. It was true. Jason's mind had wandered off during that explanation. Not that he'd ever admit it.

"Fine. So who was writing about our adventure?" Jason asked.

Roxas pulled out a little book and said, "I was. I used to keep a journal back when I was with Organization XIII—"

"You used to work for those creeps?" Ashley asked.

Axel smiled. "Yep. Number XIII."

"Anyway fellas, I was keeping track of our journey. See?" Mickey changed the subject as he pulled out a red book with his royal crest, the Mickey Mouse symbol, on it.

Clair looked down as if she was ashamed. "Well, I've always kept a diary back home. I figured I may as well continue to do so here." She admitted as she pulled out a small white book with a lime green border.

"And I kept up with being royal chronicler." Said a voice that no one could see. Everyone from Netokan looked around, but they saw no one unfamiliar.

"Alright who's there?" Aurora asked as she got into a kung fu stance.

The voice called out again, "Over here." They looked to see it had come from Sora, who was pointing to his shoulder. The Netokan teens took a closer look to see a small figure was standing on Sora's shoulder. The figure had an oval-shaped head with big eyes. He was dressed in a white shirt with a reddish-orange vest, tan pants, big yellow shoes similar to Mickey's or Sora's, and had a light blue top hat with an orange stripe and a red umbrella that he carried with him. The figure took of his hat and made a polite bow before adding, "Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You've been traveling with a bug this entire time?" he asked.

"Jiminy's a good friend of mine," Sora said.

"What was it that you needed to tell us, Kairi?" Mika asked.

"Oh." Kairi remembered before continuing, "While we were in Twilight Town we found Maleficent talking with Xemnas and Ansem," that last comment earned several gasps.

"Ansem's back too?" Riku asked.

"Who's Ansem?" Stella asked.

"He's Xemnas's Heartless." Donald answered.

"Worse, it sounds like the three of them are working together." Kairi said. Everyone exclaimed "What?" at that statement.

"That's impossible. The three of them hate each other," Riku said.

"Yet it's true." Ashley said. We saw them together and plotting together. It sounds like they've got something really bad planned."

"Duh," Aurora said while rolling her eyes.

"So now what?" Clair asked.

"We need to let the Restoration Committee know what's happened." Sora said.

"Uh, what about the 'Do-not-let-people-know-other-worlds-exist' rule?" Stella asked while impersonating Master Yen Sid's voice rather poorly.

"They know about all that," Goofy said.

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to get something to eat," Jason said as he turned and started walking away.

"Uh, we need to stay together," Sora said.

"Good riddance. He's been giving me a headache since we left the Mysterious Tower," Axel said.

"I'll go after him." Riku said as he followed after Jason.

"I guess we'll all go take care of different things now. I'll go with ya Sora to the Restoration Committee," King Mickey said.

"Great!" Donald and Goofy said in unison.

Soon everyone was moving off in different groups through Radiant Garden.

**Well there you have it. I hope I got all the characters right. I'm also not sure how to do the comments at the beginning and end of a chapter on this website so I'm putting them in with the chapter submission until I can figure out how to make them separate. **


	10. Dangers in the Shadows, Part 2

**Sorry it took a while to get this chapter up. I wasn't sure how to work it out. I hope I did a good job with the Final Fantasy characters in this submission. Oh, and Antex, to answer your question the shaking they experienced will be explained later on in the story.**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Dangers in the Shadows Part 2

Jason was once again in a bad mood. He had been searching throughout the entire city for a place to grab a bite, and after five blocks of searching he still had not found anywhere that sold food.

"What do people do here, grow their own food?" he asked himself. He didn't know how people could live without the modern conveniences of Netokan. It was completely barbaric. At least have wrist coms. Speaking of which, why wasn't his working? They were designed to work anywhere on Harthyn.

Jason was so focused on his own problems he failed to notice that someone seemed interested in watching him. The person remained hiding in the shadows preparing to strike when both the figure and Jason heard Riku calling Jason's name. The figure frowned as it saw Riku walk up to Jason.

Jason glared at him. "If you're planning on dragging me back there, you can forget it," he said.

Riku held up his hands. "Take it easy. I wasn't following you for that. I'm following you to keep you safe," he explained.

Jason turned his back to Riku. "I can take care of myself," he said defensively.

"I don't doubt you. I just know how strong the Organization really is, and if you're not ready for them they will take you down." Riku warned.

Jason snorted. "And I take it your solution is to have someone hold my hand?"

"You're not much a team player are you?" A new voice asked. Riku and Jason turned, and Riku actually seemed surprised to see the speaker was a familiar face.

"Zack? What are you—how did you get here?" he asked. He noticed Zack's attire maintained the same color scheme though it had changed to match what a lot of people wore in this world.

Zack smiled. "I followed you here."

"But how?"

"When we parted ways I followed you and your friends and then there was this weird light and I found myself in the strangest place, and well, here we are." Zack answered.

"So much for not letting others know other worlds exist," Jason whispered behind his hand to Riku. Riku ignored him.

"Zack, you don't understand what you've gotten yourself into. We need to take you back," Riku started to say.

Zack frowned. "Back? No way. I want to help you guys, and I think I kind of like it here. Wherever here is." He said as he looked around.

Jason shivered unexpectedly. The temperature suddenly felt unnatural cold. He started to look around, and saw something that caused him to look and feel worried. If something can do that to Jason it doesn't take a genius to tell it's really bad.

"Get down!" Jason said as he shoved Riku and Zack so hard and unexpectedly that they all fell to the ground with a thud. It was a good thing he did so because a long thin blade whooshed over them. The three of them looked up to see their assailant for the first time, and it was a face none of them would ever forget.

The assailant was a man with long silver hair and bangs that covered the side of his face. Jason would've normally laughed at such a hairdo if it had not been for the man's expression. His face was cold, as if all his life he had known nothing but hatred and anger. His blue eyes seemed to stare into Jason's soul. He also had a black leather jacket with a collar that reached up to his ears. His jacket was opened to show his chest, but there were straps that formed an X. He also had black gloves, pants, and boots as well. The boots both had two grey belts over them, and he had a silver pauldron on each shoulder. The weapon he carried was an incredibly long sword almost like a katana. The three of them could tell this was one bad dude.

"Is this guy with Organization XIII?" Jason asked Riku.

Riku shook his head and replied, "No,"

"Why does that not reassure me?" Jason asked. He'd never say it bluntly, but Jason was feeling terrified, and fear is not something he felt often.

Zack chuckled. "Never fear. You've got a bonna fide hero here," he said with a smug look on his face. Drawing his sword Zack charged at the stranger. The stranger blocked Zack's attack, threw him back and literally floated to the roof of a nearby building.

Zack was not deterred. Zack jumped up and continued to attack the man, who seemed to block and parry every blow. Every fan of _Final Fantasy_ would see that Zack was using his classic moves from the game series, but as neither Riku or Jason played games all they saw was Zack making a bunch of moves that were awesome, but in real life would be completely impossible.

The blades kept clashing against each other, the metal ringing throughout the area. It was almost as if these two had spent their entire lives learning to use swords, and that they've been fighting each other from day one. Jason had been in his fair share of fights and he had a sixth sense that could tell him if someone stood a chance of winning or not. Right now it was telling him that even though Zack was good there was something about the other guy that gave him the upper hand.

Sure enough, the silver haired man used his sword to toss Zack into the air, and then he vanished only to reappear in front of Zack. Before Zack could recover the man began to slash him violently over and over again. Both Riku and Jason were sure that Zack was not going to survive this. The warrior fell to the ground, his sword impaling the street next to him. The silver haired man floated down and raised his sword to finish Zack off.

Without knowing why Jason grabbed a rock and threw it as hard as he could. The left pauldron clanged as the rock hit it. The man turned away from a groaning Zack and began to walk towards Riku and Jason, who both summoned their keyblades and prepared for a fight.

"You do know we have no chance of winning right?" RIku checked with Jason.

"Says who?" Jason retorted, though he knew it would be a bloodbath.

The man raised his sword to strike, but then someone else appeared and blocked his sword from reaching Riku and Jason. The man was also dressed in black, but it was nothing in similarity to what the silver haired dude wore. The new warrior had spikey blonde hair and carried a thick sword that was covered in bandages. Jason thought that looked weird.

The silver haired man smiled, for once. "So you finally decided to show up Cloud," he said in a calm, cold voice. Jason shivered at the sound of it.

"No matter where you go Sephiroth I will find you." Cloud responded. Jason could tell Cloud was a tough guy who took everything seriously.

"At least we now know who Creepy is," Jason said to Riku.

"But can you defeat me? I know you. You will always live in your past and the light of the present will never be enough for you," Sephiroth said.

"Shut up!" Cloud said as he took a swung at Sephiroth. Sephiroth blocked the blow and leapt into the air. He slowly landed on someone's chimney and chuckled.

"Another time," Sephiroth said as he vanished before their eyes. Could leapt to attack, but he was too slow and ended up burying his sword in the chimney.

Riku then ran over to check on Zack. To say he had seen better days would be an understatement. He was covered from head to toe in cuts that were going to need treatment right away. When Jason got over there he was sure Zack had a lot of broken bones as well. What else would happen from a fall like that?

"Yo, Cloud, we need to get Zack here some help." Jason called up to the blonde swordsman. Cloud, who was still steamed from losing Sephiroth, silently admitted there were other things to worry about at the moment. He jumped down from his position and checked on Zack's wounds.

"I know someone who can help." Cloud said. He tried to pick Zack up, but he cried out in pain as soon as Cloud touched him.

"Heal," Riku said as he cast some spell that caused an image of a flower to appear over Zack. Green leaves fell around Zack, closing up a lot of the cuts, and Jason was sure many of the bones were healed as well. He wasn't a hundred percent fixed, but it allowed Cloud to pick him without him crying out in pain.

At first the three of them walked in silence. Jason was never one for conversation, but for once he actually wanted to talk. He just wasn't sure what to say. What do you talk about with some oober awesome swordsman?

"You're new here, just come from another world no doubt," Cloud said, though not in a loud voice. That surprised both Jason and Riku. "Relax. I know about other worlds. I've been to some," Cloud added.

"They're supposed to be a secret," Riku said.

Cloud nodded. "For good reason. People would use that knowledge to their advantage. People like Sephiroth and Shinra."

"Who's Shinra?" Jason asked.

"The Shinra Power Company. They've been offering to help rebuild the city. No one's trusting them though," Cloud explained. He sounded as if he had a bad experience with Shinra.

Riku decided to change the topic. "So how do you know Sephiroth?" he asked while carrying Zack's sword.

For a minute it seemed Cloud wasn't going to respond. Jason was about to say something before Cloud spoke, "Sephiroth is not someone you want to mess with. You're lucky I came by when I did, or else you'd be dead."

"I can understand why Sora had a hard time beating him," Riku said.

Cloud turned to face Riku so fast Zack groaned in discomfort. "You know Sora?" He asked.

"They're friends," Jason said.

"You're lucky. Sora's a good guy," Cloud said.

"He is." Riku agreed.

"In case you're wondering, I'm Jason, and that's Riku," Jason said.

"Thanks for the info," Cloud said.

"So how could you tell we were from other worlds?" Jason asked.

"Well, you don't look like you're from around here, or any world I've been to," Cloud explained. In case I didn't mention this earlier Netokan is a world that would be considered live action. Essentially to us Jason looked like he was interacting with cartoon characters.

"That obvious?" Jason asked.

"You have no idea," Cloud said.

After that all conversation ceased. They didn't get a chance to start them up again because they had entered another market section of this world, and there were a lot more stalls here than there were in the area they first landed in. Jason saw some food stalls and headed over there to get something to eat. Soon he was munching on a hot dog with chili and onions. He didn't really know what it was, but he was too hungry to care. It was edible, and he knew where it was going.

A hand came down on his shoulder. Jason turned round quickly and prepared for a fight. Riku stood there, so Jason relaxed for once.

"We found who he was looking for," Riku said as he pointed to Cloud. He was talking to a woman with brown hair and two bangs on either side of her bright green eyes. She was dressed in a carmine pink and white top that was held up by a string around her neck. Underneath were two more dresses, a pink one with a horizontal white stripe near the bottom, and the last was white and slightly longer than the first. She also had brown boots on.

* * *

Meanwhile Xigbar was wandering around The Lanes Between. After his mission to Disney Castle he had been scouting the worlds trying to find where those pesky little brats had been. He had been unable to find a trace. Not to mention the king's mutt was now on the loose. Now there had been that weird shaking that he felt even in The Lanes Between. Xemnas would want him to find out as much about it as possible, and if he returned with nothing…well there were worse things than being without a heart.

"How exactly am I supposed to find out about an earthquake in the middle of empty space? It's counterintuitive." Xibgar grumbled to himself. That was when he saw it. For all of you reading this, picture the camera at an angle that shows Xigbar looking at something without showing you. Then picture the camera zooming out slowly until it stops at what appears to be an arm.


	11. Dangers in the Shadows, Part 3

**Hi everyone. I was going to make this a long chapter to make up for the time, but I didn't want to drag this out needlessly. I hope I did a good job with the character relationships. If there are areas that could be improved I would appreciate the feedback. **

* * *

Chapter 11: Dangers in the Shadows, part 3

Clair, Ashley, Nettie, Stella, and Kairi were all taking the time to hang out in Radiant Garden. Everything seemed quiet enough that Clair dared to think there were no Heartless in this world. Ashley, Nettie, and Stella were more skeptical, but even they had to admit it would be nice to just enjoy the scenery.

Much of the city still needed to be rebuilt, and crates blocked several passages that were under construction. So they just continued on their way, chatting and sharing fun memories.

"A few years ago when Sora, Riku, and I were still on the islands we would talk about going to see what was beyond our islands. We even built a raft to take us there," Kairi said.

"I bet you never expected to see all this," Ashley said.

Kairi nodded and said, "You're right. This is more than I dared imagine it would be."

"I think everyone has a spirit of adventure in them somewhere," Clair added. "When I read my books I liked to imagine myself as part of the story, helping the heroes journey through the land and face dangerous enemies. Now that I'm here, in some ways I feel those daydreams have come true."

Nettie had an ice cream bar that Axel had recommended. The name Sea Salt Ice Cream sounded like it would taste nasty, but in fact was quite delicious. It had a sweet salty flavor unlike anything she had tasted before. She wished that they could make stuff like this back in Netokan.

Mabul, who was curled around her like a little scarf, nuzzled her check. Nettie knew that meant Mabul wanted to try some. She was used to sharing food with her ferret. Nettie held up the ice cream and Mabul started to nibble the side.

"Wow, look at all those flowers." Stella said. The others turned to see that they were walking by what seemed to be a field of flowers. These weren't flowers that grew on their home worlds so they had no idea what each flower was. Still the violet, blue, white, red, yellow, and pink blossoms made the place seem like a work of art.

"This is better than all the botany gardens back in Netokan," Ashley said.

"Have you ever seen flowers like this, Kairi?" Clair asked. When she didn't get an immediate answer from Kairi Clair turned to see if she had heard her. Clair kept quiet as she saw Kairi seemed lost in thought, as if she were reliving a memory.

As Kairi looked at the field she felt as if she had seen flowers like these before. In fact, she was sure that she had picked many of these flowers when she was a little girl. Bouquets of these beautiful flowers were gifts she constantly gave to her grandmother.

"You okay Kairi?" Nettie's question brought Kairi back to the present.

Kairi blinked a couple of times before answering, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to rest among those flowers." Ashley said as she walked towards the flowers. Stella, Nettie, Clair, and Kairi followed her. Soon all five of them were lying among the flowers just enjoying the day. Mabul was the most active, running after the butterflies and smelling every flower he saw.

It was so peaceful, almost as peaceful as listening to the seagulls and the waves on the beach. It made Kairi's heart feel so full of joy and happiness. She wished things could be this peaceful all the time. Kairi closed her eyes to take it all in.

Kairi then found herself looking in a room with the white colors of Organization XIII. She recognized it as the room where Sora, Donald, and Goofy fought the Nobody Saïx a year ago. She saw Maleficent, Xemnas, and Ansem talking with each other. She couldn't make out what they were saying but she ran out of time to overhear them. A dark portal opened up on the other side of the room and from the portal emerged Xigbar. He was carrying something on his shoulder and another thing behind his left arm.

"Yo bosses!" Xigbar said, getting the attention of all three villains.

"Did you find anything about the shaking?" Xemnas asked.

"I think today's our lucky day because I found this in the Lanes Between." Xigbar said as he dropped what he was carrying. Kairi couldn't see what it was exactly, but she thought she saw crimson red hair.

Maleficent appeared intrigued with what she saw. "Fascinating. I sense a very strong darkness with this one." She said.

Xigbar smiled. "Oh that isn't the half of it. Now take a look at what he was carrying." He said as he brought his left arm forward. Kairi gasped as she saw Xigbar was holding a keyblade. It wasn't a design she had seen before, with a long dark blade and red teeth with a creepy looking eye.

Ansem smirked. "Interesting. Perhaps we can use him."

Kairi sat up gasping for air. Her body felt like it had been through a hard workout. She started to relax when she saw she was back in Radiant Garden.

Kairi heard Ashley ask, "Kairi, what is it?" She turned to see Stella, Nettie, Ashley, and Clair were all looking at her with concern in their eyes. Even Mabul was standing upright and looking at her.

"It's the Organization. They found someone." Kairi said.

"Whoa, how do you know?" Clair asked.

"I'm not sure. I just know I saw Xigbar bring someone to them. I didn't get a good look, but I think they found another keyblade wielder."

"What?" The four girls from Netokan said in unison.

"You mean they kidnapped someone else from our world?" Stella asked.

Kairi shook her head no. "Xigbar said he found him in the Lanes Between. Whatever happened with the shaking it must've affected him."

Nettie grabbed Mabul and stood, saying, "We need to find the others now. If those Nobodies have a new keyblade wielder who knows what damage they'll get him to do."

Everyone nodded in agreement and got up, Nettie stooping to allow Mabul to leap into her backback. Soon they were rushing through Radiant Garden trying to find the headquarters of the Restoration Committee. They hadn't bothered to get directions from Sora before they took off and assumed they would meet back in the market later. Now they were wishing they arranged to meet in a more specific spot.

After running for several minutes through the city Ashley finally stopped to catch her breath. "How…hard…can it…be…to find…our friends…in a city? They should…stick out…"

Clair was about to answer but she never got any words out of her mouth.

"Are you okay?" A woman asked them from across the rooftop of a nearby house. She had short black hair and violet eyes. She was dressed in a blue tank top with white floral designs and a dark grey combat vest. She also had on dark shorts, a black headband, and dark tan boots that were shorter than the black socks that reached up to her knees.

"We're just…trying…to find…our friends…" Stella said through breaths.

Kairi had caught her breath and asked, "Do you know where we can find the Restoration Committee?"

The woman casually replied, "Yep. I was on my way there when I ran into you. I can show you the way if you'd like."

"We'd appreciate that." Clair said. With that all of them were off.


	12. Dangers in the Shadows, Part 4

**Okay everyone. The plans I originally had for working this trip to Radiant Garden haven't exactly gone as I planned. I guess in a way it's working out better. There are some things I still need to do. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this. **

* * *

Chapter 12: Dangers in the Shadows, part 4

Saix, Xigbar, and Xemnas were standing around a column of dark energy watching something inside recover. In case you're still new to the Kingdom Hearts stuff Saix is a member of Organization XIII with long blue hair and a couple of scars that form an x on his face. Xemnas in the Organization only surpassed his evil.

"Are you sure this boy is still alive?" Saix asked Xigbar.

"Yes I'm sure." Xigbar said.

Xemnas calmly said, "We would not be healing him if he were dead. He's only useful alive."

"What makes you so sure he won't be like the other brats?" Saix asked.

"Because the darkness in him is stronger that it was in them," Xemnas answered with a tone that suggested Saix should've known that. "It is far stronger in him than anyone else I've seen,"

Xigbar added, "And you haven't seen him in action yet,"

"Neither have you," Saix pointed out.

To us the camera at this point would be zooming in closer to the sleeping boy's face. As the screen moves closer to his eyes dramatic music would be heard playing. The right eye then scrunches and opens.

Back in Radiant Garden things were going a little better. Mickey, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jiminy, Aurora, Phil, Roxas, Axel, and Mika were at the Restoration Committee headquarters. Merlin and Cid were the only members present so there was a little more room, but not much. Merlin's books still cluttered the place. Aurora wondered how they found anything in here. She imagine the large computer surrounded by books was more or less how Clair's room looked. Clair's room was more organized, but Aurora didn't know that, and frankly wouldn't have really cared.

"Sounds like you're having a fascinating journey," Merlin said as he looked through the journals.

"But what do you make of Organization XIII being back?" Cid asked. For those who still need a description Cid was older than he appeared in Final Fantasy VII, but he still had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was also wearing a white t-shirt with baggy blue pants and an orange waistband with vertical stripes.

Merlin looked at him crossly. "Don't rush me. I'm still trying to understand everything that's been going on," He said before going back to reading.

"What about Leon and the others? Shouldn't they know about this too?" Sora asked.

"We'll fill 'em in later." Cid replied casually.

Merlin kept reading before he came across something in Roxas's journal that caught his interest. "So my dear, it seems you had a little experience using magic on your adventure," The wizard said.

Aurora asked, "Magic?"

Merlin chuckled. "Why yes. Magic is commonly used among warriors like yourselves. It is often in stressful situations like what you were in that it makes itself manifest," Merlin then saw Aurora's confused expression. Even AJ and Phil were unsure of what to make of this. "You really have no idea you can use magic?"

"No, we had no idea at all," Aurora said. Merlin then face palmed himself. Clearly he thought this was something they should've known.

"Well then we'll have to correct that. Come with me, the two of you, and we'll get started on a full lesson." Merlin said.

"You can trust Merlin," Goofy said to encourage them. Aurora still wasn't sure.

"Jason and the others might be here soon," Donald added.

That did it.

"Come on. We've got some things to learn about magic," Aurora said. She started pulling Phil forward by his shirt. He kept coming up with excuses, but Aurora could tell Merlin wanted the both of them, so that was what he was going to get.

As they approached Merlin, who was standing beside a table with a tea set, the spiral ramp that led up extended up into the ceiling. Merlin then began to walk up it. Aurora and Philfollowed, more out of curiosity and amazement. None of them saw anything like this in Netokan, for ramps had gone out of style. Even all the high tech of their world couldn't take the awe out of the use of magic.

As they entered up the ramp through the ceiling they found themselves in another room filled with lots of chairs, tables, and cabinets. The room was also bright orange with diamond-shaped patches of green, purple, blue, red, and yellow. Aurora couldn't explain it, but she could feel a strange thing about the room. It sort of reminded her of her experience in Olympus Coliseum. It was the feeling of openness, that anything was possible and there were no limits on what you could do.

"Okay Professor, how exactly do we learn to use this magic?" Aurora asked.

"Well, magic can be tricky. It prefers one way to manifest itself." Merlin said as he raised his long, brown wand and waved it around. Instantly the tables and chairs lifted off the ground and began to fly around the room. The three Netokan students ducked to avoid getting hit by a table. Phil summoned his keyblade and held it up defensively as a chair flew at him.

"Dig deep for your magic. It will protect you." Merlin said. For some reason none of the flying furniture seemed interested in targeting him.

A chair caught Phil by surprise and started flying around with him sitting in it. "Whoa!" He said as two tables almost collided into him. "Are you trying to kill us?" He asked as he flew close by.

The feeling Aurora got from the room when she entered now felt like it was coming from deep within her. The epicenter almost felt like her heart, but that couldn't be. No, it was. Whatever it was it was pushing against her sense of logic and understanding. She pointed her keyblade to the chair that had Phil hostage and said, "Fire!"

A ball of fire flew out from the tip of her keyblade and hit the chair. It caught fire and whatever it was doing to keep Phil seated was broken. Phil fell to the floor and landed on his knees. Thankfully he had been close to the ground so it didn't hurt that much. He still winced in pain.

"Excellent Aurora. You have discovered the spell for fire." Merlin said after waving his wand and everything stopped flying around.

"Fire? As in one of the basic elements?" She asked.

"Yes. As you progress with your magic you'll find the ability to use other elemental abilities." Merlin explained before pointing his wand at each of them. "However don't get the idea that magic is simply the elements because it isn't. Magic is only as limited as your imagination so if you keep an open mind you'll find it in you to do whatever you want. Spin straw into gold, turn pumpkins into carriages, if you can imagine it you can do it."

"Why was it that she could do it but I couldn't?" Phil asked.

"Some people are more adept to magic than others. It works differently for different people. Some people are masters of the elements, others can change their form and appearance with a mere thought." Merlin explained.

"What if someone didn't want to use their magic?" Phil asked.

Merlin frowned. "Refusing to use your magical gift is one of the worst things anyone can do. The more you suppress it the more it will build up until the day comes it can no longer be contained. Many great wizards and enchantresses have caused terrible disasters to befall kingdoms because they lost control of their powers."

"I once played a video game that said using magic to attack was considered black magic," Phil said. Aurora rolled her eyes at that statement but Merlin didn't notice.

"Oh no, no, no. It doesn't work like that at all. For the most part it's what you choose to use magic for that makes it good or bad. However you must beware because there are many who claim the powers of darkness are magic, but magic and darkness are as opposite as fire and ice. It is sheer mockery of everything magic is." Merlin answered.

It was then that Sora came up the ramp. "Merlin, we've got a problem." Sora said.

* * *

**And there you go. I'm trying to figure out where to include some story elements from Final Fantasy VII like the Shinra Power Company and things like that. I hope I did a good job with explaining how magic works in both the Kingdom Hearts and Disney style. **


	13. Dangers in the Shadows, Part 5

**Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay. I wasn't sure how to present this. I finally decided on this. I really hope I captured Riku and Cloud's character in here. This is the last part of Dangers in the Shadows. **

* * *

Chapter 12: Dangers in the Shadows, part 5

When everyone got back into the main room of Merlin's house they found Kairi with Stella, Nettie, Mabul, Clair, and Ashley looking as if they had ran across the entire city to get there. Yuffie was also there, leaning against the wall.

"What's wrong?" Phil asked.

"Kairi says she had some sort of vision. A bad one." Clair said.

Merlin immediately made his way to the girls. Looking Kairi in the eyes he said, "Tell us everything you saw, and don't leave out a single detail."

"I saw Maleficent talking with Xemnas and Ansem when Xigbar brought someone to them. I didn't get a good look but I could tell it was a boy, not much older than Stella," She paused before adding, "Xigbar also found a keyblade with him."

"Whoa, so there's someone else out there like us?" Phil asked.

Merlin shook his head. "I'm afraid that if Maleficent has gotten a hold of the boy she will use her dark powers on him. She can control others using the darkness in their hearts."

Aurora thought about this before asking, "So we could be facing a new enemy here?"

"Do Jason and Riku know?" Ashley asked.

Sora said, "No, we haven't seen them since we split up earlier."

"So how will we find them?" Clair asked.

"We may not have to. I know someone who can help us." Yuffie said as she took out a cell phone and began dialing.

* * *

Meanwhile in an old abandoned church Jason and Riku were watching as the woman used her healing magic to help Zack. He was resting in a bed of flowers that was growing in a hole in the floor of the church, and Riku was sure the flowers were helping in some way to heal him. Riku knew the effect the Curaga spell could have on people, but if it wasn't enough to help someone recover…Riku had a bad feeling about Sephiroth.

"So what exactly is she doing?" Jason asked.

"Healing him." Riku replied as if anyone could tell that.

"How? All she's doing is waving her hands over him and singing some mumbo jumbo."

"You really can see the magic?"

Jason chuckled. "Magic? Come on. Everyone knows there's no such thing as magic."

Aerith looked up. "Why would anyone think like that?" She asked.

"It's true." Jason insisted.

"You should be more careful with what you think is true, because it might turn out to be a lie," Cloud warned from where he was standing.

"How would you know?" Jason asked.

Cloud gave a if-looks-could-kill expression before saying, "I know. And right now you wouldn't understand."

"Try me." Jason challenged.

"Think I'll pass," Cloud said.

"After all you've seen you're wiling to say there's no such thing as magic?" Riku asked.

"Why should I believe? It's just part of children's fantasies, and nothing more," Jason said.

"Who told you that?" Riku asked.

"None of your business." Jason turned his back on Riku.

"Listen, I know how important it is to want to think you know how the universe works, but the truth is it's far more complicated than we think," Putting his hand on Jason's shoulder he continued, "It's not weakness to admit you're wrong. It actually shows how strong you are."

Jason pushed Riku's hand off. "I don't need comfort. I know what I know." He said before walking off to the side.

Aerith finished what she was doing and looked over Zack. "It'll be a few hours, but he'll recover," She said as she stood up. Brushing the dirt off her dress she said, "Some of the people who worked for Shinra thought the same thing. They believed they knew what they were doing and conducted terrible experiments that hurt many lives,"

"Whoop-dee-do," Jason said.

"If you understood you wouldn't think so." Cloud said. A phone then started ringing. Everyone looked around to see where it was coming from. Everyone looked to see Cloud pull out a cell phone. Jason expected him to answer it, but Cloud merely held it until it went to his answering machine, and then a woman's voice left this message:

"Hey, it's Yuffie. Listen, we have a really big problem here and we need you to keep an eye out for a guy with white hair, about Sora's age and another guy with an arrogant attitude." Jason said, "Hey," at that. The message continued, "If you see them bring them to Merlin's house ASAP. Later." The phone dinged and the message ended.

"Where is Merlin's house?" Riku asked.

"Best if you follow me. Don't want your friend to get lost." Cloud said as he walked out of the church, Jason muttering complaints under his breath while he and Riku followed.

* * *

Everyone from the different groups were waiting outside Merlin's house when Cloud arrived with Jason and Riku. Axel, Mika, and Roxas had cleared the area of Heartless before they got there.

"What's wrong?" Riku asked.

"Kairi saw the Organization get another keyblade wielder," Sora summarized.

"Merlin's afraid that they might get 'im to help them," Goofy added.

"Seems more people are showing up with keyblades these days," Cloud said.

Kairi added, "Xigbar found him floating around The Lanes Between. It could be connected with AJ's disappearance."

"Then I guess we're just going to have to find Xigbar and make him talk," Stella said.

"Oh don't worry about finding me. I'm right here," A voice said. Everyone looked around until they spotted Xigbar standing on the top of a roof.

"Xigbar, why were you looking around The Lanes Between?" Mickey asked.

Xigbar smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"What have you done with AJ?" Stella asked.

"You're boyfriend? Haven't seen him. Course you of all people could do better. You should try to find someone who's more manly than he is." Xigbar taunted.

"Look buster, you'd better tell us what happened to AJ before we—" Stella threatened

"Uh-uh. I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you. Otherwise something bad might happen to her," Xigbar said as he pointed a finger at Kairi.

* * *

**Next chapter we'll meet what these chapters were foreshadowing. Again I hope I got the characters of Riku and Cloud right. **


	14. A Shadow is Cast

**Well here it is. The moment you've all been waiting fore. Now you'll get to see what the danger in the shadows is. I'm pretty pleased with how the action in this scene turned out. Special thanks to YamiChaos27. **

* * *

Chapter 14: A Shadow is Cast

"Are you nuts? We outnumber you ten-to-one," Stella said.

Xigbar gave a knowing smirk. "Actually, you don't." He said as twelve more dark portals opened around him. Soon they were all looking at the eleven members of Organization XIII, Ansem, and Maleficent.

Ashley did a quick count and said, "You're still six short of meeting us on even terms."

"And whatever happened to your friend that lowered your numbers?" Xigbar asked.

"Doesn't matter because we're still going to kick your cans." Jason said.

"Silly children. What makes you think mere numbers will defeat the forces of darkness?" Maleficent said.

"Because we beat you lots of times," Sora said.

Donald drew his wand while Goofy pulled out his shield. "Yeah, so why don't you go away before we make you?" Donald asked.

"Your overconfidence has already proven a great error on your part." The long blonde hair one, the one they learned was called Vexen, said.

No sooner had they heard that than they heard Kairi say, "Hey, let me go!" Everyone turned to see a large fat cat had captured Kairi. At least Nettie thought it was supposed to be a cat. It was dressed in blue and purple armor overtop a red, short-sleeved shirt with a vertical pink stripe from the neck. Its pants were navy blue with light blue lining, purple lower legs, and two enormous pouches on the front side. It also had a huge chin and four teeth.

"Let her go, Pete!" Sora demanded as he summoned his keyblade.

"And what's a squirt like you gonna do about this?" Pete asked, "You can get to me without hurting your little girlfriend."

"Excellent work, Pete. You finally did something right." Maleficent said.

"Why thank you, Milady. It's a pleasure to serve—Ow!" Pete cried out as he released Kairi. As she ran back to Sora, everyone saw that Pluto had snuck up on Pete and had taken a bite out of his leg.

"Atta boy, Pluto!" Mickey said as Pluto ran back. Turning his attention to the others Mickey said, "Now that we know they're after Kairi we gotta get her outta here!"

"I'm not leaving." Kairi said.

"Kairi, it's you they're after. The further away you are the safer you'll be." Riku said. Kairi started to protest, but then nodded in agreement. She knew that if she stayed it would only make things worse. She had to get away.

Mickey turned back to the group. "Jason, Phil, Stella, help me get Kairi away from here. The rest of you hold off the dark forces." He instructed. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Riku nodded in agreement. Soon Mickey, Jason, Phil, and Stella were escorting Kairi away from the Organization.

"Heartless, stop the King and his little friends too!" Maleficent ordered. Instantly several Shadow and Soldier Heartless appeared to block their way, but were easily dispatched by the five of them.

"My how the numbers no longer seem in your favor," Xemnas said as he floated down from the rooftop. That was a little creepy to some of the Netokan group, but they managed to hide it.

"I'd still bet a hundred munny we're going to send you and your club back home with your tails between your legs." Axel said as he summoned his chakrams.

"Got it memorized?" Mika asked as she summoned her keyblades.

"That's funny. We were going to say the same thing to you." Said the blonde haired woman, who they had learned was named Larxene.

"Enough talk. Let's do this." Aurora said as she called forth her keyblade. Everyone else summoned their weapons and started moving to attack the Organization. However before they took a step several of the Big Body heartless appeared.

"Why don't you play with these for a while?" A blond haired main with earrings, named Luxord, suggested.

Aurora rolled her eyes in annoyance. Pointing her keyblade at one of the Big Bodies she said, "Fire." The Fire spell was cast successfully, but it didn't do more than bounce off the demon's fat body.

"That's cool. Where did you learn to use magic?" Clair asked as she cartwheeled out of a charging Big Body and slashed it from behind.

"From Merlin." Aurora replied before a Big Body crashed into her.

Axel smiled. "You want fire? I'll give you fire." He said as he concentrated and his chakrams became ignited with fire. As if that wasn't impressive enough he threw them and they sliced through four Big Bodies before they returned to him.

"Show off." Mika said after she finished kicking back a heartless while using her keyblades as a balance.

"It's what I do best. Got it memorized?" Axel asked.

"You know I do." Mika replied, slicing a Soldier that had appeared and was sneaking up behind Axel.

Nettie was slicing through several Shadows, but there were so many of them that they kept her from moving out of the way of a Big Body that crashed into her. "Do these things ever stop coming?" She asked out loud.

"Once they have taken your heart." Maleficent replied.

"That was rhetorical." Nettie said as she buried her keyblade in the head of a Heartless.

Clair was rolling around trying to get away from two Big Bodies. For some reason they had singled her out and were charging at her. Donald and Goofy moved in to help but the Big Bodies knocked them out of the way. Clair was not able to get away quickly enough and they collided into her. Clair was sure if they had muscle instead of fat she would've been hospitalized. The pressure disappeared and Clair saw Sora standing over her with his hand held out.

"I still remember that feeling," Sora said. Clair took his hand and was helped up.

"Fire." Aurora said as she cast another Fire Spell at a Big Body. This time it vanished with the others, the hearts floating up into the air before disappearing. Everyone then turned to face the Organization.

"Now, where were we?" Roxas asked.

"Now we get to the part where you are defeated by someone who is far more worthy of the keyblade than all of you." Maleficent said.

"Blah blah blah." Nettie said.

"It doesn't matter what you throw at us Maleficent because we will always be able to defeat it." Riku said.

"Uh-huh because we got something ya don't. We got each other." Goofy said as he, Donald, and Sora stood together.

"Still relying on your friends to save you? Haven't you grown strong enough to defeat us on your own?" Ansem asked.

"I seem to remember fighting you on my own just fine," Sora said.

"Yet you still hold back and rely on your friends to help you. Maybe they keyblade isn't as strong as you thought." Xemnas said.

Aurora could sense that hit home at Sora. "Don't listen to him. He's trying to goad you into something. Believe me. I've done it plenty of times." She said.

"The strength of the keyblade is actually fine. It's the person who uses it that is the weak link. Tell me, how will it feel the day you fail to protect your friends?" Xemnas asked.

"Shut up!" Sora said. He charged at Xemnas and leapt to attack him. However he is stopped midair by a kick to the stomach. Sora fell to the ground, holding his stomach and groaning in pain. Everyone looked to see a new dark portal had opened and a mysterious person had leapt out of it. The person did a flip and landed on the ground in a position like he was preparing for a track meet.

As the person stood they all looked at the attacker. It was a boy who looked close to eighteen. He had messy crimson red hair with hints of black towards the scalp, and yellow eyes. He wore a red shirt under an open grey biker's jacket, black fingerless gloves, black leather pants and boots, and a necklace with a red ornament that resembled a wolf head. The boy was silent as he looked carefully at each of heroes, as if looking for something.

Or someone.

"Who are you?" Riku asked the boy. He had his keyblade held out while Donald and Goofy helped bring Sora closer to them. Pluto was growling at the boy, his fur standing up.

The boy looked at him coldly and said, "You may call me Shadow."

"Shadow?" Roxas asked.

Shadow ignored him as he turned to face the Organization, Ansem, Maleficent, and Pete. "So these are the Keyblade Meddlers you've been talking about? They don't look very strong." He said to them.

"Don't underestimate them." Saix warned.

Shadow turned and stared at the group intensely. If they could see what he saw they would know that his vision was no longer seeing them regularly, but as silhouettes with a heart-shaped crystal in the middle of each of them, except for Axel and Roxas. Everyone's hard seemed to be made up of light and darkness to Shadow. Everyone could tell he was searching them. He seemed to spend a long time looking at Mika, who folded her arms in front of her chest, before he blinked.

"So...which one is it?" He asked.

Xigbar chuckled. "Not one of these guys I'm afraid, this is only half the group." He said.

Shadow's eyes narrowed. "Where is she?" He asked.

"Where is who?" Clair asked. By now Sora had gotten back on his feet.

"Be more speci—" Axel started to joke.

Shadow interrupted, "One of the seven! Where is she!?"

Nettie raised an eybrow. "One of the seven? What do you mean?" She asked.

Sora and Riku flinched in realization. "You mean Kairi? What do you want with her?" Riku asked.

Shadow swung his fist as if to dismiss the question. "None of your business. Now tell me!" He demanded.

"And when we don't?" Sora asked.

Shadow held out his hand and a shaft black and red mist encircled it and expanded. When the mist cleared, a keyblade like the one Kairi had described to them appeared in his hand. Several people gasped in shock.

"A-a Keyblade?" Donald and Goofy asked in unison. Even Pluto looked shocked. Shadow swung his keyblade, which is called Chaos Ripper, and created a blast of wind that blasted everyone except Sora and Riku back.

"I will make you!" Shadow said as he charged at them.

* * *

**And there you have it. The mysterious danger in the shadows was Shadow. Thanks to YamiChaos27 for his idea of this character and his ideas for introducing him into the story. **


	15. The Witch, the Shadow, and the Computer

**Sorry I'm late with this chapter. I kept getting distracted with TV shows and movies on Netflix. I'll try to do better with time management in the future. I hope all of you like this chapter and that it makes up for the wait. **

* * *

Chapter 15: The Witch, the Shadow, and the Computer

At the Mysterious Tower Naminé was looking concerned at her sketchbook. She had been using it to keep track of everyone, and Master Yen Sid found that helpful. He had shown her a few skills in magic, but recently both had been concerned over what the girl had been drawing.

"This is most disturbing. Organization XIII now has a new pawn we know nothing about," Master Yen Sid looked at Naminé. "Not even your powers can tell us more about him,"

Naminé shook her head no. "I can see the memories of everyone who is connected to Sora's heart. Everyone else is blocked to me. If I could see his past I would tell you," She said with a great deal of concern in her voice.

"You're powers are still developing. In time we may be able to find the answers we need," Master Yen Sid said as Naminé resumed drawing. The picture was of Sora and Riku facing off against a charging Shadow.

* * *

In Radiant Garden Sora and Riku simultaneously blocked the initial attack from Shadow. The boy however would not relent and shoved them back with his keyblade. The two boys barely had time to recover before Shadow was charging again.

Riku in an attempt to stop him conjured up a shield that looked like several glass windows fused together. It did stop Shadow's initial attack, but he quickly recovered and shot a ball of dark fire at the shield. Even though it was the basic Dark Fire attack, it shattered Riku's shield and knocked the boy off his feet.

"Oh no!" Goofy cried out from behind them. Aurora had recovered and was running to help. However she ran into something invisible that knocked her back. She swung her keyblade at it and when it connected to the invisible wall she saw a rainbow ripple for a second.

"Forget it. The Battle Shield is up now. It won't go down until the battle's over." Axel explained.

"There's got to be something we can do!" Nettie said as she sat up.

"Hope they win," Mika said.

While they were speaking Sora and Shadow were constantly swinging their keyblades back and forth at each other. Metal clanged against metal several times. Shadow took a swipe at Sora who leapt over the boy's attack and threw his keyblade in response. Shadow deflected the Strike Raid with the back of his hand. The Kingdom Key appeared back in Sora's hands just in time for him to block the jab Shadow took.

Riku was now on his feet again and upon seeing his friend face this threat alone ran back into the battle. While holding his keyblade in one hand to hold Sora off Shadow summoned another Dark Fire spell and threw it at Riku, who dodged by rolling out of the way. No sooner had he looked up that Riku saw five Dark Fire spells coming at him from Shadow! Riku spun his keyblade around so fast it looked like a propeller of sorts. It was enough to keep the Dark Fire from hitting him. It didn't change his surprise. How was this kid able to cast so much magic in rapid succession? It shouldn't have been possible.

Sora was still trying to get some headway with Shadow, but somehow this guy had enough strength to use his keyblade to hold him back while attacking Riku with all those spells. Sora felt a sudden pain in his stomach like when he had been kicked there before. Next thing he knew he on his back while Shadow was charging at him. Sora rolled out of the way, grabbed his keyblade, and shot a Blizzard spell at the boy. Shadow cried out in surprise as the spell landed a direct hit.

Shadow chuckled as he brushed the ice off him. He then jumped high enough to clear an apartment building and shot ten Dark Blizzard spells at them. The ice had the same texture and look as the normal Blizzard spell, but was black with a dark purple center. Sora and Riku were able to dodge some of the spells, but some of the dark magic did hit them.

As Shadow landed Riku who was swinging his keyblade wildly hit him in the side. Shadow had no time to try and block it before he was hit in rapid succession. No sooner had Riku finished than Sora came and whacked him several times with his keyblade. Shadow began channeling his dark energy to attack in retaliation, but Sora and Riku came together and threw their keyblades in a unified Strike Raid. The blades both hit Shadow with the dull ends, but the boy could tell that he was now losing this fight. The force of the blows sent Shadow off his feet, causing him to land on his back. He could then hear footprints as his opponents came closer.

"You're both strong. Your keyblades chose well." Shadow said while he sat up. Sora and Riku pointed their keybaldes at him.

"I wouldn't if I were you," The voice of Xigbar came from behind them. Sora and Riku turned to see the Organization had pulled a fast one and were now holding several of their friends hostage. "Skewer Shadow and we'll be turning all your buds into shish-kabobs."

Vexen had his foot on Pluto with his ice shield to the dog's head. "I don't think your king would like it very much if I put his dog to sleep like I should've done a while ago," the Nobody taunted.

"It's not hard to save your friends. Just tell us where the king and those brats took your girlfriend," Larxene said as she held one of her yellow knives at Mika's throat.

"Get your hands off me—" Mika started to say before Larxene used her electrical powers to shock her, causing Mika to cry out in pain.

"Unless you value her more than these lackeys," Xaldin added as he pointed several lances at Donald and Goofy.

"We don't know. They just took off in that direction as you know," Riku said as he pointed in the direction the others took off in.

"Uh-uh. Not gonna be good enough," Xigbar said. However at that moment a Dusk Nobody came back and stood before Xemnas. The Organization's leader stared intensly at the Nobody before finally saying, "The king is taking the princess to the castle,"

"Shadow, head to the castle," Ansem said as the boy nodded and disappeared into a dark portal. Turning to the others he said, "As for the rest, take the children back with us. Kill the others."

"No!" Sora and Riku cried out at the same time. They started to run forward, but helped arrived quickly. A long stick hit Xaldin in the side of his head before it did the same to Xigbar. The two of them lost hold on Ashley, Donald, and Goofy who ran to put some distance between them and their captors. As the two turned they saw Aerith standing there with her staff.

"Don't you know you're not supposed to threaten children?" She asked before she swung her staff around and hit the Nobody named Luxord, who lost his grip on Axel. Axel then elbowed Luxord in the stomach, did a flip over the group and called out his chakrams.

Larxene moved to drive her knife into Mika's throat, but something jumped on her head, causing her to lose her grip and get shoved back by Mika. The same thing happened to three other Organization members before the figure landed and turned to face them. It was Yuffie, and she had a large four-point shuriken in her hands.

"Looks like I'm in time for the Bash-the-Creeps party," She said. Not too long after the members of Organization XIII found themselves surrounded not only by Sora, Riku, and their friends, but by Yuffie, Aerith, Leon, Cid, and Merlin.

"It's getting a little crowded here, Maleficent. I don't know about you but I think we should get outta here," Pete suggested. Maleficent frowned in response.

"Fall back. We'll settle this another time," Xemnas said as he vanished into a dark portal followed by the rest of the Organization, Ansem, Maleficent, and Pete.

"If they dare to show their faces 'round here again, they're gonna get a good beat down," Cid said.

"Aerith, what are you doing here?" Riku asked.

"I was coming to let you know your friend's going to be okay. When I saw the trouble you were in I did what I could to help." She explained.

Merlin added, "I took the liberty of adding secret exits to our headquarters. We used them to sneak around Organization XIII while they were busy. I'd hate to think what would've happened if we got here too late,"

Nettie seemed to notice something no one else did. She looked around a few times, and then concern filled her face. "Where's Clair?" She asked.

* * *

Meanwhile Mickey, Jason, Phil, Stella, and Kairi were making their way up to the castle. Several Dusk, Assassin, Creeper, and Dancer Nobodies kept showing up in their way as well as Shadow, Soldier, and Big Body Heartless. However they were all able to strike down anything that got in their way. Mickey was really good. He kept flipping and spinning every time, which allowed him to dodge attacks while landing his own. For a mouse that wasn't taller than any of them he was able to fight really well. He even took down the Big Bodies like they were nothing.

As they ran up to a big circular area Stella said, "Oh come on!" She said that because their way was a lot of Nobodies. Everyone prepared to fight, but Mickey held up his hand to tell them not to. Stepping forward, the mouse king rolled up his short sleeves, held his hands out, and said, "Alakazam!" In a burst of light every Nobody in their way was gone.

"What did you do to them?" Jason asked.

"I made them disappear. They won't be bothering us again," King Mickey explained. Everyone put away their keyblades and continued walking forward.

"Just so we're clear I'm not buying into all this hocus pocus," Jason said. King Mickey jumped up and turned to Jason, putting his fingers on his lips and shushing him.

"Be careful with what you say. There are many who would turn you into a toad for thinking like that, not to mention those words are commonly used by witches to hurt people," Mickey explained before continuing down a ramp that led to a walkway. As they all continued they saw an open door waiting at the end of walkway.

Inside the castle most of the group shivered uncontrollably. There were pipes that went everyone along the walls and there were a few puddles here and there. Stella wondered if it would've killed somebody to decorate a bit.

"Guess they're still not done restoring the place," King Mickey said as they continued forward.

"What do you mean by restoring?" Phil asked.

"Several years ago this was a prospering kingdom. More advanced than most worlds, but not at your level," King Mickey explained, "The ruler was a good scientist named Ansem the Wise. However he was betrayed by his students who destroyed the kingdom and became Organization XIII."

Jason stopped walking. "Hold up. Are you saying Organization XIII came about here?" He asked.

"I'm afraid so. We were able to get this world back from the forces of darkness, and now people are trying to rebuild," Mickey said.

As they entered a rectangular room with a few hallways Phil said, "Well somebody needs to get an interior decorator in here because I feel like we're about to stumble into Dr. Madsane's lab,"

"Dr. Who?" Kairi asked.

"Dr. Madsane. The most evil scientist who ever lived." Phil explained.

"Don't start referencing your horror movie games now," Jason said. Stella rolled her eyes at the two of them and followed King Mickey down a hallway. The others soon followed. This hallway had next to no lighting at all, and Phil was sure that at any moment they would run into the mad scientist Dr. Madsane. However they saw a light at the end of the hallway, and it did not lead into a scientist's lab.

From their position they could see it was a large, round office or study. There was a desk with a comfortable looking chair. As they entered Jason saw there shelves with books that he was sure Clair would go wild for. However there was also a painting of someone who bore a strong resemblance to Ansem and Xemnas. Jason wished he had a laser to blast the portrait with.

"Oh good. They didn't close it yet," King Mickey said as he walked through a large door that led into another metal hallway. As everyone else entered they stopped dumbfounded at what they saw. Jason wondered if they were in some sort of hanger because they were standing over a huge room that could've fit several hover ships and lots of troops. Jason didn't know what the strange bulbs lining the walls were for, but the size of the room made him feel incredibly small. Not even Netokan had this kind of tech.

"This way," King Mickey called to them. Everyone looked to see the king walk into a room that Jason was sure was the control center. As they entered he saw he was right. There was a computer of sorts in front of the window that oversaw the rest of the room. If anyone wanted to activate the room Jason was sure it would be done here.

"Hey, sweet! A computer console!" Phil said as he rushed over to the keyboard. "I wonder what games this thing has on it." He said as he started typing and pushing every button he saw.

"Knock it off Phil. I'm pretty sure this thing wasn't designed to play _Universe Conquest VII_," Jason said as he tried to drag the guy away. Phil shrugged him off and continued to mess with the computer.

"Boys," Stella said as she looked around.

"Be careful with that. You could break it," Kairi said. However Phil was on auto-pilot.

"Come on. Why can't I get access to Yaggle on here?" Phil complained.

Jason spun Phil around to face him before saying, "Maybe because this thing wasn't built to have e-mail!"

Stella looked to see on the other wall was a round blue thing. It looked like it was harmless, yet for some reason it gave her an odd feeling. Maybe it was nothing.

"Come on, man. Don't be a sourpuss. All I have is my portable, and the battery's going to go out soon." Phil said as he reached for the keyboard. Jason slapped Phil's hand to tell him no.

Phil's body was as deaf as his ears were at this point.

"Will you stop playing around with this thing? What if you set off some detonation sequence?" Jason's voice echoed through the room.

Stella noticed that some of the buttons Phil was pushing seemed to be doing something to the orb. It was starting to glow and she was starting to hear a whirring sound. "Kairi, do you think we should be worried about that?" Stella asked as she pointed to the orb. Kairi looked at it and nodded. She wasn't sure, but she had a bad feeling.

"Oh no!" King Mickey cried out. Everyone looked to see the orb glowing brighter before a flash of light shot out. Everything then went dark.

* * *

**And there you have it. I don't think I need to say where they're going to next. For those of you who read the original version of this fan fiction I am making some changes here. Things will be different than before. I hope I did a good job with the Sora, Riku, and Shadow battle. **


	16. Don't be Space Paranoid!

**Antex, yes they're going to Space Paranoids. As for why Mickey sounds like Yoda I have no idea. I hope all of you enjoy this chapter. I was trying to go with some new ideas instead of what I did before. It had nothing to do with The Grid being featured in _Dream Drop Distance_. I just had some new ideas that I liked better. **

* * *

Chapter 16: Don't be Space Paranoid!

Jason woke up feeling like someone had run him over with a robotank, and then turned his organs inside out. As he tried to get his head to stop throbbing he looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. He quickly forgot about them as he saw he was no longer in the control room. He was now in some weird city. The buildings were a combination of white and black with bright lines along the outlines of the skyscrapers. The sky had also gotten really cloudy. However whenever lightning flashed the clouds looked strange. It was almost as if they were made of…pixels.

Jason then noticed his clothes. They had somehow changed. They still had the basic shape, but were more tightly pressed to him. The color had also changed to a white color. Someone also had the nerve to stick some gloves on his hands. What was strange about this was his clothes also had the lines of light running across them. What off Harthyn was going on? Was this Phil's idea of a joke?

"Phil, if this is your way of getting back at me for the computer, you're so dead!" Jason called out. However no one responded. It was as if the streets of this city were abandoned. If streets were empty that was a warning sign to Jason.

Jason heard a rumbling behind him. Jason turned and his eyes went wide. Coming down the street was a massive tank. It was a solid black color with red lights running across it. It lacked the upper torso of a robotank, but he knew perfectly well this thing's purpose was to destroy.

Jason took off. He knew that out in the open he wouldn't stand a chance. However he was a city kid, and even if he was stuck in Light-City he could survive better than most people. He ducked into a nearby alleyway and after clearing some debris took off has fast as he could. He turned into another alley as soon as he could. Even if the tank couldn't fit down the alley the shots it could fire certainly would fit. He wanted to make sure the tank had no way of getting at him.

After turning into a few alleys Jason decided it was safe to slow down. There was a good chance that whoever was in charge of the tank would send guys on foot to follow him. Hopefully he could put some distance between him and them before they got here.

"You lost kid?" A voice asked. Jason looked around to see who had spoken, and saw no one. His instincts told him he wandered onto someone's turf, and they weren't interested in sharing. He had to find the speaker before he had a chance to attack. His instincts flared up warning him to move. Jason rolled out of the way just as he heard something go thud behind him.

Jason turned to see his attacker. They were dressed similarly to him, except his outfit seemed to be a combination of tights and armor. A big helmet covered his head and face, but Jason knew it was a guy from how deep the voice was. The same blue lines that covered Jason's outfit covered him, except they ran in different patterns. The person pulled this white disk from behind his back and held it up like a weapon. Jason had a feeling that disk wasn't for listening to rock bands.

The person threw the disk and Jason ducked reflexively. He watched as the disk bounced off the walls of the alley before returning to the attacker's hand. If this guy wanted to fight, he was going to get one. Jason ducked as the guy threw his disk again before charging at his attacker. Jason managed to deliver a knuckle sandwich before moving to avoid getting hit by the disk. He did feel the air as it zoomed past his shoulder. He didn't know how but the thing had a razor sharp edge.

The attacker grabbed his disk before asking, "Why do you fight me without your identity disk?"

"Maybe I left it with your mama," Jason retorted before going for another punch. His attacker swung the disk around and deflected his punch. Jason was unfortunate to feel the edge cut into his hand. Jason pulled it back before his attacker pinned him against the wall, the killer disk held at his throat.

"No one loses their identity disk unless they want to become a stray or want to be sent to the games. Either way, such programs end up being derezzed," The attacker said.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Program? Is that what you are? Some piece of computer data that some nerd created? Are you saying I'm inside the computer?" He asked. The disk was pressed closer to his neck.

"You speak of us as if you weren't one…are you a user?" The program asked.

"User?"

"From the other side?"

"If you mean outside the computer, duh."

The program didn't say or do anything. Jason was wondering if the program was considering derezzing him whatever that meant. He was surprised when the dude put away his disk and eased up his grip.

"Do you know a user named Cloud?" The program asked.

Jason nodded. "We met. Why?" He asked.

The helmet on the program folded back and away, and Jason's eyes went wide with what he saw.

The program looked exactly like Cloud.

"He wrote me. Name's Soldier. What are you doing here?"

* * *

Elsewhere Kairi and Stella were walking through the city. Both had the same outline from their regular clothes, except Kairi's outfit gave her the addition of skin-tight leggings that formed into boots on the feet and sleeves that extended all the way to her hands. Stella was also in the same boat, except her boots had heels and the light lines went in different patterns across her body than Kairi's.

"Leave it to a geek to get us stuck in Cyberspace," Stella complained as they walked along.

"I'm not so sure that's the name of this world," Kairi said. "Sora told me about how he was drawn into a computer world once, but I can't remember what it was called. All I remember was it sounded like a bad video game."

"So Phil would be right at home here." Stella joked. Her chuckle was cut short as a bright light blinded them. Stella thought it was a searchlight until she saw the craft it was coming from.

It was a really strange looking ship, all colored in black with orange lights outlining it. It had two long legs and a cockpit, and that was about it. Stella and Kairi both decided it might be a good idea to run, but the ground fell away around them before they could take a single step. They stood helpless as two heavily armored guards, also in black with red lines, approached them.

"More stray programs. Come with us," One of them ordered. Stella tried to elbow the one that grabbed her, but the guard just shocked her with its spear thing. Kairi shook her head to tell her friend to not resist them. Kairi had a feeling they should cooperate for now. The guards forced the two of them back onto their ship where their feet were strapped to the floor.

"Is this necessary? It's not like we can fly off." Stella said. She got shocked again. The guards stood on either side of them as the craft took off.

* * *

"If any of Mako's soldiers found him he'd be derezzed."

"He's not a program I've seen around here before. Do you think he could've recently been written?"

"I haven't found an identity disk on him. He could be a stray."

"He's coming around,"

These were some of the things Phil heard as he regained consciousness. First thing he noticed was that everyone was dressed in tights with lines of light patterned across their bodies and had these helmet things covering their faces. It took him a few seconds to realize he was also dressed in a similar fashion. He sat up in a panic.

"Whoa, where am I?" He asked.

One of the people put a hand on him to stop him from going anywhere. "You're safe. If you had been found by any of Mako's troops you wouldn't be," The person said.

"Mako?" Phil asked.

"He's the new program in charge of the system. Makes the MCP seem like a gentle old program. Mako destroys any and every program that stands in his way. Relies on the strength of the Heartless too," another person said.

Phil said, "Wait. There are Heartless here too?"

"How can you not know any of this?" One of the other programs, as Phil figured they were, asked.

"It's a long story," Phil said.

"And who do we have here?" Asked a voice from behind them. Everyone turned to see the Cloud-resembling program named Soldier walking in with…

"Jason!" Phil said as he ran up and hugged his friend. Jason's response was to slug Phil on the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For dragging us into the computer, you nitwit!" Jason growled. He looked around before asking, "Where's Kairi, Stella, and Mickey?"

"They're not with you?" Phil asked.

"Do you see them with me?"

"No,"

"Soldier, what is with these programs?" One of the programs asked.

"They're not programs. They're users." Soldier replied.

"Users?" All of the other programs asked in unison.

One of the programs, who seemed to be in charge of the group, approached Phil and Jason and asked, "Do you know users by the name of Sora, Donald, and Goofy?"

Phil and Jason both raised an eyebrow before Phil answered, "Yeah, they're our friends."

"Did they come here with you?" The program asked.

"Why do you want to know? How do you know them?" Jason asked. He wasn't one to trust blindly.

"Because I know them. They're my friends too," The program said before his helmet folded back to reveal a man with dark hair. "I'm Tron."

As if they had been waiting for some signal the other programs folded their helmets to reveal all of them were look-alikes of the people they met in Radiant Garden.

"Call me Materia," The Yuffie-looking program said.

"My name is Cetra," The program that looked like Aerith said.

"Squall," The one that looked like Leon, except he didn't have a scar, said.

"They call me Bronco," The program that looked like Cid said.

Jason and Phil were surprised. They didn't expect to encounter look-alikes of the people they met in Radiant Garden. This all seemed really weird to Jason, but he didn't say anything.

"Hey fellas!" Called a familiar voice from behind them. Jason and Phil turned to see King Mickey standing behind them. He looked a little silly in his outfit because the only part of him that was covered in the attire of the programs was his face. The way his round ears looked reminded Phil of the speakers for an old entertainment system.

"Who's that?" Materia asked as she pulled out her identity disk.

"It's okay. He's with us," Jason said as he and Phil walked over to the king.

"It's good to see that you're both okay," King Mickey said.

"You too. Did you see Kairi or Stella?" Phil asked.

Mickey's smile turned to a frown. "I did, but I wasn't able to rescue them before they were captured," The King explained.

"Captured? By Mako?" Tron asked.

"By these guards who were flying around in a strange ship," King Mickey clarified.

"That narrows it down," Jason said sarcastically.

"A Recognizer," Tron clarified. "If that's the case then there's only one place your friends are going."

"Where?" Phil and Jason asked in unison.

"The game grid," Squall answered.

* * *

Back in Radiant Garden the boy known as Shadow walked into the control room. He had followed the trail to this castle, and while the tunnels might've confused some he found his way easily. Shadow could track people by sensing the darkness in their hearts. It was just as unique to each individual as his or her personality.

However now Shadow was confused. The trail led to this room and stopped. They should be here, and yet they were not. How could they have disappeared into thin air?

While Shadow stood there thinking a dark portal opened in front of him and another figure in a black cloak stepped out. Shadow didn't recognize this person's darkness, but it was strong. Not as strong as his own of course. The figure walked over to a keyboard and pushed a button. Shadow saw something on the wall light up and then everything went dark.

* * *

**And there you have it. I was trying to make Space Paranoids had evolved, but it wasn't at the level of The Grid yet. It's more at a halfway point between the two. I also thought it would be fun if there were programs that looked like the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee. I tried to give them names that they probably would've been given. I'm sure you'll probably figure out who Mako's user is. **


	17. Let the Games Begin

**Here's the next chapter. It was tough to find a place to stop writing and end the chapter. I think I did a good job though. I think this one's the most action-packed yet. YamiChaos27, I wanted to include a Tifa program, but I didn't want to overdo it. I do have an idea as to where the Tifa program could pop in. I just need to figure out what Tifa would probably call her program. In the meantime, enjoy. **

* * *

Chapter 17: Let the Games Begin

"What's so bad about playing games?" Phil asked.

"They're completely barbaric," Cetra answered.

"Losers always suffer deresolution," Bronco added.

Phil laughed. "What, they lose some quality to their image?" He joked.

"I don't think that's what they mean," Jason said.

"What exactly is deresolution?" King Mickey asked.

Soldier picked up a bottle and set it on a table. He took a few steps back and drew his identity disk. He then threw the disk as hard as he could. The bottle the disk passed through didn't just shatter. It vanished into bits of data.

"That's deresolution," Tron explained. Phil and King Mickey's eyes were wide, while Jason had an expression that said, "Just as I thought."

"Oh my gosh! We gotta get Kairi and Stella outta there!" King Mickey said.

"If you go anywhere without identity disks they'll capture you and send you to the game grid. You won't be able to help your friends then," Tron said.

Jason rolled his eyes. "So get us some!"

"It's not that easy. Every place that has identity disks is controlled by Mako," Cetra warned them.

"And let me guess, you're rebels that are wanted for fighting back against this creep," Jason said.

Bronco chuckled. "Kid catches on quick, doesn't he?"

"There's got to be a way. Who knows what Kairi and Stella are going through right now?" King Mickey said.

* * *

As soon as the craft landed Stella and Kairi were herded out into a large arena where several other people were lined up. The crowds were cheering as if they were expecting a major sporting event to go on. Both the girls had a feeling it wasn't a sport they would like.

"Programs! Welcome your industrious leader, the program who improved our system, the one and only Mako!" Some announcer said as a short, stout program appeared on a rising platform. The program had blue eyes and receding blond hair with a moustache to match. He was dressed in a black tight outfit with red lines ran in different patterns across his body. Stella and Kairi immediately didn't like this guy.

"Programs of Space Paranoids. I am pleased to announce the Seventh annual L.S. Games. Each of these stray programs has been selected from their purposeless existence and will be given a second chance. Each of them will receive the new and improved identity disks," Mako said as he held up a sleek, black object that reminded Stella of an old-fashioned CD.

Mako continued, "These disks are lighter in the hand, but in battle are faster and much more efficient. Many of the old purposes will still be part of them, like the auto recording of all they do and say. The punishment for losing such a disk will also remain," At that statement the crowd shouted "Deresolution!" Kairi and Stella did not like how that sounded.

"Now, let us get these contestants outfitted." Mako said as he took a step back and handed the disk to a guard who joined several other guards that carried the disks to the contestants. One by one each program was outfitted with a disk. Both Kairi and Stella wanted to get away, but their feet were stuck to the floor. It seemed that neither of them were going to have a choice here.

The inevitable came. The guards approached Kairi and Stella and stuck a disk on their backs. Both girls felt like something had been plugged into their brains, and their memories were now connected to that disk thing. Stella was going to be glad when they got out of this world.

If they could.

"Now that our contestants are outfitted and ready, it's time for the games to begin!" Mako said as the crowd cheered. Instantly the floor split apart, separating Kairi from Stella. Both girls reached out for each other, but some sort of glass wall appeared where the cracks were and created a dome over each of them. Stella saw that her dome was connecting with another dome, and the wall in front of her vanished as a program drew out their disk and threw it at her. Stella fell back to avoid getting skewered.

"Hey, what's the deal?" Stella asked.

"Game one: Disk Combat." The announcer said as the crowd cheered.

Stella pulled her disk off her back and looked at it. "_So I'm supposed to throw this thing and hope I hit the other guy?"_ She thought to herself. She did a back flip to avoid her opponent's disk as it was thrown at her again. "Guess so," She said to herself as she threw it like someone would throw a Frisbee. It didn't move like a Frisbee though. It bounced off the walls a few times before returning to her hand. "Boomerang CD huh?" Stella called her disk before she noticed the disk of her opponent coming at her. There was no time to dodge so she held her disk in front of her.

The disk was deflected back to her opponent, but something happened that Stella would never forget. The disk went right through her opponent and after a cry of pain the program disappeared. Stella's heart skipped a beat. She had killed someone!

"Program derezzed. Winner unknown." The announcer said. The crowd cheered wildly as the realization of the situation set in. These were gladiator games, and she was supposed to kill others for the crowd's entertainment. The thought made Stella sick to her stomach. She had taken the life of another.

"We have our winners!" Mako said as he appeared again. Behind him came half the programs from before. Stella was relieved to see Kairi was among them. "These programs will be advancing to the next set of games—"

"No." Stella said loud enough to be heard. Murmurs of surprise echoed through the crowd as Mako turned and faced her.

"What did you say?" Mako asked her as his eyes narrowed.

Stella answered, "No. I'm not going to murder innocent lives for other people's entertainment." A guard shocked her with its spear and forced her to kneel as Mako approached her on a floating stand.

"Identify yourself, program," Mako ordered.

Stella looked Mako in the eyes before answering, "My name is Stella Valleys, and I'm not a program." As soon as those words left her mouth the audience began talking among themselves. Mako, however, pulled out his identity disk and held it to Stella's face. She couldn't help but wince as she felt her cheek get cut. She noticed Mako's expression went from angry to intrigue.

Mako floated back to his platform before saying, "Programs, it looks like we have a very special guest in our midst. Our contestant Stella Valleys is actually a user!" The entire arena went silent. Stella felt every eye was now upon her. Even the other programs that were being forced to compete were now staring at her with shock.

"Our esteemed guest will show us the power of the users on the Light Cycle course. If she fails to win, her friend will suffer deresolution." Mako said as he gestured toward Kairi, who was seized by two guards. Stella stared at shock before glaring at Mako. She nodded to agree that she would compete in the Light Cycle course.

The area Stella was standing on descended into the lower parts of the arena while all the other programs were taking away. They were probably going to be held somewhere to use later. The stands descended with her as well, and the floor split open to reveal a racetrack underneath. It wasn't like a normal racetrack. There were several levels and there were no marked direction for the drivers to go either.

As soon as Stella landed she was approached by another program that was carrying two little things that looked like handles. She took one, and the program handed the other to a program that was standing beside her. She hadn't noticed the program until now. It was dressed in black with a matching helmet, and it had red lines all over its body. The design made Stella think this program was a pro-racer.

"The user Stella will be racing against our reigning champion Sanyu, and to make things more interesting they will have to be faster than the Heartless!" Mako announced as several doors opened in the walls and a lot of Heartless wheeled out. Instead of legs they had one wheel that they sped around on. They also had domed heads with what looked like turbines for arms. Red lines covered their bodies.

Stella shook her head. "Seriously? What next?" She asked. The program named Sanyu didn't say anything but pulled its handle thing and took off on a black motorcycle-like device with a ribbon of red light shooting out from behind it. Stella's eyes went wide. She was not expecting that. "Just gotta roll with it," She said to herself as she pulled her handle in half and was soon speeding around on a white version of the motorcycle, or Light Cycle as she had a feeling this thing was called. She noticed the light from her bike was blue.

The Heartless noticed her and began to speed after her. She noticed the Sanyu program was zooming around the Heartless like they were nothing. It was also making sure the Heartless sped into the ribbon of light coming from its Light Cycle. Every time one of them hit it they ended up being derezzed.

"_Oh, great. Now I'm starting to think like a program_," Stella thought to herself. She quickly turned to avoid colliding into the wall. Several Heartless ended up crashing into the light wall she was leaving behind her. Stella smiled. Now she had a game plan. She kept speeding in zigzag patterns across the course, causing Heartless to crash into the uneven light ribbon. There were some that did catch up to her and started swinging their arms out.

Stella ducked and kicked the Heartless closest to her on the leg or whatever it was. The Heartless wobbled for a bit but regained its composure. Stella knew she needed to get rid of the Heartless and tried to summon her keyblade.

"Error. Function is not available." Said the announcer voice, except it came from her Light Cycle. Stella rolled her eyes and pulled out her identity disk. She swung it as a Heartless came close. It vanished upon contact. "Typical." Stella said to herself as she slashed another. It appeared the only weapon she could use here against the Heartless were her Light Cycle and identity disk.

Sanyu sped below her, several Heartless on its tail. The program didn't seem to worry. As soon as it reached a specific panel it turned and was soon speeding underneath the Heartless. If these things had expressions Stella was sure they'd be surprised. They weren't as surprised as she was when Sanyu did something else. Sanyu must've triggered another panel because it went from riding upside down to speeding up a perpendicular wall from where the floor was. The Heartless all crashed into the wall. The crowd went wild, cheering for Sanyu.

Stella had to swerve to avoid crashing into the wall that rose up in front of her. As she sped along she noticed that Sanyu was riding at the top, eying her like she was the next victim. "_Not if I can help it_," Stella thought as she used a ramp to descend to a lower level. The ramp led off into the opposite direction, so Stella felt like she was going to put some distance between her and Sanyu.

She was wrong. Sanyu jumped off the wall it was riding on and sped after her. It was like watching someone ride on top of a window. As Stella focused her attention ahead of her again she was shocked to see she was about to crash into a bunch of Heartless coming her way. She made a sharp turn to avoid them, causing some of them to crash into the ribbon of light trailing behind her. However there were still others that were following her. Stella pulled out her identity disk and threw it at them. She took out three before her disk returned to her.

Stella turned her attention forward to see she was coming up to another ramp. "May as well head back up," Stella thought as she ascended the ramp. She noticed that she was passing over some arrows and they seemed to increase her speed. As she hit the last arrow she went zooming back onto the first floor only to discover to her horror that she was coming to a jump. She was going too fast to turn so she gritted her teeth and gripped her handlebars. The Light Cycle jumped from one ramp to the other, but even though it only took a few seconds it felt like time purposefully slowed down to make this more tortuous for her. She managed to land safely and in a way that most of the time would've gotten bonus points at most racing events. Here the crowd just booed her.

"Oh sure, cheer for the program but jeer the user," Stella muttered to herself as she mad a turn. Sanyu sped up in front of her and with its identity disk slashed her handlebars. Stella lost control and found herself spinning before she crashed on the ground. Her Light Cycle crashed into a ribbon of light she left earlier and was derezzed. Stella turned to see Sanyu making a turn to come around and finish her off.

"Oh, I don't think so," Stella said as she pulled out her identity disk and threw it at Sanyu. It hit the front tire of Sanyu's Light Cycle and as it returned to her Stella saw Sanyu jump from the Light Cycle before it did several front flips and crash into the same ribbon of light. Sanyu landed safe and sound as the crowd cheered for it.

"Programs, it seems that neither of them can finish this race now. Let us see how Sanyu finishes this," Mako said as he smiled sadistically. Sanyu pulled out its identity disk as Stella reached for hers. Stella threw hers, but Sanyu deflected it, causing to land far out of Stella's reach. Stella decided to take a chance and ran towards it. She wasn't going to go out like this.

She felt Sanyu tackle her from the side and pin her to the ground. As Stella looked up at the program the helmet finally folded back. Stella's eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat.

Sanyu was AJ!

"Finish her, Sanyu," Mako ordered. AJ growled in agreement as he raised his identity disk high.

"AJ no! It's me, Stella!" Stella tried to reason. Her words didn't do anything as AJ only growled in response. The disk came down. Stella shut her eyes at the last second.

It was then she heard a big boom. Shouts echoed throughout the arena. Stella opened her eyes to see several new programs had rushed into the arena and were attacking the guards. One threw an identity disk at AJ, who jumped out of the way and threw his disk in retaliation. The program grabbed it and threw it back at AJ. It hit him, but he wasn't derezzed for some reason. AJ fell to the ground unconscious.

"Are you Stella or Kairi?" The program asked her.

"I'm Stella, but Kairi's up there with Mako," Stella pointed to the platform where Mako was looking furious at the intrusion.

"We'll get Kairi. You get out of here now." The program instructed.

Stella nodded and ran to get her identity disk. Just as she grabbed it she found herself face-to-face with King Mickey, Jason, and Phil.

"Stella! There's no time to waste. We gotta get outta here." King Mickey said.

"But AJ's over there and Kairi's up there," Stella gestured behind her and at Mako's platform. They saw the program Stella was talking two jump down with Kairi over its shoulders. Jason and Phil ran to get AJ, who was still unconscious.

"You're saving him?" The program asked.

"He's our friend." Kairi explained. The program shrugged and set her down. It them approached Jason and Phil.

"I'll carry him. You get the others out of here," The program instructed.

"You're not going anywhere," A new voice said.

* * *

**Uh-oh. Looks like trouble's found them again. I'll be sure to explain why AJ was acting the way he was next chapter. I hope I was able to show how Mako's user is without saying it out loud. **


	18. Inter-Mission

**Hi everyone. I decided to finish up with this trip to Space Paranoids. I feel this may have been a little rushed, but I wasn't sure how else to do this. I apologize in advance if this doesn't live up to your expectations. **

* * *

Chapter 18: Inter-Mission

The group turned to see the speaker was someone who was dressed similarly to the guards, except his outfit wasn't as bulky. It was a lot sleeker, but the lines across his body were all red. He also had a pendant shaped like a wolf head around his neck, yellow eyes, and red hair. He also had a creepy keyblade drawn.

All of them had a feeling this was no program.

Kairi gasped as if she recognized him. "That's him. The boy I saw in my vision," She said.

The figure glared at Kairi. "I've found you, Princess of Heart." He said.

"Just who the heck are you?" Jason asked the boy.

"Call me Shadow," Shadow said.

Phil blew a raspberry. Chuckling, he asked, "Shadow? What are you, some kind of assassin with such a cliché alias?"

Shadow glared at him like he had half a mind to tear out Phil's heart before answering, "Xigbar was the one who picked the name, not me." Pointing his keyblade at Kairi, he added, "Alright, Princess, hand over your Heart of Pure Light, or else."

Kairi flinched. The Organization must've told him about her heart and the powers it held. She still didn't understand fully what it could do, but she remembered well how Maleficent tried to use it for her own ends years ago. She did not want to go through that again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up! Princess? Heart of Pure Light? What's all that about?" Stella asked.

Kairi and King Mickey looked at each other and nodded in a silent agreement. "Well, you see, a Princess of Heart is a maiden whose heart is pure light. Normally, every heart has at least a touch of darkness within them. The Seven Princesses of Heart are the sole exceptions to that rule. They don't hold even the slightest touch of darkness in their hearts. And Kairi here is one of them." King Mickey explained.

"I'm told that along with that light, they hold an untapped power within. Who know what that power can do? If what Maleficent said is true, with the power of all seven I will be able to reclaim what I've lost." Shadow said.

That confused Kairi. "_Reclaim what he's lost? What did he lose_?" She thought to herself.

"What did you lose? Your mind?" Jason asked.

Phil said, "Look, if there's one thing that I know it's that letting the enemy get a hold of something like that always bad news. So we're gonna to have to tell you to back off!"

"Very well. Then I'll have to take it by force." Shadow said as he raised his keyblade. Everyone retaliated by summoning their keyblades. Stella tried to summon hers, but for some reason it didn't come to her.

"Stella, I think you've been through enough. You stay back and keep AJ safe." King Mickey ordered her. Stella looked at him, and nodded in agreement. In his state AJ would most likely get hurt.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "They didn't tell me the Princess had a keyblade too. This should be interesting," He said as he got into a battle stance.

Jason made the first move. He charged at Shadow and swung his keyblade as hard as he could. Shadow merely sidestepped him and tripped him as he came up. Jason went down hard. Shadow then turned to deal with an incoming Phil who had his keyblade raised to strike. Shadow merely blocked the blow with his keyblade and with his other arm sent Phil flying the other direction.

As he started to make his way to Kairi Shadow heard footsteps approaching behind him. Shadow turned to see Jason running at him. Shadow could tell this poor excuse for a fighter thought he could stop him with a punch instead of the keyblade he carried. Shadow dodged as Jason swung his fist and punched him in his kidney. Jason groaned as he went down. It was probably unfair that his powers covered his punch with darkness, but Shadow didn't care. That would teach the punk to not go charging blindly.

"Hold on, fellas! I'm coming!" Shadow heard King Mickey say. He turned to see the mouse king do several flips while swinging his keyblade. Shadow managed to block the attack, but he felt his feet slide back a bit. This time he would have a challenge.

As King Mickey landed, he quickly turned and charged at Shadow. Blow after blow the King used his keyblade with expertise. Several times Shadow felt the hard metal land blows on him. He tried using his Dark Fire magic on the king, but King Mickey responded by using Blizzard to cancel out the fire. King Mickey then made a surprising leap that caught Shadow unaware. Shadow fell on one knee as he tried to recover. That was much stronger than he thought it would be.

"Light, give me power!" King Mickey said as he held his hands up with his keyblade floating in front of him. Shadow cried out in pain as bright light blinded him. It felt like light had seared through every molecule in his body. Growling, Shadow decided he was done with the king. Holding his keyblade in front of him, Shadow called on the powers of darkness. The power surge felt like a series of dark rapids coursing through his body. He then unleashed it in a powerful wave that knocked the king off his feet.

Only one left. Shadow turned to see the Princess was running towards him. He deflected her first attack with ease, and before she could recover he kicked her in the knee. Kairi cried out as she fell to the ground. Before she could get on her feet Shadow rolled her over so he could get at her heart more easily. As he pointed his keyblade at her chest, he dared to look at his foe.

That was a mistake. As he looked at her, he saw fear in her eyes. It caused a pain in his heart, like someone had jabbed a sharp needle into it. There was also something about her that seemed…familiar. But how?

"Kairi!" Shadow heard King Mickey call out. Before he could react he felt something cold and hard hit him on the right side of his head. Shadow fell hard, but the fall was softer than the keyblade had been. Holding the side of his head, Shadow looked up to see King Mickey standing protectively in front of Kairi.

Shadow gritted his teeth. "Another time," He said as he vanished into a dark portal.

"Is everyone alright?" Squall asked as he ran up.

"We're fine," Kairi said. She noticed Phil and Jason were coming up, and they didn't look so good.

"We need to get out of here. Mako has reinforcements coming," Soldier said. Everyone nodded. Soldier threw AJ over his shoulders and everyone hurried out of the game grid.

* * *

Back at the base everyone stood around AJ as he was situated on an operating table of sorts. It had energy straps that kept him down in case he woke up and still thought he was Sanyu. Several holographic touch-screens floated around him as Materia and Cetra worked with trying to fix whatever was wrong with him.

"What is wrong with AJ? Why does he think he's Sanyu?" Stella asked.

"Give them a minute. They're still figuring that out." Bronco told her.

"It's not exactly hard to tell what happened. Your friend is under Mako's control." Materia explained.

"Wait, you mean like mind control?" Phil asked.

"Mind control?" Cetra asked.

Jason explained, "It's basically when one person controls another through their mind. If you believe that junk."

"That's actually pretty accurate," Soldier said. "According to our sources Mako has been taking control of lots of programs for his own purposes."

"What?" Everyone asked.

Squall looked at Kairi and Stella before asking, "Where did you get those identity disks?"

"They were put on us at the game grid. Why?" Stella asked. No sooner had she said that than Soldier and Squall grabbed her and Kairi and turned the both of them around. Before they could say or do anything the two programs yanked the identity disks off their backs and put them into some strange device.

"What are you doing?" King Mickey asked.

"We're clearing the disks of Mako's programing. I bet that's probably what happened to your friend over there." Bronco explained.

"We learned that Mako uses the game grid to test programs out as soldiers for his army. He equips each of them with his special identity disks and uses them to take control once he's sure the program is the best of the best. He becomes their mind, they become extensions of his body." Squall explained.

Jason was surprised. That didn't sound like something from a lame fairy tale. It actually sounded like something from a movie he would've watched, or something from one of Phil's pathetic excuses for horror films.

"Can it be undone?" Kairi asked.

The machine beeped a few times and the disks were removed. "We were able to remove the functions Mako used to control other programs. You two should be safe now," Soldier said as he and Squall replaced the disks on Kairi and Stella's backs.

"We're working on removing Mako's influence over your friend. He's never had a user to control before. Theoretically we should be able to fix him like any other program." Cetra said.

"Theoretically?" Stella asked.

"Well, users are a lot more complicated to fix than programs," Materia said.

"She's got a point," Phil said.

The two programs kept working on AJ. It was hard to tell exactly what they were doing, but if Phil had to venture a guess it looked as if they were separating the different functions of AJ's identity disk, trying to locate where Mako had taken control of AJ. He was sure that one thing they pushed to the side was the fighting style of their friend, which apparently had been recorded on the disk.

Cetra started looking at the area where the memories were stored. It was there that she seemed to work in more earnest. From what Phil could see it looked as if there was something that kept the memories from flowing freely. That must be how Mako gained control of AJ. After a few minutes of work the lines on the disk went from red to blue. Cetra and Materia then replaced the disk on AJ's back, causing the lines on his body to turn from red to blue.

"It'll be a while before he regains consciousness. That'll give us plenty of time to plan our next move." Bronco explained.

"Like find out why Mako is building an army?" Jason asked.

"We think there's a better role for you." Soldier said. "Like all programs, Mako has a user who gave him his purpose. If you can find out who wrote Mako and why, we can find a way to stop him."

"Wait, so we're gonna have to leave you all?" King Mickey asked.

"It'll get you and your friend out of Mako's reach." Cetra explained.

"We'll be fine. We got this." Materia said as she gave two thumbs up.

"So go back, find out who wrote Mako, and get back with that information." Jason summarized.

"Pretty much," Materia agreed.

"Enough with the chitchat. Let's get this underway already." Bronco said as he started activating some of the controls on the wall. Cetra and Materia quickly brought AJ over to Stella and backed away. Something on the ceiling started glowing brightly and then there was a bright flash.

* * *

**Thanks to YamiChaos27 for submitting the dialogue between the characters and Shadow. I'm still trying to figure out how many Disney worlds to have the characters visit after they leave Radiant Garden. Having them visit one world in each group seemed a little short when compared to the games. Before any of you ask I'm not going to be using anything from Marvel, Star Wars, or Pixar. I think I've got plenty to work with. GeminiZKnight, I meant to introduce a character here, but I couldn't fit him in. I do plan for him to appear soon. **


	19. New Plans

**Okay there isn't any action in this chapter. Mainly it's just about them making plans based on what they know. I apologize if you wanted something action based. Maybe next time. **

* * *

Chapter 19: New Plans

When the light faded Jason, Phil, Stella, Kairi, and King Mickey found themselves back in Radiant Garden. They looked themselves over to see they were back in their regular clothes. Stella and Kairi felt their backs only to feel nothing. The only thing they brought back from that world was AJ.

Stella turned as AJ started moaning. "He's coming around," Stella said as everyone looked. Slowly AJ opened his eyes. He looked at them as if he were surprised to see them.

"Guys? When did you get here?" AJ asked them.

"You're back," Stella said.

AJ raised an eyebrow. "How long was I gone?"

"A day, at least." Jason said.

"Where exactly did you disappear to," Phil asked.

AJ shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," He said.

Stella folded her arms and said, "Try us."

"Okay, I think when the Gummi started shaking I got pulled into some alternate universe where there was this other me with this hot girl. This other cute chick attacked me and I was saved by the other me and his girl. I wound up in this room, there was this bright flash and I got pulled into this weird world, and then these goons abducted me and made me fight gladiator battles, and then nothing." AJ explained. Everyone had an eyebrow raised at him.

Jason said, "You know what? If you don't want to tell us what happened before the computer world, fine."

"That does seem a little strange," King Mickey said.

"Come on, guys. Would I really make something like this up?" AJ asked.

"You really don't want us to answer that," Stella said.

"Well, we should probably get back to the others." King Mickey said. As he led the way out of the control room everyone followed. The castle was the same as they left it, except this time they didn't face any Nobodies or Heartless. The corridors still felt a little chilly.

It was when they entered the room with the different passageways that King Mickey stopped. Coming down the corridor that led outside were voices. Jason braced himself for a fight. After what happened with that Shadow kid his pride had been wounded and he was looking to fix it.

"It's the others," Kairi said as she recognized the voices. She took off down the corridor with everyone else following her. Phil wasn't sure charging blindly like that was a smart idea, especially when the last time they saw their friends they were preparing for an organized beat down with the Organization.

As they turned a corner they came face to face with their friends. Phil silently admitted Kairi had been right. From the looks on their faces it looked as if they had been through a lot too. Right now everyone was eager to get caught up on what happened.

"Let me guess, you got to knock on some Organization heads," Jason said.

"More like Heartless heads," Axel said.

"After we escaped, we found a room in the castle where we were sent to this world in the computers," Kairi was telling Sora.

"You went to Space Paranoids? How was Tron?" Sora asked.

"Sora and Riku got to have all the fun dealing with this creep called Shadow," Aurora said.

That got her Jason, Phil, Stella, Kairi, and King Mickey's attention. "You ran into Shadow too?" King Mickey asked.

"You saw him too?" Ashley asked.

"Kind of hard to miss that punk," Jason muttered under his breath.

"So you know he's after Kairi's heart then," Phil said.

"Why?" Nettie asked.

"Something about it being pure light and holding great power," Phil summarized.

Jason added, "It almost sounds like something from one of your books Clair." When he got no response Jason began to look around. When he didn't see her Jason actually grew concerned. "Where is she?" He asked before his tone got more serious. "Where is Clair?"

Mika took a sudden interest in her boots before answering, "We don't know. We noticed she was missing after Shadow showed up. We searched but…I fear she may have been taken by the Organization,"

* * *

In the throne room of the Organization a dark portal opened up in the middle of the room, from which Shadow emerged. He looked around at each of the Organization members like he knew what they were going to say and wasn't interested in hearing it.

"You performed well, Shadow," Xemnas said from his throne.

Shadow looked at him in surprise. "How? I failed to get the heart of the Princess," he said.

Xemnas waved his hand dismissively. "There will be other times," He said, "For now we sent the Keyblade Wielder and his friends a very important message. They are not invulnerable and can be defeated by us,"

"Now fear will enter their hearts as they try to prepare for our next move, and the darkness will begin to consume them," Maleficent said as she walked up behind Shadow.

"But, uh, Milady, won't they start training to fight us better? The brat and the King's lackeys are not exactly a piece of cake, and I think we know that their little club…" Pete started to say. However when Maleficent held up her hand Pete stopped talking.

"Let them try to get stronger." The member who seemed to be the muscle of them, Lexaeus, Shadow thought his name was, said. "They will only break from the strain."

"Regardless of whether or not they get stronger, our objective will still be reached," Ansem said from beside Shadow.

"And we now have a tool to use against them," Vexen added. All faces turned to the door where two Dusk Nobodies were bringing a struggling, very irritated Clair.

* * *

Back in Radiant Garden everyone had been brought up to speed regarding what happened to each group. They had walked outside to the big circular area where there was more room to breath. The turn of events was worrying everyone.

"So what do we do now? We can't leave Clair in the hands of the Organization," Nettie said.

"I say we go to their stronghold and beat the snot out of them," Jason said.

"Cool your jets," Axel said.

"The Organization is not a group to be taken lightly. Xemnas chose each member for their powers and skills." Roxas cautioned.

"To take them all on would be suicide," Riku added.

Goofy snapped his fingers. "If we could help our friends get stronger, then we'd be more than able to stop Organization XIII." He said.

"But we have strength in numbers," Phil said.

King Mickey shook his head. "Just because you outnumber someone doesn't mean you can beat them." King Mickey said. "Besides, they've got countless numbers of Heartless and Nobodies on their side."

"And no offense, but you guys stink at taking them down." Axel said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" AJ asked.

"You're not ready for their forces yet." Riku said. "I think we've all seen you in a fight, and you're lacking in so many ways."

"Like?" Ashley asked.

"One: You guys have no form or style. You mainly just rush in and swing your keyblades like they were machetes or axes. Got it memorized?" Mika said.

"Two: You rely more on your own strength instead of your team. Everyone has to do their part." Donald said.

"Three: You completely disregard your heart. No matter what it's the strongest thing you have," Sora finished.

Riku turned to Jason and said, "Your heart is in the right place, but the only thing you'll accomplish by attacking the Organization in their stronghold is your death, or worse."

Jason grunted and turned away.

"So if I may add some advice, all of you have to go out to the worlds and train yourselves to be stronger, in body, mind, heart, and spirit," Jiminy said from Sora's shoulder.

"Oh great. Sage advice from a bug," Aurora said.

"So how exactly do we get stronger?" Phil asked.

"How else? You get out there," Donald said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Nettie asked.

"It worked for us. Got it memorized?" Axel said.

"It mostly comes from experience. Besides, we can't sit on the sidelines while the Organization is out there terrorizing the worlds." Roxas said.

"Consider it on the job training." Mika said.

"You fellas have to get on it soon." King Mickey said as he started to walk away from the group.

"Wait, Your Majesty, where are you going?" Sora asked.

King Mickey turned and answered, "I gotta find out what I can about Shadow and how he got mixed up with the Organization. I fear he may be a bigger threat than the Organization, Ansem, or Maleficent."

"Let me come with you. I can help." Riku said.

"No Riku. You need to help train everyone if they're gonna have a chance," King Mickey said.

Riku started to open his mouth in protest, then stopped and nodded. "I understand."

"That'll leave us down one," Stella said.

"He's still with us. He just needs to travel another path from ours." Riku said.

"But how can you just let him up and go like that?" Jason asked.

"Because Mickey's still a king," Aurora said.

"And it's what his heart commands him to do," Riku said.

"Whatever," Jason said.

"Alrighty. Now let's get our groups organized." Ashley said.

"Uh, a word of advice? Make sure you keep Jason and Aurora separated. You have them together, they'll make the trip a living nightmare." Axel warned.

"And we have it more than memorized," Mika added.

* * *

**I hope I did a good job with this chapter. I will say working with Agrabah will be difficult since I'm trying to work with an _Aladdin and the King of Thieves_ based plot, and I have to piece it together from my memory because I don't have access to that movie. I do have an idea as to what worlds to use for each of their visits. I do want to make sure I'm developing the characters too, and I feel I may not have been doing a good job with that. **


	20. A Mission

**Okay, here's something new. **

* * *

Chapter 20: A Mission

The man who sent Shadow into Space Paranoids wandered through The Castle That Never Was. He was amused by all the chaos that was going on. He hoped that Xemnas would do something to unleash the full power of darkness soon. He was getting impatient with waiting.

Xemnas then appeared in front of him. The man bowed before his leader. "Xemnas."

"Sivour." Xemnas said. "I have a job for you." He handed Sivour something in the black cloak of the Organization. Sivour pulled back the hood and looked at his leader with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you want me to do with this thing?" He asked.

Xemnas looked at him. "Reactivate it. This will give us an advantage over those children. And they will never expect this."

Sivour smiled. "You know how much I love the unexpected and crazy."

"Go to Twilight Town. The ones that called this thing friend will be going there. Use them to reactivate this project."

"I hear and obey."

* * *

Twilight Town seemed peaceful enough. The citizens were going about their business without any problems. Sivour hated it. He lived for the chaotic and uncontrollable. Places fallen to anarchy and disorder filled his cup of tea.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" A voice asked him. Sivour turned to see a group of teenagers staring at him. One had a scar across his face. "This is our town, and we don't like strangers."

"So you're not fond of unexpected changes." Sivour said.

"You're asking for trouble, ya know?" The big one asked.

Sivour shook his head. "That's a shame. I find the unexpected and uncontrollable quite fun. You never know what you can get when chaos comes calling."

The leader held up a bat. "You gonna scram or are you gonna keep talking?"

"Here, have some playmates." Sivour said. He snapped his fingers and several Nobodies appeared around them. The four teens looked at them with shock before fighting them. Sivour chuckled and walked off. That'll give them something to think about.

He soon found the crack in the wall. He had to set his cargo down to squeeze through it. Once he was through he reached back and grabbed it by the leg. He wasn't too gentle about it though. Xemnas never said it had to be placed in one piece.

Once it was through Sivour traveled through the forest. How much fun it would be to create a haunted forest in this area, but Sivour had a mission to focus on. Maybe another time he could do that.

Adjusting his mission on his shoulder, Sivour kept going. He could see that stupid mansion in the distance. It was important because the Organization came back there, but Naminé had resided here for a long time. The pathetic excuse for a Nobody had indeed been unexpected, but it was not Sivour's idea of chaotic events. He wanted disaster, fear, paranoia.

As he entered the building Sivour looked around for a place to chill. He didn't expect the traitors to arrive for a bit. May as well be comfortable while he waited. Xemnas didn't say how long to stay here.

* * *

**Sorry this was short. I had a different version of this chapter, but it wasn't working, so I replaced it with this. **


	21. Father and Son

**Hi everyone. I apologize for not posting for a while. YamiChaos27 gave me a way to refresh my mind with the King of Thieves storyline. However I've also been busy keeping up with college and working on the rewrite of my book. Admittedly I've also been distracted by watching walkthrough videos for The Walking Dead games from TellTale. I'll try to do better in the future. **

* * *

Chapter 21: Father and Son

Shadow was massaging his aching shoulder. "Geez, that mouse was a pain." He said aloud. He had not expected such a small opponent to be so powerful. Maleficent, Xemnas, and Ansem talked about the King being powerful with the keyblade, but Shadow thought that was an understatement now.

From the side Xigbar chuckled. "And that's what you get when you take you're opponents lightly," He said.

Shadow glared at him before saying, "You know, you failed to mention that the Princess also had a keyblade,"

"We figured she wouldn't have nearly as much battle experience as Sora or Riku. By herself, she shouldn't be too much of a problem. But keep your guard up. Who knows what a Princess of Heart with a keyblade is capable of? On the other hand, now that you've made quite a spectacle of yourself to the Keyblade Meddlers, they won't let their guards down either. I suggest you be more patient in your approach from now on," Saïx said.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Hmph. Whatever." He said as he turned his back on them.

Xigbar held up his hands before saying, "Hey! What's with the attitude?"

"I still don't understand why I'm here." Shadow replied.

Xigbar shrugged. "Well, it's gotta be better than floating around in Lanes between, right?" He asked.

Shadow stood up. Walking over to Xigbar, he said as he stared him in the eye, "I don't remember ever asking for your help."

"You know, you have a weird way of showing gratitude." Xigbar said.

Saïx looked at him before saying, "Shadow. We have given you a purpose, have we not? Considering your situation isn't that enough? All you have to do is use your keyblade to capture the hearts of the Seven. You help us get what we want, and simultaneously you'll be getting what you want as well. Understood?"

Shadow glared at them before walking away. "_Why do I even bother? These imbeciles aren't worth dirt. Still, it's not like I have any other choice right now_." He thought to himself. As he continued to wander in his thoughts he remembered the red-haired princess he had encountered. "That face..." he whispered. He thought about it for a second but then shook his head. "That rodent must've hit my head harder than I thought," he grumbled.

* * *

On board the Gummi Sora and his group headed out from Radiant Garden. Even though plans had been laid out Sora couldn't help but feel some guilt in his heart. He should've kept an eye on the Organization while he and Riku were fighting Shadow, but he didn't and someone paid the price.

"Are you okay, Sora?" Goofy asked.

Sora shook his head. "I can't stop thinking about how mad Jason was. He always seemed like a grouch, but the look on his face…I can't stop thinking I should've done more,"

"Oh, he's just a big palooka. How were we supposed to know Xemnas was going to pull something like that?" Donald said.

"Don't worry, Sora. Everybody slips up sometimes, and I know that for a fact. But just because you make a mistake don't mean you should give up. Just learn from it and try again." Goofy encouraged him.

"Yeah." Donald agreed.

Sora nodded. "You're right. All we can do is keep the Organization from striking again."

Meanwhile Phil was trying to keep his focus on the game he was playing. He was worried because it had fallen to their group to take Aurora with them, and from what Phil remembered at school she was not a team player. Phil had decided the best way to stay on her good side was to not get in her way.

"You still playing that thing?" Phil heard Aurora ask. He peeked over the top of his game to see Aurora staring at him. Phil meekly nodded, afraid he was going to get slugged. Aurora shook her head and walked away. Phil sighed. At least he wasn't going to have a throbbing headache.

The ship rocked, throwing Phil out of his seat. Aurora was losing her balance, but she managed to regain it by putting her arms on either side of the corridor. As soon as she was steady, Aurora headed for the cockpit, Phil not far behind them. The two of them knew what this meant, and they needed to get into position.

As they reached the cockpit they saw lots of Heartless flying towards them. They were the same ones that they encountered when they first went to Agrabah, and they looked mad. Phil grabbed the weapon controls and began to fire. "_And my parents said gaming is a waste of time?" _Phil thought to himself.

He was able to quickly adjust whenever the Heartless would break formation and regroup elsewhere. Phil's fingers were a blur as he aimed and fired, blasting several Heartless with the push of a button or the pull of a trigger.

"Incoming," Aurora warned. Everyone looked to see a Heartless that looked like a combination of a thunderhead and a scorpion. It had a black, cloudy body with legs shaped like bolts of lightning. The tail was shaped like a big bolt with a deadly stinger shooting sparks of electricity. All eight yellow eyes were glaring at them.

"That's a big Heartless," Phil said.

"Obviously," Aurora said.

The stinger shot forward and the ship had to do a barrel roll to avoid it. Aurora managed to land on her feet, but Phil kept falling over. Even though the stinger missed, bolts of lightning struck out, some managing to tear pieces off the wings.

"Quick, fire at the stinger. That's usually where the weak spot is," Phil said as he grabbed the controls again. Aurora shook her head and grabbed the other controller. Both of them fired in rapid succession at the giant heartless, but most of the shots just hit the tail.

The monster turned to face them again and struck out with its stinger. Phil pushed the buttons like his life depended on it. He made direct hits, but there was no indication that the Thunder Sting, as Phil decided to call it, was hurt. If anything, it looked like they had only ticked it off.

"We should be out of reach soo—what?" Donald gasped as the Thunder Sting leapt over them and landed not too far. From its cloudy body came four claws lined with serrated edges crackling with lightning.

"Oh, come on!" Phil said.

One of the claws reached out and grabbed the gummi. Controls sparked and sputtered at the grip of the arachnid tightened. Slowly they were pulled to a large, gaping opening below the Thunder Sting's eyes.

"It's gonna eat us!" Goofy cried out as he hugged Donald for comfort. Donald's arms swung wildly as he tried to get free.

Phil doubled his button pushing. Several of his blasts hit the eyes, but they didn't do anything. Did this Heartless have nerves of steel or what? It had to have a weak spot somewhere and if he was going down he was going to find it first.

One of his blasts entered the Thunder Sting's mouth. The creature roared and threw them. As they spun Phil noticed the claws moved to a position in front of its mouth. The mouth was the weak spot! The claws must serve as a way to keep it safe before it moved in for the attack.

"There it is!" Sora said as he pointed. Everyone looked to see the city of Agrabah in the distance. Donald finally broke free of Goofy and put the pedal to the metal. The gummi flew at an alarming speed to the city.

* * *

Phil saw he was back in the same outfit he wore the last time he came to Agrabah. Aurora was a little more attention grabbing. She was dressed in black pants with a blue top. The gap between them was hardly noticeable. Her arms were completely bare, but she did have a veil over her mouth. She wondered what was up with the pointed shoes.

Phil wolf-whistled. Aurora slugged him. Hard.

"Looks like Genie got the place fixed up," Sora said.

Aurora looked at him. "Did you say genie? Does it grant wishes?" She asked.

"Don't get any ideas. He's a free genie now," Donald said. Phil snapped his fingers.

Then there came an ominous whirring sound. Everyone turned to see a robot coming up from the floor. It had what looked like missile launchers for arms and a face that could only be described as bearded.

"You have violated the perimeter of the Aladdin-Jasmine wedding. Prepare to be vaporized. Thank you." The robot said as it fired lasers. Everyone had to duck to avoid being hit.

"Alright then. We've caught some of the…Sora! Donald! Goofy! Phil!" Said a voice that sounded like the robot, except not as mechanical. Aurora looked up to see a blue figure with gold manacles and a red sash appear and hug Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Phil at once with such vigor Aurora thought he was going to suffocate them.

As soon as he saw her, Genie dropped the others and looked at her suspiciously. "And who is this? A spy? For the Forty Thieves?" He asked as he changed into a police officer.

"No, that's Aurora. She's a friend," Phil said quickly. Genie stared at her for a few minutes before he changed into a pink plant-like thing with big green eyes while retaining his goatee, ponytail, and ears.

"I'm enchanted to meet you, friend of Sora," Genie said in a girly voice.

"So, uh, what's with that robot over there?" Goofy asked.

Genie changed back to his regular self before explaining, "Security measure for the wedding. It's going to be low key, only friends and family. This thing is armed and dangerous. I'd like to see them Forty Thieves get within an inch to your wedding," While he was talking they were approached by two men, a monkey, and a parrot.

The parrot, Iago, as Phil thought it was named, cleared his throat. "Allow me to introduce…" He began as he gestured to the man he was standing on the shoulder of. He was dressed in a blue cape with a black outfit underneath. He had black hair with a matching beard, though it was starting grey. Something about him seemed familiar to Phil, but he couldn't place his hand on it.

The man chuckled before answering, "The King of Thieves."

"What?" Sora, Donald, and Goofy asked in unison before drawing their weapons. Phil and Aurora were not too far behind them, but Genie had a plan in place.

"All units. We have a breach. Code Red!" Genie cried into a walkie talkie. Soon all the entrances were sealed tight by huge iron doors while a lot of S.W.A.T. uniformed genies appeared around them aiming guns at the King of Thieves.

Even Aurora had to admit the security this genie had was impressive.

"Don't move or we'll be shooting ourselves," Genie ordered. Aurora rolled her eyes at that.

"Genie," The younger man said as he struggled to get through.

"Back off Al, this guy's got a yellow sheet as long as my arm." Genie said.

"Genie, meet my dad," the guy named Al said. Aurora didn't know who looked more surprised, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Phil, or Genie. However she had to admit she could see the family resemblance between the two of them.

"That's your dad?" Phil asked. Meanwhile Genie turned back to normal and approached the man.

"If you're Al's Dad, and the King of Thieves, I just want to know one thing," Genie said in a threatening tone.

"Yeah?" The King of Thieves replied.

Genie turned into a butler before asking, "Will you be having the chicken or the sea bass?"

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Aladdin's Father," Goofy said as he held out his hand to the King of Thieves. He didn't take it.

"It's okay Dad. These guys are my friends," Al gestured to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Phil.

"I hardly know you," Aurora said.

"Oh that's right. You weren't with us last time," Phil said.

"Aladdin's really cool. You're going to like him," Sora said. Aurora merely turned away.

"You're going to love it here Dad. I can't wait to introduce you to Jasmine and the Sultan," Aladdin was saying.

"Uh, Al, have you forgotten about the 'Agrabah's Most Wanted' look?" Genie asked.

"If we take him in as he is, we may as well be saying 'Please arrest this guy'," Phil said.

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"So what do you suggest?" Iago asked.

"If no one saw your face, you could pass with a disguise," Phil said.

"Perfect. Then you two will be together as father and son," Genie said.

* * *

**I may come back and edit this a little later. I'm not sure, but I feel something's still missing here. I just can't put my finger on it. I may have to adjust the storyline a little bit. **


	22. Making a Splash

**Sorry for the delay. I've had a lot of assignments to get done. I decided to try something different and see what was going on with another group right now, that way we're not stuck in the same world for some huge amount of time. **

* * *

Chapter 22: Making a Splash

Ashley punched the buttons on her control furiously. "They're gaining!" She cried out as several Heartless came up beside the Gummi and open fired. As the ship tipped to one side she gripped the console to avoid falling over.

Kairi held on to Pluto's collar with one hand while trying to steer the ship with another. "Is everyone okay?" She asked as she steered the Gummi past a giant, broken waterfall.

Nettie groaned as she tried to shoot down enemy ships. "Define okay," She said as she fired at the Heartless. Mabul looked on from over her shoulder, curling around her neck for protection.

"Where did all these Heartless come from?" Stella asked while adjusting her seat, "I feel like we flew into some deep-space action movie,"

Ashley was about to respond when a blast hit the ship again and sent her flying into her friend. "We're going to be star dust at this rate," She said as she got off Stella.

"If we don't lose these guys soon, I doubt there'll be enough of us to become star dust," Nettie said.

Kairi was looking around. The Lanes Between had to have some escape route for them. Sora probably would've kept firing at them, or tried something silly to confuse them. However she could see they were running low on ammunition and the engines were only at half of their capacity.

There was something about those pools of water. They looked shallow, but were they? She couldn't see a bottom whenever they passed them. Nothing was what it seemed in the Lanes Between.

She decided to chance it. Pushing forward on the controls she sent the Gummi diving into the closest pool. The others naturally protested as she did this, but Kairi knew if they didn't take the risk they would all die.

Instead of crashing into a bottom they were diving deeper and deeper into what appeared to be a bottomless pool of water. Stella laughed as she and the others realized what had happened. The pool was empty of enemy ships and hopefully…

Splashes behind them told them the Heartless were coming.

"Where is a world when you need one?" Ashley asked as she looked around, "We should've been somewhere by now."

Mabul started jumping up and down in excitement, causing Nettie to look around. "There," she said as she pointed to what appeared to be a large golden castle in the distance. Kairi turned the Gummi and began heading towards it as fast as the ship could go.

There was a blast and all went dark.

* * *

Nettie groaned as she regained consciousness. Her head felt like some rambunctious teenager rebel was having a loud party inside her skull. The cool water wasn't…

Cool water? Wait a minute. Nettie sat up in shock. She could feel water all around her. This didn't look like the Lanes Between. It looked more like…someone's room, except the walls looked like they were made from coral and the houseplants were seaweed and sea anemones. Not to mention the fact that she was under water!

She felt something rub against her arm. Nettie looked to see what it was and her jaw dropped. Mabul had been changed from a ferret to a sea otter. If that bothered him he didn't show it. He swam around as fast as he could, doing little acrobatics while he was at it. Nettie smiled at the little guy. He could always cheer her up. But that didn't answer why she wasn't drowning.

She looked down and gasped. Her legs were gone. In there place was the tail of some sea animal that had bluish-grey skin. It was a dolphin tail, but dolphins didn't live on Harthyn, so she had no idea what one was. Nettie looked to see her only form of garment was a seashell bikini that was the same color as her shirt. She was so glad no one was around to see her like this.

"You're up," A voice said from behind her. Nettie turned around in shock, expecting trouble. What she saw was someone or something that had the upper body of a boy close to her age. He looked athletic, like a surfer from her home with a skin tone to match. However he also had smooth black hair and sea green eyes. His lower body, however, was a purple scaly fish tail, except the fins resembled hers.

"Who are you and where am I?" Nettie asked while trying to move away. However she had no idea how to work that ridiculous tail.

The boy smiled. "I'm Anaklusmos, though my friends call me Anak. You're in my family's home in Atlantica," he answered as he swam towards her. "You're not like most mermaids I've seen,"

"Mermaid?" She asked.

Anak raised an eyebrow before saying, "You must hit your head really hard. You're a mermaid just like I'm a merman," he explained as Mabul swam around him. "My family took care of your pet while you were out."

Nettie noticed Mabul seemed perfectly comfortable with Anak. "How long was I out?"

"My dad and I found you and your friends a couple of days ago,"

"Two days? Wow, I must've really hit myself hard,"

"You were fortunate the sharks hadn't found you when we got there,"

Nettie then remembered something. "You said you found my friends. Where are they?"

Anak gestured to the door, which was a simple cloth hung up. "Outside with my family," he said.

Nettie tried to swim forward, but was only able to spin herself in some underwater summersault. She looked at her tail in agitation and tried again. She nearly hit her head on the ceiling.

Anak laughed. "Careful, or you'll knock yourself out again," He said as he swam up and steadied her. Nettie didn't know why, but her heart leapt as he touched her.

"_Oh no. Don't start crushing on guys now_," She thought to herself, "_This is not the time or the place for that_,"

"Here, try to straighten out your tail," Anak suggested. Nettie looked down unsure how to do that. Having this tail was different from having legs. She remembered how she would stretch her legs and wondered if that would work now. One way to find out. She stretched and her tail straightened out.

"Good," Anak said, "Now move your tail to go forward,"

Nettie started to move it in big motions but got nowhere.

"Not so hard. Smaller, and gently," Anak instructed. Nettie did as he said and sure enough she was able to move forward. She quickly learned that to turn she had to arch her body in the direction she wanted to go, and to stop she froze.

Anak gave a few heartfelt claps before saying, "I've never seen a mermaid move with the passion you do. Even the daughters of King Triton couldn't swim as you do,"

Nettie didn't know why but she felt herself blushing. She turned away so he wouldn't see.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to offend you," Anak said as he swam over.

"No, I'm fine," Nettie said, "It's just I don't see myself as capable of doing anything better than a princess,"

"Well, maybe we should go check on your friends," he suggested. She nodded in agreement and like that they were out the door. As they swam through the house Nettie noticed the lack of decorations. The stuff that came close was the natural reef formations and the underwater plants that grew. She wondered if merpeople had no use for decorations. Other than that it seemed just like a regular home.

Once they exited the house Nettie saw Kairi and Ashley playing with two little mermaids that she was sure were toddlers. They looked a lot like Anak, except their tails were red and green, and one of them had blonde hair. Kairi and Ashley looked just like Nettie, except Kairi had a pink tail that was designed like what she had seen of the merpeople of Atlantica so far, and Ashley had an orange tail.

Barking came up from behind her. Nettie turned to see a very shocking sight. It had Pluto's face, but instead of the dog's yellow body it was attached to a strange, sleek body with four flippers. Since seals didn't live on Harthyn either Nettie had no idea that that was the animal Pluto had become.

"Nettie, you're alright," Nettie heard Kairi say. She turned to see her friends swim over to her. "I was worried that something was wrong,"

"I'm fine," Nettie said as she looked around, "Where's Stella?"

Ashley shrugged. "She wasn't around when we woke up," she answered.

Nettie turned to Anak. "How many of us did you find?" She asked.

Anak seemed to sense something was wrong. "My father and I only found you three and your pets," he explained, "We didn't see any sign of another mermaid, or we would've looked for her."

"We need to go to the spot where you found us. We need to know if she's alright," Kairi said.

Anak shook his head. "That's not possible. King Triton has forbidden anyone from going there for now,"

"Why?" Ashley asked.

Anak frowned. "Because there have been pirates attacking merpeople there,"

* * *

**And there you go. I decided that this would be one of those worlds where I would have to come up with a new story to fit the fan fiction. I also thought it would be more fun to create new characters for some of those worlds because they are worlds and that means there could be characters and situations we've never heard of. Heads up, next chapter will be focused on Riku's group as they travel to a world that gets really popular this month. **


	23. Halloween Teens

**Hi everyone. I was up late working on this chapter, which will be the start of something that will prove to be important later on. Hopefully I can get through the other chapters and wrap up Halloween Town before the holiday rolls around. **

* * *

Chapter 23: Halloween Teens

Earlier, just a bit before the beginning of Chapter 21, Maleficent was monitoring the group from her staff. She smiled as she saw King Mickey depart from the others. That would make her plans for revenge much easier, especially on the person she was targeting.

"Squadrons of Heartless have been sent out to meet each group," She heard the young Nobody, Demyx, report to Saïx.

"The girl has been secured in her cell," the one they call Zexion said.

Maleficent looked up to see Saïx nod in approval before he turned to Demyx and said, "If you've forgotten one of them, it will mean life as a Dusk for you,"

"I certainly hope he did forget, because right now an attack by the Heartless would thwart my plans," Maleficent explained.

The scientist Vexen stepped up and said, "I never thought I'd hear someone like you hope for that,"

Maleficent waved her hand before continuing, "For my plan to succeed I need them to be rested and ready for action. An encounter with the Heartless would wear them out. Soon the seeds of their destruction shall begin to blossom," as she finished the camera panned in to the jewel on her staff, which showed Riku, AJ, and Jason.

* * *

Now, while their friends were going to the other worlds shown in the last two chapters Riku, AJ, and Jason were headed into another direction. Neither Jason nor AJ was sightseeing because neither of them really cared for it. Both of them were on the lookout for Heartless, but there was not a single one to be seen.

"It's quiet," Jason commented.

AJ smiled before adding, "Too quiet,"

Riku glanced from side to side. "I don't like it. I don't remember Sora ever having a…"

"Well we're not Sora are we?" Jason said.

Riku spun his seat around to glare at Jason. "Sora may not act like it, but he takes helping others seriously. It would help you to take a page out of his book," he said.

"Oh, hey there, mister. I have no idea who you are, but I want to be your friend," Jason said in a bad imitation of Sora's voice.

AJ chuckled in amusement. "I don't think that's what he means, Jace," he said.

Now Jason was the one doing the glaring. "Don't ever call me that again," he warned.

Riku shook his head and turned back to the controls. He could see that Jason had a lot to learn about how the universe worked. If he thought acting tough and shutting everyone out would make him invincible he was in for a rude awakening.

AJ seemed okay. He grasped things better than Jason, but he was far from being able to face Ansem, or Maleficent. He hoped both of them would be able to see through any deceptions that would come their way.

"I see a world coming up," AJ said. Riku and Jason looked to see a world that had creepy written all over it. All the trees were dead, tombstones seemed to be everywhere, and the houses all seemed to be crooked and abandoned.

"You know, I think you might like this world, Jace," Riku teased.

"Don't call me that!"

* * *

"So according to what Sora told you, this should be Halloween Town right?" AJ asked. He had become a ghost, yet looked pretty much the same. Most would've assumed he had not changed had it not been for the fact that now he was transparent and his feet looked non-existent now.

Riku nodded. He had changed into a wolfman with ragged clothing and a short snout with fangs. "Everything's about the holiday here," he explained.

"Thanks for the info, Professor," Jason said sarcastically. He had turned into a scrawny version of Frankenstein's monster, except his skin wasn't green and his clothes were more to the Halloween Town fashion.

"Anyone else hear that?" AJ asked. Everyone listened and sure enough there was music coming from just down the road.

_Boys and girls of every age_

_Wouldn't you like to hear something strange?_

_Come with us and you will see,_

_This, our town of Halloween._

_This is Halloween, this is Halloween._

_Pumpkins scream in the dead of night._

_This is Halloween, everybody make a scene_

_Trick or treat, till the neighbors gonna die of fright_

_It's our town, everybody scream_

_In this town of Halloween_

_I am the one hiding under your bed_

_Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red_

_I am the one hiding under your stairs_

_Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair_

_This is Halloween, this is Halloween_

_Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween_

_In this town we call home,_

_Everyone hail to the Pumpkin Song_

_In this town, don't we love it now?_

_Everybody's waiting for the next surprise_

_Round that corner, man, hiding_ _in the trash can_

_Something's waiting now to pounce, and how you'll_

_Scream_

_This is Halloween. Red 'n' black, and slimy green_

_Aren't you scared? Well that's just fine._

_Say it once, say it twice,_

_Take a chance and roll the dice_

_Ride with the moon in the dead of night_

_Everybody scream, everybody scream_

_In our town of Halloween_

_I am the clown with the tear-away face_

_Here in a flash and gone without a trace_

_I am the "Who" when you call, "Who's there?"_

_I am the wind blowing through your hair_

_I am the shadow on the moon at night_

_Filling your dreams to the brim with fright_

_This is Halloween, this is Halloween,_

_Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween._

_Tender lumplings everywhere_

_Life's no fun without a good scare_

_That's our job, but we're not mean_

_In our town of Halloween_

_In this town, don't we love it now?_

_Everyone's waiting for the next surprise_

_Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back_

_And scream like a banshee_

_Make you jump out of your skin_

_This is Halloween, everybody scream_

_Please make way for a very special guy_

_Our man Jack is king of the pumpkin patch_

_Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now_

_This is Halloween, this is Halloween_,

_Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween._

_In this town we call home,_

_Everyone hail to the pumpkin song_

As they followed the words the three of them were expecting to see inhabitants with a Halloween them to them. Still it was surprising to see that there wasn't a horror concept that wasn't in the town. Jason would never admit it, but he thought the song they were singing was pretty catchy.

"Wow, it's like this world is the very reason we have Halloween," AJ said.

Nodding, Riku said, "That was the impression I was getting too,"

"What I don't get is why that skeleton is called the Pumpkin King," Jason said. In the middle of the town square there was a skeleton in a black suite with a bat bowtie congratulating everyone. Anyone could tell from the way everyone was treating him that he was running things here.

"Wasn't that terrifying?" someone asked. The three travelers looked to see they were being addressed by a short little man dressed in a similar suit to the skeleton, except he had a tall top hat and a permanent smile on his face.

Jason looked at him and said, "It could use some improving," AJ elbowed him for that.

"Well, if Jack Skellington says it's good enough, then it's good enough." The man said.

It was then that the skeleton, who the three of them were sure was Jack Skellington, came up to them. "Ah, Mr. Mayor, enjoying this year's Halloween?"

"Thanks to you Jack, I think this is one of the best we've ever done," The Mayor said to him.

It was at that that Jack's smile was turned into a frown. "I don't know. It seems that people don't enjoy the scares like they used to. I've tried to think of a way to change that, but I can't find anything," he said as he walked off. What happened next nearly gave the three of them a heart attack because The Mayor's head spun around to reveal a second face with a frown on it.

"Well we got to think of something fast, because we have three-hundred and sixty-five days left until next Halloween!" The Mayor said as he ran after Jack.

* * *

Maleficent was now walking through one of the many cemeteries of Halloween Town. What she was looking for was very well hidden, yet painstakingly obvious at the same time. She walked with confidence knowing that sooner or later she would come across it.

She felt something land on her shoulder. The fairy turned to see her trusted raven had returned.

"Diablo, have you found it yet?" She asked the raven. Diablo nodded and gestured with his wing in the other direction.

Maleficent smiled. "Good," she said, "Now make sure the three children find their way to The Crypt,"

* * *

**If any of you didn't want the song included I apologize. I included it to be part of the celebration for Halloween Town. The Crypt is going to play a major role in the development of Riku, AJ, and Jason. I'm just trying to think of how to make sure it expands over the rest of the story and doesn't get wrapped up at the end of the visit. **


	24. Reunion at Twilight

**Hey everyone. Sorry this was late. I wanted to get this done earlier this week but I got a case of Writer's Block. It's a shame because I wanted to do another Halloween Town chapter yesterday. Maybe I'll try to do it today. In the meantime enjoy. **

* * *

Chapter 24: Reunion at Twilight

"Shadow, we have an assignment for you," Saïx said as Shadow was walking by.

Shadow turned to him. "Do I look like one of your little grunts?" he asked.

"We need you to travel with someone…special to deliver something in Twilight Town. Once you are done head to Atlantica as the Princess was spotted traveling in that direction," Saïx said nonchalantly.

Shadow humphed and walked away. A dark portal opened up and he stepped through it. Not one to take in the scenery, not that there was much in the Realm of Darkness, Shadow kept walking until he emerged in a dark room in Twilight Town.

Someone was waiting for him. Someone he recognized.

Summoning his keyblade he said, "You…"

* * *

"It's been a long time since we were in Twilight Town," Roxas said as he looked around Tram Common.

Axel chuckled. "Looks like someone's finally remembering the good old days," he commented.

"What can I say? It's something I memorized,"

"They still have sea salt ice cream," Mika pointed out as she noticed the store. The three of them remembered the salty-sweet treat fondly.

"Hey, how about after we finish up here we get some ice cream and hang out like we used to?" Roxas suggested.

Axel gave a thumbs up. "You read my mind," he said with a smile.

Mika playfully slapped him on the back of the head. "I thought that was my job," she teased.

The three of them chuckled as they continued through Twilight Town. The trip had gone a lot more smoothly now they didn't have to put up with Jason and Aurora fighting with each other. When they hadn't been shooting down Heartless the three of them spent their time catching up on old times.

Then Cid had called. He asked them if they knew of any place that Ansem the Wise had visited. Mika remembered Naminé spoke about a secret lab he had in Twilight Town, so Cid had asked them to see if he had anything about Radiant Garden stored there.

Right now the three of them just wanted to reminisce on the fun they used to have in this little world.

Mika stopped as they looked at the hole in the wall that led to the old mansion. "I still remember how I thought the woods were creepy," she said.

"Because you spent your childhood reading about haunted forests," Axel said.

"No, those were enchanted forests. There's a difference," Mika corrected him.

"Yeah, one begins with an E,"

"Uh, hey? The sooner we check the lab the sooner we get ice cream," Roxas reminded them as he slipped into the hole.

Axel and Mika looked at each other and both shared a laugh. "Sounds like we'd better hurry so we can get that ice cream," Axel said as he slipped through the hole. Mika was not too far behind.

However it wasn't too long before something back happened. Mika felt a sharp pain in her heart and head at the same time. It was like both were being drilled into while being pulled out at the same time. She could hear Roxas and Axel screaming too, which meant they probably felt it too. However before she could call out to them she passed out.

* * *

Shadow was leaning against the wall impatiently. What he disliked more than being partnered up with the jerk who sent him to Space Paranoids was the jerk was taking too long to get this plan set into motion. For someone that had no heart Saïx had a twisted sense of humor.

"Are you done yet?" Shadow asked as the figure turned to face him. The figure just made a shooing motion with his hand. Shadow wanted to bury his keyblade in the guy's face, but he didn't want to be here any longer than he had to. Shadow turned and started walking to the door out of the dark room. Suddenly the figure was blocking the entrance, waving his finger in an "uh-uh" motion.

Shadow's eyes narrowed. "Get out of my way," He warned. The figure just stood there before, without warning, shoving Shadow so hard he fell on his back.

Now Shadow was really mad. "That's it!" He said as he summoned his keyblade. He swung it at the figure, but in a split second the figure had moved from the doorway to the other side of the room.

Shadow, undeterred, began firing a rapid succession of the Dark Fire spell. The figure just kept dodging them like it was no problem. Angry as he was Shadow couldn't help thinking those kids would have an incredibly hard time beating this guy.

He, however, was taking him out. Shadow mustered all the darkness he could feel in his body and threw it at the figure. The figure, however, dodged again, and this time the attack hit full at the mysterious thing in a black robe they had brought. Shadow thought at first his attack would destroy the thing, but then it sat up, gasping for breath.

"It's alive! It's alive!" The mysterious figure said, acting a little like a mad scientist. Well, madder than Vexen probably was. Turning to Shadow the figure said, "You can go for real now,"

Realization dawned on Shadow. "_So that's why I was sent with this creep. To jump-start whoever or whatever that is_," he thought to himself. "Finally. Good riddance," he said out loud before vanishing into a dark corridor.

* * *

Mika groaned as she began to regain consciousness. She felt like she had been attacked by a bahumat. She could hear Axel and Roxas groaning not too far away from her.

"Somebody memorize the license plate of whatever hit us?" Axel joked.

Mika shook her head.

Roxas had to use a tree for support as he stood. "What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," Mika answered as she struggled to her feet. Axel helped her up, which caused her to blush. "We should probably check with Naminé as soon as we can,"

"Then I say we get that data and get over to Yen Sid immediately," Axel said. Mika and Roxas nodded in agreement as they continued to the old mansion.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Mysterious Tower Naminé was regaining consciousness. She saw Yen Sid had conjured up a bed for her and had a hand on her head. She could feel the power of his magic working in her.

"Naminé. What happened?" the master wizard asked her. Most of the time he was stern and serious, but this time he looked and sounded concerned.

She tried to sit up, but her head began spinning so she stopped. "I can't explain it, but I know it has something to do with Roxas and I. It's someone from our past,"

Now the wizard looked confused. "Your past?"

Naminé nodded. "I think…someone who was lost has returned…"

* * *

The old mansion was just as Mika remembered. Filthy, furniture overturned, and old. It was no wonder that the inhabitants of this town said it was haunted. She still expected a ghost to jump out at her.

"So any idea where Ansem kept this computer of his?" she asked as she started up some stairs.

"There's a library just up the stairs and to the right," Roxas said as he began to climb the stairs.

"Sounds like it's in your room," Axel teased.

Mika smiled at him. "What can I say? Books can take you anywhere you want to go," she said.

"I think I'll leave that to the Gummi,"

"What? Too scared for more adventures?"

"No I prefer to have adventures I can handle,"

"Yeah, not everyone can handle the exploits in a novel,"

"Are you too done yet?" Roxas asked from the library. "I found the entrance to his lab,"

Axel put on a bad British accent before saying, "Excellent work, young detective,"

Mika smiled as she entered the library. Sure enough it was her kind of room, with books lining the shelves. She hadn't known her for long, but she had a feeling Clair would love this room too.

Mika frowned. She still felt bad that the girl had been lost when they met Shadow. Jason was still upset with them, and Mika felt partially responsible for what happened.

She shook her head. She knew that right now the best way to help Clair was to focus on the mission. When they visited Yen Sid she could ask him then.

Mika didn't like the big hole in the floor of the library. It could've fit a reading table in there, and she didn't like the metal coloring. It was hideous. Still, she wasn't the one who decorated the place, and in times like these people didn't have time to be interior decorators.

"Here it is," Roxas called from ahead of them. Axel and Mika hurried to catch up and sure enough there was a room with a big computer. It wasn't as big as the computer Cid used, but it works.

Axel pulled out a flash drive. "Okay, let's do this," he said as he inserted the disk. The screen showed all the data was being downloaded. Mika expected the data to take a few minutes, and after five decided to walk around.

She decided to head back to the library. Mika always found books helped her think well. She pulled one down and began to read it. Immediately she could tell it was a science fiction novel because it had robots, flying vehicles and…she did a double take. Could it be?

"Well, well, well," A voice said. Mika looked up to see she was no longer alone. Standing in front of her was a figure in a black robe. Even though his face was covered Mika could recognize him anywhere.

"Sivour, what are you doing here?" She asked as she put the book in her bag for safekeeping.

"Why else? To help the Organization," he replied.

Mika summoned her two keyblades as she said, "Not if I have anything to say about it,"

"And how do you plan to stop me, Kamix?"

Mika lunged at being called by her undercover name. However a blast of red from Sivour sent her flying through the windows out into the main yard of the old mansion. Shards of glass cut her and her wounds began to sting.

As she struggled to her feet she saw Sivour fly out of the window and land on the grass not too far away from her. As red energy gathered around him Mika saw him call forth his choice weapon. It was like the swords Cloud would use, except it was twice as big. Normally only a giant could carry it, but Sivour's powers granted him some perks.

Mika shot some Dark Fire spells at Sivour, who deflected them with his sword. She then cast her Thunder spell, which hit the sword and electrocuted him. Mika smiled in satisfaction, but something wasn't right here.

"Take this!" Sivour said as he swung his sword. Mika had a trick she learned from a friend a long time ago. Holding her keyblades close she dived into her shadow and vanished. While Sivour looked around for her the spot that used to be her shadow snuck up behind him. Then she jumped out and hit him with her keyblades.

Sivour was knocked back several feet. He then began swinging his sword in rapid succession. Mika fired some Blizzard spells at him to slow him down. Once he was close enough she used another of her tricks.

Holding her keyblades high she began to spin around on light while firing it from her keyblades. Sivour was picked up and hit several times. As Mika ended her attack she realized something. "_He's not trying. He's going easy on me. But why?_"

"Mika!" she heard Axel cry out. Both she and Sivour turned to see Axel and Roxas run up with their weapons drawn.

"It appears I am outmatched," Sivour said as a dark portal opened up behind him. As he walked into it he said, "Looks like you foiled my mission this time,"

Roxas tried to attack the guy, but the portal closed as he sliced through it. "He got away,"

"But he'll be back," Axel warned.

Roxas turned to them. "Who was that guy?" he asked.

"His name is Sivour, and he controls the powers of Chaos," Mika said as she put away her keyblades. "I've faced him a few times, but I wasn't expecting to see him here,"

"Well you beat him," Roxas said.

"_That's what worries me_," Mika thought to herself. It didn't take too long before they started hearing moaning, like someone was unconscious and hurt. Mika looked around the ruined garden. Sure enough there was someone in a black cloak lying behind a ruined Pegasus statue. As Mika picked her up, the hood came off to reveal a girl who looked like a younger Kairi with black hair.

The girl opened her eyes to show that they were blue. She tried to say something as she looked at Mika, but fell back to unconsciousness. Mika was shocked because she recognized this girl. She whispered one word.

"Xion…"


	25. Into the Crypt

**Hi everyone. I had this clearly in my head and I thought one day late was better than a week, so here's chapter 25. **

* * *

Chapter 25: Into the Crypt

"Why can't this Jack Skellington just look at some of the more-modern horror stuff and use that?" Jason asked as they walked through Halloween Town.

Riku looked at him. "Like what?"

Jason raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Like taking inspiration from how haunted attraction rides back home scare you,"

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Riku asked.

"Because on those rides you're strapped down while monsters come from everywhere and attack you," AJ summarized.

Riku looked at them. "That's wrong on more levels than one," he said.

"What, you chicken or something?" Jason asked.

Riku glared at him. "No, I just know to stay on the road to dawn," he said.

Jason shrugged. "Your loss,"

"Maleficent!" AJ shouted. Riku and Jason turned to see that standing at the gate to a cemetery was the green witch herself. Without a word she turned and entered the cemetery.

"No you don't!" Jason said as he charged after her.

"Jason wait," Riku said as he and AJ followed. The three of them saw Maleficent walking casually through the cemetery like she was taking a stroll through some park. Riku could sense something wasn't right.

Soon Maleficent stood before the opening of some mausoleum. Riku didn't like the look of it. It had demonic looking faces that made everything else in this world seem like cute puppies. If Maleficent led them here, it couldn't be good. The witch stepped into it, Jason following her.

Riku shook his head as he and AJ realized what they had to do. "That reckless…" he said as the two of them followed. Behind them stood Maleficent.

"It worked," she said with a wicked smile. "Now they will fall prey to the evils within…"

* * *

It was dark and cold. Not cold as in low temperatures, nor dark like someone had turned off the light. It was the cold that made you feel like there was no good left in the world, and dark like the future was hopeless. It was the cold and dark of evil itself.

Jason was oblivious to that comparison. He just felt lost and unsure of where Maleficent could be. Well this mausoleum couldn't be that big. That witch couldn't hide forever.

"Jason," called a familiar voice behind him. Jason turned and suddenly the place was lit. He was back home, in Netokan! But how did he get into his living room? His mother was sitting on the couch reading from her holo-tablet.

"Jason, your father wants to see you," she said as she pointed behind him. Jason turned to see his dad was how he remembered him. Muscular, dark-hair, and an ego bigger than the building. What was strange was today he was actually smiling.

That threw Jason off. His dad never smiled. "What's going on?" he asked with caution.

His dad threw his arms up. "What's going on? It's the biggest day of your life!" he said as he pulled up some documents on the table. "The army has accepted you into their ranks, and you can go today. Once you sign you'll finally get to do what we've been talking about all these years. You'll finally get to be a hero."

"No," Jason said.

His dad chuckled. "No?" He asked as if he misheard the punch line to a joke.

"No. That's what you want. It's not what I want," Jason said.

His dad laughed. "What are you talking about? Of course it's what you want. That's all we've discussed you doing—"

Jason pointed his finger at his dad. "That's all you've discussed. You never listened to me or what I wanted to do. You say that if I go all Commander Macho I'll be respected, but it's not what I want."

The smile disappeared. "This isn't open for debate. It's too late to go back and now you need to sign these papers." He said.

"I won't."

"Yes you will."

No sooner had he said that then Jason felt his body move to the papers. He tried to stop and turn away, but he couldn't. It was like he had lost control of his body. His heart began beating faster and he did something he rarely did.

Jason got scared.

"_No…no…no_!" Jason thought as his hand reached out and pressed itself to the documents. He felt the warm scan and then the jab as it signed with his DNA. Jason watched in horror as his name appeared on the documents.

"Good. Now you can finally be just like me." His dad said. Jason found he could finally move again, but when he turned all he saw was a mirror. As he looked he saw his father in it. He raised his fist, and to his surprise his dad did the same. Jason stood on one foot and when his dad did the same he gave in to his fear.

He was his dad.

* * *

AJ found himself in the same darkness that was described earlier. The difference between him and Jason was he could tell this stuff was evil. He knew he had to find his friends and get out of there before…

"AJ!" A female voiced cried out before screaming. He turned to see he was on some red carpet, and there were millions of beautiful girls screaming his name. If this was a dream he hoped he never woke up.

AJ strolled down the carpet, smiling at every girl and signing the autograph app on her comms. He felt like a celebrity, a somebody, a…

"AJ, what are you doing?" He heard his mother call him. He couldn't see her, but she sounded bigger than before. "You're supposed to be home an hour ago!"

"He still lives with his mom?"

"He's totally not cool anymore,"

"Eww. I can't believe I touched him,"

These were some of the comments he heard the girls say around him. The masses began to move away, uninterested in him anymore.

"Wait, don't go. I'm totally cool," AJ said.

All the girls looked back at him, but there was something different about them. They looked sinister.

"We could never love someone like you," They all said in unison. They began chanting that over and over until the words began to merge together into a new phrase, one that AJ had feared being told:

"Never love you,"

* * *

Riku was familiar with this feeling of darkness. He remembered when he gave into it, thinking it was power and would make him stronger. Now he knew that was false and had made a firm resolve to never go back.

"Wait," Riku said as he took in his surroundings. He recognized this. It was the day the Heartless came to the islands, and how he…no, he was not repeating that mistake again. He turned and began to walk away from that area.

How did it get there? Now it was in front of him. Riku turned to walk away again, and the same thing happened. He tried again and it happened the same way. What was going on?

"Fool. You think you can change who you are?" A voice asked. Riku turned to see the burlap robed figure who had tempted him all those years ago standing before him.

Riku glared at him. "You…" he said.

"The darkness will give you strength. The power to leave the islands and explore the outside world," The figure said.

"No, I know you're Ansem, and I remember what happened the last time I listened to you. I gave in that time long ago, but I won't make that mistake again," Riku said.

"Fool," Ansem said from under his robe, "You think you can change who you are or what happened by simply turning your back on it?" Before Riku could react vines of darkness spread out from the ground and wrapped around him. Riku grimaced as he felt sharp little thorns appear on the vines and poke into him. That smell…they were injecting him with darkness!

"You think you can be a hero and it will make up for all this?" Ansem gestured behind him. Riku's eyes widened as he saw the town on the main island under attack by the Heartless. Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were running from several Shadows while a Darkside demolished the mayor's home. He even saw his parents running in the chaos while two Shadows bore down on them.

"Your own darkness hurt the friends you had, the family you love, and it will continue to fill you," Ansem said as his words echoed in Riku's head, "No matter what you do you will always cause pain. You will always destroy the light of others,"

Riku struggled to free himself from the vines. "That's a lie," he said, "I made poor choices before, but that is not who I am now. You know nothing about me, Ansem,"

The robed figure chuckled. "You think I'm Ansem?" he asked. "Silly boy. You defeated Ansem a long time ago, and I know you better than he ever could. You see…" The robed figure paused to take off the hood. Riku's eyes widened as he saw who was underneath.

"…I am you," said the golden eyed Riku.

* * *

"Are they alright?" asked a female voice.

There was a mechanical whirring. "Of course they're not alright! These three buffoons went into the Crypt. That place is filled with evil," a male voice said.

"If you three hadn't told us where they were who knows what would've happened?" The voice they recognized as belonging to Jack Skellington said. Jason didn't know about the others, but he opened his eyes to see the skeleton talking to three little kids dressed like a devil, a witch, and a skeleton.

The witch asked, "Are they going to be in trouble, Jack?"

"If they opened that place you'd better believe they will be,"

"Hey, I'm right here," Jason said.

"Oh, one of them has regained consciousness," said the male voice from earlier. Jason turned his head to find him staring down a man dressed like a doctor, but he had a snout of sorts and a large mechanical head.

Jack walked over to him, and boy was he furious. "What were you three thinking going into the Crypt like that? Don't you know how bad that place is?" He asked.

"First off, I had no idea what that place was. Second, someone we were chasing went in there, "Jason said while the doctor poked and prodded him. After the fifth poke Jason turned and said, "Will you stop that?!"

The doctor looked offended. "Fine, see if I help you recover again," he said as he turned his wheelchair to look at something else.

"So you have no idea what the Crypt is?" Said the female voice. Jason turned to see the owner of the voice was a ragdoll with red hair and big eyes.

"Let me think: No I have no idea what this stupid Crypt thing is!" Jason snapped. He heard groaning beside him. Jason turned to see Riku and AJ were regaining consciousness.

"Where are we?" AJ asked as he sat up.

Jack's frown did not disappear. "Dr. Finklestein's lab, and you should consider yourselves grateful I didn't throw you out of town like I should've," he said.

"Why?" AJ asked.

"Something about us going into a crypt," Jason summarized.

Dr. Finklestein banged his hands on the desk and turned to face them. "Not a crypt. The Crypt! The tomb of the inner demons," the scientist said.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Inner demons? Is that what we faced in there?"

Now Jack stopped frowning, but he still looked concerned. "You really didn't know, did you?"

Jason was really tempted to say, "Duh!", but he kept his mouth shut.

"We thought Maleficent had gone in," AJ explained.

"Maleficent? Like the witch Oogie Boogie was working with?" The ragdoll asked.

"Sally, how do you know?" Jack asked.

"Last time I was talking to Sandy Claws he told me about her,"

"Does she have green skin with big yellow eyes and horns?" The little skeleton asked.

"That's her," Riku answered. The three friends noticed the little ones all huddled together like they were afraid.

"If Maleficent is as bad as you say, then we must keep an eye on the Crypt." Jack said.

"I still don't get what's the big deal," AJ said.

Everyone looked at them with grave seriousness.

"There are some things you should know. Halloween wasn't always a time for fun and scares," Jack began to explain, "There are darker things involved, many of which I've tried to keep locked away. Horrors which make all the citizens seem perfectly harmless. Things that are not interested in scaring, but destroying.

"The Crypt is one of these dangers," Jack continued, "It contains a darkness that is scary but dangerous. Whoever is exposed to that darkness is forced to face their inner demons. These demons can continue to haunt people until the end of their days,"

"That's why you were ticked. You thought we were trying to let them out," Riku said.

Jason scoffed. "Well they're still trapped in there and I think the crisis is over," he said.

"You really are ignorant of the situation aren't you?" Dr. Finklestein yelled.

"You may not be in that darkness anymore, but that doesn't mean you've escaped your demons," Jack said, "They are known for destroying a person from the inside out,"

"And that's so bad not even Oogie Boogie wanted to mess with the Crypt," The witch said from the corner.

The kid dressed as a devil added, "And he messed with a lot of stuff Jack wouldn't touch,"

"How do we stop them?" Riku asked.

"The only way I know of is the three of you will have to confront your demons face-to-face. Even then they will continue to manifest themselves, torturing you until you pass on," Jack said.

"So there's nothing we can do here," Riku said, "If we going to defeat them we'll have to keep traveling to do it,"

Dr. Finklestein nodded. "It would seem that way,"

AJ looked confused. "Wait, if no one here wants to mess with the Crypt, then how did we get out?" he asked.

"Oh that's simple," Dr. Finklestein said as he pushed some buttons and a door opened in the wall. Inside was a mechanical creature with lots of tentacles. "My machine used its flawless tentacles to reach in and pull you three out of there,"

* * *

**And that would be the Crypt. I don't know if I made it scary enough or not. I was trying to use it to create problems the characters are going to have to deal with later in the story. **


	26. Sins of the Father

**Hey guys. Sorry this is short, but I was writing this from memory (again), and I was trying to make it feel natural. Anyway, I thought it was time we get back to the group in Agrabah and see what's been going on. **

* * *

Chapter 26: Sins of the Father

Back in Agrabah everyone was watching Aladdin's father meet the Sultan. The Genie had gotten him a different wardrobe. He was now wearing a maroon robe with a gold and black belt and another robe that was black and blue. His turban was also a matching color. Phil thought he looked more like a traveling merchant than an outlaw.

"Genie did a great job with him. I can hardly recognize him," Sora said.

Phil nodded. "No one will ever suspect where Gazeem came from," he said.

"Cassim," Aurora corrected him.

Everyone tensed as the Sultan asked, "How did you survive all those years?"

Cassim put a hand to his head. "The memories are…painful," he said, "It's hard to not dwell on them,"

The Sultan believed him. "Say no more. We won't discuss this again," turning to everyone else he said, "Well I do believe we have a wedding to attend,"

Aurora cleared her throat, reminding the Sultan that they hadn't been formally introduced. Sora, Donald, and Goofy approached the monarch and bowed politely.

The Sultan motioned for them to rise. "There's no need for you to bow," he explained, "You three have helped my daughter and Aladdin save Agrabah, so it is I who should be showing respect to you." Shaking their hands he continued, "I've been wanting to meet the three of you for such a long time, and to have you attend the wedding would be a great honor." Turning to Phil and Aurora he added, "And your friends are also welcome too,"

"The Sultan seems like a really nice guy," Phil said to Aurora.

Aurora was more skeptical. "A little too nice,"

"Come on. Lighten up. We're going to a wedding,"

"Of people we don't know,"

Phil rolled his eyes. It was clear what he was thinking of her, but he knew better than to say it out loud. Everyone at their school knew not to cross Aurora.

* * *

Later everyone was waiting for the wedding to start, but Cassim and Iago had gone missing.

"Where could he be?" Aladdin asked.

Genie turned into a big red warthog before saying "Hakuna Matata," before changing back, looking a little sheepish.

"Does it really matter if he's here or not?" Aurora asked.

Donald looked at her crossly. "Of course it's important. This is his son's wedding," he said.

"Yeah, and he's not gonna have another opportunity like this," Goofy added.

"Maybe we should go look for him," Sora suggested.

Phil nodded in agreement. "He probably just got lost looking for the RR," he joked.

"The what?" The Sultan asked.

Aurora quickly changed the subject. "Genie, you think you can find him?" she asked.

Genie saluted. "No problem," he said as he changed into a blue version of Pluto and began sniffing around. "This would be so much easier if I had something to track him with, like his socks or his shoes. Oh, there are his shoes…ah!" he said as he changed back.

Cassim and Iago were back. And they weren't alone.

"Your Highness," Said a buff looking guard with a white turban with a red jewel. He also had on a black vest with a gold sash, white baggy trousers held up with a red belt and pointed shoes. He also sported a black beard and was missing a tooth. Phil and Aurora didn't like him.

The Sultan was equally surprised. "Razoul, what is the meaning of this?" The Sultan asked.

"Allow me to present the King of Thieves," Razoul said. Aurora could feel the shock of the Sultan and Jasmine in the room. Razoul held up the Oracle's scepter. "He was after this again."

Aladdin was devastated. "Dad, how could you?" he asked.

Cassim sighed. "You can change my clothes, but you can't change who I am," he said.

Phil didn't like that. "Dude, that's not true. People change who they are all the time!" he said.

Jiminy hopped onto Phil's shoulder. "Now's not a good time for this," he advised.

"Father, isn't there something we can do?" Jasmine asked.

The Sultan shook his head. "I'm sorry, but in this situation I'm powerless," Pointing to Cassim and Iago he said, "Take them to the dungeon. For life."

As Razoul led away Cassim and Iago Genie put his hand reassuringly on Aladdin's shoulder. "Hey, there are some wishes that even I can't make come true," he said.

* * *

Later, in Aladdin's home everyone was sitting around thinking about how what was supposed to be a special occasion had gone south fast. Aurora seemed emotionless about this.

"Can you believe the nerve of that creep?" Phil asked.

"He had every opportunity to change, and he still went after that treasure," Aladdin said.

Phil looked at him and said, "I was talking about that Basoulle guy,"

"Razoul," Aurora corrected him again.

Aladdin acted as if he didn't hear them. "I thought I could save him, but he was trapped by his own greed," he said.

"And that big palooka goes and ruins the wedding," Donald added.

"Donald!" Goofy and Sora said in unison.

"What? He is,"

"What is the big deal with that scepter? And what's this about treasure?" Aurora asked.

Phil cleared his throat. "That scepter actually holds something called an Oracle. With it they can get the answer to any question they have," he explained before adding, "I have no idea about the treasure though,"

"It's why my dad wanted the Oracle," Aladdin said, "Supposedly there's an island out there with a treasure called the Hand of Midas."

"The Hand of Midas?" Sora asked.

"Why would this hand be considered a treasure?" Goofy asked.

"Because it has the power to turn anything it touches into gold," Aladdin answered.

That got Donald's attention. "Anything?" He asked.

"That's what he said," Aurora said.

Aladdin sighed. "It mattered more to him than his own family," he said sadly.

"Maybe you shouldn't give up on the guy. He came all this way to see your wedding," Phil said.

Aladdin shook his head. "No. He just wanted the treasure,"

"I don't think you should give up on him," Phil said.

Before Aladdin could say anything Sora added, "Phil's right. You shouldn't give up on others. My friend Riku made a lot of mistakes, but I never gave up on him,"

"Leopards don't change their spots, guys," Aurora said.

Phil rolled his eyes. "Cassim's a person, and people change every day," he retorted.

* * *

Meanwhile in the desert a lone figure walked. He was tall, grey skinned, and sported a knucklebuster with three bronze claws on it. He was dressed in a black vest with a red cummerbund, baggy blue pants, and black boots. This was Sa'luk, and he had a mission. Now that Cassim was out of the way he was going to take over the Forty Thieves and make them feared throughout the Seven Deserts.

"Well, if it isn't the next King of Thieves," said a voice. Sa'luk looked around, holding up his knucklebuster. The voice laughed. "Relax. I'm not here to cause trouble. In fact, I'm here to help you,"

Sa'luk scoffed. "What could you have to offer me?" he asked.

The voice stepped onscreen to reveal it was Pete. "Why, the ability to crush anyone who gets in your way. They're immune to most weapons, but they can certainly trash anyone who gets in your way. They can even lead you to hidden riches,"

Now Sa'luk was interested. "I'm listening," he said.

Pete smiled and chuckled as he snapped his fingers. Several figures in turbans with scimitars appeared and lined up like soldiers. Sa'luk had never seen them before, but he liked the look of them.

"They're called the Heartless," Pete began explaining.

* * *

**Looks like Pete's making trouble again. **


	27. Current Events

**Now we should see what's going on in Atlantica. **

* * *

Chapter 27: Current Events

"But why would pirates be attacking merpeople?" Ashley asked.

Anak frowned. "I don't know. It's been causing tensions between the human world and Atlantica,"

"Sora told me about Atlantica, but he said relationships were peaceful," Kairi said, stroking Pluto as he swam by.

A merman Nettie didn't notice before swam up to them. He looked a lot like Anak, except his hair was red. She just knew this was supposed to be Anak's father. A blonde-haired mermaid with a red fish tail joined him. Obviously his mother.

"Things were peaceful, when the human prince Eric helped stop the sea-witch Ursula," Anak's father explained, "Yet these men keep catching our people in nets or with hooks. Eric claims that these pirates are a problem for his people too, but some merpeople think he's in league with them."

"So for now he's keeping anyone from going to the surface until this is resolved," Anak's mother said. Sighing, she added, "It's a pity because this means the king can't see his daughter,"

"Ariel and Eric are so cute together," The blonde-haired toddler added.

Kairi looked at her. "Wait, Eric and Ariel are married? Sora didn't tell me that,"

Anak began looking at them suspiciously. "When you say Sora, was he someone who traveled with two others? Donald and Goofy?"

"That's him," Ashley confirmed.

Anak did a back flip. "Sora's friends have come to Atlantica! This fixes everything!"

"Slow down, Anak," his father said, "The king doesn't even know they're here yet,"

"So we must tell him at once," his mother said.

Anak's father looked at him sternly. "Stay here, and don't do anything until we get back,"

"And watch your sisters," his mother finished. With that the two swam off to a big golden castle in the distance.

Ashley folded her arms. "We can't just stay here. Stella could be in danger,"

"My parents said to stay here and we're staying," Anak folded his arms.

Mabul rubbed himself against Nettie's arm. She stroked him before saying, "If there are pirates causing trouble there probably will be Heartless too,"

"I've heard of the Heartless," Anak said, "They're supposed to be more ruthless and dangerous than humans,"

"Believe us, compared to Heartless humans are perfectly civil," Ashley said. Everyone heard whimpering. Turning they saw that Anak's two little sisters were looking a little scared.

"Amphi, Trite, it's okay," Anak said, "Those things are not going to get you two,"

"Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you," Kairi apologized. Pluto barked in agreement.

The mergirl with the red tail, Trite, said, "Anak, would you mind singing a song with us?"

"Sing a song?" Ashley asked.

Amphi, the toddler with the green tail and blonde hair, explained, "Mom says that when we feel scared we should sing a song. It will always drive fear away,"

Kairi nodded. "I remember hearing something like that a long time ago,"

"So what do you like to sing?" Nettie asked the mergirls.

"Well, we like _Along the Current_ and _High and Low Tides_," Trite answered.

Anak smirked. "Not to mention Sebastion's composure, _Under the Sea_,"

"I'm afraid we haven't heard those songs yet," Nettie said.

"Then can we hear a song you know?" Amphi asked.

Nettie backed up so fast she caused Mabul to spin. "Uh, thanks, but I haven't sung for a while," she said.

"Please?" Both toddlers asked. Just looking at them filled Nettie with compassion. She couldn't refuse these two.

"Okay, but like I said it's been a while since I've done this," with that Nettie thought for a few seconds trying to recall a song. Finally her face lit up with remembrance. "I loved this when I was a kid," she said as she began,

_The ocean is big and deep_

_Friends to an endless sky_

_Both to their own keep_

_And they share by and by_

_A special little piece of paradise_

_All of them together make three_

_And that is the way it meant to be_

_Land, sky, and sea_

_Giving us glee_

_In our special little paradise_

As she sung Nettie could feel something inside her. It felt wonderful, like a star was shining its light in her heart. She saw that Anak, Kairi, Ashley, Pluto, Amphi, Trite, and even Mabul were enjoying her song, so she continued,

_Hidden gems are now found everywhere_

_The surf rises like the morning sun_

_Spreading itself here and there_

_Each new day promises to be fun_

_Here in our special paradise_

_Yesterday's troubles are gone_

_At the coming of the dawn_

_We have no need to worry_

_Or to be in a hurry_

_While we're in our paradise_

Nettie could still feel that wonderful feeling as she finished the song. However it was gone as soon as she heard the applause. Thankfully when she turned it was just her friends as well as Anak, Amphi, and Trite.

"That was beautiful," Kairi said.

"You have the voice of an angel." Anak added.

"Thank you for singing such a pretty song," Amphi and Trite said in unison.

Nettie couldn't help blushing. "Please, I'm not that good at singing," she said.

"Are you kidding?" Ashley said, "If you wanted you could become a professional singer if you wanted,"

"I certainly don't mind your singing," said a voice. Everyone looked to see the Nobody Demyx not too far away from them. Before they had been attacked by the Heartless Kairi, Ashley, and Nettie were looking over the information they had on Organization XIII. According to the notes Demyx was a lazy coward so they didn't feel that threatened by his presence. Besides he looked a little silly without a cloak and his eel body wasn't that intimidating.

"Who's that?" Amphi and Trite asked as they swam behind Anak.

"It's just Demyx. Don't worry," Ashley said.

Demyx looked hurt. "Just Demyx? That's all you've got? Nothing about my amazing musical talent? And after I begged Saïx to let me do this mission too,"

"What are you doing here?" Kairi asked.

"Just making ready for Shadow's arrival," Demyx said.

Nettie and Ashley summoned their keyblades. "Not going to happen," they said in unison, Pluto and Mabul growling in agreement.

Demyx frowned. "Why must people make this more difficult than it needs to be?" He asked himself. Holding his hand up the water condensed and formed into a sitar.

Ashley blinked. "Seriously? That's your weapon?"

Demyx smiled. "Hey, it beats a clunky sword," he said as he pulled a few strings. Immediately two copies of himself made entirely of water appeared and swam surprisingly fast. Before anyone could do anything they grabbed Amphi and Trite from behind Anak and disappeared into a dark corridor.

"Oh no you don't!" Nettie said. Without thinking she swam straight for the dark corridor. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Anak swimming beside her. Together they shot into that corridor.

While singing had made Nettie feel good, this corridor made her feel the opposite. Her heart felt like it had been filled with cement that had hardened and covered with ice. She couldn't see anything, but she kept charging forward.

Nettie was blinded by the light when she came out of it. She no longer felt any water around her. Gravity took hold instantly and she felt herself fall against a wooden floor. She heard another thud beside her. When her eyes adjusted she saw that she and Anak were no longer in the water.

They were on some boat, surrounded by fierce looking men holding cutlasses and pistols. She had a feeling these guys were the pirates giving Atlantica problems. Before she could try to spot Amphi and Trite she felt something land on her back. Nettie heard Anak grunt. Something told her Kairi and Nettie had just landed on their backs, if not Pluto and Mabul as well.

"Grab 'em," Nettie heard the pirates yell. Before they could react the pirates had thrown nets on them and were wrapping them up so they couldn't get free. Nettie's keyblade was pinned to her body so she couldn't get a clean cut. Several bearded faces leered at them with delight.

"Captain, that kid was right. He did bring us some good ones," said one with an eye patch over his left eye.

"Aye, that he did," said a sinister voice. Out of the corner of her eye Nettie saw the person who had to be the captain. He had wild black hair that reached his shoulders, He was dressed in a big coat with boots that came to his knees. Well, one knee. His right leg was gone, replaced by a peg leg. Two cutlasses hung from his belt, and his face was severely scarred. Beside him were the two water copies of Demyx, now in human form still holding Amphi and Trite.

"Let me guess, you're Captain Scarface," Ashley said.

The captain glared at her. "Listen here, fishy, you will address with proper respect Captain Peg of the _Midgard Serpent_,"

"Let my sisters go!" Anak yelled at the pirate.

Captain Peg feigned surprise. "Sisters?" looking at Amphi and Trite he laughed and said, "Oh you mean these two? They'll fetch a small amount of coin, and that'd be better than none at all,"

It was then that Demyx emerged from the dark corridor, back in human form with his black cloak on. "Don't forget our deal. My employer is sending another to complete our deal,"

"What deal?" Kairi asked. Pluto was growling and trying to chew through the ropes. A nearby pirate kicked him, causing him to whimper.

"All in good time. For now, enjoy yer little cruse on me ship," Captain Peg instructed them.

* * *

**In case you were wondering, that song was one I came up with as I was writing this. I thought it'd be good to do an original song for this part. I also hope you enjoyed the creation of an original villain, Captain Peg. **


	28. Power Surge

**Hi everyone. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. I would've updated, but I was spending time with family. I was going to save this for Chapter 29, but for some reason I couldn't figure out how to work and finish up the story in Agrabah. I remember how the film goes. I'm just having trouble figuring out how the characters would work into it. This chapter came easier, and I think was an example of the story writing itself. I did check with YamiChaos27 on the action with Shadow, so special thanks to him. **

* * *

Chapter 28: Power Surge

As if getting captured and netted by pirates wasn't enough, Nettie, Anak, Ashley, and Kairi found themselves tied to the mast to the ship while ugly pirates jeered at them. Mabul had been thrown in a cage while Pluto was tied to a post with a muzzle around his snout. Nettie decided there and then that she hated pirates.

At least they had a show while they were tied up.

"Ow. Hey, come on. This isn't helping," Demyx said as Amphi pulled on his ear while Trite grabbed a clump of hair. Just seeing the nobody having trouble with the two little mergirls made up for their predicament. Only a little bit though.

Captain Peg, however, was not amused. "Can't ye keep control of them fishes?" he growled.

Demyx winced as Trite pinched his cheek. "Easier said than done. I didn't sign up to be a babysitter,"

"Then ya better hope yer partner comes soon, or I might be inclined to run ye through,"

It was then that a dark corridor opened up on deck. The crew stepped back a little afraid, but Captain Peg stood his ground. Nettie might've imagined it, but she thought the pirate looked bored.

No need to guess who was coming.

"Shadow! Thank goodness you're here," Demyx said as the dark keyblade wielder boarded the ship.

"Where's the princess?" He asked, not giving Demyx a second glance.

Demyx recoiled in pain as Amphi poked him in the eye. "The mast. The mast!" he pointed to the group.

"Who's the creepy guy?" Anak asked.

"He's called Shadow," Nettie explained.

Ashley added, "A big jerk who's after Kairi,"

Anak raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's a little hard to explain,"

By now Shadow had gotten close to them. He summoned his keyblade and raised it up to…Nettie wasn't sure exactly what, but it looked like he was going to stab her.

"Hey, stop that!" Demyx cried out yet again. Amphi and Trite were still causing him pain and discomfort. However someone had had enough of their antics.

"Shut yer traps!" Captain Peg snarled as he smacked Demyx across the face. The action was so strong it sent the nobody sprawling across deck. Amphi and Trite both were thrown off him, and when they hit the deck. They started crying in pain.

The noise attracted the attention of Shadow. "What did you do? "He growled, his attention now on the pirate.

Captain Peg returned his glare. "What's it to ye?"

"Did you just hurt those kids?"

"And me," Demyx piped in. Nettie was sure Shadow ignored that.

"Answer me," he ordered.

Captain Peg drew his cutlass. "I will not be ordered about on my ship. Rush him boys," with that every pirate drew pistols or cutlasses and rushed at Shadow.

They bit off more than they could chew. Shadow ducked from several cutlasses and blocked others with his keyblade. Several pistols fired, but the bullets seemed to do little or no damage.

Shadow fought like a demon. Each slash from his keyblade seemed to ripple with dark energy. The warrior blasted several pirates with dark fireballs and used moves that Jason would want to know. It didn't take long for the pirates to start falling back.

The sound of sliding metal filled their ears. "Ye made me crew look like landlubber sissies," Captain Peg had his cutlass pointed at Shadow, "I respect a good fighter, but I'll be shark bait before I let someone make fools of me crew,"

"You should've thought of that before you hit those kids,"

"I didn't know ye were soft for little brats,"

Nettie wasn't sure Shadow could look any more enraged, but he managed it there and then.

It was then that Captain Peg swung his cutlass. Blow after blow he and Shadow fought. The dark warrior seemed to land a lot of hits, but the pirate captain seemed to do more damage. With one swipe he cut Shadow's shirt, resulting in a cut across the chest. Another sent him flying back, where he almost crashed into a cannon.

Then the pirate issued a low blow. While Shadow was rushing him Captain Peg reached into a pocket of his. As soon as the warrior was close enough he threw whatever he retrieved into Shadow's face. The boy cried out in pain and covered his eyes with one hand. No one at the mast could see, but it looked like some sort of powder. Shadow started swinging his keyblade wildly. Captain Peg sidestepped him and kicked the boy behind the knee. With a cry Shadow fell to the deck of the ship. The pirates cheered for their captain.

Shadow struggled to get up, but felt the cold metal of Captain Peg's sword against his throat. "If I were a gentleman this'd be where I ask ye if ye surrender," Captain Peg sneered, "but I be no gentleman,"

Nettie got a cold feeling. It was as if a winter wind was blowing against her except it was coming from inside. She looked over to her friends and saw that they seemed to be feeling something similar. Pluto and Mabul from their positions started cowering and whimpering, as if they could sense something that scared them was coming.

Anak's eyes widened. "What's with Shadow?" he asked. Everyone turned to see that the pirates had stopped their celebration and were looking concerned at the beaten warrior. If Captain Peg was worried he did not show it.

It looked as if every shadow on the ship were gathering around Shadow. His entire form seemed to be radiating a dark energy. It didn't look like what Kairi had seen with those who succumbed to the darkness in their hearts. It seemed…familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

With a cry a pillar of dark fire erupted from Shadow's body. Several creatures came from him. They had blue bodies with red eyes and lightning shaped ears. Some of them moved so fast they were almost a blur. Kairi's eyes widened.

She recognized them. However she had no time to really dwell on her memories as something larger came from Shadow. The first they knew of it was a screech, like a seabird except much larger. From the dark column came a creature that seemed to resemble a seagull, except it had a pelican's beak with cruel, serrated teeth. It also had a long tail and claws coming from its wings. Long, sharp talons came from its webbed feet. What was most disturbing were its eyes. Redder than any natural color. It was like looking in the face of wrath itself.

"Is that a Heartless?" Ashley asked.

Kairi shook her head. "I don't think so. Look, Shadow's still there. If that was his Heartless he would be gone. There's also the insignia on it. It's heart-shaped, but not like the Heartless. We're dealing with something else,"

That didn't make Nettie feel any better.

"Captain, that boy be a demon I tell ye. Run 'im through and rid us of that thing," One of the crew said as the demonic bird began circling the ship.

Captain Peg shoved him aside. "I'll not be fleeing from some overgrown seagull. Man the cannons," he ordered as his crew began running around gathering the powder and some cannonballs.

The Seagull Dragon, as Nettie decided to call it in her mind, was circling lower and lower. It seemed to be taking its time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

"Fire!" Came the order. Several cannons fired in unison, the deadly projectiles rushing towards the target. The Seagull Dragon gave a cry as the cannonballs made direct contact.

"Again," Captain Peg ordered, but it was too late. The Seagull Dragon dived low, flying at an incredibly fast speed above the surface of the ocean. It hit the hull of the ship with a resounding thud. Many pirates fell overboard.

"No!" Anak cried. Nettie turned to see his little sisters tumble overboard.

Kairi took action. "Come on. We need to get free now," she started struggling against the rope.

"And how would you like us to do that?" Ashley asked.

Nettie heard several clatters in a room close to them. How strange it was that pirates would care about music…wait. She got and idea.

As the instruments continued their musical ruckus she said in unison, "Release us," and was greatly surprised when the ropes fell away. Pluto barked for joy and Mabul ran up and rubbed against her.

"How'd they…" Ashley began to ask before the Seagull Dragon flew over them. The speed was so great it caused a gale force that caught all six of them and sent them off the ship into the water.

Strangely Nettie felt better when she landed in the water, but now was not the time to think about it. Like Anak, Nettie began looking around for the mergirls. Where could they be? They all saw them fall off the ship.

Mabul chittered. Nettie turned to see the little ones were unconscious, and sinking down. Without a second thought Nettie and Mabul began swimming to them as fast as they could. Nettie could see a shadow passing overhead. She knew the Seagull Dragon was coming in, and she didn't want to think about what it might do if it reached the two children first.

As soon as she was close enough to them Nettie grabbed Amphi and Trite and held them close to her body. No sooner had she done so than she felt some cold claws close around her. The Seagull Dragon had them! Almost immediately she felt herself jerked out of the water as the Seagull Dragon took flight. The change from water to air was enough to revive the two little ones. As soon as they realized their predicament they began crying.

Nettie did her best to look at them. "It's alright. We're going to be okay," She said.

"No we're not," she heard Amphi reply.

"Yes we will be. Remember what your parents told you to do when you were scared,"

"How's a song going to help?" Trite asked.

"Just trust me." To be honest Nettie had no idea how a song was supposed to help. She was just trying to calm them down. Soon she heard the two little ones singing a song she didn't know the words to. However she did feel that special feeling she had when she sung before. If only it could help them get out of this predicament. If only she could shock the Seagull Dragon without harming the girls…

The Seagull Dragon gave a different cry, like it had grabbed a red-hot piece of metal. The monster released them, causing them to fall to the ocean. By now they had gained some altitude. Nettie wasn't sure if hitting the water would be painless to mermaids, but she wasn't going to risk these two getting hurt. She did her best to cover them with her body.

There was a splash and pain erupted throughout her back. Every nerve was shrieking in agony. Still she hung on to the children. She had to keep them safe, for their parent's sake.

For Anak…

Not too far away came a bigger splash. Nettie turned her head and exclaimed, "Are you serious?" The Seagull Dragon had dived into the ocean and was swimming underwater as equally fast as in the air. With a kick Nettie dived down, narrowly avoiding the open beak of the monster.

There was a coral reef not too far away. Nettie put forth all her energy to reaching it. The fish were all swimming away from the creature that was invading their home, but the mermaid with the two girls was on a mission. She had to get these two to safety, and fast.

There! Nettie spotted a cave and swam to it. Somehow she could sense it was empty. She quickly placed the two mergirls inside. "Stay here," Nettie told Amphi and Trite. Turning around, Nettie began to swim back to the Seagull Dragon. The hideous bird saw her, and began to swim towards her. She was going to even up the playing field this time.

With a flick of the wrist Nettie summoned her keyblade and gave a war cry as she charged the monster. She had no idea why she did that. It just felt right for the moment. The Seagull Dragon screeched in response and swam towards her.

With an abrupt change in direction Nettie swam up and over, striking the Seagull Dragon all along its back. The demon squawked in pain and tried to swipe her with its tail. It missed. Turning, Nettie swam back to face the creature.

She got a nasty surprise. Opening its beak the Seagull Dragon let out a strange call. It seemed to echo in the water, almost like some sound weapon amplified by the water. Nettie covered her ears. It hurt so much.

She saw the Seagull Dragon race towards her, beak wide open. "_Great_," Nettie thought, "_now I'm on this thing's menu_." With some effort, Nettie swam out of the range of the beak. It missed, but she still got caught in the pull of the current where it was swimming. She banged against its body several times. What were those feathers made of? It was like being pulled by an air-copter against several skyscrapers.

Nettie shook her head in an effort to recover. The contact with the Seagull Dragon seemed to have done something to her. Now she felt…afraid. Worried. Discouraged. This thing was too much for her. She was alone now, and she failed her friends. This thing would get them and all would be over.

"_No_," said a voice inside her, "_this thing's not stronger than you. Fight. Remember the joy of your youth_." Memories came back. Nettie remembered running along a beach with an older girl. Sitting with her at a family campout. Singing songs.

The songs seemed to echo inside of her. They filled her mind and spirit, and slowly crept into her heart. As the Seagull Dragon approached her again, beak wide open to swallow her, Nettie raised her Keyblade and shouted a word she couldn't remember. As the Seagull Dragon got closer a series of lightning bolts erupted from the end of her weapon and flew down the creature's throat. The surge was incredible. It was like she was an endless flow of energy and it was all being directed at the monster.

Finally the creature had more than it could handle. The Seagull Dragon exploded into dark energy. The surge of energy left her. Nettie felt her Keyblade slip from her hand but she didn't care. She was so worn out, like doing Coach Under's exercises all morning. The last thing she remembered seeing before darkness set in was several shapes coming her way.

* * *

Nettie awoke to find herself in the same bed she was in when she first came to Atlantica. This time, she felt completely drained, like a wochu had sucked out her soul. No, that wasn't right. She could feel the joy in her, of a memory she had so long ago, but had forgotten.

Mabul chittered and swam around her. She then felt someone hug her. "You're awake," Anak said.

Nettie felt herself blushing. "Hey, boundaries," she said.

Anak let go. "Sorry. I'm just…"his voice trailed off before he said, "you saved my sisters and defeated the monster. I owe you everything,"

It was then that Kairi, Ashley, and Pluto swam in. "You're not going to believe who is here," Ashley said as they made from for a very muscular merman. He had a great white beard with a golden crown in his hair. His fish tail was blue, but Nettie's focus was what was in his hand. A great golden trident was formidable looking, but Nettie could tell this one had great power.

"So you are the friends of Sora," he said, "I had expected to see him again when word came that there was a monster in my kingdom,"

"Your Majesty," Kairi curtsied before starting to explain, "Sora would've loved to come here, but he had to go a different route from us,"

The king held up a hand to silence her. "Say no more. I understand. You all have my gratitude for stopping that monster and rescuing two of Atlantica's next generation from the hands of the pirates," looking at them he continued, "as a reward I grant you these gifts and pray that they will serve you well," with that he produced a couple of seashells that Ashley, Nettie, and Kairi took. They looked like something that would go on their keyblades.

"As for you Anaklusmos," The king turned to him, "Your bravery in rescuing your sisters is commendable. I would be honored if you would consider joining my guard,"

Anak looked shocked. "I…yes, Sire. It would be a great honor,"

King Triton, as Nettie suspected this guy to be, added, "Tell your parents I shall discuss it with them later. I wish to speak with your friends in private," Anak nodded and swam out. As soon as he was gone King Triton turned to them.

"Your Majesty, Sora's told me so much about your kingdom, but words cannot describe the beauty it holds," Kairi said.

"Yes, the kingdom is beautiful, but only because the hearts its subjects are good and pure. However that is not what I wanted to discuss. I wanted to know what brought you three here," King Triton said, "and don't feel afraid to explain everything. I know that there are other worlds out there,"

Kairi soon explained how Ashley and Nettie had been abducted from their world, and how she and her friends were trying to get them home. She explained the disappearance of Stella and Clair, and the mysterious boy called Shadow. When she got to what happened aboard the _Midgard Serpent_ King Triton looked worried.

"This boy summoned this monster that you vanquished?" King Triton thought aloud, "This is indeed dire. Such creatures have not been seen for over ten years,"

Nettie sat up. "You saw them before?"

"Not personally, but I learned of them from my friend Yen Sid," King Triton explained, "He told me of creatures born from dark emotions that wrought chaos wherever they went. They nearly succeeded in bringing many worlds into the darkness, and if they have returned your journey may have gotten harder.

"He called them the Unversed."

* * *

**And they're back. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was one of the longest I've written. I just hope it's not too soon to be bringing in the Unversed, or a hint of Shadow's past. I also hope King Triton felt realistic. I guess I can always go back and edit later. Now to try and think of how to make the ending for the current Agrabah adventure work out. **


	29. The Vanishing Isle

**Hi everyone. I did my best with this chapter. **

* * *

Chapter 29: The Vanishing Isle

Back in Agrabah Phil and Aurora were watching as Aladdin stood before the Sultan while Genie and Sora, Donald, and Goofy argued in their friend's defense.

Phil sighed. "I can't believe Aladdin actually pulled a stunt like that for his dad,"

Aurora just shrugged.

"Now that guard wants to throw him in the dungeon,"

"I have ears Phil. I heard him,"

"Just trying to make conversation,"

Phil just sat back and waited to see how events would turn out. He was greatly relieved when the Sultan decided to pardon Aladdin. Aurora just rolled her eyes like she knew that was going to happen.

Before anyone could continue or say anything they all heard a familiar squawk. Many eyes turned to see Iago fly up to them like an army was on his tail feathers. He tried to speak, but was too out of breath and nothing intelligible could be gathered.

"Slow down Iago. Catch your breath first," Sora said.

Iago took a deep breath before explaining, "It's Sa'luk, the guy that Al trashed. He's back, and he's taken over the Forty Thieves. He's got Cassim, and the scepter,"

"Serves him right," Aladdin said coldly before turning away.

Sora stood up. "Al, we gotta help. He's your father,"

"Why? What has he done for us?" Aurora asked.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Phil said.

"There's more," Iago added between breaths, "That big guy, he's here again." When everyone looked at him in confusion Iago scrunched his eyes in concentration trying to remember the name. After murmuring to himself a bit he remembered, "Pete!" The group was shocked but Iago had more. "He's working with Sa'luk, and now they're both using the Heartless!"

"Are you sure about this?" Donald asked.

"I wouldn't make something like this up!"

"Okay, now we seriously got to help," Phil said.

Aladdin turned from them. "He brought this upon himself,"

Goofy didn't like that. "Now listen here Al, just because someone in yer family does something stupid doesn't mean ya go an' give up on 'em. A father may do something to embarrass his son and that there son may not listen to his father from time to time, but that don't change the fact that they're family. When it comes to family everyone watches out fer each other,"

"Goofy's right Aladdin," Jasmine said, "he's still your father, and he needs you right now." When Aladdin didn't respond she added, "You know, you're as stubborn as he is."

Aladdin didn't say anything for a few minutes. Phil was afraid he would insist on not going to the rescue, and it was obvious from the looks on Sora, Donald, and Goofy's faces that they were thinking he might do that. Many were relieved when he turned and had a determined look on his face. "Show me the way,"

* * *

Later Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, Iago, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were riding on Carpet following a light that was coming up from the ocean. Genie had transformed into an airplane of sorts to carry Phil and Aurora.

"So how exactly does an island vanish? Does it just go poof or is there more?" Phil was asking.

Donald shrugged. "We'll find out when we get there,"

Everyone was shocked when the light disappeared and they were surrounded by fog.

"Well this is great," Aurora spoke sarcastically.

Sora held up a hand. "Sshh. Do you hear that?"

Everyone listened to hear rumbling coming up from ahead. Phil and Aurora couldn't put their fingers on it, but it sounded almost…animal. What was going on? When the fog cleared they saw why.

The Vanishing Isle had appeared.

"The Vanishing Isle…" Aladdin said in amazement.

Jasmine noted, "On the back of a giant turtle,"

"And never in the same place twice,"

"Well that sure explains a lot," Goofy said as everyone moved closer. They saw what remained of the Forty Thieves and Cassim with his hands bound being led on by someone Phil, Aurora, Sora, Donald, and Goofy guessed was Sa'luk. Pete was beside him, eyes full of mischief.

"Let's move," Genie said. He turned into an army commander of sorts with a machine gun parachuting onto the island. Phil and Aurora were surprised to see they were now dressed in a similar manner. "Time to rock 'n roll dudes," Genie shouted. He began firing lasers as soon as he landed, causing the Forty Thieves to take cover.

"Well, it's about time you pipsqueaks showed up," Pete said.

"Big words coming from a…fat cat?" Phil was unsure if Pete was supposed to be that. He did notice his and Aurora's clothes had changed back to their Agrabah fashion.

Pete glared at him. "Shut up you little runt. With the Hand of Midas in her possession Maleficent's going to make some mighty powerful Heartless."

Aurora scoffed. "You don't have the hand yet moron,"

"Well I will, because all of ye are goin' to be busy with the new Forty Thieves,"

Sora looked around. "Don't know how good your math is, but I only count eight including Sa'luk,"

Pete grinned like he had been waiting to cause someone torture for a while. With a snap of his fingers everyone found themselves surrounded by Heartless. Sora counted about ten Bandits, ten fortunetellers, ten Luna Bandits, and two Fat Bandits.

"And that would make forty," Aurora said.

Pete smirked. "Enjoy your new pals. I got a golden opportunity calling my lady's name, and endless hearts for the Heartless," with that he gave one loud laugh as he walked off.

Everyone drew their weapons and prepared to fight. Phil was actually feeling doubtful. These Heartless were carrying some nasty scimitars and they looked like they meant business.

The Bandits leapt in first, swinging their scimitars in a motion so fast it would take off an arm. Everyone managed to block and parry. It wasn't long before the Fortunetellers rolled around on their crystal balls, doing more damage than Aurora thought was possible.

Before Phil could react one of the Fat Bandits ran into him. He was shoved into the direction of another one, where it was actually covering its fist with fire! It punched him right in the face. Phil really didn't feel good.

"Phil!" Donald shouted as he cast a spell that regenerated his health. However before he could get back on his feet four of the Luna Bandits jumped him and slashed him several times with their scimitars. Then a Fat Bandit crashed into him and all went dark.

Sora saw Phil go down. "Phil!" he cried out. Three Bandits leapt at him but Sora just slashed them and freed the hearts they had. The crowd around Phil was thick and he couldn't see them. Well he was going to have to change that. He cast the Magneta spell and cleared the Heartless out that way, doing a lot of damage to some of them. However when he got over there a look of horror and pain crossed Sora's face. He responded by taking out the Fat Bandits.

Goofy did a spinning attack where he hit the Heartless with his shield. Aurora thought that was silly, but it was helping to clear the Heartless. Donald called down lots of lightning from the skies and blasted the rest to oblivion. However there was no time to rest.

"We will see to it that you do not leave this island alive," one thief said as the rest of the Forty Thieves charged them. Aurora didn't have time to see how the others were doing as she was attacked by one thief that somehow knew karate. Well that was her area of expertise. Putting away her keyblade Aurora matched this guy blow for blow.

She felt something sharp graze her cheek. Aurora turned to see another thief was throwing knives at her. Aurora shifted her focus to deflect some of the knives with her hands while kicking others back at the thief. She felt a hard blow behind her back and next thing she knew the ground was literally in her face. She turned to see the karate thief advancing on her, with the big guy not far behind.

It was then that Jasmine came to the rescue. Using a tree for momentum she swung around and kicked the fat thief away. The karate thief turned in time to receive a knuckle sandwich from Agrabah's princess.

Now Aurora was impressed, though she didn't let it show. "Thanks,"

Jasmine smiled. "Let's take them together,"

Aurora liked that plan.

The karate thief was back on his feet. He tried to take on both Jasmine and Aurora, but he was outmatched. They avoided his chops and kicks while they managed to hit him several times. It wasn't long before he was down and out. The knife thief tried another sneak attack with his last knife, but Jasmine caught the knife he threw and threw it back.

The big guy was back. Aurora did a couple of front flips before leaping up and kicking him in the face. The thief groaned but Aurora didn't give him a break. As she landed behind him she turned and kicked him somewhere that made his eyes go wide and he gave a long groan of pain before collapsing. As he fell Aurora saw Jasmine looking at her as if she wasn't sure what to think.

Aurora said, "What? He's down, isn't he?"

The island suddenly lurched and water began rushing into the city.

"We gotta get outta here!" Donald said.

"But what about Al and Cassim?" Goofy asked.

Jasmine took command. "Aladdin would want us to get to safety,"

"But we're not leaving without them," Sora protested.

"Who said we were?"

As understanding hit him, Sora nodded in agreement. All of them piled onto Carpet and flew off the island. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Aurora looked back at the place where Phil fell. There wasn't a body there so they all new what happened to their friend, and their hearts were heavy.

As they waited they saw two figures emerge at the top of a domed building. They started flying over just as one of them threw something shiny into the sea. They were sure the Hand of Midas had just been thrown way.

"Aladdin, Cassim, come on!" Sora gestured to them. The two of them jumped off the building and landed on Carpet. Aurora was surprised that now they could all fit.

"Glad to see you two are alright," Donald said.

Cassim nodded before doing a double take. "Where's your friend?"

Several heads hung low. "He didn't make it." Everyone was silent as the Vanishing Isle disappeared into the sea, only for the head to resurface. Out of its mouth came Genie, this time looking just like a black-and-white Mickey.

Aladdin called out, "Genie,"

"Present."

"Let's go home,"

* * *

Later that night Aladdin and Jasmine were finally married. It was just what the group needed to take their minds off of what happened on the Vanishing Isle. Aurora was surprised that a big cat was carrying Jasmine's train, but she didn't say anything. It was probably some custom of this world.

As the festivities commenced and Aladdin and Jasmine flew off on Carpet, the four travelers turned to each other with solemn looks on their faces.

"We managed to stop Pete and the thieves from getting the Hand of Midas. On the other hand…" Sora's voice trailed off.

Donald moaned. "Why did this have to happen?"

"What are we going to tell everyone else?" Goofy asked. No one had an answer.

* * *

**Sorry if that chapter didn't live up to your expectations. I was trying to do this chapter from memory of the film. **

**On a brighter note if there are any female readers out there, or if you know anyone who would be interested, here's an opportunity to apply to voice a character in a Disney film. I would advise you to take advantage of this opportunity because it doesn't come everyday:**

** /posts/2014/12/02/could-you-be-the-voice-of-the-newest-disney-princess-2476537?lt_source=external,manual,manual**


	30. Losses and plans

**Sorry about the delay. I've just been going through a rough time. I hope this chapter captures the emotions and stress of what's been happening to everyone. **

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Disney. **

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27 and Sivour belongs to GeminiZKnight. **

* * *

Chapter 30: Losses and plans

Clair groaned and woke to find herself in a cell. Not a place she ever expected to wake up in, so she was naturally shocked at first. After she regained her wits she took in her surroundings. Judging from the excessive use of white she suspected it was in the same place as the room with the tall thrones.

She looked to see Stella wasn't too far away. The brunette looked just about as shocked as Clair was at first. She seemed to regain her wits when she saw Clair. "Clair?"

"Hi, Stella,"

"We're in the Organization's stronghold, aren't we?"

"What gave that away? The excessive use of white or the feeling that this place is completely emotionless?"

Stella would've said more, but at that moment a dark corridor opened outside of their cell. Both girls turned to see Saïx walk out and approach their cell.

"I see you two are awake," the nobody spoke without feeling.

Clair walked up to the bars. "Where are our friends?" she asked.

Saïx responded, "Your friends will join you soon enough. Those who haven't been added to our numbers,"

Stella stood up. "What do you mean?"

"All you need to know is that your numbers dwindle, and ours grow,"

A suspicion hit Clair. "No one would join you…would they?"

A dark corridor opened behind Saïx. "Better enjoy your solitude while you can. You'll have plenty of company soon,"

"You wanna bet?" Clair and Stella asked in unison.

"Tempting, but I don't gamble,"

* * *

Yen Sid stood at the window. He sensed the four groups were returning to his tower, and he wished the others wouldn't have to learn about the tragedy that had befallen.

Naminé approached him. "Will they be here soon?"

Yen Sid bowed his head. "Sooner than I would prefer,"

No sooner had the sorcerer spoken than four entrances to the Lanes Between opened and four gummi ships appeared outside the Mysterious Tower. As the strange spaceships landed the two watchers observed as the heroes of light approached the tower.

It was still a few minutes more before everyone got up the stairs to the main room. When they saw Yen Sid and Naminé waiting for them they could tell something wasn't right. Jason and the others, naturally, had been asking about the girl Axel was carrying with them, but no one from his group was willing to say anything.

"So it's true. She has returned," Yen Sid said as he took the girl from Axel.

Jason's patience had run thin. "Will someone just say who this chick is supposed to be?"

"Her name's Xion!" Roxas snapped at him impatiently.

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Xion?"

With a snap of his fingers a bed appeared in front of the desk. As Yen Sid placed Xion on the bed he said, "All of you have something important to tell. Sora, you and those who accompanied you may have the hardest news of all to bear,"

"It happened so fast. We were outnumbered, and we tried to help but…" Donald began explaining.

"Just spit it out!" Jason snapped.

"Phil's fallen," Aurora broke the ice.

All sound ceased at that. Jason looked worse than when he had been in the Crypt. "Phil's…fallen? You mean…"

"The Heartless had us outnumbered. The toughest ganged up on him and…I think they took his heart," Aurora explained. Jason turned away from everyone else and covered his eyes with his hand, using the wall as a support.

Sora started, "We tried to help, but…"

"You just let him…" Jason muttered. "He didn't deserve…he should be here…"

Sora put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Jason turned on him. "Sorry? Sorry about what? That you stood by and sacrificed him like some grunt? Sorry that I wasn't there to save him? Sorry that you did nothing to help him?"

Goofy stepped up. "Now listen here…"

"No, you listen," Jason growled, "I thought you guys were supposed to be tough. I thought you knew what you were doing, but I guess I was wrong. You can't fight your way out of a fun house. You don't even know how to fight!"

"Hey Jace," AJ started before the younger teen turned on him.

"Don't call me that. I've told you countless times that I hate everything about that nickname. My name is Jason. J-A-S-O-N. Get it through your thick skull!" No one had ever seen Jason this angry. Ashley and Nettie started to pull away.

"Calm down. Things will be okay—" Riku tried to say.

Jason turned his rage on him. "Don't you get it? Phil is gone! This kid just let him die!"

Sora was getting a little steamed now. "Kid? I'm a year older than you,"

"And you act like a little boy twenty-four-seven. You think all you need to do is believe in some hocus pocus junk and everything will get fixed? Well, let me tell you something in the real world that's not how it works!" Jason turned away from them. "I knew I shouldn't have indulged your stupid fantasies. I don't know how you can do certain things, but I can tell it's not what you say it is because no matter what you may think there is no such thing as magi—"

"Jason Norman," Yen Sid spoke. His voice seemed to shake the entire tower, and many of them almost fell from the sheer power of his words, "Do not turn on your only hope because of your loss. Your friend is not lost,"

Jason had actually fallen down when Yen Sid spoke. The tough guy didn't even try to argue or get back up. No one was more surprised than Aurora to see him scoot back from the wizard, and that he was actually scared.

Clearing his throat Yen Sid continued, "The Heartless never kill people. They only steal their hearts. Phil still lives, but he will not be the person you know," everyone noticed the sorcerer's voice had gone back to normal.

Nettie broke the silence. "So who exactly is Xion?"

"She's someone we knew in the past. She was…we thought she died years ago," Mika explained. Nettie thought she was hiding something, but didn't pry.

Yen Sid nodded. "No doubt this is a ploy by Xemnas. Be on your guard. She might not be who you remember…" his voice tailed as he observed Nettie. "Something is different about you. Tell me, what has transpired on your adventures?"

Nettie explained what had happened in Atlantica, losing Stella, meeting Anak, being captured by Captain Peg, Shadow's anger and the summoning of the Unversed. No sooner had she mentioned the Seagull Dragon that Yen Sid interrupted her.

"This Shadow has the power to summon the Unversed?" He asked with a voice full of alarm.

"You heard of them?" AJ asked.

"It was many years ago," Yen Sid explained, "The Unversed emerged from the negative emotions of a boy created by Xehanort. He released the Unversed into countless worlds, causing chaos wherever he went. Thankfully he was stopped and the Unversed vanished from the universe,"

Aurora looked at Kairi. "Shadow really seems intent on getting your heart. What I don't get is why,"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Phil didn't tell you?"

Aurora looked at him. "Like he tells me anything good,"

"Aurora, you know that most hearts have light and darkness in them right?" Kairi asked.

"Duh," Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Well, my heart is…different. There are seven hearts out there that are only filled with light. Years ago Maleficent tried to use the hearts to open the door to Kingdom Hearts,"

"Let me guess, your heart is one of the Hearts of Light?"

AJ held up a finger. "We mentioned that last time we were in Radiant Garden,"

"Next time give us more details," Aurora growled at him.

Ashley decided to change the subject. "So who has the six remaining hearts?"

Goofy began counting his fingers. "Well, there's Jasmine, uh Belle, Snow White, Alice, Cinderella, and Aurora,"

Jason, Ashley, Nettie, and AJ all looked at Aurora, who glared at them.

"Not your friend. A princess in another world," Yen Sid clarified.

"Great. So not only do we have to beat the Organization to get back home, we have to keep a madman from taking seven hearts," Nettie summarized.

Ashley added, "And he keeps mopping the floor with us,"

Yen Sid nodded. "Yes, your current skills are in need of improvement," Flicking his wrist orbs of light appeared and floated to each wielder. One by one the orbs entered into the chests of the warriors in training. "These lights will guide you to the worlds you need to go. There you will learn to strengthen not only your bodies, but your hearts as well."

* * *

Shadow awoke to find himself back in the stronghold of Organization XIII. He didn't have much time to think as he noticed Maleficent, Ansem, and practically all the Organization. He hated the attention.

Maleficent seemed to stare into his soul. "What happened?"

Shadow strained to sit up. "I…don't know. I was just so angry at those pirates. Then the darkness in me began building up and these…creatures just burst from my body,"

Demyx shivered. "Real freaky things." Shuttering, he continued, "With those creepy red eyes, and that big one had a symbol like the Emblem Heartless, but not like theirs,"

For once Maleficent took in what the Nobody was saying. "Red eyes? That sounds familiar…"

Vexen turned to Lexeaus, Zexion, and Xaldin. "Didn't we see creatures like that when we were Somebodies?"

Zexion nodded. "I think so, but it was more than ten years ago. I don't recall ever seeing them since,"

"Unversed," Ansem said.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Unversed?"

"Creatures of darkness born from negative emotions," Xemnas explained, "We only know of one person who was able to create and control the Unversed, and unfortunately he is no more,"

Xigbar smiled. "Looks like someone here is special,"

Maleficent nodded, obviously pondering this information. "This power could prove to be useful,"

"Indeed," Ansem agreed, "Be forewarned, for every Unversed struck down the negativity will flow back into your body. The process will sting you with pain every time it happens,"

"Hmph. Whatever," Shadow said as he folded his arms and looked away.

"Still, I find failing to get the Princess because of a squabble between you and your associates inexcusable," Sivour said, "How incompetent can you get?"

Shadow turned on him, auras of darkness gathering around his fists. "Those dishonorable sea snakes had it coming! And you're one to talk! You used me to bring that…puppet of yours to life, only to let it fall into the hands of those Keyblade Meddlers. Big screw up right there for someone who calls me incompetent! What exactly were you planning to do with it anyway?"

The look Sivour gave him felt like death. "None of your business. The puppet has a role to play just as you do. One way or another, our plans will succeed,"

* * *

**And there you go. I hope Jason's anger felt real. **

**Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for the segment where Shadow met with Organization XIII. **

**I'll try to get through with the next world visit before Christmas ends. I hope to make the next chapters special for some of the characters. **


	31. A Surprise Reunion

**Hi everyone. Since the holiday is coming up I thought I'd better reflect it in the story. **

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Disney or Final Fantasy. **

**Nettie and Mabul belong to Sonic Lyoko.**

**AJ belongs to Sanyu. **

**Mika belongs to Organization_Mika.**

**Aurora belongs to E.X.S.O.S.**

**I do own Jason. **

* * *

Chapter 31: A Surprise Reunion

Everyone assumed they would be drawn to different worlds when they left the Mysterious Tower. However they all ended up finding themselves in Radiant Garden. It wasn't that they weren't glad to be back, but it was still strange that they would be led to the same world so soon.

"It's a small universe after all," AJ joked.

"Actually it's pretty big," Mika corrected him.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"I've traveled most of it,"

"Well we've got something to deliver to the Restoration Committee," Axel reached into a pocket of his, "Why don't you kids go have some fun?"

"Kids?" Nettie asked.

AJ smiled. "You heard the man. Skedaddle,"

Axel opened his mouth to say something, but Mika held a finger up to his mouth. "I think he can stay with us."

* * *

Soon Axel, Mika, Roxas, and AJ were entering the headquarters of the Restoration Committee. AJ noticed Merlin seemed to be lifting some red and green decorations up with his magic. There was also a tree in a corner with all sorts of baubles and ribbons on it, with what appeared to be a winged person at the top.

"What is going on here?" AJ asked.

Yuffie looked at them from where she was helping Merlin set up some decorations. "Merlin is getting ready for Christmas,"

"For what?"

"Yo. Axel. What brings you here?" Cid took his eyes off the computer.

Axel took out the flash drive from his pocket. He tossed it to Cid who caught it with one hand and inserted it into the computer. As the information contained on it appeared on screen Cid actually appeared pleased.

"This is good. This is really good," he said mostly to himself, "With this data we won't have to accept Shinra's help,"

"That's awesome!" Yuffie pumped the air with a fist, nearly knocking off a decoration she had set up.

"Now you mind telling me what this Christmas is?" AJ asked.

Mika looked at him. "You've never heard of Christmas?"

"Do I look like I have?"

Yuffie jumped down from the stepladder she was on. "Christmas is a holiday where people get together with friends and family. They give each other gifts and sing songs,"

"Sounds a bit like Starlight," AJ said.

Now it was Yuffie's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Starlight?"

"I'd say it's their version of Christmas. Got it memorized?" Axel came to the rescue.

* * *

Elsewhere the others were seeing the people were getting into the holiday spirit. Garlands with lights in them were being strung up over the streets, and red ribbons were being tied on buildings all over the place. In shop windows they could see trees with baubles and lights.

"I'm so glad we can see a world getting ready for Christmas," Kairi said as she walked beside Sora, their arms locked.

Nettie was looking at the decorations. "I don't know what Christmas is, but it looks like it's a beautiful thing,"

"Kind of like Starlight," Ashley noted.

"Farsight?" Goofy asked.

Nettie rolled her eyes. "Starlight is a holiday we celebrate on Harthyn. Every year friends and family come together and sing songs under the light of the stars. Then, while everyone is singing the Aureal comes and leaves gifts for the people who had been good,"

Riku shook his head even though he was smiling. "Another Santa Claus,"

"Santa Claus?" Jason asked.

"An old man who brings presents to good girls and boys every Christmas Eve," he explained.

"Yeah, and we met him," Donald said proudly.

"Sora told me about that last Christmas," Kairi then looked at Riku. "I told you he was real,"

"Sounds like nonsense to me," Jason growled. Aurora smacked him on the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You wouldn't understand," she then put some distance between the two of them.

Ashley and Nettie suddenly both looked sad and depressed. Jason noticed, but he didn't say anything.

Roxas took notice. "What's wrong?"

"It's just…" Nettie said, "we can't spend it with our family this year. You can go to your families back on the islands, but us…we're stuck."

Now it was Kairi's turn to look sad. "Well, the thing is, I'm not really from the islands,"

"What?" Ashley, Nettie, Aurora, and Jason asked in unison.

"Kairi came to the islands a long time ago," Riku explained, "she hasn't seen her family since then,"

"It's okay," Kairi tried to change the mood, "I don't really remember them that well,"

Nettie got an idea. "Hey, what are some tasty treats for the season here?"

"Did you have candy canes on Harthyn?" Donald asked.

"Or gingerbread cookies?" Sora asked.

"Or Beglog?" Goofy asked.

Donald corrected him. "Eggnog!"

The teens from Harthyn shook their heads, so they entered the first restaurant they saw and had some lunch. Ham was on the menu with eggnog for a beverage. Dessert was candy canes and gingerbread cookies. Jason and Aurora made no outward expression, but they thought the food was quite delicious. Nettie gave some of her desserts to Mabul, who ate them with pleasure. Ashley only ate a little of the sweets. She didn't want to ruin her figure.

Once they were finished the group was heading back out into town to do some more sightseeing. However they hardly went a few feet before they bumped into an old woman who was carrying some packages. The unexpected jostle caused the lady to drop everything she had.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry." She apologized as she knelt down to pick up her packages.

"Oh no. We're sorry. We should've been looking where we were going," Kairi said as everyone got down and began picking up the packages. Everyone was saying their apologies, except for Jason, as they helped.

As they helped the old lady up and gave her the packages, she smiled and thanked them kindly. However as soon as she got a good look at them she dropped her packages again. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

The old woman had grey hair tied in a bun. She was dressed in a purple dress with a white apron and a red shawl around her neck. She was a little shorter than everyone. What surprised them the most was her eyes. They were the same color blue as Kairi's.

Come to think of it, this lady seemed shocked to see only one of them.

"Can it be? After all these years?" She asked as she touched Kairi's face, "Kairi, is it you?"

It was clear that Kairi was searching her memory, and wasn't having much luck. However, this woman clearly knew who she was. Ashley was beginning to get suspicious.

Then Kairi's eyes widened. "Grandma?"

* * *

**Sorry this was short. Writing late is hard on anyone's brain. I thought that this holiday might be a good way to lighten the mood with what's been going on.**

**YamiChaos27, I'm glad that you liked what happened last chapter. **

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, whatever the Organization is planning you can be sure it isn't good. **


	32. A Family Christmas

**Hi everyone. I meant to get this up before Christmas, but my laptop had a bug and I couldn't get access to Microsoft Word. In the end I had to wait to share this. Still, better late than never. **

**Anne Onimus, there is a connection between the two of them, but I'm not going to say what. **

* * *

Chapter 32: A Family Christmas

Everyone was shocked at what Kairi said. Well, except Sora. He recognized her as soon as he saw her. He remembered seeing her in one of Kairi's memories from a long time ago.

After a tense moment of shock Kairi hugged her grandmother. The two of them didn't say anything, but enjoyed being in each other's company.

"Mom, are you down here?" A male voice called from behind them. Everyone turned to see an adult man coming down the street to where they were. He was dressed in a grey suit with a sea green tie. He had short red hair and blue eyes just like Kairi and her grandmother.

"Shima, you won't believe who has come back to us," Kairi's grandmother said. The man stopped as he saw Kairi's face. He ran up to look at her.

"Kairi, you've finally come home," Shima said as he hugged her.

Kairi's grandmother looked at the others. "These are your friends?" She asked.

Kairi nodded. "The best friends I could ask for."

"Thank you for being their for my granddaughter," Kairi's grandmother said with a bow.

Sora and Riku bowed back. Everyone else remained standing because this custom was not from the worlds they came from.

"Your mother will be so happy," Shima said as he and her grandmother started leading her down the street. Kairi's grandmother turned back and motioned for the others to follow them. They obeyed.

Along the way Jason remained skeptical. "These people show up out of the blue, and they manage to recognize Kairi after how long of not seeing her?" He asked.

"It's been about ten years since she first came to the islands," Riku answered.

Jason rolled his eyes and scoffed. Aurora kicked his ankle.

They passed people singing Christmas Carols and children building snowmen. One kid even threw a snowball at the passing group. Donald and Goofy then joined in the little snowball fight. The others tried to avoid it, but in the end Roxas, Sora, Riku, Ashley, and Nettie ended up joining in. They had to hurry to catch up the others afterwards.

Eventually they came to a nice little house outside of the main market. It didn't look any different from some of the other houses surrounding it. It also had lights on the outside of the house and there was a decorated tree on the inside.

As they all entered the house the delicious aromas of home cooking entered their nostrils. They saw a table lined with lots of food. Turkey (the students from Harthyn saw it as some sort of strange bird), mince pies, fruit cake, cookies, ham, and much more were the sights they saw.

"Shima, are you home yet? I need help to get all this to…" The woman's voice trailed off as she saw who had come in. She dropped a pan she was cleaning and rushed over to Kairi. "Could it be? Have you really come home?" She asked.

"Yes she has for the umpteenth time," Jason muttered under his breath. Aurora elbowed him and Donald whacked him on the head.

Kairi had clearly gotten her looks from her father. Her mother had short blond hair and green eyes. Right now she was wearing a green, red, and white dress. She hugged her daughter with all the love of a mother.

Shima cleared his throat. "Umi, I believe we have a party to get to?"

Umi looked up with a surprised expression. "Oh, right. Everyone will be waiting," She looked at Kairi's friends. "You all came at the perfect time," with that she began handing plates and bowls of food to everyone.

Nettie raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly do you want us to carry these?"

"To Seventh Heaven," Umi replied.

* * *

Everyone's arms were sore when they finally reached Seventh Heaven. Jason thought it looked like some old restaurant or pub, someplace where people would go to eat and hang out. In Netokan they had auto-joints that just served what you liked based on your taste buds.

"Hey guys, you finally made it," AJ said as he walked out of the place.

Aurora nearly dropped the punch bowl she was holding. "AJ, what are you doing here?"

"The Restoration Committee was invited to a Christmas party here," he answered as he held the door open for everyone.

Sure enough Merlin, Cid, Yuffie, and Leon were here setting up tables and places for people to sit. Aerith was talking to a woman with black hair, and a matching outfit. What Jason thought was strange was she had a train. Why anyone would wear something like that was beyond him.

"Oh, you made it Umi," she said as she noticed them.

"I wouldn't miss your party Tifa," Umi said as she hugged her friend. "Over by the music as usual?"

"That's where we always serve the food," Tifa said as she gestured to the back of the place. Soon everyone was setting down the food and finally allowing their arms to rest. Umi and Shima were talking to Tifa, who looked at Kairi with a surprised look. Ashley had a feeling before the day was over everyone in Radiant Garden would know the news.

"So is Cloud coming?" Shima asked.

Tifa frowned. "I'm afraid not. He's working today,"

"Working? On Christmas Eve?" Umi was surprised.

Tifa nodded sadly.

Before anything else could be said some music started playing and people began coming in. It wasn't long before everyone was chatting and having a good time with each other. Even Merlin and Cid were getting along, and they were singing to some of the songs that were playing. Mika had to chuckle because Axel kept complaining that Demyx with a sore throat was more talented than they were.

Jason was surprised that the food was taken care of so fast. In Netokan the machines would keep the tables full until it registered that the people were done eating. Yet here nobody seemed to mind when something ran out.

Once every last morsel was eaten everyone started clearing the tables and moving chairs around. It didn't take long for the floor to be cleared. Then when the music started people began dancing.

Ashley and Nettie jumped in almost immediately. They took their partners and picked up the dance moves as if they had known them all their lives. The music, the feelings, they were all lovely and the girls decided this was their new favorite holiday.

Jason and Aurora did not partake of the dancing, but neither did they stand near each other. Countless times people tried to get them to dance, but both of them refused. Everyone finally gave up on them and went back to the festivities.

Shima and Umi wanted to spend as much time with their daughter as possible. To be fair Kairi wanted to tell her parents everything that had happened to her, but she knew that she couldn't talk about other worlds to her parents, so she did her best to tell them without revealing everything. To her relief her parents found her answers satisfactory and didn't pry her for details.

It was then that the door opened. In walked Zack, looking better than the last time the group had seen him, and he had started dressing in the style of Radiant Garden. It bore a resemblance to his outfit from Final Fantasy VII, but no one here had played Final Fantasy VII, so they didn't know that.

"Guess what everyone? The party's finally started," Zack said as he took Aerith's hand, kissed it, and asked, "May I have this dance?" Aerith smiled, nodded, and the two of them began waltzing on the floor. Aurora didn't know why, but she felt glad to see them together.

"Surprise," someone said beside Tifa. The woman looked to see Cloud was standing there. Before she could ask him he said, "I finished my business early," In case you're wondering when he came in he used Zack's entrance as a distraction to sneak in unnoticed. The two of them have become partners in his delivery business.

The music changed to something slower, but still seasonal. Axel and Mika had been dancing all this time. Mika could think back to a time before Organization XIII, where the two of them had spent a Christmas similar to this one. She held on to that memory fondly and wanted this night to go on and on.

It was about this time that Sora approached Kairi. "Would you like to dance?" Sora asked his friend.

Kairi looked at him with surprise and delight. "Yes," She said as she stood up. The two of them moved to the center of the floor and began dancing to the music. Both of them could feel something special happening here, though neither of them knew quite well what. All Kairi knew was that this day had been the most special of her life. She found her family, got to dance with Sora, and everyone she loved was spending the holidays together.

Sora felt the same way. It was nice after all this time to actually get to enjoy spending some time together with his friends. He had spent too many years worrying about them and searching for them. Now they could just have some fun for once. And Kairi. To him her eyes seemed to shine like stars.

"Uh-oh. Look where you two are," Axel said as he pointed to the ceiling. There was a small green plant hanging there. Goofy and Donald started chuckling at each other.

"What? What is is?" Jason asked.

"They're standing under blissful - uh, tinsel hoe," Goofy answered.

Donald corrected him. "Mistletoe!"

Jason shrugged. "So?"

"That means they gotta kiss," Goofy explained.

Sora and Kairi looked at the plant and then at each other. Slowly they reached in and kissed each other. Several of their friends cheered.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this late Christmas gift. **


	33. Olympic Events

**Hi everyone. Sorry for the long delay. I've been trying to get so much done. I finally got some big stuff taken care of and decided to reward myself with writing. I hope this makes up for lost time.**

* * *

Chapter 33: Olympic Events

Shadow was looking at the two captive girls. They hadn't said a word to him. In the past they would've sent lots of insults his way. Now, they acted like he wasn't even there.

"Comfortable are we?" Said a familiar voice. All three of them looked up to see Maleficent had entered the dungeon. Her raven, Diablo, was perched on her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Clair asked the fairy-turned-witch.

Maleficent grinned. "Much. And you're going to start by helping Shadow collect the heart of your friend Kairi,"

"We would sooner die!" Stella snapped.

Maleficent twirled her hand. Shadow saw a couple of small, pointed objects appear out of thing air. "I think you'll soon see things our way," she grinned.

The sharp objects flew towards the girls so fast they didn't have time to react. Both of them clutched their chests where the things entered in. Shadow realized whatever they were they were designed to go for the heart.

"What have you done?" Shadow asked as Clair and Stella collapsed.

She looked at him. "I did what needed to be done. I adjusted it from a curse that requires a mirror, but it will still have the same results."

Shadow looked at the girls. He could see the lights in their hearts fading, or at least growing dimmer. Their darkness, however, was growing.

* * *

The group was still together as they traveled between the worlds. They had enjoyed their little holiday together, but now it was time to get serious. Phil was gone, and Clair and Stella were still MIA. Jason still believed his cousin was out there somewhere.

"So what's the plan?" Ashley asked over their communications.

Riku answered, "We need to train all of you. Shadow's proving to be too much of a problem, and you need to be able to handle yourselves."

"I can take care of myself!" Jason snapped.

"According to Kairi when you fought Shadow he took you out fast," Sora said via their communications.

"Shut up. Who asked you?" Jason retorted.

Nettie's voice came up, "Jason this isn't helping. For once could you swallow your attitude and go along with this?"

AJ saw Jason roll his eyes and mouth "Nag, nag, nag,"

"So what do you have in mind?" Aurora asked.

"We know the perfect place for you guys," Donald says.

Goofy added, "Yeah, 'cause it's the place where heroes are made,"

* * *

It was a little embarrassing for everyone to be back in the style of fashion for the world of Olympus Coliseum, but it helped them blend in.

"There's the entrance," Sora said as he pointed to some large golden statues of warriors guarding a doorway.

"I remember. I've been here before," Roxas said.

Jason muttered something under his breath, but everyone started going inside, so no one paid him any attention. Inside was a small room with a corridor leading somewhere. One the walls were trophies won by various heroes. Nettie looked to see Sora's name on some of them.

From the corridor came a really muscular man dressed in orange-brown armor that ended in some sort of metallic skirt. He also had a blue cape and a brown belt with some golden emblem on it. Aurora was able to see it was a lightning bolt coming out of a cloud. There was also a sword strapped to the belt.

The man looked surprised to see them all, but recognized three of them. "Sora! Donald! Goofy!" He said.

"Hey Herc. How's it going?" Sora asked.

The man, Herc, replied, "Same as usual. Fighting monsters. Training with Phil,"

Jason looked up. "Phil?"

"Philoctetes," Donald informed him. That did not lift Jason's spirits.

"Speaking of, do you think Phil would be willing to take on new potential heroes?" Sora asked.

Herc thought about it. "Phil's kind of swamped. Ever since you three became heroes Phil's been getting people from all over Greece to train. I'll see what he says though." He departed back down the corridor.

* * *

An hour later, everyone was still waiting. This Phil guy must really be busy if Herc was taking so long with him. They did find out the guy was actually named Hercules, and he was supposedly the son of Zeus. When Jason heard that Zeus was the king of the gods of this world, he scoffed. He wasn't a believer in that sort of thing.

A scream came from outside. Everyone rushed out to see that a bunch of Scrapper, Archraven, and Buckle Bruiser Unversed were converging on a group of people. Everyone pulled out their keyblades and got ready for a fight.

"Hey! Uglies!" Ashley insulted them. The Unversed turned their attention away from the innocent bystanders, who ran away.

Aurora slashed at some Archravens that flew in to them. The Buckle Bruisers threw their shields at the group. Jason got hit by one of them. The Scrappers then charged, slashing their claws at the group.

"Thunder!" Donald cried. Lightning fell from the sky, zapping several of the Unversed. Three Archravens and two Scrappers faded into darkness. The Buckle Bruisers seemed a little confused. Goofy used this opportunity to knock them back with his shield. One of them hit Goofy on the head with its right shield, but Goofy shook it off.

"Does that hurt?" Kairi asked as she knocked back a Scrapper.

Goofy shook his head. "Nope. Happens to me all the time,"

A Buckle Bruiser charged Ashley and knocked her back. Donald hit it with a Blizzard spell. When it fell down Riku used a Dark Aura attack to destroy it. Another Buckle Bruiser was throwing its shields at Axel. The Nobody smiled and threw his chakrams at them. The shields fell to the ground. Before the Unversed could react it was destroyed by a Gravity spell Mika cast.

Soon there were only three Scrappers left. Everyone converged on the Unversed. It was Ashley, Aurora, and Roxas who took them out. As they faded back into darkness Ashley pumped her fist.

"And that's that," Nettie said smiling. However her smile faded as a corridor of darkness appeared. From it came Shadow in his black attire.

"_Ansem wasn't kidding about the sting of pain. Whatever. Compared to the storm inside my head, this is negligible_." Shadow thought to himself.

"You again!" Sora held his keyblade out.

Axel managed to be serious and funny at the same time. "Tsk. You just had to come and scare innocent people, didn't you?"

"Sorry, never been one for public events. I'll be taking the Princess now." Shadow held out his hand.

Sora stepped in front of her. "Fat chance!"

"So these are the Unversed we heard you could summon." Riku noted.

Shadow nodded. "Handy creatures aren't they. I'll admit, even I was surprised that I could summon them. Rather simpleminded creatures, but their useful nonetheless. They feed off of not only MY negativity but the negativity all around them. Anger, fear, hatred, greed, sadness. The lot of you must be feeling pretty negative after losing three of your friends to us."

Jason growled. "Shut up you creep!" He ran forward to attack shadow. He raised his keyblade high before bringing it down. Shadow defended himself before kicking him in the stomach.

"And here I thought our last encounter had taught you not to charge in blindly." Shadow said.

Jason's only response apart from holding his stomach was to glare at the dark warrior and make a tsk sound.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Whatever the case, that anger of yours is only one of the many emotions that feed my new power. Observe!"

Shadow then summoned an Unversed that they would later learn was called the Iron Imprisoner. Its first form had a lower body that was sealed in a black gibbet with silver highlights and black gems. It's upper torso had arms that were bound by four red chains. The head resembled a helmet with four black horns and two red eyes.

The Iron Imprisoner spun towards them, knocking the group back. Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Mika, Axel, and Xion got back on their feet first. They all rushed at the Iron Imprisoner I with all their strength. Sora and Riku slashed at it with their keyblades, Goofy blocked another of its spinning attacks with his shield while Donald conjured up some fireworks that exploded around the Unversed. Axel threw his chakrams around the Unversed, creating a ring of fire that trapped it. Mika then leapt up and shot beams of light and darkness at the creature. Roxas and Xion then finished it off.

The others got back up, thinking the Unversed was defeated. They were wrong. With a growl the Iron Imprisoner broke free of the chains. In its hand appeared a large red and black hammer with spikes on the head.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Aurora said.

The Iron Imprisoner II swung its hammer around. The Unversed knocked Xion, Roxas, and Mika back. Jason slashed at it. His keyblade bounced off so he tried to punch it. He ended up wincing in pain. The Unversed spun around and knocked him back.

Kairi then did something incredible. A powerful aura of light gathered around her. The Iron Imprisoner II seemed put off by it. With a cry Kairi unleashed a wave of light that knocked back the Iron Imprisoner II. She fell to her knees panting.

Xion, Mika, and Roxas ran to her. "How did you do that?" Mika asked.

Kairi looked at her. "I…I didn't know I could…"

Shadow stepped up to them. "Well I can guarantee you won't be using it again,"

A roar turned their attention to the others. The Iron Imprisoner had broken free of its gibbet and was rushing at the others with surprising speed on its grey legs. Riku and Axel leapt up to face the Iron Imprisoner III. The Unversed knocked them back.

Shadow shot several Dark Fire spells at the group. Mika deflected them with her keyblades. She rushed at Shadow with surprising speed. She caught the dark warrior off guard and managed to hit him a few times. She also cast a Blizzard spell at Shadow.

Shadow brushed the ice off him. With a growl he sent a Dark Aura spell at Mika, knocking her back. Roxas and Xion charged in now, swinging their keyblades in perfect union. Shadow blocked them with a Dark Shield spell, but Mika shot a Fire spell at him. The dark warrior had to focus on putting his pants out. During that time Xion and Roxas landed some combo moves on him.

At the same time as Shadow roared in anger the Iron Imprisoner was roaring. It had changed form again, and this time it was really intimidating. It had shed its helmet, but the face underneath was even scarier. All shackles had been removed, exposing its hands and feet. Its hammer was now on fire.

"Oh crap!" Nettie said. Goofy, Jason, Sora, and Ashley were lying on the ground. They were out of the fight.

The Iron Imprisoner IV charged at the still standing warriors just as Shadow charged at Kairi. The two of them locked blades with each other. While trying to get an advantage Shadow looked at Kairi's face. His expression turned from anger to confusion.

"Do I...know you?" Shadow asked her.

That surprised Kairi. "I...can't say I know you." She said, though she sounded confused.

"Is that so?" Shadow replied. He stared for a second, but then shook his head. "I must be getting delusional then."

The fight against the Iron Imprisoner IV was not going well. Right now it was only Nettie and Riku who were standing. The teenage boy was trying to help Nettie, but he was taking some bad damage to himself. He shot some Dark Aura spells at the Iron Imprisoner IV to try and deter it.

That only seemed to enrage the demonic creature some more. It swung its hammer at Riku. The boy got hit and was thrown against a column. As he was flying back he tossed something to Ashley. The girl weakly caught it. It seemed to be some sort of bottle. She drunk it.

The girl felt revitalized. She got back on her feet and charged at the Iron Imprisoner IV. The Unversed tried to knock her back, but she ducked. Then she slashed at the demonic being several times. It tried to bring its hammer down on her, but Ashley cut it in two. Holding her keyblade high, the sky grew a little darker.

"THUNDARA!" She cried out. Bolts of lighting, more powerful than before, came down and finished the Iron Imprisoner IV off. As it faded back to darkness, Riku noticed the darkness flowed back to Shadow. The boy grunted and held a hand over his heart.

The others took advantage of this distraction. Roxas and Xion both threw their keyblades at Shadow, knocking him back. Before he could recover Mika leapt up and brought her keyblades down on him. Then Kairi managed to summon enough light to fire at Shadow, knocking him back.

"_Crud! I didn't expect it to hurt THIS much! Looks like the stronger the Unversed I create the stronger the pain I feel when it's slain. Darn it! I can't fight like this_!" Shadow thought to himself before saying, "You win for now, Princess!" He then disappeared in a corridor of darkness.

As soon as he was gone Mika started healing everyone. "Cure," She cast the same spell over and over again. Kairi watched her before attempting the spell. She wasn't as successful.

"Well, at least that's over," Ashley said. She then cried out in pain as she clutched her heart. Everyone looked at her.

"Ashley! What's wrong?" Nettie asked.

Ashley didn't answer, but groaned in pain. She then fell to her knees and looked like she was going to pass out. Everyone gathered around her.

Riku seemed to sense something was wrong. "Everyone get back!"

"Why?" Xion asked before she noticed Ashley getting up.

"Are you okay?" Kairi asked.

When Ashley looked up, it was clear she was not okay. The friendly expression she had was gone. Now it was replaced by something sinister. Something dark. Something evil.

"Fools," she said. "You ask about my welfare when you should be concerned about yourselves!"

"Ashley, what's wrong?" Mika asked.

Ashley glared at her. "I've finally come to my senses. All of you are pathetic weaklings. A scourge to the universe." She pointed her keyblade at Sora. "Time for you to die!" She moved to impale him.

Aurora grabbed her arm. "What's gotten into you?"

"Common sense!" Ashley knocked Aurora back with surprising strength.

Everyone heard laughing. "Right you are," said a familiar voice. Everyone turned to see Maleficent, Clair, and Stella had appeared. Except Clair and Stella had the same dark looks that Ashley did.

"Maleficent!" Sora said.

Donald and Goofy held up their weapons. "What did you do to them?" Donald asked.

Maleficent merely smiled. "Why, I've awakened their true selves," she said. She flicked her hand and several wooden splinters appeared in her hand. "With these thorns of darkness I was able to awaken the darkness that slept in them."

"Thorns of darkness?" Jason asked.

"It can only be dark magic," Mika said.

Clair glared at her. "And what would you know of it?"

Jason tried to approach his cousin. "Clair, it's me. "

He was blasted back by some magic. "I know who you are, and I don't care!" Clair snarled. "You mindless bully. Soon you will be whimpering like those nerds you always tortured,"

Jason looked up at Clair. He looked like she personally plunged a dagger into him.

"This is not you." Aurora said.

"And what would you know about us?" Stella asked.

AJ tried, "You're a good student. You care about others,"

Stella laughed. "Cared? What do you know about caring? Do you have any idea how many hearts you alone broke at our school? Do you want me to list them or count them?"

Maleficent smiled. "And there's more in store," A dark corridor opened beside her and a cloaked figure stepped through.

"Another organization lackey?" Jason snapped.

"Come on. Is that what you call your pals now?" The figure took off his hood. Everyone gasped. It was Phil!

"Dude! You're alive!" AJ said.

Phil glared at him. "You have no idea." He turned to Aurora. "Because of you, Organization XIII has gained a new member. Me. Now I am Xilph!"

"Xilph? You're a Nobody?" Jason asked.

"Duh!" Xilph deadpanned him.

Maleficent raised the thorns of darkness. "Now all of you shall join forces with the darkness!" The thorns raced towards the group.

That's when things got really crazy. A bolt of lightning came down and burned the thorns into dust. Maleficent seemed taken aback.

"Who dares to bring such evil and darkness to Olympus?" A booming voice asked. Everyone looked up to see a bunch of people descending on a cloud. The one who was leading them had white hair with a matching beard. He was dressed in a purple toga and carried a bunch of lightning bolts. He looked very cross.

A blue guy in a white toga with a winged helmet and winged sandals flew over to Maleficent. "Let's see…creepy expression, excessive use of Heartless, gloating about darkness…can only be Maleficent,"

"She's someone who has worked with Hades in the past," A woman in blue armor with an owl said.

The man with the lightning bolts didn't like that. "So, you're the one who's told Hades about the Heartless and convinced him to help meddle in the affairs of others worlds!"

"Indeed I am, Zeus," Maleficent addressed.

Jason's jaw dropped. "YOU'RE ZEUS?"

Zeus nodded. He turned his attention back to Maleficent. "Take your minions and get out of here before I smite you,"

Maleficent growled, but she, Clair, Ashley, Stella, and Xilph disappeared into corridors of darkness.

It was then that Hercules came outside, followed by a short fat man that spooked Jason. Jason, Aurora, Nettie, and AJ had never heard of a satyr before, so the sight really shocked them.

"Dad?" Hercules asked.

A smile came on Zeus's face as soon as he saw him. "Hercules! Glad we could see you."

"We had some villains to chase off," A woman with purple skin and robes said.

Zeus turned to satyr. "But we're glad you're here." Gesturing to the group he explained, "There's trouble in the cosmos, and these kids are the key to stopping it. Philoctetes, I say to you, for the good of everything, get these kids trained and fast!"

* * *

**Sorry if the battles weren't good enough. I don't know why, but describing the battles in the style of the games never seems to work out for me. Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for his suggestions, which were edited for the chapter. **


	34. Shadow Deal

**Hi everyone. I've been wanting to do this world for a while now and I decided that it was going to happen tonight. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 34: Shadow Deal

In an alley a dark corridor opened up. From it emerged Shadow and the Nobody Demyx. The dark warrior looked down to make sure no one had seen them. The only people was a passing band playing some sort of upbeat music. He couldn't stand the sound of it.

"That's some nice music they're playing," Demyx said with a smile.

Shadow glared at him. "Don't forget why we're here. Our mission is to evaluate how much training those kids have gotten, not to find you a band to join."

Demyx looked at him. "Can't we multi-task."

"NO!"

Shadow then noticed Demyx seemed to be looking at something else. Shadow turned to see someone was standing not too far away from them. He had a suit on with a purple vest. There was also a creepy tall hat with a skull and crossbones on it and a cane with a purple jewel on it. Shadow also noticed this guy's skin was darker than what he had seen on most worlds. It wasn't the same tone as Heartless or Unversed, but still darker than even Agrabah.

"Gentlemen," The man said. "A tip of the hat from Doctor Facilier." He handed them a card. It read "Doctor Facilier Tarot Readings." Shadow had a bad feeling about this man.

Demyx looked at the card. "Dreams made real?"

"Whatever your heart desires, I can make come true," Doctor Facilier said. His smile made Shadow think of a predator cornering its prey. He gestured to a door behind him. Above it was a sign that said "Doctor Facilier's Voodoo Emporium.

Shadow grabbed Demyx. "Are you crazy? We're not doing this!"

"Why not? It's the chance of a lifetime!" Demyx said.

Shadow shook his head. "Had it occurred to you that this man could be nothing more than a sham? A fake?"

"Don't you dare disrespect me! Don't you derogate or deride!" He pointed back to his shop, which had torches light up. "You're in my world now, not your world. And I got friends on the other side,"

The door opened. Shadow was sure he heard voices inside saying, "He's got friends on the other side," Even Demyx seemed concerned about that.

Doctor Facilier appeared behind them. "That's an echo, gentlemen. Just a little something we have here in Louisiana, a little parlor trick. Don't worry." He pushed them inside. With a snap of his fingers the lights came on and they could see a table waiting for them.

Shadow and Demyx moved to the table while Doctor Facilier talked about how he could read their future for them. Shadow picked up that he also said he could change them too.

"I look deep into your heart and soul," he paused to look at Demyx, "You do have a soul, don't you Demi?" before adding, "I make your wildest dreams come true!"

As they sat down, Doctor Facilier's chaired moved without him touching it.

"How are you doing that?" Shadow asked. He could sense something dark at work here, but it wasn't magic. This wasn't like anything he had encountered.

Doctor Facilier just sent another of his smiles at him. "Oh, just some help from my friends on the other side."

"He's got friends on the other side," several voices said. When Shadow and Demyx turned all they saw were a bunch of creepy masks.

Doctor Facilier pulled out a deck of cards. "Just take three, and take a little trip into your future with me."

Shadow and Demyx each took three cards and looked at them. Doctor Facilier laid them out on the table. He chose to start with Shadow.

He seemed surprised when he flipped over the first card. It just showed the image of some guy wandering around in darkness. "Hmm, this is interesting."

"What?" Shadow asked.

Doctor Facilier looked at him. "This card says you've got a dark past. Something terrible happened. But the card's not clear what it is though." He flipped over the second card. It showed the same guy at crossroads, one light, the other dark.

"Got amnesia pretty bad, huh?" Doctor Facilier asked him.

Shadow wasn't sure why, but he found himself answering, "Yeah. Trying to fix that."

"Well, this card says you're confused, and trying to find the path that will get you your answers. But be warned, what we seek we might not like,"

Shadow glared at him. "Are you gonna tell me my future or not?"

"In your future…" Doctor Facilier flipped over the last card. It showed the guy holding a glowing gem up above a hoard of treasure. Shadow thought he saw something in the background, but he couldn't tell what. "I see that you will regain your memories and then some,"

Shadow wasn't sure if this guy was making it up or just telling him what he wanted to hear.

Doctor Facilier turned to Demyx. "I don't want to waste much time. You've got a lot of gifts, but no one appreciates what you do." The first card showed a jester juggling a bunch of objects.

Demyx seemed impressed.

The next card showed the jester being treated like a slave by a royal court. "Now you're stuck with a bunch of people who make you do things you don't want to do."

"Yeah! I am!" Demyx said.

Doctor Facilier showed Demyx the last card. Shadow tried to see what it was, but it was blocked from his view. "In your future, the you I see is exactly the man you always wanted to be."

Shadow's heart was screaming at him to get out of there. Now.

Doctor Facilier held out his hands. "Come on boys. Won't you shake a poor sinner's hand?" Demyx shook his hand as did Shadow, though he was incredibly reluctant.

The dark feeling Shadow had about this place got darker. "Yeah!" Doctor Facilier said triumphantly. Shadow's eyes widened as he saw creepy little dolls come to life and the masks fly around chanting something.

"What's going on?" Demyx asked.

Doctor Facilier didn't answer him. Before Shadow could do anything a pair of snakes came out of nowhere and tied him to the chair! "Let me go!" Shadow demanded.

"Are you ready?" Doctor Facilier asked as a giant mask appeared. The masks echoed his question. The mouth of the giant mask opened and from it came a strange totem.

"What's that?" Demyx asked.

"Transformation central!" Doctor Facilier answered, the dolls and masks echoing his reply.

Shadow struggled to get free. Doctor Facilier put the item over Shadow's heart. Shadow felt a tugging pain, then his eyes widened as he saw his heart disappear into the totem.

"Can you feel it? You're changing!" Doctor Facilier said. Shadow looked down, and to his shock the doctor was right! His arms were shrinking and his legs were fusing together.

"Now for payment. I lost a little froggy prince earlier, and my friends on the other side are working to help me get him back. You're going to go after him and get him back too. Then, and only then, will I change you back."

Shadow tried to growl, but for some reason all he could get out was a hiss.

Doctor Facilier smiled. "I hope you're satisfied. But if you ain't, don't blame me! You can blame my friends on the other side!"

Shadow looked at Demyx. He couldn't believe it. That Nobody actually managed to faint during all this!

The dolls and masks chanted, "You got what you wanted! But you lost what you had!"

Doctor Facilier laughed before Shadow stopped shrinking. Doctor Facilier picked him up and asked, "So, Shadow. As long as I have your heart, you can't hurt me. Y'all have to accept my offer. Now I suggest you slither into the bayou and bring me back that prince. I need him alive with his heart pumping. For now,"

* * *

**I really wanted Doctor Facilier to ask him if they had a deal, but I couldn't fit it in. I'll try to not be too long with the next update. **


	35. Swamped with problems

**Hi everyone. Sorry this took a while. I've been trying to work at managing my time. I hope you enjoy this. **

* * *

Chapter 35: Swamped with problems

The peace and quiet Jazz Bayou was experiencing that morning was broken by the voice of a very annoyed teenager.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Jason complained loudly.

Riku shook his head. "The rules vary from world to world. Sometimes we need to change our form to blend in."

"But why'd I have to be a stupid lizard?" Jason asked. He was actually a green anole lizard, but he didn't know that. And he didn't care.

Aurora shook her head. "You're one to complain." Aurora had taken the form of a newt. She looked at her arm. "I'm the one who's slimey!"

Still they both fared better than Riku. Being a toad had to be the worst out of all of them, but to their surprise he didn't complain. Riku never complained.

"Easy you two," Riku said. "We need to figure out where we are, and if the Heartless have been causing trouble here."

Jason and Aurora rolled their eyes. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

The world they had come to was a huge swamp. Moss hanged off trees and algae covered the surface of the water. If they knew that in their current forms they were safe from being bitten by mosquitoes they would've complained a lot less. Maybe.

"I still don't get how we were able to train for weeks at the Coliseum and the Gummi says hardly any time has passed," Jason said.

Riku shrugged. "I don't know."

"Yen Sid might know," Aurora suggested.

"Well, let's ask the old coot the next time we see him." Jason snapped.

"HELP!" They heard a voice cry out from across the bayou. The three of them hurried along as fast as they could. It wasn't easy moving along when your legs were tiny, but they managed.

After running across several lily pads they found the trouble. Several swamp and voodoo themed Heartless had surrounded two frogs and a huge alligator. One of the frogs was holding the other in their arms while the gator was shaking uncontrollably.

"What are they?" Asked one of the frogs. She spoke with a feminine voice.

"I-I don't know. I've never seen them in the bayou before," The alligator responded.

Riku, Aurora, and Jason ran over to them. The three of them summoned their keyblades.

"You'd better leave them to us." Riku told the animals. The animals were okay with that.

One of the Heartless, something that looked like a snake with a gator's mouth, slithered forward. Riku blasted it back with a Dark Fire spell. Aurora leapt into the air and sliced in half a Heartless that looked like some sort of flying mask.

Jason held his keyblade in front of him. He seemed to be waiting for something. The longer he waited, the more his keyblade glowed. Finally he swung his keyblade and took out the Heartless that were coming in on him.

Three doll-like Heartless with needles for claws came in at them. Jason blocked them with his keyblade while Aurora kicked them away. Well, smacked them away with her tail would be more accurate. They fell back, then Riku, Jason, and Aurora stabbed them and finished them off.

"That was really impressive." The other frogs, a male from his voice, said. He got out of the female's arms and approached them. "You have my thanks for saving us from those monsters."

"Stopping Heartless is what we do." Riku said.

The female frog approached them. "Heartless? That's what those things are? And I thought it was more trouble this guy got himself into."

"Been here in the bayou for the longest time, and I've never seen anything like that," The gator said.

"Well, we thank you for helping us, but we need to get going." The female frog said.

Riku looked at them. "Where are you going?"

"To find someone to break this spell."

"What spell?" Jason asked.

The male frog cleared his throat. "Brace yourself. We are not frogs. We are humans."

The gator fell over laughing at the top of his lungs. "You serious?" He asked.

"I am Naveen, Prince of Maldonia," The male frog introduced himself. Pointing to the other frog, he said, "This is Tiana, the waitress." In a whisper he added, "Do not kiss her,"

"I don't plan to." Jason said.

Tiana looked at them. "Now hold on a minute. Prince Charming here got himself turned into a frog through voodoo—"

"VOODOO? Like the kind Mama Odie do?" The gator asked.

Everyone looked at him confused. "Mama Who-die?" Naveen asked.

"She's the voodoo queen of the bayou. She got magic and spells, and all kind of voodoo," The gator explained.

"Could you take us to her?" Tiana and Naveen asked in unison.

"Through the deepest darkest part of the bayou? Filled with razor-sharp pricker bushes? And hunters with guns?! No." The gator sat down and began playing a trumpet.

Jason shook his head. "Despite being a big reptile he's not very brave is he?"

Aurora slugged him. "Don't be rude."

Naveen approached the gator. "It's too bad we can't help you with your problem, Louis. If you were not so scaly, less toothy, then you could be jamming with the big boys all your life." That got Louis's attention. "Anyway, enjoy your misery, my friend."

It took less than a minute for Louis to say, "Hey guys! I got me a great idea. What if I asked Mama Odie to turn me human too?"

"We'll come with you." Riku said.

Aurora and Jason looked at him. "We will?"

Riku nodded. "We can keep the Heartless away from you if any more show up, and we can help clear the bushes and hunters off for you."

"That's very nice of you to offer….uh…" Naveen had no idea what their names where.

"Riku. This is Jason and Aurora." Riku introduced everyone.

Naveen held out his hand. "Well, my man Riku, come on!"

"Hallelujah!" Louis shouted as he did a cannonball into the swamp. He insisted on playing his trumpet as they swam along. Jason kept his fingers in his ears, or over where his ears used to be, as the others sang a song along the way.

_"If I were a human being_

_I'd head straight for New Orleans_

_And I'd blow this horn so hard and strong_

_Like no one they've ever seen!"_

Everyone fell off Louis as he continued, but the gator didn't notice.

_"You've heard of Louie Armstrong_

_Mr. Sidney Bechet?_

_All those boys gonna step aside_

_When they hear this old ex-gator play, listen…"_

Louis continued to play his trumpet while doing some nice dance moves. Naveen grabbed a twig with cobwebs and played it like a ukulele. Aurora noticed they were on a turtle. They got close to Louis, who was now swinging on a tree branch. Naturally it couldn't hold his weight and broke, sending the gator crashing on top of them.

_"When I'm human _

_As I hope to be_

_I'm gonna blow this horn _

_'Til the cows come home_

_And everyone's gonna bow down to me."_

The turtle had ended up on Louis's had like some odd little hat. Louis absentmindedly treated it like such, even throwing it on a tree branch as if on a peg.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Louis pretended that people were applauding him now. Aurora shook her head at that gator. But no one had time to say anything before Louis blew his trumpet a few times and Naveen started singing.

_"When I'm myself again_

_I want just the life I had_

_A great big party every night_

_That doesn't sound so bad"_

Tiana wasn't amused. Even Riku seemed to think this guy was incredibly shallow. They didn't have time to speak before Naveen started dancing with some butterflies.

_"A redhead on my left arm_

_A brunette on my right_

_A blonde or two to hold the candles_

_Now that seems just about right_

_Eh, Louis?_

_Life is short_

_When you're done, you're done_

_We're on this Earth _

_To have some fun_

_And that's the way things are"_

"Tell it, brother!" Louis agreed with the frog prince. Aurora would've said something, but the two party animals were acting oblivious to her.

_"When I'm human _

_And I'm gonna be_

_I'm gonna tear it up like I did before_

_And that's a royal guarantee" _

Tiana cleared away the butterflies. "You are getting married!" She reminded Naveen. Jason, Aurora, and Riku were surprised at that.

"Oh, right." Naveen sighed. "I'll just have to leave a string of broken hearts behind me."

It was then Tiana started singing, and it was clear she was the most responsible out of all of them. She threw away Naveen's makeshift ukulele and handed him a stick to use as an oar.

_"Your modesty becomes you_

_And your sense of responsibility_

_I've worked hard for everything I got_

_And that's the way it's supposed to be." _

Jason noticed Naveen had broken his oar and was using them as drumsticks now. He shook his head. This prince only knew how to goof off. He, Aurora, and Riku turned their attention to helping Tiana as they continued through the bayou.

_"When I'm a human being_

_At least I'll act like one_

_If you do your best each and every day_

_Good things are sure to come your way."_

The four of them worked hard to lift fallen branches out of Louis's way, and to make sure he didn't crash into a tree while he was playing his trumpet.

_"What you give is what you get_

_My daddy said that_

_And I'll never forget_

_And I recommend it to you." _

Tiana finally noticed Naveen was still goofing off instead of helping her. Her face summarized what Aurora was thinking about that prince. Louis, Naveen, and Tiana joined in singing,

_"When we're human_

_And we're gonna be"_

Louis started playing his trumpet.

_"I'm gonna blow my horn." _

Naveen had somehow gotten another makeshift ukulele and was playing it again.

_"I'm gonna live the high life"_

Tiana kept to her work as did Aurora, Jason, and Riku.

_"I'm gonna do my best _

_To take my place in the sun"_

Louis had gotten stuck in a tree. Tiana grabbed some moss and rubbed it over the gator's nose.

_"When we're human." _

Louis sneezed, sending them flying out of the tree and further into the bayou.

* * *

Elsewhere in the bayou another group had appeared. Axel had turned into some sort of swamp rat, Mika was now a little sparrow, Roxas and Xion had become frogs, and AJ was a mosquito.

"Well this is interesting," Axel said.

AJ looked at him. "How?"

"Never been an animal before," was Axel's response, followed by, "Got it memorized?"

They failed to notice a little orb of light looking at them.

* * *

**When I first saw this movie in theaters I thought it could easily fit into the Kingdom Hearts universe. The last time I wrote this world I didn't like the results. Hopefully this time will be better. Now I just need to think of where Sora and Kairi's groups could go to. I'm thinking about either having them go to Atlantica or Neverland. **


	36. Never say Neverland

**Hi everyone. Sorry this is late. I've been trying to think of what to have happen with Sora and Kairi's groups, and I decided on this. If you like it please review. Reviews help me to know what works and what doesn't, and helps me to improve the story. **

* * *

Chapter 36: Never say Neverland

Maleficent, Xemnas, and Ansem were watching Clair, Stella, Ashley, and Xilph brawl with one another. The three of them were impressed with the powers each of them were now exhibiting. Pete, he was looking at the teens with fear in his eyes.

"Thunderstorm!" Clair shouted as she conjured up a cloud that fired purple bolts of lightning at the others. Stella and Ashley did some back flips and evaded the lightning. Stella flicked her wrists, which became covered with green flames. A circle of thorns appeared around her that blocked further bolts.

Ashley summoned her keyblade. She ran at Xilph, who called forth his own keyblade. The two of them clashed their weapons together. Ashley forced Xilph back, but he swung a kick while she wasn't looking. The motion sent Ashley falling backwards.

Clair conjured up a ball of dark fire and threw it at the thorns Stella had created. The other girl leapt over the flames and came at her former friend like a wild animal. She knocked Clair's keyblade to the side and threw the girl to the ground.

"Enough." Maleficent said. The four of them ceased their attacks and stood at attention. "Your training has progressed in ways I did not foresee. Your darkness is growing stronger every day. But now is the time for you to prove your evil!"

Xemnas turned to Xilph and Clair. "Demyx and Shadow have not reported back from where they were sent. Go to that world and find out why."

The two kids nodded and vanished into corridors of darkness.

"You two will accompany Pete to make sure he does his job right." Ansem told Ashley and Stella.

"What? Now see here!" Pete started to say. All it took was a cold look from Ansem to silence him.

The madman continued, "We need to establish contact with an old acquaintance of Maleficent's. See that he accepts the invitation to join our cause."

"We shall not fail." The two girls said together before they vanished into corridors of darkness.

"Humph! Sending schoolgirls for me to hold on to. I've never been more insulted." Pete said.

Xemnas turned to the cat. "You have failed more times than you can count. We're making sure that you do not fail us again."

"Oh come on! I got ya that one girl didn't I?"

"Enough!" Maleficent said. "This is not open for debate. There is another reason we send those girls with you. To make sure those thorns stay in their hearts."

* * *

Things were peaceful right now on Neverland. Sure Captain Hook was still making trouble, but he hadn't for a while now. Peter Pan and the Lost Boys were entertaining themselves with their weekly treasure hunts. Of course that didn't interest Tinker Bell so she was just flying around the island.

As she was passing by Hangman's Tree she saw a bright light. She ducked behind a branch. When she peeked out the pixie couldn't believe her eyes. It was Sora, Donald, Goofy, and that girl Kairi. But who were the others?

"Welcome to Neverland." Goofy said to the others.

Kairi looked around. "This place is amazing."

"Peter Pan wouldn't stop talking about this place." Sora said. "I'm glad I'm finally getting to see it."

A yellow dog that was with them started sniffing around. Ever since that incident in London neither Tinker Bell nor Peter had been fond of dogs.

"What is it Pluto?" Kairi asked. The dog only stopped at a pile of bushes and started barking.

"I think Pluto's found something." The other girl said.

That was for Peter to find. There's no way that she was going to let some dog ruin his fun! She flew down and kicked the dog on the nose. The dog yelped in surprise. When it had recovered Pluto looked at Tinker Bell. Then he started growling. Now things would get interesting.

"Hey back off!" Sora said as he grabbed Pluto's collar. He then noticed the fairy. "Hey Tinker Bell! How've you been?"

Tinker Bell smiled and tried to explain. Of course Sora couldn't understand a word she was saying.

"What is that?" The girl asked.

Donald looked at her. "That's Tinker Bell, Nettie." So the girl's name was Nettie. Great.

"Tinker Bell?"

"She's a fairy that lives here."

Kairi looked at her. "Tinker Bell, Sora's told me about you, but you're more beautiful than I imagined."

Okay, maybe this girl wasn't so bad.

"Hey Tink!" A voice called out. Tinker Bell was relieved. He finally came back. "Sora! Donald! Goofy! You're back!"

Sora waved. "Hey Peter Pan."

Peter Pan flew down. "You've sure changed from when I last saw you. And Kairi's back too."

Oh no. He'd better not.

Nettie, right now, was blown out her mind. Here was a guy with pointed ears and a green outfit who was actually _flying_! And the fairy, Tinker Bell…well, Nettie had never seen anything like her.

"Me and the Lost Boys are having some fun right now." Peter Pan said. "Why don't you join us?"

"What are you doing right now?" Goofy asked.

Peter pulled something out of a bush. "We're on a scavenger hunt. A bunch of cool stuff's been hidden around the island."

"I remember Tidus and Wakka loved doing those." Kairi said.

Pluto was busy sniffing around again. Nettie smiled. "Looks like Pluto's interested in joining in."

"Then it's settled." Sora said.

Tinker Bell flew up and started saying something to Peter Pan. "What, Tink? It's not like girls can't be fun."

Tinker Bell shook her head and flew off.

"She doesn't seem to like us much." Kairi said.

Peter waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, Tink's like that. She'll come around."

* * *

They found the Lost Boys waiting near Mermaid Lagoon. The mermaids weren't there right now. Maybe they were doing something further out at sea.

Nettie could count six boys in animal outfits. The first one, Slightly, was dressed like a fox. The second, a kid called Cubby, was dressed like a bear. Then there was Tibbs, a tall boy dressed like a rabbit or hare. The twins, Nettie never caught their names, were both dressed like raccoons. The smallest was Toodles. He was dressed like a skunk and didn't say a word. Nettie wondered if he was mute or something.

"Alright men," Peter said as he landed, "We've got some friends joining us for our little adventure."

The Lost Boys all ran up and hugged Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "It's so good to see you guys again." Cubby said.

"We sure missed ya," Goofy said.

Slightly nodded. "We've been keeping busy with treasure hunts, and the occasional Heartless or two, but thanks to Pan we haven't had to worry a lot."

"So is Hook still causing trouble?" Donald asked.

"Not as much these days. He's always off looking for some treasure with his lackeys." Peter said.

Donald looked up. "Did you say treasure?"

"Yeah. Doubloons and other useless stuff like that."

Nettie looked at him. What kind of a person thinks treasure like that is worthless?

"Well, if he causes trouble, we'll help you." Kairi said.

Peter flew up. "I can handle that old codfish with one hand tied behind my back."

"Can we get on with the scavenger hunt?" Slightly asked.

Pluto had gone on ahead and was sniffing the ground. He then started barking excitedly. Everyone rushed over as he started digging. When he stopped they saw some sort of tiny bag.

"What could be in this?" Tibbs asked.

Kairi took it. "It looks like it could belong to Tinker Bell."

"But Tink never owned anything like this." Peter said. "So who left it here, and why?"

"If you don't want it, we'll take it off ya." A familiar voice said. Everyone turned to see Pete, and with him were Ashley and Stella.

"It's too small. I don't see how it could benefit anyone." Ashley said.

Stella held out her keyblade. "But I see a much bigger prize waiting. Let's bring all of them to Hook, and then Maleficent."

Peter Pan pulled out a small knife. "I guess you're some of Hook's new lackeys."

"Hook is our lackey. We're here with orders from Maleficent." Ashley growled.

"Who's Maleficent?" Cubby asked.

Sora looked at him. "An evil witch who's causing problems everywhere. She and Hook used to work together in the past."

"And they're going to work together now." Stella said as she charged with impossible speed. Sora was barely able to block her attack. "Once we bring you to the _Jolly Roger_. "

"Not going to happen." Peter said as he flew around and poked Stella in the back with his knife.

Stella swung her keyblade around. Peter was barely able to block it. He flew up to get the advantage. Stella snapped her fingers and a vine covered with thorns erupted from the ground. It wrapped itself around Peter's ankle.

"Pan!" The Lost Boys all cried out. They rushed forward to help their leader, but Ashley blasted them all back with a wave of dark energy. The Lost Boys all dropped their wooden weapons.

"Pathetic fighting with toys." Ashley spat.

Nettie summoned her keyblade. "Leave them alone! It's us you want!"

"Not this time." Pete gloated.

Pluto barked and ran to protect his friends. Stella and Ashley both kicked the poor dog. Pluto yelped in pain.

"Leave Pluto alone!" Kairi said as she swung her keyblade. Stella and Ashley both blocked her and knocked her back. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all tried to join in, but Pete punched them back. The three friends cried out in pain as they were knocked back.

"Thunder!" Donald cried out as lightning bolts came down and shocked their three foes. Ashley growled as she pointed her keyblade at Donald.

"Thunderstorm!" She shouted. Bolts of purple lightning came at Donald, shocking the unfortunate duck.

Goofy began spinning around, hitting the three of them with his shield. Stella knocked the shield out of Goofy's hand and with her keyblade hit Goofy hard on the head. Goofy fell over.

"Goofy!" Donald shouted. Yelling in anger, he charged at them. Stella kicked him in the gut before she hit Donald on the head. The duck fell over unconscious.

"Stop!" Kairi yelled at the top of her lungs. She hated seeing her friends get hurt like this. A wave of light erupted from her, and engulfed everyone. As Nettie turned, she saw the bag flying towards her. The contents opened up, sprinkling her with some golden dust. Then she lost consciousness.

* * *

"Hey. Wake up. What happened? Where's Peter?" A voice was asking her. Nettie groaned as she opened her eyes. She saw Tinker Bell standing over her. That's strange. She didn't remember the fairy being this big.

"My head…" Nettie said. She then sat up. "Pete! He was here, with Ashley and Stella! There was a fight, and…"

Nettie looked around. There was no sign of the others. Everything seemed larger than she remembered. She heard chitterling. She turned to see…whoa! Mabul was huge now! She could probably ride him now if she wanted to.

Tinker Bell shook her head. "But where are they now?"

"Pete said something about the _Jolly Roger_, but why is everything so big now?" Nettie asked.

Tinker Bell gasped. "The _Jolly Roger_? That means Hook has them. I've got to go rescue them. Again." Tinker Bell flew up. "Come on. They'll probably need both of us."

"But how will we get there? I can't fly." Nettie said.

Tinker Bell looked at her. "It really hasn't hit you, has it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on." Tinker Bell grabbed Nettie's arm and helped her up. To her surprise Nettie found that she was flying. And it seemed like the golden dust was coming off both of them. What was going on?

Tinker Bell stopped at the edge of Mermaid Lagoon. She pointed to the water. Nettie looked at her reflection. When she saw it she screamed.

"I've turned into a fairy!"

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. If you did, please review. That'll help me to improve the story. **


	37. Ray of Hope

**Sorry for the delay. I've been trying to get a lot of stuff done.**

* * *

Chapter 37: Ray of Hope

"Now, this restaurant of yours, is it going to have étoufffée?" Louis was asking Tiana.

Tiana answered, "Jambalaya, gumbo. It's going to have it all."

Jason's stomach rumbled. "Can we talk about something other than food? I'm starving."

He was ignored.

"Mm-mmm. I've always wanted to try red beans and rice, muffulettas, po' boys."

"Stop Louis. You're making me very hungry." Naveen said. It was then a bunch of mosquitos flew by. Naveen's tongue flew out of his mouth. "Interesting."

"Oh no." Aurora said as she realized what he was going to do. Naveen hopped off Louis and swam over to the mosquitos.

"What are you doing?" Tiana asked.

Naveen shushed her. "You are frightening the food." He tried to catch a mosquito with his tongue, but he missed. "This is harder than it looks." He tried again, but ended up with a branch in his mouth.

Jason and Riku chuckled at that. Tiana laughed softly. Aurora just rolled her eyes and looked away. They noticed a firefly fly by them, and heard a familiar sound.

"Oh no. No, no, no. There's no way I'm kissing a frog and eating a bug on the same day." Tiana said before her tongue started pulling her to the firefly. Riku managed to keep control of his own tongue, but Tiana had lost all control.

"Come on." Riku said to Jason and Aurora as he jumped into the water and swam after the two frogs. Aurora shook her head, but followed.

What happened next was too funny. Naveen saw the firefly too and snuck up on it while Tiana's tongue kept pulling her towards it. Both their tongues flew out to catch the bug, but instead caught each other. The force of the tongues pulled Naveen and Tiana together. They ended up looking like they were kissing each other.

"Hello." Naveen said.

That did it. Jason burst out laughing. Tiana shot him a cold glare before getting up. "Hold still." She told Naveen. Aurora noticed their tongues were tied together.

Louis caught up to them. "Y'all find anything to eat yet? Oh, my."

"Yeah, they're a little tongue tied right now." Riku joked.

"This is not funny!" Tiana said.

Jason held up a hand, or foot, or whatever, to where his ear should've been. "What? Sorry, can't understand you."

"Hang on. Old Louis got it covered." Louis said as he grabbed Tiana and Naveen. Before the others could stop him he started pressing, squeezing, and twisting the two frogs together. "How's that?"

Aurora's jaw dropped at the sight of Tiana and Naveen. Now they were really tied up in their tongues. She turned to the gator. "You made it worse, you idiot!"

Louis thought about it. "You know what this needs? A sharp stick! Be right back." Louis went off scatting into the bayou.

"Come on. Let's get you two fixed." Riku said as he, Jason, and Aurora tried to untie Tiana and Naveen. No good. What Louis did he did too well. They were stuck with no way of getting unstuck.

Tiana groaned. "This is all your fault." She told Naveen.

Naveen rolled his eyes. "My fault? My fault…Let me tell you something. I was having a wonderful time until…"

"Coo! Well, looky here!" A strange accented voice said. Everyone turned to see the firefly was back, and he had red hair with some mismatched teeth. "Girl, I guess you and your boyfriend got a little carried away. Am I right?"

"What?!" Aurora asked. "You think they're…"

Both Tiana and Naveen started protesting.

"Oh, no, no!"

"Do not be ridiculous!"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"I am the Prince of Maldonia!"

The firefly didn't believe them. "Let me shine a little light on the situation." He tried to light up, but farted. "Excuse me. One more time now." He strained until the light finally turned on. Then it went out again. The firefly then turned his butt like a light bulb until it turned on. "That's more better. Yeah."

Jason and Aurora had never seen a bug like him before. "Why is your butt giving off light? You don't explode do you?"

"It's okay, baby. I don't explode me. I ain't no firecracker! I just got my big butt glowing! That's right. The woman like a man with a big back porch!"

"Look, can you help untangle Tiana and Naveen?" Aurora asked.

The firefly took a look at them. "Lord, you done this up real good, for sure. Now where this go to at?"

"Can you fix them or not?" Jason asked impatiently.

Riku looked at him. "Easy, Jace."

"Don't call me that!"

The firefly smiled. "Hang on, Cap. I'm just going to give a little twist here." He twisted and disappeared between Tiana and Naveen. "We're getting to know each other now!"

"It's official. I hate this bug." Aurora said.

"He is strange for a firefly." Riku said.

Jason looked at him. "Firefly? Why not just call it a light bug?" Riku's response was a shrug.

The firefly had light escape wherever it could from Tiana and Naveen. It looked a little…okay, very weird, to Jason and Aurora. There were no fireflies on Harthyn, though if they're anything like this bug they considered that a good thing.

The bug kept singing to himself as he worked within the two frogs. Jason was sure he heard mechanical whirring inside. Finally, the bug came out holding the pink end of one of their tongues. With a tug, Naveen and Tiana screamed as they came apart.

"It's about time I introduce myself." The bug said. "My name Raymond, but everybody call me "Ray."

"I'm Riku. This is Jason, Aurora, Tiana, and Naveen." Riku introduced everyone.

"Pardon me, but your accent, it's funny, no?" Naveen asked.

"I'm a Cajun, brah. Born and bred in the bayou. Y'all must be new around here, huh?" Ray asked.

Jason nodded. "You could say that."

Ray smiled. "Oh, that's okay. Earlier tonight I met a bunch o' new pals."

It was then the bushes parted. Riku, Jason, and Aurora's jaws dropped when they saw Axel, Mika, Roxas, Xion, and AJ.

"What happened to you guys?" Both groups asked in unison.

Raymond exclaimed. "Ah, you know each other then?"

"These guys are some of our friends we were telling you about. Got it memorized?" Axel asked.

"Sure do, brah." Ray said.

"Did y'all get yourselves turned into animals like Prince Charming here?" Tiana asked them.

Mika nodded. "Yeah, we were turned into animals."

"So you are people too." Naveen said.

"Please tell me you didn't see a voodoo witch doctor too." Tiana said.

Roxas and Xion were dumbstruck. "Voodoo?"

"I thought that was just nonsense." Mika said.

"Oh, no, it's real." Ray said.

Riku spoke up, "We're trying to find someone named Mama Odie so she could change us all back."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Mama Odie?" Ray stopped him. "Y'all headed the wrong direction, brah. Now what kind of chucklehead told y'all to go this way?"

It was then Louis came back, holding a stick. "I found a stick!" he yelled proudly. Louis found everyone staring at him.

Tiana folded her arms. "Louis. Ray here says you've been taking us in the wrong direction."

Dropping his stick, Louis chuckled nervously. "I was…well, listen. I was confused by the topography and the geography and the choreography and…"

"First rule of the bayou, never take direction from a gator." Ray whispered to them. He then whistled and the bayou was lit up with a lot of fireflies. "Why, me and my relationals will help show y'all the way."

The two groups were amazed. It was like the bayou had its own night sky and stars, and those stars were bugs that could light up. Mika thought it was a beautiful sight. Naveen exclaimed something that no one could understand.

"Hey, Cousin Randy!" Ray woke some sleeping fireflies. "You ready for a little bayou zydeco?"

"A what?" AJ asked.

"Ready when you are, Cousin Ray." One of the fireflies said. They gathered some instruments and started playing some music.

"All right, Lulu. Let's get to it, darling." Ray said. The swarm of fireflies started flying off into the bayou. "Come on! Just follow the bouncing butt!" Ray said to everyone.

_We're gonna take you there_

_We're gonna take you there_

_We're gonna take you all the way there_

_Gonna take you there_

_We're gonna take you there_

_We're gonna take you all the way_

As they followed the bugs they noticed Louis was dancing to their singing. Mike found herself enjoying the song. For insects these guys could carry a beat.

_Goin' down the bayou_

_Goin' down the bayou_

_Goin' down the bayou_

_Takin' you all the way_

They passed between the roots of huge trees that grew in the water. Everyone that was a small animal was able to pass through a log just fine. Louis got stuck, but that didn't deter him from dancing still.

"We got the whole family." Ray was saying. "There goes Mimi, Cousin Beaudreaux. Oh, Grandmama! Your light out!" The elderly firefly clapped her hands and her light turned back on.

_We all gonna pull together_

_Down here that's how we do_

_Me for them and them for me_

_We all be there for you_

Ray noticed everyone seemed to have gotten lost in the dark, so he whistled and several members of his family lit the way for them. Everyone continued across the lily pads as Ray continued singing,

_We gon' take ya, we gon' take ya_

_We gon' take ya all the way there_

_We know where you're goin' and we're goin' with you_

_Taking you all the way_

As they were crossing the lily pads Louis sped by them. Several fireflies had attached themselves to his tail, and were acting like a propeller. Louis pointed ahead before standing up like he was taking a look out position. However the fireflies flew off, leaving Louis to sink into the water.

_Goin' down the bayou_

_Goin' down the bayou_

_Goin' down the bayou_

_Taking you all…_

_Yeah, you know!_

The fireflies lighting the way through the bayou gave the place a certain…beauty. The dandelions, the trees, all seemed beautified by the light. Louis accidently fell on some fireflies, and when he stood up, he looked like he was in some ridiculous outfit. Everyone laughed. Then the fireflies flew up and acted like fireworks before they flew down.

"Come on, y'all!" Ray said to them. "Keep that line flowin' and the lights a-glowin'!"

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. **


	38. Flight Lessons

Chapter 38: Flight Lessons

Nettie was screaming. She was freaked out like never before. She had not only shrunk, but had a pair of wings coming out from her back! Now Mabul was bigger than she was!

"Will you calm down?" Tinker Bell couldn't believe this girl.

Nettie looked at her. "How can I? I've turned into a fairy!"

"Probably the best thing that's happened to you since you came to Neverland." Tinker Bell folded her arms. "I say it's an improvement for you."

"But I have no idea how to fly!" Nettie said.

"Well it's easy. You have pixie dust, and now all you need is faith and trust."

"Pixie dust?"

Tinker Bell face palmed herself. "The golden dust you see around us."

Nettie held some of the dust in her hand. "What's so special about…"

"It's what allows you to fly!" Tinker Bell snapped. "Honestly, you're really stupid for a human."

Nettie glared at the fairy. "Hey! I haven't met a fairy until today! For the longest time I was told there were no such things as—" Nettie was cut off as Tinker Bell clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Never say that!" Tinker Bell said with urgency in her voice. "A fairy dies every time someone says that."

Nettie's eyes widened at the horror she had almost done. She had almost murdered a fairy somewhere in the universe. Or if she had finished that sentence she might've accidently killed Tinker Bell, or herself.

Tinker Bell removed her hand. "Now, if you're done being a stupid human we need to get to the _Jolly Roger_. Peter's there." She started to fly off.

"Hey, what about Mabul?" Nettie gestured to her now large ferret.

"Sprinkle some pixie dust on him and let's go!" Tinker Bell said.

Nettie shrugged and grabbed some of the dust that was coming off her. She then threw it onto Mabul, who sneezed and blew her back. Then to her surprise her pet started floating up into the air. He was flying!

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Tinker Bell asked Nettie. Nettie thought about it. If Tinker Bell said that faith and trust and the pixie dust were all it took to fly, she would trust her. After all, Tink was the expert.

She closed her eyes and thought to herself, "_I believe I can fly. I believe I can fly_." Soon, Nettie couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet. She looked at her feet and gasped. She wasn't on the ground anymore!

She whooped. "This is amazing!" She tried to fly to Tinker Bell, but she ended up doing a back flip. "Oh no." She tried to correct herself, but ended up flying in circles. "I got this." She ended up crashing into Mabul.

Nettie heard Tinker Bell laughing. "You need to practice flying a bit." Nettie shook her head and tried again. For some reason this time only her right wing was working.

"Come on." Nettie said as she tried to get both wings to flap. The best she did was come close to pulling a muscle.

Tinker Bell landed next to her. "You're thinking about it too much. Flying is something you feel from the heart."

"I had no idea there were so many rules about flying." Nettie said.

"You're doing better than Cubby when he first flew." Tinker Bell told her. "He sat on me!"

Nettie smiled at the thought. It must've been too funny because next thing she knew Nettie was speeding over Mermaid Lagoon. "Whoa!"

"Get back here!" She heard Tinker Bell cry out. Before Nettie could turn herself around a hand closed around her.

"Look girls. I caught a fairy!" Someone said. Nettie turned to see a mermaid was holding her captive. But this mermaid didn't remind her of the mermaids of Atlantica. She seemed more…vain. Other mermaids emerged from the water.

"Oh, fun!"

"Is she Peter's?"

"No, that isn't Tinker Bell."

Nettie squirmed to get free of the mermaid who held her. She had an extremely firm grip. Was she a cyborg or something? The hand felt pretty organic.

Tinker Bell flew over. "Let her go."

The mermaids didn't seem fazed by Tinker Bell's appearance. "Hey girls. It's Tinker Bell."

"What does she want with our new fairy?"

"I'm nobody's fairy!" Nettie said. She was ignored.

"We can't just go around giving away our stuff because someone tells us to." A blonde mermaid said.

The black-haired mermaid that held Nettie nodded. "It's not every day we catch one after all."

"I don't have time to argue with you!" Tinker Bell said. "Hook has Peter, and if I don't get there soon…"

"Then why don't you go and leave our new pet with us?" A mermaid with red hair asked.

"Come on girls. Let's leave Tink to save Peter while we have some fun." Before Nettie could do anything the mermaids dived underwater, taking her with them!

Nettie struggled to get free of her captors, but it's not easy being a fairy underwater. She was holding her breath, and the water felt like glue to her. Knowing she had tiny lungs wasn't helping either.

The mermaids all gathered around her, laughing at her predicament.

"Not so high and might now, are you?"

"You're in our domain, and here we make all the rules."

"And our first rule is that you will never leave."

Nettie summoned her keyblade and poked her captor with it. With a cry of pain the mermaid released her. Nettie tried to swim out of the lagoon, but another mermaid caught her.

"And where do you think you're going?" One of the mermaids asked.

"Let's see how long she can hold her breath."

"Someone get that key away from her. It'll look good in my collection."

A light bulb went off in her head. To the mermaid that spoke Nettie made it look like she was going to give her keyblade away. The mermaid was about to take it when another mermaid spoke up.

"Why do you get all the cool stuff?"

"Because my collection is better than yours."

"No fair. I've never seen a key like that. I want it for my collection."

"Too bad. It's mine."

"No, it's mine!"

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

It worked. The mermaids were too busy arguing over who would get to keep her keyblade that they stopped paying attention to her. Nettie tried to swim away, but it was like trying to move through a snow bank. Her lungs were starting to burn…what's that strange ticking noise?

The mermaids all screamed and swam away. Nettie could see a dark shape approaching, and the ticking was getting louder. However her vision was blurring, and she felt like she was starting to lose consciousness. Something supported her from underneath, but she didn't dwell on it. Everything was starting to go dark…

The next thing she knew Nettie had broken the surface of the water, and she was finally able to release all the air she was holding in. Nettie coughed a bit, but was glad to get some fresh air into her lungs.

Tinker Bell flew over. "Thank you for saving her." She said to whoever or whatever had come to Nettie's rescue. Nettie realized she was on something cold and rough. Almost like…scales. She looked to see she was just behind the nose at the end of a long snout. Nettie turned and found herself staring into the eyes of…well she had no idea what, but it still scared her.

Nettie screamed and jumped back. "What is that thing?!"

"Relax. Its just Tick-Tock." Tinker Bell said. "Don't mind her. She has no idea how things are done here." That part was said to her rescuer.

"B-but, what is Tick-Tock?"

"He's the crocodile that swims around Neverland."

Nettie had never heard of a crocodile before. As you can probably guess, they didn't exist on Harthyn. "Is…is he dangerous?"

"Only if you're a codfish like Hook." Tinker Bell smiled. "But we're fine. Tick-Tock's always had a soft spot for fairies. One of my friends found him as a hatchling and he took her for his mother."

"That must've been a funny sight." Nettie said.

"It was." Tinker Bell smiled. Nettie was sure Tick-Tock was smiling too. "It's a good thing he's here. Tick-Tock will help us against Hook."

"Why?"

"A long time ago Peter cut off Hook's hand and fed it to Tick-Tock. Now all Tick-Tock wants to do is have the rest of that pirate for lunch."

Nettie felt sick to her stomach. "I don't feel so good."

"Why?" Tinker Bell asked her. "Not so infatuated with Peter now that you've heard of some of his exploits?"

Nettie looked up. "Infatuated? I was never infatuated with Peter!"

Tinker Bell actually looked surprised. "You're not?"

"No."

"It seems that Peter catches the eye of every girl he meets."

"I'm not every girl. I'm Nettie Juarez."

Tinker Bell looked at her. "If you're not here because of Peter, then why are you here?"

"My friends and I were kidnapped from our home by a group called Organization XIII, and unless we stop them we can never get back home."

Tinker Bell actually looked sad. "That's awful. To be taken from your home. I can't imagine it."

"It gets worse." Nettie said. "Some of my friends…this witch called Maleficent turned them against us, and I have no idea how we're going to get them back."

As soon as Nettie said Maleficent Tinker Bell started glowing red. "I've heard of her. She caused trouble in Neverland many times. She's worked with Hook before." Tinker Bell looked at Nettie. "I'll do what I can to help you save your friends and get back home."

"Thank you." Nettie said. "Right now, let's go save our friends from Hook."

Tinker Bell smiled. "Now that's something I love doing." She turned to Tick-Tock. "We need to get to the codfish. Will you take us there?"

Nettie nearly lost her balance as Tick-Tock nodded yes. Mabul flew over, making sure to keep his distance from Tick-Tock. As Tick-Tock started to turn to swim out to open water Nettie thought of something.

"So why does he make that ticking noise?"

"It's because he swallowed a clock." Tinker Bell answered. "It lets Hook know that Tick-Tock is around, and as soon as he hears it that codfish forgets everything else."


	39. Bayou Bash

**Sorry this took so long. I was really busy, and lazy at the same time. I'll try to not delay so long again. **

* * *

Chapter 39: Bayou Bash

Shadow could not believe he had been reduced to this. Searching this stinking swamp for some prince-turned-frog just because some moron with a bad sense of fashion stole his heart. Shadow gritted what teeth he had in his mouth. The next time he saw that voodoo witch doctor he would…

He heard chatter up ahead. Shadow hid himself to see a bunch of…floating lights? Were they creatures that inhabited this world? Shadow moved closer. They were small, but he was small too. He couldn't make them out, but they appeared to be something that made their own light. Shadow had never heard of anything like it.

"I'll take them the rest of the way." One of the lights said to the others. Shadow noticed a huge alligator carrying a trumpet accompanied this light. Beside him were…were those supposed to be those meddling kids? The ones that were giving the Organization a hard time? They must've been turned into animals too. And the frog prince was with them!

"Nice meeting y'all." The other frog, some girl by the sound of her voice said to the lights.

"By-bye, Pookie!" The alligator said.

The light that was leaving all the others said something in a language that Shadow didn't recognize. Then he added, "And don't forget to tell Angela, Ray-Ray say, "_Bonne chance_!""

What that meant Shadow had no idea.

"That's your girl?" The female frog asked.

The light, which Shadow could now see was some strange bug with a glowing rear end, laughed. "Oh, no, no. My girl? Ho, ho, ho. That's Evangeline."

"Evangeline?" Some lizard thing asked. Shadow recognized the voice. It was Jason.

"That's a pretty name." A sparrow said with Mika's voice.

"She the most prettiest firefly ever did glow." The bug said. So these light-up bugs were called fireflies. The bug gave a squeal before continuing, "You know, I talk to Evangeline every night."

"She must love that." Mika said.

A swamp rat that had to be Axel asked, "What's she like, Ray?"

"She's kind of shy. Don't say much." The firefly, Ray, answered, though he looked lost in his own thoughts, "And I know in my heart someday we are going to be together. Yeah."

"Aw! That's so sweet." The female frog said.

"Yeah, so sweet." The frog prince said. "Just do not settle down so quickly, my friend. There are plenty of fireflies in the swamp."

"You and AJ must be long-lost relatives." A newt remarked with Aurora's voice.

"Hey!" A mosquito buzzed with AJ's voice.

They were making their way into a bush when the alligator tried to follow. He then shouted in pain and fell over, something stuck to his finger. "Pricker bushes got me! Gator down! Gator down!"

Some lizard and Ray looked at each other with a Are-You-Serious look. Shadow had to admit he found it pathetic that such a big beast could be taken down so easily.

"The darkness is closing in! I'm so cold."

The lizard and Ray approached the gator.

"Hold still Louis. We'll get that thing off you." The lizard said in Jason's voice. Louis just held his finger close.

"Will you hold still, you big baby?" Ray asked right before Louis screamed in pain. "I ain't touched it yet."

Shadow shook his head. Pathetic. Just pathetic. He followed the others into the bushes.

* * *

Roxas and Xion were getting used to hopping around as frogs. Tiana was still walking like a person, and was using a stick as a machete to clear the bush for them. Aurora, Mika, AJ, and Riku had summoned their keyblades and were helping her.

"You know, waitress, I have finally figured out what is wrong with you." Naveen said.

"Have you now?" Tiana asked impatiently.

"You do not know how to have fun. There." Naveen smirked.

Aurora shook her head.

"You do have a very poor sense of humor." AJ said.

Xion swatted at him. "AJ, stop it."

"Hey, somebody had to say it." AJ insisted.

"Thank you." Tiana said to them. "I figured out what your problem is, too." She added to Naveen.

"I'm too wonderful?" Naveen asked right before a branch hit him.

Axel made a buzzer sound. "Wrong answer."

"You're a no-'count, philandering, lazy bump on a log." Tiana told him.

Riku looked at him. "You can't go through life partying and acting like there's nothing to worry about. Just because you pretend there's nothing wrong doesn't change the fact there is."

"And you're no better than he." Aurora told AJ.

"What?" AJ asked.

"I know how you've been behaving at school, and it makes me sick." Aurora said. "I almost wish somebody or something ate you already."

"Lighten up." AJ said. "Life's too short to be grumpy all the time."

"And what do you know about being serious?"

"What do you know about having fun?"

"Knock it off!" Mika said. "This arguing isn't helping us get to Mama Odie's. So please stop arguing with each other and let's get through this stupid plant."

"Thank you." Tiana said. "Someone who has priorities."

"Killjoy." Naveen said while trying to cover it with a cough.

Tiana looked at him. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Naveen said, right before doing it again. "Stick in the mud."

Tiana turned back. "Listen here, mister. "This stick in the mud has had to work two jobs her whole life while you've been sucking on a silver spoon chasing chambermaids around your ivory tower!"

"Actually, it's polished marble." Naveen corrected her right as something grabbed him from out of the shadows. "Help!"

Everyone looked to see some sort of snake wrapping itself around Naveen.

"Water moccasin!" Tiana cried out.

"Boiled water moccasin when I'm through. Got it memorized?" Axel said as he threw a fireball at the snake. It went over its head, but the grip was loosened allowing Naveen to slip out and hop away to safety. Riku then hopped up, swinging his keyblade at the serpent, only to be blocked by the tail, which held the Chaos Ripper keyblade.

"Wait. Shadow?" Roxas asked the snake. They finally got a good look at the snake. Sure enough it was Shadow. No snake could hold the anger in its expression like Shadow could.

"Took you long enough."

"Shadow? What are you doing here?" Riku asked. "There are no Princesses of Heart here."

"I was sent here to gauge the fruits of your training," Shadow explained, "When I got ripped off by this swindling witch doctor, Facilier!"

"You've seen the Shadow Man?" Tiana asked.

"Yes." Shadow snapped. "Now, I have no choice but to bring that frog prince to get him to fix what he did to me!"

AJ laughed. "Hah! 'Shadow' serving the 'Shadow Man?' What tasty irony!"

Shadow glared at him. "It's not funny, you brat! I got played big time, and it's really ticking me off. I swear once he turns me back and returns my heart, I'm running my blade through his chest! But for now, I think I'll take it out on you!"

He must've been really angry, because several unversed appeared around him. One variety looked like a plant with three leaves on their heads. Another looked like a sad little bunny with floppy forked ears. The last looked like a weird totem pole with three pots that were blue, red, and yellow.

"Mandrakes. Hareraisers. Triple Wreckers." Shadow instructed. "Destroy them!"

"Here we go again." AJ said. He flew at the Mandrakes, but had to dodge as something flew past him. "Hey, what the?" The Mandrakes were throwing some sort of razor sharp leaves at him.

"Know who I am? I'm the weed killer. Got it memorized?" Axel taunted the Mandrakes. He threw his flaming chakrams at the plants, destroying several of them. However the Hareraisers moved in on him.

"Get away from him!" Mika held her keyblades with her feet as she attacked them. Unfortunately she hadn't gotten the hang of holding keyblades with her little birdie feet, and they were knocked out of her grip.

"Hold on. I'm coming!" Aurora and AJ moved in to the attack. The dark bunnies had no idea what hit them. Some Mandrakes that Axel didn't get shot their sharp leaves at her. However she simply leapt up and deflected them with her hands and feet.

"That's not all. Watch this!" AJ said as he zipped around. He then spun around in a circle, making a chainsaw-like sound. His attack took out several Triple Wreckers like they were made of wood.

"Impressive." Shadow admitted as he slithered forward. "But not enough."

"Oh really?" Aurora asked as she whacked him with her tail. Shadow growled and tried to swing his keyblade. However since his body was so long it was taking a while for his weapon to get around. Aurora easily blocked it.

"You want to gauge the fruits of our training?" She asked as she slashed him. Shadow growled with pain.

"Here comes some more!" Axel said as he threw his chakrams. Not only did they go through the Mandrakes and Triple Wreckers, but they hit Shadow in the middle of his face.

Mika recovered her keyblades and finished off the last of the Hareraisers. She then blasted the Triple Wreckers with Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder. That took care of them. AJ slashed the last of the Mandrakes before moving to Shadow.

With everyone ganging up on him, Shadow realized that his new body really prohibited him from fighting effectively. His keyblade was pretty much useless. How do snakes do anything with these bodies?

"Roxas, Xion. Let's go." Mika said. She then looked around. "Roxas? Xion?"

Riku glared at Shadow. "What did you do with our friends?"

"Why don't you ask the swamp folk who took them?"

* * *

Jason and Ray had finished getting the pricker out of Louis's finger. The reptile had acted like a big baby the entire time. Thankfully now they could get on with their…

"Hunters with guns!" Louis cried in fear. He jumped and hid in the closest hiding place. Unfortunately that was the pricker bush. Louis's screams were really starting to annoy Jason.

"It's not like they're gonna…" Jason started to say right before he saw what the hunter had caught. Naveen and Xion! "Ray! We gotta do something!"

Ray flew off, saying, "A bug got to do what a bug got to do!" Jason was impressed, until Ray flew up the hunter's nose. The hunter let go of Naveen and Xion and began hitting his head trying to dislodge Ray. Finally he was able to, sending Ray into a rock. Jason hopped on the closest branch and began paddling out to them.

"Pa! We got two!" A really big guy said as he and a guy with two fingers came up with a cage, and Tiana and Roxas were in it. They tried to push their way out, but the guy with two fingers sat on the cage.

"Shush now! Get on quiet there!" The man, who was their father, said.

"What happened to yours?" The big guy asked.

"They got free when Ray played at being that man's booger." Jason muttered under his breath.

The pa turned to them. "Shut your trap, Darnell!"

Naveen and Xion came up next to Jason. "Free!" Naveen laughed. "Oh hey, Jason."

Mika and AJ flew up to them. "Where are Roxas and Tiana?"

"The hillbillies got them!" Jason pointed to the boat.

"Hang on!" Xion said as she and Naveen threw out their tongues and latched on to the boat. The momentum helped carry them to the boat like they were waterskiing. Unfortunately they didn't come with brakes. Mika grabbed Jason in her claws and carried him over.

"Pa, did you hear that suspicious thud?" Darnell asked.

"Yeah. I sure did." Pa took off his hat to reveal Naveen was underneath it. How he got there so quickly Jason had no idea. Naveen tried to keep him from getting suspicious by scratching Pa's head when he moved to scratch it.

Kind of pointless when two out of three guys can see you.

Pa seemed to notice something was wrong. "What are you two gawking at?" He asked right as Darnell hit him with his stick-club thing.

"Just missed him!" Darnell said. Jason could help but smile. This was kind of amusing to see. The big guy hitting his miniature pa with a stick while Naveen's just enjoying himself.

"Two Fingers! I need some help over here!" Pa shouted. Two Fingers got up and pointed a gun at his father's face, because that was where Naveen was. However since Two Fingers was no longer sitting on the cage Roxas and Tiana were able to get free, and with Xion they hopped onto the gun, pointing it down. The gun went off.

"Oooh." Jason and AJ said as the shot blew off the bottom of Pa's overalls, revealing some embarrassing underwear.

However the show was just beginning. Naveen puffed out his throat, croaking at the same time. Darnell stomped on Two Fingers foot, causing him to scream out in pain. The four frogs landed on Darnell's head where Tiana hit Two Fingers with her tongue. Two Fingers tried to use his gun to hit them, but hit Darnell instead, who just laughed it off.

"Guy must be really stupid." Mika observed.

"I just wish I had some snacks for the fun." AJ said.

Soon the three swamp folk were hitting each other. Pa hit Darnell, who hit him in return, only to be hit by Two Fingers. Two fingers kicked Pa, who hit him. Two fingers also poked Darnell in the eyes. He then bashed his own father on the head, causing him to collapse. In one last attempt to get Tiana, Naveen, Roxas, and Xion, Darnell ended up hitting himself in the face.

"Guess we weren't needed after all." Jason said.

"Nope." Mika agreed.

The swamp folk were covered with sores and bruises. "These two ain't like no frogs I ever seen." Pa said. "They smart."

"And we talk, too." Tiana said.

That did it. The three swamp folk screamed and paddled out of the bayou as fast as they could.

"I think that was a little much." Mika said.

"I didn't know people could still understand us." Jason said.

"I just wish we'd have an encore performance." AJ joked.

* * *

Axel, Aurora, and Riku ran out of the pricker bush to find Louis giving CPR to Ray. Well, close enough. He was giving him air through a tube since Ray's mouth was so small. It did the trick. Ray started coughing.

"You all right there, little bug?" Louis asked.

"What happened?" Riku asked.

"Ray was hurt trying to stop those hunters." Louis explained.

"I'm fine." Ray said. "But your breath done near kill me to death."

Louis then pointed to a pricker stuck on his chest. "Would you mind?"

"I got you covered, brah." Ray said as he flew up and pulled the pricker out.

Louis groaned before sighing. "Much obliged, peewee." He said before turning around, revealing the area under his tail was covered with pickers. "Now how about the other side?"

"I'm not pulling any of those out." Aurora said. "And that's final."

Ray groaned in response.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this. Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for his help with Shadow. I hope I did okay with the fighting. I feel there's something still missing from it. **


	40. By the Light

**Hi everyone. I thought things were moving too slow with this world, so I decided to do two chapters in a row. Hopefully this speeds things up. I'll try to finish the visit to this world before the week is out. **

* * *

Chapter 40: By the Light

Everyone was laughing and talking about their escape from the swamp folk.

"'And we talk too'." Naveen laughed. "I like that. You are secretly funny."

"That was clever thinking, Tiana." Mika said.

Jason just shrugged. "I'm surprised it worked. And it's hard to surprise me."

Tiana smiled smugly. "Not a stick in the mud?"

"Well, I wouldn't go…" Naveen started.

"Say it. Say it." Tiana goaded him.

"All right. You're not exactly…"

"I can't hear you. I'm sorry. What?"

"…a complete stick deep in the mud."

AJ flew over them. "There. That wasn't so hard was it?"

Before anyone could say anything else they heard Louis groaning. They hurried over to find Ray pulling prickers out of…the bottom of Louis's tail. Not a pleasant sight.

"Easy. Easy!" Louis told the firefly.

"This one's in there, ain't it?" Ray asked. "Hold on."

"Can't you go any faster?" Aurora asked.

Ray looked at her. "Perhaps if I had a few extra hands."

"No thanks. I'm not touching anything that comes from that area." Aurora said.

"Are you okay?" Xion asked Louis as she and the others walked up.

"No." Louis whimpered. "I'm in so much pai-ow!"

Ray looked at them. "I know we gots to get to Mama Odie lickety-split, but this particular extractification is going to take a while. Yeah."

"Poor Louis." Mika said.

Louis looked at them. "You know what would make me feel better?" he asked before he screamed. "Crawfish smothered in remoulade sauce… Mercy! With some Bananas Foster sprinkled with pralines… Oh, Mama!"

"Will you calm down, you big baby?" Jason asked Louis.

Tiana looked at a pumpkin. "How about some swamp gumbo?"

Louis seemed okay with it. "That will do." He said right before he shouted in pain.

"I never had gumbo before." Roxas said.

"Well you're in for a treat." Ray said from behind Louis.

"Sounds delicious." Naveen said as he spread a leaf across his lap like a napkin. "I'll start with a pre-dinner cocktail and something to nibble on while I wait. Thanks."

"No, no, no, your royal highness." Tiana said as she put on a leaf that she used as an apron. You are going to mince these mushrooms."

"Do what?" Naveen stuttered.

"Mince the mushrooms! Hop to it!" Tiana said.

"Do we need a fire to cook this?" Xion asked.

Tiana nodded. "Yes we do."

"Jason and I will get some firewood." AJ said.

Jason looked at him. "Whoa, I didn't volunteer…"

AJ flew behind him and started pushing him. "Yes, you did! Now let's go!"

Jason kept protesting, but went with the mosquito into the underbrush.

"Little ridiculous." Naveen said as he held a mushroom.

"Stop complaining." Axel said.

"Are you mincing?" Tiana asked.

"All right! Relax." Naveen said. He slowly began cutting into the mushroom. Aurora shook her head as she saw him exhaling heavily and sweating like he was working on a hot day at noon. He seemed relieved when he got one piece done.

"Pathetic." Aurora said. "Don't they teach you to do anything in the palace?"

"I'm a prince!" Naveen defended himself.

Tiana walked up. "Step aside, mister. Watch and learn." Taking the stone Naveen was using as a knife she cut up the mushroom so fast she turned it into tiny little pieces.

"Oh! All right." Naveen said impressed. Tiana then gave him another mushroom and worked with him to help the prince get an idea on how he was supposed to mince.

"There you go." Tiana said.

"Just be sure to get it memorized." Axel told him as he started a fire under the pumpkin.

Naveen nodded. "I've never done anything like this before."

"Obviously." Aurora said.

"Aurora." Mika said.

Naveen continued to explain, "When you live in a castle, everything is done for you. All the time. They dress you. They feed you. Drive you. Brush your teeth."

"Really?" Xion asked.

"Oh, poor baby." Tiana said.

"I admit it was a charmed life until the day my parents cut me off, and suddenly I realized I don't know how to do anything." Naveen said.

"I always thought living in a palace was the dream life." Mika said.

Axel nodded. "Who would've thought the good life would actually be so…what's the word?"

"Prohibiting?" Riku tried.

Axel snapped his fingers. "That's the word I was looking for!"

Tiana walked to Naveen and smiled. "Well, hey, you got the makings of a decent mushroom mincer."

Naveen smiled. "You think so?"

"Keep practicing and I just might hire you."

"Really?"

"No."

Naveen groaned while most of the others laughed at Tiana's joke. Aurora looked at the fire.

"What else do you need?" Mika asked Tiana.

"Hmm, let's see…" Tiana thought about it.

* * *

Shadow slithered through the underbrush. He kept cursing his luck. Cursing this world. Cursing Facilier. Of all the bodies Facilier could've trapped him in it had to be a useless snake. If only…

Shadow froze. He heard voices ahead. He lowered himself so he wouldn't be spotted. Sure enough coming up were Jason and AJ. Maybe he should practice on them.

"You really think this Mama Odie can help us out?" Jason asked.

AJ shrugged. "I don't know, but it's the best chance we got. If voodoo got those two into this mess, maybe it can get them out."

Shadow took interest. Did this Mama Odie practice voodoo too? It sounded like it. "_Maybe I don't need Facilier_." Shadow thought. "_Maybe this Mama Odie can help me_."

Jason and AJ kept gathering twigs. "I just want her to change me back, and to get back to Harthyn where there was no magic, no madness, and my life!"

"I know. I got so much I need to catch up on." AJ said.

"Like what? Playing your life away just so you can try to pick up your next weekend date at the arcade?"

"That was cold."

"No, it's the truth. Everyone knows how you keep falling for a new girl every week."

"At least I know I can do something with my life. All you do is talk about being a soldier, like you're some robot."

"Shut up!" Jason threw down his wood. "You don't know anything about me!"

AJ smirked. "I know plenty. You're just a bully, and think you're a big shot who's gonna change the world!"

"I don't care about changing the world!"

"Then what do you care about?"

"None of your business!"

"I'm not gonna stop asking until you answer me!"

Jason pulled out his keyblade. "I said none of your business."

Shadow watched as AJ pulled out his keyblade. Were they going to fight? This didn't make any sense.

"My life is mine!" Jason snarled.

"And I don't have to feel sorry for my love life!" AJ retorted.

"What love life?" Jason said. "All I see is a little parasite who always flips over a pretty face."

AJ flew in. Jason and AJ's keyblades clashed with each other. Jason forced the bug back and leapt at him. AJ ducked down, and hit Jason in the back. Jason growled before charging forward.

As Shadow watched he thought he could see shapes taking form where Jason and AJ's shadows were. They weren't Heartless or Unversed. However Shadow knew that whatever they were, he didn't want them to get strong enough.

Summoning his energy, Shadow blasted the two keyblade wielders with his Dark Blizzard attack. The two nuisances were knocked unconscious. Whatever the danger was, Shadow sensed it had been abated.

"Jason! AJ!" He heard the one called Mika say. He slithered further into the bush while the bird flew by. "There you two are! Wake up! Dinner's ready."

Jason and AJ groaned as they got up. "What happened?" AJ asked.

"I remember we were arguing about something, but nothing after that." Jason said.

"Well come on or the gumbo will get cold!" Mika said as she flew back. Jason and AJ followed her, with Shadow trailing them. Shadow didn't like them, but he needed them for a new reason: He had no idea where to find this Mama Odie.

They, however, did.

* * *

Later, the group of keyblade wielders and their friends were sitting around the camp eating swamp gumbo. Everyone admitted the stuff was delicious. Ray was entertaining everyone by telling a joke.

"…you going to see a blind nutria. You say, "Hello." And he say, "What?" And you say, "That a ugly fish."" Ray finished.

Everyone laughed. Except Aurora.

"I still don't get it." Roxas said.

"Give it a little time and you will. Got it memorized?" Axel asked.

"Anyone for seconds?" Tiana asked.

Jason held his bowl up. "Oh, definitely." Tiana refilled his bowl.

"It's delicious." Riku said as he got seconds too.

"That was magnificent!" Naveen said. "You truly have a gift."

Tiana smiled shyly. "Why, thank you." She gave him a second helping.

Ray gasped. "There she is. The sweetest firefly in all creation."

"Evangeline?" Tiana asked.

Louis gulped down his gumbo. "I want to meet this girl. Where she at?"

"Yeah Ray. Where is Evangeline?" Mika asked.

AJ flew around. "Yo! Evangeline! Where are you?"

Ray looked at them. "How you can miss her?" He pointed up to a bright star. "She glowing right up there in front of y'all."

Everyone's jaw dropped. "What?" Jason asked.

Ray, however, just began serenading the star.

"Look how she lights up the sky,

Ma belle Evangeline."

Ray drew a light heart around the star. Axel looked at Mika and twirled his finger around his head. Mika swatted him with her wing.

Louis laughed. "That ain't no fire…" he stopped when a rock hit him on the head. Naveen shushed him as Ray continued,

"So far above me, yet I

Know her heart belongs to only me."

Ray then began singing in some other language. Naveen looked at Tiana.

"I adore you. I love you." When Tiana folded her arms Naveen held up his hands. "I'm just translating."

"Yeah right." Jason said. Aurora slugged him and motioned for Jason to be quiet.

"You're my queen of the night

So still, so bright

That someone as beautiful as she

Could love someone like me"

AJ was starting to feel uncomfortable. He remembered what he saw in the Crypt in Halloween Town, and his heart felt like it was twisting and turning. A tear began to come to his eye.

Naveen helped Tiana up. Everyone watched as he tried to dance with her. However Tiana backed away.

"No. I don't dance." She explained. She tried to move away, but Naveen grabbed her.

"Love always finds a way, it's true."

Tiana hopped away from Naveen. "I've never danced." She admitted.

"And I love you, Evangeline."

Naveen didn't give up. He pulled the lily pad Tiana was on over to him.

"If I can mince, you can dance." He said as he started dancing with Tiana.

Axel looked at Mika. "May I have this dance?" He said with a bow to the sparrow.

Mika smiled. "You may." The two of them began dancing with each other while the others looked on. Louis played his trumpet to add to the romantic mood. Ray also helped the two pairs of lovebirds. He flew into some flowers, and somehow lit them up.

"It's so…" Xion tried to find the right word.

"Beautiful?" Riku suggested.

Xion nodded. "It is."

Tiana and Naveen jumped into the water, where they continued dancing. Ray began putting them in the spotlight, alternating between two different colored leaves to create different colored spotlights. Mika smiled while she and Axel continued their dance. She remembered before the Heartless had taken his heart. She had danced with him like this. The memories filled her heart with joy.

"Love is beautiful,

Love is wonderful!

Love is everything, do you agree?"

Tiana and Naveen leapt out of the water and onto a lily pad while Ray continued to sing.

"Look how she lights up the sky.

I love you, Evangeline."

Mika noticed how Naveen and Tiana were looking at each other. She smiled. The look they had for each other was how she felt for Axel. She knew they were starting to fall for each other. The two frogs leaned in, like they were going to kiss each other.

Tiana broke off. "Lottie's getting herself one heck of a dance partner." Tiana said.

Mika face-palmed herself.

"We'd best be pushing on." Tiana said. Mika flew over to the frog, but before she could say anything Naveen screamed. Everyone looked to see something was dragging him off!

"Tiana!"

"Naveen!"

Everyone rushed after Naveen. They couldn't see anything holding on to him, but everyone did see what looked like monstrous shadows holding on to the frog prince. Naveen tried to grab hold of a log, but he couldn't break free of the shadows.

"What are they? Heartless?" Jason asked.

Riku shook his head. "They don't smell like Heartless. They have the smell of darkness, but it's different."

Mika nodded. "It's more dark. More evil."

"Why does that not make me feel better?" AJ asked.

As the shadows continued to drag Naveen away a surge of light destroyed one of them. The shadows released Naveen and tried to get away from the light, but one by one they were blasted until they were destroyed.

Everyone caught up to Naveen. "What in the world just happened?" AJ asked. Before anyone could answer they noticed something coming up in the fog. It looked big and menacing, like a thug with a club.

However what came from the fog was just a short little woman dressed in white. She had sunglasses on and two big yellow earrings. She carried a club that was lit on the end.

She laughed. "Not bad for a 197-year-old blind lady." She blew out the light on her club. "Now which one of you naughty children been messing with the Shadow Man?"

Everyone looked at Naveen. This had to be Mama Odie.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. I wanted to keep using what happened in the crypt as something that will still haunt Jason, AJ, and Riku. I didn't plan for the two characters from Harthyn to fight, but that's how the story ended up going. Now to find out what Mama Odie will say to them. **


	41. What do you need?

**Hi everyone. Like I said I'm trying to move this world along. I don't have anything else to do today, so I'm trying to do as much as possible. I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

* * *

Chapter 41: What do you need?

Everyone had followed Mama Odie to her home. It was actually a boat that had somehow gotten stuck in a tall tree. How something like that could happen Shadow had no idea. It just did. He kept following them from a distance, slithering until he could peek into the boat and see what was going on.

"We're so glad we found you, Mama Odie." Tiana was saying. "Ray and Louis here have been telling us all about you."

The blind lady threw her club into a pot, smashing it. She continued walking like nothing was wrong.

Tiana continued, "We've been traveling quite a long way, and you can't imagine what we've been through. And we… and we heard that you…"

"Juju!" Mama Odie called out. A snake slithered over to her. She laughed. "Come on over here, you bad boy. Give us a little sugar, now." To Shadow's surprise, and disgust, the blind lady started kissing the snake.

Louis, Jason, and AJ started gagging. Shadow looked away. He couldn't bear to see that disgusting sight any longer. That was sick on so many levels.

"Y'all just loves your mama, don't you?" Shadow heard Mama Odie ask. He peeked back in to see her straighten the snake out and start using it like a cane or stick that blind people use. "Good to see you again, Ray. How's your grandmama?"

"She's fine." Ray said. "Got in a little trouble for flashing the neighbors again."

Shadow shook his head. He saw Jason walk towards the old woman, who Shadow was becoming sure was just a crazy old loon.

"Oooh, I like that gal's spunk!" Mama Odie sat in a chair as the keyblade brats and their friends approached her.

"Look, we need your help." Jason said.

"Mama Odie." Tiana, Naveen, Roxas, Xion, and Riku hopped up to her. "We don't want to take up too much of your time…"

Mama Odie handed them something. "Y'all want some candy?"

"Not really."

"No, thank you."

"Sorry, but no."

Mama Odie took one. "Now, that's too bad. It's a special candy. Would have turned y'all human." She swallowed it.

"Wait! Don't! Please don't take it!"

"No! Please!"

Mama Odie laughed. "I'm just messing with y'all."

Shadow was getting more convinced that this Mama Odie wasn't right in the head. He slithered on the outside, trying to see more. The brats weren't leaving yet.

"How on Earth did you know that we wanted to turn back…" Tiana started to ask before she noticed Mama Odie had fallen asleep and was snoring.

Naveen touched her. "Mama Odie?"

"Juju!" Mama Odie exclaimed as she woke up. "Why didn't you tell me my gumbo was burning?"

"You sure this is the right blind voodoo lady who lives in a boat in a tree in the bayou?" Louis asked Ray.

Ray shrugged. "Pretty sure."

"Pretty sure?!" Jason asked. "You mean you might be wrong?"

"There's a lot more than you think." Ray said.

"I say we get out of here." Aurora said.

"You wanna leave without hearing how to get back to Harthyn?" Mama Odie asked. Shadow noticed that got the attention of Jason, Aurora, and AJ.

"How did you know…" AJ started to ask.

Mama Odie didn't answer, but stirred her gumbo. "Can't believe this. Got to do everything around here."

"Mama Odie, if you…" Tiana started.

"Taste this!" Mama Odie shoved some gumbo into Tiana's mouth. "Well?"

"Hit it hard with a couple of shots of Tabasco and it's the bee's knees." Tiana said. "Now, can we…"

"Juju!" Mama Odie called out. The snake came by and put a few drops of something into the gumbo. Shadow guessed the Tabasco. Whatever it was. Must've been some sort of spice. Mama Odie tasted the gumbo and laughed. "That's got some zang to it! That's just what it needed. Now, y'all figure out what you need?"

"It's just like you said, Mama Odie. We need to be human." Tiana said.

"And we need to get back to Harthyn." Jason said.

Mama Odie scoffed loudly. "Y'all ain't got the sense you was born with! Y'all want to be human and to go home, but you're blind to what you need!"

Shadow scratched his head with the tip of his tail in confusion. There's a difference?

"What we want? What we need? Is all the same thing, yes?" Naveen asked.

Mama Odie whacked him with a stick. "Is the same thing? No! You listen to your mama now."

"Okay." Xion said.

"Don't matter what you look like

Don't matter what you wear

How many rings you got on your finger

We don't care, no"

A bunch of pink birds flew in and joined Mama Odie in singing

"We don't care!"

Mama Odie conjured up her club, which was lit again, and continued,

"Don't matter where you come from,

Don't even matter what you are

A dog, a pig, a cow, a goat

Had 'em all in here"

She hit her snake, Juju, with her club, changing him into all the animals she listed before he changed back as the birds sang,

"Had 'em all in here"

Mama Odie continued as the birds flew around her.

"And they all knew what they wanted,

What they wanted me to do

I told 'em what they needed

Just like I be telling you"

Mama Odie began digging through a trunk of hers.

"You got to dig a little deeper

Find out who your are"

Louis caught a tambourine she threw, while Ray caught a bottle cap that he started using like a tambourine.

"You got to dig a little deeper

It really ain't that far

When you find out who you are

You'll find out what you need"

Mama Odie took a clam from Juju and opened it in front of Tiana and Naveen, showing a pearl. However Shadow caught Naveen looking at Tiana. Why did he have that look? And why did he smile nervously when Tiana looked at him?

"Blue skies and sunshine

Blue skies and sunshine

Guaranteed."

Mama Odie took one of the pink birds and began using it like it was a shovel.

"You got to dig

Dig

You got to dig

Dig"

Mama Odie approached Naveen.

"Prince Froggy is a rich little boy

You want to be rich again

That ain't gonna make you happy now

Did it make you happy then? No!"

Mama Odie then began covering Naveen with gold coins that appeared out of nowhere. Juju grabbed her to keep her from falling over.

"Money ain't got no soul

Money ain't got no heart

All you need is some self-control

Make yourself a brand-new start

You got to dig a little deeper

Don't have far to go

You got to dig a little deeper

Tell the people Mama told you so"

Mama Odie rescued Naveen from the pile of coins and set him down. They watched Tiana dancing with Ray, and Shadow noticed the frog prince dropped the last coin he was holding.

"Can't tell you what you'll find

Maybe love will grant you peace of mind

Dig a little deeper and you'll know"

Mama Odie then approached Tiana. "Miss Froggy?"

"Ma'am?" Tiana asked.

"Might I have a word?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Mama Odie took Tiana over to her gumbo bowl. "You's a hard one, that's what I heard."

Shadow saw images of a family appear in the gumbo. The little girl looked a lot like Tiana. Maybe this crazy blind woman could help him.

"Your daddy was a loving man,

Family, through and through

You your daddy's daughter

What he had in him, you got in you"

The two of them began to walk right towards a big gaping hole in the floor. Juju slithered underneath them and created a bridge for them to walk across.

"You got to dig a little deeper

For you, it's gonna be tough"

They went up a mast to the roof. Shadow slithered up and followed them. He wasn't going to lose sight of Mama Odie.

"You got to dig a little deeper

You ain't dug near far enough

Dig down deep inside yourself

You'll find out what you need"

The roof had lots of glass bottles hanging from the branches of the tree. The light from the sun reflected off them, creating something that seemed…beautiful.

"Blue skies and sunshine

Guaranteed

Open up the windows!

Let in the light, children!

Blue skies and sunshine

Blue skies and sunshine

Blue skies and sunshine

Guaranteed!"

Tiana had joined in on the last little bit there. She had a good voice, Shadow had to admit. But he didn't care much for music. He just wanted to know what Mama Odie had to say.

Mama Odie looked at Tiana. "Well, Miss Froggy, do you understand what you need now, child?"

"Yes, I do, Mama Odie." Tiana said. "I need to dig a little deeper and work even harder to get my restaurant."

Mama Odie face-palmed herself. All the birds sounded disappointed with her answer. Shadow also felt like she missed the point, though he only had an idea of what that point was.

Mika shook her head. "Wrong answer, Tiana."

Ray tried to cheer everyone up. "All right, y'all, one more time! It don't matter what you look like! It don't… Nobody is going to sing with Ray? Okay."

"Well, if everyone is done with the waste of time, can we get on with this?!" Jason asked.

"Well, if y'all are set on being human, there's only one way." Mama Odie said.

* * *

Everyone was back in the boat, watching Mama Odie stir her gumbo in the pot. Shadow stayed outside. Still he wanted to know what Mama Odie's solution is.

"Gumbo, gumbo in the pot. We need a princess, whatcha got?"

An image of a girl with short blonde hair snoring in bed appeared in the gumbo. Who was she? Shadow didn't sense anything special about her.

"Lottie? But she's not a princess." Tiana said.

"Hush up and look at the gumbo." Mama Odie ordered.

The door to her room opened and in walked a fat man with a red moustache dressed like a king. He held a tiara on a pillow in his hand. The girl, Lottie, woke up and seemed really happy. Shadow just thought she was some spoiled child from her reaction.

"That's right." Tiana said. "Big Daddy's King of the Mardi Gras parade. So that makes Lottie a princess."

Naveen must've been skeptical because he asked, "Does that count?"

"Yes it does," Mama Odie said, "but only till midnight when Mardi Gras is over."

Naveen said something in his language. Shadow was wondering if it was some form of profanity.

"Hop-along, you only got till then to get that princess to kiss you." Mama Odie told Naveen. Once she does, boom! Y'all turn human!"

"Midnight?" Naveen asked.

"That doesn't give us much time at all." Tiana said.

AJ flew up to Mama Odie. "Wait. You haven't told us how we get back home."

"Weren't you listening?" Mama Odie asked. "You want to get back home, but whatcha got there? You spend your time living in fantasies and not doing anything. Dig a little deeper, and you'll find what you need. Enough to dispel the darkness sleeping in your heart."

"Something's sleeping in his heart?" Jason asked.

Mama Odie looked at him. "You ain't much better. You just do what you're told, but you have no idea what you truly want. Find out what you need, and you'll know what you want. Might even be in front of you."

Aurora shook her head. "All I need is to get home."

"No you don't!" Mama Odie said. "You just want to stay in the past, but what you need is in the now." Mama Odie turned to Axel, Mika, Roxas, and Xion. "Y'all are missing something important. You seem to know y'all need it."

Axel nodded. "Got it memorized."

Mama Odie patted him on the head. "Good boy."

"What about me, Mama?" Louis asked. "I want to be human, too, so I can play jazz with the big boys. I want fingers and toes and a bellybutton. Not the kind that sticks out but the kind that goes in."

Mama Odie grabbed his mouth. "Jabber Jaws, you dig a little deeper, you'll find everything you need." She then pushed him to the door. "Come on, come on, come on. There's a lot of river between here and New Orleans. Y'all best get to swimming."

Louis stopped at the door. "Wait! I got a better idea."

* * *

Shadow waited to make sure they got a good start. He still felt the urge to go after the frog prince, but he knew he was in no fighting shape. Maybe it would be a good idea to get away from this crazy old woman.

Shadow felt something grab him. "Get in here!" He heard Mama Odie say. "It's not polite to be lingering outside as long as you have."

"Let me go!" Shadow said as he squirmed in her grip.

"Oooh, you a strong young man." Mama Odie said. "Yet stupid enough to mess with the Shadow Man."

Shadow stopped. "You mean Doctor Facilier?"

"You listen to your Mama now!" Mama Odie said. "Shadow Man knew you was special. Something deep inside you. Something about your past."

Shadow perked up. "Can you tell me about my past? That's all I want to know!"

Mama Odie shook her head. "I don't know your past. It blocked by the shadow of the present. All I know is you from beyond the beyond."

"Beyond the beyond? What does that mean?" Shadow asked.

"Hush now and have some gumbo." Mama Odie shoved some gumbo into his mouth. "No good thinking on an empty stomach."

Shadow had to admit this gumbo stuff was good, but he was not here for snacks. Before he could say anything Mama Odie continued, "You heard everything I say?"

Shadow nodded. "I know what I want. I want my memories. I want to remember who I was."

"Most people want to forget that." Mama Odie said. "But do you know what you need?"

"How am I supposed to know what I 'need' if I don't even know who I am?!" Shadow asked in frustration.

"Well, for one thing, you gonna have to be human again." Mama Odie said. "The magic that Prince Froggy, Miss Froggy, and their friends are going after won't work on you. Shadow Man stole your heart."

"Tell me something I don't know." Shadow muttered. He got hit on the head by Mama Odie.

"Hush now." She said. "If you want to change back, you're gonna have to steal that totem of Shadow Man's and smash it."

"And how the heck am I supposed to do that if I can't even touch him?" Shadow asked. "Not even my Unversed are able to go near him."

"Well, who said you have to do it by yourself?" Mama Odie asked. "You can't do it on your own? There's no shame in asking for help."

* * *

**Special thanks again to YamiChaos27 for his his help here. He's a great author, you should check out some of his stories, like Brother and Sister. He's also written a fan fiction called Kingdom Hearts: Keyblade Princess. It's not on fan , though it is on his DeviantArt account. You can read it there, or if you ask him nicely, he might start posting it here. Anyway, I'm starting to wonder if I can finish the trip to this world tonight. We'll see. **


	42. Mardi Gras Surprise

**Here's another chapter. I'm really trying to see if I can finish this world's trip tonight. **

* * *

Chapter 42: Mardi Gras Surprise

Louis's idea was to hitch a ride on a riverboat that was making its way to New Orleans. Louis got on first, whistling when the coast was clear. One by one everyone got on the boat. Louis fell over as he climbed the railing, but got back up humming as he heard the music.

"Will you focus? We need to get to…" Jason began to say before everyone gasping interrupted him. Coming towards them a bunch of men holding what looked like rifles pointed at them.

"They got guns!" Louis said with fear. Everyone quickly hid, except for Louis. He was too big to escape notice. He squished himself together to try to make himself smaller.

The people who came by weren't hunters, but musicians dressed as animals. They took notice of Louis and his trumpet.

"Man, that is one killer-diller costume!" One of them, dressed as a lion cub, said.

Another musician, dressed as an armadillo, asked, "Hey, gator, can you blow that horn?"

Louis nervously played his trumpet in response. The musicians loved what they heard.

"Come on. Sit with us! We're playing Mardi Gras!" the one dressed as a lion cub said. Louis excitedly got up and followed the musicians.

"He's finally getting his chance." AJ said.

Mika looked back and smiled. Tiana and Naveen were hugging each other while they were hiding. The two frogs quickly broke it up.

"We can't miss this!" Ray said. "Little Louis going to finally play with the big boys!"

"This I gotta see." Axel said. Everyone started to follow Louis, except for Naveen. Tiana looked back.

"Naveen, you coming?" Tiana asked.

"Oh! I'll catch up with you later." Naveen said. Tiana smiled and hopped off.

* * *

That evening Riku, Axel, Mika, Roxas, Xion, AJ, Aurora, and Jason were sitting together. They had enjoyed watching Louis play with the big boys like he always wanted. He was really good at it.

"That was some nice music." Axel said.

Mika nodded. "I never heard anything like it."

"I'm glad Louis is getting to live his dream." AJ said.

Jason scoffed. "It's only a matter of time before they learn the truth."

"Lighten up." AJ said.

"We're just trying to have some fun and enjoy the evening." Xion said.

"Well I just want to get back to Harthyn as soon as possible." Jason said.

Mika stood up. "Have you forgotten what Mama Odie said?"

"I don't care what some crazy blind woman said. I'm going back to Harthyn and that's that!" Jason walked away.

Aurora scoffed. "Typical."

"What's with you two?" Mika asked. "You act like enemies ready to tear each other's throats out."

"Nothing." Aurora said.

"That's not gonna cut it." Axel said.

"Please tell us what is wrong." Xion said.

Aurora turned away. AJ turned to their friends. "I don't know much, but I think it has something to do with the Moruga war."

Aurora turned and slugged him. "Shut up!"

"The Moruga War? The one where Netokan went to war because Moruga wouldn't give them access to needed resources?"

AJ and Aurora turned to her. "How do you know that?"

From her feathers Mika produced a book. "I found this book shortly before we found Xion. It talked about your world. It's histories and cultures. It's very fascinating, but I was shocked by some of the things I read."

Aurora sighed. "It's true. Moruga and Netokan went to war. It went badly for us. My people were treated as dirt. Netokan soldiers murdered families for sport. My mother would've been one of them, except a Netokan soldier stood up for her. Said it was wrong to kill in cold blood.

"With his help my mother escaped from the prison camp. She was able to make her way back to her family where she married. After the end of the war to show no ill will Netokan allowed Morugans to come and live with them. My parents were among them."

"But what does this have to do with the bitterness between you and Jason?" Xion asked.

Aurora looked at him. "I caught him talking about the war. He made it seem like a great thing. I beat him up for that."

"And ever since the two of them have been bitter with each other." AJ said.

Riku hopped over to her. "You two need to let all that go. If you keep allowing the darkness to grow like that, eventually it'll consume you."

* * *

Not too long later they arrived in New Orleans. The people were all excited for the Mardi Gras celebration. Louis was still playing his trumpet with his newfound band. The group had met up with Tiana and Ray, but Naveen was nowhere in sight.

Tiana looked at them. "Have any of you seen Naveen?"

"I thought he was with you." Mika said.

Ray smiled knowingly. "Look at you. Where the ring at?"

"What are you talking about?" Tiana asked with a confused look.

"Yeah Ray. What's going on?" AJ asked.

"Well, if Cap didn't say nothing, I ain't going to say nothing because old Ray's sealed up tight as a drum." Ray zipped his lips "You ain't getting nothing out of me, no!"

"Ray." Several of the group said.

Ray turned to Tiana. "Okay, Cap not going to marry Charlotte, he going to marry you! Soon as he gets himself kissed and y'all turn human, he's going to find a job, get you that restaurant…" the firefly covered his mouth. "I said too much, didn't I?"

"You said just enough, Ray!" Tiana hugged Ray before turning to the sky. "Thank you, Evangeline." Before anyone could ask, Tiana was hopping away towards the parade.

There was a lot of lively jazz music playing at the Mardi Gras. People were dressed in costumes, walking on stilts, juggling, and fire dancing. There were also lots of impressive floats.

"Tiana wait up!" Xion called out.

Tiana was too excited. "He was trying to propose! That's what all that fumbling was about! And here I thought all he wanted was to marry a rich girl!"

"What are we looking for again?" Ray asked.

"Naveen!" Everyone shouted to him.

Tiana quickly looked back at them. "You just keep your eyes out for the biggest, gaudiest float with a Mardi Gras princess about to kiss herself a…" her voice trailed off. "A frog."

"Why'd you stop?" Axel asked. He then looked. "What?"

Everyone stopped and looked. "This can't be right!" Mika said.

On a float was Big Daddy in his king costume, and on top of what looked like a huge wedding cake was Lottie holding hands with…Naveen? But he was human! There was also a priest performing a wedding ceremony for them.

"Okay, something fishy's going on here." Jason said.

"Oh, no. This can't be right, darling." Ray said. "And how can y'all still be like this? Mama Odie, she…" he turned to her, but Tiana was gone.

* * *

They found Tiana in a cemetery. She looked like she had been hurt really bad, and was trying to comfort herself. The others cautiously approached her.

"Tiana?" Mika said. Tiana didn't turn around, or even acknowledge her.

Ray spoke up. "I know what we seen with our eyes, but if we just go back that way, we're going to find out your fairy tale come true."

"Just because you wish for something doesn't make it true." Tiana said.

"Look, I never wished for anything in my entire life," Jason said, "but I don't like seeing you sulking like this!"

"It's like my Evangeline always says…" Ray started.

Tiana exploded. "Evangeline is nothing but a star, Ray! A big ball of hot air a million miles from here! Open your eyes now, before you get hurt." With that she began to hop away.

"Tiana." Xion started to say, but Tiana just pushed past her and continued on her way.

Mika looked up at Ray. The little firefly was on the verge of tears. Mika used her feathers to wipe them away. Ray then turned at looked back at the star.

"She just speaking out a broken heart. That's all that is." Ray said, but it was unclear if he was trying to comfort Evangeline or himself.

Aurora looked at him. "Crying about it isn't going to fix this."

Jason nodded. "We need to get to the bottom of this."

Ray sniffed, and then nodded. "Come on. We're going to show _chère_ the truth!"

* * *

Ray was so determined to show Tiana what happened that he flew ahead of everyone. The group made their way through the crowd trying to get to the float where Charlotte was. They had to figure out why there was a human Naveen there, and why they were still animals.

"Come on! I think I see it ahead!" Mika said.

Jason was breathing heavily. "It's not easy, running on these legs." He then screamed as something grabbed him.

"Jason!" Riku hopped back, but he was grabbed too. Everyone soon saw Shadow had wrapped himself around them.

"Shadow!" AJ said as he summoned his keyblade.

"Put that away, you pest." Shadow said. "I'm not here to fight you."

"Then why are you here?" Roxas asked.

Shadow looked at him. "Believe it or not, I'm here to help you."

"What?" Everyone asked.

"Call it a temporary truce." Shadow said. "I have information you need to know. I will give it to you if you swear that you will not harm me, and you will help me get what is mine."

"We'll never get you the hearts of the princesses." Riku said, only to be squeezed by Shadow.

"I'm not talking about their hearts. I'm talking about mine!" Shadow said. "Help me and I will leave you and this world alone. Do we have a deal?"

Everyone looked at each other. It was clear none of them trusted Shadow. But what if he knew what was going on here? This might be their best opportunity.

"Deal." Riku said. Shadow released his grip on Jason and Riku.

"Now, what do you know?" Axel said.

"That man up there is not your prince." Shadow said. "He is the prince's servant, Lawrence. Facilier promised to give him everything the prince had if he would help him. Facilier gave him a talisman that as long as he wears it around his neck Lawrence will look like your prince."

"But what does Facilier get out of this?" AJ asked.

"Control. Power." Shadow said. "He told me that as soon as Lawrence marries that prissy snob he's going to kill her father. Somehow that'll give him control over this world. Then he's going to give as many souls as he can to these demonic masks he serves."

Everyone looked at each other. This was bad. They had to stop this.

"Myde!" The crowd suddenly exclaimed. Everyone looked to see on a float with a bunch of musicians was Demyx. But he was now dressed in a goofy outfit playing his sitar. Around his neck was a strange talisman.

Shadow's eyes narrowed. "That little ukulele-playing wuss. He has my heart!"

"That talisman has your heart?" Xion asked.

Shadow glared at her. "Yes."

It was then a commotion started. The fake Naveen, or Lawrence, fell off his float and onto the ground. He hurried into the church. Demyx noticed and followed him, as did the entire group and Shadow.

Inside the church Lawrence was holding on to Naveen. "Why are you doing this?" Naveen asked.

"As payback for all those years of humiliation." Lawrence said with a dangerous tone in his voice.

Doctor Facilier materialized out of the shadows. "Get your royal rump back on that wedding cake and finish this deal!" he then turned to Demyx. "You! Get out there and keep playing, and get people to want to come to me!"

"Sorry!" Mika shouted as she flew by and tore the talisman off Demyx's neck. Demyx tried to grab it, but Mika was too fast. Naveen also grabbed the talisman from Lawrence's neck. He turned into a fat old bald man.

"Stop them!" Doctor Facilier said before he noticed Shadow. "You! I see you've made some friends."

"They are not my friends." Shadow snarled. "And once that talisman is smashed, I'll tear your heart out!"

Naveen tossed the talisman to Ray. "I got it!" He said before he fell. "It got me, too!"

Riku picked Ray and the talisman up. "Let's go!"

"Let go of that!" Lawrence started forward before Doctor Facilier stopped him.

"Stay out of sight!" He ordered. "You! Come with me!"

The group was out of the church when people started screaming. They looked to see voodoo-themed Heartless had appeared. One looked like it was made of tarot cards. Another looked like a creepy doll with needles for claws. The last looked like a floating mask.

"Great." Jason groaned.

"Give me that talisman!" Shadow ordered. Mika dropped the talisman, but to everyone's surprise it didn't break. "What the devil?"

Doctor Facilier chuckled. "While the other talisman exists, the one with your heart can't be broken."

Shadow hissed, showing his teeth. "You good-for-nothing…"

"Give me that!" Demyx stepped forward before Shadow wrapped himself around the talisman.

"Come any closer and I'll bite you!" Shadow threatened.

"Riku, take Ray and the talisman and get to Tiana!" Jason said. "We'll deal with the Heartless."

"Right." Riku said as he hopped off with Ray. Facilier whistled and the shadow creatures appeared and gave chase.

"You in the mood for taking down some Heartless?" AJ asked.

Shadow summoned his keyblade. "This form is pathetic for battle, so I'll work with you. Just don't get comfortable."

* * *

**Now to see if I can finish this world visit in one more chapter. **


	43. Done Deal

**Here it is. The last chapter dealing with Jazz Bayou. I hope you enjoy it. **

* * *

Chapter 43: Done Deal

The Bayou Decker Heartless was a tricky Heartless to take down. All the cards that made up its body made it impervious to melee attacks. However Aurora and Mika discovered magic worked quite well on it.

The Needle Point Heartless was subject to melee attacks, but they bounced off its body. Magic was also more effective on this one, particularly Fire and Lightning. Still it did some heavy damage to those who fought it.

The Mask Spirit Heartless was really tricky. It had a very strong defense and was very fast. It could land attacks on the group and fly away before they could retaliate. It took a lot of teamwork and cooperation to take that tough Heartless down.

AJ leaned on his keyblade, panting. "That…was…so…hard…"

"But we did it." Jason said.

Shadow looked at them. "I'm impressed. Whatever you did at the Coliseum worked." He turned and began slithering off. "Now to destroy that other talisman so I can destroy this one and get my revenge on Doctor Facilier."

* * *

They found Riku and Tiana with the talisman in the cemetery. Doctor Facilier's shadows had them surrounded and they were closing in. Riku tried to take out the shadows, but his Dark attacks seemed to only feed them.

Tiana made a bold move. "Back off, or I'm going to break this thing into a million pieces!"

"Do it!" Jason shouted as they hurried up to them. However Doctor Facilier pulled out some purple powder and blew it on everyone. To their surprise they found themselves as humans again, only dressed really fancy in this world's current fashion. Shadow was still clutching the talisman that held his heart.

The scenery changed from a graveyard to a bright restaurant. People were eating and laughing. Tiana also looked surprised, like she couldn't believe her eyes.

"What's going on?" Roxas asked.

"This…this is…my dream restaurant." Tiana explained. She saw someone playing a ukulele in the corner. "Naveen?" She said hopefully. When he turned her face fell. It wasn't Naveen. Just some guy.

"Now isn't this a whole lot better than hopping around the bayou for the rest of your life?" Doctor Facilier asked as he drunk some champagne.

Shadow called forth his keyblade. "It'll be better when you're not in the picture!" He raised his keyblade to kill the witch doctor, but an invisible force held him back.

"Ah, ah, ah." Doctor Facilier said. "Your talisman isn't broken yet. I've still got the upper hand."

"Not for long." Shadow growled.

Doctor Facilier chuckled and moved Shadow to the side as he approached Tiana. "Got to hand it to you, Tiana. When you dream, you dream big. Just look at this place. Going to be the crown jewel of the Crescent City!"

"Because you're going to be the one wearing the crown?" Roxas asked.

"Now who said anything about that?" Doctor Facilier asked. He pointed his cane at the boy. "I can help you with your dreams too. I can make you whole."

"At what price?" Axel asked. "I've gotten it memorized that with you it's never something for nothing."

Doctor Facilier laughed. "You're right." Turning to Tiana, he said, "All you got to do to make this a reality, and the dreams of your friends reality, is hand over that little old talisman of mine."

"The only dream I have right now is to see you dead!" Shadow snarled.

Tiana shook her head at Doctor Facilier. "This is not right."

"Wherever you get your powers from, it's not good. It comes from deep darkness." Riku said.

"Come on!" Doctor Facilier said. "You use similar powers Riku. You know how strong it makes you."

Riku stepped back from him. "I'm nothing like you. I walk the Road to Dawn!"

"So shut up!" Aurora said.

Doctor Facilier turned to her. "You and your friends. All lost and taken from your home. What if I can offer to return you there?"

"Shut up." Jason said. "We can find our own way back."

"Leave them alone." Tiana said. "You'll get nothing from us."

"Come on now, darling." Doctor Facilier said. "Think of everything you've sacrificed."

From puffs of purple smoke came the faces of people Tiana must've known.

"Think of all those naysayers who doubted you." Doctor Facilier said. "And don't forget your poor daddy. Now that was one hard-working man. Double, sometimes triple shifts. Never letting on how bone tired and beat down he really was. Shame all that hard work didn't amount to much more than a busted-up old gumbo pot and a dream that never got off the back porch."

"Get to the point." Mika said.

"My point, Tiana, is you can give your poor daddy everything he ever wanted. Come on, Tiana. You're almost there." Doctor Facilier tempted her.

Jason was going to say something, but Shadow stopped him. He shook his head. "This is her battle."

"My daddy never did get what he wanted." Tiana said. The group became afraid that she would give in. Then a determined look appeared on her face. "But he had what he needed. He had love. He never lost sight of what was really important. And neither will I!" Tiana threw the talisman down to smash it.

However to everyone's horror Doctor Facilier's shadow caught it. The witch doctor laughed as the talisman was placed in his hand. He laughed maliciously as the restaurant disappeared and everyone was turned back into animals.

"Y'all should've taken my deal." Doctor Facilier pinned Tiana down with her cane while the shadows grabbed the others. "Now you're going to spend the rest of your life being a slimy, little frog."

"I've got news for you, Shadow Man. It's not slime. It's mucus!" Tiana stuck out her tongue and grabbed the talisman out of Doctor Facilier's hand. Before he could react Tiana threw it onto the ground, smashing it.

Immediately chaos erupted. The shadows let go of everyone. Shadow wasted no time smashing his talisman, returning his heart to his body. "Yes!" He said as he changed back into a human. "Now for my revenge."

Doctor Facilier seemed more worried about something else. "No! No! How am I ever going to pay back my debt?" Shadow's heart told him to hide. He decided to not argue. The darkness he was sensing was not something he wanted part of. Shadow ducked behind a tombstone as the masks from Doctor Facilier's shop appeared above him.

"Friends." He said fearfully.

"Are you ready?" The masks asked.

"No! I'm not ready at all! In fact, I got lots more plans."

"Are you ready?" A bunch of shrunken heads asked.

"This is just a minor setback in a major operation." Doctor Facilier tried to reason. However the voodoo dolls now appeared. "As soon as I whip up another spell, we'll be back in business! I still got that froggy prince locked away! I just need a little more time."

The giant mask appeared where a tombstone used to be. Shadow had a feeling deep in his heart that whatever these things were, Facilier had blown his last chance with them. They wanted payment, and they wanted it now.

"No, please!" Doctor Facilier begged. However one of the shadows grabbed his shadow and started pulling him to the mask. "Just a little more time! I promise I'll pay y'all back! I promise!" Doctor Facilier's pleas fell on deaf ears. To everyone's horror, even Shadow's, Doctor Facilier, as well as all his voodoo stuff, were pulled into the mouth of the giant mask, which them snapped shut.

A cloud of dust was kicked up. When it cleared, there was a new tombstone with Facilier's frightened face on it. Below his name was written. Shadow then knew deep in his heart that the witch doctor was dead.

A bell tolled in the distance, and the animals rushed off, but Shadow didn't care. They fulfilled his end of the bargain. Now he would keep his end. He just had some unfinished business.

The dark warrior approached the tombstone. "Facilier," Shadow said, "you used me when I came into this world. I swore my revenge on you, but now that has been taken from me. So this will have to do." Raising his keyblade Shadow attacked the tombstone. He hacked and smashed it until all that was left was a pile of rubble.

A twig snapped. Shadow turned to see Demyx trying to sneak away. "Oh no you don't!" Shadow said. With a burst of power Shadow leapt over to Demyx and grabbed him by the throat.

"E-e-easy!" Demyx said. "I-I-I-I was bamboozled. Tricked."

"You seemed pretty content when I saw you in that parade." Shadow said coldly.

"I had a heart! I was just enjoying the sensation." Demyx said. "Please! I wasn't against you or anything! You don't know what it's like remembering emotions, but being unable to feel them!"

Shadow growled. He then threw the Nobody into some tombstones. Shadow then held his keyblade close to Demyx's neck. "I should separate your head from your shoulders for trying to replace your heart with mine!"

Demyx trembled in fear at the suggestion.

"But taking it out on a pathetic wuss like you wouldn't satisfy me." Shadow turned around and opened a dark corridor. Before he entered it Shadow turned to Demyx and said, "I'm going to blow off some steam. Give the Organization this fair warning for me: Anyone who DARES to cross me can consider themselves DEAD!" with that threat Shadow disappeared into the dark corridor, which closed behind him.

* * *

Elsewhere, the group was hurrying back to the church where they left Naveen and Lawrence. They arrived to see Lawrence being arrested by the police. Charlotte was setting on the church steps talking to Naveen.

"Goodness gracious. This is so much to absorb." Charlotte was saying. "Let me see if I got this right. If I kiss you before midnight, you, Tiana, and your friends will turn human again? And then we're gonna get ourselves married and live happily ever after, the end!"

"Yeah, more or less." Naveen said. "But remember, you must give Tiana all the money she requires for her restaurant. Because Tiana, she is my Evangeline."

"That's so sweet." Mika said from where they were hiding.

"Anything you want, sugar." Charlotte said. "Pucker up, buttercup."

The two of them were about to kiss when Tiana said, "Wait!"

"Tiana?" Naveen and Charlotte asked.

"Don't do this." Tiana said.

"I have to do this." Naveen said. "And we are running out of time."

"I won't let you!"

"It's the only way to get you your dream!"

"My dream? My dream wouldn't be complete without you in it. I love you, Naveen."

Naveen helped Tiana up. "Warts and all?"

"Warts and all." Tiana said.

Charlotte started sniffling. "All my life, I read about true love in fairy tales and, Tia, you found it! I'll kiss him. For you, honey. No marriage required."

"That's a true friend." Riku said. Tiana nodded.

Charlotte and Naveen leaned in to kiss when the bell in the clock towered tolled out the first stroke of midnight.

"Oh no!" Xion said.

"Oh, my word!" Charlotte said. "Maybe that old clock's a little fast!" She kissed Naveen, but nothing happened. She kept kissing him, but nothing happened.

Aurora looked down. "We're too late."

"It's midnight. We missed the deadline." Roxas said.

"I'm so sorry." Charlotte said as she set Naveen down.

"Tiana! Naveen! Riku! Jason! Aurora! AJ! Axel! Mika! Roxas! Xion!" Louis called out as he rushed up to them.

"Louis, what is it?" Naveen asked.

Louis held down his hands. "Shadow Man done laid poor ray low. He's hurting awful bad."

Everyone looked at Ray. The light he had seemed to be dimming. He was dying.

"No Ray. Come on." Roxas said. "You can pull through this."

"Think of Evangeline." Xion said.

Ray looked at Tiana. "Hey, chère. How come you're still…"

"We're staying frogs, Ray." Tiana said.

Naveen took Tiana's hand. "And we're staying together."

Ray said something in another language before saying, "I like that very much. Evangeline likes that, too." Ray's eyes then closed and his light went out. Everyone stood there mourning the loss of their friend.

* * *

Later in the bayou the group and Ray's family moved along in a sad procession. Ray's coffin, due to his small size, was a leaf. When they got to the right spot Louis began playing a solemn tune. Tiana and Naveen laid some flowers in with Ray before he was pushed out into the bayou. Those with keyblades held them up and shot out beams of light in honor of their friend. Everyone watched with sadness as their friend vanished from sight.

Then it happened. The sky cleared, and everyone's attention turned to the stars. Everyone gasped at what they saw.

Jason rubbed his eyes. "I don't believe it."

In the sky, the star Ray called Evangeline was no longer alone. Right beside her was a smaller star, and it almost looked like they were holding hands, or light, or whatever. It was enough to turn their sadness to joy. Ray was now with Evangeline. Everyone cheered at the goodness that had come from this sorrow.

* * *

Some time later, everyone was gathered around at the wedding of Tiana and Naveen. All sorts of swamp critters had come to the event, and Mama Odie was the one uniting them. Why many of them had no idea, but no one was arguing.

"And so by the power vested in me, I now pronounce y'all frog and wife." Mama Odie said. "Get to it, Hop-along! Give your lovely bride some sugar!"

Tiana and Naveen kissed, and when they did something strange happened. Light flowed from them, and water encircled them. The group also found they were floating up, although water didn't surround them like it did Tiana and Naveen.

"What's going on?" AJ asked.

Mama Odie chuckled in delight. "This going to be good!"

The light intensified. Everyone had to cover their eyes to avoid being blinded. When the light settled Tiana and Naveen were no longer frogs. They were human, and their clothes were now green with a swamp theme. The group was also human again, but their clothes were back to their regular style.

"Look." Mika said. Above Tiana and Naveen a keyhole had appeared. The light must've called it forth. AJ pointed his keyblade at the keyhole. For some reason nothing happened.

"Let me try." Mika said. When she pointed her keyblades at the keyhole beams of light shot out and entered the keyhole. There was a clicking sound as the keyhole disappeared.

Naveen and Tiana stopped kissing. They were surprised to see they were human again. Mama Odie chuckled.

"Like I told y'all, kissing a princess breaks the spell." Mama Odie said.

"But Naveen didn't." Jason said.

"Yes he did." Mika said.

"How?"

Naveen answered, "When Tiana became my wife, she became…"

"A princess." Tiana finished. "You just kissed yourself a princess."

Naveen smiled. "And I'm about to do it again."

They kissed again, with everyone cheering. The group began to walk away. Louis took notice. "Now hold it. Where're y'all off to?"

"It's time for us to go." Riku said.

"Do you have to?" Tiana and Naveen had taken notice.

Mika nodded. "We have to. We have friends who are in danger. Unless we help them, who knows what terrible things will happen?"

Jason clenched his fist. "There isn't anyone else who can help them. It's our responsibility. We can't just abandon them."

"Well now." Mama Odie said. "Sound's like y'all figured out what you needed."

"Huh?" AJ asked.

Mama Odie shook her head. "Nope. Not yet. But y'all are on the right track." She dug some things out of her pockets. "Maybe these'll help you."

Aurora looked at the gifts. "Lily pads?"

Riku held one close to his keyblade. Without warning the lily pad attached itself to a keychain. Riku's keyblade changed. A bunch of leaves made up the hilt. The blade itself was a log with a trumpet forming the teeth.

Mama Odie laughed. "Oh yeah. The _Musical Beat_ will help y'all out."

"Thank you Mama Odie." Xion said.

Riku looked at their friends. "If you hear anything about Organization XIII or our friends, please let us know."

"We will." Naveen promised.

* * *

**There you have it. I hope you don't mind me summarizing the battle. I really wanted to finish up the visit to this world tonight. If you want more of the battle I'll try to edit it, but writing battles is harder than it looks. Next time it's to find out what's been going on in Neverland. **


	44. Hook, line, and sinker

**Wow. I'm surprised I was able to finish this in one chapter. **

* * *

Chapter 44: Hook, line, and sinker

"They're finally awake." Ashley said. She had been watching the brats tied to the mast even though they had been unconscious. She had no idea why she had to do that since it was clear they weren't going anywhere.

Pete laughed. "Now the fun can begin."

Sora groaned. "What…what's going on?"

"You've been captured, moron." Stella said as she held her keyblade to him. "Maleficent will be very pleased."

Pluto began growling and barking. Ashley kicked him. "Shut up, you mongrel!"

"Not so tough now, are you, poochy?" Pete taunted the dog. Pluto responded by biting Pete's finger. Pete screamed and held his hand in pain.

"Pathetic." Stella said.

It was then a short little man with blue-and-white striped shirt, blue shorts, and a red cap came up to them. Ashley remembered his name was Mr. Smee, Hook's right hand man. Well, technically his only-hand man. He followed Hook's orders without question.

"Shall I let Captain know the prisoners are awake?" Smee asked.

"Be quick about it. I want to get this business over and done with." Ashley said.

"Right away, Miss." Smee said as he walked off humming a little tune. Ashley shook her head. She hated this entire crew of pirates. Still the darkness in their hearts might serve Organization XIII.

"How can you work for Captain Hook?" Donald asked.

Goofy nodded. "He sure is mean."

"Shut up." Pete said.

Kairi looked around. "Wait. Where's Nettie?"

"She's disappeared." Stella said coldly. "But her time will come."

"Hook! Hook! Hook!" The pirates called out. Everyone looked to see the pirate captain appear. Hook was a tall thin man with black curly hair that draped over his shoulders. He also had a hooked nose with a thin moustache and a large chin. He wore a white frilly shirt under a red coat with gold lining and maroon cuffs. An orange sash over his right shoulder supported his sword scabbard. He also had on maroon pants with white socks that went up to his knees, and black shoes with a pink dot decorating both of them. The tongues of his shoes reached halfway up his shins. He also had a maroon hat with a large white feather in it.

Stella and Ashley both thought the captain looked ridiculous.

"Captain Hook." Pete said.

Hook looked at him. "Pete, ye scurvy dog. It's been too long."

Pete stomped his foot. "I'm a cat!"

"Whatever." Hook said as he walked up to them. He smiled wickedly as he saw Peter Pan and the Lost Boys tied up. "Finally, after all these years, I've got you helpless before me, Pan."

"Excuse me." Stella said. "We were the ones who captured him."

Hook pointed something at her. Stella realized it was a hook where his left hand should've been. So that's how he got his name. "Don't talk back to me on me ship." Hook ordered. "Unless ye want to walk the plank!"

"How is that a threat?" Stella asked. She clearly had no idea why walking the plank was a bad thing.

Hook grinned. "I'll show you in a minute." He then turned to Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "If it isn't the keyblade brat and the King's lackeys. So good of you to join us."

"Shut up!" Donald said.

"We beat you once Hook, and we'll do it again!" Sora said.

"I seriously doubt that." Hook said before he moved on to Kairi. "And what do we have here? The girl that codfish Riku ran off with."

"Don't talk about Riku like that!" Kairi and Sora said. Ashley smiled. She knew Hook had hit something sensitive there.

"Oh? Do you two care for him?" Hook asked. "What has he ever done for you except betray you?"

"Shut up!" Sora said.

"Maybe I'll make you walk the plank first." Hook sneered.

"No you won't!" Kairi said.

Hook looked at her. "So I see. You have feelings for each other." The pirate grinned. "Maybe so you won't be separated, I'll have the both of you walk the plank."

Stella shook her head. "If you're done, we have business to attend to. Maleficent wants you to rejoin her."

Hook looked at her. "That witch is still around, is she?"

"She sure is, and with her the worlds will be ours for the taking!" Pete said.

Hook looked at him. "You can have the worlds. All I care about is the loot that I can pillage from those places."

"If you join us, all the treasure in the universe will be yours for the taking." Stella said.

Hook thought about it, scratching his chin with his hook. Ashley thought he must've had a lot of practice to do that without scratching himself. Finally the pirate nodded.

"Tell Maleficent she will have the aid of meself and me crew."

Pete laughed. "She will be pleased for sure."

It was then that they heard a ticking sound. To Ashley and Stella's surprise Hook's moustache started twitching up and down in rhythm with the ticking. He also looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"No. No!" Hook said. "That cursed crocodile is here! Smee, take care of the prisoners!" with that Hook ran off into his cabin.

Ashley then heard the sound of bells. It was like they were having a conversation. She turned to see two glowing tiny people with wings trying to get the prisoners free. One of them looked like…it was Nettie!

"Oh no you don't!" Ashley said as she summoned her keyblade. She swung at the fairies. Unfortunately she missed. Her keyblade sliced through the ropes tying them to the mast.

* * *

Nettie laughed. "That worked Tink!"

Tinker Bell nodded. "Of course. It works all the time when we face Hook."

Peter flew up. "Thanks Tink." He rose an eyebrow in confusion. "Nettie? What…?"

"There's no time to explain!" Nettie said. Peter dodged a swipe from Stella. Peter pulled out his knife and said to the Lost Boys. "Come on!"

The Lost Boys pulled themselves free and scrambled around. The pirates all gave chase to them, drawing cutlasses and knives. The boys managed to run around them, confusing the pirates. However one big pirate with a huge moustache and a fez grabbed Toodles and the Twins.

"We need to give them pixie dust!" Tinker Bell told Nettie. Nettie nodded in agreement and the two of them began flying around the Lost Boys. They sprinkled the golden dust on them and to Nettie's surprise they began to fly around. Nettie and Tinker Bell pulled on the moustache of the pirate and he released Toodles and the Twins.

"I help Sora and Kairi!" Nettie said as she flew over to her friends. They looked at her with shock. "Yes, I'm a fairy. Happened when I was sprinkled with that dust."

"Did you get any of that?" Goofy asked Donald.

The duck shook his head. "No."

Nettie face palmed herself. They couldn't understand her! She must've been speaking in another language. "Just hold still." She said as she flew around Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, and Pluto.

Kairi gasped as she started floating up. "I-I'm flying?"

"Yeah." Sora said. "I'll help you. You just need to remember to have faith and trust."

"And think happy thoughts!" Donald added.

Kairi looked surprised, and then nodded. "Okay."

"Whoa!" Nettie said. "Put your feet together." When that merited a blank look from Kairi Nettie showed her. Once Kairi got the message she put her feet together and was able to fly more smoothly.

"So you can fly. It won't change anything!" Stella snarled. "Thunderbolt!" She fired bolts of purple lightning from her keyblade.

"Thunder!" Nettie, Donald, Sora, and Kairi countered. Their yellow bolts of lightning were enough to cancel Stella's. They still continued onward, shocking the girl.

"Stella, you got to snap out of this!" Kairi said. Stella responded by swinging her keyblade, forcing Kairi to block it.

"My turn!" Ashley said as she cast some magic at the ropes. "Bind these fools!" The ropes went out to the group, but Nettie kept slicing them with her keyblade as did Sora and Kairi.

"Fire!" Donald cried out as he hit them with Fire magic. The ropes began burning.

"Come here, you worthless mutt!" Pete said. He kept swinging his fists at Pluto, who just flew out of the way. Everyone could tell that Pluto was enjoying being a flying dog. He then bit Pete on his rump. The fat cat jumped up screaming in pain.

"Nettie look out!" Tinker Bell cried out. Nettie turned to see Ashley grab her. Tinker Bell flew to her friend's aid, but Stella grabbed her.

"Let them go!" Kairi said.

"Not a chance." Stella said. Mabul then flew over to Ashley and bit her on the wrist. Ashley cried out in pain and released Nettie. She then flew over to Stella and pointed her keyblade at her wrist.

"Blizzard!" Nettie cried out. The ice hit Stella's wrist, forcing her to let go of Tinker Bell. Stella then turned to glare at Nettie. "Curse you!"

"Come back here!" Pete said. Pluto flew by overhead, with Pete chasing him. Pete didn't watch where he was going, and ended up crashing into Stella and Ashley. They rolled over and crashed into the pirates. They all fell over, dazed and worn out.

Peter laughed. "That was fun. We should do this again."

"Let's not." Kairi said.

Stella looked up at them. "You will pay for this! You cannot stop the darkness that is coming!"

"Stella. I know you're still in there." Kairi said. "We will find a way to turn you all back to normal."

"This is normal!" Ashley snarled.

Goofy shook his head.

"Let's go." Sora said as they flew off.

* * *

Later, under Hangman's Tree, the others were telling Peter Pan and the Lost Boys about their adventures. They had been surprised to learn that Peter knew about other worlds, having been called on by Sora to help out in several of them. Peter seemed interested in what had been happening.

"So your friends are only this way because Maleficent did something to them?" Peter asked.

Kairi nodded. "We're trying to free them from her control, but we don't know how."

"You'll finded it out." Cubby said.

Slightly nodded. "We know you can do it."

"Now that Hook is working with Maleficent again, we'll have to keep an eye on him." Peter said. "It'll probably be more fun to mess with him this time."

"And more dangerous." Nettie said.

"Where's the fun without a little danger?" Peter shrugged.

That took Nettie aback. "You can understand me?"

"Of course I can." Peter said. "I understand Tink, don't I?"

"Good point." Nettie said.

Tinker Bell flew over to Nettie. "Thank you for your help. I'm glad to call you my friend."

Nettie shook her hand. When she did some light flew between them. The two flew back. "What happened?" Nettie asked.

"It's like the feeling I had before." Tinker Bell said. "When Sora first came to Neverland I wanted to help him. The feeling I had was like whenever he called on me for help."

Nettie was still confused.

Sora then spoke up. "Nettie, I think you can now summon Tinker Bell."

Nettie looked at him. "I can what?" She then remembered Sora couldn't understand her.

"I guess this means you're going to leave Neverland." Tibbs said sadly.

Kairi patted him on the shoulder. "We'll be back."

"Is there anything you'd like to do before you leave?" Peter asked.

Sora thought about it. "There is one thing…"

* * *

Later Sora, Kairi, and their friends were flying around a huge clock tower. Sora remembered it was the place where he had last seen Wendy. He wondered if she was doing okay.

"This is incredible." Kairi said as she flew around the huge clock.

Sora smiled. "I had a lot of fun here."

Kairi smiled at him. "Thank you for showing me this."

* * *

**That last little bit was inspired by some fan art I saw. I thought it would be nice if Kairi did get to see the Big Ben clock tower. In a couple of chapters we'll see the entire group reunite for one of the darkest chapters in their adventure. **


	45. Alone Time

**YamiChaos27, I forgot that Peter Pan said that in the first game. Still it is fun that Kairi finally got to fly around Neverland. **

* * *

Chapter 45: Alone Time

A dark corridor opened up in the Grey Haven. Ansem and Xemnas looked to see Clair and Xilph dragging a trembling Demyx with them. Both of the men frowned, clearly displeased.

"Where is Shadow?" Xemnas asked.

Xilph looked at him. "Thanks to a voodoo witch doctor the reconnaissance mission went wrong."

"Shadow ended up being a little puppet to this Doctor Facilier." Clair explained. "Turned him into a snake to do his bidding."

"Intriguing." Ansem said.

"Don't bother trying to recruit him. He's dead." Clair added. "He owed a debt to these demonic masks and when he couldn't pay up, they ate him."

"You still haven't answered where Shadow is." Xemnas said.

"He left to vent his frustration." Xilph answered. "He was close to taking it out on this whimpering wuss because he played a role in Facilier's plans."

Demyx looked up. "Wh-whatever you do...do not do anything to make him angry! H-he let me off this time, b-but he told me he will kill anyone who plays him, even if it's one of us! And I don't think he's one to make empty threats!"

"Is that so?" Ansem asked.

"Y-yes! So please let the others know not to give him a reason to kill us! I don't think he'll let me off a second time!" Demyx said.

Xemnas thought about it. "Very well. If that is all, you are dismissed."

The two watched as Clair, Demyx, and Xilph left. Once they were gone Ansem turned to his Nobody. "It looks like we're gonna have to tread carefully when it comes to Shadow."

Xemnas nodded. "Indeed. We don't need him rebelling any more than he already is."

* * *

Shadow stormed through the corridors of darkness. He had encountered nothing else in here, and that was fine by him. He wanted nothing to do with anything else right now. If a Heartless showed its face he would've destroyed it there and then.

However no Heartless appeared. That suited Shadow just fine. He could see the corridor opening up somewhere, so he decided to exit. He didn't care where he was, just as long as he was left alone.

The first thing he noticed about the world he entered in was it was hot and humid. Shadow found himself sweating and his clothes sticking to him. He took off his jacket. It didn't help him much, but it was better than nothing.

Shadow looked around him. He was one some sort of beach. Behind him stretched some sort of jungle, but the plants looked…out of time. He could see a large rock sticking out of the ocean some distance away, but around the rock…were these monstrous creatures. From a distance they appeared to be some sort of sea serpent.

The water broke close to shore. Shadow stepped back as a huge turtle came ashore. Its shell was full of bumps, and it looked like it was the size of a lifeboat or a raft. Shadow had never seen anything like it. The giant turtle looked at him with curiosity, but when Shadow made no move it continued on its way like nothing was wrong.

Well, that confirmed one thing to Shadow. Whatever these things were, they had no interactions with humans. That must mean this world was uninhabited except for these things.

"This will work just fine." Shadow said. As he looked at the ocean the blue, clear water looked inviting. The warrior thought about taking off his boots and soaking his feet in the water.

What he saw next put that idea out of his mind.

Some distance away from the shore swam a group, or pod, or whatever, of what looked like sea dragons. Shadow didn't know what else to call them. They had eel-like bodies with a crocodilian-shaped head. Spikes covered their backs, and some of them looked large enough to eat Shadow no problem.

He was not going to let himself become their dinner.

Something swooped by overhead. Instinctively Shadow ducked down and called out his keyblade. As he looked up Shadow saw something that looked like a cross between a bird and a bat. It had a black body with huge leathery wings. However it had an orange head with a red throat and a long bony crest sticking out from behind its head.

Looking back out, Shadow saw more of those bat bird things flying over the ocean. They kept grabbing things from the water, from squid to fish. Well, good to know these things wouldn't consider him a meal.

As one of the bat birds tried to fly off with a fish a sea dragon appeared out of the water and grabbed the creature by the head. Shadow watched as the unfortunate animals was dragged underwater. Shadow looked around at the world he had found again.

"A beautiful world full of dangerous creatures." Shadow said to himself. "The Heartless don't seem to care about this place, and I don't think the Organization knows it exists." Shadow smiled. "A place to myself."

Shadow opened a dark corridor. Before he entered he took one last look at the world around him. "I should probably think of a name for this place." Then he stepped into the corridor, which closed behind him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading that short little chapter. Yes, that was the Rite of Spring world from Fantasia. I know that Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance used the worlds of Fantasia in a different way, but I had this idea for a while now and I don't want to change it. This world will play a very crucial role in Shadow's future. **

**Thanks again to YamiChaos27 for his ideas and input. Next time things will get darker. **


	46. An Island of Danger

**Hey everyone. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I had some stuff I needed to do this week. Anyway, enjoy the first chapter of the return to Port Royal. **

* * *

Chapter 46: An Island of Danger

All the Gummi ships were flying together through the Lanes Between. Everyone was talking about their adventures and what had been happening. Kairi laughed when she heard about how Riku and Axel's groups got turned into animals. Nettie admitted she enjoyed being a fairy.

"I'm just glad to have skin instead of scales." Jason growled.

Aurora looked at him. "Easy for you to say. You weren't covered with slime."

"Actually I think that was mucus." Xion teased. Aurora glared at her, making the Nobody feel very uncomfortable. Not literally, but you get the idea.

"Anyone have any idea if King Mickey's found anything yet?" Nettie asked.

Goofy shook his head. "Nope. But I'm sure the king'll let us know when he does."

Riku nodded. "He won't let us down."

"Hey, there's Port Royal." Sora said. Everyone looked to see a world that looked like it was mainly ocean with a few islands here and there coming up. Some of them thought they could see some ships sailing around.

"Isn't that where Captain Jack Sparrow lives?" Donald asked.

"Let's check it out. Maybe he's… " Sora was cut off as the Gummi was hit by something. Everyone looked to see a bunch of ships that bore the insignia of the Heartless.

"You've got to be kidding me." Aurora said.

"Pirate Heartless?" AJ asked.

"They're called Pirate Ships!" Jiminy said. "They sail around the Lanes Between ambushing travelers."

"Maleficent must've sent them after us." AJ said as he grabbed the weapon controllers. "Well, come and get it!"

The Pirate Ships unleashed a lot of ghost-like Heartless at the Gummis. They were easily taken out with the lasers. Unfortunately there were so many of them and they kept attacking in large numbers. In addition to that the Pirate Ships had cannons that they kept firing at the Gummis.

"I'm not going to be taken down by a floating matchbox." Jason said as he started firing. He aimed past the Ghosts and Ghouls and at the Pirate Ships. He kept blasting one until it exploded.

"One down!" Donald said.

There were still three Pirate Ships, and lots of Ghosts and Ghouls. So those who had the weapon controls kept blasting them. Nettie managed to take down another Pirate Ship.

"The Gummi can't take much more!" Goofy said.

"We need to finish this and fast!" Mika added.

It was then a light came towards them. It reminded Kairi of a shooting star. It tore through the remaining Pirate Ships and eradicated the Ghosts and Ghouls. It then entered Riku's ship. The light faded, revealing it was King Mickey.

"Hiya, fellas." Mickey said.

"Your Majesty!" Donald and Goofy said from the screen.

Mickey pointed ahead of them. "Let's get to that world before more Heartless show up!"

* * *

They landed on a beach of some sort. It didn't look like anyone lived on the island, but there was a large galleon beached not too far from them. How a ship ended up beached Jason had no idea. But everyone was more interested in what King Mickey had to say.

"So, it seems that Shadow has come from a place that's further than anyone's ever traveled." King Mickey finished explaining.

"That would explain why he seems so different." Riku said.

"But any idea what world?" Mika asked.

Mickey hung his head. "Sorry, but nobody I asked knew."

Jiminy looked out at the ocean. "Hey, someone's coming ashore!" Everyone looked to see a travel-ridden man walking out of the water. He carried a cutlass by his side.

"Will!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy exclaimed. They ran out to meet their friend, who seemed just as surprised to see them.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Will said. "What are you doing here?"

"We just got here." Sora said. "We're trying to find some friends of ours."

Will nodded. "I'm looking for Jack. Have you seen him?"

Sora shook his head. "The Pearl's over there, but we haven't seen any sign of him."

Will's face fell. "Very well. I'll just have to keep looking." He marched passed them and headed inland.

"Why are you looking for Jack?" Donald asked.

"Because I need his compass." Will said. "Elizabeth and I were about to be married when we were arrested by Lord Beckett. Unless I bring him Jack's compass… Elizabeth will hang."

Everyone gasped. "That's awful!" Kairi said.

"But why were you arrested?" Riku asked.

Will looked at him. "Because we helped Jack. And anyone who is associated with a pirate in any way is a criminal in Beckett's eyes."

AJ cracked his knuckles. "If I see him, I'll give him black eyes."

Will smiled at that. "I can't endanger all of you. I need to do this alone."

Sora grabbed him by the arm. "Friends don't leave friends who need help. Elizabeth is our friend too. We'll help you find Jack."

"We will?" Jason asked. Aurora elbowed him for that. It was then a parrot flew up to them.

"Ah, a familiar face." Will said.

"Who's that?" Donald asked.

"Sure is a purty birdie." Goofy said.

"That parrot belongs to Mr. Cotton. He's part of Jack's crew." Will explained.

The parrot squawked. "Don't eat me!"

Will looked at the bird confused. "I'm not going to eat you." Sora motioned that none of them would eat the bird either. Riku thought something was hidden in the words of the parrot, but everyone just pressed further into the jungle.

Members of the group used their keyblades as machetes to clear away the jungle. Probably not the most effective or best use of their keyblades, but they were in a hurry. Will grabbed something. "This is Mr. Gibbs."

Riku looked around. Something didn't feel right about this place. He could smell darkness around them. And there was a lot of it too.

"Anyone feel like we're being watched?" Jason asked.

Aurora smacked him. "Shut up!"

"No. Someone or something's here." Riku said. They all looked around, just as someone dressed to look like jungle foliage roared at them. Everyone back off, but Will got caught in a tree snare. Soon they found themselves surrounded by creepy-looking people. At least AJ thought they were people.

"Heartless?" Nettie asked.

Kairi shook her head. "I've got a feeling these people live here."

"Are they even people?" Jason asked.

"Whatever they are, don't engage." Riku said. "We don't know what they want. Maybe we're trespassing somewhere they hold sacred."

Will just started swinging his cutlass at the strange people. They looked at him in confusion. Jason had to admit the guy looked like he was making a fool out of himself. One of the natives of this place flew something at Will. They saw a dart sticking out of Will's neck as he lost consciousness.

"Forget this." Axel said as he summoned his chakrams. The natives backed away in awe and fear. They looked at Axel with reverence.

"Why are they staring at you like that?" Xion asked.

"Think about it." AJ said. "He just summoned his weapons out of thin air, he can control fire, and he looks fierce. They must think he's some sort of god."

Axel chuckled. "I always knew I'd be immortalized, but never deified. I gotta memorize this day."

* * *

"This is no way to treat a god!" Axel complained later. The little fire show wasn't enough to keep the natives from tying them up and carrying them back on long sticks like they were pigs. Donald kept muttering something under his breath. One thing Nettie caught him saying was "Positively humiliating."

The natives brought them back to their village where they were brought before someone sitting on a throne. He had a bunch of eyes painted on him, like he was constantly looking at them. It was even stranger when he actually opened his eyes.

"Jack?" Will, Sora, Donald, and Goofy asked. Jack walked over to them with authority. The natives kept their distance. They held this guy in high regard.

"Will you undie-wearing freaks drop us already?!" Jason asked. Jack looked at him and poked him in the side. "Hands off!"

"Jack, tell them to let us down!" Will said. Jack ignored him but kept talking to the natives. Kairi had a bad feeling about what they were saying. Pluto whimpered in fear. Will must've noticed something. "Jack, I need that compass!"

"Come on, Jack. Elizabeth is in danger!" Sora added.

"She faces the shallows." Goofy added.

"Gallows!" Donald corrected him.

That got Jack's attention. He said something else to the natives. They cheered in response and started to drag them away. "Jack, what did you tell them?" Will asked.

Jack leaned in to them. "Save me!"

* * *

Later everyone found themselves suspended in cages over a really deep chasm. The height didn't bother the Harthynian students because they were used to heights. They didn't like being held captive like this.

"So much for your divine influence." Jason growled at Axel.

Axel glared at him. "I didn't see you come up with any ideas!"

"At least we found the crew." Mika pointed to the other cages.

"Fat lot of good that does us." Jason muttered.

Riku looked over at Will. "Do your friends know anything about this place?"

"Well, these people think Jack is a god in human form." Will said.

"But why are we shoved in these cages?" AJ asked. "What do they want with us?"

"Do you see what they're made out of?" Mr. Gibbs asked.

Nettie looked, and screamed as she jumped. "Bones! These are human bones!"

"Aye, they are." Mr. Gibbs said.

"These people are cannibals?!" AJ asked.

"Aye, and according to their customs they plan to do Jack the honor of releasing him from his fleshy prison. They'll roast him and eat him."

Axel gulped. "Now I don't feel so bad about getting the divine treatment."

"When those drums stop, Jack's life will end, and so will ours." Mr. Gibbs said.

"Then we need to get out of here now." Riku said.

"I'm open to ideas." Jason said.

Kairi looked across the chasm. "Will those vines work?"

* * *

Everyone was still trying to get to the vines a few minutes later. They kept swinging their cages back and forth, trying to get close enough to the cliff to grab the vines. Unfortunately they kept coming up short.

"Keep trying!" King Mickey said.

"What do you think we're doing?" Aurora asked.

"Just swing this thing!" Mika said as they got close. Some of them managed to grab some loose plants, but it wasn't enough to keep them from falling back out.

"Oh come on!" Jason cried out. They swung back to the cliff again and this time they managed to grab a hold of the vines.

"All right men. Put your backs into it!" Mr. Gibbs said as his cage started to climb.

"The sooner we're up this cliff, the sooner we can get off this rock!" AJ said.

Will nodded. "It'll take all of us to man the Pearl!"

"Actually you don't need this many. About six will do." A man said before he realized his mistake. "Oh dear."

The climbing intensified. Everyone seemed eager to get up the cliff first so they could get to the Pearl and get off the island. No one wanted to stay here anymore.

"Stop! Stop!" Will suddenly said. Everyone stopped as they looked up. A guard was walking along one of the bridges. If they kept moving he might notice they were trying to escape.

The cage with the man who corrected them about how many people they would need to crew the Pearl kept going up. Everyone protested for them to stop but they didn't listen. Then someone screamed and the cage fell back down. However the rope holding it broke and they continued screaming to their deaths.

That got the guard's attention.

"Move!" Will ordered.

"Now or never!" Axel agreed.

* * *

**Well I hope you enjoyed that. I didn't have the movie accessible, but in a way that allowed me a little more creative leeway. Now to hope that with the next chapter I can make it just as funny as in the movie. **


	47. Island Escape

**Thank you all for your reviews. They're really helpful. **

* * *

Chapter 47: Island Escape

It seemed like hours before they managed to get to the top of the cliff. No sooner had they than they all got to work cutting the rope. Those who had keyblades summoned theirs and cut the ropes. They could hear the cannibals closing in.

"Move!" Will said as they started to roll their cages. Jason was about to ask if there was any way to make these things go faster, but it was better that he didn't. Turns out they weren't far from a steep incline, and once the cages went over the edge, it was all downhill.

Everyone screamed as the cages rolled out of control. It was like being in a horrible nightmare, except you were wide awake and there was no stopping it. There was also no control over the situation either.

"I wanna go back to Netokan!" AJ shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Me too!" Nettie shouted.

They kept rolling along until they came to some trees. The cages rolled up the trees until they came back down, stopping the roll. Everyone inside the cages groaned.

"How do hamsters stand this?" Axel asked. No one had time to answer because the cannibals were closing in on them.

"Lift the cage!" Will said.

"Come on lads! Lift it like a lady's skirt!" Mr. Gibbs added.

Mika looked at him from the cage she was in. "Excuse me?"

"Never mind." Donald said. "Let's just get outta here!"

Everyone lifted their cages up and began running. That was a very strange sight indeed. If there had been an audience Jason probably would've died from embarrassment. Of course if the cannibals caught them they definitely would die.

After several minutes of running they still had not lost their pursuers. They had no idea of jungle craft, and were leaving a rather obvious trail. The cannibals of this island also knew what they were looking for. Just follow the moving bone cages.

"Don't they ever give up?" Kairi asked.

"I don't think so." Riku said.

"If I were out of this cage, I'd-aaaah!" Jason said as they fell over another cliff. This one led to a cenote, or deep pool of water. Most people didn't know it was called that. They just found themselves in a deep pool that had broken their cages.

"This way, lads and lasses!" Mr. Gibbs said as everyone began swimming away from their cages. The cannibals appeared above them and began firing arrows at them. Aurora had a sneaky suspicion that the arrowheads might've been poisoned.

"Hang on, Mabul." Nettie said as she held her bag above her. AJ could hear the ferret chittering away inside. An arrow almost got him, so he turned his attention back to swimming away.

They ducked behind a wall as the cannibals appeared above them. This really looked like the end. No one saw any way out of this situation.

Everyone heard something. It sounded like a little boy was telling the cannibals something. It must've been important because they turned and headed back into the jungle.

"What just happened?" Jason asked.

"We got a lucky break." Axel said.

Riku looked at him. "I say we take advantage of it."

"Aye. Smart lad." Mr. Gibbs said.

* * *

Later everyone was running down the beach to where the ship, the Black Pearl, was. There were two other men there. One was bald with long hair while the other was tall and really scrawny. He seemed to be trying to get something.

"Pull loose the mooring line!" The bald man was saying. "The mooring line! Pull loose the mooring line!"

The tall man came to the edge of the ship. Nettie cringed when she saw he had only one eye. "He's got me eye! He won't give it back!"

"Well I had to get it back last time!" The bald man said.

Mr. Gibbs ran past. "Well done! Our work's half done!"

"We've done it for you." The bald man said, obviously trying to get in good with everyone. "Knowing you'd be coming back for it."

"Make ready to sail!" Mr. Gibbs ordered.

"What about Jack? I won't leave without him." Will said.

"There he is!" Goofy said pointing behind them. Everyone looked to see a lone figure running down the beach. However he didn't stay alone. The cannibals appeared right behind him.

"And he's brought company!" Jason said as he scrambled up the ship.

"Time to go." Will said. Everyone started to scramble up the ship. Aurora actually climbed over Jason, kicking him in the face as she pulled herself over.

"Cast off those lines!" Mr. Gibbs ordered as everyone got to work.

Jack kept running down the beach. As he got closer it was clear that he was screaming. AJ didn't see how he would be able to keep ahead of the cannibals, but he did.

"Make ready to cast off!" Mr. Gibbs ordered.

"Will you stop ordering us around? We're doing our best!" Aurora snapped at him.

Mr. Gibbs shook his head. "Bad luck to have a woman aboard." He muttered.

Jack continued to scream as he ran towards the Black Pearl. He grabbed hold of the stuff everyone used to climb aboard just as the ship started to pull out. Everyone observed that the cannibals were not following them into the water. Either they couldn't swim or they were afraid of the water.

Jack turned back to face them. "Alas, my children! This is the day you shall always remember as the day you almost…" a wave crashed over Jack, drowning out whatever he was going to say. Everyone was pretty sure that he was going to say "ate."

"… Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack finished as he climbed aboard the ship. Soon they were out to sea with the island shrinking behind them.

"That was way too close for comfort." Sora said.

"Aye. I say we put as much distance between us and this rock as possible." Mr. Gibbs said.

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only if we stick to the shallows." Jack said.

"That's seems to contradict the other." Mr. Gibbs said.

Jack noticed the group. "Zola! Ronald! Doofy! You're back!"

"That's Sora, Donald, and Goofy!" Sora corrected him.

Jack didn't seem to care. "I knew ye wouldn't leave a mate to perish." He then looked over the others. "And who are they?"

"Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Pluto, Axel, Mika, Roxas, Xion, AJ, Nettie, Jason, and Aurora." Sora introduced everyone.

"My pleasure." Jack said as he kissed Kairi's hand. Kairi was not amused. Sora pushed Jack's hand away.

"Jack, I need your help." Will said. "Elizabeth's life is in danger because of you."

"Not my problem." Jack said. He turned to walk away, but ran into Nettie, AJ, Kairi, Mika, and Roxas, who had their arms folded.

Mika shook her head. "It is your problem."

"I thought you would have a sense of loyalty to your friends." Kairi said.

Jack thought about. "Something you should know about pirates, lass. A pirate only ever looks out for himself. Savvy?"

Will took out his cutlass and pointed it at Jack. "I need that compass, Jack." Everyone could tell that tensions were running high between Jack and Will, so they decided to back off and leave them to talk about it. They had plenty to discuss anyway.

"I hope to never go back to that rock again." Donald said.

Goofy nodded. "It sure was scary."

"What was it with those people?" Xion asked. "It's like they became something worse than Heartless."

Mika thought about it. "It must've been their location. They probably didn't have food they could grow, or animals they could hunt, so they turned to hunting people instead."

"If we're not careful, no matter where we are, we could all become something horrible." Riku said. "Like Xehanort."

"Or Maleficent." Mickey said.

"So who did you go see to get your information?" AJ asked the king.

Mickey looked at him. "I went to see some old friends. You might've heard of them. Mama Odie, the Enchantress… "  
"You know Mama Odie?" Jason asked.

"We saw her not too long ago." Nettie added.

Sora looked at the king. "The Enchantress? The person who cursed the Beast?"

"Beast?" Aurora added.

"A friend of ours." Goofy explained.

Jason groaned. "But this doesn't help us answer who or what Shadow is. For all we know he could be some robot created in a military experiment."

"That's stupid." Aurora said.

Jason looked at her. "Stupid has been happening all around us in case you haven't noticed."

"What's stupid about all this?"

"Do you want me to put that in alphabetical or numerical order?"

"Can you even handle that?"

"Knock it off!" Riku told them. "Arguing like this isn't going to help us save our friends or get you home."

Jason scoffed. "Whatever."

"What's your problem?" Axel asked.

"What makes you think I have a problem?" Jason asked him.

Mika thought about it. "Let's see… you keep acting like everything's beneath you, you don't want our help, and you seem to think everything's stupid."

"It's none of your business!" Jason turned from them.

Riku sighed. "Listen, you may not want our help but it could be what you need. If you keep locking everyone out, eventually they'll lock you out too. If you don't allow your heart to grow it will shrink away to nothing."

"You've been listening to Mama Odie too much." Jason growled.

Riku sighed. "Maybe, but think about this: do you push everyone else around because you're angry or because you're afraid?"

* * *

Later everyone was traveling through a swamp looking for someone. Some person who supposedly could help Jack with a problem he was having. Details on the subject had been vague.

"Anyone remember the name of this person we're going to see?" AJ asked.

"I think it was Dime Dollar." Goofy said.

"Tia Dalma!" Donald corrected him.

"But why does Jack want to see her?" Mika asked.

Aurora shrugged. "We'll find out when we get there."

Soon they came up to this hut. It had this creepy feeling to it, similar to what they sensed from Doctor Facilier. Why would they come here?

"Is seeing this person a good idea?" Xion asked.

"I don't know." Kairi said. "My heart is telling me no."

We got close enough to Jack to hear him talking to the others.

"We got your back." Mr. Gibbs was telling him.

"It's me front I'm worried about." Jack said.

* * *

**I'm sorry if the deviation isn't to everyone's liking. I'm trying to get back to focusing on the main characters. Also I don't have a copy of Dead Man's Chest available right now. Hopefully next week that'll change. **


	48. Help from Tia Dalma

**My reason for delaying was I was waiting until I had access to my DVD so I could write this the right way. I remember from when I first wrote it, and I am pretty sure I improved on the original draft here.**

* * *

Chapter 48: Help from Tia Dalma

The inside of the hut was creepy. The outside felt more foreboding than Mama Odie's place, but the inside made her home seem like a five-star luxury hotel. The only light came from an assortment of candles scattered throughout the place, and jars of odds and ends hung everywhere. Jason even saw a snake slithering around.

As they entered they saw a woman look at them from where she was sitting. She had thick hair and a cautious look, like she expected trouble. A couple of stuffed bats hung next to her. When she saw who had come she smiled. It did nothing to make Kairi feel welcome.

"Jack Sparrow." She said.

Jack smiled. "Tia Dalma."

"I always knowed your winds would blow you back to me one day." Tia Dalma walked up to the pirate captain. Her smile faded when she saw all of the group. "You."

Axel held up his hands. "Whoa, lady, we didn't do anything."

"But you did." Tia said. "It is all over the bones. They say darkness is gathering."

"Darkness?" Riku asked.

Tia nodded before turning her gaze to Will. "You have a destiny about you, William Turner."

"How do you know his name?" Sora asked.

"The same way I know about you, Sora. The Keyblade's chosen." Tia Dalma answered. "Come."

"Come." Jack motioned those who had come in over to the table Tia Dalma had sat at. Aurora shook her head. This crazy lady better not try to tell their fortune…

"What is fortune for one may be misfortune for you, Aurora Kara." Tia Dalma said. Aurora looked at her. How did she know what she was thinking? And her surname too?

"You know I demand payment." Tia Dalma said.

Jack smiled. "I brought payment." The bald man, Pintel, handed Jack a cage covered by a cloth. Jack held up the cage and took off the cloth, revealing a monkey. "Look!" He shot the monkey. Nettie gasped and was about to smack him when she noticed the monkey was fine. "An undead monkey. Top that."

Tia looked at the monkey curiously before removing the latch that kept the monkey in the cage. "No!" Mr. Gibbs said as the monkey ran out and into another room. "You have no idea how long it took us to catch that." Jason noticed a pair of boots lying on what he thought was a bed in that room.

"The payment is fair." Tia Dalma said as she sent the cage down.

"We're looking for this." Will set out a cloth in front of them. It had a drawing of a key on it. Nettie thought she felt some sort of magical energy coming from it. "And what it goes to."

Tia Dalma looked at it. "The compass you bartered from me. It cannot lead you to this?"

"Why would it?" Donald asked. "It doesn't work. Only points north."

Tia Dalma shook her head. "No. It points the way to whatever one wants most in this world." Sora, Donald, and Goofy all looked at Jack Sparrow with surprise.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sora asked.

"Why would I?" Jack Sparrow answered back. He then looked back at Tia Dalma. "Maybe. Why?"

Tia Dalma smiled. "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants." She sounded like that was the most amusing thing in the world. "Your key go to a chest. And it what lay inside the chest you seek. Don't it?"

"What is in the chest?" Riku asked.

"Gold? Jewels? Unclaimed properties of valuable nature?" Pintel asked.

"Nothing bad I hope." The tall guy, Ragetti, said.

Jason looked at them. "Don't get your hopes up."

"Jason!" Kairi said.

Tia Dalma sat up. "You know of Davey Jones? The man of the sea?"

The students from Netokan High looked at each other. "No."

"A great sailor." Tia Dalma explained. "Until he run afoul of that which vex all men."

Jason scratched his head. "Do you come with a translator?" Aurora elbowed him for that.

"What is she talking about?" Roxas asked Axel.

"Think. What is the one thing in the universe that can get a guy to do anything?" Axel asked him.

"The sea!" Mr. Gibbs said.

"Sums!" Pintel said.

"The dichotomy of good and evil." Ragetti said. Everyone gave him a confused look for his answer.

"A woman." Jack answered for everyone.

"Ding, ding, ding." Axel said. "We have a winner. Be sure to get it memorized, kids." Mika smiled and squeezed Axel's hand.

"A woman." Tia Dalma agreed. "He fell in love."

"No, no, no. I heard it was the sea he fell in love with." Mr. Gibbs said.

"Why do I sense foreboding?" AJ asked.

Tia Dalma looked at them. "Same story, different versions, and all are true!"

"Wait. I don't get it." Jason asked. "How could he fall in love with the sea and a woman at the same time? That doesn't make any sense."

Xion shook her head. "With you, hardly anything makes sense." Jason glared at her for that.

"Let me explain!" Tia Dalma said. "See, it was a woman, as changing as the sea, and harsh, and untamable as the sea. He never stopped loving her. But the pain it caused him was too much to live with. But not enough to cause him to die."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Nettie said.

Will looked at the voodoo witch. "What exactly did he put into the chest?"

"Him heart." Tia Dalma answered.

"Oh, gross." Aurora said.

Ragetti looked confused. "Literally or figuratively?"

"He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest!" Pintel said before looking at Tia Dalma. "Could he?"

"Come on." Jason said. "You're actually thinking he ripped his own heart out of his chest and locked it in a box because some chick broke it? That's the craziest thing I've heard, and I've been hearing a lot of crazy stuff these last few months."

"You still do not believe." Tia Dalma said. "You still think all this is but a dream, and sooner or later you'll wake up and everything will be as it was."

"So what if I do?" Jason asked.

"I see your future." Tia Dalma said. "I know what chases you. Continue down this path, and you will become the thing you fear. Your anger is like fire. Burning, consuming everything in your heart. But it is fueled by the fear you hold."

Jason scoffed and looked away.

"So did he literally put his heart in the chest?" Mika asked.

"Him carve out him own heart, lock it away in a chest, and hide the chest from the world."

Goofy looked at everyone. "You know what this means?"

"If the Organization learns of this, they may try to take the heart themselves." King Mickey said.

"Wait. Does this make him a Heartless or a Nobody?" Sora asked.

Tia Dalma looked at him. "Neither. Him now something darker. Something much worse than Heartless or Nobody."

"First thing we need to do is get that key." Mika said. "Where is it?"

"He keep it with him at all times." Tia Dalma answered.

Will stood up and looked at Jack. "You knew this."

"I did not." Jack Sparrow defended himself. "I didn't know where the key was, but now we do. So now all that's left is to climb aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, grab the key, and go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass."

"Let me see your hand." Tia Dalma demanded. Jack Sparrow held out his right hand, but Tia Dalma's expression did not change. Seeing no alternative, Jack Sparrow reluctantly handed her his left hand. Aurora noticed he kept it covered with a cloth. Tia Dalma unwrapped the cloth to reveal a hideous black spot on it.

"The Black Spot!" Mr. Gibbs, Pintel, and Ragetti said in fear. They dusted themselves off, spun around in a circle, and spat.

"My eyesight's good as ever, just so you know." Jack Sparrow told them. Tia Dalma went into another room to get something.

Roxas and Xion looked confused. "What's the Black Spot?" Xion asked.

"It's a pirate's death sentence." Aurora answered. "Of course, someone like Jason would probably wear it as a badge of…"

"I know what the Black Spot means!" Jason said crossly. "And I would never wear one. I'd sooner kiss you." Aurora punched him for that. Jason glared at her and the two looked as if they were going to start fighting.

"Enough." Mika got between them. "You're acting like children."

"And I will have no fighting in my house." Tia Dalma said as she came back holding something. "Davey Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land except once every ten years."

"That must be agonizing." AJ joked.

Tia Dalma ignored him. "Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land with you."

Jack took what she was carrying. "Dirt. This is a jar of dirt."

"Wouldn't a rock work better?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, then you could stuff it into your head." AJ said.

Aurora shook her head. "Depends on if there are any rocks in that skull of his."

"Enough." Tia Dalma said. "All of you are tied together. What happens to you will affect the fate of the universe. And right now it moves closer to chaos and ruin. You must bring those who you lost back to the light."

"But how?" Sora asked.

Tia Dalma gestured to Jason, Aurora, AJ, and Nettie. "They must remind their friends of who they are. To do so they must make their light stronger. Conquer…" she looked at Jason and AJ, "… Their inner demons. Show their friends that they know who they really are meant to be, and the Thorns of Darkness shall lose their power."

Jack's priorities were elsewhere. "Is the jar of dirt going to help?"

"If you no want it give it back." Tia Dalma said.

Jack held the jar closely. "No."

Tia Dalma smiled. "Then it helps."

Will looked around reluctantly. "It seems we have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman_." Tia Dalma gathered up her bones, and claws, and spoke something into them. She then cast them in front of her. It happened for a second, but Aurora felt like she saw a bunch of rock formations in the sea where they would find this _Flying Dutchman_.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. Now I'm stuck on what to do next. I'm not sure if the group should get tricked by Jack into boarding the _Flying Dutchman_, or if they should wait on the _Black Pearl_ and go with Jack to Tortuga. **


	49. The Devil of the Deep

**And here we go. Now to meet Davey Jones. Thanks to YamiChaos27 for his suggestion. **

**Shadow is owned by YamiChaos27.**

**Sivour is owned by GeminiZKnight. **

* * *

Chapter 49: The Devil of the Deep

They found the place Tia Dalma said they would find the _Flying Dutchman_. There were rocks everywhere, and a storm had kicked in. Stranded against some of the rocks was a ship that looked to be broken.

"That's the _Flying Dutchman_?" Will asked. Mr. Gibbs nodded nervously.

"I kind of pictured something more impressive." Jason said.

Will shrugged. "She doesn't look like much."

"Looks can be deceiving." Riku told him.

"Toku's right. Do not underestimate her." Jack told them.

Riku looked at him. "It's Riku."

"So what's your plan?" Jack asked Will.

Will looked at him. "I row over, search the ship until I find your key."

"If there are crewmen?"

"I cut down anyone in my path."

"I like it." Jack said. "Short, simple, easy to remember."

Jason nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

AJ nodded. "But you probably shouldn't do this alone. At least take a small group with you."

"AJ's right." Riku said. "A lot can go wrong. With a few extra hands you'll know you're covered."

Will thought about it. "Good point."

"Then I'll go." Jason said.

"Me too." AJ said.

"I'm in." Riku said.

"Wonderful. You have your group." Jack said.

"I'm coming too." Sora said.

Riku turned to him. "You should stay here. You know this world better than we do." Dropping his voice, Riku whispered, "Besides, I don't trust these men with Kairi or anyone else."

"Your chariot awaits you!" Ragetti joked as Will, Riku, Jason, and AJ got into a boat. Will took a lantern from Ragetti so they wouldn't be going in blind. Of course, Jason and AJ almost fell into the ocean.

"Oi!" Jack called from above. "If you lot do get captured, just tell him Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt. Might save your life."

"Thanks." Riku said, though he didn't sound convinced. He suspected something behind those words. He thought over them as they rowed to the _Flying Dutchman_.

* * *

Shadow couldn't believe his luck. He exited the dark corridor onto a broken ship in the middle of a storm, with no way to know where he was. The place was in worse shape than when he broke Demyx's sitar.

He noticed a light coming towards where he was. Shadow hid himself as the light drew closer. Eventually he could see the lamp was being carried by some guy dressed strangely. But then every world he had been to had people dressed strangely. Behind him were… Riku, Jason, and AJ. That means Kairi had to be in this world.

"Something's not right." Jason said. "The _Flying Dutchman_ is supposed to be cursed, right? Well, this matchbox doesn't look like it could sail across a pond."

_Flying Dutchman_?

"Just keep looking. That key has to be around here somewhere." The man said.

"How do we know this isn't a trap, Will?" Jason asked.

AJ looked at him. "Shut up before you cause something to go wrong."

Everyone heard something creaking. They turned to see a man still pulling at a rope. He kept muttering under his breath, and from the tone of his voice was frightened. Really frightened.

"Sailor?" The man, Will, tried. "Sailor! It's no good. You've run aground."

The man looked at them. "No. Beneath us. Foul breath!"

Something fell into the water. Everyone, even Shadow, turned and looked. It looked like a body floating in the water. They headed over as the body crawled to them. The person was still alive.

"Hang on. We got you." Jason said before he turned the body over. "Gri's beak!"

Will put the lantern on a hook and rushed over. He jumped back as he, AJ, and Riku all saw what Jason saw. "What happened to his face?" AJ asked.

Shadow strained to get a look. What he saw revolted him. The man's face was gone! What could've done this?

Something burst out of the water behind them. Everyone turned to see a massive galleon erupt from the water. The ship's front looked like the open jaws of some demonic beast. Some sort of crocodile? It reminded Shadow more of the sea dragons he saw.

"Why do I get the feeling that that is the _Flying Dutchman_?" Riku asked.

"Probably because it is." AJ said.

What happened next was enough to make Shadow lose his lunch. From the ship they were on came these… things. They were covered in barnacles and looked like some hideous hybrid between sea creatures and men. What kind of messed up world was this place? Shadow may have his issues, but he had enough sense to not take on these things on his own.

"Behind you!" Shadow called out. His four enemies turned to see one of the fish sailors approach them with ball and chains. They jumped over him as Riku, Jason, and AJ summoned their keyblades.

Riku looked at him. "Shadow, what are you doing here?"

"Talk later. Fight now." Shadow said as he used his keyblade to fend off one of the fish sailors. Soon they were all fighting together against these seafood rejects. Shadow didn't like the keyblade meddlers, but he'd rather deal with them than these things.

Will dipped his cutlass into something and smashed their lantern. Shadow realized it was oil because the sword caught fire. Impressive move, he had to admit. He sliced a fish sailor in the gut. Fish spilled out from it. Shadow's stomach lurched.

"This is disgusting." AJ said.

A fish sailor hit Will on the head and knocked him out. Jason moved to help, but this guy with a t-shaped head grabbed him. Shadow found himself ambushed from behind and like that the fight was over.

All of them were lined up with the remaining sailors of this ship. Shadow noticed the sailors weren't in the best of condition. But why were they spared? These monsters from the deep could've killed them, but they didn't. Why?

They heard someone approaching. They turned to see what had to be their leader, their captain, approaching. He had a peg leg, but his left arm was a huge crab claw. Shadow could also see his head was like that of an octopus, with the tentacles serving as the beard.

"Nine men still alive. The rest have moved on." The t-headed man told the captain. The captain looked over them. Shadow sensed darkness from this man unlike anything he ever sensed before. He tried to look at the man's heart, but only saw an empty chest. Yet it was different from what he'd seen of Organization XIII. He couldn't explain it, but Shadow could tell this captain was not a Nobody or a Heartless.

"I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that's Davey Jones." Jason whispered to Riku and AJ. They watched as Davey Jones approached the whimpering man from before and lit a pipe. Strange that something that looked like him still needed to smoke.

"Do ye fear death?" Davey Jones asked the man. "Do ye fear that dark abyss? All yer deeds laid bare? All yer sins punished? I can offer you an escape."

"Don't listen to him!" A man further down said. Davey Jones turned and approached him. Shadow had a bad feeling. He noticed the man was holding something. Some sacred totem, perhaps?

Davey Jones grabbed him with his claw. "Do ye not fear death?"

"I'll take my chances." The man said.

"To the depths." Davey Jones said. One of his men took a knife and slit the sailor's throat. Shadow found himself hating this… Davey Jones, more and more. The body was thrown overboard. One of the sailors said something, but Shadow didn't catch what he said.

Davey Jones looked at him. "Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any different?" He looked back at the whimpering coward. "I offer you a choice. Join my crew and postpone the judgment. One hundred years before the mast. Will ye serve?"

"I will serve." The whimpering coward said. Shadow felt in his heart that that was a bad choice. Davey Jones's crew laughed as he approached them.

"None of you are neither dead nor dying." Davey Jones noticed. "What is yer purpose here?"

"There you are." Shadow heard a familiar voice say. He looked to see Sivour standing with Davey Jones. "That boy there is with me."

Davey Jones looked at Sivour. "Is he now?"

"But you can use him as part of your crew. He'd be useful."

Shadow stood to rush as Sivour, but found Davey Jones claw at his throat. "Do ye fear death?" Davey Jones asked him.

"He's more useful alive than dead." Sivour said. Shadow's response was to spit at the sea captain's face.

"He's got courage, for a landlubber." Davey Jones said. "But what use could he be to me?"

"Keeping an eye on those three." Sivour pointed to Riku, Jason, and AJ. "They'll be trouble for you, as well as their friends."

"Jack Sparrow sent us to settle his debt." Will said quickly.

That got Davey Jones attention. "What is yer purpose here?"

"Jack Sparrow sent the four of us to settle his debt." Will said.

Davey Jones smiled. "Did he now? I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer."

* * *

Jack was watching how things were going through a telescope. Nettie was really worried. When they saw that ship erupt from the water and the lights go out several of them feared for their friends. She couldn't tell what was going on, but she hoped they were alive. Then, suddenly, there was this man with an octopus-like head standing in front of them. Nettie screamed while Kairi started. Donald and Goofy leapt into each other's arms, resulting in both of them crashing onto the deck. Everyone soon found themselves captured by these barnacle-covered fish sailors.

"Is that Davey Jones?" Sora asked.

Mr. Gibbs nodded. "Aye. That be him."

"You have a debt to pay." Davey Jones said. "You've been captain of the _Black Pearl_ for thirteen years. That was our agreement."

"Technically I was only captain for two years, and then I was viciously mutinied upon." Jack explained.

"Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless. Have you not introduced yourself all these years as Captain Jack Sparrow?" Davey Jones said in a mocking tone. His crew laughed at that.

"You have my payment." Jack said. "Four souls to serve on your ship are already over there."

"What?" Sora asked. "Those are our friends Jack!"

"And four souls is not equal to another." Davey Jones said.

"Aha!" Jack said. "So we've established my proposal and sounding principle, now we're to go up a price."

"Price?" Davey Jones asked.

"You can't do this Jack!" Donald said.

"This is wrong!" Goofy added.

"Those are our friends. You can't just give them away like trading cards!" Nettie said.

Jack ignored them. "Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?"

"One hundred souls." Davey Jones answered. "Three days."

"I don't believe this." Mika said.

Jack smiled. "You're a diamond, mate. Just send me back the boys and I'll get started."

"I keep the boys as good faith payment." Davey Jones said. "That leaves you only ninety-six more to go." His crew laughed.

"Have you not met Will Turner?" Jack asked. "Noble. Heroic. Terrific soprano. Worth at least four. Maybe three and a half. And did I happen to mention he's in love?" That got Davey Jones's undivided attention. "With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him would only be half as cruel as allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony. Aye?"

Davey Jones looked at him. "I keep the boys. Ninety-six souls."

"But what about our friends?" Roxas asked.

Davey Jones looked at him. "They're mine now. Unless you lot wish to join them?" When none of them answered Davey Jones smiled. "Didn't think so." He looked at Jack. "But I wonder Sparrow, can you live with this? Can you condemn innocent men, friends, to a lifetime of servitude while you roam free?"

"Yep. I'm good with it." Jack said. "I only just met three of them anyway."

"You cad." Mika said.

Again, Jack ignored her. "Shall we seal it in blood, or ink?"

Davey Jones grabbed his hand. "Three days." He then departed with his crew. Jack looked at his slime-covered hand. Nettie sensed something happening with it. Something to do with the Black Spot.

Kairi walked up and slapped Jack hard. "How could you do that? You just condemned our friends to a fate worse than death!"

"All part of me plan." Jack said. That earned him another slap.

"You can't gamble with our friends lives like they're worthless!" Kairi added.

Jack looked at her. "If I told them, things wouldn't have worked out. I was able to negotiate with Davey Jones. Now I know I can exchange souls. Once I get the other ninety-six souls, I'll discuss with him how many souls it'll take to get your friends back, savvy?"

Kairi folded her arms. "I don't trust a word you say."

"Never trust a pirate." Sora told her.

"Good lad." Jack said. "If you don't mind, help teach your lass more about dealing with pirates, eh?" Sora and Kairi shook their heads and walked off. Mika walked up to Jack and slapped him too.

"Mr. Gibbs." Jack said. "I feel sullied and unusual."

"And how do you intend to harvest these ninety-six souls in three days?" Mr. Gibbs asked.

"Fortunately mum is the condition of which these souls need be." Jack said.

Mr. Gibbs smiled. "Tortuga?"

Jack wiped his hand on Mr. Gibbs vest. "Tortuga."

* * *

**And there it is. Wow. It's amazing to think that we're almost at 50 chapters. I'm thinking we need to do something special for chapter 50, but I'm not sure what. **


	50. Trouble at Home

**Here it is. Chapter 50. To be honest I have no idea how long this fan fiction's going to last. I am impressed that we managed to get this far. I hope this chapter is pleasing to everyone. GeminiZKnight, thanks for your suggestion to show what was going on with Harthyn. I decided to use this chapter to try and show a little bit more of Harthynian culture since it technically only exists in my imagination, and to try to set things up for future events. **

* * *

Chapter 50: Trouble at Home

Harthyn…

"But our children are still out there!" Mrs. Fay shouted at the chief of police.

The chief shrugged. "We've been searching for months all over the nation. But there's simply no sign of them. Wherever they are, it's not in the country."

"Then search the planet!" Mr. Norman shouted.

"Are you hearing yourself? We can't just search the planet. There are countries that would consider a search like that as an act of war."

"Then go to war! Find out children!"

The chief stood up. "I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do."

"Are you even taking this seriously?" Mrs. Valleys asked. "Our children were attacked at a public high school! A teacher is dead, and our children are nowhere to be found!"

"Miss, are you sure they even want to be found?" The chief asked. "The way I see it, a bunch of kids got together and hacked the computer systems to be unable to explain what happened. Then they got together, murdered the coach, and took his body somewhere where we couldn't find it."

Mr. Fay slammed his fist on the desk. "Our daughter would never do something like that!"

"And Nettie is too gentle to consider such an evil thing!" Mrs. Juarez said.

"Are you sure?" The chief asked. "My superiors are telling me it's been six months since all this happened, and they've vanished without a trace. That, to me, says they were responsible for an act of terrorism-"

"My daughter is no terrorist!" Mr. Kara shouted at him.

The chief looked at him. "Mr. Kara, you and your family are immigrants from Moruga, and many people are still bitter about how we won. Your daughter could've gotten involved with a group of extremists trying to get back at us."

"Shut up!" Mr. Kara snapped. "I've taught my daughter the ways of honor, of right. She would never do that."

"Yet she always got into fights throughout her school years."

"Only because of their son!" Mr. Kara pointed to Mr. and Mrs. Norman. Mr. Norman glared at him.

"Are you saying my son has something to do with why your daughter is messed up?" Mr. Norman asked.

"What did you say?" Mr. Kara asked.

Mr. and Mrs. Miyazaki got between them. "This isn't helping us find our children."

"Look, I really want to find them and find out what really happened to Mr. Under, but the Head of the country wants me to focus our resources on finding Doctor Anton Yeller. He's been missing for some time now." The Chief said.

Mrs. Gemini looked at him. "Yes, the news reported the disappearance of Doctor Madsane, and his labs have been cleared out not long after his latest project had been turned down."

"Now you see what's more important." The chief said. "If any of his stuff gets loose it'll make losing your children seem like a simple cut on your finger. Now if you'll excuse me my men and I need to find him."

* * *

Mr. Norman punched the wall. "That pompous, arrogant, good-for-nothing…"

"Dear." Mrs. Norman said. "Watch yourself."

"I'll watch myself when he gets off his butt and does something!"

Mr. Kara looked at him. "I'm not forgetting that you insulted my daughter."

"You insulted my son!"

"For good reason. Aurora tells me he's everything you Netokans are. Arrogant and stupid."

"You take that back or I'll…"

"Stop it!" Mr. Juarez said. "Our children are missing and the police are not going to do anything to help us. The best we can do is put aside our differences and work together."

Mrs. Miyazaki nodded. "Our children depend on it."

A woman came down the hallway. She looked to be from Moruga too, like Aurora and Mr. Kara. "Dear, have you…" She froze when she saw Mr. Norman. "You."

"You." Mr. Norman said.

Mr. Kara looked at his wife. "You know him?"

"You remember during the war I was captured and to be executed, but the soldier refused to carry out the order?" Mrs. Kara pointed at Mr. Norman. "That's the soldier." Mr. Kara looked at Mr. Norman.

"You saved the life of my wife." Mr. Kara said.

Mr. Norman looked away. "It had its consequences. My commanding officer, he viewed me as a traitor, and did everything he could to paint me like that. Many of his reports were dismissed, but he did enough damage to have me dishonorably discharged. He ruined my life."

"There is no honor in following an order to kill the innocent." Mr. Miyazaki said. "My own wife was there, and she was rescued by an escapee."

"And that's her." Mrs. Miyazaki pointed to Mrs. Kara.

"This is weird." Mr. Valleys said. "It's like something meant for us to meet."

"Indeed." They turned to see a robed man standing there. His robe was royal red with gold lining. His head and face were completely shaved, and he had on a pair of glasses. "It is no coincidence that your actions influenced each other, or that your children disappeared when they did."

"What are you saying?" Mrs. Norman asked.

The man looked at her. "It was all according to Gri's will."

* * *

All the parents later found themselves in the most holy building in the city. The Memory Sanctum was bustling with tourists, but their guide took them through a side door that wasn't open to the public. The Memorium, as the holy men were called, only allowed people back here if there was something important going on.

Mrs. Juarez stood in awe of the vast records that had been kept, supposedly from the dawn of time. Standing over it all was a great marble and gold statue of the great gryphon Gri. According to legend when men were starting out many were choosing wickedness and would've been wiped out. However Gri looked into the hearts of the people, and saw those who still choose good. He gathered them together and saved the human race from annihilation.

Their guide took out a scroll. "You're familiar with the legend of the Warriors of Light?"

Mrs. Norman nodded. "They were warriors selected by Gri to guard the planet and protect all that was good from the forces of evil. But they died out a long time ago, and no one's ever been worthy of that title."

"Because the time was not right for them to return." Their Memorium guide said. Opening the scroll, he said, "It was prophesied centuries ago that a great evil would rise and threaten the universe itself. When the time came Gri would select a new generation to become Warriors of Light, and save the universe from destruction."

Mrs. Valleys looked at the scroll. "It's her. The person students reported seeing at the school." All the parents looked at the scroll. Sure enough, there was an image of a woman in a black robe with horns standing over the people of Harthyn.

"But why our children? What can they do against this sorceress?" Mrs. Gemini asked.

Mr. Foggs looked at him. "What makes you think she is a sorceress?"

"How else do you explain what happened at the school."

"Only Gri knows why your children needed to be chosen." The Memorium guide said. "But it is not this sorceress I fear. It is who the records say she is the servant of."

* * *

Far away, on an island, a massive creature stirred. One of the means of keeping this world safe, it had been disturbed by what he could sense. The people were growing more and more evil, and messing with things that should not be messed with. Why Gri insisted that they be kept safe he would never know. Still, he was a servant of Gri, and what Gri commanded he would do.

"Testukyo." He heard Gri say. Testukyo opened an eye to see the gryphon Gri standing before him. He raised his scaly head and bowed before his master.

"What brings you to Isla de Kaiju?" Testukyo asked Gri.

"Trouble is brewing." Gri said. "Evil from beyond the world is threatening Harthyn."

Testukyo growled. "I will not allow any harm to come to this world."

"A new generation of heroes is being prepared." Gri said. "But they will need your help. A war is coming which will allow monsters of great power to rise."

"What must I do?" Testukyo asked.

"Go to the city of Netokan. Do not enter it but wait. Only rise when the forces of darkness invade." With that Gri vanished.

Testukyo rose to his feet. He hated going to cities. So bright and so loud. Still if that was where the darkness was coming then he would stop it. Testukyo turned and began to walk towards the ocean.

The humans that thought he and the other kaiju were imprisoned here got to action. They rolled up in their robotanks and turned their turrets to face him. Testukyo chuckled inside. Their toys never ceased to amuse him, the way humans thought they could hurt a kaiju. They all were willing to pretend to be hurt by the humans, but Testukyo never felt more than a tickle.

There it was. Their electro-lasers firing from the turrets and robotanks. Testukyo growled just to scare them and pressed on. The soldiers below began firing at him. They had to be joking.

When it became clear to them that he wasn't going to stop they scattered. Testukyo roared for the sake of it and plunged into the lagoon. The water felt good against his scaly hide. The barrier that they thought kept the kaiju on the island loomed in front of him. Testukyo shook his head. All of them could leave at will. Still, might as well have a little fun.

Raising his tail Testukyo swung it around. It collided with one of the towers that kept the barrier up. The force field flickered and finally faded. Testukyo heard the people panicking behind him. They would try to improve it to keep the other kaiju from leaving, but he had no interest in sticking around. Testukyo dived underwater and began swimming towards the city the humans called Harthyn.

* * *

**And there you go. I hope you enjoyed learning more about what Harthyn is like. Like I said I tried to use this to set up for future events. Next chapter we get back to business. Oh, and I did replace Chapter 20 with something new. I didn't want to replace what was there before, but it was really helping the story, so I had to give it the axe. Sorry SMARTAgentKC. **


	51. Confrontation at Tortuga

**Hi everyone. Sorry this took so long. I've been working on other stuff. I hope this makes up to it. **

**Sivour belongs to GeminiZKnight.**

**Nettie belongs to Sonic_Lyoko.**

**Mika belongs to Organization_Mika.**

* * *

Chapter 51: Confrontation at Tortuga

Port Royal…

Nettie kicked a bucket below deck. "How could he do that? He tricked our friends into becoming slaves on some walking squid's ship!"

"I still can't believe that you consider him a friend, Sora!" Kairi said.

Sora stood up. "That doesn't mean I trust him. I learned to never trust a pirate."

"And you didn't think to warn us sooner?" Mika asked.

Axel looked at her. "It's kind of obvious to not trust a pirate. I've got that memorized." He failed to notice the glare she was giving him.

"Doesn't change the fact that we've lost three more of us." Aurora said. "Only one of them was expendable."

"Aurora." Everyone said. She just shrugged.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were pacing around. "There's gotta be a way to help our friends." Goofy said.

"Jack said we're heading to Tortuga." Donald remembered. Everyone looked at Sora for an explanation. He just shrugged.

Mika walked away from the group. Kairi and Nettie noticed and followed her. The two girls hid behind a corner and watched Mika as she sighed and leaned against the wall.

"How have things gotten so messed up?" Mika said. "I've been to so many places and I've never seen anyone like Jack Sparrow or Davey Jones. If only things could be the way they were before."

Nettie stepped out. "Mika?"

Mika looked at her. "Nettie? Kairi?"

The two girls approached her. "We were just thinking we can't rely on Jack to help us."

"He only cares about that stupid chest." Kairi said. Mika nodded in agreement. "Our friends are counting on us to help them."

"Maybe, once we reach this Tortuga, we could go off on our own and see what we could learn about Davey Jones and the Flying Dutchman. Surely someone should have more information on that creep from the deep." Nettie said.

Mika looked at her. "Judging from what I've seen of the pirates on this boat even mentioning either of them is a taboo. Still, it wouldn't hurt to look around. Maybe there is someone who can tell us something we need to know."

* * *

The World That Never Was…

Maleficent watched as Clair practiced with her magic. The Dusk Nobodies had her surrounded at odds that surely could've overwhelmed her, yet she was not intimidated. Holding up her hands Clair unleashed a devastating Thunder attack. The bolts of lightning surged through the Nobodies like they were nothing.

Some Creepers came next. Clair leapt up and unleashed a Blizzard spell unlike anything Maleficent had seen used. It was as if the girl was combining it with Aero, charging through the Nobodies and freezing them on contact. The girl snapped her fingers and the frozen Creepers shattered.

Clair looked up at her. "These Nobodies are a waste of time. They can't give me a real challenge."

"Patience, child." Maleficent said. "Your power continues to grow. You will soon find someone worthy of your skills."

Clair then leapt at her. "I want someone now!" Maleficent held up a hand as green flames surrounded her. Clair froze and grunted in pain as Maleficent's magic stopped her.

"Do not presume to be powerful enough to challenge me." Maleficent said. "Continue your training, and focus on defeated the Keyblade's Chosen." She dropped Clair to the ground. The girl gasped for air before she vanished into a corridor of darkness.

"Sounds like someone's progressing at a dangerous rate." Xemnas said.

Maleficent turned to look at the Nobody. "The girl has great adaptation for magic, but the Thorn increases her darkness. She is starting to desire strong foes to oppose her."

"Surely that is not something beyond your skills." Xemnas said.

"As long as the Thorn of Darkness remains in her heart she is in our power." Maleficent said. "We have nothing to fear."

* * *

Port Royal…

When they finally docked at Tortuga Mika, Kairi, and Nettie slipped away while Jack and Mr. Gibbs went to "recruit" the ninety-six souls for Davey Jones. Everything about this place sickened Nettie. Men were shooting and killing each other everywhere, women were taking flirting to a whole new level, and everyone was drinking that disgusting rum stuff. In other words, it was another world version of high school.

"Who should we ask about Davey Jones and/or the Flying Dutchman?" Nettie asked.

Kairi shrugged. "A wise old man?"

"And where do you suggest we find one?" Mika asked. "Everywhere I look I see hooligans making college kids seem perfectly sober."

"Aren't you old enough to be a college kid?" Nettie asked.

Mika shook her head. "Shut up." Nettie only smirked in response. The three of them kept looking around. There had to be someone who had to count as a wise old man. They did stick close together because none of them liked the looks the pirates were giving them.

"There's a fortune teller over there." Nettie pointed to a person at a table who was looking into a crystal ball. The three of them headed over to see if they could get some help.

"Excuse us. Can you… ?" Kairi started to ask.

"You want to know how to help your friends." The person said in a bad accent. "I see they are in serious trouble. Tricked into becoming part of Davey Jones crew. Now they cannot escape from the Flying Dutchman."

"That's right." Nettie said. "How do you know?"

"I know all." The fortuneteller said. "I can see what will happen to your friends."

"How are they?" Kairi asked.

The fortuneteller gazed into the ball. "I see them. They are in peril. The longer they remain on that ship, the more likely they will become part of the ship."

"How do we help them?" Mika asked. The fortuneteller looked up, and they could see under the hood. Mika gasped and took a step back.

"You don't." The fortuneteller threw the table aside and pulled back the hood. It was a guy close to Kairi and Nettie's age. He had a cold look in his eye and a crazy expression.

"Sivour." Mika said.

Sivour smiled. "Hello, Kamix."

Kairi and Nettie looked at their friend. "Kamix?"

Mika frowned. "Don't call me that. My name is Mika."

Sivour frowned. "You dare to use your whole name? You're a disgrace to Organization XIII, and to our cause."

"I left Organization XIII for a good reason." Mika said. "They're evil, and what they're doing is evil. They're hurting countless lives just to further their own agenda!"

"Simple, poor, Kamix." Sivour said. "You have no idea what it means to hurt someone. Oh, wait. You do."

Mika glared at the boy as she called forth her keyblades. "I do not hurt people. I protect them!"

"You do hurt people, just as you have hurt me. Come forth, Soul Reaper!" Sivour held up his hand and dark energy swirled into it. When he gripped it the darkness manifested into a huge sword that dwarfed even Sivour. It was bigger than most of the buildings in Tortuga. Several pirates fled the scene when they saw the sword.

"Sol and Lune can take you." Mika said as she charged forward. Her keyblades clashed with the Soul Reaper. Mika then gathered dark energy around her. She then blasted Sivour back with it.

"You use the powers of darkness?" Nettie asked Mika.

Mika looked at her. "So what?"

"I thought darkness was evil." Nettie said.

Mika had to block an attack from Sivour. "Can we discuss this when we're not being threatened by a psychopath?" Kairi and Nettie nodded and called forth their keyblades.

Sivour laughed. "You think I can be intimidated by you? There's a reason why the Organization calls me the Heavenly Demon."

"Isn't that an oxymoron?" Nettie asked. Sivour slashed at her, but to his surprise she leapt over him and slashed him in the back. Sivour grunted in pain. "You'll find that we're not as weak as we once were."

Kairi conjured up several orbs of light around her. "Check this out." She fired them at Sivour. They did a lot of damage to him, because the orbs of light caused the warrior to cry out in pain.

"Sivour is mine!" Mika said as she swung her keyblades Sol and Luna at Sivour. He blocked Luna, but Sol hid him in the face. Sivour growled at her.

"You may have won this round, but the light will be eclipsed!" Sivour disappeared into a dark corridor. Mika collapsed, but Kairi and Nettie helped her up. They carried their friend back to the Black Pearl.

"Now, why do you use the powers of darkness?" Nettie asked. "I've only seen it used for evil."

Mika looked at her. "Is that so surprising? Many believe that the keyblade is a tool that was used to bring great destruction years ago. Also there are wizards and sorceresses that use magic for evil purposes."

"Well, yeah, but… " Nettie began.

Mika shook her head. "But nothing. Darkness, like so many things in this universe, is neither good or bad. It's what you use it for. Besides, I've met people who've used the light for their own selfish gain. Just don't be so prejudiced."

As they approached the ship their friends ran out to them. "What happened?" Sora asked.

"Mika!" Axel checked over her.

Mika looked at him. "Sivour was here."

"Sivour?" Roxas asked.

Axel looked at him, then snapped his fingers. "Right. You never met him. Sivour is with Organization XIII. Think of him as like a secret weapon of Xemnas's. Got it memorized?"

"I didn't know Xemnas had a secret weapon." Donald said.

"He does. Quite a few." Mika said.

"Oh, look, Jack's back." Goofy said. Everyone looked to see Jack and Mr. Gibbs approaching them, and someone was behind them.

"Captain Sparrow?" The figure asked. Goofy looked as if that voice sounded familiar.

Jack looked back. "Come to join me crew lad? Welcome aboard."

"I'm here to find the man I love." The figure said.

That caused Jack and Mr. Gibbs to stop in their tracks. "I'm deeply flattered, son, but my first and only love is the sea." Jack gestured to Mr. Gibbs while another man came up behind the one who was speaking and spewed something over some cargo.

"Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow." The person speaking said. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other before it finally hit them.

"Elizabeth?" Donald asked.

Kairi looked at them. "You know her?"

"Yeah. She's a friend we made when we came here." Sora explained.

Jack turned to Mr. Gibbs. "Hide the rum." He said before whispering something into Mr. Gibb's ear. Mr. Gibbs approached the group and gestured for them to listen.

"Captain says not a word about what happened." Mr. Gibbs said. Nettie folded her arms, but didn't get a chance to say anything because Jack started talking again.

"You know, these clothes do not flatter you at all. It should be a dress and I happen to have no dresses in my cabin." Jack said.

"Jack." Elizabeth said. "I know Will came to find you. Where is he?"

Jack sighed. "Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this, but due to an unfortunate and unforeseeable circumstances that have nothing whatsoever to do with me poor Will has been pressganged into Davey Jones's crew." The group gritted their teeth at that lie.

"Davey Jones?" Elizabeth asked.

The man behind her threw up. "Oh, please. The captain of the Flying Dutchman?"

"You don't believe in it?" Sora asked as they approached.

"It's just an old sailor's tale." The man said. "Something to explain misfortune at sea."

"It's very real. We've seen it." Kairi said. "Davey Jones has our friends." She shot Jack a glare out of the corner of her eye, but he gave no indication of noticing.

Roxas looked at the man. "Who are you?"

The man looked at them. "You've never heard of James Norrington? Not even his disgrace because of this pirate?" He pointed at Jack.

"You look awful. What are you doing here?" Jack asked the man.

"You hired me." The man said. "And I can't help it if your standards are lax."

"You smell funny." Jack said. Pluto sniffed the man, and as if to confirm what Jack said, collapsed in a faint. King Mickey and Kairi checked on the dog.

"Jack." Elizabeth said. "All I want is to find Will."

Jack looked at her. "Are you certain? Is that what you really want most?"

"Of course." Elizabeth answered.

Mika looked at Jack. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing." Jack said. "No tricks up my sleeves." Mika did not look convinced. Jack turned back to Elizabeth. "Because I would think you would want to find a way to save Will the most."

Elizabeth looked at him. "And you'd have a way of doing that?"

"Well, there is a chest…" Jack began.

"Oh, dear." Norrington said.

Jack continued, "A chest of unknown size and origin."

"Contains the still beating heart of Davey Jones." Pintel said as he and Ragetti passed by carrying some cargo onto the ship.

"And whoever possesses that chest possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever he or she wants," Jack explained, "including saving brave William from his grim fate."

"_So that's why you're after the chest_." Nettie thought, but kept her mouth shut.

Norrington looked at Elizabeth. "You don't actually believe him, do you?"

"How do we find it?" Elizabeth asked Jack.

"She's not actually going through with this, is she?" Kairi asked Sora in a whisper.

"She loves Will, and will go to the ends of the Earth for him." Sora whispered back.

"Oi!" Jack said. "Shouldn't you be on deck?"

"We'll stay with our friend." Nettie said.

Before Jack could say anything Elizabeth spoke up. "How do we find it?"

Jack held up his compass. "With this. My compass. It is unique."

"Unique here having the meaning of broken?" Norrington asked.

Xion looked at him. "It's not broken. It's magic."

"Truly love, this compass does not point north." Jack explained.

"Where does it point?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack smiled. "It points to the thing you want most in this world."

Elizabeth smiled. "Jack. Are you telling the truth?"

"Every word, love." Jack handed the compass to her. "Now what you want most in this world is to find the chest of Davey Jones, is it not?"

"To save Will." Elizabeth corrected him.

"By finding the chest of Davey Jones." Jack insisted. He opened the compass while it was in Elizabeth's hand and stepped away. The group stepped forward to see the compass was spinning around, until it finally stopped, pointing in a certain direction.

"It does work." Sora said impressed. Donald and Goofy stood in awe. Nettie had to admit she was impressed. She wondered if this compass could help them find the Organization's stronghold.

Jack came back and looked at the compass. "Mr. Gibbs!"

"Captain?"

"We have our heading."

"Finally!" Turning to the ship, Mr. Gibbs began parking orders. "Cast off those lines! Weigh anchor, and trow that canvas!"

Jack made an "after you" gesture to Elizabeth. "Miss Swan." Elizabeth and the group followed Jack aboard the Black Pearl while the crew got ready to cast off and finally go after the chest.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. Special thanks to GeminiZKnight for his idea with the fight between Mika, Kairi, and Nettie and Sivour. I did remember something I used to do to let people know which world people are in. I may have to go back and edit the other chapters. However right now I have a lot I need to do before the end of next week, so I may not be able to update again until it's taken care of. Hopefully this fan fiction will be finished by the end of the year. **


	52. On Board the Flying Dutchman

**Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay. I was working on some important projects. I did see the new trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3 and I'm really excited for it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney or any of their characters. **

**Sivour belongs to GeminiZKnight. **

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27.**

* * *

Chapter 52: On Board the _Flying Dutchman_.

Port Royal…

Shadow grouchily went about his duties that he was forced into on this accursed ship. It stunk like rotten fish and moldy wet wood. He couldn't keep his balance on this stupid tub and every time he was on deck he had to watch himself to make sure he didn't fall overboard. Shadow learned that he hadn't gotten his sea legs yet, but he didn't care. He just wanted off. As if that wasn't bad enough there was a storm over them soaking him to his bones.

As he threw some junk overboard Shadow saw Sivour appear through a dark corridor. Growling Shadow stormed over to the warrior and hit him on the head. "Why did you do that? Why did you make me a slave on this haunted matchbox?"

"To save your life." Sivour said. "The cursed crew of this ship would've killed you had I not intervened."

"You call this saving? Each day is a living death. I don't see why the Organization would have use for this captain unless it's to take his heart."

"The captain doesn't have a heart. He ripped it out of his chest and locked it away somewhere. But be that as it may the Organization didn't send me."

Shadow blinked. "What?"

"I care nothing for Davey Jones, and right now I have my own agenda. Xemnas himself told me to ignore it, but I will not." Sivour folded his arms. "An old friend of mine is here. And I have a score to settle with them."

Their conversation was interrupted by a commotion further down the ship. Sivour and Shadow turned to see Jason was attacking the crewmen. He was fighting very dishonorably. He was hitting the crew in weak spots like the gut, the throat, and the groin. Shadow shook his head. That dumb kid was going to get himself killed.

"Mutiny!" One of the crew said. Jason punched him in the face. AJ and Riku tried to restrain Jason, but the boy threw them off. What stopped him was Davey Jones appearing and grabbing him by the throat with his claw.

"Mutiny is punishable by death." Davey Jones said. "You, however, are only a means of payment for Jack Sparrow."

"I'm nobody's payment!" Jason said as he tried to get free.

Davey Jones responded by tightening his grip. "Don't test my patience boy. I will kill you if you prove to be more trouble than your worth." He then turned to his crewman with the t-shaped head. "Ten lashes for the boy."

Sivour stepped up. "Let me punish him."

Davey Jones looked at him. "The _Dutchman_ is my ship. I'm the captain, and I give the orders."

"You can give him all the lashes you want, but they will heal and scar, and eventually fade away." Sivour said. "What I can do to him is far worse. When I'm through he'll wish he got a thousand lashes."

Davey Jones considered that. "Will he now?" He turned to the crewman with the whip. "Fifteen lashes when Sivour's done." The crew all laughed as Jason was brought before Sivour. Before the teenager could react Sivour had placed a hand on his face.

Jason's eyes widened as suddenly he couldn't see the _Flying Dutchman_ or any of the crew. The storm that was overhead was replaced by a clear sky with skyscrapers dotting… wait. This was Netokan.

"Pathetic world." Sivour said. Jason turned to see the dark warrior behind him. "Always growing, always trying to progress with no thought or consideration of what is past."

Jason summoned his keyblade. "Shut up. What do you know?" Jason rushed at Sivour, but Sivour whipped out his insanely large sword and knocked Jason back.

"Fool. That is your problem. You always try to fight your way out. You never pause to think of a plan, or what your actions might cause. Have you forgotten how many people you've hurt?"

"Shut up!" Jason ran at Sivour again, who made his sword vanish and punched Jason in the face. The boy flew back several feet, and almost fell off the platform they were on.

Sivour calmly walked over to him and picked him up by the shirt. "Do not test me boy. I could crush you without a second thought, but I think this will make you suffer more." He then forced Jason to look behind them.

Jason's eyes widened. It was him at a younger age. He was with a group of boys that had a little boy surrounded. The sight troubled Jason greatly.

"Leave me alone." The boy said. The other boys all laughed as the younger Jason knocked him down and took his stuff.

The younger Jason looked at him. "You've got no backbone. You should grow up and learn to be a man." The scene then changed to the boy crying in his mom's arms.

"A-and then, th-th-those bullies t-t-took the gift Dad gave me." The boy sobbed. Jason's heart was filled with pain, but he didn't know why. Sivour gestured to a holographic image of a man nearby.

"You see how much pain you caused that boy?" Sivour asked. "What you took from him that day was the last thing his father ever gave him. You essentially took a piece of his heart when you stole from him."

"How was I supposed to know?" Jason asked. "How do I know this isn't just some hocus pocus nonsense meant to mess with me?"

"I control chaos, not lies." Sivour answered. "What you're seeing here is the truth. You created chaos when you took something that was more than a mere trinket."

The scene changed to Jason punching a kid in a lunchroom. "Look, I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you."

Younger Jason cracked his knuckles. "Sorry isn't good enough. You have to learn that you can't just apologize and expect everything to be hunky dory." Jason ended up watching in horror as the younger version of himself beat up the poor kid. The scene then changed to the kid in the hospital while his parents were by him.

"Those people were hurt in so many ways by your actions. They were barely making enough to make end's meet for their rent. To pay for his hospital fees they had to pull their son out of school." Sivour explained.

"Some would consider that a good thing." Jason said. The scene changed to a dark alley where people were doing some deals in stuff that Jason realized were illegal. He recognized one of them as an older version of the boy he beat up.

"To help bring enough money the kid turned to a life of crime." Sivour said. "You ruined his chance for a good life and made him into a criminal who's on his way to becoming a gang leader."

"Why are you showing me this?" Jason asked.

Sivour looked at him. "To show you how being the tough guy has done nothing but hurt those you've encountered. And it's all because of this."

Jason looked to see something made of shadows approaching. His eyes widened as the shadows took the form of something that was a combination of himself and his father. The figure looked cold and cruel, and was dressed as a soldier.

"Your inner demon. Your worst fears." Sivour said. "Your father refused to let you be anything but what he wanted. He raised you to be a soldier, and crushed every dream you ever had. You fight out of anger, out of pain. You are ultimately a product of chaos."

Jason struggled. "No. I'm me."

"Deny it all you want." Sivour said. "You cannot escape what you are. You have become a brute who thinks of nothing but hurting others, and will obey his father's wishes and becoming more. You will ultimately be nothing but a killing machine."

The darker version of Jason swarmed over him. Jason struggled against the darkness, but only blackness filled his vision. Jason sunk down. Sivour was right. He was a brute. He was going to be a killing machine. That was all his father would ever allow him to be. He had a chance to become more and he blew it. Now Clair and the others are paying the price for it.

"Fifteen!" A stinging lash cut Jason in the back. He found himself back on the _Flying Dutchman_. Riku and AJ were holding his arms, and Jason found pain from his back rushing to his head. He also realized his shirt had been torn off and he was soaked in the rain.

"Whatever Sivour did to him must've been bad." He heard crewmen saying. "He didn't even flinch during those lashes." Riku and AJ helped Jason up, but he was out of it. They had to drag him into the ship. AJ grabbed some clothes and tried to clean Jason's wounds.

"Why didn't I learn to heal when I had the chance?" AJ asked.

Riku looked at Jason. "What happened? What did Sivour do to you?"

"He… he showed me what I've done." Jason said. "I've turned others into monsters. Ruined their lives. All because I was upset I couldn't live my life."

AJ looked at him. "What do you mean? You're the toughest guy in school. A soldier's all you ever said you wanted to be."

"It was a lie." Jason said. "My dad… he wanted me to be a soldier. Nothing else was good enough for him. Every time I tried to find something else to do… he beat me."

Riku looked at him. "He did what?"

"He said it would toughen me up. It would help me to become a man, a soldier. He told me that being a nice guy was being a weakling. That you had to hurt others to get what you wanted and get anywhere in life."

"He's wrong." Riku said. "That's only making you a servant to the darkness. That's worse than anything you could be."

"Easy for you to say. You've never hurt anyone before."

Riku looked to the side. "I did. Years ago I gave in to the darkness. I thought it would make me stronger. I was wrong. It poisoned my mind and led me to think Sora was my enemy, that I was the only one who could help Kairi. I only hurt her and others on countless worlds."

Jason and AJ looked at him. "What?"

"I was stupid." Riku said. "I've been trying to make things right ever since. But there's a part of me that's afraid the things I've done can never be fixed. That I can never find redemption. That I'm still that person who betrayed his friends years ago. Because of me Ansem almost succeeded in obtaining the power of Kingdom Hearts."

"That does sound pretty bad." AJ said.

Jason put a new shirt on. "Riku, you're ten times cooler than me. Not once have I seen anything that would indicate that you're a bad person."

"Wow. I didn't know you could give a compliment." AJ joked.

"Shut up."

"Sounds like our inner demons we encountered in Halloween Town are still following us." Riku said.

"I just wish there was some way to beat them." Jason said.

AJ looked at them. "There has to be a way. We'll find it. I know we will."

"First things first." Riku said. "We have to get off this ship."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks to GeminiZKnight for the ideas and the suggestions. I was planning to include the Liar's Dice game against Davey Jones here, but it didn't feel like the right way to end the chapter. Now to think of a way for AJ to confront his demons. **


	53. Escape from the Flying Dutchman

**Hi everyone. I'm back. Yes, I'm updating again so soon. I'm trying to pick up the pace with this fan fiction. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney.**

**Sivour belongs to GeminiZKnight.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27.**

* * *

Chapter 53: Escape from the _Flying Dutchman_

Port Royal…

"I wager ten years." One of the cursed crewmen said.

"I'll match ten years." Another said.

The third nodded. "Agreed." They all then looked at their dice under the cups. Will, Jason, Riku, and AJ watched them. Shadow was off in the corner, uninterested.

"Wondering how it's played?" Will's father, Bootstrap Bill Turner asked. They ran into him their first night on the _Flying Dutchman_. Of course Will got whipped for an accident that had occurred. Still Bootstrap had been helpful. He did warn them that the longer a person stayed on the Dutchman the more likely they would become part of the ship.

That idea did not appeal to anyone.

AJ shrugged. "That would be helpful."

"It's a game of deception." Will explained. "Your bet includes all the dice, not just your own."

"What are they wagering?" Riku asked.

Bootstrap looked at them. "The only thing we have. Years of service."

"Doesn't make sense to me." Jason said. "Isn't the captain the one who decides how long each crewman serves?" Bootstrap gave him a look that clearly said that was something he shouldn't be asking.

Will looked at his father. "So any crew member can be challenged?"

"Aye. Anyone." Bootstrap said.

Riku realized what Will was planning. Before he could say anything Will said, "I challenge Davey Jones." Immediately the organ stopped playing. The crew watched as they heard the thumping of Davey Jones walking towards them. The sea stuff that grew along the ship shrunk and hid as if afraid of the captain. Even Shadow turned and looked to see what was going on.

Soon Davey Jones appeared. "I accept." A board was placed on a crate and Will was made to sit on one end. Dice and a cup were placed in front of him. Davey Jones looked at him. "The stakes?"

"My soul. An eternity of servitude." Will said. Bootstrap protested that, but no one heard him.

"Are you crazy?" Jason asked. Will silenced him with a look.

Davey Jones was impressed. "Against?"

"I want this." Will took out a too-familiar piece of cloth and threw it on the board. Davey Jones took it and was shocked at what was there.

He looked back at Will. "How do you know of the key?"

"That's not part of the game, is it?" Will asked. "You can still walk away." Shadow had to admit he was impressed with Will's courage. Now he was curious about this key. What was so special about it that made Davey Jones pale?

Davey Jones didn't back down. He took his seat facing Will. Then, reaching into his tentacle beard he pulled out a black key. Shadow could sense something powerful about that key. Will and Davey Jones placed their dice into the cups, shook them, and slammed them down. However a third cup joined them. Davey Jones looked at the new player, who was Bootstrap. "What's this?"

"I'm in. Matching his wager." Bootstrap said.

Will looked at him. "No. Don't do this."

"Dice cast." Bootstrap said as if he couldn't back out even if he wanted to. "I bid three twos. It's your bid, Captain."

"Four fours." Davey Jones upped things after looking at his dice.

Will looked at his dice. "Four fives."

"Six threes."

"Seven fives."

"Eight fives."

Davey Jones laughed. "Welcome to the crew, lad." His laughter was cut short by Bootstrap.

"Twelve fives." Bootstrap said. "Twelve fives. Call me a liar, or up the bid."

"And be called a liar myself for my trouble?" Davey Jones grabbed Bootstrap's cup, looked at his dice, and glared at him. "Bootstrap Bill, you are a liar, and you will spend an eternity on this ship!" Davey Jones looked at Will as he stood. "Master Turner. Feel free to go ashore. The better next time we make port." Davey Jones and his crew laughed as they walked off.

Will looked at his father. "Fool. Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't let you lose." Bootstrap said. Shadow realized he sacrificed himself to save his son.

"But now you're bound to the _Dutchman_ forever." AJ said.

Bootstrap looked at him. "At least my son didn't lose."

"It was never about winning or losing." Will said.

The truth dawned on Bootstrap. "The key. You just wanted to know where it was."

"What's so special about this key?" Shadow asked. Jason glared at him but didn't say anything. "We have our differences, but we want the same thing. Off this ship. Tell me what you know and I'll keep quiet."

"How can we trust you?" AJ asked.

"You can't." Shadow said. "But I take it in this world you can't trust a lot of people."

Riku sighed. "It's a key to a chest. The Dead Man's Chest."

"Dead Man's Chest?" Shadow asked.

"It holds the heart of Davey Jones." Jason said.

Shadow snapped his fingers. "That's why he was surprised when you asked about it."

"Remember, you swore to stay quiet." Riku said.

"And I keep my promises." Shadow said.

* * *

Later that night Will snuck off while Jason, Riku, AJ, Shadow, and Bootstrap kept an eye on deck. Bootstrap managed to trick a crewman into leaving his post on the idea that Davey Jones ordered Bootstrap to relieve him. Shadow kept an eye out to make sure no other crewmen came upon them while Riku, Jason, AJ, and Bootstrap got a rowboat ready for their escape.

It was some time before Will rejoined them. Jason looked at him. "Did you get it?" Will showed him the key before placing it around his neck.

"Here," Bootstrap gave Will a knife, "Take this too. Now get yourselves to land and stay there."

"What about you?" AJ asked.

"It was always in my blood to die at sea." Bootstrap said. Looking at his son he continued, "It's not a fate I ever wanted for you."

Will looked at the knife. "It's not a fate you had to choose for yourself, either."

"I could say I did what I had to when I left you to go pirating," Bootstrap said, "but it would taste a lie to say it wasn't what I wanted. You owe me nothing, Will. Now go."

Jason, Riku, and AJ had already gotten into the boat. They looked back at Will, waiting for him to get in with them. Will looked around. "They'll know you helped us."

Bootstrap chuckled. "What more can they do to me?"

Will sighed as he looked at the knife. "I take this with a promise. I'll find a way to sever Jones's hold on you, and not rest until this blade pierces his heart. I will not abandon you. I promise."

Shadow watched as Will boarded the boat and they were lowered into the water. Once he heard the splash Shadow headed to the side of the ship. Bootstrap noticed him. "What are you doing lad?"

"What does it look like? I'm leaving." Shadow said. "I've had enough of this ship and its cursed crew."

"Jones won't take kindly to you leaving." Bootstrap said. "He'll hunt you down, and you said you'd keep quiet."

"Yes I said I'd keep quiet." Shadow said. "I never said I wouldn't follow them."

Bootstrap looked confused. "Why?"

"They have a friend who has something I need." Shadow said. "Now I must be going."

"You can't row a boat by yourself."

"Who said I'd take a boat?" With that Shadow walked off the side. Bootstrap looked over to see Shadow flying off on some strange craft. Before Bootstrap could say anything Shadow had disappeared into the night.

* * *

"Strange thing to come upon a longboat so far out at sea." The captain of the ship, the _Edinburgh Trader_, was saying. He had picked up Will, Jason, Riku, and AJ from their boat and had brought them aboard. Now he was trying to get some answers.

"Just get as many leagues behind us as you can." Will said. "As fast as you can."

"What are we running from?" The captain asked.

Jason looked at him. "Trust us. What we left behind you don't want to meet."

"Any land will do." AJ added.

Will then noticed a dress in a chair. He stood up and walked over to it. "That dress. Where did you get it?"

"Found aboard the ship." The captain explained. "The crew thought it was some spirit bringing an omen of ill fate."

"That's foolish." Will said.

Jason looked at him. "Is it?"

"It brought good fortune." Someone else said. Jason wasn't sure if he was first mate or someone else. The man continued, "The spirit told us to pull in at Tortuga, and we made a nice bit of profit."

"I imagine some of your crew may have jumped ship there." Will said.

Before anything else could be said someone came into the captain's quarters. "Captain. A ship's been spotted."

"Colors?"

"She isn't flying any."

Jason, Riku, and AJ looked at each other with worry. They had a bad feeling they knew what ship it was. If it was the _Flying Dutchman_ they were all in danger.

Everyone hurried above deck to see what the ship was. Will motioned for Jason, Riku, and AJ to follow him. They climbed up the mast while the crew kept looking out at sea. Their hearts sank when they saw what ship it was.

"We've doomed us all." Will said before calling down to the captain, "It's the _Flying Dutchman_!" No sooner had he said that then the ship lurched and then stopped. The four of them nearly fell off, but grabbed a hold of something before they did. They could see something happening in the ocean below, and Riku sensed it was something really bad.

While the captain was barking out orders a large tentacle reached up and pulled him overboard. Jason and AJ weren't familiar with sea life, but they knew it was something really bad. Especially when the sailors began panicking when they saw the tentacle rise up with the screaming captain.

"Kraken!" The sailors began screaming. Someone began ringing a bell and the crew began gathering weapons. The four of them held on with their might.

"What in the world is a Kraken?" AJ asked.

Will looked at him. "A sea monster. Davey Jones must've sent it."

"Can he do that?" Jason asked.

"Evidently." Riku answered.

The four of them watched as large tentacles made their way up the side of the ship. The crew fought back the best they could, but the tentacles just grabbed them and pulled them overboard into the sea. The sight sickened Jason, but he had no time to throw up. One tentacle broke the mast, and they had to hang on while it fell forward.

Before it collided with the other mast, Will leapt forward. The others followed him, trying to stay out of reach of the Kraken. Will pulled out his knife and used it to slice the sail. The others did the same with their keyblades. It didn't do much to slow their descent, but they were able to grab hold of ropes to keep them from falling back onto the deck.

Pulling themselves up, they readied their weapons as a tentacle came up to them. The four of them slashed at it, forcing it to retreat. However this fight was lost. Two huge tentacles rose up out of the water, and the realized what was about to happen.

"Oh no." Jason said as the tentacles slammed down on the ship. It broke in half, causing screaming crewmen to fall into the water. Jason, Riku, AJ, and Will watched in horror as a monstrous mouth loaded with sharp fangs appeared from the water and consumed sailors who fell into it.

The tentacles broke the other mast like a toothpick. Realizing there was only one way to survive the four of them jumped into the sea as far away from the ship as they could. The salt water stung their eyes, but they got a good look at the rest of the Kraken. Its body was as big as a ship, and it had a long head shaped like an arrow. The four of them swam up to the surface and got on some driftwood as the Kraken pulled the rest of the ship down into the ocean. When Will saw the _Flying Dutchman_ approaching he dived into the ocean towards it. None of them understood why, but they followed him.

* * *

Shadow from his hiding place watched with shock. That monster, whatever it was, just took down a ship like it was made of nothing. He had seen monsters among the Heartless, Nobodies, and the Unversed, but this thing… it was unlike anything he had seen before. He decided to spend as much time in the air and on land as possible.

Shadow watched as what he assumed was Davey Jones's second in command approach his captain. "The boys are not here. They must've been claimed by the sea."

"I am the sea." Davey Jones said. He then approached Bootstrap. "You need time alone with your thoughts. Brig!" Shadow watched as the crew dragged off Bootstrap.

"What of the survivors?" Someone asked. Shadow watched as they looked at Davey Jones with fear. He remembered the night when he had first encountered Davey Jones. He didn't know which was worse, death or serving that beast.

"There are no survivors." Davey Jones said. The crew raised their weapons and buried them in the survivors. The sight made Shadow sick. Davey Jones then looked at one of his crew. "The chest is no longer safe. Chart a course to Isla Cruces. Get me there first or there'll be the Devil to pay!"

"First?" The crewman asked.

"Who sent those thieving charlatans onto my ship? Who told them of the key?" Davey Jones looked out across the horizon. "Jack Sparrow."

Shadow didn't see Sivour anywhere. He didn't really care. The man made him become part of Davey Jones's crew just so he could get some revenge on someone he didn't know. Still Shadow was glad that he learned that as long as he stuck to the shadows he couldn't be seen. He thought about his options. He could strike out on his own and try to find those pests. Or he could follow Jones to Isla Cruces. If this Jack Sparrow sent them, then that must mean the Princess is with them. He chose to follow Jones to Isla Cruces.

* * *

**There you go. They got their look at the Kraken. Until next time. **


	54. What you want most

**Hi everyone. Sorry this took a while. I've been visiting with relatives and haven't been able to sit down and do this chapter. I hope this makes up for lost time. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. **

* * *

Chapter 54: What you want most

Port Royal…

"Beckett?" Mr. Gibbs was asking.

"Yes, they're signed." Elizabeth was showing them some documents. "Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company." Jack Sparrow stuck out his tongue at the documents.

"Will was working for Beckett and never said a word." Mr. Gibbs realized.

Sora didn't look so happy. "How could Will work for such a man?"

"Hold on." Aurora said. "We don't know anything about this Beckett."

Jack looked at her. "Cutler Beckett is in command of the East India Trading Company. He's a scallywag and a bilge rat who only cares about putting hard earned pirate's loot into his own pocket. Savvy?"

"But why send Will with an offer to pardon Jack?" Mika asked. "What does he get out of it?"

"Will told us he needed Jack's compass." Donald said.

"Beckett wants the compass." Mr. Gibbs said. "Only one reason for that."

"Of course." Jack looked at them. "He wants the chest."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, he did say something about a chest."

"What would happen if they did get the chest?" Nettie asked.

Mr. Gibbs looked at her. "If the company controls the chest, they controls the seas."

"A truly discomforting notion, love." Jack said. Nettie made a face at him.

"So, uh, how bad would it be?" Goofy asked.

"Bad." Mr. Gibbs said. "Bad for every mother's son what calls himself a pirate. I think there's a bit more speed to be coaxed from these sails." Mr. Gibbs went barking orders to the crew while everyone thought about what they learned.

"Might I inquire how you came by these?" Jack asked Elizabeth.

"Persuasion." Elizabeth answered.

"Friendly?"

"Decidedly not."

"Will strikes a deal with these and upholds it with honor." Jack said. "And you are the one standing here with the prize." He looked at the documents. "Full pardon. Commission as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company."

Axel shook his head. "Sounds like agreeing to those documents is making a deal with the devil."

"Been there, done that." Jack said before tucking the documents into his coat. "As if I could be bought for such a low price."

"A bottle of rum is more your style." Aurora said. "Along with a mountain of gold."

"And a woman." Jack added. Aurora slapped him for that.

Elizabeth approached him. "Jack, the letters, give them back."

"No." Jack said. "Persuade me."

Elizabeth looked as if she wanted to say something to Jack that wouldn't have been nice. However she held her tongue and stormed off, the others following her. They weren't interested in talking to Jack. Mika and several others had not forgiven the captain for what he did to their friends.

"The nerve of that guy." Kairi growled.

"Well, he is a pirate." Nettie said as she stroked Mabul. "Pirates aren't exactly chivalrous."

"Glad you got that memorized." Axel said. "You'll live longer."

"As long as we rescue Will and your friends I don't care." Elizabeth said. Xion noticed Norrington walking up to them. She kept quiet as she waited to see what he wanted.

"It is a curious thing." Norrington said. "There was a time I would've given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me."

"What are you talking about?" Xion asked.

"At one time I offered Elizabeth to be my bride." Norrington explained.

Mika looked at them. "You two were going to be married?"

"We were. But she fell in love with Will Turner." Norrington answered. "I decided anyone who could make swords as well as he did would take good care of her."

Roxas was confused. "What look? What are you talking about?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Elizabeth said.

"Oh, I think you do." Norrington smirked.

"Oh, don't be absurd! I trust him, that's all."

Norrington chuckled and walked off. He did turn back to ask, "So you've never wondered how your latest fiancé or their friends ended up on the _Flying Dutchman_ in the first place?"

Elizabeth looked at Kairi and the others. "What is he talking about? Do you know something about how Will and the others ended up on the Flying Dutchman?"

Kairi sighed. "I'm not going to keep quiet any longer. They…"

"Oi!" Mr. Gibbs called out. "Why are you lot standing around? The ship won't clean itself!"

* * *

Nettie lost track of how long they had been out at sea. It seems like for forever they've been staring at open water. She remembered how she used to love looking at the sunset on the horizon back home. Before she moved to Netokan with her parents. Back when…

She felt a hand on her back. "Are you okay?" She heard Elizabeth ask. Nettie looked at Elizabeth and nodded. "I'm fine." She answered. "I was just thinking about home."

"Where is home?" Elizabeth asked her.

Nettie looked out at the ocean. "Far away. Further than we could travel by sailing."

"What was it called?"

"It was an island known as Evos."

"Never heard of it."

"That shows how far away it is."

Elizabeth looked at her. "Was it beautiful?"

"For me, it was paradise." Nettie said. "Probably because it was where I was born and raised. The tropical jungle, the clear oceans, the beautiful beaches. It was wonderful."

"So why did you look so sad?" Elizabeth answered.

Nettie looked down. "Something bad happened, and my family decided to leave. But part of me never left the island."

It was then Jack Sparrow walked up to them with a bottle of rum in hand. "My tremendous intuitive sense of female creatures informs me that you are troubled."

"I just thought I'd be married by now." Elizabeth said. "And Nettie's…"

"Homesick." She answered. "I'm feeling homesick."

Jack unstopped the bottle of rum he was carrying and handed it to Elizabeth. She took it and began drinking. She handed some to Nettie but she shook her head. "No thanks. I'm good."

"You know," Jack cleared his throat, "I am captain of a ship, and being a captain of a ship I could perform a marriage." The way he pronounced that last word made Nettie smile a bit. "Right here. Right on this deck. Right now."

"Kind of pointless if the groom isn't here." Nettie said as Mabul stuck his head out of her backpack, which had turned into a satchel again. She stroked her ferret's head.

Elizabeth handed the rum back to Jack. "No, thank you." She walked off.

"Why not?" Jack followed her. "We are very much alike, you and I. I and you. Us."

"Except for a sense of honor and decency and a moral center." Elizabeth told him. "And personal hygiene."

Jack sniffed himself. "Trifles. You will come over to my side. I know it."

"You seem very certain." Elizabeth said.

"One word, love. Curiosity." Jack leaned in. "You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on self-impulse."

"Does anything you say make sense?" Nettie asked.

Jack looked at her. "What do you mean? Everything I say makes perfect sense." He turned back to Elizabeth. "Anyway, one day you won't be able to resist."

"Why doesn't your compass work?" Elizabeth asked.

"My compass works fine."

"Because you and I are alike, and there will come a time when you will have the chance to show it. To do the right thing."

"I love those moments." Jack said. "I like to wave at them as they pass by."

"You really don't have a conscience do you?" Nettie asked.

Jack shook his head. "No I don't."

"You'll have the chance to do something courageous." Elizabeth told him. "And when you do you'll discover something. That you're a good man."

Jack smiled. "All evidence to the contrary."

"Oh I have faith in you."

"That makes one of us." Nettie said. Elizabeth continued talking to Jack, but Nettie couldn't take it anymore. It almost looked like she was flirting with Jack, and after what he did… Nettie just didn't have the stomach. She walked away, muttering under her breath.

"Land ho!" Someone called out. Nettie sighed in relief. Finally. Now she could get off this boat and stretch her legs. She went to find her friends. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"There it is!" Kairi pointed out the island. Isla Cruces she thought she heard someone name it. At any point it was where they would find Davey Jones's heart. She hoped the Heartless wouldn't be attracted to it.

* * *

Later two longboats were rowing towards shore. Jack, Elizabeth, Norrington, Pintel, and Ragetti were in one boat. Mika, Axel, Roxas, Xion, Kairi, Nettie, Mabul, Pluto, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were in another. They could hear Pintel and Ragetti arguing about rowing speed. Ragetti said something about the Kraken catching them.

"I'm saving me strength for when it comes." Pintel said. "And I don't think it's Kraken anyways. I always heard it said Kraken."

"With the long I?" Ragetti asked.

"Aye."

"No, no, no. Kraken's how it's pronounced in the original Scandinavian, and Kraken's closer to that."

"We ain't original Scandinavians, are we?"

"It's a mythological creature, I call it what I wants."

That was how it was all the way to the shore. Nettie was glad when they finally got out of the boat and onto the shore. They were split up into teams.

"Watch the boats, mind the tide, and don't touch my dirt." Jack told Pintel, Ragetti, Roxas, Xion, Aurora, Mickey, and Pluto. He then went inland with Norrington, Elizabeth, Nettie, Mabul, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mika, and Axel. Elizabeth was leading them, using the compass to try to find this chest. Once they got between two sand dunes she stopped, walked another direction, and then walked back.

"This doesn't work!" Elizabeth sat down. "And it certainly doesn't show you what you want most."

Jack approached her and looked at the compass. "Yes it does. You're sitting on it."

Elizabeth looked at him. "Beg pardon?"

"Move." Jack shooed her off and whistled to Norrington. He, Axel, Mika, Nettie, and Donald began digging in the spot. Jack eventually went to meditate while they dug for the treasure. They stopped when Norrington's shovel hit something solid.

Everyone cleared sand away as they saw the top of some box. They pulled it out of the sand with excitement. Kairi pointed her keyblade at the lock, causing a beam of light to shoot out and unlock it. The lock fell to the ground while Jack opened it. Inside were a lot of papers, and something else. Something black, with a weird energy coming from it.

Carefully Jack lifted it out, revealing it to be a chest. They all leaned in carefully. Faintly they could hear something beating inside of it. Almost… no, it was a heartbeat. They had found it.

"It's real." Elizabeth said with amazement.

Norrington looked at Jack. "You really were telling the truth."

"I do that quite a lot." Jack said. "You people are always surprised."

"With good reason." A familiar voice said. They looked to see Will, Jason, AJ, and Riku walking up completely soaked. Elizabeth ran up to Will and hugged him, telling him how glad she was to see him. The two of them then kissed, earning smiles and chuckles from the others.

Jason looked at Aurora. "Look, I'm… I know I haven't been…"

"Save it." Aurora said. "You're still in one piece."

"Depends."

"How did you lot get here?" Jack asked.

"Sea turtles, mate." Will answered. "A pair of them strapped to our feet."

"Not so easy, is it?" Jack smiled.

AJ called for his keyblades. "Now for unsettled business."

"Easy." Will said. "I do owe him my thanks."

"You do?" Jack asked.

"After you tricked us unto that ship to square your debt with Jones."

Elizabeth looked at Jack. "What?"

"What?" Jack asked in retort.

"That's what we wanted to tell you." Mika told Elizabeth. "Jack tricked our friends into going aboard that cursed ship to settle his debt with the captain."

"He was told to get ninety-six souls apart from our friends to settle it." Goofy added.

"I was reunited with my father." Will continued.

"Oh, well, you're welcome then." Jack said.

Riku shook his head. "Our enemies Shadow was there. And some guy called Sivour."

"Sivour?" Mika asked. "Sivour was on that ship?"

"Yeah." AJ said. "He did something to Jason. I don't know what, but it was really bad. He didn't react when he was being whipped by this crazy guy."

Elizabeth stormed up to Jack. "Every word a lie?"

"Pretty much." Jack admitted. "Time and time, love."

"And he gave us a gag order." Axel said. "Got it memorized?"

Will unsheathed a knife. "Oi. What are you doing?" Jack asked.

"I'm going to kill Jones." Will answered.

Jack unsheathed his cutlass and pointed it at Will. "Can't let you do that, William. Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?" Will stood up and backed away from the chest. "Now. If you please. The key."

"After what we went through to get it? No way." AJ said.

Will pulled Elizabeth's cutlass from its sheath and pointed it at Jack. "I keep the promises I make, Jack. I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it."

Norrington then pulled out his cutlass and pointed it at Will. "I can't let you do that either. So sorry."

"I knew you'd warm up to me eventually." Jack said, only for Norrington to point his cutlass at him.

"Lord Beckett desires the content of that chest." Norrington said. "I deliver it, I get my life back."

"Ah. The dark side of ambition." Jack said.

"Oh I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption." Norrington smugly said.

"All of you step away from that chest." A masculine voice said. Everyone turned to see a man with short blonde hair and a beard with earrings step out of a dark portal with Xilph and Stella. "Organization XIII has need of it."

"I thought you lot were supposed to be dead." Jack said.

"Luxord." Sora got ready.

Luxord chuckled. "That wasn't in the cards, Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Jack Sparrow. Got it memorized?" Jack asked.

Axel looked at him. "You stole my line!"

"Pirate." Jack reminded him.

Stella growled and summoned her keyblade. "Step away from the box now."

"Why do you want it?" Riku asked.

Xilph smirked. "Let's see, it belongs to this world's devil, it has great power, and he holds some of the darkest powers imaginable. Imagine the Heartless that could be created from it."

"I'd rather not." Jason said. "Besides, why don't you send your buddies Sivour and Shadow to get it?"

"Sivour has disobeyed an order from Organization XIII." Luxord said. "Xemnas is not pleased with him, and his punishment will be of a severe nature. Now, are you going to hand over the chest or will we fight for it?"

Everyone who hadn't done so already summoned their keyblades.

"Guess we fight for it."

Xilph and Stella leapt at the keyblade group while Jack, Will, and Norrington began fighting each other.

* * *

**Now comes a really tricky bit. How do I write a three-way battle going on between the keyblade group, Jack, Will, and Norrington, and Elizabeth, Pintel, Ragetti, and the crew of Davey Jones? I'll be thinking about it, but I welcome any suggestions. **


	55. The wheel turns

**Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay. I was busy visiting with relatives. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27.**

**Sivour belongs to GeminiZKnight.**

* * *

Chapter 55: The wheel turns

Port Royal…

The word to describe what was going on with the group right now would be chaos. AJ and Nettie were fighting against Stella and Xilph while Axel and Mika were taking their chances with Luxord. In the meantime Will, Jack, and Norrington were fighting each other while Elizabeth was trying to get them to stop. One moment Will would have the key to the chest, the next Jack, and so forth.

"How did it come to this?" Xion asked.

"People trying to put their agendas ahead of everyone else." Riku said.

Roxas looked at them. "Shouldn't we be trying to help our friends?"

"I think they got it." Aurora said.

Will had received a kick to the stomach, forcing him back. As Elizabeth ran to him Will looked at her. "Guard the chest."

"No!" She said as she chased after the three of them. "This is barbaric! This is no way for grown men to settle… oh, fine! Let's just pull out our swords and start banging away at each other. That will solve everything. I've had it! I've had it with wobbly-legged, rum-soaked pirates!"

"She's not the only one." Kairi said to Sora.

"Well, at least things can't get any worse." Donald said right before the sand exploded right next to him, causing him to scream in fear and jump onto Goofy's head. "What was that?"

"Shadow." Jason pointed him out. Sure enough it was Shadow, but he was riding a strange craft. It looked like a motorcycle, but it had no wheels. A large cannon was attached to the front of it, and was pointed at them.

"So I see you made it off the _Flying Dutchman_." Riku said.

"As soon as I have what I came for I'm turning that boat into kindling." Shadow said. "What is it that they're fighting over?"

"This chest that holds a heart." Xion said.

"That thing's the Dead Man's Chest?" Shadow asked. "I expected something more. No matter. I'm blasting it to smithereens once I have the heart of the princess."

"Not gonna happen!" Sora said as he summoned his keyblade.

Kairi summoned hers too. "Our friends need that chest and what it contains."

"Shadow." Luxord said. "With you our odds of defeating the Keyblade's Chosen and his friends will be greater. You might finally get that heart."

"If you wanted my help you should've gotten me off that stinking ship sooner." Shadow growled. "This time I'm taking care of things my way, and you can tell Xemnas that I don't care if you've failed this mission or not. If he wants my help he should do more than order me around!"

"The heart in the chest will forward the Organization's plans greatly. We must get it!" Xilph said.

"Then you might want to stop fighting them and go get it." Shadow pointed that the chest was no longer where it was. "Unless you made a deal with those pirates." Everyone looked to see Pintel and Ragetti making off with the chest. Elizabeth had noticed them and was going after them.

Xilph, Stella, and Luxord started after them, but Axel, Mika, AJ, and Nettie got in front of them. "Go! We'll handle these clowns!"

"Clowns are we?" Stella leapt at AJ, who blocked her with both his Kingdom Keys.

Shadow fired some blasts from his craft, cutting Sora, Kairi, Roxas, and Xion off from the others. "You're not getting away this time, princess." The dark warrior growled at her.

Riku turned and was about to go back but Mickey stopped him. "We gotta make sure that heart doesn't end up in the wrong hands!" The mouse king told him. Reluctantly Riku nodded in agreement and resumed running after the chest with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Jason, and Aurora.

"Well I say the odds have turned against you." Luxord said.

Mika blasted him with magic. "Still better than your odds." She had to block a lunge and a dark spell from Stella. "Please. There's a reason why I was known as the Sprightly Witch." With that Mika began chanting some words. An orb of magical energy gathered between her keyblades and fired it at Stella, sending her flying back.

"Don't hurt her!" AJ said.

"Her? What about us?" Axel asked as Xilph lunged at him.

"Our friends are still in there!" Nettie said. "We're trying to help them, not hurt them!"

"How noble." Luxord said as cards swirled around him. "I wouldn't wager on you succeeding at that though."

"What do you know?" AJ asked.

Luxord smirked. "I know that you're about to get hurt." With that Luxord sent his cards flying at AJ. The teenager groaned as the cards cut through his skin.

"Heal!" Nettie cried out. She didn't know how, but that caused petals to fall around AJ, healing his wounds. "Whoa. I think I just learned a new spell."

Mika kicked back Luxord. "Get that one memorized. It will come in handy."

Xilph zipped by and tripped them up. "Oops. Watch your step." He got blasted back by a misfire from Shadow. "Watch where you're shooting!"

"Then keep an eye out!" Shadow snapped back at him while dodging an attack from Sora.

Luxord summoned two giant cards to block AJ and Nettie. "I must say I'm impressed. Your skills have improved greatly. Will it be enough to tip the battle in your favor?"

"Get this memorized. Yes it will!" Axel said as he fired his chakrams at Luxord, burning his cards. However one chakram flew towards Stella. AJ looked up in shock as the projectile flew towards her, and to everyone's surprise leapt in front of it to block it. It ended up forcing him back. He clutched his stomach in pain.

"AJ?" Stella asked. For a moment it seemed like that she was no longer possessed by the thorn of darkness. She looked and sounded like her old self. She clutched her head.

"Stella, finish him." Luxord said. "Bring the chances of victory to us."

"No. No." She said. "I can't."

"Do it!"

Stella screamed in pain before the dark look in her face returned. "Very well." She snapped her fingers and several Buccaneer Heartless appeared, wielding big swords. "Seize his heart!"

It was then that a bell began ringing from inland. The Heartless cowered back as if the sound hurt them. Quick as they had come they all vanished back into the darkness. Axel blinked. "That was… unexpected."

"No matter. I'll do it myself!" Xilph lunged forward, but Stella stopped him. "What are you doing?"

"If anyone ends him, it'll be me." Stella glared at him.

"No fair!" Xilph said.

Stella pointed her keyblade at him. "Would you like to settle this another way?"

"With pleasure!" With that Xilph and Stella began fighting each other. They kept swinging their keyblades at each other. Luxord looked at Mika and Axel.

"It seems like an almost guaranteed chance that you're gonna lose. Got it memorized?" Axel asked.

Luxord snapped his fingers and several Gambler Nobodies appeared. "I'll let them finish you." He turned his attention to two Gamblers. "Grab Xilph and Stella and bring them back." The Nobodies grabbed the still fighting Xilph and Stella and dragged them through a dark corridor with Luxord. Nettie slashed through the Nobodies, but the portal closed before she could catch them.

"Dang it!" She said. "We almost had Stella back."

"Then you know she's not beyond hope." Mika said.

AJ clutched his stomach. "I just hope our friends are having better luck than we are."

* * *

Those who had not been busy fighting Shadow or Luxord had been tracking Pintel and Ragetti through the jungle. They finally came across them being confronted by Elizabeth, who had just realized Will was using her sword. They could hear chuckles coming from the pirates as they drew their swords.

"'ello, poppet." Pintel said as he and Ragetti moved in on Elizabeth.

"Hey you big palookas!" Donald called out to them. The pirates turned to face them, but before they could do anything everyone stopped to see Will and Norrington fighting each other on top of a rolling water wheel thing that wasn't in the water. What made it stranger was Jack was chasing them.

Jason blinked. "There's something you don't see every day."

"Unless you go by the name of Captain Jack Sparrow." Goofy said. Everyone shrugged and got ready for a fight. However a hatchet buried itself in a nearby tree causing everyone to look and see Jones's crew were coming for them.

"As if things didn't stink enough around here?" Riku joked. Pintel and Ragetti handed Elizabeth their swords, grabbed the chest, and began running. Suddenly the group found themselves being rear guards instead of pirate fighters.

"Jason. Riku." One of Jones's crew said. "You escaped the Kraken after all."

"We're hard to kill." Riku said. He blocked a swing from a sword that looked like it came from a sawfish. Pluto growled at the cursed seamen and bit one on the leg. The man slashed at Pluto, causing him to let go.

Mickey leapt at him. "Don't you hurt my dog!" All it took were a few quick strikes from the king to take down this cursed crewman. Everyone was impressed, but now the king was surrounded by enemies. Elizabeth, Pintel, and Ragetti might've gotten away, but the two pirates lost hold of the chest when it banged into a tree, and they weren't going to leave it behind. So they jumped into the fray.

As Aurora blocked a blow she noticed Jason was holding back. "Come on! Fight these guys! That's what you do best!"

"Not anymore." Jason said.

Aurora blinked. Jason never backed down from a fight in all the years she had known him. That did not happen. It was like the sun rose only for it to change into a giant disco ball.

"Aurora!" Donald shouted causing her to focus again on the battle. A shrimp-like crewman had almost run her through, but she dodged in the nick of time. She kicked a fat one in the gut, causing him to fall over. She did a flip over another and as she did that sensation she had back on Olympus Coliseum but it was different this time. This time she was targeting several of the crewmen.

With a cry she activated her power again. Several multi-colored beams of light shot out of her and hit the crewmen of Davey Jones, knocking them back. She fell to her knees, panting at the exertion.

"Look out!" She heard Jason cry out as she turned to see a crewman with a really strange head bearing down on her. However Jason side-tackled him, causing the crewman to fall away from her. That action really surprised her.

She shook it off. "So I guess you were just pretending."

"You're welcome." Jason said as he punched another crewman. Elizabeth, Pintel, and Ragetti were constantly exchanging between having swords between them. They were all quite good, but Jason wasn't sure they could beat these fish heads. They didn't exactly go down without a fight.

"Where's the chest?" Donald asked. Everyone looked around, but they couldn't see it. One of the crewman was separated from the others, but had literally lost his head. A humorous yet disturbing sight to see. They also saw Jack running off into the jungle.

Pintel and Ragetti handed Elizabeth both of their swords, and she used them to fend off two crewmen before stabbing a couple that were coming up behind her. The two pirates grabbed the chest and resumed running with it. Riku put Pluto across his shoulders and helped King Mickey in carrying the dog off.

* * *

Shadow fired three blasts from his cannon. He was getting a good challenge from Sora and Kairi, as was to be expected, but Roxas and Xion were equally formidable. He could hear clanging behind him, but he didn't have the luxury of looking behind him as that could distract him from his victory.

"You Nobodies are good. I'll give you that." Shadow told Roxas and Xion. "I never thought beings without hearts could be so challenging."

"That doesn't mean they're not people!" Kairi said. "They may have come into being differently but they're still human."

Shadow scoffed. "A Nobody is nothing but an empty shell. I am curious though as to how you two got your Nobodies back when neither of you became Heartless."

"Don't you know?" Roxas asked as he slashed at him.

Shadow blasted him back. "Please. I don't know everything that goes on in the dark. There are areas that even I am not foolish enough to wander into. Besides, I have more pressing things to do." He gazed at Kairi. "Like obtain the hearts of light."

"You'll never get them!" Sora said as he leapt up. Shadow blasted him back as he noticed one of the pirates running to one of the boats. He didn't have time to focus on what he was doing as Roxas and Xion did a team-up on him. He grunted as they landed several blows on him.

Intense light gathered around Kairi. "This is for our friends!" Before Shadow could react she blasted him with the light, forcing him off his glider and into the water. Shadow looked up to see her panting heavily. Sora supported her as the remaining group came out of the jungle followed by Jones's crew. Shadow hated those things so much.

"Looks like Tidus's Lunchtime Surprise is coming." Sora joked.

Kairi turned green. "Don't remind me. I still get sick remembering that day."

"A reminder to never eat anything he cooks." Sora said as they went forward to help their friends. Shadow started to get up but stopped as soon as he saw why Axel, Mika, Nettie, and AJ had not engaged him. Sivour had appeared and was fighting them.

"Sivour." Shadow growled as he stood. However he stopped as he saw something very strange happen. A wheel rolled out of the jungle and flattened several of the cursed crew. It rolled out into the water before falling over, and two dizzy men, one of them Will, climbed out of it. "What?"

He watched as Will struggled forward towards the woman while the other man made for the longboats. Shadow shook his head and moved towards Sivour. He had unfinished business with that man, and when he was done Sivour would regret ever making him a pawn.

Before he could make his move Shadow was attacked by one of Jones's men. Growling Shadow swung his keyblade around and knocked him back. Shadow watched as two pirates holding the stupid chest approached a longboat and tried to hit the ocean with it. Will however approached them and stopped them. The result was the three of them prepared to fight. Does everyone in this world pass the time brawling with each other? Shadow wondered how this world was still standing.

The crewmen bound to the Flying Dutchman were getting closer, so they turned their attention elsewhere. Shadow watched as Will looked at something in the boat… the chest. Shadow thought the key was in it now. Before Will could open it one of the pirates came back and hit him on the head before turning his attention back to their foes. The woman ran to Will.

"Leave him lie!" The man told the woman. "Unless you're planning on using him to hit something with." Not a good time for jokes.

"We're not getting out of this." The woman said.

"Not with the chest. Into the boat." The man who climbed out of the wheel with Will grabbed the chest. "Don't wait for me." He told everyone as he ran back to the jungle with all of Jones's men chasing him.

"I say we respect his final wish." The man with the long dreadlocks and pink bandana said. Everyone agreed as they got into the boats and shoved off. Shadow was about to make his move when he was grabbed from behind.

"Let's see why Mister Norrington decided to sacrifice himself, shall we?" Sivour's voice filled his ears. Before Shadow could react the darkness surrounded them only to open up in the jungle where Norrington had fallen. He had grabbed the chest and was reaching for his sword when a crewman who had literally lost his head approached him.

"Your bravery is wasted." The shell-headed man said as Norrington stood with the chest. "I shall pry the chest away from your cold, dead hands."

Norrington considered his options. The way Shadow saw it he could either give the chest up or die defending it. There didn't seem to be any way he could…

"Here you go!" Norrington said as he tossed the chest at the crewman. The body caught the chest while dropping the shell head. Norrington then ran off while the crew laughed at him. The head was left behind, but changed into some crustacean and followed them. Shadow was sure he was cursing under his breath.

"Hmm, that was interesting." Sivour said. "I say we follow and find out…"

"I've had enough of this world and you!" Shadow yelled. The darkness surged up in him, blasting Sivour off him and transporting them out of this world. Deep down Shadow had no intention to ever come back.

* * *

**I'm sorry if this wasn't as action packed as you hoped. For some reason in this story I find it really hard to do action scenes. Hopefully next chapter will make up for it. **


	56. Kraken Up

**Hi everyone. We finally made it. Last chapter for the visit to Port Royal. I felt better as I wrote this so I believe this is a good chapter. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney.**

* * *

Chapter 56: Kraken Up

Port Royal…

"Are they okay?" Goofy asked as they looked over a hurt Pluto and an unconscious Will.

Mickey summoned his keyblade. "Heal." He said as the petals from before surrounded Will and Pluto. Pluto's cut vanished while Will opened his eyes, bringing a smile to Elizabeth. Pluto barked and began licking Mickey's face.

Will looked around. "What happened to the chest?"

"Norrington took it to draw them off." Elizabeth explained.

Will seemed surprised at that. "It's true." Kairi told him. "He used himself as bait to give us a chance to escape."

"He had a heart after all." Roxas said.

"He always had a heart." Elizabeth said. "He just didn't know it."

"Well, at least it'll be smooth sailing for us." Jason said just as the _Flying Dutchman_ burst out of the water on the port side.

Aurora glared at him. "You were saying?" They all watched as they saw Davey Jones appear with his crew all jeering at them. A feeling of dread came over everyone.

Jack approached the side of the _Black Pearl_. "Oi! Fish face!" He held up his jar of dirt. "Lose something? Eh?" Before he could say anything else Jack tripped over the stairs and fell down them. Everyone cringed at that. Jack just held up his jar. "Got it." He then stood and continued, "Come to negotiate, eh? Have you, you slimy git? Look what I got." Jack then taunted Davey Jones in a singsong voice, "I got a jar of dirt, I got a jar of dirt, and guess what's inside it."

Davey Jones turned to his crew. "Enough!" The sides of the _Flying Dutchman_ were opened and cannons revealed.

"Jack." Sora said. "I don't think he wants to negotiate."

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Pintel told him.

Jack gave a command and everyone started repeating it. They didn't quite catch it, but they did catch the word, "Starboard." Xion looked at them. "What's starboard?"

"That's the right side of the ship!" Jason said. "I think we're turning right!"

"But why are we turning?" Kairi asked.

Sora looked at her. "The _Black Pearl_ is the fastest ship in this world. It can outrun the _Flying Dutchman_. Besides, Jack prefers to run away."

"Coward." Axel said. "Though I have to agree with his strategy here." Several cannons blasted the ship. Pintel and Ragetti looked into the ruined Captain's Quarters.

"She's on us!" Pintel shouted as he and Ragetti ran around. Everyone looked to see the _Flying Dutchman_ reveal triple cannons from the front and start firing on them. Everyone had to duck to avoid getting hit.

Goofy fell down and covered his head. "Everyone hit the deck!" Everyone ducked down as another cannonball flew overhead.

Will grabbed Jason and Riku and pulled them up. "We need everyone working to make us move faster!" Everyone then got up and began helping to get the _Black Pearl_ to move faster.

"Come on, me darling. Show us what you got!" Pintel said to the ship. The wind caught in the sails of the _Black Pearl_ and the ship surged forward. She was gaining speed.

"She's falling behind!" Elizabeth said when she looked back at the _Flying Dutchman_.

"Aye! We've got 'er!" Mr. Gibbs said.

Riku looked at him. "So this ship is the faster one?"

"When the wind beats against us, that's how she catches her prey." Mr. Gibbs explained, "But with the wind…"

"We have the advantage!" Nettie finished. Everyone watched as the cannonballs fell further and further behind, until finally the _Flying Dutchman_ stopped firing.

"They're giving up!" The cry went out as the crew started cheering. Axel and Mika hugged each other as did Sora Donald, and Goofy made faces at the _Flying Dutchman_. Jason, AJ, and Riku stared back solemnly.

"Lighten up you guys. We won!" Nettie said.

AJ shook his head. "It's not over."

"What do you mean?"

Riku looked at her. "Jones still has a trick up his sleeve." The ship jerked violently and stopped, causing Jack's jar of dirt to fall to the deck and break. Now the pirate had no protection from Jones.

"We must've hit a reef." A pirate called out.

"It's not a reef!" Will called out.

Jason stood up. "Jones has called the Kraken, and we're on the menu!"

"Kraken? What's a Kraken?" Roxas asked.

Mika looked at him. "A sea monster. It was one of the most feared creatures ever to swim in the seas. It was so terrifying and powerful it could pull entire ships down to the bottom of the sea."

Kairi paled. "That bad?" Mika nodded solemnly in answer.

"Is this what you were talking about?" Nettie asked Jason, AJ, and Riku.

"We barely escaped it last time." AJ confirmed.

Will took initiative. "To arms!"

"Protect the mast!" Mr. Gibbs added.

"It'll attack from the starboard! I've seen it before." Will said. "Spread out the cannons and hold for my signal!"

Pirates ran around trying to get ready for the Kraken to attack. Jason, Sora, Axel, and Nettie went with Pintel and Ragetti to help with the cannons. Sora remembered firing cannons before and was eager to help again. He had a feeling the Kraken would be much worse than any Heartless. Everyone stopped and watched nervously as the tentacles of the Kraken covered the cannons.

Nettie pinched her nose. "It stinks!"

"Easy!" Will said. "Steady… steady… hold… hold… "

"I think we've held fire long enough!" Pintel said.

Nettie nodded. "I agree with Pintel on this one."

"Fire!"

The cannons exploded worse than fireworks on a holiday. Holes were blasted through the Kraken's tentacles, causing them to recoil in pain. For some strange reason Nettie felt guilty doing this. Cheers went up as the tentacles vanished beneath the surface of the ocean.

"It's not over." Jason said. "That thing will be back."

"Then we need to leave while we can." Axel said.

Sora shook his head. "They may be pirates, but I'm not leaving my friends to face this thing alone."

Jason nodded. "We'd better check on the boats. Maybe everyone can row to…"

"We got a problem." Kairi said as she came down. "The Kraken smashed all the boats."

"That's a big problem." Axel said.

Will gave orders above deck. "Load the crates! Get all the gunpowder into a net in the cargo hold!" The five of them rejoined their friends and assisted into getting all the gunpowder into the net. Nettie found herself praying that this would work. Then a problem arose.

"We are short stocked on gunpowder. Six barrels!" A pirate said.

Aurora looked around. "Is there anything else we can use?"

Mr. Gibbs ran to Will. "There's only have a dozen kegs of powder!"

"Then load the rum!" Will said. Mr. Gibbs looked horrified at that command. The other pirates must've thought so too because they stopped what they were doing and looked at Mr. Gibbs.

Jason looked at him. "We are all going to die unless we use the rum. You can always get more later but we can't replace lives."

"Aye. The rum too!" Mr. Gibbs said reluctantly. Everyone grabbed all they could of the drink and loaded it into the net. Kairi didn't like the smell of it, and was glad they were loading it up.

The friends started to head up onto deck but Nettie stopped. "I hear it. The Kraken is coming. It's angry. In pain." The ship shook again.

Before anyone could react the tentacles of the Kraken reared out of the water like giant snakes. The Kraken rammed them into the ship, taking out the cannons. Several pirates were grabbed and pulled out of the ship.

"Haul away!" Will called out. The net full of gunpowder and rum was lifted out of the cargo hold slowly. The tentacles of the Kraken were still thrashing around, grabbing anyone they could and smashing everything else. Pintel and Ragettie flattened themselves against the wall to avoid the Kraken's deadly grip.

Nettie was running for cover when she felt something slimy wrap around her. Before she could react it began dragging her to the nearest hole. Nettie cried out and tried to grasp onto something. Her keyblade appeared in her hand and without thinking she impaled it into the wood. She held on for dear life as the Kraken pulled. She was sure her body was going to be torn in two.

"Sing to it." She heard a voice say. Nettie looked around but she didn't see anyone talking to her. All she saw were screaming pirates. "Sing now!" The voice sounded desperate for her to sing that she decided to obey. Placing a hand on a tentacle Nettie resisted the urge to heave as she begun to sing. It was a song she learned from her childhood, on the island she called home. She felt the joy, the peace, the beauty of her home as she sung. As she sang, she felt the grip of the Kraken lessen on her. Finally it released her and slunk back out empty-handed. Or empty-tentacled in this case. Nettie looked up to see Pintel and Ragetti staring at her with wide eyes.

"How did you do that?" Pintel asked.

"I don't…" Nettie began saying before the screams of pirates brought them back to the present. Everyone found a way to the top of the deck to see pirates being flung around like rag dolls. Will was hanging onto the next with substitute explosives. However a tentacle wrapped itself around the net, causing Will to drop his sword. He pulled out his knife and began sawing through the rope. All of them realized he was caught in it.

"Shoot! Elizabeth, shoot!" Will called out. Elizabeth aimed a rifle at the net, preparing to…

"Look out!" Donald cried out too late. A tentacle wrapped around Elizabeth's ankle and caused her to drop the rifle. She screamed as the tentacle began pulling her back.

"Oh no you don't!" Kairi said as she sliced through the Kraken's tentacle. Pintel helped her sever it, allowing Elizabeth to get free. Outside another pirate grabbed the rifle and prepared to shoot, but he got grabbed and was thrown around. The gun landed above them.

"Oh come on!" Sora said. Elizabeth ran to get the rifle, but the others were cut off by the tentacles. They had to start slashing at them with their weapons to try and clear the way. The ship rocked and they lost their balance, but no one was grabbed. Everyone got up and looked to see Jack, who had gone missing, was back.

"You came back!" Goofy said.

Jack looked at him. "You sound surprised." He grabbed the gun and pointed it at the net.

"Careful. Will is still in there." Xion told him.

"I know that." Jack said. "Thank heaven it's not Will I'm aiming to shoot. Savvy?" They looked to see Will had finally cut himself free and was falling to the deck. More tentacles were wrapping themselves around the net, but barrels were falling out of it now.

Jack finally pulled the trigger. The bullet hit one of the barrels and they all exploded. Everyone ducked down to avoid the broken wood, but they could feel the heat from the explosion. The Kraken groaned in pain as it pulled its tentacles back underwater. The only survivors of the attack were Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Cotton and his parrot, Pintel, Ragetti, a dwarf named Marty, Will, Elizabeth, Jack, and of course the group.

"Did we kill it?" Marty asked.

"No." Mr. Gibbs said. "We just made it angry."

"We're not out of this yet." AJ said.

Sora turned to Jack. "Orders, Captain?"

Jack came down to them. "Abandon ship. Into the longboat."

"There's not enough room." Pintel said.

"Then it's fortunate that we won't all be taking the longboat." Jack said before turning to the group. "Those chaps on Isla Cruces, they're the organizers from before right?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Somehow they came back after we defeated them."

"Then my orders to you are to go after them." Jack said. "If they're still out there they need to be taken care of. They'll ruin the market for us true pirates. And I hate them."

"Aye-aye." Sora said.

* * *

Back on their gummis everyone watched as the Kraken appeared one last time on the _Black Pearl_, and this time succeeded in taking it down to the depths of the ocean. A heavy burden was laid on their hearts, and somehow they all knew that something bad had happened.

"Jack may have been a creep, but he still had a heart." Kairi said.

Sora nodded. "That's what makes him better than most pirates. And much better than the Organization."

"Now we know Organization XIII is working with this Sivour guy as well, and he's incredibly powerful." AJ added. "If he can make Jason scared to fight, then you know he's trouble.

Jason looked away. He had gotten into fighting back on Isla Cruces, but he had not enjoyed it. Ever since Sivour messed with him the joy he took in fighting had vanished. He now felt sick as he thought about what his actions had done to the lives of others. Maybe if he hadn't been so pig-headed Clair might still be with them.

A light appeared in his hand. He opened it to see a keychain with a heart-shaped design on it that also had a face carved into it. For some reason it reminded him of the Flying Dutchman. His keyblade appeared in his hand, and he soon realized why. The keychain attached itself to his keyblade and it changed. Now it resembled a giant version of the key used to lock the chest with Davey Jones's heart in it. The guards of the handle were made of barnacles while the handle itself was a long tentacle. "What just happened?"

"That sometimes happens. As you grow, your keyblade does with you." King Mickey said. Jason soon realized the others had gotten similar keychains and could also get this keyblade… Buried Love, seemed like the appropriate name for it. He just sat down and kept looking at it. He felt like an eerie melody was playing, sad and mournful, yet full of hope at the same time. Maybe… maybe there was a chance they could still save their friends.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. It felt so good to finally get done with this world. In case you were wondering what happened to Nettie was inspired by a book I read long ago, where a hero sung a song to the Kraken to get it to leave because it was really lonely. I thought it would also help set things up for her future. Yes the keyblade that they got is based off the key Davey Jones kept, and the keychain was the little musical thing he kept with him. I know they haven't gotten any new keyblades yet, but those two things seemed to fit with designing the new keyblade. Until next time. **


	57. Predator or prey?

**Hi again. I know I've already updated this fan fiction twice in one day, but I thought this would be a good time to insert this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

**I do not own Disney or Kingdom Hearts.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27.**

**Sivour belongs to GeminiZKnight.**

* * *

Chapter 57: Predator or prey?

The World That Never Was...

"Why did you disobey a direct order?" Xemnas asked Sivour.

Sivour growled. "She was there. The one called Kamix. I saw a chance for revenge and I took it."

Xemnas sighed. "You had your orders and you disobeyed them. You should've left well enough alone. Now those pests know you are connected to Kamix. This will create a major setback."

"I just want to make her pay."

Xemnas sat up straight. "You should worry more about how you shall suffer for your actions."

Shadow cringed as he heard Sivour's cries of pain. Whatever Xemnas was doing in there didn't sound good. He had no love for the Heavenly Demon, but being whipped by Davey Jones's crazy crew sounded like a better option than this. Shuddering Shadow walked away from the room. His powers, his keyblade, his glider. He had so much and still he could not get the heart of one princess. Why was this so complicated?

He stopped to look at Stella and Xilph still duking it out in the arena. The sight of those two gone dark sickened Shadow. Yes it had been a victory for the Organization, but Shadow didn't count it as a victory for him. If anything he viewed what Maleficent had done to them as wrong. Shadow heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see Ansem was approaching him.

"What are you up to?" Ansem asked him.

Shadow turned back to the arena. "Look at them. They used to be valiant warriors who defended what they foolishly thought was right. Now they have been changed into fiends who care nothing for the light, but rejoice in the dark."

"And?" Ansem nonchalantly asked.

Shadow glared at him. "Everyone must be allowed to choose their own path. Whether they will serve the light or the darkness. What Maleficent has done is wrong. She forces them to choose. It makes me sick to see them thinking they are warriors of darkness when they are mindless drones doing as their master commands."

"That sounds like treason." Ansem said.

"Setting them free would be treason. I need them in my mission to gather the seven hearts. I disagree with bewitching them to serve us." Shadow turned to Ansem. "What do you want?"

"To offer you a deal. I've been observing how you fight, and I want to teach you more about using the darkness." Ansem held out his hand.

Shadow shoved it aside. "Not interested."

Ansem watched Shadow enter the dark corridor that he created. "Who said you were being given a choice?"

* * *

?...

Shadow exited the dark corridor to the place he remembered visiting before. He was surprised when he found himself not on the beach but in the jungle. The trees offered him shade, but water was dripping off the leaves. It must've rained here recently. That explains the extra humidity enveloping him.

Shadow trudged onward. He just wanted to find somewhere nice and quiet to do some thinking without Ansem butting in on him. Shadow parted some leaves and jumped back. Ahead of him was a creature with a mouth full of sharp teeth. It looked like a lizard, but it had a large fin-like appendage on its back. Right beside it was another feeding on something. Shadow couldn't tell what, but he probably wouldn't have liked it.

The warrior stepped away from the finned lizard things and tried to go around them. They didn't seem to notice him which he was okay with. Shadow then tripped over something that was lying down. It was another lizard creature, but its back was covered with hard armor with a bunch of spikey knobs sticking out. It let out a cry of surprise and swung its tail at him. Shadow ducked and realized the tip was a heavily knotted mass of bone. He didn't want to get hit by that.

Shadow backed up from the turtle lizard and heard hissing behind him. He turned to see three strange animals by the water's edge. These things resembled newts with long snouts, almost like an alligator's or a crocodile's. They appeared to be eating fish, but were now looking at him with interest.

Shadow quickly called forth his Chaos Ripper keyblade. "I'm not going to be your meal." He told them, only having to duck again to avoid the turtle lizard's tail. One of the crocodile newts tried to come forward, but Shadow slashed at it. "Stay back!" He said. That seemed to get the message through that he was not going to be an easy meal. The crocodile newts left him alone.

"That's better." Shadow said as he walked off. What kind of crazy world is this? It's like this world is ruled solely by reptiles. Shadow had never encountered a world like this. The sea, sky, and land? Maybe they were as cold blooded as…

Shadow heard something moving, but the foliage blocked his view until he walked right into it, causing the warrior to fall back onto his butt. Shadow groaned before he found himself staring into the eyes of this massive creature, and it was huge. The head of this animal alone was bigger than his entire body. The head was attached to a thick body, but it was the head that held his attention. The back had what looked like half of a shield attached to it, but below it were three enormous horns. Two grew over its eyes, while the smallest grew over its nose.

The creature stared hard at Shadow, as if trying to decide if he was a threat or some dumb thing that wasn't watching where it was going. Thankfully Shadow had put away his keyblade so that wouldn't appear threatening. Shadow hoped that whatever this thing was it wasn't interested in eating him. Shadow held up his hands. "Hey. Sorry for bumping into you. I didn't see you." He said. "Which is kind of difficult when you're bigger than a car." The creature snorted. Shadow really hoped that didn't mean it was going to attack.

After studying Shadow for what seemed like an eternity the horned beast lost interest and turned away. Shadow watched as it went to a bush and began devouring it. So this thing was a plant eater. That was good news for him. That meant for this thing at least he wasn't on the menu. Maybe it looked like that to keep other animals from wanting to eat it. Sounded like a smart strategy to him. The head was very intimidating. Vexen should consider making a shield based off the head of this animal.

"Enjoy your meal." Shadow said as he walked off. He could feel the adrenaline rush wearing off. If only he had something like that to intimidate those keyblade brats. He doubted they would mess with him if he had such a beast by his side. Then again, they probably would be that foolish.

Shadow stopped as he saw something else. At first he thought it was a bird because it had feathers and wings, but after a double take Shadow realized it wasn't a bird. It had a long tail and claws on its wings. Whatever it was this thing was some sort of hybrid between reptile and bird. In some ways it reminded him of that Unversed he created in Atlantica, the one that had attacked Captain Peg's ship. He wondered if there was any connection between that thing and this lizard bird.

Something leapt out of the bushes towards the lizard bird. The animal took off, flying away. Shadow saw the predator slink back into the undergrowth. Whatever it was it looked too small to pose a threat to him. However Shadow found his attention drawn to something else. Something in the direction the lizard bird had flown.

If he had thought the horned beast was big these new animals were massive! They were bigger than most buildings Shadow had seen. It's like they are the giants of this reptile world. They had thick massive bodies like the horned beast, only much bigger. Their tails were longer, and their necks had a serpentine quality to them. However the heads were ridiculously small. Shadow decided that due to their large size they didn't need large heads. He noticed all these things were eating plants from the water they were in or from the trees nearby.

Shadow sat down and watched them. "You guys must not have a lot of problems, do you? You can eat all day and no one will bother you. Sounds like the dream life." He thought about that thing that tried to catch the lizard bird. "Sometimes I feel like that bird eater. I feel like I have all the tools, but I still can't catch my prey. The princess. Her heart always slips out of my grasp." Shadow pounded the ground. "It's getting on my nerves. I should've reclaimed my memories by now, but her meddling friends get in the way."

Shadow looked up to see they were still eating. Some of them cast glances his way, but none of them lingered to watch. Food must be the only thing on their minds. Of course Shadow wouldn't doubt that. They're so big it must take them hours to feel full.

"Do I fail because I'm really the prey?" Shadow thought out loud. "The longer I spend around Organization XIII the more I feel… no. They're the only ones who have told me how to regain my memories. We have different ideas on morality, but for now our interests remain aligned."

He shook his head. "Whatever. I'm done here. If I have to, I'll keep going after her until I finally get her heart, and remember who I am." With that Shadow opened a dark corridor and entered it.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. In case you were wondering yes I have seen Jurassic World, and it was an awesome movie. If you love dinosaurs or loved the first Jurassic Park film you should definitely go see it. **

**For those of you who were wondering I thought it would be more authentic if Shadow didn't know or remembered that these animals were dinosaurs. I do plan to have him learn what they are, but that may not be for a while.**

**Now to business. I'm having trouble deciding if the group should visit a world they've already visited like Agrabah, Atlantica, or Radiant Garden, or if they should go to a world they haven't been to already like Deep Jungle, The Land of Dragons, or Pride Land. If you could give your opinion in addition to your comments with this chapter that would be a big help. Thanks a lot for everyone who's sticking through this. You're awesome!**


	58. In the Jungle

**Hi everyone. I've been wanting to do a visit to this world for some time, and decided this was a good a time as any. I hope you enjoy this.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney. **

* * *

Chapter 58: In the Jungle

The Lanes Between…

Sora and Riku were piloting their ships through the Lanes Between. So far it had been quiet. No sign of Heartless or Nobodies anywhere. The quiet didn't make Riku feel better. It only made him think Ansem and Xemnas were planning something. It was sure to be something really bad.

Mickey walked up to Riku. "Are ya fellas okay?"

Riku nodded. "Yeah, just thinking…"

"It's quiet out here." Sora said. "I'm surprised the Organization hasn't sent anything to attack us."

"I'm still surprised about Shadow's power." Mickey said. "It's been years since I've seen a Keyblade Glider."

Sora sat up. "You mean that was a keyblade he was using back there?"

Mickey scratched the back of his head. "Oh, yeah. There's a lot I haven't explained. Ya see, years ago I met some friends who could use the keyblade. Each of them could turn their keyblade into a special vehicle called a Keyblade Glider. It allowed them to travel between the worlds."

"And Shadow has this power too." Riku remembered.

"Can we learn to do that with our keyblades?" Sora asked.

Mickey nodded. "Any Keyblade wielder with enough potential can turn their Keyblade into a Keyblade Glider. Before Gummi Ships, Keyblade Gliders were almost the only way to travel to other worlds. And you can still fight with it while riding it. Though it takes some getting use to. In fact, I still can't seem to get the hang of it. That's why I prefer using Gummi Ships. Although when using Gliders to travel to other worlds, most people require wearing Keyblade Armor to protect themselves from the darkness of the Lanes Between."

"Keyblade Armor? Cool." Sora said. "Can we get some?"

"We can probably ask Master Yen Sid to supply us with some." King Mickey said before an alarm started blaring.

Riku looked at his scanner. "Contacting Yen Sid will have to wait. We've got company!" They looked to see several incoming Heartless ships. Their wings looked like they were made of leaves and their heads looked like freaky jungle animals.

Everyone came to the cockpit in their respective Gummi ships. "Finally something to do." Aurora said as she took the controls for the blasters.

Mika also took some from her ship. "Don't underestimate them. They could be full of hidden surprises."

AJ seized the controllers from his ship. "Whatever. Let's do this!" He began blasting them. However several nearby ships began flaring up. Then they began ramming the Gummis. Alarms blared as the Gummis began taking on damage.

"Great. These things are like Berserkers." Riku said.

"We need to get outta here and fast!" Roxas said as three explosions were heard.

"Too late! We're going down!" Kairi said. Everyone held on as their ships began spiraling down towards a really green world. Something about that world seemed familiar to Sora, but he couldn't remember. His head was started to hurt from trying to remember, but that was the least of his problems. The last thing he remembered hearing was everyone screaming and branches snapping.

* * *

The Mysterious Tower…

Naminé looked over her drawing with interest. When she had been a pawn for Organization XIII, or Marluxia, she had messed up so many of Sora's memories it took her a year to make them right. However there were some memories that had been beyond even her power to fix. Now… Naminé didn't understand what was going on.

"What is it?" Yen Sid asked from his desk.

Naminé looked at the sorcerer. "Years ago, I tried to fix Sora's memories, but there were some I couldn't. Several of one world. The one called the Deep Jungle. But now… all my drawings… are oriented around that world. I think… I think those memories are finally coming back to him."

"This is interesting." Yen Sid stroked his beard. "After years of being forgotten Sora's heart chooses to remember a world."

"There's more." Naminé said. "I've been drawing something I believe is connected to Shadow. Whatever is happening, it's going to bring Shadow to the world that Sora is starting to remember."

"The Deep Jungle." Yen Sid looked thoughtfully out the window. "What is there that would cause Sora to remember, and will lure Shadow?"

* * *

The World that Never Was…

"It appears that Shadow is developing his own opinion about things." Maleficent said.

Ansem nodded. "He is clearly opposed to the tools we have to bring down the Keyblade's chosen and his friends."

"If he continues to grow opposed to our methods he might rebel against us." Xemnas said. "And he could be more deadly than Sora has ever been."

"He will be taken care of if it comes to that." Ansem said. "In the meantime, we must do all we can to find out about Shadow."

"I believe the secrets lie with the Spatial Tremor." Xemnas said.

Maleficent looked at him. "The Spatial Tremor?"

"The event that occurred around the time Xigbar first found Shadow." Xemnas explained. "All Nobodies that were traversing the Lanes Between all felt a great shaking at that time. So did those that were on other worlds. Whatever caused it is unknown, but we are still seeking it out."

Maleficent smiled. "I believe I may be able to help in this search." She waved her hand over the jewel on her staff. The green smoke swirled inside of it as she recited a spell.

_"Shadow's connection to the Spatial Tremor_

_No longer remains a rumor_

_If he is to remain to us a tool_

_We must have the means to over him rule_

_Now reveal to us here who are in control_

_Where we shall find the means to command this fool!"_

The mist in the jewel swirled round and round, showing the Lanes Between, close to the area where Xigbar first found Shadow. As the three of them watched they saw a world take form. Maleficent recognized it from years ago when the brat and the King's lackeys began interfering with her plans. The world had been insignificant, but the Heartless were drawn there because of the greed of a hunter.

"Well, well. So that world will play a role after all." Maleficent smiled.

* * *

Deep Jungle…

Everyone groaned as they woke up. The crash landing had knocked all of them out, and now their heads were complaining about the pain. Actually everywhere was in pain.

"Ugh. Note to self, don't blast animal headed Heartless ships." Axel said.

Mika groaned. "My body has that memorized."

"Where are we?" Nettie asked. Mabul crawled out of her backpack and heaved behind a leaf. Nettie gently picked the ferret up, but he squealed in pain. "Sorry!"

"Goofy…" Donald said. "This is…"

"Deep Jungle." Goofy finished.

Kairi looked at them. "You've been here before?"

"So there's someone around here who could help us?" AJ asked.

Aurora smacked him. "Funny, considering you were the one who got us stranded here in the first place!"

Xion tapped her on the shoulder. "I think there's something strange about this place."

Aurora glared at her. "Like what?"

"Our clothes haven't changed." Nettie realized. Everyone quickly saw that this was true. Like in Twilight Town and Radiant Garden their clothes were the same as they usually wore them.

"What's going on?" Jason asked.

"Something must be different about this world to allow us to remain as we are." Mickey said. Pluto then perked up and began sniffing around. Mickey looked at him. "What is it boy?" Pluto started digging underneath a tree and pulled out a Gummi piece.

"Good job Pluto!" Goofy said.

Donald picked up the piece. "We can use these to repair the Gummis."

Kairi knelt down to Pluto. "Can you find more?" Pluto immediately began sniffing around for more, but then started growling. Kairi noticed that the fur on Pluto's back was standing up.

Before anyone could react two large black cats leapt out of the brush and circled them. Everyone summoned their keyblades and got ready to fight. One cat leapt at Riku, who blasted it back with his Dark Aura. Mickey leapt above another and hit it repeatedly with his keyblade.

"Fire!" Donald shot a ball of fire at the cat Mickey had hit. The cat yowled as its coat caught fire. It snarled at Donald while the other leapt at Kairi. She hit it away while Pluto ran in front of her and growled at the cat. It only snarled in reply.

"Anyone know where we can get a giant bucket of water?" AJ asked.

Nettie was about to reply when one of the cats leapt on her. She screamed as she fell backwards, but held her keyblade up to keep the big cat from sinking its fangs and claws into her neck. If she lost this battle, she'd lose for good.

"Get off her!" Mika shot a Blizzard spell at the cat. It yowled upon feeling the cold and ran off into the jungle. It's pal looked at them with loathing in its eyes before it followed. Everyone sighed in relief.

Nettie sat up. "That was too close for comfort."

"You can say that again." Axel agreed.

Mika looked over Nettie. "Heal." She cast the Cure spell on the teenager. Nettie felt the scratches on her heal and vanish. She didn't want to go through that again.

"We need to find somewhere to stay. We're too exposed out here." Riku said.

"I know a place we can go." Sora said as he ran off into the jungle. "Follow me!" Kairi shook her head, but they all followed after him. The jungle, in some ways, reminded Kairi of the islands, but the trees grew much thicker here than they did back home. Somehow Sora managed to find his way through this place. If she had been alone Kairi was sure she would've gotten lost.

Soon Sora led them to a giant tree standing on a cliff over the sea. The only way to get there was to cross a rickety bridge over the gap. And it was a long way down. Thankfully it looked as if it had been replaced recently. Still most of the group went slowly across while Sora, Donald, and Goofy hurried across.

"Come on!" Donald called out to them as he, Goofy, and Sora began climbing up the tree. Once they were all across the bridge the group followed them up the tree. Nettie had to admit this was a very nice treehouse. She wouldn't have minded using this as a vacation house.

As soon as they were all up Sora opened the door. Inside was a little man wearing a yellow shirt with khakis and a blue bow tie at a bookshelf. He jumped as soon as he saw Sora. "Good heavens!"

The other occupant in the room was more surprising to the group. The only form of clothing he had was a loincloth. However he was muscular and tanned. His brown hair hung in dreadlocks. "Sora! Donald! Goofy!" He went and hugged them.

"I say, do you know them, Tarzan?" The man asked.

Tarzan nodded. "They're my friends."

"I see your English is improving." Goofy said.

"Well I had the best teacher." Tarzan said.

Everyone heard footsteps approaching. "Tarzan, who's there? I thought I heard…" The voice trailed off as a woman entered the room and just stood there with shock. She had brown hair that was lighter than Tarzan's. She was dressed in a tank top with a matching short skirt. She was holding something in her arms. "Sora! Donald! Goofy! When did you get here?"

"Today." Sora said. "We kind of need some help fixing something."

"Oh, well I can help with that." The little man held out his hand. "Professor Archimedes Q. Porter at your service."

The woman shook her head. "Daddy, what about your translation process?"

"Oh, that can wait." Professor Porter said. "I'm so excited to finally meet the friends you and Tarzan told me about. Though I'm perplexed as to why we all forgot until this morning."

Sora's jaw dropped. "You mean you forgot about us? Thanks a lot."

"We're glad you're here." Tarzan said. "Terk will be happy to see you."

"Who?" Donald asked.

The woman smiled. "You know, the friend you made last time." Donald paled and hid behind Goofy. That earned a laugh from everyone while Professor Porter followed Mickey and Pluto out of the treehouse.

Tarzan looked over the others. "Are they your friends?"

Sora nodded. "These are the friends I was looking for the last time I was here. This is Riku and Kairi, and these are Axel, Mika, Roxas, Xion, Nettie, AJ, Aurora, and Jason." Sora turned to the group. "These are our friends Tarzan and Jane."

A soft cry came from Jane's arms. Jane looked at it and smiled. "There, there. Mommy and Daddy are visiting some old friends."

Kairi's eyes widened. "Is that...?"

Jane smiled and showed the group the baby boy she was holding in her arms. "This is our son, Korak."

* * *

**Okay, I know that in the films Tarzan and Jane never had a son, but in the original Tarzan novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs they did become parents. I just decided to bring that into my fan fiction because I do enjoy the idea of our favorite Disney characters becoming parents. Like I said I had this idea for a while now and thought this would be better than how I originally did the Deep Jungle visit in my fanfiction's first draft. **


	59. Baboon time

**Hi everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates. I was busy this week. I thought I should make this chapter extra long to make up for it. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

* * *

Chapter 59: Baboon time

Professor Porter was looking over the wreck. "Fascinating. The lights on these vehicles alone could revolutionize modern science. It's pure genius. Enough to make Edison seem mundane."

"Can you help fix it?" Mickey asked.

Professor Porter looked at him. "Can I fix it? Of course I can fix it. Just as soon as I learn how it works."

Pluto barked. Mickey turned to see his faithful dog had brought back another gummi piece. He rubbed his pet's head as he took the piece from him. "The ships are made out of these."

The professor examined it. "Fascinating. I really should study this."

"Please don't." Mickey said. "This stuff is too dangerous to let the world know about it. We just need your help to fix this so we can…"

"Visit the other worlds?"

Mickey stared at him shocked. "How did you know?"

"I found some notes months ago. It was quite fascinating. I was studying the local fauna when an earthquake hit. There was a flash and there they were. They were written in some strange language. A language that didn't match anything I've seen before. The characters bore similarities to Japanese, but it was clearly not the same."

Mickey looked at him. "How long ago?"

The professor stroked his mustache. "Well, I think about four to six months ago." Mickey paled. He realized that the professor had found the notes around the same time Shadow had appeared.

* * *

Jane rocked Korak gently in her arms. He had his mother's aqua eyes, but his father's dark hair. He also had a thick build for a baby. His mother looked at him with unconditional love.

"He's so cute." Nettie said. Kairi and Mika nodded in agreement. Jason just walked outside and leaned on the balcony. AJ and Riku looked at him. They knew what he must've been thinking about. Seeing a happy family can't be easy for him.

Tarzan noticed something was wrong with Jason. "Is he okay?"

Riku shook his head. "He's… going through something."

"Something?" Tarzan asked.

"He's got some problems that he hasn't been facing. They're starting to catch up to him, and he has no idea how to deal with them." AJ explained.

Jason sighed and looked back at them. "I can hear you."

"We're just trying to help you." AJ explained.

Jason looked back out. "So, what do you do around here for fun?" He started when Tarzan leapt on the balcony.

"Follow me." Tarzan said as he leapt into the trees below. Before anyone could react Sora, Donald, and Goofy had followed him. Riku and AJ shrugged before they followed them. Axel and Mika looked out before they both smiled.

"Last one down's a rotten egg!" Mika said as she jumped into the trees with Axel behind her. Jason shook his head before he followed after them. The branches scratched him, and he had to spit out a few leaves, but soon he found himself sliding along immense branches.

AJ had a little trouble balancing but soon he was whooping through the treetops. They scared some strange black and white monkeys, and birds took off as soon as they approached. Several of them stopped as soon as they came to the end of some branches. However Tarzan, Sora, Donald, and Goofy leapt off and began swinging through the vines. Once Riku saw what they were doing he followed them. The others stayed put.

Sora looked back. "What are you waiting for?"

"In case you haven't noticed, we're a long ways up from the ground, and you want us to grab a vine and swing with you?!" Mika asked.

"Does the term gravity mean anything to you?" Axel asked.

Tarzan nodded. "Jane and the professor taught me about it."

"You'll be vine." Sora joked as he grabbed another vine. "Just try it, and don't hang on too long."

AJ sighed and jumped out. He grabbed on to a vine and swung out. He then whooped as he felt the wind rush by him. He grabbed another vine and continued to follow his friends. He looked back to see the others were following him.

They continued swinging through the vines until they came to another set of branches. They kept sliding through, while watching Tarzan pull off a series of incredible moves. It was like watching an athlete cutting some awesome moves.

The branches swerved and led deeper into the jungle. Eventually Tarzan leapt off the branch and landed in the middle of a bunch of mounds. There were also these strange creatures that looked kind of like people, except they were incredibly hairy. Their arms were also longer than their legs and they had bigger mouths.

"The gorillas!" Sora said as he stopped. However Donald, Goofy, Axel, Mika, Jason, and AJ crashed into him. They all fell off the branch and crashed into the ground below. Jason groaned as he looked up to see a really big gorilla was glaring at them. It roared and beat its chest as it looked at them. Normally Jason didn't like being submissive, but he knew when he couldn't win a fight. And this… gorilla looked like it was going to tear his head off before he could get to his feet.

Reluctantly Jason kept his face towards the ground. He also spread his arms out in an effort to show he meant no harm, that he was going to do as this thing wanted, and so on. He could feel the breath of the animal as it sniffed him. Eventually it went on to sniff the others, and with a grunt walked off. Jason noticed it had a silver marking on its back.

"Nice to see Kerchak hasn't changed." Sora said.

Axel got up. "Kerchak?"

"He protects the gorillas." Goofy said. "He's their leader."

Everyone finally got up to find the gorillas were checking them out curiously. They were all different sizes, and bore strong similarities to each other, yet Mika could tell each of them apart. They were each individuals, just like people were. She remembered how Nobodies like Vexen and Larxene were, and if they were here they'd probably only see them as mindless brutes and monsters.

She heard Sora and Goofy giggling. She turned to see a gorilla was looking at Donald. It had some fur sticking up and had almost a purple tinge to its fur. She didn't know how, but Mika got the impression that this gorilla was a female, and fond of Donald.

"No! No! No!" Donald said when he saw the gorilla. "Daisy will kill me!" Donald then ran off with the gorilla following after him. Mika bit back a laugh, and then wondered how the others were doing. They probably were taking a leisurely stroll to this place.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Nettie asked as they sped through the jungle on the branches.

Jane did a spin in the air before she landed back on the branch. "As long as you don't fall. Thankfully I always had Tarzan there to catch me."

"But he's not here now!" Aurora pointed out as she almost fell off the branch.

"I've learned to travel quite well in the jungle." Jane said as she grabbed a vine and started swinging. Korak was with her, tied to her back via a cloth. Nettie had some worry for the baby's safety, but Jane seemed to know what she was doing. She has been living in the jungle for some time.

Kairi was managing okay, until she slipped. She grabbed onto the branch, and that caused Aurora and Nettie to crash into her. The three of them fell off and crashed into the jungle below. Thankfully they weren't that far from the ground. Still it hurt.

"Well this is just great." Aurora said. "We're stuck in the middle of an uninhabited jungle with who-knows-what surrounding us."

"Hey it could be worse." Nettie said right as they heard some sort of cry of alarm. It wasn't Jane screaming. It sounded more like an animal in distress. Kairi wasted no time in running towards the sound. Aurora and Nettie looked at each other before following her. They needed to stick together in this place.

As they parted some bushes they saw a little monkey-like creatures surrounded by a bunch of Heartless. The Heartless had dark faces with yellow eyes, but they had blue fur and strongly resembled monkeys. The creature they surrounded bore a slight resemblance to Abu, but this creature had a longer snout and didn't have a vest or a fez. Also it had a bare… area under the tail.

"That poor thing's in trouble!" Kairi said. "We need to help it!"

Nettie summoned her keyblade. "Just what I was thinking." Before Aurora could stop them they charged into the clearing and swung their keyblades at the Heartless. One turned and scratched Nettie furiously. She cast heal on herself and the scratches vanished.

Shaking her head, Aurora ran out to join them. However she slipped on something and landed on her back. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing where a root had hit her. She saw the Heartless were around her. One of them dropped a big banana peel. Great. They had a sense of humor.

"Blizzard!" Kairi called out as she fired a spell at the Heartless. It froze them in place before the hearts they captured were freed. Aurora kicked another in the tail before impaling it with her keyblade. Nettie threw her keyblade and took care of the last one. It was then they noticed the little monkey thing was crying.

"Shh, shh, it's okay." Kairi comforted the little thing. "They're gone now. They can't hurt you now."

"No, but they can hurt us!" Aurora pointed to the trees. The other two girls turned to see they were surrounded by a lot of adult monkey things. Most of them had dark brown fur, but the leader had black fur and a colorful snout. And all of them were glaring at the three of them, baring their fangs.

Nettie backed up cautiously. "Easy now. We were just protecting the little one. We meant no harm."

"We'll just be going now." Kairi said. Their words did nothing to pacify the monkey things. With a snarl they leapt down from where they were and came after the girls. They knew there was only one thing to do now. They turned and ran.

Aurora stole a look back as they ran. How many of these things were there? They seemed more numerous than the Heartless. Right now she wished she had a robotank to fight them with.

Something then grabbed her from behind. Without thinking Aurora grabbed Nettie and Kairi, and soon they were moving at a much faster rate. She looked up to see Jane had come back and had grabbed her, and now they were swinging away from those things, yet they were still chasing them!

"What sort of mess did you get in?" Jane asked them as the other girls grabbed vines and began swinging.

"We found a little monkey in trouble." Nettie explained. "It was surrounded by Heartless and we took care of them. Then those things showed up and began chasing us!"

Jane raised an eyebrow. "Little monkey? About this tall? Mischievous? Adorable looks?"

"Yep." Kairi answered.

"His name's Manu, and he's a baboon." Jane explained. "His family is very protective of him."

"We noticed." Aurora said. It was then a baboon leapt on her and tried to bite her. However one swift kick from Jane knocked it off and sent it falling to the ground below. It was then they noticed other baboons were climbing up the vines heading towards them.

"To the trees!" Jane said as she leapt off her vine and began sliding along the branches. The girls followed her example, though the baboons kept following them. What would it take to get them to stop?

The branch they were on was running out of room. The tree itself was coming up, yet Jane seemed to be heading right towards it. The three girls looked at each other. What was she planning?

Eventually she stopped and turned to face the baboons. To their surprise she began chattering like one. Whatever she was saying it stopped the baboons. The one that seemed to be the leader chattered back. Jane continued to chatter to it, as if explaining what had happened.

The leader growled like it didn't believe her, but then they heard more chattering. They saw Manu, the little baboon, run up and chatter to the big one. It was almost like he was telling them that whatever Jane had been saying was true. The leader looked at them with a snort, and then turned and left with the other baboons. Once they were gone Jane turned to look at them, and found them staring at her with wide eyes.

"You speak monkey?" Aurora asked.

Jane shook her head. "I was speaking baboon. Monkeys, however playful, are quite rude when they speak to each other."

"Do you have any idea how crazy this is?" Aurora asked. "We're lost in the middle of a huge jungle with a woman who spends her time talking to animals!"

"Well, to be honest I felt the same way when I first met Tarzan." Jane admitted. "He helped me to feel at home here, and now I can communicate with most animals."

"But that still doesn't solve the problem that we are lost."

"We're not lost. I know exactly where we are." Jane grabbed a vine. "Come on."

Aurora sat down. "No way. I'm not going out there again."

"But we need to catch up to the others." Nettie said.

Aurora shook her head. "I'm not going out there with killer monkeys and giant cats."

"Giant cats?" Jane asked.

Kairi looked at her. "When we got here we were attacked by two large cats with black fur and green eyes."

"Numa and Sheeta." Jane explained. "A pair of leopards that have been hunting around here for years."

Aurora shook her head. "Great. So you talk to them too?"

"No one talks to Numa and Sheeta."

"Then how do you know their names?"

"Kala told me."

"Who's Kala?" Nettie asked.

Jane smiled. "You'll meet her soon enough. I'm sure you'll love her. And I know someone who can help us get to her."

* * *

Kairi was enjoying the ride. Jane had taken them to a lagoon where they met a red elephant with big tusks. Jane said his name was Tantor, and he was good friends with her and Tarzan. According to the jungle woman he agreed to take her to Tarzan and Kala.

Jane was holding Korak in her arms while Tantor carried them through the jungle. The little baby had been asleep through the entire baboon episode, and his mother was now singing him something in another language. Aurora couldn't believe that she was stuck in this situation.

"What's that you're singing?" Kairi asked their guide.

Jane looked at her. "A lullaby Kala sang for him. She said she used to sing it to Tarzan when he was a baby."

"I take it Kala isn't a human." Nettie said.

Jane shook her head. Korak then opened his eyes and cooed at his mother. The jungle woman smiled at him before looking at the girls. "Would you like to hold him?"

Kairi was surprised. "Me? Well, I… yes, I would." Jane then passed her son to Kairi. Korak looked up at Kairi with such adorable eyes. Inside her heart Kairi felt something. She wasn't sure what, but she could understand why Jane loved the little guy so much. "He's so lucky to have you as a mother." Kairi said.

Jane smiled. "I'm glad I can call him my son." Kairi then handed Korak back to her. "You know, if any of you would like I could teach you to speak to Tantor."

"Really?" Nettie asked. "That would be awesome."

* * *

**Well, I'm sorry if the fight scenes are over too quickly. They're my weakest area. I know the name Manu came from the TV series, but I thought it would be okay to use. I thought Numa and Sheeta would also make good additions. I know Jane wasn't like this in the movie or the TV show, but eventually in the books she did progress from being a damsel in distress to being a capable adventurer. I did include the baboons because I have an idea to use with them later. Until next time, please enjoy. **


	60. Flower Power

**Hi everyone. Sorry this update was late. I've been stuck with writer's block, and after a couple of days at Disneyland I feel ready to go. Wow, 60 chapters into the story. Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing.  
**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27.**

* * *

Chapter 60: Flower Power

Deep Jungle…

Close to the lagoon where the rest of the elephants were relaxing a dark corridor opened. From that portal came Shadow, as well as Larxene, Marluxia, Ashley, and Diablo, who had perched himself on Ashley's shoulder. The girl's outfit had changed from before. Now she was dressed in black leather pants with a matching jacket and a blood-red tank top.

"What a pathetic place." Ashley said to Diablo. The raven nodded in agreement.

Marluxia looked around. "Nonsense. This is the perfect place to set up a trap for your friends."

Ashley looked at him. "They are not my friends. Not anymore. They are weak and I am strong."

"Please." Larxene scoffed. "You would've caught them by now if you were strong."

Ashley glared at her. "You dare to…"

"If you two are done arguing we have more important things to do." Shadow said. "Like capturing the heart of the princess."

"You have a one track mind with this, you know that?" Ashley retorted.

Shadow glared at her. "You would if you were in my shoes."

"Enough." Marluxia said. "You will get the heart, and you will prove your strength before the others. First we need to find them."

* * *

"Leave me alone!" Donald said from the branch he was hugging. The gorilla had not given up on chasing the duck, and now was looking up at Donald from the ground. It was proving to be quite amusing for everyone else. Even Jason was smiling at this.

Tarzan approached the gorilla and made a series of grunts. The gorilla then moved away from the tree, and Donald cautiously climbed down. He glared at everyone who was choosing to smile and laugh. "It's not funny!"

"It is to us." AJ said. Everyone laughed some more when Donald started throwing a tantrum. They stopped when they heard something stomping through the jungle. They were worried even though the gorillas didn't flinch. Finally the underbrush parted and they saw the owner of the footsteps.

A large red elephant with huge tusks stepped into the area like it had been there before. From its back came leapt Jane with Korak tied to her back. Nettie and Aurora tried to mimic her, but the two of them ended up falling flat on their faces. Kairi just slid off, taking care to not land on her friends. Jane made a series of sounds to the elephant, which Kairi mimicked rather awkwardly. The elephant then marched off and began eating some leaves.

Jason blinked. "You can talk to that…?"

"Tantor? Yes we can talk to him." Kairi said. "Jane taught us a few phrases."

"Mainly introductions." Jane added. "Kairi and Nettie are fast learners."

Aurora shook her head and began walking away. "I don't see what's the point in learning to say…" Aurora made a series of grunts. Several of the gorillas looked at her.

Jane folded her arms. "Aurora Kara. What you said was extremely rude." She then made a series of grunts to the gorillas and they went back to their business.

"What did she say?" Goofy asked.

"You don't want to know." Tarzan said.

Nettie looked at her friends. "If we're going to spend time in the jungle, we might as well learn to communicate with the locals. And I get the feeling that the locals won't always be human."

Riku nodded. "It could help provide an advantage."

"And it'll be fun." Sora added. Riku rolled his eyes in response.

"All in favor of learning." Mika said as most of the group, including her, raised their hand. Aurora was the only one who kept her hand down.

Axel clapped his hands. "Okay then. Looks like class is in session."

* * *

The day was nearing its end when Professor Porter and Mickey arrived at the home of the gorillas. The group was having small conversations with the gorillas. Kairi and Mika were getting along with a brown-furred gorilla named Kala. Turns out she was Tarzan's adoptive mother, and was now playing grandmother to Korak. She held him gently in one arm while talking with the girls.

The guys, however, were in a little more humorous situation. One of the younger gorillas had found a bug in Roxas's hair, and now they were grooming the boys looking for more. They learned this was part of establishing a social order among these primates. Turns out each of them had a bug in their hair. It took a great deal of convincing to get the gorillas to leave Jiminy alone when he was pulled off Sora.

Axel stood up when the two approached. "Please tell me you've got good news."

Mickey shook his head. "The Gummi's missing some components. We're going to need to synthesize them if we're going to take off."

"How long will that take?" Riku asked.

"At least until tomorrow. Maybe a little longer."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"The professor's notes. I'd like to take a look at them if everyone's okay."

Axel smirked. "I think most of us will be okay with that." He looked back to where Mika and Kairi were talking with Kala.

Mickey then motioned them to follow him. When he, Sora, Riku, Jiminy, and Axel were away from any prying ears he added, "I think the professor's notes might be too dangerous to leave here."

"Why's that?" Jiminy asked.

"Well, they told him about the existence of other worlds." He had to shush everyone's shocked reactions before continuing, "I don't think he knows much yet, but whatever they contain can't be good."

Sora shrugged. "I know the worlds need to be secret, but how can you be sure that these notes are a bad thing?"

The king looked at the ground. "Because the professor found them around the same time that Shadow showed up."

"WHAT?!"

"You think whatever those notes contain could be connected to Shadow somehow?" Riku asked.

The king nodded. "I've gotta pretty good feelin' about this."

"Maybe they're why he's here. And why he's so powerful." Axel said.

"Then it's decided." Riku said. "We've got to get those notes away from the professor."

It was then that Tarzan and Jane came up to them. "You're welcome to sleep in our home for the night." Tarzan told them.

Sora smiled. "That'd be great." As they all walked off towards the tree house no one noticed a raven flying off in the opposite direction.

* * *

That night Kairi stirred in her sleep. She was having a nightmare about a city with lots of monorails and incredibly advanced technology. However it was under attack. The Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed were swarming in legions too numerous to count. She could see her friends, fighting, and they were losing. She could see Maleficent, and all the Organization. Behind them were these evil yellow eyes. Beneath them came a mouth that smiled the most evil smile ever imaginable. It was enough to make her feel could, and that the light in her heart was dimming. Then, it roared.

She sat up gasping for breath. She was covered in sweat, and it wasn't because of the humidity. What she had seen was something truly evil, the stuff of nightmares. Everyone else was fast asleep, so Kairi didn't want to disturb them. Carefully Kairi stepped over her friends and walked out into the night.

Seeing the clear skies helped her to calm down. Looking at the stars made her think about home. The islands. She wondered what Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were doing. Probably playing blitz ball with each other. She hoped that they would be safe. If anything were to happen to them…

"Well, well, well." She heard someone say. Kairi turned to see someone in a black cloak standing not too far away from her. She summoned her Destiny's Embrace keyblade and prepared for a fight. However to her surprise the figure vanished into a dark corridor. She looked over the balcony, and saw the figure running off into the jungle. She wasn't going to let them go that easy.

Jumping onto a branch Kairi began sliding through the trees. She had to keep her balance, but it allowed her to catch up to the mysterious figure. When she could she jumped in front of them, holding her keyblade in front of her. The figure then took off their hood. Kairi was stunned to see it was a man with pink hair. "Who… who are you?"

"Marluxia. I must say, it's an honor to finally meet Naminé's original self." He said.

Realization dawned on her. "You…you're the one who held Naminé prisoner, aren't you?"

"You are correct." The man stepped towards her. "I heard rumors that, like Roxas, she has returned from oblivion. Tell me, where is she? How is she doing?"

Kairi pointed her keyblade at him. "Like that's any of your business!"

He scoffed. "Fine. Don't tell me," he said as he summoned a scythe, "I've been wanting to see what her Somebody is capable of," he pointed his scythe at her chest, "and once I'm done with you, I'll be taking you to Shadow, and he'll rip your heart right out of your chest."

"There's one thing I don't understand." Kairi admitted. "How were you able to recruit someone like Shadow anyway? From what I've seen, he doesn't seem to like working with the Organization."

Marluxia chuckled. "It wasn't that hard. When we found him, he was nothing but a blank canvas that could be painted any color we want. A sever case of amnesia can do that to someone."

"He… has amnesia?"

"Indeed. Poor boy can't even remember his own name. The only thing he really remembers is how to use his keyblade and the power of darkness. Though, he is lucky to have retained some common knowledge, unlike Roxas back when we recruited him. But any concept he might've had of right and wrong in the past are completely lost to him."

Kairi shook her head. She remembered when she was back in Atlantica, how Shadow reacted when Captain Peg mistreated Amphi and Trite. "_I don't think that's true," _she thought to herself.

"Shadow's heart is empty. Desperate to be whole again. Willing to do whatever it takes reclaim what he lost. Lost souls like him are easy to manipulate. His Keyblade and strong ties with the darkness make him a valuable asset, a tool that we intend to use until it breaks. Granted, he has shown to be a bit rebellious. But he knows that working with us is the only way to get the answers he so desperately seeks." Marluxia kept talking.

Kairi remembered what Shadow said about reclaiming what he lost. "I can't believe you would take advantage of someone like that!"

Marluxia scoffed. "As if we care about your opinion. But enough talk. Have at you!" He rushed forward with his scythe. Kairi blocked him with her keyblade and forced him back.

Kairi pointed her keyblade at the Nobody and a fireball shot out from the end of her weapon. The Nobody grunted in pain as the spell hit before he teleported away. Kairi looked around for her opponent.

She felt something sharp slash her across her back. She turned to see Marluxia had appeared behind her. She pointed her keyblade and a ball of ice fired from the tip. Marluxia fell back as the iceball hit.

Marluxia then did a spinning attack that knocked Kairi back. She could feel her energy running low, but she couldn't give up now. If she did the Organization would be one step closer to winning. And her friends would be in danger.

"Your heart shall be judged!" Marluxia said as he floated up. Kairi ran out of the way just as a purple line appeared where she had been standing. She kept running as another appeared behind her, and another. She didn't know what attack that was, but she wasn't keen on finding out.

As soon as he landed Marluxia swung his scythe and a series of sickle shaped energy blasts came at her. Kairi had to jump to avoid getting hit by them, but one cut her on the ankle. She cried out in pain as she fell clutching her ankle.

"Now you are mine." Marluxia said as he approached her. Kairi searched within herself. There had to be a spell to help out. There had to be. There was. Sora told her about it.

"Heal!" She said as she cast the Cure spell. The cut disappeared like someone was zipping it up. Marluxia growled as he floated up and did the energy lines attack thing again. However Kairi quickly ran out of the way. She wasn't going to let the Organization win against her.

"Fire!" Kairi cast the Fire spell again. However this time it seemed stronger. Like there was more heat. Marluxia cringed in pain as the fire burned him. He looked at her.

"How? How could you master the Fira spell so soon?"

Fira? Her magic had evolved so quickly? That surprised Kairi. She quickly cast the Blizzard spell, but even this spell seemed more powerful than what she had used before. It was enough to blast Marluxia back. Kairi sensed that the battle was now over. She had won.

Marluxia started to get up. "Mastering Fira and Blizzara so soon. You are stronger than I gave you credit for. It's no wonder Naminé was so powerful."

"The darkness will never win." Kairi said. "I fight to keep my friends safe. And that's why you will never win."

Marluxia only smiled. "While you've been busy fighting me you've already lost."

Kairi looked around just as a Nobody tackled her. She crashed into a tree and cried out in pain. She looked to see that these were Nobodies she didn't recognize. They had flowers for heads, with a mouth full of sharp teeth in the middle. Their bodies looked like regular people, but their hands and feet were roots. Also there were thorns covering them. Some of them were carrying things. One was Professor Porter, and the other was Korak!

Marluxia took Korak from the Nobody. "You see, while you were fighting me, my Raflessias took this infant and the imbecilic scientist from your friends."

"Now see here…" Professor Porter started to say, but a Raflessia covered his mouth.

"Let them go!" Kairi struggled to get up.

"I will. As soon as the professor gives us his notes. And unless you hand yourself over to Shadow and let him take your heart the savage and his mate will never see their baby again." With that Marluxia and the Raflessias vanished into the darkness.

Kairi heard sliding overhead. She looked up to see Tarzan, Jane, and her friends sliding through the trees. Sora leapt down from the branch and ran over to her. "Kairi! Are you okay?"

"I'm fin—aah!" She tried to get up, but the pain in her back kept her from succeeding. Mika pointed her keyblade and cast the Cure spell. Kairi felt the pain vanish from her body.

"Kairi, what happened? Where's Korak? And Daddy?" Jane asked.

Kairi finally got up. "Marluxia took them. I tried to stop him, but…"

"You did your best." Sora said.

An angry look appeared on the faces of Tarzan and Jane. "If they hurt a hair on Korak's head…" Jane started.

"We'll get them back." Axel said.

"And we're going to help." Jane said.

Xion shook her head. "No. It's too dangerous."

Jane looked at her. "Tarzan's lived his whole life in the jungle, fighting crocodiles, leopards, and pythons. He is stronger than most men can comprehend. And I am his wife as well as Korak's mother. We are going with you."

"The Organization threatens the family by being here." Tarzan said. "We must drive them off to keep the family safe."

"Tarzan knows what he's doing." Sora said. "He helped us before."

"And Jane is doing what her heart commands her to do." Mickey added. "They're comin' with us."

Riku nodded. "All right. Let's go."

* * *

**And there you go. Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for the help with the dialogue between Kairi and Marluxia, and for helping me decide which antagonists to have come to the Deep Jungle. I think I did better writing out this battle scene than previous ones. Hopefully it won't be too long before I get the next chapter done finishing the visit to the Deep Jungle.**


	61. Handling things savagely

**Hi everyone. Here it is. The last chapter on the visit to the Deep Jungle. I hope you like this.**

**I do not own Disney and/or Kingdom Hearts.**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27. Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for looking over this chapter for me. Thanks so much for helping me to make sure everything works.**

* * *

Chapter 61: Handling things savagely

Deep Jungle…

"Unhand me, you… you miscreants!" Professor Porter said as he was tossed out of a dark corridor. He looked up to see Shadow, Ashley, Larxene, and Diablo looking down at him. "Oh my."

Ashley looked at Marluxia who was walking through the portal with a Raflessia that held Korak. "Why'd you bring this bumbling nincompoop to us."

"Nincompoop? Now see here…" Professor Porter started to say before Ashley pointed her keyblade at him. He stopped talking.

Marluxia glanced at her. "They will get us the things we need. Larxene, you and Ashley will stay here and guard the infant. Shadow, you and I will take the professor and collect his research."

Shadow looked at him. "Why are they being left to guard the child?"

"Because I said so." Marluxia answered. "Now, are you ready to find out what exactly the professor knows or not?"

* * *

They tore through the jungle. Tarzan and Jane swung through the trees with Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jason, Aurora, Riku, AJ, Mika, Axel, Roxas, Xion, Kairi, Pluto, Mickey, and Nettie following. Jason was really glad he took lessons from Tarzan in moving through the trees. They were really coming in handy now.

"How much further do you think it is?" Nettie asked.

Jason leapt to the next branch. "I don't know."

"We just have to keep going until we find them." Aurora said.

Goofy tripped over a knot in a tree branch and started to fall off. His scream was cut short as Sora, Donald, Mickey, and AJ all grabbed him. They managed to pull him back up to safety.

"Wouldn't this be easier if we split up, cover more ground?" AJ asked.

Tarzan shook his head. "They want the professor's notes. There's only one place where he keeps his research."

* * *

Professor Porter was forced out of yet another dark corridor as Shadow and Marluxia followed him. Shadow couldn't believe the state of the professor's camp. Shabby tents hung open, equipment was everywhere, and nothing was labeled. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Why not just put up a sign that said, "Please trash the camp"?

"Pitiful excuse for a lab." Marluxia said.

Professor Porter turned and looked at him. "Pitiful? This is the only research facility in all of Africa!"

"Save the lecture. Just get us the notes. And don't think of refusing. I can't guarantee your grandson's safety if you fail."

Professor Porter's eyes widened as he began rummaging through his books. Shadow quickly learned to duck out of the professor's way because every time he couldn't find the place where he kept his notes he threw a book over his shoulder. Not very professional, but it must be what this old coot does.

"Ah, here we are." The professor said as he held up a bunch of papers tucked away inside a book. Shadow grabbed the papers from the professor, but before he handed them to Marluxia he looked at them. Shadow's eyes widened as he read what they contained. It might've been a language foreign to the professor but he… he found he could read and understand it.

And he didn't like what he was reading for some reason.

"Shadow. The notes." Marluxia held out his hand. Instead, Shadow turned and grabbed the professor by the throat. The old man gagged and his feet kicked the air, but Shadow held firm.

Shadow glared at the scientist. "Where did you get these?"

"I-I-I found them!" Professor Porter said. "In the jungle a few months ago! Right after a big earthquake!"

Earthquake? Few months ago? That was close to when he first woke up to find the Organization around him. Shadow clenched the notes in his fist. "Durza…" he said with absolute hatred.

"Shadow. The notes." Marluxia said again.

* * *

Everyone swung down from the trees just as two dark corridors closed. Donald swiped the air with his fist. "Rats. They got away."

"They must've gotten the notes." AJ said. "Who knows what'll become of the professor."

"If I know Marluxia, he's probably outlived his usefulness." Axel said. Jane then began looking through the professor's camp. She called out for her father with worry.

"Janey dear, keep your voice down." The professor said. "Do you want every nocturnal predator in the jungle to come here?" Jane responded by hugging her father.

Tarzan hurried over. "You're okay."

"Did they get the notes?" Mickey asked.

The professor's smile faded. "Alas, I fear they did."

"Daddy, where did they take you? Do they still have Korak?" Jane asked her father.

"Yes, they do." Professor Porter answered. "I was going to warn them, but they silenced me. The area they're in is too close to where Numa and Sheeta do their hunting." Tarzan and Jane looked at each other before they took to the trees. The rest of the group followed, leaving the professor to clean up his camp.

* * *

Korak was crying for his parents. Larxene was getting really agitated, which is saying something considering she doesn't have a heart and can't feel any emotions. She was sitting behind a tree with her hands over her ears leaving Ashley to try to get Korak to stop crying. Diablo was in a tree looking on with an annoyed look.

"Can't you silence that thing?" Larxene called out.

Ashley looked at the Nobody. "You're supposed to be older than me! You should know more!"

"I was never the mother type."

It was then a dark corridor opened up and Marluxia and Shadow rejoined the others. The dark warrior looked at Ashley with a warning glance before looking at Larxene and Marluxia.

"The professor was most cooperative." Marluxia showed Larxene the notes. "Vexen will be set to translating these right away."

"What's so important about these notes?" Shadow asked.

Marluxia looked at him. "If you remember what Diablo reported earlier, these notes were found at around the same time you appeared. Vexen will have to confirm this, but maybe there are clues to your past in there."

"They won't make any sense without my memories." Shadow reminded them.

"Which is why as soon as those pests get here you have to take the heart of the princess." Larxene said.

The dark warrior glared at Larxene. "Make sure that the baby is returned to his parents as soon as we have the heart."

"Why should we?" Ashley asked.

Shadow glared at her. "We may be enemies, but I will not be made into a liar. The princess's heart for the baby. No double crosses or anything."

* * *

The group arrived just in time to see Shadow, Marluxia, Larxene, and Ashley with Korak. The baby was crying and Larxene and Ashley were looking as if they couldn't take the baby much longer. Kairi looked at her friends. "I'm going down there."

"Kairi no!" Donald said.

Sora looked at her. "They'll take your heart."

"But if I don't give myself up, who knows what they'll do to Korak." Kairi insisted. "I won't let anything happen to him." With that she jumped out of the tree and landed on the ground. "Here I am."

"About time you got here." Larxene grumbled. "This thing won't shut up."

"He wants his mother." Kairi said. "Give him back to her."

Shadow summoned his keyblade. "First, you must relinquish your heart."

She nodded. "I understand. I will. Just give Korak back to his parents."

"Korak?" Larxene laughed. "What kind of a name is Korak?"

Shadow looked at her. "His name."

Kairi held her arms out. "I'm ready. Just do it and return him to his parents."

"Good girl." Marluxia said.

Shadow started walking towards her, but turned to look at the Nobodies. "Remember, no double-crossing. Or I'll cut heart-shaped holes into your chests and see if they really are as empty as you claim." With that threat Shadow approached Kairi and raised his keyblade.

"No!" Sora leapt out of the tree and blocked Shadow. "I won't let you do this Kairi!"

"But it's the only way to get Korak back!" Kairi protested.

"You should listen to your boyfriend." Larxene said. "You giving up like that was just too easy. It's no fun. I'd rather see you and your friends struggle, try to stop us only to fail."

Shadow glared at her. "You enjoy this more than you should." Turning back to Sora he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Saving Kairi and Korak!" Sora forced the dark warrior back.

Marluxia summoned his scythe. "So you dare to double cross us."

"Not really." Mika and the others jumped down. "You never told us to not come here."

Marluxia growled. "You always were good at finding loop-holes."

"We outnumber you." Riku said. "You won't be taking Kairi's heart today."

Ashley laughed. "Oh I think we will."

Nettie's eyes widened. "Whoa! What happened to you?"

"I've adopted my wardrobe to match who I truly am." Ashley said.

"It's silly."

Ashley glared at her. "Shut up. We've still got the baby."

"And the rest of you are about to become really." Shadow said as darkness shot out of him, Everyone heard growling as the darkness took a feline shape. It was close to the size of a horse, but was black as night. It had the red eyes of the Unversed but it had saber teeth on the top of its jaws and the bottom. Also claws grew out of its wrists instead of its paws.

"Nice kitty?" Nettie tried.

"Meet the Night Hunter." Shadow said as the nasty looking cat growled at them. It leapt at them, but a cry from above surprised them. Tarzan and Jane swung down from the vines and tackled the Unversed. It got up and growled at them while the couple got out weapons. Tarzan carried a spear while his wife held a stone knife.

The Night Hunter got up and circled around them, growling. It tried to charge at the group, but Tarzan drove his spear into the side of the Unversed. It slashed at him, but the ape man managed to leap back in time. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran forward to help their friend. Donald blasted the Night Hunter with a Blizzard spell while Goofy blocked its claws with his shield.

Shadow moved to Kairi, but Sora doubled back and blocked his attack. "No you don't!" Sora said.

Goofy and Donald screamed as the Night Hunter knocked them to the side. Tarzan leapt to their aid, attacking with his spear. The Night Hunter roared and pinned Tarzan down. Tarzan managed to keep it back using his spear, but he was kind of trapped.

It was then something shocking happened. Jane leapt onto the back of the Night Hunter and began stabbing it in the neck with her knife. The Unversed snarled and stopped worrying about Tarzan. It then tried to get Jane off its back.

Everyone watched as the jungle woman held on to the Unversed and continued to stab it. Tarzan wasted no time helping out his wife. The ape man grabbed his spear and drove it into the chest of the Night Hunter. The feline Unversed snarled and roared, but faded back into darkness. Tarzan and Jane looked at each other before letting out cries of triumph. Everyone was surprised to see the ferocity on Jane's face. She was completely different from the person they first met. She seemed so…wild.

Even Shadow was impressed by the two of them.

Jane then looked at Ashley. "Give us our son now."

Ashley held Korak. "No. We had a deal. Your baby for the Princess's heart."

"And now that we've seen how you two are maybe letting you have the brat won't be so bad." Larxene said.

Shadow glared at her. "Watch your words."  
"Come on, Shadow. You've seen those two." Larxene said. "They're not fit to care for this child. It'll be dead in less than a year with these savages."

Jason glared at her. "On Harthyn that's considered a swear word."

"And you're suddenly concerned for the baby why?" Ashley asked.

"I'm not." Larxene said. "I just think it'll be fun to see Shadow realize he left the baby in the wrong place. I'm sure it'll make a good snack for a python or a leopard."

Shadow glared at her. "You watch yourself Larxene."

"What she speaks is the truth. The jungle is harsh and cruel. It turns those who live in it into beasts." Marluxia said. "Perfect for the Heartless."

"I am not going to be sending Heartless into a kid's backyard." Shadow said.

Marluxia looked at him. "That will be up to the Organization where the Heartless go. Now finish your mission and claim the heart of the Princess."

Sora stood beside Kairi. "You'll have to go through me first."

"With pleasure!" Ashley rushed at Sora, but got tackled by Jane. The jungle woman slashed across Ashley's face with her knife, causing the dark friend to let go of the baby. Quickly Jane pulled her son out of Ashley's grip. Korak cooed seeing his mother.

Jane hurried over to the trees where everyone realized Terk was waiting. Jane told her something in gorilla, to which Terk took Korak from her and ran off into the jungle. Shadow had no idea what she said, but the group picked up enough to know she told Terk to get Korak to Kala.

"The baby's gone. That means I can have some fun now!" Larxene said as she summoned her knives. "Jungle woman, you're mine!"

Mika summoned her keyblades and charged at Larxene. "No!" Her keyblades clashed with Larxene's knives, sending out a shower of sparks all over the place. The two women glared at each other.

"Still fighting to protect others?" Larxene said.

"I fight to protect those I care about!" Mika forced the Nobody back.

"And that is why you are and always will be weak. You waste time protecting others, trying to help them when you should be showing your own strength. You're weak while I am strong."

"No you're not!" Jane slashed at the Nobody, causing her to flinch. "Going through life without caring for anyone makes you weak."

"Oh shut up!" Larxene said. "You might've cared for the Cro-Magnon you call a husband, but he's made you weak. You got pregnant because of him, and now you're going to be spending years slaving away to that brat."

Jane glared at her. "I love Tarzan. I choose him over the life I used to have, and every day I spend with him is a treasure I will never part with. Korak has been a joy for both of us, and I will never be ashamed to call myself his mother!"

Larxene scoffed. "Stupid. You'll spend your time tying yourself down instead of living the life you want? You're a fool, and I'm going to give you a shock about reality."

With that Mika and Jane charged towards Larxene. The Nobody fired the Lighting spell at them several times. Mika got shocked, but Jane's knife managed to block some of spells. Mika remembered that rocks can't conduct electricity. If only there was a Rock spell.

"Lightning!" Larxene shocked Mika again. She cried out in pain. She heard Axel call out to her. She saw that he was fighting with Marluxia. She turned back to see a wave of lighting heading towards Jane.

"Jane!" Mika cast a Barrier spell around the jungle woman, protecting her from the attack. She then attacked Larxene with her keyblades. She would show her the truth about caring for others.

Larxene kicked Mika back. Mika groaned as she clutched her stomach. Jane rushed forward, but Larxene slashed her in the stomach. Jane staggered back, holding her stomach.

"Heal!" Mika cast Cura on the jungle woman. She got back up, feeling better. Pointing her Keyblades Mika cast the Fire and Blizzard spells in unison at Larxene. The Nobody fell backwards, having taken heavy damage from the magic. However Mika was not done. She was ready to teach this savage nymph a lesson.

"Dark Fire! Dark Blizzard!" Mika shot the spells from her keyblades. The attacks knocked Larxene back and did more damage than before. One look and Mika knew that Larxene realized she wasn't going to win this fight.

"This can't be happening!" Larxene said. "You may have one this time Mika, but you won't win next time!" With that she disappeared into a dark corridor. Mika glanced around to see Ashley, Marluxia, and Shadow were retreating too. Diablo flew into a portal and vanished with them too.

"We did it." Sora said.

"They've been chased out of the jungle for now, but they'll be back." Riku said.

Tarzan looked at him. "Then we will stop them." He then hurried over to his wife. "Jane. Are you okay?"

Jane nodded. "I am."

* * *

The next day everyone was in the Professor's camp waiting for Mickey and Professor Porter to finish with the repairs to the Gummi. Jane and Tarzan were looking over their baby son while their friends gathered around them. Jason was glad that they were able to get Korak back safe and sound. Terk and Tantor were playing peek-a-boo with the baby while Jane held him in her arms.

"He's such a lucky kid to have parents like you." AJ said.

"I'm surprised that you actually got all aggressive there." Terk said to Jane.

Jane looked at her. "There's a time and a place to be civil. That wasn't one of them. Besides, ever since Korak was born I've learned that being a mother means you do whatever it takes to protect your child, even if it means fighting."

Professor Porter looked up from where he was working. "Ah, yes. A perfect example of a theory I've been developing."

"What theory is that?" Xion asked.

"Well, most people think humans are beyond instincts. However I've been theorizing people may still have some instincts intact. An instinct to eat, to make someone of themselves, and when they becomes parents an instinct to protect their young." Professor Porter looked at his daughter with pride.

"It makes sense." Nettie said. "A child is the most precious thing in the world to a mother and a father. They will do everything in their power to keep their children safe."

Kala nodded. "You will be a great mother, Jane."

"Eureka!" Professor Porter shouted. "We've done it!"

"Oh boy! The parts are ready!" Mickey said. "Once they're attached to the Gummi we can go."

"Do you really have to go?" Tantor asked.

Kairi nodded. "While Organization XIII is out there lives will always be threatened."

"Then I wish you luck on your journeys." Jane said.

"And you will always be considered part of this family." Tarzan said.

For once, Jason gave a genuine smile. "Thanks Tarzan."

* * *

The World That Never Was…

Vexen was looking over the notes in his workspace. Shadow folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. The Nobody had been looking over the notes ever since they got back. He wanted to know what he thought.

Marluxia looked at him. "Will you stop tapping your foot?"

"When Vexen finishes looking over those papers."

It was then Vexen looked up at them. "Well, I think these notes could be very helpful. However they're too vague on several details."

"Thought so." Shadow said. "When I looked over them I realized they weren't all there. What we have is only a portion of the information."

Vexen glared at him. "And you neglected to share this information why?"

Shadow didn't answer him. He just looked to the side.

"So it appears that the rest of these notes are scattered throughout the worlds." Marluxia said. "We must scour the worlds and put these notes together."

"They may hold secrets to my past…" Shadow said.

"And unlock the future for the Organization."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that. I definitely liked writing about Tarzan and Jane's future. As for where they're going next I think it's pretty safe to say the next world will be The Land of Dragons.**

**Oh, in case anyone doesn't know, in addition to Kingdom Hearts III including a world based off the film Tangled the game is going to include the world from the film Big Hero 6. If you haven't seen that movie yet you should. It's a really great one, and one that'll be awesome in Kingdom Hearts III. Until next time, see ya.**


	62. Chi ya later

**Hi everyone. Sorry this took so long. I've been busy. I'll try to not leave the next update so long again.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts/Disney or any of its characters.**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

* * *

Chapter 62: Chi ya later

The voyage through Deep Space was relatively uneventful. There was the odd Heartless ship here and there, but not enough to give them problems like last time. Everyone was starting to get bored from nothing to do. Even Nettie was growing tired of looking at the stars and the oddly shaped worlds in the distance.

Mabul looked up at her, making his cute little sounds. Nettie smiled and stroked the ferret. "It's okay. We'll find somewhere soon." She reached into her pocket and realized she was almost out of seeds. They would need to get some more food for Mabul and soon.

Someone sat across from her. Nettie looked up to see Xion was there. "Can I touch him?" The Nobody asked. Nettie nodded and Xion cautiously put her hand out. Mabul looked up and sniffed her hand. He then curled back up and allowed Xion to stroke his fur.

Nettie smiled. "He likes you."

Xion smiled before asking, "Why do you keep him around?"

"He's my pet." Nettie answered. "He helps keep me company and helps me to smile."

"Like a friend?"

"Like a friend."

Xion pulled her hand away and looked at Nettie. "When I was in the Organization we weren't allowed to have pets. We couldn't care for them because… well…"

"The whole not-having-hearts issue?" Nettie asked, earning a nod from Xion as an answer. "I still think that's unfair. Everyone deserves to have a pet of their own."

"It probably would've made life better." Xion said. "But I'm sure Xemnas and other members would've just seen them as a nuisance."

"Their loss."

Beeping was heard as Sora's image came up on the screen. "Hey guys. We've found a Heartless heading towards a world. We'd better go after it."

* * *

The Land of Dragons…

Everything was peaceful in the village. Farmers were working in the fields, merchants were selling their wares, and children were playing everywhere. Li Chi was happy to see such happiness and joy here. It had been a year since the Huns had been defeated, and all of China was in balance.

At least it seemed that way to her. The young maid was dressed in the green dress her mother had made. The time was nearly at hand where she would be presented to her village matchmaker to find her husband. However, deep down, Chi wanted more. She wanted to have an adventure, fight villains, and bring honor to her family. Like Mulan did to her family.

A scream was heard. Chi looked around to see villagers were running. A building next to her smashed and rubble came at her. She quickly jumped to avoid a beam and headed towards the nearest path. She stopped as she saw that a long, reptilian tail was passing by.

Another building beside her exploded and Chi fell to the ground. Rubble piled up over her, pinning her to the ground. A wooden board hit Chi on the head. Before she blacked out she though she saw the silhouette of a man beside something large and serpentine.

* * *

When the group landed they were in some sort of bamboo forest. The stalks grew higher than most trees. Jason tried to push some out of the way, but it swung back and hit him in the face. The others laughed while he just muttered under his breath. Everyone noticed their clothes had changed again. Although they were all in the same martial arts style the color scheme of their regular attire remained the same.

"So this is the Land of Dragons." Kairi said with awe.

Sora smiled. "Yep. And hopefully Shang and Mulan are doing great." Riku looked off to the side, but Sora patted him on the shoulder and said, "Relax. I'm sure Shang is over you beating him."

"It's not that." Riku said. "There's smoke coming from that direction." Everyone looked to see there was indeed a column of smoke rising up like a dark pillar. They started heading in the direction that it was coming from when a bunch of really strange Heartless appeared in front of them. Most of them looked like strange torpedos with yellow heads and a propeller holding them up. The toughest of the Heartless were two that had the torsos of men, but had the legs of horses! They also carried some nasty looking lances.

Nettie gulped. "Sora? What kind of Heartless are these?"

"Assault Riders and Rapid Thrusters." Jiminy answered. "Stay away from their spears and try to break up the group."

The Assault Riders leapt at them and hit every single one of them with their spears. The entire group fell backwards just as the Rapid Thrusters came forward. Jason swung his keyblade and two of them vanished with ease, releasing the hearts they held captive.

Jason blinked. "Uh…"

"Yeah, they're pretty easy to take down." Sora explained as he held back one of the Assault Riders. Riku assisted his friend in pushing back the monstrous centaur. Not that the Harthynians knew what a centaur was. However I can safely say that they will remember the design.

Axel swung his chakrams at some Rapid Thrusters that were appearing, sending them back to the darkness while releasing the hearts they held. Sora charged in and destroyed one with ease with a swipe of his Keyblade. Goofy slammed his shield into a Rapid Thruster as Donald quickly froze one that just appeared.

"YEOW!" Donald exclaimed as an Assault Rider knocked Jason into them. Nettie attacked a Heartless next, but it blocked her strike. Riku attacked the Assault Rider from behind, dealing a bit of damage. Aurora swung her keyblade and finally destroyed it. "Take that!"

However there was still the other one. Holding its weapon high, a lot more Rapid Thrusters appeared around them. Nettie groaned at the sight of them while Jason finished untangling himself from Donald and Goofy.

"Jason, you ready?" Sora asked.

He nodded. "Yeah!" The two of them slashed through the Rapid Thrusters, destroying them and releasing the hearts they contained. As the hearts floated up they vanished.

"I think that's all of 'em." Goofy said as he was struck from behind. He turned to see the other Assault Rider preparing to charge.

Aurora glared at him. "You were saying?"

"Get ready, guys!" Sora gripped his keyblade tightly as the Heartless charged. The Assault Rider ended up running over Nettie and Mika as they were the closest. Nettie grunted with pain as she reached for her bag.

Aurora got into a fighting stance. "Come on!" she challenged the demonic horseman. Then it happened again. She got that same sensation she had at Olympus Coliseum when she fought against the Nemean Lion. The feelings like her eyes, her mind, were locking in on her opponent. What was this strange sensation?

The Assault Rider was almost on top of her, so she had no time to think it over. She released the energy that had built up inside of her. Her keyblade glowed with a light radiance as she slashed at the Heartless. The Assault Rider held up its spear, but Aurora sliced right through it. After that she finished her attack, killing the Heartless. As it faded back to the darkness the heart it held floated up into the sky.

"Now it's over." Nettie said as she opened her bag. Mabul poked his head out and looked at her. "Sorry. We got caught up in a battle with some Heartless." The ferret then disappeared back into the bag.

"Come on. We need to get go…" Aurora was cut off as the sound of hooves reached their ears. She held up her keyblade wondering if another Assault Rider was coming towards them. However it wasn't. Instead it was a man on a white horse. He looked like he was from Moruga, except that he was dressed in armor that Morugans haven't worn for centuries. Most of it was black, like his shoes, gauntlets, and leg guards. He also had on a white shirt and grey pants. There was also a billowing red cape behind him, and his hair was done up in a topknot. His horse reared when it saw Aurora.

The man pulled on the reins. "Whoa, there." He said before looking at Aurora. "Who are you and what are you doing in these parts?"

Aurora glared at him. "We're just passing through."

"Shang?" Someone asked. They looked back to see a young woman riding up on a black horse with a white underbelly. She was dressed in a grey martial arts attire with green lining. She also had a green sash and wristbands. Her black hair came down to her shoulders. Her eyes widened when she saw the group. "Sora! Donald! Goofy!"

It was then something else popped up from her back. Jason's eyes widened as he saw it was a red snake-like creature with arms and legs. It also had an orange-yellow underbelly with matching whiskers and floppy ears. There were also two sky blue horns on its head. "You guys are back!"

"Shang! Mulan! Mushu!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy said happily as they ran up to them. Jason decided to assume that these were old friends of theirs judging from their reactions. He and the others approached cautiously as Shang was looking at them with suspicion.

He looked back at Sora. "Are they with you?"

"Yeah. They're friends." Sora said.

Riku looked away. Sora, however, just pulled him up. "Sora, come on!" The boy protested, but Sora wouldn't listen.

The creature, Mushu, leapt off of Mulan's back and approached them. "I see you've been busy since our last adventures."

"Last adventures?" Nettie asked.

Mushu nodded. "Oh yeah. We kicked all kind of bad guy booty together. I helped them out a lot because I'm a mighty dragon!"

Jason blinked at the dragon. "You're a dragon? I thought they were supposed to be bigger."

"Well, I'm travel size for everyone's convenience. If I were my real size ya'll would die of fright." Mushu explained.

Donald shook his head. "Same old Mushu."

"Well, not the same as this guardian spirit has a new family member to look after." Mushu smiled as he crawled back up to Mulan. The woman smiled as she pulled something off her back. Everyone gasped as they saw it was a baby girl.

Mulan smiled at her friends. "Say hi to Li Ming-Na." Ming-Na opened her eyes and looked at the group of strangers around her. She smiled and cooed at them. Kairi smiled back at the baby.

"We were on our way to check on some of the outer villages when we ran into you." Shang explained. "We saw the smoke and thought there was trouble."

"We fought some Heartless not too long ago." Goofy explained.

It was then Shang frowned. "If there are Heartless this close to the village then there must be trouble." He then moved his horse forward, with Mulan and their baby following behind him. The group also chased after them, though it is difficult to keep up with charging horses.

* * *

When they finally reached the village the group gasped. The place had been razed to the ground, with buildings still burning and falling apart. The sight saddened Nettie, who held her bag closely.

Shang turned to face them. "Check for survivors." Everyone split up to search the village. Aurora stepped over some burning rubble as she made her way around the outskirts of the town. Who or what could've done something like this? Was this the work of the Heartless?

Something grabbed her ankle! Aurora turned to face whatever it was, but stopped seeing someone was buried under some rubble. The teenager quickly got to work getting the rubble off the person. She was surprised to see it was a girl close to her age. The girl coughed as she got up. "Thank you…"

"What happened?" Aurora asked. "Who attacked you?"

The girl held her head. "A man… I didn't get a good look…" she then looked around with worry. "Father! Mother!" The girl took off, causing Aurora to have to follow her. They came to a building that was completely obliterated. The walls still burned and the roof looked like something had crashed through it. Still the girl entered the building.

"Hey!" Aurora followed her. "Are you crazy? This place could come down!" The girl paid her no heed as she cleared the rubble. Some beams came down uncomfortably close. Seeing the girl would not leave, Aurora began helping her dig.

The girl gasped as they found a man, a woman, and several girls lying on the ground. She grasped the woman by the hand. "Mother. MOTHER!"

The woman coughed and opened her eyes. The girl gasped before trying to hug her. However the woman stopped. "No time… Chi… warn the Emperor… Xan Cao… Xan Cao…" the woman closed her eyes and went limp. Chi then began crying over the bodies of her family.

"Hello?" Aurora turned to see Mika entering with Shang. Shang approached and saw the massacre.

"What happened?" Shang asked.

Chi looked at him. "The man… he murdered all of them. My entire family!"

"Her mother said the Emperor needed to be warned." Aurora said. "Something about Xan Cao."

Shang's eyes widened. "Xan Cao? Are you sure?"

"Those were her last words!" Aurora gestured to the dead woman. "Yes, I'm sure!"

"Then we must waste no time." Shang turned and moved out. "The Emperor must be warned at once!"

Aurora started to leave but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Let me come with you." Chi said. "Please."

* * *

**Well, there you go. For those of you who read the original version yes I'm doing things differently here. Special thanks to AquaDestiniesEmbrace for helping to write the action.**

**Li Chi came from a short story I read in a book of dragons a long time ago. I decided to include her to help add some world building to this world. **

**Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for the creation of Xan Cao. FYI it's pronounced like Sao, not cow.**

**As for Shang and Mulan's daughter, I took the name from the actress who voices Mulan in the films and games, Ming-Na Wen. I also took inspiration from Grodansangel's work on DeviantArt. **

**I'll update when I can. However this weekend I'll be at ComicCon, so I won't be able to do any writing. **


	63. Aku are you?

**Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long. Life got crazy. I'll try to not be so long with the next update.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori**

**Aku belongs to GeminiZKnight**

**The name of Xan Cao belongs to YamiChaos27**

* * *

Chapter 63: Aku are you?

The Land of Dragons…

The group rode hard that day as they headed towards the Imperial City. Shang had not spoken a word since they left the village, or what was left of it. Thankfully there had been some horses that had escaped the carnage, so they were able to use those to ride through the beautiful countryside. Whenever they were atop a hill it just seemed to Kairi that the beauty of this world stretched on forever. The mountains stretched tall like gentle giants protecting the people from the dangers beyond.

Eventually the sun started to go down, and Shang pulled them over to the edge of a river. "We'll make camp here for the night. At dawn, we ride and we do not stop until we reach the Emperor. Do you understand?"

There were murmurs of acknowledgement.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

With that everyone began working to set up camp. Nettie and Kairi tethered the horses to some trees while Jason and Riku went off to get some firewood. Shang had Sora, Donald, and Goofy stand watch around the camp. Everyone had an uneasy feeling about them. Shang didn't let it show, but each of them had a feeling that he was worried about Xan Cao, and if he was worried then it meant serious trouble.

When Jason and Riku brought the firewood back Mushu lit it to help keep Mulan and Ming-Na warm. Mika made everyone some soup to warm their stomachs. Everyone ate in silence though. The morgue would've been more lively than their campsite at the moment. It was killing Sora.

Aurora finally broke the silence. "Just what is it with this Xan Cao? You act like he's the most wanted criminal around here."

"He is." Shang answered. "Xan Cao is a dangerous warrior. He was a master of kung fu. He used his skills to defend the people of China. The Emperor made him his personal bodyguard."

"What happened?" Kairi asked.

"He went into the mountains to bring bandits to justice. No one heard anything for months. Then, without warning, he laid waste to several of the outer villages. He tried to murder the Emperor, but he was stopped. No one heard anything since."

"Most of us thought he was dead." Mulan added. "We were sure the Emperor executed him."

"Looks like you thought wrong." Axel said.

Riku set his bowl down. "Well, we'll get answers from the Emperor when we see him."

"I'll take first watch." Shang said. "Sora, you're next."

* * *

Chi must've been dreaming because she thought she was back in her village. She saw children flying their kites while the farmers worked in their fields. She looked around. This couldn't be real.

"Chi." She turned and there were her parents. Alive. Tears filled her eyes as she rang towards her parents. However, before she could reach them a pillar of fire erupted from the ground. Chi stopped and watched in horror as her family burned in front of her.

She tried to block out the horrible vision, but she couldn't. She did also see something else. It was like she was looking across the land of China, except it was on fire. Several villages were burning, and a great shadow hung over them. It was like… like a great serpent made from the smoke of the burning villages.

It flew over the land. It passed over a village, and when it did Chi heard the scream of a girl. The dragon moved on to another village, where the same thing happened. She watched in horror as the dragon passed over nine villages and a total of nine screams were heard. It then turned and looked at her before charging with its mouth wide up. Chi screamed before she woke up gasping for breath.

"Chi? What is it?" Riku asked as he woke up. Sora came over too, looking concerned. Most of the group was now waking up.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I just…"

"You can tell us if you had a nightmare." Mulan comforted her. Ming-Na started crying so Mulan went to comfort her. Chi looked around. Something didn't feel right about this. There was darkness around them, but it wasn't the dark of the night or of balance. It felt… evil. In the light of the moon she saw something flying towards them. She quickly grabbed a stick and knocked it to the ground.

"Rapid Thruster!" Mika leapt to her feet. "Heartless!" No sooner had she said that than monsters appeared out of the darkness. Her new friends leapt to their feet, summoning strange weapons and moving to attack these demons. However, while they did, she felt something grab her from behind. Chi screamed as she realized the monster from her dream had her and was carrying her off.

"Chi!" Aurora cried out as she realized their friend was being dragged off by some monster. She slashed through four Rapid Thrusters and charged after their friend. However, these Heartless with purple turban things and blue and purple robes blocked her path. Aurora growled and activated her power. From her vision she zoomed in on the Heartless before striking. This time, she ricochets off stalks of bamboo repeatedly while slashing the Heartless. That caused them to vanish into darkness.

The rest of the group had managed to take down the other Heartless with no problem. "That was easy." AJ said.

"It's not over." Jason said.

Sora rose an eyebrow.

"That was too easy." Jason explained. "Those Heartless had numbers, but they were weak. Once they had Chi they tried to retreat."

"Jason's right." Shang kept his sword out. "This battle was a diversion. They wanted to keep us busy while they got Chi."

They then heard hands lightheartedly clapping. Everyone looked to see their campfire was light back up, and there was someone sitting at it. He was about Shang's height, but wore no shirt. He had a long, braided ponytail that reached halfway down his back. He did have black pants on that allowed him to blend in with the night, with matching shoes. "Well, it appears the Heartless have reason to fear you after all."

"Xan Cao." Shang pointed his sword at him. "You traitor."

"What makes you sure that I am the traitor?" Xan Cao asked. "From my point of view, it is all of you that are the traitors."

Sora pointed his keyblade at the rogue kung fu warrior. "Where did you take Chi?"

"The girl? Oh, my partner has some unfinished business with her."

Aurora glared at him. "What partner?"

"He does not wish to make himself known to you at this time. And he's not the reason why I'm here." Xan Cao stood. "In my meditation I sensed that powerful warriors have returned to the universe. I wonder if you are them."

"You flatter me, but I'm not going to go easy on you. Got it memorized?" Axel said.

Xan Cao looked at him. "I do, but you are not one of them. I was talking… about them." He gestured to Jason, Aurora, Nettie, and AJ.

Nettie jumped. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Us?"

"What are you talking about?" Aurora asked. "Jason's nothing like a powerful warrior. You're mistaken about him."

Jason didn't bother to retort. "I suppose you're not leaving until you get an answer."

The warrior smiled smugly. "You're not as stupid as you look."

Jason's grip tightened on his keyblade, but he didn't charge forward. Roxas looked at them. "What are you waiting for?"

AJ charged forward, swinging his keyblades and letting out a loud cry. However, he landed in the dirt with the warrior nowhere to be seen. As he looked around, he felt a foot collide with his back. AJ was sent forward and got his head dunked into the water.

"Oh, that's how you want to play?" AJ got up and charged towards Xan Cao. The warrior spun around, disarming AJ and sending him crashing into the dirt. He looked back at the man who now held his keyblade.

"So far, I'm disappointed." The keyblade disappeared from Xan Cao's hand and reappeared in AJ's. "You hold yourself to be a warrior, but are no more than a child." Without a warning, he vanished and appeared behind Nettie.

The girl jumped back. She slashed at Xan Cao, but he merely tapped her arm in several places. She gasped in pain and dropped her keyblade. She held her arm tenderly. She tried to pick up her keyblade, but her arm felt like it had no feeling in it.

"Forget it. Your arm's useless for the next few hours." Xan Cao said.

"Leave her alone!" Xion charged in with her keyblade, but Xan Cao kicked her in the stomach and sent her flying back into Mika and Roxas.

"Stay out of this. Be grateful that I show you mercy." He said.

Aurora swung her keyblade now. "You don't hurt a girl!" She said. Xan Cao disappeared and her keyblade connected with the dirt. She pulled out Fantasy Warrior and looked around. This guy was really starting to get under her skin. She looked up, and there he was about to land a kick on her! Aurora quickly jumped out of the way and Xan Cao collided with the ground. He quickly swung another kick at her and she dodged. However, he managed to land a hit on her with the palm of his hand, sending her rolling backwards.

"You are impressive, young one." Xan Sao said. "You have an unconquerable spirit, and you are familiar with kung fu."

Aurora didn't answer but charged forward. She tried to strike him with her hands, but she missed him. She managed to raise her arms in time to block a punch from the warrior. She ducked and dodged some punches and kicks, but she swung her foot around and almost landed a kick. However, he caught her before she could.

"Promising. Very promising." He spun her around and caused her to land on her stomach. Aurora spat out dirt that had gotten into her mouth.

Xan Cao turned to Jason. He held his Born Fighter up in defense, but the warrior just turned away. "You are broken and hopeless. You can only win a fight against weaklings." Looking over them Xan Cao said, "I'm disappointed in all of you. I expected to find great warriors to test myself against. All I find are children. Clearly the stars are wrong."

"What do you know about stars?" Mickey said. "They often hold more secrets than what the brightest of minds can see."

"You're right, little king. They do." Xan Cao said.

"Enough." Shang held up his sword. "You're going back to the Emperor where you will be judged for your crimes."

Xan Cao was silent for a moment. "I will go back to the Emperor." He kicked Shang's sword out of his hand, and it impaled the ground several feet away. "But it will not be in chains or now. I will appear before him at the time of my choosing." Looking at Mulan he said, "I will spare your husband's life for the sake of your girl, and the child you carry now." Looking at the others, he added, "Do no expect mercy from me a second time. The next time we meet it will be your last moments in life."

"Wait. Where's Chi?" Donald asked.

"By now, in the belly of the beast."

* * *

Chi was dropped in a pile of burnt wood. She coughed and dusted herself off. She then looked at the creature that had taken her. She expected to see some sort of snake monster, though the moonlight made it hard to see. Several fires started up around her and Chi could not believe what it was. It went against everything she knew, everything she had been taught, but here it was.

Standing over her was a massive serpentine dragon. It was covered with black scales and had a thick golden mane. Two massive red horns jutted out of the back of its head. She noticed it had a total of four claws on each foot. It stared at her.

"Wh-what do you want with me?" She asked, although she knew the answer. It stared at her with a hungry look in its eyes. It then opened its mouth wide. However, Chi was not going to let herself become food. She rolled out of the way and the mouth closed on the ground where she used to be. It roared in anger as it turned to face her.

Chi stood up and grabbed a piece of wood. Not the best weapon, but it would have to do. She held it in front of her like a sword. She rushed towards the dragon, yelling at the top of her lungs. However, the dragon merely snorted and sent her flying back. She landed with a groan, and found the dragon standing over her again.

Just as it was about to try to devour her again a red orb blasted the dragon from the side. The gargantuan reptile turned and snarled at the intruder. Chi turned her head to see a hooded figure blasting the creature with red energy. The dragon snarled at the intruder and charged at it. However, the energy completely covered the figure and it rammed into the dragon. The beast roared in pain as it flew off.

The figure approached her. "Are you all right?"

"I am now." She said as she stood up. "Why? Why would a dragon do something like this?"

The figure looked at her. "You mean dragons don't eat people here?"

Chi looked at him. "No. Dragons are wise and benevolent rulers of heaven. They help mankind, and our Emperor is a descendant of their race."

"What a weird world."

She glared at him. "What's weird is this dragon kidnapped me from my group and tried to eat me."

"Well, let's get you back to them. Where were they headed?"

"We were on our way to the Imperial City."

"Then that's where we're going."

"Thank you, uh…"

"Aku. My name is Aku."

* * *

**And there you go. Special thanks to GeminiZKnight for his suggestion on what to have happen here. It was better than my original idea. We'll find out who Aku is in the future, so stay tuned. **

**Also, I'm going to see The Good Dinosaur tonight. I'll try to keep it out of my fanfiction, but depending on how I like it it may or may not end up in here because it includes dinosaurs. However I've got more than enough worlds to work with right now so I may save it for another story. The odds right now are unlikely that I'll include it. We'll just have to wait and see.**

**Oh, in case you haven't seen them yet, be sure to check out TruthoutrunstheFiction's _Bound by Light_ series. All the stories are really good and they've started on a story that's a Christmas special. It's really funny. I would recommend it. Also if you want to help a Kingdom Hearts fanfiction grow please read and review AquaDestinysEmbrace's story _Kingdom Hearts: Darkness Descending_. **


	64. A New Friend?

**Hi everyone. Sorry for the long wait. GeminiZKnight tried to write the chapter, but it wasn't working out, so this is the result. I hope you enjoy.**  
**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**  
**Aku belongs to GeminiZKnight**  
**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

* * *

Chapter 64: A New Friend?

The Land of Dragons…

"You mean that thing took Chi to eat her?!" Jason asked. "Just what kind of monster do you have?"

Xan Cao laughed. "That's a very disrespectful term for a dragon, boy."

Aurora's jaw dropped. "Did you say dragon?"

"Hey, I'm over here." Mushu told them.

The evil warrior looked at him. "Not one like you, snake. A true dragon. One of the gods of old."

Shang shook his head. "No. You're lying. No dragon would ever do such evil."

"You sound so confident, boy." Xan Cao suddenly was beside Shang, who had been knocked to the ground. "But you are mistaken."

"Leave him alone!" Nettie said. Donald fired a Thunder spell at the kung fu warrior. However, Xan Cao just grabbed the lightning with this bare hand. As it changed to a slightly darker color, he threw it back at the court wizard, who yelled as he was struck.

"Donald!" Sora and Goofy ran to their friend.

Aurora glared at Xan Cao. "You're despicable. You are without honor and strike the innocent."

"Then do something about it."

Aurora got into a kung fu stance. Before any could ask her how she knew this stuff, she charged forward at Xan Cao. He managed to parry her strike by crossing his arms to make an X in front of him. Pulling his arms apart he managed to kick Aurora in the stomach. The teen doubled over, gasping for breath.

"I expected more." Xan Cao said as he raised his foot. However, in a surprise attack, Aurora got on her hands and swung a kick that landed on the side of Xan Cao's head. The warrior grunted as he fell over. He landed on his side, but quickly got up as Aurora got to her feet. "You landed a hit on me. You have promise."

Aurora just frowned. "Coming from you, that's an insult."

Xan Cao charged forward, forcing Aurora to block a series of punches and kicks from the evil warrior. She managed to block every single one of them. He didn't let up, and flipped behind her. He punched Aurora in the kidney, sending her forward. Aurora turned in time to block a series of leaping kicks from him.

Jason couldn't stand by anymore. Aurora was getting her hide handed to her, and no one pushes her like that but him. He ran forward and tackled Xan Cao from the side, effectively knocking the warrior away from her. That action actually took Aurora by surprise.

However, Xan Cao kicked Jason off and got to his feet. "Foolish boy." He punched Jason on the left side of his head before doing a flip kick on the other side. Jason was knocked down while Xan Cao placed a foot on his throat. "You should've stayed out of this. You think you're a warrior but you're just a peasant."

"Takes one to know one." AJ swung his keyblades at the warrior. Xan Cao jumped away, but AJ kept swinging. As he did, orbs of light circled his keyblades and then fired at the kung fu warrior. Xan Cao grunted as they forced him back. AJ just looked at his keyblades.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Nettie said.

"Neither did I!" AJ admitted.

Xan Cao got to his feet. "I was not expecting that." Suddenly he was right beside Nettie. "But it will not be enough to defeat me." He struck Nettie in her kidneys, forcing her to drop down. He then kicked her, sending her forward. Nettie cried out in pain.

"Leave her alone!" AJ growled.

Xan Cao looked at him. "She's the weakest link. She hasn't gotten back up. All of you have potential, but she's only holding you down. Join me, and I'll help you unlock your true potential."

"Fat chance!"

Aurora spat. "We will never work with an honor less murderer."

"Then watch your friend die." Xan Cao raised his foot, but stopped. It was as if he was being told something. However, there was no one speaking. He then put his foot down. "Your time will come, but it is not now. Until we meet next time in battle. Then I shall not go easy. You will wish you had taken my offer." Like that Xan Cao was gone. Everyone looked around, but there was no sign of him.

Kairi helped Nettie up. "Is he gone?"

Shang nodded. "But he'll be back. Which is why we cannot stay here. We make for the Imperial City at once."

"But what about Chi?" Aurora asked.

"Nothing we can do."

Aurora didn't like that, but they had to take orders from Shang. They quickly took down camp and got a move on.

* * *

They traveled for days trying to get to the Imperial City. They hardly rested, pushing themselves to try to reach the Emperor. Aurora found herself disliking Shang. He seemed to focus solely on the mission, and not the lives of those around him. Sometimes she wanted to punch him in the jaw.

Now they were heading up some mountains, where it was cold and she was freezing through her clothes. The others weren't doing well in it either, especially Kairi and Nettie. Maybe after this they'll think of dressing more warmly. Or at least making sure the spell that changes their clothes gives them something warmer.

"Are you sure this Tung Shao Pass is the only way to get to the Imperial City?" AJ asked.

Shang looked at him. "It's the quickest way."

"In other words, there are other ways." Jason said.

Shang just kept pressing on. Mushu wrapped himself around Mulan's neck in an effort to keep warm. He made it look as if she was wearing a living scarf. She had to hold the baby close to make sure she didn't catch a cold.

Nettie gasped as her foot disappeared into a pile of snow. "That's deep."

"This sure takes us back. Right guys?" Goofy asked his friends.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. This is where we defeated Shan Yu and his army."

Aurora looked at them. "You guys defeated an army?"

"Mulan really deserves the credit." Sora amended. "She was the one who caused an avalanche that took out the army."

Shang smiled at that. "One of the craziest and most creative ideas I've ever seen. Not even my own men have been able to come up with anything to match that."

"Naturally." Mulan smiled at her husband. She rode her horse up so she could give him a kiss. Aurora shook her head at the married couple.

Riku then spotted something. "Someone's coming." Everyone looked to see two figures approaching them. One was in a black cloak, the other carried a quarterstaff that they were using as a walking stick. Something seemed familiar…

"It's Chi! She's alive!" Nettie said. She and Kairi started to run towards them. However, the one who was Chi held up a hand as if telling them to stop. They did as they approached. Tensions rose as they saw the cloak matched that of Organization XIII.

"Chi? What are you doing with…" Mika gestured to the cloak figure.

Chi smiled. She was now dressed similarly to Aurora and Mulan, though her new clothes kept the color scheme of her dress. "He saved my life."

"Chi, you can't trust anyone from Organization XIII." Riku then realized Axel, Roxas, Xion, and Mika were still with them. "What I meant is…"

"Organization XIII is tricky." Axel told her. "They may get you thinking they're okay, but then they'll stab you in the back when you're not looking. Got it memorized?"

"I'm not with Organization XIII." The figure spoke. Jason's eyes widened with recognition before they narrowed with anger. With no explanation he summoned his keyblade.

"Sivour!" He charged at the cloaked figure, revealing someone who looked like Sivour, but wasn't him. Still, the similarity was enough to keep Jason fighting. Jason didn't give his opponent time to summon his weapon as he proceeded to attack. However, to his surprise, Chi beat him back with her quarterstaff.

"Back. Stay away from him!" Chi glared at him. "He's not this Sivour. His name is Aku."

Mika's eyes widened with recognition. "Aku?"

"You know him?" Xion asked.

Mika nodded. "He used to be friends with me and Axel, a long time ago. Before… everything happened."

Aku looked up. "Mika. Thank heaven you're all right."

"How did you survive?" Axel asked.

Aku shrugged. "I'm not sure. Everything's a blur. Except for the last few weeks."

"The dragon carried me up a mountain." Chi explained. "I couldn't believe a benevolent creature would do such a thing, or that it tried to eat me. It would've succeeded, but Aku appeared and saved my life."

"It's a ploy. It has to be." Jason folded his arms. "The guy's probably playing you for a fool."

Chi glared at him. "He is not. Aku saved me from the dragon, and he's been helping me get to the Imperial City. He's even taught me how to fight."

"Really?" Nettie asked.

Chi nodded. Holding it above her head, she twirled it around and showed the group some fancy moves. "Next time we're attacked I won't be helpless."

"Hopefully we won't be attacked." Aku said.

"Why are you helping her?" Shang asked.

Aku looked at him. "It's the right thing to do. I couldn't bear it if I left someone in need. From what we've heard from some of the villages we passed through Xan Cao is growing dangerous. The Emperor needs to be told because I don't see how a ruler can sit back and watch his people suffer like this."

"He isn't." Shang said. "Help will come as soon as we deliver our report." Looking down the pass, he added, "The Imperial City is just down the mountain. We'll arrive by sundown."

"Then let's go." Everyone began following Mulan and Shang down. However, Jason grabbed Aku by the arm and turned him around so they were face-to-face.

"Listen, I don't know what game you're playing, but you're not fooling me. I remember what you've done on the _Flying Dutchman_, and I will never forget. You can torture me all you want, but if you do anything to threaten the others mark my words you'll wish the Kraken got you instead of me!"

* * *

As they passed through the city there were festivities going on. People were playing all sorts of musical instruments, from flutes to drums. There were acrobats doing all sorts of flips, with some even walking on their hands. There were even people dressed up as dragons, though they weren't as well received as they otherwise might've been.

Merchants tried to sell their wares to passing travelers, but the group wasn't shopping. Shang was heading straight to the palace. The sooner they got there, the sooner the Emperor could be warned about what was going on.

Nettie's jaw dropped as she saw the palace. It wasn't as big as the one in Agrabah had been, but it was still impressive. The huge stone lions also intimidated her, standing as silent sentinels guarding the man who ruled over the entire land. Definitely a place fit for a king. Or in this case an emperor.

"Guess we're home free." Jason said as he started up the steps. However, a roar soon echoed through the place. Landing behind them in the massive courtyard was a dragon. It resembled Mushu, except it was pure black. It also looked at them like they were insects, or nothing more than morsels. Its claws left deep marks in the stone as it roared.

* * *

**Again, sorry for the wait. Hopefully this won't happen again. GeminiZKnight, sorry if this didn't go as you saw it. If you want you can PM me suggestions and I'll try to fix it. I'll see if I can get chapter 65 written and up this weekend. Then we'll be caught up. **  
**Oh, I have been doing designs for the characters on DeviantArt. If you'd like to see you can find it in the Journey of Discover gallery on DinoArt65's profile. **


	65. Sivour the Moment

**Hey everyone. Here's chapter 65, and the last chapter for the Land of Dragons arc (for now). This is kind of lengthy, but I was trying to wrap things up here. Enjoy.**  
**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**  
**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori**

**Aku and Sivour belong to GeminiZKnight.**

* * *

Chapter 65: Sivour the Moment

The Land of Dragons…

The roar of the great black dragon blew everyone over, causing them to crash into the stairs of the palace. A groan of pain escaped Aurora's lips as she held her side. The ground shook and quaked as she struggled to get up, telling all of them that the dragon was coming towards them. When she raised her head she could see the creature glaring at them with malice and destruction in its eye.

Pushing herself up, Aurora summoned her Fantasy Warrior keyblade. The metal reflected the light of the sun as she prepared to fight. The others got up as quickly as they could and called forth their weapons.

Aku noticed Chi was also preparing to fight, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Chi, no. It's too dangerous."

She looked at him. "That thing destroyed my village. My family. Honor demands that I face it in battle, even if it costs me my life."

"And just how does it honor the memory of everyone by killing yourself needlessly?"

"This isn't needless!" Chi glared at him and Aku knew that her mind was made up. She was going to join in the fight whether he liked it or not. She then pulled away and charged forward with the others. He looked on, fear gnawing away at his heart. This was suicide, yet she was willing to die to avenge her family. What kind of morals did this world have?

The dragon snapped at them as they charged forward. Sora and Riku leapt out of the way while they slashed the muzzle of the beast with their keyblades. The monster snarled and snapped at them, but missed by inches. Axel summoned his chakrams and threw them at the forelimbs of the beast. It snarled and reared up, the burns and scratches he made healing before their eyes.

"That's going to be a problem." AJ said as he leapt up with both of his Kingdom Keys. Spinning, the metal clanged against the scales one, two, three, four, five, six, seven times. The infuriated roar roar echoed through their bodies and made their bones vibrate. The oldest of the Harthynians slid down the dragon's back, dragging his blades across the scales. The creature reared back, throwing him off and towards the ground. Fortunately, someone was there to break his fall. Unfortunately, it was Nettie.

"Get off me!" Nettie said as she pushed him off. No sooner was he off than the fourteen-year old than she found herself pinned between the claws of the dragon. It looked at her with a hungry glint, the drool dripping off its fangs. Head reared like a snake poised to strike, the head raced towards her body.

It was deterred by several people leaping up to strike it with their keyblades. It shook its head and pulled back, trying to get away from their weapons. A quarterstaff then began whacking the ankle of the beast, and after enough hits the foot lifted off Nettie. A hand was extended towards Nettie as she took it.

She found herself looking at Chi. "You need to be careful." The villager told her as suddenly they say the serpentine form turning rapidly. Quickly Chi pushed Nettie down to keep her from being struck by the tail of the dragon. She tried to get out of the way too, but the cold, hard scales collided with her back. Agony ripped through her as she was sent flying forward.

"Chi!" She saw Aku racing towards her, heedless of the danger. Their heads collided and her world went black.

Aurora wasn't letting herself get pushed back. She charged towards the legs of the beast, slashing with all her might. She might've well as been punching a mountain for all that was doing. Their attacks weren't leaving a permanent dent in the scales. They were harder than the strongest metals she knew of. With such power, it was no wonder that people here put such creatures on the level of divine beings.

Still, there had to be a way. The scales appeared too tightly fused together to try to force her weapon between them. There were no gaps in the underbelly either, so stabbing it in the chest was a no go. It looked like the eyes and mouth were the only vulnerable spots, but attacking those places was easier said than done. Those dagger-like fangs would slice her into mincemeat, and the head kept shaking too hard to stay on it long enough to stab an eyeball. It was like there was no way to attack it.

The Morugan remembered the words of her father. "If your enemy appears invulnerable, make them vulnerable. Their pride will become their weakness." Well, it's hard to not feel immortal when you're a hundred-foot serpent with metallic scales. There was no… wait. She jumped back as the dragon's head swooped by in an effort to swallow her. She thought she noticed something about the scales. As it turned she looked again.

Yes! They bent! They weren't sealed as tightly as the rest of the body. There was the opportunity, the weakness to exploit. Now for the fun part. Dismissing her keyblade, Aurora ran forward. As Jason was trying to get back up, she leapt onto his back. Using him like a springboard, Aurora leapt up and landed on the head of the dragon. With instinct tanking over she grabbed hold of one of the antler horn things on its head. Tiny barbs cut into her hand but she did not dare let go because if she did death awaited her.

The dragon reared its head up before it dived back down in an effort to shake her off. The dragon lifted off the ground, flying around in complex twists and turns, winding around its body and through the loops as if it wanted to tie itself together, yet it never came close to doing so. It was like watching a strange form of dance.

Shaking herself back to focus, Aurora summoned her keyblade into her free hand. She squinted against the rushing wind to try to see the right moment when the scales would bend. Finally, as it was preparing to dive, the opportunity came. Now or never! She swung Fantasy Warrior towards the head, but the blade got caught under the scales. No! She then tried to pull her blade free.

Before she knew what was happening the dragon gave an immense cry that was higher in pitch than it had been before. It rose and dove too fast for the Morugan. She was forced to let go of the head. Arms began flailing as she entered a freefall in the air, her heart rate increasing to the point where it was like it was going to painfully force its way out of her chest.

Then, her descent halted. Confusion swept through her flustered mind as Aurora looked to see that now she was in some crystalline sphere. There was also a funnel of wind underneath her, slowing her descent towards the ground. As she got closer the Morugan saw that Mika had pointed both of her keyblades at her, and the tips were still lit. She must've used her magic to help her.

As soon as she touched the ground the funnel and sphere disappeared, leaving her to stumble as she regained her footing. Donald and Kairi were casting Cure on everyone to heal them from the battle. She felt the cuts on her hand vanish, sealing themselves up. She had to admit the magic was very impressive.

"That… was… intense…" Jason said.

She wasn't in the mood to make some remark to him. "It was."

"What exactly happened?" Nettie asked.

Aurora shook her head. "I struck it in the head. Must've hit a nerve or something."

Riku looked at her. "When it shook you off it looked like something else fell off its head."

"Chi!" Mika interrupted them as she ran over to their friend. The villager was getting up, holding her head with slight moans of pain. "Take it easy. Don't stress yourself."

The villager wasn't concerned for her own safety. "Aku!" She quickly turned to the blonde-haired boy who remained unconscious. She began to shake him. "Aku! Aku! Wake up!"

While she was struggling to revive her unconscious savior Riku sensed something. It seemed as if the darkness in his heart was magnifying. And… wait. Did his hair become an incredibly pale shade of blonde? And why did it suddenly get spikier? Oh no. "Chi, get away from him!"

Chi glared at him, but before she could say anything a hand grabbed her throat. Gagging, Chi was lifted off the ground as Aku regained consciousness. Except it wasn't Aku. In addition to the hair changing the eyes were completely different. When he first saw Aku he had blue friendly eyes like his friends. Now, they were amber. Like…

Like Xehanort's.

"Get your filthy hands off me." The cold, familiar voice of Sivour said as he glared at Chi. The villager's eyes widened with shock as he threw her to the side, causing her to roll. He didn't give her a second glance as he turned to face them. "Well, well, well. We just seem to keep running into each other."

"I knew it." Jason growled. "The whole Aku thing was just a ruse to get close to us."

"Aku?" Sivour said. "I know nothing about Aku, and frankly I couldn't care."

"Don't play us." AJ said. "You were Aku hardly two seconds ago!"

Sivour blasted him back with his chaotic energy. "Do not test my patience. I am not in the mood for games."

Chi struggled to get up. "Aku…"

Sivour turned and glared at her. His glared did something because Chi screamed with immense agony and writhed in pain on the ground. "The name is Sivour, filth."

"Don't call her that!" Mika pointed her keyblades at her.

"And what are you going to do?"

"It's not what we'll do." Shang called to him. "It's what the Imperial Army will do to you unless you leave. Now."

Sivour glared at the captain. With a snap of his fingers the captain would experience pain like he never knew. However, this wasn't the time to be taking on armies. A dark corridor opened behind him. As he stepped towards it the heavenly demon gave a warning. "The next time I come to this pathetic excuse for an empire, you can be sure the land will be plunged into chaos."

As the corridor closed around him, Chi stopped writhing. Mika quickly went to her side and cast Cure. The green leaves floated around her, but the villager didn't move from her curled up position. Mika saw a lone tear fall from her eye. Looks like she had some pain that magic couldn't heal.

"Thanks Shang." Sora told his friend.

The captain merely nodded. "Come. We must tell the Emperor all we know."

* * *

The throne room was as Sora, Donald, and Goofy remembered, but for everyone else it was a sight to behold. Sure, the Sultan's throne room had been impressive, but the dominant color here was red. A dragon emblem hung over the throne, which when compared to the Sultan's was little more than a simple chair.

The man who sat in it was far from simple. He may have been old and thin, but he sported a long, white beard with a matching moustache. For some reason it made Aurora think he was very wise. His crown looked more like a strange hat than a crown, but it was still impressive on him. His robes were very elegant and the sleeves… they were huge. His black sash bore a resemblance to an obi. His upper robes were mostly yellow on both the inside and the outside, though the outside of his high collar was black. There was also a black and red criss-crossing pattern going over each of his shoulders. His lower robes were mostly brown, though they were tan at the base. A magenta "outline" of rectangular cloth was present over the front of the lower robes.

Shang and Mulan both bowed before the Emperor. "Your Majesty, our scouting mission has confirmed that Xan Cao has been behind the attacks on the outer villages."

"Xan Cao? No one's heard from him for a while." A man standing beside the Emperor said. He was rather lanky and dressed mainly in blue robes with a matching cap. There was a white shirt underneath his robes, which were held together by a purple sash. He also had brown shoes on, and was taking down notes on some board with a brush. The Emperor held his hand up to silence the man.

"There's more." Mulan said. "Xan Cao is working with a dragon."

The man laughed. "Oh, sure. And my sister is really a jiangshi. You women and your tales."

"Chi-Fu." The Emperor said with authority in his voice. "Enough. Let them speak."

Nodding, Shang continued, "We found a string of destroyed villages. We were fortunate to have found one survivor, who we have brought back with us. Heaven has also smiled upon us as we have had the assistance of Sora, Donald, and Goofy."

The Emperor's face remained devoid of any expression. Whether he was happy or surprised, there was no hint of it in his demeanor. He just shut his eyes for several minutes. Nettie was worried he might've fallen asleep. Finally, when he did open them, he gave this order. "Shang. Mulan. Chi-Fu. Leave us."

"Your Excellency?" Chi-Fu asked. "Are you sure?"

"I will speak with them alone." That was the final word on the matter. Everyone who wasn't part of their group left the throne room. When the doors shut with an echoing thud the Emperor stood. Placing his hands into his sleeves he approached the group. "So it is as the heavens foretold."

"The heavens foretold?" AJ asked.

"For months I have seen signs in the stars that something was happening. Something that would affect the Middle Kingdom. I have searched and studied the legends of our country to try to understand, and I believe that you are the reincarnations of the Warriors of Light."

The Harthynians were shocked. "You know of the Warriors of Light?"

"What are the Warriors of Light?" Mika asked.

Nettie looked at her. "They're a legend on our world. They were supposed to be elite champions chosen by the King of Heaven Himself. They were mightier than all the armies of men, and put down evil wherever it was found. Some say the time when they lived was a Golden Age."

"Our legends say they came from the stars and drove demons from our land." The Emperor explained. "And I do believe your arrival is proof of what I speak of. As you know, not too long ago a series of earthquakes struck the land. However, they did not shake the earth alone. Even the heavens trembled."

Even Aurora had to admit she was impressed with this man. He knew about the incident that happened between the worlds? No ordinary man could know of such things. "You know about that too?"

"Yes, and my dreams have told me that the name for that incident is the Spatial Tremor. Every world that exists in the heavens was affected, some worse than others. I believe that the corruption of the dragon is an effect of the Spatial Tremor on the Middle Kingdom."

"You mean other worlds might've been affected somehow too?" Goofy asked.

Donald looked at him. "Goofy!" When he realized his mistake Goofy covered his mouth. However, the Emperor remained calm, as if all Goofy had said was the time of day.

"I know there are worlds besides my own." The Emperor said. "You do not need to fear speaking openly around me."

"So… what else can you tell us about the Spatial Tremor?" Kairi asked.

The Emperor thought as he stroked his beard. "I sense it started to tip the scales of balance towards the darkness. Like a landslide flooding a river, it has introduced more darkness than the universe needs. There is a great deal manifested in the warrior you call Shadow."

"Do you know where he came from?" Riku asked.

They were all disappointed when the Emperor shook his head. "That information has been kept from me. However, my meditation has suggested that just as he has helped to tip the scales out of balance, he may be key to bringing them in balance again."

"Is there anything we can do to bring balance back?" Roxas asked.

"Save your friends. Free them from the darkness."

"How?" Jason asked. "Malefi… our enemies, have them under a spell. They now choose darkness over light."

"It has simply put them out of balance." The Emperor said. "By bringing yourselves into balance you will help bring them into balance as well."

"We need to be in balance?" Xion asked.

"Yes. We all need to be in balance to be effective. Some of you may think that darkness needs to be destroyed, but it will always surround humanity. One of the things we must do to bring ourselves into balance is to accept that. However, that does not mean you let it control you."

Riku nodded. He fought against the darkness for years, and recently came to accept that it was a part of him. However, he wouldn't let it control him. "We understand. Thank you, your Majesty."

"When all of you are gathered, and all are in balance, then the wrongs shall be righted." The Emperor said. "Go now. Help your friends. Bring yourselves into balance."

* * *

As they left the throne room everyone was impressed with what they had learned. Not only was the shaking called the Spatial Tremor, but it was also an element to why the universe was messed up. Now they had to bring themselves into balance to help their friends.

As they walked, they passed Chi. She was sitting in a chair with her face buried in her hands. She seemed to be sobbing. They approached her cautiously. "Chi?"

She looked up at them. "What did he say?"

Mika sighed. "I think that's something we need to keep private. However, what he said has been helpful."

Chi looked at them. "Are you going to leave?"

"Yeah. We need to stop bad guys like Sivour."

Chi stood. "I know he's good. Sivour is not Aku, but I know Aku is an honorable man. If you find him, help him. Free him from Sivour."

"I don't know if we can…" AJ said. To his surprise Chi grabbed his shirt. She was shorter than him, but she seemed tall as she stared into his eyes.

"Don't just write him off. Aku helped me survive. If he was evil, he wouldn't have lifted a finger. The man I know is somewhere inside that monster. Promise me that you will do what you can to help him!"

AJ gulped. She seemed serious about this. He still didn't think how they could help Aku, but he had a feeling that if he said no he would regret it. Swallowing, he said, "We promise, if we can, we'll help Aku."

* * *

**And now they know about the Spatial Tremor. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This arc was challenging to do but I think it all worked out. **


	66. Our Pride and Joy

**Okay, now it's time to repost this chapter in its proper place.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27.  
Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori**

* * *

Chapter 66: Our Pride and Joy

The World That Never Was…

Shadow was watching Clair train. In addition to her new outfit she had been mastering more and more of Maleficent's spells. It could be a matter of time before she would start thinking herself more powerful than the witch. Shadow shook his head in disgust. He knew that whatever power she was gaining wasn't real. It was all the work of that thorn. And he was going to be there when this upstart learned that.

"Shadow." He heard Maleficent say. The warrior turned to see the witch was approaching him. "I see you have found your partner for your next mission."

Shadow looked at Clair. "You expect me to work with her? Why?"

"Because her power needs to be tested out. And we have found the perfect place to do that." Saix told him. "And to make sure nothing goes wrong, Demyx will go with you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Me?" Demyx asked.

Saix looked at him. "Yes. Unless you wish to be reduced to a Dusk?"

"No, no. Ready to go."

Maleficent looked at Shadow. "You should know that for this next assignment all three of you will have to be transformed into an animal."

Memories of Doctor Facilier and what happened in Jazz Bayou entered Shadow's mind. "You're telling me I have to turn into an animal again? I don't think so! I had enough of that with that blasted witchdoctor!"

Vexen chuckled at that. "Relax, Shadow. This is nothing like Facilier's voodoo magic. You see, this world is completely uninhabited by humans. However, the local wildlife, as reported by Pete, have near humanlike intelligence. Therefore, you cannot be human while on that world."

Shadow grumbled at that. It was bad enough to play babysitter to the coward and the pretended witch, but he wouldn't be able to do it as a person. Why did there have to be a world where there were no people? If this was fate it had a very cruel sense of humor.

"You can relax Shadow." Vexen said. "There's no need to fret. You will return to your human form once you leave that world."

Shadow sighed. "Fine, but I'd better not end up as a snake again. Seriously, that form was far too cumbersome for me to fight in!"

* * *

The Pride Lands…

Shadow, Clair, and Demyx stepped out of the Corridor to Darkness and found themselves in some sort of gorge. The place had an eerie, creepy glow, like it was a place of darkness. There were geysers of some sort dotting the area, but they let out steam instead of water.

Shadow took notice of the forms the others took. Clair had turned into a disgusting bird with black feathers and a bald head. The name quickly came to him. Vulture. That's what she had become. A vulture. Strangely she kept her hair.

Demyx had become a strange, dog-like creature. He had pointed ears and almost reddish fur. His body looked as if he hadn't eaten in days. The name of Demyx's form came to him. Jackal. He was a jackal.

"Whoa, Shadow." Demyx said. "You've become a…"

"If I'm a snake again, I'm going to strangle you." Shadow growled.

"Why me? Why not Clair?"

"You're closer." Clair answered. "And you can chill, Shadow. You're not a snake. You're some sort of dog."

"A creepy, wild dog." Demyx added. Shadow looked down and saw that he did have paws. He also had dark brown fur with tufts of white here and there. Well, this was better than a snake. He looked up to see that they were not alone. Two large cat-like creatures had appeared on a ledge not to far away. One appeared to be male, but it was incredibly scraggly with dark brown fur and a pathetic excuse for a mane. The other might've been a female. She carried two sticks in her mouth and had a lighter tone in her fur. Some of it stuck over her eyes like bangs. The name came to him like with the others. These were lions.

The male noticed them. "What're you doing here? This gorge is supposed to belong to the hyenas, even though they ran off."

"W-we're just passing through." Demyx said.

"You don't work for Simba do you?"

"Never heard of him." Clair said. "We work for Organization XIII."

The female lion dropped down and dropped the sticks onto a geyser. "Organization XIII?"

"They destroy all who oppose them." Shadow shook his head at Clair's statement because he hadn't seen them destroy anyone. All they did was unleash Heartless into worlds to try and steal hearts. And of course poison the hearts of others with those stupid thorns. However, it caught the interest of the lioness.

"Destroy, huh?" She looked at them. "My mother might be interested in working with them. Even now we prepare to destroy Simba and take the Pride Lands."

"Come on, Vitani. We don't need them." The lion said. "She's putting too much trust into that Kovu to do in Simba. I don't see why we need to even help him. If Kovu's so special, why does he need us? I never even had a chance!" A geyser erupted behind him, causing the lion to scream and hide behind Vitani.

She rolled her eyes. "Nuka, we've been over this. Kovu was chosen by Scar to become king." The sticks on the geyser caught fire. "That's it." She picked one up. "Come on. Kiara has started her hunt. We have to move quickly."

Shadow watched as Nuka grabbed the other stick, and then stuck his head over the geyser. It erupted in his face, sending his fur standing straight up. "I'm on fire!" He ran off after Vitani laughing maniacally. Shadow shook his head. That mangy throw-rug was pathetic. However, he noticed Clair following after them.

"Where are you going?" He asked her.

She turned to look at them. "It sounds as if they're going to make trouble. However, I intend to show them the true meaning of the word." She then flew off. Shadow groaned. Great. Now he was supposed to go after her.

* * *

They traveled some distance to a wide open savannah where all sorts of animals grazed. As he looked at them the names came to Shadow one by one. Elephants. Giraffes. Zebras. Gazelles. But how did he know these names? Had he seen these animals before? He wasn't sure.

He watched as Vitani and Nuka held on to their burning sticks. There was some lioness in the distance, but her fur was more of a golden color. However, that appeared to be their target, Kiara, because Nuka said, "Let's light fire!" Vitani laughed as she ran around, using her stick to set the savannah ablaze. Nuka was more stupid. He just chanted about a roasted toasted princess, trapping himself in a circle of fire. The mangy lion didn't notice until it was too late. "Hey, is it hot in here is that just me? FIRE!" He leapt out of there like a rocket, and then acted like nothing happened.

Clair shook her head. "You call that starting a fire? It's not even kindling compared to what I can do."

Vitani glared at her. "Oh yeah?"

"Watch and witness the power of the Organization." Clair flew up and began to circle around. Shadow saw her take a deep breath, before she shouted, "Dragon fire!" A column of fire erupted from her like an airborne geyser. It quickly incinerated a large area of the savannah, turning the fire into a firestorm. "That's a fire."

"Do you even realize what you've done?" Shadow asked. "You've started a firestorm!"

"Exactly. Now the Pride Lands will know destruction."

* * *

The Keyblade Warriors entered the Pride Lands to find it growing again. Sora had told his friends that the last time he was here it was a barren wasteland. Now all sorts of plants grew here and impressive animals roamed. Kairi liked the look of all of it. However, she liked how Sora looked. "You look just like a kitty cat." She smiled.

In his lion form Sora smiled. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that." He looked at his friends. Kairi had turned into a cheetah cub while Riku had become a hyena. Axel was the most impressive. He had become an adult lion with a fiery red mane.

Mika smiled and made a purring sound while swiping a paw at him. She too had become a cheetah. "Axel, you look hot."

"When do I not look hot?" Axel joked.

Aurora shook her head at those two. She had become a Nile crocodile. Jason, meanwhile, had ended up in the form of a large rhino. Nettie had the fortune of becoming a zebra colt while Mabul had turned into a honey badger. AJ had become a leopard cub while Roxas and Xion were lion cubs. Jiminy Cricket, strangely, hadn't changed, and was on Jason's shoulder. Donald was a hornbill again while Goofy was a turtle.

"So why are we animals?" Nettie asked.

Sora shrugged. "It happens in this world.

"Maybe it's because there are no humans here." Mika said. "I had to scout out this place a few times, and I've never seen any sign that people lived in this world."

"So this is literally an animal kingdom?" Kairi asked.

Mika nodded. "That is my best guess. As a result, anyone who visits this world will have to become an animal."

"Well, I don't know about you kids, but I am on fire!" Axel said. "Got it memorized?"

Riku sniffed the air. "Speaking of fire… I smell one!" Everyone looked into the distance to see a dark cloud of smoke rising into the air. A menagerie of animals ran by them, trying to get away from the flames. They couldn't see the flames until they saw a wave of it rise up like a raging tsunami.

"Firestorm!" Axel said.

Summoning Kingdom Key Sora told the others, "We need to get this fire under control or it'll burn the Pride Lands to the ground!"

Everyone summoned their keyblades and they got to work. Donald and Mika fired a flurry of Blizzard spells at the fire, beating it back. It was awkward for the new warriors to be fighting as animals, as they weren't used to running on all fours. Kairi tripped over her paws and fell onto her side. Sora helped her up before hitting a flame with his keyblade.

"This is ridiculous!" Aurora said. "How are we supposed to fight like this?"

"Watch us." Goofy tucked himself into his shell and spun himself around. To their surprise he sped forward and hit some of the flames with his shield. The flames died down.

Aurora sighed. May as well. She ran as fast as her sprawled out legs could carry her and then hit the flames with Fantasy Warrior. The flames must've been magical because she didn't see how this could've been an effective way to fight fire.

The flames continued to spread. Jason realized that if they didn't find a more effective way to fight the fire, they would be surrounded by the flames. "Guys, we need a new strategy!" He called out to them.

Axel looked around. Spotting a river, he said, "Quick! To the river!"

"But the fire!" Kairi said.

"Trust me on this!" With that everyone turned and began to run towards the river. The flames raced after them, licking after them with tongues of heat and pain. Once they were close enough Axel turned and threw his chakrams using his mouth and his tail. To the left and right they flew, spreading flames as they went.

"Great. Now…" Aurora started to say before Axel pushed her into the river. Actually he pushed everyone in before leaping in himself. He caught his chakrams while he was at it. They all landed with a splash. Several heads came up gasping for breath while they glared back at Axel.

"What was that about?!" AJ asked as they began to swim.

"I started a backfire." Axel explained. "I burned the vegetation ahead of the fire. With nothing to burn the firestorm will kill itself."

Mika nodded. "That's pretty smart."

Axel smiled at her. "I got that memorized."

They then pulled themselves out of the river. AJ shook himself dry like a dog, as did Sora, Kairi, Riku, Axel, Roxas, Xion, and Mika. Mabul chittered while Nettie nuzzeled him. "It's okay. We're safe."

"The Pride Lands? No!" They turned to see that not too far away there was a golden lioness glaring at a brown-furred lion with a black mane. "Why did you bring me here? Who do you think you are?!"

The lion looked at her. "I think I'm the one who just saved your life."

"Hey, I had everything under control!"

"Not from where I'm standing."

"Then move downwind." The lioness tried to leave, but the lion got in her way. She kept trying to get by him, but he kept getting in her way. Aurora would've slugged the lion if she had fists.

"What're you doing?" The lion asked her.

She then looked at him with recognition. "Kovu?"

"Kiara!" A golden lion with a red mane ran up to them, snarling and growling at the other lion.

"Simba!" Sora called out as he ran forward with Donald and Goofy. "How've ya been?"

The lion, Simba, looked at them, and his eyes widened with recognition. "Sora! Donald! Goofy!" He then noticed the others. "Who are they?"

"These are our friends." Sora explained as another lioness ran up and nuzzled the other lioness.

"Kiara. You're all right." She said.

Kiara then looked at Simba. "Father, how could you do this?"

"It's a good thing I did. I almost lost you. NO more hunts for you! Not ever!" Simba told her. It was clear that Kiara was his daughter.

"But I was doing fine! Even before Kovu…"

"Kovu?" Simba then roared at the other lion, who roared back.

Sora looked at the older lioness. "Nala, what's going on?"

Nala looked at him. "Kovu is one of the Outsiders. He's not supposed to be in the Pride Lands."

"Outsiders?" Riku asked.

"Lions who were sympathetic with Scar. They believe he was the rightful king, not Mufasa. They see Simba as a usurper, so he had to banish them."

Nettie gulped. This didn't sound good to her. It sounded like that even among animals there was darkness present. And she had been hoping that they would be immune to darkness.

"Hey! You!" A mandrill that appeared out of nowhere said. "How dare you save the king's daughter?"

Simba looked at Kovu. "You saved her? Why?"

"I humbly ask to join your pride." Kovu said.

"No! You were banished with the other Outsiders." Simba said.

"I left the Outsiders. I'm a rogue. Judge me now for who I am, or am I to be blamed for a crime I didn't commit?"

Simba paced back and forth, unsure of what to think. Riku could sense darkness around Kovu, but it wasn't the same darkness that many villains had. Somehow, Riku sensed that there was still hope for Kovu.

Sora then spoke up. "Simba, he saved Kiara's life. We saw him do it. Surely we can give him a chance?"

"He didn't make the choice to stand with Scar." Donald said. "And his actions still stand. You owe him for saving Kiara."

Simba turned to face Kovu after some serious thought. "My father's law will prevail. For now, I reserve judgement. We'll see who you really are."

* * *

**Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for his suggestions with the dialogue at the beginning.  
Oh, if you're interested I do have a DeviantArt account. I'm DinoArt65. I've been doing pictures of the characters from the story. My drawing skills aren't the best though. **  
**And yes, I have heard of the Lion Guard. I saw some stuff on YouTube and it actually looks good. However I thought about going with The Lion King II: Simba's Pride long before I saw it. I just hope I did a good job with giving everyone an animal form. **  
**As for Clair, I was trying to show just what kind of dark magic she's been learning from Maleficent.  
**

**Last note, I have fallen behind on some very important research so I need to dedicate all the time I can towards catching up. Sorry. And I know most people do not like The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, but I intend to make it better in this fanfiction. If you have any suggestions on how to make it better, feel free to PM me. Of course I haven't forgotten about the cast. I intend to make the visit to the Pride Lands a big challenge for everyone, to the point where it threatens to destroy what remains of the team. **


	67. To train a lioness

**Finally got this chapter done. I had to wait because my laptop wouldn't allow me to submit this chapter to here. I hope you enjoy. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**  
**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori**

**Special thanks to AquaDestiniesEmbrace for helping me write the dialogue in the den**

* * *

Chapter 67: To train a lioness

The Pride Lands…

Shadow, Demyx, and Clair followed Vitani to where Nuka had gone ahead to meet her mother, Zira. So this was the leader of the Outsiders. She was a lioness with a dark brown stripe going down her head. There was also a piece of her left ear missing, like someone had bitten it off. From the sounds of his spluttering Nuka wasn't happy about how things went.

"Did you see that? He let her go! If that were me…" The scraggly lion was saying.

Zira looked at him. "Hush. The fire rescue went perfectly, and Simba fell for it. Now, the closer Kovu gets to the daughter, the closer he gets to Simba. And once he has Simba alone…" Zira tore a dead tree in half. Shadow could sense a lot of darkness in this lioness's heart.

Nuka then noticed. "Oh, look. Vitani's here. Along with those strange animals."

Zira turned to to them. "Vitani. Where have you been? And who are they?"

"We meet them in the gorge." Vitani said. "They helped us start the fire."

"Say they're enemies of Simba." Nuka said in a mocking tone.

However, that had the opposite effect of what he was going for. Instead of ignoring them, Zira took an interest. "Enemies you say? Well, any enemy of Simba's a friend of mine. I see you've already met my children, Vitani and Nuka."

Shadow grunted. "Yeah. We did."

"We represent Organization XIII." Clair said. "And I saw that our enemies have allied themselves with Simba."

"That ragtag group of animals we saw go into Pride Rock?" Nuka asked. "Please. I could beat them with only one paw."

Shadow seriously doubted that. "I wouldn't be so quick to underestimate them, fleabag. Those brats have been a thorn in our side."

"Really? Your organization can't handle a bunch of cubs?" Nuka smiled as if he found something to tease them about.

Clair swiped at him with a talon. He got out of the way, but Clair wasn't finished. "Fool. Each of those cubs is in possession of a keyblade." She summoned hers.

Zira's eyes narrowed. "Keyblade? Yes, I remember three animals helped Simba kill Scar. One of them had a weapon like hers. A keyblade."

"Well, guess what? The three responsible for aiding Simba are up there." Demyx said.

Zira snarled fiercely. "Then I accept your help. Those three, and all their friends, will share Simba's fate."

* * *

Jason couldn't sleep that night. It wasn't because of the hard floor of the formation that was Pride Rock. It wasn't because of the cold night air. It was because of the nightmares he had been having. Everywhere he went in his dreams he was haunted by the images Sivour had shown him. He also saw himself becoming the person his father was, which still terrified him now after all this time. Jack Skellington hadn't been joking that what he saw in the crypt, his inner demon, was still haunting him.

Tonight had been a different sort of nightmare. He dreamt that he was in an abandoned castle that looked as if it had been blasted from the inside out. The place had an eerie green glow to it, like something evil resided her. He wanted to get out, get as far away from this place as possible.

"Jason!" He heard Clair call out. "Jason! Help! Save me!" He looked around, and saw Clair in a cage, being held over a pit. She was dressed in a funny dress, pure white. Almost… like a sacrifice.

However, there was a roar. From behind her emerged a large, dark shape, almost like a dragon. It wasn't the same as the dragon that worked with Xan Cao. It had wings, and a different shaped head. Almost… demonic. Jason ran forward, calling his keyblade to help. However, it turned to dust in his hand. He tripped, and then watched helplessly as the creature swallowed her whole.

"NO!" Jason cried out. Gripping Born Fighter tightly he charged forward to attack the monster, which looked at him. To his surprise the face wasn't that of a monster.

It was Clair!

Jason hesitated in his attack. In that moment green flames erupted from the mouth of Clair and incinerated him. Jason gasped and bolted upright, panting as he glanced around. He saw that he was still on Pride Rock. He took deep breaths.

"Jason?" AJ asked. "Can't sleep?"

Jason shook his head. "That obvious?"

"What happened?" AJ asked him.

"Had a nightmare... it was about Clair..." Jason replied, taking deep breaths.

AJ looked down. "I had one too... about Stella..."

Jason looked at his friend with a bit of sadness. "What... happened...?"

"She turned into a monster and ate me."

Jason looked down. "... Clair turned into a dragon and she burnt me in my nightmare."

"Creepy."

"I know, right...?" Jason muttered

He looked outside. "AJ... I'm scared. What if we're too late to save them? What if the people we knew are gone?"

AJ frowned. "We WILL save them." he promised.

Jason gritted his teeth. "Maleficent did that to them..."

"And that witch is going to pay." AJ told him. "But we won't do anything by worrying and getting angry."

"But just how are we gonna get Clair, Stella, and Ashley back...?" Jason asked his friend, looking down. "Not to mention... Phil's one of them now."

AJ had a saddened look, but it quickly went away. "We'll figure something out. I know our friends are still there. We'll figure it out in the morning. Right now, let's get some sleep."

Jason sighed, nodding in agreement as he lied back down. "Yeah..." he muttered. They both shut their eyes, not knowing that Simba had been listening to their conversation.

Simba had a concerned look. Their friends have been taken? And turned to the darkness by Maleficent? He remembered the times before, when he helped Sora, Donald, and Goofy take on the forces of darkness. It seemed so long ago. And now four of their friends were taken? And they've been... brainwashed? Would he be able to help them save their friends in any way? If only he didn't have to worry about Kovu right now.

* * *

The sun was bright even at dawn. Nettie couldn't help but watch it rise when she woke up. It was so beautiful and magical, and reminded her so much of her island home. In Netokan she hadn't been able to enjoy the sunrise. Still, this sunrise was different. The sun looked huge compared to the open fields of the Pride Lands, and made the girl feel really small.

She felt something move beside her. Turning, she realized Mabul was waking up. The ferret-turned-honey badger had been sleeping peacefully beside her. Pluto, who was sleeping by Kairi, was still himself. Why the spell worked on Mabul and not Pluto Nettie had no idea. Oh well. Nothing to be done about it now.

One by one, her friends yawned and woke up. She got up as they stretched and stood. Kairi licked a paw and began to groom herself, and it took a few seconds for her to realize what she was doing. She blushed as she put her paw down. Mika looked at her. "No need to be ashamed. Even animals need to stay clean."

They noticed Simba leaving Pride Rock. Looking around, Riku noticed that Kovu wasn't by his rock either. He had noticed that last night Kovu didn't seem too happy about being left outside. Riku understood the need for caution. Kovu used to be with Simba's enemies, and who knows if he's truly changed. Riku didn't trust him right now. He could sense darkness in Kovu's heart.

"Guys. We need to go." Riku told the others.

"Go where?" Kiara asked. Her sudden appearance caused Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Nettie to jump.

"W-we're just going to go look for Kovu." Nettie said.

Kiara noticed he was gone. "Oh. I'll come with you. He's supposed to teach me how to hunt better. From the looks of it some of you look as if you could use lessons yourselves."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked. Kiara just smiled and took off. "Hey, wait up!" They followed after her, chasing her through the dried grass that surrounded them. Kiara seemed to know what she was doing, so she also made a lot of noise. Now Mika could see why she needed help learning to hunt.

They spotted Kovu behind a rock that was close to a watering hole. It looked as if he was about to pounce on something. Riku had a bad feeling. However, Kiara leapt in front of him.

"Good morning! I'm ready for my first lesson. Surprised you, huh?" Kiara didn't notice Kovu's disappointment, but Riku did. He looked at the watering hole, but saw no one there.

"What were you doing here?" Riku asked.

Kovu looked at him. "Oh, uh… hunting."

"Without Kiara?" Mika asked.

"I was hungry."

It was then Sora's stomach grumbled. "Guess I am too."

"Come on. Let's go." Kiara said. "Breakfast isn't going to catch itself."

Kovu reluctantly followed them. He was obviously disappointed in missing whatever he was hunting, but Riku doubted it was breakfast. He remembered from school it was the lionesses who did the hunting. The lions would then come in and help themselves. He had a feeling Kovu was hiding something.

* * *

Later they were waiting as Kiara was sneaking up on Kovu. However, she wasn't being quiet about it. She seemed to be stepping on every twig there was. Kovu had a bit of an amused look before he started counting. "Three, two, one."

"Gotcha!" Kiara leapt at him, but Kovu ducked, making Kiara roll over in the dirt. She looked up at her teacher. "You could hear me huh?"

"Yeah, only a lot." Kovu deadpanned. "You're still breathing too hard. Relax. Feel the earth under your paws so it doesn't shiver and make noise."

"Maybe you'd be more effective if you worked with others instead of trying to do it all by yourself." Jason suggested.

Aurora looked at him. "Am I dreaming or did Jason actually say something that wasn't a bad idea?"

Riku nodded. "It is a good idea. Often you find success working in a group where you would fail on your own."

"Says the guy who spent most of his time alone." Donald deadpanned.

"How about we give you a demonstration?" Mika suggested.

Kovu nodded. "I think that might be a wise idea."

"Kovu, you and Kiara will stay here. We'll work to drive the bait towards you." Jason said. "Now for the bait." He looked at Nettie.

She paled. "Why are you looking at me?"

"You get to be the bait."

"Why me?"

"You're fast, stick out, and are the best choice."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Have you seen him?" Axel asked.

Aurora just shook her head. "Just do it, Nettie."

She groaned, but went off a distance. Riku then turned to Jason. "Okay, now what?"

"Well you, Sora, and Kairi then chase her over to that rock. Then Roxas and Xion leap out and chase her to that log, where Axel and Mika will driver her back here to Kovu and Kiara." Jason explained. "It's a basic driving strategy."

Everyone then got into their position. Nettie kept looking around, feeling nervous. She wasn't looking forward towards being chased like dinner. Why did she have to take the form of an animal to be hunted? Did the universe have a sense of humor or something?

"Gotcha!" Sora and Kairi yelled as they leapt out at her. Nettie gasped and took off running in her shock. Her friends were behind her, chasing her towards a rock. Then Roxas and Xion leapt out from behind the rock, forcing her to change direction. Apart from the tall grass all she could see was a log.

"Boo!" Axel said as he and Mika leapt up. Nettie had to change directions again, this time running to where they met earlier that day. Oh no. It dawned on her what was about to happen here. Before she could do anything, Kiara leapt on her and forced her to the ground.

Nettie kicked and tried to get up, but the lioness held her down. Finally, Nettie stopped struggling. "You win." Kiara then got off as the others came back to them.

"Excellent work, guys." Jason said. "Strategy went through."

Mika smirked at Kovu. "See? It's good to have a team that's got your back."

Kovu just shook his head. "Your performances were sloppy, and you were practicing on a friend. If that had been real, the zebra would've gotten away."

"Says you." Jason growled.

It was then they all heard a couple of screams. "Help! Someone help!"

"They're gonna get us!"

Kiara recognized those voices. "That's Timon and Pumbaa. Were they following me again?"

Riku shook his head. "I don't think so. Either way, they sound like they're in trouble."

The group ran up a hill where they heard the voices coming from. They found the meerkat and warthog cowering in fear at a bunch of Heartless. Several of them looked like black baboons with claws that were holding staffs with their tails. The fur on their arms and tails were orange instead of black. They also had creepy tribal masks for faces.

Some of them were riding Heartless that had big bodies, but only two legs to get around on. The heads resembled the skulls of animals, yet still had eyes in them. The tails had some sort of spiked club on them that also had mouths. A truly strange sight indeed.

"Shamans and Living Bones." Jiminy said from Jason's shoulder. "Be careful. The Shamans are powerful with magic, and you don't want to get hit by the Living Bones."

"Thanks for the tip." Aurora said as she summoned her keyblade, which she had to hold in her mouth. She then charged forward to slice some of the Shamans. However, she was repelled by the blue fire that appeared at their feet. Immediately she felt her body get slow and sluggish. Curse the cold-blooded body of the crocodile.

"Blizzara!" Mika fired from one of her keyblades the ice magic. It knocked back several of the Shamans, freeing Aurora from the spell. The immediately got back up and began slashing at Mika with their claws.

"You want to scratch something? Scratch this." Axel threw his chakrams at the monkey-like Heartless. The fire sent them scurrying back. They then proceeded to slash at Roxas and Xion, who fought back with their keyblades.

Jason used his new form to charge at a Living Bone Heartless. The Shaman on its back back directed it to charge at the boy-turned-rhino. The two collided against each other with force that vibrated through Jason's skeleton. Still, neither one backed down.

"Use your horn. Flip it into the air!" Jiminy said from his shoulder. "The Living Bone is powerful on the ground, but in the air it's weaker."

Jason then worked to get his horn underneath the Living Bone's body. Mustering all the strength that the rhino body had to offer, he tossed that Heartless into the air. Its feet flailed uselessly as it struggled to find footing.

"My turn!" Nettie leapt up with her keyblade in her mouth. She slashed at both the Living Bone and the Shaman. She dealt some decent damage, but what was better was that she managed to knock the Shaman off the Living Bone's back. Both Heartless crashed back into the ground.

Nettie was then struck in the back, sending her falling forward. She looked to see several of the Shamans were now just their masks, floating around. AJ tried to attack them, but his attacks were ineffective. "What's going on? Why aren't we doing anything?"

"It's their Mask Rush!" Donald said. "When they use it, they're invincible!"

Riku fired Dark Firaga attacks at the Living Bones while Jason continued to use his horn to flip them into the air. Someone would then attack them in the air, doing more damage. However, when the Living Bones landed they would respond with a Spinning Tail attack. They were able to muster enough force to send Jason flying back.

Goofy tucked himself into his shell and went spinning through several Shamans. That time he did enough damage to destroy a couple of them and release the hearts they held. He even got under the feet of one of the Living Bones, causing it to slip and fall to the ground. Roxas and Xion slashed at it with their keyblades, releasing the heart it held.

Unfortunately, there were still four Shamans and two Living Bones. And the Living Bones more damage with their Jumping Shockwave attack. They weren't going to last much longer. They needed something.

"Heal!" Donald began casting cure on everyone. The downside was he used up so much of his magic fighting the Heartless. He didn't have enough to heal everyone. He never felt so useless.

Then, someone leapt onto the back of one of the Living Bones. It stomped around, trying to shake it off. To everyone's surprise, it was Kiara who was attacking the Heartless. She used her fangs and claws to deal some heavy damage to the Heartless. It was able to throw her off, but the princess of the Pride Lands landed on her feet.

"Get out of my father's kingdom now!" Kiara then roared at the Living Bone. To everyone's surprise, the roar was enough to destroy the Heartless and release the Heart. Everyone looked at Sora for an explanation.

"What?" He then remembered something. "Kiara, roar again. Simba was able to defeat lots of Heartless."

Riku looked at Kovu. The outlander was standing there, unsure of what to do. If he wanted to prove himself, this was a good an opportunity as any. But it looked like he wasn't going to…

Kovu then leapt on the back of the other Living Bone. It stomped around, trying to shake the lion off. However, Kovu held on, slice with his claws and tearing into the hide with his fangs. It then fell over, sending Kovu flying off. He landed on his paws beside Kiara.

Sora got up. "Kovu. Kiara. Axel. Roxas. Xion. We gotta roar together."

"Roar? What good will that do?" AJ asked.

"Just trust me!" Sora got read. "On three. One… two… three!" All of them let out mighty roars at the remaining Heartless. The combined attack was enough to finish off the remaining Heartless. The released hearts floated up into the air before vanishing.

Riku looked at Kovu. "Why did you help us?"

Kovu shrugged. At least that's what everyone thought the lion did. "I… I don't know. I don't understand why I just leapt into the fray."

"Friends just help each other." Sora said.

"Friends?"

"Yeah. Haven't you had any friends in the Outlands?" Timon asked. "Friends are people you can count on to have your back, to watch out for you when you're in a jam. Just like now."

Kovu wasn't sure what to think. Kiara smiled at him. "Thanks for helping. It was kind of fun to stop those Heartless."

"Heartless? I've heard of them, but I've never seen them." Kovu looked at everyone else. "You really fight them?"

"Duh." Aurora said.

"It's our responsibility." Nettie said. "If we don't stop the Heartless they'll hurt countless innocent lives."

"And that would be bad." Mabul said.

The entire group leapt back at that. "Mabul! You just talked!"

"I've been talking the whole time." Mabul answered. "You just haven't been listening." Turning back to Kovu, the honey badger continued, "It's because of the Heartless that we've lost some of our friends. The Heartless feed off the darkness in anyone and everyone. The stronger the darkness, the stronger the Heartless."

Kovu seemed shocked by all the news. He hadn't been told that in the Outlands. Many Outlanders believed that the Heartless were allies of Scar. Now, it sounded like they were monsters.

Sora looked at Kiara. "You fight really well."

"I do?" Kiara seemed happy at that.  
"Just like Simba." Goofy's comment made Kiara frown.

She looked away. "Father… he's always overprotective."

"He's just looking out for you." Sora said. Kiara's look said, "Yeah, right" to Sora.

Jason spoke up. "We should tell him what happened. Maybe once he knows you can hold your own in a fight, he'll ease up." Jason wasn't holding his breath though. Even though he said those words he wasn't sure why he did.

* * *

Later that night the group allowed Kiara and Kovu to spend some time alone. They had been trying to find Simba, but the king of the Pride Lands was nowhere to be found. Hopefully he was back at Pride Rock. They had to tell him.

They found him at the edge, looking at the stars. "Hey, Simba." Sora said. The king turned at looked at them.

"What is it?"

"The Heartless are back in the Pride Lands." Goofy said.

Simba snarled at that. "The Heartless? I'll assemble the lionesses. We're going to drive them out."

"We already did." Sora said. "With Kiara's help."

"Kiara?" That surprised Simba. "She was with you?"

"We were teaching her how to hunt when they attacked Timon and Pumbaa. She's really good at fighting them." Nettie explained.

Donald nodded. "She fights a lot like you."

Simba looked away. "I… I don't know what to think."

Riku spoke up. "She's growing into a leader capable of protecting the Pride Lands. You should believe in her."

"And Kovu helped us out too." Kairi added. "If they hadn't helped us, we might not have won."

That really surprised the lion king. "Kovu? But…"

"I think you can trust him." Nettie said. "He could've just left us to the Heartless, but he didn't. I think he might be genuine in his desire to be part of the Pride Lands."

It was then they noticed Kovu and Kiara returning. They seemed happy, though Kovu sadly went back to the rock he slept at. While Kiara went into the main den, Simba paused to look at the young lion. The king then made his choice.

"It's kind of cold tonight. Come on in."

Kovu smiled as he was allowed into the den. Nettie and Kairi smiled to. It looked like things were starting to look better for this world.

Neither of them had any idea how far south things were going to go.

* * *

**Felt good to get this done. I may need to work on the end a bit though. I hope the extra long chapter makes up for the wait.**


	68. No More Lion

**Wow. I feel like I got my writing spirit back. I think I can be done with the Pride Lands by the end of this week.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**  
**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori**

* * *

Chapter 68: No more lion

The Pride Lands…

AJ let out a big yawn as he woke up. He then found himself stretching just like a cat, but it felt really good in his current body. It was like all the stress in his body was leaving with these stretches. And to think his leopard body was still a cub. Well, maybe more adolescent.

The others were getting up around him. Once he was done stretching AJ noticed Kiara was by the entrance to the den. Kairi got up and approached the princess. "Good morning, Kiara."

"Good morning." The lioness smiled at her. "I think today's going to be a great day."

"Why's that?" Donald asked.

Kiara smiled. "Daddy's talking with Kovu right now. He'll soon see how wonderful he is."

Jason had a confused look. "You sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'm great."

Mika smiled. "Oh, she's got it."

Sora looked at her. "What? What does she have?"

"Kiara's in love."

Aurora looked at her. "They just met."

"So?"

"You can't fall in love with someone you just met."

Jason nodded. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Aurora."

Several jaws dropped. Jason and Aurora agreeing on something? Even Aurora seemed surprised at that. That never happened. They always disagreed. "I gotta be dreaming." Nettie said.

Kiara then headed down Pride Rock. "I gotta tell Timon and Pumbaa."

"Wait up!" Goofy said as he and the others followed.

Unknown to them Shadow was watching from the shadows. The dark warrior was growing impatient with his failures to obtain the heart of the princess, and was determined to get it this time. Zira was unhappy with the news Vitani brought last night, and during that time he decided to take matters into his own hands. Or paws, as he currently had.

Kiara raced across the savannah, trying to find the meerkat and warthog duo. Her new friends were behind her, trying to keep up with her. They spent hours searching, but with no luck. The day was wearing on and several people were getting hungry. However, if they lost Kiara they probably wouldn't find her until they got back to Pride Rock.

They finally found Timon and Pumbaa on a hill eating grubs. The two were oblivious to the others until Kiara announced their presence. "TImon! Pumbaa!"

The two of them screamed as they leapt up into the air. When they saw who it was they calmed down a bit. "Kiara. What are you doing here?"

"Daddy's talking with Kovu. I think he's going to let him join the pride!" Kiara said excitedly.

"Also she's in love with Kovu." AJ added.

Timon and Pumbaa where eating more grubs, but spat them out when they heard that part. "In love?! Kiara, I think you're rushing things a bit." Timon said.

Pumbaa just sniffled. "Isn't young love sweet?"

"Get a hold of yourself. You're embarrassing me." Timon told his friend. "Look, Kiara. You're still young, and there's plenty of time for you to fall in love."

Kiara didn't like that. "Timon."

"Uh uh. Now listen, Simba and Kovu are just having a talk. Nothing more than that."

Mabul then noticed something. "Isn't that Simba now?" Everyone looked to see the ferret-turned-honey badger was right. Simba was returning, but… he was limping.

"Oh no." Kiara ran down to her father's side with everyone following. Not only was Simba limping, but it looked as if he had been in a fight, and barely made it out.

"Heal!" Donald cast the Cure spell on the lion king. Many of Simba's wounds closed up and vanished as the spell took effect. Despite the spell's helpfulness, it couldn't give Simba back the energy he needed.

"Simba, buddy, talk to me! What happened?" Timon asked.

Simba managed to gasp out, "Kovu… ambush…", before he collapsed.

"Jason, we need you to carry Simba back to Pride Rock." Sora said.

The rhino glared at him. "Why me?"

"Because right now you're the biggest of all of us." Aurora growled. "Though I could probably do it myself."

Jason knelt down. "Get him on me." It took some effort from everyone else to get the lion king onto his back, but they were able to. Mabul and Donald did their best to keep Simba in the shade while Jason carried him back to Pride Rock.

Along the way other animals noticed that something had happened to Simba. They followed the group back to Pride Rock so they could learn what happened to their king. Shadow growled because this meant now he couldn't get to the princess. Still, even he was curious to know what had happened. He was sure Kovu had truly turned according to the lioness's report. So for now, he was going to wait and find out.

* * *

Once they were back at Pride Rock Jason slid Simba off his back. The lion king had gotten back most of his strength, so he was able to get back on his feet. Sora looked at his friend. "Simba, what happened out there?"

"Kovu led me into an ambush." Simba explained. "I thought he had changed, but it was all a lie. Zira and the Outsiders were waiting to attack me. I was barely able to get out of there."

Kiara was in disbelief. "No. Daddy, it can't be true."

"Maybe there was something more here." AJ said.

Jason glared at him. "Don't hold your breath."

"It's Kovu." Someone said. All the animals looked to see that the lion was returning. Kiara tried to run to him, but Simba stopped her with a growl. He and several other animals glared at the younger lion.

"Why, I oughta… let me at him! Let me at him!" Timon held his tail to Pumbaa. "Here, hold me back."

Pumbaa took it. "Okay."

"Let me at him! Let me at him!" Timon tried to rush at Kovu.

"Okay." Pumbaa let go of the meerkat's tail.

Timon looked at his friend. "I think you're missing the basic point here."

As Kovu got closer Shadow could see that the lion now had a scar on his face. Some animals were discussing it, and the dark warrior thought he heard some of them compare the young lion to someone else. Someone named Scar. Kovu then approached Simba.

"Why have you come back?" The lion king asked.

"Simba, I had nothing to do with—" Kovu started to explain.

"You don't belong here."

"Please. I ask your forgiveness."

"Daddy, please. Listen to him." Kiara begged.

"Let's at least hear—" Goofy started.

Simba wasn't in a listening mood. "Silence!" Turning back to Kovu, he continued, "When you first came here, you asked for judgment. And I pass it now. Exile!"

"No!" Kiara said.

"What?!" Sora asked.

Several of the animals then began to move towards Kovu threateningly. Left with no option, Kovu turned and began to run away. Shadow watched as several animals struck him while he ran. Snakes tried to bite him, ostriches pecked at him, monkeys threw rocks at him, and birds flew to peck him. The young lion fled to a river where he looked back regretfully, before continuing on.

While he was running Shadow used his powers to observe Kovu. He expected to see the lion's heard surrounded by darkness like Zira's was. To his surprise, it wasn't. Instead, light shone from it. The dark warrior's eyes narrowed. That could only mean… he did turn. And the lion king had just driven him out like a criminal.

Speaking of, Shadow looked at the one called Simba. There was darkness surrounding his heart. He could see it in the lion's face as he looked in the direction Kovu had gone. Still, what happened next would surprise him.

Through the whole ordeal Kiara had tried to get to Kovu, but lionesses kept blocking her path. Finally she was able to get past them to get to Simba. "Father, please reconsider."

"You will not go anywhere without an escort from now on." Simba coldly told her. "He used you to get to me!"

"No. He loves me. For me!" Kiara said.

Simba turned and glared at his daughter. "Because you are my daughter you will not leave Pride Rock. You will stay here where I can keep an eye on you, away from him!"

"You don't know him!"

"I know he is following in Scar's footsteps. And I must follow in my father's."

"You will never be Mufasa!" Sobbing, Kiara turned and ran back into the den.

Kairi glared at Simba. "How could you do that?"

"What do you mean?" Simba asked.

"You didn't even give him a chance to explain!"

"There was nothing to explain. He was simply using Kiara to get to me."

"No he wasn't!" Kairi said. "I could sense it. He had not ill will towards you."

"Silence!" Simba snarled at her.

Kairi just stood tall. "No. I'm telling you that Kovu was innocent—"

"I've heard enough about Kovu!" To everyone's surprise Simba struck Kairi with one of his paws, sending her flying back towards her friends. Everyone was shocked at the lion king's anger, but they weren't as shocked as what happened next.

"Leave her alone!" Sora called his keyblade and struck his friend. Simba snarled and got into a fighting stance.

"Sora, stop!" Roxas said. "I think Simba's right on this one. Kovu was lying the whole time."

Sora glared at his Nobody. "Back off! I trust Kairi. If she says Kovu was innocent, then he was."

"You're so stupid." Aurora said. "You're too trusting of people Sora. One of these days that's going to get you killed."

Jason nodded. "I think Kovu was just a snake the whole time. Everyone knows a leopard cannot change its spots."

"Then you're in trouble." AJ said. "Because that means you will never change."

"How can you even believe what that Outsider says?" Simba asked.

Donald and Goofy stood by Sora as he answered, "Because he's our friend."

Simba glared at him. "Begone. You, and anyone who agrees with you." He then turned his back towards them.

Sora wasn't pleased. "So is this how you treat friends when they don't agree with you? Exile them?"

"You're no friends of mine. Not anymore." Simba said coldly.

"Simba…" Nala started, but one look from him silenced her.

"Come one guys." Sora said. "Let's go." Sora, Donald, and Goofy started to leave, but the keyblade bearer turned to look at the lion king one more time. "I think Rafiki made a poor choice in making you king. You're just as bad as Scar right now."

"I'm nothing like Scar!" Simba leapt onto Sora and bared his fangs.

"Get off him!" Nettie managed to land a kick on Simba, sending him off her friend. She then joined Sora. "I'm with you."

Kairi also joined them. Riku looked at Simba. "I think you're right about Kovu, but I won't stand by a king who lets darkness rule his heart." He then walked off. As he passed Sora, he said, "You're on your own this time." Axel and Mika joined Riku in leaving.

Sora looked at the others. It looked like Jason, Aurora, Roxas, and XIon were staying with Simba. Everyone else was with him. "Come on, guys. Let's go." With that, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Nettie, Mabul, and AJ left Pride Rock.

* * *

Shadow was thinking about what he had seen at Pride Rock. The entire group had just been divided over this issue. He was starting to think that they wouldn't separate over anything, but now it's happened. That means they will be weaker, and the princess… no. As long as she's with Sora he can't get to her heart. He needed a plan.

"Shadow." The dark warrior looked to see Clair fly down to him. "There you are. Where have you been?"

"None of your business." Shadow said.

"Well, I've been hearing some animals say that the pests have broken up and were kicked out of the Pride Lands."

"I know. I was there. I saw it happen."

Clair smirked, despite having a beak. "That is good news. That means they won't be able to stop us."

Shadow looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"During the ambush, Nuka was killed. Zira's furious, and is taking revenge. She and the other Outsiders are invading the Pride Lands. They will kill Simba and his pride, and we will kill any of the brats who stand against us. Then the Pride Lands shall fall into darkness and chaos."

* * *

**Well, this is probably one of the darkest moments in the entire story, but it will not be the last. Rough times are ahead for the entire group. Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for his help in which sides the group takes. **


	69. We are one

**Last chapter of the Pride Lands visit. You may notice some major changes here from the film.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**  
**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27 (who also gets a big round of applause for his ideas)**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

* * *

Chapter 69: We are one

The Pride Lands…

Riku, Axel, and Mika wandered through the Pride Lands. They thought about what happened with their friends. Riku hadn't expected Sora to turn on his friend Simba like that, but if he made friends with Kovu, it did make sense. He was always known to take the side of his friends.

"It doesn't make sense." Mika said. "Why would Simba be so cold towards the ones who helped him reclaim the Pride Lands?"

"Because they shared different opinions about Kovu." Riku said.

Axel shook his head. "No, we need to think. It's not like we had a lot to go on. We didn't see what happen, so how do we know Simba didn't make the whole thing up?"

"His wounds were real." Mika reminded him. "And he was worn out."

"Still, how did Kovu get that scar?" Riku wondered. "Simba wouldn't fill us in on all the details. Only that he was ambushed by the Outsiders. I think he's being prejudice against Kovu."

"Prejudice against Kovu or what the Outsiders believe in?" A familiar voice asked. The three of them looked around and saw the same mandrill baboon from before sitting on Axel's back.

"How did you… get off me!" Axel spun around to get the baboon off him. The baboon only laughed and leapt off. The Nobody growled at him.

"What are you doing here?" Riku asked.

"The question is, what are you doing here?"

Mika rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you here? Why did you come to the Pride Lands, and why have you abandoned your friends?"

That actually caught Riku. "We're here because our path led us here. Trying to help some kids."

"Nope. Wrong. Come here. I know why you are here." The three of them leaned in as Rafiki suddenly yelled, "You want answers!"

Mika leaned back and held her ears. "Did you have to yell it?"

"Of course!" Rafiki answered.

Axel shook his head. "I think this monkey's crazy."

"Wrong." Rafiki pushed back on Axel's nose using his finger. "I'm not the one who is crazy. You abandoned your friends over a disagreement."

"Did you see Simba?" Mika asked. "He's beyond reason, though it is possible that Simba's story is true."

"Of course it's true. He was there." Rafiki said.

"So Kovu was lying." Riku said.

Rafiki then whacked him with his stick. "Hush. I said It was true, but Simba didn't have the whole truth."

"So what is the whole truth?" Mika asked.

"Long ago, when Simba, Sora, Donald, and Goofy fought Scar they had to drive off his army of hyenas. What they didn't know was some of the lionesses supported Scar as their king. Zira was the most supportive of him. As a reward her son Kovu was chosen to be Scar's heir."

Riku remembered everything Sora had said about Scar. He had been Simba's uncle, but murdered Mufasa, Simba's father, so he could be king. The jealousy in Scar's heart brought the Heartless to the Pride Lands, and allowed Xehanort to destroy it years ago. "But if the pride was one, then why is it divided?"

"Because of Zira." Rafiki answered. "She was angry with Simba for defeating Scar, and in an act of vengeance took the life of one of his cubs. When Simba found out he banished Zira and all who stood with her to the Outlands."

"But how does Kiara play into all this?" Mika asked.

Rafiki gestured to the sky. "Mufasa's spirit told me of a way to unite the pride once again. To bring Kovu and Kiara together. I knew it was a good idea." A big gust of wind came up and blew Rafiki over. "Okay, I thought it was a bad idea. But I chose to trust Mufasa."

"That was still a big risk." Riku said. "What if it didn't work?"

"I asked the same thing, but alas it did work!" Rafiki laughed excitedly. "Kiara and Kovu fell in love with each other! I was there. I saw it happen!"

"That explains why the scent of darkness was weaker around Kovu earlier today than it had been." Riku said. "But what about the ambush?"

"Kovu was going to tell Kiara the truth when Simba told Kovu the truth about Scar. In these past few days the darkness Zira filled Kovu with has been replaced with light. When Zira and the Outsiders ambushed Simba, Kovu tried to stop them. His brother, Nuka, tried to kill Simba, but it cost him his life."

"Kovu lost his brother?" Mika asked.

Rafiki nodded. "And Zira was furious. She attacked Kovu, and gave him the scar he now bears. She blamed Kovu for his death, and Kovu truly left the Outsiders. His loyalties are no longer with them."

"So the whole thing was Zira's fault, not Kovu's." Axel said. "But how do you know all this?"

"Mufasa told me!" The wind picked up again, and this time Rafiki's expression changed to a serious one. "What? Are you sure? Yes. Yes, Simba must be warned at once."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You three must get back to Pride Rock at once!" Rafiki began pushing them. "Zira and the Outsiders are invading the Pride Lands. They intend to kill Simba and take the kingdom for themselves. He must be warned at once!"

* * *

A storm was brewing over the Pride Lands. The lionesses had taken shelter inside the den of Pride Rock, and Jason, Aurora, Roxas, and Xion joined them. The teens from Harthyn were bitter about their friends taking Kovu's side over Simba's. Come on. That was the oldest trick in the book and they fell for it.

Jason kicked a rock. "How could they trust that that punk has any good in him?"

"Because they're idiots." Aurora said. "Right now bigger ones than you."

He ignored her.

"I've been lied to for too long." Roxas said. "I refuse to be taken in again."

Aurora looked at them. "What are you talking about?"

"Back when… when we were just tools." Xion explained. "Xehanort used us to build Kingdom Hearts, and then he was going to dispose of us."

Timon and Pumbaa came in. "I can't believe we lost her again. This is the eight thousandth time!"

"What happened?" Roxas asked.

"Kiara's gone! She's run away!" Timon glared at Pumbaa. "I thought you were gonna watch her!"

Pumbaa glared at Timon. "Me? No, you were gonna watch her!"

"No, you were gonna watch her!"

"Watch this!"

"Take that, you creepy warthog!"

The two of them were still fighting with each other when Simba entered the den. He shook water off him as it was now raining outside. He watched as his two friends continued to fight before asking, "What are you doing?"

The two of them straightened up. "Good question. Let me ask you one." Timon said.

"Hippo-thetically." Pumbaa said.

Timon got on top of the warthog. "Very hypothetical. There's this guy…"

"And he's not a lion." Pumbaa added.

"No, no. Definitely not a lion." Timon agreed. "And his daughter… say, vanished?"

Simba was smart enough to put two and two together. "Kiara's gone?"

"Simba! Simba!" Three familiar voices cried out. Everyone looked to see Riku, Mika, and Axel run into the den.

Xion was surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Mika ignored her as she told Simba, "We've got trouble. Zira's marching on the Pride Lands with the Outsiders. They mean to take your kingdom from you."

Simba wasted no time giving orders. "The three of you find Kiara. We'll assemble the lionesses. Move, now!"

* * *

The animals cleared out of the advance of the two sides. Birds flew away from the oncoming Outsiders, zebras and gazelles got out of the way of Simba and the lionesses. Other animals that Jason and Aurora had no idea what they were also moved out of the way of the battle that was about to commence. As the two sides waited Timon and Pumbaa wasted no time taunting the other side.

"It's over, Simba." Zira declared. "I have dreamed of nothing else for years!"

"Last chance, Zira. Go home." Simba told her.

"I am home!" Zira declared with a mad look. "Attack!" At her command the the Outsiders moved to attack the lionesses. The Pride Landers moved to counter attack. The two sides collided with a flurry of claws and fangs. Zira remained on her rock, giving commands to the Outsiders. "Go for the eyes! Break their jaws! Get them! Do what you must!"

Jason, Aurora, Roxas, and Xion moved to help the Pride Landers, but their way got blocked by Demyx, Clair, and Shadow. "Your fight is with us." Shadow told them.

"This is the day you four will fall." Clair said.

Demyx looked at them. "You had me work hard too long. Now you will pay."

"Clair, snap out of it. This isn't you." Jason said.

"You have no idea who I truly am." Clair grinned maniacally. "Dragon's Fire!" With that she breathed a huge stream of fire towards the group. The four of them had to dodge to the sides to avoid it, though their tails still got burnt. "Hold nothing back!"

"Don't give me orders." Shadow growled at her before summoning his keyblade. He fired streams of dark energy at the keyblade wielders. They were knocked back by the dark warriors' power. He then pounced on Xion, forcing her to call forth her keyblade.

"Xion!" Roxas moved towards his friend, but Demyx blocked his path.

"Not so fast, traitor." Demyx then gathered a lot of water into his paws, which them formed into his signature sitar. "Dance, water, dance!" Immediately figures erupted from the water that was everywhere and ganged up on Roxas.

"Desolation Blade!" Clair said as her keyblade was surrounded by dark energy, which took the form of a razor-sharp dark sword. She swung at her former friend, who did her best to block the attack. Unfortunately, crocodiles aren't fast on land, and Clair was able to get past her keyblade and landed some attacks on her former friend, causing Aurora to cry out in pain.

Jason charged through one of Demyx's water figures and knocked Clair away from Aurora. His friend tried to get up, but Aurora's wounds were severe. Clair got up and glared at Jason, though her expression changed when she saw Jason protecting Aurora. "Why do you defend her? You hate her."

"I don't hate her." Jason said. "If I should hate anyone, it's me. I've been a fool. All I've done is hurt others, not knowing how my actions affect them down the road." He threw his keyblade down. "If you want to kill someone, then kill me. But spare everyone else."

Clair laughed. "You think I won't? You're nothing to me now, cousin."

That caught Aurora by surprise. "You two are related?!"

"Yes, we are." Jason said before continuing, "Is your power worth this? Is it worth hurting everyone around you."

"Yes. Eclipse Wings!" Clair's wings then expanded greatly. With a flap she grabbed Jason in her talons and lifted him up. Once they were high enough to where the battle looked like it was between ants she dove, folding her wings to increase speed. She then threw Jason against a boulder, smiling as she heard a sharp crack at the same time Jason screamed in pain. She knew she had broken bones in his body. Satisfied, she then flew back to Aurora and pinned her down. "Time to finish you, Morugan."

"No…" She heard Jason say. She looked to see that he was now dragging himself over despite his injuires. Why wouldn't he stay down? "Just die already!"

"If my death is truly what you want, you can take it. Just don't hurt anyone else."

"Why do you care about who I kill? You're supposed to be heartless."

Jason shook his head. "I was. But I don't want to be that person anymore. You know my dad, your Uncle Grant, wanted me to be a soldier, to fight in wars. Well, here we are, in a battle, and it's revolting. I just see people hurting and killing for stupid reasons. That's not the life I want. I want to help others, protect them, like I would always protect you from bullies back home. If giving my life is the only way to protect my friends… so be it."

She stared at him. "You really have changed." Jason and Aurora were close enough to see something slip out of her heart and fall to the ground, vanishing in green flames. She then fell over, unconscious. The demeanor she had… it changed to. Even as a vulture, her expression became friendly again.

Roxas was having trouble. Demyx had charged at him for the fifth time with his wave of water. The two Nobodies were giving each other a hard time, as both were covered in scratches and bruises. However, Demyx had the upper hand as it was raining and water was everywhere. He wasn't such a wimp when the odds were clearly in his favor.

"Think you could betray the Organization? Think you could do what you want?" Demyx asked. "Well, here's a reality check. You can't." He raised his sitar into the sky, which proved to be a mistake. A bolt of lightning shot down and struck it, electrocuting the Nobody. He screamed in pain as he vanished, fading back into the darkness.

Roxas then rushed to help Xion, but stopped as all around everyone stopped fighting. All eyes were now on Simba and Zira, who had finally entered the battle. The two lions circled each other, preparing to make a move. Whoever won this fight would win the battle. The two prepared to strike each other.

At the clap of thunder two figures leapt between them and stopped them from making a move. It was Kiara and Kovu! They finally made it.

"Stand aside." Simba told his daughter. She simply stood her ground.

"You're even weaker than I thought. Get out of the way!" Zira ordered. Kovu simply growled and prepared to pounce.

"This has to stop!" Sora's voice cried out. The rest of the group made it to the battle along with Kiara and Kovu. Nettie and Axel went to check on their friends while the others looked at the lionesses.

"This is where your feud has brought you. To war." Riku said. "The anger in your hearts, the pride you feel about your opinions, it has weakened you and brought you to the brink of ruin. It has also allowed the Heartless to return to the Pride Lands."

"As long as you continue to hate each other you'll never be safe." Mika told them. "Think. All of you used to be together, a mighty pride respected by all of the kingdom. Now here you are, divided because you can't agree on who was a better ruler."

"Is this the kind of life you want other lions to live? Is this what you want your cubs to grow up knowing? Anger and hatred?" Sora asked. "Tell me, were you really happy under Scar's rule? Did he provide you with enough food?" He was met with silence as he answered, "No, he didn't. HE left all of you starving, unable to leave because he refused to admit he was wrong."

Zira snarled at him, but Mika added, "Has this bitterness made life easier for you? Why hold on to the past if all it brings you is hunger and pain? Be lions. Let go of your anger. What is it worth if it means you die? It will not bring back the ones you love, and it will kill your future."

Several of the lionesses seemed to be thinking about their words on both sides. Kiara then spoke up. "A wise king once told me we are one. I didn't understand him then, but now I do. There is no difference between us. We may disagree on things, but we are all the same pride. Let us forget what has been, and start anew. Let us live as one pride."

"Vitani, now!" Zira ordered her daughter.

"No. They're right." Vitani went and stood by the others. "Enough."

Zira hadn't had enough. "If you will not fight, then you will die as well." Her words were enough to convince the other Outsiders that it wasn't worth them dying for Zira's revenge. They left her and rejoined the pride. "Where are you going? Get back here!"

"Let it go, Zira." Simba. "It's time to put the past behind us."

"I'll never let it go!" Zira snarled. "This is for you Scar!" She then pounced at Simba. However, Kiara stopped her. They rolled into the river bed. Simba, fearing for his daughter's life, leapt after them. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mika leapt after them.

As they went down, they saw Kiara on a cliff that Zira was hanging off of. There was also a foreboding crack. They looked down the canyon to see that the wood that had been piling up finally gave way, causing a stream of water to rush down the gorge. And it was increasing in height.

Kiara held her paw down. "Zira, give me your paw." The other lioness swiped at it before trying to pull herself up. "Please, let me help you." The princess tried again.

Zira looked at them with a deranged grin. "No… never!" To their shock, the lioness let go, plunging into the river with a cry. The last they saw was a paw reaching up that got swept over by a log. She did not resurface.

"Kiara." Simba said as he reached his daughter.

Kiara looked at him. "Daddy. I tried."

"There was nothing you could've done." Mika told her as they climbed back up. "Zira made her choice, and the darkness ended up consuming her."

"Are you sure there was no way we could've helped her?"

"Once you've gone that far, there's almost no coming back." Mika looked down. "I know of some who came back, but it's very rare. Darkness can be a poison that consumes your every thought, your every feeling. All we can do now is to try to be better."

Kiara nodded in understanding. Once they reached the top she went over to Kovu, while Mika and Donald joined Nettie in healing their friends.

Simba looked at Kovu. "Kovu, I was wrong. You belong here." Looking at Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Nettie, Mabul, and the others, he added, "And I'm sorry to all of you. I was wrong to attack you, and exile you. You are welcome in the Pride Lands."

"Friends don't always agree with each other." Sora said. "But that doesn't change the fact that we'll always be friends."

"Just don't hit us again." Kairi said.

Simba said before he looked at his pride. "Let's go home. All of us."

* * *

Back at Pride Rock the whole of the Pride Lands had gathered to celebrate the reunion of the entire pride. Everyone smiled as Kovu and Kiara were joined as mates. Simba, Nala, Kovu, and Kiara moved towards the edge of Pride Rock where they roared to the whole of the Pride Lands. The rest of the pride joined them in their roars, and the group joined in for the sake of it.

Clair then stirred from Jason's back. "Guys? What's going on?"

"Clair!" Nettie said. "You're awake! And free of the thorn!"

"The thorn's gone?" Tears swelled in Clair's eyes. "I'm sorry. I've been a monster to all of you."

"Clair, it wasn't your fault." Riku said. "The thorn made you do those things. If anyone's to blame, it's Maleficent."

It was then Simba, Nala, Kovu, and Kiara rejoined them. "Who's Maleficent?" Kovu asked.

"A dangerous witch." Axel said. "She's the one behind sending the Heartless to the Pride Lands. Got it memorized?"

"She used dark magic to take some of our friends from us." Mabul added. "We just got Clair back."

"As long as she's out there, there will always be danger." Riku said.

Simba nodded as he looked at Clair. "If you want to make up for your acitons here in the Pride Lands, then rescue your friends and stop Maleficent."

Clair nodded. "I will." She then groaned and placed a wing over her heart.

"Clair?" Jason asked.

"I'm fine." Clair said. "I think my heart's just getting used to not having a thorn in it." She then looked around. "Where's Shadow?"

"He disappeared after the battle." Riku said. "But he'll be back."

* * *

Shadow was looking over the river where Zira had fallen to her death. He had seen Demyx taken down by a bolt of lightning, and an overgrown grumpy cat commit suicide. Guess nature wasn't exactly safe from darkness either.

Still, he could sense her residual negativity. He looked back in the direction the pride had gone. They were probably celebrating, thinking all was well. Maybe an Unversed attack would do to get him the heart he desired.

"Shadow." The dark warrior turned to see Maleficent standing behind him. "What happened?"

"The pests managed to rescue one of their friends, and that wuss Demyx got himself killed." Shadow stated.

Maleficent frowned at the news. "That is indeed unfortunate. Come with me."

"But I can…"

"No buts. It's time for your new mission."

* * *

**Note 1: Originally I wasn't going to have them rescue Clair here, but that's how the story ended up being written. Besides, after all that Jason went through I thought it was only fair that she came back. **

**Note 2: In some of the ideas between me and YamiChaos27 there was a plan to have Shadow use Zira's residual darkness to create an Unversed boss, but I didn't want to drag this out needlessly because I'm sure all of you are ready to see the next world. I may try to use this idea in the future. Maybe Shadow will summon an Unversed boss in the Pride Lands. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. I'm really looking forward to writing in the next world as it takes place in one of my favorite Disney animated films.**


	70. Topsy-Turvy Day

**And here we are at the next world. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori**

* * *

Chapter 70: Topsy-Turvy Day

The World That Never Was…

Shadow grumbled as he came back through the dark corridor. He really wanted to see what kind of Unversed Zira's darkness would've made, but now he wouldn't. Whatever Maleficent was sending him on it had better be good. If it wasn't he was going to remove those horns on her head.

Xigbar was waiting for him. "So, you finally made it back."

"Before you ask, Demyx is dead." Shadow growled at him.

Xigbar just shrugged. "And? Am I supposed to be angry? Another day and I would've deep sixed that lazy coward."

Maleficent then stepped through. "Have you given Shadow his next mission?"

"No." Clearing his throat, Xigbar said, "You're in for a treat because you're going to a place that's just crawling with darkness."

That caught Shadow's interest. "What kind of world?"

"A world in a permanent Renaissance fair."

Luxord then appeared beside him. "It's actually a world similar to Maleficent's, give or take a few hundred years. While you're there you and your partners must make sure to slay any Heartless you come across."

That confused Shadow. "Why? Why send me to a world to kill Heartless?"

"The people there are fools." Luxord said. "They will take the Heartless, Nobodies, and the Unversed for demons. Which means if they see you summon any Unversed they will take you for a sorcerer."

"And then you'll be burned at the stake." Xigbar added. "Shadow on a spit."

"Enough." Maleficent glared at Shadow. "Take Stella and Ashley with you. Make sure that they pay for removing the thorn from Clair's heart."

* * *

The dark corridor opened up into an alleyway and Shadow stepped out with Stella and Ashley not too far behind. They noticed the roads were cobblestone, with puddles scattered around. The stench hinted that the puddles were not full of water. The buildings were also tightly packed together, like someone wanted to try to cram them into each other.

"What a filthy place." Stella said as she looked around. "I can't imagine why anyone would want to live here."

"It doesn't matter." Shadow said. "Let's just complete our mission as soon as possible."

Ashley smirked. "Oh, I've been waiting to curse Clair for a long time." A fireball appeared in Ashley's hand for emphasis, but the dark warrior knocked it aside, where it landed in a puddle.

"Stop that! Remember, any magic and we'll be branded sorcerers." He reminded her.

Stella frowned. "What's the point of having power if we cannot use it?"

"What you have isn't power. It's just a pale imitation."

"And I suppose you think you could make us better in the ways of darkness."

Shadow glared at them, his face more serious than it had ever been. "Oh please! You think that just because you have dark thorns in your hearts means you're true wielders of darkness? Don't make me laugh. Neither of you are even your real selves. You were just made this way by Maleficent. Why would I train a pack of posers like you? The Organization may see you as valuable assets, but all I see are worthless puppets who allow Maleficent to pull their strings. I honestly do get what they hope to accomplish with you or this particular project. And the loss of Clair only proves my point. Your hearts must be incredibly weak for you to fall prey to a hag like her. It's pathetic, really. You weaklings aren't even worth my time!"

Ashley snarled. "Why you—"

"Make way for the captain!"

"Go on! Make way!"

The fighting stopped as they heard some men passing by. Two of them were dressed in dark armor, but the third was in golden armor. He had some blue cloth underneath with a matching cape. He also had neck-length blonde hair and a small goatee. He was leading a white horse with a black mane.

The procession, however, stopped when some Shadow Heartless emerged from the shadows. The horse reared up, and the man in the golden armor drew a sword he had. "What manner of demons are these?"

"Stay back." Shadow remembered he had to fight the Heartless here, but he couldn't use his powers, so he resorted to using basic hack-and-slash maneuvers. It was pathetic, but if these people were going to take him for a sorcerer if he used his powers… he opted for the pathetic route.

Ashley and Stella joined him in slashing through the Heartless. Shadow jabbed one a couple of times before slashing at it, sending it off its feet. Ashley then impaled it in the heart, destroying it. Stella parried the scratches of a Shadow with her Keyblade before she flipped it into the air and slashed it, destroying it.

Shadow decided to finish this up. He allowed himself to be knocked back by a Heartless, but it was only so he could gain momentum. Flipping himself around, he pushed off the wall of a building and flew at the remaining Shadows. The dark warrior pinned them under his keyblade before he pushed down on them, destroying them.

"Well met." The man in golden armor said. "You vanquished those demons like true warriors." He extended his gloved hand. "Captain Phoebus de Chateaupers."

Shadow didn't take it. "Shadow. This is Stella Valleys and Ashley—"

"You're fortunate we came when we did." Ashley interrupted him. "The presence of the Heartless in this city is grave news indeed."

Phoebus rose an eyebrow. "Heartless? Is that what they're called?"

"How do you know this?" The shorter and chubbier of the two guards asked them.

Stella looked at them. "We've been fighting them. Trying to stop them from hurting people. They've been unleashed by a band of sorcerers and witches."

"Sorcerers and witches?" The taller guard looked at his companion. "We must tell Frollo at once."

"We make for the Palace of Justice at once." Phoebus said. Looking at Shadow, Ashley, and Stella, he said, "Please, come with us. If you can offer any strategy on fighting these Heartless we would be in your debt."

"We'll come." They started to follow, but Shadow grabbed Ashley when they weren't looking and glared at her. "Interrupt me again and I'll rip your heart out myself." He let her go rather roughly. Shadow was many things but immoral wasn't one of them. He wasn't trying to hurt her when he shoved her back. He was just trying to emphasize his point.

As they followed the guards through the city they came across an imposing castle. It seemed to be prepared for attack, and in this part of the city cast a shadow of fear around it. The steps seemed to lead up to a huge door that almost felt like a mouth. Towers dotted the top of this structure, almost like it was meant to attack people who were brought here. Shadow got the feeling that this was a place of dread for all, innocent or guilty.

As they pressed through the Palace of Justice they heard someone getting whipped several times. When they passed through a door they encountered a man speaking to another person dressed in black with a hood, a long nose, and a moustache. The shorter of the two was carrying a whip. "Ease up. Wait between lashes," the man was saying to the whipper, "otherwise the old sting will dull into the new."

"Yes, sir." The whipper disappeared into another door. The three of them then got a good look at the taller man. He was clearly old, with white hair poking out from underneath a black and purple hate with a red ribbon attached. His wrinkled face remained stoic and cold. He was dressed in black robes with shoulder pads that were black with red stripes. He had one ring on his left hand and two on his right, with the jewels being colored blue, red, and green. Shadow sensed a feeling of authority around this man, clearly saying that he was important to this world. Maybe he was one of its leaders.

The man noticed them. "Ah, so this is the gallant Captain Phoebus, home from the wars." He looked at the other three. "Who are they? Prisoners?"

"No, sir." Phoebus said. "They're warriors come to help us."

"And how do they plan to do that?" The man looked at them like they were insects beneath him. Shadow decided he didn't like this man.

The taller of the two guards pulled Shadow's keyblade from his back and showed it to the man. "They fought these demons they call Heartless in the city with these things."

"They call these weapons Keyblades." Phoebus said. "They appear to be the only thing that can successfully eliminate these Heartless."

"Are you saying that you were powerless against these Heartless?" The man asked him.

Phoebus remained at attention. "Sir, whatever the Heartless are, they do not seem to be of this world."

"He's right." Stella said. "The Heartless are demons, born from the darkness of people's hearts. A band of witches and sorcerers have been summoning them, and we've been trying to eliminate them."

The man looked at them. "Witches and sorcerers? And you've faced them before, am I right?"

"Yes, you are." Shadow told the man.

The man turned back to Phoebus. "Do you trust them to help us?"

"I've seen no reason to not distrust them, Judge Frollo." Phoebus told the man while confirming Shadow's suspicions. This old geezer was Frollo.

"Your service record proceeds you, Phoebus." Frollo said. "I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber."

"And you shall have it, sir. I guarantee it."

"Yes. You know, my last captain of the guard was a bit of a disappointment to me." The crack of a whip echoed through the hallway, followed by the scream of a man as if to tell all of them what had become of Frollos' last captain. "Well, no matter. I'm sure you will whip my men into shape."

"Uh, thank you, sir. Its… a tremendous honor."

As they followed Frollo and Phoebus through the halls Shadow was having his doubts about this judge. He seemed to take pleasure in hurting others. And even though the three of them said they would help Frollo against the Heartless the old man still looked at them like lower life forms. And Shadow could see lots of darkness in Frollos' heart.

As they passed an opening in the castle, Shadow wasn't sure if it was a bailey or a balconey, but didn't really care, Frollo spoke to them. "I have reason to believe your story of the Heartless and why they are here. You see, you've come to Paris in her darkest hour. It will take a firm hand to keep the weak-minded from being so easily misled. Look out there."

Shadow did, and saw some people in brightly colored clothes playing musical instruments and dancing for the people. There was even a goat dancing with them. Shadow rose an eyebrow. Does Frollo have something against street performers?

"Gypsies." Frollo explained. "The gypsies live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the people's lowest instincts, and they must be stopped."

"I was summoned from the wars to capture fortune tellers and palm readers?" Phoebus questioned his boss.

Shadow nodded. "That sounds a little counter-intuitive."

Frollo shook his head. "No, the real war out there is what you see before you. For twenty years I have been taking care of the gypsies one by one." For emphasis Frollo crushed some bugs with his fingers. "And yet, for all my success, they have thrived." He pulled a stone up, revealing a lot of bugs underneath. "I believe they have a safe haven within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it the Court of Miracles."

"What are we going to do about it, sir?" Phoebus's question was answered when Frollo slammed the stone down on the bugs, crushing all of them. "You make your point quite vividly, sir."

"The Heartless will breed with the darkness in the gypsies." Ashley said. "And no doubt the witches will align themselves with them. If that happens, then this city will fall. We will help you crush the gypsies, and then we'll destroy the witches once and for all."

"I like how you think, child." Frollo said. "You and your friends will be instrumental in cleansing this city of vice and sin. You did the right thing bringing them here, captain. Shall we?" Music then began playing in the city, causing Frollo to groan over the fanfare. "Duty calls. Have any of you ever attended a peasant festival?"

"Not recently, sir." Phoebus answered.

Shadow shook his head. "Been too busy."

"Then this should be quite an education for all of you. Come along."

* * *

La Cité des Cloches…

Everyone landed to find that their clothes had once again changed. The style was mostly medieval, with the boys having tunics and trousers that matched their color schemes. The girls seemed to be dressed in similar dresses that also matched their color schemes.

"Wow." Sora said. "Check us out."

"I gotta admit, I kind of like these threads." Clair said as she looked over herself.

"Stay focused. Remember, the Heartless could be here." Riku said. "We need to make sure that they stay away from the people of this world."

"Do you hear that?" Donald's question got people to stop talking and listen. They could hear a fanfare coming from the distance.

"Sounds like a party. Come on, guys!" Sora took off in the direction of the sound with everyone else following him. They came across an open space in the city that was packed with people. Confetti was being thrown around while garlands were strung out across several buildings. Everyone was dancing and singing.

"Come one, come all, and celebrate!" A man in a strange outfit said. He had a purple mask on, and some tunic that was purple, blue, and yellow at the same time. That seemed to be the color scheme for his entire outfit. His right arm was purple while his left was blue. His right leg was yellow and blue while his right was purple. He also had a blue hat with a yellow feather. He also had a black goatee with matching hair, and bells were attached to several parts of his outfit. Even his shoes had bells on them. When he saw the group he slid over to them laughing. "Welcome to our fair city. Have you come for the feast?"

"What feast?" Goofy asked.

The man smiled. "Why, the Feast of Fools! For the Festival of Fools of course!" He looked at them. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"We're new to town. We just arrived today." Mika quickly explained.

"Then you picked the best time to arrive. Listen, and Clopin will tell you." The music seemed to match his words as he sang them to the group.

_Once a year, we throw a party here in town_

_Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down_

_Every man's a king and every king's a clown_

_once again it's Topsy Turvy Day_

_It's the day the devil in us gets released_

_It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest_

_Everything is topsy turvy at the Feast_

_Of Fools_

As everyone looked they could see that things did seem to be silly here. There were some dogs that were walking men instead of the other way around. There was a goofy-looking man on a horse that literally had two rear ends. There were also people walking around in silly masks.

"So this is a festival for making light of everything." Nettie said. "Sounds like fun."

"Come on, guys. Let's join the celebration!" As Sora, Donald, and Goofy joined the festivities, Jason saw that Clopin guy follow someone in a cloak around. It wasn't someone from the Organization as the cloak was grey instead of black, but still the guy seemed like he didn't want to be seen. He shook his head as he accidently got tangled in a string of dancing girls, with Clopin at the end dancing with a purple dress over his attire.

Everyone seemed to be having fun. A man was taking a bath in a cauldron that was being pushed by a lobster, people were playing musical instruments, and some men with balloons with heads were taking needles and popping themselves, causing confetti to come out.

* * *

As they arrived at the festival Phoebus directed some guards to take positions in different parts of the festival. Probably to keep an eye out for criminals, although from what Shadow saw of Frollo the guy probably would treat a cripple like a criminal. Frollo got out of his carriage, or cart, or whatever the thing was, and went to his seat under a covered patio.

"Come on. Come all. Hurry, hurry! Here's your chance! See the mystery and romance!" A man in a stupid outfit teased Frollo, spilling some confetti on him. The judge brushed it off while the man continued, "Come one! Come all! See the finest girl in France make an entrance to entrance. Dance, la Esmeralda, dance!" The man threw something down, causing pink smoke to appear around him.

When it settled, there was a woman on stage. She had dark skin that reminded Shadow of Faciliar's skin tone in Jazz Bayou. Her hair was raven black and had a crown in it. She was dressed in a low-cut silk dress with see-through violet sleeves, and a see-through purple sash around her waist. She had some golden bracelets on her wrists and ankles, and big golden earings. She also had incredibly green eyes, almost like emeralds. That's probably why she was called Esmeralda. He also noticed her feet were bare. She danced with a tambourine and some purple sash with gold stars and moons on it.

Shadow thought he noticed Frollo staring at her before the old man resumed his usual demenour. "Look at that disgusting display."

"Yes, sir!" Phoebus sounded too eager to obey that order. Esmeralda came up to Frollo, putting her sash around his neck like she was going to flirt with him, before pulling his hat down over his face. The crowd laughed at that. The woman continued to dance around, entertaining the crowd. Her finale had her take a spear from a guard that she impaled into the stage, and used it to spin around on, before finishing.

The man in the funny outfit then came back on stage while people threw coins to her, and Shadow noticed even Phoebus tossed a gold coin at her. "Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for! Here it is, you know exactly what's in store. Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore. Now's the time we crown the King of Fools! So, make a face that's horrible and frightening. Make a face as gruesome as a gargoyle's wings. For the face that's ugliest will be the King of Fools."

Shadow watched as several people in masks got on stage, obviously contestants for the King of Fools. One by one, Esmeralda pulled off their masks as the men tried to make faces at them. They were all booed at, causing a goat to butt them off a stage into a pile of mud. It fled from the last contestant. When Esmeralda tried to pull the mask off, it wouldn't come off. Everyone gasped as they realized the truth.

"That's no mask!"

"It's his face!"

"He's hideous."

"It's the bell ringer from Notre Dame!"

Shadow got a good look at the man. He had a hunched back, and was dressed in a green shirt with brown trousers. He also had a lump over his left eye, a large nose, and a huge central incisor. He hid his face in his hands while his red hair fell over his fingers.

The other man seemed to calm things down. "Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic. We asked for the ugliest face in Paris and here it is. Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame!" At his words they ran up to him and carried the man on their shoulders. The man leading them took a stilt from a tall man, who needed it because he fell over. While everyone was celebrating, they placed a rubber crown on the man's head and carried him in a makeshift liter. They carried the man to a wooden stand with some device on it where he was given a purple cape with white fur lining, like a king. He was even given a scepter while the people celebrated around him.

Everyone was having so much fun. And for all his darkness, not even Shadow could've foreseen how south things were about to go.

* * *

**Yep. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of my favorite Disney films. I know it appeared in Dream Drop Distance, but I had this idea long before the game came out and I'm not changing it. Besides, I don't think Dream Drop Distance did a good job with it. They took out so much of the story, and changed a lot of the concepts that the game lost the heart of the story of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which if you think about it is kind of ironic). I also feel like that Frollo was really out of character in that game. I personally think that Frollo's pride would never allow him to accept the use of creatures like Heartless and Dream Eaters. Given the mindset of the 1400s, which is the time period of the novel, he, like Phoebus, would've seen them as demons. Hence why the Organization warned Shadow at the beginning. I do hope I got Frollo's personality right when he met Shadow, Ashley, and Stella.**

**Speaking of the novel, I did look at the novel to get Phoebus's full name. I personally like the Disney film better because I like happy endings. Still, the novel has a lot of characters that didn't make it into the film or its sequel. The King of France at the time, Louis IX, made an appearance in the novel, so it would be interesting to see someone work with that in a FanFiction. **

**Now I need to take a break. I need to think over how to write the next chapter because there's so much I'd like to include. I'm trying to figure out how to work the scene where poor Quasi is being tortured, how the characters stand up for him, as well as including Esmeralda fighting the guards of Frollo and the group having to fight the Heartless while protecting the citizens, even when they're branded as witches by their enemies. Yeah, a lot to work out, so you can be sure it will most likely be another long chapter. **


	71. Making Fools of Morons

**Hey everyone. Thanks for your patience.**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27**  
**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**  
**Oh, before I forget, the official Kingdom Hearts twitter has released an image of Daybreak Town, and it's awesome. **

* * *

Chapter 71: Making Fools of Morons

La Cité des Cloches…

It was unbelievable. Everyone was acting okay to this guys' appearance. No one was even repulsed. Jason had a bad feeling about this. In his experience back home usually people were only like this to someone before they did something to them.

Sure enough, something happened. Someone from the crowd threw a tomato at the guy, and then other people started throwing stuff at him. "Hey, knock it off!" He called out, but his voice was lost amongst the jeers and the laughter of the crowd. Sensing trouble, the man, Quasimodo, tried to run.

"Where you going, ugly? The fun's just beginning!" A man threw a rope around Quasimodo and pulled him down. Other people threw ropes on him. Jason tried to force his way through the crowd, but they were packing in too tightly to get in on the "fun" to let him pass.

In a show of strength Quasimodo pulled on some of the ropes, knocking several people down. He tried to pull himself free, but the crowd wasn't interested in letting him go. They swarmed him, and tied him down to this strange wheel thing. They then spun him around, pelting him with vegetables while he could only helplessly take their cruelty.

The sight sickened Jason. Once upon a time, he would've enjoyed something like this, and probably would've been front of the line to get his jollies out at another's expense. Now? Now, he was angry at these people. Everywhere he looked, he saw himself. The bully, the jerk who thought only of himself. Clenching his fists, he attempted to force his anger back into him.

He failed.

"ENOUGH!" He roared. Shoving his way through the crowd, Jason pushed himself up onto the stand. "That's enough! You think this is funny? That it's all a joke? Then why don't you take his place? Or do you only laugh when it's the other guy who gets pelted with food?"

Someone tried to throw a cabbage at him, but the former bully caught it in his hand. He crushed it before he continued, "You feel pretty tough right now, don't ya? You can do anything you want to this guy, who only a few minutes ago was the King of Fools. Now he's the punchline to your stupid jokes. How do any of you sleep at night, only fighting people who can't fight back? You're all cowards and morons, the lot of you!"

"At least we're not stupid!" Someone who looked like a guard said from the crowd.

Jason glared at him. "You want to see someone stupid, go look in a mirror." At that, the guard attempted to throw another tomato. However, a keyblade sliced it in two before it could get to Jason. Turning, the former bully saw AJ had joined him on the platform.

"You want him, you're gonna have to go through me." AJ told the crowd.

Clair then joined them. "And me."

"No one tortures him but me." Aurora said as she reluctantly got on too. Soon, every single one of their group was on the platform, standing protectively in front of Quasimodo. That got everyone to stop their cruelty. Clearly the group had made an impression on them. Probably because they were outsiders, or that they were defending someone who looked nothing like them. Probably the latter.

"Get down at once! All of you!" The man who seemed to be the official over the entire event ordered from the other side of the festival.

AJ shook his head. "Why don't you come over here and make us?"

"I order you to get down at once!"

Jason then heard footsteps. Turning, he saw the dancer Esmeralda coming up the steps. He got ready for trouble, but then he saw her expression. She had… sorrow, remorse in her face. The former bully could tell when someone wanted to make trouble, and she had no intention of doing so. He motioned for her to come up.

"Jason, what…?" AJ asked.

Jason held his hand up. "It's okay." They noticed Esmeralda had changed her outfit. She had a pink ribbon tied in her hair, and was wearing a white top with a blue midsection and a purple sarong. She approached Quasimodo, who looked unsure of her intentions. But she went and started to wipe the vegetable remains from his face.

"Gypsy girl!" The man called out. "Get down at once!"

"Yes, your honor." Esmeralda said. "Just as soon as I free this poor creature."

"I forbid it!" The man watched infuriated as Esmeralda produced a knife and cut Quasimodo free. "How dare you defy me!"

"How dare you tell her to leave him to be abused, you old geezer." Jason retorted back at him.

The man stood up. "You dare speak to Judge Claude Frollo like that, you insignificant whelp?"

"I know you are, but what are we?" AJ smirked at him. That heard some gasps from the crowd. Evidently, they were afraid of this old man.

"You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people!" Esmeralda spoke up. "You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help."

"Silence!"

"Justice!" She then helped Quasimodo up. Her words had some effect on the people as they began speaking amongst themselves.

Frollo pointed a finger at her. "Mark my words, Gypsy. You and your accomplices will pay for this insolence."

"Then it appears we've crowned the wrong fool. The only fool I see is you!" Esmeralda took the rubber crown from the hunchback and threw it at the judge. The crowd actually laughed at that.

"Oh, major burn." AJ smirked.

Riku looked at him. "This is no joke."

Sure enough, Frollo ordered his men to arrest them. A man in golden armor snapped his fingers and guards came marching up towards them. Jason did a quick count. "Ten of them against the fifteen of us. I think we can manage."

Esmeralda shook her head. "You miscounted." She then began sobbing, much to the group's surprise. Pulling out a handkerchief, she blew in it. What happened next came as a shock. There was a bang and then a cloud of pink smoke replaced where Esmeralda used to be. Goofy was so shocked he nearly fell off the platform, though it was probably due to the fact that Donald jumped on his head.

"Oh, boys. Over here." Everyone looked, and there was Esmeralda next to a chopping block. She had a goat with her and they were both making faces.

"There she is! Get her!" Some guards chased after her, but she and the goat dived into the crowd, which carried them off. The guards tried to follow them, but no one caught them. They ended up crashing into the ground below.

However, Esmeralda and the goat weren't out of the woods yet. Some guards drew their swords and charged at the Gypsy. However, if they were expecting her to be a damsel in distress they were disappointed. Esmeralda grabbed a cage with some old man in it and knocked it into the guards. The chain broke, causing it to roll away with Esmeralda helping in the rolling.

The goat got onto a cart with a man who appeared to have lost his legs. He was pulling himself forward using his hands trying to get away from the runaway cage. Esmeralda then leapt onto the thing the man was using while the guards kept chasing them. A tall man in some sort of elaborate costume, similar to the one Clopin took the stilt from earlier, kicked all four of the guards at once. All of them screamed in pain, leaving no doubt as to where they were kicked in.

The cart Esmeralda was on then broke, while the cage landed on some more guards, immobilizing them while the door popped open. The man inside got up. "I'm free! I'm free!" However, he tripped on his way out and ended up locked in the stocks. "Dang it."

Esmeralda and her goat assumed running again, this time from a guard on horseback. She leapt up and pulled the pants down of another stilt walker. The guard crashed into the pants and was sent flying back.

"Should we help her?" Xion asked.

Axel watched as the guard's helmet landed on Esmeralda and and she took it off with a bow. "I think she's fine."

Mika watched as Esmeralda then threw the helmet at three incoming guards on horseback. The helmet took them out effectively. She then ran from two more guards on horseback. A man walking across a high wire dropped his stick, which to the guards caught. They then ran into the area where Frollo was seated, effectively destroying his canopy. The crowd roared with laughter while Frollo dug himself out. Then, Esmeralda covered herself with a blanket, and vanished.

* * *

"How pathetic." Shadow facepalmed at the sight in front of him. He honestly didn't know whether to be insulted or, strangely, amused. One gypsy making complete fools out a bunch armed guards. On one hand, he couldn't help but sigh in annoyance at how incompetent Frollo's men were making themselves look right now. But on the other hand, he somehow couldn't help but smirk at how all this was being done by a mere street performer of all people. Regardless, he stood there and watched the slapstick unfold.

When Esmeralda threw the helmet, he and Phoebus did have to duck to avoid getting beheaded by the piece of metal. It nearly sliced a wooden pole behind them in half. "What a woman!" Phoebus said.

Shadow looked at him. "Enjoying yourself?"

The captain then regained his composure. Before he could answer the dark warrior's question, he noticed something. "Incoming!" Grabbing Shadow, Phoebus had his horse, which Shadow learned earlier was named Achilles, move out of the way. Shadow couldn't help but smile with amusement at seeing Frollo pull himself out of the wreckage.

Once Phoebus let go Shadow found himself next to Stella and Ashley. "Shadow, I think it's time." Stella said.

Ashley grinned an evil grin. "Time to show these fools what a real party is like." With a movement of her fingers, Shadow then sensed an increase in darkness. However, most of it seemed to be coming from Frollo, instead of from them. As the judge got his hat back on, the crowd screamed with fright as the first of the Shadow Heartless appeared.

"Witches!" Stella pointed to the group on the stand. "The travelers are witches, and they've summoned demons to destroy us!"

"We're not witches!" Sora said.

"Don't listen to them! See the demons they've summoned, and how they attack!" Sure enough, at Ashley's words the Heartless leapt at Frollo. Summoning Chaos Ripper, Shadow blocked one and sent it back. He noticed the hunchback was heading towards a great stone building.

Shadow had to slice through several Shadow Heartless with his keyblade. Then the Soldiers showed up, with three Big Bodies. If he was going to be honest with himself, it felt strange to fight against the Heartless, yet familiar as well. What was this sensation? Did it have something to do with his forgotten past?

A Big Body slammed itself into him, knocking the dark warrior back. Shadow growled as he got back up, but he remembered the words of warning he got before this mission. If someone saw him use the darkness, he'd get branded as a witch. Superstitious folk.

Shadow leapt over the Big Body, impaling his keyblade deep into the the back of the Heartless. It then vanished as the crystal heart floated up into the air. He watched as Stella and Ashley took care of the other two Big Bodies, releasing the Crystal Hearts. The remaining Soldiers ran towards the crowd, eager to steal their hearts.

Everyone was in a panic, trying to get away from the so-called demons. To the dark warrior's surprise Phoebus drew his sword and charged towards the Heartless on Achilles. He managed to knock a couple of them back, and drove his sword through the head of one. It released the heart, but it was pale in comparison with the others.

"Phoebus!" Shadow snapped at him. "Only we can effectively destroy the Heartless. Anyone else and they'll just come back later."

"What?" Phoebus sounded surprised at that. Once the news settled in, he turned towards some guards and gave his orders. "Keep the peasants away. Block any attempts of the Heartless to get to the people. Try to drive them towards these three."

"Yes, sir." The guards then urged their horses towards the Heartless. They were effective in driving the Heartless away from the masses and towards the three of them. The dark warrior did think the Heartless were looking at the guards like they were considering attacking them.

They weren't given a chance. With Ashley and Stella, Shadow managed to destroy the remaining Soldier Heartless. It started to rain, but it didn't matter. It was a refresher after the battle.

Frollo rode up to them. "Find her, captain. I want her alive." He ordered Phoebus. Looking at Shadow, Ashley, and Stella, he gave his orders. "Find those witches and bring them to me. I will see them burn at the stake for all this."

* * *

During the chaos, the group had gotten separated. Roxas, Xion, Mika, Axel, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto had been separated from them in the people's mad scramble to get away from the Heartless. Now Sora, Riku, Kairi, Jason, Clair, AJ, Aurora, and Nettie were trying to figure out a plan.

"We can't find them in this." Riku said. "We'll have to seek shelter and come up with another plan."

"But where?" Aurora asked. "I doubt a local in will take us in now after today."

Sora then felt a hand on his shoulder. "Follow me." He turned to see someone hunched over in a cloak walking away towards the great building. They chose to follow, passing through the great wooden doors into their sanctuary.

* * *

**I'm still in debate about the ending. I'm trying to stay in character for everyone, but sometimes that can be really difficult. **  
**Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for giving feedback over Shadow's thoughts of Esmeralda's antics. I think it's important to show that people in other worlds can take care of themselves. Plus, it's fun to see Esmeralda making fools out of armed soldiers. **

**Writing fighting scenes with the Heartless is still hard to do. I'm trying my best though. **

**I am hoping to do more character development with the group in this world. This is a great opportunity to really have them grow while in this world, faced with prejudice and superstition. To not use this opportunity will be a waste. You can tell I was working with Jason in this chapter, but in the next few I would like to develop some of the other characters as well. Until then, enjoy this chapter. **


	72. Sanctuary

**Meant to get this up last Friday, but the public computers weren't cooperating, so I had to just leave it until today. **

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27**

* * *

Chapter 72: Sanctuary

La Cité des Cloches…

Clair gazed in awe at the interior of the building. There were columns and arches everywhere inside, with just enough spaces so people can get around. At the far end of the cathedral was some sort of altar, probably for where people would kneel in prayer. There were rows of candles on tall candlesticks, all lit for some purpose. There were also statues of various people scattered throughout the interior.

Nettie did notice that the cloaked figure took off their hood. It was Esmeralda, with her goat over her shoulders to give her a hunched appearance. She too seemed to be looking around with awe and wonder at the cathedral. "Thank you for helping us." She told their rescuer.

Esmeralda looked at her. "I couldn't just leave you to Frollo and his men. They would not have been merciful."

Jason nodded. Before anyone could say anything else, the gypsy reached behind and and grabbed someone. Everyone turned to see her pull out the sword from a guard and force him to the ground while pointing it at him. "You!"

"Easy, easy. I just shaved this morning." The man said.

"Oh really? You missed a spot."

"All right. All right. Just… calm down. Just give me a chance to apologize."

"For what?"

The man took his sword back and tripped Esmeralda. "That, for example."

"You sneaky son of a—" Esmeralda growled.

The man cut her off. "Watch it. We're in a church." Jason got the feeling that Esmeralda had been close to saying something really bad.

"Are you always this charming or am I just lucky?" As she got up, Esmeralda grabbed one of the candle things and began swinging it at the man, who blocked her every move. Nettie was sure this wasn't something you do in a church, but maybe things were different in this world.

"Candlelight. Privacy. Music. Can't think of a better place for hand-to-hand combat." The man joked as he parried one of Esmeralda's blows. You fight almost as well as a man."

"Funny. I was going to say the same thing about you!" Esmeralda forced the man back.

"That's hitting a little below the belt, don't you think?"

"No. This is!" She tried to hit him between the legs, but he blocked in time. Then Esmeralda hit him with the other end of her makeshift weapon. That took him by surprise.

"Touché." The man said right before the goat head-butted him in the gut. "Didn't know you had a kid."

"Djali doesn't take kindly to soldiers."

"I noticed."

"Just who are you?" Riku asked the man.

"Permit me. I'm Phoebus." The man introduced himself. "It means, 'Sun God.'"

The look Esmeralda and her goat, Djali, gave each other were slightly amused, almost like they expected someone like him to have a name like that.

"And you are?"

"Is this an interrogation?" Esmeralda asked him.

"Not in my book." Jason said.

Phoebus sheathed his sword. "It's called an introduction."

That surprised her. "You're not arresting us?"

"As long as you're in here, I can't."

Esmeralda put aside her candlestick. "You're not at all like the other soldiers."

"I'm Sora." Sora introduced himself. "This is Riku, Kairi, Jaosn, Aurora, AJ, Nettie, and Clair."

"Quite the troop you have." Phoebus said.

"Just passing through." Riku said. "Or we were."

"If you're not going to arrest us, what do you want?" Esmeralda asked him.

"I'd settle for your name." Phoebus answered. Jason could tell he was sincere with that. Something about Phoebus seemed different from the other guards. But that doesn't answer why he was working with Shadow.

Esmeralda seemed to pick up on his sincerity too. "Esmeralda."

"Beautiful." Phoebus said. "Much better than Phoebus anyway."

As they watched, the two moved towards each other. It was like they were starting to develop a romantic interest in each other. However, the moment was interrupted by the sound of the cathedral doors opening. "Good work, captain. Now, arrest them!" Frollo ordered.

Phoebus looked at all of them and whispered urgently, "Claim sanctuary!"

"Sanctuary?" Several members of the group said, although Esmeralda only glared at Phoebus angrily.

"I'm waiting, captain." Frollo said.

Phoebus turned to him. "I'm sorry, sir. They claimed sanctuary. There's nothing I can do."

"Then drag them outside and— "

"Frollo. You will not touch them!" An elderly, heavyset man with with hair and eyebrows said as he approached them. He had some sort of golden totem around his neck, probably something significant for their religion, or a sign of his office. He had a baby blue robe on with a red outline, and underneath that was a wide white robe. He approached the group and said, "Don't worry. Minister Frollo learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the church."

Frollo's enraged expression suggested otherwise.

"But we didn't." Ashley said as she started towards them. However, Shadow grabbed her.

Pulling her to face him, he said, "No. Clearly if we violate this sanctuary thing, it will mean trouble for all of us. Trouble we cannot afford." Ashley then pulled herself out of Shadow's grasp and stormed out of the cathedral. Turning to the man, he asked, "Is it alright if I offer them a piece of advice? Then I will go."

The man nodded. "Very well. But remember, violate sanctuary and— "

"I get that it's bad." Shadow said. The man looked at Shadow in a way that conveyed that he knew the dark warrior had no respect for the church, and began leading Phoebus out of the cathedral. Djali kept head-butting him in the back to make sure the soldier got the message to leave.

Shadow then looked at the group. "I know that you've seen by now that in this world, things work differently than from what you're used to."

"Yeah. The bad people are in control and use their power to oppress the innocent." Clair said.

Shadow barely glanced at her. "Not long ago, you were one of the bad people."

"Only because of that stupid thorn!"

"I know. Personally, I'm glad it's gone."

Jason scoffed. "We're not interested in what makes you glad."

"Too bad for you." Shadow said. "There's a local superstition here that paints magic as witchcraft. As you can imagine the locals consider it taboo, they'll see anyone who does it as an evil witch or warlock. Those accused of witchcraft are then executed... by burning on a wooden stake."

That sent shivers down the spines of many in the group.

"You should be thankful though. That superstition is the only thing preventing us from going all out against you. Although I don't quite understand this sanctuary stuff, or why it is offered to the accused, but I'll play along. However, I might be willing to offer you all an easy way out of this... for a price." He glanced at Kairi as he said that.

Sora quickly moved in front of her. "Not happening!"

Shadow shrugged at that. "Suit yourselves then. Good luck trying to get out of here without magic." He then turned and left the cathedral.

The group then heard Esmeralda gasp. Turning, they saw Frollo had grabbed her and pinned her arm to her back. "You think you've outwitted me, but I am a patient man, and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls." He then sniffed her hair.

"Get away from Esmeralda!" Kairi said.

Frollo looked down at her. "I was just imagining a rope around that beautiful neck of hers."

Esmeralda pulled away. "I know what you were imagining!"

Realization dawned on Jason. "Oh, that is disgusting!"

"I'm gonna be sick." Nettie groaned.

Riku shook his head. "It's no wonder the Heartless are here, with dark hearts like that."

"Such clever witches." Frollo said. "So typical of your kind to twist the truth and cloud the mind with unholy thoughts. You seek to set yourselves up as a light, but I can see through all of you, and I shall not be deceived by your devilish tricks." Frollo then headed to the doors, but did give them one last warning. "You've chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless. Set one foot outside, and you're mine." The doors closed behind him.

Esmeralda then ran to a side door, Clair and Kairi running after her. They opened it, but found some guards outside. "Frollo's orders. Post a guard at every door." The gypsy then slammed the door.

"Sorry we dragged you into this." Kairi told her.

Esmeralda looked at her. "I saw what you did for that poor boy. Why did you stand up to them?"

"It was wrong." Riku said. "What those people were doing, it was darkness."

"So you didn't call those creatures?"

"No one controls the Heartless." Riku said. "They only go after the darkness in the hearts of every living creature. Our job is to stop them."

Esmeralda looked at them. "So you're not witches?"

AJ shook his head. "Nope. We're the good guys."

Aurora looked at the door. "Except now the old coot's got it in his head that we're the cause of the Heartless showing up. And unless we can get back out there the Heartless will only grow stronger as they steal people's hearts."

"They sound just like demons." The gypsy said.

Clair nodded. "I guess, in a way, that's what a Heartless really is. A demon."

"Well, thanks for taking a stand out there. If Frollo thinks he can keep us in here, he's wrong."

"Don't act rashly, my children." The old man said as he lit some candles. "You've created… quite a disturbance at the festival. It would be unwise to arouse Frollo's anger further."

"You saw what he did out there." Esmeralda said. "Letting the crowd torture that poor boy. When they stood up, I just thought…"

"That others would follow." Riku said. "I'm afraid things don't always work like that. People often choose to do what is easy, instead of what is right."

Esmeralda looked at them. "What do they have against people who are different?"

Jason looked down. "I guess… people see anything different as dangerous. A threat to their way of life. When people get comfortable, they oppose change, and brand it as evil."

"But you were the first to stand up." AJ said.

Jason looked at them. "Because… when I looked at the crowd, I saw… me. From before. It was like my past was coming back to haunt me." He sighed. "I'm trying to change, but sometimes, it feels like that who I was is always coming back, that I can never escape being that person."

"You should not despair." The old man said. "You've shown great courage and strength today by taking the first step. Our Lord invites all men everywhere to change. Each act of kindness you do helps make the world a better place."

"But… it seems like for every good deed we do, a hundred bad things happen." Clair added.

The man looked at them. "You cannot right all the wrongs in this world by yourselves."

"Well, nobody out there's going to help, that's for sure." Esmeralda said.

"Well, perhaps there is someone in here who can." The man suggested.

Riku looked at him. "Thank you, mister."

"To all the travelers, I am known as the Archdeacon." The Archdeacon then walked off to continue his other duties.

Esmeralda then approached a statue of a woman with a crown holding a baby. Clair couldn't help but think the carving was beautiful, like the figure cared for them just like the child. She looked back to see some people in the act of praying, probably to the god or gods they might be worshipping in this world. She got the feeling they worshipped only one god, but then why all the other statues and carvings? Were they holy people from this world's past?

Esmeralda then began to approach the statue of the woman. Everyone noticed she had a feeling of reverence about her. This person must mean a lot to the people of this world.

_I don't know if You can hear me,_

_Or if You're even there._

_I don't know if You would listen_

_To a gypsy's prayer._

_Yes, I know I'm just an outcast,_

_I shouldn't speak to You._

_Still, I see Your face and wonder..._

_Were You once an outcast, too?_

_God help the outcasts,_

_Hungry from birth,_

_Show them the mercy_

_They don't find on earth,_

_God help my people,_

_We look to You, still._

_God help the outcasts,_

_Or nobody will._

Esmeralda's prayer touched everyone deeply. Here she was, being hunted by a crazy old loon, yet she was asking for others to be helped instead of her. She may not fit into the social norm of this world, but she clearly had a good heart that was ruled by light. Kairi couldn't help but wonder why Esmeralda wasn't chosen to have one of the Hearts of Light. As they followed their friend they heard some of the prayers of the parishioners.

_I ask for wealth_

_I ask for fame_

_I ask for glory to shine on my name_

_I ask for love I can possess_

_I ask for God and His angels to bless me!_

Jason shook his head. These people looked like they were better socially in this world than the others, but their prayers suggested that they were still not satisfied. Some of them prayed to this stain-glass window portraying a man in golden robes with a golden halo around his head. To the sides were twelve other men, some of whom were also carved as statues outside the cathedral. He couldn't help but wonder if this was supposed to be the god of this world, and if so would He really answer prayers of greed and vanity instead of helping people who truly needed it?

Esmeralda continued her prayer, and it was a great contrast with the prayers the other people were giving. It stirred Clair's heart as they moved throughout the cathedral, making her think. She remembered how she acted, what she thought when that thorn was in her heart. The memories pained her, and she wished she could rip her heart out of her chest. Yet, Esmeralda's words also made her feel like that maybe there was still hope.

_I ask for nothing_

_I can get by._

_But I know so many_

_Less lucky than I._

_Please help my people,_

_The poor and downtrod._

_I thought we all were_

_The children of God._

_God help the outcasts,_

_Children of God!_

As Esmeralda finished her prayer, she hugged Djali for comfort. Clair felt uplifted, that maybe everything would work out. Maybe this world did have a God, and maybe He could help them out. She saw so much that she wouldn't write it off as impossible. For now, they needed to have faith that things would work out.

* * *

**I'm going to be honest, that song is one of my favorites.**

**Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for the dialogue between Shadow and the group.**

**Edit: YamiChaos27 pointed out that some characters were listed here who, in the previous chapter, had been separated from the group, so I took it down to fix that problem. Thanks again for pointing that out. Extra thanks to you. **


	73. Quasi's Home

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27**

* * *

Chapter 73: Quasi's home

"You! Bellringer! What are you doing down here?" Someone called out. Everyone looked to see the man from before, Quasimodo, knock over a candlestick before hurrying to some stairs hidden in a column. "Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

Esmeralda followed. "Wait. I-I'd like to talk to you." The hunchback either didn't hear her or was just trying to get away from her. Everyone else followed her, as the only other option was to stand around and wait. Needless to say, none of them wanted to do that.

Up the stairs they climbed until they reached the top of the cathedral. Just looking over the side made Jason sort of feel like they were back on Harthyn. This church towered over the other buildings. Nettie wondered if the reason for that was to symbolically touch heaven.

After passing through a door they were able to catch up to the hunchback. "Here you are." Esmeralda said as they passed three gargoyles. "I was afraid I'd lost you."

"Yes." Quasimodo cleared his throat. "Well, I have chores to do, and it was nice to see you. Again." He then climbed up some wooden stairs, with Esmeralda and the others following.

"I'm really sorry about this afternoon." Esmeralda apologized. "I had no idea who you were. I never in my life would've… pulled you up on the… stage." She trailed off as they reached a loft that was different. There was a table that used broken pieces of statues as legs. On the table were wooden carvings of people from the city, and replicas of some of the houses and the cathedral. There was even a chandelier using pieces of stained glass over it.

"What is this place?" Kairi asked.

Quasimodo, who was hiding behind some wood, answered, "This is where I live."

"Did you make all these things yourself?" Esmeralda asked, clearly impressed.

"Most of them." Came the hunchback's answer.

"It's beautiful." Kairi said.

Esmeralda leaned in closer to the figures. "If I could do this, you wouldn't find me dancing in the streets for coins."

"But you're a wonderful dancer." Quasimodo said.

Esmeralda smiled. "Well, it keeps bread on the table, anyway." She then noticed a cloth covering some figures. "What's this?"

"No!" Quasimodo came out from where he was hiding. "Please! I'm not finished! I still have to paint them."

Esmeralda's eyes widened as she saw the two wooden figures underneath. "It's the blacksmith. And the baker."

Djali was looking at the figures too. Clair thought the goat was just impressed too, until she saw him eat one of the wooden sheep. She looked at him. "Hey, these are not for eating."

Esmeralda put the figures down. "You're a surprising person, Quasimodo. Not to mention, lucky. All this room to yourself."

Quasimodo smiled. "Well, it's not just me. There's the gargoyles. Of course, the bells. Would you like to see them?"

"Yes, of course." Esmeralda said.

"Sure." Kairi smiled.

Clair then heard a slurp. She turned to see Djali had ignored her and eaten all the sheep, and the shepherd too. All that was left was the crook. She frowned at the goat, who just rejoined Esmeralda.

"Follow me. I'll introduce you." Quasimodo began showing them the bells, naming them one by one. To most of the group the bells looked the same. As Esmeralda approached a really big bell, he approached her. "That's Big Marie."

"Hello!" Esmeralda said from underneath the bell, causing it to echo underneath.

Quasimodo smiled. "She likes you. Would you like to see more?"

"How about it?" Esmeralda asked the others, who nodded. Djali, who had walked under Big Marie, belched as if to give his answer. The goat started when the bell echoed the belch, which did make some of the group giggle.

They followed Quasimodo up a ladder to the top of one of the cathedral's towers. Looking over the railing, they saw a beautiful sunset over the down as a river moved through the city. All the colors were beautiful, like the world itself was creating art just for them.

Esmeralda was awed by the sight. "I bet the king himself doesn't have a view like this. I could stay up here forever."

"You could, you know." Quasimodo said.

"No, I couldn't."

"Oh, yes. You have sanctuary."

"But not freedom. Gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

"But you're not like other gypsies. They're… evil."

Aurora shook her head. "Nice choice of words." She deadpanned. Kairi motioned for her to stop talking.

"Who told you that?" Esmeralda asked him.

"My master, Frollo."

That surprised the group. "Frollo's your master?!" Sora asked.

"He raised me."

Esmeralda was shocked. "How could such a cruel man raise someone like you?"

"Cruel? Oh, no! He saved my life." Quasimodo explained. "He took me in when no one else would. I'm a monster, you know."

"Is that what Frollo told you?" Riku asked. "Trust me, looks can be deceiving. A good friend sees you for who you are no matter what face you wear."

What Esmeralda did next helped Riku's words. "Give me your hand."

"What?"

"Just let me see it." Esmeralda looked at it. "A long life line. Oh, and this one means you're shy." She looked at the palm of his hand. "Well, that's funny."

"What?"

"I don't see any."

"Any what?"

"Monster lines. Not a single one."

Jason looked at her. "You got all that from looking at his hand?"

Esmeralda nodded as she handed Quasimodo her hand. "Now you look at me. Do you think I'm evil?"

"No!" Quasimodo said. "No, no. You are kind, and good, and… and…"

"And a gypsy." Esmeralda finished. "And maybe Frollo's wrong. About all of us."

"You see?" Kairi said. "It's not about what status in life people have, or what they look like that defines them. It's what they do. It's all in the heart."

"People will always give others labels, but that doesn't mean they're right." Jason looked over the balcony. He thought about when he was a bully, and the things he did, the things he called others. He saw so much of that past in Frollo, and he hated it. He knew now that he had been an idiot in the past.

"You helped me. Now I will help you." Quasimodo told her.

Esmeralda looked at him. "But there's no way out. There's soldiers at every door."

"We won't use a door." Quasimodo got on the balcony.

Realization dawned on everyone. "You're gonna climb down?" Donald asked. Thankfully it had gotten darker, and he was behind the others, so everyone was sure he didn't see who spoke.

Thinking it was one of the group, Quasimodo said, "Sure." Looking at Esmeralda, he added, "You carry him. I carry you."

Kairi looked at Esmeralda. "Where will you go?"

"I'll head to the Court of Miracles. It's the only place that's safe from Frollo." The gypsy looked at them. "All of you are welcome to come with me."

"We can't." Riku said. "Shadow is out there with some of our friends. We need to get them back. Then we need to drive the Heartless out of here."

Sora looked at Kairi. "Kairi, I think you should go with Esmeralda."

"What? No, I'm staying here." She said.

Jason looked at her. "Kairi, Shadow knows you're here. And I don't expect that guy to honor this sanctuary code if he thinks he can break it without getting caught. I'm sure he doesn't know where the Court of Miracles is, and that means he can't get you there."

"Besides, what if the Heartless find it?" AJ said. "If they find the Court of Miracles, the people there will have no defense against them."

Aurora looked at him. "In case you forgot, Esmeralda showed today she can hold her own."

"But only the Keyblade can successfully destroy a Heartless. Does anyone at the Court of Miracles have a keyblade?" Esmeralda shook her head to answer AJ's question. "That's what I thought."

Kairi then looked at Esmeralda. "Will you help me find some friends of ours? We got separated when the Heartless attacked."

"Of course I will."

She then nodded. "Then I'll go."

"I don't like sending Kairi off alone." Riku said. "But this may be the only action we can take."

"I can come back for someone else tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that." Esmeralda offered.

"Won't that put you in danger?" Nettie asked.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

Everyone nodded. "okay."

Kairi then waited while Esmeralda blindfolded Djali. They then approached Quasimodo. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid." When Quasimodo leapt over, Esmeralda changed her mind. "Now I'm afraid."

"The trick is not to look down." The frightened bleating that came from Djali suggest that he didn't listen to Quasimodo's advice.

Everyone tried to follow Quasimodo's progress from the tower. They lost sight of him when he made a big leap. Even though there were lots of stars in the sky, it was hard to see here.

"Think they're going to be fine." Jason said right as they heard some screaming coming from their friends. They could see, but they could see sparks coming up from one of the roof tiles. They watched as it flew off the roof and crashed into an alley somewhere.

Aurora hit Jason on the head. "Way to jinx it, knucklehead!"

"How was I supposed to know that would happen?" Jason asked.

"Hey, knock it off." Riku said. "What matters is they're safe."

"Yeah, with Quasi, they're going to be just fine." Sora said.

"Indisputably."

"He's tough."

"We may be hard as stone, but Quasi's stronger."

Jason summoned his keyblade. "All right. Who's there?"

"Hey, hey. No need to get tough. We're on your side." The second voice said.

"We'd feel better if we knew who we were talking to." AJ said.

"Look behind you." Everyone did, but all they saw were three gargoyle statues.

Jason dismissed his keyblade. "Ha, ha. Very funny."

"I beg your pardon, but what is funny?" The tall, muscular gargoyle asked. He was a bluish shade of grey, and sported two wings on his back.

"Whoa!" Sora jumped. "Talking gargoyles?"

"Excuse us for havin' personality." A feminine sounding gargoyle said. She was a pinkish color and had a couple of cone-shaped horns on her head and sported average wings.

Riku was the calmest here. "So, uh, who are you?"

"Oh, excuse us." The feminine gargoyle said. "I'm Laverne. The handsome one is Victor, and the slob is Hugo."

The last gargoyle looked at her. He was the stockiest, with two sharp horns that pointed upwards. He had two tiny wings and a porcine build. He was also a green shade of grey. "Hey!"

"So, you know Quasimodo?" Mika asked.

Laverne looked at her. "We've been friends for years."

"More than a decade of camaraderie." Victor added.

"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Hugo piped in.

Jason shook his head. "We don't need a list of day-to-day activities."

"Right." Victor said. "You see, the Notre Dame cathedral has been Quasimodo's home for two decades."

"He's lived her his whole life?" Sora asked.

Laverne nodded. "Yes. Judge Frollo forbids him from every leaving."

"He tells the guy that people will hate him if they see that mug of his." Hugo said.

"Every year, Quasi would watch the Feast of Fools, and we encouraged him to go this year." Laverne said. "We were so proud of him for finally working up the courage to do it."

"Then his hopes were dashed." Victor said.

"But why does Frollo care?" Clair asked.

Nettie nodded. "When we saw him it seemed like his heart was too full of darkness to care for anyone but himself."

"Frollo really doesn't care about Quasimodo." Laverne said. "We're not sure why he does it, but Frollo seems to care for Quasi out of obligation than care."

"Doesn't do more than bring him food and lecture him on everything." Hugo added.

Victor looked behind them. "Someone's coming." The three gargoyles then resumed looking like lifeless statues as someone came up. It was Phoebus. Everyone was surprised to see him.

"I know you. You're that guy with Frollo!" Sora said.

Phoebus held up his hands. "Calm down. I'm not here to cause trouble." He then noticed they were listening to him. "Finally. People with a little common sense."

"Why are you here?" Riku asked him.

"I'm here to see the gypsy girl."

While the others tried to find an answer, Quasimodo came back up. When he saw Phoebus, he got more aggressive than they had seen him. "No soldiers! Sanctuary! Get out!"

"Wait. All I want is to— "

"Go!"

"I mean her no harm!"

"GO!" Quasimodo pulled a torch off a wall and began to swing it at Phoebus. The soldier quickly drew his sword and used it to pin the torch to the wall, while the hunchback grabbed him.

"You tell her for me. I didn't mean to trap her here. It was the only way I could save her life." Phoebus explained. "Will you tell her that? Will you?"

"If you go, now."

"I'll go. Now, will you put me down please?" Quasimodo released Phoebus, who started down the stairs. "Oh, and one more thing. Tell Esmeralda she's very lucky."

"Why?"

"To have friends like you." Phoebus then sheathed his sword, and left.

Quasimodo looked at the others. "What did he mean by that?"

"Friends help each other." Sora said. "Esmeralda helped you, and you helped her."

"Yet another example of how Frollo was wrong." Aurora said. "He told you you could never have friends, and here you are. You're making friends."

Quasimodo looked down. "But, the festival…"

"The festival may not have gone the way you wanted, but this day did give you something." AJ said. "Look, don't let that old geezer get you down. The world doesn't revolve around his ego. If you need examples, you've found at least nine today, not including our friends who went missing."

* * *

Later that night, everyone had been getting ready to sleep. While Quasimodo rang what he called the Evening Mass, she went back down to the cathedral. She found the Archdeacon going through some ritual with what she assumed were priests. They were speaking in a language she couldn't recognize, while gently swinging something back and forth. It must've been some incense tool, for their religious services.

She waited until they were finished. It seemed like once that was done they were all preparing to go to bed. It was then the Archdeacon noticed her. "What are you doing up so late, my child?"

"Well, I was thinking." Clair said. "If it's no trouble, would you mind teaching me more of your religion? Lately, I've been having a pain in my heart, and being here in this cathedral seems to help alleviate some of the pain. I would like to know why because… I just feel something special here."

The Archdeacon smiled at her. "My child, you are feeling Heaven's Light in your heart. Our Lord never turned away any who wished to know of His gospel and doctrine in his life. I will be happy to teach you more."

* * *

Shadow's night was restless. There she was, the princess, ripe for the taking, only for them to go and claim that sanctuary nonsense. What difference did it make? Why was it a taboo for anyone to harm someone who claimed sanctuary? And what did that old pacifist mean by Frollo learning to respect the church years ago?

Getting up, Shadow decided to confront Frollo about this. He left his room and passed through the long, dark hallways of the Palace of Justice. As he moved through, it felt just as empty as The Castle That Never Was. Well, he could sense emotions. Pride. Jealousy. Arrogance. Prejudice. Darkness. But still, it felt like a fortress of darkness instead of a palace of justice.

Shadow could sense that he was approaching Frollo's room. From the sounds of it, the man was still up in his chambers. The dark warrior had to stop as there was a man at the doors reporting to Frollo. "Minister Frollo. The gypsy has escaped."

"What?" Shadow heard him say from inside.

"She's nowhere in the cathedral. She's gone. So is one of the witches. The one with red hair." Shadow clenched his fist. Kairi had escaped? How?

"But how… never mind. Get out, you idiot." Shadow heard Frollo dismiss the soldier. The dark warrior ducked into the shadows while he heard Frollo say, "I'll find her. I'll find her even if I have to burn all of Paris!" Once the soldier left, Shadow listened at the door. The last words he heard Frollo utter confirmed what his heart was telling him, and in a way made him uneasy in a way he couldn't remember feeling. "She will be mine or she will burn!"

* * *

**Well, this was a good, long chapter. ****Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for his feedback over the chapter's ending. Originally I was going to have Shadow have a dream to set things up for later, but after looking over it, I wasn't sure if it fit or not, so I removed it. **


	74. Out of the Shadows

**Finally, a chapter I've been wanting to get to for a while. I tried to have some growth for Shadow here. **

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney. **

* * *

Chapter 74: Out of the Shadows

La Cité des Cloches…

Mika was lost in the city with the others. They had managed to give the soldiers the slip, but there were so many patrols. Also, the Heartless were on the prowl. Taking them out in secret was no picnic, but they always managed to find a way. If only they could find the others. The witch was ready to leave this world and let the Heartless have it.

They did have to steal some cloaks so they could sneak around better. Goofy left a bag of munny at the store to pay for them, but she was sure he overpaid. They itched terribly and stunk. Thankfully the munny had changed to this world's currency so they wouldn't have to worry about someone connecting them to that store. But still, people were worried.

"We need to get the others." Goofy said.

Donald sighed. "But we don't know where they are."

"As soon as we find them, we're outta here." Mika said. "I hate being hunted like an animal."

Pluto was just sniffing around. Then he caught wiff of something that perked him up. Wagging his tail, the dog barked excitedly before running off.

"Pluto, wait!" Roxas said as he took off after the dog. The others followed after the dog, wondering what was going on. They followed the dog to the gates of the city, where two cloaked figures were about to leave the city. The shorter one turned to see Pluto running up, who barked happily and leapt up to them. The hood was blown back, revealing that it was Kairi!

"Pluto!" She smiled as he licked her. She then noticed the others. "Guys! You're all here."

"Kairi. Thank goodness we found you." Mika said. "Where are the others?"  
"At the cathedral." She pointed. "We sought sanctuary there, and I escaped with Esmeralda." The other figure turned, and they saw that underneath the hood was Esmeralda, with her goat on her shoulders to change her height. He also had a pipe in his mouth.

Mika nodded. "Thank you. Now, let's get our friends and get out of here."

"We can't." Kairi said. "Frollo's been acting crazy all day. From what we've heard he's tearing the city apart looking for everyone."

"For me." Esmeralda said.

"Why?" Roxas asked.

"Well, we think…" Kairi motioned them to come closer. When they did, she whispered to them what their thoughts were.

Axel's eyes widened. "He what? That pedophile!"

"Where is he now?" Goofy asked.

Esmeralda gestured to the gates. "Outside the city, heading to the mill."

Mika called forth her keyblades. "Then that's where we're going."

"Put those away before someone sees!" Kairi said, to which the witch obeyed. They then exited the city and headed to the mill. Frollo and his men were already there, and a crowd had gathered. The group managed to blend in while they heard people saying things.

"What's he doing?"

"The miller never hurt anyone."

"Frollo's gone mad."

Kairi did take a quick look and then hid her face again. Stella and Ashley were there, standing guard with some soldiers. If they were here, that means Shadow was nearby too. Once he realizes she was out of the cathedral, it might be game over.

* * *

Shadow was currently in the mill with Phoebus and Frollo. The old man had really gotten under his skin today. He had his men do nothing but hunt for that gypsy. Every group of gypsies they found Frollo had offered silver to them. First it had been ten pieces, and then twenty. Still they had all remained silent, refusing to betray one of their own. For some reason, Shadow felt like there was something symbolic about the pieces of silver, but he didn't know what. It didn't matter now. The dark warrior was this close to putting his keyblade through Frollo's back.

"We found this gypsy talisman on your property. Have you been harboring gypsies?" Frollo was interrogating the miller.

The man was on his knees while his family watched from behind. "Our home is always open to the weary traveler." He grabbed Frollo's robes. "Have mercy, my lord!"

Frollo just brushed his pleas aside. "I am placing you and your family under house arrest until I get to the bottom of this. If what you say is true, and you are innocent, then you have nothing to fear."

"But we are innocent!" The man got up as Frollo left with Phoebus and Shadow. "I assure you, we know nothing of these gypsies!"

Frollo forced the miller back inside and slammed the door in his face. He then grabbed a spear from one of his guards and used it to keep the door shut. Turning to Phoebus the old man gave his orders. "Burn it."

"What?" The captain asked.

Frollo mounted his horse. "Until it smolders, these people are traitors and must be made examples of."

"There are kids in there!" Shadow protested.

"And your point is?" Frollo looked down at him.

Shadow's eyes narrowed. "You would really murder a man and his family in cold blood just because you found some stupid token on their land?"

"Anyone associated with gypsies shall die, young or old." The old man said. "No one will be spared." He handed a torch to Phoebus.

Phoebus's next words distracted Shadow for a second. "With all due respect, sir, I was not trained to murder the innocent."

"But you were trained to follow orders!" Frollo reminded him.

All eyes were on Phoebus. The captain's future rode on what he would choose. Shadow made up his mind on what would happen if he followed orders. The captain would lose his head, and then the judge would watch Shadow rip his black heart out of his chest. The dark warrior would not let anything stop him.

However, to everyone's surprise, Phoebus doused the torch in a barrel of water. "Not the orders of a madman!" He boldly declared. Shadow decided he would live.

"Insolent coward!" Grabbing another torch, Frollo rode up to the mill and set it ablaze himself! Shadow had to roll out of the way of some falling beams. The cries of the children rang out from inside the mill. To the dark warrior's surprise Phoebus leapt in through the window, and, although he did not know why, Shadow leapt in after him.

The parents were there, trying to cover and protect their children with themselves while their home burned around them. Shadow grabbed the father and pulled him up. "Come on, you old man! You can't stay here!"

"We're getting you out." Phoebus took the baby from the mother while Shadow picked up the girl. The captain then kicked the door and ran out with the parents following. The dark warrior was right behind him, but the girl screamed. Shadow then saw a beam falling towards them. Summoning Chaos Ripper, the dark warrior simply swung his weapon and tore the beam in two before reuniting the girl with her parents.

"Get as far away from the city as possible." Shadow instructed the family. "It's not safe here."

"God bless you both." The mother said to them as Phoebus handed her back her baby. The family then ran off, away from their home and the men who set it ablaze. Phoebus then grunted as Shadow heard something clang against him. Something then attacked him from behind and grab hold of both of his arms while a guard did the same to Phoebus.

Frollo rode up to them. "The penalty for insubordination is death." Looking at Phoebus, he added, "Such a pity. You threw away a promising career."

"Consider it my highest honor, sir." Phoebus retorted.

Shadow glared at the judge. "I know what you are now. Whatever god you claim to serve is a pretense. The one you worship is you."

"Remove his tongue and then feed it to him." Frollo instructed his men. It did please Shadow to see the outrage on the old loon's face. He saw the sword being raised, preparing to end the life of the captain. The dark warrior felt the darkness inside of him. If he was going to die, he would at least take the shackles off. Let Frollo know who he was dealing with.

Suddenly, the horse the judge rode reared up with a loud neigh as it threw its rider off. In the confusion, Phoebus punched the guards about him. Shadow quickly recovered his wits and blasted his captors with dark energy. As the horse ran, Phoebus quickly mounted it. Shadow leapt on behind him, turning to see he had knocked down Stella and Ashley.

Frollo also recovered. "Get them! And don't hit my horse!" Arrows whistled past them as they rode across the bridge. Summoning his keyblade again, Shadow got to work at striking them down. However, there were simply too many for him to handle. Phoebus cried out in pain. Turning, Shadow saw one arrow had hit him. The former captain fell of the horse into the river.

"Phoebus!" Out of loyalty and admiration for his new friend, the dark warrior leapt of the equine and dove into the river after him. The former captain was struggling to get his armor off, and Shadow quickly deduced why. It was weighing him down, and if it wasn't removed Phoebus would drown. Arrows were still being fired while Shadow swam towards Phoebus and tried to help him remove his armor.

There was a difference between Shadow and Phoebus. The dark warrior had managed to take a breath before diving in while the former captain had not. Shadow could see that Phoebus was quickly running out of air. Cursing, the dark warrior worked harder to remove the big pieces of metal. How did these things work?

He then sensed another presence. Turning, the dark warrior saw the gypsy from before, the one Frollo was obsessed with. His eyes narrowed at her, but she grabbed some of Phoebus's armor and began pulling it off. Realizing that she knew how to take off the armor, he began following her example. Finally, the last piece sank to the bottom of the river and the three of them were heading to the surface.

After they broke it and gasped down breaths of air, Shadow helped the gypsy drag Phoebus to shore. It was then he saw that they weren't alone. Waiting for them was the group that didn't seek sanctuary in the cathedral, and the princess.

"Shadow." Kairi said.

Shadow supported the former captain while he answered, "Princess. Under different circumstances this would be a blessing for me. But right now I've got a new quarry to deal with."

"Why did you risk your life?" Mika asked.

Shadow glared back at the bridge. "Frollo's crossed the line. My loyalties are no longer his. I will put aside our differences for now until I remove the idiot's head from his body."

"What are we gonna do about him?" Donald gestured to Phoebus.

Kairi looked at him. "We'll take him to the others. He'll be safe there."

"What about Frollo?" Xion's question was answered as smoke began to rise above the city. The nutjob was burning the city!

"He'll be too busy condemning everyone to the hell he thinks they belong in." The dark warrior began to walk off while carrying Phoebus. "Now, take me to the others."

* * *

At the cathedral, everyone watched from the bell tower while the city burned. It was a horrible sight to see. Nettie could hear the screams of people down below while soldiers marched into their homes and set them ablaze. How could anyone be so indifferent to human life?

"This doesn't look good." Larvene said as she, Victor, and Hugo watched with her.

Jason kicked a piece of stone. "I can't just sit up here while that lunatic turns the city into a bonfire."

AJ nodded. "I know, but we can't do anything. As soon as we leave we'll be at his mercy."

"I know that word doesn't exist in Frollo's language now." Aurora said.

Riku looked at them. "Our friends will be fine. They're more resilient than you think."  
"Riku is right. We must assume the best. Do not worry. Esmeralda will take good care of Kairi, and they'll get your other friends to safety."

It was then Clair came up with Quasimodo. They weren't sure where Quasimodo had been, but Clair had been down in the cathedral all day. She was learning about the religion from the Archdeacon, and Jason assumed that she was enjoying it. He wasn't in the mood for learning religion, but that didn't appear to be on her mind right now. Her expression was full of worry and concern.

"Any sign of them?" Quasi asked his gargoyle friends.

"D'oh, it's a lost cause!" Victor broke down. "They could be anywhere! In the stocks, in the dungeon!"

"Real smooth." Aurora deadpanned.

"That's it." Sora got up. "I'm going to look for them."

"What about staying out of sight?" Clair asked.

Sora looked at her. "I can't sit here anymore. I gotta—"

"Quasi? Quasimodo?" Esmeralda's voice echoed through the bell tower.

The hunchback raced down the ladders. "Esmeralda! You're alive! I knew you'd come back!" Everyone looked to see Kairi was with her, and so were the others! They joined Quasimodo in embracing their friends.

Nettie looked at Esmeralda. "Thank you for finding our friends."

Esmeralda smiled before looking at Quasimodo. "You've done so much for me already, my friend. Now I must ask for your help one more time."

"Yes. Anything." Quasimodo said as someone else came in with another man.

"You!" Jason growled. "What are you doing here, Shadow?"

The dark warrior glared at him. "I'm not here for you or any of you band if that's what you're wondering." Gesturing to Phoebus, he explained. "Phoebus is hurt. Frollo tried to kill him for defying his orders. The self-righteous moron tried to burn a family alive in their own home!"

"But Shadow and Phoebus rescued them." Kairi added.

That caught everyone by surprise. "He what?"

"It's true." Axel said. "We saw them do it. Got it memorized?"

Riku looked at the dark warrior. "Why would you do that?"

"I have my reasons." Was the only answer Shadow gave.

Esmeralda looked at them. "They're both fugitives now, and need a place to hide. Can you help them?"

"This way." Quasimodo led them to the place where he would sleep at night. While Esmeralda treated Phoebus's wound, the others resumed discussing what to do.

"What's become of the others?" Sora asked.

Shadow looked at him. "If you mean your other friends, I assume they're out there somewhere setting the city ablaze."

"You left them with Frollo?" Nettie asked.

Shadow glared at her. "They didn't give me much choice. They were going to kill me."

"But… why?" AJ asked.

Nettie looked at him. "The same thing happened in Atlantica. When Anak's sisters were threatened, Shadow threw his plans aside to save them. Now we've learned he almost gave his life to save a family."

"I plan to live a while longer, girl." The dark warrior growled. "I don't expect you to change your minds about me. Frankly, I don't care. All I want right now is revenge on Frollo. Once I have that, I will leave this superstitious backworld. You lot seem to have a knack for taking down people like him. Help me destroy Frollo, and in addition to leaving you in peace I will help you remove the thorns from the hearts of your friends."

"Why would you do that?" Jason asked. "Won't that go against Organization XIII's plans?"

"I don't care about their plans." Shadow snapped. "Those girls tried to stab me in the back. They revel in the darkness of those thorns, so I will remove the thorns from them. That will be punishment enough for them to revert back to their original selves. What I want to know is, do we have a deal?"

The group looked at each other. There was no telling what Shadow would do after Frollo was stopped, but who knows what he would do if they refused? It was clear Shadow was going to kill the judge with or without their help. If he was against Frollo, that made them temprorary allies.

Jason nodded. "Deal. We'll help you stop Frollo if you help us get our friends back, and leave us alone."

"When we leave this world, we shall be enemies again." Shadow said. "But for now, our interests align."

It was then Djali started bleating. Goofy ran and looked over the side of the bell tower. "Uh-oh. Frodo's here."

"Frodo?" Clair then realized what he meant. "Frollo!"

"You must leave. Quick, follow me!" Quasimodo raced down some ladders with the others following. "Go down the south tower steps!"

"You leave too." Shadow told Kairi. "I want you as far away from Frollo as possible." Everyone stared at the dark warrior. Was Shadow really telling Kairi to leave?

"Come on, Kairi." Mika said as Pluto, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, and Axel left with Djali. "We need to go."

Kairi nodded before looking back at Shadow. "Please keep my friends safe. And bring the others back to us."

"You have my word as a Keyblade Bearer." Once those words left Shadow's mouth Kairi gave Sora a hug, and then she left. That action tugged at his heart for some reason, but why? The only interest Shadow had in her was her heart, and that was to get his memories back.

Esmeralda also had Quasi promise to look after Phoebus and the others. Once he did, she left. Jason then began dragging Phoebus's body. "Come on, help me hide him!"

Quasimodo ran up and took Phoebus from him. "I'll hid him. The rest of you…" A door opened, signifying the arrival of Frollo. "… Hide, now!"

* * *

Once they had gotten away from the cathedral, the group stopped to catch their breath. "So, now what?" Mika asked. "Where do we go now?"

"I want to go back to our friends." Kairi said.

Esmeralda looked at her. "That's not safe. There is a place we can go. Come. I'll show you to the Court of Miracles."

* * *

**Writing that ending was also tough, but I think it came out okay. **

**I will be honest, I'm thinking of doing a spin-off from the main adventure that transpires in the Realm of Dreams, but I'm still in debate on whether or not to do that. Also I'm trying to decide which Dream Eaters to have each member get. **

**Also, before I forget, there is a poll on my main page for your opinion on who should be the voice of Jason Norman. Please vote if you haven't already. **

**Thank you again for being patient. I'll try to not have them in this world for much longer. Right now I'm aiming for at least two more chapters in La Cité des Cloches.**


	75. The Court of Miracles

**Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for co-writing this with me.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori**

* * *

Chapter 75: The Court of Miracles

La Cité des Cloches…

"You helped her escape!" Frollo slammed his fist down on the table, making Quasimodo fall from his seat. "And now all Paris is burning because of you!"

"Sh-she was kind to me," Quasimodo began to explain.

"You idiot!" Frollo destroyed all of the hunchback's wooden houses, effectively wiping out what must've been years of hard work. "That wasn't kindness, it was cunning. She's a gypsy. Gypsies are not capable of real love. Think, boy! Think of your mother!"

Shadow growled from where he was hiding. He wanted to bury Chaos Ripper into the back of this arrogant man, through his black heart if possible. However, the others were insisting that they needed to stay hidden. Even Jason had shown restraint in not attacking. Still, the dark warrior could see in the eyes of Jason that he wanted to attack Frollo, though Shadow was sure his desire to kill the man overrode the boy's vendetta.

Frollo then spoke up. "But what chance did you ever have against her? Not to worry. I shall free you from her evil spell forever."

"What do you mean?" The hunchback asked.

"I know where she's hiding." Stabbing the wooden doll of Esmeralda that Quasimodo had made, Frollo held it over a burning candle. Throwing it aside, Frollo added, "Tomorrow, I attack at dawn with a thousand men." Turning his back to the hunchback, Frollo descended the stairs to leave the cathedral.

Everyone then came out of their hiding places, including Phoebus, who had been stashed under the table. It was obvious that they were worried about what Frollo had just said. "We need to find the Court of Miracles now." Clair said to everyone. "They need to be warned that Frollo's coming after them."

"Yeah." Sora agreed.

Jason looked doubtful. Before he could say anything, Phoebus spoke up. "You coming?"

"I can't?" Was the hunchback's answer.

"What?" AJ asked.

Phoebus was also cross. "I thought you were Esmeralda's friend."

"Frollo's my master. I can't disobey him again."

"She stood up for you." Riku reminded him. "We all did."

Nettie looked at him. "You sure have a funny way of showing gratitude."

"Well, I'm not going to stand by and watch Frollo massacre innocent people." Sora insisted. "You with us, Shadow?" When silence met his answer, the keyblade's chosen looked around. "Shadow?"

"He's gone." Jason said. "I saw him follow after Frollo."

"Why didn't you say something?" Aurora snapped at him.

"Nobody asked."

Aurora slugged him for that.

* * *

Frollo was making his way through the cathedral to where his men were. Time was of the essence, and they needed to be ready to move. After twenty long years, he would finally rid the city of those gypsy vermin. The judge then sensed he wasn't alone. "I know you're there."

Shadow then stepped out… well, the shadows. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face here after what you've done."

Frollo chuckled with amusement at the sight of him. "Well, well. Look who decided to confine himself in a holy prison."

"A prison this is not, for I won't be here for long." Shadow insisted.

"Really now. Then surely you know that the moment you step out of here, I'll hunt you down for defying me."

"You know, for someone who claims to be a religious man, you sure seem to be the biggest hypocrite I've ever seen."

Frollo frowned at that. "And how is that?"

"I'll admit to knowing nothing about this fancy religion of yours, but from what I understand, you sure don't seem to be practicing it the way this church seems to. I mean seriously, you imprison or kill people simply for believing differently than you, but apparently this sanctuary seems to accept anyone regardless of their beliefs, so long as they behave themselves. Do you have any idea how much that really paints a black image of you?" Shadow explained as he approached the judge.

Frollo scoffed at that. "Like your words have any meaning to me, wicked warlock."

"Call me what you will, but you calling me wicked is like the pot calling the kettle black. You seem to be under the misguided belief that you're the only one pure of heart."

"Oh, I'm so much purer than those vulgar commoners."

Now it was Shadow's turn to scoff. "Such hubris. But you couldn't be anymore wrong. There is darkness in every heart, no matter how pure. And sadly you are no different, and quite frankly you are FAR from pure of heart."

"You dare make such a vile, deceitful claim!" Frollo snarled.

"Whether you believe me or not, I only speak the truth. The fact is, there are only seven people in the whole universe whose hearts are pure light, all of them being female, which you're clearly not. In fact, one of the kids you label as a witch happens to be one of them. You have no idea how wrong you are about everything. And unlike most, I can see the darkness in you as clear as day."

"Enough of your lies!" Frollo attempted to back fist Shadow for the words the dark warrior spoke. However, Shadow acted on instinct. He grabbed the wrist of the judge and quickly shoved Frollo in the chest with his palm. Frollo failed to notice Shadow's palm was coated in dark energy.

Shadow then wiped his hand on his shirt like he touched something filthy. "It doesn't matter what you choose to believe. You are the darkest man on this world. And your denial of the darkness in your heart only serves to give it a stronger hold on you. Mark my words, your own darkness will be your demise. You are lucky we're in a sanctuary, or else I would've beheaded you already."

Picking himself up, Frollo frowned at the dark warrior before he smirked. "I pity your ignorance. You yourself admit to knowing nothing of God's will. So I shouldn't expect you to understand what kind of hell awaits you."

Shadow shook his head. "I pity your blindness. Whatever hell may be waiting for me, it can't be any worse than the one you'll be burning in soon enough."

"We'll see." Frollo then turned and left the cathedral.

Shadow then looked at the palm he used to shove Frollo. "_Yes we will see. And when I say your own darkness will be your demise, I am not kidding. I won't let my revenge be 'completely' stolen from me like last time_."

"What exactly were you doing?" The dark warrior turned and saw Riku leaning against a pillar. His arms were folded in a manner that suggested he knew Shadow did something.

Shadow answered, "Ensuring that by the time he dies he will see the irony of his corrupted judgment."

Riku shook his head. "I know how the darkness works. The way you use it will end up destroying you."

"Maleficent did speak of you. She said you were a prodigy when it came to darkness. Now… you just don't impress me."

"I don't do what I do to impress people. I do it because it's right."

"And how do you know when something's right or not?"

"You know in your heart."

"Whatever."

It was then the others rejoined them. Shadow noticed they were short one deformed man. "Where's the hunchback?"

"He's not coming." Phoebus answered as he opened one of the cathedral doors.

"Phoebus!" Quasimodo suddenly said from the top of the door, causing several of the group to jump. "I'm coming with you."

"Glad you changed your mind." Phoebus said as Quasimodo got down.

"Just try to not give us a heart attack next time." Clair said.

Jason looked at their friend. "You have any idea how we're supposed to find her?"

"She said this will help us find her." Quasimodo pulled something out from his tunic. It looked like some sort of woven band.

Phoebus took it. "Good, good. Ah, great. What is it?"

"A woven band." Shadow stated the obvious.

"Oh, is that what they look like?" Nettie asked with sarcasm in her voice.

Phoebus was busy looking over the band. "Is it written in Arabic? No, it can't be Arabic. Maybe it's Ancient Greek."

"When you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand." Quasimodo said as if he were remembering something. "It's the city. It's a map! Here's the cathedral, and the river, and this here must be…"

"I've never seen a map that looks like this." Phoebus and Quasimodo got into a small argument. They spoke at the same time, so it was hard to hear what they were saying, but these were their worlds. "I've fought wars across four continents. I think I know what a map looks like, and this is not it!"

"I've lived up in the bell tower for twenty years. I think I know what the city looks like from above, and this is it!"

It was clear that both men were set in their opinion on what the thing was. Shadow shook his head at their stubbornness, but it was Jason who spoke up. "Look, we can stand here arguing all night about what the little thing is, but every second counts. Frollo is not going to wait, so the sooner we find the Court of Miracles the sooner we can warn our friends and get them to safety."

His words worked. "Alright. You say it's a map? Fine, it's a map. We have to work together if we're going to help Esmeralda. Truce?" Phoebus asked Quasimodo.

Quasimodo agreed. "Okay." He then slapped Phoebus on the back, forgetting that the former captain had been shot in the back. Phoebus groaned in pain before holding his shoulder. "Sorry." Quasimodo apologized.

"No, you're not."

* * *

Following the map led them to an old cemetery that for some reason seemed spooky at night. Clair had gotten them a torch to help with the search, while Quasimodo currently held it. While they were looking around, Shadow noticed that Jason kept looking back behind them. "What's with you? Why do you keep looking over your shoulder?"

"Something doesn't seem right." Jason said. "Frollo must've known we were hiding in the tower because he obviously didn't see anyone in the cathedral, yet he announced his plans out loud. Why would he do that? It doesn't seem like the smart thing to do, especially when he knew that we helped Esmeralda."

"You think he's playing us?" Shadow asked.

Jason looked at the dark warrior. "Yeah. I think he's setting a trap and we might be walking right into it."

"Then I'll have an opportunity to run him through."

"Hey guys." AJ said. "We found something."

The two rejoined the rest of the group, who were standing in front of a large tomb. "This looks like the symbol on the map." Phoebus observed.

"What do you think it means?" Sora asked.

"Hmm… I'm not sure. There's something written here. Give me a moment to decipher it." Phoebus said. Quasimodo, however, grabbed the tomb and pulled it open. Instead of a body, there were stairs that led into the ground. "Or we can go down those stairs."

As they started to descend into the darkness, Shadow noticed a foul smell. There was something familiar about it, but he couldn't place his finger on it. However, he heard straining behind him, and turned to see Jason trying to move the stone slab. "What're you doing?"

"Trying to move this thing back into place." Was the answer. "If Frollo is using us, I don't want to leave him a breadcrumb trail."

Shadow then used his dark powers to take control of the stone slab, and had it move back into place. "Feel better?"

Jason nodded in response before Aurora called up to them, "Come on."

As they descended the stairs, they noticed that they were stepping in something wet, and the foul smell was stronger here. It was like a skunk had sprayed a dead, rotten body. Not that the Harthynians knew what a skunk was.

"Is this the Court of Miracles?" Quasimodo asked.

Phoebus answered, "Off-hand, I'd say it's the Court of Ankle Deep Sewage."

"Ew!"

"Yuck!"

"Gross!"

Those were the complaints that the Harthynians gave when they heard Phoebus's words. They began jumping around in disgust. Shadow shook his head at them. They were acting like children.

"Must be the old catacombs." Phoebus said as they proceeded. In the torchlight Shadow could see that there were skeletons piled to the sides. The people must've been really poor or not respectful of the dead to do that. "Cheerful place. Kind of made you wish you got out more often."

"You want cheerful? Wait until I send you my cleaning bill." AJ growled.

"And if we get gangrene, we'll send you our hospital bills as well." Nettie added.

Jason stopped as he heard something. It sounded like bones rattling, but skeletons didn't move in this world. Did they? And something didn't seem right. If this was the Court of Miracles, then why hadn't they encountered anything? "Does this seem a little too easy to anyone?"

"Shut up. You'll jinx us." AJ insisted.

Phoebus shook his head. "No, he's right. We should've run into trouble right now."

"Like what?" Quasimodo asked.

"You know. A guard or a booby trap." It was then the torchlight was extinguished.

"How about an ambush?" Clair asked.

"That too." Phoebus said.

Aurora groaned. "Why us?"

It was then several torches were lit, and the group saw they were surrounded by men dressed as skeletons. Quickly their attackers leapt upon them and immobilized all of them. This angered Shadow greatly because he hated being made to feel helpless. Someone then stepped up to them. "Well, well, well. What have we here?"

"Trespassers!"

"Spies!"

"We're not spies!" Phoebus tried to explain, but he was gagged.

"You have to—" Quasimodo tried to explain but he was gagged too.

Clair's eyes widened. "Hey, you're the jester from—" She was gagged too, as was everyone else.

"Don't interrupt me." Clopin said. "You were very clever to have found our hideaway. Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale."

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the group had settled in at the Court of Miracles. Mika was impressed at how the gypsies had managed to build a settlement here under the city. No wonder Frollo hadn't found them yet. "Thanks again for bringing us here."

Esmeralda smiled. "It was the least I could do. Besides, Frollo would've executed you if you had stayed up there."

"Hey, looks like something's happening over there." Axel said. Djali left to check it out while the others watched people gather. They did hear some people boo someone else, but they had no idea why.

"Looks like some more of Frollo's spies had been captured." Esmeralda said. "They'll be hanged to keep the Court of Miracles safe."

After a few minutes, Djali came running back, bleating to them. Esmeralda's eyes widened. "Oh no." She then pushed her way through the crowd, the others following her. They heard Clopin pronounce the sentence, but Esmeralda quickly cried out, "Stop!" As they got to the front of the crowd, everyone saw it was their friends who were going to be hanged.

"Guys!" Mika said.

Esmeralda got up on the gallows. "These aren't spies. They're our friends."

"Why didn't they say so?" Clopin asked.

"We DID say so!" Everyone said once their gags were removed.

Esmeralda explained who they were. "Shadow and Phoebus helped save the miller's family, Quasimodo helped me escape the cathedral, and these are the children who stood up to Frollo at the Feast of Fools."

"We came to warn you. Frollo's coming. He says he knows where you're hiding and he's attacking at dawn with a thousand men!" Phoebus said.

"Then let us waste no time. We must leave here immediately." Heeding Esmeralda's words, all the gypsies began to take down their homes and gathering their things. The group then climbed down from the gallows. "You took a terrible risk coming here. It may not show, but we're grateful."

As she hugged Phoebus, he looked at Quasimodo. "Don't thank me, thank Quasimodo. Without his help, we never would've found our way down here."

"Nor would I." Frollo stood while his men poured into the Court of Miracles. Gypsies screamed and tried to run, but the soldiers held them back at spear point. It happened so fast that everyone found themselves surrounded by Frollo's men. "After twenty years of searching, the Court of Miracles at last. My dear Quasimodo, I always knew you would be of use to me."

"What are you talking about?" Esmeralda asked.

"Why, he led me right to you."

"You're a liar."

Jason glared at the judge. "I knew you had a trick up your sleeve."

"And you blundered into my trap. Now I have your entire band of witches at my mercy." Frollo then looked at Phoebus. "And look what else I caught in my net. Captain Phoebus, back from the dead. Another 'miracle' no doubt. I'll have to remedy that." He then spoke to all his captives. "There will be a bonfire in the village square, and you're all invited. Take them away." He ordered his men.

"No, master! Please!" Quasimodo fell to his knees, grabbing Frollo's robes in an attempt to save his friends. Frollo, however, looked at the hunchback and scoffed. Quasimodo then fell into despair.

Sora broke free and summoned his keyblade. "Frollo, I won't let you do this!"

Shadow tossed one of the soldiers away from him and summoned his own Keyblade. "You're mine!"

The two keyblade wielders charged at the judge, prepared to strike him down. However, four Dark Firaga spells shot out at them and two each hit them in the head. Sora and Shadow were knocked unconscious while Stella and Ashley stood over them.

"Sleeping like a couple of babies." Ashley looked at Frollo. "What are your orders?"

Frollo pointed to Quasimodo. "Take him back to the bell tower. And make sure he stays there."

* * *

**It may take one or two more chapters to complete this world visit. Hopefully it won't take long to finish them. **

**Oh, I successfully passed one of my classes. now to work hard on my Independent Study class. **


	76. The Battle of Notre Dame

**Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay. I've kind of been having a rough week.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney or Square Enix.**

**Shadow Belongs to YamiChaos27, and special thanks to him for help with this chapter.**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

**A word of caution: there are some things in this chapter that might make it worth a T-rating. **

* * *

Chapter 76: The Battle of Notre Dame

La Cité des Cloches…

"The gypsy Esmeralda and her accomplice has been found guilty of witchcraft." Frollo's voice echoed through the village square. "The sentence: death!"

The villagers cried out in protest at Frollo's words. They claimed that the two were innocent, and had done nothing wrong. However, their words only fell on deaf ears. Frollo had decided these two needed to die, and no force on earth or in heaven would change his mind. The executioner stood at attention while the guards piled more bundles of straw at the feet of Esmeralda and Kairi. The two were tied at the stake, unable to do anything except wait to be burned. The doors to the Notre Dame cathedral opened up, and the Archdeacon tried to step outside. He probably could've put a stop to this, but two of Frollo's guards blocked his path. The corrupt judge held all the power now, and nothing would stand in his way.

Frollo took the torch from the executioner. "The time has come, gypsy. You stand on the brink of the abyss, but yet it is not too late. I can save you from the flames of this world and the next. Choose me, or the fire."

Esmeralda's answer was to spit in his face.

"The gypsy Esmeralda has refused to recant." Frollo spoke to everyone. "This evil witch has sought to put the soul of every citizen in Paris in mortal danger…"

"Blah, blah, blah." Nettie said from where she and the others were being held. "Does he ever shut up?"

Jason was ramming the cage. "Let me out of here, and I'll shut him up."

Shadow was just fuming. When he regained consciousness he found that he had been tied down with chains. Maybe these backward minded people had some brains in their skulls if they had the sense to immobilize him and keep him from attacking them. Didn't matter though. As soon as he was free he would tear Frollo's head off.

He had been more infuriated when Frollo decided to execute Kairi with Esmeralda first. If she died, the heart would be lost and he would never get his memories back. Yet… there was something about the heart of light. It was like he knew something important about it, but could not recall it. It split his head thinking about it.

One good thing had come out of this. When Frollo decided to burn Kairi and Esmeralda first, Stella and Ashley had objected. They insisted she was needed alive to destroy the Heartless. Frollo them had his men seize them. The arrogant fool had decided they were behind the Heartless that had infiltrated the city, and decided that by burning all of them the Heartless would be destroyed. The dark warrior found some amusement in seeing the expressions of the two girls when they got double-crossed, but he was still eager to get out of the chains that held him.

Thankfully Riku had removed the gag from his mouth. Not that it would make any difference once their temporary alliance was over. "What do you think you'll accomplish by ramming against the bars?" Shadow asked Jason.

"Better than just sitting around waiting for the psychos to kill our friends." Jason retorted.

"If you got these chains off me, I'd get you losers out of here."

Jason stopped ramming the gate at that. "What did you call us?"

"Losers. You just surrendered without a fight at the Court of Miracles. Pathetic."

"Hey. I know when I can't win a fight. That was one of those moments."

"For someone who holds a Keyblade, you're pathetic."

"Why you…"

"Guys!" Aurora snapped at them.

The two stopped arguing long enough to hear Frollo say, "… it is my solemn duty to send these unholy demons back where they belong." As soon as he set the bundles on fire, a loud "No!" echoed from the cathedral. It seemed the bells echoed with the cry. The smoke continued to rise, causing Kairi and Esmeralda to cough violently. Frollo looked on, a sadistic expression of triumph written on his face.

Then, some of the columns near the top of the cathedral collapsed. As they watched, something swung out on a rope and landed on the side of the cathedral. Could it be the hunchback? It was! They watched as he swung onto the platform and freed Esmeralda and Kairi from the stake. Some guards tried to stop him, but Quasimodo pulled out the stake and knocked them back with it.

"Quasimodo!" Frollo was outraged at the defiance shown to him. The hunchback ignored the judge as he grabbed the rope and swung back to the cathedral. Then, he climbed up the side of the building, carrying both Esmeralda and Kairi with ease. When he reached a balcony underneath an immense, circular stain-glass window, he held up Esmeralda while Kairi got to her feet. The hunchback then shouted one word.

"Sanctuary!"

"Sanctuary!" Kairi joined in.

"Sanctuary!" They both cried out, earning the cheer of the crowd beneath.

Frollo had had enough defiance. "Captain! Seize the cathedral!"

"Not on my watch." Clair said. Summoning her keyblade, the girl began to slice through the chains. She made a few cuts before Riku finished the job. Darkness swirled around Shadow as the dark warrior got to his feet.

"That's better. Now to destroy that man." Shadow blasted the cage open just as a wooden beam feel from the cathedral, smashing Frollo's coach and knocking off his silly hat. That further enraged the mad judge.

"Come back, you cowards!" Grabbing a sword from a guard, Frollo gave more orders. "You men. Pick up that beam. Break down the door!"

Most of the soldiers ran to help Frollo while only one was left to guard the prisoners. That was a mistake as Phoebus quickly knocked him out and took the keys. While Frollo's men were using the beam as a battering ram, the former captain climbed out of his cage. "Citizens of Paris," he began, "Frollo has persecuted our people. Ransacked our city. Now he has declared war on Notre Dame herself! Will we allow it?"

That was enough to get the people on their side. The crowd turned into an armed mob that pushed through the soldiers who held them back. Quickly, they freed the rest of the gypsies and armed them before rushing at Frollo's men. Clair and Nettie ran to free Stella and Ashley. "Come on, you two. You're safe now."

"But you're not! Demon's Flames!" Ashley coated her arms with fire before blasting Clair and Nettie back with it. "The gloves are now officially off."

"Only in your dreams." Shadow growled.

Stella looked at him. "Traitor. When the Organization hears about what you've done, they will have your head."

The dark warrior just glared at them. "The Organization won't even know what happened here. All they will hear is that the mission failed and we lost two more keyblade bearers."

Stella laughed at that. "Oh, the mission will not fail, and we will not be lost." Holding her hand up, she then slammed it into the ground. From it came a pool of darkness, and from it began to pour Shadow Heartless. "The Heartless will invade this world, and feast on the darkness here."

Shadow sliced through a few. "Don't bet on it." He then blasted the two girls back before turning to Clair and Nettie, who were fighting off some of the Shadows. "You two can't fight down here."

Nettie impaled a Shadow before asking, "What do you mean?"

"I've seen your styles. You fight at a distance, waiting for the enemy to come to you. Down here, you're sitting ducks, and I can't waste my time babysitting you." Shadow then threw his keyblade into the air, and it turned into his glider. Leaping on, he then flew down and grabbed the two girls, who struggled until they saw how high they were getting. The dark warrior then dropped them off at the cathedral, where the hunchback was defending it with Kairi. "Help your friends protect this building." Shadow said before flying down. Along the way, he shot some of the siege ladders from the canon his glider came with, sending the guards on them falling to their deaths.

Back on the ground, Phoebus punched one of Frollo's men so hard he knocked out some teeth and rendered the guard unconscious. He then grabbed a pole and began to push back against several guards, including one who had escorted him to the Palace of Justice, and the one who had become Frollo's new captain. When he had an opening Phoebus tied his hood around his head and Djali head-butted him from behind, sending the guard flying forward until he landed behind a very familiar horse.

"Achilles, sit." Phoebus ordered.

The guard managed to free himself just in time to see the horse sit down on top of his head. "Get it off me!" Came the muffled cries from the horse's rear end.

Shadow then landed and turned his glider back into Chaos Ripper. He then blasted three guards back with his dark powers and parried the blows of another before kicking him back. He saw one peasant duck from an attack from one soldier, which ironically freed the old man still in the stocks. "I'm free! I'm free!" He said before he fell into a hole in the ground. The dark warrior heard a splash and noticed a sign that read, Mon Sewer. "Dang it!"

He shook his head before rejoining the others. They were trying to keep the Heartless from attacking people while trying to keep themselves from being killed by the soldiers who weren't interested in extending to them that kindness. Axel parried the blows from one soldier's poleaxe while setting the man's pants on fire. Mika then finished taking down a soldier before looking at Shadow. "Where are Clair and Nettie?"

"In the cathedral." Shadow answered as he beheaded a Big Body, releasing the heart. "They would've gotten themselves killed down here. They're not fit for close combat."

"Mika, get up there and see if you can help them. Roxas, Xion, Axel, go with her." Jason said. "We'll be fine down here."

"We will?" AJ asked as he blocked another soldier. "There's a lot of guards and Heartless down here."

"Trust me." Mika said as she held her keyblades up. "Farewell!" She then spun around while huge beams of light erupted from her keyblades, destroying the Heartless and knocking soldiers out of her way. Axel threw his chakrams, taking out any stragglers while Roxas and Xion knocked back other soldiers. The four of them reached the cathedral and knocked several guards off a siege ladder before climbing up it themselves.

AJ was then attacked from behind. "I've been waiting a long time for this." Stella said as she marched up to him. "You rotten little pervert. For years I've had to watch you break the hearts of several sissies in school. Now it is time for you to lose yours. Manticore Sting!" A cluster of dark energy surrounded the tip of her keyblade while she ran forward with it, planning to impale AJ on it.

Shadow turned to see Ashley flying forward with dark wings growing out of her back. So she knew the Eclipse Wings move too. Not that it mattered. Holding Chaos Ripper up, Shadow knocked her down with the flat before pinning her to the ground. "I've grown tired of you puppets, so I'm going to cut your strings to the darkness." With those words, dark energy surrounded the dark warrior's hand before he thrust it down towards Ashley's heart. The girl screamed as it made contact, but Shadow ignored them. He was going to do what he should've done a long time ago.

With the dark energy he was putting in, the dark warrior then felt the thorn lodged in the girl's heart. Grasping a hold of it, Shadow then began to pull it out. Ashley screamed and thrashed, but Shadow's grip was too strong. He frowned as he felt the power of the Thorn of Darkness. It wasn't like the dark powers he commonly used. No, it was truly… evil. That was all he could think of describing it. It was something that should not have been discovered, should not have been used. What had Maleficent done in using this? Where did she get it from?

With one final pull the dark warrior ripped the thorn from Ashley's heart. As soon as it flew up in the air, Shadow threw a Dark Fireball at the curse. When it collided, there was a greater explosion than he anticipated, almost like he just threw a bundle of dynamite into the air. It knocked him off Ashley and had him crash into the ground. But it was okay. He had accomplished his goal. The girl was no longer Maleficent's pawn.

Stella had wrapped her hands around AJ's throat and held him up in the air. "Now to end you once and for all." She said as fire began to form in her mouth. "Dragon's—" She was cut off as Riku tackled her from behind. "Let me go!"

"No." Riku said. "Snap out of it Stella. If you sink that low, there will be no coming back." He was then kicked off by a guard who had his attention on Stella.

"Time to end your evil spell, witch." The guard prepared to stab her with his sword, but it hit someone else.

AJ grunted in pain as the blade pierced his shoulder. "Don't you dare hurt Stella."

"And what difference does that make?" Stella asked. "You just made it easier for me to kill you."

"I was already dead." AJ said. "I've been a jerk, indifferent to the feelings of everyone. I broke countless hearts, and caused many people to lose faith in humanity. Nothing I do can make up for that, but I won't let anymore hearts be broken. Even if I must give my life."

"You stupid idiot!" To everyone's surprise, Stella stabbed AJ in the heart. The teenage boy grunted at the impact. Stella's grin then changed to a horrified look as she realized what she had down. "No… no. Gri's Beak, what have I done?" She then pulled AJ's lifeless body from the soldier while she held it in his arms. "No… don't let this be. Heal!" But either the darkness in the thorn prevented the spell from working effectively or his wounds were too severe. He was dead. "NO!" As she screamed the thorn fell from Stella's heart, dissolving into the darkness.

Back at the cathedral, Frollo kept his men on the attack. "Harder! Put your backs into it!" However, something began to happen to Frollo. Shadow smirked as he saw his little curse was starting to take effect. Now the world would see Frollo for what he was.

One of the guards using the beam as a battering ram let go as he backed away from Frollo. "M-Minister Frollo… your hand!"

"What are you talking about, you fool?" The evil judge growled as he grabbed the soldier. However, it was then he saw what was happening. His hand was now covered in darkness, with claws covering his fingers. Looking down, Frollo could see darkness radiating out of his heart and starting to cover his body. "What devilry is this?!"

He never got his answer as just then molten copper poured out of the water spouts and onto the streets below. Frollo's men broke ranks and retreated as the battle dissolved with everyone trying to get away from the liquid metal. The battle was won, but they were still not out of the woods yet.

* * *

When Shadow left Clair and Nettie at the cathedral, they found Quasimodo, Kairi, and the gargoyles hard at work defending Notre Dame from Follo's men. They were throwing rocks and everything they could get their hands on at the soldiers, with some effect. Kairi was the first to notice they were there. "What're you doing here?"

"Apparently we'll be more help up here." Nettie said as she got up.

"Well, grab some rocks and start chucking them at the soldiers!" Hugo said while Quasimodo picked up a huge block of stone. He shoved it over the side, causing it to destroy a siege ladder.

Victor was more reserved about fighting. He reluctantly held a brick over the edge of the cathedral and let go. It fell and landed on a soldier's helmet, rendering the man unconscious. "Sorry. Sorry!" Victor called over the edge.

Clair looked at him. "There are no apologies in a battle!"

"Well, there's no need to be barbarians either." Victor defended himself.

"Not now!" Larvene snapped at them. "We've got to protect the cathedral."

Hugo found a nice piece of rubble and began chewing on it. He then flew around, making airplane noises before sitting on the edge. To the surprise of the Harthynians, he then began to spit out the chewed pieces like a living machine gun. That drove back several of Frollo's men.

Kairi then did something unexpected. Holding out Destiny's Embrace, she then fired several rainbow beams from it. Each color flew around and knocked soldiers off the siege ladders. She looked at her keyblade in surprise.

"When did you learn to do that?" Clair asked.

Kairi looked at her. "Just now." Yet, there was a sense of familiarity to the spell. It was like she had seen it a long time ago… when she was just a little girl… but that was impossible. Wasn't it?

"Hey, come on and give us a hand." Hugo said as he and Victor began to build something. The gargoyles were taking the candles out of the large candlesticks and nailing beams together to build something. The girls ran over and began to help them. As they worked, it began to take the shape of some sort of cart with a board bent backwards with a bucket full of rubble. Once they were finished with the catapult, they rolled it up to the top of the cathedral.

"Ready… aim… fall!" Victor said as they pushed it over the edge. It just fell to the ground, causing soldiers to leap out of the way. "Are you sure that's how it works?" The tall gargoyle asked the short one.

"I don't think it is." Nettie said as they watched. Some of the soldiers began to get back up. The catapult then activated, springing forward like an overgrown mousetrap and flattening the guards on the ground.

Hugo smiled. "Works for me!"

It was then they got some reinforcements. Mika, Axel, Roxas, and Xion finished climbing up the Notre Dame cathedral and paused to catch their breaths. It was then grappling hooks appeared and latched on to the sides of the church. Quasimodo wasted no time pulling one of them up so hard the guards crashed into the side. The witch was sure she heard one of them scream like Goofy when they fell into the river.

"Time to work for a living." Axel joked as he threw his chakrams, cutting more grappling hooks and causing more soldiers to fall. Roxas and Xion also began to cut several of them, causing more of the soldiers to fall. "They're going to feel the burn for sure. Got it memorized?" Axel said.

It was then the hunchback got an idea. "Keep them busy. Victor! Hugo! Come on!" While the gargoyles rejoined Quasimodo, Nettie, Clair, and Kairi were ambushed by Air Soldiers. These Heartless knocked the girls down while flying around them. Clair and Nettie shot their spells at them, but they kept missing.

"Lightning Ray!" Mika then sped past them at nearly the speed of light. She sliced through the air soldiers and released the hearts they had captured. She then helped the younger keyblade wielders to their feet.

Clair was staring in awe at what Mika did. "Can you teach me that?"

"Maybe later, when you're older." The witch smiled. "Got it memorized?"

"Fly, my pretties. Fly! Fly!" Larvene was sending reinforcements to the fighters on the streets. The pigeons which plagued her for so many years were now proving to be a useful asset as they flew down to join the battle. Pigeons wouldn't appear to be that big of a threat, but they had numbers on their side. They proved to be effective in turning the tide as they pecked at the helmets of the soldiers, driving them back.

Everyone then regrouped in the main room. They had pretty much cleared it of rubble, but something else had taken its place. There was now a huge cauldron in the middle, where Victor was using Hugo to fan the flames underneath. Something was boiling inside, but no one could tell what. "What is this thing?" Nettie asked.

Quasimodo looked at her. "This is going to drive away the soldiers from the cathedral." The hunchback then hooked one of the handles while he and the gargoyles began pulling. Everyone helped grab the rope and began to pull too. Eventually they made the cauldron tip, pouring out molten copper. The girls from Harthyn watched as the liquid metal poured out and rained down on the streets below.

Clair then ran to the side. "It's working. The soldiers are retreating." She smiled. "We've beaten them. We've won!"

She had no idea the real battle was just beginning.

* * *

**If any of you are unhappy with what happened to AJ, let me explain. I've been having a hard time juggling around so many characters. That's the problem with writing with a lot of characters, it's hard to give them enough time in the story. Also I wasn't feeling like he was really contributing to the story, so I felt it was time to give him the axe. If you really want me to undo that, then I'll put a poll up right after my current poll regarding Jason's voice actor is finished. Right now it's tied between Nolan North and Nathan Keyes (which I misspelled as Hayes. Hey, even authors make mistakes). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this action-packed chapter and next chapter will finish up the visit to this world. **


	77. What makes a Man or a Monster?

**Everyone give special thanks to YamiChaos27 for writing out a great deal of this chapter. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27.**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

* * *

Chapter 77: What makes a Man or a Monster?

La Cité des Cloches…

As the molten copper stopped pouring from the building Shadow stepped forward. He could see a hole in the door, but no sign of his quarry. Cursing to himself, Shadow began to climb through the hole. He lost his chance at revenge with Facilier, but he would not let that happen again.

"Shadow." The dark warrior turned to see Riku and what of his little gang of friends remained to fight on the ground approaching him. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think? I'm going after Frollo so I can get my revenge." Shadow continued to climb through the door. Once he was through, he saw the others were started to follow him. "Alone."  
"Sorry, but when you agreed to work with us, this is what you get." Jason stated as he climbed through.

Aurora then pushed him in while she climbed over him. She didn't say anything, but she coldly acknowledged Shadow as she stepped in. Clearly she still didn't trust him, but she did carry Ashley on her shoulders.

Sora gasped when he entered. "Archdeacon!" He ran over to the old man who was lying at the foot of the stairs. "Archdeacon, what happened?"

The old man looked at them. "Frollo's lost his mind. He's forced his way into the bell tower. He's going to kill his charge."

"Quasimodo?!" Sora asked. "But why?"

Shadow shook his head. "Who cares why that high-and-mighty judge took in your friend? I just want my revenge."

The Archdeacon got to his feet. "Don't act out in vengeance. Otherwise you will find yourself on the same path Frollo walks, though he will never admit it."

Shadow shook his head. He wasn't in the mood for advice from old men in bathrobes. His mind was made up, and he wasn't going to change it even if he faced a deity.

Riku grabbed the door and tried to open it. "It's locked." He had to duck from a sudden Dark Fireball attack that blasted the door to smithereens. Everyone saw that the caster was Shadow.

"Now it's not." Shadow corrected Riku as he pushed his way past the seasoned fighter. The others started to follow him, but Aurora stopped to set Ashley's unconscious body next to the Archdeacon.

"Look after her while we stop Frollo." She said before heading up the stairs.

Jason helped Stella sit on the stairs. "You wait here too. You've been through enough today." The street fighter then hurried up the stairs.

* * *

Kairi, Nettie, Clair, Mika, Axel, Roxas, and Xion were still fighting off some straggler Heartless. The majority of the Heartless had been wiped out, but there were still some Air Soldiers flying around. Mika was busy firing Thunder spells at them while Axel used his Fire spells. During the clean-up Mika did grant Clair's request to learn some of her spells. The witch was surprised at how quickly Clair picked them up. Now the young girl knew Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Aero, Stop, and Gravity. Nettie had managed to master those spells as well.

Finally, the last Air Soldier had been destroyed, releasing the captured heart. Nettie leaned over, gasping for breath. "That… that was tough."

"But we did it. We won." Axel smirked. "Got it memorized?"

"We'd better check on Esmeralda." Kairi said. "I hope she's doing okay."

"Wasn't she when Quasi brought you up here?" Xion asked.

The princess of heart shook her head. "She was unconscious. Quasi put her in a room to keep her safe."

"I'm afraid the worst has happened." Victor said as he and the other gargoyles rejoined them. "It would appear that Esmeralda did not survive."

"What?" Everyone asked.

Larvene nodded. "It's true. Quasi tried to tell her the good news, but she would not stir."

"No. It can't end like this." Kairi then turned and ran towards the room. Along the way, she passed the stairs, and bumped into someone coming up. The two of them fell to the ground, giving her a good view of who it was. "Shadow?"

The dark warrior got to his feet. "Watch where you're going. Where's Frollo?"

"Frollo? Isn't he down there?" Clair pointed to the ground.

Riku shook his head as the others rejoined them. "No, he's not. Frollo got into the cathedral. Quasimodo and Esmeralda are in danger."

"But he can't kill them. They claimed sanctuary." Clair said.

"He doesn't care." Shadow said. "The idiot's throwing aside all rules, as if he were the god of this world."

Riku then looked at him. "What happened to Frollo down there… that was your doing, wasn't it?"

"What? What happened?" Nettie asked.

"It'll be easier to show you." Shadow then took off, heading to the room where the hunchback was with the gypsy. As they approached, they heard the sounds of a struggle going on. At the door, they saw Quasimodo standing over Frollo with a dagger in his hand.

The judge was backing away. "Now, now. Listen to me, Quasimodo."

"No, you listen. All my life you've told me the world is a dark, cruel place, but now I see the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!" The hunchback threw the dagger down to drive home his point.

"Quasimodo?" Esmeralda's voice came weakly from the other side while she sat up. Quasimodo ran over to her, happy to see that she was alive.

"She lives." Frollo then raised the sword he had taken from the guard. Before he could use it, Jason ran in, using his keyblade to hold the judge back.

"Go, Quasi!" He said while the hunchback carried Esmeralda out in his arms. As soon as they were out, Jason cried out as he felt a sharp pain in his side. He then saw that Frollo had stabbed him with the Unversed hand he now had.

Frollo yanked the claws out as he forced Jason to the ground. "Crude, but very effective." The judge observed the hand that now had Jason's blood on it.

"Jason!" Clair tried to run to her cousin, but Mika grabbed her and held her back.

The judge then looked at them. "Not to worry. He will die soon enough, once the weight of his own sins crushes him."

"You were the one who just stabbed him!" Roxas growled.

"And with the curse your warlock friend bestowed upon me." Frollo smirked. "A clever trick to try and make me lose my soul. But it has backfired. Now God has granted me power to control it, and use it to purge this city of sin once and for all!"

The dark warrior shook his head. "So, now you're using that as a sign that you're somehow this god's chosen vessel? You clearly are insane."

"No. I have never seen more clearly."

"All I see is a sad old man with a dark heart." Riku retorted.

"And you are wrong. It is your hearts that are dark." The dark energy swirled around Frollo, coating him in a shadowy shroud. It looked as if an Unversed version of himself was engulfing his true self, making him appear more monstrous. The red eyes replaced his own, the claws grew from the shrouds hands and feed, and a sadistic expression covered his face.

Everyone got ready to fight, but Shadow spoke with authority. "Stand down. He's mine." He then glared at Clair. "See to your friend. That's an order." Before she could say anything, he wrested her from Mika's grasp and tossed her into the room where Jason laid bleeding. Holding his hand up, the dark warrior called forth the Chaos Ripper keyblade and got into his fighting stance. "How I have waited for this, Frollo."

"And you shall be the first to face the judgements of God!" The Unversed Shroud coated Frollo's sword as the madman raised it up to strike. Shadow managed to block it, and using the power of his darkness forced the madman back. He noticed that Clair seemed to be struggling with the Cure spell, and using his powers he saw that she was out of magic. Growling, he quickly pulled out a bottle and tossed it to her. "Use this hi-potion. It won't heal him completely, but it will stop the bleeding." Seriously. Didn't they teach these kids anything?

Frollo then rushed at him. He brought his sword down on Shadow, who backed up to dodge it. Shadow then swung at Frollo, only for the judge to defend. The two clashed a few time before Frollo shoved the dark warrior backward. Frollo then conjured a sphere of dark flames in his palms before turning it into a fusillade of fireballs. The fireballs darted toward Shadow but many of them flew passed him, with only one of them headed straight for him, which was easily deflected.

"You're a lousy shot, Frollo!" Shadow barked. "Looks like you're not as in control of that power as you thought! This is control!" He then fired a barrage of fireballs himself, much more concentrated than Frollo's.

Frollo managed to block a few, but the rest hit him dead on and he staggered back. "Don't mock me, warlock!" he growled as he fired a stream of flames.

Shadow rolled out of the way. "You know nothing about the power of darkness! The more you tamper with a power beyond your grasp, the more the darkness will eat away at your heart!" He then charged at his prey. "And that is why you'll lose!"

The dark warrior's Keyblade slammed into the insane judge's sword, forcing Frollo back. After a few more clashes, Shadow delivered a hard kick to his gut sending him flying off the balcony. Shadow smirked in triumph, but that immediately turned into a frown when Frollo emerged from the below, now sporting a pair of demonic wings.

The judge smirked. "As you can see, I am indeed in control. You know, it's quite ironic. You are about to die by the very power you gave me!"

Shadow just shook his head in annoyance. "So you think. You think you're the greatest man in this world. I gave you that curse to show the whole world the monster you really are. They already thought of you as one after all you've done, and now they see that much more clearly, that you are no man." He smirked at the enraged look Frollo was giving him right now. "And you wanna know something _I _find ironic. I bet they see that hunchback as a far better man than you! The one born ugly is the man, while the one made ugly is the real monster." He then pointed his keyblade at him and it seemed to turn into some kind of bazooka. "No amount of _divine_ excuses will change what you really are!"

He then fired three large dark energy blasts, one after another. Frollo managed to avoid two of them, but was forced to block the third with his sword, the force of the attack caused him to stagger. Shadow then turn his 'bazooka' into his glider. And flew it right at him. Frollo flew up quickly with Shadow on his tail. The dark warrior fired a few more blasts, which Frollo dodge and blocked a couple, but one managed to hit him square in the chest. The judge quickly regain balance in time to block an incoming attack from the Glider's wing.

"I will not be defeated!" Frollo shouted. "You shall be judged for your sins!"

"That's a laugh coming from a man who has his own sins to answer for!" Shadow retorted. "I may be a warrior of darkness, but there are lines even I don't cross! Especially trying to have _little children killed_!" There was a lot of venom heard in that last part. "I only harm those who deliberately get in my way, or actually harm me in some way, in the worst case: DOUBLE CROSS ME!" He began to spin his Glider, shoving Frollo back. "Now vengeance will be mine!"

Another round of striking and blasting ensued, with neither of them giving an edge. Soon Shadow manage to blast Frollo high in the air, and followed up by charging toward him. But, Frollo managed to recover quickly. "THAT'S IT!" He then raised his sword and gather a massive amount of darkness into it. He then, slash down as the glider dart right into the attack. The collision knocked Shadow off of his glider. Frollo then pointed his palm at Shadow, conjuring a large sphere of darkness. "DIE!" He then laughed it straight at his target.

Shadow saw the attack coming quickly enough to cross his arm in front of him and put up a dark shield at the last second as the attack hit. The explosion itself didn't hurt him at all but the force caused him to plummet all the way down to cathedral, crashing back onto balcony, leaving him inside an imprint of himself, face down and unmoving. Frollo landed in front the dark warrior, breathing heavily from overexerting his dark powers.

Seeing his first target unmoving, Frollo turned his attention to Quasimodo and Esmeralda. Quasi putting himself in front of the woman as the dark judge approached. "I should have known you would risk your life to protect this gypsy witch," Frollo said, "just as your own mother die trying to protect you."

Quasi froze as he heard this, as it was not what he told before. "What?"

"And now I'm going to do what I should have done twenty years ago!" the judge then whipped one of his wings, knocking him off the balcony.

"Quasi!" Esmeralda quickly caught the hunchback by the arm. She tried to lift him up but he was too heavy for her. She looked at Frollo in fright as the judge laughed maniacally as he raised his sword, as if ready to behead her.

"And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!"

But before the judge could bring his sword down, he felt a searing pain on his lower torso, causing him to drop his sword, which returned to normal upon hitting the ground. He looked down and saw the Chaos Ripper Keyblade stick out of his stomach. He also felt as though it was draining his power.

"_Plunge them into the fiery pit_, you say." a low venomous voice spoke in his ear from behind. "Considering all the molten metal below us, that's not a bad idea." Shadow had gotten out of his crater and stabbed the judge from behind. Shadow was pretty banged up from the fall, having a noticeable wound on it forehead that was bleeding profusely down his face, but he stood his ground as he syphoned the curse he placed on the judge, causing his demonic appearance to slowly disappear, leave only enough for the Unversed shroud to cover half of his face. "You wanted to bring judgement down on this world, but now judgment is only coming down on you." A faint red glint appeared in the dark warrior's eyes, before he removed his Keyblade. "Your god won't save you now. Burn in hell, you superstitious sicko!" And with that, he tossed Frollo off the balcony, who gave out a cry of pain and terror as he plunged into the molten metal below.

Shadow stood there staring at Frollo's fall, panting heavily. Revenge was his. He didn't pay much attention as Esmeralda lost her grip on Quasi, only for the hunchback to be caught by Phoebus on the lower level of the cathedral, and the gypsy and a few of the Keyblade wielders ran down to check on them. He was exhausted, but at the same time furious. This whole experience with the religious extremist seems to have reawakened a hatred he had forgotten, a hatred towards superstitious morons. Not only that, but by syphoning the curse from the judge, he had inadvertently absorbed some of Frollo's darkness into himself. He could feel the remnants of Frollo's rage, hatred, and arrogance. It was mentally pain and maddening. He wanted so much but to release the darkness, creating an Unversed in the process. But he knew that doing so here and now would dishonor his agreement, so he decided to endure this until the opportune moment.

Suddenly, he felt a soothing sensation coursing through his body. He noticed a green light surrounding him and within seconds his injuries had healed. Confused he turned to see Kairi, holding her Keyblade high with a green glow at its tip. Shadow stared at the concerned look on the princess's face. He didn't understand why she was healing him, her enemy, the very person after her pure heart. But even more so, the expression she was wearing; why did he feel like he had seen that look before? Not just her face, but her obvious concern.

"Are you okay?" she said. And she finished her healing.

Shadow stared at her a little more before the red glint in his eyes and pain in his head returned, as Frollo's negativity was still affecting him. Finally he irritatedly said, "Save that concern for yourself, Princess. For next time we meet, your pure heart will be mine!" And with that, he disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness.

As she watched the dark warrior leave, Kairi held her hand up to her chest with great concern. "Why must you be so angry, Shadow?"

* * *

**I thought this would be a great opportunity to really show how Shadow fights, but writing out battle scenes is still a weak point with me. So everyone give YamiChaos27 a special shout-out and a round of applause for making the fight between Shadow and Frollo feel like a real boss battle. **


	78. A Matter of Faith

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

* * *

Chapter 78: A Matter of Faith

La Cité des Cloches…

The crowd cheered as the group exited the cathedral. The molten copper had cooled, so everyone in the city had been able to come up to the cathedral. The Archdeacon stood to the side with Ashley and Stella, though the latter still seemed shocked. The sun seemed to shine brightly now, as if the world itself was rejoicing at the victory of good over evil.

"It feels nice to be cheered on." Axel smirked.

Aurora shot him a deadpan look. "I'm pretty sure they're cheering for Esmeralda and Phoebus."

"Way to kill the moment." Axel deadpanned back.

"But we're forgetting the real hero of the day." Jason said as they looked back at the cathedral. Esmeralda walked up to the doors and held out her hand. Gently, she led Quasimodo out into the sunlight.

Everyone watched, unsure of what to make of this addition to their heroes. Even the hunchback seemed scared as to what they might do. Would they ridicule him as before? The first person to take a step was a little girl. She walked up the steps of the cathedral to Quasimodo. She gently touched his face before giving him a hug. It was clear she did not think he was a monster. She then led him into the crowd.

"Three cheers for Quasimodo!" Clopin cried out as the crowd cheered and lifted him up onto their shoulders. They then began to parade him through the town, not as a monster or a freak, but as the hero he was. It was such a touching sight to see.

"I'm glad Quasimodo's finally opening his heart to others." Sora said. "Now he can truly see what the world is like."

Riku nodded. "It may take time to break down the walls that were built up around his heart, but today is a start. Maybe he'll make some friends who see him for who he is, and not how he looks."

Esmeralda smiled at them. "Thank you for all your help. It must not have been easy to help us."

"It's what we do." Nettie smiled.

It was then they noticed something. Looking behind them, the group saw that inside the cathedral was a familiar glow. The glow of a keyhole. Everyone ran inside and looked around. They finally spotted it in one of the stain-glassed windows. Quickly they pointed their keyblades at it, and the beams of light shot out and entered the keyhole. There was a clicking sound as the keyhole vanished.

The Archdeacon looked at them. "What was that?"

"That's a sign that it's time for us to move on." Riku said.

Phoebus looked at them. "To where?"

"Just… you know… on the open road." Goofy said.

"Even if that road leads to another world?" Phoebus asked.

That surprised everyone. "You kidding? What would make you say that?"

Donald glared at Goofy. "Did you open your big mouth again?"

Esmeralda shook her head. "We figured it out ourselves."

"How?" Aurora asked.

"Well, the biggest giveaway is that you're traveling with a talking duck and… dog, I think." She listed. "Also, you don't speak like most people around here. And there's your keyblades."

"Across four continents, and I've never heard any mention of a keyblade." Phoebus said. "The only logical explanation is that those blades, and all of you, are not of this world."

There was no use hiding it now. "Yeah. You figured it out." Mika said. "This revelation probably shatters all you know."

"Not necessarily." The Archdeacon said. "Many ancient cultures spoke of other realms. The Vikings told tales of nine realms connected to a great tree that could only be traversed by a rainbow bridge. The Celts even spoke of a mystical isle they called Otherworld. Although the Bible does not speak of other worlds, it is possible there is some truth to the pagan tales."

"Maybe there's a reason the Bible does not speak of other worlds." Clair told the Archdeacon. "We've learned that the existence of other worlds needs to be kept secret because if people were to learn that there were other existences besides their own, it would bring chaos and disorder. Maybe the Bible doesn't speak of other worlds because God knew it would bring trouble to people."

"That would make sense." The Archdeacon said. "We will keep your secret." He looked as if he remembered something. "Before you go, I have something that I believe you should take with you."

The Archdeacon pulled some papers out of his robe. "I found these strange notes outside the cathedral after a mysterious earthquake shook the land."

Riku took the papers from the elderly man and looked at them. "This writing… it looks just like the ones we found in the Deep Jungle!"

"I've been unable to make any sense of them, but I have this feeling, perhaps it's God's will, that you'll find better use of these than I ever will." The Archdeacon said.

Clair smiled. "Thank you. We'll see what we can get from these."

* * *

Once everyone said their good-byes, they left the cathedral. They began to make their way back to the spot where the Gummi would be able to beam them up, for lack of a better phrase. However, they couldn't stop talking about the notes.

"I thought the Organization had those notes." Jason said.

Axel was currently looking at them. "Well apparently, there's more to the notes than we thought, and the Organization only has a part of it."

"Either that or they're different notes entirely." Aurora suggested.

Riku nodded at that. "Either way, this could give us a clue about that Spatial Tremor."

"And maybe a clue about Shadow." Kairi's voice had an edge of hope in it.

Sora scratched his head. "Hmm... You think maybe Cid will be able to help us decipher these?"

"Maybe even Merlin will be able to help." Goofy suggested.

"It's worth a shot." Riku agreed.

As they turned a corner, they ran into Quasimodo and the crowd. The hunchback waved to them. "Oh, hi. Where are you going?"

"It's time for us to go, Quasi." Roxas said.

A frown appeared on the hunchback's face. "Must you go?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Mika said. "As long as the Heartless are out there we can't stay in one place for long."

"I understand." Quasimodo said.

Stella looked back. "If only… AJ was…"

"We'll take care of him." A villager said. "We'll give him an honorable burial."

"Thank you." Jason said. It wouldn't bring back their friend but it was a nice gesture. He was starting to get used to the guy. Now… it felt like there was a hole in their group.

Quasimodo then remembered something. "Oh, could you thank your other friend when you see him again?"

"What other friend?" The group asked.

"The one who came to me while I was chained in the bell tower. He said he was with you."

"Everyone in our group was captured by Frollo." Riku said. "Still, we'll keep an eye out for him."

* * *

The Lanes Between…

On the Gummi ship, everyone was off trying to cope with the loss of AJ. It was the first time that they had lost one of their own, and everyone was expressing their frustration different. Stella was curled up in a corner while Ashley was stress eating. Jason was punching a punching bag like there was no tomorrow, while Aurora was practicing some martial arts moves. Clair and Nettie were trying to learn magic from Mika while Axel worked with Roxas and Xion. Donald was keeping an eye on the notes while Goofy piloted the Gummi.

Kairi was just lounging in the hall, more specifically leaning against the wall. Pluto was with her, lying on the floor with a sad expression on his face. Not only was Kairi saddened by the loss of AJ, but the matter of Shadow kept troubling her. That look he gave her before he vanished… what did it mean? Did he see something of his past in her? How would she be able to help him without surrendering her heart?

Sora was talking with Riku while they walked through the halls, but they stopped when they noticed her. "You okay, Kairi? You seem awfully distracted lately."

With a sigh, the Princess of Heart voiced her thoughts. "It's Shadow. What Marluxia told me about him has been troubling me."

"What is it?" Riku asked as he and Sora and approached her.

"Shadow, he... he lost his memory when they found him. He doesn't know who he is, not even his own name. That's how they managed to recruit him." Kairi placed a hand on her chest. "They convinced him that capturing the hearts of the Seven Princesses would help him restore his memories."

Now it was Sora's turn to sigh. "Man, hearing that I actually feel bad for him."

Riku thought about it. "That makes sense. Those with no memory are often easy to manipulate."

"I... I really don't think Shadow is a bad person." Kairi continued. "I mean, when we were captured in Atlantica, Shadow had his chance to take my heart but outright dropped what he was doing to berate those pirates for harming a couple of mer-kids. And he explicitly didn't like Frollo's idea of burning the miller family's house because there were children in there. I don't think a bad person would just drop everything for sake of children."

"I'll give Shadow one thing: he does seem to have some sense of honor. Whenever he makes a deal with us, he has every intention of holding his end of the bargain with no strings attached." Riku admitted.

Kairi then voiced her wish. "To be honest, I... I want to help him. Maybe we could take him to see Naminé. Maybe she could help."

Riku shook his head at that. "I don't think that'll work. She has told me that her power over memories only affect Sora and those connected to him. I don't think Shadow qualifies. And besides, I don't think it's a good idea in the first place. I get the feeling he's not going to let you help him. You know that he's after your heart."

"I know that. But if you ask me, he's just another victim of circumstances. I think that if someone could just reach out to him..."

"Forget it! We don't know anything about what kind of person he was before his memory loss. Shadow is far too dangerous. You try to reach out to him and he'll only drag you down with him. I understand why you want to help him, Kairi. But let's face it...it's just not worth the risk." Riku then left, leaving a saddened Kairi behind.

Sora was more comforting. "If it makes you feel any better, I agree with you."

The seventh princess looked at her childhood friend. "You do?"

With a smile, the Keyblade's Chosen nodded. "Yeah. Maybe Shadow is just a lost soul desperately trying to find his purpose, and just needs the right help in finding it."

"So you'll help?"

"I'll be honest, I don't know how we can help. But I promise I'll do everything I can."

Kairi hugged him for that. "Thank you, Sora."

Sora was surprised at that, but hugged her back. "Anytime, Kairi."

* * *

**Hmm... sounds like we could have a new player out there.**

**As for what happened... I was talking with some friends a while ago, and they said that in La Cité des Cloches the people would probably be smart enough to put two and two together. This was before the game came out, but like I said, this wasn't based on the game. I hope you enjoyed that twist. **

**And again, special thanks to YamiChaos27 for the help he gave with the dialogue and scenes regarding the notes and discussion about Shadow. **

**And with this chapter, the visit to the world of ****La Cité des Cloches is finished. **


	79. All Tangled Up

**Hello again. At long last, I got to this world. Originally this was before Jazz Bayou, but upon thinking about it I thought it would be better for around this time. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney. **

**Shadow belongs to YamiChaos27**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

* * *

Chapter 79: All Tangled Up

The World That Never Was…

Shadow had retired to his room. He could still feel Frollo's negativity in him, and was working on repressing that. No need to let the arrogance of that stupid fool get too hard to handle. So right now he was meditating to control the darkness.

"Shadow." Maleficent's voice echoed in his room. "You have a new assignment."

The dark warrior growled. He did not want to go on another mission now because he was still cooling off from the actions that happened in that backwater world. So he pretended that he did not hear her and continued to meditate.

After a few minutes of peace and quiet there was a clap of thunder and a flash of green fire. In front of the dark warrior stood the Mistress of All Evil, or so she proclaimed. He hadn't seen her do anything that he felt was worthy of her title, except throw a temper tantrum. Shadow wasn't convinced that Maleficent was truly a threat.

"How dare you ignore me, you impudent knave." The evil fairy growled at him.

Shadow just rolled over. "I'm not interested in doing any assignments right now."

"But you will want to do this one." Ansem said as he appeared out of a Corridor of Darkness. "Our Dusks have found a world that has a strong light in it. Possibly as strong as the Princesses of Heart."

That caught his interest. "A princess lives there?"

"No. It's not home to one of the seven, but it has light as strong as theirs. We want you to investigate it."

The dark warrior sat up. "Is there a chance that the Princess that travels with those kids will be there?"

"Do not speak to me of chance." Ansem said. "That is Luxord's specialty, not mine." He turned to leave, but paused to stop. "Larxene and Xilph shall accompany you on this mission. Make sure nothing happens to the latter."

* * *

The Lanes Between…

Jason was sulking by himself. He was still down about the loss of AJ, and training had done nothing to help improve his spirits. No matter how hard he punched the bags, no matter how hard he swung his keyblade at a target, there was still that empty feeling deep in his heart. And he hated it.

With a sigh, Jason decided to stop training. Slumping against the wall, he slid down it until he was sitting on the ground. How could this have happened? They lost one of their own, and even though they had gotten back Stella and Ashley, there was no rescuing someone from death. Why did this have to happen?

"Are you feeling okay?" A voice asked from his shoulder. The former bully turned to see Jiminy standing there.

Jason shook his head. "What do you think? I'm not okay. No one is. We just lost one of our group. A friend."

"But you rescued Stella and Ashley." The former conscience reminded him.

"Shadow rescued them." Jason corrected. "We just fought against a madman's army."

"And successfully took him down."

"Again, that was Shadow. We just stood back. Well, the others stood back. I was bleeding to death on the floor."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You did the best you could." Jiminy sat down on his shoulder. "You know, you've changed since we first met. You no longer sound like your old self."

Jason looked at Jiminy. "Guess I finally woke up to reality. No matter how tough you are, no matter how hard you push and shove, the universe will always play a cruel joke." Calling forth his Keyblade, the former bully looked at it. "Face it, Jiminy. We can't make a difference. Even Philoctetes could tell we weren't hero material."

"Since when did being a hero have anything to do with what you're feeling?" Jiminy rose an eyebrow at him.

"Because a hero would've been able to rescue their friends! A real hero wouldn't have let a friend die! A hero wouldn't be so… so… helpless!" With that, Jason buried his face into his arms. "I don't know what's right or wrong anymore. Life seemed so much simpler before all this. At least then I didn't have to worry about this kind of pain."

"If you ask me, what you're feeling is the loss of friendship." Jiminy said. "You say you didn't have to worry about feeling like this before your adventures started. Now you're torn up inside. I say the reason is because you've learned to open your heart to others. You're making friends."

"I never believed I needed friends. Or wanted any." Jason admitted. "For the longest time, I've been alone. That's the way I liked it." He looked at the cricket. "Why does it hurt so much to have lost a friend?"

"Because when you make a friend, they become a part of your heart and you become part of theirs. When you lose a friend, you lose part of yourself."

The former bully looked down. "So what do I do to make this pain go away?"

"It'll pass. Try to live for something. Like a dream."

"And if I don't have one?"

That surprised Jiminy. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure I have a dream anymore. It used to be forced onto me, but now… I don't want it. But I don't know what I do want."

"You may need to search your heart to find the answer to that." Jiminy stood up. "I'll be here to help if you need it."

"Thanks, Jiminy."

It was at that moment Clair stepped in. "Hey, Jace. Just wanted to let you know we found another world. And so have the Heartless. We blasted through them and we're about to disembark."

Jason stood up. "Okay. Thanks."

She seemed to notice something seemed different with him, but didn't say a word as they went to rejoin their friends.

* * *

Kingdom of Corona…

As soon as they landed, everyone realized they had wandered into a forest. The forest didn't seem ancient or magical, and the trees weren't gigantic or creepy or anything like that. All in all, the forest seemed ordinary. The ground was covered with lots of flowers, but again, that seemed to fit in.

Nettie looked at the group. "Doesn't look like there's much here."

"We need to check it out anyway." Riku told her. "The Heartless were coming in numbers. That must mean something's here."

"Unless they want to get green thumbs, I doubt it." Ashley joked. Her laughter was cut short as they heard a twig snap. Some nearby bushes started rustling like something big was coming through them. Everyone quickly summoned their weapons and got into their fighting stances.

"It's probably a really nasty group of Heartless." Donald muttered as he held his weapon in front of him. However, what leapt out at them was a cute little bunny. Its nose twitched as it looked at them.

Jason looked at the duck. "Unless they take the form of a rabbit, I highly doubt it."

Aurora dismissed her keyblade as she nodded in agreement. "The last known case of a rabbit attack was… let me see… oh, never."

Xion watched as the rabbit hopped off. "Guess we're all just a little jumpy."

"What the devil?" A voice asked in the distance. The group ran towards it to see a man and a woman surrounded by strange looking Heartless. They looked like plants with great big fluff balls growing out of their heads. One look at the more experienced members of their group and they knew. None of them had ever seen Heartless like these before.

"What are they?" The woman asked the man.

"How should I know?"

It was then the group ran up. "Go. Get out of here. We'll handle these things." Mika said as she and the others summoned their keyblades. The man and the woman ran off while the entire group got ready to fight.

The fluffy Heartless leapt forward to attack, knocking members of the group into each other. As they did, some of the Heartless shed the fluffs on their heads. They turned into seeds which fell on the ground, and as soon as they did more Heartless appeared. These also resembled plants, but they had little yellow circles on their heads.

Jason groaned. "Great. Now we got a bunch more to deal with."

"Leave them to me." Mika smiled at Axel. "Raging Storm!" To their surprise, three fire tornados surrounded their friends. Axel's fire must've been adding fuel to the spell, because just being in the presence of these two was enough to set them on fire. The Heartless tried to run off, but the rest of the group kept knocking them back into the attack.

"Firaga!" Clair and Nettie fired their spells at the Heartless that tried to run away. Some of the smaller ones got incinerated, but the others were knocked back where they fell victim to Axel and Mika's Raging Storm spell. Soon, the last of the Heartless had been destroyed, and the released hearts flew up into the air.

As the Raging Storm spell ended, Axel and Mika looked at each other and smiled. "Now that was good to do." Axel said.

"I got that memorized." Mika agreed.

Clair stared at the two of them in awe. "Can you teach me that spell sometime?"

"Sure."

It was then the man and the woman came back, and everyone could get a better look at the two of them. The man was about an average height with a scruffy goatee. He also had dark brown hair and light brown eyes. As for his clothes, he was dressed in a turquoise vest with a long-sleeved white shirt underneath. He also had dark creamed pants with brown bucket-top boots. He also had a brown belt. If Aurora had to guess his age, he looked to be about twenty-four.

The woman looked to be four years younger, around eighteen. She had big green eyes and small freckles around her nose. She had no shoes on, but had a very pretty dress. It consisted of a lavender corset that was laced with a pink ribbon. The purple skirt was decorated with pink, dark purple, and white swirls and floral designs. She also carried a frying pan. However, the most noticeable feature was her blonde hair. It stretched far behind her. To Stella, it looked like it was around seventy-feet long. That was the longest hair she, or anyone, had ever seen. "Thanks for your help against those things."

"No problem." Sora said. "How long have the Heartless been here?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Heartless? Is that what those things are called? We've only just seen them today."

The woman looked down. "It's my fault. I wanted to get out to see the lanterns for my birthday, but Mother told me to never go outside."

"Lanterns? Birthday?" Nettie asked.

"Today's my eighteenth birthday." The woman explained. "Every year, on my birthday, I would see lights in the night sky. I only found out that they were lanterns, and I want to see them up close. Mother wouldn't take me, so…"

"She and I made a deal to go together." The man said.

"But now I see that I shouldn't have left my tower."

Clair held up her hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Time out. Tower?"

"That's where I found her." The man said. "Blondie says she's lived there her entire life."

"You mean you've never been outside the tower before?" Xion asked.

The woman nodded. "Mother said the world's full of ruffians and thugs, and that I should never leave the tower."

This woman's mother was starting to sound like a female Frollo to Jason. "That's child abuse." The former bully said. "You should be allowed to see what the world is like."

"He's right." Riku agreed. "There's more to life than what she's told you."

Kairi got an idea. "How about we go with you? We can keep the Heartless away, and you can see the lanterns."

"Hold it." The man said. "It was hard enough when it was just the two of us. I don't want to start a traveling circus."

"And how many keyblade wielders have you seen?" Riku held out his keyblade for emphasis. "These weapons are the only thing that can successfully get rid of the Heartless. If they come back, you may not be so lucky next time."

"How bad can they be?" The man shrugged.

"Bad." Jason said. "You know why they're called Heartless? Because they steal hearts from other people."

"Well, I stole the hearts of many…"

"Literally steal them. As in rip out the hearts and consume them."

Now the man was paying attention. "Say what?"

"And the person who's heart was stolen ends up becoming one of them." Riku finished for Jason.

The woman looked at them. "Okay, now I know I should've stayed in my tower." She turned to leave, but Kairi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Please don't. You waited your whole life to see those lanterns. If you leave now, you'll have to wait for another year before you can see them. We weren't trying to scare you away. We're just trying to explain why we need to go with you." The Princess of Heart explained.

It was then she got a surprise. From the woman's shoulder crawled out a small green lizard with big eyes. The last thing Kairi was expecting was a chameleon. The chameleon looked at her, before looking at the woman and nodded.

The woman seemed to relax. "Pascal seems to agree with you."

"Pascal?"

"He's the only friend I had when I was in the tower. He encouraged me to go out." The woman explained before putting on a determined face. "You're right. I've come too far to turn back now. I'm seeing those lanterns."

The man sighed. "Fine. I guess you can come along."

Sora then remembered he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh, I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy, Riku, Kairi, Pluto, Roxas, Xion, Mika, Axel, Stella, Ashley, Jason, Aurora, Clair, and Nettie."

"Name's Flynn Rider." The man introduced himself.

The woman smiled. "I'm Rapunzel, and you already met Pascal."

"Don't ya worry, ma'am. You've got nutin' to worry about with us arou..." Goofy started to reassure her. However, some of her hair ended up under his feet. The captain of the guard ended up tripping over it, and fell flat on his face while doing his classic scream from the cartoons in our world.

Donald face-palmed himself. "Oh, brother."

"And on that note, we should get a move on." Ashley said as Goofy untangled himself from Rapunzel's hair.

Jason realized Sora hadn't introduced Jiminy. He opened his mouth to say something, but felt a tap. "No, Jason. There's no need to introduce me." Jiminy said.

The former bully looked at him. "But you're a part of the group too."

"But as the chronicler. It's okay. I'll be fine."

Jason nodded. "Okay, Jiminy."

* * *

**Originally when I included this world I called it Sun Kingdom. However, I learned online that the kingdom was actually called Corona, so I changed it to that. **

**I really like this chapter because I feel like Jason's getting some major character development. Don't worry. I'll make sure the others get development too because I feel like this is a great world for the characters to see how much they've changed, and maybe realize some new dreams they may have now. **

**Sorry if the battle with the Heartless was too short, but all I really know comes from the trailer for Kingdom Hearts III (and I was excited when I saw Tangled was going to be a new world in the game). **

**Until next time, see ya.**

**Edit: name corrected to Corona. Special thanks to YamiChaos27 for spotting that**


	80. Got a dream?

**Okay, this was a fun chapter to write. **

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts and/or Disney.**

**I do own Jason Norman and Clair Fay.**

**Mika belongs to GeekGirlTori.**

* * *

Chapter 80: Got a dream?

Kingdom of Corona…

The group was walking through the forest with their new friends. Flynn Rider kept talking about how he knew the best places in the Kingdom of Corona, as this world was apparently called. From the way he talked about himself, it was clear he had a big ego.

Stella groaned. "Do you ever stop talking? You sound so much like AJ." There was a gasp following that statement.

Rapunzel looked at her. "Who's AJ?"

"He was a friend of ours." Nettie answered.

"What happened?" When the group remained in silence, he put two and two together. "Oh."

Stella then moved ahead of the group, to be as far away from Flynn as possible. Ashley and Clair moved up to try to comfort their friend. However, they barely opened their mouths before Stella told them, "Not a word. I don't want to hear it."

"Stella, we…" Ashley began.

"I said not a word!" The older student snapped at her. That ended all attempts to comfort her. Stella did not want to be comforted. As far as she was concerned, she didn't deserve comfort. Her friends should be scorning her and pushing her away. She took AJ's life! Murder was a crime according to the laws Gri set forth in ancient times, and even though she was never much of a believer, the fact that she took a life was world shattering for her.

While she was moping about she ended up bumping into something. "Watch where you're…" She then realized it was a Big Body Heartless, along with some Shadows and Soldiers. Not what she wanted to face right now.

Everyone summoned their weapons. "Flynn. Rapunzel. Stay back." Riku said as he charged forward with everyone. By now, everyone was strong enough that the Shadows were no problem, and the Soldiers were only annoying. It was the Big Bodies that provided the most challenge, due to the fact that they could only be taken down by striking at their backs. Still, with their teamwork, they were able to take them down.

Stella didn't join in the fight. In fact, she seemed like she was trying to get the Heartless to attack her. Kairi and Mika had to keep pulling her out of harm's way to make sure the Heartless didn't get her heart. After the last heart flew up into the sky, Mika glared at her. "What's your problem? Are you trying to get yourself hurt?"

"Yeah. I am." Stella answered.

The witch shook her head. "Will you stop beating yourself up over it? Would AJ want you to treat yourself like this? Would he ask you to deliberately put yourself in harm's way?" When Stella didn't answer she sighed. "When you have the answer, we'll finish this."

"Hey, you know what? I know how to fix your friend's mood." Flynn said. "Food. I know a joint that's close by. Come on."

Sometime later, they were walking along a dirt road that had been used for some time. Clair suspected they might be close to a town or city, or at least some farms. Unfortunately, they didn't know which way the nearest residence was. All they could do was hope that no one would be attacked by the Heartless.

"I know it's around here somewhere." Flynn then smiled. "Ah, there it is! The Snuggly Duckling. Don't worry. Very quaint place. Perfect for you. Don't want you scaring and giving up on this whole endeavor now, do we?"

Everyone looked at the place. It looked as if once it had been built by a tree, but now that tree had grown so much it was starting to push the place over. The door and windows were closer to facing the ground, and nothing looked even. Ashley looked at Flynn. "I've seen slums that looked better than this place."

"Oh, come on. It's five stars." Flynn defended.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I always wanted to eat here."

"Really?" Rapunzel asked.

"I was being sarcastic."

"Sarcastic?"

"It's when you say something, but don't really mean it." Aurora translated.

Axel then cleared his throat. "Some food will probably do us all some good. Can't fight the Heartless on an empty stomach."

"I dunno." Jason said. "It almost feels too easy now."

Nettie face-palmed. "Great. You went and jinxed it for us."

"All I said was…"

Rapunzel broke up their discussion with her decision. "Well, I do like ducklings."

"Yay!" Flynn made a mocking gesture of happiness. So with that they approached the pub. Their guide wasted no time making a dramatic entrance with pizzazz. "Garcon, your finest tables, please!"

Rapunzel gasped at what she saw, and Clair didn't blame her. Everyone inside looked like barbarians, thugs, and ruffians all rolled into one. There were men in fur and armor with helmets, a man with pointy teeth who had eight rats on him, and even a man who was polishing a large hook where a hand should've been.

As Rapunzel held up her frying pan defensively, Jason stared at her. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think that's gonna be much help here."

"This is your idea of a quaint place?" Clair asked Flynn.

Axel looked at him. "I'd hate to see your definition of a dump."

Goofy looked at the thugs in the pub and gulped. Jason took a look at the captain of the guard and elbowed him. Before he could cry out in pain, the former bully grabbed his snout. "Goofy, don't let them know you're afraid. That's a big Do-Not-Do in a place like this. Trust me. I know."

Flynn then began to escort Rapunzel into the Snuggly Duckling. "You smell that? Take a deep breath through the nose." He said as he inhaled deeply. "Really let that seep in. What are you getting?"

"The smell of sewage and a stinking trick to scare the living daylights out of her." Nettie deadpanned.

Flynn ignored her. "To me, it's part man-smell and the other part is really bad man-smell. I don't know why, but overall it smells like the color brown."

Mika stared at a man who was making a pot filled with what appeared to be dead lizards, and noticed that Pascal ducked behind Rapunzel in fear. "Are you crazy? She looks like she's about to have a heart attack."

"Once upon a time, you would've too." Axel teased.

A thug with massive sideburns and skulls for shoulder pads then grabbed Rapunzel's hair, much to the girl's horror, who began to pull it through the man's hands. "That's a lot of hair." He said to Flynn.

"She's growing it out." Flynn explained. "Is that blood in your mustache? Goldie, look at this. Look at all the blood in his mustache."

All the patrons in the pub were looking at the group. When surrounded by bloodthirsty men who could probably tear them apart without breaking a sweat, it was clear several of them would take the Heartless again. Still, all they could do was try to play it cool.

"How are you doing?" Sora asked one guy.  
"Nice hat." Donald gestured to a guy's helmet.

"Please don't kill us." Goofy told some thugs.

Jason face-palmed at that. "What did I just say?"

Riku then glared at Flynn. "Is this a joke to you? You're trying to scare Rapunzel into going back to her tower, aren't you?"

Flynn ignored him, but in a way, answered his question as he walked over to a still scared Rapunzel. "You don't look so good, blondie. Maybe we should get you home, call it a day. Probably better off. This is a five-star joint. If you can't handle this place, maybe you should be back in your tower."

The door suddenly slammed shut, startling everyone and earning another gasp from Rapunzel. "Is this you?" A really thick built man with leather armor and a horned helmet gestured to what looked like a wanted poster on the door. His finger was covering most of the face, but it looked an awful lot like Flynn Rider.

Flynn took the finger off the area with the nose, revealing the poster had given him a long nose, earning a grunt from their guide. "Now they're just being mean."

"You're a wanted criminal?" Kairi asked him.

Before he could answer, the thugs started closing in. The Hook Hand Thug chuckled at Flynn. "It's him, all right. Greno, go find some guards." As another thug in a blue tunic left, the Hook-Handed Thug grabbed Flynn. "That reward is going to buy me a new hook."

Another thug in what looked like a knight's helm grabbed Flynn from him. "I could use the money."

"What about me? I'm broke!" The thug who showed the wanted poster said. All the thugs then descended upon Flynn, each one trying to claim him for themselves. Rapunzel's protests and Flynn's attempts to make a deal with them were drowned out. The group summoned their weapons and attempted to fight the thugs, but their foes were too well armored. Rapunzel then got an idea. Using her hair to wrap around one of the branches of the tree that had grown into the pub, she pulled up and then let it go. It then slammed onto the head of the thug with the Hook Hand, causing everyone to stop fighting and stare in shock. That was enough to tell Jason the Hook Hand Thug probably ran things around here.

"Put him down!" Rapunzel ordered as the Hook Hand Thug looked at her with an angry expression. "I don't know where I am, and I need him to take me to see the lanterns because I've been dreaming about them my entire life! Find your humanity! Haven't any of you ever had a dream?"

Jason looked at her. "Uh, Rapunzel? Reality check?"

The Hook Hand Thug then pulled out a huge axe while the other thugs hung Flynn on a peg, watching to see what would happen. Their leader marched towards Rapunzel while the group got ready to attack him if he threatened her. It wouldn't have surprised them if he tried to take her head off.

Which is why what happened next took them completely by surprise.

"I had a dream once." The Hook Hand Thug confessed as he threw his axe to a minstrel that was chained in the corner. It missed him, but apparently it was some signal for him to start playing his accordion. Still, it was obvious the minstrel was terrified. Everyone stared as they got a feeling regarding what was about to happen.

_"I'm malicious, mean and scary_

_My sneer could curdle dairy_

_And violence-wise, my hands are not the cleanest_

_But despite my evil look,_

_And my temper and my hook_

_I've always yearned to be a concert pianist."_

The Hook Hand Thug then began to play on a piano on the stage. He was surprisingly good, and it was clear he enjoyed playing there a lot. He continued to sing while confessing his dream.

_"Can'tcha see me on the stage performin' Mozart?_

_Tickling the ivories 'til they bleed?_

_Yep, I'd rather be called deadly_

_For my killer show-tune medley_

_Thank you!_

_'Cause way down deep inside_

_I've got a dream._

_"He's got a dream!_

_He's got a dream!"_

The thug chorus sang along, while the Hook Hand Thug continued.

_"See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem!_

_Though I do like breaking femurs_

_You can count me with the dreamers_

_Like everybody else_

_I've got a dream!"_

The group was staring in shock as the entire pub started getting into the random song and dance number. Here were all these ruffians who looked like they didn't have any goodness in them, and they're actually turning out to be great singers. Even the rats were getting into the music. It was then a Big Nose Thug, whom Hook Hand had been tossing around and beating during his number, began to sing.

_"I've got scars and lumps and bruises_

_Plus something here that oozes_

_And let's not even mention my complexion_

_But despite my extra toes_

_And my goiter, and my nose_

_I really want to make a love connection"_

_"Can't you see me with a special little lady_

_Rowin' in a rowboat down the stream?_

_Though I'm one disgusting blighter_

_I'm a lover, not a fighter-_

_'Cause way down deep inside_

_I've got a dream_

_I've got a dream!"_

The Big Nose Thug then dressed a short thug in a diaper with wings attached to his back and equipped him with a bow and arrow. The shorter thug was too drunk to resist or care, so he let himself get swung around while everyone kept singing.

Thug Chorus: He's got a dream!

Big Nose Thug: I've got a dream!

Thug Chorus: He's got a dream!

_"And I know one day romance will reign supreme!_

_Though my face leaves people screaming_

_There's a child behind it, dreaming-_

_Like everybody else_

_I've got a dream!"_

As Big Nose Thug finished his number, the other thugs then began to come out of their shells. As the song continued, they all began to show what their real passions were and how they wanted to do them instead. All of them were shocking to the group.

_"Tor would like to quit and be a florist_

_Gunther does interior design_

_Ulf is into mime_

_Attila's cupcakes are sublime_

_Bruiser knits_

_Killer sews_

_Fang does little puppet shows_

_And Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns!"_

Hook Hand Thug sung that last line while the group continued to stare. However, Clair had gotten into the song, and before anyone could stop her, she got out and began to sing,

_"I spend all my time in books,_

_Not caring about my looks, _

_And learning about how to be a fighter_

_But despite my quietness,_

_And my quest, and my bluntness,_

_I hope one day to be a writer."_

_"Can't you see me crafting worlds with words,_

_Having heroes fight off monsters with swords?_

_Though I'm way too busy now,_

_I'll answer the question how_

_'Cause way down deep inside_

_I've got a dream!"_

"She's got a dream! She's got a dream!" The chorus sang. Realizing that Clair had now gotten their group involved with this song and dance number, they looked at each other wondering who would go next. Taking a breath, Jason then began to sing.

_"Okay, so I'm really new at this singing,_

_First time, it's really quite daring,_

_I never knew I could have such a talent_

_Most of the time I act all tough_

_And make it seem I like it rough,_

_I just want to become a hero gallant."_

_"Can't you see me off to the rescue,_

_Making the bad guys eat fescue?_

_I used to care not for others,_

_But now they're like sisters and brothers_

_'Cause way down deep inside_

_I've got a dream!"_

As he sang, Jason realized that was what he wanted. It was more than just a silly rhyme. It was his new dream. He didn't want to be a warrior. He wanted to be a hero. He wanted to help others now. As he smiled, the others began to sing too.

_"Nettie would like to start an animal shelter_

_Aurora likes to learn karate_

_Ashley's into books_

_Stella's the best of cooks_

_Sora goofs, Riku chills_

_Kairi likes some random thrills_

_And Mika wants to live happily ever after." _

_"Roxas would like to be a musician_

_Xion prefers to collect seashells_

_Donald wants to be with Daisy_

_And in love is the hope of Goofy_

_Pluto digs and he rolls_

_Mabul chases off life's drolls_

_And Axel wants everyone to remember him."_

As the group finished, they hoped they had gotten clear. But unfortunately they weren't out of the woods yet. The thugs went and surrounded Flynn. "What about you?" Hook Hand asked.

Flynn blinked. "I'm sorry, me?"

"What's your dream?" Big Nose asked as he got Flynn off the peg.

"No, no, no. Sorry, boys. I don't sing." Flynn's response got a lot of swords pointed at him. So he got on a table with a forced smile and started singing.

_"I have dreams, like you - no, really!_

_Just much less touchy-feely_

_They mainly happen somewhere_

_Warm and sunny_

_On an island that I own_

_Tanned and rested and alone_

_Surrounded by enormous piles of money."_

Finally, Rapunzel began to sing. She had a beautiful singing voice, that became clear to everyone. "I've got a dream!"

"She's got a dream!"

"I've got a dream!"

"She's got a dream!"

_"I just want to see the floating_

_Lanterns gleam!"_

"Yeah!"

_"And with every passing hour_

_I'm so glad I left my tower-_

_Like all you lovely folks_

_I've got a dream!"_

The entire Snuggly Duckling pub was enjoying the singing everyone was doing. They started tossing barrels of some drink around, flipping, leaping out windows, even getting the group to roll around on the barrels, which actually was kind of fun.

_"She's got a dream!_

_He's got a dream!_

_They've got a dream!_

_We've got a dream!_

_So our diff 'rences ain't really that extreme!_

_We're one big team...!_

_Call us brutal—_

_Sick—_

_Sadistic—_

_And grotesquely optimistic_

_'Cause way down deep inside_

_We've got a dream!_

_I've got a dream!_

_I've got a dream!_

_I've got a dream!_

_I've got a dream!_

_I've got a dream!_

_I've got a dream!_

_Yes way down deep inside,_

_I've got a dream!_

_Yeah!"_

* * *

**I probably could've written this chapter without the song, but I like it too much. Besides, what better way to mess with the psychology of the characters than to place them in a pub with a bunch of Viking-esque thugs ready to take their heads off only to have them sing while confessing their secret passions at the same time? Just kidding. I did it because I liked the song.  
**

**That was my first time trying to come up with some original lyrics. I decided that if the song was to be included, the Snuggly Duckling thugs wouldn't have let the characters go until they sung too. **

**I did reuse some lines from the original draft of this FanFiction, FYI. Okay, next chapter I'll have to work to make the action good. **

**I probably did resolve the Jason dream issue probably a little too quickly, but as I was writing his lyrics it just seemed to fit that now instead of being a fighter his dream is to be a hero. Hopefully I can work in how Stella's managing with what happened in Le Cite de Cloches. **


End file.

Kingdom Hearts