All That's Left [Alpha Draft] - Pt 17;

[keybearer]

Chapter 17: Kingdom of the Sun

Man, this is taking forever!

“Seriously. I know it’s a jungle, but they really should’ve put up some signs.”

It sure would’ve helped Donald. And at that, Sora grinned, grateful that only Riku could hear him. In fact, as soon as he left that little comment, Riku started snickering, and Donald came to an abrupt stop, whipped around, and stood up on the tips of his webbed feet.

“Hey! What’s so funny?”

“Nothing at all.” Riku moved right past him, still chuckling under his breath. And why? Well, it probably had to do thick, muddy coating dripping from Donald's feet. Even though Chicha told them to stick to the path, he took the stubborn route and wound up waddling straight into a bed of quicksand. Hours later, and he still had a thick, brown shell coating each foot, not to mention smudges of dirt caught between his feathers.

Grunting, Donald stomped right after Riku. “Then how come you’re laughing?”

Kairi peeked over her shoulder. “It’s your feet, silly.”

“Gah! For the last time, I was trying to take a shortcut!”

Shaking his head, Riku picked up his stride. “Yeah, but you have to know your way around before you start cutting corners.”

“And Chicha told us to stay on the path!” said Goofy. “We’re lucky we didn’t bump into any of them jaguars.”

“See, jaguars aren’t the problem. I just want to know where this jungle ends…” But as soon as Riku spoke, rays of sunlight cut through the treetops, and after taking a few more steps, a long, wooden bridge came into view.

“Finally!” Donald bolted ahead of the others, hurling himself onto the bridge. As he landed, the planks creaked, and the ropes swayed. The sounds alone made Sora cringe. Was that thing really gonna hold up? While Donald started marching along, Sora glanced from one end of the bridge to the other. Clear on the other side, he spotted some box-like buildings positioned like building blocks. At the very top stood a giant, golden structure shaped like a great big head, with huge round earrings and a fan-shaped headdress.

Well, it’s about time!

Gold? Lots of buildings? It had to be the city, but a quick peek over the cliff made Sora’s heart spring into his throat. The peak stretched on for what seemed like a million miles, so far down that the river was as thin as string. A fall from this height could… And then they’d… And sure, they had magic, and he had darkness, but that didn’t make it any less scary! It was stupid to worry, but he couldn’t help it. Just hearing the bridge rock gave him goose bumps.

Without even realizing it, he'd started scooting backwards, stopping only when Kairi knelt next to him and gave him a sunny smile.

“Just take it slow, okay? I think we’ll be fine as long as we’re careful.”

Goofy stopped at the edge of the bridge, gripping the ropes. “And that goes for you too, Donald!”

“Don’t worry about me, Goofy! I’ve got it under contro—” One of the boards creaked again, and Donald froze mid step. “Uh… on second thought, I guess I could move a little slower.”

“Wonder how much weight it can hold …” Riku placed one foot on the boards, tensing when the bridge trembled. “Wait, why don’t I just open a—”

“But I’m already halfway there!” Donald shouted, now standing at the center of the bridge. Shrugging, Riku finally followed along, and while the boards continued to screech and the ropes continued to sway, Sora took a big gulp of air and scrambled behind him.

Through a stroke of luck, the bridge held up the whole time, and when they finally reached the end, Sora flopped into the grass, taking a few seconds to embrace the solid ground. Unfortunately, the buildings before them gave him a painful reality check. He was still a Heartless, the city was probably crammed, and prancing around in the open risked scaring everybody! The slivers of black mist coiling above the rooftops mixed with the sick, salty smell proved that some kinda darkness lurked close by. One wrong move risked putting the whole city on-edge.

He expected this. Knew it’d happen, but that didn’t mean he liked it. Sure, he’d gotten used to hiding, but before it was just him, Ven, and Aqua, and before that, just him and Ven. Now that he was back with his friends everything had changed. While he hid in the ground, they could walk in plain sight, talking and laughing together, having a blast. On the positive side, it wouldn’t last long so while he pouted at his surroundings, he still sank into the shadows.

With that, Donald and Goofy started moving ahead, though Goofy glanced back at Sora’s shadow a few times. Hesitating, both Riku and Kairi looked at each other, and then Riku stepped out in front of him, waving his hands at the others.

“You guys go on ahead. We’ll be right behind you.”

Riku, are you sure about—

He crouched down, both hands on his hips. “You really think we’d leave you in the dust?”

He’d huff if he could, but since he was flat as paper, Sora just shifted in place, Meanwhile, Kairi rested one hand on Riku’s shoulder blade and beamed down at him.

“We just don’t want you to feel left out!”

You guys…

Well, it sure beat lagging behind, so when they took off, Sora hurried right behind them, trying his best to match their strides. As they drew further into the city, he spotted a whole bunch of stands resting under colorful cloth awnings. Purples, blues, a couple of oranges and greens, these stalls carried everything from smooth clay pots and polished veggies. And just like the people in the village, both shopkeepers and customers dressed in loose, wool clothes, from ponchos to robes, with a whole rainbow of colors.

So where the heck was Pacha?

The further they walked, the clearer it became that they were hunting for a needle in a whole field of hay. For the most part, the others kept squeezing through the crowds, but Goofy fidgeted and muttered soft apologies, eying the people with a frown.

“Ya know, maybe we shoulda asked what he looks like…”

Sliding to a stop, Riku slapped his hand over his face. “Ugh. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because we got caught in the moment.” Kairi shrugged, eying the stands. “But we could always ask for help.”

“Yeah, but look at this crowd. You really think they’d pay attention to one guy out of a million?”

“They would if he was heading for the palace! Besides, he’s the village leader.”

From somewhere in the crowd, a voice piped up. “A leader? Is that like a master?” But none of the people nearby said a word, and if that wasn’t weird enough, a short, fat golden retriever to sprung into their path, with a metallic black color and a big, dopey grin.

“Hi there!”

Within seconds, laughter exploded inside Sora’s head. “Wow, didn’t see that coming!”

Neither did Sora, though he fought back the urge to pop out of the ground and start scratching the dog behind the ears. Already, Kairi’d reached out for the dog and patted him on the head, and Goofy hovered right behind her.

“Aw, you’re so cute! Where’d you come from, anyway?”

“I was chasing a squirrel! Oh yes. But I do not think I am supposed to be here.” He turned around, and his eyes widened. Soon, he was leaning in Donald’s face, tail wagging. “Wait, you are a bird! Can I take you as my prisoner?”

Bristling, Donald stepped backwards and whipped out his staff. “No way! I’m not scared of you.”

“Oh boy, you have a stick! Are you going to throw it? I am very good at fetch!” Wiggling, the dog moved closer, but Goofy slipped between the two before Donald could pull any fast ones.

“We’d love to play with ya, pal, but we’re on an important mission!”

The dog tipped his head up at Goofy, sniffing him for a second. “Is that why you have a bird? You are a very big dog, but I do not think you are supposed to wear clothes…”

“Uh, actually, that ain’t—”

“Look,” said Donald, “we’re trying to find somebody, and we don’t have time for—”

“Oh, let me help! Please let me help! I am an excellent tracker.”

Riku gave the dog a long stare, idly rubbing his chin. “Then have you seen anybody named Pacha around? He was supposed to be heading to the palace, and—”

“POINT!” The dog swiveled around, pointing his nose to the north.

“And you’re sure it’s him…”

“Oh yes! He was very nice. He even rubbed my belly and said I was a good boy!”

Squatting again, Kairi scratched the dog under his chin. “Well, there you have it! It sounds like we got worried over nothing.”

“Thanks for the help!” said Goofy, but when he turned to the dog, he’d already bolted like a cannonball, springing right over Sora’s shadow.

“Squirrel!”

Though it was kinda small, Sora spotted a fuzzy brown squirrel springing across the awnings like giant stepping stones. Ears back, the dog bolted right after it, and soon they both vanished beyond the swarm of passing citizens. The others gawked as the dog disappeared, and while Goofy waved goodbye, Riku, Kairi, and Donald all shrugged. They had vague directions to work off of now, so instead of wasting time, they continued squeezing their way through the buzzing crowds, with the golden roof of the palace creeping closer with each step.

A few minutes later, Sora spotted what looked like a zigzagging stone stairway spiraling over their heads. Shifting closer to Riku, he just barely made out a green poncho between the current of passing people. That, and stone wheels, hooves… maybe a llama? Continuing to squirm, he poked his head out of the ground for a split-second, just long enough to notice the guy’s wide frame, square face, and loose brown hat hanging over his ears. He moved as slow as a snail, head hanging over his chest. So was he Pacha, then? Between the llama and his clothes, he’d fit right in with the village.

Before he could nudge Riku, Sora’s focus abruptly shifted to the stairs, where he caught a huge, muscular man carrying a giant bag over his shoulders. He dashed down the steps, looking left and right, only to topple over abruptly, as if he'd tripped on the way down. Though it was tough to see, the shrieking cat gave him a tiny clue to what’d happened. The sounds of thuds and the man’s grunts and groans made it even clearer. Meanwhile, the bag flew through the air, crashing into the villager’s cart and rattling the surrounding pots. He moved ahead without even noticing, despite all the racket before. Did he really not notice or did he just not care? And just what was inside that bag, anyway?

The group was silent for a few seconds, and then Riku started rubbing his forehead. “Did that just happen?”

“Yep,” said Donald, while Goofy muffled his laughter with a big, gloved hand.

“Gee, I feel bad laughin’. Do ya think we oughta help that feller?”

“He looks okay to me,” said Kairi. In fact, the muscular guy had already hopped back onto the stairs and was staring right at them.

Grumbling, Donald stood on the tips of his toes and craned his neck up at the man. “Hey, what’re you lookin’ at?”

Instead of answering, the man dashed back up the stairs. Was Donald really that scary, or was there more to it? Well, whatever his deal was, they could worry about that later, because in the time they’d spent chatting, the villager had already brushed right past them and was moving straight toward the exit. Not wanting to lose him, Sora popped his hand out of his shadow and tapped the back of Riku’s leg. When Riku looked down, Sora popped his head out and tipped it toward the man. Nodding, Riku then cleared his throat and gestured toward the man.

“Hey, c’mon! I think that’s our guy.”

Picking up speed, he swerved between two parallel lines of people. Along the way, he muttered apologies, and Kairi followed suit, slipping in a bit slower and calling out to the crowd. Clearly impatient, Donald barreled ahead of them, causing many people to gasp, squeak, and shout. While Goofy stumbled around, Sora zipped right under everyone’s feet, and they soon formed a wall in front of the villager and his llama.

The llama bleated and screeched to a stop, while the villager extended his arm and began slowly stroking its fur. Ducking its head, the llama backed away, and while its legs wobbled a little, it seemed calmer now.

Seemingly satisfied, the villager looked to the group. “Uh… Can I help you?”

“Maybe!” Laughing sheepishly, Kairi swept her bangs out of her eyes. “But first I just want to make sure… You are Pacha, right?”

Pacha leaned back, eyes wide. “How’d you know that?”

Riku snickered, resting a hand on his hip. “We just had a nice, long talk with your wife.”

“Yeah, and she said you were in trouble!” Goofy added. “Didja have any problems with the Heartless?”

Sighing softly, Pacha looked to the side. “No. I’m fine, but the emperor…” He shook his head, slumping. “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“About what?” said Donald. “You’re gonna have to be more specific!”

“But what difference would it make? He’s the emperor.”

Riku raised an eyebrow. “So? We're used to stuff like this."

“Look, I’m sure you mean well, but you’re all just kids and…” He paused, looking to Donald and Goofy. “Well, you don’t look like children, but the emperor’s got a whole army at his disposal."

“Hmm.” Kairi turned around, poking her head around the corner. “Hey, why don’t we take this somewhere private?”

Pacha glanced down the street, then gave a small nod. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

Following Kairi’s lead, they all squeezed into a nearby alleyway. Once there, they gathered in a small circle. Well, everyone but Sora; he stayed hidden behind Riku. But just when he thought he’d spend the whole day stuck in the ground, Riku gave him a quick glance and broke the silence.

“Hey, before we say anything else, we’ve… kind of got a Heartless with us.” Pacha’s face paled, and he bumped into the front of his cart. Before he could say anything, Riku quickly added, “But he’s harmless. It’s a long, complicated story, but the point is, he’s fine. He won’t hurt you, and he’s probably sick of hiding.”

Whew. That was faster than he expected, but just to be safe, Sora moved slowly, popping out inch by inch. When he finally emerged, he waved at Pacha, then dug out his notepad, doodling a smiley face. At first, Pacha stared, but after a few seconds of gaping, he loosened up and smiled right back at him.

“Wow. I just assumed all Heartless were monsters…”

Sora scratched his cheek, scribbling another message. ‘They usually are, but don’t worry! We’re not gonna let ‘em hurt you or your family.’

Once again, Pacha sighed. “It’s not the Heartless I’m worried about.”

“Then what’s the matter?” said Goofy. “I dunno how much we can help ya, but we oughta at least try.”

Averting his eyes, Pacha started stroking his llama. “Well, you see, the emperor’s birthday’s tomorrow, and he’s planning to…”

Riku gave him a deadpan look. “Let me guess, it’s not pretty.”

“It’s not even close! He’s got plans to destroy my whole village, just so he can build a vacation home.”

His words hit like an atomic explosion, and everyone shouted “What?!” all at once. Sure, Chicha’d said some pretty crummy stuff about the emperor, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

Fuming, Sora tossed his notepad to the ground, back arched and teeth bared. His claws flexed, and the black tendrils around his body lashed. I can’t believe it! How could anyone be so… so…

“Selfish?” Ven’s voice was colder than usual; he must’ve shared Sora’s feelings. “I don’t get it, either. Even if he is a bad guy, he’s gotta know how it’ll affect all the people there!”

Donald’s staff hit the ground, and he snarled like an angry dog. “I knew it. He’s gotta be behind all the Heartless!”

Riku turned around, arms cros. “It’d explain a few things. Plus, what better way to wipe out a village? It’s quick, effective, and there’d be no one left behind…”

Kairi squeezed her hands together, and she bit her lip. “He could pass it off as an accident, too, and if the Organization’s here, then they’d have more hearts at their disposal…”

Pacha’s whole body grew stiff, and his voice trembled and cracked. “But would he really go that far? It’d be one thing to destroy all our homes, but—”

Riku cut in before he could finish. “It’s just a guess. We can’t jump to conclusions just yet.”

“Well, what if we went to the palace?” said Goofy. “We could have a nice lil’ talk with that emperor, and—”

Donald swished his staff, eyes narrowed. “Do you really think he’d listen, Goofy? If he’s serious about destroying a village, then we gotta stop him!”

“But we don’t know the whole story yet, and I think we oughta see for ourselves.”

Frowning, Pacha peered at the palace. “But are you sure that’s a good idea? I doubt the guards are gonna let you in there without an appointment.”

He had a point. Meeting with the emperor probably required advance notices. Or a summons. Wasn’t that how Pacha got there? Pouting, Sora tilted his head and furrowed his brow. This was tricky! About the only thing he could think of was sneaking in the back door.

But then, out of nowhere, Kairi beamed, lifting her chin and clasping her hands. “Well, couldn’t we just ask? Sure, they could turn us away, but we won't know for sure until we try."

Riku shrugged. “I guess it’s worth a shot."

“And you’d do all this for me?” said Pacha.

Nodding, Sora sprung to his feet and held up another note. ‘You bet! We already lost our home, so there’s no way we’re gonna let him take yours.’

For some reason, Pacha laughed at his note, resting one hand on his belly and the other on his llama’s head. Stomping his foot, Donald gripped his staff in both hands and sent Pacha a sharp look.

“What’re you laughing at?”

“Sorry.” He eyed Sora with a loose, tired smile. “It's just that Tiz told us the same thing."

“Well, now he’s got backup.” Smirking, Riku started to move toward the street. “So, c’mon. We don’t want to miss our chance.”

With their minds made up, they climbed all the way up the steps and stormed right up to the palace’s golden doors. Just as Pacha said, two big, burly guards stood watch, with their skin painted red and blue, split evenly on each side of their bodies. They carried gold spears and wore black body armor, with skirts reaching down to their knees. In his excitement, Sora’d totally forgotten to hide, so by the time they reached the gigantic, golden head, the guards glowered and swept out their weapons.

Shivering, Sora slipped behind his friends again. He could totally take them, but this wasn’t the right time to pick fights. On the upside, both Kairi and Riku explained the situation before long, and while the guards scratched their heads and gave each other confused looks, they pulled back their weapons in no time.

“So you see,” said Kairi, “we’ve got an audience with the emperor, and we’d really like to—”

The first of the guards slouched, sighing loudly. “I regret to inform you that the emperor is dead.”

It was like a wave swept over the area. First, Kairi let out a choked gasp, grasping her necklace and staring in total shock. Riku’s jaw clenched, and his hands balled up. Donald dropped his staff and let out a loud squawk, while Goofy’s teeth chattered and his knees wobbled. The news hit Sora like a bomb, and the resulting shock left him frozen in place. Dead? Already? But how? And why? It sounded like Pacha just met with him, so what could’ve done him in so fast? Pacha seemed way too nice to pull it off, and…

“The news just hit a few minutes ago, so we don’t have time to deal with commoners.”

Riku took a deep breath, and his words came out harsher than normal, like he was barely fighting back the urge to shout. “And do you guys know how he died?”

The first guard tapped his spear on the ground, stretching to his full height. “That is no concern of yours. Now, go, and take that monster with you…”

At the word ‘monster,’ Sora bristled, cheeks puffed up and eyes glowing bright. Grr! I don’t like this. He’s gotta be hiding something!

But despite this, Riku turned the other way, waving his hand as he walked. “Forget it, Sora. We’ll figure something out.”

They made it about halfway down the stairs before Riku came to a stop. With one hand over his brow, he gazed up at the palace and then motioned for the others to come closer. Soon, they’d all huddled together and started speaking in low whispers. Something was obviously off about all this, and there was no way they could just turn their backs.

Leaning close, Riku spoke first, cupping a hand over his mouth. “Okay, I think we can all agree that something shady’s going on. People don’t just drop dead out of nowhere.”

Goofy scratched his head, lips drooping. “Well, what if he turned into a Heartless?”

“Hmm… Well, it’s possible. I doubt a random bystander got him, so if it wasn’t the Heartless…”

“What about an inside job?” said Kairi. “He could have had a brother, a sister, even a servant who wanted to take over. It’d be just like what happened to King Richard.”

‘Yeah, but King Richard wasn’t dead! And who’d kill somebody before their birthday?’

“Bah, what’s the point in talking about it?” said Donald. “I say we sneak in right now.”

“Works for me.” Riku leaned to the side, peering down the steps. Another stairway stood several yards away, and another sat behind them. All potential ways in, but from their viewpoint, the guards could probably spot ‘em. They needed another way in.

But it was a big palace. If they couldn’t go in the front, then all they really had to do was go around! If there was a front door, there had to be a back door or at least some kinda secret passage!

Pleased with himself, Sora stood up straight and tapped Riku on the shoulder. Hey, I got an idea. Those guards’ll never see it coming!

Except he kinda underestimated the palace’s size, not to mention the city itself. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they all crept along the edges of the street and slowly dragged themselves around the palace, but their trip led them aimlessly through alleys and past the same fruit stand at least two times. Eventually, they found a suspicious gap at the base of the palace. This tiny doorway led into a rocky, grey tunnel filled with chunks of broken stone and a couple busts. A hammer sat on its side, and when they reached the end, they came face to face with the metallic face of what looked like a bat, complete with big ears and huge fangs poking out of its lower lip.

Scooting closer, Sora leaned over one of the tusks. It had a slight indentation around the edge, almost like… A lever?

“Sure looks like it.” Riku hovered around the opposite tusk, looking the sculpture up and down.

“Hmm… I don’t like this.” Donald tapped the sculpture with his staff, sneering.

“Wait, I got an idea.” With a flick of his wrist, the Kingdom Key popped into Riku’s grip. “Donald, let’s try hitting these things with Graviga.”

“Oh! Good idea,” said Kairi. “But we should probably get some distance first.”

They backed away from the sculpture, about ten feet from the wall. Once there, Riku and Donald raised their weapons, which sparked with glimmers of grey magic. Riku moved first, sending a dome of energy around the left lever. It cranked down, and a chunk of the floor popped open. A trap door? Curious, Sora zipped over and poked his head down the hole. A ways down, he spotted a swarm of crocodiles wiggling and licking their lips. Scooting back, Sora slid his hand across his neck. That was definitely the wrong lever!

Joining Sora, Riku peered down the hole and then took a huge step around it. His Keyblade blinked out of sight, and he set his hand on the other lever. “Hmm, so that one’s a trap. Well, guess there’s only one way forward.”

The others hesitated, but soon joined them around the sculpture. Squeezing close together, they winced at the crocs down below and pushed as close to the bat face as possible. Then, holding his breath, Riku cranked that lever, and the whole floor soon shoved through the wall. They passed through a large opening and crashed right into a round, white cart with a grinning clown face. They didn’t even get a chance to look around before the cart reared forward and shot down the slope.

Out of pure impulse, Sora clung to the nearest person and dug his claws into Goofy’s sleeves. The others latched onto the bars in front of them, wrapped their arms around each other, anything to keep from flying out of their seats. But as the seconds flew by, they started shooting around loops and swerving around wide corners. Loosening his grip, Sora sat up straight. His chest and shoulders shook with silent laughter, and he threw his arms over his head.

This is so awesome! I didn’t even know they had roller coasters here!

“Well, it’s not like this world makes any sense!” Riku shouted, shooting Sora a grin. “Might as well just run with it.”

“Ugh, no way.” Donald groaned, grabbing his stomach. “I think I’m gonna be sick…”

They spun further and further down. Over the screams, gasps, and roaring laughter, Sora finally started to pick up on some voices. And not just voices, but a stench like dry bones that’d festered in the sun, and a cold, empty feeling in his gut.

“I give ‘em a few seconds tops, then all we’ve gotta do is lay out the welcome mat.”

“I still can’t believe there are two Keybearers here! You could have mentioned that before…”

“Wait,” said Ven. “I know that voice! It’s…”

“Xigbar.” Kairi scowled, leaning over the rail. “I guess I was wrong…”

The cart flew off the rails, catapulting the whole group out of their seats. Gritting his teeth, Sora grabbed Riku and Goofy’s wrists, while Kairi and Donald swept their weapons at the floor, firing off a burst of spinning air. They slowly drifted down, slipping through white lab coats before they hit the floor. Huffing, Sora ripped off the coat and tossed it over his shoulder. His eyes darted around the room until he spotted a table lined with glass tubes, beakers, and vials filled with bright pink liquids. The big, buff guy from earlier hovered at the edge of the table, waving awkwardly at the gang. Next to him, a spindly old hag watched with a grin that sent shivers down Sora’s spine.

Her purplish grey skin was coated in wrinkles. Her whole body was so skinny she looked more like a fossil than a human. A long black dress stretched all the way down to the floor, and she wore a feathery purple headdress that curled forward like a bird’s crest. What might’ve been pretty on any other girl failed to change the fact that this old lady was scary beyond all reason. But creepy as she was, she barely held Sora’s attention. All it took was one look at the black coat, eye patch, and scarred face before his whole body tensed up.

He and the hag both held martini glasses, and when Sora glared at Xigbar, he responded with low, gruff laughter and a lazy wave.

“’Sup, kiddo?”

Sora didn’t get a chance to move before Donald poked his head out of a baggy, over-sized lab coat and stormed toward the table. “Don’t act so casual! We still remember what you did in Disney Town.”

Xigbar opened his mouth to talk, but before he got a chance, the old hag’s eyes bulged, and she sneered up at the buff guy.

“Kronk! Have you been playing with my potions again? I haven’t even finished my duck formula…”

Kronk glanced down at Donald, then rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t know you had a duck formula.”

“Of course I do! Who do you take me for?”

Donald stood tall, shouldering his staff. “Ha! It’s got nothing to do with potions. I’ve always looked like this!”

“Yup, and so have I!” Goofy chuckled, but his smile soon disappeared. “Anyway, that ain’t the point! If you’re here, Xigbar, then I bet you’re just waitin’ to start a ruckus.”

“As if.” Xigbar leaned against the table, sipping his drink. “I’m just hangin’ out with my good old pals. Can't a guy have a social life?"

“I don’t believe you.” To Sora’s surprise, Kairi’s words came out ice cold, with her face fixed into a glare. “You may think you’re being funny, but we've already seen what you can do. You're not fooling anyone."

“You said it, Kairi! This guy’s nothing but a great big jerk. You should’ve seen the way he treated Aqua!”

Uh, Ven, you know she can’t hear you, right? Even then, Sora started transcribing what he said.

“I know that, but I still wanna show my support!”

Riku stared at Xigbar, rubbing his temple. “So, hold up. You already know this jerk?”

Setting down his glass, Xigbar shrugged. “Hey, what can I say? I’m a popular guy…”

Donald scoffed. “No, you’re just annoying.”

“But still dangerous,” said Goofy. “I don’t think we should push his buttons…”

Growling, the old lady pounded the table. “And have you already forgotten about me?”

Everyone paused, slowly looking toward the hag.

Raising his eyebrow, Riku gave her a dry look. “And who are you again?”

“Who am I? You insolent little rat! I’m the empress now, and you would do well to remember that.”

“Well, you’ve only been empress for a few minutes,” said Kronk.

“So? They should still show a little respect.”

“No thanks,” said Riku. “But since you’re in charge, why don’t you tell us what happened to the real emperor?”

The old lady and Xigbar looked to each other, then broke into laughter.

“Why do you care, kiddo? Coulda sworn that old bozo already told ya about his vacation plan…”

Riku grimaced, fists clenched and arms rigid. “How do you know about that?”

“You tell me.”

He lurched forward, and he started to approach the table, but Kairi grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

“Riku, calm down. He’s just trying to mess with your head.”

Yeah. Knock it off! Sora snarled at Xigbar, knees bent and ready to pounce, but this only served to make him laugh all over again.

“Hey, chill out. It’s not like I drowned your goldfish.”

The old lady cackled. “Ooh, but what if he turned them into goldfish?”

“No can do, Yzma. I kinda need their Keyblades.”

“Well, I can’t have them making a mess of my lab!”

In the middle of all their bickering, Goofy and Kronk had made it off to the side. When Sora spotted them, they both had cups of coffee in their hands, and Kronk had set out a little tray with… spinach puffs? A quick whiff of the air, and he scooted closer. They did look pretty tasty…

“Hey, help yourself.” Kronk set one of the pastries in his hand, and Sora was quick to scribble a thank you note.

While he chowed down, Goofy glanced at Yzma and tapped the side of his head. “Gawrsh, she sure is grouchy…”

“Tell me about it. It’s like there’s a wall. Takes a while to get close to her.”

“Well, it’s a good thing she’s got a friendly fella like you around!” Chuckling, Goofy snagged one of the spinach puffs. “Friendly and a good cook!”

After swallowing his bite, Sora nodded. ‘And I don’t even like spinach!’

“See, it’s all in how you cook it. Use the right ingredients, and you can make anything taste good.”

Yzma sent him a snake-like glare. “Kronk, quit fraternizing with the enemy!”

Donald scowled, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “You too, Goofy! This is serious.”

“Aw, but we were just startin’ to get to know each other…” Still, Goofy moved away, slumped over and dragging his feet.

Pouting, Kronk slowly returned to Yzma’s side, but Sora lingered for a second. Long enough for him to finally catch Yzma’s eye, apparently, because she soon swiveled around and stared straight at him.

“Aren’t you Maleficent’s little errand boy?”

Sora bristled, narrowing his eyes. ‘How’d you know about her?’

Yzma snickered, swinging her hip to the side and bringing a hand over her chest. “Believe it or not, I was once a prime candidate for her little alliance. I was this close to joining it, too, when that witch revealed that she’d be the one to rule all worlds, with the rest of us reduced to underlings…”

Kronk sniffled, blotting his eyes with a tissue. “It’s true. I was there when it happened.”

Rolling his eyes, Riku gave a slow applause. “So, what’s your point?”

“My point is that I’m privy to everything from darkness to Keyholes to the Heartless themselves. And yes, I’m well aware of what happened to her, thanks to Madam Mim.”

Riku snorted, leaning forward. “So there’s a club for B-list villains?”

Sora shut his eyes, shaking with more silent laughter. He couldn’t help it! Next to Maleficent, both Mim and this lady were like mosquitoes. Annoying, sure, but usually harmless. Well, ignoring Mim’s crazy magic, anyway.

Yzma must not’ve agreed, because her face turned bright red, and she swept up one of her vials. “And could a B-list villain do this?” She chucked the vial at Riku’s face, but he tumbled across the floor and passed right under it. Stuck in motion, the potion flew past the others and toward the wall, when a Soldier Heartless popped outta the floor.

The vial shattered, flooding the room with pink smoke. When the smoke faded, the Soldier was bright pink flamingo, stumbling around on its long, skinny legs. What might’ve been a great punch line was ruined by the fact that the flamingo had jagged teeth poking outta its beak, glowing eyes, and came darting right at the group with a piercing shriek.

Lightning struck its head, and smoke swirled around Donald’s staff. Kairi’s flowery Keyblade cut across its belly, letting its heart fly free. While the old lady gnashed her teeth, Xigbar chuckled.

“This should be good.” He waved his hand, and a ring of dark corridors swirled around the ceiling.

If he could, Sora would’ve groaned at the sight of falling Heartless, each one of them coated in shining gold armor. They hit the floor with a series of clinks and thuds, calling golden spears with slivers of purple smoke. Each one of them wore golden headdresses with a fan of feathers on top and lifted golden shields patterned with the sun. When they charged, Sora flung himself into their path and began slashing, kicking, and striking them with flying green fireballs.

Some struck the Heartless dead center, but others bounced straight off their shields and whizzed toward Riku and Kairi. The two locked eyes, then swished their Keyblades, knocking the flames into the backs of two more Heartless and following up with dual Strike Raids. Some of the Heartless leaped up and drove their spears down at the group. Others hurled their weapons, forcing Goofy to spring up and swat them back. It didn’t take long before fireballs and icicles started soaring up above. Metal struck metal, and more Heartless kept pouring in, pushing the group back towards Yzma and all those chemicals.

One of the spears rocketed her way, and she shoved the tubes, beakers, and vials away before tossing another one of her potions. This time around, it flew at Kairi, who wrapped herself in a barrier at the last second, knocking the potion at one of the Heartless’ helmets. Where the first became a flamingo, this one turned into a small, pink bunny. Laughing wildly, Donald pounded its head, while Yzma growled, sneered, and reached for a large bottle with a long, narrow neck.

“I’ve had enough of this! While I appreciate your visit, I’m afraid this is where we part ways…” She pulled the bottle down, and just as Sora swiped his claws at another Heartless, the floor beneath them opened up, and they all dropped down like falling anvils.

“Gah! Just how many trap doors does she have?!” said Donald.

“Never mind that.” Riku pointed his Keyblade down below, where a stream of rushing water rapidly grew closer. “I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t want to get soaked.” So, flipping onto his belly, he reached for Sora and Kairi’s wrists. “C’mon, there’s gotta be somewhere we can land.”

Snapping his claws, Sora blasted a torrent of wind below them, slowing their descent long enough for Riku to settle into a glide. Just in time, too, as they soon brushed over the water’s surface, landing at the edge of a roaring waterfall and a ledge that stretched hundreds of feet high.

They took a few seconds to catch their breath, panting and watching the water fly by. Then, tucking his staff away, Donald folded his arms and frowned.

“Well, now what do we do?”

Kairi’s gaze dropped, and she slowly shook her head. “Let’s go back. Pacha deserves to know what happened.”

“But we don’t know all the details,” said Riku. “For all we know, his death’s a cover up.”

“I’m sure it is, Riku, but don’t you think it’ll help Pacha feel better?”

“True, but I wouldn’t say the village is safe yet.”

Looking up, Sora squinted, and then he jotted down a new note. ‘And shouldn’t we keep an eye on Yzma?’

“I’m more worried about Xigbar,” said Goofy. “’Course, it’s still too early to know what she’s plannin’. She might even be the one who went after the emperor!”

“Of course she is,” said Kairi. “If she was willing to turn down Maleficent, then that just proves how power hungry she really is. And since she knows about other worlds…”

Riku nodded, rubbing his neck. “We’re gonna need to stay sharp. Those potions prove she’s more than some crazy hag, and I don’t want to get stuck as a fish.”

Donald stroked his beak, breathing a sigh. “And I don’t know if my magic could stop her. Potions are kinda complicated…”

“Hmm, then how ‘bout we call it a night? We can worry about what to do once we’ve all had a good, long rest.”

They had spent most of the day walking through the jungle. Between that and everything that’d happened with Yzma, maybe they did need the rest. When nobody objected, Sora pulled up a corridor, and they silently slipped into the dark.

TO BE CONTINUED