Queendom Hearts chapter 41

Throughout the journey of the forest back to Wonderland, strange and creepy things were being seen by the little group.
By the time they returned back into the dollhouse, they were too late. The poor insane children were found dead all over the yard.
Sora walked over to them and shed sympathetic tears for them. Alice then placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, and the twins gave the children a proper burial.
"I just wish we could've escaped Belladonna's tower on time." Sora said, tears slipping from her glasses covered eyes, "Then this wouldn't have happened."
"I know," Alice said sympathetically.
The group held a moment of silence for them and then turned to see a door labeled "Liddell" once again.
"Well, I never thought I'd see it sooner," Alice said walking over to it, "the last memory of the fire."
"It must be a coincidence," Bartolomeo muttered.
"There's no coincidence in this world," said a voice, causing Zack and James Skelington to cling to Sora and Alice for protection, "only the inevitable."
"Who's there?" the twins asked, though James seemed more curious than his little brother. There was no reply.
"It was probably a spirit, trying to frighten us into Bumby's control," Alice said, "Well he'll have to break me down and kill me first in order to achieve it."
With that, Alice walked over to the door. Sora then fingered the ring of keys now attached to her belt and thought, Now we'll see who really did start the fire.
Alice opened the door and everyone stepped inside.
The last memories of the fatal night, including the previous ones, flew past them as Sora finally saw what had happened with Alice.
"I had a role in my family's demise, but I did not start the fire." proclaimed Alice, finally remembering the whole vision of the fatal night, "Centaurs don't live in Oxford, but a certain doctor did. I saw him; a preening undergraduate. Now I remember him! That key belongs to Lizzie's room!"
"Oh my god!" cried Sora, covering her mouth in shock, and shielding Zack and James's eye sockets so that they couldn't see.
As she spoke, the final key was added to the key ring she had on her and it was right next to the Mars Key, Moon Key, the Saturn Key and the Mercury Key. But this one was shaped like the symbol for Venus on the handle of it.
As soon as they got out of the memory of the fire, they found themselves in a dark alley of sorts filled with trash.
The symbol of Venus, Sora thought, looking at the now complete key of rings on her belt as they continued onward, a woman is the victim.
"This case sounds familiar to me." she said to herself, "I wonder..."
With these words, Sora started perusing through her newly acquired red binder; there were so many songs in it. She soon found a song titled, "The Tailor Shop on Enbizaka".
Curious, Sora looked at the melody and, some time later, was heard humming the melody to herself. Coincidentally, they came upon a strange piano with doll heads on top of a red shelf and piano keys below.
"Hmmm..." Zack said, climbing off of Bartolomeo's shoulder, "maybe we can play something to get through. I remember Miss Sora humming a bit of a song on the way here." He then played the piano a bit to warm up and turned to Alice.
Alice noticed this and walked over, James holding onto her shoulders. Sora followed suit with Stitch on her shoulder.
"I'm not particularly musical, as I said before." Alice said, "Although, I am learning how to sing while fighting from Miss Sora. Speaking of which, Sora, what was that odd tune you were humming?"
"Indeed," the Cheshire Cat agreed, "it sounds strangely familiar to me."
"The Tailor Shop on Enbizaka," said Sora as she placed the binder on the sheet music stand on the piano. Zack then skimmed the music for a few seconds, and then started to play the tune.
Alice looked at the lyrics as Zack played and then turned to Sora.
"You know, Miss Sora," she said to her, "it fits perfectly with solving the mystery of the fire as my sister loved wearing red dresses during the holidays, my mother loved getting green ribbons to wrap presents with while my father loved wearing them, and I used to love wearing yellow hairpins in my hair as a little girl. The culprit can be described as that jealous tailor."
"I like the way you interpreted the song's meaning, Alice." Sora said to her.
"As do I," agreed Sebastian, "it gives more belief to find the culprit."
"Indeed," Alice said, "No melody should soothe this outrage. The outrage of those crimes committed shall not be silenced."
Everyone else agreed. Zack had finished playing the song by this time and handed the red binder back to Sora, who thanked him.
No sooner had he finished than the piano moved aside to reveal the pathway through a dark tunnel. They were all about to step in when suddenly a shadow passed underneath them.
It then stopped in the middle of the doorway and out popped a pink kitty plush that suddenly went into the color scheme of a Nightmare Dream Eater.
"Things always get in the way," Zack and James groaned.
"I blame the author," Alice smiled, whipping out her Blade as Sora, Sebastian, Bartolomeo, and the Cheshire Cat did the same with their weapons. But no sooner had they done this, than the creature disappeared.
They found themselves back in a restored Wonderland, but something felt off. Alice and Sora turned around to find Stitch, Sebastian, the Cheshire Cat, Bartolomeo, and the twins gone.
"Finally, a moment of peace and quiet, but where are our allies and friends?" asked Alice. "It's only true peace if they are happy too."
They then felt someone tap them on their shoulders. Turning around, they both saw someone familiar to them.
"Lizzie?" Alice asked the first figure.
"Mom?" Sora gasped, surprised to see the second figure. The figures looked like them but did they act or sound like them?
"Sora, come home to the islands, you and your siblings," her mother said, "You've had such a long adventure, and I miss you so."
"I thought you were dead. You died of old age when big brother was home. I remember."
"It's okay to admit you miss me too, daughter."
"I cried at your funeral. I still think of you through the locket you gave me." Sora almost burst into tears at the sight of her mother.
"Alice, I'm so glad you're all right." Lizzie meanwhile said to Alice, "Look how much you've grown, my little sister. If Papa were here, he would've said the same thing."
"Lizzie, it's been so hard without you here." Alice said, a tear running down her cheek.
Sora brushed her tears aside and saw something in her mother's eyes. A glimmer of light. This isn't my real mother, she thought.
"Stop Bumby, Alice." Lizzie said, "You and your friend mustn't give in to the illusion. Stop him for our sakes. Avenge your family, punish him for hurting me."
Alice nodded and she sadly bid goodbye to her sister as the illusion faded away.
Sora and Alice soon found themselves back where they were with the twins, the Cat, Sebastian, and Bartolomeo.
Sebastian had just thrown a dining knife only to miss the Nightmare Dream Eater, Bartolomeo had used a barrier he created to protect the twins from its spells, Cheshire Cat managed to scratch at its face, and the twins managed a blow at it by doing a synchronized roundhouse kick.
Stitch even managed to bite one of its legs to wound it; out came red stuffing!
Alice and Sora snuck behind it and Sora let out an Ozzy riff to stun it before it could turn around to trick them again! Alice then sliced it to pieces with her Vorpal Blade.
The two girls high-fived each other as the body of the now dead Nightmare Dream Eater faded away.
Suddenly Sora saw her hand turning see-through. She looked at Sebastian, Stitch, Bartolomeo and the twins; they were beginning to turn see-through too though the twins had suddenly grown up a bit.
"I guess it's time to go back," Sora replied. Then turning to Alice she said, "I'm sure you can handle him, Alice. I believe in you."
"Agreed," Stitch said.
"Me too," Bartolomeo said, giving Alice a thumbs up.
"Same here," said the now older Zack and James Skelington.
"I wish you the best of luck," Sebastian said with a polite smile.
"Thank you," Alice said to them. And soon the little group disappeared as they said farewell to Alice. Alice then turned and headed into the passageway.

"Big sis!" called out Baby Luigi. He, the Baby princesses, and Baby Mario were jumping up and down on Sora's bed to get her to get up. "Breakfast time! Breakfast time!"
Sora opened her eyes and slowly sat up. She then got her glasses on and looked on her bed. There, right near Baby Mario was the red binder she'd found in Wonderland.
Sora picked up the red binder and smiled. She then turned to the five Babies.
"I'll be over there in a little bit," she said to them. The five Babies cheered and quickly ran out of her room.
Sora climbed out of bed and slipped off her silk green night camisole and shorts after slipping off the cloak (which she wore to keep warm and for modesty), the silver slippers (which took the form of socks) and red surgeon mask and placing them on the bed.
After a nice shower and brushing her hair and teeth, she then changed into a fresh set of clothes and slipped on her favorite indigo newsboy hat and the silver shoes which took on the form of flats to match the green and blue striped stockings on her feet.
Sora then slipped the red surgeon mask back into her magic backpack, praying for Alice's safety and swift full recovery, but she stopped at the cloak.
She straightened her glasses and closed her eyes remembering José giving it to her saying, "You'll need it a lot more than you think."
"What could he have meant by that?" Sora murmured slipping the cloak on before adding on her magic backpack.
She was just about to leave for breakfast when she heard something. Sora looked out the window and saw down below in the streets many roller blading citizens being watched by spectators.
That looks like fun, Sora thought, I'd love to join in to skate but I don't have roller blades. The least I can do is watch.
She then climbed out the window and landed right near the spectators only to almost slip and fall for her silver shoes had turned into silver skates on the way down.
"I've really got to learn how to control those shoes," Sora murmured to herself. She then strapped on a blue helmet with neon blue pads (elbow and knee) and skated through the crowd, being polite along the way.
Sora then felt a tap on her shoulder and heard a voice ask, "Excuse me, miss. Are you one of the racers?"
Sora turned to the sound replying, "No, but I'd like to be." only to stare in surprise. It couldn't be, she thought.
He looked like Donald except Donald Duck certainly wasn't human nor did he wear green.
"How did you find me?" she whispered to him after he too recovered from his surprise.
"The question is what are you doing here?" the human-looking Donald asked her.
"Never mind that for now. As I said, I'd like to be in the race onegai shimasu,"
"I won't stop you but you need to change your gear to green. It's kind of a color thing here."
"Funny, they let me get away with other colors last night in the Emerald Lily as long as they were with green."
"Or else make it black. That's the rules."
"D'accord monsieur, I'll see what I can find," she said, rummaging through her magic backpack and pulling out a black helmet with black pads (elbow and knee). She then swapped the blue for black. "There we are. All set. Good thing I'm wearing a green skort with neon green t-shirt today with the cloak. If I was wearing formal attire, I'd never be able to skate."
"Great. Now then, can I get your name?" the man asked her, "It's so we can register you."
"Monsieur, je suis Sora, la héroïne du temps. Oh pardon, parlez-vous français, japonais, ou anglais, monsieur?"
"Um, English?"
"All right. I'm Sora, the Heroine of Time, at your service." Sora bowed to him as she spoke, but when she came back up she saw something in his eyes as he introduced himself as Sir Verdant. He's hiding something, she thought.
"Sir Verdant, eh? Well then keep your eyes on me while I race. This is my first professional one, and I need to know what I can do to improve. Sure I've skated in the past and have done amateur races at my workplace back home on Destiny Islands, but I've never been in a professional one."
"To be sure, I will." he said to her, and moved aside to have Sora sneak in amongst the racers. As she skated past him, she thanked him.
Everyone got to their places, a smile of confidence slipping onto Sora's face as she got to her place. The race began.
Sora skated on ahead and maybe did a few flips, jumps, and rail grinds here and there.
All the while, she subtly flirted a bit with the male spectators by saying, "Enchante, mon cher. Je suis à votre service." before she started to sing, "Where the hell did I come from? What sort of look do I feel like putting on? No one knows, I'll tell you why. I'm a dream-eating demon colored monochrome, yeah that's right. See this mister over here? He's got a lack of sleep and he's so full of fear. Take the service I provide just let me cast a spell that make the bad dreams hide! How about we seal the deal with our pinkies now? OW. Havin' scary dreams are we? Just leave it all up to me! Let me eat up everything completely, leaving you without a worry Now you're sleeping peacefully. Just forget all of the bad things that you used to see! Woo!"
Sora soon spotted Baby Luigi and Baby Mario among the cheering spectators and did a special aerial trick for them causing them to cheer too.
Noticing Sir Verdant talking to someone on his cell phone, she thought, I knew it. He's hiding something. Could he really be Donald Duck in disguise?
A smile formed on her face as she murmured, "Time to test out that theory." She then skated over and dragged a surprised Sir Verdant out onto the race track.
As she sang the second verse, she made sure to rub him the right way to see if he'd crack, "See the mister over there? He wants another favor, there's another scare. Oh, you know, I can't say no. This sort of thing, I guess it makes me happy so. How about we seal the deal with a little kiss? Mwah~ All the dreams you want me to bring I will give you everything. I'll take all the trouble under my wing. Every happy sweeter story and some naughty fantasies I'll eat everything! Every single dream you hold for me!"
Sir Verdant stood there on the track in a daze as Sora skated away to keep up with the racers. He quickly shook it away for a brief moment, but it was enough to get out of the way of the other racers.
Sora saw the finish line up ahead, but suddenly saw a racer get knocked aside by the other one. Instead of going on ahead, she stopped herself and knelt down to her; she had red hair, wore glasses, and her skin was pale.
"Here, let me help you up." Sora said to her, extending her hand to her. The woman gladly took it, and was helped up.
"Thank you," she said, "but why did you help me?"
"I wanted to," Sora answered her, "besides I can't abandon someone in need because of a silly trophy. Come on, we'll finish together."
"All right."
With that, the two girls skated together, Sora singing the last verse of her song, "It's pilin' up more and more, every single dream you've got in store. Tell everything to me, every single thing you want me to be. Just so you're knowing the fee cause the price you pay, no, it ain't cheap. You can't get away from here from this black and white paradise! Well...when the full moon rises again my work it has met it's end. And the fee are you aware what it'll be? Everything in those pretty eyes, all the color will be mine. Can I just lick it up? Everything that you've got! Hey Don't be making that face at me, welcome to reality! Ain't this what you wanted everything to be? Waste time dreaming, you know it too. Dreams will never be coming true. So enjoy your stay in a world of monochrome days! Ow~"
Everyone cheered for the two of them. The red haired woman whom Sora helped turned to her.
"You've got some impressive skills." she said to her, "Until we meet again, Heroine of Time."
"Wait how did you--" Sora began to say, but the woman was gone before she could finish, leaving Sora in the throng of the cheering crowd.
"Sora!" She heard someone call out. Turning to the sound she saw Gyro running over to her, with the five Babies and "Sir Verdant" in tow.
"What in the world were you thinking?" Gyro asked her.
"YAY, BIG SIS!!" cheered the Baby Bros. and their pals as the five of them crowded around Sora's feet.
"Is that a problem, Gyro?" Sora asked him as she straightened her glasses.
"Yes, it is. You could have been seriously hurt out there, not to mention ruining your outfit right before seeing the wizard."
"Um, first of all this isn't the outfit I'm wearing to see the wizard actually. That outfit you mentioned is back in the room I'm staying in. And secondly, I've had experience with skating at my part-time job at the café back at home on the islands."
"She wanted to, Gyro," "Sir Verdant" said to him, "and it was her first professional race."
"Wait a minute," Gyro said, turning to "Sir Verdant", "how'd you know my name?"
"Oops." "Sir Verdant" replied, covering his mouth.
"Ah ha." Sora said, a smile of victory on her face, "I knew your eyes and heart were hiding something. Spill, you're a friend of my big brother's only in human form aren't you?"
"Human form?" "Sir Verdant" looked at himself in surprise as he spoke, "Huh. I guess that spell has side effects after all."
Then turning to Sora and Gyro he added, "Okay you two. You got me. I'm really Donald Duck, although I must've turned human from that spell."
"What spell?" Baby Luigi asked him. Sora scooped him up.
"Luigi, I think it's best we'd get something to eat. Then he'll explain," Sora replied.
"Good idea, and besides the rest of our friends are waiting for us at the table."

"You disguised yourself as a citizen of the Emerald City didn't you?" asked Sora who had finished her breakfast, as the Babies happily chowed down on a delicious breakfast with their OZ friends, Erik, Thingy, Stitch, and Sammy.
"It was to protect my identity and to prevent people from coming after you," Donald answered. "and José was worried. He and the gang thought your fall down off the Gummi ship would be your death. So we decided to cast a locator spell, but in order for it to work only one of us had to be asleep."
"And naturally you volunteered."
"Yup."
"Well, as you can see, I'm alive from that slow fall to Laputa that a friend of mine's treasure provided for me and her, and I ended up here thanks to that tornado. Speaking of which, did you come here looking for me on your own, or is Panchito here too?"
"No, I'm testing it out by myself first to see if it works. And it does, with a few side effects." He indicated the human form he got turned into.
"Well, you're certainly cute in human form that's for sure," Betsey said with a flirty smile.
"Betsey," Daniel and Gyro gasped, the both of them trying hard not to laugh. Even Timothy couldn't help but chuckle too.
"Okay, you've had your fun. Now then let's get changed and head up to the palace. The Wizard's expecting you." Gyro replied.

Just as the group got inside the palace, Sora stared at the palace in wonder, straightening her green shade covered glasses as she did so.
"Miss Sora, Miss Sora! Who is Miss Sora in here?" A voice called to her.
"I am she," Sora replied, turning to the sound to find an OZ soldier standing in front of the group.
"That soldier looks almost like Fenton to me," Donald whispered to Gyro.
The soldier continued, "After hearing of your deeds in Oz, and of your marvelous performances in the Emerald Lily last night and in the roller derby earlier today, the Wizard wishes to speak with you most urgently."
"Very well, then." Sora replied, straightening her green shade covered glasses, "I shall see him willingly."
"Your prerequisite green glasses are already here I see. I will escort you in immediately."
"Thank you."
Daniel, Louis Frank, Alan, and the others make to follow her, but the soldier holds up his hand.  
"His eminence will only see you one at a time."
"I don't wanna go alone!" Daniel cried, clinging to Betsey's leg. The barbershop crows huddled close together as Thingy hid near Dr. Dillamond and Erik for protection. Sammy went near Sora for protection as well, while Stitch looked at the guard.
The soldier then turned to Sora, "He will speak with you and your pets first, and then your companions may come in as they wish. His secretary will also see they are properly taken care of while they wait."
"Merci." Sora said to him.
"Bonne chance, grand petite-fille," Erik said to her as they left.

Sora then followed the soldier through the halls of the palace with Stitch and Sammy at her feet. The silver shoes that had turned into silver two inch heeled Mary Janes again were heard against the floor as she walked.
Sora stopped for a brief moment to see if she looked presentable for the Wizard; her strapless neon green dress with asymmetrical black and green leggings and indigo newsboy hat looked perfectly fine.
She then turned and caught up just in time for the door to open.
"STEP FORWARD!" boomed a voice that made Sammy hide behind the guard.
"Nothing to be scared of, Sammy," Sora said, scooping up the little Meow Wow and holding him in her arms. "Come on, there's no turning back." With that, she stepped forward.
Like all the rooms, the room Sora stepped into was different shades of green and there was gold mixed in too. She saw a throne and genuflected before a giant head, that looked in his 30s at least.
"Rise, bravest of them all," the head said to her. "I am OZ the great and powerful."
Bravest of them all, Sora thought as she rose, what could he mean?
"You obviously know who I am," Sora replied, "but you're forgetting something; I'm not the bravest of them all."
"Modest too, are we?"
"I'm always modest, particularly in terms of fashion."
"I can see that. That aside, I mean what I say. Didn't Sir Verdant or should I say Donald Duck tell you? You are the bravest of them all."
"What are you, the Magic Mirror?"
"Amusing."
"Should I do something to prove my great daring, or do you want me to come behind the curtain and end it all?"
"Ah, your powers to see through to the heart of matters, not to mention the hearts of people."
"I also see true emotions too. The eyes and the heart always show the true intentions and emotions of people."
"Tell me your story. How did you come here?"
"It's long and it might bother you. But if you insist," And with that, Sora explained her story thus far, careful to not leave out any details, especially the detail that Gallahad sent her, her great grandpapa, Stitch, and Sammy to see him.
"And you wish to return back to the new universe to be?" the Wizard asked her when she was done. Sora nodded her head yes.
"You may leave, I will see the rest of your friends, and then we may talk."

A little later over lunch that was served to them (courtesy of the secretary ordering for them), everyone talked about what they saw (Daniel saw a giant ball of fire. Betsey barely saved him from being burned by it. Louis Frank and his crow friends saw Scarborough a teammate of theirs, Alan saw what looked like his missing sweetheart, and Dr. Dillamond and Thingy saw Jinjur another teammate of theirs on the throne.), but Sora remained silent for a bit after she'd returned from her second visit after Dr. Dillamond and Thingy's.
Baby Luigi noticed this as did his big brother, and tapped her on the shoulder.
"What's wrong, big sis? What did the wizard want us to do in order to get the wishes?" Baby Luigi asked.
"I'm sure we'll pull through it." agreed Baby Mario.
"We could if it were easy. This is what he wants us to do," said Sora, she then cleared her throat and said in her best booming voice, "Bring me the eye of Ruggedo, the cloak of Mordred, and the broomstick of Theodora. Only then will I grant your wishes."
"Geez, he doesn't make this easy, does he?" said Louis Frank.
"Traveling across worlds is a big thing to ask," said Erik, "I've never met this wizard but I have a feeling he has a good head on his shoulders." He and Donald then notice the cloak Sora wore.
"What a peculiar cloak. Miss Sora, where did you get it?"
"Well, great grandpapa, a friend gave it to me." said Sora, and she explained the story of what happened before she met him.
"Wait a minute," Donald said, "this masked dude is your great grandpapa?"
"From my mother's mother's side, yes. His wife was Alexandria, and his daughter was my grandmother."
"That aside, I'm glad you're all right. Joe was wondering about you. Why do you have his cloak though?"
"He let me borrow it while I was in Notre Dame with him and Panchito. But then he gave it to me saying, 'You'll need it a lot more than you think.' I don't understand why, but I let him hand it back to me as I didn't want to hurt his feelings."
"You're a good person. I'm sure he gave his cloak to you to give you protection from something."
"You're right. Thanks, Donald. And um, I have something to tell you. But it must be spoken in private and you have to promise me not to tell your friend José."
"All right."
Sora pulled Donald aside near the fountain and whispered something in his ear. Donald looked at her when she finished whispering it to him as if to say, "Are you serious?"
Sora nodded her head yes.
"You gotta forget about this. He already has someone waiting for him back home, and it's not our mutual friend Panchito." Donald said to her.
"I've been trying, after I saw that vision of him with Alana," Sora said to him, "but nothing has quite come close. Yes, that crush is THAT bad. I know he likes Alana. But I'm happy for him."
"Maybe you've met someone here? I've seen how Dillamond looks at you when he thinks no one is looking."
"Dillamond? You cannot be serious. He's just in this for getting the Tik Tok Hyperforce back together, nothing else."
"You might be surprised, Miss Sora."
"I'm surprised you didn't even ask how I knew who his woman was. I didn't even meet her. Well, I've been trying to figure that out myself, why I know stuff I don't know I mean."
"I have my theories, Sora, but for now, let's make a battle plan to get to Mordred and Theodora. It'd be suicide to approach them directly, and more likely than not, they'll know we're coming for them."
"Indeed and don't forget Ruggedo the Skeleton Nome King too."
"Sora..." called out Erik who had come over.
"Oh, hi great grandpapa," Sora said.
"I overheard everything. Believe me when I say that love was a painful thing for me to understand too. The first one I loved didn't love me in return, but you know that from the legends."
Sora nodded knowingly, she had seen the story on the stained glass window in her strange dream before she met him.
"I didn't think I would ever love like that again. If I had been bitter and extremely vigilant about guarding my emotions before, I was especially so after fleeing the country."
"But then, you met great grandmama." Sora finished.
Eric sighed sadly, "Yes. What I'm trying to say is, you can talk to me about anything, including this affair of the heart."
Sora said nothing after that, instead she gave both Erik and Donald a thank you hug.
"All right," she said, straightening her glasses, "let's plan."

Theodora, meanwhile, was patrolling the prison cells, until finally she stopped at a particular one, where a young man in his 40s in a green tuxedo suit struggled with the ropes binding him.
"Enjoying yourself, Wizard of OZ?" Theodora asked him with an evil smile, "Oh how I've been dying to get revenge on you."
"Go to hell, Theodora," the Wizard said to her, "I tried to reason with you long ago, but now I see that the evil Evanora cast on you is far more powerful and there's no turning back."
"Theodora!" Mordred called to her. Theodora turned to see Mordred standing across from her and the Wizard.
"I see your new beau is just as bad as you are." Oz replied sarcastically.
"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Theodora yelled, throwing a fireball over at a nearby empty prison cell, which disintegrated after impact.
"Temper, temper, Theodora!" Mordred cooed, trying not to laugh. "Now then, we've got work to do. I'll send out some Nightmare Dream Eaters and crows to stop them, Ruggedo will send out some bees and wolves if they fail, and you?"
"I'll send out my army of winged baboons and some Heartless if either of you screw it up."
"Doesn't matter what you send. I hear this girl is going to clobber you." the Wizard said with a smile.
"Unlike you though, fake wizard," Ruggedo said, appearing into the room through a shadow on the floor, "she can do actual magic."
"Well, your highness, you're forgetting who you're dealing with, you're dealing with the bravest of them all."
"The bravest?" asked Theodora. She then turned to the magic picture in the dungeon, "Show us the bravest of them all."
The magic picture then bloomed into view like a flower on the ebony square frame, and showed Sora back in her old blue attire, holding the Master Keyblade in her hand, and the silver shoes taking the form of hiking boots. It then stretched down and showed that she was leading the small group through the woods. Finley and Timothy scouted on ahead for them to see if the coast was clear.
"That pipsqueak's the bravest of them all? How is that so?" asked Ruggedo, looking at the picture.
"I heard the Heylin harlot was bravest of them all and soon lost her status," Theodora murmured, "But I didn't think that that little girl would be braver than her."
"Don't call her little," the Wizard said. "She may be small in size, but she's just the right size to beat you."
"We shall see, OZ! We shall see!" With that said, Theodora stormed off with Mordred and Ruggedo in tow.

Meanwhile, Kairi wiped her brow, she was sweating from helping Goofy, Panchito, and José protect a sleeping Donald from the Heartless.
"I hope that spell worked. Donald's been out for sometime," Kairi sighed. Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Who goes there? What brings you to the French Quarter?" a voice called to them, a woman.
"We're waiting for a friend."
An African-American woman with black hair in green coat and hat with yellow dress was standing nearby.
"A friend? Well, you certainly can't wait out here. I'll take you to my place." the woman said.
"Gawsh, that's awfully nice of you," said Goofy. 
"I'm Tiana. Mighty charmed to meet you. I suppose you'll explain more about yourselves when we get inside."
Kairi nodded and motioned everyone to follow Tiana. Goofy scooped up the comatose Donald and placed him on his shoulders as they left to follow Tiana.

"So you see," Panchito explained after he and the gang introduced themselves to Tiana and elaborated on their situation, "we were supposed to bring the 3 other keys to them, but we got separated from two of them we found; one went to help a girl and the other went to find her. We used a spell to show us where they were; we found them doing certain activities but no location to pinpoint."
"That's when I suggested one of us to find them through the locator spell." José added, "It could work, unfortunately one of has to be asleep if the location is a sleeping world."
"And that's why our friend Donald here is asleep," concluded Kairi.
Unnoticed by the group except Jiminy Cricket, Donald started to toss and turn a bit.
"Donald, are you okay?" Jiminy asked him. Donald didn't answer him for sometime.
Moments later, he woke up with a start screaming, "OH NO!" and blinked a few times to readjust to where he was.
"Are you all right?" Tiana asked him
"I think so." Donald answered, "I can't say the same for Erik and the gang. Theodora, Mordred and Ruggedo have them now. But not Miss Sora."
"I'm sure that's terrible, but you can't tell us all on an empty stomach."
"I don't feel hungry at the moment." Donald said only for his stomach to grumble, "Ok, maybe a little."
Tiana smiled, "I knew you would be. I hope you guys like beans and rice because that's what I prepared."
"Does it have Tabasco in it? That's how Panchito always prepared it."

Over dinner, Donald explained how he got turned into a human in the land of OZ, how he reached the Emerald City, and how he had to not give himself away to Sora because he didn't want the enemy to be after them.
"And don't get me started on that race she was in. Oh man, she did cool tricks and even sang. Why if she were a little older--"
"DONALD!" Kairi and Goofy interrupted, "You have a girlfriend!"
"I know, one that throws a fit every time I miss a date." Donald sheepishly confessed.
"Well it's not your fault you have a busy schedule." Tiana replied.
"True enough," Panchito shrugged, "but Daisy still scolds him just the same."
"Sounds like what I'd say to that no good bump on a log prince from Maldonia."
"Prince?"
"Visiting. I hear he'll be visiting this town in a few days. They say that he's looking for a rich woman to marry."
"Heh heh, if Little Sora were here, she'd add 'in a hole in the bottom of the sea' to that 'bump on a log' thing you said." laughed Kairi.
"What?" Tiana asked her.
"Part of a nonsense song her big bro and I taught her when she was little. We used to sing it a lot when we were kids."
"Sounds like Tia back when we were little, full of spunk and fire." a voice said.
Kairi turned to it to find a woman with blonde hair, all in different shades of pink with a dark pink boa. Tiana introduced her to Kairi as a friend named Charlotte.
Aside to Donald, Panchito asked, "What happened to the group you were with in OZ?"
"Well," Donald said after José and Panchito settled down to listen, "we all set out to fulfill the Wizard's three tasks; bring him the eye of Ruggedo the Skeleton Nome King, the cloak of Mordred, and the broomstick of Theodora the Wicked Witch of the West. We were suddenly ambushed a few times that day. First by Nightmare Dream Eaters and wolves, then by crows, then by bees, and finally by Heartless. We managed to defeat them all, but we weren't so lucky when the winged baboons came. Everyone got captured, but Erik pushed Sora and me out of the way and got captured in our place. I stayed just long enough to see the winged baboons carry our friends to 3 regions; the West, the Nome's turf, and over the China Porcelain Mountains. The spell then started to wear off and then I woke up."
"Caramba," Panchito said, "That must have been a very harrowing experience."
"Did she say anything to you, anything important?" asked José.
"Not really." Donald answered, "She did tell me something, but I was asked to not tell."

Sora looked up from the wreckage after the battle was over. She searched for her friends and her great grandpapa to no avail. She now found herself all alone, and the sun was about to set too.
Sora almost started to cry after she set up camp for the night.
"No, I mustn't cry," she murmured to herself gathering food from bushes, "Tora and Kairi probably wouldn't like that." She then felt a small stab on her hand as she reached for another blueberry. But when she pulled away some seconds later, there was only a small red scab that formed on it. She set the rest of the food near the fire after checking for poison and having some for dinner, saving it for breakfast tomorrow.
Sora slipped into her 2 story tent with a sad look on her face mixed with fear as she brushed her teeth. She then got in bed in the same pjs she wore during her night in the Emerald City.
A cold chill passed through her after the cold darkness of night settled in outside. She went out and saw the stars just starting to come out.
"I wish..." Sora murmured, shivering in the cold and hugging herself to keep warm. She then brought out her Master Keyblade/Guitarblade and tuned it up a little before playing. 
As she played, her sadness pouring into her song, Sora sang, "Come out, moon...Come out, wishing star...Come out, come out...Wherever you are. I’m out here in the dark, all alone and wide awake. Come and find me. I’m empty and I’m cold, and my heart's about to break. Come and find me! I need you to come here and find me, 'cause without you, I’m totally lost. I've hung a wish, on every star. It hasn't done much good so far...I can only dream of you...Wherever you are. I’ll hear you laugh, I’ll see you smile, I’ll be with you...(a giggle escaped her lips)...just for a while...But when the morning comes, and the sun begins to rise, I will lose you. Because it’s just a dream, when I open up my eyes, I will lose you! I used to believe in forever, but forever is to good to be true. I've hung a wish, on every star. It hasn't done much good so far...I don’t know what else to do...Except to try to dream of you...And wonder, if you are dreaming too...Wherever you are."
"Oh my," Sora yawned, for she was starting to get tired.
"Wherever you are..." she sang softly before she turned to head back inside and fall asleep.
Sora was so asleep that she didn't hear her big brother's voice call her name in the wind nor did she see or hear someone place something over her.
She smiled in her sleep as that something kept her warm.