Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is my tenth Kingdom Hearts story and I hope you love it! Okay, this takes place right after my 9th volume of my Beyond the Door to Light: The Yamato Encounter. This fic will be a crossover involving two of my favorite book series; The Twilight Saga & His Dark Materials. At first it'll just involve The Twilight Saga, involving characters and elements, mostly involving stuff that happens after Breaking Dawn. Eventually I'll write a post Breaking Dawn story, but so far I've got nothing on that.

Later on in this fic I'll bring in characters and elements from His Dark Materials, with stuff from after the last book, The Amber Spyglass. Again, someday I'll write a story for that.

Now, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, The Twilight Saga or His Dark Materials. I do own all the original characters, both good and bad, so please don't sue me.

On a more serious note, there have been some reviewers who simply don't agree with what I've been writing. I won't name any names nor will I tell these people to stop bothering me, everyone is entitled to an opinion. But I just want to point out that some of the things I've put in my stories, such as Maleficent being a more powerful Villain than say Hades, is an opinion of mine that I refuse to change. Maleficent is the freaking mistress of all evil, and that, IMHO, makes her more powerful than the god of the Underworld.

There are some things in my fics, especially this one, that some readers won't like. For example, a certain shape shifter from Forks being able to hold his own against Hercules and Mulan together. This is to say that this character has progress farther than the creator of that character has taken that character in her writings. I'm just going further. Anyway, I am not trying to insult Stephanie Myer or Phillip Pullman, rather, this is tribute to them, just as my Harry Potter stories were in praise of J.K. Rowling, and god bless all three of them.

Regardless of what's what, one thing is certain; THIS IS FANFICTION!

Thank you.

And now, without further delay, please enjoy…

Kingdom Hearts: Beyond the Door to Light

Volume 10: Of Vampires and Daemons

Chapter 1: Healing and New Faces

"And that's that," said Kairi as she stopped her healing magic on Tess' leg, "no more scars. I'll send you my bill in the morning."

"I can't believe it," said Tess as she stood in front of a mirror in Kairi's room and looked at her now scar-free body, "I'm…whole. I'm a real person again!"

"Yeah, you might want to hold that thought," said Kairi as she got a bathrobe from the closet and handed it to Tess, "I'd definitely cover up. Not that I'm not happy that you're yourself again, but we do have a thing called modesty."

"Oh, I understand completely," said Tess as she slipped the robe on, "it's just that…this is all so overwhelming. I mean, first you and the others pop into my world, help free Metamore from the evil of Phobos, while saving me from self destruction. Then I get my own Keyblade and get to come with you to other worlds. Then we end up in a spaceship of all things, and a talking spaceship at that. Add that to my finally being free of the scars that have plagued me for so long, I'm amazed I haven't passed out yet from all the unbelievable stuff going on."

"Well I'm glad you're adapting," said Sidney, "and I'm not a talking ship, I'm the ships' artificial intelligence program, the brain of The Intrepid Heart." Sidney was in fact a hologram of a girl in her late teens, with shoulder-length tawny hair and hazel eyes, wearing a green and white shirt and skirt with orange shoes.

"Now," said Sidney as she stood up from her chair, "I may be just a smart program, but I know lot about fashion. What you need is a complete overhaul on your appearance. That shirt and jacket you wore was good only for covering what you don't have any more."

"You're right," said Tess as she still admired herself in the mirror. Now that she wasn't ashamed of herself anymore, she realized just how pretty she was, and how much a woman she was.

"So, how do you want to do this?" Sidney asked, "where should we start first? You outfit? Your hair? I think you'd look incredible with ringlets."

Just then Naminé appeared next to Kairi, "well I think she'd look incredible in anything."

"Where've you been?" Tess asked.

"Inside of my heart," said Kairi. She looked at Naminé, "enjoy your rest?"

"I feel like a million Munny," said Naminé as she stretch out, "and so does Roxas."

At the same time in the ship's recreation room, while Sora and Riku were busy killing each other on Halo, with Aiden watching, Roxas popped out of Sora, scaring all three of the Somebodies in the room.

"Boy, I feel great," said Roxas as he stretched, "I needed that rest."

"Are you out of your freaking mind!" exclaimed Aiden, "scaring us like that! What is wrong with you!"

"When you spend a lot of your time inside someone's heart," said Roxas, "you don't get a lot of chances to have fun."

"Well we're all going to have all the fun we want while we're waiting for Cid to fix the ship," said Sora as our heroes headed for the bridge, "after all the fighting we did with the Hakonians and Heartless, not to mention Gamilus."

"You forgot The Daleks," said Kairi as she, Tess and Naminé met Sora and the others on the bridge.

"I wish I could forget them," said Aiden in a slightly depressed tone, "how can anything so full of hate like those metal monsters even be allowed to exist?"

"Why do The Heartless exist?" Riku asked in response.

"We all know that," said Sora, "they're the darkness that exist in peoples heart, and they'll still be here as long as there's darkness in hearts."

"Somebody ought to figure out a way to purge the darkness from everything," said Tess as our heroes took up their stations on the bridge, "but that's not a good idea. Without evil, things would be pretty boring." Tess was wearing a blue and white top with blue jeans and black boots, while her wrists had green and orange bracelets.

"I won't argue with that," said Aiden, "but at least people wouldn't get hurt."

"All we can do is help as many people as we can," said Sora, "save as many worlds as we can, and hopefully find the other Princesses of Heart before Maleficent does."

"We've met three," said Kairi, "Sara Lancaster, Usagi Tuskino and Miley Stewart. I think I have an idea on who one of the other four are."

"If you're thinking about who I think you're thinking about," said Riku, "then after we visit the worlds here, we're going to take a trip to The Magical Dimension, specifically The Realm of Magix."

"Sounds fantastic," said Tess, "what's in The Realm of Magix that's so important?"

"Not what," said Kairi, "who. Specifically, fairies."

"Oh, you did tell me about meeting human-sized fairies," said Aiden in a contemplative manner, "you think one of them could be a Princess of Heart? I'll have to see them to be sure."

"That's what I was thinking as well," said Kairi, "but I have a pretty good idea which one is the one we need to find."

"Which one?" Sora asked, "all of The Winx seemed to have pure hearts. Stella's power came from the sun and moon, Musa's came from music, Flora listened to the voice of nature, Tecna surfed on technology, and Bloon's the one with the fiery spirit."

"I'm thinking it's Bloom," said Kairi, "of the five Winx, Bloom seemed to have the most pure heart, but we won't know for sure until we get there and have Aiden get a good look at them."

"I can hardly wait," said an eager Aiden, "from what you told me about the fairies of the Magical Dimension, then I'm going to have the time of my life getting to know them."

"Easy there, hound dog," said Kairi, "most of The Winx have boyfriends."

"Well you told me that there are other fairies at that school they go to," said Aiden as he thought of all the pretty girls he'd have to examine in order to determine if one of them was one of the new Princesses of Heart, "I'm sure there's plenty of single ladies who might find me interesting."

"You are kinda weird," said Tess in a teasing manner.

"And you've got history that would drive some people crazy," said Aiden, also in a teasing manner.

"I'm over my past," said Tess in an annoyed tone, "but what about you? What skeletons are you hiding in your closet?"

"At least I'm not a murdering psychopath," said Aiden, also in an annoyed tone.

"I don't do that anymore," said an irate Tess.

"Then why do you still have razors?" an irate Aiden asked.

"They're good razors!" said an outraged Tess, "and they make good weapons! And don't shout at me!"

"I am not shouting!" said an irate Aiden.

"Hey, don't fight!" said Naminé, "we're all in this together."

"She's right," said Kairi, "the last thing we need is for all of us to turn on each other."

"It's something Maleficent would do," said Sora, "I'm surprised she didn't try that on us yet."

"It would be the perfect villain ploy to make the heroes hate each other," said Roxas.

"It would," said Naminé, "maybe Maleficent already has put the whammy on all of us."

"I don't feel like a whammy has been put on me," said Aiden.

"Me neither," said Tess.

"I've got a feeling that Maleficent has other plans that we won't like at all," said Riku, he then looked at the navigation data on his computer screen, "and if anyone's interested, we're coming up on Radiant Garden."

"Take us out of hyperspace," said Sora, "and try to get Cid on the radio," he sighed with reluctance, "I just know he's going to freak out when he sees how bad we've treated the ship."

"How angry can he be?" Kairi asked.

…Radiant Garden…an hour later…

"Sweet meat on a Sunday!" exclaimed Cid as he saw the extent of the damage to the ship, "what'd ya do to her?"

Riku had landed The Intrepid Heart in a docking bay that Cid has set up near the Restoration Site. Cid, Yuffie and Merlin had met our heroes as they exited the ship, and Cid wasn't happy at all.

"I just finished building the dang thing for you!" said an irate Cid as he examined all the battle damage on the hull of The Intrepid Heart, "and the first time you fly her, you wreck her!"

"It's not like we wanted to," said Sora in a sheepish tone, "we didn't intentionally fly her into a hailstorm of death rays."

"Uh, actually," said Kairi in a reluctant tone, "we did."

"Oh, right," said a still sheepish Sora.

"We had a bit of a run-in with The Daleks," said Tess.

"Daleks you say?" Merlin asked in a surprised yet curious manner, "I was under the impression that they were all destroyed during the last great Time War."

"Believe me," said Riku, "they weren't all destroyed in the war."

"Come to think of it," said Aiden, "I'm not so sure that we managed to destroy them all. We were told that if there's one thing Daleks are good at, it's surviving."

"All we can hope is that we got them all," said Kairi, "oh, by the way. Cid, Yuffie, Merlin, this is Aiden and Tess, they're the new guys."

"We've heard quite a bit about you two from King Mickey," said Merlin as he, Cid and Yuffie shook hands with Tess and Aiden.

"Good or bad things?" Aiden hesitantly asked.

"A little of column A and a little of column B," Yuffie teased.

"Which column do I fit under?" Tess asked cautiously.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," said a still teasing Yuffie.

"Well," said Tess in an unsure manner, "aren't you quirky."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," said Yuffie, "but do go on."

"So, Cid?" Sora cautiously asked as he and Sidney, who was wearing her mobile emitter, stood next to the irate mechanic. "can you fix her?"

"I'd like to know that myself," said Sidney in a slightly worried tone as she placed her left hand on her right forearm, "can you fix The Intrepid Heart? This is my body after all"

"Of course I can!" said Cid, "I built her for crying out loud!" he tapped the side of the ship, "when I build Gummy Ships, I make em to last!" he tapped the ship again, and a small section of the hull fell off.

"Oh, my poor epidermis," said a cringing Sidney.

"Looks like I've got my work cut out for me," said Cid in a conceding manner, "alright, better get to work," he picked up a large toolbox, "this is gonna take a while, so I hope you younguns' got some time on your hands."

"No problem," said Sora.

"We already have plans," said Kairi.

"If it's okay with you and the others, Sora," said Sidney, "I'm going to switch off for a while. Even A.I. programs need their rest."

"Have a good nap!" said Goofy.

"I plan to," said Sidney.

"Wait, Sidney?" said Sora, "I should have asked you this earlier, but why is there a watermelon attached to the engine?"

"Oh, that," said Sidney, "it'd take too long to explain," she then detached her mobile emitter and handed it to Aiden, "take care of that," and she vanished.

"But why is there a watermelon hardwired to the engine?" Sora asked, "Cid, what's the deal with it?"

"It's a long story," said Cid.

"This is gonna drive me crazy," muttered Sora.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Aiden asked as he held up the mobile emitter.

"Well for one thing, don't lose it," said Kairi, "Sora, if you and the boys need us, Tess and I will be in the shopping district."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sora asked.

"What?" Kairi asked. She then blinked as she remembered, "oh, right, this is where I was born."

"I can assure you, dear lady," said Merlin, "things are quite different from when you where here with your grandmother."

"My grandmother?" Kairi asked in a slightly confused tone, "I…yeah, it's starting to come back now. She always told me the best stories, especially about how in the beginning, everyone loved the light, but then began to fight over it and creating darkness."

"I can wait to go shopping if you want to look around," said Tess, "I'm okay with you trying to remember the past."

"I think that's what I want to do," said Kairi.

"We'll go with you," said Sora, "for emotional support if you want." at that Riku, Aiden, Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.

"I think that'll also work," said a smiling Kairi.

"I'll show you around," said Yuffie, "Sora, you're not going to believe how much progress we've made putting this world back together."

"I believe you will be surprised," said Merlin, "but if you'll excuse me, I have a few important errands to run." With that he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Is that normal for this world?" Tess asked, "I'm still getting used to traveling to other worlds."

"That's just Merlin," said Yuffie as she lead our heroes away from the dock, while Cid was already at work, banging away at the damages to the ship.

"Oh, Yuffie," said Sora, "Where's Leon?"

"Ya'd think he'd be here," said Donald.

"He wanted to be," said Yuffie in a serious tone, "but…let's just say he's busy."

"Doing what?" Riku asked.

"You'll find out," said Yuffie, "I'll take you to our new training arena. It's on the other side of the Marketplace."

"Guess we'll get to do some shopping after all," said Tess.

"Yeah," said a now slightly uncomfortable-looking Kairi, "and through everyone that's there."

As it turned out, things went much more smoothly than expected. Yuffie lead our heroes through the Restoration Site, through the Borough and past the Marketplace. True as Yuffie said, Sora was impressed by the work done to undo the damage inflicted upon the world while it was under the darkness. While they were in the Borough, Sora looked out towards the castle and saw that, where as before it was swarming with Heartless, there were only a few scampering Shadows and Soldiers here and there, being chased by the white orbs and discs of the towns security system.

"We're almost ready to move into the castle and start repairs," said Yuffie, "we thought it'd be another six months before we got rid of all those Heartless, but a new friend helped clean out the place in just twelve hours. By tomorrow the town's security system will have finished wiping them out and we can start restoring the castle proper, starting with the electricity and plumbing."

"Last time I was here you guys couldn't get within a mile of that place," said an astonished Sora, "who could have destroyed all those Heartless in twelve hours?"

"Sounds more like a what than a who," said Riku, "no human can single-handedly destroy that many Heartless in twelve hours."

"I'll bet Ranma could," said Kairi, "but he went with Sara to Dream Valley."

"You're going to meet the new guy soon," said a grinning Yuffie, "he's really cool, and gorgeous to boot." She then frowned a bit, "but also kinda strange, really strange, like so way out of this world strange. You'll know what I mean when you see it."

She then lead our heroes towards the town proper, where dozens of people were already gathered to greet Sora and the others, and more and more people were coming all the time. They all cheered Sora, Donald and Goofy as the world saviors they were, while they greeted Riku with equal praise. They didn't know Aiden and Tess, but they warmly welcomed them as well.

"A comrade of Sora is a comrade of ours as well," said one of the citizens.

"I don't really feel like a hero," Tess whispered to Riku in an uncomfortable tone, "if these people knew what I did on Metamore, they'd…"

"They'd see you as the unstoppable freedom fighter you are," said Riku in a reassuring manner as he affectionately held her hand. She smiled at him as she regained her confidence and he smiled back.

But then the citizens hushed and bowed before Kairi, who was looking very uncomfortable right now. :Why are they all looking at me like I'm a real princess?: she said to Sora.

:But you are,: said Sora, :You're their princess, not just a Princess of Heart.:

"Princess Kairi," said one of the citizens, "on behalf of all of Radiant Garden, welcome home."

"I…uh…that is…" said a nervous Kairi, :I definitely don't feel like a princess right about now.:

:You are to me,: said Sora in a reassuring manner.

At that Kairi regained her confidence, "thank you, all of you. I want you all to know that I'm sorry that I couldn't have been with you when things were at their darkest, and I'm sorry that I'll have to go away again soon. My friends need me to stand against the darkness. But someday I will come back again, and hopefully I'll be able to stay longer and get to know all of you."

With that the people began clapping and cheering for Kairi.

"You're a natural," said Sora.

"I guess so," said Kairi.

They made their way through the crowd, stopping here and there to shake someone's hand and to receive well wishes.

"You think you might want to come back here to stay someday?" Sora asked Kairi.

"I don't know," said Kairi, "I was born here, but…I just don't know if I can ever see this place as my home."

"Well if you change your mind," said Sora, "I guess that I can come with you, if that's what you want."

"Right now all I want is to be with you wherever you go," said Kairi.

"And I'll go where you go," said Sora. With that they kissed. This caused all the people in the area to cheer loudly.

"Looks like the princess has found her prince," teased Naminé.

"They found each other long ago," said Roxas.

After several more well wishes to her people, Kairi and the others made their way through the Borough. They reached a newly built building outside the Marketplace. It was an arena similar to the one found in Olympus Coliseum, only a bit smaller and colored blue and green.

"When did this get here?" Sora asked as he and the admired the new edition to the world.

"We had a few visitors while you were out saving those new worlds," said Yuffie, "one of them wanted to, 'improve' things, as he said."

"Who would want to make things different here?" Kairi asked.

"That would be me," said Phil as he walked up to our heroes.

"Phil!" exclaimed Sora, "what are you doing here?"

"Didn't you just hear why?" Phil asked in an annoyed tone, "I'm helping the fighters of this world get in shape. Those guys like Leon and Yuffie, they're 'okay' against monsters like The Heartless and such, but they can be better."

"Okay?" an outraged Yuffie asked, "just okay? I'm the best ninja in the realms!"

"We know someone better," said Riku.

Just then Sora and the others heard the sound of a heated sword fight going on inside the training arena. "Who's fighting who?" Aiden asked.

"Glad you asked," said Phil, "you're about to see someone who knows what he's doing." he lead our heroes into the arena and up to the stadium. Sitting there already was Leon, while a few seats to the left were The Gullwings; Yuna, Rikku and Paine, who were watching the fight below with avid eyes.

"Welcome back," said Leon as he nodded at Sora and the others.

"How's it going, Leon?" Sora asked.

"It's been okay," said Leon, "things could be better though. We've got the Heartless situation pretty much under control, but there's no telling when Maleficent will make her move against the realms, and if she does, we're going to need all the help we can."

"That's why I helped make this arena," said Phil, "and I hope to build a few others here and there on other worlds."

"When did travel among the worlds become so easy?" Riku asked.

"I'll tell you later," said Leon, "look at who's fighting."

Sora and the others looked down to the arena floor and was surprised to see not only Hercules, but also Mulan. The two of them were having a furious sparing match with a tall Native American who had short black hair and brown eyes. He wore a brown t-shirt and tan shorts, and fought with a long metal staff.

The two warriors from the realms fought at the height of their respective styles, but the Native American with the staff fought with twice as much passion as both Hercules and Mulan put together, easily blocking all of their attacks and striking back furiously, yet still in control so as not to hurt them. Sora realized that Yuna, Rikku and Paine were more interested in the Native American, especially his good looks, than the fight itself

Curious as to the newcomer, Sora asked Leon and Yuffie, "who's that guy?"

"It's the weirdest thing," said Yuffie, "He fell out of the sky yesterday. It was some kind of portal from another world."

"He said that he was separated from someone precious to him," said Leon, "he was worried sick about her and nearly went berserk trying to find a way to get back to her."

"But we couldn't help the guy," said Yuffie, "we didn't know what world he came from, and he couldn't remember exactly what happened to him, only that he was separated from his friend. At that time a few Heartless tried to attack, but this guy," she smiled, "he tore them apart with his bare hands. He said that it helped him feel better and asked if there were any more nearby.

"We pointed out all the Heartless swarming the castle and he was all but ready to dive into them. Leon said it was crazy to take on that many Heartless without a weapon, so we went to the Moogle shops and he picked out a weapon, that staff, and we bought it for him. Actually, Leon bought it."

"He said he'd pay me back later," said Leon, "so this guy, his name's Jacob Black by the way, he tore thought all those Heartless like crap through a goose. He destroyed tens of thousands of the little monsters in twelve hours without stopping. He then collapsed and slept for a few hours, and when he woke up, he was ready to do some more fighting. The castle was all but cleared of Heartless, so when Herc and Mulan showed up, they offered to give him a workout."

"And what a workout," said Yuna in an adoring tone as she and teammates watched Jacob Black continue to dominate the fight.

"But why is he so eager to fight?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know," said Paine, "but I want one for my birthday."

"Me too," said Rikku, while Yuna sighed with delight.

"That still leaves my question," said Kairi, "I can tell that he's frustrated about not being able to go find his friend, but there's more to Jacob than that."

Just then Merlin popped in, startling Aiden and Tess, "I believe I can answer your question, young princess."

"Do you have to scare us like that?" an irate Tess asked, "my nerves are still taught from being a murdering freedom fighter for five years."

"You definitely need a vacation," said Aiden, "just take a few days to chiliex…chillaxion…wait, what's the word?"

"Chillax," said Riku, "part chill, part relax."

"Right," said Aiden, he then looked at Merlin, "so, what's the deal with this guy? What's Jacob's problem?"

"As the amazing wizard that I am," said Merlin, "I have been endowed with certain abilities that allow me to examine the mindset of those I observe. Having observed young Jacob for the better part of a day, I have discovered that he is no ordinary human being."

"Is it that obvious?" Riku asked as everyone continued to watch Jacob dominate the fight with Hercules and Mulan.

"I mean more than his extraordinary physical prowess," said Merlin, "yet those abilities do merit mentioning. He has the strength of several men and the endurance of several more, as well as extremely acute senses. I'll bet he can hear us talking right now all the way up here in the seats, while still focusing on the fight.

"As for his other abilities, I am convinced that he has a bond with this girl he was so frantic over, a young woman who's very existence is the foundation of his. These two individuals are linked through their minds and hearts in a way that he would do anything for her if she would ask it, while she would probably do the same, but I can't validate that claim until I meet the girl.

"There's more. He has a mental connection with a few other individuals, with whom they are his followers. This man is the leader of a small group of warriors dedicated to protecting human lives from evil forces. And he has been separated from those he leads, straining his link with them to the point where he can barely sense them at all. For all he knows, his comrades believe him to be dead, as well as the others that he cares for."

"That's terrible," said Kairi.

"What kind of evil forces?" Aiden asked.

Just then Jacob delivered a hard thrust from his staff at Hercules, forcing him back. He then turned his attention onto Mulan, furiously forcing her nearly off her balance.

"You can do it, Mulan!" shouted Sora.

Mulan then saw Sora, while Hercules saw him as well. "Sora!" they both shouted, happy to see their friend again.

But this was an opening that Jacob waiting for. He bashed Mulan on the head with his staff, then bashed Hercules on the head, knocking them both to the ground and forcing them to drop their weapons.

"Oh for crying out loud!" exclaimed an irate Phil as he jumped down to the arena floor and ran up to Hercules, who was starting to get back up, "what did I tell you? Never let the audience distract you!"

"Sorry, Phil," said Hercules as he felt where he got hit, "it won't happen again."

"You'd better not let it happen again," said Phil.

At the same time, Jacob was helping Mulan get up, "sorry about that," he said in a calm tone, calm now that he had a chance to work out a lot of aggression, "heat of the moment thing."

"Gee thanks," said a sore Mulan.

"Two words to remember, kido," said Phil to Mulan, "Distractions Equal Defeat."

Just then Mushu appeared on Mulan's shoulder, "That's actually three words. Work out your math better next time, okay?"

"I can count just fine, pipsqueak," said an irate Phil, "and you need to learn to respect those who know what they're doing."

"Well then I guess you're no better than someone who belongs in school," said Mushu as he hopped down from Mulan's shoulder, walked over and glared up at Phil.

"I oughta clean your sundial, lizard lips!" shouted Phil as he bent down and glared at Mushu.

"Bring it, goat-boy!" snapped Mushu.

"No!" shouted Mulan, "you shouldn't fight!"

"We're all in this together," said Hercules, "just because one of us made a mistake, doesn't mean we should all break each others necks over it."

"That's right," said Mulan, "wait, who made a mistake?"

"I'm looking at a certain junior hero," said Hercules.

"We're real heroes now!" said Donald.

"He's talking about me," said Sora, "I shouldn't have shouted like that and make you guys mess up."

"It's okay," said Hercules, "someone else would have shouted at some point. From where I was standing, the fight didn't look like it was going to end any time soon."

"I'll say," remarked Jacob, "you're incredible," he looked at Mulan, "both of you."

"Well you're no slouch either," said Mulan.

"You just got lucky," said Mushu, "my girl would have cleaned your water clock."

"Oh yeah?" Jacob asked as he hefted his staff, "care to back that up?"

"Wait a second," said Riku, "first things first." He and the others then introduced themselves to Jacob, Jacob Black actually.

"If you tell us how you got here," said Riku, "my friends and I might be able to help you get back to your world."

"That'd be great," said Jacob in a sarcastic tone, "then I can go back to all my friends and family and have a big welcome home party where I can tell the story of my weird trip to another universe," he then looked at our heroes in a serious manner, "No, I'm not leaving, not without Nessie."

"Who's Nessie?" Kairi asked.

At that Jacob sighed, as if he was having trouble finding the right words to say, "it's complicated. Nessie is like my little sister, best friend and soul mate all wrapped up in one."

"I did say that I was a confounding situation," said Merlin.

"Well, we'll help find Nessie first," said Kairi, "do you have any idea where she is?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell everyone else here!" snapped Jacob as he threw his staff down in frustration with enough force to send it bouncing away several yards, "I don't know anything about this place, this mixed-up universe with talking animals and Heartless and other stuff, so I don't know where to look. All I know is that Nessie is here somewhere, and she's in trouble."

"If you can get close enough to Nessie," said Tess, "can you sense her?"

"Like on the same world close," Aiden added.

"I think so," said Jacob as he began to calm down, "even if I can't sense her, if she's on the same world, she'd probably find me first."

"Can she sense you as well?" Sora asked.

"She'd certainly smell me," said Jacob, "Nessie's really special, and she could pick me out of a crowd any day of the week with just her nose alone."

"You do have a distinct musk about you," said Tess in a slightly uncomfortable tone.

"Just tell us what happened," said Sora, "it'll help us find Nessie."

:It will?: Aiden asked telepathically.

:It can't hurt to know,: said Riku.

"Alright," sighed Jacob, "it's a long, long, long story, so I hope you've got a lot of time on your hands."

"We're stuck here until Cid fixes our ship," said Riku, "so we've got all the time we need."

"Okay," said Jacob, "but can we do this in private? The fewer people who know the full story, the better."

"No problem," said Sora. He then looked at Hercules, Phil, Mulan, Mushu, Leon, Yuffie, Merlin and the Gullwings, "We'll see you guys later."

"If you're interested in privacy," said Merlin, "my workshop is available." He then teleported our heroes and Jacob directly to his workshop.

"Give a little warning next time, will you!" exclaimed Aiden.

"That wasn't like using the Möbius Continuum," said Tess, "that was…I don't even know what words to use, but I know I don't like it."

"Well what did you expect?" Merlin asked, "I'm a wizard, I have to be surprising." With that he teleported out.

"I hope that's the weirdest part this world has to offer," said Aiden.

"Wait 'till you meet Tron," said Sora.

"It's stuff like that that makes me homesick," said Jacob, "teleporting wizards and stuff, it makes me really miss Forks, that's my hometown. So…where do I start? Well, I guess you need to understand that where I'm from, there's no such thing as ordinary. My family and others among my people, the Quileute tribe, we've always had people with a special kind of magic."

"How special?" Sora asked curiously, "we've seen several kinds of magic."

"I'll bet you've never seen one like this," said Jacob as he took off his shirt, then the rest of his clothes.

"What the hell are you doing, man!" exclaimed Aiden as he and the others looked away, yet Jacob seemed unconcerned about striping naked in front of total strangers.

"I happen to like this shirt," said Jacob, "and I picked up the habit of saving clothes from being ruined. You'll understand soon enough, but you need to pay attention or you'll miss it."

"Miss what?" Riku asked as our heroes cautiously looked at Jacob.

"This," said Jacob, "and try not to throw up." His whole body seemed to shimmer and fluctuate, and in the blink of an eye, he phased in a very large, brown-furred wolf.

"What the…!" exclaimed Donald.

"Oh my freaking gods!" exclaimed Aiden.

"Whoa!" said both Riku and Tess.

"Gwarsh!" said Goofy

Sora and Kairi, as well as Roxas and Naminé, were completely speechless.

The wolf then rippled again and phased back into Jacob in another blink of an eye. "You guys didn't faint," said a smiling Jacob as he put his clothes back on, "that's a good sign."

"A good sign of what?" Sora asked in a disturbed manner, "that you're some kind of werewolf?"

"We're more like shape shifters than werewolves," said Jacob, "I know, it's confusing, and for a while my pack and everyone else in the tribe who could phase thought they were werewolves, which we're not, but what I can do is nothing compared to what some of the other people I know can do, but they're not as cool."

"We're all ears," said Kairi in a still stunned tone.

"Least we're not all fur, whiskers and tails," said Tess in a teasing manner.

"Like I haven't heard that before," said a slightly annoyed Jacob.

…Twilight Town…20 hours earlier

"So your mom moved to Forks and met your dad in high school," said Olette as she, Hayner, Pence and their new friend, Renesmee, walked through Market Street to the Sandlot, "they got married after graduation, and eventually you came along."

"Yeah," said Renesmee, "it was a really special time for everyone." Renesmee was about Olette's height, with long, curly bronze-colored hair and striking chocolate-brown eyes. She had pale yet vibrant skin and wore a brown shirt with a blue jacket and blue jeans and brown boots. She had a short sword with a wooden handle belted to her waist.

"You're taking all of this well," said Pence, "being in another world."

"I'm used to extraordinary things," said Renesmee, or Nessie as she liked to be called, "but, I'm not used to talking about it with others. We're all really close, me and my family, especially Jacob."

"Just who is Jacob?" Hayner asked as they reached the Sandlot.

"He's the most wonderful man in the world!" said Nessie as she sighed with happiness, "except for my father. But Jacob…how can I say it…it's like we were meant to be together, right from the day, the hour, from the very second I was born, we were meant for each other, like we complete each other."

"Sounds like one awesome guy," said Olette, "and you're awesome."

"I'm not that special," said Nessie in a modest tone a she blushed slightly.

"Well you are," said Olette, "you're one of the few people we've met from other worlds, and the second girl we've met who fell out of her own world. The first was being chased by these weird guys in black coats."

"Black coats?" Nessie asked cautiously, "what color were their eyes?"

"There was only that one weird guy," said Pence, "with spiky red hair and green eyes."

"Oh," said Nessie in a relieved tone, "I thought you were talking about someone else." she then hastily changed the subject before anyone could ask her further about what she was talking about, "so, what's this game you want to show me?"

"It's the best game ever," said an eager Hayner, "you're going to love it."

"That's a bold statement," said a smiling Nessie, "tell me more."

"It's called Struggle," said Pence as they reached the billboard at one corner of the area, "two fighters use foam bats. Each start out with 100 orbs, and you use the foam bats to knock off your opponent's orbs, then you collect the orbs."

"Each match lasts one minute," said Hayner, "the winner is whoever has the most orbs at the end of the match. If you can knock off all of your opponent's orbs and collect them before time runs out, you automatically win."

"Sounds like fun," said Nessie.

"It's the best," said Hayner, "we'll show you how to play." He and Olette each took up a foam bat and 100 orbs, then stood in the middle of the Sandlot, with Nessie and Pence sitting to one side.

"I'll be the official for this round," said Pence as he held up a stopwatch, "you guys ready?"

"We're ready!" said both Hayner and Olette as they took up their ready positions.

"Then go!" shouted Pence as he started the clock.

Hayner and Olette rushed at each other and struck with their foam bats; Harner knocked off 17 of Olette's orbs, while she knocked off 14 of his. They then took a few seconds to try to get as many orbs as they could before resuming attacking each other. Then they crossed bats again, Hayner had 102 orbs, while Olette had 98.

Hayner then hit Olette with a hard enough strike to stun her for a few seconds, while knocking off over 20 of her orbs. He then hit her again, knocking off more orbs, but also causing her to recover her senses.

Olette then got behind Hayner and delivered a vicious backswing strike that stunned him, allowing Olette to collect more orbs. This pattern went on for the rest of the match.

"3...2...1...Time!" shouted Pence. Hayner and Olette stopped and counted their orbs. There were still several orbs on the ground. Hayner had 108 while Olette had 87.

"The winner is Hayner!" said Pence.

"Good game," said Olette as she and Hayner shook hands, "but I'll get you next time!"

"In your dreams," said a grinning Hayner.

"That was so cool!" said an eager Nessie, "they don't have games like that back home!"

"Well that's one good thing about you coming here," said Olette.

"Wanna watch another round?" Hayner asked, "I'll kick Pence's but this time."

"No way, man!" said Pence as he grabbed a foam bat, "It's my turn to kick butt!"

"Actually," said Nessie as she also grabbed a foam bat, "I think I'd like to try my luck at kicking butt."

"But you only saw one round," said Hayner, "how can you play if you don't know how?"

"Who said I didn't know how to play?" Nessie asked as he grabbed 100 orbs, "I'm a fast learner, so let's play. Unless you're scared of being beaten by a girl."

"He's more worried he'll hurt you," said Olette in a teasing manner.

"I'm just worried about humiliating an amateur," said Hayner as he and Nessie walked to the middle of the area and took up fighting stances, "I'll go easy on you since this is your first time."

"I'd be happier if you didn't," said Nessie in a serious tone as she held her bat with one hand in a high stance.

"Well, if that's how you want to play," said Hayner, "we'll play your way."

"Go!" shouted Pence as he started the clock.

Nessie stood her ground as Hayner rushed at her and swung his bat. She easily blocked the bat, then struck back, knocking off about 12 orbs. Before Hayner could try go get his orbs back, Nessie had scooped them all up.

"What's the matter?" Nessie asked, "am I going too fast for you?"

"Darn it!" shouted Hayner as he rushed at Nessie again. She blocked his furious strikes, then she struck back, knocking off more of his orbs, then scooped them up before he could even try go get them.

Before anyone knew it, Pence called the match over. Hayner was left with nine orbs, while Nessie had 191.

"Wow!" said an impressed Pence, "you totally owned that match."

"I told you I was a fast learner," said Nessie as she shook Hayner's hand.

"Yeah," said a slightly dumbfounded Hayner, but he smiled nonetheless.

Olette was about to congratulate them both on a great match, but then she frowned at the sight of three unpleasant individuals entering the Sandlot from the Tram Common, "uh-oh, here comes trouble."

"Who are they?" Nessie asked as Seifer, Rai and Fuu walked up to Hayner, Pence and Olette, looking like they owned the place.

"Three of the biggest jerks in town," said a slightly irate Hayner.

"But with the best reputations," said Seifer as he glared at Hayner and the others, "as chairman of Twilight Town's Disciplinary Committee, I want to know what you three losers are up to with this stranger."

"All newcomers to town need to check in with Seifer, ya' know?" Rai asked, "it's the rules, ya' know?"

"Mandatory," said Fuu.

"She's our friend," said Olette as she, Pence and Hayner stood around Nessie defensively, "and she doesn't have to answer to jerks like you!"

"That's right!" said Pence.

"I can fight my own battles," said Nessie as she gently pushed her way past Hayner, Pence and Olette, "but thanks for caring."

"Just watch out for them, Nessie," said Olette, "these three aren't the kind to hold back."

"We're only rough on those who deserve it," said Seifer, "and as for the new girl, Nessie."

"Only my friends and family can call me that," said Nessie as she glared defiantly at the three jerks, "you can call me Renesmee, or, since you're such arrogant jerks, Ms. Cullen will do."

"Whatever," said Fuu.

"Yeah, whatever, ya' know?" said Rai, "we're the ones asking the questions around here, ya' know?"

"You seem to be the only one asking questions around here, tall order," said Nessie.

"Don't disrespect your betters!" snapped Seifer.

"I'll respect those who deserve respect," said Nessie as she irately glared at the three jerks, "and for the record, I hate bullies."

"We're not bullies, ya' know?" said Rai, "we just want to be friends, ya' know?"

"I know someone I don't like when I see them," said Nessie, "and I'm looking at three of them right now."

"I don't think this little girl knows how to pay the proper respect," said Seifer, while Rai and Fuu cracked their knuckles, "I think we ought to teach her a lesson."

"You jerks want to teach me?" Nessie asked, "I'll show you who's the teacher!"

"Hold on a second!" said the Struggle Official as he walked up to the four of them, "around here we try to avoid unnecessary fights. If you've got a bone to pick with each other, then settle it over a Struggle match."

"That's a good idea, ya' know?" Rai said, "Seifer's gonna totally own you, little girl, ya' know?"

"No contest," said Fuu.

"Is that so?" Nessie asked, "or are you guys just blowing off steam? Since the three of you seem to dislike me for some reason, why not all of you fight me at once?"

"What?" shouted Hayner, Pence, Olette and Seifer.

"Why not?" Nessie asked, "might as well get it all said and done with."

"We agree on that," said Seifer, "alright, me and my gang against you, little girl."

"Nessie, don't do it," said Hayner, "these guys play rough, big time."

"They're gonna wipe the floor with you!" said Pence.

"And then they'll go to work on you," said Olette, "just back away. It's not worth it."

"Yes it is," said Nessie, her face set with determination, "back home, one of my favorite books is called Atlas Shrugged. You'd like it, it's got a lot of trains and money involved. But it has a lot of good lessons in it. The biggest of which is that evil only exists if it's allowed to exist."

She glared at Seifer, Rai and Fuu, "these posers aren't exactly evil, but they're bullies and thugs, and if you let people like that have their way, then that's evil. And a person who allows evil to be done without doing anything about it might as well be evil himself."

"Well…just be careful," said Olette. For some reason, she felt that she could trust Nessie.

"I always try to be," said Nessie, while Seifer, Rai and Fuu got ready for the match. Nessie smiled at Hayner and the others, "I'll be alright. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

"Just be careful," Olette said again.

"And kick their butts!" said Pence.

"What he said," remarked Hayner.

"Gladly," said Nessie. She then walked to the middle of the Sandlot, where Seifer and his toadies were waiting, "alright, you carpet lickers, let's get to it."

"Prepare to be dominated!" said Seifer.

"Total ownage!" said Fuu.

"We're gonna tear you a new one, ya' know?" said Rai.

"Bring it," said Nessie as she held up her bat.

"Ready…go!" shouted the official.

"Kick her ass!" shouted Seifer. Rai and Fuu moved to Nessie's left and right, then attacked her at the same time. Nessie stood her ground and easily blocked their strikes.

"What are you numbskulls doing!" Seifer shouted, "she's just one little girl!"

"Thing's aren't always what they seem!" said a grinning Nessie. She then struck Rai hard in his stomach, stunning him and, surprisingly, knocked off all of his orbs, which Nessie scooped up before Fuu or Seifer could react.

Nessie then struck Fuu down and knocked off all of her orbs as well, which she scooped up before Seifer could react.

"Looks like it's just you and me, tough guy," said Nessie as she winked at Seifer.

"You little bitch!" snapped Seifer. He rushed at Nessie and furiously attacked her, yet she kept blocking him, "I'll clean your clock!"

"Clean this!" said Nessie as she bashed Seifer on the head, knocking him to the ground and scattering all of his orbs into the air. Nessie then caught them all before they touched the ground.

"Having collected all of her opponents orbs," said the official, "the winner is clearly Nessie!"

"You did it!" exclaimed Hayner, Pence and Olette as they ran over to Nessie.

"That was awesome!" said Hayner, "super awesome!"

"You've got mad skills!" said Pence.

"You're definitely gonna win the next tournament!" said Olette.

At that time Seifer and his cronies were getting up, "how could we lose like that?" Seifer asked.

"There's no way we could lose like that, ya' know?" Rai said.

"Inconceivable!" said Fuu.

"Well if you're not happy with losing," said Nessie, "we can go again."

Seifer, Rai and Fuu looked at each other, then at Nessie, then they ran for it, heading towards Market Street.

"That's right!" said Pence after them, "run away like the cowards you are!"

"You're right about bullies," said Hayner to Nessie, "you can't let them have their way. You got to stand up to them."

"I know," said Nessie in a slightly depressed manner, "I just wish I hadn't done it like that."

"What's wrong?" Olette asked.

"I was showing off just now," said Nessie, "and I'm not supposed to show off like that. I got my family and friends in a lot of trouble this one time, all because I was showing off. Nobody's supposed to know how strong and fast I am."

"What's wrong with showing off?" Pence asked, "if you got it, flaunt it."

"Not when it could lead to the deaths of those you care more than your own life for," said Nessie in a serious manner, "where I'm from, you can get torn apart for showing off."

"Why?" Hayner asked.

Nessie looked at them as if she really wanted to talk about it, but something was preventing her from speaking. Not like she was under a spell or was being hindered by outside forces, but more like she was honor bound to keep a deadly secret that could destroy her if the truth were let out.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," said Olette in a reassuring manner, "everyone's entitled to some secrets."

"It's not that I want to keep this secret," said Nessie, "but you guys could end up in trouble as well if I tell you, and believe me, you don't want to know what kind of trouble I'm talking about."

"You've made your point," said Hayner, "some secrets should stay secret."

"But that doesn't mean we can't still be friends," said Pence.

"And we'd be poor friends if we didn't invite you over for dinner," said Olette, "we're having 4-cheese pasta over at my home tonight."

"And after dinner we can all go for Sea Salt Ice Cream," said Pence.

"I've never heard of Sea Salt Ice Cream," said Nessie.

"Well you're in for a treat," said Hayner, "'cause you haven't lived until you've tried it."

…New Hollow Bastion…Now…

"The preparations for the attacks are nearly completed, great one," said one of the lesser Hakonians to Maleficent as she sat on her dark throne, "the searchers will soon be ready to seek out The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis."

"The order to depart has been given," said Maleficent, "as soon as all is ready, they are to find this talisman that Gideon Graves wishes destroyed. As for the other item that Gideon desires," she called up an image of Kairi and Aiden, "the waif and the Alchemist have been located on the former Hollow Bastion."

Just then Pete walked in with Xorat, formerly Pantyhose Taro, now a Nobody completely in thrall to Maleficent. Xorat had white hair and pale orange eyes. He wore a green and purple martial artist outfit.

"This chump won't wait until you're available, oh great and terrible boss lady," said Pete.

"If my mistress wishes to send me away," said Xorat, "I will leave," he knelt before Maleficent, "but I ask only to say what I must say to you, oh mistress of all evil."

"Speak, Xorat," said Maleficent, "what is it that you have to say that is so important?"

"There have been whispers that the Keyblade Wielder known as Kairi has been marked by our new demon allies," said Xorat, "that the demon leader, Gideon, covets Kairi. I beg your leave, great one, to lead the mission to capture Kairi. Say the word, and I will present the little bitch before you."

"Bold words, my dear Xorat," said Maleficent as she walked down from her throne, "you are still young in your new life as a Nobody. What guarantee can you give me that your powers can defeat the Keyblade Brats?"

"Just show me the brats!" snapped Xorat, "and I will destroy them with my bare hands!" large metal gauntlets appeared on his hands. The gauntlets were colored green and black and were covered in spikes and blades, "or rather, with these hands. And then there is this," at his waist appeared an orange bullwhip that ended with a multi-spiked scourge.

"I do not doubt your fighting prowess," said Maleficent, "what is in question is your maturity. In your human life you were consumed by hate and rage over your unfortunately humiliating birth name. That hate and rage still exists in you, and I doubt that you can control yourself when you see your enemies."

"I remember hating the Keyblade Brats," said Xorat, "yet there is one I hate even more. Soon I will be powerful enough to destroy that gender-bending freak, Ranma Saotome. But for now, I am ready to face the brats.

"On the other hand, having been reformed, with a new name no less, I have begun to understand prudence and patience. If my mistress says that I need further training, then yes, I will wait."

"Then return to your training, my friend," said Maleficent, "you will not have long to wait. Soon you will have your chance to prove yourself."

"I live only to serve you, Maleficent," said Xorat. He bowed and left the room.

Just then The Negotiator, a demon in human form, walked in. It looked like an average human in a pinstripe suit and carried a leather briefcase. "Maleficent," said The Negotiator, "I hear that your forces are ready to begin searching for The Talisman."

"Indeed," said Maleficent, "the masses of Heartless, Nobodies and Hakonians are being assembled as we speak. Soon they will be ready to scour the worlds for the talisman, as well as secure the two Keyblade Wielders, Kairi and Aiden."

"That's assumin' we can get all those Heartless and Nobodies out to the worlds," said Pete, "That Sora sealed all those Keyholes. The worlds won't let so many dark things onto them anymore."

"That's where Mr. Graves begins to uphold his end of the bargain," said The Negotiator, "as I speak, the shielding effects of the Keyholes are being undermined. It will only be temporary, but for a long enough time, you can send as many Heartless and Nobodies out to the worlds as you wish.

"Mr. Graves also wishes to express another addition to the bargain. Once he has Kairi, then he will provide you , oh mistress of all evil, with the means to permanently negate the effects of the Keyholes. The universe will be yours to cover with darkness."

"Excellent," said Maleficent, "consider the waif already the property of Mr. Graves."

"He'll be pleased to hear that," said The Negotiator, "on another, more serious matter, I've heard that you've entrusted Hakonians with this most dire of tasks. Forgive me for offering what could be considered unwarranted criticism, but are you sure it is wise to use Hakonians for this mission?"

"What'cha talkin' 'bout, demon!" Pete asked, "Maleficent's been using Hakonians for her dirty work for months. Why shouldn't she use 'em?"

"Well," said The Negotiator in a nonchalant tone, "from a nonobjective point of view, one would see that the Hakonians have proven themselves to be rather unreliable for the most part.

"Case in point; Maleficent has entrusted several young Hakonians, young by their standards, to throw worlds into the darkness, to find new breeds of Heartless, and most of all, to destroy The Keyblade Wielders. Several times these young Hakonians have clashed with The Keyblade Wielders, and each time they failed, sometimes with one of the Hakonians losing their lives. Three of the seven are dead, while two have gone rogue and the other two are being forced to wed.

"Then there was that fiasco of a mission in which over a thousand Hakonians were sent to another universe to obtain Uridium for the Nobody-controlling items. They were charged with a great task and failed miserably, while the brats fly free to wreck further havoc against the darkness."

"What is your point, demon?" one of the Hakonian attendants asked, "are you implying that we're not up to the tasks set before the mistress of all evil!"

"Are you saying that you demons are better than us?" another of the Hakonians asked, "I'll have you know that our empire once controlled vast hordes of your kind! You were the slaves that licked our boots!"

"And what did that get you?" The Negotiator asked, "your empire fell and your race was reduced to living as nomads, scrounging on the fringes of civilizations in order to survive, only to wind up servants of a greater darkness. The answer to your question is yes, my kind are better than yours; always have been and all ways will be."

"Such insolence would have condemned you to death, demon!" snapped one of the Hakonians.

"You cannot do anything to me, you worthless bastard!" said The Negotiator, "I am a guest in Maleficent's house, and as such I have her countenance. Besides, the last thing any of us wish is for us to destroy each other."

"True," said Maleficent, "now that I have considered the matter, I believe that the Hakonians are not worthy of this task, or of further tasks of such high importance. I hereby declare that no further important missions shall be given to the Hakonians. They shall be reassigned to menial tasks of no important matters. I will hear no argument, any of such will be considered insubordination and dealt with without mercy!"

"But great one, if we Hakonians are no longer to carry out your bidding to further the darkness," said one of the attendants, "then who will?"

At that The Negotiator stepped forward, "my comrades selfless volunteer. With your approval, great Maleficent," he opened his briefcase and took out several dossier files, "I have the resumes of several candidates in which you will find quite up to the task."

Maleficent took the files and began reading them, "yes…yes, these individuals will do quite nicely," she used her dark magic to hold up six files, "especially these. Their history is quite intriguing."

"I expected that you would be pleased by those six," said The Negotiator, "each of them were human once, humans with dark hearts, yet still hoped for love. They all coveted the same woman, and when she rejected them, they bound themselves to Gideon in mind, body and soul, and heart of course."

"Then it shall be so," said Maleficent, "these six, and others, shall lead the search for The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis, as well as the capture of Kairi and Aiden."

"All shall be done as you ask, oh great and terrible Maleficent," said The Negotiator. He bowed and left the room.

"What of us?" one of the Hakonian attendants asked.

"What you do is no longer my concern," said Maleficent, "from now on, you are little more than grunts and slaves to me, so go carry out some menial task, before I decide to do something you will find awful."

"We live only to serve you, Maleficent," said the Hakonian attendants in a miserable tone. They bowed and left. But one of them passed next to Pete and stopped to tie his boot. But this was only cover to use a summoning spell to teleport something into Pete's pocket. He realized that magic was used and looked at the Hakonian, whom winked at Pete before leaving the room.

Pete then looked at Maleficent, "what do you want me to do?"

"I still have use of you," said Maleficent, "you are to go with the demons who will capture Kairi. I care not how long it takes, but the girl will be brought here. Already we have half the promised Uridium and Synthesis of the control items has begun, but the girl is essential to acquiring the rest of the Uridium."

"Don't worry about Kairi and Aiden, boss lady," said Pete as he saluted, "I'll go get her and bring her back, even if it kills me."

"I may hold you to that," said Maleficent, "now go."

"You can count on ol' Pete!" said the moronic minion. He saluted again and left the room.

"I may have to dispose of that one yet, my pet," said Maleficent to her raven, "I grow weary of his bungling."

Out in the hallway, safe from Maleficent's prying eyes, Pete felt in his pocket for the object that the Hakonian put there. He pulled out a small note and read it. It only had an address, one of the buildings in the dark city below the castle, and a insisting line saying that he should be there in twenty minutes, followed by another line that said that he should destroy the note.

"Looks like they want to talk to ol' Pete. Well," he then ripped the not into small pieces, then threw them into a garbage chute, "better not keep them waiting." He then hurried for the castle exit.

The end of chapter 1.

Next chapter finds Pete in the middle of a grand conspiracy, while Sora and his friends learn more about Jacob, and Hayner and his crew learn more about Nessie. Later on, both groups end up meeting a new extraordinary friend. But there's so much more going on than meets the eye, and just what is the talisman that the baddies are so hung up about? Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie, see you next time!