A/N: Thanks X-The-Final! I'm honored to have my little story held in such esteem! And I'm sure I'll take you up on your offer when the time comes! Anna Crosszeria, I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Thank you for reviewing! :D

Chapter 9: The Messenger

Riku staggered to his feet, determined to start walking. In the unfamiliar forest, the silver-haired boy braced himself against a nearby tree to catch his breath before he began limping away from the castle. His best bet was to try to find a nearby town and send a signal. Riku had no idea how he was going to send a message to the infamous king, but he had to try at the very least.

The moon cast soft light over the forest, strange shadows dancing in the night. A breeze gently tussled the leaves of the trees, shifting the shadows ever few seconds. In the distance, Riku heard a muffled roar, the sound of approaching thunder. The silver haired boy needed to hurry to the closest town. While it was clear that the trail of dirt Riku stood on was intended to be a path, it was narrow and appeared to go on into the darkness endlessly. The silver haired boy sighed a little and began to trudge along the uneven trail littered with roots and stones.

'How had the King managed to get messages to Sora and the others?' Riku pondered as he trudged along into the night. 'The King had always written a letter and sealed it with a green sticker. But how had it gotten to the trio..?'

A sudden noise startled Riku, something rustled in the nearby bushes. The silver-haired boy immediately called his keyblade to his hand. The light fluttered around his finger before manifesting into the familiar weapon. He crept as slowly as he could toward the noise, hoping to get the drop on whatever it was.

Much to the silver haired boy's surprise, a dog sprang from the brush and licked Riku's face furiously. The golden canine wagged its wire-thin tail back and forth so rapidly the brush was nearly trimmed bare. The four-legged creature woofed happily as Riku pat its head, a letter falling from its mouth. "What are you doing out here, huh boy? Where's your master?"

Riku asked noticing the green collar around the dog's neck, which was engraved with the name Pluto and a familiar circular shape.

"The King's Seal!" Riku cried as he ruffled Pluto's fur again, snatched up the slightly wet letter and opened it.

'Riku and Sora,

Kairi, Donald, and Goofy informed me the two of you have disappeared from Destiny Islands. I have a feeling that your disappearances have to do with the Heartless that have been appearing around the water sources of several worlds. I've sent Pluto out to locate you. Send word of your location back with Pluto. Donald and Goofy will come in the gummi ship to collect you. I need both of you to help me figure what is going on.

-The King Mickey'

Riku felt a wave of relief roll over him. Kairi must have gone to Sora's house when the boys did not show up for the lunch they had planned. Kairi had found Donald and Goofy who must have informed the King of the boys' disappearances. As the realization that the King was already aware of the water source situation rolled over the silver-haired boy, Riku felt like he took a deep and full breath for the first time since the day before.

The silver-haired boy swiftly flipped the page over and bit the tip of his finger drawing blood. Without a writing utensil of any kind Riku did not exactly have much choice in what medium to transcribe his response. He wrote "Queen Grimhilde's Castle" as legibly as he could in his own blood.

Riku tried accelerate the drying of the blood by blowing on it. As soon as the red letters no longer glistened in the moonlight, Riku folded the letter up, placed it back in the envelope and held it in front of Pluto's maw. The friendly yellow dog gentle took the letter from Riku's hand and looked up expectantly at the teen.

"Okay boy, get this message back to Donald and Goofy alright?" Riku asked, patting the pup's head.

Pluto lifted his ears as a high pitched whistle rang out from the forest. Riku's heart jumped, maybe Goofy and Donald were already here. The yellow dog wagged his tail and took off back into the brush.

Riku groaned loudly in pain as he pulled himself up from a kneeling position and started to follow after the Majesty's messenger. The branches of nearby bushes reached out and snagged at the silver-haired boy's clothes, hair, and skin. Fresh cuts stung in the cool night air, but Riku did not have time to allow pain to slow him down let alone find a proper path. If Donald and Goofy had already made it to this world, Riku was one step closer to saving Sora from the Queen's clutches.

It was easy to follow the golden canine. Pluto's yellow fur caught the few rays of moonlight that managed to slip through the treetop's foliage. Although Pluto stuck out in the shadows of the woods, the silver-haired boy managed to lose sight of the dog eventually.

Riku paused, trying to figure out which way Pluto had gone. He closed his eyes for a moment. As the silver-haired boy cleared his mind he became more aware of the sounds of leaves and twigs cracking ahead of him. Riku could still hear Pluto. The dog's tags clinked together loudly as he bounded through the brush. The silver haired boy took off in the direction of the jingling of metal on metal.

The woods began to thin a little up ahead and the silver-haired boy came to a clearing. Riku scanned the open area, sure that Pluto had come this way. He spotted the pup in the shadow of the treeline a few yards away, dog wagging his tail excitedly.

"There you are! I thought I'd-" But Riku stopped short as he realized the Majesty's messenger was not alone.

Riku's heart skipped a beat momentarily. For a moment, he hoped that the figure that stood in the shadows was the King, here to help Riku save Sora. But a familiar silhouette with spiky hair was became just visible in the moonlight. The last glimmer of hope in the silver-haired boy's chest whithered as figure rose and turned; two eyes glowing like lanterns through the darkness.

…

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry for the delay in chapters, I had been trying to send out chapters in two day spurts but that chewed up the little wiggle room I had. :D I'll be shooting for twice a week from now on. Thanks again! Please Read and Review!