From Poisoned Apples to Annoying Oranges: An Essay of the Birth and Death of Animation (Page V) (1985-1991)

The Mermaid Sings

During dry periods at the studio ranging from the 1930's through to the late 1950's, Walt Disney planned on making a documentary film cataloging the life and achievements of famous Danish storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen.  The film would use live actors (contracted by Paramount) to portray Andersen's life, while the Disney Animators would tell some of Andersen's stories as shorts.  These fairy tales included The Snow Queen (which we will cover in a few pages), Thumbalina, and arguably his most famous and beloved story, The Little Mermaid.  There is even archival scenes animated by the great illustrator Kay Nielsen, dated back to the early 1940's.  But studio losses and Disney's focus shifting towards Disneyland and television shelved any and all Andersen works well past Walt's lifetime.  

In January of 1985, Disney held what would be the first of many events at the company called "The Gong Show".  In these events, anyone from the company could come in and pitch ideas for animated movies, but bad ideas were thrown away or "gonged".  Director Ron Clements (The Great Mouse Detective), brought in the idea of creating The Little Mermaid, but saw his idea gonged because of the studio's interest in working on a sequel to their modest hit Splash.  However, having read the treatment Clements wrote for it, Jeffery Katzenberg immediately contacted Clements and had him and a few animators put the film into development.  

The Little Mermaid would be the studio's first foray into Fairy Tales since Sleeping Beauty in 1959, and in order to capture a new audience for their work, the animators knew that the animation for this film would have to be far superior to their current work, but they would also have to write a script modern enough and engaging enough for modern movie audiences to take the film seriously and not dismiss them as they had previous films.  Katzenberg initially insisted on hiring a script writer for the film, but Clements and long time friend John Musker wrote their own script for the film and Katzenberg immediately agreed to let them write and direct it.  The script included larger roles for the Sea King and the Sea Witch, while also lightening the ending with allowing the mermaid to survive in the end and get the classic Disney ending.

Soon after, it became abundantly clear what the film would need to modernize the classic Disney Animated film: music.  Music had been key for the studio since it's rise in the 1930's, but had been mostly phased out by the 1980's, with the Sherman Brothers retiring and the studio using multiple other songwriters to write songs on the films post-1967.  Katzenberg's friend, David Geffen, contacted him about a potential master that Disney had to have.  A Baltimore off-broadway songwriter and storyteller, Howard Ashman was not the ideal person to work at such a "family friendly" company like Disney.  But when Katzenberg met him, he knew that he was looking at a potential successor to Walt Disney himself.  Ashman was given the opportunity to work on many projects.  He chose to write one song for Oliver and Company before fully diving into (no pun intended) The Little Mermaid, bringing on board his co-writer and partner Alan Menken to write the film's score.  Both had been longtime Disney fans and were determined to build upon the legacy of the past films.  

A studio of young animators was in absolute awe with the kinds of songs Howard and Alan were writing for the film, some saying that they had never heard songs like them.  The songs in the film ranged from traditional Broadway, to doo-wop, to reggae.  But all kept to the integrity of their story.  Menken's musical underscore was also chilling to listen to, showing just how capable the musical aspect of the film was.  

The momentum for the film was gathering, and by early 1989, a test screening for the film was set up, where the animators and executives could gauge children's reactions to their films.  When one screening in particular did not bode well for one of the film's most important songs, "Part of Your World", Katzenberg considered cutting the song from the film.  Panicked, Glen Keane, the supervising animator of the titular character, insisted on having another chance to fully animate more of the film.  The resulting tranquility of the next screening convinced Katzenberg to keep the song in.  

Animation costs for The Little Mermaid skyrocketed by the end of 1988, prompting in the overall budget of the film being an enormous $40 million.  The film would prove to be the very last film to be fully hand-animated by the animators, as the costs finally outweighed the necessities.  Nevertheless, the film was finally completed and released in November 1989, the same weekend as Don Bluth's next film, All Dogs Go to Heaven.  Despite the usual confidence from both departments, The Little Mermaid dwarfed it's rival in theaters and became the very first animated film to make over $100 million worldwide in it's release.  The critical aspect of the films were also closely observed.  While All Dogs struggled to get the same praise as Don Bluth's previous works, The Little Mermaid was praised with rejuvenating the studio and reawakening the sleeping giant that was the animation industry.  Mermaid also performed well in the awards bracket, clinching multiple awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards (Best Song "Under the Sea", and Best Score) and being nominated for Best Picture in the Golden Globes.  

The stunning and sweeping success of The Little Mermaid prompted a far more stricter eye on the care and development placed into each subsequent Disney animated film.  Many animators would move onto the next two major animated films, The Rescuers Down Under and Beauty and the Beast, while Ashman, Menken, Clements, and Musker would move onto developing another animated film called Aladdin.  With the new success under their belts, the Disney department was assured that the 1990's would be a successful one no matter what.  

Studio Ghibli 

While Japanese animes and shows such as Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon were starting to grow audiences in America, it would take a much longer time for full length films animated overseas to capture eyes.  The first film released stateside was Little Nemo's Adventures in Slumberland, a film that struggled to get an audience despite often beautiful animation and many (and I mean MANY) famous storytellers taking part in it's inception.  Many included George Lucas, a few modern Disney Animators, alongside some of the Nine Old Men, including Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas.  One animator who had worked on the film was named Hayao Miyazaki, who had despised and loathed his time on the project.  Miyazaki had previously worked at Toei Animation (the group mostly responsible for helping animate Dragon Ball), but began his own work in the 1980's.  While I will keep from getting too in depth with Miyazaki's films for now (he has a HUGE impact on the art form in the 2000's), I can say a bit about his first few films that were released in Japan.

Two of his most famous works (which I have seen) that were released in this period of time included My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service, all of which were delayed initial releases into the US.  There are several differences in Miyazaki's work in comparison to his contemporaries.  Miyazaki was heavily influenced by more progressive art styles and themes, including environmentalism and feminism, many things that Disney often ignored or even regressed past.  While Disney's new leading ladies in their renaissance were being praised for their modern takes on life and not falling into stereotypes like their 1950's incarnations did, films like the ones I've mentioned alongside Princess Mononoke had extremely powerful and capable female leads that even Disney had yet to reach at the time.  Miyazaki is considered by many to be the true successor to Walt Disney in the medium and in essence, I would have to agree.  While there have been many great animators to come and go, no one has pushed the medium forward the way he has.  And it would only continue as the years would go.  But still, it would take time for America to recognize his work for what it was.

A Town called Springfield 

The end of the 1980's saw the establishment of the Modern Age of Animation.  Don Bluth's early work, alongside the booming success of films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and the revival of interest in television shows such as The Flintstones prompted studios to consider bringing another animated show into the prime time.  Though many spoke loudly but didn't have much to back up their gusto, James Brooks saw potential in a comic strip writer named Matt Groening and asked him to create an animated segment for The Tracey Ullman Show.  Not wanting to lose his rights to his own strip, Groening developed a modern American family with many flaws.  The segments followed the daily lives of the Simpsons, a family just like yours only worse.  The segments were so popular, Fox signed on to have the segments turned into a cartoon series on par with The Flintstones.

The resulting show would go on to become the longest running animated show in American History, rapidly approaching it's 27th season of work.  The Simpsons follows the daily and often fanciful lives of Homer, a drunken reprobate who often endangers his family with his chaotic escapades, his wife Marge, a kind yet stubborn mother who tries her hardest to keep the family together, their son Bart, a derelict who relishes in causing physical and emotional harm to others with childish pranks, their daughter Lisa, a misunderstood yet overachieving bookworm, and their infant daughter Maggie who only communicates with her pacifier.  The show had numerous running gags (from the prank calls to Moes tavern and their acclaimed "Treehouse of Horror" episodes) and has become the sources for some of the most influential animators in modern times.

Pixar and the CAPS System



The subsequent successes of their animated films and booming business in every other industry in the company left the Walt Disney Company rolling in money.  Animation Department heads Peter Schneider and Roy Disney insisted the money be put back into the system, resulting in the binding $10 million agreement between Walt Disney Pictures and a small animation company based in California that used computers to animate.  Pixar and Disney's relationship was intially meant purely for business, while animators at Pixar would clean up and digitally paint each frame of animation for their films.  The first to obtain this treatment was the sequel to the surprisingly successful The Rescuers, which would be based in Australia and have a much more adventurous appeal to it.

Pixar had originally been the property of George Lucas, who used their computers to digitally edit his films and help enhance his films.  He eventually sold the computers to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who would broker the agreement between Disney and Pixar to use their computers to digitally animate their films, which would not only keep costs down, but would also help complete their films more quickly and look far more like the older Disney films in the 1950's.

The computer system that worked on The Rescuers Down Under was called the Computer Aided Post-production System, which would be at work with all traditionally animated Disney Films into 2004 and would be essential in the studio's continuing rise back to prominence.  However, despite the beautiful scenes and stunning animation, The Rescuers Down Under performed poorly at the box office and was quickly shoveled out of the limelight.  Down Under is often forgotten by casual Disney fans and should be recognized as part of the resurgence of the company, as it's animation styles and great use of the CAPS system would be vital to future animated films.

A Tale as Old as Time...

The Little Mermaid was not the only Fairy Tale that had been shelved by Walt Disney in the 1950's.  Walt had always been intrigued by the story of Beauty and the Beast and had attempted in earnest to make his own version of the film, but could not get himself passed the second half of the film, with issues including the gloominess of the story, inability to design the Beast, and struggling with story structure, resulting in the cancellation of development twice.  In 1989, Jeffery Katzenberg contacted studio producer Don Hahn to begin development on their version of Beauty and the Beast in London, hoping to convince Richard Williams to work on the film.  Williams declined, but recommended his friend Richard Purdum to direct instead.  The first 20 minutes of the film was completed by the time of The Little Mermaid's premiere in theaters and was presented to Jeffery Katzenberg and Roy Disney, both whom rejected the film.  It was deemed too dull and slow paced and lacked the charm and whimsy of the studio's latest animated hit.  And with a recession hitting at the same time as the studio vowed to release one film a year for the next several years, the team was forced to restructure the story in time for a Fall 1991 release date.  Purdum stepped down when the film began to turn away from his vision, prompting Katzenberg to install Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale as directors.

Katzenberg pressured Howard and Alan to again work on this film and managed to convince Ashman to work on the film despite his eagerness to work on Aladdin.  It was at this point that it was discovered that Ashman was slowly dying of AIDS related complications, prompting much of the animation on Disney's 30th animated film to be animated in New York, along with most of the film's recording of both songs and dialogue.  However, instead of settling on whatever the East Coast had to offer, the cast of the film was hired based on success on stage and in the theater.  Broadway veterans Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach were selected for the cast, while then current stars Paige O' Hara and Richard White were also cast.


All of the hard work and effort that went into Beauty and the Beast slowly made everyone realize exactly how special the film they were working on was.  The songs were evocative of the best of Broadway, the story (written by Roger Allers and Linda Woolverton) was as solid as possible, and the animation would take the medium to previously unattainable areas.  The most famous scene in the film, the ballroom dance between the Beast and Belle, utilized a computerized camera that conveyed the illusion of three dimensional movement and drastically heightened the raw emotional power of the scene.  The scene was all the more emotionally potent when Ashman finally passed away in March of 1991, never seeing either Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin completed.  Ashman is viewed by many as the heart and soul of not only The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, but the entire resurgence of Disney in general, and the film was ultimately dedicated to him.

In a stunning move, the marketing department took an offer from the New York Film Festival to air the film, but decided to show the film as a Work in Progress cut.  This was meant to remind people of the hard work and dedication each animated film took, but petrified Wise and Trousdale, who feared that no one would buy into the film without it being completed.  The standing ovation the film received following it's completion assured them that this was no ordinary animated film.

Confidence brimming, they had no fears when Beauty and the Beast was finally released in theaters in November 1991.  As expected, the film was greeted with euphoric praise and adoration and was the crown jewel of the holiday season.  The film shattered the records they had set with The Little Mermaid, grossing over $300 million worldwide, including nearly half of it's total earnings in the United States and Canada.  The film also dominated during awards season, winning three Golden Globes, including Best Picture.  As the Academy Awards were announced, Hollywood was in shock when the film was nominated for six Oscars, including an unprecedented three song nominations and becoming the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture.  Though it would not win the award, it's nomination proved that animation was back and this time it was here to stay.

The Copycat Era 

While many in the animation medium found astounding success with working on their own original content, there were some who would rather make cheap cash quickly instead of working out diligently on their own work.  The revival of Disney brought about the rise of many competing companies and brands, some not for the better.  The most infamous company for directly trying to cash in on other studio's success is called GoodTimes Entertainment, which slapped together poorly animated films that more closely followed the original books while desperately trying to swipe profits from Disney.  They would release many titles named closely after Disney films, including The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Beauty and the Beast.  While the films would do very little to harm Disney's profits (mostly grandmothers and out of touch relatives would buy them, figuring they were the Disney Films), one film they would make in particular would actually cause a major lawsuit between Goodtimes and Disney over the similarities of the covers.  The case would be resolved, but GoodTimes would have to place their logo over every one of their releases.



Animation would never be the same after this era.  Miyazaki, GoodTimes, The Simpsons, and Disney would all impact the medium so vastly, that it would move into virtually every aspect of entertainment.  Adults cartoons and childrens cartoons would be forever shaken by this successful era and would make Saturday Morning cartoons and Prime Time cartoons all the more enjoyable.  America would soon get a rich taste of Japanese culture and would never let go.  And Disney was again on top of the animation world looking down on the rest of the world.

But work would need to be done to maintain their stance.  Their opponents would have to be swept away and they would need to recover from losing a genius like Ashman.  Work would begin on five films at the Disney Studio that would have a significant impact on the medium forever: the tale of a peasant boy who discovers a magic lamp, the haunting story of a king of ghosts who discovers Christmas, a sweeping historical romance set in Colonial Virginia, a buddy comedy starring toys, and an epic journey of finding your place in nature's "Circle of Life"...but we'll get to those in another post...

Chapter 11 (SORA): The Hidden Tower

        Previously in Kingdom Hearts III: Setting out from Yen Sid's tower, Sora prepared to go on one final journey to quell the forces of evil and bring about an end to the tyrannical reigns of both Maleficent and the mysterious Master Xehanort.  Though still a trainee with the Keyblade, he is confident in his own abilities, as he has made multiple journey's already in comparison to both Riku and Kairi.  

        Sora's first journey took him to a kingdom plagued by a wintry storm in the middle of summer.  After dealing with some Heartless, he is tasked by Princess Anna to escort her to find her sister, Queen Elsa, the only being with the power to restore the summer.  Their journey takes them up the mighty North Mountain and has them come across an odd mountain man named Kristoff, his reindeer friend Sven, and a magical talking snowman named Olaf.  Sora ultimately rescues Elsa from the ambitions of Maleficent and teamed up with the young queen to defeat the schemes of the vile Prince Hans and restored peace to the kingdom of Arendelle.  

        Reuniting with his close friends Donald Duck and Goofy, Sora was tasked by King Mickey with bringing their friend Belle to safe keeping in their world.  Upon arriving at the Beast's Castle, however, they discovered that the Beast had already freed her and was too depressed to bring her back, only having moments left before he would be cursed forever.  Sora and his friends rushed back to find her, only to find trouble in her suitor, a brash hunter named Gaston, who vowed to kill the Beast and win Belle's heart back.  After saving Belle from a Heartless, Sora brought her back to the castle in time to help the Beast defeat Gaston.  Wounded during the battle, the Beast's curse is lifted when a grieving Belle professes her love to him.  Restored to a human, he graciously allows Sora to leave with Belle, promising to be there once she returned.  

        Sora's next mission sent him looking for Riku in the dense jungles of the Wild Jungle.  Despite his mission, Sora allows himself to be roped into a search mission for a missing boy named Mowgli, who is the target of the wicked tiger Shere Khan.  After Sora is kidnapped by a band of monkeys, he comes face to face with Khan and vows to protect Mowgli.  A battle ensues in which Sora and the lovable bear Baloo defeat Khan and send him off in a fright over fire.  After reuniting Mowgli and Baloo, Mowgli is drawn to the Man Village by the siren song of a young girl, where Sora is certain he belonged.  

       Sora has grown much since he started out on this journey, but after he met up with Riku in the Wild Jungle, he learned he would have to do something he didn't think he was ready for: go on a mission with his best friend and crush, Kairi.  Despite his nervousness and quaking heart, the Keyblade hero sets off back to Disneyland to find her...

        As Sora departed from the entrance to the Jungle Cruise, he knew his search for Kairi would have to take him farther than the confines of Adventure Land.  Once he saw that she was no where in sight, he hurried down the path back towards Fantasy Land.

        Sora skidded to a halt by the entrance to Fantasy Land via the New Orleans Square and once again looked for Kairi.  Once again, he saw no sign of the red headed girl.  "This would be so much easier if she would just show up!" Sora thought aloud.  "Guess I'd better keep looking."  Sora continued down the fanciful streets of Fantasy Land, passing by the Prince Charming Carousel, which seemed to be slowly gathering momentum to spin.  Rather than wait around and hope Kairi was going to come off, he decided to keep exploring the rest of Fantasy Land in the meantime.  As he passed by the Rabbit's Hole and neared Gaston's Tavern, his attention was fixed on a mysterious ivy covered boulder hidden away.  The boulder appeared to lead to nothing, but seeing as how different the ivy looked in comparison to both the Tavern and the Matterhorn behind it, he decided it was worth an exploration.
        The closer he got to the boulder, the closer he noticed that the ivy was covering more than just a rock.  He pushed his hand through the ivy and found a path leading down towards something.  "A secret tunnel?  I wonder where this leads?  Guess there's only one way to find out."
        "Sora?!" a voice called from behind him.  Sora did not need to turn.  He'd heard that voice many times in his life and many more times in his thoughts and dreams.  "There you are.  I've been looking all over for you."
        "So have I, Kairi" Sora answered, finally turning to face her.  He hadn't seen Kairi since they'd parted ways on their journey.  Something seemed different about her, he noticed.  It wasn't an immediate difference, but instead one only he could tell, having been around her as long as he could remember.  "Wow, you've really changed Kairi."
        Kairi eyed Sora curiously.  "I have?"
        "I don't think a stranger would notice" the boy continued, scratching beneath his nose nervously.  "But you look like you've grown a lot stronger with the Keyblade.  It looks like you haven't been pulling any punches since you started along side Riku and me."
        Kairi laughed.  "Thanks Sora.  You've changed a lot too."
       "Eh, not too much I hope."  An awkward silence followed as Sora and Kairi each exchanged smiles, both unsure where to carry the conversation next.  "So...did you enjoy the worlds you've seen?"
       Kairi nodded.  "I've seen a lot since I started out.  Obviously not as much as you, but I noticed how much work it is to keep the worlds in order.  I've mostly been out there helping Mickey find some of the princesses.  That's why I want to go out there and find more worlds than just the ones I've been to.  What about you?"
      Sora smiled contently.  "I've been doing a little bit of everything.  Keeping the peace, stomping out Pete and Maleficent, the usual stuff."
      "Glad to hear you haven't run into any serious trouble yet" she responded happily.  "I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind...ya know...if I went with you to a world?"
       Sora gasped.  "Really?  I was about to ask you that myself."
      "I guess great minds think alike?  So, have you figured out a world we can get to?"
       Sora turned back towards the tunnel covered in ivy.  "I think so.  I found this pathway that leads to something.  If it's another world yet, I don't know.  I haven't seen Mickey or Riku to let them know.  But, I guess this is what being a Keyblade Master is all about: finding and opening pathways on our own."
      "Then what are we waiting for?" Kairi exclaimed eagerly.  "I want to see if you pull any punches yourself!"
       Sora grinned.  "Think you can keep up?"
       Kairi stared at Sora, a determined look in her eyes.  "I didn't challenge you and Riku to races for nothing.  I think the two of us will be fine."
       Sora nodded.  "Glad to hear it.  Let's go, Kairi!"

New Party Member: Kairi

HP: 60

MP: 110

Friendship: 90

Weapon:

Destiny's Embrace (+2 STR, +3 MAG)

Armor:

Armor of the Princess (+1 STR, +3 MAG, +4 DEF)

Accessories:

Princess Charm (+4 AP, +2 MAG)

Items:

x2 Potions, x2 Ethers

Abilities:

Mage Power: Double the power of Magical Upgrades

Faithcharge: Send columns of light hurtling at enemies (Cost 10 MP)

Shining Light: Restore Allies HP and cure them of ailments (Costs 99 MP)

Light Storm: Unleash Sora and Kairi's joint limit, Duality Blades 

(Consumes All of Sora's MP)

Magic Boost: Boost the Power of Magic Attacks
Leaf Bracer: Allows Cure to be cast even when under attack
Item Boost: Boost the potency of Items on the field
Lucky Lucky: Increases the Drop Rate of rare items
Shining Aura: Boosts the Defense of Party when HP is low
Air Combo Plus: Adds One Hit onto all aerial combos

        Sora and Kairi looked at each other one last time and exchanged determined smiles.  Finally, the two each took parts of the ivy and pushed it away.  Sora allowed Kairi to pass first and followed her down the long and winding tunnel.  The deeper the two went into it, the less of Disneyland they could hear.  Finally, the two reached yet another wall of ivy.  Not waiting another minute, the two pushed past the final ivy pathway and entered their first world together.  

        High in a tower, hidden deep within the forests, a young woman was bracing herself for what was sure to be her ultimate test.  She was going to ask something almost completely forbidden by her mother.  

       Rapunzel took long and deep breaths as her mother eyed herself in the mirror.  Rapunzel was a beautiful young woman with one incredible feature: her enormous amount of hair.  Brushed daily since birth, she had grown it so long it was nearly a mile in length as she approached her 18th birthday.  She utilized her hair for almost everything, from a broom to a pulley to raise her mother up from the grass every day when she went out to buy the two of them food and other things.  But the most incredible thing her hair could do was heal injuries done by both time and worldly things.  She never knew why she had this power or what it was meant for, but she did everything in her power to keep her hair safe from anyone or anything that would dare to take it.  

       For her entire life, Rapunzel's mother, Mother Gothel, had kept her locked away in the tower, telling her that her there were wicked people in the world who would use her hair for their own purposes.  Gothel, in turn, utilized her daughter's hair for her own purposes and never did reveal her true motives to the naive girl.  

        Gothel, who stared at herself in the mirror, was almost always dressed in burgundy colored robes and had long curly black hair that hung down to her shoulders.  Despite looking fair often, when she began to show even the slightest signs of age, she would go to Rapunzel and use her daughter's hair for youthful enrichment.  As for the love and affection a mother was supposed to show her daughter, Gothel could not be more of a distant mother to her daughter.  She often teased her daughter and mocked her for her naivety and her lack of worldly skills, skills she refused to let her know.  

       Rapunzel nervously approached her mother, gulping as she neared the woman's cold shoulder.  At the urging of her little chameleon friend named Pascal, who hid beneath a chair, the girl summoned what courage she had and spoke to her mother.  "Um, Mother?  In case you didn't know, my birthday is coming up soon...".  Rapunzel waited for her mother to answer, but she never did.  Not wasting anymore time, she continued.  "And, there is really only one thing I could ever want for my birthday."  

      "I already told you, my dear" Gothel answered condescendingly, "I don't think we can find a bigger and better room for you to paint in,"

      "It's not that" Rapunzel answered.  She hurried over to a curtain overlooking their fireplace.  Raising her hair like a pulley, she pulled open the curtains, revealing a mural of herself looking at mysterious golden objects floating in the night sky.  "I would like to see the floating lights for my birthday."

      "Those are just stars, my dear."

      "Stars that just appear on one day of the year?" Rapunzel asked curiously.  "I don't think so.  These are lights and they only shine on my birthday every single year.  I can't help but feel that somehow, they're meant for me.  I need to see them, Mother, in person.  I need to know what they are."

      Gothel rolled her eyes and looked away from Rapunzel.  "Oh, my dear.  You don't know what is out there, just waiting to harm you.  I have kept you here, safe and sound, all these years for your own protection.  You are not ready for the world you are going to see."

      "But Mother--"

      "I do not want to have this conversation again, Rapunzel" the woman coldly replied.  "The answer will not change.  You are not to leave this tower!  Do I make myself clear?!"

       Rapunzel shrunk back from her mother.  Gothel sighed, theatrically falling into a chair beside the mirror.  "Wonderful.  Now I am the bad guy.  All I want to do is keep my little girl safe from all of the monstrous creatures and dark people out there.  Is it a crime to love, Rapunzel?"

      Rapunzel lowered her head.  "No, I suppose not."

     "Now, is there anything else I can get you for your birthday?" 

      Her heart sinking and her eyes near tears, the girl quietly whispered her next desire.  "Can I have some more paint?  I think I'm running out of some colors."

      "A trip to that part of the Kingdom will take a long time, Rapunzel.  Are you sure you will be alright alone for that long?"

      Rapunzel nodded.  "I will be fine, Mother.  Here.  Where no one can find me..."

      "And that is exactly why I know you will be safe" Gothel grinned.  She patted Rapunzel on her head before turning to leave the tower through another of Rapunzel's pulley systems.  "I will be back soon, my dear.  I love you."

      "I love you too...Mother..."

      A wall of ivy bustled slightly before Sora and Kairi emerged from a tunnel.  As soon as they were out of the tunnel, they began to look at where they were.  All they could see around them was a wide forest.  Streams flowed gently down the hill, trees steadily swayed back and forth through the breeze, and the sounds of little woodland creatures scurrying about in the trees above and the grass nearby echoed in the otherwise quiet forest.
      Sora stepped back and stretched himself as he eyed their current whereabouts.  "Another forest, huh?"
      "Well, it's an improvement over the last forest I was in" Kairi remarked.
      "Did your forest freeze up in a manner of seconds?"
      "Did yours have tree monsters?"
      Sora laughed.  "Touche.  I guess we'd better take a look around.  Who knows what we might run into here."  As Sora was about to inspect their surrounding area, the loud shouting of men caught him by surprise.  A small group of men charged out down a dirt path.  Their swords were out and they seemed to be on the hunt for something.  They stopped when they noticed Sora and Kairi, but withdrew much of their hostility.
      The lead man approached Sora.  "You there!  Have you seen Ryder?"
      Sora shrugged.  "Who?"
      "Flynn Ryder" the man answered impatiently.  "The thief.  He stole a very valuable object to the King and Queen.  We lost sight of him here in the woods."
      "No, but we'll be on the lookout" Sora answered.  "What does he look like?"
      The man reached into his pocket and unfolded a piece of paper he plucked from within.  The image on the paper showed a dashing rouge with an abnormally shaped nose.  "This more or less is what he looks like.  Be on your guard.  He's a wily one, that Ryder.  If you see him, contact the authorities immediately. understood?"
       Kairi and Sora both nodded.  "Will do" the girl responded.
      The man turned back to his fellow armored comrades.  "Let's keep searching the woods!  Ryder can't get that far without his friends."  The guards darted off into the deeper parts of the woods, allowing Sora and Kairi to relax.
      "Should we help them?" Kairi asked.
      "I'm not sure, yet" Sora answered plainly.  "We'd have to find this Ryder guy first.  Then, we should make a better call on the matter."
      Kairi nodded and looked past Sora.  Sora followed her glance until his eyes caught a man similar to the one he had just been shown in the picture, hiding behind a rock nearby.  Though unlike the picture, he did not have an abnormally large nose.  Sora and Kairi approached the man, who jumped back in fright at the sight of them.  When he noticed they were not with the men who were hunting him, he heaved a deep sigh of relief.
      "Those guards just don't know when to quit" he said thoughtfully.
      Sora and Kairi eyed the man curiously.  "This isn't him, is it?"
      "Didn't that picture say he had a big nose?"
      The man grunted.  "Aw come on!  They still haven't gotten my nose right?"
      Both Keyblade Warriors summoned their weapons.  "You are Flynn Rider!" Sora shouted, aiming his weapon at the man.
      "Whoa whoa!  Easy guys!"
      "What did you steal from the King and Queen?"
      "Nothing they'd really miss" Ryder reasoned.  "Especially with their daughter missing for years now.  I mean, honestly.  They have all the wealth in the world.  Would they really miss a simple tiara?"
      "It doesn't matter" Kairi exclaimed.  "Stealing is still stealing.  You're coming with us."
      Ryder looked past Kairi and jumped back onto the rock.  "What the heck is that thing?"
      Sora and Kairi spun around and found themselves face to face with one of their least favorite sights: Heartless.  The two redirected their weapons at the new enemies while Ryder hopped off the rock and ran off into a patch of ivy.  He vanished behind the ivy as Sora and Kairi were surrounded by Shadows.
     "We have to catch that Ryder!" Kairi shouted.
     "These guys go first!" Sora reminded her.
     "Right!"  Side by side, Sora and Kairi lunged forward to battle the Heartless.

Defeat All of the Heartless

       As the final Heartless fell to Kairi's Keyblade, Sora and Kairi looked around for Flynn.  But they could find no trace of him, until a gentle breeze pushed the ivy wall he had slid past open, revealing a long pathway.  "My guess is he went down that path!" Sora assumed.  

      "Then let's follow him!" Kairi agreed.  

       Sora and Kairi hurried down the path they hoped would lead them to Ryder.  

      Sora and Kairi turned the corner of the pathway and were awestruck by what stood before them.  An almost angelic meadow with a small waterfall that peacefully fell to the ground behind the main viewpoint of the meadow: a tall tower with more of the green colored ivy wrapped around it.

     "This place is beautiful" Kairi remarked.  

     "I wonder why a place like this was hidden from public view" Sora added.  

     "This could be Ryder's secret hideout" Kairi pointed out.  

     "I didn't even think of that" Sora replied.  "Good thinking.  We might have to find a way in to catch him.  Let's look for the entrance."

     

       Sora and Kairi looked all over the base of the tower, in virtually every nook and cranny.  But neither could find an entrance to the tower.  Both were about to give up when they noticed the window was wide open above them.  "Up there" Sora exclaimed.

      "But how are we going to get up there?" 

      "Think we should fly?" Sora asked.

      Kairi was apprehensive to the idea.  "Um, shouldn't we only use the armor for emergencies?"

      "Then we have to climb the tower" Sora shrugged.  

      "How?  There's no ladder."

       Sora eyed a quiver of arrows lying on the ground below.  "I guess we could climb it with those" he answered, gesturing at his discovery.  Kairi raised an eyebrow at the sight of the arrows, but not after Sora plunged two of them into the soft crannies of the tower.  "Unless you want to fly up, this might be our only way."
        Kairi nodded and grabbed two arrows for herself.  Together, the friends painstakingly climbed the enormous tower.  Kairi lost her grip for a moment, but regained it after pushing herself forward.  Sora heaved a sigh of relief as she recovered and pressed onward.  The two finally reached the windowsill.  Sora hopped in and pulled Kairi in after him.  When the two were acclamated to their new area, they were stunned at the events unfolding in the castle.  Long blonde hair hung off of every banister and rafter the tower had.  The loose ends were fit to a chair, securing a panicked Flynn Rider within.
       "Oh great" Flynn replied sarcastically.  "As if I didn't have enough to worry about."
       "So this is your hiding place" Sora accused.
       "I wanted it to be" Rider continued.  "But I found out this secret abandoned tower isn't so secret or abandoned."
       "Who are your friends, thief?" a young woman's voice echoed throughout the room.
       "Aren't you jumping to conclusions?" Sora asked the voice.
       "I will be the one asking questions" the voice replied, trying far too hard to be threatening.
       "Can you get me out of this hair?"
       "I'll let you go" the voice continued, "provided you tell me what I want to know."  Sora and Kairi both noticed someone moving quickly through the shadows.  Finally, when they saw the long blonde hair that followed the figure stopped near a staircase in the distance, the two faintly began to make out the figure of a teenage girl, holding something in her hand.  "Who sent you here?  Who else knows about this place?  And who wants my hair?"
       Kairi raised her eyebrows.  Sora shrugged as his friend looked to him for support.  "Someone is after your hair?" he asked nonchalantly.  "Who would want hair?  We're just here for him."  Sora pointed at Flynn.  "So there's no need for all this secrecy."
      "What about you, thief?" the girl's voice asked Flynn.
      "I was just looking for a place to hide.  I saw a tower and a I climbed it.  The last thing I need is some--."  He struggled against the chair that secured him to the chair he sat on, but could find no give.  "--some blonde hair, okay?"
      The figure slowly came out of the shadows and into the light.  She was a very beautiful girl with golden sunshine colored hair, a pink dress, and emerald colored eyes.  A chameleon rested on her shoulder, eyeing Sora and Kairi curiously.  In her hands, she wielded a frying pan.  Whether or not she was good with the weapon was yet to be seen, and Sora felt uncomfortable with striking a girl immediately.  After all, he'd only sparred with Yuffie and Tifa in the past and had never tried to harm them before.  Ursula and Maleficent were other stories, but she didn't seem quite like them.
      "So, none of you are after my hair?" she asked curiously.
      "Nope" Sora replied cheerfully.
      "Not in particular" Kairi responded.
      "I'd rather get out of your hair actually, and--wait a second!"  Flynn looked around the chair anxiously for something.  "Where's my satchel?  Did I lose it?  Where is it?"
      "Your satchel is hidden somewhere in this tower, Flynn Rider" the girl answered, pointing her frying pan at him.  "And there is no way you will ever find it!"
      "Look, just give me my satchel and you and I can part ways and--"
      "I am willing to make you a deal" the girl interrupted the thief.  She climbed up on top of a doorway and pulled back a curtain, revealing a beautifully illustrated picture of her watching star like objects shine in the skies above a castle in the distance.  "Do you know what these are?"
      "You mean the lantern thing they do for the Princess?" Flynn said, still struggling to free himself from the hair.
      "Lanterns?" Sora asked.
      "Sure.  Long time ago, the King and Queen's daughter vanished into the night.  Some say she was kidnapped by some creepy witch.  Anyway, they release those things every year in hopes that she would return home."
       "Tomorrow is my birthday" the girl explained.  "And all my life, I've wanted to see the lights in person.  If you bring me to those lights and return me to this place safely, Flynn Rider, I will return your precious satchel to you."
       "No can do, Blondie" Flynn replied.  "The Kingdom and I aren't exactly simpatico at the moment, so I cannot take you."
        The girl looked down to the chameleon on her shoulder.  With his two little green paws, he pounded as if he intended to instill pain on him.  "Something brought you here.  Call it what you will.  Fate...destiny..."
        "A horse" Rider replied bluntly.
        "Without my help, you will NEVER see your precious satchel again" the girl reminded him.
        Rider, panicking at the thought of returning to the kingdom, looked frantically over to Sora and Kairi,  "Why don't you just have them take you?"
         The girl looked to Sora and Kairi curiously.  "Will you tell me why you two have come here then?"
        Kairi looked to Sora, who decided to take the initiative.  "Well, it's a bit of a long story, but we'd be happy to take you to see the lights."
        The girl jumped with excitement.  "Thank you very much--um--"
        Sora pounded on his chest.  "My name is Sora and this is my friend Kairi."
       Kairi gave their new friend a courteous wave.  "Hello."
       "Well then" Flynn chided, "Sora and Kairi, was it?  If you're going to take Blondie here to see the lights, then there's really no reason for me to be--"
        "Not so fast, Ryder" Sora stopped him.  "You're coming with us."
        "What?  Why?"
        "First of all" Kairi explained, walking closer to Flynn, "you are the reason we are even here in the first place.  Secondly, we could use your knowledge of the kingdom when we get there.  Thirdly, along with the promise of your returned satchel, we promise to not turn you into the authorities."
        "And what good are the promises of a spiky haired kid, his red headed girlfriend, and a girl who's more hair than girl?"
        Kairi seemed flustered by Flynn's accusations, but Sora didn't notice.  He was instead trying to figure out the right thing to convince Flynn to come along with them.  But his blonde haired captor was the one to talk first.  "Trust us or not, let me tell you this!  You can tear this tower brick by brick, but you will never find your satchel without my help."
        "Let me get this straight" Flynn reasoned, looking at Sora and Kairi first.  "You two are going to let me go off free if I go with you guys to this light show?"  When Sora and Kairi nodded, he turned his attention to the girl.  "And you will return my satchel to me when I take you to this same show and bring you back safe and sound?"
        "I promise."
        Rider raised an eyebrow.  "You 'promise'"
        Rapunzel's mood did not change.  "Yes.  I promise.  And when I promise something, I never break that promise.  Ever."
        Flynn sighed.  "Fine, Blondie.  You win."
       "My name is Rapunzel!"
       "Fine.  Rapunzel, you win.  I'll take you to see these lights."
       Rapunzel nodded and yanked her hair free from Flynn, causing him to spin around and fall to the ground with a thud.  "Well then, shall we be off?"
       Kairi sighed.  "What have we gotten into?"
       "Trust me, Kairi" Sora laughed, "you'll get used to it."
   
        The four companions all stood before the window.  Flynn jumped out first, climbing down with a pair of arrows of his own.  He looked up and grinned.  "Are you guys coming or what?"
        Sora grinned.  "Let's go!"  Sora slammed his armor piece and his armor came around him.  With one quick flick of the wrist, he jumped aboard his Keyblade and flew down into the meadow below.  Once he landed, he deactivated his armor and looked up at an astonished Flynn.  "Are you coming or what?"
        "Touche, kid" Ryder called.  "I gotta get me one of those flying swords."  Flynn continued taking piece by piece out of the tower, slowly making his way back down the tower.
        Sora sighed and put away his Keyblade.  "You'll find that they're picky about their owners.  You can't just buy one."
        "Well that's certainly a deal breaker" Flynn sadly answered, but his sadness returned to astonishment when Kairi did the same thing, flying out the window and despite almost losing her balance, landed with enough grace beside Sora to make Flynn grunt.  "And she can do it too?"
        Sora scratched his head as he addressed Kairi,  "Wow, you're getting pretty good at flying."
        Kairi beamed at her friend's compliment.  "Thanks, Sora.  I'm not as good as you and Riku, though."
       "Hey, we're not masters at it yet either" Sora reasoned.  "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time.  You just need a little practice, that's all."  Sora looked around the meadow.  "So, where's Rapunzel?"
       Kairi pointed up.  Sora looked up in awe as Rapunzel fastened her hair onto a hook hanging by the window.  She stepped out cautiously and began to slide down her hair as if it were a rope.  Before landing on the ground, she crouched in and stared at the ground as if she'd never seen grass in her life.  She nervously placed her bare foot on the grass.  Once she felt the grass tickle her toes as she'd dreamed it would, she released her hair and raced about the meadow, laughing and jumping as she did.
      After a few minutes, Rapunzel calmed herself down and returned to her friends.  "I can't believe I actually left the tower!"  But before anyone could reply, her eyes widened and her tone turned into a guilt and fear stricken one.  "I can't believe I did this.  Mother would be so furious with me."
     "This could be harder than I thought" Sora remarked.
     "Let me handle this" Flynn replied coolly.  He walked over to Rapunzel and put a hand on her shoulder.  "Ya know, I can't help but notice you feel at war with yourself.  Let me ease your conscience.  Rebellion is healthy for someone to grow up.  Sure it may crush your mother's heart and ruin your relationship forever--"  At those words, Rapunzel shriveled up, curling into a ball of her own misery.  "--but hey, sometimes you've got to make difficult choices.  But if you're struggling with this, how about we forget this light stuff and restructure our deal.  You go back inside, I get my satchel, our friends here forget I was ever around, and we all part ways as unlikely friends right?"
     "In your dreams!" Kairi exclaimed boldly.
     "No.  I am going to see those lights and you are taking me there" Rapunzel announced.
     "Oh come on!" Flynn pouted.
     Rapunzel confidently strutted past Rider, and stood by the ivy walls, waiting for him and the others to follow.  As Rider was left in frustration, Sora walked up to him.  "Just a warning, until we make it to the city, our deal is not yet set."
     "Blackmail, huh?  I may have underestimated you two."  Rider hurried along after Rapunzel, with Sora and Kairi close behind him.
       

Film Review #118: Captain America: Civil War

If you ask me, at least as the year has started, 2016 has NOT been a good year for films.  Aside from the surprisingly effective Zootopia and the hilariously dark Deadpool, I have been disappointed by literally every single other film to I have seen this year, prior to last night.  The Jungle Book was messy, Ratchet and Clank was a serious stinker, Kung Fu Panda 3 was very disappointing, London has Fallen was a predictably bad sequel, and I don't have the energy to get into Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice right now.  So, what optimism I had going to see this film last night was very low, especially seeing as how it seemed like so long ago that I got a movie that blew me away in theaters (Frozen or The Winter Soldier comes to mind).

To put it bluntly, Captain America: Civil War, in terms of quality of story, character, themes, suspense, and excitement, can rival The Dark Knight and The Avengers as the single greatest comic book movie ever made.  I'm not joking.  This film is gripping, compelling, tragic, dark, literally everything I loved about my all time favorite film, minus Heath Ledger as the Joker.  I was astonished by how amazing this film was, and it certainly washed the bad taste out of my mouth from the sludge I have had to trudge through all year so far.

Plot: The "B-Squad" Avengers (which is what I like to call them), are off on a mission to capture Crossbones (one of the defected S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from The Winter Soldier) and stop him from launching a chemical weapon bomb on the people of the village.  The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) manages to keep the bomb from killing Captain America (Chris Evans), but it explodes in the air, killing a crap ton of people in a nearby building.

The resulting disaster prompts the United Nations to demand the Avengers sign the Sokovia Accords (named for the successful yet catastrophic mission to destroy Ultron in the last film).  Motivated by a confrontation with a woman while giving a commencement speech and his own shame over the Ultron affair, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) agrees wholeheartedly and expects the team to do so as well.  But Rogers argues that giving up to the government is unacceptable, arguing that the government always has it's own agenda and will exercise their own beliefs in all affairs (both positive and negative).  The team finds itself split on the matter, as Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Wanda Maximoff choose to ally with Rogers, while the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle), and the Vision (Paul Bettany), agree that they need regulation.

But the plot gets shifted into hyperdrive when the UN Meeting is attacked by a rogue assassin believed to be the Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who murders the respected king of Wakanda, causing his son to vow vengeance.  As Rogers and his allies begin to despise the very thing they swore to protect in an effort to protect a framed Bucky Barnes, Stark and his allies go off to pursue them, with each team picking up new members in preparation for an epic battle that could perhaps all be a small piece in a grander scheme to divide and conquer the Avengers once and for all.
What's Bad?: Like most films, Civil War is not without flaw.  The biggest for me was the sheer hostility from certain members of the Avengers towards others.  While some of it is explained in the film (Stark-Rogers, Stark-Barnes, Vision-Maximoff), some of the sheer hatred Cap's team had for Tony at a certain point in the film is startling.  I mean, weren't these guys all friends at some point?  Did that comedic hammer lifting scene not happen in Age of Ultron?

What's Good?: Downey Jr. and Evans provide the film with some chillingly good performances.  While you know the two of them did not always see eye to eye, you could tell that the more they interacted, the better friends they became throughout the series.  Which is actually makes the final fight between the two all the more painful.  You can tell these two seriously wish they didn't have to fight each other and that final fight is probably the best choreographed and written fight scene in the entire MCU.  Downey in particular gives off an incredible performance, delving deeper into the psyche of Tony Stark in ways I never thought they'd ever do.  He really does define the sympathetic antagonist.

The action in this film is also incredible.  The set piece of course being the epic showdown at the Berlin Airport, where Cap's team (Captain America, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Falcon, and Ant Man) battle Tony's Team (Iron Man, Black Widow, Vision, War Machine, Black Panther, and an epic cameo from Spider-Man).  The one liners are hilarious and awesome and some of the action scenes rival the best in any action films made to that date.  My favorite action scene is of course when Ant Man becomes Giant Man and squares off with Spider Man.

The best part about this film is that it doesn't really matter who's side you are on, because both sides are actually correct in their analysis's of the situation.  Rogers believes he cannot compromise his own beliefs because of his experiences in the past with government flexing it's muscles over the masses.  He also believes in protecting those who deserve protection and fears that the government always has it's own agenda.  Stark, conversely, who was directly involved in creation of Ultron and for the formation of the Avengers, believes that they're kind of power and intellect needs to be controlled should something like Ultron happen again.  Vision also had a strong point to make on the subject and I will try to paraphrase it here:

"Since Mr. Stark revealed himself to be Iron Man eight years ago, the number of known superheroes has increased dramatically.  At the same time, the number of potential world ending catastrophes has also dramatically increased.  There must be a correlation..."

You can clearly tell that both sides are indeed correct and that a middle ground is almost impossible to reach.  You know neither Rogers nor Stark would give up an inch in the other direction yet you can also see the pain in their eyes when they see how damaging the related conflict between their two ideologies can be.

Overall: Civil War is without a doubt the best film in the MCU to date.  Whenever a film can make you question the very fabric of two completely opposite perspectives and give you two well thought out reasons as to why things should be changed in this way, you know you have a great film in your hands.  Not every film has to be a popcorn film like Age of Ultron or an Oscar bait film like The Artist.  Some films can be one and the same and blend both intense drama and intense action, giving two audiences what they want to see.  I know it's early and I know the Academy tends to avoid blockbusters for the major awards (with a few glaring exceptions), but I think they should seriously consider this film for at least one of the major academy awards for either Best Picture or Best Actor/Supporting Actor for RDJ or Evans.  This film was a masterpiece in every meaning of the word.

Final Grade: 98 or A+

Film Review #117: Ant Man

Following the surprise success of Guardians of the Galaxy, I guess Marvel decided to go with a new super hero to complete Phase II of their complex and engaging storyline.  Of all of the mainstream and secondary characters to be classified as Avengers, Ant Man was most certainly the one I knew little about.  I figured he could shrink his suit down to the size of an ant, but I didn't know much else.  In fact, this was a movie I waited until it was out on Blu Ray to see.  I opted not to see this film in theaters and instead pumped myself up to see The Force Awakens.  So, when I saw Ant-Man finally came out on Blu Ray, I took a look at it.  And I got a pretty standard Marvel film on the level of a Captain America: The First Avenger or an Iron Man 2.  Nothing incredibly special, but nothing to be ashamed of.  In fact, had I never seen Deadpool, it would probably be one of the funnier of the comic book movies I've seen  in a long time (and I mean intentionally funny).

Plot: Small time thief Scott Lang is freed from prison after being caught stealing and tries to make amends to his divorced wife and estranged daughter.  But the wife and her new fiance rebuke him and demand his unpaid child support for their daughter.  With little choice, Lang joins forces with his old cellmate in one last heist to get the money to pay for his child support (his criminal record prevents him from holding a job), in which he steals what he thought was a motorcycle suit.  But instead, he finds that the suit shrinks him down to the size of an ant.  Terrified, he tries to return the suit to it's rightful owner, but is arrested and thrown in jail.  However, the owner of the suit happens to be a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. named Hank Pym, who decides to recruit Lang in a plan to steal similar suit from his rival, who intends to smuggle the designs off to Hydra.

What's Bad?: The only thing I can say about this film that is truly mediocre or bad is the fact that Ant-Man does not cover any new ground in terms of the MCU.  In fact, if you include the snarky love interest, the incredible yet unpredictable battle suit, and the villain who intends to make a better version of the respective suit, this film can technically be a rehash of Iron Man.  But whereas that film had multiple personalities to bounce off of, this film only really has one personality.

What's Good?: Paul Rudd has always been one of those actors I thought was too good to not be selected to be in one of these franchise series or universes.  Rudd is mostly good in this for his likable personality and his comedic banter with Evangeline Lilly (who plays Hank Pym's daughter Janet).  And while he lacks the volatility of Robert Downey Jr., he is certainly capable of keeping pace with his fellow leading actors in the MCU and I do look forward to seeing him in his next film, or if he will be in the next Avengers film.

I also really enjoyed some of the action scenes in the film.  The amount of depth they manage to give battlefields as small as a train set is really extraordinary and reminds me a lot of the kind of depth they gave the scenery of a film like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

Overall: I really didn't have much to say about Ant-Man aside from the fact that it is a perfectly adequate comic book movie.  It didn't really push any boundaries and it didn't exactly piss me off much, if at all.  I wouldn't exactly go out of my way to watch the film again, but I cannot exactly say I would avoid this film as I would Iron Man 3.  It's a perfectly "okay" film.

Final Grade: 83 or B

Chapter 17 (RIKU): Xehanort's Ambitions

Chapter 17 (Riku): Xehanort's Ambitions

        As Riku prepared to leave Olympus, he heard a faint clapping noise behind him.  Riku spun around and found himself face to face again with Master Xehanort.  The elderly villain clapped slowly as Riku stared at him with pure derision.  

       "I must admit, Riku" Xehanort chided, "you have proven me wrong.  I had believed the light made you weaker.  However, perhaps there is some truth to this ancient tale that friendship is what fuels the light."

       "It does" Riku snapped, preparing himself for a battle with the wicked warrior.  "It was how Lightning and I defeated Caius.  And it's exactly how Sora, Kairi and I will defeat you!"

       Xehanort grinned menacingly.  "Indeed?  I would like to know then, how can you possibly do so without them here to aid you?"

       Riku scoffed at Xehanort's observation.  "Seeing as how you had to send Caius out to do your job, I doubt you're as powerful as you claim to be anyway."  

      "You yourself should know not to trifle with the power and the ambition of the dark, Riku" Xehanort warned him.  "I doubt you would want to end up like that dense fool who became one of my vessels."

      Riku raised an eyebrow.  "Are you talking about one of Mickey's friends?"

     Xehanort's eyes flared.  "Correct.  That feckless youth, the one who is responsible as to why you can wield the Keyblade in the first place.  The one who despite good intentions, could not stave back the darkness in his heart."

      Riku gasped.  "Wait.  That man, on the Islands..."

      "Now you realize" Xehanort sneered, "I know more than you think I do, and more than I am willing to admit at the moment.  However, I do know something today that I didn't a few moments ago.  I do know what exactly drives the passionate fighting of the Guardians of Light.  And I know exactly, how to disturb this flow."  Xehanort called forth a portal of dark energy and prepared to venture into it's abyss.  "I am certain we shall meet again, Riku."  

      "Wait!  Stop!"  Riku charged after Xehanort and vanished into the darkness with him.  

        Riku found himself in a vast canyon.  The air was piercingly cold.  In the distance, Riku noticed objects lying in the dirt, abandoned by their owners.  As he studied closer, he drew back in horror as he recognized most of the objects.  "Those are Keyblades!"

       "This is the location of the previous Keyblade War" Xehanort shouted from above.  Riku looked at the top of the canyon and saw Xehanort standing above him, his own shadowy Keyblade in hand.  "Long ago, countless Keyblade wielders fought and died to obtain the most powerful weapon in the universe, the X-blade.  With it's power, it was said one could unlock literally anyone's heart or mind.  The greater prize lie in it's ability to awaken the true form of the ultimate light, Kingdom Hearts.  Here, thirteen years ago, I waged a smaller war with three Keyblade Warriors to obtain the X-blade.  Although I was successful at attaining the foolish boy as my vessel, I failed to obtain my goal because of rashness and impetuousness unbecoming of a master like myself."  

       Riku simply stared at Xehanort coldly.  

       "Perhaps you wonder why I am telling you this" Xehanort continued.  "Simple.  Because you know what will happen in this same battlefield in just a short time.  Twelve of the Thirteen Seekers have been found.  As have Five of the Seven Guardians.  It will not be long before I have my final Seeker of Darkness and you your Seventh Guardian of Light.  The Keyblade War will come, Riku.  But this time, it will come on the terms history had built for it."  

       "We won't fight in this war, Xehanort!" Riku proclaimed.  "It doesn't matter what you're planning.  We will keep the worlds safe forever if we have to!  But you will not get the X-blade!  Not while we're here to stop you!"

        "Ah, you remind me much of the youth whom I coerced into becoming my vessel" Xehanort noticed.  "All of this banter to speak of, yet you have no means with which to keep me from getting what I want.  Nor do you have the power to keep others from fighting in your place.  In the end, the pieces will fall in their predetermined place."

        Riku aimed his Keyblade at Xehanort.  "I will NEVER let that happen!"

        "You?  Please!  A weakling like you can't even keep my minions from infiltrating Disneyland.  Much less stopping my ambitions.  In the end, Riku, your denial of the darkness will be your undoing.  I have already foreseen your demise, boy.  You will fall the same way my friend Eraqus did.  You will die in your blind attempt to save another from your fate!"  

        "Another?"

        Xehanort leaped down into the canyon and stood in front of Riku.  "And once I have completed my plans, I will crush all who would dare to intervene with my plans!  Even foolish boys like you!"  

        Riku and Xehanort stared each other down until a shining light appeared in front of them.  "What?" both warriors shouted.  The light faded and Mickey emerged from it, his own Keyblade in hand.  

        "Mickey?"

        "Riku!  Are you alright?  I came as soon as I heard Xehanort was spotted!" 

        Xehanort fired a pulse of dark energy at Mickey, but Riku deflected it.  "We can talk later!  Come on, Mickey!"

         "Right!" Mickey nodded as the two turned on Xehanort.  

New Party Member: Mickey

HP: 100

MP: 100

Friendship: 100

Weapon: Star Seeker (+5 STR, +1 MAG)

Armor: N/A

Accessories:

Master Ring (+5 HP, +5 STR, +5 DEF, +5 MAG)

Items:

(x2 Mega Potions, x2 Mega Ethers)

Abilities:

llumination: Launch Fireworks at enemies, stunning them

Faithcharge: Send out an volley of energy balls

Sea of Light: Bathe the entire area in light, causing great damage to enemies

Curagun: Replenish all HP of all allies and remove any negative ailments

MP Hastega: Magic reloads at an incredible rate

True Mastery: All Attacks do 50% more damage

Item Boost: Boost the potency of items on the field

Second Chance: Ensure 1 HP remains after taking critical damage

Once More: Ensure 1 HP remains after taking damage from a combo

Boss Battle: Master Xehanort I

HP: 800

Battle Music: Black Powder

GET BONUS:

Riku Obtained the Zero Gravity Element

Mickey: +10 Friendship

        Riku and Mickey hopped backwards and remained on the defensive.  Xehanort, however, seemed to have lost little energy in the battle.  He brushed some debris and dust off of his jacket and mockingly laughed at the two fatigued warriors of light.  "I cannot say I am pleased with your performances" he sneered.  "I had expected you two to become much stronger than when we'd last met."  

       "He doesn't--he doesn't even look worn out" Riku remarked, breathing heavily whilst trying to maintain his standing.  

       "Stay strong, Riku" Mickey cheered, though he too seemed submissive.  

       Xehanort stood straight and put away his own weapon.  "In fact, you two aren't even worth the effort.  It seems to me you still need more time to build your strength.  And I will be more than happy to grant you a reprieve, if you wish."

       Riku grunted.  "Not a chance!"

       "Careful, Riku" Xehanort chided.  "If you wear yourself out in this battle you cannot win, how do you intend to defeat anyone else when the time comes?"

       "Riku is not weak, Xehanort!" Mickey snapped.  

       "I will be the judge of his strength from this point on, little king.  If I left their training to you completely, they'd have a hard time picking flowers apparently."

       Riku lunged forward, but Xehanort called forth a gale of immense power to blast Riku and Mickey away.  "You won't get out of this, Xehanort!"

      Xehanort turned to leave, but Mickey darted towards him and swung his Keyblade at him.  Xehanort parried the strike with his own weapon, before blasting Mickey with a pulse of dark energy.  As the little mouse king tumbled back toward Riku, he caught his friend and gripped Mickey's body to him.  

      "I am most disappointed in you two" Xehanort snarled.  "Consider yourselves lucky I have things to do in other places.  In the meantime, perhaps you could learn a bit from your mistakes instead of making the same mistakes Terra made."

      "Terra?" Riku asked.  But before he could get his answer, Xehanort vanished into the darkness.  The gale swept Riku and Mickey into the air and began to toss and spin them around violently.  As Riku and Mickey flew towards the skies above their predetermined battleground, a beam of light shined on them and carried them away to safety.  

      Riku placed Mickey's unconscious body down on Master Yen Sid's desk.  Yen Sid overlooked his apprentice and nodded grimly.  "It is as I feared.  Xehanort has gotten stronger."

      "He'll be okay, right?" Riku asked, worried for the first time about Mickey since he had lost contact with him in Castle Oblivion.  

       Yen Sid nodded.  "Yes.  But he will need time to recover and time to train for what lies ahead.  You all will.  I will keep Mickey here until he has recovered enough for me to begin the final steps of his own training.  In the meantime, you will be in charge in Disneyland, Riku."

       "Me?"

       "The task that lies ahead is one I cannot assure will be safe.  I cannot trust the responsibility of leadership to someone as reckless as Lea or as inexperienced as Kairi.  And while I am certain I can count on Sora, I feel you are a bit more mature than he is."

       Riku stood erect before Yen Sid.  "Thank you for the support, Master."

       "While I have you here, how have things been going for the others?  What of Sora and Kairi?  Have they been progressing well?"

       Riku lowered his head.  "That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.  Mickey said, before I set off for my first world, that you and he were worried about Sora.  That he might be--well--he might go down the same path I did."

      Yen Sid nodded.  "Sora has a fire in his heart unmatched by many other Keyblade Wielders of his kind.  That fire can easily turn to rage should someone close to him be harmed.  And rage, is what drives many to seek out darkness in the first place.  It is what cost me a dear friend and one of his own pupils."

      "Do you mean Terra?"

      Yen Sid eyed Riku curiously.  "How did you guess?"

      "Isa and Xehanort keep bringing him up around me.  Was he the one who gave me the power to wield the Keyblade?"

      "It is possible" the wizard answered.  

      "Master, should I be worried about Sora?"

      "Riku, I can only tell you this.  You must trust in Sora, or he will never learn to trust in himself.  Sora connects many of the pieces of history still left unresolved.  In the end, the great battle of our time could be him against Xehanort.  Should that day come, you must be there to support him any way you can.  The bonds you share with him and Kairi, along with the ones they share with you and each other are remarkably strong.  Do not allow outside forces to tear your friendships apart."

      Riku nodded.  "I wish it could be as easy as that."

      "If Sora should ever be in danger of falling down the paths you once walked, I expect you to bring him to me so I may confide something in him.  Something, I think, he should have been told long ago."  

       "What is it?"

        Yen Sid cleared his throat.  "Alas, although you are a Master, there are still some things that must remain a secret to you.  If you are to understand, it must be Sora who tells you.  That is all I have to say on the matter.  You should report to Queen Minnie in Disneyland and tell her Mickey will be away for a while.  Sora and Kairi must know this as well."

         Riku saluted Yen Sid.  "Yes sir!"  Riku turned from Yen Sid's chamber and exited the room, leaving Yen Sid and Mickey in the room alone.  

        The old wizard stroked his long grey beard and placed his hand on Mickey's forehead.  "So much, so soon, will rest on your shoulders, Mickey."  

Chapter 16 (RIKU): Eternal Enemies

Chapter 16 (Riku): Eternal Enemies 

        The streets of Thebes were teeming with Heartless, far more than they had been before.  Riku and Lightning disposed of them easily enough, but Riku recognized a pattern as he and his new partner made their way through the city towards Mount Olympus.  He noticed that in every world he had been to so far, be it Star Command, Wonderland, Wild Jungle, or The Bayou, the more Heartless and enemies that sprouted out, the closer to a powerful enemy he was.  Despite his confidence in putting Hades on ice if need be, Riku was still secretly harboring doubt about his ability to match Caius in power.  He had only been in his presence once and the power he had while relaxed and collected was unyielding.  Few he had ever come across had his kind of power.  Xemnas came to mind and had it not been for Sora, Riku knew he would have been slain by the former leader of Organization XIII.  But the power Caius had was different.  The power he emanated was while he was still calm and not ready for battle.  Xemnas had reached that level when Sora and Riku had provoked him enough.  The same could be said for the Xehanort he battled a few months before during his Mark of Mastery exam.  He too was powerful, but only when pushed to his absolute limit did Riku actually manage to worry about his chances.  

        Neither Riku, nor Lightning talked much during their trek down towards where they expected Hades and Caius to be.  Riku chose to respect his new ally enough to not cause her to lose focus.  Somehow, he felt Lightning was the one being here that could beat someone like Caius.  Lightning, conversely, was still hoping Riku would have second doubts about fighting him and allow her to battle her old foe herself.  But when he kept pace with her, she knew he was there for the fight of the century.  

       No longer able to keep quiet, Riku finally asked the question that had been bugging him since he'd met this mysterious warrior.  "So, how do you know Caius?"

      Lightning stopped in the middle of the street as Riku completed his question.  Riku stopped and looked back.  The face Lightning wore was one Riku had never seen.  It seemed tainted by years of woe and war, misery and might, beauty and pain.  She stared into blank space, her eyes haunted by the countless times she had battled the demonic monster.  "Lightning?"

     "Caius Ballad and I have known each other for many years.  We've been foes almost as long as we can remember.  Hundreds of battles and wars over the years have caused us to bring havoc onto thousands of worlds.  Yet no matter how many times we defeat one another, we keep coming back to ensure neither Darkness nor Light retains complete control.  Why Caius has come to this world at this time, I am not sure.  But I can assure you, Riku, he will not hesitate until he comes into contact with the greatest powers this world offers."  

     Riku nodded.  "Was he always like this?"

     Lightning shrugged.  "Some say, in days long ago, he was happy.  He served under the goddess Yeul over a hundred years ago.  Whether he loved her or not was not clear, but I know Yeul loved him.  But she could see his pain and he could see hers.  She longed to be free of the realm she was forced to rule and Caius was willing to do anything to do it for her.  Even wipe out entire universes for her."  

     "This goddess had him destroy worlds?"

     "No.  But she did condone it.  In fact, no matter how many times he would prove to others how cruel and evil he was, Yeul would sweep it away.  Her heart was too pure for her own good and the evil he unleashed consumed her and the world I was protecting."  

      "And you want to get back home?"

      "I belong where I am needed" Lightning explained.  "I haven't had a home for some time.  Homes are for those who can afford the luxury of one.  Of course, that doesn't mean I don't have anyone I care for."  

       "Who?"

       "My sister" Lightning answered.  "Of course, we haven't been close for some time.  That's because I know so long as Caius and the dark powers he brings and allies with are still standing, my battle won't end."  

       Riku lowered his head.  "Oh.  So that's why you want to fight him alone."

       "Hm?" Lightning asked, confused by Riku's response.  

       "For a while, Lightning, I was like you.  I thought that the battle to destroy the darkness was mine and mine alone.  No matter who wanted to help me, I wouldn't let them.  Protecting the people I care about was a mission I've felt I needed to have since I was a boy.  But then, I learned something I should have known all along.  It's the same lesson I hope I can teach you before you go off and fight Caius for another eternity."

       "And that is?"

       "Just because you think you're stronger alone" Riku explained, "you become even stronger when you have people beside you.  If there's anything that lazy bum Sora taught me, it's that lesson.  And he's been through more than almost anyone else I know."  Riku looked up to the sky.  The winged stallion Hercules had been riding soared overhead towards Olympus.  Behind him, flew two armored figures riding Keyblade shaped vehicles.  "Looks like the Battle of Olympus is about to turn in our favor."  

       "Then Caius is not there" Lightning insisted.  

       "Wouldn't he be in the middle of the action?"

       "You can feel the immense aura of light coming from those riders, yes?"

        Riku closed his eyes.  The light Sora, Kairi, and Hercules emanated was incredibly strong.  Perhaps stronger than it had ever been with just Sora and Kairi.  "That power spike is incredible!"  

        "It is said, on the isle where Hercules trained, that someone's power is heightened to an extraordinary level.  He hoped to keep this power to ensure he kept both the worlds of the Gods and the people safe.  I have reason to believe your friends have also been granted that power."  Lightning closed her eyes, trying to hone in on the presence of darkness around Mount Olympus.  "Should Caius be involved in that battle, if we intervene, he would know it would be a losing one.  He will allow Hades to be done in on his own.  He will observe the battle and seek out the greater darkness."  

        "A greater darkness?"

        "Of course" Lightning answered plainly.  "The only reason I could track Caius this time was because of this new spike in dark power here.  I thought it was Hades at first.  But I was wrong.  There is another here, with more dark power than he could possibly have."  

        "Xehanort" Riku said quietly.  

        Lightning flashed a quick grin.  "Then I believe you and I are indeed in this together.  Should this Xehanort and Caius join forces, the dark power they unleash on this world and all others would be devastating.  We have to find them!"  Lightning put her hand on Riku's shoulder.  "Can I trust you to fight with me?"

        Riku nodded.  "Nothing will stop me from it!"  

        Lightning looked towards the Town Square.  "That power is coming from there.  We have to hurry!"  The two warriors sprinted down the road towards Town Square and what both knew could be their defining moments of war.  

        The two warriors slid to a stop in the middle of the Town Square.  Both anxiously looked around for their foes.  But they were not in immediate view.  But both could feel the tremendous power coming from the square.  Riku and Lightning studied the buildings, until Lightning spotted one of their targets looking down on them from a balcony.  "So you're the one with all of that power!"  

       Riku spun around and saw the last face he hoped he would ever see again.  "Master Xehanort!"  

       Xehanort wore an icy smile as he studied the two warriors below him.  "Interesting.  Very interesting.  I expected at least one of you to be involved in the battles in this world.  And yet, here you two are, seeking out those who are the real dangers of this world and all the others."  

       "Why even come here, Xehanort?" Riku demanded.  "There's nothing you seek here!"

       "That's where you are wrong, my boy" the old Keyblade Master coyly replied.  "If I am counting correctly, there are three Guardians of Light here and one of the Seven Pure Lights.  Correct me if I am wrong, Riku."

        Riku clenched his fists.  "If you even lay a finger on Sora or Kairi--"

        "I do not mean to intervene personally" Xehanort assured his foe.  "Then again, there are almost thirteen of me running around.  So, you never can be too sure, now can you?"

        "Xehanort!"

        Xehanort called forth his own Keyblade, a black and soulless weapon.  "I do not seek quarrel with the ordinary boy or the princess.  Instead, I intend to see just how well the little king and my dear old friend Yen Sid have trained their brightest charge.  You could have been great, my boy.  But you allowed that little brat Sora to intervene.  And now, everyone in this world will suffer the consequences!"  Xehanort launched a ball of darkness into the skies above Thebes.  The ball exploded with intense force and morphed into a gigantic ball of darkness.  The same kind of ball that had exterminated almost half of Wonderland.  

         "No!"

         Xehanort sneered.  "So, I take it you are acquainted with these masses of energy.  When the presence of darkness becomes too immense for one world to handle, the world will eventually collapse in on itself thanks to this.  These, Riku, are what the Heartless used to destroy those worlds a few years ago.  And they have returned for one purpose: to swallow this world in darkness and allow me to continue my goals in peace!"  

        Riku called forth his Keyblade.  "Not if I stop you first!"

        "Therein lies your problem."  Xehanort waved his hand and allowed Caius to emerge beside him.  Caius and Lightning locked eyes before he leaped from his balcony and stood mere feet from Riku and Lightning.  

        "Caius!"

        "It appears we have met again, Warrior Goddess!"

        Lightning drew forth her Gunblade and stood beside Riku.  "You will not drag this world into your depths of madness!"

        "And I will not stand for a world where your light and the light of the Keyblade are one and the same!"  He called forth the forces of darkness and summoned his sword, which had a piercing eye of dark power.  He swung the blade down on the street, causing the earth to tremble.  "How I have longed to make the power of the Keyblade my own.  And now, I shall see it's true power unleashed in battle."  

         Riku and Lightning angled their weapons into a defensive position.  Caius swung his blade furiously, causing a tremendous gale to sweep the two warriors into the air.  Caius moved swiftly, bashing and smashing on Riku's defenses.  Riku blocked quickly and remained on guard, but lost his defense when Caius utilized a pulse of dark energy and fired it at Riku's weapon, causing the Keyblade to fly from his hands.  Gathering dark power, Caius launched his fist at Riku, knocking him to the ground and causing an indent as he landed.  

        "Riku!" Lightning shouted, lunging forward and blocking Caius's killing blow.  "So, even after all this time away from home, you actually do have a heart for others."

         Riku called his Keyblade to his hands as Lightning and Caius locked blades.  As it's grip fell into his hands, Riku swung upwards, missing Caius by inches.  The dark warrior leaped backwards as Lightning helped Riku to his feet.  "Are you alright?"

         Riku nodded.  "Yeah.  He just caught me off guard."

         Lightning looked to Caius, who began to call upon the dark powers in both his own body and the brimming darkness above him.  "Stay strong, Riku."  Lightning and Riku prepared for the complete onslaught of his dark power.  

Boss Battle: Caius Ballad

HP: 1000

Battle Theme: Abyssal Chaos

GET BONUS:

Riku Learned Overdrive 

+10 MP

Lightning: +30 HP

+40 Friendship

        Riku and Lightning put their blades together and began to call upon their combined light.  Caius recovered from his defeat in time to see their growing power.  "How pathetic.  Even when they had the initiative, they still need to prolong defeat!"  

       Riku and Lightning looked at each other as the immense power began to make their arms shake violently.  "I never knew the Keyblade had this much power."

      "It only has this much power if I hold my friends true in my heart" Riku answered.  

      Lightning nodded.  "When the time is right, we have to use all of this power to defeat him once and for all!  If we fail, it's over."

      "No, Lightning!" Riku argued.  "You need to get home to see your sister!"

      Lightning gasped.  "But how will you defeat Caius?"

      "That power we're combining" Riku reasoned.  "I need you to add it to the Keyblade.  If we give him this power, I'll be able to send him somewhere he won't come back from."

      "That much power could kill you!" Lightning warned.  "You can't!"

      "Lightning!" Riku yelled.  "I need you to trust me.  Put your sword away and pass the power into the Keyblade!"  Lightning tried to speak again, but decided against it.  In a flash of light, the Gunblade in her hands vanished and her hand fell upon Riku's and the Keyblade.  The weapon began to shine with incredible power.  

        "That power!" Caius exclaimed.  

        Sensing what was about to transpire, Xehanort snarled bitterly.  "You fool!  Get out of there!"

        Caius rolled his eyes at Xehanort's warning.  "If this is truly your power, Keyblade, give it to me!   I will not allow you to be weakened by their power!"  Caius lunged forward.  

       With Caius's impulsive action, Riku unleashed the full power of the Keyblade on his foe.  Lightning shielded her eyes from the immense light.  As the power unleashed itself on Caius, the two could hear his violent yells as the power consumed him.  "NO!  Yeul!"  

      When the light cleared, all that remained of Caius was his sword, which dissolved into the darkness.  The Dark Ball of energy above the two also began to collapse in on itself until it vanished into nonexistent.  The two warriors of light let out cheerful laughs before falling to their knees in exhaustion.  Riku and Lightning eyed each other briefly before their eyes fluttered shut.  

        "Guys?  Are you alright?"

        Riku stirred slightly as he felt himself being shaken awake.  Riku pushed himself to his knees.  Hercules sat beside him on his knee.  Megara stood beside him with Pegasus whinnying beside Lightning.  Riku recognized Meg instantly.  

        "Meg?  You're alright!"

        "After you told Wonderboy I was in trouble" Meg grinned, "he and his friends came to find me immediately.  But enough about me, Riku.  What about you and your friend here?  What happened?"

         Riku looked to Lightning, who was being nudged up by Pegasus.  "We almost didn't make it."

         "After we stopped Hades" Hercules explained, "we saw what was happening here.  We hurried over here as soon as possible.  My father felt an incredible presence of darkness here, but it's gone now."  

         Riku waited for Lightning to fully recover.  "Well?  Is he gone?"

        Lightning closed her eyes and felt for the darkness in the world.  Her eyes opened slowly and she breathed calmly.  "Yes.  He is gone.  At least for the moment."  

        "And so is the darkness in the sky" Meg added, pointing towards the skies above, which had become light blue once more with the sun shining brightly.  

        "Well, whatever you two did" Hercules applauded, "you helped stop the darkness from overtaking the city.  I owe you guys one."

         "The pleasure was ours" Lightning replied.  "To be honest, I was afraid for a minute that we wouldn't be able to do it.  But if I know Caius, he will be back.  Therefore, until he does return, I will remain here in Olympus."  

         "I could always use some help keeping Hades in line" Hercules answered eagerly.

         Lightning flashed a grin.  "I would also like to test the great Hercules in battle.  From what I have heard, he is said to be legendary in battle."

         Hercules was flustered by the challenge.  "Well--I--uh--I'd love to battle you.  Although we may have to wait for the Coliseum to be rebuilt."  

        Meg put her arm on Herc's and matched Lightning's grin.  "The way I see it, you don't think you can beat her."

       Hercules looked from both girls and anxiously looked to Riku for help.  Riku decided to jump in.  "I'm sure a fight between Lightning and Hercules would be just what the city needs after all of this.  Make sure you fight when I get to see it though."

       Hercules nodded.  "Can do, Riku."  

       Riku looked towards the balcony where Xehanort had stood and believed he saw him again, but the figure vanished into the darkness.

Forged a D-Link with Hercules 

Riku Obtained the Conquerer's Chain Keychain

STR: +6

MP: 0

Ability:

Boost the Power of Combos in the air.

        As Hercules and Meg took off on Pegasus, Lightning turned to Riku.  "What happens for you now?"

       "I highly doubt either Xehanort or Caius really died in that blast" Riku remarked woefully.  "I know you want to take on Caius here again, which is why I need to find Xehanort before he causes anymore damage to other worlds."  

       "Was what you said true, Riku?  About gathering the strength of others?"

       "Every word.  You saw it for yourself when we beat Caius."

       Lightning nodded.  "The power of the Keyblade is a mystery to me.  As is the power and function of the heart.  I've never been able to see it's true purpose, even when my own sister fell in love."  Lightning drew something from her pocket and handed it to Riku.  "This was a keepsake of my world.  The power it will grant you is great.  Wield it the same way you've wielded the Keyblade." 

       Riku took the item from Lightning, who turned on her heel and walked down the streets of Thebes again, but not before turning back and laughing faintly.  "I look forward to seeing you in action again, Riku.  Perhaps this time, we can both quell the darknesses that haunt us."  

       Riku nodded.  "Good luck, Lightning.  I hope you find your sister again."

       Lightning kept her back to Riku as she finished.  "Claire.  My birthname is Claire."

      "Then I hope you find your sister...Claire."  

Forged a D-Link with Lightning 

Riku Obtained the Legion of One Keychain

STR: +4

MAG: +4

Ability:

Sacrifice Magic Reload Speed to Raise Attack Power