…It's been ANOTHER long update. Blame school, finals, and just a lack of inspiration in general. I was actually half tempted to go on hiatus for a bit, but now I'm back…

This chapter's a filler, unfortunately…a transition from the Anti Sora thing back to normality, so it's not too exciting, but please bare with me; the next chapter will be more interesting…

Chapter 19: On the Road Again

Pride Rock

"So, what's up? You seem kinda, moody today…not that that's a bad thing, of course, your highness…"

Standing atop a massive, stone cliff were none other than Demyx and Pete, still in lion form. However, they were not alone on the grayed peak, as, standing before them was a gangly, dark colored male with a jet black mane and jade eyes, a scar lining one of them, glaring at the two outsiders in fascination, though not the best kind. He snarled, as if incredibly frustrated in something, which led to the confusion of the others.

The male, Scar, growled at the two, pushing his head forward, teeth bared. "I've been told of something…interesting," he said, his voice lined with terrible malice. Whimpering, Demyx gave a nod to the larger lion.

"Oh…so you've heard, huh?" he replied, body trembling ever so slightly. "I swear I was just going about my business and, uhm…we were sending some heartless into places outside the borders of your kingdom, sir, and we found…something…and, well, it was him."

"The hyenas lied," Scar said, remaining still. "Years ago, they had claimed that Simba had died, yet now I see them for the imbeciles they really are. And what's worse is, by now, that wretched cub must be as strong as his father!" Nodding, Demyx couldn't help but give another slight groan; it was clear that Scar was beginning to become very angry.

"He's pretty big if that's what you mean," answered Demyx with a shrug, "But it's nothing to worry about. I mean, when we found him, we sent a bunch of heartless, and, well, he didn't exactly do so well. Besides, nobody's there to interfere, so he'll probably be heartless bait! Right?" Turning towards Pete, he expected to get a positive response, but got nothing more than another snigger from his ally, who then stepped forward with a twisted grin.

"Nobody ta interfere, huh?" said Pete smugly. "What about that Keybearer? Word is, he's goin' around fightin' the heartless! He made mincemeat outta Maleficent, so if he was ta come, who's ta say they wouldn't kick ya to the curb?" Snickering again, Pete seemed pretty amused by the situation, despite the fact that Scar was growing more and more irate by the minute. At the mention of the Keybearer, his visage tensed, and he looked as if he were about to explode with rage.

"KEYBEARER?!" roared Scar, his tail whipping about violently. "Oh, I've heard legends about those fools, visiting other worlds and attempting to protect them. I suppose it would make sense for there to be one, seeing that the heartless once took this world, over a year ago…but NOW?!" Again, Demyx trembled; even if he was a nobody, he knew that this was beginning to get too insane.

"Look, uh…I got an idea! We can just send some more heartless, so when they come…they'll get caught? Maybe some of your lackeys too? Then they can bring him straight to you!"

Pausing, Scar thought over Demyx's suggestion, taking in the possibilities. If the Keybearer were to arrive, then it would be best to prepare in advance; the legends often spoke of the power of the Keyblade, and Scar wasn't in a mood to take any risks. Detaining someone with such immense strength would likely prevent any catastrophe, which would certainly work in his favor. With that in mind, he nodded, looking back at the others again.

"Very well. I shall send Zira and the others, if you supply the heartless…"

Grinning, Demyx simply replied, "Done!"

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Merlin's House

Ya think he's gonna be alright, Donald?

Of course he is! C'mon, he's been cured already, so why worry?

Well, ya never can be so sure. A-hyuck!

Hey, he's moving!

Waking up with a groan, the first thing Sora noticed, as his senses came rushing back to him, was that he was wrapped up in white sheets, warm in a bed, and more than likely inside Merlin's House. He remained still, staring up at the ceiling, as he let himself come to, though, needless to say, was interrupted when, darting his way from the other side of the room, came Donald and Goofy with grins spread wide across their faces. The sight of them both, especially with Goofy's snout in his face, was enough to snap him out of his daze in a flash.

"Wha?!" he exclaimed, jerking upwards. "Ok, I'm up!" For a moment, both of his friends raised a brow, though their expressions softened relatively quick, Donald stepping forward with a wayward strut.

"Glad to see you're finally up, Sora," he said, waving a feathered finger. "Looks like you're back to normal, which is good. You don't even wanna KNOW what we had to go through back there." Puzzled, Sora tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow in slight confusion.

"Back to normal...?" At first, Donald's words were confusing; it was almost as if his mind was so foggy that he had forgotten exactly what had occurred during the brief period in his Anti Form. He strained momentarily, trying to think real hard until he got a vague image of what had happened back at Beast's Castle, with Zexion and the other man, followed by small bits of blackness, and lastly, his Anti Form. "…Oh, you mean that."

Donald nodded. "Yep, and it took a lot more than Goofy and I to get you back too. Actually, we met—"

"…Roxas, I know. He was there with…some other guy. I don't really remember much, though." Shrugging, Sora looked over towards his two friends in hopes that they would explain the rest; given that he had been buried under the darkness of his Anti Form, there was still a lot that was missing.

Scratching his nose, Goofy said, "Well, that's right! Roxas' buddy…uh…" He looked towards Donald for help, who rolled his eyes.

"Axel."

"That's right! Axel! He's that guy who said he used ta be in Organization XIII, but now he's not or somethin'. Kinda confusin', but he wasn't as bad as he looked. Yup!" At the mention of Axel, Sora's entire visage lit up with curiosity, almost as if he knew the guy…

"Axel…" he said, pondering over the name's origin. "Funny…I…I think I've heard that name before; I just don't remember where... It's really weird," he sighed, looking over to Donald and then towards the floor, "but…never mind that. I mean, it's probably nothing, right? Besides, I'm just glad to be back. "

Smiling, Goofy stepped towards his friend and gave a faint chuckle. "Well, we're glad yer back to, Sora! Too bad that Roxas fella left, though, cuz I know ya wanted ta meet him real bad!" Grinning, Sora gave a nod, feeling far more relaxed now then he had been earlier.

"Anyway," he said with a shrug, pushing himself off the bed as he went, "I think we should get going, right? We've still got a long way to go, especially if we wanna find Riku and King Mickey. Plus, I still haven't met Roxas…well, the way I'm supposed to be." Ignoring the rather startled expressions of his friends, Sora made his way towards the door, reaching for the knob and preparing to give it a turn; even if he had just returned to his normal state, he was eager to get going.

Titling his head, Donald couldn't help but gawk at Sora's sudden action; usually he was the one to rush things, yet, from the looks of it, it was the other way around. Puzzled, he said, "What's the big idea?" Shrugging, Sora glanced back, shifting away from the door.

"I…I guess I'm just in a rush?" he sighed. "I know I just woke up, but after all this, what if Organization XIII's already gone too far? Besides..." –it was here that his expression lightened a bit— "If we stay here, we're not going to get anywhere, right? Gotta focus on the mission…?" To this, both Donald and nodded, looking both strangely pleased, yet concerned at the same time…

"You know," Donald said, scratching his feathery chin with amusement, "I never expected you to say that, Sora…especially since you just changed back, but…" Looking over towards the door, he sighed, "Better to keep moving forward. Besides, the Gummi Ship's already out there."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sora exclaimed with a grin, "the worlds won't save themselves, after all!" For a moment, Donald and Goofy looked at each other, smiling, all before they both extended a hand each; Sora then proceeded to follow suit.

Grinning, they all exclaimed, "All for one and one for all!"

And from that point, things were settled; they would leave once more to continue their mission throughout the worlds, fighting heartless along the way and trying to find out more about Organization XIII among other things. As they headed for the door, there were still many questions echoing through their minds, not to mention unexplained things, but, for now it was best to let things like this wait for another time. Right now, as they entered the Gummi Ship, bright and red as ever, there were other important matters. Thus, from the moment the ship's engines roared at full blast, any worries were left behind…for now…

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The Castle that Never Was

By now, the castle was all but empty. Many members of Organization XIII had embarked on their missions in the various worlds, leaving the Superior, along with Vexen and Lexaeus, alone in the seemingly endless corridors. They were each seated in their proper thrones, high above the ground, conversing over important matters, such as the fact that Sora was now in a normal state once more. In fact, quite a few times, Xemnas had lashed at Vexen for having a failed experiment that proved quite useless.

"You see, IV," said the Superior, eyes fixed on Vexen, "I had given you precise orders, and you failed to comply. Under normal circumstances, such actions would be given proper punishment…" As he spoke, Vexen flinched with false fear and concern, but then Xemnas added, "…However, as it has led to no harm on our behalf, this so called accident shall be ignored."

Overcome with nonexistent relief, Vexen couldn't help but heave a deep sigh; for a moment, he had thought that he would be turned into a dusk for his mistake, but fortunately for him, such was not the case. "I understand, Superior," he said, still relieved, "after all, any mishaps could certainly lead to trouble... However, you will find that I have learned my lesson and will heed your orders…that is, if you are trustworthy enough to allow it."

"It was a minor setback," Lexaeus mused, toying with what appeared to be a metallic puzzle of some sort. "The Keybearer is back to his normal state, so I don't see any problems. He should be on his way to one of the worlds within our alliance, so perhaps things will return to their proper order…" Nodding, Xemnas' gaze turned away from his colleagues and down towards the colorless ground below.

Down below, along the colorless floor, three dark corridors were opening, revealing, in turn, three members of Organization XIII. Namely, Zexion, followed by both Marluxia and Larxene had emerged from within the dark, swirling portals, and were now standing before the Superior with rather melancholy expressions; after a failed mission, there was no reason to at least appear cheerful. Seeing this, Xemnas shifted in his throne, giving his full attention to the three nobodies.

"I see that you have returned…" he said, eyes fixed on Zexion in particular. "This can only mean that the mission was a failure…" Heaving a sigh, VI could only nod in agreement.

"Yes," he replied, "the mission was less than desirable… In all honesty, Superior, it was a complete and utter disaster." Larxene rolled her eyes, tapping a foot impatiently.

"Disaster?" she spat. "That's putting it lightly, shorty. The king's lackeys and that brat Roxas ruined everything. I didn't even get to have 'fun' with them, either…" Sniggering, Zexion paid no attention to Larxene and continued to focus on Xemnas, a sinister twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, it's deplorable; the Keybearer's friends outnumbered us, not to mention that they brought the Beast back to his senses. Had he not been kidnapped in the first place, perhaps we would have made more progress. Actually…I believe all the blame belongs to…" –he paused for a moment, a grin spreading across his visage— "the one who even suggested to capture Sora in the first place."

Both Marluxia and Larxene snickered at Zexion's notion, as it was crystal clear that Xemnas had requested the capture of Sora. At the same time, Lexaeus and Vexen simply shook their heads, remaining calm and complacent in order to avoid any trouble; though it was only implied, Zexion had insulted the Superior, which was far from a good thing, even if there was a certain lack of emotions within the vicinity.

Xemnas himself narrowed his eyes, giving Zexion a questioning glare. "Are you implying that I am the cause of this, VI? For, if you are…I can assure you that such is not the case, and that such implications are of utter disrespect." Shaking his head, Zexion gave a slight snigger, while Marluxia stepped forward, holding a rose as usual.

"Superior," he said with a grin, "certainly VI would know better than to give such accusations…More likely than not, he is simply suggesting that you think things through before you allow Vexen to tinker with his equipment." At that last bit, Vexen gave a snarl, his brow furrowing, and his eyes narrowed. All the while, Xemnas remained motionless and apathetic, simply continuing to stare at the three.

For a moment, he looked towards Vexen and Lexaeus, all before saying, "Yes… it seems that IV was the root of this…distraction. Without a proper mission, he allowed his curiosity to deviate him from the orders I had given. It was…a setback, certainly, but it shall not prevent us from gaining Kingdom Hearts…" Turning towards Vexen once more, he added, "In fact, both IV and V shall be receiving orders for their missions; I know of two particular worlds that are 'free', so to speak…"

Zexion nodded, still wearing his twisted grin, as he fingered his slip of paper between his gloves. He paused briefly, looking upwards, and exclaimed, "Understood, Superior; it is for the best that Vexen and Lexaeus leave the castle like the others. But, might I have a little word with IV before you send him off? There is something I must discuss in private."

Xemnas pondered over this; after all of the distractions with the Keybearer, holding back on what could be substantial work for the Organization would likely set them back further. But…on the other hand, Zexion was one of the more mature and intelligent members, thus whatever he had to say would likely be of at least some importance to their cause. As he sat there, he came to the resolve that, yes, there was no harm in a brief meeting between the two members.

"Very well," he said, leaning back in his throne, "you may speak, but be quick; Vexen's mission is of utmost importance, and we cannot take any more risks, if we are to become whole…" Gazing towards Marluxia and Larxene, he finished his statement, "as for you two…you are free to do as you please, for now, as is Zexion, as soon as he speaks with IV…"

With all of the necessary things said, there was no reason to stall any longer. Although a bit confused, Vexen descended from his comfort zone with a quick portal to the floor, and made his way towards Zexion, who was quick to tuck his slip of paper back into his cloak before pressing onwards without a word. In response, Vexen raised a brow, but stalked behind the younger nobody…

Though, whether this was a good choice remained to be seen.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Gummi Ship

Once more, the Gummi ship blazed through the blackened void of space, passing unsuspecting worlds as it journeyed on. Through the windows, Sora, who reclined in his seat as Donald took the wheel, gazed out at the stars, as he had done many times before. At the same time, both Donald and Goofy concentrated on steering the ship towards their next destination; the radar had detected a nearby world labeled "Pride Lands", and, seeing as they had yet to venture there, the duo was determined to get there as soon as possible.

With a slight moan, Sora pushed himself upwards, peering towards the screen before him; with nothing to do on the Gummi, he had resorted to either spacing out or staring at the radar for no apparent reason. Eyes focused on the gleaming image, he muttered, "So…how long until we get there? I mean, hasn't it been long enough?"

Donald groaned, clutching onto the controls; given the fact that he was preoccupied with maneuvering the ship, questioning seemed…a bit out there. But, regardless, he said, "It shouldn't be too much longer, Sora. It looks like we're getting pretty close now…" –his fingers tapped a few buttons, as he continued— "Anyway, this world's a lot different than the others, so we'll have to use my magic to fit in."

Goofy nodded, adding, "Yup! We gotta go undercover so we don't start meddlin' and such." To this, Sora shrugged, leaning back into his seat again.

"So, it's gonna be pretty cool then?" he asked, looking at the radar still.

"Who knows?" said Donald, pressing another button. "We'll just have to see when we get there, right about…now!"

The Gummi Ship stopped moving, as, floating before it was what appeared to be a world that was far different than the others. From what Sora could see, there was no civilization or anything; on the contrary, from the distance he and the others were at, it seemed rather dry, with the most notable feature being a large cliff sticking out of the ground. Interested in this, Sora gave Donald and Goofy a wide eyed glance, which they returned.

"So, we gonna land?" Sora asked, tilting his head. "We can't really get anywhere from up here." Donald sighed.

"This place is a but different," he said, as he removed himself from his seat. "They don't have Gummi Ships or anything, so we're gonna have to leave it up here." Raising a brow, Sora gave his friend another confused look.

"But, how're we gonna get back up here then? Couldn't we just hide it?"

Shaking his head, Donald replied, "We'll be fine. After all, we've still got Chip and Dale." And with that, there was a brief shuffling as two small, brown chipmunks bounded atop the control panel in just a matter of seconds, giving a salute. In response to this, Donald gave a nod before continuing to press some buttons. "It's set to beam us somewhere down there. My magic should be able to make us fit in, but remember not to let them know we're from another world. Ok?"

Sora nodded. "Got it."

With that said, the ship began to rumble, and Donald stepped away from the controls. Following suit, both Sora and Goofy removed themselves from their seats, standing right next to their feathery companion, who readied his staff. Both Chip and Dale pressed, or rather, jumped upon the buttons, as a faint, blue aura surrounded them all. All the while, Donald muttered something under his breath. In a matter of moments, however, the three of them were being beamed downwards, towards their next destination…

They reappeared in a place most unusual. The first things that the trio saw were nothing short of rotting trees, a colorless sky, and debris everywhere. The whole area seemed to be lacking in beauty. However, that was not the important thing. Rather, as each of them examined themselves, they found that Donald had indeed worked his magic, as usual.

Sora had strangely become a chocolate colored lion cub, though maintaining his typical traits, such has his hair. As he stood there in awe, he took a moment to look at his newfound paws and tail. At the same time, Goofy was now donning a turtle shell, and Donald with a more bird-like body. This work of magic had proven to be one of the fowl's more incredible displays.

"Whoa," Sora exclaimed, as he attempted to move along the lifeless ground on all fours, "I didn't expect something like this, Donald!" –He stumbled ever so slightly, landing face forward on the ground—"But how're we going to fight like this? I mean, I don't have hands right now, so how will I use the Keyblade?"

In response, Donald smirked, saying, "Try using it, and you'll see. But, you just gotta get used to this for now, since there aren't people like us here. Can't look suspicious…" He gave a quick glance left and right, eyes peeled, before adding, "Place looks like it's already been attacked by the heartless, so we'd better be careful."

And Donald was right, for, just a few yards behind the group, crouching down, hidden by a large rock, were plenty of heartless, waiting to strike. Each of them were large, with a feline appearance, though they retained the typical yellow eyes and dark coloring of the heartless. They weren't alone, either, as, a lioness whose jaw was rectangular, and whose body was lean, stood at the front, eyes locked on the Keybearer and his friends.

Her tail flicked this way and that, as she remained in a pouncing position. The appearance of the trio seemed very defenseless; the only one of them with a weapon at the ready was Donald, and he didn't even seem to be aware of their presence. With that in mind, the lioness looked back towards the heartless, giving a cackle before darting forward, the darkened beasts following directly behind her.

One could say that this proved very…surprising…to Sora and company.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused the trio to about-face instantly, but what they saw was far from pleasant…in fact, it seemed that trouble had surrounded them, quite literally, the way Sora and his friends were being surrounded in a matter of seconds. Their blackened forms darted about, circling Sora, Donald, and Goofy, giving them little room to fight…

Heartless, heartless everywhere. It seemed that, for whatever reason, this strange savannah was filled to the rim with the beasts. From their knife-like claws to their strong looking bodies and sharp fangs, it was clear that Sora and company would be in for quite the fight; the fact that they were not used to their new, more animal forms did not help in this situation either. Their tales whipped about, as the lion-like heartless came closer and closer to the trio, snarling viciously.

Donald, who was barely able to keep his smaller form up in the air while carrying his staff gave the others a nervous look, which Sora returned, fear shining upon his visage. Even the normally cheery Goofy found himself hiding within his newfound turtle shell. Meanwhile, the lioness leading the pack could only cackle with glee, her long, narrow face twisting into a contorted grin.

Still, this was not something to merely give up on; even if he couldn't maneuver properly, as the lion heartless pounced this way and that, he wasn't about to give up. His animal form rolled about, trying to run, still unsure how to summon the Keyblade, as Donald made an attempt to lift his staff with his legs. This, however, did not help, as he soon was knocked to the ground by an attacker.

The female lion snickered with amusement as the group pressed on in their fighting. "Oh, Scar will be so pleased," she said, observing the display of violence. "I hadn't imagined that we'd find outsiders here while waiting for the Keybearer…" Again she gave a snigger, while Sora, still weakly attempting to defend himself looked at the female with an angry glare.

"I'm the Keybearer!" he snapped, right as another heartless struck him down. In response, the female burst into even more laughter than before.

"Oh, how cute," she said, her grin widening. "The so called hero is…a child! Though, any potential thread should be taken care of…and my darling Scar requested your capture…"—She suppressed another snigger, as one of her paws lifted— "In that case, you and your allies shall be taken directly to him…where you will be unable to interfere."

And, with that said, it became clear that, for once, Sora no longer had the upper hand…

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

TwilightTown

Not much had changed in Twilight Town since the little incident with Sora's Anti Form. Children still played in the streets during the afternoon, some perhaps trying to get the odd job or two, while adults peacefully conversed about their daily lives. Even Hayner and his friends had calmed down after the encounter and were now back to hanging out within the Usual Spot, perhaps arguing over Seifer, or maybe wishing away the days of school in order to resume their summer activities. But, for whatever the reason, little of this mattered to Naminé, who found herself standing outside their hangout, a sketchbook in hand.

She wasn't quite sure how long she had stood there; it could have been minutes, hours, or even days. None of this truly mattered to her, however, as she gently stroked a crayon along her paper, creating an image of four friends sharing time together, eating ice cream. The people in question were, of course, Hayner, Pence, Olette, and…Roxas. She sighed, continuing to create this image; it wasn't just for entertainment that she drew, but rather, in hopes of, perhaps, altering memories as she had once done in Castle Oblivion. Anything to give Roxas some friends, a pleasure that she had always lacked…

Or had she? It was true that she had spent her time in the Castle alone, being used as a tool, but even then, she had Riku's Replica to protect her, and Sora had wanted to help her too. It wasn't much, but…it was a memory worth cherishing.

Suddenly, Naminé came to a pause, as the sound of voices from within pulled her away from her sketching. She instantly froze, ears open, wondering what was going on inside…

"Hey, guys, you ever feel like we're being watched?" said the voice of Pence. "I mean, I dunno, doesn't it just seem weird right now?"

"Heck if I know," Hayner's voice replied, sounding as headstrong as ever. "Though I guess you got a point there. I mean, I could've sworn I heard something outside a bit ago. Guess I'd better check it out…"

In that instant, Naminé didn't know what to do. If she were seen, how would they react? Surely they'd catch on that she was watching them from outside? Fearful for being seen, she actually made an attempt to pick up her supplies and leave, but, unfortunately there was no time for this, as the form of Hayner materialized from within, a dumbstruck expression clearly planted on his face.

However, instead of being hostile, he said, "Hey, uh…you new around here or something? Can't say I've seen you around, and you look clueless, seeing as this is our spot…" Naminé's only response, however, was a quiet nod and nothing more. To this, Hayner added, "Hey…something wrong?" Hesitantly, he looked back towards the Usual Spot and then back to Naminé. "Eh, hold on…."

Turning away from Naminé, Hayner stepped towards the entrance of the Usual Spot, shouting, "Guys, get out here, will ya?"

There was a momentary silence, but soon after, the forms of both Pence and Olette emerged, both giving their friend questioning stares. Hayner's response to this was a gesture towards Naminé who had turned her gaze towards the ground, her sketchbook still clutched in hand. Curious, both of them came closer towards her, Olette in the front.

"Hello," she said, smiling. "I'm Olette…" –Naminé nodded, though she refused to lift her head— "I don't think we've met before…but don't worry about Hayner. He's just a bit stubborn." Sighing, Naminé looked up, albeit nervously, nodding again.

"I'm…Naminé…" she replied, her voice but a whisper. Olette nodded, pointing back towards the Usual Spot.

"Why don't you come inside? I'm sure Hayner wouldn't mind as long as you're not with Seifer's gang," she exclaimed. "You look like you could use some friends."

Friends…one thing Naminé had been lacking. The way a total stranger had offered such hospitalities seemed far from normal, yet, as Olette stood there, keeping her joyous expression, she, somehow, managed to smile, moving ever so slightly from the wall and closer to the three teenagers. True, she could have just as easily declined and continued working on her drawings, but this…was so much better.

As she entered the Usual Spot, the one thing she said, though barely audible, was a mere, "Thank you…"

End of Chapter

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

AN: Well, that's it for now. As you can see, Sora is indeed back to normal and now in the middle of the next world, which will be covered next chapter in its entirety. I could and would have expanded on it, but it's probably been long enough without an update. As for Naminé, let's just say that she may have a little bit to do with what Hayner was experiencing in the Pre Chapter a bit back, though there's another part of it as well…more will be explained later on, though.

More on the Organization will be heading this way now, along with some more Roxas and Axel later, some Riku tossed in, and some other stuff. School's almost out now, so I'll have plenty of time to dedicate to this fic!

Last but not least, to all of my reviewers, thanks a lot for taking the time to read! I know genfic isn't that popular here, but I appreciate the fact that a lot of you guys put effort into your reviews.

No preview this time, sadly, so, in a nutshell, most of the chapter, if not all, WILL be Pridelands, and it'll be a lot of fun to write.