And so it Begins... Again... (Mickey)

[ohnodonald]

Another day, another restful awakening. Donald stretched his wings as he sat up in bed, hopping off to do a bit of a quick yoga routine. He stared out of the wide, elegantly framed windows that plastered nearly half of the wall that led out to a dainty patio. With a morning yawn and a scratch of the eyes, he made his way through the window-impostering doors and gazed out over the lovely garden that surrounded Disney Castle.

"Aaaah... it's good to be home..." he said this nearly every morning since he returned to Disney Castle after the long journeys he had with Sora and Goofy. It wasn't as though he didn't like the adventures he had, but given the choice, Donald would prefer to be a sitting duck.

Every-once-in-a-while, the brunette would pop into his thoughts. He wondered how Sora was doing with Riku and Kairi, and if they were off well. But it was always just a short thought, as this duck was just trying to selfishly enjoy the moment. It was only a matter of time before he was whisked away for another mission, and so slowing down to smell the roses wasn't such a bad idea.

After retreating back into his room and getting dressed for the day, the magician reached for his hat before setting down one of the many vast hallways of the Castle. His next destination: The Kitchen. Maybe he'd bump into his beloved Daisy, or perhaps even his loyal Goofy. It's been a while since he last saw him, perhaps he was off on a small mission.

Whoever Donald saw there or along the way, though, was only icing on the cake. All he knew was that he wanted some nice waffles for breakfast with a side of toast and eggs for breakfast. This duck needed to be stuffed.

[kingmickey]

Another long rueful night waned on to another remorseful day for the King. After pondering over his work into the early hours of dawn, it had left him quite exhausted. He hadn’t got much sleep as his dreams were always disturbed by his dreading of impending doom. What if his thoughts were right? A part of him wanted to rush to his old master, asking for advice from the powerful wizard, but he knew, without a doubt, he’d just be turned away to put his thoughts together. Rubbing at his eyes, he sighed, slipping out of bed and got dressed. His beloved Minnie was already out it seemed, nowhere to be found in their room. Even Pluto was gone. Had everyone abandon him? Or worse, was he already going mad like the other rulers of worlds? Stop worrying yourself! You’re living up to your name as a mouse with thoughts like this.

He left his room, heading down the long hallways with his mind still full. His eyes continued to stare at the ground as he walked along lost in thought, his arms folded across his chest. If someone ended up calling his name, he probably wouldn’t even hear them; better yet, probably not even see something approaching until he ran into it. Back to his thoughts, Yen Sid would make him think over his beliefs and put everything together on his own, but he already had! Thankful to his master he still remembered his hinting at the return of Xehanort. What if he was the problem behind all the rising problems in the failing rulers of worlds? The possibility was great, he was sure, but what could he do…..

Suddenly, he remembered how he had let Sora and Riku know about their training that Master Yen Sid wanted them to do. He wondered how they were doing now, especially Riku. Was he coping well with the darkness within his heart? He chuckled at the fond memories they shared traveling through the Dark Corridors. Yes, he was positive he was fine. They probably were both doing their best at protecting Kairi as well. Maybe these two could help with his plan at trying to find out about this problem in the other worlds. Yes, three, no four Keybladers were better than one. Kairi may be a Princess but she still had the ability to control a Keyblade at will. If they all decided to travel around and fight this problem they might find answers to his questions. That way he wouldn’t have to ask his teacher at all. He nodded his head in approval at the conclusion.

He looked up, seeing the bobbing of a hat he knew so well. It belonged to his trusted, loyal, royal Magician, Donald. A smile appeared on his face. If he were to send him out with Sora, his plan might work even more. Donald probably wouldn’t be pleased with being sent away on such a short notice, but he was sure they’d both locate Sora in no time.

“Hello there Donald!” He called across the way, seeing his white feathered friend approaching the kitchen. “Aha, don’t I have news for you. Eat up on breakfast and meet me in the courtyard, will ya?[/color] Without waiting for a reply, he turned to go. He knew Donald couldn’t question him; he was the king. Of course, now that he thought about it, he did need to eat up himself. He’d just send for someone to bring him something to his quarters. He needed to start collecting his items.

[ohnodonald]

Ah, a delectable apple. Donald reached out to grab the shiny red object just sitting in an extravagant basket of displayed fruits. He brought it to his bill, closing his eyes and taking in its sweet, slight scent.

"Aaaaah..." he sighed, "A perfect appetizer..." And as he opened his mouth to take a bite, he heard the chime of His Majesty. Most likely in an impulse reaction, Donald's posture was pulled upright, his arms snapped by his side, and his train of thought sliced. He spun on his heel and bent at a knee, extending the other webbed foot forward, his arms swayed about his chest in the proper bow, "Goodmorning, Your Majesty!"

The duck listened intently to the King's following words, slowly breaking from his bow. News? It's been a while since anything "news" worthy came about the Castle. It couldn't be that bad, judging by the King's tone of voice and casual method of bringing up the subject. But it couldn't be that lighthearted if they couldn't just talk about it now... unless the King was busy and needed to do something that would take about as long as Donald's breakfast. Before the magician had a chance to respond for clarification, the King was already making to go. So, as the loyal "servant" he was, he saluted the King off.

"I'll be there soon, Your Majesty!" He quickly turned back to the basket of fruit before him, his eyes then falling on a basket of bread and eggs alongside. He wasn't planning on rushing through his morning, but he didn't want to keep the King waiting. He figured it would take the King a while to get to where he wanted to go before they met at the courtyard, anyway, so maybe if he prepared his meal quickly, he could justify taking his time eating. So, hurriedly, Donald grabbed some bread and a jar of jam. He didn't mind settling for some toast for breakfast. With some tea -- that always somehow managed to be prepared in a kettle in the kitchen, it truly was magical -- alongside, it would be more than a soothing feast.



After Donald had adequately filled his stomach in more than a reasonable amount of time, he set off down the hall and down the majestic stairway to eventually get to the courtyard. The apple he had picked up earlier was still in hand, and he contemplated taking a bite out of it along the way. He quickly decided against it, and would save it for later in case this meeting with the King drew out; he could offer the apple to the King as a friendly gesture.

He chuckled to himself -- he was such a thoughtful duck.

When he got to the courtyard, he peered around for the King. No sight of him. He tossed up the apple repeatedly. And as he found his mind pretty much blank, it started to wander. This was where he found Goofy when the King had left them that letter, before they met Sora.

Where was Goofy, anyway?

[kingmickey]

Another thing he needed to do was to find Goofy and let him know of the news too. He headed towards his room, knocking once, then twice at the door. When no answer came, he cautiously opened it, peering in only to see nothing. Odd, where could that knight of his be? Shrugging, he closed the door back softly. Perhaps he was dozing off in the courtyard like usual when there was no business to be done. No matter, if he was that would make this a bit easier in gathering everyone. He decided to go to the library to begin leaving a note.

Upstairs he found Pluto’s dog bed empty. Ok, now things seemed strange. If he wasn’t around and he hadn’t even run into his wife, where could everyone be? Had they all decided to go into the town? They had servants for that, but he knew how it felt being cooped up here sometimes. He pushed the thought of aside. He had bigger things to worry about. He quickly inscribed a note, leaving it on his desk. He knew once Pluto returned he’d find it and deliver it to Minnie.

Heading back downstairs, he changed into his traveling attire. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror. It seemed bizarre being in the clothing again, but what more could he do about it? Putting his hand out, he called his Keyblade to his palm. He rotated it slowly within his hand, studying the glistening blade. His gaze traveled over to a corner of the room and he quickly slashed forward at nothingness. He continued to thrust and parry and do many other moves before coming to a stop. He scowled; he still had his speed and skills even if it had been a while. A knock at the door caught his attention and put the weapon away. One of his broom servants stood at the door way with a platter. It scuttled in, setting the dish on his night stand and bowed before leaving its majesty’s presence.

Mickey stared after the broom before looking back at his breakfast. The plate was complete with bacon, cheese eggs and cheese toast with a glass of milk on the side. He ate one slice of bacon, a spoonful of eggs and a swig of milk before leaving his quarters, but not without taking the cheese toast with him for his trek to the courtyard. He didn’t want to have too much food on his stomach. He hadn’t flown in a while and an upset stomach wasn’t an option. Upon reaching the court yard he saw Donald carelessly tossing an apple in the air. He knew the Magician tended to have small patience, but who could blame him? He looked around, hoping to see Goofy around but he was nowhere to be found. Where in the world was he?

“Greetings Donald, eat well?”[/color] Perhaps he knew where his Knight might be. Goofy had to know of this if they all were going out to the other worlds. He would hate to leave him out of this and behind, but if the going got tough, he’d just have to be forgotten. “Have you seen Goofy anywhere? I’ve checked his room and he wasn’t there. I expected him to be here like always, but I see he isn’t. I really want you both to hear this as we might not be coming back for a while.”[/color]

[ohnodonald]

Wandering eyes continued to scan the surroundings as Donald awaited the King's presence. He managed to let out a sigh as the time he felt pass was longer than it actually was. Not like he had anything to do, right now. He just wasn't the biggest fan of waiting.

But it was for the King, so he bit down on his impatience and instead began to fidget.

"Greetings Donald, eat well?"

He waddled around in a turn as he heard the King address him. He gave a responsive nod, "Great breakfast as usual, Your Majesty! The chefs outdo themselves every time. Uh..." He took note of the attire the King donned. He didn't usually wear that jacket on a regular day. In fact, Donald couldn't remember the last time he wore the imitation Organization jacket. Suddenly the magician started to believe that he underestimated the matters that the King wanted to meet for, and began to grow a bit unnerved. As a loyal henchman to the King, he readily answered his inquiry about Goofy.

"Well, uh... no, I khhaven't seen Goofy. I thought you might khhave sent him on a special, easy mission..." his heartbeat quickened -- even the King didn't know where Goofy was? What was going on?

And then the duck's eyes fell upon the large Keyblade that the King held so firmly in his hand. The King said they "might not be coming back for a while." Did something happen? Was there more darkness to fight off? He thought everything was finished once Xemnas was destroyed! I mean, that is what Sora and Riku had told them they did successfully. Unless they had lied about it. But why would they do a thing like that?

Deciding to be outward about it, Donald made known his concern, "Khwhat's going on around here?"

[kingmickey]

By Donald’s expression, Mickey could easily see maybe wearing his traveling attire probably wasn’t the best idea he had come up with. No matter, that wasn’t important. However, hearing that Donald didn’t even know where Goofy was also troubled him. Where could that knight of his be at a time like this? Could he possibly be out in town then? He hoped so because he needed to make contact with him and explain the news to him as well.

“Well no, I wouldn’t send him out alone,” he replied. Placing his hands behind his back, he sighed. He could easily read the troubled face of his Magician and decided he’d just have to tell him only. “Well, I wanted to tell you both, but I guess I have no choice since Goofy isn’t around. I’ll have to send someone to go search for him I guess. But you see Donald, lately in the other worlds rulers have been going a bit….mad I guess you could say. Some have been locked up, others fallen under a spell into a deep sleep. I’m not sure of all of those who have been hit by this, nor am I positive of who’s causing this.”[/color] He began pacing across the courtyard. He had to admit, talking about this was rather helpful now getting this off his chest.

“To tell you the truth, I have an idea that it might be Xehanort, but I’m not positive. For all we know, the Organization could have returned to their old tricks again. The rise of Heartless has started happening again, after all; we’re just lucky we haven’t been hit. So you see, I want us to possibly find Sora, Riku and Kairi and team up with them to find out what exactly has happened. I know Master Yen Sid would want me to do this. I can’t be the next to be hit by these spells!”[/color]

Suddenly, his Keyblade appeared in his hand, stunning him. Staring down at the golden blade, his reflection stared back at him with the same fury. Really, he wasn’t sure anymore if his master would be pleased with him taking this on himself, but he had to know what was going on. He couldn’t stand by and continue to watch this happening! "So, what do you say Donald?[/color] He already knew he couldn't say no, but he still felt the need to ask.

[ohnodonald]

The Magician raised a brow and ducked his head a little as soon as His Majesty clarified that he not only did not send Goofy out on a mission, but he had no clue where he was. This news was upsetting to Donald, as Goofy wouldn't just disappear on his own like that. He usually kept close if he wasn't on a mission, in case he was needed for something. Donald pushed his thoughts aside as The King went on, explaining the situation at hand with the rulers of all the worlds.

"Xehanort?" he quacked. He definitely wasn't expecting to hear that name any time soon, "And the Organizashunn? Uuh, they can't be back, right? Sora and Riku defeated Xemnas, remember? Or, erm, Xehanort...? Aaawhhh..." he swatted a wing at thin air to dismiss his possibly incorrect statements. Nobodies were too confusing. If it wasn't for the Heartless, then none of this confusion and worry would ever need to be bothered with. And how he hated being bothered.

But the sound of finding Sora, Riku, and even Kairi again was pleasant to his ears. So long as he didn't have to go at it alone, he supposed it could be bearable. Even though Goofy wasn't here, he couldn't let down the King.

"I'll do whatever is in my power to help, Your Majesty!" he straightened up in a salute, raised his staff, and then bowed, "I wouldn't want you to fall ill, too. That would be unbearable..." He then proceeded to cross his arms in thought, a feathery finger tapping his bill.

"So... are we going to Destiny Islands?"

[kingmickey]

OOC: Sorry for the wait o.o I've had a very busy schedule...it's rather short sorry about this
-----------------------------------

The King sighed, wishing he could answer his Magician’s question with a definite answer, but there were still too many questions that needed to be solved. He had to admit, the whole ‘who had been defeated’ was rather confusing when you put thought into it, but he knew for sure that Sora and Riku had done their job well. Those two could be trusted and would never lie about it. They had a lot of light within their hearts.

“I’m not positive about the Organization so don’t put too much thought in it Donald,” he said reassuringly. “Of course it is a possibility since they were only Nobodies.” He smiled when Donald agreed to help him despite everything they were up against. Now what they really needed was Goofy, then they could possibly go separate ways once venturing to find the three Keybladers. He nodded in agreement at the question about Destiny Islands.

“Why of course, how else will we find those three?” he chuckled. His eyes traveled to the sky, thinking about the long forgotten past that he had spent traveling across the galaxy to other worlds. He bit back the uneasy feeling bubbling up. “Go along and gather your things, Donald and don’t repeat this to anyone else in the castle please. Keep an eye for Goofy, maybe he'll return before we set out. There we'll met up with Sora, Riku and Kairi and sort some of this out.”[/color] He turned to go, whistling a small tune under the breath when he suddenly remembered. "Meet me at the Gummy Dock by 2!"[/color] he called, looking over his shoulder.

Without waiting for a reply, he set off to go practice just a bit more before leaving. He was going to need all his skills and strengths on this mission. Better yet, he was going to need items. He'd have to stop by the shop in town before setting off at this rate...of course he could send a broom to do the job. At the thought, one toddled past him making him smile. Yes, they'd do just fine.

[ohnodonald]

Donald gave a low-groaned quack as his King commented about how they were "just Nobodies." That's true... he didn't know that much about Nobodies to begin with, even at journey's end they were as much a question mark as they were before.

But his attitude immediately perked up at the idea of seeing those three humans again. And this was all to help the King! He had to remember that! He heard his commands, and he was going to do them.

"Be ready soon, Your Majesty!" and with a salute he quickly turned, albeit a little clumsily, on his webbed foot and sped off to his quarters. But when he got there, he couldn't help but wonder...

Really, though, what did he need? When he set off on journeys with Sora and Goofy, he never recalled packing much. In fact, all he really took was his staff.

"Meet at the Gummi Dock by 2, huh?" he looked up at the black and white cat clock hanging by his door. It ticked at about noon. Maybe a minute past, "Awww... what am I going to do till then?"

The King said to keep this all a secret, so he couldn't even tell Daisy good-bye. So, after a scratch on the head, he decided to just waddle on over to the Gummi Dock and wait for the King there. Maybe the King had nothing to do, too, and he'd be commended for his timeliness.

Maybe. Maybe.

[kingmickey]

After finishing everything, Mickey wasn’t so sure what to do anymore. He sort of hated agreeing on a time to meet Donald at the Gummi Dock especially after finishing all his plans and preparations. He had written a letter for Minnie to find, tucked away on his desk in the library. Hopefully she wouldn’t fret on his disappearance, but it was for the good of his self and the rest of the kingdom. Staring into the shadows of the corners of his room he got an idea. Putting out his hand, he concentrated deep and hard until a purple-bluish aura appeared before him in the area.

Mickey smiled at his findings; he still was able to call a corridor into the darkness. Swiping his hand aside, he demolished the portal into thin air. He didn’t need anything escaping into his beloved world. He began to wonder would he possibly have to travel through darkness again on this mission. The thoughts made him think of Riku, pondering if the teen had been able to cope with the darkness within him after he left him on Destiny Islands. He was sure Sora probably helped him through this.

The reflection on them all was what made Mickey get up from his bed. Forget waiting around; they were losing time the more he sat around brooding over things. He glanced over his shoulder before leaving the room, walking down the hallways at a brisk pace. Approaching the Dock he caught the sound of Chip and Dale hustling around the Dock in preparation. He smiled at his loyal crew. The sound of forthcoming footsteps grabbed his attention and he saw Donald enter the Docking area. Apparently he was eager to go as well. He gave a hopeful glance that maybe he had found Goofy, but nothing gave that away. He sighed, without his royal knight he wasn’t sure they’d be able to pull this mission off. He just hoped Goofy was off goofing off somewhere, no pun intended.

“I see you couldn’t wait either Donald,” Mickey said as he entered the Loading Dock. He saw Chip and Dale look up at him, saluting him before going back off to work. “Good, the sooner we get going the better. I can’t shake off the feeling of how we’re wasting time.” Suddenly a tug at his pants leg made him fix his attention below, seeing the thumbs up from his crew members. “Good job boys! And remember, don’t speak of this to anyone until they find the letter. Let’s go Donald. [/color]

[ohnodonald]

And indeed enough, Donald was commended for his timeliness. The King's words made the duck's chest heave up with pride, his head tilting back with eyes closed and a proud smile on his bill.

"Why, uuuh... nope! I have everything I need to go." But he then gave a small frown of sadness as he noticed the worry cross the King's face.

The King wasn't usually wrong about things, but maybe he was blowing up the situation too much. Maybe the sanity of the other Heart of Lights in the Worlds weren't as lost as the King had gotten wind of. Secretly, maybe someone was pulling his leg, and it was all a lie.

Coincidentally, the flight crew pulling on his leg pulled Donald out of his high hopes. They were going to embark on a mission -- whether he wanted to or not.

"All right... let's go find those kids..." he sighed, yet speaking with enthusiasm for the King.

Stepping into the open-mouthed Gummi Ship, Donald took his seat at his usual side. He wiggled around in it a bit, getting a feel for its leather cushion again. It had been a while since he sat in one, but the instincts of what to do flowed back to him naturally.

"Don't steer us off in the wrong direction again this time, Goof--" he stopped himself, turning his head over to the empty seat that Goofy always occupied. He had never gone on a trip without that dog by his side. A low quack of a groan slipped from his mouth as he contemplated on the whereabouts of his friend. It wasn't like Goofy to just up and disappear like this. He hoped he was okay...

Furthermore, he hoped that what His Majesty talked about hadn't affected Goofy somehow.

As he got the engine going and checked and double checked the meters, Donald flicked on a switch to activate the steering at his side of the cockpit. He'd serve as the pilot for now -- the King probably had his mind busy with heavier thoughts. Donald was sure of it. The least he could do was take a hold of the reins and escort the King to their destination.

"... Smile, Your Majesty!" the top of the Gummi slowly closed shut and sealed off. The magician gave a wide smile to help fuel the engine, amusing himself with the thought of manning the ship at light speed. With a final wave at the two rodents, Donald gripped the wheel, "We're off to Destiny Islands!"

The floor disappeared beneath them, and the Gummi Ship fell. Donald gave his characteristic wail as they plummeted, holding on tight before they were spit out, shooting out to breach the denser atmospheres before steering off toward Destiny Islands.

Donald's out![/font][/size][/b][/i]

[kingmickey]

The rippling aftershocks of the ship taking off always got him. Mickey didn’t know why it always affected, but it was something about plunging into space that always got him no matter where he went. It was like riding a roller coaster where it took its first plunge down the steepest hill. Your heart was in your stomach and you could feel it beating rapidly within you. There was nothing you could do about it until it settled on its own.

You would think after doing this for a few years he would be fine with this. It was better than the old way of travel after all. Staring out the window he caught the small traces of Heartless ships and couldn’t help sighing. Something was going on and he had to find out. This was going to be a long flight.

King Mickey is Out![/font][/size][/b][/i]