It was half an hour before Curfew when they heard the flap of their Uncle Scrooge's feet on the pavement and the methodical tapping of the cane he didn't really need. He opened the door and kicked it shut behind him, turning a beaming smile on his nephews.
"Uncle!" They chorused as they dove towards him. They danced around him, all speaking at once.
"That was a close call-"
"You almost didn't make it-"
"Why do you keep leaving-"
"We really wish you would stop and-"
"Enough, enough!" He barked, surprised. "What's all this about then?"
"Nothing!" They all said at more or less the same time, after trading wary glances.
"I'm off to me bed then. Shop's closed, so you should get some sleep too," He said cheerfully as he waddled up the stairs, dismissing their worried greetings. As usual.
"Maybe we should tell him..." This was Huey.
"No!" Dewey shouted, and then he added, "You heard what she said! We have to convince him to stop going... you know. Away."
"Someone's at the door!" Louie said, pointing at the two figures right as they entered the shop. The three ducklings dove behind the counter in a belated attempt to hide... maybe they thought it would discourage them, who knows.
They had a whispered conversation behind the counter that was audible, but not nearly loud enough to be understood, pretty much discussing their options... of which they had very little.
Huey popped his head up from behind the counter and glared at Max and the... stranger. "What are you doing here?!" No doubt this demanding tone would come off as surprising, he was usually happy to see Max. They all thought he was cool.
Dewey jumped onto the counter again. "Yeah! If you keep going out past curfew you're gonna get caught!"
Louie said warily, pointing rather rudely at Eli, "Who's this guy? He's not a stranger is he? You're even worse than our Uncle! You might get caught!"
"You never know what those stupid Org people have up their sleeve!" Dewey swiftly agreed. "They manipulate people into being their spies. I bet they even blackmail them."
"I have to make sure the door is locked," Huey said suddenly, and darted into the small foyer that separated the entrance from the main shop.
Huey would do as they had been forced to do. He would alert the pale creature. But maybe while he was doing that, his brothers could drop a hint or two towards Max and his friend. They didn't want to help the Organization oppress the worlds.
But someone was pounding on the door, begging for help.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Stop!" That commanding, ringing tone would've frozen a stampeding herd of elephants in it's tracks, it was no less effective on the Shadow and Knight Heartless that danced and tottered after a diminutive figure in a black coat.
The Heartless froze and amazingly, the figure threw a hand out and summoned an unmistakable Keyblade.
"You!" Xanri spat at the figure... the King. Then she smiled, flicked her ponytail over her shoulder, and said serenely, "To whom do I owe this honor? Not only are you out past curfew, but you are a fugutive of the Organization... obviously you're trying to get my attention. Silly little mouse."
The "Silly little mouse" tilted his head at her, features concealed by the hood, and then sprang forward faster than she had expected. The small handful of Heartless disappeared with one swift blow from the Keyblade. Then he ran.
"Where are you going?!" She snarled, and raced after him. He rounded a corner with her close on his heels. He stopped when the alley came to an end but she only sped up, her weapon coming to life in her clenched fist in a burst of unearthly blue flames. It made a metallic chink as she extended the blade...
But the King had disappeared.
Expression suddenly wiped clean, she stared coolly at the space where the mouse had disappeared, the tear between worlds already closing up. He'd gone to Beast's Castle. But she was sure he wouldn't be there by the time she followed him. She dismissed her weapon and stalked out of the alley like an angry cat, daring anyone to be out past curfew.
One of her Nobodies, the Desert Knight, was waiting for her on the main street, and when she heard the news he had to offer, her serene, condescending smile returned.
"Maybe my time here hasn't been a total waste after all," She murmurred, stepping into a darkness portal that would lead straight to Scrooge's shop.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You should be a little more careful, ya know," A high, friendly voice remarked.
Should Gard turn to look, he would find the same tiny, black-coated figure that had advised him in the first place.
"The worlds are crawling with Heartless and Nobodies. The Organization will be here in a heartbeat if one of those creatures see ya with a Keyblade."
King Mickey waved at the boy without waiting for a reply, and broke into a run, disappearing into the forest surrounding the castle.
There was someone waiting on him in a small village nearby, someone who might be able to help him find what he was looking for. He could not afford to walk the Keybearers through their trials... and besides, it was their journey. Their test of strength. He would help them in anyway he could, but he wouldn't interfere directly.