AN Here ya'll go! This is a long one! Also, almost done with the first chapter of Piri's KH III! Who's hyped?

~

The gang followed Donald through a large cavern full of ice spikes. Sora folded his hands behind his head and asked Piri, "So how exactly are you planning to stop this winter?"

"Oh, I'm going to talk to my sister," The bluette replied confidently.

Riku looked at her in surprise. "That's your plan? Our ice business is riding on you talking to your sister?"

"Yep!" she replied.

Riku was so stunned by Piri's plan that he didn't watch where he was going and ended up getting poked on the nose by an icicle. "So you're not afraid of her?" he asked as he carefully moved away from the spike.

"Why would I be?" she asked.

"Yeah! She's not dangerous! Plus, I know Terra would back us up!" Ven said, confident as well.

"Yeah, I bet she's the nicest, gentlest, warmest person ever! Oh, and I bet Terra is really strong," Donald said before he walked right into another ice spike. He looked down at the spike that stabbed him and chuckled, "Oh, look, I've been impaled."

~

The group soon arrived at a dead end and it seemed that the only way up was up the steep mountainside. "What now?"

Riku surveyed the mountain side and then looked into his supply bag. "It's too steep. I only got one rope and you don't know how to climb mountains."

"Says who?"

"Piri, be careful!" Ven said as he was right behind her. Sora smacked Riku.

"Riku, look." Sora pointed up.

Riku glanced up and saw Piri climbing up the mountain. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to see my sister," Piri replied as she pulled herself up.

"You're gonna kill yourself," Riku said as he watched her trying to climb higher, "I wouldn't put my foot there."

"You're distracting me," the struggling bluette said as she tried to look for another foothold.

"Or there. Look, how do you know Aqua wants to see you?"

"Alright, I'm just gonna block you out cause I need to focus here," Piri said, getting a bit annoyed by Riku's remarks.

"You know, most people who disappear into the mountains want to be alone," Riku pointed out to her.

"No one wants to be alone. Except you maybe you…" Piri growled.

"Besides, I'll be with her!" Ven said, looking at him with a smile, who rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm not alone. One, Goofy and Sora's with me, and two, I have friends remember?" Riku smirked, crossing his arms.

"Oh, you mean the 'love experts'?" Piri asked smugly.

"Yeah, the love experts," Riku replied just as smugly.

Piri then got herself stuck and breathed heavily, "Please tell me I'm almost there." Sora could only laugh, seeing that Piri didn't go as high as she had hoped and that she couldn't get back down. "Does the air seem a little thin to you up here?"

Riku was about to help Piri when Donald came in from the side of the mountain. "Hey Goofy, I don't know if this will solve the problem, but I found a staircase that leads exactly to where you want to go."

"Oh thank goodness," Piri sighed with relief, then called out to Riku, "Catch!" She let go of the mountain and dropped into Riku's arms, much to his surprise. "Thanks! That was like a crazy trust exercise."

Sora, Riku, Piri and Goofy followed Donald to an icy staircase that lead to a beautiful ice castle. They were all awestruck at how amazing it was. "Now that's ice," Riku gasped, then felt his eyes starting to water a bit, "I think I'm gonna cry."

"Go ahead. I won't judge," Piri said, and then walked up the stairs. I can't believe Aqua made this, she thought.

"I will!" Sora laughed and was punched in the shoulder.

As Donald followed Piri up, Goofy tried to follow as well, but he kept slipping and falling on the icy staircase.

"Whoa, take it easy boy," Sora said, carrying the reindeer down the stairs and putting Goofy down, "Maybe we should wait down here." Goofy huffed in annoyance, but reluctantly nodded. Sora grinned and nodded. "Riku, me and Goofy will wait here!"

"Okay, you both stay safe." Riku looked at the intricate design of the stairs as he climbed them and was very impressed. "Flawless."

Piri, Ven, Donald, and Riku soon reached the door and Piri was about to knock, but she hesitated when she remembered the multiple times she'd knock on Aqua's door and it wouldn't open.

"Knock," Donald urged her as he watched, "Just knock." The snow duck then asked Riku, "Why isn't she knocking? Doesn't she know how to knock?" Riku simply shrugged, curious himself.

"Give her some time." Ven whispered to them and Riku raised an eyebrow.

Reluctantly, Piri knocked on the door and it instantly opened, much to her surprise. "It opened. That's a first."

"With someone to answer, ha-ha!" A cheerful voice said. The three turned to see a snow mouse.

"Another snow animal?" Ven asked.

"I'm Mickey Mouse! May I help you?" He asked, smiling.

"Oh uh..." Piri scratched her head. Riku was about to enter the castle when She stopped him and said, "You should probably wait out here while Ven and I talk to Terra and Aqua."

"What?" Riku said, surprised.

"Last time I introduced them to a guy, sis froze everything," she explained, not wanting the same thing to happen when she introduced Lea at the party.

"I'm still uncomfortable with the imbecile anyway." Ven said and she raised an eyebrow at him.

Riku couldn't believe this. "Oh come on! It's a palace made of ice! Ice is my life!" he insisted, but Piri refused.

"Bye Goofy!" Donald said as he was about to walk inside.

"You too, Donald," Piri said, stopping him.

"Me?" Donald quacked in surprise.

"Just give us a minute okay?"

"Okay." As Piri and Ven entered the castle, Donald started counting the seconds out loud while he waited outside with Riku. "One, two, three."

"Four." Riku started counting along with Donald, figuring there was nothing else for him to do while he waited.

~

Inside the castle, Piri and Ven looked around as she admired the elegant and beautiful architecture.

"This is amazing..." Ven said and they saw a certain brunette walking upstairs.

"Terra!" They ran and he saw them.

"Piri, Ven?" He was shocked to see them. He ran back down the stairs, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came all this way looking for you and Aqua!" Ven said to him.

"Aqua! It's me, Piri!" she called out.

"Piri." Piri looked up and saw Aqua nervously come out. The bluette was surprised and amazed by Aqua's beautiful dress.

"Whoa, Aqua, you look different. It's a good difference. And this place…it's amazing."

"Thank you," Aqua said respectfully, "I never knew what I was capable of."

Piri started to climb up the steps towards her sister. "Look, I'm so sorry about what happened. If I had known-"

"No it's okay. You don't have to apologize," Aqua said, backing away a little, "You should probably go. Please. You and Ven, both."

"What?" Ven asked and the brunette sighed.

Piri stopped in her tracks. "But I just got here."

"You belong in Radiant Garden." Aqua said, taking a step back.

"So do you," Piri said, taking another step.

Aqua backed away a bit more, not wanting Piri to get closer. "No, Piri, I belong here. Alone with Terra. Where I can be who I am."

"Actually about that…" Piri started to say nervously.

When a voice from outside yelled, "Oh boy!"

"Wait. What is that?" Aqua asked, getting a bit nervous by whom it might be.

Donald ran inside and exclaimed excitedly, "Hey I'm Donald and I like warm hugs!"

Aqua looked at the snow duck in surprise. "Donald?"

Donald stopped next to Piri and looked up at Aqua. "You built me, remember?"

"And you're alive, just like Mickey?" Aqua asked.

Donald looked at his arms to see if they were moving and replied, "Um…I think so."

"He's just like the one we built as kids," Piri said, kneeling down next to Donald. Aqua looked up and smiled, remembering the fun times she and Piri had together. "We were so close back then. We can be like that again."

Aqua's face fell as the memory of her hurting Piri flashed into her mind. She knew that she didn't want it to happen again, even if Piri couldn't remember the accident. "No. we can't. Goodbye Piri…" Aqua sadly said as she turned away and headed for the flight of stairs behind her.

Piri started walking after her. "Aqua, wait!"

Ven was about to go after them when Terra stopped him. "Ven, let them be."

"But they-"

"I know you mean well, but show some decorum. Those two need to work it out themselves." Terra said and turned to see Riku. He frowned at him. "Who are you?"

"I'm Riku. I'm the one who brought Piri and Ven here with my friends-"

"Well, you're going to be the one who takes them back to Radiant Garden after Aqua and Piri are done talking." Terra said and Ven gasped.

"No, we're not leaving without you or Aqua! I promised I would bring you home along with Aqua!" Ven said firmly and Terra crossed his arms.

"No, Ven. We can't do that-"

"Come on, come with us!" He pouted.

"Ven, I told you no-"

"Come home- hey!" Terra picked Ven up by his coat and went to the exit. He shoved him outside and Ven slid down the stairs, landing on Sora.

"Ugh..." Ven got off the dazed brunette, "Sora, are you okay?"

The brunette boy shook his head and held it. "I was not expecting that..."

Ven helped him up and looked at the castle, worried and feeling betrayed. "He... kicked me out..."

Sora suddenly felt his heart go fast and eerily cold. He groaned, holding his chest, "Ow..."

"Sora?" Ven looked at him and a panic spreaded in Sora's face and being. "What's wrong?"

"Something's... not right..." Sora frowned and looked at the castle, holding his chest.

~

"I'm just trying to protect you," Aqua said, not wanting Piri to follow her.

Despite Aqua's protests, Piri went after her. "You don't have to protect me. I'm not afraid!"

Please don't shut me out again!

Please don't slam the door!

You don't have to keep your distance anymore.

Cause for the first time in forever,

I finally understand.

For the first time in forever,

We can fix this hand in hand.

We can head down this mountain together.

You don't have to live in fear!

Cause for the first time in forever,

I will be right here.

Aqua: Piri, please go back home.

You're life awaits.

Go enjoy the sun and open up the gates.

"Yeah but-" Piri protested, but Aqua interrupted her.

"I know!"

You mean well, but leave me be.

Yes I'm alone, but I'm alone and free.

Just stay away and you'll be safe from me.

Piri:Actually we're not.

Aqua: What do you mean you're not?

Piri:I get the feeling you don't know.

Aqua: What do I not know?

Piri: Radiant Garden's in deep, deep, deep, deep…snow.

"What?" Aqua gasped.

"You kind of set off an eternal winter…everywhere," Piri explained nervously.

Aqua was shocked and exclaimed, "Everywhere?!"

Piri noticed Aqua was starting to panic and said hopefully, "But that's okay. You can just unfreeze it."

"No I can't. I-I don't know how!" Aqua said, panicking already. Snow was falling inside, thanks to her powers.

"Sure you can. I know you can!" Piri tried to console her sister, but all Aqua could think about now was the damage she has done to Radiant Garden. Aqua should've known that she couldn't truly leave her problems behind. The ice queen kept panicking as a blizzard started to blow all around her and Piri trying to get her to calm down.

Piri: Cause for the first time in forever,

Aqua: Oh, I'm such a fool! I can't be free!

Piri: You don't have to be afraid.

Aqua: No escape from the storm inside of me!

Piri:We can work this out together!

Aqua: I can't control the curse!

Piri:We'll reverse the storm you've made.

Aqua: Piri, please you'll only make it worse!

Piri:Don't panic.

Aqua: There's so much fear!

Piri: We'll make the sun shine bright.

Aqua: You're not safe here!

Piri:We can face this thing together.

Aqua: No

Piri:We can change this winter weather!

Aqua: I….

Piri: And everything will be alright.

Aqua: I CAN"T!

In the midst of her frustration, Aqua lost control of her powers and unknowingly struck Piri's heart. After catching her breath, Aqua heard Piri groan in pain behind her and she gasped when she saw her sister had collapsed on the ground with a hand over her heart. Oh, no! What have I done? Aqua thought, tearing up.

"Piri!" Riku and Donald came running in when they heard the commotion and went to Piri's side. "Piri, are you okay?" Riku asked as he helped her up.

"I'm okay… I'm fine," Piri said, still slightly in pain. Terra ran in.

"Who's this?" Aqua asked as she looked at Riku, then turned her attention to Piri, " I-it doesn't matter. You have to leave!"

"No, I know we can figure this out together," Piri said.

"How?!" Aqua asked fearfully, "What power do you have to stop this winter? To stop me?"

Riku saw the walls around them starting to darken and crack. "Piri, we've got to get out of here now."

"No, I'm not leaving without you Aqua, Terra!" Piri said desperately.

"Yes, you are!" Aqua said and created a gigantic snow monster that towered over them.

The snow monster grabbed Sora, Kairi, and Donald and took them outside of the ice castle. Terra, confused, ran to Aqua, who ran into his arms and was crying into his chest.

"T-Terra..." She whimpered and he hugged her.

"What happened?" Terra asked her and she didn't look him in the eye.

"I... I struck my sister, right in the heart..."

~

"Stop! Put us down!" Piri yelled as she tried to get out of the snow monster's grasp.

"Go away," the snow monster growled as he tossed Piri and Riku down the stairs. The two slid down the icy stairs, passing Goofy, who had his tongue stuck on the rail, Sora and Ven and into the snow.

"Piri! Riku!" Sora ran to them followed by Ven.

The snow monster then threw Donald at them. "Heads up!" Donald yelled as his head almost hit Riku and Piri. "Watch out for my butt!" the snow duck shouted as his body almost hit Ven and Sora.

"It is not nice to throw people!" Piri exclaimed angrily as she made a snowball and prepared to throw it.

"Whoa, easy there feisty pants! Calm down," Riku said, retraining Piri from doing anything reckless, "Calm down. Just leave the snowman be!"

"Alright," Piri said, calming down and walking away, "Alright, I'm calm now."

"Okay, good," Sora said, but then saw Piri throw the snowball at the monster.

"Oh come on!" Riku groaned in annoyance. The moment the snowball hit him, the snow monster roared in rage as large ice spikes popped out of his back. "Great, now you've made him mad!"

"I'll distract him. You guys go!" Donald said and they ran off. Unfortunately for the snow duck, his body ran off without his head. "No wait! Not you guys! Ah phooey, this just got a whole lot harder."

Riku, Sora, Ven and Piri ran until they reached the edge of the mountain and slip down the slope. The snow monster jumped down on them when they reached the bottom and Sora, Ven, Riku, and Piri ran as fast as they could to get away. When they ran past a tree tilted from the snow, Piri got an idea. She ran back to the tree and released the snow, knocking the snow monster down.

"Oh ho ho! Nice one!" Sora congratulated her when Piri caught up to them.

"Thanks!" But their moment of triumph was short-lived when they stopped at the edge of a cliff. "What do we do?" Piri asked as she looked down, "It's a hundred foot drop!"

"Two hundred actually," Sora said.

Riku tied a rope around Piri's waist and took out the ax. "What's that for?"

"I'm digging a snow anchor," Riku replied as he dug a U shape in the snow and then put the rope inside it.

"Okay, what if we fall?" Piri asked, As Sora tied himself and Ven into the rope.

"There's twenty feet of fresh powder down there. It'll be like landing on a pillow," Riku said, then said the last bit to himself, "Hopefully." A thunderous roar echoed from the woods and they see a few of the trees in the distance moving. "Alright, Piri. On three."

"Okay," Piri said.

"One."

"I was born ready!" Piri said confidently, getting ready to jump.

"Two…"

A large tree then flew in and crashed right by them. "Tree!" Piri yelled and she jumped.

"What the-?" Before Riku knew what happened, he and Ven and Sora was pulled over the side of the cliff and the snow anchor kept him and Piri dangling along the side. "Whoa! That happened."

Donald arrived at the cliff, his body parts all in a jumbled mess. "Man I'm out of shape," he panted, and then he rearranged himself. After he completely fixed himself up, he looked around and called out, "Hey Piri! Sora! Ven! Goofy! Where did you guys go? We totally lost Lexaeus back there!" Just then, Lexaeus came up from behind the snow duck and growled. Donald turned around and said, "Oh we were just talking about you. All good things, all good things." Lexaeus then roared and walked toward the cliff. Donald tried to stop him by grabbing the snow monster's leg. "This is not making a difference!"

Lexaeus then shook the poor snow duck off his leg and kicked him over the cliff. "Donald!" Piri yelled as Donald fell past them.

"Hang in there guys!" Donald yelled before he was out of their sights.

Piri and the others started to climb down faster but Lexaeus grabbed the rope from the snow anchor and was pulling them back up. As they were trying to get themselves free, Riku hit his head on the cliff side and was knocked unconscious.

"DON'T COME BACK!" Lexaeus roared once the two were dangling in front of him.

"We won't," Piri said. She grabbed Sora's knife and cut the rope, causing they all to plummet down the cliff.

As they fell, Piri braced herself for a hard, painful landing below, but surprisingly, she landed in the snow completely unharmed. "Wow, you were right. Just like a pillow."

"I can't feel my legs. I can't feel my legs!" Donald cried out in despair, shaking Riku's boots.

Riku sat up and said bluntly, "Those are my legs."

"Oh. Hey do me a favor and grab my butt," Donald said as Riku grabbed the snow duck's lower half and reattached Donald's upper body to it. "Oh, that's better."

"Where's Sora and Ven?" Piri asked and two hands came out of the snow, along with a muffled shout. Piri gasped and helped Ven out of the snow. "Ven, are you okay?"

"Other than a little chilly and the fact I was falling of a cliff, doing great." Ven said and Sora popped out of the snow.

"Yep, diffently two hundred..." He said. "The snow is so soft, we could do this a hundred times."

"Would you like to?" Piri asked and Sora groaned.

"Noooo thank yooou!" He groaned again and got up, dusting his clothes off.

Goofy trotted up behind Donald and nudged him. "Goofy! He found us!" the snow duck exclaimed happily, then hugged Goofy's head, "Who's my cute little reindeer?"

"Please don't talk to him that," Riku said to Donald. He then went over to Piri and helped her out of the snow. "You alright?"

"Yeah thanks. How's your head?" Piri touched Riku's head and he recoiled in pain, causing her to remove her hand worryingly.

"It's fine. Don't worry, I've got a thick skull," he assured her as he rubbed his head.

"I don't have a skull," Donald interrupted, "or bones."

Sora softly chuckled at Donald, and then asked Kairi, "So now what?"

"Now what?" Piri repeated as a slight blush showed in her cheeks, but it then vanished when she came to a realization, "Now what? Oh, what am I gonna do?" Now it was Piri's turn to panic. "She threw me out! I can't go back to Radiant Garden with the weather like this! And there's your ice business, and-"

"Hey, don't worry about my ice business," Riku said to calm her down, then something caught his attention, "Worry about your hair."

"What?" Piri took a quick glance at her hair and then looked at Riku in surprise. "I just fell off a cliff! You should see your hair!"

"No, yours is turning white!" Riku said.

"White?" Piri looked at her hair again and gasped when she saw a streak of white appeared. "What?"

"It's because she struck you, isn't it?" Riku said, worried about Piri's condition. Sora gasped.

"Wait, you got hit?" He worried and Piri nodded.

Ven held her hand, "Piri, how are you feeling right now?"

"Well, fine for now... D-does it look bad?" Piri asked Riku.

He was silent for a moment before he replied, "No."

"You hesitated," Donald pointed out.

"No, I-I didn't," Riku denied, and then started walking towards the forest, "Piri, you need help. Come on."

"Okay. Where are we going?" Donald asked as he, Piri, Ven, and Goofy followed Sora Riku.

"To see me friends," the brunette replied.

"The love experts?" Piri asked.

"Love experts?!" Donald said excitedly.

"Yep. Don't worry, they can fix this," Sora said, folding his hands behind his head.

"How do you know?" Piri asked him. She was still a bit skeptical about their 'friends'.

Riku glanced behind him and smiled confidently. "Cause we've seen them do it before."

"I'd like to consider myself a love expert," Donald said as they kept walking into the woods.