Well… this is a VERY long way to end a story... Enjoy!

Icicle Inn: Part Three

When Sora woke up, he found himself buried beneath a thick pile of blankets. He was wonderfully warm and he sighed happily as he curled up, glad that the cold was now just a memory still swamped with sleep. Yeah, maybe he'd just drift right back off and…

"There you are!"

Sora looked up blearily and found Goofy standing over him, cheery as ever. That made Sora realise further sleep was simply out the question. He sat up slowly, noting that someone had dressed him in a pair of green pyjamas while he'd slept. His head felt thick and stuffed full of fog. He yawned, and some of the fog cleared as he slowly approached total wakefulness.

"Want something to eat Sora?"

"Ye-" Yawn. "-eah." He sniffed a little, an aromatic odour creeping up his nostrils. "Mm, smells good."

Goofy passed him a bowl of steaming stew and a few chunks of thick bread to go with it. "Mr. Holzoff's got more where that came from if you want it."

Sora eagerly ate the meal, the broth warming him further still. "Is Donald okay?" He asked, dunking another piece of bread into the stew.

"Yup, he's helpin' Mr. Holzoff with the cookin'. He's okay now but poor ol' Donald ain't good at lastin' in the snow for long. But he reckons he's come up with the solution so I guess he'll be all right." Goofy sat down next to Sora, carefully making sure he sat on the blankets only rather than his friend's legs. "How 'bout you?"

"Huh? Oh I'm fine." Sora smiled. "I'm almost completely awake now too!"

"Mr. Holzoff said it's a miracle you ain't got hypothermia. He says those hot springs can be death traps."

"They can indeed." Mr. Holzoff finally revealed himself. He was an aged gentleman, grey and lined by the years of living in the harsh climate. He had friendly green eyes that liked to smile, but Sora suspected that the old man had seen a few bad things. There was a certain weariness about him, something that cast a shadow over everything he did. "It's nice to meet you properly Sora." He held out a hand and the boy shook it politely, shaking off his musings. "Donald and Goofy told me you're all here to take care of our… ah… pest problem. It seems that the Lady of the Inn is controlling them."

Still huddled in blankets and nursing his stew, Sora asked, "Who was she anyway? She seemed… kinda insane."

"Yes, the Lady of the Inn has guarded these lands jealously for longer than any living memory. There's a legend, a tale all those who live at Icicle Inn are told as young children. It speaks of a woman who, after being exiled due to her dark witchcraft, took to the snows and gave up her soul for eternal life. The Lady of the Inn believed that with her endless life and dark magic, she had the right to control these lands."

"I bet she's the one controlling the Heartless," Donald said.

"She called them pets," Sora commented rubbing the sleep from his eyes before returning to his stew. "And they didn't attack her either."

"Guess that confirms it then," Goofy replied. "S'pose maybe we oughta go look for her."

"Yeah but…if she's got an endless life…"

"Ah, that simply means she'll never die of old age or illness." Mr. Holzoff told Sora. "She can be killed by weapons."

"I guess that's a relief," Sora said. "All we have to do now is find her."

"Just follow those little monsters," Mr. Holzoff replied. "They'll lead you to her I'm sure. She must be in the Northern Crater. It's where the creatures seem to be coming from. But the route up the cliff is very dangerous." The old man appraised the trio with an expert eye. "I don't think you'll be able make it. Do any of you even have climbing experience?"

"Do trees count?" Sora asked with a grin.

"I can't allow you to go," the man said. "Gaea's Cliff shouldn't be climbed by amateurs. It's far too dangerous."

"And so is having the Heartless running around!" Donald retorted, never one to appreciate being labelled 'amateur'.

"The people of Icicle Inn can deal with them alone…"

"No, you can't." Sora looked firmly at the man. "The Heartless will destroy this world if you don't let me and my friends take care of them."

"But you're just…"

"A kid, yeah I know." Sora smiled. "But dealing with the Heartless is… it's my duty." Sora held out his hand and the Keyblade appeared. "You see? This is the only thing that can stop the Heartless and I'm the one who has it. So I gotta get to the crater on the other side of the cliff."

Mr. Holzoff was shocked to see a weapon appear out of nowhere. "How…?"

Sora shrugged. "It's sort of a long story, one I don't have time to tell you. We really need your help getting up the cliff."

Mr. Holzoff sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you how to do it. I'll give you a map of the route and I'll teach you how to climb. I assume you wish to set out as soon as possible?"

"Definitely," Donald replied.

So Mr. Holzoff grabbed a map out of a cupboard and showed the trio the best route up the cliff. He helped them pack rucksacks with rope, food and flasks of soup and tea that Donald would be able to heat magically if needed. Sora found his clothes hanging up to dry in another part of the cabin. He got dressed and rejoined Donald and Goofy, both of whom were ready to go.

"I wish you luck," Mr. Holzoff said.

"Don't worry," Sora said with a smile. "Soon you'll never have to worry about the Heartless again."

"Take care."

"We will," Sora promised, following Donald and Goofy back out into the snow. He shivered. "We'll get this over with quick. I don't think I like the snow any more."

"You do look like someone who sees more sun than snow."

For a moment Sora's good mood faltered. Home. He hadn't thought about it much lately. Well, he tried not to at least. The chill brought him back to the moment. "Yeah, that's definitely true."

"Well, make sure you live to see the sun again." And with a wave, Mr. Holzoff retreated inside.

Rucksacks on their backs, the three turned to face their path. Outside Mr. Holzoff's house was a slope, at the top of which rested the base of the cliff. It didn't take long to reach the cliff. Mr. Holzoff's cabin lived permanently in its shadow. Sora looked up, the sky barely visible thanks to the rock that never seemed to end. Sora sighed as checked the map once again. Why did the Heartless have to make his job so much harder than it already was? He sneezed suddenly.

"You didn't catch a cold didja Sora?" Goofy asked as he prepared the rope that would tie the three together.

Sora wiped his nose on the back of his hand. "Nah. Just got snow up my nose."

With rope tied safely around all their waists, the three began climbing up the cliff. The snow had lightened up but it refused to stop falling. Sora supposed it never stopped snowing here.

Goofy took the lead because with his tall, lanky body it was easier for him to find the footholds and direct the others to them. Donald went in the middle and Sora brought up the rear. It was an unusual formation but it was the wisest. Goofy set a fair pace, his smaller companions able to keep up. Every time they reached a ledge safe to stop on, they had a brief break to jog on the spot to bring their body temperatures back up. Donald aided the process with magic, casting Fira along with Aero to create a warm wind. Donald had plenty of Ethers to keep him going so he was able to use his magic to his heart's content. Mr. Holzoff said it was essential to stay warm, because cold people made silly mistakes. Plus every time they had a break, Sora had to get all the snow out his hair. Despite the hoods of his sweaters and his jacket, Sora's thick brown hair still managed to catch the snow. Every time it melted, a tiny drop of icy water ran through his scalp and down his neck. It was very unpleasant. Sora looked forward to reaching one of the three cave networks in the cliff Mr. Holzoff had mentioned. The three had already decided that the caves would be perfect places to break for warm food… providing the Heartless hadn't taken over the cliff's interior.

They managed to climb quickly though, never taking a wrong route thanks to Mr. Holzoff's map. The cliff was full of ledges to rest on but many, according to the map, were dead ends. Thanks to the expert guidance of Mr. Holzoff, Sora and his friends reached the first cave surprisingly quickly. Once they were all safely inside, Goofy freed them all from the rope. Sora was glad to be out the snow… but did the cave really have to have walls of ice? And the wind howled as it chased its tail in and out the cavern. Sora shivered. Snow and ice… this world really didn't know what warm was, did it?

"You guys get some tea ready," Sora said as he summoned the Keyblade. "I'll go make sure we haven't got any unwanted guests."

"Gotcha. Call us if ya need a hand," Goofy said.

Sora walked through the icy cavern, taking care to not slip and slide everywhere. The howling wind made his ears hurt, so he kept his hoods pulled up. There was an opening towards the back and he headed through it, the path curving as it led upwards. When he emerged back in the cave, Sora found himself on a small walkway that led right around the entrance cavern. He waved down to Donald and Goofy, assuring them that everything was all clear so far. At least the walk was keeping him warm.

On the cave's higher level there was another pathway. Sora could feel an even colder wind coming down it and knew that beyond lay the route back outside. He let the Keyblade disappear. Maybe the Heartless didn't appreciate ice caves either?

Sora hurried back to his friends, the wonderfully warm tea waiting for him as he arrived. They drank it quickly and moved on, none of them wanting to stay still for long.

The first cavern successfully passed, the group was soon linked by a rope and climbing outside again. Sora, at the bottom, was starting to find it a little odd that the Heartless hadn't been in the cave. It would have been a perfect spot for an ambush… and the Heartless always seemed to attack at moments like that.

"Hurry up Sora!" Donald called out, breaking into the boy's thoughts. "Stop dawdling! Goofy and me aren't gonna carry you up."

"Oh, sorry!" Sora scrambled up after his friends, trying to ignore his somewhat ominous thoughts.

It was getting colder as they climbed higher, the air painful to breathe in. The snow was getting thicker too, and often Sora found himself blinded by it. The trio tried not to spend too long on each ledge. They wanted to reach the next cave as soon as possible. The higher they got, the thinner the air became and the faster they used up the energy in their bodies. Sora suspected he was struggling so much because he'd never known anything this cold in his life. He didn't know how he'd fight the Heartless. It took almost all his willpower to start moving again after they had a break on each ledge.

Eventually they reached the second cave. Sora didn't offer to scout for Heartless this time. He lay on the cave floor, trembling from cold and exertion. He coughed air into his lungs, sitting up only when his body felt less like jelly.

"I don't think I wanna make snowmen any more. Snow's pretty but it's way too cold!" Sora grumbled, looking around.

Their next path, a huge opening in the cave's back wall where snow streamed in from outside, was blocked off by massive icicles. There was no way to squeeze past them; they were too densely packed together.

Goofy had given one a good whack with his shield, but it refused to break. "Any ideas?" he asked Donald.

"Magic I suppose." He held out his wand. "Fira!"

Donald's magic had a better impact than Goofy's shield. The icicles began to melt, a couple even falling apart. But the wizard would never melt all the ice alone. Donald called to Sora, who stumbled back to his feet and came over.

"On three Sora, we'll both use Fira together. Keep the spell up as long as you can."

Sora nodded and held the Keyblade out. "One…"

"…Two…"

"Three! Fira!"

Together, the pair had much more luck than Donald alone. Goofy weakened critical points in each icicle with his shield so the Fira spells could do more damage. It took a lot of hard work but they got there in the end, standing once again in a stream of snow. They didn't step onto the path until they had eaten and had another hot drink. Sora was feeling less drained once his stomach was full again. He took the lead up the snowy path, Donald and Goofy following behind with their weapons drawn. But not a single Heartless crossed their path. They made it back outside the cave without a single hitch.

"I don't like this," Sora said as he tied the rope around his waist again. "Where are the Heartless?"

"Probably waitin' for us in the Northern Crater," Goofy said as he began climbing. "Safer for 'em there I guess."

The next climb was harder still. The breaks on the ledges got longer because it took the three more time to warm their bodies. Donald's magic helped greatly but as soon as the spells ended, the cold returned with a vengeance. They climbed slower than before. Thankfully the snow had slowed and no longer stormed out the sky, making life a little easier. Sora tried to summon the more cheerful thoughts he'd had about the white stuff before but he found it almost impossible. He was cold, tired and had a big fight to come.

"Snow sucks." And coming from Sora, that was practically an expression of downright hatred.

"Never had a hard winter huh?" Donald called down from above.

"I've never had a winter," Sora replied. "It's just always summer back home…" Sora trailed off. He didn't want to think about home right now. The snow made him long for Destiny Islands more than ever.

Donald and Goofy knew better than to push their young friend and remained silent as the three finally made it to the last cavern. All of them sat down despite the icy ground. Sora didn't remember the last time he'd been so out of breath. He honestly didn't know if he ever had. He coughed asthmatically. And his nose was uncomfortably blocked. He sighed. Great, he really had caught a cold.

"So, you made it this far."

Sora, Donald and Goofy were all on their feet in an instant, weapons at the ready. The Lady of the Inn stood in front of them, smiling faintly.

"I'm almost impressed."

"Only almost?" Sora repeated.

"You have no right being here!" In the passageway she blocked, something began to make a lot of noise. "I'll have to let my old friend take care of you. He's changed a bit, but I think he'll be able to deal with you."

Sora watched as a huge, long-necked dragon somehow squeezed its immense body into the cavern. The Lady of the Inn patted the dragon's head as it nuzzled against her. The dragon was a Heartless, the massive symbol on its belly marking it so. As the Lady of the Inn left, taking the tunnel at the back of the cave, the Heartless dragon took to the air. Sora didn't understand how it managed in such a small space. The thing he really needed to worry about was fighting.

Keyblade in hand, Sora ran forwards to attack. Goofy was marginally faster than the boy, lifting his shield in time to deflect an Ice Beam attack.

"Thanks Goofy!"

"Be careful!"

Sora used Strike Raid to hit the dragon's head. Donald soon had all three shielded with Aero. Then he was alternating between Thunder and Fire magic, trying to decide which was more powerful. Donald hung back, his magic pinning the Heartless down so Sora and Goofy could attack more easily.

Goofy's Rocket ability carried him up, his shield knocking the dragon several times. Sora managed to jump onto the dragon's back, balancing carefully on its long neck as he aimed the Keyblade at its head. The dragon roared as Sora's attack connected. It opened its mouth and another beam of ice came screaming out, hitting the rocks above and shaking them loose. Sora dodged the stones but had to leap off the dragon in order to do so. The dragon only succeeded in causing itself further injury. Rocks pummelled its large body. It let out another roar as its wings ceased to hold it up. It crashed into the ground, making itself a far easier target for Sora and Goofy's attacks.

"Stop!"

The dragon's movements halted, but only for the briefest of moments. The Heartless was too big and too powerful to stay still for long. Nevertheless, Donald's magic held it still long enough for Sora to use Sonic Blade against the Heartless. Sora dodged the dragon's raking claw, giving Goofy a chance to attack from the dragon's unprotected side. The combination of Donald's earlier magic attacks and Sora and Goofy's fighting had seriously worn the Heartless down. It hadn't been able to get off the ground, but its thrashing around was causing huge chunks of icy rock to come tumbling down.

"We need to get out of here!" Donald called out. "The whole cave is gonna come down!"

Sora barely dodged an attack from the dragon's tail in time. "You're right. The tunnel's this way. I'll distract the dragon while you and Goofy get over here."

Sora's method of distraction was another Strike Raid. Donald and Goofy managed to run past the dragon, both of them attacking while managing to not get crushed by the rocks. They, along with Sora, watched the Heartless from the safety of the tunnel that would lead back outside. The dragon, wounded as it was, still caused its own death. The cramped space meant it was hard for it to move. It had fallen so unevenly that one of its wings was caught under its body. The dragon gave one last desperate yank, succeeding only in pulling larger rocks down from above. All of them landed on top of the Heartless, crushing it.

"Let's get outta here in case the tunnel comes down too," Goofy said.

The three ran up the tunnel, knowing they were getting closer to the outside as the air began to grow colder. But when they arrived back outside, they realised that they had finally reached the cliff's summit. One short climb and there they were, gazing down into the maze of rocky pathways that was Northern Crater. There was no more snow. The sky was completely empty of clouds and this served only to make it colder than before. Ghostly, shimmering Northern Lights glowed and glimmered above them, huge ribbons of green and white light waving in the night sky. The stars too were sparkling, all of them holding in place and not fading away.

But Sora didn't have time to look at the beauty above. "Look! In the centre. It's the Keyhole!"

It was a little hard to spot as the Crater was full of mist, but a Keyhole was impossible to mistake.

"And it looks like we finally found all the Heartless," Sora commented as he took the lead down the path into the Crater. He hoped he didn't sound too grim, but his head was hurting and his throat felt a little ragged. All in all, he wasn't feeling particularly energetic. Nevertheless, Sora kept the Keyblade ready, flexing his cold hands as he tried to get rid of the stiffness. "They're all here."

"Fightin' 'em all sure will keep us warm," Goofy said as he pulled his shield off his back.

"We need to reach the Keyhole quick," Donald added. "We can't let the Heartless beat us to it."

Sora jogged down the hill carefully, not wanting to trip over and fall. The Lady of the Inn would be here too, controlling the Heartless. He had to be ready to fight her as well, despite the cold that was definitely taking a hold of him. It wasn't fair at all! He hadn't had a cold for over a year. Why did one have to strike him just because he was out in chilly weather?

The Ice Eagles came first, a whole squadron bombing the trio with ice magic from above. Donald ordered Sora and Goofy to continue on, promising he would take care of the Eagles. Agreeing with the wizard, Sora and Goofy continued on. The next batch of Heartless was a mixture of Snowmen and Shadows. Goofy, like Donald, ordered Sora to continue on.

"We'll catch up!" Goofy promised.

"Be careful!" Sora called, running on. He knew his friends could handle the Heartless.

Sora found himself on a thin, rocky walkway that curved and twisted as it headed towards the Keyhole. It was completely free of snow, the bare brown rock a welcome relief to the white stuff. Sora decided he felt warmer too, because no snow meant it had to be milder by his reckoning.

Beyond the pathway there was absolutely nothing. If he fell there was only an abyss to catch him. He swallowed hard. That wasn't a very appealing prospect.

A few Shadows rose up to attack but Sora cut them down with ease. He never stopped running, killing Heartless on the move. He had to get to the Keyhole before the Lady of the Inn or the Heartless got to it and destroyed the world.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of running, Sora arrived in the Northern Crater's centre. A natural bridge led over the abyss to an alter-like circle, the edges enclosed by massive stones. The rock here was green, as if the light from the skies above had seeped into the ground. And there, hanging in midair, was the Keyhole. In front of it, the Lady of the Inn stood with her arms folded. She had two Yeti-type Heartless flanking her, the pair guarding their mistress.

She didn't even need to turn around to know she had unwanted company. "Tell me boy, how do I open this?"

"You can't."

"Oh come now, I hardly believe that."

"You shouldn't open it! If you do, this world will die."

The Lady of the Inn turned to face Sora. "Die?" Her tone was almost one of concern. How odd.

"If you let the Heartless get into the Keyhole, they'll steal the heart of this world and it will die."

"Hm."

"Don't you love this world? Don't you want to control it all?"

"That is true…"

"Then you should stop this before…"

"But if the world dies, so will all those who defile its beauty."

"But…!"

The Lady clapped her hands. The two Yetis were joined by two more and the four encircled the Lady of the Inn. She jumped up, hovering in the air. Her heavy thermal clothing came off. She hung in the air clothed only in a thin white dress that rippled in the wind. The sight of her blue skin made Sora shiver even more. His hand tightened around the Keyblade as he crouched, ready to fight.

She smirked at him. "This world will die."

The Heartless lumbered forwards as the woman holding her hands in the air and gathered magic. Sora rolled out the way, coming up and parrying a Yeti's fist as it came at his head. At least there was no snow for the Heartless to throw at him. Sora began pushing back the Yeti that had attacked him; his usual hacks and slashes scoring all the hits they needed. The Yeti stumbled, falling away to the rear of the group so another two could fill its place. But by now the Lady of the Inn was ready to fight, her hands held out in front of her. She called upon the snow, pulling it all the way up from the bottom of the cliff. The snow was churning in an almighty wind. Sora managed to duck the attacks coming from the Yetis but the Lady of the Inn's magic hit him full-force. For a moment he froze solid, looking out at the world through a sheet of ice. But then the Yetis, all four of them, were punching him. Sora went flying backwards, his back connecting painfully with the huge stones that surrounded him. Dazed and breathless, Sora fell face first onto the ground. He knew he had to get up quickly, or chances were he was going to suffer worse injury. He had to catch his breath though, so Sora aimed the Keyblade and held the Yetis back with a Thunder spell. The one he had fought first faded away, leaving him just three to contend with. Sora really hoped Donald and Goofy were on their way. He stood up, only to be forced back down in order to avoid the Lady of the Inn. She was hovering right over him, her fist sweeping out to hit him. Sora ducked the attack, rolling to his feet behind her. She was preparing to summon more snow and wind. Sora didn't let her. He attacked her with Strike Raid, switching his target halfway through the move to stop the Yetis from hitting him again.

Donald and Goofy came along with beautiful timing. The Lady of the Inn was about to attack Sora from behind, the teenager having failed to notice her. Donald nailed her with Gravity, ending her flight and sending her crashing to the ground. Goofy charged, his shield knocking into the woman's head and stunning her. Sora, who had just finished off a second Yeti, turned and was shocked to see his friends. He hadn't realised they were there at all…

"I'm glad you're okay," he called, pausing momentarily to catch his breath. After all, it was harder to breathe through a blocked nose. And ouch, his throat hurt. Sora swallowed with a wince. "Let's get this over with, huh?"

"Definitely!" Donald agreed, jumping up as he cast a wide-ranging Thunder spell. It took out the remaining Yetis.

Now the three friends only had a very angry Lady of the Inn to deal with. "These lands will be mine! I'll not allow filth to control them! This world will die before I allow it!"

This time she summoned ice, the tiny frozen chunks lethal projectiles in the wind. Sora, Donald and Goofy all avoided serious injury but none of them avoided nasty cuts. They had no choice but to wait, all crouched behind Goofy's large shield, until her attack was finished before they could launch an offensive of their own. When her magic was exhausted, Donald jumped out and cast Fira, hurriedly followed by Gravity again and finally Stop. Sora and Goofy came at the Lady from both sides, her livid screams echoing loudly.

"How dare you?" she demanded, standing on shaking legs. "How DARE you!"

She jumped up, leaving herself completely open. Goofy used his Rocket ability to stop her from landing, Donald pushed her back further in the air with a well-aimed Fira and Sora's Strike Raid sent the Lady of the Inn tumbling outside the circle of stones and down, down, down into the abyss.

It took a long time for the echoes of her screams to fall silent.

The Keyhole flashed and the Keyblade shone. Sora held it out and soon his job was done, another world sealed and safe from the Heartless.

"Uuh, I don't wanna move," Sora complained, sitting down on the ground. "I don't reckon I can climb back down that cliff."

"Ah, going down's the easy bit," Goofy replied, hauling the boy back to his feet.

Sora sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. And we can always stop at Mr. Holzoff's cabin again, right?" And he began following his friends back the way they had come. The journey was done in silence, all three too cold and too tired to speak.

So it came as a surprise when someone yelled, "Oiy! Where're you goin'?"

Confused, Sora, Donald and Goofy looked up. Cid didn't think he'd ever seen three people more relieved to see him and his ship in his life.

"I got the note! Are ya comin' or do ya'll wanna stay in this ice box?"

Cid lowered a rope ladder from the ship's hatch. A few minutes later, three very tired and very cold people sat on the floor, the snow and ice still clinging to their clothes turning to puddles of water.

"I'm not moving," Sora declared, flopping onto his back.

"Yeah you are," Cid retorted, hands on his hips. "Your ship's waiting and…"

"Tow it," Sora replied. "I'm not moving." He held his hands to his throbbing head. In the warmth of the ship, his cold was making itself known. "I don't like snow any more."

"Sora caught a cold in the snow," Goofy informed Cid, standing up and brushing down his clothes.

"Aaah, man-flu," Cid said with a nod.

"Man-flu?" Donald asked, also back on his feet.

"It's what Aerith calls a guy with a cold – says they've got man-flu 'cause we always complain about colds more than women… least, that's what she says." Cid reached down and pulled Sora to his feet. "We'll get you to her. She'll have some potions that'll make you feel better."

Sora took off his jacket, scarf and gloves as he began to feel too hot. "Back to Traverse Town then," he said.

"Yup, back home," Cid replied. "Take a seat on the bridge. I'll go make some tea. Ship'll take itself back to where yours is. Don't look so pouty Sora, I'm gonna tow it anyway. No way I'm standing out in the snow for hours tryin' to fix it here. Chip and Dale are getting the towlines ready as we stand here yakkin'."

"Shouldn't we go tell the people in the town and Mr. Holzoff that they ain't gotta worry about the Heartless?" Goofy said.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout that. People figured something good was goin' on when the snow stopped falling. Plus I went and passed on the word." And off Cid went to make some tea.

"Home, then," Sora replied quietly.

The End