"Although my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience. And it's found a home with all the friends I've made. I've become a part of their heart, just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then, if they don't forget me, then our hearts will be one. I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!" – Sora, Kingdom Hearts

NOTICE: This is the second part in a series. The first part is Chain of Memories: Bright Black. If you have not read the first part, you may be confused by the events that follow.

Notes: Hey everyone! I'm back and also I posted this late at night so there may be errors I missed. I'll try to go through and edit it later. Although this story is short, it's not any shorter than the first part. It took me over a month to write because I just didn't like the way it was going and had to rewrite some parts. I also got some writers block and became frustrated more than once. Still, I finished it and I'm glad, even if it needs some tweaking. I'm sure it needs some tweaks. I also didn't want to post it until I completed everything so that made it take longer. I know, like the first part, it just reiterates some events but there are differences and I tried to keep known events to a minimum while making the different events coherent and story-like as possible. In a lot of ways this story is a transition between the last part and the next part I will write. Well, I still hope everyone can enjoy it. Have fun!

Chapter 1: Who are you?

Riku gasped as his vision came back.

"Am I in . . . Traverse Town?" he questioned to no one in particular as he examined his clothes and new surroundings.

"My clothes have changed," he thought aloud adjusting his collar.

Only then did he realize that he was alone.

"Sora! Where are you?" he called out looking about again.

He turned around and walked toward the fountain as he thought over how he got here, "I remember we fell overboard after Ursula attacked . . . and then I think we opened a Keyhole. So . . . this must be one of the Sleeping Worlds."

"My Keyblade—it just sort of . . . popped into my hand when I needed it most," he said as he held up his hand, remembering the feeling of the weapon, "Right. It started."

"Wow! Where's your Portal?" a voice suddenly asked, startling him.

It only took a moment to pinpoint the voice from the arch above.

"It takes something special to jump between grounds without one," a boy with light blonde hair continued.

He wore plain clothing, a light blue shirt with dark blue pants. Nothing really odd other than the fact that he was sitting on high arch that looked hard to reach by normal means.

"Who are you?" Riku questioned suspiciously.

"My name is Joshua," he said simply as he brushed some hair from his face.

An equally ordinary name. Still, this was a test and he wouldn't let his guard down.

"What do you mean, 'Portal'?"

"Are we just skipping past the part where you tell me your name?" he asked a little annoyed.

Is his name all it was going to take for an answer? "Riku."

Joshua chuckled, "Hello there Riku. Portals are like gateways that link up our worlds. Apparently the worlds you and I are standing in right now—well, there are two copies of it. It's been sort of split in half. Portals are what let folks like us cross between them."

"There can be two of a world?" Riku questioned slightly surprised.

"The world is as many things as people need it to be. The concept that we all live in the same world—that's just in our heads. Surely you knew?" he answered rather cockily, "I'll tell you what, Riku. I've got a little errand for you."

Riku's eyes narrowed slightly at his last words. This situation was all too familiar; someone giving him something then asking him to do their bidding. He was finished with that kind of life.

"Sorry. I don't trust you," he said firmly, walking away.

"Aw, at least hear me out!" he said keeping a level demeanor, "I'm looking for a girl named Rhyme. She's the key to the Portal. And on the other side, who knows who we'll find? Maybe even your friend . . . Sora."

Riku stopped when he mentioned his friend, "You know Sora?"

Joshua chuckled again, "Now I have your attention."

He then dropped down to Riku's level gracefully as if gravity didn't apply to him, "But, unfortunately, I don't know where he is. If he's not in this version of the world, I can only assume he has to be in the other one. Simple logic."

He still wasn't sure if he could trust this person but so far he was the only lead he had at finding Sora, "Okay, you wanna find Rhyme? You got it. Let's go."

He then joined Joshua as they walked through this dream version of Traverse Town. Not so soon after, monsters appeared. He could only assume they were the Dream Eaters, Nightmares, that Yen Sid told them about. He wondered if Joshua knew how to fight but noticed that the Nightmares completely ignored him. Not only once but every time the Nightmares attacked they didn't seem to pay Joshua any mind. Why was that?

As they entered the Second District his curiosity got the best of him, "Joshua, why don't they ever attack you?"

"'They' being the Dream Eaters?" he clarified as they walked, "They won't go after you unless you're a dreamer. Which is funny, because I've got plenty of dreams."

Even Joshua seemed disturbed by this fact.

"But they're definitely attacking me . . . So . . . you think I'm a dreamer?" Riku asked thoughtfully, stopping in his tracks which made Joshua stop as well.

"Every human being is a dreamer," He answered, keeping his attention forward, "I had a friend once who said he never dreamed of anything, but it turned out that his were the most powerful dreams of all. You sort of remind me of him."

He then turned to Riku with a lighter tone in his voice, "Why don't we give your dreams shape? In this world, they take form as Dream Eaters, which can become great allies."

This part was a little strange; the way Joshua explained it, he had to concentrate on his dreams and bring them to light. So many dreams to think of, but what was most important to him? His friends, he wanted to be there for his friends this time. By grasping the idea of his dream and holding it tight in his heart, a bat creature materialized in front of him, happily screeching and flapping.

"I gotchu now, Joshua!" a boy suddenly shouted, running up in front of the hotel and throwing a foot up on the railing.

He wore a tank top and a skull hat along with a big chain necklace and some yellow-tan pants. He seemed to be extremely energetic in the way we moved.

"Once I take you down, yo, me and Rhyme is goin' back were we belong!" he announced.

Joshua seemed exhausted by him already, "Beat. How many times do we have to go over this? You've been tricked—by the rogue in the black coat."

Riku attached to this information, "What? Black coats? But that's . . ."

Could it be the organization again?

"I'm telling you you've made a friend of our enemy," Joshua stated calmly.

Beat wasn't feeling this conversation at all as he yelled, "Just can it, alright? Your inverse psychiatry ain't gonna work! Let's go, Dream Eaters!"

A panda-like creature appeared and happily runs over to Riku's bat.

"What? Man, not cool!" Beat shouted, frustrated.

Joshua only laughed as Nightmares appeared as well.

Riku fought them off with his new ally Spirits.

After the last one was extinguished Beat sighed angrily, falling into a sitting position on the railing, "You know what? Forget it. This is stale, yo."

Joshua walked up beside him keeping his cool tone, "Playing the tough guy 24/7? I'd be worn out too."

"I just . . . wanna protect the one person who matters," he said quietly and earnestly.

"I know the feeling," Riku commented without much thought to it when a sudden drowsiness washed over his mind.

His hand instinctively went to his head as he could barely hear his own words, "Why am I suddenly . . . so sleepy?"

His vision wavered and darkened while his body gave in and fell forward. He was out before the collision with the ground.

Just as unexpected as his sudden sleepiness, his thoughts were overtaken by certain phrases and thoughts from earlier that seemed to repeat themselves over and over again in a jumble of nonsense:

I'm looking for a girl named—

I just . . . wanna protect the one person who matters.

What was most important to him?

He wanted to be there for his friends.

What's important to him?

Wanna protect the one person—

Looking for a girl—

Be there for his friends

I know the feeling

And like a sudden convergence the phrases melted into one more solid thought:

I just wanted to be there to protect that girl.

"I promise we will meet again," an unfamiliar, yet familiar, female voice sounded out clearly.

He gasped and opened his eyes. Suddenly he was standing in a completely white room, wide awake.

As he took in his new surroundings he was struck by where he was, "I'm in . . . Castle Oblivion."

Looking down at his clothes he noticed that they were still the same. Was this another one of the Sleeping Worlds?

"Riku, wait up!" he turned to find a girl run up the steps, a little winded.

She had mid-length black hair and wore a maroon top with capris pants and boots. The black feather accessory shifted and blended into her hair as she caught her breath and smiled.

"I thought you were going to leave me behind," she said a little worried.

He didn't recognize her at all so how did she know his name? She was talking so familiarly with him.

He couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

She seemed surprised for a moment, "Are you alright?"

Looking him over, she assessed, "You don't look injured. Did you hit your head maybe?"

"I'm fine," he said but was unsure whether he was really alright or not, "Have we met before?"

He was genuinely curious by now. Something besides the white walls of the castle seemed familiar.

She tilted her head slightly concerned as she explained, "Yeah, here. Well, not here specifically but in the basement of this castle."

He thought back but as far as he knew; he was alone the whole time. He never met anyone like her while ascending Castle Oblivion.

Her nervousness came out in her words, "You really didn't forget . . . did you?"

He was at a loss for something to say, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine," she sighed, "Maybe the cards will help. They are made of your memories after all."

He followed her line of sight to his hand where he was holding three cards. He hadn't even noticed them before. They were indeed the World Cards from Castle Oblivion. What was going on?

Composing himself, he found a place to start questioning, "Maybe if you tell me what happened I might remember. What happened before you . . . caught up to me?"

"Hmm," she thought looking to the side, "Well we fought a lot of Heartless and before that we met up with a talking mouse king."

"What?" he almost exclaimed, "You saw Mickey?"

"Y-yeah," she answered, surprised by his response, "I think he is called King Mickey. You only called him 'your majesty.' I mean, he was also only an illusion at the time but he seemed nice."

"So," Riku thought speaking under his breath, "this is right after that."

How would she have known about Mickey's illusion? He was alone the whole time, wasn't he? Was she trying to trick him or—

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw her head lowered. She was mumbling something barely audible.

"What—" he was about to say but something twisted in his chest as he held it.

Words seemed to waver in and out, "Wake . . . up . . ."

"Wake up," the phrase then vibrated loudly in his ears.

He found himself face down and opened his eyes slowly, still feeling the after effects of the heavily holding drowsiness on his mind as it melted away.

Lifting his head he wondered, "What happened? Did I fall asleep?"

Was it all just a dream? Why did he even fall asleep in the first place? Who was that girl anyway? Was this part of the test? As he tried to remember the events they only became fuzzier.

Dismissing it for now, he picked himself up and looked around for the people he saw before the mysterious drowsiness, "Where are Joshua and Beat?"

"Hey, do you mind?" a female voice said.

He turned and only caught a glimpse of a girl being chased by Nightmares. He followed her swiftly to the First District only to see her surrounded by enemies. He jumped in between her and the Dream Eaters while summoning his Keyblade.

"Stay back," he ordered and fought off the creatures in no time.

Once they were gone, all was silent again.

"Seriously, thanks," the girl walked up to him and smiled, holding up her cute black cat doll, "I'm Shiki, how 'bout you?"

"Riku," he introduced simply.

This time Riku got a good look at her. She had pink hair, a hat, a small hoodie and a short skirt with a bag attached to it. He didn't realize it at first but after that dream, or whatever it was, he was kind of hoping it was the black-haired girl he met. He still had a lot more questions for her.

"Thanks, Riku," she said happily moving her doll as well.

"Sure," he responded and walked off.

Even though he was disappointed that it wasn't the girl he met before, she was safe. At least that was a relief.

"Hey! That's it? You chat up a girl and then just say, "Sure," and walk off?" She said with mild surprise and annoyance.

Riku stopped and turned back to her realizing he was becoming too caught up in his thoughts, "I'm bad at this. Sorry. Look, it's not safe here. You should go home."

"If it's dangerous, how can you just leave me here? Aren't you my knight in shining armor?" she held up her cat and cuddled it as if talking to the doll.

"Well?" she then winked at him.

"Kn-knight?" he floundered over the word, a little flustered, "You've got the wrong idea."

"Omigosh, I was so just kidding. You get out much?" she asked a little embarrassed that he took it so seriously.

She really did hit the nail on the head. He crossed his arms not knowing how to act.

"You remind me of this guy I know," she said thoughtfully playing with her cat doll, "Well, good thing we met."

"Yeah, great," he said a little annoyed by the earlier question.

She had followed him after that. It turned out she was looking for the boy he reminded her of. Unfortunately, when she described him, Riku hadn't seen anyone like that. Shiki wasn't really all that bad to have around, she was a little flaky but nothing unbearable. It was nice to have company but protecting someone was another complication. Somehow it felt oddly familiar to travel like this. The idea tickled the back of his mind.

They had only entered the Fifth district when Shiki ran off, "Over there!"

"Hey! We should stick together!" he shouted after her as he heard a scream.

"Perfect," he commented lowly.

He then ran over to the staircase anticipating more Nightmares, "You can't expect me to—"

There stood a man in a black cloak who crushed Shiki's doll under his foot.

"Shiki! No way . . ." he couldn't believe that she was gone.

"How did you get here?" the man demanded.

"Who are you?" Riku asked firmly.

He had been asking this question a lot lately.

The man kicked the doll which hit Riku in the chest, making him look down at it.

"By choice or chance? You cannot control what you are not aware of," he continued to talk as he walked down the stairs, "This wakeless sleep will be your prison . . . to wander forever."

Riku backed away until he reached the edge of the fountain sensing something sinister from this person. Feeling the strange twisting sensation in his chest from before, he held the uncomfortable pain.

"What do you mean?" Riku questioned.

"Riku, don'chu listen to that punk!" he heard Beat shout as Riku looked over to see both him and Shiki standing at the other end of the fountain.

"Shiki's gonna be fine! She told me whassup. Hoodie here set this whole thing up, yo. He promised to send Shiki back to our world, and you was the cost of travel," Beat explained with his same boundless energy.

He then turned his harsh words on the cloaked man, "Yo, this is seriously one half-baked excuse for a mission. Betchu ain't even a Reaper."

The man pulled back his hood to reveal silver hair and yellow eyes.

Riku's eyes narrow as he asked again, "All right. Who are you?"

The man only raised his hands summoning a massive Nightmare which flew away, giving him enough time to escape through a corridor of darkness.

"Wait!" Riku yelled trying to catch the opening but it had closed too fast.

He couldn't catch him this time but he had a feeling that wasn't the last he would see of cloaked figure.

He ran over to Beat and Shiki, who looked sheepish and guilty, "I'm really sorry, Riku."

He only tossed her the doll surprising her a little, "It's all right. Beat, watch her."

"I got this yo!" Beat confidently declared.

He ran after the Nightmare making sure it didn't cause any havoc. After the battle, lights showered down revealing a projection image of Sora, Joshua and two other people he didn't know.

"Hey, what is this?" Shiki questioned curiously.

Riku walked up to Sora examining the image of his friend, "What are we . . . seeing?"

Just as he was about to touch him he flinched at Beats boisterous voice, "This is so messed up, man!"

Beat tried to get a hold of the small girl but his hands only went through her, "She's right here in front of me and . . . I can't reach her!"

"If your hearts are connected, you'll reach her," Riku reassured Beat who looked defeated.

For a moment his head hurt and that same twisting feeling came back like it did recently. Even his own words seemed to bother him lately.

Everyone said their respective partner's name and so did Riku, "Sora."

Later on after everyone went their separate ways, Riku and Sora stayed with Joshua for answers.

"In their world, something happened that brought their existence to an end. To keep them from fading altogether, I gathered up the very last remnants of their dreams and looked for a place to give them refuge. It was then this world appeared to answer my call, and Rhyme's dreams allowed us to reach it. Here, I thought they might have a chance—that the pieces of their dreams could make them whole again. Imagine my surprise when I realized dreams take bodily form in this world. It struck me—by linking their dream pieces back together, maybe I could make them exist again. Maybe I could give them another chance," Joshua explained.

"It can't be that simple," Riku protested skeptically.

"Well why can't it? By ourselves, we're no one. It's when other people look at us and see someone—that's the moment we each start to exist. All they needed was for someone to see them, connect with them. And the two of you were a big part of making it happen," he calmly reasoned.

"Joshua, just . . . who are you?" Riku and Sora said together.

He only chuckled, "Let's just say . . . a friend."

Joshua then grew great white wings from his back and flew away. A Keyhole appeared in his wake as Sora and Riku nodded to one another before unlocking the Sleeping World.

Riku felt like he was falling again into another world as he thought about Joshua's words. Maybe if other people look at us and see someone then that's when we start to exist. If it were only that easy.

In the next, world things had gone smoothly so far, well, as smooth as they could have but did it have to come to this?

Frollo stood atop the railing of the bell tower and was knocked over by his own Wargoyle Dream Eater. The sword he held fell onto the stone floor.

"Judgment is mine!" he yelled in unmistakable madness.

Just then Riku saw two figures appear near him and gasped as he realized who one of them was, "You're Ansem! Why are you here?"

The other person happened to be the cloaked man from Traverse Town, "Your best friend is never far."

Ansem bent down and picked up the sword, "So sad. The cost of yielding to the darkness."

"You could write a book about that," Riku growled accusingly, keeping a defensive stance.

Ansem then pointed the sword at Riku, "But I embraced the darkness—and unless you hurry up and learn to do the same, your story will end just like his."

Riku glared at him summoning his Keyblade and stated firmly, "I walk the road to dawn!"

"Still afraid of the dark I see," the other man said as he summoned a dark corridor.

Ansem followed behind the him and smirked at Riku before disappearing.

"Wait!" Riku yelled but was too late again.

"He thinks I'm afraid of the dark?" Riku thought aloud, "No, not while I have the Keyblade."

The Wargoyle roared as Riku readied himself for a fight, "It will guide me to the light!"

He furiously battled the large Dream Eater and when he made the final blow the large creature fell into the flames below.

After all was said and done, the dawn came and in the day the fires were extinguished.

Riku met up with Quasimodo again at the bottom of the cathedral.

"Master Frollo—he made me live inside the bell tower, but the real walls were the ones I built around my heart. You helped me see that, Riku."

Riku clenches his fist and somewhat sadly said, "I was . . . speaking from personal experience."

"I'd say you still keep a lot locked inside," the former guard Phoebus commented.

"We all do that sometimes," Esmeralda soothed, "There are just some things we need to keep separate from the world at large, at least until we have time to figure them out."

Riku nodded at her smile. As he said farewell a sudden drowsiness hit him once more.

"Why . . . again?" he said as everything melted away before him while he fell endlessly into sleep.

The phrases came back like puzzle pieces scattering around him:

How can you just leave me here?

We should stick together!

Wakeless sleep will be your prison

I'm sorry, Riku

If your hearts are connected, you'll reach her.

All they needed was for someone to see them, connect with them.

Embrace the darkness—

He thinks I'm afraid of the dark?

You still keep a lot locked inside

They then converged on a single point:

Locked inside, your hearts are connected.

He then opened his eyes to a white room; Castle Oblivion. Why was he brought back here?

"Riku, what's wrong?" the black-haired girl from before questioned with concern in front of him.

"Nothing," he answered although there was an unknown turmoil in his heart.

He felt it was best to play along with the strange dream, maybe he would find out more that way.

"I can see it on your face," she pointed out sadly, "It's the darkness again isn't it?"

He gasped as words lodged in his throat. Was he really that obvious?

"Don't worry," she smiled, "You'll definitely be able to overcome it."

"Right," he smiled back.

"I guess we should keep moving," she said looking at the stairs.

"Where to?" he asked.

"To the next floor of course," she grinned, climbing the stairs.

That's right. He looked down at his hand to see a World Card.

When she noticed he wasn't coming she questioned him in concern, "Are you sure you are alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said climbing the stairs and holding up the card. It glowed and disappeared like so many others and the door swung open. It was a strange feeling to be doing this again.

"Hey Riku," she said stopping as he was about to enter.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Follow your heart," she smiled.

"Huh?"

"I mean," she tried to save herself from embarrassment, "You just looked bothered and I know it's kind of cliché to say but I just felt like I should say it."

He laughed, "No, thank you."

It may have seemed cheesy to say but for some reason it was just what he needed to hear.

She looked away feeling awkward but Riku knew this kind of feeling in his chest was really familiar.

In only a moment, a flood of memories of her, if that is what they were, ran through his mind. When they had first met at the bottom of the castle, seeing Ansem, fighting through Hallow Bastian and countless other worlds. They were only brief images, nothing he could piece together fully.

A pain erupted in his crest as he held onto it, feeling like something was trying to escape.

Collapsing in on himself he could barely make out the girl calling for him, "Riku!"

The world around him seemed to shrink away as words echoed, "It's weakening. Soon there won't be anything to hold it back. I'm sorry."

He awoke face down on the stones in front of the cathedral. He got up as the sleep wore off, still grasping his chest where a throbbing lingered. These dreams, were they more than that? Why was he having them now? He had no memory of her before. Although, in Castle Oblivion, Sora slept to regain his memories. Did that place change his memories as well?

Plagued by questions and doubt he thought of what Ansem said earlier. Ansem had been there in Castle Oblivion too, spouting the same old things.

That girl had told him to follow his heart. His answer then was the same as now. There was only one path he would take.

"I know the road my heart walks," he said calmly as a Keyhole appeared.

He summoned his Keyblade and unlocked yet another Sleeping World.