All the Roads We Have to Walk: Chapter One

The place was strange. Familiar and yet at the same time utterly alien. It was a bizarre castle to look upon, the numerous towers reaching up high into the sky yet the mirror-like, water-filled moat making the towers look as though they burrowed deep into the ground. The topsy-turvy place was enough to make even the most logical head spin; it was so unpleasant on the eye.

No one was around. The brooding place, with it's darkened stonework, out of control vines and tragic decay still seemed to hold a little something that spoke of it's long lost beauty. Once proud trees stood barren and broken, their limbs torn off, their flowers and leaves turned to dust. Heart-warming happiness had dwelt here but was now lost. Could it be reborn? There was no one around to provide an answer.

Something dark, however, permeated the air and that something slowly sapped what little life remained away from this once loved place. The sky above may have been a brilliant blue but there was a falseness to it, like an aged oil painting that was beginning to crease and crack at the edges. The unnatural rapidity with which the clouds streamed overhead was as unsettling as the castle's mirror image and one was forced to look away for their own well being.

A frail wind swept over the unsettling scene but everything remained untouched by it. This place was a bizarre tableau of timelessness.

All it took was one, single crack and then suddenly the castle walls were torn asunder, chunks of stone and mortar raining from the sky. And with its destruction came a long, piercing, agonised cry of loss as something unseen mourned, the frenzied emotion overcoming the sounds of destruction.

Many small, darting figures pulled themselves from the wreckage. They had a name, a purpose and a power that was to be feared.

Sora knew the name.

The Heartless had been here.

But where was here? Had he really been here before?

Sora awoke sharply, as if something had disturbed him, to the familiar sound of sea birds cawing out to each other. With each breath he took his nostrils were filled with the salty scent of the ocean. This wasn't his home but the place's ability to conjure up pleasant memories of Destiny Islands made it both a comfort and a hurt all at once. It had been such a long time since he'd been home…sometimes he feared he was forgetting things about his birthplace.

Sora, Donald and Goofy were currently staying in the small fishing village of Brighthelmston where they were taking a small break before hopping back onto their gummi ship and carrying on to whatever world greeted them next. The village was a nice place – full of cheerful, bustling people who knew all their neighbours and always welcomed an outsider with open arms. The village's buildings were all small and densely packed together but any sense of claustrophobia was erased by its friendly nature. Where there wasn't a smiling face in the window, there was home with a flower box in beautiful bloom or a shop with a lovingly constructed display of goods. Nothing had been amiss in this place but the three friends had been short on supplies and needed a place to rest for a little while. After all there was only so long anyone could go on without taking a few days to relax and this quaint, wonderfully peaceful and sunny place had been perfect.

Wait…

His mind suddenly noticed the lack of light. Sitting up in his inn bed, Sora turned to the window next to him and pulled the curtains apart. Night greeted him, moon and stars sparkling over the rippling sea that provided the inhabitants with their main livelihood. There were small farms just outside the village but fishing was the prevalent source of income for these people.

The night was balmy and Sora, who was in the habit of sleeping with a window open, heard the hushed sound of the villagers' concerned voices in the air. Something had disturbed the peace greatly, for Brighthelmston was a place where honest people worked hard all day and slept well at night.

"Donald, Goofy, wake up!"

Without waiting for them to awaken, Sora cast Fire and lit their inn room's oil lamps. Goofy, half asleep, attempted to rise out of bed but hit the ground hard with his blankets twisted around his legs.

"Uh, Sora? Whatcha doin'?" he mumbled sleepily from the ground.

Sora didn't stop to answer. He was busy tugging on his clothes – which had been purchased in Brighthelmston so that he fitted in a little better with the villagers – as Goofy extricated himself and Donald finally sat up looking haughtily offended by the nighttime awakening.

"Where are you going?" the magician demanded, folding his feathered arms.

Sora, not paying full attention, tossed his white sleeping shirt and grey shorts over his head and further irritated the duck when the landed, quite neatly, upon his head. "Something's going on," he explained, tugging a blue belt around the waistline of his black pants. His normal clothes remained on the gummi ship. When they had first arrived in Brighthelmston Sora's bright red clothes made him stick out like a sore thumb in a village where darker clothes were the norm. Seeing as no one was to know that the three came from other worlds, Sora had had a wardrobe change forced upon him. "We need to check it out," he added, his voice slightly muffled as he tugged a deep blue t-shirt over his head. Reaching over to his bedside cabinet, he grabbed his crown pendant and put it on, refusing to go anywhere without it (unless Donald's magical transformations made it necessary). "I'll meet you outside."

Leaving one companion half asleep and the other quite in a tizzy, Sora ran down the inn's wooden staircase, careful not to knock any of the framed pictures flying as he went by. Grabbing his black boots from beside the door, yanking them on and slapping the buckles closed, Sora hopped into the street. Pyjama-clad people stood in little groups on the cobbled street that ran up the village's main street up to the farms and down to the docks. Women attempted to soothe wailing infants and children chattered animatedly in their friendship groups. Whatever was going on it was definitely far out of the norm.

Not knowing exactly who to ask, Sora just followed the direction people's eyes and pointed fingers kept indicating at: the docks.

"Sora! Sora wait!"

Stopping and turning around, Sora saw Donald and Goofy running to catch up.

"So, d'ya know what's happening yet?" Goofy asked, walking on Sora's left while Donald took the right. "These people seem mighty put out by somethin' tonight."

"I'm not sure really. But I think we'll find out once we get to the docks."

"Better be good," Donald grumbled.

Silently the three made their way to the dock, passing by small family homes as well as bakeries, butchers and numerous pubs as they went. People hung out of windows and leaned out of doors, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. There was a definite hubbub of murmured curiosity but no one seemed to stray too far away from their warm homes and familiar companions.

Something very out of the ordinary was happening. Sora frowned a little, his right hand tightening ever so slightly in readiness to summon the Keyblade that, since the sealing of Kingdom Hearts, remained in its true form of the Kingdom Key. Thankfully it had retained all the power and attributes supplied by the Keychains he had received. It was an interesting twist to the Keyblade and reminded Sora that it had chosen him and, ultimately, it was the Keyblade that made many important decisions. How it did so, Sora had no idea…and he wasn't too sure anyone could clue him in… Except maybe King Mickey but… Sora abandoned that line of thought. It always left him feeling so many bad emotions – from sadness all the way down to guilt.

Suddenly they were at the docks and it was then that everything became a little clearer. The people here seemed a little more clued up on what was going on. Sora could feeltheir anxious anticipation like many tiny pinches over the back of his neck. Carefully pushing his way through the buzzing crowd, Donald and Goofy close behind, Sora approached the focal point of the crowd's attention.

A large group of burly men, clearly experienced fishermen, were hurriedly detaching ropes and hauling anchors from a well-sized fishing boat while yelling back and forth to each other and the anxious crowd.

"We'll get a better idea when we're closer!"

"Move it men! There ain't a moment to waste. Get rowing 'cause this ship's not movin' itself and there ain't time to stoke the engines!"

Finally free of the crowd, standing on the very edge of the dock, Sora saw what it was that had so disturbed the people of Brighthelmston.

"Whoa."

On a small little island, barely a mile out from the docks, a light unlike anything nature had to offer shone in blue brilliance. It flickered and waved in the sky like a shimmering ribbon, ducking and weaving around itself as if caught in a playful breeze.

"What is that?" Donald asked no one in particular.

But Sora knew. He'd seen it before, so many years ago on a strange night on Destiny Islands. "It's a meteor. A meteor must have crashed down from the sky." The blues blazed eerily on the water. "I think we'd better check it out too."

Before Donald or Goofy could enquire further, Sora went back a few steps and then took a running leap. He landed, quite gracefully, on the boat's deck. Surprised, everyone looked at him. Donald and Goofy landed behind him, further shocking the stilled crew. The largest, darkest haired and heavily bearded man stepped out from the small cabin towards the rear of the ship. Wearing a thick black sweater, that served to bring out the grey of his deep-set eyes, and raggedy trousers that were hanging over steel-capped boots, he was the living image of all the pirate tales Sora's mother had read to him when he'd been very young. The man towered over Sora, who barely reached the sailor's chest. Childish fear rose up for a moment before Sora's maturity overrode it and he met the man's eyes firmly.

"Sorry for just jumping aboard uninvited but…uh…my friends and I really need to go with you."

The man cast his stony eyes over the group and Sora managed to swallow a gulp. The heavy man drew himself up, rolling back his sleeves as he did so and Sora mentally prepared to fight. To the boy's complete surprise, he found himself being patted heavily on the back and his ears were full of throaty laughter.

"Well, well, well who'da thought it! Saw y'round town," the man explained, waving at the other men to continue rowing while drawing Sora, Donald and Goofy into his cabin above which the helmsmen stood with his hands gripping either side of the ship's wheel and making minute course adjustments every so often. "Thought there might be somethin' a little more special to yeh than run o' the mill travellers."

"Well, just a little," Sora replied, his smile somewhat nervous despite the man's friendly disposition so typical of this village. "Mister…"

The man took a seat and indicated for his audience to do the same. "Name's Dan. Cap'n Dan. And you are…"

"I'm Sora and these are my friends Donald and Goofy. Anyway, I don't know if I can do anything to help Captain but I've seen something like this before back home on my wo…er…island."

"Island yeh say?"

"It's a long way away," Sora said vaguely.

"Very far," Donald added.

"Yup, sure is a long way back home," Goofy said exaggeratedly. "Long, long…"

"Well, if yeh can give us any help we'd be greatly appreciating it," Captain Dan continued regardless. "Can't say much ever happens in…"

The boat gave a sudden lunge, as if a great hand gripped one end and tugged it down. Charts, fishing nets and spears, furniture and people went tumbling everywhere. Sora found himself lost beneath a pile of sea charts and other stray items of nautical equipment but shoved them all away as he pulled himself to his feet. The Captain had already left the cabin and Sora spied a very dazed Goofy leaning up against a wall where the muffled sounds of a very irked wizard could be heard.

"Come on you guys!" Sora called before picking his way across the cabin and out onto the deck.

Water was everywhere, covering the deck so deeply Sora feared the ship was sinking. Colossal waves rose up and crashed down, taking a few unlucky men with them, overwhelming their frail bodies with walls of water. The sky above was utterly calm – there was no storm at all – and yet those eerie, ribbon-like curtains of light still danced all about, twirling gracefully. Sora locked his arms around the boat's railings to keep himself on deck even as the water, seemingly controlled by the flaring lights above, tugged at his feet.

"What's goin' on?" Goofy asked, appearing from the cabin. Behind him, a very dishevelled Donald was struggling to get his footing on the rickety deck.

"Must be something to do with the meteor!" Sora called back over the sounds of the pounding waves. "But I don't remember this happening before!"

Captain Dan was yelling orders but whatever they were, his voice was lost beneath a cacophony of bellowing waves. Worse than that was the ear-piercing screech the light seemed to give off, the sound so unendurable it was enough to make one or two sailors dive into the water, desperate for release. Covering his ears, Sora stumbled toward the starboard side of the boat. It was closer to the little island where the meteor could just be seen, its black outline a stark contrast to the blue firelight that engulfed it. Swelling seawaters bit into the fire but instead of diminishing the blue flames, they seemed to become part of its ever-growing ethereal brightness. Unable to look directly at it, for it caused great pain, Sora kept his head down and made his way carefully over to the Captain who was helping his men secure themselves to the deck with ropes and fishing lines or whatever else could be fashioned into a safety line.

"You've got to turn the ship around and get out of here!" Sora yelled over the din.

"Get to the helm!" the Captain roared, friendly demeanour lost in the face of such lethality. "If my man ain't there, get us away y'self boy!"

Nodding, Sora turned and headed back the way he came. What Sora couldn't see, his other senses provided notions for him. The building pressure on his entire body was twisting his stomach and laying far too heavily upon his heart. It seemed hell itself was being unleashed and wrapping itself around him in a crushing embrace.

And just when he thought his ears would begin to bleed and his heart would cease to beat, all fell silent and everything unnatural fell away from his body. The ocean stilled, the light dimmed and the boat suddenly came to a rest, as though it were a fixture on dry land. For a moment, everyone stood with looks of tentative hope on their otherwise horrified faces. A few of the skeleton crew that remained stood in tears, falling to their knees in the light of silent salvation.

"Get up! Get up!" Donald yelled. "This isn't over!"

Sora knew Donald wasn't wrong. "He's right! Move, get the ship away now!"

Using the lull as an opportunity, Sora made a desperate sprint to the unmanned helm. The man he'd seen before had gone, probably another unfortunate soul who'd been swept overboard. Goofy followed, helping Sora turn the heavy wheel so the ship began to face the way it had come. The pressure was beginning to build again, the ocean's lap upon the boat slowing growing, the shrieking coming back as if over a great distance. A wind was stirring too, uncoiling like an elegant cat ready to chase its meal with deadly haste.

"Don't just sit there! ROW!" Donald ordered before waddling at top speed toward the hatch that led below deck. "I'll get the engine started!"

The Captain looked as dumbfounded as his few remaining men at the sight of the three strangers taking charge. But the incandescent blue was growing deeper and deeper, blue to purple to maroon to black. "Do it now! Row for yer lives if you wan' t'see your chil'ren again!"

Shocked into action, the men began to row, the Captain taking an empty spot and throwing his all into it. Sora watched with a terrible, gut-wrenching fear. Still turning the wheel as fast as he and Goofy could, Sora couldn't stop one thought from dancing with sly horror through his mind. This world is being destroyed! He dared a glance back and the sight that met his wide blue eyes made his heart plummet. The meteor was a glowing sphere of multicoloured light, drawing in debris from the small island and, to Sora's distress, the bodies of the lost. This place…how could the Heartless be here when he sensed nothing because there simply wasn't even a single Heartless anywhere? Another shock jolted Sora as he watched on. Weaving golden light traced a familiar shape in the very centre of the meteor, where the island was now almost completely destroyed.

"The Keyhole! Goofy do you see it?"

"Uh…if y'say it's there Sora I believe ya."

"There has to be a way…There's gotta be a way to stop this Goofy. This world won't last!"

He didn't realise he'd released the wheel until Goofy gave a cry and there came the barely audible sound of the knight desperately trying to grab the handles and keep pulling. From below deck the muted sound of an engine coughing to life hacked into the air but Sora knew none of it was enough, for where could a boat sail on a sea that was soon to be wiped out? The Keyhole was so far away…did he and the Keyblade have the power to seal it over such a distance?

Summoning his given weapon, Sora stood watching the meteor. He could feel the ship being yanked back towards it, feel the hearts of everyone aboard the vessel and the world itself being drawn ever nearer to oblivion. Defeating Ansem and sealing Kingdom Hearts hadn't been enough. Of course it hadn't. There was another Door that needed to be opened…

A Door that was held in the deepest darkness, where true light slept.

But this world needed sealing. Sora didn't know if it was still possible, given that the world was already shattering, but didn't he have to try? If the boat got much closer, it would be torn asunder and all would be lost.

Closing his eyes, Sora held the Keyblade in both hands and pointed the jagged tip towards the Keyhole. It's starry light pierced through the shadows, the line of light gracefully shooting into the Keyhole. It was then that the true struggle began – Sora and the Keyblade's light were an immensely powerful force but they had never worked against a darkness that was already well on its way to annihilation.

The sea's fury continued unabated, waves lashing at the boat that continued to struggle away inch by inch. Unprotected, Sora should have fallen deep into the waters but a power far beyond him anchored him steady as he fought to seal Brighthelmston's world.

I can't give up!

Black faded to maroon.

Goofy held the wheel tightly, knowing that to let go would mean the deaths of all – the men on the boat, Sora and Donald, and all those families back in the village… Beyond that, the humble knight didn't want to think. He knew that if he believed in his young friend, which he did with an unyielding strength, everything would be just fine.

Maroon to purple.

Donald's fires kept the engines working far beyond their usual capacity although it seemed to be doing nothing to make the ship move any faster. He too knew what failure meant and he too believed in Sora with all his heart.

Purple to midnight blue.

The Captain and his men had their families to think of, their beautiful wives and adorable children. They didn't understand the complexity of it all, knew nothing of Keyblades, Keyholes or the Heartless but they knew something far beyond reckoning was happening and each one hated their inability to fight the threat. But it didn't stop their wills from determining that they would all survive this night.

The sky could be seen again, the blue light growing brighter in colour but dimmer in radiance.

The wavering light coiled around Sora, it's touch unnoticeable. The ocean tumult was finally dying down and the agonising shrieking was silenced. Only one thing was left to be heard – a loud clunk, indicative of a sealed Keyhole that flickered and fell away like water into nothingness.

Weariness drowned Sora, and he fell forwards as the Keyblade gave a bright, warm glow and fell away into the Keychain. He expected to slam into the wooden deck but that was not to be. The light solidified, becoming blue ribbons that bound him. He had no energy to fight as he felt himself being dragged forwards, forwards towards the glowing meteor and away from the boat and his friends. He heard and saw nothing, as the ghostly blue light dragged him down into itself.

Goofy released the wheel and ran, trying to grab Sora before the boy was pulled off the boat. But the knight was too slow and the trick light fuelled by immense power. He watched as Sora was pulled into a light that, as soon as the boy was fully ensnared, faded away.

Sora was gone, and Goofy had no idea how to follow. The boat sailed on, little plumes of smoke rising from the one stack as the engine powered it back home.

But how high a price had been paid tonight? There was simply no telling.

To Be Continued…

Thank you for reading! See you next time