It has been a long time since I've posted anything recent, but this is it! A new chapter, yay me!

I would like to thank Tabi Caracu for encouraging me to keep this story going. Truthfully without your kind words I probably wouldn't have invested anymore time in this story.

Standard Disclaimer: I will say the characters in this story are not mine, which is a damn shame really.


It was a new beginning, the secluded island where the kids all gathered holding a magical and soothing aura. Sora was seated on the beach waving off his best friends concerned questions with a genuine grin, one that felt both natural and not. How long had it been since he had been able to hold such happiness in his heart? His friends, all of them, were alive. Even if most of them didn't know him, the blessing of their continued existence far outweighed such a small loss.

Still, there was so much to consider now and while he wished to continue to bask in the lively and innocent atmosphere, Sora was more than aware of the coming darkness. The daylight hours were something that had become foggy and unclear, but this night was something he'd never forgotten, for all the years that had passed, and all the horror that followed; this had been his beginning. He needed a plan, there was no way he could stop the door from opening. Even with all his skill and knowledge he'd never been able to find out how the humanoid heartless shade of Xehanort had been able to unlock Destiny Island, and without knowing how he did it, stopping it would be nearly impossible.

There were other factors to consider as well, did he want to stay as close to his previous timeline as possible? Just continue down the beaten path until the time came to deal with whatever the source of the future war came out to play? Or did he change what he remembered occurring? If he could just -

"Sora! Are you even listening to us?" Sora started, eyes immediately meeting Kairi's irritated and worried face, "Are you really okay? Are you stressed because of the rush to get the raft together? Maybe you should just stay here until Riku and I finish."

Sora stared at her for a moment, "No, I really am fine. Just a bit disorientated from waking up so fast."

Kairi's face was still set in stubborn concern, and it seemed that his impromptu lie hadn't reassured her in the least, so he turned to look at Riku, hoping for some support against the girl's mothering.

"Don't look at me, I agree with Kairi on this. You're still white as a ghost; I don't want you helping on the raft just to find you passed out somewhere or fell down a hole you didn't see." The platinum haired youth shrugged his shoulders in a show of nonchalance, but there was the same anxiety in his eyes as the young princess of heart.

Sora didn't know what to do, while the care his friends had towards him was heart-warming, it also made him a bit angry. Yes, he may have technically been the youngest in the trio (Riku being almost a year older, and Kairi outstripping him by a few months), but he hadn't been babied in such a way in years! So he was still in shock about what had happened, he'd dealt with worse before.

He opened his mouth to argue, but Riku beat him to it, "You're staying here Sora," the tone was authoritative and Sora instantly recalled a memory he knew wasn't his, of a young male with dark hair and laughing blue eyes, dressed in a tight shirt and loose pants, holding a bulky key blade with practiced ease.

He shook his head at the not-memory, had that been one of Roxas'? No, he was almost positive his nobody had never met that man before, then whose remembrance was that? A leftover from Kairi? Not quite the right fit either, who did that leave then?

Sora frowned, he felt as though he was forgetting something and he knew, without a doubt that it was important.

Riku had seen his negative reaction, and must taken it as mutinous because he sighed and put a hand on the cinnamon spikes on Sora's head, ruffling it with affection, "Really, we're just worried about you. I know you think you'll be in for a hard time for sitting out in the final supply gathering, but Kairi and I would just feel better if you stayed here and waited for us to get back. Do this for us ok?"

Sora wanted to complain, but his friend had pulled the ultimate emotional manipulation in his askance. A lovely mixture of guilt and empathy, enough to make the physically youngest of the three nod his head in reluctant agreement.

"Good, we've just got a few more things to collect and everything will be good to go. It shouldn't take us very long, okay?" Riku gave a little smirk, nodding to Kairi as she beamed in relief.

Sora watched them walk off the beach, making lists before splitting up to get the items needed for the grand adventure. Well…at least now he had time to think.


Riku and Kairi had discussed the jobs each one would do to complete their little raft, the young man deciding to take on jobs that required more physical elements, such as finding the last few logs they needed, catching the fish, and collecting the mushrooms that tended to grow in hard to reach places; Kairi was left with getting fresh water, finding coconuts they could pack up, and looking for rope and cloth.

It had been a good way to distribute the labor, and Riku was happy to say that the logs and the fish had been taken care of with ease. The mushrooms he had collected thus far were sufficient but even still young sea-green eyes continued to scout for more. Never let it be said that some teens didn't err on the said of caution… well, ignoring the potentially dangerous rafting endeavor.

After looking through various nooks and crannies the only viable place left for mushrooms, which liked dark and wet spaces, to grow on a tropical island would be in the Secret Place. Riku exhaled loudly, it had been a long while since anyone had bothered to go in there. Quite honestly he hadn't been down there in years because the strange and misplaced door always had a tendency to make him feel uncomfortable. But this was for the voyage, and if going into the little cave with the odd door was the last step in being prepared, then Riku wasn't going to stop just because he felt uneasy. Taking a deep breath as he walked the path to the small opening the silver-haired lad entered showing no hesitation.

It looked the same as always, the rock surfaces covered with children's etchings of imaginary beasts and fantastical places…and then there was that damn door, all mahogany colored and lined with gold. Riku pulled his eyes away from it and gazed around, searching for his original goal. The mushrooms were in the corner, almost hidden behind a large tree root, blowing out a bit of air Riku went over and began collecting the little edible fungi.

In the middle of his task a shuffling noise made him spin around, and in what had been an empty space when he'd entered the cave, there was now a hooded figure.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Riku pulled himself into a defensive position, watching the intruder with wary eyes.

"I've come to see the door to this world." The voice was deep and masculine even as the words made no real sense, "This world has been connected."

"What are you saying? Speak sense!" Riku was starting to panic, this man was crazy.

"Tied to the darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed." The figure continued on not acknowledging the young boy's words at all.

"Knock it off, you're freaking me out!" Full-blown dread, the youth began to edge away toward the Secret Place's only exit.

The hooded person turned towards him, face so completely shadowed by the cloak that all Riku could see was a dark abyss, "You do not yet know what lies beyond the door. There is so very much to learn, you understand so little."

And amid the alarm and fear there came a spark of intrigue and anger, this man was saying he was from another world, but more pressing than that, this crazy bastard was calling him stupid!

"I can learn all I need once I leave this island, don't insult me you crazy jerk!" Riku shouted in a bout of childish recklessness.

"A meaningless effort, one who knows nothing can understand nothing." The condescension in that sentence was almost palpable in its intensity.

Riku wanted to argue, but the howling sounds of the waterfall mixed with the whistling sound of the breeze distracted him, made it so he took his eyes off the male in front of him. The second he turned back, the robed man was gone, as though he had never been there in the first place.

Feeling sufficiently spooked the teen grabbed the last of the mushrooms and quickly ran out of the small and dark space. Once in the sunlight Riku allowed himself to relax a fraction. He didn't understand what had happened, and that was probably the most frightening part. Pushing the anxiety away as he saw Kairi grinning and holding her successful acquisitions, he allowed himself a shallow smile before presenting his own. They were finished with the raft preparations, all that was left was to head home and wait for tomorrow.


Sora didn't like sitting out in the open, not anymore, one thing war tends to do is make open spaces very nerve-wracking. So in spite of his promise not to move, he quickly shimmied into the corner between the sea shack and the rising platform near the beach. With his back firmly settled against two solid walls he pulled himself into a ball, calming his mind enough to think.

Last time, the island had been taken he'd been too late to help his friends, Riku had been taken by the darkness, and Kairi had been whisked away by the door's violent opening. This time he would have to be the first here, because while the idea of knowing what was coming was tempting, Sora would never be able to forgive himself for allowing his best friends to go through the hardships the original timeline provided. Who knows, things might be so much better if Riku had known he was a keyblade wielder before Maleficent's poisoned words and the darkness' tainting touch.

So he would sneak back before the storm hit, and completely block the entrance to the Secret Place, hopefully that would stop Kairi from getting to the door. Maybe run into Riku when he made it to the island, stop whatever insanity had made him accept that the darkness was a great way to leave the world he'd been born in.

Well, it wasn't much of a plan, but he'd never really been able to get the hang of long-term strategy. Sora usually stuck to winging it, because plans usually weren't adaptable enough for all the weird shit that went on in his life.

So embroiled in his thoughts Sora didn't notice his friends until they were literally right in front of his face. One minute nothing but the sand and sea in front of him, next thing he knows a pair of teal eyes staring at him with worry.

"Riku!" Sora squeaked embarrassingly, "Do not just pop up on me!"

The older boy didn't seem to have reacted to Sora's little rant, he was still watching the spiky-haired boy with rapt attention as he spoke, "I didn't, Kairi and I did call you, but you didn't respond at all, kind of creepy. It's getting late, and we need to start heading back so come on."

Riku pulled himself upright and held out his hand to help Sora out of his fetal position. Sora took the offered assistance and stumbled , seems his legs had gone numb sometime during his thought coma…bummer.

His friend caught him without preamble and all he could think was that he should apologize for the bout of clumsiness, which upon doing so he was treated to another concerned frown and an arm around his shoulders as he was led to the dock and his own little dinghy. Sora knew his friends were watching him the entire ride home, they even walked him to his house! It was a blend of sweet and irritating that the time traveling keyblade master found most contrary.

He waved the duo off as they separated, waiting a while after they were out of sight before calling a quick lie out to his mother (his mother! Wasn't that a trip, he hadn't seen her since he had been called away at sixteen), informing her that he was heading to a friend's home and that he wouldn't be back until late. He didn't wait for the reply, just sprinted back towards his wooden boat. The sun was already starting to set, and the ominous clouds he remembered from the first time were starting to roll in. Sora wanted to make sure he had enough time to do what was needed before all hell broke loose.

Rowing back to the island without the choppy storm waves was a definite plus, the last thing Sora needed was to have to fight the currents. After tying the vessel to the docks he headed right to the entrance to the Secret Place. The once Chosen of the Keyblade, and master of the arcane arts took a deep breath, to completely block the little cave Sora would have to use magic. He called on his power, long ago had he mastered the art of spells without a focus, and released a miniature quake at the rock formation. The land rumbled, the shaking increasing gradually until the opening collapsed on itself, leaving only rubble in its wake.

Cerulean eyes cataloged the success with triumph, the biggest item on his agenda done Sora turned to head to the little paopu island. His steps faltered as his vision doubled.

"Wha-what's…" Sora fell to his knees, hand going to the large tree roots to keep him upright as exhaustion slamming into him. What was this? He'd been fine a few seconds ago before-

"It was Quake, damn it all," The time traveler couldn't help but curse his idiocy, his body wasn't used to channeling magic anymore. Quake wasn't anything more than third tier level spell, along the same power of Firaga or Thundaga; but to a person who had never used magic before… Sora let out a self-deprecating laugh, to someone who never used magic before it was probably almost equivalent to using one of the Final Arcana.

For the love of Pudge, the weather fish, did nothing ever go like he wanted? Now, barely able to even pick up his feet Sora could see the storm was already underway. The skies flashed as lightning spilt the clouds as the wind picked up. He could even see the shadows that were beginning to shift in unnatural ways, a prelude to the heartless forming, and he was practically helpless. Brilliant, he wondered what it would say on his tombstone, if he actually got one. Perhaps something like, "Here lies Sora, he made one stupid decision and doomed the worlds."

Yeah, that'd be great, nothing like good, old-fashioned, morbid death talks to make his day. He was so screwed.

"Sora!"

The brunette's head snapped up at the voice of his oldest friend, "Riku? Why are you here?"

Seriously? Was he this early the first time?

"Why am I here? Why are you here? You look ready to fall over!" The silver haired boy's voice had gone up an octave or so as he continued speaking, a slight hysterical note coming to rest near the end.

Sora flinched, "But the raft-"

He was quickly cut off, "The raft is important Sora, but not so vital that you should come out here sick to get to it! Come on, we should find shelter, 'cause it looks like the Secret Place isn't a viable option anymore. No way we're going to be able to get back to the mainland with the weather like this."

He finished by pulling one of Sora's arms over his shoulders, letting the boy lean on him as they started walking towards the seaside shack, the closest safe haven. Riku panted as he practically dragged his friend with him, the storm was getting worse and they didn't have time for anything else.

"Riku move!" Sora's tone was frantic as he pushed the other to the side, falling into the sand in the process as a shadow came lunging in the space they used to be, claws in ready position to tear at flesh and bone.

Sora couldn't levy himself up fast enough, the Heartless was already instinctually going after what it saw as pre-weakened prey. He clamped his eyes shut as it barreled toward him, waiting for the pain. Only nothing came, cautiously Sora peered out to see Riku in front of him, the Kingdom Key in hand.

The new keyblade wielder looked confused, but determined as he held the only weapon against the heartless in front of him, "Sora, you ok?"

Sora gave a nod when the older boy glanced in his direction before going through the laborious process of hoisting himself back up to his feet, "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks."

A crunch of sand behind them had Riku on the offensive, spinning with weapon in hand to deal with the newest threat. He stopped at the realization that the figure behind them was none other than Kairi. The young princess looked terrified, her eyes large and watery, as she trembled.

"The door's been opened…" her voice was a slow monotone, a direct contrast to her appearance, "There's nothing anyone can do… not now."

"Kairi? What are you talking about? Know what, never mind, we have to get out of here before those…things come back, come on."

Riku took to leading quite well in Sora's opinion. The keyblade had vanished back into the heart of it's chosen master, and in place of it Riku grabbed both Sora and Kairi's hands in his, intent on getting them somewhere safe. If only he knew that there was nowhere to hide, there wasn't a place on this world that wasn't infested by now.

He pulled them into the shack and up the stairs, maybe hoping that higher ground would give them an advantage. Opening the door Riku stopped.

"Riku?" Sora's whisper was loud to his own ears, "Why did we stop?"

Following the taller boy's eyes Sora saw what had made his friend pause. The dark nexus eclipsing the sky, proof that the world was almost completely devoured. Riku's hands tightened their grip, he wasn't going to risk losing them in this hell. And then he saw it, on the little plot of land where the paopu tree stood was the robed man, upright amid the chaos.

"It's him! That man did this!" Rage was all Riku could feel, this monster was the one who destroyed his home; his, Sora's and Kairi's.

Sora stared at the cloaked figure, the bodiless form of Xehanort. How had he forgotten the creature, more darkness than man, had appeared in the cave before the door was opened? Was he really so forgetful?

And then the thoughts left him as Riku had released both him and Kairi to attack, anger and hatred clouding his mind.

"Riku don't!" Sora clutched Kairi's hand, the girl still in a dazed trance, following his wayward comrade into the fire.

Riku's attack struck air, the man was gone. A dark portal opened in front of him, and Sora could only look in horror as the Darkside showed itself at last. It's large frame towering over the three children as it stared at them with nothing but hunger. It reached for them, and Sora took a defensive stance. Riku reacted to the threat with force, slamming the large key-shaped blade into the monster's hand.

It growled in pain and rage, moving to swipe at the reckless child, but Sora was faster. Ultima sang in his grip, as he slashed down at the offending appendage, keeping it from reaching Riku.

And then the horrible shadow howled and Sora felt the wind pick up, pulling the island to shreds around them. The tornado force pulled the three friends off their feet, and Sora quickly grabbed at Riku and Kairi's hands. He couldn't lose them!

They were pulled into the thundering sky, and for Sora, everything went black.


And there we go, chapter 2 is up and about. It took me forever to write this, and I'm really aware that it probably isn't awesome work. I'm not much of a writer so any critiques are welcome. I will say that while reviewing isn't necessary, it does encourage me to write, so if it isn't too much trouble just give me a few kind words when you have the time.

Thank you.