Dolphin0150: So if anyone looks at my profile they would see that I had one KH story, this one is nothing like that one and will not be linked with any other stories. I just could never get it to work. I own nothing from Kingdom Hearts, I only own my ideas I have gotten from trailers and the games. The only thing that I own is Carolyn.

"Sora…Kairi… I'm sorry. Is this the afterworld?" Riku then shuffled as he glowed blue. "I'm not ready. Not yet. Not until I see Sora and Kairi one last time."

"Riku, can you hear me?" a girl's voice called out.

"We'll be there soon," another voice called out but in a higher pitch.

"Who's there?" Riku called out.

"We have the other keyblade, the one that belongs to this world." The high pitched voice called out.

"We've been trying to get through to you, but the darkness in your heart kept my voice out," the girl spoke again.

"Who are you two? What's happened to me?"

"Your heart has won the battle against darkness, but it was too late for your body. That's why you're here, in this place of darkness where hearts are gathered," the girl spoke.

"so what should I do?"

"the Door of Darkness will open soon, but it's a door that we can't enter. It has to be closed from both sides. To do this, you need two keys and two hearts. Maybe you're here for the same reason we are. Maybe its fate," she answered back.

"Fate, huh? You seem to know everything, don't you? Then tell me: Are Sora and Kairi okay?"

"You don't feel the echoes of their hearts? You already know the answer. Look inside your own heart. I know I feel Sora's in mine," the girl spoke with warmth.

Riku closed his eyes and felt Sora and Kairi in his heart, "Okay." Riku then started down the path going farther into darkness till he saw a door the was open and heard Sora's, Donald's, Goofy's voice on the other side to close it and ran towards it, "Don't give up! Come on Sora! Together, we can do it!"

"Okay," Sora said as began pushing again as Riku pulled from the other side. As it slowly moved two giant heartless appeared behind Riku

"It's hopeless," Donald screeched.

Just then both giant heartless were struck down as Goofy and Donald gawked on who did it. Just then a bright light appeared as a girl and a mouse jumped from the darkness, "Your Majesty!" both exclaimed.

"Now Sora, lets closed this door for good," the king said.

"Close it, quick," Donald spoke.

"But…" Sora started.

"Don't worry. There will always be a door to the light," the girl spoke.

"Sora, you can trust King Mickey." Goofy told.

"Now! Their coming!" Riku shouted.

"Donald, Goofy, thank you," King Mickey said as the glowing died down and he turned towards the door.

Riku turned back towards Sora and said, "take care of her." Sora nodded at him as he pushed the door, closing his best friend in the realm of darkness with the unknown girl and King Mickey. As both Sora and King Mickey locked the Door of Darkness the door began to glow and slowly fade away.

Riku just stood there, remembering all the times he had with Sora and Kairi, wondering if they would ever see each other again, "Don't worry Riku, I know for a fact you'll see them again. Hey, I even told you that you would see me again, did I not," the girl asked.

Riku turned to the girl, "but I don't know who you are."

The girl huffed, "that's mean Riku, even after I told you that I wouldn't forget you, and even after we both forgot the first time we met" just then the girl's necklace glowed as she felt all the worlds that disappeared into darkness release from her heart and put back into their proper place, she then turned to King Mickey, "looks like it's time to move Mickey."

She then jumped over to Riku, "Carolyn!" Mickey shouted as she then noticed that she was disappearing herself.

She looked at Riku, "next time I see you, you better know who I am, that's not nice, I know it's been ten years in all but still Riku, that's not nice," she said has she then disappeared fully.

/

When Carolyn woke she was in a bedroom, she turned her head to see three tall windows that gave the view to a world that was swallowed by darkness. As she looked around the room tears started to form at her eyes, her home, she thought her would never see it again, as she thought about how it got this way her sadness turned to anger as she stood, Xehanort was the cause, he plunged this world into darkness, it was Aqua who saved the castle and her brother, her brother! Where was the Room of Awaking? She needed to find it! As she left her room the castle moved around her, as if it knew what she was looking for. The movement took her to a door, she slowly opened it to see glowing chains on the wall and a seat in the middle of it, Carolyn ran into the room as the door closed behind her and disappeared.

When she got to the chair she cried, oh how she cried, her brother, who doesn't look like he aged a day sat in the chair sleeping. He was blonde like her, with slight spikes, she remembered that he held blue eyes, almost as blue as Sora's. She sat at his feet for what felt like years. It wasn't until she heard voices, she looked up and saw the castle gave her a new door. She walked to it and slowly opened the door. And saw Riku, arguing with Ansem, "All you have been talking about is the darkness. I can only assume, you wanna pull me back in, so you can play puppet master."

"Clever boy. I knew you'd be the one to most appropriately serve me. And now, surrender to me again," Ansem started but then was cut off by Riku.

"You're crazy! Not a chance!" Riku shouted as Soul Eater was summoned and Riku charged at Ansem only to block Riku sending him back and hitting the ground.

"Did you really think you could do me harm? A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Sora and you had darkness on your side."

Riku started to sit up, "well excuse me…for being weak…" he grunted out.

"You are weak. Yu need darkness. Surrender," Ansem started as he walked towards Riku, "Bow to darkness. Bow to me."

Riku growled at him, "That's not gonna happen!"

"Only the darkness can offer to you all of the strength that you will need."

"You're wrong!" as an orb of bright light came down from the ceiling and floated towards Riku

"That voice! Your Majesty!"

"That's right! Remember Riku, you're not alone." Then the orb of light disappeared in to Riku, "listen close. The light'll never give up on you. You'll always find it, even in the deepest of darkness!"

"I got it," Riku said as he stood up, "I won't lose to darkness. Not today."

"You think that feeble little light can save you from the darkness that I command?" Ansem said as they both started to attack and fight each other.

Once the fighting was done Riku spoke, "What, that all you got?"

"It seems to me that you are intent on resisting the darkness. All right. Then see it for yourself," Ansem pulled a card out from nowhere and Riku gasped like he has seen one before, "This is a card crafted from your memory. Advance through the world it creates and soon, you will understand. Chasing after light is not the way. It will not give you distance from the darkness. There is no running from the darkness."

"Don't worry, I'm not running. Give it," Riku demanded as he held his hand out. "I'll enter the world and in the end, if I haven't given in to the darkness, then I win." Ansem the tossed him the card and Riku snatched it from the air.

"I have one more gift for you," Ansem said has his hand looked like it reached for something, grabbed it and pulled.

When he did, Riku's heart emitted darkness as Riku grabbed for his chest. Carolyn was somehow affected by this as she grabbed her own heart as her neck grew hot with pain. "What'd you do!?" Riku shouted.

"I simply tempered the darkness that yet remains in your heart."

"You still think that I'd rely on darkness?"

"To use it or not is your choice. I'll be waiting, Riku… for you to sense it and yield to the darkness in your heart!" Ansem shouted as he disappeared into darkness. Riku then made a noise as he grabbed his chest.

"You alright, Riku?"

Riku turned to the voice and saw Carolyn leave a door that was not there when he walked into the hallway, "Carolyn, how long have you've been standing there?"

Carolyn walked over to Riku and placed a hand on his chest and Riku relaxed immediately after she touched it, "long enough, so you think you can do it? Not rely on darkness?"

"I'm gonna try to."

Carolyn laughed sadly, "everyone cannot just stop relying on darkness, its apart of everyone, just some have it more than others."

"What are you trying to get at?"

Carolyn looked at Riku, "I have walked the road to twilight longer than anyone, I don't fear the darkness nor do I hate it, it's a part of me just like the light is a part of me, one's true power is in how much one can keep the light and dark at a balanced level."

"I'm not following Carolyn."

"Think of it as Ying and Yang, perfect harmony must happen for one to go stronger," Carolyn told him as she saw him realize what she was saying, "so I see you are using my name, so you remember me?"

Riku then laughed, he doesn't remember the last time he actually laughed, "yeah, Miss. I never been to a festival."

Carolyn gaped at him, "what!? You were perfectly fine that I never been to one all those years ago."

Riku laughed harder, "I'm only messing with you!"

Carolyn huffed as she started walking towards the door, "How mean!"

"What?" Riku asked as he followed her.

"Never would I have guessed that sweet little boy would be so mean to a long lost friend, man, how I hate to see how you would act if you saw Sora again. This is your trip, the castle will take me anywhere I want if I go first, so it must be you."

Riku looked puzzled at her, "why is that?"

Carolyn looked at the hallway, "This is where I grew up at, with my brother Terra, Ventus, Aqua, and our master Eraqus, but everything fell into ruin 11 years ago."

As Riku opened the door he asked, "what happened?"

Carolyn sighed, "for another time perhaps, but the castle answer to me, so it takes me where I want to go." Riku nodded as he walked through the doorway with Carolyn following right behind him.

As they both exited the door and walked into the hallway, Riku paused as Carolyn took a few more steps then realized Riku stopped and turned towards him, "Something smells…funny…" Riku started, he then smelled his hand, "what's that scent? It's so familiar," Riku then gasped as Carolyn walked closer to him, "darkness. It's the smell of darkness. I can't believe this is happening. The darkness even seeped into my skin."

Carolyn was about to say something till she was cut off by Mickey's voice, "Don't worry, Riku."

Riku gasped, "Your majesty!" A bright ball came down just a few inches from where she was standing as it glowed brighter and Mickey was standing next to her. Riku smiled at him as he then gasped, "What happened? I can see…right through you."

"Funny huh?" Mickey said as he moved to look at himself, "I can only send a bit of my power to this place. That's why I've got a request for ya."

"Request?" Riku asked.

"Listen, Riku. Just because darkness holds you, don't let go of who you are. You've got to fight the darkness inside you! It won't be easy to do, I know. But please don't forget, even in the darkest darkness, there's always a little bit of light."

"Light within darkness," Riku added.

"You and I have seen it. The far, welcoming light inside the door to darkness. The light of Kingdom Hearts, it will show you the way. Please don't give up. Believe in the light," Mickey said.

"I couldn't have said it better myself Mickey," Carolyn said as she walked next to Riku.

"Carolyn! You're there too!?"

"Yes, it seems that the castle as always kept an eye on me."

"I don't think it's much as the castle but your old master. But Riku, that's a request from my heart."

"Okay… I'll do my best, I have a friend here who will help me along the way," he looked at Carolyn, "right?"

Carolyn laughed, "Of course you do Riku, what kind of person would I be that didn't help their friends fight the overpower of darkness?"

Mickey smiled at the two of them, "Trust me, you two. I'll try to find a way to reach you two. I'll get there, I promise."

Riku smiled as he reached to shake Mickey's hand but it went right through it, "you're an illusion."

"Don't worry. We shook hands in our hearts, remember. We're connected, you and me, and Carolyn also, right Carolyn?"

Carolyn nodded as Riku agreed, "guess we are." Mickey then disappeared as Riku and Carolyn went up to the door and continued on.

As the both exited the door and into the hallway and portal was opened and a tall man with bleach blonde hair and green eyes appeared, "I take it you're Riku," the man asked.

"Are you with Ansem?" Riku growled out.

"You are half correct. Let us say he is not the Ansem with which you are familiar. He is Ansem and he is not Ansem. Perhaps a "Nobody" best conveys the idea."

"Riddles were never my thing. Try again."

"He belongs to neither the light nor the darkness but walks the twilight between. Catching on now? Oh yes, you also stand in between the light and the darkness. It appears we have much in common."

"Maybe, like you said, there really is darkness left inside of me. But so what? Darkness in my enemy! And so are you for reeking of the awful smell!" Riku shouted as he got into his fighting stance, and Carolyn was able to get a good look at it, his stance reminded her of Vanitas, it was then she noticed that a part of his heart was with Riku's own heart.

"Oh ho! So it's a fight you want. Very good—I shall take you on!" the man the produced a shield and the two began to fight, Riku then charged the man as the man blocked Riku. Riku then trying to strike him down tried to jump over the shield only to have the shield follow the movement and Riku struck the shield again as the man laughed, "I find, coursing through you, there is a darkness of formidable power growing! Well worth the trouble of aggravating you. All this excitement has provided me with invaluable data."

Carolyn gasped, and Riku was shocked, "what?" Riku then backed away from the man.

"Many thanks, Riku" the man said as he formed a portal around himself.

Riku tsked himself, "it was a trick all along."

"That guy freaked me out," Carolyn said as she walked over to Riku.

Riku looked at her and took her into a one arm hug, "you're alright though?"

"Yes, I can hide my presence from others, he didn't even notice I was here, I don't want them to."

"Why is that?"

"Because, from what that man said, their leader, if he knew I was here, he would hunt me down for sure."

"What for."

"He wants something in this castle something that only myself, Aqua, and my master can reach. I must not fall into their hands."

Riku looked at her as worry for her safety filled him, "I won't let that happen," Carolyn looked up at him, "I feel lighter, that nothing really bad will happen with you near me. I don't want this feeling to end."

Carolyn smiled, "nor myself, for the longest time I felt like I wasn't going the right way, with you, I feel like I know where and what to do, you've grounded me Riku, and for that I thank you." She turned and gave him a hug that Riku gave back, it was then she noticed the spark between them, and hoped Riku can break away from HIS heartless. Riku nodded as they made their way to the next door.

Dolphin0150: I could just keep going and going, but I know from personal experience, long chapters are sometimes crazy. Might have the next one in a couple days, I was only able to get two in one day cuz I'm home recovering, I got in a crash where my back end was crunched. Over the next few days my car is going to be looked at, from out old me car is and how much damage is on it. I think they might just total it… goodie for me… not, I have no money to get a new one. Just great, so again just as a warning, I will get the next chapter out as soon as possible.

Another note: Sorry once again guys, with also fixing last chapters path, I fixed quite a few errors within the chapters, I should hopefully have a chapter by the end of the night or by Sunday, Once again sorry!