Now I get to introduce a new character towards the end of this chapter.

Sora: "Already?"

Why beat around the bush?

Sora: "Give me and Kairi some time together?"

Sorry, Sora. I'll consider it if you do the disclaimer.

Sora: "Riaxdan does not own Kingdom Hearts or its associates. Now can I have time with Kairi?"

I said I'll consider it. Hmmm...

Seven days later...

The week passed at an agonizingly slow pace for Riku, who found himself alone more and more. Sora and Kairi seemed to grow closer during the week, as she stayed with him to make sure he was okay. He generally sat on the old tree and stared at the waves, twirling Way to Dawn in his hand. His mind constantly wandered to this new adventure he was about to undertake.

He was doing just that as he heard footsteps approach him. Two pairs of footsteps, to be exact. "Sora. Kairi," he said simply, turning towards his friends.

"Hey," they said in unison. Riku noticed they were holding hands, fingers laced together. An icy feeling flooded his body, but he ignored it. About time, I guess, he thought to himself.

"Hey...how are you feeling, Sora? Back in shape?" Riku asked, examining his friend critically.

"I'm doing better. It was kind of a blessing, I mean, it convinced me and Kairi to admit our feeli..." Sora stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath. "Riku…"

"I'm okay. With you two, I mean. On one condition, though."

Sora smiled, not surprised that his friend had been able to know what he was thinking. "Really?"

"Yeah. But, I'm not traveling with you Sora."

"Huh?"

Typical Sora. "On this next journey, I'm going it alone. Don't try to follow me, okay?"

Sora nodded once before Kairi gasped and pointed at the sky. Something was hurtling through the sky towards the island. It was vaguely shaped like a Gummi Ship.

The King had arrived.

The reunion took place on the sandy beach. Donald and Goofy had joined Mickey. Riku assumed this was just for extra protection. Hugs and laughter were exchanged between the friends.

"So they finally started dating?" The Mouse King asked Riku, who smiled and nodded in response.

Donald and Goofy talked to Kairi as Sora, Riku, and Mickey started to walk towards the tree Riku had spent so much time on as of late.

"So, why are you here, Your Majesty?" Sora asked, much less excited about leaving the islands than Riku.

"Well, boys, as I said in my letter, there is a new threat to Kingdom Hearts. But he is doing much more than Xemnas or Maleficent ever did. He is going to try and capture all seven princesses of heart. He also plans to restore the connection that was in The World That Never Was. And..," Mickey stopped abruptly and jumped straight to the top of the tree. Riku and Sora climbed up behind him.

"What else is there, Mickey?" Riku asked. He felt a sense of pride at being one of the few people who referred to the King by his first name. Few others ever did that. As far as Riku knew, it was only him, the Queen, and the fallen Ansem the Wise.

"An incredibly powerful blade. The X-Blade. It exists alongside Kingdom Hearts. If all of those things are gathered, Kingdom Hearts may easily become his. And he will surely wield it as an ultimate weapon."

Sora grinned. "Why so down, Your Majesty? We will stop them. Always have before, right?"

Mickey sighed. "I'm not so sure this time. This guy is more dangerous than Xehanort ever would have been. He knows things few others ever learned. And he ordered the attack that put you out for two days, Sora. I don't have any information on him. Except for a name. Shi… Shi of the Dark Death."

Riku couldn't keep his practiced smirk off of his face. "Light and Dark. Wait till he faces off against me. Dawn. An in-between."

"Riku…" Mickey started softly. "I don't want you relying too heavily on the darkness. We can't risk you falling back into the dark realm."

Riku faced the King sitting on top of the tree. "I won't totally lose my body like last time. But…I will NOT fail the worlds, or Kingdom Hearts, either."

Mickey smiled. "That is all we can ask for, I suppose. Training begins tomorrow. Be ready to see the Keyblades do more than ever before."

Shi laughed as he sat at the head of his 'Table of Darkness', where he was joined by multiple dark minds with goals in mind that they couldn't complete on their own. Shi had promised them help to end the grudges and help them take over their home worlds.

And in return, they would help him.

Perhaps I should mention that they will die when I take their worlds back from them…oh well. Most of them desrve to die. I guess I can't help but be fond of the few stronger ones. I'll let them rule with me as the grand ruler over them.

"Now then," Shi began, leaning forward in his throne at the head of the table. "I think our first mission should be recovering some lost allies. A few will not be…salvageable. But the rest…" Shi paused to laugh. "They will be a whole new set of beings. The first of the Elite Twisted."

Everyone laughed, but Shi laughed the longest. Because he knew the truth. More than anyone else, he knew.

Most of them would become Twisted too.

Okay, well that was my O.C. villian for this story. The next chapter is much longer, so I hope you have time to read it. Review please!

This chapter has officially been edited! Just a few changes, nothing major. Enjoy!