Chapter III: The Beginning of Many Journeys

All the ones in that room got shocked, so Riku was first one to break the silence:

-Master, first of all, can you help Mickey? He is in pieces.

-Sure, I can, young man. – He raised his hand and cured his former apprentice. – So to me be able to pull all the pieces of this enigma together, I want to hear what happened to each one of you.

-But Master Yen Sid, who is this man? – Kairi asks about the blond man

-My dear apprentice, let's first hear your stories. – So he turns to Riku – Riku, tell us what happened during your training, please.

-How do you …? Oh, the stars… - Lea interrupts and says a little ashamed –Sorry!

-So we were training in combat in Twilight Town, when we finished our duel, Saix… - But he is cut in the middle of the sentence.

-It's Isa, not Saix, got it memorized!? – Lea yells but when everybody stare him, he says again – Sorry…

-So continuing what I was telling, Isa appeared and taunted us and left without a fight, so to "celebrate" a good day of work, we went to have ice cream on the edge of the Clock Tower and a man in a black coat appears, first we thought he was Vexen, but…

-Then he summoned his shield and dark versions of Sora and attacked us, when he tried to swallow me in a dark vortex, Kairi saved me… - In that part everybody turned to Kairi, shocked how courageous she was (even after he kidnapped her in the past) and how she got away from there, so she started:

-Then we were teleported to a dark place where I fought him, he said they had already a person in mind to use as the last vessel and that his name was Neve. So when I defeated him, we were teleported back, when he revealed he was the replica of this Vexen that you called him.

-So we got here and saw an injured Mickey, these two mysterious men and the tower destroyed. But master what happened here? And who…? – Riku asked.

-Calm down, I will explain in the right time. So I and Master Mickey were talking about the possible Guardians of Light and the train arrived with two men in dark coat: Phoenix and…

-Ansem – Mickey said, the name made Riku shut his teeth by the rage that got to him – So I went downstair to duel with them, this Phoenix guy easily knocked me out and kept his way, but I casted Cure on myself and locked me and Ansem and we fought, but I was not a real match to him, but I was able to injure him and he left…

-Then the young man came here and tried to knock me out, I will not say he wanted to kill me, because he had many chances of that but he did not do it. So I teleported us to place, where if he killed me, he would not be able to escape.

-Are ya serious, someone able to play with you…! – Lea exclaimed a little scared.

-SHUT UP, LEA! – Kairi and Riku scremed together for he cut everyone, who tries to talk and for insolence.

-Lea, please, let me finish. – Yen Sid says giving a glare to the apprentice that is now really ashamed. – So after play with me, without even using his hands, he caused me so much pain that made we come back. After he left me almost unconscious, he just turned to you and left. I felt like this young man knew Phoenix from somewhere else, because when Ansem (the boy raise his head to his name, taking him away from his confused thoughts) here called him by the name of Inophe, which made he seem a little confused. – Finishing what he had to say, he turns to the boy in silence until that moment. – I thought I would never see you again, Ansem.

-Um… Sorry? I don't know you. – He said confused.

-But I know you. It was though me that you gained your powers and your Keyblade.

-Wait up, you said Keyblade…? And what powers? – Kairi asked completely lost now.

-Once some years ago, I saved him from Xehanort…

-Hey, you saved me from what!? – Ansem asked.

-Wait until I get to the conclusion, my boy. – So he turns to all the ones there – Many years ago I gave Ansem my power to travel through time and space to him save the ones who needed to be helped. But he was so disgusted and so hopeless, that he thought there was no way to save them. So he spent his life with his studies. It was this way me and even Ansem got known as wise men between many worlds, with the powers of time. So I asked Mickey to say that if anything happened to Ansem, the power would die with him, Mickey was able to convince him to do what I asked even Mickey not knowing anything about it. Ansem went to the timeline of his past himself, gave his younger version his power of time and commanded him to Master Eraqus, the master of Terra, Aqua and Ven to give him the ability to wield the Keyblade and train him to become a Keyblade Master.

-I cannot believe I'll become that old man that went to me that day… - Ansem said looking to the floor lost on his even more confused mind.

-He is a Keyblade Master!? – Lea exclaimed.

-So this is what you wanted him to do… - Mickey said.

-Ansem had the power to travel through time …? – Riku asked.

-So now my friends I will send you to your journeys… I sense Sora just started his journey, becoming the Dream Eater of Ventus just the way Riku did to Sora and is in his way to wake him up.

-Sora!? Is he ok? Is he coming back soon? – Kairi said desperately

-Young lady, I guess he will not come back so soon, but don't worry; he will come back stronger than ever. – So he turns to everyone present – I also sense through the stars that the worlds are at extreme dangerous, and also are the Princess Of Heart, but we have the mission to save our missing friends, that everyone of you except for Ansem, know, Terra, Aqua and Ven, Sora is already making his way to save Ven, Aqua is almost surely at the Realm Of Darkness and Terra, we do not know yet. But the worlds need us now, so, with extreme pain in the heart, I must send you to the worlds first. Aqua is strong she can hold on a little more.

-Master, she can be strong. But … at the Realm of Darkness, she'll need much more than strength…

-Riku, Aqua is a Keyblade Master and she is much more than strength, the only thing we can do now is pray to her until we discover a way to go to that Realm.

-But master, there's no way to go to there, just like Sora and Riku did? – Kairi asked.

-No, Kairi, we cannot open a Door To Light just like that. And that are not pure darkness cannot reach there through Corridors Of Darkness.

-So, what will be our mission, old man? – Ansem said it as Riku looked at him not believing Ansem was that way before and what of so bad happened to him to transform into the man he was before his death.

-I will send each one to different missions, Ansem you will visit some worlds we already know to check how they are doing and will go to Radiant Garden to use your future self studies to figure out how we can go after Aqua. I will create a map to you to the worlds I want you to check.

-Ok, I think I'll be going right now. – He jumps through the hole in the wall, get to the middle of the yard, throw his coat, revealing a dark black jeans, red and black sneakers, with a white T-shirt underneath a closed black jacket with a yellow drawing of a mixture between a heart, a crown and a fleur-de-lis in the right shoulder and a piece of armor in his left shoulder, he also was wearing the scarf at the same way his future self used. – Bye bye!

So he summons his Keyblade, Redemption, it was a light blue and yellow Keyblade, with some blue gems in it and some details of white and yellow wings at the teeth and at the handle. Then he throws to the air and touch the piece of armor in his left shoulder, so his entire body shines as does the Keyblade.

When the light disappears, he is wearing a Keyblade Armor. It's dark grey and red, the helmet have a big dark black visor, the rest is also grey and the it sports two red round prongs, which points to backward.

The Keyblade also has transformed into a Keyblade Rider. It becomes two wings, the left is yellow and the right is white, where the wings begin, there are blue gems. Also appears two gloves the left is light blue and the right is light yellow, the two have blue gems at the middle of the palm.

Then the Keyblade Rider fits into the Keyblade Armor and open a path to the Lanes Between and flies into it.

Everyone that was watching the scene just dropped their mouth and exclaimed: "WHOAAAAHH!" and when the show is over, they turns to Yen Sid again.

-Now, Lea, you will go to the princesses' worlds and check how they are doing, remember, they have to be safe and sound, when you think it is okay to leave, right?

-Ok, Master Yen Sid. – He turns around but remembers that … - but how am I supposed to travel through the worlds if I can't use the Corridors of Darkeness safely again? Will I get armor and wings just like Young Ansem!? – Lea asks excitedly.

-No, Lea, you won't. – Upset he looks to the ground – I will give you my Star Shard. Now he had been fixed and you will go right to the world you are supposed to go when you want to.

-Fair enough. I'll get going. – He takes the Star Shard – Good luck to you! – And he turns into a light shade and fly to the sky.

Riku and Kairi shared looks. What would be their missions? Riku was a little afraid to go on mission with someone weaker than him. That would mean he would have to take care of her.

-Master Mickey, you will travel through Gummy Ship with Donald and Goofy, that are already out there to check some worlds to me. In these days, with Xehanort around, we have to make precautions, if they kill the Princesses Of Light … - He says with his eyes shut.

-What!? Kill the Princesses? – Riku sees that pronouncing that made Kairi tremble.

-Kairi, they want to be gods, they want to control all the worlds. You, princesses, are kinda, the protection of these worlds; you are in Xehanort's way. – Mickey explains.

-But master, are you sure sending Kairi, a princess into the dangerous is safe? – Riku scared by the idea of Kairi being killed asks.

-Riku, she has been training for a reason, to be prepared to whatever Xehanort is planning, she decided to take the risks, now, and all you have to do is believe in your friend.

Kairi takes Riku's hands and turns to him:

-I decided to come here. – So she make her hand fall to where they were but kept holding friendly Riku's hand, before turning to Yen Sid, she says – And you think, you and Sora will be having fun and just leave alone? – That makes Riku laugh and they turn to Yen Sid again, but their hands were together all the time.

Riku couldn't see her as anything else the same way she couldn't see him the way she sees Sora. They were friends afraid of what was waiting for them out there; they were searching for strength in the other.

-Kairi, just like Sora did in his first journey, you will travel to worlds new even to me. But your mission will be different and very similar to Mickey. As Xehanort can get his objective of kill the princesses, your mission will be search and even protect possible substitutes. Mickey already knows who search for. You do not, but you will know who are possible substitutes since you heart will react to them.

-And how will I travel through them? – Kairi asked seeming more confident, Riku observed.

-Before you go, you will dive to your own heart and contact Naminé, you will link your hearts and she will be able to open Corridor of Darkness to you, since you are a princess, the darkness will not get to your heart. So my dear, can you go to the room where I meditate?

-Sure, master – She opens the door and quickly runs to Riku and hugs him – Good luck, Riku. – So she runs again to where she should be.

-Mickey, you can go too. – The mouse nods to Yen Sid, makes a reverence and nods to Riku wishing him good luck and leaves the room. – Now, Riku, we have to talk.