"I don't see anything, do you?"

Sora's group had finally arrived on the island. The trip had been smooth, but now that they were here they had no idea what they were looking for.

"Are we looking for black hooded figures still?" Kairi asked.

"You know, that's hard to say... I don't know if they're still in the Organization format or not..." Sora had elected to wander over to the burnt part of the island to see if they would return to right there. Riku shook his head and went off towards the island with the bent tree, already known for being a place of centered darkness, leaving Kairi to do whatever.

"You two are so annoying today..." she sighed before following Riku, who seemed to be the more logical choice to follow at the moment, as the odds of them being on the burnt side of the island again were slim.

--

After a long search, nothing was found.

Sora, Kairi and Riku had given up, lying down on the beach looking up at the stars. It didn't even look like a thunderstorm was coming, which used to be the case with darkness coming.

"So what happened?" Kairi asked, "I thought they said that they would come tonight?"

"Unless they found out that we know, and are playing it cautious. Maybe Damayon's group presents no threat to them, but somehow we do."

"Yea, keyblade wielders must be some danger to their kind." Sora smirked.

"I'm pretty amazed that they were able to assess that though. You think they have a connection to the Organization XIII?" Riku looked over at what he thought was a sound coming from the other side of the island. "Shhhh..."

Sora and Kairi silently jumped up as soon as they heard the same sound that Riku had.

"Lookit." Riku whispered, pointing out to sea. The horizon was becoming quite dark and cloudy. "They delayed it, knowing we were coming. I don't think they know we're here."

"Where are they then?" Sora looked in the direction that the sound appeared to come from.

"Other side of the island?" Kairi suggested. "Sora, I'm scared!"

"Riku..." Sora sighed, now having Kairi clinging to his arm, "Would you please lead for Kairi's sake?"

"For Kairi, sure." Riku tiptoed around the island, having Sora and Kairi follow him closely until they reached the other side of the island.

--

Sitting on the other side of the island were two figures, although clearly not the black hooded ones that Sora's group were expecting to see.

These two figures were talking, not exactly quietly however, clearly not aware of anyone else being on the island.

"So everything is set this time?"

"Well, that's my understanding at least... Sky went off somewhere to check. Those ones who have been chasing us are definitely not around; however, the keyblade wielders of this world are still around."

"I thought the point of coming here so late was to make the keyblade wielders go home?"

Riku himself was now close enough to make out the figures of a male and a female. The male was heavily concerned with what was going on, although the female seemed to be the one who knew what was going on... Both were facing away, so neither noticed him.

"Having fun?" A voice came from right behind Riku, causing all three of them to jump with surprise and fall.

"HOLY CRAP!" Sora was in a slight state of shock, Kairi was practically having a heart attack. Riku was in so much shock that he couldn't speak. The person had appeared without a sound.

By this time the two figures who had been talking below had taken notice. Both Riku and Sora had their keyblades out in an instant.

"Hey, what's your problem?" The person who had scared them to death spoke.

"We know that you're planning to bring darkness."

"Darn. Elexi, Kisatrix, I though I told you guys not to speak so loudly until I had found them." She was clearly the leader for the three.

"Sorry Sky." Kisatrix sighed. "He kept asking questions."

"It's not my fault! Skyla, you didn't tell me anything before you left. I am entitled to ask questions."

"Skyla?" Riku repeated. "There's no x in your name"

"Oh, there is. My name is Skylexia. Could you imagine calling a name like that every time you wanted to talk to Sora, or Kairi?"

"So... you'd prefer being referred to as Skyla?"

"Shouldn't matter to you, after tonight you'll never see us again." A smile spread across her face, "Unless, of course, you'd like to attempt to stop us."

Her two friends smiled, assuming much more casual positioning.

Sora was also smiling.

"You asked for it." Sora went straight for Elexi with his keyblade, slashing it hard. However, his plans were sidetracked when Elexi deflected it with a vine whip that he had taken out in an instant.

Riku, deciding that because the leader's powers were likely over space still, turned around and went after Kisatrix. In a similar fashion to Elexi, she had taken out her own sword weapon and deflected the blow.

Skylexia, seeing that Kairi was clearly not a person who was made for fighting, stayed back to watch and give assistance to her own side if needed.

Sora was having quite a difficult time with Elexi. His whip was made for keeping enemies at a distance, but having experience in fighting his own friend Selphie it didn't take that long for a blow to the stomach to send Elexi flying into the water.

Riku was having just as much trouble with his opponent. So far she was only defending, but defending so well that he quite nearly fell into her blade on his own accord. While he was distracted by avoiding her sword, she ducked under and punched him hard in the stomach, causing him to fly backwards.

In that instant Sora had attacked Kisatrix himself, but before he even got close she blew a stream of fire at him. While it wasn't damaging it did cause him to be blown backwards a bit.

By this time Elexi had gotten out of the water.

"Skyla! Damnit, can't we have one fight where we're not flying into the water?" He complained as he dried his glasses off with his sleeve and put them back on. "You don't even fly into the water, you're all like 'ooooh, I'm Skylexia. I have a really cool name and special powers so when I fight I don't even need to take out my weapon because people go flying into the water, and then Elexi and Kisatrix go flying into the water but I don't care because I'm soooooo cool.'"

Skyla shook her head at him. "What do you propose; I attack a completely defenseless little girl?" She motioned at Kairi "I'm a nobody, not a heartless."

Kairi spun to look at Skyla with resentment.

"I am NOT defenseless!"

"You have a keyblade? Organization records state that you were quite easily taken by one Axel. I'd hate to be unfair you know."

"Oh yea? Bring it on!" Kairi prepared herself for a fist fight, but Skyla just shook her head.

"Fine, first to get knocked into the water loses." Skyla prepared herself in the same matter, covering her eyes with her large red bangs, "I, however, must insist that you make the first move, as if I do you won't get a chance to make a move."

Kairi growled slightly and went in to attack, however, the moment she got close something happened that redirected the direction she was running slightly, allowing Skyla to catch her fist and push her back, with a more powerful version of what she had done to redirect her, making her fly back and hit the water.

"See Skyla? No weapons, oooohh I'm so cool." Elexi was still in the middle of mocking her.

"Shut up Elexi; be hyper when we get back." Kisatrix was becoming ever so slightly annoyed with the mocking.

Right after Kairi hit the water, Sora and Riku were right on attacking Skyla with their keyblades, at which point they both somehow ran past her.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Sora was annoyed that there was pretty much no way to hit her.

"Stalling." Skyla pointed at the sky, which was now as black as a thunderstorm. "Think you can stop the darkness again?"

Riku and Sora looked up quickly, and then at each other, before running off back to the front of the island.

"Elexi, Kisatrix, just go make sure that they don't stop the darkness. I'm going to help their friend out of the water."

"Can I send you flying into the water? Pleeassseee?" Elexi asked excitedly.

"I'll let you send me flying into the water later Elexi, I promise."

Elexi pouted, looking forward to taking their self-proclaimed 'omnipotent' leader and knocking her into the water. But, he would get to later, so he supposed that was good enough as he dragged Kisatrix to the front of the island with him. Kisatrix did not look happy again, she was often dragged everywhere for no reason.

Skyla just shook her head, going out to the water and dragging Kairi out of it. She had made a slight miscalculation in the force she used, not thinking that Kairi was as light as she was had sent her flying a little further than she had originally been anticipating. She had an idea anyway.

--

On the island with the bent tree, the normal cyclonic dark cloud was looming over the island, and Sora and Riku didn't know what to do about it.

"Hey, Riku, no falling into the darkness on me again." Sora smirked.

"Oh shut up, I'm not insane." Riku sighed. So the doors to other worlds had been opened once again. How were those nobodies able to do this, he wondered to himself. They didn't appear to control the heartless themselves, what instigated the darkness?

No sooner had Riku thought about heartless than about half a hundred heartless appeared surrounding them, and suddenly the fact that Elexi and Kisatrix were sitting on the main island near the seaside shack wasn't the most threatening thing ever.

Riku and Sora give a little sigh each and went at eliminating the heartless that had appeared. More showed up, but they wound up stopping after they had eliminated about the original amount that showed up.

"What, Sora?"

"Don't you remember? Every heartless we kill has the potential to help those nobodies with their quest."

"I guess you're right, but we do need to fix this."

Sora sighed, and gave the nod to continue trying to subdue the massive amounts of heartless that had further appeared. Eventually their numbers dwindled and the last one finally disappeared from the wrath of Sora's keyblade.

As that happened, Skyla appeared with Kairi at her side. Kairi looked scared, and Skyla was a little annoyed looking.

"I truly don't like you guys." Skyla sighed, "And for that, well, I'm going to make a proposition for you."

Sora and Riku backed off to listen. They hadn't seen Skyla's weapon yet, and feared for Kairi's safety.

"We're listening..."

"You let the darkness take its course, Kairi goes with you onto the world you get thrown into."

"And if we continue fighting?"

'I don't believe in kidnapping, it's not as fun as watching two separate parties struggle, if you understand what I mean." Skyla was having a little fun at their expense.

Sora couldn't lose Kairi again; Kairi was what kept he and Riku on the same page. If they got separated while fighting the darkness he and Riku were liable to turn on each other, and that wouldn't be productive.

Riku on the other hand couldn't stand the thought of just giving up the island without a valid fight for its safety. While Kairi was important to him, it was hard to choose when you wanted to atone for the sins of the past.

After a short period of time, a new idea came to Riku.

"If Sora gave up, but I kept fighting what would happen?"

Skyla's reaction to the question took a moment, trying to place where Riku's interests laid. There had to be some advantage for him to gain from asking such a question. Sora was staring at Riku like he was crazy, although he was happy that Riku knew him well enough to know what his choice would be.

"Hmmm... I would have to say if only one of you kept fighting, first you would be unsuccessful. Next, I would let Kairi go with Sora, and as for you..."

Elexi raised his hand and jumped up and down, interrupting Skyla's thinking process.

"I wanna knock him into the water Skyla! Please? Please can I knock him into the water?"

"That would involve kidnapping him Elexi..." Skyla thought further for a couple minutes, "Fine, we'll temporarily take you with us until we figure out what to do with you, and we'll let Elexi knock you into the water."

"YYYYAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!" Elexi squealed in delight.

Riku turned to Sora, a look of apology on his face.

"Give up your fight, take Kairi, I'll catch up. I won't betray your trust, this I promise."

Sora sighed and nodded in agreement.

"That's fine. I give up the fight." He walked towards them and took Kairi from Skyla, who was clearly still a little dismayed at the decision she had just made.

She wasn't so much concerned with Riku's ability to stop the heartless who had now re-swarmed him, or the darkside that would soon come to attack, but more what they were going to do with him after Elexi had gotten bored with repeatedly pushing him into the water.

--

It was actually some time before Riku had finally failed at stopping the darkness. Elexi had fallen backwards and was now asleep out of boredom, and Kisatrix was looking at the sky, wondering if it would be daytime if the darkness weren't there...

Skyla, Sora and Kairi had been intently watching Riku's battle with the darkside. It was a problem for him. Sora wanted to jump in there and help him, but knew it was pointless. He wasn't sure if he could trust Skyla's word, although so far she hadn't attacked them while standing right next to him.

Now that he noticed how close he was to her, he wondered if her spatial powers worked in such close range. It seemed she needed distance for her to redirect an attack...

"By all means, try Sora, but you'll end up awful wet and hurt." Skyla responded bluntly to what she knew Sora was thinking. Her eyes never even drifted from what Riku was doing, the only reason she hadn't stepped in to speed the process was because it was fun to watch.

Sora just sighed and went back to watching his best friend getting slowly beat down by the darkness.

Not long after, darkness started flooding over the ground of the island. Riku watched it come at him in disappointment.

"Hey, at least you tried." Skyla had magically appeared behind him again. "You ready to go?"

Riku looked back at where Sora and Kairi had been standing. The darkness had already covered the area, if the new nobodies didn't take them away then the darkness had sent them elsewhere.

He sighed and looked down at Skyla. The way she usually was you'd swear she was taller than everyone else, but she was actually quite shorter.

He didn't know if he spaced out or what, but he lost all control and his vision blurred to the side.

"Sorry Riku, can't let you answer because I think we're out of time."