"Riku…OK…" The voice sounded distant. "Are…You…" Now it sounded closer. "Riku are you ok?" Now the voice sounded directly above him. When he came to. The pony's face was outlined with a worried expression. His head throbbed with pain. He slowly sat up as the pony took a few steps back giving him space. Riku saw a glimmer of something slide down the chest plate of his armor. Blinking a few times making sure he was truly awake. He looked down at his lap to see that he had been covered with a cape. Not one that could snag on to tree branches. One that was made so that even if it did happen to snag on something. You could untie it from your neck with the laces on the front.

"I must ask you. What did you see?" The pony asked with grave concern in her voice sitting down beside him.

Riku defiantly was back in the real world. The potion's effect has worn off on him. "I saw everything through the eyes of the youngest member of the clan." Riku rested one hand on his head. "It felt as if I was there for months but that couldn't possibly be could it?" Riku asked slowly at the last few words looking at his counterpart. "It all felt too real." He bared his face in his hands.

"That's because the potion worked as intended. You saw through another's eyes events that have already passed. What felt like months was only a few hours. What did the past show you?" She said with the same concern in her voice as before with the last few words. Riku started from the beginning. Making it all clear as day what had been seen and heard. "So that's it then." The pony replied with a nod after Riku had finished. "Bring the captain here if you would. Tell him that his nephew and the boy's mother are waiting in the forest. I shall await the two of you in that location." She said rising to her feet begging to walk away.

Riku also stood up taking the cape that had kept him warm and tide it around his neck. As Riku adjusted it to fit comfortably around his shoulders. Flowing appropriately over the jetpack on his back. He spoke up in protest. "I can't medal in the affairs of other worlds. "the pony stopped not turning to face him.

"Earlier I was just going to mention that I know the captain's nephew." He spoke now a little faster in a desperate tone. "He's helped me out with some stuff before and- "Riku paused searching for the right words. "And I may need his assistance for an upcoming war," Riku said the last part a quicker than the first. The pony turned to him with a look of sympathy.

"Not sure how my mistress is going to feel about her son being dragged off to battle. So soon after not seeing him for so long. Not since he was a baby in fact." The Pegasus now ran slow circles with her hoof on the cave floor. Head downward before continuing softly again. "I can try speaking with my mistress on the matter." She looked up at Riku with a stern look on her face. "That is if the young Lord's uncle is brought to me in the forest. I wish you luck Riku." She said as she watched Riku pick up his helmet located at the end of the cave. She then darted right passed him in a sprint. Spreading her wings, she flew off. Riku watched her until she disappeared out of sight.

Riku then focused his attention on a path made of fine grass that led him into the trees of the forest. After sometime when he came to the end of the woods. There was a wide-open field with the most noticeable thing being a few great size rocks. Riku noted that a few of the trees had been ripped apart. Clearly indicating that there had been a battle here at one place in time. He headed his way a crossed the large open area. The sound of buzzing could be heard above him amidst the clear open sky. Above him, several flew passed not bothering to look down and too far away to tell the armors colors.

He could only guess they must be with the same clan his old ally was from. What name did the clan go by? It didn't matter there were only two patrols today so far and neither had seen him. Though if he knew the clan's name that could help him find the Countess he had seen in the vision of the past. Too late now he should have asked the Pegasus pony when he had the chance. He shook his head in disbelief as he stopped and looked out at the sunset. Buzzing sounded right behind him just then.

"You're not from our clan." Said the voice. At this Riku instantly became still. "Spy from another clan I see. Trying to find our youngest member to hold him for ransom." Said another voice from behind him.

"No I'm trying to- "Before Riku could finish his sentence two more came down. One at each side of Riku. The ones that had just arrived placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Let's get him to the Count. Let him know that one of the other clans has sent a spy." Said the first solder in a gruff sounding voice. Riku was being led right where he needed to be. At least that's what he hoped. The five walked in the direction that Riku had originally been going for. They went from the field to another thicket of trees.

In the middle of the forest, they came to a stronghold. As they stopped in front of the steps of the building. Two guards that wore what appeared to be Federation uniforms like the one he had seen earlier that same day. The two before them motioned for them to stop with a wave of their hands. Seeing that one member wore a green shirt and the other on the right side of the steps wore white. Riku knew he must be in the right place. "A grieving family you must assist." Riku thought to himself about the prophecy. This is defiantly the place. He knew as he thought about the two in the forest that argued over the Counts nephew. Wasn't the Countess still in command or had her own son possibly killed her for control of the clan? If he had done so this is one man he was going to regret meeting in person.

A sound of the doors slid open. The tall boots that walked so confidently across the floor. A strong arm holding a helmet underneath. The necklace that was a treasure gifted to him by his mother. Bouncing harmlessly against the chest plate. He turned to face the new arrivals. "So, you're the spy my men told me about." He spat almost in a whisper. There was no mistaking if he had ascended to the title of Count. He hadn't misheard earlier that day in the forest. The Count's eyes were fixed on Riku in a glare. "Attempting to find my lost nephew and use him against me." He continued with a low growl. "Any threat to my nephew is an attack on this clan."

"Please, sir." Riku pleaded as he struggled free from the guards that kept him from moving. "I come as a messenger, peacekeeper, and as a friend of your nephew." Shifting his helmet from one hand to the other. He summoned the keyblade in his free hand. He lifted the weapon up in the presentation. Hoping that maybe just maybe when Riku had parted with his new ally that the Count had been told what a keyblade was.

"So that's a keyblade?" Said the Count in shock. Riku thought he heard a slight hint of fear in his voice. The Count did a fine job of keeping most of it at bay. None of the others around Riku seemed to notice. Maybe they just didn't care was another possibility. The leaders shocked expression was now replaced by one of a serious scowl. It was as if he was deciding whether he wanted to lock Riku up or maybe even give the order for his people to kill him on site. "Hear what I have to say. I am here to assist a grieving family I believe that to be yours." Riku said loud and clear. As the keyblade disappeared from his hand. The Count stayed silent for a few more seconds before speaking.

"Try anything and I won't hesitate to end you." With that, the head of the clan turned to go inside. One hand was forcefully shoved against his back towards the steps.

"Watch it," Riku said giving an annoyed glare at the one who had shoved him.

"Tell me Riku how did you come to know my nephew?" The Count asked with curiosity. When they had finished the introductions in the throne room.

"It was through a charm that a mentor of mine had given me," Riku spoke more nervous then he tried to sound. Hoping that the Count would believe his explanation. "I was given a charm that looked identical to your neckless." He said in the same tone. As he mentioned his hand with a wave. Indicating the neckless the Count was wearing. "The charm's magic allowed me to summon him from this world." He said pointing two fingers to the ground. "To my current location." Before Riku could continue the Count spoke.

"Do you know where he is now then? Have you seen him at all since you've been here?" The Count asked in a mixed tone that sounded both surprised and desperate. Before Riku could answer one Federation member appeared from out of the hall.

"Captain your contact has asked to speak with you right away." Said the Federation member as she gave him a salute. The count looked at Riku with suspicion as he rose from the throne.

"Watch him. If he takes one step you know what to do." He said to the now six people in the room. Three were from the clan and the last three were Federation. He stood up from his throne and walked down the hall. The woman who had sent for him stood next to her two Federation allies watching him closely. Riku observed the painting above the throne of the Count who had reviled his name to be Ghoststriker. A panting across the room that had been hung above the doors that he had entered. Showed off an older woman.

"Who is that?" Riku asked in a whisper to the Federation woman who had summoned the Count moments ago. He gave a nod of his head to indicate the painting behind them.

"She is the reason all of these Federation members like myself are here." She responded in a whisper. "She started the war that caused the captain's nephew to run away. However, she also helped create peace to help both this clan and the Federation. Having two cultures look for the youngest member of both families. Just before she passed away from an illness that took her." She paused for a moment to take a breath. "The captain's mother Countess Dreadhunter." All Riku could do was shiver in fear at the sound of her name. The name sounded like one given to a person that had either did one of two things. One taken a lot of prisoners or taken a ton of lives on the battlefield. Riku continued to study both large paintings in the room. His last thought drifted to who Ghoststriker's contact was.