Last time found Sora and his friends and allies fighting their way out of the Dalek mothership and back to The Yamato and Intrepid Heart. The two ships then fought against the insidious efforts of The Daleks, but Sora and the others combined their efforts, as well as their friends from the Micador system, held off the Dalek attacks. Sidney then hacked into the Dalek computers and made two of the Obliterator missiles explode, destroying The Daleks. Oh, Tess and Riku kissed. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

Chapter 10: Back to our Universe

"We'll dock with The Yamato in a minute, Sora," said Riku as he piloted The Intrepid Heart over to the larger ship.

"We'll all be waiting over here," said Sora, "and expect to meet more people. The Micandorians, from both planets, are coming aboard The Yamato as well. Some of their fighters are landing on The Yamato's fighter bay right now."

"So we'll get to meet Group Captain Quartrane?" Riku asked.

"He said he especially wanted to meet The Intrepid Heart's pilot," said Sora.

"So now what?" Tess asked as our heroes docked with The Yamato again.

"We're finally going to meet with Group Captain Quartrane," said Aiden, "just think of it. We're going to meet an alien species."

"We just met those Daleks," said Kairi.

"That's something else," said Sidney as she activated her mobile emitter so she could walk about freely on The Yamato.

"What exactly do we say during a first contact meeting?" Tess asked as the airlocks sealed and the hatches opened. Our heroes walked onto The Yamato and headed for the bridge.

"Just act natural," said Riku .

They reached the bridge, where Sora, Donald and Goofy were waiting for them.

"Sora!" shouted Kairi as she ran to him. They embraced and kissed, "that demon tried to kidnap me."

"I know," said Sora, "I was scared for you, but then you beamed it into space, awesome."

"And I blasted the bastard," said Tess, "aren't you going to give me credit?"

"You already have it as far as I'm concerned," said Riku.

Just then Sanada walked onto the bridge, and with him were six aliens wearing space-fighter flight suits. All of them were humanoid, but also animal attributes. The aliens resembled cats, with fur covering their bodies and whispers and tails. Three of the cat aliens were shorter than the others with slightly longer fur, while the other three had shorter tails but larger eyes.

One of the shorter feline aliens stood forward, "Group Captain Quartrane, at your service." He bowed respectfully. "On behalf of the people of both Micandor V and IV, I offer our most sincere gratitude. Our worlds wouldn't have survived without the selfless endeavors of both The Yamato and The Intrepid Heart."

"It was our pleasure to help," said Captain Okita.

"Even if it did cost us time we can't spend," muttered Shima.

"Don't be rude," Yuki whispered.

"Speaking of which," said Sidney. She looked at Sanada and Chief Tokugawa, "I have the specifics for the Wave Motion Engine upgrades. They won't last for more than a few days, a week and a half at most, but you'll be able to squeeze approximately 1,600 light years out of each Warp."

"That'll definitely make up for lost time," said a smiling Chief Tokugawa.

"That's if Gamilus doesn't decide to pay us another visit any time soon," said Kodai as he walked over with his right arm in a sling, "And who knows if there's any other Hakonians in the neighborhood?"

"I've got a feeling that Maleficent won't be sending any more Hakonians into this universe," said Riku, "that demon said that other demons were going to make a deal with Maleficent."

"They're going to give what Maleficent wants in exchange for me," said Kairi, "but why do demons want me?"

"It won't be good, whatever it is," said Sora, "but there's no way I'm going to let them get you, ever."

"And we'll help keep you safe," said Aiden.

"Damn right," said Tess, while Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.

"You guys are the best," said a smiling Kairi.

"Forgive me for interrupting," said Group Captain Quartrane, "but there's something that my people have been wondering about since this whole mess started. Why us? Why did The Daleks come here in the first place?"

"I wish we could give you a good explanation," said Captain Okita, "one that explains why so many good people had to die. But as far as anyone of us can tell, The Daleks came here because you were in their way."

"All those things know is hate," said Kairi, "they can see no other way to exist with others except to destroy them. You were just the latest victims of the evil of The Daleks."

"They shouldn't have been allowed to be created in the first place," said an irate Kodai.

"Getting upset over the past never did anyone any good," said Kairi, "and let me see that arm," she touched Kodai's injured arm and healed it. Kodai was astonished that his broken shoulder was instantly restored, but that didn't dilute his gratitude.

"Thanks! That was awesome."

"That's nothing," said Kairi, she then looked at Tess, "there's still the rest of you to clean up."

"You're really going to heal my scars?" Tess asked.

"I'll do better than that," said Kairi, "as soon as we get to a proper shopping mall, I'm going to totally redo your wardrobe," she then winked at Riku, "I think someone would appreciate seeing you at your fashionably best."

Just then Sidney blinked in surprise, "I'm receiving a subspace transmission from our universe!"

"They got through the rift," said an eager Sora.

"Oh, they did that alright," said Sidney, she then frowned with worry, "the message is from The King, and the message isn't good. It says that The King knows about the rift and has been studying it. But it's not going to last much longer. According to The King's best estimate, we have less than four hours until the rift closes forever, which will leave us trapped here."

Our heroes looked at each other in stunned silence for a second, then everyone bolted for the corridor that would take them back to The Intrepid Heart.

Sora ran back in, "sorry to leave so quickly."

"We understand," said Captain Okita.

"Just go before you're stuck in this crazy universe of ours," said Kodai, "we'll be fine, and thanks for everything."

"Thanks for being here," said Sora, "if we get the chance, my friends an I will come back."

"Sora!" shouted Kairi.

"I'm coming!" shouted Sora. He looked at the crew of The Yamato and the Micandorians and bowed. They bowed in return and Sora ran off the bridge.

"Strange kids," said Shima.

"An even stranger adventure," said Captain Okita.

"No stranger than meeting you weirdos," said Group Captain Quartrane, "but either way, thank you for all that you've done. I hate to say goodbye so quickly, but you people must be in a dreadful hurry." With that the Micandorians and the Yamato crew said their goodbyes.

"I believe we've just made a lot of friends," said Yuki as the crew watched The Intrepid Heart and the Micandorian fighters leave the ship.

"Indeed," said Captain Okita. He then crossed his hands behind his back, "Chief Tokugawa, Sanada, how soon can you get to work on those upgrades?"

"Immediately," said both Sanada and Chief Tokugawa.

"We'll be able to get underway soon anyway," said Chief Tokugawa, "The Wave Motion Engine only needs a few more hours to recover, then we can resume our course."

"Onto Iscandor," said Captain Okita, "with only 274 days until Earth is extinct."

"We'll make it," said Yuki, "we have to."

"Everyone back home is counting on us," said Kodai, "we have to get to Iscandar and get the Cosmo Cleaner D. We have to."

274 Days Until The Destruction Of Earth

"How much time do we have left?" Sora asked as the ship flew through hyperspace back to the oversized portal that our heroes first came through into the universe.

"Less than thirty minutes!" said Aiden, "and we're 45 minutes away from the portal!"

"We're not going to make it!" said Tess in a frantic tone, "I knew we shouldn't have followed those ships!"

"We're not trapped in another universe yet!" said Kairi, "Sidney, can you push the engines some more? We've got to make up those fifteen minutes somehow."

"We've been going at 120%," said Sidney, "if we push the engines and the power core any more…"

"We'll risk the core going out of balance," said Riku.

"So it's either explode or be trapped forever," said Tess, "I'll take my chances with exploding."

"Sounds good to me," said Sora, "Sidney, take the engines up to 130%."

"Do it," said Riku.

"Please," said Kairi.

"Alright," said a reluctant Sidney, "well, it's been nice knowing you solids." The ship lurched as the engines pushed themselves that much further.

"We're really pushing it now!" said Aiden as the whole ship began to shake with sympathetic vibrations, "well, if nobody objects, I'm going to write my last will and testament now." He then took up a pen and paper and began writing.

"Why?" Tess asked, "if we blow up, nobody is going to read it, so what difference will it make?"

"It'll make me feel better," said Aiden as he kept writing, "'to my dear friends Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy, I leave all the money I made selling gold I transmuted from base metals, as well as all the money I made off of that little creep Rico during The Tournament of Light.'"

"That's a lot of money," said Sora.

"What about me?" Tess asked, "don't I get anything?"

"You get my house," said Aiden.

"You don't own a house yet," said Riku.

"Actually, I do," said Aiden, "I signed the paperwork the morning we left for Meridian. I paid for it in full, the idea of a mortgage really doesn't sit well with me, so all I have to do is buy furniture and move all my stuff in."

"That's awesome!" said Kairi, "what kind of house is it?"

"Not a big one," said Aiden, "just a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and a very big basement that I'm going to convert into a game room/alchemy lab."

"Cool," said Riku.

"That's great an all," said Tess, "but how can I inherit your house if I'm dead as well?"

"It's the thought that counts," said Aiden.

"We're coming up on the portal!" said Sidney, "and…wait…oh no! It's closing faster than we thought!"

"On screen!" said Sora. The forward viewer showed the large portal our heroes entered, but now it was much, much smaller, and it was still getting smaller.

"We're not going to make it!" exclaimed Donald.

"Yes we will!" said Sora, "Sidney, give it all you've got!"

"Oh well," said Sidney, "immortality is overrated. Increasing power core output to 150%!" The ship lurched forward harder as the ship screamed through hyperspace.

With barely room to spare, The Intrepid Heart punched through the closing portal and emerged back in the familiar universe. What was left of the portal vanished in a flash of light.

"We're back," said Sora as the ship powered down from hyperspace flight, "we made it." At that everyone on the bridge sighed in relief.

Just then several warning lights flashed on multiple consuls.

"I warned you about pushing the engines too far," said Sidney, "we're not in any immediate danger, but the engines and the core itself have been stressed almost to their limits, combined with all the damage we took from those Dalek weapons."

"She's right," said Kairi, "the hull has taken a lot of damage, and there's a whole lot of other things that combined could be serious trouble for us all."

"It's worse," said Aiden as he read a diagnosis screen, "the next trip through Hyperspace could rip the ship apart, unless we go really slow for hyperspace, like barely above the speed of light."

"I think we're going to have to go back to Disney Castle for repairs," said Riku.

"Wait," said Sidney, "Radiant Garden is significantly closer. At low-gear hyperspace flight, we can be there in 22 hours, where as Disney Castle will be 26 hours."

"Then Radiant Garden it is," said Sora.

"We were going to have to go there eventually," said Kairi, "I might as well face my past now and get it over with."

"We'll all be here to help you with that," said Sora, while Riku, Aiden, Donald and Goody nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," said Kairi, "together. Riku, set a course for Radiant Garden, steady as she goes."

"Steady as she goes it is," said Riku as he plotted the course and engaged the hyper drive at a lower setting.

"Sorry, Tink," said Sora as the ship entered hyperspace again, "looks like we're going to have to wait to thank you for the Pixy Dust again."

"Can I just say that this particular adventure was a complete waste of time?" a slightly irate Tess asked, "I mean, what was the point of going to that other universe if all it accomplished was nearly getting us killed and almost wrecking the ship?"

"You've still got a lot to learn about being a Keyblade Wielder," said Riku.

"And being a Hero," said Sora, "we helped saved all those people on Micandor IV and V from The Daleks and Heartless."

"And we stopped those Hakonians from getting that weird element for Maleficent," said Aiden, "that Uridium that they're using to control Nobodies."

"And we helped The Yamato," said Kairi, "I think that our meddling was just enough to help them complete their mission. I think we might have given them what they needed to save their world."

At that Tess thought about it and nodded in agreement, "I think you're right. You're all right. We did what had to be done and we did the right thing."

"In the meantime," said Kairi as she got up and stood next to Tess, "I've got 22 hours to remove your scars. One good thing about going to Radiant Garden now is that we can get your new wardrobe that much sooner."

"I'm also equipped with fashion protocols," said Sidney, "just in case you need a certified digital consultant."

"We'll keep that in mind," said Kairi as she and Tess got up, "I think we'll need some privacy for this."

"My room then," said Tess, she then looked at Sora, Riku and Aiden, "unless you boys want to see my scars again, all of them."

"No thanks," said a slightly disturbed Aiden, "once was enough."

"I think we should give the girls some privacy," said Sora, "and we've got almost a full day until we reach Radiant Garden," he paused as if something just occurred to him, "I should tell Leon and the others that we're coming."

"I'll transmit the message for you," said Sidney, "you just write it."

"While you're doing that, Sora," said Riku, "Aiden and I are going to try out the game room," he looked at Aiden, "I'm going to completely dominate you in Halo."

"Not if I dominate you first!' said Aiden as he and Riku raced for the door, "I may not know much about videogames, but I'm a fast learner!"

"Don't kill each other in the game without me!" shouted Sora as he hastily wrote a message for Leon and the others at Radiant Garden, gave the message to Sidney, then ran after Riku and Aiden, "your butts are so gonna get kicked!"

"Not if we kick your butt first!" said Riku.

"Alright!" shouted Aiden, "let's do it!" With that the three boys ran for the game room.

At that Kairi, Tess and Sidney looked at each other, "boys," they all said at the same time.

Riku then walked back in, "when you're feeling up to it, Tess, we have a lot to talk about."

"That we do, my dear friend," said a smiling Tess as she and Kairi headed for the infirmary, "that we do."

…New Hollow Bastion…

"And there has been no word of the armada since their last transmission?" Maleficent asked two Hakonian advisors.

"None, great one," said one of the advisors, "in fact, word has just come in that the spatial portal has closed, leaving Grekor, Ikura and Orkal trapped in the other universe."

"It was a fruitless expedition," said the other advisor in a defeated tone, "twelve of our warships and hundreds of our people, wasted for no good reason."

At that Maleficent shot up from her dark throne and glared down at the advisor, "you dare to question my will!"

"I…I didn't mean that, great one," said the sweating advisor, "I was merely implying that we should have waited to see if the portal was stable before sending the expedition. For all we know the armada still exists and is trapped."

Just then a lesser Hakonian ran into the room with a scroll and handed it to Maleficent, "well now," she said after reading the message, "it would seem that the armada has fallen. The Keyblade Wielders have returned to this universe."

She walked out to the balcony, "yes, it would seem that the expedition was a waste, of materials and personnel. But most of all, a wasted opportunity to obtain the Uridium needed for the Nobody-controlling rings."

Just then Pete lumbered onto the balcony, "you got to come to the front door, boss lady! You know them demons that's been pokin' their noses around the worlds? Well, some of 'em are at the front door and they want to talk to you."

"Is that so?" an intrigued Maleficent asked, "well then, show our guests in, Pete. We don't want to seem rude, do we?"

"I…uh…yeah," said an unsure Pete, "I'll go get them." With that he ran off the balcony.

"What about our comrades, Maleficent?" one of the advisors asked, "are we to just abandon them to their fates?"

"If they failed to return with the Uridium," said Maleficent, "then they proved themselves to be of no further use to me," she glared at the two advisors, "it would also seem that your entire race is proving itself to be of little use to me. I suggest you inform your fellow Hakonians that no further failures will be tolerated. The next time one of you nomads fail, I will punish not only the guilty one, but your whole pathetic race! Is that understood!"

"Yes, oh great and terrible mistress of all evil!" said both advisors in a groveling manner.

"Then get out of my sight before I punish you here and now!" snapped Maleficent, and the two Hakonians hurried out of the room.

"Things are not going as well as I had planned, my pet," said Maleficent to her raven as she walked back to and sat on her throne, "I should have had the reams under my thumb by now, and with them Kingdom Hearts."

She then called up images of Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "and it is all because of these meddling brats! Something must be done. The Keyblade Alchemist is essential to finding the remaining Princesses of Heart," the image of Aiden vanished, "but the other three, they are the lynchpin on which the light stands upon. Destroy those three and all the pathetic hopes of the realms will die. Yes, those three must die."

Pete then walked in with three demons. The first was tall and very thin, standing at nearly 8 feet and seemed to be little more than skin and bones. But it had a lot of bones, for it had six arms that ended in needle-tipped talons. It's skin was sickly green and purple and it had four eyes and a lipless mouth. It looked to have a sorrowful expression on its face.

The second demon was short, about 4 feet, and was all muscle with arms that ended in crab claws that could crush steel. Its indigo skin was like a lizards and it had a spiked tail. The way it ground its teeth gave the creature an attitude of pure rage.

The third demon was the most human-like; average height with short brown hair, medium skin tone and wore a gray pinstripe suit. The only thing that discerned this demon from a human was its yellow, snake-like eyes. It carried a large briefcase.

"Great Maleficent," said the human-like demon, "you honor us with this audience. I am called The Negotiator. This is Demolisher," it indicated the short lizard-like demon, which gave a short bow, all the while grinding its teeth.

"And this," said the suit-wearing demon as it indicated the sad-looking beanpole demon, "is The Scanner."

"Mistress of all evil," said the tall and thin demon, The Scanner, in a depressed tone as it bowed.

"We represent a group that seeks control over our own universe," said The Negotiator, "as well as a few adjacent universes. But we do not seek to impede on your territory. Far from it, I was sent here so that both our sides may benefit from mutual exchange."

"What sort of exchange do you seek?" Maleficent ask.

"And how do we know you things aren't up to something'?" Pete asked.

"You'll just as to take our word for it," said The Negotiator, "but before we go further," it then cast several anti-eavesdropping spells on the room, "one cannot be too careful."

"This is true," said Maleficent.

"Indeed," said the Negotiator, "now, as for how we can help each other," it looked at Maleficent, "my employer knows that you seek Uridium, in which you will Synthesize the means to control Nobodies."

"How'd you know that?" Pete demanded.

"Our intelligence gathering department is highly effective," said The Negotiator, "especially those who's talents specify in finding information."

"It was too easy to penetrate the pathetic minds of your minions from afar," sighed The Scanner, "Hakonians may think themselves superior. Believe me, they are not."

"So you know of my plan to control Nobodies," said Maleficent, "what else do you know?"

"We know that you're seeking the identities of the new Princesses of Heart," said The Negotiator, "and that one of your enemies, The Keyblade Alchemist, I believe he is called, he holds their identities in his subconscious mind. My associate can trawl his inner id for the remaining Princesses."

"Can this be done?" Maleficent asked in a slightly frantic tone, betraying her eagerness to the demons.

"Just bring me the whelp," said The Scanner, "most humans I can easily read their minds from a distance, but there are those, such as Keyblade Wielders, whom I need to touch in order to gain access to their most secret thoughts," he held up his multimpe needle-tipped claws, "Bring him to me, and I will give you the information you seek."

"What game are you guys playin' at?" Pete asked, "you want to give us the stuff we need to control Nobodies, and you're gonna give us the names of the other Princesses of Heart. But what do you want for it all? What's in it for yous?"

"I had hoped to establish a greater level of trust first," said The Negotiator, "but it seems that I should lay my cards on the table. Very well, my employer desire three things from you, Maleficent."

"You wish to give us two things in exchange for three," said Maleficent, "it hardly seems to be a fair exchange."

"We'll get to making it an equal exchange soon enough," said The Negotiator, "as for what my employer desires; first, we wish for your assurance that in the future, should your enterprises encounter ours, then there will be no hostilities. We merely wish for a relatively small territory and have no desire to impede on others."

"A non-aggression treaty," said Maleficent, "I will consider it, but at this time it seems unlikely. How can I promise to treat your employers with respect if I do not know them?"

"We represent a true mastermind of evil," said The Negotiator, "Gideon 'G-Man' Graves." It then took out a small black disk from the briefcase, a disk with a black chain. On the disk was a sigil of three G's, "and this is his crest, offered as a token of appreciation to the mistress of all evil."

"Bring it here," said Maleficent to Pete. Cautiously, Pete walked up to The Negotiator and took the disk by its chain and handed it to Maleficent. Upon closer inspection, the reverse side of the disk was covered in demonic scrip.

"Who's this Gideon guy?" Pete asked.

"A genius with many tallents," said The Negotiator, "and of many powers, powers of incredible darkness. He would have come here in person, yet circumstances, combined with a highly busy schedule, prevented Mr. Graves from appearing before you. In time he will come but for now I represent his desires and will."

"So be it," said Maleficent as she waved to Pete to put the black disk away, "very well, I accept your token, and I will consider your desire for a treaty. Now, what else does your employer, Gideon Graves, desire?"

"He seeks an item of great power," said The Negotiator, "one that has been sealed away in The Realms of Light, somewhere were not even our best intelligence gatherers can locate."

"All we know is that its somewhere on one of the worlds in this universe," said The Scanner, "and that it's guarded by spells and enchantments that no demon can penetrate."

"But you believe that others can retrieve this item," said Maleficent, "what is it that you seek?"

"I doubt you've heard of it," said The Negotiator, "it is a talisman; a gold disk about three inches wide, with a silver chain and set with twelve precious stones. It is called 'The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis.' Mr. Graves wishes for this amulet to be brought to us so we can destroy it."

"You seek to destroy a talisman," said Maleficent, "tell me, is this Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis a threat to you?"

"All that needs to be known is that the talisman must be destroyed," said The Negotiator. "If there was time I would tell you the full story, but alas, there isn't."

"I will also take this into consideration," said Maleficent, "and your third desire?"

"Again, it would take far too long to explain why," said The Negotiator, "but Mr. Graves," it pointed at the images of Sora, Riku and Kairi still hovering in the air, specifically at Kairi, "he wants her."

"Your boss wants Kairi?" Pete asked, "why?"

"He just said it would take too long to explain, dumbass!" snapped The Demolisher, speaking for the first time, "Get a brain already, you stupid, fat cat!"

"Hey, I've got a brain, pipsqueak!" said an irate Pete, "I just get confused sometimes." He then glared angrily down at The Demolisher, "And I ain't fat! I'm big boned!"

"That's not what your spouse was thinking," said The Scanner, "I read the mind of your wife, Peg, on the way up here. She's plotting a way to put you on a diet, you and your son as well. In the mind of your wife, you both are morbidly obese."

"You stay out of my wife's head!" snapped Pete, "and stay away from my kids as well! And don't even think about bothering my dog, Chainsaw!"

"That will do, Pete," said Maleficent. She looked at The Negotiator, "I have my suspicions as to why your master desires Kairi, but I will not enquire to them at this time. If your master can deliver the Uridium I desire, as well as give me the information on the remaining Princesses of Heart, then he shall have what he desires."

"I hoped you would find this arrangement to your liking," said The Negotiator, "I have been instructed to remain in this dimension for as long as necessary to work out the details for the deal, there is still so much to discuss."

"Yes," said Maleficent as she smiled wickedly, "we have so much to discuss."

…Radiant Garden…

"They're on their way back," said Cid as he, Leon, Yuffie and Aerith read the message from Sora on the computer in Merlin's house. He sighed with annoyance, "I knew it. I build 'em a ship and they wreck it the first chance they get."

"It doesn't seem that bad," said Yuffie, "only a few damaged systems and a cracked hull. I'm sure you can patch it up in no time."

"Yeah," said an irate Cid, "only for those reckless kids to wreck the ship again and again."

"And you'll keep repairing the ship every time," said Aerith.

"It's not like I have a choice," sighed Cid, "you know I'd do anythin' for those kids."

"As we all would," said Leon, "but I've got other things to worry about. I'm sure that there's going to be another Heartless attack, Maleficent's been too quiet lately. And there's those demons that have been nosing around. What do they want?"

"I believe I may know the answer to that question, young one," said Merlin as he walked in, "but I'm afraid you won't like the answer."

Just then the entire world shook as if an earthquake was happening. The tremor lasted less than a second, and it wasn't that big, but it was enough to startle everyone on Radiant Garden.

"What the sam hill was that?" Cid asked.

The world then shook again.

"I think it's coming from outside," said Yuffie, "from above!"

They all rushed out to the Borough to see a small rift forming about a dozen feet up in the air above the street. It got bigger by one inch, causing a pulse that shook the world.

"Is it a Heartless attack?" Yufee asked as she drew her shuriken.

"I don't know," said Leon as he pulled out his sword, "but whatever it is, be ready."

By then the rift was nearly a dozen feet long and seemed to stop growing. It was tense few seconds as Leon, Yuffie, Areith, Cid, Merlin, and the other citizens of Radiant Garden, all looked up at the rift as it just hung there in the air.

Suddenly the rift shone brightly and pulsed again, this time shaking the world harder. The rift flashed again and spat out a man, who fell to the ground, before the rift vanished completely.

The man was a tall Native American in his mid-twenties or so, for his exact age was rather hard to find. He was well-muscled with short black hair, brown eyes and a very handsome face. He wore a light t-shirt and short jeans and tennis shoes.

"Can someone tell me what the heck just happened?" Cid asked.

"I could be wrong," said Merlin as he straightened his glasses, "and I have been wrong from time to time, but I believe we have a visitor."

The man then stood up slowly, disoriented from his fall.

"Are you alright, young man?" Merlin asked.

"I'm alright," said the man, "that was some weird…thing…that just happened to me."

"I think you just fell through a portal from another universe," said Leon, "this is Radiant Garden."

The man then looked around frantically, "oh no! Oh no! she's gone! Where is she!"

"Where's who?" Yuffie asked.

"You've got to help me!" said the man, "I can't sense her at all!"

"Sense who?" Aerith asked.

"Renesmee!" the man nearly screamed, "I can't sense her any more! She's lost somewhere, all alone! You've got to help me find Renesmee!"

"Just calm down already!" said Leon, "we'll help you find her, but you've got to calm down first."

At that the man did calm down somewhat, but he looked ready to start running around in search of the one he lost.

"Great," sighed Cid, "a nutcase that fell out of the sky. What a way to start a day."

"You got a problem, old man?" the stranger from the sky asked in an irate tone.

"He's just worried that you're hurt," said Aerith.

"Well he can relax," said the man, "I'm fine, but Nessie isn't."

"Nessie?" a confused Yuffie asked, "I thought you said your friend's name was Renesmee."

"It's her nickname," said the man.

"Well would you mind telling us your name?" Cid asked as he crossed his arms, "assuming you have a name at all."

"He's just worried that your mind's been messed up," said Yuffie, "that you might have amnesia."

"Well my mind's alright," said the man, "I think so. But I haven't forgotten my name; it's Jacob Black."

…Twilight Town…

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hayner?" Pence asked as he, Hayner and Olette left the Sandlot and headed for The Usual Spot, "I mean, I miss Sora and Kairi as much as you do, but do you really think it's a good idea to go looking for them out in space?"

"Well it's better than just waiting for them to come back," said Hayner as they reached Market Street and walked up Station Heights, "they're out there facing who knows what kind of dangers, while we're stuck here training. I must have beaten Seifer a thousand times already in Struggle, and I'm really getting good with a real sword."

"And I'm getting the hang of magic," said Olette as they turned onto the Back Alley, "and Pence is doing great with those shield of his. But are we really ready?"

"We won't know unless we try," said Hayner as they reached The Usual Spot and went in. Inside on a table were three large cases. Hayner opened the one in the middle, revealing an ornately crafted sword in a blue scabbard. The blade was just under a meter long with a silver-plated crosspiece and handle, while the pommel was set with a large blue crystal.

Olette opened the longer of the cases, revealing a large bronze-colored staff carved with gold symbols. Pence opened the more square of the cases, revealing a pair of 18in-wide shields that were designed to act as both offensive and defensive weapons. He could hold one in each hand and use them to punch and block, while the shields could detach from the grips and be thrown like discuses.

"Why do you get the awesome sword?" Pence asked as he, Olette and Hayner took up their weapons.

"The sword choose me," said Hayner as he unsheathed the blade, "it came to me in a dream, and I found it in an abandoned chamber in the Underground Concourse."

"And I found my staff in a new room we found in The Old Mansion," said Olette as she polished her staff, "and you found your shields in another room there."

"I know," said Pence as he also shined-up his shields, "but why did we end up with these weapons exactly?"

"Who knows," said Hayner, "I'm guessing that all things happen for a reason, especially our meeting Sora and the others. We can't let them fight alone if we have the potential to fight along side them. I've got the feeling that they're going to need all the help they can get."

"And how are we going to get to them?" Pence asked.

"I'll tell you that as soon as your uncle finishes that starship he said he was going to build," said Hayner.

"Good luck convincing my dad to let us go into space," said Olette, "none of us know anything about the other worlds that Sora and Kairi told us about, let alone flying a starship. He's going to come up with a million and one excuses to keep us groundside, the biggest ones will be medical reasons."

"That's to be expected when you're the only daughter of the town's best doctor," said Pence, "and if we're going to be taking my uncles' ship, we're going to need someone who can actually fly it, someone who's been working with my uncle while building the thing, someone who knows the ship inside and out, and is willing to risk his life for the biggest adventure anyone in town has ever dreamed."

"You don't mean…?" Olette asked. But before anyone could say anything else, a small portal opened up in the ceiling of The Usual Spot and from that portal fell a girl in her early teens with shoulder-length, curly bronze hair, chocolate-brown eyes and pale skin. She was wearing a brown shirt with a blue jacket and blue jeans and brown boots. She had a short sword with a wooden handle belted to her waist.

The girl landed lightly on her feet right on top of the table, just as the portal closed, "that was weird," said the girl, her voice carrying a unique tone about it, almost like harmonic bells, "weird for my life even."

"Uh…" said a highly confused Hayner, while Pence also stood there perplexed. Their confusion was mixed with awe, for the girl was extremely pretty and left them speechless.

"Are you alright?" Olette asked the girl.

"Couldn't be better," said the girl as she gracefully hopped off of the table, "well, I guess things aren't alright, especially back home. That…thing, that portal I guess, it took me out of my world and into another. I'm sure my momma and daddy are nearly out of their minds about what happened, and Jacob is probably having kittens by now."

"You're acting like weird stuff happens to you all the time," said Olette.

At that the girl laughed brightly, her voice ringing like bells, "where I'm from, weird is the normal, especially at home."

"Um…who are you?" Pence asked hesitantly.

"And how did you fall into our world like that?" Hayner asked.

"It's rude to ask someone's name without giving yours first," said Olette to her two friends in an annoyed tone. She then introduced herself, Hayner and Pence to the girl.

"Nice to meet you all," said the girl as she shook everyone's hand, "I'm Renesmee, Renesmee Carlie Cullen, but everyone calls me Nessie."

"Nice to meet you, Nessie," said Olette, "but how did you get here?"

"It's a long story," said Nessie, "and I'm not supposed to talk about a lot of it, but believe me, you're better off not knowing all the details. One things for sure, I've got to find Jacob somehow. Don't ask me how I know, but I know he's somewhere in this…universe…and he's worried sick about me."

"Who's Jacob?" Hayner asked.

"A very, very dear friend of mine," said Nessie, "someone so close that, when the time is right, he and I will be together forever."

"Well, I guess we can help you find him," said Pence.

"That's great," said Nessie as she smiled brightly, showing perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth, "I think we're going to be really good friends."

"I think you're right," said Olette.

"I may be an old man," said Happosai as he, Ansem the Wise and Young Wattori stood on top of the clock tower at the Station Plaza, "but my senses are as sharp as ever. Something big just happened here, in this world, something really big."

"It's as L predicted would happen," said Young Wattori, "Renesmee has arrived. The girl of two worlds, who has been given visions of The Keyblade Wielders, has come. The time of Maleficent's final downfall is one step closer."

"This is the same child that Sora and his friends have been having visions of as well," said Ansem, "but why? Why did L subjugate them all to such cryptic dreams?"

"It's all part of L's plan," said Young Wattori, "a highly complex and eccentric plan, yes, but a plan nonetheless."

"I don't see what's so special about one kid dreaming about a bunch of other kids," said Happosai stubbornly, "while those kids are dreaming about her."

"You've seen how powerful the Keyblade Wielders can be," said Young Wattori, "and you've seen what The Heartless, Nobodies and other dark creatures can do. The young heroes are going to need all the help they can get, and Renesmee is a key factor in that help. She is the first of many such young ones whom have had visions sent by L, visions that will eventually guide them to stand with Sora and the others against the darkness."

"But what's so special about this girl?" Happosai asked.

"You're going to see for yourself soon," said Young Wattori, "but I'll tell you right now why Renesmee is special, one specific reason anyway. She's half vampire, and is therefore gifted with powers that make her all but invincible."

"Oh, she's half vampire," said Happosai in an understanding manner, "I guess that does make her special." he then did a double take, "say what?"

…Somewhere in time and space…

Sephiroth stood on the tallest mountain on a dark world orbiting a dying star. He knew that someone was coming, another soul of darkness like him, but different, much different.

The one winged angel didn't have to wait for long, for soon a dark corridor opened up. From it emerged a tall human with shockingly bright blond hair tied back with a black forehead band with a small gold heart in the middle. He wore a yellow jacket over a black shirt and yellow pants and black boots.

"You're earlier than I expected, Dio Brando" said Sephiroth to the man, "I take it that this is your original form?"

"More or less," said Dio Brando he smiled wickedly, "I've been through many transformations; the most recent being turned into a Heartless, only to change myself back to my last living body, and I much preferred it, as well as the powers that went with it."

He then said, "The World!" and vanished, only to instantaneously appear behind Sephiroth.

"Impressive," said Sephiroth as he turned around, "teleportation?"

"Similar enough," said Dio Brando, "it suits me well, unlike that oversized butter knife strapped to your waste."

"My blade serves me just fine," said Sephiroth as he touched the handle of his sword, "but enough about or respective abilities, we already know about them. There are so many other things that we have to talk about."

"Like that young fool who insanely wants to kill you so badly?" Dio asked.

"Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, "I am the darkness he so hates, yet can't live without. In the end, he will either destroy himself, or turn to that which he loathes. Either way, Cloud Strife will fall.

"But we've got other things that need discussing, such as Maleficent and her desires for creation."

"She thinks she can rule all," said Dio, "but she's already set herself up for her own downfall, while the others who foolishly cling to the light, those Keyblade Brats, they'll fall as well."

"And when they all exhaust themselves trying to destroy each other," said Sephiroth, "we, and others to come, will emerge the rightful masters of creation. It'll be a long a dirty task, manipulating all our enemies into destroying themselves, but it can be done."

"You may think of it as a chore," said Dio, "but for me, it's going to be fun." He smiled viciously, "oh yes, it will be fun!" He then adopted a serious manner, "so, who else are we meeting?"

"No one just yet," said Sephiroth, "but others will find us soon enough. I doubt that you know if this but your most recent enemies, the Keyblade Wielders, they just had an encounter with The Daleks."

"Daleks," said Dio, "yes, I've heard of those mutant murdering maniacs. Did they kill any of the brats?"

"Unfortunately no," said Sephiroth, "those children survived. They live to defy the darkness, a futile ambition if there ever was. Anyway, the brats defeated The Daleks, but those weren't the only ones to survive The Time War. There are others out there, including their creator, Davros."

"And you want to go looking for this Davros," said Dio, "alright, if you think he can be of use to us, then let's go find him."

"That we will," said Sephiroth. "Oh, and there is one more Villain whom I wish to find, Xehanort."

"Xehanort?" Dio asked, "Isn't he dead?"

"Yes and no," said Sephiroth, "both his Heartless and Nobody were destroyed by the same person; Sora, therefore, circumstances have conspired to bring him back. All we need to do is enlist his help, for I am sure that Xehanort has unfinished business in the realms."

"I'm sure he does," said Dio.

Unknown to Sora, Maleficent, or anyone in the realms, good or bad, two star crossed lovers, each from a different parallel Earth, volunteered for what was sure to be a suicide mission. They knew that the chances of their returning home weren't good, but they knew that this had to be done, for if they didn't go, then the survival of all of existence would be that much more uncertain.

Yet as these two heroes, who truly loved each other, despite being separated by time and space, had no idea that they were both going on this mission. Neither did they know that fate would conspire to bring them together again, them and their Daemons.

The end of Volume 9.

And that's it for my science fiction story. Eventually, if I can find videos of the second season, I'll do another Space Battleship Yamato crossover. I also hope that you liked that I brought in The Daleks as third party Villains. Eventually I will do a straightforward Doctor Who crossover, just as soon as I pick which Doctor and which companions to have Sora and the others meet.

And what about having Sephiroth teaming up with Dio Brando and looking for not only Davros, but also Xehanort? How's that for a new twist?

But that and so much more is for much later. For now, while our heroes don't know it, they're on their way to meeting two characters from The Twilight Saga, which will be half of the crossover material for my next volume, the other half will be His Dark Materials.

So, stay tuned for the next installment of my Beyond the Door to Light saga as Sora and the others finally learn the truth about their dreams.

Stay tuned for Volume 10: Of Daemons and Vampires.

See you then!