Wow, holy crap. I can't believe I've been gone for this long.

I am so terribly sorry for holding off on this story. I have been plotting on how I want to end this story though.

There is a bit of Kingdom Hearts X referencing in this chapter, because well, that's now a thing and has to be included as a central plot device.

Let's just hope Kingdom Hearts 3 will really arrive sometime this year and all the questions will be answered.

Enjoy this long awaited chapter!

Chapter 10: Bonds in the Dark Part 3

"What do you mean Levina's life is in jeopardy!" Lira screamed at Yen Sid angrily banging her fists on the large desk between them.

For Yen Sid's sake he was very lucky to have such a big desk in between them.

"Lira, you shouldn't shout at Master Yen Sid like that!" Donald urged her.

"Gawrsh, she's just worried about Levina, Donald." Goofy told his friend.

Yen Sid looked at Lira and knew how worried she was for Levina's safety. The wise wizard stroked his beard. "I'm afraid this Mark of Mastery test as gone wrong," He looked down and Sora, Riku, and Levina asleep. "They were only supposed to go into the sleeping worlds that needed to be awoken. Not back time travel to a point when neither of them existed. There is something or someone interfering with the test."

"It's gotta be Master Xehanort!" Mickey replied hastily.

"I don't get it," Lea said. "How can Xehanort be around. I thought Sora and Riku took care of his Heartless and his Nobody."

Hiko listened carefully to this urgent conversation and looked at his Master. "Didn't you have a student named Xehanort, Master Yen Sid.?" He asked.

Yen Sid nodded. "Yes even as my pupil Xehanort was eager to learn what the darkness could do," The wizard replied. "Even when he found true friendship and love, he sought to destroy both things to accomplish his path to the darkness and harness its power."

"Master Xehanort was in love?!" Donald quacked baffled. "That's absurd!"

"Dontcha remember Donald," Goofy told him. "He was in love with Levina's mom. Levina told us all about that back in Radiant Garden."

"I don't care what happened in the past!" Lira shouted. She was fuming with anger and rage. She was on the verge of summoning Bahamut into the tiny room which would instantly kill everyone. "I want to know what's happening to Levina!? Why is she fazing in and out like that?!"

Lea gripped her shoulders trying to calm her down. "Lira….relax…we'll figure this out." He told her. "You need to relax, you're having a baby, you need to calm down."

"Calm down!?" Lira screamed. "How am I supposed to calm down when I know something horrible is happening to Levina and I can't do a damn thing about it!?"

Everyone looked at Levina's sleeping body. For a moment she remained there sleeping next to Sora and Riku, and then the next her body started becoming transparent, as if she never existed in this world in the first place. Eventually even memories of her would start to disappear from the many friends and companions she had made.

"Is Xehanort trying to meddle in the past?" Goofy asked.

"That seems to be the case," Yen Sid replied. "But how could have he calculated the exact time to strike?" That still baffled the aging wizard. "We must act quickly if we are to help Sora, Riku, and Levina on their quests."

"I'm going to have to report this to Master Yen Sid," Eraqus said as he watched his friend channeling more darkness. "You know how against he is with you using the darkness. You could fail the Mark of Mastery exam, don't you care?!"

Xehanort sneered at his closest friend and comrade brandishing his own keyblade out of darkness. A keyblade passed down from generations upon generations. This unique, special keyblade was called No Name. The No Name has a dark black handle with a raised spiral carved around it. Its pommel and guard resemble black, demonic wings. The base of the blade is an etching of a goat, and the shaft is formed from two black, barbed blades, etched with a white icon resembling a bramble of thorns. The teeth are formed in the shape of a demonic wing and are set with a gazing eye embellished inside it. The eye once belonged to the Master of Masters during the age of the Keyblade War.

"T…That's the Master's keyblade!" Eraqus exclaimed. "No one's allowed to have that except for him!"

"Tch, our so-called master has such a powerful weapon at his disposal and never had the urge or curiosity to use it." Xehanort rudely insulted Yen Sid. "He such a feeble weak old man."

Eraqus frowned at his friend's words. "Xehanort…don't make me….," The young keyblade wielder balled his fist making his own keyblade appear, which was the Kingdom Key since he was still in training.

"Hey, we both have the same keyblade!" Sora beamed making his own Kingdom Key keyblade appear.

Eraqus turned to Sora bewildered. "You have a keyblade too?" He asked.

Sora nodded. "Yeah!" He beamed. "Riku and Levina have one too!"

"You do?" Eraqus questioned. "How many students does Master Yen Sid have anyway?"

"Sora, I think you said too much." Riku told his friend.

"Aw come on Riku, I'm sure Yen Sid won't mind as long as we pass this test, right?" The cheerful spiky headed boy asked.

"You're unbelievable." Riku shook his head dismissively.

'More keyblade wielders?' Xehanort thought as he watched Eraqus made friends so quickly with the new comers. Everything came so easily to him while Xehanort was stuck on an island eager to visit the outside world. That island was his prison a place he would never want to see ever again. 'I will not go back to that disgraceful island!' Besides visiting this world, Xehanort was here for one more thing.

With that in mind, the former student of Yen Sid lunged at his best friend.

"Look out!" Levina warned Eraqus.

Eraqus turned just in time to block Xehanort's keyblade with his own. Their keyblades clashed against one another as if they were sparring. It almost seemed as if this was something common between them. Dark and light magic spells were being thrown left and right. Xehanort swung his keyblade at Eraqus causing the young keyblade wielder to fall and stagger onto one knee.

Eraqus caught his breath. This was the first time that his friend was able to best him in battle.

Liora frowned a little watching two of her closest friends fight one another. "Both of you stop this instant!" The woman raised her staff to stop time since it was a spell she was learning from Merlin.

Eraqus pressed his lips and lowered his keyblade. "She's right, this is pointless." He told his friend.

Xehanort scoffed at his friend's words. "You're just too weak to fight me like you mean it!" He glared at Liora pointing the keyblade at her. "Where is the Book of Prophecies?!" He demanded to know.

"Book of what?" Sora asked.

"Prophecies?" Levina frowned.

Eraqus was baffled by what his friend was asking. "Xehanort, no!" He shouted. "Have you gone so deep into the darkness that you've lost all meaning to what our Master has taught us!?"

At this Xehanort laughed, "All I did was seek answers and if throwing away my morals to obtain what I want then so be it! I don't fear the darkness like you or these simple-minded children do!"

"The Book of Prophecies is something no one should have access to!" Liora said as she walked over helping Eraqus off the ground. The Book of Prophecies had belonged to the Master of Masters and his apprentices known as the Foretellers during the time of Keyblade War, but it was lost to time. Eventually the Foretellers struggle during the Keyblade War had separated the worlds so that light would prevail.

Liora frowned looking at Xehanort. "You're searching for answers to that last passage, aren't you?" She asked. She had learned of the Book of Prophecies from Merlin.

"The fated land will be the battleground for a great war. Light will see defeat and expire, while darkness prevails evermore." Xehanort said quoting the words in the book as if he were possessed and hungry for more knowledge.

"The fated land where light will expire, and darkness will prevail…" Levina heard those words once before. It was when Master Xehanort had confronted her, Terra, Aqua, and Ven in the Keyblade Graveyard years ago. It seemed as though Xehanort never let go of his aspirations to seek answers even at such an old age.

"Alright this has gone far enough!" Riku stated making his Way to Dawn keyblade appear.

"I don't know what this prophecy is about! But we're not about to make it come true!" Sora said holding his keyblade tighter.

Suddenly time stood still and the only ones that were still able to move were just Flowbermeow and Levina. Flowbermoew bounced in urgency to Levina seeing that neither Sora, Riku, Meow Wow or Komory Bat were moving.

"What's happening?!" Levina exclaimed making her Starlight Keyblade appear.

"I was such an ambitious young man even when I was taking this worthless test!"

Levina jumped taking a step back as she heard Young Xehanort's voice from behind her. The girl held her keyblade tightly.

"You again!?" She exclaimed.

Young Xehanort took of his hood to reveal himself to her and merely smirked at her.

Levina looked back and forth at the Xehanort that was frozen in time and at Young Xehanort. "Y-You look almost exactly alike…" She said with a frown.

"I was beginning to think you and your little friends wouldn't stop interfering." He told her. "But I suppose its in your nature to meddle." He took a step closer to Levina.

Flowbermeow growled at the man approaching Levina.

Young Xehanort ignored the dream eater and watched amused as Levina continued to back away from him. It was clear that she was scared of him. He walked passed Levina and approached Liora.

"To think how many years I wasted with this wretched woman." He scoffed trailing his fingers across Liora's neck as he touched the chain around the papou fruit necklace.

"Get your hands off my mother!" Levina shouted.

Young Xehanort looked at Levina. "So, you still haven't figured out the truth have you?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?" Levina asked slowly raising her keyblade to fight him.

"Haven't you realized why the darkness keeps calling to you? Why your heart is so in tuned with it?" Young Xehanort asked her. "I saw what you did to that dream eater inside Monstro. I was almost proud." It was almost as if he was talking to Levina like she was his child.

Levina glared at him. "Shut up! You don't know anything about me!" The girl spat back at him. She hated the darkness more than she hated Master Xehanort. "I'm not one with the darkness! The darkness took everything away from me! My family, my home, and my friends!"

"If you weren't so scared of it think of what you could accomplish! How powerful you would become," He walked towards Levina a gloved finger pointing to her heart. "After all it runs in the family because you and I share the same blood."

Levina dropped her Starlight Keyblade from the sheer shock at what she heard coming from Young Xehanort's mouth.

"N…No you're lying!" She screamed at him. How could that be true? The man responsible for all the terrible events that had transpired in her life up until now was really her father. Tears stained the girl's cheeks. She was so angry and confused to this revelation. But deep down in her heart she almost had a feeling she was his child.

"Search your heart and you'll know the truth." Young Xehanort said to her in a cruel manner. "Eraqus just wanted to protect you from me. He knew one day that I would come back for you to finish what I started and so my former master entrusted that wretched king to find you a guardian," He was referring to Yen Sid, Mickey, and Lira. He then extended his hand out to her. "Come join me and we can create the X-blade!"

Levina looked at Young Xehanort who was gesturing out his hand to her. At this point, she felt like she had no purpose left. All this time she was fighting against Xehanort, her father. For a moment, the girl slowly reached her hand out to his.

The younger version of Xehanort was suddenly tackled by Meow Wow and Komory Bat. Annoyed the tiny dream eaters tackling him, the time traveling Xehanort made his keyblade appear and swung at the tiny creatures. It was clear his time spell wasn't holding them in place like the people of this world since they were from a different timeline altogether.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Riku yelled swinging his keyblade at Young Xehanort.

"Levina, are you okay?!" Sora asked rushing over to her.

Levina was in too much of a shock to answer her friend, so she just nodded her head.

"I suppose we'll have to have our union later, Levina." Young Xehanort extended his hand out to the sky opening a corridor of darkness.

Out of the corridor of darkness lunged a giant dark hand reaching to grab the three keyblade wielders. Young Xehanort watched the three meddling keyblade wielders and then escaped into another corridor of darkness. Everything that was transpiring was all going according to Master Xehanort's plans. Their paths would clash once more.

Sora jumped out of the way as Riku grabbed Levina by her waist to lift her to safety since she was still in shock.

It was a massive, muscular, humanoid Heartless with black skin. Its legs are rather short and its feet are very thin and curl upward. Its arms are quite long, and it has two relatively small, twisted wings on its back. There is a large, heart-shaped hole in the Heartless's abdominal area, which penetrates straight through from the front to the back. Its head is covered in dozens of twisted, black tentacles. Only its small, glowing yellow eyes are visible.

"Not again!" Sora groaned. The keyblade's chosen one had faced this heartless multiple times in his adventure.

This heartless known as Darkside punched the ground creating a pool of darkness in the center of the town square. It even caused massive shock waves that brought down pieces of brick, stone, and wood from nearby homes and shops. Swarms of Shadow heartless from the pool of darkness.

"We have to take out that Heartless before it destroys everything!" Riku told Sora and then looked at Levina. "What happened? Look whatever that guy said to you he's just trying to influence you to fall into darkness."

"R-Riku, I could use some help!" Sora yelled as he attempted to climb up Darkside's large arm. Meow Wow rolled off the giant Heartless' arm.

Riku frowned seeing his friend struggling to stay balanced on the large Heartless's body. "Hold on Sora!" Riku yelled grabbing a hold of Komory Bat who would help assist Riku to aid his friend.

Levina saw the swarm of Shadow heartless coming towards her. Flowbermeow growled at the tiny Shadows and started tackling them. Levina was too afraid to fight. With everything that had just happened she didn't have the courage to continue to fight.

"Levina!" Riku shouted to her.

"Those Heartless are going to her heart!" Sora exclaimed.

Darkside took the opportunity to shake the two boys off its arm and smash into the ground toppling on one another. Meow Wow and Komory Bat rushed to their side.

The giant Heartless then proceeded to attack creating a giant orb of darkness in its massive hand. Darkside flung it towards Sora and Riku which split apart into many smaller orbs like falling rain.

Sora dodged rolled out of the way as Riku swung his keyblade at some.

"What's wrong with her?" Sora asked.

"I don't know but we have to do something quick or else we're done for!" Riku told his friend.

Riku dashed over to Levina's side swinging his keyblade at the Shadows that were surrounding her. The silver haired boy kneeled down to his friend and grabbed her shoulders.

"Levina, come on! We need your help!" He said to her.

"No…" Levina shook her head. "You and Sora don't need me."

Riku frowned. "Don't say that!" He told her. "What did that guy in the black coat say to you anyway?!"

Levina bit her lip trying to hold back tears. "That guy in the black coat…" She whimpered with her words. "H…He's Xehanort….he said that…I…I'm his daughter…" She cried against Riku scared that now that he and eventually Sora would know the truth that they wouldn't want anything to do with her.

The silver haired boy hugged her when she started to cry. He didn't understand why she was crying. "So, that's what upset you?" He asked her slowly pulling away. He was almost mad that Young Xehanort was able to break her like this.

Sora suddenly smashed into Riku. "Sorry Riku…" He groaned holding his head. The keyblade's chosen one then looked at Levina. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked. "Why are you so sad? Come on we need your help!"

Levina looked at her keyblade by her side and slowly picked it up. She would have to put off her feelings aside until this battle was won. Darkside suddenly created a dark force in the heart-shaped hole in the center of its body firing at the three keyblade wielders like homing missiles.

Together, three keyblade wielders aimed their weapons at Darkside. Unleashing light from their keyblades, Sora, Riku, and a reluctant to fight Levina managed to send Darkside's homing missiles straight back at it causing the giant Heartless to crumble and fade from the darkness where it came from.

"Alright!" Sora cheered. "We did it!"

"Yeah….we make a great team…" Levina mumbled quietly and started to walk off.

"Huh? Where are you going, Levina?" Sora asked.

"Some place where I won't endanger you or Riku," Levina answered glumly. "I don't want to be responsible for luring Xehanort to you."

"That guy in the black coat said that she was his daughter." Riku told his confused friend.

"What?! Really?!" Sora exclaimed and looked at Levina. "Well, I kind of see it," The boy replied. "Your eyes look exactly alike!"

Riku rolled his eyes at his friend's carefree reply.

"Guess you don't want to be my friends anymore, huh?" Levina asked them.

"Just because your Xehanort's kid doesn't mean we still won't like you." Sora answered her with his trademark cheerful smile.

Levina looked at Sora. "Really?" She asked.

Sora was never one to hold grudges, especially towards his friends. "Absolutely!" He beamed. "Riku feels the same way! Probably even more than I do!" He patted Riku's back. "Isn't that right, Riku?"

Riku lightly flushed at his friend's honest opinion. "Yeah, sure." He said.

"See? We're all still friends!" Sora told Levina draping his arms around them both.

A keyhole suddenly appeared.

"Looks like that's our cue!" Sora raised his keyblade to seal the keyhole away. Riku and Levina soon joined their friend in sealing the keyhole.

"Guess that does it for this world." Sora smiled.

"Yeah we've only got one world left to find." Riku added.

"S…Sora! Riku!" Levina shouted as a dark corridor appeared underneath her feet.

"Levina!" Riku dashed towards Levina to help her but was suddenly being sucked into another dark corridor.

"Riku!" Sora tried reaching out to his friend to help him, but like Riku and Levina he was also being pulled into a dark corridor. Darkness had engulfed all three keyblade wielders. This was no longer the Mark of Mastery exam they had ended to finish.

"Gawrsh looks like things are back to normal." Goofy said looking down at Levina.

"That still begs the question as to why Xehanort wanted to meddle with his own affairs in the past…," Yen Sid mused and then looked down at Levina. The old wizard sighed. "I'm afraid I've been keeping something vital about Levina to you all."

"What?" Donald asked.

"Some how I always had a feeling," Mickey spoke as he looked down at Levina. "That she was really Master Xehanort's daughter." The king said breaking the news to everyone.

"WHAT?!" Everyone besides Yen Sid exclaimed.

Lira was not in any mood for this. She grabbed Mickey the scruff of his neck. "How long have you been keeping this from us you mangey little rat!" She shouted to him.

"L…Lira it wasn't my place to tell any of you!" Mickey told the enraged woman. "That's why I had to find you. It was to protect Levina."

"But your majesty, don't ya think it would have been better to tell us?" Goofy asked.

"If I did, would you and Donald have gone with me to find Lira?" Mickey asked.

Donald shook his head and Goofy remained silent since they knew what Xehanort was capable of and to protect his daughter would have been ridiculous at the time when their mission first began years ago.

Lira scowled dropping Mickey to the ground. "What other secrets have you been keeping from us!?" She demanded to know.

"Enough." Yen Sid urged them. "We must make haste in order to stop Xehanort from tampering with this exam."

"Well you can count me in!" Lea said. "I've been waiting for a chance to fight again!"

Yen Sid looked at Lea. "Yes, you have shown promise to wield the keyblade just as Sora, Riku, and Levina have." The old wizard gave a nod of approval. "Seek Merlin and the three good fairies. They will aid you in your quest."

"Oh no! You are not separating us!" Lira said.

"I thought you didn't care." Lea teased.

Lira huffed. "I don't…I just don't want to see you get killed, so I'm going with you." She told him with a faint grin on her face.

Lea smiled taking her hand as he opened a corridor of darkness to Radiant Garden.

"Good luck!" Donald said.

"Yeah, a h'yuck train hard!" Goofy told him.

As Lira and Lea left, Mickey looked at Yen Sid. "Master Yen Sid…," He said slowly. "Gosh, do you think he'll be able to do it?"

Yen Sid stroked his beard. "It is clear you cannot teach a cat to bark, but Merlin and three good fairies will be aiding him in a place that's more temporarily flexible and he does have Lira by his side. My hope is that he can at least learn to wield it. He certainly does have fire, so I suppose it depends on how strongly it burns."

"Right…," Mickey agreed and then looked at the sleeping forms of Sora, Riku, and Levina. "But what about Sora, Riku, and Levina?"

Yen Sid let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, if we are on the assumption that Xehanort knew what we were planning all along from the day the Destiny Islands fell into darkness. He would have to have been there. Other wise our three keyblade wielders would have been beyond his reach and he wouldn't have sent them so far back in time to the days of his training under my tutelage."

"Gee, do you really think Xehanort could have planned all this so far in advance?" Mickey asked.

"Xehanort is and always has been a devious tactician." Yen Sid told the tiny king.

Goofy pondered Yen Sid's words and then asked something very vital, "But what if he did the same thing that Sora, Riku, and Levina did and he jumped through time?"

"For that to work, a version of himself would have had to exist in both source and destination. Not even Xehanort could transport his entire body across vast reaches of time."

"But Xehanort did give up his body!" Mickey replied in urgency. "There was a version of him that was still possessing Riku!"

To those words, Yen Sid could only drop his jaw in realization to what Master Xehanort was truly planning.

"Master Yen Sid, are you alright?" Hilo asked. The new student of Yen Sid was clearly confused by all this, but he knew things weren't going according to their plans anymore.

Mickey saw the concerned look on the aging wizard's face. "Master Yen Sid, if its alright with you I'm going to help Sora, Riku, and Levina! If Xehanort really is behind all this then they won't stay in the dream worlds forever. Eventually they'll reappear in a place where we can reach them! May your heart be your guiding key!" These words were once said by the Foretellers.

Yen Sid heard Mickey's plea and gave him a wishful nod of encouragement. "All of you go an entrust your heart to show you the way."

So, how did you enjoy this Star Wars plotline reveal. No, this was not out of the blue. I always had an intention to make Levina, Xehanort's kid and I wanted it to be revealed in this story.

If you really think about it, in my opinion from learning things in Kingdom Hearts X and Back Cover, at this point I don't even think Xehanort is really Xehanort.

Also, I am definitely skipping the Fantasia world, as fun as that world is in the game, its not really plot worthy for this story. So, the next world will be The World that Never Was where more nonsense happens.

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