Kingdom Hearts: Darker Dream Distance

by ShadowDragon94

Trials are part of life, and in knowing that one must choose which path to take, whom their allies are, and ultimately whether it is their actions, or their voice that truly speaks louder. When Darkness, and light cross paths, one must choose when to step aside, or when to take up their weapon, and fight. {Story #5 in The World Tree Series}

25. Chapter 25: Twilight

Chapter 25: Twilight

{Disney Castle: April 19th 2013, 9:00am}

Riku,

I apologize for not talking to you about this in person, but I didn't want Sora to overhear this. Sora is suffering from a lot of emotional and mental pain from these events that have happened. As you know, all of you elected not to tell us the full story yet; therefore, I can only rely upon you and Kairi for his moral support until he recovers from this. Post-traumatic stress will never go away; it can't be cured, not completely, but it can be maintained to where he can cope and be like he used to be, for the most part. Sora can't heal from this alone, and he will change.

His personality won't be the same, and he will become a lot more hostile at some points, and he may also become easily agitated by something that triggers a memory from that battle. I need you to help him; Riku, you were there for the entire ordeal, as were the others that reside within Disney Castle – because of that, I am putting all my faith in you and the others to help him recover.

Sora is strong, Riku, but he isn't strong enough to face this alone. Please, help him; this will change him, but it doesn't have to destroy him. Thank you, Kairi, the King, and the others for all of yours and their help; I don't believe Sora could have pulled through without all of you. I can never repay that debt, so just take care of him for me, alright, Riku? I'm counting on you, and everyone else.

Sincerely,

Himitsu.

Riku had read the letter at least six times since he'd opened it the night before. He knew Himitsu was right; without question, Sora did have those symptoms, and he would need time to recover; however, right then, they had other issues to handle that would take time. Taking in a deep breath, Riku walked from his room, hiding the letter in a drawer, tucked under a few journals he'd kept to recount the information that had been gathered since the start of the entire ordeal. Today, both he and Sora would be receiving their Mastery Marks, but they weren't informed of how that was to be done. Personally, Riku had suspected there was a sort of ceremony that took place; however, seeing as he had never witnessed it, the soon-to-be seventeen-year-old could only assume that it was safely kept away with the current presiding Master.

Heading down the hallway, he heard a few comments coming from Sora's room that were definitely Kairi's voice. The girl sounded worried, and that, in turn, concerned him as he walked towards the doorway, and slowly entered the room. Sora was rested against the space in the corner of the room nearest the window, taking in what seemed to be ragged breaths. His complexion was nearly white and his hair askew, more so than normal. Riku stepped forward, looking to Kairi, who was nearest to the boy, as he took in faintly shallow breaths to ease himself down.

"Is he okay?" Riku asked.

"He said he felt a bit dizzy, but..." Sora glanced to Riku as the boy slowly stood.

"Sorry...I just felt a bit shaky, is all..." Riku eyed him.

"Your body is still stressed, are you going to be okay?" he smiled a bit weakly.

"I'll survive. I just need more time to heal," he replied with a tired look in his eyes.

"Okay, if you say so."

Riku knew something was wrong, and as he watched the boy take Kairi's hand, he knew it was more than just exhaustion or faint nervousness – this was one of those symptoms that Himitsu had mentioned in her letter. In knowing that, Riku decided he needed to inform Kairi, so that the girl could help Sora ease down a bit, stress-wise. The girl seemed to have a soothing affect upon him, but why, he couldn't exactly figure out. The trio made their way down the staircase and towards the main hall, where Master Yen Sid would greet them for them to receive their Mastery Marks. Sora seemed to be feeling better by the time they arrived, and Riku decided that, once this was over, they would all need to continue resting, and recover more strength before attempting to do magic, or use their Keyblades.

The Dream Drop had taken a toll on all of them, but Sora was suffering the most from it. While the others had faint pains or wounds, Sora was having to handle the emotional and mental toll that the entire battle had taken on him. His heart was shattered, and his mind followed, his body died directly out from under him, his entire being in pain, and confused. Sora had fought alongside them, he'd battled it out with the best of them; however, he still had suffered, and paid a heavy price. It was as they prepared to take this next step forward that Riku knew they would have to leave much of their past lives behind and accept their roles as Keyblade Masters. Sora was prepared to do that, despite his emotional scars and physical wounds. Riku smiled as Sora gave Kairi a quick kiss on the cheek before the others arrived, and then the two of them stood side by side as Kairi joined King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Queen Minnie, and Daisy on the sidelines. Master Yen Sid now stood before them, his stern, dark-brown eyes looking them over.

"The two of you seem a bit livelier than the last time I saw you," he stated.

"We're still in need of recovery time, but we are getting a bit better." the wizard looked to Sora, and then to Riku.

"Very good. I hope that, in time, the three of you will be capable of facing the new obstacles that may come to stand in your way?" Master Yen Sid questioned.

"We will; it just takes time...and time heals all wounds...that's all we need." the wizard smiled.

"Naturally; now, for the last portion of your steps to becoming recognized as Masters," Master Yen Sid stated.

"Yes, Master Yen Sid."

"The Mark of Mastery is more than a mere examination. The Mark is a physical mark that you will carry on your body. Because of the traditions of becoming a Keyblade Master, you must be willing to accept this; the task of taking the Mark on physically can be quite painful, and while I would normally wait for your bodies to fully heal, I cannot do so, as I would break a tradition that must always be upheld. Now, please, Riku, Sora, will you come with me? I will take care of this swiftly, so to avoid any delays in your recovery," the wizard said in a calm tone as he led the two boys into a room that had been set up by King Mickey and Oswald.

Riku and Sora followed the aged wizard into the room, and the door slammed shut behind them. Cyan eyes looked around the room, where a simple basin of water and a white wand-like object laid on a stone table. Master Yen Sid approached the two objects and applied a small amount of his magic into the basin of water, before taking the wand. There were two pieces of paper laid between the two objects that had drawings of some kind upon them that had both boys slightly confused. However, their confusion was short-lived, as Master Yen Sid ushered them over and touched the surface of the water with the wand, before removing it and casting it over the two pieces of paper, where the drawings lifted from the pages, and the two of them looked at the scene of the two marks.

One was black and white, with an outline of a crown at the top of a heart that had inward facing curls at the top that outlined a keyhole. The bottom of the heart dropped down into an inversion of the crown atop the heart, and was black. The wizard instructed Riku to stand before this one, and to remove his shirt. Riku did so, as Sora looked at the other mark floating mid-air. It was a heart as well, with tribal-looking angel wings stretching out, with a golden crown atop the heart. It was simple, and yet, he knew it had somehow been designed with him in mind. Riku's befit him as well; however, the crown shapes did somewhat confuse him.

Nonetheless, Master Yen Sid took the Mark of Mastery, and looked to Riku before telling him to turn so his back was facing him. Riku did as asked, and the wizard eyed the areas where Riku had several bandages and gauze present, with bruises muddling the mix, as the wizard eyed another mark that was at the left of his body, at his shoulder. Taking that into account, Master Yen Sid raised the wand, and pointed it to his opposite shoulder, where the Mark moved from the air to the clear area that only bore a few slight bruises. A cool sensation settled over Riku's skin, and then the Mark touched Riku's skin, and the silver-haired teen tensed in pain as his breath caught and his legs buckled.

Without question, the pain was nearly unbearable, and took the air clean from his lungs as he did his best to brace himself. Sora moved forward and grabbed Riku's arms as he watched as Riku gritted his teeth against the pain, as the Mark was quite literally seared into his skin via magic. The moment the wand rose, the burning pain stopped, and Riku nearly fell over as Master Yen Sid watched Sora step back in questioning, while Riku tugged his shirt back over his head. The wizard then called Sora forward, and the sixteen-year-old swallowed a bit before following Master Yen Sid's instructions as he removed his shirt, and the wizard eyed the bruises that lined his body, as well as the scar over the area of his heart that, with time, would diminish, but not for several months. It was as Master Yen Sid looked at the boy's form that he took note of the area at his waist, where the Mark would be rather easy to apply, and it would not obstruct his other wounds or cause him anymore pain than the process already would.

"Sora, please, hold still," Master Yen Sid instructed.

Sora took in a steady breath as the Wizard raised the wand, and a sensation that almost felt like cold water running across his skin caught his attention before a sudden, excruciating pain ripped through his stomach and sides as the Mark was applied just near his hip, just at his waist. Sora's legs caved out from under him, and Riku was quick to catch him as the boy closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth, while he did his best to hold in a scream that was pleading to come out.

As the magic began to press into his skin, and carve itself into the shape of the mark, Sora let out a blood curdling, bone chilling scream. His eyes were wide, and his pupils dilated as he began to try and fight the arms holding him still. Riku watched the boy panic, and tears welled in his eyes as the wizard began to finish the process of the spell, and then removed the wand from the area of the Mark. Sora slumped in Riku's grasp, and the silver-haired teen stared on in faint concern as he grabbed the boy's shirt and tugged it back on him, before gathering him back up in his arms.

"He will be fine; his body is still recovering, and his emotional response was to fight back. I am going to prescribe a potion for him to take that will help him get a firm handle on the trauma he's dealing with. Donald will make it for him, and have him drink it twice daily for a month. He will be more recluse, and he will need time after that to heal completely, but it will speed up the process and not leave his nerves permanently afflicted, like they are now," Master Yen Sid stated.

"Thank you..." the wizard nodded.

"It is no problem; now, please, take Sora back to his room, and let him rest. He will need time to recover from the shock that sent him," he said.

"Very well..."

"Oh, and Riku; one more thing, in your room, there is something for you, and Sora, when he awakens, will find something as well. I had Oswald place them there for when you both were ready. Tell Sora that, once he's recovered in the morning, to come and see me; I need to speak with him," Master Yen Sid said in a calm tone.

"Alright, thank you, Master Yen Sid." With that, Riku left. As the door shut behind him, Master Yen Sid took in a heavy breath.

"It seems...we are nearing the end of our allotted time...Soren..."

{The Following Day...}

Faint streams of sunlight bled through the curtains that surrounded the window as a small beam of it slid up a deep blue comforter, and gently brushed against a faintly tanned cheek. Sora slowly opened his eyes and stretched just a bit, as he did his best to get his eyes open. His body ached and made his head throb a bit as he started to sit up and look around the room. Slowly, he got from the bed and walked into the small bathroom, before turning on the sink as he splashed his face, and took in a few steady breaths to get his bearings again.

The area that his Mark of Mastery was now seared into his skin burned, and reminded him of the events of yesterday – which, considering the time they'd gone, and the time he'd woken up, had been nearly twenty-four hours ago – and also made him want to get cleaned up a bit. Sora turned on the shower and took in another deep breath, as he was careful to mind his wounds as he undid the gauze and bandages before getting undressed. The hot water, as soon as it hit his battered body, made him flinch. It hurt, however, it also felt wonderful to let the warmth of the water touch the burning pain from the Mark on his side now.

Sora spent as little time as possible cleaning up and applying a heated wash cloth to the Mark, as it continued to burn with the magic freshly imbued into it. It was as he finished up, dried off, and got dressed again that a sharp pain ripped from the area, and he hissed before nearly clutching at the area. The pain reminded him not to as he took in a series of steady breaths, and then looked to the clock that was settled on the wall. It was nearly eleven; he had taken a lot longer than he'd anticipated, however, his mind was on the pain tearing through his body at that point. Sora took in a steady breath, walked around the bed, and promptly laid back down upon it with a shuddering breath as he looked around the room, before laying eyes on two bottles on the bedside table. There was a note under them that he managed to pull out, without sending the bottles crashing to the floor, as he pulled it to where he could open it without moving too much.

Sora,

These are two potions that Master Yen Sid told me to make for you. After seeing the state you were in once you left the room where you received your Mark of Mastery, I went straight to work on them. The one in the smaller green bottle is a pain reliever, and will make it to where you can deal with the aftershocks of the Marking. The blue bottle is a special potion that will help alleviate the symptoms of traumatic stress. I know you think you don't need it, but please, for our sake's, and your own, take it as directed. I gave you one now, and you will be given another later. Sora, I hope you feel better soon.

Sincerely,

Donald.

Smiling tiredly, Sora sat up with a hiss as he went to reach for the green bottle for the pain first. It was as he did so that another spasm of pain ripped through him, and he toppled out of his bed and onto the floor. The sudden shock caused him to curl in on himself, as the noise alerted both Riku and Kairi. The two of them walked into the room in a steady, yet hurried, fashion, as Sora took in another sharp breath, while Kairi moved to his side and gently reached for him. Riku was staring onward as the boy slowly got himself sat up, and then looked to Kairi with a weary smile on his face, while the girl tried to check him over for wounds.

"I'm okay, promise, Kairi..." she sighed.

"You scared me," she said as she placed a hand to his cheek.

"It's alright, I just slipped off the bed when I was trying to get the potions Donald left." Riku smiled as he walked over and grabbed the green bottle and handed it to Sora.

"Take this, and then take the other one. You need to eat afterwards, and then sleep," he stated as he crouched to Sora's eye level, while the boy took the bottle and opened the cork top, before tilting it backwards to swallow it into gulps. It tasted bitter, but he knew it would help him cope with the pain from his Mark.

"So, what does your Mark of Mastery look like?" Kairi asked with a curious look in her eyes.

"I think I can show you..." he eased himself up some and lifted the hem of his shirt up to show the Mark at his side, near his hip. It was almost level with Sora's birthmark, and to Kairi, reminded her greatly of him.

"That's amazing, Riku showed me his! I can't believe you guys did it! You're officially Keyblade Masters!" she said happily. Sora smiled.

"Yea, we managed to do it, somehow..." Riku laughed.

"Please, I don't want that coming from you! You're the only one who could manage the Thirteen Blades Limit Break," he stated in a teasing tone.

"You could have managed it fine." Riku shook his head.

"Sorry, but I don't have the energy of a Mexican jumping bean," he said. Sora gave him a deadpan look.

"Shock me, say something intelligent." Riku raised his eyebrows, as Sora gave him a snarky smirk.

"Did you eat paint chips when you were a kid?" Sky-blue narrowed.

"You act like arrogance is a virtue..." Kairi gaped at Sora momentarily, as Riku smirked.

"Right now, you look like a before picture," Riku stated. Sora tilted his head.

"A sharp tongue is no indication of a keen mind." Riku narrowed his eyes.

"You little imp! That's it!"

"What's the matter, Riku? The only sad thing is that brains aren't genetic." Riku glared.

"I'm not mean, you're just a sissy," he said. Sora sighed and stood, before looking at the other in the eye.

"People like you are the reason I'm on medication."

"Are you always an obnoxious idiot? Or just when I'm around?" Riku questioned. Sora smirked and put his arms behind his head, his right foot propped to the ball of it.

"Keep talking; someday you'll say something intelligent." Kairi stood and continued to gape at the chestnut-haired teen.

"You get as much action as a nine button on a microwave," Riku snapped. Sora narrowed his eyes.

"You know the drill...leave a message, and I'll ignore it." Kairi felt a faint sense humor lace through her. She hadn't ever really seen the snarky side of Sora like this before.

"If what you don't know can't hurt you, then you're invulnerable," the silver-haired teen stated. Sora rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you check the market place and see if they have a life for sale," Sora said with a calm tone.

"Don't let your mind wander, it's too small to be outside by itself." Sky-blue narrowed.

"Why don't you go outside and play hide-and-go-fuck-yourself, Riku!" the silver-haired teen looked to him in surprise.

"Whoa, I was kidding!" Riku said. Sora stretched a bit.

"I know...so was I..." Kairi shook her head.

"God, you two; I swear, it never changes with you," she said as she started laughing. Sora looked to the girl with a small smile.

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" he received a sweet look from the girl, and Riku rolled his eyes.

"I'll bow out so you two can make out; see you later!" he said as he turned to leave.

"RIKU!" the two shouted in embarrassment.

"That was payback for that jab earlier, and I'll see you two down at lunch." With that, Riku left the room. Kairi looked to Sora and smiled at him.

"I'm not used to hearing you cuss," she said. Sora glanced to the side, scratching his cheek a bit.

"Yea...I got a little carried away." Kairi giggled.

"I've never really seen that side of you before, Sora," she laughed.

"What are you talking about? I've gotten into back and forths with Riku before." She smiled and moved towards him before wrapping her arms around him.

As Kairi did, Sora moved back and felt the bed knock his legs out from under him, as the girl fell atop him with a laugh. Sora felt her laugh reverberate around him, before he returned it as the girl smiled brightly to him, and he looked her over with a sincere smile upon his face.

"Yea, but not like that," she mentioned. Sora rolled his eyes as he sat up, and looked the girl in the eye.

"Well, does it bother you? That I've changed?" Kairi looked him over faintly, before reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair as she smiled, and pulled him closer.

"Hmm...let me think..."

Kairi pulled him into a deep kiss, causing him to go momentarily wide-eyed, before he pulled her closer by wrapping his arms around her waist. To him, Kairi smelt like strawberries and roses. It was a strange scent, but he loved it, and couldn't think of her having a different scent. The Princess of Heart pulled him closer and then placed her hand on his chest, feeling the gentle pounding of his heart. Soon, Kairi pulled back, taking in a few deep breaths alongside him, as he reached up and placed a gentle kiss to her lips once more as he tangled his fingers in her soft dark-red hair. The girl smiled against the kiss before looking to him.

"Kairi?" she giggled.

"I think I like this assertive side of you...but I don't want you to lose your sweet, sensitive side, okay? But...I love you just the way you are," she said as she pressed her forehead to his.

"Thank you, Kairi, and I love you, too.."

"Well, you take that other potion, and I'll see you downstairs, okay?" she said as she got up and looked to him.

"Okay, Kairi, I'll see you soon." With that, the girl kissed him once more before leaving the room.

Sora grabbed the potion bottle off the bedside table and pulled open the cork before swallowing it. As he sat the bottle down, a small gleam of magic appeared and spread into a small spiral of golden-toned magic that slowly turned blue as it formed into a shape, and then landed atop the bedside table with a soft clink. Lying before him was a Keyblade. It was jagged, gleamed like crystal, and had deep royal blue in some areas, while there was a line of pale blue that bled into the teeth that formed a jagged, sharp crescent-moon shape, with a royal blue sphere in the center. It was adorned with amethyst gems that were rough cut, and gold details that led up to the end of the teeth.

The guard was royal blue, and had a gold crown with an amethyst in it as the breach between. The grip was curved, and appeared to be wrapped in satin, almost with an amethyst tone. The last bit he looked at was the Keychain itself, which was golden with an ice-blue crystal crown, adorned with gold and amethyst. Slowly, Sora reached for the Keyblade and picked it up, before feeling the weight. It wasn't extremely heavy, but it wasn't quite light, either. It felt good in his grasp though, and Sora could only smile as he looked at it.

"Wisdom Crystal..."

"So...your name is Wisdom Crystal. Interesting; I guess Master Yen Sid will tell me more..." as he said this, a small piece of paper floated down, with some writing on it.

Sora,

Come see me once you've gotten up and eaten. I need to speak with you about your new Keyblade, and a few other details.

Sincerely,

Master Yen Sid.

"Well, speak of the devil..." Sora sighed a bit, he honestly should have known that Master Yen Sid would want to speak with him, or something of that sort.

{Two Hours Later...}

Master Yen Sid was speaking with King Mickey as he awaited Sora's arrival. The boy was said to be in the dining room, eating with Kairi and Riku, while Donald and Goofy were joining them to stall the boy from arriving while the wizard addressed something to the King. At this point, Master Yen Sid had no second guesses about his choice, as he had seen firsthand the pain Sora was enduring. King Mickey listened to the details and nodded his head, while the wizard continued to inform him of what he wanted done.

"Mickey, I know you wish for Sora to know the truth; however..." King Mickey cut the wizard off.

"He can't know about what happened, he has to heal first." The wizard nodded.

"Yes; now, please, enlighten me about the object you gave Sora on his birthday?" Master Yen Sid stated.

"It was a Drive Form potion. I know he took it because it leaves magical traces on the person for a day or so, before it blends in with the person's own magic." the wizard eyed him.

"What is the name of the most recent one?" he inquired.

"Master Sprite Form..." the wizard nodded.

"I see...what of the others?" King Mickey eyed him slightly.

"Well, Merlin the Blue Wizard gave Sora a Drive Form known as Wisdom Sprite. It's based upon an element, as his is other one."

"Limit Sprite Form is an Air base in element; however, please inform me of the attributes of Wisdom Sprite Form," Master Yen Sid asked.

"Wisdom Form, to my knowledge, is a Water and Ice-based type...and is almost entirely magic related." the wizard nodded.

"Thus far, Sora has the Wisdom Sprite Form, the Limit Sprite Form, and the Master Sprite Form, and now..." Master Yen Sid appeared a red orb in his hand that seemed to move with liquid inside.

"Is that...a..." the wizard nodded.

"Yes, this is a new Drive Form. I believe Sora is old enough to use it now. It was left to him by..."

The door opened faintly with a slight knock, as Sora walked into the room with a slight bow. Master Yen Sid nodded his head to the boy, and he shut the door behind him, while King Mickey remained off to the side to await Master Yen Sid's words to the boy. Master Yen Sid waved his hand for the boy to come to him, and Sora slowly came to the wizard and looked him in the eyes, before smiling as he looked the boy over. He seemed a bit brighter, happier, and better rested, as the wizard looked to the boy with a small smile. King Mickey gave the boy a smile as well. He was thankful that Sora seemed to be taking well to the potion Donald had made him to help him overcome some of the trauma.

"Sora, how are you today?" Master Yen Sid inquired.

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid; I'm well." the boy went to bow, and Master Yen Sid waved his hands.

"No need to bow to me," he said.

"But I..." the wizard shook his head.

"Please, Sora, you are also a Master; there is no need to bow to me, we are equals," Master Yen Sid stated.

"I don't consider myself as equal with you, Master Yen Sid. I haven't had the years you have as a Master, so please, don't consider me an equal to you yet." the wizard appraised the youth before him.

"Yet, you show much wisdom beyond your years, you have pushed your limits, and now have become a Master..." Sora looked down.

"But I..." Master Yen Sid shook his head.

"Sora, in this most recent event you have shown me something rather impressive," he stated.

"What may that be, Master Yen Sid?" the wizard smiled.

"That you have a strong heart, and you are of the most pure valor. Sora, I have something I wish to give you." The wizard held out the red orb, filled with a fire-colored liquid.

"Is that...a Drive potion?" he questioned. Master Yen Sid smiled.

"Yes, and I give this to you in congratulations for, not only achieving your Mark of Mastery, but by also coming back to fight alongside your comrades, despite your afflictions." Sora looked down a bit, scratching the back of his head before looking down.

"I've done nothing special, Master Yen Sid," the boy stated.

"You have, though. Sora, you are most courageous. This is why I have elected to give you this Drive Potion." Sora swallowed a bit thickly before looking to the wizard.

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," he said as he stepped forward.

"There is no thanks needed, my boy. Someone left this with me with a specific instruction to not give it to you until you turned sixteen."

Sora took the orb from Master Yen Sid and looked it over. It was warm, almost hot, to the touch, as he held it in his grasp. The wizard nodded to him, and Sora looked back to him, as the man smiled ever-so-slightly.

"If I may, before I take this...what did you need to tell me about Wisdom Crystal?" Master Yen Sid smiled again.

"It is compatible with your Wisdom Sprite Drive Form, and will trigger it when you summon the Keyblade. It is a fail-safe to allow you to restore magic and channel it better in that form, through a Keyblade that was designed specifically for magical purpose," he stated.

"Oh, I see. Thank you, Master Yen Sid." Sora looked to the orb filled with the fire-colored liquid once more, and then to the King and the wizard once more.

"I suspect you are wondering who gave me this potion to keep for you?" he inquired. Sora nodded.

"I just...wanted to know..." the wizard smiled.

"You will know in good time. Now, drink it, and soon you will be able to use it," he said.

Sora nodded and pulled the silver cap that covered it, before looking at the potion once more. Drive Form potions were quite an interesting and rare thing to come by; and every time Sora had taken one, it had done something strange to his body. His first one had been a gift from Merlin the Blue Wizard, his Wisdom Sprite Drive Form, which had a special elemental attribute that was based upon water and ice. His body had been cool to the touch for several days after consuming the potion, and ironically, the day after he had taken it, he, Donald, and Goofy had ended up in Agrabah, where he was perfectly happy in the heat, while Donald and Goofy had to remain constantly hydrated.

Sora recalled the cool touch of the Wisdom Drive Potion, the faint vibration from the cylinder that held Limit and the faint electric buzz from the orb that had held Master. Now, he took in the heat of the Drive Form Potion from the one Master Yen Sid had given him. Taking in a steady breath, Sora lifted the container up to his lips and began to drink down the potion.

It was hot, not spicy, but burned as it went down, like a very warm liquid would if one drank it too fast. Sora closed his eyes tightly as he continued to drink down the potion. There was a rule to these potions: once you started drinking it, you couldn't stop until it was gone, and no matter how bad it burned or how horrible it tasted, if you stopped, it sapped your magic for a month straight, and in a battle, magic was a life saver. Sora took in a deep gulp of the potion as he felt his skin prickle at how warm the liquid was, as he drained the last of it and sat the red glass orb down, as he took in a ragged breath as the liquid seemed to burn its way through his body.

"Sora, this is the fire of the heart, the flames of courage...this is your Valor Sprite Drive Form," Master Yen Sid stated as the boy felt his legs give way.

"Sora!" King Mickey walked to him, and the boy winced as he took in a few steady breaths.

"I feel like I'm on fire, so it makes sense...this thing's element is Fire, isn't it?" he inquired.

"Yes, and while it is mainly physical, any Fire based magic will be of great use to you, and become stronger than normal. You can control the element, and even cover yourself in it without feeling any effects. This Drive Form has a Keyblade that is very specific to it, and once you activate the Drive for the first time, you can summon the Keyblade whenever you so desire. This Drive Form allows you to use two Keyblades, so long as they are compatible with one another, or can withstand high temperatures." Sora smiled.

"I have two that are just perfect for that," he stated as he slowly stood. Master Yen Sid looked to the boy as his right eye gleamed fire red, and he nodded. If the boy's eye color altered in any form, he knew that the magic had taken to him well, and he wouldn't suffer from any backfires. The only lasting effect would be a higher temperature than normal while his magic was adapting to the new ability.

"Yes; now, rest, and enjoy your time of quiet. You have more than earned it."

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid." the boy almost bowed, but restrained himself as he stepped away from the two and left the room.

"Will he be okay?" asked King Mickey.

"Oh, he will be fine. The magic has already taken to him. Now, there is something I wish to tell you." the King nodded.

"Yes?" the King replied.

"There are some strange things happening in another world, and thus, I believe we should keep an eye on it for now." King Mickey looked down in thought.

"Very well, I will keep tabs on it...however, if I may, Master Yen Sid? Who left that Drive potion for Sora?" King Mickey inquired.

"You know who it is, the only person who could have still managed to find a rare Drive Form Potion would be none other than our troublesome friend." Master Yen Sid gave him a knowing look.

"You mean..." the wizard gave him a kind smile.

"Yes, Soren left him that potion. With a note that said not until he was sixteen, and...just in case he needed more fire." King Mickey smiled slowly at the notion.

"Why am I not surprised..."

"However, we are running out of time...and things will come to light soon," Master Yen Sid stated.

"I suspected as much..." the wizard nodded.

"Then, shall we suspect preparations will be made, just in case?"

"Yes, we will have things put to the side, just to be safe," King Mickey said.

"Good, now, all we must do is await the day it comes..."

{….}

Say it if it's worth saving me.

{…...}

Author's Note: This is the end of Kingdom Hearts: Darker Dream Distance. Thank you for reading, and I will be seeing you in the next story soon! Also, now, I believe I owe you a few details, those details will be covered in a letter that comes before the Timeline. However, I will give you the song I used, and the next title in the story is in the letter.

Song used: Savin' Me by Nickelback.

Look for the letter and the timeline!

See you in the next story!