Hello again Wielders! We are back with a new chapter. Still in Destiny Islands, and we'll see how well Tenebrae interacts with the Islanders. Anyway, on with the chapter.

Lunch with the Destiny Island teens was an interesting occurrence. Tenebrae enjoyed the food. But it was the interactions between the teens that had Tenebrae slightly worried. While Kairi and Selphie were behaved and just giggled, Tidus and Wakka were rambunctious and playing with their food. Somehow, they were more chaotic than the Light Protectors.

After lunch, Tidus and Wakka took off for the obstacle course. They invited Tenebrae, but the Seeker chose not to. Instead, he, Kairi, and Selphie were on the wooden deck, enjoying the sun. Tenebrae sat against the railings as the two girls were sitting against the wooden wall.

Tenebrae had his senses open as he pretended to rest. His senses homed in on Kairi's Light. He also gelt a strong presence, like a Heart. Of course, he also felt the Darkness of the Heartless. The Darkness was sparse and spread out, being mostly on the mainland.

He was worried about Kairi's Light. Like the other Princesses, it was stronger than any others in this World. But unlike the other Princesses, her Light felt different. It felt hollow, like she was missing a part of herself. It made little sense to the Seeker.

'Shaylex had said Kairi had lost her heart,' Tenebrae thought 'And when someone loses their heart, they become a Heartless. And by that process, a Nobody is created as well. But the heart needs to have Darkness for a Heartless to be created. But Kairi has no Darkness.'

He opened one eye to look at Kairi. 'But I'm more interested in her lack of a Nobody. Aside from Shaylex, I haven't met many. And even after all the time I spent with Shaylex, I haven't learned about them.'

Tenebrae stood up and stretched. "I'm going to head somewhere," he said to the girls, "There is something I need to do really quick. I won't be long."

Both girls nodded as he walked away. He walked along the bridge, then along the sandy path. He took the path to the cave he teleported into.

Tenebrae entered the cave and looked around. He looked at all he drawings. Many had no meaning to him, but they impressed him. He then walked close to the door in the back of the cave. The Seeker inspected the door, by placing a hand on it.

'This is the door to the World's Heart,' Tenebrae thought, as he rubbed his hand along the door. He could have sworn he felt a heartbeat. 'But it is not my place to try and seal it. A denizen of this World should. And there is at least one Wielder from here, two if Shaylex decides to return.'

"Tenebrae?" he heard Kairi's voice call from the caves entrance.

The Seeker turned to see the Princess of Heart walk in. She was running a hand along the wall of carvings. Kairi had a smile as she seemed to be remembering the past. When she got to one carving, she seemed to get sad.

Tenebrae walked up to Kairi. He looked at the carving she was. It was the picture of the young boy and girl feeding each other stars. Looking at it more, the girl almost looked like Kairi. The boy was unfamiliar, but Tenebrae would recognize hair like that.

"The boy I can't remember," Kairi said, "He and I drew these. Before we left the island, he must have drawn the paopu fruit star for mine. When I came back to the islands, I finished the picture. At the time, I remembered his face and name. But right now, it's all hazy."

"Hazy?" Tenebrae asked.

Kairi nodded. "One night, I just forgot. When I came back and saw this picture, I asked the others about it. They didn't remember the boy in this picture either."

"And what of your other friends?" Tenebrae asked. "Riku and Ashley, I believe? Do they remember him?"

Kairi put a hand on the carving and sighed. "I haven't seen either of them since I came back to the islands. I don't know where they are, so I can't ask them. But I'm hoping they are okay. I need to see them again."

"Just be careful about wishing for something like that," Tenebrae said with a sigh.

His Light pulsed, tightening in his chest. He gripped his chest and tried to steady his breathing. It was starting to get annoying.

"Why do you say that?" Kairi asked, turning to look at him.

"People change," he answered, looking to the mouth of the cave. "Whether for better or for worse. Sometimes they are unrecognizable, other times, they think you are. But no matter what, they are never the person you remember."

Tenebrae let his thoughts wander to Daybreak Town. He remembered how he perceived Keval, comparing him to the Keval he knew now. He remembered Laci, comparing her to Alicx. Even Shaylex, though they had been friends a short time, they both had changed from their initial meeting.

"Then I just have to hope," Kairi said. When Tenebrae looked at her confused, she continued, "Even if they become different people, they are still them. I want to believe that deep down, they remember who they were. I hope they remember who I was. Because deep down, we don't really change."

"If that's what you think," Tenebrae said with a sigh. "But I can tell from experience, some people never stay who they were."

"I like to think that no matter what," Kairi said with a smile, "My friends are looking up at the sky. I hope that they are thinking of me as they do. After all, no matter where we look, we always see the sky. There is only one sky."

Tenebrae looked to Kairi, impressed with her outlook. He noticed her Light strengthen. Even if it was hollow, she was a shining beacon for this World. It looked like few things could truly bring down her mood. Tenebrae couldn't help the smile that graced his lips.

"You are much stronger than I," Tenebrae said. "I guess I have a bit to learn from you. If anything, I spent so much time alone, that I never truly had friends to interact with."

"Do you have some now?" Kairi asked.

"I do. And I'm happier now that they are in my life."

"That's good," Kairi said standing up straight. "I hope you can get back to them soon. I'm sure they missed you."

Tenebrae thought about the Light Protectors. He remembered the last event that happened with them before he left. No, before he ran away again. Even though he didn't deserve it, he did hope they wanted to see him. He had hoped they still wanted him to be part of their party.

"I would be extremely happy if they do," he said, leaving the cave.

Kairi wasn't too far behind him. The two of them walked down the path and onto the beach. Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were al there, chatting away. When the trio saw them, they all started to talk.

Tenebrae mentioned Selphie's challenge to the two boys. When he offered to face them, all three grabbed their "weapons". Tidus had his pole. Wakka grabbed his Blitzball. Selphie's weapon of choice was a jump rope. Kairi stood a distance away and acted as referee.

Tenebrae was given a wooden sword and rolled his shoulders to stretch. "Alright! Let's see how well I stack up to your friend!" -

Over the next few days, Tenebrae did his best to enjoy himself. After his victory against the trio, they all enjoyed the afternoon together. They enjoyed a small snack and sat under the trees on the islet. They all watched the sunset as they chatted.

Tenebrae chose to spend the night wandering around the island. There were Heartless around, but they were small fry and easily defeated. Nothing else seemed to change about the island after sunset. Tenebrae had chosen to sleep in the cave that night.

The next morning, he gathered some coconuts to eat as breakfast. It wasn't long before the teens all came back. He spent the day with them, training, running the obstacle course, and just overall chatting. He genuinely enjoyed himself.

This was how he spent the next couple of days. Training, running the course, and chatting with the teens during the day. Quelling the Heartless and patrolling at night. He didn't need anything else.

On the fourth day, Tenebrae stretched and grabbed some coconuts for breakfast. He waited on the beach as he saw the teens approach on their boats. When they disembarked and got on the pier, Tenebrae sensed a seriousness from them.

'This is going to be very bad or very stupid,' Tenebrae thought. 'And they are young, so they may think it to be a concern.'

"Good morning," Tenebrae said as the four Islanders approached.

"Hey dude," Tidus said, looking nervous. "Glad to see you awake."

"Yeah, cuz we got somethin we need to tell ya," Wakka added.

"Oh?" Tenebrae asked, "And what is that?"

"Well, the four of us are going to be starting school soon," Selphie answered. "So today is the last day we are going to come by this island. We have to prepare and junk."

"We wanted to let you know, so you didn't worry," Kairi said. "We weren't sure what you had planned to do."

"Is that all?" Tenebrae smiled and put a hand on his hip. "That's good for you all. Education is important. As for a plan, I guess I'll work on finding a way home. I recovered enough after my shipwreck, and thanks to all of you, I've gotten a bit stronger."

The four teens all smiled. They seemed relieved at his statement. They all started laughing, which caused Tenebrae to join in. Any tension from before seemed nonexistent now.

The small group went about the day just like the last few. Tenebrae trained with the Islanders. He ran the obstacle course against Tidus and Wakka. After a small lunch, the group sat on the beach talking. Tenebrae could say he enjoyed the time he spent on Destiny Islands.

'It's a good thing they won't be back here for a while,' Tenebrae thought. 'I can just open a portal to the next World. And I won't have to explain myself.'

He looked over to Kairi. 'I hope that her Light will be enough. The Heartless aren't that powerful here. And so long as no one comes to this island, it should be fine.'

When the sun started to set, the Islanders all said their goodbyes. Kairi stayed back as the other boarded their boats. Tenebrae was sitting on the wooden deck, just watching them.

Kairi approached him. She seemed nervous but happy. "I hope you and your friends see each other again soon. You sounded upset when we spoke in the Secret Place. But you seemed to be fond of your friends."

Tenebrae closed his eyes and smiled. "I am. They have helped me through a lot. I have a lot to do to make sure they still see me as a friend. But they are very amazing."

Kairi nodded and smiled back. "Well, come back to the Islands whenever you get a chance. You should also bring your friends, so you all can enjoy the beach."

Tenebrae nodded. "It would be nice. I don't plan on forgetting this experience. I hope you find your friends soon."

Kairi started to walk away, waving. "No matter what, I plan to wait for them. I'll see them again."

Tenebrae could only smile as Kairi left. He watched the Princess of Heart and the Islanders depart. He sighed as he realized this may be the last time he saw them. Though a small part of him hoped to see them again.

'Hope.' Tenebrae thought as the teens rowed out of sight. He turned and headed to the cave. 'I guess I know which positive trait Kairi represents. To think, she is such a caring person, even to someone she doesn't remember. And her hope in finding that person, it puts my own hope to shame.'

Tenebrae entered the cave, the "Secret Place" as Kairi called it. 'Kairi has hope. Cinderella was brave. Snow White was self-sacrificing. Belle showed great compassion. I always thought the Light was a weapon against the Darkness. But these women, these Princesses, they showed me it could be much more. I should find the other Princesses, and maybe I'll finally have my answers.'

Tenebrae opened a portal. 'But first, I think it's time I head home. I've been gone for a couple of weeks. If anything, I'll be going to resign from the Light Protectors.' Taking a breath, Tenebrae stepped through the portal.

Tenebrae exited his portal. He had a feeling of nostalgia as his shoes hit the stone of the tunnels in Twilight Town. Even if it was for a short time, he felt like he had been gone for much longer. He ran his hand along the walls of the tunnel as he headed into the Shopping District.

As he exited the tunnels, Tenebrae couldn't help but smile at the noise. Before, the sounds of the Shopping District were irritating. But now, Tenebrae could hear happy conversations and people enjoying themselves. Tenebrae walked through the District, before going to grab something to snack on.

'It feels like it's late in the day,' Tenebrae thought, 'Everyone seems to be in good moods. And I see a lot of people seem to be enjoying a reprieve after a hard day's work.'

Tenebrae ordered a meat skewer from a nearby stall. After he paid, he walked through the District. He took his first bite and relished in the taste. He finished the skewer quickly and immediately regretted it.

'No more stalling,' he thought, 'I need to get this over with. I need to see them and see what happens. No turning back.'

Tenebrae walked to the apartment complex. With each step he took, Tenebrae grew more nervous. As much as he had to do it, he didn't really want to face them. He was willing to accept any punishment. Though he wasn't sure if he could face Mojie or Ray. He knew he had to apologize, regardless of how nervous he felt.

Tenebrae made it to the Light Protectors apartment. He felt his hands shake as he lifted one. Nervously, he knocked on the door. Time seemed to stretch as he waited for an answer.

After what felt like an eternity, though it was only a minute or two, Mojie opened the door. She looked at him and jumped back in shock. Tenebrae could have sworn he saw relief in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Tenebrae!?" she said in surprise.

Before Tenebrae could respond, he felt a spike of mana. He then felt what could only be described as a human lightning bolt. Keval charged into the Seeker, enveloping Tenebrae in a bear hug. Tenebrae wasn't sure if the air left his lungs on impact or from the pressure.

"You're alive!" Keval said happily. "You're okay!"

Tenebrae had enough sense to see the other Light Protectors gather around the door. Each had different levels of relief on their faces. Tenebrae could see that even Ray and Mojie seemed happy to see him.

His senses were growing dark as he patted Keval's back. His patting became more frantic as his consciousness started to fade. Keval must have misinterpreted and hugged him tighter.

"Keval!" Mojie gasped, "He's turning blue! He needs air!"

Keval let go of Tenebrae and held him at arm's length. Tenebrae took in a few gulps of air as he regained his senses. The other Protectors laughed as Keval had an embarrassed smile. Surprisingly, even the near-death experience didn't change Tenebrae's surprise.

"Keval?" Tenebrae coughed as he looked at his Union mate. "Why did you hug me? Aren't you all mad at me?"

"I wouldn't say we were mad," Rylan said with a chuckle. "But we did get worried."

Solas yawned. "When you didn't show back up, Keval just said not to worry."

"But after a week," Mojie spoke next, "Keval started to worry. He thought something happened. Ray and I felt a little guilty."

"But now you are back," Ray said, looking away embarrassed, "So, sorry for how I acted."

"We're just glad you're okay, bro," Keval said. He had the most caring smile Tenebrae ever saw on the Lightning User. "I couldn't bear something happening to a friend. Especially after the War, I refuse to lose another friend."

'A friend…' Tenebrae thought in surprise.

"Don't worry," Tenebrae sad with a smirk, "I've been through too much to die. But I do have a few stories." -

After Tenebrae and the Light Protectors settled in, he recounted the last couple of weeks. He told them about each World he visited and what he did while he was there. He tried to downplay all the times he lost and got hurt, but the Protectors weren't fooled. He completely omitted Alicx's appearance, they didn't need to know Laci's fate. When he finished recounting everything, the others seemed impressed.

"Well, that was an interesting adventure," Keval said after he finished. "But why go on it in the first place?"

"I've studied Darkness and was surrounded by it for years," Tenebrae answered. "I needed to learn about Light from the source. And, according to my studies, these Princesses are the closest thing. I have learned a bit from each of them, but there are a few more I need to meet."

"Sounds like a lot of work," Solas yawned.

"It may be," Tenebrae said, "But it is necessary for my studies."

"It's nice to know that the Princesses are all nice," Mojie said with a smile. "And they all sound so strong."

"Well, strong in the sense of mentality," Rylan said with a chuckle. "But at least we know the Light is in some strong individuals."

"What about you dude?" Keval asked. "Are you really going to look for the other three Princesses?"

"I'm doing this for research," Tenebrae answered, "I don't intend to interact with them directly. I just need to see what their Light represents."

"Do you know how creepy that sounds?" Ray was laughing as he spoke. "I mean, you sound like a stalker or something."

Tenebrae was about to say something, but Ray had a point. The way he worded his goal did sound stalkerish. That was the last thing he needed.

He blushed out of embarrassment. He shook his head, "Okay, yeah, I'm going to find a different way to phrase that. But still, I need to meet the other Princesses."

"Well, if you need any help," Keval said, standing and hitting his chest, "You know you can count on us. We are the Light Protectors, after all."

Tenebrae smiled and yawned. "I know. But luckily, the Worlds aren't in danger to require such protection. And I don't intend to leave anytime soon."

"What do you mean?" Rylan asked.

"I was hoping you guys would let me stay here again," Tenebrae said, a bit nervous, "Jumping between worlds took a bit out of me. And after all those battles, I need to rest mentally."

Keval walked up to and put an arm around Tenebrae. "You don't need to ask, dude! Of course, you can stay. Like I said before, we gotta stay together."

"But after what happened with Mojie?"

"It'll take some time," the girl herself said, "But you did regret what you did. I felt bad that you didn't come back. But me and Ray forgive you, right?"

The masked boy seemed defiant. "If he's here, I get more chances to get him back. I see no problem."

Tenebrae had a genuine smile. "Thank you, both of you. I'm… I'm glad you all don't hate me."

The Light Protectors did their best to reassure the Seeker. After a bit of light conversation, they had dinner. It was Keval's turn to cook, and Tenebrae did his best to be objective. He had to admit, Keval was a great cook.

After dinner, everyone decided to settle in for the night. Tenebrae was glad Keval still had his toiletries and spare clothes. Tenebrae washed up and relished in the feeling of a good shower.

When he finished up, he dressed in his sleep clothes and went to rest on the couch. Even something as simple as that was a luxury. Tenebrae settled in as he lulled himself to sleep. -

Tenebrae woke up the next morning to Keval leaving early. There were things that he forgot, so he jumped when the door closed. He sat up groggily, yawning.

'Oh right, Keval is an early riser,' he thought. He stretched his muscles. 'No point in trying to get back to sleep. Today is serving as a rest day anyway.'

Tenebrae sat on the couch as he waited for the others to wake up. Rylan was the first one out, which meant he was cooking today. Keval made it back with groceries that Rylan used.

The other Unicornus sat next to Tenebrae and let out a relaxing sigh. "So, any plans today?"

"None," Tenebrae answered, "To be honest, I had winged it when I left. I chose to return out of necessity. I learned my lesson overworking myself."

"Well, that's good," Keval said. He looked over where the rooms were. "Looks like the others are getting up. Today is our normal rest day anyway, so most of us will be here doing whatever."

"That's fine," Tenebrae said. "I may walk around to stretch my legs, but that's about it."

"Cool! You know, we should play a game."

"Sure, but after we eat."

"Deal!" Keval had a grin on his face.

Ray sat on the other side of Keval. Mojie sat on the lounge chair. Both had a look of surprise on their faces.

"Oh, this will be good," The young Vulpeus said.

Before Tenebrae could ask, Rylan called everyone to the table, because breakfast was ready. The Light Protectors and the Seeker sat around the and had breakfast. There was light conversation as everyone enjoyed themselves.

After breakfast, Tenebrae got dressed in his mission clothes and left the apartment. He told the others he was going for a walk. He did want to clear his head. Tenebrae also felt it was a good idea to check to see how much had changed around. He promised to come back in a bit so they could play the game.

Tenebrae walked through town. He caught a glimpse of Cetus selling her flowers to an older woman. He saw others hanging around. There was also an array of scents from different foods.

As Tenebrae was walking, he saw a figure off in the alley. They wore the coat of the Organization. When they noticed him, they waved and pointed deeper into the alley. The figure turned and walked out of sight.

Tenebrae made to follow the Organization member. It if was Xigbar, he knew to be prepared. He doubted it was Alicx, she made it clear she'd rather ignore him. He knew Shyalex was on an extended mission. That only left the fire user and the lazy water user he met.

In the back alley, Tenebrae looked around for the familiar coat. He saw it down the hill, it's owner waving at him. Tenebrae approached cautiously, mentally ready to summon his Keyblade.

The Organization member removed their hood. Tenebrae had to hold back a groan when he saw the blond hair of Demyx. The water Nobody had a look of relief on his face.

Hey! You're okay," Demyx said.

"Yes, I am," Tenebrae said with a raised eyebrow. "I as unaware the Organization was concerned about me. Considering the only member I'm on good terms with is Shaylex. The rest of you are just her allies to me."

"Well, yeah, that's true," Demyx said, scratching the back of his head. "But well, I don't know how we you will view us after I tell you…"

"Tell me?" Tenebrae was confused. "Tell me what?"

"About the mission Shaylex was on." Demyx seemed ready to run. "We received some reports that don't seem promising. So, she may never come back. I was told to tell you."

Tenebrae was frozen in place. That… No, that was a lie. Shaylex shouldn't have been sent on a suicide mission. This had to have been a trick.

"Tell me you're lying," Tenebrae growled, clenching his fists. "Tell me this is a joke."

Demyx took a step back, he was waving his hands defensively. "I'm just the messenger. I don't know everything myself. All I can say is that something went down where she was. She may not come back."

Tenebrae lowered his head and tried to steady his breathing. He was WRONG! THEY were wrong! Shaylex wouldn't perish on a simple research mission. She was too strong, even if it was against an unknown enemy. He had to believe she would come back.

Tenebrae looked up and into Demyx's eyes. Besides the shock from being glared at, Demyx's eyes were honest. The water Nobody probably had no idea what kind of mission Shaylex was on. Any anger the Seeker felt was misplaced.

"Alright," Tenebrae said, turning away. "Thank you for the information."

Without waiting for a response, Tenebrae left. He walked back to the Shopping District. His head was swimming with various thoughts as he walked to the apartment complex. The sounds around him were muted as he made it back to the Light Protectors' apartment.

The Protectors were all smiles when he opened the door. Their smiles quickly left as the Seeker started to tear up. He couldn't hold back and broke down crying in the doorway. Th others quickly helped him inside and set him down. But the Seeker couldn't help the pain he felt. -

Well, that took a turn for the worse. Doing so well and then had his heart ripped. For those who read Shaylex_Cosplay's story, shhh no spoiling. Let's hope things get better.
Until Next time, May your Heart be your guiding Key.