Her ewe go with the next chapter. We continue on with introducing more of the Light Protectors. Let's see who our lucky ally is...


Tenebrae woke up and stretched. His stomach growled as he stood up. His body was sore, and he knew it was because of his location.

'I really need to find a place to stay.' Tenebrae thought as he walked into the Shopping District. He saw the shops starting to open for the day. 'I also should find a way to check in with Shaylex. I may have been out of the Realm of Darkness a short time. But I'm sure it was a few days here before I left. And I don't think it's easy to get back to that world.'

Tenebrae walked to the food stall and order a quick breakfast. It was nothing more than fruit and bread. His body thanked him, but it didn't feel like enough. 'I'll be fine. I've survived for a long time already.'

Tenebrae walked to the Light Protectors' apartment. He knocked on the door and waited. He heard muffled conversation right before Mojie opened the door.

"Oh, you're here," She said softly, "We were worried when Keval was here alone. But he said not to worry." She opened the door wide for him to enter.

Keval and Rylan were having a bit of heated conversation, it seemed. Tenebrae wasn't sure what about. But it couldn't have been good.

"It's still too early, Ry," Keval said. "Even if there is a group there, it doesn't mean we should go. It's just too dangerous."

"But Hollow Bastion is still a World," Rylan said. "And it has a Keyhole we can seal. Isn't it our job to protect the Light? Checking it could help out."

"That ain't the problem," Keval said. "The problem is all the Heartless that spawned there."

'Hollow Bastion?' Tenebrae thought, 'That was the world Shaylex's friend Sora was. And those people from Traverse Town mentioned it too.'

Tenebrae walked up to the two Wielders. "Mind if I but in? I'm interested in Hollow Bastion as well. I heard from a few sources about it and want to check it out."

"Hey this works out then," Rylan pulled out a sucker and started eating it. "If it's too much for one, we send two. And we can see what's up with the world."

Keval crossed his arms and sighed. "You really like that old place, huh Rylan. But seriously, you guys better be careful."

"You know me," Rylan said heading to the door. "What do you say Tenebrae, up for some exploration?"

Tenebrae nodded and followed Rylan. Rylan summoned his Keyblade. It was futuristic in design. It was comprised of two circle discs, one acting as the guard and the other surrounded by pixels that made the teeth. The blade looked like a black stretched bike of some kind. The Keychain was a blue hollowed out frisbee-looking item.

Rylan opened a portal and the pair walked through. When they exited, it was to an interesting sight. Around them was a rising waterfall, as weird as it was. Many broken platforms lead to what looked to be a castle. Tenebrae recognized the giant Heartless symbol on it. The castle seemed to have a steampunk-esque design.

"So, what's the mission?" Tenebrae needed to distract himself. He wanted nothing more than to research everything around him.

"Wanted to see if the rumor was true," Rylan said, pointing his Keyblade to the castle. "Word is, there was an evil fairy trying to flood the Worlds with Darkness. She was using a special Keyhole, apparently."

"I see." 'How would someone who isn't a Wielder know that? And what good would come about flooding the Realm of Light? So long as the Princesses of Heart are around, that can't happen.'

"Let's go do some recon." Rylan started jumping onto some floating platforms.

Tenebrae followed. Both Wielders jumped from platform to platform, until they reached a staircase. When they stepped to the edge at the top of it, a floating cage appeared. The pair was transported into it and then were taken towards the castle.

"That was weird," Rylan said. "I wonder how they did that?"

'You're not the only one.' Tenebrae thought.

The pair was deposited on a platform of the castle. They were very high up, almost above the clouds. The architecture of the castle seemed to be gothic mixed with a bit of steampunk.

"We gotta stay sharp," Rylan said. "I can cover the rear, if you take point."

"You're the one that wanted to come here," Tenebrae summoned Kingdom Key D. "I'm surprised you don't want to lead."

"Not really my thing. I'm worried about the World. When it comes to combat, I prefer to support my friends." Rylan shrugged.

"Well we aren't friends." Tenebrae began walking towards a pair of double doors. "But it's fine by me. I need to fight a lot of Heartless anyway. Let's go."

They barley made it to the door before Heatless appeared. The breed looked stronger than any Tenebrae fought in this Realm. Tenebrae rushed the swarm as Rylan stayed back.

Tenebrae ran into the swarm and struck. When he noticed some stop moving, he took advantage of it. It took him a bit to realize more was involved. No matter the hits, they didn't disappear. After a few seconds, all the hits accumulated and the Heartless were gone.

Tenebrae also felt a boost to his abilities. He moved faster than he had planned and hit harder than he knew. But he did feel magic surround his body. He thought nothing of it as he cut down the last Heartless outside.

Tenebrae shouldered Kingdom Key D as he looked at Rylan. The other Wielder had a smirk on his face. Tenebrae figured he learned something he wasn't supposed to.

"Is that what you meant by support?" Tenebrae asked. "You could have still fought, and we could have been equals."

"Like I said," Rylan had a new sucker in his mouth. "The frontlines aren't my thing. But I have a good use over time magic, guess to make up over my lack of an affinity."

"It wasn't just time magic was it?" Tenebrae turned to the large door and opened it. "Rylan followed behind him. "You used enhancement magic as well, but not on yourself. You're quite skilled, at hiding your true ability. But I guess that's why you are one of Keval's teammates."

The pair made it into an entrance hall. The architecture was similar on the inside. There was a fountain in between two rounded staircases. Multiple pillars could be seen around the room. Statues were under a second level, and a door was at the top of the stairs.

On entry, more Heartless spawned. Again, Tenebrae and Rylan prepared for battle. Tenebrae felt another surge of magic as he rushed ahead. He met the swarm head on and struck them down. A few were tankier and took a few more hits to defeat. Others were more magic inclined and took proper planning to defeat. When they were dispatched, Tenebrae took a breath and looked at Rylan.

"The Heartless here are stronger than I guessed. I should thank you for the help." Tenebrae tilted his head to Rylan. "But why the interest of this World?"

Rylan spun his Keyblade around. "This is Dual Disc. It's from a World called The Grid. It's a world of technology. And the A.I., Tron, is pretty cool."

Tenebrae raised an eyebrow. Inside he was ecstatic. "A world full of technology, huh? Man, how time flies. However, that doesn't answer my question."

Rylan chuckled. "Was hoping I could redirect it. Keval said you like to research. Thought that would pique your interest. For your question, there is a connection to the Grid in this world. I wanted to make sure it was stable."

"I see," Tenebrae put his hand to his chin, "And with the Darkness pouring out, there is a chance shit has hit the fan."

Rylan chuckled again. "In a manner of speaking, yes. I just want to make sure the link is stable. And you wanted to fight Heartless. So, I say it's a win-win."

Tenebrae shook his head and walked away. "I would have helped anyway. You don't need to try and trick me into helping. Let's go."

Rylan popped in another sucker and followed behind. The pair walked up the stairs and noticed two doors. Tenebrae felt some presences behind the one to their left. They felt familiar.

"Guess we aren't alone," Tenebrae said. "There seem to be others here. Let's go in." Tenebrae pulled on his hood and goggles.

"Why hide?" Rylan looked confused. "It doesn't make much sense to hide your features. Is there a reason?"

"It's because I don't trust people." Tenebrae walked through the door and was met with a bookshelf. "And until I know what a person is like, I hide. If I feel like I can trust them, I'll remove the cover."

"I feel like there is more to it than that," Rylan said, following him. "But I guess you have your reasons."

'It's because I'm still adjusting to so much Light,' Tenebrae thought as he walked.

The bookshelves would have made a maze. But it seemed that someone solved a puzzle and made a path into a library. There was a staircase ascending to another floor. A table and lamp were under it.

Tenebrae noticed two people reading from the bookshelf. Both were people he recognized from Traverse Town. The man with brown hair and the woman with a braid. It was the woman who saw them first.

Tenebrae recognized her voice when she spoke. It was the soothing one from his scouting mission with Shaylex. "Oh, I'm surprised anyone else is here."

The man looked over. He had a look of speculation. And he seemed to tense.

"Hey, there," Rylan said, standing beside Tenebrae. "We are travelers. Didn't mean to intrude."

"What brings you to Hollow Bastion?" The man asked. "And who are you?"

"My name is Rylan. My friend and I are researchers."

"I'm Tenebrae," was all he said. He looked around to sense any other presences. Two more presences were there, one of which was… PURE!?

"Oh, like Master Ansem." The woman seemed pleased. "My name is Aerith. Nice to meet you."

"Leon," the man said. He was looking at Tenebrae with suspicion.

Rylan smiled. "Nice to meet ya. And we are here to study Hollow Bastion. We won't be in the way."

"Little unusual to come here willingly." Leon said crossing his arms. "You can get plenty of research done elsewhere."

"There seems to be more knowledge here then anywhere else." Tenebrae spoke. This man was getting on his nerve. "We are simply here to do some research, and we will leave soon after."

"I don't see a problem," Aerith said. "You're more than welcome. Master Ansem would have been glad to share his research, right Leon?"

Leon huffed and looked away.

"He gets like that," Aerith giggled. She looked up to a balcony and called out. "Yuffie, Belle, we have visitors hoping to do some research."

Tenebrae heard voices call back. One sounded like the young voice from Traverse Town. The other was unfamiliar.

He looked to Rylan. "Want to stay down here while I check upstairs? I'll signal when I'm done."

Rylan pulled out and ate another sucker. "I can do that." He walked back around the corner they came from, out of sight.

Tenebrae ascended the stairs to the next floor. It had less shelves and was easier to navigate. He caught sight of the ravenette he saw in Traverse Town with Leon and Aerith. He also saw a flash of gold behind a bookshelf.

"Heya, I'm Yuffie," the ravenette said. "I ain't much of a researcher. But if you need help, let me know."

"Will do." Tenebrae walked past Yuffie. She didn't have the pure light. But it was close.

Tenebrae rounded the bookshelf and was stunned. Reading a book off the shelf, was a young woman. She was dressed in a golden ball gown, with gold gloves to match. Her hazel eyes were searching for answers in the book she had. Her long brown hair was done nicely and out of her face. And there was an aura a purity about her.

'A Heart devoid of Darkness,' Tenebrae thought, 'Shaylex mentioned Maleficent wanting them. And I can see why. This Light… This LIGHT!'

Without realizing, Tenebrae had summoned his Keyblade and was walking to Belle. Her back was to him and she was too engrossed in her book. Tenebrae raised his weapon above his head.

'All I have to do is get rid of it,' he thought, 'Get rid of the Light.'

He snapped back to reality when he felt a hand grab his wrist. Tenebrae saw Rylan next to him, a smile was on his face.

"I don't see any Heartless around buddy," the other Wielder said, "So, we don't need to be on guard."

Tenebrae dismissed Kingdom Key D, before pulling his arm free. He glared at Rylan before he walked away. He walked to a door that led to more of those lifts, like the one that took them to the entrance. Rylan was close behind.

The pair was silent as they progressed. They went through the lifts, outside the castle and through a maze. They took out any Heartless they encountered. More seeming to appear as they delved deeper inside.

Inside a hall, Rylan finally spoke up. "Is it safe to ask why?"

Tenebrae looked back. "Why what?"

"Why were you ready to strike down that girl, Belle?"

Belle? That was one of the girls that Shaylex had mentioned. That confirmed she was a Princess of Heart then.

"Was that her name?" Tenebrae tried to sound uninterested. "And I wasn't going to strike her. I thought I felt a Heartless and was readying myself."

"Her power was preventing them from getting to that place," Rylan said. Tenebrae had a feeling he had saw through his lie. "She has a heart of Pure Light."

"Good for her." Tenebrae walked ahead.

The pair entered a chamber. Along some pillared walls were coffin looking devices. Three lined each wall, for a total of six. There was a raised platform ahead, with a rounded staircase on each side. The two of them ascended and met with a curious sight.

Many pipes and wires were coming from the walls. A giant Heartless Emblem could be seen where they all connected. The emblem seemed to be pulsing with Darkness, but it was sealed. Tenebrae looked around and noticed another coffin on a ledge above. There also were a few terminals close by.

Rylan walked to one of the terminals and started typing. "Looks like someone was trying to make a Keyhole, like we thought. They succeeded. Explains why the Darkness is strong. But the Keyhole is sealed. So, I'm a little surprised. But my curiosity is sated. The link to The Grid is there, weak but there. I'll figure out how to talk to Tron another time."

"Fine by me," Tenebrae said. "I only came to accompany you. And I got some interesting information for coming here."

"Guess we can head back then," Rylan said. "We should go back to where we came via portal. Something tells me we shouldn't do it here."

"Agreed." Tenebrae followed Rylan out.

The pair made a stop at the library to say goodbye. They then navigated back out and to the rising waterfalls.

Rylan opened a portal and the two left the World. They appeared back in the complex, where Tenebrae took off his hood and goggles. Rylan opened the door and walked inside, with Tenebrae behind him.

Keval and Solas were playing a game. Ray was passed out on another couch. Mojie was the only one unaccounted for.

"Hey! Welcome back! Gotcha!" Keval cheered as he won the game. "Who's the man!"

"Lucky strike," Solas said with a smile.

"Well, we survived," Rylan said, laughing at the antics. "And I found what I needed. I will admit, Tenebrae can hold his own. And it seems someone took care of the major threat."

"Really?" Keval looked only slightly surprised. "Guess we'll need to invite them to join us."

"And what of your worry?" Tenbrae asked. "Of the large Keyhole there?"

Keval looked a bit bashful. "Honestly, we knew Hollow Bastion was being overrun with Darkness, because of it."

"I see," Tenebrae looked away as he thought about it.

"You're welcome to stay for dinner," Rylan offered. "I think it's Solas' turn."

"Really!?" Solas jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchenette. Rylan and Keval laughed at the antics.

"I'll pass," Tenebrae said. "I've got somewhere I need to be." He left before they could say anything.

Tenebrae saw Mojie walk by with groceries. She squeaked when she saw him and ran inside. Tenebrae rolled his eyes and left the complex.

Tenebrae realized; he had no place to meet up with Shaylex. He thought about finding temporary lodging but didn't want to spend the Munny. It didn't help that they hadn't picked a meet up spot before she was called away.

'What does it matter to me? She must put them first. I'm just an accessory.'

Tenebrae went to the Shopping District and ordered some food. He hopped on top of a roof and ate there. After he finished, he situated himself to sleep. He looked in the sky and saw a star shine, followed by many more. It looked like a meteor shower, but all the stars were being put back in the sky.

'Looks like Light is being restored,' Tenebrae thought. He felt a tightness in his chest. 'I wonder who repaired it?' That was his though as he fell asleep. -


And here is the chapter. Thanks to Thatwheelchairguy, or Xwheelshin on TikTok, for letting me use Rylan. His character was fun to write because of his personality and abilities. I will be including the Protectors in future chapters, so we'll see more of this Time Lord(pun intended) later.
See you in the next one.