AN: Here we have the start of Book 2! Because I'm still so hyped and excited I needed to get it out and started lol! No breaks! :D I'm soooo excited lol time to go ballistic on this timeline! :D Xehanort gonna be crying tears of horror at his desecrated "destined path". xD Muhahaha! :) Also get to start writing my all time fav dynamic: Terra/Lingering Will and Riku mentorship! Cause we fuckin need way more of that wholesome great shit! :D :D :D :D Prepare your butts for a new adventure! Full of twists and turns and tragedy and heart and fluff and love and epic battles! Yes I said tragedy too... xD

This book SHOULD be a fair bit shorter and more self-contained than the first one (kinda like canon COM was to Kh1), buuut depends how long it takes me to really flesh out and hit all my plot points to my own satisfaction...that's how the first one got so long LOL! :D

Ventus woke up in a daze.

His arms and legs refused to move.

Then he opened his eyes, and he breathed.

He sat up on a...a nice bed. He raised a hand to his head, staring around himself.

He was in a plain white room, with a big window looking out to a dark sky.

He groaned, scratching his head- and then he froze.

He looked down at himself, and let out a yelp!

His clothes- his body- his body?

Huh?!

He was...himself again?!

But- where was Sora, Kairi, what had happened?!

Ven stared down at his hands, then held one out in front of him, focusing. Wayward Wind appeared immediately, warm and familiar. And comforting.

Ven's face broke out into a smile. "Dunno how...but I'm back," he breathed, in his own voice.

But then - Sora and Kairi, and Xion too? Where were they? That still left the question of what'd happened...

Last he remembered was...was...

They'd been going to confront Maleficent together, in Radiant Garden. A twisted, dark place now...it had hurt him just to see the place! And he'd seen the even worse pain on Kairi's face then...

They'd fought through Heartless, gotten inside the castle, and then...

Sora's friend, Riku, and all that darkness of his.

Sora had asked Ven to stay out of that one; he'd wanted him and Kairi to be the ones to fight him, get through to him if they could.

And they had!

And Ven had been so happy for them both. To salvage that clear, deep friendship - even if it'd gone so wrong.

And then...then...what next?

Ventus furrowed his brows, frowning.

Some girl had attacked Kairi? With a Keyblade! Black and red!

And then- Sora too!

And then Ven had...he'd fallen asleep again, drifted off...swept away by darkness again...

But he was here, he was back again now. What was in that missing gap? What was he missing, then?

And where was he, anyways?

Ven sighed, and then he laughed. "Doesn't matter how - I'm here again. And I've gotta find Sora and Kairi again!"

Ventus raised his Keyblade, shooting off a beam of light out the window, create a portal to the Lanes Between to hang in the sky. Then he hurled his Keyblade out into the air, watching it transform into his familiar glider. He smacked his shoulder pauldron, forming his armor back around himself for the first time in...ages. He climbed up into the window and jumped out onto his glider, and then he rocketed off into the skies, disappearing into the portal.

He barely registered the expanse of dark cityscape beneath him; he was on a mission!

Sora, Kairi...wherever you are, I hope you guys are okay! I'm not losing any more friends!

"What the fuck!"

Kairi finished swearing after what seemed like an eternity of a moment. And then it hung there for what seemed like an eternity as well. And in that eternity, Kairi just...couldn't stop staring at this girl in front of her!

Sora couldn't either.

And Xion...Xion looked fascinated...

The new girl - Xikira? - her eyes shifted as she looked at them all again. Scanning their faces. Then she slumped down, head falling, her hand crossing her body to grasp her other arm. That shine, that grin, that spunk - all gone. Poof. There was a pink tinge to her pale cheeks now. Far paler than Kairi's had ever been - than even Xion's were! Her whole complexion was really just...kind of wispy. Like a gust of wind would make her disappear. Long blonde hair fell down her face.

"I thought...you'd be happier to meet me..." the girl mumbled out. "I've dreamed of meeting you for so long now - since the day I was born - and...my dreams of you are what inspired me to be-" She cut herself off, her head whipping up again. Her eyes finding Kairi's. "Don't you like me?"

"Um..." Kairi stammered, wide eyed. "L-look, can we go back to the part where you said you were...b-born from me and-" She blushed hard, refusing to look at Sora. Who was also refusing to look at her! Which kind of hurt, honestly...weirdly... "I don't remember- unless I skipped nine months of my own life?!"

"Oh, right," the girl spoke on, seeming to regain some of her confidence again. Or had that confidence been fake? "That's how normal girls have kids - but what happened to you wasn't normal. When your Heart went into Sora, and Ansem released it from his body...it turned Sora into a Heartless - and also created a Nobody: me. A Heart of pure light could never normally make a Heartless...and so, never a Nobody, you see? But because you used his darkness to create that Heartless together, and your Heart left his body, it used his body to create your Nobody too...which is me."

Kairi could feel a headache coming on. A big one. "I...listen, I don't understand what you're talking about. But if you're...connected to me in some way...or if you were- made from me in some way..."

"Yes?" An eager look crossed the girl's face.

Kairi sighed. "Um- well- as long as you're not a bad guy or anything, I'd...like to know you? Like you- s-said- if you came from me, somehow, if you were created from me...then you're kind of my k-kid, and so...I wouldn't want to be an awful, no-good mom who abandons her kid or anything!" she finally burst out passionately.

The girl's face lit up, her whole body perking up. Her hands came together before her, fingers touching. "Thank you!"

"Um, but...what was that part about 'killing your boss and co-workers?'" Kairi went on slowly.

The girl gave a smile. "Right, that. Well you see, from the day I was born I've been working for this...Organization - Organization Thirteen - and its leader isn't a man who lets you resign. Not if you want to keep existing. So...me and two others, we'd like help getting rid of him. So we can be free, and live our lives in peace with the people we care about."

"And the co-workers part...?" Kairi pressed.

"Most of the other members are loyal to him," the girl went on. "They'd do whatever he says. Even if he says to destroy me. And there are a few...loyal members right here in this castle. Laur- I mean, my friends, they said it was too much of a risk to try and reach out to you for help - that we couldn't risk being found out as traitors, or we'd be killed for sure - but I told them: fine, I'll do it all by myself! That way, they can still pretend to be loyal Organization members, and deny anything if I get caught all on my own here. The only one I'm risking is myself."

"Okay..." Kairi drew a breath. "That's smart of you. But how are we supposed to tell who your friends are and who's not?"

The girl glanced around anxiously. Then she stepped in close and whispered, "Pink hair and yellow hair."

"Pink hair and-" Kairi started.

"Yellow hair, yes," the girl nodded. "But that's all I can tell you without risking their covers."

"But...you still just told us what these other people look like," Sora said, scratching his head.

The girl gave him a very familiar glare. Was that what Kairi looked like when she got that face on...? "Shut up, dad."

"Hold on a second, I'm not anybody's parent!" Sora exclaimed, flushing. "Especially not to a girl who's the same age as me!"

"I'm only twenty-five days old," the girl said casually.

"Oh my...what?" Kairi said faintly.

"I was born twenty-five days ago - to you and Sora," the girl went on, still so casual about it. "I told you that before, remember?"

"Okay, please, stop saying things like that...like that!" Kairi begged, blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry. You just don't seem to really understand it still..."

"Just- give us- time!" Kairi choked out. "We need time to...think it all over - process things! Okay? In the meantime, just don't...bring it up again. Please."

"Of course...all right. I'm sorry - really!"

"It's fine..."

God, what was Kairi getting them all into here?

Well, whatever it was...she knew it in her Heart that she was meant to be here. So she'd go along with it. She felt bad for dragging Sora and Xion into such a mess, though, as well...

"So...what exactly do you want us to do here?" Kairi asked plainly.

"Oh...well, just make your way through the castle and kill anyone you come across that isn't me - or who doesn't have those hair colors I mentioned."

Xikira said it just so casually, so...

It kind of disturbed Kairi, in her Heart's deepest depths.

"I can't just go killing people on someone's say-so!" Kairi shook her head fiercely. "Even if she looks like me, and- even claims to have...come from me!"

"Come on, they're bad guys! Like Ansem!" Xikira said, looking her in the eye. "They'll kill anyone who tries to leave, and they're...planning something horrible. Xemnas is. He wants to make Kingdom Hearts. Just like Ansem did!"

"Xemnas? Is that your boss's name?" Kairi asked.

"Yes. Oh, and you know what else about him?" Xikira said suddenly, with a grin on her face, pushing her long strands of blonde hair back behind an ear.

"What?" Kairi said curiously.

"He's actually Ansem's Nobody!" Xikira proclaimed, like it was her trump card (maybe it was).

"WHAT?" Kairi shrilled.

"Ansem was a man who turned himself into a Heartless - which also created a Nobody: Xemnas," Xikira explained. "Just like how your Heart in Sora, when Sora became a Heartless, created me. And Xemnas is just as evil and crafty as Ansem was! So...you should really want to help me defeat him by default. Right?"

"Ansem's...Nobody?"

"Yes! So...?"

"Hmm..." Kairi thought a moment, biting her lip. So Ansem had some...evil double, or- or spawned...off-shoot...person? Or, well, evil-er? Whatever. A part of him was still alive out there, and apparently still up to no good? Still...trying to get to Kingdom Hearts? Did that mean he'd go after the Princesses too? Again? That Door...? "Okay," she said at last. "We'll go inside this place, and we'll...see what's what. And if we have to, we'll fight. And- and if we really have to...we'll destroy our enemies. But...I have to see proof of any of this for myself. I won't just take your word for it. Even a girl who looks like me."

"Thank you! You'll get plenty of proof, trust me! Okay...so...I have to go now. Just - go inside, act like you just got here and you have no idea what's going on! You have to play your part too, or they'll be really suspicious! Please...If they know you already know things you shouldn't know, it'll all blow up on us!"

Kairi stared into that face. A face of worry, and pleading. Worry for herself, or for Kairi too?

"Okay..." she sighed, throwing up her hands. "We'll act like we never met you either."

"Yes - thanks!" the girl exclaimed, clapping her hands together. She paused, that pink tinge back on her face. A bit of an anxious look to her. "Actually, everyone kept telling me I wasn't supposed to risk getting close to you at all - they said I might just 'go poof' or something. But I feel fine-"

Xikira froze as her whole entire being suddenly just...vibrated. Rippled. The air itself around her was twisting and warping!

Kairi felt something jolt in her Heart, gasping.

Xikira looked terrified. "Oh! No! What - he was right?! Okaybyeseeyoulater!" Then she was enveloped in darkness, vanishing away in an instant!

Kairi turned to Sora. To Xion.

"Uhhh...do you think she's okay?" Sora asked worriedly.

Kairi shrugged, putting a hand to her forehead. "I have no idea. I don't even know what's going on here..." Not to mention she still had a million questions she badly wanted answers to.

"Hehe, me neither," Sora laughed.

"I don't either," Xion said quietly. She hesitated. "Do we really have to go inside? I don't like this place, I don't want to be here!"

"Then you don't have to," Kairi said kindly. "Look, I can give you the Star Shard and you can go...somewhere else. Maybe someplace safe and nice. Xion...I would never want to put you through what I went through back in that- End of The World place. With- Ansem's machine...in that room again..." Her voice trembled despite her best efforts to remain calm about it. Even just the memory.

Xion's mouth parted, her lips trembling, herself. Then she swallowed, stepping forward and hugging Kairi tightly. Squeezing her, more for herself than for Kairi, it seemed like... "Back there...Sora and Riku never left you! They stayed by your side the whole time! And you...got through it. Because of them. So I...as long as I have you and Sora, I know I can- get through this too! Because- I'm not going to just leave you, either! Sisters have each other's backs - forever! Always!"

"I...I did, didn't I...?" Kairi whispered, shock coursing through her. Not that she really remembered Riku doing much of anything for her, but...she did recall him at least attempting to...help Sora deal with her in that state. And he hadn't...left either...had he? She drew away from her sister, staring at her fearful but determined face. She smiled, then darted in to kiss her cheek. "Okay, then! If you feel like you can stay, if you want to try and get through this place with us - then we'll be right here to help you! Every step of it! We'll never leave your side, Xion."

Xion smiled back, taking a deep breath as she turned to face the castle's entrance.

Kairi squared her shoulders, raised her head high, and she stepped up to the doorway and crossed the threshold.

High in the skies above a forested world, a mechanical, magical hover vehicle flew down out of a blue portal, swooping low for the ground.

Riku held tight to the armored man flying the craft, as wind rushed across his body. As the blue energy dome vanished from around them both.

They flew low over the trees until they found the edge of the expanse of woods, and set down there at last.

Riku immediately jumped off, stumbling on solid ground again.

Terra swung a leg off and dismounted the craft, his long, dusty cape slithering off the seat behind him. He strode across the grass, an arm raising casually out to his right. Blue light flashed - the craft vanished - and his Keyblade was in his hand again.

"Uh..." Riku began. He swallowed, ducking his head.

"What?" Terra asked, turning.

"Uh, it's just- you might not want to keep that thing out all the time," Riku spoke tentatively, pointing to the weapon. "It kind of attracts...Heartless. Kairi...knows that one..."

"Does it?" Terra said thoughtfully, raising his weapon before himself. "Hm. I've never dealt with these creatures before. But if you say so...thanks for the tip." He bowed his head, his grip shifting on his weapon...and then it vanished in a flash of light and swirling rings. "I wouldn't want to go bringing more trouble to this world than it already has."

"So...where are we? You know this world?"

"Huh? Oh, no. No idea."

Riku stared. "Seriously...?"

"Were you...expecting me to?" Terra spoke, with clear amusement in his voice now.

"Yes..."

"Well, sorry to disappoint." Terra shrugged his armored shoulders. "I just opened the Lanes, and let my...Heart...guide me."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did we even come here, then? What are we doing here?" RIku asked, throwing up his hands. "I thought you said we were going to fix our mistakes! Are we just here for a vacation, or what?!"

Terra gazed at him in silence. The breeze caused his cape to sway behind him. "The path to righting our wrongs...won't be a simple, easy, straight line forward," he said, unfazed by Riku's sudden anger. "It's going to be winding, and strange, and it will probably take us to a lot of places we never thought of. We'll probably also hit quite a few dead ends. But every step we take on that path...is a right one. Even when we're standing around, unsure of where to go - even when we stumble and fall flat on our faces."

"That's encouraging..." RIku said, dropping his head with a snort. "So, what, are we just going to start out 'standing around' then?"

"That depends."

"On what?" Riku said, trying to not sound annoyed.

"How tired and hungry are you?"

"What...?"

"There's a large town a few miles to the west - over some steep hills," Terra spoke on casually.

"Then...why didn't we set down over there instead of here?!" Riku exclaimed.

Terra raised a hand, gesturing. "For my vacation, obviously."

"What?"

"Green grass, a lovely forest - it's a nice change from the dusty desert. You spend ten years in a place like that, you start wanting to get out - stretch your legs."

"What're you...talking about? We're supposed to fix things, we're supposed to-" Riku stammered out, nonplussed. Had he severely overinflated this man in his head over all these years?!

"Do you think you'll be able to make things right over in that town any more than you could right here in this field?" Terra said mildly.

"I- you- you're the one who just said every step was a right one! That we had to- take winding paths and- how can I help anyone if no one's around?!" Riku shouted furiously.

"Oh...did I say that?"

"YES!"

Terra cocked his head, catching the sun on his helmet. "Well...let's go, then, if you think we should go there."

"Wh-what- I- you- I just- you..." Riku deflated. "Whatever, fine. Yeah. Let's go..."

He turned and started trudging off in the direction Terra had pointed.

Terra followed after him with long, powerful strides.

Only after five minutes of walking did Riku get the inkling that that whole conversation might have been some sort of crazy test...or something. Well, he wasn't going to bring it up to the man if it had been...

Riku had to save face with himself. He refused to be humiliated like that!