Author's Notes: The answer to writer's block: take whatever you can get, no matter how awful. Always remember that tomorrow's another day, and that he who never tries is finished before he begins. Pathetically, I can only promise that the future might offer something better. In other words, no more Disney for me.

This story is on a prolonged hold until whatever possessed me to scribe this returns. It's annoying when the story is within your head, but the words will not come forth to novelize it.


Chapter XVII: Loose Ends

Breathing heavily, effectively exhausted from their ordeal with Magus, Riku and Tracy dashed into a vacant room similar to the one they had escaped from. Both of them leaned against the wall and collapsed instantly to a sitting rest side-by-side. Tracy Starlight failed to recall if he had ever moved with such desperate speed on the power of his own two legs. As a result from their retreat, the brown-haired teen's legs were aching profusely, but that pain paled in comparison to the unprecedented headache he felt at that moment. Tracy moved his injured jaw briefly as he spit a crimson liquid from his mouth onto the floor. Not giving it a second thought, Starlight glanced to Riku at his left and asked, "Are you okay?"

Riku eyed the blood that had left his friend's mouth before the question as he retorted, "You're spitting out blood, and you ask if I'm okay?"

Tracy managed to breathe, "It's the right thing to do. I know I'm not fine." He was still catching his breath as he told Riku, "Before I forget... Thank you."

"For what?"

Tracy suddenly became very conscious of himself, and he bit his lip for a second before he declined, "Never mind. It's silly, really."

"Silly?" asked Riku, "C'mon, thank you for what?"

"Well," Tracy hesitated, "it's just that... what you said to Magus about him paying for what he did to me... I don't remember anyone ever being so defensive of me before. I have — I had back home — friends, and I know that they loved me and all, but no one ever spoke like you did. In other words," he reprised, "thank you, Riku."

Riku was rendered temporarily speechless by his friend's words. Tracy could almost see Riku's mind at work on a reply, which sounded eventually, "You're welcome, but just don't put me in a position to be emotional again. You can only take so much punishment." The boy's thoughts switched gears as he spoke, and he asked with concern, "Are you all right?"

Tracy sent back, "I'll live... But whether or not I'll enjoy it is another story."

"Why not use Cure magic?"

With a great deal of worry, Starlight closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, revealing, "I'm spent, Riku... I probably can't even stand up and walk out of this room, much less cast magic."

"Then you rest," Riku ordered him, "We'll star and regain our strength enough to find Sora and the others."

Tracy's mouth formed a slight smirk. "You're better off than I am. You should go find Sora alone."

"And leave you alone?" Riku countered smartly, "You can't even stand, and you think you can fight off a Heartless if one of them shows up? No, I'm staying here until you can get out of this room with your own strength, and that's that!"

Knowing better than to fight the adamant will of Riku, Tracy simply acknowledged, "Yes, sir!"

With the exception of the respiration of both boys, silence filled the room, giving Tracy a moment to sort out his thoughts. So, Magus is in this, too? He's a long way from the kingdom of Zeal. Yzma must be in league with him. Since he didn't kill us off, he must be the one who needs us, but for what?

"Who's this Magus?" Riku broke the silence.

Tracy lifted his eyelids as his thoughts were stopped. "He's a dark wizard," he began as he sifted through what he should and shouldn't say, "If our tryst was any hint, he is definitely an enemy. He's not from this world, too, but I'm not certain where he is from." The boy asked himself silently, What's his goal? As far as I know, Magus's primary motivation was to get revenge on Lavos for sending him into his future but I doubt this Magus seeks the same thing. That in mind, Starlight finished aloud, "Come to think about it, there's a lot I don't know for certain about him."

"Well, next time," promised Riku with almost-arrogant certainty, "he's not getting off that easily! I still haven't made him pay, ya know!"

Itching to get revenge? Tracy thought, I can live with that.

When Riku's hand rested over his heart slowly, Tracy began to note the anguished facial expression he had suddenly developed. "Riku?" Tracy whispered to him, "Are you—"

"I'm fine!" Riku snapped back at Tracy harshly, his face turning from pain to aggression and back again in an instant. "I'm..." Riku said afterwards, the spontaneous severity gone from his voice, replaced with a tone of sorrow. Tracy needed only to see Riku's eyes to know that whatever anger that was within him, it wasn't intended for him. Still, there was some kind of suffering within his heart.

One solitary question crossed Tracy's mind, What did Magus do to him?

"I dunno what it is," Riku began reluctantly, apologetically, "but it's inside my heart. It's been there for a long time."

"The darkness," the other guessed with anxiety, "Darkness of the heart."

Riku looked into Tracy's grass-colored pupils sincerely. "Yes," he disclosed, "the darkness. I... It's still there. I try to suppress it, deny it, but Magus must've done something. Before now, it always came in the night, haunting my dreams, my nightmares..."

"Torture," Starlight gave it the name.

Riku agreed dimly, "The worst kind."

Tracy broke eye contact with Riku, looking down over his worn body as he spoke sincerely, "It linger on inside of you."

"Like cold air blown into a room through an open window," added the other teen as if the said incidence held some meaning to him, "Though it might be closed, the chill remains inside the room."

Tracy thought on his words before remarking, "Sounds about right, but the heart will always have light, so just keep your light strong."

"Tracy," Riku sighed, "whatever Magus did, it's—"

Anticipating the end of Riku's line, Tracy interrupted him, "Then let me be your light."

"My light?" an astonished Riku repeated.

Tracy's voice adopted a strength that he had never thought he had within himself as he told Riku, "Of course. I'll keep you in the light with everything I've got, and together, we'll beat this thing. I promise!"

—————

"Sora!" Pacha exclaimed as he and Felicity entered the cell where the Keyblade master was being held.

The boy in the cell smiled gladly at the sight of friendly individuals as he greeted, "Pacha! Felicity! Boy, am I glad to see you!" The pair unlatched the cell's door and entered briskly to release their ally as he asked them, "Where are the others? Are they safe?"

"They're fine," Felicity said to Sora, "Riku and Tracy ran unto a big bad brute while looking for you, but they're gonna be fine eventually. Kuzco's back to his normal self, and Yzma's all taken care of, so don't worry about it!"

"You took care of Yzma?" Sora said in disbelief, "Without me? Now I feel left out! How did you do it?"

Felicity began to respond, but no words came from her. She then gazed to Pacha, unlocking Sora's restraints. As he realized the question, he, too, started to make a reply, but nothing came. When both of them realized something between them, both Pacha and Felicity asked one another, "How did we do that?"

Sora raised a curious eyebrow at them before deciding to forget about it. Pressing onto more important matters, Sora asked them another question, "Have you found the Keyhole?"

"Not yet, Sora," the girl divulged, "Give it time."

"There!" Pacha declared as he released the final lock and freed Sora's arms.

Sora couldn't contain his enthusiastic cry, "Finally!" He circled his arms around with various stretches, having been in that position for far too long. "Well, I'll be glad to seal it and move along. I don't know about you guys, but I've had enough of this world — no offense, Pacha."

—————

Tracy sat on the floor in Kuzco's throne room with the emperor himself and Riku for company while Felicity and Pacha went to search for Sora, who was ironically enough forgotten in all the chaos. Tracy's writing items were returned to him by the portly peasant, and he made good use of them as he put some distance between himself and Riku. The other boy didn't seem to notice, though, as he was caught up in his own feelings and thoughts.

Within Riku's heart, the darkness lies in wait. What I saw as guilt and regret within him over his acts when he sided with darkness — it seems that the darkness is tormenting him from within, haunting his nightmares with unrelenting power and intensity. His experience with Ansem left more than just mental scars; somehow, something of Ansem must be remaining on inside of Riku. It's more than clear that I don't have the knowledge to adequately analyze this phenomenon. Despite my efforts, I still understand so little about the nature of darkness; the truth is hidden somewhere beyond my senses. Still, I must help Riku. I made a sincere promise to him that we would stand together against the darkness that's threatening him. I have the bad habit of keeping my promises, but can I keep this one? He's my friend, and I have to do he best that I can. Besides, I fear that something more might be going on, not only within Riku but within my own self.

Tracy left it at that, not wishing to commit himself any further to the obvious. Instead, he placed the pencil down and relaxed his eyes, rotating his neck in a series of painful stretches, made so only because of his devastating defeat. "Maybe next time," he told himself quietly, "I'll attack first."

"Or maybe you should work on your dodging," Riku suggested from his place across the room.

Tracy admitted, "That's good, too."

Before the two could engage in further conversation, though, the throne room's doors opened as Sora, Pacha, and Felicity entered. "Well, guys!" Sora announced to the pair, "I think it's about time to head out!"

Both looking between the other and Sora, Riku and Tracy rose to their feet and made their way to the Keyblade master, eager and prepared to leave the palace of Emperor Kuzco in their memories.

—————

"Yzma failed," Magus reported to his subordinate, Vincent, "but I trust that you will handle Sora and the others with more care. I need them alive."

Vincent muttered back at the sorcerer, "Except the girl, I know, I know. Don't worry about anything, Magus. I'll complete the job."

Magus glared at the cowboyish man with his own brand of worry. "Your confidence is both reassuring and disturbing, my friend. Remember, we mustn't underestimate our enemies." The wizard raised a hand to the side of his face, where the insolent, rod-wielding child had struck at him earlier. "They even hurt me... A little." Magus reflected on the encounter with the two boys, whom he had learned were called Tracy and Riku. That dark presence within Riku's heart, he analyzed, will be of some use to me. I'm certain of it. We will meet again, Riku, and I will finish that job. As for Tracy... Well, revenge is a dish that I will soon devour with the greatest of enjoyment.

"I'm surprised that they escaped from you," Vincent commented.

Magus sent back immediately, "I let them escape, Vincent. You believe that a block of ice could stand between me and my prey?"

"Logical," the outlaw conceded the point. "I should be going back soon. They will soon be arriving, and I am looking forward to meeting this Sora kid."