That morning in Gheppetto's shop, Pinocchio had barely turned the sign from "closed" to "open" when he spotted a young woman hurrying towards the door from across the street. At first he was perplexed--hardly anyone ever came here this early. But as the woman drew closer, he realized it was someone he recognized.
"Hey Kairi!"
Pinocchio beamed as Kairi entered the shop. She seemed distracted, only sending him a very hasty smile and greeting before turning towards the other side of the shop.
"Hello Pinocchio."
"You're here early," he said cheerfully. "Looking for something?"
Kairi didn't pause in her search as she answered him.
"Yes, actually," she said, "but I've already found it, so there's no need for any help."
Not that she thought he could have been any help in these circumstances.
~Yes!
Kairi gave a mental shout of triumph when she spotted the glimmer. The gate sparkled brightly in the dusty room, only half-hidden where it floated above the toy rack. Kairi pulled out her heartkey, focusing completely on her goal without paying the least bit of notice to the boy behind her. Pinocchio gave a gasp of excitement when he saw the wand shining in her hand.
"Wow! Are you going to do magic or something?"
Kairi flapped a distracted hand at him.
"Yes, and if you would please stand back a bit."
Pinocchio retreated a step, his gaze still set on Kairi and her unexplained actions. His eyes widened when he saw the portal materialize.
"That looks so cool!! How'd you do that?" Pinocchio leaned up over the side of the table to get a better look.
There was no answer, as Kairi had already plunged through the door.
Kairi sensed the difference immediately. For a split second, she had the notion that the portal hadn't been made of her heart's light as it usually seemed to be. It hadn't even been summoned by darkness. Rather, it was a power other than darkness or light, an energy almost reminiscent of that which had been hidden beneath the cloaks of the Nobody.
Then those thoughts were gone and she found herself drowning in nothing. When she tried to look around, she couldn't see, but it wasn't as if she had suddenly gone blind. It was more like there was nothing /to/ see. When she tried to flail her arms and legs, she couldn't feel anything there anymore, as if her body, or her awareness of her body, had vanished. She wasn't falling or floating or standing on anything. She was simply /there/, suspended in this inexistence and waiting...waiting for what? Panic began to overtake her mind when she was suddenly released into a blast of light and cold air.
Kairi collapsed to her knees as she fell from the gate in the throne room. She stared at her hands pressed flat against the tiles, a feeling of relief washing over her as she took several ragged breaths. A tremor ran through her body as she slowly stood up on wobbly legs. The colors of her wand shimmered black, gray, and white, running over the length of the baton like water, or waves of color in an opal, before it returned to its former appearance. Kairi stared at it for a moment, but when nothing else occurred she finally dismissed the key. She clasped her arms over her chest, shivering slightly. That nothingness had only lasted for a few seconds, but it had seemed like she would be trapped in it forever. She couldn't get over the feeling that she had had in it--not any real emotion, but a sense of utter emptiness.
A power other than light or darkness...had that been a sort of trap set by the Nobody?
~The Nonexistent ones...what are they up to?
Then she straightened, smiling cynically.
~As if the Heartless weren't enough for us to contend with
Shaking her head, she made her way towards the door.
###
Daisy and Minnie were in the library when Donald and Goofy took Sora up to meet the court ladies. The queen smiled warmly when Sora was introduced.
"It's so good to finally meet you," she said kindly. "We've heard so much about the young keyblade master. Please, take a seat."
"Well? Are you going to explain yourself now?" Donald asked.
"Yah; what's happened to you Sora?" Goofy pressed. "How'd you finally get to the castle?"
Sora settled into one the chairs, holding his hands together on his knees. He looked at them expectantly.
"Shouldn't we wait for the King before I start?"
Minnie shook her head. "I'm sorry, but Mickey isn't here."
"What?!" Sora exclaimed.
"Well at least for the moment," Queen Minnie added, almost apologetically. "He said he'd return in a day or so."
Sora dropped back into the cushions of his chair feeling somewhat disappointed. Donald eyed him impatiently.
"Whether or not the king's present, I think we'd still like to hear your story," Donald said.
Sora sunk deeper into his chair, giving Donald an inscrutable look.
"Patience is a virtue, you know."
"Sora!"
Sora held up his hands defensively at the duck's sudden burst of irritation, a grin on his face.
"Just kidding, just kidding..."
Sora explained to them the events that had occurred after the trio had parted ways five years past and then all that had happened in Hollow Bastion after Kairi, Riku, and Sei had left Disney Castle, ending with their separation as they had tried to leave Hollow Bastion's world.
"Seems like you four have had your hands full with all these going-ons," Daisy remarked. "Quite a surprising twist of fate, wouldn't you agree, Minnie?"
"Most surprising," Minnie consented.
The queen sighed to herself. "It really is too bad Mickey wasn't here to listen to all this."
"Do you have any idea what he's doing?" Sora asked finally.
Minnie shrugged. "I'm terribly sorry, Sora. All my husband told me was that he had some important business to attend to but that he wouldn't be long and not to worry."
She smiled ruefully. "My husband can be rather...secretive at times."
"Secretive is putting it a bit mildly, don't you think?" Daisy remarked primly.
"But his highness has always been able to take care of himself, so I'm sure he's just fine," Goofy said with his usual optimism. "Though I guess that means you'll have to wait around a bit fer him, Sora."
Sora waved his hand with apparent lack of interest.
"I probably wouldn't have been able to get off this world in a hurry anyway...Kairi was the only one of us able to open portals between the worlds."
"In other words, you're stuck here until Kairi and your other friends can come to pick you up," Daisy stated. "Or something else drastic happens."
"Pretty much."
Although he tried to sound casual, Sora felt fidgety, as if he desperately needed to /do/ something. He hated the idea of sitting here in safety while he still had no idea what had happened to his friends, whether or not they were safe or even together. If Gummi ships had still been useful, he was sure he would have been out of there in a heartbeat, regardless of whether or not he had seen the king.
Minnie clucked her tongue sympathetically, sensing his unease.
"As long as you're here, you'll need to take the opportunity to rest; who knows what you'll be facing next? And perhaps the wait will be worth it--my husband might bring back important news."
Sora only felt slight comfort at these words.
"Maybe."
He thought about her statement for a few moments. Would more news be a good or a bad thing?
"Well, how about something to eat?" Daisy offered. "I'm sure you're starving after such a rough day."
Sora nodded. "I guess having a bite to eat sounds okay."
"Great; it shouldn't be any trouble grabbing you something from the kitchen.
Sora stood up to follow Daisy out of the room.
"Please just make yourself at home here," Minnie told him before he left.
"And try to take it easy for a few hours," Donald said brusquely.
Sora smiled slightly as he exited the room.
"All right. See you all later then."
Daisy led him swiftly through the corridors, passing various rooms and residents of the castle. The female duck opened a door, and the two walked into a large, busy kitchen. Rich smells from the recent dinner still permeated the air.
"Help yourself to anything you see," Daisy said. "Or we can have the cook whip up a hot meal for you, if you want."
In spite of Daisy's offer, Sora didn't feel up to much more than a light snack and began rummaging around in a small fridge. At length, he grabbed a bottle of soda and a plate of leftover ham sandwiches from the top shelf. He nudged the fridge door closed behind him with the back of his heel.
"Will that be all?" Daisy asked.
Sora nodded. "I'm not feeling too hungry, so this will be fine."
"Very well. I'll just show you to your room then."
Daisy proceeded to guide Sora through the castle. The sky had already darkened into velvet night outside, and lamps of blown-glass and metal had been lit to cheerfully lighten the halls.
"So has this world had much trouble with the Heartless?" Sora asked as they walked through the spacious halls.
"Hmm? Oh, actually no, not really. This world has always had special protection against the Heartless--no doubt thanks to his majesty's efforts--and Mickey locked this world's keyhole when he came back from his travels."
Sora mulled this over as he walked behind Daisy, thinking about the mouse sovereign and his role in the grand scheme of things.
"King Mickey has always known about the Heartless, hasn't he? About the keyblades and everything. I wonder how that is? He even seems to know more than Ansem at times--and Ansem knows more than should be good for anyone."
Daisy smiled at Sora's words. "Ah, well, however he gains his knowledge, he has always used it to help the worlds fight the darkness. Very mysterious, isn't he? But, I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you, Sora."
"I guess you're probably right," Sora said doubtfully.
They stopped at the end of a softly lit corridor, and Daisy opened the last door on their left.
"Here we are," she announced. "If you need anything, feel free to ask any of the servants. I'll be upstairs with Minnie and Goofy and Donald in the library. You've been around here before, so I trust you don't need too much help getting around?"
Sora nodded, setting his plate and soda bottle on a table near the windows.
"All right. I suppose I'll be seeing you in the morning then, Sora."
Daisy exited the room, covering a yawn with one white hand. Sora switched on a lamp, then settled down at a table to eat his sandwiches before heading off to bed.
###
Sora was standing in that world of sky once again. More and more he seemed to be returning to this place, but he didn't let any uncertain thoughts bother him. Somehow, it felt /right/ to be here. He basked in its glory, feeling the soft, gentle light flow over and in him, cool and refreshing as water. There was a quiet serenity all around him. Yet, even in this peace Sora felt a slight prick of unease at the back of his mind.
~You've grown quite strong in these passing years
Sora paused. He looked around him, trying to locate the source of the voice.
~A hero truly worthy of wielding a keyblade
He frowned, not seeing anyone. "Who's there?"
Sora recognized who this was almost before the question had left his lips. He stopped trying to find the mysterious speaker, knowing that he would never find anyone.
"That voice," Sora muttered softly. "The voice from my dreams. Who are you?" he demanded.
There was warmth and slight amusement in the voice when it spoke next.
~We've met before, young keyblade master
"Can't you be a little more specific than that?"
The voice chuckled.
~The question of my identity is of little importance at this time
Sora sighed, giving up. "Whatever."
He plopped down on the vague, unspecified substance beneath him. Sand, maybe? Or simply light and air...or glass pretending to be air. He found it hard to define something that kept changing before he could properly set his mind on it.
~The day you open the door is approaching quickly. Although you have passed many obstacles and the conditions of this conflict are close to being met, there is still much to be accomplished
The voice paused, then said musingly ~The Separation has done what was necessary. I wonder...are you ready?
Sora didn't like the sound of those words.
"What are you talking about?" Sora asked. "There's more to this quest that you're not telling me, isn't there?"
~There is much you do not know or understand. However, now is not the moment at which I can reveal to you what you wish to know. I do ask, though, that you trust me.
Trust? Sora felt a prickle of doubt. How could he trust this voice, this being that had never revealed itself outside of his dreams and visions? Yet, then again, it had never given him any reason /not/ to trust it.
"You know everything, don't you?" Sora asked at length.
The voice did not reply, and Sora sat unmoving--unnerved really--as he waited. For a moment nothing happened. Then...
~In every heart exists darkness. Even the purest heart contains a seed that, if given the chance, can spread and swallow the heart.
Sora struggled to focus on the voice. It was becoming harder to listen. The world was growing hazy, indistinct, and increasingly difficult to hold onto.
~The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes
Sora blinked, but nothing--his thoughts or the world around him--became any sharper for his efforts.
"Huh?" he got out at last. "But, what's that supposed to..."
###
"...mean?"
Sora found himself lying on his back in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. It seemed to be early morning now by the wash of pale light that bathed the room, but he didn't feel sleepy anymore. The brown-haired young man took a deep breath, then exhaled noisily.
"Too weird," he muttered to no one in particular.
What time was it now? Sora started to roll over in his sheets to get a look at the clock when a pale, blindfolded face lurched into view. Sora nearly jumped from shock as he sat straight up.
"Riku!!!"
For a moment, Sora forgot the strangeness of the situation, and his mouth broke into a relieved, toothy grin.
"Thank God you're all right! Where have you--??"
Sora abruptly broke off. Riku had summoned the Oblivion into his hand, and Sora stared at it in bewilderment. Then he dove for the floor as a black blur suddenly was thrust at his chest. When he looked back, Riku was calmly pulling his keyblade from a splintered hole in the bedpost. From his new position, Sora could see the tendrils of darkness that writhed on the floor around Riku's feet and quickly vanished. Sora's eyes grew wide.
"What the hell?!?"
Sora leapt back as the young man dashed forward with his keyblade, narrowly missing a strike to Sora's head.
"Riku! What are you doing?" Sora demanded. He summoned the Oathkeeper, holding it in a defensive stance.
Riku turned the arc made by his first movement back on itself to cut again at Sora. This time Sora was ready for the attack and blocked with the side of his Oathkeeper. He shoved Riku back with the keyblade and then parried another downward slash towards his legs. Throughout all this, Riku's face had remained impassive, and he hadn't made a sound.
"What's wrong with you, Riku?" Sora shouted. "Snap out of it!"
The Oblivion smashed into a large mirror as Sora ducked to one side, bits of glass scattering onto the floor and the small table beneath the mirror. Even as Sora stayed unwavering in his defensive tactics, doubts began to trickle into his mind.
It wouldn't be the first time that his friend had allowed himself to be played into being puppet for the darkness.
~But...Riku's stronger than that! I know he is!
Sora winced as the keyblades made contact again, flashing white and black in the sunlight and sending a jarring tremor through his sword arm.
~Isn't he?
Sora hesitated briefly, then cut towards Riku's side with his keyblade, a movement that his opponent easily blocked with one upwards stroke. He followed with a straight cut towards Sora's head and then another strike angled just to the right, both of which Sora blocked.
"Please, Riku..." Sora pleaded, uncertain if Riku could even hear him.
After what had happened with Ansem and Kingdom Hearts, Sora had been certain that Riku would never allow the darkness to take him again. But at the same time, Sora couldn't lie to himself about the darkness he knew still veiled his friend's heart.
~Damnit!
Sora didn't know if he could bring himself to hurt Riku. Not again.
Riku took advantage of Sora's indecision and darted closer. He knocked aside Sora's block, and Sora bit back a cry of pain as the Oblivion cut into his left shoulder. Warm blood tricked down his skin. His opponent kicked him in the side before he could make another move and brought the Oblivion keyblade down again to strike the top of Sora's head with its flat edge. The silver haired man grabbed Sora, his fingers disappearing into the younger man's flesh. Sora screamed as numbing ice wrapped itself around his heart, tugging almost gently. Through the haze of pain, he heard Riku speak for the first time, his voice monotonous and void of all emotion.
"What is the difference between the light and the darkness, I ask you?" He tilted his head slightly, as if inquiring. "Both are powers that seek to take the world. They tell us: light brings people happiness. I say to you that darkness takes away all pain. The Heartless do not suffer the weight of weak emotions. They only seek to return all hearts to their genesis-the Great Heart, from where all light and darkness have been born."
Oblivion disappeared, and Riku reached up with his free hand to pull away the blindfold. It was the first time Sora had seen Riku take it off. Riku stared at Sora through his unsettling buttery eyes, not a hint of emotion apparent in them.
"How does that sound, Sora? A universe of no hurt, no feelings of sorrow or sadness...absolute perfection."
He paused, obviously waiting for a response.
"Practically nothing else either--no love or warmth or friendship...Riku would never wish for a world that barren!" Sora's voice was hoarse as he struggled against the pain exploding in his chest. "And neither would I...not for something that terrible!"
Sora was still clutching the Oathkeeper, and now his fingers tightened resolutely around its handle.
"Wake /up/ Riku!!"
Sora swung his keyblade up and downwards, hitting the arm that was sunken wrist-deep into his body. Light poured from his heart, and Riku snatched his hand away from Sora's body. Sora thrust his keyblade forward. He wasn't sure what he meant or had meant to do, what with Riku in this state. All he knew was that he had to protect himself and keep Riku from trying to take his heart again. The Oathkeeper pierced through the flesh of Riku's chest, and for a moment it blazed hot white. Then its gleam faded as blood as black as night began to drip from Riku's wound and down the length of the Oathkeeper still imbedded in his body.
Sora stared, horrorstruck at this scene before him.
~Goddess, what have I done?
He couldn't get his mind to think straight or beyond the immediate present. Something seemed to flicker in Riku's eyes at last, and then he whispered something so softly that Sora almost didn't hear it.
"Forgive me...Sora."
The Oathkeeper clattered to the ground, and Riku crumpled into a heap on the floor. Dark shadows began to converge around Riku's body and swallow him within their depths.
"NO!! RIKUUU!!!"
~The closer you get to light...
Sora stumbled forward and desperately clawed at the inky darkness seizing his friend. The darkness slid through his hand like oil, and Riku vanished from sight along with the darkness, leaving only stains of dark, ebony blood on the floor to mark that he had ever been there.
~...the greater your shadow becomes
A sob escaped Sora's throat before he could stop it, and he pounded the floor with his fist.
"No..."
The door flew open, and there was a succession of muffled gasps. Sora didn't pay any attention to the newcomers as he stared fixedly at the floor. One of the group detached themselves from the onlookers and stepped into the room.
"Curaga!"
Green magic washed over Sora's body, healing his wounds and closing the cut on his shoulder. Sora didn't make any movement or noise to indicate that he had noticed the change. Kairi knelt down by his side, gazing at his face.
"Sora...what's the matter?" Her voice was quiet with concern.
Sora covered his face with his hands. He didn't protest when Kairi encircled him in her arms and held him close without speaking. They sat there for a few moments, Sora slowly gaining comfort from Kairi's presence, before he spoke.
"I wonder if it really was my fault that Riku got stuck in the darkness," Sora whispered.
Kairi turned her head to try to read the expression on his face, to see where this was going, although by now she had a pretty good idea.
"He did it because he thought I abandoned him, right?" Sora continued. "I should been stronger. Maybe if I had, none of this would have happened."
"Sora, what are you talking about?"
Donald and Goofy drew closer now from their place in the doorway. The dog and duck had escorted Kairi from the front hall to Sora's room after she had arrived in their world. Their gazes froze on the blood on the floor and on the Oathkeeper.
"Gawrsh Sora, what were you fighting?" Goofy asked, appalled.
"Are you okay?"
Donald walked the length of the room with his mage rod in hand, surveying the damage with a frown. "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now."
The duck crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a long breath.
"Hope it isn't loose in the castle or something."
Sora stood slowly, Kairi helping him up.
"'It,'" Sora said, pain still evident in his voice, "was Riku. He attacked me with Oblivion, and that-" he gestured towards the floor and his keyblade "--is Riku's blood."
Donald made a screeching squawk of shock, while Goofy looked completely nonplussed at this statement.
Kairi looked horrified. "No! Riku would never do anything like that! He's our friend, and I know he cares too much about you to hurt you!"
"There's got to be some kind of mistake!" Donald exclaimed.
Goofy nodded emphatically.
"Kairi and Donald are right," the lanky dog agreed. "Riku may not have come off as very nice when me and Donald first met 'em, but I know he'd never attack you like that."
Sora shook his head slowly, unsure of how to explain, especially when he was doubtful of the circumstances himself.
A shy knock shifted everyone's attention to the door of the room. A young fox boy in the servants' livery stood waiting, shuffling his feet nervously.
"I've got a message from Her Majesty," he said anxiously. "I was to inform you honored sirs and lady that His Majesty, King Mickey, has returned to the castle and requests your presence."
The group silently exchanged glances, wondering at what this could mean.
"I'm to show you to him," the fox boy stammered at last, obviously feeling the unease in the atmosphere.
"Is it about Riku?" Desperation tinged Sora's voice as he spoke. "What's he here for?"
"I-I don't know. He didn't say."
Donald made a noise of exasperation.
"Of course this kid wouldn't know. Well, come on," the duck snapped as he started forward. "You're not learning anything staying here."
The four quickly hurried to follow the servant boy out into the hall.