Less than an hour had passed since Riku had been recovered from the canyon by the waterfalls, and it was still early morning by any stretch. It was hard to believe how quickly everything had happened. Aerith could still feel the strain from that first shock of horror she had had when setting eyes on a bloodied Riku being hauled into the ward. It wasn't as if his condition had even been particularly bad—-being a healer at Hollow Bastion, she was liable to see far worse damage on any one person.

And yet, despite her concern for him, Aerith couldn't shake away a niggling feeling of doubt for the young man. It seemed like ever since the beginning he had been walking a precarious line between this world and the world of the Heartless and the slightest nudge would send him toppling over in the wrong direction. Now, between the black blood and the information that she had wheedled out of Rikku about Riku's eyes, it was too obvious.

Aerith paused. Rikku about Riku's eyes...now that sounded a little weird coming out in words.

Soft steps sounded behind her, accompanied by the rustling of clothing and then a warm, callused hand on her shoulder. Aerith had been heating a kettle of hot water over the small stove when Cloud arrived, and she turned to smile at him.

"Tea?" Aerith asked, holding up a small pot in a gesture of invitation.

Cloud shook his head as he wrapped his muscular arms gently around her, leaning his chin on her shoulder.  "No thanks; I can't stay too long."

He brushed a tender kiss against her cheek.

"How is everything?"

"All right," Aerith replied, relaxing into his arms. "Not too bad, although I've had better days."

The kettle gave a shrill whistle as the water inside came to a boil, and Cloud released Aerith to allow her to take it off the stove.

"And Riku?"

Steam rose from the water as Aerith carefully poured it into the pot over the tealeaves. She pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"A lot better now, I think." She gestured with her free hand towards the teapot. "Are you sure you don't want any?"

Cloud declined the offer, and she set the kettle back onto the stove. She fished out two mismatched cups from the cupboard and set them on the counter. "And before you say anything, this one's for Riku—-I'm going to go check up on him again after the tea's done."

Cloud was quiet for a few moments. At his lapse into pensive silence, Aerith turned her head to look up into his face.

"Something wrong?"

Cloud shrugged slightly.

"No. Only that...I heard that he was found in rather unusual circumstances. That he was alone, except for a few nearby Heartless."

Aerith was sure she knew exactly where this was going, but she prompted him further anyway.

"And?"

Cloud looked at her with his clear blue eyes, his expression heavily veiled.

"Just be careful around him, okay?

Getting straight to the point, was he? Huh. Well, that was Cloud for you. Aerith set the teapot and the two cups on a small tray.

"I don't like to think that Riku could somehow be a danger or an enemy to us."

She picked up the tray and turned around, her skirt swishing lightly about her ankles. She was frowning slightly.

"I'm not saying you're wrong--because you're not. Yet, I think we should try to trust him, regardless of whether or not something has happened to him with the darkness. I don't believe he would actively try to betray us. Besides, you should know better than all of us what it's like to struggle with that power."

A smile tugged at Cloud's lips at her sentiments.

"How could I forget?"

Aerith let out a soft little laugh, sadness in her eyes. There was a sudden, mental image of Cloud in her mind; a black leathery wing sprouted from his back and his prosthetic arm a burnished copper claw. These days it was easier for her to forget those not-so-distant days with the Heartless and Maleficent, Cloud missing for months at a time as she, Leon, Yuffie, and Cid stayed in Traverse Town. And then, sometimes there were those painful reminders, most recently a certain dual-blade wielding enigma of a man...

"...you know, it's hard to believe that Ansem's still alive, five years after his supposed death. And then," she added contemplatively, "maybe that it's not the "him" that we last remember--the seeker of darkness that Sora had fought--but a little bit of what existed from our childhood memories."

"Now every time I think about him I can't help but see something more of Ansem, and its kind of scary," she confessed. "Or should I stop thinking of him as someone who had ceased to exist fourteen years ago?"

Cloud blew out a long breath, obviously ill at ease.

"Sei's not Ansem anymore," he said quietly. "At least, not in the ways you would think."

Aerith regarded him quizzically.

"Sort of," she began slowly, "like the fact that you were not Sephiroth and Sephiroth was not you, although you both were parts of the same heart?"

"Sort of," Cloud conceded. Aerith was the only person he had ever shared the entirety of his story with. He still wasn't altogether sure how he felt about that fact.

"I see." Then she let out a relieved laugh.

"Actually," she confessed "I'm kind of happy hearing something like that from you. I was beginning to become afraid that you might begrudge Sei for what happened."

"There is certainly reason enough for me," Cloud said with a sardonic smirk. "However, I have better things to do with my time than mull over the past. Unlike" he added, "a certain Leonhart we both know."

"Now that isn't a very nice thing to say," Aerith protested.

Cloud snorted. "Leon needs a kick to the head every once in a while to remind him of what's really important."

"Like /you/ don't," she retorted and then giggled despite herself. "But anyway, that's why he has Yuffie." Yuffie could bring out such unexpected sides of Leon without meaning to.

Aerith shifted the weight of the tray in her hands, looking down at the ceramic pieces balanced on top.

"I'd better get going now before my arms fall off from holding this so long. I guess I'll see you later Cloud."

Cloud nodded.

"All right."

They walked together out into the hall, Aerith pausing for a few moments to watch as Cloud disappeared from sight into a separate corridor. Then she turned and walked down another path towards the room Riku was staying in. The silver-haired young man was sitting at a table in the middle of the room and looked up quickly at the sound of her entrance.

It was still very strange, looking at him wearing that blindfold. Aerith tried to imagine what he might look like if he were not wearing it. Then she wondered if perhaps it were better if she did not try.

"How are you feeling now, Riku?" she asked. "Better, I hope?"

Riku gave a slight, somewhat hesitant nod, and Aerith smiled warmly. He had been so quiet and withdrawn ever since he had arrived. It'd be difficult to get him to open up again, but Aerith was a patient woman. Of course, eventually she'd have to get him to tell her what had happened, but better not to press him too much yet.

"That's good. You gave us all quite a scare, you know?" She sat down across from him and set down the tray. "I brought some tea. We should probably get you something to eat too, just to get your strength up."

She poured out the hot drink and then passed a cup to Riku. Picking up her own cup, she took a sip. For a moment she reveled in the soothing, earthy warmth as it trickled down her throat. What a morning this had been...

Riku took a sip as well, but it seemed more out of impulse and a need to do something with himself than anything else. After a few, silent moments, Aerith spoke up.

"You were in quite a state when they carried you here."

There was a clink as Riku put down his cup. She noticed that he refused to look into her face directly.

"What happened? Were all of you separated?"

Riku didn't answer. Then Aerith stopped her inquiry, looking past him as Yuffie walked into the room.

"Hello Aerith, Riku," Yuffie greeted. In spite of the smile on her lips, there was worry in her face. A stolid looking Leon followed behind the dark-haired ninja.

"It looks like Aerith and the rest of the healers fixed you up pretty well, Riku," Yuffie continued. "Squall and I tried to come in to see you earlier, but there was such a commotion in here---they wouldn't let us in until things had quieted first.

"I thought I saw you earlier," Aerith remarked, looking amused. "But, didn't you have a meeting with Beatrix, Auron, and Kuja?" she asked, turning to Leon.

"I did," he agreed. "We've rescheduled to continue it later this evening as something came up--" Leon flicked his cool stare over to Riku very meaningfully. A flicker of distrust may have appeared on his face, but it was hard sometimes to tell with Leon.

"So what's going on?" Yuffie inquired. "All I caught coming in was something about being separated."

She settled onto a third chair at the table, clasping her arms together on the top.

"So I'm assuming that's what happened, Riku. All of you were separated--or else I'd like to know why Kairi, Sora, and Sei aren't here with you now. Were you attacked by the Heartless? Or...perhaps the Nobody?"

Her voice had become hushed at this point, treading over a matter none of them had any knowledge or experience with.

She, Squall, and Aerith had dealt with Heartless for over nine years. As much as they hated the Heartless, as least they were a familiar threat. The Nobody...where were they to start if suddenly this was the issue they had to deal with?

Riku shook his head to her questions, his silver hair rustling about his pallid face.

"I don't know."

Riku was careful to keep his voice as impassive as he could, but Aerith detected the trace of fear that had slipped out.

"Nothing?" Leon asked, a light touch of skepticism in his voice. Yuffie gave him a reproachful look.

"...I'm sorry. I have nothing else that I can tell you."

"It's all right, Riku," Aerith said. "We understand you've been through a lot."

She sat settled into her chair, putting her hands in her lap.

"I just hope that Kairi, Sora, and Sei are doing all right. Do you think they are still on this world?"

There was a definite dissension in the way Riku shook his head.

"No."

Leon crossed his arms across his chest, the disbelief more than just a little evident in his face. To his credit, however, he tactfully kept any of that cynicism from showing in his next words.

"If that is the case, I'll ask Beatrix to make sure she has someone keeping an eye on the glimmer you four used," he said.

Yuffie clasped her hands behind her back, gazing at Riku with her dark brown eyes. "Good idea, Squall. But until anything else comes up, I think you should probably try to rest, Riku." She waggled a finger at him. "Who knows what'll happen later."

"I agree with Yuffie," Aerith said. "Do you want to stay here or go somewhere else to kill some time?"

Riku paused, clearly considering his options.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

He sounded almost like he didn't trust himself to do anything.

"I think...I'll just take a walk around the castle—-maybe go down to the library or to the training yards. Is that all right?"

"Perfectly," Yuffie told him cheerily. "Feel free to go wherever you want as long as you're here. And don't worry..." she added as they all stood up from the table, pushing back their chairs. "I'm sure you'll be reunited with Kairi, Sora, and Sei soon."

Riku didn't look convinced. Beneath his stony mask, his chest ached with fear and sorrow.

~I'm not afraid of the darkness!

How could he trust himself not to hurt his friends?

###

There was something about Disney Castle that made it seem to be forever suspended in the Light. Looking at everything bathed in the glory of the sun, it was hard to imagine anything bad ever happening. It was difficult to believe that something so terrible as the Heartless even existed and that the stars of the night were slowly winking out one by one, even as she formed all these thoughts.

~the end of our crusade...I'd like to see that day

Had it only been yesterday that she had said those words? It seemed that with every step they took their journey's end only grew farther away. Had it really been a month already? Those first days that she had spent with Riku and Sei as they had been searching for Sora felt like a distant memory.

Kairi raised her eyes and looked side-ways over at the brown-haired young man walking beside her. He seemed so sad and far away, his blue and gold-mottled eyes remote as if his mind were trapped somewhere that no one else could see. When he noticed her studying him, Sora tried to smile at Kairi, to reassure her that everything was okay. His smile was so empty it was difficult for Kairi not to cry.

She began to wonder if what he had said had been the truth, if Riku had really attacked Sora. Sora would never lie about something like that, but...how could it be true? Did this mean the darkness was possessing Riku again? She didn't want to think that was possible, not after all he had suffered. Her eyes burned.

~Riku...

Donald and Goofy walked just ahead of the human pair, and the fox boy led the way in front of them, moving at a brisk trot as the others followed without speaking. Kairi felt eyes turning to stare at the motley group that was trooping down the halls. All the while Goofy and Donald attempted to fill the oppressive silence.

"I'm sure the king will be able to help us clear things up," Goofy said firmly. "We'll find out what's really going on here."

"Right," Donald said in agreement. "You'll be on your way to finding Riku and Sei in no time!"

Kairi sighed quietly. She wasn't sure she believed in such simplistic optimism.

Goofy pulled open the library door and held it open as the rest of the group filed in. To the side of the room, near a pair of cushioned chairs and a small desk, Mickey and Minnie stood talking in hushed tones. Minnie's expression was anxious and worried as she turned a furtive glance towards the newcomers, doing little to reassure Kairi's mind. Pluto sat placidly at the pair's feet, watching the discussion above him. The two quickly finished what they were talking together about and then turned to greet the group. Goofy and Donald at once saluted smartly.

"Your majesties," they greeted in unison.

"It is good to see all you again," Mickey said after Donald and Goofy had addressed their king and queen.

"Yes," Minnie said. "All of you, thank you for coming."

Mickey nodded and then began.

"Although this is a bit of a sudden meeting, I feel it is important that I speak with the two of you before you leave to seek out your companions." He narrowed his gaze to focus on Kairi. The young woman blinked under that piercing gaze, surprised at the power that could be held in the eyes of such a mouse king.

"Now is the time for me to give you, Kairi, something very important and that, until this time, was only necessary for me to carry..."

Mickey held out his hand, and streams of yellow light collected into it, materializing into a golden key with a black and silver handle. There was a flash of white light, and then the key disappeared from Mickey's hands, reappearing in Kairi's. Although the weapon was not remarkably heavy, Kairi found that she had almost dropped the thing from pure shock.

"King Mickey---?"

For a moment she was at a complete loss for words.

"What?!?" Donald cried out, expressing the shock that Kairi couldn't.

Goofy stared perplexedly at Kairi as she stood frozen to the spot before then turning his bewildered look towards the king.

"Your Highness? But why?"

Kairi felt Sora's hand take hers in his, and she squeezed his hand in return. His expression was encouraging and filled her with a quiet reassurance. Her mouth felt remarkably dry, and she swallowed that sensation away before she spoke next.

"How can this be? Why did you---now of all---why /me/ so suddenly?!?"

This was all too much.

"I—-I don't understand," she stammered at last miserably.

"In your present state, I don't expect you to understand," Mickey answered with a sympathetic smile.

Kairi looked from the keyblade in her hand to Mickey's face, then back at the keyblade again.

"Please." Kairi could sense true pleading in his voice. "I only ask that you take the keyblade with you on your search for the door to the light."

Her hand was still shaking, but Kairi closed it into a resolute fist as the keyblade dissolved into a stream of golden dust. She bowed her head.

"I promise I will, Your Majesty."

"You'll do fine. I know you will," Minnie said earnestly as Goofy and Donald nodded in agreement, adding other words of encouragement.

"I am as unsure of these circumstances as you must be, but I trust Mickey and his decisions."

"Thank you, Minnie."

Mickey waved one hand towards the door. "It's still early morning, and Kairi and Sora probably don't want to waste any more time. Shall we proceed to the throne room?" he suggested.

Again the group exited out into the halls, this time drawing yet more stares---if only for the unexpected addition of the king and queen of the castle. They walked into the spacious throne room, and before Kairi could draw her heartkey, Sora stopped and turned to face Mickey.

"We still don't know where Riku and Sei are," Sora pointed out. "Or once we find them, where to even begin looking for the door to the light."

Mickey quirked his brow at the much taller young man.

"You still don't know?"

"Know...?" Sora looked stunned.

The mouse king frowned.

"I'm actually rather surprised, but don't you realize /that/ at least yet?"

Sora shook his head, baffled, and Mickey sighed.

"Ah well. It's bound to come to you eventually. My advice is just keep going--you'll find them."

There was a sound like cool metal and wind, and Sora turned around to find that Kairi had opened the portal.

"As for the door to the light--" Mickey continued.

The pair paused as they stepped up to the gate.

"You can reach Kingdom Hearts through the heart of the worlds, the heart of a fallen star. Remember that, Sora."

"Good luck," Donald called.

"You can do it!" Goofy shouted, waving.

"Take care!" Minnie added after the knight and mage. She stood beside her husband, her hands clasped over her chest as Kairi and Sora waved back and then disappeared.

###

Selphie was sitting on the edge of the porch. She leaned back on her hands and stared off into the distant morning sky.

"So, where do you think he is really from?"

Wakka cast a curious look at her as the young woman spoke out loud. Beside Selphie, Yuna was also sitting on the worn boards, having joined them a few minutes before. Tidus was sprawled in the grass, picking idly at the ends of the gold-green blades.

"What with him falling out of the sky and everything."

"Don't tell me you're still insisting on /that/ story," Wakka cried in disbelief.

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "Cause, well, ya know--things like that jus' don't happen."

Selphie sent him a withering look. Spoilsport. "What would you know? Besides, I know what I saw."

Wakka rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever Selphie."

"Wakka, YOU--!"

Wakka shifted his blitzball to the other hand with obvious lack of concern. "Tidus, back me up on this one."

"Maybe it was a messed up spell—-" Selphie was saying loudly over Wakka "--like, he's a mage or something from the mainland—-or he was on an airship or something—-you know, it doesn't have to be a /completely/ impossible explanation—-"

"Settle down, Selphie..." Yuna cut in calmly.

"But he's being completely impossible!"

"Tidus?" Wakka said again, ignoring Selphie.

Tidus was staring pensively at a small patch of grass just beyond his right foot, thinking. It was a moment before he answered Wakka, and when he did his voice was uncharacteristically contemplative.

"Once," he began, "I heard my old man talking with Yuna's dad Braska. It was really weird, and right after that night five years ago--do you remember what I'm taking about? The night that Riku and Sora disappeared? They were talking about this weird experience Jecht had had. I didn't catch much of it, but Jecht mentioned something about a place called Tranverse Town, or something weird like that. He was talking about other /worlds/."

"I remember that," Yuna said, her eyes widening in understanding.

"Yeah--we were both working in the shrine that day. I didn't understand it back then, but now I wonder..."

Tidus put his hands behind his head and fell back into the grass. "Anyway, my point is...maybe this guy Sei's from another world."

"I hope you're not pulling my leg on this one," Wakka warned.

"Another world?? For real?" Selphie asked in awe. She, for one, had no trouble believing Tidus' story.

"Wow...that's just like the games we used to play when we were kids! I remember that Riku and Sora and Kairi had wanted to get off the islands and explore other worlds...they even built a raft to go sailing on..."

Selphie sat straight up. Her friends could practically see the light bulb going on.

"So /that's/ where they went!!"

~Oh, yeah--~Selphie pumped a mental fist in triumph.

~Selphie, super-genius!

"It makes sense," Yuna agreed. "Even though we can't prove that is what happened."

Selphie would have jumped to her feet as this point--if doing so had not been physically impossible for her at the moment.

"That's where you're wrong!" Selphie cackled manically. "Sei's our proof! We simply have to make him spill all his little secrets--he's bound to know something! Don't you see? It's the perfect plan!"

"I think I'm beginning to feel sorry for this guy," Wakka muttered to Tidus. "Maybe you should have kept your mouth shut—-now we'll never be able to keep her under control."

Tidus nodded with an understanding look on his face. His eyes turned their focus onto someone walking towards them from the other side of the house.

"And here he comes now..."

###

At first, Sei didn't think about much as he walked. It was nice enough simply to feel the warm, tropical breeze on his coppery skin, soothing and comforting all at once, as well as hear the distant sound of waves inter-mingling with the cries of exotic birds and the voices of the local villagers. Then, listening to the people and looking all around at the quaint houses and buildings, he began to wonder what it had been like for Sora, Kairi, and Riku to grow up in this place.

Ansem had never been to the villages of the Destiny Islands. From Ansem's part of their memories, Sei knew that his dark side had only graced with his presence a very small island that Sora and his friends had claimed for themselves off the coast of Coeptus in their youth. One could see the little piece of land from the beach, even swim to it if one had felt the desire, but mostly the children had reached it by paddling out in small boats. And because he had decided that he would not be completely useless during his stay at the island, Sei began to sift through these memories and images of Ansem's doggedly as he tried to decide his next course of action.

In the memories, he saw an island with a bent tree and golden, star-shaped fruits hanging from its branches. A fifteen-year old Riku stood on this island with a wooden practice sword in his hand, staring pensively out into the ocean and the darkening horizon. Snatches of a conversation long forgotten flitted into his mind.

~and suppose there are other worlds... then ours is just a little piece of something much greater

Sei hesitated, smiling regretfully at these fragments of his friends' childhoods before shifting to a different scene---a darkened cavern. Rough, sketchy drawings had been sketched onto the stone walls, obviously done by the hands of children. At the far end of the cavern stood a door covered in intricate gold symbols.

~this world has been connected

A sultry voice spoke from the shadows---the darkness that was once again a part of his heart.

~one who knows nothing can understand nothing

Despite the warmth of the island, Sei suddenly felt very cold. His chest ached, and he had to stop and take a deep, ragged breath.

These places...these were where Sora's, Riku's, and Kairi's adventures had begun, were they not? In whole it had been the haven of their childhood and the place where destiny would first enter their lives. Sei decided that he would go and see this place. He wasn't sure what he expected to find, but he felt he had to do something with himself as long as he was stuck here. He'd ask someone--perhaps Yuna or one of her friends--to show him the way and maybe lend him a boat, even if it meant risking the scrutiny of that weird Selphie girl.

It was then, turning around the side the house, he came upon the small gathering of teen Destiny Islanders, consisting of Yuna, Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus. Sei stared blankly at the group for a minute before finally recovering himself. Yuna greeted him with an amiable expression, Tidus and Wakka flowing suit after her more awkwardly, introducing themselves to the strange foreigner. Even Selphie seemed friendly, although Sei had reason enough to treat her with the most wariness. The look he had caught on her face as he arrived had been reminiscent of a younger Yuffie at her worst.

###

Kairi gasped as the nothingness washed over her senses.

Idiot! In her anxiety she had forgotten that something like this had happened and might happen again...

"Sora!"

She nearly jumped when she heard the sound of her own voice echoing back at her. Sora's voice answered her call.

"I'm here Kairi!"

Kairi nearly felt her knees give way from underneath her in her relief, and she whirled around, bumping into the young man's chest.

"Sora..." She pressed her face into his shirt as he took her in his arms. "I thought...I thought we might have been separated again..."

The void melted away, and then they were standing in the same room in which Kairi had met the non-existent one who had looked like her.

"Kairi, where are we?"

Kairi shook her head as she stepped back, still clutching his hand. "I don't know. But, I've been here before--when I was crossing between the worlds to get to you."

Two people in the stylized hooded coats of the non-existent ones stood a small distance away, watching them impassively. One of them could be guessed to be Sora's mirror image from his build and the small part of his face and his spiky hair that wasn't hidden. The other was a young man neither Kairi nor Sora recognized with a slightly taller, willowy build and short, copper-colored hair shinning from the depths of his hood. Sora's Nobody's lips moved as his voice resounded in their minds.

~Don't pretend you don't know the ___