Well, finally, here is the fourth chapter! It took me a while to write, and then to type up, not least because of the length of it, but also because of being extremely busy with exams...ugh. At the moment, I'm right in the middle of them, so don't expect another update until sometime near the end of June AT THE EARLIEST. Many apologies for this, but that's the most realistic thing I can say at the moment- heh, don't ya just love exams?

Disclaimer: Of course I own Kingdom Hearts. Just as much as I own The Rasmus. long pause I am, of course, being sarcastic. muttered Dammit...

Chapter Four- Beginnings.

"I am your creator, and I can be your destroyer too..."

For a long, long moment, it seemed as though time had frozen in the small house in Cole's Junction. Nobody moved an inch, and it sounded as though the entire world was holding its breath.

Eventually, it was Tyke who broke the silence, choking out a bewildered, "Huh?"

A few things happened at once then: Lucia hurried forward a few steps just as the man half-turned to regard her from the corner of his eye, saying, "Heh. Seems like someone has some explaining to do."

"Don't listen to him, Tyke." Lucia said hastily. "Go back upstairs- don't worry. It's OK."

Tyke stared at her blankly, not really hearing her for the words echoing through his mind.

"Really, Tyke. Is that any way to greet your big brother?"

Brother...

...brother...

.....brother.....

"Hey, little brother!"

Tyke sat down on the stair abruptly, face in his hands in utter confusion. His big brother? He didn't have a brother...that he could remember...

Is this...real?

"Now see what you've done!" he heard Lucia snap. "We both want you to leave- what're you still doing here?"

Maybe I'm dreaming again...

"I get the feeling that that's a slightly biased opinion." The man didn't even sound fazed by the tone in Lucia's voice, or by Tyke's reaction to his greeting. "Surely Tyke can speak for himself- he's fourteen years old, after all."

"I wonder how long it took you to work that out." The woman sneered. "You've been gone long enough."

Tyke looked up at those words- it was the first time she'd acknowledged that maybe he'd known this man once.

"Lucia..." he said uncertainly, causing her to look around sharply- he stared at her without an expression. Is he...telling the truth?"

Lucia exhaled a shaky breath, unwittingly giving the stranger a chance to answer first.

"You mean that you don't remember me?" It sounded almost like a statement- maybe as though he'd expected it. "that's a shame. I had hoped that you wouldn't forget me. But, then again, you were only little when I had to leave, and I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, considering that I've probably not been mentioned in years-"

"That's because blood doesn't make you our brother!" Lucia spat. It was all out now, nobody making any attempt to deny anything. "You abandoned us- I was only fifteen, what was I supposed to do?"

The stranger seemed about to reply when Tyke suddenly stood and interrupted loudly.

"That's enough! Both of you! Stop it!"

Lucia and the man both stared at him- Lucia wide-eyed but the stranger smirking.

"The little lion has a loud roar." He said amusedly.

Tyke narrowed his eyes at him. "I think you both need to tell me what the hell's going on. Now."

His sister sighed heavily, pushing back some of her hair and nodding, not quite meeting his gaze. "You're right. Come sit down. Maybe you should know..."

"He has arrived."

The stone floor was cold and hard beneath him as he remained for a while, on one knee a few feet from the only other person in the room. It was a couple of seconds before the reply came.

"As I expected." The voice was cold and harsh, holding an air of scorn towards anything and everything. "Alone?"

"Yes, sir." He'd learnt to keep his answers as direct as possible when talking to his master.

"Not as I expected." Gloved hands gripped the wooden arms of the large regal chair where the figure was enthroned. "You are sure?"

"Yes, my lord." Because Fate help me if I wasn't...

Another long pause, and the young man sneaked a glance up from the flagged floor at his master- a tall being, concealed completely by a long dark red coat and with bright crimson bandages wrapping over all of his head except for one eye, now turning from the room's arched windows back to him. He hurriedly looked back down.

"So that's his game, is it?" the masked one drawled. "Well, if the King doesn't want to come to us, we shall simply have to go to the King."

Tyke's blue eyes switched back and forth between his sister, now seated, like he was, at the table, and the man claiming to be his long-lost brother, leaning very lightly on the counter opposite him, arms folded across his chest. There was another silence as they watched him, waiting for him to speak.

"I don't even know your name." He was blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

"Gabe." the man supplied. "Gabe Shamira." He gave Tyke a sort-of half smile. "That's what everyone called me."

"And if you're my brother, where have you been all this time?" There was a sort of indignance or annoyance begginning to build up from right inside of him, maybe partly on Lucia's behalf.

"Away." Gabe's eyes were so calm, unreadable. "There's too little time to explain too much- you'll know that answer fully when the time comes. What I need to know now is if you believe me, and how much you're willing to learn."

"Believe you?"

"If you believe me. If you haven't with the little I've told you so far, you won't believe me any further."

"Why?" Tyke frowned, but gained no reply from the older male. He studied him for a while, considering carefully. Gabe's hair was similar to his, only finer and a shade or two darker, wooden beads and a few dark feathers ending a thick braid woven in on one side. His features, almost identical to Tyke's, but altered and matured by age. And the eyes- one as blue as his own, but the other the same brown as Lucia's. The familiarity of his prescence that plagued obscure half-memories into rising just out of Tyke's reach...

"I believe you." He stated clearly, meeting his brother's eyes with a nod which was returned. Lucia made a slight sound, pulling loose hair out of eyes which were fixed firmly on the table, but said nothing.

"Alright." Gabe intoned levelly. "I don't suppose you'll understand much of what I'm about to say, but I merely ask for your trust."

"OK." Tyke was getting impatient now, wanting, needing, to know what was going on- why Gabe was here now after so long, where he'd been all this time, why Lucia was hiding her face in her hands and still hadn't spoken. Tyke looked from her to Gabe.

"Very well..." Gabe straightened fully, uncrossing his arms and staring straight at the younger one. "This has to do with our old world, our home world, with our people...and with destiny."

Apprehension began to rise in Tyke's stomach- he opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't think of any words to speak. Gabe took a slow step closer, looking at Lucia, who glance back up in reply. Tyke watched with growing nerves as she looked at him, a hopeless light in her eyes.

"I..." she whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry..."

"You, Tycho Shamira," Gabe cut in, causing Tyke to refocus his attention at the mention of his full name. "You...are a Keyblade Master."

There was a pause.

"What?"

The young man grinned in something like excitement. "How, my lord? Where do you wish for me to hunt him?"

"Not so fast." the cloaked on drawled. "I don't recall appointing any such task to you."

"But, my lord!" The grin was gone, replaced by an almost desperate light in his green eyes. "I want to prove myself! Let me hunt down the King! Or the Keyblade Master! I-"

"Don't forget yourself, Axel!" the masked figure snapped. "Don't forget that I was the one who created you- or did that slip your mind?"

The young man looked away at the floor, muttering a despondant, "No."

"Good." Axel glanced up just in time to catch a smirk flitting across his master's lips. "Because I already have an assignment lined up for you." There was a slight, cold laugh at Axel's obvious sudden interest.

"What is it, sir?" Eagerness was fuelling the growing impatience in his tone. "What do you wish me to do?"

The sole visible eye of the obscured man locked onto those of his servant.

"You are to go back to where you have come from, and you are to destroy Riku."

Gabe nodded towards the wall behind Tyke, where the fireplace stood. "Go and bring that down over here."

Tyke, face creased in puzzlement, glanced back and realised what it was- the old photograph of his parents, with Lucia and himself. He shot the elder one a brief look before slowly scraping his chair back and rising to comply. He stopped in front of the mantelpiece, reaching up and catching sight of the room's reflection in the glass as he brought it down, noticing his sister sitting alone at the table. His eyes narrowed as subconcious voice piped up.

Wait a sec, why's there only-

"Bring it over here." Gabe's voice interrupted his thought before he could even make sense of it, making him shake his head slightly before returning to his seat and placing the photograph face up in front of them. Lucia drew in a shaky breath and put her hands over her mouth.

"What's a...Keyblade Master?" Tyke asked, glancing between his siblings. Lucia made a slight sound, but didn't reply, whereas Gabe made a nonchalant hand gesture.

"We'll get to that."

"I thought you said there wasn't much time?" Tyke's mind was a whirl of irritation, confusion and impatience, all of which was currently directed at Gabe and his unfaltering calm.

"We don't." the man replied, expression not even flickering. "But there are a few things you need to know first. About the past."

"Then hurry up and tell me." His teeth were gritted now, tone far less polite than before.

"Very well." Gabe surveyed him unhurriedly for a few seconds. "I'm not sure how much Lucia has informed you with, but I assume it wasn't much."

Lucia's eyes slitted at him. "I wanted to protect him!" she hissed, slamming her palms down so suddenly on the table that Tyke jumped. "I tried to do what you wouldn't."

Gabe didn't even look at her as he gestured at the photograph and began to speak again.

"Or world is- or, perhaps more accurately, was- a place called Mana. It was a rural sort of place, very different to here...maybe some would call it a wilderness. But we were happy." Gabe's mismatched eyes regarded both of his listeners briefly before his gloved hand pointed out the two eldest in the picture to Tyke. "Our parents were part of what was known as the Thirteenth Order- that was what our tribe called ourselves. The Order's main purpose concerned particular knowledge, maybe sort of prophecies, about the Worlds."

"The Worlds?" Tyke frowned.

"Apart from this world and our own, there are countless other existences." Gabe supplied. Tyke nodded slowly, wondering why he'd never really thought of that before. "Usually, these worlds- what the Order called 'Present Worlds'- are completely separate from each other. Nobody can get into them and no one can get out.

"So how did we end up here?" the younger one blurted out, looking between his brother and sister, before focusing again on the former. "And why haven't you been here in Cole's Junction for so long? How did you get out? Wh-"

Gabe held up a hand to silence him. "I'll explain."

"Tyke-" The boy looked round at Lucia, who reached out and took his left hand in both of hers, eyes wide and seemingly imploring. "Tyke, you don't have to hear this. If you don't want to hear it, you don't have to listen to him."

Gabe shook his head slightly, the beads of his braid rattling quietly. "It's not your descision, Luci. He's made up his mind already- right, Tyke?"

Tyke glanced up. "Uh...yeah." He looked back at his sister. "I want to know, Lucia. I want to hear it." Please understand...

Lucia made no reply save a small noise in the back of her throat, instead giving his hand a slight squeeze.

"Every world has its own wall." Gabe started up again as though nothing had happened. "You may not be able to see them or sense them, but they are there. However, for one reason or another, these walls can become damaged or broken down. And on of these reasons-" He paused, looking Tyke directly in the eyes. "Is force."

"Force?" Tyke asked, somewhat confusedly. "You mean..." He trailed off, receiving a nod from the other male.

"Yes. Beings known as the Heartless attack worlds in an attempt to drown them and their inhabitants in darkness." Tyke wasn't sure whether or not he could hear a sort of resigned sorrow underlying in Gabe's voice. "Most often, they succeed in their destruction."

"Is that...with our world?" He shifted uncomfortably. "Did these...whatever they are...did they..."

"Yes." To his surprise, it was Lucia who answered, and he looked around at her with wide eyes. Her face was pale and her eyes fixed directly on the table. "The Heartless came to Mana ten years ago and killed everyone- our family, our friends..." She swallowed hard before meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry, Tyke."

"So, how come we're here?" For some reason, even unknown to himself, he wasn't finding this difficult to understand. In fact, it...made sense.

"Lucia and I were ordered to escape with you immediately." Gabe's reply was almost mechanical. "We managed to bring you here, to this world, which has fortunately remained safe for all these years. But now, within the past few of those years, some help has arrived." That very slight half smile pulled at the corner of his lips again. "those destined for the Keyblades were summoned by Fate, just as the Order knew they would be- except for one." Unequal eyes regarded him levelly.

"Me?" Tyke asked, although he knew the answer even before Gabe's calm nod. He swallowed, pulling his hand from Lucia's and hiding his face in his fingers, not knowing how he was supposed to react.

"The prophecies of the Order referred to a 'protector', some sort of 'guardian'." Gabe said. "And, as far as they managed to work out, it's supposed to be you. You are the one who will guard the Keybladers and maintain the equilibrium."

Tyke gulped again, running his hands up through his hair, gaze falling onto the framed photograph. The parents whose faces he couldn't himself remember smiled up at him, with his younger version sitting between them and grinning widely. Lucia, teenaged and missing her scar, stood behind them with a happy expression. Stalling, uncertain, almost not wanting to believe, he burst out, "If you're telling the truth, why aren't you in this picture?"

He was met with that almost non-existent twitch of his brother's lips and glared at the pause before the almost amused reply.

"I'm not quite sure. Try taking it out of the frame."

With a frown, Tyke took the object in his hands and turned it over, sliding the clasps of the frame back and doing as Gabe had instructed- from the corner of his eye, he could see Lucia clamping a hand over her mouth and overcome by a slight trembling- pulling out and flipping over the photograph to examine it.

His eyes widened and he ran slightly shaking fingers over a torn section previously concealed by the casing. Around the ragged edge, he could make out a fold of clothing, the ends of a few blonde spikes, half a hand.

...sitting on the stairs, shouts, angry hisses...a rip, a door slamming...tears and finality...

He looked up. Gabe's expression hadn't altered at all except for a slight arching of one eyebrow.

"Does that answer your question, little brother?" Tyke glanced from the man to see Lucia clamping paling lips together and clenching her fists tightly as though she was trying to hold back an undescribably anger. "Do you want to ask anything more before the ultimate question?"

Tyke studied him with narrowed eyes, hesitating before asking slowly, "What do you mean, 'ultimate question'?"

Gabe still remained impassive as he answered.

"Whether or not you are prepared to leave everything you know behind to face up to destiny."

Silence descended once more.

Axel leapt to his feet.

"What?" he half-shouted, disbelief obvious. "You can't mean that! What would be the p-"

"Silence!" The cloaked one made a sharp hand gesture, causing the younger to jerk back, clutching his ribs with a grunt. He continued in a low, menacing tone, "Don't forget yourself, Axel. I am the master here, and you will do as I say, understand?" He raised his hand again as if to inflict more pain, but did not move it.

"Y-yes, my lord." Axel groaned, before straightening and releasing his chest. "But sir-"

"You dare question me?" the masked man snarled. "You dare talk back to me as though we are equals?"

"No!" His voice was rising now in something like agitation. "But, my lord, why send me?" He gestured wildly. "That place is crawling with mercenaries and assassins- why not just hire one of them?"

"Because this is not a job for them." his master growled, leaning forward slightly and gripping the arms of the large chair tightly, continuing in a hiss. "You do not fully realise what you are saying- you would leave this task in the hands of another?" A cold laugh. "How naïve..."

Axel bristled, and made a desperate last attempt to save face, voice even louder now.

"But, sir, I really think I should search for the Keyblade Master! We have to eliminate him- I could go and find him, kill him, and our problems would be so much less-"

An arm swept down through the air- Axel cried out as an unseen force collided with his entire body and sent him flying back into the wall behind him- he slumped to the floor-

"Insolent fool!" his master roared. "You talk of 'we' and 'our' as if we were partners, equals, and you seem to ignore reality!"

Green eyes glared up at the masked figure though wild red hair.

"I am your creator," he hissed. "And I can be your destroyer too- now stand!"

Axel rose shakily but immediately, muscles protesting against the pain.

"Now get out." The master stated, voice low and dangerous. "Return at once to the World of Balance and do as I have told you!"

Axel hesitated very slightly before bowing and turning to go.

"Yes, my lord."

Tyke continued to stare at the photograph on the table in front of him, immersed in thought but concious all the while of how closely his siblings were watching him. After a long while, he looked up at Gabe and said quietly, "I don't have any choice, do I?"

Gabe shifted his head slightly. "It depends on your point of view. Depends on whether you are willing or not." Tyke looked away and he carried on. "Ideally, I could take the time to fully prepare you for this and tell you all you need to learn, but this isn't an ideal situation. I need to know now, Tyke- will you help us?"

There was a second's pause before Tyke met his gaze with determination.

"I will."

His brother gave something near a half-grin and nodded, just as there came a quiet "Tyke..."

Tyke whipped his gaze around to Lucia, face now almost blank as her fists slowly uncurled, and a sense of horrible guilt came over him when he saw her unreadable brown eyes.

"Lucia...I'm...I...sis...I've gotta do this." He dropped his eyes to his lap, whispering, "I'm sorry..."

"No. I am."

He looked up wide-eyed as she rose, sighing. "I'm sorry that I never let you know about this, any of it." She pursed her lips briefly, putting her hands on her hips. "But I want you to understand that all I ever wanted to do was protect you, that's all. I shouldn't have hidden it, that was wrong, and I understand that now, but I only wanted you to be safe and happy. That's all."

Tyke stood up to face her, slightly shakily. "I know, sis." He didn't want to tell her about the nerves and uncertainty bubbling away in his gut.

She gave him a small, sad smile, moving her hands to his shoulders. "If you're sure you're going to go, just remember that you'll always have a home here with me in Cole's Junction, and..." She pulled him into a sudden hug. "I love you."

He put his arms around her quickly before she pulled back. "Yeah, uh...you too." He'd never been any good with this stuff, and it didn't help at all that he knew Gabe was crossing his arms and smirking at them. He scrubbed absently at the back of his neck before suddenly remembering. "Oh- god- what about Bi-"

Lucia nodded, cutting him off. "Don't worry. I'll tell Biggs, Wedge and Jessie for you. But I'll also tell them that you'll be back." The smile grew slightly, and he shifted when he noticed a hint of something shining in her eye- he hoped she wasn't going to cry. "I want you to remember what I told you, stay safe, and come home eventually." She nodded, clapped his shoulder, and then stepped back. "No go. Do what your heart tells you, but don't ignore your mind or soul either."

With a somewhat confused nod, Tyke turned and walked over to Gabe, who had uncrossed his arms again and begun to head towards the door. When there, he stepped aside and waved for Tyke to open it, which the boy moved to do.

"Wait."

Tyke stopped, hand on the doorknob, and looked round to see Lucia pacing forward- but her dark eyes were looking past him at Gabe. He looked between the two, uneasy with the growing atmosphere.

"I haven't placed my trust in you for a very long time, brother," Lucia said, sarcasm emphasising the last word as she drew herself up determinedly. "It's not something I have had to do, nor wanted to. But now, I'm telling you to guard him with your life. Don't let him out of your sight. Make sure nothing harms him."

Gabe smirked again. "Of course, Luci. He's my brother too, after all."

She returned this with a cold smile. "I may not have picked up my axe in ten years, but I swear to you now, Gabriel- if anything hurts Tyke in any way at all, I'll cleave your head from your neck the minute I next see you. Understand?"

Tyke gaped at her, frozen to the spot. Wow, I never knew she could be like that!

Gabe, however, didn't even flinch.

"Perfectly." He moved closer to the door and gestured for Tyke to carry on- which he did after a further stunned pause. "Just remember, we all have our parts to play- even you, Lucia."

He strode out past Tyke and into the street. Tyke looked at Lucia's grim expression as she remained motionless for a second before nodding at him.

"Go."

"Tyke, come." Gabe interrupted from outside. Jolting out of his thoughts, he smiled and nodded back at his sister.

"Bye Lucia."

With that, he shut the door of his home behind him and looked around to face Gabe- who had already begun to move away. Tyke sighed heavily, glancing up at the now much darker sky just as the silvery trail of a shooting star began to fade.

"Tycho!"

Tyke snapped his gaze around with a start, realising suddenly that Gabe was already nearly halfway down the street and still continuing. He skittered a few steps before breaking into a run to catch up.

"Hey, slow down a bit." He said. "What's the big rush?"

"I've already said we don't have much time." Gabe paused, Tyke catching his breath as he did so, and looked up. The younger saw this and copied him, catching sight of another star's trail dying as a third shot across. When he looked back at Gabe, his brother was expressionless.

"It seems we have even less than I feared." He added quietly, jerking the hood of his long coat up so that all of his face was either conceled or cast into shadow. Tyke frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but Gabe was walking on again.

"Hey!" Tyke had to jog to keep up with his brother's pace as they continued through the streets of the town. "Gabe, what's going on? What are you talking about?"

"Never mind." Gabe's reply was short, his voice harsh- Tyke blinked and nearly stopped in surprise. "It doesn't matter yet. All we have to worry about at the moment is getting there."

Tyke could feel the Livella Crystal slapping against his leg where it still lay in his pocket. "Get where? Gabe, tell me!"

"You'll see." It was obvious by now that Gabe's teeth were gritted, and he sounded...in pain?

A fourth star shot across the sky, followed quickly by another one, and then another.

A meteor shower...

Tyke took in his surroundings quickly, and suddenly realised where they were headed.

The Vita Tree.

And the way they were going...Tyke looked around hurriedly at the brick walls, not sure whether or not he expected to see something abnormal.

"Hey!" he gasped out. "this is where I saw that thing, and it disappeared-" He blinked as Gabe bit off something like a curse, but didn't have chance to question it as they charged on, carrying on further down the road and turning off down another.

His lungs and throat were burning as they emerged from the maze of the town by the river. Tyke rushed forward, skidding to a halt halfway across the wooden bridge when he realised Gabe had fallen aside before it. Above them, the sky was ablaze with shimmering comets, glinting and reflecting off of the Crystals of the enormous Vita Tree.

Tyke loked back frantically, finding his brother hunched slightly, a hand clutching his chest.

"What's happening, Gabe?" He was starting to get frantic now.

His brother just shook his head. "Go- on. I'll...I'll meet you there."

"Meet me where? Gabe!"

"Get to the Tree! Go on!"

With a slight hesitation, Tyke turned his focus back to the Vita Tree, eyes widening as a silvery shape began to bleed into view on the trunk- first the curve of a circle, almost complete before the lines broke away and carried on straight.

A keyhole?

"Meet me where?" he shouted again, looking back and stopping dead.

There was no one there.

"Gabe! Gabe, where are you?"

I'll meet you...

Tyke turned right around, yelling out in surprise at the sound of Gabe's clear, quiet voice. Still there was no one- he was completely alone.

Where 'there' is...

"What?" he yelled, fists clenched as he looked wildly about. "Gabe! Quit it!"

His eye was caught by something nearby- he looked up and gasped as the star fell straight towards him.

I'll see you soon.

No time to move- no chance to avoid it- he was frozen to the spot.

Don't be afraid.

There was a blinding flash of white, and then darkness all around him.

Well, now you see what I meant by a long chapter. Hahaha, it was hell to type. Ugh. But thanks once again to DemonSurfer, my loyal reviewer- and I don't think Riku's hearing that voice, seeing as I don't even know what Infector3 is, heheh. So I hope you enjoyed it and will review (please), and see you sometime near July!