Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the video game(I wish), or the appearances of the five unknowns, but the personalities of Terra, Kevaul, Lycole, Caliga, and Lutian are mine.

a/n: This was written before I knew that Riku was one the blindfolded unknown, so please don't berate me about that. After all, we love Caliga don't we?

To Walk the Third Path

Part One: Dreams


It was dark, very dark. The stars shone only dimly in the sky, there was no moon. Across a vast expanse of grass wound a small dirt road. There was a place where the road split, paths snaking off in all directions. At this crossroad a lone figure stood, staring wordlessly up at the sky. The weak light of the stars reflected in his bright blue eyes, he wore a blue, white, and black coat over a red body suit. At his side hung a chain of linked silver crowns, around his neck hung a larger crown on a chain. His spiky brown hair sprouted in all directions. He looked back at the crossroads wondering which he should take.

He heard quiet footsteps behind him, on the road from which he had just come. He knew who it was and didn't bother turning. The being in the long black coat stopped behind him and murmured, "sooner or later everyone comes to this crossroad. For some the choice is easy, for others it is difficult. I have watched many come and go, none of their choices was as difficult to make as yours. You must make a choice whether it is the right one only you can say. But your choice will cost something very dear to you. A sacrifice everyone must make."

The boy closed his eyes, biting a lip. "Where do these paths lead? I can't see past the veil of the night." He asked. The figure walked right up to his side.

The phantom pointed to one of the three roads. "This path leads to darkness, and this one to light."

The boy took a step toward the path of light, before he stopped and turned to face the specter. "And the other?" he inquired.

The phantom was silent for a moment. Choosing his words with care he replied. "That path leads to neither to light or to darkness, but both." The boy gave him a puzzled look, so the specter went on. "Long ago, before time itself was born. Light and darkness were one; they worked in harmony with each other. For without darkness there can be no light to brighten it. And without light there is no shadow. They were torn apart by a force of which I do not even know. But now the light has been imprisoned within the darkness.

"There are three choices for you here. You fail and your heart is engulfed by darkness. You succeed in freeing the light and it annihilates darkness. Or…" he hesitated. "Or you do what before you have done and fight both for light and for darkness. Fight for the harmony of all worlds. Because long ago all worlds were one as well."

The figure fell silent and watched the boy. The path of light held his gaze, he looked down it for a long time. But then his eyes flashed, and he turned and walked down the path of both light and darkness.

The specter watched him go, then reached up and slid his hood down. The face underneath was the same as the boy who was walking away. The boy turned and looked

at the unknown character, only to look into his own eyes. Yet not his own, a tiny smile crossed the boy's lips and he turned back and continued walking.

Sora's eyes snapped open and he sat up. Taking deep breaths as his heart rate returned to normal. Donald and Goofy were snoring near by; Sora watched them for a moment then got up. He padded quietly away from their chosen place to sleep, then sat down to think. The boy in the dream had been him, but it had been him two years ago. When he, Kairi, and Riku had first left the Destiny Isles. Riku and Kairi, Sora bit his lip. He wished he had someone to talk to, someone who could help him sort out the dreams. The dream had not been new to him; he'd had it before.

Sora reached over his shoulder and drew the Keyblade from midair. Its familiar weight seemed like nothing compared to the apprehension and worry he carried on his shoulders. It all had something to do with the Keyblade. He was just its wielder, no one particularly special. A greater lie Sora could not have told himself, but he did not know the half of who he really was.

As Sora stared at the Keyblade, glittering magnificently in the moonlight. He saw its shadow cast upon the grass. Everything casts a shadow he thought and everything has a light. He knew suddenly why in the dream he had chosen the middle path. It was because of Riku and Kairi. Kairi had chosen clear and pure light, while Riku had chosen the shrouded and murky darkness. Sora wanted to save them both, so he took the path of both.

Sora stood then staring at the sky, the Keyblade gripped tightly in one hand. He willed the voice to speak to him, the voice that had guided him through his journey when he was fourteen. Sora was sixteen now, he Donald and Goofy had been searching for two years. Searching for the door, for King Mickey, for Riku. But they'd found nothing. Then he heard it, not heard, felt really. Felt it deep in the core of his heart, the voice came forth.

"Another side, another story. A fragmented tale, a world without you, the eyes will close. Behind the darkness, the door to the light. A world between, a forgotten world, the gathering. A creation, born of ignorance. The thirteenth order, the nonexistent"

It sounded merely like a jumble of information. Sora sighed sooner or later it would all fit into place. He knew that his adventure before had not been the end. No it was only the beginning. Quietly he walked back to Donald and Goofy who were still snoring. Sora smiled crookedly as he watched them, he was glad that he did not have to fight alone. He was glad they were there with him. Silently Sora lay back down and as he drifted off into sleep an idea came to him.

Riku staggered forward, his strength failing. "Sora…Kairi…I'm sorry." He stumbled falling to his knees. Riku looked up, "Is this…the world of death?" A thin aura of light surrounded him his form flickered in and out of focus. But then he snapped his head up eyes blazing, "I can't disappear yet. Not until I've met Sora and Kairi one last time." He forced himself to his feet, struggling to keep walking forward.

But then a voice floated out of the shadows. "Riku, can you hear me? I'll be there soon."

Riku whirled around, but there was nothing, just darkness. "Who's there?"

"I've been talking to you all along. By my words were hindered by the darkness covering your heart."

"…?" Riku didn't say anything. Though his mind was reeling with questions, perhaps this bodiless voice would explain itself.

"Another Keyblade, I've gotten another Keyblade for this side."

"I don't know who you are, but…what's happened to me?" Riku asked shakily not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"Your heart overcame the darkness." The voice replied. "But you couldn't take back your body. So only your heart was left behind in this dark side where stolen hearts are gathered."

Riku wasn't sure this fate was any better than being dead. "What should I do?" he asked turning to face the path that lead out of the Abyss.

The other hesitated before answering. "The door of darkness that is soon going to appear... that door, through which we cannot pass... in order to close it, two keys and two hearts are needed. Perhaps you too, like me, come here for that purpose.
Maybe it was fate.

"Fate... You know everything, don't you? If that's so, I want you to tell me one more thing... Are Sora and Kairi safe?

"You yourself should be able to feel their hearts."

Riku closed his eyes and looked deep inside himself. Digging through the deepest recesses of his heart. An image of Sora was conjured in his mind.

"How you perceive your friends... is dependent on your own heart." The voice spoke quietly.

Riku opened his eyes, he'd felt them, both of them. Riku smiled and the traces of pain withered away. "Thank you" he breathed and continued walking.

Kairi paused on the top of the hill, quietly she looked out across the village. And beyond to the small island a little ways off shore. A small breeze blew past her, making Kairi's long brown-red hair dance around her face. Without a thought she tucked the hair back behind her ear and kept walking.

She walked to the docks and two solitary boats drawn up on the shore caught her gaze. She felt a lump in her throat; they had been Sora's and Riku's. Kairi hurriedly swallowed the lump. She would not cry for them, because they were coming back. Kairi turned to her own boat and clambered into it. Silently she rowed out to the small island just off shore.

When she reached it Kairi got out of the boat and walked along the path by the pond. She pushed through the hanging ivy that hid a tunnel from view. From just inside the mouth of the cave, she picked up a practice sword sitting on a ledge. Shouldering the sword Kairi walked determinedly down the tunnel. She came out in the Secret Place, where there were drawings all over the walls. Her eyes were caught by two drawings, the two that she and Sora had made when they were just kids.

Kairi sighed and held out the practice sword, preparing for her drills. In front of her was the door that lead out of her world, the door that had started this all in the first place. Suddenly something glittered in front of her. Kairi looked curiously at it and bent to pick it up. Suddenly a great overwhelming sorrow seized her heart as she realized what it was. It was the small key chain she had given Sora for luck. Kairi's vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

She clutched the key chain to her heart and whispered. "Sora, will you ever come back?"

"I said I would didn't I?" Asked a voice behind her. Kairi whirled around, Sora was leaning casually against the wall."