A/N: Hey everyone! First of all, thanks for reading my fic :) I've had the most fun with this one than anything else I've ever written, I think. A couple specific thanks are in order, I believe.

First, Arcadia Silver, thanks for beta-ing some of my chapters. It's always great to have someone who's so much of a KH fan help me touch up parts, and give me ideas for the little stuff I can't figure out. I mean really, do you think I could have come up with a pantry when I can't even walk across a room without falling flat on my face? Thanks chica :)

EightofSwords – thanks so much for reviewing Infinity! You're the second person to ever review that, and it made me feel good because that's probably one of my favorite stories I've ever written. I can't believe you even reviewed my stuff – I absolutely love your work. All you other people out here, read her stuff, it's really great!

Sorry for the long notes and short chapter, I usually never rant this long, and I've been trying to put out longer chapters, but I wanted to suspense-y this one. Enjoy, and please review :)

Disclaimer: Do I have to do this every time? I mean really, it's pure torture the first time, and you just keep wanting me to give and give. Well I won't! I refuse to give you the satisfaction of admitting that they're night mine!

Chapter 6: Darkness

Sora's stomach gave a sickening lurch as the light enveloped him. Suddenly he was flying down a tunnel, holding the hands of Donald and Sailor Mercury. Colored light swirled all around him, and wind whipped at his face and hands, startlingly cold. He gasped, trying to breathe but not finding air. He tried to cry out for help, but no words came. Sailor Mercury looked at him and gave his hand a comforting squeeze, and her light voice filled his head.

Do not worry so, Sora. This is the gate of Time and Space. From here, we can go anywhere, anywhen. We are not supposed to use it at our leisure, as you seem to be able to travel through space so easily, but sometimes rules can be bent.

So this is what it really looks like when you travel through space? Sora wondered. Whenever I've used doors it was instantaneous, we never saw anything like this.

That's because it was instantaneous, as you said. You probably traveled through much the same type of tunnel, but something allowed you to step from one place to another without any time elapsing. When all of this is over, I would very much like to talk to you about the mechanics of your traveling techniques. And I would also like to see this...Gummi ship...that you spoke of earlier. She smiled reassuringly at him, and before he knew it the stomach-churning ride was over.

The light intensified until he once again was blinded by it, and he felt his feet suddenly on the ground again. No perception of slowly settling back to the earth, just a sudden, jolting realization that he was once again on firm ground, as though he'd never left it in the first place.

He slowly shook his head, clearing it of the stuffy, cobwebby feeling he had built up over his brief flight. He looked around, expecting to see a room much like the one they had just left. Instead the walls were made of a very dark, almost black stone, which was striking in contrast to the green crystal of the Palace. Large covered bins and cabinets filled the room. With a start, he realized that he was in a pantry. The shelves on the walls were lined with numerous non-perishable items just waiting to be prepared.

I guess I've never really thought about the bad guys waking up for a bowl of Cheerios. As soon as the thought it, an image filled his head of a little shadow Heartless sitting at the table in a small, sunny kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal. It took a lot for him to keep from chuckling. Instead, he feigned a cough.

The new Sailor Moon had closed her eyes as soon as they had entered the room. Now she opened them, and the determination was still evident there, and they could all see it. She headed for the door, and when Mars opened her mouth to ask where she was going, Sailor Moon waved her hand in an impatient manner without even looking back.

"She's here, and I'm going to find her."

With that, she opened the door and strolled out. Once she was through it, they heard the rapid fall of her boots as she took off at full speed. Sora looked at Jupiter, who was closest to the door. She shrugged her shoulders and ran for the door, with everyone else close behind.

Usagi ran, her heart racing. She could feel the oppressive darkness bearing down on her, both physically and mentally. She tried to put it out of her mind; there were much more important things to be worrying about just then.

Her boot heels clattered on the dark stones which her legs were fast eating away, ricocheting around the hallway like bullets. Her heartbeat was louder than she'd ever heard it, and it was growing louder with every step, filling her ears until she thought her mind would burst. She knew the others were right behind her, but all she could think of was her daughter.

Chibi-Usa.

Oh god. Her pain, her fear, her existence was surrounding her, overwhelming her senses until she couldn't breathe. Her poor, frightened daughter was trapped here somewhere, calling out to her mother to save her. Usagi followed that cry like a hound to a downed bird.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Her daughter was supposed to grow up peacefully, at least until the inhabitants of the Black Moon came back to reclaim their lost homeland. She wasn't even supposed to be old enough to be the princess, or Sailor Moon, or anything. She was only a few months old! How could they want her? Why did they take her? It was all she could do to keep from screaming and crying, but she pressed on. Her daughter was here, and nothing would keep her from saving her.

Sora ran in the middle of the group, next to Mercury and in front of Donald and Goofy. Every now and then he would hear Donald squawk in fury as Goofy stepped on his foot and nearly sent him flying through the air – managing to catch him just before he went sprawling to the hard stone. For a brief moment, a warm smile crossed Sora's face.

Despite the years they had spent together and the way they had been tempered by their lengthy and often painfully difficult journeys, his friends hadn't really changed much. Even when the situation was dire, he could always count on them to remain as their unusual, highly interesting and entertaining selves.

His short moment of amusement ended as they rounded a corner and came to a large, solid wooden door. It looked pretty thick, and above the doorknob was a big, heavy-looking key-lock. He was willing to bet it was locked, and sure enough when Sailor Moon tried the knob it wouldn't turn. She began pounding it with her fists as if she could fight it open. Sora turned to face Donald and Goofy as they halted before the door and one of the girls went to prevent Sailor Moon from hurting herself. He nodded to them, and they nodded back in turn.

Usagi cried out as Jupiter's hands closed over her arms, keeping her from hitting the door anymore.

"Let go! She's in there! I have to save her!"

"You won't save her by bloodying your fists on the door." She gently pulled her away from the door, still holding onto her arms. "Why don't we see if maybe I can get this door open?" That last bit sounded somewhat doubtful. Donald's voice suddenly piped up from behind the clustered senshi.

"Outta the way girls!"

"Excuse us ladies." Goofy, while still bashful around the senshi, was able to maintain a bit more dignity than his feathered companion. The girls, slightly confused, backed away from the door. Sora, Donald, and Goofy lined up against the wall across from the door. When Sora nodded, they all sprang forward into a dead run towards the door.

Venus raised a hand to keep them form hurting themselves, but it was too late. All three of them hurtled into the door with a resounding crash. The senshi could do little more than gape as the door shattered inward with almost no effort. As they disappeared through the doorway, Sailor Moon sprang forward after them, pulling herself free of Jupiter's strong grip, and once again the other senshi could do nothing but follow her into the darkness.

And darkness it was - the haunted darkness that large rooms in very old places seem to acquire over time. There was a sense of vastness about the room that almost made it seem like a cave in some deserted mountain. Though the darkness was thick, and the room incredibly large, there was definitely a complete lack of something that many such rooms often did have – emptiness.