Welcome to Chapter 1 of The Darkheart Crystal. tDC is Part 3 of a larger work called The Fragmented Tale; the 'parts' in order are Genetermina, Kingdom Hearts, The Darkheart Crystal, and Breaking Eight. tDC is already completed, but I will be posting it in chunks. Enjoy.

Chapter 1 - Kydran

"The stars are blinking out again... it doesn't make sense! We closed Kingdom Hearts!"

"I don't know how, either. But the walls are falling anyway, and the Darkness is taking the worlds back."

The small room in the Second District was quiet then. Sora's expression reflected his frustration, and Leon's features were grim. The two sat, looking at each other, searching for an answer neither of them possessed. Then the fifteen-year-old boy, Sora, spoke.

"The Kingdom Key is still with me, so I guess that means is still has a purpose. Kingdom Hearts must not be fully closed... man, I wish things would just start making sense!" He threw his arms up in exasperation, and moved to the window overlooking the Second District in its entirety.

Traverse Town was much, much busier at that time than ever before. Sora and Leon were in a room twelve stories up, in one of many large structures that had been built to accommodate the masses of people appearing in alleyways and street corners and closets and anywhere somebody wasn't looking.

"It's as if the Darkness isn't even bothering with people's hearts anymore," observed Aerith at the beginning of the discussion, prior to her running off on an errand to the Accessory Shop.

True enough, it seemed. Traverse Town wasn't just bustling with people, however. Animals, aliens, plants, and any other thing that could possibly possess a heart 'appeared' in Traverse Town. The world itself had nearly doubled in size, but it was now limited to the two original districts. Sora had visited the Third. He had no desire to go back.

"Cid's gummi shop is still in business, right? Maybe I should just get a ship together and go."

"I don't think you should, Sora," Leon replied. "Donald and Goofy aren't with you. You can't go alone."

Sora looked to the shag carpet of the little apartment, and sighed. It was true. Donald and Goofy were nowhere to be found. Leon had asked him upon his arrival where they were, but Sora could only shake his head and point out that he had gotten into Town the same way that he had the first time. He awoke in an alley. All alone.

Alone, except for his Keyblade.

"I still need to see what's happening," Sora retorted, his headstrong attitude becoming apparent. "I'm the Keyblade Master. Isn't it my duty?"

"Your duty won't mean anything if you lose your heart," Leon replied coolly, standing up from the seat he had occupied. He headed toward the door.

"Too many questions," Sora sighed, getting up and following Leon to the doorway. The warrior, sporting longish brown hair and a black outfit, opened the door for the boy with the bright red jumpsuit and hoodie-vest.

"Look," said Leon, closing the door behind him as he removed his weapon, the gunblade, from the nook beside the door frame, "We'll find the others, talk to them, and figure something out. Something has to be done."

Sora only nodded. His brow was furrowed in thought.

"Sounds like a plan."

So the two made their way to the First District.

Wake up.

"Wha...? What?"

Come on, wake up.

"Who are you? What's... what's going on?"

It doesn't matter. Wake up before it wakes up.

"He...? Is this... inside my head...? I must have fallen... really hard..."

"Wake up!"

"Ungh... huh?"

"Well? You just gonna lay there all day? I don't have all the time in the world, you know."

The voice sounded annoyed, but the boy had to smile. He liked the sound of that voice; it was sweet, mellow, it reminded him of-

She shook him. His body reacted by jolting his eyes open and flailing. His voice opened up into what could be defined as an "Ack!", but came out sounding more like a "Wagh!". She looked into his strikingly handsome green eyes. He looked into her own soft violet eyes. He began to chuckle. Startled by a face as pretty as that? Had to be some kind of joke.

"See? I knew you weren't dead," she joked, smiling and straightening herself. She ran a hand through her semi-long black hair and shook her head, doing so in disbelief, but more in the acknowledgment of irony. "You're not the first person to show up in a random alleyway."

He picked himself up, and looked himself over. He felt fine. A little groggy, but otherwise fine. His clothing was intact. The young man looked over his awakener. She seemed fine, too.

The young man was well dressed, stylishly to say the least. He sported a pair of black, very baggy pants, from which hung a number of belts and buckles and zippers, all of which were for looks, but looked they did. He wore a black t-shirt, the sleeves of which flared out and fell just past his elbows. Over the shirt was a black leather vest with a high collar, and the girl spotted a thick silver chain about his neck. He didn't appear used to being 'checked out'; he grinned lopsidedly, and an awkward moment passed until finally she spoke.

"I suppose you could start by giving me your name."

Here, the young man opened his mouth, as if to say something, let the name roll right off his tongue, but found himself unable to do so. He frowned. He tried to say his name again, and then held himself silent, feeling as though he would give her the wrong name.

"Maybe you hit your head a little hard. I'm Pandora. You just keep working on that name. Come on, there's places to go for guys like you."

"Guys like me?"

"I'll say it again, then. 'You're not the first person to show up in a random alleyway,'" smiled Pandora, pivoting on the ball of her foot and walking away. The boy jogged to catch up with her, and then fell into a frantic reverie to collect his name.

"Before you go asking the series of questions that accompanies showing up in a strange town in a strange alley meeting strange people with no idea what to do, I'll explain a few things. This is Traverse Town. It's where people go when their worlds have been destroyed; imagine it like the beach

(beach?)

that you would wash up on after your boat sinks. Nobody here's a 'native'; it's like one giant hotel. Nobody wants to be here forever, but they don't have anyplace to go, either."

"Kydran."

"Huh?"

"My name is Kydran," said the black-haired boy, finally having achieved a name whilst absorbing the information Pandora was feeding him. He couldn't resist listening to her, and certainly couldn't resist looking at her. He felt drawn. Kydran prayed she didn't notice.

"Oh, good, you remembered it! Now, just a word of advice: don't go around asking people about their pasts. Everyone's got a sad history here."

"That's fine," said Kydran, and it was true. He didn't want to know, at least for the time being.

Pandora navigated the streets, and Kydran was too dazed to keep track of all the lefts and rights. He couldn't recall ever seeing so many people, much less so many different kinds of people and entities gathered in one spot, going about their own individual business.

"This is the Second District. There are three Districts in Traverse Town. They're aptly named the First, Second, and Third Districts."

Kydran found himself wondering how old Pandora was. She looked to be his own age, which he couldn't recall, either. Fifteen. Sixteen, maybe.

"The Second District has all the housing; it's where the majority of the people live. The First District is where all the shops are. If you can't find something in the First District, you won't find it anywhere. And then there's the Synth Shop if you like making things. The Third District, however, is deserted. It hasn't grown at all for at least a year; nobody will go in. It's infested with Heartless. I'm sure you've run across them. Little black creatures, big black creatures, gnarly little antennae, creepy glowing yellow eyes..."

"I can't say that I have," replied the boy, and he was again lost in thought.

"That's strange. Either way, don't go in the Third District unless you plan on having your heart ripped from your chest. Speaking of hearts, you know why your world went up in smoke, right?" Pandora continued.

"Nope," Kydran responded, trying to speak as little as possible while trying to unfurl the mystery that was before him. He realized, and it didn't take him too long, that his name wasn't the only thing he had a hard time remembering. He simply couldn't remember anything.

Pandora pressed on. "The little black monsters are called Heartless. They find hearts and devour them. All worlds have hearts, too, like you do. So when enough Heartless-

(do I have a heart anymore?)

...gather at a world's heart, it becomes destroyed, and so does the world."

They were not far from the gate to the First District.

"Where did you learn all of this?" asked Kydran, just then realizing that she knew an awful lot.

"You just... learn it all. Or figure it out. We're talking about a place where refugees stay. People are going to figure out what's going on sooner or later," replied the girl, and Kydran could only agree. "Are you looking for anybody? Any friends?"

"...no," said the boy. He couldn't remember.

"You're a strange individual, Kydran," observed Pandora.

"I'm beginning to think so, myself," he said. The two moved through the large archway and massive wooden doors leading into the First District.

The First District was even busier than the first, not to mention louder. Peddlers crying their wares, the best manner of advertisement in those thick city streets, caught Kydran's attention, and he heard them referring to various amounts of 'munny'.

"I take it money is the currency, right?" queried the black-haired child as he observed.

"M-u-n-n-y. Munny. Yes, you can't afford to be without it... best to get a job, get some of the stuff, and try and set up a home here, though Reifa will be happy to let you stay at our little inn yonder," she said brightly. Kydran wondered if she was flirting.

"Is that where we're going?"

"Yup. And we're not too far... Reifa runs the whole place, I mostly just help out. She's my aunt, and the only person I could find who survived our world's collapse."

"Wow," he toned. "I'm sorry to he- agh!"

(don't forget me don't let it go you can't I can't I can't take this burden-)

Kydran's sentiment was abruptly cut off as he ran into another boy. His eyes had been locked on the cobblestone street, and he had been following Pandora through his peripherals, primarily, so he hadn't seen the other young man in the bright red jumpsuit and huge yellow shoes who sported a mess of brown hair atop his head. Sora hadn't seen Kydran in the way, either, because for once he hadn't felt so jolly and had been studying the ground as he walked. The two stumbled back, and both Leon and Pandora could tell that something deeper than a mere collision had shocked the two boys, for they stood, eyes wide, looking at the other in surprise. Kydran's emerald oculars switched from the roadblock to the other man, who held a rather threatening weapon, a gun-sword hybrid. He then glanced to Pandora, whose arms were folded in impatience.

"...whoa..." uttered Sora, his eyes locked on Kydran.

Kydran was not capable of doing much but gaping. He fought to get a hold of himself. He was disoriented, indeed, feeling as if his thoughts had been thrown into a blender. He regained his composure and, snapping back to reality, shrugged and grinned. "Whoa is right. Sorry about that."

At this, Sora's mood shifted from shock to curiosity. The casual and friendly nature of the response made him feel more comfortable. Still, he felt unnerved by the sudden (and now unwanted) connection. Sora grinned weakly in response and addressed the young man.

"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind."

(I can tell)

"...yeah. It's okay," said Kydran, who glanced nervously to Pandora, as though pleading for her assistance in a matter neither of them understood but only one had experienced.

"Sora, Aerith and Yuffie are waiting for us, we need to go," reminded Leon, who proceeded in the direction of the building marked 'Accessory Shop'.

"Oh, yeah. Bye!" Sora waved, following the taller warrior off to wherever they were headed. Kydran looked to Pandora, who could only shrug and shake her head, and the two made their way to the Sleepy Moogle Inn.

"Reifa came up with the name. When we were trying to figure out what to call it, a tired moogle turned her head into a hammock. It was pretty funny," commented Pandora, and Kydran could only wonder what in creation a moogle was.

He would be met with one as he entered the Inn, standing out of the way as the short, white creature with a pink pom-pom wiggling above its head ambled by.

If one word could sum up the nature of the Sleepy Moogle Inn, it was cozy. Kydran felt himself wanting to make himself at home the moment he stepped over the threshold. Despite the constant nighttime atmosphere of Traverse Town, the Inn was brightly lit and warm. He stood in a simple foyer, and ahead, facing the entrance, was the front desk. To his left he could see a stairway, which would lead up for two stories, and to his right he could hear the tinkling of glasses and the laughter of the patrons. The air tasted sweet and smelled rich and Kydran felt his stomach rumble loudly. How long had it been since he had eaten? He couldn't remember.

"Home sweet home!" chirped Pandora as she passed Kydran. She paused, then turned to him, smiling broadly. "I'll go find Auntie Reifa, you stay here." She pushed open the door to the dining area, where Kydran caught a glimpse of the numerous tables and people laughing and eating before the door closed again. He sighed.

Kydran found himself a seat in the lobby to sit in, and did so.

(take this burden-)

The memory of it flickered for a moment, and he was startled. It went as quickly and spontaneously as it came. The voice sounded so familiar. A boy's voice. He brushed the thought aside, and looked up at the ceiling, trying hard not to think of his situation. He just wanted food, and he wanted a place to stay. That was all that mattered.

Sora wandered behind Leon, his hands behind his head, his face an expression of complete perplexion. What had just happened? He didn't want to bring it up with Leon; that would certainly have given the man a reason to keep Sora from going to see why the worlds were disappearing again. He didn't want to tell anybody else, either. It felt to him as though it were important, personal, something that nobody else had seen or should see.

Sora had never felt that way before. He was an honest individual, and more often than not, he blurted out how he felt. Not so this time.

The pair approached the accessory shop, pushed their way in, and found it to be filled with people buying charms and weapons and just about anything else Cid kept in his Accessory Shop. Leon somehow made his way to the front desk, grunting as he pushed a rather large man aside. Upon arrival at the front desk, he leaned forward on the counter. Cid saw them, and the look on his face was priceless- it seemed to scream 'I've never been this &# busy in my life!'. Sora could only laugh.

Leon shouted over the crowd, which wasn't something Leon did normally.

"Cid! Where's Aerith and Yuffie?"

The old pilot was only able to respond by flailing, accepting cash, and pointing at the door that led to Cid's recent addition to the Accessory Shop- their headquarters.

Leon turned and headed toward the door leading into HQ, and Sora followed suit. They entered through a curtain of beads and cloth into a small room, enough room for a table, some chairs, and a weapons rack. Yuffie's humongous throwing star and Aerith's staff was hung on it. Leon placed the gunblade on the rack, found a seat, and sat. Sora sat down as well, trying to recapture the memory of the black-haired boy.

"Sora wants to leave," Leon announced almost immediately, and this statement was followed shortly by Yuffie and Aerith giving a vigorous headshake.

"No way, Sora! You can't go it alone!" exclaimed Yuffie, immediately agitated.

"And we can't go with you. Traverse Town needs us," explained Aerith. Sora had always found her to be pretty, but she was much older than he was. Oh well.

"It can't need you that badly," pouted the brown-haired young man, eyes moving from Aerith to Leon to Yuffie, pleading.

"Yes, it can," replied Aerith, her head shaking. "Don't you wonder why Cid's shop and the synth shop are so busy?"

"Good economy? A lot of people live in Traverse Town now. I lot less will be living here if you guys would just let me go," responded Sora. He felt like a child, and saw Aerith and Leon and Yuffie in a strange parental role. He felt as though they were condescending him, holding him back. He didn't like the feeling at all.

"Nice guess, but that's not it," said Yuffie then, smiling in good humor. And then the smile faded. "The Heartless in the Third District are becoming more concentrated. They seem to be very restless, even more so than when you arrived with your Keyblade not long ago."

Yuffie was referring to his arrival in Traverse Town after shutting the door to Kingdom Hearts. He had no idea how long the interim had been, only that a lot of change had happened in Traverse Town since he had seen it previous to his journey to the End of the World. He had to admit, he hadn't given it much thought, either.

"Any idea why?" queried Leon, who was entertaining himself with catching pieces of loose lint floating around in the stale room.

"None at all," responded Aerith. Sora found this funny; so much was going on around them, but they knew so little and they wouldn't let him go and take care of business.

"You really think I can't do it alone? Maybe we could go back to Disney Kingdom, get Donald and Goofy... I don't care, I just... I just don't wanna be here anymore! My friends could be in danger, all the worlds are in danger and here I am listening to you people! I have promises to keep!"

The three others were taken aback by this sudden outburst. Leon was suddenly glaring at him.

"Alright, then, Sora. Let's throw caution to the wind. Let's strap you to a gummi ship and send you wherever. Then what? What if the Darkness overwhelms you? What if you lose the Keyblade? Hm? You told us yourself, your strength comes from your friends. Don't be foolish," snapped the Griever, who was now standing.

Sora only glared back at Leon. Yes, his strength came from his friends, but he wouldn't have any if things kept going like they were!

"Leon, calm down," cooed Aerith. Her voice did indeed have a calming effect. Leon sat back down, muttered something about Keyblade and headstrong, and was quiet. "Sora, you have to understand. We care about you, just as much as we care about your mission. If you're lost, it's not just your friends that will be hurt, but since you're the Keyblade Master, the fate of the worlds rests in your hands. You can't afford to be bull-headed. None of us can."

"Fine," was Sora's irritated response, and he watched the other three. They were impossible. Simply impossible.

"We'll try to get our hands on a gummi ship," spoke Aerith after a long silence, and she nodded as if doing so would solidify her statement. "Then we'll see about finding Donald and Goofy, or getting someone else to go with you. Cloud might be up to it. I don't know."

Sora could tell that Aerith didn't like the thought of sending Cloud, the one she loved, out into the middle of space to fight a Darkness that wasn't as obvious as the Heartless anymore. He admired this, and thought it a great gesture on Aerith's part, but the idea of being stuck in gummi-space with Cloud, who was about as much fun as a wet cardboard box, didn't appeal to him.

"As long as we do it quickly. The Destiny Islands- Kairi- could be in danger. More than anything I want to stop that from happening," said Sora. It was true; he still had a promise to keep. He still had the little charm that reminded him of that promise.

"Alrighty, then," piped Yuffie as she hopped up from her seat and made toward the weapon rack. "We'll get a gummi ship, go fetch you a flying partner, and you're off!"

Sora smiled. Yuffie didn't appear to have any problems at all.

Leon didn't seem so pleased. He stood, slowly, folded his arms, and nodded, although Sora wasn't paying much attention. Leon wasn't at the top of his 'best friend' list. This didn't seem to bother the fighter at all.

The group left the 'headquarters' and somehow made it out of the mob inside Cid's shop. They did it quickly; Cid would more than likely have roped one of them into helping him with the shop, and it was plain to them that being roped in could lead to a long evening.

They entered out into the streets, and made for the gummi-ship docks. Sora still didn't want to believe it. He had closed Kingdom Hearts. With Riku and Mickey's sacrifices they had closed the door, and here they were, again under the shadow of Darkness, the walls fallen and the lights in the sky fading away. Maybe their sacrifices meant nothing.

"Maybe our journey meant nothing, after all," said Sora under his breath, hormonal imbalances within the fifteen-year-old sending him spiraling into a brooding depression that would probably wear off and leave him in a mood at the exact opposite end of the spectrum. But for the moment he was Sora Doom-n-Gloom, and neither Yuffie, Leon, nor Aerith were going to make an attempt at pulling him out of it. Despair was rearing its ugly head in their hearts, as well.

Still, they took solace in the knowledge that each one of them was there for each other, and so made their way to the Town docks with their heads held high.