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Time skip

Chapter 8

Yen Sid stared at the grounds below, waiting for his guests. Mickey and Sora both swore the boy was not the Riku they knew, who opposed them. That they had kept his presence from him for so long was disturbing, the boy could have been a trap, a threat, he still could be. Yes, they were both Masters but they were also emotionally compromised when it came to Riku.

He straightened as a portal opened, Mickey stepping out, glancing around, and then a taller figure with short silver hair, behind him was Sora. He didn't appear at all bothered by using a Light portal which was interesting. He was dressed in simple clothing but it resonated to Yen Sid's senses with the Fairies magic. Riku glanced around as they walked but it was a cursory look…as if he knew the tower.

Yen Sid settled himself at his desk as they made their way up the tower, watching the three enter the office. It was obvious the boy was nervous but he bowed politely, and Yen Sid sensed it, Darkness within his Heart. And yet…there was Light too, somehow seeming to be equally balanced but that was impossible.

He had never personally met Riku but he had seen images of him and this boy looked like the teenaged version. However, his face was far more expressive, lacking the coldness of the Organisation member. His eyes were also cyan rather than yellow which was very interesting. Could he truly be an alternate version of Riku who chose the Light and his friends? Then why did he still carry Darkness? Mickey had told him of this 'Road to Dawn' the boy said he walked but such a thing was impossible, you either served the Light or the Dark, there was no middle path.

"Master Yen Sid, this is Riku," Mickey introduced. "He was undertaking the Mark of Mastery when he was brought here by unknown magics."

"And who was your Master?" Yen Sid asked.

The boy blinked, seeming to think about it. "I guess Mickey? None of us had a teacher really but I spent more time with the King while we were spying on the Organisation and trying to restore Sora's memory. Though I didn't use a Keyblade then, Soul Eater just kind of changed one day but that was after Sora had woken, during Kairi's rescue. I know the Keyblade my Sora wields was originally mine, that it went to him when Destiny Islands fell, so I'm not sure why I got another."

"Hmmm…" Yen Sid considered it. The boy had been Bequeathed, the timeline diverged after that event and Mickey had confirmed this Riku remembered Terra from his childhood. That Keyblade had then passed to Sora, that too was a match. The Riku they fought wielded Soul Eater, not a Keyblade. Had he proven himself worthy enough that another had chosen him?

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Mickey was proud of Riku as he stood calmly before Master Yen Sid. He'd settled a lot since leaving Radiant Garden, even though Sora hadn't remained for long, coming and going instead to take missions. It had taken Mickey and Sora to convince Donald and Goofy to give the teen a chance, even Minnie had had to step in once when Donald had come close to attacking him shortly after Riku's Keyblade had been unsealed. Goofy has as usual accepted things more quickly and would even spar with him now.

Terra came by for training whenever possible, though they had to get some distance from the Castle to do so thanks to the Cornerstone. Mickey sparred with both of them, able to handle anything they threw at him and with the other always watching in case something went wrong. Riku was happy with Terra's progress, said he was learning control faster, but Mickey had pointed out that Riku hadn't had a teacher. Learning through trial and error always took longer after all.

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Ventus followed Terra to the kitchen, perching on a cabinet, making Terra smile.

"Toasted sandwich?"

"Yes please," Ven grinned. "I'll get the milk." He dropped down to get their drinks.

Soon they were sitting and eating and it was nice. They were all so busy lately that just sharing a quiet meal was good.

"Everything okay?" Terra asked after a while.

"Terra…where do you keep going?" he asked softly.

"Disney Castle," Terra answered, surprising him.

"Is Mickey training you to take the exam?" he asked hopefully, the idea of making Master before Terra just didn't feel right at all.

He was confused when Terra hesitated, seeming…worried? "Ven, I…I promised not to talk about it. There's something happening that's been kept quiet but the King and Sora have gone to Yen Sid to explain now."

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern, had the long possession hurt him somehow they hadn't realised?

Terra reached out and clasped his shoulder. "I'm okay."

That was a relief.

"Come on, lets talk somewhere private," Terra offered. "Since they're telling Master Yen Sid then there's no reason not to tell you."

"What about Aqua?" Ventus asked.

Then again, Aqua was so…well, Masterish about everything. He knew she worried about Terra a lot, thanks to Master Eraqus telling her to watch him after their exam and it wasn't fair. If they hadn't done that, things could have gone differently because Terra would have trusted them more. So instead of pushing he led Terra to his own room, activating the privacy wards that Mickey had installed for him. Aqua had kicked up a fuss and had flat out forbidden them on Terra's room. He wouldn't blame Terra if he moved to another World.

"Okay, so spill," he flopped onto his bed dramatically just to make Terra laugh.

Terra nodded and moved to sit on his desk chair. "You know about Sora being sent home to check out some odd readings?"

"Yeah, he was gone longer than expected."

"That's because of who he found. They were sick and he took them to Radiant Garden for treatment and tests."

"Tests for what?"

"Replica, clone, time travel, things like that."

Ventus frowned in confusion, trying to work out why they'd test those options… "Who?" he asked as he got it.

"Riku," Terra answered, and Ventus paled. "He's seventeen and nothing like the Riku we've fought Ven. He has a Keyblade, was taking the Mark of Mastery when he ended up falling into the sea. Sora pulled him out and took him to the scientists. They found signs of long-term mild malnutrition among other symptoms. Somehow, he walks the line between Light and Darkness, they call it the Road to Dawn where he's from. He's…he's been helping me," Terra admitted.

Riku? The one who had nearly killed Mickey, had hurt Sora physically and emotionally, had torn his own home apart… but Riku was twenty-one, not seventeen, which explained those tests.

"They're sure he's not a Replica or anything?"

"He's actually something called a Dream Eater but that's apparently due to the exam. For some reason, not only were he and Sora being tested very young, but their test was very different to ours. They were sent into the Sleeping Worlds to seal seven Keyholes and return those Worlds to the Realm of Light. But the Organisation hijacked the exam in order to capture Sora to be the thirteenth member, something about putting his Heart to sleep. Riku ended up in Sora's dreams and not the actual Sleeping Worlds, trying to protect him. Does that sound like something the Riku here would do?" he asked, and Ventus shook his head.

No, this Riku would never do that, he'd happily help abduct Sora, would kill him if given the chance. They'd been best friends for so long and Ven shared Sora's bewilderment over how it had gone so wrong. "He really has a Keyblade?" Yes, Xehanort had one, but no one else in the Darkness did, they knew that was why Sora had one, because Riku's had gone to him when Riku began his fall.

"He's good for someone with no real formal training, though that's changing. Mickey has taken him as his apprentice. Apparently their Yen Sid is crazy, part of the reason behind the exam was to erase what they had learnt as they were both self-taught wielders."

Ventus frowned, "but that would leave them at a beginners level facing a test for Mastery, where they'd be forced to learn alone again…what?" that made no sense at all.

"We don't know. Only thing we've come up with is that he knew Xehanort was coming back and trying to get them ready for that. He's never met you and only saw me the day I Bequeathed him, Aqua a little while later when she showed up on the Islands. It was Riku with Mickey trapped in the Realm of Darkness and they were too late at Castle Oblivion so they lost a year where Sora was asleep to have his memories returned."

Ouch, that sounded…bad. If things only changed later, then he was likely still within Sora's Heart. "So their Aqua's still trapped, I'm asleep, and you're…" Oh.

"Yeah," Terra winced. "They're in the time period after the defeat of the first version of the Organisation but where Sora and Selphie were receiving proper training, Riku and Sora were shoved into the exam and their friend Kairi who is one of the Seven Princess, has just gained a Keyblade."

Ven swore softly, they had a good start on numbers but were lacking more experienced wielders outside of Mickey…and now they were missing one of the Master candidates. "We can't get him back?"

"The scientists and Merlin are working on it, but there's no record anyone can find on something like this."

What must it be like to be torn from your home into a place where all your friends would look at you and see an enemy? How had Sora dealt with being confronted with a younger Riku who was Light? It had to hurt to see what could have been.

"So when exactly did things go differently in time?" he asked curiously.

"When Sora and Riku teamed up to defeat Xehanort's Heartless, it didn't happen there. Apparently Sora beat Riku and he ended up possessed by the Heartless who then lost to Sora again. Riku managed to get enough control to save their friend Kairi but then was kicked into the Realm of Darkness. After Sora defeated Ansem, Riku got his body back and he helped them seal the Door."

Ven shuddered, possession… he was glad it hadn't fully happened to him. he and Vanitas had been pulled into their Heart to fight immediately, although Aqua had apparently also faced his body though he didn't understand how when the two of them had been fighting the whole time.

"What he's been teaching you, it helps?" he asked softly, and Terra nodded. "Okay. So…that makes seven Guardians, huh?"

Terra blinked but then nodded. "Yeah, guess it does."

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Sora smiled at Riku as they stood across from each other, Keyblades in hand. It had been a shock the first time Riku summoned Way to Dawn thanks to the similarities with Soul Eater, but that made sense since it had evolved from the blade. But this was definitely a Keyblade.

"Relax, it's just a spar. Ignore the Master," Sora told him, and Riku nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Ready…begin!" Mickey called, and Sora launched himself at Riku.

Riku dodged easily and soon they were moving back and forth, magic flying as they fought. Slowly Riku began to grin, no longer paying any attention to their audience. Sparing with Riku was in some ways so familiar but in others very different. Until Riku, he'd never sparred with someone able to use Darkness, his fights with the other Riku once he'd begun using it had always been true fights and had several times ended in bad injuries for one or both of them. This Riku had some similarities in his style, due to having the same childhood and early training with Maleficent, but his style had developed differently after that.

Sora blocked a blast of Dark fire, already moving, knowing Riku liked to use a roll through the shadows to follow that up if there were some handy and since he'd pushed Sora back into the shadow of the Tower there were. Sure enough Riku appeared where Sora had been seconds before even as Sora sent a blast of wind at him.

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Yen Sid watched them spar, fighting down his natural reaction to the Darkness the boy summoned so easily. He watched as they both began to smile, grinning, almost playing as they fought. There was no aggression behind Riku's attacks, no desire for destruction, he genuinely was having fun and not at another's expense. That was hard to accept but he could not deny the evidence before him.

Only a few months training with Mickey and skill wise he was at least at Ventus' level, so perhaps his alternate had not been completely insane to have him take the exam…except for removing all of his skills and power first. No matter how he looked at it, he could not understand what the other was thinking. Personally, he did not believe anyone under eighteen should take the exam; Eraqus had agreed which was why Aqua had been the youngest Master and Sora had waited until he was nineteen. Ventus and Selphie would be undertaking it soon, Ventus had understood waiting due to having had his Heart shattered, no matter how well he had healed while with Sora.

Depending on how Riku reacted to meeting everyone and going on missions with them, perhaps he would allow him to do so as well due to their circumstances. There was nothing to say a Guardian had to be a Master but going up against Xehanort and his Vessels, especially with an older version of Riku among them, Yen Sid would feel better if Riku was able to pass the Exam first.

Unsurprisingly, Sora won their fight, pinning Riku to the ground and the teen went limp, dismissing his Keyblade. Good. If he could become one of the Guardians then they could call of the search for the lost wielders, they had been incredibly lucky to find the most recent three to be titled such, but they were not the first. But those others, unless they somehow had been in similar circumstances to Eraqus' students, would be very old by now. They would be of an age with Xehanort or older…the chances they still lived were low but they'd had no other choice. Unless they wanted to Bequeath the Princesses which held its own problems. Although…Mickey had said Riku's friend was one and a Keyblade wielder so perhaps it wasn't as problematic as they had always believed.

Sora helped Riku up and then they both bowed to each other and then him.

"Well done, both of you," he told them, seeing the flash of surprise in cyan yes. "Sora, show him where to clean up and then eat. We shall meet in my office in two hours," he told them before going back inside. He had much to consider.

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Riku stood under the water, eyes closed as he let the heat soak in. That had been…he hadn't felt like that in a fight in forever. Fighting beside Sora against Xemnas had been the closest, except he'd been scared of losing Sora that whole fight with how obsessed Xemnas had been with him. Maybe years ago when they used to playfight? The months at Disney Castle had let him get back to full health and build up his strength and magic.

But it had been months, if time was moving the same…had Sora woken? Or had he been trapped in sleep all this time? Riku felt horrible at times because he wasn't looking for a way back, others were doing it for him, and sometimes…he found himself going days without thinking of home. It wasn't like back then, when Darkness had consumed his thoughts and he had stopped really caring about his friends, it was…he didn't know what but it was more like how he occasionally thought of Wakka and the others back on the Islands. Was he becoming that comfortable here? That was bad, wasn't it?

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Xehanort stared out over the desert. Something had changed in the last few months. They kept track of the Guardians to see who would become their Seventh and three of them had changed their patterns - Mickey, Sora, and Terra. He was not pleased to have lost Terra but in the end he was more useful with them to help round out their numbers. If Riku was not so deeply within the Darkness he would consider removing him from their number and sending him to the Guardians and simply taking Vexen back to replace him. It was very frustrating to have lost his two scientists, if Vexen had not had those spare Replicas lying around it would have been very difficult to pull the others through time.

They needed to know why those three were acting differently. Mickey had been staying close to the castle recently, with Sora and Terra spending a lot of time there. Was the Queen trying to purge Terra's Darkness with the Light of the Cornerstone? It wouldn't work.

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"Sora, you're here!" Selphie cried as she entered the office to find Sora and the King already inside.

He smiled and accepted her hug. "Hey Selphie."

She smacked the back of his head, wishing he'd stayed short to make it easier. "Call more!" she ordered, getting some snickers as everyone else filed in. She'd only seen him twice since he'd been sent home to check whatever that reading had been and he always seemed… distracted.

"Good, you're all here," Master Yen Sid stated calmly. "As of today, there are Seven Guardians of Light," he announced, shocking her and the others…no, her and Aqua.

"Master Yen Sid?" Aqua asked.

"The event Sora was sent to investigate was a breach between realities. A guardian from another reality arrived and Sora took him for medical treatment in Radiant Garden. His presence has remained secret for his own safety while a way to send him home has been researched. Sadly, nothing has been found as yet and so he has agreed to aid us in our battle."

"What's his name?" Selphie asked, curious, was it someone from home if he arrived on the Islands? Maybe Wakka or Tidus? How different would they be if they had a Keyblade?

"Events in his reality appear to fully diverge after the Destiny Islands fell, although there was one major difference far earlier. A year after we lost you three," he indicated the Wayfinders, "Radiant Garden was destroyed and a young girl from there ended up on the Islands. Her name was Kairi and she was one of the Seven Princesses of Heart. Here it appears that she saved the Garden when it was almost destroyed and in the process it killed her. Our newest member could sense her Heart and magic entwined with that of the World."

Selphie felt sick, that poor girl, Kairi…

"In their reality it is her and not Selphie who is a wielder, which means it is possible for a Princess to be Bequeathed should it become relevant."

"So who is here?" Aqua asked warily. "You're being very careful to not name them."

"It's Riku," Sora answered firmly.

What…she…she was hearing things, right?

TBC….