The stars were out and the moon was full by the time the four of them trudged out the thick jungle and into the orderly rows of the orchards. Tidus and Wakka seemed in their element, chatting about this and that and save for the slight droop in their shoulders and the slight lethargy in their breaths, showed no signs of the grueling ordeal they'd just been through.

Kairi envied them for that. Already her body ached in places she previously thought impossible and did not look forward to the inevitable pain that would follow the morning after. Her arms felt like lead and could no longer even muster up the enthusiasm to scratch at her many insect bites. Worse still, the pain in her head was now in full force, growing at an alarming rate. Laboriously, she made herself reach for the bottle in her pocket and forced down two pills.

And now we wait.

She glanced back to Selphie. The brunette kept her distance, head hung low, her feet dragging in the dirt.

"So," Kairi said once she slowed down enough to keep pace with her. "Tonight was interesting."

Selphie did not respond.

"Much more, ah, eventful than what I expected."

"Much more miserable, you mean," Selphie mumbled.

"Come on, it wasn't that..." Bad? She'd be lying through her teeth saying that. "Let's call it unexpected."

"It's not usually like this, you know," said Selphie. "It's usually more... fun."

Kairi could neither confirm nor deny this. In Selphie's mad pursuit of the trolls, she'd inadvertently forced her friends to follow her to the wilder, more dangerous part of the island and the ruckus they'd caused drew the attention of some nasty customers.

When her prey had fled Selphie immediately set to the task of cleaning off the troll's leavings, yet her pants were irreparably stained and the stench remained as potent even hours later. A number of large boulders began to shift and come alive and soon the four of them were surrounded by crustaceans, their stony carapaces making them all but impervious to damage. They had little choice then but to flee the creatures' bone crushing pincers.

Traversing the hot, humid jungle was an ordeal in itself and Kairi got a good scare as she accidentally walked into a pit of quicksand. Shortly after, the basilisks found them; six-legged reptiles whose culinary preferences veered towards rotting carcasses. Apparently trolls were something of a delicacy for them, and often followed their prey between islands. The stench on Selphie drew them like moths to a flame and the four friends found themselves fending off wave after wave of the relentless lizards. Tired, sweaty and in desperation after being accosted by a particularly large group, Wakka aimed for the trees and felled a massive hornet nest. It exploded as it hit the ground and an angry cloud of wings, stingers and hatred for all life spilled forth to vent their frustrations, attacking lizard and human alike.

"Well, it was heart pumping," said Kairi.

Selphie looked up at her—more specifically the left side of Kairi's face in which her eye was nearly swollen shut, angry red marks all around it. Selphie herself fared little better.

"And painful?"

"And painful," Kairi agreed.

"I'm sorry, alright. Sorry for dragging you into all this. I thought you might have a nice time with us. Instead..."

"Like I said, it was interesting. And it got me out of the house. I did need that."

Tidus called from ahead. He'd led them to an old fashioned well, complete with a rope and bucket they used to douse themselves with water. Kairi might have hesitated, fearing for her modesty but at this point she was too sticky and dirty to care, shivering as she poured a bucketful of chilled water over herself. It felt amazing. In fact it felt so good she immediately went for another one, but the rope must have snagged on the ancient pulley and she was forced to bend over the lip of the well to pull the bucket free.

"That's a cute charm. Where'd you get it?" asked Selphie once Kairi was done. She leaned by a tree, snacking on a paopu fruit.

Kairi looked down. In her chest dangled a five-pointed charm made from tiny seashells, complete with a smiley face, tethered by a string that looped around her neck. It must have come free when she'd been face first on the well.

"I made it."

"Didn't you used to have that same one? A bigger one? Whatever happened to it?"

"It's my lucky charm, be sure you bring it back to me."

"Don't worry. I will."

"Must have lost it somewhere."

When the last of them was more or less clean, they resumed their walk back to the cottage for a well-earned rest.

"Do you remember what I told you earlier, about the boy I'd been dreaming of?"

Selphie indulged in a yawn. "What of it?"

"Was there ever someone else with us on the island? Someone besides us four and Riku?"

"Well, yeah. Lots other kids used to hang out there."

"Yes but... but was there ever someone else with us? Someone who hung out a lot with Riku and me. Someone who was a friend and rival to him. I think... I think his name started with an 'S'."

"You know there wasn't, Kai. We all would have remembered that. Maybe it's just your mind playing tricks on you. Why, I read this article about how memories can be really unreliable sometimes and how people can convince themselves that something that didn't actually happen did happen and..."

Kairi was half listening at this point. Selphie should be right; the rational part of her mind knew this and yet... yet she couldn't shake off the suspicion there was more to this... a piece of the puzzle she didn't have.

She then felt it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood, her spine shivered. She spun around, searching.

"Eh? What is it?" asked Selphie.

"We're being watched."

Selphie squinted, but could see little in the dark. "Are you sure? I don't see any—"

"Look." She pointed not too far in the distance, and Selphie saw it—a pair of yellow spots, stark against the dark surroundings. They swayed and bobbed, growing closer and closer.

Selphie unholstered her whip and brought her free hand up to her lips, drawing out a piercing whistle. "Form up, boys!" Tidus and Wakka soon joined them.

"Holy... what is it, man?" asked Wakka as the creature came into view.

It was small, barely reaching up to their waists, and walked in an erratic two-legged gait. A pair of antennae stood on its head—pitch black like the rest of its body. It regarded them with pupilless yellow eyes.

"Whatever it is, I don't like it," said Tidus. "It looks downright unnatural."

Its antennae twitched. The creature appeared incapable of holding still, its head darting back and forth as it stared at the four of them.

"Huh, I dunno," said Selphie, a bit more relaxed now. She approached it cautiously.

"What are you doing?" Kairi doing, grabbing her by the arm.

"Eh? I just want to take a closer look," she said, shaking off Kairi and kneeled down to the creature's level. "Besides, it's kind of cu—eek!"

The creature swiped at her with its three-clawed hand, and Selphie just barely managed to avoid it, falling on her butt in the process. She was on her feet in an instant.

"Well that was just plain rude," she said, looking down at it in disapproval.

"Go on, shoo!" Tidus said, brandishing his sword. "You want an ass-whooping?"

The creature ignored him. It turned its gaze to Kairi. Its antennae twitched frantically.

"It seems to like you," Wakka said to her.

"Way to go, Kai. Looks like you've got a fan," Selphie said and flashed a sarcastic thumbs up to her friend.

Kairi held up the nunchakus defensively. "Get away from it, guys. It's dangerous."

"Oh?" said Selphie. "So you know what it is?"

"It's the... thing. One of the shadow creatures I've been dreaming of." Her friends gave her an odd look and she felt the frustration building up inside her. Here was the creature whose ilk had been plaguing her dreams all this time. Even as she stared at it, a part of her couldn't believe it was real. But if the shadow was real, then...

The shadow advanced, but a kick from Tidus sent it back. "Whatever it is, it's not too tough. Or smart," he said. "Go on, git!" The shadow tried to close in again and again Tidus kicked it back.

"Call me crazy," said Selphie. "But I think it's curious more than anything." She looked to Kairi. "You... dreamed about these guys? Any ideas what it's up to?"

Kairi was at a loss. The shadows in her dreams were always attacking, always moving with malicious intent. They chased her across an eternal, formless landscape. By all rights, she should be afraid of it and yet, this situation felt oddly familiar.

Hesitantly, she took a step forward, then another.

"Wait," she said to Tidus, who was about to kick the shadow once more.

"Kai," Selphie said. "What are you doing?"

She honestly couldn't say. Instead she took two more steps. Wakka and Tidus shuffled uneasily. Kairi squeezed the nunchakus for reassurance.

The shadow now stood before her. It stared upwards, though it did not appear to look into her eyes.

"Um," she said as the silence stretched. "Hi?" The creature did not respond. "Were you... looking for me?" Nothing.

"I don't think he speaks people, man," Wakka said behind her.

Kairi ignored him. The shadow clearly wanted something from her, but what? She was... somewhat sure it didn't come to harm her. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out with her hand. The shadow stilled. Where it once shuffled and twitched incessantly, it now froze as though carved from obsidian. Her fingers touched on the crown of its head and almost immediately a surge of foreign sensations coursed within her.

Pain.

Desperation.

Loss.

Anger.

Fear.

A black hunger.

Hope—a hope for salvation.

A strange, radiant warmth poured from her heart, channeling up past her arm, her fingers and into the shadow itself. Its form warped and shifted. Its body flickered, dissolving into the air itself.

Kairi brought up a hand to protect her eyes as the shadow ceased to exist. In its place hovered... a light. A light without source, brilliant and covered in a translucent, bubble-like coating. It shot to the sky with astonishing speed, where it eventually disappeared from sight.

"Excuse me," Tidus said, breaking the silence. "But what the heck just happened?"

"I think," Kairi said, rather dazed. "It wanted help."

"Help with what?" said Selphie.

"Breaking free."

"Ya lost me."

Kairi rubbed the back of her head, thinking. "I don't know how to explain it but, when I touched it I could... feel what it felt. I... I think it was trapped and... and it knew I could help set it free." She watched as the three of them shared a look. Kairi couldn't blame them. Heck, she'd been there and could scarcely believe it herself.


Maleficent appeared calm—at ease, even—as she stood in the middle of the village. Her eyes were closed, a pensive frown on her brow. Her head moved slightly now and then, as though detecting minute fluctuations with her highly attuned senses.

The lumbering oaf shuffled beside her. "Looks like that's all of them." Maleficent did not respond. "Uhh, could we get moving? There's nothing more for us here."

Her eyes opened slowly. "Nothing? And why, dear Pete, would you say that?"

Pete swept his hand in a wide arc. The remains of the town smoldered even among the cold of winter. "Well, we came here to round up some Heartless, yeah? There's no more people we can harvest here."

Maleficent shook her head. As usual, the fool could not see beyond his own limited perspective. "And yet, we have a world at our disposal. One as yet untainted by the Heartless. Can you not feel it?" She closed her eyes again. "There is a darkness here. It touches the peoples of this world. The fear, the uncertainty, the sheer brutality of it. There are powerful forces who seek to exert their will on the common rabble. Yes..." A cold, cruel smile touched her lips.

"But why this world? What's so special about it? Couldn't we shore up our forces somewhere warmer? I hear Agrabah is nice this time of year," he said hopefully.

"Because, you simpleton, it takes time to wear down a heart in the Realm of Light—to make it ripe for plucking. This world is unique. The darkness weighs heavy here. It saturates the hearts of those who call this place home."

"Ohh, I get it!" the fool said triumphantly, slamming a fist into his palm. "Since these folks all have a lot of darkness inside, the Heartless can collect them all the easier. But..." he gulped, unsure how to breach the subject. His mistress could get quite touchy when his name came up. "What if the kid finds out? He's done a fine mess of your plans before, eh?"

"The boy is of no consequence," Maleficent said dismissively. "This is but one world amongst countless others. In any case, he has his hands full looking for his little friend. Let him play his little games while I consolidate my power."

Consolidate indeed. The damnable brat had not only set her carefully laid plans back by years but had actually destroyed her in the process. Returning to life had cost her a great deal, and while she could still put most sorcerers to shame, her power was not what it once was. She would need to remedy that.

"So it looks like we'll be here for a while, eh?" Pete said, rubbing his hands to get some heat back in them. "What should I do in the meantime?"

"Go forth and search for uncommonly strong individuals—skilled and powerful people who will be a boon to our forces. Find them and send the Heartless to claim their hearts."

There was a great roar and a sound of snapping wood. Maleficent turned to watch as a massive creature approached with bloodlust on its eyes. Its build was humanoid, but dwarfed the tallest man. Even Maleficent herself would barely reach past its knees. A pair of large tusks jutted out the side of its face. No doubt the creature had been drawn by the commotion.

"Run, run away!" the fool cried as he turned like the coward he was and ran off, arms waving in the air.

Maleficent stood her ground, eyeing the great brute with mild interest. It had been so long since she'd been forced to go all-out with her magic. She relished little moments like these. The beast carried with it a great slab of stone, carved and chipped that it resembled a pillar. No doubt it intended to squish Maleficent under it.

The dark fairy raised her staff and tapped it to the icy, soot-covered ground. A great vortex of sickly green balefire enveloped the monster, blistering its skin and stripping away flesh. It screamed with pain and rage. With great effort it managed to break free, reaching Maleficent in four massive strides. Blood poured from its horrid wounds. Parts of its exposed flesh were blackened.

With a war cry, it raised its massive stone slab and brought it down on Maleficent, but she'd been ready. She met the weapon with an outstretched hand, freezing it in place mere inches before it made contact. The monster grunted, struggling to break its weapon free of her magical hold. Maleficent raised her staff. The orb on its tip glowed with power. She touched it to the monster's weapon and the stone shattered into a hundred jagged particles, violently expelled from the point of impact.

The monster was sent flying back where it landed heavily on the ground. It roared again, weaker this time, more in pain than anger. It struggled to rise. Several large shards of jagged stone were embedded on its body. Maleficent tapped the staff again, shrouding the creature in sickly green balefire. It crashed to the ground.

Maleficent approached her victim at a leisurely pace. Its small, hateful eyes glared back at her. Maleficent smiled. This one has spirit. Its labored, ragged breaths slowed. Its eyes started to close.

"Not yet," Maleficent said. She called and they came. Heartless. Freshly harvested. They surrounded the dying creature. "Don't worry, you won't die so soon," she told her victim, her voice almost soothing. "I have other uses for you."

The Heartless swarmed, enveloping the creature, heedless of its struggles. Like a shroud they fell over it, feeding the darkness in its heart, then at once the dark mass receded. The creature's body dissolved from existence, leaving the heart in its place. Wisps of darkness shrouded it, covering it, corrupting it. The darkness took form. Where before lay the dying creature a new life form stood, towering over the others, its yellow, pupilless eyes looking to Maleficent, waiting.

"Go!" she commanded. "All of you, search high and low, land and sea, skies and crevices. Bring me more hearts. Man or beast, woman or child, it matters not. Go forth and spread our darkness unto this world!"

The Heartless mobilized and Maleficent smiled. So many possibilities.

Yes, this world will do.