"Focus on the target in front of you. Strike at the most opportune moment," Eraqus instructed from his throne.

Sky eyeballed the sluggish ball of light from across the room. Caution was the focus of today's lesson.

"Rushing into a fight will most likely result in injury," Eraqus added. "Assess the situation. Every strike counts. Try to take it out in one swift blow."

Sky raised her wooden sword defensively as the ball of light approached. Once in range, the ball shot forward, prompting her to block. On the rebound, Sky raised her sword slicing it in two. The ball of light dissipated, signaling its complete destruction.

"Well done," Eraqus said, rising from his seat. "With the progress you've made, you are on track to inherit the Keyblade."

Sky beamed. "Will I be able to visit other worlds when I get it?"

"Patience child," Eraqus advised. "We mustn't rush the process. Continue to study and train. Prove that you are cable of becoming a Keybearer, then we can discuss traveling to other worlds."

"Okay…" She mumbled.

"Good. Now about your magic…" Eraqus continued his lesson, describing the different uses of magic in combat.

It had been a few weeks since Terra, Aqua and Ven left The Land of Departure to explore other worlds. Troubled by Xehanort's most recent visit, Eraqus had decided to start her combat training. Should something happen, she would, at the very least, be able to defend herself.

Up until Terra, Aqua and Ven left, Sky had been an infrequent observer during their training. Now, she was receiving training herself and was eager to become as strong as the trio she idolized.

"Enemies heading straight for you can be stopped with blizzard. Fire spells are best used for quick attacks. For enemies floating out of reach, thunder spells would be the best choice. There are, of course, exceptions to these rules. For example-"

*Ding, Ding, Ding*

"Someone has returned," Eraqus remarked.

Dropping the wooden sword, Sky rushed out of the Great Hall and ran to the forecourt. She had so many questions. Where had they gone? Who did they meet? Did they have to fight the darkness? All these questions and so many more raced through her mind as she pushed open the castle doors.

There, standing alone in the forecourt, was Ven, gaze directed downward.

"Ven!" Sky exclaimed, dashing down the stairs. "Welcome home!" She stopped in front of him, smiling.

"Hey Sky…" He greeted with a weak smile.

"Did you go to any cool worlds? What were they like? Did you see Terra or Aqua?" Sky prattled, giving him little time to respond.

"I-"

"Ventus?" Eraqus called. "You're alone? I thought Aqua would…"

Approaching the hesitant boy, Eraqus placed his hands on Ven's shoulders.

"Well, what matters is that you're home. You don't belong outside this world yet. You need to stay here, where you can learn-"

"In your prison?" Ven interrupted.

"What?" Eraqus asked, shocked.

"That's your excuse… for keeping me imprisoned here, isn't it?" Glaring at the older man, Ven harshly removed the hands from his shoulders.

Sky glanced between Ven and her master, confused at the scene unfolding. 'Prison? Why would he think home is a prison?' She thought, brows furrowed.

"Ven-" She started.

"What did you hear?" Eraqus interrupted.

"That I'm supposed to be some weapon… Some kind of χ-Blade!" At this point, Ven was irate. All previous signs of hesitance had disappeared.

'Weapon? χ-Blade?'

"I knew it. Xehanort - he could never let it go," Eraqus mumbled.

"Master…?" She cocked her head.

"I failed," Eraqus said. "I had a chance to stop him and couldn't do it. But I will not fail again."

He summoned Master's Defender and readied the bald toward Ven.

Ven and Sky gasped at the sudden act of aggression. Eraqus had always been a patient man, never showing signs of dislike or hatred.

'What's going on?' Sky thought, backing into Ven.

"Master! What are you-" Ven began.

"Sky. Go back to the castle," Eraqus demanded.

"Huh?"

"This does not concern you. Go to your room."

"No!" She exclaimed, clinging to Ven. "Why are you fighting?"

"The χ-Blade has no place in this or any world," Eraqus said. "Xehanort has made his purpose clear… and I am left with no choice. Forgive me Ventus… but you must exist not more."

Thrusting out Master's Defender, chains shot out from the blade.

The pair clamped their eyes shut, bracing for impact.

"Ven! Sky!" A familiar voice called out.

What felt like an eternity later, the pair opened their eyes. A figure in red and gold armor had appeared before them, blocking the blow.

"What!?" Eraqus exclaimed, shocked at the sudden intrusion.

"Terra!" Sky blinked, grateful for his sudden emergence.

"Sky. Back to the castle. Now." Terra commanded.

"But -"

"Now," he reiterated.

Not wanting to argue further, Sky rushed up the stairs, stopping at the castle doors.

"Master, have you gone mad?" Terra asked, armor dissipating in the light.

"Terra! I command you- step aside!"

"No!"

"You will not heed your Master?" Eraqus glared, anger dripping from his voice.

"I won't!"

"Why do all my attempts to reach you fail? If you don't have it in your heart to obey… then you will have to share Ventus' fate."

Shedding a tear, Eraqus launched himself forward. Terra remained in a defensive stance, blocking blow after blow with Earthshaker.

"Enough, Terra! He's right…" Ven conceded.

"Quiet!" Terra barked back.

"Terra…"

Eraqus jumped back, Master's Defender glowing with light. Swinging it in a circular motion, he released a stronger attack, sending Terra and Ven flying. While Eraqus charged up another attack, Terra helped Ven rise from the ground.

Sky watched the battle from the castle doors. 'Why is this happening?' She thought, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She could feel Terra's anger growing.

"You may be my Master, but I will not let you hurt my friend!" Terra exclaimed, darkness erupting around him.

Sky felt the hair on the back of her neck rise and for a brief moment, she saw him change. No longer was the Terra she knew standing before her. His hair had turned silver and eyes gold. Darkness swirled, threatening to consume him.

"Has the darkness taken you, Terra?" Eraqus shouted, snapping Sky out her thoughts. And like before, the image was gone and Terra returned to normal.

Terra swung Earthshaker back and opened a portal, tossing Ven in.

"Wait! Terra-" Ven started. But before he could get another word in, the portal closed, transporting him elsewhere.

Terra turned his attention back to Eraqus in time to block another attack. No longer confined to defending, he countered. Harnessing the power of darkness, Terra flashed across the field. What Terra Terra lacked in battle experience, the darkness made up in speed and power. Even Eraqus had a hard time keeping up.

Eraqus moved across the forecourt, keeping his distance. He summoned a barrier of light, blocking most of Terra's dark attacks. Charging up power, he released bursts of light magic until the forecourt shined. But to no avail, Terra continued his aggressive onslaught.

Sky watched the battle from afar, tears now falling from her eyes. 'Why is everyone fighting?' She just wanted everything to stop.

The battle came to a halt, Eraqus clutching his chest in pain. Terra dispelled Earthshaker, taking cautious steps to his master.

"What have I done?" Terra said, ashamed. "Master… I just… wanted to keep Ven safe."

"No. You were right," Eraqus said. "I failed you, Terra. Perhaps I've no one to blame but myself for the darkness inside you. And now I've done worse - raised my Keyblade against you and Ventus."

Terra took another step forward, sadness clouding his features.

"My own heart is darkness!" Eraqus exclaimed.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a dark pulse struck Eraqus from behind. Eye's widening in pain, Master's Defender falls to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Take Sky… somewhere safe…" Eraqus croaked out.

Before Terra could catch him, Eraqus dissipated into several strands of light.

Crying in anguish, Terra planted his hands on the ground.

"Master Eraqus!" Terra yelled, sobbing.

Sky suppressed a scream, hands over mouth. Where did that attack come from?

As if to answer her question, a portal appeared in the forecourt. Xehanort's hunched form strode out of it, a look of satisfaction plastered across his face.

"What a sight," Xehanort smirked. "Why do you trouble yourself with remorse, Master Terra? The man was bent on doing harm to our friend, his own pupil!"

"Master Xehanort! Why?" Terra looked up.

"You know, at times I find your progress quite striking," Xehanort said. "But you still fall short. Let all that anger out, my boy. Give your heart over to darkness!"

"What do you mean?" Terra asked, summoning Earthshaker once more.

"Still so blind…" Xehanort shook his head. "Then I will make you see. Come to the place where all Keyblade wielders leave their mark on fate - the Keyblade Graveyard!"

Summoning his own Kayblade, No Name, he raised it to the sky.

"There you will watch your dear Ventus and Aqua meet their ends, and the last light within you will die!"

Darkness poured out of No Name as Xehanort shot a beam into the sky, creating a dark orb. The chains of the castle shook violently.

"You won't need a home where you're going!" Xehanort exclaimed, leaving through another portal.

"What? Xehanort!" Terra shouted, attempting to catch him.

The castle shook, slowly raising to the darkness. The forecourt split open, earth rising to the sky. Terra watched helplessly as his home was falling apart.

"Terra!" Sky panicked. "Terra! Help!" She gripped a pillar for stability. Sky didn't understand what was happening, but she knew that staying here was dangerous. They needed to leave as soon as possible.

Snapping out of his stupor, Terra summoned his glider and snatched her up. With an ironclad grip, Sky held on as Terra raced toward the portal he created.

Looking back at the destruction, Sky felt more tears fall from her eyes. This world was now desolate. Lost to the darkness.

Home was no more.


Gentle waves lapped onto the shore as Terra and Sky landed on a secluded part of the beach. Compared to the now eerie feeling of The Land of Departure, the tranquil beaches of Destiny Islands felt welcoming.

Quickly setting Sky on the sand, Terra dismissed his glider before anyone could spot them.

Sky stared off into the distance, still reeling from the events of the past couple of hours. 'What's gonna happen now?' She thought. Their home was gone and so was Master Eraqus. 'Where will we go?'

"Sky?" Terra called.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she turned to face him.

"I have to go."

"You're leaving?" She asked, sadness once again clouding her features. "Please don't leave me…"

Terra sighed and knelt to her level. He didn't want to leave her, but he also didn't have a choice. Xehanort was a dangerous man. The man was hellbent on hurting his friends. Who knows what would happen if he failed to protect her?

"I have to help Aqua and Ven," Terra said softly. "We don't want what happened to the Master to happen to them, right?"

Sky shook her head.

"Why can't I go with you?" She asked.

"It's too dangerous and you don't know how to fight," Terra explained.

"But I've been training with Master!" Sky exclaimed. "And I'll be here alone…"

Terra frowned. He was leaving her alone in an unfamiliar world. It was peaceful for now but that could change at any moment. And if something happened to him…

"You're right," he conceded.

Beckoning her to come closer, he summoned Earthshaker, flipping the hit of the Keyblade to face her.

"Huh?" Sky blinked.

"Here," he said motioning for her to take hold of the blade.

Sky shuffled across the sand and wrapped her fingers around the hilt.

"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking… it's wielder, you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

While Terra spoke, she could feel the Keyblade's power flow through her, filling her with strength.

As she released Earthshaker from her grasp, Terra rose from the ground.

"Do you remember what Master taught us about other worlds?" He asked.

Sky nodded.

"Don't tell people that other worlds exist. And the Keyblade is only used to fight darkness," Sky recalled.

"Good. I have to go now. I can't keep Aqua and Ven waiting any longer," Terra said.

"Okay… Promise you'll come back soon?"

"Promise. And I'll bring Aqua and Ven too," he said.

Changing into his armor, Terra summoned his glider. He looked back at her forlornly before disappearing through another portal.

'Please be safe,' Sky prayed, taking a seat in the sand. She was alone now even if was only for a little while. But she had faith in her friends. She knew they were strong. She knew they wouldn't lose.


Hours had gone by since Terra had left. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon and the tide started rolling in.

Sky trudged her way to the nearby town. While she wanted to wait on the beach for Terra to come back, the temperature was beginning to drop to uncomfortable levels.

The town was practically empty by the time she reached the street, likely due to the setting sun. Shops had closed for the day and lights began to blink out one by one.

Unsure of where else to go, Sky plopped on a nearby bench, shivering. The warmth from earlier in the day had completely disappeared and it seemed like it was going to get colder.

She wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to conserve what little body heat she had. Several thoughts passed through her mind:

'How long was he going to be gone?'

'Are they okay?'

'When will they be back?'

She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice people exit the nearby building.

"Thank you for the book recommendations!" A brown-haired woman said as she ushered two boys out the door. "We'll be back in a couple of days to return them."

"Of course! Anything for my favorite customers!" A young black-haired woman smiled back. "Oh! One more thing before you go…"

Whilst the women were discussing, the brown-haired boy chattered excitedly to his friend about the book in his hands.

Half listening, the silver-haired boy surveyed the surrounding area.

"Hey," he called, spotting Sky. "Who are you? I've never seen you here before."

Sky snapped out of her thoughts, her brown eyes meeting his green.

"Uh-ummm…" She shrunk back, shyness overcoming her. Outside of the four people she spent most of her life with, Sky had never interacted with anyone else. Eraqus hadn't taken her outside of The Land of Departure, stating that traveling between worlds was dangerous business. There was plenty of time to do so when she was older.

"I'm Sora!" The brown-haired boy cut in, startling her. Sky shrunk further back, moving to the other end of the bench.

"Sora! Don't scare her!" The silver-haired boy scolded. Turning back to Sky, he smiled. "I'm Riku."

Sky's eyes darted between the two boys. She wasn't expecting to meet people and was unsure of what to do.

"Sora? Riku?"

The women had stopped their conversation, turning their attention to the three children.

"Oh! Sweetie, why are you out here by yourself?" The black-haired woman asked. "It's freezing!"

Sky glanced away. What could she say? She wasn't allowed to talk about why she was actually there. Even if she did, she wasn't sure they would believe her.

The women exchanged a glance. Her presence was an anomaly. The island was small enough for everyone to be acquainted with one another and they hadn't seen her around before.

"My name is Cass," the black-haired woman said softly. "What's your name?"

"Sky…"

"It's very nice to meet you, Sky. Why are you out here so late? Don't you have to get home?"

Sky fiddled with a lock of her ash brown hair. She wished Terra had coached her on what to say.

"Sky…?" the brown-haired woman prodded.

"My friend said he'd come back soon…"

"How long ago was that?" Cass asked.

"Four hours ago…"

Alarmed, the women exchanged another look. Who leaves a child alone for four hours? Were they planning on leaving her here all night?

Cass took a deep breath. 'How could someone be so irresponsible?'

"It's getting pretty late. Why don't you come inside for the night? You can stay until your friend comes back," she offered.

Sky stared at her blankly. Terra had left her on the beach. How would he find her if she wasn't there? She didn't think he would want to sleep outside though…

"Okay…" Sky accepted, sliding off the bench.

The women sighed in relief.

"Great!" Cass exclaimed and turned back to the other woman. "I'll take care of her."

The woman nodded.

"Alright, it's time we get going. I'm sure Riku's mother is getting worried."

"Awwww… do we have to?" Sora groaned.

"Yes," she asserted, "it's getting late."

"Can we come back tomorrow?" He asked.

"That can be arranged. If that's okay with you?" She directed at Cass.

"Of course!" Cass smiled.

"Yay!" Sora cheered. "Bye Sky! See you tomorrow!"

The young boy turned and skipped down the street.

"Wait! Sora!" His mother called. "Come along, Riku."

He nodded and followed after her.

"Hey Sky, let's play tomorrow. We can show you around the island," he said.

"Um…okay…" She looked away. "See you tomorrow."

Riku smiled and waved before continuing down the street.

Sky and Cass watched the trio disappear in the distance.

"Well, it's not getting any warmer out here, so in we go!" Cass gestured to the door. Sky nodded and entered the building.

"A library?" Sky gasped, noting the dozens of bookshelves.

"Yep! Do you like reading?"

"Yes!" Sky exclaimed. When she wasn't training, she was reading in The Land of Departure's library. If Ven didn't drag her out every once in a while, she probably would forget to eat.

"You and me both," Cass smiled. "But you can explore the shelves tomorrow. Now we need to get you to bed." She pointed to the staircase leading to the second floor.

"Fine…" Sky pouted.

Cass chuckled. Though she knew Sky for less than thirty minutes, she could tell exactly what kind of child she was. It was going to be tough to pull her away from the books.

Once on the second floor, the pair rounded the corner and stopped in front of a door.

"You can stay here for the night," Cass said, turning the doorknob.

It was a modest room with a single twin bed, a nightstand, and a dresser. On the other side of the room, there was a door that opened into a small bathroom.

"Thank you," Sky replied, bashfully.

"Of course! I'll be right down the hall if you need anything. Good night!"

"Good night," Sky called back.

The door closed with a gentle click, leaving Sky alone in the room.

Sky laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Despite the long day, she wasn't tired yet. She had hoped Terra would be back before sundown. From what she had seen, Master Xehanort was strong. But she knew that Terra, Aqua, and Ven were stronger. They would win and come back for her. They were just running a little late.

'Please be safe…' she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Little did she know, it would be a long while before she would see her friends again.