Heyo! Welcome to True King! This is me adding to the list of KH4-potential stories - we all have one somewhere, right? This one began being developed as the fanfic of a fanfic - "KH4: The Search for Hope" (highly recommend) - and then grew like a weed into its own story. And now here we are.

A few warnings:

1. Not everything that happens post the creation of Melody of Memory will be accurate to this story. I'm sorry, there's just too many variables Nomura left us. I'm playing with what I can and leaving the rest to the actual series.

2. I didn't intend it, but this has become a sort of love song to KHUx, that pesky mobile game that is closing in 2021. You don't need to know much from that to follow this story, I hope, but if you do, you might have more fun.

3. To readers who began this before April 2021, the first few chapters have been revised to display a better narrative style. The biggest change is a few pacing elements, but there are some new Easter eggs tossed around if anyone wants to do a quick recap!

Chapter 1 - An Oath to Return

His fingers scraped along the harsh pavement beneath him as he opened his eyes. Bright streetlights permeated the dark, reflecting off of a puddle that had dampened his pants. He recognized the vivid hues of other shining images, if only from an uncertain familiarity that a year of dreams had ingrained within himself. As he stood, he still found himself looking around fervently, recognizing the colorful signage that meticulously changed and distracted his focus, the white stripes that decorated the road, the cars that seemed frozen in time - and the night sky above him with its pale moon.

This time, it felt different. This time, Riku could feel the cool breeze that drifted through the streets and hear the slight buzzing that came from the screens perched on towers. For a moment, he thought he was really there, physically in that strange world that had consumed his sleeping hours so frequently.

He couldn't be, he was aware. He was dreaming. His body was in the laboratory under Ansem the Wise's castle in Radiant Garden, sleeping on a table next to where Kairi herself slumbered.

With a start, he craned his head upward, scanning the rooftops. His neck tingled: there was that feeling again, the feeling that someone was watching him. His eyes focused on a strange building with twin peaks that loomed over the others in the distance. After a moment, he sighed. Just like before, he couldn't see anyone. There was just that feeling that he wasn't alone.

The Fairy Godmother and Master Yen Sid believed this world that lingered in his dreams could hold a key to finding Sora. If Riku's presence here could help even the slightest, he was determined to try.

With a firm nod, he reached an arm out to his side. Braveheart manifested in a glow of light that looked pale compared to the vibrancy that filled the darkness around him. Its silver base gleamed and the keychain, one that he knew took after Kingdom Key's own, glistened. He nodded once; he could summon his Keyblade here. That was a start. He let it depart as he set off down the middle of an empty street, aiming for the two towers in the distance.

He'd never gotten far at walking this path in his dreams; more often than not, a darkness would overtake him after a few steps and he'd wake up in a cold sweat soon after he began, much to his dismay. This time, he met no resistance. He walked from crosswalk to crosswalk, lights above flashing green and red and, sometimes, yellow. Buildings stood sentry around him; after a time, they changed to trees and bushes and then back to unnaturally tall edifices that consumed the sky. It was a powerful feeling, but the longer he walked, the greater his sense of unease grew.

It was...malevolent. This world - if it were a world - was malevolent. Maybe it was the emptiness. Footsteps splashed in haphazard puddles. Cars stood empty. And all the while, lights flickered and dimmed and changed images haphazardly. Trees whispered in the wind but no animals crept around to help. The quiet made for a kind of timelessness that reminded him of the Realm of Darkness. It was just as foreboding. He itched to draw his Keyblade, but paranoia wasn't going to help him.

He didn't know how long he walked. He guessed the better part of an hour. Finally, he stood beneath his aim. He craned his neck, looking up at its imposing figure. The moon reflected in black windows and shone off the siding ominously. He wasn't sure that his watcher was up there, but, then again, he wasn't sure about anything at the moment. He had no other leads.

Sora always followed his heart. Now it was his turn.

With a deep breath, Riku summoned his Keyblade - and then he ran forward. Gravity shifted slightly as he used his momentum and strength to begin to scale one side. The windows of the building buckled slightly under his weight. He quickly took purchase instead on a thin layer of siding. Wind pushed tendrils of his hair into his eyes; the cold night air stung his skin. Still, he climbed. He gasped slightly as he crested the lower of the landings, the middle space between the rest of the two parts of the impressive structure. He crouched down for a moment, letting the Keyblade leave his hand as he caught his breath. After a moment that felt long and unrealized, he looked between the two towers that surrounded him, trying to sense which one felt the better option.

The right. It had an...aura to it. At first he couldn't realize why his decision came so easily, and then he looked up. He could see the top of the glowing moon just above it - and that decided him. He shook out his Keyblade arm, feeling it reappear, and began his ascent afresh. This was an easier climb, fortunately, and, with a growing conviction that he was right, he let out a guttural shout as he leapt over the edge and landed in a crouch on the roof, Keyblade held overhand as his eyes darted around.

There was nobody there.

Slowly, Riku straightened, letting Braveheart fall from his hand. Frowning, he looked out from atop the building. Lights came from below, where the city slept but was awake with its light. Up here, the moon shone more brightly, taking the task of a hundred neon signs and illuminating the night sky itself. He had been so sure -

The back of his neck tingled as a soft thud sounded right in front of him. For a moment he forgot to breathe. He staggered before righting himself.

A boy - perhaps a man - stood silently in front of him, regarding him with cautious eyes.

The man in front of him was him.

No, that wasn't quite right. This man seemed older. His eyes were stern, one blue, one red. He wore an outfit that mildly reminded Riku of his own, but there was no cheerful yellow and white to compliment it, just more black. He looked around, confused.

This wasn't a replica, Riku decided immediately. This was something new.

The man blinked in surprise, and Riku tensed as he opened his mouth. "Who are you?"

He couldn't help himself. He answered. "Riku."

The man's eyes widened and he stood up straighter. "But - "

"Boo!" came a shout from Riku's right. He jumped and pulled out his Keyblade again as a new figure appeared, this one clad in a dark Organization robe with the hood hiding his features. He waved his arms in the air in an excited motion. "Did I scare you? Did I?"

He had swivelled to the yell, but Riku quickly turned back to where the other individual had stood. Whoever it had been was gone. With a frown, he looked over his shoulder, not turning from his current spot. "Who are you?"

"Aw, come on, you weren't even a little scared? Just a teeny bit? I spent hours preparing for that. It was going to be the highlight of my night."

The man was emphatic, his body moving almost constantly in expressive motions. Riku felt overwhelmed.

"No," was Riku's tense response. "I'll ask again: Who are you and who was that other guy just then?"

With a dramatic flair of his hands, the hooded man sighed. "Fine, fine, fine. Don't worry about the other one anytime soon." He paused and cocked his head. "I mean - maybe you should. But you know him, in a sense."

"What does that mean?"

"Ah, now, that would be spoilers, and spoilers ruin the best books. I've been preparing mine for quite a while now, so giving away all the secrets would just be bad form." He paused. "As for who I am?"

Slowly, he lifted his gloved hands to the edge of his hood and started to pull. Riku watched as the person under the covering started to take shape…

And then the man pulled the hood back down over his face, as it had been before.

"See, that's also spoilers. You're going to have to wait like everyone else." He sighed, and this time he sounded more tired than mocking. "Everyone has a role to play. Mine is to be mysterious for the moment. Besides, if I showed you now, you'd just tell Sora, and that would ruin all the work I've put into this."

The name jolted him. "Where's Sora?" Riku asked, raising the Keyblade higher.

The man let out a low whistle. "Now that's an interesting Keyblade. What a brawny design. I don't think anyone I know has anything quite like that, and that's saying something; I know many Keyblade wielders. You should be proud of your creativity!"

"Sora."

"Oh, all right," he grumbled, waving a hand in the air. "You see, Sora did something he wasn't supposed to do when he saved his little princess a bit ago. So now...well, you're on the right track."

Riku shook his head. "That's not an answer."

"Of course it's not! Look, I'd tell you if I could, but your role is to find him. That's always been your role."

"My...role."

"See," the hooded figure said as he started to pace, hands clasped behind his back, "like I said before. Everyone has a role. You have a role, your friend Xehanort had a role - which he performed, albeit sloppily." Riku tensed at the name. "Even I have a role. I'll let you in on a little secret: Mine was to watch and wait. It was a cushy gig, I'll admit, but it's time to get things back on track. Which starts with you. You now know your role. Go out and do it."

"But - "

The man wasn't listening, however. He had turned to the side of the building and, with one fluid motion, jumped off. Riku rushed to the side and looked down, but there was no one there, just colorful street lights. He grimaced and looked up at the moon, as though it might have answers for him.

It didn't.

Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light.

Kairi didn't know why her grandmother's story filled her mind as she walked through a land of sky and sea. Maybe it was the ambience of the place. The Final World, as Sora had called it, was peaceful in a way that the story made her envision how the worlds used to be. Fluffy clouds danced above her. Below, her steps left a subtle splashing in her wake as she moved across the slight wash of water that covered the ground.

Everyone loved the light.

Or maybe the story just came, unbidden but not unwelcome, because it, too, was a memory, just like where she was.

The next part of the story rang in her mind.

Then people began to fight over it.

She supposed this place was a memory, though a part of her wondered if this was a dream brought on by her current state. When she'd offered to go to sleep and allow Ansem the Wise and his team to peruse her memories, she hadn't been sure what would happen. When she'd awoken here, she'd worried that something had happened to her - but only for a moment. Somehow, she knew that this wasn't like before, when she'd arrived with Sora after defeating Xehanort.

For some reason, she still didn't think she should be here.

They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts.

She shivered. The longer she was here, the more wisps of ideas fell into her mind like drops of rain, slowly soaking her heart and mind. Images of running toward a golden gate, of a leering face, of a white coat on a familiar figure, and of small fists pounding on a curved glass wall filled her vision often. Sometimes she had to stop and crouch down, to feel the water below her fingers and let it sooth her, before she could continue forward.

The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared.

She didn't know where she was going. Maybe she wasn't going anywhere. Maybe she was just walking for no reason. There were no distinguishable features, just endless blue.

But small fragments of light survived... in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now.

There was no Chirithy, either. The strange creature would have been a welcome sight, even with its blunt manner. But they had returned it to Ventus, she supposed, and even in her memories and dreams, the spirit didn't appear for her.

But the true light sleeps deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open.

A new memory came to her, a brief flash that made her pause. A blue-haired woman leaning down, smiling kindly as she held flowers, red, white, yellow, in her hands...

And the true light will...

She stopped abruptly, the story fading from her mind as quickly as it had begun.

A figure stood in the distance.

After the emptiness of the Final World, this image made her gasp. She's seen no one, for as much time as she'd been here. And now...

Kairi tensed. If this were a memory, then maybe Sora would be here. If he were here, he could tell her what he knew about what had happened to him.

The figure had spiky hair and the jacket...the jacket was so familiar...

If he were here, she wouldn't be alone. She'd be with Sora.

Before she knew it, she was running. "Sora!" She huffed, her vision swimming as her legs raced beneath her. Even though there was nothing to trip on, she found herself stumbling. "Sora, it's me!" Water splashed beneath her, running up her boots and splashing her ankles. He seemed to be watching her. After a moment, it waved a hand energetically. He didn't move any closer, but he didn't move farther away.

Part of her wondered about that. This was Sora, why wasn't he coming toward her?

It took ages to cross the clear water. She had to stop several times to put her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. When it came, she began anew. And, as she neared, the figure took shape.

It wasn't Sora. Silver hair, a dark jacket covering a dark shirt…"Riku?" He turned toward her and seemed to say something, unfamiliar eyes widening in surprise, but she couldn't hear him over her footsteps.

Then she blinked and stumbled to a halt, dread filling her heart. How had she thought that was Sora or Riku?

The figure wore a black coat.

Her fingers twitched and felt the familiar form of Destiny's Embrace flood into her hand. Slowly, eyes narrowed, she started forward again, this time at a careful walk. The cloaked person didn't move. It was tall, the hood of the dark garment pulled ominously over its head so nothing was visible of its face. When she was a few yards away, it lifted its arms and started to clap.

"Bravo, bravo!" a male voice said energetically. "You know, it's not easy to find someone here. No landmarks, y'know? Take a right at that splash, straight on past the puffy white cloud over there...yeah, it doesn't really cut it." He crossed his arms and shook his head. "Though you did keep me waiting a long time. You could have sped it up a little!"

"Who are you?" Kairi asked. She hated how her voice trembled with those three words.

"You don't know?" the man said, slumping over dramatically. "All of my hard work always goes unappreciated."

"You're a part of the Organization."

"Hmmm?" he tapped a finger to the bottom of his hood in deliberation. After a moment, he snapped his fingers. "Oh, those guys! Yeah, no, though good first guess! I'll give you two more if you want to keep trying."

Kairi didn't say anything. This wasn't a memory; or if it was, she had no recollection of it. And if it were a dream…

This didn't feel like a dream.

The figure shook his head, sighing. "All right, fine, fine. Don't worry, you'll know soon enough. Probably. But don't tell anyone that, I've got an air of mystery to maintain!" She frowned but raised her Keyblade a bit higher. She didn't like this. Part of her was telling her to run, the other to fight.

She couldn't do either. She felt frozen.

The man waited for a moment before putting his hands on his hips and leaning forward. "Well? No questions? Jeez, I waited for so long without a proper conversationalist and this is what I have to work with?" He sighed, shaking his head. "You're supposed to ask, 'What do I want?' That's how these talks go."

Kairi nodded tensely. He shook his head. "And I thought Riku was the quiet one."

"You know Riku?"

"Ah, she speaks! Of course I know Riku. We spoke just a bit ago, him and I. And I know you, little miss princess of heart herself. And…" He paused dramatically. "I know Sora."

Kairi's mind whirled. "Do...do you know where he is?"

The man knelt over laughing breathily. "That always gets you guys to open up. So PREDICTABLE." He stood upright and shrugged. "Oh, he's everywhere. And nowhere! It's a stumping predicament, don't you think? A real brain-teaser!" He seemed delighted at the thought. "But right now...well, he's in a bit of trouble."

She didn't say anything.

"Ah, back to the silent treatment, I see," the figure said after a moment. "I just explained this to Riku, but here it goes again: Sora broke some rules, you're going to try to fix them, and I'm going to cheer you on from the sidelines." He moved his head thoughtfully. "And then things can finally get interesting. About time."

He leaned forward again.

"Do you want to go to him, princess? You're why he's gone, aren't you?"

This was probably a trap. She knew that. His carefree demeanor, his loose words, the way that he got closer with every gesture - this was a trap.

And she was going to fall for it. She knew that in her heart. She didn't have a choice.

"Who are you?" she tried again, holding her Keyblade up at him. It didn't feel like much of a threat against him, even though he was unarmed. Something was wrong.

He backed away a half step, raising his hands in mock-surrender. "Oh, we've met a few times, princess. I daresay I'll be familiar as day soon enough." He folded his arms. "But that's neither here nor there. Sora's what matters, right? Right? Or! Do you not care for himanymore?! What a twist! A third-act game-changer!"

"Stop it." Her words were low. "I...Sora...stop it."

"So you're going to go help him, then? All right," the man said with gusto. "Don't say I didn't warn you, you're not going to have a pleasant time. But I hope you have more fun than Riku's having."

"What - "

Before she could finish even beginning her question, he snapped his fingers.

The water below her suddenly lost its footing. Without that, she found herself falling backwards, her body hitting it almost parallel as she stared upward at the neverending sky. Above her, the dark cloak rippled as her head entered the water, her arms windmilling to try to stay afloat. That did nothing.

She fell.

This didn't feel like water anymore. She tried to hold her breath but when she let it out, no bubbles formed. For a strange reason she became convinced that she was falling into the sky, that the world had reversed somehow. There were clouds around her, and then stars. She reached out a hand instinctively but there was nothing to grab on to. Her eyes drifted closed without her consent. Her last thought was that she felt peaceful, and then...

She awoke to her face on the ground and her body aching. Shaking, she stood up, her hands becoming momentarily imprinted with the rough pavement below her. That made her pause. She wasn't in the laboratory. There was no sign of the computers and machines that filled it.

Instead, bright lights flashed around her. She squinted, covering her eyes for a moment to adjust to their glaring intimacy. They layered buildings that reached increasingly upward, wisps of clouds moving past in a breeze that suddenly shook her to her core.

High above her, a yellow moon glistened in the dark sky.

"Commander?" The young man opened his eyes - one red, one blue - and grimaced. "We have arrived."

The noise from the street around them almost masked the chauffeur's words. Around their vehicle, Yozora watched as people passed by - a suited man talking hectically into a phone, several teenagers sporting loose ties and backpacks waving goodbye at a group of similarly clad girls, a woman cooing over a crying baby in a stroller. As the car turned from the street and into a parking space, others honked and engines blurred the air.

Yozora stared blankly as his driver moved around to his own door and opened it, but he didn't get out. "It happened again."

"You saw him?"

"I...no. I was in the city, up there," he began, gesturing toward the tall black building that stood before them. "There was a boy. And then I was in the other place, but it was a bright sky this time, and there was a girl."

"A fascinating development, to be sure."

"They looked...familiar." The way the boy frowned, the way the girl's hair curled against her neck when she saw him and halted, both were images that reminded him of something, just like the meeting with the person who claimed to be Sora had been. Yozora held out his hand, letting his palm curl around the air. The driver looked on expectantly for several moments before clearing his throat.

"It appears you have yet to master this power, Commander." With a wave of his hand, he motioned toward the sidewalk. Yozora shook his head and let his hand clench into a fist.

"Why won't it work?" he asked as he climbed out and let the driver shut the door behind him. "I have no problem in the night world."

The other man shook his head. "They require a certain...conviction. Give it time, and I am sure it will - "

"I don't have time," Yozora muttered, only half listening. "I'm supposed to save Sora. That's the only thing I'm certain of. That's what he said."

"Patience," the driver said. He reached out a hand, and the two began to move through the crowd toward the black building. "Here, Commander."

He was holding something small out in his right hand. Yozora frowned before recognizing the box for what it was: a pack of playing cards decorated with an unfamiliar symbol. "I don't play."

"Ah, but that's your problem." The driver waited for a moment before unpacking the cards. With a flick of his wrist, the box they had been in had disappeared. He began expertly shuffling them. "You are a player, Commander, just as the rest of us are. Even if you hold your game pieces to your chest, you will eventually place them on the board." He held the cards, fanned neatly out, toward Yozora again; the younger man shook his head and, with a hesitant sigh, took one.

"It's the - "

Before he could finish, his driver covered his own mouth with a finger. "I'm sure I shall learn soon enough. Come. Once again, we have arrived."

Yozora hadn't noticed when they reached the side of the building, but there they were. To their left stood a small set of stairs leading toward a large, imposing entrance. Men and women entered and left frequently.

Directly in front of them, however, was a smaller door. This one was black and unassuming except for one detail: A small shape sat in its center, thirteen emblazoned silver spikes that surrounded a strange red fan-like symbol.

Yozora shivered. "You know where this leads." It wasn't a question.

The driver simply smirked. "Why, it leads to where all doors eventually lead." And, with a bow, he opened the door.

Yozora stepped through.

A/N: For those who read pre-changes, Yozora's part was initially appended to the beginning of the next chapter in an attempt to create intrigue. I realized I wanted all the intrigue-ness to belong in one place, for now, at least!