The Grey Ancient

by Ancient2

This is the Kingdom Hearts storyline through Riku's point of view. It's a take on who he is, where did he come from, and 'what' he is. Neither of the Light, nor the Darkness. So then where does he belong?

25. Chapter 25

Friends of Old and New Meet Again

The Land of Dragons

Riku had followed Xigbar all the way to world of Mulan chasing him all the way up the mountain.

"Geez kid, not even the cold weather can slow you down." Xigbar said as he noticed the presence of snow added no traction to Riku's pursuit. "I thought you were from a tropical island. Or has your time in the darkness made you immune to the cold."

"Tch, even if it did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Heh, cheeky."

"Why are you doing this? Dragons are sacred creatures on this world. They give strength to the earth and the people, turning one into a Heartless will have a serious repercussion on this world."

"That's no concern of mine." Xigbar shrugged off as he reached the top of the mountain, looking down at Riku as he watched him climb up after him. "My job is to get the hearts we need for the Organization. So Kingdom Hearts will be ours."

"!" Riku couldn't believe what he was hearing, the multiple, chaotic cries for help from this world's heart made more sense than him. "Are you really 'this' selfish? Many people of this world will be lost to a rampaging dragon Heartless, this world could fall to darkness!"

"Hey, no worries about that. Sora will dispatch the thing and all will be right in the world, as he usually does."

"You are missing the point!"

"And I've got no time trying to find it." Xigbar huffed, slowing stretching out his hand towards Riku as if in a command. "I've got places to be and things to do, so why don't you play with these guys for a while."

"!" Riku tensed up as he was forced to jumped as a swarm of Rapid Thruster Heartless came flying at him. "You can control the Heartless?!"

"Nah, the Heartless only follow whom they deem the strongest." Xigbar shrugged before turning back around to continue on in his direction, giving a wave from behind. "Later kid."

"Tsk, you gotta be kidding." Riku groaned out at his predicament, he had cut through as many of them as he could with Soul Eater to clear a path, but more just kept coming. "Gugh, don't you have better things to do?"

RUMBLE

"!" Riku steadied himself as the earth rumbled and quaked beneath him. Not only could he Sense it, he could smell the rising of darkness coming from the ground. "Oh no...what has he done? Gh!"

Riku had to leap back, taking cover behind a smaller peak in the mountain as the quaking caused a small avalanche. Sweeping up all of the Heartless with it, along with his tracks. Riku was forced to wait for the mountain to calm down, unable to go after Xigbar as he made his escape.

'No, he got away!' Riku grew frustrated at himself for allowing Xigbar and the Organization to have their way. Only to fill guilty later as this world's heart wept for the lost of its Storm Rider, one that has been the guardian of this region for a long time. 'I'm sorry...'

The dragon of the mountain has been turned into a Heartless, there was nothing much Riku could do for it now. All he could do now is lead the others that can help the creature to the dragon. Riku had taken a Dark Corridor to the base of the mountain, hoping to meet Sora and the others there as he Sensed them heading to this world.

"Huh?"

"!" Riku flinched for a second. 'Crap, I've been spotted by a denizen.'

"Who are you? State your business here." Demanded Mulan, on guard around the a strange, shrouded individual lurking near the Imperial City.

"..." Riku was relieved to see a familiar face, but also cautious so as not to give himself away. Anything so as a face, a voice, or a gesture could leak back to Sora.

"Wait, are you the spy in black that's been lurking in the mountains?" Mulan tensed at her conclusion as Riku silently tensed as well.

"..." On the outside Riku didn't even make a move, but on the inside his mind was reeling. 'Spy in black? Does this mean Xigbar or another in the Organization has been scouting this world out long before Xigbar made this move? How many other worlds have they scouted out for this purpose? Why didn't I Sense any of this?!'

"Either way, you're coming with back to the Imperial City for question."

"..." No way he was. 'Sorry, Mulan, but I can't afford to be caught.'

He ran.

"Hey, wait!" She called out, chasing after him.

Luckily he was able to put some distance between them at the burnt down village. Good thing he was slightly faster than her and had the benefit of longer legs on his side. Turns out coming to the village was a good thing, by the time he reached the other end of it Sora, Donald and Goofy had just dropped in from their Gummi ship.

"Look!" Donald once again was the first to spot him. Riku looked back at them for a second, glad at their arrival before running up the mountain.

"Wait!" Sora perused soon after Mulan caught up and joined the three of them. They had chased after him up the Ridge, all the way to the Summit. It would seem that Xigbar had left Sora some Dusk to handle along with the Heartless, more than likely he was going to do the same. But Riku would have to cross that bridge when he gets there. For now this world was having a build up of Heartless that the Keyblade wielder will have to deal with. Riku took cover behind a mountain peak as the others passed him on the Summit.

"Looks like he got away." Mulan huffed in disappointment.

"How come you're after somebody from Organization XIII?" Goofy asked.

"What is that?"

"The guy in black." Sora answered while Donald clarified.

"One of the bad guys!"

"I knew it! There's a rumor in the Imperial City about a spy in black, lurking in the mountains." Mulan explained the situation. "I'd been up here tracking him, but when you arrived, I lost him."

"Ahh," Sora realized that they had been the one halting the pursuit not the other way around.

"Sorry," Goofy apologized, while Mulan smile in good nature.

"Don't apologize. But I do wonder where he went."

Soon the mountain rumbled again with the buildup of darkness. The avalanche from before had not taken care of the situation, only temporally delayed it. More Rapid Thruster Heartless had arrived on the scene.

"Again?" Donald complained instantly feeling deja vu. If he was annoyed by that than he was going to be flustered by what's to come.

"Okay, first things first!" Sora said, taking control of the situation as he summoned his Keyblade, charging at the Heartless with the others. But he halted as he felt a presence behind him. "...?"

"..." Riku had revealed himself, as to why he didn't fully know. There was no need to jeopardize his location and Sora and the others could have handle the Heartless on their own. He guessed, if he had to put it into words, he was just glad to see Sora again.

"Hey! You! Quit sneaking around!"

"..." But now that he revealed himself it just lead to further misunderstanding. Sora would think he was in the Organization, and Riku wouldn't be able to deny that because the change in his voice would make Sora think that he was Ansem of Darkness. The only solution he had now was to play along as Sora was ready for a fight, and just hope that he didn't recognize Soul Eater. But before that, Sora was being distraction from the actually threat behind him. Riku had to point behind Sora to remind him.

"?" Sora didn't know what he was talking about at first, but looked behind anyway. Only to quickly attack as one of the Heartless was coming at him. "Back off!"

"..." But now things were made harder as Sora was fighting with Riku along with the Heartless. Riku tried not to go on the attack, defending himself as Sora came in while in turn taking out the Heartless around him. Riku purposely slowed down his movement while purposely missing Sora and actually aimed his Dark Thundara at the Heartless instead of Sora. And he certainly didn't pursue when Sora changed his target to the Heartless. But he did get a few whacks in just to keep up the show, but he did give Sora enough time to use a Potion or Cure afterward if he needed it.

"?" Before Sora knew it he had already cleared out the Heartless in the area and he didn't even noticed. He almost felt like it was the guy in black's plan all along since he stopped actually fighting the moment the Heartless were gone. And at the same time it was so confusing because he couldn't get any malice from the guy or ill intent, in fact, he almost felt familiar.

"..." Silently Riku praised Sora for his work, his skills have improved and he took care of the Heartless flawlessly, there was no need for him to be doubting himself. Realizing the longer he stayed the chances of him being exposed goes up, he made a run for it. Sora ran after him with more hesitation than before, and actually let him go. Riku had stayed close taking cover out of sight to assess the situation.

"That guy... No... Why...would he?" Sora stopped in his tracks looking around for him, but Riku would not reveal himself again. "Riku?"

'Sorry Sora...'

"Are you okay, Sora?" Asked Donald as the other three caught up to Sora.

"Did ya get 'im?" Goofy asked, looking around and also drawing Sora out of his thoughts.

"Hmm... Oh- he's gone."

"What?! You lost him?" Donald huffed, angered at the lost to their lead to the Organization.

"..." Sora looked apologetic to the three of them, before trying to change the subject. "Anyway… What now?"

"I think that we better get rid of all the Heartless first." Goofy reasonable suggested. Donald nodded in agreement before the mountain began to shake again

"What was that? Come on, we better get off the mountain." A reasonable suggestion from Mulan since the constant shakes could cause an avalanche again.

"WAH!?" They also struggled to steady themselves as the rumbling grew stronger.

Soon after, the dragon, once known as Storm Rider, recently turned into a Heartless had risen from the darkness of the mountain's earth. Turns out as a creature born from the world's elements, all Xigbar had to do was continuously corrupt the creatures native element with darkness for multiple intervals in order for the dragon to lose its heart and turn into a Heartless.

'Mom would be horrified if she knew they had made Heartless by corrupting the earth with darkness... The world's heart is crying. This is an injustice...they're going to pay.'

"It's heading for the city!" Mulan gasped in alarm as Shan-Yu moved out with his Heartless. "We've got to warn Shang!"

"..." Riku admired their spirit, but there was no way that they were going to get to the city on foot in time before Storm Rider. Riku decided that it was time to intervene.

Opening up a Dark Corridor, Riku decided to pay this world's Emperor a direct visit. Coming out of the Corridor at the front door of the Jade Palace, Riku walked himself right in regardless of the guards.

"What are you?!" One of the guards said in alarm as would be in reason for them since he looks like a dark hooded intruder coming in from a dark portal. But he had no time for this. A light chop in the back of the head sent the guards down without causing any permanent harm. "AARGH!"

Although it probably hurt like a rock. He kinda felt bad about that but they were in his way and were well armed. It appears that Captain Shang was already at the Palace, but then again Riku wasn't too surprised by this.

"Who are you!" Demanded Captain Shang as he reached for his sword, preparing to defend his Emperor. But Riku merely pushed him away with a hand to the face as he climbed up the stairs to reached the Emperor. "Your highness!"

"..." The Emperor stood his ground, not moving from his throne or cowering in Riku presence like his advisor was. This old man was truly an emperor, the image of leadership and strength to his people. Wise with his years and a heart still strong like a mountain. Riku could admire his conviction, which was why he wasn't worried that the Emperor would brush off his warning.

"Be on your guard." The Emperor quirked an eyebrow at Riku but continued to listen. Shang had already recovered and was making his way up the stairs but halted midway when Riku's words hinted to him that he wasn't a threat but should still be on guard. "A heartless will attack this palace soon. You must prepare the soldiers and evacuate the people."

"!?"

"A Heartless!? Who the heck are you...?" Captain Shang guard demanded. "How do you know these things!?"

"There is no time to explained. The Heartless is flying down from the mountains towards the city at this very moment. Three "wise guys" had arrived and will take care of things. But not in time before the Heartless does some damage."

"How do we know you're not working with the spy in the black coat?"

"It doesn't matter if you think me of ill intent or not," Riku said to Shang before looking back to the Emperor. "I know you will do what it best to defend your people."

"..." The Emperor stared into Riku, studying the soul hidden within them. What he found in them he deemed trustworthy. "Captain, send your troops to evacuate the city and those within the Palace. Call up reserves in the event of speeding up the process."

"Forgive me, your Majesty, but do you believe we can trust this young man?" Shang asked, not fully trusting Riku's warning, let alone the fact Riku wouldn't identify himself or reveal his name.

"I won't take any chances, Captain. A single grain of rice can tip the scale. One warning given to us can be the difference between victory and defeat." The Emperor countered. "Besides, I do not believe this young man would waste his time fighting his way here for a lie."

"Yes, your highness!" Shang bowed to the Emperor before ordering out the remaining guards in the throne room.

"..." Riku simply nodded to the Emperor and exited out through a Dark Corridor, leaving the rest to Sora.

In time, once the earth around the mountain is purified of the darkness, the dragon Storm Rider will return again...

The Beast Castle

Riku had been looking throughout the worlds with his Senses, trying to find any possibly leads to the Organization's next- as Riku would call it- "hit list." So far, as he stretched his Senses out, he couldn't find any possibly leads to where the next Organization's stop was. His power of Sensing was growing stronger, but was still straining him extending his reach to multiple distant worlds. And the Organization's coat made it near impossible for him to Sense their light or darkness, only their smell gave them away- and that wasn't going to help him at a long distance.

But deep down, he had a calling in his heart to check in on Beast again. His behavior had been off for a long time now. And last he check Beast was being provoked by a guy in a black coat. The way things were going now, Beast was probably the next target to turn into a Heartless, since the Organization has clearly been building up their target's darkness in their hearts for long periods of time. They were probably going to act soon on Beast.

But when he came to Beast's world things seemed to be fine. The party Belle had been planning with the others in the castle was finally coming into full swing. They had all dressed to look their best. Belle in her lovely, yellow ball gown; Beast in his blue suit and groomed; even the residents of the castle had a glow about them. Tonight was to be magical with joy and dancing, this Riku could clearly tell. What he didn't expect was for Sora, Donald and Goofy to pop their way in. They must have been done with their business on the world of The Land of Dragons. Shouldn't they be resting after that fight? But Riku guess Sora was never one to rest while there was work to be done, even if he did get distracted to help others out along the way. But perhaps this is good. Sora could probably relax at the party and unwind after the long day he's had.

The party was in full swing once Belle and Beast made their appearance in the ballroom. Riku watched from the upper floor of the ballroom as they all had fun below, resting his body weight on the wall but keeping his guard up in case the Heartless or the Nobodies decided to arrive. He had a feeling that they were close by, most likely coming soon. But he'd hoped that they would come after the others have had their fun. Beast seemed to be anxious as well, almost as if he was having the same on guard mindset as Riku but ten times extreme. But Belle and the others were doing their best to help Beast lighten his mood and have a good time. Belle had even got Beast to break out of his nervousness and dance with her. Everything was going smoothly.

Until a member of the Organization decided to crash the party.

It must have been Xaldin...

Riku had to Corridor out onto the Ballroom's balcony just to not be spotted, frustration at just leaving Beast and the other three to take care of the Nobodies. But at least he could keep the others safe as they ran out to the balcony to avoid the fight.

"Riku?" Belle called out to him confused, she could recognize his presence from the bond of their hearts alone. But why was he so different? He seemed taller.

"Shh..." Riku silently requested with a finger in front of his hooded lips. "Please don't tell the others I was here. You guys will be safe with me."

"Al-alright," Belle was slightly startled by deep changes in his voice, along with the others. But he was still their friend and they were glad to see him. "Do you think the man in the black coat will be after us?"

"It's likely. He said he was going to take something precious from Beast." Riku answered before looking at all of them. "The only thing I've seen as precious to Beast is you guys."

"Aww, bless your heart, child." "(Goofy Laugh) Oh goodness." "You flatter us too much, Monsieur."

"Oh," that got a big smile from Belle and a happy fluster from Mrs. Pot, Cogsworth, and Lumiere. But the actions of the man in a black coat still confused Belle. "But I don't understand, why is this man so intent on tormenting Beast?"

"He's trying to turn him into a Heartless."

"Oh!" Belle gasped in alarm, placing gentle hands over her mouth to halt her cry.

"The fights over. Go in and stay with Beast and the other three, you'll be safe with them."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be watching things from a distance, don't worry." Belle and the others had nodded at Riku's requested, going back into the Ballroom.

Beast was glad to see them okay, but it soon turned to dread as he ran off to the West Wing. Riku at first was wondering what was wrong? Everyone was safe and right there, what could possibly be missing that Beast would deem precious?

"!" That's when it hit him. 'Oh no...the rose.'

Riku Corridor to Beast's Chamber balcony only to see that the enchanted rose that was usually preserved on the remaining furniture in the room that wasn't destroyed was gone. Riku took cover behind the wall as Beast came storming in. He could practically feel the hopelessness and rage building up inside Beast as the darkness in his heart began to rise. He began to pace around in the room with each step his anger would rise, as the others finally caught up to him. Finally letting out a rage filled roar as he slammed his fists into the ground.

"What's wrong?" Belle asked in concern.

"(Growl)!" Was all the noise he could make as he shook with rage while Belle approached him.

"Please , calm down!" But she was startle as he turned his rage towards her.

"Calm down?!" She couldn't understand why he was so mad at her. But how could she know? He never told her about the spell or the rose's part in it. However, he couldn't stop his temper as it all lashed out. "You just had to have a party, didn't you? Don't you see what's happened?"

"Hey. What's with you?" Sora was quick to come to Belle defense. Riku was grateful for that.

"The rose... My rose..."

"What, that? He took it?"

"But surely, you can find another rose..." Belle tried to suggest, not understanding the importance of "that" rose. She was just trying to help, it was clear to see, but Beast was blinded by anger.

"Silence! You don't know anything!"

Sora was quick to get between Beast and Belle. Riku knew Beast would never harm Belle, but it was smart to put a barrier between just in case in temper cause other flying objects to harm her during his rampage.

"That's not fair, Beast. Don't take it out on Belle." Sora tried to be the voice of reason. "It's not like she stole it!"

"(Groan)!" Beast groaned in discuss at his actions as he started to calm down.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." Sora insisted to Belle.

"But..."

"..." Beast had to turn away, unable to look at Belle after the fool he made of himself. "Belle... Sora... I want you to leave the castle."

"!" Belle couldn't believe what she was hearing. Neither could the others.

"Look at me. Look. This is what I am." He finally turned to look at Belle, one last time. If she was to leave, he wanted to see her one last time. "When you first got here, I tried to change."

Riku could practically feel Beast breaking inside as he looked down at his hands.

"But I was only fooling myself. I can't be anything different. I'll always be a beast. So, I should live like a beast." He finally dropped his hands as he slumped over in despair. "With no one, alone. Good-bye, Belle."

"You can't mean that..."

"..." He looked back at her at the plea in her voice, but swiftly looked away. Steeling himself for the loneliness to come. No one could ever love a beast. No one should. The hope of him ever changing was gone...

He walked away.

"Aw, I think his mind's all made up." Whispered Goofy, ruining the mood of the room.

"Yeah," Sora agreed with him before noticing Belle starting to walk away as well. Leaving the West Wing to return to her room. "Look, Belle. Leave this to us. If we can get Beast's rose back, he'll calm down."

"..." She nodded in gratitude at Sora's offer but was still saddened by the previous conversation. Looking back at Beast one last time, she left the room.

Sora had followed for a bit to make sure that Belle had made it out of the West Wing safely, before returning back to Beast's room.

"Hey, Beast." Sora called out to him.

"(Sigh)... Leave me alone." Beast refused to turn to them.

"C'mon, you need to hear this." Sora insisted, not in the mood for Beast's pouting, now wasn't the time for that. "You used to be fearless. You would have given your life to save Belle."

"..."

"Don't you know what that meant to us? You gave us all courage." Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement. "Hmph, maybe you should have kept some for yourself. I mean, are you really gonna throw your happiness away? The rose is your only hope, isn't it? Well, it's the only hope for Cogsworth and the others, too. So, don't throw away your last chance. Remember what it was like before Belle lived here?"

"!"

"See? You can't give up. Not now."

"I know one thing."

"What?"

"This castle belongs to me." Beast declared, reclaiming his courage as he finally turned to them. "Xaldin will never be welcomed here."

The others were glad to see his courage back, and so was Riku. He didn't know when Sora had become good with words, but it would seem Sora was growing.

With the Beast back to his normal self, the four of them left to search the castle for Xaldin. Riku decided to do so as well, using his Sense to try and find him. He learned that his Senses didn't work so well, but he would try with all his might to focus to try and pinpoint him through the moment of the Heartless in the castle. Perhaps he would be able to smell his darkness, but the open air on balcony of this world's cool night would make it hard for Riku to pick up a smell of darkness anywhere. He had Sensed the struggle of hearts in the Entrance Hall, giving him a chance to pinpoint Xaldin in the struggle.

But just after the struggle was over, he had left to the Courtyard. Riku could see him from Beast's balcony. Only to get the alarm of his life as Xaldin Corridor out of the Courtyard and straight into Belle's room.

"!" Riku had rushed to the edge of the balcony, leaning over to see if she was okay.

"Look! It's the rose!" Belle called down to Beast, not questioning the sudden presence of the rose on her balcony before Xaldin grabbed her from behind. "(Muffled Scream)!"

"Belle!"

Xaldin had jumped with Belle, taking her and the rose to the draw bridge.

"Hurry!" Sora said as they chased after them, Beast ramming through the Castle Wall Doors. Xaldin was waiting for them at the center of the bridge with Belle and the rose.

"You! Get out of my castle, now!" Beast commanded with rage.

"With pleasure, but I'd rather travel light... What shall I leave behind?" Xaldin questioned Beast to choose in the hopes of tormenting him and making him fall in despair at whichever choice he makes. "Belle? Or the rose?"

"(Growl)," Beast didn't have to take long to make his choice. "Belle!"

He leaped at Xaldin to grab Belle. However, taking the opportunity of the moment, Belle elbowed Xaldin in the stomach. Grabbing the rose from his loosened gripped and made a run for it. Halting Beast in his charge as she made a run for the castle.

"?!" "Good one Belle!" Beast looked on in shocked surprised as Sora cheered her on as she ran. She had a big smile all the way back.

While Beast and the others confronted Xaldin, Riku jumped down to the Courtyard to make sure Belle was okay.

"Are you alright?"

"More than alright, I feel great!" Belle boasted with a smile still on her face.

"That was a nice elbow. I'm sure he'll be feeling that for days." Riku couldn't help but grin at the fun she was having, he was proud that she defended herself.

"Well it serves him right!" Belle huffed in triumph. Suddenly they heard the sounds of strong winds and rumbles like thunder coming from the castle's bridge. "Oh no..."

"Leave the rest to the others. They can handle this." Riku assured to her placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know they can."

... Two Days Later ...

Port Royal

Riku had left the world of Beast's Castle soon after the fight with Xaldin, knowing that Belle was no longer in danger and hightailed it out of there before Sora came back with Beast and the others. He had hoped to find clues on who the Organizations next target was while Sora was distracted by the troubles rising from the previous members from Maleficent's Dark Council. The previous day Sora had unconsciously felt the build up of Darkness at Olympius Coliseum as he had to help Hercules take down Hades and his schemes. But on the bright side, that encounter actually strengthened Hercules's heart to make it shine so bright that Riku could even feel it from where he was on the world of Port Royal. Today Sora was on Agrabah since Jafar's escape from his lamp caused the darkness to build up on Agrabah, drawing Sora's attention to go take care of it. Aladdin and the others should be fine with Sora around. He just hoped that Aladdin and Jasmine will keep their promise and not tell Sora and the others about him. But they were also his friends too, he trusts them. For now, Riku would have to investigate the sudden buildup of darkness clouding the world of Port Royal.

Its appearance seems too sudden of an occurrence. So here he was, in the middle of the day at the harbor of Port Royal trying to find some answers among the denizens. Surprisingly the people of the town were not too alarmed to see a hooded guy in a black coat wondering around the harbor, which made things easier for him.

Riku had gone about from storefronts to locals passing by on their daily business, asking them if there was anything strange going around the port lately. Most just shook their heads in response while others just brushed passed him. Finally a local seller in the fish market had given him a lead, saying that she had spotted a fellow in a black coat like his heading for the Isla de Muerta with a crew of questionable characters. Riku was glad for the info but knew that their was no way for him to take a Dark Corridor there with so many eye witness, he needed other means to get there. When he asked, the lady told him to just head further into the harbor and hire a boat.

A safe idea. He nodded to the lady in gratitude and headed to the harbor. The place was busy with fishermen coming in with their catch and traders coming to port with foreign goods. None of the boats seemed that they would be willing to take him to the Isles. But then he spotted a boat boarding with Port Guards as if preparing for a conflict. Curious of the commotion, Riku went over to two people near the ship's boarding that weren't in uniform.

"Excuse me, can you tell me what's all the commotion about?"

"Usually it's proper to introduce yourself before asking questions of a stranger."

"My apologies, ma'am. My name is Riku. I've been searching for a group of people in black coats that have been causing trouble, my goal is to stop them."

"A pleasure to meet you, Riku. I am Elizabeth Swan."

"Will Turner," greeted the guy next to her. "We've recently had troubles with pirates that had been inflicted by the curse of the Aztec gold. Treasure that cursed its thieves to a deathless life of thirst, hunger, and a numbness to physical touch until all the gold is returned to its keep in the Isla de Muerta. We have already taken care of the pirates cursed by the treasure before, but now they seem to have returned."

"This curse sounds...nasty. But how can you tell that these pirates are effected by the curse?"

"The Moon reveals their true form at night. And I must say, it's not a pretty sight."

"I see...and you think that other pirates have gotten greedy and disturbed the treasure?"

"That's likely true, and I need to find out why... We're going to check on the Aztec treasure."

"Mind if I come with you? I would like to make sure that anyone in a black coat isn't involved in this."

"All right, welcome aboard."

"I'm coming too." Elizabeth insisted.

"Elizabeth, this is too dangerous." Will said.

"I've had more than enough dealing with pirates." Elizabeth huffed at his accusation of it being "too dangerous" for her.

"No, Elizabeth, I need you to be safe. Stay here in case anything happens. If there's trouble and we take too long to return, you'll be the only one that can call for help." Will reasoned to her.

"Alright..." Elizabeth reluctantly accepted his reasoning and stayed behind on port while Will and Riku boarded with the others. "Be careful, Will!"

"I'll be back soon!" Will waved back at her as the ship set sail.

"She seems like an adventurous one." Riku commented in small talk to Will as the moved further and further away from Port Royal.

"Elizabeth isn't one to sit still and wait. I know it was hard for her to stay behind, but I need for her to be safe in case there really is trouble."

"You really care about her, don't you?"

"I do." Will admitted without hesitation. "So let's go take care of these pirates so Elizabeth and the rest of Port Royal can stay safe."

"Good plan." Riku nodded in agreement.

The sun was already starting to set by the time they made it to Isla de Muerta. An uneasy calm had spread around the boat as they docked in front of the cave opening. Quietly getting off the boat as they cautiously made their way into the cave. It was quiet, almost too quiet. For a group of pirates that have just recently been causing trouble over this treasure, why wasn't anyone left guarding it?

Carefully they made their way into the treasure chamber, the place still fill with dulled treasures and artifacts. But the main interest to the group with the stone chest that was more of a tomb at the center of the room. Will gestured to the others to stay back while he went up close to investigate it, jumping over obstacles as he made it over there. There was an uneasiness with each step he took. He was hoping for the treasure to be there but it was most likely tampered with, there was just the idea of confirming that fact that filled him with dread.

But the moment of truth could not be stalled any longer.

"(Gasp)!" Will's eyes widened in alarm as he looked into the stone chest. "The medallions...someone has taken them!"

"Finders Keepers." Came a voice from behind them.

"!" Will turned around in surprise at the sudden appearance of a man shrouded in a black hood.

"Heh," the man snapped his fingers and cursed pirates came out in a surprised attack.

"Will!" This was an ambush. The guards had fired at the pirates with their muskets but their bullets had no effect on them. They tried fighting with their swords and bayonets when the pirates closed in on them. But their attacks just went right through them, they didn't even stand a chance. Will wasn't doing any better as he had taken the Organization member head on and was cut down by a deck of sharp cards. The guy kept his distance and Will blade couldn't reach him, nor could Will block all the bombardments of cards thrown at him. He was knocked down and bleeding at the bottom of the stone chest. Riku had to come to the facts that his Soul Eater wasn't having any effects on them and Will was the only one left, everyone else had been cut down and turned into Heartless. "Crap."

There was nothing left to do but retreat. Grabbing Will, he made a break for it. Mindful of Will's wounds, Riku had to walk/drag Will out of there with Will's arm secured over his shoulder. The pirates were quick to pursue, along with a horde of Nobodies the Organization member sent after them, and Riku needed to put some distance between them if they wanted to make it out of there on the ship.

"What are those creatures?" Will groaned out as he struggle look back at the new arrivals.

"No time to explain, we gotta move. Barrier!" Riku had casted Barrier over the Treasure Chamber's entrance, trapping the others in while him and Will made a break for it.

"(Groan)…"

"Hang on, Will. We're almost there." Riku let out a breath of relief when they made it on the ship. But they weren't out of the fire yet: the Barrier wasn't going to hold up for much longer and he'd have to set sail by himself. He was use to working with boats, but not on sailboats and certainly not ones this big. Will wouldn't be much help in his condition and they both were certainly running out of time. "Dang it, we've gotta move!"

Placing Will down to lean on the railings, Riku moved to hoist up the Hanker and let loose the sails. Taking the wheels as he struggled to navigated out of the rocks in the cloudy night. The sun setting long before and the Moon was blocked out by the clouds. Things had taken a turn for the worse as he could hear the pirates coming way before he felt his Barrier going down.

He would have to move quickly.

If what he said about pirates being cursed by the Aztec gold being deathless was true, then they could still probably catch up to them by swimming along the bottom of the waters. He needed to make some distance between them, and fast. But it was hard making the sails ride the winds by himself.

"Tch, we need to go faster. Wind!" Casting Aeroga seemed to help, but it wasn't fast enough to lose pirates that didn't have to breath. He needed to get them into deeper waters and quick! "Tornado!"

That worked.

They were sailing free and Riku couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. But, when he turned around to make sure that the pirates were still behind them on the Isle, the Moon showed up. Breaking through the clouds, its light shined on the Isla de Muerta. Not only showing Riku their location but also the shriveled, skeleton monsters the curse had made them become.

"Good Lifestream… That's going to give me nightmares for days. Why would they...do that to themselves...?" Riku couldn't understand what he had just seen.

"Sora's Keyblade… The Keyblade can stop them in the moonlight." Gasped Will as he tried to stand but fell over onto the railings.

"Will! Take it easy." Riku rushed over from the wheel to Will's side, trying to make sure that he was okay. Will was coming in and out of consciousness, Riku wasn't even sure if Will even noticed that he was there. He had taken a lot of damage from that Organization member.

"We need Sora..." and then Will was out again.

"..." Riku couldn't help gritting his teeth and clenching his fists at his helplessness. "Darn it all, why can't I cast a single Cure spell...?"

"..." Will certainly wasn't awake to give him an answer, and this world wasn't saying much either since the practice of magic has been almost lost to this world.

"I'm sorry, Will, but this is all I can do." Riku apologized as he applied a Potion on him. It had stopped the bleeding but the damage and the pain was still there. Will would be alright but it will take him some time to recover. "I really wish I could do more..."

Suddenly he Sensed the presents of Hearts coming their way.

"!" Four of them were familiar while the other one he didn't recognize. They were about to intercept them on a ship called the Black Pearl. Which was good news that it was a friendly encounter on the seas instead of the latter. But Sora, Donald, and Goofy were here? When did they finish their business in Agrabah? They must have felt the buildup of darkness on this world too. If what Will had said was right, which he seemed to be right so far, Sora was just what this world needs before things get out of control. But he couldn't afford to be spotted by Sora again, especially with Elizabeth with them, things would only lead to more complicated misunderstanding. So with one last look at the approaching Black Pearl and back to Will, Riku made his retreat in a Dark Corridor. "You'll be safe with them."

And then Riku was gone before Goofy could shout out to the crew 'Interceptor off the starboard bow!'

Halloween Town

Riku had retreated to the closes world he could find. Leading him back to the world of Halloween Town.

"It's been a while since I've been here. I wonder how everyone's doing?- Huh?!" Riku looked down to see that he was no longer in his black coat but in costume he'd usually have on Halloween Town. That wasn't the part that surprised him, the part that surprised him was... "I'm...myself?"

He ran to a fountain of green brew to look at his reflection. Thought tinted green, he was indeed himself again, although attired to this world. He couldn't believe that he would be able to see his own face again.

"I'm...me. I'm me again!" He was starting to chuckle. He was so happy he could almost cry. But the joy was interrupted as he began to hear loud cries of cheer coming from the town square. Taking the path to the town gate, he made his way in. Everything looked the same, but something felt "off"... There were lights everywhere which made the place seem more festive than scary. If Riku didn't know any better he would say that the town was covered in Christmas lights, with only the color orange.

Everyone was out and about cheering. Werewolves, ghouls, mummies, vampires, and witches. Monsters from all around had gathered about town square finishing putting up the lights and making disturbed...toys? But in the center of it all was Jack Skellington sitting in a sledge made out of a coffin being pull by three skeleton reindeer. The town cheered for him as he stood in his sledge as it resting on a ramp...well everyone except for Sally.

"Hm? Riku, welcome back!" Jack greeted with a big wave, noticing Riku as he approached. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas?" Riku quirked an eye in confusion, Christmas was suppose to be some time away? He thought this town was solely for Halloween.

"Yes, yes, yes. The time for the holiday cheer is upon us, and I'm in the mood for Christmas!" Jack cheered as he hugged himself for a second in emotion. "You see, I'm running the show again this year-"

"Again?" He's done this more than once?

"Well, yes, I'll admit my first attempt at running the show didn't go so well. But I'm ready for it this year. All I need is Sandy Claw's blessing to run the show again and then I'll be all set."

"Sandy Claws?"

"You know, Sandy Claws? The big guy in all red with the white beard? Goes 'ho, ho, ho'?"

'Oh no... He's not talking about whom I think he's talking about?' Riku groaned in his head, but asked aloud just for clarity. "You're not talking about Santa, are you?"

"Of course I'm talking about Sandy Claws! The big guy who runs the show around Christmas." Jack said, clapping with excitement.

'Oh no...' He's real? "Sora is never going to let me live it down."

"Well, I'm off to practice one more time with the sledge. Why not say "Hi" to Sally while you're here? She's working on something amazing. Well, I'm off. Hiyaa!" And Jack whipped his reigns and off his team of "reindeer?" went high into the night sky. The jingle of their bells not taking away from their horror. "Merry Christmas Everyone!"

"... Well there goes my childhood." Riku teased to himself as the town's folk cheered at Jack's take-off. Riku left them to their cheers and laughs as he made his way over to Sally who was sitting on top the stone wall, sowing something red and white together. "Hey Sally."

"?!" She looked up from her work and gave him a smile as she recognized him. "Riku, it's so good to see you again."

"Things seem to be busy around here, what are you making?"

"A Sandy Claws suit for Jack." Sally smiled down at her work before the smile slipped away with sadness. "That last one I had made for him had been blown up along with the sledge."

"What?!" Sounds like Jack's last attempt at Christmas didn't just not go so well, it was a disaster! "And he's going to try running Christmas again?"

"Hmm, my thoughts exactly. But...I don't have the heart to ruin Jack's joy. He seems so happy planning this whole thing. I want to stand by him, but...I feel a disaster in the wind coming from all this..."

"Sally..."

"I know I shouldn't be a downer in all the fun. But..." Sally sadly got up from her seat, taking her work with her as she headed back to Dr. Finkelstein's Lab. Looking down as she shook her head. "This feels wrong. So very, very, wrong."

"..." Sally was probably right, but with the way things were on the other worlds Riku felt like there wasn't much he could do about it. Christmas will have to save itself, or Santa will have to put his foot down. "Santa..."

That brought up another thing that was now swirling in Riku's mind. So Santa was real and Sora had been right all along. Riku almost found it hard to believe, he'd have to see this for himself.

BARK BARK!

"Hm? Zero." Riku grinned at the ghost dog, glad to see him. From the way Zero was barking and circling around him, he was glad to see Riku too. "Hey boy, do you know where Santa is?"

BARK BARK

"Can you take me there?"

BARK BARK! BARK!

Zero flew off passed the Graveyard and into the woods, Riku following after him. When they went deep into the woods, into the Hinterlands, Zero stopped at a circle of trees with different shaped doors.

"No, it can't be... Door's to other worlds?" There were so many. How where there so many world interconnected like this? Two worlds connected were already considered a anomaly. "This is incredible... Do you know what this means, Zero? Your world is connected in a web of bonds with multiple worlds, where if one thing happens to one world it effects the others."

ARF?

"But it seems your world is only connected to worlds of the holiday themes. Look, you've got Easter? St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving. There's one for Halloween Town too...what's the one with the heart? Kingdom Hearts? No probably something else, Valentine's Day maybe? What's the candle one with the stars?"

ARF ARF, ARF!

"What is it boy?" Riku came over to Zero as he circled around one tree in the center of all of them. He circled around along with Zero until he came upon the door on the tree. "A Christmas Tree?"

The door open, letting out a cold breeze and some flakes of snow.

"(BRRR) What the- Whoa!" Riku fell in the door closing behind him. He felt the magic swirling around him reminding him of a Corridor. He kept falling and falling until he reached the bottom where a Pumpkin door opened up. Fearing that he would plummet straight down for a moment, only to be shot out from the tree's door and landing in a pile of snow. "(Groan)… Cold."

Getting up on his feet, he noticed that his looks didn't change for this world. A curious fact in itself. He must not have changed since he didn't initial come to this world from the usual means. But moving from his own predicament he looked around to a world covered in snow. The pine trees were dressed in it and the night sky shined so bright with stars. There was something magical about this place.

Taking that snow beaten path, he travelled between the hills of snow to be stopped in awe at the town filled with Christmas lights and cheer. A giant, red house stood as the peak of the town with a workshop on the side- more than likely the toy factory. It's smoke stake giving off the smell of cinnamon and ginger. The whole place smelled wonderful and there was music in the air, coming straight from the town.

"Is that... Christmas Town?" It was so beautiful. Even the trees around the town were decorated with lights and ornaments. "Don't tell me "this" is the North Pole?"

He saw the sign leading to town saying so.

"Oh no..." Well, guess the adults were not lying about Santa living at the North Pole part. Riku was at war within himself. Sure, he was excited about being in a place so different than Halloween and seeing the merry and cheer this world had to offer from just being there alone. But Riku was also nervous at meeting the guy he had denied ever existing since he was small whom probably had Riku on his "naughty" list. "Well, time to find Santa's house?"

The houses leading up to the Santa's house, down Candy Cane Lane, were filled with little elves. All of them baking cookies with their families, hanging up the stockings, or decorating the Christmas tree. Everyone's home was filled with holiday cheer. A merry-go-round stood at the center of the down, representing the joy and laughter brought to children. The town had a warmth to it, even with snow all around. It made Riku feel...nice.

Riku went to the red house on the other end of town, and took peek in the window. Inside, he saw a Livingroom with a cozy fireplace lit. And in his chair was Santa Claus himself with his list.

Ignoring the fact he just rhymed in his head, Riku looked in awe at finally seeing the big man himself. He was jolly and round just like the stories said he was. His cheeks and button nose were red as a peppermint candy's stripes and he had a big smile on his face. As he looked up from his list, he turned to the window. Riku ducked in cover, fearing he had been caught.

"I say, what are you doing standing out there my boy?" Santa said down to Riku, looking at him from the now opened window.

"?!" He didn't even notice when Santa had made it over to the window, let alone hear anything. How did Santa do that?

"You must be here to see if you are on my "nice" list. (Ho, ho, ho)! Come on in before you catch a cold." Santa gestured towards the door before closing the window again to keep the warm air in.

"..." He had been caught red handed, Riku didn't know what to do. His mind a blank as he made his way inside through the front door like a deer in headlights. He looked in through the Livingroom's doorway, noticing the low coffee table with Santa's memo and a cup of hot chocolate.

"Ho, ho, ho! Don't be shy come on in." Santa kindly beckoned him into the Livingroom, use to the shy and nervous children. "Your name?"

"Uh, Riku…"

"Riku? Hmm, let's see... Ahh, here you are, right there." Santa said as he looked through his list.

"?!" He made it on the "nice" list?

"You had a little bit of a tumble last year that landed you on the "naughty" list. But you made a full swing turn around this year and got back on the "nice" list." Santa explained, his smile getting wider with pleased pride at Riku's good effort at being kind to others again. Like the good boy Santa knew he was and always could be. But then that brought something else up. "Oh dear, according to my list, Riku, eight years ago you told everyone you did not believe in Santa Claus. You even told your friend, Sora, that there's no such thing as Santa Claus."

"Oh, uh...sorry."

"Well, that is unfortunate. But that still doesn't mean that you don't have to be kind and good willed towards others." Santa said in good cheer. "The worlds always have room for good will."

"I will... Thank you Santa. I'm sorry to have taken up your time."

"Oh, I'm never too busy for visitors."

"Then, I'll be on my way now." Riku gave a small bow in farewell to Santa before heading for the door. But Santa called to him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Out of curiosity, what is it that you want for Christmas?"

"..." It was hard to put his answer into words. "What I want isn't really a gift that can be put into a box. More of a wish."

"And what is it that you wish for, Riku?"

"To see my family and friends again, happy and well... That's all I want..." With that Riku walked out the door to head back to Halloween Town. Missing the last thing Santa said to him, or the smile on his face.

"You're a really remarkable child, Riku. Your wish will come true soon enough."

Riku had made it up to Yuletide Hill with no trouble going back to the world of Halloween Town, aside from being shot out of the Christmas tree into not-as-soft-as-snow dirt.

"So much for that warm, fuzzy feeling inside..." Riku groaned with his head still planted in the ground. Willing himself to look up again, he was feeling rather drained. "I think...I want to be with family for a while."

… Meanwhile, elsewhere on Radiant Garden ...

Yazoo had been scouting the movements of the HBRC, trying to find a pattern in their schedules. He had been purposefully avoiding Aeris so as to avoid the wrath of his older brother. Also, he didn't want a repeat of what happened before in their previous encounter. He needed to have a sharp wit about him if he was going to find some answers.

Going into Ansem's Study during the night while the others were back in town safe in their homes, he would look through Ansem's books. Hoping to find some records or some evidence of them before this world fell into darkness. But there was nothing. No files on record, no residential census, nothing. Only research notes and theses and theories of the king. They were worthless to him. Yazoo knew that he would need to take his search elsewhere.

Perhaps the old wizard's house in the Borough.

"..." Yes, the wizard was bound to have all sorts of tomes with the knowledge he seeks. "Hmph."

With a smirk on his face, Yazoo opened a Dark Corridor back to Hollow Bastion Town. He stood boldly on top of the rooftop of the house onlooking Merlin's house, his platinum hair the only thing shining in the night. Already knowing that any possible threat to him was already asleep. The mere single member on patrol was no concern to him. And with the wizard off on another world he could just teleport in through a Corridor with no resistance.

The place was empty...and a clutter jumble. Keeping the lights off, he lit some candles on the shelves with small burst of Dark Fires to not draw attention to his actions. Yazoo paced through the Livingroom, skimming through book after book. As fascinating as it was to read about Magic, it wasn't the information he was looking for. The stacks of books were proving to be useless as Yazoo ended up tossing one after another. His search was starting to seem like a fruitless endeavor, when he suddenly smelt the presence of 'her' light on one of the books buried at the bottom of one of the piles. But it was only the reports of Ansem with the translated copies by their side. Sure it proved that the flowergirl's decoding skills were impressive, and gave a fascinating take on the beginnings of this world's fall to darkness. But it still told him nothing about her, or Kadaj, Loz, and himself.

Surely the wizard must have something about her. They were long term acquaintances, there was bound to be something here. Photos, notes, records, something!

"...?" That's when he found something that looked to be the old wizard's journal. A curious find. For something so valuable, why was it buried so far in the back? But he'll save his queries for another time. It was time to see what treasures this wizard's memories hold. He decided to skip back to only 20 years time in Merlin's journal in order to stay relative to their situation.

At first there was nothing much. Just an old wizard coming in from another world to check on his friend and to have a little vacation. Only for him to stay longer as things got interesting. He had seemed pleased, ecstatic even, to have found living members of the thought to be lost Ancient race of Cetra. They were in bad shape and seemed to be on guard from the world, no doubt escaping from a horrible experience. Merlin had stayed longer with the desire to help them, but it took some time for them to open up and trust him, especially the male. The wizard had grown to be fond and love them as if they were his children, teaching them the ways of Magic and what he knew of their Cetra heritage. As fascinating as it was that Merlin had found a lost race, what truly shell shocked Yazoo was that the names of these two Ancients were Aeris...and Sephiroth.

"!" It goes on to say how they grew together, began to understand their love for each other together, and eventually marry and have children. Aeris became a flower girl, selling her flowers around Radiant Garden while Sephiroth was the General of a Royal Guard Special Unit called Soldier, directly contracted to the king. The journal goes on and on with joyful years as Merlin saw himself as a grandfather, gladly taking care of the two's boys from time to time and even going over to their house for visits. The first born that they had was named Loz...the second was Yazoo...and the third...was Kadaj. "This...can't be..."

But as he continued reading on the tone of the journal began to change. Along the time Sephiroth and Aeris were expecting their fourth child, something was wrong with Sephirtoh. He began closing himself off more; moodier as he brood in self-hatred; he began to change. At first he seemed to have grown to hate himself...but then he began to hate everyone...

CREEK

"!" Yazoo was shocked out of his reading as the front door opened. Someone had come in from the cold night, someone with a key.

"(YAWN)… Man, it's too late for this." They were short, small and slouched over. They didn't even notice that he was there. Mumbling to themselves as they slid their feet over to the fridge. As the light from the fridge gave the room more light, Yazoo could see that it was the little ninja from the HBRC. She was looking for something, when she notice that it wasn't there she opened the freezer keeping on the light from the fridge to search. "Come on, where is it? Where is it? Ahh, come to mama."

She pulled out a bar of Sea-Salt Ice Cream.

"Ahh- Hm?!"

"!" It would seem that the cold bite from the ice cream made her more aware of her surround. Yazoo almost flinch for a second as her brown eyes locked on to his.

"What the- Hey!" Yazoo Dark Corridor out of there. "No, you get back here!"

"..." It was almost comical that she was pointing her bitten-in ice cream bar accusingly at him. But he'd prefer not to be caught at the moment. Opening the Dark Corridor closer to the edge of the Borough and the Ravine Trail with the journal still in hand, Yazoo was confident that he'd lost her.

"Haha, got you!"

"Hm?" He was surprised that she had caught up to him so quickly, almost impressed.

"Never underestimate a ninja of Wutai!" She boasted proudly with fists on her hips.

"..." Yazoo couldn't rightly say he knows about Wutai, so he was at a lost at her meaning. More importantly, he couldn't decided whether to confront this lady in conflict or not. Contemplating this as she tilted her head to get a closer look at him from the street lights.

"Hmm, you look familiar..." She tapped her foot on the ground, crossing her arms as she started to think. Yazoo could practically hear the gears in her head clicking as she struggled through her memories. "Oh! I remember you! You're Yazoo!"

"Hm?!" She knew him?

"Yeah! You're the guy that cheated at ring toss."

"?!" What? "I was not."

"Yeah you were."

"No, I wasn't."

"You did too! I know because I'm really good at throwing, there's no way you could've beaten me unless you cheated." Yuffie huffed in instance.

"Well I'm sorry, Princess, but your aim wasn't as good as you think it was. We both threw at the same spot with the same rings." Suddenly Yazoo felt a case of deja vu as images of memories he never knew happened came rushing in at him. "?!"

"It was not fair. You cheated and you know it, liar." Yuffie pouted, missing his moment of startle and confusion.

"Y- Yuffie…?"

"Yeah, it's Yuffie. Who else did you think it was?"

"I- I don't..."

"Yazoo?" That's when she noticed how shaken he was and grew concerned. He never showed it on the outside, but his eyes told everything. "Hey, it's okay..."

"I... I know you. How?"

"You don't remember me, Yazoo?"

"We never..." But the flash of memories said otherwise. Was what was written in Merlin's journal true? "I have to go."

"Huh? But wait!" But he already slipped away, retreating back to the Lost City of the Ancients. Yuffie pouted at herself for losing him. "Yazoo!"

But elsewhere a Dark Corridor opened up in the Marketplace as Riku touched down on Radiant Garden. Tired and somewhat drained from his experience at Halloween Town. The Yuletide mood made him long to be near family and friends. But since he could never let himself be seen by his family and friends from Destiny Islands, he had gone to the one family he knew would take him as he was now. And it was just in time too, not too long after Sora, Donald, and Goofy had arrived on Halloween Town. Which was a relief that he had gotten out of there when he did. The others can take care of the trouble brewing up on Halloween Town. Maybe Sora will even save Christmas.

"Heh, haha." Riku couldn't help but laugh at the thought.

"What are you laughing about, Little Brother?"

"?!" Riku turned towards the sound of the new arrival. Already recognizing that it was Kadaj. He was sitting on top of a store stand, a foot dangling off of the roof cover with the other bent and an arm resting on the knee. This encounter didn't have to end with a conflict, so Riku decided to choose his words carefully. "Kadaj."

"I have some questions for you." Kadaj jumped down from his spot and walked over to Riku.

"I'm not sure I'll have the answers." Riku did his best to not raise up his guard to alarm Kadaj as he approached, but closely kept his eyes on him as Kadaj stopped approaching at the halfway point.

"That time in the Great Maw...what were those images?"

"Images?"

"Visions, a voice I don't know but shook my being..."

"Sounds like a memory to me."

"Impossible." Kadaj gritted his teeth in denial. "I've never met that Cetra a day before in my life. She must have done something to me. What is she? Who is she?!"

"She's our mother..."

"That's a lie! Our mother's name is Jenova! She raised me in the darkness and will guide us through these filthy worlds!"

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yes, mother, tells me everything."

"You mean, she told you that she was our mother? I mean, actually said it?"

"..."

"She didn't, did she...?"

"Mother doesn't need to prove herself to you, Black Sheep."

"You're right, cause there's nothing she has to prove to me. But it would seem that she has something to prove to you-"

"Enough! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Maybe you're right. But have you ever thought of asking her yourself?"

"!"

"Is it not possible?"

"..."

"Maybe you'll get better answers from her than from me. Frankly, I'm tired of arguing with you, Kadaj. And I don't want to fight you. So if you don't believe me, find the answers you seek elsewhere."

"... This isn't over." Kadaj sneered at him as he opened a Dark Corridor behind himself.

"I know." Was the last thing Riku got out to Kadaj before he disappeared back into the Dark Corridor, no doubt going back to Loz and Yazoo. But Riku was too tired right now to properly deal with this. He just wanted to rest. "Time for at least one of us to go home..."

… The Next Day …

"(Groan)…" Riku woke up groggy from his disturbed sleep by the morning light in the window. Slowly coming to as he started to slide out of the blanket that had been placed over him during the night. The sound of someone coming down the stairs catching his attention.

"Morning sleepy head." Aeris greeted him with a smile as she came down the stairs. "Did you have a good night?"

"(Groan)," Riku could only mumble to his mother in response, trying to shake out the tiredness in his head.

"You must have had a long day yesterday. I didn't know what to think when you came knocking on the door and crashed on the couch the moment you were in. As adorable as it was, you had me worried there for a second."

"Mmm... Sorry, Mom..." Riku ran a hand through his hair under the hood, finally noticing with his transformation how his feet now dangle over the couch.

"Did you at least sleep well, dear?"

"I wouldn't know, I was out like a rock." Riku admitted, swinging feet to the floor to right himself before stretching the soreness out of him. "I think I had a conversation with Kadaj last night, but I was too exhausted to remember what we talked about."

"(Gasp) Kadaj? He didn't attack you, did he?"

"No, we just talked. I think he asked me some questions...about you?"

"?!" A spark of hope lit up in Aeris's heart. "Does he- does he remember me?"

"I think he's starting to."

"Hm, I see... That's a good sign." Aeris couldn't help the glow that came over her smile. "So...it's only a matter of time before he comes to me."

"?!"

"He has some questions, it's only a matter of time until he seeks out the answers from the source."

"Will you be alright?"

"Don't worry, Riku, I can handle my boys just fine."

"...I think I'll stay just in case."

"Aww, there's no need to worry about me, Sweetie."

"It's not just that." Riku reluctantly admitted, looking away as he mumbled the last part. "I miss you Mom."

"Aww Riku," Aeris couldn't help but hug him, Riku grumbled in her hold but didn't attempt to pull away. "You are so sweet."

"(GRUMBLE)."

"Sora and the others will be fine on their own for a while. I Sensed that they have made their way to the Pride Lands." Aeris informed Riku as she stretched out her Sense to detect Sora, Donald, and Goofy's hearts.

"How can you be sure they'll be fine there?"

"Sora's Summon friend, Simba, is from there. He must have return there with the return of his world from darkness. He'll look after them."

"Okay, that's good." He was a little worried when he felt the return of Oogie Boogie on Halloween Town before he went to sleep, but it looks like Sora handle himself just fine. Maybe things will be a little easier for the three of those trouble-finders on this new world.

"Why don't you stay here for a while? Take a break. You've been pushing yourself too hard with this Organization stuff."

"And Dark Council."

"Yes, them too."

"As nice as that sounds. I don't think waiting for Kadaj, Loz, or Yazoo to make a move counts as relaxing."

"All right, think of yourself on Standby. Not in the fight, but still ready for action."

"(Sigh) That's fair..." Riku was just closing his eyes, about to relax, when a loud clanking sound came from the kitchen. Followed by what sounded like a chainsaw. "!"

"Hehe HaHAHA!"

"What was that?" Riku leaned up in alarm before his mother gestured for him to stay as she got up and made her way to the kitchen.

"Our other house guest." Aeris quickly answered before disappearing into the kitchen. "Hey! No, Stitch, not the Blender!"

Meanwhile, beyond the notice of the two, a storm was brewing in the Lost City of the Ancients. In the not-so-much abandoned home that the four Cetras were occupying.

"..." Kadaj and Loz were reading the journal that Yazoo brought back from their seats at the table.

"According to this, it would seem that mother and our big brother are not what they seem." Yazoo commented from spot leaning by the window.

"This can't be..." Kadaj couldn't believe what he was reading.

"It's a lie! This has to be!" Loz insisted, eyes ready to water.

"That is also a possibility." Yazoo shrugged. "But I find that unlikely from a journal written for recording past memories and hidden away from other's view to be lying."

"..." Kadaj didn't say anything as he continued to look at the journal. Whether in the hopes that words would change or the pages would suddenly combust, Yazoo did not know.

"But then...that would mean that the lady with the flower scent...and those visions...they are-" Loz was cut off from his train of thought as Kadaj dropped the journal down on the table and shot up from his seat.

"?!" Yazoo looked on with expressionless curiosity as Kadaj was storming down the stairs and out of the house. "Where are you going?"

"To ask mother some question." Kadaj replied as he slammed out of the door.

"Hmph, well that's new." Yazoo slightly smirked at the notion. Kadaj never asked questions of mother or big brother before, only following obediently. Could it be that his little brother was growing into his own self and out of the shadows of their 'big brother'? "But then again...we're all just puppets."

… Three Days Later ...

The night that Kadaj had stormed off Sora, Donald, and Goofy had returned to Halloween Town to investigate the sudden rise of darkness. Turns out one of the Doctor's experiments was on the loose, trying to look for a heart to fill its emptiness. Only for the day after that to make their way to the Pride Lands to check on Simba and the sudden rise of darkness on his world, helping Simba face his fears and face the darkness lurking in his heart so he could become his own true king. And after that, they had made their way back to the familiar world of Atlantica, where Sora and them still were, helping out Aerial while also dealing with the sea witch Ursula. Riku kept track of them with his Sense, but was for the most part relaxing at home with his mother and their little fluffy ball of chaos guest, Stitch- who was cute once you get passed the biting.

But little did they all know the life changing consequences that were going down in a little pocket of darkness seal off from the realm of darkness.

"You!" Kadaj growled, storming into their little family's pocket of darkness, pointing accusing at Jenova. "You lied to us."

"Hello to you too, child. Is that any way to greet your elders?" Jenova sighed from her perch in the hands of her Guardian Heartless as if dealing with a rowdy child. Coming here to pay her a visit after such a long time only to cause a commotion.

"You've been acting like our mother this whole time. But you're not, are you?" Kadaj hissed through his teeth, ignoring her last statement as his fists clinch near the point of bleeding in his anger.

"Oh? And what has brought you to this conclusion?" She would neither confirm nor deny his claims. Only curious to see where his answers have brought him.

"I saw her- WE saw her. The images in our head were real...the dreams." The revelation was almost too much for Kadaj. The memories; the pain of betrayal; the rage. "The Cetra flowergirl is our real mother, you are not. Imposter!"

"Have I ever once said that I was your mother?"

"Tsk."

"I simply told you to call me as you wish. You were the ones that decided to see me as your mother."

"Then I will ask you clearly: Is the Ancient known as Aeris our real mother?"

"..." Not once has she ever lied to them and she would not start to now. "Yes."

"And Big Brother?"

"Which one?" Jenova sighed out at his vague question.

"Sephiroth!"

"..."

"He's not even our big brother, is he?!" He took her silence as confirmation. "Then what the hell is he to us?!"

"What do you think he is?!"

"Gugh! Stop answering my questions with questions! Just give me an answer!" What little patience he has is running thin.

"My answer is no importance. What's important is what YOU perceive as the answer." That was the only way they would truly grow into themselves.

"Answer me! Is he our father, or not?!"

"Our? He certainly isn't mine." It's been so long since she thought about her father. The many years have washed away all memories of previous family or even friends. Now all she had was them...

"Ahh! Riku, Yazoo, Loz, ME!" The darkness inside him was rising with his temper.

"..." Riku...it's been such a long time since she heard that name. She never got the chance to properly meet him face to face. Sometimes she wondered how he turned out. However, turning back to Kadaj's pervious question. "Yes, he is."

"Gh," Kadaj was choking up at the realization. The fog of darkness was slowly lifting from his memories, but was still mostly there. And forming a new entity of its own with his growing rage. "All this time- all these years of life together- LIES!"

"They were not lies." She smoothly said to him, but her words did not reach him.

"I don't even know who you are anymore!"

"I am...someone who wanted the best for you- all six of you." Seven, if she was truly being honest, but there was no use mentioning the dead. "Someone who truly did care about the worlds."

"I've heard enough from you!" Kadaj growled, drawing his Souba.

"!" Jenova's eyes slightly widened in surprise as Kadaj cut down her Guardian Heartless. Dropping her head onto the grown as the Heartless dissipated. She was beginning to suspect that he would cut her down as well, although the blow would not kill her, only cause her pain and annoyance trying to piece herself back together again. But he had sheaved Souba and turned away.

"Rot away in the darkness that you love." Kadaj opened up a Dark Corridor, the darkness building up in his hands. Something told her that he would not be coming back again.

"Are you going to abandon me in here?"

"..." This was the woman who helped raised him. She taught him about the darkness, how to control its power. He saw her as his mother, he loved her. But now...it all just crumbled down. He was just a puppet this whole time. Did she even love them...? That thought is what truly hurt. "You've been alone this whole time."

"!" That one actually stung, but he would never get to see that.

He never turned back to look at Jenova as walked through the Dark Corridor.

"I see..." She closed her eyes in acceptance of her fate, stilling the sadness that tempted to rise in her as she felt the Corridor close. Knowing that it was more than the Corridor that was closing. "So this is the path that you have chosen."

The Corridor closed with an echoing boom in the vast darkness that Jenova was now sealed in...alone.

"I guess...it's time for me to rest..." Jenova relaxed herself in the void of darkness. This was just a separate pocket inside the realm of darkness, but still a sealed off drop in the vast sea of darkness. Safely sealed away from the rest of the Heartless occupants of the realm, but still sealed away from the rest of the worlds. Doomed to be alone forevermore as like a door Kadaj locked the way shut. This wasn't her first time with loneliness, but it was certainly a contender to her most painful experience with it. But when it comes to wielding the power of darkness, she had learned when to accept the feeling of powerlessness.

She was alone.

And she was going to be alone for a long time.

All that she could do now is rest. Until the door was opened from the other side, and somebody comes for her, sleep would be her only comfort...

"!" "!" Yazoo and Loz rose from their chairs-

"Come on, Stitch, get that out of your mouth-" Riku groaned down at Stitch as he tried to shake Stitch off his sleeve. But Stitch had a good grip on it in his teeth as he went along for the ride. Finding humor in Riku's frustration as he laughed through his teeth. But the shaking stopped as Riku felt a coldness in his heart. As if a bond that had been buried deep inside his heart had suddenly been cut off from him. It paralyzed him in a moment of shock. "!"

It didn't help much that darkness around Radiant Garden instantly raised after the shock, making even Aeris aware, as Kadaj returned to Yazoo and Loz in the Forgotten City of the Ancients.

"What's happened? What have you done?" This was the first time Yazoo has even shown the slightest sign of panic in his monotone expression. They had all felt it- the ones that carried her genes- the cut from Jenova.

"It's doesn't matter." Kadaj said through his teeth. His head lowered as his fists clinched at his side.

"Yes it does. What have you done to mother?"

"Nothing!" Kadaj shouted as he rushed through a Dark Corridor to The Great Maw. Finally alone with his thoughts, he did the one thing he never thought himself capable of. He broke down and cried. "Mother...(Sniff)."

He cried for Jenova. He thought himself a fool for even wasting tears on her. She was an Imposter, a Fake. And yet he still cried for losing her. But more than that, he was crying over the lost of something deep down he still felt as precious to him.

"Mother...!" He cried out from his gut, bent over as he roared out into the Maw. "Ahhh! Ggh…"

It hurts. It hurts so much. Why wouldn't the pain stop?!

"!" But he wouldn't have time to contemplate the deep question. He had to pull himself together. Righting himself to stand tall as he felt his little brother coming. "Hmph, Riku."

"Kadaj." Riku greeted back as he looked up at Kadaj on the higher peak overlooking the Great Maw. Riku had felt the rise of darkness that came from Kadaj as he had returned from the Realm of Darkness and made his way closer to Hollow Bastion Town and immediately came to intercept him. If Kadaj's darkness was this alarming unchecked then he was more than likely not just here for sightseeing. The town could be in danger. But Riku slightly flinched back as he noticed the drying tears on Kadaj's cheeks. The heart inside him wanted to know what was wrong. But the fighter inside him wanted to keep his guard up. He will hold his position and let Kadaj make the first move. "..."

"Brother! I've taken care of the Imposter; I finally understand!"

"?!" Imposter? "So what do you plan to do know?"

"I'll go to mother. I'll finally be with her at last. Mother is going to tell me everything..."

"..." He sounded so broken, it was concerning. "You're starting to sound like a puppet."

"!" That was the wrong choice of words. Riku tensed as the power of darkness inside of Kadaj raised to obvious hostel level. "So what if I'm a puppet. Once upon a time..."

"!" Riku tensed as he felt the darkness concentrate inside Kadaj. Readying to summon Soul Eater for the fight he knew was to come.

"You Were Too!" Kadaj shot a Dark Thunder at Riku, forcing Riku to jump back. Barely giving him a moment to raise his guard as Kadaj came charging down at him with Souba.

The force of Kadaj's attack pushed Riku back, his footing kept him standing true but kick up a dust storm around them. Once Riku dug his feet in the ground enough to stop his motion, he pushed back on Kadaj's Souba. Going in for the strike the moment he had the elbow room. But Kadaj turned to the side, Soul Eater thrusting pass him.

Riku was open.

He jumped back as Kadaj came back with a swing to the side. It soon became a dance of strike and parry. Both blade wielders were equally skilled and equally swift with their weapons. Kadaj was light on his feet and would circle around Riku for openings, but Riku was just as quick with closing off those openings. Falling back, Kadaj took the fight to higher grounds. Riku quickly followed after. The sky stormed over them.

And with the Thunder came the rain.

Off in the Borough of the town of Hollow Bastion, in a home a little off from the others. Aeris rushed to her window. Sensing the buildup of dark energy coming from the Great Maw. As if seeing through the rain, she could feel in her heart her children.

"(GASP)!" Her eyes widened in worry as she could Sense the strife in both Riku's and Kadaj's hearts, implicating that they were fighting. Through the sound of falling rain, she could Sense her other two boys closing in on the two of them. All her children were so close...it was too good to be true. Her heart couldn't believe it. "Is it them...?"

She rushed out of her house without a moment to lose as her thoughts flashed to the last time she saw her boys. She had let them slip away last time, she wouldn't let them slip away again.

Back at the center of the storm, Kadaj and Riku were still clashing of strikes and parries. Leaving no quarter for counters. As if breaking the trancing dance of blades, Kadaj launched Dark Thunder spells at Riku. Forcing back the distance between as Riku had to jump back multiple times to dodge them. The rain poured down, weighing down their hair as their platinum locks whipped in the wind. Eyes not breaking contact with each other as they waited for the other to make the first move.

Kadaj strikes first. Rushing at Riku, leaping after Riku once making it to the halfway mark. Riku leaped up as well to meet him. Both of them striking as they landed were the other one once stood. There was a pause as if the land was holding its breath.

Kadaj fell onto one knee. Riku's Slash landing a good strike on Kadaj's side, while Riku had barely dodged Kadaj's strike. Turning around to face Kadaj.

"Ggh," Kadaj grit his teeth through the pain as he struggle to get up. Riku stay where he was and waited for Kadaj, lowering his blade in the hopes that this was finally over.

"Kadaj, that's enough...let's end this." Riku pleaded to Kadaj, only to get a laugh in return.

"Heh, bet you're dying for that." Kadaj mocked back at him, turning his head to look at Riku with a grin.

"?!" Before Riku could say anything else, he had to jump back as a Dark Blizzard came at him from the side. Turning to look to see that Loz and Yazoo had come into the fray. Rushing over to stand between him and Kadaj. Looks like the fight's not over. "(Gasp)!"

Riku lifted up his Soul Eater to Cover himself, as Loz came rushing at him. Punching at him with his Dual Hound knuckle. For someone of his size, Loz was pretty light on his feet. Soul Eater blocked the punch, the Electricity still shocked through and the force still knocked him back.

"Gahh!" Riku grunted as he was sent flying back, gravity being the only thing to stop him as he hit the ground and slid a little more back. The punch was relentless, he didn't want to imagine what would have happened if he hadn't blocked that. Riku struggled to get back up on his feet, knowing that they wouldn't be giving him time to catch his breath.

Yazoo jumped over Loz from behind, charging at Riku. His Velvet Nightmare in open fire. Using Soul Eater to ricochet the bullets as Yazoo closed in on him. Yazoo may have been an ace with his aim, but he was formidable with hand-to-hand combat. Riku found himself in a tight spot as he was forced to block kick after kick with little room to counter. Jumping back for a break as Yazoo came in for a punch.

Riku found that he had to jump off another rise of cliffside as Loz jumped back in to the fray. Leaping from one to another as both blocked his Soul Eater either with their Velvet Nightmare, or Dual Hound on Loz's part. The strikes sparking off in the rain clouded land. The two of them leaving Riku no room to rest as he had to keep moving.

Things getting a lot worse when Kadaj finally jumped back in. Their blades ringing in the rain at contact. Kadaj smugly smirking again, seeing Riku on the run.

"Where did all your strength go, brother?"

"It's still enough to take on the three of you!" Riku retorted back, pushing Kadaj back with his blade. But Kadaj was quick to jump back to the others and Rush at Riku along with Loz and Yazoo. Riku was forced to keep all three of them off his back, parrying their strikes with Soul Eater.

He pushed them off of him with a Quake. Creating a crater around him as the shock from the spell pushed the three of them back, giving him a second to breathe. Changing their strategy, they came at him one at a time, rotating from Kadaj to Yazoo then to Loz.

"Tsk!" This wasn't working. Riku knew that he would have to start pecking them off soon or else he was done for. Loz was coming at him again. Now was his chance. "Ahh!"

"Hehe," Loz laughed in his playful way as he combo punched at Riku, the lightning in his Dual Hound enhanced from the rain. Riku dodged that sparking volt strike waiting to happen like a fire. Giving him the idea on his next strike. Crouching down, he got a good abdomen punch on Loz. Knocking the breath out of Loz and the fun out of his step. "Ghh."

"Fire!" Riku casted a Fira into his fist, knocking Loz out for the count with the extra blow. Yazoo was quick to jump in between the two of them as if to keep Riku from finishing Loz off. It had become a bombardment of punch, kick, and block. His face was still apathetic to the world, but his attacks had become more aggressive. He even landed a nasty right hook on Riku's face. Shaking it off, Riku had to keep going.

After a few more give-and-take of blows, Yazoo had ended it when he had taken out Velvet Nightmare again. He fired at Riku, barely missing him by a hair. Riku had Rushed out of the way with barely a nick of time. His right ear ringing from the bullet that passed by him, forcing him to ignore the bleeding sound as he Rush all the way behind Yazoo and Slashed with Soul Eater.

"Nh?!" Yazoo barely made a sound in pain as his eye hardly twitched as well. But Riku was ending it there.

"Thunder!" He shot a Thundara at Yazoo, to make sure he went down. A little cruel, especially in the middle of all this rain, but he couldn't afford the kiddy gloves anymore. The three of them had pushed him to his limits and there was still one more to go. But his body couldn't take it anymore, he needed a break. Riku fell down, shaking as he caught himself with one arm. Resting his body weight on the side with the arm holding him up as he caught his breath. "(Huff, Huff)…"

After a second or two, he slowly made his way back up on his feet. Kadaj was certainly not giving him any more time, Riku had to turn quickly as Kadaj was running at him and was coming to strike down on him from above. Riku had Dashed out of the way, but his movement was slower. He was still exhausted. He tried to push back at Kadaj with his Soul Eater, but he didn't have enough strength. Kadaj had won that power struggle, pushing Riku back. Coming after Riku in full swing.

Riku was running out of steam to block, forcing him to dodge and duck out of the way. Kadaj had caught on and simply kicked Riku back.

He went down. And was struggling to get back up.

But he did it. With a struggle and sheer willpower he got on his feet again.

"GgHH!"

Unfortunately. Not fast enough.

"?!" Riku looked down to his side to see that Kadaj had got him good with Souba. It hurt like hell, but strangely not as much as the look on Kadaj's face. "?"

"Tell me, what made you so different than us?" Kadaj asked him, almost as if beaten down as well.

"?!" The hurt and betrayal in Kadaj's eyes were unbearable.

"Why did she take you away from the darkness and not us?"

"Tsk!" Flashes of memories with him and his mother came through Riku's head, giving him the strength to push back. Knocking Souba out of him, he pushed Kadaj back with a swing from Soul Eater. He bled out a little and the pain from the wound stings like fire, but his rising temper ignored it all. "I pity you...You just don't get it at all!"

"?!" Kadaj's eyes widened with sudden surprise as Riku came charging at him.

"There's not a day that she doesn't reach out for you!"

"!" Kadaj wasn't ready for the sudden bombardment of strikes from Riku. He couldn't understand where he had gotten all that energy from. Not long after, Kadaj began to tire out. His blocks weren't moving fast enough to keep up with Riku. Soon, blow after blow, Riku had Kadaj on his knees. "Nhh, (Huff, Huff)…"

"..." Riku had given Kadaj some space, watching him as the clouds of darkness surrounding him had dissipated. Breaking away the storm and making way for the sun that shine its brightest on Radiant Garden in a long time.

But things couldn't end like this. Kadaj wouldn't allow it to end like this!

Rising up on his feet again, Riku got his guard up as Kadaj came charging at him again.

"Ahh!" Kadaj came at him with what little strength he had left. But his body was done, giving out before he even reached Riku. He went down again as he slashed. Surprised that Riku had even caught him before he hit the ground. Kadaj had almost found the whole situation funny. If things could have been different...could they have been fighting alongside one another instead of against each other...? "Ghhn...(Exhale)... Brother..."

"..." Riku looked back down at his brother, his thoughts running the same course as Kadaj as well. He wished that they didn't take this path. Only for his thoughts to be interrupted as a sense of relief came over the background pain with the drop on a single raindrop on his cheek. Only to be accompanied by another, and another.

Suddenly it began to rain again, but the dark rainclouds from before were gone, and the sun was still shinning brightly out on them. This rain was different, there was a light to it, it seemed to be healing them. That's when Riku recognized this warmth.

Great Gospel.

"Kadaj…" Aeris called to her son as she made her way over to them. The earth brutalized from their battle, but seemingly calmed by her presence.

"(Gasp)!" Kadaj...he knows that voice. He remembers that voice. He remembers her. Struggling to look over at her approaching form as the healing rain did its work but his body still fought with exhaustion.

"You don't have to wonder in the darkness any longer..." She warmly smiled down at her lost son.

"Mother...is that...?" A happiness that he hasn't had in a long time came over him at seeing her face again. Like the sun, it felt like it had chased away the clouds from his memory. She had reached out a hand for him...just like she had long ago...

"My hand is waiting...if you're ready..."

"Mh…" He struggled with his tired body. His arm was sore and shaking as he reached his hand out to her. But the smile was still on his face. A contentment came over him as her hand grabbed hold of his and helped pull him up.

As if pulling him from the darkness.

He let his eyes finally rest as he fell asleep in her arms. Feeling more safe and at ease than he had ever felt in a long time.

"My sweet boy...welcome back." Aeris said over her shoulder to him, passed the tears in her eyes as she held him up in her arms. Letting him rest his weary head on her shoulder. She looked down at Riku, smiling with all the warmness in her heart. Silently thanking him from bring all of his brothers home. She looked around to see how her other two sons were doing. Her Great Gospel limit break should have healed most of their wounds. She had wished her boys hadn't played so rough with each other; but what could she do after the fact? She had hoped that they would still be resting. Only to get the startle of a lifetime on her heart as she saw them struggling to dragged their way over to them.

"Together...we'll go to mother..." Yazoo said with sheer determination as he force his tired body to continue dragging his feet over to his mother. Loz not far behind him.

"Together...we'll play..."

"Loz! Yazoo!" Aeris called out to her boys in concern that they were pushing themselves too hard.

How was she going to get all four of them home?

… One Day Later ...

It was a good thing Leon and Yuffie weren't too far behind Aeris on arriving at the scene yesterday. They had come not too long after Aeris to investigate the sudden buildup of darkness around the Great Maw that was rattling their world. Only to arrive after things had calm down and the storm had passed.

Leon had been so kind to help carry Loz back with a Firefighter shoulder carry while also carrying Riku with an arm around the shoulder support to help him walk back. Yuffie helped drag Yazoo back, literally by the feet, mostly due to height difference. While Aeris helped carry back Kadaj with a supporting arm. Aeris was truly grateful for the help and was more than happy that on this day, her boys have finally come home. They had carried them to their room where they had slept for the rest of the day. Loz and Yazoo in their room while Kadaj and Riku slept in the other. She was a little concerned at how they would react to the new environment when they wake up. But she will just have to cross that bridge when they get there and keep her guard up for the time being.

This morning turned out to be a lovely surprise. Aeris had woken up early to start breakfast, only for that "later bridge" not to be confronted with a fight when her boys woke up. But to be greeted by confused and cautious steps coming down the stairs. Loz was the first one to make it downstairs, braving the new terrane with less caution than the others. Yazoo followed not too long after him, investigating every knock-and-cranny with his eyes.

"Morning, boys." Aeris greeted them with a smile from the door to the kitchen. "How are you feeling today?"

"...Sore." Yazoo honestly answer, unable to make eye contact with his mother for long. The truth of their situation and her identity to them was still somewhat surreal to him.

"And hungry?" Loz lightly pouted, patting at his stomach.

"Will pancakes make it better?"

"Yeah!" Loz said with excitement.

"It helps..."

"Well come on in, I made plenty." Aeris beckoned them into the kitchen. "Where's your brothers?"

They could here loud stomping making its way to the stairs.

"They're on their way." Loz concluded before Riku and Kadaj came running down the stairs. Ramming each other shoulder-shoulder to try and get a lead on the other. Stitch riding on Riku's opposite shoulder, enjoying the show.

"I got down here first." Kadaj said, announcing himself the winner of their little race.

"Not a chance, I was here first." Riku insisted.

"That's absurd. I was." Kadaj barked back, pointing a finger at Riku only to have to retract it back as Stitch tried to lean in for a bite. "Tsk, control your pet."

"He's not a pet, he's a house guest." Riku corrected before Stitch added in.

"Also cute and fluffy!" Stitched grinned at Kadaj, showing off his teeth. Aeris was very grateful for Stitch's presence here. At this point in time, he was a fight-breaker. He usually stayed around Riku, mostly to mess with him, but also at this point-in-time to protect him. He usually slept with Riku and mostly since Kadaj and the others arrived stayed by Riku like a guard dog in case the others tried anything. Staying close to Riku at night while Kadaj and Riku slept in the same room, just in case. Stitch was a mischievous little thing and a natural ice breaker. He would mess with you, even if he liked you, but he made sure that nobody else messed with you.

"You won't be so fluffy after I'm done shaving you." Kadaj grumbled at Stitch, uncertain to the others if the threat was real or not.

"Hehehe Haha ha ha," Stitch laughed at him, sticking his tough out as if daring him to try.

"Kadaj, leave Stitch alone." Aeris gently commanded to Kadaj, leaving no room for negotiation. "All of you, come in and get some breakfast."

For the most part, breakfast was quiet. Aside from Stitch trying to steal some of the others pancakes after his were gone and bursting out the Mable syrup all over the table. Aeris seemed to calm him down by giving him some of hers.

"..." After some time, Kadaj had placed his fork and knife down. Bracing himself for the question he had mustered to get out. "So what happens to us now?"

"?" Aeris stops feeding Stitch midway as Stitch sat on her shoulder with his mouth open waiting for the fork of pancakes. "Now?"

"..." The other two waiting with anticipation as well for her answer, Riku curious for what was next too.

"For now, we try to get you guys use to the rest of the world." Aeris answered, finally giving Stitch the rest of her pancakes as she turned to face her boys at the table. "You three have been in the darkness for so long I fear you have forgotten how to interact with the denizens of the light."

"We don't need to mingle with those inferior creatures." Kadaj huffed, causing his mother to slam a fist down on the table in displeasure.

"You do too! I know, because if you don't, you'll live a life of loneliness." Aeris insisted before her eyes softened again. "I wish you wouldn't see them as inferior. They share the worlds with us. And if given the chance, they could become your friends."

"Friends...?" Kadaj tried to contemplate the word, along with the other two.

"..."

"Someone...to play with?" Loz asked, drawing his own conclusion.

"(Giggle) In a way, yes. But more than that. Someone...to look out for you when you need it most." Aeris answered.

"I want friends! I want to play!" Loz said, get excited by the moment. Whether to meet new people, or having somebody new to fight, was still hard to tell with Loz.

"In time, Loz. For now, we have to work on your social manners so that you guys know how to behave around others." Aeris insisted as she thought of her list of things to do. Counting on her fingers as she looked up in thought. "And not just that, we need to catch you guys up with your education and grade level; catch you up with your ancestral history; and, work on your Magic and training."

"Hmph, hardly necessary." Yazoo insisted while Loz agreed, chiming in.

"Yeah, we already know Magic." Loz said proudly.

"Oh? Can you do spells without the power of darkness?"

"..." All three of them went silent, looking away in admittance.

"It's not a bad thing, boys. I just want to make sure you have an equal opportunity with nothing left off the table." Aeris assured to them. "You won't be alone in this. The others and I are here to help you, even Riku. He's gone through and still is going through the exact same schooling and he's been doing great."

"Mom's right, I have no regrets." Riku nodded, nonchalantly encouraging them. It seemed to work, if anything else unleashing the competitive drive in Kadaj.

"Very well, mother. I shall take your training and exceed in them." Kadaj insisted.

"It sounds like fun, I'm in!" "..." Loz said with excitement at the idea of training with other fighters, while Yazoo silently nodded in acceptance of her invitation.

"Heh, if Riku succeeded in your training, this should be a easy for me." Kadaj said, smirking in confidence.

"Prepare for the worse." Was the only warning that Riku would give them. Whether for the sake of being brothers or wanting to kick Kadaj off of his high horse, they would never be able to ask him as Aeris clapped in with excitement.

"Good. We'll start once you three have fully recovered." Aeris explained the game plan. "For now, lets just get you three use to being around people again."

… The Next Day ...

Yesterday had been a little rougher for the boys than Aeris had thought it would be. At first she had thought to start them off slow by simply walking around the Borough in Hollow Bastion Town. Just enough to get them from Point A to B and back. She had planned on taking them to Merlin's house to introduce them to the others. But things didn't turn out as plan.

They had been so tense. Always stiffing up whenever people would pass by on their way, never able to truly relax around new faces. Things got really bad when a stray cat jumped out of a trashcan from an alleyway they where crossing pass. Kadaj blasting the poor thing with a Dark Firaga while standing protectively in front of their mother with Yazoo and Loz as they pulled out their Velvet Nightmares and fired at it. Riku had to cast Barrier on the poor cat that skittered off in fright before the attacks could hit, having no idea what was going on, while Aeris had to calm the three of them down and reprimand them for their rash behavior.

The rest of the way to Merlin's house had been a tense trip.

The introduction to the others had been a little awkward and out of practice. But Leon had been understanding and gave the three of them the space they needed to relax around the new faces, and accepted Aeris's request to help train them just like he did Riku. They would get started whenever the three of them were ready.

Merlin and Cid approached them with a little more curiosity, eager to see if they remembered them. A little disappointed when they didn't really, but were excited to make new memories with the boys they haven't seen since the three of them were very small.

Yuffie, on the other hand, was rather bold with them. Getting up in their space and introducing herself, making sure they new how much of a great ninja she was. Her forwardness with them was more interesting to them than off-putting. The fact that she was around the same age as them also helped to break the ice and got them to start relaxing. Cloud was a silent wallflower in the corner, but oddly enough, that was just the calmness they needed. The walk back home was a lot easier than the trip heading out was.

And now, today, Aeris was trusting Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj with Riku and Yuffie as they took the next step by going out to the Marketplace. Aeris had hoped that by staying behind they wouldn't feel pressured by trying to please her, or in their own way feel tensed by trying to protect her from the unknown denizens. Going around with Yuffie and Riku should put them more at ease being around familiar acquaintances their age. And the idea of covering up the ordeal as a patrol run would give the whole trip out more of a purpose.

"Whelp, looks like there's no Heartless here." Yuffie confirmed, looking around the slightly crowded early afternoon Marketplace. Looking back she could see that Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj seemed to be doing okay, but looks could be deceiving. Especially Yazoo with his permanent poker face. "You guys doing alright?"

"Tsk." "Hmph." "We're fine." Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz answered.

"You guys seem to be doing better around others than yesterday." Riku commented, silently proud of their improvement.

"Hmph, don't underestimate us." Kadaj huffed, looking away from Riku as he observed the people go about their day through the stores.

"It helps that these people don't stink as much as I thought they would."

"Huh?" Yuffie quirked her head to the side, not getting what Yazoo was talking about.

"The darkness has a smell to it. It stinks." Riku explained to her.

"What? You guys are so weird. But I guess there's nothing wrong with that." Yuffie shrugged off. "Hey, it's Uncle Scrooge McDuck's Ice Cream Shop. Let's go get some ice cream."

"What is...ice cream?" Yazoo asked, asking the question the other two were thinking as well.

"?!" Riku and Yuffie turned back to look at them, not believing what they were hearing.

"What?! You guys never had ice cream?!" Yuffie gasp with a hint of horror at the travesty. "Gosh, it's no wonder you guys followed the path of darkness."

"Is ice cream really that great?" Loz slightly tilted his head in curiosity.

"It's one of the greatest things the worlds have ever created!" Yuffie insisted with excitement.

"It's good." Riku added in agreement.

"Wait here, I'll get us some!" Yuffie said, running off to Uncle Scrooge's store window to buy some ice cream.

"She seems overly excited about this." Kadaj commented to Riku as they watched her retrieve her purchase. A little suspicious at her excitement of giving without any obvious benefit in return. Kadaj and the others were not use to selfless acts of kindness, Riku understands this.

"She's nice." Riku assured to Kadaj, hinting that there was no hidden agendas behind her actions.

"Is she..."

Yuffie had came running back to them, with five bars of Sea Salt Ice Cream in her hands.

"Here guys! This flavor is a Hollow Bastion delicacy." Yuffie insisted, holding the hand out with three bars to Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj while handing one of the two bars to Riku in the other hand. Taking a bite out of her own ice cream as she waited for the three of them to give it a try. It was oddly exciting seeing someone take their first bite of ice cream. The anticipation was killing her.

"..." Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj looked down at the ice cream bar in their hand, examining it like the foreign substance it is. Surprisingly cold with the smell of the sea to it.

"Come on, guys, it's not gonna bite." Yuffie teased at them, trying to insist to them that it was harmless.

"You should eat it before it melts." Riku added in, taking a bite out of his own ice cream.

"..." The others watch him, seeing that he seemed fine, followed his example. Once taking their first bite, their eyes widened as they were bombarded with the salty-sweet taste. "!"

It was delicious, and oddly refreshing! Pretty soon one bite turned into two, and two turned into more.

"Hehehe, it's delicious, right!" Yuffie smirked with pride at proving them right. "Whoa, slow down, guys. You'll get a brain freeze if you eat it too fast."

They slowed down, but only by a little. Before they knew it, their ice cream was gone.

"Aww, I ate it all." Loz pouted at the now barren ice cream stick in his hand.

"Well, that's what you get for eating it so fast."

"Look, over there." Yazoo pointed off in the distance.

"What?" Yuffie took the bait, thinking that Yazoo was only able to be serious. Looking off in the direction he pointed, leaving her ice cream unguarded as he swooped in to take a bite. She turned back to see a big chunk of her Sea Salt Ice Cream missing. "What?!"

"..." She looked back up at Yazoo in disbelief and anger. He only smirked and gave her a teasing lie. "There was a Heartless."

… The Next Day …

Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz were doing so much better around others than before. Not to the point of openly interacting with others, but enough to tolerate people around them without animosity. They weren't at the point where they would go up to people to start a conversation, but would still interact with a person if they came up to them. Aeris could accept this, most of the males in her life were like this, and her boys took more after their father socially than her. She was so proud of their progress.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched them eat their breakfast. Even as Stitch fired the Ketchup bottle at Kadaj, ruining his eggs along with his black coat and face.

"I'm going to shave you bald, you blue hairball." Kadaj growled, chasing Stitch around the kitchen as Stitch climbed all over the walls and kitchen countertops and shelve doors to get away.

"Heh-Haha!" Stitch laughed as Yazoo, Loz, and Riku ducked and dodged out of the two's way as they ate their breakfast.

"Try not to destroy my kitchen, you two." Aeris commanded, not stopping their fun but making sure they didn't resort to Magic or their superhuman strength. Turning back to the other three, she addressed their current school work. "Riku, you haven't turned in this weeks homework yet."

"Working on it."

"Mother, I have a few questions about my homework." Loz said, raising his hand like he was in class. Aeris had started Home Schooling the other day to catch them up with the rest of their grade. She was pleased that they weren't in dangerous need of the basics. Sephiroth and their grandmother, Jenova, did them a good in that department. She mostly had to textbook lecture them for a bit and leave them to their weekly assignments. Kadaj's competitive nature made him determined to surpass Riku and catch up to Yuffie. Loz was eager to please his mother and did his best. Yazoo on the other hand... Yazoo was brilliant, but lacked the enthusiasm to put that much effort into it. All five of her students had their own pace of processing information, but Aeris was so please at how fast the three of her new students were picking up their lessons. At this pace they would catch up to the others in their grades in no time.

"We'll take a look at that after breakfast." Aeris assured to Loz, before clapping her hands together and looking to her boys with almost puppy-dog eyes. "For now, who wants to help me clean up the kitchen."

"I do!" "No, I do. I'll help you, mother." Loz and Kadaj jumped up, ready to please their mother. Loz waving his hand up in volunteer while Kadaj gave up the chase on Stitch and nearly bumped Loz out of the way as he volunteered himself as well.

Riku and Yazoo watched on silently, smirking with their arms crossed as they remained scot-free from the labor as the other two eagerly volunteered.

"Heh, idiots." "Hmph, idiots."

… One Day Later ...

For the past three days Aeris and Riku had been trying to get Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj use to worlds outside the influence of the darkness. And they had been improving with incredible strives. Yuffie came around more often which helped with their interaction and integration as well, especially Yazoo. He was still as quiet as ever, but at least he was less cold than before. The previous maliciousness, wrath, jealously, and conniving nature from before was gone. Now all that was left was brotherly rivalry, confidence, and cleverness.

They all seemed to be doing so well. Aeris was so proud of them. And was happier than she's ever been in a long time at finally having all of her sons back. Now all that was left was getting her husband back from the darkness. Her dearly beloved...

"Be strong, I'll shall be there soon..."

"Mother?" Riku asked in curiousness as she looked out of the Living room window from the others.

"It's nothing," Aeris shook her head, silently telling them to not worry about it. As she tried to change the subject, the worlds answered her prayers as her answer came from the sky. "Oh! It looks like Sora, Donald, and Goofy are back."

"What?!" Riku slightly jolted in alarm as he stretched out his Senses to notice that they were arriving to Radiant Garden as well. Surprise that he has let his guard down recently to have allowed them to get come this close.

"Looks like they're done with their business in Atlantica. What's it been, 5 days?" Aeris commented before she notice Riku getting up from his seat, readying to open up a Dark Corridor. "Don't even think about it, you stay right where you are, young man."

"But-"

"There's no need to run. Just stay here with Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj. Sora doesn't know of this place, I'll go see how they're doing. You four stay here and behavior for me, please." Aeris instructed as she headed out the door, slightly commanding that Riku had better still be there when she gets back. Stitch skittled over, jumping up onto her shoulder to accompany her out. "If Yuffie comes, tell her that I headed to HBRC headquarters."

"Okay." Riku sighed, sliding back into his seat, obeying her command.

"Thank you, Sweetie." Aeris smiled at him with sincere gratitude. Turning to the rest of her boys as well. She knew that Riku had things he had to do, to help Sora and so many others. But... She had just gotten them back. She wanted to be together with all her boys in one roof for at least a little longer. It was a bit selfish of her, but she had waiting for this moment for so long. She felt that she deserved this selfish wish.

But as she was making her way through the Borough, the town's control system seemed to...glitch. Her Senses began to ring in the back of her mind, warning her of darkness approaching.

That's when they showed up.

"What?! Heartless?" Aeris had never seen these Heartless around town before. And they were coming into town in swarms. "Why are there so many?! What's happening to the Control System? It's like the MCP is wreaking havoc again."

Stitch growled on her shoulder as the Heartless ran amuck in town, a few brave ones gradually approaching the two of them.

"Something must be wrong with Ansem's Computer. The Space Paranoid... We have to go find out." Aeris insisted to Stitch. Carving out a path for them as she ran back towards the Bailey with Stitch in tow.

Making her way down the Postern stairs towards the Hollow Bastion Corridors, she had ran into Leon. Stitch jumped off her shoulder to skitter over to him.

"Leon!" Aeris called out to him, bring attention to herself.

"Aeris, I see you're here to see what all the ruckus is about as well." Leon greeted her, ignoring as Stitch nibbled and pulled at his pants leg

"Yes, I think the MCP is wreaking havoc again." Aeris replied, placing a hand over her heart in worry.

"My thoughts exactly." Leon nodded in agreement with her. "Come on, Ansem's Study is just up ahead."

"Right." Aeris nodded, following after him. Stitch skittered on ahead of them, making himself at home in Ansem's Study while Leon and Aeris made their way to Ansem's Computer.

Leon looked down bellow from the railing, what he saw was concerning. He rushed to Access Keyboard, attempting to cancel out the MCP's command. But it was no use. The door leading to the Computer's Mainframe opened up, going in to investigate he saw from first hand as the computer created Artificial Heartless using the data from the computer and released them onto Hollow Bastion. Leon rushed back to the computer room, destroying a few Heartless along the way.

"Crap, this is bad." He gritted through his teeth.

"Leon?"

"We've got to go, Aeris."

"?!" Suddenly the alarms went off. Turning to the computer to see if the error was identified, only to be alarmed by the message of screen.

IGNORANT USERS OBEY THE MCP

Leon rushed over to see if he could take control over the MCP, anything to override the command. However, nothing seemed to be working. He couldn't even reach Tron. They were in the dark.

"Dang it, I can't even reach Tron."

"Perhaps he was forced onto the game grid."

"With the way things are going, it doesn't sound like a fun place to be." Leon groaned, brushing a hand through his hair in frustration. "Where's Sora when you need him."

"On his way, actually. Him and the others just arrived in town recently."

"Well that's impeccable timing." Leon quirked an eyebrow in surprised. But not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he decided to go with the flow. "I'll contact Cid and the others. See if we can come up with an MCP Eradication program."

"But what will happen to Tron?" Aeris asked as he placed the call in to Cid back at HBRC headquarters.

"...We're going to need his help to complete this." Leon finally answered her after the call with reluctance.

"Leon!"

"..." Aeris didn't like his answer and he knew it. But they needed to do what was needed to protect the town. He'll accept the guilt and consequences for their actions later. Suddenly he heard a noise behind them. He turned around ready for a fight, only for it to be Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Gawrsh, it's only us!" Goofy called over to them, the other two had flinched at Leon's reaction but relaxed just as he did so too.

"You can't talk to Tron if this room gets taken over." Aeris explained, already going into game-plan mode. Placing all of her beats on Sora, Donald and Goofy saving the town and Tron. Her and Leon would stay here and protect the Computer Room while Sora and the others go into the Space Paranoid.

"Did you check in with Cid?" Leon asked, hoping that the others had caught them up to speed.

"Uh-huh." Sora confirmed.

"And the Eradicator?"

"It's almost done." Answered Donald.

"Great!" Aeris replied with a lack of enthusiasm, but still smiling at the others as she turned to Leon. "Say, Leon, why don't you go work with Cid? I have this place under control."

"Are you sure? All by yourself...?" Leon asked in concern, turning to her. Only to get to look at her temper at it's finest.

"..." She looked at him, saying nothing. Her face was more stone cold than it's ever been. And that was saying much.

She was angry at him, and he was not helping his case.

"...Er, sorry. It's all yours." Leon conceded.

"..." Aeris walked off into the computer's mainframe room, ready to fend off Sora and the others from the swarm of oncoming Heartless as they went in to the Space Paranoid to do what needed to be done. As she left she could hear Sora asking Leon,

"How's Tron?"

She hoped that he felt a little bit of guilt at the question.

"We still can't get in touch with him." Leon answered, turning back to face the three of them again. "Maybe you guys should give it a shot."

"No, we'll go talk to him in person." Aeris stop in her step at Sora's response, placing a hand over her heart.

"Then I have a favor to ask. When you find Tron, could you tell him to come to the I/O tower?" Leon requested. "That's where we'll upload the MCP Eradication program."

"The I/O tower. Got it!" Goofy repeated for memory's sake.

"Thanks. And watch your backs." Leon instructed to them lastly before running off to head back to Cid. Unknowingly unlocking the Sleeping Lion Keyblade for Sora, something he was probably going to need inside the Space Paranoid.

"We'll be there soon, Tron." Sora ensure to his friend inside the computer with determination. Accessing Computer as Aeris watched as the three of them scanned into program, the data taking them to the Cell Pit. From there they would make their way around to find Tron and the tower.

"I hope it'll be alright." Aeris prayed in worry, putting her hands together in silent faith. "I believe in you, Sora."

Mumbles of the hovering Heartless sounded their arrival as they came in from the other room.

"Get out of here! Shoo! Shoo!" Aeris huffed as she shot a Blizzard at them, careful not to use Fire or Thunder magic so not to short-circuit the system. The ball of ice hit them like a slug, knocking the sense out of them and leaving a dent. "Go away."

Aeris had been doing a good job keeping the room clear before Leon made his way back over with the Eradication program 10 minutes later. Everything was moving so fast on their side, she couldn't imagine how fast the pace was going on Sora's and Tron's side.

Leon immediately began to download the Eradication program into the computer, much to the MCP's displeasure.

"Warning. User control is terminated indefinitely."

Leon tried to work passed the MCP's block, but its Fire Walls proved to be impenetrable.

"No good!" Leon slam his hands down on the keypad in frustration.

"Leon, let me try." Aeris offered her help. Perhaps all it needed was a gentle touch.

"..." Leon nodded to her in good faith, handing her the program disk.

"This is your final warning." The MCP forebode to them but fell on deaf ears. "Stop at once."

"Bon appetite!" Aeris chimed to the computer, sliding the program into its disc drive. Gently lecturing it like a tempered child, making Leon shake his head with a hand over his face in disbelief in the background. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

"What...what are you loading?"

Aeris looked back at Leon giving a gentle fist pump in victory which Leon returned with a small smile in congratulation. Closing his eyes and crossing his arms as he accepts that such actions are so like her.

But the program has been downloading. Leon had left to help the others with the Heartless situation in town while Aeris stayed to protect the computer. Now the rest will have to be left the four of them in the Space Paranoids.

It was barely even five minutes before the compute ceased creating Heartless and the DTD opened access backup to the Users again. Aeris was pleased that it was all over, but was still worried as to what this could mean.

Yuffie had rushed in before Aeris could stay on that thought for long.

"Things are settling down in town!" Yuffie reported with excited relief. "The only Heartless left anywhere are the local variety. And it looks like there are fewer than before.

"Now if we can just get those three back in one piece..." Aeris said in concern before being startled as Sora, Donald, and Goofy were scanned back from the computer beside them. She smiled in relief as Yuffie jumped in cheer. "You're here!"

"Welcome back!" Yuffie greeted them in their triumphed return.

"..." Sora nodded back to them in greeting, but he wasn't as happy at their victory as he should be. Aeris could feel the sadness in his heart as he toughened passed it to address the situation. "How's the town?"

"A-Okay!" Yuffie answered, not picking up on the three's mood.

"Not a single trace of the MCP, either. Everything's back to normal. We made it." Aeris assured to them, hoping that the others from the Space Paranoids made it too.

"Hey, why the long face?" Yuffie looked over Sora, finally picking up his sad mood. For a guy who just saved the day he looked like a puppy left alone in the rain. Something must have went down in there. And she was going to make Sora spill the beans. "What happened?"

"Tron just disappeared." Donald answered, just as sad as Sora.

"And he promised we'd see him again..." Sora just couldn't believe that Tron was gone, that he would just jump in and disappear into the data like that. There had to be a way to save him and the town too...

"..." Aeris had hoped that things wouldn't have turned out this way, she really did...

Suddenly the alarms went off.

"?!"

"Whoa!" "(Gasp) What's happening?" Yuffie and Aeris gasped as they turned back to the computer to see what was wrong.

But everyone in the room was in for a surprise at what MCP spoke to them.

"Greetings, friends. System is up, and ready for User input."

"Tron!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy shouted in joy that their friend was okay.

"Stay in touch." Tron say in short goodbye, knowing that three of them had to go but they will see each other again soon.

"Yeah!" Sora said in agreement, Tron could count on him to come back to visit.

"Oh boy, oh boy!" Donald ran over in his excitement as seeing Tron again and messed around with his keypad a little for giving them a scare.

"Hey, stop that! It tickles!" Tron laughed as Donald pressed random keys.

"Tron is ticklish?" Goofy looked over at Sora, both caught off guard by the news. But were quick to take advantage of the new info and joined in with Donald at pressing random keys.

"How 'bout this!" Sora teased as he gave it a-go at the keypad.

"Please stop that!" Tron squeezed out through the laughs. Causing the three of them to laugh too.

"(Gentle Laughter)," Aeris couldn't help laughing as well, pleased that Tron had survived the Eradication program and all was well again.

"I think Tron's been hanging around those guys too much." Yuffie pointed at the three, no four, oddballs.

"W-wait, wait just a moment." Tron requested, begging for mercy so that he could show the Sora and the others what he's discovered in the data. "I want to show you something I dug up from the system archives. You can see the town back when it was first built."

Aeris and Yuffie came closer in excitement. It has been so long since Aeris has seen Radiant Garden as it use to be. Yuffie could barely even remember what it once looked like.

The memories...were coming back.

Aeris looked on happily from the Postern with the others, as she could feel the hearts others in her world starting to remember Hollow Bastion, no...Radiant Garden, as it use to be. Thankful for the gift that Tron had unleashed to them from the sky that came down to them like starlight. Aeris was so overcome with joy at this moment of clarity on her world, that she decided to tell Sora one of her secrets that she has been holding on to for a long time.

"You know, this town had another name once."

"Hm?" Sora tilted his head in curiosity as Aeris smiled and looked up at the Castle.

"Radiant Garden."

"Radiant Garden...that's a good name." Sora smiled back, glad to see everyone happy like this. Hoping that he could help make sure everyone's happiness stays.

"..." Aeris's smiled warmed as she could feel the genuine kindness and wish in Sora's heart. He was such a good boy. She hopes that his happiness can stay as well.

"Oh! That reminds me!" Sora suddenly remembered, pulling out some pages from his inventory. "We found all the missing pages from the Hundred Acre Wood and 5 Secret Ansem Reports."

"That's great Sora."

"Can you decode them for us, Aeris?" Sora asked, handing over the 5 reports.

"Of course, I can do that while you go check in on Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood."

"Huh?"

"I know you, Sora, you're not just going to return the pages to the book without making sure Pooh and the others are okay. It'll just make you worry."

"Hehe, you're right, Aeris. I have to see for myself that Pooh is okay. Hopefully with the pages returned he'll remember everybody."

"And you."

"Yeah."

All of them returned to Merlin's house. Aeris had gotten started on decoding the documents while Sora returned pages to the book and hoped on in to the Hundred Acre Wood. Donald, Goofy, and Yuffie mostly behaved and left Aeris to her work, while occasionally hovering over to check her progress or out of boredom. Merlin did his best to keep them entertained and off her.

These reports were more detailed and longer than the previous reports. And though Aeris couldn't quite put her finger on it, it felt like these reports were still being written. Whatever the case, based on the numbering of the reports, some were still missing. She will just have to do her best with what they have and hope for the best when Sora and them find the rest.

She started with Secret Ansem Report 1, the process going a little slower without Belle there to help. She was starting to miss the brilliant Princess of Heart. Maybe when the rest of the Secret Ansem Reports come in she could pop in on Beast Castle and see if Belle wants to take a crack at the decoding with her again.

Report 1 translated as follow:

My efforts these many years have come to fruition, with the world I govern having become a paradise worthy of being called "Radiant Garden". Nurtured by the pure water that is the source of life, fragrant flowers bloom in abundance and the people face each day with hopeful smiles.

But where there is light, darkness also lurks. As noted in my earlier reports. I must solve the mystery of the "darkness of the heart". This paradise depends on it.

I shall perform an experiment to probe the depths of a person's heart. One of my own apprentices Xehanort, has volunteered to be a subject. The young man has served me ever since I nursed him back from death's door some years ago.

He has lost all his memories at the time, but later showed remarkable intellectual curiosity and readily absorbed my teachings, gaining deep wisdom. Any mental immaturity is surely due to his young age.

If I explore Xehanort's heart with psychological tests, I may be able to recall the past locked away within. My apprentice, even has also shown great interest in Xehanort's memories.

But is he really the right subject? Xehanort does indeed exhibit extra-ordinary talents... Too extraordinary... Perhaps they are even superhuman.

"..." So this all began with good intentions...but poor choice in methods. If Ansem the Wise had listened to his doubts, perhaps this all could have been avoided- even Ansem the Darkness. Xehanort had a desire to find his lost memories locked away in his hearts, but perhaps his intentions were not as innocent as everyone thought.

Moving on to Report 2:

I have made a grave mistake.

My study of the "darkness of the heart" began with simple psychological tests, and quickly snowballed. Spurred my youngest apprentice Ienzo, I constructed a massive laboratory at the basement of my castle.

Unbeknownst to me, my six apprentices then began collecting a huge number of subjects on which to perform dangerous experiments into "the darkness of the heart." As soon as I found out, I called all my apprentices together and ordered them not only to cease their studies, but to destroy the results of their research thus far.

What on earth is happening to the hearts of my six beloved apprentices? While pursuing the mystery of the darkness of the heart. Could they themselves have strayed into its depths?

Yet I remain the most foolish of all, for having began these experiments. We are not meant to interfere in the depths of another's heart, no matter what our reasons for doing so.

And my error plunged me into despair...

A visitor from another world soothed my dejected soul. A tiny king named Mickey came wielding a legendary key - the infamous "keyblade", said to bring both chaos and prosperity to the world.

He was very knowledgeable in many topics, and we deepened our friendship as we conversed companionably. Upon his advice, I decided to review the data obtained at my basement lab.

That was when I discovered the "Ansem Reports". Though they bore my name, the only one I have written was number 0. Apparently he had gone on to pen 1 through 8 himself.

Yes - the first subject in my foolish experiment.

"... Well that was a shocking twist."

"What was?" Donald asked, making Aeris notice that she said that out loud.

"Nothing, sorry, you guys will read about it later." Aeris apologized for the outburst before getting back to the reports. It was just...she wasn't expecting these answers. Ansem may have started the first sin of darkness, but Xehanort was the one to take the wheel after that and plummeted their world into darkness. Ansem had tried to put his foot down to stop this, but it was already too late...

Report 4 took some time for her to decode. And she was slightly upset at the breakup in reports. She wanted to know what had happened in the missing reports, but she would have to make due with what she had. It would seem that between Report 2 and 4 Ansem had fallen into despair.

She could practically feel it fall off the words as Report 4 read as follow:

The distant days spent in that beautiful paradise are an illusion to me now. How long have I been here, banished into the realm of nothingness? It is only by relying upon my anger and hatred that I have been able to retain my sense of self here, where all existence is nullified.

My heart is being overcome with hatred towards my apprentices possessed by the darkness, and with the anger I feel for stupidly allowing myself to be betrayed.

Is this darkness eating away at my heart? I cannot continue to idle away my time here. What are Xehanort and the others attempting to do? I must unravel the mystery of these Ansem Reports, intercept my apprentices, and defeat them. That is my mission... the only way to repay the world for my sins.

These beings who lack hearts - the Heartless - must be the key. The darkness of the heart made flesh. Cursed shadows who not only lack hearts, but multiply by seizing from any and all living things. Where have they come from, and where are they going?

Three elements combine to create life: a heart, a soul, a body.

But what of the soul and the body left behind when the heart is lost? When the soul leaves the body, its vessel, life gives away to death. But what about if the heart leaves? A being does not perish when its heart leaves its body. The heart alone disappears into the darkness.

There is little time. If I remain in this realm much longer, I will certainly learn those answers the hard way. My heart is already a captive of the darkness.

"..." This report was written in the realm of darkness...how did it make its way back to the realm of light? Did its writer find his way back as well?

These reports were adding more questions to ones they answered. She moved on to report 5, hoping it would answer more questions than give.

Report 5:

In this realm, where all existence has been disintegrated, I have just barely managed to preserve my sense of self by continuing to think and to write.

It is a place where even time has lost all meaning. Eternity is as but a moment here. I must make haste. Certainly their plans are already underway. The Heartless must be the key to unraveling this mystery.

The six traitors were operating a laboratory that churned out these cursed shadows.

Not only did they generate "pureblood" Heartless from living hearts, but they then used those Heartless to synthesize artificial versions of the creatures as well.

These synthetic Heartless bore insignias and were called "Emblems."

Pureblood or Emblem, these Heartless act only to fulfill their instinctive needs. They single- mindedly detect hearts and swarm around them. A human's commands would be ineffective - the Heartless would easily steal the human's heart and use it to increase their own ranks.

But what if an even stronger Heartless was giving the orders?

If he cast aside his own soul and body and became a Heartless, wouldn't he be able to control the otherwise intractable Heartless?

Furthermore, wouldn't he be planning to make use of the creature's instincts? If the heart-seeking Heartless have their sights set on a larger, more powerful, their ultimate goal is crystal-clear.

The largest heart in existence - the heart of the world.

This is all conjecture, but it would seem he is utilizing the Heartless in his search for a path leading to the heart of the world.

"..." Okay...so it was mostly things they already know. Maybe the next report would say more.

Report 6:

My choice to befriend darkness here in the midst of nothingness was a sound one. The moment I stared straight ahead with a calm heart, neither rejecting darkness nor fearing it, I gained a newfound power.

A superhuman power - the power of darkness.

It is likely Xehanort and the others were enraptured by this power, eventually becoming its prisoners.

I do not intend to allow my heart to be devoured by the darkness as they did, of course.

With this new power, I uncovered a "Corridor of Darkness" That connects the realm of nothingness to the outside world. While it is still difficult to come and go as I please, my banishment is now a thing of the past.

To deceive Xehanort and my apprentices, I first used my power to change form before returning to the realm of light.

As I suspected, Xehanort had become a Heartless.

Under my name, he commanded other Heartless in quests to snatch away the hearts of many different worlds. At the center of the hearts Xehanort had stolen was "Kingdom Hearts," which attracts tremendous darkness to itself and attempts to send any and all matter back into its depths.

The other five disappeared. Have they become heartless like Xehanort?

Or did they vanish after Xehanort exploited them?

I became familiar with an unusual "entity" while pursuing the truth.

It is the soul and body that remain when a being loses its heart.

When a Heartless is born, these entities disappear from the realm of light, to be reborn as entirely new beings in a completely different realm.

"(Sigh) Ansem, why?" Aeris groaned out, rubbing her forehead at the headache that was rising from what she had just read. "... Did you learn nothing from your time in the realm of light?"

"Didn't learn what?" Donald huffed in frustration, stomping his foot at being left in the dark.

"You'll have to read it for yourself later. I just... (Sigh)… Just give me a moment to make copies of these Reports and then I'll be done."

"Mmm, fine." Donald grumbled, crossing his arms and tapping his foot as his patience was lacking. Whatever Aeris had uncovered from the reports sounded juicy, and he wanted to know too.

Making copies of the reports took considerably less time than it took decoding them. By the time she was done and placing the HBRC copy reports in a book with the older reports, Sora had made his way out of Hundred Acre Wood's book, looking a lot better than before. Whatever happened inside the Hundred Acre Wood must have been exactly what he needed.

"Welcome back." Aeris greeted Sora with a Smile. "Is everything alright in the Hundred Acre Wood?"

"Yeah." Sora nodded, smiling as he placed a hand over his heart. "Pooh and the others are going to be just fine."

"Good." Aeris smiled in relief at the news as well. Walking over to him, she handed him the decoded Secret Ansem Reports. "Here. You'll find the information in them...enlightening."

"Thanks Aeris!" Sora said in gratitude, knowing that these reports must have taken her a while to decode with how long they were. He'll be sure to look them over while he's flying in their Gummi Ship later.

"There are still more Secret Ansem Reports out there. Make sure you send them back to be to decode as soon as you can."

"Got it! There can't be much more places to look. I'll send them to you by "me", or Moogle Mail if I can't come back right away."

"Hm-mph, thank you, Sora." Aeris nodded in appreciation of his corporation. She wanted to go into battle with all the information he can to help be understand who he was facing. And also...she really wanted to know how these reports end. "Oh! That reminds me. Stitch, come here please."

Stitch skittered over from his book fort, surrounded by a town he made out Merlin's book piles, climbing into Aeris's arms. Placing his trust in her as he went to sleep as she changed his being to a Summon Gem. She was really going to miss the fluffy, little guy and his ball of mischief. But she had made a promise...and she knew from the bottom of his heart that he wanted to go home...

"This is Stitch, he's lost." Aeris explained as she handed the Gem over to Sora. "But he's strong and he can help you along the way. And in turn, by staying with you, I'm hoping that he can find his way back home too."

"All right, thank you, Aeris. I'll make sure to take good care of him."

"I know you will. Thank you, Sora." Aeris smiled in gratitude, knowing how well Sora takes care of his Summons. And once when all the fighting is over, they always seem to find their way back to their homes. "So, what will you do now?"

"Now, I really want to go to Olympus Coliseum to compete in the Underdrome Tournaments!" Sora answered with excitement. "I can't wait to fight so many strong opponents!"

"Hey, that sounds like fun! I'm in too!" Yuffie raised her hand up in excitement.

"You're gonna compete too?!" Ooo this was getting good! Sora couldn't wait to head out for the Underworld Entrance, and that was something he never thought he'd say. "That sounds awesome! I can't wait!"

"Why wait? Let's drag out Cid, and we can grab Tifa and Leon for the ride too. Knowing Cloud, he'd find his own way there if we just tell him about it."

"Hehe, this just keeps getting better and better. I'm supper excited about the Tournaments now." The smile on Sora's face couldn't get any wider as he was pumped up about this. The tournaments were going to be a blast, just like last time. But then he realized that they were missing one person from before. "Wait, what about you, Aeris?"

"Sorry, Sora, I'm going to sit this one out." Aeris replied. "Someone's going to have help protect the town with Merlin while everyone's away."

"Awww."

"(Gentle Laughter) Don't worry. I'll be rooting for you in spirit, wishing you luck."

"Heh, thanks. I'll be sure to win all the tournament Cups they have!"

"Not if I can help it!" Yuffie interjected playfully. "Come on, if we gather the others up now, we can leave tonight and make it there by tomorrow morning."

"Yeah!" Sora nodded in agreement, running off with Yuffie to find the others.

"Sora!" Donald grumbled as Sora ran off to do whatever was on his mind, leaving the two of them to chase after him again.

"Wait up!" Goofy called out as well, running off with Donald to catch up with Sora.

"(Giggle)," Aeris couldn't help put laugh at their antics. Some things never change. But then she remember something off about what they said. "Wait, tonight?"

She looked out the window to indeed see that it was nightfall.

"!" The news caught her by alarm. "Oh no, it's that late?! I left my boys waiting for me for so long. I have to go home. Good night Merlin."

"I'll see you tomorrow, my dear." Merlin waved her off as she ran out the door to head home.

She'd hope that her boys weren't too mad at her- or hungry for that matter. She ran all the way back to her home, silently praying that the place wouldn't be mess or a brawl scene. And that Riku was still there...

She caught her breath, slowly opening the door out of her own nervousness. With no more minor obstacles in her path she went in...

All seemed to be quiet and in order.

"Loz, Yazoo?" She called out to her boys, closing the door behind her. "Kadaj, Riku? I'm home."

"In here, Mom." Riku called out to her- to her relief- from the Living room. She made her way into the room. Happily surprised to see them gathered around the coffee table with sandwiches, playing Go Fish. "Welcome back."

"Sorry, I'm late boys." Aeris could almost cry from the joy at seeing all of her boys still here. "Things were a little crazy today..."

"That sounds fun." Yazoo commented nonchalantly, but glad that she made it back okay. "You want in?"

"Maybe the next round." Aeris replied with a smile, sitting down with them and grabbing a sandwich as she watched the match go on.

"You have any Sevens?" Loz asked on his turn. But the others shook their head and Riku replied back.

"Go fish."

… Two Days Later ...

Sora, Donald, and Goofy had returned to Radiant Garden with the others today from the Underdrome tournaments the day before. He had competed in the Pain and Panic Cup, the Cerberus Cup, the Titan Cup, and the Goddess of Fate Cup. He even competed in the Hades Paradox Cup. A 50 grueling matched tournament where the rules shift to the other tournament cups every 10 rounds, ending with the last 10 rounds Sora fighting alone with no Summons or Drives.

But he won... It was hard fought but he won.

But elsewhere on Radiant Garden, Sora felt in his heart a rising darkness on the world. He couldn't pin-point where so he went around and looked, Donald and Goofy following him in his goose chase. He had searched everywhere from Hollow Bastion town to Hollow Bastion itself. But he couldn't find it. Until he took the path towards the Great Maw and made his way to the Dark Depths.

There...he found Sephiroth.

He was looking off at the castle where Maleficent and Pete had resided themselves in, contemplating on the events that were happening around him. Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz were gone, tempted by Aeris's gentle hand to follow down the path of the light just as Riku was trying to do. Cloud was still tormented by his darkness and yet still refused to give in to it. And, his mother was sealed away in the realm of darkness.

"..." Sephiroth wanted to feel something about his mother locked away from the darkness beyond his reach. But for some reason, he couldn't find it in himself to care. Something inside him felt clouded and hazed, making his means to care impossible. In his mind he could only think that it was her own fault for being weak enough to be locked away in her own pocket of darkness and there was no use to pity her. Sephiroth couldn't understand what was happening to him, not too long ago he would've done anything for his mother. Now...he couldn't even spare a thought to care if she rotted away or not.

What was happening to him?

Now, his Copies- no, his little brothers- no his...he didn't even know what to call them anymore, were taken from him. He had lost them to the weakness of the light, leaving him alone in the darkness. Why did they chose this path? That's what he gets for leaving them alone to figure things out for themselves. If that was the case, he should have kept them on a stricter chain, never ever letting them wonder off.

But now the choice for that option is gone. He would have to take his time winning them over to the darkness again. It would be troublesome, and things wouldn't be like they were before. Nothing is like before. His memories...were fading and fuzzing. The flowergirl had planted these images and memories that felt like he had seen before, but they were fuzzing his ambition and corrupting his purpose that he held on to for so long. His time in the darkness...the memories with her... He was finding it hard to tell if any of it was real, or not.

He held off on his pondering for now, as he heard the boy from before approaching him. The one that knew Cloud.

"What is Cloud doing?" Sephiroth asked, not turning to them.

"Beats me." Sora honestly answer.

"Hmph." Sephiroth couldn't help but smirk at his instant reply. This boy was so trusting and innocent, smothered in the light. He almost despised him... "By the way, you three... Who are you?"

Sephiroth finally turned to them, pointing Masamune towards them, making all three of them jump back with a start. It almost felt like Sephiroth didn't recognize them or Sora for that matter from the Olympus Coliseum tournament a year ago. He didn't...

Sora had pulled out his Keyblade, ready to defend himself. Donald and Goofy were still shaken.

"I'm not sure we should tell ya." Goofy replied, his false bravado covering the fear he was feeling in Sephiroth's presence. But Sephiroth could Sense it.

"Well..." However, there was no need to point it out. Drawing his attention back to the only one truly brave enough to draw his weapon towards Sephiroth. He looked at the boy and admired his weapon, it wreaked with the power of light. "That's an interesting sword you're carrying."

"It's the Keyblade!" Donald corrected to him.

"I see... So that's a Keyblade." He had heard of these weapons of light that could unlock the hearts of anyone. It was said that only a chosen wielder could use the Keyblades. So this boy was seen as worthy... "And I suppose you must be its chosen wielder."

"So what if I am?" Sora questioned back, not letting his guard down.

"I wonder if it won't change its mind- once I defeat you."

"!" Sora was startled by Sephiroth's silent declaration and braced himself for conflict. On the inside he was nervous at having to fight Sephiroth once again, remembering how much of a struggle it was to face him in combat. Phantom bruises started to ache just thinking about it. But he had to face him. If he could beat him once before, he could do it again! Sora was only grateful that he had equipped all his items slots with Elixirs before leaving town.

"Show me your strength." Sephiroth had dashed in with a slash, impressed at how effectively the boy had blocked it.

"Ah!" Pushing him back with the block, Sora came in with whack of combos. "Back off!"

"That's enough." Sephiorth humored him enough, pushing Sora back with a few strikes of his own.

Sora was smart enough to stay out of the range of his blade, mostly. But when he came in to attack at bad timing, Sephiroth would get him with a few heavy slashes, putting Sora in the red. If he could get away fast enough, Sora would cast Curaga on himself, it not he would quickly pull out an Elixir.

"Heal!" Sora cast for the third time, force to soon roll out of the way of Sephiroth came in for the opening. This fight wouldn't go anywhere if he had to keep casting Curaga on himself. He needed a way to block Sephiroth's attacks, or at least shield himself from them.

"What's wrong? Are you scared?" Sephiroth taunted at the boy as he continued to circle Sephiroth at a distance. Hesitating... Calculating...

"!"

"Wallow in despair." Sephiroth came in with a flash dash attack, Sora blocking it only in the nick of time. Sora was doing a good job taking advantage of the openings Sephiroth was leaving for him. But it didn't help much that Sephiroth could warp into darkness and attack from any angle. "Know your place."

"!" Sora eyes widened in panic as Sephiroth surrounded him with orbs of darkness.

"Give in to the dark." Sephiroth commanded as he unleash the power of the orbs, blasting them around Sora. Thinking quick, Sora casted on pure instinct.

"!" Reflega came up around Sora, a barrier between him and the darkness, taking all the damage around him and nullifying it with a wind of light.

"?" At first Sephiroth thought that the boy had cast a Aero spell. But based on the horrible sweet smell of light that came off with its wind, it must have been a Reflect tier spell and a powerful one at that to nullify the damage. It would seem that Reflega and Curaga were the boy's best friend this day.

Sora kept casting Reflega on himself, its light pushing Sephiroth back as it nullified his attacks. But Sora couldn't cast it on himself fast enough all the time.

"Ascend, Heartless Angel." Sephiroth's dark orbs occasionally got a good blast on Sora, leaving Sora opened and temporarily dazed as Sephiroth came in with a slash.

"Okay." Sora said, calming himself and his shaking as he took an Elixir.

It soon became a dance of Reflect and Block as the two of them came clashing at each other. Sephiroth's speed was far more superiors to Sora's, and he knew this. And if he couldn't dodged, he had no choice but to block it head on. This seemed to be working for Sora. He was holding his own pretty well and getting a lot of good hits on Sephiroth too. Items and Curaga making up for his mistakes when he moved wrong.

"All shall be one with me." Sephiroth declared, surrounding himself in a aura of darkness. Deciding that he had played with kid-gloves on with the boy long enough. Proving his point as he raised pillars of fire from the ground around himself. "Give in to the dark."

"!" Sora didn't know what to do, the fire was pulling him in. It was like it had a gravity of its own. All he could do was run. He had gotten away only for Sephiroth to warp in front of him and cast the flames again.

"Parish. Now." The boy could run, but it left him open for attacks immediately after the spell was stopped. Instead of correcting him, Sephiroth showed him the hard way the consequences of his actions. Taking advantage and going in with a dark attack or a slash with Masamune.

"The time has come." Sephiroth flew into the sky with his wing, casting his bombardment of Meteor attacks on the boy, who could only run from their impact. "Accept the Darkness."

"Heal!" Sora had to take a Curaga for that one. There was no way he could have run away from all of them and they had done a real number on his health. And it didn't help that Sephiroth had casted the spell again along with his pillars of fire soon afterwards. This was getting crazy, and Sora was getting tired and running out of items. He had to end this soon or else he was done for. He knew he had this fight in the bag, he just knew it. All he had to do was hold out for a bit longer and then the fight will be over. Sephiroth wasn't making it easy on him as he bombarded Sora attack after attack, keeping Sora on his toes and nearly in the red. He almost had Sora down for the count one time when Sora barely took an Elixir in time before the finishing blow. Curaga and Reflega were the only things keeping him up. In fact, Reflega helped in striking the finishing blow to end the fight. "Aha!"

"What intriguing power..." Sephiroth gasped, impressed at the boy's power. But no real damage was done, just a good warmup. Sephiroth saw no need to continue the fight.

"How's you like that?" Sora taunted, pleased with himself at holding off against Sephiroth for so long. Believing he had certainly gotten stronger since their last fight.

"I admit you're very skilled..." Sephiroth praised the boy a little, brushing off the dust on his shoulder. He looked over at the boy, he was strong. However, not strong enough to defeat him. "But apparently, Cloud is the only one who can eliminate me."

"..." Sora silently pouted at Sephiroth's declaration, his ego deflating a little. His reaction putting a smirk on Sephiroth.

"Hmph. Tell Cloud to come here." He turned back around to face the scenery again. Only barely sparing them a glance over his shoulder. "Tell him Sephiroth is looking to settle things."

The boy and the other two had run off back to town, no doubt to deliver Sephiroth's message to Cloud. Leaving him alone to his thoughts again. Why did he play around with the boy? Why did he spare him? For that matter, why did he take an interest in the Keyblade? Its power of light should hold no use for him. There was no jealousy, nor was their spite in his actions. He genuinely desired to wield the Keyblade in that moment.

Perhaps, because... though he didn't care to acknowledge its existence, but deep down...in that moment...he wanted to wield the power of light too.

But such a feet would be impossible for one such as him, a denizen of the darkness.

He wasn't left alone with his thoughts for long. As Sora, Donald, and Goofy had ran back over to him. Sora being the only brave to approach close enough to him for Masamune's blade to reach him. Sephiroth admired his courage.

"Did you give him my message?"

"Maybe."

"..." Sephiroth didn't care for the snark. This boy wasn't cute at all. But he didn't care to reprimand him.

"Sorry to keep you, Sephiroth!" Cloud called out, making his way to the Dark Depths.

"Cloud..." Sephiroth greeted Cloud as he approached, walking over to meet him half way. Out of everything he had lost in his life in the darkness, Cloud was all he had left. If he lost Cloud to the light, he would truly be alone in the darkness. "You'll never let go of the darkness..."

"Shut up." Cloud commanded, pulling out his Buster Blade. Sephiroth ignored him, readying Masamune to strike.

"You'll never let go of your past..."

"Shut up!" Cloud shouted in rage, charging at Sephiroth.

"..." Sephiroth smirked as his blade met Cloud's head on. At least the fight with Cloud was a refreshing change. At least his speed was on par with Sephiroth's. Only Cloud was on equal terms with Sephiroth's strength. Oh how he long for this moment.

"Cloud! Get him!" Sora cheered Cloud on from the sideline along with the others. Understanding that this was Cloud and Sephiroth's fight alone to fight, not interfering.

Cloud was holding his own well with Sephiroth. But he was still hesitating. He was still holding back. This knowledge alone was angering Sephiroth.

"Absurd." He taunted at Cloud as their blades met. "Defeating me is meaningless. You know that more than anyone, Cloud."

"..." Cloud grit his teeth as deep inside he found Sephiroth's words to be true.

"No matter how many times I fall, your darkness keeps calling me back!" Or was it something else...?

"Gh…"

"Wrong!" Called out Tifa. A voice that Cloud recognized. A voice that Sephiroth...remembered from the memories that the flowergirl showed him...

"Tifa! Stay back!" Cloud ordered to her in concern.

"How can I? I wanna help you."

Those words seemed so familiar to Sephiroth...but spoken from another person...

"!" Sephiroth pushed Cloud back, putting the distance between them again as he addressed Tifa for Cloud. "You can't. He'll never let go of the darkness."

"He doesn't have to. He just needs someone to surround him with light."

"!" Her words frightened him, even for a moment. They remind him of... 'Tch, it doesn't matter. Just like Aeris, just like her! She's dangerous. She a hinderance towards his path to the Darkness!'

"!" Tifa jumped back as Sephiroth pointed his blade at her. For a second her body ached, remembering the time when he had cut her down in the Nibelheim abandoned power plant. But she braved through her fears, staying strong for Cloud and Herself. "The darkness will be there, Sephiroth- But in a place you can't reach."

"Is that right?" Sephiroth found that hard to believe, but the flashes of light and memories coming from his heart said otherwise. And that gave him fear inside. "Let's see what this light of yours can do."

"Ha!" He strikes at her, Tifa came at him head on with her fist as he dodge her punch with a step. Making her land on the opposite side across from him.

"No!" The memories came flashing back to Cloud with fear. Terrified that history was about to repeat itself again. Fearing that Tifa was going to get hurt again, only this time he just might lose her, but still hesitant to face darkness with her blinding light so close by. He didn't want her to see it.

Tifa was doing good dodging Sephiroth's attacks, but her attacks weren't getting any hits either. The fight was at standstill.

"Look out!" That is until Sephiroth had enough playing around and was coming in with a swift dash attack. Causing Sora to shout out in alarm that she wasn't going to be able to dodge this one.

"!" But it was enough to wake Cloud out of his funk, jumping in to the rescue as he Covered Tifa from the attack.

"Cloud, you can have my light." Tifa assured to him, hoping that he would finally understand that he didn't have to be alone in the darkness anymore. That he could stop running: from the darkness, from the past, and from himself. She was there for him and she'll always be there for him, he just has to accept this.

"The light doesn't suit you." This time there was envy in Sephiroth's words. He knew that deep down it would be easy for Cloud to accept the light in his darkness and walk the worlds of others again. Something that Sephiroth will never have the chance to have. Flashes of Aeris passing through his head from his heart made him doubt even more and sting at the thought.

"I just...don't know." Cloud just didn't know. He wanted to be in the light with Tifa and his friends. But could sins be forgiven? He'd didn't know, he's never tried. "!"

Never tried...

The light began to shine in him, surrounding him in an aura of light.

He wanted to try.

"Stop!" Sephiroth commanded, silently panicked. The light was beginning to return to Cloud. If that happens he'll never be able to reach him. He charged at Cloud from the sky, only to be halted back as Cloud's light grew too strong for him. Cloud took to the sky with him as Sephiroth followed, taking the battle to a place between the light and the darkness.

"(Gasp)!" Aeris gasped in alarm as she felt Sephiroth's heart leave the realm of light with Cloud's. The boys startling at the Sense of the battle as well, only for it to suddenly vanish.

"Dad..." Riku unintentionally said aloud, thinking of how his father was now fighting a great battle over the darkness within himself just like he had to before. And maybe not on the same terms as friends like Sora was to Riku, perhaps Cloud could help him find his light again.

"He'll come back...he said that he would." Aeris gently smiled in assurance, remembering the promise he had made to her long ago. A promise that he had still kept to this day, even though he hadn't really meant to. Sephiroth would return to her, both of them will return home. Because her heart said they would. "Right, Sephiroth?"

… Late that Afternoon ...

Sora had taken a well deserved rest in town, after that long fight with Sephiroth. Even restocked on his items and equipment as he tried out that new Keyblade, Fenrir, that Tifa's light had unlocked for him. As he regained his strength again, he had come to realize that the worlds had come to a recovery from the darkness as well. And with the knowledge that the worlds were going to be okay, he could now in good conscience go after Organization XIII without worries.

With his heart full of determination again, and the will to save Kairi, he headed off with Donald and Goofy in their Gummi Ship to Twilight Town for clues.

"..." Hoping that they were heading that way based on the clues Riku gave to them, Riku had come to the acceptance that the time to act was now. "Mom...it's time for me to go. My friends need me."

"So soon, Riku?" Aeris said in disappointment at seeing him go. But she knew that this couldn't come soon enough, they needed to put a stop to Organization XIII and the Nobodies.

"It's time to finish this."

"I know..." She accepted that he had to go. Giving him one finally hug for good luck, praying that he would return to them unhurt. Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz may have stayed quiet but had silently wished in their hearts for the same as well. "Hurry back soon, Honey."

"I'll do my best." He nodded to her, covering his face with his hood once again as he prepared for battle. Summoning a Dark Corridor as he made his way to Twilight Town, looking back at his family one last time before he left...

… Twilight Town ...

Riku had made it to Twilight Town around the time Sora, Donald, and Goofy were making their way to the old mansion in the woods. Hopefully to investigate the picture that he had left behind for them. He was starting to worry that they were never going to figure it out. It was oddly relieving that they did.

"..." But just to be safe, he followed them into the woods to make sure. Staying far enough behind so he wouldn't be seen.

It looked like they were still in the dark. Thankfully Hayner, Pence, and Olette were investigating their own clues about the whereabouts of Kairi. Apparently through clues of their own they had discovered the possibility of an alternative Twilight Town where she might have been taken. Although they were mostly going on theory at this point, borderline conspiracy theory, Riku was still impressed with their detective work. And relieved that the three of them were getting help from people with...a little more brains.

Although the three of them were worse for wear since the gate to the mansion was being guarded from entry. Nobodies that were there to break up the party and ruin somebody's day. The Nobodies had been following Sora and the others through the Woods to stop their progress to the secret entrance to the Nobodies' world. And were now coming at them more aggressively since they've made it so close to the open door.

At first Riku was worried something might have happened to Naminé and DiZ. If there were so many guarding the outside of the mansion and the woods, did any make it inside to them? Since Naminé's light was fainter to Sense because of being a Nobody, it made it harder for Riku to Sense her. But Naminé was a smart, cautious girl with the desire not to be captured by the Organization again. He was certain that she got out of dodge the moment they showed up. But what about DiZ?

Using his Sense, he did know what to make of it that DiZ was nowhere in the mansion. He was either captured by the Organization like Kairi, or he was already out of there by the time the Nobodies arrived. Riku still had mixed feelings about the last scenario. If DiZ "had" made it out, Riku was relieved that he was okay. But, at the same time, if he "did" make it out, then that means he might be already going through with his plans for revenge. Riku had already told DiZ multiple times that he would have no part of it and wouldn't be helping him. Hoping that DiZ would finally understand that his quest for revenge would only lead him down of dark path that lead to more pain. DiZ had a good heart, it was hurting, but Riku could tell that it was still good. He had hope that DiZ would come to the right path for himself.

But this was no time to be wondering in thoughts. The group was surrounded and disadvantagedly outnumbered. Riku was conflicted as to whether risk revealing himself to give them a hand, or just sitting there and hope for the best. He couldn't risk being seen, but...his friend was in danger. But...

Luckily king Mickey jumped in to give them a hand, leaving him with a good conscious of letting them handle things themselves.

When all the dust was clear, Mickey had conversed to them his information. More than likely deciding to give them a helping hand since they were taking a long time to figure it out for themselves.

"I got somethin' to tell ya. I found out where Ansem is- Ansem the Wise! The real Ansem! He snuck into Organization XIII's stronghold."

"..." Well that was news to Riku too. He figured, but hoped that DiZ would take a different path. Reading the decoded Secret Ansem Reports that his mother had showed him, he figured out Ansem the Wise was DiZ by placing two-and-two together and realizing that their place of meeting and his grudge with the Organization had match up with Ansem the Wise's story in the reports.

"And we've figured out where Kairi is!" Sora replied, sharing his information the three of them had gathered as well. "I'm pretty sure we're right."

"But why'd you all come here?" King Mickey asked, hoping that the three of them can paste the pieces together with the information they had.

"Some one gave us a clue."

'Uh oh, look alive, he's talking about me.' Riku thought to himself, slightly flinching at the mention of himself.

"Who?"

"Well, Your Majesty, Sora thinks it mighta been Riku." Goofy answered, Sora followed after confirming Goofy's words.

"It's just a feeling I have."

"Welp, if that's what ya think, then it's probably right." Mickey replied, trying his best to neither confirm nor deny Riku's interaction in this.

"You mean Riku's okay!"

"!" '!" King Mickey and Riku were startled by Sora's conclusion. Riku couldn't help the start of a cold sweat going through his body. 'Dang Sora, you're oddly on the dot today.'

"If that's what ya think..." King Mickey tried to recover with nonchalance.

"I've waited long enough, Your Majesty! Tell me what you know!" Sora demanded, his patience with Mickey's silence was running thin. He knew that king Mickey new something about Riku, he's known something all along, why was he hiding it from them?

"It's not for me to say." Mickey turned around, trying to hide how tense his body was.

'Come on, Mickey. You're acting like a culprit who's known something all along.' Riku groaned in his head, running a hand down his face in mental exhaustion.

"But Your Majesty! Why?" Sora demanded, he couldn't settle for Mickey's answer. He's been wanting to ask king Mickey about Riku all this time...but Mickey would never give him a straight answer...

"I don't wanna break my promise." Mickey apologetically replied, giving away more than he intended.

"You made a promise to Riku!?"

"!" Mickey's eyes widened as he realized he unintentionally spilled the beans, covering his mouth with his hands as an instinctually means to recover from his blunder. 'Ahhh, Riku's not going to be happy with me...'

'Ughhh, it's okay Mickey. You tried.' Riku assured to Mickey in his head, already knowing what Mickey was probably thinking. He honestly was mostly annoyed that Sora was surprisingly on the mark today. Where was this wit detail to information when they were back on the island?!

"So he's okay! I can see him again!" Sora shouted in excitement.

"Huh? Who's Riku?" Hayner asked, not really knowing what the two of them were talking about.

"My best friend." Sora answered, making Riku feel a little warm inside. He was almost annoyed at how happy Sora's replied made him feel inside.

"THAT'S it." Pence said in a eureka moment, as if all the clues had come together. Olette bent down a little to Mickey's height to ask him something to confirm their information.

"Your Majesty? You got the pouch with the crystal from Riku, didn't you? And you promised not to tell, right?"

"Gosh, guys..." They were putting Mickey in a tight spot. He couldn't really give them an answer, not without breaking his promise to his friend.

"That's enough!" Donald command, putting his foot down on how much they were bothering his king and friend. He understood the importance of a promise between friends, and so did Sora.

"Yeah. Let's go!" Sora agreed with Donald, letting the matter go for now. The important thing right now was finding a way to Organization XIII's base to get Kairi back. If Mickey had confirmed that Riku was okay, then they would just have to wait until Riku was ready to reveal himself. Or go find him after they rescued Kairi. Turning back towards the old mansion, Sora readied himself for the fight that was to come. "Kairi! Riku! We're on our way!"

"..." Riku waited as all of them made their way into the mansion, smirking to himself at Sora's response. "Hmph, about time."

"Riku!"

"!" Riku got into attention as a Dark Corridor opened up beside him, his guard remaining unchanged since he recognized whom was coming through. "Naminé, glad you're okay."

"Are Sora and the others on their way to the World That Never Was?"

"Yes...they've just made their way inside to the mansion with Mickey."

"Then it's only a matter of time till they make their way to the computer room down in the basement."

"Yes... They'll find their own pathway to the World That Never Was through the other Twilight Town. Hopefully they'll figure out the password from the ice cream I left for them."

"(Giggle) Don't worry. Hayner, Pence, and Olette are with them so they'll finger it out. Roxas will know the answer in Sora."

"..." Roxas...

"But we can't leave everything to just the four of them. We have to help rescue Kairi."

"?!" Riku wasn't expecting such a response from Naminé, he never really pictured her as a fighter. "You're coming along?"

"Of course! This is a perfect opportunity to stage a rescue operation while the Organization is distracted by the loud commotion Sora and the others will cause."

"..." Riku couldn't help but think, 'Oh wow'. "You've hit Sora's behavior right on the dot."

"And beside...It's about time I return to where I belong." Naminé answered in all seriousness, placing a hand over where her heart would be.

"Naminé…"

"No, please Riku, it's okay. It's every Nobodies destiny to return to their other half again...to be whole. I am ready to return to Kairi, Riku."

"...If that is your wish."

"It is."

"Then let's go rescue your other half."

"Hm-mph. Right!" Naminé nodded with determination. The both of them ready to face the unknown.

They were ready to face Organization XIII.

… Author's Notes ...

Shout to Final Fantasy VII Advent Children in this chapter, got a lot of love and fond memories from that movie. Also, I'll be wrapping up Kingdom Hearts II in the next chapter. The showdown with Organization XIII is about to come to an end. (Cough) Until KH 3D: Dream Drop Distance (Cough, Cough)