Chapter 31: Night on Bald Mountain

"Where is he?!"

Metal sang as Keyblade's flew through the air. Xion and Sora charged at Braig together, but the man—with a laugh as taunting as ever—simply used his control over space to lift himself up and dodge every blow before it could strike. Goofy's shield flew over Xion's head only to be shot out of the sky by a bullet from Braig's Arrowgun, and fireballs from Donald and Goofy found themselves suddenly teleported back to their casters.

"What did you do to Riku?!" Sora shouted, jumping up off a grey rock and swiping his Keyblade through the air. Xion grit her teeth and attacked Braig's levitating figure from below while Sora came in from a higher angle. Sora had reason to be upset, all of them did. Here they were spending so much time hunting for Riku, and he had been right under their noses the entire time—had even helped them out on more than one occasion! And yet he had never informed them of who he was, and when they finally find out Braig does something. Xion had absolutely no idea what; he just fired his gun, and suddenly Riku was gone. No corridor opened up, no blood fell from Riku's chest.

He just vanished without a trace.

So, yes. Xion could completely sympathize with Sora and felt pretty much exactly like he did right now: confused, angry, maybe a little bit betrayed. She was sure the others did as well. And without Riku there to question, they turned their frustrations on Braig. He had been asking for it for an awfully long time anyway.

Braig laughed as he swerved out of the way of the latest swings. Sora fell to the ground, slamming into one of the rocks around the mouth of the volcano. "Man, I haven't seen you this worked up before. I guess you and Roxas really are the same person; he got pissed pretty easily too." Hanging upside down, Braig wagged his finger back and forth in mock disapproval.

Xion's eyes narrowed and she bit down harder, grinding her teeth. Roxas had an anger problem? What did Braig know?! He only got angry because he was being used as a tool by Braig and Xemnas, just like she had been! Tightening her grip around the hilt of her Keyblade, Xion leaped up and swung at Braig. He teleported away the instant before the jagged teeth of Two Become One dug into his side, appearing on the ground instead. As soon as Xion landed she spun on her heel and jabbed the Keyblade toward his heart.

Braig teleported away again.

"Aww, is Poppet angry because I ragged on her boyfriend?" His voice was positively dripping with sarcasm.

"Stop talking like you knew him!" she cried, running forward and sending a burst of Aerora Braig's way. Another teleport. Damn it.

Unfortunately for Braig, he seemed to have forgotten that he had more to deal with than just her and Sora. Goofy slammed into him form behind, his shield hitting Braig had where his back and neck met. Braig staggered forward and spun around to shoot Goofy in the face, but Goofy ducked under the guns coming his way and brought his shield up, slamming it into Braig's jaw from beneath.

"Xion, calm down! He's just tryin' to get to ya!"

Xion stopped her latest swing and lowered her Keyblade ever so slightly. She watched as Sora and Goofy continued chasing after Braig, as spells from Donald and Kairi continued to fly over her from behind, and shook her head. Goofy was right. Braig knew exactly how to get under peoples' skin, and that's exactly what he was doing now. He was baiting Sora with Riku, and he was baiting her with Roxas.

Deep breaths, calm down… Don't let anger blind you. That's what he wants.

Braig grinned wide. "Guilty as charged, and I'd say it's working. If only someone had told Roxas to keep clam, huh? Maybe then he wouldn't have rushed off and gotten himself killed."

Screw calm.

Xion ran forward at top speed, the Keyblade flying arcing toward Braig from below and aiming to strike his chest. From behind, Sora swung at Braig's head while Goofy spun around like a tornado with his shield held out. Lightning and fire rained down on their target. And Braig teleported away again.

Donald and Kairi's spells collided, creating an explosion that knocked Xion, Sora, and Goofy back. Xion slammed into a stone wall and slid down to her knees, a throbbing pain in the back of her head. Looking up through blurry eyes, she watched as Braig reappeared on the stone at the edge of the lava where he had first been speaking with Riku. Struggling to her feet, Two Become One limp in her hands, Xion moved forward. A soft green glow surrounded her, a Cura from Kairi who had been knocked precariously close to a cliff's edge.

Sora was moving too. As Xion felt the healing magic work its way into her body, she picked up her speed. Her Keyblade was held out to her side, her hands slicked in sweat, as she and Sora ran toward an unmoving Braig, solid as a stone save for his single eye flicking back and forth between the two of them. He wasn't going to teleport away this time, Xion knew; she wasn't sure how she knew, but she was certain of it.

"Give us back Riku!" Sora shouted as he leaped high into the air, reading to bring the Kingdom Key down on Braig's head. At the last second, Braig finally reacted—with a tiny smirk. Darkness erupted out of the ground before him, reaching into the sky and slamming into Sora. The powerful gusts of wind knocked Xion down onto her back, while the wall of black magic that had slammed into Sora sent him flying high into the sky before he crashed with a painful thud onto the stone.

Through the ringing in her ears, Xion heard Kairi speak up. "What…?"

In the spot where the explosion had occurred, there was now a figure—a young man, without a black coat. Dressed in blue jeans and a white and yellow jacket, he was on his hands and knees with his long, white hair hanging around his face.

"Riku?!" Xion's shocked cry mixed with everyone else's. Riku tilted his head upward, his hair falling from his face and revealing a black blindfold wrapped tightly over his eyes. Braig raised an eyebrow and let out a low whistle, but otherwise made no move. Everyone else was frozen, looking on in stunned silence. Xion's legs refused to move despite any mental orders she gave them.

"Raaaagh!" Riku suddenly shouted, jumping up to his feet and taking a running leap at Braig. Their enemy didn't have time to teleport away; Riku slammed into him, knocking him off of the rock he stood on and slamming him down right next to the lava. A blue-white light flashed in Riku's hand and a weapon materialized. Riku brought the bat-wing blade up to Braig's neck, close enough for the razor edge to draw blood.

Xion's eyes widened and she let out a shocked gasp. That wasn't Soul Eater he was using. It had the same general appearance, but it was longer and straighter, without Soul Eater's curve. A soft jingle caught her attention, caused by a chain dangling from the hilt.

Donald noticed as well. "Riku, your sword—!"

Braig's laughter cut off Donald's revelation. "A Keyblade… Well how about that." Tilting his head back, moving his neck away from the Keyblade's edge, Braig placed a hand onto the black stone beneath him. A corridor of darkness opened up and he dropped through, reappearing high atop a cliff that ringed around the volcano's mouth. He was out of their reach now.

With the warm air from the bubbling lava creating powerful winds that blew his hair around, Braig smirked once more. "So you've purged yourself of the darkness inside your heart!" Xion glanced at Riku, who stood silent, glaring up at Braig behind his blindfold. Was that where he had been, inside his heart? But…why would Braig…? "Congratulations, Riku; you're free of Ansem."

"Well there's some good news," Riku responded coldly. His voice was a massive, massive relief to Xion, even more than seeing him was. How long had it been since they had properly heard Riku? Heard him laugh, heard him joke around? They had thought he was Ansem for a reason: he didn't just look like him, he had sounded like him too. This was… This felt good to hear again. And it was more than just Sora's memories affecting her; Xion may not have been especially close to Riku, but still she counted him as a friend. She cared for his well-being. And she hoped he did too.

And, for some reason completely unknown to her, it seemed that Braig did as well. Grinning down at Riku, the one-eyed man had orchestrated this purge of Ansem inside of him. Why? It had to be for the same reason he had encouraged them to kill Xemnas. What possible purpose was there for Braig to want both halves of Xehanort dead? What was his motive? It couldn't be good.

Braig's grin widened. "I'm just glad you're predictable. If there's anyone I can rely on to not make me have to re-plan things, it's you, Riku."

"Are you going to tell me why you and Vanitas wanted Ansem dead?"

"Heh. Wouldn't you like to know?" The ground beneath them rumbled. Xion spread out her arms and feet, balancing herself as the earth shook. The volcano's pressure was building. "I'd love to tell you, but you won't be around much longer." A red-orange glow illuminated Braig from behind, silhouetting him against the light. Xion could hear the lava bubbling, growing agitated as the darkness inside Bald Mountain continued to grow.

Braig lowered his head, his smile gone and his voice cold. "Your abyss awaits."

The volcano erupted with a deafening roar. A pillar of molten earth flew high into the sky, leaving ash to mix with the already dark clouds. Liquid fire rained down upon them, held back only by a combined Refleza from Donald, Kairi, and Sora. But while the dome of solid magic held back the heat, it could do nothing to stop the quake. Xion fell to her knees, Donald cried out in terror, and through the chaos Sora was calling Riku's name again and again. Xion looked up—he wasn't inside the Refleza!

Riku stood outside the protective dome. A flat barrier spell he had cast and now held above him was all that separated Riku from a painful, burning death. And as the lava and ash continued to spew forth from the mouth of the volcano, as the fire continued to rain from the sky, and as the ground continued to tear itself apart…Braig was nowhere to be seen. He must have made his escape when the eruption distracted them; that had to have been his plan all along.

Riku glanced back over his shoulder. His eyes couldn't be seen behind his blindfold, but he nodded his head back at them…and smiled that familiar smile of his. It was then they knew: their search was at an end. Riku wasn't going anywhere, and he would join in this fight.

Bald Mountain's shaking grew more violent. From out of the fiery pit came a massive black arm, tall as the skyscrapers in the World That Never Was. Its fingers, marked with razor sharp claws that could gore a man, were two or three times Xion's own height. The hand came down on the cliffs ringing the crater, shattering the earth and causing boulders to tumble down the mountainside.

"Riku!" Kairi shouted.

Riku dodged a stone large enough to crush him and ran over to the Refleza dome. "What in the world is going on?!" he shouted over the groaning mountain. Behind him a second skyscraper arm rose from the lava.

"I-It's a local legend," Kairi answered in a shaking voice. "They call it the black god, but its real name is Chernabog."

"Crashing our reunion? Well isn't that nice," Riku deadpanned.

"Where have you been?!" Sora demanded, pressing his hands against the Refleza. "How did you get a Keyblade?!"

Riku opened his mouth to answer, but lava erupted from the volcano and he was forced to created another barrier to save himself from the raining lava.

"I think reunions will have to wait," Riku said.

A gargantuan black figure pulled itself out of the boiling pool, using its hands digging into the rocks as support. Titanic, leathery wings like those of a bat unfolded and reached high into the sky, their tips lost in the clouds and ash. The clawed hands released their hold on the peak as the black god unfurled his back, standing up straight and nearly as tall as Bald Mountain itself—and that was only from the waist up. His pitch black body was illuminated by the lava beneath him, light and shadow dancing across his chest and abdomen to define well-toned muscles. Its glowing yellow-white eyes were as large as Xion.

"H-How do we fight that?" Donald asked in a soft voice.

Kairi gulped and shook her head. "The same way you fought him last time?"

"But we can't fly this time!"

Xion glanced around nervously, eyeing the terrain. There was no way they'd possibly be able to reach Chernabog's weak point, his head, when the stone spires barely reached his stomach. Not unless they had some sort of boost, anyway…

Chernabog, meanwhile was simply ignoring their presence. Flexing his might arms and grasping at the air, Bald Mountain responded to his command. The dead earth near the peak of the mountain tore open, releasing green and orange flames that licked at the black sky. Demons and spirits escaped, black figures with sickly, contorted bodies silhouetted against the firelight.

Xion bit her lip. "Well, sunlight is his weakness, right? We just have to survive until morning."

Riku looked out to the horizon and let out a dry, humorous laugh. The sky wasn't yet beginning to brighten, and they had absolutely no idea how close dawn was. "Is that all?"

"Wait," Goofy said. "Do ya hear that?"

Xion glanced at Goofy with a raised eyebrow as he held a hand to his ear and leaned toward Edward's village far, far below. She didn't hear anything at first, but… Yes, yes there was a tune rising from the town! And it was growing louder, closer.

"It's the Sound Ideas!" Sora exclaimed.

Ethereal music notes rose high into the sky, glowing blue and pink. They snaked their way around Bald Mountain, up and down and all around the peak as the music continued to grow louder. Chernabog finally took notice, glancing down at their tiny little Refleza dome sitting far beneath him. Snarling, he moved to crush them under a mighty fist.

Suddenly, a burst of energy flowed through Xion. It came from absolutely nowhere, but she felt like she needed to run, to jump, to do something athletic. And it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, either. As Xion watched a pink glow surge around her and all of her friends, including Riku, she knew what the Sound Ideas were giving them.

Sora looked down at his hands. "This is…!"

"Flowmotion!" Xion finished.

The Refleza shattered under Chernabog's hand, but he was not able to take anybody with it. When Xion jumped back to avoid the attack, the Flowmotion boosted her movements. She flew backwards and her feet pressed against the rocks, which she then rebounded off of and came to a rolling stop by Riku's side.

"I don't know what this 'Flowmotion' thing is," he said, "but I think we just found our way to beat this guy!"

"You got the hang of it?" Sora asked as he landed next to them.

"I'm pretty sure!" Riku spun on his heel and ran toward the rim of the volcano. As his foot made contact with the wall he bounced off of it, a pink outline flowing over his body. Spinning like a drill, Riku flew into a group of Chernabog's demons that were still crawling out of the earth. Then, jumping high into the air, he brought his Keyblade down and sent out a shockwave that knocked them away.

"Let's go!"

Xion followed Riku's lead, leaping toward a rock wall and then jumping off of it. Flowmotion propelled her forward and the shining pink aura trailed behind her as she flew through the air. Chernabog swung one of his might hands, but Xion held out her Keyblade and dug the teeth into the black god's skin. Swinging around, Xion released her hold and flew higher up into the sky. Her Keyblade, still stuck in Chernabog's skin, vanished in a flash of light and reappeared in her grip in time to bring it down on Chernabog's face.

A loud roar came from Chernabog's mighty form, and his whole body shook with anger. Five clawed hands reached up to pluck Xion from the groove between his neck and shoulder, only to be knocked aside by a blast of Fire magic from Sora. The boy flew past Chernabog, using Flowmotion to grind on the ethereal music staff that the Sound Ideas had projected. He circled around again and held up his Keyblade, then jumped off of the magic rail and tossed a Strike Raid at Chernabog's right eye.

Unfortunately, Chernabog anticipated it. With a flap of his massive wings, hurricane-force winds slammed into Sora and knocked him off-center, as well as sending the Kingdom Key flying in completely the wrong direction. As Xion struggled against the winds to keep herself on Chernabog's person, she watched a shining pink blur—Riku—fly over and catch Sora before he splattered against the earth. But while Sora was out of the danger for the time being, Xion was not. Grasping the hilt of Two Become One with both hands, Xion dug it into Chernabog's leathery skin to hold her steady. Rather than blood, fire and darkness poured out of the wound. Gasping, Xion threw up her hands in front of her face to block the orange and green flames, but in the process lost her balance.

Riku and Sora's screaming voices were distant and drowned out by the wind as she fell through the sky. She desperately stretched her arm out to grab a hold of something, anything, but there was nothing within range. Riku and Sora landed on a rocky outcropping and watched in horror, too far away to do anything…

But they weren't the only ones in battle. Down at the volcano's mouth, Kairi heard the two boys calling Xion's name. Sparing a glance upward, she gasped in horror. But watching the girl falling, a tiny white and black spot against Chernabog's darkness…something clicked in Kairi's mind. She glanced down at her hands where a Watera spell had been forming, she formed an idea. And she started running.

"Kairi, what are you doing?!" Donald shouted even as he avoided a pitchfork from one of Chernabog's minions.

"Quiet!" Kairi called back without sparing him a glance. She had to time this perfectly if it was going to work, and that meant no distractions. Sprinting at the fastest speed she was capable of, Kairi jumped to a large boulder stretching into the sky. The pink aura of Flowmotion flew over her body, and the instant it did so she sprung off the vertical surface of the boulder and flew to another one nearby, only to jump off that one as well. Kairi repeated this process again and again, climbing higher and higher each time, until she was on level with Xion—who was rapidly approaching the earth.

Jumping off the last rock, Kairi pooled all the magic she had together. The water bubbling around her arms expanded and, spinning around in the air, she released it all at once.

"Waterga!"

A massive orb of water formed around Kairi, stretching out until it consumed Xion as well. The liquid brought her descent to a sudden halt.

"Wha—Kairi?!" Xion said with a gasp; or rather, tried to say, as the water flowed into her open mouth.

Kairi raised her hands. Around them, the Waterga sphere contorted and shifted, becoming more of a ring shape hovering in the air and allowing the two of them to tread water. Coughing up some of the water she had swallowed, Xion stared at Kairi.

"Thanks," she said through another cough. "I didn't know you could do that."

Kairi grinned. "Neither did I." As she spoke the ring of water lowered, bringing the two of them safely to ground level. With Kairi's hands still raised, the ring rose up above the battlefield—though still far below Chernabog—and begin twisting and turning. The churning waters grew violent and the ring expanded upwards, changing into a water funnel held together solely by Kairi.

"Can you even hold that?" Xion shouted over deafening the sound of rushing water.

Kairi grit her teeth and flexed her fingers. "No—but I don't need to!" The water funnel went into a frenzy, frantically widening and thinning as it continued its rapid spinning. Then, it finally gave out. The water exploded in all directions, flooding the peak of Bald Mountain and sweeping up all manner of evil creatures in its wake. As they crashed into the black stone the water pulled back and lifted into the air, then slammed down onto the demons with its full pressure.

As the remnants of Kairi's spell rained down among them, Kairi smiled. "I'm just happy I managed a Waterga without outside help."

Xion glanced over her shoulder and called on her Keyblade. "I think you'll have more chances to do that," she commented. Kairi nodded in response, lightning already crackling at her fingers as more demons and ghouls circled around the two of them.

Standing on a rock spire up above, Sora sighed in relief and turned to face Riku on another spire not far away. "I guess it's our turn now. You up for this?"

Riku smirked. "Try to keep up."

Keyblades primed, the two of them leaped off of their perches and fell toward the jagged, uneven, rocks below. Ethereal music staffs that weaved between the stone caught the two boys and the pink glow of Flowmotion illuminated their bodies. Propelled forward by the unique magic, they rode the staff like rails that brought them up close to Chernabog's face.

"Get ready for his winds this time!" Riku called over to Sora.

"Don't worry, I got it!" Sora replied with a grin.

The rails looped around, avoiding Chernabog's wings and bringing the two of them toward his right shoulder from above. Chernabog leaned back and his wings unfurled. With one might flap the winds came again, tossing Riku and Sora off their rails—but, as Sora had said, he was prepared. Directing his fall, he landed on Chernabog's wrist and broke into a sprint. Behind him, Riku was doing the same.

The two were assaulted with overwhelming heat from above. Chernabog's other hand was raised toward the sky, with fire weaving around his fingers and dancing in his palm. A massive fireball, easily as large as a house, was forming in his grasp. With an echoing roar Chernabog brought the flames down on his upper arm while the two continued their climb.

"Sora!" Riku shouted.

"Right!"

Reflega went up just in time. The fireball exploded and knocked the two of them around and sent the hexagon-formed sphere flying high into the sky, but they were otherwise unharmed. With a flick of his wrist Sora shattered the Reflega and twisted around in the air, diving down toward Chernabog. Riku tightened his grip on his own Keyblade and followed Sora's lead. The two of them made contact, slashing across Chernabog's face in a cross.

Chernabog scraped at the two of them when they landed on more of the Sound Ideas' rails, but they were too far out of reach. Cheering, Sora pulled back his Keyblade over his shoulder and then flung Strike Raid forward. Riku clenched his free hand into a fist and watched as blue flames surrounded it, then thrust out his hand and cast Dark Firaga. Snarling, Chernabog straightened his wings and crossed his arms in front of them. With a mighty roar to the heavens, the earth beneath them rumbled. A massive wall of flame erupted out of the volcano, creating a barrier of lava and fire that consumed their attacks before they ever reached Chernabog.

Down below, Goofy held up his shield to block flaming rocks that fell from the battle above. A barrier maintained by Donald and Kairi blocked most of the heat, but not all of it. Behind them all, Xion locked her Keyblade with an imp's pitchfork and knocked the weapon out of its hands before skewering the little demon.

"Look out!" she called to Goofy. He spun around just in time to wave his shield at an approaching ghost, but the weapon passed through it harmlessly. Gasping, Goofy leaned back as the ghost approached him—and passed right through his body, just as his own weapon had done to it. Or so it appeared. After the ghost exited through the back of Goofy's head, his shield clattered to the ground and he doubled over in pain. His knees fell to the ground, his arms clutched at his chest, and he let out a hacking cough.

"Goofy?!" Donald cried, turning from his barrier and running over to his friend. "Curaga!" The green light at the tip of his staff jumped to Goofy, flowing over the tall dog's body. Shaking his head, Goofy let out one last cough before weakly picking up his shield and standing up. "What was that?"

Goofy stumbled slightly, but he stood up straight and held his shield out in front of him once again. "I-I think it was the ghosts, Don," he said. "I couldn't hit it, but when it passed through me it sapped my strength!"

"Like a Bio spell," Donald muttered with a click of his tongue. "You should be fine, but keep an eye out for—wak!" Another ghost interrupted Donald's concerns, flying down at him from a cliff.

Xion jumped into action, swinging at the ghost—only to pass through it just as Goofy's shield had. Slamming into the ground, she groaned and struggled to push her self up, but her arms gave out beneath her. Curling her body into a ball, Xion let out a hacking cough that called the attention of a squad of ghouls. The demons cackled and made their way toward her completely helpless figure. Groaning, Xion tried rolling over to avoid them but her body's only response was to send surges of pain through her body.

The others were on the job. Goofy jumped into the fray, spinning around and knocking the ghouls away while spinning around wildly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle filled with green liquid. Uncapping the hi-potion, he brought it to Xion's lips. Though her body shook and some of the potion splashed onto the earth, enough was swallowed to make a difference.

"Attackin' 'em with weapons doesn't seem to work," Goofy said quietly as he helped a struggling Xion to her feet. "You alright?"

Xion took a deep breath and shook her head to clear the fog away. "Better already." Lightning bolts rained down around the two of them, a Thundara spell from Kairi that cleared away most of the ghosts trying to approach them; most, but not all. Some turned invisible and avoided the electrical assault, then as they became visible again flew high into the sky.

Kairi gasped. "They're after Sora and Riku!"

Xion glanced behind her; she was by a wall, this could work. "You guys stay down here. I'll go warn those two about the ghosts."

Donald shook his head. "I'm going with you! Like Goofy just said, your Keyblades won't do anything!"

"Do you think two people will be enough down here?" Xion asked. Donald lowered his head and gazed down at the ground, silent. "Thanks, Donald; but we have magic, too. I'll take care of it." Xion turned to face the rocks and grinned back over her shoulder. In the distance, the sky looked brighter than before. Or was that just her imagination? "Just hold out until morning, right?"

Kicking off against the rocks, Xion activated Flowmotion and flew high into the sky. Light and heat approached from behind her and she spared a glance back to see pillars of fire erupting out of the ground and growing nearer. Swinging around an outcropping, she vaulted higher into the sky and landed on one of the musical staffs. The ghosts in front of her were gaining a lead, and the fire was closing in. Taking a deep breath, Xion leaned down and tried to speed up her ride around the peak.

She wasn't fast enough. The ghosts had reached Sora and Riku, who were now locked in combat on Chernabog's shoulder as they avoided the black god's talons and struggled to find stable footing on a constantly-moving surface.

"Sora! Riku!"

"Xion!" they called out together. Riku took a swing at a ghost but his Keyblade passed through it harmlessly.

"Don't let them touch you!"

Sora ducked under a ghost's charge and turned to face her. "What are you—Xion, there's a pillar of fire following you!"

"I know, so duck!" Xion leaped off of the staff and dived down, the fire following her every movement. Sora and Riku complied, dropping down onto their stomachs. At the last moment before she crashed into them, Xion cast Aero behind her and the wind shoved her downward. Two Become One flew out, its teeth digging into Chernabog's flesh and stopping her descent. From her position hanging on his upper chest, she watched the fire crash into Chernabog's shoulder. He let out a mighty roar of pain and flinched back as smoke and green fire bled from the burn wound he now bore.

Xion held her breath. The fire had certainly taken out the ghosts, but what about Sora and Riku? Were they hit as well, or did they have enough time to defend themselves?

"That was insane!"

Xion sighed in relief at Sora's cheerful voice. Swinging her feet to build up momentum, she released her grip from her Keyblade and used Flowmotion to vault up onto Chernabog's shoulder. Two Become One reappeared in her hand as she landed on the seared flesh.

"Ready to finish this?" Riku asked, motioning into the distance behind him. The sun was definitely beginning to rise.

"After you."

Riku nodded and leaped up, kicking off of Chernabog's neck and flying over to the membrane of his wing. Bouncing off the elastic flesh, he flew high into the sky. A clawed hand, alit with flames, swept at Riku, but he caught his Keyblade on one of Chernabog's fingers, spun around, and leaped ever higher into the sky.

The sun peaked over the horizon and its rays flooded the mountainside. Chernabog recoiled, an expression of pain and horror on his face as he brought both hands up to block the light. On his shoulder, Sora and Xion gave up trying to remain steady and jumped off, landing on the Sound Ideas' staffs. The music from the Sound Ideas shifted in tone, changing from a bombastic battle theme into a soft key with bells ringing in the background.

The sunlight reflected off of Riku's Keyblade as light from within surged around it, creating a solid blade of golden magic that extended around the Keyblade and brought it to twice its natural size. Taking in a deep breath, Riku dived down at Chernabog with a battle cry.

"To end it all!"

Riku pierced through Chernabog's chest and out his back. Light erupted out of the wound, growing larger and brighter until it consumed the black god's form. Chernabog writhed in pain, screeching and roaring. He brought his hands to his face, clawing at his eyes. His very being began to dissolve, black particles being consumed by the light of dawn.

From the remnants of Chernabog's destruction, as his screams echoed over the horizon, a soft blue glow permeated the air. Riku, having safely landed on the rim of Black Mountain's crater, turned around to see a familiar shape hovering above the volcano, glowing in the dawn: the Keyhole.

Light sparkled at the tip of his Keyblade and Riku held it forward. A cool morning breeze blew through his hair as the beam of light fired from his weapon.

x-x-x

BONG.

BONG.

BONG.

Edward glanced up at the church's bell tower, the great bell within ringing loudly. That wasn't just any ringing, it was signaling something: morning. Leaning against the railing separating his porch from the street, Edward's mouth hung open ever so slightly and all other sounds were tuned out as the bells continued. Beside him, Tellah stood up from his seat in an old oak char sitting on the porch.

Since the battle began, Bald Mountain's peak had been blocked from sight, hidden beyond the shadows of ash and black clouds. But now, as the chapel bells rang out, light began to pierce through the cloud cover over the Symphony of Sorcery. The blue-white light of dawn illuminated the humble little village at the mountain's base.

"I don't believe it," Tellah breathed.

Edward's expression slowly shifted, changing from stunned silence into a huge grin. His eyes practically glowed and he stood up straight as he turned toward Bald Mountain.

"Tellah, they did it! I told you they would!"

"I suppose I was wrong for ever doubting you." Tellah stroked his beard and then crossed his arms. He tried—and failed—to hide his smile.

Edward grinned at Tellah and then turned to look out at the ever-brightening village, as men, women, and children came out of their homes to greet the dawn. A cool morning breeze came down from Bald Mountain, carrying with it the scent of pine trees…and something else.

"Wait… Do you hear that?"

Tellah looked to Edward out of the corners of his eyes. "Hear what?"

It was faint, but listening closely, Edward could hear a song. Barely audible, he almost mistook it for the wind moving through the small spaces in town. But as he listened closely, the singing voice tugged at his heart. His eyes began to water.

"Ave Maria…"

Edward looked out to the sunrise. "Anna… Is that you…?"

x-x-x

"Ave Maria!"

"Heaven's bride
"The bells ring out in solemn praise,
"For you the anguish and the pride,"

"The living glory of our nights
"Our nights and days
"The Prince of Peace your arms embrace
"While hosts of darkness fade and cower"

"Oh, save us, Mother full of grace,
"In life, and in our dying hour"

"Ave Maria!"

Everyone was silent as they moved down Bald Mountain. Black rock and rough earth slowly gave way to bright green grass and trees swaying in a soft, cool breeze. Early morning dew dripped from leaves and coated the grass beneath him, which squished underneath. Birds greeted the sun with songs, though their small figures were clouded from view by the thin early-morning mist. Off in the distance, the ringing of church bells joined the birds' chirping. And listening closely, Riku could almost hear a woman's voice singing on the wind.

Donald noticed the clergymen first. Small circles of orange light were off in the distance, hidden behind the mist but still visible. As they grew closer the group moved to the side, still without a word. Aging men walked by, each carrying a small candle as they sang the song on the wind. The man in the lead held a tin of burning incense, the pleasant scent drifting into the air and mixing with the mist and pine. When the clergy has passed, they returned to the path and wordlessly continued down the mountainside.

Crossing over an old stone bridge, Riku glanced down at the water and stared at his reflection. His own body looked so strange to him. …No, that wasn't right. Riku's body was the same as it had been before he gave in to Ansem, at least physically. But his aura, the feeling he gave off, was…stronger, sturdier. He didn't look at himself and hate everything about himself. It felt good to see just himself, and not a failure or a traitor.

"Riku, you gonna take that off?" Riku's eyes flickered to his right, where he saw Sora's reflection watching him. Take what off? Riku turned away from the water to look at Sora, and everyone else behind him. Why were they all staring? What, was something on his—

"Oh." Riku turned back to the water and glanced down at his reflection once again. His blindfold…he had forgotten. He could 'see' through it with darkness, but he supposed he didn't really need it anymore, did he? Slipping a thumb under it, Riku tugged lightly on the black cloth. The knot hidden in his hair came undone and the strip of fabric fell onto the surface of the water. Riku's eyes opened.

Immediately he found himself blinking to adjust to the light. While he could 'see' beneath the blindfold, it was…dim. Pale. It made the world seem almost dead, the colors washed out and details not as clear. And it was the same when he had been in Ansem's form. He had gotten so used to it that he had barely even noticed, but now? After all this time? The bright assault nearly blinded him, but the truth was it felt really good to see properly again.

Turning back to Sora, he was surprised at just how clear his friend looked, even after experiencing the woods in their total clarity. He could make out the different shades of brown in his hair, the way the silver of his necklace caught the sunlight and reflected it. Behind Sora, Donald's feathers blew softly in the breeze. He could see the stitching on Goofy's clothes if he looked close enough. Kairi's red hair seemed to practically pop out amongst the greens and browns of the forest, and Xion's identical face had a few minor features that could separate the two girls—like the soft pink blush growing on her cheeks.

"You know, I may have seen them in Sora's memories, but I think this is the first time I've ever seen your eyes in person, Riku." Xion suddenly found the water very interesting, and Riku felt his face heat up. "They're a very pretty shade."

"..Th-thanks…"

"Why were you wearing that?" Kairi asked, tilting her head. Riku watched the separate strands of hair flow with the motion. Riku took in a deep breath. That was a very good question, he had almost forgotten why himself. Almost, but not entirely.

"Mickey told me once that 'my eyes couldn't lie.'"

"Lie?" Sora echoed. The confusion on his face turned to a grin and he leaned forward with his hands on his hips. "And just who were you trying to fool? Huh? Huhhh?"

"Myself." Sora's face fell immediately, and a somber mood fell over the group. The truth was that Riku hadn't known who he was supposedly lying to either when the King had first said that. He had figured it out eventually, though; he had utterly convinced himself that he was a horrible person, a traitor to his world that had given in to the darkness. But his eyes held the truth: the same blue-green shade that Xion had just noted, not the golden yellow of a darkling. Riku had lied to himself on his self-imposed exile, and his eyes were the part of him that could never lie about what he really was.

Sora was practically shaking, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Weakly punching Riku in the shoulder, he glared at his friend. "Why didn't you let us know you were okay?!"

Riku took a deep breath. Unlike with the blindfold, he knew exactly why. He just wasn't sure it was an answer Sora wanted to hear. But what you want and what you need aren't always the same thing.

"I didn't want you to find me."

The purest expression of hurt that Riku had ever seen crossed Sora's face. It was only matched by the time Riku had taken the Keyblade from him at the Rising Falls and left with Donald and Goofy. While Xion and Kairi exchanged worried glances, Donald and Goofy turned to each other.

"But wasn't it was Riku who was helping us at Hollow Bastion and the Organization's castle?" Goofy asked, referring to the times that Riku, in Ansem's form, had fought off Xemnas and brought Naminé to them, respectively.

"Yeah!" Donald agreed with a nod.

Riku smiled softly. "I had a feeling you guys weren't ever going to catch on."

"You could have at least told us you were okay!" Kairi scolded, placing her hands on her hips. "Riku, we've looked for you for months. I haven't seen you since Sora became a Heartless! Don't you think you could have said who you were?"

"You really don't need to handle everything on your own," Xion added softly. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Riku glanced at Xion. So, were they friends, too? He supposed… But still. "I gave into the darkness that day I fought Axel in front of DiZ's mansion to save you guys. Ansem took control in a moment of weakness, and though I got control of my body back I was…changed. How was I supposed to face everyone like that?"

"Riku…" Sora began, but he trailed off. He stared down at the cobblestone of the bridge, kicking at some of the vines growing in the cracks. Then, form behind, a pale pair of hands reached up and squeezed Sora's cheeks.

"Like this!" Xion said with a laugh. Sora turned around and playfully swatted Xion away, but joined in on her laughter nonetheless. Despite himself, Riku felt a warmth growing inside of him. Soon enough, the unfamiliar but very welcome sound of laughter flowed from him too.

"It feels really good to smile again. To have light again."

"Speaking of light, where did you get a Keyblade?" Xion asked.

Riku's eyes widened slightly. He had almost forgotten all about that. Could he… Was he still able to call on it? Stretching his arm out in front of him and flexing his fingers, Riku nearly expected a cloud of purple darkness to appear and form Soul Eater. Instead, light flashed from his palm and expanded forward and then faded away to reveal the Keyblade.

"I'm not sure where it came from," Riku admitted as he lowered his arm. His eyes danced across the blade. "Soul Eater transformed into it when I was fighting Ansem inside my heart. I know that Sora's Keyblade was supposed to go to me, but my heart wasn't strong enough. Maybe…Maybe now I am worthy of wielding one."

"What's its name?" Xion asked as she watched the keychain swing back and forth.

The name? Naming it hadn't even occurred to Riku. Did Keyblade wielders even name them, or did the name just pop into your head somehow? Riku narrowed his eyes and held the Keyblade up again, watching the light reflect on its polished edge. His gaze turned from the Keyblade to the sunrise behind it, and then he knew.

"Way to the Dawn."

Sora smiled, and then looked up at the sky where the last few visible stars vanished in the daylight. Was it morning on those far-off worlds too?

"So you're coming with us, right?" he asked as he lowered his head. "Back to the King at Disney Castle?"

Riku leaned back against the bridge and crossed his arms. Tilting his head up to the sky, he closed his eyes and pursed his lips in thought. Back to Disney Castle? To King Mickey? He wouldn't have been sure of that even a week ago, but… Wow, a real bed, cheerful faces, it almost seemed surreal. And all of it with his friends at his side. How could he possibly turn that down?

Riku opened his eyes to see Sora looking at him expectantly, his hand held out. "We'll go together."

Riku took a deep breath and reached forward, grasping Sora's hand in his own. "Yeah."

Urgh, Symphony of Sorcery took longer than I had hoped it would going in. I'm kind of worn out on fight scenes.

Well, with Ansem dead and Riku part of the group we're heading toward a major turning point in the story. There's six people on the team, and that's a lot; things are going to need some shaking up. Then there's Maleficent's plans with Project Manikin. And Xehanort's upcoming return may not be what you're expecting it to be! I hope you all stay tuned.