Guess who's going to be joining in the next story?

Thinking back on the few appearances I made with this character, I thought I'd be fair and introduce her actual Shadow Guardian.

Plus, this is yet another instance of foreshadowing as to what's to come in the CoM region. Besides, I do plan to attempt to tackle both sides of the spectrum. No promises that I'll write all the world sequences on the Sora side, though. Also, hasn't anyone noticed that on Riku's side of the adventure, he just got through the world, fought the boss, and then left? Man, that's gotta be boring. If anybody wants a few detailed explorations in select worlds on Riku's side, kindly let me know and give me suggestions on which ones I could do.

I was just thinking that while I do present in details a select few worlds on Sora's side of the spectrum, give Riku a few to play around on. How about it, readers? You game?

Anyways, without further ado, enjoy!

I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.

Read, leave me a review, but flames are unacceptable.

Epilogue 2: A Covert Investigation

Upon arriving at what should've once been the Land of Departure, the new visitor couldn't contain a small gasp of shock at the sight of the now unfamiliar landscape around her.

She could see that instead of a regal, magnificent castle surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and rushes of little rivers nestled by lush greens at the feet of the residents that would've lived there, it is now replaced by a barren stone wasteland with an unreadable darkness blanketing the skies and a castle with several towers sticking out every which way and stained glass windows being the only remarkable sight amidst the dizzying architecture. Though a path stretched out behind her, there was no telling where it would lead her, and she wouldn't dare to risk venturing down there without knowing what to expect.

It pained her to come here to find her old friend, Eraqus, no longer guarding the place and her children no longer living there in peace. If only she hadn't been a coward…then just maybe she could've…

She shook those thoughts from her head, knowing that she must focus on here and now for the time being.

Throughout the nine years after learning that her daughter escaped to Destiny Islands, she had been traveling across the roads of her own creation, investigating the fate of the world of an old acquaintance of hers and of what horrors have crossed into other worlds following the infestation of the Heartless.

When she arrived at what used to be Radiant Garden, she was dismayed to find that the once beautiful, flower-filled world was reduced to nothing but an empty, hollow shell of what it used to be. Worse still, from the moment she set foot in its ruins, she quickly detected sinister forces roaming about inside the empty halls; not wanting to stick around at the risk of her life, she immediately left the place and traversed through the roads to every world she could find – but everywhere she went, the Heartless were not too far behind, invading the heart of each world and destroying it until it was lost into the abyss of darkness. No matter what she tried to do to rescue the poor inhabitants, she was powerless to completely stop the tidal wave of Heartless that spread across the roads and the worlds connected to them. All she could do was bear witness to the horrors that spread like a plaque.

Now, here she is, standing in the presence of a fallen world that has changed drastically since she was last there. However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she is not the only living being in the vicinity of the barren world; perhaps Yen Sid was right to warn her to proceed cautiously during her travels.

'If anyone other than those you used to know learn that you are Shadow Mage like your daughter, there is the possibility that you will be perceived as a threat as well.'

She knew that he was right about it. From outside the castle, she could barely sense multiple auras scattered around the inside of the castle halls. She had no idea who – or what – they are, but she doesn't want to take chances at getting caught at the front door.

"If I went in there directly, there is no knowing who will be disinclined to extend an invitation to me," she said to herself, "I'll have to find another way inside, somewhere I would be much harder to detect for the time being." She raised her hand to her side as she beckoned out in the open. "Come and guide my way, Tenebrae."

After she made her call, her shadow stretched out to her side and opened up to reveal a humanoid being slightly taller than she, none other than her own personal Shadow Guardian. Bearing the likeness of a human woman, Tenebrae is lanky in physique, presented with unsettling pale white skin and unnaturally long, stringy gray hair that reached past where the feet would've been; the guardian wore a purple plunge-cut dress that flowed all the way to the ground yet hugged against her body and long sleeves that completely covered her hands, and a high collared cloak made of black feathers that almost completely concealed the arms from full view, with the top half of her face entirely concealed by a black feathered mask.

Fluidly, Tenebrae turned to her master and answered, "Three auras roam from above, and three linger below the rest. Proceed inside from the very bottom, Lady Noir, and none of them will know where you have entered."

That answered it for Noir; if the current residents of the castle are potentially dangerous, it would be a much smarter plan to start her investigations from the lowest points where she cannot be found. Though she had no idea how long that will last, she knew that it was her only chance to inspect the castle and find the answers as to what changes transpired without her knowledge. If possible, perhaps she can find out what activities are going on from the inside.

"Very well, then. Let us proceed into the castle, but with the utmost caution," Noir agreed cautiously. "Kindly show me the way in, and we will enter from there before anyone knows we were out here."

With Tenebrae's power, a shadowy portal formed from the ground, allowing both Mage and Guardian to carefully enter into the shadows and cross through unseen. The only thing Noir had to worry about is what awaits her the moment she infiltrates the castle.

Though, for a moment, she could've sworn that she felt someone's eyes watching somewhere within the vicinity of the barren land – or near the castle, perhaps. But she shook off her fears as she hurried into the portal to continue her personal mission, not knowing what she will find as soon as she enters the inside of the suspicious castle…