The Shadow Falls

The Gumi ship took off into space. Sora, who was still sour over his lost summer break, was once again awed and surprised by its beauty. It was filled with stars and planets that could all be reached with the help of the ship.

"Were do we go first?" Sora asked.

"We've got to go to Radiant Garden first" Donald explained. "Merlin has some new tricks for us."

"Okay" said Sora. "It'll be cool to see Leon and the others again. We can even see if Tifa found Cloud."

The ship sped toward Radiant Garden. With Donald driving, they rocked back and fourth.

"Slow down, Donald!"Goofy cried.

Sora finally took the controls from a protesting Donald after they avoided a comet by mere inches, leaving one wing blackened and slightly melted. Soon after that, the world where it all began appeared in sight. Sora held the control down, and they went through the atmosphere, clouds rippling around the ship.

"Radiant Garden's changed a lot" Goofy said.

"Did they repair the town?" Sora asked.

"Did they ever!" Goofy said. "It's a city now, and Leon and the others---"

"Don't tell him!" Donald said, hitting Goofy over the head with his staff. "It's supposed to be a surprise!"

"Yowch! Did you have to hit so hard Donald?" Goofy complained, rubbing his head where his usual hat was perched.

Sora began to laugh. He couldn't help it. As annoyed as he was, it was good to see his old comrades-in-arms again.

When they cleared the clouds, Sora gasped. The struggling slum town of Radiant Garden had been more than returned to its former glory. A small, bustling city lay at the base of an enormous castle. It was built on the same structure of rootlike pipes that had supported the old one, but these pipes were shiny and new, silver and not brown with rust. The castle was made of elegant white marble veined with reds and blues and occasionally greens. It was taller than the old one, and nobler looking. The broken and fissured stone of the Postern and all of the other places had been replaced. The houses looked shiny and fresh. While one might see an abandoned one here or there, all of them looked great. The place had a hangar for Gumi ships, and that was where Sora headed.

"This is unbelievable" Sora breathed as he landed in the stable for the ships. "They accomplished this in one year?"

"Yep" said Goofy. "Leon and the Restoration Committee are big shots now. They're the Ruling Body."

Sora's head whirled. Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, and Cid the rulers of Radiant Garden? It was a big mouthful to swallow. Still, it was good to be here. Though it must be around eight o'clock at night, the perpetually pink and sunless sky was still well lit. As they walked into the cobblestone streets, Sora saw that they were crowded with people. Before, they had been almost deserted; the people afraid to come out of their houses for fear that the Heartless would come and attack them. Now, that fear had passed. The Heartless had not been seen in Radiant Garden in over a year. Now the people could rest easy that they dark monsters would never trouble them again.

"Let's go find Merlin" said Donald. "We've got to hurry!"

"Okay" said Sora, staring at the wonders around him. Shops lit with neon signs were everywhere. He hurried after his two friends. He looked and saw some odd looking people in armor, standing around. A sign of a bird surrounded by gears was on the chest plate.

"Oh, those" Donald said. "Those are the Bastion Knights. They protect the city and get criminals. Now come on!" he snapped impatiently.

On top of the wall overlooking the Marketplace, Tine appeared. She tossed her red hair away from her face. She could feel the Keyblade Master here. It was almost like she could smell him, except with her head. She could feel his Light power.

"Well, well, well" she said out loud. "Now how am I going to get that little brat to come to me?" It wasn't that she couldn't find Sora herself. Her powers over the darkness were immense. She was just too lazy to look for him, though she would do that if she had to. She had been created to kill the Keyblade Master, and, although she hated that vile hag who called itself her "Mother", she was bound to do it. She wanted to do it. Then, the universe was her oyster. She could do whatever she wanted. One of the Bastion Knights walked over and saw a strange sight. A red haired girl was committing two offenses. One, she was sitting on the wall over the Marketplace. It was off limits for reasons that one could fall. The second offense was more serious. She was wearing a shirt with the forbidden symbol on it! How could any self respecting citizen of Radiant Garden wear something so…so…monstrous?!

"You there! Girl!" he called, running up to her. He pointed his sword at her. "Get down off that wall immediately, before I come up and get you! Are you nuts, going around wearing a shirt with the Heartless sign on it! I should arrest you, but I won't. Your parents though, are going to hear about this. This isn't the frontier days before the Reconstruction! Get off that wall I said!"

While the man was shouting himself hoarse, Tine was looking at him, wearing a Cheshire Cat grin. "Are you talking to me, officer?" she asked innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, a wise one, eh?" he said. "Alright then, we'll try option two." He began to climb up toward her. He then noticed something very odd. The girl's hand was enveloped in an aura of darkness. Suddenly the Knight realized that this was much more than an ordinary miscreant. This was something that called for backup. He pulled out a walkie talkie from his belt. "Ah, I've got a situation here at the Marketplace wall---" his voice was cut off by a gurgle as Tine plunged her hand into his chest, through his armor as if it were paper. He shrieked in pain as she pulled out his heart. It drifted into the air and disappeared. Perhaps a Nobody would come from it. A Heartless, a Neo-Shadow, formed from the darkness that consumed his body. It danced and shook in front of her.

"Heartless" Tine said. In a flash of dark energy, more than seventy Neo-Shadows stood around her. "Cause all the trouble you can" she whispered. "Take all hearts you see. Ruin this city." The Heartless began to stream into the Marketplace. Soon screams began to echo up to her. Tine took the fallen Knight's walkie talkie. In a perfect imitation of the man's voice, she said into it "Hello! Hello! I need back up here! Is the Keyblade Master here? We need him here! Ahhhh!" Tine threw the device onto the ground and crushed it with her sneaker. That should do it.