Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own any of the disney movies, characters, concepts, games, or other media appearing or referenced in any chapter of this story.

That said, read, enjoy, and if you like it, please review.

Destiny Islands

Sora swept the Keyblade in a wide arc, and the Shadow dissolved into swirls of darkness. "I think that's the last one."

Behind him, another Shadow peeled itself up off of the ground. It crouched, ready to pounce on Sora's unprotected back. It had barely left the ground when a bolt of lightning crashed down on its head.

Sora spun toward the sound, but someone had already rushed past him and dispatched the Heartless with a quick stab of her weapon. "No, that was the last one," she corrected. "You're really losing your edge."

"Or else you're getting better."

"Can't argue with that." They shared a laugh as Kairi straightened, brushing a strand of deep red hair from her eyes. Her Keyblade, the Flowering Strength, briefly caught the sunlight as she banished it.

The six months since their return to the Islands had started out peacefully. It was nice to catch up with the other islanders, and seeing their homes restored had given Sora a feeling of happy nostalgia. Heck, He'd even missed school. Sora, Kairi, and their friend Riku had welcomed the return to normalcy. The peace had lasted just long enough for things to feel a little boring.

And then the Heartless began reappearing. It started off small; small groups of Shadows, the occasional Red Nocturne, nothing really dangerous. Then the groups got larger, the heartless tougher, and they started showing up more often. The three friends kept things under control, but it had been getting harder every day.

More recently, the heartless attacks had lightened up. Sora wasn't sure whether that was a good thing, or a sign of bigger trouble.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about? You know, before all that."

"Hmm?" It took a minute for Sora to remember, then it came to him. "Oh, right! But we should really wait for Riku first."

"Okay, now I'm really curious." Kairi frowned, but brightened a moment later. "He said he was heading for the Island. Why don't we meet him there?"

"Sure." A thought struck the boy, and he fought down a grin. "Let's go."

Kairi turned and started toward the dock where the young islanders kept their boats. It took her a moment to realize Sora wasn't behind her.

She searched for her friend, but couldn't see him anywhere on the beach. Then she heard a shout coming from the water, and turned to find him leaping among the waves. His legs were gone, replaced by a dolphin's tail.

Kairi stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise. He laughed. "I had Donald show me this before he left. It's easier than it looks, and a lot faster than rowing."

Kairi grinned. "You are so teaching me that!"

"Why not? We've got some time."

After a few minutes of instruction, Kairi managed to give herself a similar tail (pink rather than blue). She quickly got the hang of swimming, and together they raced to the island.

There were many islands among the chain that made up their home, but this particular island was special to the pair. They had been coming here with their friends for as long as either could remember. It held years of memories: sparring matches, forts they'd built, and hours of just being together, talking and watching the sunset. It was here that Sora, Kairi, and Riku had built their raft.

And it was here that a much stranger craft had now landed.

When Sora and Kairi reached the island, they were greeted by a familiar, if unexpected, sight. What looked like a very large version of a child's toy spaceship had landed in the cove. It was a vibrant red, with the occasional yellow piece.

Sora frowned at the thing. "What's a gummi ship doing here?"

They transformed into their normal selves and walked closer to the ship, where two familiar figures were conversing. The first was Riku, a tall, muscular teen with silver hair who had been their close friend since childhood. The other was much shorter, with large, round ears.

Riku was the first to notice them. He waved "'Bout time you got here. We've-" He paused, taking in their wet hair and clothes. "Did you guys actually swim here?"

"Yup," Sora answered, not bothering to explain. He turned to the smaller figure. "Your Majesty. What're you doing here?"

King Mickey, the diminutive ruler of Disney Castle, looked seriously into the boy's eyes. "Bad news, guys. The castle's under siege."

There was a long moment of silence as the news sunk in. Disney Castle was protected by a powerful magical artifact, the Cornerstone of Light. As long as it stood safe and sound underneath the throne room, no Heartless could set foot on the world. The castle had only come under siege once before, and that time only through a major alteration of the its past. "Could someone have…"

The little king shook his head. "The Timeless River's been locked up tight. I sealed it myself." Mickey was a fellow Keyblade wielder, so whatever door he locked would stay closed, magical or otherwise. "It's the darndest thing. Some Heartless got into the hall and damaged the Cornerstone. Then all these others showed up." He looked at each of them in turn. "We need your help."

Sora's face grew determined. "You've got it." Riku nodded his agreement, and they moved to board the ship.

"Hold on, guys," Kairi objected. "We can't just leave."

"Kairi, they need our help."

"I know that," she explained, "but there's Heartless here, too. We're the only ones holding them back."

There was silence. Kairi had a point. The Heartless could hurt a lot of people if someone didn't keep them under control.

Sora was the first to speak up. "Okay, I think I've got it." He turned to the ship's cockpit. "Hey! Chip, Dale! You in there?"

Two fuzzy brown faces popped over the edge: one sharp and intelligent, one goofy, with buckteeth and a red nose. "Hey, Sora!" the first piped up, "Good to see ya! What's up?"

"How soon can you guys get another ship here?"

The chipmunks huddled in brief conversation. After perhaps half a minute, Dale spoke up. "Sunset sounds about right. Why?"

Sora nodded, then turned to the King. "Can you spare Kairi and me till then?" When the mouse nodded, Sora continued. "Okay. Riku'll go with you for now. His help should be enough till we can get there. Meantime, we'll get Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka ready to hold down the fort here."

Riku frowned. "You're sure they're up to it?"

"Definitely. Especially together."

The older teen considered the plan. It was reasonably good, and he didn't have any better ideas. "Alright then." He scanned the others. "That work for you guys?"

Kairi nodded. Mickey looked worried, but eventually agreed. "Alright. But when the ship gets here, hurry up. We need you guys."

The king boarded the ship, followed by Riku, and moments later the vessel lifted off. Sora and Kairi watched as their friends shrank to a tiny speck in the distance, then vanished.

"Tidus and Wakka are training today, right?"

Kairi nodded. "There's a big match coming up, so they're doing some one-on-one practice. I think Selphie went to watch."

"Okay. Let's go."

They swam back to the main island and stepped onto a beach near the school's outdoor pool, which doubled as a playing field for Tidus and Wakka's obsession: Blitzball. The game was essentially a combination of football and soccer, played completely underwater. It was fun, in Sora's opinion (after their return, he and Riku had joined their friends in a couple of matches), but it didn't fascinate him like it did Tidus. As for Wakka, his interest went beyond simple fascination. The boy practically lived for the sport.

"You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?"

Sora blinked at his friend. "About what?"

"About telling them. That's the sort of thing that takes more than five seconds to think about. You've been thinking about whether they can handle it for a while."

It surprised Sora at times how well Kairi could read him. He chuckled. "Alright, guilty."

"Is that what you wanted to say earlier?"

"Partly." Sora fixed his eyes on the horizon. Kairi didn't press him. Eventually, he continued. "When we built that raft, all we could ask ourselves was 'what's out there?'. We were so excited about what we might find beyond these islands." He sat down in the sand, Kairi settling next to him. "Now we know. We've seen so many worlds, and it's been incredible."

"But?" Kairi prompted, adding the implied word.

He sighed. "It wasn't like we thought it would be. Between the Heartless and Organization XIII, we've been fighting someone since the day we left. We've had to be protectors instead of explorers. I kinda wish it was the other way around."

Kairi suddenly understood. "You've been looking for a vacation."

Sora smiled, a little sadly. "No enemies, no evil plans. Just you, me, and Riku. We could leave things here to Tidus and the others, borrow a gummi ship from the king, check up on some of my off-world friends." His face grew wistful. "I've been so many places you haven't even seen yet. We might even find some new ones."

Kairi gazed into the distance, imagining the trip herself. Not a captive this time, travelling with some villain who was trying to use her as bait, or a key to ultimate power. Just traveling the worlds with her friends, enjoying fantastic sights and meeting strange new people. She smiled. "I'd like that."

They sat a while longer, watching the wispy clouds roll by. "Summer's a long way from over," Kairi said. "We've still got time for that trip."

"Yeah." Sora straightened, brushing off the sand. "But we've got a job to do first."

The scene Sora and Kairi walked up on was familiar: Tidus and Wakka were mid-game, alternately attempting to score or block the other's shot. Selphie was on the sidelines, acting as referee. But instead of looking bored as usual, she was chatting with a pale, raven-haired girl wearing dark clothes despite the summer heat. Or rather, Selphie was chatting to the girl. Her friend was listening, but not quite as talkative.

Selphie was the first to spot them. "Hey, Sora! Kairi! You guys know Lulu, right?"

Kairi did; the girls had a few classes together. "Hi, Lulu. What're you doing here?"

"Wakka invited me. We've got some plans after this."

Sora raised an eyebrow. So Blitzball wasn't Wakka's only interest.

"Hey Selphie, keep your eyes open! Wakka totally-" Tidus emerged at the edge of the pool and noticed the new arrivals. "Oh. Hi, guys. What's up?"

Sora brought his mind back to the task at hand. "You guys got a minute? There's something we've gotta tell you."

"It has to do with why we were gone so long," Kairi added.

Selphie's eyes widened, and Tidus waved Wakka over. Sora, Kairi and Riku had been deliberately vague about their disappearances; their islander friends had a lot of questions.

Sora briefly considered asking Lulu to leave, but decided against it. This could affect her, too. He launched into an account of his adventures, describing the various worlds he'd visited, the friends he'd made, the enemies he'd faced, and, most importantly, he told them about the Heartless.

When he finished, there was a full minute of silence. Lulu was the first to speak. "Wow. You guys lead rich fantasy lives."

Selphie was a little more believing. "You're a princess, Kairi?"

Kairi blushed. "A princess of heart. It's nothing special."

"'Nothing special'? You're kidding, right?"

"So why tell us all this now? Why not earlier?"

"Regular people aren't supposed to know about other worlds. It's too much interference. As for why now," Sora took a deep breath. "Disney Castle's in trouble. We're leaving to help, which means-"

"You need us to take care of things here." Wakka nodded. "No problem, man. We got your back."

There was a general chorus of agreement. Kairi smiled. They might not be as close to her as Sora and Riku, but she was glad to call these Islanders her friends.

Only Lulu remained skeptical. "You guys are buying this? You seriously believe that these Heartless things have been running around here for months without anyone other than these two-"

She was cut short when numerous Shadows sprang up on the far side of the pool. Two larger, rounded Heartless appeared behind those, and humanoid things with wings, claws and small propellers materialized above the rest.

Lulu stared. "Never mind. I believe you."

Sora and Kairi summoned their Keyblades, taking battle stances. Tidus and Selphie ran for their weapons, too, while Wakka took aim with his Blitzball. Lulu was unarmed, but tensed for battle anyway. Together, they charged into the crowd.

Tidus and Selphie carved their way through the Shadows, respectively wielding a stout wooden sword and a pair of oversized nunchaku. The Keyblade wielders did likewise, while Wakka kept his distance and knocked out the Air Soldiers with his ball.

Eventually, Tidus made his way to a Large Body. But to his surprise, his attacks bounced off an invisible barrier.

"You can't hit those from the front!" Sora shouted. "Either go for the head or get behind it-"

Lulu flung out her arm and shouted something Sora didn't quite hear. There was a crash of thunder, and a thick ribbon of lightning struck the oversized Heartless, destroying it. The shockwave was so great that it destroyed some nearby Shadows.

"Or do that," Sora amended. It surprised him to see someone from his home world using magic, and Lulu seemed like no amateur. Her next spell wiped out a patch of Shadows with an explosive fireball. A third froze the second Large Body solid. Sora winced at the mana cost, but Lulu didn't even look tired.

Between the six of them the Heartless were gone in short order. They stood a while, panting. But their expressions were of excitement; they'd had a taste of the action, and couldn't wait for more.

"Yeah!" Tidus tossed his sword into the air, catching it in his signature victory pose. "We were awesome!"

"Is it always like that?" Selphie asked. She was almost laughing despite a long scratch down her forearm. Kairi patched it up with a Cure spell, drawing an interested glance from Lulu.

"More or less," Sora confirmed. "That was a bigger group than we've gotten in a while, though."

"If dat's true, dere'll be no problem, man." He turned a wide grin on Lulu. "Especially wit you around! Where'd you learn dat?"

She flushed slightly, but still smiled. "I've done some experimenting. You'd be surprised what you can find in a few old books."

Sora believed her. He glanced up at the reddening sky. "Okay, our ride should be here soon. If you guys are okay here, we'll-"

He was interrupted by a nudge from Kairi, who looked shocked. She pointed at a tall figure standing by the path they'd taken from the beach. It was completely covered by a dark cloak. The hood was pulled over its face, but that hardly mattered.

The figure turned and glided away down the path. Sora followed at a run.

Selphie frowned. "That looks like one of those Organization XIII guys you mentioned."

Tidus looked puzzled, too. "I thought you said they were gone."

"They are." Kairi shook herself. That figure may have looked like one of the thirteen Nobodies that had caused so much suffering in their quest to become whole. But it couldn't be. There was only one member that hadn't been eliminated somehow, and he had rejoined his counterpart: Sora's Nobody, Roxas. Something felt wrong to Kairi. Very wrong.

She chased after Sora, leaving the others behind. He had pursued the mysterious figure to the edge of the beach, but it didn't stop there. It simply glided out over the water, heading further away. Sora paused only briefly, taking his merman form again. He crashed through the waves between them, speeding toward the small island.

When Sora made it to the shore and took his human form again he was confronted by the mysterious figure. The black cloak had been discarded at its feet, and underneath was a slender young man wearing a white lab coat over a more casual blue t-shirt and jeans. His hair was a silvery blue, with long bangs that concealed much of his face.

"So you're the one who destroyed Xehanort." The youth looked bemused. "Not only once, but twice. Not to mention about half of the Organization. I was expecting someone a bit more impressive."

"What are you doing here, Zexion?" Sora wondered where he'd heard the name. It had simply jumped into his head.

The youth looked confused. "Zexion?" Then he laughed. "Of course! I'd forgotten our other halves had met. But you're wrong, Keyblade Master. Thanks to your friend," he said the word with a snarl, "my Nobody is gone."

Sora tried to make sense of the statement. He assumed "other halves" meant that Sora's Nobody, Roxas, had met the stranger's. And now he thought about it, the name was familiar. Sora had never seen Zexion himself, but Riku had mentioned fighting an Organization member by that name in Castle Oblivion. But Nobodies were formed from the leftover bodies and souls of those who had lost their hearts. For this stranger to have a Nobody…

"You're a Heartless!" Sora exclaimed.

The stranger laughed again. "Very good! I am Ienzo, a Seeker of Darkness!"

The title came as a shock. The last person Sora knew who had called himself a "Seeker of Darkness" was the Heartless of Xehanort, one of the six apprentices under Ansem the Wise. Ienzo had been the youngest of the six, and was notorious for conceiving the underground laboratory where they'd continued the Heartless-based studies their master had forbidden; A subject which had turned all six of the apprentices into Heartless.

Sora had barely defeated Xehanort's Heartless before it reached Kingdom Hearts and destroyed all of the worlds, and then only with the help of Donald and Goofy. Who knew what this one was capable of?

"If you're one of the Apprentices, that means you're after Kingdom Hearts, right?"

Ienzo clapped mockingly. "Very impressive. Yes, I do seek the ultimate power that Kingdom Hearts provides."

"Then you're out of luck. Kingdom Hearts destroyed Xehanort, so there's no way you'll-"

"Xehanort was a fool!" Ienzo snapped. His face was contorted with scorn. "He got so wrapped up in his philosophies that he never even considered he might be wrong." He barely controlled his anger. "But his failure did tell us one thing. Kingdom Hearts possesses a light that will evaporate any darkness. Our esteemed leader approached it as a Heartless, a being made up of darkness, so it destroyed him. If he'd still had a body to contain his inner darkness, He could easily have taken it. The rest of us won't be making the same mistake." He smirked. "And that, my friend, is where you come in."

Sora blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Thanks to you and your friends, our original bodies have been destroyed. A great shame, but that just means we'll have to find new ones. Yours should do."

Sora's Kingdom Key materialized in his hand. "I don't think so. There's only room in here for one."

"I agree." Ienzo snapped his fingers. "Guardian!"

Bone-white, paper-thin tentacles erupted from the sand around Sora's feet. They wrapped around his wrists, his ankles, and lifted him into the air. As Sora struggled, he caught a glimpse of his attacker. The tentacles weren't just paper-thin: they really were some kind of very strong living paper. Sora was grappling with an enormous origami octopus.

Ienzo floated closer to his captive, gloating. "There really is only room for one. Which means you'll have to go."

He extended his hand, and a sphere of darkness engulfed his prey. Sora screamed, feeling exactly as if his heart was being ripped from his chest. It took him a moment to realize the awful truth: It was.

He dimly registered Kairi coming up to the shore. He tried to cry out to her, tell her to run. It was no use. His world went black.

Kairi froze in shock as she watched the creature lower Sora's limp body onto the sand. She looked at the figure in the white coat and said "What did you do?"

He turned and regarded her. "Is that you, Princess? You've grown since you left our home world."

"What did you do to him?" This time she shouted the question.

The young man smiled, bemused. "That's obvious isn't it? I've simply removed his heart. And since he now has no need for this, someone really should use it before it disappears." He took a step toward Sora's body.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

The force in Kairi's voice struck almost like a physical blow. The stranger flinched, then narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't believe I need your permission, Princess. You're hardly worth the effort of fighting. Stay out of this." He continued on his path.

But Kairi would not be ignored. She aimed Flowering Strength at the stranger and shouted "FIRE!"

A ball of flame erupted from her Keyblade and set the young man's coat ablaze. He franticly beat out the flames, then turned a murderous glare in her direction just in time to see the chunk of ice she'd launched at him. He dodged, narrowly, but didn't see Kairi's weapon coming up behind the spell. She slashed once before retreating, leaving a nasty gash in her opponent's upper arm.

The stranger gasped, clutching at the wound. His face contorted in rage as he glared at Kairi. "So," he snarled, "it seems you've grown in more ways than one. You'll pay for that, Princess."

"Prove it." Kairi had seldom joined in the sparring matches her friends were so fond of, but in the last six months she'd trained hard to keep up with Sora and Riku. She'd been a quick study in both swordsmanship and magic, and proven faster than either of the other Keyblade masters. She wasn't sure she could beat this stranger, but there was no way she would let him touch her friend.

Sora dimly remembered the last time he'd lost his heart. The sensation had been one of falling, endlessly plunging into darkness, all the while slowly forgetting who he was.

This wasn't like that at all. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting under an endless sunset, looking down on Twilight Town from the clock tower.

"Great view, huh?"

Sora started, surprised that he wasn't alone. Sitting to his right was a boy his age with spiky blond hair, eating a light blue ice cream bar. Sora's Nobody counterpart, Roxas.

He passed Sora another of the ice creams. Sora accepted it, taking a couple of licks. "I remember Ienzo taking my heart. Shouldn't I be a Heartless by now?"

"That only happens if you fall into darkness. No idea why, but you ended up here instead."

"In Twilight Town?"

The blond shook his head. "Not exactly. This is your memory of Twilight Town. I hang out here sometimes." He smiled. "Axel and I used to do this after missions. It was my favorite part of the day."

"Oh." They sat in silence for a moment, eating the ice cream bars. "You remembered Zexion, right? That's where I got his name."

Roxas nodded. "Don't forget I was in the Organization. I didn't know him that well, but we met." His face became serious. "From the looks of it, his Heartless is just as powerful as he was. Add in Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen and Lexaeus," He shook his head. "We're in serious trouble."

Sora grimaced. "You think?" He replayed the encounter in his head, and something at the end caught his attention. His eyes widened. "Oh no. Kairi's still out there with Ienzo!"

"Kairi knows how to take care of herself now," Roxas reminded him.

"So do I."

The Nobody frowned. "Good point."

Sora punched the ledge they were sitting on. "I've gotta get back out there."

"How? I'm worried, too, but your heart's been stolen. You're not exactly in fighting shape."

Sora slumped in defeat. "You're right." Without his heart, Sora basically didn't exist. All that was left was his body and soul…

His head jerked up, and he stared at his companion. "You're right. I can't do anything. But maybe you can."

Roxas blinked. "What?"

"My heart's gone, but my body and soul are still on the beach with Kairi and Ienzo. Doesn't that mean you take over?"

The Nobody's eyes widened. Why hadn't he thought of that?

Sora stood, pacing the ledge. "If you get out there, you can help Kairi out. Then maybe the two of you can stop the Apprentices." He turned a pleading expression on his counterpart. "I know it's a lot to ask, but please…"

Roxas held up a hand to stop him. "Spare me. If I'm going out there, I'll probably end up doing all that anyway."

He stood and stuck out a fist. Sora pounded it, smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem." Roxas took a deep breath and started walking toward the stairs. "Schools out," he said to himself. "Looks like I'm back on vacation." He rounded the corner and vanished.

Kairi parried another swing from the stranger's sword. I seemed to be a flimsy creation, made entirely of folded paper, but the ring it produced when it struck the Keyblade proved otherwise.

He retreated, then lunged again. Kairi sidestepped, saw her chance, and lashed out at her opponent's unprotected back, but the stranger somehow extended the pommel of his weapon to block her attack.

"Enough of this," he snarled. "Guardian!"

The Paper monster obediently leapt from the sand, wrapping its limbs around Kairi and tightening its grip.

"You've delayed me long enough," the stranger said. "It's time to collect my prize." He turned toward the spot where his creature had left Sora's body, then froze. It wasn't there. He growled in frustration. "Where did it go?"

The stranger felt something coming and turned just in time to avoid a swing from Oathkeeper, but wasn't quick enough to dodge the follow-up attack. Oblivion's pommel slammed into his stomach, and he stumbled backward. When he looked up, he saw a blond-haired boy looking fiercely into his eyes, wielding a white Keyblade in his right hand and a black one in his left. The boy lowered himself into a fighting stance. "Looking for me, Ienzo?"

"Roxas?" the apprentice stammered. "Impossible! You're a part of Sora. He reabsorbed you."

"And you just took his heart all over again. Didn't really think this through, did you?" Roxas took a step closer.

Ienzo's eyes flashed franticly to Kairi. "Don't come any closer, unless you want your friend to-"

That was a mistake. Kairi had promised herself some time ago to never again let herself be used as a hostage. She yelled "Fire!" , and a sphere of flame swirled around her, reducing the monster to a smoldering heap. No matter how strong it is, Paper still burns.

Ienzo looked from one advancing figure to the other, deciding that retreat was the only option. "This isn't the last you've seen of me," he vowed. With those words, he opened a portal to the Corridors of Darkness and dove through it, snapping it shut behind him.

Kairi brushed the last of the Guardian's ashes off her skirt before turning to Roxas. "Thanks for the help."

"Thank Sora. He's the one who-"

Roxas realized his mistake about two seconds after he made it. It took a minute for Kairi to realize what must have happened for Roxas to be reborn, but when she did the grief drove her to her knees. She covered her mouth with one hand, and her eyes swelled with tears.

For some reason he didn't quite understand, seeing the girl so upset disturbed Roxas. He searched the beach for anything that might distract her long enough to keep her from crying.

He didn't see anything interesting at first. Then he saw a round, red shape bobbing amongst the trees. That, he reasoned, is the best distraction I'm likely to find. He tried to point it out to Kairi. She barely responded. Roxas decided to give her a little time to recover, so he strode off on his own to investigate.

As it turned out, the red shape was the cap of a White Mushroom Heartless. Roxas didn't bother drawing his weapons; white mushrooms were harmless, preferring charades and magic shows to combat. Instead, he leaned against one of the palm trees and watched it.

After a while, he gave the creature a puzzled frown. He'd never have noticed if he hadn't been watching it so closely, but something was definitely wrong with the Mushroom's behavior.

He went back to Kairi, who'd calmed down since he'd left. "I think you should see this."

She followed him, but wasn't impressed with his find. "We get those things around here sometimes. They're-"

"I know what it is," Roxas interjected. "Look what it's doing."

Kairi frowned, not happy about being cut off, but did as he instructed. She soon realized what Roxas meant. Instead of playing the usual games favored by its kind, this Mushroom was looking behind every tree, under each bush. Once or twice it examined the underside of a fallen coconut.

"It's looking for something," Kairi said. Her voice was strangely distant. She stepped through the bushes they were hiding in and moved slowly towards the Heartless.

"What're you doing?" Roxas protested.

Kairi continued on her path. "The last time Sora lost his heart, a Heartless followed Donald, Goofy, and me. It didn't act like a regular Shadow, it just seemed…lost. Like it was trying to find something important. It turned out to be looking for me. And when I held it…"

Roxas suddenly understood; he was hearing the story of his own birth. "You think this might be Sora?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't know. But I have to try!" with that, she ran at the Heartless and flung her arms around it.

The Mushroom jerked in surprise, then became still. Light gathered around them, and the creature's body slowly evaporated into a dark mist that hovered around them, leaving only the crystalline Heart within. Then things took a strange turn. Kairi's light condensed around the Heart, forming the general shape of a human being. A little of the surrounding darkness entered the glowing form. The rest dispersed. There was a final, blinding flash, and when Roxas uncovered his eyes Kairi was embracing a strange boy with an angelic face and blond hair to match, a much lighter shade than Roxas'. He was wearing a long white robe much like the body of the White Mushroom, and looked to be about ten years old.

Kairi collapsed, and Roxas rushed forward to catch them both. He lowered the boy gently to the ground and leaned Kairi against the nearest palm.

Kairi opened her eyes a moment later. Roxas was quick to take notice. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just tired." She dragged herself upright, thankful for the tree's support. "What happened? Was it really him…" Her voice trailed off as she spotted the strange boy.

He stirred, and they both turned to watch as he blinked open his pale blue eyes. He sat up and took in his surroundings, his face incredulous. "Where am I?" he then turned to the strangers staring at him, "and who are you?"

Kairi shook off her exhaustion and stepped forward to help him up. She introduced herself and Roxas. "What's your name?"

"I don't know. I can't remember anything."

"You're sure?" She pressed. "Nothing from before you were a Heartless?"

The boy frowned and closed his eyes. "Blurry scenes. Emotions. A lot of darkness…" he shook his head. "That's all."

Roxas looked thoughtful. "Maybe it's because he's always been a Heartless."

Kairi shot him a puzzled look.

"Think about it," the Nobody continued. "Sora turned into a Shadow Heartless. A Pureblood. White Mushrooms are Emblem Heartless. They were created by Xehanort and the others, and that means the Hearts inside-"

"Never had a life of their own." Kairi's eyes widened. That would also account for why she was so tired. Instead of restoring a Heartless to human form, as she had with Sora, she'd had to create the boy's body and soul from scratch.

"Hearts…" The boy echoed the word quietly, then his head snapped up. "That's right! I remember looking for something called a Heart in a place that looked like this!"

The teens shot each other an odd look, then turned their gazes on the boy. "Do you remember anything else about that?" Roxas asked.

"Maybe," the boy shifted under their attention. "I don't really know how to say it."

"Could you try?" Kairi urged him. "Please."

He met her gaze for a moment. Her expression was pleading. This was really important to her. He closed his eyes and concentrated. "I was… confused," he said. "It was like I could feel the Hearts around me, but they were always sort of… muffled until something got to them. Something kinda like me, but meaner. Does that make sense?"

"Perfectly," Roxas assured him. "Go on."

"Anyway, this one wasn't muffled. I felt it a lot more…clearly, I guess. But it didn't disappear like they always do when they're that clear. It was floating around on its own, but I couldn't find it. And I needed it. It was so bright, so warm…"

His eyes snapped open, and he stared at Kairi in shock. "I can feel yours, too! I don't need it, but it's there!"

Kairi blinked. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

Roxas nudged her, and she turned to face him. "I spoke with Sora before I took over," he told her. "I don't know why, but he didn't fall into darkness. What if that Heart this guy was looking for was Sora's?"

Kairi's eyes widened, and she felt a glimmer of hope. She spun back to the former Heartless. "Can you still feel that Heart nearby?"

The boy frowned, his face set in concentration. "I think so. It feels like its…" he pointed directly above them. "Up there!"

They all looked up, and sure enough, there was a bright pink light against the orange and red of the sunset. It was fading into the distance, growing smaller and smaller until it vanished completely.

Roxas sighed. "Looks like it's heading for another world. How'll we get to it now?"

As if on cue, another light appeared in the western sky. A reddish shape flew out of it, and moments later the gummi ship landed on the beach.

Kairi and Roxas shared another look.

"We don't know which world it's heading for," the Nobody pointed out. "And we've still got the Apprentices to deal with."

"There's no chance of us finding anything standing around here."

Roxas nodded. "You're right." He turned to their new companion. "All right. If you're coming with us, you'll need a name."

The boy tore his gaze from the strange ship and gave the teen a confused look. "You're taking me with you?"

"You're the only one who can find Sora's heart if we get close," Roxas pointed out. "Besides, we can't just leave you here."

The boy stared down at his feet. Roxas was right. He had nowhere else to go.

Kairi considered him. "How about Paxton? I'm pretty sure that means peaceful, and you were pretty non-violent as a Heartless."

The boy thought a bit, then nodded. The name felt right to him.

Roxas laughed. "That was quick. Okay, Pax." He started toward the ship "Let's go."

The cockpit popped open as they approached the red vessel, and Chip appeared. "Okay guys, let's get moving. Dale's still back at the castle, and it's starting to get-" he paused mid-squeak, taking in the two strangers. "Who're these guys, Kairi? And where's Sora?"

"Change of plans, Chip," the princess informed him. "We've got a Heart to find."