Kingdom Hearts: A Light In The Darkness

by SycoraxRock

Set after Dream Drop Distance. Xehanort has begun to make his move. Sora, Riku, Kairi and everyone else must band together to save the worlds from destruction. But Xehanort has brought allies of his own, and they are not nice people... Main Pairing: Sora/Kairi, and maybe others if I think of any. Uses mostly Disney and Square Enix characters, but I might slip in some others...

9. Into Thin Air

*Dusts off fic*

Well, it's certainly been a while. Over a year, actually.

Sorry about that. I had a bit of writer's block while working on this chapter, and I've been pretty busy with school as well. I kept meaning to get back around to it, but it kept slipping my mind. I'll definitely do my best to update more frequently from now on, although I'm reluctant to make promises…

Anyway, here's the second half of the original Chapter 7! This took quite a bit of work, but I think that now the plot is finally ready to get going. So let's get started!

Chapter 8: Into Thin Air

Yuffie and Cyan led the way to the Castle. Lightning was right behind them, closely followed by Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Lea and Roxas. Aerith had stayed behind to help oversee the cleanup along with the rest of the Restoration Committee, while Leo had gone to report back to the Governor.

When they arrived at the entrance, they were greeted a tall man with long black hair and sideburns. He was clad in some sort of guard uniform and carried a large metal spear. Sora thought that he looked familiar, but before he could place him, the man began to speak to Lightning.

"Thank you for coming, Sergeant," he said. "I take it General Leo is…"

"Busy," Lightning replied tersely. "I have come in his stead."

"Of course. Right this way, then-"

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Donald. "You're-"

The dark-haired man sighed. "I was formerly Xaldin of Organization XIII, but no longer. I now go by the name Dilan once more, and have resumed my position as one of this castle's guards."

"Just like that?" asked Riku. "After everything you've done?"

The castle's doors opened. Dilan motioned for them to follow him as they entered.

"I am well aware that our actions as members of the Organization have left scars, both on individuals and the worlds. Nevertheless, the… proper return of my heart has shown me the error of my ways, how far we had fallen." Dilan sighed, a sorrowful look on his face. "The people of Radiant Garden have decided to give us a second chance. I'm not sure if we deserve one, but I- we intend to prove that their faith was not misplaced."

"It remains to be seen whether they will succeed," said Lightning as they continued to walk down the castle's halls.

"I don't see why they couldn't," said Mickey. "After all, Lea helped save Sora from Xehanort. He's even got a Keyblade now!"

"Did he now?" Dilan asked with surprise, which he quickly replaced with a smile. "He's certainly come a long way from the conniving backstabber I used to know as Axel."

"Oh, come on!" Lea protested. "That's a low blow!"

Dilan just chuckled, before turning to Roxas. "And you're here now too, Roxas? It's practically turning into an Organization XIII reunion party."

"I guess," Roxas said hesitantly. For just a moment, he felt like someone was missing, someone important… but only for a moment, and then it was gone.

"You seem different somehow," he said to Dilan. "You're, um…"

"Personable?" suggested Kairi.

"I was going to say 'nice'."

"Well," said Dilan. "Let's just say I've had a…change of perspective."

At that moment, they arrived at the door to the lab. Dilan went up to a nearby keypad and punched a series of numbers into it. The doors slid open.

"After you," Dilan said to the rest of the group. They all quickly went inside, with him bringing up the rear.

Several Defense Corps soldiers were already in the laboratory. Standing among them was a tall, muscular man with short red hair and wore a uniform just like Dilan's. He rarely spoke, though he would occasionally say something to one of the soldiers.

"Don't touch that… Don't touch that either… Oh, definitely don't touch that…"

"I don't think I know him," Sora whispered to Riku.

"I do," Riku responded. "His Nobody's name was Lexaeus. I defeated him at Castle Oblivion." Riku looked away from Sora. "Or at least…Ansem did."

Dilan cleared his throat. "Aeleus, we have visitors."

Aeleus turned to them. "So we do. Glad to see you're back, Lea."

"Good to be back," Lea replied. "So, what've you got here?"

"Well, that's the question, isn't it?" Aeleus said, gesturing around the room. "There was no forced entry, no sign of a struggle, nothing was stolen - really, the only thing they did was take Even."

"Alright, let's go over this from the beginning," said Riku. "Who discovered that Even was missing?"

"That would be Yuffie."

"When I saw that Even wasn't in the lab, I tried searching for him around the castle," explained Yuffie. "I ran into Aeleus along the way, so we searched together for a while, while Dilan stood guard at the lab in case Even came back without us meeting him. Around the time we realized that he wasn't in the castle anymore, Captain Cyan showed up."

"When they told me about Even, I ordered that the lab be placed under lockdown for the duration of Heartless attack," said Cyan.

"Why did you not report Even's disappearance to the General immediately?" demanded Lightning. "That is a clear violation of protocol!"

"I am aware of that, Sergeant," Cyan sternly replied. "However, I did not wish to burden the General with news that, while important, could have ended up distracting him from more important matters in the heat of battle, which would have cost lives. I am fully prepared to accept the consequences of my actions."

"…Understood," Lightning said grudgingly. "Please continue, sir."

"Of course. As soon as the battle was over, I returned to give the General the news, with Miss Kisaragi accompanying me. He gave the order for several troops near the Castle to guard the lab until I had returned."

Cyan looked at the assembled party. "…And that's where you came in."

There was silence for several seconds. Then, Goofy spoke up.

"Okay, who was the last person to see Even?"

"I was," answered Aeleus.

"Did he seem…unusual in any way?" asked Kairi.

Aeleus shook his head. "Not at all. Yelled at me for disturbing him in the middle of working, but that's fairly normal."

"When was this?" Riku asked him.

"Exactly fifteen minutes prior to his disappearance."

"You certainly have the timing of down pretty well," said Sora, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you accusing me?" Aeleus asked him, his eyes narrowing at the young Keybearer.

"Well, it is kind of suspicious."

"While your concern is appreciated, Keyblade Master," said Cyan. "The reason Aeleus is so certain is because fifteen minutes is how much time had passed according to our security cameras."

"If you have security cameras, then why all the confusion?" asked Donald.

"Well, perhaps you should see for yourself."

Everyone stood silently for a moment. Once the captain realized that they were waiting for him to continue, he turned to Yuffie.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kisaragi, but would you mind turning on the footage?" he asked her, looking embarrassed. "I'm afraid I'm not very good with technology."

Yuffie groaned. "Fine," she said, walking over to a nearby computer. As she started to bring up the footage, she turned back to Cyan.

"And stop calling me Miss Kisaragi!" she shouted at him. "I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie, not some helpless civilian for you to boss around!"

"Apologies, Miss Kisaragi."

Yuffie groaned again, but quickly returned to work.

"Okay guys, if everyone could just direct their attention to those screens," she said, pointing to three large monitors affixed to a nearby wall.

As everyone watched, the screens lit up. One of them showed the hallway outside the lab, while the other two showed the lab from two opposite corners of the room. On the lab cameras, they could see Even working furiously at his station.

"This is just before he vanished," said Dilan. "Pay attention to the hallway camera, now…"

Suddenly, the screen showing the hallway went black.

"Wait, what's goin' on?" asked Goofy.

"Just watch," responded Aeleus.

A few seconds later, the screens showing the lab went black as well. After about a minute, all three screens returned to normal. The lab screens showed Yuffie looking around the room in confusion, but she was the only one that could be seen.

"So, were the cameras busted, or…?" Donald asked hesitantly.

Yuffie shook her head. "No, they're working just fine. If you'll look at the bottom-right corner of the screen, you can see the timestamp, and it's perfectly normal."

"So what happened?" asked an impatient Lightning.

"My best guess, the camera lens was being obscured by some sort of Dark magic," said Dilan.

"So…they basically put a lens cap on?" asked Kairi.

"Essentially, although they seemed to have messed with the audio as well."

"Well, it's pretty obvious that he didn't leave to take a leak," remarked Lea as he leaned up against the wall, "so I think that the only conclusion to draw from all of this is foul play."

"You think he's dead?" Roxas asked in surprise.

"It's a possibility, but there's no way of knowing for sure, what with the lack of body and all. My guess is they just used a Corridor of Darkness to pop in, nab Even, and pop out."

Riku, who had been studied the security footage carefully all the while, took this moment to speak up. "That can't be right," he said. "The hallway camera goes out before the lab cameras do, and there's nothing happening in the lab at that time."

"So what do you propose happened?" asked Aeleus.

Sora turned around and stared at the door. "I think… that they came in through the hallway, blotted out the cameras there, then went into the lab through the door, and blotted out the cameras in there too."

"But why go through all that trouble?" asked Donald.

"To avoid being seen."

Everyone turned to look at Kairi, who had just spoken. She merely shrugged. "If they exited a Corridor of Darkness right in the middle of the lab," she explained, "the security cameras probably would have spotted them before they could disable them. This way, they would have not only avoided being recorded by the cameras, but they would have been able to catch Even off his guard."

Riku turned to Yuffie. "Are you absolutely sure that you didn't see anyone suspicious before you went to the lab?"

"Of course I am!" exclaimed Yuffie. "I think I would have remembered if I did! Besides, they wouldn't have known the code to the laboratory door."

"Then how would they have gotten in?" asked Mickey.

I think you already know the answer to that, Naminé said to Kairi. You might as well say it.

Kairi took a deep breath, and said, "It's possible…"

Everyone turned to look at her again, and for a moment Kairi hesitated, but then she steeled herself and continued. "It's possible that whoever it was who did this had help."

"Wait, you mean from the inside?" asked Lea.

"...That seems like the most likely explanation, yeah."

For a moment, nobody said anything. Then Lightning spoke up.

"Well then, I suppose what we need to ask ourselves," she said, her eyes narrowing at Yuffie, "is who showed up at the scene right after Even was kidnapped!"

"What, you think I did it?" shouted Yuffie. "That's insane!"

"Is it now?" responded Lightning. "The camera only shows you entering the room right after he disappeared. It doesn't show what you were doing before then. I wonder, do you have any witnesses to your discovery?"

"Well…no, but-"

"Then we have no reason to believe your story!"

"Wait!" Kairi protested. "I didn't mean that-"

"I would never kidnap anybody!" shouted Yuffie, ignoring Kairi.

"Oh really?" Lighting said with a laugh. "I've seen your record, Kisaragi! Once a thief, always a thief!"

"NINJA!" screamed Yuffie, finally losing control. "I AM A NINJA!"

In a fit of rage, she pulled out her shuriken, but before either of them could do anything, Aeleus bellowed, "ENOUGH!"

Everyone turned towards him. Aeleus had taken out his Axe Sword (the same one, Riku noted, that Lexaeus had used in their battle), and glared at Lightning.

"Now is not the time for fighting, or to be hurling wild accusations," he said, much calmer now. "Have you forgotten that Even still missing?"

Lightning scoffed. "Of course I haven't, what did you think that was all about?"

"Look," said Mickey, "Just because Yuffie was there so soon after Even's disappearance doesn't mean that she was the one behind it. Maybe the kidnapper was disguised as a member of the Defense Corps, or maybe the kidnapper was accompanied by a member of the Defense Corps. There are a lot of possible explanations."

Lightning thought about this for a moment, then sighed. "I suppose," she admitted grudgingly.

"Nevertheless," said Cyan, "Her Hol- I mean, Miss Kairi is right. It is likely that whoever kidnapped Even had help from the inside. This will have to be investigated further. For now, Sergeant Farron and I must report back to the General."

"Okay, thanks for your help, Captain," said Mickey.

Cyan gave a sharp bow. "Your Majesty," he said and with that he turned and left, with Lightning and the other Defense Corps members right behind him. As Lightning exited, she turned to look at the assembled Keyblade wielders.

"I'll be watching you," she said, her gaze leveled right at Sora.

XXX

"Alright, how they got in is one thing," said Lea, "but how are we gonna find Even, exactly?"

"Beats me," said Riku. "He could be anywhere right now."

"Question: are we assuming that Xehanort's behind this?" asked Yuffie.

"Well, we don't have any evidence to that effect," said Dilan. "But that definitely seems like a safe bet."

"So why don't we just look for Xehanort then? He's got to have a base somewhere, right?"

Donald nodded. "That's true," he said. "There's the World That Never Was, for one thing…"

"Bad idea," said Aeleus. "You can't just go charging in when we have no idea what we're even up against."

"We can't just leave Even out there!" protested Roxas.

"I agree. But if we are unprepared, we might end up walking right into a trap."

"Aeleus is probably right," said Riku.

Aeleus raised an eyebrow. "Probably?"

"Well, alright, almost certainly. Before we go out looking for Even, we need to prepare. For one thing, we need to know where he is."

"How are we gonna find that out?" Sora asked Riku.

"We can consult Merlin," suggested Dilan. "His magic might be able to find him for us, but it could take time."

"It's unfortunate that Ienzo isn't here now," said Aeleus. "He might be able to help with this."

Lea glanced around the lab with surprise. "Yeah, where is Ienzo, anyway?" he asked.

"He left just before you returned from your trip," answered Dilan. "He had heard strange rumors – something was happening in Twilight Town. He decided to investigate, along with a member of the Restoration Committee. We had been hoping to hear back from hi-"

At that moment, something began to beep. Everyone looked around for the source of the noise, but Aeleus reached into his pocket and pulled out a device that looked like a small phone.

"Inter-world communicator," he muttered. "Had Cid put some together for us." As he glanced at the communicator's screen, his eyes lit up. "Hm, what do you know? Looks like Ienzo's calling right now."

Aeleus pressed a button on the communicator, and suddenly a voice emerged from its speakers.

"Aeleus, is that you?" it asked hurriedly.

"Yes, Ienzo," said Aeleus. "What is it?"

"Wait, is Lea there?" Ienzo asked, not answering Aeleus' question. "I need him to hear this."

"I'm here," Lea replied. "And I've brought Sora, Riku and the others too."

"Perfect," said Ienzo. "Listen, I haven't got much time, so I need to make this quick. You have to come to Twilight Town right away."

"Why, what's going on?" asked Lea, raising an eyebrow at Aeleus, who just shrugged.

"I can't explain right now, I'm being watched, I-"

Ienzo gave a sharp intake of breath and cut off. For a moment, there was no sound. Something could be heard shifting in the background, along with some barely audible muttering. Sora and Kairi nervously eyed one another. Suddenly, there was a low hum, and a shriek split through the silence. Everyone gave a start, except for Aeleus, who gritted his teeth.

Ienzo's voice filled the room again. "Listen, just come here right away. I don't care who you bring, Lea, but I need you here now!"

"Alright, keep your pants on," Lea said, trying to sound nonchalant. "We're coming. Are you gonna be alright?"

"Don't worry about me, just get here as soon as possible! Don't worry about finding me, I'll find you."

With that, Ienzo hung up.

"Well," said Kairi. "That sounded…ominous."

"I'll say," Mickey replied. "Looks like we know where we need to head next."

He turned to Yuffie. "Could you go tell Cid to get the Excalibur ready to go?" he asked her.

Yuffie nodded. "You've got it!" With that, she darted out of the room.

"Alright," said Sora. "I guess we should decide who's going to-"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and a small envelope appeared out of thin air. After a second, the light dimmed, and the envelope began to float down to the ground. Roxas quickly snatched it as it floated by him, looking at the writing on the back.

"It's addressed to the King," he said, handing the envelope to Mickey.

Mickey opened the envelope, and took out a folded up piece of paper. As he read it, his eyes widened. "It's from Queen Minnie!" he exclaimed.

Everyone quickly gathered around Mickey, trying to read over his shoulder.

"Don't tell me she's being held hostage again!" said Donald.

"No she's fine," said Goofy. "See? It say's right there, 'I'm fine'".

"Then what's going on?" asked Roxas.

"Something called the "Dream Festival", said Sora. "I don't know why she would send you a letter about it, though, Mickey. I mean, it's your kingdom, so of course you would know about any festivals you were having."

"Look a little closer, dummy!" said Kairi as she pointed at the letter. "She's worried about some guy called 'The Phantom-', hang on, the ink's a little smudged there-"

"Everybody calm down!" Mickey shouted. Everyone stepped back, surprised by Mickey's sudden outburst.

Mickey took a deep breath. "Thanks. Now, what's going on is that the Dream Festival is going to be held in Disney Town in a few months. We hold it every couple of years, and preparations are already under way. A criminal by the name of 'The Phantom Blot' has been causing trouble recently, and Queen Minnie is worried that he might be planning something that could interfere with the festival preparations. She wants us to find him and bring him to justice."

"Um, excuse me," Lea said. "Ienzo needs us in Twilight Town, and going by his call, that seems like a higher priority to me."

"Lea, I have a responsibility to my kingdom," Mickey replied. "I can't just abandon them when they're in need of help."

"Well then," said Riku. "I guess the only option is for us to split up."

Sora stood there for a moment, thinking over the possibilities, then spoke up. "Okay then, how should we do it?"

"If Lea's going to Twilight Town," said Roxas, "then I want to go with him. Besides, I'm familiar with the area."

"Alright," said Sora. "What if Riku goes with you guys, and Kairi, Donald, Goofy and I go with Mickey to Disney Town."

"Sounds like a plan," said Lea as the others nodded their approval, though Kairi seemed somewhat hesitant.

At that moment, Dilan spoke up. "I'm afraid that's not going to work."

"Why not?" asked Goofy.

"Because the town is still recovering from the latest Heartless attack. They're going to need time before they'll be able to get the defenses back up to full strength, which means that they will be needing your help. Some of you are going to have to stay behind."

Riku looked at the others. "Okay, then…who's going to stay?"

No one spoke. After a moment, however, Kairi cleared her throat.

"I know this might sound kind of hypocritical, considering what I said earlier," Kairi said sheepishly. "But if you need someone to stay, I guess I could do it."

Sora was shocked. He opened his mouth to say something, but Riku spoke up before him.

"If that's the case, I'll stay too," he said. "I can help Kairi get caught up on her training, and then we'll catch up with you once you've gotten back."

"Alright then," said Mickey. "Let's get going!"

XXX

"…What."

"Oh, that's not good. So, what's the plan now that he's gonna be there?"

"…You stick to the plan. I'll just have to improvise."

XXX

"I can't believe this!" shouted Sora in frustration. "We spent all this time apart, and just when we've finally gotten back to together, you want to split up again?"

They were right outside the door to the hangar, where Cid and the others were putting the finishing touches on the Excalibur. Soon it would be ready for launch.

"Sora, it won't be for long," Riku tried to reassure him. "Once you get back from Disney Town, we'll be able to spend as much time together as we want."

"I could stay with you!" Sora offered with a hint of desperation. "I could-"

"That's not an option," Riku reminded him. "King Mickey needs another Keyblade Wielder to go with him, and if Kairi and I are going to stay here, then you need to be the one to go."

Sora sighed, then looked at Kairi. "I don't get it," he told her. "You said that you didn't want to get left behind."

"I know, and I don't," said Kairi. "It's just that…" she stopped, looking like she was trying to find the right words.

"'Just that', what?"

"Well…" Kairi gestured around her at all of the buildings. "Look at this place! Isn't it amazing?"

"I guess," said Sora, uncertain where she was going with this.

"I was born here, and would have grown up here if it weren't for the Heartless…and I can barely remember it." Kairi looked right at Sora, who could see a great deal of sadness in her eyes. She almost seemed to be pleading with him. "This was once my home, and I can't even remember it. Now I have the opportunity to try. I know I might not be making the most sense with all of the contradicting myself, but do you understand why that would make me want to stay here, if only for a little bit?"

Sora was stunned, but to his credit, only for a moment. The idea of knowing that something was missing but not knowing what that something was had gotten very familiar to him over the past few weeks.

"Yeah…yeah, I understand."

Kairi breathed a sigh of relief, and before Sora could say anything else, she rushed forward and hugged him.

"Thanks," she whispered into his ear.

At that moment, Mickey opened the door. Kairi quickly jumped away from Sora, blushing furiously – so was Sora, for that matter.

"Um…" Mickey didn't know what to say at first, but quickly found his voice. "Are you ready Sora? We've gotta get going."

"Yeah, just a second," said Sora. He turned back to Kairi. "So I, um, guess this is goodbye…"

"For now," she corrected him.

"Yeah, for now."

For a moment, neither of them said a word; they both determinedly started at the other's right shoulder. Riku and Mickey exchanged a quick look, and then Riku cleared his throat.

"AHEM!"

Both Sora and Kairi gave a start, and after a second, Kairi held out her hand.

"Well, see ya!"

Sora stared for a moment, then took her hand and shook it.

"Right, see ya!"

Right after he said this, he let go, and then walked quickly towards the hangar, Mickey running to join him.

"Take care, Riku!" Sora shouted as the hangar door closed behind them.

"I will, don't worry!" said Riku. And with that, the doors slammed shut.

Kairi and Riku looked at each other for a moment, then Riku started to grin.

"Interesting…" he muttered.

Kairi slapped her forehead with her palm. "Shut. Up."

Inside Kairi's head, Naminé was laughing hysterically.

XXX

Inside the Excalibur

Sora entered the bridge of the Excalibur through a sliding metal door, accompanied by Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas and Lea. When they arrived, they beheld a room that resembled the cockpit of the old Gummi Ship, except this one was significantly larger. It was a round room with several white walls, and towards the back – where they had just entered – were several chairs situated around a large table. Closer inspection revealed that the table was actually a large, touch-sensitive computer screen that displayed numerous pieces of data. Sora touched it, and it suddenly lit up, with Data-Riku's face on the screen.

"This screen is designed to help anyone who's on the ship monitor your progress," Data-Riku explained. "For instance, if Lea stayed on board while everyone else went to different worlds, he could use this to stay in contact with them and help to coordinate their movements. It's also linked directly to the central computer, where my databanks are stored, so you can contact me at any time."

"Perfect," said Mickey. "This should make things a lot easier for us."

They turned to the front of the bridge, where there were several more chairs in front of a window that gave a view of the mouth of the hangar.

"I guess this is where we sit, huh?" said Lea.

The six of them each took a seat, with Sora taking a chair that was in the center, slightly in front of the others. Once he did, a blue screen blinked into existence in front of him.

"State of the art holographic controls," Data-Riku's explanation continued, his voice coming from the screen. "They take up less space. Besides, who doesn't love holograms?"

"Yeah, because you're certainly not biased," remarked Donald.

"A fair point. Still, I'm in charge of all the ship's main functions, so I think it's only fair that I get an opinion. Now then, why don't we get started?"

The screen in front of Sora suddenly changed, revealing a map containing images of several worlds, as well as routes that the Gummi ships could use to travel between them. Sora recognized quite a few of them, including Twilight Town and Disney Town, but there also many that were just shadowy outlines, their features hidden.

"Several worlds haven't been properly mapped at the moment," said Data-Riku. "We know they exist, and their general location, but none of us have visited them yet, so we don't know what to expect. So consider yourself explorers!"

"Awesome!" Sora said in excitement. "Where should we go first? This one? This one? How about-"

Lea cleared his throat. "Um, yeah, can we focus here for a moment? Mission first, exploring later?"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Sora quickly touched the image of Disney Town, which zoomed in closer. A text box popped up on the screen.

Do you wish to travel to this location?

Sora tapped the green "Yes" option under it, and the ship began to hum as the engines warmed up.

"I'll put us on auto-pilot for the trip", said Data-Riku. "Though I'd recommend switching to manual controls if the Heartless show up en route. Anyway, she's ready to launch."

"Alright, got it!" said Sora. "Now let's blast off!"

And with that, the engines roared to life, the rocket's lit up, and the Excalibur flew through the hangar mouth and up into the evening sky above.

XXX

Riku and Kairi watched the ship until it was barely a dot in the sky. Once they couldn't see it anymore, Riku turned to Kairi.

"So, ready to get back to training?" he asked her.

Kairi was about to respond when her stomach started rumbling.

"Actually, I really need to eat," she said. "Now."

Riku looked up at the sky. "Well, it's getting pretty late. Why don't we head back to the Restoration Committee's HQ, see if we can't grab a bite to eat there?"

Is it really that late? Kairi thought. Wow, today's been busy.

"Sounds like a plan."

XXX

It was already starting to get dark by the time the two of them had arrived at the HQ, where upon entering they found Yuffie ranting to Leon, Aerith and Rinoa.

"I mean, yeah, I used to be a thief, but that was back when I was what, six?"

"Thirteen," corrected Aerith.

"Like it matters!" shouted Yuffie. "And wasn't that back when we were in Traverse Town? Don't tell me she's counting then!"

"Look, I'll agree that she's being unfair," said Leon. "But at the same time, I don't think we can fault her for being cautious. Things are starting to get dangerous again, and if someone's helping Xehanort's side from the inside-"

"Oh, don't tell me you're taking her-"

At this moment, Yuffie was interrupted by Riku clearing his throat loudly to signal their arrival.

"We're not intruding, are we?" asked Kairi.

"Oh, not at all," said Aerith. "We were just talking about Lightning."

"And how she's a complete, double super-butt!" exclaimed Yuffie.

Aerith smirked slightly. "Yes, her level of butt did come up a little here and there."

"Well, that didn't sound weird at all," muttered Rinoa. She turned to Riku and Kairi. "That aside, what can we do for the two of you?"

"We were, um, hoping that maybe you had something to eat?" Kairi asked, her stomach rumbling again.

Rinoa chuckled. "I'll check the fridge. I'm sure we've got some leftovers in there somewhere."

Kairi sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

"Where's Cloud?" asked Riku as he and Kairi moved to sit down at the dinner table.

"Guarding the hangar, just in case the Heartless showed up again," said Leon. "Speaking of which, I got a message from Lightning just a few minutes ago, addressed to you guys."

"Really?" said Riku, who was having a bad feeling about where this was headed. "What did she say?"

"She said that if you guys wanted to stay here, fine, but you'll have to, quote, pull your weight around the community, and do your part to make the town safe for our citizens, unquote."

"Oh, that's not so bad," said Riku. He'd been half-expecting an armed guard with the way she had been glaring at Sora. "We were pretty much planning on doing that anyway."

"Well, you can start right now," said Leon. "She also says that she needs one of you to make a couple of sweeps around the marketplace, just to make sure there aren't any Heartless stragglers. You're the best equipped to deal with them, after all."

"Now?"

"Now."

Riku sighed. "Right, I'll try not to take too long," he said as he turned to leave.

"Hurry back," Kairi teased. "I doubt you've eaten any more than I have."

Riku's stomach chose that moment to start grumbling.

"Don't suppose I can argue with that," said Riku.

XXX

"…Oh, that's good."

"I'm glad you think so. Now I'll need a few minutes to prepare. Be ready to move."

XXX

"Okay, so all we have left is Cid's Mystery Stew," said Rinoa as she hoisted a large pot onto the table. "I'm not sure if I'd recommend it…"

"It doesn't matter, I'll take anything," said Kairi cheerfully. After so many hours of fighting and training with few breaks in between, she was starving. "Heat it up."

Rinoa waved her hand over the pot, and suddenly a light steam began wafting up from it.

"Done," she said.

Kairi's eyes widened. "Okay, when can I learn that?" she asked.

"It's just cooking," said Rinoa, as she started pouring the soup into bowls. "Nothing to get worked up about. I can do a few smaller spells here and there, and some battle magic, but I'm not really able to do anything impressive yet. You, you're a Keybearer, so you'll want the really powerful stuff. That's Merlin's territory."

"We can see him about teaching you some magic tomorrow," said Aerith, passing the bowls around to everyone. "I saw you out there today – you've got a lot of potential."

"Well, that's good to hear," Kairi said as Aerith handed her a spoon. "To be honest, I was afraid that I wouldn't be cut out for this."

"Everyone has to start somewhere," said Leon. "None of us were really anything special when we started out either."

Feeling reassured, Kairi ate a spoonful of stew. The taste was…odd, a weird mix of spicy and cheesy. Still, it was filling, so she was thankful for that. And it was warm, like she had wrapped herself in a blanket. It was almost familiar…

XXX

"Kairi, you haven't finished your soup. Are you alright?"

Kairi looked up at her grandmother. "I'm not hungry," she said.

"You need to eat something dear. That way, you'll grow up big and strong!"

"I'm not feeling good."

Her grandmother put a hand on her forehead. "You do feel a little warm," she said. "Maybe we ought to go see that doctor who-"

Suddenly, there was a shriek. A man ran through the door.

"They-they just appeared out of nowhere! They-"

He stopped, and for looked at his feet, then let out a terrible scream. Kairi followed his gaze, and saw that his shadow had started moving oddly, almost as if it had a mind of its own.

The shadow lunged at him…

XXX

Kairi's spoon clattered to the floor.

"Kairi! Are you alright!" asked Aerith.

For a moment, she didn't say anything. She was aware of only the sweat dripping down her forehead, and her rapid, shallow breathes. Then, she took one long, deep breath, and looked up at Aerith.

"I-I'm fine," she said hesitantly. "I think I…just need to lie down for a moment."

"There's a bed upstairs," offered Leon. "Do you need some help?"

"No, I'll-I can manage," she said, getting up and heading towards the stairs.

"Kairi-"

"I'm fine!"

For a moment, everyone else just watched as she headed up. Then, Yuffie spoke up.

"I told Cid to watch what he put in the stew."

Aerith stood up. "I'll go check on her," she said.

"Well," Leon said as Aerith made her way up the stairs. "Today's certain been…eventful."

"I know," said Rinoa. "Never would have thought there would be two major Heartless attacks in one day."

"Yeah," said Leon, who was trying to avoid Rinoa's gaze. "It was…unexpected."

Rinoa raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" she asked him.

"Um, no, nothing's wrong. Nothing is wrong!" Squall said, but he still wouldn't meet her eyes.

Rinoa gave him a hard stare. "You've been trying to avoid talking to me ever since we met back up. Seriously, what's the problem?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about!"
For a moment, Rinoa didn't say anything. Then, in a quiet voice, she said "Squall, you don't honestly think I don't know, do you?"

For a few minutes, an uncomfortable silence followed, only for it again to be interrupted by Yuffie.

"Look, guys," she said hesitantly. "Maybe it's time we…"

Yuffie's voice trailed off, after a moment she gave a huge yawn.

"Yuffie, are you okay?" asked Leon.

"'m sleepy, 's anyone else sleepy?" she muttered, before suddenly falling out of her seat. Once she hit the ground, she curled up in a ball and started snoring loudly.

"What the hell?!" shouted Leon.

"Maybe she had something weird in her stew," suggested Rinoa. "Or maybe…" Rinoa paused for a moment, before she too let out a yawn. "Maybe she's got the right idea…"

And with that, Rinoa laid her head down on the table and closed her eyes.

"Rinoa?" Leon asked. "Rinoa, are you alright?"

No response. Leon stood up. Something was very wrong here. He had to get Aerith. He had to-

Sleep.

Leon's eyelids began to grow heavy as a sudden wave of drowsiness hit him. As he sank to his knees, he thought he heard a voice inside his head.

This taxes my power somewhat, so I'd appreciate if you just gave in like the other two. It's nothing to be frightened of – it's really quite peaceful. So just relax and get it over with.

Relax, Leon thought dully, as his vision gave way to darkness. Relax…

As his consciousness faded, he was vaguely aware of the sound of laughter…

Pleasant dreams.

XXX

A Few Minutes Earlier…

So, what exactly was that? Naminé asked Kairi as they entered the bedroom.

Kairi sat down on the bed. I…I don't know, she responded. Some sort of dream? A hallucination?

No, said Naminé. No, I don't think that wasn't a dream. That was real. That was a memory.

A memory? But…

At that moment, Aerith came through the door.

"Are you alright, Kairi? You didn't look so good down there," Aerith asked, her eyes full of concern. "That stew didn't make you sick, did it?"

"No, that's not it," said Kairi.

"Then what's the problem."

"Well…" Kairi sighed. "Just a moment ago, I had a sort of…vision, I guess? Naminé thinks it's a memory."

Aerith sat down in a nearby chair. "What sort of memory?" she asked.

"Well…" Kairi hesitated, before continuing… "I was here, in Radiant Garden. I was about five years old and with my grandmother, I think we were having dinner…"

"Anything else?"

"Yes. I…there was screaming, then shadows started coming out of the ground, and then…and then…" Kairi took a deep breath. "That's all I remember."

Aerith nodded grimly. "I thought so. What you saw was when-"

"The Heartless attacked?" asked Kairi.

"I don't see what else it could be. Ask around – lots of people here have similar stories."

"But-but how?" Kairi asked in disbelief. "This hasn't happened before. I haven't been able to really remember this place for years. Maybe something small occasionally, but never like this!"

"Well, we often suppress particularly traumatic memories in order to cope – at the age you would have been at, it's hardly surprising. From what I understand, certain stimuli can cause them to return."

Kairi shuddered. "This…wasn't what I expected when we came here."

Aerith gave a sad smile. "I know. Despite all the progress we've made, there's still a lingering shadow here. We can never truly erase the past. All we can do is move forward." She put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "I just want you to know that we're here for you, no matter what happens, and I know that Sora, Riku and the others are to."

Kairi grinned. "Thanks for that."

Aerith's smile widened. "What are friends for?"

Just then, her smile disappeared, and her face screwed up in pain.

Kairi stood up. "Aerith, are you okay?"

"Something's…wrong…" she gasped out, before suddenly collapsing. Kairi quickly moved to catch her.

"Okay, what's going on here?!" she asked.

Maybe she fainted? Naminé offered.

Yeah, maybe, Kairi thought, although she wasn't so sure.

"Guys, come quick!" Kairi called down the stairs. "I think Aerith fainted!"

No response. "Guys?" Kairi called again.

I don't like this, said Naminé.

You're telling me, responded Kairi. She gently placed Aerith on the bed, then ran down the stairs. To her shock, she saw Yuffie and Leon sprawled on the floor, and Rinoa sitting with her head rested on the table. All of them were unconscious.

"Guys!" Kairi shouted. She ran towards Yuffie, and put her finger against her neck to check her pulse.

I think she's okay, she told Naminé. She's just sleeping.

She checked the other two – same result.

I doubt this is a result of the stew, said Naminé.

Yeah…probably not, Kairi agreed. But what did this?

I'm willing to bet it was a who, not a what.

One thing's for sure, Kairi told her. We need to find help.

Agreed.

Kairi took one last look at the room, and then went out the door into the night.

XXX

Radiant Garden Marketplace

Riku sighed in relief as the last Shadow faded into darkness. He had been at this longer than he had expected, but he had finally finished. Now he could head back to the HQ and get something to eat.

"Well, good to see you're putting your munny where your mouth is."

Riku turned around to see Lightning approaching him, flanked by Fang and Irvine.

"Hey, I got your message, so I figured I had to come down," he told her. "But really, we were planning on helping regardless."

Lightning looked confused. "Message? What message?"

"Um, the message you sent to Leon earlier?" he told, raising an eyebrow. "The one where you said we needed to 'pull our weight' or something like that?"

"I didn't send any message," said Lightning, who started to look thoughtful. "Although now that you mention it, that's not a bad idea…"

"But if you didn't send the message…" said Riku, ignoring her for the moment, "…then who did?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think, but they quickly snapped open in shock.

"Kairi!"

XXX

Kairi walked down the street. While it had been bustling earlier that day, now that night had fallen it was practically deserted. The only things keeping the area lit were a few streets lamps, and even they were rather dim.

I'll admit, I'm not too fond of being out alone at night, Naminé told her.

Let's just find Riku and hurry back, Kairi responded. The others need our help.

She continued walking, and had just reached the end of the street when she heard a noise. Turning, she saw a young girl with black hair and a white dress huddled in a nearby alleyway, crying and shivering, her back turned towards Kairi.

"Hey," Kairi whispered to her. "Hey, are you alright? You shouldn't be out here alone."

A bit hypocritical, if you ask me.

Kairi ignored this. "Listen, come with me," she told the girl. "You're not safe out here. I can find you someplace to stay, and then when the others get back, we can look for your parents, okay?"

The girl said nothing, not even turning towards her. She just kept shivering and sobbing.

"Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Kairi, wait, Naminé said to her. Something's wrong here.

Kairi ignored her. "Listen, I can help you," she told the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The girl turned towards her, and there was a flash of yellow in her eyes…

GET BACK NOW! Naminé yelled at her.

Just in time, Kairi jumped back in alarm and summoned her Keyblade. She raised in front of her, and a blast of fire impacted against it.

The girl was still there, except she wasn't a girl anymore. She was now floating a few feet in the air, with flames in her hands – or rather, claws. Her black hair was long and wild, and her dress was torn all across the front. Now that Kairi could see her face, she saw that it was paper-white, and cracked like an antique doll. She didn't have a nose or mouth, only a Heartless emblem where they should have been, and out of two black eye sockets shined two yellow pinpricks of light.

"A Heartless!" exclaimed Kairi.

You think?! Naminé shouted back at her.

The Heartless shrieked, and threw two more fireballs at her. Kairi blocked them both, but then it proceeded to lunge at her, claws extended and ready to strike. She leapt back and quickly threw her Keyblade at the Heartless. It spun through the air, struck the Heartless and returned to her like a boomerang. The Heartless gave a mournful cry and then disintegrated, its trapped heart rising into the air.

"Okay," Kairi said to herself. "That was messed up."

Hate to bother you right now, said Naminé, but we've got a new problem.

What do you mean?

Take a look.

Kairi looked around and realized that the whole street was a lot darker. All of the street lamps had gone out, and there wasn't a sound to be heard.

I've got a very bad feeling about this, she thought to herself. She readied her Keyblade. She had to be very careful, otherwise-

Something tapped her on the shoulder.

"Boo."

She instinctively wheeled around, and at that moment, everything went black.

To Be Continued

Next Time: "Welcome Home."

I've got a few Heartless ideas that I'd like to use during this story. I like to call this one "The Little Match Girl". The name comes from a short story by Hans Christian Andersen, who you might know as the original author of "The Little Mermaid" and "The Snow Queen", the latter of which has made quite an impact lately as the movie Frozen (although I understand their respective plots are quite different). Feel free to look it up – you might see why I chose the name.

Please review!