Chapter IV: Traverse Town

"A town for the lost children."

Porky gazed around the Central Square of Traverse Town's First District. It was early evening, and slightly chilly. Traverse Town was a city crammed systematically together. Only a trained eye could notice where one building stopped the next began. This world was a haven for those who had had their homeworlds destroyed. It was, as some would say, an In-Between World. No one was entirely sure how some people ended up in the Town and others did not, but most realized their good fortune in being still alive. Porky sadly wondered if any of the people of this town would ever be able to find home again. His home was safe,and for that Porky felt a bit of guilt, but he knew that due to the nature of Looney Castle, it couldn't be destroyed. But all the other worlds...What would happen if Traverse Town was destroyed? Would all the castaways be lost to the darkness?

Suddenly, there was a bright flash that seemed to grow from the sky. It blocked vision for a few moments, before seeming to be sucked back to where it came. Only this time, a star was missing from the corner of the sky where the light had originated.

"There goes another star, winking out..." Porky said sadly.

Daffy stared at the sky and shuddered. "Come on. Let's hurry."

Porky wondered who had lived on that world, and if any of them had appeared in Traverse Town in that instant.

"Where could that Key be..." Daffy mumbled impatiently to no one in particular. He wanted to find the key. Find the Key, Find the king. Get home. Not that anyone could particularly blame him, just having seen a world destroyed.

"Hey, ya-ye-ya-yeah know, maybe we ought to go find Jeoy," Porky offered.

Daffy nodded and took a left, leading to a higher portion of the First District. Porky was about to follow when Scooby Doo, who had somehow sneaked aboard the Dodger Ship, veered off from Daffy and moved to the right, nose along the ground. The dog was moving into an alleyway. Daff ignored Scooby Doo and continued on his way.

"Uh, Daffy, ya know, I betcha that..." Porky stopped and pointed the was Scooby Doo was headed.

"Aw, what do you know, pig?" Daffy asked, dismissing him with a wave.

"What do I know?" Pokry wondered. He turned and yelled after the dog. "Come on, Scooby!" before following Daffy.

Jaden came to feeling a hand touch. He reached up and shoved whatever it was away, trying to piece together what had happened from his darkened memory. The last thing he remembered was Zane...then Alexis...then the Monster and...the Islands!

Jaden shot to his feet in terror and looked around quickly. His surroundings consisted of an alleyway of dark red bricks and the occasional scattered garbage can. A few crates were stacked in the back corner and a gangly, brown-colored dog sat obediently in front of him. All this took backseat to the fact that he was no longer on Duel Academy and that his world were gone. As were his family. As was Zane. As was Alexis.

"Where am I?" Jaden wandered out from the Alley, completely forgetting about the dog that had woken him. As he passed into better-lighted areas, he found himself looking at a small Town Square, boxed in by houses on all but two sides. People he did not know wandered about.

Was this...could this...could this be another world? This definitely wasn't Duel Academy anymore, and Jaden could only wonder. His wonderment soon turned to distress as he realized the full weight of what had happened. His home was destroyed. Taken by those dark creatures. He hadn't been able to stop it. Zane had disappeared into darkness and Alexis had just disappeared period. He leaned against a wall and slid to the ground slowly. The bricks felt rough and shoddily made on his back, as if they had been cobbled together as fast as possible. Jaden leaned his head into his hands and tried to hold back tears. Zane would probably have playfully shoved him and called him a baby, but he really wouldn't mind that right now. He would be happy just knowing he wasn't alone. That someone was there to support him. Heck, he would be thankful if his mother shook him awake and told him to get to school. To tell him that this was all a dream. But she couldn't do that. Nor could Zane joke with him. They were all gone.

And then there was Alexis. She was gone too. Just like that, poof, gone. She had looked terrible when he had last seen her and remembering her face now only made the tears fall faster. She had looked dead. She really had. That scared Jaden more than anything. Zane had disappeared and, aside from his talk about the doors being opened, had seemed fine beforehand. Alexis, in contrast, had looked dead before vanishing. Jaden dragged in a shuddering breath and choked, releasing a strangled sob. Why had this happened to him? He had never been outside of the island. He had had no reason to. There were a few far-flung towns outside of Domino City, but he had never had a reason to go beyond his hometown.

Jaden tried to take another breath and was able to hold it without crying this time. He had to look on the bright side. He didn't know that they were dead. They could just be missing. They could've arrived in this town just like him!

This small glimmer of hope, growing taller and fuller in the fertile soil of Jaden's soul, helped the boy to his feet and assisted him in drying his tears. He swallowed over a lump in his throat and stepped forward, fully out into the Town Square.

Immediately, something crashed into him, knocking him onto his back and forcing whatever-it-was to trip over him. Jaden shook his head and looked over. It was a boy, younger than he, who had been running like the devil was chasing him. The boy didn't even look at Jaden as he scrambled to his feet and disappeared around a corner.

"And don't ya come back! You trouble making kid!" a voice yelled from down the way. Jaden turned and saw a man stepping out from inside one of the shops, waving his fist at the escaping boy. This man looked about 30, with a square face and a brown fohawk hairstyle. He wore a simple white t-shirt, while wearing a red jacket over it. After shaking his head and scowling, the man caught sight of Jaden.

"Never seen you 'round here, before." The man squinted "Ya new? Anything you need help with, kid?

"I'm not a kid." Jaden retorted, "And the name's Jaden!"

"The hell you are..." the man mumbled, causing Jaden to glare at him."Okay, okay, simmer down. Why the long face, Jaden? You lost or somethin'?"

"I...I think I am." Jaden replied, any anger that he might had felt now gone.

"Well," the man cracked his neck, "Where'd you come from?"

"Duel Academy." Jaden quickly replied, "It's beautiful and warm. The water is clear blue and all the people, I've got all these friends-" Jaden caught himself mid-sentence when he realized he was rambling about the Island. The Island that were, most likely, now gone. He swallowed over a new lump in his throat.

The man raised an eyebrow."Well...this here is Traverse Town."

"Traverse Town..." Jaden said to himself. "So, gramps, is this...is this another world?"

The man's eyes narrowed and he puffed on his cigarette heavily. "Don't call me gramps! The name's Thristan! Thristan Taylor!" he drew in a breath and calmed."Not sure what the hell you're on about, but this Town sure ain't your Island."

In the furthest corner of his mind, Jaden had thought that maybe, just maybe, this was some part of Duel Academy he had never seen. But now, with Thristan's proclamation, that thought was dashed and he came to the crushing realization that he was on another world. But, he still kept to the hope that since he had shown up here, maybe everyone else had too, including his mother, Zane, and Alexis.

"Well, good luck with whatever the hell it is you're doing." Thristan shrugged and turned to walk back into the shop he had come out of. "If you ever run into trouble, you come to me. I'll help ya."

Jaden watched the door close shut behind the man. He briefly wondered what Thristan's story was and where he had come from, before running off to see if he could find his friends.

Thristan watched out his shop's window as the boy, Jaden, disappeared through the walkway to the Second District. For some reason, this little brat stuck in his mind.

F**k

They had people, kids, who came through here everyday, what with the Soulless getting worse and all, so why did this punk stick in his mind? Was it because he almost reminded Thristan of Kaiba at that age? Or was it something else?

Thistan inhaled one last time and threw his cigarette in the garbage. He pulled out another one and lit it with a practiced flick from his lighter. He exhaled on the window. After a moment of thought, he pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number. A few rings later, someone picked up.

"Hey there, Joey?" he listened for the reply. "Yeah, I know you don't like it, but shaddap and listen to this: I think it's here." more silence. "The hell do I know! This is gonna sound f***ed up, but I...I just got this feeling-" silence. "He's a f***ing kid! He ain't even older than Tea!" again, silence. Except for a muffled, faraway 'I heard that!' Thristan coughed and continued."So whadda you got plann-"

Click.

"Joey? Joey?" Thistan growled and shoved the phone back in his pocket. "Dammit, Joey!"

Jaden slid to an immediate halt when he rounded a corner in the Second District and came face to face with the boy who had crashed into him earlier. He watched the boy with wide eyes for a few moments before realizing that the boy wasn't moving, he was standing completely stiff, arms stretched down at his sides. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open in a wordless scream. Jaden yelped in surprise as, suddenly, a black, shadowy hand with jagged fingers appeared through the middle of the boys chest. Jaden watched in horror as it squeezed itself into a fist and pulled back. The boy toppled stiffly to the ground, revealing the shadow creature that was standing behind him. It was holding a red, glowing sphere in it's hand. It slowly dropped the orb to the ground and, as soon as it hit, darkness welled up around it. When the darkness had faded a new shadow being stood where the sphere had once been. The new shadow shifted it's antenna around and jerked it's head twice, then disappeared into a portal of darkness.

Jaden gulped and looked down at the body. He took a step back when he realized the body was gone. Absolutely gone. No blood, no body, no trace.

Jaden's mind was in shock from what he saw. The shadow had reached into the boy's chest, taken a red sphere, created another shadow, and then they both had disappeared. Had they taken the body with them? He didn't have long to think, because a whole cadre of new shadows appeared from dark portals. They twitched once or twice, before three of them jumped at him. Jaden concentrated and was able to call the sword to his hand, knocking the shadows away just in time. He now was looking at about nine more of the creatures.

Jaden readied himself to be attacked, wondering if he could take down nine of them at once.

Luckily, he wouldn't get to find out because a sudden fwooshing sound came from his left and eight of the nine shadows were destroyed in one burst of fire. The final one jerked his head to where his comrades used to be before being slashed apart by a silver sword with the decorum of a pistol on it's hilt.

"They'll come at ya out of nowhere." The voice attached to sword spoke.

Jaden looked up to see a tall man dressed in a white shirt and blue bomber's jacket with fur on the neckline and blue jeans. Three belts hung loosely around the man's waist. He had dark, solemn blue eyes and a sharp face. Brown puffy hair grew sharply above his ears and down to his shoulders.

"Who're you?" Jaden questioned, still holding up his sword.

"-And they'll keep on coming at you, as long at you continue to wield the Keyblade." the man pointed at the weapon in Jaden's hand. Keyblade? That's what the voice in his head had said when he'd gotten the sword back on the Paopu Islet! So that's what it was called.

"But why?" the man continued."Why would it choose a kid like you?" he shook his head in disappointment.

"Hey!" Jaden hotly responded, "What's that supposed to mean?

"Nevermind." the man sighed and began to walk forward, holding his empty hand out. "Now...let's see that Keyblade."

"What?" Jaden exclaimed, "There's no way you're getting this!"

"All right..." the man replied, seemingly unconcerned. "Then have it your way." He pointed his sword forward toward Jaden. It gave a quiet click as he did so.

Jaden gritted his teeth and took his ready stance. The man's lips twitched in what almost resembled a smirk as he created a small fireball in his hand, then proceeded to throw it at Jaden.

Jaden barely had time to register that this man had just made fire appear in his hand before the ball of fire, which seemed to have been made more hard than hot, crashed into him, throwing him roughly against the wall.

Joey sighed and rolled his eyes, hooking his Gunblade back onto position on his belt. That was too easy. Why had the Keyblade chosen him? Was it even safe with him?

"Hey! You found it! Nice going, Joey!" called a female voice from behind.

"Still..." Joey replied to the girl without looking."It seems like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse."

Daffy and Porky were slowly walkinhg through an empty alleyway that led to another part of the Town. Joey was still nowhere to be found, and Daffy was becoming impatient.

"Phooey! Where's Joey? Why are we even here..." he mumbled.

"Excuse me. Did the King send you?" inquired a soft voice.

Daffy jumped in surprise and turned to see a young woman with calm grey eyes and long, brown hair. She wore blue shorts and held a small flower basket in her left hand.

"I think there is something I can help you with." the woman continued.

"Come on, lazy slacker. Wake up." a familiar voice spoke to the edges of Jaden's mind.

Jaden blinked his eyes open. His body was stiff and his head was spinning. And if he was not mistaken, Alexis was standing in front of him!

He couldn't believe it! He had been right! Alexis had ended up here, too! And if Jaden had ended up here, then the others must have too! Jaden smiled and, through the dizziness, grabbed Alexis in a huge bear hug.

"Alexis! Alexis, I'm so happy you're okay!" he smiled.

"Hey! HEY!" her muffled voice screamed, "Lemme go!"

Jaden continued to hug her tight.

"I said-" she repeated, wrestling herself from his grip, "Lemme. Go."

Jaden looked at Alexis incredulously. She must not have known what had happened or what he had gone through. But, even then, this seemed so unlike her.

It was then that the room came into focus, and along with it, Alexis. Or who he had thought was Alexis. Instead of Alexis, in front of him stood a girl about Alexis' hight, more older, with short, brown hair falling around a black headband, which was tied tightly above a pair of sky blue eyes. She wore light khaki shorts with a grey tank top, in floral patterns, covered with a sleeveless, black vest. Light brown boots were laced tightly up to her knees. A four-pointed metal star was strapped to her back. Jaden guessed it was some type of weapon.

"You're—you're not Alexis..." Jaden blushed.

The girl rolled her eyes and brushed herself off, "Of course I'm not! I'm Téa Gardner! Nice to meet'cha!"

Jaden sighed and swallowed back the disappointment of having not actually found Alexis, and listened to what Téa had begun to say.

"The Soulless attacked you because you have the Keyblade, but they really want your soul, because it can wield the Keyblade—are you even listening to me?" Téa asked and shoved her face close to Jaden's, studying him intently. "I think you may've overdone it, Joey!"

Jaden looked over and saw the man who had attacked him earlier leaning calmly against the wall. His sword was now clipped to one of his belts. "Shuddup." he dispassionately commented.

The room they were in was sparse. A single table sat in the middle and, aside from a dresser and the bed Jaden was sitting on, that was it. Two doors led out of opposite sides of the room.

The man now known as Joey pushed himself off the wall. "Still...hard to believe that you, of all folks, are the chosen one..." he looked at Jaden for moment before the Keyblade appeared in the young boy's hand. "Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers." Joey finished with a frown.

"Why don't you start making sense!" Jaden asked, becoming tired of Joey's ongoing insults, "What's going on here?"

"Okay," the girl who had identified herself as 'Serenity' began. "You know there are many other worlds out there besides your castle and this town, right?

Serenity had seated herself at the foot of a four poster bed in the hotel room that she had brought Daffy and Porky to. Most of the décor was red. Red outlining on white walls, red bedsheets, a red tablecloth, and two red doors.

"But they're supposed to be a secret." Porky looked around conspiratorially.

"They've been secret, because they've never been connected. Until now. When the Soulless came-," at the mention of the arrival of the Soulless, Serenity looked at floor for a moment, a sad glint going unnoticed in her eyes.

"-everything changed"

"The Soulless?" Jaden questioned from his place on the side of the bed.

"The ones who attacked you," Téa, who was sitting next to him, swinging her feet back and forth, reminded him. "You remember?"

"The little weird dudes without souls." Joey added.

Téa looked at Jaden, "The darkness in people's souls-that's what attracts them."

"And there is darkness in every soul." Joey continued his lesson, still without any noticeable tone.

"Hey!" Téa exclaimed, "Have you heard of someone named Shappard?"

"Sheppard?" Porky tested the name.

"He was studying the Soulless." Serenity explained. "He recorded all his findings in a very detailed report." At the mention of reports, Daffy began to tap his foot impatiently. He had had enough of reports when he was younger.

"Oh my, uh, can we see it?" Porky asked.

Serenity shook her head, "It's pages are scattered everywhere. To many worlds."

"Oh!" Porky hit upon an idea, "Then maybe the King went to find 'em!"

Daffy nodded in agreement.

"Yes, those were my thoughts exactly." Serenity concurred.

Porky turned to leave. "We've gotta find him quick!"

Daffy sighed. As much as he wanted to get this over with, he was one to follow orders from the Rabbit."Wait! First we need that 'Key'!"

"That's right. The Keyblade." Serenity smiled from her place on the bed.

"So...this is the key?" Jaden asked as he swung the blade through the air a few times.

"Exactly." Téa affirmed with a nod.

Joey continued unemotionally,"The Soulless have great fear of the Keyblade," he turned and walked back to lean against the wall. "That's why they'll keep coming after ya. No matter what."

Jaden was quiet for moment. Here he was, a seventeen year old boy from Duel Academy. He's given a sword called a Keyblade, and had these freaky Soulless creatures follow him around, and now a Ninja-girl and an strange man name troubles were explaining all of this to him.

"Well, I-I-I didn't ask for this!" Jaden declared.

"The Keyblade chooses it's Master. And it chose you." Téa answered with a shrug.

Joey just waved him off, "So tough luck."

"But what happened to my home? My Island? To Zane?" Jaden desperately asked, "To...Alexis." he finished softly.

At the mention of his destroyed home, Jaden felt the atmosphere in the room change. Téa became very quiet and thoughtful, staring off into space. Joey became gruff.

"You know what? I really don't know." he answered.

Jaden thought he might've detected a hint of empathy in the man's abrupt answer, but he didn't have long to ponder if this was possible, since one of the Soulless had spirited itself into existence inside hotel room. This one differed from the normal shadows in that they seemed to be dressed up in metal armor.

Joey and Jaden jumped to their feet, "Téa, Run!" Joey yelled. The young girl sped over to the door Joey had been leaning beside and plowed through it.

"Téa?" Serenity's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden appearance of her friend. Téa ran past her and out the door without explanation. Serenity hastily followed. Daffy and Porky looked at each other and went after them.

Joey turned to Jaden. "Let's Role!" he announced as he used his sword to propel the Soldier Soulless through the door, sending it flying open. They followed after it. Jaden jumped off the balcony the door led to and into the alleyway below.

Joey looked down at Jaden. "Don't bother with the small fries," he ordered, "Find the leader." Jaden nodded as Joey veered off to search on his own.

Meanwhile, Porky and Daffy had gotten separated from Serenity and Téa, finding themselves on a balcony far above Traverse Town's Third District. Porky turned away from Daffy, who was fighting off Soulless with his wand, and noticed, far below, a boy with brown hair was running out from the Second District. In his hand, he held a strange, key-like sword. Porky wondered if it could be the Key that the King was looking for.

But his negligence of Daffy and Soulless proved to be a bad idea. Porky was unsure of how it happened, perhaps Daffy tried to conjure a larger spell than he should've, or the Soulless had somehow reacted strongly to one of his attacks, but the next thing Porky knew, Daffy had crashed into him, sending both of them flying off the balcony and into the Third District below.

As Jaden ran across the Third District, still looking for the leader Soulless that Joey had mentioned, he heard the sound of screams. Screams which were coming gradually closer. Screams that were coming... from above him?

Jaden quickly looked up to see a falling mass of...something. He couldn't tell what it was. He anxiously worried if it was a new type of Soulless and he began to run out of the falling thing's path.

Unfortunately, the next thing Jaden felt was the screaming mass crashing into his back, followed by the cobblestone in his face. It was cold and slightly damp.

It was then, quite suddenly, that the screaming stopped and two voices simultaneously yelled in his ears. "The Key!"

Jaden arched his neck around as best he could and found himself staring at a pig and a large-duck both laying atop him. He didn't know what to say, or even think. This was...What does one say to such things? Or even think? He had no idea.

Both creatures pulled themselves off Jaden, "We've been a'lookin' for you!" the pig creature spoke excitedly.

"For me?" Jaden questioned, still incredulous.

"You have the Key the Rabbit talked about!" the duck stated, as if it should be a well known fact.

Before Jaden could ask about their King or his Key, the ground began to shake and something large crashed to the ground behind him. Jaden turned to find himself looking at a giant, purple-metallic Soulless.

It's arms and feet floated in the air, spaced away from the rest of the body by magnetic force. It's head looked much like a knight's helm, with a mask hiding the face. It spun a few times in place and began to advance toward the three, Jaden, the duck and the pig. Jaden guessed this was the leader.

Jaden looked behind him quickly and saw the duck summoning what looked to be a wand. The pig was unstrapping a shield from his back.

Figuring that they were joining him in battle, Jaden turned back into a ready stance just in time to be on the receiving end of the Knight Soulless' pointed hand, which had been spinning at a high velocity in his direction.

Jaden felt the metal arm crash into him, feeling a sharp pain as a few ribs must've cracked. He screamed in agony as he flew through the air, crashing into one of the buildings and sliding to the ground. He groaned and vomited as his world spun. He looked up and, through the spinning and the pain, thought he saw the Soulless coming toward him again. He recalled the Keyblade to his hand(it had disappeared when he had hit the wall) and used it to help him stand. His world spun faster and a spike of pain shot through him from his broken ribs. Jaden just glimpsed the Soulless Knight monster still coming towards him.

Suddenly, he felt the duck with the wand by his side. The duck mumbled a word that sounded like "Cure" and Jaden felt, rather than saw, a glowing green light around him for a few seconds. He felt one last twist of pain as his ribs snapped back into place, but it was over within a moment. Next, his vision started clearing and the world around him took on stability. He looked over at the duck questioningly.

The duck shrugged. "You still gotta be careful, kid. My spell has healed you, but you're still gonna be sore and susceptible to injury easier."

Jaden nodded and the duck pushed him out of the way just as a giant fist smashed down right where Jaden had been. The ground around it cracked and collapsed, creating a small crater in the stone. Jaden quickly did a spinning slash while the hand was distracted and cut through the air between the Soulless' right foot and it's body. The foot's connection seemed to have been severed and it tipped to the ground with an empty clang. The Soulless took another swing at Jaden, but he dodged straight under it, disconnecting the other foot as well.

Jaden smiled to himself, thinking the monster would now collapse, but when he turned, he saw that it was now floating with no legs. The Soulless began to spin it's arms around itself again, keeping anyone from getting close.

Luckily, ducks who knew magic didn't need to be close.

Jaden watched in amazement as the duck called out a command of "Thunder!" and a straight bolt of lightning shot out from his wand and connected with the Soulless in the dead center of it's torso. The monster froze. Small lines of lightning leaped across it's body.

"Down!" the duck yelled.

Jaden collapsed to the ground just in time, as the torso of the Soulless exploded in a burst of light. He thought that it must be dead now.

Hearing chunks of metal crash into the ground around him, Jaden opened his eyes to find the monster still floating in the air. Now just a knightly armored head, and two floating arms.

He couldn't believe this.

The monster glanced around the area, as if wondering where it's body had gone. It then began to spin it's arms around it's head again, and floated slowly towards them.

Jaden groaned inwardly, and looked over at the pig and the duck. Something caught his attention. The shield in the pig's hands.

"Hey, can you get me close enough to the Soulless without being hit by it's arms?" Jaden hurriedly asked, pointing toward the pig's shield.

"I guess I can." The pig nodded.

Jaden smiled and moved behind his ally.

The pig advanced his way toward the beast, with Jaden standing behind him. The spinning arms of the Soulless began to beat against the shield, but the pig held his ground, even pushing forward a little.

"How much -fat-farg-fard- farther?" he yelled over the constant clanging against his shield.

"Now should be good!" Jaden yelled back, "Hold still!"

Jaden moved back a bit and and took off running toward the pig's back. Upon reaching it, he jumped up to the shoulders of the pig and used them to propel himself toward the head of the Soulless.

As Jaden came down high above the swinging arms, he fancied that the Soulless' eyes would've widened if it had eyes to widen. Throwing this thought aside, he brought the Keyblade down with a mighty slash on the monster's head. The helmet soared into the wall across the District, hitting it with a mighty crash. The arms fell to the ground and the all that was left melted away into darkness.

Jaden landed on his feet, using one hand to support him.

After a moment of silence he, the pig and the duck all broke out into cheers of victory and slaps of congratulations on each others' backs. They were all too busy celebrating to notice that a large, glowing soul had floated into the sky from where the Armored Soulless' head had been.

Jaden laughed and wiped his forehead with his arm, "So, you two were really looking for me?"

Both of them laughed and nodded.

"They too have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade." came a familiar, monotonous voice from behind.

Jaden turned to find Joey and Téa, the latter nodding in agreement with the former.

"Hey!" The pig began, "Why doncha come with us? We can ge-agoo-go to other worlds on our ship!"

Jaden looked down at the ground, and quietly spoke , "I wonder if I could find Zane and Alexis..."

The duck smirked a bit at this, "Of course you could!" he promised. Jaden's head jerked up in surprise.

"Really?" his eyes widened with hope.

The pig looked at the duck in confusion. He grabbed the duck by the arm and dragged him out of hearing distance.

"Are you sure?" Porky asked skeptically.

"Who knows?" Daffy whispered slyly and pointed to the boy, "But we need him to come with us to help us find the Rabbit.."

Daffy winked at Porky, and walked back toward Jaden. Porky just nodded, unsure, and followed his friend.

Sensing indecision on behalf of the young Keyblade Master, Joey stepped forward. "Jaden, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friends."

Jaden nodded at Joey, "Yeah...I guess." he sighed.

"But you can't come along looking like that. Understand, kid?" the duck quacked, "No frowning. No sad face. Okay?"

"Yeah, ya gotta look looney, like us!" The pig chuckled.

The duck frowned at the pig and pushed him out of the way, "This boat runs on happy faces." he continued.

"Happy?" Jaden asked sadly. He didn't know if he could be happy without knowing his friends and family were okay. But, he knew that if he had any chances of finding them, he had to think positively.

Jaden lifted his head up, smiling a smile that was known back on the Islands as "Jaden's Porky Grin" or at least that was what Alexis had dubbed it.

All was quiet for another moment, then the duck and the pig fell over in laughter, Téa pointed at Jaden with giggles, and Joey just rolled his eyes at the ridiculous nature of the event.

"That's one funny face!" The pig choked from his place on the ground.

A small, normal, smile placed itself on Jaden's face, "Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys."

Apparently feeling that introductions were long overdue, the duck reached out his hand, "Daffy Duck" he stated his name.

The pig caught on. "Name's Porky!" he reached out a hand as well.

"Well, I'm Jaden." Jaden put out his hand. All three placed their hands on top of each others'.

"All for one, one for all!" Porky chuckled.

Jaden looked at these two new faces he would be traveling with for the foreseeable future. A duck who seemed to be able to wield magic, and a pig who carried a shield. Odd companions to be sure, but Jaden knew he'd get used to it. They might not exactly be his friends, but they were at least traveling comrades.

Jaden smiled.

At least he wasn't alone anymore.

Joey watched as Jaden, Daffy and Porky turned and walked toward the First District and the outer gates of Traverse Town. Joey thought Daffy was explaining something about the usage of Fire spells to Jaden. Something like that, he couldn't quite hear.

Joey smirked slightly as they disappeared out of he had underestimated that kid. Maybe there was something to this. He knew he had to go tell the others. This could be what they had been waiting all this time for.

"Man, Joey! Did you see that? Jaden took down that big soulless! That was amazing! Maybe the Keyblade chose the right wielder!" Téa exclaimed in long sentences beside him, rocking on her heels. "C'mon! Let's get back to the others!"

Joey watched Téa race off toward the Fourth District and where they normally gathered at Mai's house.

He thought Téa was right. Maybe the Keyblade had chosen the right Master. Maybe, someday. This boy will find their lost friend... The King of Games.

Maybe it had.

On the other side of the Galaxy, a collection of beings were gathered around a stone table, watching the events that had unfolded in Traverse Town.

"That little squirt took down that Soulless! Who'd have thought it" a slick-voice spoke in abject surprise.

"Such is the power of the Keyblade," a lofty British accent scoffed, "The child's strength is not his own."

"Why don't we turn him into a Soulless?" a deep, female voice laughed, "That'll settle things quick enough!"

"And the brat's friends are the King's lackeys! Swoggle me eyes, they're all bilge rats by the look of them!" another voice spoke in horror.

A deep, male voice chuckled."You're no prize yourself!"

"Shut Up!"

"Enough." a high, echoing female voice commanded. "The Keyblade has chosen him...Will it be he who conquers the darkness? Or will the darkness swallow him?"

A woman stepped out into plain sight.

She wore a large, voluminous black cloak and had a strange eye jutting from her head. Large vampire looking wings from her shoulders. Her skin tone was between pale pink and sickly white; her left eye were green and the right is green.

"Either way, he could be quite useful..." She smiled malevolently.

On the same side of the galaxy, Zane Truesdale awoke.

His whole body felt stiff. Like the mornings after dueling with Jaden all the previous day. His left leg seemed to be resting in a few inches of water. The rest of his body was laying, face down, on cold, wet stone.

Zane stretched his legs and arms, painfully pushed himself to his feet, and shook his leg to get any water out he could.

When he looked up, he wondered if he was still dreaming.

A long, stone pathway cut through reflecting pools of water. A few yards ahead of him, the pathway split into two more pathways heading out on either side, eventually disappearing into the thick fog that blanketed the area. The path did the same another few yards behind him.

Other than that, the main path continued onward toward an imposing gate surrounding an area that seemed to have held a garden at one point. Beyond that, Zane could just glimpsed a massive door.

"Where...am...I?" Zane mumbled to himself. Heturned about, adamantly telling himself that he wasn't confused. He just needed to explore. Gather some info. Then he'd set out to find-

Then it hit him. It hit him in such rapid succession that he bowed over at his waist like he'd been gut-punched.

The Island.

The Door.

The Darkness.

Jaden.

Alexis.

Home.

Zane ran his hand anxiously through his hair. He had to keep his cool. He had too. Stay calm was his first rule. Keeping calm allowed him to keep control, and that's what was important.

He took a deep breath.

Then he screamed. He screamed Jaden's name. He screamed Alexis' name. He almost screamed for help before he stopped himself. There was no need for that. No one was answering him anyway.

He took a heavy breath in. The mist seemed to close in around him, entrapping him in a box of vapor. He couldn't see beyond the mist. Who knew what was on the other side of it? He was in what he could only guess to be another world. He finally had gotten his wish, only to find that he still longed to know what was beyond the mists.

Suddenly, this place felt a lot like home.