Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me, though that should be obvious. All OCs in this chapter belong to me. Warning: may contain blood and/or character death from this point on. Not really a spoiler.

…

From the Inside

"Are you sure that finding a way to the outside world won't be dangerous?"

"I have to see what lies beyond just Utopia. You're a Keybearer, like me. Think you can manage it?"

"I was born ready for this moment. The Keybearers shall rise above and beyond this world."

"But I want to bring my friend with me—no exceptions."

"A non-Keybearer? Oh…are you talking about Kane?"

The words, they kept playing in my mind as I slowly opened my eyes. A strange dream…all I saw was blackness, and the voices within the dream seemed hazy, as I couldn't hear them properly. Had they mentioned me? What was I thinking? It was only a dream.

A low rumble of thunder shook the air around me. I looked outside, but the sky was perfectly blue. Not a cloud in the sky. I slipped out of bed and headed for the door, but the minute my fingers touched the doorknob, the door swung open to reveal Tara there in her nightgown. "Good, you're awake," she said, obviously annoyed. "Started to think you would oversleep."

I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to get my vision to clear. I walked out of my room to hear the screaming voice of Kale. Tara scowled and covered her ears. And then someone rushed passed me…Domino? Domino ran down the hall away from me with Kale sitting on his shoulders and Ty attached to his leg.

"What's he doing here?" I asked Tara, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

"I woke up with him tapping on my window," Tara answered, obviously not happy with it. He's been here for about… thirty minutes. Kale and Ty really love him. He's great with children. Better than I thought he'd be…"

I barely listened to all she had to say. Without responding to her, I walked towards Domino, who whipped around at the sound of my feet clapping against the floor. "Hey, Kane!" he shouted, Kale soon dropping from his shoulders and falling to the ground with a thud, knocking Ty over.

"Why are you here?" I asked, though I knew I was going to get the most detailed answer that I really did not need.

"Well, you see, I wanted to come over here before you woke up, so whenever you do you can hurry up and get ready and then we can head over to school," Domino said without taking a breath. "Oh yeah, Tara let me in."

And with those words and with an awkward stare from Tara that showed her displeasure for Domino, I stepped into the bathroom to get ready for school.

.

On the way to school, the bright sun had stung at my eyes, but the faintest rumble of thunder can be heard in the distance. Still, I saw no clouds for as far as the eye can see. Domino noticed my eyes making contact with the sky and chuckled, saying, "Are you done yet? That thunder will never reach here, you know."

"You don't know that," I told him, walking slightly faster than him when we stepped onto campus. "So where are you going, Domino?"

"I've gotta see something for a teacher," Domino said, and then stared at the ground. "Before the bell rings you can go to the library and study some more for the project." Not making eye contact with me again, he darted off towards the building and walked in without looking back at me.

I shrugged it off and headed for the building as well, only to go upstairs and into the library where very few people were. It was only me, some girl, and the old librarian. I sat at a table and took the book Keyblade Wielders from my backpack.

I started reading from where I last left off. Without realizing it, I had made it to very middle of the book. Up to this point, I learned a few things that I hadn't known before. There was a man by the name of Enix who was the true creator of the Keyblades. His whereabouts were unknown to the book.

Enix was one of the greatest Keyblade Masters out there and was the one who controlled the borders and barriers to the worlds, as well as directed the flow of the Lanes Between, the in-between realm in which all of the worlds in the vast multiverse were connected to.

I closed the book and tucked it away in a pocket in my backpack, slung the bag over my shoulder, and proceeded to exit out of the library. I had headed back downstairs and then to Mr. Brunner's classroom. When I got within a few feet of the classroom, a heard a voice say, "But I want to bring my friend with me—no exceptions."

Domino? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that those were the same words that were spoken…in my dream.

I peeked through the crack in the doorway. I saw Domino and Mr. Brunner, the only ones in the classroom. Brunner had his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth. "A non-Keybearer? Oh…are you talking about Kane?" There it was again. The exact words spoken in my dream! "No, I will not allow it."

I heard the unsheathing of metal as I saw Domino's cold metal Keyblade pressed against Brunner's neck. "I'm pretty sure that you are not the one orchestrating this operation, Elijah Brunner." The Keyblade vanished. "You seemed scared for a bit. I was only playing around." A mysterious glint of evilness in his eye appeared. "But Kane will be coming with us if our plan sees fruition."

"Why wouldn't this plan be a success?" Brunner yelled out. "We've got twenty on our side! Together we can—" The bell to officially start school rang throughout the classrooms and hallways. "—accomplish anything!"

Without entering, I decided to continue to see what exactly was going on here. Brunner walked to the back of the classroom to pick up a rusty old book that looked like a text book from over ninety years ago.

"It says here the sacrifice is needed," Brunner said, tracing his finger along the words in the book. "But it doesn't say… how many sacrifices! And what…is the sacrifice!?" The sound of a fist slamming on wood rang out, and I saw the splintering wood flying onto the ground as Brunner had slammed his fist down on a desk. "There are too many variables! Too many unknowns!"

Before things could escalate quickly, I knocked on the door and stepped inside. Domino's face lit up when he saw me, but Brunner's eyes stared me down as if I was the plague.

A single drop of sweat was seen dropping from Brunner's brow. His eyes darted from me, to Domino, and then to the ceiling, and then the ground. He seemed uneasy. But why? Was it because of what had just happened between him and Domino?

Students began entering the classroom and the deadly silence was now filled with the chatter of the entire class. I sat down next to Domino and said, "Why were you here so early?"

"I had to talk to Mr. Brunner about a project," Domino answered, obviously not telling the honest truth. I looked at him with eyes that basically said I didn't believe him, so he called out, "Mr. Brunner, come see!" The teacher walked to Domino and lowered his head towards him so he could hear my friend. "The project…it's all good, right?"

For a minute, I thought I saw a flickering light in Brunner's eyes, which reflected off of Domino's. Without speaking, Brunner gave off a wicked smile and stood up straight, walking to the front of the class. "Domino and I are conducting an experiment of sorts, children." Nearly everyone raised their eyebrow at that statement. "You remember the Keyblade I told you to research about." I was now curious. "Well…have a closer look at the real thing."

In a flash of light, the giant Key-shaped sword known as the Keyblade had materialized in Brunner's left hand. The entire weapon consisted of a black and white color scheme. The handle was a stark white bone. The tip of the blade was a skull, with several rows of sharp bones poking out that were obviously the teeth of the blade. "Skeleblade!"

That name was so simple for such a detailed blade…wait…I was missing the big picture here. Brunner was one of the twenty Keybearers? Is that why Domino and Brunner had made this experiment?

"Whoa, a Keyblade!" yelled someone from the back of the room.

"This world, cut off by the many others like it!" Brunner started, his long, scraggly gray hair blowing in a nonexistent wind. His glasses shined from the light of the light bulbs on the ceiling. He raised his glasses as he continued to talk. "You see before you, a Keyblade like no other. One fit to be wielded by one such as I! From the inside of this world are twenty Keybearers, and each are to aid in the destruction of this world's barrier! How would you like to see what's out there? What lies beyond the door to the outside world!"

Several kids cheered at that statement. Domino and I stayed silent. Domino looked a tad confused, but not as much as I was. "Elijah, what are you doing?" Domino asked.

Brunner ignored him. "Help me in the destruction of this barrier…by sacrificing yourselves!" The air suddenly seemed two times more chillier than it was. "Meet the cold steel blade that I hold before me!" He held out Skeleblade as a wind blew through the room and everyone's hair started flowing in the wind. "Let it be known that your sacrifices will not be in vain!" His eyes almost seemed…demonic. His eye color faded from dark blue to golden, and his pupils darted back and forth.

"What?" Domino shouted, and Brunner swung the Keyblade through the air, a hot white light shooting from its tip and slamming against the chest of an unsuspecting student. Said student flew from his desk and into the wall at the back of the room. The boy crumpled to the floor in pain. "What are you doing?"

"Domino, help me out!" Brunner shouted, holding his free hand out to Domino. "When Keybearers are together, our powers are joined! Don't you wanna get to the outside world that has been cut off from us!? Then help me sacrifice enough people so the barrier will shatter!"

He pointed his Keyblade at another student, and a white hot light shot from the tip. Before it reached the student, the white light began fading, getting darker. The warm feeling I felt from the once precious light started feeling cold and scary. The hair on the back of my neck and, well, everywhere else, stood on end. What was once a blast of light was now a blast of…blackness? The darkest thing I'd ever seen collided with the chest of that poor girl, and her body incinerated before our eyes. Gone in the blink of an eye.

"Black magic?" I asked. I had read about this form of magic. The complete opposite of light, this magic was darker than anything. A forbidden method of getting what you most desire. Black magic, or Dark Magic, was supposed to be… fictional. "How…?"

"Darkness…" Domino muttered in awe. "It isn't supposed to…exist…"

Darkness? Another name for Dark Magic? Brunner swung his Skeleblade, slicing through the bodies of three unsuspecting students. Their screams faded away as each of them died. "Everybody, get out of here now!" I yelled without much thinking, and every other student darted towards the doorway in fright.

"Don't leave me without a proper sacrifice!" Brunner shouted out, and vanished. Silence replaced the chaos. And then, in seconds, he reappeared in front of the doorway, blocking off the exit as he swung his Keyblade, slicing through the body of a student, blood splattering to the ground and staining Brunner's blade. "You non-Keybearers have to die, for us to truly see what's out there!"

He swung his Keyblade swiftly, his glasses falling off and clattering to the ground, the left lens shattering. "Do something!" I shouted at Domino, but he seemed to be in a trance. "Domino!"

Domino shook his head and jumped forward, slamming his now materialized Keyblade into the Skeleblade. "What the hell are you doing, Domino!?" Brunner screamed loudly. "We're working together!" He jumped back from Domino, and then rushed forward passed Domino and sunk his blade into a kid's neck, blood sputtering out and onto the floor, onto Brunner's shirt, and onto his face. He yanked his blade out of the neck of that kid, the kid falling to the ground, dead.

"Elijah!" Domino shouted. "What has gotten into you!?"

"You!" Brunner shouted, swinging his Keyblade at Domino, but Domino blocked it easily. Domino showed a face of confusion as Brunner backed away from Domino once again. I looked to the doorway. The last three students that were still alive had escaped passed Brunner as soon as Brunner and Domino exchanged blades.

"I've got it," Brunner muttered. "Time to make you kneel at my feet, Domino! I'm done with you calling the shots!" He blasted forward, a flurry of 'Darkness' blowing about behind him as he rushed forward through the air. Immediately fear struck me. My eyes widened and blood dripped off of my bottom lip. I felt the cold Skeleblade sliding swiftly through my stomach. I looked down and saw my stomach covered in blade, the Skeleblade staying within my stomach. Brunner started laughing as he said, "Domino, how you like this!?"

"Kane!" Domino shouted. "Don't you fucking touch him!" Domino held his hand out and a blast of…Darkness…escaped his palm, blasting towards Brunner. Brunner quickly withdrew his Skeleblade and I felt relief, but because of the intense pain and loss of blood, I fell over and hit my head on the ground. I looked up to see what was happening.

Brunner held out his free hand as the darkness Domino pushed forward reached him. The darkness collided with Brunner's hand and the two held their ground with a stream of darkness connecting the two. Brunner tried to push the darkness back, but it wouldn't budge Domino.

I saw a look of pure hatred in Domino's eyes. His silvery eyes glinted and took on a reddish tint. Blood leaked from his right eye. "Why…do you have this much darkness?" Brunner asked Domino, but Domino continued to scowl as he threw his Keyblade at Brunner, the blade now inches away from Brunner's chest.

In fear, Brunner let go of the darkness that Domino was pushing forward to avoid Domino's Keyblade. The Keyblade flew passed Brunner as he stepped to the side, but the darkness Domino was conjuring slammed into Brunner, and the man flew into the wall, sinking to the ground, his own Keyblade flying into the air above him.

"It is all your fault," Elijah Brunner muttered, looking breathless as blood soaked out of a mysterious wound in his stomach. "You supplied me with this darkness. You made me do this…all for your stupid goal of reaching the outside world!"

"What's he talking…" I muttered, feeling lightheaded. "…about?" What did he mean about Domino supplying Brunner with darkness? How was that possible? And he said this was Domino's stupid goal, even though Brunner would kill for the opportunity to see the outside world.

"Don't listen to him, Kane," Domino muttered. "It's all over."

I had failed to remember the Skeleblade that was in the air, twirling above Brunner's fallen body. The blade fell down tip-first and pierced through Brunner's chest, possibly entering the man's heart.

"Ugh," Brunner muttered as his eyes slowly closed, his breathing lowering. In his last dying breath, a flurry of darkness shot from Brunner's now raised hand, and it aimed straight for me. Before it reached me, I could tell Brunner had just died.

"No!" Domino's voice screamed over me, and he jumped in the way of the blast of darkness, wrapping his arms around me. The darkness collided with his back, and the two of us fell to the floor. He was right on top of me, the darkness burning a hole in the back of Domino's shirt, and the blood seeping from my stomach wound which stained the front Domino's shirt.

"Domino…you could let go," I muttered, but Domino refused. He embraced me in the tightest hug ever. I coughed loudly to get him to hear me, so he immediately let go of me and pulled me up to my feet. I clutched my bloody stomach, and then raised my hand to see bright red blood dripping from my hand.

"Cura!" Domino shouted, raising his hand, and a warm glow flowed through my blood. It felt…nice, and warm, like lying on the beach next to the Lake of Destiny during the summer. The wound…I felt it closing up, and the blood seemed to vanish as well. "Are you alright?"

"What was Brunner's problem?" I asked Domino, standing up straight and staring into his eyes. My breathing was rapid and my heart beat went a mile a minute. I was scared out of my wits. "What was he talking about?"

"The man was crazy," Domino replied. "But he's gone now…" As if on cue, Brunner's body became solid black, and the body sunk into the shadows.

"Everyone…" I muttered to myself, looking around the room. Several desks were toppled over. Chairs and books littered the ground. And more disturbingly, bodies of dead students and blood littered the floor, staining the room red.

After that, not much happened. The principal had called an ambulance because that one kid who was hit with the light, the very first of Brunner's attacks, was still alive, but his ribs were broken and his left lung had taken a direct hit from the light. Only three others besides that kid, Domino, and I, were still alive. The other three had hit in the bathroom until the climax was over.

As with every investigation, a detective of sorts had called Domino and I into questioning because we were two of the only witnesses, and that Brunner had vanished from existence.

Domino and I sat side-by-side on a bench in an office within the Utopian Police Department. The man in front of us had his face shrouded by the fedora he was wearing. "And he just…sunk into the ground?"

"Yes," was my reply. Domino didn't really want to say much about what had happened, so I was the one answering all of the questions. "Into the darkness—"

"No such thing!" The man slammed his fist onto his desk. "Black magic, light magic, darkness, Keyblades…all a bunch of tomfoolery that I will not be messing with. What I am hearing from you is a long, drawn-out fairy tale. Now get out of here before I decide to throw you into jail for concealing a secret that can very well help in this investigation."

.

The rout home felt long. After stepping onto the steps at Kamikaze Home, without even bothering to knock or open the door, the door swung open on its own and arms wrapped around my neck in a warm embrace. I tried to break free from Tara's grip, but she wouldn't let go.

I could hear her faintly sobbing into my shoulder. "I heard…what happened…" Tara muttered quietly. "Are you…are you two alright?"

"Just a little shaken up," Domino replied. "The guy was definitely on something. Why else would he kill almost the entire class—"

"He killed most of the class!?" Tara asked, and gripped me tighter. Thanks a lot, Domino. I'd never hear the end of this from Tara. She'd become more protective of me than ever. "I'm glad…the two of you are alright."

"Thanks for the concern," Domino replied behind me, and from the sound of his footsteps he was walking away to his own place. "Bye Kane, bye Tara!"

His footsteps vanished as he was gone. After finally getting Tara to let go of me, I headed inside, got ambushed by Kale and Ty, and was showered with worry by Ibiki. When I headed off to bed that night, I began having a dream.

Another dream.

"Elijah's actions…just a simple setback. It shouldn't get in the way of our overall goal."

"Then what shall we do…tomorrow?"

"The ultimate sacrifice. Prepare for the border to be crushed, the barrier to be shattered, and the outside world to be finallyreachable!"