Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me, though that should be obvious.

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Calling to the Night (I)

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying comfortably on a bed consisting of a cloud-like mattress and thick bed sheets and blankets. The pillow beneath my head felt so comfortable that I almost drifted back to sleep. Well, until I heard snoring. Darting my eyes to the right, I saw a bunk bed. That snoring was so familiar…obnoxiously familiar.

Sleeping soundly on the top bunk was Domino, his fedora set to the side of him. Below him was Kale, sleeping soundly and as adorable as any seven year old could be. Domino snored again. Normally I would lash out and start yelling at Domino to quiet it down, but I nearly chuckled. When was the last time I had heard that snoring of his?

I darted my eyes around the room. The floor, walls, and ceiling were white. The door at the edge of the room opened, and stepping into the room was a girl who looked to be around my age. Her black hair fell over her shoulders and nearly sparkled in the light of the shining sun that released its rays through the curtains of the window. Her large, emerald eyes looked so innocent. I could tell that she was a good person? Was it because I could sense her light? Did Domino's abilities rubbed off on me? I shrugged away the thought.

"Ah, you're awake," the girl said in a hushed tone. "We found you three out in the courtyard." She approached my bedside, staring into my eyes. Sitting down on the bed beside me, she suddenly took my hand in hers. "You're warm… good. You three were nearly as frozen as ice back there."

"Where are we?" I decided to ask.

"Daybreak Town," the girl replied quickly, as if expecting me to ask that question. "My name…is Rika Khiohé. I begged Father to take you in. You're in an orphanage right now. The other four are downstairs."

"Rika," I said, raising my voice a little bit. My throat felt a little better, but I tried not to overdo it when I spoke. "Thanks."

Rika smiled, sitting up and walking towards the window where she pulled open the curtains, releasing a shower of light into the room. Domino instantly grabbed his fedora and put it over his eyes, shielding himself from the immense light. Kale sat up in his bed and yawned, scratching the back of his bedhead.

"Rise and shine," Rika said, bouncing off and out of the room.

"Where are we, Kane?" Kale asked, yawning again, forcing myself to yawn as well. I told him the name of the town we were in, and both me and Kale jumped out of bed. I was surprised to notice that we were in new pairs of clothing. Someone had put pajamas on us while we were out. I had noticed a stack of clothes by the closet to the left of the room, the same ones that Domino, Kale and I had been wearing since the start of our journey.

"Domino, get up!" Kale yelled, climbing the ladder to the top bunk and jumping onto Domino's chest. Domino removed the fedora from his face and slowly opened one eye. "Get up, sleepy head! We're somewhere!"

"Where?" Domino said while yawning, slowly slipping out of bed, falling to the ground with Kale on his back. "Ouch." Standing up, I realized that he was only in his boxers. Kale nearly fell to the ground in laughter. Domino noticed his attire himself. "Where are my clothes?" Laughing myself, I pointed to the closet where the stacks of clothes were.

Rushing to his stack, he slowly put on his shirt and shorts. Kale and I got dressed as well. The three of us headed out of the door, finding ourselves in a hallway. At the end of the hallway was a staircase, which Domino eagerly ran down.

This place reminded me so much of the Kamikaze Home. But nearly everyone who lived there had gone their separate ways: Ibiki was a part of some group that was desperately trying to kill Domino and I; Ty was living in the care of someone else; Tara had passed away back in Salem; and here Kale and I were on some magical journey with Domino. Some life.

At the bottom of the stairwell, we now stood in a kitchen. Sitting at the table were five girls. Among them was Rika. The others each varied in looks. One had bright red hair and green eyes; one had aqua colored hair and purple eyes; one had blonde hair and crystal blue eyes; the last had brown hair and brown eyes.

"Hello, you three," Rika said with a smile. "I'd like you to meet the gang." She pointed to the redhead. "Kristi." She pointed to the one with the aqua hair. "Crystal." She looked at the blonde one. "Bela." And finally he looked to the brunette. "And Xena."

Never have I ever been surrounded by so many girls before. They all looked to be Rika's age. Xena reminded me so much of Tara; I almost questioned whether or not the two were related. The only difference was the eye color, and the hair. Instead of Tara's piercing blue, they were caramel colored. Her hair was worn long, going to just above her waist, as opposed to Tara's hair which was always in ponytails and worn high. But her face was almost the same, dark tan that he loved about Tara.

"I think she will notice your stare, Kane," Domino said in my ear, and I nearly jumped. How long was I staring at her? "It's alright; I guess she's kind of cute." The five girls started giggling, and I felt my cheeks redden from the intense embarrassment Domino was giving me. "So, ladies…this is…Daybreak Town?"

"Yes," Xena replied with a bright smile. "This place is by far one of the greater worlds out there. You can't find a better world out there for Keybearers…well, except for the world they've originated from." Domino nodded.

"So where is this Father of yours?" I asked, and all of the girls' eyes were on me. I felt my face reddened again.

As if on cue, the door on the other side of the kitchen opened, and stepping through a man wearing blue robes. He had a long black beard that was darker than Rika's hair. On his head was a point blue hat. He wore spherical glasses over his small black eyes. "Oh, so our guests are finally awake? That's good."

"Father Merlin!" Kristi and Crystal cried out in happiness.

Rika stood up from her chair and walked over to the man, towering a foot above him. Kane noticed his short height. "Kane, Kale, Domino—" Kane decided not to ask about how she knew their names. "—this is Merlin, the person who found us when we were lost and brought us here. He's like a father to us, you know. The things this man does to keep Daybreak safe."

It was slight, but I saw Domino's nose twitch. "Your scent…it screams magic! You're a wizard? I wasn't aware that they had wizards still alive." I raised an eyebrow in surprise. How could Domino's sense of smell be that strong!? Just because of the darkness he possesses?

"The last wizard, actually," Merlin said, scratching his nose. "Well, the last known one, anyway. So…two Utopians, I see."

"Two?" Domino asked. "Uh…you're forgetting one?"

"You should know that you're not a true Utopian, Domino," Merlin replied, and Domino nodded like he suddenly understood. "You come from the world that gave birth to the Keyblades, where the Master Enix, all Keybearers, and all Wizards once lived. Kane Carter and Kale Kamikaze were truly born in Utopia."

"Quit worrying about where they came from, Father," Rika said, putting a hand on the short man's shoulder. Taking her hand off of his shoulder, she said aloud, "Does any one of you three want to go check out the town?"

"I do!" Domino said in his eccentric voice. It was hard to believe that just a little while ago he was a rampaging killing machine. Rika smiled, leading Domino to the doorway. The two walked out. Rika looked to me, expecting me to tag along, but my eye contact told Rika to go with Domino alone.

Kale pouted, wanting to go as well. I smirked at his pouting face, until he broke out in a smile and yelled, "Will someone play with me!?"

Kristi, Crystal, and Bela all squealed with high pitched voices, "ADORABLE!" and each grabbed onto a separate limb of Kale's, lifting the boy into the air by his arms and legs. Kale laughed, making me smile at how happy he could be away from home. The three carried the boy upstairs.

"Well, looks like the little tyke is having a lot of fun over here," Merlin said. "I must go check on the town, make sure nobody's causing trouble. He snapped his fingers, and then frowned. "You'd think after three years, my magic wouldn't be as rusty as it was before. Oh well." He hobbled out of the house, shutting the door behind him.

"So, you wanna go check out the sights?" Xena asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I jumped higher than I should have. I caused the girl to laugh. I pouted at her. "Come on, I know you're dying to see what this world looks like. Plus, we can't leave Rika and Domino alone together. You know how many boyfriends she's had in the past month? I think I've lost count. She has bad taste in men. Now, if only she picked someone like you, then her taste wouldn't be that bad…"

I jumped at that comment. "Did you just—?"

"No, no I didn't," she quickly replied. "So, let's leave!" I led her to the door, opening it for her and allowing her to step through first. I walked out after her, closing the door behind me. The streets glittered in the light of the bright sun. Shiny buildings towered all around us, the sky was a brilliant blue, and the sun was bright…but not too bright. This was the first time I was able to look directly at the sun without my eyes being irritated.

She grabbed my hand—her hand was warm and soft—and she pulled me along, the two of us running down the streets. It was then I noticed…not only were there people on the ground, walking normally, but there were also people in the sky. Each one of them was piloting something that looked like a…Keyblade Glider! There really were more Keybearers! The sky was filled with them. At least thirty I've seen in the past minute or so.

"Surprised?" Xena asked as we gradually slowed down our run. "Domino's not the only Keyblade wielder here, you know. I'm sorry; I had forgotten that Utopia was closed off." When she said that, memories flashed through my mind. A black strike of lightning slamming into me. Ibiki and Ty, flying towards the water of the Lake of Destiny. Domino murdering his parents. Mr. Brunner going on a dark rampage. All remaining Keybearers breaking the barrier and releasing us to the outside world. I let go of her hand. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, sorry," I said quickly, and Xena slipped her hand into mine once again. She was getting close to me, very quickly. Not even Tara showed me this much affection. We continued to walk until we saw Domino and Rika only a few feet ahead. "Hey, Domino!"

Domino turned towards me. "Kane! Is this place great or what!?" I had noticed that Rika was clutching Domino's hand, just as Xena was doing with mine. Rika saw me looking at her and Domino's hands, and she quickly let go. "So many Keybearers! With this many, we could have opened up the barrier of Utopia without the major sacrifice!"

"Sacrifice?" Rika asked instantly. Domino, you idiot!

"I, uh…" Domino said, for once unsure of what to say.

"You had to sacrifice people to get passed the barrier?" Rika asked worriedly. Domino then did something unexpected. Taking both of Rika's hands in his, he leaned forward and locked lips with her. Xena and I both gasped as our jaws dropped. Domino released himself from the sudden kiss. "Domino? I…didn't know that you felt that way…"

"Geez, you've only known each other for a short time!" I yelled out, being the only logical person here. Two people do not fall in love after barely over an hour of knowing one another. The concept of love at first sight bothered me. But then there was also Xena, who was beautiful in every way. But was I truly in love with her? Xena didn't seem to shy…she was very open and still remained holding my hand.

Domino let go of Rika's hands. "Uh, yeah, sorry, about that." He looked to me with pleading eyes as if asking for help. I silently chuckled. Xena, Rika, Domino, and I continued walking until we found ourselves in a circular courtyard with a fountain in the middle, spraying crystal blue water that created a rainbow above it.

"This place is beautiful," Domino said, looking from me to Rika several times. A calming wind swept past my hair. "I am so glad we've escaped Utopia, Kane." He walked away from Rika and approached me. I wasn't sure what he was doing at first, but it became clearer when he wrapped his arms around me. He nearly choked the air out of my lungs. I heard Xena and Rika laughing. Domino released me. He nearly had tears coming from his eyes. "Kane…I'm so glad."

"Same here," I said rather awkwardly. Immediately, a puff of blue smoke appeared in between Domino and I, and when the smoke cleared, Merlin stood there stroking his beard. "Merlin?"

"My magic isn't as rusty now, is it?" Merlin said in a 'Ha, I told you so!' tone of voice. "I realize that the two of you, Kane and Domino, must be very confused as to what that boy, Phoenix Asher, said to you back in Enix's realm." How did he know about that? "This book explains the Prophecy of Destiny." From his robes he took out a book bound in dark red leather. He handed it to me, obviously knowing how fast I could read. "We wizards have a knack for knowing such things, such as this book. Give it a gander, if you'd like."

I opened the front cover. The page behind it was a white, silky cover page, with golden letters etched into the silk. They seemed to be a jumble of letters that would have confused most people. I darted my eyes around the page, staring at each individual out of place letter. And in my mind, I rearranged the letters to make up a few sentences.

"What does it say?" Domino asked. "I can't decipher it."

"Key-shaped weapons shall be created, bringing upon the worlds destruction and ruin, tearing apart everything in its wake. A storm of utter darkness shall ravage the worlds while a flood of light shall flow to counteract that darkness, causing a collision so powerful that it shall bring about the ending of the existence of any and all worlds. The Protector of Light who holds no Key shall face against the Dark Lord in a battle of Light versus Darkness during the End of Worlds."

As I read it, I slowly became more and more confused. "By the feel of this book, it's several decades old, older than any Keyblade and even Enix himself," I said, holding the book above my head. "It is as Asher said…a prophecy that states that the worlds will be destroyed in a conflict between the Light and Dark. It says two people will fight during the End…a Protector of Light who holds no Key, and a Dark Lord. When will this come to pass? The Keyblade's been around for three years now."

"Sounds a bit frightening, if you think about it," Xena mumbled. "The world ending… and as it is ending two people are fighting? Who would fight during an apocalypse? Why not work together to stop it?"

"Who knows why anyone does anything anymore," Merlin said, crossing his arms. "Kane, you may keep that book. It is of no further use to me. I must take my leave again." Snapping his fingers, nothing happened. "Darn it." He snapped them again, but blue smoke only puffed out from below his hat, making the man cough. "Blast it all!" He stomped his foot, and he vanished into blue smoke.

Rika laughed at the man who had just left. She looked to Domino and said, "Hey, do you maybe wanna go eat somewhere?"

"How about you go get food and bring it back here," Domino said, his nose twitching as he looked to the fountain. "I must stay here to rest a bit. And to admire this fountain."

"With pleasure," Rika bounded off merrily, until she was out of sight beyond the courtyard.

I looked to Xena and said, "I'll catch up with you at Merlin's place. You should really get home. I have to stay here for bit, to talk to Domino." Xena nodded with understanding and walked back the way we had come. Once she was out of earshot, I said, "Domino, what do you sense?"

"How do you know—"

"Your nose twitched," I told him. I was now able to sense if something was happening just by looking at Domino's nose. That seemed a lot easier than commanding some darkness to heighten my senses. "Is there something happening? What's wrong?"

"Night's coming," Domino muttered. Night? It was barely past lunch time! Domino caught my confused stare and said, "A storm…in a few hours. It'll make the day look like night. But was it my darkness that brought it forth, or—?" Before he could say more, a person dropped from the sky in between Domino and I.

And it was none other than Dante Netherwood. His clothing didn't look as wet as he was before, when I had thrown him into that lake with my Thunder. Dante chuckled. "What influence are you having on this town, Domino?" I arched an eyebrow, confused as to what the man had meant. "This world is filled with light, yes. But behind all this light is the tiniest percentage of darkness lingering…it can't possibly all belong to you."

"Kane, let the two of us talk," Domino said. As soon as I attempted to protest, he said, "I'll be alright, darling Kane. Dante and I need to discuss matters."

I groaned and began to walk away, not bothering to argue with him. Before Dante had tried to kill Domino, but now the two wanted to talk? As I walked away, I stayed just within earshot, lingering so I could hear their conversation. My sense of hearing seemed to be extremely strong for some reason.

"As I landed on this world, some of my darkness was released," Domino said. "It found its way to a few Keybearers, and they've made it their own darkness. I do believe that the darkness is stronger…more superior to that light, but we mustn't let it overpower their judgment, as it did with Elijah."

"Some people would disagree with your motives," Dante said in a quieted voice. "Some would think that the light is superior, and would do whatever it took to purge the darkness. Whereas some would think that darkness should only remain, taking a role similar to that of Elijah Brunner and killing to fill his dark needs. Then there are those who choose a neutral side, and want the Keyblade to vanish forever. The more people here we get informed about the darkness, the better. The light is corrupting the minds of each and every society within the universe. We cannot allow the light to corrupt the next generations."

"That's why I sent Kale, Kane, and I here before we could perish in Enix's realm," Domino said. "This world contains citizens that could be persuaded by anything, really. And here we could get a perfect dark following. The darkness, supposedly nonexistent orextinct…is the supreme power and behind-the-scenes driving force of each world. It has more persuasion and power than the light. Spread the word to the Keybearers here. Have them all meet in this courtyard during the storm. We'll discuss things then."

What was this? The way Domino spoke, it almost seemed like he wanted the Light to perish. But if Light perished, the Dark would cease to…no, actually, if there was no light, all that would remain was darkness. What were Domino and Dante's plans, exactly?

"But they might not follow us too easily," Dante said. "They may need a prize to be won, something to drive them towards fulfilling our goals."

"A prize," Domino pondered. "Have you ever heard of the legend of Kingdom Hearts?" Dante smirked and vanished in a flurry of darkness. I had never heard about this Kingdom Hearts. Was it another world? It must have been special if Domino was going to use that as a prize for the Keybearers here.

Not wanting to be noticed by Domino, I dashed back to Merlin's place, and once I was there, I was immediately greeted by Kale in the front doorway. "Hey, Kane!" the boy shouted at my arrival. This boy sure was tough…dealing with the death of Tara and the loss of his new friends, Yen Sid and Maleficent, as well as losing Ibiki as a father figure…it was all too much. But Kane never once, as far as he could remember, had seen the young boy ever shed a tear.

"Hey, Kale, where're the girls?" I asked, bending over so I can be face-to-face with the little boy.

"They left when Xena came back," Kale replied. "I think they went to a friend's house?"

Before the youngster could say another word, blue smoke filled the air, and Merlin's voice echoed throughout the room. "Hello you two! Little Kale, how would you like to come see the world from an aerial view?" Kale arched an eyebrow. "…a view from above the clouds!" Kale slowly nodded his head in confusion at the blue smoke. "Excellent! Kane, while everybody else is away, I trust this home of mine in the care of yourself and Xena. Thanks a bundle!"

The blue smoke circled around Kale until the boy and the smoke disappeared. I wonder if I would ever be able to be a wizard like Merlin. And such a powerful man was allowing me to watch over his house…well, with the help of Xena, who, speaking of which, walked down the stairs and greeted me with a smile.

"So I see Kale left to have his fun with Father Merlin," Xena said, looking into my eyes. "Rika and Domino really hit it off. And it seems Crystal, Kristi, and Bela are spending the night at one of their friend's houses. That leaves the two of us…here…alone." I felt myself blushing. Could Xena see my cheeks getting redder? God, I hoped not. "Come up to my room. We can talk there. My feet are killing me!"

And now a girl was letting me go to her room? Not wanting to argue, I followed her up the stairs and went into one of the rooms closest to the staircase. Xena closed the door behind us. The both of us sat down on her bed. "So, Kane, what did Domino mean by sacrifice?"

And so I explained it all to her. How they needed the twenty Keybearers…well, it was seventeen then…to break the barrier by creating a massive sacrifice that should have killed the entire world. I explained how we've been in contact with Ibiki, symbolizing that the Utopians were still very much alive.

"I see," Xena replied. "Not to ruin your relationship or anything, but it seems that Domino is entirely codependent on you. You said he killed hundreds just to have a perfect life with you. He's almost obsessed. Ever wonder why that is?"

"I never really gave it much thought," I replied truthfully. "He also always seemed to explode if I was ever hurt or injured…he killed lots because he was afraid to lose me. Is this typical behavior of a true friend?"

"Sometimes, yes," Xena said. "Friends feel like they owe their best friends their life, and will do everything to make sure that person is happy. That's probably all there is to Domino. Unless he has other feelings inside of him."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind on that," Xena said, trying to change the subject. "I'm glad I was able to meet you, Kane Carter. It's not every day that you pick a guy off the side of the road and have him go to your house. Especially a guy like you." She slipped her hand into mine, but this time instead of blushing, I felt calm, relaxed, and otherwise at peace.

She laid her head upon her pillow to get comfortable, and she forced me to do the same. Our heads were touching as we lay down on the bed, still holding hands. Could this day get any more strange or better? After that moment I had lost track of time. I thought I could hear Xena snoring.

We were extremely close together. And…what was that? I heard my own voice snoring. Was I asleep…and aware that I was asleep? Visions flashed in my mind…Domino slaying his parents, the black strike of lightning, the barrier of Utopia shattering, the death of Tara, the reappearance of Ibiki and the rampage of Domino…and then I saw a scene that I did not recognize.

Domino stood in front of the fountain in the Daybreak Courtyard. The clouds above them grew darker, the wind slowly picking up speed. Rika sat on the rim of the fountain, dipping her toes in the water, not paying any attention to Domino. Domino's lips moved as if he said something, but no words came out. Rika appeared to hear him, as she stood up and began walking down the street.

When he was alone, a portal of darkness appeared behind Domino and from it came Dante Netherwood. "Preparations are complete," the man said in a bold, clear voice. "They should be arriving soon." A blast of thunder echoed off of the buildings around the courtyard. "The perfect dark following!" Stretching his arms out, Keyblade Gliders began soaring from over the horizon from all directions. As they neared Domino and Dante, each Glider dissipated into darkness and their respective riders fell to the ground, each landing on their feet.

"We are complete!" Domino yelled out, pumping his fist into the air. "The Seekers of Darkness are all here! Did you use that old legend to convince them?"

Silently, Dante said, "Yes, they will all join the fight against Light so they can obtain the power within this so-called Kingdom Hearts. And among these Seekers of Darkness are the other eleven Dark Users from Utopia."

"Ah, so we truly are complete," Domino muttered. "Then I can assume that the others from Utopia didn't show up because they are loyal to the Light. That is understandable…yet foolish." Clearing his throat, he yelled out, "Listen up!" Each of the Keybearers surrounding Domino and Dante looked straight at Domino. "Our plan will soon reach fruition! As soon as this meeting is adjourned, we are to head for the birthplace of all Keyblades…my home, Sanctuary. There, we will shut down all light. We will begin an era of darkness…we will fuel the worlds with power hardly anyone has ever seen!"

I slowly opened my eyes, the words Domino had said fresh in my mind. For some reason, I didn't focus too much on that vision. It could have just been a dream for all I knew. I felt a cold wind…the window was partially opened, and my shoulders were poking out from under the blanket, bare. Bare? I soon realized that I was sleeping in Xena's bed, with Xena, nude. Xena's eyes slowly opened. "Afternoon, Sunshine."

"What happened?" I asked silently, trying to slowly back away from her, but if I went too far I would fall out of the bed.

"And they say true love can't happen in a day," Xena muttered, putting a hand on my head and stroking my hair. "I've never done anything like this with anyone…I've never had a boyfriend before. But you, there's something about you that I just can't stop loving. Your heart…I can feel it, all of the light it possesses. But you just woke me up…your heart, it was beating rapidly. Like a gun, firing one bullet after another, your heart was pounding from your chest, trying to break free."

I could barely process what she was saying. Although here, in my journal, I can remember our conversation…all I heard at that moment was one, we had it, and two, I had a nightmare…no, a vision…about Domino.

Almost immediately, the door slammed open and Rika rushed into the room. Wasn't the door locked? I quickly pulled the covers over my head, but it was too late. Rika shouted out, "Am I interrupting!?" I slowly lifted the covers off of my head in embarrassment. "Oh well. Listen…Domino's doing something! Something bad!" I looked at her in confusion. "He told me to go get us drinks…for the third time…and when I returned he was surrounded by over half of the Daybreak Keybearer population! I didn't want to be seen, so I rushed over here as quickly as I could to get you two!"

"Rika, we'll be out in a minute," Xena said quickly. "Go wait in the kitchen. Once there, don't move." Rika left, slamming the door behind her in a rush.

Falling out of Xena's bed, I scrambled to my feet on the floor and found my clothing, quickly slipping into everything. Looking at the door, I waited for Xena to get dressed. Once she finished, the two of us rushed out of her room to find Rika, but she was gone. The front door was wide open. Rain was flying in the house, the floor in front of the door littered with wet leaves soaked in rain.

The minute my foot stepped out of the door, my mind went blank, and was soon replaced by a vision of Domino. He floated in midair in the center of all of the dark Keybearers. Stretching his arms out, he looked to the stormy sky and let the rain slap him in the face.

"I, Domino, call out to the night! The forces of Darkness, I command thee…we shall make sure that the Light be vanquished, and the true power of Kingdom Hearts shall be ours!" He looked around at all of his dark followers. "Every single one of you, do as I've said moments ago! Give me the power of darkness!"

Each of the Keybearers pointed their blades at Domino, and darkness began swirling around the tip of each blade. Dante smiled evilly.

"Domino, stop!" yelled the voice of Rika. None of the darkness users seemed to notice her presence, except for Domino and Dante. Rika ran past the fountain, jumping front of Domino. "Stop this madness now! What are you doing using the darkness like it's some toy, Domino!?" And then as if on cue, beams of darkness shot from each and every Keyblade out of the hundreds surrounding Domino. And instead of fusing with Domino as he obviously intended, the darkness slammed against Rika from all directions.

Rika! I tried to cry out, but I realized this was only a vision. She winced in pain. I could barely watch. Each Keyblade blasted darkness her way, swirling around her in a flurry of pure evil. "AHHHHH!" she screamed out, darkness blasting out of the palms of her hands. Domino looked genuinely stunned; as if caring for the girl would undo the decisions he's made. Dante's expression was hard to read. When each Keyblade lowered, the darkness surrounding Rika vanished. The girl clutched her fists, her lips twisting into a smile. "I feel…reborn."

My eyes snapped open…I was on the floor, being comforted by Xena. Quickly sitting up in the doorway, I yelled out, "Rika's in trouble!"

.

Yes, I just left you with a massive cliffhanger! For those of you who have read Road to Xehanort, the story that comes after this one in continuity, then you already know as of this chapter what is to become of a certain character whom I am not going to name.