CHAPTER 4

Conjecture

The Gummi ship flew off into space with a whiz and a twinkle as Master Yen Sid sat in his lofty chair, pondering the recent events with utmost integrity and earnest. The new development tied together some of his other thoughts as Maleficent's movements seemed too precise to be coincidental. Alone with his mind as Mickey, Donald, and Goofy embarked on their critical mission to rescue Queen Minnie, the retired keyblade wielder felt free to speak aloud to himself, a method that had always helped him summarize his thoughts. "The timing is too perfect…too calculated," he concluded, knowing the evil fairy had the uncanny gift of finding dark allies and exploiting them for her own benefit. "Maleficent must sense a change in the forces of darkness. A change…like Xehanort."

"My thoughts exactly, old friend." The deep thinker was stunned to receive an answer while meditating, but his astonishment quickly vanished when he recognized the voice and its source. With a magical wave of his glowing hand and a small puff of smoke, he summoned his crystal which he frequently used for communication to distant worlds. Staring into its brilliant radiance, he smiled as his mind went back to the olden days.

"Aalif, it has been too long," he claimed as he stared into the magical gem hovering above his desk. His rich, deep tone carried a small lilt of disapproval, but even he could not fully contain his pleasure at hearing his old friend's voice.

"Agreed Weis," his comrade responded, referring to Master Yen Sid by his first name. "But you seem to have kept yourself busy just as I have," the crystal responded, glowing brightly with every word. "And on a similar subject," Aalif disclosed thoughtfully.

This revelation pleased the old master greatly. "I should have known I wasn't the only one watching the worlds," Yen Sid responded, surprised he had not considered this fact before. Two great minds are better than one, he thought, knowing this statement was indeed true and should have been regarded earlier.

"I may have abandoned my duty, but not my responsibility," the fellow guardian responded, his tone contrite and determined. "I promised to always protect the worlds." Aalif proved this – if by nothing else of the past – simply by his contact with Weis to discuss the current events.

Yen Sid nodded, though he knew his associate could not see him. "That you did," he agreed wholeheartedly. "An oath be both made to our master." Despite his age, the retired keyblade wielder remembered well their own master and the wonderful times he and Aalif had had under his teachings. His mind turned from reminiscing on the past to the present concerns. "What is your conjecture on all of this?

"You refer to Xehanort as your topic of choice," the colleague master responded, knowing full well the identity of their struggles. His next statement grabbed Master Yen Sid's attention to an area of the problem he had not considered. "However, there is something that troubles me more than Xehanort's possible return – the paths of time."

Weis had not considered this as he didn't think it was worth considering. "I have not sensed any danger," he concluded, his opinion sounding as sure as fact. "I know that the paths are active – two of my students are using them for their Mark of Mastery exam." He divulged this information expecting a short silence to follow as Aalif reconsidered his theory.

However, the response came directly, as if this revelation meant nothing to the conversation. "A strange way to do it, may I say…but very essential considering the recent events," Aalif stated thoughtfully, having observed the worlds as much as his associate had. "Their resulting power would prove very useful."

"Indeed," Yen Sid concluded, not understanding the point his peer was trying to make. "But they have not caused any changes to the timeline," he affirmed, trying to ease his compatriot's industrious mind. "They merely used the corridors to reach the Realm of Sleep."

The reply stunned Yen Sid more than Aalif's first response. "On the contrary, their one act seems to have spawned others." There was a brief pause in the message before the scholarly observer continued. "It is not the time travel of a pair but of multiple others, leaping back and forth across the timeline from many different eras."

"How have you seen this?" the Master asked, surprised he wouldn't have noticed this. He did not give himself the pleasure of excusing his unconsciousness due to focusing on his current involvements more than the rest of the realms. However, this was the reason. Luckily, Aalif, not having to concern himself with the current keyblade warriors, had more time on his hands to ponder such things and present his conceptions.

"When your pupils went back into time, there should have been no disturbance," the elderly master stated before continuing with his reflections, "yet rifts appeared in the realm of light – a portal linked to the darkness and dream worlds to which the keyblade wielders were traveling." Master Aalif, having been trained by the same master as Weis, was fully aware of the timeline, various realms, and battle between light and darkness, so this conversation reminded both fellow students of their debates of youth.

"I could sense the change in darkness…" Master Yen Sid agreed, closing his eyes in contemplation. This situation has moved to a higher level of complexity. His mind recalled a lecture of their past leader. "Rifts connecting the past and present create dark portals that consume everything." However, Yen Sid's collaborator had said a rift formed a new dark link between the dream realm and the realm of light. Such a thing was never heard of.

"Due to Xehanort," his supporter stated, completing Weis' statement for him before continuing with his own hypothesis. "But this wouldn't be far from him – I am almost certain that the two subjects are connected," Aalif stated assuredly, his tone mentally carrying the determined facial expression Weis remembered well from his earnest cohort.

Yen Sid fed Aalif more wood for his fire, feeding the conversation's continuation. "And you suppose that these rifts are linked not only to him, but them as well," he stated, referring to the two newly unaccounted keyblade wielders. This new cog in the wheel of ignorance towards their condition caused the master to worry more for his students' safety. Despite this worry, he was determined to save all notes for further consideration later and again engaged in the conversation, opening his eyes to the crystal's responsive glow.

"Yes," replied Aalif confidently, consciously accepting the conversational fuel. "These changes in the timeline clearly happened long ago, sometimes years apart, but only became evident now at the exact time Sora and Riku left." His self-confidence and precise details bewildered Master Yen Sid and subconsciously caused him to speculate his companion's sources, but the attentive magician again fixed on what was being said with all integrity, giving Aalif his full attention. "Appearing as an illusion, their 'blast to the past' was evident in the real realm just before the portal appeared."

"And the fate of the portal?" Weis asked, an alarmed manner steadily growing. Knowing that time portals grew until nothing remained, Yen Sid's awareness was fully aroused as he realized worlds would be permanently consumed with no method of regaining them – no amount of Sora's quests could ever bring them back.

Aalif's manner of answer, similar to his customary character (and that of Yen Sid's), was to state preceding details before answering the question. "There are many besides us who protect and watch over the worlds…but you knew that," he claimed, knowing his ally must have at least concluded this basic fact through his years of study. "Two of these allies closed the portal from both sides to halt the spread of darkness into our realm." Yen Sid's questions grew in every way possible, but his relief calmed his subtle panic knowing the worlds were not facing an imminent death. However, not all was fine and dandy. "But evidence of the rift still remains," Aalif stated, concluding his lecture.

"Such as the darkness," Yen Sid concluded, fully understanding his peer's explanation. He summed up the recent events in his mind quickly to refresh all the details. Sora and Riku's travels through time instigated a chain reaction, which tore a hole in the space-time continuum that has been taken care of but left its mark. …Too few details – too many unknowns.

"Hmm," the unseen master pondered, his wisdom obvious in his meditation as both elders contemplated and collected their thoughts. Aalif continued the conversation after their brief lull with more news. "The portal opened in Destiny Islands due to your students traveling to that world in the past." This Yen Sid had assumed, but the situation's development was not. "The Nightmare dream eaters, sensing the light of this world, attempted to cross the portal and bring havoc to the islands."

"Which is impossible," the master concluded certainly. Yen Sid was contemplative, but dubious of this account. Dream eaters are dreams – they have no form in our world but inside of our minds. So how would they affect it?

Aalif was prepared to refute this perception. "True, but as they crossed the expanse of time and space, their bodies were transformed into another form of darkness – Heartless." This revelation shocked Yen Sid, but he instantly acknowledged its possibility. Due to being darkness, they can morph from dreams to desires as they cross into a different fraction of the universe fabric. He reengaged with the topic at hand, which now caused him greater distress. "They almost did bring chaos to the worlds," his fellow classmate claimed with candor.

Destiny Islands is Sora and Riku's home… "And the islands?" he asked, considerate concern obvious in his atmosphere. More importantly, he worried for one person in particular that remained at home. "Kairi?" he asked, his tone demanding for details. The Princess of Heart's death would not only be a serious personal blow to the team but would also cause a greater outbreak of darkness than the portal would have.

"In a stable condition and of no worry," was the response. Of the islands or of Kairi? Weis wondered, impatiently anxious. However, Aalif was quick to assure his comrade of the safety of both. "The heartless have been contained and taken care of. The world's inhabitants fought as they could, and Kairi showed great promise."

"Did she?" he asked inquisitively, his eyes closing again as a smile crossed his face. Both he and his ally had been trained to the highest degree of mastery, but Aalif had always been incredibly skilled at spotting possibility. The wise master's thoughts drifted to the world of 'what if?' as he considered the near future, and what it may hold for the princess.