Okay... here's the next chapter for those who are waiting!

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Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts (c) Tetsuya Nomura
Disney characters (c) Walt Disney
Claimer: Everything else (c) me

Chapter One: Awakening

Riku took a deep breath as his hand settled on the doorknob of Yuki's room, his head bowed and aqua eyes closed.

"Riku?" Mickey said in concern.

Opening his eyes, he breathed, "I'm fine."

Turning the doorknob, he pushed open the door and stared at the young 16-year-old girl laying in a bed of linen white sheets against the opposite wall of the door. Her long black hair rested behind her that framed her slender face and high cheekbones. Her slender body was covered with a silky blue blanket, one of her hands folded on her chest while the other rested by her side. Her skin was rather pale from her already light skin, and her breathing seemed rather slow.

The room was simple, with a hardwood desk and chair with a shelf full of books and other items, as well as a closet.

Riku hurried to her side, sitting down on her bedside and taking one of her hands in both of his, feeling the coldness of her flesh.

"Yuki," he murmured, pressing her hand against his lips, "wake up."

Kairi looked sadly at her friend. "She's been like this since this morning. She hasn't woken at all," she stated.

Riku looked at Sora. "Do you think you could do anything to help her Sora? Can you help the light in her heart?" he asked in concern.

Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hand and he placed the tip of it on Yuki's forehead, closing his eyes. "I'll try," he said unsurely.

"A-Ah!" Yuki choked as her back arched, her face twisting in pain briefly before she flopped back down against the bed.

"Yuki!" Riku cried as Sora stepped back in shock.

Sora watched painfully as Riku tried to wake the seemingly-sleeping girl. W-What have I done? D-Did I hurt her?! He thought in horror.

Suddenly, golden eyes began to flutter open as Yuki looked up into Riku's.

"R-Riku?" she murmured quietly as she tried to sit up.

"Yuki! You're awake!" he breathed in relief, hugging her against his chest in a tight embrace. "How do you feel?"

She sighed, "I've been better. How about you? Are you alright?"

Pressing her tighter against him, he asked her in a pained voice, "How could you still worry about me when you can barely stay awake?"

"When you're off saving the world, I can't help but worry about you and whether you're alright," the girl replied. "What happened?"

"Kingdom Hearts is no more," King Mickey said, "Sora and Riku defeated Xemnas and the rest of Organization XIII is gone. However, Maleficent has returned with her Heartless."

Yuki pulled back from Riku and carefully swung her legs out of bed, sitting up while leaning on her boyfriend. "Maybe that is why I collapsed this morning," she sighed, looking back at Sora, Donald and Goofy. "And who are these guys?"

"I'm Sora," Sora greeted, "this is Donald and Goofy. We're all friends with Kairi, Riku, and the King."

She gave a curt nod. "I'm Yuki," she returned, "it's nice to meet you, though I wish it would be under better conditions. So you must be the Sora that Riku was talking about."

Riku wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tighter against him. "Yuki, I'm so sorry I left you," he apologized, "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, "and don't be sorry. You needed to go help Sora and his friends. I don't blame you for that. And don't worry about me. I'll be alright in a few days. The light of the Keyblades support the light within my heart."

Stroking her hair, he rested his chin on her head. "I promise I'll protect and help you any way I can," he promised.

"I know," she responded. "Now… let's head outside, I think I've been cooped up in here for a little too long. It's getting stuffy in here."

Very carefully, Yuki stood up with Riku's help and closed her eyes, a swirl of magic embracing her and her white and black pyjamas and transforming into a spaghetti-strap pure white dress that reached her ankles. White half-inch heels cradled her feet and a single white Lily appeared in her hair, holding back some of her black bangs.

"W-Wow…" Donald gasped in awe, "t-that's amazing!"

She smiled softly. "Thank you," she said as Riku offered out his hand to her and she took it without a moment's hesitation.

As Yuki, Riku, Sora, and Kairi returned to the beach and stared across the horizon towards the setting sun Yuki reached up and gave Riku a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," she said suddenly.

He looked at her. "What for?"

She smiled at him. "For coming back like you promised you would," she whispered before their lips met in a passionate embrace before pulling away.

Kairi leaned her head on Sora's shoulder. "Awww… aren't they cute?" she cooed.

Sora blushed. "U-Uh… yeah," he agreed.

Yuki felt something spark within her heart and she tensed in Riku's arms. "Ah!" she breathed.

Riku's worried aqua gaze looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"Um… I think so," she replied quietly, looking over at Sora and Kairi before walking over to them, her hand outstretched and her golden eyes closed.

All of a sudden, two blondes walked out from Sora and Kairi's bodies and Yuki took a wary step to the side before being caught by Riku.

"R-Roxas! N-Naminé!" Sora gasped.

Roxas smiled as he looked down at his solid self before glancing back up. "Hey Sora, Kairi, Riku," he greeted easily, his gaze suddenly falling onto the girl Riku held upright. "Y-Yuki?" he breathed in amazement.

"Hi Roxas," she sighed tiredly, "It's nice to see you and Naminé again. It's been a while… I think."

"You know them?" Kairi inquired in surprise.

Yuki nodded as she stood on her own once more. "I met them while Sora, Donald and Goofy were asleep," she answered.

"Yuki, did you just separate us?" Naminé questioned curiously, "As in, did you separate Roxas and I from Sora and Kairi?"

"Yes, not an easy task, I assure you," she replied. "But… with my current level of magic, I managed. Now… the reason behind this is because I believe that something is happening in one or more of the other worlds, and we'll need help."

Sora grinned, "We can handle it!"

Kairi tackle-hugged him. "But you guys only just got back!" she argued defensively.

"Kairi's right," Yuki sighed. "For the time being we'll let things unfold as they are. If something's wrong, I'll sense it and alert the rest of you. Otherwise relax for the time. You guys haven't actually been home in about a year. As for Roxas and Naminé, I will need to consult you both about something that's just come up that's beginning to bother me."

Riku looked at her with worried eyes. "I'll need to hear this too," he stated bluntly. "If it involves you, and more importantly, bothers you, then I definitely need to know. I want to help you." His palm rested on her cheek as his fingers brushed against her hair, his face closing in on hers. "You're the one I love with all my heart."

She smiled. "I love you too," she said, reaching up to give him a passionate kiss.

"Hmmm… maybe we've missed something for the last while," Naminé commented with a smile.

As Yuki pulled back from Riku, she placed a hand on his chest over his heart.

"You've been touched by the darkness," she murmured, looking up at him. "I felt darkness mixed with your aura while you were gone. What happened?"

"I needed to submerse myself in darkness in order to help Sora and his friends," he explained. "I'm sorry if that hurt you."

She shook her head. "It didn't harm me, but… I was worried. I don't want to lose you to the darkness," she told him. "You pulled me out of the darkness and brought light back into my heart, even when you were almost lost to the darkness yourself."

"But I defeated the darkness within me. I'm here, now," he said quietly, "with you. And we're together once more."

She reached up to touch his cheek. "You're not leaving me ever again," she determined. "Wherever you go, I'm coming with you."

He hugged her tightly against his chest. "I promise I'll always protect you, no matter what happens," he swore quietly to her. Looking at the others, he mouthed, "go, we'll be back later."

As the others left, Yuki stayed quiet as she just held herself in Riku's arms, listening to the beating of his heart and feeling his chest heave with every breath he took.

"Yuki," Riku murmured into her hair, burying his face in it.

"Riku," she whispered, burying her face into his shoulder, "I love you so much."

He pulled back and smiled, giving her a sweet, deep kiss. "I love you too."

Without warning, Yuki's breath caught in her throat as she felt a dark pulsing within her heart and she began to collapse back. Riku caught her and lowered her down as he began to shout her name desperately, but she couldn't hear him. She could only see his lips move and mouth words, though they were inaudible to her ears. As her head fell back in the crease of his arm, her eyes looked up into the darkening star-filled sky before they rolled back and her eyelids closed over them as she slipped unconscious.

"W-Where am I?" She murmured to no one in particular as she found herself in a white, shapeless world.

"Yuki!" a familiar voice cried, a ripple of black rings appearing in the distance.

"Riku?" she inquired. "Is that you, Riku?"

"Maiden of Light!" a deeper voice boomed, "You have been summoned here!"

The 16-year-old looked around for the voice. "Here being where exactly? Why have I been summoned?"

"This is the only place where light and dark coexists in harmony," the voice replied. "You need to know that there has recently been a new emergence of another Keyblade wielder, but they reside within darkness. You will need to lead them out of the darkness; help them shoulder it, as your love did. Another thing, the darkness is rising once more, old and new foes alike. Your life needs to be once more dependent on the light of the Keyblade wielders around you, as well as the Keyblade Master himself. Your life is in danger, I fear this battle may be one you may not survive."

She sighed, "I understand. Will there ever be a time when my life isn't dependant on the light of the worlds? Sure, I don't mind too much that my heart monitors the light within worlds, but it gets tedious after a while."

The voice chuckled, "I'm afraid you cannot escape the fate of being the Maiden of Light. However, you will gain a greater peace of mind through these next few experiences. You will make new friends; reunite with old ones, and hopefully save the worlds once more."

"Hey, I wasn't the one who saved them last time," she retorted. "But thanks for the flattery."

"You may end up giving your life and light for someone you care for deeply," he warned. "Are you sure you're willing to accept this?"

Yuki dipped her head. "If it's for the better cause, then yes, I will make that sacrifice," she determined. "Just tell me I won't regret it, after all… you do know a lot that I definitely don't."

"You won't regret it," he promised.

She sighed in relief, "Thank you."

"Be ready, Yuki, for the hardships you will face in the future may prove difficult yet," the voice warned before there was a flash of bright light, "Good luck!"

Well... that was blunt. I wonder what will happen in the next chapter??? lol. It involves dramaticism. I think that's a word, yes. lol.

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