Hello again! As you'll notice I've updated the cover with a proper drawing of Kaen — you can find her full design on my tumblr and/or twitter (both noritamine), along with her Keyblade. To be honest I went through the next world, taking notes as I went, and nearly finished just after I was done with this chapter. Then I instead took a break from writing to work on art of Kaen, and even though it's only been half a week it's oddly tricky to get back into writing.

Still, I should see you all next week at least! Reviews are appreciated, and thank you all for reading.

Chapter 4: Reality

The first thing I realized was that every part of me was sore. Then, my eyes opened and all I could do was stare at the night sky above me. The countless stars were incredibly clear, reminding me of the times when Sora's dad had taken us to the play island to stargaze.

Eventually I shifted, biting back a groan at all the aches and pains that sparked into life across my form. I squeezed my eyes shut and rolled over, hands splaying against the cool surface of the ground. My forehead pressed against the smooth surface, and in a way it was soothing. However, it couldn't and wouldn't last forever.

I opened my eyes and shoved myself upright, eyes immediately going wide. Before me was nothing close to anything I'd ever seen before. Back home the buildings were spaced out, simple, but here they were wall-to-wall; one building started right where the ones next to it ended.

My head tipped to the side, eyes flickering around in an attempt to see any trace of something familiar.

There was nothing.

I turned on my heel, head leaning back to peer at the buildings past the railed level they sat upon. A fountain trickled close by, its back pressed to the wall, but as much as it reminded me of home I didn't give it too much attention.

I had to find someone. Sora, Riku, Kairi, or at least someone who could point me in the right direction.

Or any direction, really; right now, having the slightest amount of help would be great.

Slowly I turned around, eyes scanning the surrounding for any clue as to what to do next. Then, right before I was going to make a full loop, I saw the stairs. Without waiting I hurried across the cobblestone, climbing up the stretch of steps that led up to the second level.

Once again I carefully spun around, searching for anything that stood out, good or bad.

Then, I saw it, hard to miss with its number of signs.

A hotel. One across the area, on the opposite side of the second level.

I walked along the pathway, gaze flicking to the buildings at my side. I found myself stopping in front of a store, peering into the reflective glass. I leaned in, hand pressing against the cold surface. I stared and stared hard, searching my own light teal eyes as if they held the answers to everything going on.

With an even deeper frown I pulled away, fingertips brushing my hair from my eye. I turned, moved to start walking again, but all I could do was continue to peer at my own image. The brilliantly colored red hair that most definitely only had a trace of pink, the off-the-shoulder black top and the pale indigo tank top underneath...

The lights along the railings glowed, effecting the colors of everything nearby with their gentle glows. Despite the way they were in the backdrop, they still managed to hold up in clarity to my own reflection.

I tipped my head to the side, confused about everything, from where I was to why I was so transfixed with myself. I blinked, slowly, half-expecting to be back home when my eyes reopened.

I stayed where I was, wherever it was. Another world? Another island? No, it couldn't be the latter; for the first time in my life, there wasn't even a trace of the tang of salt in the air. Tears burned my eyes, and with no need to save face there was no need to stop the way my vision blurred.

I swallowed hard and shook my head, pressing my hands into my eyes.

There was a quiet, almost squelching sound.

I jumped as the silence was suddenly broken, whirling around. A deep shadow was on the ground, shifting and moving across the stone.

I froze, carefully edging backwards until my back pressed against the storefront. I swallowed hard, feeling the sweat bead across my forehead.

More shadows crept up. Shivers ran down my spine.

Slowly, I started to inch to the side. The shadows followed, all but circling.

The first shadow creature seeped up from the ground, claws curling and uncurling.

I waited.

It moved closer.

I ran.

I wanted to scream, cry, but more than anything I wanted to get away. I had to get away.

I veered around the corner, soles skidding against the ground. I scrambled, nearly toppling over from the momentum as I slid. I pushed myself away from the ground with my hand, bolting as fast as I could.

The creatures were near silent; I had no idea how close or how far off they were. I didn't want to know, either; not really. Ignorance was bliss, even in a situation like this.

I crashed shoulder first into the next building as I skidded around the next corner, just barely missing a window and potentially breaking through it. I rushed ahead, as hard and as fast as I could. The blood was roaring in my ears, and the short distance to the hotel's entrance seemed more like an endless field than anything else.

Then, I was finally slamming the door open, chest heaving. I threw it shut behind me, back pressed against the wooden surface. I squeezed my eyes shut, ears straining in an attempt to hear anything beyond my rapid heartbeat.

I heard nothing.

No claws, no steps, not even any squelching of the shadow creatures changing forms. I let out a heavy breath, wiping off my face as I opened my eyes. I straightened out, fiddling with the pendant as I headed down the hall.

I passed by the first door and paused. Carefully, I knocked loudly.

Once again, there was no answer.

I poked my head inside, frowning.

No one.

I closed the door quietly, checking each room as I headed down the hall. The result? A whole load of nothing.

I didn't want to go back out there, with the creatures, but I also knew I couldn't stay in here. For one there weren't any supplies, and more than that I couldn't find anyone by holing myself up in here.

With a heavy sigh I stopped in front of the exit at the end of the hall, swallowing. I gathered my courage, my will to find my friends, and reached out.

I opened the door.

A muffled clang of metal against metal reached my ears. I quickened my steps, bursting out into a run. Another set of massive doors met me and I threw them open in a hurry and rushed through—

Sora.

He was there, standing across from a darkly-clad brunet in the middle of a plaza.

Sora, in his characteristic red.

Sora, still with his over-sized key of a weapon in hand.

Sora, falling back onto the ground.

Sora, still.

The man, still holding his massive blade weapon in hand.

The man, poised as if he'd just taken a strike.

The man, standing over Sora.

Blood roared in my ears all over again, and it felt as if the ground had just been yanked from underneath me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, could only see Sora's motionless form and the figure looming over him.

I saw red.

"SORA!" I bolted forward, tightly gripping the weapon suddenly in my hands. The man looked over at me, the alarm clear on his face.

With a yell I raised both of my hands over my head, lunging towards him with nothing but anger in my veins and—

A strong force slammed into my gut, sending the world spinning and spots bursting behind my eyes. The air tore itself from my lungs and I fell, crumpling to the ground in a heap. There was a clatter of something nearby, but all I could focus on was the desperate need for oxygen.

"Thanks, Yuffie."

Wheezing, I forced my gaze upward and glared daggers at the man. He had a thin scar across his face, and his features were empty as he looked down at me. At his side was a girl, Yuffie, with short dark hair and a yellow scarf looped around her neck.

"No problem, Leon," I only glared harder at the sound of her chipper voice, my jaw clenching tight. I pressed my hand against the ground by my head and shakily propped myself upright, trembling.

I never looked away from the bastards, not caring for the bruising on my abdomen or the throbbing pain it emanated. They'd hurt Sora they'd hurt Sora they'd hurt my friend—

"You—" I clambered onto my feet, arm rearing back and hand curled into a fist. I threw it at his face, fast and hard.

With ease, he stepped back and was gripping my wrist in his gloved hand. I shrieked, struggled, free hand flying until it, too, was in his grasp.

"The hell did you do!?" I demanded, feet slamming into the ground with as much frequency as possible as tears burned my eyes. I fought him, despite his strength and despite his size, determined to make him pay.

"He's just unconscious, you know," Yuffie piped in, as if it changed what had happened. Tears burned my eyes, and though knowing Sora was okay eased some of the panic it did nothing for the fury. "You see this?"

I followed her as she walked around us, picking up the key weapon from Sora's hand and straightening, holding it out.

"What about it?" I spat, only glaring harder. With little to no range of movement my struggles slowed, but once the idea of it occurred it me it was hard to restrain myself and not slam my feet into Leon's.

"It's called a Keyblade," she explained, resting it over her shoulder. "The Heartless were tracking him as long as he had it on him."

My brow furrowed, features twisting in confusion. Did she mean—? "Heartless?"

"The creatures roaming around. You've seen them, right?"

"Those shadow creatures?" I blurted out, eyebrows shooting up at the name. Heartless? It seemed fitting, but at the same time...

"Yep," she nodded, head tipping to the side. "And your friend here refused to let go of his Keyblade, so..."

"So you attacked him!?" My head snapped around to glare at the man, fuming. His expression was as impassive as ever, and I barely had half a mind not to slam my heel into his shin. "Just because he's a stubborn idiot doesn't mean—!"

"He wouldn't listen to a stranger asking him to give up his weapon?" Leon quipped back, coolly. I half-stared half-glowered up at him, mouth clamping shut. My face burned. "Now, have you calmed down yet or are you going to attack me again?"

I looked away, more heat rushing to my face. My jaw clenched. Slowly, I nodded.

He let me go, and I crossed my arms stubbornly. He stepped back, and headed over to Sora. I watched him, warily. "I've got the kid. Yuffie, get the other one."

"You got it."

The other one?

I whirled around, just in time to see Yuffie stoop to the ground and grab—

"What is that?" I gaped at her as she picked up the dark weapon, a brilliant purple flower wrapped around where the guard met the shaft. What seemed to be a large petal peeled away from the end of its length, curved almost like a crescent moon.

"It's your Keyblade," she chirped, straightening out and looking back over at me.

I stared, mouth falling open.

"My—?" somehow, I managed to point at myself. My mind was spinning, now more than ever. First there was Sora and his so-called Keyblade back at Destiny Islands, and now...?

"It appeared right before you rushed at me," I spun on my heel to look at Leon, who now had Sora in his arms. I bristled. "You mean to tell me you've never summoned it before?"

I sputtered, too confused to be offended by his tone. I shook my head. "N-No..."

"Well, come on," carefully he started to walk, heading up the steps with Yuffie following after him. "We'll explain everything after Sora wakes up. What's your name?"

"...Kaen," I mumbled, dragging my feet after them.

We were back at the hotel, inside a green-covered room. Sora had been set on the bed, the duo standing while I remained plopped down in one of the chairs. The Keyblades were propped against the wall, and with the realization that I had one it was hard to keep myself away from it.

There was a groan from the other side of the room. I nearly jumped, gaze flying over to Sora in worry. Yet instead of being in pain, all he did was roll onto his side.

I felt my mouth twitch. How typical of him.

With her fists on her hips Yuffie strutted up to the bedside, leaning over Sora. "Come on, lazy bum. Wake up."

I did my best to peer past her, nearly toppling out of my chair as I did so. I managed to make out the shake of his head by the shift of his spiky hair, and could only assume he'd sat up when he left what I could see.

Yuffie's head tipped to the side. "You okay?"

"I guess," he said. Relief left my chest ready to burst.

Yuffie straightened out. "Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade. But it's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade."

My brow furrowed. I already knew the shadow creatures were called the Heartless, but them being after hearts? It made sense, what with their name, and it gave them a reason to attack people, but what was so special about the heart of someone with a Keyblade?

"I'm so glad that you're okay, Kairi."

My heart stopped. I felt sick to my stomach. Tears burned my eyes, and I fixed my gaze to the floor. I glimpsed my pendant, and I wrapped my hand around it protectively. Worry for both my sister and my friends rose back to the surface, Sora included.

"Kairi?" with good reason, she was confused. "I'm the great ninja Yuffie."

"Huh?" I could all but see Sora gape, and the familiarity of the situation was so strong it was painful.

Nearly huffing, Yuffie turned to look back at Leon. "I think you might have overdone it, Squall."

I blinked. Squall? Was that a nickname of his, or something?

"That's Leon," he corrected.

"The Keyblade..." even without seeing him I knew Sora's gaze traveled to the wall where his Keyblade sat. Confusion entered his voice. "Wait, whose is—?"

Yuffie stepped to the side, leaving me in full view of Sora. He gaped. "Hers."

"Wha— Kaen!?" he sputtered. The relief at finally seeing him awake did nothing for the knots in my stomach.

"Hey, Sora," I managed a weak smile.

Yuffie nodded, almost to herself, stepping back. She glanced back at me, nodded slightly, then put her focus back on Sora. "We had to get your Keyblades away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out that's how they were tracking you."

"It was the only way to conceal your hearts from them," Leon elaborated, folding his arms. I frowned, looking over at him. "But it won't work for long. Still, hard to believe that you two of all people are the chosen ones."

I nearly scoffed. Chosen ones? They were already two of us, just from one little island; just what made those with Keyblades so rare?

Leon grabbed Sora's Keyblade in his hand, throwing his arm out in a slow and simple strike. It exploded in light, doing just the same as it reformed in Sora's hand. I stared, looking back at the wall where my own Keyblade was resting.

I imagined its hilt in my hand, the weight of it, and in another flurry of light it appeared in my hand. I looked back at Sora, unable to hold back my grin.

"Well," Leon sighed, stealing our attention once again. "I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

I scowled, briefly contemplating the idea of taking him by surprise to attack him again.

"Why don't you start making sense!" Sora was angry, frustrated. I could see why. First there was how Leon had knocked him out, and before then there'd been... "What's going on here?"

A frown came to my face, as similar questions entered my own mind. Just how had we gotten here? What had happened to our homes, our families, our island?

Leon looked back at me, and nodded towards Sora. After a moment of confusion and a bit of fumbling, I scurried to the other side of the room and sat down next to Sora.

"You know there are other worlds besides your home and this town, right?" I shared a look with Sora. In sync, we both nodded. We looked back toward Leon. "They've been secret, because they've never been connected. Until now. When the Heartless came, everything changed."

"The Heartless?" I glanced back at Sora, quickly remembering that he'd been out of it for the mini-explanation Yuffie had given me.

Yuffie dropped down next to me. She looked past me, at Sora. I couldn't help but do the same. "The ones who attacked you, you remember?"

"Those without hearts," Leon explained.

"The darkness in people's hearts — that's what attracts them." I nearly shivered at Yuffie's explanation. More about darkness? I recalled the substance that giant Heartless back at the island had gathered inside the hole in its chest, the pools from my dream. My skin crawled.

"And there is darkness within every heart," Leon said.

"Hey," Yuffie looked at us. "Have you heard of someone named Ansem?"

I felt Sora lean forward to get a better look at her.

"Ansem?" we chorused, curious.

Leon nodded. "He was studying the Heartless. He recorded all of his findings in a detailed report. But its pages have been scattered everywhere, to many worlds. But in order to safely gather them, the key to defeating the Heartless is needed."

Sora and I shared a look. Our gazes fell to his Keyblade — the one that far more closely resembled a key.

"So," he held it out, examining it. "This is the key..."

"Exactly!" Yuffie chirruped, nodding.

"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade," Leon's back turned to us as he paced across the room. I noticed the small pair of red wings on the back of his short jacket. "That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what."

"Well," Sora sounded unsure. I didn't blame him. "I didn't ask for this."

"They Keyblade chooses its master," Yuffie said, turning towards us. "And it chose you two."

"So tough luck," with a nonchalant wave Leon leaned against the door, arms folding once again. And once again, he had me glaring holes into him.

"How did all this happen? I remember being in my room..." Sora gasped, jumping to his feet. "Wait a minute! What happened to my home? My island? Riku! Kairi!"

"You know what?" Leon didn't even bother to look over. Despite it, for once his voice seemed to show emotion. He seemed... worn down, tired, almost. "I really don't know."

I looked back to the floor. I gripped my Keyblade until my knuckles turned white. If we made it out, then Riku and Kairi both had to, right?

Tears burned my eyes all over again. I struggled to keep them back.

"Kaen?" I nearly jumped out of my skin, eyes snapping up to Sora's. His head tipped to the side. "You okay?"

I forced myself to nod. "I'm fine."

He nodded, and stood up. I watched him as he approached Leon. The man watched him in turn. "Sooner or later, the Heartless will find you. You'd best prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself?"

"To fight for your life," Leon clarified. "Are you ready?"

Sora looked back at me. I put a smile on my face, nodding. Sora nodded in return, shoulders rolling back. His gaze returned to Leon. "I'm ready!"

Leon glanced over at me, and without needing to consider I nodded up at him. I doubt he needed any reassurance. After all, I'd literally ran at him without a care to try and protect Sora.

"Yuffie, let's go join Aerith," Leon pushed away from the door, arms falling to his sides. "She should be there now with the other visitors."

Wait, Aerith? Other visitors? What was he talking about?

"Leon!" Yuffie cried out, pointing.

In the corner of the room there was briefly an orb of shadow, before it turned into what I could only assume was another kind of Heartless. It had a red emblem on its chest and a clattering helmet that showed its smooth face.

I jumped to my feet, hands gripping the hilt of my Keyblade.

"Yuffie, go!" Leon barked, leaving no room for objection. The other girl dashed out, throwing the door open with a muted slam. Her footsteps retreated, and though I heard someone else call out to her I kept my focus on the Heartless.

"Sora, Kaen, let's go!"

With one strong blow the Heartless had been thrown back, bursting through the window and falling from the balcony. Leon darted through the door after it, leaping off the balcony. Sora and I shared a brief look before heading out after him on foot.

We met up with Leon in the alley behind the hotel, the helmeted Heartless scattered about. We had neither the time nor the stamina to destroy every one we came across.

"Don't bother with the small fry. Find the leader! Let's go!" he kicked off, running through the Heartless. I sprinted after him, Sora at my heels. We burst out of the door at the end of the alley, emerging right in front of the fountained area from when I'd first woken up.

More of the helmeted Heartless appeared, in the same manner as the first, but without paying them any mind we ran past them and headed up the steps.

We hurried down the path, and instead of turning at the corner to head back to the hotel we kept going straight. Another set of large doors laid before us, and we pushed them open. As they swung shut behind us Leon's weapon disappeared in a similar fashion to the Keyblades, and I knew better than to question it.

Was the ability to summon and dismiss weapons on command a common skill, then? I looked down, eyeing my own Keyblade.

"The First District is secure," Leo said, turning back to us. "If you run into trouble, come back here."

I frowned, brow furrowing. "What about finding the leader?"

"Yeah! Don't you know where it is?"

Leon shook his head. "You two rest for now. Why don't you get to know the area before heading off to the Second and Third Districts?"

Sora peered at me, curious.

I shrugged.

He, on the other hand, nodded. "Alright! Come on, Kaen, there's someone you should meet."

After meeting the owner of the accessory shop, Cid, along with Leon and Yuffie's friend, Aerith, we checked in with Yuffie. There was a door that lead straight to the Third District, apparently, but for safety reasons it was now barricaded off.

I looked at Sora, raising a brow. "You know another way to the Third District?"

He nodded. "Yeah, follow me!"

We rushed back up the steps that wrapped around the accessory shop, running back into Leon on the final landing.

"You two heading out?"

"We are," I said, Sora nodding.

Leon nodded himself, his sword-adjacent weapon appearing in his hand. "We'll guard the First District. Go check out the Second and Third Districts, but be careful." Something flickered in his eyes. "Show us the power of the Keyblade."

I grinned.

"You got it!" Sora beamed.

Sora ran back through the doors into the Second District, and I sprinted after him. Almost as soon as the doors shut behind us the first of the Heartless appeared, one of the helmeted ones in the middle of a cluster of the scrawnier ones.

"Go, go, go!" I yelled, striking one that dared to approach and immediately continuing to run. I looked behind me, only to see Sora still focused on the fight. I swore and dove back towards him, slashing any Heartless away and taking Sora by the arm. "Come on, Sora! Find the leader, remember?"

"But—!"

I shook my head, half-leading half-dragging him ahead. "We don't have the time! Besides, Leon'll keep them from getting into the First District, remember?"

He didn't protest, but he didn't look close to happy, either. I pushed him ahead of me, scowling.

"Come on, Sora!" I snapped, trying not to focus on the clatter of a helmet as the Heartless lessened the distance between us.

"Ri-Right..." he nodded, but he continued to run without his usual sprightliness. My feet slammed into the ground with every step.

Impatient, I jumped off the second level and landed in a crouch at the bottom of the steps. More Heartless appeared, spread out in front of the fountain, and I hit away every one whenever they came close. I heard Sora head down the steps after me, and once I heard him retreat I turned around and bolted after him.

Sora wheeled around, taking a sharp turn along the back of the stairs. I skidded around the corner after him, peering ahead. There was a pathway, and we wove between Heartless as we headed down it. The path continued around the corner; at its end was another pair of doors, beneath a sign labeled "3rd District".

We rushed in, onto the landing of a massive staircase. Down the steps and over the railing was an almost closed off area, nearly surrounded in its entirety by high structures. Sora and I shared a look before rushing down the steps, soles clapping against the stone.

We walked across the floor, looking around warily and awaiting Heartless that didn't come. Then, from high above, there was screaming.

I spun around on my heel and looked up, taking only a moment to find the figures plummeting through the sky. With a yell and a scream the both of us scrambled backward, dreading their landing.

Yet, almost as soon as we'd noticed them, they were crashing into us.

My shoulders slammed into the pavement, pains already spreading across my form through the haze my hit head was now in. I stirred, struggling to move or even breathe with the mass of people crushing me. I bit back a groan.

"The key!" the strangers exclaimed, making my head throb with how close they were. One of them had an oddly nasal voice, while the other held a lazy drawl.

"Mind getting off?" I gasped, my own Keyblade awkwardly jabbing into my stomach.

With their own excuses I felt the strangers roll off from the top of the pile. After them, Sora climbed off and I could finally breathe again. I gasped for breath, digging my Keyblade into the ground by its tip to haul myself back to my feet.

I heard the strangers gasp, but I couldn't care less about the what or the why. I straightened out, quietly struggling for breath.

"...You okay?" Sora asked, tentatively.

I bit back a sly remark and instead merely nodded, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, I'm—" I looked over, towards the others. "...Fine...?"

I stared; I couldn't help it.

They were both people, but... suffice to say one seemed to be a bipedal dog, and the other an overgrown duck.

Then, the entire area rumbled. I swore, gripping my Keyblade in both hands and edging closer to Sora.

We looked around, confused and wary. Square pillars burst from the ground, reaching high and sealing off the lower level from the rest of the area. I clenched my jaw.

More of the helmeted Heartless appeared in front of us. I ran forward, arms raised high.

We all fought — me and Sora with our Keyblades, the dog with his shield, and the duck with his magic. With their help, it was far easier and far faster to get rid of them all. Before I knew it, as I looked around there was nothing but what the Heartless had dropped. There was munny, surprisingly, as well as small orbs the color of potions.

I sat on my haunches, reaching out towards one. When I touched it it flew towards me, disappearing inside my flesh with a faint chill. As soon as it did, the aches and weariness across my body lessened.

Sora stepped ahead, away from us. I looked back, eyeing the strangers.

A low hum filled the air, radiating from above. My head snapped up, catching sight of a massive set of purple armor plummet from the sky. On the chest piece there was an emblem, the same as the one on the helmeted Heartless.

Yet before any of the pieces could hit the ground they all spun around in the air, floating by the main body as if there was a figure inside. A matching helmet fell from the sky, landing atop the neck of the armor before lifting up to float above it.

"Sora!" hurriedly, I beckoned him away from the armor. He looked back at me, then back to the armor, before scrambling my way. The others, meanwhile, were already attacking. The duck was flinging spells at it with his staff, and the dog was ramming into it shield-first.

Then the gauntlet hands whirled around in the air, almost idly, before spinning rapidly around the chest piece as they descended to the ground. With a cry Sora dove, barely managing to get out of their way.

The other weren't so lucky, and I looked away as they were thrown back with cries of their own.

I grimaced, peeking back at the battle. The gauntlets were back at the armor's sides, and the strangers were already back on their feet and fighting.

I shook my head and gripped my Keyblade in both hands, charging in with Sora once the coast was clear. The others were already focused on the gauntlets, and it wasn't a hard decision to follow suit.

There was a clang of metal, the arms flying away from the rest of the body. They remained airborne and paired up. We followed, leaping into the air and waiting for them to lower in order to attack. I yelled out, throwing my weight into each strike to maximize the damage.

The ground shook with heavy thuds and I whirled around, seeing the feet separate from the torso in order to rise up and stomp against the ground. I whirled around, making sure they were a ways away but still in my sight, and continued the onslaught against the gauntlets.

Under our relentless attacks, one of the hands shattered and dispersed in a slew of dark wisps and healing orbs.

The body itself pulled away from its limbs, feet and fist all doing their best to slam into us. With a fierce grin I jumped up, continuing the assault against the remaining hand.

Something audibly whirled, and I was slamming into the ground with crushing force. I couldn't even manage a scream, the air squeezed from my lungs. That, combined with the pain, made my thoughts spin in an agonized whirl.

Vaguely I heard my name, the duck calling out after the torso retreated, and in a wash of light I found air in my lungs and the pain across my body gone. I stumbled back onto my feet, looking toward the duck in amazement. He nodded.

I nodded in return, thankful, before refocusing on the armor. Sora and the magic-wielding duck focused on the arm, and I and the dog turned our attention to the rampaging feet. I dipped and dived, barely avoiding a stomp only to whirl around and attack in turn.

In a flurry, the rest of the limbs fell apart.

With only the torso left, it was far easier. It was easy to see when it would attack, easy to dodge, and easy to take advantage of openings.

Suddenly it rumbled, shaking hard. I fell back to the ground and scrambled back, the others doing the same. We backed up, carefully, eyes trained on the armor.

The helmet fell off and slammed into the ground, causing it to shake beneath our feet. I waited for the body to do the same, but it never did. Instead a brilliant white light burst from its neck, almost blinding. A large heart, symmetrical and crystalline, floated out into the sky and disappeared with the light.

There was a rush of wind around the pieces of armor, and in a blur they vanished as well.

Sora and I faced the two, the curiosity undoubtedly clear on our faces.

"So, you were looking for me?" Sora pointed at himself, wondering, and they nodded.

"Well, both of ya, I guess," the dog said, hand raising to the back of his head. I couldn't describe the sudden swelling in my chest.

"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade."

I looked back, to see Leon and Yuffie in their trademark poses. Leon had his arms folded, and Yuffie stood proudly with her hands on her hips. She nodded in agreement.

"Hey," the dog spoke up again, making me look back at him. "Why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessels."

I felt ready to cry, relief filling me as a grin came to my face.

Still, Sora's head was hanging and his gaze was rooted on the ground. "I wonder if we could find Riku and Kairi..."

"Of course," the duck reassured him. I nodded, nudging Sora with my elbow. Meanwhile the dog bent over to the duck's height, having a hushed conversation with him.

"It'll be okay, Sora," I forced a smile, idly wondering when our roles had reversed.

I heard someone step forward, Leon speaking up. "Sora, Kaen, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friends."

"Yeah, I guess," I frowned, heart squeezing at Sora's hopeless tone. He didn't budge or look up, despite the massive chance we had to actively look for Riku and Kairi.

"But you can't come along looking like that. Understand?" the duck raised a finger. His hands settled on his hips, and I looked over at him in confusion. "No frowning. No sad face, okay?" His large eyes looked up at Sora, silently pleading.

I felt a weak smile come to my own face. Perhaps his approach wasn't the best, but his intentions were.

The dog swooped down, nearly slamming his face into the duck's and making the other lean away. "Yeah, ya gotta look funny, like us!"

Without a word the duck shoved him away, gaze returning to Sora with a smile on his bill. "This boat runs on happy faces."

"Happy?" if anything, Sora sounded worse off than before.

With a tight jaw I watched him silently, perhaps waiting with more anticipation than the others to see his attempt at a smile.

After a moment Sora lifted his head, the most ridiculous, fake grin on his face. I covered my mouth with my hand, and I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Sora looked between the other two, waiting for their approval.

His face fell, into a just as ridiculous and large, gaping frown.

I bit on my lip; the dog and duck burst into laughter.

"That's one funny face!" the dog chortled, seeming like his willowy frame might topple over.

Still, Sora seemed in far better spirits when he straightened back out. I smiled, wearily.

Sora looked over at me, and I nodded.

"Okay, why not? We'll go with you guys."

"Donald Duck," the duck held out his hand.

"Name's Goofy," he set his hand over Donald's.

"I'm Sora," he raised his hand.

"Kaen," I told them, hesitantly raising my own hand. I glanced over at Sora and he nodded, smiling reassuringly. A weight seemed to lift itself off my shoulders.

I set my hand on top of Goofy's.

"All for one, one for all," the dog declared. Sora finally set his hand over mine.