Riku's POV

Riku had heard shouts coming from outside his cell, but it had been short lived and was once again silent. The teenager placed a shackled hand on his head, trying to think.

The strange power he had sensed was not familiar to him, though the Light present had indicated that whoever had tried to invade the keep had powerful magic on their side. It reminded him of Roxas when he faced the Nobody that rainy day at the Organization's world nearly a year before. The combination of Light and Darkness that Sora's other half possessed in his two Keyblades - Oblivion and Oath Keeper- had almost been too much for him and forced him to rely on the Darkness he had worked so hard to keep at bay.

However, Riku knew that Roxas could not possibly be the one who had tried to invade the keep, but the idea of someone else holding powers similar to the Nobody was daunting.

Suddenly, a scream echoed throughout the castle above. The Keyblade Master looked up, just as a square hole opened in the ceiling a few feet from him and something fell out. The object landed on the stone floor with a loud thud, another, smaller item sliding away from the first and hitting Riku's foot. He blinked in surprise at what appeared to be what he believed was called an ocarina, then looked back at what had originally fallen from the hole, and gasped.

The angel he had seen from his vision only a few days before lay sprawled out and face down on the cold floor. It appeared that she had tried to use her arms to soften her landing, but had done little good as she was now unconscious. She wasn't wearing the elegant gown from before, but the wings were still present.

Riku only felt his heart sink further when he saw the arrow that pierced the angel's left wing, blackened and caked in dirt and crusty crimson blood.

What could have happened to her? The Keyblade Wielder thought to himself. He started to reach his hand out to touch and see if the girl was still breathing, but quickly pulled back when the fallen figure groaned.

"Gen… ji," the angel murmured, then fell silent once more.

When she said nothing more, Riku reached out once again, but was stopped for the second time. However, it wasn't the angel that stopped him, but a golden light he saw from below him. He looked down and saw the ocarina was the source of the light as it pulsated like a beating heart. The Keyblade Wielder reluctantly picked up the instrument and studied it, titling it as well as his head, trying to find what exactly was causing it to glow.

It was then that he heard the voice.

"Greetings, young Keyblade Master."

Riku gasped and dropped the ocarina, but it luckily landed on his lap than the floor where it would have surely shattered. He blinked a few times, then picked up the flute once more, taking a closer look at it. "Did I hear a voice just now?"

"There is no need to be afraid," the same voice came again.

This time, Riku didn't drop the instrument and instead asked "Who are you?"

"My identity is of no importance," the voice replied. "I simply exist to guide the bearer of The Angel's Keyblade to her destiny."

"The Angel's Keyblade?" Riku repeated. He looked down at the girl, then added "But I thought we already had all seven guardians of Light." A sudden thought struck him. "Does that mean she's the missing thirteenth Darkness!?"

"Do not fear, Keyblade Master," the voice stated calmly. "Hikari is not a member of the feared Organization XIII, but she is not of the Seven of Light either. All will be explained in time, but for now, know that Hikari is on your side."

Hikari; so that's her name, Riku thought to himself, his heart fluttering lightly in his chest as he laid his eyes on the angel once more. "Is there anything I can do to help her?" He asked, looking back at the flute.

The voice sighed. "As you probably already guess, I have no physical form, so I am limited in my abilities. While most of my power goes to The Angel's Keyblade, I have been able to transfer some excess pieces into the ocarina you now hold in your hands, giving it magical healing properties. By playing it, my power will activate and heal Hikari."

An unsure look crossed Riku's face. "Hate to tell you this, but I've never played an ocarina in my life, so I don't know how."

"You do not need to know. Simply begin to blow into it and my powers will take control."

Riku still seemed unconvinced, but shrugged his shoulders and sighed before placing his mouth on the mouthpiece and began to slowly blow. At that moment, another force seemed to take over and guided his fingers over the holes so a calming melody began to form. The Keyblade Master felt a sense of warmth and security wash over him as he continued to play.

Just like before, golden musical notes materialized from the holes and started to dance over to Hikari. The light of Hikari's necklace glowed faintly and an identical golden light outlined her as the musical notes fused with her wings. The wings glowed, but faded just as quickly, the light taking the arrow and wound with it. The wings then vanished, revealing the holes in Hikari's vest. The notes transformed into a single golden thread and weaved itself through the tears, stitching them closed. The light made a final sweep of Hikari's body, healing scrapes and bruises, before vanishing as the song ended.

Riku lowered the ocarina from his mouth and stared at the now healed Hikari. He blinked a few times once more to make sure he wasn't seeing things, and when that was confirmed, he looked back at the ocarina.

"Thank you," the voice said before going silent.

Alone with an unconscious angel, Riku couldn't help but grow a little nervous. If this Hikari was as important as the voice claimed, then he had a responsibility as a Keyblade Master to watch over her and make sure she fulfills her destiny, whatever that may truly be. With that in mind, he gave a heavy sigh. "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me."

XXXXX

Hikari's POV

I awoke the next morning to the sound of water dripping into a puddle. I opened my eyes to a blurry, dark scenery, but in time, my eye sight realigned and adjusted to the dim lighting. After a quick survey, I realized I was in the same dungeon I had seen Riku in in my vision.

At the thought, I sat up quick, instantly regretting it when I became light-headed. When it passed, I noticed for the first time that I could hear smooth breathing behind me. I looked over my shoulder and nearly squeaked in fright when I saw Riku himself leaning against the stone wall, fast asleep. I felt my face heat up when I realized his lap was was the perfect distance from me for my head to rest on if I laid back down.

Beside Riku, my grandmother's ocarina lay delicately, the faint golden aura surrounding it indicating it had been used recently.

Noting this, I looked and saw that, as well as my scrapes from my crash were gone, the arrow that had pierced my wing had vanished as well as my wings themselves. Turning back to Riku, I thought to myself Did he use it? But then, how did he know what to do?

"I'm glad to see you awake," Master Aqua stated, catching me off guard and nearly causing me to gasp.

I managed to calm myself before that could happen before looking off into the distance and replying quietly "Me too. How long was I out?"

"You were out the entire night."

This time, I did let out a gasp when Riku was the one who responded to my question. I turned to look at him, meeting his aquamarine eyes that were frighteningly similar to my own. He gave me a curious look, before giving a faint smile.

"That was quite the entrance you made last night," he retorted.

The events of the previous evening rushed through my mind in an instant, reminding me of where I was and what had occurred prior to me passing out. Heat flushed through my face once more, but I managed to quickly push it aside before Riku noticed, and laughed it off. "Sorry about that. I didn't land on you on the way down, did I?"

Riku shook his head. "Nah, but it surprised me when an angel that I thought I only saw in a dream just comes falling out from a hole in the ceiling."

I chuckled in embarrassment, rubbing the back of my head before I put a more serious look on my face. "I came here looking for you and try to save you-" I looked down at my ocarina and picked it up before tying it back to my sash and finishing "-but it looks like you were the one that did the saving. Thank you."

Now it was time for Riku to blush in embarrassment, for which I giggled lightly at. When he pushed it aside, he replied "Well, if it wasn't for that weird voice guide of yours doing all the explaining, I wouldn't have had a clue as to what to do."

"Voice guide?" I repeated. It took me a moment to register before I remembered the two separate voices from back in Pixie Hollow. Could it be that same voice that gave my ocarina the healing magic? To Master Aqua, I asked "Did you hear anything while I was out?"

"No," she replied. "While you were unconscious, my connection with you was lost."

I sighed. Oh well. So much for that idea. But still; what was up with these strange voices, and how were they connected to me?

"You alright?" Riku's question brought me out of my thoughts and back into reality.

I gave him a small nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. So; did my 'guide' tell you anything else?"

"Only that its identity will be revealed in time and that its purpose was to guide you to your destiny," Riku replied with a shrug.

Disappointed, I blew a stray strand of hair out of my face before tucking it behind my ear. I then got to my feet and looked down at Riku. "Well, it looks like I have to return the favor, so let me get you out of those chains." I summoned my Keyblade, gaining a slight look of surprise from the Keyblade Master and causing me to smirk. I raised my Keyblade so it was facing the chains around Riku's wrists and began to summon the Light to unlock them, but before I could finish, something slammed into the back of my head. Drowsiness suddenly overcame me and before I could lower myself, I fell backwards and lost consciousness.

Riku's POV

Riku could only watch in shock as a Sleep spell was cast on Hikari and she fell backwards; right into the clutches of Pete.

"Nighty-night, princess," Pete said with a chuckle, lifting the unconscious Hikari and draping her over his shoulder.

Riku clenched his hands into fists and glared at the oversized cat. "What do you and Maleficent plan on doing with Hikari, Pete?"

The grunt smirked. "Why don't ya come and find out?" He snapped his fingers and a Defender Heartless appeared. The shield reached out and bit down on Riku's chains, separating it from the wall, but holding the part attached to Riku. "Maleficent wants you to enjoy the show," Pete added, turning back to the door and walking out with Hikari in tow, the Heartless dragging Riku along.

When they reached the top and entered the audience chamber, the young Keyblade Master took quick notice of the damage near the center of the room. Shattered stone, kicked up dirt, black and white feathers, and dried patches of blood were scattered in a sort of circle, causing the youth to look back at Hikari, who was still unconscious. She put up one heck of a fight, he thought to himself.

Several of Maleficent's humanoid creatures as well as a variety of warrior-type Heartless filled the room. The evil fairy herself was standing on the high ledge, looking down at her minions with a wicked and chilling smile.

Pete walked to the center of the room, but when Riku tried to follow, he was yanked back by the chains. The giant cat placed Hikari down on her stomach, then looked up at Maleficent with an evil grin. He stepped aside as some of the evil fairy's humanoid beasts quickly went to work and chained both of Hikari's wrists to the ground.

This doesn't look good, Riku thought to himself. Hikari; hurry and wake up.

Hikari's POV

When I first began to come to, my eyes were trying push against the heaviness that kept them closed, and I could hear condensed and distant voices. There were several of them, a majority sounding like squeals of pigs and screeches of birds of prey, but the sound of clanging armor was mixed in as well, and they seemed to be chanting something.

"…icent!…-ef…! Mal-…!"

It was then that all suddenly clicked into place and the surrounding noises became clear. I forced my eyes open to find myself lying on the floor back in the audience chamber where I had first encountered Maleficent. Heartless and the beast soldiers were everywhere, those who could speak calling out the evil fairy's name. I tried to spring to my feet, but got as far as my knees before I felt my arms being pulled, forcing me to look at what had stopped me. I felt my heart stop and fear quickly set in when I found that I was shackled to the floor.

"Hikari!"

I looked over my shoulder and saw Riku looking back at me, concern evident in his aquamarine eyes even with the distance between. He was still shackled, but only by his wrists, a giant Heartless with a shield holding the end of the chains. "Riku!" I called out and reached to summon my keyblade, but the pain in my shoulder returned, causing me to flinch and pull back my arm.

"Let us begin."

I looked up quickly at Maleficent, just as she pointed her scepter towards me and a sickening green and black aura began to form around it. The witch gave another wicked smile before raising her staff and shot a sphere of the same darkness straight for me. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the darkness pierced the center of my chest, slowly and painfully reaching into the very core of my body. Even though I opened my mouth, I wasn't sure if a scream came out.