Yen Sid stood before those gathered in his tower, gazing at them.

From one to the next.

He looked beyond their eyes, however - into their very Hearts.

The four, ancient Masters of the Keyblade War - the very progenitors - a woman whom had fought on their behalf as part of their Unions (Miss Skuld), as well as Keyblade Master Terra. One other was present, as well, though she stood apart from the rest, her arms crossed - another ancient wielder, the Dandelion, Elrena.

"Thank you all for gathering here today," Yen Sid began, in clear, calm tones. "That you are all willing to lend your aid, even when it is by no means required of you, means a great deal to me - and to these worlds. I appreciate the risks you may be taking in answering my summons."

"Yeah, yeah - can you just explain what we're actually going to be doing already?" Elrena spoke, waving a hand airily about. "I can't believe I let myself get talked into volunteering for this crap..." she muttered to herself, caustic. "It was those eyes, that voice...damn you, Lauriam, and your- gorgeous lips..."

Yen Sid took a moment to eye the young woman. She was certainly not what one might have expected when one imagined a Keyblade Wielder of legend and heroic tales - perhaps that was, itself, to be expected, given she was from another time and World entirely - and yet, from what little he knew of her, from both Mickey's and Terra's past words, and Master Luxu's recent recommendations...underneath her harsh and cutting demeanor was a Heart that was true and good. Or, at least, one that was hoping to be so. She was one who had suffered, who had lost, and hurt, and so sought to prevent it from happening again by striking out at and pushing away those around her. Yet Master Luxu had assured Yen Sid that she would prove her Heart's truth if given the chance.

Yen Sid supposed the fact that she was here at all was proof of that... Her attitude may have said one thing, but her actions ultimately told a rather different tale. He almost smiled to himself, at this observation. He had known others like her, before, from his own school of the Keyblade, and had certainly met many similar characters in his travels of youth. He would happily let her act as she would, for the truth could be seen by those around her much more plainly than she may have realized, herself (or been willing to admit).

"Very well," Yen Sid said, bowing his head to the fierce young woman. "This is a matter of importance, and something rather time-sensitive, after all. Best to send you all on your way as soon as possible." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I believe all present are familiar with the concept of the beings known as Ancient Darknesses, or 'True Darkness', as it were?"

He received affirming nods and voices of assent.

"Recently, in this very tower, we were visited by one such dark spirit - a spirit that showed an interest in an ancient legend we were discussing at the time. The legend of the Ultima Weapon. It is an ancient, and purportedly, extremely powerful Keyblade - a unique and dangerous weapon. One said to be capable of absorbing the Hearts of those it strikes down, empowering itself to heights hitherto undreamt of. It is also said to be equally as dangerous to any of its potential wielders as it is to its enemies. It is of a particularly selective mind, and if said mind does not find one worthy of holding it, it will steal away their Heart, adding it to the rest as fuel for its power."

Yen Sid paused, gazing at those assembled once more, to gauge reactions and to impress the seriousness of the matter upon them.

"Both Keyblade Master Luxu, as well as the now bound and imprisoned Master Xehanort, have provided us with a handful of worlds upon which it was rumored this weapon had once been wielded - and used to wreak devastation upon their inhabitants," he went on gravely. "I would like you each to investigate one of these worlds. Divide the task between yourselves however you wish - but all must be thoroughly searched through. It is unknown how numerous our foes truly are - yet, in this, I believe we have the advantage of numbers. Sending all of you out together will allow us to cover more ground simultaneously, accelerating the search as compared to one alone."

"Tch. And you'd trust those guys with getting their hands on this uber powerful Keyblade?" Elrena spoke up, turning to thrust a finger at the Ancient Masters. "Just how old are you, exactly, old man? Because I think you're a touch senile."

Yen Sid raised his eyebrows at the woman, more amused than offended. To tell truth, it was rather refreshing to be met with such a personality. One did tire of being seen as only the wise and sagely wizard in his tower, being given such awestruck respect and deference... In its own way, it could be quite isolating. True, he had always been a rather more serious person than his peers and friends (something they had all once liked to tease him for - Eraqus and Xehanort included), but that did not mean he didn't appreciate the strength and necessity of bonds. And the warmth and levity that came with them.

"Someday I may be - yet not today, do not fear," he replied smoothly. "Should any of you find the blade indeed, your task will be to then return to me, where we will gather as much strength as needed to destroy it for good."

"And if some of us don't just go along with your orders?" the woman pressed, her lips tight, her eyes narrowing. "Like, oh, say...them?"

"Alright, please, enough of that," Ira spoke with a sigh, turning to her. The leader. It seemed he still fell into the role naturally. "We know we've made our share of terrible mistakes, but these past weeks we've done nothing but-"

"But do nothing," Aced interjected loudly, his eyes glowering at Elrena. "And who are you to point fingers at us when you were working under that Xehanort man until recently? Knowingly? Our Master took us as children, he raised us to believe the things he wanted us to - he used us and threw us away for his big plans! But at least we didn't know what they were! We thought we were fighting for what was right, to prevent something terrible! But you were knowingly a part of an Organization that-"

"Perhaps it is a risk, yes - with you as much as they!" Yen Sid spoke loudly, raising a hand to silence the arguing. He looked squarely at Elrena, holding her gaze. "You have never been one for obedience, or so I hear. Yet the risk will be taken regardless. You will all have this chance to prove yourselves trustworthy - to prove your Hearts true. Should anyone prove my trust misplaced, rest assured you will find it to be the greatest mistake you could ever have made in your young lives."

The woman faltered. She blinked swiftly. "Well...great! Glad you finally cleared that up!" she sputtered out, turning her head aside. Her arm dropped to her side - then folded across her body.

"But I am certain that none of you will fail in that way," Yen Sid said quietly. "I am sure that we have all truly learned from mistakes of the past, and resolved to do better in the now. Now...the worlds you will be visiting are thus..."

After he had finished describing the worlds, and giving the ones before him the advice to let their Hearts guide them to where they needed to be, Elrena immediately turned and seized onto Skuld's arm.

"Alright, you and me, babe - let's go!" Elrena declared, raising her free hand. "This isn't up for debate; I think we can both agree - screw those guys. Yeah?"

Skuld gazed back at her - at her hand. Then she gave a small grin and gave Elrena a resoundingly loud high five. "Yeah."

Then, in a swish of long black hair, Skuld turned on a heel of balance and confidence, and the pair of women strode from the room together.

After their departure, the Ancient Masters, Ira, Invi, Aced and Gula took their leave as well.

Leaving only Terra.

Yen Sid gazed at the young man alone.

"Do you believe they can stay true, and not let their Hearts lead them astray?" he spoke to Terra, quiet.

Master Terra crossed his arms - brought a hand to his chin in deep contemplation. "Skuld and Elrena...no question. Skuld's going through a lot right now, but...she's always done right. And Elrena...I've seen enough of her now to trust her actions, not her words."

"Indeed. And the old Masters?"

"They're...harder to pin down," Terra said slowly. "They've just come off a war, tragedy and turmoil - and they're still carrying it all in their Hearts. It's heavy on them. But Master Luxu thinks they can do it."

"And the Ancient Master, himself?" Yen Sid prompted.

Terra let his arms fall away. "I trust Namine. And I trust my own Heart's instincts. And my instincts tell me it's not so easy to fake the level of true, deep remorse that the man has expressed lately. So I'd like to trust that."

"Hmm...yes. All of this, for all of us now, hinges very much on the most basic, most human problem of trust," Yen Sid whispered. "Can we trust in each other, and stand together, or will we fall apart, and end up divided...when it matters most that we be united?"

Xion thought it probably wasn't smart to just fly to random worlds and hope they found Riku.

That was what Sora was doing, though. And Ven didn't seem to mind...

So Xion stayed quiet. It wasn't like she could think of anything better to do, anyways.

She also stayed quiet about wishing she was looking for Kairi instead. It made her feel bad inside...a lot.

Her new human body hurt again - in the throat - because of it, too.

She closed her eyes and turned away in her chair.

"Hey, Xion, you okay?"

Xion opened her eyes again, glancing at Sora. Then she closed them, putting her hands in her lap. "Yes..."

"You sure? You don't sound okay."

Xion stayed quiet.

Sora didn't. "Uh, look, don't take this the wrong way, but maybe you should have stayed home for this one?"

"What? Why?" Xion said, turning to him now.

"Well, it's just - like Even said: you need time to adjust to all this, right? A nice, quiet, familiar place! But traveling all these worlds with us is kiiiind of the opposite of that," Sora said quickly. "We wouldn't want to make things worse for you - hurt you in some way. He made it sound pretty important, and with the way you fainted before-"

"I'm fine," Xion said flatly, looking away again. "Thanks."

"...Ooookay. Got it." Sora leaned forward in his seat, pointing out of the ship. "Hey, why don't we try looking over there now?"

Xion looked out of the dome window of the cockpit, staring out into space. There was a world in the distance...but she couldn't tell much about it.

"If you think Riku's there, let's check it out," Ven said enthusiastically. He'd said something like that the last two worlds...

Xion sat back in her chair, saying nothing.

Her eyes were stinging again.

Maybe Sora was right; this was a mistake...

Riku moved from world to world, in a kind of listless trance.

Portal after portal.

Fight after fight, when monsters appeared to him - Heartless, or those other ones.

He mostly stayed away from towns or cities - from congregations of Hearts, bright to his senses. Light...shining...

He hardly slept, only ate a couple of times (when someone had noticed him, and all-but pressed some food into his hands). He sustained himself on darkness itself, used it as fuel to keep his body going.

He couldn't have said where he was, or where he was going. Or what he was even doing...

His big, inspired idea to go off and redeem himself had been nothing but a joke.

Another stupid, boyhood fantasy.

After maybe a day, or two, or three or more, he found himself stood atop a high mountain, overlooking a glowing cityscape at night that even cut through the dark of his non-working eyes. So much light...

It felt familiar, too. Was this that city world, San Fransokyo, wasn't it called...? Where they'd fought that giant Heartless together, summoned by Ansem...by Xehanort's Heartless.

It wasn't just the lights from the buildings, from the city itself: it was the people within it. So many Hearts, so bright...all gathered together... Living their lives, at peace, and happy...

"Peace and happiness? Is that what you're trying to achieve - what you really want for yourself?" came an echoing voice in Riku's mind, that sounded a lot like Ansem's.

Great...now he was hearing voices. It wasn't enough that he was such a screw-up, that everything was just...now his memories and ghosts were taunting him too?

Ansem's voice echoed around him - laughing in that familiar way. "Oh, I am very real, Riku...allow me to demonstrate."

Riku clenched his jaw, shifting on the mountaintop and shaking his head-

Cold, burning darkness erupted in his Heart, flooding his body - and then he suddenly found himself locked in place! His legs came together underneath him, and his arms moved away from him. His whole body went rigid! Every nerve and inch of skin was on fire.

"Agh- w-what-" Riku gasped, trying to move - but it was useless! "I can't-"

"Be a good boy and stop trying to resist me." The voice came into sudden, sharp focus.

"You- this can't be...real..." Riku gritted out. "You're- gone. Xehanort...you shouldn't- still be here..."

"Clever boy. Yes, the whole of the Heart I was returned to true form and shape, Recompleting my original self - but I am not the whole of it," Ansem's voice spoke lowly, amused. And crystal clear - like he was speaking into Riku's ear. "You recall when I attempted to take your body for myself, back in Radiant Garden's castle library - after your humiliation at the hands of the Princess of Heart, and even your own dream counterpart?"

Did he have to ask? Of course Riku remembered that time; it had been one of his weakest, most pathetic moments. But not for the reasons Ansem might think. "What's- your- point?" Riku hissed out, still struggling as best he could. Trying to call on his darkness...but he felt so weak, so...

"You did succeed in fighting me off, wielding darkness against darkness - but a part of my power clung to yours, and a part of my Heart remained within yours. How else could you have gotten those memories of mine at the end of our struggle?"

"So...you're just...a piece of him, huh?" Riku rasped. He tried to grin, but couldn't manage it. "Then you'll be even easier to...kick out than he was."

"I may be a fragment of the true Ansem's power and Heart, but I've spent all this time within you...embedding myself into the deepest recesses of yours...such that you have no hope of removing me. And why should you want to?"

"Guess again. I'll throw you out, just like before!" Riku said firmly.

"Are you so certain of that?" Ansem said idly, still sounding so amused. "I don't think you'll be repeating such a feat. You're right, Riku: you've let your darkness become weak - vulnerable. A lone, flickering candle compared with the roaring flame it once was. All because you threw it away - gave it up. Let yourself grow soft. And what was it for? Friends that will never look at you the same way again? Parents that will never understand you? A home that you will always see the same way? A stagnant, isolated little prison, surrounded by water. And now here you are, completely in over your head, messing with things beyond your ability to understand...without the tools to even do the job right."

"Shut up. I'm never listening to you again," Riku snapped.

"Why not?" Ansem's voice came again, with mock surprise. "Haven't I always been there for you, boy? From your earliest years, I was the one who stood with you for hours, listening to your every fear and doubt, and worry - and, as you grew into the young man you are now, your desires. Unlike your friends, and your paltry darkness, I have always been there for you. I have always helped you when you needed it most. And I have always shown you the door to your greatest desires..."

"Let me guess, you promise you can do it again, right?" Riku retorted.

"Oh, no," Ansem said, chuckling to himself. "As I am now, I find myself lacking something as well. But I can give you the key to obtaining all that you desire...if you have the strength for it."

"You don't know a thing about what I desire."

"But I do, Riku. And I also know that as you are now, you will never obtain them. Not without me. No, without me, you will never be the hero, you will never be strong, and you will never get the girl." Ansem paused. "Without me, you are weak, and pitiful. A loser. Is it any wonder that the Princess of Heart chose Sora over you, at every turn?"

"I'm not listening to you."

"Accept my help, and I will give you the power to be all that you want to be - to take what you want," Ansem continued, his voice hardening. Strengthening. Getting louder in Riku's ears. "What you desire. What you deserve! You can take Kairi's Heart from that idiot boy - claim your prize!"

Riku gritted his teeth and screwed up his eyes. Had he actually been taken in by this sort of talk before? He just felt sick now. "Kairi isn't a prize to be claimed! And do you honestly think she'd even just- go along with it anyways? You obviously don't know a thing about her. She'd sooner grab my hand and make me stab her through the heart than ever-"

"Well, how about the other girl of your desires? Erin, isn't that her name?"

"Shut up..."

"She is already well experienced in the art of obedience. Accustomed to taking commands. She is riding the high of independence now, but it will never change what she was born to be: a slave. But she could be your slave. You would only need to use my powers to break her, to make her submit to you-"

"SHUT UP!" Riku screamed, darkness bursting from his body - and suddenly he was free again. "YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WEAK? PATHETIC? YOU'RE THE ONE WITH NOTHING - NO BODY, NO POWER, NO FRIENDS WHO GIVE HALF A SHIT ABOUT YOU! Your Nobody's gone, you're hanging around in my Heart, trying to tempt me with words because that's all you have - and you're failing at it, because you don't understand me, or anyone, and you never did - and even your Recompleted self and- time traveling self from the past have been caught and turned into helpless, defeated losers! You're finished! Everything you ever did, everything you ever were, it amounted to nothing! So just give it up already!"

"...Are you finished?" Ansem's calm, quiet voice echoed. "We've known each other for a long time, Riku - so I'm willing to overlook this outburst and offer my forgiveness. I shall give you time to...think things over. My other offer will remain open to you, if you have you the courage to take it."

"NEVER!" Riku said harshly, breathing heavily. His Heart suddenly seized, agony rolling through him, bringing him to his knees. He clasped a hand to his chest, gasping. "What are you...doing?"

"The pitiful darkness inside your Heart has been tempered, that is all."

"You think I needed your help? I was doing fine without you!"

"Were you? Wasting away in your room, hiding from all that you fear? And now - for these past several days? Wandering from world to world, accomplishing nothing, stewing in your own inadequacies? Please, Riku..." Ansem laughed loudly, ringing in his ears. "But perhaps you require a more proper motivation..."

"What-"

Darkness roared inside Riku, a dark sphere exploding out from his chest and enveloping his body!

He fought and thrashed in the dark-

And then he was free.

In a dark void, infinite and cold.

Standing on a circular platform, awash with dark energies.

Ansem himself was there, standing before Riku.

Riku could sense him, smell him, and- "see" him. Solid, defined darkness, in the shape of a powerful, towering man.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Riku demanded, drawing his Keyblade in an instant, that warmth comforting in his palm.

"I will give you a reason to fight - to use the darkness," Ansem spoke. "Fight me, here and now, boy - or surrender your body to me!"

"I threw you out before, and I can do it again!"

"Let's see, then, boy..." Ansem said, spreading his arms, a dark aura flowing around him as he rose off the platform. Darkness burst behind him, and a familiar monster erupted into being. A Heartless, strong and muscular, with antennae and a hole in its chest, and a tattered tail instead of a lower body.

Riku took a breath, bringing his weapon up into his battle stance...and then it lowered a few degrees. He stepped back, a sigh escaping him. A tired, weak sigh...

What was the point? Ansem was right, wasn't he? Riku was no hero. He wasn't strong. He couldn't...

"Don't give in to him," came a sudden, whispered voice in his ear that sounded...a lot like Erin's?

"Huh? Erin...?" Riku gasped.

"Hm...?" Ansem's voice came, puzzled.

"Fight!" came the hurried, urging voice of Kairi now, in his other ear.

"I can't..." Riku whispered. "I'm not like you...I-"

"I'm yours, not his; use me." The voice that replied to him, from directly behind him...sounded like Sora...

Riku turned-

And sensed no one and nothing. In his mind's eye, it was the infinite darkness. No solid form, no Heart, no...anything.

"You disappoint me, boy," Ansem's voice came. "If you cannot gather your courage or strength, then this body belongs to me."

The Heartless flew forward, shrouded in dark energy, its arms seizing Riku up!

Riku gasped, struggling.

Darkness burned at him, it entered him!

Those demonic hands were crushing him, squeezing the life out of him...

He couldn't get loose, he couldn't breathe, he...couldn't...

"Do you want help?" echoed the voice of...Terra...

Riku's Keyblade fell from his grasp, clattering on the platform and vanishing. Riku's chest felt like it was going to explode...

"I'll assume yes, in this case," spoke Namine's voice.

A wall of furious darkness erupted from out of the pillar, disintegrating the arms of the Heartless and sending it flying backwards into Ansem!

Ansem slashed his arm in front of him, knocking the monster aside with a snarl. Then, his deep voice gasped. "W-what...! I-Impossible..."

"Hm. Pitiful, am I?" The voice of Kairi returned.

Before the wall of darkness, something new rose up from the floor - taking shape...

Riku raised his head, reaching out his senses...

And he gasped too.

"What- are you?" Riku rasped out, pained, wincing as he held his ribs.

A shadowy figure stood in front of Riku - facing him. A figure of pure darkness, with a burning aura of dark flames. Humanoid, but featureless. All Riku could "see" was...just some vague human shape made out of darkness. But the fact that he could even "see" that much, that sharply and clearly, told him how powerful and intense this dark entity had to be. It was like a Heartless, but...also not a Heartless. This was something else. He just knew it. Didn't know how he knew - but he did.

That featureless, vague human head cocked, darkness rippling against darkness's backdrop. "I should think it was obvious." The voice was Erin's again...but speaking in intonations and a whole- cadence she never would. Most notably, her accent sounded off. Weaker, thinner. Like whoever was trying to imitate it wasn't perfect at it. Didn't have it quite right. Whoever...or, whatever...

Memories of Traverse Town came back to him - of all that Master Luxu had told them about. Things he'd only half paid attention to at the time. But...he remembered enough.

"You're one of those - Darknesses...?" Riku gasped out.

"Yes - yours!" The formless dark figure turned and became truly formless - a cloud of darkness - and flew at Ansem. The wall of darkness parted around it - and then it moved behind it, like a trail. The dark figure darted around Ansem and his Heartless, swirling like a cyclone. A dark cocoon materialized around them, pulsing, growing...

"WHAT?!" Ansem's muffled voice screamed, raged-

But then the cocoon shrank down, and vanished.

The darkness washed away from the platform, and the void...flashed with a sudden light.

Riku gasped, suddenly finding himself laying on the ground, atop the mountains, feeling the cold winds biting at his body. He breathed in, out...rolled over and pushed himself up on dirt and rock, into a sitting position. He looked down at himself, raising a hand to his chest...

What was happening inside his Heart?

The mental war seemed like it had become some kind of...physical one. Or- well...whatever...?

"...It's nothing to panic over," came the voice of Erin, once again - this time, echoing around him in reality, like Ansem's had before!

Riku panicked.

Author's Note: Because without Repliku, Riku still needed one of his own... xD You have NO IDEA how long I've been looking at this plot point on my outlines and wanting to be there already! And HERE. WE. ARE!