Xion sat in the tub, her knees drawn in and her head down. Her eyes were closed tight.

She reached up and pulled hair strands from her face. She'd never had to do that before.

The water from the shower head hit her back. Hard and hot.

She breathed in and felt the warm steam in her chest.

The world went dizzy again...

Dad had come to spend time with her earlier - he had helped her with things earlier - but she was on her own now.

Why did human bodies need so much- so much- what was a word Even would use...? A sciency word...?

Why did human bodies need so much...maintenance? That sounded like a good word. A right word.

She'd watched Kairi dry and brush her hair and body in their room before - but she'd never had to do any of it herself. Kairi had joked a lot of times, saying she was jealous of Xion...

Xion thought she was jealous of her old self now, too.

It was so much simpler and easier, next to all the things Kairi always was doing...

Even would say all humans had to do them. Probably something about how it was some big, connected system and how amazing it was.

Xion just thought it was too much. Overwhelming. And...annoying.

Why couldn't she just go and walk where she wanted and not worry about anything else? All she'd ever had to really worry about was clothes, and not not wearing them in front of anyone else. But now she had...all this stuff...

Soap and shampoo and conditioner and brushes and combs, and not eating food when it was too hot, or bumping into things because it actually hurt now, and not being too hot or too cold because either one was bad for you, and trying to remember to blink all the time now, and to breathe...

And the way her blankets felt now, and the way grass smelled, and how her clothes sat on her and squeezed at her arms in places, or her neck, or how her legs moved together under her skirts and it was all just so annoying now!

There was just- so much- everywhere. All the time.

Bugs made her itch, crying made her eyes sting and her nose make a huge mess, and her throat would hurt...

She hated crying, she thought!

Sounds in her ears made her flinch, almost hurting her head sometimes. She'd had to cover her ears a few times already to block it out!

And it wasn't just hot or cold food - it was the way the food felt in her mouth! On her tongue. It all felt different, and some of it made her- well- she puked at dinner the other day... Ice cream and candy shivered down her throat, making her tremble. Sweet things made her mouth go all tight and her face scrunched up.

It was also that she had to eat food at all now! Everyone said three times a day - breakfast, lunch, dinner. But Sora had secretly told her some people only ate twice a day...which could be better...

But dad, and Sora's mom, were making her eat all three meals!

She was too scared to try to argue...

She puked a few more times, and she felt mad at them for it.

She wanted Kairi back...she wanted her sister back...

She couldn't do any of this without her! Kairi would know how to talk to her, how to explain to her, how to help her...

Kairi would probably help her go behind the adults' backs on a few things, too, without getting caught...

Kairi would tell her about things and ideas Xion had never even thought of on her own.

Kairi was strong and tough and she'd tell Xion she was strong and tough too, and Xion would believe her.

Xion cried again, noises escaping her mouth without her wanting them to, and she hated herself for it.

When the water started getting cold, she stood up and got out of the bath. She grabbed a towel and pulled it around herself, pulling open the door and walking out into the hallway of Sora's house. She walked down it for the stairs, near the front door.

She heard footsteps as she turned on to the stairs to go up them. Sora came racing down the hall on the second floor, stopping at the top when he saw her.

His face went all weird and pink as he gasped and spun around, putting his hands over his face. "U-uh- X-Xion-"

"What?" Xion frowned, stopping in the middle of the stairs, her hand on the wooden rail. She liked how it felt, at least.

"U-ummm...y-you're supposed to hold the towel a little higher up...you know?" the boy stammered out, still not looking at her.

Xion looked down at herself, at the towel around the middle of her body. "Did I not do it right?"

"Uh- n-not really, no...you need to hold it up more- more like- chest height? Got it? Wrap it under your armpits."

"Why?" Xion said. She frowned deeper. "You don't," she added.

"Well - uh - yeah, cause I'm a guy...and- you're a- you know, a girl...it's different, alright?"

"Why is it different?"

"Well- uh- ask...my mom to explain it to you. Just uhhh- please do it?"

Xion clenched her fist, then yanked the towel all the way up and closed it again. "Okay. Is this right?"

Sora slowly turned around, like he was afraid to look at her. He peeked through his fingers. Then he sighed and dropped his hands. "All good now! Yup! Good job."

Xion sighed too, starting up the stairs again. "I thought I did it right..."

"Sorry...but - you're okay now. It's all still new, it's going to take a little practice - a few tries! I didn't learn all this stuff instantly, either, you know. Nobody does," Sora replied, smiling at her. "I mean, I was really little back then, but...my mom has pictures of it all. She could tell you some funny stories. Embarrassing for me, but - funny for her."

Xion smiled back a little as she came to the second floor. "I guess..."

She walked past him, heading into the small guest room that was hers now.

She closed the door when she got inside, wanting to do one thing right and not get shouted at for it. She winced as the door closed too fast and hard, making a loud noise.

She felt anger and frustration in her chest, and she tore the towel off and threw it away. She stalked over to her nightstand and pushed all her newly restarted seashell collection off of it. Then she threw herself down on the bed and curled up, hugging her legs. She couldn't even use a towel right!

She needed Kairi back so, so badly...

She lay there for a long time, trying not to just start crying again.

She failed at that, too...

Eventually she fell asleep.

It just...happened now. No magic spell needed.

She guessed that was the only nice thing about being a real girl now, really...

It did feel nice, being in her bed, and just falling asleep like that. And when she woke up again...she didn't want to ever get up.

But she knew she had to.

So she sat up again, looking around in the dark and quiet.

She went to turn on her light and got dressed in her pajamas, then went to stand at the window.

She looked out at the beach. She looked up at the night sky.

The stars.

Which one was Kairi on now? Where was she...?

Xion sat down at the small desk, putting her arm on the table and calling her Keyblade in a flash.

Kairi's Keyblade.

She stared at it for a long time.

She must have stared at it for a really long time, because she fell asleep again.

She wasn't sure when she did...

She just knew she was suddenly waking up again with her head in her arms, on the desk, and the sun from the window was warming her hair and hurting her eyes.

She sat up and yawned loudly, then did her best to stand up. Her legs and arms hurt and felt weird, and her neck was tight and hurting too!

She raised a hand and cast Cure as hard as she could: the feelings went away, leaving her pleased.

She left her room and went downstairs. She found Sora in the kitchen, sitting with his head down, looking sad. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He startled, looking over at her. He frowned deeply. "It's Riku...he's...gone."

"Gone?"

"Yeah...his mom said she went to check on him this morning and he wasn't there! So she came over here, thinking he was with me - he usually is, I mean - but...obviously he wasn't this time. So...no one knows where he is." Sora sank down in his chair, his arms hanging. He let his head fall again.

Kairi was gone...and now Riku was too?

"What should we do?" Xion asked quietly, still standing in the entryway.

Sora looked up at her again. Then his sad face became...determined. He jumped to his feet, clenching a fist. "We go and find him! Him and Kairi! I don't care what that Yen Sid guy said! I'm not just going to leave it to Terra and Ven!" He ran past her through the hallway.

Xion turned and hurried after him.

But he stopped at the front door, turning back to look at her. He made one of those embarrassed faces again, raising a hand to point at her with a finger. "Uhhh, Xion, not that I'm not glad you're so ready to come help too, but you might want to change out of your pajamas first."

Xion frowned. Then she glared.

"Sorry - it's just - you know-"

"What? Because I'm a girl?"

"No! No, hey - nobody would want to go on an adventure in pajamas! Come on. If you got into a fight with a Heartless or something, that'd just be- embarrassing!" Sora exclaimed quickly, raising his hands.

Xion eyed him, trying to know if he was telling the truth. He probably was. Sora always did...

Still. She was starting to think being a real girl wasn't all she thought it would be...

She sighed and turned to go back upstairs. "Don't leave without me, please."

"Hey, of course I won't!" Sora said firmly.

Xion believed him.

When Terra came by again to check on her, and take them for training sessions, they told him about Riku.

Terra told them back about three new Keyblade wielders who were at Land of Departure now - friends of Xehanort's, from the past, who came through time or something. He also said they were really nice kids and not like Xehanort at all.

It was all so confusing to Xion...

She just nodded and said OK.

That usually worked.

They went to Yen Sid's tower next, telling him about Riku too - and Terra told him about Xehanort and his friends from the past.

"Yes, I sensed much in motion among the stars this past night," Yen Sid spoke slowly, nodding. "Some lost to us, and some returned to us." He looked at Sora and Xion. "Regrettably, your friend Riku's Heart is shrouded in darkness, and as such, it would be difficult for me to track his movements through the stars, let alone pinpoint a location. His doubts, fears, and guilts cloud my sight." He paused, then went on in lighter tones. "However, I can also say that I also sensed the return of several Sleeping Worlds, out from the dark depths of slumber and returned to the Realm of Light once more. Such a thing could only occur by the will of a very powerful mage, and the gathering of a massive amount of Light Energy...or, by the acts of a Keyblade Wielder."

"Kairi?!" Sora said hopefully.

Yen Sid gave a small smile, nodding. "I believe so, yes. It seems she has indeed been moving through the Realm of Sleep - and freeing worlds from slumber as she goes. Those who were lost to darkness at Xehanort's hands, freed of it, yet had not fully woken again like the rest. In a way, then, she continues in her duties as Princess of Heart, even in that place of dreams."

"That's great! Send us in, then!" Sora demanded, stepping forward, beaming with excitement.

Yen Sid raised a hand to him. "Mmm...Are you certain you wish to take the risk? To chase her through the dreams, when she may well soon emerge all on her own?"

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"If she continues to unlock Sleeping Keyholes - the necessary act to awaken these lost worlds - even unwittingly and instinctively, once she has done so for seven total...she would acquire the Power of Waking, herself. With that power, she could thus free herself from the dreams, returning to the Realm of Light by her own will and power. She would likely emerge on a world within the Realm Between - such as Twilight Town, where her Nobody resides. The connection between the two would be most likely to draw her there, after all."

Sora looked conflicted now, hesitating.

"On the other hand, if you dive in after her, she might well return to us, safe and sound, while you would then be the one lost and wandering, unable to escape," Yen Sid finished quietly. "To exchange one for another..."

"But she is still in there, alone..." Sora whispered.

"No, not alone," Yen Sid corrected.

"Huh?"

"A bright and spirited girl like her, possessed of heart, has likely befriended or even created Spirits of the realm," Yen Sid elaborated. "She will have allies and guides by her side, every step of the way. It is, then, a question of whether or not you trust in your friend's abilities and fortitude. She seems to be making astonishing headway, honestly. Your other friend, Riku, however...is most certainly wandering on a lonely path. One that may see him cross paths with dark forces out there in the worlds..."

"What dark forces?" Sora said, wide-eyed now.

"An Ancient Darkness, whom may or may not be working with others of their kind," Yen Sid spoke gravely. "As well...the Nightmares of the Realm of Sleep do not only threaten the world of dreams; the stars have told of roaming new creatures, unlike Heartless, Nobody, or even Unversed. I gazed upon them myself, and discovered them to indeed be Nightmares. Creatures of dreams, manifesting into reality...and causing great trouble for the good and innocent as they do so. Nightmares do not steal Hearts, nor do they kill, it is true - but they do infest the dreams of those asleep here in our realm, growing and feeding on their darkness, in order to spread and multiply. And if they get too far in this process...a person's Heart will be trapped in the dark depths of slumber and never-ending nightmares. As you can imagine, this could cause untold havoc among the worlds, if its denizens begin to fall to unending sleep, one by one...or even in droves."

"Do you think this Darkness thingy is causing it, then?" Sora asked. "I mean, it can't be Xehanort...err, either of them, since they don't have powers anymore, and they're kind of in- Keyblade Master prison, right? And Maleficent's been toast for a while - we all took care of that - and-"

Yen Sid raised his hand again, his lips twitching. "The culprit, across these many and varied worlds, could well be anyone," he said, with a hint of amusement. "To stand around guessing would see you become as old as myself. It may well be this Ancient Darkness, or it may be another evil-doer we know not of yet. So I will task you thusly: travel the worlds, battle the Nightmare threat as best you can, and seek out the source of it as you investigate. And perhaps...you may even run across your missing friend, Riku, in the course of it."

Sora faltered, looking to Xion. "I...we...but Kairi..."

"Do you believe in your friend's strength?" Yen Sid spoke. He looked at Xion. "And you - your sister's?" he added softly, with a kind look.

Xion didn't have to think to answer it. She nodded. "Yes."

"I do, but- we can't just leave her-" Sora started.

"I did not suggest simply leaving her there," Yen Sid replied calmly. "I will reach out to Master Luxu, as well as the Fairy Godmother for assistance - to enter that realm, and to possibly trace Kairi's path through it. We have many wielders of the Keyblade, many allies now, who I am sure would be willing to answer the call. You, meanwhile, must focus upon Riku and the Nightmares. You will not be alone in this task - others will journey as well, on other worlds - for it is absolutely vital that this situation be resolved as soon as possible...lest the worlds suffer for it." He paused, gazing at Sora. "Trust in those around you to act in your stead."

Sora blinked up at Yen Sid. Then he nodded firmly. "Right! Okay." He turned to Xion, grinning. "Xion, let's get back to Land of Departure. We're going to need the Highwind for this - pretty sure Kairi would be mad at us if we took the whole Purple Pestilence without her say-so, so we'll just go with the Gummiship. It's faster and smaller, so it'll be perfect for us!"

Terra gave a nod, and opened a path back to Land of Departure!

They flew down to the ground, far below the high mountain peaks and paths, where the huge lakes stretched out to the horizon.

Xion and Sora landed together. Terra came down with a flip, sliding down the side of a rocky pillar with his Keyblade. He straightened up and brushed his hair back with a grin.

"Uhhh...Terra..." Sora pointed out to the water - where the blue, small Highwind gummiship was floating against a rocky pillar. "Did someone take the Pestilence out for a joyride or something? Cause they left the Highwind behind..."

Terra frowned, looking around as well. "Well, that doesn't look good..."

"Did someone take it already?" Xion asked. "Ven...?"

"No, Ven's still up in the castle," Terra said. "It couldn't have been him. I don't think anyone else would, either. Skuld isn't a thief, Amaya wouldn't need it...and I doubt my Master would decide to take the ship for a joyride, either."

"Then who?" Sora said. He paused. "What about Aqua...?"

Terra laughed, shaking his head. "My Master made her a portal off-world; I watched her go. It wasn't her either."

"Oh - okay. Right. Ummm...then...what about those new kids? Xehanort's time travel pals?"

"I doubt any of them would know how to operate a large galleon sea vessel," Terra said with a laugh. "And I don't think their first act would be to do something stupid like that, either."

"Well, what about..." Sora froze, his face going pale. "Kairi's going to be soooo mad..."

"What?" Xion said, staring at him. She blinked a lot, annoyed. She missed being able to just look at stuff.

"I think...it might've been Riku," Sora whispered out.

"Sora - I know you have a lot of faith in your best friend, but he's blind," Terra said casually. "Even with his sensory abilities, as good as he's gotten with them, he wouldn't be able to..." He stopped too. He frowned. "But I guess that's never stopped him before, has it? And he does know how to operate a ship. At least...in theory. And if it did only go missing last night, that would line up with him going missing as well..."

"Yeah, Kairi's gonna kill him," Sora reiterated. He glanced at Xion. "Let's go."

Xion hesitated. "I...can we go home first? I should- tell dad. And what about your mom...?"

Sora frowned. "Right. Home first, then...we're going after Riku!"

Kairi was going to kill him, Riku groaned, clutching his head and rolling over.

He dragged himself out of splintered wood and into grass and trees. A vast forest of some kind.

He'd tried to set out on his journey of redemption on her stupid ship...and as soon as it'd crossed the Ocean Between and entered a new world, he'd lost control of it and ended up crashing into the middle of a forest.

No, not a forest, he mused, dragging himself over broken railing and shattered beams. A jungle.

It was hot, humid. Touching the trees and the leaves, it wasn't pine or oak or anything.

There were vines hanging everywhere - he almost choked himself on one.

And the sounds around him...

Different from a forest's animals and insects he'd heard before.

He breathed, leaning against a tree and extending his senses.

He didn't sense anything - just a vivid mental image of his surroundings. The trees, hanging vines, thick canopy above...the full scope of the crashed, half-buried pirate ship, with its broken mast and several trees collapsed across its decks...

The magic permeating the very air and plants. The fabric of the world.

Even if its people had no idea how to use it, it was here. It made up all matter, all life.

It drifted to and from other worlds, like some great stream.

Riku shook his head, casting a quick Cure on himself.

He really should have just stuck to the dark portals...

But risking darkness engulfing him was how this had all started.

He still wasn't as confident as Terra was about his ability to control it. To use it and not...fall into it again.

He was...

Afraid.

Yeah, he admitted it.

He was still a little afraid.

But did he have any other choice now?

Well, it was the only way he had now to get as far away from home as possible before Kairi could catch up with him...

Yeah, okay, he'd risk using a few dark portals.