Smoke filled Skye's lungs as she stumbled to the door letting out a rash of vicious coughs. She pushed open the door with some effort and the flames roared throughout the tower.
"Master Yen Sid! Where are you?" She called out but there was no answer. She ripped a piece of her dress off and covered her mouth to make her exposure as little as possible. What happened? She had only been asleep for a few hours. She was worried about Master Yen Sid. She pushed open the doors to the chamber outside his office. The flames were even worse here. Sweat dripped from Skye extremely uncomfortably and she wiped at it to no avail.

She made her way to a far door when she felt it, that feeling of darkness all around her. She turned around to see three dark shadows with yellow eyes. She trembled for a moment feeling like she was back in Radiant Garden and helpless but Destiny's Embrace appeared in her hand and she was reminded that she was the chosen Keyblade Warrior and she could beat these creatures.

Yen Sid had told her that her nature and physique isn't suited to brute strength fighting. Instead, she would do very well fighting as if she possessed a rapier. The thought of the thin pointed blade appeared in her mind and her keyblade began to shift forms. It still resembled a key but the bar was now thinner and the portion that made it a key, twisted around the end creating a point.

Skye blinked in surprise at the blade but there was no time for it. The shadows attacked. She screamed and dove out of the way just in time. Her heart was racing. Fighting in simulations of darkness was one thing but facing these creatures for real was something else. She could feel the darkness radiating from them but she still had this voice in the back of her head telling her not to hurt them. Another attack and another dodge roll out of the way from Skye. She looked at the keyblade in her hand and then to the creatures in her way. She had to find Yen Sid. She had a terrible feeling about all of this.

"I'm…I'm sorry." She said softly and moved out of the way of the shadow swinging her blade. It felt like it passed through air but the shadow disappeared revealing yellow diamond-like materials. She took care of the other two and then ran through the tower to different rooms. More shadows attacked her and she bit her lip as she was forced to take them down as well.

She opened the door to one of the chambers and was smacked in the face by a blast of smoke and hot air. Her eyes stung with tears but she had to keep moving. She could barely breathe through the piece of dress she was using to cover her mouth.

Firaga!

The sound of her master casting the tier 3 fire spell filled her with hope. She took off towards the sound of his voice and busted through the door which was off its hinges.

"Master!"

Skye expected to see relief on his face but only fear looked back at her.

"No...Skye…"

His reaction confused her until she saw the other figure in the room with them. The darkness was so heavy emanating off of him that she lost feeling in her legs and fell to the ground.

Bind

A voice with sinister intent called into the darkness and Skye saw through blurred vision Yen Sid being wrapped in tendrils of darkness. The figure left it at that and approached Skye. He lifted her chin gently with his fingers to look into her eyes. He had hidden his face behind a white mask but she saw his eyes. Golden irises with pupils darker than normal like pools of endless darkness. She felt herself getting weaker and he smiled.

He opened his mouth to say something when another portal opened and a cloaked figure carrying two Keyblades backwards in each hand attacked the man. Skye tried to get up but couldn't find the strength. She lay there watching with horror as her savior was slowly being overpowered.

"Come now…I know you're better than this old friend."
"Were far from friends!" The last she saw was the cloaked figure turn his hand out towards her and then nothing but darkness. She was floating in a world of darkness. Sleep threatened to take her but she fought it as much as she could. Just as she was beginning to lose strength she saw a light opening up before her. It blinded her as she fell through.

She expected to hit the ground hard but she had appeared already safely on the ground. The air around her was calm, nothing like the tower.

The tower!

"What's this about a tower?" Someone asked in a slightly feminine voice. When Skye turned to address what she thought was another woman, she realized he was actually a man.

Skye opened her mouth but thought better of telling the stranger. She smiled sweetly.

"It's nothing important." Skye glanced to each side of her taking in her surroundings and then looked back to the man. "I'm Skye, do you mind telling me exactly where I am?"

The man cleared his throat before speaking again and offered his hand to her. "I'm Ping. I assume you already know were in China correct? Well, this is the Forest of Arden." The man explained.

Skye didn't see a point in correcting him by telling him she didn't even know where China was so she just accepted the explanation with a smile as she took his hand.

The man observed her with curiosity as she looked around the forest with wonder. He seemed to be pondering what to say.

"So…what's a lovely young lady like you doing out here in the middle of the forest all alone?" He asked but another voice interjected before Skye could answer.

"Oh, thats rich coming from you." A creature seemed to crawl up Ping's back and onto his shoulders then put his face almost nose to nose with Skye.

She recoiled from the close contact her Keyblade once again appeared in her hand without her meaning it to. Ping's eyes widened at the weapon but showed signs that he had seen one before.

"A keyblade!" The creature yelled and Ping covered his mouth moving behind a tree and pulling Skye with him. Ping held Skye against his chest and covered her mouth with a strangely small hand. Then Skye felt it, that same overwhelming darkness she felt from the intruder in the tower. It wasn't as thick but it was there. She struggled in Ping's arms and looked around the corner at what was causing the rift between light and darkness. A man stood about 7 ft tall wearing a red and black cloak that looked like dried blood around him. He wore a half mask that only revealed his lips and his…eyes? Skye gasped and Ping pulled her back again. He had no pupils or irises, just the ball of the eye completely bloodshot. She could see what looked like small cuts around his face. She didn't see but she was sure the man's head whipped in their direction and she just knew he smiled. She shivered in Ping's arms at the feeling she got by that.

When it was finally safe to come out, Skye sheepishly looked up at Ping. She knew it was only to protect her but she had never been held like that by another man other than Declan.

"Thank you…who….what was that?" Skye asked feeling tired just from enduring his overwhelming darkness.

Ping gave her a serious look.

"That was Teranox and unfortunately…hes the ruler of this land."