Obviously I don't own Kingdom Hearts, only my original characters (though of course I don't have them copyrighted or anything). Also, it's a good idea to read the first Keys to the Kingdom before taking the plunge into this one.

Sora stands alone on a platform of grey stone, hovering above a dark abyss. His arm is still outstretched, the phantom touch of the girl he'd just proclaimed his love for still lingering. He slowly pulls the arm back, touching his heart.

The boy stands still for a long minute, unsure of what to do next. Something feels wrong though, a nagging sensation like déjà vu gone wrong.

A noise sounds suddenly behind him. Sora turns, willing the Keyblade to his hand. But, for the first time since Hollow Bastion, nothing happens.

Sora just stares down at the empty hand, mouth agape. Where are the sparks of light, coming together to form his blade? The Keyblade has been his nigh-constant companion throughout these long weeks of toil and hardship, as much a friend as Azlyn and Telary. But where is it now? Why has it forsaken him?

And why is he still here? This scenario is old hat, been there done that. The light should sweep in, taking him in its embrace before depositing him in the rolling fields. That's what happens next, he's sure of it. Why isn't it happening now? And, once again, where is the Keyblade?

"Sora."

He whirls at the familiar voice, once again finding himself face-to-face with a childhood friend. But instead of the fair, auburn-haired Kairi, Riku stands across the platform. His face is blank, devoid of the usual smirk that is his signature.

"Riku, you're here!" Sora cries out happily, rushing forward. He barely makes it a step before he's suddenly forced to a stop. He attempts to move again, but he can't. "Riku, what's going on? I'm glad I found you, but something isn't…"

"What are you doing?" Riku asks, his voice breaking with pure disappointment.

"I…" Sora responds lamely, words failing him. His tongue suddenly feels swollen, refusing to let any sound pass from his lips.

"Why are you still here, Sora?' Riku continues, shaking his head. "I told you to take care of her! I told you to go with her, make sure she's safe! Why didn't you go with her?"

Sora tries to speak, to defend himself and explain, but he can't. He gestures frantically, hoping to convey some reply.

"You lost her." Riku looks far sadder than Sora can ever remember him being. "She's gone, separated forever. You lost her." Suddenly the darkness surrounding Riku deepens, drawing the silver-haired boy into its black depths. "You lost her. You lost her." Finally, the dark claims Riku fully.

"You've lost both of us."

"Aaaah!" Sora screams, bolting upright.

He swivels his head back and forth, taking in his surroundings. The dark void where Ansem had met his demise is gone, replaced with vast fields of grass. Sora can see the path off in the distance, a winding dirt road leading who knows where.

It's night, the third night Sora has spent underneath these same stars. He leans back, looking up at all the twinkling stars on display. Every star is a world, he knows. That means, somewhere out there, Kairi is waiting for him.

The thought of Kairi brings the unpleasant dream flooding back. Sora shudders, the sight of Riku's dead eyes burned in his brain.

"Take care of her," the older boy had said, one final request to his best friend before the Door to Darkness closed. He'd been forced to stay on its other side, the heart in darkness needed to shut it for good. It was the only option, and Riku had gladly made the sacrifice.

Had Sora broken his promise? Kairi had been right there in front of him, not much more than a quick hop away. He could have gone with her, drifting back on the little piece of Destiny Islands that was the sign of a more thorough restoration. They could have returned home together, lived out their days in peace.

Sora had seriously considered it. But, at the last moment, he'd realized that island life, no matter how idyllic it may seem, could never truly be right if Riku were still trapped. Despite his bad choices, Riku deserved a happy ending just as much as he and Kairi.

And so Sora had let her go, set himself on the path to finding Riku. King Mickey had said there would always be a Door to the Light, and the Keybearer is determined to find it.

He stands, his body powerfully conveying the message that there will be no more rest for him tonight.

A loud snort pierces the night's serenity, and Sora looks down to its source. Azlyn, knight of Disney Castle, lays on her back, sleeping peacefully in the tall grass. Her mouth gapes open, sucking in loud breaths before releasing them.

Telary, one of Disney Castle's royal wizards, slumbers beside here. The tall redhead is curled up around his counterpart, one arm resting across her stomach. Jiminy Cricket, Disney Castle's Royal Chronicler, snoozes next to the pair, his black top hat rising and falling with his chest.

Sora can't help but smile at the sight. It's only been a few weeks since he met them, but it feels like they've known each other their entire lives. Despite their apparent innocence in sleep, Sora knows the pair are bold rebels in spirit. They'd have to be, to steal a Gummi ship from the castle and set off on an adventure to find King Mickey.

They'd found him alright, only for the king to use his own Keyblade to seal the Door to Darkness from inside, just like Riku. Now, the trio journey together to seek both their friends. Only then can they return home, and be with Kairi again. Another strong motivator, seeing as Telary and Azlyn are the girl's brother and childhood friend, respectively.

With sleep an impossibility, Sora sets off wandering through the tall grass. It reaches up to his knees, tickling the skin on his legs. After a few feet, he finds himself on the dirt path once more. He looks up to the hill ahead, remembering the reason the group had decided this would be a good place to stop.

With a sigh, he starts up the hill.

He reflects on the strangeness of this place as he goes. Telary had posited that this is some sort of in-between realm, somewhere in neither the Realm of Darkness nor the Realm of Light. Sora had accepted the explanation, though why the mysterious light that had flooded the dark abyss after the Door to Darkness's disappearance had sent them here remains a mystery.

He reaches the hill's crest, looking down over the valley before him. The path goes down the hill, then another few yards before it reaches a crossroads. Three other paths stretch out, one in each cardinal direction.

There'd been some debate on which path to take, and finally it had been decided that the trio had best sleep on it. They could figure out their new route in the morning..

Sora stops in the crossroad's dead center, taking a moment to survey each direction. They all seem more or less identical, stretching off into the vast nowhere. The Keybearer sighs. He has no idea what to do next.

"Ahead lies something you need."

The unknown voice startles Sora, sending him whirling a full one-eighty. A tall man stands a few feet away, dressed all in black from head-to-toe. His face is concealed beneath a hood, nothing but hazy darkness within.

"Who are you?" Sora demands. He reaches out his hand, hoping this isn't a dream like his last one…

The Keyblade appears in his hand, a comfortingly solid defense against any who might harm him. The boy grips it tightly, the white leather of his fingerless gloves squeaking slightly.

The man begins to step forward, casually enough that Sora senses his immediate intention isn't to attack. He slackens the grip on his weapon, turning as the cloaked man steps right by him.

"Something you hold dear," the stranger continues, walking backwards up the forward path. Even though the man's face is concealed, Sora knows he is being intently scrutinized. "But to claim it, you'll have to lose something precious to you."

Sora opens his mouth, questions fizzling up inside him. Before they ca be released, however, the man fades into the ether. Sora blinks once, and he's gone.

He dismisses his blade. Just to make sure this isn't just another dream, the boy pinches himself on the arm. It hurts. Sora's not at all sure whether that's reassuring or not.

KH-KH-KH

The girl in white sits alone. Her surroundings match the short sundress and sandals she wears, and the blank sketchpad canvas in her hand.

She reaches over to a white desk, picking up the pencil laying there. With a quick thought, she decides what to draw.

The silent room suddenly comes alive with the skittering sound of pencil on paper, the girl working quickly and efficiently to draw out the picture in her mind.

It comes to life within minutes, the girl's deft hand quickly bringing her idea to life. It's a castle, though far from the normal preconceived image of one. This is a twisted fortress, bits and pieces of towers thrusting out of its superstructure more-or-less at random. Some stick straight up, others veer off diagonally, and some are even completely horizontal. A few ugly sculptures, wicked horned creatures, complete its menacing look.

The girl shudders just to look at it.

KH-KH-KH

The castle rests on a huge spit of land, jutting out over an empty void. A glowing green mass shines behind it, dark clouds swirling around it like water circling a drain. The ground is devoid completely of the green grass that had characterized the rest of the trail. Instead it's just barren rock, unsettlingly reminding Sora of Ansem's dark void.

He looks up, staring straight into the eyes of the demonic statue jutting out from about halfway up the castle. He shudders, hoping he's only imagining the way it seems to be calling to him.

"Uh, wow," Telary remarks, looking up at the castle in slack-jawed awe. Despite his efforts, the wizard is shaking quite a bit. "That's certainly… Wow." He's dressed in his usual travelling attire: white shirt with green ¾-sleeves, a yellow sleeveless hoodie, and green pants with yellow cuffs.

"Normally I'd made fun of Telary's pants-shitting fear," Azlyn chimes in, smiling good-naturedly at her counterpart, "but I gotta say, I'm totally with him on this one." She wears a light blue, short-sleeved hoodie with a white zipper, a black camisole under that. Beneath the dark blue belt she's wearing is a light blue skirt that falls to just above her knees, with black tights running down the rest of her legs to her ankles. Her feet are clad in shoes that match her hoodie and skirt, black gloves with steel armored plating on the back cover her hands, and her short pixie haircut is arranged so that her bags are swept to the right side of her face.

"So, we should turn around, right?"

Azlyn glares at him. "And go where exactly? This is kinda a one-way deal."

Telary shakes his head. "Well, there were those other paths! We could just double back and take another road, and…"

The words of his companions seem to die away, all of Sora's thoughts and focus converging on a single, overwhelming thought. Without a word, the Keybearer starts forward.

The Disney Castle pair's arguments cease, both turning to watch Sora make his way to the strange castle's front door. They spend a few more seconds arguing with nothing but shrugs and slight eye movements, a private language only they understand, then follow along after their friend. Azlyn goes first.

With a grunt, Sora pushes the door open. He's quickly forced to close his eyes. The entrance hall is a uniformly blinding white. The boy stumbles inside nevertheless, giving himself a minute to adjust.

"Yikes!" Azlyn comments behind him, throwing up her hands. "What a lovely color scheme!"

"Maybe whoever lives here sees in the infrared range," Telary posits, just to add something. "In that part of the visual spectrum, this place might actually be quite vibrant!"

Sora's eyes have finally adjusted, only to find pretty much what he expected. The hallway is done all in a simple white. Columns line the walls, and small white decorations that resemble flowers on pedestals appear every few feet. It all leads to a short staircase, a landing with double doors set back into the wall the only exit.

"Are you sure it's okay to just barge in like this?" Telary asks nervously. "I hate to be a bad houseguest."

Azlyn shrugs. "If there was someone around to get mad, they'd have gotten mad by now. And besides, we need to be here if we're gonna find he king."

Telary cocks his head at the girl. "The king? You think the king's here?"

She shrugs. "Uh, yeah." She frowns, looking around again. "Though now that you mention it, that's a pretty strange feeling to just get out of the blue."

"Sure is," Telary agrees. "Although, now that you mention it… I kinda had the same thought."

Sora turns to his companions, nodding. "No way! Me too. Something just popped into my head… Telling me that they're here."

Azlyn suppresses a shiver, feigning her usual nonchalance. "Well, great minds think alike, I guess."

A slight weight settles on Sora's shoulder, and the Keybearer turns his head to see Jiminy Cricket standing there.

"I don't think that's it, Azlyn," the insectoid conscience declares.

Telary frowns. "Don't tell me…"

Jiminy nods. "Yep. Somethin' is telling me that King Mickey and Sora's friend Riku are here!"

"Maybe it's contagious," Sora suggests. Telary quickly claps a hand over his own mouth at the thought.

"Or maybe someone's trying to mess with us," Azlyn posits, cracking her knuckles viciously. "There's definitely something weird going on here! I think we should check it out."

"Sure." Sora shrugs, turning and making his way to the staircase at the hallway's end. "Let's check it out."

"Are you sure you wanna be doing that, Sora?" Telary asks nervously. "There's still a lot we don't know."

"Only one way to find out," Azlyn declares, walking after Sora. She throws a mocking look over her shoulder. "Unless you're too scared, of course."

The wizard frowns. "Well, of course I'm scared! We're just wandering around inside a big creepy castle hanging in a dark, endless void. You'd have to be crazy not to be scared!" He starts to follow after his companions, but after a thought strikes him he stops. "Oops, we forgot to close the door!"

Azlyn snorts. "Really, Tel? That's what you're gonna be…"

"AAAH!"

Their companion's scream immediately commands Sora and Azlyn's attention. They whirl around, weapons out. Telary is frozen, yet somehow also shaking like a leaf.

Just past the frozen wizard, standing before a blank white wall where there once was a door, is the man in black.

"You!" Sora yells, rushing forward and dropping into his fighting stance between Telary and the mystery figure. "Who are you?"

"A-and where did the d-door go?" Telary stammers, only barely gaining control of himself.

"Probably a Heartless!" Azlyn declares. With a grunt, she flings her shield forward. It completely whiffs, smacking into the wall nearly five feet away from the cloaked figure. It bounces back onto the floor, skidding down the hall until it comes to rest at the knight's feet. "What? I never miss! Tel, get him!"

The sharp orders from his oldest friend stir Telary to action. Reaching down, he slips his staff out of its belt holster. "Right. M-maybe you'd like a taste of magic, eh? FIRE!"

The wizard thrusts his staff forward, expecting the usual red hot fireball. Nothing comes.

"Huh?" he blurts, giving the wand a good shake. "That's weird. THUNDER! BLIZZARD!" Once again, nothing comes of either incantation. Telary goes pale. "That isn't good."

"What's going on?" Sora demands, taking another step toward the mysterious figure.

"I should think it obvious," he replies. His voice is light and undeniably melodious. But there's something seriously off about it. "As soon as you stepped foot in this castle, you forgot every spell and ability you ever knew."

The trio say nothing, stunned into silence. They look at each other for some potential response, but no one can conjure anything. Even Jiminy Cricket, usually a font of advice, is dumbstruck.

"But the forgetting doesn't stop there," the man continues, his voice flat. "In this place, to find is to lose, and to lose is to find. That is the way of Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion?" Sora repeats. Something about that name gives him the creeps. It's only through sheer stubborn will that he suppresses the shiver running up his spine.

The mystery man stalks closer, his strides slow and casual. "Here you will meet people you remember. Those important to you." He stops in front of Sora, clasping his hands behind his back. "People you miss."

Sora's brow furrows. "What do you mean? I don't…" Realization dawns on the Keybearer, his eyes going wide. "Riku! You don't mean that Riku is here, do you?"

A shrug. "Only one way to find out." He steps forward again, his body beginning to fade. Sora barely has time to puzzle through that before the cloaked man is gliding through him. The boy tenses immediately, a sense of undeniable wrongness in the action.

When it's done, the man is standing atop the stairs at the hallway's end. It takes a moment for Sora to shake off his feeling of violation, but when he does the boy walks closer to his strange opponent.

"What the hell did you just do to him?" Azlyn demands, waving her shield threateningly.

"I merely sampled his memories." He holds up a card in one black-gloved hand. "I used them to create this." He tosses the card one handed, Sora just barely catching it.

Sora observes the item for a long moment. Azlyn and Telary can only watch, their only view that of the card's solid blue back.

"The picture on this," Sora says, dumbstruck. "It's Traverse Town."

The man in black nods. "That card holds a very special power. Using it is the only way to advance through the castle. The only way for you to reunite with your friend."

Sora's head snaps up. "Riku…"

"Approach the door, and hold up your card. The door will open, where a new worlds lies beyond." His spiel apparently finished, black energy rise from the floor. Its black tendrils twist around the man, taking him into their embrace before he disappears. No trace of him is left behind.

"A new world?" Jiminy says, lifting his top hat to scratch at his scalp. "Whaddya think he meant by that?"

Telary reaches out a hand to Sora. "Can I see that card, please?" Once it's handed over, the redhead examines both sides of it thoroughly. "Huh."

"What huh?" Azlyn demands of her counterpart.

"Did you pick up a vibe from it?" Jiminy asks as Tel hands the card back.

"That's the 'huh' part," Telary answers, frowning. "There is something odd about it, in a mystical sense. But…"

"But what?" Sora asks, holding the card at arm's length. "Is it gonna explode?"

The wizard shakes his head. "No, Sora. I'm sure it won't explode. But, beyond a vague sense of weirdness, there doesn't seem to be anything special about it. No heavy magic was used in its creation, at least that I can detect."

"So, it's not ordinary," Azlyn says slowly, wrapping her head around the concept, "but it is strange."

Telary shrugs. "That's all I got. Sorry."

"He said Riku's here," Sora states, nodding. "And if using this card is how I get to him, then I'm willing to try it out."

"Riku and the king were together last time we saw them, too," Telary reminds Azlyn. "It stands to reason that if we found one, we'd find the other as well."

Azlyn sighs. "I guess you're right." She gestures back to where they had entered the strange castle, now a smooth white wall. "Besides, it's not like we can go back."

Sora steps up to the door. It's made of a polished wood, colored such a pale, bright yellow that it nearly disappears into the surrounding white walls. He pauses in front of it, looking down at the card in his hand once more.

"For Riku," he quietly declares. The Keybearer raises his arm above his head, the mysterious card held high. A light shines out from it, like a flashlight. The door responds, white light filtering out from its seams.

After a moment the light fades, and the doors swing open of their own accord. Nothing can be seen but pure white light, more blinding even than the entrance to Castle Oblivion. After focusing on it a moment, Sora realizes something. Lowering his arm, the boy looks to his hand. His empty hand.

"The card is gone!" he observes, taken aback. He'd felt nothing to indicate a disappearance. It appears that it had merely faded out of existence.

"I know that's not much to go on," Azlyn states with a shudder, "but I've got a bad feeling about this place. A really bad feeling."

Sora nods weakly, unable to refute his friend's point. But there's nothing to be done for it. Bad feeling or not, the only way is forward.

But what awaits them there?

Journal Entries (In case you ignored my warning up above)

Sora: Age 16. A cheerful, kind young boy from Destiny Islands who wields the Keyblade. When darkness destroyed his home, he found himself thrust into a grand adventure. By sealing the Door to Darkness, he managed to save the universe from the dark threat of the Heartless. Now he journeys forth to reunite with his friend Riku, trapped behind the Door when it closed. Only then can they both return to their home, and Kairi, the girl Sora loves.

Azlyn: Age 16. An often belligerent yet unfailingly loyal knight of Disney Castle (almost). Bored with castle life, she concocted a plan to find King Mickey that ended in the theft of the castle's Gummi ship. Soon she and her friend Telary became Sora's traveling companions, helping him in his quest to close the Door to Darkness. Along the way, she discovered that she is actually a former resident of Hollow Bastion. Now she journeys with Sora, seeking King Mickey so that they can all return home to their kingdom.

Telary: Age 18. A tenderhearted, slightly cowardly royal wizard of Disney Castle. After finding himself dragged along on Azlyn's scheme to escape Disney Castle, he joined Sora's quest to close the Door to Darkness. Along the way, he discovered that he is not only a former resident of Hollow Bastion, but brother to Sora's friend Kairi! Now he journeys with Sora, seeking King Mickey so that they can all return home to their kingdom.