"All I got was a name," the man she'd recognized even all these years later as Zack had sighed, referring to the unconscious girl he was carrying on his back – an apparent new arrival. "Amaya."

"Amaya, huh?" she now repeated aloud, glints of curiosity and golden sunlight flashing across her brown eyes. The woven cloth of her white cloak danced in the breeze, the current a bit stronger atop the roof of Seventh Heaven.

That girl…It wasn't a coincidence, was it? She'd have to make sure.

This could be interesting.

The curtains had been drawn back, and the perpetual daylight flooded the bedroom. The alarm clock must have gone off at least thrice by this point, and each time its snooze button was met with a lazy slap. Occasionally, he'd hear the dull echo of his name being called from a few rooms away – he responded by huddling himself further into his fort of sheets and pillows. It wasn't until his nostrils picked up the delicious aroma that Noctis was finally motivated enough to pull his head out from under the covers, and the distant sound of sizzling only enticed his senses further. Deciding it was worth investigating, he stumbled out of bed and lugged himself over to its source.

One nice thing about living in such a small apartment was that no two areas were very far away from one another.

"Mornin', Ignis," Noctis yawned, groggily scratching his belly as he finally entered the kitchen.

"Ah, so you're finally up, Noct," the bespectacled older boy manning the stove responded. "About time. I was beginning to think I'd have to resort to other means."

"Well, here I am," Noctis waved him off with another yawn. "What's cookin'?"

"Thought I'd try my hand my hand at a new recipe this morning," Ignis explained, cracking a few eggs into a frying pan. "Croque Madame."

"A Madam who now?"

"Croque Madame," Ignis repeated, grabbing slices of bread out of the toaster. "An open faced breakfast sandwich with some high-end cheese, ham, eggs, lettuce – "

"You can keep the green stuff out of mine."

"Very well, then," Ignis sighed. If only there was a way to get the younger boy to understand the benefits vegetables provide and all the vitamins and minerals he'd be missing out on. After nearly a decade of failed attempts, perhaps it really was a lost cause. Still, that didn't mean the boy should be allowed to stand idly by while he did all the work. "If you wouldn't mind, could you lend me a hand?"

"Sure," Noctis agreed, holding his arms over his head to stretch. "What do you need?"

"Setting the table would certainly be of help."

"On it." Noctis waded over to an overhead cabinet, feet padding against the cool tile floors. The wooden door opened with a creak as he reached for the porcelain platters, and suddenly a question arose. "Say, Prompto not back yet?"

"Awfully quiet, isn't it?" Ignis observed, transferring the eggs from the frying pan to atop three individual slices of crispy toast, already topped with the other ingredients needed for the dish. "Haven't heard him come in yet, no, but I wouldn't be too concerned. I wager he'll be back soon."

"Hrmph." Deciding to agree - he was under the Captain's watch today, after all - Noctis grabbed three plates, and then fished through the drawers for cutlery before setting them onto the small wooden table that divided the kitchen from the den area.

As dishes clinked and water rushed into the sink and chairs were dragged around, the front door squeaked open, and a familiar head of blond hair poked through.

"There you are, Prompto," Noctis greeted.

"See? No cause for concern," Ignis assured, setting the main course in the center of the table.

"Aww, were you worried about me, Noct?" Prompto clutched his chest in a dramatic fashion.

"Well, it is you, after all," Noctis shot back with a smirk. Prompto, kneeling down to untie his boots, simply pouted.

"You returned just in time for breakfast," Ignis remarked as he seated himself. "You must be hungry after your first night shift."

"It does smell good," Prompto nodded, making his way to join his roommates. "What is it?"

"Crocodile Martyr or something, right?" Noctis was already digging at his serving with a knife.

"Croque Madame," Ignis quickly clarified, shooting him a glare from behind his glasses. "Do let me know what you think of it."

"Don't mind if I do," Prompto sang, pulling out a chair for himself. He helped himself to a piece, knife and fork clanking against his plate as he cut off a morsel. The moment he took a bite, he was transported; the crunchy toast and the velvety toppings danced in harmony along his tongue, and his taste buds sang to the tunes of the savory-sweet flavors.

"Well, how is it?" Ignis inquired, carefully gauging the reactions of his comrades.

"Eleven out of ten. Wouldn't expect anything less from ya, Iggy!" Prompto gave an enthusiastic thumb's up.

"Yeah, this is really good," Noctis nodded, his plate already half empty. Ignis' lip curled into a triumphant smirk.

"I think I'll save the rest of this for later, though," Prompto yawned.

"Oh?" Ignis cocked up a brow.

"Yeah, I'm beat," Prompto explained. "Besides, I had a bite not too long ago with Light." This time, it was Noctis who gave him a look.

"A date while you guys were on duty?" Noctis snorted. "How did you manage that? And with Light of all people?"

"D-Date?!" Prompto coughed, face suddenly flushed. "N-No, no, it wasn't anything like that! It was on the Cap!"

"Well, the Captain is known for being a bit of a lax Casanova himself at times," Ignis pondered aloud. "Not too far of a stretch of the imagination that he'd be willing to aid an underling in his pursuits – "

"I'm telling you, it wasn't like that!" Prompto vigorously shook his head. "I don't even like Light that way!"

"Oh?"

"It's kind of a long story." Prompto went on to detail his rather eventful shift. The strange barking noise that had turned out to be Angelo, the Large Body that had been standing over her, and that girl, who'd turned out to be an outsider –

"A foreign girl?" Noctis interjected with a rather hopeful expression.

"Sorry, Noct," Prompto shook his head solemnly.

"Right…" The black-haired boy sunk into his seat, shoulders slightly slumped. Prompto couldn't help but feel for his best friend, in the same boat as countless others in this foreign land. Sure, he himself had also been cast here from the same world of origin, but he'd lacked the ties – familial or otherwise – that they'd all had and missed. In fact, it wasn't until they'd come to this place that he'd actually formed bonds of any sort of those semblances.

"So, anything we should be made aware of in regards to this new arrival?" Ignis inquired, taking a sip of his coffee. "Anything particularly noteworthy about her?"

"Hm…" Prompto pondered. "Well, she was kinda pretty."

"Objectively helpful information, specifically."

"Uh, well, nothing really beyond that." He scratched the back of his neck. "She was kinda out of it – had this dazed look in her eyes pretty much the whole time before she passed out. If anything, I just felt really bad for her."

"Understandable," Ignis nodded. "It appears she's currently in the same shoes as we once were. I'm sure we can all empathize."

"It's weird though, isn't it?" Noctis suddenly piped back up. "We haven't had a new person in a while, right? Gladio mentioned something about that the other day when we were on duty together."

"Yes, that is the case indeed." Ignis swirled the coffee around in his mug. "Though, this isn't the first time this has occurred."

"What do ya mean?" Prompto yawned, the lack of sleep finally catching up to him.

"The rates at which refugees appear in this world does vary from time to time," the older, more experienced teen explained. "Sometimes we get a steady stream of their influx, and other times it's more akin to a trickle. And then there are instances of drought where we get none at all - as we were prior to this development."

"Any idea why that is?" Noctis asked.

"Hm, well...there are some recent developments that I caught wind of a day or two ago that may shed some light on that."

"Rumors? Like what?"

"Apparently, it's classified information."

"Classified?!" Prompto rapidly blinked the tiredness away from his drooping eyes, now invested in the conversation. "How'd ya manage that?"

"Happening to be in the right place at the right time is a rather delicate art," Ignis responded cryptically. "It is, however, from my understanding that the Captain and our other senior Keepers do intend to divulge some of this information to us eventually, on a need-to-know basis."

"'Need-to-know?'" Noctis parrotted, shoulders stiffening slightly.

"Meaning we will be debriefed on whatever is pertinent to our role in taking care of the Borough. All other information is supposed to be kept top-secret for the time being."

"But...you know all of that, Iggy?" Prompto inquired, leaning in.

"Whether it's 'everything' or not, I can't quite say," Ignis clarified. "I can humor you with what I've heard, though do take it with a grain of salt."

"We're all ears!" Prompto responded. Noctis simply nodded.

"Well, where to begin? From what I gather, it happened a few weeks prior, when our world received a rather peculiar-sounding visitor."

"A visitor?" Noctis cocked his head to the side. "Like...someone who came here of their own will?"

"Precisely." Noctis' eyebrows knitted together.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?!" Prompto nearly fell out of his chair. "When? How?!"

"It appears he was the King of his homeland, and he arrived here using a gummi ship - yes, the very same vessels the Keepers would use for travel back when we resided in the Garden," Ignis explained, as Noctis and Prompto exchanged yet another baffled look. "Their visit was brief, however, though they did impart some valuable information on the affairs of the outside world."

"T-the outside…" Noctis muttered through gritted teeth, jaw clenched as he processed the information. "And...just why exactly was this information being withheld from me - u-us, at all in the first place?" Though he was trying to keep his composure, the irritation was evident in his tone. "Aren't we all supposed to be in the know? We're on the front lines protecting this place, so shouldn't we be aware of what's actually going on in it?" He clenched his fists under the table.

"Noct…" Prompto shot his best friend a concerned look.

"I do understand your frustration, Noct," Ignis sighed. "If we still resided in Radiant Garden, perhaps this situation would have been handled and called to your attention differently. But the fact of the matter is - "

"Is that we're not home," Noctis huffed. "We're here, and that's just the way it is."

"That is how it has been, yes," Ignis agreed. "But that might not be the way it has to be forever." Noctis finally looked up. "To continue where I left off: this visitor made mention of the current affairs of the outside world, and according to his intel, the situation is quite dire. As we were able to surmise based on the ever-proliferating Heartless' presence, more worlds continue to fall to darkness, and more hearts are being lost."

"Juuust peachy," Prompto sighed, face falling slightly.

"According to him, however, things need not continue this way. He wishes to restore balance between light and darkness, and in doing so, return the worlds to their original state - including ours."

"So we're apparently on the same team," Noctis concluded. "But is there some sort of game plan? Can't do much if we're stuck here, can we?"

"From my understanding, his instructions to the Captain made no mention of intergalactic travel," Ignis confirmed.

"So, then, what was the point of the visit, then exactly? Tell us something we already know, only to taunt us by flying off with a gummi ship that we could actually use to find - "

"And it is likely due to this sort of knee-jerk reaction that the Captain decided to withhold this bit of information," Ignis sighed, pushing his spectacles back against the bridge of his nose. "No, there is not much we can actively do outside of this world as of right now, given the circumstances. The King himself has his own plans, and it appears us Keepers aren't to get directly involved. But, there is one thing the King has apparently tasked us with: to look out for a certain 'Key.'"

"'Key?'" Prompto repeated. "Something tells me we're not talkin' house keys here."

"That's likely correct," Ignis affirmed. "Though what form of 'Key' that was specifically referred to, or what its exact purpose is, I cannot say. It's quite possible that it's some sort of object that may appear with a new arrival."

"Hm, the Cap didn't mention anything like that when he was helpin' out with that girl."

"Perhaps they checked her out at the base. She is there, correct?" Prompto nodded in response.

"So that girl might be the 'Key?'" Noctis mused. "Or at least have something like that; a sort of object or power that can restore balance to the worlds."

"Certainly possible." Ignis took a sip of his coffee. "Of course, this is all conjecture - we have no way of confirming based on that alone. And with the very possible chance that it's not this girl, perhaps we're waiting for someone else, which segues us right to the original point: where and how often refugees spawn."

"And how exactly does that tie into this?"

"The King mentioned he'd have to make one more stop before seeing to his grand plan."

"Another stop?" Prompto asked. "Meaning?"

"His visit here was a brief one, a means to pass on instructions pertinent to this world because of its rather special existence. If he were to make a stop in another location to pass on these same directions, then perhaps it might not be too far of a stretch of the imagination to believe that there might be another world that exists along the same vein as this one."

"Wait a sec," Noctis interjected. "'Special existence' - meaning the fact that refugees show up here?"

"Precisely," Ignis nodded.

"So what? Are you saying that there...might be another world, like this one, where this King may be making a pit stop?"

"Ohhhhh," Prompto blinked as he processed the information. The lack of sleep wasn't quite allowing him to think straight. "And, uh...That means what exactly?"

"Perhaps not everyone who loses their world ends up in this place," Ignis summarized. "There's a chance that there's another world, or possibly several, that open their doors to those who have lost their homes."

"And where you end up after losing your home is like a crapshoot between them…?" Noctis gasped. "Wait, if that's the case - "

"It's not impossible," Ignis affirmed.

"Wait, what are we talking about now?" It took every fiber of Prompto's being to stifle a yawn.

"Aside from the fact that this 'Key' might end up in this other world, there's a chance that maybe...other people from our world…"

"May have wound up in this other haven," Ignis concluded Noctis' thought once more.

"And you're telling me we're expected to just sit around here, if that really is the case?" Noctis piped up.

"Remember, Noct, this is all speculation," Ignis reiterated. "There is no proof to confirm any of these claims."

"And there's no way we're going to find out unless we get out there," Noctis retorted.

"Which we have no way of doing."

"Because any chance of being able to do that just flew right out of sight and over most of our heads," Noctis grumbled, still resenting the secrecy of it all.

"I'm really…" Prompto couldn't hold back anymore and finally let out a huge, lion-like yawn. "You know what? Instead of translating whatever language you guys just spoke, I think I'm better off headed to bed."

"That would serve you well after a long night out," Ignis agreed as Prompto excused himself and trotted back over towards his bedroom. Noctis leaned back in his seat, indigo eyes glued to his still-half-empty plate.

"I recognize that you're upset, Noct," Ignis began as he gathered his and Prompto's dishes to begin clearing the table, "but do remember: while we may question his judgements at times, the Captain has nothing but our best interests at heart. Without him, we wouldn't be here, much less exist in any world at all."

"Yeah, but still…" Noctis reluctantly sighed.

"If you do live up to all the buzz you've been generating, then you'll be a more than reliable Keeper in your own right soon enough." Ignis stood, dishes in tow. "And the Captain hasn't forgotten who you are. Before you know it, he will very likely consider you as one of his top confidants."

"We'll see," Noct reluctantly agreed, as Ignis made his way over to the sink.

The fact that he was apparently still being kept in the dark still bothered him, yes, but…

This other world, with the special properties that paralleled the ones they were on - did it truly exist? Could...it be possible that…?

Perhaps there really was a glimmer of hope after all?

"Sis!" Sora desperately cried out, attempting to reach her once more.

"Sora!" Amaya shrieked, trying with all her strength to grasp back, but to no avail.

And then, one last time, everything disappeared.

It was over.

And then black turned to red, and something soft and warm was prodding at her hand. No, this wasn't something – it was someone.

"S-Sora?" Amaya mumbled, scrunching her eyelids tight before finally creaking them open. She was greeted by the sight of something bright and white above her – a ceiling? Whatever she was laying on was soft, and the sheets covering her were warm…a bed, she was lying in a bed. And the hand that was prodding hers belonged to – "Wh-who…?"

"It's alright," assured the young woman standing at her bedside, in a bedroom that she realized wasn't her own as her eyes darted around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Where…?"

"You're safe," the girl explained gently. Amaya glanced up at her, her green eyes meeting this person's nearly-black irises. She blinked several times as she tried to place who they belonged to, until she finally realized...this was someone she'd never met before, someone she didn't know.

A stranger.

As soon as the realization hit, Amaya quickly extracted her hand from the stranger's probing digits before hastily pulling the sheets up and over herself as a line of defense. She huddled herself beneath the barrier, finding it strange that she was shivering despite the warmth it should have been providing her with. From the other side, she could hear the woman mumbling something unintelligible under her breath.

"I don't bite," the woman bargained. Amaya's grip on the sheets only tightened, leading the stranger to sigh dejectedly in response. "I was just making sure your injuries had been properly healed, that's all."

Injuries?

Injuries…

The flashback reel started once more in her head, as scenes from that tumultuous night played out again; and then, she'd woken up to a dog, daylight, a land she didn't recognize, and pain. Lots of pain. Pain that was now gone.

"We had our healer, Rosa, come in earlier to take a look at you," the woman continued to explain. "She patched up all those bumps and bruises you had. I've gotta say, at a glance, you look like you're in much better shape!" Looked better? How had she looked before? Of course, the last time she'd seen herself was in the mirror of her bedroom, when she'd been going through her jewelry box. Her hand snaked its way to her collar bone as she felt for...wait…

"Where is it?!" Amaya shot out from her fort in a panic, the tips of her fingers practically digging into her chest. She'd had it! She definitely had the necklace on that night! And her satchel, and even her sarong - where were they all?!

"Calm down, calm down," the woman beckoned her, gently grasping Amaya's shoulder as her jade eyes darted around the room in a frenzy. "Your stuff's right over there, see? Figured you'd be more comfortable without all of it poking at you while you were trying to sleep." Her eyes followed the direction the stranger was gesturing towards to see a small vanity in the corner. It was as she'd said; the beaded necklace and satchel lay atop it, and her red and white floral sarong was draped over the chair. She suddenly peered down at herself, face flushing slightly before reaching for the sheets once more to hide her unexpectedly exposed thighs, barely covered by the rather short pale yellow dress she was now left in.

A roulette board spun in Amaya's head, the arrow spinning between the hundreds of questions on a spirally, hypnotic wheel.

"Woof! Woof!" The sudden barking noise stopped the reeling arrow short as Amaya's gaze now shifted towards the door. Slightly ajar, it swung open as something darted through the door and practically jumped straight on top of the sheets. Whether the squeaking noise came from her or the bed, Amaya wasn't sure.

"Easy Angelo, easy," the woman said in a gentle tone, fingers running through the dog's rather long, dark fur. Its beady eyes remained fixated on Amaya, and it took her a moment to recognize where she'd seen them before.

"You're the one that found me," Amaya said in almost a whisper, reaching out towards it. Angelo sniffed her hand before sitting, tail wagging back and forth happily.

"Looks like she's taken a liking to you," the woman said. She took a seat of her own along the edge of the bed, brushing some of her caramel-highlighted hair out of her face before scratching behind the canine's floppy ears. Angelo let out a pleased whine.

"...Is she yours?" Amaya cautiously asked, now reminded of her pursuit for the creature's owner...however long ago that was.

"Uh-huh!" the woman cheerily nodded. Her dark, down-turned eyes then widened. "Oh, where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself to you yet, have I?" Amaya meekly shook her head. "My name's Rinoa!"

"Rinoa," Amaya repeated, tasting the rather unusual name on her unseasoned palette. The woman nodded once more, a hearty smile plastered on her pink lips. She seemed kind enough, but… "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm one of the Keepers," she explained. The green-eyed girl gave her a blank stare. "We're like...security guards? Though I guess there's a bit more to it than that!"

"Those people that found me...they were Keepers, too, weren't they?"

"Yep! They were the ones that brought you here."

"Here...Where exactly is…'here'?"

"Our base! Some of us live here, and some of us hang around here between shifts. It's a safe place."

"Th-That's not quite what I mean," Amaya clarified. "I just...This place feels a lot different from my Island. Unless this place was uncharted? I don't think I've ever read about it, or seen it on any maps or anything."

"They didn't even explain that to you?" Rinoa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, I guess it can't be helped." She paused for a moment before piping up once more. "You asked the question, so I'll answer: This world isn't the one you call your home. You're in a place called the 'Wayward Borough', a world that opens itself up to people who've lost their own."

"The 'Wayward Borough'..." There was definitely wasn't a place on the Island with that name, at least not to Amaya's knowledge. So that cold girl from earlier hadn't been lying, she really was in another world! But…"Wh-why...H-how did I…?"

"Take a deep breath, Amaya," Rinoa instructed, seeing the girl's complexion paling. Amaya gulped before complying, composing herself just barely enough to finally form a coherent question.

"What happened...to my home?" A deep breath. "There were all these monsters, and it was really, really dark, and Riku and Kairi...they disappeared...And Sora! My little brother! I was with him!" She looked down at her hand; the scratches he'd left on her knuckles were now gone, but they'd definitely been there! Proof they were together at that final moment! "Where is he?! Where is - "

"I'm sorry, Amaya," Rinoa took her hand sympathetically. "But...I really don't know." Her lips continued to move, but all semblance of sound ceased to reach Amaya's ears. Her vision began to blur, her cheeks suddenly wet with salty tears, her body wracked with sobs. Then came the woman's warm embrace, the dog's cold nose nuzzled against her shoulder, but none of that solved her problems.

Her home, her island, her loved ones...

Rinoa did what she could, trying to comfort the poor girl. She held her tight, rubbing circles on her back as she coughed and shuddered. Angelo did her best, too, but the girl was inconsolable.

Just as Rinoa began to wonder if this girl would cry herself to sleep, her sobs gradually began to turn into slow, raspy breaths, the shakes less frequent. Eventually, she extracted herself from her grasp. Strands of ebony hair were plastered against her dampened face, eyes glassy and reddened.

"I...j-just…"

"I know," Rinoa nodded, gently squeezing her shoulders. "Let's take it one step at a time. You've just been through a lot, after all." A few more choked sobs came out, but this time, Amaya was able to regain some composure. "How about you take a little time to decompress? Maybe have some rest and get cleaned up? We can talk a little bit more when you're ready."

"Um...okay…"

"I can close the shutters for you and darken up the room if you'd like."

"N-No, that's okay," Amaya responded rather quickly. Even if she were in the mood to get some sleep - a concept she could barely fathom at this point with all that weighed in her mind - the idea of laying in a place where she couldn't make out her surroundings…

...Where she might not be able to see if one of those monsters came back for her…

"Alright, then," Rinoa complied, much to Amaya's relief. "There's a bathroom right over there," she pointed to a door in the corner of the bedroom, "with a shower and towels and everything, if you want to get cleaned up. But take all the time you need. When you're all set, feel free to come downstairs. We can talk more then."

"Okay…"

"Just holler down if you need anything. Anything at all."

"S-sure. Um, thank you, Rinoa." The woman shot her another hearty smile before exiting her room. Her long, dark hair swayed, and Amaya noticed a strange insignia embedded on the back of her blue duster: white wings.

"Come on, Angelo!" The dog climbed out of Amaya's lap with a happy bark, scurrying to join her owner. And finally, she was alone.

Still so many questions loomed over her, and though the temptation was still there, continuing to cry wasn't going to solve any of her problems. Rinoa's advice came back to her from earlier, and she took a few deep breaths to try and clear her mind.

Sitting around here, isolated, definitely wasn't going to get her any answers. Using her fingers to wipe away the sweat and tears from her face, she then swung her legs over the side of the bed, the soles of her feet touching the cool hardwood floor.

At least that feeling was familiar.

She then made her way over to the vanity, where her possessions were - all the mementos she had from her original world, she now realized. Her hand first went to the shark tooth necklace, fingers running over the smooth pendant.

'You can have it, Sis!' Sora's boyish voice rang in her head. Grasping at the beads, she couldn't help but wonder what could have been if she'd held onto him.

If only she hadn't let go of his hand! For all he'd done for her, all she had to do was hold on to him! The one thing, the one job she had, and she couldn't do it! And now, he was...He was...

"Sora, I'm so sorry," she whispered, failing to blink back tears once more.

But he'd been the brave one! He was the one that had saved her that night, the one who'd defeated all the monsters...and that mystery sword! Had the universe really handed it to him in whatever enigmatic manner, only to end him right then and there?

End him…

Amaya shook her head furiously. "You don't know for sure!" she told herself, wiping her face once more. Even Rinoa had said she didn't have all the answers! It was going to be a game of waiting and seeing.

Hopefully...somewhere out there, he and everyone else were okay.

Finally drawing her gaze away from the necklace, she looked up at herself in the mirror. The image wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be; sure, her hair was a giant mess, and her skin and lips had seen better, more hydrated days, but any bruises or scratches she was sure she'd had weren't visible. Rinoa had mentioned a healer had come by to look at her, and a wave of curiosity washed over her as she wondered what kinds of methods she might have used. Something told her it was something more intricate than the first aid kit she carried around with her?

Magic, possibly?

Well, stranger things had certainly happened.

It was after the physical inspection was complete that she finally met her reflection's eyes. Round and almond-shaped like her own, there was something off about them.

This look...she'd seen it before, in another pair of eyes. But those eyes were not her shade of green, but indigo, and had belonged to a girl who had been much, much younger.

"Remember now, kids," Daddy began, squatting before the three of them, "ya gotta be real nice. This little girl has probably been through a lotta scary stuff, and she doesn't really know anybody here yet."

"But she'll know us!" Sora practically bounced in his sandals. "We'll be her friends! Right, guys?!"

"Yeah," Riku nodded.

"Mm-hmm!" Amaya responded a little more enthusiastically, excited at the prospect of finally being able to have a girl around.

"Alright, then," Daddy chuckled before turning to ring the buzzer at the gate. As he conversed with the guard over the speaker, Amaya couldn't help but marvel at all the grandeur. The only houses she'd seen that were this big were the ones in the bedtime stories Mommy would read to her and Sora.

"It's like a fairytale," she sighed dreamily.

"You think she'll be like a princess or something?" Sora asked, sapphire eyes widening. It certainly would work out well - now Amaya wouldn't have to play the role every time he and Riku wanted to pretend to be pirates.

"Maybe she was one on her world," Riku suggested. He'd expressed curiosity about the girl's origins ever since they'd found out about her mysterious arrival then on the night of the meteor shower, this just another addition to his already many theories.

"Come on, kids," Daddy beckoned them to follow him to the ornate front door. Not long after he knocked, a woman opened it up to answer. Amaya remembered the lady from the Summer Festival, where she'd stood by the Mayor's podium as he gave that really long speech. The diamond on her left hand was the hugest Amaya had ever seen, and it glistened under the sunlight as she gestured for the children to follow her up the grand staircase in the middle of the foyer.

The children's wandering, astonished gazes finally met the door at the end of the hallway on the second floor. Lightly, the Mayor's wife rapped against it before creaking it open. "Kairi? I have some visitors for you." She then stepped aside to allow the trio to head in. Sora was the first, crossing the doorway without a second thought. Riku and Amaya exchanged a glance before following.

Standing in the center of the room was a girl of the likes Amaya had never seen before. Her hair was the prettiest shade of deep red, and her porcelain skin made her look like a doll.

And then there were her eyes, a deep blueish-purple not unlike the darkest part of the rainbow. But it wasn't the striking color that caught Amaya's attention. It was the hollowness, the daze, the glazed-over look in them.

The same look she now saw in her own, as she stood here ten years later having gone through her own scary stuff, not really knowing anyone around her yet.

She found herself grieving again. For her home, for her family, for Sora, for Riku, and for Kairi – her best friend who'd felt the agony she was feeling now, and who'd now had to lose everything that had been dear to her twice.

"Rinoa, a small burden, if you don't mind?"

"Come on, Cecil, you really think fetching you a cup of water is gonna be any skin off my nose?" she teased as she reached behind the bar for a glass.

"Much obliged," he chuckled after she slid it across the counter towards him. He held it up to his purple-tinged lips to take a sip. As he glugged it down, a loud mechanical whine sounded from the corner of the dining area.

"Mornin'!" Rinoa sang. Cecil turned to see Tifa emerging from the hidden platform beneath that janky device the Radiant Garden people called a "pinball machine." "Sleep well?"

"Can't complain," the ruby-eyed woman yawned and stretched before making her way over to the counter. "Thanks for filling in."

"Well, can't let you work yourself into a zombie!" Rinoa cupped the other woman's face. "You're in the prime of your youth! You need your beauty sleep!"

"I must agree, Tifa, you do work yourself quite hard," Cecil nodded.

"It can't really be helped," Tifa sighed, looking down at her scuffed leather gloves. Even a simple flex of her fingers showed all the cracks and gaps at the knuckles, and hundreds of scratches decorated the armor that protected her forearms. "Though, with all these young ones coming up into the ranks, we might all catch a little bit of a break soon."

"Yes, an influx of youthful talent might be just what we need. Speaking of, I heard we had a new, quite young arrival."

"She's not much older than we were when we came to this place," Rinoa mused. "Oh, but, Rosa did stop by earlier and patched her all up! Please give her our thanks."

"Will do."

"How is she, Rinoa?" Tifa asked, joining her behind the bar.

"Not all rainbows and butterflies, that's for sure," Rinoa sighed. "Wasn't able to ask any questions, either, since she was crying so much."

"Poor thing."

"No news on whether or not she might be the 'Key' we're looking for, I gather?" Cecil inquired.

"Not that I could tell." Rinoa shook her head. "She had some items I'd never seen before in that little bag of hers, but I'm assuming it's just random stuff from her original world. She did mention she comes from an Island, though."

"An Island, huh? Those do seem appealing from what I've read about them, though Baron didn't have anything quite like that."

"Nothing in the Garden, either," Tifa recalled. "Anyway, sounds like this might be an ongoing thing for a little while, then. We'll of course keep you posted if we learn anything important."

"You have my thanks."

"How's everything going down on your side of things?" Rinoa asked. "You're on duty today with him again today, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Cecil gave a curt nod.

"Anything we should be aware of on that front?" Tifa questioned.

"I've got my eye on him. My reminders tend to keep him in line, but of course, if something goes awry, you will be made aware."

"The power of darkness…I wonder if there even is a way to wield it safely."

"Being a former user myself, and having had to witness the fall of my world at its hand…It's something that I can't quite confirm." He finished the remainder of his water before standing up from the stool. "Though I hate to leave on such a dreary note, I should get going. Thank you again, you two."

"No prob!" Rinoa exclaimed, grabbing his glass to wash.

"Take – " Tifa was interrupted by the sound of the door to the stairwell creaking open.

"Oh, you're up!" Rinoa was surprised when she laid her eyes on the new girl who, a few hours later, had finally emerged. Though her eyes were still slightly swollen, she appeared to be in much better shape with her clothes now in order, the strange necklace back around her neck, and her thick hair now fastened in place with a red ribbon to hold the loose braid she kept in it.

Amaya's eyes darted around the new territory. Tables and chairs lined the floor, though none were occupied, and three people stood by the bar counter. She'd recognized Rinoa from earlier, of course, but now she was accompanied by two strangers. One was another woman with long, dark hair, and something about her garb rang similar to Rinoa's clothing.

Then there was the other man standing by the stools. She couldn't help but shudder under the gaze of his amethyst eyes, and the almost haunting pale skin. He was clad in an elaborate armor from head to toe, like a castle knight.

"Um…good day." Amaya found herself curtsying in the rather intimidating man's presence. Her face burned red when she realized her body had moved itself on its own – though, who could blame her?! That's what they did in all the books, right?!

A hearty laugh rang out, and Amaya looked up to see the man approaching her, his armor squeaking with every step he took. Before she could apologize for making a mockery of herself, he took her hand.

"Good day to you, as well," he greeted, placing a tender, gentlemanly kiss on the back of her knuckle. Once more, he chuckled as he saw the girl's flushed cheeks. "It's been quite a while since I've been greeted in such a formal manner. It's quite refreshing, actually!"

"Tifa, you should start greeting the customers that way!" Rinoa commanded.

"Huh?!" she responded, taken aback at the sudden suggestion.

"It would certainly feel more…homely?" Cecil mused.

"This is a bar, not some sort of host club," Tifa deadpanned. "Anyway, do you really have time to be standing around here, Cecil?"

"Oh, you're right! I should be on my way." He then turned to Amaya. "I do wish you the best of luck."

"Th-Thank you," she responded, watching after him as he headed towards the exit. It was there she noticed the large, transparent glass windows. Sunlight bled through them, providing natural lighting for the space, like it had during the time she spent up in that bedroom. But that didn't make sense, not unless… "U-Um, just how long exactly have I been here for?"

"Hmm, about half a day, I think?" Rinoa guessed.

"Oh…" And during all that time, it appeared the sun hadn't moved at all from its peak position in the sky? "Are nights here really short, or something? I could swear that it was just as bright when I, um, first got here."

"Sure picked up on that pretty quickly," the other woman, who was now wiping down the bar counter, responded. She paused for a moment to give her full attention to the younger girl. "Actually, there's no nighttime at all here."

"None…at all?" Rinoa and the strange woman shook their heads.

"You get used to it after a while!" Rinoa reassured her. A world without a nighttime, no moon and stars in sight…

How was that even possible? An altered day and night cycle was never something she even considered when she thought of other worlds!

"We don't know how it works, either," Tifa seemed to be responding to the rather bewildered expression on Amaya's face. "But, in the almost decade we've spent here, that's just the way it's been."

"A decade? So you guys aren't from here, either?"

"Looks like we're up in the hot seat, huh?" Rinoa teased.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean – "

"Well, it is normal to have so many questions after everything that's happened." Tifa shot her a warm smile. "Why don't you take a seat? Rinoa and I will tell you as much as you want. To the best of our abilities, of course."

"Would that really be alright?" Amaya inquired. The two women nodded, and so she took the barstool that Tifa was gesturing towards.

This was it. A chance to finally get some answers.

"To your question about us not being from here: You're right. We lost our home world, too. Seems like ages ago now."

"Did those monsters attack your home, too?" Amaya inquired. She gulped, recalling the hundreds of glowing eyes that peered up at her and her brother as they ran, ran, ran as fast as they could.

"You mean the Heartless?" Rinoa asked. 'Heartless'…that's what the boy with the gun had called the one he'd saved her from.

"Yeah…They were on my world, and then I ran into a huge one when I got here. Are they just everywhere?"

"Sure seems that way," Tifa responded. "Like you guessed, the Heartless are the ones that wrecked our home. They destroyed Cecil's – the man you met earlier – too. They did it to yours, and just about anyone else who's shown up in this place."

"But…why? Just what are they, exactly?"

"Those without hearts," Rinoa answered, gaze glued to the glass she was polishing. "The darkness in people's hearts – that's what attracts them." Her black eyes then looked back up at Amaya. "And there is darkness within every heart."

"So…if you have a heart, you're a target?" Amaya felt the blood draining from her face as Rinoa confirmed her fears true. "But there are Heartless here, too, aren't there? Why is this world still here?"

"Worlds themselves have hearts, too, believe it or not," Tifa chimed in. "A world disappears when the Heartless are able to get through the door the heart of the world, and destroy it."

'The door…has opened.' A chill ran down Amaya's spine as she recalled Riku's words.

Their world was being destroyed in a literal apocalypse, but there he was: cool, cocky, and confident as ever. Too confident. But…just how? Why? And where…?

"What about the people? My friends, or family?" Amaya blurted, finally asking the one question she'd been most desperate for an answer to. Remembering Rinoa's response from earlier, she looked up hopefully at the ruby-eyed woman. "Where are they?"

"I'm sorry, Amaya, but that's a question that I don't have the answer to yet," Tifa shook her head.

"But…" Her hands were beginning to shake again.

"Don't lose hope just yet, though," Tifa said encouragingly. "The Keepers are on the lookout, so if someone from your home is here, they'll find them and bring them to us."

"The Keepers…" It seemed with every encounter she had, that name would be brought up.

"We work to fight the Heartless, and protect the people here as best we can," Tifa explained. "If we find one of your friends or family out there, we'll keep them safe. Just like we'll be looking after you, too."

"Yeah," Rinoa agreed. "You can count on us! You're safe here."

Safe…

So that was her current state of affairs. But what about the people who mattered to her most, the ones whose images still burned in her mind every time she blinked, and thoughts of whom would continue to haunt her every breath. Like Mom and Dad? Haru? Riku, Kairi, and Sora?

'Please…let them be safe, too.'

And all she could do was pray for hope to be her ally.

A/N: OH MY GODDDD I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT *bows head in shame*

Thank you all for bearing with me! I just...really had a bout of writer's block with this one? That, compounded with some life stuff and changes at work kinda threw me for a loop. But we're past that, and here I am! On a mini-vacation, but I am using my wi-fi hotspot so I can get this to you guys ASAP T_T

One thing that I think kinda held me up with this chapter is the fact that...nothing really happened? And I apologize for that, I know set-up chapters can be a little boring, but I hope you look forward to what's to come! It took me a while to figure out just how much to reveal here in this chapter, and what I still want to keep for later, as well as pose some new questions, so I hope the balance worked out.

So, the big reveal here: the world we're in, the Wayward Borough! Yep, an original world created for this story. I won't go into too much detail just because I'd rather hear your thoughts on it, but I will say that it was coming up with this idea earlier this year that really sparked my want to spur into writing this story this year. More information to come, of course, if there's any confusion on what the heck is going on! Please do leave feedback, as it helps me know how you guys are feeling with all the concepts and things so far!

Special thank you to Daughter of Kyne and Painted with a Palette for being great friends and helping me look over that Chocobro scene, since that one really held me up. And as always, thank you to my betas DDragonWhisper and DuskyDancing for keeping my butt in check!

AND HOLY CRAP THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT SO FAR! The reaction's been really encouraging so far, and even though it took me a little longer to get this chapter out, any time I lost motivation, re-reading all your lovely reviews really kept me motivated. So please, if you have the time to leave even the smallest of comments, I really do appreciate it :)

Shoutouts: Thank you to Painted with a Palette, theIrishWriter, Gry22, Tempura the Night Fury, SoraxKairi7, Lunar Abyss, Xxser3ndipityxX, Daughter of Kyne, nico2411, and Is Og Ild for the reviews!