Chapter 1: Unknown Power

The dark figure moved with unnatural speed. His purposeful strides spoke power and determination. Completely enclosed within a black coat and hood, his face was shrouded in shadow.

'Time is running out' the figure thought to himself. 'Soon I'll be forced to face Roxas in order to regain the rest of Sora's memories.' For once the cloaked teen known as Riku didn't have faith that his power would be sufficient to accomplish this task. That was what brought him to the world of Hollow Bastion. Riku halted his movement when he reached a cliff overlooking a plain known only as the Dark Depths, painful memories of his last visit to this world resurfacing. 'This is where I fully gave in to the darkness. This is where I fought my best friend. This is where I let HIM in.'

At this thought Riku felt a sinister presence stirring in his heart. Instinctively placing a black gloved hand over his chest, Riku clenched his teeth and immediately beat down the interloper, causing him to retreat to the deepest parts of his heart once more. Feeling a measure of security, Riku now took the time to survey his location. Across the plain lied a dilapidated old castle that Riku payed little mind to. His primary concern was the plain itself, or rather, what was on the plain.

'Diz better not have sent me on a wild goose chase.' But somehow, Riku knew this time was different. He could feel the anomalous energy nearby. A nexus of unknown power had sprung up in Hollow Bastion.

These sorts of things were not entirely unheard of, but the reasons behind them were often varied and inconsistent. There was no telling where this nexus came from or what it would do to those that came in contact with it. But according to the natives Riku had overheard upon his arrival, the heartless were too multiplied in that area for examination and research of the nexus to take place. Luckily, these manifestations of hearts swallowed by darkness posed no threat to Riku, for he walked in darkness as well.

As he approached the wild energy Riku noticed that it seemed to be at conflict with itself. In fact, Riku could sense both immense light and powerful darkness within the nexus.

'How peculiar' Riku mused, taking another step toward the nexus. The bigger question, however, was whether he would be able to successfully absorb the power of these forces, thereby amplifying his own abilities. Riku was amused by the irony of the situation. 'You'd think after all the foolish and reckless things I've done to grab more power I'd think twice before stepping into an energy field full of chaotic energies'. At this the teen took a step back, but then he heard it, music so beautiful and wondrous that the air itself seemed to listen. For Riku, it seemed to fill his body with warmth and comfort. He couldn't explain it, but somehow he felt that he could trust the music, that it wouldn't harm him. All other thoughts pushed from his head, Riku strode into the nexus.

Far away in a graveyard in Little Hangleton, Harry Potter gave his arm an almighty wrench, and the connection between his wand and Voldemort's was shattered.