Inverted Sky: Kingdom Hearts II

Epilogue

Seven days.

Seven days have passed since the rescue of Roxas, as well as the death of Xion. But at the same time, it also brought about the opening of multiple passageways into an equal number of strange worlds. Most of which had not been seen or visited for hundreds of years. Yet they would mark the starting point for many new adventures ahead for Sora and her friends.

However, in the midst in of this journey, a new threat will slowly arise in the most terrifying and least expected way imaginable. Though, where this danger ascends, there will be a countering force to oppose it. Which side will win? Should there be a victor? And what part do these new worlds play in all this?

Chapter 1: Twilight Town part I

Floating, weightless, yet somehow never moving.

However, a single name was heard echoing from a young boy's voice, as if calling out to this person. "Sora..."

Immediately following this, the brown-haired teen slowly opened her eyes. She felt a strange mixture of exhaustion and being energetic, which made her unsure if she wanted to get up or go back to sleep. However, she chose the former of the two as her foggy vision began to clear and showed a curved grey wall in front of her. Blinking a few times, she reached out to touch the surface. Yet before her hand could touch it, the wall suddenly seemed to split open and slowly lower away from her. This allowing Sora to slowly sink to the floor of the pod she was inside of, as well as to reveal many of her friends standing there waiting for her.

A smiling Kairi gazed up at her with eyes filled with both longing, and worry. Though the main thing that Sora noticed, was that she was wearing a much different outfit than the one she saw when merged with Xion. Previously the auburn-haired girl's clothing had consist of a pink strapless mini-dress, which had three separate zippers. She also used to wear a white halter top with a black hood under this, a set of three bracelets on her left wrist, a black belt around her waist, and lilac sneakers with black laces.

However, her new appearance was that of a long, thin, pink vest. Which reached down to her knees, while the front of the garment was held together by a single silver, heart-shaped pin just under her chest. It also had thin purple straps that shared the same coloring as the lining, though it also gave good contrast to the black sides of the vest. Underneath this was a black, strapless mini dress, while further under this were a pair of purple spat shorts. Her shoes were now knee-high boots that were purple on the sides, black in the middle and white lines in-between. She was also wearing two bracelets on either wrist and the same necklace she had always been wearing since childhood.

Riku on the other hand was still wearing the same outfit he had before, it being the Organization's coat. Yet, unlike the last time Sora had seen him, he had cut his previously long hair to just over chin length. But aside from this change, he still appeared mostly the same as he gave his friend a bit more serious of a serious gaze, despite the small smile of relief.

Meanwhile, Donald appeared as if he was trying not to cry in seeing Sora awake again, yet was failing miserably. But Goofy beside him was just openly crying happily while giving a wave of greeting to their friend. Mickey was also standing next to them and gave a soft smile toward her, as if he was simply proud that they've made it this far.

On the other side, Namine had an expression of utter relief on her features. Though she quickly took on a smirk in happiness for Sora's release from her sleep, she appeared almost tired from all the work she did. Lastly, DiZ remained in the doorway to just watch all this with his only visible eye, which was slightly narrowed on the brown-haired teen.

Whom now had much longer hair, which reached past her lower back, yet kept most of its spikiness on the top. She was also much taller now as well, but her height was still a nearly perfect 'middle ground' between Riku and Kairi. The latter of whom quickly took notice of one fact that made her almost disheartened for a brief few seconds. Sora's chest was almost twice the size of her own, something that the brown-haired teen likely would not notice whatsoever until it was pointed out to her.

Upon seeing so many of her friends gathered, Sora jumped down from the pod and gave a soft smile to each of them. Though, the moment of happiness was only temporary as it came only from the relief of the girl finally awaking from her year's sleep. This becoming even more clear as Kairi eventually walked up to her brown-haired friend and hugged her tightly. In this single moment, everyone seemed to return back to the situation at hand and became fully silent. The entire room becoming fully silent as even the machinery had been turned off by this point.

"I'm sorry Sora...I'm so sorry." the auburn-haired teen whispered silently as none of them seemed to know what else to say.

Though, while looking from Kairi to the others, Sora simply brought her arms around her friend and gave a somewhat weak smile to everyone. "It's alright you guys." she started while slowly separating from her friend.

"When Xion's and my memories linked together, our hearts also formed a connection." Sora began with a hand placed over her heart.

"But when she died...it was severed." she muttered out silently, her not wanting to remember the events that took place.

"However, when Roxas merged with me...I could feel it again." the teen claimed as her eyes closed, to which everyone just blinked a few times before nodding slightly in understanding.

"She's somewhere deep within my heart, so just like with Teng..." she started before snapping her eyes open; "...I'm going to find a way to bring her back!"

Upon her declaration, everyone could see the conviction in her narrowed eyes. This lead for many of them to nod their heads in agreement, as well as to give a small smile. Each one showing that they would be right beside her the whole way, no matter what happened. However, this somewhat happy mood was only paper thin. The real reason for much of their despair toward Sora, were the other five deaths that occurred during her sleep. Something of which the teen didn't seem to even want to bring up. But, her next words had immediately shown that it was still a prominent thought within her mind.

"As well as take down the entirety of Organization 13." she all but growled out as her gaze suddenly darkened and her jaw clenched tightly together.

The look in her eyes quickly caught the attention of DiZ, making him take on a small smirk in response. Meanwhile, Kairi quickly placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, as if to make sure the teen didn't run off impulsively. "You're not thinking of doing anything reckless, are you?" she questioned quickly with a hard gaze.

The brown-haired girl turned to her with a raised brow before shrugging her shoulders. "Not at all." was all she said, which made Riku step forward.

"You can't seriously be thinking of trying to storm their base again. All of us together couldn't defeat them, there is no way it would be any different now." the teen boy claimed firmly while looking at his friend in a stern manner.

Sora simply smirked to this before looking down to one of her gloved hands, to which she flex it briefly in front of herself. "You forget...when Xion merged with Roxas, all of her powers also flowed into him. So by extension, when he merged with me...their powers did as well." she said calmly while looking to her two childhood friends.

"I'm easily two or three times stronger than when I fought Marluxia." the teen claimed, causing many of their eyes to widen in shock.

However, just when they started wondering if an attack against the Organization could work, Sora continued on. "But..." she muttered silently, lowering her hand and closing both eyes.

"...even with all this new power...I still don't stand a chance against Xemnas." the girl finished, making the others stare with slightly widened eyes.

"When Xion and I were merged, we used the most powerful magic we have ever been able to accomplish to that point. And yet, he just shrugged it off like it was nothing. So I know without a doubt, his power is well beyond anything I'm capable of right now." Sora mused on as the shock everyone was feeling had just multiplied.

Yet, despite all of this, Kairi took one of Sora's gloved hands into her own and took on a small smile. "No matter what trials or enemies come our way...we'll overcome them all. Cause nothing is stronger than our hearts and the bonds we share." she claimed with an unparalleled conviction in her tone and eyes.

This made the brown-haired teen blink in surprise for a moment before she just smiled back and nodded. "Very true. We'll be able to do anything so long as we stick together!" Sora declared as her lips curled into her signature grin.

"Ugh...are you two really going to do another 'friendship speech'?" Riku muttered silently with a light groan and roll of his eyes.

Both Sora and Kairi turned to him with a huff and pout; "Did you have to ruin the moment?" the latter questioned while the pair crossed their arms.

"He's just jealous because he has to keep up his 'cool' and 'tough guy' act." the former muttered in a teasing tone.

"Th-That's not true at all!" the silver-haired teen stated quickly, yet his brief stutter almost seemed to confirm his friend's words.

After a brief moment of laughter between the group of friends, they soon paused and turned toward DiZ as he spoke up. "Pardon my intrusion, but there are many matters that require our attention." he stated, him obviously including Sora with saying 'our'.

The brown-haired teen blinked to him briefly, yet soon raised a hand. "Before we get to that, I have to ask you two things." the girl spoke up as she tilted her head slightly to the side and raised a brow.

"Who exactly are you? And what is it that you want?" she questioned, the teen keeping her arms crossed while asking this.

Said man just gaze at her with a hard gaze, as if he was debating whether or not he should tell her. But as he turned his back toward everyone, it seemed as if he had no intention of answering Sora's inquires. However, rather than starting to walk away, he simply spoke up in a more silent tone than before. "I am simply a servant of the worlds. As for what I want, there is but one thing that I seek..." he said in his deep and silent voice.

Though, just before he spoke his last words, he glanced over toward Sora from over his shoulder with a familiar gaze. "...the same thing you do, my dear."

Upon these words, the brown-haired teen stared at the man for a few seconds, yet simply sighed with a nod. "Meh...good enough." she muttered with a shrug of her shoulders.

This lead for each of them to make their way out of the pure white room and into the hall of the mansion. Of which had a large scorch mark in the center, something of which they seemed to avoid out of simple respect. Once each of the seven had gathered in a near circle, they each looked to DiZ to continue on with his previous words. Despite Sora being the only one who didn't know what was going to be said, the others remained by her sides as if to show their support.

"Now then, I understand that you wish to take the fight to Organization 13 as fast as possible. But right now, there are very dire problems in need of your attention, Keyblade wielder." the dark skinned man began as he placed both hands behind his back, his voice echoing lightly through the room.

"I'm sure you remember seeing the increasing number of Heartless in the many worlds you previously visited through Xion's memories?" he asked, his tone sounding more like he was stating something than questioning it.

After Sora gave a nod in response, DiZ spoke on while slowly pacing from side to side. "However, in the last few days...there have been an enormous influx of Heartless and Nobodies in each of those worlds, as well as many other worlds you have yet to see."

"Though they can't take the heart of the worlds you sealed off, they can still spread as much darkness as they please. Therefore, I must ask of you to travel to each of the worlds in danger and do two simple things. The first is to seal the heart of the worlds you have yet to visit, and the second...is to use a very powerful spell on each world that will repel the Heartless and Nobodies from invading any further." DiZ explained silently while finally stopping in his pacing and turned to face Sora once more.

"The spell itself is a difficult one and will require a teacher whom has extensive knowledge in it. But as I personally do not know it, and even King Mickey is in the process of learning it, you will have to go and see Master Yen Sid to receive his teachings." the man said with a glance over toward Mickey.

"He was once King Mickey's master, so he knows the way. Therefore, you won't get lost along the way." he finished with a very brief glance toward Riku, to which the brown-haired girl blinked a few times.

Yet this gaze to the silver-haired boy made her quickly turned to him as well, Riku himself having a light smirk on his features. "You told him about the time I got lost in town, didn't you?" she growled out at him.

Riku just shrugged his shoulders, him then gaining a slightly wider smirk. "It might have come up in conversation once or twice." was all he answered with before quickly running off, causing the girl to immediately give chase.

"I was only five at the time!" Sora yelled out along the way, all of which making the others laugh from the scene.

"She's got a long journey ahead of her." DiZ whispered silently as he remained the only serious one.

"Let's just hope she's ready for it." he finished, a hard gaze focusing solely on the brown-haired teen.