Wow... it's been a while since my last update, ne? Well, I hope this chapter is suitable... I truly am sorry for all of the waiting you guys have done. Well, enjoy!

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Yuki flexed her now healed hand over and over again by her side as she followed Sora's movement from the shadows. Ever since he destroyed the heartless before her, she was afraid to appear before him. She didn't want any of the heartless to be destroyed. Sighing, Yuki slowly climbed the steep hill that lead to the train station as she kept her eyes trained on Sora. Yuki frowned slightly as she thought of Roxas and the resemblance of Sora's personality. The only difference was that Sora seemed... well, nicer. Yuki narrowed her eyes when they reached the station, for a bunch of nobodies had appeared and surrounded them.

"No... Not now. I have work to do..."

Yuki closed her eyes and listened to the three struggle against the mass of nobodies. It was more than they could handle, for nobodies have a much different level of strength than heartless... Yuki clenched her fist and summoned her dark vein. If they were to get hurt too badly, she wouldn't be able to complete her investigation... Yuki was about to charge into the fray when a small, cloaked figure jumped into the battle. Yuki froze and felt the same menacing presence that often accompanied Sora and Roxas.

This person was a Keyblade master.

Yuki watched as the cloaked figure tossed something to Sora and ordered them to get inside the station. Yuki narrowed her eyes and watched helplessly as her target moved into the area where she could not follow. Yuki sighed and watched the cloaked figure as he quickly destroyed the rest of the nobodies that crowded around him. This guy... is on a whole different level. He has much more experience than Sora... Yuki crouched low to the ground behind a brick wall when she saw the figure snap his head in her direction. Crap... I can't let him know I'm here. Yuki quickly looked at the shadows beneath her and felt herself plunging into the darkness.

--

Yuki winced as she landed hard on her back on the hard floor in the castle.

"Ouch... well that wasn't quite graceful."

Yuki quickly got up and brushed off her capris as she looked around. She was currently in the room that Axel was previously training in. Yuki sighed and readied herself to make another portal to go to Xemnas' office. Before she made her portal, she heard someone take a step behind her. Yuki quickly whipped around to find Xemnas standing before her, which scared her only a bit.

"You arrived early... I take it you have found out all the information you need?"

Yuki bowed her head and shook it slightly. "I was cut short because another Keyblade master had appeared to aid Sora in a fight... and I think he may have noticed my presence, so I fled. I wouldn't have been able to get past him without being caught."

Xemnas narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms behind his back. "What did this Keyblade master look like?"

Yuki raised her head and looked Xemnas in the eyes. "He was small...He had large, rounded ears, and his skill seemed to be far beyond Sora's current capacity."

Xemnas closed his eyes and smirked. "The king... has made his move."

Yuki's eyes widened as Xemnas started to pace slowly back and forth. She remained silent as she waited for him to continue.

"I think he knows we have already moved closer to the boy... but that was to be discovered in due time. Regardless, we will have to remove your cover as a civilian... What else have you found out?"

Yuki blinked and looked at the ground. "Well... Sora seems to be pretty confident... but he seems like he would be prone to giving up hope if his friends weren't around. He told me himself that he wouldn't know what to do without them. So I think it's both his strength and his weakness."

Xemnas nodded and turned to face Yuki. "Good. This shows me he relies on others... Yuki. I wish to give you a mission that will require you to be gone for a long time."

Yuki blinked and looked up at Xemnas in disbelief. "What?"

--

Yuki sat down on her bed and stared at the wall on the opposite side of her. "I can't believe he wants me to join him... Why Riku? I thought we were after Sora..."

Yuki huffed and glared at nothing in particular as she started to feel faint. Recognizing the feeling, she quickly let herself be enveloped in darkness.

--

Yuki found herself, once again, practically blinded by the light floor. Looking to the pedestal, she blinked and rubbed her eyes when she found someone else there instead of the lady that usually was present.

"So... it is someone else."

The person turned around and, upon looking at Yuki, smiled. "Hello... it's a pleasure to meet you, Yuki-chan."

Yuki blinked and backed up a step when the man started to approach her. "Who are you, and where has the lady gone?"

The man smiled and bent down to look into Yuki's eyes. Yuki blushed slightly, for his face was rather close. "Ah, she and I are one in the same... although, I suppose she's the light side of us... I'm the dark side. I must say, she forgot to mention how cute you are."

Yuki backed up a few spaces and got a better look at the guy. He was rather tall and looked to be around twenty years old. He had spiky, black hair and sported half-moon glasses along with a simple black attire consisting of a black long sleeve shirt and black pants. Yuki noticed that he was rather handsome, but disregarded this fact as what he had said was sinking in.

"Wait... you said you two were the same person? How could that be?"

The man smiled and crossed his arms as he started to pace back and forth before her. "You see, each person consists of a dark and light side, correct? Keeping that in mind, we represent those different sides. Whenever light is prevalent in the Dark Vein, she will be apparent. Whenever darkness is prevalent, you will find me here. Being so, your realization of some things has caused me to be prevalent. Basically, the dark vein will house whatever feeling is dominant at the time. Although, I suppose it doesn't really matter... but depending on which one of us is out, different things can happen with the dark vein. When light is prevalent, the gem on the blade will consist of a purple hue. When darkness is prevalent, it will consist of a dark blue. Got it so far?"

Yuki nodded meekly and froze as the man smiled and patted her on her head.

"Good. Now, I would elaborate some more, but I must see if you understand now. Now, I will give a proper introduction. Hello, my name is Toby."

Yuki's eyes widened and she looked at Toby's outstretched hand. Yuki softly grabbed his hand and shook it while nodding.

"Nice to meet you, Toby... sir."

Toby smiled at Yuki and nodded. "There you go, you have realized it. Now, do you know exactly what you've realized?"

Yuki looked at the ground and frowned. "That... I'm a hopeless cause who can't make up her mind?"

Toby laughed and shook his head. "No, not that. About your power and your destiny. Any of that sort of thing."

Yuki blinked and shook her head. "Not really..."

Toby sighed and squatted in front of Yuki so that he could be face to face with her. "Well, think upon that, but for now, I must return you to the real world. If you need me, you know where to find me. We're always by your side, no matter the decision you make."

Toby lifted Yuki's hand and kissed it before Yuki started to feel faint. Yuki smiled and closed her eyes as the light from the floor started to increase. "... My decision..."

--

Yuki opened her eyes and found that she was lying on her bed. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and quickly stood. She felt a little better about recent events after talking with Toby, but now she had to go meet with Xemnas; she had to be prepared for departure. Yuki quickly made a shadow portal and stepped through.

Upon exiting the portal, she found herself outside of Xemnas' office and swallowed at the lump in her throat. She didn't exactly like the idea of hanging around someone who had her name in their bingo book... Well, the Heir to the Darkness, not exactly her name, but give or take a few things, it was all the same person. Yuki quickly knocked on the door and entered upon hearing the muffled response.

Yuki found Xemnas talking with Saix, who was now staring in Yuki's direction. Yuki bowed slightly and moved out of the way as Saix walked past her. I must admit, I'll be glad to be away from that guy... he's scary. Yuki jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. Xemnas turned his head toward the wall to the right. Looking in the same direction, Yuki found a shadow portal waiting for her.

"Riku is currently in Hollow Bastion again. I want you to wait in an area with a lesser population and prepare yourself to fight with some lesser nobodies I will be sending after you. While you stay with Riku, I want you to refrain from using the Dark Vein. We must not let him question your weapon or powers. In exchange, I will be giving you a normal weapon that will function similarly to the Dark Vein. Are you prepared for departure?"

Yuki nodded hesitantly and looked at the portal as Xemnas handed Yuki a medal rod about six inches long that had a sheathed blade on the end as well as a leather string. Yuki gripped the rod and noticed it was collapsed. As she wondered how long it was when fully stretched, Xemnas pushed her forward toward the portal.

"You know what your mission is. Now go."

Yuki nodded and tied the rod to her belt loop as she walked through the portal. This was going to prove interesting.

--

Yuki stepped onto the hard pavement as she landed outside of the portal. As the portal closed behind her, Yuki looked around and saw that she was in the back of a rather dark alley. Sighing, she started to walk out of the alley as she concentrated on feeling any links. When she finally felt a faint tug in the back of her mind, Yuki snapped her head to the left.

"He's this way..."

Yuki quietly walked down the street and noticed that it was conveniently abandoned. Smiling to herself, she pondered whether Xemnas had planned this, or whether it was a lucky fluke. Feeling the pull growing stronger, Yuki stopped in her tracks and waited. Once the pull became very noticeable, she felt lesser pulls coming from behind and saw three Dancers and a Dusk appear. Tightening a hand around the metal rod, she took it out of its sheath and extended the pole. Yuki felt the edges of her mouth twitch into a smile when she found it to be around the same length as the Dark Vein. Her eyes then traveled to the end of the pole and noticed that the blade was fairly smaller in width and length. Disregarding the blade, Yuki narrowed her eyes at the nobodies.

"I hope this is as strong as it gets... I can't handle anything larger than this."

Yuki tightened her grip around her spear as the Dusk approached ahead of the Dancers. Yuki jumped back and spun around to avoid being slashed at by the Dusk's hand. As Yuki spun around to face the dusk, she swept the spear up in an ark to nick the Dusk in the upper torso where one's collarbone would be. The Dusk recuperated quickly and slinked around quickly behind Yuki and started to circle at her feet. Yuki attempted to jump away from the dusk, but ended up getting kicked in her back. Yuki was sent through the air to land at the feet of one of the Dancers.

The Dancer quickly started its pursuit and quickly caught a hold of Yuki. She struggled to wrench her arm free of the nobody as it started to swing her around. Yuki grabbed the Dancer's arm and kicked its chest area and felt herself fly backward from the force of her launch. Yuki quickly flipped and landed on her feet before seeing the dusk mere second from landing a blow on her. Yuki closed her eyes and guarded her heart with her arms as she waited for something to pierce them. She suddenly felt something fly pass her cheek and quickly opened her eyes. She was greeted with the sight of the Dusk fading away while a dark Keyblade was sitting in its head. The dark cloth of the person's arm was making her neck itch, and the Keyblade's presence was bringing her a headache. Yuki looked behind her to see the familiar face of Xemnas, except Yuki felt Riku's presence within his soul.

"... You? Why are you..."

Riku looked down at Yuki and raised his eyebrow. "I should be asking you the same thing. Watch out!"

Riku quickly grabbed Yuki around the waist and jumped back as a dancer grabbed for her. Yuki nodded to Riku in thanks and gripped her spear.

"We'll talk afterwards, I suppose?"

Riku nodded as he brandished his Keyblade once again. Yuki winced slightly at the sight of the blade but tried to ignore it; she had to finish this and continue with her mission.

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Yes, the chapter is finished. I wanted to get it out on a good part, because I know you guys have been waiting for quite a while for a new chapter. Well, please review, and thanks for reading!