Sorrow's Promise

Chapter 32

We arrived at what we had to assume was our destination late in the evening. Climbing tentatively out of the train car, I looked around at our new surroundings and saw that we seemed to be on a tiny, grassy island floating out in the middle of an orange ocean. A large, crooked tower rose up out of the island, with green-roofed spires and adorned with stars and crescent moons.

As Sora and I stood gazing up at the tower, there was a hissing sound and a flash of light behind us. We spun around just in time to see the train vanish into thin air, leaving only the tracks behind.

Sora chuckled nervously. "There goes our ride!"

I gave him a smile that I hoped was reassuring. Whoever was waiting for us at this tower, I was sure they would make sure that he and his friends had transportation to wherever they needed to go, and I myself could always leave via dark corridor. I didn't blame him for being a bit nervous about all of this mystery, though.

After a run-in with a strange, burly guy who was apparently one of Maleficent's former lackeys, and a few short spats with some Heartless, we made it inside and up to the top of the tower. The guy downstairs had informed us that the tower belonged to a wizard named Yen Sid, whom Goofy said had been the King's teacher. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were readying to enter his office, but I lingered in the hallway, not sure whether or not I should go in. I had fulfilled my promise of making sure they made it here, so technically, I could leave now.

"Aren't you coming in?" Sora asked, looking back at me.

I hesitated a moment longer, then nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming." Hopefully Yen Sid wouldn't mind my presence. I did want to hear what he had to say to Sora about the Organization.

Donald and Goofy went in first and made a big show of bowing to the blue-clad, bearded wizard who sat behind the desk. "Master Yen Sid! It's an honor!" Donald greeted him with his face still towards the floor.

I stayed back against the wall by the door while Sora walked up between his two friends. "Hey there!" he said, waving casually.

Donald and Goofy both jumped and glared at him. "Sora, show some respect!" Donald commanded.

Yen Sid, however, shook his head and waved them down. "So, you are Sora. And who is this?" he asked, gesturing towards me.

Sora glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh, that's Meli. She brought us here."

I gulped and stood up straight, then dropped an awkward curtsy. "I'm a friend of..." I had wanted to say Riku, but didn't want to give myself away to Sora. "Friends, sir," I finished, not knowing how else to put it. I didn't know if it was safe to mention DiZ or Naminé, either.

"She's a Keyblade bearer!" Sora announced on my behalf.

"Ah, yes," Yen Sid nodded. "Then you must be the one that I have heard about." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. He had heard about me? From whom?

"Now, then, have you seen the King yet?" Yen Sid continued, turning his attention back to the boys.

"Yes we did, Master," Goofy answered. "But we didn't get a chance to talk to him."

"Yes...the King has been quite busy of late," Yen Sid acknowledged. "Therefore, it would seem that the task of instructing you three falls upon my shoulders. You have a perilous journey ahead of you. You must be well prepared."

"You mean...we have to go on another quest?" Sora asked, not sounding at all enthused. "I was looking forward to finding my friend Riku, so we could go back to the Islands."

"Yes, I know," Yen Sid responded. "However, everything in your journey, Sora, is connected. Whether you will find your way home to the Islands, whether you will return alone, or with your friend, and whether or not the Islands will still be there. And the key that connects them all is you, Sora."

"I'm...the key?" Sora echoed. He sounded nervous, and I felt sorry for him. I knew a bit of how it felt to have responsibility thrown at you that you weren't ready for, from when I had first learned about my own Keyblade. Sora reached his hand out in front of him and summoned his weapon, gazing at it thoughtfully.

"Chosen wielder of the Keyblade! You are the key that will open the door to light," Yen Sid declared.

Sora nodded solemnly, accepting his role without further question. Yen Sid nodded in turn to Donald and Goofy, who both stood up straight and returned the gesture. I had to admit, this kid was pretty admirable. He wasn't any older than I was, but somehow he kept having the fate of all the worlds set in his hands, and he seemed to take it all in stride.

Yen Sid then proceeded to explain to them how there were still Heartless lurking around, though not as many as before, and to tell them all about Nobodies. He conjured up images of a Shadow Heartless and some Dusks to illustrate his lecture. It was when he conjured an image of three Organization members with their hoods drawn, however, that I jumped and gasped. Thankfully no one seemed to be paying me any attention at this point. The hooded figures were so lifelike that I could almost imagine it was Riku and Roxas standing there. I was glad when Yen Sid finished explaining Organization XIII and the images faded.

"It seems they are working towards a higher goal," Yen Sid commented. "What that goal is, we do not know. The King sensed the danger, and journeyed forth to fight it. He found the Dark Realm's Keyblade, and with it, closed the door. Now he's traveling from world to world, fighting the Heartless as he seeks the answer to the riddle of the Nobodies and Organization XIII."

"Then I guess we better go find the King first!" Sora said, looking to his companions.

"But where could he be?" Donald wondered aloud.

"Well, we won't know 'til we look!" Goofy exclaimed.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "And the King must know where Riku is, 'cause the two of them were together in the Realm of Darkness when we closed the door. You know, after defeating Ansem."

My heart plummeted every time he mentioned Riku and wanting to find him and go back home. Now he was bringing Ansem into the conversation – oh, if he only knew about Ansem. I felt guilty for not telling him what I knew, but the truth was, I really didn't know exactly where Riku was right now. Besides, as I kept telling myself, it was Riku's job to show up and fix his relationship with his friend, not mine.

"So, before you go, you will need more suitable traveling clothes," Yen Sid announced. "Those look a bit too small for you. Through there, you will find three good fairies. If you ask, they will create for you appropriate garments."

Wait a second, did he just say fairies? So not only did this universe have talking ducks and dogs, but it also had fairies. This was just getting better and better...not to mention weirder. As much as I wanted to see that for myself, I figured this was probably a good cue for me to take my leave. Yen Sid seemed to sense that this was my thought, and called out to me as Sora and the others were exiting the room.

"Tell me, do you plan on traveling with Sora?" he asked, stroking his long, grey beard.

"Oh, um...no, I hadn't really planned on it," I replied, stepping a little closer to the desk.

"The King tells me you have been training with Riku, is that correct?"

Ah, so Riku must have told the King about me, who then told the wizard. "Yeah, I was. Not anymore, though."

Yen Sid was studying me with his strange eyes, but I found it hard to meet his penetrating gaze. "I'm sure that Sora and his companions would be happy to have another Keyblade bearer such as yourself on their journey."

I shrugged. "Maybe, but...they can handle themselves. They don't need my help."

"I did not suggest that they needed it," Yen Sid countered matter of factly. "Perhaps, in fact, it is you who needs their company. Do you know where you will go after this, if not with them?"

I swallowed, but didn't say anything in reply. I got the feeling he already knew the answer somehow, anyway. After a moment, I threw my hands up in defeat. "Alright, I guess I could go with them. For now, anyway." He was right, I didn't have anywhere else to go. Besides, just because I started out traveling with them didn't mean I had to commit to the entire journey.

"Good," Yen Sid returned, offering me something close to a smile. "Why don't you go on and catch up to them, then?"