/=;' /=;' s/s= a;a; a'a' s/s= a';a s/=s s=s/ s=s/ a'a; s/s= a'a; sls/s s=s/ szs/ a';a s/sl s=sz a's/s s=s/s a'sls s/s=s a'a;a sls/s s=szs as=z s/s=s a;szs/ a';as s/sls szs= a';a a'a'a s=s=s s/s/s sz/=s a';a s=a's/ szs=s a'sls/ sls/ s/s=s szsls a;a'a sls/s s/szs s=szs sa'a s/sls a';a a;a;a sl/; szs/; sls/s a';a a';a s/s=s sz/=s a';a <>?+ o<o<o e>e>e s?s+s s?s/s s+s+s s+s=s o<>e o<e>; o,o<o e>e.e s?s/s s+s=s o<>e ?+szs s/s?s s+s+s s?+s szs/ s=s+s s?s+s o<>e <s>=? s+=s? <z>=<s+e> s=s+s s?s/s s/?s s=?; o<>e e>e> <o,o s+?, n=s+z. e>z<s s=z+e o<e<n? o<>e s/s= s/s=s s/s=s o<e>e s=s/e +s+s s/s+s s+s?s s=s+s s/s?s e>e>e o<oqo e>eje e>e o<o s+s=s s?s/s szs+s sls/s=sz o<o e>e s?s s+s e>e o<o o<e>s?s+ :"-_ a:a; a"a'a s-s_s s-s_s s=s-s a"a:a a;a"a s-s_s s?s/s s?s_s s-s_s a;a: s_s a:a s/s?s s_s-s a;a:a a"a'a s-s=s s_s-s a;s-s a:a"a a;a'a s-s/s s_s?s s?s-s a;a:a a:"a a'a"a a;a:a s-s_s s/s-s s?s_s s-a;s_ a:a a;a:a s-s_s `1a`a`a1a1a`a1a`a1`1~!a!a~a~a!~!a`a1 s[s[s[s[s]s]s]s]s][a][a][a]s{a}[a]{a}s{s}s[s]s{s} a`a1a~a! s[s{ s]s} a!a1 [~a1] {`a} [!s1] `s~a [as] {[a!n]s} a`a~ a1a! s[s] s{s} s{~a} a!a1 `a[as] a!a{a} s{!a1} {![a-s]} !a[s] ~a{!s1} s[s]s\[s]s\=s/s-s s-s/s=s[s]s\ s_s-s s/s[s]s s?s{s}s s\|s=s+s s/s[s]=s 2390 2390 s0s0 n9n9 o2o2 e3e3 o2e3 n9s0 n9s0 o2o@ e3e# e3e# o@e# n(s) n(s) o@e# n(s) (#2) (#3) o@32 #9023 #12390 @12390 @20(s) #90@23 n9n9 s90 s90 a1o2 e3n9s0 (90) (#32) e#90(s) 4$8*7\& u4u4 h7h7 t8t8 t*t8t h&h7h u4u$u t*t8t h7h7h u$u4 h7h&h h&t* u$u4u u$h&t* t8th7h u4u 4u7h8t t8th7h u4u u$u h&h t*t t*t8t h7h&h t*th&h u$u4u u$u4u h&hgh t*t8t tct8t hgh7h upu4u upu$u hgh&h tct*t u$h&h t*tct h&hgh u$upu u4u h7h t8t tct8t hgh&h tct*t u$h&t* *t&h$u u$u4u h&h7h t*tct 5%^6 u5uh6h u5u h6h h^h6h u%u5u h^h&h u%u5u h6h7h u5u%u h^h6h h7h&h u5u%u h^h6h h7h&h u5u%u u%u h^h h&h u%u5u%u h^h6h^h h&h7h u%u5u u5uh^h h&h u5u u%u u%u%u h^h^h h&h&h u%u%u u5u%u h^h6h u5u h6h h7h u5u%u h6h^h h8h*h h^h6h h6hfh /=;' /=;' s/s= a;a; a'a' s/s= a';a s/=s s=s/ s=s/ a'a; s/s= a'a; sls/s s=s/ szs/ a';a s/sl s=sz a's/s s=s/s a'sls s/s=s a'a;a sls/s s=szs as=z s/s=s a;szs/ a';as s/sls szs= a';a a'a'a s=s=s s/s/s sz/=s a';a s=a's/ szs=s a'sls/ sls/ s/s=s szsls a;a'a sls/s s/szs s=szs sa'a s/sls a';a a;a;a sl/; szs/; sls/s a';a a';a s/s=s sz/=s a';a <>?+ o<o<o e>e>e s?s+s s?s/s s+s+s s+s=s o<>e o<e>; o,o<o e>e.e s?s/s s+s=s o<>e ?+szs s/s?s s+s+s s?+s szs/ s=s+s s?s+s o<>e <s>=? s+=s? <z>=<s+e> s=s+s s?s/s s/?s s=?; o<>e e>e> <o,o s+?, n=s+z. e>z<s s=z+e o<e<n? o<>e s/s= s/s=s s/s=s o<e>e s=s/e +s+s s/s+s s+s?s s=s+s s/s?s e>e>e o<oqo e>eje e>e o<o s+s=s s?s/s szs+s sls/s=sz o<o e>e s?s s+s e>e o<o o<e>s?s+ :"-_ a:a; a"a'a s-s_s s-s_s s=s-s a"a:a a;a"a s-s_s s?s/s s?s_s s-s_s a;a: s_s a:a s/s?s s_s-s a;a:a a"a'a s-s=s s_s-s a;s-s a:a"a a;a'a s-s/s s_s?s s?s-s a;a:a a:"a a'a"a a;a:a s-s_s s/s-s s?s_s s-a;s_ a:a a;a:a s-s_s `1a`a`a1a1a`a1a`a1`1~!a!a~a~a!~!a`a1 s[s[s[s[s]s]s]s]s][a][a][a]s{a}[a]{a}s{s}s[s]s{s} a`a1a~a! s[s{ s]s} a!a1 [~a1] {`a} [!s1] `s~a [as] {[a!n]s} a`a~ a1a! s[s] s{s} s{~a} a!a1 `a[as] a!a{a} s{!a1} {![a-s]} !a[s] ~a{!s1} s[s]s\[s]s\=s/s-s s-s/s=s[s]s\ s_s-s s/s[s]s s?s{s}s s\|s=s+s s/s[s]=s s-a+s/a[s-a]=? s+a{s[s-a]/s}=? a+1=s{a-s+1+1s}/s 2390 2390 s0s0 n9n9 o2o2 e3e3 o2e3 n9s0 n9s0 o2o@ e3e# e3e# o@e# n(s) n(s) o@e# n(s) (#2) (#3) o@32 #9023 #12390 @12390 @20(s) #90@23 n9n9 s90 s90 a1o2 e3n9s0 (90) (#32) e#90(s) 4$8*7\& u4u4 h7h7 t8t8 t*t8t h&h7h u4u$u t*t8t h7h7h u$u4 h7h&h h&t* u$u4u u$h&t* t8th7h u4u 4u7h8t t8th7h u4u u$u h&h t*t t*t8t h7h&h t*th&h u$u4u u$u4u h&hgh t*t8t tct8t hgh7h upu4u upu$u hgh&h tct*t u$h&h t*tct h&hgh u$upu u4u h7h t8t tct8t hgh&h tct*t u$h&t* *t&h$u u$u4u h&h7h t*tct 5%^6 u5uh6h u5u h6h h^h6h u%u5u h^h&h u%u5u h6h7h u5u%u h^h6h h7h&h u5u%u h^h6h h7h&h u5u%u u%u h^h h&h u%u5u%u h^h6h^h h&h7h u%u5u u5uh^h h&h u5u u%u u%u%u h^h^h h&h&h u%u%u u5u%u h^h6h u5u h6h h7h u5u%u h6h^h h8h*h h^h6h h6hfh u5uyu u5uyu u%u h^h h6hfh u5uyu u%u%u h^h^h h6h7h u5u%u u5h6h7h u%u5uyu h6h^hfhdh uiuyu5 hdhfh6h hgh7h^h h^h&h u%u5u Surprise Below!!! Sora lay on his bed, reflecting on Kairi's words. 'I can't wait, once we set sail...it'll be great.' At the flash of lightning outside the window, he jerked out of his reprieve. “A storm?” They were uncommon to say the least, and he would have been of the mind to enjoy it if it weren't for the fact that their raft was still ashore. With the incoming tide...”The raft!” He jumped easily out his window and rushed toward the gathering clouds, far too gone to hear his mother call him for dinner. Standing on the bridge, he looked up to see a large, dark cloud hovering over the island shore. He looked down at the boats tied to the pier to see that his two friends had already arrived at the scene. He felt his body tense, feeling the danger before he saw the dark creatures from his dream come up from the floor. He readied himself to attack, his only defence his wooden sword. “Come and get me.” It wasn't long before he realised he was doing them no damage. Even in his dream, he'd been better prepared. His sword had been metal then. Catching a glimpse of a lone figure across the bridge, he rushed toward it, dodging each small black creature as he ran. Catching himself up short as he realised it was Riku, he gasped out: “Where's Kairi?! I thought she was with you!” Again, Riku was floored by the truth. Sora did not care for him as much as he did the petite brunette. All he could offer in response was: “The door has opened.” “What?” Riku knew Sora wouldn't understand. Even so, he repeated himself. “The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!” “What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kairi!” It took all of his self-restraint to bite back his sharp retort. Kairi didn't matter—not really. Still, he knew Sora would not leave unless she were coming, too. “Kairi's coming with us!” He looked down, knowing this next part was what may keep Sora from following him into the universe beyond. “Once we step through, we may not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us!” In one, final, horribly brash outburst, Riku exclaimed: “I'm not afraid of the darkness!” He extended his hand toward the boy he'd grown to care for, begging with his eyes for him to take it. “Riku...” He saw the hesitation in Sora's eyes, even as he allowed the darkness beneath his feet to pull him down and begin to consume him. That sight spurred Sora to action. He hurried to Riku's aid, afraid that if he didn't, Riku would be lost to him forever. As soon as he got near, the darkness began to swallow him up, too, wrapping its thick tendrils around his body. Knowing they would both be going, he reached for Riku's hand, hoping that they'd at least manage to go together, wherever they landed; but the darkness was unforgiving, it tightened its grip on him, pulling him away from Riku's outstretched hand. They never touched. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded Sora. When it flashed out of existence, he was left staring at the key-shaped blade that had somehow materialised in his grip. Riku was nowhere to be found. That same sense of danger grasped him again, and he spun around to find more of those creatures rising from the ground. He hefted the mysterious blade in his hands with a practised ease that should have surprised him, his body automatically compensating for its added weight. Wherever it had come from, the blade he held was still a blade—a far cry from the weak wooden sword he normally used—and he knew now that he could cause the beings some damage. He rushed across the bridge toward the secret place, hoping against hope that Kairi had thought to take shelter there. He battled his way through the enemies that continued to attack him from all sides until he reached the large, white door. Ignoring that fact that it, too, had mysteriously appeared, he pushed it open to be met with a cool breeze from the familiar tunnel, indicating the existence of an outlet. The door has been opened... He rushed for the end of the tunnel, not knowing who or what awaited him at the end. He entered the small alcove hesitantly, noting that the door was, in fact, closed and a small figure stood before it. It was Kairi. “Kairi!” He called her name and she turned, her eyes vacant and without feeling. “Sora...” She made no move to walk toward him and the door behind her flew open, the sudden gush of wind knocking her off her feet. Sora extended his arms to catch her, but she faded through him as if she were a ghost and Sora was tossed back, onto a patch of sand. He raised his head slowly, unsure of what he would find. He looked directly above him to see the large, dark orb sucking his world into it, bit-by-bit. His heart sunk. How was he to find his friends, now? A shuffling sound made him look to his right and he was startled to see a large, black monster rising up from the ground. This one was much bigger than all the others, and far more menacing. It stood before him and Sora was gripped by sudden fear. The blade materialised again in his hand and he clutched it tightly, intending to take down the monster. It seemed that was all he could do. Perhaps defeating the beast would enlighten him of the truth. Several strikes later, the monster was sucked up into the black hole above them, and Sora hung onto a nearby board, trying to keep himself grounded. His grip was weak, however, and within moments, he was pulled into the dark vortex, falling into the endless unknown. When he came to, he was being licked awake by a yellow dog with a stringy, black tail, the strange blade still clutched in his fist. He stood, and surveyed his surroundings, thoughts of Riku and Kairi foremost on his mind, even as he asked aloud: “What is this place?”