Chapter 2: Refuge at Hollow Bastion

A/N: In the last chapter, "Xemnes" was supposed to be "Xemnas", which I have changed in this chapter. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The gang reached Hollow Bastion several hours later. They had traveled through many worlds, including Pride Land, Deep Jungle and Land of the Dragons. Sora did not check up on his friends in each world. He was too miserable.

The gang knocked on Merlin's door. Merlin was old, so they had to wait a few minutes before he could get to the door.

"Sora!" he exclaimed at the sight of him. "What on earth happened to you?"

"Xemnas happened," Riku replied quickly. Riku and Kairi gently put him on the couch in the corner. Sora was barely conscious.

"What did he do?" Merlin said worriedly. The gang entered the room and sat down on wooden chairs Merlin brought. Merlin lit a fire and then they began to talk.

"So what exactly did Xemnas do to Sora?" Merlin asked. A silence passed between them; the only noise being the crackling of the fire.

"I didn't see it," Cloud said, breaking the silence.

"Neither did I," Leon said.

"Nor did I," King Mickey said. And everybody else said their opinion as well. The only ones who hadn't spoken were Riku and Kairi.

Finally, Kairi said: "I didn't see it happen. But the fact he is barely conscious, must mean Xemnas did something pretty bad to Sora."

"I saw a glimpse of it," Riku said. "I was calling for help and he heard me. I was fighting Xemnas; one on one. He heard me because I saw him look at me. But soon afterward, I was hit in the face by Xemnas. I blacked out and sometime later Kairi got me awake."

"Maybe that is what happened to Sora," Kairi said. "Maybe Xemnas knocked him out, just like Riku."

Riku grunted. He did not like others knowing that he lost. Merlin walked over to Sora. He put his hand on Sora's head and felt a bump on his cheek. He looked closer to see nothing.

Merlin put his hands in the air and said: "Seek!"

A thick scar had appeared on Sora's face. It was long and ran down his cheek. Kairi gasped.

"S-Sora," she said quietly. She ran over and stroked his scar.

"Sora," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek. Merlin look shocked, but quickly put it away with a face of sympathy. Kairi began to cry.

"S-SS-Sora," she sobbed. "D-Do you think it will ever g-go away?" Merlin thought for awhile. He bit his lip and sighed.

She knew the answer. Don't even bother saying it, she thought.

"No, Kairi," Merlin said. "I will try some healing spells on him, but I doubt it will ever go away."

Kairi knew it was coming, but it hit her hard. She burst out a big sob and began to cry a little harder.

"I'm here, Sora," she cried. "I'll always be there for you." But Sora lay there motionless, it seemed as if he was dead.