The drive to the airport was a long one. Sora was very antsy, and he had a hard time focusing on anything at all. He was drowning in his thoughts.

Was Riku upset with him?

Of course Riku is upset with me.

Was Riku going to yell at him?

Of course Riku is going to yell at me.

Was Riku worried about him?

Of course Riku is worried about me.

Sora was worried about Riku, too. What if that evil demon came back to get Riku? Sora shivered and looked out the window of the car. Evergreens were rushing by in a blur, and it made Sora feel dizzy and slightly nauseous. He just wanted to be home, home with Riku. He wanted to make sure that they would both be safe. Sora was the only one who could see Riku, anyway, so therefore, he was the only one who could keep Riku safe.

A thought dawned upon Sora, that Riku had the necklace. It put his mind at ease. The necklace would protect him. However, Sora knew that Riku wanted nothing more than for Sora to wear the protective charm. He sighed in agitation. Maybe when he goes to his grandma Namine, he can ask for another one? He didn't want to be greedy, but he wanted Riku to be happy, too. Especially now, when Sora doesn't even have the necklace! Sora sighed again, and this time it caught the attention of Cloud.

"What are you sighing about back there, you knucklehead?" Cloud spoke from the passenger seat.

"Leon wouldn't let me get my necklace and I feel really…um… vulnerable without it…" The brunet sighed again, and the two adults chuckled at the young boy.

"It's just a necklace, Sora. We'll be back in a week. You can go that long without it can't you?" Sora said nothing in return, and his parents caught themselves into pleasant conversation. Honestly, Sora didn't know if he could go a week without the necklace, or without Riku. Would his nightmares return? The brunet shivered at the thought and hoped not.

Sora looked over at Roxas, who was seated next to him. The blonde had headphones in, presumably listening to music, as his fingers danced eloquently upon the screen. Sora attempted to glance at his brother's phone to see who he was texting, but he was caught in the act and a warning glare was sent his way.

Sora didn't risk another peek in fear of being caught a second time. He loved his brother, but he could be a scary one. Roxas was neither a lover nor a hater, but instead a mixture of the two. Sora never wanted to be on his bad side. He shivered at the mere thought of it.

His parents had each other, and Roxas had the mysterious receiver of his messages. Sora, however, had no one. He was alone, no one to talk to, no one to poke fun with. The brunet found himself craving Riku's company more than ever. The brunet sighed and looked to the sky. It was past midday, and the sun had just started to set in the sky.

Sora watched the world outside his window for an unknown amount of time. All he knew is that he was observing its beauty until they finally arrived at the Twilight Town Air Port. Sora and his family (plus Riku) lived in a quaint little town called Radiant Garden. Don't be fooled, it's not one large garden or anything. It is indeed a town with a living population.

A famous town myth was how Radiant Garden got its name - from a single woman who grew a garden all on her own. The garden was no ordinary garden, though. Everything the woman planted in that garden shriveled up and died. The woman grew discouraged and had given up gardening for a long, long time.

One day, the woman had to go into town for some supplies. On her way home, she found her gaze fixated on the local flower shop, and after much debate, she went inside. A smile was upon her face as she observed all of the plants. One in particular caught her eye, though. The woman walked to it and read its identification tag. The plant had in fact been a bush, one called a 'Bleeding Heart". On the small limbs of the bush were tiny little red hearts that were split open from the bottom, with another limb growing out, giving the heart the appearance of being broken and bleeding. She smiled at it, but did not buy it.

She was about to leave the shop, but a man with silver hair and yellow eyes stopped her.

"Why don't you buy it?" He asked the woman.

"It will die." She replied curtly as she walked out of the store. The man picked up the same plant and bought it. Quickly exiting the store, he caught up with the woman.

"Let me help." He offered with a small smile. The two walked to the woman's home engaged in hesitant conversation, casually getting to know each other on a closer scale. The man helped the woman put her supplies away, and then she led him to the place where her garden would be, if the things she planted were to grow.

The two dug a new hole in the ground and placed the bush in it gingerly. They began covering it with soil, and their hands came in contact close to the plant. They looked into the other's eyes, the woman smiled softly, and the man returned it kindly.

A burst of light interrupted them. It had been a work of magic, or true love, as some had said. For every single plant that would have been in that garden rose from the ground and grew into its full beauty. It was vibrant, colors blooming left and right of the two. Their eyes met, and some say that was the start of the life as fresh and beautiful as the garden.

What would have been, at least.

The man turned bitter, and the couple grew distant from each other. As their relationship withered away, so did their beautiful garden.

The day he left her was the day the garden turned to ashes.

The day the garden turned to ashes was the day she left the earth.

They say that the garden was a talisman for the town, and represented the creation of the town.

Thus Radiant Garden was born, from a true love turned to dust.

There would always be the occasional couple who searched for the garden, but you can't find true love, as the myth goes.

True love finds you.

"Alright, we have about ten minutes to get checked in. In other words, we've got to go." Leon's voice snapped him out of his reverie. He unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his suitcase, extending the handle so he could pull it around with more ease. Everyone else was already out of the car, Sora noticed as a blush faintly covered his cheeks.

Leon locked the car and led the way to their station. He walked with a quick pace, obviously worried about missing the flight. Cloud walked next to him with an equally quick step, while Sora and Roxas held up the rear end. They weren't moving quite as fast, but they still managed to keep up with the two older men.

A quiet chime of a muffled laugh came from the left of Sora. He looked to see Roxas covering a smile with his hand. There was a light blush that was spread across his face, and Sora was suddenly curious.

"What? What is it?" The brunet asked his brother.

"Oh, it's nothing. My friend, he's just being…" Roxas trailed off and resumed texting his friend. Sora smiled. 'Friend'. The brunet might have just turned eleven that day, but he wasn't quite as naïve as everyone pegged him to be.

Right.

'Friend'.

Not with that blush.

Sora chuckled at his thoughts and gave his suitcase to Leon when he asked for it. They checked in their luggage, the process was quick and simple. After that, they made their way past the metal detector gates, and by the time they had all reached their flight station, they were getting ready to board.

Leon released a content sigh.

"We made it guys."

Before they knew it, they had boarded the plane and found themselves seats to nestle into for the duration of the flight. As the plane's engine started up, a lady could be heard, her voice resounding throughout the small room.

"How is everyone tonight?" There were small mutters, and she took that as a signal to continue, "Sweet. The flight number 306 is deporting now, with a destination of Oblivia City. It'll be about a three hour flight, so go ahead and get comfy in those chairs. Our staff will be around serving food and drinks as soon as we are safely in the air. Now, speaking of safety, each and every one of you are required to have your seatbelts buckled until we give the okay to take it off. We highly suggest you keep it on at all times, however. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not refrain from asking any of the staff here. Thank you, and have a great flight!" She smiled and walked into a back room.

The plane started moving not much longer after that, doing test laps on the plane track. It seemed like it took forever, but after a few minutes, the plane finally started gaining speed on the strip. Sora, in the window seat, watched the world flash by him in a blur. The surrounding trees were just smears of green as they took off. The plane tilted its nose upward, and after a few moments, they had gained air. Sora had a small smile on his face; the acceleration was always his favorite part.

The plane shook a little, and quite frankly, it did scare Sora a bit. The ride had smoothed out once they were higher in the sky, and Sora felt himself relax into his chair. His eyelids grew heavy, and he allowed them to flutter to a close. His head fell to the side to rest on Leon's shoulder. The older brunet, in turn, attempted to smooth out the spikes, but watched dejectedly as his hair just sprung up again. Leon smiled as the boy continued to sleep. He just hoped that the nightmares would leave him be as he resumed reading the local paper from back home. He hadn't gotten a chance to read it yet, but now was his chance.

Cloud looked over and smiled at the sight before him. He looked to his other side and saw Roxas sulking in his seat. His earphones weren't even in. Deciding to intervene, Cloud asked the blond a question.

"What's got you in such a foul mood?" The eldest of the two blonds poked the younger in the cheek. In return, Roxas shot an icy blue glare at his father as he muttered three simple words.

"No internet connection." He went back to sulking before Cloud spoke up again.

"What, can't talk to your sweetheart?" He was only poking fun at him, but his interest was spiked when he saw a light blush coat they younger's usually pale cheeks. Cloud raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I'm not wrong, am I?" The eldest spoke while the younger just sunk further into his plane seat. Cloud chuckled at the boy but otherwise let him be.

The flight had gone rather smoothly during the first few hours of the ride. There was about thirty minutes left when things started turning a bit problematic.

Sora started tossing and turning in his seat. Leon looked over to him worriedly, nudging Cloud with his shoulder.

"Is he..?"

"…having a nightmare." Leon gently shook the boy as he writhed in his seat. He did not awaken. Fear settled into the hearts and minds of his family. Roxas watched with worried eyes, his phone long forgotten. Cloud was calling the brunet's name in attempt to rouse him from his sleep, and Leon was physically shaking the boy.

"Sora…Sora!" The young brunet still had not awoken from the nightmare that had trapped him. Tears fell from his eyes and he struggled with newfound energy. Leon made eye contact with Cloud as Roxas handed a plastic cup full of water to the other blonde. The two adults seemed confused for a moment before they understood.

Leon took the cup from Cloud and immediately threw the water specifically so it would collide with Sora's face. No one could honestly say that they expected the water to wake him up, as it was a ridiculous feat. They tried anyway.

To their utmost surprise, when the ice water made contact with Sora's skin, sky blue eyes snapped open and the boy sputtered, wiping his sleeve on his wet face. He cried and clung to Leon, who held him tightly. Cloud, Leon, and Roxas all let out relieved sighs as the trembling brunet wept. Around them, everything was normal. People were oblivious to the act that the family had just witnessed, too caught up in their own doings.

The rest of the flight was still. Quiet. Not even Sora made a sound as he shook in the arms of his father, who rubbed his back reassuringly.

"Don't fall asleep just yet, Sora." The younger brunet said nothing. He merely nodded in response, getting lost in his own thoughts. Being caught in his daydreams and reveries of being at home, with Riku, where he was safe. Where his nightmares and the darkness couldn't touch him.

After what seemed to be an endless amount of time, it was finally time to land the plane. The same flight attendant from the beginning of the flight started talking again, reminding the passengers to properly fasten their seatbelts as they descended from the sky.

Once they had landed, they had to wait for all of the people ahead of them to get off of the plane before they could make a move to. As they stood and waited, Leon placed his hand gently on the crown of Sora's head. The boy made no indication that he even knew it was there. He was just staring at the ground with his hand held in Cloud's. Leon felt his heart break slightly on the inside, but did not allow it to show outwardly. He felt so powerless to help Sora escape from the horrible nightmares that he suffered from. As a father, Leon felt the need to protect his family from everything that posed as a threat.

But he just couldn't seem to confront what wasn't there. What wasn't real.

When most of the other passengers had finally gotten off the plane, Leon led his family out, too. Together, they all walked silently to the baggage claim. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts as they walked across the Oblivia Airport. In fact, they were all so caught up in their minds, that they almost missed the baggage claim.

Luckily, Roxas's phone had slipped out of his pocket just as the family was about to pass the spot. If it had been any other sort of situation, Leon would have laughed a bit. However, Leon couldn't find it in him to let out even the quietest of noises. He just looked down at Sora, who was rubbing his eyes.

Only then did Leon let out a sigh. It was Sora's birthday. Sulking around certainly wasn't going to make it a happy one. So, regardless of his inner turmoil, he reached out and ruffled messy spikes that sat upon Sora's head.

The young brunet looked at him with an agitated look, but it soon turned to a happy one when he spotted their suitcases being moved on a conveyer belt. He let go of Leon's hand and dashed off to retrieve it, leaving his family laughing at his antics.

"Wait, Sora! Don't just run off like that! Someone could just pick you up and take you away!" Sora just laughed at him and grabbed their suitcases. His family caught up to him shortly, and Cloud gave him a disproving look. Sora just beamed an innocent smile in return. His eyes focused onto something behind the eldest blonde before he took off in that direction.

"Grandma Namine!" The brunet exclaimed, rushing into her arms. She smiled beautifully, showing affection in her sapphire eyes. She looked quite young, as she always did, regardless of being nearly fifty years old. Her blonde, nearly white, hair reached just passed her shoulders. Namine hugged the young boy tightly.

"Why, hello Sora! It's been too long, has it not?" She smiled at her son from over Sora's shoulder, who returned her smile gratefully. Namine then averted her eyes to Leon, smiling just as brightly to him. Roxas caught her eye, and she beamed brightly as him, too. They all approached the two who were trapped in a warm embrace, and Namine had plenty of hugs to go around.

Everyone was engaged in pleasant conversation. No words were forced, as there was a welcoming aura that surrounded the family. They made their way out of the airport and into Namine's car. She was particularly close to Sora, but she didn't mean to pick favorites. There was just something about the boy that spiked Namine's interest. Not to mention, he's just the sweetest little ball of energy.

So, it was only natural that Namine would notice that something was off about Sora's demeanor. Although they haven't seen each other in years, she could just tell that something was amiss.

"So, Sora, what's new in your mystical little life?" Namine asked casually from the driver's seat. He looked at her, and answered shortly.

"I can tell you later."

"Oh..?" Was her reply, and Cloud could sense her confusion. He quietly clarifies for her.

"His nightmares came back. He had one on the plane trip here today, and he's probably exhausted."

"Oh…Oh." She cast a worried look at the brunet, and when he caught her gaze, she smiled albeit a bit sadly. She fixed her eyes on the road and continued driving, trying to keep her mind clear as she did. The rest of the drive was mostly silent. Namine remained driving. Roxas was on his phone and had his ear buds in. Cloud sat in the passenger seat, alongside his mother. Leon sat between Sora and Roxas, but his attention was on the young brunet who was staring out the window next to him.

There was a tense air around them all, but it was broken when Namine cheerily addressed her home.

"We're here, guys!" She pulled into her long driveway, and Sora gasped. He had never seen Namine's home before. It was a huge, white mansion. The yard was enormous, and it had so many different types of vibrant flowers. Sora had found he was speechless.

When Namine parked the car near the house, Sora was the first to unbuckle his seatbelt and rush out of the car.

"This is amaaazing!" He said mirthfully, running around from one place to another. Leon chuckled at his antics, and Cloud just muttered under his breath for him to wait until he saw the inside. Regardless of how quietly the blonde had thought he had spoken, Sora still heard his remark.

"Ooooh, Namine, I wanna go inside!" He bound around the woman excitedly, not unlike a puppy asking to play. She smiled at him and gave the keys to Cloud, who led the young boy inside.

"I can't wait!" The brunet said, urging Cloud to walk faster with his own pace. Meanwhile, the others were stuck with the task of unloading their luggage and bringing it inside.

Cloud stuck the key into the doorknob and turned it. Slowly, as if to taunt Sora, he pushed the door open, a smirk on his face.

"Hurry up!" Sora whined, and Cloud laughed at him, but did so nonetheless. He opened the door completely, and Sora just gawked at the house.

It was even bigger on the inside than it was on the outside, and so much prettier. A black cat with strikingly blue eyes ran down the steps, and growled threateningly as Cloud stepped into the house. The blonde just rolled his eyes.

"Aw, Xi, don't be like that. You know me, you fur face." The cat hissed, but the noise died when Sora walked into the house.

"Xi?" Sora asked curiously to Cloud.

"It's short for Xion."

"Shion?" The brunet asked, testing the name.

"Close, but you are saying it more loosely. It's more like… Che-on."

"Xion…" The brunet said, approaching the weary cat. The brunet liked that name. He held out his hand for the cat, and she looked at it critically.

"You need to be careful, Sora. That cat hates everything, it'll certainly try to bite you or-" The blonde looked in fascination at his son, who was petting the cat with ease. Xion was purring happily. He gawked at the two before smiling at them.

"Well, alright then. You seem set. I'll be right back; I'm just going to help the others with our stuff." Cloud left, closing the door behind him.

Sora laughed at he played with Xion. She did bat at him a few times, but it was done playfully. Xion didn't use her claws at all, and for some reason, Sora was proud that he made friends with this cat.

Suddenly, the brunet poked Xion before running off into another room, announcing gleefully,

"You're it!"

If Sora were being completely honest, he would have said that he didn't expect the cat to actually play along. However, much to his surprise, the cat chased after him in hot pursuit. It wasn't much of a challenge for her to catch Sora, since he was completely unfamiliar with the house. He continued running into things, like tables and chairs.

Their match continued to go on even when the rest of Sora's family walked into the house. It was then that Sora decided to take their little game upstairs, too. The brunet took two, sometimes three steps at a time as he tried to shake Xion from his trail. He ran down the hallway, which was a dead end. He panicked, taking the game seriously, and ran into the room closest to him. He wasn't thinking at the time, or he would have realized that he'd just be cornering himself.

He opened the door to the room, and once he saw the insides of it, he just stood there, gaping at it. It seemed like it could be one of the largest rooms in the entire house, as well as one of the most… unsettling.

The entire room was bathed in an eerie green light. The wall opposite of the door seemed to be one large window, but it was covered with a single sheet of thick fabric. When Sora turned to the left, he saw a large bookcase, completely filled with books. Some seemed more dusty that others, and there were a few that were dust-free. On the right wall, there seemed to be one large drawing. It looked similar to a tree of some sort. Looking closely, Sora noticed that there was a door on that wall, too. He could have easily missed it.

Sora let out a surprised shriek when Xion poked her nose against Sora's leg. He sighed in relief when he realized that it was, in fact, only Xion. She didn't run away though, but instead walked into the room. She seemed highly familiar with the area as she walked into the center of the room mindlessly. She jumped onto the table that was placed there. Sora followed her.

"What is this place?" He asked more to himself than to anyone else. Xion let out a reassuring meow, settling into a comfortable position on the table. Sora ran his fingers over it, appreciating the smooth wood. He noticed that there were two chairs on either side of the table.

Dismissing the object altogether, Sora made his way to the drawing on the right wall. Upon closer observation, the brunet realized that it was indeed a tree. However, not exactly the type of tree he had thought. It was a family tree.

Sora excitedly looked at all of the names that were present on the wide expanse of the wall, searching mostly for his name. Before he could find it, however, he heard a voice from behind him.

"So, I hear that your nightmares are back." The voice was soothing, like a bell. Sora turned to face his grandmother, his face showing his defeated expression.

"Yeah." He replied. She walked to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. She gestured for him to take a seat as well. Sora sighed, but listened none the less.

"Let's talk about this, Sora." She said.

"Okay." Was all he replied. It was quiet for a few long moments. Xion still sat at her place on the table, watching the two curiously. She sensed Sora's discomfort and moved towards him. She nudged his hand supportively. Sora smiled at her, and pet her gratefully before he spoke up again.

"I don't know what happened. Everything was going alright… I mean, I hadn't had a nightmare in nearly a year. Then I fell asleep on the plane and I had one right away."

"Can you tell me what they were about, Sora?" Azure eyes widened slightly in fear, but he nodded his head, albeit hesitantly.

"It was mostly the same as usual… except…"

"Yes?"

"…Except the man with yellow eyes told me something different."

"Man with the yellow eyes?" Sora nodded his head.

"He's like…the essence of darkness. There, but not there. You know..?" He trailed off and Namine allowed him to be lost in his own thoughts for a few moments. He continued after a while.

"He told me that… he might not have gotten me that night a year ago… but now that I was defenseless, he'd be back…" Sora's eyes immediately began tearing up.

"What do you mean, defenseless? Do you feel defenseless?"

"And he said that if I didn't see him soon…" His tears fell steadily, and Xion nudged her head against his chest in an attempt to comfort the brunet.

"Sora. What do you mean, defenseless?"

"…That he'd go for Riku instead…" After he spoke those words, Sora's heart shattered, and the boy broke down into a complete sob.