We are at CHAPTER 4! Shout outs:

13TheAce: They'll be hard pressed to get close to Illusion right now, between the Specters, Heartless, the lieutenant, and Shuyin and the other villains.

Celeron 96: Lol, yeah, hang on a sec.

AngelicWinds: Yeah, you don't wanna mess with Mist, lol! When are you updating MSL?

Shadowdragon1317: Thanks, and I hope so!

TheEighthLight: Yeah, just follow the guidelines I gave you earlier.

TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Lol, yeah it was supposed to feel like that!

The new name for Jack's Keyblade, Wanderer's Judgement, was thought of by Celeron96.

I own Jack, his parents, his girl, and his dark half.

Chapter 4: A Sort of Homecoming

Jack smiled as they came within sight of Destiny Islands. "Won't it be strange, returning without your hood and everything?" Terra asked him. Jack shook his head.

"That old outfit I wore was a symbol. A symbol of my family's fallen honor, and the hood meant that I had something to hide. My new outfit is the literal bearings of Light. It shows that I have nothing to hide. I won't return home any other way." he explained. Terra nodded as they neared the planet.

They landed on the shore of the main island and dismissed their riders. They began walking in to the town, and Terra noticed that people stared at Jack, whispering behind their hands to each other. He looked back and saw most of them following behind them. Jack either didn't notice, or chose to ignore them. Terra continued looking around the town until Jack stopped in front of him. Terra stopped and looked over Jack's shoulder.

In front of them was a decaying house that was close to collapsing. The roof had caved in, and the walls were rotting out. "Is it really you?" one of the women said suddenly. Jack turned around.

"You're Sora's mother?" he asked her. She nodded, staring at him. Jack sighed.

"Yes, it's me, Jack Rikkison." he said. No sooner had he said his name than the people started clapping and cheering. Many of them walked up and shook Jack's hand. Others ran up and hugged him.

Several minutes later, after everyone had calmed down, Jack cleared his throat and looked at them, confused. "Why do you all care about me now?" he asked them. They stared at him.

"We always cared about you, Jack. We all wanted to adopt you. We were never allowed to because your mother's last wish was that none but your father could come and claim you. By the time we heard any news from Jason, you had vanished. We thought you were gone for good." Sora's mother explained. Jack noticed that she had started crying when she mentioned Mrs. Rikkison.

"Did you…know my mother?" Jack asked her slowly. Sora's mother nodded.

"She was my sister." she explained. Jack look in surprise.

"So, Sora's…my cousin?!" he exclaimed. She smiled and nodded.

"You're a hero, young Master Jack. We all owe you our lives." Riku's mother explained. Jack shook his head as he walked in front of the crowd. Terra watched him in amazement.

"No, I'm no hero! You don't know what I did several years ago. I brought chaos and ruin to more lives than one. I met Jason as he died, and I didn't even know he was my father. These last several years, I have been trying to redeem myself. I felt unwanted here, so I strove to find a way to leave. My actions caused Mist to be put in danger, and now she is in an even worse situation! So no, I'm not a hero. Sora and Riku are the real heroes!" he exclaimed somewhat angrily.

"Jack, shut up." said a familiar voice calmly. Kairi walked to the front of the crowd and stared at him. "We all know all the good that you've done. We know what you're trying to do. They all want you to know, that when the time comes, we will all welcome you back home." she explained to him. Jack stared at them silently for several moments. Finally, he nodded and faced the ruined house.

He prepared to enter it when Riku's mother spoke again. "Be prepared, Jack. What lies in there, only you can face." she warned him. Jack nodded.

"Wait here." he told Terra.

"No way. What if something happens in there?" Terra responded immediately.

"Then it happens, Terra. I don't mean to be selfish, but this is my story. If I'm meant to die here, then so be it. But, I won't die without taking Illusion with me." Jack told him firmly. Terra sighed and stepped aside, and Jack entered the dark house.

Darkness filled the air around him, and Jack couldn't see more than three feet away from him as he walked around the narrow hallways and dark rooms. "My name is Jack Rikkison, and I come in search of answers!" he called out, holding Wanderer's Judgement alight with a flame.

"My son…." said a quite voice.

"Mom….?" Jack called out as he entered the nearest room. He met a Specter and raised his blade to strike it. But, as he went to strike it, it changed. A woman with long brown hair and striking green eyes stood before him. She reached out her hand toward him lovingly, but Jack looked at her warily. "Mom, what's going on?" he asked her. She smiled.

"Your home, my boy. Join me and your father, Jackie." she said hauntingly. Jack backed away.

"Mom, what's wrong with you?!" he yelled worriedly as she began to walk toward him. Her eyes turned white.

"I am one with the Darkness. I died unfairly, and thus I envy the living. My envy became anger, and my anger became hate…I linger, because my hatred keeps my spirit intact! If you won't join me in living, then I will kill you and join you in death!" she screamed as she transformed into the ghost like Specter. Jack cried out as he struck her down. She moaned as the Light ate away at her body, until she vanished. Jack sighed as he left the room. This time, he heard a male voice.

"Jack….." it moaned.

"Jason?!" Jack yelled as the darkness became even thicker. "Jason, where are you?!" Jack yelled. Suddenly, a brute of a man appeared out of thin air right in front of Jack.

"Right here, Son." he said emptily. His brown eyes were milky white, and his hands hung limply at his side.

"Dad…" Jack whispered. Jason raised a hand toward Jack, who didn't back away. Jason grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up. 'Jason…stop!" Jack yelled, trying to pry the stronger man's fingers off of his throat. Jason didn't relent.

"This is the power of Darkness, Son. Light will never triumph. You must join with your brother." he said as he let him down. "That is what you are here to learn, my son. Illusion isn't the dark half of your heart. You are Light, so there is no darkness in your heart. Illusion is your actual brother. When you two were born, I took Illusion with me and tried to free him from the darkness. I see the folly of that act. It wasn't Illusion I should have tried to free…it was you." he explained as he faded into a ghost and slithered toward Jack. Jack once again struck it down.

"Whatever you are, Specter, you can't fool me! I know you aren't my parents. You are just a spirit, trying to play tricks on my mind!" he yelled into the dark fog.

"Jack!" screamed a voice that made his blood run cold. "Jack, stop him!" the voice screamed again. Jack whirled around wildly and pelted toward the sound.

"MIST!" he screamed as he broke down two doors and ran into the bedroom. Mist lay on the bed on her stomach screaming.

"Jack, save me!" she screamed. Jack looked at the end of the bed, at the man crouched over her.

"BROTHER!" he roared angrily. Illusion smiled as he turned back around. His body was covered in dark fog, so Jack couldn't see anything but his waist and up.

"It's too late, Light. It's done. She has been…..cleansed of her insecurity." he said tauntingly. Jack roared in anger as he raised his blade and charged. Illusion frowned in fear and put his arm in front of his face as Jack cut through him. Illusion faded into thin air and was gone. Jack ran up to the bed where Mist lay crying.

"Mist…." he said as he reached her head and picked it up. She rolled over, and there was a gaping wound in her chest.

"Jack, why couldn't you save me?" she moaned, crying. Jack looked at her, lost for words. She cried as she faded into smoke.

"You were too weak to save me…..

Too cowardly to take vengeance for me….

Too vulnerable to stop Illusion…..

Too late to save all those you loved…..

You never loved me….

If you did, then you would kill Illusion once and for all…" her voice echoed all around the room as Jack clutched his head. He raised his blade as he heard someone enter the room. Illusion stumbled through the door and stared at him.

"Jack!" the voice didn't sound like Illusion, but Jack charged.

"Illusion!" he roared. Illusion dodged the attack.

"Illusion? What is going on, Jack?!" he exclaimed. Jack stumbled forward onto his knees. Illusion caught him as he would have fallen to the ground. Jack watched as Illusion's white hair turned to a spiky brown and his yellow eyes turned blue. "C'mon, let's get out of here." he said.

Jack barely noticed as Illusion carried him out of the house and set him on the floor. Illusion turned to the crowd and waved them away. Jack watched as the rest of the fog disappeared, and Illusion changed. Terra walked back up to him. "Jack, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. Jack sat up and clutched his head.

"I think so…..what happened?" he asked him. Terra sighed.

"I heard you in there, screaming. I didn't go in until I heard you scream Mist's name. I was hit by dark fog all around me, but I found the room where you had collapsed on the floor. You called me Illusion and tried to strike me. I carried you out here as the fog began to disappear. Whatever was in there, you beat it." he explained slowly as Kairi handed Terra two potions. Terra nodded in thanks as he poured one over Jack's head, before drinking one himself.

"So, what really happened in there, Jack?" Kairi asked. Jack sighed.

"I honestly do not know. I saw my parents, but they were only ghosts. I saw Mist, and…..Illusion. Turns out he's my real brother, after all. I saw him…defiling Mist, and I killed him. But she died right after that, too. That's when Terra brought me out." he told her. She nodded.

"So, did you find what you were looking for?" she asked. After a few seconds, he nodded.

"Yes, I did. I found exactly how Illusion and I are connected, and why he wants to end me so badly. I think it's time to meet up with the others at Yen Sid's tower." he told Terra. The young man nodded, and they summoned their riders. They were shocked as Kairi summoned hers as well.

"What, you expect me to sit here while Sora goes and gets himself hurt again? As if." she said amusedly. Jack smiled at Terra, and they all set course for the mysterious tower.

Wow, unusually long chapter. I would have had a song during the "haunted house" scene, but I couldn't think of one that fit. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Review and Bye. HG: WV is done, so whoever didn't see the last chapter(20) it's up! See ya later!