It had been a couple days since the Monday Game, and Friday had made it's way around again, third time since that game. Vanitas is going to pull me to every Game this weekend, no doubt about that, and even though this Game doesn't make sense to me, and it totally freaks me out, I feel like, well, like I'm ready for it. What am I becoming?


"Okay, everyone, be quiet!" Vanitas yells from the platform, "There will be only two Games tonight, but three tomorrow and then two on Sunday, no exceptions, no excuses! The players for each night will be announced right here, right now! Tonight: Yuffie and Axel, Tifa and Larxene, and finally Sora and Terra! Tomorrow: Cloud and Leon, Seifer and Setzer, and finally Aqua and Sora! Sunday: Ventus and Zexion, Sora and Cloud, and finally Aqua and Terra! Got it? Good."

"Ugh.." I groan, "He put me in every one of those..."

Why me?


So Yuffie bested Axel, seriously, I must have had a fluke or something, that girl hasn't been beaten since I beat her and Vanitas says she wasn't beaten before. Anyway, Larxene was the winner too, so now it was my turn to go against someone named Terra. Once Terra gets on the platform I groan again, "Really? He's so much bigger than I am, stronger too by the looks of it..." Vanitas...,I groan again.

I make my way to the platform and once there I get up onto the barrel closest to me.

"You're going down, kid. I'm not losing to the boss' bratty younger brother." Terra says.

I frown, "I'm not bratty."

"That's your opinion." he shrugs.

"Hey," I warn, "knock it off.."

"Make me." he grins.

I tense slightly as Vanitas comes over with the curtain. He climbs up his ladder as before and he wraps the curtain around the both of us and we go about the works of wrapping it around and between us and we grab the end holding the other. Terra yanks first, hard. I stumble, but don't fall, no, I never fall anymore, I haven't fell yet, but I don't call that luck, I call it spite.

I yank back, as hard as I can, with all the strength I can muster, and Terra falls to one knee, wobbling, but he doesn't fall either. Instead he glares at me, "You'll have to do better than that, brat."

I groan as he gets up, I have to beat him, if I don't I could get hurt.. I sigh and keep a firm hold of his side of the curtain, ready to pull it down again, trying my best to knock him down. Terra stands and he yanks on my side of the curtain and I am pulled forward.

I try to regain myself but something bumps against my barrel and it wobbles. Just as it starts to fall I see my brother standing there, arms crossed, and he's smirking cruelly at me. That's all I remember before my feet lose contact with solidarity and I black out from lack of oxygen.


"Are you sure he's okay?" Yuffie asks, "He isn't moving.."

"Shut up, he's fine." Vanitas growls softly at her.

Was that all real? Did I imagine it? Did I imagine Vanitas knocking my barrel over so I'd fall? Did he really want to kill me? No.. It can't be.. Vanitas is my brother, he cares about me. Doesn't he?

"Hey, he's coming around!" she says happily.

"About time.." Vanitas mutters.

I open my eyes and see the two of them hovering over me, along with our Mom and Dad, Aerith and Zack. I look around and take in my surroundings. A hospital.. Great..

Mom speaks first, "Sora, dear, are you all right?"

"What happened? How did you get a rope caught around your neck?" Dad asks.

I open my mouth to answer but Vanitas beats me to it, a lie floating off his lips like a pro, "Sora and I were hanging around at the docks and I dared him to get on the boat. He did and he got caught in the ropes and hit the lever thing and it strung him up, he was all tied up, around his neck too. I did everything I could to get him down, Yuffie came by, and she got the ropes off."

Yuffie nods her agreement. Clever, Vanitas.. Making sure I can't spill your secret.

Mom sighs, "don't play over there.."

"How many times do we have to tell you boys not to play near the docks, it's dangerous, Sora, you could have died." Dad scowls.

I nod, not feeling like talking now, now I suddenly feel so sleepy. In an instant all was black again.