Running again. Running from the darkness. I couldn't continue like this! I'm not able to run for this long! I stumbled, feeling myself temporarily consumed. I started up again screaming for help and narrowly escaped, but wherever I was running suddenly ended off in a cliff. As I tumbled through a free fall, I laughed at how the darkness had stopped. I couldn't see very well in the dim light, but the threat had vanished.

I landed with a splash into some water. Well, it felt a little too... syrupy for water. I started swimming up, realizing it was pitch black underneath the surface. Very dirty water, okay then. Dirty water. Nothin' wrong with that. Maybe there's a lot of sediment. But then I accidentally swallowed some. I almost let the rest of my air out in a submerged scream.

Water didn't taste like rust.

I surfaced with a disgusted and horrified wail, realizing I didn't land in water. I landed in blood. After a moment I calmed myself down "Okay, okay you've been covered in this b-before..." I took several deep breaths, my voice starting to whine "You know what blood is..." The feeling of blood covering my face was nauseating, and I tried wiping it away. Come on, get a grip, you've nearly been swallowed and eaten alive before this shouldn't be anything-

I felt something bump against me. After stiffening- then loosening back up so I could keep swimming and stay afloat -I went against my better judgement and turned around. I couldn't tell what exactly the thing was, just that it was limply floating. "Maybe a fish?" I whispered. My hand bumped it- oddly a mushy solid thing. Yeah, probably a fish. It didn't move. My eyes were starting to adjust to the dim light now, and I could see pink somewhere on the form. A very pink fish, then.

Curiosity got the better of me and I completely rolled it over. I screamed. It was Riku, repeatedly stabbed and eyes gouged out, dead as a doornail. The pink had been his hair dyed red. I bumped into something else in my scrambled swim to get away, and turned to see Kairi sharing a similar fate. My screaming grew hoarse as it continued on with more and more discoveries of murdered friends.

Then there was a hand on my shoulder. I tried pulling it off, and heard Kairi whispering behind me "Sora, you want to stay with us, don't you Sora?" Riku's corpse repeated Kairi's sickening gesture, starting to drag me down "Stay with us Sora. Stay with us forever."

I strained against them, going under and having my mouth fill with that horrible rusted taste of blood more than once. I pushed and swam and struggled, but more and more 'friends' were joining them and pushing me down.

The last thing I saw before going under for a final time was those four kids again- Roxas, his twin, my evil self, and the girl who looked so oddly like Kairi -eyes nothing but bloody sockets, all grinning maniacally with glee as I drowned in the very thing that normally kept me alive.

I woke up in a tangled mess of sheets on the floor with a ear splitting wail. I took me forever to get my breathing from inhaling the room to normal, to stop my shaking, to reassure myself that I was covered in sweat and not blood.

I finally stood only to collapse into my bed, still shaking, still gasping, still crying. I felt Wandanyan curl up against me and I hugged it almost to the point of choking.

...

My new location was considerably more friendly than what had happened last night. It was a gorgeous forest, full of light and life. Wandanyan was considerably more perky, and bounded around ahead of me. I climbed up a tree to get a better idea of my surroundings, deciding to let the Dream Eater do as it pleased.

I looked around once I got to a good vantage point, noting a lot of forest, a castle and town that took up an island on a lake, and not much else. "Okay then, this won't be as hard as last time." I said cheerily. I went down, and brushed off my pants "Well, let's get go-"

"Hey kid! Bye kid!"

I looked up to see a guy dash past me. I caught a blue vest, tan pants, some boots, a leather bag, but he vanished before I could deduce much more than that. I tilted my head "Uh, okay?"

I felt something breathing against my neck, and I turned to see a horse. "Oh, hello." I looked around "Where's your rider?" It whinnied impatiently, then trotted over to the tree I climbed down from and pointed at a wanted poster with a gentleman who'd probably be quite handsome if his nose wasn't so bulbous. "Uh, don't know who that is." I said. Though it looked familiar- the horse covered the nose "Ohhhh! He just ran past me."

I patted its neck "So you're looking for him, right?" the horse nodded, then completely scooped me up and began dashing away. "I'LL SEE YA LATER WANDANYAN!" I hollered back. This was going to be interesting, chasing down a wanted criminal. We caught up with him "Hey you! Stop in the name of the law!"

The man jolted a little in mid-dash then called back "Aren't you a little young to be part of the royal guard?"

I grinned; I'd ALWAYS wanted to say something cool like this "I'm not! I'm a vigilante of justice!"

The man made a turn into more tangled parts of the forest with a barely heard sigh and the horse dove after without a thought. It was more like I was being dragged along rather than riding. I cut up undergrowth with my Keyblade, but I still got pretty bushwhacked. We ended up chasing our little criminal out onto a pretty sturdy branch after a pretty long chase "Okay, jig is up bud. Time for you to face justice for..." it felt like whatever triumphant tune I was playing fell flat on its face "uh, what exactly did you do?"

He laughed "Wow, kid, you must not be from around here!"

"Well you were on a wanted poster!" I retorted "Generally that's enough!" I still felt a small sinking in my stomach. He really didn't look like he was wholly evil. Something about him wasn't trustable, yet it felt like with enough work you eventually could.

He then sighed "They can't even get my nose right-"

There was a loud crack.

The branch shuddered.

I looked down at the hundreds of feet below us, then looked up "Uh oh."

We screamed as the branch broke and we fell. With last night's nightmare, I think mine was the loudest. So after a tumble that was either hours or seconds, we landed in a pile. Our criminal was the first to run off, me and the horse following after a few minutes of recovery. I eventually stopped in front of some suspicious ivy, then said "I'll look around here, you continue on."

The horse obliged. I went over and inspected the vines, and found they covered a passageway. "Okay then..." I brushed past the vines and jogged out to the clearing behind it. I saw him scramble into the abandoned tower here (weird, wonder what it used to be here for) and began climbing after him. I heard a clang about halfway up.

I paused, leaning away from the ivy to try and look over the windowsill "Um, anyone up there?"

There was a quavering, female voice "Don't come any closer!"

I climbed up some more, and she yelled again "If you're trying to h-help your accomplice, I'll have you know I knocked him out! I-I'll do the same to you!"

I got my hand over the windowsill and it was smacked with a heavy iron frying pan. "I'm warning you! G-go back wherever you came from!"

"Okay Okay! Truce lady! Truce!" I yelled in pain. I gingerly tried the get my injured hand to hold something, but it couldn't, really. I then reached into a pocket with my not so good climbing hand and pulled a handkerchief out. I waved it around in the air, hoping the universal sign of peace would calm her down "I come in peace!"

"You... You aren't here to hurt me?" She asked softly.

"No! Not at all!" I dared to climb up a little higher.

"Or cut my hair?" She asked a little stronger.

"No, why on earth would I- oh." I climbed up onto the windowsill and got a good look at her and her hair. It was draped everywhere in a trail of soft gold. "Well... I can see you have an aversion to hair clippers, but no, I didn't come to give you a haircut."

She blinked a little, still aiming her frying pan at me. She then reproachfully stood, and looked me over. I smiled a little "May I come in?"

"... Pascal, what do you think?" I then noticed the little green frog on her shoulder. It hopped off and skittered across the floor- right by my unconscious criminal target -and climbed up onto me. Nah, it wasn't a frog, it was a chameleon, I could tell since it was a different color now. Black, to match my jacket.

I held my hand up to it "Hey buddy, I won't bite." It eyed me over, and I patted its head gently "You're safe with me." It smiled and purred a little. Or at least made a reptile equivalent of purring. It then hopped off and climbed onto the girl's shoulder again, nodding firmly. She smiled "Pascal likes you, and you didn't hurt him so... I guess?" I gingerly stepped in and held out my hand "My name's Sora, what's yours?" She shook it "Rapunzel."

I looked over the room- cozy, quaint, and the walls were filled with paintings. "Hey, did you do these?"

Rapunzel titled her head "Hmm? The drawings?" She smiled and held her hands out proudly "yeah, I did!" She then realized she was still holding a small satchel. "Where'd ya get that?" I asked.

She then examined it "Oh, it was on that other guy..." She trailed off as she pulled out a crown. So he was a thief, huh? She then put it on her arm- as if she'd never seen a crown before and thought it was a bracelet. "No, no it's supposed to go like this!" I laughed as I gently pulled it off and set it on her head "Haven't you seen a crown before?"

Rapunzel looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, then shook her head "Mother doesn't let me leave the tower." She pulled it off, looking at it again then setting it aside "Huh, so this is what a crown is..."

I was still hung up on the first thing she'd said "You don't leave?"

She shook her head "No, never! I'm forbidden." I frowned "Not even to just... You know, run around out in the sun, the grass, the fresh air?"

"I can lean out the window." Rapunzel huffed "It's not like I'm a complete hermit."

"Didn't mean to insult ya, Rapunzel." I said, the situation tugging at something deep in my heart. A prisoner in her own home... "But... Come on at least tell me you know what grass feels like-"

"Nope." I was too stunned to say anything more, but she continued while stroking her hair "Mother says the outside world would try to crush me, that it's dangerous... That people would use me and there's so much out there that's evil and scary-"

"Yeah, but it's not that bad." I said. She then looked at me with a light bulb clearly lighting her mood "Say! there are these lights that I see every year on my birthday, and don't tell me they're stars because I've charted those." She pulled a curtain aside, revealing a rather gorgeous painting of the phenomenon. She gave me puppy dog eyes "C-could you take me there?"

I shook my head "Sorry, I'm kinda new to this place. I wouldn't be of much use." I then added after a quick study of the painting "Oh, and from the look of it I guess they could be lanterns, not stars." After some silence we both looked at our unconscious companion. I grinned.

...

So a little while later we had him tied up with Rapunzel's hair, and were waiting for him to wake. Apparently Pascal wasn't as patient and crawled over and stuck his tongue in the thief's ear "AH!" As he cringed and wiped his ear on his shoulder, I patiently tapped my foot. He glared at me "Can't believe I got captured by a KID." He then tugged at Rapunzel's hair "Now what is this stuff-"

"Hair." I said simply. He freaked out a bit in disgust, then continued glaring at me "Didn't know you dyed-"

"It's not his, it's mine." Rapunzel called out. He yelled back "It's called sarcasm, dear." He then added "By the way, I want out of it." Rapunzel then warily left her hiding place above the rafters "First I want you to help me." I saw her trembling, and explained to spare her leaving her comfort zone any more "Okay, so apparently there's this lantern thing that goes on-"

"I'm aware."

"Hey shut up and let me talk, criminal-"

"It's Flynn Rider to you, kid."

I took a deep breath, then continued "I'm SORA. Now, Rapunzel here wants to see them, and I want a tour of the country around here. So we let you go, you take us to this lantern thing, and then we go on our merry way."

Flynn was silently staring at Rapunzel, shook his head as he mulled it over, then said "Where's my satchel, blondie?"

"You'll only get it back if you help us." Rapunzel said firmly "You'll never, EVER-"

Flynn gestured to its hiding place "It's in that pot over there."

Rapunzel quickly knocked him out again. So, a short time after we hid it again, Pascal did his thing and woke Flynn up again. "AGH! Will. You. Stop. That?!"

I merely grabbed him by Punzie's hair and brought him in close "So, we got a deal?"

"Fine, just untie me already!"

We did so, me and Flynn taking the route we came in out. Rapunzel hooked her hair on something, and I called up to her "Punzie! You're not seriously taking your hair, are you?!"

"I-I am!" She stammered "and what do you mean by 'Punzie'?"

"My nickname for ya! Rapunzel is a bit of a mouthful!" I said as I landed on solid ground. I pulled out my Keyblade and pointed it at Flynn "No running, Mr. Rider. Remember our deal." Meanwhile, I intensely watched Rapunzel for the sign she would get going. "Come on! Just think of what grass feels like!"

She then jumped, her hair providing a very handy rope. She smiled wide, marveling at everything rushing past- "EEP!" She stopped abruptly. I gently pushed her a little lower so she'd feel grass for once. Everyone needs to feel the grass under their bare feet at least once. Her toes spread out over it. "See? Doesn't that feel great?" I crooned softly.

She smiled at me "Yeah! It does!" She giggled and ran to the stream nearby, her hair trailing all over. She dashed out the entrance laughing in joy, me and Flynn following after.

...

So, after a afternoon of a very emotionally torn Rapunzel- the poor girl LOVED the outside world but HATED leaving her mother -we stopped by a tavern. I glanced at the sign "The Snuggly Duckling? Sounds- oh dear."

The place was a little more rough than the name implied. Thugs lined the tables, snarling and grimy. The place was dim. The poor kid who provided accordion music was surrounded by knives and such obviously intended as a jumpstart. I sidled closer to Rapunzel as we walked in, and summoned my Keyblade. This was not a good crowd.

I absently listened to Flynn's commentary, at least until someone produced a wanted poster "Hey! he's got a bounty!"

At that point the whole bar broke into a mad scramble for the right to whatever Flynn was worth. Me and Rapunzel tried intervening "Hey! We kinda need him-"

"Where is your humanity?!" Rapunzel yelled over the din, causing it to quickly quiet down. She looked at the mass of frozen brawlers "Haven't any of you ever had a dream?"

One of the thugs- a guy with a hook -dropped Flynn with the rest following soon after and sneered at us. He then sighed, a wistful look emerging "I had a dream once." He hurled an axe at the accordion kid, who expertly dodged it and began playing. Hooky (my nickname for the hook handed guy)- much to my surprise -began singing.

"I'm malicious, mean and scary," he absently hung Flynn on a coat hanger by his vest "My sneer could curdle dairy, and violence-wise, my hands are not the cleanest." He began waltzing over to a piano on the stage "But despite my evil look, and my temper, and my hook," my jaw dropped as he began playing the piano. With the hook "I've always yearned to be a concert pianist."

The melody exchanged multiple hands after that, everyone showing they had much more interest in things other than killing and stealing. It warmed my heart to see there was sewing, interior design, little puppet shows, and even ceramic unicorn collections among the list.

The spotlight was shone on me "So what about you kid?"

I tapped out the pace a bit, recalled as much musical knowledge as I could, and began singing "My dream is very simple, pretty obvious (like my dimple)," I climbed onto the bar to be heard and seen better "I want to travel everywhere and meet everyone I can!" I began going down the line at my feet and shaking hands "Making friends and helping out, it makes me wanna shout! It's a life that I can say I'm living fully~!" I joined in fully to the chorus, unable to stop smiling.

Of course, it tanked when Flynn was asked to sing. At first he flat refused, then as he did sing I began scowling. Greedy little idiot had one of the worst dreams I'd ever heard. Who'd want to be alone? If you wanted an island that was alone and money to boot you'd have a really bad time. No people. Nothing to spend your money on too, so it was pretty useless.

Of course the song hit a more optimistic end with Rapunzel wrapping it up. Afterward the group kinda dispersed with Punzie and Hooky hanging around with Flynn in the back.

The door opened "Hey! Guys! guards on their way!" Someone enthusiastically yelled. Probably someone who went to get them for the bounty. Rapunzel rushed over "Sora! What are we going to do?!"

Hooky reached over the bar and pulled a lever, a trap door opening "You go this way, live your dreams." Flynn joined up with us "I will." We looked at him, Hooky adding "Your dream stinks, I was talking to her and the kid."

And with that we went our way down the tunnel. Me, Flynn, and Rapunzel grabbed her hair in bunches, Flynn holding up a lantern to light the way "So, blondie, how long have you been living in that tower?"

"My whole life. Eighteen years." Rapunzel said simply. Me and Flynn exchanged a pitying look. I turned back "Hey, what's that noise?" Flynn picked up the pace, leading us along "I think that's our company." Guards with lanterns rounded a corner and we began sprinting.

We lurched to a stop at a cliff outside, a broken down dam nearby "Oh great where do we go now?!"

Flynn looked around. Guards arrived, along with my horsey buddy from earlier. Flynn then leapt over to a waterway and began sliding down "We run as much as we can!" Rapunzel wrapped her hair around it and swung off, and I followed Flynn's example. It was about as easy as sliding on those mossy branches in Deep Jungle. The waterways collapsing underneath our feet didn't make things easier.

We leapt off, the dam behind us bursting. I grabbed armfuls of Punzie's hair and followed Flynn into a cave as a really large pillar of stone came toppling down. We ducked in, and there was a slam as the light cut out.

I felt around "Wait... Wait there isn't-" I froze when I heard water trickling in. I couldn't hold back the panic that burst forth "No! No wait there has to be an exit!" I scrambled against the rocky interior alongside Flynn and Rapunzel, not caring if I got bruised or cut on the rocks. I pulled out my Keyblade, absolutely hysterical as it desperately clanged against the rocks "T-THERE HAS TO BE AN EXIT!" I dove into the water a short distance from me, beating my fists- no my whole SELF against the rock-

"Kid! KID!" Flynn grabbed my hands and dragged me to the higher ground in the cave. I started feeling my shins become consumed by watery death "Sora, there's nothing."

I was panting, trembling. No... No I grew up near water! I shouldn't- it CAN'T end like this! Water was at my knees now "B-but there's always-"

Thighs "I've searched as much as you and there's nothing. It's pitch black here."

I sank a little, then recoiled to higher ground. I was dimly aware of Rapunzel crying. Everything was numb. When the water hit my waist I recalled a way to delay death, then quickly froze the top layer of water as thickly as I could "It's gonna be chilly, but we'll have more time..."

Rapunzel buried her face in her hands "I'm so sorry Sora, Flynn-"

"Eugene." We turned to Flynn as he explained "It's actually Eugene Fitzherbert." He leaned against the wall and looked away "Someone ought to know." The icy barrier was swelled slightly now, but I knew that, being enchanted, it would hold at least a little while longer.

Someone ought to know...

I looked at my hands, then hugged myself "I'm not even from here-"

"We figured." Fly- Eugene- gotta remember its actually Eugene -snapped at me.

I elaborated on the topic with slight hesitation- I was breaking so many rules here "I'm... from another world entirely." I noted Rapunzel and Eugene giving me a funny look "I guess you'd refer to it as another universe, but the point is, I'm across time and space from my home..." I choked on tears "and my friends... and my parents..."

I couldn't continue. I just couldn't. My upbeat attitude just got ruthlessly slammed into a wall. Grief and loss and confusion and anger and everything I worked so hard to keep at bay were welling up to unbearable amounts. The cheery facade I used so often to hide them burst and tears began rolling over as I was forced to face this crippling and grim reality.

No more Kairi.

No more Riku.

No Donald,

or Goofy,

or King Mickey.

Roxas wouldn't get his chance at being himself.

I started crying more and covered my mouth to stifle the sound out of a natural habit of not wanting anyone to know I cried: Kingdom Hearts what if they died without me? What if Xehanort killed them all? He was cruel enough to try and completely extinguish my light. Killing couldn't be a major step above. Something inside me told that he was definitely more bite than bark. Far more evil than your typical grandpa.

As if to mirror my optimism, the ice finally caved in to the water's strain.

"Well, if we're going to be confessing things..." Rapunzel said softly, gently running her hands through sopping wet hair and nervously watching our doom advance "I have magic hair that glows when I sing." I snapped to attention, hearing a light splash as Eugene did the same.

Glows when she sings. GLOWS. If it glowed then... Hoping for a chance at living was suddenly painful. What if she was delusional? What if it only revealed there was no way out? Rapunzel had a renewed look in her eyes- the water was at our collar bones now "I have magic hair that glows when I sing!"

We strained against the cavern's roof, taking our last breaths, but Rapunzel burst into song "Flower gleam and glow! Let your powers shine-" We gulped down air in unison and were lost to the water.

It was black.

It was total darkness.

It was wet.

It was my nightmare made real.

So this is what death was like. I almost wanted to let go and let myself drown. It was gonna happen anyways- It started from the roots of Punzie's hair and curled down along it. Gold. Light. Salvation. Eugene had a burst of surprised bubbles, and he clamped a hand over his mouth. But I wasn't particularly paying attention to that: Rapunzel's hair was following a current. Where there was a current, there was a chance of escape.

As the light dimmed we scrambled at the rocks, tossing them aside, bubbles of effort almost blinding us more than darkness. It was pitch black again, and I think my lungs gave out completely because I knew I was putting out too much effort with too little air and was now taking in too much water. I felt like the water was going everywhere with me, and I couldn't tell if it'd gotten lighter with my vision darkening-

I surfaced in a river, now against the shore with Eugene's firm hand on my hoodie and forcing me to hug land sweet land. Air sweet air, however, as a little farther off because I was throwing up water. It was even streaming outta my nose with that unpleasant burning-like sensation of any liquid putzing around in your sinuses.

But I was alive. ALIVE. I pressed my face against the grass. Alive. I think I was still crying. Alive. My breathing was labored and coughing. Alive. Shivering. Wet. Cold. Drenched to the bone. Alive. I stared at the setting sun filtering through trees and mist, smiling in a foggy stupor.

Yes.

Alive.

...

I must've passed out, because I awoke from darkness to soft singing.

I blearily opened my eyes, feeling warmth from a fire on one side of me, then slight- but not uncomfortable -cold on the shaded side. Everything had a flickering orange tinge, then the shadows were deep indigo. So it was night with a campfire going. The scene was comfortingly familiar, prompting me to whisper "Donald...? Goofy...?"

Something soft and silky was wrapped around my arm, then it began glowing. I raised my hand just in time to see that Rapunzel had wrapped her hair around my cut up arm- judging by similar feelings all over it was elsewhere on my body -and the moment the golden glow touched the wounds they healed. So the magic glowing hair healed, too.

I was so tired I barley blinked in surprise, and didn't utter anything. I just stared at my hand and tried to center my blurred vision and fuzzy hearing. I somehow slipped into sleep again soon after, unable to stay conscious. I wandered in my dreams, unable to find anything but dark mist, and familiar shilouettes that vanished after I got too close. I heard echoes of Roxas and Kairi laughing, and then one of mine that was chillingly insane.

The next morning we realized we were only a short walk away from the city I'd seen earlier. It was very interesting to see that any injury I'd sustained was now completely gone. It was also very interesting to see that our horse was back and completely sopping wet. He looked very mad, to put it bluntly. I scrambled up "Ah, well, um... Plans changed?" Eugene opened an eye, then shrugged.

He regretted the mistake as the horse began dragging him off by his ankle at a pretty strong rate. My attempts to stop him turned Eugene into a human tug-of-war rope. Rapunzel joined me, managing to get Eugene back sans one boot "Hey! I need him!" The horse spat out the boot and whinnied angrily.

Rapunzel stepped in front of it "Easy boy, easy, easy..." The horse saw her and instantly calmed down. Rapunzel patted its mane "There, that wasn't so hard..." She looked at its saddle gear "Maximus!" I glanced over and noticed that, yes, there was that very name on there. Why didn't I see that earlier?

"So I'm guessing," Rapunzel said, continuing to soothe and rub Maximus "that you want to put lil ol' Eugene in jail." The horse nodded, sitting down very much like a dog. Rapunzel scratched him somewhere and his tail began thumping away (could horses even do that?) "But see, I need him." The thumping stopped. Rapunzel hugged him "Come on, please, my birthday is today and I really want to see the lanterns. All I need him is for this day and then the two of you can chase each other into the sunset, okay?"

The horse agreed, and we were on our way again.

Well, apparently the whole town was having a festival. Rapunzel couldn't go anywhere with so much hair so we got some girls to braid it up, and soon she was jerking us everywhere. Oh look at that! Oh look at this! It was a pretty happy air all around- even with dodging all the guards to keep Eugene safe.

Rapunzel couldn't resist stopping by a chalk art gallery and spreading her artistic visions all over the place. Me? I made a few scritches that resembled Kairi and Riku if you squinted. A little afterwards I made Roxas twice, though oddly the second time he looked a little different. It was his other outfit from that dream where I was chased by my evil self.

"Hey, they look something like this, right?" I glanced over to see that Punzie had copied my drawings. Kairi was absolutely perfect, a radiant princess that was so real I had to stop myself from reaching for her. Riku was a solid and stoic young man with no mistake in the art.

I halted a little at the Roxas-es. She'd made a few more differences between the two, making it clearer that the weird Roxas was different, but still the same. Perhaps it was that playful sparkle in his eyes rather than shadowed grimacing in the other, or maybe the healthier color pallette, or maybe just...

Just my imagination. "They look great, Punzie."

"Hmm, ya know, they just came to me."

Just my imagination.

...

After a long day of festivities we parted. I trusted that Eugene would get Rapunzel home, and walked out of the town, deciding to find Wandanyan. I got a little sidetracked, though, and ended up walking along the lake.

Those lanterns... I wonder how good they look at a time like this. I found a good spot on the shore, and plopped down on a rock to watch. At first it was only one little pinpoint of light over the city, but then it swelled into an entire cloud of rosy gold. "Wow." I grinned and laid back on my little rock "Man, times like these just makes you remember the world is just awesome." I watched as they floated by, feeling a serenity I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Wonder what Kairi would think..." I murmured as the last few drifted by. Maybe she'd like these. Maybe I could take her out on the lake. Maybe we could have the best night of our lives. Maybe we'd... Maybe. Just maybe. I closed my eyes, chuckling at my daydream "Nah. Like that's gonna happen."

I bolted up when I heard a soft scrape, then turned to see that Eugene and Rapunzel had landed a small gondola on the shore. Rapunzel smiled and waved at me, then listened to Eugene as he grabbed something and began walking this way. I recognized the object once he got closer.

"Hey, that's your-"

"I know, Sora." He cut me off, his voice unnervingly somber. He then held my shoulders "Can I ask you to watch after Rapunzel for me?" I nodded, lightly disturbed "Sure thing." He walked off.

I walked back to Rapunzel "So, how was it?" She didn't reply, looking out for Eugene. She then blinked "Hmm? Oh, it was great..." She leaned against the boat, sighing "and I've found a new dream." She bolted to attention "Oh! Eugene! I was worried you'd..." I turned to see one vaguely familiar shilouette turn into two strangers.

I summoned my Keyblade "Rapunzel. Run."

"But-"

I shoved her away "I said run!" She did so and I turned back to our company "Okay who wants to taste gravel first?!" I halted when I heard Rapunzel cry for help, mentioning her hair had gotten snagged. I gave up my ground, deciding that it would be a little better to run with her rather than stay back and hold the fort "RAPUNZEL!" Upon hearing persuit, I threw back a thunder spell. Not enough to kill, but enough for a pretty good taser shot.

I found her and tugged at her hair, trying to get it loose "Come on, come on- there!" I got her untangled and grabbed her hand "Come on we gotta get going!"

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel!" Rapunzel stopped at the female voice calling for her "Mother?" I threw myself in front of her, pointing my Keyblade into the mist "Who's there?!" A woman- my experiences associating her with a middle aged female version of Frollo -emerged, then ran past me and tackled Rapunzel, dropping her sickly green lantern "Oh! you're safe!" After looking over her and such she turned to me "Who is this?"

"I'm Sora, miss." She seemed to be mistrustful of me, and addressed me as if I was a grimy little street urchin "You may call me Gothel." I noticed Rapunzel was suddenly staring back at the town with an utterly broken look. "Rapunzel what's-" I stopped when I followed her gaze. I ran forward until my shins were covered in the lake's water. No, no that couldn't be-

"Eugene..." Rapunzel gasped softly.

I shook my head, but no, this time it was unmistakable. That was Eugene, sailing away. I saw a smaller shadow that could've been the crown. Oh no he DIDN'T...

"See? I told you." I turned back to Gothel, who was caressing a crying Rapunzel. She turned away, picked her lantern up again, and began walking away. "Hey," I said, stepping forward. Gothel and Rapunzel stopped, only the elder turning to look at me "I'm a little worried for Rapunzel, could I join you?" Rapunzel's voice was quiet and teary "Mother, could he? H-he's my friend..." Gothel looked like she had drank spoiled milk, but merely waved me along "Very well, if you insist."

...

After waiting for Gothel to get done unbraiding and deflowering Rapunzel's hair, I walked up to her room and knocked on the doorframe "Punzie?" I frowned at the sight of her laying on her bed, a handkerchief clutched to her breast. It was one Eugene had gotten for her- purple with a bright yellow sun, which was the insignia of the kingdom. She was still teary and moping.

I very quietly sat next to her, knowing that for now actions spoke louder than words. I looked around, observing her drawings "You're a pretty good artist." She sniffled. I then noticed something. I got up and inspected her drawings further. Something was becoming very, VERY clear "Punzie... Rapunzel can I see your handkerchief?" She sat up and held it out "Sure. Take it. I don't want to see it anymore." I grabbed it and held it up to a drawing.

I blinked in surprise, then did so again.

And again.

And again.

How was I so blind?! "Rapunzel... You might wanna check this out."

All over her paintings was the same motif of the sun subtly woven into the paint and images. She walked up to me, and I held up the handkerchief to the most noticeable hidden sun. She blinked, then wrenched the cloth out of my hands and looked all over. She finally spoke "I-I've never even glanced at this before! How-?"

"You're the lost princess." I said softly. Yes, that made WAY too much sense not to be true. Rapunzel was staring wide eyed at her ceiling, mouthing what I had said. She stumbled back into bed, gripping her head "I-I'm... I remember!" She shook her head "I remember? B-but mother-" she paused, then looked at the door with distrust and loathing "Mother."

She stood, and walked by me "Excuse me, Sora, but I have to talk with my... My..." She couldn't say it, and merely walked out with a disgusted scoff. I followed "Rapunzel-"

Gothel- looking a little grayer and sunken -strode up the stairs and hugged her so-called 'daughter' "Ah, Rapunzel dear, your favorite meal is up and cooking-"

"I'm the lost princess." She mumbled. Gothel pulled away "You know I don't like mumbling-"

"I'm the lost princess! AREN'T I?!" Rapunzel shoved Gothel away. After a moment, she said "Did I mumble, Mother?" She shook her head "Can I even call you that?"

It was clear from Gothel's expression Rapunzel had her cornered. Yet she wasn't uttering a word. I stepped forward "She is, isn't she?! And you've been lying to her this whole time!"

Gothel turned to me, suddenly cold "So what if I have? It's not like there's anyone who will do anything about it." I stormed past her "I'll-" I stopped abruptly at a tug at my gut, then pain. I swayed a little and gripped the stair rail, then my stomach, realizing very quickly from the blood that pooled in my hand that I'd been stabbed.

"You... You...!" I heard Rapunzel gasp behind me, utterly horrified. I, on the other hand, was completely calm. Eh, just a stab. I calmly pulled out a potion, uncorked it with my teeth, spat out the cork, and drank the contents. After I did so, I turned to Gothel and summoned my Keyblade "Managed to get a Keyblade wielder quite cross with you." I saw her already ashy skin pale by several shades "I doubt you know what a Keyblade is exactly, but let me say it's not fun to be at the receiving end."

Rapunzel held out her hand "W-wait Sora you don't need to-" Gothel pushed my blade away "So I'm the bad guy?" I glowered at her "You took her from her home, her kingdom-"

"And they took something from me!" I suddenly noticed she was subtly growing older by the minute. She was definitely older looking than when I last saw her. "The hair." I came to the conclusion "You needed her hair's magic to keep you young."

"There was another source once, but they took it from me." She snapped. She then looked me over, edging her position from the stairs to the more open living area "Now, how am I going to keep my little secret with you roaming around?"

I charged at her, but she sidestepped me.

An extremely hard- potentially fatal hard -hit to my head.

That's all I remember.

...

Man, I must've been though as iron, because I managed to wake up again. I cracked my eyes open, hearing a soft whine and something nuzzling my hair. I wiggled my fingers, counting them.

Whine.

Whine.

It's echoey.

My head aches.

Who am I? Sora, about to be 16, Keyblade master in training, best friends are Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and His Majesty King Mickey. The Destiny Islands are my home, with even more friends and loving parents. I've traveled to tons of places and I've met a whole lot of people...

I groaned and began getting up, deciding I'd recalled enough "Ohh, my head..." I stopped upon hearing sobbing. I was then tackled and licked repeatedly by a cat-like tongue I recognized "W-Wandanyan?!" I laughed and hugged it "Y-yeah I'm fine."

"Eugene... You were my new dream..." I looked over and saw Rapunzel cradling Eugene's body. He was limp. Out cold? Yeah! yeah he was just... Just out cold. I crawled over "What happened?!" No, never mind, I don't want to know.

"He's gone... He's gone..." Rapunzel wept in reply. I noticed a stab wound similar to the one Gothel gave me earlier. Not fatal on me, with my potions and healing magic, but on him... "No." I started backing away "I-I..." Guilt surged up. If I wasn't so reckless I could've saved him! I stumbled into Wandanyan, who whined at me again as if to say "You can do something, right?"

I bit back tears: I couldn't.

Death was beyond my expertise. But that didn't mean I couldn't be responsible for it. I turned away from the scene and leaned against the wall. I was starting to choke from holding everything back. No, no, no... No! I banged my fist against the wall. I... I'm sorry... I... I couldn't face this. I couldn't. I killed him. Sobs escape my mouth as I banged against the wall some more. I inadvertently killed him. I could've dealt with Gothel before any of it happened!

I ran out of the tower.

...

I went back to Traverse Town and shut myself up in my hotel room. It'd been forever since I'd had a good cry, and grief and guilt were the perfect instigators. I sat there, curled up under a bed sheet, crying my heart out. Everything bubbled up. Everything. I was an idiot for failing, I was an idiot for letting my guard down, I was an idiot for letting everything unravel, I was the one who made Roxas have such a horrible life-

"Sora, I know that in a scenario like this it's a very stupid question to ask, but are you okay?"

My sobbing fell into silent sniffling. I knew very easily that it was Joshua who'd asked the question, but I didn't want to answer. I settled into my curled up frame again "I-I guess..." There was a shift as he sat down "I don't think so. Kinda omniscient, remember?"

I laughed "Yeah, you've mentioned that before." I felt him rub my back, as if he very well understood that it calmed me down "I know, just saying. I mean, it's really not like you to be this upset." I pulled the blanket off, leaning into Joshua a little more "I'm sorry-"

"What's to apologize for? You're being human." I was quiet. What WAS I apologizing for? I thought it over. I thought everything over. I then quietly asked "Hey, Joshua... What happens when someone dies?" He shrugged "I dunno, a lot of things." It sounded vaguely like he was lying or holding something back, but I listened anyways as he reluctantly explained something. Again, it didn't sound completely true, but it was calming hearing at least someone knew what was going on.

I think I fell asleep after a while, caving into exhaustion.

Spoiler alert Eugene lives.

Man so sorry about the absence I've been having computer troubles. I really wish that I could do something more, but I guess that'd be finish up the next world faster XD Speaking of which that is... (drumroll) ATLANTIS (doo wee oooooo) so yahoo hope to see ya again sooner.