FINALLY!! I thought I'd never get this chapt done… unfortunately, this may be the last one for a while… I have to wait for my beta to get done… so YAY we're back to Sora (happy dance)

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Sora's POV:

No one could ever describe the feeling of losing your heart. Its something you can't know unless you've experienced it first hand. A frightening, yet comforting feeling… slowly fading into black. Everything being slung together, all at once… then nothing.

Just… nothing.

I'm not sure how long I remained this way. Just an empty shell. No senses, no feeling… not even my own thoughts to keep me company. (Then, how am I narrating you ask?… I dunno, ask the author.)

I just lay there wondering if-wait… I was lying down. I knew I was lying down.

"Sora?"

I heard my name… I'm breathing… I-I can feel, I can hear!… I can…

I opened my eyes, slowly, to see Kairi staring down at me. She smiled to see me stare back.

"Sora, you're alright." She flung her arms around me. I glanced over at Leon and the king nearby.

Leon smiled. "We saw your heart and figured you'd wake up soon."

I scanned the room, a bit disappointed to see only these three there.

Kairi looked up at me. "What's wrong, Sora?"

"Where?… Where's Riku?"

"Oh. Uh, he went off, with Donald and Goofy, to get your heart. They just haven't gotten back yet."

"Oh………so… so he's not-" I looked dazedly at her. "He's not mad at me?"

"What? No, Sora, he's not mad at you."

"… I see… then it… it really was all me."

"Aw, Sora. I'm sure he-"

"SORA!"

Having Donald and Goofy bombard me on sight, lifted my spirits. I smiled at them, looking around for that familiar face I wanted to see.

He wasn't there.

"Where's Riku?"

From their reactions, I could tell that I wasn't going to like the answer.

Goofy's head drooped. "We didn't want to leave him… we were forced to."

Kairi hit the bed I was on. "YOU LEFT HIM BEHIND!?"

"Where?" Leon had come closer.

"Well." Donald began. "There was this angel guy there… and he said something about Krutons… I think."

"Krutian?" Cloud came in, through the door.

"Yea, that was it."

The King glanced over at him. "Krutian? I've never heard of that territory. Did he give a name?"

"Yea, he did."

"… What was it?"

"Ueh… Xiggy?"

"No, it was Xemnas."

"THAT WAS THE NOBODY!"
I shortly became fed-up with this. "Riku would've remembered. We have to help him."

Donald scratched his head. "I'm uh… afraid we… can't."

"Why not!?"

"The Gummi ship is wrecked. We need to get it fixed first."

I pulled at the sheets, not wanting to wait. Riku could be in trouble, getting worse the longer we waited here.

A strange beeping had been coming through the room, only becoming noticeable with the silence. Leon glanced over at the source. " I think that's you, Cloud."

"Oh, is it?" He reached into his pocket, pulling out his little silver orb, and pressed one of the buttons. "What do you want, Cid?"

"Hey, Cloud. These Orbicalls work great, don't they?"

I heard Yuffie erupt into laughter, over the call. "Keep tryin, Old Man."

"You better mind yourself, Brat!!"

"So, is there a reason you called, or did you just want to test out your invention?"

"Erm… a little of both actually."

"Then, what's the reason?"

"Keep yer trap shut and I'll tell ya. Just figured I'd let you know we're headin up there. Got a few stowaways, and you ain't gonna believe who one of them is."

I ran over, to see the screen. "Riku!?"

"Well, yea. Him too."

"Then he's ok?"

Cid turned around, in his seat. "Er?… yyyyeeea…" He turned back. "Bit roughed up, but otherwise alright."

I sat back down, on the bed, sighing with relief. "Good… he's ok."

"Well, that's all and good, but that's not who I meant."

"Cid. Is my arrival, that big of a deal?"

Cloud's face changed, in recognition of the new voice.

"Damn right! I should kick yer ass for takin off, all the time."

A bemused smile teased the corners of Cloud's lips. "Vincent would destroy you."

"Dammit, Vince. Why'd you have to say somethin?"

Cid swore again, and apparently hung up. Cloud just shook his head, sliding the contraption back in his pocket.

Now, my curiosity was peaked. "Who's Vincent?"

Cloud looked up at me, folding his arms. "He's a good friend of ours. Cid was so mad, when he left."

"Why'd he leave?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? Vincent never seems to need a reason to take off. Wonder why he came back?" There was a subtle hint of sarcasm, to his tone. So subtle… that I missed it.

"Maybe he saved Riku?" I suggested.

Cloud and Tifa exchanged looks. "Sure… why not."

xXx

They arrived in port, within a matter of moments. We went to the hanger to meet them, to find Cid inspecting the damaged Gummi ship. He spun around, on Donald. "WHAT'D YOU DO TO MY BABY, YA DUMB CLUCK!!"

"HEY! RIKU WAS DRIVING!! YELL AT HIM!!"

"I already told you, there was no way of avoiding that thing."

The familiar voice forced my head towards the bay doors, my excitement extinguishing, when I actually saw him.

Riku's cloths were torn and bloody. He was wrapped, from head to toe, his left arm in a splint. I was amazed to even see him still on his feet. Angrily, I swatted Cid in the arm. "You said he was alright."

"He's alive, ain't he?"

Riku laughed, his good hand clamping onto my shoulder. "I'm ok, Sora. Most of the bleeding's already stopped."

I looked up at him, dumbfounded. "Almost?… that's good?"

"Well… compared to before… yes."

"Riku, that's horrible!" I hadn't even noticed Kairi had come up on the other side of him.

"Come on, Kairi. Like Cid said, I'm alive. That's all that matters."

They continued on, but I didn't much care as to what they were saying. I couldn't believe him. He was smiling. How could he be so callous, as if nothing had happened?

What was wrong with him?

I could feel tears stinging my eyes. "You almost died."

They both looked at me, not expecting me to speak.

"You could've died. You could've been gone forever, Riku. And the last thing I would've said to you was-"

"Sora." Riku slid his good arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. "The last thing you said to me, was a warning."

"Huh?"

"If you hadn't yelled, that thing would've landed right on top of me."

I groaned at his sarcasm. "Riku. Th-that's not what I-"

I know." He pulled me closer, speaking softly. "I know you didn't mean it, you were angry. Frankly, I would've been too."

Yea, but… you would've listened. Not jump to some stupid conclusion. You were right, Riku." I sniffed, wiping the tears. "I am still a child."

"… Sora-"

"Yep, the controls are fried, Cid." Yuffie popped out of the broken windshield. She waved to us. "Hey guys."

Cid kicked the nearby railing. "DAMMIT! Ya'll should've called me, before I got here. I didn't bring my tools."

"I suppose there's a first for everything." Cloud exited the Gummi ship, (He'd headed on in, when we arrived.) followed by a taller man, I'd never seen before. He had long black hair and, between the long red cloak and headband, only his eyes were visible. Two glowing, crimson, orbs that gave me a chilling feeling, from the sight of them.

Riku noticed my gaze and laughed, squeezing my shoulder. "That's Vincent."

Even so, I just couldn't stop staring at him. "Oh."

A small glint, beneath his cloak, caught my eye. I could see something was on his arm. Gold, by the looks of it. The red fabric moved to cover it, and I glanced up at Vincent's face. He had a stern look of hatred burning straight through me. I averted my eyes downward, my face reddening slightly.

Yuffie laughed, shoving my out of Riku's arm. "Don't let him get to ya. I think he actually tries to scare people off. You'll get used to the 'Vincent death glare' soon enough. It's more of a warning, he won't hurt you for being curious. Hell-Cid gets it more than any of us, and Vin likes him."

I glanced over at Cid. "He does?"

"Oh yea." Winks. "They're good friends. Cid's the only one Vincent will really talk to."

Donald shivered. "Well, he gives me the creeps."

Yuffie smacked him in the head, waving a finger. "Better watch what ya say, Duck."

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AN: this chapt was a lot shorter than i thought... oh well