Dun dun dun...

XXX

Sora shuddered and forced himself to look his brother in the eyes. "R-Riku? Why are you here?"

"You know why I'm here," he replied, looking over at Kairi. Sora quickly put his arm out in front of her. "You obviously didn't heed my warning when I told you I'd take away what you hold close."

"Sora? What's he talking about? Kairi asked, shivering. "Who is he?"

Sora didn't answer for a little bit, but Kairi could see his muscles tense and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Her mind was working furiously to understand why he was so on edge, why he looked so… afraid.

"He's my brother…" Sora whispered.

Kairi gasped and put her hands over her mouth as she stared in complete shock at the silver haired teen. "Y-You hurt Sora." She said.

Riku nodded and grinned menacingly at the girl. "Your brother had helped me greatly, in fact, he lead me here."

Roxas looked at his sister, not even a hint of emotion in his eyes, "He promised we'd be able to get off the island, now say good bye to Sora." The blonde walked over to Kairi, completely ignoring Sora who was too shocked to do anything, and grabbed her wrist, pulling her over next to Riku beside him. Kairi was at a loss of what to do or say, she didn't even fight back just walked behind him in a haze.

"Ah, not so fast Roxas," Riku said, stopping Roxas with his hand and taking hold of Kairi's forearm, "for you see, since Sora did not listen he must pay the consequences, and I'm afraid Kairi is part of that." He grinned and pulled out a large knife from his pocket.

"You said we wouldn't get hurt." Roxas replied sharply, swiping at Riku's arm that held onto Kairi. Riku just glared at him and kicked the blonde square in the chest, sending him flying backwards into the thick forest; landing hard on his back outside of the small clearing.

"Roxas!" Kairi screamed, snapping out of her daze. She struggled to escape Riku's tight hold on her arm.

"I lied." Riku replied as he looked at Roxas lying useless on the ground. He tightened his grip on the red head and she made a small hurt sound in her throat.

Sora looked from Roxas to Riku then into Kairi's terrified indigo eyes. "Don't you touch her!" Sora yelled, taking a few steps forward, only to be stopped by Kairi's wail of agony as Riku took the knife and slashed it down her back. Sora could see the flow of blood dripping and splashing onto the forest floor. Riku released her and she crumpled to the ground, whimpering as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly.

"You hurt others Sora," Riku sneered coldly as he gestured to Kairi, then to Roxas, "look at what pain you brought to the girl you liked and her frail brother."

Sora went rigid, he was afraid, terrified even. He wanted to curl up in a ball and tell himself that this whole thing was just a bad dream. But as he glanced at Roxas's broken form and then to Kairi, laid out in a heap by Riku, he knew this wasn't a dream, this was real, it was happening before his very eyes. Kairi's pleading eyes looked onto his, "Sora…" she cried.

Sora snapped out of his daze, his fear replaced by rage. He was on Riku in an instant, blue eyes wild, arms stretched out in front of him like a crazed animal. Riku widen his eyes as Sora leapt on him, obviously not expecting such a vicious action from the frail boy. But the shock only lasted a second before he snapped back into his hatred.

Sora and Riku went tumbling, smashing into the ground on their sides. Sora had managed to slash a deep cut down Riku's thigh, tearing straight through the black fabric and tan flesh. Red blood immediately poured out, soaking into his black jeans as Riku hissed in pain, clutching his leg with both his hands, momentarily turning his attention away from Sora.

Sora hastily scrambled away from Riku, using Riku's new injury as an opening to help Kairi. He rushed to her side, sliding down on his hands and knees next to her, "Kairi, are you alright?" he asked, laying his hand on her back. She winced at his touch and when he drew his hand back it was covered in her thick crimson blood.

"I-I'm fine," she managed to get out through clenched teeth.

Sora wrapped his arms around her waist and helped her to her feet, half dragging, half carrying her over to the safety of the forest. He set her down in a sitting position behind a large bush and examined her wound. Sora let out a relieved breath, "It's not too deep," he muttered, tearing off the bottom hem of his shirt, making it shorter and showing a strip of his golden skin. He started dabbing at the blood; carefully cleaning it from her back.

Sora could hear Riku on the other side of their hiding spot, groaning in pain and anger. He figured Riku was at least back on his feet by now, which means he had limited time before he found them.

"Thanks Sora," he heard Kairi mutter under her breath as she turned to face him.

"No problem, sneak around through the trees over to your brother while I distract Riku okay? Get Roxas back on his feet."

Kairi placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat rapidly against his ribcage. "But… You'll get hurt…" she whispered. The thought of losing Sora was just too much for her to bare.

"I'll be okay Kai," he replied, trying to give her his best smile. "Besides he's after me anyways and Roxas needs help."

"But…"

"Please Kai, I-I don't want you to get hurt anymore…" She could hear the desperation in his voice; and the pain deep in his beautiful blue eyes almost made her want to cry. She just nodded and quietly stepped away from him to edge around the clearing to get to her brother.

She could hardly see through the dense forest but she could make out Sora coming out of the bushes to face Riku.

"Looking for me?" he shouted as Riku snapped his head to the side to glare at Sora. His leg was still bleeding but Riku acted like it was nothing, nothing more than a small scrape.

Kairi averted her indigo eyes from them as she saw Riku stepping closer to Sora, his emerald eyes blazed with pure rage. She had to focus on getting to her brother. The sooner she got Roxas back up, the quicker she could help Sora. She turned her head and slowly but surely made it to her brothers side and knelt down next to him. She ran her eyes over him, examining for any serious injuries. Thankfully they were still concealed by the thick foliage but she could hear the sounds of the two siblings fighting behind her.

He seemed okay, just dazed and aching on his back from where he collided with the unforgiving ground. "Roxas, are you okay?" Kairi muttered as she slipped her arm under him and helped the blonde up into a sitting position, "C'mon you gotta get up."

Roxas shook his head and blinked rapidly as he tried to focus on his sister. "Kairi… You're okay."

Kairi nodded and held out her hand to him, "C'mon, can you stand?"

"I think so."

Roxas took her hand and pulled himself to his feet. "Where's Riku?" he asked, glancing around.

A piercing scream split the air so loud that Kairi thought her ears were going to burst. "Sora!" Kairi screamed, moving a group of branches out of her way. Her heart could've stopped right there, she was frozen in shock as she saw Sora on the ground with the back of his shirt torn to shreds from the multiple cuts that Riku had marked across his beautiful body. Deep red blood poured out, covering his back completely and dripping down his sides.

She gasped and grabbed Roxas's wrist, tugging him behind her out of the forest, "We have to help him!"

….

"Looking for me?" Sora shouted at Riku as the silver haired boy whirled on him. The blaze in his eyes made Sora flinch; How is he supposed to beat him? Riku is bigger, older, and stronger than him.

"I'm going to have you begging for death." Riku snarled, running up to Sora with his knife flashing in a silver arch in front of him.

Sora dove out of the way as Riku stumbled by him. He had to use his size against him, that's the only way he stood a chance against Riku. Sora spun around and saw Riku's knife was impaled in a tree and he was viciously trying to pull it free. Sora took this moment and scanned the forest, looking for any sign of Kairi. He spotted the red head inching along the edge, she had her head turned away from him and she was only a few feet away from Roxas.

Sora breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Kairi kneel down next to her brother. Sora turned back to Riku and his blue eyes widened in shock when he found his brother was nowhere around. Riku's knife was gone and there was a deep gash in the tree from where it hit; Riku had clearly gotten his knife free. Sora whirled around, his heart beating a million miles an hour. Where could Riku have gone?

With his back turned away, Riku had managed to get his knife and was now charging at Sora from behind, slashing at an angle, catching the side of Sora's stomach.

Pain exploded on Sora's side as he bent over, hugging his side tightly, trying to stop the quick flow of blood that was now staining his black shirt and jeans. A blow caught him on the side of his face from Riku's fist and he was sent crashing to the ground on his back, hissing in pain.

Sora blinked the stars out of his eyes and looked up to see Riku jumping on him with his silver knife positioned in front, aimed directly at Sora's chest. He rolled out of the way as Riku's knife drove into the ground next to him, just inches from his shoulder.

Please hurry Kairi, Sora thought desperately as Riku jumped on him again.

He rolled again, stopping on his stomach. Sora's side stung horribly and he clutched it tightly, trying to numb the pain somehow. He put his hands on the ground and starting pushing himself back to his feet when something slammed into his lower back, forcing him on the ground again.

Sora couldn't move, he was pinned to the ground. He angled his head painfully to catch a glimpse of Riku's foot pressing down on his lower back. He turned his head back, relieving the strain on his neck. He clutched his knife tightly in his right hand, bleaching his knuckles white. Sora made a desperate swipe backwards and plunged the knife deep into Riku's calf. Red blood doused his leg and Sora pulled the knife back out, still gripping it tightly.

Riku howled in anger and bent closer to Sora's ear, "I'll show you the true meaning of pain," Riku growled above him. Immediately searing pain spread across his back as Riku slashed his knife across his flesh. Sora counted how many times the knife came to try and keep his mind off the pain.

One, two, three, four…

Sora clenched his teeth. Where was Kairi? Where was Roxas?

Five, six, seven, eight, nine…

He dug his fingers into the dirt underneath him. Is it going to stop?

Ten, eleven, twelve…

It was then that Sora let out an ear piercing scream, cutting through the air, spreading through the island. His knife fell from his hand and the endless cuts stopped. His back felt like it was on fire, spreading all over him; engulfing him completely. Yet he couldn't black out, he had to stay awake no matter what Riku threw at him.

Sora felt Riku's hand on his shoulder, wrenching him over on his back. He groaned in agony at the sudden movement, spreading his arms out on either side of his body, staring up into Riku's bright green eyes. His blood was splattered all over Riku's chest and he was grinning widely down at Sora. "You're so weak, Sora. You should thank me for putting you out of your misery now. Maybe if you beg I'll make it fast."

"I will… never ever… beg to someone like you…" Sora said; his chest rising up and down in rapid gasps as he struggled to breathe under the strength of Riku's foot now shoved under his ribcage.

Anger flamed in Riku's eyes. He raised his knife, tainted with Sora's blood and dug the knife deep in Sora's chest, dragging it along slowly. Blood blossomed on his chest every time the knife moved.

Sora screamed in agony, shutting his eyes tight and desperately clawing at Riku's arms.

Suddenly his flesh stopped tearing and the knife was wretched from his chest. Sora snapped his eyes open just in time to see a flash of blonde and Riku being thrown to the side off of him. He struggled to get up but white hot pain exploded in his chest and back, coving his whole torso. Sora hissed through his teeth and felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

He looked up and saw Kairi kneeling next to him. There were tears in her twilight eyes, flowing down her cheeks, "S-Sora…" she whispered, resting her hand on his cheek.

"Kairi…" he whispered, reaching up and gently holding her wrist, "Don't cry.."

"But… you're hurt."

"I'm okay Kai… Help me sit up please."

Kairi looped her arms under his and lifted him up with much difficulty. He turned to see Roxas and Riku tumbling around on the ground. Despite their sizes, Roxas seemed to be the one winning; landing multiple blows on Riku's face and chest and jumping back before Riku could even regain himself to throw a punch back.

"Roxas!" Sora yelled as loud as he could, grabbing his knife from the ground and raising it for the blonde to see.

Roxas turned his gaze from where he had Riku beneath him for a split second in time to see Sora throwing the knife towards him. Roxas caught it by the handle and smiled at Sora, who gave a small nod back, before turning back to Riku.

"This is for my sister!" He screeched. Then he was nothing but a blur of flailing limbs, blonde hair, and the occasional silver flash of the knife.

XXX

Yeah you go Roxas! And yes poor Sora I know... But don't worry it had/has to get worse before it gets better.

Thanks to those of you who reviewed, favored, or followed this story! It makes me feel good haha. So thanks guys; and again I have no idea when the next chapter will be up now that the weekends almost over... Bleh.