Ventus didn't bother to dodge the illusions tossed at him, he only worried about parrying away the book, and trying to convert Zexion back to the light "Ienzo! You're not a killer-"

"I've grown! what do you know about me?!"

"One thing's for sure, you don't know what it's like to kill a person!"

Ventus was shoved away, and Zexion rapidly approached for his final strike. Ventus raised his Keyblade in defense-

and Zexion ended up on its point.

Ventus stared, horrified. Zexion looked at the Keyblade in his chest with shock, then at Ventus. "How... Could you...?" He whispered, before collapsing onto Ventus. Ven recoiled, backing away from the dissentigrating corpse with terror. He felt the darkness, far too cold against his skin as his victim vanished from the Realm of Light.

Ventus looked at his hands, blank and shocked. He then started crying, grieving "I killed him!"

Kairi stirred, blinking upon seeing Riku next to her. "It... It wasn't..." She smiled wide "It wasn't real!" She scooped Riku in her arms, kissing his forehead. He woke, asking groggily "Kairi? But I thought you were de-"

"Sora!" Kairi grabbed the boy and squeezed in joy "You're still here!" Sora woke in her arms, looking sad "I thought you hated me-"

Kairi kissed his cheek, exclaiming happily "I have never been happier to see you!" She hugged him tighter, while he stared into space. He then smiled, and raised his hand to return the hug-

"Ven!" Kairi left Sora to go smother her joy all over Ventus. Sora was left holding his hand in midair, watching Kairi with an expression of heart-broken loss and confusion, then watching Ventus with hatred and bitter jealousy. He felt himself smile on the inside at his broken expression as he sobbed over killing Zexion.

A guilty pleasure, yes.

The gulit factor?

Not so much.

Riku asked him shakily "So... What happened to you?"

Sora curled up, shuddering, glee vanishing "I don't wanna talk about it."

Riku laughed "Me neither- URK!"

They were both grabbed by Kairi as she hugged all three of her boys and saying happily "Oh, you're all safe and sound!"

Sora glared at Ventus, since Kairi had managed to have them smushed together, cheek-to-cheek. Ventus only meekly smiled "Um... Friends?..." Sora's continued glare said enough.

She let them go, saying "Okay, I really don't care anymore if you're all messed up in the head somehow, it's just amazing to have you all back!"

Sora was about to voice his offense to being called 'messed up in the head', but paused as he figured out Kairi's nightmare. Did she really care about them that much? "Don't you have other friends?"

Kairi's joy flickered away, and she awkwardly held herself "Um... To be honest, you're the first REAL friends I've ever had... Dad set up playmates when I was little, but... they were always scared I was gonna abuse my status as princess..." She smiled sadly "You guys are the first besides my parents and uncles to treat me as a person on your level."

Sora shrugged "I treat lots of people as if they're on my level."

Riku shook his head "Why would we treat you any differently?"

Ventus looked crestfallen "Wow, a life without real friends... That must be lonely." His hollow voice matched perfectly, but it was so for other reasons.

Kairi nodded "It is- no, it WAS lonely. I have you guys now!" She grinned, laughing lightly. She then put her hand behind her back, rolling on her heels while she looked up at the sky and mused aloud "I wonder where Peter is-"

"Right here!" The bubbly boy swooped in upside down right in front of Kairi "Gosh, guys! I thought I told you to head to skull rock!" He continued as he lazily floated through the air "took me forever to find you!"

Ventus only said "Thought we heard ticking, so we bolted."

Peter then nodded "Okay, that's a good excuse. I'm honestly scared of that croc, too!"

Ventus then said "Hey, Peter, I think we're gonna leave."

No one else commented on that. An organization member was gone, there was nothing else of note here. Besides, Sora was anxious to move on to Wonderland; his trust of Ventus didn't get better, just slightly worse. Standing up for a member of Organization XIII? Nope, doesn't earn trust at all.

Sora had completely missed Ventus's goodbye to Peter, and finally noted his friends leaving without him. He quickly waved goodbye to Peter Pan, and followed. Kairi had been the first on the Highwind, giving each of her companions a brief hug as they got on.

As they settled down, Riku asked "So, where to next-"

"Got a list of coordinates to try out here." Sora said, simply holding up the list "We're going to Wonderland." He typed in the coordinates, then sat down.

Kairi asked "So how did you find out about this Wonderland place-"

"A little bird told me, okay? We're just gonna head over-"

"Vanitas told you." Ventus said suddenly and softly. "He told you about Never Land, too..."

"I seriously have no clue what the hell you're talking about."

"Um, Ven, this Vanitas you've mentioned a few times... Who do you mean?"

Ventus went below deck, not saying a word, his gaze going through the Gummi Ship and into the past. Kairi sighed "Great, Sora, now he's becoming you."

"Is not."

"Is too!"

And they childishly bickered the whole way to Wonderland.

OMG you guys get two chapters! Next is Wonderland, take a guess at what member will appear, blah blah, review, DAMMITTHISISSUCHALAZYCHAPTER .