Song of the chapter: Nowhere Warm- Kate Havnevik

A/N: Well we're almost at 100 reviews! I can't believe it! Thanks sooo much! It seems you guys are really liking the story too, which makes me happy. I plan for the next chapter to be up in the next day or so, fingers crossed! Also, I would love if you guys left suggestions for Terra's return in your reviews! How would you like him to come about, and come back to the side of light?

BoxAuthor88: I too love how Aqua is around Ventus x3 And thank you! I'm glad you like the way I wrote Kairi! I didn't want her to be a complete damsel! Sora's making some poor decisions at the moment ._. And thank you! I wouldn't call my writing pure genious, but I am honoured that you think so! It makes me smile so wide! :D I loves you, my fabulous reviewer, and friend. :) xoox

NoXIIISokaiFan: Hahaha well I'm trying to not wait a week to update ;3

MoonRaiserDragon: Well, did you know you're psychic? xD

Ventusdata: Thank you! Here it is!

awesomefanficlova: Lot's of people keep saying hey wish this would be the real plot of the game! I'm honored! You must wait and read on to find out Xion's fate! ;)

XxKenseyXx13: Fast update is fast! And I will take your suggestion into consideration, don't worry! :) Thanks for all your reviews! xo

Psychochiken: Poor confused Sora! He might come around faster than you think!

JourneyofShadows: I actually purchased The World Ends With You like a week after it came out in 2008...or was it 2007? Anyways, TWEWY with definitely be in this story, eventually! I promise! :) Thanks for everything!

And now, let's get to it!

"You have put in a lot of time today," Xehanort began, "We shall be leaving for Radiant Garden in a matter of minutes to continue your training."

Xehanort was preparing Sora all he could before their outing to Radiant Garden, where he would not be able to fully script what went on while training and assigning tasks. He was also testing to make certain that the teen truly was on their side. If Sora was not, Xehanort had a plan B ready to be put into action. He had to make sure he didn't let the opportunity to keep his XIII slip away.

"Put this on," Xehanort handed Sora a black Organization coat, making him become very uneasy.

"What would I need this for?"

"No further questions. When you have your coat on, we shall depart," Xehanort summoned a dark corridor to ready the dark begins' transportation, "Braig and Vanitas will be joining us soon."

Sora stared at the coat in his hand, thinking back to when Riku had been wearing one. Did he really want to fall to darkness like Riku had so long ago? Would that really happen to him? Sora tried to push out thoughts of his friends; any memories made him feel hurt, angry, and horrible. He was betraying them, after all. He was also betraying Kairi. Even though she was gone, he couldn't help but feel like she would hate him. He still couldn't even fathom that she was gone, and never coming back. Shaking his head, Sora tried to stay focused on his training.

"Okay…but is there any particular reason you want to go to Radiant Garden?" Sora asked, curious as to the Master's choosing.

"Might you have a better location?" Xehanort snapped.

"Uhh, n-no…" Sora stuttered.

"Well then, let us begin our departure, shall we?" Xehanort entered the dark corridor, and Sora quickly followed suit; still zipping up his Organization coat.

"We're here!" Goofy cheered, noticing the gummi ship's monitor and map reading Radiant Garden.

"Oh, boy!" Donald beamed.

"Well, I hope we can find Sora around here. It feels like we're just going in circles," Lea groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose lightly.

"I hope so, too," Roxas agreed.

"Well, let's go down and find Leon. He was the one we had go to the last time we had to find Sora," Donald suggested, smiling at the memory.

The four friends found themselves right in front of Merlin's house; the middle of a residential area of the world. Donald and Goofy smiled at the memories they had here with Sora and all their other friends; both good and bad. Donald knocked lightly on the wooden door.

"Hello? Anybody home?" He called.

The door opened almost instantly after Donald's knock.

"Donald! Goofy! You're back!" Yuffie greeted with a hug for each of her friends, "What happened the last time you guys were here?! Where's Sora?! Do you guys know how worried we all were?!"

"Yuffie, calm down," Aerith placed a hand on the teen's shoulder, "It's great to see you again, please, come in."

"Well, you finally decided to come back," Cid turned away from his computer.

"Sorry," Goofy sheepishly grinned.

"Where's Sora?" Leon came from the next room.

"Oh, Leon!" Donald began, "We're actually looking for Sora. We were wondering if any of you guys saw him around here at all?"

The four friends looked t each other for clarification, before shrugging.

"Nope, we haven't seen him," Yuffie said, "Is he okay?"

"Well…" Donald looked to Goofy with a sombre gaze.

"Guys, look there!" Mickey indicated to an icon on their gummi ship's monitor.

"What is that, Mickey?" Riku wondered, staring at the blinking icon.

"That's Donald and Goofy's gummi ship idling in Radiant Garden! I didn't think this ship had that capability of detection," Mickey thought out loud.

"Great! Let's get down there!" Aqua beamed.

"We'll go to Merlin's house to see if Leon has seen them!" Mickey demanded.

"Right! Hurry!" Riku quickly parked the gummi ship as the three friends were transported to the world below.

"Which way, Mickey?" Riku asked, looking at the view and surroundings of the Bailey.

"This way! Just past the gates and down the stairs will be a medley of houses. Do you remember what Merlin's house looks like, Riku?" Mickey asked, knowing Riku was much faster.

"Yep! Let's hurry!"

"Right behind you!" Ventus encouraged as the four friends followed the tiny king's directions to the wizard's house.

Donald looked into Goofy's eyes, a desperate and depressing look on the duck's face. Everyone knew about Kairi's kidnapping. They knew Kairi. They knew how Sora felt about Kairi. They needed to know what happened.

"After we left…after Kairi was taken…" Donald began.

"We…ended up in this world called the Keyblade Graveyard…" Goofy's voice trailed, which usually never happened, alarming everyone.

"Guys…what happened…?" Leon's voice slightly fearful.

"Xehanort was there…with the guy who took Kairi," Donald continued, unsure how he was going to tell the others.

"And they had Kairi…" Goofy finished Donald's sentence again.

"Okay, you guys are scaring me…" Yuffie admitted.

"What happened…?" Cid was fearful of the answer, though he'd probably never admit it out loud.

"Umm…they…uhh…" Donald's voice once again hush toned.

"They killed Kairi," Lea stated bluntly, yet sombrely.

"W-What?!" Yuffie placed her hands to her mouth, before tears formed in her eyes; Aerith immediately hugged her.

"Right in front of Sora…" Lea's gaze dropped to his feet.

"No…" Leon looked to the four friends in disbelief, before the door was suddenly pushed open harshly.

"Leon! Have any of you guys seen Donald, Goof-"

Mickey's eyes landed on his friends that he had spent the past while looking for.

"Your Majesty!" Donald and Goofy said in sync, "Why are you here? We still haven't found Sora…" Donald sighed, admitting their venture unsuccessful.

"We've been looking everywhere for ya!" Mickey said, his face filled with fatigue and alarm.

"Why, Yer Majesty?" Goofy asked.

"Kairi's alive!" Riku said quickly.

"What?!" The entire group asked, excluding Mickey's three traveling companions.

"How can that be?! We saw her…die!" Lea was shocked, "I carried her damn body away after!"

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?!" Donald demanded, hoping for a positive response.

"Xehanort staged the entire thing!" Riku explained, "He cloned Kairi!"

"So then where is the real Kairi?" Roxas asked.

"We still haven't seen her, but we're assuming their holding her hostage in their stronghold somewhere," Riku explained.

"Then that means…" Goofy was thinking very deeply, "A'hyuck, Sora's gonna be okay!"

"That's right, Goof," Mickey sighed, "We just gotta find him!"

"Well, like I told these four before you got here, we haven't seem him. But this is a very large world. Why don't we all go out to the Crystal Fissures and take a look together?" Leon suggested.

"That sounds like a plan to me," Cid agreed.

"Alright, but we'd better do it now. The sooner we find Sora, the better," Riku suggested, worried for his friend.

"Right. Let's go!" Yuffie ran for the door, everyone very close behind her as they made their way to the Crystal Fissures at a fast pace.

"Just follow Yuffie! And don't run too fast so that people can't keep up, okay?" Leon instructed.

"Don't worry, I know!" Yuffie gave a thumbs up, yelling back to make sure he could hear her.

When Sora finally found his way to the other end of the dark corridor, he found himself at none other than the Crystal Fissures of Radiant Garden. He immediately taken back to when Vanitas took Kairi, and e felt physically ill. Staring off into space while his gaze sat on the horizon, Sora finally realized what he was getting himself into, and that it was all one huge mistake. His reflection stood facing him in a crystal, and he thought he was a monster in that moment. Rain started to drop from the sky, as thunder and lightning instantly followed. Luckily, the hood from his coat kept his face dry. Knowing that he needed to get out of the mess he had just created by taking Xehanort's hand, Sora began to quickly run through options him his head. As he was thinking of a quick plan to leave, Unversed appeared all around him, forcing his Keyblade to be summoned.

"Your next task," Xehanort began, "Is to take out all of these Unversed. They are beyond my own control, so this is all relying on your own skills."

Sora only groaned, knowing he couldn't leave without at least thinning out the large number of Unversed around him. Without any problem, Sora took out a good seventy Unversed within a matter of minutes. He groaned when more appeared to take their place.

"Stop with the Unversed!" Sora demanded.

"This is beyond my control. You must open your heart to darkness, in order to make yourself stronger. Use darkness, do not fear it."

As Sora turned his attention back to the many enemies around him, he heard a familiar, and missed voice amongst the storm,

"Xehanort!"

"Looks like a storm's coming!" Yuffie yelled.

"Just keep running!" Cid demanded, arming his canon.

"The Fissures are right up ahead!" Leon instructed, "Aerith, do you have enough ethers and potions?"

"Yeah, I think we'll have enough!"

Suddenly, thunder, lighting, and rain all started at once, momentarily stunning the group before they approached the Crystal Fissures.

"Hurry!" Donald yelled to all his friends.

As the group levelled out to see the open plain of the Crystal Fissures, Riku noticed a guy in a black coat surrounded by a large number of enemies, and then he noticed the evil, devilish, aged Master.

"Xehanort!"

Xehanort immediately gave a devilish smile to Riku, as all the Unversed disappeared around Sora.

"Xehanort…" Aqua gasped, pulling Ventus behind her.

"Well well, Master Aqua, and young Ventus. It is a pleasant surprise to see you two again. But tell me, where is Terra?" he taunted.

"What are you doing here?!" Mickey demanded.

"Ahh, it is nice to see you again, Tiny King. If you must know, I am here because I am training my new apprentice. One you never saw the true potential in. Just like Terra," Xehanort then gestured to Sora, "Young Master, take off your hood, and reveal to these people, your true identity!"

Sora was scared. No, he was terrified. He didn't want to be judged. He didn't want his friends to hate him. He didn't want to let anyone down. He didn't want to take the hood off. However, his body betrayed him, as he pulled his hood down to face his friends. They all gave him the looks he was expecting.

"No…" Riku gasped, as he and Sora locked eyes, "…Sora…"

"Sora?!" Donald and Goofy gasped.

"You never saw what he was capable of. Instead, you played games with his mind and used him to play your own game. I have put his skills to the test. He is of a worthy Master," Xehanort stood beside Sora.

"Sora, you can't do this!" Riku pleaded.

"He is choosing what is right, you cannot undo this!"

"Sora, don't let him fool you!" Aqua tried to help.

"Sora, you need to listen! What about all your friends from the other worlds we've been to?!" Donald began, "They're all believing in you! Beast, Belle, Lumiere, Cogsworth…"

"Hercules, Phil, Meg…Mulan, Mushu, Shang," Goofy added.

"And all the people I met that talked about how much you helped them! Jack Skellington, Aladdin, Jasmine, Peter Pan; they all believe in you! Can't you feel the light they're all sending you?! That's not including all the other people from other various worlds! You helped them without the darkness! Look where it got me!" Riku tried to reason.

"Like I said, Sora is too strong to only have light. He is a worthy Master of both light and darkness!" Xehanort grinned evilly, clasping his hands behind his back as he cheered.

Sora kept his gaze down, as he knew the time had come.

"No…" Sora whispered.

"What?" Xehanort frowned.

"Did I stutter? No. I don't…want to be a Master…If it means I have to side with you!" Sora took his Keyblade and swung at the Master, who was knocked off his feet momentarily.

"Ahh, Sora," Xehanort quickly recovered, "I was afraid this might happen. You choose your friends over your own powers and potential. Now they will pay!" Xehanort gestured to Sora's friends.

"You said you wouldn't hurt them!" Sora screamed, ready to defend.

"I'm not…You….Are," Xehanort raised his right hand, and a purple and black cloud spell formed.

Sora immediately felt something tug at his heart. His Keyblade suddenly summoned without his consent, and his body started to act against his will. He realized; Xehanort was controlling him. No soon after Sora realized what was happening, was he charging at Riku.

"Get away! Guy's he's controlling me!" Sora yelled as he charged at Riku, "Riku, run! I'm sorry! Get away!"

Riku summoned his Keyblade to defend himself against Sora's striking attack. Sora pushed his Keyblade into Riku's as he leaned in applying great amounts of pressure. Sora's face was full of fear and regret.

"Run! I'm sorry!" Sora was yelling.

"Hey, Sora!" Riku had an idea, "It's okay. Think of the islands, this is just like the islands. All we're doing is sparring," Riku remained calm, "One on one…it's just you and me, buddy," Riku smiled, looking into Sora's eyes.

"Right…" Sora closed his eyes, calming himself as Xehanort continued to control Sora.

"Guys, we gotta do something!" Aqua said.

"Like what?!" Yuffie asked.

"We have to stop Xehanort's spell!" Mickey said.

"How?!" Ventus asked.

Mickey looked to Riku, still only repelling Sora's incoming attacks, before getting an idea.

"Riku, run over here, quickly!" Mickey demanded, before turning to the rest of the group, "Okay, Aqua, Ventus, Lea, Roxas, all of us are going to use the light from our Keyblades and aim it right at Sora. That should shake him loose! On my count!"

As Riku ran back to the group, Mickey told him just to copy the rest/

"Ready?…Now!" Everyone pointed their Keyblades at Sora, engulfing him in a warm, inviting light, reviving him from Xehanort's spell.

Sora now laid on the ground, completely unconscious.

"I will have my way, very soon. The damage is done. Soon he will be mine! My XIII will rise again!" Xehanort disappeared through the dark corridor in which he and Sora had entered.

No one really noticed, their eyes all focused on the limp teen as they rushed to his aid.

"Sora!" Riku got to his knees and shook his best friend.

"Sora, wake up!" Donald demanded.

"Let me help," Aerith was on her knees hovering over the unconscious teen.

She grabbed a potion from the set she brought with her, and used a healing spell to bring Sora awake. As the green light of the spell faded, Sora's bright blue eyes opened almost immediately after. He jolted upright quickly, only to be held down by Riku.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy cheered as they crushed their friend in a large hug.

"Guy guys!" Sora laughed through the forming tears.

"Oh, thank god…" Riku sighed, catching his breath.

"Are you okay?" Leon asked.

"Does anything hurt?" Aerith added.

"No…" Sora's expression changed to a more serious one.

"Sora…" Mickey began; he had no clue what to say to Sora that would make him feel better.

"I'm sorry…" Sora whispered.

"No, I'm sorry," Mickey admitted, "About everything. I should have listened to what you had to say. I shouldn't have lied."

"Oh! Sora!" This caused Sora to jump at Riku's sudden outburst.

"What?"

"It's Kairi," Riku began, while everyone else knew Sora would be very happy in a matter of seconds.

"…What, Riku…?" New tears formed in his eyes at the mention of her name.

"She's alive!"

Sora stared at Riku in complete silence as everyone looked back and forth between the two friends. Sora was looking for any joke, lie, or doubt in Riku's eyes; all seriousness was present in his green eyes.

"No…that…can't be right, Riku. She died right in front of me…right in front of us!"

"Xehanort set the whole thing up! He created a puppet- a replica and killed it to make it look like it was Kairi," Riku explained, never averting his gaze from his best friend's.

"But…how? How did you find out?" Sora asked with a disbelieving smile, completely breathless.

"The puppet's body faded to dark dust after we sent Roxas, Lea, Donald and Goofy to go look for you. Since then, we've been trying to look for them, who were looking for you," Riku smiled, looking into Sora's bright, curious eyes.

Sora didn't even realize that he was full out crying from relief, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"So where is Kairi now?" Sora wondered, fear returning.

"We don't know yet. We're thinking somewhere in the Organization's stronghold," Mickey said.

At the mention of the stronghold, Sora yet again felt physically ill, and everyone noticed.

"Sora, hun, are you okay?" Aerith inquired, rubbing her hand into the teen's back soothingly.

"I was there. Was in the stronghold. I could have done something if I-"

"No. There wasn't anything you could have done, Sora. Just take us to the stronghold, and we'll save her. Together," Riku smiled encouragingly at Sora as he gripped his best friend's shoulder, "Okay?"

Sora looked to all his friends, and smiled as he slowly stood,

"Let's do this."

Well here's the beginning of Sora's first redemption. The next chapter will be up soon I think! XoX