so then, 25 chapters in... will Kokoro and Sora ever make a move! Maybe putting romance wasn't a good choice... nah! I think it was great. Here is chapter 25 of "Kokoro"!

Kokoro crossed her arms and walked towards Mark, then stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes. "How did you find this out?"

Mark put his hand into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper, it looking like normal notebook paper from their world. He then handed it over to Kokoro, who just looked at it and didn't take it. "These are your notes, it's in your handwriting. It's about the Obisan virus." Kokoro looked down at the paper and eventually took it, opening it slowly and scanning the handwriting. "I guess it was one of those times you were bored in class and-"

"I wrote this... during my drama class when my computer was dead..." Kokoro looked up at Mark, then went to the wall and sat down against it. Everyone just watched her as she looked over the scratched on sheet of paper. "It's a cause and effect grid, along with the antidotes that I thought of." Kokoro put her finger on the left column, then started to read out loud. "Causes... imbalance of power, light and dark, too much or too little power, inserted into bloodstream with liquid form. That must suck huh? That's how a human can get it, light and dark impurities and with the liquid poison." She looked up at everyone, it seemed that she was loosing their attention, everyone wanted to know the cure. "Right... okay then. We all know the effects so let's skip to the cures...!" Kokoro stopped reading when her finger got to the last column, it wasn't good news.

Momo spoke first, she wanted to know. "So, how can we heal you and Sora?"

Kokoro looked over the column again, then started to read it out loud. "To hold it off... trade blood with a pure heart, release power every month -that only works if you're an Archangel-, fix balance of light and dark as best can. To cure, take antidote if given the poison form, or..." She stopped reading, this is how it was cured in her stories, all of which had a sad ending. "Get rid... of the cause."

"Get rid of the cause?" Sora asked, he didn't get it. The boy had read the stories but never finished them. He stopped pretty far into his favorite one, Archangels, but never got to the ending. "What do you mean?"

Kokoro folded up the paper and put it in the pocket of her jacket, the top pocket with the flap over it. She then stood up and dusted off her pants. "It means that we have to get the Royalties and Archangels before Aki gets them all, if she does then she can master the making of the liquid poison. It also means that we have to take the hearts of every last one of them, Archangel and Royalty alike, and in turn destroy them. That means we can cure it." Sora was ready to object, but Kokoro didn't like the solution either so she told the last choice. "Or... we can stop ourselves. Save the Archangels and Royalties, then stop ourselves by having them take our hearts and entrap them forever, that would stop the strain and they would keep tabs on the liquid poison. Those are the only choices left..."

"Or..." Sora started, which made everyone look up at him. "Keep looking for another way."

The informer shook her head, it was hopeless. "There is no other way. If this is what was written down then it's-"

"There is always another way." Sora stopped her. Kokoro started to get really mad but he just looked down and thought over the situation. "Listen to me, there is always another way. I found it before, that's how I saved Kairi."

"But-" Kokoro tried to object but Mark got her to stop by clearing his throat. She turned to him and sighed deeply, then started to the elevator. "Then let's get going, we have to find more elements and Royalties. Plus, we have to beat Aki in her little game." Kokoro went up, then tilted her head down with her eyes closed as it lifted her to Merlin's house.

Momo and Sora looked at each other, then both turned to Mark. The blonde boy started to the elevator as well, he needed to get the help of the one that got the paper. Sora then went to the opposite exit, where you had to swim. Momo watched both leave and then started to Merlin's house to find out where they would be going next.

Kokoro kept her eyes closed as she fell deeper in the water, then felt someone put their hands over hers, moving her hands away from her ears. Kokoro opened her eyes to find Sora was in the water with her, both falling slowly in the everlasting blue and looking at each other. Sora went close when a strong current came, making both loose each others hands. Kokoro reached out to him but realized something. She was not having to hold her breath. Kokoro put her hands over her mouth, making sure the air didn't leave her. She looked over at Sora again, he was gone but a girl with black hair floated there, her hair in a bun held with chopstick and wearing black clothing. Kokoro knew who it was, Ayame from Humanity. She couldn't make out the details of the clothing, her vision was getting blurry with the loss of air. Kokoro started to swim up, but it never seemed to end. She kept swimming and swimming, trying to make it. When she thought it was over her hand broke through the top. She surfaced, taking in a giant breath of air. Kokoro looked around where she was, it was just like in Sora's dream on the Destiny Islands with the sun setting. Kokoro swam a bit to shore then stood up, the water going to her waist. Kokoro took one more look around the sun setting area. It was the Destiny Islands, no doubt about that. She turned to shore hearing her name, it was Momo yelling out her name and waving. Kokoro waved back and started to walk over to Momo. She stopped and started to laugh, both started to laugh. Then Momo stopped and looked up. Kokoro wanted to know what she was looking at and also stared to the sky, only to find herself falling from the sky, wings from her back and feathers falling like stars. Kokoro heard the scream again, covering her ears and falling to her knees. She didn't fall to the ground, she kept falling through the darkness. Kokoro looked up, finding that Momo was kneeling down and outstretching her hand to help. Kokoro raised her hand to take Momo's but both were too far away.
She shot up in her bed, finding that it was dark in her red room. She took deep breaths, it was a very real nightmare. She felt her chest, the necklace wasn't there. Kokoro quickly dug under her pillow, messing up her bed, and got her necklace. She held it close to her heart. She again looked at it but held it close to her heart one more time. "What do they mean?" She asked herself in silence. Kokoro buried her head in the pillow, relaxed but wanting to know. "Every time it continues... what does it all mean?" Kokoro rolled to her back, still holding the necklace but looking at the canopy of her bed. The only light for the room was the lights outside through her window. Kokoro closed her eyes, only thinking of herself falling. She quickly opened them and sat up, feeling her back. Kokoro stood up and put the necklace down on the counter, then walked to a mirror that was added to the back of a door upon request. She put her hand over her heart, looking into the mirror, then made sure that the doors were closed and locked. Kokoro had to know. She slipped off her shirt and looked at her chest, the mark was still there and larger then before. Kokoro put her hand over her black scar again, it didn't hurt to the touch. She then looked down at it without looking into the mirror, this meant that Sora still had his too. "I thought we would have more time..." Kokoro then remembered the other parts of the dream, the wings. She turned around, her back facing the mirror, then put her hand on her shoulder blade. It was faint and under her bra, but something was different. Kokoro glanced back at her reflection and saw them. They weren't as deep or rich in texture like they were supposed to be but the scars of the Archangel were on her back. Kokoro hugged herself, that also meant that Sora was one of them. Life had just gotten harder, who had given up their heart as the Royalty to make them get the wings? Kokoro went to her knees, then lay on the floor. She let her hands lay in front of her, the street lights casting a shadow over her face from her fingers. "I just... need to know..." Kokoro sat back up, then slipped on her shirt again. She stood up, not even putting no her necklace or shoes, and went out to the hallway. It was bright and made her squint. Kokoro started off to the green room and knocked lightly on the door. Sora didn't respond. She knocked again then opened the door. "Sora?" She walked into the dark room, the curtains were closed and there were almost no lights seeping through. Kokoro closed the door and went to the bed, shaking his shoulder. "Sora, hey Sora."

He mumbled a bit, then whispered. "Just a little longer..."

Kokoro knew how to deal with this. She turned on the lights and ripped the blanket off, making his cringe at the sudden change. He still didn't wake up. She looked at what she could do next, there found the cup of water on the table. "How convenient." Kokoro went over and got the cup. The water was warm now but still worked. She went over to him and dropped the water on his head, making him shoot up in his sleep. "Morning sleepy bum."

"What was that for?" Sora yelled at her but she quickly covered his mouth to quiet him. Sora moved her hand away and tried that again. "Why did you wake me? It's so early..."

"I need to ask you something." Kokoro whispered, making sure that no one else woke up. Sora sat on his knees and gave her his attention. She cleared her throat and asked away. "Do you... still have the scar?"

He was silent, then slowly nodded his head yes.

Kokoro sat on the bed now too, in front of him and on her knees. "And... do you have the scars on your back?"

"Scars on my back?" Sora asked. "That would make me an Archangel, I don't have those."

Kokoro was quiet, then sat on her heels. "Are you sure? Have you ever checked?"

Sora thought it over, he never really checked his back. "Never really took a close look before."

She then crawled on the bed behind him, putting her hands on his back. "This will just take a second." Kokoro said, smiling. She looked down the back of his shirt, trying to see the shoulder blades. Even with the jacket removed she was having a hard time and almost climbed over Sora.

He quickly got up and turned to her, hands up in surrender. "Hold up a sec! I'll just take off my shirt so you can see-"

"WHA!" Kokoro backed up into the wall, blushing. "I uh... I think that we can just-"

Sora started to but stopped midway. "Hey, you said you worked in theater right?" Kokoro nodded at this. "Then this is normal?"

Kokoro thought it out, it made sense. She did held a lot of guys change into costume and she has been around a lot of guys. "I guess but-"

"Then it's settled." Sora took off his shirt. Kokoro's blushing went aside when she saw the cuts on his body. Not just the scar on his chest but also where he stabbed himself with the Keyblade in Hallow Bastion and other small cuts and bruises. Kokoro got off the bed and walked over to him, then tried to place her hand on his chest. She hesitated at first but then put her hand on the stab mark from the dark Keyblade. Sora just stared down at her hand as she moved over to his darkness scar, it was the same size as hers. "Is that it?"

Kokoro shook her head no, then walked behind him. She looked in amazement placing her hands on his back. No later she lay her head on his back and rested it there while he just stood. "Sora... I'm so sorry..."

He put his right hand over his left shoulder, touching her left hand. Kokoro looked up at this and then back to his shoulder blades. He had the scars just like her. The mystery now, who was the opposing Royalty?

Fun Fact #3 - The original layout of the story was 24 volumes with about 3 chapters each. A grand total of almost 60+ chapters. Pretty fun fun fact isn't it?