Authors Note: So… Liam killed Milo… Yeah… I shouldn't be allowed to write I swear. :L Remember Milo's line "What kind of evil writer kills off a child?" Or something like that. Bingo… I feel so horrible… Anyway this will focus on people finding out about the events at the end of the last chapter, as well as some major focus on Elysia. I hope you enjoy. :D

Chapter 26: Human No Longer.

Ray ran through the halls of The Castle that Never Was, finally coming to a room where he could hear someone training from within. He could feel anger and hate, regret and shame within. He was glad this person felt this way, but he still had to talk to them.

Without knocking Ray entered the room, summoning both of his key blades as he did.

Ray threw the Lost Key at the King's feet.

"He knows!" Ray shouted. "It broke… The Chaos built up, and he now knows. As I warned you!"

The King jumped back in surprise.

Ray summoned a wall of blue light behind him, stopping him from retreating further, then summoning the lost key back to him.

"So what are you going to do?" Ray asked, calming himself down.

The King was still too shocked to do a thing. He didn't know what to do, and Ray could have read that even if he wasn't empathic.

Ray shook his head.

"Pathetic. You've only made things worse…"

Ray turned around and began to walk out.

Even though he held up this illusion of his strength, of his ability, he was ready to break. He didn't know what to do either. In creating Milo he couldn't face his friend, so he made it so that in Liam's memories, they never become close. Now, as the truth came out, they would never be close again. And he knew that very well.

He had lost a friend now, and because of his actions, he may have just started something that he knew of only one way to stop.

And if the past had taught him anything, it was that he couldn't' do that.

xXx

Elysia stood outside Liam's room, completely silent. As Milo had died, everyone had begun to regain their old memories. It was almost like he had never been there at all…

It was almost like a lost memory now. Something that felt so out there, so wrong, but it was still there, in the back of their minds.

Elysia felt this, and knew Liam would need her know more now than he had ever needed her before.

After standing out there for a good few minutes, she finally knocked on the door.

There was no answer, but she could hear someone on the other side.

With a flick of her wrist she summoned her key blade, and opened the door.

As it slowly opened she saw the chaos scarred room on the other side. There was nothing in there but the ruins of whatever had previously stood there as furniture, and marks of that purple and red, covering the floor and walls, almost like it had been burnt into the very material.

In the centre of the room, Liam was crouched down in a ball, releasing bursts of powerful energy, probably from now fault of his own.

"Liam." Elysia said.

He couldn't hear it.

"Liam!" She shouted.

He turned his head slightly, and peered up at her.

"Calm down! Come on! You're in control remember!"

Liam shot up to his feet and the bursts of Chaos stopped.

"I am in control!" He grunted.

She shook her head. "Look around!"

He held up a hand and absorbed the energy that was scarring the room. When it returned, everything was back to normal, almost, just missing a few pieces of furniture.

"I want to be alone…" Liam muttered.

She shook her head.

"You shouldn't be!"

"I don't care what I should or shouldn't do now! He shouldn't have done this to me!" Liam screamed this time, knocking Elysia literally off her feet.

But he didn't go to help her. He just left her there, and watched as she slowly climbed back to her feet.

"And you knew… Didn't you?" Liam asked.

Elysia nodded.

"It was safer…"

"No, you just didn't trust me!" He bellowed.

"You… You… You just trust him more, is that it?" Liam continued.

Elysia shook her head in disbelief.

"You're completely wrong!"

"I'm not though… I am right!" He screamed again, this time knocking her out of the very room, and sent her crashing into the wall opposite the door.

Liam held up his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, he closed the door with a whip of Chaos.

xXx

As he made his way back to his room, Ray saw Elysia lying against the wall, opposite Liam's room.

"Oh no…" He muttered as he ran towards her.

"Curaga!" He shouted, more than once.

"Elysia!"

She turned to look at him, she was fine, but hurt in more ways than any Cure could heal.

"He's gone…"

She tried to push herself to her feet, but realised the impact had knocked the balance out of her.

Ray bent down to give her a hand.

"He's not… He's just, hurt."

Elysia took Ray's hand and he placed her arm over his shoulder, and slowly helped her get back to somewhere safe.

"He's not going to heal though… Is he?"

Ray shook his head, and noticed the tears falling from Elysia's eyes.

"I'm sorry… I don't think so."

"It's not your fault." She pointed out.

Ray shook his head.

"I did it…"

xXx

Finally making it back to Elysia's room, Ray carefully placed her on her bed.

"You're going to be okay now…" Ray comforted.

"I… I guess so."

Ray turned around and began to leave.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

Ray shook his head.

"I need to be somewhere far away. If he attacks me, this is going to be messy." Ray explained.

"Can you wait a bit?" She asked.

Ray looked at the young woman who was asking for his help and, he couldn't say no.

"Of course."

Ray turned back around and pulled up a chair and sat down.

They both just looked at each other for a while.

"Ray?" She began.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Can you see all the worlds…? You know… Without being there?"

"Sometimes." Ray answered. "It depends… Recently, it's not something that happens a lot."

"Oh…"

"What were they like?" She continued.

"All more beautiful than you can imagine. No matter what was happening it was a gift to be able to look into them…"

"Do you think I'll ever be able to see them all?" She asked.

Ray laughed. "It would take a while, but yes. When this is all over, I'm sure you could."

She smiled.

"See, I like to see those." He commented on her smile.

She began to laugh.

"And that, that's nice." Ray commented.

Elysia rolled over onto her side so she could look right at him.

But she said nothing. They both just looked at each other again.

"Ray, are you scared to die again? I mean… Is it frightening?"

Ray nodded. "It's something different… Everything seems so much slower, and then it's just gone."

"I don't want to go like that." She said suddenly, out of nowhere.

"You won't be going anywhere… Not for a long time." Ray promised.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

Ray nodded. "Trust me."

She smiled again.

"Thanks."

For the final time they both paused and looked just starred at each other.

Ray stood up again.

"I guess I'd better be off. Get some rest…" He ordered.

Elysia laughed. "Got it boss…"

Ray smiled and turned to leave.

"Ray… One last thing… Do you still love her?"

Ray was shocked, no one had asked him that, but as he rather rudely read Elysia he noticed that she didn't ask for herself, for any reason that would benefit her, but asked because she cared about both of them. Himself and Becca.

Ray nodded.

"Sometimes more than I care to tell. Even if most of it was all a construction of my Grandfather."

Ray opened the door and left, and Elysia just mulled over what she had been told.

xXx

"I guess you've caused more problems that solved them then…" Becca pointed out as she walked into Riku's room.

"Nice to see you too."

"Things are happening… Milo's gone." Becca stated.

Riku looked up at her, worry in his eyes.

He jumped to his feet.

"So what are we going to do?" Riku asked.

"Ray's going to fix it."

Riku shook his head.

"We've made things worse haven't we…?" Riku wondered.

Becca nodded.

"Ray knows that he'll have to stop him. Whether that means explaining things… Or…"

"He shouldn't have to deal with that on his own." Riku explained.

Becca shook her head now.

"I think he blames himself…"

"Who do you blame?" Riku asked, noticing a tone of disappointment in her voice.

Becca paused.

"What you all did… Wasn't fair on either Liam or Ray, but… I would have done exactly the same. They are both too strong."

Riku didn't know what to say.

"But… Because of it, you've made things worse. Something we're all going to have to work on if it's ever going to get better." She continued.

Riku nodded.

"We'd better find a way to calm him down then."

"We will indeed." Becca replied as the two of them left the room.

xXx

Elysia slowly hobbled towards where she believed the King would be.

She didn't know why she was heading this way, but she was sure he would know a way to stop this. Even though she knew the King was responsible, she believed he could cure the problem, she believed he would be the way out of this mess.

She still ached from her confrontation with Liam.

He had only shouted at her and had been able to throw her across the hall. He was so strong.

He was so frightening.

She finally arrived at the room where the King had isolated himself over the last few days.

She knocked on the door before entering.

"Your Majesty." She began as she stood watching the King unleash multiple attacks on dummies he had brought into the room.

Mickey turned around and looked at her. Noticing her discomfort, and her pain.

"Elysia, are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah… Just a little winded is all."

"Liam?" Mickey asked worriedly.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay… I guess…" Elysia replied, not really knowing what she could say at that moment.

"But what can I do for you?" Mickey asked.

"Is there any way we can stop this?"

Mickey shook his head.

"The only way to stop this now would be to rewind time. The damage we…. The damage I have done has caused a death. We're just not sure whose it will be yet."

Elysia couldn't take that answer.

"There has to be a way!" She cried.

Mickey shook his head once again.

"I am so sorry…"

Tears began to fall from her eyes once again before she wiped them away. Almost as quick as they formed.

"Gather that group then!" Elysia ordered. "Between you all we could have a chance… A way we can fix this! There is a way… I just know it…"

"There isn't…"

Elysia summoned her key blade and pointed it at the King.

"There is." She snapped.

"Be careful here…" Mickey replied, looking up and down at her.

"I know what I'm doing…"

Mickey shook his head and summoned his key blade to him.

Elysia ran towards him, with a gust of wind behind her, she crashed into him, sending him flying into the air. As light concentrated around her key blade she brought it smashing into the King as he was still mid-air.

She took a step back, as she watched him hit the floor.

The King now attacked, but Elysia just threw up a barrier of roaring winds to throw him away.

"Look at you!" She barked. "You're not thinking… You're not yourself! You're broken and you know it! How can you make a decision that affects his life again… When even as yourself, you failed."

Mickey looked up at the young woman again.

She was right.

Sure Elysia was powerful, but he was a great deal stronger. The fact that he couldn't land a hit just showed his mental stability at this point. He had broken himself down because of his actions, and maybe this was just what he needed.

He banished his key.

"What do you suggest?" He asked.

Elysia banished her own, without saying a word.

"Or… What do you want from this?"

"Everyone still alive…"

Mickey couldn't say anything.

"That's not much to ask for…" She pointed out.

"I know… But…"

"But nothing!" Elysia shouted. "There is a way… You just need to think!"

"I'm not the leader I once was…"

"No you're not. But you could be better. You've failed, so grow from it!"

Mickey stood there stunned. This woman was capable of so much greatness. When she was completely normal, she had no god like abilities, she wasn't blessed with protections from a god, she didn't control the powers of darkness, she hadn't grown up with a Key blade wielder inside of her, she wasn't a Princess of Heart, and she was just a normal girl. With no training, no one to guide her but the wind beneath her feet.

And she was completely right.

She had become stronger than he could have ever thought. He had met her all those years ago in that Light prison.

And he could have never seen this.

"Okay, I'll bring the others here. We'll decide on a course of action that means in their survival."

"Thank you."

Mickey smiled. "No, thank you."

Elysia didn't respond to his smile but just turned around and began to leave.

"Elysia!" The King called.

She turned back around and looked at him.

"Who are you really?" He asked, knowing that this question was completely random and he wouldn't get anything special as an answer.

"Just a girl. A girl who's trying to look after the man she loved."

"Loved?" Mickey asked.

Elysia nodded, not saying a word.

"Then the strength you have that aura of light where does that come from?"

"My need to not fall behind. You're all so strong, so I worked for something that would see me stand out."

"You're amazing you know…" He complimented.

"Let's fix this, and then you can tell me that." She said, turning back around, smiling. Refusing to show the King such a thing.

xXx

After a few minutes the King, Ansem, Riku and Squall had once again gathered to discuss the futures of Liam and Ray.

Both Becca and Elysia had also showed up. They wanted to hear everything that was said.

But no one knew what to do.

Ansem and Squall now regretted everything. They had turned the child they had raised into a monster. Something that went against everything they stood for. Riku refused to stand against another member of the group, having Becca's trust on the line. And the King, well the King wanted to regain his honour, and the trust of those around him. Elysia would be the judge of that.

But they still didn't have a plan.

"There's nothing we can do, is there?" Riku asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

"We'll talk to him…" Ansem volunteered, pointing at Squall as he did so.

Squall nodded.

"And if that doesn't work?" Elysia asked from the side lines.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"I mean… What then?" She continued.

"It's up to Ray… He broke through to him once… Maybe he can again."

Everyone nodded.

"Maybe we all just need to try and break down his barriers." Mickey suggested. "Everyone does their part to bring his old self back. It's the least we can do."

"Right." Was the carried response around the room.

Elysia smiled.

"That's the King we need…" She muttered.

Squall and Ansem left, ready to confront Liam, whilst Elysia soon left too and the King followed suit to ask her one last thing.

Only Riku and Becca remained.

"I guess this is it then…" Riku said.

Becca nodded.

"Do you think this is going to go well?" Riku asked.

"We have to believe it will…" She answered.

Riku smiled. "So hopeful."

"Someone has to be." She commented.

Riku nodded.

"Well I'd better get to work then…" He said as he turned to leave.

Becca laughed. "What no goodbye?"

Riku smiled before he caught a glimpse of metal being thrown at him.

Catching it in a free hand he looked down at it, noticing a small pendant with a circular maze carved into it.

"What's this?" He asked.

Becca smiled.

"It's a reminder, of what we're fighting for."

Riku looked down at it again, trying to make sense of it.

"The maze… It represents life. The obstacles we face, the choices we make, until, we reach the centre."

Riku looked closely at the centre of the maze, there shining bright was a little heart.

"The darker it gets the brighter the heart shines." She pointed out.

Riku smiled.

"But what is the centre?" Riku asked.

Becca paused.

"Home…" She said finally. "A place to belong."

xXx

Authors Note: I adore that last bit. I don't know what you thought, but I just love it. Riku's never going to lose that pendant… Well… He won't let it be lost for long. Anyway, Ray and Liam are about to face off once again… For the first time since the Lost Keys. What will happen? Well you'll have to find out next chapter. :P Of course Squall and Ansem will try and break him out of his fuss first, but what fun would it be if they succeeded. Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed this. And I will see you next time. :D