MERRY CHRISTMAS NERDS! I got this one done JUST in time! Welcome to the Keys Christmas Special! This chapter was honestly a JOY to write, its so damn FLUFFY compared to the massive angst we've been having in this fic lately. It's very sweet and cute and I enjoyed it a lot and I hope you do too! So I won't keep you from it! Enjoy!

Chapter 54: A Home for the Holidays

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

A week has passed since he lost the Heartless, a week that drags on far longer than the same span of time the creature had spent with him. He left that world not long after mourning its passing, unable to bear staying in a place filled with so many memories of it any longer than he already had. Sickness still weighs heavily upon his body, hunger following suit as the void the turkey had temporarily filled soon starts to rip open again. Even so, he still hops between worlds as much as he possibly can, desperate to track down those last two Keys, desperate to bring this maddening mess to its much-needed end. Desperate to finally just let himself fade into the darkness, into the treacherous ranks of Organization XIII.

The world he's wandered into this time set him on edge when he'd first arrived a few days ago. While he's been lucky enough to slip through several seemingly uninhabited worlds since escaping Maleficent, this world initially lands him in a large, bustling city. Being around so many people again, so soon after the disaster in the village, is more than enough to shake Sora to his very core. From the second he arrives, he shoves his claws deep into his pockets, clamps his mouth shut to hide away his fangs, and keeps his head low and his pace quick as he traverses his way through the snow covered streets. He wastes no time looking for a way out of town, eventually finding his way to the smaller suburbs surrounding it. There, he manages to sneak a ride in the back of a truck bound for the countryside, though even then it isn't long before its surly driver spots him and forces him to flee.

So he crosses the whitened hills on foot, finding nothing but wintry fields for as far as they eye can see. As night falls, so does the steady snow, something Sora is very quickly starting to resent for how much of it he's had to deal with lately. Snow had always been a rare occurrence back on the islands, and as such, a special treat to see whenever it did happen. Back when he was younger, snow days meant time off school, sledding with Riku, making snow angels with Kairi, and warming up by the fire after a long day of frigid fun. But in other worlds where winters are much harsher, and now that he's much older, he finds little appreciation for the bitter cold he's forced to stumble his way through. Cold that's only made so much worse by his threadbare clothing, already ill suited for such harsh weather, by fatigue weighing his every step slower and slower, by his empty stomach, begging him for food he can't possibly hope to provide.

Eventually, he catches a distant speck of light among the otherwise darkened fields. Several lights, in fact, and as he forces his pace to quicken toward them, he can soon make out faint plumes of smoke rising into the air. At first, he suspects there might be a fire, though as he gets closer, he realizes that smoke is coming from a chimney, one that's connected to a cozy brick house nestled in between the foothills. It's at the heart of a small farm, complete with a sizable barn and a currently frozen pond to top off the picturesque setting. Sora hesitates to get any closer as he makes note of the lights in the windows, a sure sign that its owners are home and that he shouldn't stick around. But then his stomach sounds in yet another plea for sustenance, making him realize this might be his first and last chance for finding food for a while. And besides, what harm can it cause so long as no one sees him?

He makes it down to the farm easily enough, intentionally avoiding the barn just in case anyone might be working inside. Instead, he heads for the house, hoping to find some kind of garden still growing outside, even despite the ice and snow. Of course, he finds nothing other than a barren patch of ground where a garden would be if it were spring. But sitting not so far away from it, resting against the side of the house… are two sizable trash cans, something Sora would usually easily overlook. But now, when he's willing to readily eat any food he can possibly get his hands on…

"...I can't believe I'm about to do this…" he groans, facepalming in embarrassment and disgust over how low he's stooping to. But the pain his almost endless hunger brings is so immense, his body so worn he's surprised he's even still standing. He knows he doesn't really have any other choice; it's either root through someone's unwanted garbage… or starve again.

And at this point, Sora would rather do literally anything other than continue to starve.

He approaches the trash cans cautiously, taking care to be as quiet as possible when he removes the lid from one of them. Briefly, he spares a glance in through the nearest window, craving the warmth he can practically feel radiating from inside the snug little home. Warmth that can never belong to a cold-blooded killer like him ever again.

Or at least, that's what he believes.

He doesn't have much luck finding anything genuinely edible in the trash, mostly spotting only scraps of discarded paper and empty containers. However, he's about halfway through the first can, on the verge of giving up, when he's caught completely off guard. The nearby back door suddenly swings open, revealing a plump, older woman, clad in classic maid's attire and brandishing a broom as she shouts into the snowy air.

"Alright you vile little racoons!" she yells, spinning toward the trash cans. "I've finally caught you in the act! This is the last time you greedy mongrels will get a chance to root through our–Oh!" She gasps in shock, dropping her broom the second she spots Sora. Likewise, he lets out a startled yelp of his own as he stumbles backward, only to end up tripping and falling into the snow. "Who… who are you? the woman stares at him, eyes wide as she warily steps off the back stoop, reclaiming her broom for protection in the process. "What are you out here for?"

"I-I… I'm sorry!" Sora exclaims, unsure of what else to say. "I just… I wasn't trying to–I should just-" He tries pulling himself to his feet, tries to run, but he ultimately ends up slipping on a frozen patch of snow, slamming to the ground in such a way that his hood falls off, allowing the woman a clearer view of his face.

"Oh my!" she exclaims, aptly alarmed. Given how he currently looks, Sora certainly can't blame her. And yet… his more monstrous features aren't what she seems to be so surprised by. "Why… you're just a boy! What are you doing out here so late at night, rummaging through our garbage, no less?"

Sora can feel his heart pounding in his chest, can feel his magic starting to swell within him in response to his rising panic. It takes every ounce of strength he has left to keep it under control, lest the unthinkable happen all over again. "I… I was hungry," he replies shamefully, truthfully. "So I, um…"

"Hungry?" the woman cuts in when he inevitably trails off. Her bewilderment soon switches into a look of genuine sympathy, one that Sora can scarcely understand, especially when he hears what she has to say next. "Oh, you poor dear. If all you're looking for is food, then we have plenty of that inside."

"...What?" Sora balks, mystified and outright terrified as the woman trudges through the snow toward him. "W-wait! No, don't-"

"Now, now, don't fret," she smiles as she reaches down, grabs his arm, and yanks him up off the ground. "You can trust ol' Nanny here to serve you the best dinner this side of the Thames."

"No, it's ok, I'll be fine, really!" Sora protests, trying to pull his arm away from the surprisingly strong maid as she begins pulling him toward the house.

"Oh, hush, child," the maid scolds, though her tone is caring as she inevitably shoves him through the door. "You'll catch your death of cold out here in those rags you're wearing. At least warm up by the furnace for a bit to thaw yourself out."

"But I-" Sora silences himself this time as the maid leads him over to the furnace, tucked away into the corner of the homey little kitchen. The warmth it radiates is heavenly, only made more so by the smell of something delectable simmering on the stove only a few feet away. The long, contented sigh he accidentally lets out isn't lost on the maid as she takes in the sight of him with a fretful frown.

"Gracious, you're even worse off than I thought…" she says softly as she notes how thin and filthy he is. She takes in the slightest ghost of a gasp when she catches sight of his hands–his claws, of his visible mangled foot, of the far-too-sharp teeth that peek into view whenever he opens his mouth to speak.

"O-ok, I'm warm now," he says, anxious as he tries making a move for the door. "So I should really get goi-"

"Nanny?" a male voice suddenly calls from the other room. "Is everything all right in there?"

"Why, yes, Roger!" the maid, Nanny, apparently, bellows back. "We're just going to be having a bit of extra company for dinner. Wait right here, dearie," she turns back to Sora briefly, shaking her head to clear it when she steals a glance at his claws once more. "As soon as I fetch Roger and 'nita and set the table, you'll be able to eat your fill."

"But you really shouldn't-" Sora's next attempt at protesting goes unheard as Nanny hurries out of the room. He hesitates by the furnace for a moment or two, loathing the idea of leaving its comforting warmth behind to head back out into the cutting cold. But for the sake and safety of everyone living in this humble home, he knows he has no choice but to do exactly that.

And yet, just as he reaches the door to slip away into the night, he's startled by the sound of a dog barking. Of several dogs barking to be exact. He spins around to see a handful of them haphazardly dashing into the kitchen, rushing toward him in a noisy, excited blur of white with black spots dotted in between. It's only as the first of many puppies reach him that Sora realizes he's not only seen these dogs before; he's saved them before.

"No way!" he exclaims, unable to hold back a huge smile. He drops down to his knees, laughing as he greets the countless tiny dogs when they crowd around him. Despite how much he's changed since he last saw any of them, they all seem to recognize him almost instantly as a handful of them jump into his lap, cheerfully licking his face as several more try to do the same. "It's good to see you guys again too," he chuckles warmly, petting one of the puppies as gently as his claws will allow. Somewhere among the sea of spots flooding the kitchen, the puppies' parents enter to see what all the fuss is about, only for both Dalmatians to eagerly pounce upon him, welcoming him every bit as happily as the others all have.

"Well, take a look at that, Anita." Sora jumps, his smile swiftly fading as he glances up to see a young, kindly-looking couple enter the room, with Nanny trailing along not too far behind them. "I don't think I've ever seen all 101 of them warm up to someone so quickly."

"I can't say I have either," the woman smirks to her husband before whistling to catch the massive collection of puppies' attention. "Alright, you've all had a chance to say hello," she chuckles as she carefully makes her way through the canine collection. "Now give the poor boy a bit of space." She gently shoos away a few of the puppies before extending a hand to help Sora up. "Are you all right?"

Sora doesn't dare take the hand she's holding out to her as he instead gets up on his own, even if it is a bit of a struggle. "Y-yeah, I'm… I'm fine," he answers tersely as he looks between the couple. Much like Nanny, they fix him with mutually bewildered glances, looks that tell him they're every bit as perplexed by him as they are worried by him, as if they're trying to figure out exactly who–or what–he is. If only Sora had any actual answers to that question himself.

"Hm, I'd beg to differ about you being 'fine', my boy," the man says, stepping forward to join his wife. "Nanny tells us she found you out in the snow. Did you come from one of the nearby villages? If so, you must've traveled quite a ways to get all the way out here."

"Oh, uh… I'm not really… from around here," Sora rubs his arm, casting a glance back at the door behind him. A door he could so easily bolt through, saving this friendly family before he even has a chance at putting them in danger, and yet…for whatever reason… he doesn't. And he has no idea why.

"What's your name, dear?" the woman asks him, picking up her former caring smile back up again.

"Um… Sora," he replies hesitantly, hoping that he won't regret revealing his name to them later.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sora," the man extends a hand out for him to shake. Yet even when Sora doesn't meet him halfway, he doesn't skip a beat before spiritedly introducing himself. "The name's Roger–Roger Radcliffe. This here is my lovely wife, Anita," he wraps an arm around the woman's shoulder. "And you've already met Nanny–our cook and housekeeper, and an exceptional one at that."

"Oh, Roger, you flatter this poor old lady," Nanny chuckles, waving a bashful hand.

"As for everyone else," Roger continues, glancing down at dogs packed tightly into the kitchen. "There's Pongo and Peridta, to start with." He pets the two adult Dalmatians fondly before he begins rattling off the names of several of the puppies. "Then we have Patch, Rolly, Lucky, Penny, Freckles, Pepper, er… Anita, darling, do we still have that list with all their names on it?"

"Oh, honestly, Roger," Anita huffs playfully, going to fetch the aforementioned list off the fridge. "If you can remember all of those songs off the top of your head, then certainly you can recall the names of 99 puppies."

"With a little more practice, perhaps," Roger smirks, winking to Pongo. He prepares to continue reading off his lengthy list, though before he can get another name out, Sora suddenly speaks up to stop him.

"It's ok, actually," he smiles softly as he reaches down to pat a few of the puppies. "I've already met them all before."

"You have?" Nanny inquires curiously. "When?"

"Uh… i-it was a while back," he explains carefully, ever mindful of how important it is to keep the world order. "I met Pongo and Perdita first, actually. Their puppies were missing, so me and my friends helped them find them."

"Really?" Roger asks, intrigued as he turns to Pongo. "Is that true, boy?"

Pongo readily nods, Perdita providing her equal agreement. "Oh, Roger, he must've helped the puppies when Cruella was after them!" Anita whispers, grabbing her husband's arm.

"Ah yes! That makes perfect sense!" Roger grins, though Sora's completely confused by the apparent misunderstanding. He doesn't get a chance to clarify however, before Roger catches him by surprise, abruptly grabbing his hand to give it a hearty shake. "We simply can't thank you enough for keeping our puppies safe and sou-" He cuts himself off, his eyes widening in alarm as he takes another look at the very sharp fingers on the hand he's holding onto. Before he can say a single word about it, Sora swiftly pulls his hand away, taking this as a very clear cue to take his leave.

"Uh… i-it was nice meeting all of you," he says, turning back toward the door. "But I should probably get going-"

"You can't possibly go back out there," Anita interjects. "The paper said it's set to snow all night, and well into tomorrow for that matter."

"And you already look half-frozen as it is, child," Nanny adds, using a feather duster to brush a bit of remaining snow off his shoulder.

"At least let us give you a hot meal and a dry place to stay for the night," Roger says, guiding him away from the door and over to the table. "We insist, no taking no for an answer."

Sora nearly turns such a gracious offer down, nearly explains that he doesn't want to inconvenience or impose on them, that he shouldn't get to take any of their food or sleep in any of their beds. But before he can get a single word out, he's overtaken by another painful round of heavy coughing, something that catches the entire family off guard as they all turn back to face him, immensely concerned.

"Oh, dear, you sound awful," Anita frowns as she helps him ease his way into a chair at the table. "All the more reason for you to stay with us tonight; you certainly shouldn't be out in the cold as sick as you are."

"I'm not-" Sora cuts himself off as he falls right back into coughing, a few sneezes following suit.

"Never fear! I've got just the thing," Nanny rushes over with a bottle–some kind of medicine, if Sora could guess. "This old family remedy has never failed to fix anyone up before." She pours a bit of it onto a spoon, and before he can even try to turn it down, she shoves that spoon straight into Sora's mouth. He immediately gags on the horridly bitter taste, but still swallows it all the same, even if he's not entirely sure he should.

"Least you could've done is warn him about how nasty that stuff is going down, Nanny," Roger laughs, clapping a hand onto Sora's back.

"This should help with that," Anita sets a bowl down onto the table in front of him, filled to the brim with steaming beef stew. At first, the most Sora can do is stare down at it, as well as the freshly sliced bread Nanny adds onto the meal. He doesn't eat right away, instead sparing a brief, tentative glance up at the couple as they sit down to enjoy the meal themselves.

"I-is… this really for me?" he asks, scarcely able to believe such an idea.

"Of course it is," Anita assures, smiling. "Eat up, while it's still hot."

"But… I don't have any money," Sora shakes his head.

"Money?" Roger frowns, confused. "Oh, no, no! You don't owe us a penny, Sora. This is the least we can do for anyone who's kind enough to lend our dear pups a helping hand."

Sora finds himself bewildered by a concept as strange as a free meal, one that he hasn't had to scour or scavenge for or steal. Even so, the savory scent of the soup soon overwhelms him, to the point that he finally caves to take his first bite. The savory taste of it, so similar to the same kind of soup his mother used to make for him what feels like ages ago, is enough to bring tears to his eyes. He doesn't even notice the family curiously watching him as he sets his spoon aside, not wanting to wait another second before he lifts his bowl and begins to drink straight from it, until he inevitably ends up choking on it and spilling quite a bit onto his already stained clothes.

"For heaven's sake, slow down, child!" Nanny exclaims, rushing over to pat him on the back. Between his coughs, his face turns bright red with embarrassment as he meets Roger and Anita's bewildered stares. He almost apologies for his brutish behavior, but suddenly, the couple lifts their own bowls, sharing matching grins as they begin to sip their soup in the exact same way, albeit much slower.

Sora manages a small, sincere smile at this, wiping away a few of his tears as he turns back to Nanny. "I'm sorry about the mess. I can help you clean it up if-"

"Oh, nonsense, dearie," Nanny rebuffs, taking his now-empty bowl from the table. "You stay put while I pour you some more of that soup. I have a hunch you must've been enjoying what little of it actually made it into your mouth."

This playful joke is enough to elicit shared laughter from Roger and Anita, laughter that Sora himself can't help but join in on. The levity soon sobers a moment or two later though, when Roger kicks up an initially curious conversation. "So, Sora, if you're not from around here, then where are you from?"

"I'm… from somewhere really far away," Sora replies, treading as carefully and cautiously as possible. After all, even if these folks had taken them into their home and were offering him food and shelter, he still finds himself wary of fully trusting them. And even more wary of trusting himself around them.

"What on earth were you doing wandering around the countryside on your own during a snowstorm?" Anita asks with a fretful frown.

"I, um… it's… uh… I guess I… got lost?" he shrugs, not wanting to explain much more than that.

"Does your family know where you are, dearie?" Nanny asks, setting a fresh bowl of soup down in front of him. "Your parents must be worried sick about you."

Once again, Sora feels a familiar pang of grief and guilt when he thinks about his mother, waiting back on the islands without a single clue that she'll never get to see her son again. Not that she'd ever want to see the hideous, violent monster her son has become. "She–they're not," he says softly, sadly. "No one is."

Roger and Anita exchange a concerned glance upon hearing this, both of them reaching the same largely correct conclusion. "Sora, did you… run away from home, by chance?"

Roger's question nearly makes Sora choke on his soup as he tries and fails to come up with a suitable answer for it. "Um… I-I guess I sort of did?" he shrugs diffidently. He hopes they'll just leave the matter there, but of course, they don't as their worried questions only continue to come.

"What could've made you do that?" Anita wonders, as much as Sora wishes she wouldn't.

"It's.. a really long story…" he says simply, sadly. He glances down at his claws as they rest on the table, hoping that'll provide enough of an explanation where words can't. "I don't really want to talk about it..."

"...Well, that's alright," Roger nods with a reassuring smile. "It is your business after all. You don't have to tell us about it if you don't want to."

Sora narrowly suppresses an immense sigh of relief, a burst of gratitude swelling in his chest over being let off the hook so easily. After all, he barely even likes to think about his current awful plight, much less talk about it to anyone else. Yet even so, the matter isn't forgotten that easily as Nanny makes an offhanded, insincere remark from her spot near the stove.

"I suppose that means we shouldn't expect to get any answers about the claws either," she mutters just loud enough for the others to hear.

"Nanny!" Anita scolds as Sora draws in a sharp breath.

"Kidding, dearie, I'm just kidding!" Nanny chuckles, setting the rest of the room at ease as she totes a tray over to the table. With dinner over, she serves Roger and Anita cups of hot tea to finish the meal off, though when she sets an empty cup in front of Sora and prepares to pour, she notices the wince that briefly flashes across his face. "What's the matter? Not a fan of tea?"

"Er… not really," Sora winces, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well then, we have plenty of other options to soothe the soul on a frigid night like this," Nanny grins kindly as she swaps his teacup out for a mug. "What do you prefer? Coffee? Cider? Hot chocolate?" The way Sora immediately perks up at the mention of his favorite beverage is enough to garnish another warm laugh from the maid. "I see we have a winner. Wait just a tick, dearie."

A beat of silence follows as Nanny heads off to prepare the drink. In it, Sora looks over at not just Roger and Anita, but at the multitude of Dalmatians gathered all throughout the kitchen. While their home is certainly comfortable and well taken care of, it isn't exactly one brimming with wealth or prestige. Clearly, they have many hungry mouths to feed, not much to really go around; yet what they do have, they've decided to share with him. Which is why Sora can't help but voice the question that keeps nagging at him each time any of them sends a cordial, inviting smile his way. A question that culminates just about all of the confusion and conflict he's currently feeling. "...Why are you all being so nice to me?"

Roger and Anita share a quizzical look as they both set their teacups down. "Whatever do you mean?" Anita asks, frowning.

"I mean… you don't even know me," he begins, glancing down out of shame he's never able to shake anymore. "You don't know who I am or… w-what I've done…" He almost tells them exactly what he's done on the spot, because if he does, if he tells them how many people he's hurt, how many people he's killed, then maybe they'll kick him back out into the cold like they should. And yet… he doesn't, he can't. Because the thought of anyone else treating him like the monster he knows he's become is honestly far more than his weak, woe-filled heart can possibly hope to bear right now. "I'm just a stranger to you guys, a nobody off the street. So… why do you want to help me?"

Sora is surprised by how quickly the couple manages to answer this question, with a response so steady and certain and simple that it practically leaves him stunned the second Roger says it. "Well… because you need it."

Naturally, Sora doesn't have the faintest idea how to respond to that. After being treated so poorly by so many different people at this point, the very concept of someone showing him genuine kindness, without expecting a single thing from him in return, is all but foreign to him. It reminds him of how he used to be, back when he was still able to actually help people before he became so utterly helpless himself. The only difference is that back then, he used to offer his aid to people who actually deserved it, people who had proven themselves to be worthy of it; not people who have lied and stolen and murdered and sold themselves over to the shadows like he has.

And yet, for as much as he thinks he shouldn't have any of this… he still doesn't turn any of it down as Nanny sets a large mug of piping hot chocolate down in front of him. Its sweetness almost seems strangely bitter as he realizes how selfish he's being by putting these innocent people at risk simply so he can have a meal and a bed. But after going without either of those things, without seeing any sort of smiling faces or helping hands in such a painfully long time… Sora finds he simply can't refuse.

Before Sora is even allowed into any of the bedrooms upstairs, Nanny staunchly demands that he remove his filthy, tattered clothes and take a long, hot shower. It's something he's initially embarrassed about, though it doesn't take him long to fold and agree, mostly since he can't really remember the last proper bath he'd had that wasn't a quick dip in a river or stream. So the idea did start to sound nice… at least until they'd led him up to the bathroom and left him alone to stare at his own reflection in the mirror. It's something else he hasn't done in a while, and with good reason. Because what he sees when he stares into the glass is someone he doesn't even recognize at all.

He already knew he was thin, his muscles all but wasted away to nothing thanks to his longstanding starvation. But the sight of his very visible ribcage clearly showing when he slips his shirt off is almost enough to make him sick, or sicker, rather. What does do that is the scar, still torn wide across his chest as it almost seems to glow a dull gold around the darkness that's seeped up from his stomach toward his neck. He doesn't know what it means, but what he does know is that it only serves to solidify the beast he's become from the outside in. The abomination he can't bear to look at one second longer.

So he steps into the bathtub, turning the water on and letting it warm until it's comfortable enough for him to slip under the shower's steady stream. He can't hold back the long, contented sigh that escapes him as the water hits back, runs down his aching joints and starts to wash off some of the dirt and grime caked onto his skin. He turns the faucet up just a bit as he starts making use of the fresh bar of soap Nanny had left for him, scrubbing away at the more stubborn spots of filth until it's worn down to essentially nothing. The water spilling down into the drain quickly turns from clear to brown with what he's washing away, and yet even then he pushes the water to be hotter. His claws dig into his dry, dirty scalp as he slowly starts working the many tangles and knots out of his untamed hair, loathing its current color, but craving some semblance of cleanliness for it all the same. The water starts to burn as he turns the faucet again, to the point that it stings the slowly-healing wounds his time on the run, or even more specifically, his time with Maleficent had left him with. But he welcomes that burn, savors that sting as he finally turns the water as hot as it can possibly go, wondering if he lets it rain down upon him long enough, then maybe it can wash away more than just dirt. Maybe it can wash away all of the blood he's stained his clawed hands with. Maybe it can wash away everything that's soiled his soul just as much as his body. Maybe it can wash away his grief, his hatred, his shame.

But as he finally lets the water run dry… he knows that it can't. Nothing can.

He'd essentially had to beg Nanny to not outright throw away his old clothes, knowing that he can't part with one of the few things he has left to tie him back to his old life. So instead, she agrees to clean and mend them the best she can, something that's bound to be quite a task given how badly damaged they are. In their place, Roger lends him an old pair of his own pajamas, which likely would have fit Sora quite well if his frame still carried even a fraction of the healthy weight it'd used to have. Instead, the shirt and slacks drape over his thin limbs as he makes his way down to the spare bedroom the family has prepared for him. Of course, he is somewhat surprised when he opens the door to find that he won't exactly be spending the night alone like he thought.

At least 12 puppies have already claimed a spot on the bed alongside their father, with many more joining their mother on the plush rug on the floor. Though their parents are clearly trying to get them settled for bed, almost all of the pups excitedly hop up and run over to Sora the second they see him, each of them vying for attention that he's more than happy to give.

"I don't mind if you guys want to stick around, but… are you sure you wanna spend the night in here with me?" he asks rhetorically, wearing a small, weary smile. "I, um… don't really sleep much anymore, and I don't want to keep any of you up."

Despite this warning, every single last one of the puppies stays put, Pongo and Perdita doing the same. Sora can't help but chuckle as they trail after him when he heads over to the bed, helping a few of them up onto it in the process. "You know, it's weird. You guys kind of remind me of…" He trails off, his smile quickly slipping as he pulls his hand away from one of the puppies. In their eager stares and wagging tails, he can almost see a set of wide glowing eyes, a pair of bent black antennas. He can almost see his Heartless… and his heart aches when he remembers just how much he still misses it, to the point that even the presence of even 101 Dalmatians can't quite fill the void it left behind. But fortunately, they do come close.

"I guess you all are in here with me for the long haul, huh?" he allows himself another small, weak smile as he somehow finds a space to slide in among the plentiful puppies populating it. The bed itself is soft and comfortable, the blanket covering it thick and warm. And for someone like Sora, who's been considering himself lucky to find a decent rock to rest his head on each night, it might as well be the most comfortable surface he's ever laid upon.

"Good night, everyone," he says to the puppies curling up at his side, to the puppies already starting to snooze on the floor, to Pongo and Perdita, nuzzling up alongside each other at the foot of his bed. "Hope you all sleep well," he lets out a long, tired yawn, barely even aware of the fact that his eyes are slowly starting to slip shut. "I know… I won't…"

He's out before even another full minute passes, enveloped by peaceful silence and soft blankets and far too many spots to count. By some miracle or mercy, not a single nightmare befalls him this time, the master sends nothing his way to interrupt his much-needed rest. Instead, he's allowed to remain blissfully dreamless, in an actual bed, in an actual house with actual food in his stomach.

Instead, for the first time in months, Sora sleeps soundly the whole night through.

And not just the night either. He spends essentially the entire next day fast asleep as well. He doesn't stir when Roger and Anita come in to greet him the next morning, doesn't flinch when Nanny brings a tray set for breakfast in bed. Even several of the puppies' attempts at pouncing and pawing and licking at him prove to do little to actually awaken him. In the end, they all unanimously decide to simply let the clearly exhausted boy rest, only forcing him up for a small, quick meal in the early afternoon, a meal that Sora is largely half-asleep for. Even the second dose of medicine Nanny forces into him isn't enough to jolt him awake, a true testament to just how exhausted he truly is. How exhausted he's been for a long time now.

But even then, it doesn't last. Because soon, rather than his master besetting him with brutal nightmares, it's his own illness-muddled mind that tears him out of his peaceful slumber.

The Dalmatians see and hear it first, all of them still cuddled close to Sora for a second night in a row. As a result, they're there to witness when he starts tossing and turning in bed, when soft, incoherent mutters make their way past his parted lips, when his claws start to clench into his pillow. Pongo takes the initiative in trying to rouse him this time, pawing at his free hand only to be all but ignored. Though it's quite late, he goes as far as letting out a loud bark to startle the boy out of his troubled stupor, but even that doesn't work. But it's only as Sora's quiet mumbling turns into sharp gasps and anguished shrieks that both he and Perdita decide to get their owners involved.

It takes them only seconds to pull Roger and Anita out of bed, anxiously leading them down the hall to where Sora's suddenly frantic episode is only worsening by the second. Most of his words are unintelligible, but there are a few "no's" and oddly enough, a "master" or two thrown in as well. The couple wastes no time hurrying to the boy's bedside as he violently arcs his back, essentially thrashing uncontrollably at this point; Roger tries to anchor him back down while Anita rouses Nanny, asking her to gather a thermometer, a cool cloth and fresh water. It's a necessary request, as the couple can tell just from looking at their young guest that he's suffering from a severe fever. His skin is pale, shining with a cold sweat as his body trembles, even despite his burning hot forehead. His expression is wrenched tight in some kind of unknown agony as he continues whispering nonsense words that Roger and Anita can't be bothered to try and decipher as they work on putting a stop to whatever nightmare he's stuck in instead.

"Sora!" Anita exclaims, cupping a hand against the boy's pallid face. "It's time to wake up now! Please!"

"Come on now, boy," Roger tries gently shaking him by the shoulders, though still to no avail. "You've got to pull through!"

"Oh, Roger, what do we do if he won't wake up?" Anita frets, tightly gripping Sora's limp, ice-cold hand. "The roads still haven't been plowed yet, we won't ever be able to get him to hospital if he-"

"Now, now, there's no need of that," Nanny assures as she carries in a basket of supplies. "We're more than set to take care of the poor lad right here at home. Isn't that right, little one?'' She smiles as she grabs one of the puppies sitting beside Sora, setting it down on the floor so she can get to work. She starts by taking his temperature, hardly surprised to find it worryingly high. To ease that, she gently dabs his forehead with a chilled cloth, only for him to suddenly bolt upright the second it so much as skims his skin.

"M-Master!" he shouts, his voice raw and ragged. His eyes are open wide now, practically glowing gold in the low light of the room, yet they're hazed over with hysteria. Hysteria that clearly carries over into his slurred speech as he starts speaking in jumbled, disconnected sentences that not a single other soul surrounding him can possibly hope to understand.

"I… I don't… I gotta… can't go back…" he chokes out between desperate gasps of air. He glances around, not able to really see anything at all as his delirious mind forces him to continue speaking. Forces him to say things he'd never otherwise admit out loud. "Wanna go home… c-can't… I… lights'll lock me up…"

"What?" Roger, Anita, and Nanny all ask in bewildered unison. And yet, Sora gives them no sensical explanation as tears start welling up in his startlingly shining eyes.

"Riku n' Kairi…" he sobs, gripping his blanket until his claws inevitably rip into it. "I… miss… I love… T-they hate me!"

"Who are they?" Roger presses, gripping the distraught boy's shoulder in the hopes of getting some sort of answers about his mysterious circumstances. "Friends of yours?"

"F-friends…" Sora repeats distantly, despondent. "I don't… got any friends… I lied… ran… I hurt… Hurt… HURT!" He suddenly screams, digging his claws into his hair. "I… I didn't wanna hurt 'em! Mal'ficent made me! I didn't wanna… I didn't… I… m'sorry!"

"Oh… dear, it's… i-it's alright," Anita tries to comfort him, rubbing a light hand against his back as he buries his face into his hands and continues crying. Neither her, Roger, or Nanny have the faintest idea as to what he's even remotely talking about, but whatever it is clearly has him deeply upset. And whatever it is certainly must be the scattered pieces as to how he'd ended up on their doorstep in the first place.

"No, I… I gotta… find Keys!" he tries getting up out of bed at this, only for Roger to quickly hold him down. "Find Keys, the… master'll let me stay… master'll keep me safe… I need to… I gotta be…what he wants…"

"...Master?" Nanny repeats, raising an eyebrow as she exchanges an unnerved glance with Roger and Anita. "Whoever could that be?"

"Hard to say…" Roger muses before carefully easing the feverish boy back into bed. "Whatever it is that has you in such a fuss, Sora, you don't have to worry. You're safe here, with us."

"I… I'm the…" his words gradually start to slow, his eyes finally starting to fall shut. "Have to… open the door… Not… where I… belong…" he barely whispers as his eyes close completely. None of the others see the sudden flash of something just behind his shuttered lids as his last few words come out, almost completely inaudible. "Need… to go… home…"

With a small, weak groan, he finally falls into silence, and into sleep, once more. His heavy breathing turns soft, his racing heart relaxing as his caretakers let out a shared sigh of relief. They leave the Dalmatians to guard him again in case anything else happens as they quietly gather their supplies and head out into the hall to regroup and regather their bearings.

"Well now!" Nanny exclaims with a terse huff. "What was all that about then?"

"No idea," Anita shakes her head, just as worn. "Poor thing seemed like he was heartbroken. He must have gone through something awful. Isn't there anything more we can do to help him, Roger?"

He pauses for a moment, a hand still pressed against the door as he quietly creaks it open to check on Sora once more. He's finally fully sleeping again, his body still and calm in a stark contrast to the fearful frenzy he'd been in mere moments ago. Roger musters a small, sympathetic smile at the sight of the boy, so small and fragile as he curls up under the covers, surrounded by several attentive, affectionate puppies on all sides. That same boy had once saved those puppies before; and now, it seems they're intent on returning the favor. A favor that Roger is more than intent on helping them repay. "You know what, Anita," his smile turns a touch brighter, a touch more hopeful as he turns back to his wife. "I believe there's plenty we can do."

Sora awakens the next morning, not remembering a single thing about the night before. In fact, he doesn't even realize just how incredibly long he's been sleeping for, doesn't even know more than a day has passed as he slowly sits up in bed, feeling fully refreshed for the first time in months. It's late enough in the morning that most of the puppies are awake and likely active downstairs, yet one–Patch, if he remembers right–still remains with him, sitting in the space beside him as he waits for him to fully awaken. Sora grins down at the dog as he pets him and greets him good morning before easing his way out of bed, only to find a bundle of folded clothing–his own clothing–resting on the nightstand beside him. True to her word, Nanny cleaned and patched them up as much as possible, an effort that Sora certainly appreciates as he pulls his jacket on, though still sighs at his irreplaceable missing shoe. For now, he settles for the extra pair of boots Roger must've left for him, if only for the sake of finally covering both of his glaringly inhuman feet.

He lets Patch be his guide downstairs, trying to think of how he'll approach Roger and Anita when he sees them. He knows he can't stay any longer than he already has, especially now that he feels rested and fed enough to travel again. There's no sign of a Key in this world, after all, and certainly the master's patience must be wearing thin with him over a month without pinning down a single one of them. So he works on coming up with some sort of simple excuse to give the kindly couple as to why he should go, as well as some way to thank them for everything they've given him when they didn't have to do anything for him at all.

Whatever he might've told them quickly falls to the wayside, however, as soon as he enters the den. There, he unsurprisingly finds most of the puppies scattered in almost every direction, many of them curiously congregating around Roger and Anita as they go through several cardboard boxes on the floor.

"Oh! Good morning, Sora!" Anita cheerfully greets him, standing as soon as she spots him. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Um… yeah, actually," Sora nods, finally realizing that fact himself. He hasn't coughed once since he woke up, his head is no longer constantly pounding, his stomach settled and satisfied for the first time in days. "I guess that medicine worked after all."

"Told you it would, dearie!" Nanny calls, poking her head out from the kitchen where she's preparing lunch.

"So, um…" Sora takes in a deep breath as he rubs the back of his neck. "I guess since I'm not really that sick anymore, I should-"

"You should go with Pongo and I to pick out a tree later this afternoon!" Roger quickly cuts in, already anticipating what Sora was likely about to say. Something that both he and Anita are ready to do just about anything to prevent after everything they saw and heard last night.

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, darling!" Anita brightly agrees. "I'm sure you'll all have a grand time. And don't worry, Sora, we have plenty of spare coats and hats for you to bundle up with so you won't-"

"Whoa, wait, hold on," Sora interjects, confused. "Uh… what tree?"

"Why, a Christmas tree, of course!" Roger grins, as though it were obvious. "We are only about a week out from the big day, after all."

"It's almost Christmas!?" Sora exclaims, aghast. He's stunned, to say the least, by just how easily he's managed to lose track of time, by just how long he really has been out on his own. When he first ran away from Donald and Goofy, he recalls it being early autumn across most of the worlds; but during his time in the wild, the days slowly started to blend together, especially after he'd been captured by Maleficent. True, he'd encountered snow a handful of times since then, but he hadn't ever tied that into what time of the year it might be. After all, it's difficult to keep track of when any upcoming holiday falls when he's struggling to simply survive every single second of every single day.

"That's right, and there's still so much to do!" Nanny huffs as she carries a tray full of sandwiches into the room. "Going to market, picking out a ham, gathering everything needed to make the pies and cookies…"

"Shopping for presents, wrapping the presents, sending out the Christmas cards…" Anita continues that list as she pulls a wreath out of one of the boxes.

"Hanging the stockings, stringing up the lights, trimming the tree…" Roger adds, retrieving a sandwich before handing another one over to Sora. "But first thing's first: finding that tree. I'd be much obliged if you helped me pick out the perfect one, Sora."

"Oh, uh… I guess I can do that?" Sora shrugs, knowing that's honestly the least he can do to thank the Radcliffe's for their hospitality. Of course, he doesn't quite catch the deeper intention behind this request, nor does he spot the relieved glances Roger and Anita exchange when he says yes.

"Splendid!" Roger grins excitedly. "We'll leave right after lunch. The tree farm's just a few miles down the road."

"...Ok," Sora manages a small smile as he begins snacking on his sandwich. He doesn't quite understand the strange flicker of warmth that fills him as he watches the couple continue sorting through their Christmas decorations. Perhaps it's because it's his favorite holiday of the year, perhaps it's out of gratitude for their continued kindness toward him, perhaps it's even just the crowd of puppies crowding at his feet to adorably greet him. But whatever it is, he cherishes the feeling of something he hasn't known in so very long.

Even if he knows that like every good or happy moment he's known lately… it isn't meant to last. Which means he might as well enjoy it while he can. He might as well savor it before it's stolen away from him, like everything else has been.

As a stark contrast to the past several days, the snow has finally given way to clear blue skies and brilliantly bright sunshine. The air is still brisk and chilly though as Roger, Sora, and Pongo arrive at the small pine tree farm only about a half an hour away from the farmhouse.

"Slow down there, boy!" Roger calls to Pongo, who's already bounding in between the trees, hardly even phased by the foot of snow coating the ground at all. "I don't think either of us will be able to keep up with you at this rate, isn't that right, Sora?"

Sora isn't really able to answer outside of his own tired breathing as he tugs at the tight scarf around his neck. Nanny had made sure he was bundled up perhaps a bit too well before heading out to the snow, out of fear of him getting sick all over again. As a result, the multiple heavy layers prove to be a bit of a burden, but at the very least he is warm. Even if he can barely move.

"We're lucky; it appears as though we've come before the rush, which means there's still plenty of good choices out here," Roger notes as he looks over several of the nearby trees. "I must admit though, 'nita and I have never had enough space for a full pine; we only just moved from London to the farm a few months ago. So I'm not quite sure what to look for out here. What about you, Sora?" he says, playfully elbowing the boy. "Have any advice for a first time Christmas tree shopper?"

"Um… not really," Sora shrugs truthfully. "My family's always just used a fake one. It's not that easy to find trees like this back where I'm from."

"Well, what kind of trees could you find where you're from?" Roger inquires, an innocent enough question that Sora starts answering before he can properly catch himself.

"Mostly palm trees and-" he cuts himself off, a hand flying up to his mouth out of fear that he's already let too much slip. And sure enough, Roger is quick to infer even from that tiny bit of information alone.

"Ah, so you're a tropical sort then, hm?" he asks with a curious grin. "You must've come from even further away than we thought if that's the case."

"...Yeah, I did…" Sora mutters, glancing down.

A sudden bark from Pongo suddenly breaks through the conversation, pointing the pair's attention to the tall, sturdy tree he's found. It's branches are wide and vibrantly green, despite the snow currently coating its needles, and by all accounts it truly is a picturesque Christmas tree. Something that isn't lost on Roger as he congratulates his pet with an affectionate scratch on the head for such a solid find. "Stellar work, Pongo!" he exclaims, beaming up at the towering pine. "Seems like you're the true 'tree expert' out of all of us here. Now, we just need to-" Roger stops short, letting out a tight gasp as he pats at his empty belt. "Oh no…"

"What's wrong?" Sora asks.

"I think I might've forgotten the ax back at the house…" he sighs, face palming. "I suppose we'll have to head back, and hope that this beauty is still here for us when we return… Come along, boys…"

Pongo lets out a disappointed whimper as he trudges along after Roger back toward the truck. Sora, however, lingers for a moment longer, staring back at the stately tree. The idea that comes to him is one he knows he should ignore for all of the many, many ways it could go wrong. And yet… he still can't shake the longing to help the family who's so sweetly taken him in at such a hectic time of the year. Even if it's in such a small, simple way as this.

He waits until Roger and Pongo are a good distance away before he aims his hand out toward the tree, taking in a deep, steadying breath as he begs his powers to listen to him this time. He only wants a single spike, one that needs to be aimed perfectly for this to actually work. And sure enough, his concentration is rewarded when a spike shoots up out of the ground near the base of the tree, slicing through its thick trunk with enough speed to sever it completely. Even better yet, the spike slips back into the ground as soon as its work is down, allowing the tree to collapse to the snowy ground with a heavy crash. The noise alone is enough to send Roger and Pongo running back over as Sora quickly forces his satisfied smile into a look of fake shock.

"Sora! What happened?!" Roger doesn't even notice the fallen tree in favor of checking the boy over. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sora quickly assures before nodding back over the tree. "I don't know what happened, but it just… fell over, all on its own!" He lies, but it's a guiltless one, perhaps one of the very few he's ever told. "I guess this means we won't have to go all the way back for that ax, huh?"

Roger is quick to perk up upon catching the genuine smile Sora sends his way as he hangs his arms behind his head, at least as much as his many layers will allow. It's easily the most playful and upbeat he's seen the boy since they met, a far cry from just how panicked and distraught he'd been the previous night, or how anxious and shy he'd acted when he'd first arrived at their home. And even if it is a rather subtle change, it's still a welcome one, a sure sign of progress in helping this sad, scared, runaway child bring down the walls he's so tightly locked himself up within.

"No," Roger agrees with a warm chuckle as they both head over to the tree so they can haul it home together. "I suppose we don't."

When they get back to the house, Sora prepares himself once again to tell the Radcliffes he plans on leaving. He waits until they have the tree set up in a spot in the den, gathering his words of gratitude the best that he can as he starts bracing himself for what will ultimately be another sleepless night spent out in the cold. And yet, before he can even begin to approach them with what he wants to say, they're quick to catch him off guard with yet another invitation into their holiday preparations.

"Since you helped pick out the tree, Sora, would you like to help us decorate it as well?" Anita offers, a box of ornaments resting in her arms. "More hands does make the work faster, after all."

"And it makes the work more fun as well," Roger chimes in as he pulls a few of the puppies out of the tinsel they'd tangled themselves within.

"Oh, well…" Sora hesitates, stealing a glance over at the door. "A-actually, I should probably get-"

"Get your appetite worked up for dinner while you're decorating," Nanny cuts in, stepping out of the kitchen. "I'm whipping up a special treat for dessert. Do you like gingerbread, dearie?"

"Gingerbread?!" Sora exclaims, his eyes lighting up with excitement over one of his holiday favorites. "Are you kidding? Of course I–" He stops himself, forcing his elation back down under the surface as he clears his throat, flustered. "Uh… yeah, I-I like it a little, I guess."

"Then I'll be sure to bake a few extra for you," Nanny giggles as she hurries back into the kitchen to do exactly that.

"In the meantime, let's get started on that tree," Anita encourages, handing her box over to Sora. He looks to the door once again, biting his lip as he wavers between what he should do… and what he wants to do. He's being selfish, that's the thought that keeps coming back to him, again and again and again, from the moment he first step foot into this house, into the lives of this family, into this situation he knows he shouldn't be in. And yet… after being so selfless, to such a painful degree that he's put so much distance between himself and all of the people he used to love… he can't help but decide to be just a little selfish this time, just a little bit longer.

So he stays and helps them decorate the tree, helps them string lights onto it, helps them hang ornaments and tinsel from its many branches. It's a task that he and Anita largely undertake, with Roger hopping onto the piano in the other room to accompany them with a handful of jazzy Christmas tunes. It turns out he has quite a knack for music, singing along to a few of the classic carols as Anita happily hums with her husband's melodies. And sure enough, it doesn't take long for Sora to hear a few tunes he recognizes before doing the same.

"I have to say, we're not even halfway done and this tree already looks lovely," Anita remarks proudly upon putting up another bulb. "It's easy to see that you've done this before, Sora."

"Yeah," Sora says with a small grin as he repositions a few of the lights. "I used to help my mom decorate the tree every year on Christmas Eve when I was younger. We'd dress up in sweaters, make cookies, sing Christmas songs super loud. And then I'd try to stay up late to wait for Santa, but I'd end up falling asleep on the couch every time, so she'd always make sure to put a blanket over me, and in the morning, we… we'd open presents and… and yeah…" He trails off, his smile fading as he stares down at the glistening blue bulb in his hands. He longs for those days, when he was a child, when he'd been innocent, when he'd been happy, before he'd known anything of fighting or fate or darkness or pain. Days that are long since dead, just as dead as whoever he used to be during them.

Anita says nothing for a long time upon hearing this, simply allowing Roger's gentle piano melodies to flow in from the other room. When she does speak again, her voice is soft as she offers the boy a gentle, sympathetic grin. "That sounds positively lovely. Your mother sounds like she was a wonderfully sweet woman."

"Yeah, she–wait, 'was'?" Sora frowns in confusion. "My mom isn't… s-she's still around."

"...Oh," Anita says tersely, suddenly embarrassed by her assumption. "I… m-my apologies, I just figured… The other night, you said no one was-"

"I… wasn't really talking about my mom when I said that…" Sora admits apprehensively. "She's not the one I ran away from… Or at least, she's not the only one…"

"Then who was?" Anita presses, unable to curb her burning curiosity.

He hesitates, swallowing hard as he tries his best to simply ignore such a question altogether. But the sincerely, immensely concerned look Anita fixes him with is finally enough to make him fold. "I… M-my friends…" he says, his voice barely above a woeful whisper. "I just… I didn't want to…" he pauses, glancing down at his sinister claws, hating just how awful they are, how awful he is, how hard it is to explain exactly why. "I-it doesn't matter now," he ultimately sighs as he steps away from the tree. "It's not like any of them even care about me anymore anyway…"

"Oh, come now, dear, I'm sure that isn't true," Anita counters, placing a consoling hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure they're missing you terribly, especially now that it's so close to the holiday."

"Trust me, they don't," Sora says with a bitter laugh. "They don't miss me… they don't even want me anymore… And after everything that's happened, I… I can't even blame them for it. I just… don't belong with them anymore… I don't think I ever will again."

"Then what about your poor mother?" Anita asks. "Even if you think you don't belong with your friends, then certainly she still has a place for you."

Sora shakes his head morosely. "I haven't seen my mom in a long time," he says, regretting that fact more and more each day. "If I went back to her, she probably wouldn't even recognize me now. Besides… she's better off without me. Everyone is."

Sora half expects Anita to protest this point again, but what she does instead catches him completely off guard. Instead, she suddenly wraps her arms around him, securing him into a tight, comforting embrace that Sora can't even think about returning for as stunned as he is by it. "I may not know what's happened to you to make you believe that," she tells him, her tone compassionate and caring to its very core. "But I certainly don't. In fact, there's not a single soul in this house, human or Dalmatian, that does. You're welcome here, Sora, no matter where you might've been before… or what you might've done." She pulls out of the hug, but keeps her hands resting on her shoulders, and for a moment, Sora almost doesn't see a woman he barely knows smiling down at him. He almost sees his own mother, almost hears an echo of the warm words she'd said to him the last time he saw her so very long ago: "I need you to know that I am so, so proud of you, even if no one else out there is."

And for a moment… Sora almost believes them both.

"...Thank you," he mutters, absently brushing away a tear before it can fall.

Anita's smile widens as she gently pats his cheek. "You're very welcome, dear," she perks up a bit, inspiring Sora to do the same as they overhear Roger begin to play an upbeat holiday tune. "Now, we'd best get back to work. This tree isn't going to decorate itself!"

"Right," Sora nods, still smiling as they begin sorting through ornaments once more. They finish the tree just in time for dinner, a savory meal that Nanny has all but cooked to perfection. And sure enough, following it comes the gingerbread she'd promised earlier, cut into festive shapes and frosted beautifully, to the point that Sora almost feels bad about eating them. But their rich taste alone is enough to change his mind, his former hunger now the furthest thing from his mind as he enjoys dessert and hot drinks alongside his warmhearted hosts.

Throughout the evening, he doesn't once think about leaving, doesn't even consider the idea of it when he heads upstairs and tucks into bed, once again finding himself comfortably squeezed in between several puppies on both sides. He doesn't dream of running when he falls into another restful night's slumber, doesn't try to tell the Radcliffes he should go when he joins them for breakfast in the morning. Instead, he lets himself accept what they're offering him, lets himself relax and enjoy their pleasant company and cheerfully rapport, he lets himself chat and laugh and smile in ways he hasn't in so very long.

He lets himself feel calm again, feel safe again, feel loved again. He lets himself stay. And after spending so much time running and hiding and wandering, it's a nice change to finally find a place he can think of as home once more.

The next several days flow by, slow and sweet and snowy. Christmas preparations continue, with more decorations pinned up, groceries gathered, presents and letters shipped out in anticipation of the special day. But between the flurry of holiday activity, usual chores and tasks still need to be done across the farm. Inspired by the Radcliffes' noble hospitality, Sora readily volunteers to do whatever he can to assist them, knowing that action will show his gratitude to them far more than words ever could. Though they initially try to dissuade their young guest from working while he's still recovering, they soon find themselves duly charmed by his enthusiastic eagerness to help. So he shovels snow with Roger, gathers eggs from the chickens with Anita, milks the cows with Nanny. He might not be very skilled in every task he takes on, he still appreciates the work, still thrives in how it helps rebuild his lost strength, helps him get his mind off of all of the things he'd rather not think about. And best of all, he looks forward to the fun that always comes along after each day's work is done.

It turns out the puppies, as well as Pongo and Perdita themselves, love to play out in the snow. Even if the drifts do pile up quite a bit higher than some of the smaller pups' heads, they're not too easy to lose track of them thanks to the dark spots dotting each and every one dog. For the first few days, Sora can only watch them happily frolic through a window, with Nanny forbidding him from spending too much time outside so soon after getting over being sick. But after some time, he's allowed to go out with the puppies, helping Roger keep an eye on them as they scatter across the blanketed barnyard.

"Now, Pepper, don't go roaming too far past the fence!" Roger calls as he tries to keep track of the rambunctious, massive group. "Patches, leave Penny be! And Rolly, please stop trying to eat those icicles!"

Sora lets out a small laugh, his smile lingering as he plucks one of the puppies out of a particularly deep snow bank. "They sure do have a lot of energy, don't they?" he smirks, wishing he had even half of that energy himself.

"A bit too much on some days," Roger notes in faux exhaustion. "Uh oh, it looks as though a few of them have wandered out onto the pond again." He nods over to said pond, still frozen solid thanks to the frigid weather. Sure enough, a handful of the more adventurous pups are slipping and sliding across the ice, clearly having a marvelous, if not somewhat risky time. Perdita is already en route to collect them, though Roger tightens his bootstraps a bit so he can follow. "I'd better go-"

"I'll get them," Sora volunteers as he starts to trudge through the snow instead.

"Alright," Roger tentatively agrees. "But be careful on that ice! I'm not sure how thick it's gotten, and while it might be enough to handle a few tiny puppies, much more than that could be enough to break it."

Sora nods, heeding this advice as he carefully places a foot on the ice to test its strength. Surprisingly, it seems to hold up well enough, even as he puts his full weight upon it, though it isn't long after he does before he starts slowly sliding across the surface of the pond. The puppies, excited to see him, attempt to glide over his way, only for most of them to end up tripping more than a few times along the way. Sora manages to snatch two of them this way, handing them over to Perdita as she awaits on the safety of the shore. He rounds up the rest in a similar fashion, though soon enough only one of them, Lucky, to be precise, remains, struggling to regain his footing on the far side of the pond. Though it takes some doing, Sora clumsily manages to shuffle over to the pup, securing a grip on him just before he can tumble to his tummy all over again.

"Gotcha!" he grins, ready to head back over to the edge of the pond with Lucky in tow. Yet right as he's about to do so, a sickening crack sounds out from directly below him, a crack that ripples out across the ice from beneath his feet, growing wider and deeper with each passing second. "...Oh no…" he tenses, quickly looking for a solution. He decides to ensure Lucky's safety first, having no choice but to toss the puppy away from him before the ice can truly break. He lands safely and softly in a deep snowdrift, but it's only seconds after that the ice finally shatters. And as soon as it does, Sora is sent plummeting into the burningly brisk water below.

The pond is surprisingly deep at its center, deep enough that Sora is fully submerged. Despite the initial shock, he wastes no time swimming back up to the surface, breaking through shards of ice as he gasps for air against the chill now clinging to every inch of his body. His already heavy clothes, now waterlogged, weigh him down as he struggles to stay afloat, though fortunately that's a fight he doesn't have to keep up for too long as a hand suddenly securely latches around his wrist out of nowhere. He can't even get out a fearful cry when he's abruptly yanked out of the water, his vision blurry as someone lifts him into their arms and begins carrying him at a quickened pace. His racing heartbeat has his other senses just as hazy, to the point that he can hear voices shouting, but he can't quite make out what they're saying. He stays in that incoherent daze for what feels like hours, only to finally ease his way back into some semblance of awareness when something soft and warm is wrapped around his trembling body, as he's set before a hot, roaring fire. As he realizes he's somehow inside… and he realizes that Roger, Anita, and Nanny are all standing over him, their expression awash in mutual worry.

"I, um… guess I should have been more careful, huh?" he says with a slight smile, his voice ragged and raspy.

"More like someone shouldn't have let you wander out onto that ice," Nanny scolds, shooting Roger an accusatory look.

"Alright, I'll take the blame on this one," Roger rubs the back of his neck. "Granted, the puppies were the reason why he was out there in the first place. He even managed to save this little rapscallion here," he holds Lucky up, giving him a playful pat on the head before turning him loose to his parents.

"Well, I'm just happy to see that all of you are safe and well," Anita interjects as she hands Sora a fresh cup of hot chocolate to further warm him up. "But next time, Sora, please do try to help yourself alongside anyone else you happen to save. You matter just as much as anyone else does. Don't forget that."

On instinct alone, Sora almost disagrees. He almost tells them that he doesn't matter in the slightest, that there are so many people out there that are so much more significant, so much more important, so much more worthy of even just being alive than he is. But whatever words he might want to say fall short when he sees their equally benevolent smiles, as he realizes that they aren't just saying things like that to be polite. They actually mean every word. And as the sincerity of those words truly starts to sink in… he decides to at the very least try to believe that they could be true. To try to believe that maybe he really is worth the effort after all.

Though he's always had an immense appreciation for music, Sora can't say he's ever been too musically gifted himself. That's why it comes as something of a surprise to him when Roger asks him if he'd like to learn a few of the basics on the piano. At first, Sora politely declines the offer, leaving out that he doesn't want to damage the instrument with his clumsy claws. But after a bit more convincing, he eventually finds himself sitting on the piano bench alongside Roger, learning notes and scales and even a few very simple songs.

"Alright, now watch my hands closely and repeat these notes on your end," Roger instructs as he begins tapping a few of the lower keys. Sora has the right half of the piano to himself, so he takes the higher notes as he carefully tries to repeat the sequence, though not without a few incorrect hits along the way.

"Whoops," Sora winces when the melody he tries to make turns sour. "Uh… can we try that again?"

"Absolutely," Roger patiently nods. "As many times as you need. Just try to play along in time with me. Now…" He begins the string of notes again, keeping it slow and steady so Sora can more easily follow along. To his credit, he does much better the second time around as his notes start to harmonize with Roger's, until they end up forming a familiar holiday tune that Sora is quick to recognize. And as they pick the pace of that tune up a bit, Roger soon begins to sing along.

"Dashing through the snow–"

"In a one horse open sleigh–"

"O'er the field we go–"

"Laughing all the way!"

"Bells on bobtail ring–"

"Making spirits bright–"

"What fun it is to ride and sing–"

"A sleighing song tonight!"

It doesn't take long for the festive melody to become infectious, to the point that Sora ends up adding his own voice onto it as they head into its cheerful chorus.

"Oh jingle bells, jingle bells–"

"Jingle all the way!"

"Oh what fun it is to ride–"

"In a one horse open sleigh–"

"Jingle bells, jingle bells–"

"Jingle all the way!"

"Oh what fun it is to ride–"

"In a one horse open sleigh!"

The second the song reaches its bombastic end, both Sora and Roger burst into bright laughter, with more than a few of the nearby puppies offering their "applause" to the duet in the form of a round of spirited barking. "That was marvelous, my boy!" Roger exclaims, proudly patting Sora on the back. "Seems you have a real knack for music, a regular Mozart in the making!"

"Heh, I dunno…" Sora lets out a flustered chuckle as his face briefly flashes red. The levity does fade after a moment or two, however, and as it does, a sudden idea strikes him as he stares down at the piano keys once more. "Um, Roger? Is it ok if I play another song?"

"Certainly," Roger readily agrees. "Have anything particular in mind?"

"Yeah…" Sora says, a small, nostalgic smile filling his features. "I do."

He takes in a deep breath, largely deciding to experiment with a few notes before he finds the right sequence. It's a relatively simple tune, so it doesn't take too long to get the hang of it, playing it through once or twice to get a feel for it. Roger quickly picks up on the melody and joins in with a touch of harmony, adding a bit more depth to the song, something that stirs up even more long-dormant emotions in Sora. Eventually, he closes his eyes, lost in the tune's calming tide as he starts to sing words that he's never been able to forget, no matter how long it's been since he last heard them.

"The sun, the moon, the stars are why–"

"We always look up to the sky-"

"Gaze up there and you will see-"

"An endless chain of memory."

"Drop the distance into dreams-"

"A birth by sleep, a flowing stream-"

"Of time, unwinds in dark, in light-"

"The days go by as hearts take flight."

He feels warmth building up behind his shut eyes as he moves into the song's second verse, but still he doesn't stop. Because as he continues this solemn lullaby, he can almost, almost imagine it, his room back on the islands, his childhood bed, cozy and familiar. His father standing over him with a smile so warm and loving as he slowly sings the exact same timeless tune to lull him into dreams.

"And you… precious child, bear your legacy…"

"And you… precious child, hold the key… to your destiny…"

"Dearly beloved, look to the endless sky-"

"Dearly beloved, there your heart will fly…"

"The sun, the moon, the stars, are why-"

"We always look up to the sky-"

"Gaze up there and you will see-"

"The path that's always meant to be…"

As these final words fade out, he carefully draws his hands away from the piano. When he opens his eyes, a tear finally slips down his cheek, one that he's quick to wipe away as he notices Roger looking over at him in absolute awe. "What an utterly enchanting melody…" he muses, clearly intrigued. "Tell me, where did you learn such an incredible song?"

"Oh, uh… m-my dad taught it to me," Sora explains, looking away. "He used to sing it to me every night before he…" He trails off, drawing in a shuddering breath as he forces himself to hold back even more tears. He's never sung that song to anyone else before or after his father's passing, not even to Riku or Kairi. For so long, it'd only been something kept within their family, a cherished secret shared only by himself and his parents. He's not sure what compelled him to sing it here and now, yet he strangely doesn't regret doing so. Especially when he hears what Roger has to say next.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry to hear that," he sympathizes, understanding what the boy had been implying as he places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But for what it's worth, my boy, I think he'd be quite impressed by how masterfully you just played his lullaby, with almost no prior piano experience for that matter! I know I am."

Perhaps it's the lullaby that has him still overwhelmed with far too many feelings to count, but whatever it is, those feelings are enough to prompt Sora to act without even thinking. He surprises Roger with an unexpected hug, one that he doesn't hesitate to return after the initial bewilderment wears off. From her spot in the doorframe of the den, Anita watches this entire heartwarming exchange with a charmed smile. Ever since her and Roger had married a few years ago, they've had their fair share of pleasant Christmases. But she can't quite recall ever having a holiday like this before, one filled with such light and joy and love. It's not hard to figure out who brought them those things, something none of them could have expected that night Nanny had first brought him in from the cold. But now that he has, Anita knows it's only right that they find a way to thank him for everything he's given them, without even meaning to. For all of the aid he's lent them on the farm when he didn't have to, to the tree he helped them find and trim, to the laughter, the smiles, the happiness this strange, yet special boy has brought into all of their lives.

It's only right that they give him the best gift they can this Christmas: a chance for him to finally go home.

"Any luck this time?" Nanny asks as Anita hangs up the phone once more the next night.

"Not at all," she sighs, disgruntled as she rubs her temples. "I swear, I've phoned every police station from here to London, and not a single one of them have received any reports of a missing boy who fits Sora's description. Why, one of them even outright laughed at me when I mentioned the claws! Can you imagine the audacity? And on Christmas Eve no less?"

"Well, Sora certainly is a… unique lad, both inside and out," Nanny chuckles, peering into the den. There, Sora is comfortably curled up on the couch alongside every last one of the puppies, contentedly watching TV with them as he enjoys his usual evening cup of hot chocolate. "Strange though, that no one would be out there searching for him, if he truly did run away…"

"Well, he's apparently from somewhere tropical, or at least that's what he told me," Roger points out as he takes a short draw on his pipe. "Wouldn't say exactly where though. Getting any usable information out of that boy is like getting honey from a wasp; though perhaps not as painful."

"The tropics are just about as far as anyone can get from here," Anita frowns, perplexed. "How on earth did he travel that far, entirely on his own…?"

"Seems we have quite the mystery on our hands," Nanny shakes her head as she pours Anita more tea. "But certainly the child couldn't have just shown up here out of nowhere. If only he'd tell us a bit more about his travels…"

"We've already tried asking him every question we can," Roger points out. "He won't speak at all about what's happened to him or where he's been before now. All we can guess is that whatever he's been through… is likely far worse than anything any of us can even imagine."

A solemn silence passes through the kitchen at this, one that the other couple watching from the corner of the room take as their cue to slip outside. Pongo and Perdita are hardly daunted by the softly falling snow as they venture into the brisk evening air, getting a good distance away from the house before kicking up a concerned conversation of their own.

"Pongo, darling, are you sure this will work?" Perdita asks, clearly anxious that it won't.

"Positive," Pongo solidly nods. "After all, the Twilight Bark was what helped us track down the puppies when Cruella's goons absconded with them before."

"Yes, but… this is quite different," Perdita counters. "We're not just looking for a litter of puppies; we're looking to get a lost person back to his family. What if we wind up just as stumped as Roger and Anita are?"

"Please, Perdita, the dogs of England know far more than a few scattered police precincts ever could," Pongo smirks. "But we'll never know unless we give it a try." At this. he begins his long, loud series of barks. The sound echoes out across the cold countryside to any and all dogs who might hear it. The couple waits through the blustery winds for a few minutes, before Pongo's ears perk up at the sound of a distant howl from somewhere miles away. "Mm hm… hm… oh…"

"What? What is it?" Perdita asks, immensely curious. "What are they saying?"

"No word of any missing boys, just as Anita said…" Pongo sighs, shaking his head. "But wait! Maybe we're not asking the right question…"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"It might be better to ask about anyone possibly looking for Sora instead of asking about Sora himself," Pongo explains. "Now, what were the names of those two chaps that were traveling with him when he helped us round up the puppies…?"

"Donald and Goofy, if I remember right," Perdita informs, smiling.

"Ah, yes, of course. Now…" Pongo issues another call out using the Twilight Bark, one that's inevitably met with similar results as he hangs his head in disappointment. "Still nothing…"

"What will we do now?" Perdita wonders fretfully as they begin to walk back to the house.

"I'm… not quite sure, my dear," Pongo frowns, dejected. "It really is so strange. Sora looks so different from what he did when we first met him, yet he's still so much the same. And yet… there's something so… sad about the poor pup nowadays. I'm sure he's missing his friends far more than he's letting on."

"If only we could find them…" Perdita laments. "There'd be no better way for us to repay him for finding all 99 of our precious puppies."

"I know," Pongo wearily agrees as he lets Perdita enter back into the house through the dog door first. "But in the meantime, at least he's here, safe and sound with all of us."

"It truly is remarkable to see just how quickly Roger and Anita have taken him in as one of their own," Perdita perks up into a charmed grin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say they've finally found a puppy of their own."

The couple shares a soft, sweet laugh as they stroll into the den to join Sora and their own puppies. At the same time, Anita slams the phone down one final time, taking a long, frustrated sip of her tea as Roger gets up from his chair to rub relaxing circles into her back. "Let me guess…" he begins with a frown. "Another bust?"

Anita nods glumly. "I was so hoping we'd be able to surprise him with this tomorrow morning…" she mutters. "The poor thing's been out on his own for such a long time… He deserves to spend Christmas with his family, doesn't he?"

Roger doesn't answer right away, pondering the question for a bit before he reaches a rather unexpected conclusion. "You know, dear… I'd say he already is."

"Hm?" Anita glances up at him, confused.

"I know none of us want to believe what he said about his friends and family not caring about him enough to look for him," Roger starts on a seemingly different tangent altogether. "But if we really are having such a rough time finding them, then perhaps it might be true. I mean, he wouldn't have ran away from them for no reason; no one should ever make a bright, good-hearted boy like Sora feel unloved and unwanted. And if that's how they made him feel then… then maybe-"

"Maybe he shouldn't go back to them at all," Nanny staunchly finishes where Roger leaves off.

"...Precisely," he agrees with a firm nod.

Anita sighs, biting her lip as she meets her husband's earnest, insistent stare, finding it hard to argue with such sound, albeit sad logic. "...If we can't take him home," she begins tentatively. "What are we going to do then?"

A wide, beaming smile spreads across Roger's face as he takes his wife's hands in his. "Well… we have been talking about having a child of our own for quite some time, haven't we?" he asks leadingly. "And a child is sitting in our den even as we speak, even if he is a bit on the older side. Sooo…"

"Oh, Roger! That's a marvelous idea!" Anita gasps, delighted as she hops to her feet. She embraces her husband as Nanny claps her hands together, sharing in on the couple's contagious excitement.

"Just wait 'till we tell Sora!" she exclaims, making a beeline to the den to do exactly that. "He'll be absolutely giddy!"

"Nanny! Wait!" Roger calls after her as he and Anita exchange an alarmed glance. They don't hesitate to follow their enthusiastic maid before she spoils the surprise too soon.

"Sora, dearie!" Nanny calls, grinning from ear to ear as she rushes into the living room. Startled, Sora turns his gaze away from the television, many of the puppies following suit as they all mutually wonder what might be going on. "We have wonderful news for you! How would you like to stay with us for-"

"F-for Christmas!" Roger suddenly interjects as he covers Nanny's mouth just in time. "If you don't already have plans, that is, which, I-I'm assuming you don't."

"We know it won't be the same as spending the holiday with your actual family," Anita adds, grateful for her husband's timely ruse. "But we still think it'd be a joy to have you here with us all the same."

For a moment, the most Sora can do is stare at his hosts, largely dumbfounded by such a suggestion. After over a week in their care, he knows he's already likely outworn his welcome. Yet here they are, happily inviting him, asking him to join them for one of the most special holidays of the year. Wanting him to stay even longer than he already has, encouraging him to see their house as his home.

And while, only a few short days ago, Sora would have tried everything he could to convince them against such an idea, now, there's only one answer he can possibly give. "Ok," he smiles in spite of himself, in spite of the doubts his mind still carries, in spite of the healing his heart still needs to do. "I'd love to spend Christmas here with all of you."

"Excellent!" Roger chimes, resting a hand on both Anita and Nanny's shoulders. "Er–ladies, can you help me out with something in the kitchen for a tick?"

He discreetly winks to the pair, something that Sora doesn't catch as Roger leads them back into the kitchen. As soon as they're out of the boy's earshot, Nanny is the first to let out a disgruntled huff. "Good grief, Roger! What was all that nonsense about? Don't we want to let the child know that we want him to stay for more than just one more day?"

"Hush, Nanny!" Roger quickly quiets her, stealing a glance back at the den to make sure Sora doesn't hear. "Of course we do, but that's a surprise best saved for Christmas morning, don't you agree?"

"Ohhhh…" Nanny nods, finally understanding. "I see. Very sneaky. But very clever."

At the same time, Anita loosely laces her arms around Roger's neck, brushing his cheek with an affectionate kiss. "I can't think of any better present to get him," she concludes, laughing as Roger pulls her closer, into a full, romantic embrace. All the while, Pongo and Perdita watch from the den's entrance, leaning their heads against each other as they quietly take part in their owners' celebration.

"It seems as though our family is about to get just a bit bigger," Perdita remarks with a gentle chuckle.

"Bigger," Pongo warmly glances back at the boy in the den, the boy who'd once saved their puppies, who's now, in a sense, has been saved by them. Saved so many more ways than one. "And better."

Though the puppies are all but engrossed in the black and white western playing out on the TV, Sora hardly pays it any mind, his gaze instead focused on the snow falling from the dark sky right outside the window. A natural, easy smile hangs just as loosely on his face as the soft blanket draped over his body, made even warmer by the steaming mug of cocoa in his hands. His thoughts linger on the gracious invitation the Radcliffes' had just extended to him, still surprised by just how easily he'd accepted it. Yet even so, he doesn't regret it. Not when it comes with the promise of getting to spend Christmas with a family he's grown so fond of in the span of just a few short days. Even if that family isn't his own.

It is bittersweet, in some ways, that he won't be with anyone he would have once longed to be surrounded by on such a holiday. He's used to spending it with his mother most of all, and guilt does start to settle in his stomach when he realizes she'll have to go through yet another Christmas without him or his father for that matter. Before the exam, before anything had started to go as wrong as it had, he had also hoped he might've had a chance to finally be with Riku and Kairi back on the islands this year. But now, much like going back to his mother again, that's something he knows will never happen.

But maybe it doesn't have to. Maybe he doesn't have to think about going back home, going back to the lights anymore. Maybe he doesn't have to surrender himself to a future where the only shelter and safety he can get is under the cruel control of Organization XIII. Maybe he doesn't even have to keep searching for Keys to get either of those things from them.

Maybe he can stay right here, where he's cared for, where he's appreciated, where kind smiles and supportive words are so easy to come by. Where his stomach is always satisfied, where he can sleep soundly, where he's able to stay clean and dry and warm, where he's surrounded by people who don't expect him to be anything else than exactly who he is. Maybe he can finally stop running, stop hiding, stop dreading every single dawn of every new day.

Maybe he can finally start to heal. Maybe, for the first time since this disaster began, he can finally start living again. Maybe… just maybe, he can finally have and hold on to something good.

Maybe he could… if only fate were so kind.

Before long, Nanny comes in to shut the television off, guiding the puppies to go to bed in the kitchen, though most of them follow Sora upstairs as he decides to turn in for the night too. He decides to sleep in his own clothes tonight, still immensely impressed by Nanny's work in mending them, even if it had been something of a patchwork effort. He absently hums Christmas tunes to himself as he kicks his borrowed shoes off and slides his jacket off his shoulders, unable to deny just how much he's looking forward to tomorrow. And clearly, it's something Roger and Anita feel the same about as they show up to check in on him before bed.

"Good night, Sora," Anita says as she pulls him into a caring hug. "We're so glad that you're going to be spending the day with us tomorrow."

"Who knows?" Roger pipes up, smirking wryly. "There might even be a special surprise waiting for you under the tree in the morning."

"A surprise?" Sora repeats, suddenly alarmed and embarrassed as he backs out of Anita's embrace. "But… I didn't get you guys anything-"

"You didn't have to," Anita assures, placing a tender hand on the side of his face. "Simply having you here with us is the best present we could ever ask for."

Such a sentiment, spoken so sweetly and sincerely, practically sends Sora reeling. He still doesn't quite understand their kindness toward him, still doesn't know why they could ever want someone like him around, much less accept him and affirm him as much as they have. But the feeling that acceptance, that affection leaves him with is one that he doesn't want to let go of any time soon.

"Sleep well, son," Roger says, playfully ruffling his hair. That's something else that catches Sora off guard, hearing either one of them call him 'son'. He knows it's a simple, very common term of endearment, and yet… something about it still brings a smile to his face all the same. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah," Sora warmly nods as they head out, both of them returning his gentle grin as they turn to close the door behind them. "See you in the morning."

As soon as they're gone, Sora lets out a long, peaceful sigh as he falls back into bed, laughing as a handful of the puppies rush in to lick his face in their own way of saying goodnight. Before long, they flock back over to Pongo as he takes up his usual spot on the foot of the bed, allowing Sora a bit more room to slide under the covers. As he clicks the lamp off, his smile stays in place, to the point that he doesn't think he could chase it away even if he tried. He has a feeling it'll stay well into tomorrow too as he closes his eyes and prepares to dream of everything such a joyful day will have to offer.

And yet… just like all of his other dreams lately, they never get to come true.

Because just as he's about to fully fall asleep, he hears a voice that's only ever filled his worst nightmares instead.

"Comfortable, my thirteenth?"

Sora's eyes shoot open, a frightened gasp tearing from him as he darts upright in bed. Even in the dark, it doesn't take him long to spot the tall, menacing silhouette of none other than his master. He stands before the door Roger and Anita had just left through, blocking his only real escape, not that he'd be able to anyway. Not with the sharp spark of pain already tearing its way through his heart.

"M-master…" he's forced to speak, his hands tightly clenching the edge of his blanket. At first, he hopes this is merely a dream, or rather, a nightmare, that he's fast asleep and when he wakes up, Xehanort will still be somewhere far away. But he quickly finds this isn't the case when he realizes that he's not the only one who can see and hear the master. Pongo and all of the other puppies present quickly jump to attention, almost each and every one of them bearing their fangs and barking and growling at the ominous intruder before them. For a moment, Sora stares at them, stunned before he draws in a sharp breath to join them, hoping to yell, scream, get someone to come in and chase this horrid man away from him.

Yet before he can even try, Xehanort all too quickly cuts him off. "Go ahead, my boy," he encourages, his hands behind his back, his usual haughty grin on his face. "They won't be able to hear you… or them." The master steps forward, reaching a hand out to condescendingly pat Pongo on the head. Recognizing a threat when he sees one, the dog fiercely snips at him, something that draws a small, accidental snort of laughter out of Sora when he sees his usually cool and collected master quickly draw his hand back in alarm.

Of course, he's quickly punished for even letting that much out when Xehanort glances back over at him, fixing him with a dark, fearsome glare. It's enough to intensify the pain shooting through his heart tenfold, yet he isn't even allotted to scream or move at all outside of what the master commands of him next. "Rise, child," he orders coldly. "I want to see just how well they've been treating you."

Sora has no choice but to do exactly that, his body moving on his own accord as he gets out of bed to stand, small and vulnerable, before his master. He's not sure why he's so surprised by this unwanted visit; if anything, he should have been expecting the master to come calling after well over a month without a Key being found and claimed for his cause.

"I see you're faring much better than what your fellow members reported to me a few days ago," Xehanort notes as he circles him, inspects him, just as he did the last time they met. "I suppose I ought to thank your generous hosts for saving me the trouble of having to bring you back from the brink of death yet again."

Sora shudders when the master comes to stand in front of him once more, his golden eyes shining viciously in the darkness surrounding them. He doesn't know how or why he's permitted to speak freely, but when he realizes he can, he makes use of the moment to let out a single tight, terrified request. "P-please…" he whispers, tears already starting to fill his eyes. "Don't hurt them…"

"Hurt them?" Xehanort raises an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would ever do such a thing? Far be it from me to bring any sort of harm to anyone who would take such good care of my favorite vessel." His smooth smile widening as he gently thumbs the first of Sora's falling tears away. "If anything, I came here because I'm quite concerned for that lovely family you've met. After all, they don't seem to notice or care that they've welcomed a bloodthirsty killer into their home."

And just like that, he's brutally shoved right back into reality. Ever since he'd decided to stay here he'd tried so hard, for so long, to ignore that nagging thought at the back of his mind, the haunting memory of what he'd done. Leave it to his cruel master to bring such vicious, vile thoughts right back to the surface all where he desperately doesn't want them to be. "I didn't–that wasn't… my fault…" he tries to protest, surprised that his words are allowed to be his own. Even so, they come out stilted and sluggish, as if the master wants him to feel even more pathetic than he already does.

"Ah, but your hands were still the one that took all those lives, were they not?" Xehanort asks him, an unnecessary question that he has no choice but to answer truthfully.

"Y-yes, but, I'll never-"

"Never do it again?" Xehanort cuts him off, feigning worry. "But what if that witch were to find you again? Do you really think you're safe from her here? Would you really shoulder this innocent family of humble farmers with the burden of protecting you from her wrath?"

Sora falls silent at this, entirely on his own accord as he realizes his master is absolutely right. He'd been foolish to think Maleficent won't eventually come for him, just as he'd been foolish to think that his master wouldn't show up either. Sooner or later, she'll undoubtedly appear, intent on claiming him as her fearsome, feral pet all over again. Only this time, he wouldn't be the only one in danger. If the Radcliffes, scarcely understanding the kind of deadly power Maleficent possesses, dared to stand up to her for his sake… then certainly they'd meet the very same fate Heartless had not so long ago. A fate that Sora can't stand to see anyone else fall to, especially not anyone who had taken him into their home, who had fed him, clothed him, sheltered him, cared for him in so many wonderful ways.

"Then again, the witch is far from the only threat those poor folks have to worry about," Xehanort continues, strolling past him. "As I'm sure you already know from experience alone, Sora, your magic is immensely powerful; but it is wild, unrefined, to the point that even you cannot hope to control it. My power over you can suppress it, and that alone is the only thing that is keeping you from obliterating every brick and board of this house. Along with every living soul within it."

"But… no," Sora counters, shaking his head. "I-I… I've been here more than a week and I haven't-"

"Because you've been distracting yourself with idle amusements," Xehanort sneers. "You've buried all of the things that fuel your magic, your grief, your fear, your rage, as far within the depths of your heart as they can go. But it's only a matter of time before any one of those emotions rises to the surface." Xehanort smirks as he reaches over, abruptly grabbing one of the puppies, much to Pongo's anger and Sora's distress. The pup wriggles and whimpers in this sinister stranger's grasp, but it calms down substantially when the master places it into Sora's arms. "And it would only take one wrong moment for an… unfortunate accident to occur… An accident that would be all your fault. It really is such a shame, Sora. First you couldn't trust your friends, and now, you can't even trust yourself. So who is there left for you to trust, my thirteenth?"

"O-only you… Master…" Sora glumly answers against his will. He carefully places the puppy back on the bed, though it whines to stay with him, to comfort him as it lightly nudges his now limply hanging hand.

"That's right, my boy," Xehanort nods approvingly. "You know, I'm rather impressed by how you've managed to manipulate this family into believing that you're nothing more than a lost, lonely child in need of care and affection. You've even seemed to convince yourself of that fact, despite all of the mounting evidence against it. But I know what you really are, Sora. Far more than even you do."

Though he's been fighting so hard to hold back even more tears, Sora finds himself powerless to stop them when he hears this. He half expects his master to say it aloud, to coldly call him a murderous monster once more. He knows he can't argue against such a claim if he does, as much as he might wish he could. Because even if the Radcliffes don't see him that way, even if they've helped him feel far more human than he has in months, that doesn't change a thing about what he is or what he's done. It doesn't make him any more of the well-intentioned, helpful, noble person he longs to still be. A person who's been dead and gone for far longer than he can even tell at this point.

"It appears you stand at a crossroads, my thirteenth," Xehanort muses, standing behind the boy as he rests a heavy hand upon his shoulder. "You can either stay here with this loving, yet oblivious family that has given you so much you have lost, only end up "thanking" them for their kindness by killing them when you inevitably lose control. Or… you can leave this world behind and continue searching for the Keys that will open the door to your real family. A family that is more than equipped to handle the kind of death and devastation you are destined to bring. The choice is entirely in your hands, Sora… Let us hope for everyone's sake that you make the right one."

Sora can do nothing but stare, stunned by the unbearable ultimatum he's just been given, as his master steps past him, calling upon a dark corridor to leave with little fanfare. Even so, he does glance over his shoulder at his final vessel one final time, a knowing, leering grin on his face as he offers Sora a simple, ironic farewell. "Until we meet again, my thirteenth, I wish you the happiest of holidays."

He disappears into the darkness without another word. And as he does, he leaves Sora standing there… with full freedom to decide what to do next. But after being presented with his only two options, he honestly would have preferred if his master had just been the one to make that decision for him instead.

He doesn't even have to think longer than a minute about what he has to do. He already knows, he'd known from the moment he'd first been dragged into this house. In the days that had followed, he'd selfishly tried to tell himself that everything would be fine, that he could control it, conceal it, that he wouldn't pose a danger to anyone else so long as he kept himself from slipping too far into anger or despair. But now he knows that none of that is true, because as he steals a glance out of his bedroom window, he catches sight of a single black spike, glimmering in the darkness as it begins to creep through the snow in the yard below. It's only through sheer luck alone that it didn't appear in the house itself, luck that Sora knows well he won't always have on his side.

Xehanort may have offered him a "choice", but in reality, it's anything but. There's only one real option for him here, only one thing he can do, as much as he doesn't want to. But what he wants doesn't matter, not when there are innocent lives at stake, when those lives belong to people he's grown to respect and love in almost no time at all.

He won't stand by and watch as someone else he cares about dies because of him. He won't allow himself to take another life, accidental or otherwise. He won't–he can't be selfish anymore, not for another day, another hour, another second.

Which means… all that's left for him to do is the only thing he's been doing before now. All that's left… is for him to run.

Tears stream silently down his cheeks as he quickly pulls his jacket on, swiftly slides his only remaining shoe on his foot. He refuses to take anything that doesn't belong to him, not a single cent or speck of food to sustain him when he's back out on his own. He won't steal from the family that was so charitable toward him, to people who gave him just about everything they had to offer when he didn't deserve any of it. Pongo and the puppies watch him rush to prepare for his journey, a handful of them trying to stop him by jumping against his legs, barking in clear disagreement with the decision he's made. For the most part, Sora ignores them, but he stops short when Pongo manages to snag him by the edge of his glove, pulling it back to try and anchor him until it inevitably slips off.

"...I can't stay," he tells all of the dogs staring up at him sadly. "Maybe I never should have in the first place…" He lets out a small, shaky sob, wishing that he had enough courage to head down the hall, wake Roger and Anita, and offer them a proper goodbye, a proper thanks for everything they've done for him. But in the face of everything he fears so deeply, everything he dreads he might do, he can't even work up a shred of bravery to even try.

So instead, he quickly finds a stray slip of paper and a pen, his hand shaking as he struggles to come up with what to say. In the end, he settles on an incredibly short message, one that doesn't even begin to convey half of what he truly wants to tell them. He leaves it on the bed alongside the glove Pongo had pulled off him, knowing it won't do him any good at this point anyway. He's still crying when he summons a dark corridor on the far side of the room, though he manages to muster the slightest of sad smiles when he glances back to Pongo and the puppies. "I-I… I guess this is goodbye…" he says softly as he steps forward toward the shadows, to whatever unknown world they intend on leading him to next.

A handful of the dogs rush after him in one final attempt at trying to get him to stay, but ultimately, it's to no avail. The darkness swallows Sora before they can even hope to reach him, taking him somewhere far away from this world, from this house, from the family he owes so much to. The family he'll never get a chance to repay.

And instead of spending the holiday with that family like he'd so longed to, instead of staying warm and happy in their home, instead of finding comfort and cheer in just how much they care about him…

Sora ends up spending this Christmas alone.

In a tiny village only a few miles across the countryside from the Radcliffes' farm, rests a quiet, cozy little inn. And from one of its rooms, in a soft chair by the window, Kairi watches the snow fall through the dark and quiet night, her heart seeming to ache more and more with each flake, with each empty, passing moment. With every day she has to spend without a certain someone by her side.

"You're up late." She turns to see Axel approaching, a steaming cup of tea in his hands, which he doesn't hesitate to hand off to her. Xion follows after him, wearing the same sort of clear concern on her face. They'd only just gotten to this world a few hours prior, and with the weather as inclimate as it is, they have no real choice but to postpone their search until morning. Not as if Kairi is really expecting them to find anything here anyway.

"Couldn't sleep…" she mutters, absently sipping on her tea.

"Neither could we," Xion concurs sympathetically.

"Correction: I could, until somebody knocked on my door to wake me up in the middle of the night," Axel remarks, fixing Xion with a dry, exasperated look.

"Sorry, Axel…" she chuckles, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. And yet, this brief bout of levity isn't enough to bring Kairi out of her lingering melancholy, something both of her traveling companions mutually strive to do.

"Hey, chin up," Axel encourages, smiling. "We're gonna find him any day now. Just you wait and see."

"...That's not-" Kairi cuts herself off with a sigh as she turns back to the window. "Axel, do you know what tonight is?"

"Uh… not off the top of my head, no," Axel frowns, scratching his head. "Am I supposed to?"

Kairi doesn't answer for a long time, and when she does, her voice is so quiet that it's barely even audible. "It's Christmas Eve…"

"Oh," Axel says, tersely at first until the deeper realization sets in. "Oh…"

"Christmas Eve?" Xion repeats, confused. "What's that?"

"I'll… explain it to you later," Axel quickly tells her before turning his attention back to Kairi. "You ok? I mean, you're probably not too happy about having to spend the holiday without… you know…"

Much to his surprise, Kairi lets out a small, bitter laugh. "Actually, I'm kind of used to not having Sora or Riku around on Christmas lately," she says, more than acclimated to this kind of loneliness after having spent the past two years without them. "It's just… I thought… I'd hoped we'd finally be together this year, just like we were when we were little… I could have never imagined all this would happen…"

"For what it's worth, none of us could have," Axel sighs, placing a consoling hand on her shoulder. "But who knows? Maybe Sora could finally turn up somewhere tomorrow. That'd sure be one heck of a Christmas present, huh?"

"It would be…" Kairi says wistfully. And yet, for as kind as Axel's encouragement is, she finds little solace in it. After all, they've already been traversing the worlds for weeks now without a single clue as to Sora's whereabouts, or Naminé's for that matter. The chances of finding either of them on a day as random as tomorrow are all but nonexistent, just as the chances of finding them at all are slowly starting to become.

Axel draws in a deep breath, unsure of what else to say as he rubs his neck and looks away. Xion, on the other hand, fills in the gap when she steps forward to offer the other girl a few words of comfort and reassurance. "Kairi," she begins gently, yet intently. "I may not know what this Christmas thing is, but… I do know this. When I was still inside of Sora's heart, it was always at its warmest and its brightest whenever he was with you. You are his light, and as soon as we find him, which we will, the way he feels about you–the way you feel about each other will be more than enough to drive any amount of darkness away."

A slow, yet steady smile spreads across Kairi's face as she listens to Xion's sincere words, deciding to find an inkling of truth in them. It's not much, but it's something; it's enough to bring her some semblance of hope when that's something that seems to be in such short supply lately. "Thank you," she says, still smiling softly.

Xion returns her grin, albeit a bit brighter, at least until Axel catches her off guard when he slips his hand on her shoulder. He nods in the opposite direction, sending the unspoken implication that they should give Kairi a bit of solitude with what he says next. "So do you want me to fill you in on this whole Christmas deal or not?"

"Sure," Xion smirks, turning alongside Axel to leave, though not before they both send her another earnest glance. "Good night, Kairi."

"Night," Kairi returns, bidding the pair a nod of farewell. As soon as they leave the room, she turns her sights back to the window, taking another sip of her tea as she stares out at the snow. And all the while, she can't help but wonder if Sora and Riku are both out there somewhere, , doing the exact same thing, staring up at the exact same sky.

"...We'll drive the darkness away…" she echoes, skimming her free hand over her heart. A heart full of light, something that's never mattered more than it does now when one of her best friends needs it most.

She still doesn't expect to find him tomorrow, or any time soon for that matter. But she still resolves herself to do whatever it takes to bring him back to her, to bring him home. To be with him, to be with them both, in all the ways she's always wanted to be with them, for every day of every year. "Merry Christmas, Riku…" she mutters, hoping that he's taking care of himself wherever he might be. She hasn't heard from him since he left on his own, but she longs to. She wants nothing more than to apologize for her rashness, her temper, for the words she said that she knows she can't take back. She wants nothing more than to set everything that's gone wrong between them right.

The same can be easily be said for someone else too. He's out there, somewhere, she knows he is. All she needs to do is find him. All she needs to do is give him back the light he so sorely needs. But for tonight, the most she can offer him is a single, simple wish, spoken in little more than a whisper as a stray tear streaks its way down her cheek. As her heart cries out to his… and hears nothing but grief and fear in return. "...Merry Christmas, Sora…"

It almost never snows for Christmas on the Destiny Islands. Such weather is rare to begin with, but when it does occur, it's usually early on in the new year. She's not surprised to see this holiday is no different, though the island air still carries an empty chill, one that seems to fill almost every inch of her house despite the roaring fire keeping it warm.

She takes a seat on the couch, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of cocoa, her heart heavy as she stares at a tree she once again decorated alone. It wasn't too many years ago that this room would be filled with life and laughter on Christmas Eve, with sweets and songs and stories and traditions. It wasn't too many years ago that her husband would turn the radio on, sweep her off her feet, and pull her into a joyous dance in time with any cheerful Christmas tune that happened to be playing. It wasn't too many years ago that her son would sit cookies and milk in front of the tree before daring himself to stay awake to see Santa, only to be fast asleep long before dawn ever broke. It wasn't too many years ago that her family was together for Christmas. It wasn't too many years ago when she used to actually be happy during this holiday.

Unlike her husband, at least she knows her son is out there, in some distant world so far from home. She's heard nothing from him since the last time he left so many months ago. He'd promised he'd be home within a year, but that year has already almost passed. And with it, she has no way of knowing when he'll come back, if he'll even come back at all. Yet even still, she can't help but wonder if it's Christmas wherever he is too, if he even has time to remember to celebrate such a holiday, if he even has a second to spare to think of her if he does.

She sighs, shaking her head as her gaze drifts from the tree, to the portrait of their tiny family hanging on the nearby wall. A family that's been torn apart by time and distance and even death. A family she still loves with every last part of her heart, even if she's the only one left of it.

"Merry Christmas, Ki…" she whispers, raising her mug in something of a toast. She takes a drink of her hot chocolate in honor of her husband, wondering what he would think of their son's long-lasting leave if the sea hadn't taken him far too soon. Maybe if it hadn't, at the very least, she wouldn't feel so lonely on nights like this. Maybe then, the pain of possibly losing them both wouldn't be so bad.

She lowers her mug, tears brimming in her eyes as that awful thought strikes her again. That her son might just decide to stay out there among the stars, that he might never come home. That he might not be around anymore to make that decision to begin with. She forces the idea out of her head, just as she always does whenever it rears its ugly head. She has to have faith that he'll come back to her, just as he always has. She has to believe that her son, her strong, smart, sweet son will return to her someday. And that maybe when he does this time… she won't ever have to see him go again.

But for now, all she can do is dream of that distant day when she finally gets at least a fraction of her family back. For now, she raises her mug again, taking another sip of her and her son's favorite drink as she sends him all the love she can give from so very far away. "Merry Christmas, Sora…"

The Radcliffes are up with the sun on Christmas morning. From the moment each of them hop out of bed, Roger, Anita, and Nanny are practically aglow with excitement, and with good reason too. With their plan from the previous evening still in place, Nanny rushes down to retrieve one of the handful of boxes sitting under the tree downstairs while the couple finishes their final preparations in the hallway.

"Alright," Roger grins once Nanny returns, present in hand. "Is everybody ready?"

Anita and Nanny solidly nod, both of them beaming brightly themselves. Not wanting to waste another second, Roger is the one to cheerfully knock on the guest room's door. "Oh, Sora! It's time to get up! We've got quite the surprise for you!"

"Indeed," Anita adds with a chuckle as she starts to push the door open. "And it's one we hope you'll be just as thrilled about as we-"

She starkly cuts herself off, her, Roger, and Nanny all drawing in a surprised gasp when they fully open the door to find the bed empty. Or rather, to find that it's empty when it comes to Sora. Pongo and several of the puppies rest upon it, all of them equally dejected and despondent to the point that they don't even perk up when the others enter at all.

"Oh my…" Nanny glances around the room. "Seems like he's gotten the jump on us this morning. Precious thing probably couldn't sleep, he was so excited for the big day. But wherever could he be…?"

"He wasn't downstairs already, was he?" Anita asks the maid, who simply shakes her head, befuddled.

"Hm?" Roger turns when Pongo presents him with something. "What do you have there, boy?" He takes the folded slip of paper out of his dog's maw, alongside one of Sora's strangely abandoned gloves, something that doesn't make any sort of sense until he quickly reads through the note's contents. "...Oh… Anita…" he breathes, all but collapsing to sit upon the bed. "Take a look at this…"

"What is it, dear?" she frowns at her husband's distress, but she quickly comes to share it when she and Nanny both look over the very brief contents of the hastily-written note. A note that only reads four words, two of which are haphazardly scratched out in favor of the differing message down below it:

Thank you

I'm sorry

Sudden silence fills the room, oppressive and agonizing as they all read the note over and over again, trying to make sense of it and failing every time. Eventually, Nanny is the one who fretfully voices the most obvious question first. "W-whatever does that mean?" she asks, her voice small, stiff.

"I believe," Roger sighs as he stares down at Sora's glove, draped limp and empty across his hand. "It means that… h-he left. He's gone."

"But… why?" Anita presses, taking a seat on the bed alongside her husband. "And how?"

"He must've snuck out last night while we were sleeping," Roger dejectedly assumes. "As for why… I… I don't know, darling. I thought… he was happy here, with us…"

"So did I…" Anita echoes, fighting back tears as she clings onto Roger's arm. Several of the puppies crowd around them, each and every one of them just as upset to see Sora go so suddenly, without even so much as a proper goodbye. Pongo and Perdita sit at their owners' feet, both of them at a complete loss over what to do to help them ease the pain of losing who they had hoped would be their first "puppy" of their own. "What are we going to do now…?" Anita asks what feels like an eternity later.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do!" Nanny exclaims, determined and robust. "We're going to find that poor child and bring him back home to us! We'll phone up the police again, go even as far as Scotland Yard if we have to, but we won't rest until he's safe and sound!"

"But Nanny," Roger interjects. "If the police couldn't help us find his family then I doubt they'll be able to… help us find him either…" He trails off into another sigh as Nanny rushes downstairs to begin her stalwart search. A search that the couple already suspects will be in vain, one that the Dalmatians all but know will be after what many of them witnessed last night.

"...I do hope he's alright…" Anita mutters, a few of her tears finally falling. "Do you think we'll ever see him again?"

"...I hope so, darling…" Roger rests a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead as he holds her close. "I hope so…" In his free hand, he still clings onto Sora's glove, which he lightly lays over the beautifully wrapped gift they'd gotten for him. The present itself was merely meant to be a symbolic trinket, a hot chocolate mug that they'd gotten engraved with his name on it. The plan had been for him to open it, and for the couple to surprise him with his true gift as soon as he did. To ask him if he'd like to become a permanent guest, a permanent part of their family.

But now, that question will forever go unasked, that gift eternally ungiven. Because now, the boy who they'd found right when he needed their help most, the boy who'd made the days leading up to this now lonely holiday so bright and beautiful, the boy who they'd both started to see as their own… has left their lives just as suddenly as he had appeared.

"Be safe out there, son," Roger mutters, glancing out the window to the vast, snow-covered countryside. One that, unbeknownst to either of them, Sora is now somewhere worlds away from. Just as he's now worlds away from them. "And wherever you are… Merry Christmas, Sora."

MERRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN I'M SORRY I GAVE THE BOY SOMETHING NICE AND HAD TO RIP IT AWAY FROM HIM IM SO SORRY! But it had to be done. Because plot progression or something idk anyway next time around we're finally back on track with a regularly scheduled Disney world adventures, this time with a more tropical vibe to contrast all of these holiday tidings. Probs won't see that until after the new year though, so until then, I wish all of YOU a very happy holidays! See you in the new year with what will hopefully Keys' epic conclusion coming up soon (but not too soon...)! But for now, don't forget to REVIEW! Until Next time! :3