Sora walked down the allies of what he now knew to be Traverse Town. It was a quaint town with many out of place faces littering the streets with nowhere else to go. Sora chose to take the back allies because of the stares he received. Many looked him over and shook their heads at his despairs.

While passing a back ally with trickling water echoing off the brick walls he spotted Riku leaned up against the wall holding a metal object in his hands. The sun reflected off the object in such a way that it blinded Sora's eyes in sharp flashes. Opening his mouth, Sora was about to call Riku but Riku started to speak softly to himself turning the object over in his hands infatuated with it.

"What power you posses, for good or bad you do not decide. . .but your master does." He spoke, the light of the metal object flashing over his face lighting his glassy eyes.

Sora slowly backed into the wall watching Riku closely not understanding the riddles he spoke. He could only watch Riku turn over the flashing object until he stopped holding out what looked to be like a giant silver key with a golden handle. Sora's eyes widen at the sight of the key encrusted with a crown as the cutting edge and a little tiny chain that resembled a mouse's head at the end of it.

"I decide the fate, you were given to me. . ." Riku smiled, the flashing of the sunlight being concentrated right between his eyes. "R. . ." Sora started but the words dried in his throat.

Finally, Riku laughed to himself putting his prized possession on his back and shoved the doors to the back alley with such force they wobbled back and forth like loose skin. Sora could only press himself harder against the wall trying to comprehend Riku's words.

"Sora. . ." a voice called in a groaning tone. It sounded as thought he very name hurt the person speaking. Sora looked left and right quickly for the owner of the voice but his blue eyes never caught movement of any kind. Slowly he propped himself up from the wall and turned still watching closely.

"Sora do not ignore me."

Frozen again with his heart pounding Sora replied, "Who are you, what do you want?"

"To help you." The groaning voice replied.

"Help me with what? Show yourself!"

"I cannot revel myself to you yet. . .you have to trust me first."

Sora backed up further still watching closely. Sweat dripped from his closed palm but he kept a steady stride backwards to the door, "How can I trust you?"

The voice replied softly in a whisper that seemed to sting Sora's ears, "I have the answers. . ."

"Then keep your answers, I have no need for them."

The voice laughed with deep diaphragm blasts that vibrated the water to ripples as it replied, "You must not care for Kairi then."

Sora's hand was on the knob of the door to the back alley but when he heard this his grip loosened as his lips parted in confusion. Then anger pumped through his veins feeling that Kairi was in danger, "Leave her alone!"

"Run to her Sora, run!"

Sora needed no further instructions. His hand flew to the doorknob again but the knob bounced back into place each time he tried to turn it. It didn't bend to his will. "Please leave her alone! She's lost her heart!" Sora pleaded seeing escape was useless.

"I know. . .I told you I have all the answers."

"Then. . .how do we wake Kairi?" Sora asked lifting his chin to look up feeling heavy air enclose around him from above.

"Her heart is near, can you feel it? The warmth?" The voice questioned becoming deep and menacing.

Sora looked down again but all he felt was heavy air enclosing so that his breaths were drawing shorter gasps and less air. "I can't feel anything but darkness."

"Listen to your dreams, they tell of events either past, present and future." The voice advised trailing off.

"Wait!" Sora called but a cool breeze that calmed his body and soothed his lungs lifted the heavy air. Sora was then left in the back alley with only the sound of trickling water and his thoughts.

~*~*~

Sora fell to his knees next to Kairi's bed taking her hand in his feeling her warmth coming back into her finger tips. He squeezed her hand between his and rested his chin on top of it feeling the warmth spread down her fingers to her palm. The color seemed to spread like daylight over her body, her rose cheeks enlighten in red as her blue eyes blinked open again.

Kairi looked at Sora with his eyes looking into hers and she pressed her lips together and smiled, "Sora." She whispered.

"Kairi, your alright. . ." Sora whispered back relived. He leaned in closer down to her face wanting to hold her tightly.

Nodding, Kairi giggled softly while entwining her fingers in his crown necklace that draped off his neck. This made Sora's face come closer to hers so that he felt her soft breaths seep onto his skin, "I wouldn't leave you like that."

Sora just stared feeling all his worries disappear into her eyes. Now he felt the warmth of her heart.

"Kairi." Riku called from the door walking into the room.

"Riku." Kairi smiled turning her face from Sora. Her long fingers unraveled from the necklace releasing Sora from her grasp. Frozen from the moment Sora stayed leaned over wanting Kairi's attention to turn from Riku but he took her hand and held it pushing Sora further away from Kairi.

"Glad to see your ok. I was worried you wouldn't make it." Riku smiled back.

Kairi giggled again and looked back at Sora, "Like I told Sora, I wouldn't leave that easily."

Sora smiled, "Yeah and we wouldn't let you."

"We? You mean I. . .I went back for her." Riku corrected leaning down to Kairi.

Kairi turned from Sora again and looked up at Riku and smiled, "I am lucky I have good friends like you."

Wrapping her arms around Riku's neck, he picked her up from the bed and cradled her in his arms holding her fragile body carefully. Riku turned to bring her back to the other room but as he turned Kairi looked over Riku's shoulder and her blue eyes fell on Sora one last time. Sora once again felt the warmth inside and his hand lifted, fingers extended out to her wanting her hand in his once again.

Kairi squinted her eyes into a smile at him and turned her head once again and disappeared from sight. Falling back on the bed Sora's fingers bounced from each tiny spike on his crown necklace trying to feel Kairi's hand there once again. He turned his head to see rifts of sunlight dancing on the floor and smiled. Knowing Kairi was safe was enough to make him content.

"Sora we are leaving tomorrow for our first stop to get Kairi's heart back." Riku called to him filling the doorway.

Sora turned his head to him, "Ok. . .but doesn't she have her heart back already since she is moving now?"

Riku shook his head, "No she must have gained part of it back somehow, She's still weak."

"Then let's get her whole heart back." Sora nodded.

Riku shook his head wanting to laugh at Sora for his cheesy attitude and turned to go but Sora stopped him by saying, "Riku, how did you save Kairi? I thought you and I went through this door and fell through all these worlds of some kind together."

With his back turned Riku replied, "I don't want to talk about it."