Disclaimer---Gah, these things are SO boring. -sigh- I don't own any of this, if u wanna sue, I have a nice collection of TY beanie babies....that's about all u'll have. But if u take them, I'll cry, I swear it! ;.;

CHAPTER 9:

Riku stood stiffly, staring grimly at the bright column of light; Sora's escence flowed from that light strongly, strengthening the pessimistic thoughts racing through Riku's mind, and making it all the harder to push them away. (Right now, I'm verbally inclined...thoughts are hard to come by, sorry bout this...;.;) He did not like this, that light could mean Sora was already gone, that he was using far too much power, Traid had reclaimed the Keyblade, too many possibilities and too much he did not know; what he did know, he was not sure of.

The only sign to show Riku's hidden agony was the gradual drip of sweat from his forehead. His stoic inner calm was shattered, the person's life he was meant to guard and protect was behind that wall of blistering light, and only the two behind it knew what was happening. He did not dare try and pass that wall, he had once almost given his heart to darkness before he knew his destiny. The intense purity of that light could burn away his heart if there was any lingering darkness. Riku could admit to himself now that his heart was not as strong as Sora's was. Becoming frustrated, he balled his hands into fists and bit down on his bottom lip anxiously, "Cummon Sora, you can do this! Come back to me!" Suddenly, Riku dropped his fists and looked to Kairi's motionless body, she looked to be simply sleeping, encompassed in a peaceful dream, 'I wonder how peacefully one can sleep with no heart.' Riku thought idylly.

He was suddenly caught off balance as the ground shook beneath him, his legs threatened to buckle under him and Riu reached out blindly for something to hold on to. Remarkably, he he stayed on his feet, swaying each time the earth moved. Something like a beam of blue energy shot from the column of light that had grown bright, if that were at all possible, and struck Kairi in the chest. Riku stumbled to her side, cradling her as gently as he could while getting thrown around himself in the cataclysm.

Her eyes fluttered open and she utter a confused sound before the trembling earth and thunderous noise caught her attention. Kairi's frightened gaze caught Riku's and she sat up quickly, "Wh-what's going on?" She had to shout to be heard.

Relief surged from Riku, Kairi wasx fine, she had her heart back, that mean something had to have gone right. The princess's heart was now restored, and that meant that the light would be more stable.

"Sora!" Kairi shouted panicked.

Riku's attention was turned back to the current situation. The light had faded around Sora, and he was standing over Traid's fallen form, blood dripping freely from his many wounds again. His shirt was nothing but torn bits of cloth hanging around his waist, exposing those deep diagonal gashes on his chest. Sora's pants were in a slightly better condidtion, but were quickly being staned and soaked in blood. Sora was heaving, his eyes were blue fire, burning with the effort he'd just exerted using all of that power. But none of that was what caused Riku's heart to leap into his throat; tears spilled down Sora's face, his posture was that of a person who'd just had their soul beaten, an innocence torn away from them. The Keyblade he held limply at his side.

"Sora!" Before he knew what he was doing, Riku found himself on his feet, somehow stable on the heaving ground, ready to throw his arms around the Keybearer.

"Riku, the door!" He turned around quickly to see Kairi pointing at an open doorway through which the cave of the Secret Place on the island was visible. Riku stared at it dumbly for a moment, that was the way to safety, he just had to get everyone through it. He turned again to Sora and was about to grab him when suddenly, a deafening crack, like lightning striking a tree made infinite times louder, sounded from beneath their feet. Kairi screamed, gaping at the widening gap in the earth between her and Riku. "The ground is breaking!"

Panic welled inside Riku, seconds stretched for hours but passed by before he could grasp them. Did Sora not notice what was happening? How come he wasn't racing for the door with them? Riku threw a call over his hsoulder before turnening around fully, "Cummon Sora, we've gotta - SORA!" Riku turned around to find Sora collapsed on Traid's body. Riku cursed himself, of course Sora wouldn't be able to stay stable, his wounds were too serious, he had probably lost too much blood.

Kairi was near tears, she knew all that had happened since she had lost her heart, regaining it put all that knowledge and all of the knowledge of her own destiny into her mind. Sora had spoken something to her, possibly through her heart, for it was only meant for her ears, "Don't worry about me, go Kairi, you've got to get out of here, this world is going to fall apart. It was held together by Traid and he's gone now, there's nothing keeping it stable." He was protecting the Princess of Heart, as was his duty, but it killed Kairi inside to know that she'd have to leave him, "Riku! We've got to go!"

"You go!" Riku was already moving toward Sora, stumbling, falling, and trying to keep away from the cracks opening up all over the earth, "Tell Tidus, Selphie, everyone what happened, I'm not leaving Sora!"

"But Riku-"

"GO!" He turned to her, his eyes blaing, command written plainly on his face, he'd brook no arguments and before she knew what she was doing, Kairi was stubmlign through the door, running out of the Secret Place.

Meanwhile, Riku had reached Sora's nearly lifeless body; gently, he picked Sora up and nearly droppped him from shock. Sora was alarmingly light, more so that he cshould be, and he was cold as ice. "I'm gonna get help for you Sora, hold on! I beliefve in you!" (1) Sora groaned and twitched his arm still holding securly to the Keyblade. This raised Riku's spirits slightly, Sora was still alive, if barely.

A rather violent tremor ripped Riku from his relieve and, looking down, he saw large pieces of earth fall into a chasm of split earth. Looking above him on a whim, Riku couldn't help but recoil and gasp in horror, the sky itself was cracking, in fact, the entire world around the was crumbling and the door was still quite a ways away. (Sora broke the world O.O) They'd never make it, but Riku would not give up, he pulled Sora close to his body, completely disregarding the sticky red substance soaking into his clothing, and sprinted off to the doorway.

Riku's legs were surprisingly swift despite the fact that they were trembling, he made an effort not to think about it and jynx himself, just concentrating on the door; and suddenly, the door was a few feet before them. Waisting no time, he lunged toward it, turning himself around so that he'd land on his back and cushion the fall for the wounded Sora. But Riku's body did not hit the stone floor of the Secret Place, it bounced off solid wood, knocking the wind, and all hope it seemed, out of him. He hit the ground still clutching Sora tight to him, reluctant to ever let go. And then, another defening crack echoed through his mind and the world feel out from beneath him, and he and Sora fell.

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Riku awoke, or at least thought he did, Sora was floating, or falling, in this place he could not tell the difference, above him, with his arms around Riku's neck. It felt nice, Riku felt bliss at that moment; it was just them, he smiled contentedly forgetting everything else that had happened. Sora hd then taken Riku's hands, moving away from his to arm's length, and smiled down at him, blood had stopped flowing from the wounds on Sora's body, but they were still a nasty shade of red.

There was a giant pool of light beheath them that they were falling into, Riku could see it reflected in Sora's eyes. Somehow he knew it was warm, and welcoming, he and Sora would share it together.

Sora looked down at Riku, his blue eyes glittering in that reflected light, sending it back to Riku. "Believe." He whispered suddenly and intense light burst from his body, engulfing Riku along with the light his body fell into.

"Sora!" Riku called alarmed before the light swallowed everything.

A/N: Ok, tada!!! Yes, I have gotten to the library and typed this out. This chapter is kinda...eh, different. It's very much how I wanted it to turn out, and I'm soooo happy that it came out that I didn't have to change the last chapter! -Sighs happily-

Oh, the next chapter is getting out soon, I'm writing it as u read. This is what happens when I can't sleep at four o'clock in the morning....o.o' Or when my brother steals my tv in my room...I have the PS2 in my room so that's where all those PS games are played.

(1) All this 'believe' stuff will make sense next chapter, there's a reason Riku's being really protective of Sora and it's not just because he's the Guardian.

-Gives Shar a cookie- I hope this was good enough for you, I promise my next chapter will not be long in coming. You don't have to go insane now! Tankies for all ur loverly reviews!

BTW: Sorry for all the grammar mistakes, but I don't really have the time (u only get an hour on library computers) to proofread and I really wanted to get this posted.

TTFN