This chapter has been edited. Sorry everyone TT.TT
A/N:
XCX: OH MY FUNKY MONKEY WAFFLES ! One hundred reviews!
Jin: And more some…
XCX: You guys… :breaks down crying: You really like it!
Jin: From the looks of it… :shuffles papers: yeah.
XCX: Wow… This is an all new record for me… 100… I can die happy now that one of my dreams has been fulfilled… :holds up knife:
Riku: Oh no you don't! I finally got Sora back! There is no way in hell that I'll let you just drop it!
XCX: Eheheh… okee dokee Riku… Well… things are finally looking better for me in both the real world and the net. With a slight bit of havoc here and there…
Tsubasa: How so?
XCX: Good news…
My choir concert went well and we received a 1 (the best grade you can get) on stage, and then we got another 1 in the site-reading room when it was just the girls. We were slightly dragged down, though, when the boys came in. We got a 2 in that one.
Also, in a week or so, I'll be gone for a while in a concert in Dallas, Texas and staying in a hotel and then goin' to Sixflags (I've never been to Sixflags so I'm looking forward to it).
Spring break is here and I can write and goof off as much as I want! (And test out our new boat!)
I just received 100 reviews and I started dancing around, getting funny looks from my parents. Remember, they don't know I write this stuff…
ANDI've got my own website up and I hope that someone contributes fanart, KH 2 theory, or a KH (1,2, CoM) caption. Or a link to their own site… I'm open to anything!
Rei: And the bad news?
XCX: Bad news…
I've been feeling a little under the weather, despite the unusually warm climate here. Coughing, sneezing, and just plain old tired…
A reviewer from my adultfanfiction account (in a sort of misunderstanding) counted me as a… person from Texas. I'll state this now. I. AM. NOT. A. CENTRAL. STATE. PERSON. I was raised in the west, (California, Nevada, Washington, Arizona. I won't be specific) for more than three quarters of my life. And as soon as I can, I'll be moving back. I only moved here because of my dad's job.
Tsubasa: Well then, let's not dwell on those matters. Let's begin this fic!
XCX: Okee dokee!
Read on and live for the thrill of life! X3
Disclaimer: Okay… for the tenth time since I've begun this fic… XCX DOESN'T OWN KH OR FF! And like I have said, I wish I did, but I don't. So nyaaaa!
Chapter 10"Is he awake yet?"
"So this is Sora?"
"He's kinda cute…"
'Voices…'
"This is that brat that ran off!"
CRASH
"Riku, you didn't need to hit him!"
"Damn duck…"
There was a slam from a door and then one of the voices spoke up again.
"Yuffie… you better watch him for now."
"Roger!"
Again a door opened, but this time closed with a soft click, silence reigning in the small room.
Groaning Sora clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't see anything with his eyes shut, but he knew that there were others in the room. Crowded around him, watching his every move.
"Sora…?"
Kairi's voice?
Slowly opening his deep azure eyes, Sora blinked again as his eyes scanned over the occupants of the room, slowly propping himself up on his elbows. He could feel his neck burning, but he ignored it for the most part.
There was a duck in blue clothing, but he seemed unconscious, as he lay propped up against a nearby wall, a large bruise on his head.
A tall, erect dog was leaning over the duck, casting the duck a worried look before he spotted Sora and waved, an odd smile on his long canine snout.
Then there was a girl in a long pink dress, her hair drawn into a long, long braid and her green eyes, sitting in a chair beside his bed, her hands resting politely in her lap, looking at him worriedly.
Leaning on a wall, not to far from the female, was a tall brunet. His blue eyes solely focused on Sora, his thin face portraying nothing. With his arms and waist covered in belts and buckles, Sora was only vaguely aware that he was staring when the taller quirked an eyebrow.
"Sora?"
Turning slowly, he saw Kairi standing there, her arms resting behind her back looked at him timidly, almost in a rather shy manner that she only used when she confronted older men.
"Sora… are you alright?" She said cautiously. Truthfully, she was scared that Sora would be angry again and run off.
It had scared and shocked her when she had been able to talk to Sora back at the Coliseum, but she was worried. Worried that Sora would yell at her again. She had never seen the usually cheery brunet act as such.
"Fine…" He said absentmindedly, his mind still too clouded by sleep to really register what was going on. People were staring at him; that was the only thing that wasn't hazy in his mind. What he was supposed to do, that, was hidden in the fog.
"Sora… what happened?"
Sora lowered his head and stared at the hard wood floor… something was wrong… he didn't know what though… there was something he just couldn't remember…
"I… don't know." He responded, looking up from the floor to Kairi's violet worried eyes.
There was something important. Nagging at the back of his mind, but something was keeping him from remembering. Something… strange… an odd feeling that was screaming in the back of his mind, in an language he did not understand.
Kairi slowly came over and sat on the bed, bringing he pale hands up and placing them on Sora's forehead.
"You seem okay… What do you think Aerith?" She said, turning to face the longhaired brunet.
"He could have hit his head, or he may be a little… absent from lack of blood." She stood and walked over to Sora, bending over and running her hands through Sora's brown locks. "I don't feel any bumps… Sora, does it hurt anywhere?" She asked soothingly, her voice vaguely reminding Sora of his mother. It was like an older Kairi.
"…No?" Sora answered, though it was more of a question than an answer.
"Maybe some fresh air will do him some good?" The dog spoke up.
"Yes… but from what Riku and Kairi have told us, he's run away the past couple of times. If he goes outside and suddenly remembers; you may end up searching for him all over." The brunette countered, her green eyes looking on sadly.
Sora, on the other hand, continued to stare at the floor, seemingly transfixed, anything and everything they said around him bouncing off his ears.
What was he trying to remember? Was there was something important he was supposed to remember? What was it? Something… important and serious.
Racking his brain for the answer, Sora found he couldn't turn anything up about Kairi and Riku that he would run away… They were both his best friends after all.
Riku…
"Where's Riku?" He suddenly asked, surprising most of them.
"I'll get him." The man in the corner responded, shifting and casually striding toward the door. He walked out and closed it behind him with a soft click, his presence almost easing Sora's nerves.
A minute or so later, he came back in at took a long, hard look at everybody in the room.
"He wants to talk to Sora alone."
"You think that's wise?" Aerith asked, her eyes holding a tint of worry.
"He won't see Sora otherwise." The brunet replied imperturbably, showing no interest in the situation at all.
"Alright." Slowly, everyone exited the room (Goofy carrying Donald out), Kairi giving Sora one last lingering look before exiting the room.
Riku slowly walked in, looking over his shoulder at the remaining occupant in the hallway who happened to be Yuffie.
"Move it." He ordered firmly, glowering at her, before she huffed and stormed away.
Sora watched as Riku slowly shut the door, locking the door before turning around to face the still dazed brunet.
"They tell me you've lost your memories." Riku began.
"So I've heard." Sora brought a hand up and rubbed it through his untamed hair, a sad and tired look crossing his features.
"What do you remember?" The silver-haired youth walked over and sat on the bed, his aquamarine orbs watching Sora the whole time.
"I remember Destiny Islands…" He explained, slowly at first. "And I remember us working on a raft… but the rest… is fuzzy… like… looking through a fogged up window…"
A thoughtful look came over Riku's face and he put his hands on his chin, his eyes becoming glazed as he stared as Sora.
"Do you… remember our…" His brow knitted together, trying to search for the 'right' word, "… relationships? You know… between me, you, and Kairi?"
"Yeah. We're all best friends."
It was like a giant weight had been lifted from Riku's shoulders and a new one had replaced it.
The good news was Sora didn't know that he was once angry with Riku and Kairi for their relationship.
The bad news was that Sora didn't remember the night the island disappeared, Riku wasn't even sure if Sora knew about his confession to him.
Or if Sora still loved him.
"Okay…" Was all Riku said, before casting a look at the sheets pooled at Sora's waist, not wanting to meet Sora's questioning gaze.
Standing up abruptly, Riku turned and made a beeline for the hallway and off to find Kairi.
OoOoOoOoOoOSora had lost his memories.
But how? Why? Was is because he had bitten him?
Why had he done that anyways?
'You were close to loosing. Losing him. Again.' His subconscious reminded. 'You can't loose him. Not yet.'
For once, Riku could concur with his conscious.
How did Sora lost his memories? Surely there was more to this than that, but for now, he needed to see Kairi about their relationship…
OoOoOoOoOoOGloved hands tightened on the Heartless' neck, the creature giving no indication that pressure was being put on its neck.
"You're positive that the Keyblade master took him?" Jin growled, every word forces through clenched teeth.
"Gone… Keyblade master… took Keyblade master… I saw it…" The Gargoyle hissed absently, no fear showing as Jin's hold became tighter, cutting off what circulation the Heartless didn't have.
With a quick snap, the Heartless' head rolled to the side, its eyes fading black, before the body itself fell with a fleshy 'thud'.
Jin let the limp body fall from his grasp, scowling as the heart drifted up and toward the sky.
Into the same sky Riku had taken his Sora.
'If I wasn't pissed with that kid before, I sure as hell am now. Sora, I will get you back. I promise.'
OoOoOoOoOoO
Sora watched, fascinated when Riku cut down another monster, the body disappearing and the crystalline heart floating into the dark sky.
"What are those?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as Riku turned around and came to sit at the small café with him.
"Heartless." Riku replied, allowing the Keyblade to disappear from his grip and taking a sip of his, now cold, coffee. Pushing back from the table, Riku let one foot rest on the ground, keeping him steady, his other one resting on the table while he leaned back in his chair comfortably, sipping his cold drink.
"So… why are they here?"
Riku grinned behind his cup. It was so like Sora to ask these kinds of questions. Questions that could sometimes go on forever or change to something totally off topic.
"They try to take peoples hearts."
"And how did we end up here in…"
"Traverse Town?"
"Yup."
Riku sighed and set his cup down. How to explain this… He couldn't lie to Sora. It would be like telling Sora that Leon was the Easter bunny. The brunet may believe it for a while, but sooner or later, he'd know Riku was lying. He had to snort at the idea though.
(A/N: XCX: You'd believe that? Sora: Shut up…)
--"I think it would be best if Sora didn't know about our relationship for a while Kairi."--
"Those Heartless… destroyed our home." He set his cup down, looking at Sora sternly. Okay. That much true…
--"Sora started acting weird right after we started dating."--
"When we came to, we started looking for you." Another thing that was true. They had been looking for him.
--"Yeah… your right… why don't you go into town? To that nice café? I'm sure Sora has a bunch of questions he's just itching to ask you!"--
"We finally found you, but you were unconscious. Comatose." Okaaay… thanks to Riku.
--"Why don't you come too, Kairi?--""… and you woke up soon after." Back to the truth again.
--"Naw… I think you should hang out with him for a while…"--"Is that true?" Sora said, looking at Riku quizzically as he took a long gulp of his own drink, his azure eyes studying Riku, as if looking for the lies in his aqua eyes.
Uh, oh…
--"What'll I do if he asks about before we found him?"--"…Yeah?" Riku said, a little firmer than he felt. He was nearly shaking on the inside from the suspicious look on Sora's face.
--"Keep it simple. State the obvious truth and don't become too complex. We don't want to hurt him…"--
OoOoOoOoOoO"Wow… it's so big…" Sora said, his eyes wide as he looked at the various windows in the second district stores.
Riku had asked for Leon and the others to clear the area, earlier, so that he could show Sora around town, but from time-to-time, a Heartless would pop up, some even sticking to the shadows to merely watch before fading out again, reappearing somewhere else.
Riku had to shiver at the sense of being… watched.
"You've never been in a town have you Sora?"
"Neither have you or Kairi, since the islands are only market places and houses." Sora retorted, his eyes never leaving the display case.
"Good point…" Riku rolled his eyes, his smirk holding a tone like he had been caught.
Sora turned around and stared at him blankly, before smiling sadly and turning back to the case.
'What was that about?' Riku's brows furrowed, watching the boy look through the cases as though nothing had happened.
OoOoOoOoOoO--"You're acting like spoiled brat! … Don't you care…! You're as bad as those shadows!"--
So many memories… why don't I remember? --"You're not to interfere with … Is that clear…?"-- Voices… but whose?--"Slowly the Heartless are finding the keyholes and creeping into worlds. Covering them in darkness and claiming the hearts of those who live there, to ultimately take the heart of the very world itself."--
The Heartless? Keyholes?--"… are a couple now!"--
Who's a couple?--"I am the only one you can trust right now. Your so-called friends abandoned you, so who else will you turn to?"--
Trust who? Riku and Kairi wouldn't forget me. --"Sora! Don't go!"-- Pleas from… someone for me to not leave? Where am I going?--"The Fate that bounds everyone's sky together. The Fate that bounds your heart to darkness. And the Fate that bounds … and … together. The very Fate that cast you out."--
That voice. I know it! But… I can't---"I understand. Goodnight."--
Forlorn hatred. Confusion… why? What happened?--"Lucky, or it was just a stupid move you made."--
Arrogance. That familiar smirk… silver hair?
--"Aren't they cute. They belong together..."--
Who belongs together! WHO?--"My world was consumed by darkness. I lost my light before I knew who they were and ended up here."--
What light? What darkness?--"You pushed the darkness from your body and yet you are still alive?"--
That other voice again. --"The Heartless are dancing…"-- A face… Green… hair? Who is that?--"You shouldn't go out there! The waters could capsize your boat!"--
What are these memories? Where did they come from?--"He was my best friend since we were little, and… suddenly, he and me became… distant." --
Who! Who became distant? Why doesn't this make sense? --"I was so scared... I saw … attacking me... I tried to tell him to stop, but I couldn't talk!"--Crying…Make it stop…
--"You are to gather information and follow … orders."--
The deep voice again. Please stop… help me… these memories… they're not mine…
Are they?
--"I'll make it go away… I'll make all your pain go away…"--Stop it!
--"I warned you not to interfere..."--
What did I do… tell… me…
--"My name is...Ansem..."--
Wha-?
OoOoOoOoOoO
Riku pursed his lips, holding the tray of food up with one hand, the other poised before the door, ready to knock.
It was Aerith's idea that he and Sora should spend the day together again, and he was all for it, but something bad was going to happen. He knew it. There was that twisting feeling in his gut again.
Knock, knock"Sora? You up yet?"
No response.
Knock, knock
"Sora!"
Setting the tray on the hardwood floor, Riku started to fiddle with the lock, immediately pushing it open and bursting …
…into an empty green room.
"Sora!" His head whipped from side-to-side, looking for any trace of the brunet.
The bed was unmade and the small table near the door was as it should be, but there was something off.
"R-Riku?"
Riku turned to the source of the voice. Finding Sora huddled in a corner, his face buried in his arms that rested on his closely drawn knees.
He looked like a lost child, defending himself the best he could from the cold world around him.
Helplessly.
"Sora?" Riku slowly came to sit next to Sora, waiting for the brunet to acknowledge him before he started. "What's wrong? Why are you over here?"
"I don't know."
This was a problem.
"Riku… what really happened after Destiny Islands disappeared? I keep… I keep getting these flashes of memories, they seem so familiar but I can't remember anything…" Sora's cries died down to mere whimpers, but his shoulders still shook as he took deep breaths.
"Are you sure you want to know."
This was something Riku had been dreading. That he would have to tell his friend the truth. That Sora would remember his hatred and that he would return to Jin and leave him again.
Again.
There was that word.
Again.
He was always running.
Running from him.
"Before I tell you," Riku began, reaching into his pocket. "Will you put this on and promise to keep it on?" He finished, holding up the silver crown necklace.
Sora nodded and eagerly took the jewelry, slipping it over his head and looking at Riku imploringly.
'This is gonna be a long day…' OoOoOoOoOoO"Lord Ansem!"
The silver-haired man looked up from a book he was reading, lazily closing it with a snap and setting it down on a silver table beside his chair.
"I take it that Sora has been taken by the Keyblade master?" He said, fingering the symbols on the front cover.
"Y-yes, but how did-"
"I sent both of you there for a reason Jin. In order of us to unlock Kingdom Hearts, I need him to go through rejection, pain, and love."
At Jin's confused look, Ansem stood and strode over to him, stopping three feet from him, his silver hair flowing around him like strands of billowing smoke.
"If he hadn't experienced rejection on the island, he would have no other place to go, no rationale and thus we would be following different plans. Pain, a very unpretentious word, yet, the hardest emotion to bear when one is unaided. Because of rejection, the pain would stimulate anger, something we will need to turn him against Riku."
"And love, the most intricate of all emotions. Some think of the passion as lust; others, as destiny. There are many… definitions and… theories of love, but to experience love soon after rejection can confuse and make the Heart stronger."
Jin's eyes widened.
"You see, Jin, when these emotions become riddled with confusion, the person become easy to manipulate and thus the reason why we need Sora. Riku is to strong-willed. He would stand on his own, choose to defy me and turn away completely in the end, but Sora needs someone to lean on. He needs you. And I need you to retrieve him and take him to Hollow Bastion." Ansem gave a dark smile. "Don't forget to retrieve the princess, as well." He chuckled.
Jin stood there, frozen to the spot. It was so like Ansem to know so much, and he didn't mind if his master used someone… But now, that someone was Sora…
"If he's with Riku, won't he run again?" He retaliated, hoping to find any flaw in Ansem logic. A virtually impossible feat.
"Riku, shall I say, 'bit' Sora in a feral need to calm him… this caused Sora to go into shock because of the many emotions he was feeling at once. And, in an end result, Sora lost some of his memory, including his anger, which we need. I need you to stir up some problems for both of the boys. I suggest you move quickly, before Sora forgets you…" Ansem smiled, showing a hint of amusement. "…For Riku…"
Jin growled unconsciously and quickly stepped past Ansem, all worry for the plan lost to the wind, as he dissipated into the darkness outside of the room.
OoOoOoOoOoO"Listen, Sora, if you want to be angry, be angry with me. Kairi didn't do any of this on purpose, so just blame it all on me, okay?" Riku implored. Sora had been quite the whole time they had been talking, but it was the emotionless look rather than anger in his cerulean orbs that had scared him.
"So… you know I like you then…?" Sora said, wringing his hands together and staring at the floor intently.
Riku blinked. He was half expecting Sora to blow up in his face, not bring up his not-so-secret crush.
"Yeah."
Sora felt stupid. Though he had a right to be angry with Riku and Kairi, none of the anger was there. It was just… gone. What happened to all the rage Riku had told him he had been feeling earlier…?
"Then," Sora paused, licking his lips unconsciously and swallowing in some hope to clear his suddenly dry throat. "…You're not disgusted?"
"No… Sora, to be truthful, I think I had all my emotions mixed up I think that I like Kairi, but not in that way. I think I love-"
"Riku!"
'What the hell?'Sora and Riku's heads snapped to the door where Kairi stood, heavily breathing, her eyes wide as she leaned against the door for support.
"S-some guy's here! He's demanding that we give him Sora!" She gasped, her eyes becoming fogged before she collapsed.
Sora and Riku both rushed forward, catching the girl before she could hit the hardwood floor, Sora supporting her legs and Riku catching her body.
"Must be Jin…" Sora said sadly, his eyes focused on Kairi's sleeping face.
"I won't let him take you again, Sora." Riku scowled, taking the girl from the brunet and placing her on the bed beneath the window.
'Not again. I won't let him.'
"Listen, you stay here and protect Kairi. I'm going to take care of Jin." He paused looking up from the girl and staring deeply into Sora's eyes.
"Please don't leave again…" He pleaded, closing the distance between them and capturing Sora's lips in a kiss.
Sora wrapped his arms around Riku unconsciously, Riku sliding his arms around the brunet's petite waist and pulling him close.
It was a simple kiss, just the pressing of lips, but to both boys, there was something more behind it…
As Riku pulled away, Sora watched sadly as Riku left, his eyes still watching the door.
"I love you…"
OoOoOoOoOoOoO"Where the hell is Sora!" Jin demanded, sending a wave of Heartless after the struggling Leon and Yuffie (Donald and Goofy having been taken out quickly after his arrival).
"Like hell I'll give him to you!" Jin barely had time to turn around before Riku came down upon him, the Keyblade slamming into the ground and singing when it hit the cobblestone of the second district.
"I see you've gotten better…" Jin sneered, holding up his staff.
"I see you don't know when to give the fuck up." Riku derided, lunging at Jin again and trying to hit him diagonally, bringing his blade back and trying again horizontally.
The Keyblade swung by Jin's head, coming within a breath's inch of his face, before Riku with drew the blade and made a stab at him again.
To Jin, it seemed that Riku was attacking blindly, but to Leon and Yuffie, who were casting looks while defending their own, Riku was using a magnitude of different assaults, attacking, lunging, swinging, stabbing, and plunging, throwing the occasional punch in between.
Jin dodged every blow by mere inches; avoiding everything the angery teen threw his way and blocking when avoidance wasn't possible.
Riku cast a look to his right, seemingly transfixed at something while still fighting before Jin caught this and thrust his staff into Riku's gut.
Or where it should have been.
Riku twisted around, his bones popping as he stretched his muscles to their limit, and swung back, hitting Jin's side and causing the green-haired teen to cry out.
After that, it was a blow after blow to Jin's body, Riku's assault never stopping as he struck again and again and again…
Giving an animal-like snarl, Jin lashed out and tried once more to hit Riku, but ducking under, Riku took a swipe at Jin's feet and missed by a hair's length when Jin jumped up and somersaulted onto a building ledge.
Covered in bleeding gashes, burns, and cuts of different magnitudes, Jin panted, standing on the ledge of the window, his purple eye turned a brilliant yellow as his shadow disappeared and another from the surrounding area replaced it.
Riku never took note of this.
OoOoOoOoOoOSora pulled back a strand of red hair from Kairi's face and tucked it behind her ear, taking a minute to marvel at how much she had grown.
When was the last time he and Kairi had just talked? A simple conversation between friends?
Too long ago…
"Sora…"
Said brunet tensed when he felt a gloved hand on his shoulder, a blurred green face slowly coming into focus.
"J-Jin?"
Jin watched Sora's emotions flash across his face through the window in front of them, knowing Sora now knew.
The little brunet's eyes were wide with emotions, passing one another, as though Sora couldn't decide how he felt.
Fear.
Sora was afraid of him.
Sadness.
Sora didn't want to leave.
Anger.
Because of him, he and Riku were against eachother.
Realization.
Jin had come to take him back.
Surprise.
He wasn't expecting to see Jin again.
And Pain.
Pain that both he and Riku had caused the younger male.
Letting out a long, shaky breath, Jin grabbed Sora's other shoulder and whirled him around to face him, burying his head in the boy's neck and inhaling deeply.
"Sora… I thought I'd never get you back." Jin breathed, the warm puffs of air on his neck causing Sora to shiver.
"Jin, please… no…"
A sudden pulsing in Sora's head caused him to stop, bringing his hands up to his head and clench his eyes shut in pain.
"What the-"
Another pulse.
"Ahh!" Sora clutched his head tightly, falling from Jin's grip and to the floor, the pounding becoming worse.
--"You're acting like spoiled brat! You took off and you hurt Kairi! Don't you care that Kairi and I have been worried sick! You're as bad as those shadows!"--
Riku? My memories… they're coming back? --"You're not to interfere with Riku and Kairi. Is that clear... Sora?"--Jin?
--"Slowly the Heartless are finding the keyholes and creeping into worlds. Covering them in darkness and claiming the hearts of those who live there, to ultimately take the heart of the very world itself."--
Cloud?--"Riku and I are a couple now!"--
Riku and Kairi… a couple… no… please.--"I am the only one you can trust right now. Your so-called friends abandoned you, so who else will you turn to?"--
Ansem…"Sora… It'll be over in a minute…" Jin whispered in his ear, hugging the boy closer than ever as Sora's mouth kept open in a silent scream, still clutching his head as the pulsing became worse. "I'm so sorry… so sorry…"
--"Sora! Don't go!"-- Riku… why shouldn't I leave?--"The Fate that bounds everyone's sky together. The Fate that bounds your heart to darkness. And the Fate that bounds Riku and Kairi together. The very Fate that cast you out."--
Why Jin? Why does it cast me out? --"But it's even better to be with you…"-- Jin… I love y---"I understand. Goodnight."--
Riku… why do you hate me? Just a minute ago you…
You don't understand. You never will.
--"Lucky, or it was just a stupid move you made."--
I hate you.
--"Aren't they cute? They belong together..."--
They make me sick! They forgot me! Left me alone!--"You pushed the darkness from your body and yet you are still alive?"--
Like hell I'll die now.--"You shouldn't go out there! The waters could capsize your boat!"--
I bet you would like it if I died wouldn't you, Kairi? You could have Riku all to yourself. You can keep that son of a bitch for all I care!--"He was my best friend since we were little, and… suddenly, he and me became… distant."--
Suddenly? You never chose to see it! You ignored me after I confessed!--"You are to gather information and follow Jin's orders."--
Ansem… m-master?
--"I'll make it go away… I'll make all your pain go away…"-- Make it go away. Make it all go away. Make them suffer… I don't need anyone but you.--"I warned you not to interfere..."--
I'm sorry…"My name is...Ansem..."
Master.
He was panting heavily, his blue eyes wide and staring at the shadows beneath the bed, clutching Jin like a lifeline.
"I've come back for you. I've come back to save you from him…" He coed, stroking Sora's sweat dampened hair from his face.
"Thank you… thank you, Jin." Sora sobbed, clutching Jin's cloak tightly.
"But, I need you to do one little thing for me…" Jin whispered. He hated to bring this onto the boy already, but it was Lord Ansem's orders.
"Anything." Jin gasped, his breathing still uneven.
"I need you to defeat Riku at Hollow Bastion. Lord Ansem needs him there for the Keyhole."
Sora hesitated, fingering the cloak's material before nodding.
Jin gave a kind smile and bent down, capturing Sora's lips within his own so much like Riku had earlier.
OoOoOoOoOoOJin was running.
Riku scowled again as he tried to strike Jin, but he soon melted into a nearby shadow and reappeared some twenty feet away.
"Dammit! Hold still!" He screamed, throwing the Keyblade like a boomerang when Jin rapidly materialized again.
And it hit dead on.
Riku smirked and jumped up, catching the blade and quickly striding over to…
Jin's cloak.
"FUCK! NOT AGAIN!" He shouted, trusting the blade into the ground, taken aback when the fabric moved.
A small shadow quickly scurried out, making an run for the shadows cast by the lamp, but Riku impaled the thing quickly, his brow furrowing when he head a crunch.
Good riddance… But this wasn't Jin… that meant-
"Sora!"
"Yes?" Came a snide singsong voice.
Riku's eyes widened and he turned toward the source of the voice.
Sora stood on top the clock tower, the unconscious Kairi in his arms.
"No…" Riku gasped, his eyes full of fear. "Sora! Don't tell me-"
"That Jin's still alive, or that Jin's still alive and he recovered my memories?" Sora taunted, looking at the sky in a thoughtful manner.
"Second one." Riku scowled.
This was bad.
Not only had Sora remembered, but also Sora was angry again AND he had Kairi.
"Sora… please. Stop believing Jin and let Kairi go." Riku demanded.
"Shut up!" Sora barked, his eyes narrowing.
"…" Riku wanted to say something more, anything to keep Sora talking, but the tone Sora was carrying told him there was no room for discussion, much less an argument.
"How about a deal Riku?" Sora snapped, a smirk still in place. "A fight at Hollow Bastion. If I win, I get Kairi, and you leave me alone…"
"…" Riku was reluctant. That meant if he lost, he would loose both his friends, but what if he won? "And if I win?" He asked vigilantly.
"We give Kairi back." Jin answered, coming up behind Sora and wrapping his arms around his smaller frame, resting his head on his shoulder.
"Doesn't sound very fair…" Riku snarled, holding up the Keyblade. "How about, if I win, I get Kairi and Sora? Meaning: Sora doesn't run away and he gives up on the darkness."
Both Jin and Sora look taken aback at this. Jin grimaced, pulling away and folding his arms. Sora; however, looked on expressionless.
"Fine."
Jin almost jumped when Sora spoke up suddenly, the answer causing his mind to reel.
"Let me talk to Sora first." Riku ordered, his hands clutching the Keyblade tighter.
"Start talking." Jin opposed.
"Alone."
Jin's brow furrowed again and he opened his mouth the retort but Sora put a hand on his arm, silencing him.
"Take Kairi to Ansem… I'll meet you there as soon as I can." He smiled reassuringly, caressing Jin's cheek and handing Kairi to him, before letting his hand drop and jumping down to stand in front of Riku.
"What?" He snapped, all kindness gone from voice and features.
"Sora… I don't know what to tell you but…" throwing a glance as to where Jin had been standing seconds before, Riku pulled Sora close and kissed him on the lips lightly. Ghosting his words over Sora's lips as he pulled away.
"I love you."
Sora felt his world shatter.
"I always will."
End Chapter
XCX: Sorry if some of this sucked though… half of this was written with writers block…ANYWHO! Done with chapter 10! Wow… and a hundred reviews… I still can't get over that…
Jin: Get over it.
Tsubasa: Jin… you could at least give her some time to enjoy this. I mean: this has been a goal for her since she became a member…
Jin: Pft. Whatever…
XCX:Ignoring: I was in a bit of a writers ditch for chapter 10, but after I looked at all my reviews again and most of it disappeared. Now, lets answer those inspirational reviews!
Underlined: SignedNot underlined: Anonymous
Cryinginadream: I'm hurrying!
Misha: Thank you! I think I kinda screwed up on chapter 9 though…
Kylie Norris: It is sad and happy isn't it? I kinda wanna balance it out, but it can be a pain in that ass at times… you… you love me! Nobody's said they love me yet:squeals: THANK YOU:huggles you: Uh… you sure you want Jin. He's a pain in the ass when he's not in a story or fanfic. Terrible, Riku and Sora? Maybe Sora'll be paired with Jin, or maybe not, who knows. (Jin: You do. XCX: Righty nighty! Jin: …the hell?)
Divine Rejection: Ten is here now! You just hafta wait for eleven… Good luck on your fic! Take your time and work on it when it's convenient and your in the mood to work on it. Or at least that's what I do. The convenience thing is becoming harder since school's being a pain.
SpiffyMoogle: Really? Really! Good! Sora… well… now he's stuck in Traverse Town, what to do, what to do?
Yersi Fanel: I would hardly call Jin and Sora's relationship brotherly… Haha
Darkraiser: All hail smut! Banzai! Oh, come now… be nice to Riku, he's got all sortsa troubles too!
Show Boy: Sorry if it was confusing, but yes it meant took Sora away. You have to understand that the Heartless are limited to vocab and all and I apologize if it was confusing. Sorry!
no name: You deserve more than a thesaurus! You're mah 100th reviewer:huggles you: THANK YOUUUUUUU:Ahem: anyways… you're not the first to say something like that about Sora, but you all have to understand that Sora used to love Riku and he just buried his emotions at the time and Jin was there to 'comfort' Sora when he needed it. Boy, now Jin, Riku, and Sora are all in a ditch aren't they? Oh boy…
Corbin: Top favorites? Cool! I SHALL continue! Mini-pimp… pfffft! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Oh man… hehe… that's really good… Iloveit! Everyone wants a piece o' that ass! XD (I just about fell outta my chair typing that!) From the looks of it, Riku doesn't really seem like he's EVER gonna get Sora, but who knows, I may put a twist on it! XD Thanks for the undying love idea. I actually thought about making Jin die and make it Riku and Sora "The End", (Jin: HEY!) but then, I thought that it'd be better to keep this going. More tension! YAY!
LilAznSp0nge: You're one of the few Sora and Riku fans. There's a couple, but alotta people want Jin and Sora! But now, Riku lost Sora AGAIN! Ha! It's like tag! XD (Yeah, I'm hyper…)
Fluffylemon: (I'm just gonna answer all your reviews in one 'kay!) Ansem explains… but Riku bit Sora because of some feral lust. He needs Sora. Hehe… Thank you for your support about choir! And good luck with da piano, I'm still having trouble learning… Sorry for the confuzzlement though! Yeah, Sora lost… I wanted to make him win, but it wouldn't have worked… Like I said, Sora's confused though. I know Cloud was kinda OOC, but I don't think Sephiroth would have been any better… Yeah, I've seen that Donald/Goofy pairing… scary… You liked the thread idea! Smanks (thanks) The list of embarrassing things… I don't like 'em at ALL! They're mean and she ALWAYS brings them up when we fight. Bitch…
DieChan: Haha! Sora got hit by DieChan! (:Keyblade is thrown at XCX: HEY!) Well… Sora and Riku stuff should be coming up soon, but I don't know, I think this fic is getting out of my realm of control… Jin… hmm… (XCX: Hmmm… :Looks at Jin: Maybe… no… actually… yeah… that would do… Jin: I don't like the sound of this…) My seventh teacher doesn't like me, so tests are hell. Plus, I actually think that one DID bite me… owie…
Minerva Teller of tales: Dunno why, but I feel like I haven't heard from you in a while, probably because I haven't read any of your stories for a while… ANYWHO! Lemons is good! Yes, I know, tension is fun isn't it! I enjoy writing tension and jealousy, don't know why though, just… fun.
Dancing Mistress: WOO HOO! THANKS! XD
MiracleLight: Lemons, fluff, tension, and Waffles the pony. Life's good! X3 If you guys want more Riku and Sora fluff, I suggest you read the oneshot I just posted… Iz okay to want a Riku/Sora ending. Alotta others want one too! You are not alone my friend. XD
…: I know, I hate boring weeks too. Nothing to do, and you pray for an update and by some miracle, a fav author updates. I know the feeling. (I'm okay with the puss thing by the way!) Greatest! Thank youuuuu! A two in one kissy kissy scene! Iz good! WHOA! You squealed! Dat's new… XD
Vampire Wiccan: Chapter 9 was pretty good huh? Finally some REAL Riku and Sora stuff! X3 Riku didn't know until now that Jin slept with Sora (I think he got the general overview that they were very, very, very close…), but oh boy was he pissed anyways! I hope you all enjoyed the action in this one!
XiaoBai: Ran away… more smut will come soon… HOPEFULLY!
Misha: Thank you! I usually suck at battle scenes! Read on my friend! Read on!
Zil, Jin, Riku, Inzi, and Sora: Holy cow!
XCX: Dat's allota reviews… :dancing:
Tsubasa: You are doing quite well.
XCX: See ya:Grabs Waffles (a pony given to XCX by …) who is wearing socks with purple pandas printed on them: TALLYHO WAFFLES!
Waffles: Bark! Bark!
Zil, Inzi, Jin, Sora, Riku, and Tsubasa: Oo" !
Read on and live for the thrill of life. X3
P.S. See the Oneshot I've posted in honor of the reviewers who have helped me reach 100 reviews.