Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. And you don't either. ;D

A/N: Oh. My. Gawd. I am so sorry for not updating as fast as I usually do. I've been really busy, stuffs been happening to me. But I managed to write a whole bunch load of a chapter for you all in an attempt to make up for lost time. (: So yeah, this is my longest chapter yet. I hope you're satisfied with what happens. xD Hmm... and is it possible for interesting sparks between a certain silver-haired male and a certain Heartless? Whoa. We'll see. Oh, and I'd like to thank you all for giving me all those reviews for the previous chapter. That was the most reviews I've received for a chapter so far. ;D Thank you all so much.

xoxo Bianca.

Intertwined Destinies

Chapter Nineteen.

Toshi, Goofy, Donald, and Riku stared down at the beaming stained glass in apprehensive, uneasy silence. They wondered what was happening down there. They couldn't hear anything. The trinity could only transport one person before disappearing from existence, so the group obviously chose Sora to be the one to go down and investigate... while the rest of them waited at the top of the stained glass. The trouble was, since the trinity below the stained glass had already disappeared because Riku had used it before, they had absolutely no idea how Sora would be able to get out of the bright dimension.

But it was a risk that Sora was more than willing to take.

"I can't believe Merlin is evil," Riku said under his breath, finally breaking the prolonged hush.

"My visions don't lie," replied Toshi just as softly.

"It still is quite a surprise," Donald said.

"Yep," Goofy agreed glumly.

"He must be a good actor, then," Riku said suddenly. "If he was able to act so convincingly kind for so long."

"Or maybe," said Toshi, "he had just recently come to the dark side."

"How horrible," Goofy mulled externally.

"If that's true, I wonder what caused him to do that," Riku said, knitting his brows together in contemplation. "Merlin was the last I'd expect to be diabolical. He even tried to help Trinity with her brother problem. He helped Sora two years ago when he was still new at handling his Keyblade. I just can't seem to understand what came over him."

"Like that matters anymore." Toshi looked downwards insecurely. "What matters now is that he's dangerous."

"We oughtta be careful then," added Donald, tapping his peachy bill.

There was another silence before Riku spoke up yet again.

"I wonder where Alexandra is," he mused.

Toshi raised an eyebrow. "I wonder why you're wondering where she is."

Riku scoffed. "I'm just wondering! Don't get any weird ideas."

"Jeez!" Toshi rolled his eyes. "You are so touchy. You obviously have the hots for that girl."

"It's not 'the hots'!" argued Riku. "It's something else."

"Oh, right," Toshi answered scornfully. "You're already madly in love?"

"What? You're insane! I never said that!"

"You didn't have to say it."

"Shut up!"

"Must I remind you that she's a Heartless? A totally different species, I presume. Like, being attracted to some other kind of animal. A baboon, for example."

"Take. That. Back." Riku snarled.

"Fine. But she doesn't have a heart," Toshi sang out.

"She might. How would you know?"

"Let me define Heartless. Ah-duh."

"Alexandra has the very capability of loving someone just like any other being," Riku shot back.

There was a rather mixed muteness. Donald and Goofy stared at the two guys, quite amused.

"Ooh," Toshi smirked immaturely. "You said loooove."

"Shut up before I make you, you little runt."

Merlin's fiendish eyes were closed. He was sprawled on the ground, unconscious, with no signs of waking up. His small spectacles had gained a crack, and in the process of being knocked down, they had been strewn across the floor. With his beard ruffled and a dark red gash along the side of his cranium, Merlin made no sounds. He did not move. He was as silent and as still as a corpse.

That didn't necessarily mean he was a corpse.

Sora and Kairi stared at each other for one, two, three seconds before Sora dropped down to his knees in front of the girl he had not seen for so long. The girl he had not seen for too long...

Kairi instantly felt lightheaded, or rather more lightheaded than she had already been. She had the sudden urge to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming or not, to see if this some sort of delusional reality.

"What are you doing?" Sora, a bit confused and alarmed, reached forward and stopped Kairi from pinching herself on the neck.

Then they froze. Sora's hand was on Kairi's wrist at the base of her neck, just where her shoulder started. They both seemed to stop breathing. Air? They needed no air at the moment.

But the next moment, Sora let go and Kairi put her hand down. Their eyes wouldn't meet each other's. Kairi let out her breath in one long shaky sigh. They both kept their eyes on something else, whether it was on Merlin or the Keyblade or the sleeping townspeople... it didn't matter, for they would not look at each other straight in the eyes for some reason.

"Is he dead?"

"No, Kairi."

Almost at once, Kairi winced and brought a hand to her temple, feeling a sudden rush rampage through her head.

You are feeling tremendously torturous pain because...

Kairi closed her eyes and everything in her point of view darkened. Sora's voice asking her if she was all right sounded dull and inaudible. She heard nothing, felt nothing, said nothing.

... when you are awake in the Light, feeling overwhelmed with so many emotions, it makes you feel very pained indeed.

Kairi's eyes flickered open. "The... Light..."

"We need to get out of here," Sora stood up, urgently taking Kairi's hand in his. He looked around recklessly, seeing no exit.

Kairi shook her head, trying to fight off the growing pain. When she felt a tad bit better she spoke. "Wait. What about the townspeople and... Sora! Look out!"

Sora whipped around just in time to see an angered Merlin charging after him. The wizard's eyes were afire, glowering hotly with the desire for revenge. He pointed a long, quivering finger at Sora as he grew closer. "You, boy! How dare you..." He hissed.

Before Sora could raise his Keyblade, Merlin's bony hand seized Sora at the neck, immediately cutting off his flow of oxygen, his passage through the lungs. Sora stared at Merlin in shock, wondering in hysteria at how and when the wizard had awakened. Sora's eyes widened, his muscles drooped weakly.

"Kairi," Sora managed to choke out, looking helpless but keeping a cold glare on Merlin. "R-run!"

Kairi just stood there, unable to move, with her mouth open and nothing to say. Not that she could utter a single word. Do something, you idiot! Even though her mind ran a stampede, Kairi felt equivalent to a statue. She stared at Sora. Merlin, who must have been pumped up by his deadly vengeance, was practically lifting Sora, by the neck, half an inch off the ground. Sora began digging his fingers into Merlin's hand, trying to pry away. He failed. Kairi's eyes suddenly narrowed. Her hands clenched and began to shake. Suddenly, like a burst of adrenaline, her bodily responses were initiated and she felt like she had been injected with some sort of antidote to her unbearable pain. Feeling overdosed with the antidote, Kairi inhaled sharply and felt her dainty nostrils flare.

"Run? Are you out of your mind?" Kairi took a step towards Merlin and Sora, a new glint in her eyes. The pain had disappeared. Had she overcome it? She didn't know, and didn't care. All she cared about was the one who was now in trouble. "I'll have you know, that I am not going to be running away from you for quite a while, Sora."

Merlin's eyes turned glassy, the diabolical sneer on his face intensified. His grip on Sora's neck tightened and Sora coughed out, paralyzed and disabled. Every inch of Sora's body weakened, his fingers were cold and numb and he could not feel anything. He could not feel Merlin's violent squeeze; he could not feel himself trying to wriggle out of the wizard's grasp.

He was losing hold of the Keyblade.

Kairi swallowed hard, and came closer, only to be pushed away roughly by Merlin's hand. Merlin's upper lip lifted in a snarl, "Kairi, Kairi! Do not be so stupid. This is good! This is very good! I am doing exactly what needs to be done... destroying your weakness. Without your weakness, you will be invulnerable!"

Kairi's mouth dropped open. Merlin had clearly gone over the edge of sanity.

"You're crazy!" Kairi felt her nose tingle dangerously, but she would not allow the tears to come. Not now. "I don't know what you're on, Merlin, but you seriously need to stop freaking us out like this!"

Kairi suddenly felt the pain returning. Her head whirled uncertainly and she found herself catching her balance. Kairi blanched as she saw that Sora was turning paler by the moment. She lowered her eyes at half-mast and shot her arms out, shoving Merlin hard. He staggered to the side but did not lose his hold on Sora's neck. Sora's eyes were now closed.

Kairi began to tremble. "Let go of him!" she shouted, bounding forward and gripping Merlin's arms. She shook his arms wildly, but that only caused Merlin to fasten his clutch on Sora's neck with more force. Kairi was once again pushed away, and she felt her insides heat up with invisible flames.

Feeling helpless, Kairi let a tear escape. Only one tear, a single sparkling droplet from her eye... it dropped to the floor and lost visibility. Kairi looked down at her blood-covered hands. She knew she had blood on her pants and shirt and face, too. It didn't matter.

Kairi finally got a hold of herself. She rolled her eyes a bit when she discovered what the easiest way to solve this sort of problem would be. She glanced at Sora, who was now limp and whitened and mute. Kairi felt her heart sink.

Then she kicked Merlin in the family jewels.

Merlin let out a gruff yell and reeled back, immediately letting go of Sora. Sora fell to the ground with a thud. Merlin staggered a few feet away as he bent over achingly. He gasped out a few unrecognizable words before landing rear-end first on the white floor.

Kairi quickly kneeled over next to Sora, assisting him in sitting up as he slowly blinked his eyes open. He coughed out; rubbing a hand at his throat, glad to regain his ability to inhale again. Kairi's eyes filled with an emotion that could not be identified and glanced over towards Merlin's direction. She tilted her head to the side as she watched him writhe. "What's up, Merlin? Feeling... unbearable pain?"

Merlin did not respond so quickly, his head was bowed down. When he replied, he seemed to mutter a single word through clenched teeth.

Kairi's jaw dropped and she brought a hand to her mouth. "Excuse me? Did I hear you right?"

"What?" Sora asked, finding his voice and apparently not capable of hearing what Merlin had grumbled.

Kairi squinted. "He just called me a b... female dog."

"He did? That's messed up!"

"I know! Oh, how rude."

"Merlin, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Seriously. Someone needs a change in attitude."

"Or maybe someone's just a bit cranky."

"I could think of a better word."

"As can I, Kairi. As can I."

"SHUT. UP. NOW." Merlin hauled himself up and wheezed uncontrollably. His eyes were wide and bloodshot. Kairi and Sora were instantly silenced by his sudden enraged outburst. But this time they were ready. Sora lifted his Keyblade protectively, displaying its sheen image.

Merlin wiped irritably at a miniature river of blood trickling down the side of his face. He flicked the blood elsewhere and bellowed, "Stupid. Immature. Infuriating. How dare you... how DARE you interfere with my plans! Fool," he jabbed his index finger at Sora, "you are getting in the way of everything. Do you realize that it is YOU who is the problem?"

Sora raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're—"

"Hold your tongue, imbecile." Merlin's voice shook with a horrific tone. "You should very well know that everyone would do a great deal better without you. Without you, people would not be risking their lives. Without you, everything would be more at peace. Without you, people would be safe right now. Do you not see? Look at Kairi! She is not at Destiny Islands because of you. She is not safe at Destiny Islands because of you. Because of you, she is at danger. Her very own life is at danger. She could die very soon." Merlin sneered haughtily. "Drop dead and become a worthless corpse."

Sora and Kairi were now standing, their mouths partly open at the stinging words they had just heard.

Merlin lifted his chin arrogantly. "It is your fault, Sora. You think you are doing something pleasant by fighting Heartless. But you do not think of the people significant to you." The wizard's eyes swerved towards Kairi.

Sora felt cold to the bone. "But I do..."

"No," snapped Merlin, "you don't. You do not. You have been thinking this whole time, that you are the so-called 'good guy.' You think you are the hero."

Sora held his breath and stiffened.

"You are the complete opposite," Merlin jeered, his words popping out of his mouth like dry ice. "You were living a lie. You, Sora, are a lie."

Kairi felt her throat tighten. "No, he's not."

"I don't want a word from you," Merlin said scornfully. "You should be thankful that I will dispose of this simpleton very soon. Do you not understand, dear Kairi? With this idiot out of the picture, you will be all-powerful! With your weakness gone, you will be able to achieve the impossible. You do not need him and you never needed him. Never."

"Shut up. Just shut up," Kairi swallowed thickly, hearing her heartbeat echo in her head. She felt herself heat up, foreshadowing tears that she would not permit to escape. "I won't let you. You can't... you can't do this, you just can't. I..." Kairi couldn't continue for a moment. She looked at Sora. "I do need him."

Merlin threw his hands up in the air and said savagely, "When will you EVER learn, Kairi? WHEN? Are you becoming as foolish as Sora?"

Kairi once again pushed away the pain that had begun to arise once more. "Maybe," she whispered.

This caused Merlin to tap at his temples and start pacing around like madman. "You are stubborn. I do not blame you. You are undergoing difficult times. But you must think. Kairi, you must ponder and contemplate over why you are having these difficult times. Oh Kairi, do not make me more angry than I am right now!"

Kairi looked at Sora. He was still pale. He looked as though he had seen a ghost. He also looked empty, yet deep in thought. She felt her heart crumble, knowing that she was not the only one who was feeling this "unbearable pain." Then she realized... Sora must have a strong heart, too.

"Kairi," Merlin's sharp voice brought her attention back to the outraged wizard. "You must know why you have been going through many hardships lately..."

Kairi slowly shook her head, biting her tongue to keep herself from saying something that would further aggravate Merlin.

The wizard's eyes narrowed. Kairi noticed that he had claimed his glasses and looked at the hideous yet thin crack that dashed across the right lens. "My dear Kairi... who do you always think about at school, causing your grades to drop?"

Kairi gulped. She did not want to answer, but for some reason she managed to utter, "S-Sora."

"Who were you thinking about when you got that rather terrible headache in your bedroom?"

"Sora."

"When you went to the Secret Place late at night, who were you thinking about when you collapsed with tears?"

"Sora."

"Whom were you thinking about when you were stranded on the stained glass realm?"

"Sora."

"Besides the fact that Toshi annoyed you, who were you thinking about that always caused you to snap at him in such a bad mood?"

"Sora." Kairi lowered her gaze to stare at the pure white floor. She held her breath, not caring the least when she started to feel more scatterbrained. She didn't turn to look at Sora; she did not want to see what sort of expression he had on his face. She did not want to know how he felt about this, because for some reason she felt as if she'd be scared to be informed of the information. All she felt was the churning of her stomach and the unknown things swimming around in her head. Kairi didn't like the feeling.

Merlin need not ask any more questions. "And it is Sora's fault that you were stuck in an empty Traverse Town for so long. It is Sora's fault that caused you to cry at the Secret Waterway. It's Sora's fault that caused your repetitive mood swings. It's Sora's fault that you would stay up all night just to wait for him to come walking into the Inn when he never showed up. It's Sora's fault that you are incapable of sleeping peacefully at night. It's Sora's fault that your mind is never at rest. It's Sora's fault, his fault, that you are right here in this very dimension, feeling unbearable pain and etcetera."

Kairi's breaths became more irregular. She dropped her shoulders a bit in an attempt to breath easier. She opened her mouth and her words were a mere murmur. "How... do you know... about all these things..."

Merlin's pupils dilated. The corner of his mouth twitched downwards. "Think."

All of a sudden, Kairi could not breathe. She tried to inhale but something was blocking the way to her lungs. She choked out and put a hand to her neck, feeling as if she had been pushed underwater with absolutely no source of air. With her other hand she reached out to nothing in particular, as if trying to grab for some oxygen. Her vision blurred and she did not feel herself lose her balance. She did not feel Sora catching her before she could have hit the ground. Kairi needed air; she needed air badly. She started kicking slightly, her mouth moving with no sounds coming out. She coughed several times before becoming completely still... and that's when everything started rushing and whirling into her mind. Millions of pictures and colors flooded her head, and as her eyes squeezed shut tight, Kairi was standing in the gloomy dark of the night.

She felt the light spray of a waterfall. She saw the opening of the Secret Place in front of her. Everything seemed to move slowly. Everything seemed slightly vague and unclear. That feeling, that feeling she had felt when she snuck out of her house that very night she was transported to the stained glass dimension... someone... someone was...

The spraying stopped, the night faded away, Destiny Islands was gone and all the colors and scenes and pictures poured out of Kairi's mind and dispersed in invisible rays. Kairi's eyes shot open and she was soon gasping for air in Sora's arms. She was able to breathe again. She had regained the ability to receive oxygen. Kairi's eyes cleared from its blurry state, felt uncertain for a moment, and then finally locked on the towering Merlin. Kairi's eyes instantly narrowed.

Quickly struggling out of Sora's support, Kairi stood up and stomped over briskly right in front of Merlin. She fumed, feeling her whole body prickle and throb and at the same time heighten with vexation. "You," Kairi's voice quaked awfully, but she made sure she had it up to the proper decibel and sharp tone. "It was you, Merlin! I thought I had felt a certain feeling... I knew it, but I ignored it. I felt as if... like someone was following me. It was you, wasn't it? I thought it could have been Toshi... but no. It. Was. You. How could you? You... you were following me every now and then, I suppose!"

Merlin stepped back, his eyes full of sparks. "Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves here..."

"Oh, I'm way ahead of you now, Merlin." Kairi let out a hot breath, feeling enlightened with new knowledge. "Sure, Sora's my weakness. I know he's responsible for some of the pain I have been going through. It's not his fault I think about him. It's my own. My fault. It's all my fault," Kairi shook herself to prevent tears, and looked at Sora. "It's all my fault and I'm sorry. I'm... sorry."

Sora stood up. "Kairi..."

"But as I said, he's only responsible for some of the pain." Kairi continued, cutting Sora off without knowing it. "Merlin... do you realize, that you know every time I had felt such pain? Do you realize, that the only way you would have known is by being there in some way, one or another? You were following me at some times, I know. So you were there... when I felt that pain." Kairi's eyes were now afire. "You were there. It was because... the pain was because of you!"

Merlin let out a dry chuckle. "Do not be so—"

"Foolish?" Kairi droned. "I'm foolish, but not foolish enough to see that you were the reason I was feeling so rotten. It was you, not just Sora. And you were trying to make me think that it was Sora. But it wasn't only because of him."

Merlin put his hands together, pressing the tips of his fingers with the opposite hand. "Let us be rational, dear Kairi. I was stuck here, the whole time, in this bright dimension. There is no way I could have escaped."

"Oh, poor Merlin," Kairi snapped sarcastically. She folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. "I know... you're only a wizard. You only have powers that give you the capability of only activities like teleporting. Not that big of a deal. Right?"

Merlin's nostrils flared. "I am too weak—"

"Mmm hmm," Kairi nodded. "Weak. Sure. I know all about how 'weak' you are. Oh yeah. Judging by the way you were able to move around so easily and pace around madly and practically kill Sora by choking him, I say you're pretty 'weak.' Remind me exactly what weak means again?"

Merlin's eyes darted this way and that. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when he realized that he didn't have anything to say. Sora seemed impressed, among all the other emotions he was feeling.

"Face it, Merlin," Sora said, moving his eyes from Merlin to Kairi and back to Merlin. "You've been found out."

Just when Kairi began a nod of affirmation, a twisted smile wound its way across Merlin's face. A cruel smile, a grotesque smile... a smile that was not quite a smirk; it was a demented sort of smile that would make one sick. Kairi began to look uneasy.

What now? she thought.

As Merlin continued to smile grossly but with nothing to say, Sora took something out of his pocket.

"It's your journal," Sora explained, lifting the small book higher. "In it, I could sense the good old Merlin... the Merlin who didn't cause pain to others. In it are the words of the Merlin who was concerned with other people's problems. With Trinity's problems. You were training her... to revive her brother. Your last entry... you mentioned a fog, and then your sentence was cut short."

Sora took a deep breath, looked at Merlin apprehensively, and then flipped to a certain page. "This is what you put before you stopped writing: Hmm. That is strange. Usually, Traverse Town is not one to be covered in fog and it makes me feel very... and then you stopped there."

Merlin said nothing. But his sick smile faded away.

"In this journal," Sora closed the book, "you weren't evil. You were kind. The true Merlin. Where did that Merlin go? Are you some sort of impersonator? What did you do to the kind Merlin? What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened." A familiar voice, to Sora at least, echoed through the bright dimension loud and clearly and femininely. Merlin's eyes narrowed and Kairi and Sora turned around to see an oddly dressed blonde.

"Alexandra...?"

"Greetings, Sora," Alexandra replied somberly. She folded her hands in front of her, but not before brushing at the ruby red tips of her blonde tresses. Her different colored eyes wandered over to Merlin. "He is not an impersonator. This is truly the Merlin you have known. But he is different."

Merlin grimaced in solid anger. He lifted his palm upwards. "Alexandra, just what do you think you are—"

Alexandra paid him no heed and continued, lifting her chin defiantly. "Different, I say. Even though this is really Merlin, he has been spellbound. His heart has been shrouded over with a false identity and personality. The real Merlin is hidden within this evil one."

Kairi stared at Merlin for a long, long time before responding. "Is he... being controlled?"

Alexandra seemed to hesitate for a moment. Her eyes met Merlin's. The wizard was glaring daggers at her. Alexandra drew in a deep breath; she did not say anything else.

Kairi took the silence as a sign of affirmation. "Who's controlling him?"

When no one replied, Sora decided to say, "Who?"

Alexandra struggled inwardly, opening her mouth only to be shushed by Merlin. Alexandra gulped.

"You have said enough," sneered Merlin, batting violently at Alexandra. "Now say no more. Another word, and you know what I shall do. So be silent, you Heartless scum."

Alexandra closed her eyes at the words that came out of Merlin's mouth. She slowly nodded, but instead of freezing herself in one position, she walked over to Sora and Kairi. She took hold of Sora's right wrist, and Kairi's left wrist. The two knew not whether to pry free or stay in one place. Alexandra's eyes flickered open, and said softly, "We are leaving this place, you two..."

Merlin heard and all heck broke lose. He practically exploded in their faces, making inflamed and savage gestures with his arms and hands. His eyes lit up viciously as he bared his teeth. "DO NOT EVEN DARE..."

Alexandra quickly began to walk backwards, tugging the bewildered Kairi and Sora along with her. The two stumbled as Alexandra quickened her pace. Alexandra kept muttering, "We are leaving, we are leaving, we are leaving..." Not that her muttering helped.

"I was saving this for exactly the right moment, but," Merlin reached into the depths of his silken blue clothes and swiftly drew out a dark golden wand tipped with brilliant red, "I cannot permit you to leave like this!"

Alexandra's eyes widened at the sight of the wand. She jerked Sora and Kairi behind her. "We are going," she assured them one last time, then thrust her hands together and began whispering an incantation.

Sora and Kairi shielded their eyes as sudden gusts of wind assaulted them, spinning and coiling around them ferociously. Sora found himself keeping a strong hold on Kairi as he rounded his arms around her slender, almost fragile body. He knew she was stronger than what she seemed, though; perhaps he was keeping a tight embrace on her for more than just one reason. Kairi instantly felt Sora's warmth and glanced at him.

Their eyes finally met directly.

Alexandra's voice grew louder, but Sora and Kairi failed to understand any of the words she mumbled. Merlin's face was red and drenched in perspiration. He swung his long wand in the air with a vile expression on his face. His wand, along with the fist that held it, began to glow with a sort of corrupted heat.

Kairi's blazing eyes wandered around the brightness, trying to stay open despite the fierce explosions of mighty wind. She then suddenly reached out a hand. "Wait! No, we have to help Trinity! We have to help..."

Alexandra put her hands down at her sides and turned around. "We cannot. Not now. There is not enough time."

She then touched Sora and Kairi's shoulders. All at once, the wind grew stronger and they felt as if everything were spinning around them. Sora held on to Kairi tighter—Kairi let out a distressed sob through clenched teeth—Alexandra told them it would be all right—Merlin aimed at the three of them—everyone started yelling all at once—there was an extremely bright light that outdid the glow in the dimension—Merlin cursed—Alexandra grumbled something inaudible under the roars of the cold wind—Kairi and Sora seemed to hold their breaths...

Kairi leaned up and whispered in Sora's ear, her eyes shutting closed.

"Don't let go."

... Then amidst the icy air they felt a sudden burst of hot, hot, HOT flames (delivered by Merlin) pinching and licking at their skin before the trio felt as if they were turned upside down and whisked off to some other dimension.

For what seemed like forever, Donald, Goofy, Toshi, and Riku sat atop the stained glass in deep silence. There was nothing to say, really. All they did was wait. Riku had stopped fuming at Toshi quite a while ago; he just decided that Toshi was some immature jerk that would never ever change, and he'd bet his bottom dollar on it, too. Even if they were quiet, their minds remained restless. What exactly was happening down there? They kept hearing distant, muffled shouts that perked them but did not cause them to speak. They were all concerned, though, wishing they had gone along with Sora to see some "action."

"Action?" Toshi had said earlier with a snort. "You mean action with Merlin, or action with Sora and Kairi?"

Riku had scoffed, Toshi had cackled, Donald had quacked, and Goofy had a-hyucked.

But now, everything was as silent as a graveyard.

Riku's eyes narrowed. Dump Toshi in a graveyard, heh.

Suddenly...

"EEEP!" wailed Toshi, immediately standing up. "SOMETHING MASSAGED MY BUTT!"

"You idiot!" shouted Riku, getting on his feet as well. "The stained glass just vibrated, that's all!"

Donald and Goofy, now standing, looked from Riku to Toshi to each other then back to Toshi.

"It was weird," declared Toshi. "Didn't you feel it?"

"Sure," Riku replied icily. "But it's not like I made a big deal out of it and started whining like a girl."

"I do not whine like a girl, FYI. My whine is quite manly, thank you very much."

"Not from what I just heard."

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

"You!"

"YOU!"

Then Toshi spat indignantly, Riku said something he shouldn't have said, and soon they were going at it.

Their fists were poised, ready and everything... seriously.

But before Toshi or Riku pounced, before Donald and Goofy could try and reason with them, the stained glass shook again. Then it started vibrating continuously, enough to make one's teeth chatter wildly. They all felt like they were standing in a truck bouncing up and down as it drove across a rocky surface.

Toshi's head bobbed, his voice wavered from his own self being shaken by the ground. "S-something i-is t-totally, s-serious-sly wr-rong w-with th-this p-picture..."

Trying to keep his balance, Riku rolled his eyes. "N-no, y-you th-think?"

"I-it's a-amazing h-how you c-can b-be s-so sarc-castic w-while it f-feels l-like y-you a-are s-stuck in a b-blending muh-chine."

"I'll t-take th-that a-as a c-compliment."

"I-it w-wasn't."

"I-idiot."

"B-bighead."

"J-jerk."

"D-dorkwad."

"H-how m-mature."

"Th-thanks."

While everyone tried their best to settle their own composure, a fervent light burst through the air out of nowhere in particular, with a supreme brightness to it. They shielded their eyes as harsh puffs of smoke tackled them, and Toshi screamed. Their ears witnessed, in a mixed jumble, the sounds of hissing flames and familiar voices. Coughing, everyone fanned out some of the smoke from their faces and waited until their visions were slightly cleared to see a bleary vision of what had just happened.

Kairi refused to open her eyes, and whispered, "Are we dead yet?"

Toshi nodded. "Yep. That's why you're still alive."

Kairi's eyes quickly peeped open as soon as she heard his voice. "TOSHI?"

"Ain't no other person like me."

"Actually," Sora sniffled from the smoke and watched as the little flames that had formed on the glass died away, "I beg to differ."

Riku stepped forward. "Alexandra..."

Alexandra stood up from her messily sprawled position and began to brush back her hair, mysteriously in a rush. She opted to look elsewhere. "Riku."

Goofy and Donald watched Sora and Kairi with incredulous expressions.

"A-hyuck! They look mighty comfy in that stance, don't cha think, Donald?"

"Perhaps they prefer bein' in a tangled heap... with their arms 'round each other," quacked Donald, tossing a feather in their direction.

Their cheeks flaming crimson, Kairi and Sora immediately detangled and, while wobbling uncertainly, got up on their feet. Kairi blew at the auburn bangs that fell into her eyes. Sora inspected the Keyblade.

"Sorry," Kairi and Sora said to each other under their breaths.

Kairi turned to Sora. "Wait. What are you sorry for?"

"Why are you apologizing, Kairi?"

"Because I nearly got you killed."

Everyone gawked at what Kairi had just said, their mouths partly open in surprise. Sora slowly shook his head. "No, Kairi. That wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was!" cried Kairi, suddenly raising her voice in misery. "It's all because of me. It's my fault for leaving Destiny Islands... it's my own fault for ending up here. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to risk your life trying to save my own all the time." Kairi stopped, and only Sora knew how close to tears she was. Kairi's voice began to tremble, "It's already happened before, Sora. I can't keep letting you put your life in danger because of me."

After what seemed like ages, Sora slowly reached out and gently rested his hand upon Kairi's delicate face. He let out a small breath as he felt a tear slide against his fingers. "You can't blame this whole thing on yourself. Never. If you're going to blame someone... blame me."

Kairi kept her eyes wide in order to keep the tears from falling. She blinked once, a tear managing to escape. Her pale pink lips were marginally parted. "It's not your fault that I can't help thinking about you every waking minute."

It took a few seconds for Kairi to realize what she had just said, but she didn't regret it once she saw the look on Sora's face. It might have taken him an agonizingly long time for him to do so, but Sora put his arms around Kairi and drew her close to him—embracing her all over again.

But this time it wasn't because he was protecting her from Merlin.

"We have to leave," Alexandra cut in urgently, apparently showing her Heartless side by not noticing how tender the moment was. "Now. Quickly. Merlin can teleport just as well as I can, so we have to hide out."

"Hide out where?" questioned Riku.

"You will see," answered Alexandra softly, then clasped her hands together and began murmuring.

A wind picked up, golden white rays of light showered and danced around them, and everyone felt dizzied.

"UGH!"

"OOF!"

"AGH..."

Everyone moaned as they landed forcibly on what seemed like wet grass and dirt. They were in a gigantic pile of three people, one duck, one dog, one Heartless, and one idiot. Toshi was lucky enough to have landed first, therefore having the privilege of being smashed upon the ground underneath six others.

"Why?" mourned Toshi, wheezing helplessly under the pressure and weight of his companions. His entire body was already beginning to feel numb, and he couldn't move at all. "WHY?"

Riku was conveniently set at the very top of the pile, enjoying the struggled sounds that came from Toshi. "Why don't we just stay like this for a while?"

"Heck. No. You. Crazy. Person," gasped Kairi, who disliked being pressed upon Toshi. "You. Are. All. So. Heavy."

"I blame the brownies."

Kairi laughed at Sora's remark, while the others wondered how the heck brownies had to do with this whole situation.

On top of Sora was Donald, Goofy, Alexandra, and then that's where Riku laid.

"You sicko," panted Toshi, directing his words towards Riku. "You just find it enjoyable to be so close to dear Alexandra."

Three seconds passed and everyone felt Riku tensing up.

"LET ME KILL HIM!"

That caused the lot of them to roll out of the pile instantly, struggling to stand and keep their balance on the rather squishy surface they stood upon. The smoke from this teleportation had long since wafted away, and now everyone had a chance to get a good look of the surroundings. They seemed to be in a luxurious rain forest, tranquil and enigmatically without a sign of any singing birds, swinging monkeys, or any other live species beside themselves for that matter. Everything was silent except for the sound of running water of a possibly nearby stream and the group's steady yet thunderstruck breathing. Magnificent emerald trees that seemed to reach the heavens stretched out from the fertile turf below them to sweep at the clouds that were incapable of being seen. Round the trees were heavy, healthy vines that twisted and curled royally about the wide trunks. Canopies of malachite leaves, that often let a leaf or two billow and flutter slowly to the cushioned ground, hid the sky wholeheartedly. Ferns dotted the entire forest, bits of dew slipping off their waxy contour. Happily tangled bushes and shrubs placed themselves facilely around the divine forest.

But the thing that shocked everyone the most was when Alexandra cleared her throat and boldly said, "Welcome to my home."

"I envy you," Riku said breathlessly, still downloading the beautiful scene into his flustered mind.

Alexandra managed to muster up a smile, for she seemed quite troubled indeed. For what reason, no one knew, and no one asked. She beckoned for them to follow and then turned around, expertly weaving around the tree trunks and bounding over hollow logs covered in velvety moss. As everyone followed her, they continued to look around. Strangely enough, they still saw no signs of animal life, anywhere. Not even a toucan.

After about half an hour of following in silence, Alexandra huffed lightly as she pushed back a curtain of jaded vines and presented a breathtaking view.

In front of a little, glimmering stream stood a quaint but lovely white cottage. It was small, but wonderful. Noble clusters of white, red, and yellow spider lilies bordered the sides of the cottage with their wispy yet elaborate petals, wavy-edged segments, and long stamens. Colorful herbs laid peacefully at the edge of the stream, their satin leaves dipping slightly into the humming water. The whole front of the home seemed to be an enchanted garden, tenderly cared for yet wildly dazzling. Seemingly overgrown without of a trace of disgrace, viridian vines flourished and looped and entwined around the exterior of the cottage in whimsical ringlets. Orchids, in their pastel-colored floral complexity, showed the way to the entrance of the cottage by sitting next to the pebbled path that led to the chestnut door, its polished gold doorknob winking. A curved bridge bent over the stream so that those who wished to cross the water were given a convenient way to do so.

"Like it?" mused Alexandra, running her bare foot along a few blades of grass. "I made it myself."

"The cottage?" gaped Riku, his eyes wide.

Alexandra shook her head.

"The garden?" warbled Goofy and Donald, equally impressed.

"Nope. I mean, not just those things." Alexandra shook her head again, beginning to smile once more. "The whole rain forest itself."

Insert heavily stunned silence here.

Toshi tweaked an eyebrow. "Why do I have a feeling that she's not being sarcastic?"

SPECIAL THANKS TO...
Sorasgirl333, Heavenly Demon, carbuncle x3, Pooky, kingdom219, monkeyluv4646, daaku, HopelessxDreamer, Sweet Raine, Sakura Kamiya101, thesrazrbladekisses, Mysterious Prophetess, heartsoblivion (thanks for the cookie!), Chibi Neko-Chan2, Absh, BattleAngelKurumi, KairiGurlPaupo, Pippy99999, Cherry, & Anoa.

Love ya'll.