Disclaimer: It pains me to say that I do not own Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape or form...

A/N: Woot! It's time for the twenty-second chapter! Wow... it's sort of depressing—to me, at least—that this fic will be over soon enough. I mean, I think so. I know that when this is over I'll probably have that "accomplished" type of feeling, but still... this is, after all, the first fanfic I've ever made. Anyway, I guess a lot of you are wondering about what happened to Kairi. Read on and you'll find out soon enough. (; Oh, and I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas—if you celebrated it, that is!

xoxo Bianca.

Intertwined Destinies

Chapter Twenty-Two.

Alexandra quietly slipped out of the kitchen through a door in the back that led outside. The storm had settled and the pounding rain lessened into a light drizzle. Alexandra paid it no heed. She did not glance back at the cottage. She already knew.

It would happen quite soon.

Alexandra stepped into the deep thicket of the forest and walked farther, and farther still. Her eyes shifted around by the slightest, her facial expression as blank as a white sheet of paper. Her feet were now covered in mud, but she hardly noticed. Her surroundings were darkening like a fast setting sun.

She began to run.

"Stop," hissed a voice.

Alexandra stopped.

"The girl—is she... gone?"

"Poisoned."

"How dreadful," said the voice, femininely, and its yellow eyes emerged from the seemingly infinite layers of blackness. The way she said it apparently showed how she thought it was absolutely not dreadful at all. "Although, darling, I do hope you know that there is fault within that tactic of yours."

Alexandra seemed to hesitate for a moment, but one was unable to notice in the utter dark. "How so, Master?"

"You see... a certain heart is protecting her, acting as a barricade."

"I heard her heart was strong..."

"Ah, but look. It is not her heart that is protecting her."

"No, Master?"

"No. I was watching, even before you entered the room to invite the girl in the kitchen. The wretched boy was trying to confess his feelings," sneered the voice, suddenly gaining a sour tone. "Thankfully, you interrupted before he could even say one single certain word."

"I... I did?"

"Oh, yes, very much indeed. That was fortunate. Do you know why, dear? Because that one single certain word... could change everything."

Alexandra did not understand for a moment. She stayed silent until she found something to say, or rather, ask. "So I have not killed her?"

"Not quite."

"Ah." Alexandra lowered her head, closing her eyes. "I have failed you, Master."

"Oh, no. Actually," the yellow eyes gave Alexandra a knowing look, "in fact, you have done something that has made my day. Rather humorous. Darling, you may not have been able to kill her with that poison—your blood—but oh, you seem to have given her something equal to a... curse, may I say?"

"I have cursed her?" Alexandra opened her eyes. "Instead of killing her, I have bestowed a curse upon her?"

The yellow eyes moved up and down, as if the one they belonged to nodded. "And you—being the one who set it upon her—are the only one who can free her from it." There was a pause. "I will trust that you won't."

"I will not, Master, but what exactly have I done?"

"You have cursed her with your curse."

Alexandra attempted to seem unfazed and unruffled. "She will become emotionless?"

"She has become emotionless." There was a devious cackle. "Oh, how wonderfully exciting. Now she cannot feel. She cannot smile, nor laugh! Or cry. Or show any emotion, or any feeling. She will feel what you feel—nothing."

"Nothing..."

"Ah, but there is one thing, you see." The yellow eyes glinted. "Now that you two are linked with the same curse, if she falls out of it, you shall as well. But she will not, because you control that power. She will stay in that curse. She must, and that is an order."

Alexandra's head lifted. "Yes, Master."

"But oh," a wicked sigh sounded, "what fun. The girl will not be able to confess her feelings no longer—that is what she was planning to do, you know. How completely brilliant of you, my dear Heartless! And how brokenhearted the boy will be, to see the girl he loves without any love within her at all."

"I agree, Master."

The yellow eyes looked grave, "Just make sure of this, Alexandra. I must say... in reality, due to some horrid happenings, there is someone else who can take the girl out of the curse. I need you to keep that person from doing so."

"And that is...?"

"The boy, obviously! Sora!" The eyes flashed as she spat his name out. "Do not let him confess his feelings for her. If he does, as a result, she will be released of the curse and everything will be set right."

"Everything will be set right?" echoed Alexandra.

"Precisely." There was a beastly laugh. "It has become a game, do you not see? We have just added another obstacle—and we shall have a lot of losers. They will lose, Alexandra. We will win. I will win. Darkness shall win, and we can completely obliterate the Light that is left. The Light, within their hearts."

"All hail Darkness," whispered Alexandra.

"Indeed, indeed." The eyes gave Alexandra a scrutinizing look. "Now, go. You have been gone for a while. You know what to do to them—where to bring them. They shall be eliminated at that path, now that I have come to think of it; I want to be there to destroy them... to destroy their hearts. But first, bring them to where they wish to go. It is only... fair." There was a sarcastic tone to her voice. "Be fair, for their lives are coming to an end."

"Yes, Master."

"And make sure the girl does not come out of her curse."

"Yes, Master."

"Watch out for the boy. He is stronger than he seems."

"Yes, Master."

"Now leave. But before you do... do one thing for me, darling."

"Master?"

"Refrain yourself from doing anything stupid. Just like that certain incident with Riku at the Path of Twilight."

"Yes... Master."

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Kairi saw nothing but a blurred version of the teacup in her hands; she tried to inhale but could not. She felt as though her lungs were constrained, like an iron fist had slammed against her ribs and crushed her bones. She coughed out—something within her seemed to be disappearing... something important. She tried calling out for help but was unable to. Kairi felt as though shadows were engulfing her body's interior. Kairi felt like something precious was being taken from her. Kairi felt all her emotions at once; she felt all her feelings at once. Kairi felt a force comparable to gusts of wind seizing her mind, her soul. Kairi felt her heart being wrenched out of her spirit's grasp.

And then...

Kairi felt nothing.

Kairi's vision cleared and she saw that she was sitting in the kitchen. Her fingers were like ice. All of a sudden, everything to her was just... ice. Her hands turned limp and the teacup fell to the table, rolled off the surface, and shattered into countless pieces on the hardwood floor with a high-pitched clatter. The shiny porcelain winked sadly as the light reflected against it. The magenta scarlet tea seemed like blood now, as it pooled at Kairi's shoes.

Sora came running in, with Toshi behind him.

"Kairi!" Sora stared at her, in shock. She looked... different, somehow. She looked exhausted, and dark red tea was dripping off the table and forming little miniature pools on the floor. He walked over to Kairi. She wouldn't look at him. She simply looked forward. Sora took Kairi by the shoulders. "Kairi. Kairi, what's wrong?" She felt frigid. She was unusually cold.

Kairi said nothing. Her eyes moved in Sora's direction but did not completely look at him. Sora stared at Kairi's eyes and saw it. Her eyes, her light cerulean eyes, they didn't seem so bright anymore. They looked vacant, bleached; like an unfeeling void.

Sora's hands left Kairi's shoulders and ran down her arms, grasping her dainty hands. "Kairi... say something..."

But she did not.

Toshi looked down at the blood red liquid. He shook his head. "Tea. Kairi drank tea."

Sora stared at Kairi, not knowing what do to, or even what to think. "Why did she? You told her—"

"I don't know why Kairi decided to drink something when I advised her not to, but whatever. The only thing I saw in my vision was Kairi drinking something, and then something weird happening to her."

Sora looked around. "Where's Alexandra?"

"Who knows?" Toshi replied. "All I know is that we can't completely say that Alexandra did this to her."

"And why not?" demanded Sora.

"Look." Toshi pointed to the set of china, and at the teapot. "Maybe Kairi poured the tea for herself. Maybe Alexandra left before Kairi even drank the tea. Maybe neither of them knew. But we don't know whether Alexandra did this to Kairi or not. Ask her when she comes back or something."

Sora seemed at the peak of insanity. He rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure! When Alexandra comes back, I'll waltz right up to her and ask casually, 'Hey, did you happen to poison my girlfriend?' Toshi, get real!"

"Gee," Toshi let out an exasperated sigh, "and I was only trying to help for once."

Sora looked at Toshi, and his shoulders dropped in guilt. "I'm sorry, okay? It's just," Sora's gaze turned to Kairi, who was absentmindedly staring at Sora's hands holding her own, "Kairi seems almost..."

Toshi peered at Kairi over his shoulder. "Emotionless?"

Sora gulped. "Y-yeah."

"Aw, God." Toshi folded his arms across his chest, looking at the spilled tea on the ground. "I guess that means she won't be able to tell you anymore."

"What?"

"You know..."

"What?"

"Her feelings, you nitwit!"

"What?"

Toshi turned around to glare at Sora. "But seeing that she probably lost her heart or something, she won't be able to recall any feelings she ever had for you. Both the annoyed and affectionate ones."

Sora was at loss for words.

"Sorry," Toshi shrugged, "but that's the way things go sometimes. Not everyone gets a Happily Ever After sort of ending... or however that thing goes..."

Sora looked at Kairi. This time she looked back at him, but her eyes showed nothing of that thing she had felt for him earlier. And that certain thing was love, which she experienced no longer.

Kairi was as good as gone.

Sora cast his gaze downwards, looking at Kairi's hands in his, and then let go. "But I was hoping that we could have."

Riku's eyes opened. To his dismay, he found out that he had fallen asleep under the window. He lifted himself up and looked outside. The rain had completely stopped, but it was quite muddy out there. The leaves of the plants slightly reflected crystalline droplets of rainwater, those of which fell off and disappeared into the soil.

The front door, which was right next to the window, opened. Alexandra walked in, her feet coated in dirty brown mud. Her hair was moderately wet and dripped on the floor, leaving small puddles. Alexandra left thick footprints of mud on the floor as well as she walked across the room without a word.

"Alexandra?"

Alexandra stopped walking, but did not turn around. "Riku?"

"Where did you go?"

"S-somewhere."

Both Riku and Alexandra were a bit taken aback. Did she just show slight hesitation within a reply? It seemed unusual. And suspicious.

Riku stood up, his back leaning against the freezing glass of the window. His voice was soft. "You went to see her... didn't you?"

Alexandra still had her back facing Riku. Instead of answering his question, she said plainly, "We are leaving."

Riku turned to his side, raising his eyebrows. "Oh. Where?"

"It varies." Alexandra finally turned around. "Where do you wish to go?"

"The Stained Glass Realm," came a voice, and it belonged to Sora. He had been standing in the doorway of the kitchen, listening to what Alexandra was saying. "Where Merlin was—that bright dimension, where Trinity and all the other townspeople are."

No one said anything for a while. Riku looked at Sora. Toshi and Kairi were standing on either side of him. Toshi looked a little distracted while Kairi looked... Riku couldn't think of anything to describe what she looked like. That facial expression she had on... seemed like nothing, yet something at the same time. It almost looked familiar. Then Riku noticed, where he had seen that blank sort of look before.

Emotionless. Just like Alexandra.

"Is Kairi... okay?" asked Riku, stepping towards them.

Sora didn't say anything at all, so Toshi answered instead. "Kairi isn't okay. In fact, Kairi isn't anything at all."

"What?" Riku asked, aghast, beginning to feel tense.

"I told her not to." Toshi said disapprovingly, and everyone felt a rant coming on. "I told her not to drink anything. And what did she do? She drank something. She did the total opposite of what I advised her not to do. Humph. I can't believe she drank the tea! She made a mess back there, too. But still, she drank it. I was trying to help her, but no. Kairi couldn't help herself, I betcha. And now look what happened. She's emotionless."

Riku stared.

Toshi crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "All in all, Kairi's lost her heart."

"But that means..." Riku's eyes wandered over to a dejected-looking Sora.

Sora looked away. "I don't want to talk about it," he muttered. He looked at Alexandra suspiciously, but said nothing of what he was thinking. He just said to her, "Let's go. Take us to the Stained Glass Realm." Sora paused. "Please."

Alexandra glanced at Kairi before looking at Sora. "And why do you choose that particular place as your destination?"

"Because that's what Kairi would have wanted."

"Excuse me?"

"Kairi wanted to save Trinity and the others. But now she doesn't want anything, because she doesn't feel anything. I do know that she wanted them to be safe before she lost her emotions. So that's why we're going there. We're going to get Trinity and the others to safety."

"Do you know how you will accomplish that?"

"I don't really know, truthfully." Sora shook his head, looking downwards. "But I'm doing it for Kairi."

Alexandra raised an eyebrow. "Even though she will think nothing of it?"

"Yeah."

Alexandra pursed her lips and canted her head. "Suit yourself."

Donald and Goofy yawned.

"Where're we going?" mumbled Goofy, displaying his large, white buckteeth as he yawned once more.

Donald rubbed his yellow bill. "Do we hafta leave now? It's already dark out."

"It won't be dark where we're going," assured Sora.

Alexandra looked around. Everyone—everyone being Riku, Sora, Kairi, Toshi, Donald, and Goofy—was encircled around her.

"All right, everyone is here." Alexandra surveyed the others. "Now, I have already teleported from here to the Stained Glass Realm countless times, and as a result it gets more difficult every time I switch from place to place."

"So...?" asked Toshi.

"So," Alexandra said, eyeing everyone, "you all have to touch each other."

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Alexandra rolled her eyes. "No, you dunce. I mean—we must create a chain so that we are all connected. Hold hands, or something of the sort. It will be easier for me to 'carry' you across the dimensions and time and whatnot."

Eventually, everyone held hands. Alexandra, being in the middle of their circle, brought her hands up to her chin, laced her fingers together, and began whispering that familiar incantation Sora and Kairi had heard earlier.

Bursts of hot and cold air shot at the group in spontaneous directions, causing them to shut their eyes closed and lower their heads. A light humming noise was heard, and it strummed louder and louder until they felt it thundering within them. Beams of intense light exploded forcefully out of nowhere in particular. Then all at once, they were overcome with nauseous innervations that caused them to hold their breath, and caused Toshi to start wailing.

"HAVE MERCY!" Toshi screamed, but his voice was deafened as they were all whisked in a faraway, obscure direction. It seemed like only three seconds into the time that they were spinning in an outrageous speed until they all fell on a slick, cold floor, much like marble. Toshi groaned, having landed on his back. "Please call my chiropractor."

Sora blinked his eyes open, struggling to breathe from the impact. He turned to Kairi, who had landed next to him. "Are you okay, Kairi?"

"What...?" Kairi, not paying much attention, stood up, quietly dusting off her clothes. She didn't look at him.

"Never mind." Sora looked away and sat up. They were in the bright dimension.

Riku rubbed his bum uncomfortably, standing up and shaking his head. "I hate teleporting."

"It is because you are a mere mortal," commented Alexandra, eyeing him. Riku said nothing in return, although he shrugged as if to say he didn't really care about the pain.

Sora looked around. "Where's..." His eyes widened. "Where's Donald and Goofy?" His eyes wandered around the whitened dimension. They were nowhere to be seen. "Ugh, not again!"

"It seems as though Donald and Goofy have been... misplaced," Alexandra said simply. She looked as though she were about to say more, but stopped herself before she could have went on.

Sora felt worry seeping into him. "I just hope they're safe..."

Riku's pale aquamarine eyes scanned the area. "Why isn't Merlin here?"

Alexandra sat down next to him. "He must be teleporting... looking for all of you. But mostly, Kairi—he needs her heart. Then again... she has lost her heart."

"Just like you," Riku said under his breath. Alexandra went on, apparently not hearing him.

"You see—she was made of a heart, a body, and a soul. Since her heart was taken from her, she only has her body and soul left. Her body allows her to keep a physical state of being, whilst her soul allows her to keep her senses of what is going on. Her heart... is completely, utterly, absolutely..." Alexandra glanced at Kairi. "Relinquished."

No one said anything.

Finally, Sora looked at his hands, and in his hands was his Keyblade. "When will Merlin be back?"

Alexandra flipped her hair over her shoulder. "How would I know this? The best option would be to wait. Do not go gallivanting about this dimension—besides, you would not want to disturb the townspeople... am I right?" Alexandra's eyes flickered.

"No... I guess not..." Sora sighed. "I guess we'll have to wait..."

Sora sat talking with Toshi, while Riku sat talking with Alexandra. And Kairi? Kairi sat alone, in thorough silence.

Sora's eyes were fixed on Kairi, but he refrained himself from saying anything.

Toshi followed his gaze, and shook his head. "You're hurting inside."

"What's it to you?"

"I don't know. But, you should just forget the whole thing."

"What are you talking about? Are you saying that I should forget my feelings for Kairi, and pretend like nothing happened between us? Toshi, I can't just do that. Because something did happen. It's not that simple."

Toshi shrugged. "She's forgotten everything she's felt about you. Why shouldn't you do the same?"

"Because I can't."

"If Kairi can, you can."

"She didn't do it by herself. She was poisoned—drinking the tea made her that way. Someone else made her emotionless."

"It might take a while, but you should just move on."

"My heart's telling me not to."

"Too bad, 'cause Kairi doesn't have a heart."

Sora's head bowed down. His shoulders dropped from the stiff position they were in. Fixing his eyes on the Oathkeeper, Sora's hands clenched into fists. "Over a year ago... when Kairi lost her heart to Ansem... her heart wasn't completely lost... because her heart was hidden within me." Sora looked up at an exasperated Toshi.

"That was over a year ago, FYI."

Riku was shaking his head. All of a sudden, he pounded his right fist into his left palm. To his ears, it made a satisfying smacking sound.

Alexandra, who was sitting a foot or two away from him, cleared her throat. In other words, she was indicating that she was wondering why Riku had done such a movement.

Riku looked at his hands. "My journey was a lie. It was all... a lie."

Alexandra did not turn to look at Riku, although she tilted her head towards him. "Meaning...?"

"Remember when I said that Merlin sent me to find Trinity and her brother? Well, it seems as though I've fallen into another villain's clutches. Merlin lied to me and said that I would be doing this for a good purpose... I was wrong to believe him... he's evil—he's turned evil. Like, it's happening, all over again, just like what happened over a year ago with Maleficent."

Alexandra stiffened. She did not say anything for a while, but when she did, she said, "Perhaps Merlin was right about one thing." And she made it sound as though she had actually been there while Merlin requested Riku's assistance.

"What?"

"That reuniting Trinity and her brother would restore Traverse Town." Once again, Alexandra could not believe that she was telling Riku this. She was getting closer and closer to what had been forbidden... but the thing she did not want most was the thing that seemed to be happening, very slowly—she was getting closer and closer to Riku.

"Really?" Riku asked, after a while.

Alexandra's only legitimate guess was that the Light within the dimension was making her more at ease. "I suppose," she answered shortly.

"Oh." Riku's voice lowered, and his head looked up at the rich hues of the stained glass. He let out a slow breath. "I just... I just feel used." Riku was shocked at himself. Did he just admit that he was feeling inferior to someone? He was never one to say something like that, but then again, being with Alexandra made him say things he never thought he would ever, ever say.

"Used..."

Riku turned to face Alexandra. "I know you never really feel, Alexandra. But I know you work for someone, and that you have a master. A master, who tells you to do things all the time, and tells you to do certain things that may cause trouble... you must have felt used at one point or another..."

Alexandra did not reply. She delayed not to reply because, not only for the reason of not wanting to expose her "deadly duty," which was that she was out to kill them all, but also to hide the fact that Riku was completely... wholesomely... correct.

"She may never get her heart back, Sora."

"How do you know?"

"I never said I knew. I'm just making guesses."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "Well, this isn't the time for guessing games!"

Toshi folded his arms across his chest. "Did it ever dawn upon you, that Life might just be one huge game?"

"No."

Toshi rolled his eyes. "So there ya go! That's why you're losing."

"I think you're losing your brain, that's what."

"God, Sora! You're being so feisty, and moody, and all those other things girls experience when they're on their period."

"I AM NOT ON MY PERIOD!"

Ten feet away, Riku and Alexandra turned to stare with raised eyebrows and annoyed, wide eyes.

Toshi smirked, amused. "Not... yet?"

"Shut up, you idiot. I'm not even a girl."

"Jeez, forgive me for trying to lighten things up a bit."

"You are not forgiven." Sora huffed. "And as if it can get any lighter here."

Toshi looked at Sora for a moment before asking, "Was that a joke?"

"Yeah, sure it was. Now laugh like the idiot you are."

Toshi rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm going to tell you what I told Riku. It's plain and simple, really." He leaned forward and spoke slowly. "She. Does. Not. Have. A. Heart."

"It's weird," Riku said, under his breath though still very much audible. "How you think you know someone, and how you trust them, and then they betray you. Just a whole bunch of stupid betrayal."

Betrayal. Alexandra bit her lip at the word, and closed her eyes.

"I know I've betrayed others before. But someone was controlling me. I was being controlled."

Controlled. Alexandra couldn't help but think that this all seemed frightfully familiar.

"And before I knew it, I was just a huge mass of deceit."

Deceit. There was just something about that word that Alexandra thought it seemed... comparable to herself...

"I could have killed someone. I could have gotten away with murder."

Murder... Alexandra thought about her job.

I know that you will find a legitimate way to take care of them...

"Then the only thing I felt inside was practically emptiness. Dead."

Dead...

"And the only thing I wanted inside was affection. Love."

Love. Alexandra's eyes blinked open.

"It's funny," Riku continued, now locking eyes with Alexandra, "that even though someone does the most horrible things—they still thirst for love. And Light."

Something inside of Alexandra crumbled. "I have no Light within me, Riku."

"There's always Light in the Darkness."

Alexandra kept her mouth shut.

"And in the darkest of Darkness, lies the brightest Light of all."

Toshi grunted. "Seriously, dude. You better forget, and forget quick, before it's too late and you regret the whole thing."

Sora stood up, looking down at Toshi. "It's always a 'before it's too late' case with you, isn't it, Toshi? What are you trying to prove, anyway? You're the one who hinted the whole 'fess up' thing. To tell her how I feel. How I've always felt. Now you're telling me to forget the fact that I—"

"It really isn't the time for rambling."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "You know what, Toshi? Whatever." He shook his head and turned away. He hesitated for a moment before approaching Kairi, who was silently sitting down on the pure white floor by herself. She looked onward emptily, and nowhere in particular.

"How are you feeling?" Sora asked kindly, taking a seat next to her.

Kairi didn't respond. Then Sora felt foolish. Why did he have to ask? Kairi could not feel anything anymore.

But that didn't mean Kairi could not think. She was thinking, and she was thinking hard. She was wondering about... about...

Kairi finally opened her mouth, speaking softly, and neutrally. "What has happened to me?"

Sora was surprised at this question. Of course, Kairi had to be even the slightest bit of confused if she suddenly had her heart taken away...

"You drank the tea," Sora replied miserably.

"Oh, okay."

Sora watched as Kairi toyed with a lock of auburn, velvety strands that fell upon her shoulder. "You shouldn't have."

"But I wanted to."

Sora blinked in disbelief. "What?"

"The tea tasted lovely."

"Kairi..."

"What...?"

"You've changed." Sora swallowed, a thick swallow, a difficult swallow. That was what this entire predicament was—difficult. "You've changed, and you're not yourself anymore."

"So what about it?" Kairi asked easily. A bit too easily, for it made Sora feel even more troubled.

"You're in there somewhere," Sora said softly. He looked at Kairi, and Kairi looked back, but she didn't look at him how she had always looked at him before. This time, the look was vacant, and hollow. Sora's eyes were filled with so much more, though, something Kairi could no longer understand. "The real Kairi must be deep within yourself... she's there, isn't she?"

Kairi said nothing.

"Isn't she?" pressed Sora.

Kairi shook her head.

"I can feel her," Sora continued, faintly. "She's here."

"She's gone."

"No," Sora forced on a smile. "Bring her back."

"I can't."

"Kairi... please..." Sora bit his lip, and placed his hand on hers, which was resting on her knee. "I... really, really need her—I need you."

"Too bad," Kairi replied subtly, turning away. "Because she isn't coming back."

"It is happening, Riku." Alexandra lowered her gaze from his.

"What's happening?" asked Riku, completely befuddled.

"But I told you not to..." Her head bowed down.

"What, Alexandra?"

"Please, Riku." Alexandra's head snapped back up, looking him sharply in the eyes. "You have to stop. It must be hard for you, but you must."

"Stop what? Must what?"

"You are getting attached to me."

Riku fell silent. He looked down, exhaled, and closed his eyes. "Alexandra... I already told you... I don't care what happens to me if I feel this way. I can't help it. Things like this can't really be helped when you feel it, and I feel it so much. Even though you can't feel, I just know that we were meant for each other."

Alexandra seemed blown away by his reply, for her eyes widened slightly, and she stared at him as if he had just told her a horror story filled with an excessive amount of blood and gore, and more blood.

"I'm getting attached to you. So what? Big deal. It's not against the law. I'm not going to get convicted or anything, am I?"

"No," whispered Alexandra, averting her gaze. "Although something worse may happen."

"What? What will happen to me? What can possibly happen that I can't possibly handle?"

Alexandra kept her eyes away from Riku. "Death."

"Great," Riku looked at her in a way that showed he thought she was over exaggerating. "I feel affection, so I'm gonna die? Alexandra, where do you get this bull from?"

"My master."

"Your master is evil. Of course she'd say that."

"Please," Alexandra turned to Riku, her multicolored eyes suddenly piercing into him. "Do not say that. She will hear. I am not supposed to be sharing anything with you. I do not want to talk about this anymore, Riku. You have learned enough about me... please..."

Riku stared at Alexandra, seeing something quiver in her eyes. "Fine. But let me just ask you one thing."

"... Yes?"

"Did you ever feel the same about me?"

"No," Alexandra said softly, closing her eyes, and then sighing. But she said it in a way that made both her and Riku know that she was telling one, huge, gigantic lie.

It hurt Sora to see Kairi like this, but it hurt him more to hear the curt words come out of her mouth. So he sat, in complete silence, wishing Merlin would just show up already so that he could blast him into smithereens. Sora had never felt excessively violent, but this time Kairi had been messed with far too much, and even if she didn't care about him anymore, he still felt the same about her nonetheless. He wouldn't listen to Toshi and just let go of his feelings for Kairi.

His heart told him otherwise.

Sora gripped the Keyblade, his gloves against the metal creating a rubbing sound. It was the only sound he heard, except for Toshi's dumb humming and Alexandra's soft conversation with Riku. Then it quieted down, because Toshi spontaneously decided to stop humming. Soon afterward, Alexandra and Riku's little talk seemed to end.

Suddenly, the dimension echoed with hoarse, vigorous coughs. Everyone conscious turned to see where the coughs had come from, and saw Toshi doubling over with a hand to his chest, struggling for air. His eyes closed, and his head shook from side to side, slowly. Before anyone could do anything, Toshi's eyes blinked open and he seemed to blanch, his eyes reflected a little something called worry.

"Are you okay, Toshi?" Sora asked from his spot next to Kairi.

"Yeah." Toshi's eyes seemed to squint at the white floor beneath him.

"What happened?" asked Riku.

Toshi kept himself from replying. His eyes closed again, and his breathing grew ragged. It seemed as though he was feeling haunted by something. Perhaps he had seen something that struck him with terror. Toshi swallowed. "I... can't believe it."

Alexandra tweaked her head to the side. "He saw something. Something strong. And he felt some of it as well, did you not, Toshi?"

Toshi fixed his gaze on Alexandra. "Yeah."

"It was terrible, was it not?" Alexandra questioned airily.

"Death is obviously terrible," Toshi retorted, suddenly being aroused with anger. "And someone's gonna get some terrible coming at them."

"Come again?" Sora did not quite get what Toshi was saying. "Did you get a vision or what?"

"That was no vision," Toshi said, his voice upset. He cursed under his breath. "It was much, much stronger."

Sora blinked in confusion. "Well, what happened to you?"

"Nothing happened to me. It happened to someone else." Toshi bit his lip, and looked from Kairi to Sora, back and forth, then looked straight at Sora.

Before Sora could reply, a swirl of blackness appeared several feet away. Something similar to a blend of white and blue pixels danced and floated in the air before merging together. Everyone stood up, watching the pixels form a person.

Merlin was back.

As he completely solidified, Merlin quickly noticed the newcomers with devilishly impressed eyes. He bared his teeth.

"How wonderful, it seems as though I have company. I am surprised to see you all..." Merlin's eyes glinted mischievously before continuing, "... that is, conscious."

Toshi looked at Riku—Riku looked at Alexandra—Alexandra looked at Sora—Sora looked at Kairi—and then they all turned to stare at Merlin.

Merlin let out a low chuckle, locking eyes with Kairi. "Ah, Kairi. This is rather pleasant. Now, perhaps we should start where we left off." Merlin put his hands together. "I need that pure heart of yours."

"That's not possible at the moment," retorted Sora, though in a strangely soft voice. "And I won't let you anyhow." He raised the Keyblade defensively.

Merlin raised an eyebrow, eyed the Keyblade, and then smirked. "If you wish to have this done the hard way—then so be it." Afterwards he gave a deep bow, at the same time drawing his long wand from within his blue silken clothing.

In a swift movement, Sora reached out to the side, protectively leveling the Keyblade in front of Kairi. His hand tightly grasped the metal handle and his teeth clenched. He did not remove his eyes from Merlin.

"Give me one good reason," Sora's eyes narrowed, "why I shouldn't slash you to bits."

SPECIAL THANKS TO...

daaku, KairiGurlPaupo, Cherdafred, Sora's GuardianAngel, Anonymous, sorakairi forever, Shirozora, Inuyasha-Fan012, Sakura Hanamoto, carbuncle X3, rockbeast212, angelady, Iridaceae, Mysterious Prophetess, Ravey13, kingdomhearts222, Sorasgirl333, Heavenly Demon, No Wonder, & Sakura Kamiya101.

Thank you all so much, and have a safe New Years!