Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts? Mine? Oh, heck no.

A/N: I spent almost all day yesterday typing this up! D: I hope you guys like it. Yes, it's growing nearer and nearer to the end. And yes, this fanfic does tie in with KH2. I might not get all the details right, but in the end it won't really matter, because... wait, I'm not supposed to be telling you this! xD Just get on with the chapter, before I spoil the whole thing. Oh, and I did change my pen name again. Ha! But I swear, this is most likely the one I'm keeping. Enjoy the chapter!

xoxo Bianca.

Intertwined Destinies

Chapter Twenty-Three.

"Mirai wa..." Her pale hands of milky skin set down a rectangular drawing pad with a transparent orange cover upon the surface of a white table. Her thin fingers loosely held a pencil. "... doko made mo kagayaiteta."

Everything around her seemed to be of pastel shades, but majority consisted of white and pearly blue marble and crystal. She shook her head slowly, a frown on her lips to indicate how upset she was. She stared down at her drawing pad and sighed—there was not much on it, except for a few intricately drawn lines and curves which true shape could not be identified.

Shards of glass and shattered white slivers of an unknown material were strewn across the bright floor and gleamed like wet ice.

She heard a light whistling sound, much like the wind, that grew louder and louder until it was deafened by two heavy thumps. She did not turn around to see who had landed behind her, for she already knew.

"Naminé...!"

"I am afraid I have no reason." Merlin's glowered. "Or rather, I highly doubt your capability of... slashing me to bits."

Sora knuckles whitened underneath his large gloves as he tightened his grip on the Keyblade. "I knocked you out before, didn't I? I can do it again."

"Ah, but you had caught me in a rare moment—that is, being off-guard." Merlin's eyes held a taunting look. "Your dear Kairi had my attention, causing my distraction."

Sora's eyelids lowered halfway. That sounded just plain wrong.

Merlin scrutinized Kairi. "But it seems as though she will delay from being a distraction this time."

Toshi, looking a little flustered, turned to Alexandra and Riku. "Can't you guys do something? Riku, what about your weapon thingy?"

Riku shook his head. "Tell him, Alexandra."

Alexandra looked at Toshi sternly before looking back at Merlin and Sora. "This is Sora's battle."

Toshi fell silent. He shook his head. Then he looked up, his eyes scrutinizing Sora, and noticed in vague surprise that his look-alike seemed on the verge of tears. Toshi's eyes narrowed. Be stronger, Sora.

Sora suddenly turned to face Toshi. "What?"

Toshi's jaw dropped. "What? You heard me?"

Sora squinted. "Yeah, but—"

He was interrupted when Merlin tapped his wand against the ground; it started glowing a chalky, crystal white light. A few seconds later, scaled-down splinters of icicles emitted viciously from the wand. Sora turned around, his eyes wide, just in time to notice the swarm of ice coming at him.

Sora ducked and rolled off to the side. "Aeroga!" A fierce veil of wind swirled around him, ready to absorb any future damage to come. As he started to stand up, he toppled over as Merlin assaulted him with another frosted attack. This time Sora felt the ice, but the barrier of wind he created kept the damage to a minimum.

Sora's teeth sank into his bottom lip. He quickly pushed himself up and blasted a similar tangle of ice towards Merlin, but it quickly ricocheted off his opponent.

Merlin sneered. "Give up, boy. I was the one who taught you how to handle your magic." He thrust his wand in Sora's direction. "There is no way you can beat me."

Sora shook his head stubbornly, not allowing himself to give in. The battle had only begun. Sora stared at Merlin unyieldingly. "The Darkness will only weaken your magic, Merlin."

"You're wrong," jeered Merlin, beginning to circle Sora. "The Darkness will give me substantial strength—strength that will overshadow yours and engulf every amount of Light within you." As his sentence finished off softly, the wind barrier around Sora died away. Merlin grinned sourly and unleashed a fatal spurt of twirling fire at Sora's body. Sora winced, but refrained himself from falling over. His afflicted skin tingled with numbing pain.

The fight wore on.

Toshi examined their tactics. Merlin only uses magic... Then Sora glanced at him. Toshi's eyes widened, but did not let this newly found telepathy faze him. Sora, stop using magic and get physical!

Sora felt dumbfounded for a few seconds, but then gave a nod of determination and lifted his Keyblade. As Merlin approached him from the right, Sora spun around and furiously slashed at him. Merlin grunted and leaped to the left, but still suffered a fair amount of damage.

"Heal!" Suddenly, a pair of shimmering golden bells dangled above Sora, glowing green and a luminous yellow. A dust of glitter cascaded down and sparkled over him, restoring some of his energy.

Feeling better, Sora continued to strike at Merlin, whacking him this way and that, every direction—mercilessly, without delay, without stopping to take a breather. Merlin let out gruff shouts, backing away and doubling over, unable to make use of his wand.

Sora felt something within him explode, burning up, like an internal wildfire. "You hurt Kairi!" He yelled, bringing his Keyblade down for the hundredth time. "I can't forgive you for that—you betrayed us! You're a traitor, Merlin!" Sora began to breathe heavily. "Now Kairi can't feel anything! She's nothing without a heart, and I'm nothing without her." Sora crashed the Keyblade against the wizard once more, and Merlin fell to the ground.

Sora stopped, panting, his tense shoulders dropping. He turned around and swallowed hard. "Kairi..."

Kairi's head lifted. Their eyes met.

Then Sora blanched, his face carrying a sudden writhing expression, and he fell to his knees as he felt spiked, thorny ice penetrate and drill against his back. His gaze dropped to the white floor beneath him, an intense glacial wave washing over him. Never before had he felt such a strong Blizzard attack. He began to shiver with a stinging, chilled feeling. He heard Merlin's footsteps right behind him.

"You're going to die, right here, right now," hissed Merlin, his voice carrying a tyrannical tone. "And your beloved friends are all here to see it—to see your blood being shed."

Sora choked out a difficult breath. The frost was overcoming him. He tried moving, but failed.

"Imagine... I, Merlin, responsible for the death of a Keyblade wielder..."

Sora closed his eyes. No...

"Oh, but don't worry, for I'll make sure I'll kill off the other two wielders as well."

Sora's eyes reopened.

"Ah, yes." Merlin turned his wand over. "The other... two. Can't you see? They are in here right now."

Sora gulped. One must be Riku, who's the other one...?

Merlin shook his head. "But that is a matter to be left untouched, for now, that is." He gained a smug look when Sora tried to get up. "Gravity," Merlin spat.

Sora groaned as a crushing ball of darkness flattened him to the ground, feeling the oxygen being squashed from his lungs. He struggled for air but did not get any, and began to feel lightheaded. His eyes attempted to stay open despite being suffocated, though he saw nothing but swelling colors of purple and black. His body crumpled against the ground for at least ten more seconds before he was released from the force and regained the ability to breathe. He turned over to lie on his back and let out several violent coughs.

"Wasn't that fun?" Merlin demanded eagerly, and bitterly. "Shall we go another round?"

Sora didn't answer, but he knew what was coming.

Toshi, Alexandra, Riku, and Kairi watched the battle wear on for the next handful of minutes. Sora was unable to get up, and unable to cure himself. He seemed on the brink of losing consciousness... or worse. Once or twice, Riku felt the urge to step forward and do something, but he was held back, for he knew that it had to be this way.

Merlin lowered his wand for a moment to catch his breath. He was breathing hoarsely, sweat fringing the sides of his face. He had a twisted smile upon his face, obviously amused that he would be able to beat the Keyblade Master into a bloody pulp.

"Death awaits you, Sora."

Naminé showed her unfinished picture to Donald and Goofy.

"It seems all wrong," Naminé whispered, in her mellifluous voice.

Donald quacked. "Why's Sora so complicated?"

Naminé erased a stray line from the white page. "His heart... it's staying put. I can't just bring him back as easily as I did with you and Goofy."

"A-hyuck, but don't that mean you won't be able to finish restorin' his mem'ries?"

"Oh, I will," Naminé replied indignantly, her eyebrow arching. "Somehow. He trusted me, and I can't let him down."

"But he doesn't know about it!" Donald fussed. "He's practically forgotten everythin' that happened in Castle Oblivion. He still thinks he's on the journey."

"He thought that grassy area was real, just like we did," Goofy added glumly. "We'd no idea that place was a... uh... frog...?"

"Fragment of imagination," Naminé reminded him. "Where you three stayed momentarily, in your minds."

"We don't really get it," Donald and Goofy replied in unison, and in equally miserable tones.

"It's okay," Naminé assured them with a gentle smile. "Allow me to explain again."

Everyone held their breath.

Merlin readied himself for the final blow. And as he did, he started cackling savagely.

Sora murmured something.

Merlin's eyes narrowed. "What did you say, you imbecile?"

Sora lifted his head, "I said... Death can wait." He weakly lifted the Keyblade. "Stopga!"

Merlin gave out a vulgar shout and froze in his position as ribbons of dark strands encircled him. His face stayed in its contorted expression, and he stood stock-still as if he were petrified. Completely immobile, Merlin could not do anything. He could not say anything, or even think of anything. He had become a temporary statue, and a horrid one at that.

Sora took this opportunity to haul himself up and use Curaga to rehabilitate his tired body. Refreshed, Sora inhaled sharply and began powerfully swinging at Merlin with the Keyblade. He didn't hear himself crying out incoherently; he didn't hear the thick blows echoing across the dimension as he lashed and swiped this way and that way. He didn't hear Toshi suddenly cheering him on; he didn't hear Alexandra and Riku telling the psychic boy to shut up because he was making an idiot out of himself. He only heard his own thoughts, his own pained thoughts, and he instantly knew that his despair was causing him to fight so forcibly, and he began to doubt himself.

She may never return my feelings...

We were so close... I was so close to telling her...

I'm losing her. Kairi's forgotten anything she's felt about me.

How did she feel about me, anyway?

I don't know anything anymore...

So maybe...

Maybe this whole journey was a waste.

"There was an attack... I was knocked out unconscious, and I can't recall who caused the trouble. But when I awakened and checked your memory restoration chambers, your pods had been damaged terribly."

Donald and Goofy stared.

Naminé sighed. "Do you remember—at one point in the Grasslands—the sky turning very, very dark? Do you ever recall being taken to places by what seemed to be the Darkness?"

Donald and Goofy nodded at once.

"So there. That's because your memory pods were malfunctioning. You were sent to reality—away from the safeness of the Grasslands, where you were slowly regaining your memories."

Goofy rubbed his head. "Why didn't we get to go with Sora to Traverse Town?"

Naminé reached over and flipped to a certain page in her sketchpad. It showed a drawing of the Stained Glass Realm—the top of it—and two people looking about ready to jump right off the edge. "Because his heart was drawn to where he wanted to be, with his Light... and so he ended up where Kairi was headed—Traverse Town. You two weren't able to make it that far."

"Well!" Donald huffed. "Does this all mean that Sora still doesn't remember some things?"

Naminé nodded.

"Like... whaaat?"

"He is incomplete. He doesn't fully remember everything he's gone through, even though he doesn't show it. He doesn't show it, because he's not aware of it. He does not remember certain people. True, he almost completely forgot the events of Castle Oblivion, but he hasn't completely recalled the events of his past adventures—the ones he was supposed to remember."

"Oh..."

Naminé closed her drawing pad. "He's probably confused as to why you two keep disappearing."

Goofy's head bobbed. "We're sorry we didn't get to tell Sora 'bout the problem when we met up with him again, after you sent us back to the Realm when you brought us back here for a while."

"There never seemed to be a right time to break it to him," agreed Donald, solemnly.

"It's okay," Naminé replied pleasantly. "You probably saw how much he enjoyed being with Kairi again, and felt guilty about having to tell him, didn't you?"

"Exactly!" Goofy and Donald exclaimed at the same time, surprised at Naminé's extremely accurate statement.

Naminé smiled at them again, but it was a troubled one. She sighed softly. "There's so much to do..."

Toshi heard every word Sora thought. No, Sora! This whole journey wasn't a waste!

Sora was still taken aback at his ability to speak with Toshi internally. It was true—they were connected, somehow. There was something that linked them together... something, perhaps the same thing that made them share very similar looks.

But... what?

Merlin felt nothing, as if he was under anesthesia, and Sora continued to smash his Keyblade against him in an unstoppable manner. "I can't forgive you," Sora said again, though softer, drawing in nauseating breaths. His eyes began to rim red. Then he stumbled back as the dark hoops of the Stopga spell evaporated into the air and disappeared.

Merlin slumped to the ground, swaying back and forth, suddenly feeling the flurry and gales of attacks Sora had bestowed upon him just a few moments earlier. The wizard growled in pain, his hands pounded against the ground, squeezing the wand in his hands.

"Fool!" raged Merlin, his teeth rattling and his eyes boiling with ardent resentment. "You've infuriated me for the last time."

Merlin did not bother to get up, for he was far too weak, but instead lifted his wand as high as he possibly could so that it was practically touching Sora at the nose. Sora had no time to react before Merlin shouted in an echoing roar, "THUNDAGA!"

Everyone stared with widened eyes as a maelstrom of dynamic, electrifying lightning burst out of the open air—aiming precisely at Sora, and only Sora. It struck again, again, and again. Then again. The boy fell flat to the ground, shouting out in ultimately sufferable pain, feeling shocks of violently vibrating waves storm and convulse and charge through his entire frame. He shook uncontrollably, feeling as though deadly energy was eating and gnawing away at his body, his life, his heart.

Everyone held their breath again.

Then Riku stepped forward. "No! He can't—"

Alexandra took hold of Riku's arm. He looked at her, and for perhaps the first time, Riku noticed something within Alexandra's eyes. A mixture... a concoction of worry and sympathy and despair... then there was something else...

Alexandra did have a heart...

It just took him a while to expose it...

To reveal it...

Naminé gasped.

"What?" Donald demanded, feeling a sudden tug of surprise, and his ruffled feathers showed it. "What's wrong?"

Naminé grabbed her sketchpad, hastily opened to a new page, and began furiously drawing. "He's in battle... he's losing... he's so weak..." A stream of lines now graced the formerly blank page. "I need to help him remember... because he's letting go... he's starting to give up—"

Donald and Goofy had absolutely no idea what she was speaking about.

This is it.

Sora's eyes had closed, his body feeling tormented sorts of pain... physically, mentally, and emotionally. He suffered agonizing throes of aching wounds and mutilation. All in all, he was severely injured, seemingly hanging on to consciousness by a single worn-out thread.

I can't do it.

Sora let out a moan, trying to move, but of course not being able to. The all-too-powerful Thunder attack paralyzed him, as if his nerves were fixed frozen. He felt like he was losing something within himself. Something he didn't want to lose. Faith? Bravery? Hope?

I'm going to fail.

Deep down, Sora felt ashamed of himself. He could have done better. He made a mistake. He'd made too many mistakes now. He was unable to help Trinity, he couldn't get Kairi's heart back, he lost Donald and Goofy again, and he couldn't defeat Merlin.

Everything's gone wrong.

A small, single glistening tear slipped from the corner of his closed eye, running down the bruises on his cheek, the ones he had gained during the fight. Wounds blemished the side of his now-dirtied face. Darkness seemed to be overcoming him. He was losing... he was losing himself. He was being engulfed. But at the same time, Sora heard the light sounds of pencil against paper, and everything in his head seemed to turn into a blinding white light as a memory flashed in his mind.

"I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things—my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice—your voice... you brought me back."

"I didn't want to just forget about you, Sora. I couldn't."

"That's it! Our hearts are connected. And the light from our hearts broke the darkness. I saw that light. I think that's what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within. I guess it's more than just a fairy tale."

"Well, let's go."

Everything turned dark again, but then Sora opened his eyes as he coughed out, and the brightness from the dimension blared right at him. Merlin's eyes bore evilly into him, disgusted.

"Still alive, boy?" Merlin scoffed.

Sora pushed himself off the ground, leaning on his Keyblade for support. Then, with a struggling swinging movement, the Keyblade rested against Sora's shoulder. "Let's go," he whispered, his voice raspy, his mouth panting. Then he raised his chin defiantly, repeating his previous phrase in a louder voice, "Let's go!"

It hurt to move, but he had to keep trying.

Merlin tossed his head back and laughed in entertained scorn. "Give in, you twit. Obviously, you are no match for—UMPH!" He staggered back as the Keyblade boomeranged around him, pounding hard against his stomach before whisking right back into Sora's weary fingers.

"No. I won't!" Sora shouted, and at once a surge of silhouetted stars and ethereal sparks emitted from the very tip of the Keyblade. Sora charged hurriedly towards Merlin, plunging his weapon into the gut of the wrathful wizard—the wizard he once thought was his friend. As he passed Merlin, Sora whirled around and again launched another attack, this time blossoming with a flush of light as he sprung up as high as he could, and bestowed upon his opponent a whirlwind of critical bashes.

As Sora's feet thumped against the ground, a pulsing tingle of pain drummed at his tired muscles, though he did not back down. Sora lifted his Keyblade defensively, taking time to take a few breaths to calm himself. Breathe...

Merlin was keeled over, creating drained hacking sounds from his throat. His wheezes were heard all over the dimension. The only possible beings that could not hear were the unconscious townspeople sprawled on the floor. Sora took several steps back, still gulping for oxygen, watching as Merlin suffered. He felt something running over his lip, slipping down his chin, dripping to the ground. Sora reached up with his free hand, fingering something moist and wet against his face. Looking at his fingers, he noticed that he was undergoing a nosebleed.

Blood.

There was a low, humming, rumbling sound. It got louder and louder, and everyone identified it for what it was.

Merlin was laughing.

Naminé looked at the picture she just drew—the picture that allowed Sora to regain enough courage and strength to continue fighting Merlin. It showed Sora's hand holding Kairi's hand, and in between their hands—as if their fingers were hugging it against their palms—was the Oathkeeper. It helped Sora by filling his mind with comforting thoughts of Kairi, when she had saved him a year ago by restoring his heart when he temporarily turned into a Heartless. It showed Sora some hope, some Light—his Light. And his Light was Kairi.

"He almost let go of that Light," Naminé said faintly, to no one in particular. She set down her pencil. "But he can never completely forget her."

"But..." Goofy began, leaving his sentence open-ended.

"But, he can convince himself that he'd forgotten her, even though he is incapable of doing so." Naminé closed her eyes, pushing her sketchpad away, and repeated something she had said earlier, "He's incomplete."

"We know," Donald told her. "That's why we're all tryin' our best to get Sora back here."

"No," Naminé replied, her crystalline blue eyes opening. "That's not what I meant. It's not only that. He must merge with his other self."

"Other... self...?"

"Yes," Naminé answered, her eyes almost closing again. She looked pained. "We are both mere shells."

"Sora? A shell?"

"No, not Sora."

Goofy tweaked his head to the side. "Who're we talkin' 'bout now?"

"I..." Naminé stood up from her white chair, shaking her head from side to side, backing away. Her hand rested at the edge of the table anxiously. "I'm afraid I can't tell you two any more. Everything I'm doing, everything I'm saying... it affects you, me, Sora... more people than you would know. It's not right."

"What...?"

"It's not the right time."

Sora wiped his nose with his wrist, not that it helped in the least. He watched with wide, questioning eyes as Merlin got to his feet—sluggishly. "Do you know how impudent you are?" badgered the wizard, growling underneath his breath, his random cackles dying away. "Being naïve will not get you anywhere. The Light will not get you anywhere. Darkness will always be the superior element. Am I right, Riku?" Merlin's eyes swerved towards the silver-haired male.

Riku drew in a deep breath before replying. "I'm not taking orders from you anymore." His aquamarine eyes narrowed. "You said I was doing it for the better when you sent me out to find Trinity's brother. I've lost my trust in you. I should have looked for the king instead."

Merlin's eyes palpitated. "You cannot escape the Darkness."

"I know." Riku's voice was tranquil, despite their situation. "The Darkness will always be a part of me—and I've accepted that. But I'm not completely of dark. I still have Light within me. I use the powers of Darkness to fight those who are against me, not to destroy the innocent."

Alexandra stepped forward. "Same with me."

Merlin gave out a crude hoot. "You? Alexandra? Oh, good gracious—is this some sort of awfully stupid joke?" Merlin shook his head madly. "You are a Heartless, you're worthless! You are a Nobody!"

Alexandra lowered her head. "I want to go back."

"Back?" Merlin sneered. "You can't go back. You do not even know where she is."

"I do not care. I will search every diner if I have to. I am tired of this. I have changed."

"I see," the wizard looked at Alexandra savagely. "Your heart has been touched—in the slightest bit."

Alexandra was silent.

"Romance is futile, Alexandra! You have no use for it! You have your demands. You have your duty. You were created for one thing and one thing only—the destruction of whatever Master deems unworthy."

Alexandra looked up. "I... I will no longer act as a puppet."

Merlin let out a steamed, aggravated breath. "That is not my choice."

"I want to make my own choices," Alexandra retorted, her hands clenching into fists. "I am sick of everything. I am sick of being toyed with. I am sick of being bossed around. I am sick of being lonely, sick of being unfriendly, sick of counting down, sick of being cold, and I'm sick of you." Alexandra's eyes lowered. "But what is most sickening is how Master treats me."

Merlin swayed his wand back and forth, apparently uninterested. "She will hear you."

"I could care less!" Alexandra fumed. "In fact, I want her to hear me! She can summon me to her lair and punish me for acting this way, but I refuse to be a slave any longer. She can very well brew up the Darkness and drag me over to—mmph!"

A thick curl of swarthy, blackish-purple smoke roped around Alexandra, cloaking her slender body and wrapping over her mouth. A wail sounded from her throat as her eyes widened. "Mmrphh!"

Toshi, Riku, and Sora gaped at the sight, turning to stare at Alexandra. She was being devoured and enveloped by strands of Darkness, sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. Riku bounded forward and reached out a hand. "Alexandra!"

Alexandra locked eyes with Riku, completely immobile. Her eyes... only her eyes were now visible in the clumps of muck. Within the murky substance, her fingers twitched slightly, wishing to reach out for Riku. Now that she wanted to, she couldn't. Refraining herself from closing her eyes, Alexandra watched helplessly as Riku tried grabbing a hold of her. A strange sensation bubbled through her as Riku's hand passed right through her without making contact, as if she had become a mirage.

Riku's fingers tried to take hold of what seemed to be Alexandra's arm, but as his fingers approached her sinking body, his hands seemed to skim through her frame as though she had become a hologram and lost all solidness. "No," he whispered, as Alexandra disappeared into the white floor. He looked at his pale hands. "I couldn't... Alexandra..."

Toshi and Sora exchanged worried glances, and then remembered about Merlin. They both spun around, but the wizard was nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone." Sora looked down, his heart beating irregular beats. His voice got louder in fury. "He's gone." One last droplet of blood from his nose plummeted to the floor.

"I get it," said Riku, trying to keep his cool. "Merlin and Alexandra obviously have the same master. They're both being controlled by the same force. Don't you see a connection?"

Toshi and Sora eyed Riku. "Not really," they replied in unison.

"They both used to be good," said a voice.

They all turned to see that Kairi had spoken, after who knows how long.

Kairi continued, looking off into space emotionlessly. "Merlin and Alexandra used to be good people, but gave into the forces of Darkness for whatever reasons. That force, their master, took advantage of them... and used them to do bad things."

"How do you know this?" asked Toshi.

Kairi did not reply, falling silent once more.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Riku bit his lip. "We need to find a way to convert Merlin and Alexandra back to the good side, because who the hell wants to be controlled for the rest of their life? I can tell Alexandra obviously didn't want to... stay a puppet."

"What's a Nobody?" Sora said suddenly.

Toshi and Riku looked at him.

"Merlin mentioned something about Alexandra being a Nobody," Sora continued. "What did he mean?"

His companions looked at each other.

"I'm sorry," Naminé gave them a weak smile. "Sometimes I get too carried away. But really, you don't need to know everything at once. All this, it wasn't supposed to happen. Things can't be helped at times, though... not everything can go accordingly as planned. When the memory pods were damaged... I knew something like this would happen."

"Something like what?" questioned Donald.

"This whole... thing. Everything. Everything that's happened... everything from the very beginning... from when you all left the Grasslands and separated from Sora. It was all so unpredictable." Naminé then stopped. Something seemed to come to her, a thought, or an idea. She settled back down on her chair again. "Or... perhaps someone planned all this... someone constructed an intricately formulated scheme. Someone wanted Sora to fall into reality, without him knowing it, so that they could take advantage of what he remembers and doesn't remember. Like, toy with his memory... just like I had..."

Donald and Goofy watched as Naminé put a hand to her head in deep thought.

Naminé furrowed her brow in contemplation. "It's because his memory is unchained. There are broken parts, and fixed parts." She looked up sheepishly. "I've managed to get the pods repaired, even though I left a huge mess. But we need to get Sora back into that pod. Can you understand that?"

"Strangely enough," Goofy blinked, "yes, we can."

"Speak for yourself," Donald snapped. He turned to Naminé. "What'll happen if he doesn't make it here?"

"Something bad." Naminé looked down, a look of sadness taking over her face. "He will remain incomplete... and confused... he may even feel the urge to destroy himself... either that, or he will not be able to fully 'come back.'"

"Come... back?"

"Yes." Naminé looked at her hands. "If he stays out there too long with an unchained memory... Life, and Light, will begin to drain from his heart."

"He simply meant nothing," Riku said. "Isn't that what a Nobody is? Nothing?"

"What else would it be?" Toshi replied in a slightly agreeable tone.

Sora seemed distracted. "Right..." He wiped at his face, and rubbed at his arms. He felt unbearably sore. It caused him to remember something. "Wait... if Merlin was saying, before, that it's hard to stay awake in this dimension... how come we're having an easier time keeping consciousness now?"

Riku looked down in thought. "I don't know."

They glanced at each other.

"Something's different," Sora murmured. "Something... isn't the same."

Toshi snorted. "Ha, it's not like anything or anyone—" He stopped midway as he realized something, and the joking tone from his voice disappeared. "Changed."

All eyes turned to Kairi.

"What do you want?" Kairi asked airily, looking away from their anxious faces.

Sora sighed.

"What makes Kairi so special?" Toshi asked, his voice sounding miffed. "How does she do it? How does she change things like this?"

"Some things are unexplainable," Riku told him. "Some things, they have no answer. Or, their answer is hidden. Then there must be a reason why they're hidden—a good reason."

"We're not supposed to know?" asked Sora.

"No." Riku's voice was flat. "At least, not yet."

"Why not?" Toshi inquired.

Riku shrugged. "It might not be the right time. Maybe we're not ready." Riku paused for a moment. "Maybe... someone isn't ready."

They all fell into their own thoughts. Suddenly, Toshi and Riku looked straight at Sora.

Sora's heart skipped a beat, feeling unusually awkward. "What?"

"I know what's different now," Riku mumbled. He cleared his throat, so that they could hear him. "Not only Kairi, but you—Sora. She's not the only one who's changed. You're different, somehow, too."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Uh...?"

Toshi blinked, and something dawned upon him. "Things that happen to Kairi affect you. Vice versa."

Kairi looked at Sora silently. He did not know, for his eyes closed at that very second.

"It's because you two are meant for each other," Toshi continued, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. He didn't know he could get so unbelievably sappy. This does not leave this dimension, he thought to himself; even though he was pretty sure Sora heard it, too.

Sora's eyes blinked open, and he looked up—at the stained glass. The picture it formed blazed colorfully against his eyes. That picture... it meant so much. And it meant so much to him. Without thinking, and without removing his eyes from the glass, Sora reached over and gently took Kairi's hand in his.

Toshi rolled his eyes.

Kairi did not know why, for she did not understand in the least, but something within her told her to allow Sora to hold her hand, and it also told her to give his fingers a delicate squeeze of assurance.

Maybe everything will turn out right, Sora thought, almost smiling but not quite making it, his eyes traveling across the stained glass. There are still some problems to be solved, but I have my Light.

Toshi heard, and gave him a nod of agreement. Something unknown made him mumble his next few words, "Your destinies are intertwined." Then he practically gagged, disgusted at himself for letting himself speak in such a way.

Angered, flaming yellow eyes.

"Alexandra has cracked." The regally foul, feminine voice echoed throughout her lair. "And, Merlin—you, you—pathetic fool! I was the one who was supposed to dispose of him."

"Oh, but, I rather—"

"Shut up when I am speaking to you," she hissed. "Do you realize what is happening? I just had to lock the Heartless girl away a moment ago—she is a wreck. Do not force me to do the same for you, insignificant wizard." Hearing no reply, her eyes gleamed in satisfaction, then darkened once more. "I wanted to eliminate him at the Path of Twilight—but you did not know that, did you? You thought it would be okay to kill him off right there! Are you completely stupid? Have I made a mistake of choosing you to control?"

"... I wanted to murder him."

"No! No, no, no! I am the one who will kill him. I am the one, who will feel that glorious heat of pride once I exterminate the Keyblade Master. I planned everything, so I will be the one who will feel eternal brilliance! You, on the other hand, are an inutile puppet—inferior to me." Her voice rumbled with spite. "Relative to scum, you and Alexandra are merely my tools to get what I want. I trust that you understand that."

"I suppose so."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean—yes, Master. I understand."

"Good, because if I feel that I will no longer need your assistance, I will dump you out there as you used to be—only this time everyone will hate you for what you had committed." There was a vexed sigh from her mouth. "I must tend to that unfaithful Heartless—and I need you to do her job now. Bring the boy and his companions to the path, for that is the designated place of their death. Make sure they get there, one way or another. It is a simple task, really. Do not fail me, for I will not hesitate to have your head if you manage a fault. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, Master." Merlin's voice said placidly. "Crystal."

"Fine." She turned around. "I will see to the Heartless girl now."

And with that, she swept up her layers of black, ripped silken clothing. She left the room, holding her head high, and stepped down the halls. She reached the dungeon chambers, and strode over to Alexandra's dark cell.

"Oh, Alexandra," she sang out, shoving the wall of bars to the side. "We need to talk, dear."

She looked around in realization.

"No..." The yellow eyes growled, pounding her staff against the cold stone ground in absolute fury. "NO!"

Alexandra was nowhere to be found.

SPECIAL THANKS TO...

Sweet Raine, Sorakey, sorakairi forever, Chibi Neko-Chan2, KairiGurlPaupo, thesrazrbladekisses, daaku, Sakura Hanamoto, Sakura Kamiya101, Cherdafred, kingdom219, Shasti, 3viL Bunni, Heavenly Demon, No Wonder, Inuyasha-Fan012, crazycutie2, Mysterious Prophetess, Ravey13, Iridaceae, Muffin, & KatarasHomegirl.