Chapter 6

A/N's: Personalized on Chapter 7: Asylia.

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Ansem stood before a sword handing on a stone wall, a large picture directly above it. The sword's blade was as white as a dove's feathers, the hilt clear and lined with gold. It was long and thin, but glowed with a white light. The picture above was of the previous King, Sora's father, his intense blue eyes staring at the man before him.

"My old friend, Halen…" Ansem said, a sad smile coming to his lips, "You wouldn't ever believe me…Thought that I was wrong…"

Ansem looked into the blue eyes staring down at him emotionlessly.

"The prince has those same eyes…and gives me the same look you used to…12 years ago…"

"You thought that I was wrong to believe in the darkness. You said that I had betrayed you…Your best friend! No, Halen, I never betrayed you. You were the one who betrayed me by turning your back on me, leaving me in the cold…You deserved death, and so does your son…"

Ansem lifted the sword from the wall, a mad glint in his golden eyes.

"I showed you that light cannot win…Now I will show the dear prince….my godson…that it still cannot win…"

12 years previously

Two year old Sora Misonai bounced on a white haired man's shoulders, laughing loudly. The child's laughter rang out in the hall before the throne room, where the young king was handling a situation that had happened in town between two gentlemen.

"Higher! Higher!" Sora squealed as the man held up the boy, smiling. The man spun him around and then brought him into a hug, as shoes click behind the thick door.

"Of course…I understand…Just promise me that it won't happen again, alright," Said the soft voice of King Halen, a warm smile on his lips, escorting two regal looking men out, "I've split up the land evenly, so both the item shop and the accessory shop will be on the same level."

"Yes, Your majesty, thank you…" The two men muttered, leaving together with a renewed, but shaky, friendship.

The king sighed, his wild brown locks bouncing into his face. Sora was reaching away from the man he was with to his father, making miffed noises that the man wasn't paying attention.

"Sora…" the man chided, finally taking the boy, who promptly yelled a 'YAY'. The man chuckled as Sora began to play with his hair, looking at his friend sympathetically.

"Did my son con you into play time, Ansem?" the two walked away from the throne room, the little boy now messing with his fathers sliver crown necklace, trying to put it in his mouth.

The man named Ansem laughed. "The prince could con me into doing anything with those eyes of his, Halen. He really does look just like you…" The king took the necklace away, but they made Sora laugh and grab at it more. The men laughed when Sora finally got it, by tapping his fathers hand when he reached for it.

"He's got a lot of his mother in him though…" Halen said, smiling up at his friend. Ansem smiled back, seeing the object of conversation walking towards them.

"Sora!" The brunette said he light blue-green eyes. The boy happily clapped and was given to his mother, still trying to get at the necklace, "I was worried!"

Halen smiled to his wife, "He decided that Ansem was going to play with him…"

The queen smiled. "Well, it's time for his nap. Thank you for playing with Sora, Ansem. He really loves having you for a godfather…" The brunette curtsied and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek, the boy beginning to cry. The women quieted him down as she walked away.

Ansem's expression changed quickly, turning to the king.

"Halen, did you read my report…"

Halen's face transitioned from a warm smile to a cold glare in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, Ansem, and dabbling in that darkness and the heartless isn't a good idea. This darkness will control you."

Ansem balled his fist up. "Halen…you don't understand! Those heartless will be able to help in finding the pure people and gaining them to our side!"

Halen looked at his friend, blue eyes glaring intensely. "You listen to me, Ansem. The heartless are born of the darkness in people's hearts. They feed off the light and take people's hearts. They surround the person in darkness. If you aren't careful, you will have your own heart taken by these heartless that you hold so dear!"

Ansem stepped up the king, towering over him. The shorter man didn't flinch, his eyes never blinking.

"If you don't listen to me, you know what will happen…" Ansem said, threateningly.

"What, Ansem? You'll stage a coup? Come on. You don't scare me…Light always protects…" Halen said, just a defiant, "Ansem, don't mess up our friendship over this…it's too trivial…"

Ansem watched as his best friend for 15 years turned and walked away, only glancing back once to say:

"Sora needs you, Ansem, I need you. You're my best friend…don't let the darkness control you…"

Little did the King know… that it was much too late.

Sora woke up with a start, a cold sweat covering his entire body. Riku looked up from his makeshift bed on the floor, to see Sora sit up and bring one hand up to his head.

"You okay?" Riku asked, receiving a nod. Sora shook his head and looked down. That was the strangest dream. His father talking to Ansem, saying not to go to the darkness, but Sora could see that it was much too late for that. His father, Halen, was killed by his best friend?

The dream seemed so real though. It was more like a memory, but at the end, someone was trying to tell him something important. If it wasn't a dream, then why would Sora be living here with his guards instead of with Ansem, his, dare he even think it, godfather?

Riku's voice brought him out of his reverie. He looked down to his friend, noticing a slightly concerned look on the silver haired boys face.

"You have a funny dream?" said Riku.

"Yea…it was so strange…and so real…" Sora replied, lying back on his side to talk to his friend, "It was just a dream…"

Was it really? piped up a voice in Sora's head. Sora shook his head again, seeing sunlight finally peak into the room.

"Man, it's early," Sora said, yawning. Riku sighed and went back to his book. Sora leaned down.

"Whatcha readin'?" Sora asked, his voice beginning to get laced with sleep again.

"The story book…" Riku said, placing some of his sliver hair behind his ear. Sora snorted.

"You've read that like a thousand times….you probably know it backwards and forwards…" Sora commented, yawning again and laying all the way on his back.

"Just because I actu— " Riku started, looking over to see Sora sound asleep again, a soft snore coming from his lips. Riku smiled and got up, covering the boy up with the previously kicked off sheets and blanket. Sora pulled the blanket over his head and mumbled, becoming a curled up lump of dark blue on the bed.

Riku heard someone getting up next door and assumed it was Leon. He grabbed the book and quietly walked out, shutting the door behind him. Leon approached, wearing nothing but black bed pants, looking mildly surprised to see Riku up this early.

"Riku, is there something wrong?" Leon asked sleepily, noticing the book clutched in his hand.

"Yea and it's about Sora…Can I talk to you about it in the kitchen?" Riku had spent the past few days reading that book, and every time Sora asked, he would say it was because he liked it or he was just bored. Leon looked into determined aqua eyes and sighed.

"That's fine, but you'll have to wait until I have at least one cup of coffee in me. I find that I am little sluggish this early," Riku smiled and followed Leon to the kitchen, "But we must be quiet, sleeping beauties one and two usually sleep until ten or eleven."

Riku chuckled quietly; trying to imagine what Sora would be like if he did wake up before ten. Interestingly enough, he thought that Sora probably woke up chipper, no matter what time of day.

Leon and Cloud watched as the boys fought in the second district square, passersby turning to watch the match. Sora and Riku fought with their respective weapons, this being more a training session than a fight, the one of them laughing when other would fall down.

"Cloud…" Leon began, watching as Sora jumped high to attack, "Riku talked to me this morning about something that he thinks involves Sora…the reason why Ansem betrayed the King…"

Cloud looked over to Leon, tilting his head.

"I thought it was because…"

"Yes, but it seems there is more to it than the personal feud. There's this prophecy Riku found about…he asked around and read some old books, says that the chosen one, who he thinks is Sora, will be controlled by darkness…Then, by the light and love of the person he holds most dear, the white knight will save him…"

Cloud looked back out as Sora, who had stopped the fight, fallen over, and was holding his head. The two guards were about to go over, but he stood shakily, Riku helping him up.

"You think it has to do with those dizzy spells Sora is having?" Leon nodded.

"I really think Riku is keener to the situation than he lets on. He knows a great deal about what is going on, and knows about what is happening with Sora…He's probably right about this prophecy, but what I can't figure out is…"

"Who will be the one to save him, in the case the events occur," Cloud said, "Or maybe the fact the two people he held most dear are…well…dead?"

Leon nodded slowly, as the boys started up again, now having gained quite the audience.

"Well, it will just be our job to protect him, so he doesn't become controlled by the darkness…"

The guards nodded, returning their silent vigil on the boys while the trained, just like they always had.