HIYA! Sorry that I haven't been updating this weekend I was sooo sick! But I'm alittle better now!

Angstluver: Thank you for reading! I do truly feel that crying makes you feel better, I know it does for me. Hitting pillows makes me feel better too!

Riku's-kitsune-mate: Thanks so much for reading my story! Really! You are the one who comments on practically every chapter, so thanks!

Hope you like this chapter and we are so very close to the end!

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Chapter 9

Sora writhed in his chains, gasping for air. The dark lines had crept up to his face, and he gritted his teeth.

"It hurts…" he moaned, head slumping down to his heaving chest. The door to the throne room opened and the fiery haired Axel waltzed in. Upon approaching, the paling Sora looked up at him with deadening eyes. Axel grabbed his chin and roughly brought the head up further.

"Seems to be working well…"

Sora's brow furrowed as he stared into the man's eyes. He mouthed something but Axel couldn't hear him.

"What was that, prince-y?" Axel said smartly, dramatically placing his free hand to his ear.

"Let me go, you filthy bastard…" Sora said strongly. Axel drew back in mock offense.

"Your highness! Such language isn't permitted!" Axel called out, his voice annoyingly high pitched, "You should be punished!"

The man smirked and brought up a pale hand, bringing it hard on Sora's face. Sora brought his head back to glare at Axel, something in his eyes that Axel had never seen in eyes so distant. It was an amazing intensity that just gave off a sense of power.

"Leave me alone!" Sora screamed, and a white light knocked Axel back on the floor.

"Having fun Axel?" said a cool voice. Axel looked up to see Ansem standing over him, a calm expression on his face. Axel scrambled up and stood at attention.

"Sir!"

Ansem waved him down and Axel immediately relaxed, looking at the prince. The same intensity was in Sora's hallow eyes, this time all of it directed at Ansem.

"What, your highness," Ansem began, in regards to his glare, "Are you mad at me?"

Ansem walked up the stairs slowly, smiling at the boy. Sora was shaking with anger, glaring to the best of his ability.

"What is it…the pain," Ansem said, consolingly, "Or maybe the fact I brought you here? Or maybe it's…."

The white haired man stopped right before Sora, tapping the clear hilt of the past king's sword with a finger. Sora looked up at him.

"Take…it…off…" the prince said.

"Excuse me?"

"Take that sword off!" Sora yelled angrily, trying to get at Ansem through his chains.

Ansem smirked, tapping the sword again. "What? The Angelfeather, your father's sword?"

Sora still tried to pull against his chains. Ansem only waved a hand and Sora stopped, crying out in pain.

"That's…" Sora said, panting, "Not…yours….it's…father's…"

Ansem grabbed the boy's bruised face and pulled him up against the chains. When the false king touched him, Sora screamed again in pain, gritting his teeth soon after.

"Don't speak to me that way, doll," Ansem whispered, "After all, I am your god father…"

Sora's eyes widened. "What…?"

"You heard me…I'm your guardian, and you will do as I say…Prince Sora…"

Ansem place his hands over his godson's eyes and the boy let out a piercing scream, tears falling down his face.

Riku…Asylia…hurry…

"Sora!" Asylia yelled, sitting up quickly. Riku slept peacefully on the floor, curled up under a soft blue blanket. Asylia placed a hand on his forehead, trying to remember the vision. Asylia grew worried, now that Sora knew that Ansem was his god father, and that the boy was closer and closer to being controlled by the darkness.

Asylia crept over Riku to the desk and wrote a quick note down, his handwriting rusty from centuries of being a bird.

Mr. Riku…

I've gone on ahead. Prince Sora's in real trouble, so please hurry…We need you…

Asylia

Asylia opened the window next, leaving the note on the window sill and closed his eyes. A white light covered him and he transformed back into a dove. Asylia flew out, looking back once to see Riku stir on the floor. The sun came up on Traverse Town, the dawn breaking on a bleak outlook.

Prince Sora…I hope you're alright…

"Cloud…just promise me…"

Cloud looked away when green eyes looked up at him. Aerith tried to make eye contact with him, but he just looked away. Leon and Riku were inside the ship with a man named Cid, the person who kept up their gummi ship all these years.

"I can't promise anything, Aerith…" He said quietly.

Aerith smiled at him. "Yes, you can. Promise me that you'll come back to me…"

Cloud looked at her smile and found that he was smiling. "I promise, then. I promise I'll come and bring you back to my home." Aerith hugged him tightly, Cloud feeling a blush come to his face.

"Come ON, Cloud," He heard Riku say impatiently, "Ansem isn't waiting on us!"

The two laughed silently, Aerith giving him a kiss on the cheek before he ascended the ramp.

"Stay safe…" the woman whispered, clasping her hands together. The door shut once Cloud was in and Cid was out, Leon turning on the engine.

"Please stay safe…"

Sora sat on the throne with no chains around him, his eyes completely hallow. Beside him, Ansem stood, looking over the boy.

"What would you like to do first, your highness?" Ansem said, in a business like tone.

Sora paused for a moment. "Whatever you want…," The sound of his usually chipper voice was now deadpanned and mechanical.

Ansem laughed maliciously. "Good boy…" Ansem heard a faint tapping on the window, and looked up to see a white dove tapping frantically on the window. Sora looked up too, but his face was contorted with confusion.

"A…" Sora said, his eyes blinking quickly, "A..syli…" Ansem turned the boy's head away from the window.

"It's nothing, Prince," Ansem said, quickly, "Just a bird…" Sora's eyes returned to their deadened state.

I thought I had gotten rid of that damned guardian…Ansem thought, his eyes narrowing as the bird flew away to find a different approach, If that bird's here, then that means those idiot guards and that brat are coming too…

One look at Sora reassured the man. But it's too late to save the prince…he's too far gone to darkness…

"Come, your highness…we have some business to attend to, and you need your rest…"

Sora's eyes flickered one more time, as Ansem tapped the sword hilt in thought. The boy got up and walked properly behind him.

"Yes…Father…"