:points down to the chapter:

Forget the disclaimer, which is: I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS

and READ!

Chapter 11

Riku sliced through another shadow and the three pushed open the doors to the crumbling castle. They were greeted by a fiery haired man, smiling as he twirled his red and white Chakrams.

"Axel…" Riku said, holding up his sword angrily. Axel smiled greatly at them.

"I see you have made it to the castle! Ansem was waiting for you to show after that guardian showed up. Too bad Ansem locked him up in the dungeon." Riku growled, getting ready to charge at the man, but felt a hand on his shoulder. Riku turned his head to see Leon, smiling at him.

"Go…get Ansem, we'll catch up…"

Riku looked at them, the guards faces set on their target. Riku felt a rush of gratitude, wanting to save Sora as soon as possible. Riku looked at the meaningfully.

"Stay safe. Sora will never forgive me if something happens…" Riku said, quietly, "His main element is fire…watch out for his attacks…"

The two nodded and pushed Riku away.

"Go," Cloud said, pointing his large sword at the grinning Axel, "Save him and Stay safe. Sora will never forgive us if something happens…"

Riku nodded and ran up the stairs as Axel started his attack.

Please be safe…

"Prince Sora," Asylia said, holding onto the bars of his own cell, "It's me, Asylia!"

Sora looked at him with those strange eyes, tilting his head. "Father says that you were just a bird, Asylia…"

Asylia wondered what Sora was talking about, but not having much time to think when Sora leaned on the bars, obviously in pain.

"Prince Sora…what does your father want you to do?" Asylia asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"He wants me to…help him….the world's are being driven to death by Darkness…." Sora said, glancing at him. Asylia sighed and leaned down too, starting to feel Sora's pain himself.

Sora…You've got to fight…Asylia thought and heard a surprising answer back.

I'm trying; Asylia...This pain is too much...

It was that one whimpering line that made Asylia jump up. Sora watching him lazily, his voice still distant as he asked what he it was Asylia was doing. Asylia tore at the bands with his teeth, but only coming to realize that that hurt more than the emotional pain he felt Sora going through…

…But…It was the only thing he could do, he had to try to get Sora out of here, to Riku…once he saw the boy, he would snap out of it.

Come on, Riku…Asylia thought, still trying to undo Ansem's magic, you're our only hope…

Riku raced down the hall to the throne room, the place he always knew Ansem would be. Ansem's smell was coming from that room, that blood like smell that only fitted on that man. Riku got to the door and stood before it.

Taking in a deep breath, he pushed the door open and entered, his nerves standing on end. The room was bright, filled with light, unlike the rest of the castle. Riku looked over the room, seeing that Ansem wasn't anywhere to be found. Riku knew he was here though; the smell of blood was so strong…

As if an answer to his queries, the teenager was knocked back into the far wall from the side, his body pressing against it.

"Why…" said Ansem, angrily, "Why do you insist on getting in my way…"

Riku smirked under the pressure as it intensified. "I'm just persistent like that…" Riku gritted his teeth in pain, trying very hard to use his own powers to beat Ansem's.

"I tried to use you…I found you when the prince killed your father…I helped you…" Ansem said his face very close to Riku's.

"Sora didn't kill my father…" Riku said, his face contorted in pain, "You did…."

"Another lie…" Ansem said, smirking back at him. Riku turned his head and spit right into the man's face.

"Shut up, you bastard…" Riku said, glaring. Using all of his concentration, the boy finally pushed the man's power off him, firing it back at it's originator. Ansem was knocked back, but remained standing, wiping his face when he regained balance.

"You little brat…"

Riku held up his sword, his aqua eyes glaring at the man who had made his life miserable for five years. Ansem drew his stolen sword and pointed the white blade at Riku.

The two charged at each other quickly, the swords connecting in a flash of light.

"You won't win…" Ansem said quietly, pushing down on the boy.

"I will… for myself…for my father…and…for Sora…"

Sora was moaning again, his head in his hands. Asylia looked over tiredly, too exhausted to speak. The prince rocked back and forth, suffering himself into delusion, saying it was his entire fault; no one would ever love a monster like him.

Asylia leaned his head up against the bar, looking longingly at Sora.

Trying to speak, only a squeak came out of the guardian's mouth. Asylia hit his head on the bar, only to realize that he and Sora were…disappearing?

Portals were under them and they both fell into darkness.

Riku felt his knee go to the ground as Ansem over powered him. Blood trickled down his shoulder from a wide gash he had received moments before, when Ansem caught him off guard. Riku felt Ansem's darkness over powering his own, very reminiscent of five years ago, when Riku tried to fight his spell.

Ansem's voice entered his mind, playing with his thoughts and memories.

Why are you fighting me, child? You and I are on the same side…

Riku felt darkness begin to take him, the tendrils reaching out beneath him.

Sora…I'm fighting for Sora…

Ansem pushed him into the darkness, it slowly reaching up to his midsection. Riku looked up at Ansem with hallow aqua eyes. Ansem waved a hand, Sora and Asylia, both of their eyes looking quite distant. Sora's eyes flickered when he saw Riku.

Why are you fighting for a boy who killed every one and everything you loved?

Riku felt the words on his tongue, but he couldn't utter them, the darkness was consuming him all over again. His chest was tight; his eyes were burning with tears. Sora's smiling face appeared before him, warming his cold senses. Sora's goofy grin, his laughter, his tears…everything about him was bringing Riku out of the darkness.

You love Sora, right?

"Why are you fighting…"Asylia's voice echoed, stepping towards Riku, "Why are you fighting…."

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" Riku yelled, the darkness disappearing as light erupted around the boy, engulf the room and Ansem.

Sora gasped, his eyes widening and returning to their normal state. Asylia looked over to the boy and turned as well, a white aura forming around him. Asylia turned his gaze to the bands and the fell off, the white aura surrounding him too. The guardian closed his eyes as it consumed him, Sora stepping to him, smiling.

Thank you…Riku…

Sora stood before Asylia, his hand held up.

"I'm ready…" Asylia said, holding up a hand to Sora. Sora only nodded in response. The two grasped hands and the light engulfed them completely, causing them to appear not as two boys, but as one.

Sora stood, with his Keyblade in hand, before a shocked Ansem. The prince was standing tall, his eyes full of the light that surrounded him. Behind him, Riku fell to the floor. Sora only took one glance at him and looked back at Ansem, angry. Sora held out his free hand and the sword Ansem was holding disappeared from his grasp, into the young prince's.

"I'll teach you not to take things that are not yours…" Sora stated dangerously, his tone proper and steady. The boy pulled the blades together and the Keyblade let Halen's sword be absorbed into it. In a flash of light, the Keyblade took on a new form, the hilt clear and the blade white and shaped into an angel's wing.

Sora pointed it at the man as he fell back in awe.

"This..you…." He stumbled, "You can't kill me…"

Sora stepped towards him. "I won't kill you…I can't…You are my godfather…but you will be punished for what you have done to me…Asylia…my family…Riku…"

Ansem tried to get away as the Keyblade was pointed directly at his heart. Sora smiled at him sadly.

"This is for everyone…especially my father…"

The light around them swirled out and the throne room disappeared, revealing a large white door.

"May light show you the way…" Sora said, as the doors opened, the light wrapping around Ansem and dragging him inside. Once the doors closed, the room was returned to the way it was, Sora standing with his eyes closed. Upon turning, the boy realized that Riku was stirring, sitting up and shaking his head.

Riku took one look at Sora and got up, running over to him. Sora smiled at him when he stood before him.

The prince tapped the ground with the Keyblade, looking at Riku.

"Return…" Sora's eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head and he slumped forward into Riku's arms. The sword and Keyblade separated, dropping to the floor. The room was filled with a white light and Riku just held on to the unconscious prince tightly, never willing to let go.

A/N: Wait...there's still more! AN EPILOGUE! See you there!