Disclaimer: Check the first two chapters.

A/N: Huzzah! It's back! After two years it's back! Got new inspiration for the fic from KH2, and now that I've actually retrieved the file, I'm gonna try and integrate it with KH2. So expect Nobodies, the new summons (especially STITCH!), the new clothes, and stuff like that to make their appearances! I still might make my own Heartlesses and Nobodies if needed, but other than that, I'll be using the game's info.

Thanks to Black Night Angel, Nenya, Hell, and Alc Fluteo for reviewing. It really helps a lot.

Well, I won't hold you from reading the fic any longer than you already have. Enjoy and don't forget to R&R!


Nightmare

Sora groaned, opening his eyes to a clear, blue sky.

"Where am I?" he asked out loud, trying to remember recent events. "What happened to me?"

Suddenly, he jolted into a sitting position, remembering his two companions had been surrounded by the mysterious Heartless.

"Zell! Irvine!" he called, but then became speechless at the familiar scenery.

He couldn't believe his eyes, couldn't believe what he was seeing, that he had to pinch himself and rub his eyes just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.

"It can't be…" he whispered. "Destiny Islands?"

He was in the shallow waters near the plateau. There was no mistaking it, the silence and serenity of the place didn't waver. He waded to the small area of terrain at the base of the plateau and just stood there, still not believing if this was real. Making it to the top, he was met with a strange and uncomfortable silence. It was as if he was transported to an alternate world of Destiny Islands where time had naver moved. Suddenly, he felt a quick tap on his shoulder. Spinning around, he failed to summon his weapon at an unsuspected sight.

"Riku?"

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"Zell! Irvine! Get up!"

The SeeD member and Galbadia sharpshooter groaned at the sound.

"Ugh, what's going on?" Zell whispered, holding his head.

"Sora, what happened?" Irvine asked.

"What are you two mumbling about? Get up! We don't have time to waste!" a familiar voice ordered.

At once, the two's eyes snapped open, disbelief written all over their faces. They looked at their surroundings, and were greeted by the sight of Balamb Garden surrounded in darkness, with the Heartless attacking once again. What surprised them most, however, was the figure they never thought they'd see again.

"Squall?"

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The cloaked figure seemed to grin under the darkness of his hood, and sat down on the NeoWyvern he was perched on.

"Interesting," he said. "This information will come in handy if they ever escape the Mysts."

As he observed the internal battle the three warriors were forced to partake, a black vapor floated up from each of the Mysts that captured Sora, Zell, and Irvine, and began circling each Myst. The strange Heartless then began to absorb the strange wisps of darkness, growing in size as they did.

The figure of darkness then gave of the only light coming from his body: two glowing, menacing bloodshot eyes, as a horrible laugh then echoed the platinum streets of the empty town, giving it an even more eerie atmosphere.

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"Riku! You're okay!" Sora exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Of course I'm okay. What'd you expect form me?" Riku asked.

"I guess you're right," the other replied, scratching his head. "But can you blame me? After all that happened I have the right to be worried."

"What do you mean after all that happened?" the silver-haired teen repeated. "We just snuck out to Destiny Islands a few minutes ago! Nothing's happened yet! Well, at least until we set sail."

"What?"

Sora was dumbfounded. Riku was acting like the time when they were about to sail off from Destiny Islands before the whole fiasco with the Heartless began.

"Hello? Earth to Sora!" Riku called impatiently.

"Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking." Sora stated. "You…wouldn't happen to remember the Heartless, wouldn't you?"

"The what? What did you dream about this time?"

"I didn't-I…I dunno…um, go on ahead. I'll catch up with you," said Sora.

"Fine, but just make sure you don't doze off again." Riku replied. "Ah, by the way, I've got something to show you, so meet me by the shack when you're done here."

"Uhn."

Sora couldn't believe it. It was all just a dream? Checking his pockets, he began to panic when he found out that he no longer had any of the key chains that he collected over his journey, and moreover, he could not even summon his Keyblade.

Then, in an instant, the blue skies were covered in dark clouds, lighting flashing and a booming thunder that sounded like a low laugh. He steeled himself and went to the only place that was of any importance as of the moment.

'What's going on?'

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"Stop gawking, what is wrong with you two?" asked the SeeD commander. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Squall? What…what happened?"

"You both got attacked by those things and passed out."

"P-passed out?"

"What, first time you've heard of the term, Kinneas?" Squall asked, patience thinning.

"This can't be…" Zell said, backing away from his commander. "Wha-what just happened?"

Those familiar grayish-blue eyes looked at the blonde in slight exasperation before the Gunblade wielder replied.

"We were exploring the surrounding area to find if we could gather any information on the strange creatures that have been appearing. Before we could achieve in anything, though, you and Kinneas were knocked out by a couple of those things. I took care of the nuisances, woke you two up, and now you're talking to me."

"But-" Zell mumbled, continuing to back away from the best friend that he thought dead.

"ZELL! DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP!" Squall shouted, running towards the terrified blonde.

Zell's and Irvine's eyes widened at the familiar statement and realized too late that they were standing right before Ifrit's cave. Zell felt the air knocked right out of him as Squall pushed him from harms way.

"SQUALL, NO!"

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"RIKU!"

Sora's eyes widened upon entering the shack as he saw his friend being held by wisps of darkness. The silver-haired youth in question just gazed back at him with hollow eyes, making no indication that he heard the younger one's call.

"Riku, snap out of it! You have to get out of there!" Sora tried again, growing desperate.

"You're truly a fool…" said a voice that reverberated in the confined area of the shack.

Suddenly, the darkness dropped Riku, disappearing as if it was never there. Sora was quickly made his way to the other's side, but was halted when Riku raised his hand.

"Don't come near me…" said the older teen in a strained voice.

"Riku! What's wrong?"

A deep chuckle filled the young brunette with a chilling sense of dread. Riku snapped his head up, looking at him with aquamarine eyes filled with such fierce intensity that they seemed to glow of their own light.

"I am not the Riku you know," replied the other. "I am a copy. He is now one of us."

With those words, everything turned black. No matter which way Sora would turn, darkness surrounded him. The only illumination coming from a small platform of which he and the other stood.

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It was like watching a horror movie right before their eyes. Helpless as they couldn't do anything but let the happenings unravel before them.

"Not again…" Zell muttered. "SQUALL!"

He made to run towards his friend, but found his path blocked as creatures of the darkness appeared by the mass in front of him.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" he shouted, punching the one closest to him.

"Zell, get down!" Irvine shouted, shooting a rather large one that made a jump for the blonde.

They fought, trying to make a path to the SeeD commander, but stopped in their tracks as a blood-curling scream reached their ears. Fearing what he was about to see, the blone slowly looked up at the captive of the dark vines.

"Squall?" he asked.

Everything seemed to stop as the vines slowly unraveled to reveal the brunette in question.

"Oh no…" Irvine muttered, dropping his riffle.

The vines moved closer to them, continuing to gradually unravel the captive they held in their grasp. Zell's eyes widened as he felt something wet drop onto his face. Wiping it off, he brought his hand to his eyes for a closer inspection.

"Blood…"

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"Wh-What are you saying Riku…" Sora asked, starting to back away.

The being that looked like Riku sneered at the younger one and snapped his fingers, and in an instant, millions of yellow, glowing eyes appeared in the vast darkness.

"While you were gallivanting around with your little squad, we got busy with the friends you abandoned to the Heartless…"

"What!" Sora shouted indignantly. "I never abandoned anyone!"

"What do you call closing the Door To Darkness while your silver-haired friend and the King were still in Kingdom Hearts?" the other mocked.

"I-I…"

"The Heartless began to wander without the Dark Masters…" the voice continued on. "That is…until we came around."

"What are you talking about?" said Sora. "WHAT ARE YOU?"

"I, and others like me, am a being above Heartless, able to control these pathetic little bugs at whim," the other replied, sneer still in place. "Withou you in the way, it made things quite easy for us…"

The copy snapped its fingers again, and NeoShadows came out, carrying what suspiciously looked like a body shrouded in black. Sora's eyes widened as he saw the distinct shape of a shield dangling from one side.

"No…" he whispered, shaking his head. "It can't be…"

The copy moved closer to the body and waved its hand over it.

"This one almost made it back to his home," the other explained, as if telling a classic tale. "Although he was reduced to this when trying to defend the Wizard."

Two glowing yellow eyes snapped open as the body stood up on its own accord, the NeoShadows retreating back into the darkness. Sora couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Goofy?" he said, staring at the form of his once carefree companion.

He received no reply as the yellow eyes stared blankly ahead.

"His efforts were useless though," the copy continued, snapping his fingers once again.

From above, a Sorcerer Heartless descended beside Goofy, depositing another body on the ground. Sora began to shake as the copy waved its hand over the lifeless form. There was a ruffle of feathers as the second figure stood up, yellow eyes opening and staring lifelessly.

"Donald…"

"These two were surprisingly useful," the copy started again, throwing his arms out to the side. "What with their vast knowledge of words…"

"YOU DIDN'T!" Sora interrupted, eyes growing impossibly wider.

"You underestimate us, Keyblade Master," the other scoffed. "Why waste some of the most powerful beings in the universe?"

One by one, bodies were placed beside the Wizard and the Knight, figures Sora recognized as the copy brought them into motion.

"Yuffie, Aerith, Cid…"

"There were two of them left on Hollow Bastion…" said the other, ignoring the smaller one. "but I'm sure they'll come running once they know we have you here."

"No…NO! You leave all of them out of this!" Sora screamed.

The Keyblade Master was shaking terribly now as the lifeless yellow eyes of the people he knew and cared about stared at him lifelessly.

"It's too late for them, boy," said the copy, not once relenting. "It was over for them when you abandoned them. Now, only two remain…"

'SORA!'

The young one's eyes widened at the familiar voice.

"Cloud…?"

'SORA! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU?'

The copy laughed at the turn of events.

"Well now…just in time, don't you think?"

Sora's mouth became dry as he realized the implications of what the other just said.

"Don't come after me…" he whispered.

'SORA! ANSWER ME!'

Sora shut his eyes and covered his ears as he dropped to his knees on the ground.

"DON'T COME AFTER ME! STAY AWAY!"

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Leon looked up to see the ex-SOLDIER strugling to keep his balance after being violently forced off the link.

"What's happening?" Cloud asked, panting, as he felt a dark power surge through the faint connection.

"Sora's weakening," Leon replied, managing to grasp at the link. "He thinks we're part of the nightmare he's having."

"How could he think that we're part of it?" Cloud retorted, slamming his hands on the desk Leon was at. "Surely hearing us must give him a clue that we're from the outside!"

"It seems that the Heartless he's dealing with is more powerful than we thought," said the other. "It's improvising with every turn of events. It's as if it will stop at nothing to keep Sora where he is."

"What should we do, then?" Cloud asked, growing angrier. "If we don't do something now he could die!"

"I…don't know…"

Cloud clenched his fists as his eyes darkened.

"There has to be a way to reach him," he said, grabbing a fistful of his hair.

"We have to try contacting him at the same time," Leon suddenly said.

"What good will that do? The Heartless might just use it against him," muttered Cloud.

"It's our only hope," Leon replied as he glared at the blonde. "If we make a connection strong enough, it just might be the thing he needs to snap out of it."

Cloud looked at the other with distrust, but was ignored as the ex-SeeD commander closed his eyes. Grumbling under his breath, he followed suit and concentrated once more on trying to make a connection.

Neither of them noticed their blades glowing at their sides.

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Above the Town of Nightmares, the black figure never moved from his position on the NeoWyvern's back as he studied the life forces of the three below him.

"You disappoint me, Keyblade Master," he said. "I was suspecting more from you and your companions."

Looking at Sora, he saw that the Myst that had captured the boy had grown thrice the size of the other two combined.

"Look at this," he commented, laughing darkly. "It seems that you've been hiding great darkness in your heart. No matter, if you are defeated here, then your heart might just be the thing we need for Kingdom Hearts."

The figure was about to gesture to the Heartless he rode to turn back when a beam of light shone from the sky to land directly on the Keyblade master. Curious, the figure ordered the NeoWyvern to go lower on the ground.

"Interesting," he seemed to smirk after making its observation. "You have a few more tricks up your sleeve, I see."

Sora's body began to emit a light similar to the beam that hit him.

"You impress me, Kayblade Master!" shouted the figure in twisted glee. "You might just be the first one to survive the Town of Nightmares."

It cackled as the light barely reached the other two who were with the young brunette.

"Will you be able to save your friends, tough?" it asked randomly. "No matter, we only need the Keyblade, after all."

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A/N: There you go! Chapter 8 is finally out! Slight cliffhanger, I know, but it's the only way to end this chapter. If I try to make it any longer it will lose its plot and structure. I'll continue to try in updating this and "Two can make a Difference." Thanks for your patience, though, so I hope you haven't given up on my fics yet, 'cause I'm sure that I haven't!

In the meantime, you can enjoy the one-shots that I will be putting up. Like I said, while retrieving the files in the other computer, I'll be posting one-shot fics to at least update my profile.

Untill next time, then :D