Ok so uuhhhhh guess we got another chapter that was originally going to be just one that I had to end up splitting up because it got too long in just one part because I have no self control sooooo yeah! Originally this was supposed to be the "Keys Christmas Special" but that's gonna be more for the next one. So any ya'll Americans out there can consider this one the "Keys Thanksgiving Special" (You'll get why in just a bit). Anyway, enjoy!


Chapter 53: Desire For All That Is Lost

Watch me cry all my tears

As of late, Sora's gotten more than used to the idea that if something can go wrong for him, it absolutely will. Luck isn't something he's had on his side in a long time, proving to be just about as scarce for him as sleep and food. Because in the days that follow his narrow escape from Maleficent's clutches, not only is Sora still struggling to obtain either of those elusive things. He's also faced with a new problem entirely, one that only serves to make his weak and withering body feel even worse than it already does.

It starts only about a day or so after the young master sends him out on his own again, when his throat starts to burn just the slightest bit. That burn soon intensifies as it's joined by a cough, minor at first, yet it soon becomes persistent and intense, racking his lungs with pain each time another one is forced out of him. His sinuses also suddenly turn against him, to the point that his nose is rarely ever dry while his head feels like it could cave in at any moment from all the pressure pressing against his skull. The rest of his body doesn't fare much better as the dull aches he's gotten accustomed to from hunger alone only become more aggressive as this sickness, whatever it is, truly starts to set in. Each of those symptoms comes together to create a special kind of misery, something Sora finds no reprieve from as he's forced to continue trudging from world to world. All in the hopes of finding the final two Keys that will finally grant him access to food and shelter and safety… and his fated future as the final member of Organization XIII.

The latest world he's been working his way through is filled with yet another forest. He's bewildered by just how many worlds are covered with woods, not that he's complaining. Forests offer plenty of suitable places to hide, which is something he'll likely need to do now more than ever after giving Maleficent the slip yet again. Of course, he's also mindful of the need to steer clear of any of the lights, of any other humans in general at this point. Because all it would take is one wrong moment, one accidental second of lost control for that nightmarish rampage in that village to repeat itself. For more lives to be lost to his own despicable, disgusting lust for any heart other than his own.

A cool breeze dances through the autumn leaves, the chill carried on the air likely signifying the approaching onset of winter, in this world at least. The frigid weather only serves to aggravate Sora's already lackluster condition even more. He wraps the tattered remains of his jacket around his emaciated shoulders, bracing himself against the cold as another shiver runs down his spine. Only now is he truly missing the shoe he'd lost in his frantic flight from Maleficent's castle; not only is his exposed foot practically numb from exposure to the elements, but much like both of his hands, it's now almost completely inhuman in appearance. Both of his feet are flat, his toes fused together, folded and mangled in a similar way to those of some certain kinds of Heartless. His legs are seeped in the same sort of mix of shadows and scarlet as his arms are, with darkness now completely covering each of his thin, bony limbs. Surprisingly, even despite this alarming shift, walking isn't really made any more difficult, or at least it hadn't been when he'd still had both of his shoes. Because now, as he slowly travels across the rugged, untamed path, treading over stones and mud and fallen foliage, almost every other step he takes sends yet another sharp spike of agony surging through him. And of course, that agony is only made so much worse when he inevitably erupts into yet another fit of uncontrollable, unbearable coughing.

He knows he shouldn't stop, not now that those final two Keys are the only things standing between him and bringing his lonesome, laborious wandering to an end. But he simply can't help it as he practically collapses against a nearby tree, hacking violently but ultimately producing nothing other than pain throughout his worn and wiry frame. He groans tiredly once his coughs finally start to settle down, his vision blurring as he digs his claws into the bark of the tree. He can't go on like this for much longer, that much is obvious, and he can't expect to locate any Keys in his current condition either. Certainly, the master must know that just as much as he does. And yet… it's clear that the master has no intentions to do anything about it either. No desire to end his vessel's suffering until that vessel obediently brings him all that he seeks.

The only problem is, Sora can't wait that long. Which means that if the master isn't going to help him, he'll just have to help himself this time.

He steadies himself on his feet as much as he's able, pooling most of his waning energy into summoning his Keyblade. He hasn't called upon it since his fight with Vanitas, almost three weeks ago as far as he can tell. For as weak and out of practice as he is, it's a miracle his weapon appears in his hands at all, but when it does, his heart sinks at the sight of it. So many blackened cracks run across it now that it's hard to see almost any of its silver surface, and the faint light it had once been bathed in is now replaced with an aura of visible darkness instead. Sora holds it gently in his hands, staring down at it as he fights back tears, as he wonders just how long it'll be before his long-trusted, truly damaged weapon finally shatters completely. Before he shatters right along with it.

He sighs, forcing himself to ignore something he already knows he can't do anything about. What he hopes he can do something about is how sickly he currently feels. Healing potions and spells do nothing to cure hunger or exhaustion-after trying time and time again since heading out on his own, that's something Sora's come to know all too well by now. But at the very least, a bit of healing magic might be able to relieve some of his more intense symptoms in lieu of any medicine he won't be able to find and certainly won't be able to afford.

"Ok… you can do this..." he whispers to himself as he closes his eyes. His arms shake from the strain of raising his Keyblade above his head, even its familiar weight feeling much more immense to his famished body. Still, he manages to keep it held high, focusing as much as he can as his call for the spell echoes through the surrounding woods. "Heal!"

He waits for the telltale green glow to envelop his Keyblade, for the familiar refreshing feeling of his broken body beginning to mend itself through his own magic. And yet… none of that happens. "...Heal!" he tries again, making his voice louder and clearer this time. Only to be met with the exact same result. "I said heal!" he shouts, his sore throat straining as his desperation rises along with his voice. "Heal!" Tears begin to brim in his eyes, his arms aching, his body wavering under the weight of his Keyblade, under the weight of his own weakness, his own helplessness. "Heal! Please! Just… h-heal me…"

Eventually, his distraught cries fizzle out into an equally despondent whisper as he realizes that healing isn't coming. As he realizes that he's been so irreversibly, undeniably corrupted that he can't even cast a simple healing spell anymore. That he can't do this, or anything else for that matter, to ease his own ceaseless, senseless suffering.

A bitter shout tears from his throat as he brutally tosses his Keyblade away. The weapon disappears mere seconds after it hits the ground, leaving Sora alone to his anguished, angry sobs. He wraps his arms tightly around himself, his chest heaving with broken coughs that come out between woeful whimpers. "W-why…?" he mutters first, his stomach churning both from sickness and from disgust for the miserably mockery his life has become. "Why?!" he shouts at the twilit sky, at whatever force of fate has so cruelly decided to curse him like this. At whatever force has left him to aimlessly wander the worlds, tainted and twisted into a monster, both inside and out, whatever force has sapped him of his strength, his magic, even his swiftly slipping sanity. At whatever force decided the only company he should have is the very person he despises most, the same force that decided he should be alone.

It isn't long before it all starts to overwhelm him. Unable to do anything else, he lets his ruined voice pitch into a powerful, painful scream, his claws digging into his arms as he unleashes his fury in the only way he can. Though the rest of his magic has been stripped from him, there is one power that he still has on his side, a power he still can't control. That power erupts all around him, blackened spikes bursting from the ground in a violent storm of sheer devastation. They tear through the trees, rip away at the soil, scare off any animals for miles around as shadows continue to bloom from his distressed body, sucking the life straight out of every living thing within his range. By the time his voice finally breaks and he collapses to the ground out of sheer exhaustion, he doesn't even notice as his maddened outburst reaches a surprisingly quiet crescendo. As he unknowingly calls something into existence amidst the destruction that he's wrought.

He can barely stand the sight that awaits him when he starts to finally calm down. The forest, once alive with the colors of fall, has now been all but decimated, riddled with the same loathsome spikes he'd sent surging across the village days ago. While he'd once taken pride and pleasure in practicing this strange strain of new magic, now he can only look upon it with the deepest of disdain. He knows all too well what he's capable of, what happened in that village was more than enough to show that and then some. And if he can't get this dangerous magic-if he can't get himself under control somehow… then maybe it's for the best that he stays alone after all.

But as he soon finds, he isn't quite as alone as he'd like to be.

Sora slowly and shakily pulls himself to his feet, his throat burning to the point that every breath brings a fresh burst of pain. Night's just fallen, but the faint glow of his own spikes is enough to illuminate the clearing he'd just inadvertently created. He figures this is as good a place as any to set up camp, as much as he's not keen on being reminded of his vile abilities every time he looks in literally any direction. With a weary sigh, he turns around to try and salvage what little firewood he can find… only to be met with a startling sigh standing just behind him.

A single Heartless, a tiny, simple Shadow, to be precise, stares up at him with its large, bright, unblinking eyes. Sora flinches in alarm when he sees it, his Keyblade flashing into his hand on instinct alone. He raises his weapon with the intent on taking the creature out, just like he's done with so many of its kind in the past, and yet… the Heartless barely reacts to its apparent demise. Instead, it stays put, tilting its head as it seems to regard Sora with what almost seems to be an air of curiosity. Sora stills his hand, though his Keyblade stays in it, as he glances around the area for any other such creatures, only to realize this Heartless is suspiciously alone. Much like himself, he thinks in a bout of bitter irony.

"Where did you come from…?" he asks the creature, his frayed voice barely able to rise above a whisper. Of course, the Heartless doesn't answer, but its awkwardly bent antennes flicker and twitch in apparent interest as soon as it hears his voice. It takes a clumsy step forward, and in response, Sora takes a large step back, his Keyblade still trained on it as it continues to approach him. "S-stay back!" he warns hoarsely. And, in perhaps the strangest twist yet, the Heartless not only listens to him; it actually does exactly as he says.

It stops short just a few feet away, his yellow gaze still set solely on Sora and nothing else. He grips his Keyblade a bit tighter as he returns its stare distrustfully, unsettled by how oddly its acting. Every Heartless he's ever seen before has attacked him on sight, simply because of the weapon he holds and the heart they crave to take from him. But this one… this one either doesn't seem to know how Heartless are supposed to behave… or it thinks that Sora is one of its own. Which, given how little he resembles a human, and how much he looks like a Heartless anymore, very well might be the case.

As such a dreadful thought passes through his mind, he ultimately lets his Keyblade disappear. Whatever this Heartless' intent is, at the very least, it doesn't appear to be violent. The thought of killing it simply for standing there doesn't sit well with him, not after how he's been attacked and nearly killed for his own frightening appearance himself. So instead, he decides to spare it; but even then, he's not fond of the idea of letting it stick around where he hopes to spend the night.

"Go on, get out of here," he waves the creature away, pointing it toward one of the small gaps in the surrounding spikes. The Heartless makes no move toward it, however, as it merely tilts its head in confusion once again. "I said go," Sora huffs, disgruntled when it doesn't listen to him a second time. "Shoo! Just leave me alone already!" Yet even still, the Heartless stays put, to the point that Sora finds he has to resort to more severe measures. He raises his claws, bares his fangs, and hisses as viciously as he can possibly manage as he stands over the much smaller creature, hoping to scare it away. But in the end, his attempt at intimidating it has the exact opposite effect. The Heartless pounces forward, catching Sora off guard when it suddenly clings onto his leg, its tiny arms wrapped near his ankle in what's almost a "hug". A hug that leaves Sora bewildered far more than he ever thought he could be. And after everything he's been through lately, that's saying something.

"You… want to stay with me…?" he asks the creature, raising an eyebrow down at it. The Heartless doesn't respond, likely not understanding him, but it keeps its steady hold on his leg regardless. "I don't understand…" Sora shakes his head. "Why would you…"

He trails off as he steals another glance at the spikes surrounding him. This peculiar Heartless had only appeared after his latest outburst, the only (somewhat) living thing left after he'd unintentionally obliterated everything in the vicinity. And its sudden appearance, the fact that it's entirely on its own, its inexplicable sense of what almost seems like loyalty to him can only mean one thing. "Did… did I summon you?" Sora wonders, stunned by the very thought. The Heartless twitches eagerly when he speaks to it again, all but confirming his theory as it embraces his leg even tighter. Despite the creature's apparent elation, Sora hardly finds such an idea comforting as he glances down at his own clawed hands, deeply unnerved by the new power he's just discovered. Summoning Heartless and Nobodies is something the Organization does, not something he should be doing. And yet… lying, stealing, killing, are all things the Organization does too… all things that he's done far more of his fair share of than he'd ever could have wanted.

"Let go," he instructs the Heartless, and sure enough, it does as he says. Even so, it lingers close by his side, still staring up at him as it obediently awaits whatever his next command might be. "Um… sit?" he shrugs, deciding to test just how far this goes. The Heartless is quick to plop down onto the ground, staying there until Sora issues his next instruction to it. "Stand up?" With this, the creature hops back onto its feet, it's prompt response surprising him amidst the small bout of coughing he has no choice but to get out. "Ok, so since you actually wanna listen to me now…" he begins as soon as he's capable of speaking again. "I, um… I order you to go away," he asserts, making his voice as stern and authoritative as possible. And yet, this is the one command the Heartless doesn't want to heed as it instead scampers back over to him, clinging onto his leg once more.

"... Yeah, I should have figured that wasn't gonna work," Sora deadpans, rolling his eyes. "Alright, then… let's try… roll over?" At this, the Heartless hops back, sliding to the ground as it rolls down onto its back, exactly as instructed. Despite how bizarre this entire situation is, Sora can't hold back a small chuckle at the oddly adorable sight. "Well, I guess this could be worse," he grins as the creature picks itself up and ambles its way back over him. "I could have summoned a Heartless who doesn't know any tricks." His smile remains as he lowers himself down to one knee, placing a careful hand on top of the Heartless' head, a gesture the creature readily welcomes from its "master". "I guess you can stick around. But no stealing anyone's hearts, ok?" The Heartless inclines its head in an apparent nod, yet as Sora rises to stand once again, his smile is quick to fall. "And that goes double for me…" he says softly, hating that he has to give himself the same reminder he'd issue to a simple, mindless Heartless. Hating that he has far more in common with that Heartless than he'd ever like to admit.

Sora's never really taken the time to think about what the relationship between any given member of the Organization and any given Heartless they might summon is like. To them, such creatures are clearly expendable, meant to be tossed at their foes and inevitably sacrificed for their wicked cause. The Heartless, on the other hand, with no real will or personalities left to call their own, blindly follow the orders of those who have called upon them, those who are strong enough to hold any kind of sway over their otherwise aimless power. Sora quickly finds that the Heartless he's summoned isn't much different in that regard. It follows him around, practically glued at his heels as he collects firewood for the night. When he casually decides to ask for its help with this task, it gladly complies, grabbing whatever sticks and twigs it can find before it hands its small handful over to him before heading off to scrounge together some more.

Sora can't help but admire its enthusiasm as he starts striking a small fire up. Sure, he's spent plenty of time around Heartless before, he's even spent time as a Heartless, but he can't say he's ever just spent time with a Heartless. He's not sure if they're all like this, or the one he's happened to summon is of a different sort than the rest, but he's surprised by how smart it actually is. It understands both simple and even a few complex commands, and yet it still refuses to listen to him when he tries once more to tell it to leave. If anything, that only makes it want to stay with him more, to the point that it even ends up clambering onto his lap when he settles in to take a seat by the fire.

"W-whoa there," Sora jolts as the creature starts getting comfortable on its new perch. "I don't remember saying you could-" He stops short when he feels a soft rumbling accompanied by an equally gentle, surprisingly soothing sound in tune with it. "Wait… are you… purring?" he asks, staring down at the Heartless incredulously. Sure enough, it sits, curled up with its small limbs tucked under it, its entire petite frame vibrating with contented purring as it closes its otherwise vacant eyes. "Huh," Sora smirks, once again finding himself charmed by the unexpectedly cute creature. "It's funny; I've been fighting Heartless like you for so long, but I never could have guessed that you could do something like purr. Much less sleep." A tired yawn slips out of him at this, one that he knows he can't fold to, lest he be met with more unbearable nightmares the second he so much as closes his eyes. "Must be nice…"

He knows he's in for another long, empty night, so he decides to let the Heartless, of all things, calm his frayed nerves. Its purring is surprisingly relaxing, and as he watches the flames flicker before him, his hand gradually drifts down to the creature's head. Heartless are rather… interesting to the touch, he's come to realize; their darkened bodies are cold, but their skin carries a pleasant texture akin to soft leather. Sora makes sure his claws are as gentle as they can be as he lightly scratches behind one of the Heartless' antenne, smiling down at the sleeping creature all the while.

"This is so weird…" he remarks to himself, chuckling softly. "But… if I can't be with the lights anymore… and I'm apparently not "ready" to be with the Organization yet…" he mumbles this, a hint of disdain in his voice as he recalls his young master's cold dismissal only a few days ago. "At least I can have some company in the meantime, right?"

Of course, the Heartless is fast asleep by this point, but in its doze it does roll over, stretching out a bit as it continues purring, truly satisfied to be where it's at: with the very one who had summoned it. "...You know, maybe I was wrong about you guys all along," Sora continues, his smile turning a touch warmer as he keeps his hand resting on the Heartless' head. "I, um… I actually was one of you, once. I don't remember much about it, but… I do remember how I felt. Lost, scared… lonely. A lot like how I feel right now, I guess. Is that how you're feeling too? Like you don't know what you are anymore or what you're supposed to do?"

The Heartless surprisingly slides one eye open at this, training its sleepy focus back on Sora. He sends it a small, reassuring smile as he slides his hand to scratch under its chin, eliciting another round of satisfied purring from it. "I don't know who you used to be before…" he trails off, not wanting to think about whatever poor soul who had lost so much of themselves to become the creature resting on his lap now. "But don't worry," he closes his eyes at the same time the Heartless does, offering whatever small solace he can to it. And perhaps, even a bit of rare solace to himself as well. "You don't have to feel that way. Not anymore."


As it turns out, Heartless are surprisingly great listeners. Even though its incapable of really responding to anything he has to say, Sora finds his own Heartless quite easy to talk to. Maybe it's because he's been on his own for so long now, maybe it's because he misses the companions he used to be accompanied by, but whatever the reason, it isn't long before he starts carrying on conversations with the creature. True, those conversations are one-sided at best, but the Heartless does at the very least pay attention to him when he speaks, which is far more than he can say for anyone else he's had to deal with lately.

"I almost believed him, almost went with him too. But then I found out Aqua was with him, hiding just out of sight the entire time. Can you believe that?" Sora huffs as he tosses a pine cone across the clearing he's decided to take a short break from traveling in. The Heartless excitedly chases after it and brings it back to him in an impromptu game of fetch, one that Sora figures is as good a way as any to spend their otherwise empty time. "If they wanted to trap me, they could have at least come out and said it instead of trying to lead me on like Terra did. Not that the Organization is any better…"

He hesitates, anxiously expecting any given member of that group to emerge from the surrounding woods to silence him. The Heartless saunters back over to him, dropping the pine cone back into his palm, though Sora doesn't throw it right away as he glances around warily. "Don't tell anyone I said this," he keeps his voice low before he realizes exactly what he's talking to. "Ok, well… it's not like you really can tell anyone but… I wish the master had just let me stay there…"

The Heartless tilts its head, its glowing eyes as empty and unintelligible as ever. Sora can't help but let out a small, bitter laugh as he covers his eyes with his hands. "Just listen to me. Now I know I've gotta be going crazy to say things like that. I don't want to be one of them. I don't want to be part of anything they're planning, but…" he finally throws the pinecone again and yet, the Heartless surprisingly doesn't give chase. Instead, it stays right by his side, still staring up intently at him as he continues despondently. "At least if they took me in, I wouldn't have to worry about her finding me again. And who knows? Maybe they'd at least give me a decent meal if I put on that stupid black coat they got so mad about me turning down before."

Sora sighs, shaking his head as he slowly rises to his feet to continue on his way. The Heartless trails after him as he continues traversing this world, one that he already knows has no Key contained within it. Still, he has no intentions of leaving anytime soon; largely since he knows he barely has the energy to walk, much less go through a dark corridor. He groans as he trudges through the morning woods, a chill spreading down his spine as he struggles against another bout of intense coughing. "You know, I bet the master wouldn't let any of the other members get sick like this…" he grumbles, annoyed as the Heartless presses on to waddle alongside him. "None of them look like they're starving either, and they all probably sleep great at night too. I guess being the 'most important vessel' means I get 'special' treatment, huh?"

His dry sarcasm is largely lost on the Heartless as it scampers across the trail ahead of him, searching for any hearts it can possibly feast on. "Don't go too far!" Sora calls to it, concerned they'll end up separated. A strange thought given how, just the other night, he'd initially wanted nothing to do with the strange, yet attentive creature. "And remember what I told you: no stealing anyone's hearts! That includes animals!"

The Heartless almost seems to sigh at this command as it sulks back over to its spot by Sora's side. "I know; going without anything to eat is the worst," he chuckles, giving it a reassuring pat on the head. "But you get used to it. Eventually…" The Heartless seems to turn its nose up at such a notion, eliciting something between another sigh and a laugh from Sora. "Alright, you've got a point. You don't really ever get used to it. You just… kind of have to learn how to deal with it until you figure out how to find your next meal. For me… I guess that meal's not coming until I find those last two Keys and take them back to the master…"

He catches a peculiar look from the Heartless at this, one that he interprets as judgemental in nature when it's really not. "Well, what else am I supposed to do?" he says with a flippant scoff. "It's not like I have much of a choice here. It's either give them the Keys or… or nothing. Saying no isn't even an option for me anymore, not when they can control basically everything I say or do. And even if I could take the Keys back to the lights, I… I still can't. Before I left, I thought I wanted us–them to get them all, fight the Organization, and win but… now that I know what they really think of me, what they want to do to me… I'm not so sure anymore."

When the Heartless naturally stays silent, Sora ends up posing the most obvious question to himself following such a stark statement. "So… does that mean I want the Organization to win? I-I mean, they want to take over the worlds, they've done terrible things to so many different people! But… I guess I have too…" He shudders, gripping one of his clawed hands as he tries and fails to count the differences between himself and the Organization. As he realizes he's far too much like them now for comfort. Far too twisted and tainted into the very kind of violent villain he used to stand so valiantly against.

"Ugh! Why is this all so confusing!?" he suddenly exclaims, startling the Heartless as he grips the sides of his head. "This should be easy; I should know what I'm supposed to do and what side I'm supposed to be on! But I don't… The only thing I do know is I'm just so… so tired of being used by everyone. The Organization, Maleficent, the lights… they want me to be a vessel, a monster, a hero… but I never wanted to be any of those things. I only ever just wanted to be… me. If only I still knew how to do that. 'Cause now… I don't know who–or what–I am anymore… Maybe I never really did in the first place…"

He's quick to wipe away the tears that start softly sliding down his cheeks. He has to stop short as he's caught between a cough and an emerging sob. However, he's caught off guard when the Heartless suddenly skims its clawed hand against his ankle, a comforting purr erupting from its tiny body that Sora can't help but appreciate. "Sorry to be so depressing all the time," he lets out a bittersweet laugh as he leans down to pick the creature up. It's surprisingly light, almost weighing nothing at all as he perches it to essentially sit in his arms. "I promise, I wasn't always like this. But… it's kinda hard not to be at least a little upset after your life falls apart all around you, don't you think?"

This grim bout of humor is, of course, something the Heartless doesn't pick up on. Instead, it surprises Sora once more when it places its hand against his chest, against his heart. At first, he fears it might intend on trying to steal it right out of his body, something he almost welcomes at this point, even if he knows his master would never let such a thing happen. And yet, the Heartless does no such thing, instead keeping its small hand in place as it stares at Sora with its bright, unblinking eyes, eyes that say nothing at all… and so very much at the exact same time.

"...Thank you," he whispers to the creature as he hugs it just a bit tighter. The Heartless continues purring, its head leaned against his chest as he lets the gentle sound soothe his scattered mind, his broken body, his aching heart. He smiles somewhere between his tears, beyond grateful for the quiet company that his strange new companion, this lone little Heartless, has given him.

Company that means that, after spending so much time alone and afraid, Sora hopes isn't going anywhere anytime soon.


The temperature drops significantly over the next several days, bringing frost and even a few light snow showers to the forest. Of course, it's only as Sora is considering leaving that his illness takes a swift turn for the worst. Over the span of just a few short hours, his coughing becomes almost constant, his chest and throat both burning like fire has been shot straight through them. His empty stomach aches horribly, his mismatched footsteps dragging as he slowly drags himself along, still with no destination and no plan to speak of. Even so, the Heartless stays at its usual pace by his side, undaunted by the cold and not understanding why Sora is. Just as it doesn't understand why he suddenly collapses to the forest floor, unable to walk even a single step further.

His breaths come out in short, shallow wheezes, his vision blurry as the bitter cold clings onto his clothes, his hair, his skin, even his very soul, it seems like. It freezes him in place, saps whatever little energy he might've had left away from him, reduces him to little more than an unmoving heap on the snow–dusted ground. The Heartless quickly skitters over to him, nudging his arm in apparent concern as it tries to make sense of why its master isn't stirring. The most Sora can offer it in response is a weak groan as he barely manages to focus his half-lidded gaze on the tiny creature. "I-I'm sorry…" he says, his voice the faintest rasp of a whisper. "But… I… I can't…"

He trails off, not even possessing enough strength to get another word out. His eyes slip shut, his senses fading to the point that he barely even feels the Heartless wedging its way into the space under his limp arm. It curls up close to him, perching it's petite hand on the side of his pallid, frigid face. The creature lightly taps his cheek, hoping to rouse its master from whatever stupor he's fallen into, but it's to no avail. An unbroken layer of snow begins to blanket his frail form as any last semblance of warmth slips away from him altogether. And yet, the Heartless still doesn't move from its spot under his arm, not even as minutes turn into hours, not even its master slowly stops breathing, not even as that master's badly damaged heart eventually stops beating.

As soon as the Heartless senses this subtle shift, it finally pulls itself away from Sora. It pauses a few paces away from him, it's instincts spiraling into confusion and listlessness without his presence to guide it. And yet… the creature still feels a strange sort of connection to its now-deceased master, a need to do something to bring the one who had brought it into existence back from death. It doesn't really know what a human really needs to survive; but it does know that its master isn't fully human. He bears so many traits of a Heartless, albeit a much more powerful one than the creature itself is. So certainly, if he were to get the one thing all Heartless need to sustain themselves, the one thing Heartless desire above all else, then perhaps it might be enough to somehow bring him back. It might be enough to restore just one of the many things the Heartless has lost: its master… its friend.

And so, the Heartless hurries off to find what they both need. To find the only thing that can satiate their equally endless hunger: a heart.

An hour or so passes after the Heartless heads into the forest to start its solo hunt. The snow continues silently falling through the night, dark and bitterly cold, just like the body–the corpse lying lifelessly on the icy ground. A single figure approaches that corpse from the far side of the clearing, his expression stoic and pitiless as he stares down at the dead boy at his feet.

"How peculiar that the key to life unending can die so easily," the master remarks quietly, icily. "Death has never been an escape for you, boy, and it never will be. Not even after your ultimate purpose has come to pass."

The master extends his hand out at this, dark magic swelling over his palm. "Awaken from your slumber, my thirteenth," he commands as that same magic envelops Sora. "As much as I would prefer to leave you here to rot away into oblivion, unfortunately for us both there is still far more for you to do. Far more for you to be."

The process of bringing one of his vessels back to life is surprisingly easy, if not a bit taxing. Still, he's done this for Sora once before, so it doesn't take long to accomplish the exact same results again. The master senses as his thirteenth's heartbeat is restored, hears his breathing quietly kick up once more, sees his eyes slowly start to flutter open, his lashes coated in frost, his skin pale and his lips blue. By all accounts, he's a pitiful, pathetic sight, one that the master can't help but sneer at as he stands over him, disgusted by the fact that he has to revive such a feeble, miserable child.

Disdainful over the fact that the same child is far more powerful than he could ever hope to be.

As Sora slowly eases his way back into some semblance of consciousness–or rather, of life–his mind is muddled by a haze of practically burning cold he still can't seem to escape from. His vision is clouded when he opens his eyes, to the point that he can barely make out anything other than vague shapes and colors, including the figure of what seems to be a man looming over him. A man who appears to take on an almost… familiar silhouette in his barely conscious mind.

"...D-Dad…?" he wonders, his voice breaking as he wonders if he's truly, finally joined his father in death after all.

The man merely smiles, a cruel grin spreading across his face, though Sora still can't see his eyes–or much else about him really–at all. He speaks but a single word, one that decidedly isn't in his father's voice, but rather, someone else's entirely. "Close."

Sora doesn't even try to understand who this is or what that means. Instead, he fails in trying to keep his eyes open as the painful sting of the ice and snow clinging to his body splits through him all over again. When he opens his eyes once more, the man is gone, as if he'd never even been there in the first place.

Dawn breaks not long after that, and with it, the snow finally stops and the sun starts to emerge over the whitened woods. Tiny footsteps crunch their way through the tightly-packed powder, leaving a wide trail in its wake as it drags something along after it. The Heartless managed to land quite a catch, taking down an animal that's at least double its size. Though it had no choice but to devour its heart upon killing the creature, it still had still decided to bring its body back to its master, hoping that he can feed on that if nothing else. By the time the Heartless makes it back to where it'd left Sora behind, it finds he's already somehow up and breathing again. He's still immensely weak and mostly out of it as he brushes the snow off of his bare arms while struggling to ground himself back into the waking world.

"Huh?" he coughs when he glances over at the Heartless. At first, he can't quite make out what the creature is pulling toward him, doesn't even realize that it had left him at all. But when the Heartless comes to a stop after shoving the much larger, lifeless animal over to him, Sora's stunned by what he sees. "Is that… a turkey?" he balks, flinching at the sight of dried blood staining the bird's neck. "How did you… I-I thought I told you not to steal any hearts!"

Despite this scolding, the Heartless simply tilts its head, not understanding what it's done wrong. Sora finds he can't stay mad at it, especially as he realizes the creature hasn't just brought him a prize from its latest hunt. It's brought him a much-needed meal. "Well… as much as I don't like that you did this, I guess we shouldn't let it go to waste…" he shrugs before shakily rising to stand. "Looks like now is as good a time as any to figure out how to cook a turkey. Wanna go get some firewood for me?"

The Heartless perks up before excitedly rushing off to do exactly that. Sora smiles as he watches the devoted creature go, though that smile is quick to fade when he realizes he has the unpleasant task of skinning and gutting an innocent animal ahead of him. It's something he's never really had to do before, mostly since he's never managed to successfully hunt during his time on the run. But for the sake of easing away just a little of the agonizing hunger besetting him, he forces himself to put his discomfort aside and do his best to make a meal out of what the Heartless has so kindly brought back for him.

Between finding wood that's dry enough to start a fire and figuring out which parts of the turkey are actually edible, it takes a few hours and a good bit of hard work between Sora and the Heartless alike. But by the time noon rolls around, they finally have something to show for that work: two large, piping hot turkey legs. The scent of the freshly-roasted meat alone is enough to make Sora's mouth water when he pulls them out of the flames, and as soon as he makes sure they're fully cooked and ready to eat, he doesn't hesitate to tear his fangs into one of them. Even without any seasoning to speak of, it's delightfully flavorful and fulfilling, to the point that he struggles to hold back tears over such a savory treat. As hungry as he is, it doesn't take him long to reduce the first leg down to little more than a bare bone, though he finds himself craving more as he prepares to start on the second. And yet… he hesitates when he glances over at the Heartless sitting on the log alongside him. When Sora meets its curious golden gaze, he can't help but feel a little guilty over just how selfishly he's been enjoying the unexpected feast it's given him.

"Uh… you want some?" he offers the other leg out to the creature, who initially sniffs it curiously. In the end, though, it ends up turning away from the warm meat, much to Sora's initially amused surprise. "What? Not a fan of turkey?" he laughs before the sobering realization hits him. "Oh… right… I guess you, um… already got what you wanted out of it."

He coughs in the bout of awkward silence that follows before he begins absently snacking on the other leg. Still, he can't help but smile as he scratches the top of the Heartless' head, eliciting another happy purr from the tiny creature. "Thanks again…" he says, truly grateful to his surprising, strange new 'friend'. The only friend he knows he can't hurt now that he's already hurt everyone else he once cared about. The only friend who won't leave him now that everyone else already has.


"Ok, so… I don't want to encourage you to go out and kill any more helpless animals, but… we might have to start thinking about it…" Sora notes to the Heartless a few days later. By now, he's eaten most of what he can get out of the turkey, and what little is left likely won't keep for much longer. The meals he's made from it, while largely similar, have all been certainly satisfying, though the starvation that had come before it still has him struggling to regain even a fraction of his former strength. As a result, he's still quite frail and quite sick, a disparaging fact he's reminded of once again as his thin frame is racked with another series of brutal coughs all over again.

For its part, the Heartless hasn't dared to venture too far from his side, helping him as best it can under the commands he gives it. Though it's able to accomplish simple tasks, it's still best at simply keeping him company, giving him someone to talk to, to vent to. To lift the crushing weight of loneliness off his shoulders at least a little, even if it can't say so much as a single word back.

"...I dunno, maybe we should just go somewhere else," Sora muses as he pauses to lean against a nearby tree, stomping the snow off of his remaining shoe. "It's not like we're gonna find a Key here anyway–I already knew that from the minute I got here. Sure, going through a dark corridor right now won't feel… great, but at least we might end up somewhere a little warmer. What do you think?"

As always, the Heartless simply stares up at him vacantly, once again leaving Sora to guess as to what it might be thinking. If it can even really "think" at all. "Alright, I guess it's settled then," he smirks as he hoists the Heartless into his arms. "We'll head out. And maybe we'll even find something for you to eat that isn't a heart along the way. How does that sound?"

The Heartless hisses at such a suggestion, though there's little ferocity behind it. Sora can't help but laugh at the creature's playful personality as he prepares to summon a dark corridor. Yet before he can even call such a portal into existence, he's suddenly stopped by a voice that sends a sharp burst of fear shooting straight down his spine.

"Leaving so soon? Certainly you wouldn't want us to have come all this way to visit you for nothing, would you, number thirteen?"

The Heartless tenses up in Sora's arms as he spins around to see the black-coated quartet gathered behind him. Marluxia, Xigbar, and Luxord all greet him with broad, smug smiles, though the member lingering at the back of the group is the one who catches Sora's attention the most: the other Riku, so similar, yet so very different from the one he misses so very much.

Sora doesn't know how he's remotely capable of speaking upon being confronted by such a sinister collection of his foes–or rather, his fellow members as he has to see them now. Yet when he does, his voice is small, nervous, frightened as he holds onto the Heartless just a bit tighter. "W-what are you all doing here?" he asks, already knowing he doesn't really want to find out.

"The master wanted someone to 'check in' on our newest member," Luxord informs, still smirking haughtily. "We were the ones who volunteered for the task. It's been quite some time since any of us last saw you, Sora."

"And boy, does it show," Xigbar whistles, hands on his hips. "But hey, look on the bright side, kid! All you'll need is a bit more meat on your bones, a good bath to wash away that stench, and one of our stylish coats here and you'll fit right in with the rest of us."

"We'll be more than happy to welcome you into the fold," Marluxia says smoothly. "The final member we've all been waiting for. We couldn't be any more delighted that our final member is you, Sora."

Sora doesn't have to think twice about why that is. Unfortunately, he voices that thought out loud before he can even try to stop himself. "And why is that?" he begins, his tone dry and sardonic. "Oh, I know; it's 'cause you guys are probably having so much fun watching someone who beat you all before suffer. It must be such a great way for you to 'get even' with me or whatever you think this is."

"Now, now, you needn't be so bitter," Luxord counters coolly. "Every last one of us has the same goal: to guide you to your proper place among our ranks. To tip the hand of fate both in your favor," he conjures up a single card, one that shows a familiar silver crown upon its face until he flips it over to reveal the Organization's telltale insignia. "And in ours."

"You can drop the 'nice' act," Sora sneers as he sets the Heartless down beside him. "I know the last thing any of you actually want to do is 'help' me. Heck, I'm sure you'll all be standing on the sidelines, cheering the master on as he tortures me or turns me into something awful or any other terrible thing he plans on doing to me."

"Aw, c'mon kid, give us a little more credit than that," Xigbar says, wagging a disapproving finger. "We're nowhere near as psycho as that old crone who had you kill all those poor folks. And if you still don't believe us, then just think of it this way: at least we don't wanna chain you up and lock you away like your old 'friends' do."

Sora falters at this, his angry edge softening into returning grief at this flippant reminder. Briefly, he glances past the three older members, setting his sights on the other Riku, who simply looks away to avert his gaze. Saying nothing, doing nothing, not caring about what happens to him at all. Just like the real Riku himself would no doubt do if he could see him now.

"Can I just leave already?" he asks the others with a worn, weary sigh. "I need to get back to looking for those last two Keys, or else the master won't let me–" He swiftly cuts himself off the second he remembers who he's talking to; because even if he's all but been stripped bare of any sort of defenses he once had against his malicious master, he isn't about to let himself come across as so vulnerable to his fellow members. At least not yet. "I-I mean, I-"

"Oh, trust us, Sora, we already know," Marluxia assures, his steady, sadistic grin deepening. "Those last two Keys are your tickets to restoring everything you've lost, everything you desire most: a warm bed, three square meals a day, a roof over your head… and friends who will prove far more steadfast and dedicated than your old ones could have ever hoped to be…"

Sora quickly regains some of his former verve as his hands tighten into angry fists at his sides. His magic begins to react in turn, several spikes slowly starting to rise up from the ground around him as the Heartless curiously skims its hand against one of them. "You're no friends of mine…" he hisses darkly, his eyes golden glowing viciously underneath the shadows of his hood. "I hate every single one of you." This is enough to garnish the other Riku's full attention, his eyes wide as he takes in Sora's every last icy word, shocked… perhaps even a bit scared by what he's hearing. "You've all taken so many things from me, things I'll never be able to get back." He closes his eyes tightly just as the first few hot tears begin to well up in them. Suddenly, the cunning smirks hanging on Marluxia, Luxord, and Xigbar's faces start to fall as the spikes Sora is unintentionally creating continue to multiply, splitting through the ground as they rise higher and higher into the air in tandem with his rising fury. "I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life then spend another second with any of you… you MONSTERS!"

This final word echoes through the woods as countless shimmering spikes explode across the surrounding area. This time, Sora doesn't even flinch, doesn't feel a single ounce of remorse as he lets his dangerous powers run wild, savoring the genuine fear that fills his fellow members' faces at such an unexpected onslaught. They only barely manage to dodge or teleport out of the path of his projectiles; the other Riku nearly falls to the ground leaping away from one of them while Luxord drops his deck, startled by the suddenness of it all. One of the spikes' tips stops just a few inches away from Marluxia's face as his golden eyes grow livid to match Sora's own ferocity.

And all the while, none of them pay Xigbar any mind as he stares at the incredibly powerful magic Sora just wielded so effortlessly, his shock smoothly shifting into a small, knowing smile. Because even if he had his doubts before, now, there's no denying it; the boy is already shaping up to be everything he's expecting him to someday become. And then some.

The Heartless scurries over to Sora, frightened by its master's violent outburst as it clings onto his leg. Sora briefly glances down at it, his rage quelling ever so slightly when he feels it shaking in apparent terror. Terror that he's the sole cause of; and while he'd normally feel remorseful about that… right now, he can't when he sees that terror is something each of the awful men standing before him share.

"Monsters, you say?" Marluxia scoffs as he calls upon his elegant scythe. "Perhaps you should re-evaluate who the monster standing here truly is."

Sora stands his ground, the edges of his mouth lifting into a small, satisfied smirk as he watches Marluxia take a brutal swing at the spike in front of him. Only for his weapon to not even land so much as a scratch upon its sparkling ebony surface. "I don't need to," he says, surprised by how calm, how confident his voice currently sounds. It's been months since he heard himself sound even remotely like that, to the point that he's all but forgotten just how much he misses it. "I'm already looking at him."

Xigbar, Luxord, and the other Riku are all genuinely surprised by such a brazen remark. Marluxia, however, only fixes him with a more piercing glare, his voice still even yet edged with the slightest hint of raw, rigid hatred. "Even after all this time and all this suffering, you still don't know the first thing about respect," he begins. "Now I understand why the master and the superiors show no leniency with you. A defiant disgrace like you deserves no such courtesy. Number thirteen," his tone suddenly shifts, and as it does, Sora feels his chest tighten with an all too familiar kind of pain. "Stand down, and apologize to your fellow members for your outrageous behavior."

Sora tries as hard as he can to fight it, to resist, to keep himself from giving this sadistic group the satisfaction of showing their obvious power over him. But in the end, he can do nothing when his hands fall slack at his sides, when his voice speaks words he desperately doesn't want to say. "I-I… I'm sorry," he says, forced to hang his head in shame he doesn't feel in the slightest. "It won't happen again…"

"You'd best hope it doesn't," Luxord speaks up, his usual arrogant air returning. "I'm sure you can imagine the master's displeasure if he were to hear about this unfortunate incident. But don't fret; we're nothing if not civil gents. We won't breathe a word about what happened here… so long as you retract these rather… unsightly spikes you've quite impressively conjured up."

Sora swallows hard, already knowing they're setting him up for a trap. A trap that he has no idea how to free himself from as it all too quickly ensnares him. "I-I can't," he admits, shaking his head. "I don't know how."

"Don't know?" Xigbar questions, slipping on a broad smirk once again. "Or don't want to?"

"I really don't know!" Sora protests anxiously. "I only know how to make them–honestly, I barely even know how to do that much! Why do you even care if I-"

"That's enough, number thirteen," Marluxia puts up a hand to swiftly, oppressively silence him. "You will do as you're told and dismiss these spikes by the time I count down from ten, or else you will suffer severe consequences."

"W-what? Seriously?" Sora balks, appalled by such dire terms for something so inconsequential. And yet, his fellow members aren't bluffing in the slightest, something that's proven as soon as Marluxia begins to count.

"Ten."

"I already told you, I can't!" Sora argues, raising his hands to venture an effort. Of course, that effort accomplishes nothing as his spikes remain standing, despite how much he wishes they would go away. Despite the fact that he knows he's bound to be punished even if they do.

"Nine."

"Then you better learn how to real fast," Xigbar remarks teasingly, as if Sora's rising panic is the funniest thing in the world. Which, to someone like him and his companions, it probably is.

"Eight."

Sora tries his best to calm himself, to even just stop his own hands from shaking with fear over what will happen once Marluxia gets to zero. Briefly, his eyes meet the other Riku's once more. He nearly asks him for help, for a way out of this, but he quickly thinks better of it. Because if the real Riku wouldn't want to help him, then certainly this cheap imitation of him wouldn't either.

And yet… when he tears his gaze away, he doesn't see the other Riku take a small step forward. He doesn't see him slowly raise his hand. He doesn't see him open his mouth as if to say something to his fellow members. Something that never makes its way out of his mouth.

"Seven."

By now, the Heartless has picked up on Sora's distress, and immediately catches on to who's causing that distress. It leaps forward, letting out a high-pitched hiss as it comes to stand between the Organization members and Sora, spreading its tiny arms out wide in his defense. Until this point, the members have paid the miniscule creature little mind, but now that it's decided to so boldly challenge them, it's finally caught their full attention.

"What's this now?" Luxord raises a curious eyebrow at the creature before grinning back over to Sora. "Is this all you can muster to arm yourself with? A mere, insignificant Shadow?"

"And an awfully scrawny one at that," Xigbar chuckles. "Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with this one, does it, Sora?"

Sora bristles at this snide comment, though the Heartless seems even more incensed as it hisses again, raising its claws in warning. A warning that none of the group gathered before it even remotely takes seriously.

"Six."

"Outta the way, pipsqueak, the grown-ups are talking," Xigbar steps forward just shy of slamming his boot into the Heartless' tiny body. The creature flies back, crashing into one of the several surrounding spikes before falling back into the snowy ground, dazed and obviously damaged if its badly bent antenne are any indication.

"Five."

"Leave it alone!" Sora shouts against his better judgment. He rushes over to check on the Heartless, Marluxia's countdown all but forgotten in favor of ensuring it's all right. Something that only serves to amuse his fellow members even more as they continue to mock him for it.

"Oh, now I've seen it all," Luxord smirks even as he catches the harsh glare Sora shoots his way. "Have you really befriended such a lowly, worthless creature?"

"It's not worthless!" Sora shoots back as he helps the Heartless stumble back onto its feet. "It's been helping me way more than any of you think you have!"

"Four," Marluxia counts before making a coldhearted comment of his own. "Only because it has to. You summoned that Heartless, which means its loyalty to you is the only thing it knows. It has no heart, no emotions, no capacity to genuinely care for you, not in the way you so foolishly care for it."

"Now, Marluxia, let's not tear the poor boy's hopes apart so quickly," Luxord counters with clearly false sympathy. "I happen to think they make quite a fitting pair: both pitiful creatures of darkness not a single soul actually want to have around. Truly, they're two of a kind."

While Xigbar lets out a callous snort of a laugh at this, Marluxia merely smirks as he keeps his cruel countdown going. "Three. Time's running out, Sora."

"I don't care!" Sora snaps, beyond frustrated with the twisted games the trio is playing with him.

"Two," Marluxia grips his scythe, poising it for an apparent attack. "You ought to care if you'd like to keep whatever little blood you're bound to have left."

"Whatever," Sora huffs, scowling away. His fear has largely fizzled out into acceptance, into defeat, into resigning himself to the pain he's about to endure. Pain that he never seems to be able to escape from, no matter how far he runs, no matter how well he hides. "Go ahead and just get it over with. It's not like it even matters anymore; I've been through much worse…"

"Bold words from someone who looks like he can barely stay standing for longer than a few minutes," Xigbar notes, his constant grin falling just the slightest bit. "You sure you really mean that, kid?"

"...Yes," Sora sighs, bracing himself for the inevitable. "I do."

"...One." Marluxia raises his scythe high into the air. Xigbar and Luxord do nothing to stop his violent intent, but the other Riku draws in a sharp breath, none of his companions seeing the fear flashing across his face as he watches Sora close his eyes to await his "punishment". Punishment that even he knows Sora doesn't deserve.

"D-don't," he chokes, his voice not rising anywhere above a whisper. A whisper that not a single one of his fellow members come close to hearing.

"Zero."

What happens next… is something so much worse than Sora could have ever imagined.

The deadly edge of Marluxia's blade never hits him; he doesn't even hear the harsh rush of air his brutal swing brings down. What he does hear, however, is a shrill, inhuman shriek, one that forces him to open his eyes to a sight that makes him even sicker than he already is.

"No!" he screams, several spikes jutting up all around him as he throws his hand forward. But it's already far too late. Marluxia's scythe impales the Heartless, its tip wedged into the center of its tiny form. It only has enough time left to spare one final glance back at Sora, its golden eyes, usually so devoid of any kind of emotion, almost seeming… sad.

And then, in a burst of nothing more than the empty darkness it had been born from, the Heartless is gone. As if it had never even existed at all.

In the seconds that follow, Sora falls to his knees, unable to scream, as much as he might want to, unable to yell at the vile group that's managed to take something else he cared so much for away from him. Unable to do anything at all but stare at the spot the Heartless, his Heartless had once stood… and sob over the sacrifice it had made for his sake. A sacrifice that Sora knows is far, far too great.

"Really? You'd shed tears over a pathetic creature from the dark?" Marluxia asks with a darkly amused grin. "The same sort of creature you've slaughtered so many times before? What makes this one any different?"

Sora doesn't bother gratifying him with an answer as he wrenches his eyes tightly shut, trying to block out his fellow members just as much as he's trying to block out the pain. Pain that stings far worse than any sort of injury they might have landed on him ever could.

"Ugh, I think I've got better things to do with my day than hang out here and watch the dumb kid cry his eyes out," Xigbar huffs, apparently bored. "How's about we head back and leave our thirteenth here to his little Heartless pity party?"

"A valid idea," Luxord agrees. "I believe our newest member has been sufficiently reprimanded for his unruly behavior, this time around at least. What about you, Marluxia?"

"...Yes," he nods tersely, his smile turning into a stoic scowl as he traces a finger across the scar on his jaw. A scar that still serves as a reminder of his own vendetta against Sora, for the drive to get even over old, once-forgotten wounds from both the present and the past. "Let's be on our way. It seems we have plenty of positive progress to report to the master once we return."

With this, the twisted trio finally begins to depart, something that Sora barely even feels grateful for after what just happened. As they leave him, he wraps his arms around himself, his face hot with tears that refuse to fall, all but lost to his grief to the point that he doesn't even notice as one of the group lingers behind.

The other Riku approaches him carefully, unsure of what to do, what to say, if he should even do or say anything at all. He knows the other members are still close by, likely expecting him to leave along with them. But at the moment, the only thing he can think of is Sora. Sora, who's sitting in front of him, crying his broken heart out over one of the few things he had left in any world to call his own. Sora, who's starving, freezing, breaking in just about every way there is, both inside and out. Sora… who, even though he knows he shouldn't, even though he remembers hating him so deeply, even though he's been told that he's bound to become nothing more than his–and the rest of the Organization's–slave… he still can't help but find room to feel sorry for all the same.

"...Sora," he dares to speak his name, his heart practically skipping a beat as he does. The Sora sitting before him is so different from the one he once knew, transformed into a barely recognizable person, into something that's hardly even human anymore. But the other Riku still can't call him anything else all the same. "I-I…"

Sora slowly draws his gaze up toward him, his face streaked with tears, his expression awash with unshakable despair. "R-Riku…" The way he says his name, the way he looks at him, it's almost enough to drive him mad. That feeling is quick to melt away, however, when Sora remembers exactly who he is–and isn't–talking to here. When the sorrow in his face starkly turns sour with nothing less than the deepest loathing. "What do you want?" he asks, his voice low, his golden eyes fixing the other boy with a withering glare.

The other Riku still struggles to find any words to say, much less ones that are actually meaningful. He swallows, his mouth dry as he spares a brief, worried glance over his shoulder. His fellow members fortunately aren't paying attention as they instead commiserate over their spiteful victory over Sora. The other Riku uses this opportunity to slowly extend a hand out to him, trying his best to keep it from trembling all the while.

At first, Sora looks between the other Riku and the hand he's offering to help him up with obvious confusion. Confusion that's swiftly switched out for his former disdain. "Haven't you done enough?" he mutters, harshly shoving the other Riku's hand away. "Just leave me alone already…"

"But Sora, I-I just-"

"I said leave me ALONE!" he suddenly shouts, creating an entirely new array of deadly spikes in response to his heartbroken fury. The other Riku has to jump back to avoid getting struck by them, and in the process, catches the attention of the group he now wishes he'd refused to accompany on this horrid excursion.

"Hey, kid! Playtime with the brat is over," Xigbar calls as Luxord summons a dark corridor for them to leave through. "You comin' back with us or not?"

He almost says no, almost decides to stay here and stand at Sora's side like he knows he should. And yet… as soon as such rebellious thoughts so much as brim into his mind, his heart rings out with a burst of bitter pain, pain that quickly forces him to fall right back in line. "...Yes," is all he says as he turns, trudging away from Sora, unable to spare him another single glance. Even if he does offer him one whispered, almost inaudible statement that doesn't even come close to what he actually wants to say. "I'm sorry…"

Sora stays there, sitting in the snow long after his fellow members are finally gone. There's not a single trace left of the Heartless, nothing to commemorate its brave, untimely demise. Not even a lifeless body yet to bury and yet… Sora still feels like he should do something to make its senseless destruction mean a little more. To honor the creature for all that it had given him in it's all-too brief existence.

With trembling hands, he calls a few more spikes out of the soil in the same spot the Heartless had met its end. He brings them together into something akin to a tower, capping it off at the height the petite creature itself had been. It isn't much of a grave, but it's the best he can do, given the circumstances. His heart aches when he skims a gentle hand against the smooth, glimmering stones, hating every single part of this. Hating that the time he'd spent with the Heartless had been so very short, hating that its death means he's left on his own once again, hating that it had stayed loyal to him, right up to the very end, even when it shouldn't have. Hating that any of this happened… and knowing that it had been inevitable all the same. After all, since when has he been able to hang onto any small shred of happiness in his life lately? Since when has he ever been able to hold onto anything he's ever even remotely loved?

"Thank you…" His voice is nothing more than woeful whisper as he sends the deceased creature a message he knows it won't be able to hear. As he says goodbye to his Heartless, to his pet, to his friend one final time. "For everything…"


Ok so I just can't write a genuinely happy chapter of this story anymore I think I might have a problem ANYWAY! I promise we'll get some honestly really cute fluff in the next chapter to offset all the Depression, when I give you that Christmas special I promised hopefully some time next week? Like I've already gotten some of it written, it was originally supposed to be part of this chapter before I split it up so ya'll have that to look forward to (feat. a special cameo from a surprise Disney world (no its not Christmas Town)). But for now, please don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time!