I spent about an hour and a half carefully examining about ten minutes of a cutscene in order to familiarize myself with all the details and not just the dialogue. Needless to say, that if you've played the game, the next section of the story should be fairly familiar. There are some changes/additions due to adding a couple characters to the line up and such. And I'll be giving a bit more insight into the characters' thoughts as certain things happen. But yeah, a lot of this chapter will be similar to the game. Hopefully you won't mind. The next chapter won't be quite as close.

Fighting Heartless and Nobodies, the aggressive creatures previously described by the others, was a new experience for Ventus. But after the first dozen or so, he figured out that it wasn't that different from dealing with the Unverse. And even if it had been over a decade since he traveled the worlds, Ventus knew how to handle those.

He and Aqua moved together, covering for each other instinctively. They leapt, spun, twisted, and dodged around hundreds of creatures. Ventus switched between magic and physical attacks without thought. He barely touched the ground. Speed and agility were always his greatest strength. He tore his way through the Heartless, Nobodies, and Unverse alongside Aqua and her magic.

It was nice fighting next to her again.

There were others moving in and out of his line of sight, also fighting the hordes of enemies. Each of them demonstrated a different style or strategy, but everyone was effective. And clearly experienced at cutting them down.

Riku and Mickey were fast and deadly. They seemed to mostly focus on singular larger enemies, cutting down the giants among the swarm and keeping them from going after the others too much. Riku wielded his weapon from a higher angle than Ventus and augmented his strikes with darkness-laced fireballs. His moves were familiar, something Ventus felt like he'd seen countless times in his dreams. And while Riku kept low, Mickey went high. He wielded his Keyblade like he was a bouncing ball of destruction, bouncing and spinning as Heartless, Nobodies, and Unverse shattered under his assault.

The close group of Lea, Kairi, Roxas, and Xion were performing a rather complicated dance where they tried to defend each other as they moved around the battlefield. They focused more on keeping each other safe than taking out as many opponents as possible. Though they were certainly doing a good job at that too.

Lea, with a Keyblade of his own now and wasn't that a surprising development, seemed to rely mostly on spinning moves and copious amounts of fire. The other three leaned towards aggressively bashing away at anything they could reach. Xion would throw around Blizzard spells occasionally and both Roxas and Kairi made use of different types of Light spells to clear out some space, but they seemed to prefer physical attacks.

But it was the remaining three who seemed to be the most in their element. Sora didn't even hesitate as he moved. Wherever he went, the aggressive creatures disappeared in droves. He destroyed them with almost no effort. He was a natural at it. When they were close, he would perform a combination attack with Donald or Goofy. And they barely needed to communicate their intention. They knew how to fight as a team better than anyone. Ventus was actually a little impressed.

"We need to take them out in groups," shouted Donald.

Smashing away with his shield, Goofy added, "Yeah, look at 'em all. They just keep coming."

Then the trio managed to do something even more over-the-top than the rest of their tricks. Something that caused Aqua to grab his arm and start dragging him back. When this was over, Ventus was definitely going to ask how Sora managed to create a magic rollercoaster.

Once Sora summoned up some magically-constructed rollercoaster to deliver chaos on the remaining Heartless, lesser Nobodies, and Unverse, Lea felt a little superfluous. Not to mention in the line of fire. As Sora rode it on glowing tracks that wrapped around the battleground, he rained down fire and colorful lights that exploded and he left very little untouched. Everyone made a break for the crevice through the cliffs to avoid accidental injury. It would be safer for them to have a thick stone barrier between them and the friendliest person in history who was currently vaporizing the enemy.

Lea did his best to catch his breath silently as they settled comfortably on the far side and listened to the sounds of destruction. He didn't need to make anyone worry, even if that fight shouldn't have tired him that much yet. While the rather liberal application of Cure spells from overprotective Keyblade wielders meant that he was in relatively good condition after the fight, he couldn't ignore the slight twinge that he'd managed to agitate into returning. Which was annoying after he woke up that morning feeling better. He also couldn't ignore how he couldn't manage certain movements without wincing, something that hadn't improved overnight like he had hoped. These things were barely enough to hinder him, but enough to remind Lea that he wasn't fully recovered yet.

But he had not intention of showing it. Kairi, Roxas, and Xion were already trying to protect him and being rather obvious about it. No reason to make them worry more. The three of them sticking close did have the nice side effect of making it easy to watch over them though.

Yes, Kairi was tougher than she looked and both Roxas and Xion had been swinging Keyblades longer than he had. That didn't mean he would risk letting them get seriously hurt.

"Master Riku?" said Ventus, the title making the white-haired boy jolt in surprise. "Do you know how to do what Sora's doing right now? With the magic rollercoaster?"

Smiling slightly as the explosions reached a crescendo, Riku said, "That specifically? No. Sora, Donald, and Goofy have a knack for the flashier moves."

The sound of fighting fell silent, indicating that Sora's magic rollercoaster of destruction had finished. And possibly hinting that there weren't any more targets for him either. Lea used the lull as an excuse to look over the kids again. No obvious injuries, even Kairi's minor burns from her earlier stunt already healed with a Cura, and everyone still with plenty of energy. Good.

After a couple moments, Sora, Donald, and Goofy jogged through the crevice through the cliffs. Unsurprisingly, the kid looked ready to go a few more rounds. There was a reason that Sora could charge his way to the top of Castle Oblivion and through any obstacle without hesitation. He was stronger than his bright and friendly demeanor would suggest.

King Mickey turned as they arrived and, as if he hadn't already glanced over them to make sure the same way that Lea did, asked, "Is everyone okay?"

Various members of the group nodded their assurances and Lea gave him a quick thumbs up. No one was hurt and they still had a decent supply of potions and elixirs. None of them had fought any of Xehanort's lackies yet, but they were still in good enough condition for those upcoming encounters.

Which would include Saïx. He had to be here somewhere.

"Come on," said Sora. "Let's go."

Something out of the corner of his eye caught Ventus's attention. A shape of a person glimpsed through the dust. And Ventus knew that motionless silhouette.

"Terra!" shouted Ventus before breaking into a run.

He saw Aqua with his peripheral vision, trying to grab him, but he was already out of reach. It was Terra. Ventus couldn't even think of anything else. His friend was back. All other thought or caution fell behind as he ran.

"Ven," she shouted after him.

Scrambling to a stop in front of the tall and lethargic figure, Ventus grabbed Terra's wrist. He didn't react, but Ventus didn't care. He could only smile up at his friend.

"Terra!" he shouted brightly. "We found you."

Listless and slow, Terra blinked and turned his face towards Ventus. His blue eyes seemed blank and empty compared to what Ventus remembered.

But it was all right. They found him. Ventus would help Terra and everything would be fine again. He knew it would be.

Aqua came up beside Ventus, one hand hovering in front of her chest anxiously as she stared at their long-absent friend. Her expression held an equal amount of hope and suspicion.

Quietly, she said, "Terra, please say you're in there."

He turned slightly to look at her. But there was something off about Terra's expression. Ventus couldn't quite explain it. The way Terra was looking at he just seemed different.

Without warning, Aqua grabbed Ventus's shoulder and yanked him back. And kept dragging him back, her grip firm and desperate. Ventus tried to pull free as the others finally caught up.

"What gives, Aqua?" he asked as she finally let go and moved her arm protectively in front of Ventus.

Voice firm and cold, Aqua glared at the young man and said, "I know that you're not him." Shock and realization hit Ventus as she continued harshly, "Now let our friend go."

Stupid, stupid, stupid. He knew what they told him about what happened to Terra. He knew. And he didn't even consider it when he saw his friend.

Terra lowered his head with a smirk, no longer pretending. Because he wasn't Terra. His hair turned white, the change moving from the roots to the tips. And his body language shifted into something completely different.

Ventus fell into a combative stance and he saw the others mirror him. They didn't summon their Keyblades. Not yet. But they were preparing themselves.

"He is their thirteenth," said Mickey.

When he opened his eyes, Terra's familiar shade of friendly blue was gone. All that Ventus could see were golden eyes that belonged to Master Xehanort.

Aqua was raised to oppose darkness. To distrust it and those that sought it out. Master Eraqus taught all of them that lesson and most of her recent experiences only strengthened that mindset.

Not all, but most.

Which was why, when she saw Master Xehanort's eyes staring back at her from Terra's face and darkness started swirling and gathering around him, an unnerving chill ran up Aqua's spine even as she wanted to attack the monster controlling her friend.

"Today is the day you all lose," announced Not-Terra.

Glaring, she snapped, "What?"

"Before you even face the thirteen, every last one of you will be torn heart from body," he continued as he summoned his Keyblade. "But fear not. The χ-blade will still be forged."

Never. Aqua's posture settled into the same combative stance that kept her safe for so long in the Realm of Darkness. She would never let him forge the χ-blade. And she would never let him harm her friends.

Staring Not-Terra down, Sora said, "We're not going to lose to you."

Not-Terra smirked. Then he moved, too fast to see. A flash of motion out of the corner of her eye and she turned. But not fast enough. She barely had a chance to glimpse a figure that appeared before he swung. A Keyblade too fast to see. And something flew back, knocked away at similar speeds.

She finally turned enough to see. To comprehend what happened in the timespan between one heartbeat and the next.

Not-Terra straightening out of his strike.

A small shape tumbling to a stop past the others.

No…

It… couldn't be… Cold, numbing shock washed over Aqua as she tried to understand what she was seeing.

The small, silent, and motionless figure lying crumbled on the ground… Was he even breathing?

Ventus… He hurt Ventus…

"Ven!" she shouted.

Sora felt something ache sharply in his chest before tearing away roughly, making him gasp. Even after separating, he remained closely connected to everyone who once rested in his heart. The bonds tighter than even those he shared with Riku, Kairi, and the others. And when Ventus was hurt so badly—

—how badly? He couldn't feel him like he should—

—he felt some of the backlash.

And protective anger bubbled up in response.

Summoning his Keyblade, he shouted, "That's it!"

He charged towards the white-haired man, the one who wasn't the real Terra, with every intention of knocking the stuffing out of him. Even if he tried to block with his Keyblade, Sora intended to just fight back. But Not-Terra caught his swing with a Dark Gravity spell and trapped Sora's weapon. Yanking did nothing to free it.

Then Not-Terra shifted and the Dark Gravity spell flared out, sending Sora flying. And unable to twist around the right way in time, he crashed roughly on the dirt and knocked the wind out of him.

Ow. He was normally better with aerial recoveries.

As Sora tried to drag some air back into his lungs, he saw Not-Terra quickly turn his attention towards Kairi. Then he launched himself at her, moving fast enough to leave a dust trail. Not imperceivably fast, but too fast to dodge.

Too fast for Kairi to escape. Sora saw her freeze for just a second. Not long. Too long. The hesitation gave Not-Terra enough time to swing and—

Lea flung himself between the two, Keyblade up to block the blow. But Not-Terra's strength overcame the unexpected obstacle. He hit hard and knocked Lea flying sideways, crashing through a boulder without slowing down until he slammed into the cliffside.

"Axel!" yelped Kairi in shock and worry, echoed by two more voices.

A pillar of light slammed down, barely missing Not-Terra's smooth dodge as Roxas shouted in fury. A twist of the Keyblade as he spun and Not-Terra managed to hook an attacking Xion with it before slinging her into Roxas, knocking them both tumbling.

Then Not-Terra turned back towards Kairi with a bored expression. But by then Sora was on his feet and running.

"No," shouted King Mickey as Sora raced by him and Riku. "Sora!"

He didn't slow. Even when he realized that he wasn't alone, Sora didn't slow down.

Sora dove, tackling Kairi to the ground away, just as Goofy blocked Not-Terra's downward swing. The impact knocked the man through the air and back. Sora felt power building as Donald raised his wand, glowing lines forming along the ground. Reddish-white runes that practically burned with power.

Goofy hit the ground and rolled back to his feet. Horrified worry flashed across his face as he reached towards his friend in a futile gesture.

"Donald," he called, "don't!"

Aiming his wand, he shouted, "Zettaflare!"

Staff glowing in Donald's grip, he fired a huge column of red-white light that quickly blinded Sora. The boy could feel the ground shaking under him as the powerful spell seemed to engulf Not-Terra. The blast continued for several seconds, loud and bright, before gradually fading.

Ears ringing and blinking back the spots in his eyes, Sora carefully pushed himself to his feet and pulled Kairi up. They stared in awe before smiles spread across their faces. He knew that Donald was powerful when it came to magic. But even their best combos didn't look like that.

Then the staff tumbled from his grasp, Donald quickly following as he collapsed limply in the dirt. No strength or energy left. Like when he cast Curaza. Perhaps even worse. Sora's gut twisted at the sight of the lifeless figure.

This was wrong. Everything was going wrong.

King Mickey and Goofy ran to Donald, looking over him worriedly. Aqua reacted similarly, taking up position at her friend's side.

"Ven…" she said quietly as Riku joined her, checking of Ventus.

Sora glanced back. Kairi, Roxas, and Xion clustered around the slumped shape. Lea, barely healed from before, was once again on death's doorstep.

Or perhaps he'd crossed the threshold this time. Maybe all three of them had.

"This can't be real," he whispered.

Darkness began swirling a short distance away from the scattered group. A spiraling and thrashing tower of Shadows, a Demon Tower, burst out of the ground. It swirled and twisted overhead. Sora could only stare in stunned horror.

A sharp yank on his shoulder and Riku was suddenly in front of him. When did he move?

"Pull it together, Sora," said Riku firmly. "We haven't lost them. They still have their hearts. But we have to protect them."

Expression hardening as he regained his determination, he nodded and said, "Right."

They weren't gone yet. He could still save them. He could still protect them. No matter how bad it looked or how his heart ached, there was still hope.

Taking up position next to them, Aqua said, "We stand together."

Riku and Sora nodded, tightening their grips on their Keyblades. All three of them ran until they were between their friends and the thrashing shape of the Demon Tower.

"Mickey, Goofy," said Aqua, "Kairi, Roxas, and Xion? Watch the others."

King Mickey said, "No, we should all get to safety while we still can."

"It's too late for that," said Riku, shaking his head.

No way to retreat. No escape. No second chance to get this right. They would either find a way or they would fall. And Sora refused to consider that things would get worse.

The Demon Tower swirled and thrashed more wildly, forming a full-on cyclone. A storm composed of darkness and Heartless. They could only stare in horror as it grew. Sora could feel the darkness washing over them.

"It can't be…" Aqua shook her head slightly as the words came out in a small voice. "No…"

Sora glanced at her. She looked completely overwhelmed and pale. Her grip on her Keyblade loosened. She was staring at the swirling darkness, but she didn't seem to actually see it.

Then, not moving or reacting in any way, Aqua let the Demon Tower dashed forward and swallow her into the twitching mass. Something in Sora's chest jolted sharply.

"Aqua!" shouted Riku.

But it wasn't over. The Demon Tower continued its predatory assault, lashing out and swirling across the landscape. It swallowed up Ventus. Roxas and Xion blocked the first attempt with magic, but it twisted around to snag them from behind. Kairi dove to shield Lea and both of them were engulfed. King Mickey and Goofy only had time to look briefly surprised before they and Donald disappeared into the aggressive dark formation.

And with each one that was taken, Sora felt like pieces of his heart were being ripped out.

Glimpsing a flash of pink within the twitching mass, Sora lunged at the lashing tendril. He reached desperately and Kairi reached back. But their hands barely missed and she disappeared into the swarm, the Demon Tower rejoined the monstrous cyclone. Becoming something worse. A Demon Tide.

Gone. All of them.

Sora gasped, struggling against the loss and the pain in his heart. It hurt so much in so many different ways. All those connections, nearly ripped out until they were fraying and raw.

His Keyblade fell from numb fingers, clanging to the ground as he screamed in pain and heartache. He collapsed to his hands and knees as all strength poured out of him.

Running over to him, Riku called, "Sora!"

"They're gone." Staring at the ground, Sora said miserably, "Kairi, Donald… Goofy, the King..."

Ventus, Roxas, Xion… All the pieces that once belonged in his heart…

"Gone forever." He raised his head, blinking back tears. "What do we do? Without them… I…" He saw Riku's expression grow from worried into determination, but Sora's head dropped again. "All my strength came from them."

My friends are my strength.

Sora believed that with all his heart. He always felt stronger with them. Even when they were far away, he could feel them. But now there were gaping wounds where they should be and it left him feeling weak, vulnerable, and broken.

"Alone," he said, shaking his head, "I'm worthless."

He couldn't protect them. He couldn't keep his friends safe. He failed them. He forged all those strong and deep connections with people, letting them nestle deep. And the loss hurt so much.

Riku, crouched beside him, remained silent.

"We've lost," said Sora as tears streaked down his face to land in the dust. "It's over."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw Riku start to reach for him. But then his hand dropped to his side and curled into a fist beside him. Then he slowly stood up.

"Sora," he said firmly, "you don't believe that. I know you don't."

Posture straight and tall, Riku marched forward towards the swirling dark cyclone as Sora slowly looked up. A tendril of swarming Heartless broke off, the Demon Tower spiraling towards them. Riku planted his feet firmly and stabbed his Keyblade forward with a yell, striking the Demon Tower and blocking it.

Darkness and Heartless streamed past them both of them, split like hurling a boulder into the path of a river. Sora stared at his best friend as he faced the impossible. Then Sora's expression shifted into one of horror as darkness started coiling around Riku.

No. Not him too.

Sora reached in a futile gesture, but it was too late. The Heartless and darkness consumed Riku, another painful stab to Sora's heart, before the wave washed over Sora.

His existence became nothing except roaring noise, shadows, and chaos before dissolving into nothing…

Then one of the faint connections to his heart— they weren't severed, merely damaged and strained to the verge of splintering— flared up. A heart, almost lost and yet not gone as it shone impossibly bright, reached out to his and anchored him. It kept him from disappearing.

…Always a part of each other's life…

…Kairi?

Then awareness slipped away…

Next time, Sora gets to have a very interesting conversation with a living stuffed animal, has to get his friends' hearts back, and force time to go backwards enough to get a second chance. There is one bit of an issue though…

In the game, he had to rescue Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Ventus, Mickey, Lea, and Riku with his world-searching venture to get their hearts back. Saving Kairi at the end pushed Sora past his limits though. That means that he could save seven hearts that way and survive. This time… there are two more people…