Alright we are back with another chapter!

Thank you again to everyone for reading! Glad you all are enjoying this story. Now let's get on with the chapter!

Ch.9

Sora was sitting by himself at recess, about to pull out his drawing notebook. A notebook that he had started carrying around for a month or so now. When ever he got the chance he would doodle and draw various things in it. Most of the notebook was filled with drawings of him and Riku playing, with Vanitas and Ventus there as well. Slowly the pictures were getting better and improving as Ventus typically gave him advice so he could draw better.

"Whatcha doing?" Kairi asked, standing before him.

Sora blinked and looked up, holding his drawing notebook close to his chest protectively. "Nothing." He answered a bit defensively. His emotions felt conflicted. On one hand he felt like he could trust her, but on the other it was kind of like what Vanitas had said, she was bright and seemed too… Sora gave a mental sigh he couldn't think of the word that would describe her. Overall though he was still untrusting of most other kids.

"Want to play with me?" Kairi asked.

Sora hesitated for a moment before he gave a small nod. Her voice sounded friendly enough that she didn't seem like she would make fun of him or anything. Slowly Sora stood up and looked over at Kairi.

"So what do you wanna do?" Kairi asked.

Sora shrugged a little, he wasn't use to this. He wasn't use to talking to or playing with any of the other kids besides Riku. This was new for him and he didn't know what to do.

"What do you usually do during recess?" Kairi asked, taking a step closer to Sora.

Sora tensed up slightly at her approach, "I… I usually sit by myself and draw…" Sora mumbled quietly.

"What was that? I didn't hear what you said."

"I usually draw…" Sora said.

"Oh! You like to draw?" Kairi's eyes lit up with excitement, "Can I see?"

"Should I show her my drawings?" Sora wondered to himself, biting his lip.

'No, if you show her she will see the pictures of us and will ask who we are, you don't want her to be like the other kids, do you?' Vanitas asked in his smooth dark voice.

'I have to agree with Vani here,' Ventus added as Vanitas growled at the nickname. Vanitas hated it when Ventus called him by that nickname. With the boy who hosted them it was different, but he hated to hear Ventus call him that.

"You have to if you don't want to," Kairi said in a sweet voice.

"Thanks," Sora said quietly.

"But come on, let's go play on the playground," Kairi reached forward, grabbing onto Sora's arm and pulled him towards the playground.

Sora knew he could have resisted, but he let her pull him along. He heard the telltale sign of kids whispering coming from around him. He glanced to where it was coming from to see Rin and his group of close friends looking at him. Rin had that hateful look in his eyes and a smirk on his face, one that looked exactly like the one he had on his face when he ripped Sora's drawing up that fateful day that was now so long ago.

Sora froze as Rin started walking over, he could feel his hands begin to tremble. He wanted to run, but he remembered from the past encounters with Rin. Sora remembered that if he ran away from Rin, it would only be more painful once Rin would catch up to him.

"Sora?" Kairi asked feeling that his hand was shaking in her's even as he quickly let go.

"What do you want Rin?" Sora asked with a gulp.

"You ruined my summer vacation! My Mom was going to take us on a cruise, but then all because of you she decided that we wouldn't go!" He snarled.

Sora just continued to tremble.

"I don't know who you are, but leave us alone!" Kairi said defending Sora.

The blue eyed boy froze in shock, "Kairi… she's defending me?" He wondered to himself surprised. Why would she do that for him?

"I don't know why you decided to hang around the lying loser, but if you know what's good for you, you'll stop hanging around him."

"How do I know you're not the liar? Sora seems perfectly fine to me!" She said before grabbing Sora's hands and pulling him away. The blue eyed boy didn't resist, but as he caught one last glance at Rin's face he shuddered. This was not going to be the last of Rin…

Sora and Kairi played together for the rest of recess before they were called back in. The rest of the day passed peacefully. At the end of the day Sora waved goodbye to Kairi as she was picked up by someone. Riku came over and the two started walking towards there houses, first up was Riku's. Riku's mom met them at the door with a smile, "Hello boys. Riku would you mind meeting up with Sora later to play together? I need help with something."

Riku turned to Sora with a questioning expression on his face, but Sora responded "I'll be fine Riku! I'll see you in a bit."

With that Sora waved and started heading home. "What should I do until Riku joins us?" Sora asked out loud.

'You could continue the drawing you were working on earlier,' Ventus suggested.

'Or we could practice some more fighting moves, so you can finally beat that Riku brat.'

'You already had him practice yesterday,' Ventus replied back.

'Sora drew earlier this morning. Besides if he wants to beat the brat than he has to keep practicing.'

'It doesn't always have to be about fighting!'

'Of course it is, how else would he get stronger…' Vanitas paused before he thought of something that, while he didn't see the use for, would probably convince Ventus to his side a bit, 'Strong enough to protect those precious to him.'

'When did you start caring about protecting people?'

'I don't, but I know you and mini-me do.'

Sora pouted as he crossed his arms as Vanitas calling him 'mini-me'. Vanitas had started calling him that recently… though he had to admit it was better than being called brat all the time, now Riku was the one Vanitas called brat.

"Hello freak," Sora heard from behind him and he froze before slowly turning around begging that it was just his imagination and that Rin wasn't actually standing behind him. But alas fate seemed to hate him as the boy he dreaded was in fact standing behind him. "We didn't finish our little chat from earlier," The bully said an ugly grin on his face.

'Just ignore him, turn around and walk away.'

'Fight this weakling prove to him that you're the stronger one.'

Sora was conflicted between the two, run away, or confront. This indecision cost him, as with a snarl, Rin slammed his fist into Sora's nose. "I hate you! You such a lying freak! You have these stupid imaginary friends of yours! Why do you even exist? I bet that the new girl will end up leaving you oneday. And you want to know why? Because you're just a pathetic nobody who should have never been born!"

All while Rin ranted at him, blood dripped down Sora's face. His anger built up before he snapped… and punched the boy back. Unknowing to Sora his eyes flashed to a golden-amber for a brief second before reverting to his normal blue. The two boys then began brawling.

"Stop calling me that!" Sora shouted back. "I'm not a freak! I'm not worthless! And I have friends!" He shouted at Rin as he punched him again, connecting with the boy's stomach.

"Sora! What are you doing?" A familiar voice called out and he froze. It was his mother. Slowly he stumbled backwards in a daze.

"I-I didn't mean too," He whimpered out, "I was just so angry… he punched me… and was saying all these mean things again," he continued on not being able to meet his mom's gaze.

Sora's Mom looked over at Rin and her eyes narrowed her lips pursed in distaste, "Your mom will certainly be hearing about this. Didn't you learn your lesson about bullying?" Then she went over to Sora and hugged him, "Come one sweetie, let's get you cleaned up," she said gently. They then began to walk back to the house. Once they were there Vanitas and Ventus started to speak up again.

'You did a good job Sora,' Vanitas complimented.

'No he did not, he stooped down to Rin's level!'

'Sora defended himself! Is he not entitled to being able to protect himself? Mini-me didn't start the fight. He came out the victor, though and should be proud of himself.'

'He should have just ran, it was an unnecessary fight!' Ventus protested.

Sora whimpered a bit as he sat upon the seat and his mom gently cleaned his face. "Is what I did wrong? Mommy… what should I have done… should I not have defended myself?" Sora asked quietly not knowing whether he should feel proud of himself for defending himself against Rin or guilty. His emotions were all out of whack cause he felt so many at once, pride, happiness, guilt, anger, fear, and another emotion he didn't know how to describe, it was to faint to properly tell, but it felt similar to happiness just… different.

"Oh honey, always try to defend yourself, but you should never try to hurt someone."

'Hah! See even Mini-me's mom agrees with me!' Vanitas declared victoriously.

Ventus remained quiet for a moment. 'I never said not to defend himself, but he had the option to run away and he should have taken that.'

'Run away and be a coward? Surely you know our host better than that Ven-Ven, mini-me doesn't like running away.'

"Should… Should I have run away though? Would that have been better?" Sora asked.

"I know it's a tough situation, no one your age should have to go through that. But if that happens again, if that mean old Rin bothers you… you go find the closest teacher or an adult who could help you. Do you understand Sora?"

Sora looked up at his mom and slowly nodded, "Yes… I understand."

'So she wants you to run away like a coward, typical,' Vanitas sneered his early exuberance gone.

'What was it you said earlier? Hah! See even Sora's mom agrees with me!' Ventus retorted.

Vanitas huffed and Sora giggled.

"Is Ven and Vani talking?" Sora's mom asked a small smile on her face though her eyes were filled with sadness.

Sora nodded, "Un-huh!"

"What are they saying?"

"Earlier you said something that agreed with what Vani was saying and he was like 'ha I win' and then you said something Ven was saying and he was parroting back what Vani said earlier," Sora answered with another giggle. "Now Vani is pouting."

'I am not pouting!'

Ventus's laughter ranged in his ears as he smiled happily, glad that Sora was safe at home.

And that wraps up another chapter of Sora's childhood.

Let us know what you guys think! And we will see you next chapter!

Also to those who do read some of my other stories, I am working on them, I just am hitting a bit of writers block with a lot of them. But I am trying my best to get through them.