Hello everyone! And welcome back to Souls of the Heart! We got ch14 all nice and ready for you all.
As always thank you to everyone who has read this story. It means so much to us! Now let's get on with it.

Ch.14

Sora smiled as he leaned back on the sand staring up at the bright blue sky above him. It was summer time for he and his friends, Riku was eleven now and he and Kairi were ten years old.

"These last two years have been peaceful," Sora broadcasted his thoughts to his two older brothers. Over the past couple years he had figured out how to properly silently communicate with Ventus and Vanitas, though sometimes he still slipped up and spoke out loud. Luckily he only slipped up and spoke to them on the island, usually only when his two best friends were around.

"Do your brothers remember anything about the other worlds?" Riku asked laying next to him. Kairi also was laying on the ground on Sora's right side.

'I remember a world that I lived on for a few years...it had a lot of grassy mountains, rivers, and maybe a waterfall or two. I think there was also a large clock tower apart of the building that I lived in. That's all I really got, sorry if it isn't much,' Ventus explained.

Sora relayed what information Ventus had told him.

'I remember the place I was… born, it was a desert place. Hot and full of sand with a great many towering cliffs,' Vanitas said, not wanting to be outdone by his other half, even if he didn't remember much else about the place.

Repeating the information Sora watched as different shaped clouds slowly wafted by. "One day… I would like to see the other worlds out there," Riku spoke.

"Yeah! And We can find where you came from Kairi!" Sora grinned as he suggested his idea.

"That sounds fun," Kairi agreed in a gentle murmur.

"But, how will we get there?" Riku asked.

"I dunno," Sora said.

"What about Ven and Vani?" Kairi questioned.

Both of his older brothers said they couldn't remember how they traveled between worlds, only that they could. "They don't remember, but maybe we could build a boat or a raft! Then we can sail the seas looking for a way to get to another world!" Sora exclaimed jumping up.

"Slow down! If we do that we would need to plan things out." Riku said.

Kairi giggled, "Well there is no time like the present to start planning."

'I see no way how this can end well,' Vanitas spoke calmly.

'Ah lighten up! It's just a bit of childish fun, I'm sure they realize that they can't actually sail to another world.' Ventus chuckled, though his entire comment went unheard by Sora who was to busy chatting with Kairi and Riku.

From that moment on the three of them started planning there getaway from the island.

Sora smiled at Kairi and Riku, they had finally finalized their building plans for the raft. It had taken them a couple years to make sure that it should work properly and not instantly sink. But now they could actually start gathering the materials needed to build it. The trio instantly went to start searching the island for supplies to use.

Soon.

Soon they would be escaping from their small little world.

Sora smiled as he saw how the raft was coming along it was so closed to being finished. Probably only a few more days. He sat on the paopu tree with Kairi next to him, while Riku leaned against the trunk. "We're so close…"

Kairi gave a nod.

"We can finally leave this place and see what is to be found past our little sea," Sora said with a grin. Sora almost couldn't believe that they were so close to accomplishing their goal. It had taken them almost four years total to create. With two years for planning and the other two to build the raft. But they had almost finished it. They even would sometimes get help from Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie, though they didn't know the true reason for the raft. They just had thought it was going to be used as a normal raft. But overall, it was almost done. Soon they would get to go on a great adventure together.

The trio watched the sun set casting brilliant shades of red and orange over the ocean making the water look as if it was made of blood. As the sun finished setting, the trio went their ways back home. Soon as Sora got home and ready for bed, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The day of building the raft really had worn him out.

He opened his eyes to see that the world around him was dark. Sora couldn't not make out any of his surroundings. "Where am I? Ven? Vani?" He called out looking for his brothers, but no response answered him. This dream felt so realistic, like his dreams with his brothers… but they weren't here, he couldn't feel their presence with him.

For the first time he was alone.

And it scared him.

Your brothers can't be with you all the time. He heard someone speak, though they had no discernable gender.

You are weak. The voice continued. A bombardment of images came before him, memories of Rin bullying him. Of his younger self crying.

You are a coward. The voice spoke again more images showing, these onse showcasing him running away from his problems, and even ignoring the problems.

You think that your friends need you… they don't. The voice chuckled sinsterly. Images of his friends doing things by themselves, the annoyed glances they sometimes sent towards him whenever he did something particularly stupid.

You are pathetic. Images showed, these ones he weren't familiar with. They showed Riku and Kairi being alone in what looked to be prison cells there bodies bruised with dried blood caked onto them.

"Stop!" Sora cried out shaking his head. Those images weren't true. They couldn't be.

You think you can save your friends. You can not. You are not strong enough. The voice said as if reciting the most basic facts of the universe. The world around Sora changed showing him on the raft with Riku and Kairi on choppy stormy waters.

Kairi screamed as a vicious wave came and knocked her off. Both Sora and Riku went to help, but the older boy fell in himself trying to help. Sora reached for the two of them, trying desperately to save them. To help them. But he just couldn't do it.

You will never be able to save them. Your friends will be lost, gone forever into the void, and it will all be because of you.

Sora shot up, finding himself to be sitting in his bed. He was breathing heavily as he felt his body was covered in a cold sweat.

'Sora? Is something wrong?' Ventus asked gently.

"Nightmare…" Sora muttered aloud. "It was a nightmare…"

'Oh?' Vanitas asked curious. Sora hadn't had a nightmare that left him in such a state in quite a few years.

"I couldn't save them… I was weak…" Sora said, still breathing heavily as he placed a hand over his heart, feeling his rapid heartbeat.

'You're not weak Sora! You are one of the strongest boys I know. It was just a nightmare, try to go back to sleep. Besides me and Vani-boy will always be here to help you. I promise.'

'We don't know if anything will happen, so unlike Ventus. I will not be as foolish to promise that, but I will always try to help you if I am able. Now let us go to the dream island.'

The dream island was what they called that special island within Sora's dreams where they could all see each other. If Sora thought hard enough before going to sleep, he could enter into this special dream state, and spend his dream playing with his two brothers. It had taken Sora a couple years to figure out how to do it consistently, but over the years since discovering the dream island, it was one of his favorite things to dream about.

"Thanks guys," Sora said as he laid back down on his bed. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Slowly his consciousness drifted off, and entered the dream island, where Ventus and Vanitas were waiting for him.

Just a few days later Sora was back on the island again. The raft was nearly complete, but there was still just a few more things that needed to be done before they could all leave. It was another day were Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were also on the island, but they mostly were just relaxing or play fighting with on another.

Sora knew that there was still work need to be done for the raft, but he just was feeling a little lazy. He walked along the beach and soon laid down against the said. He yawned as he looked up at the clouds passing by.

'Slacking off again?' Ventus teased.

'We didn't raise you to be lazy,' Vanitas grumbled.

"It's just a small rest. No big deal," Sora thought back to them.

'You say that now… but you're just going to fall asleep,' Vanitas sighed.

Sora chuckled a little before closing eyes, "Maybe."

Sleep did in fact overtake Sora, but what happened next was a complete surprise. He was falling through down through the ocean. He felt like he was drowning yet he was perfectly able to breath. He landed upon the ocean floor. He was about to look around when the floor underneath him suddenly changed and a large flock of doves suddenly started flying up all around him. Below him was a brightly lit stained glass platform with a young girl on it.

"Hello?" Sora called out to the void around him, but he got no response. "Ven? Vani?" There was still nothing. But this place, he didn't feel as afraid compared to his nightmare. Something about this...he didn't know how to explain, but he felt he was alright.

Sora walked around the platform, trying to figure out where he was when suddenly heard a sound behind him. Sora spun around and saw a small little creature with glowing yellow eyes.

"Ah! What is that!" Sora shouted as he backed up. He suddenly felt a weight in his hand though. He looked down to see a sword there. It reminded him of the swords Riku and him used when they play fought. Without giving a second thought Sora struck the sword at the creature and it disappeared. Soon more of the little shadowy creatures started to pop up. Sora charged at each of them and destroyed them within a few attacks.

The platform beneath him soon filled with a inky darkness. Slowly Sora started to sink into it. He cried out as he tried to bat away the darkness, but it was to no avail. The darkness consumed him, but it was only for a second. When the darkness cleared he found himself to be on a different stained glass platform than before.

He started to walk around when more of the shadowy monsters appearch. Sora gripped the sword tightly as he charged at the creatures. He had no idea what they were or why they were showing up, but he just kept fighting them. Upon destroying all the creatures on the platform he saw a small pathway leading up yet another platform. Sora quickly ran up, hoping to find an exit or at least someone else. But it was just another beautiful glowing stained glass platform.

He slowly started walking forward when he heard another sound behind him. "More of those creatures?" Sora thought. He turned around and let out a gasp. It looked like it was another one of the creatures, but this one was several stories tall!

Instinctively Sora tried to run, but nearly ran off the edge of the platform. The pathway he had taken was now gone. He was trapped up here with it. He was going to have to fight it. With shaking hands Sora got himself into a battle position before lunging at the large creature. The fight was far harder than he though as the creature could release various attacks of darkness and summon the smaller darkness creatures. Sora knew he would not be able to keep up with it, his energy was almost gone.

While Sora tried to take a single moment to catch his breath he saw the large hand of the creature coming right towards him. The force of the hand hitting the ground knocked Sora back. Sora looked up, terrified as the darkness started to fill the platform again. He struggled to get out of it, as it slowly wrapped over his entire body. And then everything faded away into black.

And that wraps up ch14 as well as what we say is Arc 1. Arc 2 will be Kh1 of course. But we are still working on that. Hope you all enjoyed!