Disclaimer: not mine

The Xehanort voice actor in KH3 just lacks the creepy menace that Nimoy brought to the role. He just doesn't feel threatening or anything when he speaks. Finally getting through the Keyblade graveyard part. Wish Roxas and Ventus had had more of a reaction to the fact they look the same, could have been fun.

Chapter 10

Amelia was beyond angry and once again working with Lord Malfoy which was just as shocking as it had been when he had stood up for young Mr Potter. And once again, Mr Potter had been forced to face something no child should, all to save another student who never should have been taken… Surprisingly Molly was all for listening to Albus and sweeping it under the rug while Arthur was the one on the warpath, not that she blamed him. The school should have done more, the Governors should have stepped in and several had tried but they had been the minority.

The Minister too was making any attempt to investigate very difficult, he liked the status quo far too much. With the cuts to her Department ever since he'd taken office it was hard. So accepting an envelope from an owl to find a very healthy donation within was a rather large shock. It was a clearly labelled bank draft for her Department alone and to be used at her discretion, sent anomalously. Who?

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"Riku!"

He heard Sora yell his name and forced himself to push past the agony, reaching to take Sora's Keyblade and hand, feeling the power surge through them and then into a beam that ripped through Xemnas.

"Cursed...Keyblade..." He reached for them, anger clear on his face, even as he began to fade away in wisps and smoke.

"We did it!" Sora cheered, and he began to respond only to see that things had just gotten worse.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," he struggled to rise as Nobodies formed around them.

Sora pressed back to back with him and Riku leant against him briefly, feeling Sora send a tired, weak, cure spell at him, but it was enough to keep Riku on his feet…for now. They began fighting but he could feel even Sora beginning to falter, so he gathered his magic, building up for one blast, not even a spell, just his need to protect Sora.

There was a blast of power as he released it, seeing them all vanish even as he collapsed to his knees. "Sora... I can't..." he gasped.

"Don't say another word!" Sora snapped and then Riku felt a hand on his shoulder. "It's not over. It's just not." He felt Sora sling his arm over his shoulders and as Sora struggled to rise under his weight, Riku did his best to help him, one leg useless.

"How can you say that?" he asked tiredly. "Even if we could go on...look where we are." They were trapped in a world of greyness, one he was familiar with. Would that boy be there again? He wanted to know he was alright, that he really had survived wherever his World was.

"Aw, c'mon, Riku. You've been hanging out in darkness too long. You gotta try and think positive!" Sora told him as he began walking.

"Sora?" he asked, he was so tired and his whole body ached, except where it was screaming in pain from that weird blade of red light that Xemnas had struck him with.

"Hm?"

"You lead," he wasn't very good at it. He tried to take more of his own weight, knowing Sora had to be just as tired and not wanting to be a burden.

"Got it."

"You know... I always figured I was better at stuff than you," he admitted, talking helped keep his mind off the pain, off the dampness in his clothes, at least they weren't getting wetter so that cure must have been enough to seal the surface at least.

"Really?"

"Are you mad?" he didn't want Sora to be made at him, even though he deserved it for so much.

"No. I kinda always thought you were better at everything, too," Sora admitted and then looked ahead. "Riku…look. What's that light?"

They walked into the light and ended up on a dark beach. He recognised it, he'd been there before, hadn't he?"

"End of the road?" He asked, he wasn't sure he could make it much further, his leg was fully dragging now, Sora having to help hold him up by the waist of his pants.

"Yep," Sora agreed.

"Put me down. I can walk," he lied but he didn't want to wear Sora out more. He felt Sora steady him and made himself stand as best he could, watching Sora walk towards the water. The last time he'd been near the shore with Sora…well it hadn't ended well. He'd been such a dumb kid to do what he had.

"You know...maybe the darkness has gotten to me, too."

Sora's words barely reached him as his leg buckled and Riku collapsed to the ground, barely keeping his face out of the sand.

He heard the sound of boots rushing across the sand even as he tried to get at least to his knees.

"Riku!"

Hearing the terror in Sora's voice he someone managed it, kneeling in the sand. "This world is perfect for me" he murmured, staring at the sand. Then Sora was there, kneeling beside him. "If this is what the world really is...just this, then maybe I should fade back into darkness." Sora would be better off without him, they all would… he shook his head, recognising the dark thoughts for what they were. Already the darkness was getting to him.

"Riku..." Sora whispered, warmth from his hand seeping through Riku's skin, and he managed to lift his head, meeting worried blue eyes.

"If the world is made of light and darkness... We'll be the darkness."

"Yeah. The other side...the realm of light is safe now. Kairi, the King, and the others are there."

"That's what I mean," he told him. Sora didn't deserve to be trapped there with him, no matter how grateful he was for the company. Sora belonged back in the light with Kairi. "Hey, Sora... Could you help me? I want to get down to the water." It wasn't their beach, but it was still a beach. Sora nodded and helped him up, once again taking most of his weight as they staggered forward. "At least the waves sound the same."

They tumbled to the ground, Riku biting back a cry of pain, just enjoying the time sitting quietly together. Everything had been moving so quickly since their reunion that the peace was nice, even as he tried to remain alert for any Heartless.

"What I said back there...about thinking I was better at stuff than you...To tell you the truth, Sora... I was jealous of you," it hurt to admit but if this was going to be his last chance to tell him, then he had to take it, to clear the air between them fully.

"What for?" Sora asked in confusion, looking over at him.

"I wished I could live life the way you do. Just following my heart."

"Yeah, well, I've got my share of problems, too," Sora's words definitely got his attention and he looked at his best friend.

"Like what?" he asked, worried.

"Like...wanting to be like you."

Riku was stunned into silence. After everything he'd done…how could Sora say that? He felt Sora shift nervously at his silence and took a deep breath. "Well, there is one advantage to being me... Something you could never imitate."

"Really? What's that?"

"Having you for a friend," he admitted, smiling at Sora. If Sora still thought he was good enough to be friends with then he'd take it.

"Then I guess...I'm okay the way I am. I've got something you could never imitate too," Sora gently bumped his shoulder against Riku's.

They looked up at the starless sky and closed their eyes, feeling the breeze on their skin and hearing the sound of the waves. It was peaceful, despite where they were. He felt something bump his shoe and looked down to see a bottle had washed up between his legs, leaning forward carefully to pick it up and open it, finding a note inside. He scanned it and smiled softly.

"Sora? I think it's for you." He handed it over.

"Thinking of you, wherever you are," Sora read out loud, eyes going wide in wonder. How had it reached them from the Destiny Islands? "We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish," as Sora read, it was like he could hear Kairi as well.

"And who knows: Starting a new journey may not be so hard or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky-one sky, one destiny."

Riku looked up as something caught his attention, watching in awe as a light appeared over the water before them. "Light," he choked out.

"The door to light..." Sora stood and then offered his hand. "We'll go together."

"Yeah." He took the offered hand and let Sora pull him up, hope helping to dull the pain as they made their way into the light.

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Harry had mostly enjoyed his summer at the Longbottom's. Augusta's attitude had been changing towards Neville as she saw what he could do with a properly matched wand. Sure, they'd had homework and she'd been giving gruelling lessons to continue those Lord Malfoy had begun on just what Harry's position as the last Potter meant. There'd been fun too, days at the beach with friends and the like.

He'd been dreaming more and more about Ventus and Vanitas more and more frequently, but never anything from before they were torn into two separate people. Why? Technically, in a way, the three of them had once been one person, then two, and now three. He wondered if they would dream of him if they were still alive. He doubted he'd seen everything, they'd been separated for several years after all, but he'd seen enough. He wished he could meet them, even once but there was no point wishing for the impossible.

He did wonder about the older boy he'd seen in the Darkness, he really hoped that he'd found his way back to the Realm of Light, that he was safe and learning to be happy. Riku…it was an interesting name for an interesting seeming person. He just hoped that whatever he thought he'd done or had done, he could learn to live with the guilt and move on.

He wasn't really looking forward to another year at Hogwarts. Lord Malfoy had insisted that he needed to know so they had told him all about Dumbledore blocking investigations and the like at Hogwarts, the Minister too. Other than his friends, he didn't really care for the magical world. Sure, he hadn't been treated any better in the muggle world, but he wasn't a household name there. He knew lots of kids fell through the cracks and he was pretty sure magic had been involved in ensuring he did.

He just knew this year wouldn't be any quieter, not with his potentially innocent Godfather having escaped the supposedly inescapable prison of Azkaban. Harry had read up on it and it made him feel sick. He was pretty sure they were breaking all the rules when it came to human rights by locking people up in there. Dementors should not be allowed anywhere near anything, if they couldn't destroyed then they needed to be contained. If nothing on earth could destroy them, maybe a Keyblade could? Considering the Minister was being an idiot and posting them around the school for 'security' he might get the chance to find out

Amelia Bones had admitted that she had begun looking into the case before he broke out, in case Harry had wanted to know more, and had failed to find a trial transcript. She was suspicious because of those who had signed the order for Black to be sent to Azkaban, the then Minister Millicent Bagnold, Bartemius Crouch Snr, and Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore's name was attached to too many odd happenings for his liking. It…well it stank of Xehanort's behind the scenes manipulations. He was not ending up used like Ven and Vani were! Then again, he had some adults with power of their own behind him, to back him up, He did wonder how far that went with the Malfoy's. He knew about the mark on Lord Malfoy's arm, he could…feel it, the foreign magic, the Darkness in it, it had been dormant but now it was growing in strength. Would the man still work with them if Riddle returned? And how would that affect Draco?

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The group closed ranks around Harry as they made their way towards the school, barely contained rage and terror obvious. They would ensure their parents knew of what had happened. For supposed 'security' those things had failed! Instead of protecting them from Black…they had attacked and almost taken all of their souls. They didn't know what Harry had done, had heard his snarl of pure rage and then there'd been light and the Dementors fleeing as fast as they could. Harry had been barely conscious for the rest of the trip thanks to the Dementors or whatever he'd done to save them?

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Severus paced angrily in his quarters. It was bad enough the Headmaster had hired Lupin and expected him to brew Wolfsbane monthly, Black had escaped, and now there were bloody Dementors surrounding the school! He foresaw a lot of Pepper Up and Dreamless sleep brewing in his future, and he didn't need Trelawney to tell him that.

No, his rage had begun with all those things…the attack on the train had set it off. His godson had nearly been Kissed! It would have been a horrendous tragedy if any of the children had been Kissed…and a political nightmare for Fudge and Dumbledore. After all Harry Potter had been there, as had Longbottom, Bones, Abbott… it may have been enough to bring Dumbledore down permanently but the cost would have been far too high.

He may hate Black, but he wouldn't wish the Dementors on anyone, especially someone who had never received a fair trial. He knew the only reason he had escaped that fate was Dumbledore, and the threat of his protection being withdrawn would always loom over him. Although, with how close Lucius was to the Minister, it wasn't as much of a threat as it had once been. He had never seen any sign of Black among their ranks, never a whisper, nothing. With all the legal mess surrounding young Potter he had the sick feeling that Black's incarceration had been a method to ensure he could not take custody, it would not have been difficult to set him up. He may not have even been the one to attack Pettigrew…Polyjuice could have been just one method employed. Pettigrew, if there had been any Marauder he believed would turn on the others, it was him, not Black or even Lupin.

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Sirius stood in the cliff, staring out at Hogwarts in the distance, he'd made it. He had almost gone to Privet Drive over the summer, good thing he'd found that old copy of the Prophet, even if all it had done was anger him further. What idiot had ever thought Petunia capable of loving her sisters child? While he didn't like the idea of the Malfoy's being involved, he knew Augusta and Amelia would ensure Harry's safety and wellbeing. As much as he wanted to see the kid, to explain…he had a rat to catch.

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"It's not right."

Sora looked up as Riku walked into their shared room in the Tower. "What isn't?"

"Don't play dumb," Riku reached out and ruffled his hair. "You know exactly what I mean."

Of course he did and it was nice of Riku to say that, but they both knew it wasn't true. "I failed Riku, worse then that I walked right into their trap and nearly ended up a Vessel!" he shook his head. "I should have realised…should have seen what was happening. You even warned me, even though it wasn't clear enough to work out whose voice it was, I still followed the dreams. If you hadn't risked everything to come after me I'd still be trapped in the Darkness, unable to wake up."

"You're my best friend, of course I came after you. Besides, if I hadn't, Kairi would have killed me," Riku teased. He sat down beside Sora on his bed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, tugging him in. "I'll always come after you, just like you came after me. I don't care what that old wizard says, you're as much a Master as I am. He can't have turned you down because of the Darkness, otherwise I'd have never made it. I use the Darkness in most of my magic."

"Riku…it's all gone, everything I gained in the Sleeping Worlds…I know you can sense it," Sora leant against Riku. He was exhausted, body, mind, and heart.

He had been able to vaguely hear what was going on, even asleep, had heard the screams when Xehanort had tried to possess him, he knew how much he owed Axe…Lea…the ones in his heart and….that voice.

If it wasn't for them, Sora would be the Thirteenth Vessel….would be their enemy. Would anything of him been left? Or would he have been stuck even deeper, unaware of everything? That would have been better than being able to see and hear but do nothing to stop his body.

He just wanted to sleep, or go home, but he knew Master Yen Sid was going to be sending them out to stop Xehanort's plans. He was only sixteen, he didn't want to die in a war he had never wanted to fight. But there was no choice to fight, they couldn't let Xehanort win.

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Hermione almost threw her things down and they collectively winced back, things had to be bad for her to risk damaging a book!

"Weasley?" Susan asked sympathetically, and Hermione dropped into her chair, arms crossed.

"Want us to deal with him?" Draco offered with a smirk. He could deal with most of the Weasley's….except Ronald. He was a slob, jealous…everything he loathed. None of them liked the youngest male Weasley. None of them liked the way he alternated between trying to become close to Harry and trying to get the school to turn on him, not that anyone listened to the redhead.

"What has he done now?" Harry asked in concern.

"He's accusing Crookshanks of eating his sick old rat."

"That cat is way too smart to eat something like that," Daphne Greengrass scoffed. Draco had brought her along to the group the first day off class and it was surprising how easily the 'Ice Queen' had fitted in.

"Agreed." They all chorused, and Hermione cheered up a bit with the support.

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Harry studied Lost Memory, the Keyblade gleaming in his hand. He wasn't entirely sure how he'd gotten rid of the Dementor's on the train. He hadn't had the blade in hand but it had definitely been Keyblade magic and not wand based. And…he knew Ventus had called on attacks utilising Light.

The whole school was practically depressed, even with all of the chocolate that was being supplied, as well as the potions for those worst off. Despite all of that, the Dementors remained, the Minster shoving his head in the sand, even with all of the parent complaints. Would it take an innocent having their soul sucked out for the Government to do something? Madam Bones had a roster of off duty Auror volunteers keeping watch on the Dementors, those who could cast a Patronus, but there weren't a lot who had agreed to do so.

If Harry could work out what he'd done and do it again, then at least he'd know they had some kind of defence if the Dementor's crossed the castle wards.

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"Come on, lazy bum. Wake up."

Sora shook his head and slowly opened his eyes. He looked up to see Kairi peering down at him on the bed.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I guess..." he mumbled, still feeling tired.

"Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade. But it's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade."

"I'm so glad that you're okay, Kairi," he told her.

"Kairi? Who are you talking about?" she frowned at him, her voice changing. "I'm the great ninja Yuffie."

"Huh?" Sora's world flashed and the dark-haired girl from earlier appeared in Kairi's place, bending over him.

"I think you might've overdone it, Squall," she called over her shoulder.

The tall man from before walked into the room. "That's Leon," he corrected, even as Sora looked around, spotting the Keyblade leaning against the wall.

"The Keyblade..." he whispered.

"Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out that's how they were tracking you," she explained.

Leon crossed his arms. "It was the only way to conceal your heart from them. But it won't work for long."

Sora sat up on the bed, staring down at the floor. He felt so lost and confused.

"Still hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one." Leon picked up the Keyblade and swung it in the air. It flashed out of his hand and back into Sora's. Leon walked over to him. "Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

Sora looked up, glaring. "Why don't you start making sense! What's going on here?" he demanded.

He listened as the two began to explain, most of it going over his head. "The Heartless?"

"The ones who attacked you, you remember?" Yuffie told him.

"Those without hearts."

"The darkness in people's hearts…that's what attracts them."

"And there is darkness within every heart."

Yuffie looked toward Sora. "Hey, have you heard of someone named Ansem?"

Sora shook his head. "Sorry." He sighed and looked down at the strange weapon he was holding. "So...this is the key?" he held iit up.

"Exactly!"

"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade," Leon said as he walked towards the door. "That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what."

"Well, I didn't ask for this," Sora denied. He didn't want to fight, not for real. It was so different to just messing around with his friends.

"The Keyblade chooses its master. And it chose you," Yuffie told him.

"So tough luck."

Great. He didn't care about all that, he just wanted to find Kairi and Riku.

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Harry lay in his sleeping bag, listening to the whispers. Sirius Black had attacked the guardian of the Gryffindor dorms so everyone had been moved to the Great Hall to make them easier to defend. Another reason to doubt Black was after him, not that the people in charge seemed to be thinking about things like that. He felt sorry for people like Madam Bones who actually used their brains but had to answer to idiots like their Minister.

TBC…

I finished KH3! On beginner but still, finished the battle gates too. Got Sora to level 61. Tried to get all the photos but it's not coming up when I take the hero 6 ones and where on earth do I find the demon tide/tower whichever one it is I'm meant to take?