A/N: wowowoowowowowow. This .. yeah wow. I had writers block and like basically it just slayed me. I tried every trick in the book to get rid of it. I wrote and rewrote and wrote death scenes and kissing scenes and like changed POV and yeah nothing worked. I think i finally FINALLY am back on track but i literally have the worst track record with updating. im making this OC suffer from here on out. If you get to close to the sun youre gonna get burned.. well she did and she is and sora is the sun. and its allllll downhill from here. this is also about the time i stopped writing the original.. well i mean there was a huge gap between this and this weird ending with like riku and Axel and stuff.. but all in good time. please leave reviews it literally is the only thing that keeps starving fic writers alive and willing.

"The peddler said he would only give us the lamp if we brought him treasure." Donald was explaining, with his head cradled in his hands. "And that lamp was definitely Jafar's it was black and everything." He let out a long whistling sigh. "Where are we gonna get the treasure he wants? This is a mess." His grumbling fell into disgruntled squeaking.

Goofy shook his head and gestured vaguely to the gleaming palace rooftops. "Well gawrsh Donald maybe we should just relax and start thinkin' logically. Iago disappeared, and we have to go check on the princess. If there's heartless runnin' around then what if her and Aladdin are in danger? Think one thing at a time."

Donald scowled. "One thing at a time?" He hopped up and down. "How can you possibly think one thing at a time Goofy!"

When they had slipped out of the peddler's junk shop, Iago had been predictably missing from the awning they had left him on, which more than a little suspicious. Sora had frantically searched around the small alley way before he too admitted the brightly colored parrot had pulled the wool over their eyes again and they were probably going to pay for it later. He stood silently at Eleanor's side with his arms across his chest, chewing distractedly on the inside of his lip while Donald shouted at Goofy.

"It doesn't matter! Aladdin can handle himself and you know it!" Donald was still hopping up and down with his feathery hands clenched in frustration.

Donald and Goofy continued to argue on the dusty street. Eleanor set a hand on Sora's arm to catch his attention. With a quiet hm, he leaned down towards her, but kept his bright eyes on the argument between their friends.

"I think we should split up." Her voice was low and he leaned down a little closer to listen to her. Her fingers tightened around his arm. "We will be able to hit both places at once which is the plan, yes? We'll need to get everything done as fast as possible, with this peddler demanding treasure but Aladdin missing as well, not to mention the situation with Iago. Don't you agree?"

He turned to her quickly as soon as she said 'split up', a strange expression passed over his face. "Splitting up would be.. good. But I don't think I want you outta my sight." He paused and tried to back pedal. "I just meant that I think we should stick together. E-especially so close after you know.. All that stuff in Hollow Bastion." His voice got quiet at the end of his sentence and he bit his lip. "I, ah. It would make me feel better anyway. We could send Donald and Goofy to check on the Princess. Unless you have any objections to coming with me. Goofy will look after you just as fine, but I just want you safe. I want to know you're safe without a doubt." By the end, he was whispering and he had a hand sitting lightly on the side of her neck. He pulled it back with a short breath. "What d'ya say?"

Eleanor shook her head with a smile. "No Sora that's fine. I appreciate your concern." She paused. When the worried look on his face didn't disappear, she added. "What happened before, it won't happen again. I know that. We all lost ourselves." She wrapped her pinky around his as his hands floated awkwardly in the space between them. She knew if she reminded him of what they had when they promised to protect each other what seemed like years ago the cloudy look in his eyes might disappear. "No matter what, remember? That hasn't changed."

The world around them faded away as he met her gaze again, this time full of regret. It broke her heart to see the brave resolve gone.

"I'm okay. Or, I will be. I promise, nothing has changed between us." She tried again.

"I know that's not true." His voice was quiet as he turned back to Donald and Goofy and pulled his hand from hers. "Guys, come on. Stop arguing, we've already got it figured out. We'll split up then everything will be taken care of. You two go check on Princess Jasmine and Eleanor and I will follow the peddler's tip into the desert. If we can get to the Cave of Wonders we might have a chance of catching up with that treasure and getting a hold of the lamp before anything bad happens."

Donald closed his mouth, after deciding not to say anything further. He nodded with a long groan.

Goofy on the other hand glanced between the two of them. "Well gawrsh, if you think that'll be helpful then we'll split up." He nodded and set his hands on his hips. "C'mon Donald, don't want to keep the princess waiting." He pulled Donald along as he began to grumble under his breath again.

The knight exchanged a worried look with Eleanor, who was chewing on her lip. She managed a smile, but he saw through it, she could tell. She waved him on with a quickly mouthed "Everything's okay". He nodded and then turned, pulling Donald along with him.

Sora let out a short breath as they disappeared into the bustling crowd. He turned and began to make his way back out in the direction of the market. "Come on El. We got a little bit of a walk ahead of us. We have to get out of the walls and get into"

"I'm right behind you, always."

He flinched but managed a smile. There was still a heavy shadow floating in his eyes that made her heart ache. She couldn't stand it.

Eleanor took his hand in hers, her fingers laced in between his. "Hey wait." She pulled him to a stop and set her hand on his cheek. He leaned into her touch and she felt her heart thump a little harder. "Sora, I promise everything is okay for now. Don't carry the weight of this on your heart all at once. Time will heal the wounds and the shadows will pass but please. Please come back to me."

The same expression from the heartless attack from earlier passed over his face. A half thought out apology, and a bit back a few questions. He bit his lip and nodded. "I'm right here, sorry. I'm just so sorry. We gotta go." There was a beat of silence before he caught her gaze again. "You know, if you wanted to we probably have time to check out the market on our way out."

"You think so?" She brightened.

He nodded. "Come on. We probably even have enough munny for some food or something. What do you think?"

"I think that sounds wonderful."

"Alright then." His voice was breathless.

Hand in hand, he led her through the winding walls of Agrabah, until they broke out into the busy market place. The huge crowd of bustling people immediately distracted her as he pulled her through one of the arching stone gateways onto the dusty road. They wound their way through the stalls of food, jewelry, clothes, rugs and animals. There was a stall for almost everything Eleanor could think of. Music and voices and singing added to messy assault on her senses that was the market place. He kept his hand wrapped tightly around hers as he lead her through the busy space. Vendors shouted at them as they passed and every time she jumped closer to Sora. They stopped long enough for her to pull some gold pieces from her pocket, and bought herself a flowing scarf to wrap around her head to avoid sunburns on their trip across the desert. He seemed to sense her discomfort and t hey stopped in the shade of a leafy palm tree in a small alleyway that was completely empty and quiet. Sora caught her hands and draped the scarf over her hair, and adjusted it with a comically serious expression on his bright face. His tongue poked out the corner of his lips she laughed at him. All the awful things faded away when he laughed too and she set her hands on his face as they laughed, their foreheads pressed together in the dry heat. She felt at ease for the first time since Hollow Bastion and a steady warmth settled in her chest.

"C'mon. The deserts waiting." His hands slipped down to hers as another troubled shadow crossed his face suddenly. They had stopped at the partially shut gate leading out to the broad expanse of sand beyond. "If we don't hurry to the Cave of Wonders something worse could happen here."

"More heartless?"

He hummed.

"You think the man in the lamp could reappear."

"It could happen-"

"Sora?" A voice made them both turn away from one another. "That you?" A man was standing just at the edge of the bustling crowds with his hands on his hips and a charming smile on his face. A small monkey sat on his shoulder, before it quickly hopped down and ran towards Sora. "What're you doing here?"

Sora caught the monkey as it scrambled up his legs and took a stumbling step away from Eleanor. "Hey Abu! Aladdin we've been looking for you! We've barely been here a day and we already heard you're acting weird and the princess is looking for you? What's gotten into you?"

Aladdin cringed but slipped forward with an easy shrug of his shoulders. "Yeah that's.. Yeah. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Hey! I heard through the grapevine that you needed to get to the Cave of Wonders. Thought we could lend a hand. Well us and Carpet."

"He's ignoring the question." Eleanor crept closer to Sora and patted Abu on the head. "Hello little friend." The monkey grabbed hold of her hand with a squeak.

The brunette turned to her with a smile. "He does that but he also has a flying carpet."

"Flying carpet?" Eleanor looked up and met his bright eyes. They were closer than she had expected and despite the uncomfortable tension between them she still felt her heart flip flop. She gave him a breathy laugh. "If he's your friend then I trust him."

Aladdin had taken a few long strides towards them. Abu hopped down from Sora's shoulder and rushed back to him with a few squeaks. "Relax will you Abu? Well What d'ya guys say? Want an escort to the Cave of Wonders?"

Sora took a half step away from Eleanor and nodded. "If you have time we'd appreciate the lift."

He slid in the final bit between him and Sora and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've got nothing but time." He set his fingers to his lips and let out a long, piercing whistle. In a woosh of wind, a colorful carpet zipped out of the air and flew circles around him. "Ready whenever you two are done sightseeing then."

Eleanor decided quickly after climbing onto the flying carpet that the only good thing about it was the way that Sora held her against his chest as she tried not to have a panic attack. The wind in her hair would have been nice, thought if it weren't for the huge amount of sand stinging her skin. The scarf he had spent so long adjusting around her bobbed curls was now wrapped haphazardly around her head to block out the wind and sand. Aladdin was laughing, hunched over in front of them and maneuvering carpet over dunes with more speed then she had ever seen. She groaned as her stomach lurched and the scarf flew off into the wind when the carpet took a sharp turn.

Sora ran an almost hesitant hand through her hair. "Hey, how you holding up."

"If I don't throw up soon I will shortly after landing." She said into his chest. Her eyes scrunched as tight as she could close them and her hands were knotted in his jacket. "Keep talking, your voice is wonderfully distracting."

He laughed. "Please don't throw up on me." The rumbling of his voice was low in his chest this time and she sighed as his breath rolled over her neck.

"Don't like the carpet?" Aladdin shouted back over his shoulder

"Not overly fond of it." She paused as they took a corner and she felt a wave of nausea threatened to force the food she and Sora had shared at the market place into the wind. His arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders steadied her. "Better than walking though I suppose."

Sora laughed quietly into her hair. "It'll be over soon." He pulled her into his chest a little tighter and she closed her eyes against his heart again. "I've got you."

"There!" Aladdin shouted back to the pair. He pointed out at a little outcropping of rocks. "Hold on tight and get ready to land!"

"Hang on tight to me." Sora wrapped his arms around Eleanor as the carpet took a swift dive towards the sand.

The second she could, the redhead stumbled off the colorful carpet and into the sand. Sora let her go with a breath. The sun had set but it was still warm and she buried her hands deep into it with a sigh. Her head slowly stopped spinning enough to sit back on her heels without throwing up. He stood above her with his hands on his hips looking at the cave just in front of them.

"Well what do you guys think? What are you here for anyway?" Aladdin took a few steps forwards and spun on his heels to face them. "This old place is nothing but a prison for Jafar's old lamp. You need to check it out or something?"

"Word on the street is it's in the hands of the peddler in town." Sora knelt beside her and took her hand out of the sand. He pulled her to her feet and smoothed her bangs out of her face carefully. His fingers held onto hers for a second longer then was probably necessary before he turned away from her reluctantly and took a few steps towards Aladdin. "Says if we bring him enough treasure though he'll hand it over. So here we are."

The prince sighed. "Figures that thing would get lifted. Huh. Well if its treasure you're looking for this is the place."

"Yeah I remember. We fought him here the last time. Piles of gold everywhere right?" Sora sighted and ran a hand through his hair. "We should try and get in and out as fast as possible. I remember how strong Jafar is. If he's inside Agrabah that could be devastating."

Aladdin grinned. "Well, follow me then. We'll find something more than valuable enough to trade for that dumb old lamp."

Eleanor felt a strange tingling in her stomach, as if something was off. She narrowed her eyes and looked back over her shoulder into the desert. The sun had just set and the grey sky stretched on for miles on every side of them. There was no way someone could have followed them on foot, they were surrounded by sand and the carpet had brought them to the Cave of Wonders at lightening speed. But the dark magic could have followed them easily. They hadn't seen that horrible monster Pete in a while and something was telling her he could appear at any moment. Not to mention the Nobodies that seemed to follow Sora's light everywhere they went.

"Hey, Eleanor you okay?" Sora was suddenly at her side with a soft hand on her wrist. "You in there? Come on, we gotta move."

She nodded. "Sure, following you."

The Cave of Wonders was a strange place. The huge, sandy lion head that marked the entrance to the cave lead them down to a flight of stairs that must have put them far underground by the time they hit the stone bottom. Mounds of treasure piled up towards the shadowed ceiling on either side of them. There was a glittering gold and jewels, all kinds of weaponry and plates and platters filled with more gold and piles of jewelry. It made Eleanor's head spin.

The Magic carpet was leading them down into the deepest part of the cavern where Aladdin had assured them some jewels they could take back to the peddler would definitely be. Abu had hopped up onto her shoulder when he realized she was eyeing the glittering jewels so much, he squeaked at her and pointed up to Aladdin, as if he knew better.

"Alright, alright." She conceded and let out a breath.

She watched Sora for a moment but he was enraptured by a story Aladdin was telling. She sighed. Abu's tail was wound lightly around her fidgeting fingers. Her eyes were watching his hands and his face carefully. She missed being able to touch his fingers whenever she wanted. Hollow Bastion had spoiled that for them. Her heart clenched as he looked back at her, no doubt he felt her staring. Aladdin's story paused and he stole a glance between the two of them.

"You guys have sure been through something, huh?" He crossed his arms across his chest.

Sora stuttered. "We uh.." His eyes turned desperately to Eleanor who only let her eyes fall to the toes of her boots. "Yeah we've been through some stuff."

Aladdin paused. "You know, you didn't have to come check on me and Jasmine. We can handle ourselves. I mean the Genie should be back anytime too. He went to see some friends on the other side of the world, but you know we can handle ourselves."

Sora suddenly looked exhausted. He scrubbed his hands over his bright face and let out a long breath. "Yeah, well. You know we gotta go where there are heartless and we were getting readings of darknesss here. Had to drop in and check on you. No matter what we're going through the hearts of the worlds are always more important."

He sounded so heroic and Eleanor's heart clenched. She took a few steps towards him and hesitated before she touched his arm lightly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to him.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Sora said dismissively.

She knew she had said this to him earlier but she still felt her jaw clench.

"Talk later, okay? I'm not upset. Just don't want to talk now." He touched her hand lightly. "Finish that story Aladdin, El was hanging on your every word." An easy grin slipped onto his face that masked all the shadows from seconds earlier.

"If you say so Sora." The thief shrugged and smiled. "So then there I was, surrounded by the guards and I thought if Jasmine knows I snuck out again she's going to kill me right? If these guards catch me this is it."

He continued to talk to ease the tension as they wound their way down deeper and deeper into the cave the feeling of being watched only got stronger. Eleanor spent much of the time walking looking back over her shoulder. Sora and Aladdin had lapsed into friendly conversation finally by the time they reached the bottom of the sandy pathway. A huge room sat in front of them, lit with torches she could only assume were magical. The jewels that were piled all over glittered in the dim light. As the pair strolled into the room the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She stopped short and turned. Her eyes landed on a shadowy figure, lurking just out of sight behind them. She stopped dead in her tracks and the figure froze and then waved.

"Eleanor! You coming? There's even more gold in here." Sora's voice made her turn.

She took a few steps towards him but pointed back over her shoulder. "There was.. I swear I saw-"

He scowled and cut her off. "Don't you dare go running off again. I don't care what you saw-"

Pete's deep laugh stopped his warning as it resonated through the room as a huge swarm of heartless surrounded the pair of them and a magical barrier popped up to block Sora and Aladdin into the room. Eleanor rushed forward and skidded to a stop just outside the barrier, her keyblade appearing in her hand.

"You thought you had gotten ridda old Pete, I can tell. Well the jokes on alla you. Maleficent has me layin' low but I heard what happened in Hollow Bastion." Pete laughed again.

"Eleanor." Sora warned as she looked back in the direction of the shadowy Nobody, who was standing and observing the situation. He saw him and fought for her attention. He set his hand on the barrier. "Don't. Don't you move. Don't go where I can't see you. Look at me. Eleanor look at me now."

She was only half listening. The draw of the man who was standing almost completely obscured with shadows with his hands casually on his hips was almost too much. She forced her attention back to his bright gaze. Her hand touched his through the barrier and the little honeycomb pattern danced between their hands.

"Eleanor." Sora said her name a third time. His eyes flickered between her and the heartless in the room with wild eyes. "Don't move. Stay right where you are you hear me?"

"Be right back." She decided. With her keyblade clutched in her hand. "Quick as a flash."

"No don't!" Sora's voice shouted after her.

She didn't stop running. Something told her she had to follow the man. She knew she was making the same mistake again. She heard Sora shout out in frustration right before his keyblade rang against something, probably a heartless by more likely it was the barrier that separated them. She felt bad, this was the same situation that had gotten them separated before. The Nobody was beckoning her into the shadows, she remembered the feeling of the darkness in a rush and skidded to a stop just before the toes hit the dark shadows.

"Well, well, well, well, well, well, well." The Nobody sang as he pushed himself off the pile of gold coins and strolled towards her. "You are a curious one aren't you. You sure are itching to run away from your knight in shining armor. They said you were a mess, figured I'd come see for myself what the little lionheart looked like. And, I gotta say you do not disappoint." He stopped and set one hand on his hip. "Axel hasn't stopped talking about you once since you're little midnight rendezvous. Said you'd lay down your life for Sora without even thinking. And here you are. All it took was leaving a trail of bread crumbs for that idiot Pete to get you running in the opposite direction of the Keyblade kid." His fingers both mimed a pair of walking legs as he spoke. He laughed again. "Whoospie."

She held out her keyblade with a scowl. "I'm done talking politely. Tell me what you're doing with the hearts. Someone in your group threatened Sora. No one does that and walks away. I want answers. Now." She said through her teeth.

The man who was standing a few steps in front of her laughed. Quietly at first but it got louder. In a swift motion he pulled his hood off, revealing a head of graying hair pulled back in a tight pony-tail. An eyepatch and a dark jagged scar made her breath catch with fear as she looked his thin face over. He was grinning but there was something dark about it, not like the easy grin that graced Sora's face or even the lopsided grin that Axel had had on his bright face when they had met.

The redhead took a half step backwards and took a defensive stance. "Tell me about the hearts. What do they want with Sora. Tell me now."

"Aww, you're not even gonna ask me my name? Sweetheart?" He crossed his arms over his chest. One of his dark eyebrows arched over his single visible golden eye. "I would tell you but you'd have to ask nicely." He shook his finger at her, easily ignoring her demands.

A wave of darkness rolled off of his body and she felt dizzy. Immediately she realized had made a mistake. She felt the air shift around them and stole a quick glance over her shoulder to where Sora was trapped in the room with Pete and the swarm of heartless. She could sense the power rolling off the Nobodies skin. This one was much more powerful then Demyx or Axel. The darkness was stifling and she felt it heavy in her chest. She didn't speak.

The Nobody tutted his tongue against the top of his mouth. His body inverted as if his feet were magnetized to the ceiling. He strolled casually, upside down through the air with his hands in front of him. "C'mon. Everyone else got the star treatment from you. Little birdy told me you are just as polite as a little princess." He flashed her a menacing grin again as his body shifted around easily in the air. "Heard that half heart of yours even had a touch with the darkness, and oopsie. Your heart is tainted now isn't it. You can feel the shadows pulling you away from him. That must hurt, huh?"

"Stop it." She warned. "I'm not playing nice anymore. I won't let you intimidate me. I want to know where the hearts are going. I want to know what you want Sora for. That boy is everything to me, tell me. Now."

The Nobody laughed again and his eye slipped close. "It's Xigbar, since you didn't ask."

"Eleanor. So you can stop calling me sweet heart." She hesitated and her posture softened.

There was a flicker, and the air around him seemed to liquefy. He took a long stride through the liquid and appeared behind her. His arm draped around her shoulders and he sighed dramatically. "Y'see. You don't want the answers to those questions, kiddo. Sora has surrendered to the darkness before and he'll do it again. Half his heart was a Nobody not too long ago, one of us. His heart will complete Kingdom Hearts, it's stronger than any I've ever seen. I mean yikes, that kid has some blinding light in there."

She made a face and stood up a little straighter. "What do you mean about the darkness?"

"Nah-uh. Next question. That one's a secret."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to be baited. I asked you a question and I want an answer." His body floated back to the ground and he laughed, pointedly ignoring her question. She hesitated. "Do you know anything about Riku?"

Xigbar's fluidly moving body jerked to a stop. "So you know about that guy too, huh?"

"I know about a lot of things. Sora has told me."

"That mess is a lost cause. Riku. Better tell your boy toy to stop looking before he gets burned. Told you all his best friend but he didn't tell you about his brush with the darkness huh? You so ready to throw yourself away for him? You really think he deserves your protection when he's just dying to throw himself into the shadows himself? This is a dangerous game, princess you even though out all the consequences to playing?"

"Yes- No. I don't know."

"Oh, ho ho. Trouble in paradise I see. Ever ask yourself if he'd do the same for you? Huh?"

"Stop it."

"Eleanor!" Sora's voice made Xigbar glance back behind her. He was rushing back from the direction of the room he had been sealed into. His hand took one of hers tightly. "Thank goodness you're safe." His bright eyes flickered to the golden eyed Nobody. "And you. What do you think you're doing here."

Xigbar grinned again before his face got stony and serious and he pointed somewhere behind them both. "Oh no what's that!?"

"What?" Eleanor and Sora both looked behind them and she felt her blood run cold.

He took a short step in front of her when nothing but the empty hall of jewels.

"What are you playing at-" Sora started but when they turned back to face the Nobody, he was gone. "Just like that huh." After another moment he turned to Eleanor with a scowl. "What were you thinking just then!"

She bit her lip. "I wasn't."

"You could have- Wait, what was that?" He stopped and turned to her.

"I wasn't thinking. And I'm sorry." She grabbed his hands out of the air. Subconsciously her fingers laced in between his and she took a half step towards him. "I should have stayed where you could see me." Her voice dropped a little. "Don't be upset with me."

Sora hesitated. "Er, yeah. I mean.. I was really worried." His voice dropped to a whisper and his eyes slipped shut with a cringe. "I'm not upset with you. I don't like not being able to see you. That's how Hollow Bastion happened. That's how the darkness got you."

She was a little surprised but she searched his face. "You blame yourself."

He opened his eyes slowly.

"Don't. Don't do that. No one is to blame Sora."

He hesitated. "Hey I just.. There's just this weight on my heart. And I feel responsible for what happened." He glanced up to where Aladdin was selecting them some jewels and golden objects for them to bring back peddler at the other end of the hallway and shoving them into a bag. "Ah, you know maybe we should talk about this later."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Hey if you two are all done making eyes at one another, I think I found the treasure we need to get that lamp back from the peddler. So what do you say?" Aladdin's voice was suddenly right beside them. He held up the bag and shook the treasure lightly. "Ready to make the trip back to Agrabah?"

Sora pulled his hands away from hers. "The sooner the better."