Time to take a walk through Sora's long lost memories… This isn't a complete telling of his past, though! There will still be holes…

Just a note…I love the song I quote. It's soooooo pretty!!!…

WARNINGS: hm…language, a lime-ish scene, blood…

Disclaimer: The characters and worlds of Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney…

"When I close my eyes to this paradox place
I'll fly away, far away from here
I'll get away and dream, dream of you
When it's all said and done
And the night has come, I'll disappear
Take flight on the wind of
Wishing you where here
Fading light like a star whose life
Has been gone for years…"

—"Awakening" Mae…

Chapter Eleven:
Awakening, Part One…

What is the true nature of Akari? Was it really the embodiment of Paradise as Riku, Roxas, and Axel had said it to be? Did it really even exist, or was it just a figment of everyone's overactive imaginations like I was starting to believe?

'I used to know all of these things,' I thought as I wandered aimlessly through the monochromatic world that surrounded me. 'But now it's hard for me to remember my name, much less the ways of a place I have never seen before.'

I sighed and slowed to a stop. I let my eyes wander around my surroundings, though it didn't help to tell me where I was. Everything was grey. The barren and salt crusted land was littered with crippled and pitiful trees that would never sprout again with vegetation. It was hard for me to tell if I had really made any progress in my walking or if I had just been wandering aimlessly around in circles. It was starting to drive me crazy.

Sighing again, I leaned my back against a tree I swore I had seen at least twice already and gazed up at the dull, grey sun. This was useless. I was making absolutely no progress. If I kept walking, it was what I was going to be doing for the rest of my life. There was no end to this sad and barren place, and I felt stupid for not realizing it sooner.

But why was I alone? Why weren't Riku or Roxas with me? They never let me go anywhere by myself, especially since the incident with my mom. And I wanted someone to be with me so badly. I was terrified. Though I had been wandering for what felt like hours, I had yet to see any signs of habitation. This grey place was cold and lonely…the embodiment of separation and abandonment…of everything I was afraid of. I wanted to leave.

I sighed and slid my back down the tree until I was sitting on the ground with my back against the trunk. I closed my eyes and rested the back of my head against the bark, forcing myself to control the tears that were beginning to form in my eyes. I refused to cry. If I was going to get through this by myself, I needed to be strong. I could cry all I wanted when I was held safely in Riku's arms with his hands running carefully through my hair.

Lost in thoughts of the man I now knew that I loved, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

o-o-o-o-o

When I woke next, I was in a very different place than where I had fallen asleep. I had been laid out on a bed with soft silk sheets. I gasped and sprung into the upright position, my eyes searching the room around me wildly. As I looked, I realized that I was filled with a sense of ease, as if I knew where I was and why I was there. I hadn't seen this place before, but for some reason, I recognized it as my own bedroom.

The room was lavish and decorated in delicate creams and golds. Bookshelves that were filled to their limits with material filled one wall, while a desk and elaborate armoire took up another. Across from my bed, a small fire was burning in the hearth. Two cream chairs sat in front of it, a table with a large white flower I couldn't name on it between them.

I yawned loudly and stretched my arms toward the ceiling. I noticed as my arm moved past my face that I wasn't wearing what I had been wearing when I had fallen asleep. My eyes surveyed my arms as I moved them back to my sides. My nightshirt was long-sleeved and made of a cream silk material that felt magnificent. Judging by how it felt when I moved around, I guessed that my pants were made of the same material. It was so comfortable.

I sighed and reclined on the bed, snuggling back into the sheets. I took a deep breath and inhaled the scents that surrounded me. It was very spicy, though all I could identify was cinnamon. I was transported back in time for a moment, to a time when my father was still alive and my mother still baked cookies around Christmas time to share with neighbors and friends. It was a short-lived trip, however, as I was pulled back to reality when the door beside my wardrobe was pushed open and a girl stuck her head into the room.

She smiled brightly when she saw me on the bed. "Sora! You're awake!" she chirruped and skipped into the room.

"Yuffie!" I shouted before my eyes widened and I covered my mouth with a hand.

'What the hell?' I thought. 'I don't know this person. I've never seen her before in my life.' But something in the back of my head screamed that I did know this person; if not in this life, than in another one.

Her personality reminded me of Selphie, but she didn't look even moderately like the brunette girl. This girl had large grey eyes and a childish face, but I could just tell that she was older than me. Her short black hair was held back from her face by a cream-colored headband.

Her clothing was kind of strange. She wore a black tunic that was cinched around her waist with a silk sash, decorated with white flowers. On her lower body she wore a pair of form fitting tan trousers and matching boots that laced up to her knees. The clothes weren't modern, but I couldn't come up with a time period for them. They looked like something Arwen would have worn while fighting in the Lord of the Rings.

"You okay, Sora? You look a little pale."

'No! I'm not okay! Who are you? Where am I?'

I shook my head and let my hands drop limply to my sides. "No…no, I'm fine. You just surprised me, is all. I was thinking."

She nodded and took a seat on the edge of my bed. "Everyone seems to be doing that a lot lately, especially as our peace with Kurai wanes. But forget about that. I have prepared a hot bath for you."

'Well…a hot bath does sound good…'

"Thanks, Yuffie. I'll go there now. I could use the time to relax."

"No problem! I'll walk with you and wait outside the door to make sure no one disturbs you while you're in there, okay?"

I nodded and pushed myself out of bed. As we walked down the halls, I took my time to survey my surroundings. The walls were painted a pale blue color, and some had vast murals that depicted battles I didn't understand. I wanted to ask what the war was, but the words refused to leave my mouth…again. It was starting to annoy me. It almost felt like I was just a presence in my own body; I didn't control it. I could see and hear everything that was going on around me, but could do nothing about it.

When we made it to the place I guessed was the bath, Yuffie took seat in a chair that sat beside the door.

"I set your clothes on the chair beside your towels, so just yell if you need anything else, alright?"

I nodded again and went into the room alone. I let out a gasp of surprise at the sheer size of the room. A large rectangle had been carved into the floor and was inlayed with marble tiles in different shades of blue. A slight shimmer of steam rose from the top of the water, and the entire room smelled slightly like the ocean.

I undressed quickly and slipped into the water with a heavy sigh. The water felt amazing against my skin. It was the perfect temperature and the oils in the water smelled wonderful. I sighed again and closed my eyes, resting my head against the edge of the bath.

It didn't take long until I was in another world, a place where Riku, Roxas, and Axel were with me and I wasn't alone anymore. I wondered where they all were, and how I had gotten here. The last thing I remembered was getting ready for the Halloween party with Roxas. Everything after that was blank. It was unnerving, but there was always a reason why I forgot things. I would remember when the time was right.

A sharp knock on the bathroom door pulled me from my thoughts. I opened my eyes and looked behind me just in time for Yuffie to peek her head inside.

"Sorry to cut your bath short, but DiZ wants to see you immediately," she said. Her voice sounded grave.

I furrowed my brow. "About what?"

She shrugged. "I dunno, but it must be important if he can't wait for you to finish your bath. I hear he's looking to speak with Roxas, as well. What did the two of you do this time?"

"We didn't do anything!" I pouted. "I haven't seen Roxas in a couple of days. We've both been too busy."

Yuffie smiled and shook her head. "I know, but come on. Get out and dressed and I'll lead you to DiZ."

She left the room before I could answer her with a nod. I begrudgingly pulled myself out of the oversized tub and patted myself dry with a white puffy towel. The clothing she left me was strange. It was like hers, but had been made for a male.

I started with the undergarments, a pair of cotton underwear and long-sleeved undershirt. I pulled the pants on next. They were made of black cotton and were tight, but not unbearably so. I laughed as I remembered the leather pants Roxas had convinced me to wear. I wondered what had happened to them as I pulled on a long tunic. It was pale blue in color, thin, and very soft. The sash was black like the pants and I couldn't help but think how feminine it made my figure look when I looked in the mirror. I had curves, and it made me giggle.

To finish the outfit, I pulled on the pair of black knee high boots and tied the laces. Yuffie smiled at me when I finally walked out.

"You are so cute!" she said and enveloped me in a huge hug, then pulled me down the hall by the hand. "Come on! You took longer than I thought to get dressed. DiZ is probably getting impatient."

I ran after her and almost fell on my face when she stopped suddenly. We were outside of a menacing looking white door. It was huge, with a diamond-shaped stained glass window in the top of each.

"Go on. I can't go in there with you. Roxas should be here, so you'll be okay." She hugged me briefly. "I'm gonna get back to my duties. Be good."

I nodded and waited until she disappeared around the corner before I dared to push the door open. When I stepped inside, I was pummeled by déjà vu. I gasped as I walked straight into one of my dreams.

I stood in a pristine room. Everything was white. The walls, the desk, the chair, the bookshelves, even the hundreds of thousands of books that were stuffed on to the shelves were a perfectly untainted white. For some reason, I loved it. Though I would have enjoyed a little more color, the room radiated innocence and purity.

There were only two sources of color in the room. The first was a man and, though he wore a long white robe and his skin was almost as pale as the walls that surrounded him, his hair and beard were a magnificent shade of blonde and his eyes were a piercing gold, watching my every movement. The second was Roxas, whose magnificent black feathered wings stood out more than anything in the room.

I crossed the room to the armchairs that sat in front of the desk. I winked at my best friend, who returned the gesture with a quick smile. Ansem the Wise, or DiZ as he liked to be called, sighed and steepled his fingers beneath his chin while I took my time choosing which armchair I would sit in for this "talk."

"Please take a seat, Sora. We don't have time to deal with your childish behavior at the moment."

I growled and plopped down into the nearest chair, my arms crossed over my chest and a frown on my face. I had been unceremoniously pulled from my bath after being summoned by Ansem. I wondered what could possibly be so important that he couldn't have waited a couple more minutes to speak with me.

"You know why you've been summoned?"

I shook my head and furrowed my brow. "No, Sir. If I've done something to upset you…"

Ansem laughed, cutting me off. "You're not here for a scolding, young one. I have other…more important business that I would like the two of you to attend to."

I frowned and cocked my head to the side, a sudden feeling of joy building in the pit of my stomach. I cast a side glance at Roxas and saw that he had a bored expression on his face but his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"We need an ambassador who is strong enough to walk into the darkness and not be overtaken. I've chosen the two of you. Will you prove to me that I was correct in that decision?"

I nodded. "Of course, Father."

"We won't disappoint you," said Roxas.

Ansem nodded. "The darkness is strong and there will be many opportunities for it to try and overtake you, but I believe that the two of you are strong enough to defeat it. Sora, never once have you let darkness into your heart." He looked to my best friend. "Roxas. You have been a valuable asset to us in our war against the creatures of Kurai and place all of my trust in you."

Ansem stood from his chair and examined the books on the shelf behind his desk. "Sora. You are to pose as the ambassador while Roxas will be your guide. As Roxas is still considered a being of Kurai, he will be accepted into the walls without fault. Roxas. You are to be sure that Sora is taken care of while he is in Kurai. As he is a being of Akari, he will not be so well accepted."

The two nodded in understanding. Ansem turned from the bookshelf and gave them a soft smile. "I want the two of you to return here tomorrow at dawn for the rest of your orders. You are dismissed."

The two boys stood and bowed briefly to the man before leaving his quarters. Once they were safely out of earshot from the room, I jumped around to face Roxas with a smile on my face.

"We're going to Kurai. We're actually going to the Kurai no Ōkoku (1)!"

Roxas rolled his eyes and continued walking past me. "Oh, yeah great. We get to be submerged in darkness for gods know how long, right in the center of our worst enemies. Yeah. Sounds like a party."

I frowned and ran to catch up with the boy. "Oh, it can't be that bad…"

"Have you ever seen the place outside of images in books?!" Roxas suddenly stopped and I had to jump to the side to keep from running into him. "It's crawling with vile demons who will try to kill you in your sleep."

I sighed and shook my head. I closed his eyes and gently touched the crown pendant I wore around my neck with my index and middle fingers. A warm tingling sensation filled my body as a pair of brilliant white wings sprouted from my shoulder blades. I jostled them gently with a satisfied sigh and laid a soft hand on Roxas' shoulder.

"Come on."

Roxas nodded and followed me to the nearest balcony. We walked to the edge and climbed on top of the thick marble wall. The kingdom of Akari spread out before us. It was beautiful in the day light, but I enjoyed it more when it was dark. The warm candle flame-like lights of the town beyond the walls of the palace broke the cold, nothingness of the dark night in places few and far between. It was late and most of the townspeople were already lost in their own dreams.

I smiled at Roxas and spread my wings, pointing to the mountain that loomed a couple miles ahead of us. "Race ya to it," I said and jumped over the edge.

The wind as it blew through my hair was wonderful, almost better than the warm, scented water that had been in the bath. I watched with only moderate fear as the ground grew closer and closer, waiting until the last minute to spread my wings. I was so close to the ground, that I could feel the blades of grass against the fabric of my shirt.

I let out a loud whoop as I soared up into the air. I glanced to my left and smiled at Roxas as he flew beside me, a look of pure freedom on his face. Our flight was no longer a race, but a chance to enjoy the freedom we had lost when we had come of age at thirteen. Since then, he had been exposed to violent beatings and had run away from his birthplace so he could be with me, and I had been under constant watch and forced into studies that took up most of my free time so I could one day follow in our brother's footsteps and become and Elder.

When we finally landed on "our" ledge of the mountain I tackled Roxas in a hug, laughing at his grunt of surprise. He attempted to glare at me when I straightened up, but it fell far from its mark. Instead, he smiled and returned the hug gratefully.

"Arigatō, Sora (2)," he muttered.

I shrugged. "No problem. You needed it more than I did. Besides, we're free for the rest of the night, so we can do whatever we want."

"Yeah, since you slept through your studies," he said with a smile. "I'm surprised they're not making you take them now."

I laughed. "They know to back off 'cause I'm always at my hyperest at night. I can't concentrate when I'm hyper."

"Hyperest? Is that even a word?"

"It is now!" I giggled and did a random dance in circles. "Anyway, what do you want to do?"

Roxas' lips moved but nothing came out. I frowned and rubbed my ears to make sure they were working, but I still couldn't hear.

"I can't hear you, Roxas."

My frown deepened after I spoke. I could hear what I had said, but I still couldn't hear anything Roxas was saying. Then, the colors around me started to bleed and slip and blur together. Roxas' face became a messy blob of flesh, blue, and pale pink colors. I reached out to touch him, but was engulfed in darkness before I could. The last thing I saw was the bright moonlight shining above our heads.

o-o-o-o-o

"Sora…"

o-o-o-o-o

There are times when I pass out that I just wish I would stay asleep. Never wake up, or at least not until I was somewhere that made sense with people who could tell me what was going on. Unfortunately, my mind never listened to me, especially when I was in a strange situation like the one I was in now.

As I opened my eyes, expecting to be blinded by sunlight like I was every other morning, I was surprised when I was met by twilight. Had I really slept so long? I yawned loudly and stretched, cringing at the sounds of my bones popping and cracking. It didn't feel like I had slept that long. I shook my head and yawned again, bringing my fists up to rub the sleep from my eyes before I took the time to see where I was.

Within a second, I was sure that I wasn't in my bedroom in Akari. I didn't think that I was even in Akari itself anymore. The usual light and brilliance that shined to all corners of the kingdom was gone. Where there was once warmth within me, there was now only cold. I sighed and took a closer look at the room.

It didn't have much color. The walls were nothing more than large bricks of grey marble that blended into the floor. A large oak wardrobe was situated on the wall across from me. A set of oak doors was to my right, another opening that seemed to lead outside was closed off by two sheer blood red drapes to my left. My bed was big…and oak…and comfortable. The heavy quilt was the same deep red color as the drapes and the magnificently soft sheets were a beautiful cream color, almost like my sheets at home.

I sighed and snuggled down into the blankets, thinking that if whoever it was who had kidnapped me had wanted to kill me they would have done it already. But an almost silent noise just outside my door made me jump out of bed and investigate. I stood on my tiptoes and silently moved toward the door. I was a quarter of the way away from it when the large slab of oak flew open and I was tackled to the ground by a giggling mass of blonde spikes.

It took a minute for the confusion to die down, but when it did, I laughed as well and shoved Roxas off my chest.

"What are you doing, Roxas? Taken up a new form of greeting all of a sudden?"

He shook his head and grinned, his eyes sparkling like I had never seen them sparkle before. "I was gonna wake you up like that, but I figured I would use it while I could."

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "I would have done something unforgivable by the Source if you had woken me up like that."

He shook his head. "No you wouldn't have. You love It too much to disobey It."

I smiled and shrugged. "And so do you, so…" I stuck my tongue out at him and giggled.

He looked at me seriously me for just long enough to catch me off guard before he launched himself at me and succeeded in tackling me to the ground again. His hands found my sides on instinct and it wasn't long until we sounded like a group of high school girls in the middle of a pillow fight. I was squealing and he was giggling and we were a crazy mess of arms and legs flying everywhere.

When we finally calmed down and took some time to breathe, we laid next to each other on the floor with smiles on our faces.

"Why are you so manic, anyway?" I asked.

He rolled onto his stomach and rested his chin on his fists so he could stare down at me. A big smile was spread across his face. "We're in Kurai!" he sighed and let his chin fall from his hands so he could lie down again.

I frowned and furrowed my brow as I sat up and watched him. "You're excited because we're in Kurai? But you were angry because we were coming last night, right?"

He sighed and shrugged. "It just feels good to be home again. It feels like it's been forever since I last walked through the market."

I poked him in the side and laughed at the resulting glare. "Then you should take me on a grand tour since I dunno where anything is. I don't wanna get lost or something while we're here."

"We'll have to do that later. Now, we have council with the Superior of the Organization. But first…" He looked around suspiciously and leaned in so he could whisper in my ear. "The only reason we've been accepted so willingly is because they think I've been spying for them all this time. Don't blow my cover, okay?"

I nodded violently and pushed myself up from the ground. I offered Roxas a hand, but he ignored it and pushed himself up. I pouted for a moment, but didn't take the time to mull over it. I looked over my reflection in the mirror and frowned at what I saw.

"Should I change before we go?"

Roxas laughed. "Well, seeing that you're still wearing what you wore yesterday, I would say so. I'll show you to a bath later on so you can clean up, okay?"

I nodded and dug around in my trunk at the end of the bed for some decent clothes to change into. Roxas stood outside the door to wait for me and sighed in annoyance when I finally skipped out into the hallway in my change of clothes.

"How many times did you have to change your shirt?" he muttered.

I pouted. "Only three times."

He rolled his eyes and started to walk down the hall. "You're such a woman, Sora."

"Am not!" I shouted and ran to catch up with him. "Just because I didn't like the first three shirts I chose, doesn't mean that I'm a woman. I don't even have the…the…parts to be a woman."

All of a sudden, Roxas stopped in the middle of the hall and doubled over in laughter. Out of worry, I bent over and tried to look in his face, but he pushed me away with a loud giggle.

"It's called sarcasm, you idiot!" he gasped through laughs.

My mouth formed a small 'o' and I cursed inwardly as I felt a warm blush rise on my cheeks. I should have known that. It wasn't the first time he had called me a woman as a joke, but for some reason, the longer I was in this fantasy world (because I had to be dreaming), the more I lost myself. I could only hope that I woke up before there was nothing left of the Sora who was sleeping. In a way, it was terrifying.

"Come on, Sora. We were supposed to be in the throne room three minutes ago," Roxas said and grabbed onto my hand before taking off down the hallway.

"Oh, gods. Don't tell me this Superior man is as strict as DiZ," I whined as I tried my hardest to keep up with Roxas so he wouldn't drag me across the floor.

He laughed quietly. "No…" I sighed in relief. "…he's probably worse."

I groaned loudly as Roxas laughed and continued to pull me behind him. I didn't have much time to look around and survey the halls around us, but so far they looked the same as the room I had woken in. The walls were made of the same grey marble with window openings carved into them. Torches burned in their delicate holders here and there down the hall. Paintings were the only sources of color that I could pinpoint as we ran.

Roxas came to a stop so quickly outside a set of large oak doors that I ran into him. I grumbled quietly and looked at him in irritation, but the annoyance melted away the moment I caught the look on his face. It was the perfect mix of longing and fear. I had been years since Roxas had last been face-to-face with the man I was about to meet, and he was terrified of what was going to happen. He wanted to be accepted, but if the man was stricter than DiZ, I could only imagine the tasks Roxas would have to go through before that would happen.

"Roxas…?" I muttered.

He blinked and shook his head, offering me a small smile. "Sorry, Sora. I didn't mean to zone out on you. Come on. We're late."

I nodded and grabbed Roxas' hand as he shoved the door with his shoulder. It opened with a loud creak that seemed to echo throughout the entire palace. I couldn't keep my gasp at bay when I saw the man inside the room.

There really wasn't anything about him that should have surprised me the way that he had. He was normal looking enough, with long silver hair and piercing gold eyes that reminded me painfully of Ansem's. He wore a patient but obviously strained smile on his face as we entered and Roxas closed the door behind us.

"Welcome, messengers from Akari. Please take a seat." He gestured to the black leather armchairs that sat before his desk before settling down into his own chair.

I glanced at Roxas out of the corner of my eye to make sure we could trust him, but he was staring at the man with an awestruck look on his face. The look made me apprehensive and was enough for me to make my decision. I wouldn't trust this man, not even if my life depended on it.

I nudged Roxas carefully in the side and nodded toward a chair when he slowly turned his attention onto me. His eyes widened briefly but then the nodded and we fell into the chairs simultaneously. The Superior laughed and pulled our attention back onto him. I watched him closely while Roxas just went back to gaping at him.

"I hope our hospitalities have been up to par with what you are used to," the man said as he settled down into his own large armchair.

Roxas nodded. "Yessir, they have been perfect. Better than what we're used to."

I snorted mentally but nodded along with Roxas so I wouldn't get on the Superior's bad side before I needed to be.

The man turned his attention onto me, and I smiled my best smile while I stood from my chair.

"Hello, Superior. My name is Sora. I'm sure you already know my guide, Roxas."

The man nodded and shot the barest of glances in Roxas' direction before looking at me again. It took all I had for me to keep the smile on my face. "Yes, Roxas and I have met in the past. But it is nice to have you here in our kingdom, Sora…"

He looked at me expectantly, as if expecting me to give him my last name, but I just kept the smile on my face. Though I was born into the Leonheart family and any of my children would carry the same last name, I no longer had a surname. The pleasure was torn away from me the day I made the decision to become an Elder of Akari, the only creatures in the kingdom who the Source spoke directly to.

"I have no last name, and if I did it would be of no importance."

"Ah…," the Superior looked me over with a critical eye before smiling. "It's a pleasure to have an Elder in-training within our walls."

I nodded my thanks and bowed my head. "May I ask your name, Superior?"

Roxas hissed quietly beside me, but I ignored it and instead kept the smile on my face. The Superior started briefly before the first true smile of our meeting blossomed across his face.

"I am Xemnas, Superior of Organization XIII and ruler of Kurai. I too have no last name." He stood from his seat and held his arms out toward us. "But I think that this has been enough of a meeting for now. I trust that you are wanting to explore our kingdom and meet my people. They are very glad to have you both here as well."

We nodded. Roxas stood and bowed briefly to Xemnas, who just shoved the gesture off with a smile.

"I'm sorry that you weren't able to meet the other eleven members of Organization XIII, Sora, but maybe some other time?"

I nodded because I knew, whether I liked it or not, there would be another time. Without saying a word, Xemnas gave us our leave, and Roxas and I left the office hand-in-hand. I felt Xemnas' golden eyes boring into our backs as we left, but I refused to turn around and glance at him. I didn't want to see the look of pure hatred that I knew would be shining on his face.

Roxas and I walked through the corridors in silence, but I didn't mind it. I knew that he was still shaken up about confronting his old Superior after years of unexplained absence, and I enjoyed having the time to take in the new world that surrounded me.

Kurai was beautiful. The paintings of the kingdom that donned the corridors of the castle in Akari didn't give the kingdom justice. Kurai's days were shrouded in a constant veil of twilight, only broken by the darkness that fell when night came. Kurai, like Akari, had been constructed in the center of a forest with majestic mountains that reached toward the sky. Unlike Akari, though, Kurai thrived on water. Lakes and ponds surrounded the kingdom and small waterholes weren't hard to find in the forestry that surrounded it.

"Ready to get your first real taste of Kurai?" Roxas asked, pulling me out of the thoughts he had been reading.

I smiled and nodded excitedly. "Yes!"

He laughed and pushed open a heavy set of doors. The sight that greeted us made me gasp. Kurai spread out before us and the trees sang for us to see it. I smiled at Roxas and he smiled at me and together we set out to explore, but not before I was overcome by darkness.

o-o-o-o-o

"Sora. Wake up. We're all waiting for you…"

o-o-o-o-o

When I came to next, I was sitting on the edge of a fountain in the middle of a crowded square. I blinked the drowsiness away from my eyes and looked around me. Thankfully, this time I knew where I was.

I was in the middle of Kurai's market street. I couldn't remember how I had gotten there, or why I was even there in the first place, but since I was I figured I should take the time to walk around and try to meet some of the people. Roxas and I had met some people already, but it wasn't enough for me to gain the trust I needed before we returned to Akari.

With a loud yawn, I pushed myself up from the bench and set off down the street. The market wasn't as crowded as it would have been earlier in the day, but there were still enough people wandering around the stands that it didn't take long until I was uncomfortable.

Now that I thought about it, because I didn't know how I had gotten to the market, I didn't know my way back. And that meant that I was lost. Great. Wonderful. Just what I needed.

A large looking glass at one of the stands caught my attention and I slowed to a stop so I could examine it. It was absolutely beautiful. My reflection in the oval glass was surrounded by intricately weaved silver and gold, and I couldn't help but smile.

"How much for this?" I asked the merchant.

"For you, ten silver," the man said with a smile.

I returned the smile with a blush and pulled my money pouch from my pocket. I poured five gold coins into my palm and handed them to the man. He stared down at the money with his jaw hanging and looked up at me with tears in his eyes.

"Keep the change," I said while lying the glass down in one of the baskets for carrying purchases beside his shop.

"Thank you, kind Sir," he mumbled.

I smiled and shook my head. "No, thank you. This mirror is beautiful and I'm glad that you let me buy it from you."

With one last smile and a wave, I turned on my heel and continued my wandering through the street. It was slowly becoming busier as those who had been busy working or taking care of their children were beginning to come out and shop. Men spoke to the merchants while their wives stood to their sides. Some children clung mercilessly to their mother's hands while they looked around with looks of terror on their faces, while others ran around the square with other children in a confusing game of tag.

"The people are amazing, aren't they?"

I gasped loudly and almost dropped by shopping basket at the sudden voice behind me. I took a deep breath and turned around to face whoever had spoken. Another gasp snuck past my lips when I caught sight of their face. Like every one else in Kurai, this boy was absolutely beautiful. His pale skin seemed to glisten in the twilight and his eyes were a beautiful pale green. What surprised me the most, though, was his hair. It was silver. I had only seen two people with silver hair. Xemnas and…

'Riku!'

The boy laughed and held out a hand. "I noticed you watching the people and you looked intriguing," he said with a shrug. "May I ask your name?"

"S-Sora," I stuttered, blinking wildly out of shock. "And you are?"

'Riku! Riku! RIKU!!' I wanted to scream out his name and fall into his arms, but my body was still refusing to listen to what I was telling it. There was also a single voice in my head that was telling me that this Riku didn't know who I was and that he would probably just shove me away if I broke down into tears and ran into his arms.

The boy laughed. "Ah, yes, a fitting name for someone so beautiful." He bowed his head briefly. "I am Riku. The land to your sky."

I laughed nervously and tried my hardest to smile and keep my body from shaking while his eyes racked over me. I felt ashamed of my appearance just by being in his presence. He was obviously a nobleman. His fine silk clothing and beauty screamed that he was from a rich family, and while I typically dressed in the same attire at home, my looks were nothing to gasp about. Brown hair, blue eyes. Who had never seen that before?

I noticed that his mouth was moving and it pulled me back into reality. He was asking about my stay in Kurai so far.

"It's been great. The hospitality in the castle has been wonderful."

He nodded and smiled, and I felt my heart skip a beat. But why? He was beautiful and kind, yes, but what else made me weak around him? Besides the fact that he was Riku, of course. I mean, I had only just met him.

"You're lost, aren't you?" Riku muttered.

I froze for a moment, feeling a blush rise on my cheeks, before I looked at him with an indignant frown on my face. "No! I'm perfectly fine!"

He laughed and the sound was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. "You had the lost child look on your face, so I just thought that I would ask. I'm on my way to the palace as we speak, so if you want some company on your walk I would be glad to have you join me."

Riku looked me over again, and it took all I had for me to just shake my head. "N-no. I'll be fine. I haven't finished my shopping yet."

He smiled and shrugged casually. "A pity, but I must be on my way." He bowed in courtesy, keeping his eyes trained on my face. "I'm sure we'll meet again before you are to return to Akari."

I nodded, and he smiled before he straightened himself and disappeared into the crowd of people that had surrounded us. It wasn't until my mind was screaming at to take a breath that I realized I needed to breathe. My knees were quaking violently and I could feel the warm blush that was painted across my face. I covered my cheeks with my hands and pushed my way into the crowd, determined to find Roxas so I could tell him what had happened.

The daytime twilight sky was just beginning to darken when I finally pushed myself through the palace doors. I stopped the first servant I could find and asked if they had seen Roxas. They nodded and quickly directed me to a corridor of the castle I had yet to explore. It wasn't hard to find, but doors littered the hall on either side so I had no idea which to enter. It didn't take long for me to get my hint, though.

One of the doors opened and I heard a laugh that sounded like Roxas'. Not thinking, I ducked behind the nearest column I could find and peeked out to see where he had been. I had to bite on my fist to keep from gasping when a tall redhead ('Axel!') came out of the room with him.

"You promise you'll come back and see me?" the redhead said with a pout.

Roxas laughed and stood on his tiptoes to peck Axel gently on the lips, but the other took control and made the kiss deeper. Roxas was panting when they finally pulled apart, and I could see the blush on his face.

"I'll come back if you promise not to do that again," Roxas said breathlessly.

Axel laughed and shrugged. "Sorry, Roxie. I can't make any promises there. Besides…" He nudged Roxas playfully in the side. "…you know you liked it."

Roxas rolled his eyes and placed a hand against the redhead's chest before smiling and turning on his heel. "I'll see you tomorrow, Axel."

The redhead nodded and stood outside his door to watch Roxas walk away.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop, ya know?" he muttered when Roxas was out of earshot.

I started quickly and took a step out from behind my column. Axel smiled at me when I came into the light.

"Just a wild guess, but you're Sora, right?"

Not trusting myself to speak, I just nodded. He laughed.

"Does it upset you to see Roxas with a man?"

I shook my head quickly. I wanted to say that it was only because I wasn't used to seeing the two of them so intimately, but I knew that it probably would have weirded him out if I did. Besides, it wasn't like my mouth was listening my brain, anyway.

"N-no. I'm just not used to seeing Roxas in such an intimate way. He's usually just so locked away that the only reason I know what he's feeling is because we're linked. If it wasn't for that, I'd be at a loss."

Axel laughed and crossed the hall so he was standing in front of me. "Roxas is a good kid."

"I know that!" I said indignantly, frowning in annoyance. "I know that he's good. I just wish he would be more open with me."

Axel smiled sadly and ruffled my hair. "He will. Just give him some time." He smiled again and turned away from me. "I have a meeting to attend. Do you know how to get back to the entrance?" I nodded. "Roxas is waiting for you there. Said you would be getting back from shopping soon." I nodded again, and he winked at me. Then, he was gone.

I sighed heavily and was overcome with dizziness. I turned around and started to head back in the direction that I came, but I couldn't tell if I was heading in the right direction or not. Everything was blurred together and it made me want to vomit. I closed my eyes and reached out blindly, resting my head against the nearest wall I could get to.

Before I knew the difference, I was whisked off into darkness once again.

o-o-o-o-o

"…"

o-o-o-o-o

I was surrounded by a wonderful scent when I came back to the waking world. The water that moved against my skin was magnificent. Instead of forcing me into a panic like it should have, it calmed my every aching muscle and sent me into a state of serene bliss. From what I could see, there was no one around to bother me, no one around to see me sitting half naked in the swimming hole.

A cool breeze added to the darkening of the sky announced the arrival of night. If it was possible, I enjoyed the nights in Kurai more than I did the nights in Akari. And the beings of Kurai… I enjoyed them even more.

As I had wandered through the kingdom, I noticed that the people who lived in Kurai possessed a beauty of such that I had never seen before. Even those who were hideous were beautiful. In a way, I envied them. Of the beings of Akari, I was considered to be one of the fairest, but there were others who were much more beautiful than I could ever dream to be.

I let my thoughts wander away, and my eyes drifted closed as I rested my head against the bank of the swimming hole, carefully hidden behind a veil of vines and leaves that hung from a weeping willow. There was so much I had yet to see…so much I had yet to do. It was impossible for me to be able to complete it all in the short amount of time I had. I sighed and shook my head, a small smile gracing my lips. Maybe it would give Ansem reason to send me and Roxas back to Kurai sometime in the near future. I knew that I sure as hell wouldn't refuse if I was given the chance. And I knew that Roxas would jump at the opportunity to return and spend more time with Axel, so I knew that he wouldn't refuse if given the chance either.

"Didn't think I'd find you here of all places."

I jumped at the sudden voice and my eyes flew open, searching the area around me in wild fear. I sighed when I saw who it was. Standing in a small gap he'd made by pushing aside the vines and leaves was Riku. His long silver hair was tied back in a messy ponytail and he was dressed in only his undergarments, as I was, revealing his flawless pale skin and muscular upper body.

He chuckled and walked into the veiled area, letting the curtain fall closed behind him. I gulped. This wasn't good. Not good at all. Riku and I had crossed paths a few times since our first meeting, and every time I felt myself go weak. Whenever I was around Riku, especially when we were alone, I had the tendency to lose control. But I wouldn't do it this time. I would keep my composure, no matter how close he got to me.

Even as I thought it, I could feel my composure slipping. My breathing quickened and a slight sheen of sweat broke out across my brow. I closed my eyes and looked away from Riku as he made his way closer to where I sat.

"I didn't say that I wanted company," I said with a slightly strained voice.

Riku laughed and the sound was just as beautiful as the first one I had ever heard from him. With my eyes closed, I relied on the sound of the water as it moved around Riku as he moved. I successfully dodged his first attempt at trying to catch me, but I failed on the second. I groaned as I was pulled against Riku's body. It didn't help me to catch my breath any easier.

"Last I checked," Riku whispered into my ear, "this was my bathing spot."

Riku licked up the side of my neck, causing me to moan and wriggle in his grasp. He laughed and continued his ministrations upon my neck. It didn't take long until I was a submissive mess in Riku's arms, and I didn't care. Though I had tried to deny it, but I couldn't do it any longer. I wanted Riku more than anything I had ever wanted in my life.

"I want you, Sora," the silver-haired demon whispered into my ear, nibbling gently on the lobe. "Are you afraid of me?"

I slowly opened my eyes and stared deep into Riku's. 'This is where the déjà vu had come from,' I thought, but shook my head. "No, I'm not. Should I be?"

"It would make things much easier if you were."

Riku laughed and I caught a small flash of his fangs in the moonlight, but then they were gone and Riku was touching me again. One hand ran gently across the flesh of my chest, while the other slithered under the water and dared to explore my more secret areas.

I gasped and writhed against Riku's hold. He laughed and attacked my mouth with his own. The kiss started out innocent enough, but then I moaned and Riku gave himself entrance into my wet cavern. Hands roamed unashamed over exposed skin and, when we pulled apart to breathe, Riku returned his attention the flesh of my neck.

I shivered and whined incoherencies into the night. Riku chuckled and licked a line from the center of my collarbone to just below my right earlobe, making another violent shiver ripple through my form.

"You look like you'd taste like strawberries," Riku whispered huskily, "but I bet you taste like chocolate."

I shivered as Riku started to press open mouthed kisses along my jaw and down the side of my throat. He licked and sucked at my pulse, eliciting more moans and whimpers from my throat. Riku chuckled, and I gasped as a sharp pain that morphed into pleasure erupted around where Riku was working on my throat.

He pulled away a few seconds later and licked his lips seductively, a slight trail of blood dribbling out the side of his mouth and down his chin.

"Yeah…chocolate…" he whispered and bent down again.

The pain and pleasure came again and left me moaning and begging for more. When Riku kissed me again, it was metallic but sweet. Like chocolate…

Riku pulled away from me for the last time and cupped my face gently in his hand. I sighed, not yet daring to open my eyes, and nuzzled into his palm. It wasn't until he chuckled quietly that I let my heavy eyelids drift open so I could look into his eyes. They were raging with feeling, so much so that I couldn't even imagine picking a single emotion out of the mix.

"Ri…ku?" I muttered.

The words had barely left my mouth when he sighed and closed his eyes, turning his face away from me. I frowned and cursed at myself as I felt tears starting to well up in my eyes. I was being such a woman. It had only been a kiss. It probably meant nothing to him.

"I'm sorry, Sora. I shouldn't have…" Riku muttered, pulling me from my thoughts.

I shook my head. "No. Don't apologize." I thanked the gods for the growing darkness so he couldn't see my blush. "I'm glad you did it. But, why did you bite me?"

He smiled and turned his face back to me, his eyes flashing playfully, though something flashed just below it that made me nervous. "I just wanted to see what you tasted like. Is that bad?"

I felt my blush darken and I quickly diverted my eyes from his face to the still water that surrounded us. Somewhere in the distance, I could just barely hear a waterfall as it gurgled over rocks. Riku laughed, but aside from that, kept silent. His arms were still wrapped around my waist and I couldn't stop myself from snuggling into his hold and resting my head against his chest.

"Why do you trust me? You don't know me," he whispered.

I sighed and shrugged. "You don't know me, either."

He laughed. "But you're an angelic seraph. A pupil of the Source. An Elder in-training. I'm nothing but…"

His voice died off and left us with a stifling silence. I frowned and looked up, but I couldn't see his eyes from the angle I had. They were hidden safely behind his silver bangs.

"I know what you are, and it doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is that you're very kind and gentle. Do you think that it should matter to me that you're a being of Kurai?"

He snorted quietly and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "If only you knew," but I kept my mouth shut and didn't ask him to repeat it. It had been meant to be heard by him and only him, so it wasn't my right to pry.

I sighed and closed my eyes, taking in Riku's scent. Just as I was about to relax, a booming voice erupted in my head and made me grip it in pain and surprise.

"Sora! Where are you?! You were supposed to meet me fifteen minutes ago!" Roxas' voice shouted.

I sighed. "I'm bathing. Just give me a minute. I'll meet you in our room."

"You better hurry!" he snapped and then his presence was gone from mind like it had never even been there in the first place.

"Are you okay, Sora?" Riku muttered.

I opened my eyes and realized that he had my face clasped gently between his hands so he could look me in the eye. I felt another blush rise to my cheeks and quickly pulled away from him, making my way toward the shore.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just Roxas. I forgot that I was supposed to meet with him tonight."

I grabbed the towel I had left hanging from a branch of the willow tree and used it to quickly dry myself before I pulled my clothes on. I was mindful of Riku when I changed my undergarments and tried my hardest to hide behind my towel so he couldn't see anything. I turned to him with a smile when I was decent.

"I have to go, but I'll see you again before I leave, right?"

Riku nodded weakly with a sad look in his eyes. I felt my heart go out to him and I wanted to stay with him so I could make that sad look go away, but I had to be with Roxas. If I didn't meet with my friend, he would probably kill me. Akari was supposed to contact him with news on our departure sometime during the day, and we'd set up our meeting so he could inform me on what was going on.

"Ja ne Riku-kun (3)," I muttered sadly in the Speech, and was silently engulfed in a black silence.

o-o-o-o-o

"Come on, Sora. Don't make me wake your ass up like I do for school. Leon's getting pissed, so I'm really starting to think about it." A sigh followed by an almost silent sob. "Come on, Sora. I miss you... We miss you..."

o-o-o-o-o

Our return to Akari was sudden and all together too fast. Roxas spent our last night in the kingdom with Axel. I spent my last night alone. I hadn't seen Riku since what I now called "the infamous swimming hole incident." I had been hoping that I would be able to see him at least once before we had to return, but my wishes were all for naught.

The magnificent kingdom that was my home was just as brilliant when we returned as it had been when we left. The white marble palace towered from the surrounded forestry and filled the entire kingdom with light. The always glowing ball of light that signified the Source shined brilliantly from the where it floated over the tallest tower of the palace, filling the kingdom with peace and happiness.

Unfortunately, it didn't touch me.

Though it wasn't my home, I was sick for Kurai. Though I had only been there for a little over a month, I felt like I knew more about the dark kingdom than I had ever known about Akari. Everything that I had learned in the books that lined the shelves in the palace's library was wrong. Kurai wasn't a place where demons thrived. It was a place full of beautiful and kind people. A place that had felt more like home to me than Akari had ever felt.

When our horses stopped at the palace gates, I wasn't surprised to see DiZ there waiting for us, his arms crossed over his chest with a welcoming smile on his face. Roxas and I scrambled down from our horses as quickly as we could and kowtowed in respect and courtesy. We didn't look up until DiZ laughed. Then, we stood and brushed the dirt casually from our clothes while our mentor studied us with thoughtful eyes.

"You have had an interesting journey," he stated. "I can see it shining in your eyes. I'm glad. I would like to hear what you have learned."

"That the books are wrong about the people of Kurai being vile, evil, and disgusting creatures," I said before I could stop myself. My hands immediately flew to my mouth when I realized what I said, but DiZ just laughed.

"And that is one of the more important messages I wanted you to grasp while you were there. But what else have you learned?"

Roxas sighed. "Xemnas was only able to hold counsel with us once during our trip. You didn't give us enough time. Sora was just beginning to gain the people's trust. They really took a liking to him, some more so than others."

I smiled and tried my hardest not to blush at the hidden implications of what he had said. I knew that Roxas wasn't stupid and that he had known that I was taken with Riku, but I never would have thought that he would say something like that in front of Ansem. Thankfully, the man didn't seem to find any hidden meanings behind the words and just laughed.

"Which is why you will be sent back for another visit in a couple of months," Ansem said.

"A couple of months?" I groaned, glaring at Roxas when he kicked me in the back of the leg.

Ansem nodded. "Yes. We wanted you home so you could have some time to recuperate, but Xemnas as already sent a message requesting your return. As Sora is still in training, you will need to stay for at least two months so you can continue with your studies before you return to Kurai."

"You just called us back so I could learn?" I moaned and sagged my shoulders.

Ansem laughed and gestured to a set of men behind us to care for our horses before leading the way into the palace. Just like the outside of the castle, the inside was just as I had left it. Shining. Perfect. Innocent. Just like me, or at least how I had been. I hadn't been tainted with darkness with my visit to Kurai, but I had the absolute longing to be submerged in it once again…

TBC…
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A/N: Holy crap!!! This took me FOREVER to write!! At least a month, maybe more. Fourteen freakin' pages!!! ::sighs:: But now it's done and I only hope that the next part won't take me near as long. Hopefully only a week…

Anyway…I hope you all enjoyed. I really liked writing this chapter because it's also my first real dive into Akari and Kurai outside of doodles and small tidbits I've jotted down in the margins of my notebook while I was supposed to be paying attention in class. Hehe… I think my favorite part was Roxas message to the comatose Sora, though. "Don't make me wake your ass up like I do for school." LoL…

Translations…
(1) Kurai no Ōkoku: Kingdom of Kurai…
(2) Arigatō, Sora: Thank you, Sora…
(3) Ja ne Riku-kun: See you later, Riku…

To come…
more on Kurai and Akari…Organization XIII…Riku and Sora's relationship blossoms…the war…"awakening"…a lemon?…separation…NeoAkari and NeoKurai…

Wow…lots to come…and most of it is in the next chapter, too. Hehe…

Okay…now I must go and finish watching Weiss Kreuz because it's calling to me. Hehe… Hugs and cookies and lotsa good stuff to everyone who reviewed last chapter. You guys are the fuel that keeps me going along. Gosh…how many times have you heard that? It's the truth, though!! BELIEVE IT!!! Ugh…::shivers::…stupid Naruto…

As always, I apologize for any missed typos and whatnot. And, as always again, I did print out and edit this chapter, but it's a biggun and I may have missed something. I was also editing when I was supposed to be paying attention in my class, so yeah…Hehe…

Until next chapter…adieu…