Here is chapter numero five-o! This has actually been my fav chapter to write, and was surprisingly long. So long that I split it in half, and will be releasing part two, as chapter six, in a couple of days.

*Disclaimer

Demyx: Heeeey!

Zexion: Hello.

Me: Hola boys, so, I assume you know the drill?

Zexion: Natcat5 does not own Kingdom Hearts or Square Enix characters, or Disney characters.

Demyx: She does own her scary-ass Shadow Wolves though!

Me: Thank you boys!

Zexion: (ahem) You, uh, promised...

Me: Oh yeah! Here's the key to the honeymoon suite!

Zexion: Shhhh! Not so loud....

Demyx: We're gonna have lots of fun aren't we Zexy?

Me: Yes. Lots of fun.

Shadows

A month had passed since the saviours of the universe had returned.

School was starting in less than a week, and the normalcy of the island was a bit disconcerting for Riku and Sora. Waking up, eating breakfast, doing chores again, running errands around the island, and most recently, preparing for school.

Kairi had had more experience with the shock of 'daily routines' and she'd been beside the boys, trying to keep them sane. Every time anyone approached Riku from behind, the dark warrior immediately went into battle mode, barely able to stop himself from summoning Way to Dawn. He'd already tackled most of his siblings, and drop-kicked Tidus half-way across the island.

Sora wasn't quite as volatile, but just as jumpy. He felt slightly scared without Goofy and Donald constantly watching his back, and the fact that he couldn't wear his battle clothes everywhere was making him super-paranoid. The inability to go into a drive or pull an item from his bottomless pockets was nerve-wracking.

Then, there was school.

Riku and Sora had been without a structured education for two years, both of them now years behind their friends and completely unused to textbook learning. The concept of sitting still in a classroom for up to eight hours terrified the boys, more than darkness or Heartless ever had. The situation was made worse by the revelation that uniforms had also been thrown into the equation. At this point, Sora practically broke down in tears, realizing that for five out of seven days, he wouldn't be able to touch his battle clothes. Riku had just hung his head, as if resigned to his fate. Roxas had also voiced his objection, completely averse to being trapped in Sora's head for an entire school day, filled with lessons he'd already learned in his virtual Twilight Town. At that point, Namine had suggested that Roxas used that knowledge to aid Sora, and the blonde boy had whinged that that meant he actually had to pay attention.

Life on the Islands definitely wasn't as relaxing and rewarding as imagined.

Then, of course, there was life at home.

Before he had been sucked away by the darkness, Riku's home life had been less than perfect. His house was small, and cramped, having to house seven people. Riku's father had left shortly after Benj had been born, leaving Riku's mother to fend for herself and her children. Riku had been fourteen at the time, and the departure of his father had left him angry and volatile, making for a very tense home environment, and lots of arguments between him and his remaining parent.

Upon his return, his Mom had rushed into his arms, apologizing profusely, sure that she was the reason he had left. The two of them now got along much better, and the older, wiser Riku was a great help to his frazzled mother. However, Riku was used to freedom, and the right to wander wherever he wished, and being tied down to a large, impoverished family was taking its toll on him.

Kairi and her adoptive father had been constantly at odds since her original disappearance, the latter being infuriated by the fact that his little princess couldn't-or wouldn't-tell him what had happened to her. Now that she had returned after disappearing for a second time, he treated her much better and held his tongue when it came to the question of her whereabouts. There was still a tenseness between them that made Kairi's home an awkward, edgy place.

Sora had always been a wild, playful child, which contrasted greatly with his Father's uptight attitude. The two of them had had constant arguments over the past, whether it be on how late Sora stayed out on the Play Island, or how he conducted himself around others. When Sora first returned, it seemed that the tense environment had vanished, so relieved were the two of them to see one another, but after just a few days, it had returned in full force.

Yamato Mey just couldn't accept that fact that Sora had no memory of where he had been for the past two years, and constantly badgered his son. The observation of scars all over the teenager had done little to rebuke Yamato's argument. Sora's constant denial had fuelled his father's anger more than anything he had ever done before. It got to the point where Yamato had refused to talk to his son, who he said, 'hadn't grown a bit of sense and was still the air-headed idiot he had always been' and would continue to refuse to do so until Sora was willing to tell him where he had been.

Mari Mey did little to stop the arguments, saying that she thought the guys had to work it out for themselves, but inwardly, she harboured a secret fear. The new Sora, the Sora that had returned to her, was not her Sora. He was the not the Sora she remembered, and not the child she had had. The hardness in his eyes, the scars on his body, all made Mari wary of her son, not sure what had happened, and not sure she wanted to know.

Home definitely was not what the Keyblade wielders had thought it would be.

The only thing remotely welcoming and peaceful about it was the Play Island, where the three of them could be themselves around each other, and practise with their Keyblades, and talk of their adventures freely.

That was home.

Another day on the Play Island.

Sora watched fondly as Kairi tried to persuade Riku to let her braid his hair, tugging on the long silver strands playfully, despite his protests. Namine was sitting nearby, chuckling softly at the scene in front of her. Despite his apparent dislike of being corporeal, due to his translucence, Roxas was also out, though the reason was evident, as he lay with his head in Namine's lap, staring dreamily up at her. The blonde girl was absent-mindedly running her fingers through the boy's spiked hair, the two of them being tangible to one another.

A fluttery feeling filled Sora's stomach and automatically, he turned to look at Kairi, now laughing gaily along with Riku. A twinge of jealousy flashed through the teenager, quickly followed by a wave of guilt.

Stop that, he admonished. They're your best friends, both of them. That's all. Just because Roxas and Namine are together doesn't mean that....besides, she probably doesn't even like me that way....

Hey Sora....

Sora jumped, startled, as a familiar voice echoed unexpectedly in his mind.

Don't freak out you stupid pansy, it's just me.

Roxas? What...., Sora turned to look at the spot where Namine and Roxas had been resting. Sure enough, the blonde boy was still there, though now, he was looking at Sora intensely.

Just testing something out. Seems like we can talk telepathically even when we're not joined. Pretty cool huh? Said Roxas telepathically, winking at his Somebody. Sora groaned inwardly, flopping down onto the sand.

Oh great, now you can torture me even when you're not directly in my head. My life is officially over. I think I'm going to join a convent.

You'd make a very, sexy nun.

"Sora!" The Keyblade Master sat up, quickly erasing the horrified expression from his face, and turned to face Riku, who had called out to him.

"Yeah Riku? What's up?" he asked, getting to his feet. Frowning, Namine also stood up, pushing Roxas off her lap. The blonde boy pouted and got to his feet beside his girlfriend.

Riku was staring dourly into the distance, his green eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. Kairi stood behind him, clutching her chest as if in pain, her expression mirrored in Namine's face.

What's going on? Thought Sora. What's everybody-uhnn!

Sora winced and closed his eyes as a fierce wave of darkness hit him. It wasn't visible, but merely an intense, foreboding feeling that had descended upon the area.

Gah...what is that? Gasped Roxas telepathically, grimacing in pain.

Dunno, replied Sora, But it's dark, and it's powerful, and it's coming.

Oh geez, we're about to be killed by the Children of the Earth.

Maybe we should....

Yeah. It's not like I'm useful or anything when I'm freaking Casper. Said Roxas bitterly, before walking over to Sora and rejoining him in a flash of blue light.

Immediately, Sora felt more powerful, and more whole as his Nobody rejoined him, and he summoned Oathkeeper in his right hand and Oblivion in his left.

Hey babies, crooned Roxas, did you miss me?

Roxas, stop orally making out with the Keyblades.

But...they're my babies!

Which makes it even weirder.

"Sora." Sora snapped out of his inward conversation and turned towards Riku, who had summoned Way to Dawn.

"Sora," continued the Dark Warrior, "This...doesn't feel like normal darkness...it's...weird." Riku scowled, worry creasing his forehead.

Sora narrowed his eyes in confusion and tightened his grip on the Keyblades.

Riku looks worried; he thought to himself, if he says it doesn't feel like normal darkness, and it's making him nervous...what could it be? What darkness could worry Riku? And besides, the Heartless are gone, Organization XIII is finished...what is this?

I don't know but-

Gah!!!

What?!!

Oh...I forgot you could hear my thoughts when I'm not talking directly to you.

...Idiot.

Yeah...sorry.

I mean, you take being a moron to a whole new level.

Yeah...so what were you-?

I've met cheese smarter than you.

Thank you. No you were-

If you played a game of wits against a sponge, my money would be on the sponge.

Roxas!

Sorry, sorry. Anyways, I was saying that Riku is probably more sensitive to darkness than we are, and if he feels a particularly strong, or strange darkness, it's sure to pull more strongly on him than it does on us. He's probably afraid of getting sucked in again.

Oh....Sora turned to his best friend, a concerned look on his face. Poor Riku, but he doesn't have to worry, he's got us right here beside him, to help him stand up to the darkness!

That's right! Even if he did attack me, beat me up, kidnap me, and ruin my life!

................

Ignore me, I'm emo.

"Sora, what do we do?" Sora ceased his mental conversation and turned to look at Kairi, now joined with Namine, who was staring at him worriedly.

The brunette grinned cockily and lowered himself into a battle stance. "Don't worry Kairi, Riku and I will handle it. You just get to safe-,"

"No!" cried the Princess, causing the boys to jump. "I refuse! I'm not going to be some helpless little girl! I swear, if you make me hide, and then I get back and you've both disappeared to god knows where, I'm going to kill you!"

Um, said Roxas to Sora mentally, how is she gonna kill us if we're not here?

Shhh! Be careful! Namine might hear you and then Kairi will hear and try to eat us!

"And besides! I'm not completely useless you know; I've got this!" Kairi held out her hand, and in a flash of pink-hued light, her keyblade, Blossoming Light, appeared. Kairi slashed through the air with the Keyblade, causing the boys to jump back. The red-haired glared evilly at her two friends, who cowered before her feminine might.

"Listen you two sexist pigs, you didn't spend the last month helping me train for nothing. When that darkness shows its face, I'm gonna open a giant can of whup-ass, and then, I'm gonna come after you guys and teach you all about just how fair the 'fairer sex' can be!" snarled Kairi, practically purple with rage.

Riku stared at her with his eyes widened, his version of complete shock.

Sora, of course, had his jaw on the floor.

Whoa, is it like, her time of the month or something?

I....don't know....

Because I heard girls do some psycho things when they're-,

Roxas's thought ended abruptly as a fresh wave of darkness hit the Keyblade wielders. The three teenagers cringed as the air around them grew heavy with a dark mist, and a foreboding atmosphere descended on them.

"S-Sora? R-Riku?" stammered Kairi, all previous bravado vanishing as the dark mist hid her friends from her view.

"Kairi!" called Sora, running forward through the vapour.

Just then, Sora felt a fierce, unpleasant tingling tear through his body and he whirled around, holding Oblivion and Oathkeeper at the ready.

"Who's out there!" he cried. "Show yourself!"

There was a growl from the area in front of Sora, and the brunette frantically waved at the air, trying to dispel the dark mist that was obscuring his vision.

It's no use! This is darkness! You'd have better luck trying to see through Riku's fringe! Shouted Roxas inside Sora's mind. Sora grimaced and tightened his hold on the Keyblades.

The growling increased.

A piercing scream rent the air.

Kairi! Thought Sora frantically, just as Roxas thought, Namine!

The teenager whirled around, only to be knocked down by a powerful force and pinned to the ground.

"Unh!" cried Sora as his head hit the floor. He felt something sharp digging into his back and a dark presence on top of him.

"GET OFF!" screamed the Keyblade Wielder, arching his back and sending his assailant flying. Sora jumped to his feet and turned to face his attacker.

His eyes widened.

Four pairs of burning red eyes stared at the teen, attached to barely visible shadowy bodies, in the shape of menacing, dark wolves.

Sora took an involuntary step back.

Are those...Heartless? They don't...they don't feel like Heartless...

I don't know what the hell those things are. Holy shit, what are they? Seriously, what the f(oops!) are they!

One of the wolves took a step forward.

Sora narrowed his eyes and lowered himself into a battle stance, holding Oblivion and Oathkeeper at the ready.

Without any warning, all four wolves sprang.

Sora immediately swung out with Oathkeeper, connecting with one wolf and sending it flying backwards. Oblivion stabbed another one through the gut, a shadowy substance leaking out of the creature onto the Keyblade. Sora cried out in pain as one of the other wolves grabbed onto his leg with its powerful jaws, and the other one tore its claws across his chest.

Sora! cried Roxas, his voice heavy with the pain he also felt.

Yeah, I know...crap these things are fast...Now shut up. I need to concentrate.

Sora shook the wolf off his leg and flung the other wolf off Oblivion. The wolf hit the ground, the shadowy substance flowing freely from the wound in its stomach.

Then, it stood up, none the worse for wear. If anything, it seemed bigger, the dark matter from its wound reforming around its body and making it bulkier.

Sora's jaw dropped in shock.

What the hell? That just isn't fair!

The newly healed wolf snarled and leapt at the teenager and Sora slashed at it with Oathkeeper. Another wolf sprang at him, and Sora raised Oblivion, only to a find a third wolf with his jaws clamped around his arm.

"Aggh!" screamed Sora, shaking it off.

Okay, that's it, screw animal cruelty, I'm going Final on their asses! Said Sora inwardly, grimacing in pain.

There was a flash of light, and Sora's mostly black ensemble was replaced with a silvery white ensemble, radiating light and superiority.

With a yell, Sora charged the wolves, floating effortlessly as he raced towards them. Oblivion and Oathkeeper sliced through the air beside him, cutting through a wolf each as they did. Oathkeeper than spun in front of Sora and stabbed a third wolf through the skull, while Oblivion whirled around to dispatch the last, amplified wolf, which had been sneaking up behind Sora.

Sora looked at the prone forms of the wolves grimly, the same black substance flowing freely onto the mist-covered ground.

Ick. Okay, they aren't Heartless. As far as I know, Heartless don't bleed tar.

Whatever, it doesn't matter. Where are Riku and Kairi? Do you think they're okay? Gah, the stupid mist's so thick I can't even hear them anymore!

Yeah, I'm worried about Namine...she's kind of fragile y'know? Not like Kairi, the Amazon Woman.

Are you insulting Kairi?

I don't know, am I?

Don't do that! You know I confuse easily!

Yes, I do know that. I know that very well.

Asshole.

Konichiwa.

Just then, the same unpleasant tingly feeling filled Sora, the same feeling he got whenever an extreme dark presence was nearby.

Hey...

Yeah, my Roxas senses are tingling too.

There was a growl.

Sora barely had time to look down in shock before one of the wolves leapt straight at him, its back paws clawing fiercely at his already injured chest, and his front paws raking his face to shreds.

Sora screamed and fell back, his Drive disappearing as he hit the shadowed ground. The Keyblade warrior just managed to throw his hands up to catch the large jaws of the wolf before they closed around his neck. Sora pushed back, trying to keep the wolf's mouth away from his throat, while still screaming in pain as claws dug into his chest and face.

"Fira!" screamed Sora in desperation.

Suddenly, Sora's hands grew red hot and a blast of fire erupted from each one, exploding into the wolf's mouth and face. The shadow creature flew back wards with a howl of pain, its face consumed in flames.

Clutching his chest in pain, Sora slowly and painfully got to his feet, blood dripping through his hands and down his face.

Wh-What did you just do? Asked Roxas in awe, staring through Sora's eyes at the burning wolf.

I....I don't know. I....I think I used a spell without the Keyblade!

.....Dude.....

Hey, shut up! Oh crap, the other three are getting up....

Sora grimaced and summoned Oathkeeper, the Keyblades having vanished with the Final Form. He kept his left hand clutched against his chest, blood pouring out of the deep wound.

I don't think I can do a Curaga...gasped Sora inwardly; that Fira spell...whatever it was...it totally drained me of magic...

Sora's thoughts ended abruptly as the three wolves leapt at him simultaneously. The teenager swung forcefully out with Oathkeeper, slicing two of the wolves in half. He then high-jumped into the air, avoiding the last wolf's attack. Sora landed behind the wolf, swinging the Keyblade in a fierce arc that connected with the wolf with such strength that the black substance flew everywhere.

Oh, gross.

Sora stared at the remains of the four wolves, breathing heavily as blood poured from his numerous wounds.

Is...that it? Did I really get them?

I hope so, we're worn out.

Sora took a shaky breath and fell onto his hands and knees, the Keyblade disappearing in a flash of light. The teenager shook from pain and exhaustion, made immobile by the stress of the battle. Sora's eyes were closed as he tried to master his pain and he didn't see what was going on around him.

The bodies of the wolves had evaporated into a dark aura that molded with the mist around and the black substance that had flowed from the Shadows' injuries. The materials fused together in the shape of four new, larger shapes, with a thicker claws and longer teeth.

All Sora heard was a soft growl.

But that was all he needed.

The Keyblade Master twisted out of the way as one of the wolves leapt at him, jumping to his feet with a cry of pain. Sora high-jumped as two other wolves attacked, narrowly avoiding their claws. As Sora landed on the ground, the last wolf charged. Once again summoning Oathkeeper, Sora stabbed the wolf through the chest, pulling out his blade and sending the temporarily subdued wolf crashing to the ground.

No good Sora. You can keep stabbing them and they'll just keep coming! Cried Roxas internally.

Sora slashed at two other wolves, both of them leaping out of the way. The fourth wolf jumped onto his back, biting his shoulder fiercely. Screaming in pain, Sora grabbed the wolf and flung it off, blood oozing from the deep teeth marks from his new wound.

Yeah...can't fight like this forever...

You know Sora, sometimes running away isn't necessarily cowardly, but a necessity to ensure survival.

Sora leapt back as a wolf swiped at his face, backflipping in the air and dispatching two wolves on the landing. He winced as he hit the ground, the impact sending a jarring pain through his body.

Run away? What about Riku and Kairi?

Riku's not stupid, he knows when he can't win a fight, and so does Kairi for that matter. You're the only one stubborn enough to keep fighting in an impossible situation.

You know, your words hurt me.

Whatever, now run boy!

Sora twisted in the air, wind milling around to slice through all four wolves. Their bodies crashed to the ground, along with the teenager's. Sora lay once again on his hands and knees, crippled by the horrible pain wracking his body.

Come on Sora! This is your chance! I know it hurts, but you have to get up. If you don't run now you'll never get away.

Sora let out a small cry of pain before opening his eyes and standing upright, his face screwed in an agonized grimace.

Damn...those stupid wolves really messed me up.

Don't I know it, brother.

With a shaky breath and a whimper, Sora began to run through the mist, not sure of where he was going, due to his obscured vision, but clear on the fact that if he didn't get away now, he was puppy chow.

Well that was fun!

Okay, sorry for the uber boring part at the beginning, especially after I promised darkness and action. Don't worry, as you can see, it's already started. Next chapter will have Sora and Fawn going face to face, and trust me, it's going to be awesome...

Honeys, sweetie pies, honey bunches of oats, be kind, do my heart some good......

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, I have so much fun writing this story, you must have fun reading it. Now tell me how much fun you have reading it!