HEARTLESS

The shadows that draped across the area in which Vanitas and Sora were in faded away, revealing it to be the Grand Hall in Hollow Bastion. The giant keyhole glowed brightly in the background as a literal shadow was staring into it. The shadow seemed to twitch around until it turned to Vanitas. It's voice was deep.

"Why did you tell him so much?" The shadow mumbled in an annoyed tone.

Vanitas shrugged carelessly. "Why not? I thought it would make things with Riku more interesting," The black haired boy smirked darkly.

The shadow seemed to growl, turning back to the keyhole. "I can feel it," he muttered. "Riku's heart... He wants to see Sora."

Vanitas glanced at Sora, who still looked unconscious. "Why don't we give him what he wants? Then again..." Vanitas trailed off. "He might just get out of control."

The shadow scoffed, glancing at Vanitas. "I'm the King of the Heartless. There's no way he'll defy me."

Vanitas rolled his yellow eyes, looking at Sora and muttering to himself, "Lets see how that turns out." He then placed a hand under Sora's chin, tipping his head up to look at him. "Hey, Sora! Wake up!"

"..." Sora stirred a little, then blinked open gleaming amber eyes. He studied Vanitas for a moment, then grinned, showing a row of sharp teeth.

"Who's Sora?"

II

Riku searched the Islands all over, looking for any signs of Sora or the masked boy. Unfortunately for him, his search was in vain. Sora was no where to be found.

The silver haired teen sighed, sitting down on the sand in the Secret Place. That was the last place he checked, the second time actually. Since everything happened in there he thought it would be best to scope out first but the result was the same as the others.

Sora was gone.

Riku stared at all the drawings on the wall, almost getting lost in his thoughts until a familiar pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Riku tried looking around at who was holding him. "Wh-What the...?"

A cold, sinister voice answered him, but it was still... the same. "Hello Riku."

A chill drifted down Riku's spine, replying in disbelief. "S-Sora...? !" He turned his head around, finally able to get a look at his friend. As soon as he did his aquamarine eyes widened at Sora's appearance.

Hair that was once a soft and spiky brown was now turned a deathly pale white. Tanned skin from hanging out on the beach too much was now a few shades darker. And those eyes... The deep, clear blue was replaced with a gleaming evil amber- a color Riku was too familiar with-. Then the thing that looked the most haunting: Sora's blue shirt was ripped in half, showing off a blood red Heartless emblem.

Sora.

His best friend.

Sora was now a Heartless.

Said boy grinned a set of sharp teeth. "Whats wrong, Riku? I'm back!"

Riku swallowed a little nervously then scowled at him. "Y-Your not Sora! What happened to you? !"

Sora shrugged, his hands slowly trailing up to Riku's shoulder. "I'm a Heartless now... Would you like to know what happened?"

"..." Riku wasn't sure how to respond.

"First I need you to stand up."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust you."

"Why? We're friends, aren't we?"

"..." Riku looked down, slowly standing up. "Now tell me what happened to you, Sora."

As soon as he said that, Riku was pushed up against the hard rocky wall of the Secret Place. He grimaced, feeling his wrists pinned above his head. "What are you doing, Sora? !"

Sora smiled in a twisted way back, setting his own darkness around Riku's wrists. "Showing you what happened. Just imagine everything-" Sora placed a hand over Riku's eyes. "I wake up in a dark room with my hands like yours, can't see anything except someone who looks exactly like me. But his hair was black, eyes were yellow. Anyway- "Sora removed his hand, placing it over Riku's heart. "He tells me his name is Vanitas and some interesting bit of information that I think you'll love."

Riku shivered, now glaring at Sora. "What?"

"Mm..." Sora mused to himself. "I'll save it for the end. Continuing on... Vanitas tells me that he's been ordered to turn me into a Heartless!" He then laughed slightly, the distorted sound echoing around them. "Imagine it! Your dear Sora just standing there, totally helpless as Vanitas reaches in-" Sora's hand faded through Riku's chest, quickly grabbing his heart.

Riku choked out, "Argh- Sora!"

Then Sora forcefully pressed his mouth over Riku's in an attempt to silence his groans. After he quieted down slightly, Sora continued on. "and then he rips my heart out." as he spoke Sora let go of Riku's heart, earning a small sigh of relief from the older boy. "Of course, I screamed and screamed, begging for my heart back but no luck. Here's me now, Riku. Sora the Heartless."

"S-Sora..." Riku choked out, staring at him a little sadly. "I... I didn't know..." he trailed off, looking down again.

Sora growled in return. "Oh save it. I don't see you as anything anymore, just another heart I can eat when all this is over." The darkness around Riku's wrists tightened as Sora leaned in closer to him. "That reminds me... That bit of information."

Riku shuddered a little, leaning his head back away from Sora. "What?"

Sora got closer so his mouth was right next to his ear. He whispered in almost breathlessly, "Ansem is alive... All thanks to the darkness in your heart."

"What?" Riku almost shouted, jerking away. "There's no way he's alive!"

Sora smirked. "You could kill my King as many times as you wanted, and he'd still come back as long as your alive." Then the darkness faded away from Riku's wrists, freeing him.

"..." Suddenly Riku summoned Way to Dawn and hit Sora right across the chest with it. "Shut up, Heartless!"

Sora cried out, leaping back and crouching down almost animal-like, holding an arm across his chest. It looked like some black substance was dripping from where he was hit. He glared up at Riku through his white bangs. "Idiot! Are you trying to kill me? !"

Riku ignored him, pointing his Keyblade at Sora's chest, right over the Heartless emblem. "So that's it? Ansem is behind this? He's the one that made this Vanitas guy turn you into a Heartless?"

"..."

"Well?"

Sora growled lowly, "Sure, whatever. Ansem is behind this. Apparently turning me into a Heartless was part of some plan of his."

Riku raised an eyebrow, lowering his Keyblade slightly. "You... don't like being like this...?"

Sora bit his lip, looking away. He murmured, "What do you think? I get my heart ripped out, get separated from you and Kairi, and I'm expected to obey Ansem and Vanitas. Like some dog!" he growled. "I'm lucky they sent me here in the first place!"

"Sent you.. here?" Riku echoed, frowning.

"I was told... to come here... Do what I wanted but not kill you... and to come back soon, otherwise one of them was gonna come get me themselves."

Riku lowered Way to Dawn fully, crouching next to his friend and starting to wrap his arms around him. "Sora..."

Sora however, jerked away from the gesture quickly. "What are you doing? ! Stop it!"

"What? I was just..."

"Damn it, your only making things worse!"

Before Riku could say anything, a Dark Corridor opened up behind Sora. As quickly as it had appeared a hand reached out and grabbed Sora by the back of his jacket. Riku only hung onto him tighter. "Y-You can't have him! Let go!"

Sora struggled to get away from Riku on the other hand. "no, you let go! They can't kill me, so relax!"

Riku's grip faltered for a moment then Sora was yanked away and into the Corridor, it closing quickly. Riku cringed, yelling out as it disappeared- "N-No, Sora!"

He was alone again.