Sora woke up in a daze, moonlight dimly illuminating the room through the window as he adjusted his eyes to the nighttime darkness. He felt excessively weak, and could hardly remember where he was and why. He noticed Riku sitting against the wall nearby, his head drooping as he sighed in his sleep. Cloud was in the same position against the door, his wrapped hand and arm in a sling, calmly breathing as he slept.

Suddenly, in a rush of recollection, Sora remembered what had happened before he had blacked out.

Four members of the Organization—Xaice among them for the second time—had attacked Riku, Taro, Enik, Cloud, and him on the beach. Taro had had an attack, and Cloud had been seriously harmed trying to help Enik restrain him.

And I was closer to being killed than ever, Sora reminded himself.

The second that notion entered his mind, a wave of pain coursed through him, causing every inch of his body to feel as though it were covered in flames. Engulfed in anguish, Sora screamed louder than he felt he ever had, writhing under the sheets of the bed as he pleaded mentally for the pain to subside.

Immediately, the light flicked on and Riku and Cloud were at his side, full of unease.

"Y-You okay?" Riku asked tiredly, trying to hold back a yawn. Sora stared at him, gasping as he tried to ignore the searing pain, and shook his head.

"What he needs," Cloud offered, "is some familiar comfort."

"Like what, exactly?" Riku replied angrily. Cloud shrugged.

"Like Kairi."

Kairi. The name echoed in Sora's head, calming and soothing his anxious mind. He relaxed, breathing deeply as the pain slowly went away.

"Don't get his hopes up, it's not like we can just go back."

Cloud shrugged. "I won't be able to fight for a few months at least, after what Taro did to my wrist, so I obviously have to go back. It's simple—we all go back so I can stay there, and Sora can see Kairi for a day. He's not going to heal any other way."

"He sure as heck will heal any other way."

"Emotionally, I mean."

Riku stared at his friend, who was drifting to sleep as they spoke. Cloud did have a point—the reason Sora hadn't fought Kasix back was because he had finally given up, mentally at least. He didn't have the willpower at this point; he was obviously still beating himself up over the past. One day with Kairi wouldn't hurt.

"We'll talk about it in the morning, I'm going back to sleep." Riku turned and shut the light off again, returning to his spot by the wall and leaning against it wearily. Cloud watched him jadedly before walking lightly over to the door, sitting in front of it and falling asleep himself.

"So we'll bring you back today, agreed?" Riku asked, glaring at Cloud impatiently. The swordsman nodded, attempting to eat one of Enik's waffles (more like waffle-shaped bricks) one-handed.

"And you and Sora will stay there tonight and tomorrow while Leon and the others figure out who should go with you for the rest of the journey. Meanwhile, Sora can spend some time with Kairi and get better."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. You don't think that having to leave her again will make him more upset?"

"Not if he has some peace of mind before he does," Cloud answered confidently. "He didn't have the chance for that the other times, did he?"

Riku paused, considering this. "No, I guess he didn't."

"And therein lies my point."

Taro staggered into the room, looking completely exhausted. His cousin spun around, his eyes widening at the younger boy. "Taro, you should still be asleep, it's too early for you to be up and about right now."

"N-no…" the boy argued, collapsing heavily into a chair and slouching against the table, "I'm fine, honest." He looked around at everyone in the room, a confused expression dawning on his face. "What happened yesterday? Where's Sora?"

There was a long moment of silence as Cloud, Riku, and Enik exchanged thoughtful glances. "Um…" Enik began, casually putting a waffle on a plate and smothering it with syrup, "…why do you ask?"

Taro considered this, staring up at the ceilings as he thought. "I don't feel right, is all." He fell suddenly silent, looking at his older cousin suspiciously. "Enik…did I…did I have an attack?" Riku and Cloud stared at their plates guiltily, trying their best to stay out of the conversation. Hesitantly, Enik nodded grimly. Taro noticeably cringed as he took a deep, slow breath. "I remember now. Organization XIII."

"Taro, you don't have to have anything to do with this," Enik blurted out abruptly. His eyes were filled with sadness and worry. "You can leave the whole situation alone."

"Enik, I can't," Taro replied confidently. "You realize they came here because they chose to try and kidnap me again; the only way to ensure my—our­ safety—is for me to stop them in their entirety. I couldn't ask you to get involved; I need Sora's help to do this. It's just…how it is."

"But it isn't!" his cousin shouted as he slammed his hand angrily onto the countertop. "You don't understand how badly I need you to come to terms with that! You need to stop and remember that it's Sora's job to take care of this, and you aren't responsible. You didn't ask for this."

Boldly, Riku stood up from his place at the table. "Enik, I think you need to stop and remember that Sora didn't ask for this, either."

"Don't you tell me what I need to remember!" the older boy snapped hatefully, glaring across the room at a calm, composed Riku. "He's my cousin, and you have no power over what he does or doesn't do. Just stop trying to tell him what you think is right, already!"

"All I'm telling you is this—Sora and Taro are in a similar position right now. They both have Organization XIII coming after them, and if anyone except them takes action, the most likely result will be defeat. Obviously, not only Sora, but everyone, needs to find out what Organization XIII is up to, and it won't solve the problem if we try to hide either of them or hold them back. Where they go, Organization XIII goes. And if we find support in other worlds—which I'm sure we will—they'll become their own worst enemy. We'll hold Organization XIII at an impasse and bring them down one by one, if we have to."

The truthfulness of Riku's statement began its immediate impact on the others present in the room. Taro stared up at him in awe, his reaction just the opposite of the angrily stunned Enik. Cloud, on the contrary, was staring at a wall emotionlessly, as if the entire conversation hadn't taken place at all.

"Riku," he said suddenly. "We should get going." Glancing at a clock on the wall nearby, the silver-haired boy nodded and stepped away from the table.

"Going?" Taro asked, his voice raising an octave in shock. "Where are you…?"

"We're starting over," Riku answered shortly, now heading towards the stairs. "And you're coming, got that? Get packing."

"What?!" Enik roared, pushing his cousin back into his chair as he attempted to get up and leave. "He isn't going anywhere!" Suddenly, Taro twisted out of his grip and scrambled a few feet away, looking at him furiously.

"Stop controlling me, Enik. You say you don't want me killed, yet you're trying to force me to stay here, where they already know I am?"

"They'll follow Sora if he leaves, you don't have to," Enik answered desperately.

"That gives them no reason not to come back here. They sense darkness, Enik, I remember it well enough from when I was kidnapped. They'll find me no matter where I am, and staying here won't only hurt me…" a tear slid down his face as he struggled to continue his sentence "…they'll hurt you, too. I…I wouldn't be able to bear that, and you know it."

"Stop worrying about protecting me. Worry about yourself," Enik said softly as he walked over and trapped Taro in a comforting hug. The younger boy pulled away again, shaking his head.

"Enik…I should be saying the same thing," he said softly. Enik stiffened, struck speechless by the reality of what Taro had said.

At that moment, Riku came down the stairs carrying two bags. Tossing one to Cloud, he nodded towards Taro. "All his stuff is in there. Throw it in the ship while I go get Sora. Taro, are you okay enough to leave now?"

The boy nodded self-assuredly. "Better than ever."

The ship's engine roared to life, creating a sudden, fierce blast of air that shook the nearby palm trees. A sunny sky blazed overhead as birds happily twirled past puffy, white clouds—a nearly perfect day.

The 'nearly' that was downsizing the day's perfection came in the form of a small group of people—Taro, Enik, Cloud, and Riku—standing at the foot of the gummi ship's stairway to the cockpit and cabin. Sora was asleep in Riku's arms, his side heavily bandaged after yesterday's conflict. Several people had come out of their houses to stare in surprise at the large ship and the unfamiliar people surrounding it, as if they hadn't noticed either before this moment. A few even commented on the fact that it seemed the Hotaru boy was finally leaving.

The Hotaru boy in question was currently standing beside Riku, taking one last look at the place that had been his home for the past fifteen years. Where he and his cousin had been born, where their family had died, where everything in his life had taken place. Strangely, the fact that he was leaving it behind meant very little now. The fact of leaving his cousin had begun to mean more.

"Enik," he muttered, "d-don't…don't think badly of me, for this." Glancing up at Enik with pleading eyes, he was surprised to see his cousin crying. Instantly, the older boy lifted him up into his arms and hugged him tightly, letting his tears soak the younger boy's sweatshirt as he cried.

"Don't think that for one second. I would never think badly of you, Taro." He paused to take a deep breath. "I realized you're right. It would seem that the only possible solution is for you to follow the path destiny has given you. If it were me, I know you'd let me do whatever my heart told me to. And if this is what yours is saying is right…then I can't question it any more. It wouldn't be fair."

A small sob escaped the younger boy. "Thank you, Enik…I'm going to miss you, you know," he added, hugging closer to his cousin.

"Me too, little buddy. Me too." Setting him down on the ground, Enik took a step back and turned his gaze to Riku and Cloud. "I trust you to take care of him."

"He'll be safe with us, promise," Riku said kindly. "There'll be a lot of people looking out for all of us. No harm could possibly come to him." Enik only nodded, staring at the sky as he did.

"All right," he said finally. Cloud took the initiative to be the first to turn away from their group; he walked silently up the ramp into the cockpit, roaring the engine once more as he began to prepare for the liftoff. Riku nodded his farewell, taking the same route as Cloud, with Sora still in his arms.

Lingering behind, Taro looked from the ship, to Enik, and back again with anxious eyes, as if he was second-guessing his decision. Turning in place, he doubtfully started up the ramp, each step slowly and carefully taken. After a few feet, he turned around and faced his cousin again.

"Goodbye, Enik," he said softly, adding a small wave before he continued on his way and disappeared into the ship's cabin.

After a few moments, the engine roared so loudly Enik had to cover his ears. The frame of the vehicle lifted into the air, hovering for a moment before slowly drifting higher up, and then suddenly shot off faster than a bullet out of a gun, speeding across the blue canvas of a sky before fading from sight completely.

Enik sighed deeply, closing his eyes as he stood in the place where the ship had been just moments before. "Goodbye, Hyakutaro."

As he walked back to his house, alone and disheartened, Enik tried desperately to shake the feeling that was beginning to overwhelm him. He was confident that Taro would be kept safe. But despite the things he was telling himself, he couldn't release from his mind the premonition that he would never see his cousin again.

"Riku! You're back!" Yuffie squealed, bouncing across the main room of Cid's Accessory Shop. She flung herself towards the boy, hugging him gleefully. Grinning, he stepped away from her and continued towards the couch, where Leon and Aerith were currently sitting. Leon looked up in surprise as Riku came into his view.

"Why are you here?"

"Well, isn't that a friendly hello," Riku retorted, laughing. Leon remained serious. "Okay, okay, don't get all angry at me. Cloud got hurt on the job and we're dropping him off, that's all." As if on cue, Cloud walked in through the door, looking around at everyone, his arm still wrapped and in a sling. Taro followed nervously behind him.

"Who's this?" asked Yuffie, who immediately made her way over to the terrified boy. She hugged him nonetheless, much to his surprise, and Riku couldn't hold back the laughter as he watched Taro's face flush bright red.

"That's Taro. He's a friend of ours."

"Nice to meetcha, Tar!" the ninja girl chirped, patting him on the head.

"N-Nice to meet you too…"

"Taro, huh?" Leon asked. He clapped him on the shoulder, managing a small grin. "Leon."

"SQUALL!" Yuffie interrupted, giggling at Leon's annoyed expression. Aerith made her way over as well, smiling warmly at Taro before shaking his hand.

"I'm Aerith. It's very nice to meet you, Taro."

In the midst of all the greetings, everyone had almost completely ignored Cloud. He coughed loudly, silencing the room completely, before Yuffie burst into laughter.

"Hi to you too, Cloud!" she said happily, hugging him.

"Mmm," Leon muttered. Aerith laughed softly and nodded towards Cloud, beaming.

"So, Riku, where's Sora?" Leon asked. Riku and Cloud looked at each other, and instantly the mood in the room changed drastically. Taro's expression became nervous again, and he stared at his feet awkwardly.

"Is he hurt?" Aerith asked, looking to Cloud for an answer. He nodded slowly as he started back out the door, leading the rest to the gummi ship that was landed outside. Cloud climbed up the ramp to the cabin, and there was a resounding gasp as he reemerged with Sora in his arms, still unconscious after the long trip back. His weight was shifted awkwardly to one side as he tried not to drop him, despite the fact he was relying on his one uninjured arm to support Sora's weight.

"Wh-what happened…?" Yuffie asked, her excitement nearly snuffed out by her shock. Grimly, Riku cleared his throat amid the stunned silence and prepared to explain.

"Organization XIII happened. They attacked us, again."

Leon stiffened, looking over at Aerith with concern. "Well then," he mumbled, "we need to talk, now."

"Why does it have to be now?"

"Because they attacked here too," Yuffie interjected as a clarification for Leon's haste. "They were looking for Sora."

"Could they have perhaps been the same people?" Aerith asked. No one answered.

"I think this discussion can wait; we need to get Sora to Leon's place," Cloud said quietly. "He's bleeding all over me. Aerith, Yuffie, can you get some medical supplies together and take care of him?"

"We can," Aerith answered. She and Yuffie hurried off towards Leon's, with Cloud close behind. Watching them go, Riku turned to Leon.

"Where's Kairi?"

"At my place; sleeping, I think."

The silver-haired boy sighed. "This might not go as well as I hoped."

Sora?

"Roxas…?"

Oh, good, you're all right.

"Mmm, but…just barely."

I know. I'm just glad you're alive. After what happened, I wasn't sure how you were going to end up.

"I wasn't too sure, either. But, Roxas…what did you mean when you said you had a feeling, that you might not always be able to help me?"

………

"You there?"

Yeah, I was just trying to figure out how to explain it. It's hard to describe—it was kind of like reverse déjà vu. Like I felt what was going to happen, instead of knowing it. It was strange.

"Well, what did you feel?"

That's just it; I felt nothing. Nothing at all…but deep down, that nothing told something of the future. I don't know what about the future, though.

"So how does that have anything to do with whether or not you'll be around?"

Because, as a part of you, I feel what you feel, only…differently. And if I feel nothing, then that means I've been separated from you permanently.

"Why would that happen?"

That's what I don't know. Do you?

"No, I don't."

All I have for an insight is what Xaice said. About how much trouble I've caused for you, and for the world. And about the reason they keep leaving when they see me.

"What's the reason?"

…I have no idea. Sora, a time will come when everything will be answered. Don't worry about it for now; just worry about getting better.

"Okay…"

Oh, and Sora?

"Yeah?"

Say hi to Kairi for me, all right?

A bright light dimly lit the empty black of Sora's vision as he laid motionless, eyes still closed. The soft mattress he was lying on was comfortable, and he lazily rolled onto his side, content. However, he had completely forgotten about his injury.

With a yelp, he pushed himself up off the bed with his one good arm, pushing himself back-first against the nearby wall as he groaned in pain. He squinted in the light as he opened his eyes.

He was in Leon and Yuffie's house, in Traverse Town. Lying in the same bed he had slept in before leaving for Memory Isle, he sat up straighter as he looked around the familiar room, wincing as the uncomfortable movement made his injured side burn. He vaguely remembered being carried here by Cloud, and Yuffie and Aerith taking care of him before leaving again. Now he just sat quietly, taking it all in. Everything was just as he remembered it—perhaps even better than he remembered. It seemed that seeing something after missing it so much made it all the more special.

"Sora?"

He started at the voice, his eyes widening. It was a recognizable voice, one that sent comfort and serenity swirling inside him the second he heard it. A voice that made him thankful he was here, rather than anywhere else in the world. A voice he would die to hear, anytime, anywhere. The voice of the person he loved more than life itself.

Kairi appeared in the doorway, her smile radiating more energy than the sun as she beamed with happiness. "Sora! You're back!" Running into the room, she hopped onto the bed and sat next to Sora against the wall, seizing him in a delighted hug. Sora moaned as she squeezed him tightly, and she quickly let go, immediately concerned. "You're…?"

"Hurt, yes," he whispered, "but I don't care." He weakly lifted his arms, ignoring the pain, and hugged her back, sighing deeply. "I missed you, Kairi."

"Sora…" she said quietly, wrapping her arms around him, more gently this time. "…I…I missed you too. So much." A tear slid down her face, followed by more. "I thought I'd never see you again," she sobbed.

"I know, shh," Sora soothed, whispering into her hair. "I'm right here, don't worry about me. I'm all right."

"But you could have died, Sora…"

"I didn't, though, and that's all that matters. I'm here, Kairi, I'm here for you. I love you, Kairi." A muffled giggle, mixed with another sob, answered him. Kairi looked up at him, her sky-blue eyes mixing with his, before she released herself from their embrace and grinned.

"I love you too, Sora," she whispered, leaning towards him and kissing him. Sora kissed her back, hugging her close again, and the two remained motionless for what seemed like forever before pulling back and smiling at each other. Running a hand through his hair, Kairi leaned against Sora's good shoulder and sighed. "I've been so scared, since you left. Organization XIII attacked here while you were gone."

"What?" Sora asked, his voice rising in worry. Kairi laughed quietly and kissed him on the side of the face, silencing him.

"They left almost right away. Leon and Yuffie were all ready to fight them off, but they noticed you weren't here and disappeared."

Sora sat in silence, staring at his feet and Kairi's, breathing rhythmically and ignoring the pain from his side. They came here, too…he thought, frowning with concern. Were they the same ones, or…different? Were they trying to track down where I was going next, or just where I had been? "Kairi?"

"Yes?"

"What did they look like, the ones who came here?"

"Oh, well…" she considered this for a moment, pursing her lips as she thought. "I only saw them briefly, before everyone tried to hide me. They thought they might try to kidnap me, you know." Sora cringed visibly, and she gasped in regret. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, you didn't…" he lied, resting his head on top of hers. "Go on."

"There was…one with white-blonde hair, and a pair of twins, and one with…was it purple hair? Yes, that was it. They all seemed a little beat-up."

A chilling fear built up in Sora's chest, sending a shiver down his spine. They came here to try and finish us off after they'd already found us once. They knew we were coming back here? But…how?

"Nexy, are you all right?" Kasix asked, hugging Nexhayd lovingly. She was sitting on the long, exquisite couch in one of Castle Oblivion's many rooms, with Nexhayd lounging beside her as he stared at the glass-like walls resignedly.

"I can't believe we lost like that," he mumbled, putting a hand over his eyes as he sighed with disappointment. "And all because of that stupid blondie turncoat we call Roxas," he added, saying the name with overwhelming hatred in every syllable.

The blonde-haired girl only smiled, kissing him lightly before cuddling closer.

"Don't go beating yourself up over it," she said cheerfully, "one loss only means a more satisfying victory when he dies in the end. Right, Rent?"

Renterx lay on the other end of the couch, glaring at the two with immense annoyance. He was completely paralyzed for the time being, having broken every last one of his ribs from Taro's attack. Kasix giggled at her brother despite his hateful stare, and then looked up as the door on the other side of the room slowly opened.

"Hey, Nex," Zaix said as he walked nonchalantly into the room. "I heard the last mission didn't go so well. Thought I'd come by and see how you were doing."

"Stop acting concerned," Nexhayd snapped, narrowing his eyes. "I hate all of you and your fake emotions." Looking away for a moment, he pushed Kasix away and growled under his breath. "Leave me alone."

Rising off of the couch to stand beside Zaix, the now silent girl only sighed as she led the other boy away from Nexhayd, who was now lying with his back to them. "He's taking it hard, you know? And not just because of…Roxas," she whispered to Zaix, being careful to not let her brother or Nexhayd hear. "He was involved in the experimenting on that Taro boy, and when we saw what the repercussions of all those tests had caused and how unbeatable it was…" She shook her head, as if she still couldn't believe what had happened. "Nexhayd could only tell himself he had played a part in our defeat, before the battle even started. He's disappointed."

"Mmm, well…" Zaix muttered, looking at the two boys over her shoulder. "He's not the only one. The Superior's starting to get concerned; it seems that every time we try to make an attack, Roxas ends up halting the entire process. It's almost impossible to make any progress." Anger crossed his face fleetingly, and he grimaced. "I say we just pick off Roxas anyway, and let Fayxt get what comes to him."

"Zaix!" Kasix hissed, glaring. "You can't say things like that; you know exactly what would happen if he died."

"He came here during the Slumber, just like the rest of us. He can't be that special, even if he is connected to that reject Roxas."

"You know he's important; without him, the entire Organization would fall through!"

"At the rate this is going, it'll fall through either way," the boy answered grimly. "Well, I'm off. Xaice and I are meeting Texal upstairs for some poker," he added, changing the subject completely. His serious expression lifted as an overconfident smile took its place. "See you around."

"I guess so," Kasix replied, watching as he turned and went through the door. In the back of her mind, she was wondering—perhaps Zaix was right. If they couldn't get around Fayxt's curse, then would they have any hope of defeating Sora?

"Kassy?" Nexhayd called. The girl jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, and attempted to calm down as she crossed the room and sat beside him on the couch.

"What's wrong, Nex?" she asked, running a hand through his hair and smiling warmly. He sighed deeply and grinned back.

"Be a dear and go get me some food. I don't feel like getting up."

Laughter burst out of Kasix as she nodded several times, heading towards the door. "Of course, your highness; anything to please you."

"Right, right, anything to please me. Oh, by the way, grab Rent a couple aspirin. I think we're giving him a headache."

"Oh, shut up," Renterx snapped, muttering a short stream of swears under his breath as his sister left the room.

"Is he gonna be all right?"

Yuffie smiled. "Yes, Riku, Sora's pulling through. Aerith promised to stay at the house and keep an eye on him, just in case something comes up." The younger boy showed no acknowledgement of her answer, but only looked down at the floor, trying to ignore the now awkward silence.

"So they did come here, then? The Organization, I mean," he asked suddenly, looking up at Yuffie. She nodded.

"They did. Twins, a white-blonde, and one with purple hair."

"The same ones…" Riku whispered, swearing under his breath.

"It seemed like they were one step ahead of you," the ninja girl added uneasily.

"Should we be concerned about that?" he pressed.

Leon stepped away from the wall he had been leaning on, walking over to one of the two couches in the Accessory Shop and sitting down with a sigh. "It would seem obvious that you should be, Riku. They could have a spy, someone that's feeding them information." The three turned to glance inconspicuously at Taro, who was talking to Cid at the other end of the room. "Does he have any connections?"

"He was kidnapped by them a year ago, after they killed his parents….used as a lab rat in some darkness tests." Leon and Yuffie looked at him skeptically.

"But he looks completely normal."

Riku shrugged. "Sure he does, but he's all screwed up on the inside. The after-effects of all the experiments messed with his mentality, and he all-out loses it in moments of stress. Goes berserk. All the abnormalities of his DNA are killing him, but slowly." He paused as he stared at Taro momentarily. "I highly doubt he's working for the Organization, after what they did. He's made it pretty clear that he hates them."

Leon's opinion didn't falter. "I still think you should be careful about him. You never know who's with them and who isn't."

"So then we don't know for sure if anyone is helping the Organization?" Yuffie asked, turning to Leon. He shook his head. "Then how could they have possibly known where Sora was going?"

"Who knows," Riku muttered. "None of this is coming together." Yuffie reached into her pocket, handing him a small piece of paper. Opening it, he raised his eyes from the text back to her. "You still have the letter."

"We kept it, in case there was ever a time when we might need to refer back to it. Is there anything you've picked up since you left—something that could help us better understand what the King wrote?"

"Well….the first two lines haven't changed. We still know this has something to do with Sora and the whole reincarnation thing, and something to do with a new leader of the Organization. We haven't found out who that is." He read on a little. "Nothing new about the Chasers….this is pointless," he said desperately, groaning with frustration. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, all this stuff about that Roxas kid, and Namine…how are we supposed to find that out? They're gone." After a moment of thoughtful silence, Yuffie shook her head.

"They aren't, though. If the report on Nobodies is correct, then it must be true that when they joined Sora and Kairi, they were gone to us, but not to them."

"So….what does that mean?"

Leon stood up, taking the letter from Riku. "It means that the three of us are going back to the house. Sora's going to have to take this up with his other half."

Sora hadn't even realized he was asleep until he was being woken up. "Hey, Sora, wake up already! This is important!"

"Mmff….Riku?" Slowly, the boy opened his eyes, blinking a few times as Riku, Yuffie, and Leon came into view in front of him. Beside him, Kairi giggled.

"You've been asleep for almost two hours," she informed him.

"Wha….really?"

"Really," Leon said impatiently, turning to Kairi. Noticing his meaningful stare, she kissed Sora on the side of the face before crossing the room and closing the door behind her as she left. Sora watched her go with an expression of sadness, not wanting to be separated from her.

"Feeling better?" Yuffie asked kindly. He nodded, and she smiled. "That's good; because we're here to ask you a favor."

"What's that?" he asked, still a little drowsy. Leon handed him the letter.

"We need you to tell us if anything in this letter has become clearer since you left, and we think the only way for that to happen is for you to ask…."

Me?

"Roxas?" Sora asked, partially to Leon and partially to Roxas himself. The swordsman nodded, pulling up a chair. Yuffie and Riku remained standing, watching Sora as he nodded slowly. "All right…" he looked down at the letter. "Well, everything in the first three lines is the same, even without Roxas's half of the story." Riku rolled his eyes, and Leon and Yuffie exchanged defeated glances.

The Lost Two…well…

"Is there something you know about it?" Sora asked himself silently.

It's what I told you before; Xaice said that I was a problem, and that there was a reason why they stopped attacking when I was there. So…maybe there's some connection between me, and them. Something that means I need to stay alive.

"But…that doesn't make sense. You can't die, can you?"

Like I said, I can be separated from you permanently. I can't exist unless I'm somehow still a part of you. So if I'm cut off from you for good, I just…stop existing. I'd "die".

"How can you become separated permanently? Is there even a way?"

The past times I've separated from you temporarily—all the times that the Organization has shown up—I still recognize the ties that bind me to your existence. But if those ties were broken, I'd "die".

"So you'd have to be killed, in that state, to 'die'…that's why the Organization keeps leaving, because they want you alive!"

Right. Why they want to kill you is anybody's guess, because to kill a Nobody's original self is the same as killing them. There must be a loophole, then.

"But the only way for there to be a loophole would be if…"

"Oh my god!" Sora yelled out loud, surprising everyone in the room.

"What is it, Sora?" Riku asked, looking slightly concerned.

"It's….the Lost Two…I…we…and…"

Leon jumped out of his chair with astonishment. "Did you figure it out?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm positive that I found something else out. Something really, really important."

"What is it?" Yuffie shrieked, almost shaking with anticipation.

Sora took a deep breath, his eyes wide with shock. "Roxas has a Nobody!"