A/N: Ok, the first part is obviously Riku's POV and it's loosely based on the song, "Crawling in the dark" by Hoobastank… It really is the perfect song for him: )

Parallel

Crawling in the dark. Alone. Reaching… for something… anything… Light. Freedom. Love…

Riku glared through the brilliance of the purest white light he had ever been in contact with… Not much longer now… Soon, I can go home. And this will all be over…

He shielded his eyes from the radiance and as he stepped towards the tall white doors he could swear that he felt the darkness in his heart recede and cower from the extreme purity. He smiled unknowingly as images of his home, his friends, and his future flashed before his eyes. How long had it been since he had smiled? Days? Weeks? Months? He couldn't remember the last time he felt so at peace and so… right. His journey, his story, ended here… at the Door to Light.

For so long he had been crawling in darkness, lost in a sea of nothingness. His heart torn in half by the forces of light and dark, caught in the middle of a seemingly endless battle between good and evil. His heart had led him through the battle, through the darkness… his eyes had been of no use to him, only deceiving his heart and tricking his mind. But as he stood in the radiance pouring from the doors in front of him his heart sang and he smiled. Finally he could be at peace… Finally he could be free of his darkness… But as he stepped towards the light… towards his freedom… he felt a tug at his heart and a small voice whispered indefinitely, Not yet… Your journey is not yet finished… This story has not yet ended… Sora needs you… Go to him…

He frowned as tears clouded his aquamarine eyes and he turned around as the door slowly closed behind, the pure brilliance of his freedom escaping him. "Freedom will have to wait…"

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It wasn't until Donald saw the first star vanish in front of him that he finally understood the King's urgency. His skepticism, however, was still nagging at the back of his skull as he, Goofy, and the King bounced from world to world, once again sealing keyholes as the King looked for something. More than once, Donald had eagerly asked His Majesty what it was they were searching for… But each time his questions were met with the same vague answer, "Light…"

"Light?" he squawked in return. Then the King would nod solemnly and stare off vacantly for several minutes. Donald had the strange suspicion the King was hiding something, but he knew better than to probe any further. Goofy shared his wariness, but nonetheless, they continued to seal keyholes and search for… light. Donald couldn't help but think about Sora and his friends and he worried that whatever it was that was once again threatening the worlds… it was putting Sora in danger.

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"Kairi?" Sora sat motionless in the floor, watching Kairi intently as her mind scrambled for the right words. "Kairi… I have to know what really happened."

She sighed heavily, defeated. Suddenly her lie seemed like the weight of the world hanging over her head and she felt ashamed. Ashamed that she would ever lie or keep anything from Sora and ashamed to admit that she had almost killed him to protect herself from his possession with darkness. Her heart wrenched between hurting Sora and lying again. "Sora, you… you weren't yourself… You were possessed… It wasn't you!"

She looked up, expecting to see confusion painted across Sora's face. However, his face was a blank canvas… showing no emotion, nothing… "I hurt you…" he whispered flatly. "I… I hurt you…" he repeated, "Didn't I?"

Tears pooled in her eyes as she pleaded with him, "Sora you didn't hurt me… Please understand… It wasn't you. It was…" she shuddered as images replayed in her head of the dreadful night, "It was… something else."

"I… I hurt you…" Sora grimaced at the thought and the images that had pooled in his head on the Bailey suddenly replayed, more vivid… Almost real… Her smell… The sound of her heart, calling him… The warmth of her blood on his hands… her blood on his hands… "Oh God!" he buried his face in his hands, fighting back the tears that his eyes threatened to shed.

"Sora…" Kairi left her spot on the couch and kneeled down beside him, wrapping her arms around him in a comforting effort. "It wasn't you…"

Sora grit his teeth and inhaled deeply as he slowly shook his head. Suddenly, he felt imprisoned by Kairi's comforting embrace and he quickly stood up. "Don't you get it!?" he outburst, pain laced in his words. "I can't stay here… I can't do this!"

"What… what are you talking about, Sora?" Kairi stood up next to him, though… she feared she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"I… I have to go…" Sora answered frantically, "I can't stay here… I have to go." He began searching for his bags as Kairi helplessly watched his mania through the tears blurring her vision.

"Sora…"

"Me being here, with you… I can't do it!! I'm putting you in danger, and I ever did anything to you, I would never forgive myself! I can't stay here, Kairi!" he repeated. He turned to face her, his face softening at her frightened appearance and the tears trailing slowly down her cheeks. Suddenly more images haunted his mind, ones that were not previously revealed… Weakness… Dying… Light…

He stared blankly at her, the silence hanging between them was thick and it pressed against them fiercely. "You… you won." He whispered emotionlessly.

She closed her eyes and nodded her head somberly, tears still flowing from underneath her closed eyelids. She opened her mouth to respond, but her lack of words outweighed her will to answer and she pursed her lips and swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.

He sighed as he dropped his bags, "Why didn't you tell me, Kairi?" he asked softly.

She opened her eyes and met his sad cerulean stare, "Sora, I just don't want you to get hurt…" she repeated her words from earlier. "I couldn't bear to lay anymore guilt on your heart…" she trailed off as she wiped her tears from her cheeks.

"Kairi…" he replied softly as he slowly shortened the distance between them and gently wrapped his arms around her petite frame, "I would never forgive myself if I hurt you…" again… he finished mentally.

She melted into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist as she buried her face in his chest. "I know…"

"If you keep things like this from me…" he gently ran his fingers through the back of her hair as he spoke softly in her ear, "I won't know how to stop myself… What if it happened again?"

She nodded understandingly, unable to respond vocally.

"I promise I'll come back, Kai." He gently pulled out of the embrace and ran both thumbs under her eyes to wipe the tears from her cheeks. He smiled his signature goofy grin and she couldn't help it when her lips curled into a warm smile.

"I know you will Sora." She answered quietly as she looked into his eyes.

"What? Leaving so soon…" for the second time that night, the slamming of the front door shattered their tender moment and an all-too-familiar voice chuckled. "And I just got here!"

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A/N: Man! What does that make, like 3 cliffhangers in a row now??? I am evil!! lol But I've updated like everyday for the past 3 updates too… so I don't want any bitching about being left wondering whose voice interrupted the kodak moment!! Lol (As if you don't already know….) ; )

Sadly, the reviews have been a little lacking lately… could be because I'm not giving you guys time to review one chap before I post the next. Regardless, I am a little perturbed about it!! SO REVIEW PLEASE!!!!