Sorry it took so long to update! Thank you so much to those who reviewed! I'm glad you like this story.

I do have a plausible excuse for not updating though. I went on vacation and couldn't really update seeing as they only let me on for ten minutes. And then my cousins came and I had to spend all my free time with them and now I'm leaving again. So I'll update this as soon as possible. There's more info on my profile. I put up a little notice, and I did it now cuz im not sure ill have time to put it on later seeing as im leaving soon and there are things to do!

Please Review if ya want me to keep going for this story! No flames!

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First Comes Darkness Then Comes Fire

The place where he had found himself was dark and it seemed a bit forlorn and downright creepy. Despite his instinct to turn around and walk the other way, Sora continued on forward, his curiosity driving him further into the darkness. Time seemed to stop as he found himself walking deeper and deeper into something he couldn't even see. At one point he stopped, somehow knowing he needed to, and simply waited.

Some part of Sora knew this was a dream of some sort but he couldn't will himself to wake up, let alone know if he actually could snap out of whatever trance or haze he had been caught in.

So Sora waited…and waited.

After about a minute (which felt longer in the dark) Sora felt himself growing agitated. "Well…this sucks." He muttered and slightly winced at the sound, as quiet as he said it, the small sound seemed to echo around until it died down. Not knowing why he was afraid of the noise Sora kept quiet.

This whole place was unsettling and just as he was about to try and wake up a small quiet whisper stopped him.

"…Sora…?"

The key-bearer frowned and slowly turned around.

Nothing.

"Whose there!?" Sora's winced as the noise echoed again and his body shifted into a defensive stance automatically.

"…it's so dark…"

Sora frowned and eased up a bit. Whoever was here obviously felt as uncomfortable in the darkness as he did. "Where are you!?" Sora called out and tried hard to not let the sound bother him.

There was no answer for a while.

"…I don't know…"

It was only then that Sora registered the voice to belong to that of a girl seeing as the tone was soft and feminine. It sounded scared.

"Do you have some sort of light with you?"

The question caught Sora totally off guard and he blinked. "Huh?"

"Everything is dark…but you seem to glow. Sora?"

"How do you know my…name?" blue eyes narrowed and he whipped his head around and slightly huffed as the only thing he could see was darkness.

"…It's…hard to say…"

The voice seemed unsure and Sora couldn't help the suspicion that crept up behind his thoughts. "How so!?" He winced at the edge his voice took.

"…You're…a memory. I can't stop thinking of you. You're everywhere…"

Sora blinked and tried to look down at himself but his own outline was barely visible. "Everywhere…?" he muttered.

"I'm not sure what happened but I wasn't always like this…Sora!?"

Blue eyes snapped up at the urgency of the voice and he let out a frustrated growl at being able to see nothing.

"You have to help me! I'm not sure how or why but I know…"

"Know what!? Er…voice!" Sora had no idea what to call this strange being talking to him. "Er…Miss!? Help!? Wait! Know what…!?"

"I know Sora…we're connected. Help me, please."

'Connected…?' Sora thought. "Fine. I'll help you but I'm not sure—"

"Sora! Use your heart! There's nothing you can't do if you follow your heart."

"But! That's…that's not helpful at all…" Sora grumbled and instinctively placed a hand over his own heart. The voice laughed sweetly and Sora blushed as he felt his heart accelerate at the noise.

"…Sora…don't ever change."

Sora was about to ask what that meant when he felt a pull. It was a strange feeling and he tried to fight it. It felt like he was being pushed upwards. The darkness seemed to lighten until it became a hazy pink…maybe a red. He struggled and then gave a loud gasp as something cold and absolutely freezing spread throughout his whole body.

"AAAAHHHH!!" he felt his mouth being closed and he leveled his worst glare on the owner of the hand that kept him quiet.

Leon.

…Go figure.

"You scream like a banshee." The brunette on top of him noted dryly. "Not one sound." He warned and squeezed his hand covering Sora's mouth. Sora, still glaring, could only nod. Leon narrowed his eyes and hesitated before he let go and got off the younger brunette in one move.

Sora rubbed his jaw and scowled. "Why did you—" Sora felt himself shiver and looked down.

He was soaked.

"You wouldn't wake up any other way and your duck friend suggested it." Leon explained even as he moved away and stood next to a window. Sora gaped for one second before he narrowed his eyes and looked around the room. Smothered laughter brought his attention to a corner of the area where he saw Donald practically turning purple from all the laughter he was trying to stifle.

Eye contact seemed to break the duck's last resolve as he exploded into loud cackles. Goofy, who was sitting next to said duck, merely kept on smiling in his own carefree way and merely waved as he spotted Sora's stare.

"Morning Sora!" he giggled. "Have a nice nap did ya!?"

Sora secretly vowed to get revenge on Donald later and possible Leon too. "Yeah…nice nap." Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Or it was." He muttered darkly.

"Why?" Leon spoke up suddenly. Sora rose his head to stare at the man who had his back to him.

"Huh?" blue eyes blinked. He watched as Leon's fists clenched.

"Why?" Leon repeated and Sora found it fascinating that the man was keeping so cool when his body language said otherwise. "Why was the Keyblade glowing? What were you dreaming about?"

Oh. Sora lifted his hand to summon his new weapon, when he quickly changed his mind. Then he registered what was said. "Wait…I was glowing?"

Leon turned around then to give him a dry look. "No. I said the Keyblade was."

Sora flushed for an unknown reason and laid back again. "Oh…well…the dream was pretty weird but no weirder than any other dream I've had these past years…months."

From the corner of his eye he saw Leon frown. "What was it about?"

Sora pretended to concentrate. "I was somewhere dark and then a voice started to talk to me. It seemed sad…er, I mean, she seemed sad. She said she didn't know where she was and she wanted help." Sora let out a few parts but it's not like Leon would need the whole version, right?

"I see." Leon muttered loud enough for Sora to hear. "Just ignore these dreams then." He then turned back to the window. Sora's slightly closed eyes snapped open and he quickly got up to face the man's back.

"What!? What if she really needed help or something! I can't just leave her! She's clearly in need of help—"

Sora 'eeped' slightly as Leon quickly turned around. The look on his face didn't exactly say he was…happy.

"Cut the 'must save the damsel from distress' crap! Look at this logically kid!" Sora frowned. "The heartless know you're the Keyblade Master now and so will that witch by now too! It's highly within her power to do something like this! Trick you!"

Sora's hand found a way to his head as his eyes widened. "She can get into my head!?"

Leon smirked apparently satisfied with the brunette's reaction. "Probably do more."

Sora face faulted as he thought back to the nice, soft, feminine voice, which in his mind quickly formed to that of a harsh raspy one belonging to a face full of warts and wrinkles. He made a face and looked back to Leon who was still smirking.

"Point is…" Leon frowned, trying to look serious again. "Is that you can't trust things like this so easily. Be decisive and smart about the way you do things. Think things through before—"

"But I sorta promised her I'd help." Sora cut in sheepishly.

"Before going and doing something stupid like that." He finished with a glare.

Sora nodded and after promising to not do something irrational again he headed out of the room Leon was currently boiling in and stepped into another one. He was hoping to run into the pretty girl from earlier and ask her a vital question and hopefully avoid the other one. His feet took him into another room where there was a balcony attached to the large windows within. To his luck and relief, Aerith was there.

As he made his way in she turned and gave a soft smile. "Prince Sora." She greeted sweetly.

Sora tried not to ruin the moment by wincing and merely gave a cheesy smile. "Hey Aerith…?" he put both his hands behind his head trying to look nonchalant.

He had a question and hopefully she could answer seeing as her and Leon seemed close.

She smiled. "Yes Prince? Is there something wrong?"

Sora sighed. "Why doesn't Leon like me all that much?" he questioned.

Aerith blinked and looked confused for a second. "Why would you come up with that conclusion?"

"Because his lovely voice is always screaming at me." Sora muttered and perked up slightly as she laughed.

"Sora, honey, you have to understand that Leon is a complicated man and takes what he does seriously. He doesn't want a repeat of what happened in the past so he enforces that on everyone. Don't feel singled out. You can ask anyone here and they'll tell you that they've been on the receiving end of Leon's icy composure." Aerith's soft eyes bore into him and he swallowed.

"He's not icy…he's downright glacial to me!" Sora complained softly, not wanting to yell, especially at Aerith.

Aerith gave him an encouraging look. "Don't worry Prince Sora. Things will work out. Just try to be a bit more…focused." she smiled again.

Sora grumbled. "Fine."

The day was over quickly and due to the decree of the dictator, Leon, Sora and company were to leave that very night. They stocked up on potions, ethers and anything else Leon and Donald thought necessary. Goofy and Donald were even treated to new, slightly more powerful weapons courtesy of Aerith and surprisingly Cid who did nothing but grumble most of the time. The man though, updated and filled the Gummi ship with fuel and added a few more weapons to it. Donald seemed pleased but all the charity made Sora uncomfortable and he kept blushing all the while. It only made it worse as they were about to leave, the group of three was handed a decent amount of munny.

"Spend it as you see fit." Leon declared but gave Sora pointed look anyway.

"Yes sir." Sora saluted, entirely focused on not retorting.

"Good luck Prince Sora. Donald, Goofy…come back soon." Aerith smiled and hugged each of them. Donald turned bright red and Sora snickered.

"Wait till Aunt Daisy hears about this." he snickered some more. Donald widened his eyes and turned an icy dry glare to the chortling brunette.

"You wouldn't dare." The duck squawked darkly.

Aerith seemed unaware or was ignoring them as she stood back and just smiled.

"Good luck pretty boy! Bye Goofy! Bye-bye goose!" Yuffie laughed maniacally as she tilted her head up and put both hands on her sides.

"Yeah…bye." Sora muttered as all three of the group discreetly scooted away from the deranged ninja.

Cid was smoking now and he puffed out some smoke. "Don't die." He offered and sauntered off somewhere else giving a slight wave of his hand as he walked further away.

Leon grunted and Sora internally sighed. "Yes?"

"Good luck and remember what I told you. Your fighting wasn't half-bad but you could use some work. Come back and I'll show you how it's done." There was a ghost of a smile on the man's face and Sora blinked before nodding eagerly. Leon rolled his eyes but his hand went to fetch something out of his pocket. He quickly put it into Sora's hand and walked away.

Sora looked down to see a small polished green tinted stone in his palm. "Leon!? What am I gonna do—" Sora looked around for the man.

But Leon had already left.

"Come on Sora!" Goofy called out and with another sigh Sora stuffed the stone into his pocket and followed after his companions.

--

Groaning.

He could hear groaning. Whoever it was, sounded like they were in pain or something. After attempting to move his tired limbs he came to an unsurprising conclusion.

He was the one groaning.

After trying to swallow using his rather dry throat, blue eyes slowly opened. He slowly looked around. The place he found himself in was quaint and seemed rather homey. The fire located in an odd chimney off sorts was burning brightly and he moved his head just a little and noticed he was on a bed.

Someone had obviously put him here.

Groaning, again, he lifted himself up into a sitting position and rubbed his still drowsy eyes.

What had happened? And where was he?

Grunting as he searched for answers, he tried to recall his last memory. There was a beach, Cloud was gone, odd bugs attacking him and then Riku disappeared into a puddle of goo…

"OH SHIT!" he screamed as he remembered exactly what had transpired. The island had been ripped to pieces and everything was sucked into some sort of portal.

Including him.

"Oh crap..." he muttered as he got off the bed and detangled the bed sheet away from him. He stumbled as his limbs protested being treated so and he barely made it to the fireplace when he couldn't go any farther. He tripped and caught himself, using the odd stove/fire place as support. He couldn't stop groaning…

"You okay there kid?" a voice asked.

He groaned again. "Not at all…my freaking body isn't—"

Blue eyes widened as he registered that there was no one else in the room except him and the cozy warm fire, which had eyes and a talking mouth…

"OH SHIT!" he scrambled away only to trip backwards and land on his sore butt. Strangely this reminded him suddenly of Cloud and that made him shiver—in a bad way.

"Cold or something?" the fire asked as it reached, reached for a log beside it.

"I'm mildly disturbed. I think I'm in shock." The fire chuckled.

"Strange kid." It commented. "Not the first time we pick up strays…even odd ones like you. So tell me kid. What were you doing floating up in the middle of nowhere?" it seemed to chew on the log as the flames themselves consumed it.

"Floating…? Where am I?" he looked around again and eyed every possession suspiciously. The fire seemed to notice and chuckled some more.

"In a floating castle. Howl's to be exact. Now answer the question." The fire flared for a second. "And maybe get some water. You sound horrible."

Eyeing the sink even more suspiciously blue eyes narrowed. "The water won't protest being drank?" he continued towards the sink and pored himself a glass but wouldn't drink until he was answered.

"I don't think Howl would go that far." The fire explained and watched as he drank the whole thing quickly and pored another one and downed it just as fast. "Name's Calcifer by the way."

Blue eyes blinked. "Er…I'm Roxas."

The fire, having no eyelids, seemed to blink before they became wide with laughter. The whole hearth blazed up as 'Calcifer' laughed. "YOU'RE NAMED AFTER A ROCK'S ASS!?" it bellowed still laughing.

Blue eyes blazed as they narrowed angrily and somewhat annoyed.

"I don't see what's so funny." Roxas glared. The fire kept chortling.

"Oh lighten up!" it retorted before pausing and then laughing wildly again.

"Now what you psychopathic fire!?" Roxas grit out.

"Lighten up! Don't you get it!?" Seeing as Roxas didn't even blink the fire gave a few more laughs. "I'm a fire! Lighten up! Don't…ya…get it!?"

Roxas merely gave it a dry look and Calcifer waved it off dismissively. "Ah, why am I trying? After all you're named after a rock's ass, it means you're bound to be a little thick!" it began to laugh again and Roxas let out a growl.

"That's it." He muttered darkly. He made his way back to the sink. He filled the cup full of fresh water and smugly walked back to the fire.

Calcifer was about to keep laughing until he spotted what was in the blonde's hands. "Oh no! What…what're you doing!? Keep that disgusting liquid away! You better be bringing that thing over here to drink it!"

Roxas smirked and kept the glass relatively close. "You were saying?"

The fire 'hmphed' and glared. "Dirty playing." It announced.

"Pft. Whatever. Now where am I?" Roxas sat back into a chair that was near the hearth. The fire rolled it eyes.

"I already told you kid. Howl's castle. Um…I guess its Sophie's now too then…" Calcifer seemed unsure and glanced at the blonde.

"Whose Howl? And…Sophie?" They were strange names, Roxas thought.

"Nope! Now it's your turn blondie! Floating, why!?" the fire demanded.

"I'm not sure. My home, my island…they're gone." Roxas whispered. This sudden shock made him tremble and he closed his eyes and put his head between his hands.

"Back to square one I see." He heard Calcifer mutter. "Cheer up kid. Things can't get any worse…but knock on wood just in case."

Roxas slightly opened one eye and glanced to the smug fire. "I lost my brother, my family and all my friends."

Calcifer gave him a sad pout. "If you cry please remember to keep the tears safely away from me…ya know? Just in case."

"I'm gonna try my hardest to cry a river on you!" Roxas growled and straightened up. "How long was I out anyway?"

Calcifer chuckled nervously and Roxas smirked. "Well…I came to visit five days ago and you came on in on my third day so you've been out cold since two days ago." Calcifer seemed to sniff. "And a shower might kill me but it could do wonders for you."

Roxas looked down at his disheveled self and scowled.

"You little—"

At that moment Roxas heard a door slam open and he quickly snapped his head to the direction of the noise.

Three people were coming up some steps, steps that Roxas hadn't paid any attention to, and as they reached the top all of them met his eyes.

There was a boy, probably younger than him, with dark almost blue hair standing behind a young woman and a rather tall man. The woman had gray silver hair that went just past her slim shoulders. Her face though, was young and immensely curious. Her hazel eyes took him in just as he did her. After a minute he looked to the man who wasn't eyeing him anymore and was rather looking at the sheepish looking Calcifer.

"Now dear friend, weren't you going to inform me of when our guest had awakened?" the man's voice was suave and Roxas flushed as he found himself wanting to hear it again.

Roxas looked him over too. He had dark hair and a pale slightly peachy complexion. He was rather tall and slim and his eyes were a crystal blue. Roxas felt his face getting hot so he turned and pretended to stare at Calcifer as well.

"Well…" the fire began. "The kid was kinda funny. Say's his name is Rock's—er…" apparently Roxas's glare worked this time because Calcifer stuttered. "Roxas. His name is Roxas and his island blew up or something."

The man seemed to brighten up. "Blow up you say?" he directed this to Roxas who willed his face to turn back to normal.

The girl beside him giggled and he was pretty sure he'd given red a new shade.

"Actually it was sucked up in a dark hole after our island was attacked by some black inky bugs." Roxas rushed out and avoided the other's inquisitive stare so he missed as they narrowed.

"Really now?" the man purred. "What do you make of this Calcifer?" he asked the fire.

"I think maybe. Maybe there's a connection. But the kid's an oddball." Roxas huffed.

The man chuckled. "Oddball? I guess that qualifies him to join this family already. What do you think Sophie dear?" the young woman beside him eyed Roxas again.

"Only if he wants to. Hungry?" she asked. Roxas didn't need to answer; his rumbling stomach did it for him. The girl giggled again and rushed off, presumably to get some food. "Thanks." Roxas muttered shyly. The boy quickly joined Sophie. The man however quickly set to eyeing him again.

"Roxas." He tested the name out and Roxas flushed again as he saw the man's mouth move to form each letter. "Roxas. Come and sit." he motioned the table and Roxas shyly nodded and obeyed.

"Uh…Howl?" Calcifer asked.

"What is it Calcifer?" Howl settled himself into a chair.

"I think you broke him." Roxas choked on nothing and was glad that the man didn't seem to notice, that or he was being ignored.

"How so?" the man now known as Howl raised an eyebrow slightly, keeping his face cool and calm.

"Well…before you came he was threatening to dump some water on me. Now he looks like a kicked puppy. You broke him." Calcifer noted.

"Shut it you!" Roxas grumbled.

"Dump some water on you…?" Howl repeated. He faced Roxas. "Why didn't you go through with your threat?" he asked.

Calcifer blazed and began to grumble and mutter. Sophie came back and asked what was wrong.

"Stupid wizard is a crack pot! Hit him for me won't you Sophie? The blonde too!" Howl gave a chuckle as Sophie merely rolled her eyes and went back to fixing the food.

Howl then faced Roxas, his expression cool and collected. "Inky bugs you said. Please explain."

Roxas found himself revealing everything, starting with his baby brother. He had a horrified feeling at this but he kept it in the back of his mind. He explained what happened to the island, trying to give every detail he could possibly remember.

Howl kept quiet and merely nodded sometimes, never disrupting the flow of the story, he didn't even complain as he explained about his precious brother.

"And that's it. And then I'm here wondering if I'm losing my grip on sanity." He breathed. Howl kept quiet and seemed to be thinking.

"Hmm…I'm sure you will be reunited with both brothers soon enough. Lost things have a way of coming back to us in the end. Be patient." Howl told him.

Roxas nodded. "Why did you want to know about the bugs?"

Calcifer made a noise of protest as Howl opened his mouth. "It seems we have a pest problem here too. But now I know more than I did then so I'll have to adjust my magic and see what comes of it."

"Magic?" Roxas squeaked.

The shock seemed to have worn out by then. Roxas looked around the room one more time before his eyes slid to the back of his head and he fainted.

"Hmm…he really must have been in shock!" Calcifer mused as he watched the fallen boy. "Or it must be a blonde thing."

Howl gave a small smile before he stood up. "There's work to be done. Fill him in after he wakes up again. He might just be able to help us after all."

"Sure thing." Calcifer rolled his eyes and eyed the unconscience blonde. "Big help he'll be."

Howl strolled towards Sophie, gave her a peck on the cheek and headed towards the door. He switched it to black before going outside and shutting it.

There was work to be done.