This one's kind of a big chapter that's going to snowball into something really cool! I'm so excited!

As Sora lived in the Keyblade Graveyard, he had made friends. Not any ordinary friends, either. Some of the ghosts that wandered the Graveyard were coherent and completely aware of their surroundings. He discovered their lucidity based on their rage levels when they died. The ones filled with hate and darkness became more like demons, possessing nothing but the anger they felt before they died.

"Those poor souls were mostly on the side of darkness," a man in armor reflected. His corporeal form flickering in and out of existence. "They let it take over them and dominate them. That is the fate of those that do not allow the light in their hearts to thrive."

As Sora spoke with the man, he learned how sad the man had become. He wanted nothing more than to leave this Graveyard and move on. He was tied to his Keyblade, unfortunately. And destroying the remains of the Keyblade would do nothing.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Sora asked, looking down from his place on the boulder he had climbed. He wondered if Aqua and DiZ would be looking for him soon. He had been told not to speak with the ghosts, no matter how good they seemed. They feared he would fall victim to a trap. But this man, Cullen, was sincere.

"I'm afraid not, Sora." The man standing beside him gazed over the field. "There would be no way to transport me out of this realm to release me."

"Do you know how to get us out of here?"

Cullen shook his head solemnly. "I am sorry."

"Well, I'm going to find a way out of here someday." Sora declared. "There's no way to take you with me, is there?"

Cullen snorted. "You have a strong heart, boy. One that is strong enough to carry other hearts with you. But I would not ask that of you. I would not wish to burden you with my heart."

"Well… it's not a burden." Sora stood up, his bare feet finding proper footing. "We're friends, right? Maybe I can try to carry your heart. And, if it's too much, I'll let you go. How does that sound?"

"Sora, no. I should never had suggested—"

"Seriously. You belong with your family. I want to help get you there."

Cullen considered the boy with worry in his eyes and regret etched in his frown. "Sora, for this kindness, I will grant you my strength. If you are ever in need, take my power and use it as your own."

"Does that mean I get a Keyblade?" Sora asked a little too hopefully.

Cullen snorted. "It does not work that way, child. But, if you hone your natural abilities, mine will come far easier to you."

"Aw, okay," Sora grinned as he folded his hands behind his head. "So much for hoping. So, how do we do this?"

"Give me your hands."

Sora did as he was instructed. He took Cullen's hands in both of his. It was strange… there was nothing there to touch, but he could feel the shape just as if he were real. Cullen closed his eyes, inhaling. As he exhaled, he became light that Sora absorbed. It did not hurt. It felt… warm. Sora touched his chest, wondering if Cullen would like it in his heart.

This was not the first ghost he would accept. When DiZ and Aqua needed their time to themselves, leaving him on his own, he was never alone. Their time in the Keyblade Graveyard was spent the longest, but to Sora, it felt the shortest. He made many friends and helped many people, promising to help them move on. He wasn't sure how he was going to release their hearts when he left this Realm. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. Perhaps Cullen's heart would tell his own and he would just know.

He never told them what he had been up to. It was his own secret to keep. They both clearly kept their own, so why couldn't he have his? He felt this way that he would never been alone. He had lost count of the hearts he had accepted into his, which meant he had a crowd of friends with him.

He wondered if he annoyed DiZ and Aqua. Maybe that was why they needed to be alone. They were always so sad or angry and Sora was always just… hopeful. Bright. He was always so happy. And it seemed to make them all wonder just why. Even though DiZ and Aqua had protected him for so long, they didn't actually expect his light to stay this strong.

"Perhaps he has help," DiZ wondered aloud when Aqua was praising him for it. She envied his strength against the darkness and was very proud he had not fallen near it. "It would explain why his heart is as powerful as it is."

Sora worried. Did they know he was taking in strays like lost animals? It didn't seem to change how bright he was. Neither made a comment about him growing brighter or dimmer. His heart was a constant.

"You think his heart is connected with another's?" Aqua snorted. She couldn't believe something like that. "When would he have had the chance to do that as a child?"

"New hearts have always been a mystery to me." DiZ shrugged. "It is possible they could act on their own in a much more powerful way than any other."

"DiZ. You're speaking nonsense." Aqua urged. Sora had known it was for his own good. Sometimes, DiZ scared Sora. He would speak of his old experiments in great detail, what he learned about the heart and what could be gained from more research. Aqua had to stop him, especially when he brought up his apprentice called Xehanort.

DiZ needed a push. He needed to remember why he stopped in the first place. The experiments were inhumane and would only bring about pain. They created those monsters that roamed this Realm. They were probably terrorizing his world, since his apprentices continued where he left off, delving deeper and deeper into darkness.

But Aqua looked at him with those eyes. Those eyes that were always curious, searching him for some sort of answers to questions he couldn't hear. He wanted to give her answers, he really did. She never voiced them. She kept them locked in her heart, along with the memories of her friends and their plight she could not save them from.

He knew she was wondering if DiZ was right. There was a spark of hope in those blue eyes.

He wished he could give them more hope. He wanted them to see this world through his eyes. A dark, scary place that was not inescapable, but just so vast, the door was proving difficult to find. This was a growing Realm with so much to see, yet little to do. It wasn't driving him insane, like his adults. It was boring the snot out of him.

Then, they began arguing again. DiZ insisted it wasn't like he would start his experiments again and Aqua told him even thinking about it was bringing his heart deeper into darkness. Sora knew better than to stick around when they argued. He got up, walking away but staying within sight.

He hated when they fought. Aqua was terrified of the darkness in people's hearts and DiZ seemed to slowly be accepting it. Yes, Sora was scared for DiZ. He didn't want him to fall into darkness. But he couldn't get involved with the fighting. It only upset him. What if Aqua left him? And if she did, then what if DiZ fell?

Sora hated thinking about that.

He was used to the Graveyard. He had accepted this as his home. Growing by several centimeters since their arrival, he wondered if they would simply stay here. The monsters seemed to avoid this place. Perhaps it was all the Keyblades. DiZ said it could vanquish any darkness, right? Then there must be some residual power in these many, many Keyblade that kept them at bay….

Until today.

Sora had grown accustomed to the movements of the ghosts. He had lost the need to keep watch of danger when they met Aqua. Two eyes around them were better than one. He was caught off guard when a shadow rushed at him. He thought maybe it was an angry spirit until it rose from the ground, lunging for him. The boy cried out, throwing himself back and reaching behind him. He sought for a broken Keyblade when he felt metal in his hand. He grunted as he swung at the monster, hitting it across the creature's head. It dazed it for a moment, giving Sora the chance to run. At his feet, more shadows cropped up.

"DiZ! AQUA!" Sora cried as he ran towards them. He huffed, tripping over himself. As he spit out dirt, Aqua ran past him, her Keyblade at the ready. DiZ lifted Sora to his feet, bowing to his level.

"Are you alright?" DiZ asked.

"Yeah," Sora panted, looking back at Aqua as she fought the monsters. It looked like there were too many of them. He wanted to help her. She expertly eliminated them, her eyes full of determination, her magic dispersing them easily.

She was amazing to watch. DiZ had pulled him out of his trance when one escaped her onslaught and made straight for Sora. DiZ pushed the boy out of the way, telling him to run. But something in Sora told him otherwise. He wasn't sure what it was. He just knew he had to fight it.

Sora swung the Keyblade still in his hand above his head and slammed down on the creature as it charged at him. The Keyblade easily sliced through it, making it burst into darkness, a heart rising out of the black cloud.

"Sora, come." DiZ commanded.

"But—Aqua!"

"Right behind you!" Aqua yelled as she sliced through more monsters.

The two of them got a head start. Aqua didn't lie when she said she was right behind them. She kept the monsters at bay long enough for DiZ and Sora to escape before quickly catching up. Sora assumed she used magic of some sort to do so, because she did not run that fast. The three ran until they exhausted themselves, far, far away from the Keyblade Graveyard.

It took a minute for them to catch their breath. They couldn't afford to stay where they were for very long, so they used their time wisely. Sora had yet to release the Keyblade in his hand. He kept a tight grip on the weapon as he wheezed, falling to his knees. He hadn't had to run like that in a long time. But he was faster. He could keep up now.

"They're… evolving." DiZ finally said after he caught his breath.

"How so?" Aqua asked, wiping sweat from her face.

"I assumed what kept them at bay was your Keyblade." DiZ explained. "They fear what could destroy them. Now, they do not. They went right for you, Master Aqua."

"I think they went for Sora, first." Aqua turned to the boy, frowning. "Sora, what's that you have there?"

"Hm?" Sora lifted the Keyblade. "I just grabbed to protect myself. I guess there was enough power left in it to destroy one of those… things."

"No… no," Aqua crouched before him, running her hand over the silver shaft. "No, this one is very much alive, Sora." She met his eyes, hers widening. "Where did you get this?"

Uh, oh. It couldn't be one of theirs, could it? No way. Sora was sure it was just a blade he grabbed from the Graveyard. He couldn't summon one. And Cullen said he wouldn't be able to. Cullen told Sora that it was impossible, Keyblades don't work like that. Then how was this in his hands? A perfectly living Keyblade, one with the power to destroy those creatures of darkness and immense power that radiated from it, much like the Master's Defender.

"I… I don't know." Sora said truthfully. "Here, take it." He pushed it into her hands. "There's probably some kind of mix up, right? You didn't pass the Keyblade to me. You said I didn't have the mark. There's gotta be a mistake."

As he set his hands back on the ground, the Keyblade in her hands shimmered out of existence and metal met his right palm. Looking down, the blade was back in his hand. He wasn't sure what to feel. Confusion, excitement, happiness, dread. It all rose within him.

How was he able to hold the Keyblade? He was not an apprentice. The only Master that was able to pass it to him refused to. Where did it come from? Did it choose him? We it different from the other Keyblades in the sense that it found it's own wielder?

At the same time… he had a Keyblade! He had a real Keyblade that deemed him worthy to carry it. That meant when he got back home, Riku wouldn't be leaving him in the dust. In fact, Sora might surpass him. Sora had a Master to teach him. He had a means to practice. He and Riku could travel the worlds as equals.

Maybe with this strength, he could get them home. This was the key to the beginning of their journey home. Sora could feel it. They were close. Before long, they were going to get out of there. He could see his friends again. He could feel the sun and see the stars. He would be home.

Sora had finally gotten what he'd been asking for since he met Aqua: A Keyblade of his very own. The question was… why? How? Sora did not have the mark that told the Keyblade was passed to him. He wasn't sure why the Keyblade would choose someone a Master hadn't deemed fit enough to carry it. He knew Aqua and DiZ would start questioning him when he had no answers to give. He was just as clueless as them.

He gave Aqua a sheepish grin. "Am I in trouble?"

Hey, if you guys happen to like my fic, could you possible give me a review? Maybe critique or just lemme know you like it? If not, that's cool. I'm just curious if anyone's actually reading this.