Kairi landed the last hit. She had gotten in pretty good sync with Ven and Aqua. Working with them started to come more easily. Riku could stand on equal ground with Aqua, which Kairi felt a tiny bit jealous of. She knew if Riku were to take the Mastery Exam, he'd probably pass with flying colors. She felt she wouldn't be so lucky.

Kairi had knocked Sora out of the air. Riku rushed him, shrouded in darkness. He jumped back into the air, out of Riku's path where the boy lost his momentum and stumbled.

Sora was actually doing well this time. He was ahead by three points, two points away from winning. The toll of the struggle was evident in his face. He was drenched in sweat, his brown hair matted to his forehead. It was the tamest Kairi had ever seen it. His breathing, labored as he fought to stay ahead. He had worn Ven out, as the boy stood aside to catch his breath, using his shirt to wipe sweat from his face. Kairi felt sticky and smelly. Sora was getting more powerful, it seemed. Or at least smarter. He'd figured out how their weaknesses on his own and used them to his advantage. Even Aqua was having trouble facing off against him.

Aqua sent used the Ragnorak Shotlock against him (something Kairi and Riku were still trying to master). He put up a barrier of light as all the shots rocketed towards him. When the magic faded, he twisted, shooting balls of fire at them. Riku caught himself, leaping into the air to clash blades with Sora. Kairi ran to aid him when a Keyblade swept under her feet. She tumbled, rolling back onto the balls of her feet. She glanced at the scoreboard. It didn't count as a hit, thank goodness. To her right, Aqua clashed with a barrage of Keyblades. To her left, Ven had recovered enough to jump back into the fray. He ran up to Kairi, looking up as Riku and Sora struggled against each other.

Something in Ven's expression worried her. His grin fell and his brow furrowed, anger in his eyes. She had never seen him look like that. Not once. And he'd lost against Riku enough time for anyone to resent him. His jaw tightened as Kairi turned back to the boys.

Something was… wrong. She couldn't put her finger on it. The way Riku carried himself told her even he sensed it. He pushed against Sora, forcing him back. "Sora stop!"

Sora smirked at the other as Riku landed, unable to stay in the air. Not everyone could fly like the Sora. That's what made it difficult to fight him. He stayed in the air, making it so hard to hit him.

Sora's smirk sent shivers down Kairi's spine. It wasn't his usual friendly, "come at me" kind of smirk. It wasn't playful. It wasn't kind. He swooped Riku, moving so fast, he left an after image. Riku swung as Sora approached, but he was already behind him.

"Too slow," Sora said in a deep voice, so very, very unlike his own. He slammed down on Riku and just for a moment, his Keyblade flashed a red and black color.

Riku fell, sprawled out in front of Sora. Sora laughed, a laugh Kairi had never heard from him. Menacing, enjoying the pain he cause. Ven ran at him as Sora raised into the air. Ven jumped up, Keyblade pulled back.

No, no. Ven was going to hurt Sora. That blade was going right for his face! "Ven, wait—!" Kairi cried as he swung. Just as Sora turned to Ven, the Keyblade in his hand vanished and his fist collided with Sora's nose hard enough to knock Sora out of the air.

Ven landed in a crouch; Sora on his back. Riku pulled himself up to survey the scene. What just happened? Kairi and Aqua rushed over to the boys. Kairi knelt by Sora as Aqua bent to Ven's level.

"Oouuuuuch!" Ven whined, grabbing his left hand, shaking it out as he fell onto his backside. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

Sora sat up, his eyes bright and friendly and confused and watering. He touched his nose. When he straightened up, blood gushed down his front. He gasped when he realized how much pain he was in.

Ven looked to the brunette. "Sora?! I'm so sorry!" He scrambled over to the other. "I'm sorry! I just—you were, I'm sorry!"

"I dink oo broke id." Sora state matter-of-factly through the blood. Kairi touched his face gently, turning him to face her. She inspected the damage, pulling his hands from his nose. The bridge of his nose sat at a new angle.

"Oh, yeah," Kairi agreed. "That's broken." Riku had broken his nose before on their journey. In the Deep Jungle, actually. They followed Tarzan through the trees, sliding down the mossy branches when Riku ran right into a branch, smashing his face. Donald showed the two of them how to fix it up. She pulled off her over shirt to hold against his nose and tilted his head up. "Once you stop bleeding, we'll set it and Cure it, okay?"

"Danks," Sora grinned, blood getting into his mouth and coating his teeth. Ew. She snickered at him, standing up and brushing herself off. He spit blood from his mouth, away from her.

"I'm sorry, Sora." Ven continued. "I'm really, really sorry."

"Id's oh-kay," he replied, his voice thick. He was so sincere Kairi knew he meant it.

Aqua met Ven's gaze. They shared an unspoken conversation, seeming to agree on something. Kairi raised an eyebrow, hoping they'd share. The two caught her look, glancing at one another again. Aqua sighed. "Sora just… for a moment he was acting like…"

"Vanitas," Ven finished.

Kairi had to think for a moment to remember who they were talking about. Aqua had mentioned him, but had told her and Riku he had been finished by Ven. The fight shattered his heart. He wasn't exactly someone they had to worry about, so Kairi had almost forgotten about him.

"Dat guy I luk like?" Sora asked. Aqua, Riku, and Kairi turned to him. Ven buried his face into his hand; like this was something he didn't exactly want getting out. What was Sora talking about?

"Yeah, my darkness," Ven sighed.

"I guess that might make sense," Riku rubbed his chin. "Your heart was incredibly unstable. Darkness was pouring out of you, I could smell it." Riku snorted. "As soon as Ven punched you, it went right back to normal. I guess when you're in attack mode and are really biting, you should be careful."

"Huh?" Sora didn't get it. Neither did Kairi.

Riku wiped sweat from his brow, pushing his matted hair back. For once, Kairi could see his eyes. She really needed to cut that boy's hair. "I noticed when you were fighting Marluxia and Larxene," he explained. "Your heart becomes unstable, unable to hold the darkness back very well. The more you struggle, the more the light does too." Riku looked between Sora and Ven. "And, I guess since your hearts are connected, they're also connected to this Vanitas guy. Darkness doesn't just go away. Especially after it gains sentience. He had to go somewhere, so, maybe he's locked away in your heart somewhere, too."

"But, I took care of him," Ven insisted. "He's history. Long gone. I smashed my heart to pieces to make sure of that."

Aqua shook her head. "Ven, you said that back then, too. And he wasn't gone, was he?" Ven considered what she said, chewing his lip. Aqua crouched beside Sora, putting a hand over his heart. "Sora, you need to be more careful, okay? No more fighting on your own."

"Bud, I can condrool id!" Sora argued. "'M gud now! I dow my limid."

"No," Aqua told him firmly. "There's no reason for you to be fighting more than two on your own. One of us will always be with you." She promised. "Your friends are your strength. You have to remember you can always rely on us."

Riku playfully knocked Sora on the head as he opened his mouth to protest. "Listen to your Master." Sora scowled at him, his eyes still bright and friendly.

Kairi hoped she'd never see the malice he had shown ever again. He was kindness. He was childish. He cared and was open and just pure happiness. He could light the darkest of paths. And that brief moment was terrifying and just wrong.

It seemed their session for the day was over. With that jarring event, nobody seemed to want to continue. Aqua stood up, calling out to DiZ to take them back. One by one, they vanished, returning to the real world.

DiZ was inspecting Sora's injuries when Kairi returned. Sora winced when the man touched it, clicking his tongue. DiZ began to lecture him, Sora rolling his eyes as if he'd heard it a million times before. Kairi noticed Ven still holding his hand, rubbing his red skin. She took the blonde's hand, causing him to cry out.

"Ven. You broke you hand," Kairi told him flatly, meeting those blue eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's broken?" He exclaimed, surprise in his tone. "I didn't think I hit him that hard!"

"Look," she held his hand flat in hers, giving him space to move his fingers. "Straighten your fingers for me." He grit his teeth, breathing in sharply as he tried. His thumb, pinky, and ring fingers straightened easily. His pointer and middle did not straighten out completely. She flipped his hand over. "Now, make a fist." Kairi heard Riku walk up behind her to see what they were up to as the boy tried to curl his fingers. His pointer and middle fingers only bent so far. Kairi could already see their knuckles swelling. She gently touched the affected area, causing him to cry out in pain. "Yeah, definitely broken."

Riku snickered. Ven huffed at him. Kairi elbowed his gut. Hadn't he learned not to stand so close to her? "Sorry, just. Sorry," he covered his face, turning away.

"It's not funny!" Ven grumbled. "I feel really bad."

"Something tells me he'll be fine," Riku looked over at the boy that Aqua was inspecting. "Besides, I doubt he has any hard feelings. That guy doesn't have the capacity to hold a grudge."

Kairi cast her strongest Cure spell on Ven's hand. It was easier to heal a concentrated area, ensuring full restoration. She watched the bones shift and move back into place, Ven cringing in the process. Curing was painless, but when bones were broken, the sensation was strange and unpleasant. Kairi nodded, satisfied as the swelling went down.

"All better," she beamed at the boy.

He took his hand back, looking it over. Maybe this was the first time he's had bones mended from the look he had. "Thanks, Kairi. You're amazing."

"I know."

They took their leave through the Gummy Pad DiZ installed in his lab. He figured it would be easier to just drop themselves off there rather than in town. The mansion was so out of the way. Kairi thought it was very convenient, but noticed Sora asking to step upstairs to cool down after their training. He really liked the sun. She'd walk with him out to the decrepit front yard just so that he could bask in the sun for a while.

There were some things she learned she took sorely for granted when she met Sora. Basically, everything in her life. Her friends, family, food and drink, the sun and moon. Everything she never really thought about, he took in as if it were his last time seeing, eating, drinking, touching it.

That day, he didn't. He was more concerned with his bleeding nose. His face was paling, paler than it usually was. Kairi began to worry, crossing over to him as Aqua and DiZ spoke. Kairi pulled the shirt away from his face. Still bleeding, but not as bad. The gush had slowed to a trickle.

"Let's go back to the ship. You look like you need an elixir." She suggested as she pressed the cloth gently against his face. He gave her a grateful smile as she walked with him back to the Gummy Pad. On the ship, she started the engine to warm it up before taking him below deck to the bunks. Rummaging through the drawers, Sora sat on the bunk.

"Are you dizzy?" she asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Here," she turned, handing him a bottle. "This should help stop the bleeding." She watched him drink it, taking back the empty bottle. She pulled the cloth back, wiping away the blood. "This is going to hurt, but…" she held it up to his nose, like a mother holding a tissue to a child's nose. "Blow."

He blew through his nose and promptly cried out in pain. She wiped up the mess, examining the crooked nose. The elixir stopped the bleeding, as she'd hoped. He was even looking a little more flushed, which was a good sign. She could see thin, white scars on his face that she hadn't noticed before. The harsh lighting illuminated one across his cheek, one on his forehead, and another lining his chin. "This is also going to hurt."

He pouted, his eyes watering as Kairi touched his nose. She had experience with setting Riku's nose before, thank goodness. She was much less confident in her healing abilities back then and you could barely tell he ever broke his nose. She visualized where it should be before popping it back into place. He yelled out, pulling back, grabbing his face.

"Hey, hold on!" She pulled him forward by the lapels, casting Cure on his nose. "There."

Sora wiped his eyes, touching the bridge of his nose. "Aaah… thanks."

Kairi tossed her over shirt in the medical waste bin. She was glad she didn't exactly attached to any of her clothes she'd gotten since they'd left Destiny Island. It was difficult to get any good clothing when you spent most of your money on weapon upgrades, healing items, and synthesis items.

Kairi hoped up on the bunk, sitting next to him. She heard footsteps in the cockpit and heard the engines revving. They were probably heading back to Traverse Town. She glanced at the boy to her right as he made faces, touching his freshly repaired nose.

"You miiiight want to wash your face. And get rid of your shirt." She suggested, pointing to the sink. He grinned, scratching his face and agreeing with her before he moved over to scrub his hands and face. He pulled off his shirt, tossing it in the waste bin. Clearly, he was much less shy than Riku about walking around without a shirt.

As he went back to scrubbing his face, Kairi watched his back. His scars stretched across his back, telling a tale of a thousand years of pain. Yet, he only smiled, bright and happy and at peace. "Hey, Sora." He grunted to let her know he was listening. "How'd you get those big scars on your back?"

"Huh? Oh. Those were from a Neo Shadow. It got the jump on me before we met Aqua. DiZ did his best to care for my wounds, but they still scarred pretty badly."

"They're pretty nasty, aren't they?" Kairi mused.

"Especially if you don't have a Keyblade." Sora laughed, his voice returning to normal. "And a heart like a beacon in the darkness."

How did he ever smile about his time in the darkness? How had he grown up so full of light? She always imagined if you went to the Realm of Darkness, you would leave a different person. She supposed that was what happened with DiZ. And Aqua… it was hard to tell. Ven hadn't mentioned anything, but it was so clear the darkness took a toll on her. She was a thousand years old in the body of a girl. She'd seen so much and suffered so terribly.

Kairi imagined the only thing that kept either of them sane was the boy before her.

Sora turned and Kairi saw the extent of the damage his body received over the years. Scars littered his torso, small and large alike. "That one?" she pointed to the one X shape on his chest.

"Don't really remember." He shrugged. "I don't remember how I got a lot of them," he wiped his face off with a clean cloth as he sat back down next to her. "The darkness has a way of suppressing everything."

They were quiet for a moment. Kairi thought about sharing with him some of her scars. The rather large one on her thigh made her self-conscious about ever wearing skirts and dresses again, unless they reached her knee. But, she decided against it. She was really dancing around what she really wanted to talk to him about. As fun as it would be to compare battle scars, she worried for the boy.

"Do you, um, want to talk about what happened?" she asked.

"What? In the Realm of Darkness?" Sora asked.

"No, I mean…" she shrugged, "The thing."

"The thing?"

"Yeah."

"Ah," Sora ruffled his hair, leaning back onto his arms. "I mean, I'm not really sure what happened. I know I was struggling against you guys and… I was willing to do anything to win. Then, I didn't feel like myself. I felt like a whole different person who was spurned and angry and it felt kind of good." He shuddered. "I don't ever what to feel like that again," he turned to face her, meeting her eyes. "Please, if I ever do that again, punch me in the face."

"Will do," she promised.

He turned forward, sighing. "I've never done that. Then again, I've never felt that challenged." Sora flopped back, folding his arms behind his head. "It's kind of good, but also bad. Good that the challenge was riling me up enough and helping me learn, back that I… uh… almost gave in to the darkness?" He chewed his lip. "Is that right? That doesn't seem right."

"That's how Riku explained it." Kairi reminded him. "But, he'd be more of an expert on the darkness in people's hearts." She smirked playfully, still never letting the boy live it down. "He can smell darkness."

They laughed. When Riku started developing an affinity to darkness, he told Kairi he could smell it in people's hearts. Not literally by any means. He said it was the best way to describe how it felt with him. It was a bit like a scent rather than seeing or feeling the light and darkness in hearts. Kairi thought it was the silliest thing ever. Yeah, she was a bit jealous at the time that he could sense it and she couldn't, but she developed her own sight eventually.

"Yeah, but…" Sora sighed. "I mean… he did say something about my heart taking a toll because of my connection to Ven. And there's no way I'd break it until Ven can hold up his own heart, you know? He's still fractured and I'll stick by him until he's strong enough to repair it. But… Riku said I had no idea about my connection with Ven. He was like, 'What if you made more connections? What do you think your heart looks like? It's kind of a mess, Sora.' Aaaaand then I mentioned your room and he walked away."

Their room was messy.

"I don't think I know what he meant until… well, now." Sora frowned. "I thought my heart was strong and resilient. That's what DiZ and Aqua always told me. But I've never really felt weak like that, except when fighting Larxene and Marluxia." He ran his hands down his face, releasing a sound of frustration. "I just wish I could understand what and how it happened so I can stop it from happening again."

Kairi opened her mouth to assure him when there was a knock at the door. Ven peered in, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. "Riku needs you at the helm," he said, looking at Kairi. "Someone needs to work the rockets. Heartless ahead."

"Got it," Kairi pulled herself up, looking down at Sora. His hands still covered his face, hiding that brilliant smile. Knowing there wasn't much time, she settled with rubbing his shoulder to express that she was there for him.

"Brace yourself," Ven warned Sora as the two of them left the bunk.

Kairi climbed into the cockpit, taking her place at the weapon controls. Ven sat in the seat, buckling up. It was always a good sign when the copilot took position that things were about to get rough. And, predictably, it did. Kairi found it a good distraction from the events that transpired. She didn't want to think about Sora's darkness or this Vanitas boy and what he had to do with them. Yet, she was unable to escape it.

Aqua spoke to Ven, urgency in her voice. "Ven, what did Sora mean by, 'the boy he looks like?'"

"I didn't want to tell you," Ven insisted. "I thought it would scare you."

"Sora looks like him?" She stressed. "How is that even possible?"

"He's my darkness, Aqua," Ven explained as the ship rattled upon impact. "Sora's heart connected with mine after it fractured. I can't imagine he really looked like anything when he was born. It's probably something that happened because of the connection.

"And he didn't look exactly like Sora. Vanitas has black hair and gold eyes." From Kairi's peripherals, she saw Ven tug his hair and pull at his eyes to emphasis the difference. "But… I guess I shouldn't say anything. I mistook Sora for him at first." Ven laughed about it. "Then, you know, living in his heart for so long… I realized it was only Sora. I told him because I knew he wouldn't freak out. Unlike you."

"You didn't think it was important to say anything?"

"No," Ven replied flatly. "Because it's not. It's just a tiny detail."

"Ven—"

"Is right now the best time to be arguing about this?" Ven asked with a chuckle. "You can yell at me when we get in the clear, okay?"

The haul shuttered. Kairi shot at the enemy ships, gritting her teeth. She needed to focus. It was hard to when she was realized just how terrible a people person Aqua was. She had a huge heart and it was certainly in the right place, but she wasn't sure how to get her points and ideas across without coming off as brash and incessant. Kairi had known Aqua for less than two months and she was only now just realizing this. The Keyblade Master only had the best intentions. Kairi knew that. But the way she when about it wasn't doing her any favors.

It was… kind of funny. The great Keyblade Master they were looking for was this sweet, social awkward teen, barely even twenty. Kairi certainly felt less intimidated. Yes, this girl trained under a seasoned Master, but that was all she was—a girl. Like Kairi. And, even though she had spent so long in the dark, the light had done her so much good. Even if the situation had forced her to age beyond her years. But hadn't it done that to all of them? Kairi and Riku had been saddled with the hope that they might save this universe. The things that happened to Aqua and Ven so long ago… Sora being thrown into darkness at such a young age.

Scratch that. Sora was most certainly still a child. He hadn't aged a day since Kairi had known him.

Kairi and Riku fought their way home. The ship sustained about the usual amount of damage, which meant Cid was not going to be happy with them. Riku went straight to their base to try and appease him with cigarettes and booze as Kairi, Sora, Aqua, and Ven went to the lot in the third district to work on forms. Kairi was glad Ven finally decided to work with them. He didn't consider Aqua his master, but more like a friend who was trying to help him out. Aqua walked them through forms and Shotlocks (which Ven assisted her in). Sora knew some, but Kairi couldn't create her own. Basic ones like Meteor Shower and Flame Salvo were difficult. Riku joined them, looking rather disheveled and put off.

When training was finished, all of them were beyond exhausted. Sora leaned on Kairi's shoulder, yawning as they sat in their usual place to unwind. They didn't even bother to get their after training snack. Both were too exhausted to go to the shop and neither were even that hungry.

"So, along with Ven, my heart's connected to darkness incarnate," Sora mumbled. "Kinda wonder why he didn't go to Ven like the rest of his heart did?"

"I'm not sure," Kairi yawned, resting her cheek on his head. She couldn't help but think how soft his hair was. "The heart has many secrets and we'll never understand it."

"DiZ tried to," Sora explained. "Look where it got him."

"That's also coupled with a bunch of backstabbing apprentices." Kairi reminded him.

Sora sighed. He didn't say anything for a while, but Kairi was comfortable with the silence. She thought for just a moment that he might have fallen asleep. Kairi watched people mull around, going about their lives as best they could after being uprooted. She felt as if things were going well here, in Traverse Town. But she couldn't wait to get home, back to Destiny Island, back to her adoptive parents and their friends they left behind.

"Well, I'm going to be more careful," Sora promised. "I know my limit now, so… that makes it easier."

"Good," Kairi smiled, rubbing her cheek on his scalp encouragingly. "We're all right there with you."

From all of this, all Kairi could wonder was… Why Sora?

Uuuugh! So many ideas! Why do we need set ups to write them? XD