It's been nearly 10 months since I last updated a chapter of this fic, and probs wasn't going to until I got a message from ~kaigirl16 to plx update a new chapter, and so I'm pretty much updating this just for them.

FYI, most likely I think I'm going to end up dropping this fic for several reasons:
1. mainly lost interest in the Kingdom Hearts series
2. will no longer have time because I have diplomas this year T_T
3. a little more focused with the other fanfics I have going on right now.

So... there's a likely chance I'll drop this fic completely, but if my interest is renewed and whatnot later in time, I might continue it too. So, for now I will leave it on HIATUS until further notice.

But for the sake of a certain dedicated reader named ~kaigirl16 I will update this next chapter just for them! :D Thanks a lot and I really REALLY appreciate your awesome support! THANK YOU!

PLEASE R&R!

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts (c) Tetsuya Nomura
: Disney characters (c) Disney
Claimer: everything else (c) me

Chapter Fifteen: Fought and Loss

Sora was taking a calming-yet-rainy walk down by the quiet ocean side, gazing out over the horizon, reminding him so much of home. It had been a long time since he had strolled peacefully on the shores of Destiny Islands with Kairi and Riku. He gazed out across the sea, and he allowed his mind to wander into the past where he had enjoyed such simple and carefree times with his two best friends.

Without warning, a Dark Corridor appeared, and a dark chuckle rumbled from its center.

"Who's there?" Sora called, making his Keyblade appear.

Yuki stepped from the darkness, a dark smile plastered on her face. Her dark Keyblade was in her grasp, and she flicked back some of her dampening dark hair.

"Yuki!" he gasped. "W-What are you doing here?"

She smiled. "Here to finish off what I started," she answered. "If it wasn't for you, I would have been able to finish off that weakling Riku while I had the chance."

"What are you saying Yuki?" Sora demanded in horror. "Riku loves you, and you loved him too. You loved him before you were kidnapped by Organization XIII. Please… don't do this."

Immediately as the Dark Corridor closed behind her, she leaped forward at him with her Keyblade poised at him. Sora leaped away by instinct as her Keyblade came down on where he had been standing into the wet sand.

"Why would I ever love that weakling?" she snickered. "He can't even beat the darkness on his own. What makes you think that I could ever possibly love that stupid child?"

"You don't mean that, Yuki," Sora told her, feeling his heart ache for what his best friend must be going through. "I know that somewhere in your heart you still love Riku."

She paused her next advance, cackling darkly into the rainy sky. "You are a fool, Keyblade Master," she told him. "I don't have a heart, recall?"

"But you do!" he shouted. "You have the real Yuki's heart inside you! You told us before that you felt guilty that you took the real Yuki's heart and name, when your true Nobody name was always Kixyu."

She cackled. "It's funny really, Keyblade Master," she mocked. "You forget that Nobody's don't have a heart. Even if you claim that I have stolen the real Yuki's heart, there is no way I have it, because I am a Nobody. Therefore, by your logic, the real Yuki's heart is lost forever."

"What?" Sora responded. "No, you're lying. You do have Yuki's heart. You just can't see it yourself!"

Her face twisted into a cold, conniving sneer. "You're truly naïve, Keyblade Master Sora," she told him. "And your naivety is what will cause your downfall."

"YUKI!" a voice cried out, and both of them glanced to see Riku running towards the beach.

"Here comes the fool Riku now," Yuki smirked, crimson eyes glaring back at Sora. "Let's finish this, Keyblade Master."

Immediately, Yuki leaped at Sora, her Keyblade outstretched to kill.

"Yuki, don't make me do this! I don't want to fight you!" Sora shouted, but it was too late. He had no choice but to raise his own Keyblade to try and counter hers.

There was a clash of thunder as a storm of sand exploded when both sides crashed, blinding Riku's view as he rushed faster to the scene. He had sensed Yuki's presence on the island, and he knew that he had to get her back before it was too late and he was going to lose her to the darkness forever.

"Yuki! Sora!" he cried.

As the sand cleared, Riku gasped as he saw that Sora's Keyblade had pierced through Yuki's chest, and darkness began to separate from her body, the darkness of her Organization cloak disappearing. The Keyblade in her hand dropped to the sand and faded in black smoke. Her eyes had returned back into their beautiful golden. Sora's eyes were wide with horror as he realized that he had stabbed his best friend's girlfriend… possibly even fatally.

"YUKI!" Riku screamed, forcing his legs faster towards them.

"S-Sora…" Yuki murmured, and she grunted with pain as Sora pulled his Keyblade from her body, stepping back in utter horror. As she fell back, Riku swept under her just in time to catch her in his arms.

"Yuki!" he gasped, staring into her dim golden eyes. He instantly whirled on his best friend. "Sora! What did you just do?"

Sora took another two steps backwards in shock. "I-I didn't mean to, I-"

"Riku…" Yuki interrupted with a weak smile. "I-I'm so sorry…"

"No, n-no…" he begged, his voice sounding desperate as his eyes locked with hers. "You can't leave me, Yuki. I just got you back. Please… you can't."

She smiled weakly. "T-Thank you, Sora… for freeing me… I-I'm so sorry, Riku. I love you…" she murmured, "I really do."

"I… I love you too, Yuki," he wept softly. "I always have, and I always will. Please… just… you can't die."

Her eyes slipped close, a faint smile touching her lips as her head tilted lifelessly against his chest, and Riku cried, wrapping his arms around her as much as he could as he saw the crystal pendant shattered with Yuki's death. She looked so peaceful in his arms, so innocent. Water streamed down her face from the rain like tears, and her bangs stuck to her forehead with the weight of the rain.

Brokenly, Riku silently wept for the young woman he had fallen in love with and lost… and Sora was shaken speechless. He had been responsible for Yuki's death, because he had been the one to stab her in the end.

Sora took a step forward, beginning. "Riku, I-"

"No, Sora," Riku cut off in a quote. "I don't want to hear your excuses. You killed Yuki. It's your fault she's dead!"

"I'm sorry Riku, but I-"

"No, Sora!" he snapped. "Get out of my sight. Leave me alone." He cradled Yuki closer as he wept for his girlfriend's death.

The dumbfounded Keyblade Master realized that there was nothing he could say to ease his friend's pain… and so –with a heavy heart, he had no choice but to leave him alone.

xXx

"Sora!" Donald exclaimed as he returned. "You're soaked! What happened? Where's Riku?"

Pain found itself into Sora's twin orbs, and Donald immediately caught notice of this. "Sora, what happened?" he demanded.

"I-I-I-" Sora stammered, still in disbelief that the Nobody was really gone, "I killed Yuki…"

The duck's eyes widened into two near-perfect circles. "W-W-WHAT? Sora, what are you saying?"

"I-I didn't mean to!" the teen protested, "She attacked me on the beach, we were fighting, I-I don't know what happened, she came at me, there was a flash of lightning, I-I just… I-I just…" Tears found their way into his eyes as the salty droplets streamed down his cheeks. "I-I didn't mean to."

"It's not your fault, Sora," Donald said sadly. "You had no choice." He paused for a moment as Sora tried to fight back more tears. "Does Riku know?"

He bit his lip before nodding. He blames me for it too, he thought sadly. How am I ever going to face Riku ever again?

xXx

"Well, everything seems to be going according to plan," Vexen said proudly.

"You must be very proud of yourself, Vexen," Zexion told bitterly. Trying to set Riku and Sora against each other, he thought. It's so terrible…

"Kixyu…" Xven murmured miserably.

"It's alright, Xven," Marluxia assured. "She's just a Nobody."

He glared at him with hard crimson eyes. "She's not just any Nobody," he hissed. "She's my girlfriend!"

xXx

It wasn't until after sunset that Riku returned. Sora and Donald sat outside on the porch, and the 15-year-old had explained everything to him with a heavy heart. Rain continued to fall from the sky, and while Lilo and Stitch were in their room working on their hula, they had been mourning a lost friend.

They heard heavy footsteps coming towards them, and they looked to see Riku stalking back depressingly and alone. His formally-clear pale azure eyes were clouded with pain and grief, and his face was set in a stony mask of despair.

"R-Riku…" Sora said sadly as the elder teen approached. He was scared to meet eye contact with his best friend, afraid to see them laid with blame.

"Sora, it's okay," Riku responded quietly. "Thank you for setting Yuki free in the end."

He was in shock. "But Riku, I-I killed her," he protested. "It's all my fault that she's gone!"

The silver-haired teen shook his head. "It's not your fault, Sora," he argued. "I know I was mad at you before, but then I realized… it wasn't your fault. It's Organization XIII's fault this happened." With a heavy heart, he raised his gaze to the cloudy sky, rain falling onto his face and streaking down his cheeks like tears. "I'm sure that Yuki would have rather died by the hands of one of her friends than continue to do Organization XIII's dirty work."

Sora bit his lip, looking away guiltily as tears streamed from his eyes. He knew what had happened was his fault, and that it was right for Riku to blame him, but because he didn't… it only made him feel even guiltier.

"We'll make sure Organization XIII pays for what happened to Yuki," Donald swore, and both teens nodded in silent agreement.

"Sora…" Riku said gently, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder and squeezing reassuringly. "Don't blame yourself for what happened to Yuki. You were able to set her free, and you allowed her to die peacefully. So for all of that… thank you…"

Without another word, Riku quietly went inside the house to dry off, leaving Sora and Donald on the steps of the house, mourning bitterly for the loss of a dear friend.

… It was going to be a long night for all of them…

Wow... I know this is probably a terrible place to leave it on HIATUS, but hopefully I will get my KH spirit renewed and have more time to continue and (eventually) finish this fanfiction.

Thanks for all the support up until now! I'll update a new chapter when I'm not on HIATUS status anymore for this fic. Otherwise, that's all for now. :D Sorry for the inconvenience if you were a fan of this fic.

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