C'mon, people! Review! Anyway, I promise that the story will get moving soon. Now, the disclaimer.

Xehanort: "DarthKingdom doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, or anything else. If he did, Kingdom Hearts would be MINE!"

Dude, no it wouldn't.

Chapter 8: Late Night Chats

Darkness was everywhere.

Sora looked around, but it was all he could see. He could occasionally see a shape, but the darkness wouldn't allow him a clear view.

Suddenly, in front of him was Riku. He turned around to face him, and smiled. Before either one could say a word however, he collapsed.

Sora rushed forward to help him, but darkness suddenly swallowed his friend where he lay.

Sora screamed, and then there were Donald and Goofy. They greeted him with cheery smiles, before they too collapsed and were covered in darkness.

Sora felt powerless as he watched all his friends fall to the darkness one by one. First Mickey, then Squall, Yuffie, Aerith. Tifa and Cloud Strife. Merlin, Yen Sid. Even Roxas and Namine all disapeared.

He thought things couldn't get any worse.

But of course, they did.

Before him appeared Xehanort, and he oozed darkness. Sora instinctively called for the Keyblade, but, to his horror it wouldn't come.

Xehanort smiled and laughed at him. The Heartless extended his hand. Kairi appeared in the space before him, floating inches above the ground. She wasn't smiling like the others had been, but staring at him as if silently pleading for help. He tried to run to her, but something grabbed him from behind. He craned his neck and saw the Dark Gaurdian restraining him. It's wicked grin standing out in the dark.

"You understand nothing..." Xehanort said, his voice echoing in the blackness. He grabbed Kairi by the neck, and darkness spread from his hands, covering her.

As Sora looked on in helpless terror at his doomed love, calling her name, Xehanort laughed and laughed.

--

Sora gasped and woke with a start.

The real Kairi next to him muttered something in her sleep and gripped her pillow tighter. He let out a gasp of relief.

She's alive. She's alive, and here with me.

It had been the most horrible feeling. He had just stood there, and watched all his closest friends fade into blackness. Kairi though, that had been much worse.

To reinforce his belief that she was indeed real, he reached out and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Her face actually softened in her sleep.

Sora sat up, and ran his fingers through his hair. That had been his first nightmare in years. He hadn't had one even during his past journeys. Why did he have this one now? He needed to think.

He got up as slowly and quietly as he could so as not to disturb Kairi, and stood over the bed for a moment, thinking that she looked very cute while she was asleep. He leaned down and kissed her temple gently. She smiled. "Suraa..."

Sora crept from the room, and closed the door softly behind him. He looked around him and commited the scenery to memory. His and Kairi's room sat in between a gold shield with a lightning bolt on it, and an Agrabah tapestry.

He crept downstairs, not quite knowing where he was going, but needing to clear his head.

It didn't work.

All his mind would allow him to see was Kairi's pained face as Xehanort smothered her in darkness. All he heard was the laughter of his enemy.

A welcome distraction arrived when he heard humming from ahead of him. He crept forward a little more, and peeked around the corner.

Jack Sparrow was strolling down the hallway with a rum bottle in one hand. He was humming a little tune under his breath that sounded like "A Pirate's Life for Me."

Not wanting to appear like he was spying (and knowing that Jack probably wasn't the best person to help him), Sora started to turn around. But he stopped as soon as he heard, "Shouldn't you be heading to bed, mate?"

Sora turned to find himself face-to-face with the pirate. "I was. Didn't work out so well."

"Kaili kicked you out of the bed mate?" He said as if he understood all to well. He didn't, of course.

"It's Kairi, and you're not evan close."

"Nightmare then?"

"Bingo."

Jack nodded, and said something peculiar. "No doubt about your bonny lass, eh?"

Sora had never taken Jack as the sensitive type, so this surprised him. "How did you know?"

Jack continued his walk down the hall, and gestured to Sora to follow him. He stood at the pirate's side as they walked and talked. "I've no desire to offend, mate. But you look horrible."

"Excuse me?" Asked Sora, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.

"You look a might bit shaken, lad." He explained. "And I've seen the way you look at her. And it seems common sense, that anything happening to her, would inadvertantly lead to the similar result of, or relating to your current condition. Savvy?"

The keybearer was silent for a moment before he asked, "Since when did you become sensitive?"

"The day I was born, mate." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

A question popped into Sora's head. "Jack? Why exactly did you agree to come along on this adventure of ours? I thought you'd be back on the Pearl the first chance you got."

"Did you learn nothing from me mate?" Jack said, "A pirate always looks to profit. I was promised a very lucrative sum of royal treasure by the tiny fellow." He assumed that Jack meant King Mickey.

"And to sweeten the deal, the unpleasant looking old man with the ridiculously long beard promised to make the Pearl fly. And all I have to do is risk me skin out there on other worlds."

"I thought you hated risking your skin?"

"I can make an exeption with the Heartless." Jack said. He suddenly stopped at a door with a picture of a ship on it. "This is where I get off, lad."

"Alright." Sora responded, and shook his hand. "But, one more question."

"Ah?"

"Do you always go on late night walks with your rum?" he asked.

Jack smiled and replied, "Only on a good night, mate." He stepped into the room and closed the door.

Sora turned away from the door with a half smile on his face. Talking to Jack Sparrow always had that kind of effect on you. If he didn't annoy you so much you wanted to blow your brains out first, that is.

But the smile faded quickly, as he remembered why he was awake in the first place. His nightmare came pounding back to him, and he had to fight back tears when he realized that it could probably happen sometime in the near future.

He walked back down the hall, and subconciously registered that he was on the third floor when he passed by a window. He leaned on the sill for a moment and simply stared at the moon. He really needed someone to talk to, and it seemed Roxas was asleep.

It was completely silent. Normally, he would have appreciated it, but now it just intensified his own horrible thoughts. He put his hand to his head and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Sora?" said a high-pitched voice behind him.

Sora turned around, and looked down a bit. It was King Mickey, and he was looking at him with plenty of concern in his eyes. Sora tried to force a smile on his face.

"Hello, Your Majesty."

"You seem pretty upset." Mickey observed. He turned around and began walking down the hall. He looked over his shoulder. "Come with me, we'll talk a bit."

They proceeded down the hallway, and the king pushed open a door larger than the others. The room was pitch black, but the king snapped his fingers, and lamps all around the room lit up.

They were in what looked like a study. There were bookshelves lining the five walls, and a fire crackled cheerily under the mantle as if it had been burning there for hours. Three chintz armchairs were arranged in a circle, with a small coffee table in between them. A desk was in one corner.

Mickey sat down at the chair closest to the fire. He gestured to the chair facing his, and Sora sat down.

"So what's wrong, Sora?"

The young man leaned forward in his chair and put his elbows on his knees. He sighed and said, "I had a horrible nightmare."

"Well, that's understandable." Mickey said. "Something like what we're facing can bring up some pretty scary dreams."

"But this was different, Your Majesty." Sora said, a bit more harshly than he intended. "I haven't had a single nightmare since I was like, seven. And I can remember every single detail of it."

"What happened?"

Sora –quite painfully- recounted his dream to the diminutive king. How all of his friends had suddenly collapsed, and eventually arrived at the part where Xehanort got to Kairi.

"He said, 'You understand nothing'... And then he..."

It was too much. Sora finally broke down into silent sobs. Mickey lept out of his chair and rushed to his side. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and gave it a few pats. Sora was grateful that he didn't have to continue.

"It's alright, Sora." The King muttered. "She's fine. We're all here, and doing just fine."

Sora calmed down completely after a few minutes. He took a moment to compose himself, and looked his companion in the eye.

The King smiled, squeezed his shoulder, and returned to his seat. "Perhaps the nightmare was just brought on by the fact that this journey is different from your other ones." He said "We don't know as much as we did before, and now both of your closest friends are here with you. Naturally, you're worried about them."

"What about Xehanort?" Sora asked.

"You probably saw him because he's one of the darker figures that you've met." He explained. "In your dreams, he represents the darkness."

"I think you're reading a bit too much into this dream Sora. It's not a vision, if that's what you're wondering. But if you are worried about Kairi, well maybe you could train her. Teach her, prepare her." Then he smiled, "I'm sure you won't mind spending a little extra time with her."

At this, Sora had to laugh.

Mickey looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ya know... You can tell a lot about a person by the stuff he dreams about." His face softened "You care more about your friend's lives than you do your own, Sora. And that makes you great."

"You are definitely the bravest, kindest, and most selfless guy I've ever met."

Another tear fell from Sora's eye, but it wasn't one of sadness. He stood up slowly, and gave the king a bow.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He said "For everything."

Mickey stood up as well. "Anytime you need help, I'll be there for ya."

Sora knelt down and gave the mouse an akward hug, which he returned.

"Now, maybe you outta go back to sleep." The king said "We've got a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"Right." Sora said. He walked to the door, then stopped and turned around. "Um, Your Exellancy? Why are you up so late?"

Mickey blushed, just a little. "I was sending a letter to Minnie. She sends her love."

With that, Sora gave him a last good night, and left the room.

He walked slowly up the stairs, feeling a bit reassured. His nightmare was still something he probably wouldn't want to dwell on, but he couldn't help but feel like a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

Until a strange feeling came upon him. A feeling of sadness and fear that he knew wasn't his own. And without really understanding how he knew, he understood that Kairi needed him.

His slow walk immediately became a fast sprint down hallways and up stairs. He didn't slow down at all until he saw the golden shield on the wall. He barrelled toward the door and rushed through.

His fears were confirmed when he saw Kairi thrashing about in her sleep, crying.

Sora closed the door and ran back to the bed, sitting down next to Kairi and shaking her awake. "Kairi! Kairi, wake up!"

After a very painful minute of trying to wake her, Kairi snapped up covered in cold sweat, panting heavily, and crying. She looked at Sora for a few frozen seconds, before her crying resumed and she threw herself at him, wrapping him in a bone-crushing hug.

Sora hugged her back and allowed her to cry into his shoulder. He rubbed her back in comforting circles, and whispered reassuring things into her ear.

"Shhhh." He soothed. "It's alright, Kairi. It's alright, I'm here. It's alright."

They sat there for several minutes, as Kairi's sobs gradually ceased. After about thirty minutes, Kairi pulled her head back, but her grip on Sora didn't lessen at all. She trembled slightly. A few strands of auburn hair stuck to her forehead with sweat. Her eyes were puffy, and a few tears still fell from them. Sora adjusted his hold on her and wiped them away.

Kairi sniffled once, and leaned her forehead against his. She whispered softly, "Please don't leave me."

Sora cupped her face in one hand, and tilted her head to where her eyes met his. "I promise Kairi," he said softly, "I will never leave you. I love you."

"I love you too."

He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. She returned it.

The two fell back gently onto the bed and pillows, still kissing. They pulled away very slowly, and Sora pulled the sheets over them again. Kairi tucked her head into the space between Sora's head and shoulder (a cavity he thought seemed made just for that tender action).

He heard her quietly ask, "What did I do to deserve you?"

All he could do was chuckle, and reply lightly, "Have you got a few hours? I can make you a list."

His comment received the disired effect, Kairi smiled, and laughed.

It was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard.

The two fell into a finally peaceful sleep a few minutes later, holding each other as if it was their last embrace.

And with luck, it wouldn't be.

There's just a little drama for you. I'm not that great at it but, whatever. Please review!