Well here it is the complete chapter four is officially up! And I even threw in a little bonus for your patience; this chapter is approximately 3000 words longer than all of the previous chapters in this story so far! So thank you for waiting and I apologize for the delay In posting.

Note: I am now attempting to do character point of view takes on various parts of this story, mainly when it fits the moment such as this chapter in particular. I'd appreciate any comments on how good/bad it is, it's been a while since I've wrote in first person.

No I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney Characters that appear in this story. That honor belongs to Square Enix and of course Disney. I only claim the plot that I am throwing them into. Happy Reading!

Kingdom Hearts III: Xehanorts Ambitions

Chapter 4

Unbreakable Bonds

A middle aged woman with shoulder length brunette hair was sweeping the wooden oak floor of her treasured kitchen. She had always loved to cook since she was a little girl. Back in the day she would pick various fruits from the island trees and cut them into unique shapes with the help of her mother. When she had first married her husband, she would spend hours on end preparing extravagant meals for him and their only son every evening. However as her son grew older and was able to attend school, she found herself searching the ads in the paper for a job, and before she knew it that time to cook was gone. Then one day her husband left, leaving behind a stack of divorce papers on the marble counter tops, saying that they had grown so far apart that he no longer wanted to try. In the blink of an eye, her life had been shattered.

Her seven year old son came home that afternoon from his friend's house, he wanted to know when dinner would be ready so that he could tell dad about the cave he discovered out on the island.

This is Sakura, the mother of the keyblade wielder everyone would come to know as Sora. That fateful day she was heartbroken, when she had told Sora the news, he didn't quite understand.

"When is dad coming home?" He would ask every day. Sakura could only say that she didn't know. Often times he would drop it till the next day, but every once in a while he would burst out in tears in response to her answer.

"Does dad not like me anymore?" He would ask as he sobbed. This pattern reoccurred daily through that first difficult year, making every day Sakura woke up to a struggle for survival. Not only for the survival of her son, but for her sanity.

As the years have gone by Sakura has adapted well to the lifestyle of being a single mother, and has found ways to keep her passions thriving. Sora had significantly coped with the situation too; yes there were difficult times in which Sakura struggled with her son, but without a father figure in his life, who was to blame him for some of his actions. Even though her son appeared to be a perfectly happy bright boy to this very day, she knew deep down that he still struggled with his hidden emotions tied to his father's departure over eight years ago.

On this day she found herself cleaning the house so that she didn't have to count on Sora doing it when he got home later from his date. Yes, she loved him, but she always shuttered at the thought of him wrecking her silky white aprons by throwing it in the washing machine with his beloved red shorts. She quietly hummed to herself as she folded various garments neatly into two separate piles. Overhead she could here the water running through the pipes in the ceiling, most likely from Sora taking a shower before he went to meet up with his date.

Sakura was thrilled when Sora told her that he had finally asked the girl out that he's had a crush on since elementary school. The one thing she hated to admit though was the tiny little worry that if their relationship would end, Sora would be heartbroken again. But she wouldn't allow those thoughts to trouble her, not now, not ever.

The tiled bathroom walls were covered with a thin film of water, slowly forming droplets before it hit the green rug below. Behind the palm tree shower curtain, Sora was showering. He ducked his hair in the hot flowing water again before scrubbing it with axe shampoo.

"Cursed hair, why won't you lay flat!" He muttered. He had already wasted at least half an hour trying to get his coarse spiky brown hair to relax, even just a little bit. But no matter how many times he soaked, scrubbed, or lathered it with shampoo it refused to surrender. Finally admitting defeat he turned his back on the shower head and allowed the intensely heated water to flow over his shoulders, traveling down his back and chest before hitting the sand toned tile floor.

He sighed deeply, as the water eased his worries away. "You gotta stay calm Sora; it's just like hanging with Kairi any other day, only it will just be you…and her…all alone…on an island…with no one to interrupt." He gulped. The thought of not impressing her in any way loomed over his head.

He trembled slightly at the thought, then reached for the silver knob and twisted it to the off position. The water slowed to just a trickle leaving Sora uneasy again. He grabbed the tan towel hanging on the shower curtain beam and wrapped it around his waist loosely.

After he had tucked it in gently he strolled over to the fogged mirror of the marble counter sink. "Dam. Forgot to turn on the dehumidifier again." He grabbed one of the small green towels sitting in a basket by the wall and wiped away the steam from it. As his reflection became more and more visible he noticed a slight discoloration on his chest, especially around his heart.

"I wonder if this has anything to do with what Xehanort said while I was in that deep sleep. Or what the hooded man said at Traverse Town. Maybe something is happening to me. Or maybe I'm just tanning rather oddly… I better talk to Riku about this later." He chose to put that thought off his mind for now and focus on getting ready. He combed his hair back into its usual spiky form and applied some cologne.

Sora then began to fantasize a little about how to greet Kairi when he saw her. He picked up his comb and pretended it was a bouquet of flowers. "For you, my dear." He said as he bowed gently and held them out to an imaginary Kairi. His towel suddenly fell off however and exposed his bare body. Sora shook his head as he chuckled at his appearance. "Yeah, that out to impress her alright." He said sarcastically.

He then got dressed in a blue and white plaid button up shirt with tan khaki shorts. After applying one last sprits of cologne he exited the bathroom and went to pick up his grey rucksack he left in his bedroom. He quickly double checked to make sure he had everything. "Towel, check. Sunscreen, check. Catchphrase list…check. Wait, what's this?" He questioned as he pulled out a small box that was not on his mental checklist. It was a box of contraceptives. On the front of the box was a small post it note.

"Just in case. Love Mom."

"Seriously?" Sora shook his head and tossed the box aside. "Like I would need them anyway, this is only our first date!" He then retied the rucksack and left the room. Sakura was waiting for him as he slid down the wooden staircase railing. She was smiling ear to ear as she gave him a hug.

"My baby is growing up to fast!" She cried to herself.

"Mom, please I'm kind of in hurry." Said Sora as he tried to free himself of her death grip. She quickly let him go and undid the top two buttons on his shirt, then straightened out his collar.

"Their. Girls tend to like that." She said as she moved on to fixing his hair.

"Mom!" Sora moaned.

Sakura then backed off and admired her son as if he were a work of art. "You look adorable, just like…" Her smile faded as she realized what she was about to say. Sora waited for her response, but it never came.

"Never mind then. Do you have everything in your bag?"

"Yes mom, I already checked."

"Do you have your beach towel?"

"Yes."

"Sunscreen?"

"Yes."

"Teeth brushed?"

"Yes."

"Hair combed?"

"Yes Mom."

"Alright then, don't forget to compliment on how she looks and be sure to play safe!" She said before ushering him out the front door.

"Mom!" He complained. He then walked down the sidewalk promptly, hearing the door shut behind him softly. This is it, the big day, the one he had been anticipating since he was only 7 years old. As the ocean came into view he began jogging, he didn't want to keep her waiting for him.

(And now my attempt at 1st person view)

(Sora's Point of View)

This was it. Today was the day that I was finally going on a date with the most gorgeous girl I have ever known. The one person I had call my friend since I was five, would now be something far grander than that.

My heart pulsed rapidly as I treaded across the warm ginger tinted sand. I had chosen to wear a blue and white plaid button up shirt with tan khaki shorts for the occasion. I even attempted to lay my hair flat with a really strong hair gel. Unfortunately it did absolutely nothing to tame my spiky brown hair. The sand was slipping through my brown sandals; its warming sensation soothed me as I increasingly became nervous at what I was approaching.

Several feet away from me laid the boating docks. The salt from the ocean had clearly worn away at them over the years, but each one of them held as strong as the day they were built. However my worries were not stemming over the chance of falling in, no. The source of my mounting anticipation was the stunning red haired girl waiting by my rowboat. She was wearing a knee length ocean blue skirt with a white shoulder length shirt. In a way it resembled our local school uniform but was clearly in a form of her own design. On her right shoulder rested a tan purse strap that reached down to her slim waist.

My right footstep echoed off the wooden dock, alerting her to my arrival. She immediately quit staring off at the small island ahead of her to greet me.

"Hi Sora. Beautiful morning isn't it?" Kairi spoke cheerfully. Her sky blue eyes glinted in the sunlight. I inhaled deeply as I tried to regain my focus.

"Yeah. It feels great to return to this peaceful weather." I smiled nervously and chuckled. I kept telling myself that this was just like any other day I've spent with her before. Except that we were going to be alone…for a whole day…what have I gotten myself into? I then stepped into the rowboat and offered Kairi my hand.

"Why thank you, Sora." She giggled at my attempt at being a gentleman. As she gripped my extended hand firmly I felt a sudden rush ensnare my body. Kairi set one foot into the boat and paused as she tried to maintain her balance. Her other foot on the dock then slipped. "Ahh!" She screamed before I caught her swiftly in my arms.

"That was a close one, wasn't it?" I said to her. She then lifted her head from my chest and looked into my eyes. She beamed another smile.

"Hehe. Yeah it was, I could have fallen in the water. Probably wouldn't be the best way to start off our first date." She then ran her hand gently down the back of my neck. I shuddered with excitement at her gentle touch. The two of us laughed at our awkwardness. As our laughter subsided however I noticed that her face was constantly inching closer to me. I finally put two and two together and realized what she was after. But I couldn't make the move…not yet.

"S-so are you ready to head out to the island?" I interrupted. Kairi's eyes sank slightly at the disappointment but she maintained her smile. She then let go of me and sat on her end of the boat.

"Ready whenever you are." She replied. I could still tell she was bitterly disappointed over me killing the moment, I then vowed that I would make it up to her later, a promise I intended to keep to myself.

"Alright then, let's set sail." I reached down into the bottom of the boat and pulled out the oars. As the water splashed back at me for forcibly shoving them into the water Kairi giggled. At least I could always count on doing something stupid to put her in a good mood. I quickly untied the boat from the dock pole and pushed the oars with all of my might, setting us off into the sea. Our first date had finally begun.

AN: (And that is likely the only scene I will ever write in 1st person for this story)

(And now back to my usual 3rd person style)

An evil cloaked fairy stood on the balcony of the deserted castle she had formerly claimed as her own. Her cloak slightly swayed in the evening breeze. As she stared into the sunset she raised her grey discolored hand and pretended to extinguish it.

"Light." She spoke with disgust. "That keyblade bearer and his lackeys have ruined this world with their attempts to restore it. What a waste of time for them however, once I enact my way of conquering all of the worlds." She then craned her neck to see her loyal large minion snoozing against the stone wall. "Pete! Get up at once!" She snapped at him out of fury. Pete immediately snapped out of his daze and saluted the witch.

"Yes Maleficent!" He retorted. He then shuddered slightly, waiting for her to bombard him with her usual slur of insults. However, she instead smiled wickedly at him, stroking her glowing green scepter meticulously.

"I must ask of you to go spy on the people that are apparently calling this castle home these days. They may be of use to me." She ordered.

"Right away Maleficent! You can count on me! Heartless squadron rou-!"

"You will not fight them unless they attack you first." She interrupted. Pete folded his arms and grumbled.

"Fine. But I think it would be much easier to just go ahead and turn them into heartless right away, I can sense that they are powerful." Mumbled Pete. He then opened a dark portal and stumbled right into it. As the dark portal sealed itself Maleficent drew in a deep breath and sighed.

"You can come out know Xehanort; I know you've been eavesdropping on me." Said Maleficent with a dark chuckle. A dark portal reappeared in the spot where Pete departed, and out of its depths stepped out Master Xehanort. He grinned mischievously as he strolled on over to the evil fairy.

"Very perceptive Maleficent, I've heard of your accomplishments' while I have been absent these past few years. I have also heard of your defeat from that annoying boy Sora. So the question is, what are you still doing here?" He asked. Her smile then switched into a viscous scowl.

"I was about to ask the same of you, Xehanort! That boy has interfered with my plans on numerous counts but I have now found my own way to conquer the worlds, and although I found your advice in the past quite useful, I no longer require your assistance in my plans for universal domination." She sneered. Xehanort merely chuckled at her empty words.

"Is that so? Well then I suppose requesting you to rebuild your heartless forces would be to much ask of then now would it?" He then watched as Maleficent squinted her eyes at him.

"I'm listening." She replied as she resumed stroking her scepter.

"I have a plan for conquering all of the worlds my dear, but I am afraid that I require your services in order for it to come to fruition." He said with a courteous nod of respect towards her. Maleficent paused for a moment to consider his request.

"What exactly… did you have in mind?" She asked. Xehanort chuckled.

"I need to recreate the heartless battle that my nobody Xemnas created in this world recently, but this time it needs to be of formidable strength."

Maleficent's green eyes widened bemusedly. "And what will I get in return, Xehanort?" The old man reopened his dark portal and walked towards it. He then turned back to answer her question.

"I will find away for you to retrieve this "data" that you so desperately seek." He replied. He then paused for a moment to wait for to respond. Maleficent's jaw dropped slightly, she was bewildered as to how he had discovered her plans. Her shock however then faded back into her usual wicked demeanor.

"We have a deal then, Xehanort."

The two love struck teenagers had arrived on shore nearly an hour ago and had been walking along the edge of the water since. Sora had kicked off his brown sandals to avoid getting them soaked; Kairi had done the same with her blue flip flops as well. They had discarded their personal items and beach towels further up shore for later. Sora drew in a breath of fresh sea air, allowing him to remain at ease.

"This isn't so bad. It's just like any other day I've spent with her, only now we're holding hands… It feels really natural now that I think about it." Sora thought to himself. He continued to enjoy his time with her as the warm salt water covered their feet from time to time. Kairi then turned her head slightly and glanced at his face before blushing and staring back ahead.

"This is nice, isn't it Sora?" Asked Kairi. Sora snapped out of his innermost thoughts and focused back on her.

"Yeah, it's a great day out. It makes me wonder what the weather is like wherever Riku is at now." Sora's content smile faltered slightly. Kairi took notice of this and began to stroke his hand with her thumb comfortingly.

"He's been gone quite a bit lately. Does he ever tell you what his missions are about these days?" She asked. He found her attempts at breaking the ice a little to be cute, but refrained from chuckling.

"He says he isn't allowed to tell anyone what his missions are, but he mentions if he met someone I know that says hello. Other than that I hardly see him, he'll get back late at night and will be gone early the next morning. Yen Sid has him running errands left and right like he's his own personal delivery boy." He spoke that last line with a hint of jealousy. The fact that he had failed the Mark of Mastery Exam hadn't really bothered him right off the bat. Even when he found out the Riku had passed he wasn't mad at all, in fact he felt proud of his best friend for he knew deep down he had deserved it for saving his life. But now that time had passed, he was a little upset that Riku was getting the opportunity to leave all the time and explore other worlds.

Kairi caught the hint that he was upset about the closure to his recent journey. She then inched closer to Sora and wrapped her right arm around his waist. She giggled as his blue eyes darted to her, still not believing that she had just made the first move.

"I know you're disappointed about not becoming a Keyblade Master, and I understand that you wish you could be out on missions with Riku. But Sora, I think you don't realize just how much more important you are than just a Keyblade wielder." Said Kairi. Sora gave his traditional cheeky grin as he wrapped his left arm around her slender waist.

"Important how? I'm just like every other guy out there. Or am I just not seeing where you're going with this?" Sora said slyly, attempting to flatter her. Kairi cut off their walk immediately and turned Sora to face her.

"Sora, you're an amazing person. You are forgiving of everyone you know, and can make friends almost wherever you go. You have opened up your heart to so many people and have gone out of your way to save them. Last year, you turned the keyblade on yourself just to return me to my body. You safeguarded me in your heart when our world was destroyed and took me on the journey of a lifetime. A-and after all this time Sora…I've fallen for you." Kairi stared straight into Sora's eyes for a moment. Speaking straight from the heart was testing her emotions till they reached the bursting point. Sora was speechless; Kairi had just said that she loved him. Something that he had longed to hear but believed the day would never come. He slid his hands up from her waist and across her back, then pulled her into a tender hug.

"Kairi, I've always cared about you too. That night when our home was lost to the darkness, I thought I had lost you for good. My heart ached just thinking about you and when I realized that you were trapped inside of me. I knew then that nothing else mattered to me, not even what all the worlds could offer me would interfere with the girl that I treasured the most." Sora whispered softly as she rested her head against his chest.

Kairi let out a small sob, a single tear trickled down her face. "I missed you so much." She sobbed quietly. Sora stroked her back comfortingly and reassured her.

"So did I Kairi. So did I." He said calmly. There embrace grew tighter, little did they know however, that there was people lurking in the shadows.

In the tallest moss covered palm tree on all of Destiny Islands is a small but well built tree house. During their child Sora and Riku would play up there daily. However as the years had passed they preferred to sit or lean against the crooked palm tree and chat instead. On this particular day however two cloaked men resided in the old wooden tree house, trying to remain out of the young couples view. The man with aging hair in a ponytail and an eye patch peeked out of the window at Sora and Kairi. He snickered as he witnessed the two of them hugging.

"Ahh how cute. The kiddo got himself a girlfriend, but not just any girl. He got a genuine bona fide princess of heart to fall for him." Braig said mockingly. The other member with long sleek blue hair sighed before dragging his fellow comrade down from the window by his shoulder.

"Do you want to be discovered?" Isa sneered. Braig rolled his visible yellow eye.

"Oh relax Isa. We've been spying on these two clowns for a week already! If they haven't noticed us yet than I doubt they ever will!" Braig complained throwing his arms up in the air for emphasis. Isa shook his head as he continued to flip through the pages of a small pink leather book.

"Whatever. Just keep quiet while I examine this to see if she mentions any object that might fit the bill." Muttered Isa.

"Are you still messing with her diary? We already searched her bedroom. Twice! And still found nothing, what makes you think she wrote something important like that in a measly little book!" Braig scoffed. Isa slammed the book shut and glared at Braig viscously.

"For your information, Braig, this is a diary not just a book you find on a dusty old shelf. Didn't you ever write in yours during our time under Xemnas's rule?" Isa interrogated him. Braig laughed.

"As if! The minute you walked out of the room after handing me that piece of trash I threw it up at the ceiling and used it for target practice." Braig smiled amusedly as he reminisced on that glorious memory. Isa gave up and went back to examining Kairi's diary, desperately searching for a clue as to what they needed. Braig peeked out of the window again and noticed that Sora and Kairi had walked over the bridge and onto the isolated island off shore. They appeared to be having some sort of picnic; this reminded him that he hadn't eaten since last night. His stomach growled in reply.

"Hey Isa. The kiddos are having lunch right now, don't you think its time we go out and grab a quick bite to eat?" Braig suggested. Isa ignored him for he had become fascinated with what he was reading on a certain entry. He suddenly closed the book and stood up rapidly.

"I think I found a clue as to where she may have hidden something very dear to her, but we need to act now while they aren't looking. Its located in a cave somewhere down there." Directed Isa as he pointed at the beach below. Braig followed his lead and then summoned a dark portal.

"Well then let's get this over with already! I'm starving!" Complained Braig as he ushered Isa into the portal.

Sora and Kairi were sitting on the crooked palm tree that had arched itself over the ocean. A red and white checkered picnic blanket had been neatly folded up and discarded at the base of the tree. Along with the several empty sandwich bags and a banana peel. The two of them had just finished lunch and were relaxing before doing anything to active. Sora yawned loudly, causing Kairi to nudge him playfully.

"Tired already Sora? You always have been a lazy bum." She giggled. Sora rolled his eyes and stood up. He put on a serious face and acted like he was carrying something heavy. As if he was someone really macho.

"Why do I always end up doing all the work around here, you two are a bunch of slackers!" He grunted mockingly. Kairi laughed even harder than before.

"Is that supposed to be you're impersonation of Riku?" She teased. Sora jumped down from the tree and landed firmly on his feet. He then gently lifted Kairi down and twirled her before gracefully setting her down.

"You know, for someone that was in tears just an hour ago you've really cheered up quickly." Sora commented. Kairi blushed slightly, knowing that he was right. Sora took note of this and decided to open up a bit more to her. "Did I ever tell you how cute you are whenever you blush?" He then lightly brushed his hand up the side of her rosy cheek. This only made her blush more intensely, turning her face a deep shade of red.

"You are such a goof. You know that right?" She replied as she tried to save herself from any further embarrassment. Sora suddenly lightly pecked her on her cheek. Catching her off guard.

"I know I am. Which is why nothing is stopping me from doing this." He said with his infamous grin. Kairi's eyes widened with amazement as he suddenly unbuttoned his plaid shirt and tossed it aside.

"You're dreaming now Kairi. There is no way that he just took off his shirt for you. It's all just a dream. And you know deep down that you don't want to wake up." Kairi kept telling herself as her heart began to race rapidly. Her dream however suddenly appeared to come to an abrupt end when Sora then dived off the island and plunged into the ocean several feet below. Kairi bolted to the edge and peered over, searching for any sign of him. "Sora!" She cried out in distress. She then spotted bubbles forming on the surface of the water and suddenly Sora jumped out of the water gasping for air. He grinned cheekily as he saw the reaction on Kairi's face.

"Hey Kairi, why do you look so upset. I thought you were starting to have fun?" Sora called out to her as he began to backstroke. Occasionally kicking his feet on the surface of the water. Kairi's shocked expression suddenly flickered into anger.

"Having fun! Sora you nearly gave me a heart attack!" She yelled at him angrily. She clenched her fists tightly as her breathing grew deeper. Sora just laughed as squirted water from his mouth.

"Aww come on Kairi relax. You know I wouldn't do anything reckless just to scare you. Why don't you jump down here for a swim with me, the water feels great!" He replied as he motioned her to jump. Kairi huffed as she brushed her hair out of her face.

"Fine. Just give me a moment to get ready." She then walked away from Sora's view so that she could change into her bikini with in some privacy. Sora playfully batted at the water as he waited for her to finish. After what seemed like an eternity to him he called out to Kairi.

"You almost ready Kairi?" He said searching for any sign of her.

"Just about." She replied. Within a few seconds she then stepped out into the open dressed in two piece white bikini. Sora whistled with pleasure. Kairi just smirked. "Easy their lover boy. I still have to get down there." Sora rolled his blue eyes.

"That's easy. Just jump." He said.

"I don't want risk getting hurt on the way down." She mumbled nervously.

"Kairi don't worry. I'll catch you I promise." He said holding his arms out for her. Kairi rocked back and forth on her feet, contemplating the situation. She then crossed her arms across her chest and wrapped her hands over her shoulders tightly.

"Ok. Here I go." She took a deep breath before jumping off of the cliff, Sora held his arms out firmly, bracing for the impact. Kairi slipped neatly into the water; moments later she resurfaced and found herself in Sora's arms. She opened her eyes and stared up at Sora as she clutched his bare chest tightly. Sora just smiled.

"I promised I would catch you, didn't I?" He said teasingly. Kairi laughed vaguely but then the two of them fell silent. This was the first time they had truly felt connected to one another. They were just beginning to realize that they were forming a bond together. Kairi then pecked Sora on his cheek, finally managing to get him to blush. However he then noticed that Kairi got a devious look in her eyes, she suddenly dived underwater and resurfaced several feet away.

"What are you-"He was then cut off by a wave of water that Kairi had shot at his face. Sora shook the water out of his hair and spat out what little remained in his mouth. He then smiled mischievously. "So that's how you want to play then." He then splashed water back at Kairi. She dove off to side to avoid it.

"Missed me Sora!" She said playfully as she splashed more water at his face. Sora then spread both of his arms out as wide as he could before pulling them together to form a wave. The wave projectiled itself towards Kairi but she merely dived underwater and flowed with it. She then resurfaced immediately and taunted him.

"Come on Sora I thought you were better than that!" She said with a giggle. But found that Sora was no where in sight. She began to worry again. "Sora." She called out. She then suddenly screamed as something had grabbed a hold of her leg and was dragging her down. She kicked furiously hoping to shake her attacker off. After her leg was free she swam several feet away from her previous spot. Sora then resurfaced gasping for air. He then rubbed his head painfully.

"Dang Kairi, can't you take a joke." He moaned as he rubbed his head. A smirk was on his face for managing to catch her off guard but clearly getting pummeled in the head wasn't what he had in mind.

"Serves you right." Kairi huffed. She then went back to splashing water at him. Sora quickly got over being trounced at resumed splashing as well.

While the two of them were enjoying there water fight, Braig and Isa's mission had led them to yet another dead end. Isa studied the walls of the cave meticulously, attempting to derive some sort of significance from the thousands of drawings surrounding them.

"Give. It. Up Isa! There is no object hidden in here, it's obviously just a place where they all played and scribbled as kids." Braig said annoyingly. Isa ignored his remark and continued observing one drawing in particular. Braig sighed and chose to find out what was so interesting. Isa pointed his finger on a drawing of a spiky haired boy sharing a star shaped fruit with a crudely drawn long haired girl.

"I think we have all we need right here." Said Isa as he stood up, never breaking his focus on the picture. Braig's eye lit up with excitement.

"Great! So then let's just cut this drawing out of the wall and bring it back to Even!" He said joyfully. Isa turned his head slowly to face Braig, he then slapped Braig fiercely across the face.

"Yes Braig lets bring an enormous boulder that weighs over a ton back to Even so he can have the puppet play with it. I'm sure our Superior would be thrilled with that." Said Isa sarcastically. Braig rubbed his jaw painfully.

"You know, you abusing me is getting old real fast. And besides I was just kidding anyways. No need to throw a hissy fit." Said Braig. Isa just shook his head.

"Idiot." He mumbled as he bent down to observe the drawing more closely. He then pointed at the star shaped object that the two hands were exchanging with one another. "You see these star shaped things, these are what we are most likely looking for. We just have to find out where those two keep them and then we can snatch one when they least suspect it." Said Isa as he clutched the air viciously. Imagining the look on Xehanorts face once he brought him one step closer to his goal.

Braig yawned. "So is that all then. Because I want to get this over with so we can RTC already." Isa rolled his eyes and stood back up.

"Let's observe them from afar a little longer. I'm almost positive that whatever it is that we seek is with them right now. All we have to do is wait to see where they are hiding it." Said Isa darkly.

A light portal opened up in the middle of the square of the World that Never was. Riku quickly dodge rolled out of it with keyblade in hand, preparing to be ambushed at any second. He paused for a moment as his cerulean eyes scanned the alleyways between the sky high towers. As usual the sky was dark and gloomy, with rainfall occurring every now and then. A crack of lightning illuminated the ghastly white castle that hovered eerily in the clouds. Riku stared up hopefully in anticipation, praying that the information he sought was hidden up above.

"The coast seems to be clear. Their isn't a single nobody or heartless in sight. That's rather odd." He thought. Riku then dismissed his keyblade and started traveling in the direction of the Organizations castle. Eventually the he arrived at the castles base and strangely enough, the invisible walkway had been activated and the entrance had been left wide open. Riku summoned the way to dawn and held it at his side.

"Something's going on here, and I intend to find out." Riku cautiously treaded across the solid see through pathway. It occasionally gleamed as if it were made of glass, but still gave the illusion as if he were walking on air. As he crossed the threshold into the white sanctum a familiar swish echoed off the walls. Riku froze in the center of the room as a dozen dusks surrounded him in a heartbeat.

"Dam. I knew it." He cursed as he assumed battle his battle stance. The three dusks before him swayed tauntingly towards him. Distracting him long enough for two of them to slash at his back. Riku yelped in pain and immediately tore through the devious duo with ease, reducing them to mist. He then pointed at the trio still swaying ominously in front of him and cast dark fiaraga. A ball of black flame engulfed the bodies almost instantly reducing them to ash. The remaining several dusks remaining began to swerve in the opposite direction, seeking refuge from their intruder.

"Not so fast! Dark Splicer!" Riku hollered. He then closed his eyes and meditated intensely as he summoned all of his strength for his most deadly attack. Slowly his feet lifted off of the marble floor, until he was levitating a few feet above it. Riku then suddenly opened his eyes and warped in the direction of the closest two. He slashed at them mercilessly reducing them to nothing. He then warped again and unleashed another deadly combo upon a quadruple group. The dusks squirmed in agony as he hacked away at them with a second round of attacks. As they vanquished into their surroundings he noticed that only one was flailing across the room in its pathetic attempt to escape.

"Lights out!" He said with a laugh as he warped directly above the creature. His keyblade glowed with power of darkness as he brought it through the dusks head and down to its feet. The empty being shriveled up into pieces before vanishing into thin air. Even though his enemies had been defeated, he refused to let his guard down.

"I know someone is hiding in the shadows here. This is my only warning to you, show yourself now!" Riku commanded. He listened intently, his eyes flickering to all corners of the room waiting for someone to reveal themselves. No response. The room appeared to be completely devoid of any living being other than himself.

"I could've sworn that this ambush was planned. Maybe the dusks were just looking for a tousle with the intruder of their realm." Riku scratched the back of his head out of frustration. He then dismissed his keyblade and walked up the smooth stone staircase before him. As he exited the room a soft hearty chuckle emitted from the balcony structured above the castles entrance.

Little did Riku know it, but someone had been observing him from the shadows, but this hidden stranger however had no control over the nobodies and their reckless behavior. As his illusionary shield wore off, a broad shouldered man wearing a grey cloak with black tassels glared at Riku as he walked off into the distance. A smirk was on his muscular toned face. His greasy light brown hair was frazzled and spiky as always, a heavy tomahawk rested at his right foot. Suddenly a light portal opened up behind him and out stepped another young man dressed in an identical outfit. He only came up to about the brown haired ones shoulder in height and had a particular lavender tone to his stringy spiky hair.

"What is Riku doing here of all places?" Questioned the lavender haired man as he flipped through the pages of his lexicon in search of an answer. The brunette haired man sighed and ducked his head down.

"I don't have a clue Ienzo, but I don't think he'll cause too much trouble when it comes to interfering with our mission." He then walked towards the portal and stepped through without glancing back at his accomplice. Ienzo suddenly realized his partner was gone and bolted for the portal.

"Wait up Aeleus!" He cried out waving his lexicon madly in the air.

Riku finally arrived at the elevator that would take him to the top floor where the members bedrooms were located. As he stepped into the large glass chamber however he noticed that the elevator was able to take him the basement level of the castle, a place he had yet to explore. He reluctantly pointed his finger at the top floor button first, but decided to go with his curiosity and chose the basement instead.

"What the heck. Maybe something good to know will actually be down there." He muttered to reassure his decision. After waiting for at least 3 minutes the elevator froze at the basement level with a deafening screech. Riku covered his ears to avoid the ear splitting sound but it didn't matter anyways, the noise still managed to cause his head to throb in agony. After his pain subdued he saw the glass doors slide open to reveal something far grander than he could have ever imagined. A huge widescreen monitor was bolted into the wall before him along with it was a keyboard and a mouse resting on its Nobody symbol shaped pad.

"The Organizations computer database. Yes!" Riku fist pumped with glee. He had just made one of his best discoveries in terms of finding more information on Xehanort. Riku quickly rushed over to the keyboard and sat in the cushy black seat parked right in front of it. He found the power button on the far right corner of the monitor. It flickered for a moment before the server responded to him.

"Please enter security code." The robotic voice requested. Riku's heart sank.

"Dam you Xehanort, you never did like to leave your possessions unprotected." He muttered as he took his first crack at the code. K-I-N-G-D-O-M H-E-A-R-T-S he typed into the oversized glowing black keyboard. The font on the screen changed from green to red.

"Invalid security code, try again." The robotic voice beeped at him. Riku sighed as he racked his brains for a better answer. He then took another shot at it and tried something less obvious. X B-L-A-D-E he pounded into the keys quickly before pressing enter. Once again the screen flickered to red.

"Invalid security code, you have one attempt left before lockdown." The computer mocked him. Riku was infuriated by the oversized contraption.

"Crap. Ok Xehanort, what is something you would use that no one else knew of at the time you created this….ah hah!" He exclaimed as he came up with an answer.

S-E-E-K-E-R-S O-F D-A-R-K-N-E-S-S

He waited anxiously as the machine determined if his guess was correct. The screen flickered from green to blue after analyzing it.

"Access Granted." The computer voice replied in its monotone fashion. Rikus eyes lit up with delight. The computer pulled up several windows resuming where it had last been used. He skimmed through them only to find out that they contained useless information. He began closing them by clicking the red x in each corner.

"No I'm not interested in buying a guitar *click*. No I definitely don't want to buy used rifles either *click*. A recipe for sea-salt ice cream…maybe I'll come back to that *click*. How to get a proper tan, response is to avoid the moon and love the sun…*click*. Hot poker tips and tricks, no thank you *click*. The real ending to Disney's Beauty and the Beast…what? Never mind that then *click*. Xemnas's personal files DO NOT OPEN. I think I found what I'm looking for!" Riku exclaimed. He quickly opened the folder to reveal several more folders, he sure liked his stuff organized.

"Artificial Kingdom Hearts database, diary entries, recipes, heartless sighting information, castle security system, the replication program…" Riku paused as he whispered that last name. "The replication program…why does that sound familiar?" He asked himself as he opened it. The screen was suddenly overtaken by a large field of text describing just about everything he wanted to know. From the day the project was started, to the end of the remaining puppets life. It read.

Replication Program Database

Goal of experiment is to create an artificial life form that is capable of taking on human like qualities, as well as the ability to wield the keyblade and serve the organization as a member. Experiment is scheduled to take place at Castle Oblivion before the other members are dispatched there.

Experiment was successful in producing 4 bodies capable of taking on identities of their own. However only one was determined to be suitable for wearing the coat. Vexen had taken one with him to Castle Oblivion to experiment on. As for the remaining two I have hidden them at the source of all heartless that bear the emblem. They should remain safe for future use. Information gathered about the created subjects is recorded by profile below.

Puppet #1: Number IV Xion

Was named so that it fit into our Organization

Within a few days she began absorbing Sora's memories through Roxas, as expected, she then took on the appearance of the seventh princess of heart known as Kairi

The puppet was able to wield keyblade and resemble a copy of the keyblade wielder known as Sora overtime

Appeared to exhibit emotions at certain times. Which is rather odd since she is truly the only member here that does not have a heart

Unfortunately the puppet soon became dysfunctional and unstable after her 1st capture, something may have happened to her but this is likely due to being overused and could eventually have shut down permanently

Xion escaped and was captured a 2nd time, Axel managed to bring her back in one piece, but just barely. I restored her to full strength and gave her a few new abilities, she was then ordered to destroy Roxas for betraying the Organization

The puppet was destroyed by Number XIII Roxas in a battle at Twilight Town. If the puppet was successful in defeating him she would have merged her powers with his to form an even more formidable weapon. Which would have likely resembled the unstable X-blade I formed in the past.

Puppet #2: Dark Riku

Was created from data Vexen collected while fighting the real Riku

Its original purpose was to challenge Sora and cause him to fall into Marluxias plot to overthrow the Organization

However its memory was then modified by Namine to believe that Sora's memories were his memories

After relentlessly challenging Sora several times Namine managed to shatter its willpower by telling it to stop, as a result the puppet fainted and regained his real memories

It was destroyed in Twilight Town by the real Riku

Puppet #3: No name

Exhibited some signs of vocal recognition and grew accustomed to my voice

Subject was able to follow simple orders such as sit or walk

When given objects to choose from and interact with, the subject chose the yellow stuffed animal bear and cradled it as if it were an infant

Did not show any signs of being able to wield a weapon

Was deemed usable but was unfit for Organization Status

Puppet #4: No name

Obeyed no one that gave it an order and attempted to harm those that approached it

Was capable of wielding a weapon

When given objects to interact with it chose the sea shells, it arranged them in various ways and lashed out at anyone that dared to disturb its precise order

Was deemed usable but unfit for Organization status

Riku set his head down gently on the keyboard. His head was throbbing in pain as he relived one of his most painful flashbacks yet. As he closed his eyes the scene of the cramped computer room faded away and then slowly formed into the town center of Twilight Town. He was wearing the organization cloak that he wore to go undercover last year, walking by his side however a girl also wearing an identical outfit with short black hair and stunning blue eyes was looking up at him in admiration. Listening intently to whatever he said. As he sank further into this memory he could slowly begin to hear the sound of the town folk nearby and eventually the sound of her soothing gentle voice.

"So Riku, about this red haired girl you called Kairi. Do you like her?" Xion asked timidly. The two of them were walking down the tan cobblestone paths set up around the area. The orange roofed trolley could be seen in the distance as well as several shops selling various goods. Riku chuckled slightly at her silly question.

"Well of course I like Kairi, after all she is one of my friends." He replied with a laugh. Xion shook her head, apparently he was missing something.

"No what I meant was do you really like her, did you…oh whats that word again…" She got stuck on that last word; her sheltered mind only knew so much about what feelings were. Riku immediately got the hint about what she was getting at, he could feel his cheeks blush slightly as he thought about his past feelings.

"You mean love. No I don't love Kairi, at least not like I used to." He admitted sheepishly. Xion smiled at his lie and grabbed a hold of his gloved hand.

"You still love her, maybe not as much though since she seems to be more interested in Sora than you." She then fell silent for a moment. "At least that's what his memories seem to indicate to me. Love…I wish I could feel it. But who am I kidding, I don't have a heart…I'm just a shell… a puppet… a sham." She suddenly shook her hand free of his grip and shielded her eyes from his view. Rikus heart sank as he watched her sob. This was all his fault and he knew it, if he had never fought her in the first place she could have remained completely oblivious as to her true self. Forever protecting her from the pain of truth.

"Xion I…I'm so sorry. I should have never called you a sham that night; I guess I never realized that I would soon see you as someone much greater than that." Riku apologized nervously. He put his arm over shoulders to try and comfort her. She then slowly lowered her hand from her face and looked up at him; tears were still in dwelling in her crystal blue eyes, making them sparkle in the twilight sky.

"Then what do you think of me now?" She asked softly. Her body was trembling from all of her agony and despair, and she had refused to eat since Riku had saved her yesterday and brought her to the islands. Riku suddenly felt an impulse to hug her, it took all of his willpower to resist this urge but he refused to bow down to his instincts.

"I see you, as Kairi. You're sweet and innocent, kind and gentle, and incredibly frail at times, but you can make up for that by putting up one heck of a fight. It's taken me some time to have thought this over, but, I really have taken a liking to you Xion. And I only hope that you have done the same." He whispered in her ear. Xion's eyes widened with surprise, she then suddenly wrapped her arms around his back and rested her head on his chest. Riku was taken aback by this sudden action but soon pulled himself together and returned the act of kindness by kissing her forehead gently.

"I do like you Riku, I really truly do, even if I don't have a heart, I still have feelings of my own." She spoke softly as she closed her eyes blissfully. Riku did nothing but stroked her silky smooth hair with his free hand. This moment could have lasted forever in his head, unfortunately for Riku, there is a time when everyone must stop reliving their dreams.

Riku suddenly sat up in front of the computer breathing heavily; he felt cold and discovered that he was covered with sweat. Attempting to forget about his past he tried to focus back on the task at hand. He clicked the print button on the report and a full copy of it emerged from the printer by his feet. He swiftly reached his hand down and grabbed a hold of the precious documents. After he had tucked them away in his pants pocket he stood up and prepared to depart. Just as he walked towards the elevator however, a grey gloved hand swooped down and struck the back of his neck, instantly knocking him out.

Riku swayed for a moment before falling straight to the floor unconsciously. Aeleus stepped out of the corner he had been hidden in, he brushed his hands and glared at his victim amusedly.

"What the hell was that for! He was just about to leave Aeleus, you didn't have to go and knock him out!" Ienzo snapped at him. Pointing his finger from Riku to Aeleus. Aeleus just chuckled as he glanced at Ienzos expression.

"I was settling the score, now Riku and I are even. And besides we needed him to unlock the computer first so that we could steal all of the information that our leader wants." Pointed out Aeleus. Ienzo grunted as he continued to mutter slurs of complaints while he searched the computer database. Aeleus observed Ienzo intently as he worked, wondering why on earth their leader wanted them to retrieve this information from the computer so badly. A light portal suddenly opened up behind them, causing the duo two jump in surprise as a third grey cloaked figure strolled out of its depths. The newcomer admired the body laying on the floor before looking back up at Ienzo and Aeleus.

His shoulder length spiky pink hair flowed softly as he walked towards the two of them. Leaving behind a trail of pink rose petals wherever he walked. This man had a stern expression on his face and crossed his arms with displeasure.

"What is taking so long here, all I asked you to do was hack the computer, not assassinate people!" He snarled. Aeleus motioned for him to calm down.

"Easy Lumiara, were almost done with business here we just had a few minor complications get in our way." He explained while pointing out Riku.

"Fine take your time here, just don't forget to bring him back with you when you return. I have a few…requests for that boy when he awakens." Said Lumiara as he stepped back into the portal and vanished. Leaving behind a bewildered Ienzo and Aeleus, with a boy who had no idea what was in store for him.

To be continued…

So what do you think! I bet none of you suspected that Marluxia (Lumiara) came back in this story as well. Or better yet that Ienzo and Aeleus are on his side now! I won't be giving away any details about what those three are up to, but it will all be explained in the next chapter. And I repeat I probably will not be doing any first person writing ever again for this story, I just couldn't help but include that one tiny part though from the preview back into here…..oh well.

Thanks for reading and please review! Or favorite it…or if anything you could just say hi for no reason…..(I need to get some sleep)

Be back with chapter 5 soon! (if scholarships don't get in the way)