Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; all credits go to the game!

A chill went through Sora's spine and he tried to hold it together. This man was responsible for everything that they've been through; he had even made Sora give in to the darkness...

"You said they wouldn't get hurt."

Xehanort looked straight at Sora and smiled mischievous. He looked frightening.

"You're so easily persuaded... one promise of keeping your friends safe from me and you already agreed to my plan. I can't complain. You did a good job of defeating your friends with your own hands without a hesitation. With you, my plan worked perfect up until now. "
Kairi squeezed in Sora's hand and whispered: "Don't listen to him, we're fine... don't worry."

Sora looked at Kairi. Xehanort was right, he did defeat his friends and he made them suffer by doing so, but... real friends stick with you to the very end. His friends gave him power. Why did he ever want to do this alone? Without his friends, he was just an ordinary boy, easily persuaded and vulnerable for darkness. They helped him in his other journeys. In order to protect them, he had to fight with them instead of shutting them out!

"Well, should I call you Vanitas from now on, the thirteenth seeker of darkness?"
"I'm not a seeker of darkness! I didn't want any of this."
"At first you didn't. But look at what you've accomplished! You can control your darkness almost perfectly in every battle. Don't you see how much more power you hold when you embrace your inner darkness? Where do you really belong?"
"I belong with my friends. And I will protect them no matter what, I don't need your darkness."
"Really? Then why did you use it so often?"
"I... you made me forget my own powers. I didn't have any choice."
"Sure you did, there's always a choice. You're a real natural when it comes to darkness."
"Then I also have the choice to choose the light! Now fight us again!"

Sora lifted his hand, palm faced up, and called his darkness back from the defeated keyblade wielders. The next moment, Riku's ropes were gone, Axel and Aqua were slowly waking up and Xehanort said: "I thought you would say that, but we should wait for our final guest to arrive. He should be here soon."
"Final guest?"

A beam of light crossed the sky and Sora looked surprised. That was very soon indeed... The light crashed onto the ground and when the light disappeared, the King stood there, ready for anything.

"King Mickey!"

The King looked at Sora and was a bit startled at first by the black hair and yellow gold eyes, but then he immediately saw the situation they were in. There was Xehanort and eleven dark cloaks on one side and six keyblade wielders on the other side.

The King addressed Xehanort: "You're plan isn't going to work, you're short in keyblade wielders. There are only six of us."
"I think you already noticed since you're the king, but Sora is more than that and in first place, he's a seeker of darkness at the moment."
"Thirteen vessels of darkness... but only five keyblade wielders."
"Let me take care of that."

Xehanort pointed his hand at Sora and his chest started aching again. What was Xehanort trying to do? Suddenly, Sora's body moved on its own and he let go of Kairi's hand. Almost immediately, the darkness spread throughout his body and the dark aura covered his body once more.

"Kairi, get away from me, now!"

Sora had no control over his body and his keyblade swung right at the place where Kairi had been standing a few seconds ago. What was going on?

"You see? You're already drenched in darkness. Too bad that we need your princess of light or she would've had an accident ages ago. Now, time to join all thirteen seekers of darkness together."

Xehanort lifted his hand above his head, pointing it to the sky and unfortunately, Sora did it too but with his keyblade still in his hand. Sora felt awful, he didn't know what was coming, but it couldn't be any good. His body started shaking. He stood there as he saw the cloaks and Xehanort dissolving into smoke. The cloud of smoke accumulated at the tip of his keyblade and it seemed to be absorbed by it. Sora couldn't stop it, he couldn't move and the others didn't know what was going on. The black smoke went slowly from the tip of his keyblade, over the blade itself and towards the handle. From the moment it touched the handle of his keyblade, Sora screamed out in pain. It disappeared under his flesh and went straight to his heart.
It was more painful than everything he had been through; his whole body seemed on fire and tried to fight what was happening. Everything burned: his limbs, his stomach, his heart... But he couldn't get away. Something seemed to pierce his body with a thousand daggers and took over control. He screamed it out again, why was this happening? His bones were shattered, together with his heart. Two lights escaped his chest and a chain locked his heart away.

"Not again... Everyone, watch out! This isn't me..."

He was surrounded by a massive dark aura, much denser and thicker than the one he had before and he fell on his knees. He couldn't feel anything but darkness, sorrow and pain.

Kairi ran towards him, but before she could reach him, he looked at her: "Kairi... run..."

Kairi couldn't move. His eyes weren't yellow gold anymore, neither were they blue again, they were pitch black, even the natural white of his eye had turned black.. Just like his hair.

Sora didn't understand what was happening, but he felt that someone else was controlling his body. He could still see and hear everything clear but without asking for it, he stood up and looked at the 7 keyblade wielders in front of him. Wait... 7? Roxas was also there and another boy who seemed very similar to Roxas he didn't know. Aqua and Axel looked like the happiest people in the world for a moment. Sora tried to say something, but his voice sounded croaky and the words that he spoke weren't those of him.

"There are your 7 keyblade wielders, now we can fight..."
King Mickey was the first to respond: "How did you-"
"As a king, you should know there's a barrier of how much a heart can take. I guessed that the darkness of thirteen people is enough to get rid of his light..."

Kairi looked at the person in front of her. That voice was really Sora's... The dark aura circled around him like flames of fire and those dark eyes seemed to disappear in nothingness. But still... Somewhere behind this façade, the real Sora was there, right? So if they fought him, Sora would get hurt too...

"Sora, I know you're still in there and you're stronger than this! Come on, wake up!"

But I can't do anything! Just get out of here, he's going to attack!

Sora screamed it out but Kairi couldn't hear him, the only thing she heard were the footsteps of the dark Sora who was walking towards her, keyblade ready to fight and dark aura gathering above him.

The croaky voice of the dark Sora said to her: "He's already gone. Now disappear, princess of light and become the destined X-blade together with your friends."

The other keyblade wielders stood next to Kairi, ready to fight. Aqua stood next to Ventus, Roxas next to Axel and Riku next to King Mickey. If this couldn't be avoided, they wouldn't go down so easily! Kairi looked around her, this wasn't supposed to happen! How could she avoid this fight?

"Come on Sora! You can do it! I know you will!"

I can't! How do I fight something that's inside of me? Just run! It's useless!

Riku looked at his troubled friend: "Kairi, I don't think he can do something about it..."
"He can! I won't fight with him like this!"
"He has taken a lot of darkness, I know it's hard but we have to face reality. You might get hurt if..."
"He would never hurt me! Now stop doubting him!"

Kairi... Thanks, but... I... I just don't know how..

"You'll find a way. I have always believed in you so don't let me down now!"

You know, last time I was surrendered to darkness... you brought me back. Maybe...

"Maybe... I could..."

Kairi summoned her keyblade and looked at it. Riku had given it to her last year and Yen Sid had told her that it was one created by the dreams of hope from children. Dizz had created it out of data. It had been troublesome, but dreams of hope aren't that difficult as the human heart. Dizz agreed with Riku that a blade of hope would be safe in the hands of a pure light. Knowing that, Kairi had been honoured of carrying such a keyblade.
But now that she knew why it was handed to her, she didn't like it at all. Did Yen Sid know that this day would come? That someone this close to her would give in to the darkness? She knew she could do it. If this is what she had to do to prevent an upcoming war for an indestructible weapon, then she had no choice, right? But it didn't make it easier though... She looked at the dark Sora, right in his pitch-black eyes and hoped that the real Sora would be able to forgive her for what she was about to do..

"Sora... I'm sorry..."

I understand, Kairi. Do what you have to do.

She focused and remembered Yen Sid's lessons. 'Let the light from within you come forth and focus it in your keyblade. But don't use too much of it, or the effect will be disastrous.'
Right... She just hoped that it would work.
The dark Sora was getting too close, so before Riku or the others would begin the fight, Kairi got close to the dark Sora in high speed. She was as fast as light; she pushed her keyblade at his heart and released the light that she was holding back before the dark Sora could even flinch. A flash of light shot out of her keyblade and everyone was blinded for a minute because of its brightness.

But Kairi saw everything. How the light pierced through Sora's chest and heart, how the darkness was abruptly ripped out of him, how it disappeared like a shadow would in overwhelming light and how Sora's eyes turned dull before he fell onto the ground..

Wow Ö Kairi is this powerful?
Thanks again for reading!