Wounds deeper than darkness

It'd been two weeks since she left, maybe longer Sora really hadn't had a clue. He still remembered that day she got hurt so clearly it hurt, to know that he couldn't protect someone he loved. Especially when it mattered the most it didn't help that she actually showed him so much scorn that it made his skin crawl…and tears fall. In truth he knew deep down he deserved it but it didn't change the fact that he didn't want it to happen, he wanted – no matter how farfetched it was, to be happy with his friends and her along side them to him…she was what Kairi would've been. Even if he soon realized how much that friendship meant to him and that if it changed – even if the friendship was simple so it could've changed it meant a lot more to him to keep pursuing something he didn't quite understand. Not even that…something he knew he could never forget, the ninja who changed his life, after a few short days she changed his life. More than anything anyone else had…but the last day he saw her before she went home was the most heart wrenching day of his life…that day, not only did she leave him, but she left his heart shattered into so many pieces it felt as though it made a river….a river that separated them.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Tifa asked worried for the young ninja she was still laying in bed in Marlene's bed no less, Sora offered but it was shot down only because… for the whole time she wouldn't look at him. It was as if he didn't exist, he offered to help her, to get anything he could for her, but she'd never respond…his heart felt like it was being split in half.

"Yes, of course, I can get a hold of someone if I need help so…" Tifa cut her off

"Don't do this to him Yuffie, you're hurting him. Moreover, all he wants is to be with you, isn't that how you feel? You can't keep this up; if you break his heart I'll never forgive you." Tifa never looked as fierce as she did right then to Yuffie she honestly did not see the problem although…ignoring him wasn't right. However not wanting his help because she was afraid of him, because she was afraid of the darkness in his heart, she did not know what caused it. Although, maybe that was for the best...maybe trying to be his friend was a better option than loving him, but something inside her kept her from letting that last string of love die.

"He's been feeling down, so the least you can do before you go back is at least say something to him it would mean so much to him if you did." Tifa left the room, since the day he carried her back it'd been like this. Tifa hadn't thought or even said a word about Cloud, true he apologized for his actions and even did so in front of the kids as well but Vincent, he didn't he wouldn't because he knew - he actually believed he was right in killing the brunette his justification wasn't found in the eyes of anyone else. Although that did not stop everyone from forgetting, this…happened in a matter of hours. As for Sora he tried to get over Yuffie, not talking to him, in any sense of the word, did not help his mental stability

"This…is all my fault"

Not even three days later, she was leaving; Sora tried whatever he could to get her to talk to him. However, she didn't even bother to look his way, it hurt…but he wanted her to be apart of his life, no matter what the problem was, even if he almost caused her death.

That thought stuck in his mind for a few minutes, it made sense that she would be mad because of that but; wouldn't she forgive him if it were an accident? was there more to it that he had no recollection of?

"It…has to be"

He caught up to her outside the door of the seventh heaven carrying herself in a wounded fashion his body wanted to wrap around hers, to be close to tell her that everything would be ok. Nevertheless, he stopped the only part of himself that worked; his mouth and all to late did he stop it but the worst part of it, his eyes didn't lose the face she made when she looked at him; to him it seemed he went deaf after words soon left his mouth.

"Are you…okay?" The stupidest thing he ever could've said was the first to leave him.

She looked back for one second and Sora's eyes sparked up, before she started to walk off ever so quickly, he started to walk ever so slowly behind her, she stopped half way to Cid's ship and stood there as if waiting for something. Sora being the kind yet assertive one he was responded,

"Yuffie, if you aren't feeling well or if you don't think you can get home s-"

"Stay away!" She fired back

Sora's first reaction was to jump a bit at her voice and the second to deny what she said, even if she did say it to him, she turned to face him her eyes brimming with tears flowing down her cheeks and the only thing Sora could do, was stand there and stare at her. Even in all her pain, she…still looked so pretty…although even he knew what was next, nothing he did would ever brace him for it. Even if he had to do it all over again it wouldn't change how horrible he felt or how much he wished he never said a thing to her.

"Y-Yuffie I-"

"Don't you say anything you monster you aren't the Sora I know, you aren't the Sora I loved. Sora wouldn't try to kill me or anyone; you aren't even human I pray Vincent is merciful on you so maybe then you'll be able to understand your wrong doings while you die!"

"YUFFIE!" Tifa shouted She was about to charge the young ninja

Sora's face went from shocked to somber, tears gushed from his eyes as she turned away from him. His body did not have the capacity to look at her again the only few things he could do besides cry is think of what or why this happened.

"But…I love you!" Sora shouted

He…couldn't hold it anymore if she hated him, so be it, but it wouldn't stop him from telling her everything.

"I love you…so much that I can't think of not having you in my life, you may not love me anymore but…but I still love you more than ever, and even if you do love Vincent or someone else…even if you hate me. I will never stop loving you…because even now you still hold my heart tight within your grasp. And right now you're crushing it with every word you stacked upon my chest it was enough to kill me…but I don't want to die not until you finally look at me again with the care you showed me all too long ago"

She didn't speak she simply walked away from him, from his life, from the family he had ascertained even if dysfunctional it still…made him happy…although now more than ever would he need them.

"It'll be okay, Sora" Tifa whispered

For the past week and a half she's been saying it, it only made the pain that much worse, but just seeing her treat him like a younger brother was enough to ease it. Even after she called Yuffie soon after to deal with her and her over dramatic way of solving things.

She took care of Cloud and Vincent in a similar manner, although…Vincent refused to step foot in the seventh heaven, and Cloud came home more often to try to convince Sora that it would get better, much to his dismay it did not help

Present day

Behemoth

They summoned the giant bastard to fight us while they search for mother it was to be honest; A better distraction than most. Sora wasn't having an amazing day with this ether, swinging at an enemy who didn't feel a single strike or even flinch when his body was set ablaze. It seemed to get more irritated the more he was struck more and more time passed, his allies came from almost no where first Barrett then Vincent, then RedXIII and CaitSith then Cid, Sora didn't dare look after that he was keeping his focus. He didn't want to see her again using spell after spell and strike raid to keep its fire at bay it seemed as if it was backing into a corner even after Cloud and Tifa joined in it seemed as though it was keeping distance for something, he soon found out.

"Yee-haw"

"Don't go falling now"

They were helping him reach the beast in the air, a giant ball of fire was coming for them and he didn't know how to react

"Fly"

When it got to Yuffie the only thing she said was to be careful what else could she say? she didn't look at him directly but then again how could she?

"Do your best, come back to us"

Cloud was soaring through the sky towards the azure ball of fire the beast started to glow black as did Sora's body the ball of fire grew with each passing second

"He's…he's using my body to get stronger I have to stop him!"

Sora jumped up the metal poles and footing to reach the top, he chose not to look towards the group below as he released final form and jumped towards the flying beast above. Sora used every spell he could to speed up to the point he was ahead of the Ex-Solider he launched himself into the ball of fire and emitted a bright light. Which weakened both himself but the flame and the beast as Sora fell from the flame. Reluctant at first the hyperactive ninja caught the keyblades chosen one who used the darkness as well as the light to stop bahamut-SIN's power from growing.

Yuffie looked at the brunette's face for minutes tears fell

"Why…Why do you do these things…why do you risk your life for everyone after everything they – I did you still try and get me to love you…why!"

"It seems…you understand Yuffie" Her tone completely void of kindness

"Wh-What do you mean…Tifa?"

"If Sora didn't do what he just did we would've died unless by some sheer miracle Cloud could absorb the fire but we need to hurry, time is of the essence!"

"I'll swing the highwind around; just make sure you get the kid on board!"

"I just want it all to stop"

"You can't stop me from coming no matter what you do, I'll kill all of your friends and take your body for myself of course you'll have a front row seat to the carnage"

"He'll never take control!" A voice Sora never heard before responded

"His heart is shattered I've already taken what I wanted I'm free!"

"Who…are you?"

"I'm Ventus…Ven for short the other guy – Vanitas, you have to defeat him if he claims your body its all over!"

"What do you…?"

Sora didn't know how to react when he woke up on the floor of the highwind he looked outside to see Cloud fighting the newly reformed Sephiroth. Sora not being hesitant jumped from the emergency hatch. Tifa was about to stop him when bullets started to fly at the brunette, he quickly jumped from the airship to which he quickly regretted it a black pool of energy formed on a nearby cliff and the person that emerged laughed insanely and charged the teen.

"Just…what's going on?!"

"That's him…that's Vanitas!"