Chapter 58: White lies

It has been an hour since Hikari had run away from the group with Storm following her not long after. Since the Endless had left the camp to follow Snake's orders, Zidane took the chance to scout up ahead as well as thieving some items for the journey to Dark Mountain. Sora was sitting at the edge of the cliff as he was deep in his thoughts while Kairi was leaning against one of the tree, looking at her charm. Brian decided to take this time to jump in the lake below, even though the lake was strangely white, since he thinks that hygiene is important.

Kairi looked at her charm sadly before looking back at Sora, she knew something was wrong. She had even tried asking him about it again but he would even ignore her, say that he was fine or yell at her again. Kairi didn't want to get shouted at again so she summoned her Oathkeeper during the argument to show him that she wants to know but that backfired as she didn't expect Sora to summon his keyblade and give her a warning slash before alienating her completely. Kairi have never seen this side of Sora, she wonders if the two years of fighting heartless and nobodies and changed him more than she thought.

I am starting to get worried, Kairi. I can't get in contact with Roxas Naminé said to her in a worried tone. You need to ask Sora about it.

How can I Naminé? He won't even talk to me about anything. I don't know what I've done that make him upset with me.

Maybe he was trying to find out what happened to Roxas. I still don't know what that voice was.

What voice?

I don't know what it was but I think it's been keeping Roxas away and causing Sora torture.

I just don't understanding in why he won't let me help him.

"Kairi!"

Why don't you ask Brian to help?

Brian??

Kairi looked away from her charm to see Brian looking down at her, shirtless, while being completely soaked, as well as shirtless, with his trainers, armguards and shirt in his red claw and his ripped jeans rolled up, while being shirtless. Kairi blushed and looked straight back at her charm. Brian chuckled and sat beside her. "Looks like the jungle heat is getting to you." He joked.

"It is not getting to me." Kairi pouted at Brian, making her look at Brian's shirtless form AGAIN which made her blush even more. Why am I blushing this much anyway? It's just Brian.

"Yeah. Alright. I believe you." Brian slightly laughed before noticing where Sora was. "Why are you sooo far away from Sora? Normally you two are either giggly or playing or having one of those romantic moments that me and Riku keep interrupting." Brian's tone of voice went lower after saying the last part of the comment, making Brian chuckle slightly. Brian stopped joking when he noticed that Kairi was starting to cry. "Kairi, what's wrong?" Brian dropped his belongings and placed his arm around Kairi's shoulders for comfort.

"I-I don't know what going on with him." Kairi wiped her eyes, "He's acting cold and distance. Like when Riku wandered the darkness. He's not letting anyone in." Brian nodded as he understood. "I tried to get him to talk to me but-" Kairi sighed before looking at the worried Endless, "I'm worried, Brian."

"Kairi, I can assure you that everything will be fine and-" Brian tried to calm her down.

"How do you know that? No one knows what happening to Sora. What I do know is that-" Kairi faced Brian again, "-You're strangely kind and selfless went ever Sora pushes us away." Brian became confused at what Kairi was trying to say. Kairi saw this and explained, "Brian, I know you lied about the test results."

Brian eyes widened, "What? What's that got to do with anything?"

Kairi avoided the question, "Why did you say that the results were clear? What were the reeaal results?"

"I didn't- I-er-the results couldn't be calculated." Brian quickly came out with. "I was going to tell you went I was completely sure." Kairi looked unsure, "I swear I was."

"Then..." Kairi began "Why tell Riku?"

"Because Riku told me about the heartless that he can turn into went he goes into drive sometimes which I kinda knew would affect the testing." They were also partners in crime to try and set the two together but he wasn't going to tell her that. He jumped to his feet and held out his hand to Kairi. "Why don't you come with me to wash your worries away?" Brian offered while smiling at her, one that was very similar to Sora's.

"I don't know." Kairi looked at Brian unsurely, "I don't really want my clothes wet." She was unsure about Sora as well but didn't feel like getting threaten again.

"Well, don't your clothes stay dry when you're in your element?" Kairi thought about it for a moment before smiling at him and accepted his hand. Brian smiled warmly at Kairi for a moment before letting go of her hand and the two headed towards the lake. "I'll cheer you up Kairi. You have my word."

BOWBOWBOW

Sora was currently trying to deal with the headaches that he had been getting as well as the voice getting on his nerve. He wish that it would just go away instead of clouding his vision and telling him stuff that he knows in his heart isn't true but voice kept reminding him of the dream. He just wants to hear Roxas again since he had mysterious disappeared from Sora's connection. Sora looked at his infected arm and noticed the small spikes coming out of his forearm for the first time.

Pretty impressive, aren't they?

Sora growled at the return of the annoying voice.

C'mon, can't I get a nicer greeting like 'Hey mysterious voice, you're so great' that would be nice.

What would be nice if you went back to being mystical and quiet like you were the last two years. Sora replied in annoyance.

Fine, I won't be nice for once. The Voice said. I just cut to the chase.

Which would be?

Look down at the lake.

Sora sighed before looking down at the lake. He soon started to get angry and hurt at what he was seeing. Kairi and Brian were enjoying themselves while in the white lake, splashing the water at each other as well as chasing each other and wrestling to see who was stronger. What angered him the most was Brian suddenly went under water so Kairi couldn't see him before re-appearing and gave Kairi a loving embrace.

You see what the Endless is planning? The voice said as Sora watched Kairi hug Brian back. He's trying to replace you. Why do you think that you not in the dream?? It's because he got rid of you before betraying everyone else by handing the princess over to the Colonel. And the poor princess is falling for it; you should really have left her home that way she wouldn't be dying in your dream.

I can't just send her back to Destiny Islands. She will never forgive me.

Would you rather have her hate you but alive or have your stupid crush become broken?

Neither. I can protect her.

Fine. Have it your way. Just listen to what they're saying. You'll never know what secrets are being said. The Voice left Sora alone after that. Sora opened his eyes, not realising that he closed them, as the headache finally past. Sora looked down at the two to see them talking about something but he still couldn't hear them. Suddenly, their voices started to get louder and louder and started to listen to the conversation like he was just at their side.

"How's the training going?" Sora heard Brian ask her. Training? Brian has been training Kairi?? How long has this been going on??

"I can do Cura now and I have mastered the Blizzard, Light and Water spells." Kairi replied happily, "I'm doing ok on the Thunder, Aero and Protect but I'm still having trouble with Fire, Earth, Reflect and Magnet."

"Well..." Sora saw Brian relax on the water, "I'm sure me and Riku can help you with that." Kairi thanked him before sneaking up to him and jumped on him, making him go under water. Sora felt guilty about not remembering to train Kairi but felt more hurt and angered that she couldn't go up to him and tell him and decides to ask Riku and Brian instead.

"I just have one question." He heard Brian say after surfacing the water again, seeing Kairi giggle. "How come you came to me for training?"

"Well, Sora is a good teacher but I wasn't getting anywhere with spells and I knew Riku wasn't sure about me coming since he kept flinching so I thought it would be better to ask you."

"Don't you trust him?" Brian asked her, referring to Sora.

"Of course I do with my life but with the way he's been acting-" Kairi sighed before she dived underwater. Sora sighed as well, he was disappointing her. He knew that he shouldn't have reacted at her angrily while she was just trying to help. I'm changing and I promised her I wouldn't.

"Kairi, I'm sorry." Sora said out loud before he carried on watching and listening to the two.

"Kairi! Kairi! C'mon, this isn't fair. You can breathe underwater." Brian whined while he would look underwater from time to time. Sora saw that Kairi appeared behind Brian and hugged him from behind. Brian started to swim in the glistering white lake with Kairi on his back, both of them laughing and enjoying themselves for the first time since the disaster on Port Royal. Sora clenched his teeth in anger and jealously of the two.

"I have another question." Brian said to Kairi, "We haven't mentioned the gay stalker for a while."

"Brian. Ventus is not a gay stalker." Kairi told him once more. Ven! I forgot about him. How could I forget about someone who could possibly tell me about everything.

"You making him sound that you know him." Brian swam around Kairi playfully.

"I've know some stuff." Kairi admitted. What?! Kairi knew something?

Brian seemed to be surprised as well as he stopped swimming on his back and looked at her surprisingly, "You learn about him?" Brian gasped.

"Actually...I've met him." Kairi said sheepishly. Sora couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kairi knew about this mysterious person and has even met him but didn't tell him about it. Sora was starting to wonder if Kairi did trust him like she said she does. "He had similar armour to what your brothers were wearing went we first met."

"No surprise there, Daniel said that he wants Little Devon to follow the rules of the Keyblade Knights and I didn't really care then on what or who the Keyblade Knights were because I knew that he wouldn't tell me." Brian replied, "So, what's the gay stalker like?"

Kairi ignored the gay stalker comment, "I didn't get to know him but I know that he's trying to help the King as well and Donald and Goofy told me the rest." Kairi sighed at the end before realising that she wasn't supposed to tell anyone. "Brian! Please don't tell anyone. I promised Donald and Goofy that I wouldn't" Kairi begged Brian.

Sora understood why Kairi didn't tell him about finding out about Ven but was still angry that Kairi was starting to keep secrets from him. Were best friends supposed to tell each other everything?? Why tell Brian but not him.

She's falling for his trap.

"Don't worry." Sora heard Brian say to her as he started to come closer to her. "Your secret is safe with me." He said softy to her.

Jealously risen by 90%. You sure you don't want to murder him? If you do then let me do it.

Shut. Up.Sora could tell that his anger was slowly getting to him as he started to breathe heavily. Sora looked back down at the two only for Sora to felt more hatred towards Brian then he did when they first met.

Brian had given her a quick peck on the check before swimming away from the surprised Kairi.

I've had enough of this. Sora changed into his element and forced the wind to blow down at the lake. A wave was formed by the wind and headed straight towards Brian. Sora made sure that the wind was strong enough to push the cocky traitor into the huge waterfall. Sora decided to leave the newly founded couple to themselves as walked away from the edge of the cliff. Sora could slowly feel his vision becoming blank.

BOWBOWBOW

"Owwww! My bones..." Brian groaned as the mysterious wave had made Brian crash into the wall of the waterfall and was currently stuck in the clay-form rock.

"Brian!" Kairi began to swim over to him, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Brian's voice mumbled as his face was in the rock, "Just get me out of here!"

"Okay! Um..." Kairi looked up at the waterfall before closing her eyes for concentration. The waterfall seemed to split in two as the ends of the waterfall started to go through the gabs of wall that Brian made from the impact of the crash. "Brian, hold your breath." Kairi instructed him.

"Hold my breath? What do you mean---AHHHHHHH!!!" Brian burst out of the wall as a huge blast of water shot him half across the lake. Brian quickly resurfaced as he faced Kairi, "I'm okay."

Kairi was glad that Brian was alright but wondered why a wave suddenly forms out of nowhere. Maybe it was—maybe from how surprised I was when— Just thinking about it made Kairi blush but she quickly dived under water to make sure no one saw her blushing cheeks.

Zidane began to come back from his scouting trip as well as having a pillow sack full of potions and other items they might need when he saw Brian in the lake. Matters became worse when he saw Kairi appear from under the water. "Brian! Kairi! What are you doing?!" Zidane shouted to them, concerned for them.

"What does it look like we're doing?" Brian shouted back, "We're swimming."

Zidane looked behind them to where the waterfall was, making him drop his bag of potions and donuts and drew both of his daggers. "Get out of the water."

"Why? It's perfectly-" Brian was cut off by a the sound of rocks cracking and some sort of reptile. The wall that Brian had got flying into collapsed and a number of white markings crocodiles began to slip into the white lake. Brian gulped at this, "-fine?"

The crocodiles started to come towards the two red-heads with a hungry expression written on their scaly faces. Kairi used the water to push the crocs back while Brian quickly swam back to shore so he could help out at land. Kairi started to struggle as the crocs pushes their way through the strong waves and started to head towards her. Brian quickly got his staff and, with Zidane, started to shoot the crocs away by using Blizzard. They managed to freeze most of the crocs but one swam under water without the others knowing.

"Zidane, you get rid of those frozen crocs while I'll look for the last one." Zidane agreed and began to strike at the frozen crocodiles back into the broken cave. Kairi summoned Oathkeeper in case the crocodile came to sneak up while Brian looked above to see Sora watching the scene from above. "Sora!" Brian shouted up to him, grabbing Sora's attention. Just then, wind element Unbirths appeared out of nowhere and began to attack Brian. "We could use---ugh---some help---ahh---down here." Brian changed his staff into his shield mode when all of the wind Unbirths started to cast Aero at him at the same time.

Sora didn't reply, he just looked at where Kairi was to see that the croc was sneaking up behind her. Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and casted reflected on Kairi, the crocodile ended up bouncing off the reflect spell, making Kairi notice the crocodile. Sora then looked back at the struggling Brian before walking away from the cliff once more.

Kairi quickly stuck at the crocodile before hitting it towards the cave where Zidane was keeping all the other crocodiles. As soon as the last crocodile was in, Zidane flipped back and started to strike at the waterfall. The cave that held the crocodiles collapsed and held them in. Kairi and Zidane heard Brian cry for help as Brian ended up losing balance from the strong wind and was held against the wall against his will. More Unbirths seemed to appear and began to strike at Brian multiple times. Kairi started to blast spheres of water at the Unbirths as Zidane rushed in with his monkey speed and struck at the Unbirths, making them disappear.

Brian groaned as the wind was lifted and dropped to the ground. Zidane approached Brian and quickly give him an elixir while Kairi came out of the lake. As soon as Zidane made Brian drink the elixir, Brian began to cough and breathe heavily. Kairi looked up at the cliff to see Sora rushing over and jumped next to them with a worried expression. "Is everyone ok?" Sora asked. Kairi noticed that Sora didn't look at Brian when he asked.

"We're fine." Kairi answered, "Where were you? We could have used your help."

"I went to look for Hikari and Storm but I couldn't find the,." He replied, "I started to come back after hearing Brian yell." Kairi looked in Sora's eyes before sighing and look back at Brian. Soon after, Hikari and Storm returned to the group and questioned Brian's injuries. After explaining what happened and after Brian slightly recovered, Storm began to lead them to Dark Mountain.

A/N: Poor Sora, will he confront Kairi about the secrets? What is going to between Brian and Kairi? Will the others question it? Tune in next time for Kingdom Hearts: Balance of Worlds. Hey guys, most of you have gone back to school or college now but hey, education is important, no matter how boring it is.

Tidus: Am I doing the messages again?

Mad: Nah, I do them this time.

Tidus: Yipee!

Mad: You have to say disclaimer though, it hasn't been said in a while.

Tidus: Fine! Kingdommad doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, some ideas in port royal, Hikari and FF characters.

Brian: Okay! Now for messeges:

Celticskyedancer: I might be making some things obvious. I'll try to make it more cliff-hanger next time. Also, none of the other FFIX characters will be making an appearance. Thanks for reviewing. (::)(::)(::)

Future Keybearer: That is true. Kingdom Hearts are known for emotional scenes. I'm glad that I was able to make a good chapter. Thanks for reviewing. (::)(::)(::)

Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: Grr, even on the internet I get called a guy. Kisdota, I don't and will never have issues in your story. Your story great. You can always tell me what confusing in the story so I can help. (::)(::)(::)

Soragirl4ever: (Brian: I AM NOT ANNOYING!) You are to Sora at the moment and you've been moving stuff in my house so you're annoying. (Just answer the review while I'll magically steal your phone)KK, you don't suck but maybe you can use the OOC to your advantage. You can see that Sora is acting OOC in the story but it's part of the plot so try make something happen to the character that would change their character like a death or a betrayal or a attack or something. Hope that helps. (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

KHLover: I still think that a good cliff hanger. None of you guys though Brian was an Endless. Keep reading for more mysterious wonders. (::)(::)(::)

Artism: Well since you said where you're from. I will too. I live in Essex which is a county near London. I get up later then you for college and have to sit on the bus for ½ hour till hour until i get to college. Their brainwash statics is to force you to watch boring videos that no one's cares about but it's a good time to meet up with friends. School and college should get blown up by the Order. That would be funny and creepy at the same time. Anyway, I like the summary to your story, hope you post soon cause I would like to read it. Thanks for reviewing. (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

Okay, that's all that we have time for..

Tidus: What about that thingy?

Brian: What thingy?

Oh yeah *pulls off curtain to show a picture of Brian and Hikari making out* HAHAHAHAHAHA readers think you guys are together.

Brian & Hikari: AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

See ya next time

Kingdommad