I look into the mirror and see two souls. One was always there, always hidden, ever-present yet submissive. The other is close to death.

Heh . . . guess I better call it like it is. No point in denying the truth, right?

Namine was always there. I am close to death. And . . . it's amazing that I've just realized this now.

Two souls, two distinct pathways. I'm not sure where my future lies but I know, somewhere deep down, that I shouldn't be here. This world . . . it's very bad for me.

We have to leave.

Don't Be a Gentleman: On the Warpath.

I napped for a few hours earlier after getting rid of the "darkness" Aqua had prepared in our meals. To think that darkness actually has a taste. I've been asking Namine about it for hours but she hasn't said anything back. I guess that's a good sign. If I don't hear her it means that Sor-ergh, "Roxas's" plan worked. Communicating with Namine saved me before, but now I can't talk to her.

I've laid in my bed for hours but I can't seem to fall asleep. The awful taste is still stuck to my tongue and every time I close my eyes they slam open from dizzying headaches and horrid images that make me wince. Sleeping is still very dangerous for me, apparently. Is it so bad that I want to do nothing else but sleep when it's forbidden?

Yeah . . . yeah it is.

I know it is but . . . but . . .

Ugh, what am I doing? Who cares about sleeping?! We just need to get to Riku; he's probably gotten down to the core of the problem. Me and Sora are just sitting ducks. Riku is out there risking his life and we're just lazing around with no self-

Kairi.

I sit up. The movement tugs sharply at my sore muscles and I gasp, holding back a moan. "Ow . . . about time you said something," I mutter while rubbing my chest.

Don't talk back out loud.

"What's the big deal? I'm all alone here." I sigh and sit back against the bed frame. "Not like I can do much else."

You think just because she isn't attacking you you're safe? You're not worried at all that she could be watching you?

My eyes widen. Huh, not something that came to mind . . . guess I better keep everything in, huh?

Probably.

Right. Well, what did you want to say?

About . . . this world. It's twisted and surreal . . . but you've actually been here before.

I frown. "That's not possible," I whisper.

Shhh, don't. I told you not to say anything out loud. Don't tell "Roxas" this either.

Why not? What's wrong with him?

I'll tell you later. Someone is coming.

I glare at my blankets just as "Roxas" opens the door. He gives me a small smile. "Still in bed?" He laughs. "I thought sleeping in was Sora's thing."

"Ah, well, what time is it?"

He purses his lips, cocking his head to the side while staring up towards the ceiling. "Hmmm, eleven?"

I push at my covers with a sigh. "That late, huh? Sheesh, doesn't feel like it."

He shrugs. "You're still recovering. Feeling tired is normal." He walks over to me, patting me on the back. "Go ahead and sleep."

The grin on his face nearly makes me do a double take. It's the biggest smile I've seen from him in a while. "I'm assuming you haven't had breakfast yet. You wouldn't be so happy otherwise," I say, wincing just at the memory of whatever we had for dinner yesterday.

He rolls his eyes. "Oh yeah, the depression food." He frowns. "Well, I ain't touching the stuff. We can last a few days without food. Hmmm, actually, we might not even need food here."

"Come again?" I rub my neck. My old scar feels aggravated. Why would it act up after so long?

"Think about it, Namine. Have you ever really felt hungry here?"

"Uuuuhhh, I'm honestly not sure. And that doesn't make sense. You were still starving the day we had the darkness in our desserts."

He blinks once then scowls. "That doesn't count."

I smirk, noticing the red on his cheeks. "It does, Sora."

"Kai-urgh, you're not supposed to say that." He shudders, turning away.

"Oh, come on! We beat Aqua before, no need to act scared now."

"We didn't beat her. She just stopped attacking. She's the one who stitched our wounds up also, according to Terra." He rubs his chest absently. "Face it; we're just running mice in her twisted trap."

I sigh. "I rarely see Terra. Can we trust him? He's pretty close to her."

"Well, Roxas thinks he's trying to warn us without getting her attention. Cause you know, she's sort of . . . " He makes a face while making circles with his index finger close to his head.

"Right, and what does Sora think?"

He bites down hard on his bottom lip. "Sora just doesn't like her."

This is why you can't tell him. I shake briefly as the voice washes over me. There's something intimidating about Namine's voice, even with it being all soft and low like that. I swallow and continue with what I was going to say. "Why do you talk like that?"

"I told you, we're both here."

"Yeah but . . . you say 'Roxas' this or 'Sora' that . . . how do you know which one of you is thinking?"

"I . . . I don't know. I just do." He starts moving his hands in random motions. "Sometimes it just feels like something he would think or like something the other guy would think. Sometimes they . . . we . . . I think the same things?" He shakes his head. "Does it really bother you?"

"Well, I know Sora a lot more than you . . . or Roxas." I lean back, closing my eyes. "Great, now you're confusing me again."

The silence that follows my remark lasts for about a minute. Then he grips my shoulders and my eyes open right as his mouth meets mine. Heat rises slowly from my chest to my face and I feel the goose bumps form when his hands travel from my shoulders to my hips. I'm frozen in place yet he still moves, gripping my waist now and pulling me off the bed.

Just as I'm about to kiss him back he pulls away, face flushed yet full of determination. He traces my mouth slowly with his thumb, staring at it. "We're both the same . . . we're two within one."

"We're all completely different people. We need to be more careful with . . . how we handle this." I gasp and moan softly as he kisses my neck, right in the area between my collarbone.

He speaks quietly against my skin, voice slightly muffled. "If Sora wants this, and you want it, does it matter that I'm here?"

I close my eyes as he sucks at my skin. I can barely get the words out. "I didn't think . . . you'd want to see it."

He lifts his head, blinking slowly at me. "I don't mind. I am Sora, remember?"

"But . . . you're also Roxas?"

His grin turns mischievous. "Yes . . . but he doesn't mind either."

"Then this is technically cheating." I try to laugh cause it's the only thing keeping me from not going insane.

"No. It's not." His grin widens. "I didn't say he liked or wanted to do this. Actually, he's really not in the mood for it right now." Sora (I assume) starts laughing. "But my will is stronger at the moment so he'll just have to deal."

I shouldn't be laughing, really. But Sora just has that wannabe egomaniac expression he pulls and . . . ugh, I'll waste time feeling guilty about this later. "So half of you is furious right now?"

"No, just a quarter." He kisses me again, deeply. "But it's going to grow so I might as well take advantage of this while I can." He licks along my bottom lip and pushes his tongue into my mouth. The warmth of it, his conflicting emotions, are all centered in my mouth. He explores my mouth eagerly and I'm left gasping when he pulls away, kissing along my jaw.

"Did he . . . Roxas make you mad somehow?" I ask, swallowing and trying not to think about Roxas' distinct, sharp blue eyes.

"It's payback." He chuckles then slides his hand underneath my shirt. "So, does this bother you?"

I frown, trying to come up with a compelling reason besides seriously pissing Roxas off. But when Sora's hand reaches the small of my back, when he starts kissing slowly along my jaw and neck, when the hand massaging my back brings me closer to him, when his other hand presses me firmly against his chest . . .

Eeeeeh . . .

"Yes, Kairi?" His voice betrays nothing.

I swallow, pretend to think, then shrug. "Nope."

"I hate you."

No, he didn't actually say that. But with the way he was staring at me it was obvious what he thought of my . . . decision. "Hey, I'm sorry! It's just . . . we're stressed, you know?" I try not to laugh but it's hard. "Roxas" is glaring at me now but every few seconds his mouth twitches into a smirk. How can I take that seriously?

"You and him have taken the term 'turd' to new levels. Is there some secret fetish you guys are hiding from me or something? Do you guys like having company for your snogfests?"

I hold back my smile and shrug. "Look, I've never been in this situation before. You can only blame yourself for losing control."

"Control my ass, it takes two to tango!" He covers his mouth, probably trying to hide the smirk. "You both suck."

"You let me kiss you that one time when you wanted Sora to wake up. How's this any different?"

"The difference? Kairi, the difference is that I could take myself out! I wasn't there when you were doing it last time! When I say there's no wall between us, there really is no freaking wall!" He looks away, blushing. "Besides, you're not my type."

"Since when do you have a type?"

"Since now. It's not you, that's all I know for sure."

I sigh. "You're never going to forgive me, are you?"

He gives me this stare that says, What do you think? I open my mouth to apologize when he suddenly snaps his head to the side, blinking and turns back to me, smiling widely. "Don't feel guilty, Kairi. It was my idea after all. Besides . . . " He cups his hands over his mouth, as if he's about to share a grand secret. "Roxas kind of liked it too. He's just jealous."

I can only stare as he turns his head sharply to the opposite side, scowling now. "I did not!" Then he groans, massaging his neck.

He's getting worse.

Namine? What do you mean? Hello? Hey! When she doesn't answer I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "What are you doing?" I ask, trying not to let the anger from Namine's inclusiveness show.

I watch as his eyes transition between two shades of blue and yellow. He bites his bottom lip hard, making it bleed, then he covers his eyes. "We seriously need to get out of here."

"We're leaving early?" The relief that comes with the statement surprises me. "We're finally going after Riku?"

"We have no choice. I can't keep doing this." He grips my shoulders, fingers digging into my skin with strength I didn't think he possessed. "Kairi, I'm serious. I've been trying to manually separate Sora and Roxas . . . but . . . I don't think I can do it anymore."

"Hey, it's going to be okay." I swallow quickly, trying not to cry as his grip only gets more intense. "Just, calm down, alright? We're both getting out with our minds in tact."

He blinks very slowly, staring into my eyes with a mixture of panic and awe. "How do you do it? How are you and Namine separate?"

"I don't know, you were doing this not too long ago," I answer while lightly touching his hands.

He quickly releases me, mouth forming into a pout. "I never put up the wall to begin with. Roxas did." He crosses his arms and glares at the floor. "I never want to push anyone away. It's always the other side . . . I'm just not good enough."

"Sora . . . where is this coming from? Hey!" I hold his face with my hands, shifting his gaze back to me. "You're fine just the way you are. It's just confusing here. Let's get Riku and leave, okay? Remember? We're leaving."

He sighs then nods. "Right. Let's do it now."

I smile then take his hand and move towards the door only to freeze in place. Aqua stares back at me, leaning against the door frame. The corner of her mouth twitches up and she chuckles. "And . . . where exactly did you two think you were going to go?"

Sora glares at her. "Somewhere that isn't here."

"Well, that's one way of being specific." She claps slowly in his direction. "You two have no idea what you're doing."

I step in front of him, growling. "Look, we appreciate you and your boyfriend allowing us to stay here. But now we have to join our friend. We'll find a way. It's not your concern."

She blinks once, giving me a once over. "Actually, Namine, it is my business. The King of the Void isn't ready for you to arrive yet. He still needs more time with Riku, and you're both still recovering. So," she shrugs, smirking. "Just hang tight and be a good girl, okay? No one has to get hurt."

"Recovering? We're recovering from what you did to us!" I shout, bringing my Keyblade out. The pain that follows is so severe I nearly blackout as the heat rushes through my arm into my hand. "Ahhh . . . " I drop my Keyblade, falling to the ground and hugging my hand to my chest.

"Kairi!" I feel his hand on my shoulder before a blast from Aqua sends him to the far wall.

I shake my head quickly, forcing myself to stand. "No, I'm fine. Just . . . don't summon your Keyblade." I stand in between him and Aqua's Keyblade, shaking.

She cocked her head to the side, smile disappearing. "It wouldn't hurt if you guys weren't starving yourself."

"We prefer the pain to injecting ourselves with darkness. Sorry."

"You're not going to be able to defeat the king like this, you know. You can't even face me in a fight, and I'm nowhere near as powerful."

Sora approaches from my side, holding a hand to his stomach. "You know a lot about the king it seems. You his knight or something?"

Aqua blinks and in the next second she makes her Keyblade disappear, frowning with a deep expression. "No. I was never loyal to that bastard. It's his brother. He's the reason I'm here."

"Brother?" I ask, willing to keep the conversation going as I try to form an escape plan. "Who is he?"

"His name was locked away a long time ago. He was pure, noble, just . . . his heart was always in the right place. But then he was infected by darkness. Me and Terra exist because of his sickness. The sickness is what brought you guys here in the first place."

I frown. "Why wait until now to tell us this? How can one person's disease cause all of this to happen? Was this world created by this guy or something?"

"No. He's always been here. Always." Aqua's eyes narrowed. "You're standing next to the creator yourself."

My eyes widen and I look at Sora. He stares back at me, looking just as confused and scared. The air grows colder and I watch as the walls erode, paint chipping and wallpaper crumbling around us as the darkness level in the room rises. Aqua brings her Keyblade back, but this time her eyes are completely black and red tears slide down her face. "I've said too much. I can't hold it back any longer," she says, voice barely registering in my mind because of the vast differences to how she spoke before. What was once vulgar and possessive now sounds demonic.

"Kairi . . . " Sora grabs my hand, squeezing.

"Just . . . " I shudder, bringing my hand out. I yell out as the heat from the magic trying to escape from my body destroys me internally. It's not coming out. Why is it not coming out?! "Sora, my Keyblade . . . it won't . . . it . . . "

"NOOOOOO!" He pushes me to the side and a bright, white light blasts into the room. I hear Sora scream, or maybe it's me. The light hurts. All I can do is curl into a ball and cover my face as the light gets brighter and brighter, blinding and drowning us simultaneously.

My ears ring and vibrate within my skull. Parts of the ceiling are crashing around me. I half crawl half crab-walk towards my bed, hoping to get underneath it. As the light disappears a scream freezes me in place. I shiver, contemplating whether or not I can handle the possibilities behind that scream, whether or not I can see it and keep my sanity.

One exhale later and I'm changing my position, twisting and rolling in the direction of the horrible sound. My mouth is completely dry and the air I'm breathing in feels stale and empty. It's like time froze and I can only stare at the brown armor before me, a strange warrior encased in an orange light with his long Keyblade sticking out through Aqua's chest. It went right through her heart easily, a deep wound that tore open her stomach. Her eyes were wide open and white.

I opened my mouth to say something but all that came out was a gurgling choking sound as the Keyblade is pulled sharply out of her body. Small specks of darkness settle everywhere in the room, the representation of Aqua's body as she disintegrates into smoke.

Whoever was inside the armor nodded once before flicking his wrist and the smoke clears awaywith a strong gust of wind. He pulled off his helmet, revealing yellow eyes. I gasp in shock. "Terra?" I ask, voice cracking at the end.

"Kairi." He gives me a single nod then turns to Sora. "It's time for this all to end, don't you agree?"

Sora, obviously in shock, just stares at him for two whole minutes before whispering, "You killed her."

"It had to be done. She was losing this battle from the start. I didn't realize her plan involved so much mental harm for you until it was too late." He frowns. "This was something outside her control . . . something outside your control. Something had to give, and now something inside of you must change."

"I don't know what you're talking about! Sora isn't...I'm not doing anything!" I wince at the volume behind the protest. This conversation is slowly turning chaotic. Whatever is happening now, it's not helping Sora and Roxas' mental state.

Time is running out. Yeah, you don't need to tell me that twice. But now the question is whether Terra will let us pass.

Our sole obstacle shrugs, voice firm and unwavering. "I'm only repeating the facts. Either Sora needs to stop this, or . . . " he looks at me. "You need to end it and sacrifice the life of one for two."

That doesn't sound good. "Are you saying one of us has to die? You're not making any sense."

"Light is fading. Darkness grows stronger by the hour. None of you will return to the life you once knew the longer you stay here." He walks closer, causing us to flinch back. "You'll need more protection."

Sora frowns. "We're not hungry," he mutters.

"Not that kind." He holds out two shoulder pads. Both are crest-shaped, reminding me vaguely of police badges. "These belonged to Aqua and Ventus in a different time, a different world. The armor will protect you from the lingering darkness and lead you to the castle where the King of the Void sleeps."

I sigh. "Why should we trust you? For all we know these suites could give you another way to manipulate us."

His eyes flash and bore into me. "I just killed my best friend. If that doesn't tell you where I stand in this war then nothing will."

"War?" Sora asks dubiously.

Terra glares at him. "Yes, a war you started in your heart."

"I didn't start-ah, forget it!" I gasp as he grabs the crest-shaped pad from Terra, strapping it onto his shoulder. "Whatever gets us out of here faster." He hits it impulsively and another bright explosion of white light forces me into a hunched position. By the end of the light display his body is covered in elaborate armor. The plating on his shoulders and legs is angular and small, triangular in shape. From the design of the armor it seems like he'll be able to move fairly easily, and quickly. "Whoa . . . "

I shove my fears behind me and take the other pad, placing it on the same side as Sora and tapping it lightly. This time I don't flinch as the light covers me before my body is cased in magical armor. "Huh . . . it's less heavy than I expected," I say.

"Representations of an ideal, a concept are never as impactful as the original." Terra nods once in our direction then pushes the door open. "Follow me."

We exit the café and take in our surroundings. The sky is a darker purple than before, almost black if it weren't for the setting reddish sun in the distance. It doesn't take long to spot the patches of darkness and heartless forming along the buildings with black creatures that twist and shake, reminding me briefly of Sora's dark double. It's been forever since I've seen him but just the thought of his sharp nails, wide white smile, and trailing mist makes me shudder.

Relax. No use wasting energy when the fighting hasn't even started yet.

Right. Huh . . . if I'm still hearing you I guess eventually I'll be in the same shape as Sora and Roxas.

I won't let that happen.

I grunt once, unconvinced. I would retort but Terra interrupts me, throwing his large Keyblade in the air. What happens next goes by so fast; I blink once and the Keyblade is already done transforming into a weird, mobile cruiser of sorts. Well, a cruiser that's a cross between a motorcycle and a skateboard . . . that floats. "That's new," I mutter, too shocked by previous events to sound impressed.

"You'll both need to use it. It's the most efficient way to reach the fortress. If you go on foot you won't make it in time." He puts his helmet back on his face. "This is all I can give you. I've set it to take you as far as Amnesia's Embrace. You're on your own after that."

Sora's helmet tilts in his direction. "So, you're not coming with us?"

"No. I will create a diversion here to buy you guys more time." He walks back towards the café. "Don't come back for me. The moment you find Riku your next goal should be reaching the exit."

"Right." I don't miss the sorrowful undertones in Sora's voice as he gets on Terra's Keyblade cruiser. "Come on, Kairi."

I slip on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. We rise higher into the air and shoot forward. The engine hums as we fly through the air, sending vibrations into my core. Sustained by magic, I allow myself to relax as the power rushes through my veins, bringing with it a sense of security I haven't had in ages. But from the way my partner hunches over, the way his rigid back muscles press against me . . . I know I'm alone in my contentment. "Sora?"

He chuckles bitterly. "Do you . . . believe them? Do you think I'm the reason we're all here?"

"No. I think you're confused." A memory resurfaces. It was back from a time of fear, a time where desperate measures overrode my better judgment. "You remember . . . way back when you were possessed . . . and I shot light into your heart, right?"

"What about it?" he asks, pain evident in his voice.

"There was a moment where . . . that dark version of you . . . whatever it was created a portal. It was quick, I only got a glimpse . . . but the city inside looked similar to the one we're traveling through now."

"So . . . he did this?"

You're getting close. Don't talk about it anymore. He needs to focus.

I sigh then shrug. "Beats me. Just . . . don't be quick to judge yourself. Let's do this one step at a time. Find Riku. Escape."

"Yeah . . . but it's never that simple." I watch his hands clench against the steering mechanisms. "What do you think Terra meant about a diversion?"

"Well-"

Before I can finish the sentence a long, drawn out explosion slams us from behind. We rocket forward unevenly, going too fast as the series of explosions continue. I look back to see a set of mushroom clouds forming in the distance, towering in the sky above the skyscrapers. "Holy, Sora did you see that?!"

"No." His voice was cold. "I'm looking ahead . . . and I don't like what I see."

I follow his gaze and hold back the urge to shout. Hundreds, no, thousands of heartless, nobodies, and . . . these weird blue creatures with beady red eyes (have no idea what to call them). They all rush past us from the air, out of the ground, from the side, from above . . . they were everywhere. I get as close to Sora as I can, shuddering at the overwhelming amount of craziness around me. "They're not attacking," I yell. "They're running towards the explosion!"

"Guess whatever Terra did is working." He leans forward more and we speed up. "Hang on, this is going to get bumpy."

Whoooo, done!

Okay, so this actually ended up being a little longer than I planned (and a tad darker). The next chapter will be an interesting twist as far as the POV being used. It will open up a little more about the nature of the situation/"world" that Kairi, Sora, and Riku currently inhabit.

If you're confused/have questions feel free to comment! If I can answer them without spoiling the plot I will! Rest assured, this is all planned and we're actually approaching the final battle here (if you didn't already guess from the fancy new Keyblade gear Kairi and Sora are getting).

As always, thanks for all the reviews and support! I appreciate you guys taking the time to comment and share your thoughts! This story wouldn't exist without you!

Until next time!

Justice T.