Day 196

They came far more often now, and in far greater numbers, their ranks swelling every night. They were still easy to handle, but if they kept increasing like this... he was going to reach his limit at some point.

He was lucky if he got a single night of peace these days, not that he slept at night anymore. It was afternoon through to the dawn that he spent searching now, for a way out, and for Heartless.

Maybe it was this strange sleep schedule that threw him off, or maybe he was just more fatigued than he realised. Maybe he just wasn't paying attention. But that night he made a mistake.

It had been raining all day and the rooftops were slick. Keen to get back inside as quickly as possible, Sora had been stepping from roof to roof, hunting down the remaining bands of Heartless from above. He'd struck down at least forty already tonight as they flitted through the city in their little gangs. Based on how many there had been yesterday, there should only be one or two groups left.

He spotted them running along one of the raised highways that crossed the city and hovered above the smaller streets. They were moving in his direction and he tensed up, preparing to leap and dive from the edge of a roof. If it hadn't been for the sound of the rain, he might have heard the others.

At the last moment, he sensed them and spun around. Sharp claws just grazed his arm as a Neoshadow swung at him. He brought his Keyblade round and sent the creature flying backwards, but his foot slipped, and as the next one swiped at his neck, he lost his balance and fell back.

As he plummeted towards the roof five floors below the Heartless dove after him. He didn't have much magic left, and he used the last of it to send a blast of fire upwards, reducing three of them to ash. He twisted just in time to land on his feet, but he landed hard, his spell having accelerated the fall. His foot skidded on the slick tiles, and his ankle folded under him. The remaining seven Neoshadows landed lightly around him as he yelled out in shock and pain.

He staggered back up, trying to keep his weight off his sprained ankle and glanced around, watching them creep towards him. The group on the highway had heard his shout and were making a beeline for them. Their group looked larger and was led by two Invisibles. He was certain he could still take them all while hurt but doubted he'd manage it without sustaining more injuries...

He was sick of this. He was exhausted, furious with himself and these monsters, soaked to the bone from the rain, and his ankle hurt like hell. It was just enough for him to summon Rage.

He felt it seething beneath the surface, waiting to take over should he ask it. So he let the anger rise. A pool of red and black materialised beneath his feet and he leapt into the air, twisting, and diving down towards the darkness. It came up to meet him, engulfing him in an orb of it and giving off bright sparks. He gratefully let it sink into his skin.

As always, his mind became a blurred mix of feral excitement and pure fury. All pain gone and strength restored, he leapt at them. He tore at them, slicing with his Keyblade and claws alike, relishing the feeling of their bodies breaking beneath his hands. He finished the Neoshadows surrounding him and scurried down the side of the building, and pounced on the one remaining group. They didn't take him long.

As the last of them dissolved, he spun around, twisting back and forth to be sure he had dealt with them all. As the danger passed, he waited for the darkness to fade from his skin and mind, the way it always did once the battle was won or he had exhausted his anger. But after several seconds, he realised it wasn't fading. Though still racing with thoughts of fury and violence, he was in control of his mind enough to know something was wrong. He needed to change back, and fast.

But it wasn't fading. It wasn't going away. If anything the darkness seemed to be seeping in further. His skin was starting to sting, and heat was gathering in his chest. He felt it sinking in towards his bones and dropped to his hands and knees. He had to focus, he had to push the dark out somehow before it took a deeper hold. He closed his eyes and tried to take deep, slow breaths; not that he needed to breathe in this form. He had to calm the darkness somehow.

He focussed on what he always turned to when he needed help and thought of his friends. He thought of the people who filled him with joy, not scorching rage. His skin was still smarting, and his chest felt hot, but thinking of them seemed to be slowing the darkness's descent towards his bones. He thought of their faces, of standing beside them.

It was working, he could feel the flames slowly dwindling. Just focus on them...

He gasped as the darkness suddenly vanished from his skin, as though ripped away by an unseen force, leaving nothing but exhaustion behind. He stayed on his hands and knees, panting and shaking, Keyblade lying forgotten on the ground beside him. What had just happened?

He always felt uneasy as he came out of Rage form, uncomfortable with how good it always felt. But this... this was different. It had felt so good it burned, a fire in his heart he had never felt so intensely before. It wasn't a bright fire of determination or the deep care he felt for the people he loved.

This had been hatred. This had been pain, his heart itself being engulfed and burnt away. It wasn't unease he felt this time. It was fear.

Day 201

It took four days of healing spells and rest for his badly sprained ankle to fully heal, and it was exactly four days before the Heartless returned. Why had they disappeared and left him in peace for so long? Why would they withdraw right when it would have been so much easier to strike him down?

Regardless, they were back now, and their numbers were just as great.

Day 227

He knew someone had been watching him! He knew it! And today he'd finally seen them.

Over 200 days in this cursed place, and he'd found someone. He'd actually found someone! He didn't care why they hadn't shown themselves before now, all that mattered was someone else was here.

He'd whooped and cheered when he saw the figure several rooftops away. When he'd waved and called out to them, the person had waved back and he thought finally, FINALLY, he might be a step closer to getting home. Finally, someone else was here!

And then they were gone.

The flames of a dark corridor appeared behind them. They stepped back, still waving, and vanished.

"NO! Wait! Come back!" He sprinted and leapt, scouring the top of the building where the person had been when he got there.
"Can you hear me? Helloooooooooo!"

The only reply he heard was his echo through the streets below. Had he imagined them? He stared out across the sea of buildings, searching for any sign of dark flames or a figure, but there was nothing.

But as he cupped his hand to his mouth, ready to call out again, the concrete beneath his feet shook faintly. He froze, listening.

A few seconds, and it shook again, accompanied by a faint but powerful boom. He turned to where the sound came from and waited. A second later, the roof trembled again. It was more powerful this time, and the boom was louder. He raced towards it, sure it was massive footsteps. Maybe if he was lucky, whoever he had seen was going after Heartless as well and would be on their way to the same place.

Several blocks from his starting point he saw it, still a kilometre or so away, but large enough for its black curled horns and pointed wings to peak above the buildings. It seemed to be heading for him as well, as though sensing his presence. It had been a while since he'd fought one this big.

As he approached he tried to stick to the highest roofs, hoping to strike from above. There was no point attempting a sneak attack. It rounded a corner and he saw the Darkside's full body for the first time, the distorted proportions as unsettling as ever. Its hulking arms and shoulders filled the wide street, barely fitting between the buildings lining it, and its thin curled feet left large cracks in the road. From his vantage point, Sora couldn't see the heart-shaped hole in its chest, but he knew it was there. He reached the closest building and dived.

It didn't take him long to dispatch of it, alone a Darkside was little threat to him, but he was exhausted. It had already been a long night before this one appeared. As he stood panting in the middle of the street, watching the last traces of the Heartless's body fade, he heard something unexpected. Clapping.

He turned and saw the figure again, standing at the opposite end of the road. He was sure it was the same person as before. They were watching him, and applauding.

"Hey!" He waved and started running towards them, ecstatic that he'd found them again. But they were turning away. His heart dropped as he saw another corridor materialising before them. "Hey! Wait a minute!" But they ignored him.

Before Sora could reach them, the dark door had closed behind their back.