Kairi tried to console Sora, but he pushed her away "Xemnas! Xemnas I'm so sorry!"

She blinked, unsure how to react to this. Was Sora... Was Sora feeling SORRY for this monster? Riku walked up to her, shocked as well and still clutching his bleeding side. Kairi dazedly cured him, and he stammered out "S-Sora... Are you... Okay?"

"No! He's dead!" Sora wailed "He's dead!"

"But Sora, he-"

"Kairi!" She stopped and turned to find Aqua and Mickey arriving. She gagged at the sight of a long and freely bleeding cut running completely along Aqua's face "Your-"

"I know, I'm saving my power for you guys!" She said impatiently. Mickey looked around "Is Xemnas-"

"He's gone..." Sora answered his question.

Mickey and Aqua looked confused, and a little disturbed "Okay, but why are you crying-"

"I don't know!" Sora snapped, clutching his head "I don't know! I... I hated him at first but now... I just... I just don't know!"

Kairi thought back to the things Axel had said. Honestly, she figured she would hate someone forever of they did those terrible acts.

Riku walked over and hugged him "Hey, it's alright-"

Sora sobbed in confusion and uncertainty "Riku... I think... I think I love him now."

Riku and the others froze completely.

"He just... He acted so kind, even when he hurt me he would apologize, and so many times he made me feel..." Sora looked at his hand "Really good. He called me stuff like 'his dearest little key' and 'pet', and he held his word and didnt hurt you guys..." He buried his face in his hand, continuing to cry "I don't know, it feels so weird, so unsettling, to like him like this!"

Kairi felt her heart starting to shatter, and asked fearfully "But you know, we're still... Together, right, Sora?"

He looked at her, eyes still pouring tears. He looked so lost and shattered "I-I... I don't know anymore."

She buckled, Aqua reaching out to catch her. She could almost hear Xemnas laughing at her as she felt tears spring to her eyes. Sora quickly said "K-Kairi, I'm sorry, I really am, but... I..."

She shook her head, not wanting to hear any words that followed.

Sora sank back into Riku, noticing that he was safe and sound. He smiled "Well, at least you're still okay."

Riku shook his head "But it doesn't seem like you are."

Sora then leaned up against Riku and kissed him. Riku's eyes widened, and he let out a muffled grunt of disgust. He pushed Sora away from him, gagging. Sora frowned "... A-aren't you supposed to like that-"

"How was I supposed to like that?!" Riku snapped at him. In all honesty he was disgusted with him, ready to throw up as if he had just kissed his brother. Moments later he sighed "Just... No. That is disgusting..." He trailed off when he saw Sora's stunned and lost expression. Sora sank back "S-sorry..." He starting shaking with sobs again "I-I just don't want to see you upset."

Riku then held Sora's shoulders, changing his tone "Hey, look at me. Look at me." Riku very gently held Sora's tearful face up "I can understand that you don't want to see me upset, but that's not the way to go about making me happy, okay?"

Sora nodded, then wrapped his arms around Riku's neck.

Riku took a deep breath and patted Sora's back "Everything is okay... It's alright..."

Kairi looked at Aqua with dread and disillusionment: What a terrible lie those words were.

They headed back to Disney Castle, everyone quiet, weary, and stunned. Aqua healed her cut, but now there was a long, jagged scar that crossed her face. It gave her a weary, but hardened edge.

Kairi didn't know why she was so upset at losing Sora's love. It was implied by him that he still did, he was just confused... She huffed as she drew the conclusion that she was now sharing that special love with Xemnas. THAT was getting her ticked. She took a deep breath, letting go of her anger. Sora was just emotionally fragile and confused right now.

Sora was staring at his hands, regretful, mortified, lost. He had cleaned up his hair, and it was now back as its poofy mane, but he still remembered every moment as Roxas. What had he done? He was so painfully aware that his choice brought upon what he'd lost. Now, because of those decisions, he didn't know who to trust, who to love.

What was love anyways? Xemnas's treatment had clouded the definition. Sora knew firsthand he was rough in his displays of "affection", and he didn't have a heart, but there where still points he remembered that sowed doubt in his heart. He wanted so desperately to have the man by his side, showing him so many ways to feel amazing, but there was the conflicting hatred that wanted him to stay dead.

When they landed back at the castle, Sora and Kairi got off instantly. They gave each other a sad look, then turned and headed their separate ways: Kairi to her room and Sora to the garden.

Riku watched them both, feeling torn. They both were hurting, and ended up making each other feel worse by rejecting to talk about it. "I think I know how Ven felt." Aqua said quietly, joining Riku "Awhile back, me and Terra kept arguing in front of him and... Well, he wasn't very positive about it."

Sora looked back at them, then turned back to the front.

You know, you should be a lot more disgusted with yourself than this.

Shut up...

I mean, letting yourself get raped? Shameful, just shameful.

Please, stop...!

Sora almost saw him smirking as he feigned mishearing: Oh sure, I can take top-

Sora yelled in the middle of the hallway "SHUT UP VANITAS!" He clutched his head, starting to sob again "Just shut up and leave me alone, be happy with that!"

Fat chance. I'm not gonna stop, because it is so fun seeing your distress.

Sora rushed into the garden, running into its very heart. He collasped on a bench, curling up and sobbing uncontrollably "JUST SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" A breeze brushed reassuringly by him, but he only curled up tighter and gasped "Just leave me alone..."

Kairi was spread eagled on her bed, staringly vacantly at the roof. Just how was she going to fix this? She knew she could last without Sora being her boyfriend, but seeing him so distressed and confused, she couldn't live with that.

There was a knock.

"Yes?" She sighed, sounding bitter and annoyed.

Riku peeked through the door "Uh, do I need to come at another time-"

Kairi sat up "No, no, you're fine. What do you need?"

"Um, Sora... Is he...?" Riku sat next to her and trailed off questioningly "Is that Vanitas, or is that someone else in there...? Please don't tell me that's him."

Kairi shook her head "Sorry, it is... He just..." She paused to find the right words. "He accepted the burden to keep us safe, I don't think we should blame him for it."

"I'm not blaming him for it, I'm just worried."

"We're all worried, Riku."

Here we go, a long winding road to finding out about Xehanort's new threat and Sora once more going through hell.

Now, about pacing and story size. I have the final bits written up(you are going to love it. And by love I mean cry your eyes out ;p), BUT the route to them is kinda short, Like, maybe a little shorter than the first one short. Would you mind if I kept it that way? Not a whole ton of filler and getting straight to things? This one is gonna be a little slow at first, because I have a point a and a point c, but not much b, so to speak.

Also, I have discovered Imagine Dragons. Damn I love their music XD and Bleeding Out is oddly appropriate for Ventus's death. Go figure.