Nat: god what am I doing with my life

**Disclaimer: Shockingly, I do not own Kingdom Hearts**

Let The Pieces Fall Where They May

Take a Chance

He was drowning, falling, and it was all so, so, dark. Perhaps he really should have thought more about it, been a bit more critical, but he had a habit of being naive, and now was paying the price for it.

The darkness had gripped him tight as he struggled to keep awake, but he knew it was futile the moment that younger Xehanort* had started talking to him. He struggled to remember what he said, struggled to remember a lot as of right now, but it was to no avail. Just a vague feeling of foreboding that increased with every passing second; he had failed and now things were going to hell.

He went from the darkness that squirmed and twirled around him to the all encompassing darkness of what he... didn't know? It felt vaguely familiar, as if he had been here before, but when he actually managed to open his eyes (which, granted, didn't last very long because he could barely hold it) all he saw was an all surrounded black. It stood at the end of his mind, a word just out of reach, escaping his grasp no matter how hard he tried to claim it.

He scrunched his eyes, trying to remember the thought that had been so prominent in his mind seconds ago. This was different from the time he became a...

Became a...

Became a what?

Oh, right. Heartless. He became a Heartless for... someone (someone so vitally important, he was pretty sure, and he couldn't remember them!), and his memory had slipped away then too. Slowly, like taking something apart thread by thread, he began to forget, small details upon small details until the entire whole would be gone. This was different. It was like it was all being ripped, he could feel chunks of himself missing. He didn't know what was missing, wasn't sure what it was that was gone, disappeared from himself.

Thoughts of a boy his age, maybe older, he was... also important like the girl. Like warmth? Like water. Flashes of blurry faces and illegible voices that all sounded like gibberish to his ears. He shuddered, and then it was all gone.

Something was gone? What was gone? He asked into a void that did not, could not, answer him. He couldn't remember what was gone.

And really, if he didn't remember what, how did he even know something was missing?

But he did, despite the fact he couldn't remember what something felt wrong, something was lacking in him. He felt hollow.

Though maybe he had always been hollow, maybe this was the way he had always been.

Because how was he suppose to know who he was?

He couldn't even remember his name.

~o~

"Was that really the best idea?" He asked in a half worried, half annoyed, tone.

"Better than yours" The other scoffed in reply.

"Mine would help for the best possible outcome here!"

"He's right you know" Another chimed in.

"That idea was boring. This one is exciting, improbable, and best of all; not yours."

"Why did I, we, even listen to you?" He questioned aloud, sounding extremely exasperated.

"Because I am, and continue to be, the superior one." They replied, sounding smug.

There was a resounding sigh.

"... Things will end the right way right?" A voice asked softly.

"Hopefully"

~o~

How had it even come to this? Riku thought with an annoyed, no not desperate at all, groan. Because really how was this surprising at all. Sora who went at things heart first, friends first, everything but himself first had ended up in the worst possible situation because he was chasing dreams of all things. Dreams, from what the small glimpse he had seen, that were about him, about Kairi. Even running blindly and of course unknowingly into darkness Sora remained focused on his friends, because they were his power as he loved to say. They gave him; they gave his heart, strength.

There was a first time for everything though, Riku bitterly thought, because his heart, his desire to be with and help his friends, had certainly helped in leading to where they were now.

Sora sitting unconscious (and years of friendship made his heart ache at the site of his always excited friend sitting so unnaturally still he almost felt broken) atop one of the 13 chairs that surrounded the room. Mickey was pinned to the wall by Xemnas and he himself was being held downed my Ansem being forced to watch as a piece of Xehanort flew towards an unassuming Sora.

He felt so utterly useless as just watched; being able to do nothing made him want to scream. And he swore he was just about to when there was a flash of light, clearly not the heart making contact, more like the flare of a fire and then dust. A small bit of joy wormed its way into his heart as he saw, because Sora was safe, Sora wasn't another Xehanort.

Mickey yelled something, he couldn't hear it above the loud, imaginary to all but him, cheering in his ears, and he looked up to see Axel?

The nobody (but he was missing the tattoos and something just seemed generally different about him) sighed; "Axel? Please. The names Lea, got it memorized?" He said, chakram flaring as he held Sora one-handed.

His name was different?

He didn't get a chance to dwell on it, Xigbar yelled some annoyed blabber at him and Axel (Lea?) made motion to talk but was cut off, one of the hooded members attacking him while he was distracted. Startled, Sora fell ungracefully back onto his seat with a small thud as Axel and the hooded member went flying off as they clashed.

The hood fell and he heard Axel gasp, his attention however, drifted away from the two and back to Sora, who was once again at the mercy of Xehanort. He struggled against Ansem's grip, more than a bit desperate to get free, to help Sora, to protect Sora.

He heard Xehanort laugh and tried his best to angle himself so he could see the other, exceptionally hard considering the other was on the direct opposite side of him. Luckily, or perhaps not so luckily, Xehanort teleported right next to Sora, the same creepy, skin crawling, smile in place.

"Now," his voice drawled, "let's try that again shall we? Now that all our guests have taken their seats." Riku was sure he had never wanted to punch someone more than he wanted to right now.

He raised his Keyblade once again, the same light appearing and shooting out, only this time the distance was shorter and Riku felt like someone had slowed time because he was sure the seconds passed by like hours before it actually made contact with the unconscious Sora.

The light flared and Xehanort smirked, disappearing from Sora's side and back at his throne. It seeped in slowly, sinking in about as quickly and easily as a drop of oil in water. That is, it did not, half sticking out from him before quickly just disappearing.

"Your oh so holy Light has been lost, keybladers, given way to darkness." He smiled cruelly, waving his hand and with the motion the other three members moved away, going back to their appointed seats.

He did not waste the moment. Just as quickly as Ansem had let him be he ran as quickly as his feet would carry him towards Sora, cursing the chair for being so goddamn high. He reached him, looked at his unmoving friend for all of a few seconds and then was blown back, a wave of darkness coming from him and then circling around him.

"Sora!" He yelled landing onto Axel, who caught him with ease, he gave the nobody (somebody?) a glance but his attention stayed on Sora for the most part.

"So what do we do?" Axel asked uncertainly, scratching his chin slightly.

"We wait." Mickey replied solemnly.

Riku clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he watched the aura just constrict and widen around Sora, hating how the rest of them were simply watching silently. As if they didn't need to fight, which they didn't, they had lost the moment Sora had been hit. But still they remained; Riku half hoping that he was the one still dreaming and Sora would wake him up any moment now.

The Dark light began to fade, becoming a faded mist that coated his being before disappearing completely, leaving behind a distinctly normal looking Sora. Except for maybe the hair, which; was lighter in some places, darker in others, and in some remaining absolutely the same. It was as if someone had snapped pictures of his hair in different lightings and then cropped them all together; it looked decidedly weird. But other than that he looked normal, though he wasn't sure what else was supposed to change, the eyes of course but...

They weren't opening.

Sora remained as unresponsive as ever, aside from a small sway as it all cleared, eyes remaining closed, though for a second Riku was sure he saw them scrunch a bit tighter.

Silence enveloped the room as they waited for, well, nothing. It seemed as if everyone had expected something, anything, to happen yet it remained the same as before. With only slight assurance that it had worked, if the hair was any indicator, that and the fact that there was no reason it shouldn't have worked.

Another agonizing moment passed until Sora finally stirred, form crumpling in on itself before sitting up straight. He blinked once, then twice, before finally fully opening his eyes to reveal two blue eyes.

"Sora!" He and Mickey cried, shocked still.

Xigbar yelled something to Xehanort but he didn't hear, completely focused on Sora, normal not Xehanort Sora.

Sora despite now being awake remained as unmoving and unresponsive as before, blinking slowly before looking around wide eyed and confused.

"Where am I?" He asked in a tone Riku had not heard in awhile. He looked around to each face, passing by the three of them down below without a hint of recognition. "Who are all you?"

And then Riku knew he really had failed.

Words: 1,718 (too short for me)

*Does Sora know who that is? Like, does he know young Xehanort I for the life of me could not remember so yeah just have this woohoo

Also Axel and Xigbar are referred to by their nobody names because Riku doesn't know they aren't yet, amazing really.

Nat: How many of these fics exist? Like honestly idk (not enough for my needs), but this is the most self-indulgent thing I have ever written (I'm lying the vanso one I'm updating later this month is) because I enjoy the thoughts of Sora being on 'evil' side because he's their light, all powerful light and now hes gone fight now fuckers.

This actually has a coherent plot line if I ever manage to update this again (at least one more chapter before I disappear forever) and things make sense and reasonings are explained.

This fic has only two differences from canon (at least in this one chapter) one being from a split second difference (aka Donald and Goofy will be appearing in the same time they would have only it's too late because Saix (Isa) did not wait for Lea to have his dumb speech I stg evil is dumb and so is good.

(Ah p.s., other 13 darkness members will probably not get names, I don't wanna make oc's that probably wouldn't get much screen time anyways, I'll probs end up numbering them lol)