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Port Royal - Docks

Far from being affronted at the way Kairi had removed herself from his grip, Aros watched the change in her reactions, morbidly fascinated despite himself.

"Bring Sora back! I WANT SORA BACK! I don't care if he loves Riku! I just want them both back!" The entire diatribe was endlessly entertaining, if not a little unsettling. The Keyblade Master was not one to give up, no matter how thorough the defeat and depair was, and Aros realized that even as Sora began to fight back inside him.

Quite apparently, he'd heard Kairi's words, and that would never do. His smile becoming quite chilling even as Aros forced the boy back once more, he batted at flowery Keyblade with a dismissive grunt. Who did this little Princess think she was, hm?

Don't hurt her! Damn you, don't you dare hurt her! Sora's voice, loud and clear, pushed against his own consciousness, and it took all of Aros' effort not to snarl. Since when did the damn kid have the power to even speak to him?

Even as he questioned it, the Heartless already knew the answer. The heart that was so determinedly denied him was responsible for this. That, and all his damnable friends.

Paying the annoying redheaded turk and the blond no mind - they weren't really important, after all - Aros simply shrugged, his voice a tad bit harsher than normal. "It's just too bad, Princess. The two of them are never coming back. Learn to live with it, will you?"

Once again, the smile slipped onto his features, twisting the Keyblade Master's normally soft, gentle face into one of joyful cruelty even as he started to walk away. There would be no fighting tonight, not until he found a way to permanently seal the pesky Sora off. "And again, from the bottom of my nonexistent heart, thank you for creating me."

docks

Sora halted in his tracks at her voice. The meeting with Roxas, Vincent, and Xeryim - as well as Riku - on the networks had forcibly brought him back. It had been a tough battle; Aros was near impossible to defeat, but he had heard Kairi's voice. Kairi's, Roxas, and all the others who had helped wake him up.

And he knew then, when he was in the nothingness, that the most important thing was to remember the people who needed him, the people he needed. He had been so selfish back then, thinking only of his own pain, of his own loss and letting Xeryim destroy him from the inside. He had let the pain and loss in his heart overshadow his belief, isolating him from the ones he cared so much about.

That had been why Aros had been able to gain such a foothold in the first place.

Never again, Sora promised firmly even as he struggled to hold the heartless down, pushing him away. Aros had been furious at the way Xeryim had tricked him into leaving by turning into Riku, and he realized then that just as Riku was his greatest weakness, the older teen was also Sora's greatest strength. Without Riku's appearance, without the reminder of Riku's love, Sora knew that he would never have the mustered the strength needed to fight Aros off so soon.

He knew his battle with the Heartless wasn't over - far from it, but at least he knew now who was stronger. All his friends and his own heart. Protecting the ones he loved was the reason why he had been chosen in the first place, and Sora would never forget it again. The belief made him stronger; knowing that his loved ones were there with him, who believed in him, and that Riku was waiting for him...

Kairi, his princess, she needed him; he had felt her heart call out to him, drawing him out. The seventh Princess of Heart, the girl he would give up anything to protect needed him, and so did the other half of his soul, the ex-Nobody, his brother Roxas, the boy who literally had been a part of him.

And finally, the most precious one of them all, the one who had Sora's heart and all of his unconditional love, Riku.The Keyblade Master had a promise to keep for his beloved; Riku was lost and Sora had to find him again, to get his heart back.

With so many things to do, so many people and so many worlds to protect, and with people like Selphie, Leon, Yuffie, Vincent and the others who truly believed in im, the Keyblade's Chosen could not lose.

Smiling and turning back to Kairi, already reverting back to normal even as a surge of renewed strength flowed through him - the strength of his heart - he nodded to Kairi happily, the euphoria of being back in his own body, of the sudden victory pushing back all other thoughts for the moment.

"Kairi!"

Docks

Returning the embrace, exceedingly glad at the fact that at least Kairi was here, Sora's smile widened. It seemed like some things never really changed, did it?

Or maybe it already did; everything was changing right in front of him, the trio were all growing up, maturing, embarking on their new journeys together and yet somehow separate. Heck, he and Kairi were both sixteen now, for crying out loud. Things changed, people changed, but the depth of his affection for the princess probably never would.

Pushing back the previous meeting with Xeryim and Riku, and trying to ignore the swell of immense hurt that rose within him, Sora managed to keep his smile. He had to, because no amount of pain in the world would be worth allowing Aros to rise to the surface again.

He just had to do what he had promised Riku, even though he knew that the other boy probably hated him now, or something. Sora would set Riku free and do everything in his power to set things right, and if his lover still hated him...well, that was okay, too... love could never be forced or - as Sora had learned earlier - stopped by anyone.

As long as Riku was fine and whole, that was all that mattered.

Flashing Will a smile as he turned back to the girl in his arms, he murmured fondly. "Hey..." Letting go of her after awhile, he continued. "We're gonna wait for Roxas here, then we'll find a place to rest, okay?"

Port Royal - Docks

Well just dammit. If this kid wasn’t messed up Reno would go swimming with Tseng in the Junon Bay next time and that was not something he planned on doing. First there was this whole Heartless deal and then he went back to normal. Now Kairi was being weird and hell! He might as well join SOLDIER if things kept moving the way they were now!

And this Riku kid… That was the silver-haired brat from before. What was the big deal with him anyway? He obviously betrayed Spikey. Was he that important?

“Oh hey WOAH!” A loud whirr sounded overhead. Reno looked up sharply to see another one of the weird flying crafts begin to land. What the hell were these things anyway?!

“Watch where you’re landing!”


They had dropped off everyone like they said. Roxas was more than relieved to see everyone on their way. For one reason, the gummi ship was much less crowded. That and he hadn’t been alone with Namine since they were in Radiant Garden. The ship was silent but Roxas still felt as happier than ever. Xeryim was wrong. Nothing was going to happen to Namine. He wasn’t going to say anything bad about her again. That Roxas swore.

Carefully and steadily, he landed the ship behind Sora’s and even further from the other mechanical-looking ship. Roxas stood and led Namine by the hand, smiling.

“Let’s go see Sora and Kairi.” He added as he opened the hatch and stepped out into the salty atmosphere of Port Royal.

So these guys in the suits were the Turks? There were two men and one lady and with them was another guy in a white suit. Beside them was Will and Elizabeth, two faces Roxas was happy to see though he was disappointed that Jack was not around, and then Sora and Kairi.

“Hey guys!”

Docks

Sora blinked at Elena, quite mystified at her tears and her sadness. Frowning slightly, the boy took a step forward in Elena's direction, silently wondering what was wrong. Was she hurt?

Already forgetting the fact that she had been the one who had accused Sora and the others point blank of being the enemy, and only remembering the fact that she was the one who had tried to comfort him earlier, Sora tried to return the favour, bright blue eyes alight with concern.

"Elena, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Why are you crying?"

His attention was diverted, however, at the appearance of the Gummi Ship. Roxas!

Brightening visibly, Sora paused in his step and waited for the ship to land - evidently, the appearance of this ship wasn't making Reno too happy, was it?

As soon as it landed, however, he watched delightedly as Roxas and Namine stepped out. He hadn't seen Roxas in awhile, and was very much glad that he didn't look the worse for wear.

Wearing a smile that was identical to his brother's, he returned the greeting fondly. "Hey, Roxas!"

Port Royal - Docks

Man… He was a real jerk, wasn’t he? Reno hadn’t even noticed Elena’s condition until Spikey and Tseng spoke up. Did the Heartless really have that big of an effect on her? A sense of sympathy and duty now conflicted within him. Sora’s little ‘problem’ had spooked them all but at the same time, they were Turks. It was not their job to complain or show emotion. Elena would just have to learn that.

And these two… Reno cast a suspicious eye as the two blonde children exited the ship. What was with this? Do kids just fly around now or what? That was unheard of on Gaia! And not only that, there seemed to be a remarkable resemblance between these two and Sora and Kairi.

Frowning and crossing his arms, the Turk followed Sora. “So Spikey, is Curly here and his friend some family of yours or what?”

Seems like some things really never changed. Sora blinked at Reno's customary flippant tone and simply nodded. Well, it would take an entire day to explain just what his relationship was between Roxas and him, and they probably didn't have a day.

"He's uh...he's my cousin," The Keyblade Master responded, remembering what they had agreed on saying whenever someone asked that question. Turning back to where Elena was leaving, Sora furrowed a brow. "Hey, Reno...aren't you going to go after her?"

If it were up to him, the boy would've gone after her and asked what was wrong, but Sora didn't know her at all, and there was the little niggling feeling that he would probably make things worse...

He had finished a casual wave to Roxas before he heard Elizabeth snap at Will, which made him start in surprise. Whoa.

Exchanging a look with Kairi before he went over to Roxas, he decided to start the introductions. Roxas most likely knew the people in Port Royal, but they didn't know him, and he had to keep up appearance before Roxas spooked everyone out.

"Roxas, this is Will and Elizabeth, and that's Rufus, Tseng, and Reno. Elena's...over there." His smile faded slightly as he looked after her departing form, then turned to the Turk men confusedly. "Aren't you guys going to go after her?"