‘He couldn’t have, he just couldn’t! He couldn’t have done this, to his own sister!’ Riku said angrily as he paced before Kairi and Hoya who watched him intently, ‘I mean he must’ve been under some sort of enchantment of some sort to DO such a thing to Aria …’

 

‘I am also surprised at this … But what or WHO could've done this to him while he was here in the castle? I mean someone had to have seen him!’ Hoya said while strumming his fingers against the bedside table. ‘Uh guys, I think you might want to have a look at this …’ Riku and Hoya looked to where Kairi was looking to. 

 

She was staring up at one of the graffitied walls, her eyes wide as tears fell from them constantly. They walked over to her, staring up at what she was looking at, in bold letters stood the message of:

 

“Your heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence.

 

The TRUE power that will help you rise to power, of your friends, your family, over the Kings and Queens, over your sister!

 

But first, you must kill your sister and bring me her body so I myself may dispose of her properly. Then you will be able to stand by my side and help me rule the twelve reckless realms from chaos.”

 

Riku fell upon the bed upon listening to Hoya read out the message, rubbing his head subconsciously as his eyes widened out of horror, ‘It can’t be …”

 

-

 

Riku tried to break the bonds that tied him down that he had created with the mysterious and soulless hooded figure, regretting that he ever thought of overcoming he own best friend and lover.

He pulled and struggled against the bonds, grunting when suddenly the resonance of Ansem’s (AKA Xehanort) booming voice echoed through his ears as he spoke to Sora and Aria who screamed for him.

 

 ‘Don't bother. Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence.’

 

‘Guys don’t listen to him! GUYS-NOOOOOOO!’ Riku screamed as he was yet again engulfed in darkness, silenced. 

 

-

 

Riku opened his eyes, his anger boiling in his blood as he looked up at Kairi who was in tears, sobbing as Hoya was just in plain shock, unable to take in the information they had come across. 

 

‘I’m not going to let my best friend go down the wrong path like I did out of greed and hate! I have to stop him!’ He said, standing up before exiting the room as Hoya and Kairi ran after him, all of them running as fast and swiftly as they could before coming to a stop as the boys gasped in horror and Kairi let out a scream of terror. 

 

Bodies of the soldiers that should've been guarding Aria’s room were now scattered across the floor, blood pooling across the marble floor like a river, ‘I’ll sent out the alarm for the other Keybladers!’ Kairi screamed before running towards the throne room. 

Before Riku or Hoya could register anything, they heard another scream from inside the room, from Aria’s room. 

‘ARIA?!’

 

-

 

I awoke, tiredness aching at my body. I rubbed my eyes gently as I opened my eyes to find myself still facing the window that viewed the open sea, but suddenly I felt something wet fall upon my hand. 

 

I looked down at my hand and bed sheets were covered in droplets of a red substance, something that looked horridly like blood. I saw yet again another droplet of the substance fall from the ceiling, I looked up slowly to find the hooded man above me, a blood covered silver in his grasp. 

 

I let out a piercing scream as he raised his dagger over my heart, at lightnening speed I gripped the wrist that came down on me. I gasped for air as I struggled against the hooded man, I let out a scream before firing him off of me with a handful of fire. 

 

I jumped away from the bed, watching as the man stood up, before even straightening up he glided towards me at an incredible speed, making me swing my Keyblade up at him as he fell back yet again, this time shakily getting to his feet for his hood finally had fallen back. 

I gasped in horror, realising who had caused the threats and attacks recently on the castle, who caused fear to run through my veins, ‘Sora?! But-’

I was flung back against the balcony railings as Sora forwarded on me. But he didn't look like the brother I remembered him as. His face was gaunt and pale as a face of death, his eyes were a pale blue, giving off a dark stare that I never imagined him to give, dark circles of surrounding his once sparkling eyes. 

 

‘I am not Sora,’ He said in a deeper voice that didn’t belong to him, one that made my eyes widen in trepidation as he rose above me, landing on the roof of the castle, ‘My name … is Xehanort!’

I shook my head in fear as I jumped from my place and rose up, meeting him upon the deserted rooftop, ‘You can’t be, we destroyed you-’

 

‘You THOUGHT you destroyed me! But you didn’t, that worthless King didn’t have the strength to finish me in the first place and only sent me to the dark realm! And he didn’t realise it I who was poisoning his wounds so he grew weak enough to become cripple and weak! But then he announced you as his heir and that came in the way of my plan!’ He sneered, circling me as I stood there in shock. 

 

‘But then, the night of the ball approached and I knew it would give me a chance to find a new vessel to remain in. At first my eyes were set upon making YOU my new vessel, but that would just be too easy, so what better person to be my vessel that your pathetic brother! I found him in the maze the night of the ball and spoke to him in my spirit form, telling him that I could help him rise to the same amount of power that you had gained, or even better, even more powerful that the Queen of the twelve realms herself!’ 

 

‘Sora would never think like that-’

‘Oh he did my dear, oh he did! Who would look at him compared to you, the brother that never could compete with his sister who rose to power so quickly in a matter of minutes! So why not take a new route to gaining power? He accepted but didn’t realise who I was until I entered his body, he fought but was weak and my darkness was too much for him to handle that he had NO control over his body or heart and longer will, he is my puppet and mine alone!’

 

‘NO!’ I screamed as I attacked him out of surprise, making him jump back and throw his Keyblade at me, knocking me backwards, sliding across the pavement. ‘Your pathetic! Pathetic as your brother, as your King! Pathetic as that stupid boy Riku-’

‘Shut up!’ I ran towards him again, our Keyblades crashing against each other as we tried to knock the other of their feet, ‘Oh, oh, what is this your Majesty?! Still have feelings for that worthless boy while your engaged to a full fledged Prince?!’

 

I let out a scream as yet again I was thrown back whimpering in pain before opening my eyes to find that Sora’s eyes had changed from greyish-blue to the eagle, yellow demon eyes, I had always been so haunted me for the past half year, black markings slowly pouring around his eyes, I had always been so haunted me for the past half year.

 

I scurried away slowly in distress as he forwarded on me, trapping me against the railing of the balcony where he knelt before me with a horrid smirk, ‘Once I let him kill you in the most painful and intimate ways and most importantly, in EVERY way you fear most. I will release myself from his body, heart and mind, and when he see’s what he’s done I’ll split his heart and eliminate him.’

 

He lifted his Keyblade over my heart, and I shut my eyes. Xehanort was right … I was pathetic, but I couldn’t bring myself to killing my brother or anyone else that was special to me just to defeat an enemy that was just trying to get rid of me. 

 

I shut my eyes, readying myself for him to release my heart, when suddenly I felt Sora thrown off of me. 

 

I looked up to find Terra over my body, blocking Sora’s Keyblade away from my heart. Terra was one of the Keyblade Master’s Chosen ones, one that was possessed by Xehanort himself for his foolishness of not being able to accept that the darkness in his heart had grown strong and was uncontrollable. 

 

Sora’s face fell into an evil sneer, ‘Well look what we have here, the misguided youth that couldn’t even fight the darkness from within!’ 

 

Terra smirked as he pushed Sora away from him, ‘I didn’t give in because I wanted to protect my friends and the worlds from your wrath! I will NEVER let you use another one of my friends bodies as your vessel Xehanort, not on my watch!’ 

 

With that he began to duel Sora, ‘ARIA?!’

I looked around to see Riku and Kairi falling to their knees beside me as I shook in slight fear, ‘Xehanort’s taken over Sora’s heart …’

‘We’ll get him back Aria, I promise. Leave it to me and Terra!’ Riku screamed before also joining Terra battle out Sora who smirked at his new component. I crawled closer to Kairi who held me tightly as we watched the three boys clash, the sounds of their battle echoing in the night. 

 

‘What are you going to do once I kill all of them Riku, and surrender their hearts to the darkness?’

‘You’ll never get the chance Xehanort, because I’ll get to you first!’ Before Sora could reply, Terra had plunged his Keyblade into Sora’s back as Sora let out a terrible scream. 

 

Kairi leapt to her feet, running towards Sora as she screamed but I pulled and held her back from getting hurt. Sora tried to lunge at Riku but he had placed a shield around his body so he couldn’t escape Terra’s attack. 

 

I watched in horror as Sora’s body shook violently and uncontrollably as the darkness flooded out from his eyes and mouth, I continued to hold Kairi who sobbed, tears flowing down her cheeks as Riku and Terra summoned the darkness from within Sora. 

 

‘Th-This isn’t the end! I will rise! And yo-you all shall fall!’ And with one final scream, Sora fell forward, Riku catching him in his arms before he could hit the ground. 

 

Kairi pushed me away quickly, skidding across the pavement as she took Sora’s unconscious body into her arms, shakily sobbing his name. 

 

I turned towards the vacant sky, not a single star or cloud in the sky, just an empty sky like a canvas. Terra walked before me as an unexpected wind flew through us, making me stumble slightly as we looked around. 

 

All of a sudden, I felt sudden pain envelope my entire being, as if someone was crushing me from the inside out. I fell to the floor, my body writhing and constricting as I let out whimpers of unbearable pain, my vision becoming blurred yet bulging all at once. 

 

The night fell frightfully silent, Terra falling to his knees beside me as I felt my mouth move of its own accord, speaking in a voice that wasn't my own, ‘You’ve lost you cowards…’

 

Terra’s eyes widened in horror as I let out a scream as the pain built up, the flashing of colours and memories passing my eyes, Riku before me with eyes as black as night when he was possessed, Aqua falling into darkness after giving herself up for Terra, Ventus sleeping on the throne like chair in the Chamber Of Awakening in Castle Oblivion. The voice of Xehanort echoed through my ears, ‘So weak … So vulnerable … So pathetic …’

 

I finally pulled myself out of his torturous ways as I heard Terra’s words soft upon my ears, ‘Aria, listen to me … What ever he’s telling you is not true, don’t let him inside your head. It’s not about who we are … its how we are not!’

 

Feeling the pain rake through my body uncontrollably, I let out another scream of pain, Xehanort’s eagle-like, demon eyes staring right at me, his sneer painted on my eyes.  I finally lay limp, unable to move no more from the pain, twitching constantly. 

 

‘Aria …’

 

I felt tears fall from my eyes painfully as I looked past Terra, hearing footsteps ring faintly through my ears. Kairi who was still holding Sora’s unconscious body close to her was staring at me with bulging red eyes, Riku having tears fall down his cheeks gently as his hands shook constantly. 

 

Hoya, who now stood at the top of the stairs with the rest of the boys, stared down at me with horror and shock, tears forming in his eyes. 

 

I felt a wave of shock pass over me, the past memories of Riku, Sora and Kairi and I running on the sandy beaches of Destiny Islands, our home. The memories of Terra, Aqua and Ventus all duelling against me for practise.

Of spending time with Hoya by the lakes back at the castle in my world. Of my Mother and Father smiling at me as I waved to them from the Battle ship about to set off to the new world that would be my home where I would be Queen. 

 

‘Your the weak one Xehanort, you’ll never know love or friendship, and I feel sorry for you, that you will never feel what it’s like to be surrounded by people who love you.’

 

I saw a flash of Xehanort’s revolted face before feeling the pain build up again, making me writhe in the pain and terror as I screamed. Before long I felt myself flung across the rooftop, hitting the railing with a shriek, feeling something leave my body as I gasped desperately for air. 

 

I heard Xehanort’s voice echo one last time through my ears yet again before I felt myself fall in and out of consciousness, ‘Your a fool, Aria, and you will lose … everything. Your family, your friends, your King, your people, you will lose everything.’