Sora slammed into the wall.

He backed away from it slowly- no, he was clinging to it, trying to recover. His hand- knuckles bleeding and battered, palm moist with sweat and his own blood -ran over the wall as he tried to get his breathing even again from the recent beatdown he received at three pairs of hands. His stomach was sore from taking punches- probably on the verge of vomiting -and he was pretty sure he had a black eye and bloody nose. Already he had withstood hours of this, but he'd felt worse.

He wasn't going to break.

He wasn't going to bre-

Someone grabbed his necklace from behind and began choking him. "So, boy, do you think this is enough?"

Sora scrambled to get air, feeling the chain twisting tighter and tighter, but he glared at Saïx.

He was kicked to the ground soon after, his necklace finally freed. He sat there, a beached fish gasping for air. He threw up a little- the liquid bitter and acidic. Someone tried to get him up by his jacket, but he quickly let the material slide off his thin frame. He needed rest, he needed a chance to recuperate-

Next thing he knew he was hoisted up and slammed against the wall. He should've known they wouldn't let him rest. He made a retaliating punch, but it was easily blocked and replaced with another that sent his vision into a burst of stars. He was dully aware of a split lip and his nose getting worse.

"Where are you all gathering?" even with his vision swimming and hearing echoing, Sora recognized Xemnas's deep voice and lengths of silver hair "You know I'd love to get a chance to... reconcile with your companions."

Of course, that's what they wanted. Where were the Seven Lights gathering? Sora would tell them when Hell froze over "Why... why should I... tell you?"

He barely flinched at the sight of one of Xemnas's ethereal blades. He'd taken a hit from them before- and boy did it sting -but honestly every pain was starting to flow into a continual dull ache now. He grinned- exposing at least one chipped tooth and a fierce dare rather than fear "Hit me with your best shot."

He was tossed into the fray again, but this time blades were brought in. Sora's fists versus three blades. Actually mostly just two- the youngest incarnation of Xehanort grinned manically at him, taunting Sora with the Kingdom Key being held back from him in those greedy little hands. Even worse was when the young man decided to use the Keyblade against its own master. What Sora hated most is that- with Xehanort holding his Keyblade and being able to wield his own -he couldn't summon it. Not until Xehanort dismissed it.

The beatings ceased- Sora swayed a bit, leaning against a wall with blood running down his skin everywhere and his voice loud and wheezing. He glared at them- one eye was puffed up and a sickly purple with a deep cut right beneath "Bastards." He spat out a little blood, making sure it got as close to them as he could get it.

Saïx sighed "I think we should take a different angle to this."

Sora was pinned to the ground, then they grabbed his hand and forced it out. A small fire was started, and Sora stared at it with wonder and horror. They wouldn't-

"So, are you going to tell us, Sora?"

That flame grew scarily close to his hand.

Sora then quietly looked away and closed his eyes, his refusal clear.

He stiffened as his hand began burning. He could feel every little blister forming, every particle of his being screaming- he was pretty sure his glove caught fire. He pulled away as much as he could, biting his lip, the insides of his cheek, anything to make the pain bearable. Still, there was a soft whine that made it past his lips.

Think of Kairi,

think of Riku,

think of Lea,

think of Donald

and Goofy

and His Majesty!

You can't let them down-

Sora felt the flaming glove being pulled off, and he let out a small sigh. Of course, fate must have loved seeing him squirm and scream since he was pulled up onto his knees in a kneeling position by his hair and the fiery scrap of fabric was slapped right across his face.

He screeched for the first time in the whole torture session- although it was very brief. His hands ran to his face and quickly extinguished what they could. He finally used a cure spell, even though he knew it would be a long time before he could use it again.

It fixed the burns- those were top priority since they were terrible wounds in vital places -but otherwise the signs of a fist fight lingered on his skin. He didn't have enough reserve energy to do much more and it would take him a long time to have it up to that level again with how this was going.

Xemnas hoisted him onto his feet, then twisted his arm in a way it wasn't meant to twist "You're so stubborn." Sora was gritting his teeth- yep, that arm was broken now. Sora noted that blade again "Tell us, boy."

"Never-" he suddenly halted. What was that dropping feeling in his stomach? Then pain. It hit him in seconds that he was stabbed straight through, just as blood began pooling in his mouth.

"Tell us, or I won't spare your friends the sight of your mangled corpse."

The image of Kairi screaming and sobbing, Riku staring with wide eyes, Lea with a blank look of horror, Donald and Goofy and King Mickey and yen Sid all thoroughly shocked and grieving at the sight of him like this, dead, was far too vivid for his liking.

There was a sharp twist of the blade lodged in him "Nor will I allow the pain to stop. I'll make sure the last thing you feel is pain, I'll make sure that your last words would be you begging for my mercy."

Sora felt so selfish for wanting the pain to end. Giving away one of the few true sanctuaries for the light to make it all end was horribly self centered. Still, he figured that seeing them one more time before everything went to Hell was a good alternative to death in this manner...

"Yen... Y-Yen..." he could barely manage the words. They refused to leave his tightening throat "Sid's..." he didn't want to finish, and was glad he interrupted himself with a bloody cough. No, he wasn't going to finish- Xemnas pushed the blade in deeper "...T-tower...!" he struggled to end the phrase, starting to cry. Yep, there he was:

A traitor.

He was shoved forward with laughter, and was briefly lost in darkness before he tumbled onto the grass in front of the very location he gave away.

He curled up, starting to take shuddering breaths. No, he was going to die here, plain and simple. He was feeling lightheaded from losing so much blood, and his broken arm wailed in pain. He sobbed a little, moving his operable arm to clutch his stomach to stop the bleeding as best he could. Maybe he could see their faces one more time...

Riku, meanwhile, was staring at the sunset from the top of Yen Sid's Tower. Sora said he'd be back from the Realm of Sleep in a day or two, ready to resume the business of getting Xehanort back under control.

It'd been almost a week.

A familiar set of scents met his nose: blood, and darkness. Both he had smelled one too many times when there was trouble. He looked down, slammed his hands on the windowsill as he leaned in to make sure he wasn't seeing things, then dashed out of the room.

Lea interrupted his training session with Kairi and glanced over, then backed away "Oh jeez!" he began running after "SORA!"

Kairi ran after Lea "What about Sora?!"

Riku was already kneeling next to Sora "Sora, Sora can you hear me?!"

Sora nodded. Riku tried moving him, but Sora- he didn't make it obvious he was hurt, stifling every sign of agony he could give -was too pained for Riku to want to even try. Lea arrived "Good grief, what happened kid?!" Sora didn't respond, noticing Kairi fainting against the doorway. He gasped when Riku gently pulled out his broken arm "We're gonna need to fix this up quickly..." he muttered some more, then stormed back in, yelling angrily for Yen Sid.

"Yen Sid! YEN SID! YEN SID GOD DAMMIT WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU?!"

Sora was pretty sure he just sounded mad because he was worried.

Lea grabbed the hand around his stomach "Hey, hold on kiddo, hold on." He felt himself melting apart when Sora gave him a pained look of reply. It was too easy to superimpose Roxas onto him. Just as hurt, just as pitiful.

Axel... he's hurt... really hurt... he could imagine his old comrade saying.

Sora whispered something, snapping Lea away from the thought of Roxas "Hmm?"

"Run..." he coughed "Run... I... Told them..."

"What do ya mean-" Lea barely got the words out before everyone else arrived. Sora started breaking down even more "Run...! Get away!" He suddenly started convulsing with coughs, unable to clarify.

Riku gave Lea a questioning look as Donald, King Mickey, and Yen Sid began healing Sora. He shrugged "He mentioned telling someone something..."

Sora saw Kairi standing behind everyone, looking more worried and frightened than he ever wanted to see her. He raised his hand a little "Kai..."

"Sora, stop moving." Donald snapped.

Sora then lowered his hand and stared at the sky. His tears resumed as he croaked out "I told... Xe...hanort..."

Everyone's heads snapped up to look at each other in horror.

Yen Sid looked to Riku, and he nodded and stood "Alright, we need to get outta here. We can't take care of Sora when an attack is imminent. Let's not panic, hold on while me and yen Sid go through with our evacuation plan." he ran inside.

Kairi took Riku's place "Sora, what happened?"

He wasn't paying attention, just softly murmuring apologies and calling himself a traitor. Kairi got closer to him and cupped his cheek "Hey, you aren't-"

She stopped herself when there was a piercing whistle. Kairi turned to see Riku lowering a rather celestial looking whistle and staring intently out into the sunset. After a moment, he said "Okay, guys, do you think we could get him on the train?" The sweet little train that had carried Sora to this place for his second adventure pulled in, and Lea scooped Sora up into his arms- Sora's condition deteriorated slightly at the sudden disconnect from the healing magic "I think the kiddo can last a quick train ride."

Sora groaned softly in Lea's arms "A-Axel... it hurts..."

Lea walked onto the train, whispering "Hey now, we're gonna take a quick train ride and then we'll work on that. Don't fall asleep, okay?" As he sat down, he noted that Sora was grabbing at his jacket with a fist so tight his hand was paler than the rest of his bleached skin. Lea then continued "Hey, you know what, let's play a game. We'll count, and see how long it takes us to get there, how about that?"

Sora nodded.

Lea stared out the window- he didn't want to see Sora's pain filled gaze anymore "Okay then: one."

"... one." Sora repeated.

"Two."

"T...two."

"Three."

"..."

"Sora I said stay awake."

"Th...ree."

And the ride continued in silence except for Lea and Sora's soft counting. Sora broke down around 77, lamenting about what he did. The worst part was how no one could find the heart to console him, only sitting there while the bitterly haunting cries of self-blame dug into their skin like thorn rope.

...

"So this is where you hung out with Roxas." Kairi mused as Lea showed her and Riku the clock tower of Twilight Town. Lea rolled his shoulder "Yeah, a lot of people 'round here think the place is haunted so there's not much traffic."

There was silence. All their minds were focused on how Sora was (hopefully) recovering back at the abandoned mansion, and that no one found them.

Lea pulled out some sea salt ice creams "Here."

They sat there, eating ice cream and worrying.

Kairi broke down completely, needing Riku to scoot over and console her (perhaps himself as well) but the entire time Lea stared at the sunset, away from the two of them.

"Why is it..." he muttered "that I'm always losing things?"

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