A/N: So, I'm churning out KH galore at the minute. Three one-shots, a partially completed story being posted, and another story (which is unrelated) being written. I dunno why it suddenly grabbed my attention...Maybe I'm playing KH:DDD too much or something.

Anyway, this one could have been a story in it's own right if I'd had any ideas for it. However, I'm not particularly good when it comes to music, let along classical or rock specifically (I can't even read a music sheet or play any instrument apart from drums), so I decided to stick with it being a one-shot.

Most characters get a mention (except, like, most of the Organisation and Ventus), but not everyone shows up. Take Xion, for example; pretty big role, absolutely no speech. Like I said, it was originally gonna be an entire story before I decided against it.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is the property of Square Enix and Disney. Obviously I write too much Tales of stuff, because I was going to say it belonged to Namco Bandai -_-'

"You've got to be kidding me."

Sora turned pleading blue eyes to his younger twin, though with how they acted you'd assume he was the older. "Please, Roxy. For me?"

Roxas gave a growl. "How about fuck you."

His mother, unfortunately, heard him, and turned to him. "Roxas, stop behaving like a child. This is your brother's career we're talking about."

"Well whoopdee-fucking-doo. He's gonna became a brilliant pianist? Not like we haven't had a million of those before." He turned his glare on her. "What about me? You're always going 'Sora this, Sora that', but we plan on going big as well!"

"Your project is nothing but a garage band. The only reason I let you stay with those...people, is because I thought you'd eventually see my reasoning and quit that stupid band."

Roxas' eyes narrowed, hatred slipping in with his anger. "Unfortunately for you, I don't plan on being the good little boy who just does what mummy wants."

Sora looked hesitant, glancing between the two of them, then gently touched his mother's arm. "Mother, it's okay. I might be able to get someone else to take Riku's place, and if I can't, I can always do it again next year," he said.

"No. You don't need to hold yourself back, Sora. I have no doubt you will quickly become famous," she replied, giving a smile that was still cold.

"...Of course, Mother."

"See, this is what I mean! You just roll over and let her do what she wants, even though she doesn't give a shit about what you want!" snapped Roxas.

"Mind your tongue, or I'll ground you," she snarled, before turning and stalking off. The two boys watched her go, Roxas still seething as Sora allowed his childish act to drop. He glanced at Roxas, hesitating before sighing.

"I would like to play with you, though," he added before heading back upstairs.

Roxas watched him go in disbelief. Oh, so he was playing the sympathy card now? The 'if I sound like I mean it you'll do it' act? No way was he sticking around with these losers. He went to the door, grabbing his hoodie and slipping it on before heading out the house and slamming the door shut behind him, quickly breaking into a sprint as he headed towards Lea's place.

It didn't take him long to get there. Lea may not know he was coming, but that didn't mean he wouldn't appreciate the visit. Though his mother didn't know it yet, he and the firey red-head were actually dating; despite his arguments with her, he was a little afraid about how she'd react, and that she would force him to quit the band if she knew. Sora, being Sora, had figured it out pretty quickly but never told her. His father, being his father, didn't give a shit.

He knocked on the door, waiting a minute and absently glancing down the road. He found it odd how people did that; tried to look inconspicious while waiting outside a door so that they didn't seem suspicious. It was pointless, and no one cared anyway.

The door soon opened, and he turned back just as he was crushed in a hug. Roxas laughed, hugging him back. "Miss me much?" he noted.

"Dude, I haven't seen you for four days! Where've you been?" Lea asked, pulling back and giving him a quick kiss before looking him over.

"Sorry. Dad's been getting at me about schoolwork, and wouldn't let me out the house until I completed some stuff for him."

"Sounds like a drag. Why don't you enter my magnificent palace and rid yourself of the worldly troubles?" he suggested, stepping aside to let Roxas in.

Lea shared a two-bedroom apartment with his old-time friend, Isa. The two were childhood buddies, as Lea described them, and were rarely apart. So far as Roxas was concerned, Isa was one of the most laid-back, down to earth guys he knew; Lea had had a lot of weird rumours surrounding him through his life, but Isa'd stuck by him through it all. He didn't judge until he knew the person he was judging, and so far he and Roxas were pretty cool.

"So, what happened? You usually text when you're visiting," Lea commented as Roxas sat down and he went to grab them both a beer.

"My mum happened. You know my brother is in a weird duet thingy with his friend, right?"

"Yeah, the piano-violin thing, right?"

"Right. Well, Riku broke his wrist. A week before the examination for their next grade."

Lea whistled. "Tough break. Lemme guess; he turned to you?"

"Obviously. He asked me to help, tried to puppy dog eyes and everything, but I turned him down. We've got our own gig coming up, so it's not like I could just drop that to help him. Anyway, Mum got involved and tried to force me."

"It didn't work?" asked Lea, returning and throwing one of the cans to him before leaping onto the sofa beside him.

"Nah, Sora stepped in. Said he might be able to find someone else. Still, she's such a prick. Everything is always Sora, and nothing I do can ever live up to that. Seriously," Roxas grunted, popping the tag and taking a gulp.

"Mmm. Well, that's all out of the way now. Your brother will move on, your mother will stop being as much of a cunt, and we'll become the biggest, baddest band ever seen. Then we'll watch the jaws drop," Lea said with a smug satisfaction.

Roxas snorted, then leaned against him, sighing. "I think I'll be a bit too tired tonight," he commented quietly.

Lea shrugged. "That's fine. You wanna watch a movie instead?"

"So long as it's not another romcom, you big sap."

"Oh come on, my movies aren't that bad."

Roxas glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. "You made me watch Dirty Dancing just last week."

"It's a good film!"

"And Sliding Doors the week before."

"That one had an interesting concept, admit it."

Roxas shook his head. "Just tell me."

Lea smirked. "Now You See Me."

Roxas blinked, then looked up. "Wait, you have it?"

"Yup. I have your attention now, don't I?"

"Hell yeah. Put it on," he ordered.

He was walking down a street, the buildings cracked and streets almost caked in litter. It was practically empty, apart from the few zombie-like people wandering around. Without really thinking, he turned, heading to a specific door and entering.

He started down the spiral stairs, eventually losing count with how many there were. He thought he'd get dizzy, but he didn't.

He finally reached the bottom and walked forward, reaching out to the door. It was much grander than anything else, a velvet red, yet he didn't hesitate as he pushed it open and entered the room.

As he passed through the door, his ragged and dirty clothes quickly became a lavish tux, though he barely noticed. The room was impeccable, spotless, the walls the same lavish red and the floor seemingly made from marble. Various round tables were set in the room, and people dressed in fancy clothes sat around them, eyes fixed on the stage.

There was a piano there, a sleek black grand piano which was softly drilling out a tune. His gaze was fixed on the person there, a person he recognised too well, with his spiky brown hair being the only thing differentiating them.

Sora looked up, never pausing in his playing, and met eyes with him. They had the same eyes; a blue as the sky, many people had said. That was what Sora's name meant.

He was the leftover.

Yet even then he didn't feel anything, simply walked up to the stage, gaze never leaving his twin's eyes. As he stepped up, he lifted his hands, a violin almost instantly appearing in his hands. Without pause, he lifted the bow, beginning to play.

The two matched tunes perfectly. They were so in sync, it was almost scary. The music they produced was eerie, soft yet determined, quiet yet demanding. They never looked away from each other, yet still drummed out that tune in perfect harmony.

Almost like a robot.

It was so robotic, each day. That was why Roxas had lashed out against them. He wanted to change.

Couldn't his music do that for him?

Roxas blinked his eyes open, suddenly realising something. Oh. That was what Sora meant.

He wanted to play together.

The dream was fast fading, and Roxas groggily reached for the notebook he kept beside him each night, switching on the lamp and quickly starting to write the dream down. It was something of a habit, which he'd started doing when he was small. Sometimes he could get inspiration from the words in his dreams, and sometimes music came from the dreams too. This one just made that longing and regret inside him niggle a little harder.

Sighing, he went for his phone, figuring Xion was probably already awake. That girl never slept. He carefully switched it on, trying not to wake Lea; then again, he was such a heavy sleeper, a bomb probably couldn't wake him.

He sat back, sending her a quick greeting text in case she wasn't actually awake. Two seconds later he had his reply, however, and confirmation that it was alright for a chat.

I don't know whether to help Sora or not - Roxas

do it! i wanna c u play th violin! - Xion

You've seen me plenty of times before - Roxas

yh but nvr wif sora u say hes gd wif th piano so u 2 wuld b gd togefr rite? - Xion

I guess... - Roxas

u wuldnt b txtin me if u ddnt want 2 do it anyways so u shuld just do it - Xion

Maybe I'm just battling with my conscience? - Roxas

nah ur heartlss u dnt hav a conciuns lol - Xion

I just don't want to give my mum the satisfaction - Roxas

luk just do it then fk it up. thats wat u do rite? - Xion

I can't just mess it up, it's his exam - Roxas

u said he dosnt want 2 pass rite? - Xion

I said he might not want to at the minute - Roxas

cmon roxy do it. u wanna do it so just do it. pretend ur bein a gd boy or sumfin - Xion

Roxas sighed. She was exactly giving a compelling argument, but she was right; he did want to do it.

Fine. I'll tell you what's happening later. Might be able to get you and Lea some tickets too - Roxas

awesum! ttyl babe x - Xion

That about summed up their relationship.

Sora was up early, as normal. He silently ate his breakfast, glancing at the empty seat Roxas usually sat at. Sighing, he lowered his spoon, placing his hand on his cheek.

He hated arguing with Roxas. Frankly, he didn't know how it had started; one day Roxas was happily playing violin with him, the next he had quit, made a band with a couple of friends, and was happily rocking away on guitar. Not that Sora minded - he was happy with whatever Roxas decided to do. He just wished he would still play with Sora occasionally.

Sora almost wanted to be angry at Riku for breaking his wrist. Just another week, and he would have been free from his mother. He could have rented an apartment with Kairi, had his own maturity and life away from her suffocating closeness. But frankly, he didn't want to pass without Riku; that would mean another year for Riku to learn, and no longer being the duet they'd planned.

The kitchen door opened and Sora hurriedly picked up his spoon, glancing up before looking surprised as he saw Roxas. "What are you doing here? I thought I wouldn't see you until college at least."

Roxas shrugged, glancing away awkwardly. "Look, I talked with my friends, and..." He sighed, fidgeting. This shouldn't be so hard. "I'll play with you," he blurted out finally.

Sora froze almost unnoticeably, then slowly uncoiled, a bright grin working it's way onto his face. "Seriously?" he asked, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Seriously. But only this time," Roxas added.

"That's great! It's going to be so good to play together again!" Sora laughed, leaping up and hugging him. Roxas rolled his eyes, giving him a pat on the back in return.

"But I want tickets for my friends, okay?"

"That's fine. I'll talk to the teacher," Sora replied, grinning widely before giving another happy laugh and cheering.

Roxas sighed. His brother was ridiculous.

Riku stared as he entered the room.

Roxas was happily playing away on the violin - no, he reminded himself, it was Roxas' own violin. Something he'd had for years and knew better than anything else. It shouldn't have been so surprising to see him already at ease when he hadn't touched it for a little while.

Sora had given him the sheet music, pointed out a couple of little jumps, played the tune so that Roxas was familiar with it then left him to it, practicing his own little bits. Not that he had anything to practice. Frankly, the two of them were geniuses.

Roxas had played through the song once to get a feel, then discarded the music before playing, eyes closed as he got used to the song. After a while, the two of them automatically began to synchronise, their tunes intermingling.

There was a knock at the door, and Riku glanced up before rolling his eyes as he recognised the red-head. Although everyone knew his real name was Lea, he demanded everyone call him Axel. So far as Riku knew, only Roxas and Xion were allowed to call him his actual name.

(He'd said something about wanting an X in his name like his two friends, which was why he made the anagram. Frankly, Riku didn't really care why he did it.)

He stood up, opening the door and letting Axel in. The red-head leaned against the wall, listening a minute with a vague smirk. Eventually the two of them came to a halt, glancing up and seeming surprised to see the two boys there.

"Where's Xion?" asked Roxas.

"Said she didn't want to ruin it for herself yet. She's practicing in a different room," Axel replied.

Roxas looked pained. "Did I miss a session? Sorry, I know we're so close-"

"Don't sweat it. I think this sort of sound suits you better anyway," Axel replied with a grin.

Roxas rolled his eyes, then glanced back as Sora tapped his shoulder. "If you need to practice with your friends, that's fine," he said.

Roxas shook his head. "No, we're okay. Ours is a week after yours, so we'll have a little extra time to practice anyway."

Sora nodded, smiling, then returned to his piano playing. Almost immediately he was lost to the world, in his own mind where no one else seemed able to enter.

Except from Roxas, it seemed, who almost automatically lifted the violin again and joined in the song part way through, easily keeping up with his older twin. They were so completely out of it, the other two boys decided to just leave them to it.

So far, the twins hadn't actually told their parents Roxas had decided to play with Sora. Sora had told them he'd found somebody to substitute Riku, and they were happy enough to leave it at that. Roxas pretty much avoided his mother, mostly staying around Lea's or hanging out with him and Xion during the day.

As it drew closer to the day, Roxas headed back to his house, grabbing the tux his mother insisted he have and stuffing it in a bag before going back to Lea's. He didn't stay long enough to see his mother, and only said a brief greeting to Sora as he passed him on the stairs, to which the brunet replied with a wide grin.

That evening, Roxas paced behind the curtain, waiting for him and Sora to be called on. They were pretty early into the examination, meaning that Roxas could hopefully avoid his parents before they could grill him or try and convince him to actually take up the violin again. As each pair was doing the same few songs, and the audience was mostly made up of parents, friends, and other family members, it meant that once their own relatives had been up they would probably leave.

Roxas almost wished they were later on so that he didn't have to perform to such a big group, but he knew the more people there were, the harder it would be for his parents to wriggle their way out.

At the moment, they just thought Roxas was being extremely rude by not even coming to the examination. He would most definitely have been faced with a stern-talking to, possibly forced to quit his band, and grounded if he wasn't actually the violinist.

It was confirmed he wouldn't be anyway, but hopefully he could avoid it now.

Lea and Xion were sitting in a different part of the audience, Xion dressed in a beautiful black gown which illuminated her pale skin and bright eyes, while Lea - to Roxas' insistence - wore a plain smart shirt and his work trousers. He'd wanted to be fancy, as was his usual attire, but Roxas had begged him not to in case his parents noticed and caught on. Riku was sitting with Kairi and his own parents, having wanted to cheer Sora on.

Someone tapped him from behind and he jumped, turning. Sora gave a grin, noticing his frenzied expression.

"C'mon, it'll be fine. You know this off by heart already. Just pretend we're back in the practice room."

"Sora, I haven't even performed publicly with my own band yet. We've never played to an audience together."

"So? This'll be good experience." Roxas gave a sigh, and Sora allowed his goofy grin to drop a moment, gently squeezing his shoulder. "Roxas, you don't have to stay here. We won't stay here, not when we get going."

To anyone else, the sentence may have sounded odd. As if they were quitting. To Roxas, it had a different meaning.

They could go to that part of their minds the music led them to.

Giving a slow breath, he nodded, trying to relax. Sora gave him a quick smile, then stepped up to the edge of the stage. "We'll be up after these guys," he murmured, watching the pair.

They were a man and a woman, the woman on violin and man on piano. She seemed almost regal, her slim fingers gently brushing across the strings as her other hand gracefully slipped back and forth. The man was concentrating hard on the notes, and despite his great size and unease with the piano, he played it well.

"He should try drums or something. He's not built for a piano," Roxas murmured.

"I believe they're just trying it out. They're a couple, and she didn't have a partner, so he offered. He's been practising hard for months now," Sora explained, though it was clear from his tone he agreed with Roxas.

"You know them?"

"Of them. They're in the class above us. Terra and Aqua, I believe."

Roxas snorted, glancing at the blunette. "I can see why she's called that."

Sora glanced at him, smiling, then turned back as they drew to a close. The man stood up, the two of them bowing before walking off stage.

"Sora Hikari," the examiner called. As Roxas was a step-in, he wasn't actually being marked for this performance, meaning they would focus solely on Sora.

Sora breathed in a moment then stepped out, crossing over to the centre stage and bowing to them briefly. Then he sat down at the piano, indicating he was ready to begin.

"May Riku Utada's step-in please come out and begin," the examiner called.

Here it was. Do or die time.

Roxas lifted the violin, tucking it beneath his chin before stepping out. He thought he heard a loud gasp and glanced towards the front where his parents sat, staring at him. He glanced towards the corner back, seeing Lea and Xion giving him wide grins and thumbs up, before his eyes flicked to Sora.

Sora nodded then turned back, starting to play.

Roxas was quick to join him, stumbling over the first few notes as he started to play along. Internally he cursed; he knew he might mess up, but it still struck his pride a little. Even if he wasn't being marked.

The song was out of a choice of five, where each pair had to learn one three minute song then repeat it three times. This was to allow for the nerves at the beginning to fade a little and allow for smoother playing and a more accurate mark. The beginning was taken into account, but the marks were really picked up towards the end, where your stamina and skill were tested.

Roxas found he just couldn't relax or get a grip on the song. He was painfully aware of all the eyes watching him, judging him, of the almost accusatory gazes of his parents. He felt like he was being stripped down to nothing, becoming an object in their eyes.

He missed another note and cursed in his head. How could he be so bad? A week was long enough for him, he shouldn't be so uncomfortable with this song. He knew it. It was his song.

He blinked. No...It wasn't his yet. It was still just 'a song'. To be his, he'd have to change it. But that would affect Sora's mark; if the other person of the pair - even not being marked - couldn't play along, then it was seen as a bad piece and both of them would be marked down. Roxas had to play correctly for Sora's sake.

They shakily got through the first cycle, easily beginning again. Sora had long since flowed into the song, but Roxas was still jerky. He didn't get how Sora was so calm, and why he was such a mess. He couldn't have stage-fright, could he?

If this was how he was gonna get next week, he was screwed.

Sora opened his eyes, glancing over at Roxas. The blond was shaking slightly, and he was obviously focusing on the music too much. The occasional jumps didn't put Sora off, but they made him frown; Roxas should long since have gotten used to it.

Suddenly he realised. When they played, they almost seemed to...to fade away. Go to a completely different place. They just let the music flow over them as their body went on automatic. A lot of people called them geniuses, but it was more that they just heard the music down to their very core.

But Roxas wasn't there yet. He couldn't play this song because it wasn't his. He was creative, individual. That was the reason he'd made a band; to express himself. Making him play like this was like putting him in the most uncomfortable situation he could think of and laughing about it when he complained.

Well, he supposed it was about time.

Roxas' eyes flicked up as he heard a jump from Sora. That wasn't in the song...and he was too good to 'accidentally' put it there. It happened again, and he saw the judges frowning, scribbling.

What was the idiot doing? Didn't he want to do his best?!

Then it faded. Whatever happened to the song, he didn't know, but it was only the bare basics of it left. Suddenly it was Sora's, suddenly it was a burst of colour and sounds that left you almost feeling the ocean around you. Sora may mean sky, but he was most definitely the sea.

Roxas let a slow smile spread across his face. He saw the confusion on Riku's face, the surprise on his friends', the horror on his parents'. Everyone was confused; the judges simply watched him with interested gazes and raised eyebrows. They'd stopped scribbling, though probably because Sora had basically opted out by stopping playing the song.

With a shake of his head, he let go. If Sora didn't care, he didn't either. The bow in his hand almost seemed to come to life as he slipped into Sora's song, adding his own part. Suddenly, the ocean was howling, rising, roaring as it rushed over everyone. The wind was whipping around them, lightning crashing in the sky.

They were gone.

Their eyes were half-closed, heads raised slightly as they continued to play, barely noticing. The music was intoxicating, and it slowly drew them all in, allowing them to experience the world only they could enter. A beach. A smile. A happy laugh. A splash of water as the waves lapped up against their feet.

A storm. Lightning. People crying. People grabbing their hands. Suddenly they were running, rushing, racing against the winds and the sea. They were looking back, shouting, crying. And the wind was howling with them.

Their gazes were angry now, barely withstrained as the music continued. They were playing faster and faster, the music twisting and turning and becoming completely their own.

A room. Empty. Cold. Alone. Together. Happy, but sad. Lonely. The sky was beautiful beyond the window, but they couldn't reach it. They reached up, tried to lift ech other, but it was forever out of reach.

The sky...they wanted the reach the sky!

The music suddenly cut off as the two boys stilled. Their bodies were rigid, gazing at something no one else could see. The crowd hesitated, silent, wondering what was going to happen, if anything would happen.

They were both panting, the anger and hatred surging through their veins heavy. They'd dived too deep, they both knew that, but they were loathe to let it go when they felt like this. The song needed a conclusion.

They had two minutes.

Without prompt, Roxas started to play again. The tune was much more gentle, and slowly the world faded with it. There was colour, and happiness. He was with them, the people who mattered. A deep joy slipped through the music, and a love with it. Sora was quiet for another moment before continuing as well, his softness mixing with his twin's. He had that love as well, that happiness. That gentleness towards the people who mattered most. But that love avoided those who should have loved them, slipped round them and seemed almost icy to the touch. Sora wasn't free yet, not completely, and his music showed that.

One minute.

The music began to change, becoming more gentle yet brighter. It almost seemed to curl around them as slowly they allowed the bonds between them that had grown close to shattering to be mended. They reforged the indescribable love between them, different from how they loved their own, but so much closer, too.

Time up.

They grew to a close, Sora's hands lifting from the keys as Roxas let the hand holding the bow drop to his side. They lifted their gazes to the audience, the entire auditorium silent as they stared at the two boys. Slowly Sora stood, joining Roxas' side. They gave a slight bow then turned to the curtain.

"Boys," a voice called, and they glanced back, meeting the gazes of the judges. For a moment they were all silent, all seeming to silently evaluate them.

"A lovely piece, but save it for when you have a better audience," one of them commented with a smile.

The boy blinked, then nodded, heading out. They barely paused as Roxas quickly put his violin back in his case, passing by the other examinees without a word.

"Why'd you do that?" asked Roxas later, as the two of them sat in the mostly empty park watching a few children playing on the slides.

"Do what?" asked Sora, glancing at him.

"That whole...possession thing. You basically got rid of the song."

Sora shrugged. "I didn't want to pass without Riku, you knew that."

"Yeah, but you could have just opted not to graduate or something," Roxas pointed out.

Sora sighed. "Look...Things have been really bad between us lately. And I understand why, but I didn't want it to be like that. I knew it'd be better if we could play together again, but you kept refusing to play with me. This...this was pretty much our last chance."

Roxas looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Roxas, I'm not dumb. You're gonna pass next week, and then you guys will move on. And when me and Riku pass, we're all going to move somewhere else too. We probably wouldn't ever see each other again if we left how we were," Sora replied quietly.

Roxas opened his mouth to retort, then slowly closed it, realising he was probably right. Finally, he lowered his gaze. "...I'm sorry. I wasn't mad at you specifically, I just...I hate them."

"I know. I do too."

"Then why do you always do what they say? You could fight back!"

Sora shook his head. "I'm just waiting for the best time. I hope...I just kinda hope they'll know what they missed when we're gone."

Roxas nodded, then sighed, pushing himself up. "Well, I better get back," he said, picking up the case at his side before starting off. He paused, then looked back, smiling. "And hey, we should play again some time. Or you could join in with my group," he teased.

Sora grinned, nodding. "Sure! I'm sure it'd be fun," he replied with a laugh. He quickly pushed himself up, giving Roxas a tight hug before stepping back. "I'll see you soon," he promised.

"Right. You should meet Isa. You'd probably drive him up the wall."

"I'm not that annoying. Say hi to Xion and Axel for me."

"You could just call him Lea. He should really get over his silly ego," Roxas said. Sora laughed before waving and turning, heading back towards their place. Roxas watched him go a moment before starting towards Lea's apartment, giving a small smile.

At least things were sorted now.

A/N: Frankly, this was mostly a stress reliever for me, but I'd figure I'd share.

I did have a back-story planned out for them, but I can't remember exactly what it was. Something like their parents realised they were really good at their instruments when they were young so forced them to learn instead of letting them play with other kids, probably.

Anyway, I hope this was okay, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Review? And thanks for reading!