One day Sora finds out he doesn't just have one heart but two. The "real" Sora died at the age of four and the combined heart of the amnesiac Ventus and Vanitas have been taking his place since then. If only they could actually remember.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ARE EVENTS THAT DO NOT TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE CANON OF THIS STORY.

1. Ventus does not meet with Riku at the end of Dream Drop Distance within Sora's heart, nor does he smile in his Chamber at the end of Sora's side. As well, when all of Sora's friends pop up in "...and I'm theirs" spiel, Ventus does not appear.

2. Even though Ventus and Vanitas do have a battle on their Station of Awakening, the conclusion of the battle is different than what happened in the games. (That much is pretty obvious.)

3. Haven't decided whether or not the cathedral Vanitas thing happened in DDD but assume it didn't.

Just keep these in mind, so that when plot happens you don't think "hey but what about that time".

Will I ever make a title without numbers? Will it ever not be about Fusion? Who knows! Anyways, this is about my other (friend)ship, Vanitas and Ventus, but I don't think it'll turn (basically) romantic like Two Hearts Become One did. Whoops. There is an ACTUAL romantic ship in this fic, not one I ship or will ever ship, but it's anybody's guess who the two characters are. As well, if the interpretations of Olette, Hayner and Pence seem weird, it's because they're pulled from the manga version, where I felt they had more character, such as Olette's jumpy and delicate fear, and Pence's passion.

There once was a boy whose heart was as kind as it was feeble. Even as he was dying in the hospital surrounded by those he loved, his kindness still grew stronger yet. His mother held his hand tight and was shaking from the tears that were spilling out of her eyes. She kept whimpering false hopes, pouring loving words into the ear of her son.

"You're going to survive this." She said. It was a prayer.

The little boy smiled at her. He knew he wasn't, as much as he wish he could. His heart was just too weak physically. He wanted to help her, help someone, anyone...

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, only to feel a tear drip down his cheek. When he opened his eyes, everything around him was frozen in time, his surroundings fading away to blackness. He stood on a small pillar, tiny feet making little noise as he floated down and made contact with the glass.

"Hey! Can anybody hear me?" He called out. He could feel something, no, someone coming.

"Your voice. It cut through the darkness around me. I followed it here, to you." The voice came from a little star that came down from the sky and floated in his palm.

"I… I don't remember anything. I have nothing to return to." The voice continued. "It's nice to finally see someone else."

The little boy couldn't really call this a voice, per se, due to how weird it sounded. The voice was speaking english, and was definitely male in origin; though it still sounded like two voices lapping over each other, and yet speaking perfectly in sync. Never had he heard someone speak in such an odd fashion. Wouldn't two stars mean two people?

"Then I'm glad we had this time together, even if it was short." The little boy said with a smile.

The voice was confused.

"Short?" The twinkling star asked.

"Yeah," the little boy replied "currently, I'm dying. I've got a sickness that's killing me as we speak. I don't have long."

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to help you." The voice said, empathetic.

"I've got an idea. Why don't you have my memories instead?" The little boy said, suddenly brightening up.

"What?! I can't just- look, those memories are yours, and yours alone. I know your family would miss you." The voice said, unsure about the idea.

"I don't want my family to be sad by my death. But if I survived, you could have a life again, and everyone would be happy." The little boy said, smiling.

"Doesn't your happiness matter, too?" The voice asked. Someone messed with his own fate (fates?) and he didn't want to do the same to another.

"Doing this would make me happy. I can't make Riku and my parents sad. It's what my mommy said is a 'dying wish'. I don't want to have my life end without doing anything, so I'm giving it to you. Please?" The little boy said.

The voice was quiet for a moment in thought.

"Before you go, can I at least hear your name?" The voice asked.

"It's Sora." The little boy said, cocking his head to side with one last smile.

"Thank you, Sora." The voice managed to say before everything faded to white.

"Sora! SORA!" The mother shook her child, gasping through her tears. He was too young to die. Not like this. Not now.

"Mommy?" Sora said weakly, stirring from his sleep. "What's wrong?"

"Sora, I thought you were gone!" She exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. She hugged her child tightly, as if when she'd let go, he'd fall apart.

"Hmph!" Sora let out, being uncomfortably squeezed.

"His vitals are getting better." The doctor said, reading the various machines that were attached to the little brunet. "Heart rate is stronger, too. This is unheard of, especially after your son's condition being so horrible. We'll have to do a few tests: it looks like Sora's recovering."

"Are you sure?" Sora's father said, glancing from his son to the doctor.

"Can't... breathe…" Sora managed to let out. His mom pulled away, opting to kiss his forehead and hold his hand. She couldn't stop smiling, knowing her son was alive.

Two young boys fought with toy swords on a beach, the waves of the water caressing the sand.

"C'mon Sora!" Riku said. Him and Sora were dueling again, and he was gaining the upper hand over the brunet.

"Argh!" Sora huffed, trying his hardest. It was no use. He was overtaken and he fell to the ground, play sword knocked out of his hand.

"Nice match, Sora." Riku said, catching his breath. He was smiling, while the latter was not.

"Weak…" Sora mumbled.

"What?" Riku asked, walking closer to look down on Sora.

"I'm so weak! I haven't beaten you once! It's pathetic." Sora said, narrowing his eyes and curling up in a ball in the sand. His chest was aching from all the effort he'd put into the duel, unable to feel the release that was victory. Riku sighed, getting down on his knees to be closer to his friend.

"So-ra! You can't keep beating yourself up about this." Riku said. The first few duels were fun, especially since he kept winning. Afterwards, the two would laugh and joke around before another round. Only now, Riku could slowly see this building up in Sora.

Sora whimpered in response, tears welling up in his eyes.

Riku grabbed a random twig washed up on the shore and began poking his friend with the stick. After a while, Sora turned over to face Riku, tears all over his face.

"Riku, stoooop!" Sora whined.

"Only when you stop being a cry baby. It wouldn't be fair to not give it my all, would it?" Riku said, momentarily stopping.

Sora sniffed, trying to keep the sand out of his eyes.

"N-no." He stuttered, sitting up on his knees and wiping his cheek with his fist.

"I give it my best, because I know you deserve the best, Sora. That's why you're my best friend. I wouldn't give it to you if I knew you couldn't handle it." Riku said, eyes softening with a smile.

"Oh shut up, Riku!" Sora laughed, giving Riku a playful shove. "And you say I'm the sap!" His mommy told him to keep his hands to himself when playing with others, and for the most part, he did. Riku, was an exception. He'd never hurt Riku on purpose, anyways. They were friends.

"I know I'm not strong, well not as strong as you." Sora said, quieting for a moment. "I'd like to be."

"I'm only one year older, Sora. I bet you could catch up in a breeze." Riku chuckled, standing up and offering a hand to Sora. Sora looked at Riku's smiling face and then at his outstretched arm. Sora smiled, taking it and being pulled to his feet.

Riku was strong, dependable. Sora couldn't help but be reminded of someone else when looking at his silver haired friend. He couldn't quite place the person he was compared to. Someone important.

It hurt to think about it for too long.

"We'll get stronger, you'll see." Riku said.

There were many things that could wash up on the shores of Destiny Island. Some seaweed, some shells and fish, as well as lost trinkets brought in by the tide. But, Sora never thought that he'd find her.

It was just a normal day on the beach, Riku and Sora happily walking along on the nice almost white sand. Sora spotted the oddity first: a large swamp of the most poignant red Sora had ever seen.

"Ooh! Riku, look!" Sora exclaimed, eagerly pointing to it.

"C'mon!" Riku said, urging Sora to follow. The two boys raced down towards it, the image becoming more clear the closer they got. Their eyes widened and Sora gasped.

It wasn't just another flower.

It was a girl.

Quickly, the pair attempted to drag her wet body away from the lapping waves and untangle her from the seaweed. Once she was safe, Sora brushed the damp hair out of her face, giving a sigh of relief when he saw her breathing.

"I'm faster than you. I'll go get help!" Riku exclaimed frantically.

"What am I going to do?" Sora asked, equally panicked.

"Just stay incase she wakes up." Riku concluded. Sora nodded and saw his friend run off, trying to get some form of assistance.

Sora looked from where Riku was to the girl lying in the sand. She looked around his age, if he was guessing correctly. Something made her strange and utterly captivating to him, her red hair dazzling and foreign. He was curious about this strange child: every kid was told to never go down to the beach alone, it was forbidden. Where was this girl from, if not from these very islands? Most of all, Sora wanted to befriend her.

"Nnn…" The young girl stirred from her slumber, surprising Sora.

"Hey, I'm Sora, are you okay?" Sora questioned, concerned.

"So...ra…" The girl pronounced, attempting to get up. Unsurprisingly, her arms gave and she ended up falling back into the sand again.

"Don't worry, Riku's getting help. What's your name?" Sora asked.

"K… Kairi…" the red head said slowly. Her violet eyes were like purple pearls, her eyelids the clam shells that hid their beauty from the world.

"Well, Kai, you'll be better in no time, here," Sora proclaimed as he stood up. Her dull eyes looked up at him, squinting at the sun shining behind his figure. He outstretched his hand, smiling.

"C'mon, take my hand!"

Naminé looked through Sora's memories quietly. She was alone today, both Díz and Riku out.

Over the past few days, she'd stumbled into a problem; a problem she didn't think she could've ever foreseen. Sora's memories were certainly being smoothed out, and that wasn't the current problem. She had found a tiny little faded thread, leading her to a hidden pit of fractured memories. They were so incredibly vague and broken, nothing like she'd seen before. They belonged to Sora, but at the same time, they were not.

Naminé knew how many people trusted Sora, gave him their hope and hurt; him having to carry it all with a smile. Maybe, it was possible their dreams and wishes had reached so far, they were able to impact the brunet's heart directly.

It didn't seem like these distant memories were important to his recovery so she let them be, returning back to her work.

Years Later, Post Mark of Mastery Exam.

Ever since the Exam, Sora had been having really weird dreams. Which, would be expected if they were anything like his experience in the dream world, yet it wasn't. They were in worlds he'd never been to, people he'd never met. It wouldn't be odd, if only the dreams didn't feel so real, so much like distant memories and lifetimes on the tip of his tongue.

Well, no time to dwell on his thoughts, he had friends to meet. He was going to see Hayner, Pence, and Olette. They hadn't really hung out since before the exam, and that didn't sit right with Sora. He liked keeping the friendships he had with others well and alive. Thus, he'd organized a get together with them via Kairi, who'd been hanging out with them occasionally while Riku and him took the exam.

"Their hangout spot is around here somewhere..." Kairi exclaimed, cutting through Sora's ramblings. She was leading the two boys to their meeting place, a location Sora and Riku were not really familiar with. (Roxas was familiar, but Sora couldn't just phone the guy up and ask him.)

"Are we sure that was a correct right turn, Kai?" Sora asked. He didn't doubt the navigation of his friend, just that Twilight Town was really easy to get lost in between the back alleys.

"We'll get there eventually." Riku said, paitently walking beside Sora as they trailed behind the red head.

"Almost there, I can feel it. Trust me." Kairi said with a smile. Sora nodded and smiled back. He put his arms crossed behind his head, taking in brick upon brick.

"Kairi!" Olette called out, rushing to hug her.

"Olette, hello!" Kairi replied, laughing. Olette squeezed and quickly let go, arms reaching towards Sora.

"AAHhh! I'm ticklish!" Sora squeaked, frozen and flustered as Olette embraced him.

"It's nice to see you have some weakness." Olette giggled, pulling away. She petted Sora on the head lightly, the boy still blushing.

I'll be back before you know it.

With the familiar contact to his head came a calm voice, the confusion of a foreign thought racing through his mind like a lightning strike.

"Huh?" Sora said, cheeks less red. He raised an eyebrow slightly in confusion, nobody noticing his sudden off-put.

Olette turned her head towards Riku, who was much taller than she remembered. He politely shook his head with a smile as she approached him, denying her welcome. The girl smiled in understanding, before stepping back.

"So, Olette, where are Hayner and Pence?" Riku asked. He said his words too early, however, the two coming into view.

"Hey guys, I didn't think you'd get here so soon." Hayner waved, drawing them closer as he approached with Pence at his side.

"Hello again to you, too!" Kairi greeted, expressing the sentiment Riku and Sora also shared.

"Do you have any plans for today? You guys would know this place better than us." Sora asked, smiling. Pence looked absolutely elated.

"Well, I was thinking that we could go to the beach." Pence explained, positively beaming. He looked proud of himself too, having stayed up all night planning the perfect evening.

"Uh…" Riku started, trying to find a way to break the news gently.

"We kinda live on a beach, so we were kind of hoping it'd be something different." Kairi explained, nervous smile having crept up on her face. Pence looked absolutely heartbroken, colour having completely drained from his face. He turned around, shaking.

"It was going to be perfect. Everyone was going to have fun, how could I have forgotten…" He mumbled, eyes whirling in defeat. Hayner put one hand on Pence's shoulder to comfort him, looking up at his friends.

"Sorry, he's really weird when he gets like this. He'd put so much effort into planning today – I think you've broken his heart, Kairi." Hayner joked, laughing half-heartedly. Olette was also at Pence's side, whispering words of encouragement.

"Oh no! I'm really sorry, Pence. We can still go the beach! Not all beaches are the same, right?" Kairi scrambled, quickly trying to recover this situation which was currently in shambles.

"Nope! It's too late! We can't go out today, everything's ruined!" Pence exclaimed, shaking off Hayner's hand as he stood up and crossed his arms. He had his back turned to them, firm in his denial.

"Oh c'mon Pence, don't be like this." Hayner sighed, putting a hand to his face.

"Wait a second, I won't let you get away so easily!" Sora stomped after Pence, eyes narrowed, as the other boy moved to leave. Kairi and Olette had put in some work too, arranging this meeting, and he was not letting it go to waste!

Just before Sora could touch Pence, Pence stopped in place and looked shyly at Sora.

"Sorry… but I need some time alone." Pence said, face sad and defeated. Sora froze at those words, letting Pence walk away without so much as a struggle.

Those words, why did they hurt him? Just when in that sentence did his inner flame nullify? No, it had been replaced by a different fire.

"T…?" The word died on his lips. What was that word?

Sora didn't have much time before he became overwhelmed and everything went black.

Sora woke up, mind foggy. From what he could tell, he'd been moved to Yen Sid's tower. Kairi, Mickey and Riku had gathered around all concerned.

"Sora!" Kairi proclaimed, rushing to hug him. "We were worried about you."

"Hey, I'm sorry I just blacked out. I don't know what happened." Sora said. Suddenly, his head throbbed and he put a hand to his face. "Ngh, my head."

Kairi pulled away, concerned. She stood up beside the other two and exchanged glances with Riku before both their heads turned to Sora.

"Sora, what's up?" Riku asked, face in a frown. They must've thought this was serious, dragging him away from Twilight Town to the master's tower.

"I didn't think it was anything. I've been having a horrible headache on and off the past few days. At first, it wasn't really that bad. Now they've been getting worse." Sora explained. He winced again, bending over with a gasp of pain.

"Gosh, Sora if it was really this bad, you could'a told someone. We're your friends, ya'know." Mickey said, worried for Sora's condition.

"You're right. But I thought it wasn't anything." Sora said, trying to hold back a whine. His head felt like it was going to be split in two.

"Of course, Sora. When has it ever been 'nothing'?" Riku said. The silver haired friend turned to face the wizard. "Is there anything you can do, Master Yen Sid? I doubt a simple Cure could fix this."

"Y-yeah, I already tried." Sora said through his clenched teeth.

"Hmm, because we don't know the cause, it's going to be hard to find a correct spell. We could try this one spell, but it's incredibly vague; it might do more harm than good." Master Yen Sid contemplated.

"Well, if it gets worse because of the spell, at least we'll know the cause of the increased pain and be able to undo it." Riku said. Kairi nodded.

"Let's give it a shot!" Kairi said with renewed vigor.

Mickey gave a stern look and nodded too.

"It's worth a try." The king agreed.

Kairi turned to Sora, kneeling down and leveling with him for a moment. She put her hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

"Are you okay with this, Sora?" She asked gently.

Too weak to answer, Sora simply nodded. Kairi stood back with Riku and Mickey, watching Yen Sid perform his spell.

The master stood in front of his desk, closing his eyes. His words were indistinguishable as he waved his hands rhythmically through the air, sparks forming at his fingertips. Sora's body was lifted into the air, magic swirling everywhere.

The room was then blasted by light momentarily, blinding everyone.

When the light was clearing up, a voice spoke.

"What..."

"...happened." Finished a second voice.

Sora was gone it seemed, and in his place, stood two individuals: one with blonde hair and a striking resemblance to Roxas; the second dressed in black, with a helmet covering their face.

"What is going on?!" Kairi exclaimed, confused and scared. Who were these two? Where was Sora?

"Ventus? Vanitas!" Mickey and Yen Sid said almost in unison. Mickey immediately summoned his keyblade, ready to fight need be.

"Huh? Guys? Why do I look different?" The blonde said, patting his clothes and body. His voice was different too. That was worrisome.

"What have you done to me?" The helmeted boy said, angered. "Master? Ha! In title only."

"Who are you two?" Riku asked, finally speaking up. He was at first too shocked for words.

"Riku, you've got to be kidding me. I didn't really change that much, did I?" The blonde asked with a nervous smile.

"Are you Roxas?" Kairi purposed cautiously.

"I'm Sora!" They both said in unison.

Immediately, the two turned on each other.

"Sora? What act are you pulling, idiot? You're more Roxas if anything else." The helmeted boy scoffed.

"I do not look like Roxas! Roxas is a blonde and I'm a bru-" the boy turned to look at his reflection in the window mirror, eyes widened. "A blonde…?" He trailed off, shocked. This annoying guy was right! He did look like Roxas.

"Ven, are you alright?" Mickey asked, confused and concerned.

"Ven? Who's Ven?" The blonde asked Mickey, tilting his head in confusion for a moment, thinking. "I've never met a 'Ven'. C'mon!"

The blonde whirled to face the helmeted boy.

"Maybe you're 'Ven', because you're certainly not me!" He exclaimed.

The helmeted boy crossed his arms, annoyed.

"I'm obviously, Sora, Roxas." He responded. "I wouldn't think my Nobody was so pathetic."

"How come you're wearing a mask? Take it off!" The blonde complained, reaching toward to grab at the helmet. In defiance, the helmeted boy placed his hands on the other's wrists. The moment the two made contact, there was a POOF! and a sudden cloud surrounded the two. When the dust settled, the two boys were gone and Sora was back in their place.

Nobody said anything for a moment, it being generally accepted that everyone in the room was equally confused.

"Uh, what just happened to me?" Sora said nervously, hugging his chest. His body was tingling weirdly all over, the brunet visibly shaking.

Riku and Kairi opened their mouth, but were shushed by Yen Sid raising his hand before they could speak.

"What do you think just happened, Sora?" Yen Sid asked calmly.

"I don't know. I felt like I was in two places at once, torn apart. It was wrong." Sora shuddered, closing his eyes. He hated that feeling.

"Do you have any clue what's going on with Sora, Master Yen Sid?" Mickey asked nervously.

"Sora, do you know anyone by the name Ventus or Vanitas?" He asked the brunet.

"Sort of, but only vaguely. Are they important?" Sora asked, concerned. He wanted answers.

"Yeah, who are Ventus and Vanitas?" Riku cut in.

"They are two keyblade wielders from long ago. Ven was a fellow apprentice and friend, while Vanitas worked with Xehanort. Both had their hearts destroyed together." Mickey said.

"Master Xehanort?!" The three exclaimed, shocked.

"I didn't think I still had some piece of darkness still in me from the Mark of Mastery Exam." Sora said, disappointed. He never would have thought such a large portion of darkness would still have a hold on him.

"Although Vanitas worked under Xehanort, Vanitas wasn't a vessel that we knew of. We don't know why he wanted to forge the x-blade either. Ventus sadly became a ramification of Vanitas' scheme." Yen Sid went on.

"And they are those two we just saw?" Kairi asked.

Mickey nodded.

"Ventus don't seem to remember, though, it's no mistake. Those were Ventus and Vanitas." Mickey replied, shaking his head in dismay.

"Are you saying I'm these two people? It makes no sense." Sora said. "My heart is mine, and mine alone."

"That's the weird thing. These two people claimed to be you, Sora." Riku pointed out, glancing at the brunet. This situation was certainly odd. One of the two boys looked like Roxas, while one of them shared the look of what he could remember he had when he was possessed by Ansem years back. The helmet was also pretty suspicious. It was a mystery what could be hidden under it.

"I wouldn't-. I'd never work for Master Xehanort willingly! Kai, you believe me, right?" Sora expressed, desperately looking to her.

"I know, Sora." Kairi said softly, rubbing his shoulder for a second to comfort her friend.

"What's our next move, Master Yen Sid? The situation is unprecedented. Something must've happened to their hearts after the battle with Aqua and I. It's a wonder they ended up with Sora." Mickey said turning to the older man.

"We could try Master Yen Sid's spell again." Kairi suggested, speaking up. "Ask some questions, see what they know."

"They didn't seem to remember." Riku dismissed, shaking his head. "Though, I wouldn't put it past one of Xehanort's affiliates to lie."

"We could try and get Ventus to remember. Mickey seems to be close with him." Kairi continued, a smile growing on her face despite the situation.

"That's also a problem." Mickey said quietly, closing his eyes for a moment. "Vanitas wasn't a friend. Even if we believe that he really has amnesia, he was an enemy; working with Xehanort towards the resurrection of the x-blade and Kingdom Hearts. There may be an aftereffect that when Ventus remembers, Vanitas might as well, and if he remembers he might turn against us." Mickey elaborated. The redhead frowned, glancing over at Sora then back at Mickey.

"We never know unless we try." She said, saddening. Her violet eyes stayed pinned to the floor, hands fidgeting with each other.

Riku sighed.

"Kairi's plan is our only plan right now, so my vote is with her." Riku said in defeat. Kairi's eyes snapped open and she glanced up at her friend, a new hope in her eyes.

"Since it's my identity that's at stake, I say we give it a go." Sora said smiling triumphantly. Kairi appreciated his enthusiasm and gave him a nod of gratitude.

Master Yen Sid and Mickey exchanged glances, before the old wizard sighed in defeat.

"If Ventus or Vanitas show hostility, I expect you two to be properly prepared to deal with it." Yen Sid said. Riku and Kairi nodded, going into battle stances. Riku was better equipped to handle a threat, but Kairi was catching up in terms of Keyblade wielding, only lacking any real experience. Not that she wanted to get it now.

"Ready, Sora?" The Old Wizard asked.

"Yeah. Let's give it a shot." Sora said.

Master Yen Sid closed his eyes, repeating the same spell from before. It didn't seem to be draining to his magical performance, casting it with ease.

Again, Sora poofed into cloud, this time less powerful; easier on the eyes. When the dust cleared, "Ventus" and "Vanitas" were standing casually beside each other.

"Ugh, it feels weird whenever I change." 'Ventus' said, shuddering. He reached his arms up, stretching, before crossing them behind his head.

"Nobody asked for your opinion, idiot." 'Vanitas' snarled, crossing his arms.

'Ventus' glared at 'Vanitas' for a moment with distaste, before looking at Kairi and softening his eyes.

"So, Kairi, where do you want us to begin?" 'Ventus' said. Kairi was taken aback, startled by this Roxas look-alike speaking to her so casually.

"Uh, you're not freaked out?" Kairi asked cautiously.

"What? We said we were going along with your plan, so let's give it a shot." 'Ventus' said.

"Even though I still think it's ridiculous. This wimp doesn't look like he's seen even a shadow, much less darkness. Are you sure he worked with Master Xehanort?" 'Vanitas' asked, staring down at Mickey through his helmet, a thumb pointed at 'Ventus'.

"You're supposed to be Vanitas, he's supposed to be Ventus." Mickey said nervously, eyes constantly dancing between the two.

"Oh." Vanitas said. His fingers stopped fidgeting and he gripped his upper arms, anger teaming beneath the skin. "Tch. Does it look like I'd be affiliated with Xehanort? I've defeated him twice, one of those times after he hurt both my friends."

Riku and Kairi exchanged glances.

"F-friends?" Kairi asked reluctantly, turning to Vanitas. The helmeted boy scoffed, seemingly rolling his eyes under his helmet.

"You and Riku. Do I have to spell everything out? The longer I stay like this, the more on edge I feel." He said, grumbling his last line.

"Really?" Kairi said, managing to hear his words.

"I'd never hate you guys. I'm just a little grumpy about what this magic is doing to my appearance and brain." Vanitas said with a sigh. He reached up to this helmet and lifted it off his head, revealing his true appearance.

"Wow." 'Ventus' said, surprised.

"What?" 'Vanitas' growled, annoyed.

"You look like Sora, but younger. The hair and eyes are different too." Riku responded, looking over Vanitas' revealed face. The resemblance was off, seeing as he did look definitely younger, but still uncanny.

"Now that my body is about perish, you and I will have to join together!"

The voice flashed through Ventus' head, matching the raven haired boy to a T, even if his lips didn't move.

"Hey, did you say something?" Ventus asked.x

"I was just about to comment how I am Sora, so I should look like Sora and to point it out was insanely dumb, but no, I did not yet say it out loud." Vanitas said, voice flat. "Whoops, looks like I just did."

I must've imagined it, then. Ventus thought.

"Let's stop arguing, okay? We came out to get our memories back." Ventus said, shaking his head. This wasn't making any progress.

"Your memories. Not mine." Vanitas said, scratching behind his ear, helmet tucked under his other arm. "I don't want to remember supposedly working for Xehanort. I don't want to forget how much I hate him."

"Okay, Vanitas." Kairi answered.

Vanitas flinched.

"Creatures from Ventus driven, the name Vanitas will be given."

The strange words of a distant man spoke. The name Vanitas was a salty one, that's for sure. Perhaps Xehanort had named him…

No, he wasn't going to think about that jerk and risk digging up his past. He liked Riku and Kairi, relationships he didn't want to ruin so easily because of his supposed dark past. Sora was a better name, flowed easily.

"So, Mickey have any idea on what we could do to jog Ventus' memories?" Kairi asked, smiling.

"Before we do that, I'm afraid we'll have to detain Vanitas, so that we know he won't go back to working for Xehanort." Mickey said, swiftly summoning his keyblade.

"What?! I told you, I don't want to be associated with him!" Vanitas replied, shocked.

Yen Sid uttered an incantation and much to Vanitas' dismay, white chains appeared on his arms, binding him.

Ventus appeared confused, unable to process fast enough what was going on.

"We'll keep him here overnight until we can decide a better plan." Mickey decided. "Is that a good plan of action, Master Yen Sid?"

Ventus hasn't noticed with all the havoc, but the stars had appeared on the sky outside. They were meeting up with the twilight gang around lunch time, and he'd been knocked out for awhile after that. The thought of such a time was making him tired.

"Very well." Yen Sid approved.

"Wait, what if he manages to break free and summon a keyblade? He'll escape easily." Riku pointed out.

Vanitas pressed his eyebrows together, his expression solemn. He never would've expected Riku to say such a thing.

"Riku…" Vanitas whispered, truly hurt by his words. Even Riku looked guilty after noticing Vanitas' expression.

"Kairi, it seems it has come to test out your new ability." Yen Sid said with a nod in her direction.

"New ability?" Ventus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kairi looked embarrassed for a moment, cheeks turning red at the sudden spotlight.

"Uh, so, since I'm a princess of light, I guess, I have the ability to create a lock that cannot be opened, at least from what we've tested, keyblade or otherwise." Kairi admitted, fidgeting with a strand of her hair. Lea and Riku had tried to various degrees to get her lock open and none of them budged a bit. Kairi had to admire Lea's fervent determination.

"We'll have to keep Ventus here as well for the night, seeing as he can't exactly return to Destiny Islands in that state." Mickey said. "That all right, Ven?"

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Ventus said with a weak laugh. He turned to Riku.

"Can you tell my mom I'm sorry, okay?" Ventus asked, saddened at the thought of her worrying about him.

"I'll cover for Sora." Riku said with a small nod. Ventus nodded back in appreciation, an unsure smile on his features.

"Tch." Vanitas remarked quietly, not pleased with his situation. The dark aura radiating off of him caused Ventus to shiver.

"Then it seems our business is finished for today. Kairi, if you would please…"

Vanitas had been silently pleading with his eyes as Kairi shut the door on him. The eyes she saw, were they really his? Were they even blue anymore?

He sat down on the bed, these feelings milling around inside him with no profit to be seen. Roxas, or better yet an unknown guy named Ventus, was "back" and claimed to be him. Though, really, they both seemed equally bewildered. Old keyblade apprentices that Mickey had just failed to mention? It had Vanitas scoffing.

Who were 'Ventus' and 'Vanitas', and if they were so important, why not bring them up sooner? His own identity as 'Vanitas', an apparent apprentice to Xehanort, was the most unconvincing statement ever uttered in all of his years of traveling worlds and fighting with oversized keys. He'd never purposefully betray his friends, and was working towards gaining better control over his darkness.

Speaking of the element made his blood boil, but not in anger, rather, excitement. Itching to do anything, bring about something, yet that 'something' had Vanitas wary. It didn't seem to be 'good' as he detected, more so ominous and destructive. He had to suppress and contain this feeling, so it may not affect his fragile relationship with the others.

He looked towards his door, thinking of the other Sora that lay beyond it.

Meanwhile, Ventus was left in his bedroom all alone. He laid down, staring up at the ceiling through eyes that weren't his, in a body that felt foreign and a mind filled with empty spaces and times of running on the sand of Destiny Isles. It was quiet and empty in this room. He stood up and walked over to the mirror, the first time properly seeing this form. It didn't seem true, but the virtual image before him said otherwise. Something was wrong with him, and maybe the other Sora knew why.

He crept quietly down the hallway, stopping at Vanitas' room. He knocked before pressing his ear to the door and speaking.

"Hello?" Ventus asked.

"What? Come to gloat? If you are, than you should just leave." Vanitas snarled. Ventus winced.

"I was just wondering if you're really Sora…" Ventus whispered. Vanitas rolled his eyes.

"You really are an idiot. Of course I am Sora! I grew up on Destiny Islands and my best friends are Riku and Kairi… at least, they're supposed to be. I don't know if friends lock each other up and treat them like prisoners, though." Vanitas snapped, ending on a bitter note. Ventus tensed up. The word had him on thin ice.

"You know, I'm not an idiot. Stop calling me one." Ventus said, growing annoyed with the nickname.

"If not an idiot, you're just slow. If you think before you say stupid stuff, you'll end up looking like you know what you're doing." Vanitas complained.

"We should have the same amount of memories, so don't act like you know more than me. Call me something else, preferably Sora, though, it's apparently 'Ventus' now." Ventus explained with a sigh, crossing his arms.

"You're really going to keep insisting you're me?" Vanitas asked.

"Hey! You know Mickey wouldn't lie!" Ventus objected, fists tightening.

"Ignoring the fact he said I worked with Xehanort, which is pretty crazy... Fine, let's take turns answering questions and the first person to get one wrong isn't the real Sora." Vanitas proposed. Ventus clenched his teeth.

"I don't have anything to prove to you!" Ventus exclaimed.

"Really? Sounds like you're chicken, Roxas." Vanitas edged on, smiling. Why was this so much fun? All that teasing Riku had given him when he was younger, it must've been so easy, Vanitas could see that now. So many buttons to push.

Ventus was visibly angered, narrowing his eyes at the door.

"You're on! Where was I born?" Ventus challenged.

"Easy, the only hospital in Destiny Islands is N. Tatsuya Hospital. Where did I first meet Riku?" Vanitas said.

"Providence Park, although we never really visit there because of the beach. What was the lowest grade I ever got in school?" Ventus asked back.

"Pfft, you think I remember those things? All my scores were average, high enough to keep my parents happy and not look stupid." Vanitas answered, walking over to sit with his back to the door.

"Yeah, okay, you're right." Ventus lamented, sitting down in the same position. He grew comfortable against the door frame, having gotten into this conversation more thoroughly than he originally intended to.

"How long was Roxas alive?" Vanitas asked. Ventus raised an eyebrow, put off at the curveball thrown at him. He did not see that coming.

"Exactly one year, if you count the days inside the simulation…" Ventus gave an unsure answer. Roxas did give him all of his memories, though, nobody else really knew that. He just hadn't had the chance to tell the others, especially because he felt it was something special that Roxas had specifically entrusted him with. He wanted to keep the importance of those memories alive.

Why would Vanitas ask such a weird thing? Ventus thought.

"Correct, and I am counting them." Vanitas proudly smirked, seemingly unfazed by the strange question.

"Uh, next question." Ventus spoke, trying to recollect himself. Thinking of a question, he blushed. "When did I get Mr. Snuffles?"

"Are you serious?" Vanitas snorted, flabbergasted and also amused by the odd subject.

"Answer the question." Ventus demanded, embarrassed. Too late to get out of this now.

"When I was four, specifically after I was released from the hospital. Could your question be any more stupid?" Vanitas said, shifting around uncomfortably.

"It was the most obscure thing I could think of short notice." Ventus defended.

"Well, I've got a harder question. What is the one object I've never lost?" Vanitas asked, smiling.

"Are you kidding me? It's my neckla-" Ventus' hand went up to his empty chest and his fingers fumbled around in his shirt frantically. The blonde looked up, eyes wide.

"I don't have it." Ventus whispered. "Do you know where it is?"

Vanitas' own face went into alarm.

"Don't blame me! I thought you had it!" Vanitas exclaimed. His voice wasn't hampered by the fact that he knew Yen Sid was a very deep sleeper. It was like trying to wake up a rock.

"I told you I don't! I don't even know where my normal clothes go anyways when I'm like this." Ventus explained.

"Right? Do you think I have any idea what this outfit is made of? Who wears a skirt like this anyways?!" Vanitas agreed, lifting his cuffed arms for a moment to look down at the weird skirt like fabric that hung around his waist.

"I haven't even checked the pockets of this guy, hold on, I know there's stuff in here…" Ventus trailed off, reaching down into his pant pockets.

"Ah, found something." Ventus said. He grabbed hold onto an object that seemed to be just as big as his palm, weirdly shaped from what he could feel.

"I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers."

It was that girl's voice again. The one he heard in Twilight Town. It made him freeze.

"Come on, what does it look like?" Vanitas encouraged, entertained by the conversation.

Ventus shook the confusion from his head, bringing out the charm and looking down at it displayed within his palm. It was a star of some sort, green and made with delicate precision. He could feel the love and powerful connection this mysterious item held.

"Oh yeah. Terra, you and I have our Mark of Mastery exams tomorrow. I made us good luck charms. Here!"

The blurry image of a girl smiling appeared in front of him, quickly leaving from his mind the moment he blinked, water spilling out onto his face. Tears.

"I... I think I'm crying." Ventus said, unsure. Vanitas' lifted an eyebrow, unable to see what was causing this sudden tonal shift. Where was Ventus? Ventus, come back.

"Ventus, what's wrong?" Vanitas asked softly.

"I don't know." Ventus said, putting a hand to his face to check that indeed, the tears were there.

"Are you sad?" Vanitas continued. There were feelings stirring in him too. Concern, regret… satisfaction? Quite an ugly thing, Vanitas decided.

"I'm unsure what I'm feeling." Ventus said, more tears dropping onto the green glass. "Something about a Mark of Mastery Exam."

"Look, if you're that upset about losing to Riku, you should probably say something about it." Vanitas suggested. Ventus shook his head, sniffing.

"No, it was a different Exam, one I wasn't apart of. There was a guy named, T-, T-, ah, I can't say it properly." Ventus tried to explain. "I feel that we were close, somehow."

"I'll remind you to ask Mickey tomorrow, okay? Well, if his Majesty would even trust me." Vanitas said with a sigh. Ventus blinked, a few more tears falling onto his cheeks.

"Hey, Vanitas, why are you being nice all of a sudden?" Ventus asked, wiping his tears.

"Wow, that was a rude statement. I thought I was supposed to be Xehanort's apprentice, not you." Vanitas said, earning a huff from Ventus, "Is it weird if I care? We may be different people, but we're both Sora and both amnesiacs. You're the closest person to me that understands what I'm going through. You even came over to talk to me when I thought everyone hated me."

"Vanitas…" Ventus spoke, sympathetic. "I guess we're leaving the Sora thing at a tie, then?"

"There's no way around it." Vanitas sighed. "Hey, can you try and get this door open?"

"Didn't Kairi say it can't be unlocked by normal means?" Ventus asked, slowly getting up from the floor. He wiped the dust off of his pants, grounding himself.

"Still, can't you at least try?" Vanitas asked, jumping to his feet. Nice to know his mobility wasn't hindered by his chained hands.

"Sure, I guess." Ventus shrugged. He summoned a keyblade to his hand, but it wasn't Kingdom key. It was different and backwards, almost like half of a gear from a clock. He paused for a moment, admiring it. An old energy was buzzing to life once more in his palm.

"Ventus?" Vanitas said, questioning whether or not he had left him after a moment of unresponsiveness.

"Yeah, one second." Ventus was a snapped out of his awe and pointed his keyblade at the door lock, taking a more serious stance. To his surprise, light shot out of the end and promptly unlocked the door. Ventus hesitated before opening the knob, bracing himself for if this had been a rouse and Vanitas was standing there waiting to attack him.

But he wasn't.

"Thanks." Vanitas said, nodding.

"So, what now? You can't just escape from here, because it will be suspicious." Ventus said, keyblade disappearing. "I'm surprised we didn't bring Yen Sid running with our conversation, for how long it went on."

"I've got an idea." Vanitas proposed, a sly grin on his face. Ventus remained confused. The chains, could they be broken? He doubted his magic could make a dent.

"What is it?" Ventus asked.

"You don't need to do anything, just stand still." Vanitas explained, walking towards the blonde.

"Huh?" Ventus expressed. Before he could properly react, Vanitas had come over to him, gently pressing their foreheads together. Ventus felt a wave of calm run over his being, letting go and giving in to what he was meant to be. What he wanted to be. They turned into a shimmer of light, and soon, Sora was standing there all alone. It felt cathartic, almost like simply breathing, the whole process natural and sound.

Sora slowly opened his eyes and looked down to see the white chains break off his body with a small "Clink!". The brunet rubbed his wrist, the ghost of chains on his skin making him uncomfortable.

"This is better, at least." Sora noted quietly. Remembering something, he fiddled his hand over his chest and enclosed his palm over the cherished necklace.

Good, so everything is back.

He thought to himself.

"Ventus and Vanitas, huh? The names are oddly similar." Sora pondered. Not wanting to stay in his former prison any longer, he made his way back to Ventus' room, pausing when he reached his mirror. He smiled, satisfied with this appearance better.

Lingering only for a second longer, he turned to his bed to embrace the covers. Tomorrow, he would get answers.

Sora was woken the next day by a knock on his door.

"Ventus, are you alright? I found Vanitas gone and his door unlocked." Yen Sid said. Sora initially panicked, bolting awake.

"Uh, I'm okay! Perfectly Ventus in every single possible way." Sora called trying to make his voice slightly different, yet failing miserably.

"Sora? Is that you?" Yen Sid said, immediately figuring it out.

"Y-yeah, it's me." Sora responded, giving up. He sighed, knowing he would find out sooner or later, but why did it have to be sooner?

"I thought you would have better smarts than to try and deceive a grand wizard such as myself. Come on out." Yen Sid commanded.

Slowly, Sora dragged himself towards the door, opening it and nervously facing the tall Master. Said Master, was not pleased.

"Firstly, I told Ventus not to talk to Vanitas, but what puzzles me further is how they managed to get the door open." Yen Sid said, crossing his arms.

"Well, it wasn't that hard really. I opened it with my keyblade, like I would with any other door." Sora told him, shrugging. It wasn't really that big of a deal for him, if anything, the so called lock was somewhat of a disappointment, with no offence to Kairi or her abilities. He had been at this "keyblade" thing longer than Kairi had.

"Wait, don't tell me you used the x-blade?!" Yen Sid asked urgently, tone extremely serious.

"What else would I use? The keyblade can open any lock, can't it? It looked different though, look." Sora said, trying to explain. He reached out his hand and Wayward Wind was summoned to him, the sight of it making Yen Sid sigh with relief. His serious tone did not light up however.

"Sora, there is an extremely important reason to which I cannot disclose as to why we were trying to keep Ventus and Vanitas separate. Your co-operation to Master Mickey's and my orders are crucial to Ventus' recovery." Yen Sid explained. "As for this reason, I'm separating them again."

"Okay, but this time, can you please not lock me up in a room again? I really don't want to be treated like a prisoner anymore. I'm not affiliated with Xehanort, I promise." Sora begged. The way Sora was talking confused Yen Sid, him shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Sora, we must detain Vanitas until Master Mickey and I discuss a proper way to deal with him acting as potential threat." Yen Sid said.

"But-" Sora defended.

"Do I make myself clear?" Yen Sid commanded.

Sora remained silent, frowning. His fists clenched for a moment, too irritated to meet Yen Sid's gaze.

Yen Sid started casting the incantation and Sora began to glow with white light. The brunet winced, body feeling fuzzy for a moment, until everything went cold. He blinked, untensing and looking down at his hands, partially confused as to why nothing changed.

"Why has the spell failed?" Yen Sid muttered to himself, perplexed. He tried the spell again and it produced the same fruitless result.

"Why would I separate when I know you'll end up hurting me?" Sora said quietly. These emotions inside him, one originating out of fear while the other was out of protection. Now that was a weird feeling: wasn't it supposed to be something akin to self-preservation?

Yen Sid re-evaluated the problem. Perhaps it was a spell that only worked with the approval of the intended subject. If so, the problem would be that Sora had allowed it the previous two times, and currently was denying him the desired result.

"Sora, Vanitas was affiliated with Master Xehanort and worked adamantly with darkness." Yen Sid explained, knowing this had to be truly understood, not just heard.

"So what? I don't remember anything about that, nor do I want to! The pain, the loneliness I felt during the Mastery exam: it was horrible." The tears that seemed unreachable as 'Vanitas' came so easily when he was as Sora, his anger smoothing out into sadness. "What if I hurt my friends? Riku or Kairi? Anybody else… I just want to be able to exist without causing you guys pain."

Yen Sid seemed moved by Sora's words as the brunet shook visibly. He could feel the hurt within Sora's words and heart. Roxas was probably in there too, although none of them could've known that.

"Alright. As the primary Master I officially deem Vanitas as not a current threat for the time being, as long as he maintains good behavior. He will not be permitted to leave alone or train, but is free to roam so long as someone else is nearby keeping an eye on him." Yen Sid gave.

"Really?" Sora said, blinking away the last of his tears. His mouth widened into a grin, giddy with excitement.

"Do not make me regret my decision: these rules are to be followed at all times. Vanitas and Ventus must never fight in battle, do I make myself clear?" Yen Sid ordered.

Sora straightened up with a salute.

"Yes, Master." Sora said, smiling. Suddenly, he burst into light, and Ventus and Vanitas were standing there, holding each other's hands before breaking.

"Thanks." Ventus said smiling, rubbing his neck.

"Did you two just appear within your own terms?" Yen Sid said, blinking. His spell had not called them forth.

"Does it matter? You said I wasn't a prisoner anymore, old man." Vanitas commented with a serious tone, crossing his arms. Ventus was completely oblivious to the silent war that raged between Vanitas' and Yen Sid's eyes, mind jumping to the most "important topic".

"I smell food. Did you make breakfast?" Ventus asked, brightening up even more.

"I did. It's been already prepared by the finest magic means." Yen Sid said, not sure what to make of the sudden shift in tone. Sora was full of surprises, and even if he did not know Ventus that well, he seemed to be the same in that regard.

"Let's go eat, Vanitas." Ventus said, excited. "I've never eaten an entire meal made from magic before!"

"I know, I have the same memories." Vanitas sighed, rolling his eyes. Ventus walked off into the eating room, Vanitas faithfully following behind without a hint of resistance.

As Yen Sid watched their silhouettes, he began to wonder if he had even made the right choice at all.

AN: I finally mustered the courage to publish this! Yay! Friendly reminder to readers that questions are welcomed and encouraged; because I put a lot of effort into this, when people notice the subtleties, it gives me a reason to gush about them. – Because I have a feeling pronouns may be an issue, I'll clarify them here. Sora, Ventus, Vanitas, Riku, etc are all he/him, while if you talk about two characters collectively, it's the usual they/them. Ventus and Vanitas do not see themselves as separate beings while being Sora, so he prefers "he/him". To have a conversation with either Ventus or Vanitas about Sora would be really confusing for them, and it'd be like referring to either one in the third person. When Sora recounts a memory of Ventus' or Vanitas', he will use "I/me" due to this same reason. If you want to leave a review and refer to Vanitas and Ventus collectively being Sora, it's fine to use they/them, but never if you're referring to Sora as his own character. Sora doesn't see Ventus or Vanitas as separate entities, just merely extensions of his existence.