Hello! Tis I, Mega, brining you my fanfic known only as Kingdom hearts II: Dual Destinies. Now, if you read my blasted summary, you probably know that this is an alternate version of Kingdom Hearts II. Yes, it starts with a VERY similar scenario on the first day, but I did mix it up. The rest of the days following have their own differences too, though I kinda wish I had made day five a bit more original. Anywho, I shouldn't ramble on, so I'll just leave you with the prologue. As a warning, it's VERY long. 44 pages, in fact. Oh, and one thing I will point out in advance: Riku has been changed in a different way than he was in the actual game. So, don't hurt me! And, btw, no flames. Got it?-runs off-

Disclaimer: I do not own the KH series. -sniff-

Kingdom Hearts 2: Dual Destinies

Prologue: Day 1

Light and darkness have always been and will continue to be eternal. Really, you can't have one without the other. Still, there is always something lost between the two, lacking purpose and the chance to truly exist. Nobodies, as these nothings are called, are incomplete beings longing for a purpose. The one thing that keeps these beings from being whole is their lack of a heart. However, Organization XIII, made up of the most powerful nobodies, plans to change all this. They seek a goal that will truly make them exist, and that is… Kingdom Hearts…

Twilight Town

Moonlight glistened across the paved ground in the middle of an alley in a place only known as Twilight Town. Sounds of whispers filled the air, while a single lingering thought filled the mind of a blonde haired boy.

"Where am I…? What's going on?"

"He seems… younger than the rest, but he will have to do," whispered a mysterious voice. "The nobody of the keyblade's chosen one. How unlikely the whole notion is, but still, there he is…"

"But, are you sure he's cut for the organization?" replied another voice.

"Believe me; he will be once we're through with him."

"…If you say so, Xemnas… if you say so."

Two mysterious figures, both wearing cloaks as dark as the night sky, crouched over a blonde haired teenager, who had simply appeared not long ago. It was somewhat mysterious how the boy ended up there, but he had a special gift that few others could accomplish: the ability to wield the keyblade. This blade was a legendary weapon which, in the right hands, could bring peace to the worlds, or if put to evil uses, could cause panic and destruction. Such a powerful weapon, however, could not be wielded like a simple sword, nor could it be claimed. Instead, the keyblade chose one with a strong heart and a worthy purpose to carry it throughout the worlds.

Anyway, the two hooded figures were members of Organization XIII, who happened to be a group of powerful creatures called nobodies. Now, what is a nobody, you ask? Well, when someone with a strong heart gives into the darkness, they become a beast known only as a heartless, but their body is reborn as another creature: and incomplete person called a nobody. As for the boy, well, in reality, he was the nobody of Sora, the Keybarer, who had saved countless worlds and sealed the keyholes. However, to save one of his friends, he had to give up his heart, and, though for a short time, become a heartless. This is why his nobody exists.

By now, this boy was finally awakening. The sights and sounds of the alley around him were utterly new to him, along with the mysterious figures who crouched before him. Because of Sora's short lived time as a heartless, this boy was unaware of his past existence, thus the first thoughts that came to his mind were those of confusion among other things. He did not know who he was, where he was, and more importantly, how he got there.

"W-who are you?" asked the nobody with a shrill sound of fear in his young voice. "And… for that matter, who… am I?"

The first cloaked figure, Xemnas, bent down, now face-to-face with the puzzled nobody. "Don't worry," he said calmly and clearly, "all will be explained soon enough…"

End of the road

Xemnas and the boy both stood in front of a strange lake in a dark and dismal area. The ground here was dark and dismal, and the lake itself was a pure black pool of pain and sorrow. The only light here was the pale glow from the moon, giving the place an eerie mood. By now, the head of the Organization had begun to explain everything that he'd need to know, at least for Organization standards. Soon, the boy would join the ranks of the Org and become a very useful 'tool' to them.

"You have arrived. I've been to see him," Xemnas whispered, his voice carried by the smooth wisp of the wind. "He looks a lot like you."

"You never did answer my question from before," interrupted the blonde haired 'kid' in a cocky tone. "Who ARE you?"

"I'm what's left… or maybe, I'm all there ever was." muttered the 'Superior'.

"I meant your name."

"My name is of no importance," Xemnas replied. "And what about you? Have you remembered your true name?"

"My true name…is…"

---------------------------

"Roxas!"

Lying down on a weathered couch in the middle of a secret hideout of sorts was a blonde haired boy named Roxas. Lately he had been having strange dreams about a boy, about his age, and other related things. What was strange about such dreams was that they had been going on for a few days now. Roxas had not known why he was having these dreams, or what they meant, but one thing was for sure: they HAD to mean something, since they were seemingly going non stop. Little did our hero know, all the answers he would ever need would slap him right in the face, but at the moment, his best friend Hayner had just woken him up from his 'beauty sleep'.

Roxas winced, as he found his friend's face just inches away from his, giving a somewhat angry glare. Obviously, Hayner was in one of his bad moods, which actually occurred quite frequently. Well, it was best not to argue with him when his temper was as hot as a bloody inferno, so, though reluctantly, Roxas got his rump off the couch and faced his buddy.

"Alright already," Roxas moaned. "I'm up…"

Arms crossed, and wearing a semi stern look on his face, Hayner replied, saying, "Well, what's your problem? We only have a few days of summer vacation left, and here you are, dozing off while we discuss how to deal with Seifer!"

"Oh, right…" sighed the spiky blonde. "And as usual, that Disciplinary Committee is going around blaming us for their dirty work, right?"

Nearly stomping mad at just the mere thought, Hayner forced a nod. "I swear!" he yelled, "This has got to be the last straw! Why, if that Seifer were here right now, why, I'd… I'd…"

Hayner was dragged aside by Olette, who seemed rather aggravated by Hayner's constant rantings. In a huff, she attempted to silence her angered companion.

"We get it already," Olette grumbled. "Why is it that you boys always have to solve things with violence? It's so immature."

For a moment, Hayner remained silent, as Olette's question made him actually think for a second. His foot tapped on the hard floor of the Usual Spot, and his thoughts circled through his mind. However, it didn't take Hayner long to come up with a, although pathetic, comeback.

"Because it works!"

While Olette and Hayner continued their little squabble, Roxas walked over towards Pence and shrugged. Every day it was the same thing. Seifer and his gang would come up with some way to make Hayner's day miserable, and then he'd go off venting about how much he hated the Disciplinary Committee. He'd even say how if he were given the chance to fight Seifer that he'd surely come out as victor. Whenever Hayner got into this state of mind, Olette and sometimes Pence would try and calm him down, but Roxas didn't bother. Simply fighting wouldn't solve anything, yes, but when Hayner got temperamental, it was best to just stay on the sidelines.

"So, Pence," Roxas said, "what's the deal with Seifer this time?"

"Umm…guys!" Pence moaned, not even paying attention to Roxas' question.

Caught in surprise by Pence's sudden outburst, Olette and Hayner both faced the seemingly shocked kid. Their somewhat pudgy friend seemed to have nearly fallen off of the couch, due to some sudden shock. Even his eyes had this worried glow within them. Hayner quickly marched over to his friend, as unusual as it sounds, and tried to get some answers out of him.

"Something up, Pence?" questioned the easily angered teenager.

"Yeah!" replied Pence, still in shock. "I just saw this white thing skid across the ground! It looked like it was some weird contortionist, and it snatched the!"

All at once, Pence grabbed at his throat. Something wasn't right. As he had spoken, it was as if one of the words just wouldn't come out. Something like that just wasn't natural, and the same thing can be said about a strange white creature, so, quickly, the foursome passed glances toward one another.

"Huh! A white thing?" Hayner exclaimed. "And, our -----! AAH! Why can't I say ----!"

"Looks like something's up," Roxas sighed. "And I'm not just talking about Seifer… whatever Pence saw, it must be powerful if it can steal more than just an object."

Stealing a word? How did that work? Sure, objects could be stolen, but taking something such as a whole word just wasn't possible, or so it seemed. Words weren't physical things that could be touched, and therefore, a simple human being like any of the Disciplinary Committee members. Because of this, the Twilight Town gang realized that whoever the culprit was, it had to be something more than just Seifer. However, while they were in the midst of their worries, the foursome failed to notice a white creature had just skittered across the floor, carrying with it the stolen objects… and the word.

"So, we know that the have been stolen by some creep in white," Hayner grumbled, "but just how long ago did this happen, Pence? Maybe we can catch the thief, so we don't get blamed again!"

Pence shrugged. "Well, I had them while you and Olette were arguing, but a few seconds later, there was this white blur, and then the vanished!"

Well, that's all that needed to be said in Hayner's case, as the hot headed teen rushed out into the back alley and towards the sandlot. You see, he wasn't one to think before acting, and if something were on his mind, Hayner just HAD to go through with it. By now, though, this was pretty routine. So, as usual, Roxas, Pence, and Olette weren't even given a chance to think about the situation, as they darted behind their leader.

Into the alley the foursome ran, hoping to capture the culprit. Unfortunately, though, there were no signs of any white creatures. All that could even be seen in the alley was the paved ground, a few meager signs, and the occasional twig. Nothing unusual stuck out.

Finally, they reached the sandlot, only to find Seifer and his group trying to fight off a swarm of white creatures. There had to be at LEAST fifty of the buggers, if not more. Why, this was a swarm! Now, Seifer and his flunkies were doing their best to try and fend off these strange things. However, all attempts to harm the obscure beings appeared to be failing, though, as these weirdos would contort their bodies in odd shapes to dodge any attack that was dished at them.

Now this was amusing to Hayner. Here stood Seifer, trying his expert fighting techniques, yet every single attempt of attack was dodged and dished back by the white creatures. Heck, Roxas, Pence, and even Olette were slightly entertained. After all, the disciplinary committee had caused them so much trouble that it was about time they had gotten their just desserts. Besides, Seifer NEVER had been beaten down before, yet here he stood, barely able to fend off these creatures.

"Man, look at Seifer!" cackled Hayner with glee. "Who's the chicken wuss now!"

It was only after that loud remark that half of the white creatures turned their attention away from Seifer and company and jumped right at Hayner himself. Now both groups had to struggle with the attacks of the mysterious enemies. Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin defended themselves with the struggle clubs they already had, but Roxas and his friends were unarmed, which put them at a disadvantage… for now.

As the manic mayhem in the Sandlot continued, Roxas found that most of the unknown creatures seemed to be moving away from Hayner and the others and towards him. After a few minutes, the whole swarm surrounded the puzzled blonde. Without a weapon, all Roxas could do is back off, that is… until something miraculous happened. Time seemed to come to a sudden halt around Roxas and the swarm around him, but that wasn't the end. In Roxas' hand was a powerful weapon, the one called the keyblade.

At first Roxas was unsure of what to do, but right now it was best not to ponder, but to take action instead, even if this weapon was strange. The first sight of the keyblade seemed to provoke the odd cretins, as they flung their stretchy bodies right at the weapon. Quickly, Roxas defended himself with the keyblade and then he hit back, as if he always knew how to use the thing. The first creature flung back, hitting the rest of the swarm, but soon it charged back once again. Instinctively, Roxas rolled underneath his attacker and struck the beast from underneath.

Once the first white creature was destroyed, ten more attacked in its place. Running as fast as he could, Roxas hacked at these little cretins with his keyblade while trying to keep them dizzy. However, it seemed that with each defeated white creature, a whole lot more replaced them, but still, Roxas stood his ground, still unaware of how he was able to pull of such incredible fighting techniques.

After a few more minutes of hacking, dodging, and jumping, the unknown monsters had all vanished, and time seemed to revert back to normal. Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Seifer's gang all got up; surprised to see the Sandlot looking so quiet when moments ago a chaotic mess had been occurring. Even stranger was that in the center of the sandlot lie a pile of photos.

In a slight huff, Seifer got back on his feet with Raijin and Fujin at his sides… and Vivi struggling behind.

"Hmph," groaned the leader of Twilight Town's Disciplinary committee. "You lamers are quite fortunate this time. If it wasn't for those outsiders breaking the rules around here, your little leader would have been made into mincemeat."

"Yeah," Raijin agreed. "Next time you come around our turf, Seifer'll own you all hands down, y'know?"

"Agreed," muttered Fujin.

Once again, anger coursed through Hayner's veins as he was so blatantly insulted by his enemies, as usual.

"You…" he hissed. "You'll all see! When the struggle comes, why, even SEIFER will wish he was never born! I'll make you all—"

"Come on Hayner," Roxas interrupted, grabbing his friend by the arm. "We got the photos, so let's GO!"

"Roxas is right," Olette agreed. "Besides, you've made a big enough fool of yourself today."

The Usual Spot

Back in their hangout, Roxas and his friends stood examining the once stolen photos. Every one seemed to have Roxas in at least SOME part of the picture. Even if he was just in the background, not a single picture lacked the young lad. The question was: Why were the thieves after all these photos? Well, whatever the white creatures were, they sure seemed to want something to do with Roxas.

"You know," Pence said quietly, "I wonder what those things were… and why they stole those pictures of you, Roxas. Do you have any idea?"

"Uh…not really… They just, sorta jumped at me, and everything froze… well, besides them… and me."

"I think somebody is still half asleep," Hayner joked. "Everything… freezing? What is wrong with you?"

Roxas frowned. "I guess you're right. It's not like time can just stop all at once. Well, I think I've had enough 'fun' for today. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

As Roxas walked out towards the alley, Hayner gave him a small push.

"Hey, just relax," he said. "I know what you need, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out."

"Alright… see ya, Hayner."

Somewhere

"So, how much longer will this take?" groaned an ignorant young voice. "I brought you the nobody, so Sora SHOULD be back to his old self soon, right?"

In a strange computer room in the basement of an old mansion stood two mysterious figures, one dressed in red with bandages over his face, and the other wearing a black cloak. On the monitors of the computer were several images related to Sora. You see, a little over a year ago he and his friends Donald and Goofy had set foot into a place called Castle Oblivion, and as they made their way towards the top, their memories began to fade. Had it not been for a nobody named Axel releasing a girl known as Namine, Sora may not have been given the chance to get his memories restored. Anyway, Sora had been put in a special stasis pod for quite some time while his memories began to return. By now, everything was starting to fill in, and pretty soon, Sora would remember everything besides his little adventure in the castle.

"Do not fret," replied the man in red, DiZ. "Your friend should be fine as long as Roxas is reunited with him once his memories return. If something were to happen to that nobody, Sora would only be half as strong as he should, and that would make him almost useless in my plans."

"Oh yes, your so called 'plans'. Hmph. Now, tell me, DiZ, I've waited all this time, and now I want to know… what ARE you after?"

"There is one thing I want more than anything, child," DiZ explained. "What that is simple: Revenge on those who caused me all this pain. I want to use Sora to destroy Organization XIII."

That night in Twilight Town

More and more dreams about Sora filled Roxas' mind. Scenes of Sora's first time meeting Donald and Goofy, his search for Riku and Kairi, and even his adventures in many of the worlds were all there. Of course, Roxas did not realize that all of these dreams would have an effect on Sora's memories, but sooner or later that would change. Namine would make sure of that.

Unknown to Roxas, a girl with long blonde hair was standing at the side of his bed, watching him carefully. She was none other than Namine, the nobody of Kairi, and the very reason Sora's memories were altered and also the reason those same memories would be restored. However, this would not stop her from trying to help Roxas as well.

"I have to tell him," Namine whispered to herself. "Roxas has to know the truth about everything. Maybe then he can escape this virtual trap before it's too late!"

End of Prologue: Day 1

Day II

Roxas awoke quickly. His dreams from the previous night had explained what that key weapon from before was, but they also seemed familiar to him in other ways. Donald, Goofy, Riku, Kairi, they all seemed like people he knew… but how? All his life he lived in this town, right? It'd be impossible for Roxas to know any of these people. So, in his mind, Roxas decided to ignore the dreams for now, at least. Plus, Hayner apparently would have a surprise for him, so it was best to head over to the usual spot.

The Usual Spot

When Roxas arrived at his favorite hangout, he was greeted with smiles with his three friends. It seemed that Hayner had told Pence and Olette about his little surprise for Roxas. Still, there was something almost eerie about this utter happiness, but hey, it certainly beat Hayner's usual Seifer rantings.

"Well, it's about time you got here," Hayner snickered. "Boy do we have a surprise for you! Check this out!"

Quickly, Hayner reached into his pant pocket and pulled out four tickets of some kind, and he handed one right to Roxas. Written on the tickets was: "Twilight Town Express Ticket: To Sunset Beach". After all the suspense, Hayner's big surprise was a strip to the beach! This was shocking, since trips to the beach weren't exactly the cheapest things around.

"Tickets to the beach?" Roxas asked, startled. "But Hayner, I thought you were broke."

"Let's just say I gave up some of my own savings for a friend, and Pence and Olette chipped in too," Hayner replied. "You've been acting so strange lately, as if something's been bugging you, and I hate to see ya like that, man. We only have a few days left before school starts again, so why not make the best of them? The beach may be expensive, but you just can't have a great summer vacation without at least one visit there."

"Plus the beach sure beats worrying about Seifer's gang," Olette giggled.

"I even threw in some extra money so we can all buy some sea salt ice cream!" added Pence.

While Roxas' and his friends enjoyed a quick conversation, Namine stood just outside. Today she would try to talk to Roxas alone, which meant dragging him away from his friends, but what did that matter? This Twilight Town wasn't real. It was just a simple simulation of the true Twilight Town made to hold Roxas while Sora recovered. Therefore, the friends were simple illusions, thus they didn't matter.

Back inside, Roxas and his friends were preparing to head to the station. The group needed their swimming gear, some towels, and any other necessary gear for a day at the beach before they could go. About five minutes passed before Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette were set for a day of fun. So, with everything ready, the four friends set out for the station.

"So, Roxas," Hayner suddenly said, "you ready for the struggle finals? They're going on tomorrow, and at least one of us has to win, right?"

"Of course," Roxas said calmly. "But right now—"

All at once, time seemed to freeze once again as Namine walked right past Roxas, as if motioning him to come along. What the heck was going on? For a few seconds, Roxas remained in place when that girl once again passed him. Was she trying to tell him something by playing this little 'game'? Well, there was only one way to find out, and that was to follow Namine. Besides, time was frozen, so it's not like Roxas would miss his trip to the beach, right?

Namine passed Roxas a third time, but instead of just standing there like before, he actually followed the girl. She didn't seem to speak to him or look back. All she did was walk on forward. First she entered the Tram Common, and then entered the woods, all before she reached the "haunted" mansion. From there she seemed to vanish. So, this strange girl apparently wanted Roxas to enter the mansion, but how? The gates were locked tight, and he had no key… or did he?

Suddenly, Roxas remembered the keyblade from when he took on the white creatures. In his dreams, Sora used the keyblade to open locks as well as seal keyholes, so maybe Roxas could do the same! The problem was… how would he get the keyblade to pop up again? Just then, another thing hit the blonde haired teen. Sora could make the keyblade pop up whenever he desired by concentrating hard enough. If such a thing were true for Sora, what was stopping it from working the same way with Roxas?

Eyes closed, Roxas tried to call forth the keyblade. At first, nothing seemed to be happening, but sure enough, after a short wait, the large key-shaped weapon materialized in his clutches. So, now that he had the keyblade, it was time for Roxas to test the weapons powers. Lifting it up, he hoped that the gates would open, and lucky for Roxas, they surely did. Now that things were taken care of with the gate, it was time to enter the mansion and see just what the girl wanted from him.

Inside

The mansion itself was broken down and very musty. Several paintings had fallen off the walls, and dust was on every piece of furniture. There were two flights of stairs leading to the same upper floor were two doors stood. One was to the left, and the other to the right. In the middle of that upper floor stood Namine, waiting. Roxas ran up the stairs, but the girl had already entered the room on the left. Slightly unsure, he ambled behind her and entered the room.

Inside, everything was practically white. There were several drawings on the walls of the room, and at the center stood a long white table. That was where Namine was sitting.

"Hello, Roxas," she said in a pleasant tone of voice. "I've been waiting for you… and, feel free to sit down."

Roxas was a bit unsure about this. How could someone he had never met know his name, let alone be waiting for him? Either way, it was best to listen to what she had to say. Who knows, it could end up being informative. Or, perhaps, she knew about the weird dreams. Because of those thoughts, Roxas quietly sat down at the table.

"Who are you?" he asked. "And, how do you know me?"

"My name is Namine," replied the girl. "As for how I know you, Roxas, well, I am one of the reasons you're here in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain," Namine replied. "Let me first say that I know more about you than you could ever imagine. What I have to say is solid truth, and it may hurt, but if you really want to know who you are and why you've been having the strange dreams, then you will have to face your past."

Roxas scratched his head. "My…past? But, what about my past has to do with my dreams? I've always lived here and, well… never mind. Still, I just don't get what's been going on, with the white creatures, and time freezing up, so maybe you CAN help me."

"Alright. You see, Roxas, the boy you keep dreaming about, Sora, is more than just a creation from your mind. In truth, Sora is—"

"Namine!" growled the same arrogant voice that had come from the boy in the black cloak. "What are you doing! If you tell him the truth, the whole plan will be ruined!"

Plan? What could that mean? Was Roxas being used? Instead of becoming clearer, it was as if everything just started to become even more puzzling. The white creatures, this Namine girl, and now the cloaked boy who mentioned dome sort of plans were just too much. Everything was just a mess of confusion. When would it end!

Quickly, the boy grabbed Namine and dragged her off. He seemed to want Roxas to know nothing that Namine wished to tell him.

"Roxas," Namine shouted as she was being dragged away, "come back tomorrow! I promise that we'll be able to talk about EVERYTHING… just the two of us…"

With that, both Namine and the cloaked stranger vanished, just like that. Roxas was left on his own for a few moments, while he tried to figure things out. Well, apparently, this Namine knew something about him that he apparently did not. She mentioned Sora, so maybe he had to do with this. Then there was this cloaked fellow. Plans were mentioned by him, but what did he mean by "the truth"? Whatever was going on would hopefully be explained tomorrow, though, so it was best not to dawdle. After all, Roxas still had to get to the station.

Outside the Mansion

Roxas stepped out of the mansion and prepared to walk his way back to the station in hopes that he hadn't missed the train. He really didn't know if time had stopped being halted, but either way, the kid wouldn't dare miss out on the beach. Nothing outside the mansion appeared to have changed, but that didn't mean that time was still at a pause. Hurrying was the best thing to do, in truth, since there was no loss in doing so.

Quickly Roxas ran through towards the forest, not noticing yet another cloaked figure watching him from behind the trees. Who was this dude? Well, he was just another member of Organization XIII, but he was somewhat of an oddball. This nobody pulled down his hood, revealing a young face, looking around the late teens or early twenties, and spiky red hair. The guy wore a smirk on his face, as he watched Roxas run off.

"Well, friend, I've finally found you," snickered the organization member to himself.

---------------------------------------

When Roxas finally reached the station, he was filled with disappointment. His friends were nowhere to be seen, and it seemed that he trains had all left. Had Hayner, Pence, and Olette gone to the beach without him? Nah, they wouldn't do that. Still, time had apparently unfroze, and surely Roxas would be in trouble with his pals. Why had everything become so difficult recently?

"Where were you?"

Behind Roxas stood Hayner, arms crossed. Just as had been predicted, he wasn't very pleased with Roxas' little disappearance. Olette and Pence were likely to be back at the usual spot, since they weren't anywhere else in the area.

"I… I got distracted," said Roxas with a frown. "While we were heading this way, I felt like time froze again, and this girl kept walking around me, so…"

"A girl?" huffed Hayner. "You're telling me that you abandoned us for some girl? Give me a break…"

Obviously, Hayner was clueless about what went on. Abandoned? Roxas would never do that to his best friends, especially when they were supposed to take a trip to the beach. More or less, Namine just was a distraction, the way she kept on walking by over and over again until he'd follow her. If only Hayner wasn't so hot headed then maybe he'd understand.

"It's not like that…" Roxas muttered.

"Whatever. If you had a girlfriend, why didn't you just say something?" groaned Hayner.

"What!"

With that, Hayner walked off, snickering. Somewhat annoyed, Roxas followed closely behind. Hopefully Pence and Olette would be more understanding than Hayner was. Either way, the day hadn't gone according to plan, but this Namine was interesting, so the whole thing wasn't a total loss. Besides, she said something about the next day and being able to explain everything then.

Mansion Basement

DiZ and the cloaked boy stood staring at some monitors. So far Sora's restoration was going smoothly. His memories were now at about 28 restored, and such progress was made in just two days. Pretty soon the spiky haired teen would be back to his old self and would be ready to take on the Organization… at least, that's what DiZ had hoped for.

The cloaked boy paced back and forth impatiently. "You know, I could always handle the organization. It would give Sora more time to recover, and maybe then he could check up on the island and Kairi..."

"You do not understand that there isn't time for simple visits," DiZ replied. "Besides, Sora has a strong heart that ISN'T open to the darkness, unlike yours. He's the perfect tool for my plans."

"You obviously don't know Sora the way I do. Why would he let you use him for your own goals? And for that matter, what about Roxas? He's onto us, thanks to Namine, so he might not WANT to return to Sora!"

"Yes, this could mean trouble," DiZ sighed. "Nonetheless, I cannot have my revenge go astray."

Station Tower

By now, the four friends had decided to take a break and enjoy each others' company atop the station clock tower. As usual, the foursome was having some ice cream and chatting about the day. The beach incident had been brought up quite a few times.

Roxas had tried to explain what happened that day, though Hayner interjected a few times, teasing about the whole 'girlfriend' bit, like before. Thankfully, though, Pence and Olette had been more forgiving than their arrogant friend. In fact, they were slightly interested, but also worried about Roxas. This 'time freezing' thing had now been experienced by him two times in a row. What could be the cause of such a happening when everything seemed normal to the others?

"I don't know what's up with you, Roxas," Hayner sighed. "You sure you're not sick?"

"I'm positive," Roxas muttered in response. "I-I just don't know what's going on. Not only were the freaks in white after me, but this Namine girl seems to know something about me, and then—"

"She's probably just a stalker," Hayner joked.

"Very funny..."

"Hey, I was only joking…"

That night

Yet again the dreams had come back to Roxas. Now they were longer and showed even MORE of Sora's past. Flashes of Sora meeting up with Riku in Traverse Town, the visits to Agarabah, Atlantica, and Monstro were there too. From these dreams, Roxas learned so much about Sora, but even now, an explanation of the dreams was still nowhere to be found. The thing is, these dreams had been continuing for far too long to be 'just dreams'.

Roxas… I have so much to explain… I just wish that DiZ and Riku weren't so intent on using you… sigh Maybe I'm going around and messing with business that isn't even mine, but… if they take you away, I'll never get the chance to know you…

For the second night in a row, Namine stood by Roxas' bed side. Worry shone through her visage. If DiZ really could take the time to realize that not all nobodies are "worthless tools", maybe then he'd see that Roxas didn't deserve to be used, even though he held "half of Sora's power". To Namine, Roxas might be proof enough that some nobodies are good inside, but DiZ and Riku just didn't understand.

"There has to be a way…" Namine whispered to herself. "Helping Sora is important, but you, Roxas, don't deserve to just vanish… no one does…"

For a few more hours, she continued to watch over Roxas, but soon the sun would rise. Even though she wanted to stay, Namine knew that, at least for now, she would have to leave. Luckily, though, she knew the perfect way to communicate with Roxas without being caught, so quickly and quietly, the strange girl vanished, eagerly awaiting today's visit with Roxas.

End of day 2

Day 3

Morning came soon after Namine had left. Still, Roxas had slept like a rock, so to speak. His dreams of Sora weren't the only things that lingered in his mind, but along with them, Roxas could have sworn he heard a familiar voice speaking to him… was that…Namine? She mentioned "DiZ" and Riku… the latter of the two names definitely rung a bell, but not this DiZ.

With a shrug, Roxas hurried out of bed, knowing that not only was today another chance to visit Namine, but it was also the day of the Struggle. This, of course, meant that there was little time for dilly dallying. So, quickly, Roxas got dressed, and then he rushed out the door, not even getting a bite to eat.

While making his way to through the station heights and towards the Tram Common area, Roxas found an enormous crowd of people parading towards the Sandlot. Well, this wasn't good. If everyone was going near the Sandlot, which meant that the struggle would be starting soon! Great, this meant that our blonde haired buddy would have to be even QUICKER. Still, the Namine business was too important to miss… even if it meant being late for the day's events.

On his way to the Tram Common, Roxas was spotted by Hayner, who rushed on over to his buddy.

"Roxas!" shouted the hot headed adolescent. "Just where do you think you're going! The struggle's the other way!"

"Hayner," said Roxas calmly, "I have to go somewhere very important. I know that we made a promise to each other, and I'll be sure to be back before the finals."

"You'd better be," Hayner groaned. "You already missed out on the beach…"

Not another word was said as Roxas turned away from Hayner and darted towards the Tram again.

With everyone out in the sandlot, Tram Common was unusually quiet and empty, or so it seemed. Little did Roxas know, he was being followed by a small group of the same white creatures who had stolen the photos. Because of their weird movements, the beings could get by without making a sound. Still, it was plain to see that the small defeat from before hadn't taken the cretins' minds off of the spiky-haired teen.

As Roxas ran through the barren area, he accidentally bumped into a young man who wore the same type of cloak that the strange boy (AN: -coughrikucough-) , who had interrupted Namine the previous day, had worn. Eyes wide, Roxas backed off slightly.

"Uh… sorry about that," he mumbled. "I'm just in a hurry… so, uh…"

There was not a single response from the man. He just leaned against the wall as if he hadn't even been bumped in the first place. Because of this, Roxas decided to get back on track and head back to the mansion. As for the white creatures, well, they quickly assembled in front of the man, eager for any orders to spoil today's "fun".

"Go on; just make sure he lives. Got it memorized?"

WHOOSH! The mob of white beasts lunged forward, aiming themselves at Roxas. This surprise attack caught the unlucky lad off guard, and he was sent flying towards the ground. Each white creature gave its share of slaps and kicks to poor Roxas. He did try and budge free, but the beings had gotten a head start, which left him at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, he kept trying to fight off these beasts, at least until he could stand up and fight.

Roxas continued to shove away the awkward creatures until, finally, he could stand up. Of course, that wasn't the end yet. Even if these weirdos were pushed aside, they gave another lunge at Roxas. However, this time he was prepared, and immediately, he tried to call upon the powers of the keyblade. Eyes closed, the blondey concentrated, while the beasts before him began to fly towards him. All at once, the keyblade appeared, just as it had before! The demented cretins continued to blaze towards Roxas, but just as they were inches away, the powerful key-shaped weapon smacked the closest white creature.

With the keyblade in his hand, Roxas dove at his enemies. The first three in the mod attempted to slap at him, but they became confused when Roxas made a quick 'reversal' move. Once the three monsters were dazed, they met the metallic pain of the keyblade, head on. POOF! There went three of the little pests, but not before three more gave a lunge. Keeping his ground, Roxas simply ducked and rolled underneath his attackers, just as he had done last time. Unprepared for this sudden move, the creatures hit one of the walls in the Tram, temporarily stunning them, which left them wide open for a keyblade assault.

SLASH! Well, that took care of those three, but, there were still four of the weirdos left, who were 'dancing' around Roxas in a circular fashion. That's right; he was being taunted and surrounded by these little enemies. As this 'dance' went on the creatures came closer to Roxas until they were rubbing up against him and constricting his legs. Soon the constriction was so tight that Roxas was knocked down to the ground and held in place… but why weren't these things attacking any more.

"Well, Roxas," joked the voice of the cloaked man, "your fighting skills seem to have gotten a bit rusty since I last saw ya, friend."

With a swift motion, the hood was pulled away, revealing a pair of green eyes, spiky red hair, and a satisfied grin. This cocky character went by the name of Axel.

Suddenly, an image flashed in Roxas' mind, but it was terribly vague. It was TOO vague to even recognize it, in fact. Either way, this stranger was quite the puzzling fellow. Just like Namine, and that boy (AN: iku-ray, again. :3) who mentioned plans; it seemed that this dude knew Roxas pretty well.

"W-what do you mean by 'friend'?" Roxas groaned, trying to break from the grasp of the white critters.

Axel frowned, as if upset. "I guess… they were right," he said sadly. "You don't remember anything… not even your best buddy…"

There was a moment of silence before Axel spoke again.

"The name's Axel. That's A-X, E-L. Got it memorized?" he said, now sounding slightly angered. "And I guess to refresh your memory; I'll have to take more aggressive actions!"

VOOOOSH! In Axel's hands formed two strange weapons with spikes around the edges, neither of the two being any less dangerous than the other. It seemed that this red hot dude wanted to 'rumble' with Roxas. This proved to be true a moment later when Axel gave a signal to the white beasts to free Roxas.

Slightly puzzled, Roxas got up to his feet, keyblade at the ready. The sight of these weapons proved that this matter couldn't be resolved in a peaceful manner. As fast as he could, the blonde teenager darted towards Axel, but the red haired 'friend' was swift, and he managed to dodge this assault .SHOOSH! A flurry of flames flew in Roxas' direction, nearly catching him off guard. Luckily, Roxas made a swift rolling maneuver and hit Axel in the legs with his keyblade.

THUD! Axel toppled to the ground, thanks to that blow from the keyblade, but he wasn't going to give up that easily. Without any other thoughts, Axel reached for his two spiked weapons and gave them a little toss in Roxas' direction. Unfortunately, he was hit by the weapons, though only slightly.

This little move with the dual weapons turned out to be just a distraction so Axel could get back onto his feet. Of course, Roxas didn't know this, and thus the flame attack Axel unleashed came so suddenly that it could not be dodged. A burning slight sensation filled Roxas' upper body as the flames coated the poor boy. Even though the flames hurt, however, Roxas wouldn't give up so easily. He got back up to his feet, grabbed the keyblade, and charged right at Axel, hitting him in the gut.

BANG! The impact of the keyblade knocked Axel right off his feet.

"Hmm… maybe I was wrong," Axel coughed. "You're still the same old Roxas, even if you're just plain clueless."

"But, how do you know me?" Roxas exclaimed. "And, you're my 'best friend'? But… I've never seen you before… I think."

"Heh," snickered the pyromaniac, "looks like they messed you up more than I thought…"

After making that awkward statement, Axel backed off a little and entered a dark portal, still continuing to snicker. Roxas didn't even get a chance to ask any more questions before this red haired stranger vanished from sight. Well, whoever he was, he was just as confusing as Namine, pretty much. Speaking of which, Roxas had completely forgotten about his meeting with the girl!

Who knows how long that little brawl took! Namine could have given up on him by now! Still, there was that slight chance that everything would be fine, and such chances were the only ones that could be taken at the moment, so Roxas had no choice but to continue running towards the mansion. Luckily, the hole in the wall of the tram which led into the forest was only a few yards away, so Roxas charged towards his next destination without a second thought.

Now, as you may or may not know, when one tends to rush things, they often overlook their surroundings. The same can be said for our buddy Roxas. You see, as the blondey ran through the woods, he did not notice a certain dark portal that stood right in his way. Oh, he ran towards the mansion alright, and he came pretty close to reaching the gates, but because he wasn't thinking of this obstacle, Roxas ended up RIGHT in the middle of this vortex.

Destiny Island

"Kairi, you've been waiting here all day," groaned the squeaky voice of a young teenage girl.

Out by the shore of a beautiful paradise stood two teenagers, both females. You're probably wondering just who they were, right? Well, one of them, who had brown hair that was somewhat short and curled up near the ends, went by the name of Selphie. As for this other girl, she was, as Selphie referred to her, Kairi. Yes, Kairi, an auburn haired girl with eyes as blue as the ocean was waiting along the shores for a certain someone who was very important to her. That someone was Sora.

"I'd wait forever just to see… him again," Kairi sighed. "You know…Sora… I remember that he promised to come back for me, and until he does, I won't stop waiting."

"Aww, how romantic!" Selphie giggled. "When he gets back, you two should share a paopu fruit!"

Seplhie's mentioning of a paopu fruit sure didn't brighten the situation. In fact, it just made her miss Sora more. Unfortunately, though, Selphie was just too childish to think of one's feelings at a time like this, and therefore, paid no attention to the small tears dripping down Kairi's cheeks.

"Where am I?" questioned a voice out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Kairi sniffed.

Selphie gave her friend a puzzled look. "Something wrong, Kairi?"

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," replied the crimson haired lass.

Selphie tilted her head slightly before turning around. It seemed that she had grown bored of this slow conversation, and thus, she wanted to head home. This happened pretty much every day. Such routine wasn't anything new. Kairi would go to the island after school and wait for a few hours, Selphie would end up getting bored and run over to bug Wakka and Tidus, same old thing.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow…"

After that, Selphie skipped on home, leaving Kairi all by herself. By now, she was alright with this… even though she had missed Riku and especially Sora more than anything.

"Sora… where are you?" Kairi whispered.

"Sora? I've been hearing that name a lot, actually," said the strange voice that had spoken in Kairi's head just moments ago.

"Wha? Who's there!" Kairi yelled in surprise.

"I could ask you the same question. Anyway, I'm Roxas.

"Ok. I'm Kairi," replied the brunette.

"Whoa… you're SERIOUS! You've been in a few dreams of mine then."

"I have?"

"Yes, you, Sora, Riku, and a bunch of other people have filled my dreams a lot recently. I just don't know why I'm having these dreams, though. And here's the weird thing: it feels like I KNOW all of you…

"That IS odd," Kairi muttered. Roxas… R, O, X, A, S… sounds familiar, but different at the same time.

"Hey, Kairi, maybe we can--

WHOOSH

Roxas couldn't say another word, as he blacked out before finishing his sentence…

Roxas? Wake up! It's me!

Namine?

Yes. Don't worry, I bought you somewhere safe

Roxas opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of a dark abyss. Everything was shrouded in pure blackness except himself and Namine. This realm seemed so… plain. No light could be spotted, and the darkness descended for what seemed like miles in all directions. How could such a place even exist?

"N-Namine…" Roxas muttered, "Where are we?"

The girl with golden hair simply smiled. "Don't worry about that right now. You see, just as I said, it's JUST us here. Now I can tell you everything."

"Wait!" exclaimed the still dazed boy. "Before you say anything, I need to tell you something. You see, I was heading towards the mansion when I bumped into this creep in a black cloaked who claimed to be my 'best friend.' I've never even met the guy, but the strange thing is, when I looked at him, something flashed before my eyes."

"Oh… you're talking about Axel. Yes, you two ARE best friends… Hm, I guess he heard what happened to you…"

"What do you mean!" Roxas asked in a worried tone "Nothing's 'happened to me' besides these weird dreams and the fact that people I've never met seem to know everything about me!"

Namine frowned. "You know how I said I knew the truth about your past?"

"Yeah."

"Well, do you want to know?"

"Yes," Roxas sighed. "Everything has been so confusing, and lately, I just feel that I might not even know who I am anymore. It's as if everyone else knows more about me than I do, and to tell you the truth, I'm scared."

Smiling sweetly, Namine pulled out a pile of sketches out of nowhere and neatly spread them across the ground. These images depicted many scenes of Sora's adventures, images of friends and foes, that strange boy who had hauled Namine away, a man with red bandages over his face, and even… Roxas and Axel… together.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Sora and his friends," Namine whispered. "You see, something happened a long time ago… and Sora became the chosen wielder of the keyblade. He had to fight the powers of darkness, and even sacrifice his own heart to free someone VERY important to him. Well, let's just say that when Sora's heart was released… it had a VERY big impact on you."

"How so?"

"Well, Roxas… you're… you're not human."

End Day 3 Part 1

Part 2

Those three words that Namine uttered raced through Roxas' mind at a mile a minute. "You're not human," she had said…. But, how could this be true? He surely couldn't be any other creature, right? Or… was there something that the blondey had overlooked? All that he knew was that Namine knew what she was talking about, even if it sounded farfetched.

"W-what do you mean!" Roxas stuttered fearfully. "Not human? But… what else could I be?"

"You're…" Namine continued, "You're a nobody, an incomplete person. Nobodies are created when someone becomes a heartless, but those with strong hearts keep their human form, though visible changes are present. In other words, Roxas, when Sora gave up his heart, he became a heartless, and that impacted you because you're his nobody."

Just now things were beginning to sink in. If Roxas were Sora's nobody, that would explain why he had all of these Sora dreams, sorta. Namine still hadn't said what was causing the dreams.

"Now, the reason you have been having the dreams," continued the golden haired young lady, "is a totally different story. Last year, Sora, Donald and Goofy set off to search for Riku and King Mickey, but on their way, they stumbled into a place called Castle Oblivion. There, I was ordered by a nobody named Marluxia to unchain Sora's memories in order for him to be used as a tool for this Marluxia, and the other nobodies who were planning a rebellion against Organization XIII. In the end, though, I was freed and even convinced to return Sora's memories. It's actually been taking a long time, but with each day, another forgotten memory fills in the blanks in Sora's mind, which is why you are having the dreams."

Organization XIII… that name, for some reason, sounded familiar to Roxas.

"Wait, Namine," interrupted the confused nobody known as Roxas, "what's Organization XIII?"

Quietly, Namine arranged a row of sketches, thirteen to be precise. In each drawing was a different person, or nobody, to be precise, in a black cloak. Roxas examined these drawings, and while he did, something caught his eye. In one of the drawings was Axel, but that was only part of the amazement that befell the fifteen year old. What REALLY slapped him in the face was the thirteenth drawing… a picture of himself.

Namine had completely expected this reaction from Roxas. After all, he had no idea that he was even a nobody until just a few moments ago.

"Organization XIII is a group of nobodies who are more powerful than the rest," explained the girl. "Each member was born when a strong hearted person was transformed into a heartless. Axel was a member, though he's been dubbed a rogue now, but he's not the only one who has turned from them. Yes, you were once in the Organization, which is how you and Axel met and became friends. In fact, when you were first taken in, he was the one who had to show you 'the ropes', in a sense."

That actually sounded correct… with this explanation, a few of the holes in Roxas' memories were filling in. He now remembered his friendship with Axel, and how they were inseparable. The thought made him realize why the spiky redhead had been so upset when he learned that he had not been remembered by his own pal.

"So, all Axel wanted is to find me…" Roxas said guiltily, "…because I'm his best friend. I can't believe I ever forgot him… but wait, why did I even end up here? And, why couldn't I remember my time in the Organization?"

"I was just about to bring that up, actually," Namine replied, trying to lighten the mood by smiling. "You see, Sora's memory restoration originally was in Castle Oblivion, but then DiZ…"

Namine quickly pointed at a picture of the man dressed in red with bandages.

"Well, DiZ told me to move Sora to this town because it was a safer location. The problem, though, is that Sora's recovery process was taking a very long time. DiZ wanted to use Sora to destroy the Organization as a revenge plot because the top of the group were his six former assistants who betrayed him. However, if Sora took too long, DiZ's plans would fail, so he called upon Sora's friend Riku for some assistance. This is where you come into play, Roxas.

"DiZ had told Riku all about you, and how it would be possible to keep you close to Sora for a speedy recovery. Riku didn't even need a chance to think about this, as Sora is his best friend who he's known since they both were very young. At about the same time, you had left the Organization to find out why you could wield a keyblade. Well, anyway, let's just say that when Riku found you, he was thwarted by your power. He wouldn't give up so easily, though, and he tried as hard as he could to figure out how to capture you. A few days or so passed, and DiZ told him that in order to defeat someone in the realm of darkness, he would have to become darkness itself. Sora was too important to Riku, though, so, even if it was a terrible thing to do, Riku would take the risks."

Another sketch was pulled out showing a scene of two hooded figures dueling in the middle of a city in the dark realm. One was definitely Roxas, and the other was presumed to be Riku, though his face was covered by a hood.

"When Riku fought you for the second time, he had already given himself to darkness. Thanks to his newfound power, you were no match, and, well, he caught you. Immediately, you were taken to DiZ, who put you into a simulation of the place you were 'born', Twilight Town, until Sora was recovered… and, well that time is near, Roxas, and when it does come, DiZ is going to try and get you to rejoin with Sora just so he can be a more powerful 'tool' against the organization. In a sense, this town is just a trap. This will probably really hurt you, but… those friends of yours, like this town, are illusions meant to keep you occupied until Sora gets restored. Your whole life here isn't real… it's just a bunch of lies. I'm so sorry if I hurt you, but I had to tell you all this so you can have a chance to leave this place!"

Everything made sense now. Roxas was the nobody of Sora and a former member of Organization XIII. The white creatures were nobodies controlled by the Organization, or in this case, Axel. All that Axel wanted was to have his friend back. These dreams about Sora were side effects of the memory restoration process, and…this town was… an illusion. Hayner, Pence, and Olette meant nothing, in a sense. But, to Roxas they were his friends, and this town was the place he had called home. Learning that all that amounted to nothing was one of the most painful things he had ever heard.

Completely upset deep down inside, Roxas gave a sigh before responding to all the information Namine had shared with him. "Thanks, Namine… thank you for telling me the truth. I… I guess I'm just upset because everything here isn't real… and it never was. Even worse is that I've been a tool this whole time… just so DiZ can have his vengeance. I want out of this… is that possible?"

"It is possible to leave this place, Roxas, but you're going to have to rediscover your power over darkness that every nobody has. You have two days before Sora's memory will be restored, which doesn't leave you much time, but if you can get out of here and maybe pave your own path, DiZ might realize that not all nobodies are like his former apprentices. If you could pull that off, it would pay off for you both, trust me."

"But what about you, Namine? Will I ever see you again?"

"After today, I won't be able to help you. DiZ and Riku will probably keep me under their watch, but I promise that someday, when all this is over, we'll meet again," answered the golden haired teenager.

With that, there was a bright flash, and then Roxas found himself in the middle of the woods once again… the woods that were apparently an illusion. It was just too unbelievable that this whole world that seemed so real could be just a simulation. The ground, the trees, everything just felt…natural. For DiZ to create such a realistic world, he would have had to have been a mastermind.

After today's events, Roxas didn't really care about the struggle any more. It's not like he would gain anything from being champion, had he won. Namine's information, overall, just gave Roxas a negative feeling about nearly everything. He wanted out of this as soon as possible, even if it meant leaving behind his so called friends. Somehow, Roxas would have to find out how to tap into his powers, so he could make a dark portal, like the other nobodies could.

So, starting tomorrow, Roxas would try and relearn the abilities he once new before he had been captured him, but for now, he'd have to settle for the artificial life he had known.

"At least it was good while it lasted," sighed the poor teenager, as he made his way to the Usual Spot.

Twilight TownMansion

"Namine," growled the cloaked boy, or should I say, Riku, "I can't believe you told him EVERYTHING!"

After today's little incident with Roxas, Namine had been kept under lock and key. DiZ would not permit any more little visits, as the plans could have already been soiled by now. Everything just seemed to be going downhill thanks to the pesky girl and her need to help Roxas.

"Thanks to you, the plan…" Riku continued.

"Is all you care about that stupid plan these days, Riku?" interrupted the tricky nobody angrily. "You've let the darkness take over. What would Sora think if he saw you like this?"

Riku frowned from beneath the hood of his cloak. "Namine… I'm DOING this for Sora. He needs as much power as he can get if he's gonna take on the organization."

Such a statement didn't cheer up the girl, and she remained firm on her views.

"Ok, so Sora can take on Ansem, defeat countless heartless, and save the worlds, but he can't take on the organization on his own?" mocked the angered nobody.

"Alright, you win. But, still, Roxas is JUST a nobody. He shouldn't even exist."

"Well, in case you forgot, Riku," Namine growled, as if offended, "I'm a nobody too!"

SLAM! Right in Riku's face, the door to the white room had been slammed. The sound of sobbing could be heard from inside. Obviously, the 'just a nobody' bit had been enough to set off Namine, and now Riku regretted his stupid remark. Nobody or not, she was a girl, and Riku hated to see girls angered or crying… it just wasn't right to him, even if he was filled with darkness.

"DiZ, maybe she's right," sighed the close friend of Sora. "Roxas has the right to have his own say in this whole thing."

A simple maniacal laugh could be heard from DiZ. "A nobody doesn't have ANY right, child. They shouldn't even exist."

There was no sense arguing with DiZ, though Riku still had his own personal doubts. So, with a shrug, the cloaked teen slunk off into the pod room to watch over Sora. As he walked through the hall, he passed the pods containing Donald and Goofy, though they didn't really matter as much to him. Riku's mindset during this whole thing was just restoring Sora.

Inside the pod room, the only visible object was Sora's own pod. Nothing else appeared present here besides the pure white walls and floor. Silently, Riku made his way to the pod and looked into it. Sora was still in his deep slumber, unaware of his surroundings. He wouldn't notice his friend, and even if he did, the cloak kept Riku's identity in secrecy.

"Namine was right," Riku whispered, peering into the strange device. "I can't let you see me like this…"

End of Part 2

Day 4

Roxas awoke to the gleaming glow of the morning sun. During the previous day, after his little Namine visit, of course, the boy had been filled with a lugubrious feeling. Not only were his best friends simple illusions made by a madman called DiZ, but even worse is that he was being used as a tool in some sick and twisted scheme for revenge. It was as if, to Roxas, he was being punished for a crime he didn't commit. Things didn't end there, though. According to Namine, he would only have a meager two days to plot a way to escape this virtual prison and seek a newfound life and freedom. Some summer vacation this was turning out to be.

Now, as usual, Roxas had another dream about Sora, the "amazing" Keybarer. Not like that mattered anymore, though, since he already knew WHY he had the dreams. Nonetheless, it bothered Roxas that he had to be caught in the middle of all this. He longed for a simple life with his friends, but NOOO, he had to be an ex member of Organization XIII who was captured and wiped of all his memories and inserted into a fake Twilight Town. Instead of kicking back and enjoying summer vacation and all its thrills, Roxas got to face off with stupid white creatures… er, nobodies… and find that everything he thought he knew was a lie! All in all, this wasn't a pleasant experience.

All of those lingering thoughts sure didn't make a positive impression on Roxas, but, hey, that wasn't the big problem. As he got out of bed and slipped on his day clothes, he knew that he'd have to find out a way to control the darkness if he ever wanted to get away from this horrid, meddlesome nightmare. Because of this, the teenager had decided to spend the whole day out in the desolate woods by that cursed mansion where not a single soul would find him so he could try and re master his former abilities.

A few minutes flew by, though they seemed more like hours, and Roxas was now dressed and ready to waste away his time in the woods that didn't even exist, really. Still, it was the best place to train, due to the lack of people who would more than likely consider him insane for such obscure practices. Then again, it didn't really matter… but, right now, Roxas wanted to be alone. So, with a deep sigh, he slunk out the door and ambled towards his destination.

As he made his way towards the forest, Roxas could see that the station heights and tram were filled with all sorta of excitement. Young children dashed through the streets, while their parents made attempts to scold them. Business was booming at the shops, where people were picking up supplies needed for the upcoming school year. After all, tomorrow would be the last day of summer vacation. Then again, this world wasn't real, so who know how long time would last? Because of this thought, Roxas shrugged off any feelings he had about the lively town and just went about his business.

Minutes passed before Roxas reached that all-too-familiar hole in the tram wall. Beyond the brick wall would be the forest, where he'd begin his rehabilitation with the darkness. In his mind, the boy knew such a task wouldn't be simple, but it was what had to be done. After all, Sora's awakening would zoom right around the corner if he didn't hurry. So, quickly, Roxas crouched down and slunk into the woods, where he'd spend the whole day, if not longer, working on training procedures.

The first thing that had to be done was for Roxas to concentrate hard on his shattered memories of being a part of the Organization. Eyes closed, he focused his thoughts, hoping for a sign of anything that would help him escape. At first, there was nothing besides a few faded images, but the harder Roxas concentrated, the more vivid these images became. Soon, the memories showed themselves.

The first thing he saw when these memories arose was himself lying down in the middle of the back alley in Twilight Town with two mysterious men watching over him. Both conversed about how useful the keyblade's chosen one would be and all that jazz. Later, Roxas saw himself having a discussion with the head of the Organization, Xemnas, but that still didn't provide any help for an escape plan.

More and more memories flew by. These ranged from Roxas joining the Org from his first time meeting Axel. Even with these, no signs of dark powers were displayed… yet.

Deeper into the Axel memory, the duo could be seen making portals and walking through them. THIS was what would be needed to escape! Now, Roxas just needed to be able to call upon this power and flee from this simulated world for good.

As the solution for the escape plan had been revealed, Roxas opened his eyes and took a look around. No sunlight shone through the roofs of these tall trees, making the area a better location than others when it came to gathering darkness. Now the whole escape was just a matter of time and practice with dark energy. Such practices would more than likely focus around thoughts of anger, sorrow, and other things. It was just common sense. I mean, it's not like happiness and glee would be tools of darkness!

Ok, Roxas thought. I just have to focus… Negative thoughts will fuel me, and hopefully I can get a little dark energy from this. Right… Now let's see, I'm ticked. My life has been a lie, my friends aren't real, I've been used as a tool, and it's all Sora's fault. I think that's a good start

Indeed this was a great beginning for gathering the powers of darkness. With such angry thoughts, Roxas began concentrating hard, trying to pull a bit of darkness out of this place. His fuel was the repeating thoughts that plagued his mind ever since the day before. Over and over again these images played, while he tried very hard to draw upon the negative energy of the forest. As he performed this little ritual, a dark aura surrounded his very being. Quickly, Roxas called upon his keyblade and unleashed a devastating blow upon one of the trees, splitting it in half!

This small move was only the beginning of Roxas' training for his great escape, yet it was still a grand start! Now all he had to do was keep gathering more anger, sadness, pain, and fear, and soon, he'd be free!

The Usual Spot

Hayner, Pence sat upon the cough in their favorite hangout, but something was amiss. Ever since yesterday, Roxas hadn't been his normal self. Upon his return from the visit with Namine, he was unusually quiet, and he didn't seem to care when Hayner told him how the Struggle had been cancelled due to an attack by the nobodies, or 'freaks in white jumpsuits', as they had been referred to by Seifer. When offered ice cream, Roxas shrugged and was very hesitant when eating. It was as if something had been bothering him… something serious.

Today, not a single sign of the blondey could be found. He hadn't even stopped by to say hello or anything. This left the trio filled with worry. It was just so unusual for Roxas to just vanish without a single notice.

"Do you think he's alright, Hayner?" Pence asked with a frown on his face. "He's usually never this late."

Hayner said nothing. He just closed his eyes and thought hard, something he usually never did. Truly, though he seemed to be the cocky type, Hayner DID have a more generous and caring side, though it usually never surfaced. Things were different right now, however, thanks to Roxas' quiet and upset mood from yesterday added to today's absence. Feelings he had usually never dealt with filled Hayner's mind: guilt, worry, even a bit of sadness. Over the past few days, he had treated his friend like dirt in a sense by not believing or even thinking about what was going on, constantly teasing him, and just being a total jerk in general. Now Hayner really regretted all of this.

As his eyelids lifted, Hayner let out a deep sigh. Then he finally spoke. "You know, I feel kinda bad now… I mean, the way I treated Roxas… it makes me feel guilty. Maybe we should have listened and tried to help him. I…I guess, I'm just worried too. Hopefully he's alright."

Olette tried to crack a smile, but deep down, she knew now was not the time. She took a deep breath and simply whispered, "He really hasn't been himself lately. Usually Roxas is more cheery and light hearted. I hate to see him in such a mess."

"Maybe we should look for him!" Pence suggested. "He couldn't have gone far, and maybe he can explain what's up…"

For once today, Hayner couldn't help but give a slight grin. "Yeah, well, he'd better tell us when I get my hands on him! C'mon, let's go!"

The Forest

Indeed the forest had proven a worthy place for Roxas' practices. Here in the shade of the trees, there would be no interruptions, and the shadows were a nice added bonus, as said before. Anyway, by now, a few trees had been damaged by this dark energy Roxas had been using. Many of these poor, though simulated, trees were now split into two pieces, but, hey, SOMETHING had to be punching bags for his practices. The only problem was that Roxas had only used offensive moves, which wouldn't get him out of this joint.

Maybe I'm approaching this from the wrong direction… pondered the blondey. I should be trying to get OUT of here, darn it! Think, Roxas, think…

When he had damaged the trees, Roxas had simply channeled the dark energy from his anger into his keyblade. Such a tactic was great for an offensive technique, though transportation would require something else. Well, it was doubtful that a weapon such as the keyblade would be of much help, so with a sigh, Roxas sent the over sized key away and sat down on the simulated grass for a quick breather.

"Man I'm exhausted," he muttered, the trees being his only company. "I really shouldn't rest long, though… after all, Sora could be nearly ready by now. I…I just need to focus… and maybe figure out how to make those darn portals…"

SWISH! A faint rustle in the trees could be heard from behind Roxas. Slightly fearful, he turned around and stared deeply into the rows of trees, but nothing appeared out of place. Everything simply appeared still from the short green grass to the trees, many of which had been damaged by Roxas in his little dark rage.

With a sigh of relief, Roxas turned around and rubbed the beads of sweat off his face. "I guess I'm imagining things…"

"I doubt it's even possible for a nobody to have an imagination," grunted a deep and mysterious voice.

All at once, a figure in blood red clothing stepped out from behind Roxas. This man was very unusual. On his face were bandages, wrapped around all of his features, preventing his identity from being revealed. He was quite tall, and in his single visible eye was a gleam of hatred and vengeance. Only one man could fit such a description, and that was the same person Namine had warned Roxas about: DiZ.

So, this was the fiend who was behind all of this. Why had he come? Could it be that he wanted to convince Roxas not to escape? If that were the case, then surely this man would be disappointed, as his being here would only add fuel to the fire, so to speak. From what Namine had said about DiZ, he was clouded by his hatred of his former apprentices, and because of this, he thought of all nobodies as being worthless. Well, Roxas had decided right at this very moment that he'd prove otherwise.

"YOU!" Roxas growled. "Why are you here? If it's to try and get me to fuse with Sora, then GO. AWAY. Namine told be all about you and how you're behind this lie that I thought was my life!"

DiZ was not even slightly intimidated. All he did was let out a simple cackle. "You should be grateful, nobody. You have been given the gift of existence, something you don't even deserve. It is useless to try and run. You'll fade back into the darkness either way."

"You're…" snarled the angered nobody, "you're kidding right! You just come and waltz by and say that I should just GIVE UP! Well, tough luck. I have a right to make my own decisions."

"Nobodies don't have any rights. You shouldn't even have the scanty existence that you've been given."

No matter what Roxas said, DiZ would simply go on about how he wasn't supposed to exist in the first place. This guy sure had an ego. The more he mouthed off, the more Roxas began to hate him. It was then that he realized that his offensive tactics HAD come and handy. If he could split a tree in half, imagine what would happen when this DiZ met the painful blow of the keyblade! What made this situation even better was that Roxas was already angry… so very angry. And now was the time he would release said anger.

THWOOSH! Roxas did unleash his power, but his blow did not his DiZ. In fact, the keyblade simply hit the cold air… and since there was no object for it to land against, Roxas ended up landing face down deep in the emerald colored grass. In reality, he was unsure if DiZ had even been there in the first place. The jerk had disappeared so suddenly that it was more than likely just an image created by Roxas' anger.

Here he lie on the grass, frustrated yet exhausted. That little burst of anger and dark energy may not have caused any damage, but it sure took a lot out of Roxas, who was already pretty tired. Panting, he decided to just stay still for a while and close his eyes. In his mind, images of his past mocked him. DiZ, the organization, Axel, Namine, and worst of all, Sora surrounded him, laughing nonstop. Their voices muffled Roxas' mind, shouting things like "Give up!" and "What a worthless tool…" Despite how much he tried to stay awake, however, all attempts failed, as the dog-tired nobody blacked out.

Tram Common

By now it was nearly evening, and the glowing hot sun began to slink below the horizon. So far, Hayner and the gang had seen not one sign of their friend. Why, they were so desperate that the trio even asked Seifer's if they'd spotted the blondey. Unfortunately, not even those jerks had caught a single glance of him, though. Because of this strange disappearance, and the fact that night time was around the corner, Hayner, Pence, and Olette were even more frightened for their friend.

As they made their way through the Tram Common, the only people who could be seen were parents finishing up their summer shopping, some children darting and dashing, and the merchants who ran the shops. Nearly every inch of the town had been searched, and by now, it seemed that it was best to give up… or was it?

All at once, Hayner eyed that hole in the Tram wall. A thought came to mind. What if THAT was where Roxas was hiding? Nobody dared going into the forest because the Mansion on the other side was supposedly haunted. If there were a perfect hiding place in Twilight Town, anywhere beyond that wall was the place. Now things were piecing together. Nobody else had spotted Roxas because he was in the most desolate place around!

With this thought in mind, the arrogant, yet still worried, teen rushed on through the hole without even giving his friends a first notice. All that mattered right now was finding Roxas and finding out why on earth he had ran away like that.

"ROXAS!" Hayner yelled at the top of his lungs, still running.

No response came, but that didn't stop him from looking. The grass was town to shreds thanks to Hayner's stamina and speed, as he went deeper and deeper into the woods… that is, until he found just who he was looking for… lying on the ground, out cold.

At that exact moment, Hayner's eyes widened so much that one could wear they'd break through his eye sockets. Here was his best friend, out like a light, lying in the grass of a forest that NOBODY bothered to visit. Even worse was that he didn't look like he was in very good condition. Now worry filled Hayner's very being, as he found himself running over to the unconscious teen and lifting him up.

"Hang in there, Roxas," he whispered, "I'll get ya outta here…"

So now, with Roxas atop his shoulder, Hayner trekked back to the tram and made his way back to the Usual Spot.

Somewhere

Roxas found himself in a dark abyss, alone, scared. Only the maniacal sounds of laughter could be heard, never stopping. He looked all around him, only to find nothing. The place was an endless abyss, and even worse was that he was all by himself. Yes, he did try to run, but it seemed as if the place continued on forever and ever, the mocking cackles continuing. All at once, a voice could be heard, taunting him.

Run, run, run away, Roxas. It won't do you any good. We'll find you

He stopped, trying to locate whoever this voice belonged to. However, this was unsuccessful, as everything was still dark and empty. Yet, even in the midst of this nothingness, the shrill sounds of laughter would not fade… they just continued to haunt Roxas. Then, again, more voices could be heard.

You shouldn't have betrayed your best friend, Roxas. Got it memorized?

Flames, flames of anger surrounded Roxas, engulfing him. A burning sensation ran up his spine. It hurt… it hurt to the point of near insanity. What was happening to him? Did the world hate his very being? As the flames torched his young body, a blurry figure could be seen approaching him. That brown, spiky hair… those cold blue eyes, the balloon pants, and… THAT KEY! It was… him… Sora. This was just like his vision from earlier, only… it felt so real.

A sinister, toothy grin spread across Sora's face as he made his way towards Roxas. Each step he took, the more intense the heat of the fire became. Soon, Sora was just inches away, and that was when he lifted his keyblade, and uttered a taunting phrase.

"You're just a nobody… you were never supposed to exist. Now you never will again."

With that, the keyblade hit Roxas hard, and then –

Roxas awoke, gasping for his life. Where was he, and what happened to Sora? Could all of that been a dream? Well, he was alive, so it had to be. Still, the feeling of the flames, and that glare in Sora's eyes… it was all so vivid. Yet… deep down inside, Roxas knew it was just his imagination.

His eyes examined the area, and a conclusion was drawn: he was back at the usual spot. Now, this wasn't necessarily good, since that meant that Hayner had found him, but hey, it sure beat being knocked out in the middle of a forest. But then realization hit. It was late, probably near midnight by now, and Roxas would be making his escape soon, or trying to. This meant that he'd be leaving his friends behind for good. Even if they were simulations, they were the only people he had, spare Axel, who hadn't shown his face since the day before. Though artificial, they could think and feel, and surely they would worry about Roxas after he left. Such thoughts caused him to pull ut a piece of paper and a pen, and then… he wrote a note.

"Hayner, Pence, Olette, I'm so incredibly sorry to say this, but I can no longer stay here in TwilightTown. You see, the last few days have been insane, but now know the reasons, and as much as it pains me to say this, I must go. When I vanished on the day of the struggle, and on the day of the beach, it was because I went to see this girl named Namine who explained everything to me, and the truth really hurt. I'm sure you won't understand this, but, this place is a simulation and a copy of the real TwilightTown. So, if it's fake, why am I writing this note? Well, you three have been my friends through all this, and I just have to thank you for everything. Please don't worry about me now, as I'll be fine.

Goodbye, my friends.

Roxas

So the final letter had been written. Hopefully Roxas' friends would go on just fine, even if they weren't real. Deep inside Roxas, he really longed for the dream of this world being real and of himself having nothing to do with Sora. All he wanted was a carefree life with his friends, but such a thing just wasn't going to happen. Tomorrow, he would leave behind his life here in Twilight Town in search for a better purpose, and maybe, just maybe, he'd find a place where he could fit in.

As minutes passed, Roxas took one final look at the Usual Spot, and he walked off to get his last night's sleep in this virtual prison.

End Day 4

Day Five

In the basement of the mansion, DiZ sat in front of the computer screen, observing Sora's progress. All was silent; spare the clicking and beeping of the machinery. At the moment, the bandaged man was quite frustrated. Today Roxas was supposed to return to Sora, but now he realized that this just wouldn't happen… but that didn't mean that he'd just give up on his plans. Something had to be done..

With a yawn, DiZ called out, saying, "Riku! I need to have a word with you!"

Almost instantly, the cloaked teen emerged from the pod room, trekking towards the hate-filled man in red. He didn't seem very excited to be called upon by DiZ, but nonetheless, he had to help out… for Sora's sake.

"What is it?" Riku groaned.

DiZ quickly turned to face the young man. "I have not given up, Riku. I want you to bring Roxas here. He must return to Sora at all costs!"

"And what if I don't want anything else to do with your plans?" scoffed the arrogant teenager in response. "Namine really knocked some sense into me the other day… I've let myself become a pawn not only to you, but to the darkness in my heart. If you want Roxas so badly, get him yourself!"

That was all Riku had to say. Immediately after making his little statement, he stomped up the stairs. He really had been through enough with this whole Roxas incident, and it wasn't very pleasant. In fact, he had become so filled with darkness ONLY to help Sora. Thank goodness he would be awakening today, but, as happy as Riku was, he had to leave. If he saw what was underneath the cloak… well, it just wasn't a pleasant thing to think about.

Tram Common

The afternoon sun shone brightly on the paved ground in the Tram common. Things were quiet today, as many people were down at the beach because of the celebration of the last day of summer. As Roxas made his way towards the forest once again, he once again longed for a normal life, but it was best not to dwell on things such as simple wishes. Besides, there was something far more important. Today was the day that he had to make his escape.

Really, Roxas had no idea why he was heading towards the mansion. Sora was bound to be there, and if he wasn't careful, he could end up being fused anyway. Even though there was that chance, however, he just felt a need to enter the mansion. Maybe it was because DiZ was there, and he wanted to face him… or perhaps he was just going for the heck of it. Either way, the haunted mansion was his destination.

Roxas entered the forest, where he noticed the damage that he had done yesterday. Those trees may have been digital, but they were still split, cut up, and all around a gruesome sight to behold. Quickly, he turned his attention away from the trees and continued to trudge through the jade colored grass. Over and over again, one thought filled Roxas' mind, and that was escape.

When Roxas finally reached the mansion, he found that the gate had been sealed again. Thank goodness he was a keyblade master, though, or getting inside would have actually been tough. Just as he did during his last visit here, the teen called forth his keyblade and unlocked the gates. Now all he had to do was step inside and see what fate was in store for him. Breathing deeply, Roxas slowly walked towards the door to the mansion, turned the knob, and entered the building. Little did he know, he was being followed. Inside the mansion, that oh-so-familiar boy in black could be seen walking through a dark portal. Apparently Riku didn't want to stay here any longer.

Man, Roxas thought, even that guy can make portals… I just hope that I can get out of here before it's too late

A strange light could be seen gleaming through one of the doors on the upper floor. This door was just across the one leading to Namine's room. Something wasn't right about that glow… More than likely, the doors lead to where Sora was being kept. Sora… that name still gave Roxas chills ever since he found out about his past. He wasn't planning on going anywhere near that place, really, but not all things go according to plan.

A strange sound emerged from the ground. Whatever it was, it sorta sounded familiar. Could it be… nobodies? Well, there was only one way to find out, so Roxas turned around only to find that his suspicion was true, and right before him was a small group of dusks, and a new type of nobody that was far larger and had strange spikes on its limbs.

It looked like trouble had just come around the corner. All Roxas wanted was to leave Twilight Town, but now he found himself closer to Sora than he had wanted to be with about ten nobodies ready to attack. Things were about to get pretty violent, as he summoned the keyblade, but there was a difference now: Roxas knew how to use the darkness for offensive techniques. All he had to do was focus on his anger.

The dusks at the front of the nobody group jumped right at Roxas, aiming to hit him with their stretchy limbs. They failed, though, as a reversal technique was used against them, and they met the end of the keyblade oh so suddenly. Although knocked back by this blow, the dusks unleashed another attack, hitting Roxas, but then being tossed back by a countering blow. SPLAT! Well, that took care of the first rank of the little buggers, but right as they were destroyed, the next row lunged forward.

Now was the time for Roxas to put his dark powers to the test. Closing his eyes, he focused on all his pain, his envy of Sora and his hatred of DiZ. The aura of darkness surrounded his being, and the stage was set. It really was a shame that the dusks were caught so off guard, as the keyblade, combined with the dark energy, led to their demise. Now only four nobodies remained… but, they were the huge assassin ones.

Swiftly, Roxas charged at these strange nobodies, but they sunk into the ground. He tried his best to nail them on the heads, but all attempts for physical blows missed. For an evasive method, the assassins were slinking in circles around Roxas, while keeping themselves stuck in the ground. When they got close enough, the nobodies would lash out at his legs, knocking him off his feet. Their claws were incredibly painful, and when the lashes were made, a stinging sensation ran up to his knees, and Roxas could barely move.

By now, the assassins had emerged from their hiding place in the floor, and they prepared to give out another lashing. The pain from the previous lashing kept Roxas pinned to the ground but he wasn't about to allow himself to experience the stinging pain a second time. With the keyblade in his hand, he attempted to role towards the nobodies and attack them from underneath with another dark blow.

SHINK! The metallic key-shaped weapon cut right through one of the assassins and hit another in the head. This aggravated the other nobodies, and they quickly hovered right before Roxas… and they were glowing, as if they were about to explode! All signs of a stinging sensation were gone by now, luckily, which meant that he could get back to his feet, but the blondey had only moved a few feet away when both assassins committed a suicidal attack, sending him flying towards the wall!

SLAM! Roxas hit the wall hard. Sharp pains ran down his spine and down to his legs. The assassins were gone now, thank goodness, but that didn't stop the intense stings that the pressure of the wall had caused. Well, at least without any other nobodies in the room, it couldn't get any worse… for now.

Before he got up, Roxas decided to take a moment to sit still, since his back hurt like crazy. Who would have guessed that something that happened so quickly would be so painful? Anyway, once he got back to his feet, our blonde haired buddy turned his head over to the strange glowing room. DiZ had to be in there, and that meant that Roxas could show him what he was made of.

Though slowly, Roxas entered the mysterious room. Inside there was strangely enough a butt load of books, worn down suits of armor, and a strange staircase heading downward. There was a haunting mood in this place, as cobwebs covered the shelves, and the worn down armor was coated in rust and mold. It was revealed that this strange staircase lead to the bright blue glow that could be seen from outside. DiZ must have been at the bottom.

When Roxas reached the bottom of the stairs, he found himself in a place that looked far more futuristic than the rest of the mansion. Bizarre machinery could be found on every wall, giving out a bright blue glow. Before him stood a strange door, which lead to who-knows-where. The whole mood that this basement gave wasn't pretty, especially the strange door, but now was not a time to stall. Somewhere in this basement was DiZ, and all Roxas wanted to do right now was thrash that creep. So, though with some hesitation, he ambled through the doorway.

Roxas POV

I felt kind of tense when I entered this place. Everything was so dark that I could barely see, but I HAD to find DiZ. What he did… the way he used me was just unforgivable. Because of him, I had to live through this lie. Not only that, but the things he said yesterday about me being worthless and not having a right to exist really hurt. Man, this creep would regret what he did.

Something about this strange room made me uneasy. On the far left was a computer with several monitors showing pictures and text all involving Sora. To the right was another weird door that was illuminated by a white gleam. The rest of this place was just filled with more machinery. One thing was missing, though, and that was DiZ… the man I hated above everything else.

I WAS about to head towards the next room, knowing that, more than likely, DiZ would be there… and Sora. Note the emphasis on 'was'. The thing is, as I made my way towards the door, I was interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"So I heard that you've been trying to escape," snickered a voice that could only belong to Axel. "Guess that witch Namine told you everything too."

I turned around to face my friend and sighed. "Yeah, I want to get out of here… but not until I take care of DiZ. He wiped my memories, implanted me into this simulation… and… what's worse is that I believed those lies. Axel… I just want to be…free."

There was something about Axel that wasn't quite right. He seemed… angry. His eyes were narrow, and in his hands were his chakrams. Something told me that Axel wasn't planning on a friendly conversation. But, didn't he realize that I remembered him? Then again, if I was forgotten by my best friend, I suppose I wouldn't be very sympathetic until they asked for forgiveness. Funny how things work, eh?

Axel spat at the floor and lifted up his arms, as if ready to attack. "You remember me, eh, Roxas? BUDDY! Well, you obviously are clueless about how you LEFT! Got it memorized?"

That last statement really confused me. I never remembered ever leaving him. What kind of friend would walk off like that, anyway? Besides, wasn't I captured by Riku? At least, that's what Namine said. Heck, I even REMEMBERED that… but nothing came to mind about me leaving Axel.

Puzzled, I replied by saying, "What are you talking about? I never left you… Riku captured me. Best friends don't just leave. Where would you get such an idea?"

Oddly enough, he broke into laughter at my questions. I didn't get it. How was I being funny? Everything I said was dead serious. All I wanted was to be friends with him again…

"You're totally clueless, aren't ya?" Axel groaned. "I guess you didn't get the full story… or maybe you're just too stubborn to apologize! Well, if that's the case, I'll have to MAKE you admit that you were an arse!"

Ok, so he was ticked. Even worse was that I'm sure he would 'MAKE' me apologize by trying to fight me again. Great… just another way to stall for time. I just wish that he wouldn't be so aggressive and explain, because maybe then I'd understand. Unfortunately, I doubt that would happen any time soon. But… I just wanted to understand. When did I leave? In my mind, I continued to ask myself this, until it hit me right in the face.

End Roxas POV

Flashback

In the middle of a dark city, the rain was pouring down like rapid fire in the middle of a war. This place had no sunlight, and the only light came from the buildings, and a moon that seemed to have a shape similar to a heart. This particular world was the place where Organization XIII dwelled. As for the name, it was called The World that Never Was.

Over by one of the skyscrapers, Roxas and Axel could be seen conversing. Whatever they were talking about wasn't a very light or pleasant matter, as Axel appeared to be upset. Roxas, on the other hand, had a determined look on his face, and in his hands were two keyblades.

"Your mind's made up?" Axel asked in an upset tone. "I guess that means I'm going to be on my own again."

"I have to," Roxas replied, unphased by his friend's sadness. "Why did the keyblade choose me? I have to know."

End Flashback

Roxas POV

I couldn't believe it. It was just too hard. Axel was right when he blamed me for leaving him. As hard as it was to take all this in, it was the truth. Now I understood why he was so hurt. When I was standing out there, I didn't even say I was sorry, nor did I ask if he wanted to come. I was, as he said, an arse.

"Hmm," he scoffed, "too ashamed to admit the TRUTH! Heh, it figures as much. You were always stubborn… and that was a mistake…"

Chakrams at his side, Axel jumped at me, unleashing that all-too-familiar flurry of flames. And as usual, he caught me off guard. Yay… Why was I always so unprepared. Well, anyway, the burning sensation was just like in my dream. It ran right up my spine, and I literally felt like I was being chucked into a volcano. Actually, I half expected to see Sora suddenly appear and put an end to me with his keyblade because, well, everything else seemed to be occurring like in the dream. Everyone seemed to hate me, was disappointed, or wanted to use me like a tool.

As I was being enveloped by the flames, reality slapped my right in the face. My mind forgot all about the dream and went back to this current situation. Axel seemed to be waiting for me to make my move, since he just stood there waving his arms slightly. Heh, I suppose that was pretty predictable, since he'd never destroy his best friend, no matter how angry he was. Good old Axel, always there for me… even if it meant a little pain.

So Axel was refusing to attack just because he still cared about me. Very well, but that didn't mean I was gonna let myself get practically cooked. I mean, this was terribly painful, and with my 'buddy' just standing there, this would be the perfect opportunity to strike back. Quickly, I grabbed my keyblade, despite the flames wrapped around me, and I jumped right at my adversary. Too bad he had predicted this move and blocked me with his chakrams. Immediately after that little maneuver, he pushed me back with his two weapons, and I… well, I lost my grip on the keyblade.

Man, Axel was slick! The whole disarming move really was unexpected. Even worse is that when I tried to reach the keyblade, he blocked it off by surrounding the two of us with flames. The fiery barrier would definitely keep me in range for any offensive assaults from the red haired pyromaniac, and it seemed as if defeat were crawling around the corner.

"Well," Axel whispered in a sinister tone, "isn't this a little bit surprising? The keyblade's chosen one without his trusty little weapon to protect him, but, you know what? I'm going to give you a fair chance to fight back. Got it memorized? I'll just stand here, and you throw your best moves at me. We'll see if you're really as skilled as you used to be."

Again, I wasn't surprised. Deep down, Axel wouldn't do anything to REALLY hurt me. It just wasn't his way. If only I could convince him to stop fighting, THEN things would be even better. But, at the moment, I needed to figure out what I was gonna do. Here I sat, disarmed, surrounded by flames, and with no method for fighting back. What was I to do? I sighed and tried my best to concentrate. Maybe I could summon the keyblade again, since I was the 'chosen one'. My eyes closed, and I tried to call the keyblade back. Nothing happened. Frustrated, I tried even harder to summon my weapon, but, I think something was blocking that. Maybe the darkness was clouding my mind. All I had been thinking about since I entered this room was giving DiZ payback, but… that would only make me like him.

DiZ was apparently angered because six of his apprentices had betrayed him and let the darkness swallow their hearts. Because of that, they had become heartless, which caused their nobodies to form. Namine said something about them being the six highest-ranking members of the Organization. That made sense then, since DiZ wanted to have a sweet little revenge. The problem, I think, is that if I tried to have my own vengeance on him, I'd be sinking just as low… and, maybe all this vengeful thinking was blocking my connection with the keyblade.

All at once, during this whole concentration, a little thought formed in my mind. The darkness was incredibly powerful, but in the dreams about Sora, he said that there's always that powerful light in a heart that never fades. Light… darkness… focusing my thoughts on the negative energy had caused me to quit thinking straight because I was being aggressive. I had to balance my light and darkness.

Axel seemed pretty bored by now. He was tapping his foot impatiently, while, to him, I probably looked like I had major gas pains.

"You're sure taking your sweet time," muttered the spiky red head under his breath. "Hurry up! Got it memorized?"

Little did my impatient friend know, I was coming up with a new strategy with this whole 'balance' thing. My thoughts would not only be filled with my anger, pain, and all that, but also the good things I had until I found out the truth. Things were pretty good for me until two days ago. It was just Hayner, Pence, Olette, and, of course, me, hanging out and maybe having a few dilemmas with Seifer. So it wasn't real, and I accepted that now, but it's the closest thing I've ever had to 'light'. As I kept my thoughts pretty much balanced, I felt something strange. Some new power was coursing through my veins, well, if nobodies even have veins, and all at once, a glow surrounded both of my hands.

Seconds later, I was given quite the shocker, so to speak. By keeping myself in a balanced state, I definitely got back the keyblade… but, it was not alone, and it appeared to have a new decal. That's right, now I had TWO keyblades! One of them was white and very angelic looking, with a keychain that looked like, I think, Kairi's lucky charm. In the flames surrounding Axel and me, this weapon shone with a powerful aura, and, something in my mind told me it was called "Oathkeeper". The other keyblade was way different than Oathkeeper. Instead of being bright and angelic, the blade was pure black with a bit of grey for the decorations. From the looks of this thing, it seemed more evil and dark. Yet again, I just had some weird feeling that this second blade had a special name, "Oblivion".

Axel was now facing the opposite direction and pacing slightly. I could easily tell that he'd become tired of waiting, but, being who he is, would still give me a fair chance. Well, now that I had two keyblades, I don't know if it was exactly 'fair', but hey, it's not like he'd notice until they made contact with his FACE! Yes, it sounded harsh, but he's the one who set me on fire, so a little smack on the face was practically nothing.

Quickly and quietly, I jumped right towards Axel from behind. He must've had good hearing, because he turned right towards me almost immediately. By the time he noticed me, I was up in the air with both keyblades ready to make contact with him. Obviously, he was pretty shocked, since moments ago I didn't even have ONE weapon to fight with, yet, now I had two. As my blades came closer to their target, Axel tried to deflect them with his chakrams. I guess he was trying to disarm me again. Well, unfortunately for him, this time I had TWO little keyblades to match the strength of his dual chakrams. There was no way I'd let him pull another reckless stunt.

Both of us assaulted one another head on with our dual weapons. Whenever I tried to hit Axel with my keyblades, he'd deliver an equal blow with his circular tools of spiky doom. I guess we were both equally matched as far as strength and skill went. Anyway, for about the eighth time in a row, I tried to land a heavy blow on Axel, but this time, instead of blocking, he merely jumped behind the flames surrounding us.

I scanned the area, just to make sure Axel wouldn't pull any fast ones, but so far, I was having no luck. That spiky haired weirdo had just vanished into the inferno, so it seemed. Something wasn't right about this, though. I could just sense that Axel was trying to confuse me. Then, all at once, I heard something from behind. Quickly, I spun around, but I was too late. Axel had jumped out from the flames and got me with a wave of flames, and once again, I felt that all-too-familiar burning sensation…. But that wasn't going to stop me now!

Though my skin burned like a thousand suns, I couldn't let Axel win. There was just some voice inside my mind telling me that I HAD to make it through this. That small bit of encouragement along with everything else that had fueled my ambitions in the past just seemed to all come together at that very moment when I dove at Axel with full force and shoved my two keyblades right at his chest… and, to my surprise, my two oversized keys weren't met by the force of the two chakrams this time.

Almost instantly, the burning blazes that had just filled the room moments ago died down. The whole room fell silent. Axel was on his knees, grabbing onto his chest in pain. In my hands remained Oblivion and Oathkeeper, but I didn't need them right now. There was no need to harm Axel any more than this. Even after this little quarrel, I still desperately wanted to be his friend.

Those two gleaming green eyes stared up at me with a look of surprise. On Axel's face was that trademark smirk of his. I actually think he was trying to laugh at this whole thing, but the pain in his chest enabled him only to cough. Still, at that moment, I wondered if he still was angered. I wanted to apologize to him, I really did, and in truth, I had the words arranged in my mind, but something was…interrupting me.

End Roxas POV

Flashbac

Rain continued to ascend from the skies above as Roxas prepared to embark on a new road to find the truth about his past. He felt no sympathy for poor old Axel, who was crushed by the fact that his only friend would just leave without a second thought. The lingering mysteries of his past were the only things of importance to the blonde haired nobody at the moment.

Many strange feelings sped through Axel's mind. What was he to do? If Roxas left, he could easily be marked as traitor. That wasn't even close to being good, either, since traitors were usually dealt with in the most unpleasant ways. If anything like that happened to Roxas, surely the poor fire-loving Axel would never forgive himself. He had to convince his best friend to stay…

"You can't turn on the Organization!" shouted the slick, red head all of the sudden. "You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!"

Unfortunately, Roxas was unphased by his friend's loud remark. A simple shrug and a snappy comment were the replies to a warning that really was given by someone who cared.

"No one would miss me," responded the Organization's 13th member with no sound of pity in his voice.

Following that short comment, Roxas started to walk off again, and it seemed that nothing would stop the boy by now. Seeing this, Axel tried one final time to change his friend's mind.

"That's not true!" he shouted, as the last bit of Roxas' figure could be seen slinking around the corner. "I would…"

End Flashback

Roxas POV…again

To tell you the truth, I was shocked at myself. Was I really that careless? It was just too much. Now I truly saw why Axel was angered. A few days ago, I had no memory of him, yes, but the fact that even though most of my memories had been restored BESIDES the fact that I was so snide must have hurt too. Sure, he seemed aggressive, but I really could see that all Axel wanted was an apology, and, of course, his old friend back.

A frown grew upon my face. Not only was I an arse, but, I seemed to lack any sign of emotion back when I left. Was that really how I had been before all of this? I guess… well, I guess that I really did deserve the punishment I had been through. Right now, though, I had to tell Axel how I felt. With Hayner, Pence, and Olette being fake, he was the only one I could turn to now.

"Axel," I whispered, looking my friend straight in the eyes, "I'm…I'm so sorry…"

It seemed that my apology had caught HIM off guard for once, as words seemed unable to materialize in his mouth. Slowly, Axel stood up, albeit a little off balance. He continued to wear the expression of shock on his visage, but… he seemed to be materializing one of those dark portals again.

"Well, Roxas," he finally said, "you're quite the emotional sap now, aren't ya? Well..."

Heh, it figured that Axel would say something snappy like that, but what he said next was very powerful in my eyes. Sure, it was only three simple words, plus an extra one thrown in, but, the meaning was strong…

"I forgive ya, kid."

Things were cut pretty short, after our little 'moment'. I guess Axel wanted to get the heck out of here, since he was starting to walk…well, limp, actually, towards that portal of his. Maybe it's because he didn't want to be caught dawdling by the rest of the Organization. BUT, before he DID leave, though, he said one last thing, and… it was VERY odd.

"If we advance forth, can we ever meet again? The future goes on to everywhere."

With that said my friend entered his portal and vanished. I was, yet again, alone. For a moment, I took everything in. Hayner, Pence, and Olette weren't real, which left me friendless, besides Axel, who would probably be in serious trouble with Organization XIII. Namine was, well, somewhere… but she apparently promised that we'd meet again. Why couldn't she be here NOW? There was still so much I needed to know, but deep down, I knew there wasn't much time. Sora would be awakening very shortly, which meant that I didn't have very long before I had to leave.

My eyes averted from where Axel had just stood moments ago. By now, something else was on my mind… finding DiZ and then escaping this fake world. Only earlier had I wanted to get my revenge on the creep in red, but at now, I had realized that I wouldn't stoop to his level. Nevertheless, I had to find that man. I had to ask WHY he had to use me as a tool for his own twisted scheme. Namine mentioned it a little, but I wanted the answers straight from the horse's mouth. And so I pressed onward.

At the far end of the room stood a strange metal door… more than likely where DiZ was hiding. Now was the time to finally face the fiend behind all these lies. There was no turning back. I would NOT be 'just a nobody'. To tell you the truth, though, I was a bit hesitant at first, but after a few deep breaths, I made my way towards the door.

Inside was a strange hall with pods lined up across one of the walls. The floor here was metal, and everything here seemed to be made up of pretty advanced technology. Out of curiosity, I took a look at the pods, and I was shocked at what I saw. In the first pod was Donald. He still wore that strange hat with the zippers and his matching blue clothes, just as he had in my dreams. The pod next to him was Goofy, still complete with the orange hat and goggles, green sweater, black vest, and, lastly, those yellow pants of his. But, if Donald and Goofy were in this hall, that meant that Sora would be near by…

DiZ probably had this planned from the beginning. He knew that I'd come after him. If he could just get me close enough to Sora, he wouldn't have to worry about his plans being ruined. Sure, he'd get Sora with 'full strength', so he could thwart the Organization. It's too bad I wouldn't be falling for that little trick of his. Sure, I'd go on to the next room, where DiZ was doubtlessly waiting, but if he tried to pull any fast ones, I'd just leave… well, run is more like it. The problem is that I STILL couldn't figure out how to call upon the darkness to open a portal.

I had spent a few more minutes walking before I finally reached another metal door. Now was the time for everything to unfold. DiZ would be waiting inside, and I HAD to face him before I could leave. Time seemed to slow as I reached for the door. Maybe it was because this next moment would seal my fate. With a slight hint of fear, though, I decided to take the first step into the pod room.

The moment I entered the room, I was greeted by none other than DiZ himself.

"You have arrived, nobody," he had cackled, a sinister look glittering in his single visible eye. "Are you ready to return to where you belong?"

Oh how predictable. I figured that DiZ would say something along those lines, since he hated nobodies and all. Here he stood judging me for a crime I didn't even commit… well, that was only half the truth. I WAS a part of the Organization, but only because I didn't remember anything about my past, and even then, I was not responsible for whatever his apprentices had done to him. Speaking of which, the first thing I said to him was asking about that very topic.

My eyes were narrow, as I stood staring at the man I hated more than anyone else. I was quick to question his motives. "DiZ, I had originally come here to get revenge before I escaped, but I know now that doing so isn't right. Still, I have to ask… who are you, and what did your apprentices do to you that would cause you to despise all nobodies? Just answer that question. Nothing else matters."

The first reply to my question was that of even more maniacal laughter. Oh how I HATED that laugh. Had that man lost his sanity? Or was he just too self-centered and snide to care about anyone rather than himself? I just didn't get it. What made nobodies so 'unworthy of existence', or whatever? Apparently, DiZ could care less about what I understood, and what I did not…

"You are not worth dealing with," mocked that appalling excuse for a man. "You nobodies are all the same. Beings who lack hearts and emotions. You don't matter. Your existence is of no importance. All of you are the same, and you'll all meet the same fate. Why I am after revenge is not anything that should matter to you."

So, he said nobodies lacked feelings. Well, if that were true, why did I FEEL such a burning hatred? If nobodies were beings who had no cares or anything, how come I REFUSED to become just another part of Sora! And, for that matter… why did it hurt so much to find that everything I knew was a lie made by a cruel man clouded by vengeance? It just…made no sense.

"You say we lack hearts," I growled, "but… I know that my feelings are real! I… hate you… I want to do SOMETHING to make you regret what you've done… but, you know what, DiZ? I'm not like you. Just because my whole life has been torn apart doesn't mean I'll actually stoop to your level. All I want is freedom, and a chance to be… more than a nobody. For someone who claims that nobodies lack hearts, you don't seem to have one either if you torment someone who didn't have anything to do with… whatever happened to you that caused your hate."

"Hmph. You joined the organization, and that is a sin on its own. But, why should I be wasting time with you? I am a servant of the world, so I have better things to do than mingle with some incomplete tool," DiZ replied snidely. "Besides, it's high time you returned to Sora."

By now, I was just about ready to jump at DiZ and hit him with my keyblade, even if it wasn't the right thing to do. It was just that no matter what I said to that object of my hatred, he would pretty much same the same thing over and over again. How sickening… Right at that moment, really, I just wanted all my pain, fears, lies, and everything else to just melt away. My eyes were shut tightly, and the keyblade was in my hand once again, and within an instant, I found myself rushing in DiZ's direction. It's too bad that he had already pulled one of his little vanishing tricks, and my keyblade ended up hitting the pod.

I knew that I was running out of time now. An eerie sound was coming from within the pod. DiZ must have activated Sora's pod because now smoke was emerging from between the gaps of the machinery. This wasn't good… this definitely wasn't good. Any moment now, Sora would be able to step out of the pod, and if he saw me… he'd surely want his power back. In fact, the whole pod was nearly opened up, and I could just faintly see that spiky brown hair through the steam. Every passing second seemed like hours right now, and little did I realize, I found myself backing up.

When the pod was nearly open completely, I gave the machine and Sora an angered glare. The way Namine had described things at the time had made me think of Sora in a negative way, so I couldn't help myself.

"This is your fault!" I yelled towards Sora, even though he couldn't hear me. "If it weren't for you and that stupid castle, I wouldn't have been fed all these lies! I'd still be with my only real friend! Because of you, Sora… I'm… alone."

Ok, so if it wasn't for Sora, I wouldn't even exist, but back then, I really didn't think about that. Maybe it was because I was selfish… It wasn't Sora's fault that he lost his memories of his friends, his life, Kairi, and everything else. That was the cause of the Organization using Namine to their advantage, so she had told me. But, I guess, back there in the pod room, I was… confused.

Anyway, I was standing right next to the door. It had been about two minutes since I yelled at Sora, and by now, the pod had opened. Any second now, I knew Donald and Goofy would end up looking for him… and all heck would break loose after that. Time was out. If I stayed here, Sora would easily just gain the other half of his power back. Even if I hadn't been able to find power over the darkness, I had to leave. And so, I ran. All thoughts of Hayner, Pence, Olette, DiZ, Namine, and everything else would have to be put behind me. Leaving this fake world was the only thing that mattered now.

I made my way back towards the entrance of the mansion, paying no attention to my surroundings. If there had been any nobodies in the area, I really wouldn't have known, since the first thing I had done was dart towards the door.

Actually, I managed to make it outside just fine. Nothing had attacked me inside the mansion. Still, there was a long way to go, or so I thought. All I had to do was keep on running. However, the funny thing is, I had no idea where I was going, and as I ran, I just kept on thinking of the dark portals and wondered why I couldn't use them. The irony of it all is that, while making my way through the woods, I had actually generated a portal and fell right in.

End of Prologue…finally.

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AN: Well, I hope you liked my prologue. XD If you managed to read the whole thing in one sitting, that is. Anyway, as you see, the only dialogue that was barely changed from the actual game was in flashbacks scenes, and even then, I added a few things. And, btw the last quote Axel says before he leaves is from Passion... just translated. If you thought it was bloody similar, don't give up reading, though, cuz, as I said, it only STARTS similar, since events in the past are pretty much the same… cept with how the darkness affected Riku. -shot- Oh, and while you're here, feel free to submit a review! Just, again, NO FLAMES. Or I'll have to take aggressive matters!