Kingdom Hearts II: Rebirth

By: Karma's Slave

Disclaimer: I do not own the Kingdom Hearts series; it is the sole properties of Square-Enix and Disney.

Rating: T until further notice.

Genre: a Mixture of Friendship/Romance/Action/Adventure/Humor

Important Notice 1: Atlantica and Pride Rock are being cut from the story because they are so irrelevant to the plot and many subplots of Kingdom Hearts 2.

Important Notice 2: This format will be similar to KH: Rebirth with Aqua narrating.

Prologue: Six Days

I had a dream last night, a dream that was filled with nothing but painful memories of a past that I've long spent trying to suppress but to only find myself looking at it hard in its cold golden-amber eyes.

So in this dream of mine taking place in a dusty barren landscape; which I can easily identify as the keyblade graveyard and naturally there seems to be destruction everywhere.

The dream was almost a replication of that battle but the only differences were us already wearing our armor.

A voice that isn't my own speaks out to me and says, "The Keyblade is said to hold phenomenal power. One legend says its wielder saved the world, while another says that he wrought chaos and ruin upon it. I must know what this Keyblade is. A key opens doors"

A tall armored figure that I knew very well stands amidst the devastation. He holds a Gaia's Bane over his shoulder. Two more people in armor approach, I recognize Ven and myself. The three of us wore are helmets masking our faces not only from the enemy but as well from each other as we knew our bond of friendship has been broken with lies and mistrust.

The three of us walk to a middle ground where the keyblades of Sora, Mickey, and Riku's Keyblades are stuck in the ground. I noticed, Terra taking Sora's kingdom Key as Ven took Riku's now former Soul Eater which has become, Way to Dawn while I was taking Mickey's inverse Kingdom Key.

The destruction behind them melts away like sand. The three each take a Keyblade. Surrounding them on all sides, creating a four-way path, is an uncountable number of Keyblades.

Terra, Aqua and Ven all looking up at the dust cloud that was beginning to dissipate; they see another figure walking toward them.

The voice speaks out again, "Master of Keyblade"…"The Lost Two"…"Memory of Xehanort"…"Chasers"… "Keyblade War"… "It all began with"…"Birth by Sleep."

The figure revealing himself to be Master Xehanort as he came even closer to us; while Vanitas had begun separate from Xehanort, making his existence known and then the battle ensues but sadly the outcome is always the same as that day, Terra and Ven are gone as is Vanitas

Which had left me with Xehanort, I stood facing Master Xehanort with my own sacrificed keyblade, Rainstorm in my hand and I watch him as he summons his keyblade and then battle, I lay beaten on the dirt as Xehanort stands over me with his keyblade pointing down and over my heart and within a fast motion, Xehanort trusting the keyblade into my shattered armor…

And then my eyes snap open as the dream ended.

"It's been nearly a full 2 years since this journey began and now I am feeling as if the true conflicts are just finally beginning but not only for me but for my students, Sora and Riku as well." I thought to myself as I sat up in the bed.

I look across the room and catching a glimpse of a still sleeping Naminé, "At least one of us can sleep" I then thought to myself as I got up and decided to go and check on the lab where DiZ and Riku were but before I left the room, I nudged Naminé awake so that she could get a head start on fixing Sora's memories before DiZ came in here and started treating her like she was trash.

I then began to wonder what my old friend King Mickey was up too. I had personally asked him to keep a close eye on the organization while we waited for the full restoration of Sora's memory and the time for it was getting close, I could feel it in my bones.

We kept Roxas safely hidden in a virtual simulation of twilight town. The plan was to keep Roxas hidden and protected from Organization XIII in this simulated Twilight Town that DiZ had created based off of the real one as much as Aqua disliked the man herself, she didn't deny that this type of technology was quite impressive.

It was weird how real everything felt here as she and Riku would enter upon occasions to check on Roxas but mostly when he was sleeping to make sure the memories were getting through without complication.

The program it's self was to copy Twilight Town from everything building to its citizens and be adapting to any changes based on ones made from within the real Twilight Town. DiZ had mentioned the data town was more than just a duplicated town as it was connecting with its real counterpart.

"Only six days left to go" Aqua then muttered as she opened the secret passage to the computer lab.

Sora is standing at a crossroads "A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory. He then spoke out loud as he looked up towards the sky as he held Kairi's charm in his hand "A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream." He then added; taking his eyes away from the stars, gripping the charm into his hand.

Sora then turns his head as if he was talking to another person "I want to line the pieces up, yours and mine." Sora then spoke with smile on his face

"You have arrived. I've been to see him... He looks a lot like you."

"Who are you?"

"I'm what's left Or... Maybe I'm all there ever was."

"I meant your name."

"My name is of no importance. What about you? Do you remember you're true name?"

"My true name...is..."

Sora's memories playing through his head

Birds chirped, as Sora opened his eyes, he sat up yawning, but he felt a small pain by the back of his neck. He went to lie back down until blue-violet eyes appeared in front of his face.

"Whoa" he yelled

A giggle in response, "Gimme break, Kairi," said the boy

"Sora, you lazy bum, I knew that I would find you still snoozing here after you lesson with Aqua" said the red-headed girl

Sora and Riku race on the beach "Giving up already?" Taunted Riku

The three overlook the ocean at twilight,

"Riku, suppose you do manage to get to another world; what would you even do there?" asked Kairi as she looked at Riku. "Well, I've never really thought about it that way, it's just I can't help but wonder why we're here on this island; if there are really any other worlds out there, then why did we land on this one? Riku asked but not really expecting any answer from his friends.

"And suppose there other worlds; then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have easily ended up somewhere else right?" Riku added.

"I don't know" said Sora, as he lay down on the bended tree, "And that's exactly why we need to go and find out and just sitting here isn't going to give us answer, it's the same old stuff every day, so let's just go already." Spoke a determined Riku.

"You've been thinking a lot about this, haven't you Riku," Said Kairi

"Thanks to you and Master Aqua" replied Riku "if it weren't for you or Aqua coming here, I never would've thought of any of this," he added, "and that guy who also came here, or where ever he is now" thought Riku.

Sora, putting down the rock as he finished his addition to Kairi's drawing of him, he drew himself giving a Paopu to Kairi. His eyes lowered somewhat to the sand floor, but he shot up fast as he heard a noise from behind him. "Who's there?"

"I've come to see the door to this world" Sora looked to see a cloaked figure hidden somewhat well but still able to see the figure to some extent.

"Huh"

"This world has been connected"

"What are you talking about?"

"Tied to the darkness, soon to be completely eclipsed" spoke the mystery voice of the cloaked figure

"Well, whoever you are? Stop freaking me out like this!"

Huh, wait a minute, where did you come from" Sora asked the stranger

"You do not yet know, what lies beyond the door" spoke the figure. "So, you're from another world?" stated Sora

"There is so very much to learn, you understand so little" the figure ignoring Sora's question.

"Oh yeah, well I'll show you, I'm going to get out and learn what's out there" spoke Sora, as if he were making a vow.

"A meaningless effort, one who knows nothing can, understand nothing" said the cloaked figure. Sora turned his attention away from the figure and turned to look at the door but when he moved his head back the figure was gone. Sora couldn't find a way to describe but there was something about that man that made his heart heavy like he knew him, but it wasn't a good thing.

"Sora!" the voice of his teacher calling to him as she entered the cave, "Aqua" he responded, "There was this guy, who was here just now but I don't know how he was gone, just like that" he explained to her.

"Sora, what man? What did he look like?" she questioned him, "Well, from what I could tell, he was wearing a cloak and it looked like it was hunched over but I couldn't see his face or anything."

"Xehanort!" thought Aqua. "Sora if there is anything else you need to tell me now is the time to do it" She said with such firmness. "Well, he mentioned, something about the world being connected but I don't know what that means." He told her.

Sora and Kairi watch the ocean on the dock

"You know, Riku's changed" spoke Kairi

"What do you mean Kairi?" asked the brunette.

"Well..."

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Let's take the raft and let's go, just the two of us" randomly coming out of Kairi's mouth

"What? What's gotten in to you?"

"Just kidding" she giggled.

"You're the one that's changed Kairi"

"Maybe, you know I was little afraid at first but now I'm ready, no matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always go back here, Right?" Kairi said; as she confessed her once worry.

"Yeah, of course!" replied Sora.

"That's Good." She said.

"Sora, don't ever change" said Kairi as she stood up.

"Riku! Where's Kairi, I thought she was with you?" panicked Sora.

"The door has opened." He said

"What, Riku?"

"The door has opened Sora; we can finally go outside this world." Riku spoke so calmly

"What are you talking about, we got to find Kairi?" Yelled Sora

"Kairi's coming with us"

"Once, the three of us step through; we might not be able to come back, we may never see our parents or even Aqua again, There's no turning back from this Sora, but this maybe our only chance we can't let our own fears stop us, I'm not afraid of the darkness" he said as he turned around sticking out his hand towards Sora.

"Riku" Sora said, sacred, this wasn't the Riku he knew, who this person.

A dark purple portal opened up underneath Riku.

"Sora!" "Riku!" Aqua screamed at the top of her lungs as she fought her way through the pureblooded heartless.

The door behind Kairi in the Secret Place blows her towards Sora, who readies to catch her, "Kairi" Sora, said as he stared at the girl's back

Aqua stayed quiet, "some things not right with her, she's different somehow" thought the bluenette.

"Sora" Kairi spoke with a monotone voice as she turned to face them. And out of nowhere a gush of wind propelled Kairi to Sora, where she disappeared. However a second gush of wind came trying to knock Sora down, but Aqua went behind her pupil to catch him however the wind was strong enough to knock Sora and Aqua out of the cave.

-First Day-

The blond-haired shot up from his bed as he sits up on his bed, after waking up from those eccentric dreams he's been having for some time now.

"Another dream about him" the boy said to himself in a hushed voice, putting his hands on to his face attempting to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Roxas then goes on his knees to look out the window next to his bed; opens the window and looks out on the town as the train station bells ring in the morning air.

"Must be getting close to that time, then" Xion says to Ventus as they both watched over Roxas.

"Yeah, it must be. I haven't felt Aqua behave like this since, we…she started living on Destiny Islands but I wasn't talking back then but I could only feel how lonely she was but when Sora, Riku and Kairi was around her; "Because it would remind her of Terra, me and herself." Explained Ven

Xion looking concerned at this "But Aqua is strong and I'll know she'll make through it. She's already done it three times before" Ven then said.

Xion running a hand through her dark hair, "But Ven, She isn't fighting just someone like Ansem, Marluxia or Xehanort anymore." Xion stated "Aqua's going up against her best friend and from what you've told me; this is someone she's spent a part of her life caring for." Xion said to Ven "Someone that you too cared for like a brother" she then said.

"Trust me when I say this Ventus; No good can ever come from friends battling with one another, it's fate's cruelest joke" spoke the dark haired girl referring to her own battles with Roxas and Axel, While Ventus didn't say anything as he had a mental image of Riku and Sora fighting.

Hayner, Olette, and Pence are enjoying conversation, while Roxas sits thinking.

"Man, doesn't that tick you off?" Hayner erupted into a loud a voice as he also threw his arms into the hair. Pence putting his arms across his chest "Yeah, that's just wrong."

Olette merely nodded her head "Seifer's gone too far this time" she says. The three teens look over at Roxas, who only nods.

Hayner jumps off his seat as he started to rant off "I mean, it's true that stuff's been stolen around town and we've got a score to settle with Seifer and everything." He started off with

"So if he wants to think we did it, I can't really blame him. See...that's not what really bugs me. What really bugs me is that he's going' around telling' everybody we're the thieves!"

"Now the whole town and their mothers are treating us like the Klepto Club! Have you ever been this ticked off before in your life? 'Cause I haven't. Nuh-uh, never. Now...what to do." Hayner then finally finished.

Olette, not knowing what to say, looks over at Roxas, who shrugs

"Uh...well...Not everyone has to be listening to that trash talk." He said to his friends "I mean but we could find the real thieves. That would set the record straight and everyone would know Seifer was lying the whole time" Roxas then suggested.

"Hey that sounds fun!" Pence being the first to react as he got up from his seat and then headed over to the desk for his camera

Hayner looking at Roxas, "What about Seifer?" Roxas stands up and Hayner crosses his arms "What about him?" he says to Hayner, in a 'He's not a big deal' tone of voice. Roxas then continued "First, we gotta clear our names. Once we find the real culprit, everyone will get off our backs." Hayner slightly growls at mention of gullible people who bought into the lie.

"Oh no! They're gone!" Pence cried out. They look and see that Pence is holding a camera "Our ….. Are gone!" Pence puts a hand to his throat at his inability to say photos, "What?"

Hayner going over to Pence "All our… gone? Huh?" Hayner then said; Hayner does the same. Olette then noticing she can't say it either "Huh? You can't say…? Why not?"

Pence looking desperately at his friends "But you do understand what I'm saying, right? Our ... are gone!"

"Stolen... And not just the... The word...! They stole it too!" Roxas added in.

"What kind of thief is that?" questioned Hayner "Seifer could never have pulled that off." He then said "Yeah!" Roxas being the first to agree "All right, time for some recon!" says Hayner

Hayner, Olette, and Pence run off; Roxas begins to follow, and then becoming dizzy "Huh?" Roxas falls and blacks out

"His heart is returning. Doubtless he'll awaken very soon." Spoke out an older male voice

Roxas wakes up on the ground and stands up, dusting himself off, "Huh?" he said in his confusion

Olette returns "Roxas, come on." She tells him; Roxas nods at her.

Roxas catches up to the group in the Market Street: Tram Common and Hayner spotting him "Over here!" Hayner calls out to him; Roxas approaches his friends in front of the Armor Shop.

"Let's get this investigation underway." Pence then said.

"Yo, Roxas. Never thought you'd do such a rotten thing..." The shopkeeper accused the boy.

Roxas turned to the man with disbelief all over his face "We didn't steal anything, all right?" he snapped at the man. Storekeeper looked to the teen "I'd like to believe you, but who else would steal that stuff?" he said to Roxas

"What stuff?" Roxas then quirked an eyebrow

"As if you didn't know" The shopkeeper said with an attitude

"But I don't know!" Roxas interjected

"Hey, I'm not gonna tell you. Go ask at the accessory shop." "Are you kidding me!" Xion and Ventus shouted at the same time as who had been watching the interaction

The group turns around and sees the accessory shop, "Go on, Roxas ask her." Hayner getting Roxas to go

Roxas goes to speak to the Accessory Shop owner "Oh, it's you, Roxas... Please don't let me down. You used to be one of my favorite customers."

"I'm not a thief!" he found himself snapping again but this time, he was resisting the urge to pull out his hair out.

"Okay..." the female store owner not knowing what to say to Roxas. Roxas sighed "It's no fun having everyone suspecting me, ya know." He tells her

"Then you've got to find a way to clear your name. The woman at the candy shop is pretty disappointed, too." Roxas groaned at this as he slapped a hand to his face. He was really curious on how full grown adults could easily believe an all-round jerk like Seifer while Roxas himself was a good kid.

The four of them look to the candy shop, "Roxas? Have you seen my cat around?" questioned the candy store owner; Roxas hadn't been excepting to hear that "Err..." Roxas then looks up and sees the cat on the awning above them.

Roxas retrieves the cat "Thank you, Roxas."

"Did they steal something from you, too?" Roxas then questioned

"Oh, my, yes. Something important" replied the store owner

"Just so you know we didn't do it" Roxas feeling the need to add that. "I believe you." She tells him, "Thanks for that, ma'am. So what did they take from you?"

"My ... My precious ..." she answers the boy.

"Looks like the culprit is going around stealing ... And not just ..., but the word ..., too."

"This isn't your average thief..." commented Pence

"I wonder if Seifer would know anything about this." Olette then asked, while Roxas and Hayner looked at the green eyed brunette with dead-panned looks before having to deal with the fact, they'd have to put up with him, sometime today.

"I don't like it but we gotta talk to him. C'mon, let's go to the sandlot!" said Roxas.

The four run to the Sandlot, where they find Vivi, Rai, and Fuu talking. Vivi notices them and stops, making them turn around

"Thieves" Fuu states as she eyed them with her uncovered eye. "That was low, ya 'know!" says Rai and Vivi shakes her hat

"Oh yeah?" said Hayner

Seifer walks in "Nice comeback there, Blondie." The taller boy mocking Hayner

Hayner turned to Seifer as he was clenching both of his fists "What'd you say!"

"You can give us back the ... now." demanded

"Yeah! You're the only ones who would take it, ya 'know?" Rai said

Aqua whom had been watching Roxas from the monitor in the computer lab.

"That was undeniable proof that we totally owned you lamers. So what did you do? Burn it? Ha, not that we need some ... to prove that you're losers." Seifer then said as Roxas, Hayner, Pence and Olette all glared at Seifer and his cohorts.

"Replay!" Fuu then says to the taller boy; Seifer laughs "Now you're talking!" he says

Seifer, Vivi, Fuu, and Rai get ready to fight. So does Hayner

"I guess if you get on your knees and beg, maybe I'll let it slide."

Roxas moves closer to the gang, who all laugh at him. Seifer crosses his arms. Roxas moves to kneel down

"Roxas!" shouted Hayner; Aqua wondered what the young nobody was doing. But as he kneeled Roxas makes a ground sliding move and chooses the long battling sword with the strong handle.

"Hmm! Nice move" thought Aqua

Roxas and Seifer prepare to duel, "Roxas, focus!" Pence cried out

"Kneel, loser!" Seifer said as he makes the first attack on the younger boy; Roxas knocks Seifer around a few times

"Come on, quit playing' around and fight!" said Seifer. Roxas proceeds to defeat Seifer, much to Seifer's annoyance.

Rai, Vivi and Fuu move to guard Seifer

"Seifer's not feeling' so hot, ya 'know!" Rai then said, "Tournament decides." Fuu tells them while Vivi is nodding.

"Social activities, sure have changed since I was younger" the bluenette said in her mind, sarcastically of course "He certainly has a strong defense, I wonder if he got that from Ventus or Sora" Aqua added on to her thought.

Pence then getting out his camera to take a picture of Roxas and Pence gives him the thumbs up when a white Dusk appears out of nowhere and steals the camera.

"What the hell!" Aqua screamed in her head as she saw the dusk, Riku and DiZ had seen the creature on the screen as well .The Dusk flees toward the Market Street: Tram Common

"What was that?" Hayner said with a bit of panic. "It's the thief!" Olette then said.

The four race after the Dusk. Roxas follows it through the hole in the Market Street: Tram Common wall and ends up in the Woods. The Dusk continues through the forest, dancing around the trees as if it wanted Roxas to follow it.

Roxas still following and end up outside the Old Mansion. He approaches the Dusk.

"We have come for you, my liege" Roxas went "Huh?"

The mouth zipper of the Dusk opens and Roxas attacks. His sword however does nothing to inflict the Dusk "It's no use..." The struggle bat in his hand begins to swirl with data "What?" before turning into the Kingdom Key "What...what is this thing?" Roxas looks from the Dusk to the Keyblade and decides to try again.

Aqua sits back from this as she grew curious as she watched Roxas then fight the Dusk

This time, he succeeds and the Dusk vanishes, dropping the pictures from the camera. The Keyblade in Roxas's hand disappears. Roxas's picks up the pictures from the ground. "What just happened?" He asked himself

"We've got a big problem" Thought Aqua

"What's this?" Hayner asked as he looked at the picture "I was his first customer after he took over the shop. So we took a picture together."

"It's a really nice photo. Oh...!"Olette noticing she said the once stolen word.

"Hey! You just said "photo"!" said Pence.

"So, Roxas tell us about the picture thief" Hayner asked the boy

Roxas shrugging his shoulders "Not much to say. The pictures were just lying there." He answered

"Then how do we prove we weren't the ones who took 'em?" Hayner then asked

Hayner spots the next picture and chuckles

"It's a girl..." the dirty blonde then said "and you look happy, Roxas." Observed Olette, "Do not" Roxas then said.

Pence then began noticing a pattern about the pictures, "So, like, anybody else notice that all the stolen pictures are of Roxas?" Pence then said. Olette then looking at all the pictures "Oh, so that's why everyone thought it was us" Olette replied.

"So you mean Seifer didn't go around accusing us after all?" Hayner then asked, no answered the question

Roxas glancing at the pile of photos "Are they really all of me?" he asked his dark haired friend, "Have a look" Olette told him. "Yep" Pence holds out the picture in his hand, "See? Right? Every single one. Wouldn't it be weird if the thief wanted to steal the real Roxas or something?" Pence than said to them.

"C'mon, get serious. Why would anyone want to steal a bonehead like Roxas?" joked Hayner

"Oh, thanks!" dead-panned Roxas.

The four friends laugh as the train station bells ring and the train passes overhead. They all look up at the tracks. Hayner, Pence, and Olette leave the usual Spot, Olette waving. Roxas leaves after a bit. He holds out his hand to block the sun from his eyes and he hears a voice.

"Where...am I?"

"Who's there?" Roxas asked as he looked around the room.

"Who are you?"

"Restoration at 12%." Spoke the robotic voice of the computer

Someone in a black coat walks up to DiZ, who is sitting at a computer desk in front of many lit screens, Aqua turning her head towards the transformed Riku.

"Organization miscreants... They've found us." Said DiZ

"But why would the Nobodies steal photographs?" asked the hood covered face. "Intimidation, perhaps" Aqua interjected, "as in they know where he is now but we're going to see how it plays out" she added.

"Both are nothing but data to them. The fools could never tell the difference. We are running out of time. Naminé must make haste." DiZ said to his companions.

Sora's memories continue to race through his mind. Sora is awoken by Pluto in the back alleyway of Traverse Town

Pluto had come across a boy sitting upright against the wall of the building while a woman with blue hair laid passed out on the ground, where large cut opened up on her face bleeding, Pluto let out a small cry for the woman.

Pluto sniffed at the woman, before turning to the boy; was taking a few sniffs before licking the boy's face.

Sora was starting to come back into consciousness, "uh, what a dream" he muttered softly, his eyes half way open, "mom?" As he looked in Pluto's direction, Pluto nudging the boy with his paw, "That wasn't a dream is it?" as she shot up from the ground. "Oh no, mom and dad!" trying to catch his balance, "Kairi and Riku" he said to himself. "Uh, where am I?" as Sora finally took note of his current surroundings.

Pluto barked to get Sora's attention, looking down towards the dog, "I don't suppose you know where I am" he asked the dog as his hand reached out to pet him.

Petting him on the head, Pluto moved his head to point out the still unconscious Aqua.

"Master Aqua!" cried out Sora

Sora and Aqua are confronted by Leon in the First District

"They'll come out at you out of now where"

Aqua and Sora looked in the direction of the voice. "Who are you?" asked Sora, a man with short dark but not too dark brown hair, with blue eyes and a scar on his face approached the duo.

"And they'll keep on coming at ya as long as you continue to wield the keyblade" the man pointed towards Sora's keyblade.

"And that's why he has me," Aqua, stepping up the man, her keyblade still out in the open as well.

Goofy turned around his shield in his hand, "Gawrsh, are these the heartless guys"

"Let's go get 'Em goofy!" said Donald with his mage staff in hand.

Less than a moment later; "AHHHH" the animal duo screamed as they were propelled into the air.

"Hmm" Sora stopped for a moment, "ugh, Master Aqua, do you hear that?" he asked his teacher. Aqua headed back to Sora. "Well it sounded almost like..."

Aqua looked up as her eyes widened, "like Screaming, Sora move now!" finishing his sentence for him.

"Uh"

However it was too late for Aqua and Sora to move. They were plowed into the ground by Goofy and Donald.

"Hey, the key!" said Goofy, "And there's two of them" exclaimed Donald.

"So you guys were looking for me" She said to the animal duo "yes but not specifically by name" added the duck.

"Hey, why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel."

"You two should go, especially if you want to find your friends" Intervened Leon.

"Okay, we'll go with you guys, "I'm Aqua, in case you had completely forgotten."

"And I'm Sora"

"Donald Duck"

"The name's Goofy", as their hands were all atop one another, "All for one and one for all," added Goofy

"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade." Leon said to Aqua and Sora

"But the boy is a problem. He found one of the Keyholes."

Sora locks the keyhole in Agrabah.

- Second Day-

Roxas wakes up in his room, "A key...blade?" Roxas asked himself, before getting up and going on about his day.

Roxas walking in the direction of the Usual Spot, "A Keyblade?" the boy growing more curious about it; Roxas spots a stick leaning against a wall and swings it around like it's a fighting weapon

"What was that about?" as he thought of that creature from yesterday. He then tosses it over his head and it hits someone wearing a black cloak in the chest "Opps!" The person walks away down the steps, "Sorry... about that..."

Roxas walks into the Usual Spot and sees Hayner, Pence, and Olette already sitting enjoying some sea-salt ice cream. Hayner offers Roxas some, "Thanks" a blurred image appears in Roxas's mind, the blurred image showing two or was it three figures having ice-cream but Roxas shook the image off.

"Do you guys think we'll always be together like this?" Pence then asks the three friends, Roxas sits down having a sense of Déjà vou at the question but again shook the feeling off.

"I sure hope so." Olette said with a smile, "Huh?" Hayner looking at his friend "Where did that come from?" he asked the black haired boy.

Pence letting out a chuckle "Oh well, you know just thinking out loud."

Hayner then shrugged his shoulders "Well, I doubt we can be together forever. But isn't that what growing up's all about? What's important isn't how often we see each other, but how often we think about each other. Right?" he then said to Pence

Pence laughs "Get that off a fortune cookie?" he taunted

Hayner rolling his eyes at the boy "That's it no more ice cream for you!" he then said before focusing on Olette and Roxas "Man, today's turning out to be a drag." He then added

Olette looking right at Hayner "Maybe because of yesterday's memory thief" said the girl of the foursome.

"Nuh-uh. You know what it is? We don't want summer vacation to be over. That's all! So how about it?" He then told them; Hayner stand up, "We all go to the beach! And why do we go to the beach? Because we haven't gone once this entire vacation! Blue seas! Blue skies! Let's just get on the train and go!"

The rest of the group say nothing but stand up as well "No? Aw, c'mon!" Hayner now whining.

Roxas speaking up, "Maybe you forgot, but we're all broke."

"Maybe you forgot I'm smart!" Hayner reasoned with, "come on, then follow me; we're going to Market Street!" he added on. The group then runs out of the usual spot.

The group leaves to Market Street: Station Heights.

Roxas finds them reading a poster on the wall about The Struggle

"Just two days to go. You and I have to make the finals! That way, no matter which wins, the four of us split the prize!" exclaimed Hayner.

Roxas turned to his friend "Okay, you're on."

"You two are gonna clean up!" Pence giving both of them a thumbs up; Olette nodding her head at this, "Go get 'em!"

Roxas and Hayner make a sign of friendship with their arms "It's a promise!" said Hayner and then the four teens went back to making plans for their trip to the beach.

Roxas helps out with some paying odd jobs to help pay for train tickets and snacks but then goes to meet the other three at the Station Plaza

"All present and accounted for?" spoke Hayner
"What've we got?" asked Pence

Roxas then said "Let's see..." pulls out some munny "Just this."

"Good job." Commented Hayner

"Nice work, everyone. Added to what we started with, we now have..." Olette shows them the munny pouch she made with the munny inside it, "Tada! 5000 munny!"

"Sweet!" said Hayner

Olette gives the bag to Roxas, "Let's get tickets!" Olette and Pence run ahead into the station

Hayner turned to Roxas "We can't be together forever... so we'd better make the time we do have something to remember."

Roxas went "Huh?"

"Gotcha!" Hayner jokingly punches Roxas in the stomach and joins the other three.

Roxas follows but an invisible something makes him trip "Whoa!" A small stick drops to the ground. Hayner, Pence, and Olette stop. Hayner steps back a bit down the stairs.

Roxas grunts slightly coming to his knees and touching his lip. He sees someone in a black cloak standing beside him "Huh?" The person picks Roxas off the ground and whispers something to him

"What?" muttered Roxas, "Roxas! Three minutes!" yelled Hayner

"Okay!" replied, Roxas looks back to the figure who is gone by this point. He catches up to his friends in the station.

Hayner bends at the teller and holds out four fingers "Four students!"

Pence muttering to Roxas, "the money!"

"Wait…" Roxas searches himself for where he put the munny pouch, "No!" said Roxas as he notices he can't find the pouch

Hayner going "Huh?" as he waited for the money; Roxas looks back out toward the plaza and remembers the cloaked person picking him up "He took it!" Roxas begins to run outside into the plaza

"Where are you going?" Olette yelled after him.

"Remember when I fell?" Roxas asked his friends "I had the money before that. I bet that guy took it!" He then said to them

"Guy?" Hayner questioned, "He couldn't have gotten too far..." Roxas still talking, "What are you talking about?" Hayner then yelled to Roxas, which got the spiky haired blonde to stop for a moment as the boy zoned out for a moment.

Hayner remembers Roxas outside getting himself up "There was no guy."

The train station bell wakes Roxas up "Huh? But he... There wasn't... Really?" Roxas then said as he finally got the hint that no one had seen the man in the cloak.

The train whistle blows and they realize they've missed it "Oh boy..." Pence realizing they missed their train

Roxas eyebrows narrowed "There wasn't anyone...there?" as he looked at them with an 'Are you sure?' facial expression.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette leave the Station.

Later, the four are eating sea-salt ice cream on the clock tower ledge. The train is moving in the background, while Roxas sits and thinks his ice cream dripping

"It's melting." Olette said to Roxas, "Sorry" Roxas mumbled with miserable tone of voice

"Cheer up already!" Hayner ordered of Roxas

Roxas looking toward the ground; watching people enter and exit the train station "That was definitely weird, though." He said to himself.

"Strange" Olette said; "You said it." Hayner agreeing with them while Pence only nodded.

Roxas to himself "Can you feel Sora?" he whispered to himself as the boy remembers what the figure whispered to him

"Can you feel Sora?" said the older voice as the man had a strong grip on Roxas's arm.

"Restoration at 28%." Announced the robotic voice

"Naminé, hurry." Muttered DiZ as he busily typed at the keyboard panels.

The cloaked man juggles the munny pouch while DiZ remains at the computer screens; Aqua looking at Riku in disbelief, "I can't believe you mugged him, was it really required of you" She asked him as he still juggled the pouch.

Riku could only shrug his shoulders at his Master, "Is it really that hard to make a beach?" Riku then asked DiZ

DiZ looked to the cloak masculine figure "We'd be giving the enemy another entry point." Answered DiZ

"And this?" He holds out the munny pouch, Aqua's eyes slightly bugged out in a mild anger as she learned, DiZ told Riku to mug Roxas.

"We can always buy some sea-salt ice cream." DiZ laughs as Aqua shakes her head in not just disgust but mostly annoyance.

The female keyblade master having trouble trying to trust this man at all, one moment he appears to be on their side especially back at Castle Oblivion and then the next, he's very restrained but clear about his own plans against the organization and Aqua had this feeling he was going to do it through Sora; She couldn't help but wonder is DiZ was doing anything else to Sora, though Naminé had control over his memories but DiZ also had access to him through another source.

"That'll make him no different than when Marluxia and Ter…"Aqua thought but then stopping herself "…Xemnas tried this" Aqua correcting herself, "We've been over this" Aqua said to herself "Xemnas is not Terra, He's nothing more than an imposter" Aqua then added but then Aqua had to go and ruined that thought with, "Then why do I need to keep telling myself this" her mind then said.

DiZ then turning back to the masculine figure as Riku juggles the pouch again, "Objects from that town must be kept out of the real world. You can delete that."

Sora remembers several events from his journey across worlds

"As the key bearer, you must already know one must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds." Yelled King Triton

"So many places I want to see... I know I'll get there someday." Said a very hopeful, Ariel

"Thus, I do hereby dub thee junior heroes." Said Phil, "Hey! What do you mean "junior heroes"?" complained Donald

"You rookies still don't understand what it takes to be a true hero." Replied Phil

"I...I wish... ...for your freedom, Genie." Aladdin said with pride

Genie looks to his new found friend, "Al!" he yelled in surprise as Genie is granted legs

"Sally, why didn't I listen to you?" Jack Skellington asked the rag doll

Sally smiles at Jack "Don't feel bad Jack. We'll come up with another plan for Halloween. Next time, we'll do it together." She tells him

"Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?" Riku said over to Sora

Sora looking in shock "Riku! What are you doing here?" he first's asks his silver haired friend. An image of Kairi flashes, "Did you find her?" Sora then asks.

Sora's on the deck of Captain Hook's pirate ship

"I still can't believe it. I really flew. Wait 'til I tell Kai-." Kairi's face flashes again "I wonder if she'll believe me. Probably not." Tinkerbelle floats before Sora.

Cloud walks beside the group, "I'm searching, too." Sora tells Cloud

"For your light?" Cloud asked Sora "Don't lose sight of it." He then advised Sora

"Sora, Aqua where are you two going?" asked Piglet

"I'm gonna go look for our friends. They're waiting for us." Sora answered the small creature as he and Aqua had begun to walk away. Pooh Bear waves goodbye and the other animals watch Sora and Aqua leave

"Where are Donald and Goofy?" demanded Sora

Riku looked to Sora "Instead of worrying about them, you should be asking about her." Kairi's face flashes again

Sora locks Neverland.

Sora slightly remembers Riku and Kairi, when their memories returned in Castle Oblivion.

-Third Day-

DiZ remains at his desktop, keeping close eyes on the monitors, ever since Dusk had appeared in the fake Twilight Town; DiZ has been working non-stop to make sure nothing could get an unwatched entrance into this doppelganger world.

Naminé stands in front of the capsule in a white room. Roxas's consciousness resides with Naminé's

"Who are you?" Roxas questioned, the girl turns around and smiles. Roxas wakes up in his room. Naminé is standing there, but disappears when he turns to look

"Huh...but I could have sworn, I saw" Roxas then muttered to himself before he got up from the bed.

Roxas walks into the Usual Spot and sees a letter on the couch; "Meet at the station. Today's the day we hit the beach and don't sweat about the munny! From Hayner, Pence and Olette"

Roxas leaving the usual spot and headed over to the Market Street: Station Heights and sees Pence and Olette

"Hey" he greeted the two

"Morning." Replied Olette while Pence smiled as he was about to say something to Roxas then Olette and Pence freeze in mid-walk

"Huh...?" Roxas now growing confused and worried for his friends; Roxas runs up to them but it suddenly stopped by Naminé

"Hello, Roxas." Naminé greets him with a warm smile as she stands in front of him. Roxas not knowing what to say to this girl he didn't know "Uh... Hi... And you are...?" he tried to say but there was something familiar about this girl but Roxas just didn't know what that was.

This girl was making him feel more confused and very nervous but he did try not to let it show. Naminé still smiling holds up a hand to quiet him "I wanted to meet you at least once." The blonde haired girl then said to him

"Me?" Roxas replied with a meek sounding voice; Naminé then letting out a small chuckle as she smiled once more at him, "Yes, you" Roxas scratches his head and Naminé walks away.

Pence and Olette unfreeze "Olette dragged me along to go shopping." Pence then having a miserable look on his face but the brunette girl jabbed Pence in his side with her elbow.

Olette turned to Roxas "Hey, you want to come with us?" Olette then asked him, while Pence moved behind Olette and gave Roxas a face that said 'Save yourself'

Roxas quirked an eyebrow "Um, uhh, wait... did you just see that..." Roxas looks in the direction Naminé left

"He's stalling." Pence observed. Olette shook her head, "Ya don't have to Roxas" she said to while Pence went jaw dropped as he wasn't given an option "Very well, then. We'll see you later, Roxas, okay?" Olette then said, "Y-Yeah..." he answered as he watched Olette then take Pence by the arm and dragging him off.

Roxas looks once again into the direction Naminé left in.

"Did she go to that haunted mansion?" Roxas then randomly asked himself, he had no idea on how he came to that conclusion.

Roxas runs to the Tram Common and sees Naminé. He runs to the hole where the Woods are; "What?" he mumbles as a dark cloud appears and a few Dusks come out of it and try to pull him in

"Let me, go!" he screams. Roxas runs back to the Tram Common and the Dusks follow him. He runs into the Sandlot, catching the attention of Seifer, Fuu, Rai, and Vivi

"Hey, chicken-wuss" Seifer calls out to him; Roxas stops as the Dusks enter

"Who's that?" Fuu asking Seifer as she and Rai get in their fighting positions at the same time as Vivi runs away

"I don't know, but they've already crossed the line. Find a weapon!" ordered Seifer, Roxas spots one of the battling swords and rolls to grab it. Roxas tries to fight the Dusks, but is thrown down, his weapon having no effect.

He stands back up and notices that Seifer, Vivi, Fuu, and Rai are completely frozen in time

"Not good..." Roxas then says to himself. The Dusks approach a weaponless Roxas,

"Roxas! Use the Keyblade!" a female voice then calling out to him. Roxas looks up and sees Naminé on a building overlooking the Sandlot. A Dusk attacks Roxas, who blocks with his hands.

And Roxas is transported to the Station of Serenity on the blue Sora platform.

"Where am I?" Roxas asked himself as found himself and with three flashes of light; a sword, shield, and staff appear in bursts of light.

"Choose well, Roxas" a voice called out to Roxas, the voice it's self sounded very much like his own, "What is this place?" Roxas then asked, hoping the voice would answer the question but the voice ignored him and again said, "Choose well, Roxas"

Roxas felt the biggest feeling of déjà vu as he headed over to the object in the middle and held the sword in his hand. "You've chosen the power of the warrior, invincible courage and terrible destruction." The voice then said as the sword then transformed into the Kingdom Key appears in his hand but there was no swirl of data this time.

Had Roxas had taken a better look of his surroundings he would have noted the two well-hidden figures watching him from afar.

Ventus having done this dive to heart with Sora, and now with Roxas but Aqua hadn't known that Ven helped with Sora's but since the Nobody was going to be reunited with somebody, Aqua didn't want to take a chance and accidently somehow lock up Sora's ability to wield or worse do something that could possibly hinder Ven's ability as well.

Aqua had told Ventus if a dive to the heart was somehow activated, guide him as best you can; if you're able too.

"Ven, how were the heartless able to get into Sora's?" Xion then asking him a question, "Oh well, that's basic Keyblade 101, because all hearts have light and darkness in them, so in an odd sense they were already there, I wish there was a better way for me to explain it but like you and Roxas, I have my own memory issues" answered Ven.

Xion let out 'hn' in response. "Okay, do you think you summon them Xion, even with your limits?" Ventus asked his female companion. She nodded her head in high confidence, "The Dusks are a part of mine and Roxas personal memories, it's should have no effect on Sora what so ever. So they'll at least look like the ones sent into this Twilight Town.

"Alright but not too many and Xion, please be careful" Ven warned her; He knew she didn't want to put Roxas through this but everything had to be restored to how it was truly meant to be.

A group of Dusks storm the platform and Roxas fights them all off

A treasure chest appears and if guided by a second nature, he opens it by tapping it with the Keyblade.

A mysterious door appears at the other edge of the platform.

That bodiless voice seems to emanate from it "Be careful. Beyond that door lies a completely different world. But don't be afraid." Roxas walks toward the door "Don't stop walking..."

Roxas opens the door and ends up in the Station of Calling. He ascends the stained-glass stairs, fighting Dusks after the Dusks, Roxas for a moment see's someone about his height with their back turned and wearing a black cloak but he as he tries to head over to the figure another door appears.

He enters the Station of Awakening and encounters Twilight Thorn. He fights Twilight Thorn and it falls on top of him. He is pulled into the darkness, but Naminé catches him and saves him.

"Alright, he's done here" Ventus said to a worried Xion.

"He's in your hands, Aqua" Xion then mutters as she and Roxas are standing on the pillar, no longer hiding.

Roxas then finds himself in a white room standing before Naminé. Before he starts to speak, Naminé places a finger to her lips "My name is Naminé. Roxas... Do you remember your true name?" she asks him but as two cloaked figures entered the white room and Roxas recognizes one of them from the other day returns and picks Naminé up by her arm.

"Say no more, Naminé." Spoke the masculine voice that once asked Roxas, 'Can you feel, Sora?'

Naminé shaking her head in defiance "But if no one tells him, Roxas will..."

"It's best he doesn't know the truth." A feminine voice then spoke up.

"Hey! You're that pickpocket!" Roxas pointing an index finger to the cloaked man; the man holds out his hand and conjures a dark corridor behind Roxas. Roxas leaps away from it but the other figure pushes him inside

And Roxas wakes up in the Sandlot

"Seifer, strike a pose, ya 'know?" Rai said

"How's this?" Seifer asked as he placed a foot on Roxas's back, "That's totally perfect, ya 'know!"

Roxas sees Fuu take a picture of a posing Seifer while Rai and Vivi stand around her; he noticed that she is using Pence's camera

"How 'bout one more, ya 'know?" Rai then said. Roxas then knocking Seifer's foot away as he stands up, "What's that for!" he said to Fuu in a demanding tone of voice.

"Keepsake" She simply stated, "Those freaks in the white jumpsuits are gone, ya 'know?" added in Rai, "Cakewalk" again, Fuu simply stated

"What were those things?" Roxas then asked as he rubbed his head.

"Outsiders, that's what." Answered Seifer

Roxas shakes his head, "And if they don't wise up to the rules around here, I might have to take disciplinary measure." Seifer then said to the younger boy.

"Oh yeah, Seifer's always looking' after the town, ya 'know?" Rai once again added.

Aqua who was back in the computer lab watching the entire scene unfolds; she couldn't believe how these older kids were behaving. "And to think their real counterparts are no better" she mumbled as the female keyblade master had the displeasure of seeing these kids bully the real Hayner, Pence and Olette; when out on a patrol for Heartless and Nobodies.

And on cue, Hayner, Pence and Olette had shown up. Roxas looks over and sees that Olette, Hayner, and Pence have arrived; Hayner huffs off, "Wait up!" Roxas runs to follow them

"Uh-oh" Aqua thought to herself as watched them leave without Roxas.

"Hey! No chickening out of the tournament tomorrow!" Seifer called out at Roxas; "We'll be waiting', ya 'know?" Aqua turned her attention to that kid, "Is he really, that one dimensional?" she thought

Roxas arrives back at the Usual Spot where the three are already having sea-salt ice cream

"So...you hung out with Seifer's gang today?" Pence stated in low voice but it sounded more like a question.

"N-no... It's not like that... Oh yeah! How was the beach? Wasn't that today?" Roxas then changing the subject.

Olette sighed "We didn't go. It wouldn't be the same without you, right?"

Roxas, now felt bad but he wasn't sure, if he could even begin to describe what was happened to him "...Sorry. Hey...how 'bout we go tomorrow? We could get those pretzels and..."

"I promised I'd be somewhere" Hayner cutting off Roxas's attempt to make-up for another day of missing the beach today.

"Ohh..." he said disappointedly but then instantly remembered "Oh!"

Roxas remembers the events of the previous day,

"You and I have to make the finals! That way, no matter who wins, the four of us split the prize!"

"Okay, you're on."

"You two are gonna clean up!""Go get 'em!"

Roxas and Hayner make a sign of friendship with their arms, "It's a promise!"

Roxas waits for a response from Hayner

"I'm out of here." Says Hayner as he begins to leave.

"Restoration at 48%." The computer then announced

DiZ sits at the computer with the cloaked man standing behind him as Aqua is looking over something in the reports; she had come across in Hollow Bastion, that was two years ago.

"Was that Naminé made of data?" Aqua heard Riku ask the red clothed man.

"No. Naminé hijacked the data herself. Look what she's done now... She's totally beyond my control!" DiZ slams the desk with a fist; Aqua glared at the man, she wouldn't hesitate in harming him, if he dared lay a hand on Naminé.

"Calm down." Riku said to him

DiZ scoffed at the cloaked figure "It doesn't matter. As long as Naminé accomplishes her goal we needn't worry about what befalls Roxas."

Sora's memories continue to flood back.

He floats toward the light, trying to grab young Kairi in the Hollow Bastion library

"So, you all finally made it! About time I've been waiting." Said Riku, "Ever since we began our training Sora, we've always been rivals, haven't we?" Aqua looking to her student was this is real reason for his...betrayal.

"You've pushed me as I have pushed you" Riku then added.

"Riku?"

"But it all ends here, there can't be two keyblade masters!" said Riku, "What are you talking about?" asked Sora.

"What!"

"What!"

"Riku! Keyblade or no keyblade, you and Sora are so far from being masters. The title of 'Master' is earned not handed out" Aqua said firmly. "And for your information Riku, more than one Keyblade master, can coexist, I'm sure there's a part of you that knows that." She added.

"Let that keyblade choose its real master!" as Riku lifted his hand summoning the keyblade in Sora's hand. And it worked; Sora's keyblade went to Riku.

The energy ball was light blinding as it came closer but soon enough Aqua and Goofy had deflected it, to protect Sora.

"Sora isn't going anywhere!" shouted Goofy.

"You'd betray your king!" Riku excused, "Not on your life but I'm not going to betray Sora, either." Declared Goofy. "Cause he's become one of my best buddies after all we've been through together, and the same goes for Aqua." he then added. "See ya later, Donald; could you tell the king, I'm really sorry."

"Hold it, right there Goofy, we'll tell him together" the short tempered duck running over, reuniting the foursome. "Well you know, all for one and one for all" added Donald. "You're stuck with us now, Sora" said Goofy

"Thanks, Donald, Goofy"

"How will you fight without a weapon, Sora" Riku taunted summoning the kingdom key, waving it around as if it were a wood on fire.

"Have you forgotten already ready...Riku" Aqua spoke putting a questionable emphasis on Riku's name. "you claim that you are at the status of a keyblade master, but how would you fair against a real master" Aqua stepping forward to Riku, Riku's face showed that sadistic smile she knew all too well, while she looked down to Riku's hands; they were shaking. "So Riku is still in there, he hasn't been pushed out yet" thought the bluenette master.

And so as I was going to make my first attack,

"Wait" Sora screamed out to us. Aqua stopped. "I know now, that I don't need a keyblade because I've got a greater weapon, my heart" declared Sora, with such confidence; it would be hard to believe that.

"Your heart?" he laughed, "tell me, what good will that weak little thing does for you?"

"Although my heart maybe weak, it's not alone. It's growing with each new experience and it's found a home with all the friends I have made. I've become a part of their hearts just as they've become mine. And when they'll think of me, now and then, if they don't forget me, then our hearts will be one." Sora took a stance with the wooden sword, "my friends are my power!" And with that the keyblade moved back to Sora, leaving Riku weaponless, even his attire had returned to his own clothing.

"So, your heart won this battle." Spoke the Beast

Sora didn't notice the shifting presence behind him, as it came closer to him. Soon enough Sora was grasping his head in pain as he saw the flashes of his entire life flashing before him but then it stopped. The shifting presence began to take a form.

It to the appearance of a tall man, he wore a hooded cloak; his body was built. The hooded man looked around the area, he saw the bluenette woman down on the ground, one of his hands clenching into a fist. Aqua began to stir slowly.

"Who are you?" asked Sora.

"My name is of no importance."

"Ansem?" asked Goofy

"A name that was taken, then made to be abandoned" that clenched hand of his, formed an energy ball of blue light and lightening; out stretching his arm towards Sora went the lightening like energy. "Sora!" shot in Aqua's voice as she jumped in front of the energy deflecting it with her keyblade.

"It is I, Ansem, lead me into everlasting darkness!"

Riku moves to strike Sora and release Kairi's heart

"Sora!" Kairi's voice crying out; Sora has a flash of Kairi's face and he catches Riku's blow with his Keyblade."Forget it! There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"

After defeating Riku-Ansem, Sora releases Kairi's heart.

Kairi saves Sora from the Heartless, "Kairi" Sora sees Kairi smiling at him

"We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other." Said Leon

"No matter where we are, our hearts will bring us together again." Aerith then said

Kairi gives Sora the Oathkeeper keychain, "Take this. It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me." She tells him in a stern voice.

"Don't worry. I will." Sora then says to her

"Promise."

"Now let's go seal that Keyhole," Aqua said to Sora as they headed to the dark keyhole. Summoning their keyblades once more as student and master locked the keyhole raging with darkness.

"Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you." Kairi tells Sora.

-Fourth Day-

Roxas wakes up and looks out his window

"Right... "Promise"..."Rising his arm as he moves as if striking with a Keyblade "What a mess..." Roxas then sighs and then scratches his head.

Later, Roxas runs out of the Usual Spot

"Hurry to the sandlot! You're gonna be late!" a random shopkeeper had yelled out to him. Roxas runs to the Sandlot, where many people have gathered to watch The Struggle

"Who you gonna root for?" Pence then asks Olette, "Both of them, silly." She answers

Fireworks appear in the sky and the crowd cheers

"Ladies and gentlemen, Struggle-fiends of Twilight Town! It's time for summer's most sizzling clash! That's right! Today is the day for the Struggle and title match! Who will be the one to break through the ranks and take on our champion, Setzer!" said the announcer

"Seifer, ya 'know!" Rai then yelled out to the top of his lungs.

"And who will leave today as our new Struggle Champion!" the announcer then asked the cheering crowd.

"Hayner! Roxas!" Olette and Pence then screamed out at the same time.

"Setzerrrrr!" fans screamed a majority of them being female, "Setzer! Setzer! Setzer! Setzer! Setzer!"

"Yes, the crowd is fired up, so you know what comes next: Let's...STRUGGLE!"

More fireworks are set off. The announcer gets off the stage for the commentator to begin

"Hey, now. It's time to introduce today's combatants! The four bad boys who struggled their way through the preliminaries! Regular finalist and head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee: Seifer! Completely out of nowhere, who knew he'd make it so far this year? Vivi! An underground favorite"

"And local attitude problem: Hayner! It's his first trip to the finals! And Struggler number 4, who just happens to be my absolute favorite customer: Roxas!"

Hayner looks to Roxas, who returns his gaze, but looks away solemnly

"So who will win this sweltering summer Struggle! Who will take home the grand prize? The summa cum laude of Struggle; the Four Crystal Trophy! AND...a chance to take on our defending champion, Setzer!

Setzer holds up the championship belt, "It won't be long now, folks. I suggest our challengers go over the official Struggle Rules before we begin!"

The challengers have a quick refresher of the rules. The tournament Announcer hands Roxas and Hayner each a battle sword and pats them on the shoulder. Hayner points the sword at Roxas, who looks unhappy

"Hey... Sorry about yesterday." Roxas then says to Hayner

"What, you still worried about that? You need to learn to let that stuff go." Hayner the brushing off yesterday

"I've got a lot on my mind." Roxas then told him

"Sorry, man." Said Hayner; Roxas shakes his head, "Wait, what am I sorry for?" He smiles, making Roxas smile as well. Olette and Pence stop their clapping to smirk at each other.

Roxas readies for battle, "Our first match of today's Struggle tournament will be between Roxas and his best friend Hayner!"

"Ready, Roxas?"

Roxas and Hayner battle it out and Hayner loses

"And the winner is Roxas!" The announcer raises Roxas's arm and Roxas waves to the crowd

"Not even friendship will slow this kid down. And Hayner put up a great fight, too."

Roxas runs over to Hayner

"I lost. Awww, I can't believe it!" Hayner said in a disappointed tone that could have passed off as whine

Hayner stands up, looking to Roxas "I guess I taught you well."

Roxas then smirks "I had a lot of fun fighting you." He tells his friend. Hayner smiles, then stops and crosses his arms "Yeah, well I didn't, wise guy."

"Hey, let's find a way to cheer you up." Suggested Roxas

"Nah, that's all right." Hayner friendly punches Roxas's hand. He leaves and almost walks into Seifer coming up on stage

"Out of the way" Seifer then says to the boy.

"You in a rush to lose?" Hayner called out after Seifer.

Roxas is startled by the sudden appearance of Vivi by his side. Vivi looks up at him and giggles.

Vivi and Seifer are alone on the stage "Don't mess with your elders."

"Whew, just look at those sparks fly! I guess Seifer didn't expect to fight one of his own boys!" Seifer and Vivi face each other down. Then Vivi flies at Seifer, who jumps away with Vivi in pursuit

"When did Vivi get so tough?" Hayner asked Roxas but he could only shrug as he had no idea. After a few attempts at hitting one another, Seifer blocks Vivi's slashes and knocks Vivi away, dropping one of Vivi's orbs)

"You're mine!" Seifer then yelled out to Vivi. He lunges for the orb when Vivi returns and knocks Seifer down, taking everyone by surprise

"I-I'm not sure what just happened... Um...but...the winner is Vivi! In a positively blistering comeback!"

Seifer sits up and shakes his head as Roxas was walking back into the ring for his next match.

"That's not Vivi." Seifer says to Roxas

"Huh?" Roxas looked to Seifer in confusion

"Thrash 'him." Seifer then said to Roxas. Seifer, Fuu, and Rai leave the Sandlot

"It looks like Seifer's withdrawn from the Struggle for third place."

"So I'm in third now? Aw, baby!" Hayner exclaimed.

The Announcer hands Roxas and Vivi each a battle sword, "Keep it clean, fellas."

Roxas and Vivi stare each other down as the Announcer leaves the stage

"And now, the match you've been waiting for: Roxas vs. Vivi!"

Roxas battles Vivi. As he goes in for one last strike, something stops him and Roxas notices that everything has frozen in time.

Vivi suddenly turns into a Dusk, then more appear

"Again!" His sword turns into the Keyblade "Again..." Roxas fights the Dusks and wins, though he's tired. He's alerted by a clapping coming from behind him and turns around to see a cloaked man with a thin body type

"Roxas. All right. Fight, fight, fight." The man walks in closer to Roxas

"You really don't remember? It's me. You know, Axel." The man removes his hood, showing his flaming red hair

"Axel?" Roxas then questioned as he stared at the stranger. Axel then sighing "Talk about blank with a capital "B." Man oh man, even the Dusks aren't gonna crack this one."

His chakram appear in flames and he catches them in his hands, "Wait a sec, tell me what's going on!" demanded Roxas

Axel looking around, "This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for a Q & A. You're coming with me, conscious or not. Then you'll hear the story."

Axel gets ready to fight. A strange presence flies around Roxas. Axel straightens up; "Uh-oh," Axel then said, "Aw Shit, now they know I'm here" thought Axel

Roxas sighs and looks at the Keyblade. He throws it down in frustration "What's going ON!" he screams. The Keyblade appears back in his hand with a flash of light

"You are Number 13. Roxas. The Keyblade's chosen one." Axel then said to Roxas

Axel readies to fight again; the boy could only glare at the red-headed man "Okay, fine! You asked for it!" he said to him, "That's more like it!" Axel then said as he waited for Roxas to the make the first move.

Roxas tries to fight Axel but his exhaustion is finally catching up with him but Roxas was determined to beat this guy and with a rush of adrenaline; Roxas manages to knock Axel back and in quite a distance too.

Axel then smirking "Not bad, Roxas" as Axel was getting ready for another attack but then Aqua appears in front of the boy with her own keyblade but DiZ has also appeared but a bit far back.

"What?" Roxas now seeing a blue haired woman, in front of him but her back turned to him, "Heal" Aqua using Curaga on the boy restoring his energy.

Axel glaring at the bluenette "So it was you" he says to her; Aqua doesn't respond to him, Axel then sending his flaming chakrams flying at DiZ but with no impact as they bounced off DiZ and reflected over to Aqua and Roxas's direction; Aqua using her keyblade and then hitting two chakrams back at Axel.

"Roxas, this man speaks nonsense!" DiZ said to the boy

"Roxas, don't let them deceive you!" Axel then shouted

"Roxas!" DiZ then Shouted

"Roxas!" Axel calling out to Roxas, The two men shouting his name gets the best of him and Roxas holds his head in his hands, "Hayner...Pence...Olette... Hayner! Pence! Olette!" he then called out the names of his friends and then a white blinding flash fills Roxas's head.

The Struggle competition returns and the crowd is cheering once again at Roxas's defeat against Vivi

"What? What just happened?" questioned the announcer

"Huh? ...How did I get here?" Vivi then mutter as the confused player left the ring.

Hayner, Olette, and Pence rush the stage; "Roxas!" Olette cheered him on

"Ladies and gentlemen, Roxas; our new top Struggler!"

Hayner notices Roxas's a little distraught and distracted "Roxas?"

"Setzeerrrr!" fans cheered for the current champion. Setzer drinks up the attention

"Roxas! It's starting!" Olette screams at him from ringside.

"You two, play fair now. You're at the top of the bracket."

"There's only room for one up here." Setzer as he looks down on Roxas, "Well, may the best man win!" The Announcer walks offstage "Hey Rucksack, How about you throw the match for me?" Setzer said to the boy

"Roxas Focus!" Hayner then shouted. Roxas glares at Setzer, "Let me win, and I'll make it worth your while." Roxas shook his head "Get real!"

"Roxas, our underdog hero, versus Setzer, our defending champion! The winner of this match will be the true champion! That's bragging rights for a whole year, folks!"

"Whatever you think is right, you're wrong. And that is a big mistake. My life's a chip in your pile. Time to ante up!" spoke Setzer.

Roxas beats Setzer

"I'm not supposed to lose!"

"Roxas! Roxas! Roxas! Roxas! Roxas!" the crowd shouted. Setzer walks offstage and points back to Roxas. Hayner, Pence, and Olette rush up to Roxas

"Roxas!" Hayner yelled out in excitement.

"You did it!" cheered Olette

"That was awesome, Roxas!" said Pence

Setzer turns around and leaves; Roxas waves to the crowd. The Announcer presents him with the championship belt. Roxas holds it up and the crowd cheers.

Later, on the ledge of the train station, Roxas sits with his friends, holding the crystal trophy. He takes off the yellow crystal and tosses it to Olette. He does the same with the red and green crystals, tossing them to Hayner and Pence. He takes out his own blue one and holds it up to the sun

"As promised" Roxas then says to them.

Pence also holding his out, "Thanks a ton, Roxas!"

"One more treasure for us to share." Said Hayner and he too holds his out. Olette follows suit, "I've got a present, too...for all of us." She takes out four bars of sea-salt ice cream

"Whoa!" said Hayner; Roxas stands up on the ledge and teeters on the edge. He loses his balance and falls

On the Destiny Islands, Kairi walks down the path to the beach after school. "Kairi! Wait up!" Kairi stops and turns around as Selphie catches up to her

"Hey, do you feel like going out to the island? Tidus and Wakka are all wrapped up in their ballgame and they won't go with me."

Kairi having wanted to go there and look through more of Aqua's magic books, it was weird; Kairi was taking care of Aqua's house but she noticed that Aqua's book collection had gotten bigger but that didn't stop Kairi from reading and then trying to perform the spells though she didn't have a keyblade like Aqua did but something inside Kairi wasn't letting her stop, she just had to keep doing it.

"Sorry Selphie but not today." Kairi told her friend

Selphie now disappointed "Aw, why not?" questioned Selphie. Kairi and then looked to Selphie with a serious face "Do you remember those boys and that woman who used to hang out with us?"

"Riku and Aqua, right?" Selphie

Kairi nodding her head "Yeah."

"I wonder whatever happened to him and Aqua, sure I didn't know her personally but I was friends with Riku; I sure do miss Riku." Selphie replied to Kairi

Kairi then gave the girl a small smile "He's far away. But I know we'll see him again."

"Sure. Of course we will." Selphie then said as she smiled back as the two girls continued walking.

"And the other boy?" Kairi then asked Selphie but the light haired brunette looked confused "What other boy?" Selphie innocently asked.

Kairi quirked an eye brow "The one who was with Riku and me all the time; we played together on that island. His voice always used to be there but now it's gone. I can't think of his face, or his name. I feel awful about it. So I told myself; I'm not going to the island until I remember everything about him." Kairi then confessed to Selphie

Selphie giving Kairi an 'I don't know' face "Are you sure you didn't make him up?"

"Naminé?" a voice then began talking in Kairi's head; the princess of heart gets a sudden headache as she grips her head and then falls forward on the ground while in Twilight Town, Roxas continues to fall off the clock tower

"Naminé...? What's happening to me?" Roxas asked her

"Who are you? And that's not my name. I'm Kairi." Kairi said to the voice in her head.

"Kairi... I know you. You're that girl he likes." Roxas then said

Kairi perking up at that "Who? Please, a name!" her voice getting high in a quick panic

"I'm Roxas."

Kairi, now calming down "Okay, Roxas, but can you tell me HIS name?" she asked Roxas

"You don't remember my name? Thanks a lot, Kairi! Okay, I guess I can give you a hint. Starts with an "S!"" another voice had spoken up but it sound much lighter and not harsh compared to Roxas

Kairi wakes up on the ground, "Are you okay?" Selphie asks her as she lends a hand to help Kairi up. "Yeah, I'm alright" answered Kairi.

The two girls look to the island across the water. Kairi looks over at Selphie and smiles widely. She then runs to the beach. Selphie catches up

"Kairi...?" Kairi places her bag down and let's loose a message in a bottle in the ocean, "What's that?"

"A letter... I wrote it yesterday; to the boy I can't remember. I said that no matter where he is... I'll find him. One day. And when I stopped writing, I remembered we made a promise, something important. This letter is where it starts. I know it" said a determined Kairi.

"Wow... I hope he gets it" said Selphie

Kairi could only smile as she stared out into the ocean "He will. Starts with an "S." Right, Sora?"

"Restoration at 79%." Spoke the computer; DiZ continues to sit at the computer screens while the cloaked man juggles a blue crystal. Aqua watching the small blue ball in Riku's hand and then her hand unaware of her hand grazing over the three Wayfinders that rested around her neck

"His progress is astounding." Commented DiZ

"So what happened?" Riku asked DiZ. The man places the ball back into the munny pouch; "Naminé's encounter with Roxas put his heart in contact with Kairi's. And that, in turn, affected Sora. You see?" DiZ explained to Riku and Aqua

"Naminé?... She's a wonder." Commented the cloaked man

"She wasn't born like other Nobodies. She can interfere with the hearts and memories of Sora and those aligned with him." said DiZ

"But whose Nobody is she?" questioned the cloaked man

"I could tell you... But first, perhaps you could tell me your true name?" DiZ said to the cloaked man but the answer wouldn't matter, DiZ already knew who it was underneath that forced appearance.

The cloaked man revealed his face from under his hood "It's Ansem." DiZ laughs, "It's an honor, Ansem!"

Aqua gazed at DiZ's reaction with much caution, "He knows something" thought Aqua.

A white room is revealed. It is circular, with a stone floor and tall white chairs of differing heights. Axel is seated with two cloaked figures, one sitting on the topmost chair; only Axel is unhooded. One of the two sits with his arms crossed

"Get rid of him! Wait a second! Isn't it a bit early for that?" Axel then yelled in his extent of surprise.

"It's an order. Why are you hesitating? Aren't you the one who deals judgment upon those who disobey the Organization?" said Xaldin

"He hasn't turned his back on us! He's just unable to come back yet!" Axel argued for his friend.

" If he doesn't come back, he must pay the price. If you oppose these orders, you'll be the one to pay." The cross-armed man summons a naginata and drives it toward Axel. It strikes to his right and some hair is sliced off. Axel is unflinching. The leader holds up a hand to pacify him. He looks to the leader, and then looks away. The naginata vanishes, and the leader summons a sphere of energy. Electrical bolts shoot out from it toward the walls

"Turning me into a Dusk, eh... Fine, I got it! I'll do it! I'll do it!" Axel then tells them.

-Fifth Day-

Roxas is falling through space, when suddenly he wakes up back in his room. He regains himself and sighs, "I'm dreaming... But which parts...were the dreams?"

Afterward, the train passes by over the Usual Spot, where the four friends are gathered. Olette walks up to Roxas and puts her hands on her hips

"Only three days left of summer vacation. So don't even mention that assignment!" Hayner says to Olette, "But we agreed we'd get it finished today." Olette said to her stubborn friend.

Roxas then interrupted with an odd question "Yesterday... I fell off the station tower, didn't I?"

"You wouldn't be here if you did!" remarked Hayner, "But man that was a close one..." added in Pence. Olette now getting mad as she crossed her arms over her chest "Stop changing the subject!" she yelled out.

"Okay, already! You win. We'll do the homework." Hayner then snapped at Olette "Stupid independent study; so anybody got any bright ideas for a topic?"

Roxas shrugged his shoulders "Maybe we could study the stuff that's happening to me. You know the dreams and the guys in white..." suggested Roxas

"Forget it." Interpreted Hayner

"Why?" inquired Roxas, "You know things have been weird with you and the town since the photos. Were stolen, right?" explained Hayner

"Well, tomorrow, we're all gonna search the town and find out what's been going' on." Pence then added on for Hayner. Olette nodding her head "Lots of people are helping out."

"All that for me?" Roxas then said and he brightens up considerably "I'll go get us some ice cream!" He runs out of the Usual Spot. Later, the friends are all back eating the sea-salt ice cream

"There's this strange rumor going around. Wanna hear it? You know the stone steps at Sunset Station? We use 'em all the time, without even thinking about it. But and this is the weird part the steps count different going up and down! Spoke Pence

"Seriously!" asked Hayner. Pence continued on further "And there are six other weird stories like that. It's like...the seven wonders of Twilight Town."

Hayner then getting an idea "We should investigate those for our school project! Pence, you're a genius!" he told his friend

"There might be other rumors going around, too. Let's split up! I'm gonna look for the seven wonders..." said Pence

"Olette and I will go find some new rumors! C'mon!" spoke Hayner as he picked Olette to work with as Pence was looking at Roxas, "That leaves you and me, Roxas; let's try the train first to the station!"

Roxas proceeds to Central Station with Pence

"The time has come! Our hunt for the seven wonders begins!" exclaimed an excited Pence; Olette and Hayner walk in after them,

"Whoa! Find new rumors already?" Pence asked the two.

Olette shrugged her shoulders "Nothing on Market Street" she answered

"You twerps aren't gonna scoop us. We're going to the terrace with you" Declared Hayner

Olette rolling her eyes "Hayner it's not a race!" He looked at "Well, it is now!" he tells her. Olette merely shook her head at her friend as she let out a small groan of frustration.

"C'mon, we can all go" Roxas finally speaking up.

They all run to the train and it begins taking them to Sunset Station. They all sit down inside the train. Olette pulls out her yellow crystal and holds it up.

So does Hayner and Pence. Roxas searches for it, but his crystal is missing. He sits there sadly.

The train comes to a screeching halt at Sunset Station. Hayner runs out of the train

"Olette! Hurry!"Olette runs after Hayner.

Pence and Roxas walk out together. Roxas stretches for a sec

"Huh. Aren't these the steps you talked about? The ones that count different going up and down?"

Pence now looking not so excited as he was before "Umm...actually, it's the stupidest thing ever, but..."

"What?" yelled Roxas

Pence sighed "Rai's the one who counted. He's like, "Every time I count, it's Different, Ya 'KNOW?" Ha-ha!" Roxas dead-panned at Pence "So...he just counted wrong" Pence nods, Roxas sighs "Hey, no worries" Pence then said

Roxas and Pence walk to the Sunset Terrace. Roxas finds a dead end where strange balls fly out at him. He runs to the wall dodging the balls and hits it with his battle sword. Pence see's the balls fly out and runs into the dead end

"Oh, it's just you, Roxas. Were you throwing a ball? That ball flew out of nowhere and totally startled me. Hey, I know! This explains one of those seven wonders!"

They leave and a mysterious energy slightly shudders in front of the wall and vanishes.

Roxas investigates a tunnel and sees Vivi alone

"Vivi?" Roxas runs to Vivi, who then splits into several Vivi's. Roxas defeats them and they turn into data. Vivi walks in from the entrance of the tunnel

"What is it, Roxas?" Vivi walks toward Roxas holding a battle sword "Oh, did you need this, Roxas? Planning on getting in some practice, I bet." Spoke Vivi

Roxas then shook his head "Er, no, it's just that... there were so many of you..." he tried to say. Vivi looked taken back at the comment just made "Huh? So...many of me? I don't get it. Anyway, I'm done with this, Roxas. You can take your time." The small creature then said.

Roxas walks out while Pence runs in "So the mystery voice was just Vivi practicing." Said Pence

"Listen, there were a whole bunch of Vivi clones here just a minute ago..." Roxas tried to explain

The Vivi that had just walked out turns into a Dusk and it floats out. Roxas leaves and passes a small waterfall, where he sees his reflection. Suddenly, the reflection walks out of the waterfall and through Roxas. It turns into a dark form and is ready for battle. Roxas gets out his sword as well. Roxas defeats the Shadow Roxas and it turns into data

"Roxas!"

Roxas stands up and dusts himself off

"You all right?" Pence looks over at the waterfall. Roxas and his' reflections are back where they should be

"Now that's spooky! I thought I saw someone, but it was just my reflection. I bet this is behind one of the seven wonders!"

"Another...me?" Roxas then muttered. Roxas walks away as his Shadow form appears briefly in the waterfall.

Roxas walks to Sunset Hill where there's a strange bouncing bag running around. Roxas jumps onto the bag to keep it from moving around

"Yikes!" A dog comes out of the bag. Pence walks in

"Oh, it was just a dog. Did you let it out of the sack, Roxas?" The dog walks back to its owner "This explains one of those seven wonders!" The dog turning into a Dusk while Pence kept talking.

"You know...that last wonder wasn't exactly wonderful." Noted Roxas, "I understand, say no more. But this next one's gonna be really great! Wonder number Six!"

Hayner and Olette run in "We got another lead!" spoke Hayner

"The Ghost Train Mystery" said Olette, "Everybody knows about Wonder number Six!"said Pence. "Yeah, well, I didn't." said Hayner as he crossed his arms

"Did you find out where the train runs?" Roxas asked Olette, "You can see it from Sunset Hill."

The four walk to Sunset Hill "If the rumors are true, it'll be here any minute... For they say the train is empty. No driver, no conductor, no passengers... NO RETURN." Explained Pence

They eventually get tired waiting and end up lying on the ground

"We've gotta make it to the beach next year." Remarked Olette, "Yeah. We better get jobs the second vacation starts." Hayner agreed with her

"Good afternoon, slackers." Roxas turns around to see Seifer, "What are you doing out here?" Seifer then asked the foursome

"What do you care?" remarked Hayner

"I don't. Tell me anyway." Seifer then replied. "We're waiting for the ghost train" answered Pence. Seifer then replying "Waiting for the ghost train!" he said mockingly. He laughs and Roxas stands up, annoyed, "Why does looking at you always tick me off?" Seifer then asks him.

"I don't know. Maybe it's destiny." Roxas said with a smart-ass tone of voice

"Destiny... In that case, let's be friends. I don't feel like cooperating with destiny." Seifert then said,

"When have you ever cooperated with anything?" Hayner then said to the older boy.

Seifer turns around and pats his chest with his fist, then leaves

"Seifer!" Olette calling out to him, "I know. Tomorrow" he tells her but doesn't give an attitude like he did with the others.

"Look!" Roxas then cried out as a mysterious blue and gold train decorated with stars and moons pulls through the underpass. "It's really true... And there's really no one aboard! What's the catch? There's gotta be a catch, right?"

The other three look at each other, "Then it's real? Let's go to the station!"

The four rush to the station to catch the train, Roxas leading the way.

The train is there when they arrive "Let's go in!" Hayner stops Roxas, "What?"

"Um...you'll get hurt." Roxas looks back and the train has disappeared "Huh?"

The usual orange train pulls into the station. A few passengers, including Fuu and Rai walk out

"C'mon." said Hayner, "A train came from the beach. There was no driver, right?" questioned Roxas

"Let's go..." Pence then said; "Right?" Roxas asked again. He pleads to Olette with his hand. She shakes her head. Hayner groans and pushes Roxas onto the train.

Later, after arriving back at the train station, they walk toward Market Street

"Let's go home and work on the paper." Suggested Hayner

"The rumors were bogus. The end." Said Pence

"We can still make it sound good if we write about all the work we did." Olette then said.

"But what about the last one; the seventh wonder?" Roxas then asked

"Who cares?" Hayner then threw his hands up in the air

Roxas giving Hayner a hard look "I do. C'mon, Pence" "Whatever!" cried out Hayner, "Roxas..." Olette barely trying to make him stop.

Pence sighs at Roxas's determination, "It's at that haunted mansion."

Pence and Olette follow Hayner. Roxas proceeds to the Old Mansion

"You know something..." Pence said from behind Roxas as he joined his blonde friend

Roxas is startled and turns around "We were gonna check the mansion out tomorrow. It IS the most suspicious place." Pence then said

"Right..." Roxas then said

"Even Seifer's gang was gonna help" Pence said to Roxas, "Seifer?" Roxas said in disbelief. "Yeah, Hayner asked him to." Pence said, while Roxas's eyebrows just were raised with shock "After Olette begged him to ask." Pence then added.

Roxas looks up to the dusty window of the mansion. Naminé is in the window

"So, what're we looking' for?" questioned Roxas "Well, they say there's a girl who appears at the second floor window even though no one's lived here for years." Explained Pence

Roxas looks back up to the window.

Inside, there is a white room with a long table and pictures on the walls. Everything but the colors in the pictures is white. One of the pictures focuses on Kairi with a Paopu fruit

"Roxas..." Naminé saying his name catching the boy's attention

"Naminé?"

Another of the pictures is of Roxas, Axel and someone else all three dressed in the Organization cloaks, "This is...me? ...And Axel's here too." Observed Roxas

Naminé nodding her head "Well, You ARE best friends" she tells him. "Very funny" Roxas then told her, "Don't you want to know the truth about who you really are?" inquired Naminé

"No one knows me better than me."

"Of course..." Naminé replied

"But...I don't get what's been happening lately."

Roxas sees a picture of Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy, "You know these four, don't you?" Naminé then asks him. "Yeah Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy; they're from the dreams" answered Roxas

Naminé took a deep breath "About a year ago, some things happened, and I had to take apart the memories chained together in Sora's heart but now... I'm putting them all back exactly the way they were." She tells him, stopping a moment "It's taken me a long time, but pretty soon Sora will be his old self again. The process has been affecting you, too, Roxas." Naminé continued

"You mean...the dreams?"

Naminé nodded "Yes... You and Sora are connected and in order for Sora to become completely whole again... He needs you" she tried to explain. Roxas sees a picture of himself with Sora, "What for?" He then stated. Naminé sighed, "You hold half of what he is... He needs you, Roxas."

"Naminé?" Roxas then said as he sat down in a chair. Roxas and Naminé sit at opposite ends of the long white table, "Naminé...who are you?" he asked her. "I'm a witch with power over Sora's memories and those around him." Naminé answered

"A witch?" he said.

"That's what DiZ and others have called me. But I don't know why I have this power...I just do. I'm not even sure there's a right way for me to use it." Naminé then confessed to Roxas

"Hmm...I can't help you there" Looking over at the drawing of himself and Axel. "It's funny... Suddenly I feel like I don't know myself at all... I guess I would like to know. What do you know about me...that I don't?"

Naminé frowned "You...you were never supposed to exist, Roxas." She tells him

"What...? How could you even say such a thing...even if it were true?" Roxas snapped at her, "I'm sorry, Roxas. I guess some things really are better left unsaid." Naminé then said.

Pence shake Roxas out of his staring contest with the window, "Roxas!" Pence saying his name over and over

"Huh?" as Roxas woke up from his 'trance'

"Did you see her?" Pence then questioned Roxas "Yeah. Watch the window, closely" answered Roxas.

Roxas points up to the window, where Naminé is gone

"Oh, lame. That's just the curtains moving. There must be a draft somewhere. I'm surprised this old place even has curtains."

Naminé has returned to the window and Roxas catch's her in his stare "...Yeah" he said with hesitation

Pence then rubbing the back of his head "Well, let's head back to the usual spot. Hayner and Olette are waiting for us."

The two boys return to their hideout

"Hey guys, how'd it go?" asked Olette who was in the spot by herself.

"The girl in the window turned out to be a curtain flapping in the wind." said Pence

"I figured as much. The report's already done." Olette then told them

"All right!"

"So, want to go find Hayner? He's probably at the station."

Roxas looks up, "You know...we only have two more days together."

"Huh?"

"Summer vacation, remember?"

"Oh...right."

The three walk to Central Station. Hayner is on the ledge eating ice cream

"Tomorrow we search the town." Said Hayner, "and the Next day's the fair." Pence said in addition.

"The last day of summer." Noted Olette

"Don't say that! You'll give me an ulcer!" Hayner then complained.

"Not if you explode from all that ice cream first" commented Pence. Everyone but Roxas laughs as the bells ring in the background.

In a dimly lit room, DiZ is sitting in a large wooden chair as the cloaked 'Ansem' and Aqua walks in

"Why did you show him the train?" asked the cloaked man

"Because he missed the trip to the beach." Replied DiZ

"Hmph...that's almost kind of you." Retorted 'Ansem'

"Now...what about you? Are the holes in your memory starting to fill in?" DiZ then questioned the cloaked man.

"Yes...the haze is clearing." The cloaked man responded, as Aqua stood there with her arms crossed.

"The same thing is happening to everyone who had ties to Sora. Very soon, to them, he'll be like a good friend who's gone away for a year."

Ansem sits in an opposite chair "I've waited, and now I want to know. What is it that you want?"

"Revenge" DiZ simply stated

"Revenge..."

"Now, for the finishing touches; first, we must dispose of Naminé." Aqua's eyes widen in anger as she heard those words, Riku grabbed her wielding arm, to stop her from attacking the man.

"She did a splendid job with Sora, but it's high time she disappeared. Roxas isn't the only one who was never meant to exist. Take care of it, Ansem."

"Restoration at 97%." Said the Robotic voice.

Sora's last memories flash through his mind.

The foursome stands in the Gate to the Dark in the End of the World

"Gawrsh, is that all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?"

"Those worlds will be restored if we beat Ansem, right? But, if we do beat him and all these worlds become restored and disconnected, what's gonna happen to this place? And to us?"

"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."

Sora remembers the final showdown with Ansem, "That's not true! The heart may be weak. And sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!"

Sora remembers Ansem's defeat, "Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness!"

"You're wrong. I know now, without a doubt, Kingdom Hearts is light!"

"Now, let's close this door for good!" spoke King Mickey

Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy help close the door of Kingdom Hearts

"Take care of her." Said Riku

Sora runs to Kairi

"Kairi!", "Sora!"

Kairi falls but Sora catches her

"Kairi, remember what you said before? I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you. I promise!"

"I know you will!"

Sora and Kairi break away from each other.

Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy walk down a winding path

"Well, now what do we do?" asked Donald.

"We've gotta find Riku and King Mickey."

"But, uh, where do we start looking' for that there door to the light?"

They see Pluto walking with a letter in his mouth

"Pluto?" said Donald.

"Gawrsh, that's the king's seal!"

"Hey, have you seen King Mickey?"

Pluto turns to run down the path

"Let's go!"

At nighttime, Sora is startled by a figure in black. He turns around to see it, but it is gone. He looks around for a second, then turns around again. The figure is slightly down the road. Sora runs to it, but it fades away.

Aqua leads Sora, Donald and Goofy to Castle Oblivion at the end of the road.

At the same dark beach, the two cloaked figures meet

"I've been to see him. He looks a lot like you."

"Who are you?"

In a mysterious dark city, while the rain falls, hundreds of Neoshadow's rise from the ground. They surround another figure in black, who takes out two Keyblades, the Oathkeeper and the Oblivion and swings them into position. He destroys several of the Neoshadow's before looking up to the top of the main skyscraper of the city. The rain has stopped for a moment.

An unhooded but blindfolded man stands at the top of the skyscraper. The duel-wielding person runs up the side of the building and tosses the Oblivion Keyblade to the man at the top, who dives off the edge of the building and catches the weapon in his hand, falling down past the running figure. They turn to look at each other as they pass. After they both have reached the bottom, they destroy the remaining Neoshadow's, and then turn on each other. The two exchange blows before the figure with the Oathkeeper knocks the other man to the ground

"Why! Why do you have the Keyblade?"

"Shut up!"

The boy brings down a final blow to the silver-haired one.

-Sixth Day-

Roxas wakes up in his bedroom and slides off the bed. He shifts from Sora to Roxas several times as he stands up. Roxas looks outside his window. Birds fly past.

Afterward he heads out; Hayner, Olette, and Pence are already in the Usual Spot when Roxas arrives there "Man, I could not sleep last night..." His friends have no response, "Guys?" He reaches toward Hayner and his hand goes right through him

"Huh?" Roxas takes a step back watching his friends laugh with no notion of his existence. Hayner turns around and runs right through him, Pence and Olette following. Roxas stops and sighs, his eyes closing. He picks up a picture nearby which includes Hayner, Olette, and Pence, and had previously included Roxas.

Roxas leaves the Usual Spot and is cornered by Dusks. Then, Axel appears

"Look at what it's come to. I've been given these icky orders to destroy you; if you refuse to come back with me." Said Axel

"We're...best friends, right?" Roxas then said

Axel scratches his head, "Sure...but I'm not getting turned into a Dusk for...Wait a sec! You remember now!"

"Y...eah." Roxas answered so unsure of himself

"Great! But, you know, gotta make sure and all. So, umm... What's our boss's name?" Roxas gives no answer, and Axel sighs sadly, "Can't believe this..."

The stick in Roxas's hands becomes the Keyblade. He defeats the Dusks around him.

Axel swings up his chakram to strike, and is frozen; Roxas notices and stops "Roxas, to the mansion! The time has come!" DiZ speaking out to Roxas

"Hayner! Pence! Olette!" Roxas cried out but it didn't work, then Roxas runs to Market Street

Axel finally unfreezing "The Roxas that I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is..."

Roxas runs to the Old Mansion. He turns around at the locked gates and more Dusks spring up behind him

"Don't call me and then lock me out..." yelled Roxas

Roxas gets a vision of Sora holding out his Keyblade. Roxas steps back from the gate and unlock the keyhole in it. The gates open and he runs inside; The Dusks try to follow but are stopped by a hooded figure holding a wing-like sword and a blue haired woman fight off the silver-white creatures.

Roxas enters the mansion and finds the White Room on the second floor.

Roxas walks past pictures he saw when he was in this room before and stops at one of him in an alleyway of the dark city he saw in his dreams. He gets a sudden headache.

Thunder rumbles in the sky of the city as a cloaked Roxas walks through the dark streets. He passes Axel who is leaning on the wall, crossing his arms, "Your mind's made up?" Axel then questioned

Roxas stops, "Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know." He told Axel

"You can't turn on the Organization!"

Roxas's vision stops and he sees Naminé in the White Room

"Organization XIII... they're a bad group." Roxas then says to Naminé

"Bad or good, I don't know." She answered "They're a group of incomplete people who wish to be whole. To that end, they're desperately searching for something."

"What?"

"Kingdom Hearts" she answers

Roxas chuckles, "Funny?" Naminé asked him

"It's just, I think" he sighs "I've been running away from the one question I really want to ask" He tells her.

Roxas walks to the table and leans against it, "What's gonna happen to me now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore." Roxas then said to her

"You are..." Naminé flickers, "Naminé!"Roxas shouting out for her

The form of Naminé breaks into several pieces and disappears. DiZ appears in a flash of data

"There's no knowledge that has the power to change your fate." DiZ said to the young Nobody

"Even if it doesn't, I want to know. I have the right to know!" Roxas told DiZ

"A Nobody doesn't have a right to know. Nor does it even have the right to be."

"But what IS a Nobody!" Roxas asked as his voice got louder

Aqua and Ansem still hooded appears, "DiZ, we're out of time. Too many Nobodies!"

A portal springs up behind DiZ containing Naminé, "Roxas. Nobodies like us are only half a person. You won't disappear. You'll be whole" Naminé said to him.

"I'll...disappear...?" Roxas then said.

"No further outbursts!" said DiZ, "No, you won't disappear! You'll…" DiZ grabs Naminé and covers her mouth.

"Wait!" Roxas screamed. Roxas tries to run to the portal, but is stopped by Ansem. Naminé stops DiZ's clench over her mouth, "Get your hands off her" yelled Aqua as she grabbed the man's her natural strength able getting his hand off of Naminé's mouth

"Roxas! We will meet again. And then we can talk about everything. I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me. But we will meet again. Someday soon. I promise!" Naminé said to the boy.

Ansem, Aqua, Naminé and DiZ begin to fade away through the portal "Let her go!" Roxas screamed. The portal vanishes along with all of them in it. Roxas holds out his left hand, "Naminé!"

Roxas finds the Mansion's Library. Naminé had left him a drawing so he figured out what to do as he draws a crown symbol in the missing place on the table and it reveals a hidden room beneath the floor.

He walks into another basement room and finds a large set of monitors and an odd machine.

Roxas's headaches again; He is reminded of a large white room with huge chairs, on which sat each of the Organization XIII. Roxas runs down a city street chased by Dusks. Hooded, he is confronting the silver-haired man

"Why! Why do you have the Keyblade?"

"Shut up!"

The blindfolded one quickly grabs his Keyblade and knocks Roxas away as he tried to slash with his Keyblade. The blindfolded one stands up and walks toward Roxas.

Roxas is later lying underneath the odd machine as DiZ, Ansem and Aqua appear

"Will it work?" Aqua asked. "If we can maintain the simulated town until Naminé finishes chaining together Sora's memories."

"What will happen to Roxas?" asked Ansem "He holds half of Sora's power within him. In the end, he'll have to give it back." DiZ turns and walks toward the set of monitors, "Until then, he'll need another personality to throw off his pursuers."

"Poor thing" said Ansem. Aqua looked to him; she was thinking the same thing.

DiZ sits down and punches in some keys, "It's the fate of a Nobody."

The machine starts up and changes Roxas into data and Roxas is gone.

Roxas's headache stops and his anger rises. The Keyblade appears in his hands and he begins to hack away violently at the computer monitors. Once he's vented his anger a door opens.

Roxas enters the Basement Hall and is immediately surrounded by Nobodies. Roxas defeats them and Axel walks in with his arms crossed

"Simply amazing, Roxas."

"Axel"

"You really do remember me this time? I'm SO FLATTERED." Axel's anger causes the edges of the room to erupt in flames "But you're too late!"

Roxas manages to conjure the Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades "Two!" Axel looking stunned. Axel makes his chakram appear and he smiles at Roxas, "Come here. I'll make it all stop."

Roxas fights Axel and wins

"Roxas..."

The flames disappear. Roxas stares at Axel and remembers the last time he talked to him before, in the alleyway

"You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!"

"No one would miss me."

"That's not true... I would."

As Axel begins to fade away, "Axel..."

"Let's meet again in the next life." Axel said to the boy

"Yeah. We'll be waiting." Roxas wasn't sure why he said that but in his mind that drawing with him, Axel and the other figure stood out to him.

The red-head smirked at the boy "Silly. Just because you have a next life..." Axel disappears. Roxas walks up to where Axel vanished.

Later, Roxas walks through the basement corridor. He sees two capsules with familiar faces inside

"...Donald ...Goofy?" He turns to the door at the end of the hall and enters.

DiZ is standing a completely bright room in front of a single large capsule

"At last, the Keyblade's chosen one."

"Who are you talking to? Me? Or Sora?"

"To half of Sora, of course. You reside in darkness. What I need is someone who can move about the realm of light and destroy Organization XIII."

"Why? Who are you?" Roxas asked

"I am a servant of the world." DiZ letting out a few laughs "and if I'm a servant, then you should consider yourself a tool, at best."

"Was that... Was that supposed to be a joke?" He conjures the Keyblade, "'Cause I'm not laughing!" Roxas runs up to DiZ and strikes through him. The Keyblade creates a wave of data through DiZ. Roxas, surprised, stands straight.

"My apologies. This is only a data-based projection." Roxas screams in anger, and futilely strikes DiZ repetitively with the Keyblade. DiZ vanishes and reappears behind him while Roxas catches his breath

"Come, over here." Roxas stares at DiZ, "I hate you so much..."

"You should share some of that hatred with Sora. He's far too nice for his own good" Said DiZ.

"No! My heart belongs to me!" Roxas runs and cuts again through DiZ. DiZ disappears and the capsule glows. The mechanical petals open slowly and reveal what they contain; Sora, still asleep, is floating inside.

"Sora...You're lucky; Looks like my summer vacation is...over" As Roxas felt his body grow lighter in weight and then "Sora?" he said Roxas turns around and fades to white

"Who's there?" replied Sora.

Meanwhile, having sent 'Ansem' to 'get rid' of Namine as per the request of DiZ, Aqua returned to the mansion in the real Twilight Town where she is currently releasing Donald and Goofy from the capsule pods.

But she had to hurry up due to the Nobodies kept attacking the mansion; the keyblade master had to keep them away from Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"Alright, that should do it" Aqua said with a smile, It was just a shame; she couldn't be here to greet them. Aqua then running out of the computer lab with keyblade in hand,

"Come and get me" Aqua yelled to the lesser Nobodies as she was getting them out of the mansion.

End Prologue.