Kingdom Hearts 1. 1,213 Days

Declaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts…."

Kiome-Yasha: "Here it is my fellow readers and reviewers, the sequel to _The Way You Remember Me_. Now, enjoy the first chapter of _The Way I Remember You_!"

Chapter 1 1,213 Days

_Drifting as far as I can sleep…_

_Memories beneath my dreams…_

_Recalling the day, where nothingness was born…_

_I awaken now, to where my heart was sworn…_

-Roxas

Each passing image and reflection came like a hot flash of smoke and powder, exploding inside the crevices of his mind as he dreamt. He recalled every moment, every slither of information that dealt with the horrifying truth. It all started out slow, bits and pieces forming into columns as they built themselves up inside of him. He cherished the shards of memories that were of him and his friends in Twilight Town, dubbing them to be one of his most precious memories even though they were lies. He could recall little of his birth as a Nobody, detailing the scene of when he was given the name Roxas. After that, everything swooped by to the next set of sequences, taking him back to his precious time with Xion and Axel; which who he slowly began to remember. He could feel the small smile forming in his sleep when traveling through the shattered memory lane, jumping to the next scene.

The next memory he strived to remain in, no matter how much he struggled to hold was the time he had met Namine. But it wasn't just that alone, it was every memory that dealt about the blonde witch. He could feel his arms swarming about in the darkness, trying to reach for the chains as they drifted further away from him. He wanted to halt the process, but no matter how many times he tried, it all ended the same unwelcoming result. Of course, this had happened a year ago.

It wasn't until the second year that his dreams began to make a dramatic turn, recollecting events he couldn't decipher in being his or not. It was like he was in someone else's life, seeing himself travel to each world as he searched desperately for a friend. The sensation was familiar and yet foreign, gripping his hand as he felt the presence and power of a keyblade. He could feel the swarming dark element of darkness as it filled his chest, tainting his core and demolishing it slowly as it gained hold of him. He sensed a bond that was torn away, friends who had all lost their way from the separate paths they took. An evil plot that threatened to change the fate of the worlds; that threatened to disrupt the balance of Kingdom Hearts. It all washed over him like some unknown prophecy waiting to be foretold as it slowly erupted his mind to remember, tilting his dreams to awake within him.

But before Roxas could even make sense into why such a false consciousness was dwelling inside of him, darkness would always settle back inside his heart, reviving the sins he had tried so hard to forget. It brought back his misery of the people he had murdered, the lives he had destroyed, including one of his own. He was always brought back in that moment in time, where he had struck Namine's chest to become one with Xemnas's replica of Kingdom Hearts. Once he could recall the unforgiving pressure of his keyblade sinking into her chest, everything swept by him to his last encounter with his beloved.

And it would all begin and repeat in the same agonizing pattern each time he slept, developing further as days pass into months, and eventually, into years. The formed illusions of memoirs always ending with Namine having her back turned to him, slowly turning herself around with a new attire of ominous shadow, her eyes blazing yellow as she whispered hauntingly.

_Roxas…_

It was right after that, that he would feel something sharp pierce through his chest, spilling his existence to come to a halt as everything went black.

Roxas suddenly jolted up from his slumber, gasping abruptly as he tried to quell the aching pain they threatened to suffocate him. He clutched his chest, easing the rapid and haphazard beats of his given heart, as it wasn't used to such elaborate settings of emotions. He breathed heavily as sweat began to drip off from the top of his head, scorching his body as it became drenched from the uneasy nightmare he just had.

'_Dammit, you would think I be used to it by now…'_ He mentally chastised, his eyes glancing upwards towards the large open window next to his bedside. His long blonde locks swept over his dark-cobalt orbs like a mask, revealing the maturity of his age that have risen over the course of years. He kept the back of his tresses the same, letting a few strands to grow slightly a bit over his neck, but not enough for a ponytail to be needed. His boyish appearance had all disappeared, showing a well lean male with hard and tense muscles that flexed flawlessly each time he moved. He wasn't built or brawny, but thin enough to prove he had skills in combat and was perfectly agile to be quick on his feet.

Roxas scrunched his defined male visage as he eased one of his hands onto his forehead, closing his eyes momentarily before opening them again, _'Namine…' _He looked over at the calendar he had on his bedroom wall, counting off the days he had crossed so far, _'Has it really been that long since I've started living here? Since these dreams started haunting me…?'_

He heard the bell outside strike loudly across the distance of the golden and urban neighborhood, taking it as a sign that it was now noon. It was then that a sharp twinge came and evaded his head, prickling his joints to fall numb as a migraine started to form. He tried to shake off the feeling, already having a bottle of pills and a glass of water set next to him from his bed. He popped the lid, sprinkling the two gels into his hand before dunking them into his mouth. He was prepared for everything, having experienced this many times before. He took the glass of water, swallowing it whole as he engulfed the pain-relievers into his system.

"Dammit…" He cringed as his throat felt sore from the harsh swallow, coughing roughly as he tried to clear away the discomfort. He took off his white t-shirt, feeling the material begin to stick to his sweaty flesh from underneath. He threw the top on the floor as he let the open breeze from outside soak over him like a blanket.

He resisted the tears that were at the urge of dripping off his face, blocking the flood as his mind always came to wonder on one person. He shook and shivered from the tremor he released from his clutched lungs, easing himself off the bed, "I might as well get ready for the day…" He commented dryly, even though his throat should have been moistened from the glass of water.

He headed inside the shower, unleashing the band to his grey sweat pants as he let it drop to the floor, leaving him only with boxers. He entered the private bathroom he had in his small apartment, twisting the knob to the shower to cold. He discarded his boxers, entering inside as he tried to wash away the filth that was plastered all over him from his morning perspiration. While under the rushing pour of water, Roxas hit his head against the back of the tiles, examining his dreams more deeply as he tried to make sense of them. He connected everything together, taking in account over how some of them were his memories; but that's not what bothered him. It was the other parts that he couldn't even comprehend in being _his_ that left him baffled; the person who looked like him, the familiar feeling of a past he couldn't even remember. And what about Namine? Why didn't she look like the Namine he loved, the angel of light that brought him out of the darkness as she brought him inside a world where he could exist? The one in his nightmare was dark and foreboding, tainting his image of her in a form he would never dared to envision.

It was then that Roxas heard a knock vibrate through the walls, indicating the sound to be from the door to his apartment. He sighed jadedly, already predicting who the visitors were before even condemning himself in opening the door. He washed away whatever suds were left on him, drying himself off quickly as he turned off the valve to the shower.

"Hold on!" He called out monotonously, fishing out his usual attire for the pass couple of months.

He patiently got himself dressed, his friends waiting for him on the other side of the entryway, as they were already used to his slow routine in answering the door. Roxas wore a typical red shirt underneath, which had black-checkered designs horizontally across his chest and vertically from the right side, a zipper like collar attached to the shirt. He sported a milky tan long sleeve sweater which looked similar to his old pullover, only this one didn't have the checker patterns on it; instead it had pockets that had shuriken symbols on the zippers and a hood at the back. The pants he slipped on were a faded tan like color, much like his old ones, but they were tighter than his original ones, having some loose areas for comfort. His sneakers were the same, only that the colors had switched in certain places. As he fully got himself clothed, he wrapped a loose scarf around his neck, which was ink black, having black and white square patterns at the tips of the cloth; a shuriken symbol stitched at the corner at one end. He had long ago burned his old Organization outfit, refusing to wear the thing ever again as he cursed it to the abyss of ashes.

'_I don't deserve this…Namine…not after what I've done…'_ He began to explain inside his mind, feeling something pulse inside his chest in response towards his words.

He ignored the feeling, opening the door to his apartment to reveal three concern smiles plastered on his friends' faces. Olette, Hayner, and Pence were the only three who knew he still existed, holding little information of his past when they had found him on the beach shore years ago. They all grew and matured over the course of time as well, changing from the three carefree and rambunctious teenagers to responsible and developed pre-adults. They haven't changed though, they still consisted the same style of clothing that they always wore with the same selection of colors, though there was slight alterations. It was thanks to Pence that he was able to get a cheap place to live in, Olette and Hayner providing him the part-time jobs he needed to support the rent.

"Hey, buddy. We were going to grab some sea-salt ice cream just like in the old days, want to come?" Hayner spoke pleasantly, though his tone held some desperation for him to cooperate.

"Yeah, Roxas. You keep drifting away from us lately, is there something wrong?" Olette asked carefully, hoping he would share his feelings to them.

He avoided their gaze, _'I can't tell them…they won't understand…'_ He brought his attention back over to them, "Sorry, guys. I have other plans today."

"Oh, come on, Roxas." Pence tried to reason, "Don't be like that."

"Sorry guys, but I'm really not in the mood to hang out." He replaced his gloomy expression with a façade and friendly smile, "I promise, we can all hang out together next time." He brushed through them without another word, giving a short wave of his hand in order to signal his departing.

The three just stood quiet in the hall, glancing back and forth at each other with regretful looks, finding they weren't able to tell him other information they wanted to share. They watched the blonde descend down to the stairs as he headed off towards his own business, finding their first day of summer together to be incomplete.

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Roxas walked through the town with no care in mind, passing waves of hello to the neighboring citizens he had come to recognize since he started living in Twilight Town. He quickly withdrew himself though from their inspiring conversations to chat with him, avoiding the attention as he only had one goal. He bid them a good evening, keeping everything polite and casual as he made his way to the abandoned mansion that resided in the forest. He passed through the tall trees as he spotted the clearing ahead, his mind migrating to another plane that wasn't quiet visible.

He entered the mansion like he already knew all of its dark secrets, passing through with no sense of insecurity of it being haunted. He remembered the rumors he once heard from the Pence Namine had created from data, recalling the myth of a girl in white who was said to be a ghost. He chuckled hollowly from the memory, wishing for the legend to be true each time he came back to the isolated manor. He began to make his usual way up the stairs, walking across the hall on the second floor until he reached the room he desired to visit.

He took a moment to arrange his thoughts, grabbing the hatchet to the door as he twisted it open. He was welcomed by the blazing white color of the room, blinding his sight momentarily before adjusting his vision to the light. He breathed nostalgically as he examined the place, resting his eyes upon each drawing that was left to rot there. Some of the texture to the papers already began to transform into a sandy color of yellow, but the moist and cool air that was provided inside the room kept them all from turning into ashes. He took in the aromas around him, taking in the scent of the dry color of wax as it mixed with the lavender fragrance of the previous owner that once lived here.

Roxas took it upon himself to walk around the secluded area, heading over to the window side of the room. He positioned himself on the wall, gazing out into the glass as he pushed the curtains away, "Namine... why did you leave me here?"

He couldn't understand it, no matter how many times he asked the open space that once belonged to the witch maiden, "I've destroyed many lives. Why did you leave me here to exist? How can you?" He gulped with a struggle, "No matter how many times I come here, I'm still left confused. I don't deserve to be with them in the light, I need you…" He shuddered as he tried to keep himself composed, "And these dreams I keep having, what does it all mean? Please…tell me…Namine…." Again, he was only met from the silent calm of the room, cursing the limbo he was in, as he had no way to escape it.

He gripped his chest as a sudden cramp made itself notice, pulsing a discomforted feeling throughout his body. He convulsed forward as the pain only grew worse, "What's happening to me?" He had this feeling for a while now; ever since his departing with Namine at the clock tower of the Twilight Town she had created, though he was still left mystified in why.

He gave a hoarse cough, releasing a heavy sigh as he began to mourn over the dreadful past, "I promise…" He repeated from the memory, "But…what am I supposed to do? I need a sign, Namine…" It was the reason why he always made trips to the mansion in the first place, to produce some sort of light to appear and give him the answer; but it never came, forsaking him inside the darkness of his existence alone.

He looked over at the last drawing she had last made, taking in the details of the piece as he did his best to revive it. He walked over to it, placing his hand over the sensitive surface as it crinkled beneath the pressure of his fingers. He frowned at the burnt edges, ignoring them as he took in the sight of scene she had sketched for him. He gave an empty whimper of grief, replacing his hand with his forehead as he tried to discern the traces that were left of Namine's presence.

"I've been revived into this world, only to come back as a corpse…I'm truly am a Nobody…" It was then that something sharp pierced itself inside Roxas's chest again, striking him as it traveled up inside his brain.

He gave a silent gasp as he tried to suppress the rising ache inside him, his vision slowly going fuzzy as darkness threatened to cloud over his sight. He growled at the pain, collapsing to the floor as he gripped his head in agony, sequences of memories occurring inside him as they impatiently couldn't wait any longer for him to dream.

"What the hell…?" He grinded his teeth together, "What's happening?" He exclaimed with alarm, passing out on the floor as he whispered out one name.

_Namine…_

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"Superior, it would seem like we have a very strong reading this time! This detection I'm picking up looks promising!" Vexen explained with a delightful tone, his eyes twitching with excitement.

"I hope you're right, for your sake, Vexen. I would like for us not to have anymore false readings." The hooded figure deeply replied, holding a hint of annoyance.

"I swear it! This is the real thing! My invention could sense her! Kingdom Hearts is not too far now! Just look, we'll have her in our hands soon enough!" The Nobody scientist pointed at the monitor, showing his leader the symbol where the detection was coming from.

The room was very dark as the leader popped out from the shadows inside the cramped laboratory, keeping the area private of any intruders. He brought himself over to the device, his eyes focused on the screen as the lights from the monitor illuminated his face, revealing his wicked and yellow orbs from beneath his hood. He gave a satisfied smile, "After three years, I finally found you my dear." He scuffed at the computer screen, bringing himself around as he headed for the door.

"Master, what do you intend to do now?" _T__he Chilly Academic _inquired peculiarly.

Xemnas turned around from the opened doorway, a clever and devious smile slowly surfacing across his lips, "What else? I'm going to take some friends with us to retrieve back our Kingdom Hearts…." He soon closed the door behind him, silencing his next words to himself, _'It won't be long…'_

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Roxas squinted his eyes as he felt the cool tiles of the floor upon his cheek, wincing as his pounding headache throbbed fiercely. He moaned excruciatingly, lifting his body off from the floor as he tried to translate what had just happened. It had all happened so fast he couldn't even remember what he was witnessing, grabbing the ledge of the table for support as he brought his body up from the ground.

He placed a hand over the back of his head as he tried to unravel the events that appeared in his consciousness. He failed to return the illusions though as he ruffled his mane with frustration. He looked outside to see that the unchanging position of the sun, showing no sign of it being night or day. He concluded though that he was still in the present of today, not feeling too fatigue for it to be the next day already; which meant he wasn't comatose for too long.

"Still, it might be late…well, as late as it could get here. I should probably head back." He claimed evenly, taking one more glance around the room before bidding the place farewell for the day.

He excused himself out, leaving the mansion behind as he journeyed off into the woods in order to reach back into town. He passed over the forbidden forest, entering into the golden sunlight. He shielded himself from the blistering waves of the sun's rays, gazing up at the clock tower at the far hilltop of the urban neighborhood.

"I really should keep other promises as well; right Namine?" He pointed out mournfully, realizing how he had declined his friends' desires to hang out.

"I'll make sure to make it up to them tomorrow. For now, I'll just head home." He confirmed with a strain of guilt, heading down the roadway as he walked passed the mobile trolley.

Roxas was about to cut off to the hill nearby the area, but stopped as someone caught his attention, someone he never expected to see again. He slowly turned around, doing a double take in order to make sure he wasn't imagining things. As the portable train drove across from the rails, a figure walked right passed through, catching Roxas's eyes immediately.

"No, it couldn't be…!" He spoke in shock, his mouth gaping open, as he remained stunned into place.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "Okay, after much debating, I decided to post this up before the date when BBS comes out. Many of you have waited a long time for this sequel, so I think you guys deserve it; think of it as a New Years gift from me :D. Also, yes, I know, this chapter was short as hell, but I promise things will get longer in length. I don't want to rush everything into one chapter; I need to build some things up before I can continue on with the plot. Also, I bet all of us are excited for the release of the new KH game BBS when it comes out to our own separate locations, and cannot wait to play it. Now, a few things about this sequel, it does revolve around a lot of what has happened over the course of each Kingdom Hearts game; yes, that includes BBS. I do not have any spoilers as of now, but when the time comes when I have played BBS and have beaten it, it will surely meld itself into the conclusion of what I have in store for this story. Also, this story is rated M so far because of the violence and cussing that will appear; I don't know if there will be any lemons, I might think about it by the number of reviewers who believe there should be one or not. Well, Happy New Years everyone! Lol, and what a new way to start it indeed with posting the sequel _The Way I Remember You _;D."

Ventus: "Do leave a review for the marking of a new beginning! Also, the title to the next chapter is: "As Daylight Falls".


	2. As Daylight Falls

Declaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts…"

Kiome-Yasha: "Here's the next chapter everyone! I know I'm supposed to be on a break, but I got in the mood in updating this for you guys, because I like you all! :D"

Chapter 2 As Daylight Falls

Roxas took a moment to gaze at the person with shock, his mouth gaping open as he gawked over at the Nobody across the street. Before he knew what he was doing, he began to make chase. He pumped the heels to his feet that were buried into the inside of his shoes, bringing haste as he grinded his teeth together with a vulgar like behavior. He tackled the person off balance from his casual stroll, bringing him over inside some empty alleyway as he forced him up against the wall.

"Demyx! What the hell are you doing here!? Is Xemnas here too!? Where's _**Namine**_!? Tell me, _**Dammit**_!!!" He hollered desperately with anger, losing all rationality over the fact the last time he had seen the musician is when Sora had defeated him back at Radiant Garden.

"Roxas!?" The other blonde called out in the same shocking manner in seeing the other habitant Nobody, "What the hell!? Why are you here!?"

"I'm asking the same _**damn **_question!? How are you here?! Are you with Xemnas!? Tell me!?" Roxas pressed pressure into his hands, plunging the older Nobody into the brick wall even harder, "Where the hell is Namine!?" He wasn't just going to let him go, this was the first lead he had in three years in getting the person he cared for most back; Demyx just had to know!

"Hey! Hey! Calm down! I can explain! I totally cut myself off from those guys ages ago!" The retired member replied hastily, trying his best to explain even though he had a crazy person holding him, "Just—just let me explain!" He tried to reason, holding his hands up in defense as he tried to catch his startled breath.

Roxas took a moment to think, his mind racing as he tried to formulate a decision in trusting the Nobody before him. He remembered bits and pieces about Demyx during his time in the Organization, always finding the satirist to be harmless and carefree. He even recalled the time where he had mentioned before how he wasn't cut out for combat, always finding the duty in exploring areas to be his favorite ability. He remembered the jokes he and Axel used to play as they made fun of the performer, recollecting the moments where they even established of him having no talent at all. The same and usual Demyx who rather flee from battles than to fight them, who he had memorable moments with during missions. He even wondered if the male could even remember such moments from the past, Xion being one of his concerns; but he decided to go against mentioning that.

Roxas released a stressful sigh, closing his eyes momentarily before releasing his grip on Demyx's collar. The water user was dressed very nonchalant, causing him to blend well with the crowd and residence of Twilight Town. He wore a blue vest that had a hood attached, sporting a black tank top like shirt underneath. His bare arms only held certain decorations of string like bracelets around his wrists, having certain collection of hues. He even wore baggy jeans, which had black pockets stitched around the sides, and around his waist were remains of an old faded grey sweater. He wore normal and comfortable like flip flops underneath the hem of his jeans, barely causing his feet to be visible as the folds fell over them like a curtain. Other than that, Demyx still kept his 80 to 90s like hairstyle, keeping his expression the same with some residue of facial hair underneath his chin.

The cowardly but playful blonde slid down from across the wall, heaving with relief as Roxas decided to let him go from his violent grip. He placed a hand around his neck, making sure to adjust his breathing back to a normal degree before speaking, "I can't believe this…when I thought I was done with you guys for good…just, what the hell…?" He complaint dramatically, "And what's this deal about Namine, anyway? Just what happened to you over the years?"

He seemed to be really curious, but there was no way Roxas was going to explain his side of the story just yet, "You give me details first, remember? Now, start talking…" Roxas steadily demanded, glaring over at the blonde with slight interest of trust.

"Man, why am I getting the glare?" Demyx asked miserably, "I was the one who was suddenly _attacked_!" He felt insulted too, as it wasn't bad enough that a younger and previous member from the Organization XIII had assaulted him.

"Never mind that! Just tell me what happened!" _The Key of Destiny_ reprimanded eagerly with distress, slightly beginning to lose his patience.

"Okay…! Okay!" Demyx replied with brisk alarm, "Look, I'm sure you knew how I was defeated by you right?" Roxas guessed he was referring him to Sora, disregarding to correct the musician, "Well, to be honest, you didn't…"

"Wait…what do you mean?" The nineteen-year old asked inquiringly, gazing down at his old companion with an odd look, "I saw you…you were…"

"It was all an act…!" Demyx safely proclaimed, "I didn't want to go back…! I was tired of fighting, so I acted like I lost on purpose…to get away…hehe, sort of like you…" He chuckled good-naturedly, doing his best to bring enlightenment towards the situation.

"No…" Roxas directed his tone to be stern and dejected, "You're nothing like me…" There was no way Demyx was any sort of monster like him, he wouldn't dare do the things he'd done.

The old accomplice ignored the comment though, continuing his explanation, "So, when I pretended to fade away, I found myself just mulling around from the realm of darkness to other worlds. Until I finally settled here in Twilight Town as my new home."

This struck Roxas to ask another question, "Wait, how come it isn't until now that I found you here?" Demyx actually shrugged from his own curiosity, "I don't know, I mean, I've been living here for a good couple of years now. And, not to be a downer, Roxas, but you really don't seem like yourself."

The younger blonde could only sigh in dismay as he realized he hasn't; but how could he when he lost the meaning to exist three years ago? And the random dreams he's been having lately didn't help at all to quail his suffering from his lost. Such isolation of depression has caused him to feel empty, causing him to be unaware of his surroundings as it weakened his senses. He didn't bother to explore the town during his dwelling in Twilight Town, missing many things as he imprisoned himself inside his room, sleeping away as he hoped to see Namine, anything that could result in being with her again; though it all ended in failure when all he had was nightmares waiting for him.

Demyx seemed to pick up the teen's depressed features, "Hey, Roxas? You alright?" He fiddled from his posture, picking himself up from the ground, '_Something bad must of had happened to him…_'

He approached the blonde, "So…" He tried to lighten the mood, "What's been going on with you? How are you here?" Before he could get a remark from the younger Nobody though, he had already turned away to leave, "Hey! Roxas! Where are you going? We can be friends here; honest!"

The teen stopped from where he was, turning slightly around as he declined the marine's offer, "Sorry, Demyx." He glowered his eyes over at the pavement, '_Just when I thought I had something to help me get back to you…Namine…_'

He gave a lament sigh, "I'll…see you around, I guess."

"Roxas!" The man called out urgently, hoping for the teen to come to his senses; but he didn't, walking away with a defeated posture. His emotions deflated, as it seemed Demyx held none of the answers he was searching for.

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On a high edge of a building, there was a tall but feminine figure perched securely on a ledge, scanning the area below her as she tried to locate a certain person. It didn't take long for her to discover the culprit who she had been looking for, becoming stunned from her sudden success after so many years of searching. She grinned manically with amusement, peeling off her black sunglasses as she peered and studied the lonesome blonde from below.

A gust of wind passed over her body, rattling her black and shattered cloak wildly around her shoulders, "Well, runt, it seems like we finally meet again." Larxene cackled gleefully, turning over at the setting sun that was never able to crossover before disappearing in a blink of an eye, leaving no traces of her shadow behind.

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Xemnas walked across the blinding white halls inside _Castle Oblivion_, his adjective clear as he kept his mind set on the task ahead. He had already assembled the members who were to accompany him over the retrieval of Kingdom Hearts, expecting them to be by the entrance of the castle. Although, he made a quick visit towards his old friend's room before his departure, salvaging her remains to be untouched as he kept them secured. He relayed his message to the disembody pieces of the armor, making it clear that they would soon face the future he had longed prepared for them. He was excited, his hands twitching as he had waited for three years to find _her_.

It wasn't long until he had made it to the main hall of the memory fort, spotting Saix, Lexaeus, and Marluxia, as the three of them were already prepared with their hoods up.

He grinned maliciously from the gathering, calling out to them in order to announce his presence, "Friends, let us collect what we have lost…together…" He kindly and respectfully stated, motioning his hand to the side as he summoned their own personal transportation, conducting their mission to have begun.

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A teen that looked about to be at the age of nineteen was lying peacefully on the sandy ground on Destiny Island shore. He had his eyes closed with a tranquil look, capturing the melody of the waves crashing against the edges of the shore with slow advancement in reaching over the land. He took in the salty air of the beach, letting it out through his mouth as he opened his eyes slightly. He barely could make out the figures of the clouds, the sky engulfed with the abyss of blue, streaming over their world in a slow circle. He picked up the grains of the sand with his hands, gathering the moist it preserved as he examined the texture. He gave a wry smile, finding the setting of the world around him to be consistent, feeling like nothing has ever changed.

Sora sat himself up as he tried to rub off the sand that clung on his hair and back. He gazed off into the watery depths of the sea, catching glimpses of fishes staggering under the surface of the shore. He chuckled lightly from the sight, marveling the tropical atmosphere of his home. He recalled the time when he was born here, his mother raising him as they blessed each day to be alive. As soon as he brought the memory up of his mother though, he decided to shake it away; he didn't wanted to be reminded of the past.

Since that day when they had escaped from _The World That Never Was_, him and his friends have returned back home to their own world. They had no activities of the darkness to be a further threat, believing everything was over, for now. He still had his theories that Xemnas was still out there plotting, keeping the faith inside his heart strong for that day to arrive when the Nobody will reveal himself. Until then, he lived peacefully on Destiny Island, waiting for any news he might receive from the King; still, he couldn't help but to wonder what had happened to Roxas and Namine on that day.

The Keyblade warrior lifted himself off from the ground, patting his bottom as he shook off the last bit of sandy particles. He had lost most of his baby face, but he still contained the value of his round cheeks and azure eyes. His hair was about the same as he always left it, only this time; he had more strikes of his brown mane over his cheeks. He still wore the traditional colors of his cloths, carrying the leisure color of red, blue, and a faded hue of black. He had a long sleeve undershirt, but he had rolled up the sleeves sloppily around the middle section of his arms, a zipper designed at the center of his shirt. He had a red and short-sleeve sweater, which stopped below the area of his chest, carrying white lines around the edges of the jersey as well as the pocket lines. His pants were similar to his old ones that he has worn few years ago and that of Roxas's, being slightly baggy, but slim enough to make him look comfortable in battle. His gloves were the same, the difference being he had bars across his knuckles and not 'x' marks. He also had pockets at the back of his pants where his rear was, two long red strings hanging down from the belts. His shoes were also the same, though there was slight alteration of colors of yellow and grey instead. Other than that, he looked to be the same silly and cheerful goofball, displaying his trademark crown necklace around his neck with pride.

He stood there for a moment, contemplating on his thoughts before speaking aloud, "Well, I guess it's almost time…"

"Sora, I knew you'd be here! You haven't changed at all!" A defined but feminine voice responded instantly, catching the brunette's attention right away.

The Keyblade wielder swiftly turned around, spotting the beauty of the princess before him who he claimed to be his official girlfriend. He grinned at her approaching form, finding Kairi to have change a lot form her appearance as well. She definitely grew when it came to her female curves and assets, growing a few mere inches in height. Her cloths had lost all childish pink, using the trend color of her hair as a part of her clothing, melding the rosy dye to her outfit. The style to her shirt was similar to her old pink dress though, only shorter with a black tank top shirt underneath. She had attachments of long sleeves across her arms, containing zippers lined across with black lines around the ends. She wore black and sporty tights as pants, ending above her knees. Her shoes were the same though, only this time they looked more like boots and were built higher over her legs; they also contained the color of gold and black, instead of her usual purple and white.

She was still the same old Kairi who cared deeply for her friends though, walking over to her childhood sweetheart as her long hair that was passed over her shoulders whirled against the wind, "Riku asked me to get you, we both kind of figured you'd be here."

He chuckled from their knowledge, "Goes to show how things haven't changed." They were actually on top of the small island where all three of them used to sit, the old papou tree slanted from it's usual position. He took it upon himself to come alone now to the area, his mind always wondering and refusing to sit still.

After awhile of them standing there in comfortable silence, Sora spoke quietly, "I guess we should be heading out then, right?" She nodded to agree, giving him a small peck on the lips before heading back.

He followed after the maiden of Radiant Garden while keeping himself in deep thought. They were planning to make a trip to Twilight Town, deciding to pay a visit to their old friends Hayner, Olette, and Pence. They had been planning this trip for a month now, wanting to surprise the group when they got there; after all, it had already been three years since they last saw them.

Sora and Kairi made it over the resident island of their home, walking their way over to Riku's place as he held a Gummi ship prepared for them that was left by the King. When they reached over the rather large house, they caught notice of Wakka, Selphie, and Tidus waiting outside.

Sora took the quick liberty to wave over at them, "Hey, guys!" He took off towards them, causing them to turn their heads over to him, "Are you guys here to say goodbye?" Kairi giggled behind him, always finding Sora to be energetic.

"Hey! It isn't goodbye!" Selphie protested defensively, a smile soon blooming over her lips, "We're just here to wish you guys a nice trip until you return!" She chirped up with a positive tone.

"Ya Budda! This is still your home after all, ya?" Wakka inputted thoughtfully.

His words caused Tidus to react with a pout, "Man, I wish we could go though!" The redheaded male gave the younger blitz player a pat on the shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm sorry, guys. I wish you can come with us too, but there's only room for three in the Gummi ship." Kairi explained light-heartedly, sympathizing with their old group of childhood friends.

They all nodded, understanding the circumstances of their absent invite, but taking the chance to wish the three adventurers luck on their journey. It was at that moment that Riku had stepped out onto the front porch, growing quiet handsome over the years. He looked to be professional prosecutor, the muscles on his flesh perfecting over the years, as his jaw line grew more stiff and defined. He wore a jersey like navy blue suit, which had similar old designs of his black belt lines over his shoulders. Underneath the suit was a nice and causal grey collar shirt, which he respectfully organized over his neck. He also seemed to have some sort of yellow wife-beater underneath, keeping a thin amount of layers over his clothing. He wore regular grey and saggy like Khaki pants, wearing nicely polished white and blue shoes right underneath the bottom folds. He was now at the ripe age of twenty, his hair groomed down as some of the edges grew over his cheeks almost similar to that of Sora's. And despite the shadows of his bangs, you could still see the bright serene colors of his turquoise orbs as they sparkled under the light.

"Hey, we should get going…" He lectured calmly, crossing his arms across his chest.

Sora and the others nodded with agreement, heading over to the back of the house where the Gummi ship was being held. They saw the familiar spaceship hovering over the ground, the engines already flicked on and ready to launch. The trio turned to their islander companions, bidding them a short farewell before heading off.

"We'll be back soon." Sora safely assured, giving a brother like handshake over to Wakka and Tidus before hugging Selphie. Kairi did the same; only she hugged Wakka and Tidus to display her affection for her friends. Riku nodded over at the three, keeping his usual cool and smooth demeanor, but he smiled at them to show that he cared.

"We better get going then." Kairi clarified, already climbing onboard with Riku following soon afterwards. Sora waved at them before heading up the ship as well, making sure to buckle up as he sat himself inside the pilot seat.

He began to switch on the controls, pulling the ship backwards before beginning to ascend to the skies. They all looked down below, catching the cries of best wishes and regards from their friends, who continued to wave vigorously. Riku and Kairi gave one final wave while Sora gave them a thumb's up, blasting the ship off into space as they took off to their destination of Twilight Town.

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Roxas opened the door to his apartment, paying no attention as he let the sound of the door gliding forward to be his map of direction to enter. He stepped upon a note that was left on the floor for him, picking it up right afterwards as it crumbled from the pressure.

He tried to straighten the edges to read the message clearly as he began to read aloud, "Roxas, we're planning to meet at the clock tower tomorrow, be sure to make it if you can; Olette." He sighed as he finished reading the note, tucking it away as he mentally promised them that he would come.

His mind than began to wonder back over the day, starting from the dreams, to the episode he had back at the manor, "And now Demyx…" He mentioned aloud, his features scrunching with dismay, "Today has been bizarre; it just feels like…something is coming and I don't even know what it is…" He placed a soft touch of his hand over his chest, feeling the uneasy beat of his mysterious heart.

He shook off the feeling though, adjusting his expression to a more severe one of concentration, "I'm not going to stress myself about this; I have other things to worry about…" He looked over at his bed, contemplating whether to sleep or not, fearing the idea of the nightmares returning; not like it mattered though, since he got them every time he slept.

He approached the bed with slight hesitation, slipping off his scarf as he began to undress himself to a more comfortable and indoor appearance. He couldn't ignore the heavy weight of his eyelids, as they threatened to fold over his cerulean orbs at any given moment when he blinked.

He rushed over to the bathroom to wash out the temptation of slumber away, looking up as he spotted his reflection from the mirror, the drips of water sliding off his cheeks, '_Even if I do try to find answers from my dreams, it's not like they'll make any sense…_' He mentally explained, grabbing the ledges to his sink for support as he tried not to fall over and take refuge on the floor as his substitute bed.

Roxas shook his head, sniffing slightly before exiting the bathroom, "I might as well see where they take me…" He climbed over the bed, settling into the cushion as he abandoned his bed sheet on the floor. He looked out towards the glistening towers of the town outside, watching as the sun remained where it was, hearing the bypass sounds of trains driving pass.

He knew he was going to pass out soon, but he pulled out a sketchbook he had bought at a local store nearby from underneath his bed. He smiled at the leathery brown cover, duplicating it to be the one Namine once held. He trailed his fingers across the skin, before reaching towards the edge and opening the pad. He heard the creak of the worn spine, having already been ripened from the amount of usage it endured. There was fail attempts of sketches inside, but as Roxas kept turning pages over, there was improvement to be seen. He smiled at each drawing with nostalgic fondness, picking off a blue pencil he had left at the edge of his windowsill. He began to finish up a new drawing that he had started a week ago, doing his best to perfect the design.

It was a small sketch so far; he was taking it easy and slow, making sure to remember every detail in his mind. He pressed the point of the blue pencil over the smooth and vanilla surface, beginning to rough out the round circles of eyes. It didn't take long though for him to succumb to slumber, as he began to shift back and forth. Roxas fell backwards onto the sanctuary of his bed, casting the pencil and sketchbook to the side on his lap. He fell into the unconscious darkness of his dreams, as they once again possessed his mind to replay unknown memories.

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King Mickey gazed at the view overhead of him, watching the sky as he felt an ominous aura of darkness sweep by. He quickly turned over to where Donald and Goofy respectfully resided, waiting for any instructions from their king. Minnie and Daisy were also present, becoming wary over the grim expression that somehow melded into Mickey's usual happy face.

"We need to speak with Sora, right away…!" He confirmed warningly; the stars from above twinkling as the shadows came closer to engulf them.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "Okay, I'm sure some of you've noticed how I posted this chapter up on the day BBS came out. I did this on purpose to celebrate, hoping you all would be happy. And yes, it's Demyx! He's one of my favorite Organization members, besides Roxas, Larxene, and Saix; of course he was going to find someway to be in here :P, so he'll be coming back for sure ;D. Also, to give you guys some heads up, Axel and Xion _**will **_be appearing in the next chapter, so hold on okay! XD I know all of you want all the characters to come back, but we need to take it all slow :). Also, thanks for the AMAZING amount of reviews everyone! They made me ULTRA happy!"

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha likes to give special thanks to: _**Idiotique, silentmusic16, Inspiration of Imagination, NinjaSheik, Dragonflies87, reachesforstars, Naminesweet, AonAllstars, jenyflo5483, Antiyaoifan, laughingx4ever, MonkeyGirlxoxo, shadowofthenightxx, saphirerose15, storycreator, HeartlessBuggy, xLycheeRAiN, ., Oathkeepera.**_ We think that's everyone! Also, the next chapter title is: "Twisted Heart"!"


	3. Twisted Heart

Declaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts…"

Kiome-Yasha: "Okay *slap cheeks* let's get this next chapter underway! :)"

Chapter 3 Twisted Heart

Maleficent gazed down at the orb of her staff, foreseeing the event that was slowly coming in motion. The crow that she had perched on her shoulder harked crudely from the delighted look she gave. Pete stood behind them as he waited for any command the woman was willing to give him. After the course of three years passing, they had waited in the shadows, waiting for the moment to come when Kingdom Hearts will finally awaken, connecting everything together to the finale between the realms of light and darkness.

Maleficent gave a sinister snicker of amusement, "The time for the darkness to awaken is near. The era of light is depleting, soon, the age shall be consumed by the darkness within her; wouldn't that be such a lovely sight to see, Pete?" She turned to the round character as he fidgeted, feeling uncertain on how to answer.

"You fool, surely you don't have the power to grasp such a future." She clarified distinctively, marveling the vision ahead with wonder, "Soon, we shall make our move to claim Kingdom Hearts for ourselves…be prepared…" She explained to her convenient cohort who only nodded, as he didn't dare to defy the sorceress who gave him a wicked grin.

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Roxas was startled from his sleep, jolting forward as he sprang up from his bed. He already had sweat all over his body, dripping off his flesh as it sizzled lightly on his skin, igniting his blood as it scurried through his veins in mayhem. He could recall little from what he saw, remembering a fierce battle somewhere in the distant past. He discarded the memory though as the last one disturbed him, finding it to be a missing chain in Sora's memories that was deleted long ago.

"I don't remember such a thing from Sora's past though…or is it…?" In his dreams, he had visions of the young idol climbing up a castle, recalling the name of the fort to be _Castle Oblivion_.

He wondered why such a mysterious event had come to make itself notice now, doing his best to collect what had happened. He felt discouraged by the memory though, somehow discovering that long ago, Namine had once harbored feelings for the young brunette who was his other self. He shook away the unwelcoming feeling though, dreading the truth that was kept hidden from him. In terms, he disregarded the dream, not wanting it to be a nuisance; he had a promise to keep, and he attended to keep it for his friends.

He got up from the comfort of his bed, picking his cloths off the floor as he headed over to the bathroom. After a quick shower and rinsing off the filth that he received, Roxas got himself dressed with his usual attire from the previous day. He headed out the door, doing his best to keep a smile, hoping it would remain for the rest of the day.

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Mickey, Donald, and Goofy arrived at the refuge world known as Destiny Island, landing their Gummi Ship over at the resident shore. King Mickey pressed the button that opened the lid to the craft, jumping over as he landed skillfully on the sandy coast, digging his large feet into the soft ground as it held his weight. Donald tried to force Goofy off the ship, but was met with karma as Goofy stepped aside, causing him to fall harshly to the ground. The moody duck groaned with displeasure, but quacked with dismay as his best friend decided to land on top of him, causing him to feel more pain than he already needed.

Mickey could only laugh heartedly at his friends, scouting the area of the island in order to spot Sora and the others; but due to his lack of luck there was no one in sight. He sighed and slouched with disappointment, but it was soon replaced with optimism.

He turned to the duo behind him as they tried to untangle themselves, "Come on, guys! We need to find Sora, Riku, and Kairi!" He declared strongly, becoming stunned as his huge ears heard someone walk up to them nearby.

"Excuse me? Are you guys looking for our friends?" The three looked over, spotting a group of three grown pre-adults who could still be considered to be youthful teenagers.

"Why, yes we are!" Mickey replied excitedly, but he adapted himself to a more formal look, "Can you tell us where they are? It's very important that I speak with them!"

The three islanders noticed the solemn tone the small mouse gave to them, looking over at each other with distress as one of them answered, "They went out yonder to see friends from another world, ya. You just missed them too, they left not too long ago." Wakka explained dejectedly, finding the news not to be pleasant as they came for nothing.

"What!?" Donald exclaimed in surprise.

"I think they said the place was called Highlight Town." Tidus informed lightly, hoping to assist the group in anyway they can.

"Twilight Town…!" Selphie quickly corrected, bumping her elbow into Tidus's arm for pronouncing the wrong name. The young blonde reacted from the pain, glaring at the brunette as he rubbed his sore arm.

"To Twilight Town?" Mickey repeated the name questionably, which the three nodded to confirm, "This isn't a mere coincidence; we have to go after them!" Mickey announced over at Goofy and Donald, causing them to salute with affirmative.

The three of them were well prepared to head off again, but was stopped by Selphie's cry, "Wait…!"

The three cartoon characters stopped where they were, taking their attention on the female, "I know the reason why you guys are here is because trouble can't be far ahead…" She folded her hands as if she was praying, looking over at Wakka and Tidus as they shared the same sentiment, "But please…make sure our friends come home…all of them this time…"

Mickey was left astounded by their request, knowing full well of the other friends who they were referring to, "I'll try my best!" He replied honestly, hopping inside the Gummi ship where Donald and Goody waited patiently for him.

He gave the three below a comforting smile, closing the hatch to the vessel as he sealed him and his friends inside. He turned on the engine, shifting the ship to hover as they prepared to enter the vast skies of glittering stars. They waved their goodbyes, Wakka and the other two giving their best wishes for the heroes as they waited for their friends return.

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Xemnas and the others transmuted themselves from the oval like portal of darkness as it whirled itself upon the roof of a building. They stepped out from the forbidden realm as they were met with the rays of the sun that glowed in the distance of the homey town. Xemnas brought his hood up in order to deflect the heat and light of the golden orb, the humanoid Nobodies following his example, as they weren't accustomed to such density of illumination. The leader to the group scanned the area they were in, finding the district to the town to be familiar as he tried to sense the presence of what they were searching for.

The haunted gaze of his glowing coals gleamed underneath the shadow of his hood, a grin sprouting with delight, "I've found you…" He remarked with a congenial tone, spotting the object he was searching for as he made his way to his destination with an insensible mind; oblivious to what was coming.

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Sora and his old childhood friends made it to Twilight Town without any hassle of turbulence, arriving to the other world without any given harm. They had parked the ship in front of Central Station in Twilight Town, camouflaging the craft from being notice by any citizens that could pass by. The vessel merged into the atmosphere, becoming invisible as it created a mirage of itself to be part of the background.

"Well, that's taken care of." Riku stated with a comforting tone, wanting to avoid attention.

"We should go find Hayner and the gang." Kairi insisted excitedly, having missed the old crew of three.

"Right, everyone just follow me!" Sora exclaimed with an exhilarating tone, sensing the thrill of adventure as he appointed himself as leader.

"Why do you have to take the lead…?" Riku asked skeptically, tilting his head to the side as he crossed his arms in suspicion.

Sora gradually turned himself around, grinning playfully as he gave a valid point towards his reason, "Because~, I'm the hero who had saved the world from darkness not _**'once'**_, but _**'twice'**_." He quoted the terms with an ignorant but satisfying smirk, flashing his teeth with pride.

Kairi giggled as Riku could only groan in defeat, "Damn, fair enough. Lead the way, oh~ great leader…"

"I'll be happy to!" Sora shouted with delight, turning himself around, "Besides! I know a shortcut…" He added joyfully, leading the way towards the tunnel's passageway, as there was an entrance nearby the station. Both Riku and Kairi followed after the cheerful youth, having no doubt in his leadership as they playfully made fun of him along the way.

What Sora and company didn't know though, was that an old friend with sandy-brown hair had just passed them. Roxas had respectfully entered the region from around the corner, hiking up the hill that led from Market Street as he made it to Central Station. He gazed up at the tower that was attached to the base, holding four frozen treats of sea-salt ice cream in his hands. He strolled over inside, catching the lift that led to the top of the clock tower where they would usually sit and watch the sunset.

As Roxas made it to the top, he caught the roars of the sun's heat, but a passing gust of wind soothed him as it calmed the temperature from being scorching hot. Either way, Roxas could feel the frozen bars in his hands begin to melt, forming into liquid from inside the containers. He groaned from the situation, finding himself to be alone as there was no one there at the ledge. He figured he must have been early, either that, or he was late; you could never tell with a sky that never changes. He sat himself down though, deciding to wait for a while to see if his assumptions were true or not. He placed the melted snacks next to him, deciding to throw them out later when he would leave.

It was sitting there and watching the flames of the sun ahead as it washed the town in its beauty, that Roxas caught glimpses of his memories from the past. He remembered Axel's astute words as he explained the colors of the sun's rays, red being the farthest. He remembered when he had first tried the unique and irregular taste of sea-salt ice cream here, sharing the moment with his two best friends as they just came back from finishing a mission. The place where he spent most of his time with Hayner, Pence, and Olette; and even though they weren't real in the past, those memories seemed more real to him today.

This place where he and Namine had said their goodbyes; it was this moment that Roxas hissed with aggravation, doing his best to yield back the tears that threatened to fall. He scuffed at the warm liquids as they peeled across his cheeks, his body trembling as he tried to block away the pain. He closed his eyes, having an internal battle with himself as he mentally chanted of how weak he was. He gripped his hands into tight fists, trying his best to compose himself, forbidding his tears from falling any further. He sighed heavily with a shutter, the crude color of red streaming around his eyes like an outline.

All of a sudden, Roxas's invisible heart began to get erratic, scrunching his chest as his lungs clamped his breathing, "Dammit, not this again…" He punched his chest, trying his best to thrash the demoralizing rumpus that was inside. It seemed to have work, his breathing slowly returning.

He sat himself straight, agonizing the prolonging wait for his friends, "I might as well eat my own share now." He commented dryly, unwrapping his own sea-salt ice cream before it could completely melt away, engraving the taste upon his tongue as he chopped off the tip indolently.

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Sora and the others somehow ended up at the destination of the _Sandlot_, missing the shortcut that led to _The Usual Spot_. They walked over the open arena, as Riku decided to make judgment over Sora's lack of direction, "Great job, Sora. You got us lost."

The brunette argued back, "We're not lost! Just because I missed a turn in the tunnels, doesn't mean I don't know where to go." He insinuated with a huff of annoyance, defending his role as guide.

Kairi could only laugh at the two as she stepped in-between their conversation, "Come on you guys, I'm sure if we just walk ahead we'll be able to find Olette and the boys." She softly implied, ending the males' short quarrel at each other.

They nodded with agreement, but before they could press on, they heard someone call out to them, recognizing the voice right away as they turned around.

"Sora! Kairi! Riku!" It was Pence, waving sticks of sea-salt ice cream bars in his hands.

"Well, seems like my role as guide led us to them after all." Sora directed a sneaky look of triumph over at Riku, which he could only mutter and scuff at his best friend's luck.

The three travelers walked over to the Twilight gang as they met them halfway, holding huge smiles on their faces after such a long time in not seeing each other. The boys gave each other firm handshakes, proving their male bond. Olette beamed happily as she passed a hug over to Kairi and the boys, "It's so good to see you guys! I can't believe it's been three years!" The princess to Radiant Garden agreed with the statement, passing the same amount of affection Olette gave them.

"What took you guys so long to visit, anyway?" Hayner added warily, as he thought they were at the verge of being forgotten.

"We're sorry!" Sora guarded with guilt, scratching the back of his spikes, "We just got caught up in being home after such a long time of being away…ever since…" He became downcast as he remembered their last encounter at _The World That Never Was_, missing the friends he had lost there, despite the decisions one of them had made.

The three seemed to notice the hero's inner turmoil, becoming nervous; as they knew Roxas's existence was still around, the same person who they were supposed to be meeting. Kairi remained silent, containing the same amount of remorse that was held in Sora's heart, the feeling consuming her as her shoulders slumped. Riku seemed to notice the change in the atmosphere, sighing as he decided he needed to change the subject.

He stuck his hands inside his large pockets, "Let's just blame school; anyway, we wanted to come and surprise you guys. I hope we didn't come at a bad timing." He noticed the four pieces of sea-salt ice cream in their hands, "Were you guys planning to meet someone?"

This is when the three froze stiffly in their spots, alerting the trio in front of them to become discouraged by their reaction. Pence nervously took his eyes over at the frozen treats that were in his hands, giving the group a tense smile of uncertainty, "Um, sort of…we were going to hang out at the old clock tower at Central Station."

"Who's the extra ice cream for?" Sora actually was able to count the attendance of four sea-salt ice creams instead of three.

"Well, you see…" Hayner began to explain, but Olette had caught him off, giving a more solid explanation, "We got an extra one for Hayner since he's such a pig!"

"Olette! I'm not a pig!" The supposed 'pig' exclaimed with mortification, fuming from the insult that was tipping over to actually being true.

Sora and his friends didn't buy it though, finding their behavior and words to be misleading. The Keyblade Master scrunched his face as he tried to study the three, "You guys are keeping something from us." He stated casually, showing no sympathy or care in his words.

"Just what's making you guys so nervous? You can tell us, you know." Kairi carefully inserted, hoping to earn their trust of the truth.

Pence looked back and forth over at Olette and Hayner as they succumbed in being caught from their bad acting. The short and round teenager sighed with trepidation, surrendering the promise they had kept for so long, "We were told not to tell anyone, but I guess we can't hide it from you guys…" As Pence laid out the truth before them, the three could only gasp in shock as they begged and bombarded the trio with questions of where Roxas was now.

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After awhile in listening to the whistles of the wind, Roxas had finished his dessert, gazing down at the stick as he found words written across, "Guess I didn't win anything this time…" He sighed with wonder, discarding the small twig to the side, "What's taking them so long?" He bent his knee towards his chest, resting his chin upon it as his eyelids began to wilt.

"Maybe, I _was_ late. I'm sure they wouldn't abandon me here to wait this long?" He confirmed with uncertainty, shifting his eyes over at the melted sweets. He picked the thrash up, "I might as well leave then…" He announced with disappointment, frowning as he failed to meet his friends that he swore to meet.

He headed off towards the stairs instead of the elevator, needing to take his mind off of things as he slowly descended down the levels. He reached the ground floor, finding the station to be abandoned; seeing as there weren't any trains coming in today. He didn't take heed over the situation though, deciding to go home without a second thought. He opened the doors to the exit as he walked down the set of stairs, but as soon as he stepped onto the last plane, he felt something was above him.

He froze as the foreboding shadow spoke with a sarcastic tone of pleasure, "My, it's been too long, Roxas. I'm afraid you have something that belongs to us." The blonde's eyes grew as they stretched the muscles to his face in shock, recognizing the unforgettable voice as it served his blood to boil in anger.

The young sandy-haired Nobody lifted his head up, spotting the object of his abhorrence, finally seeking the vengeance he had desired to settle for so long, "Xemnas…!" He growled with a trembling tone of rage, his eyes scorching as he pierced the man with a looming glare. He noticed the other members who were accompanying him, finding their appearance to be the same just as they were three years ago.

Roxas was beyond stunned, his hands wavering to release the power that was secretly kept hidden from him. Xemnas smirked at his opponent, finding he only had one reason for appearing before him, "I only came here for one thing; I'm sure you know what that is."

Roxas shook his head, signaling the man that he had no clue what he was talking about, "_**Where the HELL is NAMINE!? You BASTARD!!!" **_The boy roared with uncontrollable rage, igniting his fury as he became blinded by his desire for answers.

"Come now…why should I answer such a foolish question when it's been there all along?" Xemnas offered wistfully, disapproving the attitude he was receiving, "Now then, I didn't come to be interrogated by you. I've only come to collect what you have taken from us three years ago."

Roxas swapped his arms out with turmoil, as he didn't understand, "_**Just what the hell are YOU talking ABOUT!?"**_

Saix and others could only shake their heads from the boy's lack of knowledge, their Superior deciding to enlighten him, "I see, you still don't understand after all these years? Fine, then I shall show you." The man crunched his hand forward, summoning up a spell that would allow him the advantage to demonstrate what he was trying to explain.

Roxas stepped back with caution, feeling a shift in the air as dark clouds began to form, "She has kept herself well hidden from me, but I'm afraid this game of hide and seek has come to an end. Now, open your heart to me!"

Xemnas brought himself back as he prepared to charge forward, but was stopped as someone cried out in the distance, "_**ROXAS!!!**_ _**Stop!!**_" Everyone turned from the source of the voice, becoming alarm as they found the person to be Sora, his friends close behind him as they gasped over the sight before them.

"_**Xemnas!**_" The savior of worlds shouted with resentment, already calling forth the magical artifact that was bestowed upon him, "_**What the hell are you doing here!?**_" He questioned heatedly, Riku and Kairi following suit in drawing out their own equipped keyblades.

"Great, the chosen one and his annoying group of friends." Marluxia explained with distaste.

Saix turned to their Superior as he directed his concern, "Should we take care of them, Xemnas?" The man nodded with confirmation, "Do not let them get in the way of our task." He stated with a stern tone, taking his attention back on the lone Nobody below.

Roxas was baffled from the group's appearance, '_Why? Why are Sora and the others here? Just what the hell is going on?_' He clenched his teeth as he dreaded a confrontation with the group, hoping it would've been in better circumstances.

The Organization members charged after Sora and the others, calling forth their weapons as they clashed viciously in battle. Riku commanded their Twilight friends to step back, "You guys need to get out of here! You'll be killed if you stay here!" They agreed without any hesitation, but before they could flee from the area, Nobodies began to appear, blocking their paths.

"Dammit…!" Sora cussed with frustration, pushing his keyblade forward in order to push Saix back.

"You seem to have gotten stronger, Keyblade Master." The berserker commented sardonically, transforming his blade to a more ferocious form.

Kairi tried to defend their friends, striking the Nobodies as they tried to make their way over in claiming their hearts. She used her quick agility in order to counter the approaching corpses, switching her keyblade around from different directions in order to vanquish them.

Riku dealt with Lexaeus and Marluxia, using his keyblade as a source of shield as he shot projectiles of his dark flare at the duo. He flipped backwards as Marluxia's scythe almost made contact with his chest, curving his body as the blade swooshed above him. Lexaeus tried to hit him from behind, but he was able to spin around in time from the ground, skidding forward from underneath the man's large form. Once he was free from the ambush, Riku turned around and struck the man from behind, enabling him to jump forward and attack the distracted assassin.

In the meantime, Sora was doing his best to deflect Saix's massive energy of power that seemed to penetrate from out of his weapon. He knew he wasn't going to get anywhere if he kept his distance, sending a Blizzaga spell towards the man, which he regrettably was able to shatter with a single sweep. Although that was the case, Sora found it to be part of his strategy as a decoy, swinging forward as he twirled his keyblade, clobbering the Nobody with multiple slashes of combos.

He grunted though from the man's resistance, _'Damn, this is hard without going into valor form…but I have to try!'_ He roared in pain though when he felt the pricks of Saix's blade make contact with his arm, rendering him to pull back from the injury, scattering blood across the air.

_The Luna Diviner _took advantage of this, jumping airborne in order to pummel Sora into the ground. The warrior was able to seize the attack though, bracing his keyblade forward as it clanked against Saix's large broadsword, sending sparks as they both collided into the pavement. A burst of smoke exploded into the air as the concrete rippled and shattered from their given weight of brute force, shrouding them inside the fog as they couldn't be seen.

"Sora!" Roxas shouted anxiously, fearing for his friends' lives to be in danger.

"I wouldn't worry about them, thirteen." Xemnas comforted callously.

Roxas turned to the man with revolt, growling furiously from the old endearment, "_**Dammit, Xemnas! What is it that you want?**_"

"Like I said, I only want one thing…" And without any fair warning of words, the sinister being took heed in going after the boy, bringing his hand forward as he aimed for his chest.

Roxas didn't have time to protect himself, feeling the man's large hand pierce through him, gripping the source he held inside as they both were sent into the vast space of darkness.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKKHKH

All he could see was darkness, even as he opened his eyes, it was all he could see. He could taste nothing, hear nothing, and see nothing; all there was, was emptiness. Roxas groaned with discomfort, feeling a tender tug against his chest as it caused his body to squirm. He gasped in fright as things were definitely out of place, shooting forward from where he was laying. He zipped his eyes around the vicinity of darkness, hearing the howl of the wind as it crept over him. He looked down, finding the ground to be a stain glass painting of him and the people who were closest to him. He immediately raised himself off from the ground, studying the surface of the image from the large column, realizing his location to be none other than the _Chamber of Awakening_.

"What's going on?" He asked aloud, overseeing the portrait of himself to be at the center, holding two keyblades in his hands, one the Oathkeeper and the other the Oblivion. Around him was a halo of circles, showing portraits of Sora, Xion, Axel, Namine, and many others, "This is like the one I saw with Sora, but what is…?" He couldn't even decipher the question he wanted to ask, his mind beginning to jumble.

He soon remembered Xemnas, his face appearing over Roxas's vision in a hot flash. He grinded his teeth, "Xemnas, just what the hell did you do to me…?" He gripped his fists with aggravation; his hands trembling as he tightly dug his fingers into his palms.

It was then that he heard a voice he thought he would never hear again, "Hey, Roxas! It's been awhile! It's me Axel, got it memorized?" The blonde swiftly turned around, becoming astonished as _The Furry of Dancing Flames _stood with a gracious smirk; and beside him, was the clone who he considered to be a dear friend.

"Axel…Xion…" _The Key of Destiny_ murmured their names in a hush tone, tears brimming at the side of his cobalt orbs, "It…can't be…."

Xion gave a placid smile, "There's no need for tears, Roxas." She approached him, placing her hands on his shoulders in order to stop his quivering sobs, "We have more important matters to deal with…"

"Wait…" Roxas tried to speak, too stunned to digest everything, "There's so much more I want to say…! How are you guys…?"

"There's no time to explain…." Axel interjected, his tone actually stern with concern, "We need you to find her before he does…"

"What…what do…what do you mean?" The younger male asked with confusion.

"It's Namine…she's here…" Xion answered critically, setting her sights on the boy's reaction.

He grabbed hold of Axel's shoulders, shaking him desperately, "_**Namine! Namine's here!?**_"

Axel tried to keep him calm, seeing as they were in a tight dilemma, "Yes, but you need to reach her…Xemnas has somehow found his way in here as well, and is now searching for Namine as we speak…"

"You have to find her before he does…!" Xion exclaimed urgently, "If he finds her, and releases the darkness inside Kingdom Hearts…there's no telling what could happen…you have to free them, Roxas!"

"Free them…?" He soon had a flashback of the same exact conversation with the replica, recalling the memory all too clearly when she had drifted away back inside Sora, "Xion…I…"

She shook her head, noticing the wistful look on his face, "Never mind that…we have to fix everything now!" She bravely imported, "You haven't broken your promise, you can still amend our mistakes…"

"But…I…" Roxas began to speak, but couldn't really finish; how could anyone forgive him for what he's done? If anything, he only made things worse.

"Hey…!" Axel caught his attention, "Stop being all zombie Roxas and get to it in saving your girl!" The flame caster exclaimed with a blunt tone, shoving the teenager forward with a friendly push of encouragement.

The fair-haired Nobody frowned as he began to wonder, "She's…really here?" It's been three years, three long years, was it so easy to believe that _his _Namine was close…that she's been with him all along?

Axel gave a shrewd like smirk, "Yeah…but you need to hurry…" He looked the other way, discovering a set of stairs that began to makes themselves visible, "Xion and I can't go any further than here; it's up to you to go forward towards the depths that exist inside you…Roxas…"

The young companion took attention on the stairs that were bestowed upon him, beckoning him to climb up. Soon, his resolve was clear, confirming his desire in seeing the love he had lost years ago; dreaming of this day to hold her again, to kiss her again, to be able to express those important three words that shouldn't mean anything to a Nobody. He began to make his way over, examining the steps as they were designed carefully with bright colors that matched with the painting of his portrayal.

He turned over at his friends, "Thank you…" He spoke genuinely, expressing his gratitude for their guidance.

They both nodded with approval, Xion speaking out, "Good Luck…and don't worry, we'll still be here…" Roxas nodded with agreement, rotating his body forward as he began to make haste.

He rushed up the stairs as they continued to lay a path for him, creating steps after steps, never pausing for a second. He almost tripped as he began to get desperate, losing his breath as he counted the second and minutes that began to deplete from his pace.

'_Where!? Where!?' _He mind was going frantic, his eyes jerking all over the place, _'Dammit! All I see is darkness!" _He was prepared to head back, but as soon as he halted to check the road behind him, there was nothing but a few steps left, already fading out as they slowly began to disappear.

Roxas gasped in alarm, losing sight of the tall and cylinder pedestal, as it could not be seen in the distance. He made way in pressing forward though, seeing as he had no other choice, but before he could, the ground underneath had already vanished. He lost grip of his footing, shouting as he tried to grab for the next ledge, but he failed from the attempt, falling down into the chasm that lurked below. It felt like forever as he proceeded to plummet into the intense darkness that held no limitation to its eternal subsistence. As he slowly continued his descent though, Roxas gasped with alarm as he felt something warm nearby. He became anxious, his hands reaching out towards the faint light that appeared, glowing in the distance as it overflowed, revealing the figure it was adjoining.

"Na—Nami—_**Namine!" **_He yelled with distress, finding the beauty before him to be in deep sleep, holding a small orb that shimmered dimly between her hands.

He quickly tried to extend his arms out, landing on some invisible platform as he made haste in trying to reach her, "Namine…! Namine! _**Namine!**_" He gave a tormented cry, tears beginning to detach themselves from his glossy eyes.

It wasn't long before there was shift in the air, causing the area to be disrupted as someone began to penetrate through. He knocked over from the other side with a cavernous mirth, bringing forth the calamity that was about to be awakened.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "Yes! I succeeded in finishing this XD! I was going to put more description at the end, but I decided to leave it for the next chapter. After this chapter I might be busy for a while, considering school starts next week for me; but I will try to update as much as I still can :). Anyway, I've recently grown to have an unhealthy obsession over the pairing Terra/Aqua; it's so bad, I'm trying to figure out a way to put romance between them in this story. Also, I'm SUPER happy towards the people who left reviews for me! You guys are the best in the world! It's funny, people are trying to catch up now from _The Way You Remember Me_ since the sequel started, it makes me happy to know people are getting into the story :D."

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha will like to give thanks to: _**DamnBlackHeart, Mauve Rune, Th**__**under-Angelist Rawr , jenyflo5483, silentmusic16, Dragonflies87, Naminesweet, storycreator, SaphireRose15, reachesforstars, Inspiration of Imagination, MonkeyGirlxoxo, laughingx4ever, NinjaSheik, AonAllstars, xLycheeRAiN**_. We appreciate the support; we hope you will continue to leave reviews! Now then, as part of my job, the title to the next chapter is: "Endless Nightmare" Until next time!"


	4. Endless Nightmare

Declaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts…"

Kiome-Yasha: "Okay, I'm going to be honest everyone, this will be my last _**FAST**_ update; I'm still going to be updating, but it'll be slower than usual. The reason…I have started the new semester, and homework gets in the way a lot."

Chapter 4 Endless Nightmare

Mickey seized the controls to the Gummi Ship as he quickly pressed forward without any indication to stop. Donald and Goofy held on tight, shifting in their seats as their King maneuvered the vessel aggressively with dread. They saw Twilight Town not too far ahead, becoming alarmed as clouds of shadows crept over, threatening to devour the world into its endless abyss.

The King turned his eyes over to the compartment that was inside the craft, remembering the items he held inside there. His face was fixed with concentration, having stored pieces of original artifacts that once held the key in warping to other worlds.

"Your Majesty!" Donald shouted with horror, pointing over at the approaching murky fog of darkness.

"Hold on, fellas!" The mouse ushered his words with assurance, pulling the ship back with no sense of warning as he prepared to land, avoiding the sinister shade, as the realm of darkness was opened.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Roxas rushed forward, trying his best not to trip as he became too anxious and excited in seeing the slumbering witch. He almost fell forward, but quickly assembled himself from falling, focusing on his task. He concentrated solely on Namine, afraid to blink as it might cause her to disappear, ignoring his other surroundings. He felt like he was running forever, but it didn't stop him; he kept running until he _knew_ she was back inside his arms.

He was close to her now, almost there, almost there.

His fingers could actually twitch as he strained his legs over, memories resurfacing as he got closer; the fragrance of her hair, the soft moisture of her skin, her glossy flamboyant eyes…everything.

He was closing in, she was right there, "Namine!"

_**WHAM! **_

He fell over before he even knew it, flipping over as his back slid across the ground with a harsh friction of vigor. He gasped in shock, quickly turning over at Namine as he noticed a thin and invisible wall to be somehow between them.

"No…No…this can't be…!" He hastily picked himself off the ground, rushing over to the concealed barrier as he pressed his hands against it. He could see the clear wall react to his touch, revealing fragments of blue squares beneath his hands as it kept Namine on the other side, "No…_**No! Dammit!**_"

He began to bang on the veiled screen, causing it to wobble slightly as it showed no signs of weakness, "_**Dammit, I came this far! I fucking came this far! NAMINE!**_" He gave a shattered and guttural shout, beginning to punch his way even if it made him bleed.

He was outraged, repeating his punches, "_**Dammit! *BANG* Dammit! *BANG* Dammit! *BANG*.**_" He slammed harder, but soon, he realized his fists weren't enough, substituting his body for the task instead, "_**Namine!**_" He yelled out her name with a fierce and desperate tone, jamming his body back and forth into the unseen force.

The maiden slowly began to open her eyes, becoming dazed as she heard him call out her name, _'Roxas…'_ She couldn't speak, opening her mouth as she tried, but all that came out was a short drone.

Somehow though, Roxas was able to catch the soft sound, looking straight at her as he caught notice of the empty void in her eyes, "_**Namine!**_"

He soon felt a terrorizing breeze sweep over him, rattling his cloths as the wind directed itself off from a portal that suddenly appeared behind Namine. He braced his arms forward in order to protect himself from being blown away by the powerful gust, grunting as he hissed in despair over the dilemma he was in. Roxas soon was able to look up where the threshold was, discovering a figure all too familiar stepping out from the abyss, "_**Xemnas!**_" He shouted with hysterical rage, his eyes scrunching with revving anger.

"Ah~, there you are…" Xemnas gracefully brought himself forward, casting his eyes over at Namine's immobile body, "It's been awhile, my Kingdom Hearts." He soon turned to the frustrated blonde on the other side, "Seems like you failed yet again to reach the girl you love, Roxas. I shall be taking her away now."

"_**Like hell you are, you bastard; don't you DARE touch her!**_" He soon began to assault the divider that blocked him away from Namine, screaming in rage as he couldn't even make a crack or dent.

He gave one firm punch, yelping in pain as his knuckles crumpled from the harsh impact, but it didn't stop him from landing the next hit, "_**Don't you fucking touch her!**_" He shouted once more, his voice echoing across the empty plane as it amplified his words to reiterate, "_**Namine!!! Why isn't this breaking!?!**_" He asked with inconsolable agony, blood beginning to burst out from his hands as the red stain slicked over the imperceptible barrier.

'_Roxas…no…Rox…' _Namine had a lone tear fall from the nadir of her vacant blue eyes, holding the heart between her hands protectively.

Roxas was able to hear her thoughts though, "Namine…?" _'Was that her…? Please…tell me that was her!' _

"Hmm, trying to speak out, are we?" Xemnas gave a sinister smirk, browsing his way over to the unresponsive witch, "Don't worry, though, we'll soon change that." He reached his hand over, pulling the petite blonde to him as she gasped in fear.

He gave a solemn expression as he started to speak, hovering his hand over her chest; where countless number of hearts secretly resided, screaming out into the darkness with their sorrow and hatred, "She has been here all along inside you, and yet you've never noticed. It's such a pity, really; for someone like her to waste time in a place like this. A hopeless Nobody who caused her nothing but pain, putting her into this state." He struck a nerve into Roxas as he stepped back, craving to deny everything, but finding it all to be true, "It was you who followed along with my plans, and now, we can finally awaken the darkness you have implanted into this witch. And once we do, every single world shall fall into the realm of darkness." He relished in on his glory, "Yes, Kingdom Hearts shall be mine, and then, we can finally regain what we have lost during the long and endless sleep."

The blonde Nobody shook his head in repudiation, refusing to let the lunatic use Namine for his twisted plot, "_**Xemnas! Stop! Leave her ALONE!**_" Roxas commanded desperately, losing all resentment towards the man as he actually pleaded, "_**Please! Don't take her away from me!**_ _**I just found her again! Please!**_"

Xemnas actually gave pity towards Roxas, sympathizing with him, "I'm sorry, but it has to be this way. In order for us all to be reborn; it's a sacrifice I am willing to make." He soon impaled his hand into her chest without any warning, wrenching her core as Namine screamed out in agony.

"_**NAMINE!!! NAMINE!! Nami—!**_" Roxas couldn't shout any longer, his voice giving out as he wheezed forward, clutching his neck as he tried to regain moisture for it, _'No…! Namine! Dammit…! DAMMIT!!!' _

"_**XEMNAS!!!!**_" He finally roared out, giving one last shout before his voice finally decided to abandon him.

Before he knew what was going on, a blinding light began to erupt around the room, proving the darkness to be nothing more than a withering night doomed to fade back into morning. It was then that Namine gave out one last tear, exchanging the heart in her hands to enter inside Roxas's chest before everything decided to blink out into infinite degrade of black.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

"_**AAHHHHHH!!!!**_" Roxas bellowed loudly across the empty skies, his eyes bulging from the excruciating pain that possessed his insides; it was as if he was feeling the pit of fire that was hell itself. Both him and Xemnas had returned to their original coconsciousness, escaping the realm of Awakening as they recruited another individual from the otherside.

Sora and the others were alarmed by the scream, turning their eyes to the sound as they spotted Xemnas take off into the air, and with him was a sleeping Namine. The man chuckled merrily as he gazed down at the girl; her white dress altering into a sinister thread of darkness as it began to wrap itself around her. The once golden sky of Twilight Town soon became desolate, erupting a whirlwind of gloom as the force began to rip the world apart. The source of such energy came from Namine's body, as black whips clashed against the buildings, grating them into pieces as Sora and his friends tried to avoid the falling pile of wreckage. They jumped over as they found the ground begin to crumble beneath their feet, ignoring the battle they were inserted, as the Nobodies took refuge from the destruction as well.

Roxas collapsed forward as the menacing throb to his chest subsided, but only slightly as he panted heavily from the loss of air. He griped with a hoarse whine, struggling to pick himself up as tears began to streak down his face. He was barely able to pick his head up, but it was enough for him to see the horror that was deteriorating around him. He soon lifted his rifling eyes up at Xemnas, discharging a silent sob as he saw the swarm of darkness that began to alter Namine's once chaste image.

Saix and the other brought themselves over to their Superior's side, marveling the glorious victory of their object as she slowly morphed into the Kingdom Hearts they had constructed.

Namine slowly turned around, limping her body forward as her white and blue gown was replaced with the polluted color of purple and black. Her dress melted as the tempting aura of dusk shrouded her body to a more revealing look, covering the key parts to her figure that would be too indecent to share. The shadows layered over her like a second skin, creating a misty drape that clamped around her waist, bellowing behind her as it wrinkled against the crushing wind. The dark thread of shade crawled cunningly over her legs and arms, until finally it trailed over the left side of her neck. It slowly crept over the pale skin of her face, blocking the left side of it before a yellow bulb appeared over her eye.

She moaned pleasantly from the feeling that possessed her, striking her right eye to open as it now contained a wicked color of bullion, the left resembling the design of a heartless. Sora was stunned with fright as he murmured shakily, "Tha—that's…Na—Nami—Namine…?" Kairi pulled her hands to her mouth in terror, her eyes watering at the sight with heartbreak.

Hayner and Pence stood in shock as Olette trembled with fear, finding their reunion with their friend to be a cruel sight. Roxas stared with a frozen look of desolation, before inertly bringing his head down to the ground, _'This…this can't be…. no way…that's not Namine…this can't be…this is…' _He cringed his features, shutting his eyes tightly in dismay as he could recollect the endings to his nightmares, _'What…what have I done…what have I done to __**you**__…!?' _His body trembled, sniffling as his tears fell over like a torrent upon the pavement.

Riku grunted with irritation, bringing himself to speak, "_**Xemnas! What did you do?**_" The girl lifelessly brought her eyes over at the group below, studying her surroundings with a jaded like expression, as she seemed oblivious over what was going on.

Xemnas happily obliged in giving out the information to his scheme, his eyes glinting with fulfillment, "I simply revived her was all, assimilating her body with the corrupted hearts Roxas was able to collect. What you see now, is just an empty shell of death, reversed from that of light!" He recompensed blithely, widening his hands out, "She isn't the Namine you once knew anymore, and you can thank Roxas for that; as he has given us the retribution of a new age! Soon, the worlds shall fall beneath the crust of the realm of darkness; and with them, Kingdom Hearts shall be forever ours!"

"_**You're insane!**_" Kairi rebutted crossly, glaring at the Nobody as she refused to show weakness, despite the flow of tears on her cheeks.

The ruthless Nobody could only hum with amusement, "My dear princess, I am only fulfilling the unfairness we Nobodies have been tarnished to take. Could you really say you despise such beings who don't even have a heart?"

"_**No, Xemnas! It's you who is taking this TOO far!**_" Sora severely announced, swapping his arms to clarify his point of disparagement.

Just then, Central Station was fractured out of the solid concrete soil behind Roxas, chucking pebbles from the ground as they launched across the area. The tall clock tower began to drift slowly into the toxic air, a large foreboding ball appearing over the world as it began to swallow the city. The center of the destructive globe pulsed with fire from within its core, decaying the structure of the urban district before disintegrating the shattered pieces. Namine gazed up at the churning sphere as she admired it with pleasant curiosity, tilting her head and integrating herself with it, taking its influence of devastation to be a part of her.

"Yes, my dear. Become one with the darkness even further, you'll soon drown this world into your cavern of abyss, just a little more." Xemnas ushered with sightless encouragement, changing the direction of his eyes over at the frail group below, "Namine…" Somehow, she seemed to recognize the title to her identity; after all, it was the name Xemnas had assigned to her when she was born, "Kill them…"

Although she was completely in his jurisdiction of command, Namine seemed to be confounded, faltering her expression. The leader to the Nobodies took great care in noticing this, striking his hand forward as he beckoned the tainted hearts within her to cooperate, "You shall listen to me…**now kill them**…" He sternly repeated with a threatening tone, causing her to nod instantly with a bleak nod.

She brought her hand out, trembling slightly as her powers began to manifest dangerously, alighting whips of energy to spring out like thorns. Riku admittedly shouted over the others, "_**RUN!**_" Without any seconds to spare, Namine initiated tendrils of darkness to leech forward.

They all tried to deflect the tentacles, using magic as a long-range attack to reflect the limbs. It substantiated to be futile though as they kept coming towards them, lashing forward with no constant objective on whom to hit. But just as the chords could reach them though, a stream of lighting showered forth through the stems, perishing them in an instant, seeing as they couldn't handle the thunderous collision of matter. Everyone gasped in shock from the sudden damage that was inflicted, startling even the remote Roxas who caught resonance of the undulating combustion of voltage.

_The_ _Key of Destiny _unwearyingly brought his head up to spot their savior, becoming alarmed in seeing the _Savage Nymph _herself. She had a pair of smooth and protective sunglasses on, but they brimmed over her eyes so you could still see her roguish green jewels. She still had on her Organization coat, but it had long been tarnished, displaying cavernous and rupturing holes, drifting over the tattered edges of the old jacket. She wore a green tank top underneath with a tight corset going over her torso as it amplified her slender figure. She even sported a short jean-skirt, containing high black three-inch heels that reached her slim knees; with such high cleavage, it was a wonder where her knifes were kept hidden.

She pointed arrogantly at her old boss, "You could _**never**_ shut up!" She then glared over at the pitiful group behind her, who she mercifully saved, "A _**THANK YOU**_ would be _**NICE!**_" She shouted heatedly, grumbling over their lack of gratitude, _'Humph, and __**they**__ are the good guys?_'

"Larxene!" Sora found his voice after the shocking entrance of the female Nobody, "Just what the hell are you doing here!?"

She pouted her lips to the side, scrunching her eyebrows with deep meditation as she whipped her darts out from between her fingers, "Isn't it obvious, hero? I'm trying to save your _**ass!**_" She whizzed through the air, evading the wave of ringlets that sprouted out from Namine's hands.

She cleverly discarded shadows of herself, allowing them to be decoys as she slithered her way like a predator waiting to strike from her exigent hunt, "Do me the favor and vanish!" She prowled over a tendril, which she was luckily able to dodge, going over the bottom of its stomach as she lifted her hand to strike.

She signaled the destructive force of her element to the tip of her daggers, battering the sky to eliminate her foes as rain of thunder came down. Namine backed away slightly from the storm, her eyes gleaming hazardously as she dimmed Larxene's terror of magic to a mere spark. The woman was left aghast from the girl's new inherited powers, charging forward as she lanced her arm out to strike, containing one kunai in her hand as it flowed rowdily with streaks of yellow and white coils of atmospheric lightning. The catalyst for Kingdom Hearts though was able to dispel the approaching thunderstorm, unfolding a tempest of darkness as it dwindled Larxene's assail. The vixen grunted as she made an impact upon the earth, hissing in pain as she tried to pick herself back up.

She growled with annoyance, yelling her voice over at the aloof blonde beside her, "_**Roxas! Do something! Draw your DAMN keyblades!**_"

She halted her breath when he replied chillingly though, gazing down at his hands with bewilderment, "I…I can't…"

It was then that Pence called out, "_**Guys! Watch out!**_" He had noticed Namine's retrieval for her savage stems, taking motive in striking the defenseless blondes across the ravine between them.

As the thrashing vines made way over to the two, dark navy streams of atom bounced off, splashing against the ground as it gradually began to mutate. Creatures with midnight blue bodies and ruby feral eyes generated out of the moldy ground. The heroes never saw such fiends before, claiming them to be some type of new form of Heartless. They had their hands full, becoming distracted in saving their friends, as the poisonous thread kept getting closer to the two Nobodies. It soon shaped itself to be some sort of keyblade, mimicking the magical weapon's features as the point of the edge took attention towards Roxas.

"_**Roxas!!**_" Everyone shouted in alarm, as he remained stationary.

But just as the shadow-keyblade could make a direct hit on him, it stopped abruptly, containing a short distance to his congested chest, _'Roxas…?'_ Namine felt sudden pain in her head, wincing as it consumed her empty thoughts to overflow with a tremendous disorder of emotions.

"Hmmm…" Xemnas observed the reaction, _'It seems like she still hasn't fully recovered, her memories are still in affect…no matter…the darkness within her will soon change that…soon, the boy will be nothing more than a forgetful dream…' _It was then that Namine fainted, losing control of her powers as they became untamed, falling over into the leader's arms as he caught the maiden with ease, "There…there…" He softy murmured in a reassuring voice, "You will soon forget such awful memories and be your true self soon enough…" She moaned in her sleep, her forehead creasing from the disturbing images that tried to stupor her mind.

Dark whirlpools formed across the cracked surface of Twilight Town, demonstrating the downfall the world was about to take, "I think it's about time we left this world…" Xemnas opened a corridor for him and the others to escape through, finding the dense multitude of darkness to be critical.

Sora tried his best to protect his friends from the pack of unusual monsters, "_**You're not getting away!**_ _**Give Namine back, you coward!**_"

"I don't think something like this will kill you all, so I'm sure we'll all meet again in the future…farewell…" Xemnas fazed through the surreal doorway, allowing the others to follow as they vanished in a wisp of smoke, making a quick getaway with their new Kingdom Hearts.

"_**Xemnas!**_" Riku declared urgently, blocking a swipe of claws, "Gah, Dammit!"

"What are we going to do?" Olette asked fearfully, standing behind Hayner, Pence, and Kairi.

"This place is going to be swallowed up soon! We have to get to the Gummi Ship!" Sora somberly explained, but Kairi was quick to interject, "But, Sora! The Gummi Ship won't be able to hold everyone to survive!" He realized this predicament, frowning from the quandary they were in.

"Hey!"

They all turned over to Larxene who was trying to snap a shocked and unresponsive Roxas, "We can escape if I make an opening from the realm…!" They all spontaneously nodded from this, grasping her claim to be true; but when she had tried to do so, nothing would appear.

She was confounded from the result, gazing down at her right hand with puzzlement, "What the hell?"

"This world is too unstable! It seems like Namine's powers blocked any passages for us to escape through!" Riku gravely insinuated, forcing the imp like creatures to fall back with a blast of his Dark Flare.

"What the hell are we going to do then!?" Sora cried out in consternation, finding no other options as he continued to bash away the monsters with his keyblade.

They could see the Gummi Ship across the fractured and desolate path, as caustic fissures dissembled the area with no clemency. The vessel malfunctioned from the tremors, short-circuiting the controls as its invisible cape was torn off. It too was devoured by the calamity of darkness that shuffled around them, seizing any transportation to escape, not like they could use it in the first place though for everyone. Everything was falling apart, and it seemed like the group was at the brink of entering the deserted labyrinth known as the realm of darkness.

As the vapors of dusk closed in, shrouding the world to be nothing more than an obscure figment of existence, Roxas bowed his head in desolation. His eyes became hollow as they twinkled dimly from the unpolished gloss. He swore he could hear Larxene shouting his name, but he didn't take consideration to listen. All of a sudden, all he could see was black, resting his body forward with no consolation in what was happening around him. He didn't know if he had closed his eyes, all he knew was that someone had shouted '_Hang on'; _the voice sounding familiar, holding a chime as it rumbled valiantly.

There was a blinding flare of light, drizzling shimmers of stardust around the forsaken group as they all were transported to some unknown location where they believed to be safe. Roxas fell unconscious though, overlooking the radiant glow of sallow, feeling his body begin to materialize to another world, _'Namine…'_

In the end,all he could hope for now was to seek redemption in getting her back; and it all started, by sleep.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "Okay, I sort of like this chapter and I didn't. I mean, I guess it's the length that bothers me because I was really hoping for it to be long; but, if I did that, it would all have been meaningless information when I should just cut down to the battle, characters, and plot. But, since I failed in this chapter, I will give you guys some _**ideas**_ about the next one: One, there will be probably TWO flashbacks, one from recent events and one from like four years prior from _The Way You Remember_; two, the next chapter will be featuring a world who someone has been desperately requesting for, so, I found a way to collaborate the world into the next chapter (I hope you'll be happy, _**Thunder**_! ;D); three, the next chapter will defiantly be LONG; oh, and fourth, Demyx comes back in the next chapter. On the final note by yours truly, I won't be updating for a while after the next two or three updates; the reason being, I want to play Birth By Sleep before continuing on, so that way, it can fill ALL the gaps I need for this story to make sense. Damn, long author's note, but I'm glad you guys read it :D. Oh, and yes, GREAT thanks to the readers who reviewed! They made me very happy, and I hope you were all patient for this chapter! Now, Ventus shall take care of the rest! :3"

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha will like to give special thanks to: _**Sara Crewe **__(Truly, thanks for the review!)__**, storycreator **__(Thanks for the long reviews!)__**, Naminesweet **__(You're too sweet, I love ya!)__**, Monkeygirlxoxo **__(You're amazing, thanks for the reviews!)__**, AonAllstars **__(OMG, IT'S AON! *CLAPS LOUDLY*)__**, Dragonflies87**__ (You're an older Namixas fan than me! I just have to say, you're badass!)__**, laughing4ever **__(You enjoy my fight scenes, which makes me smile!)__**, Idiotique **(__You're an awesome writer! Always an honor to receive a review from you)__**, SaphireRose15 **__(You read most of my fics and review them, you're in my cool people list!)__**, xLycheeRAiN **__(You always make time to review for me, which is something I greatly appreciate)__**, NinjaSheik **__(Dude! You've been here since the beginning! I can't believe you still find my stories good! But thank you for the long support!)__**, jenyflo5483 **__(Your reviews are always honest, and I enjoy that very much, keep supporting if you can!)__**, DamnBlackHeart **(__You're the coolest best friend EVAR!)__**, reachesforstars **__(It's nice to have a friend from another site who actually took time in coming here and enjoy reading this story, honestly, you're the best!)__**, Mauve Eterna **__(I'm working on that Tequa lemon for you, don't worry! Thanks for the reviews!)__**, Thunder-Angelist. Rawr **__(I've made a promise, I know how you've been wanting to include that world; so, as a thanks for always reviewing, I'm going to give it to you.)__**, TehAverageWrites **__(Yay for the newcomer to this story! WOOT!)__**, Silentmusic16 **__(You already know you're awesome! Keep being awesome!) __**Divine Wolfe **__(You're literally one of my most favorite people in the world, that Terra/Aqua fic you made for me and one another was awesome; and for those who haven't read it, I demand you go to her page and leave a review __**NOW lol!**__ It's called __**Make Believe! :D**__) _Kiome-Yasha will once in awhile make special little comments like this after every several updates she'll do; because she truly loves you guys, and we hope you love her as well! By the way, the title to the next chapter is: "Memories Beneath" Stay tune!"

Kiome-Yasha: "Also! If you guys can, there's a new poll on my profile that is very important for fanfiction decisions! When you have time, do drop by and make a vote on your favored choice! Thank you!"


	5. Memories Beneath

Declaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts…"

Kiome-Yasha: "Thanks for the reviews everyone! I think this chapter or the next will be my last until I play Birth By Sleep."

Chapter 5 Memories Beneath

The group managed to return back, their fort located at the desolated area of the world, giving it privilege to its name known as _Castle Oblivion_. Xemnas continued to favor his hold on the porcelain girl, passing a glance over to her serene face before taking attention on Vexen and Zexion who walked forth.

"Superior, I'm glad to have seen your safe return." Vexen enlightened with a gratifying tone of contentment.

"And it seems you've returned with our Kingdom Hearts…" Zexion elaborated with a complex look of observation.

They all watched the girl as she snoozed comfortably in the man's arms, "Yes, but it seems she is needed for some rest. I'm sure you have her old private room still in vacancy?" He pointed the question over to the older scientist.

Vexen gave a shrewd hum, "Hmm, yes…I'm sure her powers will manifest fully once she gets acquainted with her new body." The leader leisurely nodded with acceptance to the man's theory, offering a portal for him to enter as a shortcut, "I shall deliver her to her room now; be sure to be on alert for what is to come."

They all nodded, letting their gaze travel as the sorceress entered inside the void along with the prize in his hands. Marluxia took this moment to sigh with reprieve, "We were able to salvage what we came for, but it wasn't easy…"

Saix kept a calm exterior as he replied, "Even so, it was all successful. I'm sure with given time, Superior will be able to discuss his plan more clearly with us, now that we have obtained Kingdom Hearts…"

Xigbar snuck up from the group, giving out a lively chuckle, "As if, that dude will always remain an enigma! So, how was _tiger_ doing?"

"You mean, Roxas?" _The Lunar Divider_ asked diligently, "Well, he certainly contains the aspect of an animal."

"Can't blame the little dude, I mean, we snuffed out his beloved before _**he **_even knew it." Xigbar ungracefully added, giving an uncaring smirk, "If only I could have seen his face…" He ripped a loud and guttural laugh of amusement.

"Behave yourself, Xigbar." Zexion softly instructed, becoming annoyed by the man's crude humor.

The gunslinger quieted it down, but still gave a low mirth from the hilarity of his comment. Lexaeus calmly paced himself down the hall, "If there's no further orders, we should take preparation for the mission ahead." Saix agreed, following after the mammoth, as he had no further comments to say to the others. Marluxia reverted back to his own living quarters, giving Zexion and Vexen time to investigate their research on Kingdom Hearts.

Xigbar just stood in his current position, reminiscing the past events that have occurred over the years. He gave a severed chortle, "It just confirms things even more…" He safely announced to himself, turning over as he began to whistle his way back to his own room.

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Xemnas and Namine faded into the living area, spotting the bed across the room as it was previously dusted off. He motioned his body forward with patient steps, his shoes patting the ground with soft impacts of thumps from his feet. He gracefully leaned forward, awarding the girl to rest more contentedly on the satin sheets as she lightly sunk into the cushions.

"Soon…" He softly whispered, brushing some hair away from her face, "…. We shall continue our original plan…" He looked over at the scattered but reserved drawings that were plastered inside the room. He found each slip to be old records of Namine's first creations, taking reference from each individual doodle. He cast his eyes back on the nightly and mysterious beauty that slept, "You shall serve us in finding the real ancient relic itself; along with the key in finding the chamber that resides in this forgetful place…yes…the room of waking." He adjusted himself from his posture that was over Namine's bedside, rotating his body around to a certain sketch, "There's much to be done when you wake up, so dream while your body still remembers…for it won't be long…"

He soon began to reflect on that nostalgic day; when the answer to his plot was born.

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_**Flashback**_

_There was a place, a place where only darkness existed; no light to guide your way, no company to speak with; just an empty vicinity of nothingness as the waves crashed rhythmically across the dark shore. The lunar sphere's moonlight derided the darkness as it kept its distance, spreading a soft glow of illumination across the Dark Coastline. But even as intimidating the darkness was in such a place, providing nothing but imprisonment of loneliness. It's where the young girl had appeared, containing herself to be in deep slumber before her chest began to rise. It was a supple motion, keeping a steady beat as she tried to adjust the salty air that seemed to tickle her nose to squirm awkwardly. _

_It was then that slowly, very slowly, her eyelids began to tremble, focusing on the strain of her eyes as she tried to reveal the world she was in. She hummed as her eyelids lifted, feeling exhausted from the struggle as it was her first time to move such muscles. She clearly saw nothing but darkness, blinking gradually as she hoped the hue to change to some certain color of aquatic blue; but it remained the same. Her ivory and azure eyes seemed diffused to express any emotions, becoming invalid to the girl as she began to lift her body up from the wet and grimy ground beneath her. She felt the breeze of the cold wind brush by her, causing her to clamp up as she pulled her knees close to her chest. She was only wearing a white simple dress, baring her legs and arms to be exposed from the harsh and freezing temperature. _

_She whined as another wave of airstreams came through her core, alerting her body to shiver. She was baffled from the crude sensation, traveling her gaze over at the ocean that was displayed hauntingly but brilliantly across the short amount of land. She was enticed by the liquid's movement, bending forward as she crawled over to the wet line where the waves gently crashed. She tried to pick herself up, but her legs seemed to wobble when she did, causing her to crash down into the dirt of sand. She kept crawling though, tainting her dress with patches of grime, along with her pale hands and knees. _

_She reached her hand over to the resurfacing dash of water, wincing back as she realized how cold the navy and foamy stream was. She tried to decipher the phenomenon, finding no name to click on of what it was called. She soon chose to ignore it, sitting back as she took better care in scouting her surroundings._

_Where was this place exactly? How could she get out of it? Was it home? Why couldn't she remember?_

_Whatever this place was titled to be, she knew one thing for sure about it; she was alone._

_This sudden realization made Namine reflect on her first emotion, after waking up in such an isolated and drafty world._

_She softly began to whimper, feeling something trickle and smolder her vision, blurring her sight as everything began to look misty and unstable. She tried to block away the feeling, becoming horrified by it, as it was foreign to her. What was this, this liquid falling from her eyes? Again, why couldn't she remember? _

_It was then that a sword was washed onto the shore from the lazy current; it seemed to be made out of wood, harboring distinction of a memory quite familiar to her. She broke off a piece that was sticking out from the blistered edge of the sword, studying the twig she managed to collect from it. She looked over at the sand behind her, finding some sudden urge to manipulate the soft ground until an image could be formed. _

_She looked back at the stem that she clutched innocently in her small hand, envisioning a boy to appear inside her mind. As the waves thrust back and forth across the damp sand though, Namine was interrupted by her figment of thoughts as she heard a whirlwind of gust penetrate the silent air and humming shore. She rapidly brought her head up, spotting a tall figure with a long and black trench coat, discarding the portal of swarming darkness behind him. His face was veiled from being seen, as his hood secretively concealed his features, keeping him a mystery._

_He spoke with a solemnly deep voice, sounding a bit surprised, "I wasn't excepting any visitors here today." He lightly informed the stunned girl, walking carefully over to her. _

_She was shocked to see somebody else trapped there with her; but what was that magic he used? Can she do it too? Was there really a way out of this dissonant abyss? _

_He cautiously knelt beside her, as she didn't know the principle of human interaction, "Who might you be?" He sensed great power within her, examining her peculiar attributes; as it was strange for someone like her to be in such a place…unless._

_She kept silent the whole time he spoke, staring at the rich yellow orbs that glowed under his hood, taking interest as streaks of silver hair fell out. He looked over at the __**Dark Margin's **__barren sea, "It seems you have been given without a name…" He assumed her to be a Nobody just like him and the others, but there was something __**'off'**__ about her._

_She continued to be mute, finding no recollection of how to really speak. The hooded man sighed with discouragement from her lack of memory and knowledge, finding her birth to be different indeed. He soon noticed the tip of the branch she had in her hands, catching sight of the torn wooden sword beside her._

_He asked with a curious tone, "Were you planning to draw something on the sand?" She tilted her head, not understanding. So in order for her to understand more clearly, he pointed at the stick she was holding, creating a small circle with his finger upon the soft surface of the ground. _

_She was amazed by the demonstration he provided to her, taking action in follow his example as she brought the edge of the wooden wand to the grubby earth. He watched with a calming expression, never being one to lose his endurance, taking time to investigate the girl while she etched an image across the grainy mud. She was pale, reflecting her skin that corresponded well with the moon adjacent to them. She contained a slim and tight white gown, complimenting the pure and innocent fiber of her being. He adored the bright blue eyes she contently possessed, marveling over the polished shine as they sparkled like gems. She looked so plain and yet, so unique to be a regular Nobody; was she truly a Nobody? Only time and research could tell to confirm his hypothesis. _

_By the time she finished the drawing, he was already influenced by the element of the ocean's torrent, as he thought of a name for the remote maiden. She sat back on her knees, displaying the image to the man so he could be able to decipher it; finding she had no clue to what she drew. _

_He inspected the design, entering the deep residence of his mind as the image before him brought empathy over the years of his scheme. This girl, this witch, had a mysterious ability indeed, causing him to become still as he looked at her with admiration. He paused his fingers over the tracing she did, "This is…" It was a picture of a boy indeed, but he had spiky hair that swooped to the side, his features, as remarkable as it was, was similar to…or could it be…?_

_He ended his thoughts, not wanting to jump ahead quite yet with excitement. He turned to the girl, keeping himself calm, "Namine…"_

_She jolted from the unfamiliar name, jumping to the assumption he was declaring the boy's name she had drew. He shook his head though to clarify himself, pointing at her, "Your name shall be Namine…as a title to your birth…"_

_She strained her voice as she tried to speak the name out, grinding uncomfortable friction to her dry throat, "Na—Na—Nam—Nami—in—Nami—inee…?" She knew she didn't get it right, frowning in disappointment from her inability to pronounce. _

_Still, the man in black seemed to be pleased from her attempt, "Yes, Namine…that's your name…" He elaborated evenly, pointing to himself, "Xemnas…"_

_She figured that was his name, but what about the boy who was smiling on the sand? _

"_Xem—nas…?" She offered hesitantly, which caused him to nod with approval._

"_Very good…you learn quickly." He commented proudly, "It seems you are born different from the others, Namine. I'm sure you'll be suitable enough to join me and my Organization." _

_She seemed a little wary, but she agreed anyway from his exotic words, feeling better to leave with a total stranger than to be alone. Xemnas nodded with contentment, "Good, we shall begin your process immediately when we get there; for now, let us banish this world behind, shall we?" He lifted himself off the ground, bringing the girl along with him as he gently took her hand. _

_He waved his hand to the side in order to create a corridor for them to pass through, which would lead them back to the Nobodies' personal realm. He was about to drag her inside with him, but she mindlessly pulled his hand back, continuing to gaze down at the drawing she had made. He followed her gaze, taking in account how the blemished and stilted sword was directed near the drawing, watching the waves crept near the sketch. _

_He gave a wistful and staid look at the illustration that was engraved across the soft texture of the soil. He soon took his gaze over at the pale witch, finding her features to be enchanted by the image, almost as if she was trying to remember something._

"_Come…" He calmly ordered, pulling her to walk beside him as they entered the portal. They vanished without a trace, leaving the Dark Margin's sea as the shore began to glisten with white dust of stars, perceiving the path that has been unlocked._

_**End Flashback**_

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'_Namine…?'_

Everything was black in Roxas's vision, recollecting a memory he wasn't sure he was able to have. What was that just now? Was that when Xemnas found her? He couldn't tell, feeling something wet drip right at the center of his forehead. He soon began to remember the events that had just occurred, jolting up from his sleep as he realized the ground was bumpy and rock-strewn. He panted heavily as sweat dripped off his face, sighing soon afterwards as the serene sound of water echoed around the cave from the stream nearby.

"Finally, you're awake…!" He identified the voice right away, bringing his face to look up at the thin blonde known as _The Savage Nymph_, "Larxene…"

"Did you know how long I was waiting for you to get your ass up? Damn…" She asked scornfully, jabbing her fists to her slim hips, "I was this _**close**_…!" She squinted her index finger and thumb to create a small gap, "…In leaving you here, luckily though, I'm being nice…" She glared at him with disgust, as Roxas found no grace to her words.

He just stared at her with a blank look on his face, feeling too empty inside to respond; this frustrated her, "What the hell, Roxas, _**say**_ something would you?"

His voice crammed as he droned sullenly, "Sorry…I…"

She stridently exhaled, scratching the side of her temple with one finger, "Look…" She caught his attention, "I don't know where we are exactly, but I'm not planning to stay around here and wait for you to decide on what to do…" She glowered at the end of the tunnel they were in, finding some mural of a crescent moon with stars around it. It looked like they were in some type of secret cave that was in the sewers, a cave, which seemed astonishingly familiar to the male blonde.

'_This place…'_ He slowly began to register the location from his memories that were bestowed upon him from Sora's past, "I know this place…" Larxene turned to him, "This is…Traverse Town…"

"_**Town**_…?" She implausibly asked, stressing the word with disbelief, "Doesn't seem much like a town to me, brat…"

"We're just underground, but I'm positive that's where we are…" He explained with a monotone voice, becoming anemic to even be himself.

"Hmm, so I guess that's where that rodent sent us…" She asked peculiarly, perking Roxas's awareness to what was going on, "That Mickey guy came at the moment we were about to get sucked in by the darkness. He used some type of stone fragment that sent us to a different world. I guess he sent us here..." She confirmed evenly from her explanation.

"What about Twilight Town?" Roxas asked with slight dread.

"Gone…" She replied with no sympathy, crossing her arms over her chest, "…Swallowed by the darkness, I say…thanks to your sweetheart…"

Roxas scuffed at her merciless response, but deflated from feeling any real anger towards her, as she looked down at him with pity. She closed her eyes, calming her malevolent ego from saying anything else, "I don't know where the others went, but I think it'd be obvious to leave and go look for them; in case they were also dragged here. Don't you think?" She clearly stated, trying to bring some sense into him.

He gave a solemn nod, "Yeah…" He picked himself off from the jarred ground covered by rocks, "I think the exit might be this way…" He looked over and pointed at a channel to the sewers that led down a narrow and dark path, assuring Larxene as the way out.

They both stepped onto the brook, heading inside the warren hole as they made their way towards the surface. It was nightfall as usual in Traverse Town, undergoing the same type of theme to its previous alternate pair known as Twilight Town. They walked across the secluded settlement as they found each district to be empty so far, losing hope in finding the others. This discouraged Roxas, sighing softly as his thoughts began to drift over to Namine, resisting the tears that threatened to fall.

Larxene examined his features closely, wondering how to comfort the younger Nobody without it sounding insulting. So, she just went with a simple word that seemed to work for everything towards this type of situation, "So—sorry…" She calmly said, showing slight exertion; she wasn't used to the term.

Roxas came to a deliberate stop, turning over to the woman as that one word held so much significance towards his vacant heart. They stood there in silence, trying to decode the true definition to the word until they heard a familiar scream go off in the next district. They admittedly dashed to the next section of the urban city, using their quick agility to reach the person who was wailing in horror; which they distinguished the shriek to be a male.

As they entered the area, they discovered the victim to be Demyx, the mariner becoming surrounded by a swarm of Neoshadow heartless. He was backed away into a corner, finding no will or encouragement to actually attack or defend. He cowardly braced his hands forward; kneeling slightly as the nightly terrors bounced around, scouting the heart that seemed to be non-existent inside him.

"What the hell…?" Larxene questioned with bewilderment, "Demyx…? What the hell is he doing here?"

The musician overheard the female's voice, jerking his head up as he spotted the duo over the monsters, "Larxene…? Roxas…!" He called out with plea, "Help…!"

The heartless rapidly turned around, discovering the two other Nobodies as they stood their ground. They sensed the heart that faintly pulsed inside Roxas's chest, going after the interloper to be their next meal. They instantly pounced, striking forward as they swam towards him under pools of darkness that rested underneath them. Roxas didn't have anything to defend himself, stepping backwards as he was incapable of drawing out his keyblades.

Larxene witnessed his hesitation, yelling out with slight anxiety, "Roxas…! Use your magic, you idiot!" He may not be able to muster out the Oblivion or Oathkeeper, but he could at least use the spells she taught him how to control.

The boy picked up on her proposal of resistance, generating Blizzaga in one hand while Firaga on the other. He conjoined the elemental hexes together, mixing their unbalance attributes, producing a discharge from the fusion. The magic became unstable but it was enough to destroy the heartless, wiping out the horde as they launched forward to strike him. Larxene fluently motioned her tantalizing thunder, eradicating the heartless as bolts tore from the sky, roasting the flesh of the dark creatures as they vanished and disperse into thins layers of smoke. They claimed quick victory; the vixen muttering how easy their tactic was in defeating the heartless without any breakage of sweat.

Roxas frowned from the outcome of the battle though, scrutinizing his hands with mystification. Demyx collapsed to the ground, releasing a sigh of relief as he discovered himself to be saved, "Man, I thought I was a goner…thanks you guys…" The woman glowered with perplexity at the younger blonde under the rim of her sunglasses, before stomping her way towards the gutless one.

She began to interrogate Demyx as she clasped hold of his collar, "Demyx! Just what the hell are you doing here! Weren't you dead! And for fucking sake, why didn't you just attack!" He whined from her harsh attitude, "Larxene, I could say the same to you! I thought you had been defeated in Castle Oblivion!"

She scuffed at him, "Well, luckily for me, Superior found me more suitable for the Organization than you!" She shoved him back to the ground, "Looks like to me all you did was run away in the end! You're so useless, as always!"

He moped mournfully at the corner, sniffling from the treatment he seemed to be getting lately; didn't they care to be happy he was alive? Oh yeah, they were Nobodies, so scratch that.

As for Roxas, he didn't take heed in paying attention at the two comical blondes, turning away from them as he felt out of place.

Larxene didn't take long to care on the subject of Demyx's presence, observing the checker-designed youth as he shuffled away from them. She soon remembered his lack of ability to extract his trademark keyblades, abrading her voice with a sneer, "And, _**you!**_" Roxas transferred his gaze over at her fierce stance, "Just what the _**hell**_ is wrong with you? Why didn't you take out your keyblades?" Her voice vaguely seemed to rise, "Are you _**too**_ stupid or something? Are you too haunted by your past to do anything at all! At this rate, you're just a pathetic eyesore! How are you planning to save Namine like this?"

"Larxene…" Demyx warned tautly, sensing the tremors that began to plague over Roxas's body.

"Answer me! _**Dammit**_!" She demanded vehemently, clenching her hands in frustration.

He then snapped angrily, losing all sense of control, "_**Shut up! I can't, damn it!" **_He gave a disgruntled yell, "_**Just leave me alone!**_" He soon took off, leaving the two behind to ponder.

"Roxas, wait!" The aquatic male shouted with distress, turning over at the _Savage Nymph_ who only groused with regret, "Damn, that selfish annoying brat…"

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Sora adjusted his eyes from the illumination that brightened the room, groaning as his body felt slightly sore. He sat up from what seemed to be a bed, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to massage his joints, hearing a pop go off as he jerked his neck to the side. He smiled pleasantly from the self-treatment, "Ah~, that's better…"

"Sora! You're awake!" He turned his head to discover Kairi beside him.

"Kairi…?" He looked around the room, spotting everyone else, "King Mickey…? Donald? Goofy? Where…" He scouted the room, finding it to be strangely proverbial, "Where are we…?"

"Traverse Town." Mickey clarified smoothly, walking over towards the disoriented bronze-haired teenager, "It was the first thing I could think of in transporting us, after all the chaos that happened."

"It was also nearby too!" Goofy added, giving out his usual chuckle soon afterwards. Donald nodded to confirm the two to be correct, standing by Riku's side as the tall male leaned against the wall.

"Wait…? Transported us? How?" Sora asked quizzically, not understanding the possibility.

Mickey Mouse pulled out what seemed to be a trinket of a star fragment, watching it sparkle and gleam in his hand majestically, "This is a star fragment, I'm pretty sure you recognize something like this before, Sora…" The Keyblade warrior squinted his eyes as he studied the artifact, receiving no recognition of it.

Donald carefully jumped in to explain, "It's what we use to power the Gummi Ships when entering into other worlds."

"_What!_" The brunette asked in disbelief, gazing at the stone even closer with shock. Donald could only shake his head with disappointment over the boy's lack of remembrance.

Mickey stuffed the gem back inside his pockets, "Usually it transports one person at a time, but I have quite the collection to bring us all to safety."

Kairi became alarmed by this, "Wait! Then where are Olette and the boys? Not to mention the other citizens of Twilight Town?"

"Don't worry, Kairi; I've made sure to transfer them all somewhere extra safe. I had sent them to Disney Castle; I'm sure Minnie and Daisy will welcome them with open arms. But, considering I couldn't send everyone to the same world, I transferred some others over to Radiant Garden; which I'm sure Merlin and the others will do their best to assemble shelter for them." The King carefully reassured the group, "After all, we have more important matters to take care of, such as the Organization and Namine."

Everyone became downcast by the reminder, retracing the terrible and horrifying event. It was then that Riku conjectured over another pair of individuals who wasn't with them, "Wait! What happened to Roxas and Larxene?"

Mickey turned to the disquieted young adult, confirming his theory, "I'm pretty sure I was able to get them here as well. They're probably at a different location here in Traverse Town, but I'm pretty confident they are near where we are."

"We should go look for them!" Sora suggested urgently, catching everyone's attention.

Riku agreed with his best friend, "Sora's right, we should go look for them and decide together on what to do about this whole mess. I'm sure Roxas will be willing to help if it's to save Namine."

Sora nodded with the same set of mind, but he soon frowned, as he thought of his Nobody half, "Why do I have this feeling though that it's not going to be that simple?"

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Roxas ran as fast as he could to escape the pressure of Larxene's words, blocking her cynical tone as it pounded into his skull. He climbed over a latter he discovered shortly from his scurry, gazing up at the length as it directed him towards the destination where the bell to the town was. He sighed feebly, reaching over the steps one at a time, gradually lifting his weight over the edge of the roof. He suddenly began to feel faint, his body going sluggish as he tried to reach the ledge. He could hear the ancient bell of the town ring behind him, striking as the new hour came around. The sound took him back to Twilight Town, collapsing over the floor as his body succumbed to the numbness of his heart.

Without any fair introduction, Roxas's head began to throb, burning his skull as it snipped his mind to turn resentful. He clinched his eyes to go shut, searching for the source that was causing him to feel such agony. The cruel aftermath of fatigue washed over him after the quick episode though, sending him into the mass hysteria of memories that were slowly awakening inside him.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I really did; let's just hope you guys liked it too, haha. And yes, Roxas is seeing Namine's past through memories, why? I can't tell you yet. Larxene was fun to write in this chapter, and so was Xemnas for some odd reason when he met Namine. Anyway, thank you guys for the wonderful reviews! Ventus shall take care of the rest!"

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha will like to give special thanks to: _**laughingx4ever, Dragonflies87, Naminesweet, xLycheeRAiN, jenyflo5483, Mauve Eterna, DamnBlackHeart, Divine Wolfe, Idiotique, NinjaSheik, AonAllstars, Sara Crewe, SaphireRose15, Antiyaoifan, , TehAverageWrites, Chibi Hakura**_. Thank you all for reviewing! Your thoughts count! Anyway, here's the title to the next chapter: "Lead Me the Path" I know, such a corny title, Kiome-Yasha isn't creative at all."


	6. Lead me the Path

Declaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts…."

Kiome-Yasha: "Well guys, Birth by Sleep has been announced to come out either between June to August, we're not too sure yet. In the meantime, the updates to TWIRY shall be a little bit slower, but not much. Basically, I won't be adding any spoilers until everyone, including myself have played the game :). But, here's chapter 6 for you guys! :D"

Chapter 6 Lead me the Path

_**Flashback**_

_Namine walked by Xemnas's side with absolute obedience, keeping her head down with a vacant expression. It wasn't until moments ago that she had met the other beings known as Nobodies; beings who were like her, and yet, so different. She didn't understand what had made her so special, keeping quiet as the man named Xemnas introduced her to the mottled group of people. They had all inspected her with great interest, studying her features as they denied her the privilege in wearing the same line of coats as them. She couldn't comprehend the rejection; she thought she was one of them, but then again, she was…unique._

"_Do not be concern…" Xemnas suddenly emphasized, almost as if he was reading her mind._

_The young witch looked over at him, becoming amazed over his intuition as she nodded with agreement. She hadn't perfected her speaking yet, and if she remembered clearly, there was a woman at the briefing who disliked that fact about her. She shivered frightfully from the recollection, finding the woman named Larxene to have a petrifying cold stare of emerald orbs. She remembered others though, embossing their names to her memory just as the man with red hair recommended so cunningly. _

_To remember them as Organization XIII…_

_Since she had met him, Xemnas kindly treated the girl with care, earning her trust easily. He conceded the name he had given to her to the other humanoid Nobodies that served under him, accepting her into their cult. During their conference, Xemnas took great ingenuity in explaining the life of a Nobody to Namine; describing them as individuals with no hearts, living their existence in lies of their memories. But, as far as Namine could tell, she had no memories, not any of her own anyway. She kept having images and flashes of a boy; a boy with chocolate covered hair, sticking out in multiple directions with a weapon shaped like a key._

_Somehow, Xemnas found this memory of hers to be special and vital…even if it wasn't the same boy she drew on the sand. _

_The sorcerer turned to a corner, "We're heading for Vexen's lab located in the lower level of the castle. We shall be conducting the first procedure to your powers there." She quirked her head to the side, trying to decipher what he really meant by that. He only grinned at her though, settling her nerves at ease as they continued their stroll together down the blinding white and placid hall. _

_It wasn't long until they came to a sudden halt, arriving by a large door that was prohibited by the other residences inside the castle. Xemnas carefully braced his large hands over the handles, edging the door forward as he opened it. He signaled Namine to go ahead of him, examining the results of her learning functions as she obeyed him. She entered inside the desolate and gloomy environment of the scientist's laboratory, spotting many jars and tubes of experiments that contained glowing objects that she was not familiar with._

_She noticed both Nobodies that were already inside the room, distinguishing them to be Vexen __**The Chilly Academic **__and Saix __**The Luna Diviner**_. _Both men stood diligently in their place, the old researcher crooning pleasantly when he caught sight of her, his left eye twitching with excitement. She backed away from the man's lingering stare over her, bumping into Xemnas who stood stiffly behind her. He caught hold of the girl's unstable balance, sensing the emotions she carried, finding them to be unusual and yet the key to their goal._

"_She seems to be a splendid specimen indeed." Vexen elaborated merrily, bringing his hand over as if to grab the girl, Xemnas halted his approach though. _

"_I don't understand, Superior. What makes this girl so special? You expect us to believe that she can help us obtain Kingdom Hearts?" Saix asked reticently._

"_I do." The man stated deeply, "Which is why we must investigate her powers even further." He leaned down to gaze at the girl humbly, "Namine, do you understand? With you by our side we might be able to obtain our dreams, retrieving back what we once held dear."_

_She keened her head back from his tall form, studying the words he exchanged to her, watching his eyes burn with anticipation. She simply nodded, getting a clear indication that they weren't doing anything bad; they just wanted to be complete like her. But what had she lost? What was dear to her? So many questions just kept bubbling up; but with no other leads of her identity to rely on, she knew she had to place her trust with these people; even if she'll regret it. _

_Xemnas motioned the girl over to a solitary chair that was placed evenly with a long table, "Namine, would you please sit?" It sounded more like a silent demand if anything else, so in order to avoid any necessary trouble the girl neatly sat down, "Good." He congratulated her with outmost pride._

_Before she could react on what she needed to do, Vexen shoved a sketchbook and a box of crayons in front of her, causing her to jolt in surprise. She timidly shrunk inside her seat, lifting a hand over to the box before bringing it back to her side. _

_She looked over at the scholar as he spoke distinctively with a tattered voice, "Judging from the information you gave me, Superior. I believe this method to be the best in expanding her abilities to us. Yes~, most accurate indeed." Vexen enlightened with a delightful tone. _

"_Hopefully by doing this, we can prove your theory, Superior." Saix inputted civilly, probing the girl to take intuitive. _

_However, Namine just sat there with a mystified look, staring down at the envelope with engrossed wonder. This sparked Saix to be become slightly annoyed and impatient, opening the cover for the girl before commenting about her lack of intelligence, "Surely, someone who's insignificant for knowledge."_

_He was hushed though, exploiting Xemnas to give a stern glare, "Silence." The platinum-haired Nobody soon pried the girl gently to continue, "Don't worry, Namine; just concentrate on the image that appears in your head. Remember? Just like you did back at the beach." He motioned his hands to establish what he meant, providing her memory to return on the doodle._

_Before they all could determine what she was doing, the small maiden took hold of the bright box, opening its contents as she explored each color with amazement. She took value of the blue, green, and yellow crayons, taking turns of each one as she tried to imagine the memory that was lurking inside her head. She felt her chest begin to swell as her illustration became more vibrant in colors, not missing any details that might be important. She went into a deep meditation, dissolving the environment around her as she let her hand be her guide, using the other to wipe away any debris of wax. _

_Xemnas shifted his head over to the fanatical academic, "I want you to document every detail of your research on her, starting now." _

_Vexen nodded with affirmative, dashing over to retrieve his personal notes as he started to write things down, dubbing the title to his project based on the child's name. _

_After a few minutes longer, Namine had finished her drawing, presenting it to the chief of Nobodies with much eagerness of his approval. The man smiled with satisfaction, gleaming over the page as it was now filled with different colors. The drawing was based on a place he was somehow able to recognize, recalling the world to be known as Destiny Island. He didn't know how he knew, but it was familiar to him, his eyes narrowing over the brilliant colors as Namine captured the sun's glow to rest over the scenery of green on the beach. He lifted his hand to trace over the hot pink she had used for the flowers, grazing the surface as he rubbed the shine of the color. Why was he so sentimental towards this piece? _

_He quickly returned the drawing back to the pale maiden, allowing her to retrieve it back from him, "It's very good, Namine…" Vexen and Saix examined their Master's appearance, noticing his obscure expression. _

_Namine was left oblivious though, taking his words as a compliment as she began to draw another memory down. Xemnas shifted his gaze over to the girl's fervent smile, adjusting his hood as he lifted it over his head, veiling his face from being seen. _

_He turned to the other two male Nobodies inside the room, "Vexen…" He was able to capture the scientist's attention, "I want you to keep watch on Namine for awhile, make sure to clarify every last bit of detail that emerges from her drawings. I want her to be ready…" The scholar nodded without any form of refute, already gathering his materials together._

_Namine kept trading in colors, obtaining a new one from the box she hadn't used yet, gliding the crayon gracefully across the white sheet. She was lost in her own world, reviving the thoughts inside her head and using them to augment her artistic ability.  
_

_Xemnas created a corridor of darkness, warping the space as the portal appeared forebodingly, "Saix…I want you to contact number twelve, eleven, and eight. I have a mission for them to embark on right away."_

"_Is this regarding to Castle Oblivion, Superior?" The berserker asked inquisitively._

"_Yes…" Xemnas validated genuinely, "Including the chamber that lies deep within its core." He turned over at the witch who continued to draw animatedly, "I want our second base to be ready as soon as possible, for our sweet Namine." _

_The girl lifted her head, identifying her name to be mentioned, halting the progress to her drawing. She looked over at Xemnas who entered the swarming gate of darkness, disappearing from within the room in a matter of seconds. Saix followed his leader's orders, commending the errand he was given with._

_She was soon alone with Vexen, becoming disturbed by the crankily old man's voice, "Well then, what are you waiting for?" He added with a stern tone, "Make your gift useful and continue drawing…" He began to write down notes soon afterwards, finding no reason to say anything more. _

_Namine didn't know what was going on, but she did what she was told, fearing she might get scolded again. She didn't like this feeling; she didn't like this feeling at all._

_**End Flashback**_

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Larxene stomped her way through each different district, finding the directions from the distorted neon arrows to be frustrating to understand. She and Demyx were on a quest, one that took much fortitude, something Larxene was dimming to have. After Roxas had run off, the musician pried the raging woman to cooperate in his search to go find him. She had refused the idea many times, baring her stance with a rigid look of annoyance. But after much persuasion, Demyx was finally able to convince the blonde nymph to go look for him, but not after taking a dose of her violent wrath of thunder; she simply found it to be a stress relief.

"God Dammit! Where the hell did that brat go?" She shouted to the starry night above, grumbling fiercely as they entered the second district, "All this drama for one brat! That witch must have really worked well with her magic on him…"

Demyx made sure to keep his distance, avoiding the particles of sparks that flowed out of the woman's slim figure. He yelped in fright as one stream of lightning almost struck his arm, dodging the jolt from electrocuting him.

"And what's worse, I have an idiot with me!" Larxene elaborated angrily, regarding the _idiot_ to be the marine behind her.

Demyx sighed from the insult, not missing it after so many years of it being absent. He then took interest to the beginning of her grievance rant, becoming perturbed by the witch's role in the situation, "When you're referring to witch, do you mean Namine?"

That's when the female Nobody came to a halt, her gaze narrowing down at the burgundy and bricked pavement. She let out a shuttered sigh of trepidation, turning over and giving the instrumentalist a sober look of ambiguity. Demyx was caught off guard by the expression that was written on Larxene's face, finding it to be something new that he had never witnessed before on the woman.

She began to explain, "It all started three years ago…" She gave every detail to the events that had passed, including the murders Roxas had committed; which as a result, transformed Namine into Xemnas's replica of Kingdom Hearts.

Demyx was left speechless when she finished, slowly turning his head to the side in shock, "I can't believe it…all that _really_ happened?" He asked vocally with an intense pitch.

Larxene nodded with verification, "Yeah…and now we're all in deep shit. I can't even imagine what dear old bossy boss might be planning…" She spoke lowly with a severe tone of speculation, "Now that he has finally obtained his Kingdom Hearts…" Demyx sighed miserably, finding their situation to be grim.

It wasn't long until both Nobodies heard footsteps come up close from beside them, ensuing the _Savage Nymph_ to go into defense mood as she threw one of her daggers at the direction of the sound. They heard a loud metal clank resonate from the impact, reflecting the dart to go airborne. Larxene and her gutless companion found the defender to be Sora, holding out his proud keyblade the _Sleeping Lion_. He brought the gunblade/keyblade down, revealing the imprinted scar Roxas had given him across his face.

"Larxene, glad to know you're safe." Sora announced with slight pleasantry. Both parties didn't initiate to attack any further, "Where's Roxas?"

The woman scoffed with little concern over the topic, refusing to answer, considering she was still pissed. Demyx though stepped in to facilitate, "Um, he ran off after he and Larxene got into a fight." Larxene punched his arm for responding, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Wait…Demyx?" Sora exclaimed with shock, directing his keyblade at the innocent aquatic male, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh~, don't get your keyhole in a crotch, hero. He's just as useless and pathetic as ever…believe me. You don't have to worry about him trying to attack you." Larxene carefully clarified insensitively, causing Demyx to whine in protest from her cruelty.

Sora and the others believed in her words though, withdrawing back into a more casual position of conversation. Mickey spoke solemnly, wishing for them to elaborate the whereabouts of the boy, "Why was their an argument? We need to discuss things with him admittedly."

Riku decided to add-on, "Considering our situation, it's important that we all work together in saving the worlds and Namine from falling into complete darkness, before it's too late." He directed this information at the two retired members of the Organization XIII, hoping they would understand the trouble they were in.

"Tell us where Roxas is." Sora urged the woman civilly.

Larxene seemed doubtful though, feeling everyone's gaze on her.

The devious nymph was cornered, commanding her arms to lift up in exclamation, "Oh, alright!" She glared at the group with much displeasure, "If you really want to know, I said some things that might of have…tipped him over the edge; not my fault the kid has a lot of baggage!" She huffed venomously, losing her composure.

"This isn't good, we need to go look for him." Kairi justified urgently.

Mickey agreed, conversing with Goofy and Donald to provide a wide search for the blond. In the meantime, Riku kept an eye on the two Nobodies, having little faith in trusting them completely. Larxene scowled at the group, letting her mind contemplate over what she should do, Demyx doing the same. Kairi looked over at Sora, finding the boy to be in his own mind, creating a frown to appear on his face.

He started thinking about Yen Sid, Roxas's first victim, and then his parents, narrowing it all the way down to Namine. He clenched his fists, feeling his temples throb from the overwhelming emotions that were beginning to rise inside his heart. He bit down on his bottom lip, ripping the skin to somehow sooth his nerves, hoping to distract himself from the mental scars.

He then had a revelation on what he had to do, bringing his head up with a fierce resolve, "I'm going to look for Roxas…and speak with him alone." Everyone turned to the Keyblade wielder with stunned and cautious expressions, becoming skeptical over his sudden declaration.

They all knew the secret grudge that was underneath Sora's heart, regardless if he wanted to deny it. Riku was the first to rebuttal the request, "You can't! Whatever you're thinking, I know it isn't something good."

"Sora, we all know what Roxas had done in the past…if it's about that…" Kairi started, but Sora was quickly able to cut her off, "It's nothing like that…please, I want you all to trust me."

Donald and Goofy gave their old teammate a quizzical look of suspicion, trying to negotiate in going with him; but Sora admittedly declined, "No, this is something between me and Roxas. It has to be me…there's something I want to talk to him about…things that I never got to properly discuss with him…"

Mickey read the honesty in Sora's heart, sighing hopelessly, "Fine…" Everyone turned to the King with bewilderment, "Sora, you may go. The rest of us will stay here and form out a plan on what to do until your return with Roxas."

The keybearer gave an energetic smirk, giving Mickey a firm nod of agreement, "Thank you, your majesty." He looked over at the others who had no choice but to believe in him, finding hope in Sora to lead the way.

He nodded to the group before taking off, but not with some final comment from Larxene, "Hey, if you do end up killing the kid, I just want to let you know, he can't draw out his keyblades."

The brunette was left dumbfounded by the newly exchanged information, but somehow found it as an advantage. While Mickey and the crew converse more on the matter over their predicament, Sora raced out to search for the blond as he vowed to set him up straight.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Xion paced back and forth over the pedestal of the stain-glass painting, feeling a disturbance settle in the empty realm. Axel rested himself on the fragile floor, perching his head on top of his arms like a pillow. They both took time to ponder, wondering how to contact Roxas while he acted like an idiot in the real world.

"Geez…" Axel spoke with pity, "You would think he got it memorized by now…"

The clone shook her head, sighing with disappointment, "I'm sure Roxas will snap out of it in due time." She looked over at Axel as he yawned, almost as if was preparing to take a nap at any moment, "Sora is going after him, right? If it's Sora, I know he'll somehow pull through."

Axel gave a wry reply, "Somehow, I don't think it'll be that easy…and Sora knows that too." He lifted his body up a bit, supporting his upper body with his arms, "Not with Namine the way she is…dammit, and he was so close too…"

Xion became discouraged, fearfully grasping her hands together, "I just know they'll find a way…better than the decisions I ever made…"

Axel chuckled lightheartedly, causing his female friend to become confused, "We've all changed, haven't we? Haha, even the _Savage Nymph_, Larxene…" He seemed to say the name with great admiration, giving Xion access to tease him about it later.

The young female carried her eyes over to the abyss that was above them, containing a new line of faith, "He'll get her back…"

Axel nodded in agreement, "Yeah...they'll take care of this…" He gave a low laugh, "Got it memorized?"

Before long, both best friends began to poke fun at each other; but not long after that, did they soon decide just to pick on a more oblivious target…Demyx.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Roxas started to arouse from his sleep, blinking a few times as he reverted back to the real world; after going over another forgotten memory from Namine's past. He couldn't believe the uncouth treatment she received from the Organization before he himself joined them. However, for some odd reason, Xemnas had held compassion for the girl, even if he was just using her for his own gain. It submitted him to become speechless and a little perplexed, causing something to stir in the back of his head. He hissed from the sudden surge of intrusion, chains connecting together as they forged more memories to appear.

He then had an image of himself, but somehow wearing armor, standing by two unusual people he wasn't aware of.

Before he could make sense of it though, he heard soft footsteps behind him, curving his body around with caution. He was stunned to see Sora there, raking his eyes over his Nobody half with fixed deliberation. The brunette soon remembered his objective, summoning out his keyblade as it gleamed under the dazzling lights of stardust.

Roxas picked himself off the ground, "Sora?" He stepped back, provoking Sora to step forward, aiming his keyblade at the bemused blond, "I heard you can't draw out your keyblades." _The_ _Key of Destiny_ grimaced from the information, scanning the area in hopes of finding a weapon to defend himself from the keybearer.

Sora reared his keyblade from the side, setting the weapon ablaze as he cast firaga on it, causing the swift momentum to spark out specks of ember. Roxas was able to dodge the attack, curving his body backwards before jumping forward to the side. Sora wouldn't let him escape so easily though, using advance spells and techniques that he had trained himself to learn over the missing years. He lifted his hand, casting blizzaga as he shot off blocks of ice, spilling out rings of frost to his opponent. Roxas pranced around, avoiding the onslaught of hail as it froze the area, turning everything icicle within seconds. The Nobody grunted from the disadvantage he had, using every possible way to counter with his own resources of magic. It proved futile though, as Sora bombarded him with even more powerful spells, implanting his keyblade to the ground before using it to bounce forward. He gave a swift kick towards Roxas's chest, knocking him back before beckoning his mace back into his hands, landing perfectly on his feet.

Roxas groaned in pain, finding the odds to their strength to have switched over the years. He looked up at his aggressor, spotting the permanent scar he had made across his face. He knew there was a bridge between them, one that needed to be fixed in battle. Somehow, it was the only way for them to make their amends, synchronizing their hearts once more after such a long period of time in the darkness.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "Okay, so you all should know there's going to be a battle scene in the next chapter, although Roxas won't be able to do much with no keyblades to handle. The most part I had fun writing was the flashback, it just seemed like a possible thing to have happened in Namine's past; which I ensure you all, there will be more to see. I had changed some things to my outline while writing this, which is why the chapter turned out to be short. Sora is going to be fun to write in the next chapter, and so will Roxas. I just feel like the two need a heart to heart, and a battle between them just seems right, sort of like what happened in KH2 :). Don't you guys think so? Oh! By the way, Sora DID get a scar on his face from a battle he had with Roxas in TWYRM, just try to remember ;). Anyway, I was glad to have updated! Thank you all for the amazing reviews! I loved reading them just as I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. Please leave more reviews if possible, love and hugs!"

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha will like to give special thanks to: _**TehAverageWrites, SaphireRose15, AonAllstars, Silentmusic16, Oathkeepera, NinjaSheik, MonkeyGirlxoxo, jenyflo5483, Dragonflies87, Thunder-Angelist Rawr, laughing4ever, DamnBlackHeart, Sara Crewe, Naminesweet, Divine Wolfe, xLycheeRAiN.**_ Thank you ALL for reviewing! We hope you continue to support! The title to the next chapter is: "Relish the Future" Until next time!"


	7. Relish the Future

Disclaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts..."

Kiome-Yasha: "Hey everyone, it's been awhile since I updated this fic! I'm sorry for the long wait, but I wanted to wait until Birth By Sleep came out in the US to continue it. That way, I can make sure to add some new stuff in this fic that would be connected to the series. Now that it has, let us continue Roxas and Namine's story that would probably never happen; but we can hope and make a fic about it, right? :). _**WARNING! SOME SPOILERS TO BIRTH BY SLEEP MAY BE IN HERE INVOLVING VANITAS'S APPEARANCE!**_"

Chapter 7 Relish the Future

Sora struck the tip of his keyblade onto the floor, shooting his hands off to the side as he cast Blizzaga, transforming the roof into a frosty field of ice. He then fixed his eyes over at the blond in front of him, grabbing his keyblade as he swung it forward without warning. Roxas dodged the propellers of ice that the brunette was able to perform with his keyblade, bending backwards as one managed to hit his chest. He hissed from the minor injury, missing his footing as he slipped from the ice underneath him. He fell harshly and slid into a pile of snow. He quickly got up though, ignoring the wound that was slightly beginning to bleed out.

Roxas's eyes rapidly scouted the area for any signs of a weapon. He spotted a solid piece of wood on the ground, gasping with victory as he tried to reach for it. Sora noticed the lumber as well though, leaping forward as he pushed his hand out, shooting forth an inferno from his newly developed magic, Flare.

The blond Nobody felt the heat of the flames behind him, causing him to sweat as the firestorm threatened to engulf him. He growled though with determination, placing more stamina in his legs as he stretched his hand out even further. He caught the broken piece of wood, rolling his body over as the blazes from Sora's flare broke through the wall behind him, causing an explosion to erupt. Fire began to spread throughout the area, melting the ice almost instantly from the hero's Blizzaga, forming a pool of water across the ground beneath them.

Roxas got into position, holding the thick piece of lumber in his hands, gripping the rough edges tightly as he waited for the smoke from the flames to disperse. His eyes were set with concentration, trying his best to gain back that instinct to survive during a battle. Before long, Sora was able to use a bit of his magic to perform Aeroga, shielding the smoke away from him. The water underneath them began to ripple from the blowing gust of wind, creating mist as it showered lightly over the moist field.

Sora couldn't help but to mock Roxas's weapon, "Do you really think that's going to protect you from me?"

The sunflower-haired male couldn't help but to grimace, "I don't get it. Why are you doing this?"

The Keyblade Master sneered with irritation, "Do you honestly think you're the only one suffering? How selfish can you be Roxas?" The brunette asked his counterpart urgently with despair, a scowl set on his usual cheerful expression.

Roxas was left distraught by the question, becoming immobile as Sora charged after him with glide. He soared right through the stream of melted liquid, causing it to split from his speed. The fire that was circled around them crackled with anticipation, adding force into his attack as he thrust his keyblade forward. Roxas immediately reacted, catching the glint of the blade as the flames intensified its glow. Both males were caught in the fiery of their battle, their eyes setting ablaze with adrenaline.

Sora broke right through the fragile slab of wood, slicing the thick bark in half as splinters shattered into the air. Roxas was now left defenseless, watching as the hero of worlds took advantage of his vulnerability. He grunted in pain as Sora pierced his keyblade into his chest, sending him off across the roof. He landed and slid into the water, causing his body to shiver from the impact as he was left drenched. His head fell back over the edge of the roof, trying his best to sooth the pain. Roxas was badly torn though, his fighting skills depleting by each second as he continued to mourn over his failure in saving Namine.

His vision became foggy, hearing the sizzling sound of the flames as they danced wildly inside his ears. He could hear Sora's approaching footsteps, studying them to be calm and lethal. Roxas winced a bit as the brunette grabbed hold of his collar, pulling him up as he kneeled down before him.

The blond cautiously focused his gaze on his other half, becoming stunned to see tears spilling forth from the keybearer's eyes.

Sora spoke lowly with a hint of remorse, "Do you honestly think you're the only one to blame for what's happened?"

Roxas didn't answer, taking a small glimpse inside the hero's heart, as it held captive memories of the witch that was slowly resurfacing.

The Keyblade Master roughly pulled him forward, causing Roxas's long bangs to fall over his eyes, "You weren't the only one who failed _**her!**_ I _**failed**_ her as well! Sure, it would be nice to put the blame all on _**you!**_"

Sora's voice began to crack, "But...Namine wouldn't want me to blame you. She wouldn't want to see you suffering like this." His hands shook, sending tremors throughout both of their bodies, "I made a promise to her, Roxas; all, which I broke."

His voice settled into a deafening speech, "So I'm not going to let you break _**yours!**_"

Roxas was stunned at the moment, trying to process the hero's words as it dug deeply into his head.

Sora continued softly, tears dripping down his cheeks as he tried to hold back his weakness, "She's our friend too, you know. What we saw...was something that hurt all of us deep inside." His face soon became fierce with resolve, " But...that doesn't mean I'm willing to give up!"

It was that moment that Roxas and Sora were able to gain back another memory from Namine's past. They were able to recall the scene when the Keyblade Master had made a promise to see her again, to thank her for what she had done for him. Roxas couldn't help but to feel a tinge of jealousy inside his chest when he also saw how determined the brunette was in saving her. It made him feel weak and useless, like he wasn't good enough for her.

A short whimper escaped through the blonde's lips, grasping hold of Sora's hands as he gently pried them off his collar. Sora was left speechless as he tried to decipher what they had just experienced, sensing a newfound connection between them.

When he was sure it was safe to speak, Roxas whispered gently with a wounded tone, "Something hurts...in here." He pointed towards his chest, "I can't describe the feeling, but I know I felt it before." He did his best to quell the tears that threatened to fall, "It's warm, and inviting. But, it's also sad and distant. I don't why, but until I know what I could confirm it to be...I can't wield my keyblades."

Roxas gulped nervously as he pleaded, "Please...understand. I do want her back...more than anything." Soft drops of dew began to trickle down his cheeks, "I just need help finding _**her**_."

Sora knew why he emphasized her name, declaring how the person they saw back in Twilight Town was _**not**_ Namine. Soon, the brunette's expression became more solemn and calm, sharing sympathy towards his Nobody half. He slowly drew away, panting lightly. Roxas stared up at Sora with bewilderment, wondering if he was even going to land a punch to his face or not.

He was shocked to see a hand offered to him instead. He cautiously grabbed hold of the gloved hand, feeling himself get hoisted up from the ground.

Sora wore a passive grin, "Then let's go get her back...together."

Roxas was left aghast by the friendly tone, "Even though I'm useless?"

The savior of worlds reassured him with a firm scowl, "You're not useless. You have something we don't have; something only you possess." He smiled softly, "Only you can save Namine, Roxas."

Somehow, the blond wasn't so sure; there was still a bit of doubt inside his heart. Sora performed Curaga on the injured Nobody, healing all his cuts and bruises in an instant.

"There, that should be better." He stated lightly with relief, "I was hoping not to beat you up too much. All I wanted was to knock some sense into you."

Roxas bit down on his bottom lip, "Sora, why are you being so nice to me? After all I've done? When it was me who killed your..."

The brunette stopped him from talking any further, "That's enough. A lot has happened from our past, but..." He tried not to think of the pain from losing his parents, "There's no point in dwelling in our mistakes; all we can do is restore what we lost."

The blond teenager nodded with agreement. He had no choice, but to keep pressing forward. He had to, for Namine's sake. But one question still remained; where would they even begin?

Sora seemed to have read his mind, "We should get back to King Mickey and the others. I'm sure he has a plan."

The brunette quickly cleared the area from their battle, using his Mother's powers that rested deeply within him as a sorceress. Roxas was amazed by the display, discovering the legendary hero to have grown stronger since he had last met him. Before long, Sora wrapped his arms around the thirteenth member's body, supporting his weight as they began to walk together.

"All it takes is a little help from friends and a few baby steps to get where you're going." The brunette lectured kindly.

Roxas was intrigued by the quote, wondering when the young warrior became so wise. He knew somehow though that Sora had reached a whole new level beyond that of a regular Keyblade wielder; he was a Keyblade Master.

He knew now, that was the power he needed to reach in order to be strong enough to save the most precious person he had lost. Only time will tell though if a Nobody like him was worthy enough to even become such a savior.

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The darkness swarmed around her, sending out howls of despair from the hearts that were contained inside her. Namine clamped her ears shut with her hands, hoping to block their cries of agony. She spotted the blue like demons with red eyes, circling around her, as she had no clue on how to control them. Namine felt like she was about to be blown away, doing her best to suppress the sensation that was growing inside her. It was something she couldn't describe, something dark and hollow. It made her lose sight of her mind, bringing forth chaos inside the empty abyss.

Namine whimpered softly to herself, "Roxas...What's happening to me?"

That's when she heard a seductive and menacing voice, "Something wonderful~."

The young witch confirmed the person to be a male, judging by their dark tenor.

She whipped her head up, searching for the source of the voice frantically with fear, "Who...wh...who was that?"

She felt someone's hot breath caress over her neck, sending a chill down her spine, "Wouldn't you like to know?" The ominous person asked mischievously, "I've been waiting a long time for you...Namine..."

The artist shielded her body away from his cool breath; she was doubtful towards his claim, "What kind of person would wait for a Nobody like me?"

He chuckled, "You'd be surprised."

Namine felt the brush of his ghostly hands over her slender waist, traveling up over the edges of her breasts. She didn't know what was happening, but the more he touched her, the more she felt drawn by his aura. He was sedating her, pushing pressure on her from the darkness.

"Besides..." He conjured wickedly, "I'm not like your precious Roxas who abandoned you."

She gasped and winced from his statement, doing her best to deny him, "That's..."

"Oh come on! The guy went on a killing spree, and _**stabbed**_ you." He literally shot his hand out and placed it on her chest, "He doesn't care about you! If he did, would he have listened to you? No, he kept going! You know deep down inside, the only person he would have listened to was Xion."

He could see her body begin to tremble, taking delight out of it as she refused to listen to him, "You know I'm right, Namine. And what have you ever done for him anyway?" A crooked grin appeared on his face, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing; besides make his life a lie with false memories." He brought his face over to hers, stating softly with no remorse, "You brought nothing but misery to everyone."

"_**Stop it!**_" Namine shouted agonizingly, sending her dark tendrils as she attacked him.

The raging tentacles wrapped themselves around his appendages, revealing his form to her as he laughed manically from behind his mask. He was amazed over the fire in her eyes, unwilling to break, despite his cruel words.

"Man~, this is such a turn on." He affirmed excitedly, "Didn't know you were the kinky type."

"Who are you?" She demanded fiercely, ignoring his technique in trying to seduce her, "Tell me, and I won't hurt you."

"Oh, now why will I tell you that? It'll ruin half the fun in you trying to figure it out." He amused softly with disappointment.

Namine tried her best not to falter, losing confidence fast as he showed no fear over her threat, "Why are you here? How do you even exist?"

"Ah~, but that's the mystery; isn't it?" He mused softly, turning his gaze over at the blue imps around them.

The memory witch soon realized how still everything became since her unwelcome guest appeared. The blue unversed stared at the pair intensely, seeking orders from their Master as he continued to play with the constructed Kingdom Hearts. The masked villain snickered with satisfaction, and before Namine knew it, he had already tarnished her hold on him. She watched in horror as her dark tendrils perished into ashes, convinced that she was no match for him.

The dark enigma brushed off his shoulders, "Well, that was easy to break out of." He turned his sights on the defenseless witch, "Now, my turn."

Namine gasped as the red-eyed gremlins snatched hold of her, twisting their bodies around her petite form. She tried her best to break free, but it proved to be useless. She was forced to succumb to his demands, falling forward as she knelt down in front of her captor. She felt embarrassed over her position, seeing as how much her body was exposed to him to explore.

He spoke proudly, "I have to say, I'm quite impressed with you. You'll make a good partner indeed." He slyly ran his hands over her face, landing a poke between her enticing lips, "This shall be fun."

He soon examined her wardrobe, "Looks like your transformation is going along smoothly as well." There was a suggestive hint in his tone, "It won't be very long now. I'll have you submitting to me very soon."

Namine frowned at him, spotting her reflection through his mask, "Whatever you're planning, my friends will stop you!" She declared defiantly.

"Oh please, you're the one who _**attacked**_ your friends." He added with annoyance, "What makes you think they won't attack you as well?"

She was left speechless from his accusation, slipping her head to the side with shame.

"Besides, just because you helped save Ventus's heart, doesn't mean I won't win."

Namine's eyes widened as she whipped her head up at him, "Who are you?" She repeated her question from earlier, but this time, her voice was firm.

He hummed wickedly with grandeur, urging his mask to dissolve as he revealed his face to her. Namine was stunned as she continued to examine his appearance with terror; he looked exactly like Sora, minor the switch in details of color. This person in front of her though wasn't the hero who had saved her in Castle Oblivion; he was something far more sinister.

The embodiment of sin decided to answer her question without any sign of hesitation, "I am the source of darkness who controls the unversed...Vanitas." He grabbed hold of her chin, earning a sweet moan from the witch, "And you, Namine...are my Kingdom Hearts. With you, we shall revive the Keyblade War."

The blonde Nobody felt faint as he she heard the echoes of his cackling laugh. Her yellow eyes began to dim, falling forward into the tyrant's arms as his minions released her. Vanitas bellowed out with laughter, expressing his joy as he held her limped body like a bride. Namine was beginning to wake up, and when she returned, he was going to have his fun in breaking her.

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Roxas easily kept his pace with the brunette beside him, doing his best to not fall behind since he was still sore from the one-sided battle. Sora kept switching his gaze over at the Nobody, becoming concern over his condition.

The blond noticed his expression and decided to reassure him, "I'm fine. Not like I didn't deserve it."

Sora scoffed with amusement, "Trust me, you did. I just thought you would have healed by now after getting cured. But I guess...you're a lot broken inside than I thought."

Roxas couldn't comment back when they heard Kairi shout out into the distance, "Sora! Roxas!"

The Keyblade Master beamed happily from seeing the princess, "Kairi! Look who I brought back with me!"

Larxene examined the scene with a perplexed look, "What do you know, the 'hero' really did bring him back out of his senses."

Demyx smiled at the Savage Nymph, "Impressed Larxene?"

She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side with disgust, "Hmph, not a chance."

Mickey approached the two boys, finding it was better off not to question what had happened between the two, "I'm glad to see you fellas are back, because we have a lot of things to discuss."

Riku began to verbalize, adding his own input, "With the state of things now, we have no choice but to do out best to defend the worlds from falling in to the realm of darkness. We're pretty sure, that's what Xemnas's next motive might be."

Kairi placed a hand over her heart, "And we're pretty sure he's going to use Namine to accomplish that."

Roxas couldn't resist but to clench his hands tightly with fury, finding the image of Xemnas touching Namine to be repulsive. Sora understood how he felt, having a close relationship with the witch himself.

Larxene broke the thick atmosphere with her voice, "Stop making it seem like it's the end of the world! She only managed to destroy Twilight Town!"

Goofy interjected softly with an awkward tone though, "But...um...who can say they won't destroy another world?"

Almost everyone looked up at the starry night sky, testing the stars in case one of them blinked out. None of them disappeared in the vast space of darkness, reassuring everyone that they still had time before such a predicament started to occur.

Mickey took this moment to take out his star fragment, perking everyone's interest as the artifact began to glow, "In order to prevent the events that happened years ago, I'm going to need all of your help."

Roxas gazed at the magical stone with familiarity and nostalgia, "What's that?"

"It's a device that I used to help me teleport through worlds. It's the magic that is contained inside the Gummi Ships, allowing you to enter and leave other worlds as you please." Mickey explained somberly, "I have a few extras that could help us in our quest."

"What are you suggesting exactly, you majesty?" Donald asked curiously.

"Well, old pal, my plan is for us to split up into teams and try to save the worlds from falling into Xemnas's mad plot. But, not only that, there's also something that we should focus on searching for." Mickey exchanged with outmost seriousness, "I need us to find Xehanort's reports."

"Xehanort? You mean that guy who Xemnas originally was before he became a Nobody?" Sora asked suspiciously, "What for? I thought we got all the information we needed. You're telling me there's more reports?"

Mickey didn't have the courage to tell them the truth, so he improvised, "There's not much time to explain. All that matters is finding those reports in order to gain knowledge of what Xemnas could be plotting next. I fear if we don't, the _real_ Kingdom Hearts shall be in danger."

"After all..." Riku defended lightly on the King's behalf, "Xemnas created Namine to be his ideal Kingdom Hearts; one of pure darkness. He tends to use her in order to make the world in his own image. And with that, the real Kingdom Hearts would appear; that's what King Mickey and I believe."

"But there's a source, a beginning to when this all happened." The small mouse reprimanded, "And that's what we're looking for. Without that, we might as well be fighting in the dark."

Silence consumed the air, settling itself eerily inside their hearts as they began to contemplate on the situation. Roxas closed his eyes as he meditated, concentrating the beat inside his chest.

It wasn't long until he heard Xion's voice, _'Are you really thinking about this?'_

His eyebrows creased, _'What strength do I have? I can't even wield the keyblades anymore!'_

Sora's clone shook her head with disappointment, _'You're wrong, Roxas. It's just like Sora said, you may be the key in bringing her back. All you have to do is believe in us, your friends.'_

Axel's voice soon ringed out, _'Yeah, got it memorized?'_

The blond couldn't help but to chuckle from the old phrase, taking consideration in what they were telling him to do.

He looked up, his feelings resolved, "Then what are we waiting for?"

Sora was pleased by his words, "Looks like we don't need to think about it." He looked over at Mickey, "So your majesty, where do we need to go?"

The free-spirited mouse nodded, "Right. We're going to be splitting up into two groups."

"Three." Larxene stated firmly, correcting his math.

"Three?" Roxas asked skeptically.

"You didn't think you'll be leaving me behind, did you brat?" She scowled at him while crossing her arms menacingly, "Oh, and he's coming too." She directed her thumb over at Demyx.

"Demyx too?" Roxas exclaimed with shock.

"We're not going to let you do this on your own, Roxas. We were friends too...once." The marine gently clarified.

The blond was taken back by the display of loyalty, though more on Nine than Twelve.

He became bashful, "Um, thanks guys."

"Don't get the wrong idea; not like I care what happens to you. But..." Larxene refused to look at him, "I just think you'll be worthless without us."

"Oh, come on, Larxene!" Demyx began to whine, "Just admit that you were worried about him when he took off."

A loud thump and grunt was heard as the fierce Nobody punched the Melodious Nocturne square in the face.

Mickey chuckled from the scene; arranging his words, "Okay then, fellas. We'll be splitting into three groups then. Roxas, I suppose you'll be going with Larxene and Demyx. Sora, you'll be with your old pals Donald and Goofy." He turned to the other two islanders, "Kairi, you'll be coming with me and Riku."

They all nodded, reaching their hands out as each one of them retrieved a star fragment. Roxas was mesmerized by the colors as they shined brilliantly around the jewel. The other two blondes crowded beside him, inspecting the stone with fascination.

Mickey held his own as he spoke, "We'll each be going to different worlds. Roxas, I think you and your party should go to Olympics Coliseum; Sora, Donald, and Goofy, you fellas shall be going to Beast's Castle. The rest of us shall head over to Radiant Garden. I'm sure Cid and others will like to know what's happening. After you guys are done, we'll also be meeting there."

They agreed with the operation, showing no hesitation or doubt towards the plan.

Sora volunteered for him and his group to go first, providing himself as a guide on how the teleportation device worked. There was a bright and blinding light that surrounded the trio, shrinking them almost immediately as they zapped into the air in zigzag patterns.

Mickey justified the phenomenon to the group of Nobodies, "Originally it was only meant to teleport only one person, but with a little help from my Master we were able to amplify the star fragments' powers." His tail wagged with anticipation, "Now it's your turn. Just concentrate on the location you want to go."

Roxas nodded as he held the gemstone close to him, "Um...right."

He focused his mind on the world they were chosen to explore, freeing his senses as he did his best to remember. He could recall the surroundings in Olympics Coliseum almost clearly, causing the star piece in his hand to glow.

Mickey safely advised the other two Nobodies, "You two better hold on to him, or you'll be left behind."

They obeyed him by grabbing hold of Roxas's shoulders, securing their grip from slipping off. Before they knew it, they were sucked into a vortex of light, sprouting dust of glitter as they were quickly transported. Roxas felt like his brain was bashing right against his skull, causing his nerves to feel numb. His mind scrambled from the nauseating sensation, prickling his skin as if he was decomposing. It was then that he received an image of himself at some deserted wasteland, arguing with someone whose face was concealed behind a mask. He didn't know what it meant, but he figured it was something that was related to his previous blackouts and dreams.

He could only hope by collecting these so called Xehanort Reports that he'll be able to find the answers. Feeling confident in his goal, the Key of Destiny fell unconscious, reviving another memory that was lost inside his heart.

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Xemnas was left astonished when Namine's eyes suddenly snapped open from her slumber. He studied her blank gaze, charmed of how steady the darkness was around them. The gold radiance inside her eyes burned brightly, intensifying her sinister features. She sat up from the bed, exploring her surroundings as she settled her powers from losing control. The King of the Nobodies was left intrigued by her development, congratulating himself for his success in creating her new form. A Nobody that was actually compatible enough to be a vessel for all those hearts; it was a risky gamble, but one he had vowed to accomplish.

"You have awakened." He announced deeply.

The young witch took recognition towards his presence, remaining calm where she sat.

Xemnas offered a grin, his eyes matching with hers, "Now then, are you ready for your first mission?"

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "Well everyone, we have a long journey ahead of us towards this fic. Currently though, I think I'll only be able to update this story at least once a month. The reason why I say this is because I'm busy working and trying to finish my other fic _The Diary of Namine_. If some of you were left confused in this chapter, don't worry, things _**will**_ be explained. I hope this chapter was satisfactory for this story's return. Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and alerts during this story's absence; I hope you guys will continue to leave your support. :)"

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha will like to give special gratitude and thanks to: _**Divine Wolfe, xLycheeRAiN, Komuro, Hosho, Vergil Ansem, Idiotique, Laughingx4ever, Jenyflo5483, Naminesweet, TehAverageWrites, Dragonflies87, Dechuu, Tunder-Angelist Rawr, AonAllstars, MGall12, SilentMusic16, CartoonCalvin, Lebrezie, SunnyNami95, Mooseluver8, DeathByHarmony, Hoboruler456**_. Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone! We appreciate your feedback and questions anytime :3. Do leave a review for the newly revived fic _The Way I Remember You._ The title to the next chapter is "Departed Savior". Stay tune!"


	8. Departed Savior

Disclaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts..."

Kiome-Yasha: "Man, it's been awhile! Here's the next chapter! ;D"

Chapter 8 Departed Savior

_Namine didn't know how long it had been since she was assigned under Vexen's care, but it felt like an eternity to her. She was constantly forced to make drawings after drawings, depicting whatever appeared in her memories. The characters she started to draw were blurry, never having any real features to them besides the color of their hair and the colors of their clothes. She could never imagine their faces, since her memories didn't focus strongly on them. It wasn't until one night though, that she was starting to imagine another new character in her head, one with blond hair. She couldn't make out his face at first, but the more she drew him, the more detailed he got._

_During some days, Vexen would come to her room and ask for updates on her sketches in order to collect more data from her. She always gave him her usual ones, the ones she didn't care to share. But the one with the yellow-headed boy, she kept a secret to herself. _

_The old Chilly Academic had decided to dub their little research together 'Namine Project'. The young witch had to admit; it wasn't a very thoughtful or creative name. But she figured as Nobodies, she didn't have the right to question the scientist's choice of project titles. But if possible, she wanted to leave BHK away from their experiments. Her little nickname for him literally translated Blond Hair Kid. And even though she shouldn't have the emotion to do so, she giggled from the name.  
_

_Though one night, she found one of her pictures of him missing._

_She spoke aloud, using the bit of knowledge she had gained from being with the Organization, "Where...is...he?" She slowly made sure she pronounced each syllable correctly. _

_She couldn't find it anywhere though, causing her to believe that someone had snuck into her room and stole it. She frantically searched all around the small white room that served as her prison, but it was nowhere to be found. Giving up for the night, Namine decided to get some rest, storing the rest of her drawings of BHK under her flat pillow. She decided to just draw another one in the morning, finding one missing sketch to be no threat. Little did she know of the Nobody King; who held the missing doodle closely as she slept._

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"Roxas... Roxas!" The blond heard someone shouting out for him, his head pounding by each call, "_**Roxas!**_"

He suddenly woke up, jolting his body forward as air got caught up in his lungs. He began to cough aggressively, punching his chest in order to lessen his struggle. Larxene though gave him a hard smack on the back, settling his coughs in an instant.

"About time you woke up!" She exclaimed with a hint of annoyance.

"Namine..." He whispered hoarsely with bewilderment.

"Last time I checked, I was a bitch, not a witch." She stated coldly.

"Larxene~." Demyx whined softly, hoping she would be more sympathetic.

"What!" She shouted with dismay, causing sparks to fly around her antennas, "We're in the middle of nowhere! And our leader was knocked out for almost an hour!"

"An hour?" Roxas inquired in awe.

"Yes, an hour!" The thunder beauty clarified heatedly.

It wasn't long until she started arguing with Demyx; stating how important it was for her not to take the situation lightly, and how he thought she should calm down before she caught her hair on fire. Roxas didn't pay mind to them though, rubbing his head while he examined their surroundings. They looked to be at some sort of town or city that was crumbled into ruins over one night.

He softly began to wonder, "Is this really the right place?"

"What was that, brat?" Larxene asked while in mid-hold in strangling the Melodious Nocturne.

The young Nobody shook his head, "Nothing...I was just wondering if we were at Olympics Coliseum."

They inspected the area with their eyes, discovering everything to be dusty and humid. The world was covered in devastation, leaving the sky red and the land orange. Roxas got up from his position, hoping to recognize the world by using his sealed memories. He remembered the streets being paved with gold, the columns and statues proud and strong. The world that used to be governed by Gods was not reduced to ashes without their hero Hercules to defend them.

"This can't really be the place, right?" Roxas asked with dread.

Demyx shrugged, lending out a suggestion, "Maybe we should look around and see who's here?"

"Brilliant idea, you actually _**can**_ use your brain." The female Nobody crudely commented.

Demyx tried not to seem hurt by her words, but Roxas jumped in before another argument could erupt, "Let's just go and investigate the area. We're here on a mission after all."

"Yes, missions...you seem to do well in following them." The Savage Nymph declared while playing with her knives between her fingers.

The retired Organization member frowned from her remark, turning the other way in order to avoid conflict with her, "Let's just go."

Roxas soon stashed the star fragment inside his pocket, motioning his companions to follow him. He explored their surroundings with an intense look on face, fearing for the worse possible outcome to what could have happened here.

'_Namine, did you do this? Have I already missed you? How much has your powers grown within such a short time?' _Guilt began to settle inside his chest, but more importantly, his desire to see the young witch.

They jumped over huge craters, spotting smears of blood on the walls that seemed to be from the citizens who lived here. Roxas shuddered from the sight, images of the victims he had slain coming back to him. Larxene noticed his little jerk, growing concern while observing his posture.

Demyx though remained oblivious, looking up towards the bloody sky, "It sure looks deserted here." He looked over at the other two blondes in front of him, "What do you guys think happened to everyone?"

Roxas clenched his hands tightly, "I'm not sure, but something serious must of happened."

The female Nobody gave a bored expression, "Well, of course. I mean; you did kill their hero after all."

Roxas released a growl of frustration, but sighed soon afterwards. The Sitar player expected some sort of other reaction. He kept close attention on the two, hoping there wasn't going to be another fight between them.

The younger Nobody swiftly rotated his body around, keeping his head down, "I don't need to be constantly reminded about my...faults. I know what I did."

"Do you?" Larxene challenged.

He kept quiet, _'Why does she always keep treating me this way?'_

Is was as if she had read his mind, "I'll stop putting all the fault on you when you accept it. As of right now, you're nothing but a worthless brat trying to act tough on what he thinks is right."

"_**And what about you?**_" He suddenly shouted with irritation, "Stop treating me like some sort of nuisance when I'm all you _**got!**_"

Larxene suddenly had sparks flying out of her hair, a vein pulsing at the side of her temple, "Why you little prick..." Her lips twitched into a snarl.

Demyx tried to keep the peace, "Um...you guys...?"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake, causing a riot somewhere off into the distance. The trio trembled from the force, their bodies rattling from the disturbance. This caused the two Nobodies to halt their little argument, taking the time to sense out where the commotion was coming from.

Roxas turned his head left to right, "What was that?"

"Whatever it was, it's causing quite a panic somewhere." Larxene concluded dryly.

"We have to go check it out!" Nine declared urgently, looking over at their assigned leader, "Roxas, it could be Namine!"

With no further need to be convinced, the blond nodded with agreement, "We should hurry then!" He pointed out towards an open path for them to take, "This way!"

They went and gave chase, following the direction of the people's cries; begging for some sort of hero to save them.

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Mickey safely arrived at Radiant Garden without much hassle. Though he had to admit, the darkness that began surrounding the world was dense. He figured it was a result of Namine's recent awakening and successful role as Kingdom Hearts. If she continued to manifest her abilities, Radiant Garden may soon experience the same end as Twilight Town. The King feared of the idea, considering it was once the home to his dearest friend, Ansem the Wise. Kairi shared his sentiment, knowing the kingdom of Radiant Garden was also her home.

Riku spoke in order to clear their inner sufferings, "We should land at Merlin's backyard. I'm sure Cid and the others are there."

Mickey nodded, gathering back his thoughts, "Right, I'll send them a signal from our Gummi Ship to let them know it's us."

"I wonder if Olette and the others are there." Kairi asked carefully with hope.

The heroic mouse decided to reassure her, "If not, then I'm sure they're safe at my castle."

He pushed the vessel into full throttle, pressing through the world's atmosphere. They got sucked into its gravity pull, causing the engine to deplete almost drastically. Mickey took full control of the wheel though, making sure they wouldn't crash.

'_I didn't think the darkness was that strong already here...' _Riku mentally confided to himself with disbelief.

Kairi saw Merlin already outside waiting for them, creating a clearing for them to land. Mickey took the opportunity, pulling back the lever to the ship in order to settle it down. They hovered for a moment, landing gracefully to the ground. The King pressed the switch in order to open the lid to the cockpit, allowing them to jump out and greet the warlock who was patiently waiting for them.

Merlin rubbed his beard, fixing his moon-crescent spectacles, "Your majesty, it's a pleasant to see you. I sense trouble is brewing as always? We got a lot of unexpected visitors lately from another world and I figured it was because of your doing."

The royal keyblade wielder nodded, his tail whipping side to side with anticipation, "Where's Cid and the others? There's something important we need to discuss."

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Namine blindlessly followed Xemnas like a lost child, the dark cape around her waist blustering ominously behind her. The leader of the Nobody's turned and focused his eyes on hers, studying her aura intensely with admiration. She didn't question him about their motive, which pleased him greatly. She seemed to have purpose when she was with him, seeing him as her bestowed creator.

After walking for a while, she halted, sensing another presence nearby.

Xemnas took heed of her sharp senses, turning his head to the side, "Ah~, you came just as I have requested."

"You called for me, Xemnas?" Saix stepped out of the darkness, revealing his face into the light.

The Luna Diviner stood proudly in front of the two anomalies, "It seems like the witch has woken up for her mission. Am I to presume to be her caretaker?"

"Yes." Xemnas confirmed deeply, "If you remember our last encounter with the Keyblade Master and his friends, you probably noticed her hesitation."

"You mean when she tried to attack..." He veered his eyes over on Namine's, studying her deadpan expression, "...Roxas?"

Her eyes seemed to react with a twitch, letting out a soft drone, registering the name almost instinctively. The response she made didn't please Xemnas at all, and Saix could understand why. It could cause a hindrance to their plot if she was still attached to the young Nobody. She had hesitated before, and there was a chance she could do it again.

Xemnas spoke with confirmation, "Yes...we must cut their bond together completely if we are to succeed in our goal."

Saix gave a short nod, "Understood, but would she really obey our demands?"

His leader gave a firm grin of confidence, "Not too worry, in due time, all the hearts we have collected will soon consume her into darkness. Once they do, there's no chance in her returning...the Namine they once knew will be gone forever."

The berserker felt satisfied by his response, "I'm glad to hear that. But what is our mission exactly?"

Xemnas took his attention on the stoic girl, "I have records stating that Roxas and the other traitors have gone to Olympics Coliseum. To be correct though, they are in the city of Thebes. The once unfortunate metropolis has now gone into ruins since their departed savior's heart was taken. I want you to take Namine...to dispose the world."

"And if we are to make contact with Thirteen?"

"Then I want you to make sure she kills him this time. I will not have my Kingdom Hearts be weakened by some worthless Nobody." He stated with slight agitation, keeping his voice calm.

"Understood." Saix nodded, opening up a dark vortex behind him.

Xemnas placed his hand over on Namine's back, "Now my dear, come back soon."

Her only reply was an emotionless stare. She soon walked forward and entered through the swarming space of darkness. Saix followed after her, closing the gate behind them.

The Nobody Sorcerer gave a solemn vow, "Namine, your birth still remains a mystery to me. For someone who was born a Nobody, you were destined for something far greater. The memories you hold, along with all those hearts, may be the key I have been searching for." He began heading towards his own personal quarters, "The Chamber of Waking is near."

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Roxas dodged through the broken path of debris, leaving the other two behind. Demyx was amazed over the blonde's speed, doing his best to keep up. Larxene traveled through the top of the buildings, catching sight over what was happening ahead. It wasn't long though until she had to bend backwards, deflecting a large boulder from hitting her. She struck it with a bolt of lightning, causing the stone to shatter into pieces, bursting fumes of blue and yellow smoke.

Roxas stopped in his tracks, taking his attention on the thunder caster above them, "Larxene!"

She grunted, destroying more rocks, "Dammit, where are all these coming from?"

Demyx pointed ahead, becoming alarmed, "Roxas, look! It's those weird looking blue Heartless that attacked Twilight Town!"

"What the?" The young Nobody was left speechless, taking battle position, "What are they doing here?"

The marine summoned out his Sitar, gathering moisture from the air, "I'll take care of these guys! You guys go on ahead!"

"But..."

Larxene jumped down, grabbing hold of Roxas's shoulder, "Don't worry about the idiot and let's just go!"

She sprinted forward, dragging the teenager with her. She thrust her hand forward, ordering Roxas to do the same. They combined their magic, discharging a wave of thunder. The spell was wild just like its element, rupturing the area around them. It struck each creature like a magnet, destroying them in an instant. They leaped forward before more came, taking the opportunity to go on ahead. Roxas did his best to keep up with Larxene's stamina, watching as more rocks flew over them. The earth shook as each boulder and piece of building fell, causing mayhem. They could hear people crying out for help, fire erupting from the distance.

They soon made it to a clearing, bypassing the civilians who kept bombarding into them.

"What are they running away from?" Roxas mused curiously, searching for any signs of Namine.

Larxene looked up, catching the scent of smoke and blood, "I have my reasons to guess...that they're running away from that thing."

She pointed at the Cyclops that was slowly stomping its way towards them.

Roxas's eyes widened, "How are we suppose to fight that thing?"

"You don't! You just run! Without Hercules, we're doomed!" Some ash-covered person shouted, holding his cat close to him as he followed the others for shelter.

"That was really helpful." Larxene answered with annoyance.

The Key of Destiny wasn't amused though by her sarcastic humor. He was lost inside the destruction he had created, heaving heavily with turmoil. He slowly looked to his left, watching children huddle together, in hopes of hiding from the beast's rampage. He looked to his right, tears filling up his eyes in shame as people continued to run with missing limbs. He caused all of this to happen by taking away their hero. And with Hercules gone, Hades had finally earned his wish in eliminating the Gods. Roxas knew he had to start making amends somehow, and that time was now.

"I have to stop this!" He declared with determination, dashing forward without warning.

Larxene called out to him, "_**Where do you think you're going? Roxas!**_"

She tried to go after him, but the crowed pushed her back from reaching him. He zipped pass the inhabitants of Thebes, hoisting a piece of wood from the ground. He cast Fire on it, causing it to go ablaze. He almost lost balance though from the one-eye ogre's menacing stomps, quickly evading the wall of fire in front of him. He rolled over to the other side, entering inside the battlefield alone.

He lifted his head up, screaming out for the monster's attention, "_**Hey! Down Here!**_" He barked angrily.

The Mythological giant gazed down at his small opponent, kneeling down before him, "You aren't the almighty Hercules. Who are you?" He leered questioningly.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that!" Roxas asserted calmly, bringing back his arm, "_**Take this!**_"

He threw the piece of log that he had cast fire on, stinging the Cyclops's eye. The enormous troll leaped back in pain, thrashing his weight all over the place. His bulky fists collided against the pillars to the temples, causing them to crumble to the ground. He roared in agony, tears spilling forth from his eye. It pulsed with a red glow, glaring down at Roxas with pure rage. The blond hissed from the predicament, doing his best to come up with another strategy. The troll snarled, lifting his feet up in order to smash his body. Thirteen was able to dodge the assault though, jumping forward while tossing Blizzaga from his hand. He hoped it would freeze the giant's foot into place, but his strength proved to be untamed.

'_Dammit, how am I suppose to take him down?' _He countered nervously, knowing he was powerless without his keyblades.

A gruff voice soon called out, "_**Hey, Kid! Look out!**_"

Roxas somehow recognized the voice, searching for the satyr it belonged to, "Phil?"

He didn't get time to react though, finding his body already in the Cyclops's tight grip. He attempted to break free and escape, but it proved futile. Losing air quickly, Roxas felt faint, his head curving back and forth. Axel and Xion's voice ringed with horror inside his mind, begging for him not to give up. The ogre brought the defenseless blond up to his eye, chuckling over how weak he was.

"You are no hero." He stated coldly with laughter.

'_He's right...what was I even thinking? I'm no hero at all...' _Roxas couldn't help but to agree over his foolishness. He shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the blow, _'Namine...'_

"_**Roxas!**_" Larxene shouted with fright; she had finally caught up to him.

But she was too late.

The one-eye fiend reared his hand back and threw the small Nobody across the sky. There was no further thought inside Roxas's mind, besides death...and Namine. What was he even trying to pull? He couldn't wield the keyblades anymore, so what other strength did he really have? He had condemned everyone into darkness; there was no chance for him to change his sins, only punishment.

And it seemed like the Gods held the same belief as well.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "I know, short chapter with a crappy ending :(, but it's because this whole Hercules Arc is going to be long. It's an important part of the story for Roxas; the chapters will have their certain lengths of detail. This is just the beginning for this arc though, so more is bound to come :D. I promise, I will make the fight scenes epic as I can lol! But seriously guys, I'm really grateful over the returning support for this story. I was actually surprised over the number of people who reviewed the last chapter :'). Thank you so much! I heart you all! This story after all is my first ever sequel to a fic I wrote, and it so happened to be based off of my first ever one of the pairing Roxas/Namine, so it really does mean a lot to me. But enough of my sentimentality; let us all give thanks! For Thanksgiving is near!"

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha will like to give thanks to: _**Mooseluver8, hoboruler456, Unknown Person, xLycheeRAiN, NinjaSheik, Chidorimaster34, Hosho, Divine Wolfe, SaphireRose15, Metallicababy55, CartoonCalvin, Vergil Ansem, BookwormGirl, Janus-Juan, **_and of course _**The Great Anonymous Reviewer! **_We believe that to be everyone! Thanks for the support and we hope you'll leave a review again over your thoughts :3! The title to the next chapter is "A Hero's Sword". Stay tune!"

Kiome-Yasha: "I'm going to reply to some people I wasn't able to reply to now."

**Unknown Person: **_You didn't leave a name from your review, so I hope you don't mind me calling you this lol. But yes, I am fangirling a bit from the whole Dark Vanitas and Namine pairing, but I have my reasons for doing that for this story's plot. The Way You Remember Me was depressing, and this story shall prove that it won't get any better. But needless to stay, there will be an 'ending' by the end. Thanks for reading and reviewing! X3_

**CartoonCalvin: **_A lemon scene is sort of hanging in the air right now. I have multiple areas where I could put one, but it's also a matter that must be approached...delicately. I'm flattered to hear you're a fan of my writing, it's nice to know my fics could inspire others to write :3. Thanks for reading and reviewing! X3_

**BookwormGirl: **_Haha, I could never get rid of this fic! I do plan to finish it, no matter how long it will take ;D. Thanks for reading and reviewing! X3 _

**The GAR: **_I know you go by the title The Great Anonymous Reviewer, but I hope you don't mind me calling you this. You have supported The Way You Remember Me for so long and I had always appreciated your support towards my fics since the beginning. No, I have never left, I just been working on some other things lol. I'm sad you're not interested in my other fic 'The Diary of Namine', but I'm currently busy working on that; hence the slow updates on this story. But not to worry, faster updates will come in due time once I'm done with my other fic. I've always been a fan in writing In-universe fics between Roxas and Namine, I actually plan to do another one with them in Birth by Sleep...but that's my own personal project among many others XD. Sadly to say, KH has disappointed me a lot over the new installments and storyline, but I rather not deal with those and still continue with my own original idea. Yes, I do take elements from the games, including the recent ones, but I still hold true to the main plot that is focused between Roxas and Namine. This story still has a lot of things to expect, along with character development and plot; so I do hope you enjoy on what I have plan. I'm happy that you think this story is worthy enough to be considered a Kingdom Hearts game, it's something really wonderful to imagine for me. There's also a chance where I'll be making a prologue for this story, like I said, in a Birth by Sleep setting. Hopefully I'll get to make that idea come true :3. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and for always being a big support for this story._


	9. A Hero's Sword

Disclaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts..."

Kiome-Yasha: "Sorry for delaying this update everyone! I know we're all dying for some Roxas/Namine angst love! Happy New Year as well! XD Though, I feel like this chapter is going to be totally lame D:."

Chapter 9 A Hero's Sword

Wind blew into his ears, his hair rattling wildly around him. Roxas had his eyes closed, waiting for his demise. Still, his heart was almost beckoning for him to stop requesting such suicides and to fight. He wondered, was it Xion telling him this, or Axel? What other presence was contacting him? It was familiar and warm, almost like something he had lost a long time ago and was slowly regaining. He could hear Larxene down below, shouting for him to do something. He could possibly use glide to save himself from falling, but what were the chances in that actually working for him? His mind was already sucked into nothing but despair; what other happiness did he have left to rely on?

'_Roxas! Use your memories!' _Xion pleaded anxiously, _'Use those time when we were in Twilight Town together!'_

He shook his head, guilt overpowering his mind, _'How could I? My memories are...' _

That's right, lately, his memories purely focused on Namine. All that time when she was secretly there in the Organization, through those walls that he never even dared to seek. Caught up in his own illusions of friendship, when she was doing her best just to fit into someone's heart.

'_And that person was...Sora.' _He concluded enviously in pain.

'_Roxas!'_ Axel stepped in, _'Do you really want to end everything this way?'_

A grin stretched over the blonde's lips, _'If it would mean not facing her...than yes...'_

His best friend scowled, his words containing venom that could only be inspired by the Savage Nymph herself, _'Larxene was right about you. You're nothing but a coward. At least Namine had the courage to come and see you.'_

Roxas's eyes widened in realization, recalling the moment when he first met the witch; the first words out of her mouth.

_She smiled, her face bouncing with joy, "Hello, Roxas..."_

_He was in a daze, her presence catching him in a spell, "Uh~...hi..."_

Just then, he heard what believed to be a horse, calling out from the distance. His eyes snapped open, his body caught by the mystical flying creature. Pegasus whistled out from his achievement in saving the blond, descending down in order to flee from the battle. In Roxas's current condition, there was no way he could possibly take on the giant Cyclops. He tightly grabbed onto Pegasus's hair, making sure not to let himself fall. He looked down and spotted Larxene and Phil chasing after them. The one-eye troll wasn't going to let them go that easily though. He picked up a broken pillar off from the ground and swung it at them. Roxas flinched back, waiting for the blow to make impact on them, but it never came.

He heard a familiar voice, "Me and my Sitar, saving the day as always!"

The Key of Destiny turned and shouted with relief, "Demyx!" He was in awe over his miraculous timing.

Nine was riding on water in the air, creating a tsunami that flowed fluently with his powers. The stream of liquid caught hold of the pillar and countered it, throwing it back at the Cyclops in order to create a diversion. It collided into the monster's face, breaking his concentration. The beast roared in anger from the attack, stepping backwards and doing his best to rub the debris off his eye.

"Now's our chance to..._**ESCAPE!**_" Demyx shouted cowardly, not planning a confrontation with the giant.

Larxene grumbled under her breath over the marine's lack of combat, but she had to admit, he was right. She knew they had to retreat, they weren't prepared for this, Roxas especially. Without the use of his keyblades, he only had magic to rely on. They needed somewhere to regroup, to come up with some sort of strategy. If the Cyclops was involved, that meant Hades has been quite busy since the death of their hero Hercules. Roxas must have realized this, causing his guilt to rise even more. The boy was hopeless to her at this point.

'_Just when did __**I**__ become his baby-sitter? That's Axel's job!' _She reprimanded angrily.

Still, the flame caster was gone, so it was all up to her now to set the blond straight. It may obviously take some time, considering how much of a zombie he is. But with her "graceful patience", she'll be willing to snap him out of it.

She swiftly turned to Phil, who tried to catch up to her with his short hooves, "Hey, shortie!"

"What is it, Sugarcakes?" He replied back between heaving breaths.

She would have struck him down for calling her that, but now wasn't the time, "Where can we go that's safe?"

He looked up at the air, "From the direction Pegasus is flying towards, I say Olympics Coliseum is our best bet."

"So just follow Roxas and the horse?" Demyx asked, flying down towards them with his floating water.

Larxene avoided touching him, disgusted by his element already, "Seems like it. _**Now get away from me with that shit!**_"

Already frightened by her temper, the water user steered away from her. Larxene scowled at Demyx, turning away and looking up at the sky instead. Roxas carefully positioned his body on top of the mammal's back, keeping his gaze forward at the blood-red sun. He discovered Xion and Axel's voice to have dispersed from the moment he was saved from Pegasus. They were probably too angry with him to talk. What did they want from him? Couldn't they see he was suffering enough?

He clasped a hand over his chest, his heart aching by each pulse. It seemed to hurt each time he experienced a memory, leaving him breathless and confused. With no idea in how to summon his keyblades, it all just seemed worthless to him. Still, he kept hope in Sora's words.

He will keep his promise; no matter how broken it was.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKH

A dark vortex ripped through the space on top of the hill, howling from its depths of emptiness. Saix stepped through the gateway with his eyes closed. He opened them and inspected the area, making sure they were alone. Once he did, he waved his hand over at the dark corridor, instructing the beauty inside to pass through. The once pure memory witch stepped through the swirling darkness. Saix studied her form, her eyes remaining emotionless and dull. He couldn't deny the uniqueness of her transformation. She held a foreboding power that even he feared could lose control at any minute. She was after all, the second closest thing to Kingdom Hearts. He also sensed something deep within her core, something evil; and it wasn't from the hearts Xemnas had made Roxas collect.

"Superior wishes for us to drown this world into darkness with your powers." He announced carefully to her, "But...we have more important matters to test out."

She looked over at him, analyzing his words. Quickly dispatching the dark corridor behind her with ease, she stepped forward and looked down upon the world they were in.

Saix was mystified by her lack of response, "I suppose you need more development to speak. No matter, I'm sure you have the capability to understand either way."

She slowly turned her head, "..."

"Roxas..." He stated the name firmly, "Does that name hold meaning to you?"

There was a twitch to her eye, her lips rubbing back and forth.

Saix frowned from the wordless response, "You must banish that name from your mind. It's nothing more than a hindrance and memory that your vessel once possessed. It holds no value to you. Forget about it, and destroy the very person it belongs to. Understood? That...is your mission today."

She frowned from his declaration, turning to the side without much effort in paying attention to him. The Luna Diviner scowled at her attitude; her feelings were still involved. They had to banish that feeling, once and for all, but how? He looked over at where the once refined and golden steps of Mount Olympus were. The God created pavements were now carved into ruins, tarnished by the destruction Hades had unleashed with his Titans. Saix went into deep thought, a plan slowly formulating inside his head.

He turned to the forged Kingdom Hearts, "It would seem like we have to pay the ruler to this world a visit. I couldn't transport us up there since the place is a sanctuary towards Gods."

Namine rotated her body around, the long cloak around her waist blowing against the wind. Her eyes sunk into a dangerous gleam of gold, piercing the Nobody before her. A strange sensation took over him, memories of a boy name Isa flooding back to him. How was she able to possess them, to possess his heart? She was resonating with Kingdom Hearts. All those hearts, screaming out to join with their bodies. His was there as well, yearning to grasp it between his fingers. He took a hold of his chest, stirring with familiarity. Namine didn't pay any attention to his struggle though, already accepting their task.

She walked ahead, taking each step at a time until she reached the long line of stairs. Without much hesitation, she lifted her hands out to the side. In a matter of a few seconds, her body was lifted off the ground. Shadows burst from beneath her, swirling around her body like snakes. Her eyes were closed from the sensation, letting out a soft moan with her head bent back. She soon concentrated her ability over to Saix's body. The ghostly shade of her darkness wrapped themselves around his feet and legs, slowly lifting his body up from off the ground. He too began to float, finding the method to be much easier than taking the stairs.

She turned her head towards him, making sure he had no problem towards her solution, "..."

He simply nodded with a bit of irony, "Then again, you're no different from a God yourself."

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Roxas gasped with alarm when Pegasus landed, his body bouncing from the force. The mystical creature's hooves clasped loudly against the cement floor, flapping his wings in order to adjust them from the flight. They turned towards the entrance, spotting Larxene and everyone making their way up from the clouds. Roxas jumped off of Pegasus's back, rushing forward over to the two Nobodies. Relief settled inside his heart. The fact that the two of them were okay, made him feel happy. After all, despite their dysfunctional relationship, he somehow, considered them close to him. Probably not as close as Axel or Xion, but definitely people he could rely on. Demyx took the first intuitive to their reunion though, galloping forward towards the young Nobody. Roxas halted in his steps, a comical frown appearing on his face.

His lips curved to the side with wariness, his left eye twitching with concern, "Demyx...What are you? Uh—!"

The blond musician engulfed Roxas in a bone-crushing hug, tears filling up his eyes with relief, "Roxas buddy! I thought you were going to _**die!**_ _**No more suicide missions for you!**_"

Their cheeks were pressed against each other, causing the situation to be more uncomfortable for the keyless hero.

Roxas tried to push him away, "Okay, I get it Demyx! Let me go!"

"Yes, please do, you're embarrassing us! You moron!" Larxene shouted in disgust, preparing a thunder spell to be cast in case he didn't cooperate.

"Oh~! Sorry!" Demyx hastily released Roxas from his arms, jumping back with his hands held high in defense.

The sunflower-haired Nobody caught himself with his hands on his knees. He heaved a couple of breaths in, retrieving some air back into his lungs.

Larxene approached him with a scowl on her face, "Are we done being stupid?"

He refused to answer, considering he knew what she was referring to. He knew his actions against the Cyclops was foolish, he didn't need to be reminded.

She sighed with disappointment, "I'll take that as a no." She looked around the deserted area they were in, "Where are we exactly anyway?"

"Olympics Coliseum." Demyx answered proudly, "I actually been here before on a few missions." He patted Roxas's shoulders, "Including some with Roxas here."

Larxene wasn't impressed, "Isn't that nice~." She sarcastically answered.

"But still..." The Melodious Nocturne glanced around the empty arena with suspicion; "It sure does look different then I last remembered it." He stated curiously without much thought.

He was right though. The once golden stadium was demolished into ruins.

"You got that right, blondie." Phil staggered over to the trio, "Things around here haven't been good since Herc was taken away from us."

Roxas couldn't help but look away at the satyr in shame.

Hercules's old trainer spotted the Nobody, walking closer to him in order to examine his face more clearly, "You look familiar, kid. Have I seen you before?"

The Key of Destiny frowned, picking up his scarf to conceal his face.

"You must be confusing me with someone else. But don't worry, I'm used to people saying that about me." He reassured the half-goat man.

Phil could have sworn he knew Roxas back from his days when he once wore a black coat, "You sure? I don't know about that." He insisted stubbornly, but shrugged it off, "I guess it doesn't matter. But I must say kid; you got a lot of guts fighting the Cyclops out there like you did. Of course, it was a one-sided battle, but it was still guts. You have a potential to be a real hero like the old Herc."

Roxas denied the idea right away, "Oh no, trust me...I'm no hero." He said in a weak tone.

The satyr seemed to agree, "Yeah, you're probably right. The only other champ close enough to earn that title was a kid name Sora." He soon found some similarity towards their features, rubbing his beard into deep thought, "Hey~, you two aren't perhaps related by any chance are you? You guys got the same face."

Demyx decided to jump inside the conversation at this point, "As a matter of fact~..."

They were all interrupted though when Pegasus let out a screeching wail. He stomped his hooves to the ground, pointing to the old entrance of the coliseum. They all turned and spotted a woman with a long purple dress and brown ponytail. She carefully stepped out from the shadows, pushing away the columns that stood in her way.

She called out quietly with distrust, "Phil, is that you?"

"Meg!" He called out with relief, "Good to see you're still okay."

She carefully walked over to them, showing no fear over the company he brought with him, "I heard voices so I was wondering who was with you." She studied Roxas and his friends with slight suspicion, "Who are these guys?"

Roxas didn't want to cause any trouble, or lose their trust, so he said the only possible thing he could, "Um, we're friends of Sora's."

"You know Sora?" She asked with disbelief.

"Yeah...I'm his..."

"Cousin!" Larxene interrupted, skipping the formalities, "That's all you need to know. We're not your enemies. Believe it or not, we're only here because of our mission."

"Mission?" Meg seemed a bit appalled, "So I'm guessing you guys aren't your normal drop-in heroes to save the day?"

The Savage Nymph crossed her arms over her chest with defiance, "We didn't come here to be _**anybody's **_hero. Like I said, we're only here to search for a certain object. Nothing more."

Roxas glared at the thunder queen, "Larxene!"

She snapped back at him, "It's the truth! Isn't it? Not like you want to waste time when you have your _honey_ on a rampage."

Megara's face became crestfallen, "And here I thought you were like Sora."

That somehow angered the blond a bit, "I'm not like Sora!" He shouted crossly.

He sometimes hated being compared to his other half. Although, he still couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to help these people. After all, it's his fault that their hero was gone. He looked up at Meg and the others, noticing their shocked expressions from his sudden outburst, except for Larxene.

"Even so..." He restarted to speak more calmly, "...I still want to help."

"You sure about that, Kid?" Phil asked with a doubtful tone.

Meg also looked skeptical, "Wouldn't that get in the way of your objective?"

Roxas gave them a stern look, "True, but...I can't just leave everything like this." He soon mused to himself, _'After all...part of this is my fault anyway.'_

Demyx frowned at the younger blond, "Oh man, I was really looking forward in _**avoiding**_ battles."

Larxene seemed to agree, grabbing hold of the teen's shoulder, "Um, Roxas...you do _**know**_ we have a _**mission**_ to carry out."

He turned and threw her words back at her, "And here I thought you said all I did was _**follow**_ missions."

Her grip on him tightened, looking over at the group, "Excuse me." She then focused her attention back on Roxas, "I need to _**talk**_ to you." She hissed dangerously low.

She aggressively shoved him to the side, navigating him towards the entrance of the coliseum. Demyx and the other residences followed the duo with their eyes. The two Nobodies entered the destroyed and small confinement, ignoring the others who patiently waited outside. Larxene pushed Roxas up against the wall, twisting his sweater into her hands.

"Are you crazy? We don't have _**time **_for this? Do you honestly think you'll be helping them? When you're the one who caused it!" She snarled at him.

Roxas took hold of her hands, expressing his voice in a deep growl, "I know that! I just..." The heart inside his chest pumped wildly, "...There's just something telling me, that this is the right thing to do_**. I want to do this!**_"

"You sure that's not Sora's memories talking to you?" She added snidely.

He glared at her, "We're going to help them, Larxene. It may not be much, but..." He saw something glisten in the corner of his eyes, "...They need a hero."

She glared fiercely before releasing him, "Fine; do whatever you want. Just don't count me in! I'll be busy doing our mission!"

Larxene stormed out of the small room, her boots clamping against the cement in anger. Roxas followed her with his gaze, rubbing his shoulders in order to sooth out the soreness from her grasp. He then looked to the side, taking his attention back on the gleaming object he had spotted. He walked across the rubble, pushing whatever little obstacle that stood in his way.

That was when he saw it, Hercules's sword.

It was polished and left untouched, perched on the altar like some relic or trophy. It beckoned Roxas to come closer, his fingers twitching to grab the sword. He recoiled back though in shame, knowing it was he who vanquished the champion from his throne.

'_I don't deserve to use it.'_ He stated mentally.

Still, his heart edged him to continue, to obtain the honor the hero once had, to become a hero himself. He slowly brought his hand up, reaching over to the handle. When he touched it, it seemed to produce some sort of light. It went through him, giving him the courage he needed to fight. Its weight was heavy though, causing him to almost drop it.

"Got to be careful." He instructed, using both of his hands for balance, "I haven't held a blade in years."

He looked out towards the entrance, a glimmer of dust appearing from the sun's rays. Roxas put on a brave face, swinging the sword over his shoulder. He gasped from the pressure, but his back remained strong, never faltering his steps. Breaking through the darkness, he walked outside and embraced the dim light, his heart becoming slightly warm.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Namine and Saix made it to the top of the mountain, finding everything to be no different than how it was down below. The berserker examined the area with little interest, his eyes focused on the maiden beside him. It wasn't long until the clouds around them began to shift, bursting out an earthquake that was difficult to find a source to. Namine looked up, her eyes cleansed from having any thoughts. She waited for the stampede to make its way over, showing no fear or hesitation of what they were about to face. Number Seven kept his guard though, pulling out his weapon from the side. He got into positioned, prepared for combat. The tremors grew even more violent, causing the clouds to disperse. A dark shadow loomed over the two Nobodies, growling deeply from their intrusion. Saix stared up at the rock titan, finding its height to be a formidable foe. The witch beside him though, showed no fear towards her opponent.

Lythos stomped his hands into the ground, both his heads growling at the girl. Seven just stood where he was, watching how she would react carefully.

'_What does she plan to do standing there mindlessly like that?'_ He asked cynically.

Before he could react, Namine leaped into the air and thrust a fog of darkness onto the earth fiend's heads. He watched in awe, the titan's faces slowly disintegrating in an instant. They groaned horribly from the pain, their features melting into mug that spilled and melted from their mouths. She showed no sympathy, producing a menacing claw with her right arm. Pure darkness consumed the extended limb, slicing the monstrous tyrant into half. Overkill was in order when she cast Ultima around the remaining pieces of earth, perishing them into the abyss.

Saix stood almost in fear from the sight, withdrawing his weapon right away, _'I couldn't even blink from that display.' _He managed to muster, "Well...done."

She turned to him, her face emotionless, "..."

That was when a voice shuddered her core, _'He's right. Well done.' _

Its tone was wicked with a grin of approval; Vanitas possessed her body like it was his second skin. His hands invincibly slithered around her body, impressed by her powers.

'_We're slowly becoming one you and I.' _He grinned, his tongue teasing across her earlobe, _'Soon...you won't be alone. I'll be the only one you need in this world.'_

Saix didn't pay attention to the mental battle that was currently going on in the young artist's body. Instead, his primary focus was to the new earthquake that was coming straight towards them. The area around them grew unstable, and without any warning, a wave of blue flames sprouted from the air. The male nobody jumped back in order to avoid the hot blazes. Namine deflected them easily with her hand though, smoke rising from her fingertips. In a swirling gust of smoke, Hades appeared with an impressed look on his face.

"What do we have here?" He tried to keep his cool, despite the fact that one of his Titans was taken down so easily, "Seems like we have a worthy player in our neck of the neighborhood." He rubbed his chin into deep thought, "Now...if I may ask." He cleared his throat, his usual blue hair, turning into a volcano of red, "_**Who the HECK are you?**_"

Saix brought his head up to speak, "We have a bargain for you, Hades. Either work with us to get rid of some pest, or have my companion here destroy you and your world in a heartbeat. Which could be very soon since I don't know how a heartbeat would feel like."

"You expect me to believe by taking _**ONE**_ Titan down, that she's capable of such powers? She's _**NOT**_ a _**GOD!**_" Hades heatedly retorted, "I'm a _**God!**_" He waved his hands at the girl below, "Sorry sweetheart, but you're not my type." He snapped his fingers for his minions, "Take care of this runt."

The other titans appeared behind the king of the underworld, causing a massive energy of destruction from their elements.

The berserker took pity on them, "She's the closest thing to a God you would ever meet." He turned to the witch, "Persuade him." He ordered calmly.

Namine made no response, vanishing from her position instantly with no trace. Hades was flabbergasted from her disappearance, looking left to right. His eyes shifted, doing his best to search her location. It wasn't long until he heard all his Titans wail in agony. He turned around to each one, only to discover a web of heartless surrounding them. Namine was in the center of the swarm, basking in the beauty of her children. She had all the Titans strapped down into submission, her shadow tangling with theirs. She looked up at Hades, daring him to pull something. He faked a small chuckle, roaring with fury soon afterwards. He blasted a river of fire at the girl, hoping to damage her. It proved futile though; for once the hot element touched her skin, it dispersed like fireworks.

"How can this_** BE?**_" He shouted with outrage.

"You never stood a chance." Saix simply answered with his arms crossed over his chest.

Namine thrust her hand out, sprouting multiple spawns of unverse. They zipped their way through the air, wrapping their string like bodies around the lord of the underworld, leaving him immobile. Namine zoomed in close to his face, examining his expression, daring him to refuse their offer any longer.

Hades gave a wholesome chuckle, surrendering peacefully, "Hehe, well, doll face. Seems like you run a hard bargain." He looked at the two Nobodies back and forth, a grin plastered on his face, "Now, how about we get down to business? I'm sure whatever you guys got planned, is a sweet deal."

Saix gave a pleasant smile, "I'm glad to hear you're seeing it our way." He directed his gaze over at the dark witch, "Release him."

She thought about it for a second, Vanitas's voice tempting her just to kill the despicable person in front of her. Her hands trembled, but in the end, she released him from her hold. The unversed squeaked at her, obeying her demand. She absorbed them back into her body, including the heartless, freeing the titans from their bindings.

Hades rubbed his throat, "Tough little cookie, aren't ya?"

He took the time to study her features. Pure darkness, that's all he could see through her. Hearts contained in one vessel, but none that were hers to claim. And there was something else, a dark force, just waiting to get out. He grinned with satisfaction; maybe working with them had its benefits.

He clicked his fingers, becoming enticed by her, "Why don't the two of you step into my office? I'm sure we can work ourselves a little deal."

Namine stared blankly at him, amused by his confidence. Saix studied the God of Death with bemused interest though, finding the God to be a sly one indeed.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "I finished this chapter? YAY! I FINISHED THIS CHAPTER! I feel so relieved. I really did want to work on this story, but my interest towards it was lacking :(. I think it's because since I'm so close in finishing The Diary of Namine that I'm more hyped in updating that story more. I'm sorry, guys. I know a lot of you have been anticipating for it, and even reviewed The Diary of Namine to tell me. I'll try to keep up; but remember, just because I don't update for a long while, doesn't mean I ever abandon my fics. My thing is, I always want to know I'm "into" my fic when I update it. I don't want to write a chapter and have no feeling towards it; there would be no point to it. I'll always eventually find my muse. It's just that currently, my main focus is to finish The Diary of Namine. Which as soon as I'm finished, I'll be working on Whispers in the Dark again :D. But besides all that, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and support. It really does mean a lot to me. As a Roxas/Namine fan, it helps me know there are others out there that do appreciate the pairing and what it stands for. And that's what this fic is all about.

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha will like to give special thanks to: _**xLycheeRAiN, Hosho, Metallicababy55, Sara Crewe, hoboruler456, Sora017, Monochrome Cloud, Axel-Dieng-Wolf, Chidorimaster34, Rosekun25, Janus-Juan, Nami the Writer, Fighter le Faye, Dragonflies87, Shinyitalianguy, sasusakufan2357. **_We hope that's everyone! Thank you guys for the support! The title to the next chapter is "Daring Knight". Stay tune!"

Kiome-Yasha: "Also to Nami the Writer since I couldn't reply to her."

**Nami the Writer: **_Sorry you're confused :(. I know it takes me awhile to update this story, but re-reading the chapters could always help lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing! X3_


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Kingdom Hearts, Angst, Romance