Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Inside an old mansion was a library, within the library was a passage leading to an underground lab. Numerous monitors were connected to a supercomputer, each displaying various types of data and vitals for what appears to be a young spiky-haired male. An elderly man covered in bandages stood in front of the monitors scrutinizing them, beside him stood a tall male donned in a black coat, his features covered with the hood being up. The hooded male looked behind him, his gaze set on a smaller figure donning the same coat slumped on the ground unconscious with his back propped up against the wall. The person was a young male with blond hair and pale skin, as well as the topic of discussion between the other two occupants within the room.

“You did well apprehending him.” The bandaged man, referred to as Diz, commented, “No doubt he would be a difficult opponent considering whose power he wields.”

“I can’t say I’m proud.” Said the hooded male, his tone slightly pitying, “He was clearly angry and full of anguish when I faced him. He’ll only be more so once he realizes what’s happening...”

A scoff was made in response. “A Nobody anguished. Such a ludicrous statement. It will matter not. By the time he recalls everything, the process in returning Sora’s memories will already be complete.”

“Which means Roxas will…”

Diz remained indifferent as his attention was kept on the screens, “It’s the only logical way. Both of them cannot exist when sharing the same heart.” A wave of silence flowed between the two men. “Besides,” The older man paused before continuing, “There is nothing left for him to lose.”

The hooded man said nothing.
Just then alarm sounds began to blare from the computer. Both men instantly honed in on the screens each displaying a flashing red window. A computerized voice could be heard impassively announcing the issue.

‘WARNING: SYSTEM ERROR. RESTORATION PROCESS INTERRUPTED’

“What!” Diz exclaimed. He quickly ran and got back into the seat of the main computer and typed rapidly on the keyboard. “Blast! What is the meaning of this?!”

Meanwhile, the hooded male checked every screen hoping to locate any possible source of the issue. His gaze set on the screen that displayed Sora’s vitals. He could see an exclamation mark flashing near Sora’s head, indicating the problem lied somewhere in the memory recovery process.

“Sora!” The man exclaimed, his deep voice unusually panicked.

As the two men worked frantically over the situation, neither held any thought for a certain someone residing in the vast white room where Sora rested.

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Namine smiled apologetically looking at the cocoon-shaped chamber that held Sora within. She tucked some stray hair behind her ear and sighed.

“I’m sorry.” She spoke softly. “I know you’ve been trapped here for a long time now, I don’t mean to make it longer.” No reply was heard, as to be expected. The blond-haired Nobody had long been accustomed to the constant silence of the room. Not to say she didn’t feel lonely now and then, a notion strange and foreign for a being who supposedly was without any real emotions.

Naminé looked down for a few seconds before looking back up. “But,” She began, walking closer to the chamber. “I do believe this will be good for you.” Namine laid a gentle hand on the base and then turned her head looking upwards.

“And him.”

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Inside a spacious bedroom, lay a blond-haired teenage boy named Roxas. If one were to see him, they’d think the boy was sleeping peacefully with his eyes closed and breathing even. Little would they know, the dream Roxas had that night was anything but peaceful.

The First Day

“Roxas.” The gentle voice of a girl called out in the darkness.

“Huh? Who’s there? And how do you know my name?” Try as he might, Roxas couldn’t spot the source of the voice.

“There’s someone I would like you to meet.”

“What do you mean?”

“Please treat him well.”

“Him?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll know soon enough. Good luck, Roxas.”

Roxas woke up in a cold sweat. Sitting up, the blond looked around breathing heavily, deep sapphire eyes taking in his surroundings. He let out a sigh of relief upon confirming that he was still in his bedroom. Still the ever normal walls, his ever normal furniture, and his ever normal stained glass door.

Roxas turned towards his window and got on his knees pulling back the violet drapes allowing the sun’s light to pour in. Grasping the handles of the window, he then pushed open the doors with the faint ringing of the bells from the clock tower now amplified. The teen smiled as he rested his shoulders on the window sill, admiring the view consisting of the various buildings bathed in golden orange and yellow. Good old Twilight Town.

“Another weird dream.” Roxas mused. He’d normally dismiss something of this occurrence, however, a part of him couldn’t shake that there was something more significant behind the brief exchange. “Who was that girl?” He wondered, ”And who’s this ‘him’ she wanted me to meet?” The blond shook his head and closed the window before drawing the curtains. “It’s probably nothing.” He concluded. He’s already been on the receiving end of some pretty strange dreams lately, he supposed it shouldn’t be that surprising for this one to be just as peculiar. Roxas got out of bed to gather his outdoor clothes.

He went for his usual garb consisting of a white and red short sleeved jacket over a black zipped up shirt with a silver X as the zipper, complete with his grey trousers. After getting dressed and tying his shoes, Roxas exited his flat ready to start the day.

The weather outside was the same as it normally was for Twilight Town, clear skies with the sun positioned as if locked in a never-ending sunset. And as always, the sun was shining ever so brightly causing the young teen to shield his eyes when he stepped out. Roxas began to set off towards the Usual Spot where he and his friends often met. Once he got to Market Street, however, the blond noticed that people were whispering to each other as he walked by while others simply gave him looks of disapproval. He frowned.

‘What’s everyone’s problem?’ Roxas thought as his face hardened into a scowl. He was more than a little irked at how much he was being scrutinized which, to his knowledge, was highly unwarranted. Last time he checked, Seifer and his “Disciplinary Committee” had nothing to complain about regarding him or his friends. ‘Though, I wouldn’t put it past them to make something to complain about.’

Fortunately, there was at least one friendly face. The elderly Ms. Marnie waved to him graciously from her shop, unconcerned with the looks from the other townspeople. Roxas was slightly reassured knowing somebody wasn’t quick to place judgment on him. His expression softened as he waved back. Roxas would’ve liked to stop and say hello, but he had a sinking feeling he needed to get to the Usual Spot pronto. Once he cleared Market Street, the blond broke out in a sprint the rest of the way, eager to get to his friends and away from the whispers behind his back.

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Outside of an old abandoned manor, a wave of lights manifested and began to circle each other right in front of the closed gate.

The circle fully expanded before finally dissipating, leaving behind the unconscious form of a certain teenage boy with spiky yet soft-looking brown hair.
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It appeared Roxas wasn’t the only one having a bad day. As the blond walked into the humble space that made up the Usual Spot, he saw that the gang were all seated at the corner looking incredibly tense. Hayner was sitting on a furnace pipe, Pence on some boxes piled against the wall, and Olette on an old ratty couch. It was evident that they were long deep in a heated discussion even before Roxas arrived.

“Can you believe that?!” Hayner groaned frustratingly.

“Yeah, that’s just wrong.” Pence shook his head.

Olette let out an angry sigh and stomped her feet on the floor, “Seifer’s gone too far this time!”

Roxas began to worry. What he was hearing did not sound good in the slightest.

Olette glanced over at Roxas who was walking closer to where they were congregated. “Oh. Hey there, Roxas.” The brunet girl’s greeting was less enthusiastic than usual.

“Hey.” Roxas waved a hand and took a seat on some crate next to the couch Olette sat in. “What’s going on, guys?” Might as well cut to the chase.

“I don’t know if you heard, but we kinda have a difficult situation on our hands.”

“Kinda? Try really! A really shitty situation! ” Hayner ranted, turning his attention to Roxas, “Roxas, were people looking at you funny on your way over?” The blond nodded his head.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“The same thing happened to us earlier.” Pence sighed, “We didn’t know why until we saw this posted on the town’s bulletin board.” He grimly reached down and picked up a rolled-up piece of parchment paper laying at his feet, unrolling it before holding it up for Roxas to see. What the blond teen saw on the paper infuriated him.

Smacked in the middle of the paper was a blown-up picture of Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette and on top printed in large bold letters: Suspected Twilight Town Thieves. And as if to add insult to injury, printed underneath the picture was: Stay Vigilant. Stay Wary, emphasized by red arrows drawn from the slogan to where their faces were. Roxas clenched his fists and turned his gaze back forward. Deep Sapphire grew darker. The more Roxas kept looking at the poster, the more likely he’d give in to his urge to break something. It didn’t help that it was signed with “Per the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee” at the bottom. Thieves? The town thought they were thieves? And with no proof either? While he liked and respected the people in Twilight Town, Roxas couldn’t help but think they kissed Seifer and his gang’s asses too much.

“There’s gotta be an explanation for all this.” Roxas shook his head, trying to calm himself down. He was beyond frustrated, but he also knew sitting around griping about the problem wasn’t going to help solve it.

“I mean, it’s true stuff’s been stolen around town. And since we still got some beef with Seifer, I’m not surprised he’d want to pin it on us.” Hayner commented, his features crinkling in distaste at the mention of his rival. He leaped from the vent getting into a standing position. “But what really pisses me off is that practically everyone and their mother are now treating us like the Klepto Club. We gotta do something!”

“But, what can we do?” Olette asked. She and Pence looked over at Roxas, both wanting to know what he thought. Silence filled the room as everyone looked at Roxas expectantly, the only sounds being that of the train running through the tracks from above. The blond fumbled a bit from being put on the spot, but he eventually came up with what he thought was the most plausible solution.

“Um, well…We could try finding the real thieves. That’d set the record straight.”

The other’s perked up at this suggestion.

“That makes a lot of sense. What better way to prove our innocence?”

“Yeah. Good idea, Roxas!”

Pence leaped up and ran to his bag to retrieve his polaroid camera. Hayner crossed his arms with a frown. “But, what about Seifer?” He demanded.

“We gotta clear our names first, Hayner. We can deal with Seifer later.” Yeah, Roxas would love to give Seifer a peace of his mind, but getting to the bottom of everything took more precedence.

“Oh, no!”

Startled by Pence’s yell, the other three looked over in alarm to see what was wrong with their friend. The stocky brunet turned around, his expression that of distress as he clutched his camera in his hands. “They’re gone!” He exclaimed.

“What are?!”

“Our ______!” Pence’s brown eyes widened and he placed a hand at his throat. “What?” Roxas shared concerned glances with Olette, being aware of what Pence was saying but at the same time unable to hear the word.

Hayner then realized it wasn’t just Pence who couldn’t say it. “All our ______ are gone?!” He asked before grabbing at his own throat in shock when he noticed he was caught off from saying a certain word.

Olette gasped covering her mouth, “You can’t say ______? Why not?”

No one could think of an answer.

“But, you do understand what I’m saying, right? Our ______ are missing!”

Roxas scratched at his nose in thought, “Stolen. And not just the ______, but somehow the word was stolen too!” ‘As if today wasn’t hard enough.’ He thought with resignation. Something told him there was more than just some petty crime going on. The only question was what that something was.

“Even the word itself?” Hayner remarked incredulously, “What kind of thief is that? There’s no way Seifer could pull that off.” Everyone nodded in agreement with that statement. “Alright, time for some recon. Follow me!” The dirty blond-haired leader ran out of the entrance leading out back to the Alleyway followed by Olette and Pence. Roxas was the last to leave. But as he took a step, he was immediately overwhelmed with a force that made him feel like the room was spinning, making him lose his sense of balance before passing out. When he hit the ground, Roxas swore he could hear the same voice belonging to the girl from his dream.

“Please be careful, Roxas. You’ll need to be ready when you see him.”

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“I don’t understand, everything was operating accordingly until now.”

Diz slumped back into his chair, his frustrated sigh reverberating around the lab.

“He’ll never awaken if this persists.”

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Roxas’s eyes fluttered when he came to, deep sapphire blinking a few times before adjusting properly. The blond groaned as he slowly pushed off the ground standing back up, ‘What the hell just happened?’ He wondered. He knew he wasn’t one to just faint out of the blue like that.

“Roxas?”

The teen saw Olette standing at the entrance looking at him with concern in her shamrock eyes. “What are you still doing here? Are you alright?” Roxas smiled a bit, he knew Olette was always the most perceptive and nurturing one out of the bunch. It was of no surprise she’d be the first one to notice he didn’t keep up.

He smiled as normally as he could muster and answered, “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Um, where exactly are we going, again?” He wasn’t a big fan of lying, but he also didn’t want his friend to worry when they already had a big enough mess to deal with.

Olette squinted at him as if unconvinced, “We’re starting the investigation at Station Heights. The guys are there waiting. Roxas, are you sure you’re-”

“I’m fine, Olette. Really.”

The brunet girl stared at him some more before relenting. “Alright then.” She sighed, “C’mon, let’s go.” Roxas nodded and the two quickly left the hangout spot to catch up with their friends.

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Upon arriving at Station Heights, Hayner and Pence could be seen standing in front of the Armor Shop talking to the owner, Biggs. Olette ran over to them while Roxas stayed put, wincing when he saw what was a look of disappointment on the shopowner’s face. ‘This is gonna suck.’ He lamented in thought. It was one thing to be labeled a thief, but for people who he was normally friendly with to make that label? That stung.

“Hey, Roxas! Over here!” Hayner called. The blond sighed but made his way over.

“Yo, Roxas.” Biggs greeted in a tone that wasn’t too welcoming. “I don’t know what to say, man. I didn’t think you’d do something that rotten…”

“We didn’t steal anything, though.” Roxas quickly retorted.

“You telling the truth here, dude? I’d like to believe you, but I don’t know who else would take all that stuff.”

“What kind of stuff are we talking about here?”

“As if you don’t know?” Biggs snorted, “Playing dumb won’t help you, Roxas. I’m not gonna tell ya.”

‘You gotta be kidding me!’ Roxas’s eyebrows furrowed but he restrained himself from making a scathing remark. ‘Well, fuck you too. Don’t expect any more business from me in the future.’ That last thought was probably bullshit, the Armor Shop was the only store in town that provided the necessary gear for the yearly struggle tournaments. And even if he wasn’t happy with Biggs suspecting him to this degree, Roxas had to admit he wouldn’t be able to stay away from purchasing the goods offered at his store completely.

“Go ask Jessie if you need a reminder.” They all turned around to look at the Accessory Shop which was positioned across the street. The owner, Jessie, was standing at her post as usual. Jessie was a pretty young woman with shoulder-length blond, often tied in a ponytail, and had a knack of being kind to all her customers. Though, based on how today was going, there was no guarantee she was going to be as kind once she sees Roxas and the others.

Without another word to Biggs, the gang headed towards the Accessory Shop. Jessie looked cautious yet also pitying as Roxas approached the counter.

“Hey, Jessie.” Roxas carefully greeted.

“Hello, Roxas.” The woman returned gently, “I’m really sorry to say this, but I don’t think you should be here considering the circumstances.”

“Look, we didn’t take anything, alright? We’re not thieves.”

“I hope that’s true, you used to be one of my favorite customers….” Jessie said in a sad tone. Roxas could only sigh at this point. Already two people had either lost trust in him or were simply on the fence. “Miss Marnie is pretty upset herself.”

That got everyone to quickly look in the direction of the Candy Shop. Roxas exchanged anxious glances with his friends. It was a crime in itself to give any grief to the sweet-natured Ms.Marine who never had a bad bone in her. And to steal from an old woman in general, whoever this thief was showed they didn’t discriminate and cared little of who would be affected. Roxas was now more determined to catch the real culprit.

“Oh. Hello, Roxas, how nice to see you.” Miss Marnie welcomed them when they approached the shop with a warm smile plastered on her withered features. It was reassuring to see Ms.Marnie still treating them as normal. Roxas said his own hello, and just as he was about to ask her about any possible stolen goods, the blond noticed her brown eyes roaming around as if looking for something. “Oh, dear.” She sighed, “It seems my cat has wandered off again. Roxas, could you please help me find her? I’m afraid these old eyes don’t work as well as they used to.”

“Umm…” Roxas wasn’t sure what to do. Normally, he’d be more than happy to help, but right now they had a mystery thief to catch and some names to clear. That old cat could be anywhere and searching for it would most likely cost their investigation a lot of time. He looked behind him helplessly at the others, wordlessly asking for any ideas. Hayner looked as conflicted, Pence nervously tugged at his shirt collar, and Olette looked as if she was going to advocate they agree in looking for the cat.

“You know, she might not be as lost as we think,” Pence spoke up, “If anything, she could still be here somewhere.”

Olette nodded in agreement. “That’s true, cats that are well cared for usually don’t travel that far from home.” Olette was well informed on the topic of cats’ behavior, having learned about it while caring for a couple of kittens she found in the forest some time ago.

“Huh. So, where would be the best place to hang out if you were a cat?” Hayner inquired. A mew was then heard from above as if responding to Hayner’s question.

All four teens stopped and listened until they heard the second mew, which once again sounded like it was coming from somewhere up top. Stepping back, Roxas looked up and spotted perched on the edge of the shop’s roof, a greyish colored cat accented with white markings washing one of its paws. One detail that stood out to the blond-haired teen was a particular red collar hanging around the cat’s neck. Well, what do you know? It appeared Lady Luck wasn’t fully ignoring them after all.

Roxas pointed towards the cat, “She’s up there!” He proclaimed, causing the others to look up as well.

Olette clapped, “Good eye, Roxas!” She cheered.

Hayner shook his head with a chuckle, “So, the cat’s been up on the roof this whole time. Why am I not surprised?”

“Can’t say I blame her, the view up there must be nice,” Pence remarked still looking upwards.

As if noticing she’d been found out, the cat calmly got on all four legs and did a crouch before leaping down from the roof, landing swiftly on the counter of the shop’s window in front of where Ms.Marnie stood. The elderly woman smiled joyfully seeing her companion back with her and pet the cat gently on the head, scratching behind the ears making the docile feline purr in delight.

“Thank you so much, Roxas,” Ms.Marnie smiled in gratitude when she turned her attention back towards them, “And to you three as well.” She said addressing Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

Hayner scratched the back of his head embarrassed, “Aww, we didn’t really do anything.”

Pence nodded, “Yeah, it was all Roxas.”

Roxas smiled, “Come on, we all helped.” He turned to look at Ms.Marnie, this time getting to the question he wanted to ask her, “Ms.Marnie, did something get stolen from you, too?”

Ms.Marnie looked crestfallen when she answered. “Ah, yes. Something really important.” She said quietly. Everyone looked at her with sadness in their eyes. They never liked seeing her look so down, especially when she’d herself go out of her way to cheer them up when they had their occasional gloomy days. Ms. Marnie smiled once more since as old as she was, she was no less wise. “And I know it wasn’t you, dears. I don’t believe that you would ever be capable of doing such a thing.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Roxas felt relieved and even more grateful towards the Candy Shop Owner. “What exactly did they take from you?”

“My ______. My precious ______.” She answered.

“So the culprit is going around stealing ______.” Hayner remarked as he narrowed blond eyebrows in thought. “And not just the ______, but the word _____, too.”

“Doesn’t sound like your average thief,” Pence said thoughtfully.

“You think Seifer might know anything?” Asked Olette.

“Only one way to find out,” Roxas stated. “Let’s head to the Sandlot!” And with that, the four friends said goodbye to Miss Marnie and set off to confront their longtime rival.
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Arriving at the Sandlot, they spotted the three members of Seifer’s gang standing in front of a scoreboard huddled in what appeared to be some sort of discussion. Surprisingly, their leader was nowhere to be seen.

One of the members, a squatty looking boy named Vivi, jumped upon seeing Roxas and his gang approach and quickly pointed them out to his colleagues. The other two, previously having their backs turned, looked over to where Vivi was pointing and jumped in alert when they realized who had come.

Fuu, a girl with short silver hair, loosened her arms from their previously crossed position and sharply pointed her finger in Roxas’s direction. “Thieves.” She declared in a voice that was monotone yet still held the full weight of an accusation. For as long as he remembered, Roxas had never once heard Fuu use more than two words whenever she spoke. Everyone in town was pretty much on the receiving end of her short frank responses, the other members of the Disciplinary Committee being the only possible exceptions.

Hayner’s stance became defensive while Roxas, Pence, and Olette simply stood and glared in response to that accusation. They expected it, but it didn’t mean it was any less irritating to hear. “Oh Yeah?” Hayner fired back.

“Tch. Nice comeback, blondie.”

A voice taunted from the right entrance of The Sandlot. Everyone turned their heads to see the leader of the Disciplinary Committee himself striding over with an arrogant smirk on his face as the tails of his iconic white vest coat flowed behind him.

The hot-headed blond growled and held up a fist. “What’d you say?!” He could barely restrain himself from confronting his rival head-on.

Seifer was a young man who was tall, blond, and had an imposing appearance with a disposition to match. Roxas always figured that intimidation was what let Seifer stay as the town’s law enforcement for so long. No one often questioned Seifer’s word, which was probably why Hayner and his gang were always at the top of his shit list. Mostly Hayner though, since he was the one who never hesitated to engage Seifer every chance he got.

Roxas’s eyes narrowed in defiance when the taller blond shifted his attention towards him. “You can give us back our ____ now.” Seifer told, already an edge to his tone.

“Yeah! You guys are the only ones who’d take it, y’know?” Added Rai, a burly young man who possessed plenty of brawn but not enough brains. Rai was considered to be Seifer’s biggest advocate as the former often backed whatever Seifer said and did without question.

Roxas stayed silent. Everyone’s ______ were stolen and with the lack of evidence, there was no way to convince those who were so sure of his guilt. And with Seifer’s crew being the main enforcer of this prosecution, it was guaranteed he and his friends would never have a moment’s peace if this was left unresolved.

“I can see why you losers would take it, though.” Seifer circled them like a wolf to its prey. “That was undeniable proof of how bad we owned you peons.” He pressed on, “So, what’d you do? Burn it? Tear it to shreds?”

Roxas knew what Seifer was referring to. Last year’s Struggle tournament ended in what was considered a year’s worth of bragging rights for the Disciplinary Committee and a long period of being the laughing stock for the Twilight Town Gang. Granted said period only lasted two weeks at best. But still, it was a long and humiliating two weeks.

Seeing that no one was answering, the tall blond huffed out a laugh as he joined his comrades. He remarked with a dismissive wave of his hand, “Not that we actually need the _____ to prove how much you twerps suck.”

“Replay.” Fuu suggested. Seifer began to laugh. A loud and sinister laugh.

The opposing gang all cringed, they knew nothing good would come with Seifer letting out a laugh of that caliber.

“Now you’re talking!” The Disciplinary Committee leader along with his subordinates positioned themselves into fighting stances, ready to make good on Fuu’s idea.

Roxas and Hayner both quickly moved into their own positions, the two being the most active and experienced fighters of their group. Pence looked nervous but stood his ground keeping a protective hand over his camera. While he mainly stayed out of the fights, Pence was capable of defending himself if the need arose. Olette positioned her right foot more to the side, keeping her stance passive but also ready to defend herself just in case. Even if she didn’t look it, the brunet girl could actually handle herself in a physical altercation. Just like Pence, though, Olette wasn’t one to go looking for a fight.

Seifer smirked. “But y’know? If you get on your knees and beg for forgiveness, I Might let it slide.”

“Ha! In your dreams.” Spat Hayner.

Something then caught Roxas’s attention as he kept his gaze on their opponent. Peering downwards, the blond was able to make out three long blue objects laying at Seifer’s feet. After thinking for a few seconds, an idea formed into his head. ‘If it’s a fight he wants, it’s a fight he’ll get.’ Roxas relaxed his stance and walked forward, surprising his friends.

“Roxas.” Hayner whispered to him, “What are you doing?”

Roxas ignored his friend and kept moving until he was only a few feet in front of the opposing group. Hanging his head, he then got down on his hand and knees as if in a form of surrender. Seifer smirked at this and lowered his guard, thinking he had won. Unknowest to him, the shorter blond had taken advantage of his ground position and was shifting his eyes between the blue objects, which Roxas could now see were Struggle weapons, each a different style. Perfect.

Within seconds, Roxas pushed himself off the ground and dashed towards the weapons. He dove for the one that lay on the far right and rolled backward with it in tow. It was the standard Struggle bat. The “blade” was elongated and structured out of blue foam while mounted on a yellow plastic handle which was similar in length. The blond readied himself holding the Struggle bat challengingly as his friends cheered and complimented him on the maneuver.

If Seifer was surprised he didn’t show it. The taller blond instead scoffed in annoyance and grabbed a Struggle Bat which was handed to him from Vivi and stepped onto the arena. “Fine, Whatever.” He declared, smirk back at full force. “I guess I’ll just have to teach you a lesson a second time.”

The shorter blond said nothing and tensed the second Seifer went in for a first strike. Roxas ducked from the swing and responded with a thrust which Seifer blocked. The two exchanged blow after blow while their respective allies cheered from the sidelines. Eventually, the match reached its finishing point.

“Kneel, loser!” Seifer struck at Roxas, knocking him back.

“Gah!”

“Tch, is that the best you can do? How ‘bout you quit playin’ around and fight?” Taunted Seifer pointing with his weapon mockingly.

“Roxas, Focus!” Pence called out. The blond managed to recover mid-air and dove back towards his opponent with a flurry of attacks that actually made the other stagger, leaving him open.

“Backoff!” With a final combo, Roxas had succeeded in disarming Seifer causing the latter to stumble backward before falling to his knees.

Roxas kept his stance up just in case the taller decided to get back up. To his surprise, Seifer was down for the count. Hayner and Olette ran to him, giving him congratulatory pats on the back while complimenting how awesome he was for putting Seifer in his place. Pence had stayed back so that he could take a ____ to commemorate this moment.

Rai and Fuu ran over and stood in front of Seifer.

“S-Seifer’s not feeling so hot today.” Rai stammered.

“Tournament decides!” Fuu protested. If Roxas didn’t know any better, he’d say that she actually sounded a tad desperate there.

Roxas turned around in time to see Pence press the shutter button on his camera, successfully taking the _____. The hickory haired boy smiled and gave his friend a thumbs up. However, in a blink of an eye, something white and elastic-like slithered in the air and swiped the camera out of Pence’s hands. Roxas could’ve sworn he spotted a zipper where the thing’s mouth was supposed to be.

Everyone watched in bewilderment as the abnormal creatures took off out of the Sandlot.

“What was that?!” Hayner exclaimed.

“The thief?” Asked Olette.

Everyone agreed there was only one way to find out. The four friends then ran in the same direction as the mysterious creature leaving Seifer and his gang behind.
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Roxas gained more traction in the pursuit, making sure that he didn’t lose sight of the creature as he followed it past the Tram Commons and into the dark woods that connected the town to the old mansion. The slippery suspect was weaving to and from the tall trees that made up the forest, as if beckoning Roxas to follow it. The blond held his knees and panted as he watched it zip in the direction of the manor.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Having caught his breath, the teen resumed the chase, determined to apprehend the creature.

Roxas knew he was close when the forest began to thin and the path opened, unveiling the distinctive quaint structure of the mansion as it stood looming over the tree line. The steel bars of the gate were shut as always, discouraging any trespassers who may attempt to enter. Finally exiting the woods, the blond stood at the entrance looking around hoping to spot the mysterious white creature.

His search was then interrupted by something shiny catching his attention. Squinting his eyes, Roxas followed the source of the light, discovering that the sun was reflecting off of something small and metal on the ground. What he saw with the metal object shocked him.

Roxas’s gaze fell upon a boy lying curled up and unmoving on the ground in front of the mansion’s gate.

The metal object he was looking at was a crown shaped charm hanging by a silver chain around the boy’s neck. For that moment, Roxas had forgotten about the elusive thief and ran to where the boy was laying.

The boy’s skin was of a light tan, complemented by spiky looking chocolate-brown hair which covered his face. He wore a black and white short-sleeved jacket over a red jumpsuit, yellow shoes were on his feet, and on his hands were white fingerless gloves.

“Oh god. Is he even alive?” The boy looked too still and vulnerable for his liking.

Kneeling down, Roxas placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. ‘He’s warm. Well, that’s one good sign.’ He gently turned him over until he was cradled in Roxas’s arms. To his relief, the mysterious brunet was still breathing as indicated by the slow heaving of his chest.

‘Who is he?’ Roxas thought, ‘And how did he get like this?’

The boy appeared to be roughly around the same age as Roxas himself, however he also felt smaller and lighter. A small gust of wind blew the boy’s chocolate bangs sideways exposing more of his face. Roxas was awestruck.

‘He-He’s actually kinda cute.’ He blushed looking down at the serene face adorned by long dark lashes and soft looking pink lips. ‘Pretty, even.’

Wait. What?

Roxas shook his head furiously, “Where’d that come from? I should be focusing on getting this guy help!” He was so gonna whack himself after this. The blond then heard a soft groan and felt the form in his arms stir. The boy’s eyes flickered before fully opening, revealing to Roxas unfocused but, he couldn’t help but notice, beautiful ocean-blue eyes.

The brunet blinked and squinted as his eyes adjusted, doing his best to gain some focus. Once his vision finally cleared, the first thing he saw was Roxas’s concerned face. He let out a small gasp only for his eyes to snap shut having been overwhelmed by the sun’s rays. He faced away from Roxas and looked around in a desperate attempt to make sense of his surroundings.

“Wha-Where? How-?” He whispered. He didn’t know where he was or how he got here. Whatever he tried to remember resulted in him drawing a blank.

“Hey, easy.” Roxas calmly told the other boy as if sensing his distress and confusion. “You’re going to be alright. My name’s Roxas.” The brunet boy looked up at him.

“Roxas…?”

“That’s right, what’s yours?”

The tanned boy found himself having to think for that question. What was his name? Fortunately, something in his head clicked that allowed him to recall that piece of information.

“...Sora.”

“Sora...” Roxas repeated. Something about that name felt strangely familiar. Though, he couldn’t put a finger on it.

“Where...am I?”

“You’re in Twilight Town. How did you get here?”

Sora was about to answer how he didn’t even know when he noticed something moving over the other boy’s shoulder. His eyes widened alarmingly as the thing darted towards them.

“Look out!”

The blond looked over his shoulder seeing it was the same white creature he had been pursuing earlier.

“Shit!” Roxas held Sora to himself and dove to the side evading the creature’s lunge. The two toppled over each other in the process. Roxas quickly checked on Sora, deliberately placing himself between the brunet and the assailant. Sora was still on the ground, leaning on his arms for support. He gave Roxas a slight smile reassuring the other boy that he was okay much to the former’s relief.

The creature stayed put, much to the boys’ surprise. Roxas stared at the symbol imprinted on top of its head. Something about it gave him an unnerved feeling but he quickly dismissed it. The zipper keeping its “mouth” shut moved to the other side of its face. The slit opened wide, exposing what appeared to be a faceless grey head.

“We have come for you, my liege. The Original as well.”

“Huh?” Roxas was taken aback. Did that thing just talk? He looked down at Sora who was just as surprised. “Did you hear that, too?”

Sora nodded. “I did.” He shivered. He couldn’t help but feel it staring at him intently, if that was even possible. “It doesn’t look too friendly.”

Roxas glared at the white being. “No. But, I already got a bone to pick with it.” He then asked Sora, “Can you get up?”

The brunet bit his lip and attempted to move his leg. The limbs had felt numb, but there was also some movement present. “Barely.” He answered honestly. “I probably need a moment.”

Roxas stared at the white creature before he stood back up. “Stay down, alright? I’ll handle this thing.” A bold statement considering he didn’t know what they were dealing with. But, Roxas knew he had to try, especially if it meant protecting Sora from whatever the creature would try to do.

Sora gave him a worried look but nodded.

Roxas gripped the Struggle bat he brought with him and charged at the creature with Sora watching from the sidelines. The brunet wanted to help, but he knew he’d just get in the way in his current state. All he could do was trust that Roxas was capable of fighting it off.

However, Roxas was already having problems. No matter how accurate he was with his strikes, none of them seemed to make contact. It was as if his weapon was just phasing through the enemy. This went on for a couple of minutes. The fair-haired teen stood on the opposite end of his opponent growling in frustration.

“Damn it.” He cursed. “Is there really no way to hit it?”

Suddenly, a spiral of numbers and lights circled around his Struggle bat. Roxas looked in bewilderment as his bat disappeared only to be replaced with a weapon that looked like a giant key.

“Wha- What is this thing?” The blue-eyed boy couldn’t help but ask aloud as he held it forward, his hand shaking from the now heavier weight. The key’s steel blade, curved at the end with crown-shaped teeth, was pointed towards the white being as if indicating for Roxas to use it against it.

Sora gasped. “That key-” He whispered, only to cry out feeling a sharp pain burst through his head.

“Sora?!” Roxas looked over his shoulder at the downed boy in worry.

The brunet shook his head, still struggling with the pain. “Gngh! I’m okay….Just- You need to take them out, Roxas!”

Them? Roxas looked back and saw that now four of the same white being had appeared.

Oh, great. He had to make this quick if he wanted to get Sora out of there safely.

When one of the creatures lunged at him, the blond avoided it by sliding around behind it. As the creature looked around in confusion, Roxas took the chance and brought the key shaped weapon down.

To his delight, the attack made contact causing the thing to recoil and stagger. Filled with newfound vigor, Roxas attacked the stunned enemy once more. The thing stood no chance against Roxas’s combination of strikes and slashes. It wasn’t long before the blond launched it into the air and delivered a final midair combo, the enemy dissipating in a swirly mist. Roxas landed on his feet and panted from the exhilaration.

One down, three to go.

The blond was making quick work out of the remaining enemies. He figured they shared the same patterns and weaknesses making him more confident dealing with the stragglers.

Sora on his end continued to observe the battle, the pain in his head fortunately already subsided. He was amazed at how well Roxas fought, but the brunet knew the other would tire eventually especially with how more aggressive the creatures’ were becoming. He wished he could help the blond in some way. There wasn’t anything nearby he could use as a weapon, and even though he could feel strength returning it still wouldn’t be enough for him to jump in.

“There’s gotta be something I could do,” Sora said to himself in frustration. “But, what?” As if to answer his question, he heard what sounded like a girl calling to him from inside his head.

“Sora.”

“Huh? Who’re you?”

“Use this. Remember that you have a Fire inside.”

Fire?

Just then, he saw a scene play out in his head.

“What’s happening?” He could see in his mind flames of energy being shot towards dark creatures possessing eyes that glowed yellow. “Fire!”, the caster had yelled. The scene faded just the targets of the blazing projectiles disappearing into a shadowy mist.

“I can do that?” The brunet wondered, examining his gloved hands in front of him. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was supposed to accomplish that. But….Sora looked at Roxas still preoccupied with the ongoing battle, the blond showing signs of exhaustion yet was still fighting on. He needed to try.

Sora closed his eyes and balled his hands into fists in concentration, hoping that something, anything, would come to him. He tried to think of anything that could possibly make the fire appear like what he saw in his head, but to no avail. Opening his eyes, Sora looked helplessly at the other boy.

'Roxas…'

The brunet closed his eyes again and took a deep breath, this time thinking of Roxas.

'He’s fighting hard to protect me.' He thought. 'I gotta help Roxas.'

He paused.

'No.' Sora amended resolutely, 'I Will help Roxas.'

Sora’s eyes snapped open feeling an intense warmth within his hands. Sure enough, dancing over his open palms were small crimson flames.

He did it! He smiled feeling accomplished. But, now what?

“Gngh!”

Sora instantly looked up seeing that the pained yell came from Roxas. The blond had been knocked down and was steadying himself on one knee to stay up. Meanwhile, the white creatures were moving in a circle around him fluidly as if preparing to attack him simultaneously. Without thinking, Sora got to his feet and ran over.

“Roxas!” He shouted. The paler boy looked up while the three remaining creatures turned their heads at the sound of the brunet’s voice. Sora closed his hands and immediately extended his palms out, the flaming energy shooting out of his hands and hitting all three enemies, throwing them back. Roxas couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Woah!” The abnormal beings lay twitching with small embers burning in various spots on their skin. The blond stared at Sora as the latter kneeled down next to him.

“Roxas, are you alright?” Sora asked him, worry shining in his ocean eyes.

Roxas only stared at him and eventually said, “Was that you?” Gesturing to the burnt enemies. The brunet nodded and held out his hands with the palms facing up. After some concentration, Sora made the same flame he conjured earlier reappear. Sora watched as the blond stared blankly at his hands for a moment before finally registering what was going on. He barely kept himself from giggling at Roxas resembling a fish with the way his mouth dropped open.

“Wha-I don’t-How is that-?” He stuttered. A million questions raced through the blond’s head but only one came out coherent. “How are you even doing that?” Roxas asked, inspecting every angle of the flame dancing on Sora’s hands.

Sora lowered his hands causing the flame to disappear in a small puff of smoke. He shrugged. “I’m not sure. All I know is that I saw you were in trouble and I had to do something. But to be honest, I wasn’t expecting this kind of something.”

Roxas shook his head in disbelief. “Can’t say I was, either.” He sighed but gave the smaller boy a smile. “I’m not complaining, though. Whatever you did really saved my hide. Thanks, Sora.”

Sora returned the smile feeling his cheeks flush. “You’re welcome,” he said softly.

The moment was then interrupted in the form of the creatures springing back to their feet, seemingly shrugging off the physical burns Sora inflicted on them.

The boys quickly stood up facing what they hoped would be the last of those creatures. While Roxas didn’t do too bad on his own, having Sora fight by his side made a significant difference. He engaged the foes head-on, while the brunet cast the projectile fireballs at the ones who attempted to get the drop on him. There was now one enemy left. However, instead of attacking, it now looked to be in a state of confusion as it turned its head between Roxas and Sora.

The boys eyed each other, both wondering where its previous aggression went. Nevertheless, they proceeded to finish it off with a combined effort of Sora’s fire magic and Roxas delivering one final strike with the key weapon. The creature convulsed in defeat and burst in an explosion of light. After making sure more weren’t coming, Sora and Roxas both relaxed simultaneously letting out tired sighs. But before either of them could say anything, the key weapon Roxas used spontaneously vanished.

“Well, so much for that.” The blond noted examining his now empty hand.

“Hey, Roxas-” Sora aimed to point at something, when he was immediately hit by a wave of dizziness. He stumbled backwards holding his head.

“Woah!”

Roxas caught the other boy before he fell to the ground. “Are you alright?” Sora groaned but nodded. “I’m surprised you were able to get up that fast.”

“Ngh. So am I. I may have overdone it, though.”

The brunet then remembered he was trying to show Roxas something. “Anyway, look over there!” He pointed towards a thin pile of small squared shaped papers laying just a few feet away from them. “They must’ve been dropped by those guys we just fought.”

Roxas looked over at the pile. “You might be right.” He gazed down at Sora, who so happened to be facing him as well. They both froze when their gazes locked, deep sapphire meeting ocean blue. Roxas felt his heartbeat increase seeing the brunet up-close yet again. Then realizing just how close in proximity they were, the two sprung apart. They looked away from each other laughing nervously, both equally bashful.

The blond cleared his throat and stated quite awkwardly, “So-uh….I guess we better….go check them out?” Roxas really was going to whack himself. 'Duh. What else would you do with them?' He just met Sora and was already looking like an idiot.

Thankfully, the other boy just nodded and walked over to the pile with Roxas following. They both examined the items strewn about on the ground, different images printed on the pieces of paper. “These are all photos.” Sora remarked.

“Oh!” Sora looked at Roxas in surprise at the small outburst. “You just said photo!” The blond stated.

“Well, yeah.“ Sora scratched his head, confused as to why it was such a big deal. “Am I not supposed to?” Roxas shook his head and began to gather up the photographs with Sora’s help.

“It’s hard to explain.” He said. “But, I need to get back into town and show these to my friends. They’re gonna be glad about this.” Sora gave the photos he picked up to Roxas who smiled and took them with thanks. “You should come with me. I don’t think it’s safe to hang around here, anyway. Not if there are more of those things.” The brunet nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, not sure if I wanna stick around to find out.”

Roxas chuckled, “Then it’s settled. Let’s go.” With that, the two left the old mansion behind and began the small trek into the forest that would lead them back into town. Roxas took the lead as Sora followed at a safe distance while looking around curiously.

They were just about to approach the entrance to the Tram Commons when Roxas remembered something he meant to ask Sora earlier. The taller boy paused in his movements and turned around causing Sora to also stop, tilting his head in question.

“I didn’t get to ask earlier,” Roxas started, “but, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before. What were you doing out here and where did you come from?”

Sora pondered on the question for a while before lowering his gaze and shaking his head, “You know, I’m really not too sure.” He answered. “I don’t know how I ended up in front of that mansion or what I was doing before.”

Roxas frowned in concern.

“But, what about your family? Or friends? Surely, you’d know some people.”

An immense silence hung in the air.

Eventually, Sora spoke, looking even more downcasted. “I...I don’t, actually. The only thing I’m confident of knowing is my name.”

“You mean, you lost your memory?”

“Maybe…”

Now, Roxas felt like a jerk. Sora was alone and confused, and here he was badgering the brunet about things he couldn’t even remember.

“I’m sorry.” Roxas apologized, his voice sincere. “That was pretty insensitive of me.”

Sora just shook his head, “It’s okay. You didn’t know.”

Roxas felt really bad for the boy. To be lost, not being able to remember where you came from or who you knew…

It only took a minute until the blond decided right then and there what he could do for Sora. He walked closer to the other boy and reached out, laying a hand on his shoulder. He said, “You can stay with me.” Sora looked back up in surprise at the invite.

“I’m serious,” Roxas continued with a smile, “I wanna help you, Sora. And it’s the least I can do since you helped me get those photos back and everything.” The brunet only stared at Roxas, still in disbelief that he was being given such a generous offer, and by someone he just met no less.

After a moment, the corners of his mouth perked upwards into a bright smile. Roxas blushed and felt his heart flutter again. He could get used to seeing more of Sora’s smile, it made even this dark forest seem lighter.

“Thank you, Roxas.” Came Sora's soft reply.

Roxas coughed to compose himself and nodded. “Don’t mention it. It’s what friends do, we help each other.”

“Friends...” Hearing that word elicited a warm feeling within the brunet. “You…. already think of me as a friend?” he asked, genuinely surprised.

“I do.” Roxas affirmed. “If you don’t mind, that is.” He quickly added, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Sora did look like he needed a friend, especially in his current state, and Roxas was more than willing to be one to him if he’ll let him. Roxas had no doubt Hayner and the others wouldn’t have any trouble taking a liking to the brunet boy as well. From what he had seen, Sora was brave, sincere, and seemed to possess a strong air of kindness. He'd fit in just fine.

Sora grinned once again. “Not in the slightest.” he cheerfully stated. He wasn’t sure how he could even repay such kindness. He considered himself extremely lucky and overjoyed to have the fair-haired teen as his first friend.

Roxas smiled back. “Good.” And with that, the two stepped out of the darkness of the forest and into the bright orange-tinted glow that covered the main area of the town.

They trekked in silence, the only sounds being their shoes stepping on the bricked surface of the street.

Both boys were in deep states of reflection.

For Roxas, the previous dread over earlier events was now replaced with the anticipation of a new friendship with Sora and determination to help the amnesiac boy through his situation. Sora on his end had mixed feelings of fear over the uncertainty of his situation but also relief and hope knowing he wouldn’t be alone in dealing with it.

Chapter Text

Sora took in the sights around him, his blue eyes wandering curiously around the buildings and shops highlighted by their colorful neon signs. The brunet was more at ease feeling the town’s peaceful atmosphere and thought he wouldn’t mind the prospect of staying here for the time being.

“So, this is Twilight Town.”

Roxas smiled and fondly remarked, “Yup. Home sweet home.” He turned to Sora. “I can give you a tour later.” He promised. “Right now, I’d like you to meet my friends.”

Sora grinned. “Sounds good to me.” He said, only to hold his arm up shielding his face as the sun shone in his face. “Geez, that’s bright!” The sun was already bright back at the mansion, breaking through even the blockage of trees standing to shield against it. However, being out in the more open space of the streets left Sora feeling the sun’s intensity even more.

“You get used to it,” Roxas said reassuringly. He remembered feeling irritated over how bright the sun was and would prefer to stay indoors most of the time because of it. Over time though, he grew to accept the overwhelming nature of the sun as a part of the town’s daily life and what gave it its charm. “It can get annoying sometimes, but in some places, it’s really amazing to look at. Like from the top of the clock tower.”

“There’s a clock tower?” Sora asked in wonder and began looking around. “Where is it?” He had never seen a clock tower before, at least as far as he knew, so the thought of being on top of one excited him.

“Easy.” Roxas laughed, highly amused at the other boy’s curious manner. “I said I’d give you the tour later, remember?” Sora pouted a little but didn’t protest. This caused Roxas to chuckle even more. “C’mon, Sora.” He grabbed the brunet’s hand and led him through the rest of the street to the Usual Place.

Unknown to the boys, a certain blond haired girl stood near the entrance of the forest. She silently watched as their backs disappeared further out of view and let out a sigh of relief. Her pale pink lips arched into a small smile. No doubt Diz was going to be displeased once he learned of these turn of events, but what’s done was done.

Sora and Roxas’s fates were now intertwined. How closely intertwined, though, will be left up to them.

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The two boys had reached the Usual Place in little time. On the way, Sora noticed the townspeople giving them odd looks. When he asked Roxas about it, the taller boy had replied it was probably him they were mostly staring at, which led to the blond explaining about the ordeal with the photos and how he came to chase that creature in white to the mansion. To Roxas’s surprise, Sora listened the whole time without an ounce of judgment. If anything, the brunet empathized with his plight.

“So, everyone claimed you guys were the ones who stole them? With no proof?” Sora asked as they approached the gate to the hideout. Roxas grimly confirmed it. “That’s horrible.” Sora shook his head. “‘Sorry you had to deal with that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the blond said casually. “It’s over and done with. And what’s important is that we got the photos back in the end.” To be honest, he was still a little bitter about the accusations thrown at him. But like he told Sora, the matter was more likely to be settled now that the stolen items were retrieved and everyone could move on. “Although, I could’ve done without those living jacket things.” He joked.

Sora looked down. “Sorry about that, too.”

Roxas furrowed a brow, “Why are you sorry?” He asked, genuinely confused.

“For not helping sooner. You got pretty beat up back there.”

The blond smirked, waving a hand like it was no big deal, “Oh, that? Please. I’m tougher than I look, believe it or not. As if I’d let a couple of weird looking guys in white suits take me out.” He puffed his chest out in that dramatic macho way. He was hoping to cheer Sora up by making him laugh.

Fortunately, it worked. Sora chuckled heartily, “I don’t know, Roxas, those weird looking guys did a good job knocking you on your butt.” He teased.

“Hey!” Roxas wound his arm around the smaller boy trapping him in a headlock. Sora squealed and tried to free himself but alas, the blond proved to be stronger. With a triumphant laugh, Roxas gave Sora a noogie. He didn’t do it as roughly like the ones he’d give Hayner, if out of consideration for the brunet still feeling physically weak. “Is that any way to talk to your rescuer?”

“Excuse you!” Sora pointed out between laughs, “I had to rescue you too, you know!”

“True. But in hindsight, I mostly had it handled.”

“In hindsight, you still needed my help.”

Roxas released the other boy still chuckling. “I know, I know. But in all seriousness, I am grateful you stepped in, Sora.” Sora huffed but still smiled at Roxas knowing he had meant it.

“Hey, what’s going on out here?”

Both boys turned around to see Hayner, followed by Olette and Pence, running out of the gate.

Roxas waved. “Hey, guys!”

The trio stopped upon seeing Sora and looked at him curiously. “Woah! And who are you?” Hayner immediately asked. Sora scratched the back of his head, feeling flustered and out of place. Roxas placed a reassuring hand on the other boy’s shoulder while Olette swiftly hit the back of Hayner’s head.

“Hayner, don’t be rude!” The brunet girl chided before smiling at Sora. “Sorry about him, sometimes his mouth runs faster than his head.” Roxas and Pence snickered at the remark as Hayner rubbed his head grumbling. Sora giggled in amusement at the antics between the friends. “Are you going to introduce us, Roxas?” Olette asked.

“Oh! Right! Guys, meet Sora. I ran into him while chasing after the thief. Sora, meet the gang. The girl wearing the orange shirt is Olette, the guy with the headband is Pence, and the guy who just got smacked by Olette, his name’s Hayner.”

Sora gave a jovial wave in greeting. “Hi, there!”

Olette smiled in delight. “It’s nice to meet you, Sora.”

Pence followed. “Yeah, any friend of Roxas is a friend of ours.” Sora beamed at that. He was more than thrilled at the prospect of making more friends.

Hayner, still a little disgruntled about the earlier smack, lifted his hand in a half-hearted wave. “Hey.”

Olette rolled her eyes at his attitude and went to address Roxas.

“Any luck with the thief?”

Roxas shook his head. “Not really. But, I did find these.” He then took out the photographs to show to the others. The trio jolted in shock.

“No way!” Hayner, already over his sour mood, ran over and took the stack of photos from Roxas’s hands to look through them. “Good work, Roxas!” He complimented.

“Don’t give me all the credit, I wouldn’t have gotten them back without Sora’s help.” Roxas stated, gesturing to his new friend. Sora smiled bashfully at the praise. Hayner, Pence, and Olette were all astonished.

“Really?” Roxas nodded smiling.

“Wow. Thanks, Sora,” Hayner said. “I guess we really owe you one.”

Sora casually placed his hands behind his head and chirped, “It’s no problem. I already owe Roxas, so we can call it even on that.” The three gave Roxas inquisitive looks, curious about the last statement.

“So, you already know about the stolen stuff and everything?” Pence asked Sora, shifting uncomfortably.

“He should, it’s still the talk of the town.” Hayner retorted.

“Actually,” Sora spoke up, “I just heard about it from Roxas. He told me about how you guys were suspected by the townspeople of stealing their stuff.” The three winced, but Sora just smiled looking around at them. “I know it sounds weird, since we just met and everything, but you guys don’t look the type to be thieves.”

The three stared dumbfounded at Sora. They honestly didn’t expect the newcomer to take their side, especially when considering how convinced the majority of the town were of their supposed guilt. Eventually, the self-proclaimed leader of the group said,

“I think I like him already.” resulting in a greatly astonished Olette and Pence. Usually, it took some time for their stubborn friend to warm up to a new person. At least, unless the person happened to be a girl.

“Why don’t we talk more about this inside so that Sora can sit down?” Roxas suggested. Sora had to have been still exhausted from earlier. He had noticed the brunet’s legs beginning to sway and quickly placed a supporting hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, are you not feeling well, Sora?” Olette had asked, already concerned for the newcomer.

“I do feel a little woozy, still.” The brunet admitted as he leaned on Roxas. “I was kinda passed out when Roxas found me, so...” Everyone except Roxas gasped.

Olette immediately sprung into action. “Why didn’t you say so?! Let’s get you inside, Sora.” Sora could only stammer as the brunet girl grabbed his hand and dragged him away from Roxas and more into the hangout spot. Roxas, Hayner, and Pence all joined in making sure Sora didn’t fall over in the process.

“Yeah, man, can’t have you falling over on us,” Hayner remarked, keeping Sora’s shoulders steady.

“I’ll go set up a spot where you can rest,” Pence added and ran to the dark green couch to clear away the clutter on top of it.

Roxas couldn’t help but laugh seeing Sora getting flanked and steered around. It was like watching a bunch of farmers arguing over the direction of a wheelbarrow. “Hey, guys, be careful with him! At least give him a minute before you start throwing him around.” Sora looked at Roxas and just smiled while shrugging in an ‘Oh well’ manner. Roxas merely shook his head but also smiled. Looks like he was right, Sora was practically already one of them.

“Thank you. I think I can make it the rest of the way.” Sora said as Hayner and Olette brought him near the couch. The two let go but remained close just in case.

Sora managed the small distance and sat down on the couch sighing in relief. The couch was rough and understuffed, but much more comfortable than the cold ground. He gazed around the interior hangout spot, taking a gander at the various items decorating the space. His attention was centered on a pair of wooden swords leaning against the far wall. The brunet couldn’t understand it, but the sight of them felt familiar.

“Nice place you got here.” The brunet could see that the space has been well used and made to be pretty cozy. If it weren’t for the adrenaline he still felt from the earlier battle, he would’ve fallen asleep right then and there.

“Glad you think so,“ Sora turned to Roxas who had taken a seat next to him. Olette sat on the other side of the couch, while Hayner and Pence settled for sitting on the floor. “It’s not much, but this is the place to go if you want some peace and quiet.” the blond teen continued.

“Most of the time, at least.” Hayner snorted while pointing upwards towards the ceiling.

“Huh?” Sora glanced up and noticed that in the ceiling was really a large opening covered by wooden beams spaced out on top, allowing light from the sun outside to peer through. The brunet cocked his head to the side, still not quite getting what Hayner had meant.

A casual smirk formed on the dirty blond teen’s face. “Don’t worry, you’ll hear it before you see it.” His expression then turned serious. “You said you were passed out when Roxas found you. How did that happen?”

Roxas and Sora looked at each other sharing unsettled expressions. They established an agreement earlier to not disclose anything about the mysterious creatures or the key-shaped weapon Roxas had, figuring no one would believe them. Hell, both boys had a hard time believing it themselves. However, they might as well share some semblance of the truth.

Sora sighed, “Your guess is as good as mine.” he replied, playing with a loose string sticking out of the cushion. The others looked at him confused.

“He can’t remember anything that happened beforehand.” Roxas stepped in, the others looking in shock. “That’s another reason why I brought him here, I didn’t want to leave him alone like this.”

“Shit. Sorry, man.” Hayner genuinely told Sora. The blue-eyed teen said it was okay, not really all that bothered.

Olette then spoke up, “We should help figure out his living situation then.”

“There’s no need, Olette,” Roxas informed. “he’s going to be staying with me.” Everyone except Sora stared at him open-mouthed.

“He is?” Hayner couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah-?” Roxas arched a brow. “What? You don’t think I make a good host?”

“It ain’t that,” Hayner raised his hands in mock defense. “I’m just surprised you’d be that willing to share your space. Hell, you barely tolerate us sleeping over.”

“Wow, ‘tolerate’. So you do know how to use a dictionary.” Roxas snickered as he dodged an empty soda bottle thrown at him. “Number one, that’s because my place always ends up trashed after said sleepovers. And guess who leaves the most trash?” The last part was emphasized with a pointed look.

Pence and Olette coughed to hide their laughs, they knew it wasn’t them who Roxas was referring to. Sora seemed to get it as well with how he covered his mouth to hide his smile. Hayner rolled his eyes but made no retort, more or less accepting of his fate to be the low-key butt-monkey of this conversation.

“And number two,” Roxas continued, “I’m willing to make an exception.” He sent a smile to the boy next to him. Sora smiled back, his cheeks taking on a pink tint.

The others watched the interaction between the two, not missing a beat in noticing how comfortable they already were with each other. Olette giggled softly to herself, waving off Hayner and Pence’s perplexed stares. The brunet girl cleared her throat.

“That’s great to know. But, Sora, don’t be afraid to also come to us if you need anything.” Pence and Hayner nodded in agreement.

“Yeah,” Hayner added, “if something’s up, just say the word and we’ll be there.” The spikey-haired teen smiled appreciatively at the sentiments and gave them his thanks. Hayner’s expression turned serious once more as he proceeded to ask Roxas for details about the picture thief.

Roxas shared a side-eyed glance with Sora before answering.

“Not much to say.” He stated, knowing that wasn’t entirely true, “The photos were just lying there when Sora and I got to them.” Hayner, Pence, and Olette jumped in response to hearing the previously missing word.

“Did you just say-”

“Yeah. I was just as surprised as you are.”

“Then, how do we prove we weren’t the ones who took them?” Hayner groaned out.

Everyone just shrugged, resigned that the real thief’s identity would remain uncovered. Hayner looked down at one of the photos and let out a snicker. He held it up for the others to see resulting in a laugh from everyone except Roxas who just sighed.

“It’s a girl.” Hayner teased. The picture he picked up just so happened to be of Roxas and Jessie standing shoulder to shoulder to each other. Jessie was shown to be making a friendly gesture to the camera while Roxas just stood there smiling calmly.

Sora nudged Roxas slightly with his elbow. “Someone looks happy.” He teased. Roxas looked away with an embarrassed blush.

“Do not.”

Olette glanced at a photo she had picked up before handing it to Sora. “This is a nice one.” She commented. It was another photo with Roxas in it, only this time the blond was standing in front of the Armor Shop with Biggs himself situated behind the counter. Both were smiling amicably in the picture. The brunet had to agree, the picture made for a pleasant scene.

Roxas leaned over to take a look. He recalled what occurred at the time that the photo was taken. “I was his first customer when he took over the shop.” He explained to Sora. “So, we took a picture together.”

Sora smiled, still looking down at the picture. “That’s great.”

Pence had a thoughtful expression after looking through all the photos. “Say, does anyone else notice something odd with these photos? They all seem to be of Roxas.”

Roxas blinked in surprise not knowing how to feel about that piece of information. “Are they really?” He asked curiously.

Hayner held up a couple more photos, supporting Pence’s statement. “Looks like it, man.” He confirmed.

Olette let out a noise in understanding. “Oh! So, that’s why everyone thought it was us!”

“And Seifer wasn’t just going around accusing us after all…”

Sora looked worriedly at Roxas who gave him a reassuring smile. It did explain a lot of things. But, what still bothered Roxas was what the guys in white’s intentions were with the pictures, or if it was really the pictures that they were after…

Pence hummed in thought at this newfound knowledge before sharing an interesting theory. “This might seem out there,” he started, “but, wouldn’t it be crazy if the thief wanted to steal the real Roxas or something?” Hayner chortled at the idea.

“Get real. Who’d want to steal a bonehead like Roxas?” He said jokingly.

Roxas pretended to be affronted. “Oh, Thanks! Already gotta make me look bad in front of Sora, I see.”

“Nah, we know you don’t need my help for that.”

At that, Roxas sprang from the couch as Hayner took off laughing. Pence, Olette, and Sora all laughed heartily as Roxas chased the dirty-blond haired boy around the room. Just then, a faint chugging noise was sounded from above, causing everyone to stop and look up.

Sora jumped as the noise amplified, followed by the rattling of the wooden beams on top. The source of the noise rapidly trailed along for a few seconds before disappearing, leaving the room in a peaceful silence once more.

Hayner regarded the brunet’s reaction with amusement. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“What was that?” Sora asked, his gaze still aimed upward.

“Just the train.” Roxas answered, taking back his previous spot next to Sora. “Since the tracks run through here, that’s what we get to listen to every day”

“A train, huh? How far does it go?” Sora tilted his head inquiringly.

“Pretty far.” Pence replied as he gathered the photos together. “Though, we’ve only been able to take the free route which just leads to another part of town. As you may have guessed, ticket prices aren’t that cheap.” The group spent the next hour or so chatting it up while also filling Sora in with different facts of the town. Roxas insisted they don’t give everything away, as he still planned on showing Sora around himself.

Eventually, the exhaustion from the day’s events finally took its toll. Olette slid out of her seat announcing she was going to go home. “It’s going to be late soon, anyway.”

“Yeah, I need to head back as well. I’m beat.” Pence yawned and stretched out his arms once he got to his feet.

“‘Got that right.” Hayner groaned, nodding his head side to side once he stood up.

Sora and Roxas were the last to stand from their spots, the blond making sure to help the other up.

“You okay to walk?” Roxas asked, still considerate for the smaller boy’s health.

Sora nodded tiredly with his eyes half-lidded. His body had recovered from the dizziness he felt earlier. Though, he yawned, the exhaustion was still there.

“I’m gonna take Sora back to my place,” He told the others. “We’ll see you guys in the morning.” The trio nodded.

“Have a good night, guys. Be sure to get some rest, Sora.” Olette waved before walking out the entryway with Pence following.

“Later, guys.”

Hayner turned around and grinned, “Oh, and Sora? Watch out for Roxas’s snores.” He ran away laughing, avoiding the empty soda bottle Roxas chucked in his direction.

“Don’t forget, I know where you live!” Roxas called out with a shake of his fist. He scratched his head groaning in exasperation. Sora giggled but stopped when the blond turned to look at him. The brunet looked down sheepishly.

“Sorry.”

Roxas just sighed and shook his head. “Don’t be,” He assured the smaller boy, “It’s good to see you looking chipper.” It was true, he found it more suiting when Sora was cheerful. Anything else just seemed…….unnatural. He paused. “But don’t listen to anything Hayner said, you got that?”

“What did he say?” Sora tilted his head in fake confusion.

“Exactly.”

They looked at each other trying to keep a serious face until they gave up on holding their grins back. They finally burst out laughing at how ridiculous they probably looked. As their laughter died down, Sora noticed a photo lying on the ground near his feet.

“Oh.” He said, picking it up, “Looks like Pence accidentally left this.”

It was one of the pictures of Roxas, only this one had Hayner, Pence, and Olette in it as well. The gang posing and smiling together in front of the old mansion.

Roxas leaned in to get a better look. “We can give it back to him tomorrow.” He took the picture and put it in one of his jacket pockets. “C’mon, follow me.”

The two walked outside where the sun was still shining as it was earlier, much to Sora’s surprise. Roxas assured that it was just another normal occurrence of the town. When Sora asked how everyone kept track of the time, the blond answered with only a sly smile. Sora pouted seeing he wasn’t getting a straight answer but didn’t press as he followed Roxas through some flights of stairs.

As they got to one of the top floors, they reached a corridor consisting of a row of doors on one side of the wall. The doors were decorated with small multicolored stained glass windows, each one etched with an intricate design. They came to a door identified by a wooden sign, the number 13 painted in bold black numbers, hanging next to it. Roxas unlocked and opened the door, gesturing for Sora to go right in first.

“After you.”

Sora smiled and entered his new friend’s home.

The brunet let his eyes wander around what he guessed to be the living room. The walls were of a cool shade of blue, the flooring a dark wood, with a medium-sized green rug spread in the middle. The furniture comprised of the basic necessities, namely a gray loveseat placed at the center of the room along with a low wooden coffee table in front. Against the wall were bookshelves holding various knickknacks as well as framed pictures and posters lining the wall. All in all, the flat had a simple yet cozy vibe to it.

“Make yourself at home,” Roxas said as he went ahead to the bedroom located at the far end of the living room. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Sora sat on the sofa while he waited. He was about to take off his shoes when his attention was grabbed by the photo of Roxas and the gang on the coffee table.

Reaching over, the brunet picked it up and stared into it.

A wave of melancholy and wistfulness took hold of him seeing how happy and close Roxas and his friends looked in the picture. It reminded him right then how lost he was not being able to recall anything about his own friends. Or if he even had any.

Sora heard Roxas’s footsteps approach from the outer room, getting closer until the blond was now standing next to the couch. “Hey,” He softly called, “I was calling you but you weren’t answering. ‘You alright?”

Sora remained silent. After a moment, he quietly said with a sad smile, “You have some great friends, Roxas,” his attention still on the photo.

The blond went around the table and sat beside Sora. Looking at the picture brought back wonderful memories, but Roxas understood how it could also be a source of sadness for Sora.

He placed a comforting hand on the brunet’s shoulder. “They’re now your friends, too, you know.” Sora turned his head to look at him. “Including me.” Sincerity shone in Roxas’s sapphire orbs as he told him this. Sora smiled at the blond’s words. Even if he could already see that he was welcomed among the Twilight Town gang, it was still nice to hear.

Unable to help himself, Sora threw his arms around Roxas’s shoulders in a hug burying his head in the taller boy’s shoulder. The blond froze in shock and blushed at the sudden action. He stayed still for a moment, but then slowly returned the hug. Sora pulled away realizing what he just did, though still keeping his hands on Roxas’s shoulders.

“S-sorry,” Sora uttered in embarrassment, his cheeks a light pink. “I know that was out of the blue…And weird. N-not that I’m saying you’re weird! I just felt thankful for what you’re doing for me that I-I just felt the need to express it-I know there are other ways to express it!-I just...I mean-” He bit his lip and decided to stop talking before he spilled out more jargon.

Roxas just laughed and patted the other on the back. “It’s okay, Sora, you don’t need to explain. I don’t mind.” He really didn’t. Sora looked like he really needed that hug, and even if he wasn’t normally a touchy-feely guy, Roxas wasn’t going to deny him that form of comfort.

And if Roxas thought about how warm and soft Sora felt in his arms, or how sweet his subtle scent of mangoes and cinnamon were…..Well, that wasn’t anyone’s business.

“You feeling better, though?” He asked, changing the subject. Sora nodded, grateful for Roxas’s understanding. The blond smiled and stood back up. “Good. We should go get some sleep.” He noticed Sora was still sitting and offered his hand out. “You getting up?” The brunet stared at the outstretched hand.

“Oh. I figured I’d just sleep here.”

“On that couch?” Roxas asked incredulously, “I wouldn’t recommend it, Sora. I can speak from experience that It’s not all that comfy to lay on. C’mon, there’s enough space for us in my room.”

To say Sora was surprised was an understatement. He really didn’t expect Roxas to offer up part of his room to him, having thought of Hayner’s earlier remark in terms of the blond’s willingness to share his living space. Roxas was already doing a lot for him by just taking him in. Sora hoped that Roxas wasn’t thinking he had to compromise his own comfort just to accommodate him. The last thing the brunet wanted was to be a burden to his new friend.

“Are you sure, Roxas? I mean, I’m fine with-”

He yelped as he was pulled up into a standing position.

“Yes, Sora, I’m sure.” Roxas sighed, “Now, are you gonna come with? Or do I have to carry you?”

The brunet squeaked, “That won’t be necessary! I’ll go.” Roxas smirked.

“Thought so.”

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Despite Sora’s initial concerns, Roxas was right about there being enough space. The bed was pushed against the far wall underneath a giant window along with a door leading to a bathroom on the right. Sora quite liked the furniture the blond had, the whimsical and brightly colored aesthetics adding a pretty lively touch.

Roxas brought Sora some clothes he dug out of his dresser. “Here, you can wear these. I figured you’d want something less snug to sleep in.”

Sora blushed. The jumpsuit he wore did feel a little small and tight. What had exactly compelled him to choose such an outfit in the first place?

“Thanks. You mind if I use your bathroom to change?”

“Why?” The blond teased, “We’re both guys.” He laughed as Sora’s face turned even more pink while he stuttered. “I’m just messing with you. Go right ahead.”

Still blushing, the brunet scurried into the bathroom and shut the door. Roxas watched the closed door still chuckling.

‘He has some interesting reactions.’ He thought fondly. ‘It’s really cute.’ The blond frowned and facepalmed realizing what he’d been thinking. He groaned.

“The hell’s wrong with me? That’s the second time I’ve used that word today.” He ran his hand down his face.

Maybe he was just tired.

Yeah, that’s gotta be it.

So tired that he was using words he swore was never even in his vocabulary like, he shivered, cute. He definitely wasn’t associating it with his new friend who he now was going to be living closer quarters with. No, of course not.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Sora had finished putting on the sleepwear Roxas lent to him. A simple blue and white shirt, a bit loose on him to where the collar dropped to the side exposing his shoulder, and a pair of gray shorts that reached a little above his knees.

The brunet giggled and twisted his upper body around, relishing how much more comfortable the clothes were in comparison to his jumpsuit.

He thought about the fact that these were Roxas’s clothes, making him ponder the shirt he had on.

‘I wonder…’

After glancing at the closed door, Sora pulled the collar up to his nose and took a small whiff of the fabric. Vanilla and a hint of citrus, he noted with a smile.

He thought of Roxas, still overwhelmed with gratitude for what he was doing for him. Sora had meant it when he said he owed the blond haired teen, hell, he practically owed him his life. He’d really been nothing but kind to him in the time they got to know each other, and Sora looked forward to learning more of the other boy throughout his stay.

Though, thinking back to the creatures in white brought in some troubling thoughts.

He still found it strange how he was able to make fire shoot out of his hands. He wondered if it was just a one-time thing. He studied the palm of his hands, almost as if waiting for the flames to manifest again. His hands remained bare.

*Knock* *Knock*

Sora turned towards the door hearing Roxas’s muffled voice from the other side.

“Still alive in there, Sora?” Roxas asked lightly.

Oh. Sora blinked. Had he really been in there that long?

He unlocked and opened the door to find the blond standing at the door with a casual smirk.

“Hello there.”

Pushing his prior thoughts on the back burner, Sora replied smirking as well, “Hi. What’s up, Roxas? You need to take a dump or something?” A playful tilt of his head.

Roxas retaliated by ruffling Sora’s hair to where the already messy mob of hair became even more disheveled. “Ooh, I see you got some wise guy in you!”

Sora laughed and batted the hand away. “That’s me! Sweet with a hint of spice.” He added with a showy pose.

Roxas raised a blond eyebrow amusedly. “I better watch out for you, then.”

He focused his gaze on the clothes he gave Sora to wear. If he was being honest, he’d say that the brunet looked adorable with how loose his shirt was on him. Coupled that with the big smile on his smooth face, reminded Roxas of that of a small child, looking so innocent and sweet.

The blond then realized he was staring directly into bright ocean eyes. He jumped back with a startled yell from Sora being close to his face. The brunet giggled.

“Thought you said you’d be watching out.”

Roxas blushed. He stuttered a few times before crossing his arms and looked away. “I wasn’t ready.” He reasoned as if it was some game that started without him.

“Didn’t know you needed a heads up.”

“Yeah, well, I…..didn’t know either.” Roxas finished lamely. His lip twitched upwards. “You know, you’re pretty sneaky.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Sora remarked as he pranced away from the bathroom. He then turned around facing his host. “Thanks again for the clothes.”

“Don’t mention it. Sorry if they’re too big, they’re really the smallest I have.”

The brunet shrugged goodnaturedly. “No worries. They’re still comfy, so no complaints here.”

Roxas nodded. “I’m glad. I’m gonna change too, so hang tight, okay?” He took out of his dresser his usual sleepwear, the usual gray-white shirt with gray shorts, and walked into the bathroom.

After watching the bathroom door close, Sora looked around taking a closer look at some of the pieces of furniture and appliances adorning the room. He was pretty curious where Roxas had gotten his stuff and if they were things commonly owned by the residents in the town.

One thing that caught his attention was the globe-shaped lamp standing at the side of the bed giving off a white and purplish-blue glow. The brunet found himself entranced watching the blue plastic fish swim in a circle around a bed of coral. It brought his thoughts to the concept of the ocean.

How nice it must be to swim around in the sea, to submerge in the cool feel of the depths of the waters.

For some reason, Sora felt a sense of nostalgia thinking of the sea and everything that came with it.

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

The brunet could see himself standing on a beach.

Crisp salty air.

Palm trees swaying in the wind.

The bright and warm feel of the sun.

Clear blue skies.

The beautiful ferocity of the waves crashing onto the shore.

The smiles and laughter of children running on the warm sand, notably a silver-haired boy and a girl with hair a fiery red.

Sora blinked as an odd feeling overtook him. Did he know those two?

The kids turned around and smiled in his direction, both stretching a hand out.

“Sora!”

“Sora.”

Without thinking, the brunet stepped forward. But, as he did, the beach suddenly started to fade in and out much like an afterimage still clinging to existence. Sora frantically looked around as the surrounding area blurred together into a warped mess until all he could see was darkness. The only thing remaining was the two mysterious people still standing in the distance. Their hands still outstretched.

“NGNH!”

Sora subsequently dropped to his knees clutching his head. That deep searing pain he felt back in the forest had come back now tenfold as if his head was being clawed at from within. Curled into a fetal position on the ground, the brunet gasped out sobs as the pain intensified with every second.

The voices of the two individuals faint but still apparent as they repeatedly called out his name like a mantra.

It only got worse as more voices he couldn’t distinguish joined in, distorted yet audible as they called to him from various directions.

“So…..ra.”

“So...ra-a.”

“S-s--ooOo-ra”

“S…So…-o-O-ra”

“SO-”

Sora could only scream at this point. The pain in his head became more severe as the tirade of voices persisted on him like a swarm.

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

Roxas had just gotten changed when he heard that horrific sound. Bursting out of the bathroom, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of his friend on the floor holding his head screaming bloody murder.

Roxas rushed over and kneeled down next to Sora, scooping him up to hold him tightly in his arms. This action had only distressed the brunet even more.

“Sora?! Sora, what’s wrong?! Hey!! Sora!! Sora!!”

The blond might as well have been calling to the deaf.

Sora cried out and thrashed around even harder, even when Roxas managed to untangle his hands from his head. The attempt to assist began to look more like a scuffle, Sora attempting to get away in his agonized frenzy with Roxas trying with all his might to prevent him from hurting himself.

Even if he was physically stronger, Roxas found himself having difficulties fully restraining Sora due to the brunet constantly slipping out of his hold. If he wasn’t so focused on trying to calm him down, Roxas would’ve been impressed with how high Sora’s evasiveness was even in his frantic state. Eventually, the blond had succeeded in wrestling Sora to the ground, pinning the other boy’s wrists on both sides of his head.

“Sora, please!! Listen to me!!!”

Roxas yelled once again in hopes of reaching the brunet, but to no avail. Sora only continued to struggle even as he was subdued, pain filled cries spilling from his lips, his eyes tightly shut while his head thrashed side to side.

“Sora, snap out of it!! Open your eyes!! It’s me! Roxas!! SORA!!!”

Sora let out a sharp gasp with his eyes snapped open. He stopped struggling but his eyes darted around as he panted, fearing he was still trapped within the confines of that cold misleading illusion. But, the brunet was met with only the normalcy of the bedroom along with the voices, thank god for that, no longer invading his ears.

Fortunately, he slowly calmed down thanks to the familiar sight of Roxas above him. The other boy breathing just as heavily with his blond hair looking just as messy as Sora’s.

“Roxas…?” Sora’s voice wavered.

Roxas breathed out, more than relieved that the other boy regained his awareness but also still greatly worried and concerned for his well being. What the hell happened that caused Sora to panic like that? He also looked to be in a lot of pain. It was clear there were various things that had to be figured out in regards to the mysterious boy. But, that could wait. Right now, Roxas’s prime concern was to make sure Sora would be okay.

The blond-haired teen gently released his hold on the Sora’s wrists, the brunet quickly sitting up and throwing his arms around his neck hanging. Roxas hugged Sora back tightly, whispering words of comfort feeling the smaller boy tremble in his arms.

“It’s okay, Sora. You’re safe now, alright? I’ve got you.”

Sora managed a tiny whimper as he gripped the fabric of the other boy’s shirt.

“Shhhh.” Roxas shushed him gently, “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” Roxas repeatedly whispered those words hoping they would stick. To remind Sora he was there for him.

The two stayed in the embrace for quite some time, the only sounds being the passive ticking from the clock on the wall and the shakiness of breaths coming from Sora. Eventually, Sora was calm enough to speak normally. “T-thank you, Roxas. I-I think I’m okay now.” He said in a small voice.

Roxas sighed once more in relief. “I’m glad.” However, still preferring to keep the other boy in his arms.

“Thank you. I-I’m sorry if I-” The brunet stopped cold. As he made to pull away, he noticed something alarming.

Crossing diagonally In the middle of Roxas’s left cheek were three thin but very red scratch marks.

“R-Roxas, your face-” Sora put a hand up to his mouth horrified with himself. He immediately knew he was at fault for the injury even if it was unintentional. “Oh god…Roxas, I-”

However, Roxas cut him off. “It’s-Don’t worry about that, Sora. You didn’t know what you were doing.” The scratches did sting a little, he had to admit, but it was nothing some disinfectant, bandages, and a week or so of healing couldn’t fix. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He gently rubbed Sora’s back.

The brunet shook his head furiously. “How can you say that? I just hurt you!”

“And I’m saying it’s not your fault.” Roxas firmly held Sora’s shoulders preventing him from turning away. “I’m not angry, Sora. Nor do I blame you. It was an accident.”

Despite the honesty that laid in those deep sapphire eyes, it didn’t do much to assuage the guilt Sora felt for not just hurting Roxas, but also how difficult he was already making things for the other boy.

Roxas smiled slightly. “I can assure you this is nothing. I’ve been dealt worse by the town cats.” The attempted humor was enough for Sora to crack a tiny smile. But it was obvious the brunet was still ashamed about the whole thing.

The blond sighed. “How bad does it look?” he calmly asked, taking his hands away.

“Like a cat did get a hold of you,” Sora answered with a wince. He tentatively reached up to touch Roxas’s cheek but stopped his hand midway. “Let me patch it up.” Roxas opened his mouth to say something but the brunet continued.

“Please, Roxas, it’s the least I can do. Plus, it’ll probably be easier than trying to do it yourself.”

Roxas had to admit, Sora did have a point there. He didn’t want the other boy to force himself after what just happened, but something in Sora’s eyes told Roxas it would be a moot point if he tried to stop him.

“Okay.” Roxas decided, “If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you play nurse.” he smirked. A weak smile forming on Sora’s face as both boys moved to get up.

In the bathroom, Roxas took out the first aid kit he kept in the medicine cabinet and dug through the contents, finding a small tube of antiseptic cream and a white roll of bandages. After giving the stuff to Sora, he inspected himself in the mirror to assess the damage. He lightly touched at one of the scratches, letting out a hiss feeling the sting. Sora quickly put Roxas’s hand down.

“Don’t do that.” The brunet softly said before getting to work.

“I gotta say, your claws cut sharper than any cat.” Roxas lightly commented as Sora started dabbing the cream on the inflicted area. The brunet bit his lip at the remark, but made no response.

Roxas couldn’t help but observe Sora’s face the whole time, once again noting with wonderment at those big blue eyes and every move they made while their owner was deep in concentration, his tongue peeking out the side of pink lips. He had to hand it to Sora. Even when still shaken by the earlier incident, the brunet was intent on tending to him.

As Sora finished, Roxas saw those eyes look up into his. The blond quickly diverted his attention back to the mirror. The white adhesive had been well applied and fully covered the scratches.

“Not bad, not bad at all.” Roxas turned and looked at Sora with a smile. Sora blushed scratching the back of his head, a smile also forming on his face. “Think I can get you for my next visit, Nurse?” Sora shook his head trying to reign in his laughter.

“Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

The blond was glad that Sora’s mood seemed to improve. “How are you feeling?” He asked.

Sora’s smile dropped a little. “Compared to earlier? Well, my head no longer feels like it’s about to explode, which I guess is good.” He answered honestly.

“It’s something.” Roxas consoled. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know if I can.” The brunet shook his head, unconsciously squeezing and pulling the fingers of his left hand in what could be perceived as a nervous tick. Thinking back on that illusion, still clear in his mind, made his head start to pound again.

“Then don’t.” Roxas put a hand on top of Sora’s. “Not if it’s going to freak you out again.” Sora looked up, giving Roxas a clear view of his face. Seeing just how tired and stressed the brunet looked made Roxas pull the smaller boy into a hug. Probably the third hug they shared tonight. Sora let out a surprised squeak but didn’t pull away. He quickly relaxed in Roxas’s arms and brought his arms up returning the embrace.

“I’m sorry for earlier, Roxas.” Sora whispered, still feeling he should apologize properly for the scratches he gave Roxas.

“Sora?”

The brunet lifted his head questioningly.

“Do me a favor. No more apologies, alright?”

Sora blushed but smiled as he replied, “No promises, but I’ll try.”

Roxas smiled and stepped away walking out of the bathroom. “We really should get some shut eye now. A good night’s sleep might be just what you need.” The brunet agreed wholeheartedly. He had reached the point of exhaustion to where just passing out on the floor began to look appealing.

Sora watched as Roxas laid a mat across the floor. The blond then took a pillow from the bed and dropped it onto the mat before grabbing some blankets from his closet.

“I’ll sleep here. You go take the bed.” Roxas told Sora as he arranged the makeshift bed.

“What?” Sora suddenly felt wide awake yet again. “I can’t take your bed! I mean, it’s your bed!”

“And you’re my guest.” Roxas retorted. He stood back up to face the other boy looking at him in protest. “Which means your comfort comes first.”

“Well, what if I said I’d be more comfortable on the floor?”

Seriously? An incredulous and bemused look formed on Roxas’s face. He couldn’t fathom why Sora would decline the offer of having the comforts of a nice warm bed.

“Then, I’d say you’re just bullshitting,” Roxas crossed his arms.

Sora’s mouth dropped open for a second before a scowl took over. He put his hands on his hips. “And how would you know what I’d find comfortable?”

“Well, I know most people wouldn’t turn down a bed for the floor.”

“‘Most’ doesn’t mean ‘everyone’.” The brunet pointed out, tilting his head.

“Well, you know what, Sora?” Roxas began, “Fine, then. Don’t take the bed. But, I’m still taking the floor.” He finalizes, pointing down to the mat. “So, what are you going to do, Sora?”

Roxas wasn’t planning on backing down and he could tell the other boy wasn’t either. But, that was fine, he would get Sora into his bed one way or another. He grimaced. ‘Why did that sound so wrong?’ He felt his face flush.

Sora pursed his lips after awhile, “Still not taking the bed.” he replied, crossing his arms and turning his head. Maybe he was being ridiculous at this point, but Sora stubbornly held on to his stance on the matter.

“I won’t either.” Roxas stated, “So, either you agree to my terms or we can spend all night arguing about this, and no one gets any sleep.” The two boys held their gazes firm, crossed arms and all, waiting for the other to cave first.

Eventually, Roxas uncrossed his arms and asked with a softened tone, “What do you have against my bed, anyway?”

This made the brunet look down. “Nothing. I just-” Sora tried to find the right words. “It just feels….. wrong to accept more than what you’ve already been doing for me.” That and the brunet still felt pretty horrible about the….incident. As far as Sora was concerned, Roxas had even more of a right to keep his comfort unchanged after dealing with that crap.

Oh. Roxas then came to a realization why Sora was so opposed to the arrangement. A light grin took form. ‘This guy’s really something else.’ He thought with a small fondness.

“You feel you’re putting me out.” A statement but also a question to be confirmed.

Sora looked to the side but nodded, letting the blond know he was right on the munny.

“Sora,” Roxas softly said, “I’m telling you that’s not the case. No one was putting a gun to my head when I offered for you to stay in my house, or have you sleep here in my room. I don’t have to do these things, but I want to. You’re my friend, Sora.”

“And friends help each other.” Sora softly added, remembering the blond’s words in the forest. He looked back at Roxas as the latter nodded. A smile slowly crossed the brunet’s features.

“What do you wanna do, Sora?” Roxas asked, admitting to himself he may have been a bit forceful in his previous approach. He would at least give Sora a choice this time. The brunet crossed his arms and spent a minute or so thinking about it before a suggestion came to mind. Though, said suggestion made him look at Roxas nervously.

“Ummm…” Sora blushed and hesitated, “Maybe we could just….share the bed?”

Roxas’s eyes became wide as saucers while a deep flush spread across his cheeks. The prospect of sleeping in such close proximity to Sora had both his mind and heart racing for some reason.

“I-I mean,” He stuttered a bit and answered before he could stop himself, “Sure! If that’s what you want, I’m fine with that. I guess it’s a better option than one of us sleeping on the floor.”

Yeah, it was no big deal. He could handle sleeping with Sora...Next to Sora.

Then he looked as the brunet beamed in response, his bright blue eyes twinkling as he expressed his happiness over finally resolving their small conflict, looking incredibly adorable.

Roxas gulped.

Nope, he was fucked.

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Not even five minutes after getting into bed were the boys questioning their decision.

They were so close to each other lying side by side on Roxas’s bed their fingers were practically touching. God forbid if someone’s limb moved even the slightest inch. Not to mention, rolling around in attempts of getting comfortable.

“Oh! I’m sorry!”

“Crap, did I hit you?”

“Could you scoot a bit?”

“Might want to move your elbow.”

“Uh, Roxas? Could you please move your hand? I can feel it touching my leg.”

The blond pulled his hand away as if he’d been burnt. ‘All aboard the Awkward Express. Choo Choo.’

The two finally just settled into their original positions sighing simultaneously. They both stared at the ceiling, suddenly not feeling so sleepy anymore.

“Well,” Roxas remarked, “So much for some needed shut eye.”

Sora sighed, and started to sit up, “Maybe I should go sleep on the mat, aftera-” He yelped as Roxas shot out an arm to the side pushing him back down onto the bed.

“Don’t even think about it.” The blond simply said, still facing the ceiling. “No take backs, you hear?”

“Okay…” Sora blushed noticing that the other boy was pretty strong.

“Good.”

The unruly haired boy’s blush remained palpable even as Roxas moved his arm back. Sora could still feel the warmth that radiated from Roxas’s hand even through his shirt, provoking a shiver to run through his body. Swallowing, Sora decided to distract himself by turning his head to look at the drawn curtains masking the brightness outside.

“It’s kinda strange that the sun’s still out.” He remarked conversationally.

“Like I said,” Roxas turned onto his side facing Sora, resting his head on top of his hand. “It’s normal here.”

“Right. But, still,” Sora reached a hand up towards the ceiling, “How often do you get to see the stars? Or the moon? When the sun’s out, it’s a time to be out and do many fun things while the sun provides light. But when the moon comes out, it’s letting the sun rest by lighting the way in its stead until the sun can rise again.”

Roxas felt an amused smile took form. “That’s quite a description. For someone who lost his memories, you sure have an interesting way of putting night and day together.”

Sora blushed and shrugged. “It just came to me, I probably heard it from someone before. Though, like everything else, it’s just too fuzzy to recall.” His tone was forlorn at the last part.

Roxas’s heart was aching for the other boy. Even if Sora couldn’t remember things from his past, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t still long for them. “We’ll get you sorted out, Sora.” He told him softly, “I don’t know how, but you’ll get your memories back.”

The brunet’s lips twitched in a half-smile. “You really think so?” he asked.

“I know so.” Roxas smiled determinedly. “And I’ll be here to help you to make it happen. It’s a promise.”

Sora brightened significantly. Promise. A word holding such a strong meaning and something that is commonly shared between friends. “Thank you, Roxas.” Sora whispered.

The blond nodded. “Try to get some sleep, okay? We got a busy day ahead of us.” He said with a wink.

Sora smiled and yawned. “Goodnight, Roxas…” He murmured before slowly closing his eyes and curled into a ball. Roxas stayed up watching the other boy until the soft and steady breaths were more apparent, a clear indication Sora was finally deep in slumber. Hopefully, a very peaceful slumber.

Roxas settled down himself soon after, Sora’s angelic and serene face being the last thing he saw before succumbing to sleep himself.

He would dream again, but this time his dream centered around a certain brown-haired blue-eyed boy with a smile brighter than the sun.

Strangely enough, Roxas was perfectly fine with that.

Chapter Text

“What happened to my home? My Island? Ri(bzzt)----Kai(bzzt)”

“They’ll keep hunting you, as long as you continue to hold the keyblade.”

“Hey! Why don’t you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel.”

“Go with them-(bzzt), especially if you want to find your friends.”

“Donald Duck!”

“Name’s Goofy!”

“I’m-(bzzt)”

“The Heartless have great fear of the keyblade.”

“That’s right. The keyblade.”

“The boy is a problem. He found one of the keyholes.”

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The Second Day

Roxas awoke with a gasp.

Sitting up, he took a couple of deep breaths as he mulled over the dream he had, parts still fresh in his mind while others lost as fleeting moments. The blond recalled the dream starting out peaceful until it was invaded by random scenes revolving around what sounded like a young boy.

The boy didn’t sound familiar, Roxas couldn’t even catch a glimpse of what he looked like due to the scenes rolling by at a fast and sporadic rate while constantly cut off by waves of static.

Though, if there was one thing about that dream that really shocked Roxas was the appearance of a certain key.

“A keyblade…?”

He thought about the same key-shaped weapon that popped out of nowhere during the photo fiasco yesterday, not doubting they were one and the same.

Roxas waved his arm doing a few slashes as if holding the weapon within his grasp.

He was beyond confused. What was that about traveling to different worlds? And who were all those characters? What was so important about a keyhole? The blond felt his head pound mulling over the various inquiries running through.

Though, was it really that important to analyze over? It was just a dream, right?

Sighing, Roxas turned his head to look at the space next to him, smiling at the sight of Sora still sleeping soundly.

‘At least someone’s sleeping well.’ he thought. He hoped his friend would feel a lot better than yesterday after resting in a safe comfy environment. Roxas would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried about Sora. He was still very much concerned for him, especially with what happened last night.

He tensed as he thought back to the brunet lying crumpled on the floor, screaming as if he were being murdered.

He shook his head getting rid of that thought. ‘Sora’s going to be fine,’ The blond told himself, ‘I’m gonna keep an eye on him, he’ll be safe with me.’

Roxas turned his head forward, resting an arm on a raised knee. To think, after knowing Sora for just a day, he was already developing feelings of protectiveness towards the other boy. Sure, he was generally protective of his friends, but the level of it in regards to Sora felt different, it felt more fierce.

Granted, he knew Sora wasn’t all that helpless. The way the brunet jumped into the fray during that confrontation against the white creatures despite his condition was remarkable. But, there was just something about the brunet that made Roxas want to protect him regardless.

Roxas heard some rustling near him, breaking his train of thought. He looked over and saw that Sora had started to rouse. The brunet rolled around and yawned, pushing himself into a sitting position rubbing at his eyes.

Sora looked at Roxas with half-lidded eyes, smiling drowsily. Roxas almost laughed, Sora didn’t seem to notice nor care how rumpled he looked, his shirt collar sliding off his shoulder as well as sporting an obvious case of bedhead with his chocolate brown locks falling all disarrayed onto his face.

Sora merely swept the messy bangs out of his face. “‘Morning, Roxas.” He greeted, voice slightly rough from drowsiness.

“‘Morning,” The blond returned with a smile of his own. “Sleep well?” Sora nodded.

“I did, actually. You?”

“Eh,” Roxas rubbed the back of his head, “Well enough, I guess.”

“Huh?” Sora tilted his head quizzically. “What do you mean? Did you have a bad dream?” He asked, rotating to properly face Roxas, concern showing in his ocean eyes.

Roxas decided it wouldn’t hurt to confide with Sora about his dream. “It wasn’t ‘bad’, per se. But, there was something in it that was just….. bizarre.”

“What did you see, Roxas?” Sora gently urged.

“You remember yesterday in front of that old mansion, how we fought those guys in white?” The brunet nodded, recalling the event clearly. “And that key-shaped weapon that just appeared out of nowhere?”

Sora winced and nodded. For reasons he couldn’t comprehend, the mention of that key made him feel uneasy.

“I saw it again. Everyone in the dream kept calling it the Keyblade.” Roxas flexed his fingers, not noticing the brunet turning pale upon hearing the last word.

“The Keyblade…” Sora repeated almost trancelike. He felt there was something significant about it he should be aware of. But, try as he might, he couldn’t make sense why. Thinking about it was like trying to look in a window fogged over. He quickly snapped out of his daze before he could fall any deeper, focusing instead on Roxas.

“Yeah. Weird, right?” The blond remarked with a half-smile. “It felt so real, too.”

Sora asked cautiously, “Do you….think your dream might mean something, Roxas? The timing sounds pretty suspicious to be just a coincidence.”

The blond frowned pensively. “I wouldn’t know what. I’ve already been having some weird dreams for a while, but this one...” He sighed deeply. “I don’t know, I could just be overthinking it.”

Sora shrugged his shoulder, “Maybe, maybe not. Dreams aren’t always random, you know, they can even tell you something about yourself.” the last part stated absent-mindedly as he ran a hand over a lump on the blanket. Roxas had to ask for clarification due to how hushed the brunet’s voice was at the end.

“Sorry, didn’t catch all that. What were you saying, Sora?”

“Huh? Oh!” Sora exclaimed coming back to himself, “N-nothing! I was just thinking out loud.” he then changed the subject asking, “‘You think that ‘keyblade’ will show up again, Roxas?”

The blond stared at Sora in suspicion at the sudden strange behavior, but then decided to just leave it alone. Roxas knew he shouldn’t expect Sora to tell him literally everything if he wasn’t comfortable sharing, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t holding out hope to gain his full trust in that aspect eventually.

“I doubt it,” The blond eventually replied, “maybe unless we had to fight those things again, though that’s not high on my to-do list.” Sora seconded that statement. Despite his curiosity about the key-shaped weapon, he didn’t know if it was worth running into those creatures a second time.

“Anyway, we should go get ready,” Roxas suggested after glancing at the clock. “No use wasting the day wrecking our brains over this.” He patted Sora’s shoulder before moving to get off the bed.

“Yeah...You’re right.” Sora agreed. His ears then perked upon hearing the faint noise in the form of a bell gonged coming from outside. “What’s that sound?”

Recognizing the source of the sound, Roxas grinned and crawled over to the window. After drawing the drapes apart, he then pushed open the window with the ringing from the clock tower now even more sounded.

Sora instantly joined Roxas at the window sill and eagerly grasped the edge looking out, awestruck by the view of the town outside. His bright blue eyes glittering, emphasizing his fascination. Roxas smiled, also enjoying the view.

“Remember that clock tower I told you about?” The blond explained, “Well, you’re hearing it right now. You can’t really see it at this angle, but it’s there.”

“That’s fine, the view’s still nice,” Sora commented, resting his arms on the wooden sill.

“Yeah, it’s one of my favorite parts living here.”

The boys shared a smile before turning back out to admire the sight of the still waking town, feeling content as they soaked up the morning air in the dawn of a new day.

A new day that will bring new adventures.

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

Roxas and Sora stood in front of the bathroom mirror brushing their teeth. Sora was using an extra toothbrush Roxas gave him, an ‘S’ drawn with a black marker on the wooden handle. The two weren’t dressed out of their pajamas yet, having lost track of time from gazing out the bedroom window.

Roxas was surprised at how much time had passed, he’d usually be out the door and on his way to the Usual Place by now. But, he didn’t mind, it wasn’t like they were in any rush. Plus, it felt rather nice to have someone to spend the morning with.

Roxas let Sora use the shower first, leaving the brunet a clean towel and a new set of clothes to wear in place of the ill-fitting jumpsuit.

With Sora still in the bathroom, Roxas sat at the edge of his bed thinking what they could do today. He definitely was going to show his new friend around the town like he intended, maybe also go up the clock tower in Station Heights. No doubt Sora would like that.

The blond idly scratched at his cheek and felt the bandages, causing him to think back on last night. Roxas wasn’t concerned about the scratches, but not knowing what caused Sora to panic still bothered him immensely. However, he wouldn’t push Sora about it, not wanting to risk stressing him out.

Roxas’s eyes were drawn to the blue and purple lamp standing near his bed, the plastic fish swimming in the usual circle. For some reason, the blond felt himself becoming tense the longer he stared at it and had to look away. It was bewildering how a harmless piece of furniture could suddenly instill such nervousness within him. ‘It’s probably because of that dream,’ He reasoned, ‘It’s got me all worked up.’

Good thing they were going to be out for most of the day, he could use the fresh air.

Roxas’s musings were interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening. Turning towards the direction of the door, he saw Sora step out, his brown locks damp and flattened from the shower, wearing the clothes Roxas had laid out for him.

The brunet was dressed in a zipped up high collar black vest, red and blue stripes running downwards in the length of the zipper, over a white shirt with the sleeves accented by black edges. And for the bottoms, Sora had on a pair of dark grey cargo shorts ending just at the middle of the knees. The outfit was very similar to Sora’s previous ensemble, the only constant item being the three-pointed crown necklace around his neck.

“How’re those fitting?” Roxas asked.

Sora answered with a smile, “Better than what I was wearing before. Did you have my last outfit in mind when you picked this out?”

“Haha. Nah, I just blindfolded myself and grabbed whatever was in my dresser.”

“You’re telling I could’ve been wearing a chicken costume right about now?” Sora mock gasped, raising his hands up to his cheeks.

Roxas laughed, “I’m kidding. I just picked something I thought would be to your liking.” He paused. “Wait. How’d you know about the chicken costume?”

Sora blinked a few times. “I didn’t…?” his shoulders then shook in poorly suppressed laughter at the image of Roxas dressed as a big yellow bird. The brunet originally was just joking with his remark, but oh, did he need to hear this. “But, now I’m curious.”

Roxas’s cheeks burned red. ‘Damn it!’ he thought. He definitely walked into that one. “I’d rather not talk about it…” the blond muttered, averting his attention to the floor. He mentally cursed Hayner, it was his fault Roxas even had the damn thing in the first place.

“Oh, come on, Roxas. You can tell me! I promise I won’t tell,” Sora moved and plopped next to Roxas on the bed making the mattress bounce. “Please?” He begged, his lower lip sticking out in a small pout.

Roxas twitched when he was caught in Sora’s big ocean eyes now gazing pitifully at him. He felt his heart flutter and swallowed. Those eyes would be the death of him, he was sure. However, he refused to give in that easily, even if Sora’s sad kitten impression did make him want to punch himself in the face.

“No.” The blond stated firmly, “Sorry, Sora, but that’s something I’m taking to the grave.”

“But, Roxas....”

Roxas raised an eyebrow. “Are you whining, Sora?”

Instead of answering, the messy-haired brunet just continued to stare at Roxas with that same pleading look. The latter twitched some more, his resolve diminishing bit by bit, before finally conceding defeat.

He groaned out, “Fine.” throwing his hands up and sighed. “That’s dangerous, you know.” He remarked in reference to Sora’s pouting.

“Huh?” Sora tilted his head genuinely puzzled.

“Never mind.” Roxas quickly retracted and proceeded to tell the short yet humiliating tale, embarrassment promptly setting in as he remembered the events that transpired. “Pretty much, Hayner challenged me to put on a chicken costume for a dare.” Roxas recounted, a scowl taking form. “And because I knew he’d be annoying about it were I to refuse, I did it.”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound too bad-”

“The dare also involved me having to run down the halls of our school wearing said costume,” Roxas stated in a flat voice. “Where people were still hanging around. Which means at least half of the student body had to have seen this giant chicken running around like a jackass going ‘baaaawk-bawk-bawk-bawk!’” The blond tucked his hands into his armpits and flapped his arms, grumpily imitating the characteristics of a chicken. He flopped back on his bed with a groan, laying his arm over his eyes. “I really hated him after that.”

Sora, who was giggling during Roxas’s story, quietened upon seeing the other boy very disgruntled. He laid back and on his side facing the blond who still had his face covered. “‘Hate’ is a strong word, doncha think?” he said. Roxas moved his arm and turned his head to look at Sora.

“I guess I am exaggerating,” The blond affirmed, “I did forgive him after a while. I wouldn’t stay mad at him forever.” he then added with a conspiratorial smirk, “Though, buying ice cream for a year might’ve helped convince me quicker.” Sora giggled, happy things had worked out between the friends but also amused at the compensation Roxas received for his trouble.

“So, ice cream is all it takes to get on your good side?”

Roxas let out a snicker. “Wouldn’t be the only thing. Though, if it’s sea salt ice cream, you’d probably have a fighting chance.” They both laughed.

Sora hummed in thought. “I don’t know if I have a favorite ice cream flavor, but I feel something fruit flavored would be my weakness.”

“I can see it,” Roxas replied. “You do seem like the type who’d be more partial to fruits.”

“Maybe I am. I might even like them better than sea salt flavor.” Sora said, his eyes mirthful.

“Now, I doubt that. No one I know can resist sea salt flavor.”

“I might be the first.” The brunet replied, his expression full of mischief.

Roxas sat up, Sora following suit, and smirked. “We’ll see about that. I’m just saying, you’ll be wowed once you try it.” The blond then stood up and went to collect his own outdoor attire.

“You sound confident.” Sora chirped, lightly kicking his bare feet as he watched the other boy walk into the bathroom.

“That’s because I know I’m right.” Roxas casually waved a hand before closing the door behind him.

The brunet rolled his eyes but smiled. Sora really appreciated the relaxed atmosphere between him and Roxas. A part of him was afraid there’d be some awkwardness or tension due to the mishaps that’d already transpired, but thankfully that didn’t appear to be the case.

When it came to the sleeping arrangements, however…

Sora blushed thinking about the closeness that came with sharing a bed with the blond. Notwithstanding the fact that it was his idea, the butterflies in his stomach really made themselves known in that circumstance. He was a little embarrassed that he’d acted with more stubbornness than necessary but, as far as he was concerned, preventing Roxas from sleeping on the hard floor took more precedence.

“Honor before reason, I suppose,” Sora muttered in good humor. He wasn’t sure where he’d heard that saying from, but it sounded appropriate.

Sora held his stomach when he heard it rumble. He realized he hadn’t eaten anything ever since Roxas brought him into town. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t think Roxas had yet either. That’s when an idea struck him. Getting up from the bed, Sora made his way out of the room towards the kitchen.

Since he was staying with Roxas for a while, he figured he should make himself useful.

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

The two men were staring intently at the screens of the main computer. After hours of working through any possible cause of the bug, they were confounded to see the system suddenly operating as it was earlier.

“Sora’s vitals appear stable.” Diz muttered, his visible eye flickering between the screens. “However, the restoration process has remained halted, and we have no surveillance on the town.”

The hooded man shook his head and asked, “I take it the town is still inaccessible?”

DiZ rubbed at his temple. “For the time being. Whatever had infected this machine, it completely rewrote the coding.” A gruff yet amused laugh escaped his throat. “I can only imagine how fascinated a certain someone would be of this occurrence…” The last part was uttered mainly to himself, a distant look appearing in his eye. Diz quickly dismissed the wandering thought, for it was not the time or place to dwell on pointless nostalgia.

The other man’s attention stayed focused on the screen displaying Sora’s vitals. Though his posture was composed, one of his gloved hands began squeezing itself into a tight fist. “We should stop the program for now-”

“Absolutely Not.” DiZ immediately interjected, his voice reverberating off the walls of the lab. “We’ve already come this far, we cannot afford any more offsets. Besides, it is apparent the Organization scoundrels have found their way in.”

The hooded man quickly turned his gaze at the still seated DiZ in disbelief. “All the more reason to do so. We’re risking Roxas falling back into their hands. Sora will be in danger if that happens.”

DiZ was silent for a moment, his mouth set in a deep frown. “Roxas will just have to hold his own until we get this resolved,” The elderly man eventually said. He regarded the other with a passive glance. “And let me remind you, at this time he still holds control of the keyblade. If he was strong enough to pose a challenge to you, surely he could handle a few lowly dusks.”

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

Roxas emerged out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in his usual attire while rubbing a towel over his hair. He noticed upon taking off the towel that Sora wasn’t in the room anymore. Depositing the towel in his hamper, Roxas walked into his living room looking around wondering where the other boy had slipped off to.

“Sora?” He called.

“In here.” a voice answered from the kitchen. Roxas went into the kitchen and found Sora standing at the counter humming a small tune with his back facing him. The blond moved closer until he was joining Sora at the counter, curious to see what he was up to.

Looking over, he saw that Sora was using a butter knife to cut up pieces of a peeled banana into two plastic blue bowls filled with cereal. The brunet looked over noticing Roxas and smiled.

“Hey. Hope you don’t mind me using your kitchen.”

“Not at all. This is pretty much your home too right now. Whatever you need to use, go for it.”

“Glad to hear.” The brunet replied warmly. He then took the bowls and went to go set them on the blue white-clothed covered table near the window of the kitchen. Meanwhile, Roxas had taken out a pair of silver spoons from a drawer under the counter and moved to retrieve the carton of milk he had in his fridge. Soon, the two boys met at the kitchen table ready to start their first meal of the day.

“Thanks for making this, by the way.” Roxas said as he took his place at the table. He handed Sora a spoon and proceeded to pour the milk into his own bowl. Afterward, he set the carton on the table making sure it was at a reachable distance for Sora.

“No problem,” Sora chirped, taking the carton. “I figured you’d be hungry. I probably could’ve made something more filling, but I didn’t want to leave a mess.”

“Don’t worry, cereal is okay by me.” More than okay actually. Roxas was pretty hungry having skipped over dinner last night, so a bowl of cereal was just as good as any full course meal in that instance. “You better dig in, though. You’ll need your energy for that tour I mentioned.”

Sora beamed. “That’s right! I can’t wait to see what the rest of town is like.” He scooped up some cereal from his bowl but then paused. “But, what about the others? Are they expecting us?”

“They can live without seeing us for a few hours,” Roxas shrugged as he mixed around his cereal within the milk. “Twilight Town isn’t all that big, we’re bound to run into them at some point anyway.” He casually described before taking a bite.

Sora nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” He mused before wolfing down his spoonful of cereal.

Roxas chuckled and remarked, “Someone was ready for breakfast.”

“I kinda was,” Sora’s expression turned sheepish. “My stomach was really yelling at me for it.”

Roxas grimaced in self-rebuke. “No wonder. You must’ve been pretty malnourished yesterday.” He couldn’t believe he didn’t think of offering Sora some food and water earlier, that should’ve been the first thing done after taking the brunet into his home. God only knows how long Sora must’ve been going without any sort of provisions.

However, Sora shook his head, not looking the least disconcerted. “It’s okay, Roxas. With everything going on yesterday, food was probably the least of our concerns.” He scooped up another spoonful of cereal, “And cheer up! It’s a new day, which means opportunities for a brand new start.”

Roxas’s lips twitched upwards, cheering up at Sora’s words. “You’re right. Let’s both make the best of it.” The brunet smiling in agreement.

The meal continued at a relaxed pace, the two occasionally throwing in some chatter as they ate. Even if Sora couldn’t offer much information about himself, he had no problem listening to Roxas talk about his interests or about some past hijinks he and his friends got into. In all honesty, Sora could probably listen to Roxas talk about pretty much anything. He’ll admit, the blond had a nice, smooth, and transfixing voice on him.

“Sora?”

The brunet in question jumped out of his musings hearing Roxas address him. A startled “Huh?” the only intelligent response he could manage.

Roxas trained a concerned look at the other, noticing Sora had ignored his bowl. “You suddenly stopped eating just now. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Oh! O-of course I am!” Sora stammered his answer all flustered. “I just needed to digest, it’s no biggie.” He did a little nervous laugh before becoming engrossed in wolfing down the remainder of his cereal, hiding his flushed face in his bowl.

Roxas was nonplussed, there was that evasiveness again. “If you say so, Sora.” He proceeded to clear his own breakfast, a hidden smile taking form at how humorous the brunet’s jumpiness was then. ‘Like a skittish kitten.’ he thought with fond amusement.

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With breakfast finished, the dishes washed and left on the drying rack, the boys promptly exited Roxas’s flat.

They simultaneously shielded their eyes as they stepped out into the street, fully prepared for the sun’s bright rays. Upon passing the Usual Place, Sora noticed when he glanced over that none of Roxas’s band of friends could be seen.

“Huh,” Sora tilted his head. “‘Guess they’re busy?”

“Could be. Pence must be out giving back the stolen photos to their owners. Olette usually has some sort of errand to run before she comes here. As for Hayner…” Roxas paused before shrugging. “Who knows. Knowing him, he probably slept in or something.”

“Still don’t understand how anyone can sleep when it’s always light out.”

“You had no trouble conking out last night.” Roxas teased.

“To be fair, I was exhausted.” Sora rubbed the back of his head.

“I know, Sora.” Roxas’s expression softened. “C’mon, it’s time you see what Twilight Town is all about.” He waved a hand indicating for Sora to follow.

The two boys walked side by side as they ventured down the path leading towards the Station Heights section of Market Street. Roxas intentionally avoided the path to the Sandlot, figuring Seifer and his gang would be hanging around there. He very much preferred that Sora didn’t meet Seifer, aware the latter wouldn’t hesitate to antagonize the brunet for being associated with Roxas and his friends. Looking over his shoulder, Roxas made a mental note to warn his new friend about the Disciplinary Committee later.

After descending the slope from the Back Alley, they came to an area that Sora noticed appeared slightly enclosed due to how the surrounding buildings bordered around the space while also blocking out the sun, providing a good amount of shade for the people leisuring about. A few notable shops were open, Roxas pointing Sora out to the ones he often patroned at, as well as advising which shops sold certain items at the best price.

The boys once again found themselves on the receiving end of odd stares by the small crowd. Roxas initially theorized some were still engrossed with the photo incident, but then saw that most of the stares were fixated on Sora. The brunet on his part was smiling nervously at the onlookers and waved in greeting. Some smiled and waved back while others huddled together in whispers occasionally pointing at the brunet.

Roxas glared at the gossipers and put a hand at Sora’s back ushering him along under the arch and out into the more open space of the Tram Commons.

The boys continued walking along the path, Roxas pointing more things out to Sora, and Sora taking in the sights while also occasionally asking questions about the things that piqued his interest.

Roxas noticed the Candy Shop coming into view and smiled. He tapped Sora’s shoulder, getting his attention. “There’s someone else I’d like you to meet.” They ran up to the open stand where Ms. Marnie was sitting behind the counter reading a book. Hearing the boys approach, she looked up and smiled. She closed her book and set it aside before standing up.

“Good morning Roxas. How nice of you to stop by.” Ms. Marnie kindly greeted, always happy to see her favorite visitor.

“Morning, ma’am,” Roxas replied, “Have you gotten your photo back yet?”

Ms. Marnie nodded. “I did, in fact. Your friend Pence came by earlier to deliver it to me. He said that you and another boy were responsible for retrieving them.”

Roxas smiled. “It’s true. He’s right here, in fact,” He gestured to Sora. “This is Sora. Sora, meet Ms. Marnie. She runs the Candy Shop.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Sora greeted her with a cheerful smile.

“A pleasure to meet you as well, Sora,” The old shopkeeper kindly regarded. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met. Did you just move here?”

“Umm,” Sora fidgeted, being unsure how to properly explain his circumstances. “Not exactly…I’m...kinda here by accident, I think.” Ms. Marnie appeared confused by the brunet’s statement.

Roxas clarified the situation for the shopkeeper by explaining how he found Sora unconscious while hunting for the picture thief and that he was without his memories.

The elderly woman gasped. “Oh, my! You poor thing.” Her eyes held open sympathy towards the brunet.

Sora waved it off, not wanting her to worry about him. “Thank you for your concern, ma’am. But, I’m okay. Roxas is actually letting me stay with him for a while until my memories come back.”

“Thank goodness for that.” Ms. Marnie said. “That is very kind of you, Roxas,” She praised the blond and said to Sora, “Roxas is such a dear, I have no doubt you’ll be perfectly fine under his care.”

Sora giggled softly. He was looking at the taller boy when he replied, “I don’t, either. He’s been doing a good job so far.” Roxas blushed and opted to look at some colorful jar-encased sweets sitting on the counter.

“I’m glad to hear. But, dearie, if there’s anything you need, please don’t be afraid to ask.”

The brunet nodded thanking her. The three spent some time chatting. Roxas smiled seeing his new friend and favorite shop owner already talking like they knew each other for years. Sora was in the middle of asking Ms. Marnie something when a light meow joined in from above. They all looked up in time to see the elderly woman’s cat leaping down from the roof onto the counter.

“Oh!” Sora’s eyes lit up at the sight of the grey and white cat casually washing her paw. “Hi, kitty!”

Ms. Marnie chuckled. “It appears Chiro wants to say hello.”

The feline’s ears twitched upon noticing the brunet and lowered her paw to inspect the unfamiliar human. Her tail curled into a question mark as her orange eyes bore curiously into blue ones. Sora extended his hand and stuck out his forefinger, allowing a few inches away from the cat’s head. Roxas and Ms. Marnie watched as Chiro nudged her nose at Sora’s finger a few times before pulling back seemingly in thought. A few seconds later, the feline nudged her head under Sora’s hand and purred, encouraging the brunet to pet her. Sora happily obliged.

Roxas and Ms. Marnie were both pleasantly surprised at this occurrence. Roxas’s heart warmed at the sight of Sora cooing sweetly as he scratched the back of Chiro’s ears.

“Now, would you look at that? Chiro has already taken a liking to your friend,” The elderly woman remarked to Roxas. “She usually doesn’t get used to strangers this quickly.”

“Guess Sora’s just special.” Roxas smiled, still watching Sora and Chiro playing together.

“I seem to recall her quickly growing a fondness for you as well, Roxas.” The blond looked at the shopkeeper whose smile fell seeing the bandages on Roxas’s cheek. “Roxas, what on earth happened to your face?” Her grey brows rose in shock.

“Huh?” The blond held a hand to his cheek and was reminded about the bandages and the reason for them. “Oh, this? It’s nothing,” He stated casually. “I tried petting one of the town cats earlier and as you can tell, it didn’t like it.” Not entirely inaccurate either since Roxas did have a habit of feeding and playing with the wandering cats from time to time. Ms. Marnie knew of that little tidbit and seemed to buy his white lie.

“You should be more careful, Roxas,” Ms. Marnie sighed, “You know how temperamental those cats can be.”

“Haha, you know me,” Roxas laughed sheepishly, relieved the matter was dropped. “Anyways, we should be going now. I’m glad you have your photo back. Maybe next time Sora and I stop by, we can all take a new one together.”

Ms. Marnie smiled warmly. “What a wonderful idea, Roxas, I would like that ever so much.”

Sora, who had his attention back on the two, nodded cheerfully at the idea. “Glad everything’s good with you, ma’am. It was great talking with you. And thanks for letting me play with Chiro.”

“Think nothing of it, dear,” The woman chuckled, “I am ever so grateful for what you and Roxas did. Do come by again, soon. Chiro and I would love to have you boys over again.” The cat meowed happily as if agreeing with her owner’s statement. “There might be some freshly baked brownies waiting, too.” Ms.Marnie added with a wink.

“Now you’ll have to come back,” Roxas said to Sora, giving him a light nudge. “Her brownies are the best in town.”

“Wow, there’s no way I can refuse now.” Sora joked. They all laughed heartily.

After wishing Ms.Marnie a good day, the two boys set off from the Candy Shop, waving at the elderly lady one more time before turning away. The shop owner watched their backs smiling tenderly.

“Such a sweet boy.” She thought in regards to Sora. It was indeed very fortunate that Roxas made a friend in such a person. Though, something in her bones told her that a close friendship wouldn’t be the only thing the boys will share.

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The next destination in Sora and Roxas’s excursion was the Armor Shop. Unlike the day before, Biggs acted more agreeable towards Roxas and gave a warm welcome to Sora. While the blond was still a little miffed from the shopowner’s previous discourtesy, he managed a polite front for Sora’s sake. To his credit, Biggs had the decency to look a little embarrassed about the ordeal and had even offered the boys a discount for the next purchase they made from his shop. Roxas felt better with that.

The visit to the Jewelry Store was more pleasant.

Jessie immediately apologized to Roxas for doubting him, which he accepted as he was just glad she finally understood that he wasn’t a thief. Once Sora was introduced, the blond-haired woman had been charmed instantly, very taken with the brunet’s kind and lively personality. Before the boys left, Jessie commented to Roxas how adorable and nice Sora was and asked if he planned on keeping him. When Roxas asked what she meant by that, he only got a wink.

‘Girls are so confusing sometimes.’ He thought as he and Sora departed from the Jewelry Shop.

The two walked around some more, only for their excursion to be interrupted in the form of Sora nearly slipping on a lone white skateboard in his path. Fortunately, Roxas had reacted quickly and stopped the brunet’s fall.

Sora, who was originally stunned from the fall, let out a sigh in relief. “Thanks, Roxas.”

“You okay?”

“I am, but geez!” Sora glared down at the offending piece of sports equipment. “Whoever left this here must really want to kill someone. I could’ve cracked my head!”

“Sorry about that,” Roxas said as he helped the shorter teen steady himself. “To be honest, I don’t know who keeps leaving these skateboards out either. You can find others just like it all over town.” He explained to the astonished brunet. “we’ve tried collecting and storing them, but they somehow always end up in the same place the very next day. Nowadays, everyone is just told to watch their step.”

Sora’s eyebrows raised. “That’s….strange. But it’s also something I would’ve appreciated being informed about ahead of time.” He placed his hands on his hips giving Roxas a look.

Roxas laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, that was my bad. Sorry.”

Sora smiled and shook his head. “It’s okay. No harm no foul, right?” The brunet looked back down at the skateboard with intrigue. “It does look fun, though. Do you skate, Roxas?”

A smirk took form on Roxas’s face as he turned to the board sitting a few feet away. “Just a little.” And just as he said that, Roxas ran and hopped with both feet landing on the board sending it into motion. He then pushed on the ground with one foot gaining more speed.

Sora watched with great astonishment as the blond jumped on a stair rail making the board grind upwards allowing him to launch himself into the air, pulling off a few tricks in the form of expertly coordinated grabs and spins while mid-air. After a few more spins, Roxas made a smooth landing back on the street, gliding leisurely as he reached Sora.

Some passerbyers were applauding for Roxas, notably impressed with his improvised demonstration.

Sora put his hands on his hips arching an eyebrow. “‘A little’, huh?” he smirked. Roxas hopped off the board and stepped on it from one end to keep it from rolling away. “You just wanted to show off.”

“What? It’s not that hard,” Roxas said, shrugging casually. “You wanna try?”

Sora nodded eagerly and answered, “Sure!” Catching the board under his foot when Roxas kicked it over his way. “Though, I don’t think I’ve ever skated before.” Besides keeping himself leveled with the placement of one foot on the board and the other planted on the ground, Sora was lost on how to proceed. Roxas took notice and moved closer in order to assist the other boy.

“Need some help?” The blond looked down, checking Sora’s feet placement. “You’re good on the placing, now just kick with your back foot to get it rolling.”

“Like this?” Sora pushed with his back foot along the pavement, sending the board’s wheels in motion. Roxas smiled and nodded encouragingly.

“There you go, you’re getting it!” He walked beside Sora keeping an arm out in case the brunet was to lose balance. Though Sora did wobble a few times, he managed to keep his position vertical.

The brunet grew more confident with every distance he covered and kicked with his back foot a few more times, increasing his speed from a steady glide to a bursting slide. Sora laughed gleefully as he rode, leaning side to side maintaining his balance, his hair blowing back from the speed. Roxas in the meantime was running to keep up with the other boy, all the while cheering him on.

Eventually, they found themselves heading towards a sloped railing that led to the top of some structures.

“Hey, Sora? Now’s a good time to slow down!” Roxas called as a worried expression took form.

But, before Roxas could instruct Sora on how to stop, the brunet filled with a sense of daring made a jump landing the board on the railing allowing him to traverse upward onto the building.

Roxas was taken aback and could only look on as Sora rail-grinded, with a finesse unexpected from a supposed beginner.

As for the brunet himself, he was having the time of his life jumping over the gaps between buildings, grabbing onto the board while midair to do some kicks just as Roxas had a few moments ago. Sora then made another jump off the rail letting out a hoot, his blue eyes energetic and shining under the sun's rays. For that moment, he felt like a bird, soaring through the air feeling the wind in his face, unshackled by the ground below.

But, of course, gravity would see to it he went back down. As he fell, Sora did a few spins on the way down until he and the board made it back onto the street making a soft landing. Sora rolled on the board for a few feet before hopping off, stumbling into a quick run as he regained his footing.

Roxas caught up to Sora who had a big smile on his face. “Wow, that was fun!” The brunet exclaimed, placing his hands behind his head, still full of exhilaration. He heard some cheering and clapping going on behind him and looked over his shoulder, blushing at the attention he had garnered from the small group of bystanders who were openly expressing their amazement at his stunt. He forgot people were still watching.

Once the people had dispersed, Sora turned back to look at Roxas who stared at him bemusedly. “Huh? What’s up, Roxas?”

Roxas crossed his arms. “Now who’s showing off?” He remarked with a smirk.

Sora stuck his tongue out playfully. “What? It’s not that hard, right?” he replied, cheekily quoting Roxas’s earlier comment. “You made it look like a breeze back there.”

“Yeah, but it took some practice for me to get as good as I am now.” Roxas shook his head. “Are you sure you’ve never skated before, Sora?”

“I don’t think I have,” Sora replied, “maybe I’m just a fast learner.” He shrugged.

“Heh. Maybe a little too fast there.” Roxas slipped an arm around Sora’s shoulder as they walked. “But, that was impressive for your first time. We should do it again sometime.”

Sora perked up. “Yeah? Will you teach me some other cool moves?”

“What for? You seem like a natural, you’ll probably be the one teaching me.” The blond jested. The two laughed and talked more about skating when they heard some feet running towards them from behind.

“Hey, guys!”

Sora and Roxas turned around as Hayner, Pence, and Olette stopped in front of them.

“So, this is where you’ve been the whole time,” said Pence, “We’ve been looking everywhere for you two.”

“You both sure put on quite a show there,” Hayner smirked. “Better watch out, Roxas. Sora could probably outdo you.”

Roxas rolled his eyes. “It’s not a contest. Sora just so happens to know how to handle a skateboard.” The brunet nodded.

“Besides, I don’t think I can expect to outdo Roxas anytime soon.” Sora chirped, “He’s the one who has the experience. This was the first time I’ve even touched a skateboard.”

Hayner looked at Sora unconvinced. “You sure about that? You got some skill for a newbie.”

“Could be muscle memory,” Pence offered, “Sora may not remember being able to skate, but he can still do it without having to think about it.”

“That’s plausible,” Olette said, “But, either way, that was really amazing, Sora.” She smiled at the brunet boy who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at the phrase. “Roxas must be thrilled to have a skating partner now. You could be the only person in town to keep up with him.”

Roxas smiled towards Sora. “You’re not wrong, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Sora skate more.” The brunet smiling back.

Olette giggled, only for her smile to fade when she noticed the bandages on Roxas’s cheek. “Roxas…”

Hayner and Pence reacted with surprise as they too saw the bandages. “What happened, Roxas?” The leader instantly implored.

Besides Roxas, Sora’s dropped smile and guilt-ridden eyes had gone unnoticed by the others. The brunet full well remembered what happened. He was still in disbelief how lenient Roxas was in brushing the incident aside. Sora would have confessed to being the reason for the bandages, guilty conscience and all, had Roxas not spoken.

“Some cat got riled up. It’s no biggie.” The blond’s tone was casual as if he were discussing some book he read in passing.

“Oh. Is that all?” Hayner laughed. “Just can’t stay away from those cats, huh?”

Olette shook her head. “You should be more mindful about that, Roxas, they’re wild for a reason.” Pence nodded agreeing with the girl’s statement.

“Yeah, can’t expect all of them to be like Chiro.” The headband cladded boy stated.

“Yeah, yeah. I got it.” Roxas sighed.

Hayner moved between Roxas and Sora, hanging his arms around both of them. “C’mon, you two, we’re heading to the Usual Place.”

“You guys go on ahead,” Pence said, facing one of the shops, “I’ll meet you there.” He took off towards the open stand.

“Okay, hurry back!” Olette called as she waved. She turned back to the remainder of the group. “Shall we?”

With a nod from the guys, the group of friends subsequently left Station Heights and headed to the Usual Spot.

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Over at the Usual Place, the groups were all settled in their respective spots. Sora was sitting on a crate while Roxas took the crate next to him. Olette was seated on the couch, leaving Hayner taking his usual place on top of the water heater.

They were all in the middle of a conversation when Pence ran into the hangout spot, holding five sky blue popsicles by the sticks.

“Oh, wow! Ice cream!” Olette spoke excitedly as the dark-haired boy handed her one. “Thanks, Pence!”

“Yeah, thanks.” Hayner grinned, taking one as well. “How’d you get a hold of these?”

Pence smiled. “The shopkeeper I went to see gave them to me as thanks for returning his photo. As well as an apology for suspecting us as the culprits.” He explained.

“That’s a relief,” Olette said while Pence gave Roxas and Sora their ice cream, the two also thanking him. “I was worried everyone would still feel suspicious about us.”

“Fortunately, they aren’t, so we can relax now,” Hayner stated before taking a bite of his ice cream.

Sora inspected his ice cream, intrigued by the bright color. “Is this-”

“Sea salt ice cream?” Roxas finished, already having bit into the treat. He smiled as the brunet looked at him. “Just try it, Sora.”

The brunet turned back to his ice cream and took a small bite, his taste buds overcome by an intense flavor. “Oh god!” Sora winced, covering his mouth. “That’s really salty.” He was taken by surprise when the saltiness gave way to a more smooth flavor. “Oh! But it’s sweet, too?” His blue eyes staring at the frozen treat in wonder.

Everyone laughed in amusement at Sora’s reaction. “You like it?” Roxas asked. Rather than giving a verbal response, Sora eagerly bit off a bigger chunk of his ice cream and gave a happy nod. Roxas looked smug. “Told ya.”

Sora stuck his tongue out in response, recalling their earlier conversation. Roxas chortled and mimicked the brunet’s gesture, resulting in the two exchanging one funny face after another.

While Sora and Roxas were well into their expression war, Hayner had sighed in boredom while staring up at the train tracks. “But man, today’s still turning to be a drag.”

“How so?” Asked Olette.

“Because we haven’t done anything exciting,” Hayner answered with a slight whine, “In fact, we haven’t done anything exciting all summer.” Pence and Olette looked at each other before turning back to their friend. Sora and Roxas, hearing Hayner’s complaint, also looked over.

“So, the mystery of the memory thief wasn’t exciting?” Pence asked.

“You know what I mean,” Hayner groaned, jumping off the heater. “We’ve been spending every day this summer just hanging around town. We oughta take at least one trip!” he perked getting an idea. “Like to the beach!” Sora’s stomach dropped hearing Hayner mention the beach. Thankfully, no one noticed his discomfort.

“Think about it, guys!” The dirty-blond teen walked more towards the entrance of the hangout spot. “Blue seas, blue skies,” he gestured with his hands, “let’s just hop on the train and go!” Hayner turned around and grinned as if he came up with the best idea known to man. However, that grin quickly dropped once he peered into the unsure faces of the others now standing in front of him. “Seriously?” He said, disappointed that no one shared his excitement.

“Don’t know if you’ve forgotten, but we’re broke.” Roxas bluntly pointed out.

Hayner smirked. “Don’t know if you’ve forgotten, but I’m smart.” he boasted.

“Jury’s still out on that one,” Pence muttered to Sora. The brunet’s lips quirked upward while Olette and Roxas disguised their laughs as coughs. Hayner, too eager about his plan to notice, ran outside. The remaining friends looked at each other and shrugged before following suit.

The gang traversed back to Market Street where they gathered in front of a bulletin board. Hayner wasted no time discussing the beach plan.

“Okay, guys. I know it may seem unrealistic when you consider the money and everything, but we can work it out. Now, a ticket to the beach costs 900 munny. How much would it cost for the five of us?”

Olette was quick to calculate the amount. “About 4500 munny.” she answered.

“Let’s add 300 for each of us to spend there. How much is that for all of us?”

“1500 munny.” Pence calculated. “That makes 6000 total.”

“That’s kind of a lot…” Roxas said. “What would we spend it on over there anyway?”

“Pretzels, of course,” Hayner replied. “What else is there?”

Sora found himself thinking of coconuts, mangoes, bananas, and all sorts of other fruit. Natural foods offered the seashore had to offer.

“There’s also watermelon,” Roxas suggested. Sora jolted thinking the blond had read his thoughts. Relief washed over him seeing Roxas’s remark was merely in response to Hayner’s.

Hayner shook his head saying, “Too expensive. They’re like, 2000 munny a piece.”

“Pretzels it is, I guess.”

“We need 6000 munny all together,” Olette stated, “but all we have is…”

Everyone started digging around in their pockets.

“I have 800 munny.” Said Pence. “...650 from me.” Said Olette.

“150…” Roxas muttered. “Sorry.”

Sora looked embarrassed. “Zero,” he said, hanging his head. “Sorry…” Roxas laid a comforting hand on Sora’s shoulder, gesturing that he shouldn’t feel bad.

Pence spoke in reassurance, “Hey, don’t sweat it, Sora. There are various ways to earn money.” He pointed to the bulletin board.

Olette nodded. “That’s right. There’s always someone in need of a helping hand, you’ll see their tasks posted as odd jobs for anyone to take up.” The brunet perked up at this bit of information.

“Really?” Sora walked over to the bulletin board and read over the jobs available. The tasks that people requested help for ranged from delivering letters to putting on a street performance. “I can do those!” He said cheerfully. Not only would he be able to make some money, but he’d be helping people as well.

“Awesome!” Hayner grinned. “We have 1600 munny so far, which means we need another 4400. We have until the train leaves to earn 880 munny each, so let’s get to work, guys!” He ran off in a direction. “Meet at the station with cash in hand!” He called behind him.

Pence sighed, placing his hands at the back of his head. “And there he goes. Does he really expect us to accumulate that much in a short amount of time?”

“You got me,” Roxas shook his head. “But, I’ll admit those pretzels do sound good.”

“We can probably do it.” Sora smiled optimistically, not wanting to give up on something before even taking a shot at it.

Olette nodded her head, smiling. “I agree with Sora, we just need to work hard. Let’s take on as many jobs as we can and see what we come up with.” The brunet girl took off in another direction ready to get to work. “Good luck, guys!”

Pence turned to Sora and Roxas. “Guess I better get started as well. See you both later!” He said before running off to begin his own tasks.

“You gonna be alright?” Roxas asked the brunet. “You can stick by me if you want. I know there are some areas I haven’t shown you yet.”

“I’ll be fine, Roxas,” Sora assured with a smile. “I think I have a good enough idea of the area to make my way around. Besides, we’ll cover more ground doing separate jobs.”

Roxas hesitated but nodded. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Sora by himself, but he knew the other boy was right about the effectiveness of working the jobs separately. Plus, it wasn’t as if they needed to worry about another visit from those ghost looking monsters or anything.

“Okay then,” The blond nodded. “let’s meet back here once we’re done. We can head to the train station together.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Sora immediately set off to take on his first job.

Roxas smiled as he watched Sora run off with energetic determination. Sora’s energy must've rubbed off on him, because Roxas also began to grow more motivated about earning the goal amount for the beach trip. After checking the listings, the blond went off getting straight to work.

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Roxas decided he had a right to be proud of himself.

After completing what felt like his millionth task, the blond counted up his earnings and was pleasantly surprised to find he had made a total of 900 munny. He supposed if he did a few more jobs he could possibly hit the thousand mark, but time was running short.

“This should be more than enough,” Roxas said to himself as he walked back towards the bulletin board to meet Sora. Along the way, he couldn’t help but overhear a conversation between a woman and an elderly man.

“-Roxas’s new friend, Sora? Why yes, he was a big help delivering my letters. Such a kind boy. He didn’t even wait for me to tell him his payment once I gave him the task.” The woman remarked. The blond smiled, he could understand her reverence.

The man chuckled. “Well, whaddya know. He did me a huge favor getting rid of those darned bees. Didn’t even bat an eye going in.”

Roxas’s eyes widened in regards to the bees. The only other person besides himself brave enough to handle them had always been Seifer. If Sora did end up accepting that job, then that could mean…

Roxas broke into a sprint back to the bulletin board, ignoring every bewildered person he nearly bumped into in his haste. He was relieved to see Sora standing idly appearing no different than how he looked earlier. He still wanted to make sure, though.

Sora smiled as the blond approached. “Hey, Roxas! I take it you’re do-” the brunet was cut off when Roxas quickly took his hands and stared at them as if in search of something. “Roxas?” Sora stammered. “what’s wrong?” His cheeks painted in a pink hue at the feel of the warm grip Roxas’s hands had on his.

Deep sapphire inspected Sora’s hands and arms, checking for any stings the brunet might’ve received. To his relief and surprise, he found none. The lightly tanned skin remained smooth and unblemished as ever. Roxas realized he was still holding Sora’s hands and quickly let go, feeling his face go warm.

“Nothing,” The blond hastily answered before changing the topic. “So, how’d you do?”

“Huh? Sora blinked but then understood. “Oh! The money! Pretty good actually!” He proudly held out his earnings. “I’ve got 1000 munny to contribute now!”

Roxas whistled. “Damn, you beat me. Well great job, Sora!” He clapped Sora on the back. “C’mon. The others must be waiting.”

The brunet nodded. “Lead the way.”

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Hayner, Pence, and Olette were already standing outside the train station waiting when Roxa and Sora arrived.

Everyone gave their earnings to Olette who quickly tallied the total, putting them in an orange pouch. She then held the pouch behind her back as she made the announcement.

“Nice work, everyone. Added to what we started with, we now have…” Holding the pouch outward, she delightfully informed, “Tada! 6,230 munny!”

“Sweet!” Hayner cheered.

Olette handed Roxas the pouch to hang on to. “Let’s go get our tickets, everyone.” She and Pence ran ahead to the ticket booth as Sora, Roxas, and Hayner stayed behind.

Hayner’s smile turned a bit somber. “We can’t be together forever,” he stated, the serious tone catching both Roxas and Sora off guard. “So let's make the time we do have something to remember by.”

“Huh?” Roxas stared at his friend strangely. What brought this along?

All of a sudden, the brown-eyed teen donned a goofy grin as he looked at the other two. “Gotcha!” He landed a playful punch to Roxas’s stomach. “You two should see your faces!” He guffawed as he ran inside the station.

Roxas held his stomach with narrowed brows. “Why you-” He ran after Hayner while Sora followed behind chuckling.

Within the station, Sora stopped dead in his tracks. Something felt wrong. He stared at the train still parked along the tracks.

‘Don’t get on that train, Sora!’

The brunet jumped, hearing a female voice in his head. He recognized It as the same one from the other day when he and Roxas were confronted by those white creatures. He bit his lip. For some reason, he believed the warning given.

He wasn't supposed to be on that train.

“Hey, Sora?”

The boy in question turned his attention back on the others. They were all in front of the ticket booth facing Sora with quizzical looks.

“Are you okay?” Olette asked.

“Yeah, whatcha waiting for?” Hayner asked.

“Uh….” Sora trailed off, unsure how he should put it. “I don’t think I’m gonna go, guys.” he eventually said with his head down.

Everyone looked at Sora with shock. “What?!”

“Are you sure?” Pence asked.

“What’s wrong, Sora?” Roxas asked, already concerned. Sora just shook his head.

“I’m not feeling too well,” He answered half-truthfully. “But hey, at least you guys have enough for a watermelon now.” He cheerfully pointed out..

“But-”

“Have fun, guys! You can tell me all about it when you get back.” Sora waved to them as he ran outside the station.

“Sora!” Roxas followed after the brunet, but as he reached the stair landing Sora was already gone from sight. The blond sighed, looking down at the pouch in his hand.

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Sora walked around the Tram Commons of Market Street, unsure in regards to what he should do now.

He was bummed he had to miss the trip, but at least the weird feeling went away.

“I should’ve asked Roxas for his key,” The brunet mused as put his hands behind his head. “Guess I’m stuck outside for the meantime.” Oh well, he’d rather be out than sitting in Roxas’s flat all day doing nothing.

Sora came across the same skateboard he and Roxas used earlier, having mysteriously wound up in the same place they found it. The brunet smiled as he placed a foot on the board.

“Here’s something to pass the time.” Kicking at the ground, Sora let the board carry him off, enjoying the feel of the wind in his face.

The boy paid no mind to where he was going as he was having too much fun. He laughed heartily throughout the ride, waving at some of the townspeople he whizzed by, as well as executing a few tricks now and then.

Sora eventually found himself in an unfamiliar area. The board rolled a few feet before fully stopping, allowing the brunet to hop off. Looking around, Sora perceived the area to be for some kind of sport based on the arena smacked in the middle surrounded by benches.

“Wooooaa~~h,” Sora looked around in awe as he walked onto the platform. “I wonder what kind of games are held here?” he was so going to ask Roxas later.

“Hey, you!” A harsh voice called out.

Sora turned around. Standing in the distance was Seifer flanked by his followers, the group leader already appearing to be none too pleased. “What are you doing here?” Seifer demanded, crossing his arms. “This place is off-limits.”

“Oh! Is it? Sorry,” Sora apologized, rubbing the back of his head. “I didn’t know.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Seifer scoffed. “Even a pea-brained idiot knows the rule.”

“Yeah!” Rai added in, “Everyone knows not to come here while Seifer’s training!” He then mocked, “Your brain must be tinier than a pea to forget that!”

“Pretty generous to say he even has a brain,” The blond smirked. “It’s probably fried like that hair.”

The bulky young man snickered. “Good one, boss! You’re right, even his hair looks stupid!”

Sora’s brows narrowed. He wasn’t taken with either of their attitudes, especially not with the obvious insult. “Look, I said I was sorry, alright? I honestly had no idea.” he apologized despite his growing irritation. ‘What assholes,’ he thought.

“H-hey, Seifer,” Vivi tentatively spoke, “Don’t you think you’re going a bit too far? He might be telling the truth.” Blue eyes flashed dangerously as Seifer looked down at the squatty boy.

“You’re taking his side, now?” The blond challenged. Vivi jumped and frantically shook his head, glancing at Sora apologetically as he stepped back.

“How is it ya don’t know, anyway?” Rai remarked towards Sora.

“Outsider,” Fuu spoke after observing the brunet.

Seifer scowled even harder at that. “That explains it. Look, punk, being new in town doesn’t mean you get to do whatever the hell you please. I suggest you get lost.”

This got Sora to glare. “And what if I don’t?” He fired back, getting into a defensive position. He would’ve complied with the “rule” they stated, but after how rudely they acted towards him, he wasn’t in a very cooperative mood anymore.

The members of the Disciplinary Committee expressed great surprise at the newcomer’s opposition. At least the three subordinates did. Seifer, for his part, briefly raised his eyebrows before they were reset in a disgruntled look.

The leader glared at Sora, the latter unwaveringly staring back. Sora’s ocean eyes glinted with defiance, their owner uncaring if he was outnumbered. Sora wasn’t going to take this guy’s crap.

Seifer silently turned back and momentarily walked off the arena.

Everyone watched as the blond went up to a bin containing a bunch of different struggle bats, grabbed three of them before stepping back onto the platform.

Sora looked down at the bats thrown his way, rolling to a stop at his feet. The one on the right was the standard struggle bat, the middle one designed with a moon-shaped guard wrapped around the hilt, while the left one had a thinner and longer handle that was tipped with a blue star-shaped “blade”.

“Pick your weapon,” Seifer ordered, already wielding his own bat.

“Huh?” Sora looked up in question.

“You heard me,” Seifer said, taking his place at the opposite side of the platform. “You wanna talk tough, let’s see if you fight tough.” The blond then smirked, placing the foam “blade” on his shoulder as he mocked, “Unless you’re too scared to fight and would rather surrender.”

The brunet’s eyes narrowed once more. He growled slightly, clenching his fists. No way was Sora going to surrender, especially not to an arrogant jerk like him. ‘I’ll show him.’ He squatted down and grabbed one of the bats without much consideration before getting into a ready stance.

The bat Sora chose turned out to be the star-shaped one, which Seifer laughed mockingly at. “Poor choice, loser, that weapon won’t get you anywhere.” He pointed his bat at his opponent.

“Thanks for the tip. But I’m sure it’s enough to take you on,” Sora remarked, not at all concerned with how strong or weak his choice of weapon was supposed to be. He’d make it work regardless.

Seifer’s smirk turned dangerous as he got into a ready position. “You’re gonna regret this. Time I teach you how to behave in my town.”

“Do it, then!” Sora taunted. “You seem to be all talk so far.”

The taller male growled. Seifer didn’t think there would be anyone else besides Hayner and his dumb crew who’d provoke such ire out of him. Five minutes in on meeting the new kid, and he was already pissed from the sight of him.

Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette came rushing into the Sandlot. They stopped and gasped at the scene before them.

“Oh no!” Olette gasped, visibly worried for their new friend.

“Leave him alone, Seifer!” Roxas shouted with an angry swipe of his hand.

“Stay out of this, twerps!” Seifer kept his eyes on Sora. “The kid agreed.”

Sora turned his head and gave Roxas a smile before shifting his focus back on his opponent. Roxas opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself. He reminded himself that Sora was no weakling, he was going to have to trust him on this.

Roxas and his friends watched anxiously as Seifer charged at Sora, already going in for a strike.

“Kneel, loser!”

Sora quickly dodged the attack by jumping back, his opponent leaping at him bringing the bat down at his head. The brunet blocked the attack using his bat’s handle, the pressured weight causing him to fall back. He broke the clash by executing a backward roll and cartwheeled out of the way of a forward jab.

Seifer pulled out all the stops, delivering harsh swings and strikes with Sora swiftly evading each one, occasionally blocking with astonishing precision.

Sora briefly thought amidst the coursing adrenaline how instinctive everything felt. Like he was no stranger to this type of altercation. Whatever the case, he was determined to keep fighting until one of them could no longer stand.

Everyone was astounded by how the fight was progressing.

“Woah,” Pence remarked in astonishment “Sora’s actually pretty good.”

Hayner snapped out of his daze and crossed his arms. “Yeah, but he won’t win by just dodging. He’s gonna need to get a hit in some time.”

“I think what he’s doing is smart,” Olette pointed out. “You can’t win on offense alone, either.”

Roxas was too amazed to comment with his eyes following Sora’s every move. ‘He’s incredible,’ His mind marveled. He was practically seeing another side of the normally cheerful boy; the way his bright blue eyes sharpened, his mouth set in a tight line with focus as he clashed with Seifer’s attacks without hesitation, not to mention the fluidity in his maneuvers.

“How about you actually hit me, brat?!” Seifer growled, aggravated he hadn’t landed one hit on the shorter boy.

Sora continued to dodge. “Is that an invitation?” the brunet retorted and went in for a strike of his own. “Then here!”

Seifer guarded against it and smirked. Sora looked confused before he was sent flying backward by a slash, losing his grip on his bat. He barely registered Roxas and the others’ worried gasps as he slid upon hitting the ground.

“Ngnh!”

Cheers and taunts could be heard coming from Seifer’s gang.

“Sora!” Roxas cried out as he reached a hand out towards Sora.

Thankfully, the brunet recovered with a backward roll and flipped onto his feet, skidding a little. His eyes scanned the area in search of his bat only to be dismayed upon realizing Seifer was standing right in front of it.

Seifer huffed out a laugh Sora’s dilemma. “What are you gonna do now?” He pointed his bat at the shorter boy. “You’ll have to go through me if you want your weapon back.”

Sora glared and pursed his lips. He had to get his bat back. But how? It was obvious retrieving it wasn’t going to be that simple, not with his opponent standing guard like a dragon to its castle.

Wait.

Sora’s head clicked with Seifer’s last statement. He got back in a standing position while keeping his sight aimed at the taller boy. ‘Go through him, huh?’ His mouth lifted into an impish grin, Seifer looking confused this time. ‘I think that can be arranged.’

Everyone gasped as the brunet dashed towards Seifer, the latter smirking viciously as he prepared to finish the fight. Seifer intended to deliver a downward swing with enough force to knock the kid out for real.

However, as Seifer brought the bat down, Sora moved his foot back and sidestepped at the last minute, evading the blond’s swing. Finding his chance, the brunet used Seifer’s now crouched position to hop on his back and leap off, causing the taller teen to stumble.

Sora dove into a roll, grabbing his bat in the process. He altered his position until he was facing Seifer.

Sora struck as the Disciplinary Committee leader whirled around. Seifer managed to block a jab but was caught off-guard when the brunet followed up with an upward slash leaving him open.

Sora unleashed an array of attacks upon his opponent, the taller teen not having the chance to deflect one.

“Take this!” Sora delivered a finishing combo midair, resulting in Seifer to be knocked back. The blond groaned as he staggered backward before finally dropping to his knee.

Sora relaxed his stance with his breath coming out in pants. That confrontation took a lot out of him. He held on to his bat just in case his opponent recovered. After a minute passed, it became clear Seifer couldn’t continue. The other members of the Disciplinary Committee rushed onto the platform and checked on their leader.

Sora became swarmed by the others surrounding him with congrats and exclaiming how incredible he was out there.

“Dude! I can’t believe you took on Seifer!” Hayner told Sora excitedly. “That was so badass!” he emphasized with a clap to the brunet’s back.

“I know, right?” Olette chimed in, clapping her hands together. “Though, you had us worried for a second there, Sora. Good thinking with that comeback.”

Sora chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, cheeks reddening under the praise he was receiving. He looked at Roxas who was staring at him the whole time with a mystified expression.

“Sora…” Roxas began, moving closer to the shorter boy. “You were amazing.” He smiled at him.

Sora blushed and turned his gaze downwards. For some reason, having the compliment come from Roxas sent him into a tizzy.

“Guys!” Pence called. “Look over here!” The others turned towards the hickory haired boy who was holding up his camera. Pence captured a photo of his group with the downed Seifer behind them and gave a thumbs up. “Here’s to another victory!”

“Hey!” Everyone in Roxas’s group turned around. Rai and Fuu were facing them having gotten in fighting positions. “Who do you think you are, punk?!” Rai growled out towards Sora.

“Penalty round.” Fuu challenged.

Sora and Roxas both glared and shifted into fighting stances themselves, the others following suit.

“Tch. What a bunch of sore losers.” Hayner uttered with a roll of his shoulder. Both sides stared each other down. One of them was about to move when a commanding voice stopped them.

“That’s enough!”

Everyone looked at Seifer in bewilderment. The blond slowly got to his feet, brushing off Vivi’s attempts at assistance. His stare burned into Roxas’s group, particularly at Sora. “Leave him.” He ordered his gang and promptly turned around to depart.

“What?!” Rai exclaimed. Even Fuu’s eyes became wide as saucers in response to their superior’s choice to walk away. “B-but, boss! You can’t be-”

“Did you hear what I said?” Seifer snapped, cutting off Rai’s protest. “Leave him. The kid won fair and square.” He then turned and pointed at Sora. “But, don’t think you’ll be as fortunate at the tournament, you hear?” He faced forward once again making his leave, his subordinates deciding to follow suit.

Sora let out a “huh?” in confusion. What tournament?

As Seifer was leaving, Sora called out to him, “Hey wait! Seifer, was it?” The blond halted his steps with his back still turned. Sora then continued with a smile, “Good fight back there. You’re pretty strong.” Yeah, the guy was a grade-A bastard, but Sora was willing to acknowledge he had good fighting skills. Plus, he respected how Seifer took his loss fairly.

Seifer slightly looked over his shoulder, his reply consisting of a “tch” before exiting the Sandlot.

Roxas crossed his arms watching Seifer’s gang depart. “Well, that was unexpected.”

“Seriously,” Pence said in agreement. “He even called off his lackeys.”

Roxas turned to Sora looking apologetic. “Sorry you had to deal with them. We’re not exactly on the best of terms with the Disciplinary Committee, as they call themselves.”

Hayner snorted, “Who is, anyway?” His brown eyes held a sense of bitterness as he stared in the direction Seifer had left. “The only people worth his time are those who can match him in strength.” Olette and Pence shared concerned glances. It always struck them odd how their friend could hate his longtime rival while at the same time fixate on what said rival thought. The blond’s shift in demeanor hadn’t escaped Sora and Roxas either.

Sora was about to voice his concern only for Roxas to put a hand on his shoulder shaking his head. He understood and proceeded to change the subject. “So, what was that about a tournament?”

Hayner instantly perked up. “That’s right! I almost forgot about the Struggle Tournament!” He bumped Sora grinning, “You should totally enter, man!”

“I agree.”

A dark-haired portly man with a kind face approached the group. “I must say, that was really something. Besides Roxas, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone go toe to toe with Seifer like that. You’re Sora, am I correct?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

The man chuckled warmly. “Word travels fast here. The name’s Alvin, I’m the host for the games held here in Twilight Town. I highly encourage that you participate in this year’s Struggle Tournament. The best combatants in town will be competing, it’ll be a good opportunity to put those skills of yours to the test.”

“Huh…” Sora honestly felt unsure. Yeah, he was eager to jump at the chance to play some games, but were his skills good enough to partake in something like that? He was exhausted from facing Seifer alone, how would he fare against multiple challengers?

The host seemed to notice Sora’s hesitation. “Give it some thought, son,” he said kindly. “I guarantee you’ll have a blast.” Alvin bid everyone a good day before leaving the area.

Sora hummed thoughtfully. “It does sound like fun.” He asked the others, “I take it you guys are competing?”

“Sure are!” Hayner proudly announced with a nudge to Roxas. “Both me and this guy.”

“Well, I’m hurt. Forgetting my name already?” Roxas joked, flicking his hot-headed friend on the forehead. He snickered when Hayner nearly lost his footing.

Hayner rubbed his head, mock glaring at Roxas, before explaining to Sora, “But, yeah. Roxas and I are aiming to make it to the finals. That way no matter who wins, we can all split the prize. And you know what?” He told the others, “If Sora enters, then we’ll have a higher chance of winning!” Hayner looked back at Sora with a grin. “What do you say?”

“Calm down, will you?” Olette put her hands on her hips. “He’s only just heard of the tournament. At least let him sleep on it a little.”

“it won’t be for another two days anyway.” Pence chimed in.

“I guess you’re right,” Hayner conceded, looking semi-deflated.

Sora felt bad seeing the disappointment on Hayner’s face. He thought more about this Struggle Tournament and how determined and hopeful the gang was in their goal to win the event. His new friends had been nothing but kind and welcoming to him, treating him like he’d been a longtime member of their group. This could be his chance to give some of that kindness back.

“I think,” The brunet spoke up, “I’ll enter the tournament after all.”

Hayner looked pleasantly surprised. “You mean it?” Sora nodded with a smile. “All right!” The blond cheered. “You’re really doing us a solid here, Sora! Thanks!”

Sora beamed. It felt good knowing he was being of help, and he’ll be doing something fun in the process. He turned to Roxas noticing the blond had a pensive look on him. “Roxas?”

Roxas had to ask, “You sure you’re up for it, Sora?” in which the brunet nodded.

“Yeah! I mean, thinking about it, I kinda have to compete. Seifer sounds like he expects a rematch.”

“That’s right.” The blond tsked. “That creep.” He glared in the direction Seifer’s group had gone.

“It’ll be fine, Roxas.” Sora shrugged. “At least I know what to expect. That fight made for a good practice match.” He said in a lighthearted manner. But Roxas didn’t seem amused.

“Yeah, but I’d still be careful,” Pence advised. “Seifer’s most likely going to go at Sora twice as hard now after the way he beat him.”

“Not if I take him out first.” Everyone, even Sora, had been taken aback by the coldness in Roxas’s tone.

The blond curled his hand in a tight fist. He already harbored a great dislike for Seifer, no surprise there, but if that bully decided to go after Sora, it was fair game. Roxas didn’t care if Seifer acted graciously this time around, he still didn’t trust him.

“Hey, man, we got this.” Hayner said reassuringly, “Seifer won’t win this year, we’ll be ready for him.” Thinking the outcome of last year’s tournament being the cause for his friend going tense.

Roxas took in Sora’s worried gaze and let out a breath, easing the tension inside. “Yeah, I know.” He directed a grin to both Sora and Hayner. “May the best man win?”

Hayner grinned back as he and Roxas fist bumped. “It’s a promise.” He then patted Sora on the back. “I’m expecting to see great things from you, man.” The brunet nodded cheerily.

“Right back at ya.”

Pence gave them a thumbs up. “You guys are gonna clean up!”

“Go get’em!” Olette added. The boys nodded in thanks, all three of them filled with invigoration and excitement in regards to the upcoming event.

Sora turned to Roxas, tilting his head curiously. “There’s a chance we might end up fighting each other. That’s going to be interesting.”

The blond said with a smirk, “I agree. After seeing how you handled Seifer earlier, I’m interested to find how we’ll match up.”

Sora laughed. “Well, I already know not to take your skills lightly. You’ll do great, Roxas, I’m sure of it.” A tender smile graced his features.

Roxas lost his words for a second, his heart beating rapidly in the face of that vivid smile. “Same.” He eventually got out as he composed himself. “I’ll see you in the top ranks.”

The brunet replied softly, “Don’t hold back.”

Something in Roxas’s head stirred at Sora’s words. For a moment, it was as if he’d heard them from someone else, his heart heavy from care and sadness joined together. But just like that, the sensation dissipated like the flash of a camera leaving no after image behind.

Roxas got a hold of himself and noticed that the brunet was waving a hand in front of his face.

“Everything okay, Roxas? You looked like you were staring into space there.”

“Oh! Y-yeah. I was just thinking.”

At that moment, Roxas’s face changed from embarrassed to shock real quick in reaction to something happening behind Sora.

The shorter boy immediately looked behind him and gasped.

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Hayner and the others were literally frozen in place, their positions unnaturally still like statues. Everything around Roxas and Sora began to whirl and twist around all shroudlike, causing the two boys to back into each other as they looked around in alarm.

What the hell was going on?

Four grayish-white blobs suddenly manifested themselves around the boys, dropping in as if coming from the sky, each one molding themselves into a certain ghostlike creature.

Roxas and Sora both tensed, still back to back.

“Them again?!” Roxas yelled out in disbelief. Just when he was starting to think the encounter from yesterday was just a one-time occurrence.

Sora gripped his bat, watching the zipperheaded monsters dance in place. Roxas looked down finding the struggle bat Seifer dropped lying at his feet. He quickly picked it up knowing full well he was going to need something to defend himself with.

And just like yesterday, lights and numbers circled around Roxas’s bat leaving in his hand a particular key-shaped weapon. The blond held the key sword up in surprise. “This key…”

“The keyblade.”

Various questions filled his head, but Roxas shook them off and readied himself needing to focus on the enemies surrounding him and Sora.

Sora charged towards the one on his front. “Sora, wait!” Roxas whirled around with his hand outstretched. The brunet slashed diagonally at the creature, only for the star-shaped blade to phase through.

Sora internally cursed. ‘That’s right, I forgot.’ He made to back away but the monster had him in its reach.

The creature lifted itself into the air, spinning around in a wheel-like fashion, kicking Sora back with its thin but fairly sharp legs. The brunet cried out as the force knocked him on his butt. A hiss escaped his lips upon feeling a stinging sensation on his right arm, finding two red scratches marring lightly tanned skin.

Roxas rushed to Sora’s side and held out a hand. “Are you okay?!” He asked, helping him up. Sora nodded despite an eye shutting due to the pain, feeling the scratches bleed a bit as he held his arm.

“Guess I deserved that.” He remarked with a weak smile.

Roxas shook his head and put a hand on the shorter boy’s shoulder. “Leave the hard-hitting stuff to me, alright? What about that fire magic you pulled last time? You think it’s possible-” He quickly got in front of Sora and struck one of the creatures flying at them, succeeding in inflicting damage as before.

“I-I might be able to do it again,” Sora replied, looking down at the bat in his hands. It seemed more like a wand now that he inspected it in further detail. With his weapon physically useless against the creatures, maybe it could instead be used to cast his magic. It was worth a shot.

“Okay, do what you need to do to work it. I’ll keep these guys off your back.” Roxas promised.

Sora nodded and said jokingly, “Make sure you save some for me.”

Roxas smirked lightly before running at the white creatures, the chain of the mouse-shaped charm rattling as he raised the keyblade.

With Roxas busy engaging the group of enemies, Sora held up his bat with both hands and took a deep breath in concentration. He figured the means in conjuring that magical flame remained the same. The desire to help Roxas was there, as was his determination to make this power manifest. It was coming to him.

Sora felt that familiar surge of power crawling to be released. As if by instinct, the brunet took aim at one of the creatures and allowed the magic to be channeled through the bat.

“Fire!”

A flame projectile shot from the blade and into the intended target, leaving it twitching and open for Roxas to deliver a finishing strike causing the enemy to evaporate in a burst of light. The blond turned to Sora and gave him a thumbs up. Sora smiled and bounced in excitement at his successful attempt in summoning his magic, only to wince feeling the irritation of the lacerations on his arm.

Sora’s eyes widened as something flashed in his head.

“Heal!“ A quartet of floral bells sprinkling light in a serene green glow.

The brunet stared at his hand, the tiny smear of blood staining his palm. Sora closed his eyes and placed his hand back over the cuts. He urged himself to relax as his mind turned to calming thoughts of light and rejuvenation, like flowers blooming under the sun.

“Heal.”

A melodious ringing of bells filled Sora’s ears, followed by a soothing warmth. Ocean eyes opened at a new burst of energy flowing through him. He felt great! Sora’s surprise became greater, finding the cuts on his arm healed to the point where no trace was left behind.

“Hey, Sora?” The brunet looked up and saw Roxas still dealing with the remainder of the horde. “A little help here?” The blond asked, currently grappling with one of the creatures.

“Oh right!” Sora immediately cast the flame projectile just as Roxas pushed the enemy away, “I got ya!” the spell hitting its target. Already weak from the hits Roxas delt to it, the creature succumbed to Sora’s magic.

The boys took care of the remaining two, their teamwork proving to be effective as it was yesterday.

With the last enemy gone, Sora and Roxas remained on guard as they scanned the perimeter for potential stragglers. The area stayed clear.

The boys simultaneously relaxed letting out tired sighs. The keyblade in Roxas’s hand vanished in a blink of an eye, the blond finding himself holding the ordinary Struggle bat again.

Roxas sighed. “‘Guess that answers this morning’s question.” Sora smiled ironically recalling his inquiry about the key weapon, or as they now know it as, the “keyblade”.

“Roxas! Sora!”

Sora and Roxas turned at the call. Hayner and the others were standing near the exit of the Sandlot, mobile and apparently unaware of the battle that just took place.

“You guys sparring or something?” Hayner asked, gesturing to the bats Sora and Roxas had.

“Um...” The duo glanced at each other, unsure what to say.

“We’re going to the Station Tower!” Pence called with a wave. “Don’t stay too long!”

Olette waved as she left with Hayner and Pence. “See you both there!”

Roxas watched them as they departed, wondering how they could’ve missed what just happened.

“Umm, Roxas?”

The blond turned around, giving Sora his full attention.

Sora was looking at Roxas thoughtfully, tilting his head. “I’d…. like to try something. You mind helping me with it?” He asked while walking a little closer to the taller boy. Roxas felt his face warm as he and Sora were now face to face, the brunet peering up at him with those bright blue eyes.

“Uh,” Roxas blushed. “Sure. What do you need me to do?” His eyes widened when Sora reached up, his hand close to touching his bandaged cheek.

The brunet smiled. “Just need you to hold still,” he answered. Roxas gulped and nodded. His heart leaped feeling the warmth radiating off of Sora’s hand as it hovered over his skin.

‘Oh, shit…’ Roxas’s mind raced.

Roxas gripped onto both sides of his pants, not trusting his hands to have free reign, at least not with the temptation of pulling the smaller boy even closer currently looming over him.

Sora closed his eyes, brows furrowing in concentration, and took a deep breath. “Heal.” he murmured, a soft green aura of energy glowed from his hand.

“Huh?” Roxas gasped as he heard a pleasant chime of bells coupled with a soothing warmth covering his cheek. Roxas ran over to a window of one of the surrounding buildings.

The blond peeled off the bandage and was shocked to see in his reflection the scratch marks on his cheek completely faded. Still in disbelief of what the glass showed him, Roxas touched his cheek feeling smooth undamaged skin. He turned to Sora, a look of wonder formed on his face.

“When did you-”

“During that earlier encounter with our ‘friends’,” Sora answered peppily. “Pretty convenient that I was able to heal what they left on my arm, too.” He pointed to the now clear skin of his arm before scratching a finger along his cheek “I’m really glad it worked.” He softly remarked, staring at Roxas’s newly healed side of his face.

Roxas’s awed look gradually gave way to a smile. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Sora let out a short giggle only to stumble forward due to a sudden wave of dizziness. Roxas quickly grabbed his shoulders, keeping him upright.

“You okay?” Roxas asked, worry setting in deep sapphire eyes.

“Yeah. Yeah,” Sora placed a hand up to his head. “Though, it looks like that magic uses up a lot more energy than the fire magic.”

Roxas nodded. “Got it, no using it willy nilly.” He kept an arm around Sora’s shoulder as they made their way back on Market Street. “Do you wanna head back?”

“And miss out on the station tower?” Sora shook his head and grinned. “No way. I’ll be fine.”

Roxas looked skeptical but kept their direction towards the station. “Alright. But if you start passing out on me, we’re going straight home.” Sora rolled his eyes in good humor.

“Duly noted.”

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High up from one of the rooftops, Naminé watched as Sora and Roxas left the Sandlot. She smiled faintly, pleased to see them pull yet another victory against the Dusks. Her brows narrowed feeling another presence nearby. Looking up, she found her suspicions confirmed.

Standing on another rooftop far across was a tall figure donning a certain black coat. Namine let out a small alarmed gasp and ducked behind the bricked railing, making sure to keep hidden as she peeked over the blockade.

Was that “Ansem” she was looking at? Had DiZ already regained access?

No. There was something different about the mysterious individual. The blond-haired girl quickly realized they must've been the one responsible for the recent appearance of the Dusks.

It’s one thing for the Organization to send their Dusks, but now one of their members?

This wasn’t good.

Namine looked again towards the opposite building with the person now gone. Dread filled her, already aware of how ruthless the Organization was with their tactics.

Roxas still wielded the keyblade efficiently, even without recollection of his experience with it, and Sora manages well despite only having access to his magic at this time. Naminé had faith the two would be able to handle themselves against whatever the Organization will throw next, just as long as they stuck together.

In the meantime, she’ll continue to watch over aid them to the best of her ability.

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“Wow!” Sora stood on the edge atop of the Station Tower, his eyes wide with fascination at the view it provided. Seeing the entirety of the town from such a high place made him feel like he was on top of the world.

“Better watch how you’re standing over there,” Hayner advised while sitting between Olette and Pence. “It’s a long way down.”

Roxas patted the spot next to him. “Here, you can see the view just fine from here.” Sora plopped down next to the blond, joining the others in gazing out at the town basked in the warm summer glow.

“The sun’s so pretty from up here,” Olette said.

“Yeah,” Pence agreed. “Though, I’ll bet it looks even better at the beach.”

“Oh!” Sora was reminded right then of the planned beach trip from earlier. “How was it, by the way? He asked, turning his head. “I’m surprised you guys came back so soon.”

“Actually,” Roxas spoke, “We didn’t go.” The brunet was surprised to hear that.

“You didn’t? Why?”

“We weren’t going to go if you weren’t,” Olette answered. “Besides, it wouldn’t have been fair to use your money. Which reminds me.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the orange pouch, handing it to Roxas. “It’s the money you and Roxas earned, ‘might come in handy for a rainy day.”

Sora felt bad. All that work they did to make it to the beach only for it to not happen, and because of him to add to that. He bowed his head crestfallen. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Sora!” Hayner assured. “Shit happens.”

“Right, there’ll be other chances,” Pence added.

Sora let out a sad sigh but was consoled upon receiving an assuring smile from Roxas. The group spent the rest of the time engaging in friendly chatter.

After a while, Hayner, Pence, and Olette decided to call it a day and head back, leaving Roxas and Sora the only ones sitting at the tower. The boys were content staying a little while longer.

“Everything looks so beautiful from up here,” Sora eventually remarked, awe sparkling in his blue eyes.

“It sure is,” Roxas affirmed. He smiled giving Sora a sideways glance. “Hey, Sora.” he started. “Bet you can’t guess why the sun’s red right now.” The brunet tilted his head, squinting at the sun curiously. “You see, light is made up of lots of different colors. And out of all of them, red travels the farthest.” Roxas’s smile and eyes looked almost distant as he explained.

Sora nudged Roxas jokingly, the latter’s odd stare escaping his notice. “Thanks for the info, Mr. Textbook.” The blond snapped out of his daze and playfully swatted at the other boy.

“Hey! Wouldn’t hurt your brain to learn some stuff!” Roxas laughed.

“Oh, what are you implying?” Sora giggled returning the light swats. The boys continued their play fight, vibrant chuckles filling the air. They eventually calmed down and slowly settled back into a peaceful silence.

However, Sora’s smile waned as he voiced something that’s been bothering him ever since Roxas showed him around town. “Hey, Roxas. Do I look….. weird or something?” Sora asked with hesitation.

“Huh? What do you mean, Sora?”

The brunet shrugged before meeting Roxas’s confused gaze. “Everyone seemed pretty quick to pick up that I wasn’t from around here. Do I stand out that much?”

“You kinda do,” Roxas answered without thinking.

“Oh…”

“No-not that’s a bad thing!” Roxas quickly added. “It means you’re unique! That’s a good thing. Plus, it’d be boring if everyone looked the same anyway.”

“You...think I’m unique?” Sora asked, perking up a bit. Roxas blushed, scratching the back of his head.

“Y-yeah.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I wasn’t sure if I needed to make myself look more ‘Twilight Town-like’ or something.” The brunet joked with a laugh.

Roxas shook his head. “Of course you don’t, you’re just different. And some people may find it strange.” He continued, stumbling over his words “Not that you are strange, even though there’s nothing wrong with being strange…..But I’m not saying you’re strange! it’s just- I mean-”

He sucked in a breath to prevent any further word vomit.

“What I’m trying to say, Sora, is that….you don’t need to change anything. I think you’re fine as you are.” He said, a genuine smile plastered on his face. Though, inwardly, Roxas knew “fine” wasn’t even the least of it when it came to describing Sora.

Sora looked to the side, smiling shyly. “Thanks, Roxas,” He said softly, his smile even more cheerful when he turned back to Roxas. “I think you’re fine as you are, too.”

The boys held each other’s gaze a little longer before looking forward once again, watching the sunset with content.

Chapter Text

Naminé didn’t need to see whose footsteps echoed in the white room.

The one who insisted on being called “Ansem” was a more pleasant visitor compared to DiZ, the latter only coming here when he needed updates on the restoration process. As for Ansem, Naminé noticed his visits were more to keep her company.

Even with being a Nobody, the blond couldn’t help but look forward to these visits. She may have disagreed with Ansem’s and DiZ’s approach in restoring Sora’s memories from Roxas, but outside of that, the hooded male’s presence was a welcomed one.

“I assume you’re aware of the snag we’ve hit,” Ansem said, more of a statement than a question.

Naminé nervously squeezed her clasped fingers, keeping her attention on the pod. She made a brief nod and hummed in response.

“Restoring his memories might take longer than planned,” She spoke softly.

“I suspected as much. The system picked an ideal time to malfunction.” The slight frustration in Ansem’s tone was clear despite his calm tone. Namine nearly flinched but managed to compose herself.

”We still have time,” She offered. “Whatever happened, it hasn’t done anything to the memories I’ve managed to restore so far. But, I imagine DiZ still isn’t too thrilled. ”

Ansem walked closer until they were standing side by side. “Is he ever?” He eventually remarked with a slight chuckle, causing the small girl to look up at him in surprise at the sudden quip made regarding their overseer.

A smile slowly appeared on Naminé’s lips, feeling what she recognized to be amusement.

“I…” Naminé started, hoping to keep the conversation on its relaxed course. “I saw something nice outside,” Ansem turned his head to look down at the blond-haired girl. “Sora’s memories are still my priority, of course. But it was so beautiful, I couldn’t help but draw it.” She looked down with a faint smile.

She readied herself for the admonishment and reminder that her focus should be first and foremost on her duty.

Instead, Ansem’s reply caused her head to snap back up. “I wouldn’t mind seeing it.” His voice was low but almost kind.

“Really?” Naminé eventually spoke.

The hooded male grunted. “If you say it’s beautiful, then it must be. An artist like yourself would have an eye for that kind of thing.”

The blond-haired Nobody was taken aback at what she’d been told. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face.

She’d been referred to various things regarding her ability. No one had considered her an artist before.

No one aside from her.

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“Did you do all these?” A girl with short dark hair stood in front of a multitude of illustrations pinned to the walls of a white dining room, her focus centered on a particular one consisting of three figures wearing black coats standing together joining hands: One whose hair was colored in a bright yellow, one whose hair stood out in a fiery red, and one whose hair was the blackest night.

Naminé, observing the other girl from her seat, nodded. “I did.”

The girl turned around, her deep blue eyes brightening slightly as she smiled. “They’re all so pretty,” she remarked softly. “You’re quite talented.”

Naminé expressed great surprise. “Talented...?” She parroted, cerulean eyes widening slightly. It was the first time she’d receive such a compliment. Up to now, the female Nobody had perceived her work as merely a product of her powers.

“You are,” The girl insisted, tucking strands of dark bangs behind her ear. “To recreate something from memory in your own style? Not everyone can do that.”

Naminé could only stare at the other girl before diverting her attention down to her lap, the sincerity swimming in those blue eyes proving to be overwhelming. “Th-thank you.” She shyly whispered out.

She heard a giggle, but it wasn’t mocking or vicious, not like the false sweetness that used to come from the “savage nymph”.

No, the sound Naminé heard was soft, pleasant, and uplifting. She rather liked it.

She raised her head, a smile slowly taking place on her lips. The other girl smiled back.

“Thank you,” Came her reply, “For showing me see your beautiful art.”

Naminé felt in that moment seeing the girl smiling with such wonderment, that it wasn’t particularly the drawings that looked beautiful.

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

“Naminé?”

The blond jumped as she was brought back to the present. She looked up at Ansem whose yellow eyes were discernible even under the hood.

“Is something the matter?” the tall male inquired, his eyes showing a sliver of concern.

Naminé shook her head before turning forward. “Sorry, I was just thinking,” She quickly added, “How Sora’s progress will be affected with the added complication, and if Roxas will be able to handle remaining in the town longer.” It was partly true, she greatly worried for both Sora and Roxas, even more so now seeing that the Organization was increasing their efforts.

Ansem hummed in understanding. “I don’t blame you. We’ve recently picked up that the Organization’s scouts had managed to infiltrate the system,” He gravely informed. “I insisted to DiZ it was a bad idea to proceed with these circumstances, but…” He let out an aggravated sigh.

Naminé felt a pang of guilt; She was aware her interference would be riddled with risks. But seeing Sora and Roxas getting along, how quickly they stood together despite the confusion surrounding them, she believed she made the right decision.

“Does it really have to be this way?” She answered Ansem’s questioning glance, “Taking away Roxas’s memories, trapping him in this illusion of a peaceful life?” Her expression was pained. She wanted to hear his thoughts on the matter without worrying about DiZ listening in.

Ansem’s silence constituted his own conflicted view on the matter, especially with how he turned his gaze away upon answering. “I’m not so blind to see what we’re doing is cruel,” He eventually admitted, “But, how else is Sora supposed to awaken? It’s unfair to keep his memories withheld from him.”

“Isn’t this also unfair for Roxas? He wasn’t given the chance to understand everything.”

“Would it make a difference if he did?”

The blond stared down at her hands. “Perhaps,” she whispered. “....Sora would agree he deserves that much.” She glanced sideways at the other.

One of the hooded male’s hands had curled into a fist. But slowly loosened. “He would,” Ansem conceded. “But, I still remember how Roxas reacted when Sora was mentioned, all that anger from just hearing his name....” He crossed his arms. “It’s probably for the best the two will never meet. I doubt even Sora’s kindness would be enough to stay Roxas’s hand.”

Naminé grimaced but said nothing. Her gaze lingered on the floating boy, still portraying the image of a deep slumber to those oblivious of where his mind actually was.

‘I believe you’re wrong, Riku.’

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Roxas woke up feeling great.

He was refreshed, but he was also pleasantly surprised that he’d gotten through the night without any odd dreams.

Sleeping in the same bed as Sora was still on the awkward side, but they at least found neither had any issue falling asleep with their backs turned to each other.

The blond sat up and yawned while stretching his arms to get the blood flowing. He smiled, perhaps things were starting to get back to normal.

He fondly thought back to yesterday. While their day may have been dampened by the unsuccessful try for the beach and re-appearance of those ghost creatures, it was still calming watching the sunset on top of the Station Tower with Sora and the others.

Especially Sora. The brunet had been so excited about seeing the top of the Station Tower, not even fatigue was able to deter him. Roxas chuckled softly at the thought, he wondered what fueled the brunet’s incessant energy.

Speaking of which. He turned his attention to the side to check if his friend was still asleep only to find the space empty.

Roxas quickly looked around for Sora, worry setting in at not finding him within sight. ‘Was I that knocked out? How’d I miss him getting up?’ he thought as he pushed the covers aside and got out of bed. Roxas’s bare feet padded on the hardwood floor as he moved to the living room which was also devoid of the brunet. He checked the kitchen, but still no Sora.

Where did he go? Did he leave without him? Did something happen to him?!

Roxas took a deep breath. “Okay, calm down, Roxas,” he told himself. “He couldn’t have gone far, there’s gotta be a spot you haven’t checked yet.” He paused before placing his hand across his face. “No fucking shit.”

“Why didn’t I look there first?” he muttered, turning away to run back into the bedroom where the bathroom door was ajar.

Bingo.

“Sora?” Roxas called out as he slowly pushed the door open by the knob. His answer came in the form of a small groan.

Sora was kneeling slumped against the toilet with his head down, breaths coming out in slow heaves. One arm used to hold himself on the bowl while he held his head with the other.

Roxas rushed to Sora’s side, his features twisting instinctively at the tell-tale stench of bile wafting from the toilet. He turned his head, breathing into his shirt sleeve to counteract the smell for a bit. Roxas then gently held Sora’s shoulders, the latter slowly craning his head to look at the worried face of his friend. The brunet's usual tan complexion had been reduced to near sheet white with red-stained cheeks as the only contrast.

“Hey,” Roxas said softly. Sora sniffled but managed a weak smile.

“Hey,” The brunet croaked, “I threw up.” Ocean eyes welling with embarrassed tears.

The blond winced. “No kidding, you look terrible,” He carefully brushed brown tresses away from his face. “What happened here?”

The brunet whimpered at the throbbing sensation leftover from a headache resulting in his rude awakening and current situation.

“I woke up with a really bad headache,” Sora explained weakly, “I wasn’t able to go back to sleep…And then I felt nauseous…” He looked down in shame, to which Roxas gently rubbed his back.

“You should’ve told me.”

“You were still asleep,” Sora pointed out, “I didn’t want to wake you.”

Roxas sighed. He took a hand away from Sora’s shoulder and held it out for the smaller boy to grab onto for when he was ready to stand. Sora took the hand, a shiver running up his spine at the feel of Roxas’s hand enclosing around his, still not over how small the other boy made his own hand feel in comparison.

“Honestly, Sora?” Roxas said as he led the other boy to the sink. “This is more critical than me sleeping.” He removed the face towel hanging on the wall next to the mirror and held it under warm water before ringing it out. Roxas faced Sora, making the shorter boy look at him, and gently ran the cloth along his face.

Sora blushed, gazing downward. He sighed softly and closed his eyes at the soothing warmth of the damped cloth against his skin. A part of him was embarrassed he was being babied, but the other part reveled in the gentle gesture.

Roxas’s hand slowed with its owner growing fixated on the dozed-like face before him. He blushed. The blond was mystified how Sora could go from looking so boisterous to angelic as he did now.

Sora’s lashes slowly fluttered when his eyes opened halfway, a dreamlike smile on his face at Roxas being so close in this manner.

However, Sora promptly broke out of the trance, eyes widening, and quickly turned away from Roxas’s hand, covering his mouth.

Roxas was still holding the towel in place, a heavily bemused look on his face at the sudden action.

Sora took a minute before glancing at the taller boy still flustered. “You….You shouldn’t get too close,” he muffled behind his hand, “Morning breath and puke don’t go all that well together.” He shuddered in regards to the aftertaste of vomit lingering in his mouth.

Roxas understood. “Hold on.” He handed Sora the cloth for him to continue wiping his face with before turning to grab the bottle of mouthwash from the counter. After pouring some of the liquid into a small plastic cup, he held the cup out to Sora. “Here, this should help.”

Sora gratefully took the cup. “Thanks,” He said softly before moving to the front of the sink. Roxas stepped aside giving Sora more room.

As Sora was busy rinsing out his mouth, Roxas leaned against the counter scratching his head in thought. He blushed, picturing the brunet’s features that were just a second ago in close range, especially those pink lips.

Roxas stopped himself right there, scratching his head even harder making his blond hair even more mused in the process.

‘Knock it off, Roxas. Get it right out of your head.’

Seriously, Sora was his friend.

That’s all he was.

How much more did Roxas have to tell himself that?

Why did he need to tell himself that? Now his head was starting to hurt.

“Roxas?”

The boy in question jumped and immediately looked up all wide-eyed like a burglar caught in the middle of a heist.

“You okay there?” Sora asked, wiping his mouth with the cloth.

“Y-yeah!” Roxas cleared his throat, “How about you? Feeling any better?”

“For the most part; head’s still hurting,” Sora rubbed his forehead still feeling the throbbing sensation in his skull.

“Sounds like you need to rest more,” Roxas gently pushed a hand on Sora’s back, ushering him back to the bedroom. However, the shorter boy looked over his shoulder and tried to turn back remembering the mess he left in the toilet.

“Wait. I should really clean up-” Roxas merely continued pushing him out the door.

“I’ll take care of it,” The blonde reassured, “You just head back to bed.” Sora opened his mouth to protest but clamped it shut as his head pulsated. He complied with Roxas’s suggestion and left the bathroom rubbing his head.

‘Poor guy,’ Roxas sighed. It seemed Sora couldn’t go five seconds without something happening to him. But, how exactly did he get this bad? He was fine yesterday, aside from the exhaustion resulting from fighting two battles and casting that new spell of his. Was it some sort of side effect of the magic?

No, that didn’t sound right either. He was no magic expert by any means, but a spell dedicated to restoration like the one Sora used didn’t seem like the type to hold any negative effects.

It couldn’t be what they had for dinner last night, instant ramen noodles were more or less okay to consume.

Roxas did consider the possibility of Sora’s amnesia having been caused by a head injury. It would explain the headache. But, Roxas didn’t see anything conspicuous on Sora when he found him.

There was also his breakdown the other night…

The blond glanced in the direction of the bedroom. Whatever it was, his top concern was making sure Sora was okay.

But first...Roxas looked to the toilet. He ought to clean that, less he wanted the smell to permeate.

After a few minutes of flushing and scrubbing, the bowl was back to its spotless self. Roxas added a few sprays of air freshener as a finishing touch, which did its job in getting rid of the strong odor in the air.

Coming back into the bedroom, he saw that Sora was in bed sitting upwards on top of the covers hugging one leg that was curled up with his chin resting on the knee.

Roxas told him he’d be right back and headed to the kitchen, coming back with a glass of water.

The brunet smiled tiredly as Roxas reentered the room.

“That smells really nice,” Sora remarked, smelling the air freshener Roxas used in the bathroom. “‘Makes me think of the ocean.” He closed his eyes breathing in more of the fresh scent. Funny how initially the idea of the beach filled him with dread, but now it was more of a comfort than anything.

“Well, the scent is called ‘Ocean Air’,” Roxas said lightly. He walked over and sat at the edge of the bed and gave Sora the glass.

“Thanks,” Sora drank up the water, relieved by the refreshing feeling it served for his dry throat. He exhaled once the glass was empty and set it on the window sill. “I sure needed that.”

“How’s your head?”

“Still bugging me. But it’s not hurting as bad as earlier.”

“I’m glad,” The blond said, quickly amending with, “Not glad you still have a headache, but glad you’re starting to feel better.”

Sora laughed softly, “It’s okay, I know what you mean,” He took a deep breath still smelling the misty scent. “Boy, that air freshener is strong. If I were blindfolded, I’d think we were near the ocean.”

Roxas chuckled. “It does feel like it, huh? Too bad the beach trip was a bust, I feel you would’ve felt right at home there.” Sora’s smile dropped slightly at that. He looked away, his expression turning somber. Roxas’s statement struck a chord with him, but as usual, he didn’t know why. A hand touched his shoulder, beckoning his attention to a now worried Roxas.

“What’s that face for?” Roxas asked gently. “You know no one blames you for it, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Sora nodded. “Still, I can't help but feel bad. You guys really didn’t have to cancel everything, I would’ve been fine for a few hours.” He shrugged his shoulders. Maybe it wasn’t why he suddenly felt down, but it wasn’t a lie either.

“You weren’t feeling well, right? I wasn’t going to leave you behind while you were sick.”

Sora began to fidget. “Well…” He should probably admit he wasn’t all that ill at the time. But would the real reason consisting of listening to a voice in his head advising him against boarding the train fly as an explanation? Probably not.

“And don’t forget it took all of us to earn that money, you included.” Roxas continued on. “Either we all go or no one goes,” He then looked away focusing on the wall, a blush spreading across his face, “Besides, even if we did end up going, I don’t think I would’ve had that much fun.”

Sora cocked his head. “Why not?”

“If I’m being honest…” Roxas scratched the back of his head rather sheepishly trying to conjure the best way to phrase his answer, “I...I’d be too busy worrying about you.” His eyes looking into Sora’s as he said it.

Sora’s cheeks reddened, touched at the blond’s sentiment. “You don’t need to worry about me all the time, Roxas, I’m tougher than I look.”

“I suppose,” Roxas agreed, “You do pack a punch,” He then smirked teasingly, “But who’s to say you won’t need saving from slipping on the evil skateboard again?” He let out a hearty laugh as he quickly held his arm up to his face in order to shield it from Sora’s swinging pillow attack.

“You-!” Sora couldn’t help the giggles bubbling out. “Of course you’d bring that up!” He held the pillow away from Roxas’s grabbing hand, having to lean back to do so, and stuck his bare foot against the other boy’s chest.

“Gross!” Roxas laughed, moving the foot away from his face. “I don’t wanna smell your dirty feet!” Sora pouted.

“And what does that make your feet, huh? ‘Coulda sworn they were white before you went walking around,” The brunet snickered with Roxas making a dive for the pillow.

“Oh, you’re in for it now,” Roxas said, now hovering over the wild-haired boy.

Sora, still determined to gain the upper hand in this impromptu game of Keep Away, dropped his arm above his head furthermore keeping the pillow out of reach. He stuck his tongue out cheekily letting the other know he wasn’t giving up just yet.

Roxas for his part was not deterred. A smirk spread across his face as his mental light bulb switched on. Sora’s smile turned nervous at the look he was getting from the taller boy. He only had a second to wonder what Roxas would do next before his stomach got mercilessly tickled.

Sora let out a high pitched, and undignified if he were consciously aware, squeal followed by uncontrollable laughter pouring out his lips. No matter how much he squirmed, he couldn’t get away from Roxas’s persistent hand. “You ass-hehehe-That’s so underhan-HAHAHA!” He gasped out. Roxas chuckled evilly.

“Surrender the pillow and I might stop!”

“Ne-never!”

“‘Guess you don’t mind me taking it up a notch, then!” Roxas promptly moved his other hand to join in on the one tickling the poor brunet. Sora was laughing so hard it made his eyes teary. The initial objective in getting the pillow was lost on the Roxas, now interested in seeing more of the dazzling display before him.

Eventually, Roxas ceased his tickle torture sparing the other boy at last. Both boys were breathing heavily with big smiles on their faces occasionally letting out small chuckles. Sora was on his side as he looked up seeing Roxas still hovering over him.

“That...was mean,” Sora breathed out, face red from his giggle fit. The blond gave a half-smirk, looking quite pleased with himself.

“Sorry, not sorry,” He laughed as the other boy pouted up at him. “At least it perked you up.”

“I’ll give you that, I actually do feel a bit better now.”

Roxas was glad to hear that. “Looks like it’s true when they say laughter is the best medicine.”

Sora chuckled softly was about to reply, but could only gasp mutely upon realizing the close-up view of Roxas’s eyes. It just dawned on him how similar they were of his own but at the same time so different: while Sora’s were as blue as a bright ocean, Roxas’s were more aligned to the shade of blue one would see in the night sky. That color was intense yet captivating, something Sora felt suited the other teen well. And to have those eyes focus down on him…

The brunet turned his head to the side, cheeks still flushed. “Um...Roxas? Can you let me up?”

Roxas’s eyes widened, noticing the position they were in, and quickly moved off of Sora. “Oh! Right,” He took his previous seat at the edge of the bed, blushing furiously.

As Sora sat up, he groaned and held his head. “Ow...ow ow ow...” Roxas twisted around at the noise.

“What’s wrong?” The blond sat on his knees in front of Sora, worried he might’ve been harmed in some way from their roughhousing. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Sora shook his head.

“My head’s just...acting up again,” The smaller teen curled in on himself feeling his head throb some more. Placing his hands on Sora’s shoulders, Roxas gently urged him to lie back down.

“I should let you rest,” Roxas sighed, he got up and pulled the covers over the other before moving to his dresser. Sora shifted under the blanket and curled onto his side, finding it the comfiest position. The snugged feeling from the blankets and coolness from the pillow relaxing him.

Just when he was bout to doze off, Sora was met with a sight that basically knocked the sleepiness right out of him. Roxas was facing away as he pulled his pajama shirt over his head exposing his toned back; an image that left Sora gaping. He released a tiny squeak when Roxas turned around and swiftly hid under the covers.

‘Oh my god…’ It didn’t come as a surprise that Roxas was fit seeing he was active, but that still didn’t mean Sora was prepared to see just how much of a well-built form the blond male had. While he wasn’t buff, Roxas definitely had some muscle going on. Sora pouted; he felt kind of jealous about that. His petite frame didn’t come close in comparison.

Not to those strong arms, strong chest, strong-

“Hey, where’d you go?” The wild-haired boy flinched hearing Roxas’s voice just above him. Speak of the devil. Hands gently shook him, causing him to timidly poke his head out of the blanket. Sora relaxed and slid further out of the covers once he saw that Roxas was fully dressed.

The other teen was in his usual attire, smiling lightly, seemingly oblivious of Sora’s unintentional peeping. Sora hoped to keep it that way, no one needed to know he’d gotten flustered just from watching Roxas shirtless. Least of all Roxas himself.

“Try to get some sleep,” Roxas told Sora, “I’m gonna let the others know we’ll be staying in today.” He turned around and was about to exit the room.

Sora sat up feeling the need to call out for his friend.

“Roxas…”

Roxas stayed where he was with a questioning look over his shoulder. Sora opened his mouth to say something only to shake his head at the last second.

“It’s nothing. Tell the others I said hi.”

Roxas paused but nodded. “I’ll be right back,” He assured before closing the door.

Sora stared at the door for a few moments, his eyes roaming to the star and moon of the stained glass window, before turning his gaze out the window at the town glowing in its usual warm orange.

The brunet pondered what he tried to tell Roxas; his head was bombarded by snippets of the dream he woke up from.

“No frowning! No sad face, okay? This boat runs on happy faces.”

“Yeah, you gotta look funny, like us!”

“If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one?”

“Sora! Let’s take the raft and go--!”

“Tied to the darkness...soon to be completely eclipsed. You do not know yet what lies beyond the door...There is so very much to learn....”

“What lies beyond the door…” Sora repeated to himself silently. Something important was linked to what the owner of that cold deep voice uttered. But what? He wished he knew. As much as it literally hurt to think about, he let his mind wander to the others.

Sora didn’t expect to see the silver-haired boy and red-haired girl again. The first glimpse of them terrified him immensely due to the overlap with that horrible vision. But now, seeing them along with that duck and dog invoked feelings of familiarity to even closeness. Was he supposed to know them? The names were lost to him, but there was this persistent feeling inside that insisted these were people he would laugh and have fun with, people who had his back, people who held a special place in his heart.

Something wet trailed down Sora’s face. He touched it in surprise. He was crying? This sadness from thinking of them-it confused him greatly.

Hugging his knees, he rested his head on top as he gazed out at the town. Unable to do anything but let the sadness run its course.

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No one was around when Roxas came down to the Usual Spot. He expected as much, it was still early. He examined the simple note he’d written:

Staying in today. Sora’s not feeling well.

-Roxas

After placing the message on a crate, he walked back out onto the street contemplating any errands he could get done while he was out. The blond decided he should go pick something up for Sora before returning home. He knew just the place to go.

Hopping on a skateboard sitting just outside the hangout spot, Roxas made his way to the Tram Common area of Market Street. He avoided passing through the Sandlot.

The Disciplinary Committee leader may have been somewhat generous with the way he accepted his loss against Sora yesterday, but there’s no telling if that in combination with having already been beaten by Roxas ended up stirring the pot. Best he didn’t find out.

Roxas rolled to a stop once he made it to the Tram Commons and jumped off the skateboard finding his destination in view. Over at the Candy Shop, Ms.Marnie could be seen talking with Jessie over the counter. The two ladies smiled upon seeing him approach.

“Good day, Roxas,” Ms.Marnie greeted warmly. “Up and early, as usual, I see.”

“Hello, Roxas,” Jessie waved.

“Morning, ma’am. Morning, Jessie,” Roxas greeted as he came up to the counter. He obliged in gently stroking Chiro’s coat, making the feline purr with content.

Ms. Marnie peered over the blond’s shoulder, noticing he had come alone. “Is Sora not with you?”

Roxas shook his head. “He’s not feeling too well,” he glumly informed. The Candy Shop owner gasped.

“Oh, dear!”

Chiro blinked her big orange eyes as she mewed up at Roxas, followed by a quizzical tilt of her head questionably. “Sorry, girl,” the blond told her in a sad tone, “Sora isn’t coming today.” The old cat let out a pitiful mew, sad she wouldn’t get to play with the new human again.

Roxas gave Chiro a consoling pet before making his request to the old shop owner.

“I was wondering if you had any of that herbal tea you gave me for when I was sick.”

“Give me just a second.” Ms. Marnie immediately turned away to rummage through a cupboard kept at the back of the shop.

“Sorry to hear Sora’s sick,” Jessie told Roxas sadly, “He looked so lively yesterday. I hope whatever he has isn’t serious.”

Roxas bowed his head. “So do I...” Both he and Jessie’s attention went back towards the counter when Ms.Marnie returned carrying a small mint green box.

“Here we are,” She set the box on the counter. “There are some tea bags already made in this box along with the recipe. I usually prefer not to share the recipe since it’s a family secret, but I trust you, Roxas.” She said smiling.

“I’m honored,” Roxas scratched the back of his head in a bashful manner. “How much is it?”

“Don’t worry about it. You just focus on helping your friend.” The elderly woman said warmly.

“Thank you so much, ma’am.”

Jessie clapped her hands together. “I’ve got something you can bring home as well, Roxas. Be back in a jiff.” She ran in the direction of her shop, coming back after a few minutes with a thin white hardbound book. “Tada~!” She cheerfully held the book out to the teen. Roxas took it, inspecting the front cover.

“Rasberry Delights?” Roxas read out the title, printed in fancy gold letters.

“Yes, sir,” Jessie nodded. “It’s a cookbook I put together full of recipes for special dishes, courtesy of yours truly. I had some copies printed to give out as appreciation gifts to some loyal customers.” She gave Roxas a wink.

“My, Jessie,” Ms.Marnie said, a mirthful twinkle in her eye, “I had no idea you were such an avid cook.”

“What?” Jessie, pretending to be appalled by the remark, gasped in a dramatic fashion, procuring chuckles from both Roxas and Ms. Marnie. “Pardon me, lady, but I’ve shown many times I take my cooking seriously.” She huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

The elderly woman chuckled softly. “Of course. It does show in those scrumptious pizzas of yours.”

“Speaking of which,” Jessie took the book out of Roxas’s hands and flipped to a specific page before handing it back, “I highly recommend the Patio Pizza: It’s fast, easy, and exceptionally yummy.”

Roxas viewed the dish Jessie mentioned: a simple yet appetizing looking pizza that didn’t require any complex prep or rare ingredients.

“That looks good,” He remarked smiling, “Sora and I could probably make this for dinner sometime. Thanks, Jessie.”

“Don’t mention it,” The gleeful expression on Jessie’s face slowly melted away as she placed a hand cheek to her cheek wistfully, her elbow resting on the other hand. “I wish you could try mom’s version. She always made it the best.” The blond-haired woman sighed.

Jessie then gasped when she glanced at the street clock, “Oh, dam-darn! I need to get back to my post. Have a good day, you two. Be sure to tell Sora ‘Hi’ for me, Roxas.” With that, she hurried across the street. Roxas looked at Ms. Marnie with concern.

“Is she okay?” The blond asked. Ms. Marnie nodded, still gazing in the direction Jessie had left, but the playful twinkle in her brown eyes had dimmed to a tender sadness.

“The poor dear gets blue at the mention of her mother and father. It’s evident she still misses them greatly.” She gave a sad smile.

“Did something happen to them?” Roxas never heard Jessie mention her parents or any family until now. Hearing all this come up really got him wondering what might be going on in the young woman’s life.

“Oh, no. Her parents are fine and well. It’s just…You are aware Jessie came from another place before settling here in Twilight Town, right?”

The blond male paused, trying to think back on any previous conversation he had with Jessie that could have indicated that tidbit. “I remember her saying she still feels surprised how peaceful and clean it is around here,” he said, “But, I didn’t realize it implied anything to her having an old hometown.”

“Jessie has indeed expressed at times that she’d love to return home to see her family again. But unfortunately, certain circumstances have prevented her from doing so.”

“What kind of circumstances?”

Ms. Marnie only shook her head. “I’m afraid you will need to hear that from Jessie herself. But I wouldn’t press, that part of her life is a sensitive topic to discuss. And you know how out of hand the gossip of this town tends to get.”

Roxas looked to the ground, being reminded of the photo incident. “Right.”

“Jessie will be alright, she’s a strong girl,” Ms. Marnie smiled with soft assurance. “I’m sure when she’s ready she’ll tell you the whole story.”

Roxas nodded his head after a thoughtful minute. “Even if she doesn’t, that’s fine too. Either way, Jessie’s still Jessie.”

“I’m glad you think so. While I am touched she trusts in me, it would be fortunate if she knew that there are others who will still care for her regardless of her past.”

Roxas gazed across the street at the Accessory Shop where Jessie was cheerfully helping a customer without so much as a falter. “Yeah…” He turned back to the counter and picked up the box of tea with his free hand. “I should head back, don’t want to keep Sora waiting,” He gave the elderly woman a grateful smile. “Thanks again for the tea, Ms.Marnie, I’ll definitely let him know it came from you.”

“You’re welcome, Roxas. Do take care and please let Sora know I look forward to seeing him when he’s well.”

“I will. You take care also, ma’am.” Roxas took his leave with the items secured in his arms.

The walk back to the flat was filled with some reflecting on the conversation that had just taken place. It never occurred to him that Jessie would have such a complicated past. She always seemed at peace and upbeat whenever he saw her, one wouldn’t have known she’d be harboring such secrets.

It just goes to show there’s more to someone than meets the eye.

He couldn’t imagine what Jessie’s parents must go through right now. Were they waiting for her to come home?

Sora and Jessie were kind of in the same boat, now that Roxas ruminated about it; both were away from their actual homes, but still strived to make the best of where their lives were at.

However, from what Ms. Marnie said, Jessie at least remembered where she came from and who her family was. She had more of a chance to go home if she wished. Sora had no recollection of his past or the people in it. He was practically stuck.

Roxas felt sad for Sora; Whoever the other boy’s friends and family were, they’d surely be worried and missed him dearly.

Roxas may not have had any parents of his own, but he at least understood that anyone would be sad and worried if someone close to them went missing. He’d been living alone for so long, the only people he saw regularly were his friends. That fact didn’t really bother him since he was used to it, plus he admitted he enjoyed his independence.

And then there’s Sora. He had to have a home somewhere and would want to go back, who wouldn’t? But what if there wasn’t any home for him to return to, even with his memory coming back? What if he wanted to stay here instead?

Roxas realized he was already in front of his building. He made the journey up the stairs to his floor where his flat awaited. The blond stood in front of his door staring at the wood texture.

A selfish part of him hoped Sora would want to stay, it was a joy having the other boy around and it actually felt nice not returning home alone.

But, that bridge won’t be crossed for (he hoped) a long while.

Upon entering the flat, Roxas saw that the bedroom remained shut. He hoped Sora managed to rest up in the time he was out.

He carefully unloaded the book and tea box on the kitchen counter, not wanting to make too much noise in the case Sora was still asleep. Walking back into the living room, Roxas heard a knock on his front door.

“Huh. Who can that be?”

The blond went up to the door and opened it, revealing the smiling yet concerned face of Olette standing outside the flat.

“Hi, Roxas,” The brunet girl gave a small wave.

“Oh, hey,” Roxas greeted, “Did you see my note?”

“Yeah,” Olette nodded and asked, “How’s the patient?”

“I’m checking on him right now,” He informed her, stepping aside so she could come in. “Where’s Hayner and Pence?”

“Not sure, I was the first one at the Usual Spot when I found your message,” Olette stood in the living room watching the bedroom door. She then looked back at Roxas. “Is it okay if I come in too?” She asked in a quieter voice.

Roxas waved in a beckoning gesture, “Sure. He’ll appreciate the company,” he walked over to the bedroom door with Olette following behind. “Though, try to keep it down, he could still be asleep.”

A smile crossed Olette’s face, “You’ve become pretty spot on when it comes to him, huh?” Giggling as her friend shot her a quizzical look over his shoulder.

“What do you mean by that?”

Olette just shrugged. “Nothing,” She replied, “I’ve just noticed you’re really attentive to Sora. It’s sweet.”

Roxas whirled back to the door, his face flushing with his eyes glued to the knob in his hand.

“Just being a good friend,” Roxas did his best to keep his voice nonchalant. Even if he wasn’t looking at her right then, he just knew she still had that knowing smile on her face. Opening the door by an inch, Roxas peered through the crack with Olette looking over his shoulder.

Sora was sitting on the bed with his back facing the door, resting his head on one arm in front of the now opened window. His free hand petted the head of a certain grey-colored feline seated at the window sill, the old cat stretching her form while mewing affectionately, prompting the brunet’s shoulders to shake with light chuckles.

Roxas and Olette shared fond glances. Both were taken with the endearing sight; watching Sora express such softness while framed by the sun’s rays. Too bad they didn’t have Pence’s camera on hand.

“‘Guess Chiro couldn’t wait to see Sora, after all,” Roxas whispered.

“She must’ve sensed Sora needed cheering up,” Olette whispered back.

Chiro’s ears perked up at catching the two friends’ voices and turned her head in their direction, letting out a meow causing Sora to glance behind him as well. Roxas pushed the door wide open and entered the room followed by Olette. The brunet made a surprised sound once he saw both of them.

“Hey, guys. How long were you standing there?” He laughed, shifting into a sitting position at the edge of the bed.

“Not too long,” Roxas shrugged casually as he came forward. “You have a visitor.” he gestured to Olette, the latter taking a seat by Sora on the bed. Chiro took the opportunity to leap onto Roxas’s bed, making herself comfortable before curling herself up into a dark furry ball. The old cat emitted a few soft purrs as Olette stroked the back of her coat tenderly.

“Heard you’re feeling under the weather,” She smiled at Sora empathically before going into, as Roxas called it, Nurture Mode, “How are you feeling right now? Do you have a temperature? Did you take anything? Are you getting enough fluids?“

Sora’s blue eyes blinked owlishly at all the inquiries coming his way and could barely keep up. Roxas stifled a laugh at the other boy’s expression. Though, with Sora growing increasingly flustered from Olette’s excessive yet well-meaning questioning, Roxas jumped to his rescue.

“Easy on the interview, Olette. He’s still dealing with a headache.”

That only increased Olette’s concern even more which resulted in her pressing for more details.

“Headache? Or migraine?”

Sora cocked his head to the side asking, “Is there a difference?” As far as he was concerned, head pains were all the same.

“It depends if you have other symptoms.”

Sora fidgeted as he remembered how the earlier morning played out. He understood Olette was concerned and was just trying to help. But he couldn’t help the embarrassment that stemmed from throwing up out of nowhere. Not to mention the shame added in at the possibility of looking like a misfit for already causing trouble in Roxas’s home.

Though, the looks of genuine care and concern from both Roxas and Olette reassured him that they wouldn’t judge him for this. Roxas was really understanding with the scratching incident, and neither he or Olette were mad about missing the beach trip.

“I did throw up this morning,” Sora finally admitted, not without his eyes lowering towards the ground.

Olette nodded sympathetically. “Sounds like a migraine. Has it been like this all day?”

“Just this morning. It’s been wearing off. Not all the way, but it’s getting there.”

“You do look like you’re getting some color back,” Roxas chimed in, his head was slightly tilted from examining Sora’s face. Pleased to see the other boy’s skin darkening to at least a fairer complexion.

“That’s a good sign,” Olette said, “Have you eaten anything yet?”

Sora shook his head, “No, all I’ve had so far was water. Didn’t really have much of an appetite.”

Olette tsked and promptly gave him a stern look, “You should still eat something,” she advised, leveling a sharp finger in Sora’s direction. “Otherwise, you’ll really get sick.” Sora smiled nervously at the girl’s assertiveness. He noted to make a consensus effort not to get on her bad side in the unforeseeable future.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The brunet girl’s eyes softened being satisfied with her friend’s answer.

“Speaking of which, Ms. Marnie gave me some of her special tea to make for Sora,” Roxas said, “She even included the recipe.”

Olette was astonished, “Wow! She shared with you the recipe? I thought it was meant to be kept secret.”

Roxas rubbed the back of his head. Even he was still surprised how easily Ms. Marnie let him in on something very important to her.

“That’s really generous of her,” Sora said warmly, “But, I’m not surprised she’d find you trustworthy.”

Roxas smiled at the brunet, his cheeks donning a slight flush at the compliment. “Well, I think it also helped knowing you were sick in bed,” He said. “Both she and Jessie are worried about you.”

“Oh,” Sora was touched to hear they cared about him to the point of expressing concern. “Think we can pay them a visit later?”

Roxas answered, “That’s the plan. But, only when you’re fully better,” saying the last part with finality. He was about to go make Sora a cup of the special tea when Olette spoke up.

“Roxas, didn’t you promise to meet with Hayner today? You guys were talking about getting some practice in before the tournament tomorrow.”

Crap! Roxas smacked his palm against his forehead.

“That’s right! I totally forget…” He just remembered the plan he and Hayner made weeks ago to spar for the tournament. Both were especially determined to make it far this year and wanted to help each other prepare.

But, he also didn’t want to leave Sora by himself, not when he was still potentially unwell.

“You should go, Roxas,” Roxas turned to Sora. The other boy seemed to have noticed the internal conflict occurring in his head in which he smiled understandably. “You made a promise, right?”

“Yeah, but-”

“I can stay here with him,” Olette assured, “I don’t have anything else going on today, anyway.”

While Olette’s offer was appreciated, Roxas still felt kind of hesitant. Don’t get him wrong, he trusted her and knew from experience that she was the ideal person to look to in caring for a sick person. But he fixed his attention back to Sora, wordlessly asking if he was alright with this arrangement. The brunet just smiled and nodded affirming his previous statement. That brought the blond more assurance.

“You’re really okay doing this?” He looked towards Olette. The orange-clad girl nodded without skipping a beat. “Okay. Thanks, Olette, I owe you big time.”

She waved a hand saying it wasn’t any trouble. Roxas gave her a few instructions before leaving, “The tea’s in a box on the kitchen counter. There’s also a can of soup floating around in one of the cupboards.”

“You trust me using your appliances?” The brunet girl smiled teasingly.

“Well, yeah. You use them better than I do.”

“That’s for sure,” Olette grinned as she turned to Sora. “I still remember when Roxas spent a full hour trying to figure out how to set his oven clock. He was this close to burning his kitchen down in the process.” The brunet gasped and covered his mouth in surprise. Hearing of such a misadventure made him curious for the details.

“Are you serious? What exactly happened?”

“Ahem,” They looked at Roxas who was now all cross-armed. “Still here, guys.” He turned to Olette telling her, “Do Not tell him anything.” The blond had good reason to be suspicious. Olette may have been the voice of reason in their group of friends, but she was not above indulging in some teasing opportunities herself. There was practically a whole inventory of embarrassing stories centered around him at her disposal.

The shamrock-eyed girl tilted her head faking innocence while asking, “Why not, Roxas? Sora should be privy to some group info by now, don’t you think?” Sora mimicked Olette’s movements blinking his blue eyes up at the taller boy.

“Yeah, Roxas. Doesn’t hurt to share some secrets.”

Roxas just groaned. He knew it’d be a futile effort to win against both of them. He threw his hands up and turned away announcing, “I’m out,” and walked out the door, rolling his eyes but allowing a small smile at the giggles behind him.

Only to poke his head out from the side a few seconds later.

“Make sure he gets that tea, alright?”

“Yes, Roxas, I will,” Olette waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Now shoo.”

Sora and Olette were both grinning as they listened to Roxas’s grumbles on his way out, ranging from “Kicked out of my own house” to “Knew it was a mistake putting those two together”, all up to the closing of the door leaving the flat quiet with exception of Chiro’s sleeping purrs.

“He’s so funny,” Sora giggled. “This may sound mean, but it’s amusing when he gets all grumpy like that.”

“Oh no, I agree with you on that last part,” Olette chuckled. “Roxas may look standoffish, but he has his moments.”

Well, that was news to him, he didn’t think Roxas appeared standoffish at all. Sure, there was something of a mysterious air to him, but it wasn’t anything unpleasant.

Sora tilted his head while crossing his arms in thought. “Huh, I never got that impression of him when we first met. He’s cool, but he’s also kind and fun to hang out with.”

Olette glanced at him mischievously. “You think he’s cool?”

Sora’s eyes suddenly became fixated on the floorboards as he tucked his legs under his chin, blushing heavily.

“I-I mean, yeah. You guys can agree he is, right?”

“We do. It’s just great that you think so, too.”

“To be honest,” Olette continued thoughtfully as she tucked some brown strands behind her ear, “This is the first time I’ve seen Roxas so relaxed around someone this fast. I guess you just bring out the fun side in him.” She stood up before Sora could ask about that statement. “I better get that tea started. I’ll also see if I can make you something to eat.”

“Okay. Thanks for doing all this, Olette. I really appreciate it, and I can tell Roxas does, too.”

Olette smiled as she replied, “What are friends for?” before leaving the room.

Sora smiled as well. Even with his day beginning on a crap note, things were already looking brighter. To think he’d have such great friends going out of their way to care for him.

He really was lucky.

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

Hayner was already waiting outside the Sandlot when Roxas arrived.

The sandy-haired male grinned as the two shared their typical greeting via fist bump.

“Hey! You made it!”

Roxas nodded with a smile. “As promised,” He stated before glancing suspiciously at the sporting arena. “Is the coast clear?”

“Yeah, I already checked. We shouldn’t have any trouble.”

“Okay, great,” Roxas let out a relieved sigh. Sparring was the only type of fight he was willing to engage in today.

After some stretches and warm-up swings, the two friends stood on opposite sides of the arena in their ready positions equipped with their respective struggle bats.

“Get ready, Roxas!” Hayner declared. “This’ll be a preview for when I beat you tomorrow!”

Roxas threw him a challenging smirk, “Sure, Hayner. We’ll see about that.”

With that, the two charged to the middle of the arena, marking the start of their practice match. Roxas and Hayner spent a good hour or two trading attacks all the while still keeping to the standard rules of the tournament. Eventually, Hayner dropped on his knee breathing exhaustively with sweat dripping down his face. Roxas himself was also tired and sweaty at this point, pulling at the collar of his shirt as he walked over to check on his friend.

“Man,” Hayner said in between breaths, “When did you get so good?” looking up at the other male. He grunted as he stood back up with Roxas’s help. “You’ve gotten faster and your hits are a lot deadly now.”

“You think so?” Roxas asked in bewilderment. Looking back, he did feel a little different while sparring but chalked it off as being pumped by the increasing adrenaline over the course of their unofficial match.

“Yeah, I don’t know what it is, but you’ve gotten stronger.”

“Hey, you’ve gotten better, too,” Roxas pointed out, following up teasingly, “You used to really suck at blocking.”

A glaring weak point in Hayner’s fighting tactics was his preference for using offense with very little defense which constantly left him open for counterattacks. Roxas noticed during their match that Hayner changed it up by being more mindful about when to guard and dodge instead of just striking every minute.

This improvement was a surprise for sure, but a welcomed one.

“Yeah, whatever,” Hayner responded, punching Roxas’s arm half-heartedly. “I guess you can say you and Sora inspired me.”

At Roxas’s questioning glance, Hayner continued, “Watching you and Sora beat Seifer made me realize I need to step up my game,” A serious and determined glint took form in his brown eyes as he stared upwards at the ever orange sky. “I’m gonna need to make some changes if I want to be able to kick his ass too. I feel like shit admitting it, but the guy is miles ahead of me.”

Roxas silently observed his friend who at that moment looked a lot different than the fiery personality he was known for. Hayner being acknowledging of his own shortcomings and actively putting in the work to improve his skills, it showed just how serious he was to surpass his loathed rival someday.

Thinking more on it, Hayner’s motivation seemed to often center greatly on Seifer. For some reason, Roxas couldn’t determine whether that was a good or bad thing.

Whatever the case, there was no point undermining his friend’s resolve with it.

Roxas put a hand on Hayner’s shoulder prompting his attention on him. “You’ll get him,” He told him encouragingly, “And when that happens, we’ll make sure Pence captures the visual evidence.”

Hayner grinned, invigorated by his best friend’s words.

“Thanks, man.”

The sandy-haired male posed another thing that came to mind. “You should’ve brought Sora along. I’d figure he’d want to train some too.”

“You wouldn’t have minded if he came?”

“‘Course I wouldn’t mind,” Hayner stated, surprised Roxas had even asked. “Sora’s a friend too,” He added rather jokingly, “You trying to keep him all to yourself or something?” Roxas’s mouth hung open, caught off guard by that question.

“Um...Say what?”

Hayner guffawed at his friend’s now flustered state and clapped him on the back. “Dude! You’re so easy!” Roxas shot the other male a disgruntled look but managed to regain composure. “But really, where is Sora?”

“I take it you didn’t see my note?” Asked Roxas. The blank stare he received sufficed as confirmation. He sighed. “He’s at home, sick.”

“Oh damn,” Hayner’s eyes widened. “Is he alright?” He immediately asked.

“He seems to be now, but I still prefer he take it easy.”

“Wish you could’ve said something earlier; I’d understand if you needed to cancel.”

“I made a promise, didn’t I?” Roxas said, his face bearing a half-smile. “And Olette’s keeping him company right now, so at least he’s covered.” Even with that reassurance, the worry contained in his sapphire eyes held out.

Truth be told, he felt a little anxious not knowing how Sora was doing right then. Sora wouldn’t be able to tell him anything while stuck inside and Olette would have to come out and find him if something happened. It was moments like this Roxas wished he had the ability to teleport or some way to communicate with people long-distance without waiting on courier pigeons. Either one would make life a hell of a lot easier.

“Hey! How about we go find Pence and head back to your place? We can all keep Sora company,” Hayner suggested with a grin. “What better cure than to have his friends nearby?”

Roxas perked up at the idea. Why didn’t he think of that? Having everyone over would definitely cheer Sora up. Not only that, but they’d also all be able to hang out.

“I guess you are smart sometimes,” The blond commented in jest, earning him a light punch to the arm.

“Smartass. Now, let’s go.” Hayner walked with deep strides in the direction of Roxas’s home.

However, Roxas called out, “Hold it,” making Hayner stop in his tracks, turning his head with a questioning look. “Hope you’re planning on showering,” The blond said while fanning the air. ”Because no offense, you really stink.”

Hayner scoffed. “Right. You don’t exactly smell like a pile of roses yourself.”

“You’d be fucked if I was. Aren’t you allergic?”

“That’s beside the point,” Hayner crossed his arms. “Fine, I’ll go shower. But let’s get some ice cream first!” He eagerly suggested while pumping a fist upwards. “I think we both deserve a treat.”

Roxas had to agree. Both were incredibly sweaty after that training session and the sun’s heat blazing on their skin didn’t do them any favors. Ice cream sounded just the thing. “Okay, you’re buying.”

“Whatever,” The other boy rolled his eyes, too beat to really argue.

The two friends were deep in chatter as they headed to the Station Heights section of Market Street, conversation consisting mainly of who did what move better and some tips regarding what would be effective for the tournament tomorrow. Somewhere along the way, the topic of conversation geared towards the newest member of their group.

“How’s Sora doing with the memory problem?” Inquired Hayner. “Any updates?”

Roxas gave a solemn shake of his head. “None so far. But to be fair, you can’t expect him to just start remembering things right off the bat,” He sighed. “Wish I knew how to help him more with that.”

“Dude, you’re already helping him a lot,” Hayner interjected, causing Roxas to look at him. “Giving him a safe place? Welcoming him as a friend? I think you’re doing a great job, Roxas.”

Roxas smiled a bit. “He does seem to like it here.”

“What’s not to like?” Hayner grinned. “This is the best town for Sora to get stranded in.” Both he and Roxas laughed.

“You got a point there. He’s also already popular with some of the people here, Ms. Marnie and Jessie were asking about him when I stopped by the Candy Shop earlier.”

“Heh. Already getting the ladies’ attention. Can’t say I’m surprised, Sora’s definitely a people person.”

“He sure is,” Roxas agreed, fondly recounting how Sora effortlessly charmed most of the people in Twilight Town with his caring and bubbly nature. He then smirked as he added, “He was able to get you to like him on the first meeting.”

“Well, I gotta admit, I haven’t met any other guy who’s on his niceness level. ‘Still amazed he complimented Seifer even after the crap he gave him.” Hayner shook his head, still astonished at how magnanimous Sora was in his interaction with the Disciplinary Committee leader.

Roxas briefly emitted a humorless laugh. “Kinda ironic isn’t it?” His friend formed a questioning look as they paused in their walk. “He forgives things done against him, but is hard on himself if it’s the other way around,” Roxas uttered in a low voice as he looked towards the ground.

“Huh?”

The blond-haired teen just raised his head staring into the distance. “Nothing. It’s just...I’m learning a bunch of things about him,” He smiled. “And from what I’ve learned so far, figuring him out isn’t all that simple.”

Hayner chuckled, “Can’t disagree there. Who knew someone with an innocent face like his could also put up a fight?”

‘You have no idea,’ Roxas thought. Sora jumping into action all alert and focused against his opponents, whether it was Seifer or those white creatures, replaying in his mind.

“‘Can’t help but notice something else,” Hayner started, crossing his arms in thought. “You seem kinda different nowadays.”

Roxas blinked a few times. “I do? How so?”

Hayner’s shoulders shrugged as he answered, “Ever since Sora started crashing at your place, you’ve looked more...happy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this smiley before.” He then proceeded to repeatedly nudge his elbow into Roxas. “Guess he has you influenced.”

The blond’s cheeks were coated in a pink hue and he began to scratch a finger on his nose sheepishly. “Well...It’s kinda hard not to smile around him,” He admitted. Whatever Hayner had replied traveled in one ear only to go out the next as his brain became filled with moments of the mentioned brunet’s many smiles.

Call it cheesy, but the smiles Sora gave were greatly infectious with a brightness turned past the max setting. He practically lit up the whole room. And that innocence of his which was clearly defined in very blue eyes... It amazed Roxas that so much purity could be stored within a person.

“Yo! Twilight Town to Roxas! Do ya copy?”

Roxas promptly found himself yanked out of his musings in the form of a hand waving in his face. He jolted and registered Hayner staring at him, brow raised. Unfortunately, the only sufficient answer the blond could give after missing part of a conversation consisted of a mere,

“Uh….what’d you say?”

“Sheesh!” tsked Hayner, “What’s got you spacey all of a sudden?” Followed by a teasing grin. “Is it a girl?”

“What?! No!” Roxas quickly refuted which his friend laughed at.

“Whatever you say, man. I’m still watching for the day you finally get a girlfriend, it’ll be one for the history books.”

“Please,” Roxas groaned out and rolled his eyes. “Like I’m actually looking.”

“Why not? There’s a bunch of girls in town who gush about you, believe it or not,” Hayner remarked. Roxas gave him an unconvinced look. “They do. Don’t know what they’re seeing, but they do.” The sandy-haired teen snickered even as he got punched in the arm.

“Whether that’s true or not doesn’t make a difference. I’m not into any of them.”

“None?”

Roxas shook his head. “Nope,” Was his answer. “I mean, sure, they’re nice and pretty, I guess. I’m just not interested in them.”

“Not even Olette? She’s probably the only girl you really talk to on a regular basis. Besides Jessie of course.”

Roxas’s eyebrows narrowed. “You kidding?” He said, “She’s more like a sister than anything.” Not that there was anything wrong with Olette; she was smart, pretty, and a great listener. But he just couldn’t see her as anything more than a close friend.

Hayner put his hands up. “Okay, okay. I was just wondering, Roxas,” he said, noticing his friend’s growing irritation. Roxas sighed and calmed himself down.

“Why the sudden interest in my love life? Or lack of love life for that matter,” The blond asked calmly while wiping an arm across his forehead.

Seeing that Roxas had eased up, Hayner grinned and rested his elbow on the other’s shoulder, ignoring the fact his arm was touching some sweaty fabric. “Well, as a good friend, it’s my job to make sure you don’t stay stuck in the pit of hopeless singlehood.” Roxas rolled his eyes and shrugged the elbow away.

“And where does that put you? Last time I checked, You’re still living the single life too.”

“Details, details,” Hayner waved a hand. “At least think about it, Roxas. There’s no harm in putting yourself out there. Doesn’t it get lonely in that flat of yours?”

“I’m not the only one living in it right now,” Roxas pointed out, “I’ve got Sora staying with me.”

“Yeah, but not forever. What if you do get a girlfriend? Or what if he gets one? I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but Sora is pretty easy on the eyes,” Hayner stated, “There are girls already ogling him, I think even some guys as well.”

One of Roxas’s hands clenched into a fist. Protectiveness and, for some reason, a wave of jealousy coursed through at the mention of people taking an interest in Sora.

“I...hadn’t realized. I don’t think Sora notices either,” A fortunate thing in Roxas’s eyes; Sora already had enough things to worry about without thinking of the dating scene.

“Well, he oughta have some awareness,” Hayner remarked, “Don’t wanna sound like a downer, but that guy is way too nice at times. That could get him in trouble with the wrong people.”

“Don’t you think you’re underestimating him? Sora knows how to handle himself.” Though, Hayner did make a valid point. Roxas knew that while Sora’s innocence garnered positive attention, there was also a great likelihood he would receive some unwanted attention. That admittedly instilled some worry. It may sound improbable, but there were people out there worse than even Seifer.

“Wasn’t saying he doesn’t, but it does pay to be vigilant,” Hayner stated.

“Wow, ‘vigilant’,” Roxas remarked, raising his eyebrows in mock amazement. “You’re really on a roll, Hayner.” He smirked dodging a smack intended for his head.

“Screw you, man. I’m trying to be serious here.” The brown-eyed boy cracked a smile despite his words, showing there wasn’t much bite in them.

“I know, I get what you’re saying,” Roxas told Hayner honestly before looking a little serious himself as he frowned. “I’m not letting anything happen to him.” That statement made to both his friend and himself.

Hayner nodded with a grin. “Good on you for having his back. Don’t forget he can count on the rest of us, too,” Roxas smiled back in appreciation of the sentiment. Hayner couldn’t help expressing another notion that came to mind,

“It’s probably a good thing he hangs around you a lot, maybe he’ll pick up your mean streak. We know you got a lot of that, you broody jackass.” He laughed while clapping a hand on Roxas’s back.

Roxas took the teasing jab with a scoff as the two friends continued on their path towards the shops.

“If I’m a ‘broody jackass’, then you’re a loud ass.”

“Eh, I’ve been called worse.”

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Over at Roxas’s flat, Sora was still sitting at the edge of the bed petting the back of a still sleeping Chiro. Olette came into the bedroom carrying two steaming mugs in each hand. One of the mugs she set on Roxas’s television desk while the other she gave to Sora.

“This one’s the tea,” She informed the brunet. “I also warmed you up some tomato soup.”

“Thank you.”

While having not drank it yet, the warmth Sora felt from the mug in his hands combined with the tea’s herbal aroma already gave him a relaxed feeling. He slowly took the first sip, finding the flavor to be earthy with some hint of zest. It was a curious taste, but not unpleasant. In fact, the more sips Sora took, the more rejuvenated he felt.

“Wow,” Sora remarked, “Roxas made a good call getting this. Ms. Marnie’s a tea wiz.” He took a few more sips before downing the warm liquid.

Olette smiled. “She definitely is,” She said in agreement, “It’s a good thing I’ve already had some experience in brewing her special blend.”

“Oh? When was the last time you made this?”

“It was actually when Roxas got sick himself,” The brunet girl’s smile disappeared as she pressed the tips of her fingers. “I still remember how miserable he looked at the time, he couldn’t even get out of bed.”

Sora looked down somberly. “I see...That must’ve not been fun for him,” He said, sad at the mental image conjured of Roxas lying in bed ill and by himself too. One of the downsides to living alone if you asked him.

Olette walked over and sat next to Sora, laying a hand on his shoulder assuring him, “He pulled through, no ailment can keep that guy down.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Sora said with a tiny smile, “It just occurred to me he’s really independent, I kinda admire him for that.” His cheeks were flushing a rosy red upon voicing that statement.

Olette smiled noticing the blush but made no mention of it. However, the brunet’s smile sank as he continued, “Can’t help but wonder if he gets lonely sometimes. But then again, he’s at least had you guys.”

“Yeah,” Olette spoke softly, “Roxas always has been self-sufficient, but I do feel this flat does get too big for just him. I can’t help but think he feels left out whenever we have to return home to our parents.”

“What about Roxas’s parents? Did they go somewhere?”

Olette immediately went quiet and stared at her joined fingertips. Sora felt he made a huge blunder. Now that he thought about it, Roxas never mentioned anything about having any family.

Oh no, was that a sensitive topic to bring up?

The brunet nervously squeezed his hand around the fingers of his other hand.

“You don’t gotta tell me. I probably shouldn’t have asked-”

“It’s not that,” Olette assured, “I just wasn’t sure how to explain it.” Sora tilted his head in question. “Roxas…. doesn’t have any family of his own. Or if he did, he doesn’t know anything about them.”

Sora was taken aback but continued to listen.

“That’s what he told us when we first met, at least.” The brunet girl explained, “He’s never brought it up since. We all figured it was best we do the same.” There was a look in her eyes at the last part.

Sora winced but nodded getting the implication. “Can’t say I know anything of my parents either. Or where I came from for that matter.” He and Roxas seemed to share something in common.

Olette gave Sora a short hug. “It’ll come back to you, Sora. It’s just going to take time.”

Sora nodded appreciatively at the reassurance. There wasn’t anything he could do to jog his memory at the speed he’d like. Dwelling on it wasn’t going to help.

“You’re right. Can’t enjoy the home I have now if I’m always wondering about my original one.”

“How do you like your current home?” Olette asked, finding it a good opportunity to steer the conversation in a more lighthearted direction. “Are you adjusting okay?”

Sora beamed “I am,” He confirmed enthusiastically. “Twilight Town’s so pretty, peaceful, and the people here are really nice.” He paused upon recalling his encounter with Seifer. “Most of the people are, anyway.”

Olette chuckled softly. “Seifer is really the only person you need to worry about around here. That’s good you’re feeling comfortable. How’s living with Roxas?” Sora’s smile softened at the question.

“It’s been good,” The brunet answered truthfully, “Roxas has been so nice about everything. I really don’t know how I can repay him after this.”

Even in such a delicate state, Sora still considered Roxas’s comfort and stability. Olette couldn’t help but compare that to Roxas himself who also went above and beyond for those he cared about.

“I think Roxas is just happy to help as a friend,” Olette remarked. “Though, I’m sure you help around the house too, right? It’s one way to show your appreciation.”

Sora perked. “Oh! Like making breakfast?” He smiled remembering the morning before and the pleasantly surprised look on Roxas’s face finding breakfast already prepared.

“Exactly! Even the little things can go a long way.”

Sora stared up at the ceiling thinking of the odd jobs he carried out for the various townspeople yesterday: delivering letters, putting up posters, and keeping a ball in the air for a certain amount of time. Whether simple or tedious, it was always worth it to see the smiles of joy on the clients’ faces knowing they had one less task to worry about.

An idea sparked.

“Hey, Olette,” Sora began, looking back at his friend. “Do you think Roxas might need to make a grocery run soon?”

Olette nodded. “Yeah...I noticed the pantries in the kitchen are looking kinda bare.”

“I can go pick up food for him!” Sora spoke excitedly with a small jump, making the mattress bounce and for Chiro to snap her head up and look around before she settled back down.

Olette's eyes widened in surprise. “Right now?” She asked, flabbergasted by the boy’s sudden enthusiasm. “But, you’re still sick!”

Sora insisted, “I’m feeling much better now. That tea really did the trick.” There was no exaggeration, whatever was in that tea definitely left him feeling good as new.

“I don’t know, Sora, I don’t think you should be running around this soon,” Olette replied softly. “Why not wait until you and Roxas can go together?”

“It’s like you said, there’s not much in the kitchen. It’ll save him the trouble of having to go back out.”

Olette realized what Sora had in mind. “You want to do this without him knowing?” She inquired.

The boy looked down. “I don’t want him to worry.” He then raised a beseeching look to Olette. “I swear I’ll be quick about it.” The girl slightly narrowed her eyebrows, still unsure about it being a good idea. “Please, Olette? It’s just this one thing. I promise I’ll stay inside like a good patient the rest of the day.”

Olette’s intense gaze held Sora’s pleading one for some time before the brunet girl sighed in relent.

“I suppose you need to get your vitamin D at some point.”

Sora’s ocean eyes lightened. “Thanks, Olette,” He told her appreciatively. Olette smiled but held up a finger.

“But,” She interjected, “Under a few conditions; One, that you drink up that soup,” She gestured to the still untouched cup of tomato soup. “And two, I’m going with you. If you’re gonna sneak around town you might as well have some help.”

“You don’t mind being my partner in crime?”

“Well, I’d also like to avoid having to explain to Roxas how it is you got out,” Olette semi joked.

Sora pouted goodnaturedly, “You make it sound like I’m a pet or something.”

“Hmmm...If you think about it…” Olette laughed at the dirty look Sora now had. “Just kidding, Sora,” she assured, amusedly noticing similarities to Roxas’s glares. The brunet girl stood up to retrieve the cup of soup and brought it to Sora. “Now, hurry up and drink your soup.”

Sora’s expression softened and held a hand up to his head in a salute. “Yes, ma’am.” The soup was gone in a matter of minutes. Olette went to wait in the living room while Sora took a quick shower and dressed in his outdoor clothes.

Sora turned to Chiro who was now awake and sitting upright watching him, her tail swaying side to side.

“You better return home, girl,” He told the cat. “Before Ms. Marnie gets worried.” He smiled tenderly as he scratched behind her ears. “Thanks for staying with me.” Chiro meowed in reply and nuzzled against Sora’s hand before leaping onto the window sill, onto a ledge outside, and strolled away.

After pulling the windows shut, Sora walked out to the living room letting Olette know he was ready.

The two left the flat, checking the streets below before coming down. Upon confirming that their path was clear, Sora and Olette proceeded on Market Street keeping watch of their surroundings. They passed a few of the townspeople, thankfully too engrossed in their respective conversations and activities to pay them any mind.

“So, what’s the plan, Sora?” Olette asked when the Station Heights section of Market Street came into view.

“Hmmm,” The brunet tapped a thoughtful finger on his chin. He turned to the side to see the same bulletin board from yesterday once again tacked with various requests for helping hands. “I’d better take on a few odd jobs first.”

“What happened to the munny you and Roxas earned?”

Sora answered, “It’s still in the pouch at his place,” He leisurely places his hands behind his head. ”I don’t want to touch it without his say; Some of that money is his.”

Olette nodded. “That makes sense,” She peered at the bulletin board reading the different tasks the townspeople put up. “Wow, there’s a lot of people that need help today. I’ll go do some, too.”

“Nice,” Sora said cheerfully. “Meet back here in an hour?”

Olette smiled while tucking some hair behind her ear. “Sounds good.”

With that, they then split up prepared for a busy hour.

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

Sora spent the last half-hour fulfilling requests which took him through the various areas of Market Street. Not that he minded, the sun guilt he felt staying inside most of the day was killing him. Plus, he felt much better having the opportunity to run around.

Fortunately, there hadn’t been any issues in avoiding Roxas and Hayner considering neither were seen anywhere within the section. He still made sure to ask the people from who he accepted jobs to refrain from telling Roxas that he’d been around. Most agreed without question while others did express some curiosity about his intent on laying low. Sora merely answered with how he was planning a surprise, satisfying their questions.

Sora regretfully skipped over the request asking for a grandstander. He wanted to see if he could improve his score from yesterday but knew he’d end up risking bringing attention to himself. The brunet consoled he could do it another time if the listing was still tacked.

He and Olette occasionally passed each other while in the middle of their respective jobs, briefly checking in on each other’s progress and asking whether or not there were any sightings of Roxas and Hayner.

Sora determined the earnings he collected were, hopefully, enough to buy a couple of food items and made his way back to the bulletin board in Station Heights. Olette was already there sitting on the short brick wall next to the board when Sora arrived. The brunet girl smiled and hopped off the wall to greet him.

“Done with your shift?” She asked.

“I think I earned enough,” Sora replied, swiping his thumb at the side of his nose. “How ‘bout you?”

“Same,” Olette answered. “Have you had a chance to check out the grocery store?”

“Kinda,” Sora tapped at his head in thought. “Roxas showed me it while we were walking around yesterday, just the outside though.”

“Well, now’s your chance to see the inside,” Olette waved a hand beckoningly and took the lead of the trek. “C’mon.” Sora followed her down the path, departing from Station Heights.

A line of houses stood at a side of the street they traversed, Sora admiring how nice and cozy they all looked. However, while gazing at the structures, his eyes honed in on something that caused him to slow to a halt. Olette, following her friend’s gaze, also stopped walking realizing what caused him to look concerned.

A woman with cropped shoulder-length blond hair, dressed in a simple white long-sleeved blouse tucked in a long bright pink skirt, was standing on her doorstep with her arms crossed over her chest staring forlornly at the ground.

The two teens went up to approach her.

“Excuse us,” Sora spoke as he and Olette came over. The woman, surprised by the sudden presence, immediately raised her head. “Hi there.” The male teen waved.

“Hi, Ashe,” Olette greeted with her own wave.

The woman addressed as Ashe relaxed, “Oh. Good afternoon, Olette,” She then directed her attention to Sora. “You must be Sora,” The brunet nodded, dumbfounded his name was this widely spread. “You’re still a bit of a hot topic around here,” She explained, amusement dancing in her grey eyes. “Nice to make your acquaintance.”

Sora shook off the surprise and flashed a smile in introduction, “Nice to meet you, too...Um, Ashe, right?”

The blond-haired woman confirmed, “You can just call me Ashe,” she looked between the two teens. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“We were actually wondering the same thing,” Sora replied. “We saw you looked pretty down and wanted to know what was wrong.” Olette nodded agreeably.

“I see,” She emitted a small laugh. “It’s nothing to concern yourselves with, really,” She assured, waving it off. “You kids can just run along. It’s too nice of a day to waste on some adult’s problem.”

The two brunets looked at each other and back at the woman. “Are you sure?” Asked Sora. “We still would like to know what’s bothering you.”

“Maybe we can help,” Olette added.

“You kids are that curious, huh?” The blond-haired woman sighed and spent a minute thinking in silence. “If you insist,” She finally decided. “Don’t know if you’ll still want to help once you hear it.”

Sora and Olette both lightly shrugged their shoulders.

“‘Can’t be that bad,” Sora consoled.

The woman uncrossed her arms. “My bird escaped a while ago,” She revealed. “I spent all day searching around town for him but haven’t had any luck.”

Sora and Olette both gasped. “Your bird?” Olette repeated for clarity, already dreading the possibilities with the town’s cat population. Ashe nodded gravely.

“Well, ‘guess I can’t call him since I lost him so easily,” She said. “I found the bird a few days ago while I was out on a walk. ‘Poor guy had a busted wing and couldn’t even stand, let alone fly. I decided to bring him home before the cats got to him. I’m taking care of him until he can get back on his wings.”

“You’re doing a good thing taking care of him,” Sora commended. “But how did he get out?”

“With how I found the cage on the floor wide open, my best guess is he literally busted his way out,” Ashe sighed. “It’s also my fault for leaving the window open. His wing hasn’t completely healed, I didn’t think he’d get very far.”

Despite remaining composed, Sora could make out worry peeking out of the woman’s eyes.

He proclaimed without hesitation, “We’ll go look for him,” He looked to Olette who smiled and nodded in affirmation.

“Yeah, but we should hurry. The bird sounds like he could be at risk with that type of injury,” Olette said as she wrung her hands anxiously. She faced Ashe asking, “What does the bird look like?”

“Small, yellow, has a few feathers sticking up on top of his head,” Ashe squinted as she described the most recognizable features. “He should also have a splint wrapped around his wing.”

“Got it. Let’s go, Olette.” Sora and Olette turned and ran a few paces but stopped when Ashe called out.

“A bit of a warning: He may be a little guy but he also has a short temper. Are you certain you still want to go look?”

Sora looked turned around and grinned. “Of course! Can’t ignore something that’s lost.” With that, he and Olette ran off in search of the missing animal.

Ashe silently watched them as they left, a faint but genuine smile appearing on her lips.

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

The two brunets collapsed on a bench in the Tram Commons beyond exhausted and a little perplexed.

Sora and Olette had spent what felt like forever trekking through various parts of Market Street in search of Ashe’s wayward bird. They’ve checked behind post boxes, within alleyways, and even behind dumpsters. But it turned out even with a broken wing, the feathered animal was very avoidant.

They asked around, hoping someone might have caught a glimpse of it. Unfortunately, the townspeople they came across hadn’t seen the bird either, some even suggested it became some cat’s snack. Sora and Olette blanched at the thought but refused to resign themselves in deciding that as the ultimate scenario.

They couldn’t ask Ms. Marnie or Jessie since both shop owners had already left for the day. Sora wanted to thank Ms. Marnie for the tea so he was a bit saddened he missed her.

“Who knew it’d be this difficult to track down an injured bird?” Sora remarked as he wiped some sweat away from his forehead.

“Right?” Olette said in agreement, blowing a puff of air through one side of her lips. “It’s possible we overlooked some places. What do you think, Sora?”

“Hmmm,” The blue-eyed teen crossed his arms in thought. “What places could we have missed? We’ve already looked everywhere on this street.” He tipped his head up to the sky in all its golden glow, the silhouette of a flock of birds flying in the distance. Olette looked up also watching the birds in flight.

Sora’s eyes followed the birds navigating their way across the vast canvas that loomed from above, growing smaller and smaller until they disappeared from sight.

Birds will always find their way up to the sky. As long as they continue to soar upward.

Upward…

“Y’know?” Sora began, “We spent most of the search on the street, I realized we didn’t consider thinking higher.”

Olette added, “And what’s higher than the street?”

They looked at each other with eager smiles. “The roof!” They said at the same time.

The two friends got up from the bench and looked to the rooftops of the buildings standing at various heights around them. They walked over to the closest one which was conveniently situated with a fire escape attached for them to climb.

Sora went first with Olette following behind, steadily climbing the steps one by one until they made it to the top of the structure. Sora leaned over on the bricked barrier as he gazed into the distance. The view from here wasn’t as expansive as the one from the station tower, but they were at least able to see the other rooftops along with what was happening on the streets below.

“Hey, look,” Sora said while he pointed out a particular building. “I can see Roxas’s house from here.” Olette came up beside him peering out in the same direction.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

However, looking down below made Olette’s smile drop. “Speaking of Roxas…”

Sora glanced at her quizzically before looking down to the streets as well. “Uh oh.” His blue eyes widened as he spotted Roxas and Hayner walking along the street. The two friends seemed preoccupied with whatever they were chatting about, unaware of Sora and Olette watching them from above.

“It’s a good thing we’re up here,” Olette whispered. “We should still be quiet.”

Sora nodded. “Right,” He whispered back. “Who knows what they can hear.”

He scanned around the space that made up the empty rooftop. His eyes then landed on a long narrow wooden board connecting to a roof of a neighboring building.

Sora crouched behind the wall and moved over to the board with Olette crouch walking behind him.

“Oh, This,” Olette placed her foot on the board and pressed on it a few times before stepping back. “It should be safe for us to cross.”

“‘Should be’?”

The brunet girl merely brushed some strands behind her ear. “It’s held in the times I’ve crossed it, at least.”

Sora didn’t hesitate to step towards the board. “I’ll go first,” He volunteered, not that he doubted her judgment, it was just the courteous thing to do.

However, Olette gently pushed him back with her arm while she stepped on the board. “Let me.”

Sora went to say something but his words froze as Olette was already walking the board, arms outstretched, stepping with one foot across the other as lightly as she could. Sora quickly pressed his foot on the board just in case. He looked down at Roxas and Hayner who were now standing around still talking, remaining oblivious to what was happening above them.

As for Olette, the brunet girl made it halfway maintaining her focus on the other side. She nearly stumbled for a moment, Sora reacting in alarm, but she stood still and took a deep breath allowing her to regain her rhythm and continue forward. A couple of steps later, the distance was closed and Olette had successfully reached the other building. She jumped off the board and onto the safety of the rooftop, turning around to wave cheerfully to Sora signifying she made it.

Sora let out a relieved sigh and stood up. He marveled how Olette crossed such a great height bravely and gracefully. Now it was his turn.

The brunet breathed in and walked the first step on the narrow piece of wood, copying Olette’s movements in holding his arms out as he made his way across. He was doing well getting to the halfway mark, doing his best to keep his sight forward while Olette gave him an encouraging thumbs-up.

In his excitement of nearing the other side, Sora made the mistake of increasing the pace of his steps causing the wood to clack audibly under his feet.

“You hear something?” The brunet froze in place. He didn’t need to look down to know it was Hayner’s voice he heard. A spark of panic came when Roxas’s voice followed.

“Yeah...Wonder where it’s coming from?”

Olette frantically motioned for Sora to just keep going. Sora, panicking that he was close to being discovered, made the split-second decision to make a leap for the remainder of the distance. Olette gasped covering her mouth but fortunately, her friend’s reckless stunt ended with him landing beside her on the rooftop.

“Are you okay?” Olette asked, checking Sora over. “That was dangerous!”

Sora smiled apologetically, placing a hand behind his head. “Sorry, I panicked.”

Olette sighed. “Just don’t make it a habit. A broken bone is much worse than a headache,” She went over to the barrier and looked down at the street with Sora joining her. “On the plus side, we seem to have gotten past them unnoticed.”

Roxas and Hayner both had confused expressions on their faces, all the while saying something neither brunets could hear. Eventually, the two boys just shrugged their shoulders and continued down the street.

Sora and Olette let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

Crisis averted.

Sora moved away from the barrier scanning the area of their current location. This rooftop was more utilized than the last, there being folding chairs and potted plants placed around.

“This looks like a good spot for a picnic,” Sora commented. He looked to Olette who had walked up beside him.

“We’ve hung out up here a couple of times,” She said. “The owners of this building say we can come here whenever we like.”

Sora smiled. He could picture Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette all hanging out up here just chatting and watching the people down below go about their day while enjoying a snack of sea salt ice cream. Maybe he’ll be able to join them up here too sometime. Maybe he and Roxas can hang up here-just the two of them.

He felt an elbow nudge him lightly. Olette regarded him with a curious look.

“You alright, Sora? Your face is looking a little red right now.”

The unruly-haired boy jumped. “Huh?!” He cried out and covered his cheeks. “I-it must be the sun! I mean, it is pretty warm right now.” He hastily explained. Olette giggled.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

Sora’s cheeks grew even redder being faced with that question, “I...Um...” His eyes shifted about. He silently consulted with his brain, pleading with it to come up with a response that wouldn’t give away how it was more of a “who” occupying his train of thought.

However, the conversation was promptly cut off when a chirping noise reached their ears.

The two brunets stopped and looked around listening for the sound keeping their ears open. They pinpointed the noise to be coming from the far end from where they stood.

Sora and Olette walked forward hearing the chirping grow louder. They passed the chairs and approached the plants situated against the barrier.

Sora looked down, emitting a surprised cry when he spotted a small yellow mass sticking out from behind a tall potted plant. He and Olette crouched down, Sora moving the ceramic pot aside with both hands slightly. Both wincing at the scraping the pot made as it dragged along the cement.

Lying on the ground was a bird covered completely in a golden yellow; three feathers protruded from the top of the head. Its wings were splayed, a tiny splint wrapped to the left one by some white bandages.

They had found Ashe’s bird.

The downed animal attempted to lift itself up, moving both its head and wings, only to fall back onto the ground. Sora instantly reached out and cupped his hands around the bird wanting to help the poor creature.

“Careful, Sora,” Olette cautioned, “Remember what Ashe said?”

“Aw, c’mon. How much trouble can this little guy be?” As if insulted by Sora’s remark, the bird snapped at one of his fingers with little warning. The brunet retracted his hands, a yelp nearly escaping when he felt the sharp pinch. He bit his lip as he shook his hand back and forth. “Fuck. Okay, I stand corrected.”

“Please don’t be scared,” Olette told the bird soothingly. “We just want to help you.” He looked up at her, narrowing blue beady eyes in a way that could be interpreted as a big ‘Yeah, right”. The addition of the injured animal’s feathers ruffling expressed he held no desire to make things any easier for the two.

Sora in the meantime had unzipped and slipped out of his sweater vest. He didn’t want to do this, but desperate times called for desperate measures as someone said.

With the bird distracted by Olette still attempting to talk him down, Sora covered him with the vest and scooped him in his arms, doing his best not to hold him so tightly in consideration for the injured wing.

Despite having been subdued, the stubborn creature still put up quite a struggle; he squawked and flailed within the bundle to the point of causing it to shake. He stuck his head out and unleashed an angry screech at Sora.

Both brunets winced. It was unbelievable a sound of high magnitude could be produced from such a small creature.

Sora spoke in a calming voice, “Hey, look. I know you don’t enjoy being in a cage, and I don’t blame you. But please try to understand Ashe doesn’t plan on keeping you in one forever; She only wants to take care of you until you’re able to fly again.”

The bird stopped struggling as if considering Sora’s words.

Olette moved closer and bent a little to meet the bird at eye level. “You must really want to go home, huh? Wherever that may be,” The bird chirped weakly and lowered his head. “Then you know my friend’s right. Your wing won’t heal any faster if you keep rejecting help like this.”

She gently pet the top of his head. The bird tensed under the contact but didn’t outright resist. Whether he was actually calming down or just too weak to continue fighting, the bird appeared complacent for the time being.

“It’ll be okay, little guy,” Sora assured. “You’ll be back in the sky before you know it.”

“For now, let’s get him back to Ashe. She’ll be happy to see him safe and sound.” Olette said.

Sora agreed. Now that they had their animal of interest all that was left was to get off this roof.

Olette led the way via a fire escape conveniently attached near the plants. The two climbed down, Sora having to make the trip slowly due to having one free hand, and eventually landed back on solid ground. The trip down the stairs dropped them off in an alleyway which let them stay hidden in case their friends were to pass by.

A quick glance at both sides of the streets let them know they were in the clear, and the two went on their way.

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They arrived back at Ashe’s house all eager to inform her of the good news. With Sora needing to keep the bird secured, Olette knocked on the door.

The blond-haired woman emerged from the house a few seconds later. She gasped as her sight became immediately drawn onto the bird sitting, more like sulking, in Sora’s arms.

“My god...You actually found him,” Ashe stated in a mix of relief and disbelief. Sora went up to Ashe holding the bird out to her.

“Don’t try to fly away now,” Sora said to the bird. The feathery creature puffed in response but made no move to do so.

The woman extended her hand and waited. The bird gave a long stare at the offered hand before hesitantly hopping on.

Ashe raised the bird up to face level. “You sure caused quite a fuss, little one,” She chided gently. The bird lowered his head similar to a child receiving a stern lecture. “But, what’s done is done. As long as you’re still in one piece.” She smiled a small smile.

She turned her attention to Sora and Olette, “Thank you both for bringing him back. Hope he didn’t give you too much of a hard time.”

“Nah,” Sora waved a hand, “It took a little convincing but he wasn’t that bad. Though, he deals a hard bite for a little guy.” He held his finger which still stung a little.

Ashe nodded in sympathy. “I learned that the hard way myself. I have ointment and bandages if you’re in need of any.”

“No, that’s alright, I can just walk it off.”

Everyone laughed.

The bird merely puffed, spurring on more laughter.

“He seems really determined to get somewhere,” Said Olette. “Maybe that’s why he tries so hard to escape.”

The bird turned and seemed to be staring in the direction of the forest, the fight in him deflating with each wistful second. The three also contemplated the mass of trees standing behind the hole of the town’s wall. It didn’t take long to see the correlation.

“You could be right,” Ashe remarked and said to the bird, “Don’t worry, little one. I promise you’ll only need to put up with me for just a little while.” She smiled at the two teens. “Thanks again, you two. I better go back inside and assess how much work was undone.”

“You’re welcome,” Sora grinned while placing his hands behind his head. “We should be taking off, too.”

Olette gasped, “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about our errand.”

Ashe requested they wait for her to get something before they leave and went back into the house. She returned promptly with a sealed envelope which she handed to Sora.

The brunet examined the envelope, curious at its bulkiness. “What’s in it?”

“Just a little something for your trouble,” Ashe answered, a light smirk to her. “Split it fairly.” She bid them a farewell before closing the door.

Sora and Olette wore confused expressions but carried on their route towards the grocery shop.

Unable to withstand the suspense, Sora ripped the flap open and checked the contents inside. His eyes grew wide as saucers. Olette was also shocked at what was inside. Within the envelope was a large amount of munny to the point an exact amount would be impossible to count out on the spot.

“Holy crap!” Sora exclaimed. “This is too much!” As grateful as he was for the gesture, this was very generous as compensation. Maybe too generous.

“She sure downplayed it being ‘a little something’,” Olette laughed nervously as she held a hand to her cheek. “This has to be more than a day’s work.”

“You don’t think she gave us this much by mistake?”

Olette shook her head, “Ashe’s serious when it comes to returning favors. She’d probably say we might as well return it all if we aren’t satisfied.”

Well, shit. If that was the case, guess they really did have to keep it. Sora couldn’t explain it, but he’d sense a sharp edge to Ashe’s calm aura. He wouldn’t want to be the one to offend her.

Olette sighed, “We should thank her properly the next time we see her.”

Sora agreed, “Yeah. I hope by then the bird made a speedy recovery,” He really felt for the bird’s helpless state. He could understand the small creature’s aggressive reactions being out of desperation to return to his home.

“I do too. I wonder if he has a family, they must be worried sick.”

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Naminé wasn’t sure how long she had been looking out at the curious image presented to her on the other side of the window.

Outside, a small chocolate-colored bird stood perched on the branch of a tall tree. The small creature hadn’t moved from its spot for quite some time now, one would’ve thought it was sitting for a portrait.

It was most peculiar. The small creature had the means to go wherever it wanted, but here it stayed.

‘What are you waiting for, little one?’

Sunlight looming over the trees highlighted the bird’s feathers. Though, what struck the female Nobody the most was the bird’s beady blue eyes and how they shone as they stood out against the scenery’s domineering green.

Her sketchpad was already opened to a blank page waiting to be filled. A crayon within reach urged her to take this opportunity.

She watched the bird and everything surrounding it until every detail became ingrained.

For once, she felt at ease and even a little excited when she made the first mark.

It’s been a while since she created something for her own memory.

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Sora and Olette came up to the front of the convenience shop. They’d already split the money in equal halves where Olette demonstrated yet again her proficiency in counting.

“You go on ahead,” Olette told the other brunet as she constantly turned her head around. “I’ll keep watch.”

Sora nodded and went inside. Olette stood outside in the meantime, exchanging short pleasantries with people passing by while also keeping a diligent eye out. A few minutes later, the store bell jingled as Sora came out carrying two full plastic bags in each hand.

“Find everything okay?” Olette asked, taking one of the bags to lessen the load on her friend.

“Yup! Although, I probably should’ve made a list. Not sure if this is enough or more than enough.”

“Either way, Roxas will be surprised to find his pantry mysteriously restocked.”

Sora grinned, “He won’t know what hit him,” he stated. They proceeded down the street leading back to Roxas’s place with Sora taking the lead. Funny, he was still unsure where certain places were, yet he could find his way back to Roxas’s home with confidence. The trip back was made in little time with no trouble aside from the exhaustion as a result of their impromptu adventure.

The duo ran up the stairs of Roxas’s building lugging the groceries within their grips, anticipating whether or not Roxas was home yet. Their worries evaporated once they stepped inside the flat to find it as empty as they’d left it.

Sora promptly shut the door locking it, “Woo! That was interesting,” he remarked, subsequently leaning against the door.

Olette added as she fanned at her face, “Interesting is right. We managed to do part-time jobs, find a missing bird, and buy groceries all in one day.” She lifted the grocery bag in her hand and went towards the kitchen. All that’s left was to put the food away.

The sound of faint footsteps outside paralyzed the two. Was that Roxas?

The doorknob jiggled, prompting Sora to jump away and back up next to Olette. The two brunets traded wide-eyed glances. Yup, Roxas was definitely home.

Another jiggle of the knob, “Why’s the door locked?”

The baffled voice on the other side sparked a rush. Fortunately, locking the door bought some time to get things in order.

Olette took the other bag from Sora with her free hand and ran into the kitchen. She set them on the counter and dug the contents out one armful at a time, throwing open the fridge and pantry doors and placing the items in their respective shelf spaces the best she could in her urgency.

Sora sprinted into the bedroom and searched around before grabbing some book from a shelf and flopped onto the bed opening to a random page. He hoped this was inconspicuous enough. He frowned looking over a passage. What was this book even about?

Olette had just stashed the now empty and neatly folded plastic bags in a drawer when the door to the flat opened. She whirled around putting on a smile as Roxas came in looking tired but was able to send a wave in greeting.

“Welcome back,” She greeted walking more into the living. “How’d practice go?”

Roxas flapped his sweat-drenched jacket replying, “Pretty well. Hayner’s been stepping out of his usual style.”

Olette was astonished. “Really? ‘Thought he said he didn’t need to change the way he plays.”

“Let’s just say he’s got a goal set in mind.”

“So, he is serious,” Olette remarked. “I gotta hand it to him, his determination knows no bounds.”

“Heh. That’s one thing that’ll never change,” Roxas smirked. He switched topics, wanting to put the underlying anxiousness over Sora’s condition to rest. “‘Everything okay while I was out?”

“Yup,” Olette replied, “Nothing out of the ordinary, Sora’s looking a lot better now.”

Roxas perked hearing that. “That’s a relief,” He smiled adding, “Getting hungry? Hayner and Pence will be over soon. I’m thinking we can try a recipe out of Jessie’s book.”

“That sounds fun!” Olette excitedly clapped her hands together at the prospect, she always had a fondness for home-cooked meals. “I’d love to.”

Roxas smiled, “Great. I gotta shower first, mind watching the door for them?”

Olette had already sat on the couch. “Leave it to me,” Not like it was the first time she’d been on watch duty. “It’s impolite to smell like an old sock when company’s over.” she teased.

Roxas rolled his eyes, “Yes, ‘Mom’.” Olette giggled.

She watched as her friend went to his room. Once the door shut, she relaxed onto the couch and deeply exhaled. “Whew…” That was too close.

Stepping in the bedroom, Roxas stopped himself from calling out to Sora, preferring instead to watch the other boy silently concentrating on the book in his lap. He looked almost studious, the only thing missing was a pair of reading glasses.

Roxas shook off the image of how good Sora would look in glasses and made small steps towards the bed.

Sora didn’t notice Roxas appeared due to being too absorbed in the book, which he learned earlier to be a compilation of fairy tales, on his lap. The brunet was just getting towards the end of the Mog the Moogle story when it suddenly came to his attention Roxas was looming over him.

Sora jumped, “Roxas!” He squeaked out before looking up as if a spotlight dropped on him.

The blond chuckled teasing, “My bad, did I scare you?” sapphire eyes mirthful.

Sora blushed, his brows furrowed as he went from startled to somewhat indignant, “You couldn’t have said something?”

“Who’s the one that said a heads up wasn’t needed?” Roxas laughed once more at the pout Sora sported. He couldn’t help it, the other boy’s reactions were just damned hilarious. “You looked really interested in that book.”

Sora noted with a smile, “It’s a nice story,” his nose then crinkled picking up on Roxas’s sweaty state, “And I see you worked up quite a sweat,” He pinched his nose. “Was training that intense?”

Roxas gruffed a laugh, “That’s a nice way of putting it. I’m hitting the shower, I just wanted to check on how you’re doing first. Olette said you’re doing a lot better now.”

Sora nodded. “Ms. Marnie’s tea worked wonders.” So did getting out of the house, but Roxas didn’t need to know that.

Roxas smiled, “That’s great. Hayner and Pence are coming over, by the way. I’m thinking for dinner we can try making something out of Jessie’s recipe book.”

“I’m down!” Sora proclaimed cheerfully. “I’m not an expert chef, but I’ll do my best.”

“I don’t know about that, you make a mean cereal,” Roxas lightly teased.

Sora laughed and teased back in kind, “And your instant noodles are to die for.”

Both boys chuckled; It was just that easy for them to make the other laugh.

With Roxas taking his prolonged shower, Sora upped and got out the orange pouch that lay in the desk drawer. After loosening the drawstrings, the brunet unloaded his earnings into the bag. He still had plenty of munny left over from grocery shopping but felt it better to put some of it away.

Sora then left the bedroom to give Roxas some privacy, joining Olette on the living room couch.

The two brunets shared a smile and giggled in reflection of their adventure. They agreed it’ll be their little secret.

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Roxas emerged from the bathroom allowing for leftover steam to escape. The blond let out a satisfied sigh, he felt like a whole new person. There was nothing like a warm shower after an intensive workout to soothe his aching muscles.

He retrieved from his desk the orange pouch and filled it with his earnings from today’s round of odd jobs. He thought the bag felt heavier when he first picked it up but had shrugged it off.

Roxas went out to the living room where Sora, Olette, and the newly arrived Hayner and Pence were talking together. Everyone stopped and turned to Roxas as he came over.

“Hey!” Hayner grinned, “Now it’s a party!”

“What’s the occasion?” Sora asked, loosely placing his hands behind his head.

Pence chimed in while pointing his forefinger up, “Recovering back to good health makes a good occasion.”

“That’s definitely something to celebrate,” Roxas affirmed, smiling at Sora.

The brunet had a smile of his own, a shy flush forming on his face which he hid with a swipe to his nose.

“Then let’s celebrate with some chow! I’m starving,” Announced Hayner. Chatters of agreement spread around that it was high time for dinner. “So, what are we having, Mister Host?”

Roxas went into the kitchen, “Let’s consult the mighty cookbook to find out.”

“You’re actually gonna cook?” Hayner’s brows jumped in surprise. Suddenly, small but firm hands were grasping his shoulders and pushed him towards the kitchen.

Olette simply smiled, stating, “Correction. We’re gonna cook.”

“Awww! You serious?”

Pence came along being fully on board to help with the meal. “A little work never killed you,” He quipped, nudging an elbow into Hayner as he passed.

Sora was already at Roxas’s side in front of the counter joining in on looking over the recipe book. Roxas skimmed through the various pages in search of something doable.

“Let’s see...Not sure about that...Not sure about that either...The hell’s a cactuar….Not feeling the prep time on this one…”

Sora pressed a finger down on the page Roxas was on before he could turn it, pointing out a recipe that had escaped the blond’s notice. “This one looks good.”

Roxas then immediately remembered Jessie’s recommendation from earlier. “Everyone cool with pizza?” He called, turning his head to the rest of the gang.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette all perked up in light of the suggestion.

“Pizza?”

“Hell yeah!”

“You got my vote!”

The whole gang crowded around the cookbook studying the recipe.

“The Patio Pizza, huh?” Pence said.

Roxas nodded, “Yup. Jessie recommended it.”

“We should check that we have all the ingredients before starting with the prep,” Olette advised. The guys nodded and spread out to different areas of the kitchen while the brunet girl read off the needed items for the pizza.

“Salami?”

“Check!” Pence affirmed pulling out a whole salami from the fridge.

“Cheese?”

“Check!”

“Chocobo Feed…?” Olette slowly read, her green eyes squinting down at the book. Everyone else in the room shared her confusion.

“What do those things eat, again?” Asked Hayner, scratching his head.

“Don’t ask me,” Roxas said while taking out a round pan from the oven drawer. “I never kept a chocobo.”

Hayner snickered, “Why would you? You already look like one.” Roxas jerked his head in Hayner’s direction. He had some choice words to respond to that. Though, Olette spoke before he could do so.

“Oh! The description says ‘can be any greens’.” Okay, that made more sense.

Pence held up a bag full of plucked and washed basil leaves from the fridge. “These are pretty green.”

“Huh, I don’t remember buying those,” Roxas said. He normally didn’t keep herbs around unless it was in tea form.

Sora and Olette sneaked a look. “What about red sauce? Every pizza should have that,” Sora pointed out.

Hayner proudly placed a jar of tomato sauce on the counter, “Way ahead of you, Sora.”

“Did you check the expiration date on that?” Pence asked skeptically.

“No. This sauce looks like it hasn’t even been opened.”

Nonetheless, Pence still examined the container label to confirm that the sauce wasn’t at food poisoning quality. “You’re right. This jar is actually brand new.”

“Told ya.”

Roxas set the pan on the counter followed by Sora placing down the cutting board and other utensils they might need. “Less chatting, more cooking. The sooner we start, the sooner we can eat.”

“We need to start with the pizza dough,” Olette stated, setting down a large bowl along with a measuring cup and spoons. “I take it you don’t already have some on hand, Roxas?” The blond shook his head.

Sora tilted his head. “Is it hard to make?” he asked. He had no firsthand knowledge of the process but he was curious.

Pence after washing his hands at the sink, rolled up his sleeves with a grin. “Not at all. Just need some yeast, flour, salt, sugar, and oil,” He replied, reciting the ingredients from the top of his head. “Oh, and can’t forget the water.”

“I’ll get it!” Sora ran to the sink with the measuring cup.

“Make sure it’s warm water,” Pence called.

The salt shaker and oil bottle was already set on the counter ready for use, as well as a container of sugar. All that was left were the flour and yeast.

“Can’t promise anything, but I’ll take a look,” Roxas said as he left the counter to rummage through his pantry. He was a little surprised to find a full box of yeast and a package of flour so easily, but shrugged it off and brought the ingredients back to the counter.

“Great! Now we have everything,” Pence smiled and immediately got to work spooning differing amounts of the yeast and sugar into the bowl. Everyone watched as Pence followed up by taking the measuring cup Sora brought back and poured in the water creating a mixture. “Gonna need to let this proof-as in let it sit. At least five minutes tops.”

“When did you become a pizza expert?” Hayner inquired, brows raised.

“Last year,” Pence answered nonchalantly. “Baked a lot of pies volunteering in the school cafeteria, I was what you can call a ‘Pizza Apprentice’.”

Everyone was both amused and impressed at this revelation. Roxas couldn’t grasp how he’d miss this fact. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one; Hayner and Olette looked blindsided themselves.

“Alright then, Pizza Apprentice. What’s next?”

Brown eyes centered on the food items sitting on the counter. “The cheese is already shredded, which is nice. But the salami and leaves need chopping. Think you guys can handle those?”

“Can we?” Hayner grinned while grasping the handle of a cutting knife making little slashing motions in the air. Everyone promptly leaned away from the dangerous display Hayner made with the sharp object.

Olette marched over and plucked the knife out of the sandy blond’s grasp. “I do Not trust you with this.”

“Neither do I,” Roxas uttered. “That’s not a toy, you know.” He turned his head to the side and froze at Sora holding onto his shoulder while pressed against him. Roxas’s face felt warm. Sora was so light, the blond hadn’t even noticed he’d been clinging to him.

Seeing Hayner looking put off, Sora held up a finger making a suggestion, “You can spread the sauce, Hayner.” Fortunately, the hot-headed blond instantly lightened up at the suggestion.

Olette raised her hand and announced, “I’ll cut up the salami.”

Roxas, glad to divert his attention onto something else, volunteered, “I’ll try to chop up the leaves.”

Pence nodded. “Sounds good,” He then turned to Sora, “Hey, Sora. Wanna help in preparing the dough?”

Sora perked and answered with an eager, “Sure!”

Everyone took turns washing their hands at the sink before going about their respective tasks.

Olette took care that the oven was set before she prepared her topping. She was in the zone at her workspace, steadily slicing the salami into even discs onto the cutting board. Roxas on his end was a little slow in chopping the basil leaves, unsure if he was even doing this right. Noticing her friend struggling, Olette set down the knife and moved to his side.

“Need some help?”

Roxas glanced down at the one piece that took him a minute to cut. He looked back at Olette with a sheepish smile, “If you don’t mind.”

The brunet girl took Roxas’s place in front of the cutting board and gathered the leaves, stacking them on top of each other, before rolling them up into narrow tubes. Roxas watched as Olette made fast successive cuts along the rolled-up basil, producing a pile of thin strips. The blond merely gawked. Olette made it look so easy.

Olette smiled as she set the knife back on the cutting board. “Easy, right?” She asked. Roxas nodded slowly.

“Yeah...”

Olette giggled, “Here, try again. I’ll walk you through it.” Roxas’s efforts in his second attempt of chopping the leaves were more fruitful. Following Olette’s instructions, he stacked and rolled the leaves up as she had done cutting them into actual strips.

Over at the dough duo’s side of the counter, Sora observed Pence add the oil, salt, and flour to the now bubbly and foamy mixture. Pence demonstrated how to fold the flour around the liquid using a mixing spatula before letting Sora try. The blue-eyed boy mixed the contents together just as he was shown, eventually getting it to a doughy consistency.

“Nice, Sora!” Pence praised, viewing the dough coming together. “You’re really getting the hang of it.”

Sora smiled. He wouldn’t have thought this before, but cooking was actually pretty fun.

He noticed Pence was spreading a light layer of flour on the surface of the counter. Pence explained upon Sora’s curious glance that it was to prevent the dough from sticking. After some inspection, the dough was transferred onto the floured surface for kneading

Following Pence’s instructions, Sora worked the dough into the flour, the texture feeling smooth and claylike on his fingers. The unruly haired boy spent a few more minutes kneading until Pence took over in forming the dough into a round ball.

Sora raised his flour coated hands and wiggled his fingers as he examined them. His hands appeared ghostlike.

“And, it’s done!” Pence announced, brandishing the ball of dough looking rightly pleased. Everyone else whirled around and cheered.

“Awesome!” Hayner grinned, holding up the sauce jar and a spoon. “The sauce is good to go!”

“As are the meat and leaves,” Olette added, carrying in both hands a small bowl of the sliced salami discs along with a bowl of the chopped basil.

Roxas stood by wiping the sweat off his forehead. The process of cutting those leaves had been more tedious than anticipated. He glanced at Sora hovering nearby and smiled when the other boy returned his gaze.

“Good work on the dough, Sora,” Roxas complimented. “You are a fast learner.”

The brunet blushed. “Thanks, Roxas. But Pence did most of the heavy lifting, I just got to roll the finished product around,” He chuckled. “I think it’s impressive you cut all those leaves.”

“Heh. It’s really because of Olette supervising I didn’t cut a finger instead.” The boys shared a laugh, Sora’s hand on Roxas’s shoulder. The smaller boy quieted upon remembering he still had flour on his hands.

“Oops…” Sora smiled meekly, lifting his hand away. “Sorry.”

Roxas merely glanced at the powdery handprint on his jacket and brushed it away. “It’s just a spot.”

“It’s topping time, guys!” Pence gathered everyone over to the pan where the dough was stretched along the surface creating a smooth round canvas. “Sauce it up, Hayner.”

“Roger, chief,” Hayner saluted. With a large spoon, he spread a light layer of the tomato sauce all around the dough. Sora took care of sprinkling the cheese next, followed by Roxas with the basil, and Olette adding the finishing touches with the salami.

With the pizza inserted into the oven, all that was left to do was wait. The gang were all smiles and gave each other high fives for a job well done.

“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Olette teased while looking at Hayner.

“Yeah, fine,” Hayner threw a hand up, unaware he’d been next to the open bag of flour which he’d knocked off balance. The teen scrambled in catching the falling bag, only to slip from stepping on some spilled flour in the process. The bag was flung in the air with the powdery substance raining onto Roxas before dropping beside the blond’s feet.

Sora, Pence, and Olette gasped while Roxas just stood there covered in flour, blinking a few times. Hayner was struggling to suppress his snickers, but at the same time made an effort to look abashed.

“Shit, man. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Roxas’s face was still blank at first, but a smirk slowly manifested a moment later. “Alright then.” He simply replied and picked up the flour bag from the floor. Before anyone could blink, the bag was promptly tossed in Hayner’s direction, a flour cloud exploding in his face.

The sandy-haired blond had the same dumbfounded Roxas wore earlier. His hair, face, and clothes dusted in white as brown eyes grew comically wide.

“Sorry, Hayner. My hand slipped,” Roxas apologized, his smirk saying otherwise.

Sora, Olette, and Pence saw the daring glint in Hayner’s eyes. Olette and Pence exchanged worried glances. They knew what that look their earnest friend had meant. Sora turned his head to them quizzically.

“Hey, guys, maybe we should-” Olette’s attempt at mediation was cut short in favor of Hayner’s rallying cry.

“Flour Fiiiiight!”

Riled up and determining this was undoubtedly a free-for-all, Hayner flung a handful of the flour towards Olette, getting the top of her head.

The brunet girl meeped, having been taken by surprise and gaped down at powder falling onto various spots of her orange top. Pence, in all his foresight, grabbed Sora by the arm and pulled him away from the stunned girl.

It was for the best. Raising her head, Olette’s expression was of pure indignation; Green eyes sharpening with her cheeks flared to an angry red.

“You-” Was all she growled out before tackling a laughing Hayner to the floor. The tussle scattering more flour around in puffs.

Sora looked on, jaw agape, as Olette had Hayner trapped in a headlock. He stepped forward but Pence held him back.

“You don’t want to be in the middle of that,” The hickory haired male advised.

“Does Hayner have a shot at survival?”

“He’s fine, Olette won’t kill him. Too many witnesses.”

For what it’s worth, Hayner didn’t appear all that distressed. He laughed and sputtered as Olette repeatedly smacked handfuls of flour she scooped with her free hand at his head.

“Okay! Uncle!”

“I just washed this shirt, you jerk!”

Sora jumped as a pair of pale hands clasped his shoulders. He whirled around, facing a grinning Roxas. “Roxas!” He whined. “This sweater’s all dirty!” The white handprints stood out on the sweater’s black material.

The taller male rolled his eyes. “It’s my sweater.”

Sora paused. “Oh yeah!” He remembered. His face broke out into a wicked grin.

Roxas was allowed a moment’s confusion, only to then be pelted with a face full of flour. He sputtered and wiped his eyes while Sora giggled, watching Roxas with a shit-eating grin.

Roxas appeared disgruntled once he recovered, but then advanced onto the brunet to grab him. Sora squealed, evading the taller boy’s reach, making a break for the farther side of the kitchen. Considering the kitchen space was limited, Roxas caught the smaller boy easily, sending them both crashing to the floor. The boys rolled around on the flour-covered surface laughing.

The wrestling matches on both sides eventually evolved to every participant going all out with flour warfare, no one considered teams or worried about friendly fire. It was a total free for all. Blithe laughter bounced off the walls as the kitchen was filled with teens interchanging between avoiding flour pelts or throwing it, shielding themselves with one of the mixing bowls and occasionally sliding on the floor as a maneuver.

Pence, somehow still spotless, stood by watching the ongoing shenanigans with slight apprehension. He inched himself towards the safety of the living room but froze as the others paused and craned their heads in his direction.

The hickory-haired male gulped in the wake of the leers trained squarely on him.

“Get’im!”

Poor guy didn’t have a chance. The group simultaneously charged onto Pence dropping handfuls of the powdery ingredient, disintegrating onto his hair and clothes.

Hayner hee-hawed, “You’re one of us now!” pointing at the flour standing out on the other teen’s hickory hair and red shirt.

Pence chuckled as he struggled half-heartedly and retaliated after scooping up his own ammunition. The flour fight commenced once more, no one showing any sign of wearing down.

A ding from the oven was what put a stop to everything. Pence volunteered to retrieve the pizza, letting out a steamy cheesy aroma that filled the air as he opened the oven door.

The others took a whiff of the smell, enforcing the hunger already in their stomachs. That pizza was definitely ready.

The pie was then set on the kitchen table, steaming hot and baked to perfection per Pence’s approval.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to eat,” Hayner grinned, rubbing his hands.

“Me too!” Sora bounced in place. Roxas chuckled and stilled the brunet.

“Not so fast. You guys will just burn your mouths; might want to let it cool first.”

“I know what we could do in the meantime,” Olette frowned, scanning around the kitchen. “Look at this mess.” The guys turned their heads.

Dirty dishes and utensils were cluttered on the countertop, but the flour made the brunt of it. It was as if a bomb had gone off with the floor and countertops caught in the blast radius.

“Kitchen’s not the only thing that’s a mess,” Sora noted, looking over his arms and clothes.

The others agreed upon inspecting themselves. “Okay, game plan,” Olette announced, tapping her palm with a soft fist. “Let’s get this place straightened up, it shouldn’t take long if we all pitch in.” A pointed look to Hayner and Roxas, being the main instigators of the state the kitchen was currently in.

Everyone agreed, Roxas in particular not wanting to deal with cleaning up later. After time spent scrubbing the floors, washing the dishes, and mopping the floor, the kitchen was fully cleaned. They all went outside to shake off the flour. Thankfully, they were able to brush it off easily without issues of it sticking.

“Great job, guys,” Roxas told the others while wiping off his hands. “I feel this dinner will be enjoyable by a lot.”

“Especially with everyone’s effort,” Olette smiled while leaning back on the handrail.

“I will say, dinner feels a lot more rewarding having cooked it ourselves,” Sora remarked. “I sure would like to try cooking more.”

Hayner nudged Roxas. “Hear that, Roxas? You might’ve gotten yourself a wife than a roommate.” The blond elbowed him back hard whereas Sora just huffed but blushed intensely.

Olette sharply put her hands on her hips. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Hayner put his hands up. “I was just kidding! I’m not saying cooking’s a girl thing.”

“Sounds exactly what you were saying,” Sora said dryly, slightly miffed at the wife comment. Olette’s brows narrowed increasingly.

“Aw, c’mon, Sora!” Hayner whined out. “Pence, help me out here!”

Pence grinned while deliberately turning his head away to peer over the rail. “Would you look at that? This squirrel’s really going to town on that acorn.”

Hayner groaned. Olette pulled on his ear and tugged him back into the flat, the big-mouthed teen’s complaints trailed inside. Roxas, Sora, and Pence followed, figuring it was time to check on the pizza.

Roxas took Sora aside as the others filed back into the kitchen. “Don’t take what Hayner said seriously, alright? He really was just clowning around back there.”

Sora smiled at the taller boy and shrugged. “I know, it’s no big deal,” Though he was appreciative of Roxas’s thoughtfulness. “Olette’s probably already giving Hayner an earful anyway.”

Roxas laughed, “You’re not wrong.” The two boys joined their friends in the kitchen. The pizza had already been cut into slices and distributed onto paper plates, another thing Roxas greatly appreciated.

They all sat around the coffee table in the living room with plastic cups of juice to drink with their pizza, wasting no time in taking the first bite out of their individual slices. Dinner was spent in comfortable chatter before Hayner raised his cup.

“A toast! In welcoming our new friend Sora.” Everyone gladly obliged. Sora beamed as he clinked his cup with the others.

“Do you have a speech?” Olette joked to Sora.

Hayner and Pence pounded their fists on the table chanting, “Speech! Speech!”

Sora laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, now that you put me on the spot!”

“Just share whatever comes to mind,” Roxas chuckled, giving Sora a soft nudge.

“Well….” Sora looked into the faces of his new friends, all giving him their undivided attention. “I would just like to thank everyone here for welcoming me into the fold. And for just being awesome friends in general.” He flashed a radiant smile at Roxas. The blond smiled back with a blush on his face.

There were some cheers and laughs before the gang resettled to eat more of their pizza. Pence noticed the photo of the original four lying at the edge of the coffee table and picked it up.

Roxas saw and remembered the photo being left behind the other day at the Usual Spot. “Crap. Sorry about that, Pence, I was supposed to give that back yesterday. ‘Guess I forgot.”

“No worries, Roxas,” Pence shrugged. “I was thinking we could take a new one with Sora.”

“That’s a great idea,” Olette chirped.

“Unfortunately, my camera isn’t with me. Sorry.”

“Aw, don’t feel bad,” Sora said. “Next time.”

Roxas nodded. “I agree with Sora. There’s no rush.”

Hayner chimed in, “Yeah, we aren’t going anywhere anytime soon,” taking a bite out of his slice. “We goff pwenhy of time.”

Olette grimaced, “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” promptly shoving a napkin in Hayner’s face. Meanwhile, Pence slowly reached over to sneak some salami off of Olette’s slice while she dealt with Hayner, but was caught in the act and received a smack to his hand for his trouble.

Roxas and Sora proceeded to eat their own slices before they got cold, watching with mild amusement at the antics going on. Roxas gazed at Sora, a smile overtaking his face when the smaller boy let out a hearty chuckle.

Guess Hayner was right; maybe Sora did have him influenced.

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With dinner finished and after more time spent chatting, Hayner, Pence, and Olette had to depart for their homes. They thanked Roxas and Sora for having them as well as expressing delight for the latter’s improved health, and that they’d see them at the Struggle Tournament tomorrow. They had offered to help with the excess dishes and trash but were assured it wasn’t a hassle for the two boys to handle.

After seeing their friends out, the boys cleaned up quickly before flopping back on the couch. Both emitted relaxed and tired sighs.

“Today was really fun,” Sora cheerily remarked. “It’s great we got to hang out with everyone.”

“Yeah. Things sure worked out, didn’t it?” Roxas leaned his arm on top of the head of the sofa as he faced Sora. “Thanks for the groceries, by the way.”

The brunet blinked, “What do you mean, Roxas?” The other boy raised a brow. Sora could only titter and accept the jig was up.

“The newly stocked pantry was a giveaway. I also overheard some folks talking when Hayner and I were doing some odd jobs earlier; they said you and Olette had passed by.”

“Before you say anything, it was my idea,” Sora clarified. “Olette was only covering for me-”

Roxas interrupted, “I know. I had a hunch that spontaneousness was all you.”

Sora let out a short laugh. Roxas seemed to have a way of getting him. Was he that transparent? Or was it Roxas just paid that much attention to him?

“I appreciate the thought put into it,” Roxas continued softly. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“This is my home too for a while, right?”

“Of course,” The blond affirmed adamantly. He remembered telling Sora exactly that.

“Is it unreasonable to help take care of it?”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Sora had such a big heart, Roxas supposed it shouldn’t come as a surprise the brunet would make a great effort to help out. And he really couldn’t reprimand Sora for not resting like he was supposed to with him back to his exuberant self.

Sora smiled curiously at how Roxas was staring at him. “What?”

“I’m just glad you’re feeling better,” The blond warmly replied. “You really had me worried back there.”

The smile plastered on the smaller boy’s face turned meek. “Sorry...I seem to be doing that a lot, huh?”

Roxas’s eyes narrowed. There it was again. He placed his hand on top of Sora’s without thought. “What’d I say about apologizing? It’s not your fault.”

Sora’s went wide at the abrupt contact. Roxas looked down and subsequently retracted his hand, looking flustered himself. “Sorry,” He muttered. “Heh, now I’m doing it.”

The brunet’s cheeks were flushed pink but he laughed it off, “It’s okay,” even if he was a bit disappointed at the loss of that touch. “Maybe we need a ‘Sorry’ jar,” he joked.

Roxas snorted. “At the rate we’re going-It’ll be full before we know it.”

The atmosphere between the two boys had smoothed over into more laughter between them. Roxas felt a rather odd feeling inside, he was never this openly engaged with anyone, not even with Hayner, or Olette nor Pence. But with Sora, he felt he could be okay talking with him about anything. It was strange, although it wasn’t a bad kind of strange.

Roxas coughed and brought a new subject of interest. “So...how are you feeling about the tournament tomorrow?” He asked.

“I’m excited,” Sora affirmed earnestly. “I’m not sickly anymore so I’m good to enter.”

“You feel ready? You didn’t get to train today.”

The smaller boy sat straight up as he pointed out, “Having that match with Seifer and warding off those guys in white, I think that was plenty of preparation.”

“Yeah, but do you think you’re ready to square off against the other competitors? Don’t forget, there’s also Hayner and of course…” Roxas smirked. “Me.”

A brown eyebrow arched as its owner crossed his arms challenge. “Is that a challenge I smell?”

Roxas groaned while his head fell back on the head of the couch. “Not now, it isn’t.” He just had enough action today; going out didn’t sound all that appealing.

Sora pouted but then after a minute smirked, “Afraid I’ll win?”

Roxas’s tiredness seemed to have disappeared at that. He jumped up from the couch and turned to stare down at his friend who was gazing back up at him innocently but also rather cheekily.

“Let’s go.”

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It was still light out when they exited the flat. Sora shielded his eyes from the sun the minute he walked out the door, having been accustomed to the fact that the sun never completely sets.

Coming to the entrance of the Sandlot, the boys were surprised to be approached by Vivi who constantly looked over his shoulder.

“Um...Sorry….But Seifer’s training right now,” Vivi timidly informed them. “He’s not in a good mood.” The last part spoke in a whisper when he turned his head back.

Roxas scoffed, “Didn’t know he had one,” regarding the small Disciplinary Committee member with suspicion.

“But, you guys can use my secret training spot,” Vivi offered.

“Thanks but no thanks-”

“You have your own training spot?” Sora asked, cutting Roxas off in his excitement. The blond stuttered. Sora smiled down at Vivi who nodded and walked past the two teens, turning a corner to continue up the long street.

“Follow me.”

Roxas stared at Sora in disbelief. Why was he being so friendly? He knew perfectly well the kind of crowd Vivi was a part of. Roxas was even more bewildered, and borderline indignant when the brunet proceeded to follow behind Vivi without question.

“H-hey!”

The blond walked beside Sora with a sigh.

They arrived at a tunnel that was accompanied by the faint glow from the ceiling lights. Roxas recognized this passage. ‘Thought this was closed off,’ He pondered. There had been a gate shut in place last time he remembered, but now it was wide open for anyone to enter.

Vivi stopped at the entrance and turned around looking up at the teens. “Well, here we are. Just keep going until you get to this big room; it’s where my training spot is,” Yellow orbs began to crinkle anxiously under the large hat. “Oh, uh, don’t tell anyone about this? I’ll be in big trouble.” He lowered his head.

Sora nodded, he felt empathetic for how nervous the smaller boy looked. Roxas, however, just continued to stare intently unknowing whether or not this was a trick.

“We won’t say anything,” The brunet assured softly and added with a smile.

Vivi breathed out in relief and relaxed. He looked up at Sora rather shyly, “Your name is Sora, right? I’m Vivi.”

“Nice to meet ya properly. Are you entering the tournament, too?”

Before Vivi could answer, he jumped at the sound of a brash-sounding voice calling in the distance. They all turned to the source of the voice coming from around a corner.

“Yo Vivi! Seifer said break ended five minutes ago, ya know! Where are ya!”

Roxas scowled. Fuck did he know if it was Rai’s voice or just the way he talked that got on his nerves more. Good thing he and Sora weren’t in a position where the brute could spot them.

“Uh oh! C-coming!” Vivi waddled back down the street as fast as his short legs could carry him. Roxas and Sora stood by watching him go until he disappeared down the slope.

After a minute, Sora made to enter the tunnel. Roxas, still thinking something was iffy, shot his hand out and held the brunet by the arm.

“Don’t tell me you actually trust this?”

Sora gave his friend a confused look. “Why not? Vivi warned us about the Sandlot and he’s letting us use his spot to train. I don’t see anything wrong with that.” He could understand Roxas’s wariness stemmed from the tension between his group and the Disciplinary Committee, but he also had reason to believe Vivi wasn’t vindictive like his friends.

“How do you know this isn’t a setup?” Roxas prodded. “The whole crew could be in there waiting to jump us.”

Sora frowned. “I get you’re cautious, Roxas. But, maybe Vivi is just doing something nice.”

“Did you forget he’s with Seifer’s gang? You’ve seen for yourself they don’t do ‘nice’.”

“Maybe, but Vivi at least seems nice. If he was making trouble, Why doesn’t he just fight us himself or something?”

Roxas rolled his eyes, “Because he’s chicken shit? That guy couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag.”

Sora crossed his arms fixing Roxas with a look. “Now you’re just being a dick. ”

Roxas’s eyebrows rose. Woah. That was blunt. He also could feel a shiver arose at those ocean eyes staring him down.

Sora’s expression gradually softened. “You know, Vivi spoke up for me when his friends got on my case. Yeah, it didn’t stop the fight from happening, but-” He shrugged. “He tried. And he’s got to have some courage if he was able to speak up against someone twice his size.”

Roxas looked down. Okay, maybe he was being a bit harsh.

Thinking about it now, Vivi never antagonized him nor his friends like the rest of the Disciplinary Committee did. If anything, he seemed pleasant when out of Seifer’s watchful eye. He actually wouldn’t have believed Vivi was capable of defying his hero until Sora told him.

“I guess you’re right,” Roxas sighed. He gave Sora a small smile.

Smiling back, the other boy cocked his head. “You still don’t trust this, do you?”

“Nope,” Roxas promptly answered as they entered the tunnel.

Their sneakers echoing with every step on the stone ground as they traversed deeper along the path. After a while, pointedly keeping his gaze forward, Roxas said, “But I trust you.” statement simple but clean with certainty.

Sora’s cheeks flushed, he was grateful they were obscured under the tunnel’s dim lighting. He wanted to say something but it appeared shyness held his tongue. Instead, he just smiled to the side, it meant a lot to him to hear Roxas trusted him that much.

The boys continued ahead in silence, both trying not to pay heed to the occasional brushing of their fingers. It was only awkward if they let it.

Their darting glances shifted to awe as the path opened to a wide three-walled section. Water could be heard flowing down from the sewage line, creating an almost parklike ambiance.

Spotting the barrel of struggle bats against the wall, the duo concluded they found the place.

“So, Vivi wasn’t lying after all…” Roxas uttered, slightly embarrassed how paranoid he looked now. Sora patted him on the back.

“Look at it this way. If this was a setup, it would’ve made one hell of a fight,” Sora consoled.

Roxas could imagine the scenario coming into play. “We probably could take them on,” He remarked.

“Just ‘probably’? You don’t sound confident,” The brunet teased. The taller boy gave his friend a half-smirk.

“Just don’t want to intimidate you,” He chortled before running over to the barrel. Sora balked and immediately chased after him.

“Hey! Who’s intimidating who?!”

Soon after, both boys were facing each other on opposite ends of the section, the sound of water cascading in the background.

They initiated their stances, crouching with two-handed grips on the handle of their respective struggle bats.

No words were exchanged before they sprung, there was no need, they could just tell from Sora’s excited grin, Roxas’s smirk, to the excited gleam in both their eyes conveying their eagerness for this match-up. The anticipation palpable all around.

Roxas wanted to experience directly what Sora could do, likewise for the latter.

When their weapons clashed, the air became more intense. The blue foam blades shaking from their wielders pushing at the other with their strength.

Sora could barely hold his leverage up against Roxas, the latter gradually outdoing him in strength. The brunet shifted his weight and leaped backward, breaking the clash.

Roxas stumbled a bit. But as he expected Sora to do something like that, he regained his focus and followed after the smaller boy with his own leap, meeting Sora in the air. Yeah, Sora may be fast, but Roxas was no snail.

Sora emitted a small surprised noise before bringing his arm up to parry Roxas’s strikes. The blond smirked briefly as he continued to prod at Sora’s reaction time with his own parries consisting of some horizontal and downward strikes, switching hands mid-way.

Sora instinctively blocked each one, a tiny bit frustrated at the current lack of opening. But as they landed back on the surface, the brunet took Roxas’s pause as his shot to leap forward, landing right in front of the blond.

Roxas moved back from an upward swing, awed at the speed it was delivered. He had to move back even more as Sora advanced with a combo of jabs and spins ending in one-handed slashes. The brunet’s movements were filled with vibrant determination and unpredictability like a form of dance.

Roxas’s moves were more concentrated and direct, and while the blond was tiring from keeping up and parrying Sora’s attacks, the attacks he dealt out, in turn, proved to be powerful enough to wear Sora down as well.

Their match had to have taken them around the entirety of the area’s perimeter, both boys too stubborn to give in.

They landed back at their respective spots, staring across at each other as the sounds of their pants echoed throughout the tunnel.

The exertion and intensity of their sparring session showed; Roxas was sweat-drenched to the point the curled-up spikes of his hair fell limp, while Sora’s spiky hair hung even more disarrayed over his eyes.

“How’re... you holding up, Sora?” Roxas panted across the way.

Sora blew some bangs off his eyes. “I...can go...all day,” He breathed out. But shit was it getting stuffy. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and unzipped the sweater vest shrugging it off, never mind that the ground was in a dirty tunnel.

Roxas, however, was more mindful in avoiding staring too much at how the white t-shirt was clinging to Sora, emphasizing the shape of his slender form. The blond removed his jacket in a hasty attempt to cool off, leaving him in his sleeveless black zip-up vest.

Unbeknownst to him, Sora was also staring, not for the first time that day, but quickly averted his gaze.

The two got into position and sprung forward, delivering and taking strikes by strikes, jumping over and under each other. The constant rush and excitement keeping them in the game.

However, like all games, this one had to finish sometime.

Sora and Roxas simultaneously collapsed to the ground, their Struggle bats slipping out of their grips. They faced each other as they laid on their sides catching their breaths.

Neither knew who should be declared the victor and neither really cared.

“You’re gonna need another shower,” Sora spoke in between breaths.

Roxas huffed out a short laugh, “Same with you. Rolling around in this grimy cave doesn’t help anything.”

Sora chuckled. “It was still fun fighting you. You almost got me a couple of times with your strong moves.”

“And you’re hell of zoomy, I had to try extra hard to keep up with your moves,” Roxas shook his head, still a bit dazed how much fighting against Sora took out of him.

“Wanna go another round?”

Sora burst out laughing at the blond’s incredulous expression. “Just kidding,” He assured, blue eyes donning a playful twinkle.

Roxas relaxed. “Tch. Maybe later when my arms don’t feel like they’re about to fall off.”

“I’m getting tired, myself. A shower sounds really nice.”

Roxas grunted as he pushed off the ground to sit up.

“Agreed. Ready to get out of here?”

Sora nodded as he sat himself up stretching his arms.

They slowly got themselves up and spent a few seconds working the kinks out of their muscles. They then collected their loose articles of clothing, subsequently making their way out of the passage.

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

Roxas emerged from the bathroom freshly showered for the third time that day, he cleared the doorway as Sora came over to take his turn in the shower.

Passing each other, Roxas smirked and raised his hand which Sora slapped with his own. “Tag.”

The brunet over his shoulder at Roxas, smiling softly before he closed the door.

The blond-haired teen’s expression softened as he watched the door from his bed.

Despite the shaking morning, today turned out to be a fine day. They didn’t even have to worry about those zipperheaded ghouls.

Hopefully, it continues that way.

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

The fortress of this world stood tall and quiet.

There was a time where a group of people brought a semblance of life into this isolated realm. But the number of those occupants had dwindled at inconvenient rates.

A broad-shouldered male donned in a black coat was staring up at the massive heart-shaped moon that loomed in the dark sky. His head was covered by the hood, but his impelling aura and the way he held his hands impassively behind his back indicated undisputable authority over this place and those that still remained within it.

He regarded the other male in a matching coat standing far behind him.

“So it’s true?” His voice drawled deeply. “They have finally met. A truly unanticipated discovery, I will admit.”

“Not just that, they look fairly chummy,” The slighter male informed, his tone somewhat on the bitter side.

“Do they, now?” A low chuckle rumbled in the air. “Sora doesn’t know the very thing possessing his memories is standing right in front of him. And Roxas. Poor Roxas has not a clue what this ‘friendship’ will cost him, does he?”

The other man tensed as he clenched gloved fingers tightly.

“What are your orders?”

A pending silence hung in the air until the broader male turned around.

“For now, to wait,” Tanned lips curled into a smirk. “Either way, this little charade is doomed to crumble. And I for one, look forward to claiming the pieces.”

Chapter Text

“I actually flew! Wait until I tell -szztzztztztzttztzztz- I wonder if she’ll believe me. Heh, probably not.”

“I’m searching, too.”

“For your light? Don’t lose sight of it.”

-szztzztztztzttztzztz- “- Where’re you going?”

“I’m gonna go look for my friends. They’re waiting for me.”

“What happened to Donald and Goofy?!”

“Instead of worrying about them -szzzzzztzt- you should be asking about her.” -szztzztztztzttztzztz-

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“What?!”

Roxas shot up in a cold sweat, breath slipping in and out. He cried out at the instant throb of his head. “Damn it!” He bent down clutching his head. What the hell was going on?!

“Roxas?!”

The blond turned his head, being met with worried ocean eyes.

“Are you okay?! What’s wrong?!” Sora had placed his hands on his distressed friend’s shoulders, urging him to look at him.

Roxas tried his damndest to calm himself enough to answer, assure, something! But the pain weighed down any word he tried to get out. Sora got off the bed and dashed into the living room.

Various Images flashed in Roxas’s head, one after another. Images involving a silver-haired boy and a girl whose hair a fiery red. He felt like he knew them from somewhere. He felt he knew mostly all the people that appeared in the dreams.

Questions overran his head: Who Were they? Why was he seeing them? What was with these dreams? Just who was this boy? And that damn key-

Then it all stopped.

Roxas’s eyes snapped open to a clear head as if the pain hadn’t even manifested in the first place. But, there weren't any feelings of relief, If anything, it just left him even more unsettled and a little irritated. One step forward, two steps fucking back.

The blond groaned as he rose from the bed. He registered a glass of water being held in front of him.

“I’m fine, Sora,” Roxas eventually spoke, hiding his gaze from the concerned brunet. He knew Sora could already tell something was wrong. But he wasn’t in the mood to explain it this time.

And of course, the smaller boy wasn’t buying the lie one bit.

“You don’t look fine,” Sora insisted gently, trying again to get Roxas to take the cup. “Here, you should drink some-”

Sucking in a breath, Roxas stood up from the bed. “Like I said, I’m fine.” He repeated calmly but accompanied by an edge expressing the demand for the matter to be dropped.

“But-”

Sora was cut off by the sound of something small hit against the window. He turned around to investigate, leaning over the sill after pushing the glass pane open.

“Hey!” Down on the street stood Hayner, Pence, and Olette who all waved as Sora looked out. Hayner called out as he cupped his hands around his mouth, “Rise and shine, slowpokes! Do I have something awesome planned for today!”

Sora was confused. Today? “Isn’t today the tournament?” He called back, occasionally glancing at Roxas in concern.

“It got postponed to tomorrow!” Olette answered.

“Really?”

“Yeah, can you believe it?” Hayner threw his hands up letting out a disappointed sigh. “Anyway, we’ll be at the Usual Place! See ya!” He and the other two friends disappeared from view as they left for the hangout.

Sora turned find Roxas standing with his back turned near the door, he was already dressed out of his Pajamas into his street clothes. “Roxas-”

“Yeah, I heard,” The blond interrupted, slipping on his jacket. He stood there for a while still facing the door. “I’m gonna go for a walk. I’m sure you know where to find the spot by now.”

Sora nearly winced, he caught the underlying coldness in Roxas’s tone. “Are you sure you’re okay? You looked like you were in pain earlier.”

Roxas clenched his jaw as he looked at the other boy over his shoulder. “I’m fine, Sora,” He stated evenly, his hand turned white in how tightly he gripped the doorknob.

Of course, the brunet still wasn’t convinced. “Was it another one of those dreams-”

“I said I’m FINE!” Roxas snapped, whirling around. Regret instantly hit him once he saw the shocked and hurt expression on the other boy’s expression.

But instead of saying anything more, the blond left leaving Sora stunned and alone in the flat.

The brunet looked down hearing the door open and close.

His hands clutched around the glass, matching the tightness in his chest.

Was Roxas mad at him? Had he done something to offend him after all?

Sora sighed, closing his eyes. Or was he already wearing out his welcome?

Roxas said he trusted him. Why did he feel the need to hide whatever it was that irked him? He knew he could talk to Sora about anything. Right?

A thought hit him. The dream he had the other night carried different places and faces that roused a heaviness in his heart, all manifesting like a film presented in still images. A certain key-shaped weapon demanding to be taken precedence.

The brunet turned towards the window, looking out towards the sun as its warm rays caressed him as if offering comfort. He set the glass down before leaning on the window sill resting his head on his arms.

But, then again, was it right to expect Roxas to be honest when he hadn’t been himself?

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DiZ was still hard at work on the lab’s computer when Ansem approached from behind.

“I see you’re making progress,” The hooded man announced, “I sense whatever it was blocking entry into the program has started to weaken. I may be able to open a portal into the town.”

“Good,” DiZ replied gruffly, his fingers continuing to clack on the keyboard. “Perhaps we’ll finally identify the cause for this entanglement. Do make sure to confirm Roxas is still accounted for, it would be most inconvenient to embark on a second goose chase.”

Ansem agreed it wouldn’t be ideal if Roxas had escaped, especially in his current state. Such an occurrence would stir the playing field in the Organization’s favor as well as cost them their only chance for Sora to finally awaken.

“Understood.”

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

Sora went down the flight of stairs of Roxas’s building, his steps made slowly with his head bent, very much a contrast from his usual bounce. His worry for Roxas and the way their last conversation ended rendered him unable to crack even so much as a smirk.

Roxas needed space, he understood that. He just wished Roxas could’ve said so without getting so angry.

That’s what baffled Sora; that spout of sudden anger and coldness that accompanied it. But he didn’t just look angry, he looked upset.

Even if he vehemently denied it, Sora could tell something weighed heavily on Roxas’s mind.

So much that the blond preferred to get away.

Sora could feel his chest tightened once more. He felt awful. He should’ve tried harder to calm Roxas down instead of just letting him leave, to let him know that he could talk to him, that he was there for him just like how Roxas has been there for him, that he was more than willing to help tackle whatever problem he was facing.

That he was important to him.

A pained expression crossed Sora’s face. What if he really was the problem?

The underlying worry that Roxas would get fed up with him in due time still lingered, even if Roxas had insisted he was no bother. But, he wasn’t so naive to think everyone didn’t have their breaking points.

A familiar burning sensation laid in Sora’s eyes which he wiped with his arm. There was no point in crying.

Sora really wanted to find Roxas, but all he could do for now was respect that his friend needed the space and time to cool off.

Sora hoped he would be willing to talk by then.

The brunet saw the gate to the Usual Place was in view. He stalled, able to hear the faint laughter coming from inside.

Sora bit his lip and made to turn around. Maybe he too was in need of a walk.

However, his whole being froze feeling the hairs at the back of his neck standing straight up.

Sora slowly turned his head, his mouth fell open upon confirming his hunch.

A few feet across from Sora stood a tall male figure in a black coat. But though his features were hidden, his rigid posture expressed he was as shocked at the sight of the smaller boy.

Time seemed to have gone stagnant as the two continued to stare at the other.

The taller male was quick to break out of the stupor fog and began to advance in Sora’s direction with big strides. The brunet fully turned himself around to face the hooded man, taking a couple of steps backward.

Whoever this guy was, Sora could presume he wasn’t here to strike up a friendly chat.

“You shouldn’t be here,” The man spoke, disbelief (and was that also concern?) in his baritone voice.

Sora tensed, his brain now in high alert jump-started him to break into a sprint in the opposite direction.

The brunet could feel something off about the stranger, something strong but dark. He had to warn the others, he had to find and warn Roxas of the strange man.

Surprisingly enough, the stranger didn’t give chase; however, he instead raised a gloved hand with the palm out. Immediately, a portal swirling with dark energy manifested in Sora’s path.

Sora yelped, not realizing until it was too late what he was literally running into. Next thing the brunet knew, he was skidding to a halt in front of the (now opened?!) steel gate of a certain large abode deep within the endless trees of the Twilight Town forest.

Sora panted as he wracked his brain in registering what had just occurred, “I’m back here?!” He hadn’t set one foot in these woods ever since the other day.

The brunet jumped and took a step back as the same dark spiral formed in the middle of the mansion’s courtyard. The spiral gradually grew to a lifesize ring, vanishing as the hooded man stepped out into the open.

Sora’s brows narrowed intent. “Who are you?” He demanded, clenching his fist while getting into a defensive position.

The stranger didn’t grant him an answer, he continued to stand idly while regarding the smaller male standing opposite of him.

“I don’t know how you ended up in this place,” The hooded man said gravely, “But, you’re only going to find yourself in trouble the longer you remain.”

“Huh?” A look of confusion formed briefly on Sora’s face. What was this guy even talking about? The young teen glared. “Says the guy who just kidnapped me to the woods? You’re the one who’s trouble!” He fired back, making a slashing motion with his hand.

To Sora’s surprise, The hooded male grunted out a short laugh that sounded almost amused. “You look so different now, yet you’re still the same Sora,” The blue-eyed boy faltered at his name being uttered by the stranger.

“How do you know who I am?”

“I know more than you may think,” The tall male replied cryptically, flexing gloved fingers. “And what you should know... is that you’re not safe here.” Deftly pulling a hand back, he fired a ball of dark energy.

Sora barely had time to react to the projectile coming at him lightning-fast, he braced himself only for the beam to zip past his head.

The brunet looked behind him in surprise as a certain zipperheaded creature flew back due to the force of the energy ball slamming it square in the chest.

More of the creatures dropped in like rain falling from the sky. Sora whipped his head around at the monsters surrounding him in every direction.

The hooded man glanced over his shoulder to see the hostile creatures appear behind him. He blasted their attempt of torpedoing into him as they got close, dark bursts dissolving them to whatever void awaited them. He ran to Sora’s position but stopped as more of the ghostly creatures intercepted his path.

Keeping his eyes on the enemies, Sora pivoted his feet in a ready position. He hovered a hand over the other, concentrating his energy into a newly conjured ember roaring to a spinning flame. Sora jumped as one barreled towards him from behind, twisting himself mid-air and cast the fiery projectile at the enemy.

The rubbery monster contorted its upper body to the side, evading the spell, instead catching its clone joining in on the pounce.

Sora was quick on his feet as he dodged the others’ attempts to swoop in on him, and unleashed one fire spell after the other, managing to evade stabs and slashes from thin but sharp limbs. The fiery projectile fulfilled its usage in destroying some of the targets, while merely stunning the rest.

One of the monsters stood back and attempted to lasso him via stretching their arms at a rope’s length, which the brunet ducked.

Sora let out a frustrated growl as he snapped his head in its direction. His wide bright blue eyes became cold as glaciers, narrowing in the shape comparable to a feline. “Bastard!” The teen promptly retaliated with a sharp swipe of his hand engulfing the hostile in flames.

“You guys just don’t quit!”

To say Sora was pissed was an understatement; the decrease in energy combined with the growing stress of this battle granted him no favors in keeping a level head.

Sora leaped back to evade an enemy attempting to impale its sharpened limbs into him from above. The speed of the attack caused the creature’s limbs to get stuck in the ground. Sora flipped midair and dove into the monster as it struggled to free itself, looking it dead in the “eye” before pelting it with a faceful of fire.

However, another one appeared behind Sora as he landed, pulling its arm back and extending the sharp tip. The brunet dodged but winced as a stinging sensation flared on his side. He rolled a couple of feet away and allowed himself to skid before planting a hand on the ground for stabilization. Sora stared across at the horde, all heads facing him as their bodies swayed in uniform.

The brunet teen shut an eye amidst the pain flare and looked down at the source. Turns out Sora wasn’t fast enough to evade that last one; A tear was sliced through both the sweater vest and t-shirt revealing a gash bleeding from the skin of his side. Sora sucked in a breath.

‘Roxas is gonna kill me,’ He internally moaned. That is if these things don’t do so first. Sora held his side and closed his eyes in concentration. The familiar gentle bells coupled with a warm sensation washed over him.

Even as the scar was fully healed, Sora let out tired breaths as he looked on at the unrelenting horde. ‘Roxas…’ He ducked his head and pushed himself to his feet, grunting the whole process.

Those things would surely go after Roxas next. No matter how hurt Sora felt from earlier, Roxas was still his friend. Sora wasn’t going to allow these things near his Roxas if he could help it.

Sora picked up a thin branch laying near his feet, gripping it tightly with both hands as the ghostlike creatures began to move closer in clusters.

Ansem had just finished off his side of the dusks when he turned his head to find Sora not only showing signs of wear but was now also surrounded by a horde slowly closing in a circle.

Panic set in. “Sora!” He dashed towards the smaller male but stopped as he blocked a lunge from one of the newly appeared hostiles, forcing him to slide back.

Damn it. As weak as they were compared to most Nobodies, these Dusks surely had the advantage in their high numbers.

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Naminé watched everything from the tree she hid behind. She covered her mouth seeing Sora tired, outnumbered, armed with nothing more than a short tree branch. She knew Sora wasn’t going to last at this rate; he needed help.

Naminé looked over at Ansem who was still fighting off the persistent Nobodies. Each one he destroyed, more appeared in his place. She anticipated Ansem and Diz would eventually break their way back in, she just didn’t think it would be this soon.

She had to get Roxas over here and fast. But, how would Sora hold on in the meantime with Ansem distracted? She glanced down at her sketchbook tucked in her arm, and opened it to a drawing of Sora in his red outfit wielding a key-shaped sword.

‘He’s still not ready to receive them.…’ She looked back to Sora and gasped as the brunet rested the branch in his iconic stance, pointing away from him at his right side in preparation to attack.

There was no other choice.

Naminé squeezed her eyes shut as Sora made a dash towards the Dusks. ‘I’m sorry, Sora.’

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Sora barely registered the bright light that flashed as he charged forward. However, what happened next shocked him to the core.

He slashed past the ghoulish creature, watching mouth agape as it disappeared in a burst of light.

Blue eyes widened upon looking down. “What?...” held within the brunet’s grasp was the steeled handle belonging to a recurring key-shaped sword.

The same sword that appeared to Roxas’s aid twice already.

But now he had it?

Sora slowly brought the Keyblade up, mind racing in disbelief. The sun shining on the steel blade and the solid weight the sword carried enforced that it was real.

“This-Gggnnhh!!” A jolt of pain flared through Sora’s head, accompanied by flashes of images involving the exact Key he was now wielding.

Sora shook his head to gather himself. Despite the pain in his skull, he wielded the Key fiercely as he faced the remaining enemies. He was determined not to let the pain deter him, he needed to fight.

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Ansem was shocked at what he saw; Sora was already wielding the Keyblade, even though his heart has yet to fully return.

It was one thing when Roxas was the only one running loose. But, for both of them to be awake...

Roxas still had to have a hold of Sora’s memories. The only question was: Where was he now?

Had he actually managed to escape?

A growl rumbled in Ansem’s throat as he blasted another set of Dusks after evading their combined barrel attack. He’d admit, Roxas remained a sore subject for him, stemming from the lingering annoyance of their confrontation coupled with harbored resentment of the way the blond had spoken of his best friend.

“Forget Sora!”

For being his Nobody, it’s clear Roxas didn’t know a damned thing about Sora.

But then again, why would he? After all, Roxas was under the impression it was just him all this time. Who knew what other ideas the Organization had instilled in his head.

The hooded male regarded the bothersome and plentiful pests standing in his way.

He could easily summon his own weapon, but how many more surprises would Sora be able to fare? One of DiZ’s files warned that receiving memories in disjointed order carried a risk of harmful effects.

Ansem watched the smaller male nearly doubling over in pain with the Keyblade in his possession.

This only reinforced that Sora had to stay asleep until the time came. He was supposed to be resting peacefully.

Ansem summoned an excess of power into his raised hands. He would make sure Sora was brought back to where he belonged.

Whatever it took to keep his best friend safe.

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Sora had hacked and slashed through the horde. While he’d taken down a good amount, he was still accosted by the surviving remainders whose aggression seemed to only increase tenfold. The brunet swayed a bit in a moment of dizziness but kept himself upright. He shook limp bangs away from his eyes.

The sounds of battle that boomed behind him proved to be a little distracting. The guy in black seemed to be handling himself well against the monsters. Sora would’ve thought he’d been the one who sent them, had he not also been the one to save him from an ambush. But, did he really intend to help?

Sora moved backward, finding himself backing into something solid. The stranger looked down at him from behind his shoulder but said nothing.

Sora glanced back, a bit unnerved the taller male’s features were still obscured even at close proximity. The two jumped away in opposite directions avoiding some of the ghoulish enemies dropping on them from above.

Sora slashed an enemy headfirst, causing him to flip into a landing, and subsequently swung the key over his shoulder as he combated the rest.

Ansem landed releasing dark energy waves throwing the hostiles back. He turned towards Sora. The brunet was struggling to cast more of the Fire magic, only managing to conjure a small ember that swiftly evaporated in a puff of smoke, before his arms dropped. Ansem ran and lept towards Sora’s position, taking out some enemies as he was airborne in the process.

Sora lifted his head and watched the stranger with tired eyes, his brows rising as a small blue glowing cube was tossed his way. He threw a hand up and caught it almost automatically, feeling the gummy-like object emit a wave of energy.

“Huh?” Sora looked down at the object in his hand before looking at the stranger greatly puzzled.

“You look like you need it,” The man said before refocusing on the battle at hand.

Sora hesitated but went ahead to pop the cube in his mouth. Power came back to him which also came with recovered focus.

Sora exhaled and took the opportunity to cast more of the fire magic, even taking out multiple enemies homing in on the hooded man. A favor for a favor.

The taller male seemed to think so too; in return he obliterated the monsters sliding in the ground behind Sora.

The current team-up created a more favorable set-up as the two fought off the hostiles.

Eventually, the last monster was destroyed leaving Sora and the mysterious man standing back to back with only the sounds consisting of their respective breathing.

Sora breathed heavily; everything was becoming blurry. His legs wavered as if the ground was suddenly thrown off its axis. At least the stranger proved himself to be somewhat trustworthy-

Sora spun around and made a backward leap, successfully evading the swipe aimed for his head. ‘Spoke too soon,’ He tsked.

He maintained his guard on landing, notwithstanding the increasing throbbing in his head and the blurriness in his vision.

The hooded male dashed towards him with hands conjuring dark energy. Sora dashed forward in turn. Talking it out was out of the question; he sensed this fight was far from over.

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Roxas had been walking for some time, keeping far from the busier streets to avoid running into anyone. His frustration began at an all high, but the more he was able to reflect, the more his head began to clear.

And with a cleared head, his anger vanished. Now, all he felt was guilt.

Sora didn’t deserve to be shouted at like that.

He was just trying to help, and if anything, he was probably the only one who could actually understand his unsettledness from the dreams. Hell, the brunet even fought alongside him against those faceless monsters, serving as a reassurance that he wasn’t just going crazy.

Roxas sighed. With no consideration for the destination his feet took him, he had wound up at the Station Plaza. Not one other person was present in the area, leaving Roxas further alone with his thoughts.

Roxas told Sora he trusted him. But what’d he do, instead? His heart constricted at the obvious hurt on Sora’s face as he departed the flat after coldly shooting down his friend’s attempts to talk.

The same friend who’s been nothing but kind and warm even in their circumstances. The circumstances they’ve faced together. Yet Roxas basically pushed him away.

He groaned, burying his face in his hands. “I’m an idiot.”

“I sure hope not.”

The blond pivoted to find Olette walking up to him. Her mouth set in a frown, but green eyes held concern.

Roxas hung his head. “I take it you heard?” He didn’t need to ask.

“It was kind of difficult not to,” Olette replied evenly. “Anyone could hear you yell from the Usual Spot.”

Roxas grimaced as the shame he already felt increased. But Olette’s intent wasn’t to pass judgment.

“What happened, Roxas?” She asked gently, opening the floor for her friend to explain. “Things seemed to be fine between you and Sora the past few days. More than fine, in fact.”

“I-I just needed some space,” Roxas replied, averting his gaze.

“From him?”

“No,” Roxas insisted. “ From-” He lifted his hands in his struggle to convey his reasoning, only for them to drop at his sides in the end.

“I needed to think. You know I... haven’t been sleeping too well for a while, right?” Olette looked surprised, frown deepened, but nodded. She, Hayner, and Pence had once been privy to Roxas experiencing peculiar night states. But, the blond hadn’t brought it up for some time; they had reason to believe it had long passed. “And then there was that mess with the picture thief, I still think about that.

“But everything worked out in the end,” Olette reassured. “You and Sora got the photos back.”

“Yeah, it still doesn’t change the fact those photos had me in them. Can’t tell me that’s not creepy.”

Olette’s brows drew together. “Are you worried the thief will come back?” She asked, understanding where her friend would get unnerved.

‘They already have,’ Roxas thought. ‘Except they didn’t seem to care about stealing any photos that time.’

But one thing he had to admit, “That on top of the sleep thing,” His shoulders sagged. “Yesterday, things were finally normal again. We managed to have a good time without anything messing it up. But then I woke up today feeling like crap like I’ve already been doing the past weeks.” The blond sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I guess I got frustrated being reminded that I’m still dealing with it.”

“And you didn’t want Sora to know that,” Olette deduced after listening to her friend’s explanation.

“No….” Roxas admitted. “I was barely keeping it together, I had to go before I took it out on him….. But I ended up taking it out on him, anyway.” He covered his face.

“You weren’t able to say why you needed to leave?”

The blond male’s gaze lowered once more in a guilty manner.

Olette sighed. “Roxas,” She began softly. “You and Sora need to be honest with each other if you want this living situation to work. It’s not just you, now.”

“I get that,” Roxas inclined his head glumly, already feeling foolish with how he acted towards Sora.

The girl’s lips rose into a slight smile. “As great as it is that you two get along, it doesn’t mean you won’t run into any problems. But when you do, you two should work together to solve it.”

Roxas could see the insight in Olette’s words. She was right. He needed to work with Sora on this. They’ve helped each other in battle, this wasn’t any different.

Friends help each other.

Those were words he told Sora from day one, and words he stood firmly by. Sora was his friend, and Roxas should’ve thought better than to brush him off as harshly as he did.

Lying to Sora’s face wasn’t going to make the dreams or monsters go away. Nor was snapping at him.

Roxas held his forehead. “I really owe him an apology.”

Olette nodded. “That’s a good start.”

Though almost immediately after, the brunet girl gave her friend an encouraging smile. “It’ll be alright, Roxas. Talk with Sora, I’m sure we both know he’s willing to listen,” She said softly. “Just remember: communication is Key.” She shook a slender finger repeatedly as emphasis.

Roxas looked down but managed a slight smile when he lifted his head again. He was grateful for his friend’s advice; it was the hit he needed in reminding him what was important.

“How is he?” He asked. Noticing Olette’s confused look, he continued, “I figured he’d be with you guys.”

Olette shook her head. “We’ve actually been looking for you two. We tried your house, but no one was home.”

It was as if a large rock had dropped in Roxas’s stomach. “No one- He’s not at home? Then...You don’t know where he went?” His tone crawled close to frantic.

Olette looked surprised. “We figured you would.”

The two friends stared at each other in silence as the realization hit them. The only noise consisting of the departing train roaring its whistle from the station.

Roxas’s eyes grew with alarm while his heartbeat accelerated.

Olette furrowed her brows. “Roxas…” She spoke slowly, voice laced with mild apprehension. “Where is Sora?”

Where is Sora?

Roxas lurched. The blond grasped at his chest upon feeling a pulling sensation in his heart. An image flashed before his eyes: Clustered trees, a figure shrouded in black, and most of all, a struggling but unrelenting Sora grasping something as a means to fight.

The image faded swiftly in a blinding light.

“Sora?!” Roxas shot his head up in panic. The male teen found himself back at the Station Plaza with Olette, he quickly noticed, unmoving like a mannequin on display.

However, they weren’t alone. Right beside his petrified friend stood an unfamiliar girl with pretty shoulder-length blond hair dressed in a simple sleeveless white dress, with eyes a subdued cerulean.

Roxas was flabbergasted by the sudden appearance of the girl, but as he opened his mouth, she raised a pale hand requesting she speak first.

“I’ve been really hoping to meet you, Roxas,” The girl smiled at Roxas as she spoke, the latter noting the soft and airy tone of her voice. “Even just once.”

“Me?” Roxas asked, salvaging his ability to form words. He was positive he never came across her before. Yet, she seemed to know him? “Do I know you-”

“Please, there isn’t much time,” The girl stressed, her expression now wrought with urgency. “Sora’s in trouble, he’s at the mansion.”

Alarm bells in Roxas’s brain were triggered. “What?!” That feeling he got earlier…. That meant what he saw was-

He dashed past the girl, grabbing and hopping on a stray skateboard, as he raced out of the plaza towards the Twilight Town woods.

“Roxas, wait!” The girl had called out. But Roxas kept on. His thoughts cemented around getting to Sora by whatever means.

“I’m so stupid...” The blond male cursed himself while he rapidly kicked his foot to pick up speed. “I should never have left him alone!” A burning sensation came to his eyes when the image of Sora as he left him popped into his head. ‘Please be okay, Sora…’

The air whipped all around him as he zipped along the streets, his destination being in the forefront of his mind at every jump, twist, and curve.

He barely avoided colliding with some of the townspeople strolling by, their startled yelps drowned out by the rush.

Unfortunately, the front wheels rammed onto a small rock which threw him and the board to the ground.

In spite of the sting on one of his knees, Roxas pushed himself off the ground, gritting teeth. Those that witnessed his fall were immediately at his side to help, but the blond teen rushed off, proceeding with the rest of his journey on foot.

As Roxas cut through the Sandlot, he came to halt upon discovering that the Disciplinary Committee was in a huge bind.

The dreaded creatures that had previously ambushed Roxas and Sora were back, and currently prancing in circles around Seifer and his gang. The party stood back to back to each other, clearly trying to make heads or tails of the sporadic hostiles.

Roxas clenched his fists. After some short contemplation, he sprinted to join the fray. Enemy or not, his conscience would never let him hear the end of it if he just left them to deal with the monsters themselves.

‘Hang on just a little longer, Sora.’

Seifer rumbled out a growl expressing his annoyance at the abnormal intruders. “Grab a weapon!” He ordered.

Roxas was way ahead of him. The blond spotted a stray Struggle bat lying on the ground and dove, grabbing it by the handle mid-air before maneuvering himself back onto his feet.

He gripped the weapon tightly as he was already confronted with one of the enemies. With an intense glare, Roxas charged and attacked at the same time the monster made its move, but as he should’ve expected, the bat’s foam blade produced not one dent.

‘No good,’ Sweat dripped down his forehead as he dodged the enemy’s attacks whilst failing to land his own. ‘What should I do-’

Roxas’s attention was drawn to Seifer’s gang. All were completely still, limbs locked in their respective fighting stances while the ghostlike enemies floated all around them.

“Roxas!”

Roxas looked up to see the girl from earlier, watching him high up from one of the buildings.

“You have to use the Keyblade!”

“Huh?” He stared down at his bat. How’d she know about that Key?

“Roxas! Watch out!”

His head snapped back up, but it was too late. The creature, having taken advantage of the moment’s distraction, launched itself straight towards him at bullet speed. Roxas shut his eyes and held the bat up in a last-ditch effort to protect himself.

But, the impact never came.

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Roxas felt the air around him shift at an insoluble rate; it occurred to him that the sun’s bright rays were gone.

Sapphire eyes slowly opened as their owner came to realize his entire surroundings had changed.

All around was sheer darkness with the only thing serving as a source of light being the glow of the circular glass platform under his feet.

“What? What.... is this place?” Roxas glanced around. Why did this place feel so familiar? Why was he here? He growled frustratingly, hands balling into fists.

“I don’t have time for this! I need to get to Sora!” He yelled upwards to the dusk sky. It served little purpose in the end.

Roxas’s fists shook at his sides until his gaze crumpled downwards with resignation. In a matter of seconds, his sight was latched on the mural illustrated on the surface of the platform.

“Sora…?”

The image showed Sora whose eyes were closed in what could be depicted as a deep slumber, dressed in the same clothes he was wearing the day Roxas had found him. His visage dominated the mural as the main subject; emphasized by how he was the only one distinctly colored amongst the framed faces obscured by a light blue in the background.

Roxas barely recognized the people from his dreams; the same people that boy was looking for…

But the most startling thing Roxas found with the image was that in Sora’s hand was the Keyblade.

‘What the hell is this?’ Roxas’s brain flipped with questions. He quickly inhaled and slowly exhaled. He wasn’t going to help Sora by giving in to frustration all over again.

The ghostlike creatures were floating in the darkness past the platform’s edge, watching him as if waiting for something to happen.

Just then, manifested before Roxas’s eyes were three different weapons: A sword in the middle, a wand on the left, and a shield on the right. Each floating under a beam of light. Each one was shaped or marked with the head of a mouse.

Roxas approached the sword, his steps echoing throughout the dark realm.

Just looking at the weapon’s sharp blade seemed to give him strength.

Is strength important? A voice in his head questioned.

Roxas looked towards the enemies lurking in the darkness. He turned attention back to the sword, his brows firmly set.

‘At this point it is,’ He grasped the dense hilt of the sword.

You have obtained the power of the warrior.

The shield and wand swiftly evaporated out of sight.

As for the sword, light surrounded the weapon, reshaping and transforming it into the Keyblade, reappearing in Roxas’s possession.

As if on cue, the creatures slinked their way onto and towards the center of the platform towards Roxas, who was more than ready to engage.

Once the enemies were disposed of, a small chest appeared on top of one of the crowns in the mural. Roxas went up to the chest and tapped the lid with the Keyblade, revealing inside a potion his for the taking.

Immediately, an elegantly styled door manifested at the other side of the platform. He felt dread growing inside him as he approached.

The blond’s hand hovered over the handle when a voice whispered in his head.

Beyond this door lies a different world….

Whether or not that was supposed to be a warning made no difference. As far as Roxas was concerned, the only way out was forward.

After pulling open the door, Roxas proceeded through.

The area he entered was lined with pillars holding stained windows that progressively rose higher from one another, all bridged together by multicolored glass stairs.

Roxas made the climb with a steeled resolve, fighting off the monsters spawning on each platform displaying the same image of Sora. He gritted his teeth; he did his damndest to remain focused with every attack he made and took.

Roxas was fiercely determined to get out and get to his friend. No matter how many of those goons he had to put down, nothing was going to stand in his way.

Upon reaching the top, a trio of enemies assembled in guarding a door. The blond growled and leaped into the air, bringing the Keyblade over his head, and promptly slashed the nearest hostile to pieces.

The remaining two scattered and oozed into the surface, diving under the teen to catch him off guard. Roxas watched the floor carefully, following their movement as he tightened his grip around his weapon.

He was ready when they reemerged on either side of him, ducking in time their arm thrusts which ended up impaling each other. While the enemies were stunned, Roxas launched a combination of attacks left and right until they were finished.

Roxas took a period of heavy breaths, the exertion catching up to him. He kept his guard up in preparation for more specters to show. Sapphire eyes darted at every angle, but he was alone.

A pained growl escaped his throat, the scrapes and tiny wounds he sustained from the previous rounds of battle stinging up a chorus. Roxas produced the potion vial he found earlier and downed the liquid.

He sighed feeling the pain recede, glad to have saved the restoration item up till now.

Roxas flexed his fingers in anticipation of whatever waited for him beyond the door. He spared himself a second to gather his resolve, to think of Sora, before he ultimately stepped foot into the unknown.

He was now atop a tall pillar identical to the others before; the same stained-glass mural of Sora. The setting was so identical, Roxas thought he might’ve gone in a huge circle.

He then froze, getting an inkling someone was behind him.

Roxas whirled around, swearing to have seen what appeared to be a figure covered in black.

But, nothing was there.

He wouldn’t have the time to contemplate it; a loud slithering noise snapped his attention towards the edge of the platform. Roxas backed away while four long dark tendrils wiggled up from the edge like worms.

The blond’s mouth ran dry. His head followed the rising tendrils, revealing to be part of a blue “scarf” wrapped around the neck of a large grey-skinned creature that bore the same symbol as its counterparts. But no less dangerous as seen by the spikes adorning various parts of its body along with the fact it was a veritable giant the way it loomed over the platform.

“Oh, shit...”

Roxas turned and ran but stopped short at the edge. His arms flailed as he regained some sort of balance and stepped back to safety before he could plummet into the abyss below.

“Right...Bad idea…” He gulped.

The blond turned back towards the creature. The Keyblade was back in his hand the minute the giant’s pointed feet planted themselves on the platform.

Roxas swallowed but schooled a firm countenance. He positioned the blade back, acknowledging he was locked in confronting the beast towering over him.

Roxas ran forward while the monster stayed where it was like a sitting target. However, before he could go for the attack, his vision was engulfed in a ball of light and darkness.

Upon regaining his sense of awareness, Roxas realized he couldn’t move. The teen was suspended in the air; four orbs trapping his limbs in an X formation. He struggled furiously but was unable to free himself. “Damn it! Let me go!”

A deep rumbling beckoned Roxas’s attention to where he was now staring face-level at the massive creature. The creature pulled its arm back with the purpose of punching the captured boy with a gnarled fist.

However, through Roxas’s defiant struggling, the teen gained enough mobility to swing back and while the giant was still wide open, propel a kick to its head.

The monster flew back a few paces with its body spinning in a full dazed circle.

Roxas smirked, proud to have caught the bastard by surprise. Alas, that small victory would be short-lived when the giant’s arms stretched forward and wrapped the teen in a vice grip before it yanked him free of the restraints towards its person.

The thing may have been devoid of a face, but Roxas had a plausible guess that it was pissed.

The boy’s head was spinning as he was whirled, then promptly tossed into the air, his body somersaulting upwards before gravity decided to snag him back down.

Roxas’s descent brought him closer back down to the giant waiting for its moment to strike. Still airborne, the blond flipped forward and caught the beast on its head with enough strength to knock it to the edge, its large body subsequently sliding off akin to cloth dropping down the end of a table.

Roxas swiftly landed back on solid ground. ‘Is it dead?’ He peered down, sweat dripping down his forehead and onto his upper lip.

“Wah-!” The blond yelped out as the surface began to shake, and then turn.

It felt as if the floor had been swept from under his feet; because the next thing Roxas knew he was sliding down the glass surface while his free hand scrambled for purchase.

The teen’s heart pounded against his rib cage. Made worse when he managed to spot on his way down the giant looming below, forming a mass vortex made of light and shadow.

‘Oh, hell no…’ Sapphire eyes shut tight. ‘C’mon, Roxas! Think! THINK!’

Roxas opened his eyes and remembered the sword still held tight in his grip. Just shy of passing the bottom edge, Roxas shoved the Keyblade into the platform successfully breaking his descent with the tower rotated completely sideways. Now he was hanging on for dear life.

‘Now what?’ Roxas asked himself. The strength in the blond’s grip was rapidly fading the longer he grasped onto the lifeline that was the Keyblade’s hilt. The tower relieved him of that burden; rotating until it hung completely upside down, the angle forcing the Keyblade from the wedge.

Roxas yelled as he fell for the second time. The creature, convinced to have secured its prey, raised the energy ball for the boy to fall in.

Needing to think quickly, Roxas recovered and took aim, throwing the Keyblade as hard as he could. The sword itself spun like a boomerang at top speed.

Right on target.

The orb exploded with the shockwaves from the explosion catching Roxas and the monster in its wake, effectively knocking both out.

The teen was free-falling back down towards the platform, abruptly awakening as he landed on his back on impact. He groaned all the while he got back up on his feet, noting the Keyblade digging upright in the floor, while the beast’s giant grey form lay stunned across.

Shaking his head back into focus, Roxas seized the coveted chance. The blond dislodged the sword out of the ground and charged forward, making his leap to focus an array of attacks on the monster’s head.

Roxas counted on the monster’s head as the vulnerable spot based on how it was easily knocked away earlier, and per the pained groans it somehow uttered, he was proven right.

Yet, the relentless assault seemed to have aided in waking the giant back up quicker; the being twitched a few times before it shot back up in a standing position. Roxas jumped back, preparing for its next move..

The monster attacked with more ferocity, sweeping its long limbs across the platform which Roxas barely managed to dodge, before it began to fire swirled light and shadow beams in the boy’s direction.

Roxas ran to avoid the beams, shortly learning they held a sort of pull to their energy. With every jump and flip, the male teen was lifted in the air and pulled closer and closer until he was at his vermin’s head. That worked perfectly.

Roxas once again struck his target, noting with satisfaction the giant’s stationary position as it was unable to deflect the hits he landed, each slash growing swift with precision.

After a few more rounds of Roxas dodging and countering the monster’s attacks, he floated near its head once more, the keyblade moving accordingly to his hand’s strokes.

Roxas delivered one last slash and the creature’s head began to convulse.

He watched the Keyblade disappear as he landed back on the floor. The beast wavered until it fell forward.

Roxas’s eyes widened as he realized the prospect he was about to be flattened. There was nowhere to run up here. He tripped backwards, sitting up as the huge shadow stretched until it covered him. Roxas held his arms up to his face waiting for the inevitable.

The beast’s collapse created a blast that spread throughout the circumference of the platform in a burst of light then morphed into a dark flood that swept everywhere, crashing down on Roxas in the process.

Roxas felt he was sinking.

He kicked and flailed in a vain attempt to ward off the shadows crawling all over him, slowly devouring him whole. He reached his hand out, desperately clinging to a sense of light.

“Hayner...” Roxas rasped, “Pence….Olette…..”

The darkness weighed heavier.

“SORA!!!!”

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

Sora gasped out as he splayed a hand to his chest, his clash against the hooded male briefly forgotten.

It was as if somebody was trying to reach him. That somebody...Sora saw, flashing before his eyes, dark wisps folding themselves onto a boy with distinctive golden hair.

“Roxas…?” The brunet whispered before deflecting a blast of energy shot in his direction. His tired mind pulled back in the battle he was in.

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

Roxas didn’t cease his frantic endeavor to pull himself out of the darkness. While he felt his strength abandoning him, the conviction to escape stayed afloat.

This couldn’t be it. Could it? He didn’t want to give up.

He wouldn’t give up.

The endless warm light painting the town, the simple space he proudly called home, sharing ice cream with his friends. Sora’s cheerful face.

He wasn’t going to let anything rob him of seeing those things again.

Especially Sora. Not when Roxas had yet to apologize to him.

The blond’s movements ceased entirely as he felt something, or someone, grasping his hand.

Then, everything turned white.

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As he came to, the first thing Roxas discovered was that he was out of that dark place.

He sighed in relief at that. ‘Guess that means I’m safe.’

But- he looked around scanning his current surroundings- where exactly was he now?

This place seemed the polar opposite of his previous location; instead of pitch black, everything was coated in a fluorescent white from the walls to the odd sculptures that made Roxas think of thrones.

“Over here, Roxas.”

Roxas turned around facing a girl standing across, her blue eyes brimming with concern. It was the same girl as before. “Are you alright?” She asked softly.

Roxas blinked, unsure what to say. “Um…” He began. “I think so…?” He was alive, so that had to count for something. He hoped he was alive, there was no telling with being nearly squashed by some ghost titan.

“You were at the station earlier... and the Sandlot!” He remembered. “That means you saw those monsters, right?” Up until now, it seemed only he and Sora were aware of the monsters in white.

The girl winced but nodded before answering with a small, “Yes.” For a moment, Roxas thought he might’ve seen a semblance of guilt in her expression. The girl smiled sympathetically, “You’ve been dealing with them a lot, haven’t you?”

“That’s an understatement,” Roxas replied, pressing a hand to his head. “They’ve been popping up everywhere.”

“I can assure you, you won’t find any here.”

Roxas just stared at her, not entirely reassured, but seeing this place was all quiet and the fact she was calm compelled him to cautiously take her word on it. “You don’t suppose you could tell me where we are right now?”

The blond-haired girl shook her head giggling softly, a finger poised in front of her lips. “It’s a secret.“

Roxas sighed, “Fair enough,” He currently wasn’t in possession of the energy to press anyway. “Could I at least get your name?” He requested, his curiosity of the mysterious girl piquing. By her smile, she appeared to be more than happy to introduce herself to him.

“My name is Naminé,” She answered, placing a hand on her chest.

“Naminé?....” Roxas was pricked by a strange feeling once that name left his lips, like he had met her in a place and time far from now.

Like he was in the presence of an old friend.

Though, Naminé began to look serious. “Listen to me, Roxas. You must get to the mansion. Sora needs your help.”

Roxas jerked back. “Sora…!” Oh god. He held his head. Just how much time had already been wasted?! “But, how am I supposed to get to him from here? How do I get out of here? I don’t even know where ‘here’ is!” He nearly yelled, stemming from a combination of frustration and fear.

“Roxas,” Naminé raised her hand in a calming gesture. “Please calm down.”

Roxas stopped and did just that, his shoulders sagging. “Sorry…” He looked to the side, embarrassed to have lost his cool. Again.

Naminé didn’t look deterred at all. If anything, she regarded him with sympathy before she informed, “I can take you to him.”

Roxas stared at her surprised. “What?” The girl pointed behind him to a tall vortex swirling at a close distance. Roxas jumped as he glanced behind his shoulder to where Naminé’s attention was directed and whirled around for a full look at the anomaly.

He slowly approached the ominous-looking portal that was supposedly at the same time his ticket back. He glanced back to Naminé, who was still rooted in place, with justifiable skepticism.

“You can trust me, Roxas,” The blond-haired girl smiled kindly. “I want to help you and Sora.”

Roxas didn’t respond at first, but his brows began to relax as he considered the sincerity behind the girl’s pledge.

“Now go.”

A compelling force latched onto Roxas. The boy was pulled through the circle, only able to release a short yelp before it closed, ultimately transporting him out and away.

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

With the portal evaporated, Naminé was alone again in this room of fragments.

It was then that that girl’s composure slowly unraveled.

She hung her head, her eyes covered by fair-colored locks, hands clasped tightly with a shaky exhaled.

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Roxas awoke to find himself sprawled faced down on cement with the sounds of snickers in the background. With the sunlight on the teen’s face, he lifted his head as the world came back into focus revealing his return to the Sandlot. He registered Seifer and his cohorts who appeared to have come out from the earlier fiasco unscathed.

The group’s leader was in front of Roxas with his back facing him, posing with his arms crossed in a victorious manner for Fuu who stood between Rai and Vivi with a camera raised.

“How ‘bout one more, y’know?!” Rai said when Fuu took the shot.

Roxas’s brow twitched as the camera flashed. He knew they meant to capture his position in the photo. He promptly got up and glared, but spared no word as he ran towards the exit.

There was no need to be concerned about them anymore.

“Hey! Where you going?” He heard Seifer’s taunting call which was blatantly ignored. Had he looked back, he would’ve been in for a treat to see the obvious bewilderment on each of their faces.

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

Roxas rushed through the dense forest, grass crunching under his shoes as he weaved past the countless trees and hopping over overturned longs in his race to the old mansion.

His progress was halted by one of the ghostlike creatures grabbing onto his arm as it hung by its legs from one of the trees’ branches. Roxas bared his teeth having been already more than fed up with these pests. He snarled, wrenching his arm free. “Fuck off!” He kept running with bare acknowledgment of the others spawning from out of the trees.

With the mansion peeking through the trees, the prospect of nearing his destination spurred Roxas into increasing his pace.

Those creatures were most likely hiding in many places within these woods, but for once Roxas wasn’t concerned to watch for them.

Sora was waiting for him.

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

Sora landed a downward strike from above to which the hooded male blocked using his arm covered in a dark aura.

The clash was broken by the taller male sending the energy outward with Sora flipping backward to a safe distance. Sweat ran down the brunet’s face in droplets, his body heaving in time to his heavy breathing.

Sora couldn’t pinpoint the exact length this battle had gone on, what he did know was despite the blows traded and attacks landed, his opponent didn’t look like he was close to tiring.

The same couldn’t be said for himself.

Sora weakly gripped the Keyblade, the sword feeling heavier, the spots clouding his vision more frequent.

He weakly stared at the taller male who was actually relaxing his stance.

“You’re tired…” The man observed.

‘Yeah, no shit,’ Sora thought sourly, outwardly shaking his head. “I can still...keep...going,” He breathed stubbornly.

“You don’t want to do that. You won’t have any strength left.”

“What do you care?”

The man provided no answer to that question, instead he extended a hand filled with dark energy out. Sora prepared himself while hanging on to whatever focus remained. “I’d rather not do this,” the man said. “But seeing you refuse to yield…”

Sora stood his ground with an intensified glare. He would have laughed had he possessed the energy, his thoughts strayed nowhere near the idea of surrendering.

“Huh?” Sora’s face melted to perpetual surprise. Everything around him began to flashback to back with static. “What-What’s going-” He cried out, holding his head in pain. “GAH-NGH!!!”

The taller male reacted with mild surprise, canceling the energy he conjured.

Sora was overcome by a wave of dizziness, stumbling side to side as he winced visibly at the pain shooting through every corner of his head. He strained to look at the hooded male, his expression shocked as the stranger’s visage flickered between him and an older boy with silver hair and strikingly familiar green eyes.

For a short time, Sora experienced a moment of clarity.

“Y-You..You’re...” The brunet gasped, losing his battle of consciousness. His eyelids growing increasingly heavy with his gaze glued to the other male’s interchanging form.

“Ri...Ri…….Ku….”

That name would be the last thing Sora uttered before the world was draped in the black curtain.

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

Sora promptly collapsed on his side. The Keyblade had slipped from his slackened grip and crashed to the ground next to him.

Ansem rushed to the smaller boy’s fallen form, fearing for his condition.

The Keyblade vanished which didn’t raise much concern. But what Ansem didn’t count on was Roxas suddenly flying towards him with an angry cry, the Keyblade raised above his head for an attack.

Ansem jumped back, dodging the sharp stroke that surely would’ve sliced him had he not reacted in time, and landed past the open gates.

Roxas stood in front of Sora as he faced the black-cladded figure, Key poised in that recurring position. His sapphire eyes burning with a familiar rage.

‘The only difference is he’s not in uniform.’

There was also the way Roxas was utilizing that rage this time around. Ansem knew perfectly well what purpose it was.

He registered with legitimate awe...that it was to protect.

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

Roxas saw red the minute his eyes registered Sora crumpled, unmoving, on the earth with a figure in a black coat standing over him.

His pulse raced while the blood in his veins flowed to the extremities, an immense craving to beat the person senseless bustling within him.

He didn’t question it when the Keyblade spontaneously found its way back on his person, nor did he pause in his burst into the scene. All that ran through Roxas’s head at that moment was that this individual had hurt his friend.

And he would make them pay dearly.

Unfortunately for Roxas, he wouldn’t get the chance. Just after dodging the smaller male’s attack, the unidentified assailant stepped back in a dark portal that appeared the instant their feet touched the ground.

Roxas ran towards them. “Wait!” He yelled in a rough voice. But the person had already disappeared.

Roxas glared at the spot where the person previously was. But as his breath evened, the adrenaline wore down along with the rage fully subsiding, taking the blond out of his combative state.

Roxas was quickly reminded of the real reason he came in the first place.

He hurriedly made his way to Sora’s side, dropping the Keyblade in the process. The weapon faded without a trace before it even hit the ground.

Kneeling down, Roxas gathered Sora in his arms, panic creeping up. “Sora…” The blond whispered, gazing down at the smaller boy, eerily still like that of a sleeping doll. He began shaking the brunet. “Sora, wake up! Please wake up! Say something! Anything!” Roxas begged, hoping by all accounts that would spur Sora awake. But, the smaller boy was still unresponsive as ever.

He didn’t care if he looked hysterical, Roxas would do anything right then and there for Sora to speak. Even if it was to hear that he was a dick for earlier.

Heavy guilt smashed itself against Roxas yet again.

Whatever anger the blond held towards the cowled stranger; half of it should’ve been directed inwards.

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

Sora’s eyes snapped open.

The brunet stood in what seemed nothing but vast darkness.

At least until parts of the floor began to stir and rustle, forming into white birds. Sora shielded himself as the flying creatures flapped past him. He watched them rise high into the air until they disappeared into the murky horizon.

Sora looked down as his attention was drawn to a bright greenish glow emitting from below, illuminating through a large glass mural depicting a young woman donned in an elegant yellow skirted dress holding a red apple in dainty hands, looking at peace while joy shone in brown eyes.

Her hair black as the night.

Lips a deeper red than even the apple.

With skin as white as snow.

Sora took a step back, feeling a strange sense of deja vu for reasons inexplicable.

“This place…” He murmured. “Why am I…?”

He was caught off guard as three gray pedestals formed in the middle of the mural, each one carrying a different weapon hovering over the base: a sword with a hilt of gold; a staff with a blue mouse-shaped head; and a red shield whose coat of arms bore the same mouse as well.

What Sora hadn’t yet realized was that he wasn’t alone. While the brunet examined the three weapons that appeared before him, a figure donned in full black, blue, and gold armor walked out of the darkness and towards the oblivious boy with noiseless steps.

Sora, getting a prickling feeling, turned around and was greeted by the person watching him from a short distance across. He stumbled back, justifiably startled, and got into a defensive stance.

The person’s build appeared to be that of a male nearly the same height as Sora, perhaps slightly taller, but the mostly black armor and helmet obstructed the proper gauge to make any accurate distinction of their appearance. The light from the mural caught the steel material of the suit making them gleam, especially the helmet’s hornlike extrusions as if to emphasize their sharpness.

The brunet tensed, feeling cornered. Yet, the stranger kept their (his?) hands at their sides, making no sudden movements or anything else that expressed hostility.

Sora jumped as a voice echoed throughout the area.

“Don’t be afraid, Sora,” The stranger spoke, voice distorted yet airy like a faint breeze.

Sora wasn’t sure if they were referring to themself or what was to come.

“Let the Key guide you.”

“Huh?” The brunet had a look of surprise. He craned his head towards the weapons still floating idly waiting to be taken. “Let the Key….guide me…?”

Sora turned back towards the armored stranger for clarification only to find they were gone. The brunet scanned around the vicinity for any trace of the person, but he was once again all alone.

He lowered his head with a sigh. He’d admit, there was a slight hope the person would’ve offered to accompany him. While their voice sounded ominous, the way they spoke at the same time held a level of reassurance.

Sora approached the three pedestals, the stone surfaces etched with descriptions of their carried weapons.

For the sword: The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction.

The Shield: The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all.

And the staff: The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin.

Sora began to reach for the sword but stopped as a distant voice spoke inside his head,

Only one power shall be granted. Choose wisely.

He took his hand back and went over to the staff, a mysterious urging beckoned him to put more thought into his decision.

Before Sora could grasp the staff’s handle, that voice reappeared to confirm his pick of the assortment.

Is wisdom important ?

Sora closed his eyes to think about it, subsequently reopening them with a nod. Brainpower could be just as invaluable as physical power. ‘Would probably help me talk with Roxas better, too,’ He thought sadly.

Sora shook his head back into focus. It wasn’t the time to wallow in self-pity, he needed to find a way out before he could think of finding Roxas. ‘I hope he’s okay…’

Upon taking the staff, he felt a mysterious power stir inside him.

You have obtained the power of the mystic .

That wasn’t the only thing he obtained; the staff glowed and transformed itself into a certain Key.

“You again…” He smiled wryly at the Keyblade resting in his hands, sensing this weapon was going to be a constant presence from here on out. That would prove to be fortunate in this case.

As the remaining mantles disappeared, round dark shadows blended into the ground appeared and surrounded the boy. Sora readied the Keyblade, perplexed by the sighting but at the same time prepared.

Small, humanoid bodies brandishing sharp claws while sporting crooked antennas on their heads had risen from the shadows. They all leered at Sora with large blank yellow orbs as they crept towards the center in a predatorial fashion.

Sora wasted no time to act, his instincts screaming these creatures would kill him if he didn’t first. The first swing made at the closest enemy commenced a series of strikes and maneuvers he didn’t realize he even knew as he destroyed the gloomy hostiles one by one, reducing them to black mist.

With the platform cleared, Sora pondered on the creatures. The sight of them left him more irritated than unnerved. Not to mention those yellow eyes provoking feelings of being plagued and the ferocious urge to fight.

But why such extreme emotions for a first encounter?

It appears your light remains unwavering.

Sora snapped his head up. That voice again.

Then you are prepared for the challenges beyond this door.

A white door manifested before him.

But, be careful.

Sora gulped silently as his hand closed around the door’s handle.

And don’t be afraid.

The brunet paused and blinked before faintly smiling. Those were definitely words of encouragement. ‘Guess someone really was looking out for him here.

Whoever they were, they had his appreciation.

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

The area behind the door consisted of a rising level of pillars that were connected by stained glass staircases.

Each pillar Sora set foot on was donned with murals of various shades depicting different portraits.

A lovely young lady donned in a beautiful white and blue gown, dancing merrily amongst indistinguishable characters.

A maid with hair of sunshine gold and lips as red as the rose she clutched to her chest, smiling as she was taken in the arms belonging to a silhouette of a tall man.

At the same time, each one would be sullied with those shadowy creatures attempting to obstruct Sora’s progress as he advanced higher on the linear path.

Sora fought his way through the hordes sticking with physical attacks. It was hard resisting to clear the platform with a fiery blast, but he needed to conserve energy considering there was little room for respite. While the boy did take a few hits here and there, he still hung on.

He reached the top of the last pillar, shaded in pink depicting three girls framed in red and white hearts. Sora’s attention was focused on the girl in the top heart frame: A girl donning fiery red hair and blue-violet eyes. The brunet’s hand was pressed against his chest feeling a tightening sensation within.

It was that girl again...The same one he saw along with the silver-haired boy in his dreams the day before. Every reference to them drove that fond nostalgic feeling.

His thoughts were cut short as the same fancy door appeared. However, unlike the last entryway, this door wouldn’t be so easily opened. No matter how much force Sora used to pull the handle, the door remained firmly shut.

Sora looked behind him to find a small chest sitting on the other side of the platform. The brunet gazed at it curiously. ‘Was that always there?’ He wondered. He ran over and instinctively tapped it open with the Key. All he found inside was a small potion bottle, not that he minded. A sinking feeling warned it would come in use later.

A loud click sound from the door brought Sora back, where it opened with ease. Taking a deep breath, the disquieted teen entered the void, unsure as to what awaited him on the other side.

He was on another pillar where the mural was of a bright young lady dressed in a yellow ball gown, smiling with curious brown eyes as the furred creature casted in a dim shadow behind her stared to the side, its muzzle lifting upwards hinting a content smile.

Sora felt a chill waft through this area, making even the small exposure of skin under the tear in Roxas’s clothes crawl.

The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes .

The brunet glanced over his shoulder. “Huh?....”

His shadow had spread farther and grew particularly thicker. Much to his shock, it turned around without him moving and began to peel itself off the floor like a sticker. Sora backed away, the shade taking on a solid form copying his features as if he were looking into a blotted reflection.

The form grew taller and muscular, arms getting longer while its claws grew sharper. Its “hair” went scraggly and swayed through the air, the abdominal area separating into a heart-shaped hole in the middle.

Sora’s stomach dropped, raising his head to see the thing now gigantic as all hell as blank yellow eyes stared down at him. The boy turned and ran, but was quickly reminded there wasn’t anywhere to run. Breathing deeply, he veered to face the giant stepping towards him.

‘This isn’t good…’ A bead of sweat ran down Sora’s face. In a flashing light, the Key returned to his hand prompting his breath to settle and a look of determination to take form. ‘But it doesn’t mean I can’t fight back!’

The titan-sized aberration promptly slammed its fist on the ground, spawning a dark mass. Sora gripped the Keyblade with both hands as the insect-like shadows crawled out of the pool, immediately honing on his position. Running to a jump, the bruent slid past them, slashing a few in the process.

With the monster’s hand still lodged in the ground, Sora went straight for it with his attacks. After a couple hits, It withdrew its hand and staggered back. The brunet smirked at this; he found its weak point.

That revel in accomplishment would come to an abrupt end as the dark titan’s hand slammed into him from the side.

“Damn it!” Sora gasped as his body hit the ground a few times. He coughed and shook his head, rolling out of the way from the creature’s second hurl of its fist.

He wound up lying on his back just at the edge, his arm and leg dangling over. Sora breathed heavily as he peered down, shivering upon catching a glimpse of the bottomless pit looming below. He quickly looked away. “Can’t lose focus!”

He rolled himself back to safety and stood back up despite the roaring ache in his body. A horde of the shadowy creatures charged towards the brunet while the giant raised its fist for another punch. Sora’s attention shifted between them when the towering monster decided his next move.

Dodging the monster’s earth-shaking fist, Sora jumped on top of it and soared up into the air. Concentrating the fire spell into the blade of the Key, the brunet brought his arm back and threw the sword downward.

“Take this!”

The Keyblade flipped like a boomerang as it shot down towards the middle of the platform, igniting a fiery blast on impact that consumed the surrounding small creatures while simultaneously causing the giant to waver.

The minute Sora’s feet touched solid ground, he sprinted towards the large enemy and jumped with an upward swing to its hand and followed up with a combo of strikes and slashes.

Sora kept an eye on the monster as he drank out of the potion vial. He sighed as the ache in his muscles subsided before picking the Keyblade back up. As for the enemy, its body stumbled in a sort of daze.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Blue eyes widened as an array of dark missiles descended upon him. The missiles were fired from a dark cloud spiraling out of the gap in the monster’s chest. Sora ran to avoid the homing projectiles, twisting himself around to knock a few back. The monster stumbled back under every returned hit.

‘I’m….not doing too shabby,’ Sora smiled to himself. ‘Just need to push on a little longer.’

After a couple more sequences of evasive maneuvering coupled with more attacks, the colossal beast was brought down to its knees. Before Sora could land the finishing strike, the Key vanished out of sight. ‘Oh, great!’

He jumped back, avoiding a pulverizing punch, but the trembling pillar mixed with fatigue forced him to the floor. Sora sat up and stared in subtle trepidation, his fingers twitching one by one while the monster locked those yellow eyes on him.

The next thing Sora knew, he was trapped in a pool of complete darkness. “Huh?!” A pool that was slowly but gradually sinking him in. The brunet tried his hardest to move, to turn over and crawl out. But he was stuck under the shadows covering him inch by inch.

The monster merely stood by blankly, (perhaps also mockingly) watching the boy’s struggle.

‘Can’t…..move….Can’t….breathe….’ Sora winced. ‘Ro….xas….’

A blinding light was the last thing he saw just as the pool swallowed him whole, around the same time he heard a parting message.

Do not forget….

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Sora awoke with a gasp, immediately scanning the settings he was now in from left to right.

He noticed he was seated in a white chair in a white room, where equally white sculptures of various sizes stood. Said sculptures appeared to be in the shape of palm trees, but it was hard to tell due to their incomplete shape.

Sora let out a sigh in relief, at least he was out of that dark place. Now replaced with grey and very blank white. The atmosphere had a quiet feel like time stood stagnant here. While strange, it was at least more calming than where he’d been moments before.

But, just one question remained,

“What, now?”

Light footsteps walking forward got the brunet’s attention. He sat up straight as a blond-haired girl in a white dress approached, having a seat across from him on a white chair camouflaged with the rest of the room.

“Hello, Sora,” The girl smiled as she spoke, voice gentle and kind as her cerulean eyes.

“Um…” Sora blinked. “Hi there.” Being dumbfounded that this girl knew his name, as he was sure he didn’t know hers. “Are...are you the one who brought me here?”

The girl nodded. “I’m glad I reached you when I did,” She replied, relief evident in her expression.

“So am I,” Sora lowered his gaze to the ground. “That was a close one….” He wasn’t too bowled over regarding the circumstances. After all, stranger things have been happening.

“Still, you held yourself well. As always.”

The girl gave Sora a smile, which he returned. “I guess I really owe you, then,” He remarked.

She shook her head. “If anything, I owe you, Sora.”

Sora could only regard that statement with confusion. Why would she owe him anything? He’s never even seen this girl before. Has he?

But the longer Sora looked at her, the more she seemed oddly familiar. “Why? Have we met before?” He cocked his head.

The girl's smile waned a little, followed by a slight clouding in her eyes. Sora winced, already feeling bad. With all her smiles, he could sense something sad within her. “I’m sorry,” He said softly. “I’ve been having trouble remembering anyone I knew in the past.”

“Don’t apologize,” The girl shook her head. “I can understand it must be difficult for you.” Her face looked pained fleetingly.

“Well,” Sora began in thought. “I guess it could be a lot worse. I have some great new friends that have helped me.” He smiled fondly in recollection of the moments he spent with the kids of the town.

“Like Roxas.”

A scarlet hue rose on Sora’s cheeks. “Yeah…” The blond smiled at that. Brown brows raised in surprise upon realizing what she said. “Wait, you know him?”

“It’s a long story. But, it’s about time you return to him, he’s waiting for you.”

“Oh…” Sora lowered his head, worrying his bottom lip. With all the haste and drive to return to Roxas, there was also the nervousness in facing him.

“It’ll be okay, Sora,” The surprised brunet lifted his head up back at the girl. “You and Roxas are going to be okay.”

The girl’s mouth was lifted in a small but reassuring smile. Sora felt sadness flow about; he already felt great empathy for the girl, but the picture of her sitting amongst all this blankness gave him the thought that she looked lonely. Something he believed no one deserved to be.

But, despite wanting to talk more with the girl, his time in this strange world was up.

That same bright light as before shone and began to spread around him. “W-wait!” Sora called out. “I didn’t get your name-”

That was all he got out before he was covered in the flashing white.

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

Naminé watched the now empty chair across from her. She breathed out a tired sigh that was also mixed with relief.

She was genuinely happy to see Sora again and to know he still carried on as strongly as ever despite the missing fragments.

Even with the melancholic feeling of Sora not having remembered her, she knew it was to be expected. Castle Oblivion was barely anything more than a distant memory, and will presumably remain as so once the rest of Sora’s memories are restored.

That was something she accepted a long time ago.

And hopefully, when the time came, Roxas will have come to accept what must occur, too.

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

Sora’s eyes blinked open, the world becoming less and less blurry until his sight finally focused. The orange-yellow sky greeted him upon his awakening as well as the feel of warm strong arms gently cradling him.

“Sora,” Sora registered Roxas’s worry-filled voice and turned his eyes to meet deep sapphire carrying an array of emotions: there was exhaustion in his eyes, but relief won out with fear at a close tie.

“Roxas…?” Sora whispered. His throat felt dry while the rest of his body felt lethargic. He was just so tired, but he was also joyful to see his friend. “You’re here…” He moved to sit up, smiling a tiny but genuine smile.

The brunet found himself pulled in a hug, gasping softly as his head rested on Roxas’s shoulder. Sora blushed in the feel of the other boy’s warmth. He couldn’t deny his surprise by the gesture; before, he was the one initiating the hugs between them.

That didn’t discourage Sora from hugging the blond back, both relieved to find the other safe and sound after the harrowing chain of events.

“Are you alright?” Roxas implored as he loosened the embrace but kept his hands on Sora’s shoulders, looking him up and down.

“I think so,” Sora noted his friend’s rumpled state. “You look like crap.”

Roxas sighed out a laugh, “Gee, thanks,” at most, he was glad the other boy was still able to crack a joke.

“What happened to that guy?”

Roxas’s face darkened at the mention of the mysterious figure. “He disappeared.” Though, Roxas wished he was the one who made the stranger do so personally. Only for said thought to be silenced in favor of focusing on Sora slumped against him. “Sora?”

“Sorry...I’m just really tired.”

Roxas shifted his position to where his back faced Sora, taking the other boy by the hands and bringing them over his shoulder. “C’mon, I’m taking you back.”

Sora blushed, a bit embarrassed, but allowed for his legs to be hooked around Roxas’s arms while his slender arms were wrapped around the other’s neck. Roxas straightened his knees with a grunt and raised them both up. “I won’t be too heavy for you?” Sora asked.

Roxas glanced over his shoulder. “Not at all,” He flashed a faint smirk before walking in the direction back to town.

Sora huffed. Though, his reply was drowned out by the slamming of the mansion’s metal gates, making both boys look back. Neither knew what to say about the now closed and locked gate.

Roxas frowned at the phenomenon but focused his attention on making it back to safe territory. Sora hadn’t taken his eyes off the sealed gate and kept watching it despite himself getting incredibly tense.

Luckily, something high in the trees graciously beckoned the weary brunet’s attention away, that something being lone small brown bird was watching the boys from its perch.

Sora marveled at how blue its tiny eyes were, while also wondering whether it was waiting for something. He kept his gaze on the curious-looking bird until his view was obscured by the sea of trees.

Roxas carried Sora through the dark woods without a falter, less concerned with the possibility of the monsters in white stalking them and more so on getting back home.

Sora smiled, his head rested on Roxas’s shoulder. Despite the awkward position, his senses were comforted by the blond’s natural scent to the point he nearly fell asleep.

But there was one other thing that brought him solace: in the end, Roxas came for him.

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“Hey, Roxas?”

“What’s up, Sora?” Roxas asked. They were out of the woods and making their way through the Tram Commons, the area now devoid of people and noise besides the tram on its routinely run.

“Can we go up to the Station Tower?”

Roxas stopped, surprised by the request. “The tower? But why?” He was intent on bringing Sora home and straight to bed.

“Please, Roxas…” Sora pleaded quietly, eyes drooping.

The blond's refusal was on the tip of his tongue, but seeing Sora so worn out and sad made it extremely difficult to say no. He sighed, then nodded.

With all Sora had been put through today, it was only fair he got to have this.

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Hayner, Pence, and Olette ran up to the boys as they passed the Usual Place. The trio was shocked to see Sora’s state and that he had to be carried on Roxas’s back. Questions flew all around.

“Roxas, what happened?”

“Are you guys alright?”

“What happened to you two?”

Sora just looked at them tiredly, unable to keep up with the questions. Roxas just sighed.

“Sorry, guys,” He told them. “Sora and I are gonna need a moment alone.”

Though still worried, Olette formed a look of understanding and nodded. “Sure thing, Roxas,” She said softly.

Hayner and Pence both looked they still wanted to get the story but dropped it when they recognized that this really was between Sora and Roxas. They may not like the idea of being out of the loop, but they respected it was probably for good reason.

Roxas smiled in thanks for their understanding. “We’ll see you, tomorrow,” He said before carrying on the path to the Station. As he reached the part of the street that began to slope, he slowly exhaled in anticipation of the trek.

Sora noticed and proceeded to remove himself from Roxas’s back, surprising the latter. He just smiled and took a few steps up the hill, already slowing down. Hearing running steps, Sora looked up to find Roxas standing to the side in front of him, holding his hand out which the smaller boy took.

The boys walked hand in hand up the street; Roxas patiently kept in time to Sora’s pace, not once rushing him nor letting go of his hand the entire time. They walked in silence to the same spot Sora decided was his favorite place in all of Twilight Town.

Perhaps aside from Roxas’s home.

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Unbeknownst to the boys, Ansem had been at the top of a building watching the exchange in front of the Usual Spot.

He observed the way the individuals acted towards Roxas and, of course, Sora. All the expressions of authentic concern and worry were shown.

The corners of the man’s mouth pulled themselves up in a smirk. ‘Even in a simulation do friends come easy to him.’

There was a time where the brunet gaining new friends filled him with resentment mixed with sharp vined jealousy. Factors that left him vulnerable for the darkness to consume.

Even from a high position, he didn’t miss the wordless smile Sora shared with Roxas, nor the tenderness in the blond’s eyes when they landed on the boy he carried.

Ansem shook his head before he slipped away into a portal.

A touching illusion.

But an illusion, nonetheless.

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

By the time Ansem returned to the lab, he wound himself in very deep thought. It was to the extent he almost missed when he was being spoken to.

“Welcome back,” DiZ greeted without turning around, still holding vigil to the program installed on the elaborate computer. “Find anything unusual?”

Ansem halted in his steps and faced the elderly man’s back without answering. Staring.

So far, the whirring from the machines and clicking of computer keys compensated for the silence in the room.

Why was he hesitant? He had every intention of informing the older man of what he learned. This was crucial in regards to figuring out what was interrupting the process.

So what was stopping him?

The delay didn’t escape DiZ’s knowledge; dark fingers slowed in their dance on the keyboard and though he still faced the screen, the expectancy was existent.

“.......”

Ansem remained silent for what felt like a lot more than a minute until he finally had to speak.

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

Sora and Roxas were at the top of the Station Tower, sitting knee to knee against the wall as they gazed out to the sorbet sky. Both were very appreciative of the sun’s light raining down, a nice deviation from that duskwood realm.

Roxas looked over to Sora watching the sunset. The brunet appeared content just being up here.

“It’s relaxing up here,” Sora remarked quietly.

“It really is,” Roxas agreed. He always held it as the perfect place to recuperate, probably even more so than the Usual Spot. “Feeling any better?” He gently asked, checking in with the brunet.

“Yeah,” Sora smiled. “Thanks for getting me up here, Roxas,” The blond nodded. “And thanks for helping me out of the forest, I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come.”

Roxas thought about the figure in black. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” He smiled back before a frown took its place. “But, that guy in black. What exactly did he want?”

Sora slowly shook his head. “He just came out of nowhere telling me I wasn’t safe here.”

“Seriously?” Roxas scoffed. “And how would he know that?” Sure, the random spawning of those monsters was concern worthy, but it’s not like the whole town was condemned.

“That’s what I wondered.”

“Sounds like he was trying to confuse you.”

“Well, it worked,” Sora grimaced. “Of course, he had to rope me to the forest for those monsters to attack.” He paused before adding, “But, he also helped me fight them.”

“‘Help?’” Roxas was in disbelief. “Sora, I saw him standing over your unconscious body. How exactly was he helping then?”

Sora was quiet for a bit; Roxas did have a point there, but at the same time the stranger did have his back, even if it was just for that fight. “I don’t know,” He sighed. “Most of it feels like a huge blur.” His lips pursed in frustration at the apparent blanks in his memory. “I also remember being in this dark place, but I’m not sure if that part was all just a dream.”

Dream.

“You and Sora need to be honest with each other,” Olette’s words sprang through Roxas’s mind.

The blond looked down with sad eyes. He sighed before his gaze was back on Sora. “Sora,” He began, the other boy looking back at him. “I’m...I’m really sorry about this morning.” The brunet was surprised to hear the apology but saw the clear remorse and shame Roxas’s eyes carried. “You were right,” The blond added, smiling ironically. “I did have another one of those dreams.”

“Roxas…” Sora’s expression became saddened. He had his suspicions of what caused Roxas such distress that early morning, but was afraid of coming up with more unwanted scenarios.

“But, that wasn’t the only thing,” Roxas added, looking out to the horizon. “I guess I’m also still a little unnerved about the photos and the fact those guys in white seem to follow us everywhere,” He sighed, feeling slight embarrassment from unloading these unsettled thoughts in the open.

“Yesterday was the first time in a while where things were….Normal. I thought the dreams were finally gone. But, realizing it wasn’t over….I... didn’t handle it well.” He looked at Sora sadly. “I felt I had to leave before I blew up. I just needed some space to think. But, I obviously did a crappy job in saying so.”

“Is that why you left?” Sora asked quietly. “Because you wanted to protect me?”

Roxas averted his gaze, nodding his head. In his mind, he also did an abysmal job of doing just that. The blond felt it was partly his fault Sora was taken by that ominous stranger so easily to do who-knows-what.

Sora placed a comforting hand on Roxas’s shoulder. “Roxas,” He said softly. “I get it, you were feeling overwhelmed with everything that’s been happening. I can’t blame you for that.” Hearing the reason eased the brunet’s masked fear that he’d been the problem, but now he was just concerned for his friend being under all that stress.

Roxas clenched his hand into a fist. “Still, it’s no excuse. If I had been more honest earlier, then none of this would’ve happened.”

“You don’t know that. That guy still would’ve shown up whether you were with me or not.”

“But, at least you wouldn’t have had to deal with him alone,” Roxas sighed. “When it comes down to it, I was wrong to yell at you, Sora.” His gaze met Sora’s, no hiding and no denial. “Can you ever forgive me?”

Sora didn’t have to contemplate that. “I already have,” Came his truthful answer, eyes restoring its blue sheen while he smiled warmly. “It’s in the past now. And you know, you came for me when it really mattered.”

Roxas found himself smiling back, relieved to lift a weight from his shoulders knowing Sora bore no ill feelings towards him from his outburst. What happened earlier couldn’t be undone, but Roxas would make sure he did better going forward. As long as he and Sora were on the same page.

“But, I am sorry you felt you had to leave your own home,” Sora’s expression turned serious. “Next time you need space and want me to leave for a while, just say the word.”

Roxas took Sora’s hand from his shoulder, only to pull the other boy in a loose one-arm hug. Sora made no movement nor expressed the want to move away, if anything, he relaxed in the embrace.

“I’m not going to make you leave,” Roxas looked surprised Sora had even brought that into suggestion. “But, I promise I’ll try to be more upfront about what’s going on. I also promise not to run away next time, either.” The last part said with a half-smile. He was determined to avoid a "next time".

Sora nodded, though his features reverted to downcasted. His thoughts turned to the dream he had the other night, along with that vision the first night.

Roxas frowned in concern. “Sora?”

The brunet didn’t say anything at first, but Roxas didn’t push. Instead, he kept his arm around Sora to let him know he was all ears once he was ready.

“Roxas, I-I haven’t been too honest either,” Sora eventually confessed. “I had a strange dream the other night. And like how you described yours, it all felt….real.”

Roxas’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second. He didn’t expect to hear that. “You too, huh?” He said. Sora nodded.

“It was like one big home movie....Like I’m…”

“Watching someone else’s life?” Roxas finished.

“Yeah. Is that how it’s been for you?”

“Pretty much,” Roxas confirmed. “What I still don’t know is whose life I’m seeing in these dreams, or why I’m the one seeing it…”

“That is all pretty bizarre,” Sora agreed.

“Heh. You’re telling me,” Roxas’s sight was focused out towards the horizon. It was evident he was a bit winded by this current revelation. To think he and Sora were experiencing the same thing. He returned his gaze, asking cautiously, “Is that what happened that night?”

Sora tensed, immediately knowing the night Roxas referred to. He slowly nodded. “For a moment, I thought I was on some kind of beach; I think it might’ve been an island. There were these two kids, a boy and a girl, running around on the sand. They called to me by name,” He drew a short breath before continuing. “Even though I wasn’t sure who they were, something was telling me I’ve seen them before.”

Roxas stared at Sora as he processed what his friend had shared. “Do you remember what those kids looked like?” He asked, his heart suddenly increasing in a fretful rhythm.

“It’s hard to recall,” Sora admitted. “But I do know those were the same people in my dream, it just-” He gave Roxas an apologetic look. “Literally hurts to think about.”

Roxas just held the brunet closer against himself. “No wonder you were in a lot of pain those times…”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, Roxas. I’m sure it would’ve helped to know that you aren’t alone in dealing with this dream thing.”

Thinking about it, that wasn’t really the case. Sora was already supportive in not dismissing Roxas’s concerns when he confided with him about the dreams. Nor did the brunet express any indication that he was overreacting over something that supposedly existed only in his mind. He just listened.

It was already a relief being able to talk about it with someone, but knowing that someone understood was overall cathartic. “Nah, I haven’t been alone,” Roxas amended. “Not when I’ve had you watching my back through all this.” He regarded Sora with open warmth, expressing his appreciation.

Sora blushed. “It’s only right when you’ve had mine, too,” He felt Roxas laying his head on his. “We’re in this together.”

Roxas nodded. “Together…” He repeated.

It couldn’t be said how long the boys sat at the top of the Station Tower, watching the sky wrapped in a closeness that may be considered atypical for even good friends.

All Sora and Roxas knew that for now, after all the turbulence underwent that day, everything felt right again.

The matter of Roxas’s dreams may have remained ongoing, but perhaps some things learned today would prove to be supplemental in getting to the bottom of them.

For instance, that girl: Naminé. Roxas’s concentration at the time was fully dedicated to finding Sora. But now that the brunet was out of danger, the baffled inquiries were piling in pointing to the mysterious girl being on point about his and Sora’s situation.

If his encounter with her was real, if he was able to meet with her again, then maybe he’d have the opportunity to ask her what she knew. Despite the suspicious timing, he was leaning towards trusting her. After all, it was thanks to her he even managed to find Sora, dream or not.

And of course, there were Sora’s dreams. The fact the brunet was seeing things that struck familiarity sounded more than coincidental. Unfortunately, it was difficult to discern considering the most Sora could himself recall were small minor details. At the very least, it could possibly help point them in the right direction of figuring some things out about his friend’s elusive past.

Roxas paused during the journey home and glanced at Sora who he was carrying in the same piggyback position. He insisted when they left the tower that the brunet rest since he was getting more droopy. While Sora put up a moderate protest, he eventually agreed.

He gazed tenderly at the sight of Sora breathing softly in his sleep. Roxas didn't blame him, the other boy deserved to rest.

He was going to divulge about Naminé, but apparently, he got too caught up in watching the sunset with Sora it just slipped his mind.

“I’ll let him know tomorrow,” He decided as he continued down the orange-lit streets. The blond smiled to himself, feeling Sora nuzzle deeper into his shoulder. ‘He’s sure a cuddly sleeper,’ The thought filled with fond amusement. ‘A shame I’ll have to wake him once we get home.’

Roxas began whistling to himself a little tune. No better way to add some background noise to these quiet streets, in his opinion, than to give a little whistle.

Escaping Roxas’s notice were blue eyes opened to half-lids and lips quirking into a smile. The brunet slowly dozed back off listening to the uplifting sound while wrapped in the solace of Roxas’s scent and warmth.

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-szztzztztztzttztzztz--szztzztztztzttztzztz-Restoration at 25%-szztzztztztzttztzztz-

Chapter Text

“It’s up to me. Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door and change the world.”

“Well, I’m not gonna betray -Bzzzzt- either!”

“All for one, and one for all!”

“My friends are my power!”

“So, your heart has won this battle.”

“It is I, An -Bzzzt- Se -Bzzzt-! Take me into Everlasting Darkness!

“Forget it! There’s no way you’re taking Kairi’s heart!”

“We may never meet again, but we’ll never forget each other.”

“No matter where we are, our hearts will bring us together again.”

“Take this. It’s my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me.”

“Don’t worry. I will.”

“Promise?”

“Don’t ever forget. Where ever you go, I’m always with you.”

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

Roxas jolted as he awoke, somewhat startled by the abruptness of being brought to his waking state, but not as perturbed or unsettled as he’d been before.

He slowly sat up, contemplating everything that played out in this current dream. He had made it a point to do what Sora suggested a few days ago and pay more attention to what occurred in his dreams, rather than just bemoan about it. He learned the hard way yesterday what consequences could arise from the latter.

From what Roxas had gathered, the protagonist of this dream story appeared to have reached the home stretch of his quest in reuniting with his lost friends. Well, at least one of them.

The boy in the dream had surely walked the arduous path getting to where he reached. Roxas felt a swivel of anger when the boy’s companions had left him in favor of the one who stole away his weapon. But, that was short-lived when the two became aware of their mistake.

He was also surprised and impressed when the boy almost immediately got back on his feet, wielding nothing more than a wooden play sword, spirit gashed but unbroken. He even reclaimed the Keyblade in the end through his perseverance and determination. And the faith he held in the ones he still called his friends.

Roxas had to admit, the boy was much more forgiving than he would’ve been in that situation.

‘Now, who does that remind me of?’ His gaze fell fondly on Sora’s still resting form. The other boy lay curled on his side facing Roxas, brown bangs swooping over his eyes.

As for the girl who the boy saved...Her name; he believed she was called Kairi? While Roxas wasn’t able to fully discern her appearance, he retained flashes of what might’ve been fiery red hair and violet-blue eyes topped with a distinctive smile. Well, whoever she was, it was clear she and the boy cherished the friendship they shared.

So much so, that the boy was unafraid to sacrifice his heart in order to free hers. Roxas gripped the front of his sleep shirt, his own heart thumping steadily. He shivered, recalling the moment of the boy plunging that dark key sword into his own chest still fresh in his mind.

Still, somehow, things fell into place in the end. Roxas found himself fixated on a moment between the two friends; her entrusting the boy with a star-shaped charm under the promise he’d keep it safe until they met again. That no matter where he ended up next, she would always be there with him.

“Right...Promise…” Roxas murmured, his eyes still on Sora.

He thought of the promise he made with Hayner every year; that they would fight hard to make it to the top ranks of the Struggle Tournaments. That he’d be there to witness his first victory against Seifer. And not to disclose his secret hobby outside of the group.

He thought of his promise to Olette how he’d try not to work himself too hard despite having no qualms about challenging himself. That he’d be there front row for all her rhythm gymnast routines.

He thought of Pence and his promise he’d be one of his first customers when he makes it as a professional photographer.

Then there was Sora, and the promise Roxas made the first night how he’d help the brunet recover his lost memories. No matter what it took.

He tentatively reached over with his pale hand, gently brushing spikey yet silky brown bangs away from Sora’s face. Dark lashes twitched under the contact but remained lowered. A smile came across Roxas’s face as the brunet’s nose wiggled a bit.

That was fucking adorable. He really couldn’t deny it. It was a marvel how this boy was strong yet can look the perfect picture of endearing at the same time.

Eventually, the back of his fingers glided along the smooth slightly flushed skin, pausing at Sora’s cheek with a featherlike caress before reaching its final destination on top of petal-soft barely parted lips. Roxas swallowed as he slowly ran his thumb along the bottom lip, unable to help himself.

Did he get hit by some spell Sora managed to cast in his sleep? What other explanation was there to be stuck neck-deep in such entrancement?

Roxas froze when Sora began to shift, emitting a small moan. He heard his mind barking to take his hand off him already. But, the brunet had merely turned over onto his other side, indicating he hadn’t been roused from his sleep after all.

The blond let out a sigh of relief, staring at the other boy’s back while the realization cloud of what he’d done drizzled down on him. He slapped his forehead.

As if it weren’t enough having these strange thoughts, but now he’d somehow elevated to touching his sleeping friend’s face like a creep.

Roxas shook his head, air blowing through his lips. He considered himself lucky Sora was too asleep to notice, who knows how he might’ve reacted? Roxas wanted to avoid weirding him out as much as possible.

The blond’s attention was snapped to a small knocking on his bedroom door. But a quick silence rendered him unsure if he was just hearing things until the knocks picked back up.

“No way…” Roxas muttered, glancing at Sora and back at the door. He slowly got out of bed, doing his best to be as quiet as he could to not wake the other boy, and hesitantly crossed the room to the door.

Was someone there? He remembered locking his door last night. There was no way anyone could enter his flat without being let in.

Roxas’s eyes narrowed. ‘Unless they broke in.’ He gripped the door handle and scanned around to check for anything in his room that could work as a weapon. But, then again, what intruder would literally come knocking? But at the same time, what guest comes into a house without permission?

‘Aw, fuck it,’ Roxas swung the door open. “Eh?”

While it wasn’t a burglar, the teen was more surprised to find the same girl he met yesterday standing right in front of him.

“You’re…” Roxas began in disbelief. “You’re the one from yesterday. Naminé, right?” He stepped closer.

The blond-haired girl smiled as she nodded. “Hello again, Roxas.” She greeted, lightly holding her hands behind her back.

“Um, hi…” Roxas scratched the back of his head in an awkward daze. ‘So it wasn’t a dream?’ He wasn’t expecting her to show up this soon. Hell, he wasn’t expecting her to show up period. That small internal debate of whether Naminé was real or not had been ongoing until this point. “I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you doing here? And how’d you get in my house?” He raised a blond brow, truly perplexed by the current circumstances.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion, but I wanted to make sure you and Sora were okay,” Naminé replied, only answering the first question. She peered over Roxas’s shoulder at Sora tucked comfortably in Roxas’s bed. “You two look well.” Relief was evident in her cerulean eyes.

Roxas blinked but his expression took on a warm front as he gazed back towards Sora. “I’d like to think so,” He turned his attention back towards Naminé. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink? Or did you want to sit down?” He gestured towards the couch.

While Roxas was still baffled over the mysterious girl’s unannounced visit or the fact she even knew where he lived, he still felt obligated to be hospitable. Besides, she had helped him and Sora out big time, it’d be an asshole move to make her leave.

Naminé smiled, appreciative of the kind gesture. “No, thank you. I won’t be here long. I did want to make sure you were okay, I know you both had quite the day yesterday.”

“You can say that again,” Roxas sighed thinking of the hectic array of events. He then frowned, a pointed gaze coming into place. “But, that’s not the only reason you’re here, I take it?”

“I’m afraid not,” Naminé said gravely, the smile she previously had long dissipated. “Roxas, you and Sora need to be more careful from now on. The battles you two have been through aren’t going to stop at just those creatures.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The blond-haired girl let out a sigh. “Let’s just say there are people who are more dangerous and much more powerful than these monsters,” Unpleasant memories of certain noxious individuals in black, as well as a stoical palace briefly clouded her mind.

Roxas stared blankly as he weighed in on what was just informed. “More powerful….” Images of the man in the black coat popped into his mind, along with flashes of a group of people dressed in the same coat. The blond felt a shiver crawl up his spine as an unexplainable dread began to nibble at his heart.

He raked a hand through his hair and sighed. On top of those guys in white, he and Sora also needed to watch out for enemies that might be worse? His free hand curled against his side. “What are we supposed to do?” He uttered mainly to himself, shoulders shrugging in being at a loss. The blond looked back up upon feeling a hand resting lightly on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry I don’t have more to provide on that, Roxas. I can’t say for sure what’ll happen if they do strike, but I believe you two are strong enough to protect each other. You’ve already shown that much.”

Roxas quirked a smile. For what it was worth, it was a comfort knowing someone understood his and Sora’s situation. “I realized I never thanked you for your help yesterday. I don’t think I would’ve gotten to Sora in time if it weren’t for you. So, thanks, Naminé.”

Naminé’s face brightened somewhat at the sincere form of gratitude. “Don’t mention it,” She replied. “But, I probably would’ve gotten you there sooner if you hadn’t run off.” While she had a frown of disapproval, her light tone betrayed the facetiousness behind her statement.

Roxas sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “I guess I have to admit it wasn’t the smartest move.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Naminé heartened with a soft giggle. “All’s well that ends well, right?”

“Yeah,” Roxas’s smile softened as he looked back to Sora still blissfully in repose throughout the conversation. “Sora’s safe and still here. That’s what matters the most.”

Naminé silently observed Roxas’s gazing at the other boy, not missing the open fondness behind it, the tumultuous waves of the previous frustration pacifying itself almost instantly. She smiled to herself. The teen had taken her warning better than expected, more than likely because of Sora being by his side.

Roxas drew his attention back towards the girl. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay awhile? I’ll bet Sora would like to meet you.”

“That’s okay, Roxas,” Naminé quickly, albeit regretfully, refused. The temptation to stay longer weighed heavily, but she was already at great risk of her position getting compromised. Besides, she had to go before Roxas could ask any more questions. Questions whose answers she preferred to prolong at this time. “I really should get going. And wasn’t there a tournament happening today?”

Today!

“Ah!” Roxas instantly cried out. “The Struggle Tournament!” The fact it was the day of had completely slipped his mind. With everything that had been going on, the event seemed trivial until that moment.

“Mgh….Roxas?”

The boy in question turned around to find Sora sitting up, rubbing his eyes. “Who’re you talking to?” The brunet asked in a drowsy voice.

The spot Naminé had been in stood vacant. Roxas took a searching glance around his living room, but be as it may, the girl had vanished as ambiguously as she arrived. Almost as if she hadn’t even been there in the first place.

‘Damn,’ He sighed. ‘She sure knows how to pull off the disappearing act.’ It was too bad. He would’ve liked to get to know her a little better, she seemed really nice. He had also hoped to ask her a few questions, but it looked like that wasn’t happening at this time.

“I…” Roxas began. “I’ll tell you about it later.” He noted the frown the other boy made at that answer and clarified, “There’s a lot to explain.”

“And you can’t explain now?” Sora tilted his head inquisitively.

“Well, not when there’s a tournament starting soon,” Roxas glanced at the wall clock.

“Ah!” The brunet cried out, now more awake than ever. “That’s today?” It turned out he forgot as well.

“Yup,” Roxas confirmed with a small chuckle. “You feeling up to it?” He asked, eyes turning serious. Sure, it was a prevalent fact his friend possessed this aptness for making speedy recoveries, but Roxas still wanted to know if Sora was really alright.

Sora gave a firm nod. “All good as new and ready for action,” He pumped his fist to emphasize the confirmation. “A good night’s rest did the trick.” There was a pause before he folded his hands on top of his lap. “Speaking of which,” He began in a tentative manner. “Did you…”

“Have another of those crazy dreams? Yeah...But, you know, it wasn’t all that bad this time,” Roxas said. “I didn’t wake up overwhelmed or even underwhelmed. I just felt…” He shrugged. “whelmed.”

“‘Whelmed’?” Sora repeated, looking amused.

“Well, yeah,” The blond’s mouth curved into a modest smirk as he shrugged. “That’s really how I felt.”

As per their talk yesterday, the boys had agreed skimming the truth wasn’t working in their best interests. If anything, things felt a lot better now after they shared most of what they’ve kept under wraps.

“Feel like sharing what happened in it?” Sora asked. While they shared a mutual agreement to attempt to be more honest about these things going forward, they also remembered to consider each other’s comfort level.

“Later,” Roxas promised. “When we have more time.” He went to gather his clothes to change. Sora pouted, ardent to hear about what Roxas saw, but shifted to get ready himself.

“How about you?” The blond steered the topic in a different direction. “Were you able to sleep okay?”

Sora caught the other unspoken question Roxas prompted. “Yeah, no weird dreams or anything,” He answered as he pulled the sleep shirt over his head.

However, what the brunet didn’t mention was that he had dreamt that night as well, but felt it was probably better not to unveil what the dream consisted of. His face sported a red flush as his hands wrung the shirt. At least, not to Roxas. Sora wasn’t sure if his friend would be receptive to hearing about it, considering it involved him.

Sora quickly dressed in his borrowed clothes. He winced when looked down at the obvious tear in both the sweater vest and t-shirt, remembering the cause of the damage. He bit his lip. Roxas didn’t seem to notice he had messed up his clothes yesterday. Still. He felt he should let him know before he finds out himself.

“Roxas?” He called hesitantly, the blond immediately giving him his full attention.

“What’s wrong, Sora?”

Sora just gestured to his side, letting Roxas get a clear view of the hole marking his clothes. The blond’s mouth opened while his brows furrowed in what appeared to be dismay. “Sorry…” The brunet placed a hand at the back of his head.

However, Roxas was more concerned with what he saw inside the tear. “Sora…You’re hurt.” He moved forward wanting to get a better look.

Sora shook his head. “No, I’m not. I healed the wound yester-” His breath caught mid-sentence as he realized the horizontal pink line running glaringly along his skin. “At least...I thought I healed it.” The wound must have reopened some time yesterday during Sora’s battle in the woods. It appeared the healing spell wasn’t strong enough to be a permanent fix.

“Anyway, I’m fine, Roxas. Really. I didn’t even notice it until you did,” Sora assured, plopping on the edge of the bed. The blond still looked concerned but seeing that Sora was unfazed by the scar, he decided to leave it be as well. “Besides, what happened to your knee?!” Blue eyes promptly centered towards the striking red scab on the paler boy’s right knee.

Roxas was admittedly just as surprised to see it. While that fall from the skateboard wasn’t pleasant, he hadn’t realized it resulted in his knee bleeding. It didn’t seem to hurt then, but now the slightest touch jolted him into sucking through his teeth. “It should be alright,” He said with little surety. Walking on it definitely didn’t help much.

Sora immediately got an idea. He patted the space beside him. “This looks like it calls for a little magic,” He smiled.

Roxas hesitated. “Are you talking about that healing magic you did the other day? I don’t know, Sora,” He shook his head. “You should save your energy,” He remembered the brunet getting fatigued after using that particular spell. And if the same results are to be expected, it wouldn’t serve Sora well at all during the tournament.

“Don’t you worry about my energy, I have more than enough to spare,” Sora grinned. “Besides, how are you supposed to compete at your best with a bruised knee, Roxas?”

A light smirk formed on Roxas’s features. “You sound like Olette.”

“Just saying,” Sora pouted. “It wouldn’t be fair to Hayner if you couldn’t give him the fight you guys promised, don’t ya think?”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Roxas knew his knee hurting as it did would be a hindrance for sure. But at the same time, he didn’t want Sora to possibly handicap himself either. “You’re positive you’ll be fine?” He implored, scrutinizing ocean eyes for any signs of doubt.

Of course, Sora’s eyes carried nothing less than that bright optimism of his. “Definitely.”

“Alright then,” Roxas walked over and joined Sora at the edge of the bed, giving him a smile. “Patch me up, Nurse.”

Sora grimaced hearing the supposedly forgotten title being bestowed on his person yet again. “Watch the name, or you'll really need a nurse,” The brunet grumbled as he concentrated the spell through his hand over the bruised knee. Roxas just laughed, which led to Sora shortly following suit.

This light-hearted back and forth just reaffirmed the comfort between the boys was still present. Being able to laugh and joke with each other as usual filled them with great relief.

When Sora was done, Roxas’s knee looked good as new. The blond hopped off the bed and was delighted he could walk around no problem. “Thanks, Sora.”

“It was nothing,” Sora replied warmly. “Now, hurry up and get ready. Unless you don’t mind fighting in your boxers.” He grinned, throwing Roxas’s clothes towards his face.

Roxas caught the clothes with a smirk and placed his hand to his forehead in salute. “Aye Aye, Captain.”

The two smiled at each other. Yeah, things appeared to be already looking up.

“Life as a pirate must be great,” Sora mused. He flopped onto his back on the mattress, laying his head on his hands. “Sailing the open sea on a huge ship, discovering new lands, and adventure at every turn.” Bright blue eyes gleamed excitedly at the experience.

“Don’t forget stealing people’s ships or treasure,” Roxas added while pulling on a pair of his usual trousers. “Or catching every disease known to man.” The brunet boy crossed his arms as he sat up.

“Gotta rain on my parade, huh?”

“Just stating facts, Sor,” Roxas paused in the middle of slipping on his jacket. Sora tilted his head, surprised by the use of the nickname.

“Is it okay if I call you Sor?” Roxas asked genially.

Sora’s expression warmed. “I don’t mind,” He said, feeling his cheeks warm up. “Does that mean I get to call you Rox?”

Roxas chuckled. “I won’t stop you,” He shrugged, internally with joy at the admission of Sora accepting the nickname given to him. ‘At least it’s not ‘Roxy’.’ He nearly rolled his eyes at the name that had often been used on him in teasing.

Roxas turned to Sora once they were fully dressed. “Ready?”

“Ready,” The brunet confirmed, getting off from the bed. But as Roxas left the room, Sora lingered.

He breezily reached up to feel his cheek, pondering the dream he had where he felt what seemed to be soft caresses from Roxas. He remembered the simplest touch making his skin tingle, and his heart doing flips.

It felt...nice.

It actually felt nice to be touched by Roxas in that manner.

Sora let out a small sigh as he followed after his friend outside.

Too bad it was just a dream.

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

Restoration: 25%

Both men’s attention was pulled to the screen at the voice informing them of this unexpected update.

“His memories are returning…?” Diz observed, almost in disbelief as his eyes scanned the numerous data presented to him. But how was this possible? Without influencing Roxas’s experience in the town, there was no way the restoration process would have resumed as planned. This brought a lot of pressing questions to the elderly man’s mind.

“Impossible. It must be an extension of that bug,” Diz muttered before addressing Ansem, still standing some ways behind him. “Did you find anything that should be a subject of concern?” The elderly man implored, a tinge of impatience that was brief but noticeable.

Ansem remained silent at first, still astounded by this unprecedented development. There was a moment’s pause in order to contemplate a response. It would be the most rational and logical choice to divulge what he knew. But at the same time, he felt he needed to gather some answers of his own first.

“.....No,” Was the hooded male’s answer before he turned away. “However, Roxas is still alive and in the town. No need to worry about that part.” He began to make his way out of the room; there was someone he needed to speak to.

Diz’s frown deepened but was for the most part satisfied to learn their subject was still accounted for. “Is that so?…” He said, watching his cohort from the corner of his visible eye before getting back to work.

Ansem paused, wanting to pose a question that had been brewing since he came back. “About that town,” He began. “Just how accurate is it to the real one?”

The inquiry was initially met with silence and constant typing, whether Diz didn’t hear or just simply regarded the topic as meaningless for discussion, Ansem wasn’t entirely sure.

However, the silence was broken just as the hooded male made for his departure. “The people are near-perfect replicas to their real counterparts,” DiZ informed. “Their mannerisms, their thoughts, even their ambitions. One wouldn’t know the difference at first glance.”

“I see…”

The clacks on the keyboard had slowed once more, the elderly man directing his attention back over his shoulder. “Why do you ask?”

Ansem turned back towards the exit. “Just curious,” He simply answered before walking away.

Diz observed his departure with a subtle narrow of his eye.

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

The Sandlot was adorned with activity for the Struggle Tournament.

The whole town seemed to be gathered in the enclosed space to watch the sporting event. Banners were hung up around the arena, balloons strewn about, and standing on the center stage was the coveted trophy: a blue sculpture on a wooden base attached with crystal orbs of various colors.

Sora and Roxas were immediately swept by the bounteous energy the minute they entered the area, the sound of revolving chatter all around them.

Sora gazed at the setup in astonishment, finding the lively setting a stark contrast to the empty and silent space he initially discovered.

Alvin was in the middle of the platform sounding the tournament off with an opening speech. Clearing his throat, the host’s voice boomed out, “Ladies and Gentlemen! Today is the day of the Struggle and title match!” A collective cheer spread across the area. “Who will be the one to break through the ranks and take on our champion, Setzer?”

The long-running champion himself stood near Alvin with a satisfied smirk on his scarred face. Setzer was a man with long silver hair, violet eyes, and a flashy ensemble that fit well with his demeanor. Said ensemble consisted of a lilac and violet dress shirt, black pants supported by a black belt with a silver skull buckle, and a long black coat that hung over his shoulders like a cape.

“Seifer, y’know?!” Rai yelled in answer to Alvin’s obviously rhetorical question. He and the rest of the Disciplinary Committee kept themselves distanced from the crowd.

“And who will leave today as our new Struggle Champion?” Alvin continued on.

“Setzeeeerrrrr!” An accumulation of female voices swooned, which was then followed by incessant chanting of Setzer’s name from the majority of the crowd gathered. It was apparent this was music to the silver-haired man’s ears with how he slowly swept his hand in a show of curtsy.

“Yes! The crowd is fired up, so you know what comes next...” Alvin earnestly pointed around to the crowd to finish the sentence. “Let’s….”

“STRUGGLE!!!!”

Sora jumped, laughing how increasingly louder it got. “Everyone’s so pumped!” He said to Roxas, needing to yell to be heard over the noise.

The blond nodded with a grin. “Well, yeah!” He called back. “Everyone’s been waiting for this event all year! It’s the perfect time to go crazy!” He laughed.

“Guys!”

Hayner, Pence, and Olette had pushed through the crowd to get to Sora and Roxas.

“Glad you two made it!” Hayner remarked. The crowd’s initial excitement had winded down, so there was no longer a need to shout their conversation. “The first match is gonna start soon! Looks like you’re up first, Sora.”

“Really? Against who?” The brunet was trying to get a good look at the roster board from his position in the crowd, eager to find out more about his match-up.

Pence patted Sora’s shoulder and pointed out a blue-haired boy wearing a white buttoned-up vest and brown shorts on the other side of the platform. The boy had a somber face but appeared also affable based on the smile he occasionally made in the midst of the conversation he was having.

“That’s Fayt. He’s mostly attending college in another town, but he comes back for the summers.”

Sora’s jaw dropped in a doubletake. “Seriously?!” He wouldn’t have pegged that Fayt guy to be a college student with how young he looked. “He’s gotta be…. super smart or something!”

Hayner, having overheard, laughed. “Nah, he just got some really good genes,” He joked, slapping Sora on the back.

“He’s a nice guy,” Olette supplied. “A little quiet, but overall pretty laid back.”

“Yeah, but don’t let that fool you,” Hayner crossed his arms, his demeanor turning serious. “I went against him in some of the previous tournaments, and let me tell you…” He exhaled. “He’s no pushover.”

“Strong and smart, huh?” Sora observed the blue-haired boy in question, intrigued and excited but now also admittedly a bit nervous. He looked at Roxas. “What do you think, Roxas?”

“I never had to fight him, but I’ve seen his skills in action,” The blond, also watching Sora’s upcoming opponent, answered honestly. “What Hayner says isn’t far off the mark.”

Noticing Sora’s slight apprehension, Roxas laid an encouraging hand on his friend’s shoulder. “But still, you got this, Sora.” He hadn’t even put it ironically, he sincerely believed Sora had what it took to emerge victorious in the match. After all, the brunet had proven to be more than capable of facing up against different kinds of adversities.

Sora returned Roxas’s smile in full. Even if they were simple words, the brunet could feel the genuine encouragement behind them.

“Who are you gonna root for?” Pence asked Olette.

“Who do you think? All three of them, of course!” The brunet girl promptly answered.

“Just checking,” Pence smiled, fully intending to do the same thing.

Even though only one of them could make it to the final round, Roxas, Hayner, and Sora would all receive Pence and Olette’s undivided cheers of support.

“Can I have all participants to the roster board, please?” A man acting as the assistant referee called. The audience stepped aside as Sora, Roxas, Hayner, and the other competitors made their way to the designated spot.

“Alright. I know most of you already know the rules,” The assistant referee said to the small group gathered. “but a little refresher doesn’t hurt.”

“Tch,” Seifer muttered, wanting to get straight to the main event. “What a waste of time.”

Roxas and Hayner, on the other hand, didn’t mind hearing the rules again and kept their attention on the referee.

Fayt appeared compliant as well, patiently waiting to hear the rules despite being an experienced player himself.

Setzer grunted with that lazy smirk of his, sweeping a hand across silver locks. “Do as you must,” He said almost dismissively.

Vivi was just quiet.

As for Sora, while already having been informed by Roxas and Hayner on how the game worked, was actually glad to hear the rundown again because, honestly, he’d forgotten some parts.

After the brief yet straightforward explanation of the rules, it was time to get the first match into gear. Biggs, who was one of the announcers for the tournament, called for Sora and Fayt to step up onto the platform.

“Knock ‘em out, Sora!” Hayner told the brunet in encouragement who smiled giving his thanks.

For Roxas, the smile Sora gave was still positive but also a little nervous. After all, this wasn’t like the fight he had against Seifer or the ghost creatures along with the strange man in black. If he messed up, it would be a fuck up witnessed by everyone. He didn’t want to disappoint his friends; particularly not Roxas.

But when Sora felt Roxas’s hand on his shoulder, giving it a light yet firm squeeze, his confidence swung back into place. There were no words as the two shared gazes, but the gesture and mutual smiles said all that needed to be said. Even with Roxas’s hand leaving the brunet’s shoulder, he could still feel the comforting weight as he and Fayt both stepped up on the platform.

“And here they are!” Biggs announced. “How about a round of applause for these two gentlemen starting this tournament off? Sora: The spunky newcomer who blew into Twilight Town like a storm! Versus Fayt: Our studious scholar with a flair of destruction!”

Alvin stood next to Biggs holding two Struggle Bats. “Good luck to ya, boys!” The man kindly told the boys, handing them their bats. “Keep it clean, and most importantly, have fun.” He winked.

“Thanks, Alvin,” Sora smiled, appreciative of the sentiments. Fayt seemed to as well with the polite nod he gave to the host. With Alvin and Biggs walking off the platform, Sora and Fayt were left facing each other from their respective sides with the hyped cheers of the crowd filling the background.

“Get’em, Sora!” Pence and Olette called from the audience. Fayt had some supporters of his own.

“You can do it, big brother!” A girl with long brown hair and green eyes called from behind Fayt’s side of the ring. She was joined by various others also cheering for the blue-haired boy.

“Fayt, right?” Sora began, making his opponent raise a brow inquiringly. He smiled brightly and raised a thumbs up. “Good luck!”

The taller boy’s expression softened with a friendly smirk. “Sora, was it? You, too. Let’s have a good match,” He spoke, breezily returning the other boy’s sentiments.

The two combatants simultaneously squared themselves into position: Sora with his standard two-handed grip, and Fayt positioning himself to the side as he also wielded his bat two-handed with the blade facing front.

“Wow! Feel that energy sizzle!” Biggs announced from his referee box. “These boys are ready to go! You know what that means! 3...2....1~~~?”

The crowd roared, “STRUGGLE!”

When the two combatants dashed at each other in the middle, the first thing Sora would learn was that Fayt was fast. Really fast.

As the two passed each other, Sora made the first thrust which Fayt parried with an upward slash. The brunet nearly stumbled but regained his footing in time to dodge a horizontal slash that would’ve caught his shoulder.

After executing a backflip, Sora dashed forward the minute his feet touched the surface and unleashed a series of combos at his opponent, while occasionally pausing to dodge the swift and sharp attacks Fayt made in turn. The blue-haired boy had made it a point to run in different directions to either put some distance or even to charge at Sora with an abrupt attack.

The brunet found himself to be primarily on the defensive; if he wasn’t blocking Fayt’s strikes, he was avoiding them. While Sora was able to attack every now and then, his moves were also deflected.

Both the crowd and even the announcers watched in silent awe how neither of the combatants had yet to sustain damage.

Eventually, Fayt had jumped into the air, the sun catching him at the right moment. Sora in his astonishment looked up, shielding his eyes with his free arm from the bright rays. For some reason, the brunet thought there was a dangerous and ethereal air to Fayt being that high up.

“Sora, look out!” Roxas urgently called from the crowd. That snapped Sora out of his daze as he quickly jumped into a dodging roll, evading Fayt’s plummeting strike in the nick of time.

However, just as he was about to stand from his crouched position, he glanced over his shoulder in realization that the blue-haired boy was right behind him.

Before Sora could react, he was caught by an aerial attack in the form of a swift and powerful downward strike that very nearly sent him to collapse onto the ground. “Gugh!”

Gasps were heard on the spectator front. Most, especially Roxas’s group looked anxious for Sora while others cheered for Fayt landing the first hit.

The brunet stumbled and shook his head to level himself, realizing to his dismay that some of his carried orbs had scattered from the attack. ‘Damn it!’ But just as Fayt was about to add on to his barrage, Sora pulled himself together and jumped up, taking the blue-haired boy by surprise with a horizontal slash.

“Wha-?!”

More gasps and cheers rang from the crowd as Fayt’s orbs were now also free for the taking.

“Well, look at that, folks!” Biggs commentated in excitement. “Fayt landed the first hit, but Sora came back with that smooth retaliation! Let’s just see who can grab the most orbs!”

Sora and Fayt both jerked their heads up at the mention of the orbs.

As per the rules, whoever had the most orbs when time runs out was declared the winner. Time was really of the essence here.

The boys glanced at each other before simultaneously making a dash for the orbs scattered at various spots on the platform. Neither could tell if they had collected more or less nor was there a way to check. All they knew was that they had to keep fighting.

Their bats got reacquainted with each other in the process and would clash again as they rounded back towards the middle of the arena.

A bead of sweat trailed down Sora’s face, a smile forming amidst his bated breath. “You’re... really good,” He panted.

Fayt, after taking a couple of breaths, smirked. “You’re not so bad yourself,” He replied.

They both jumped back before bolting back towards each other, unleashing their attacks at a fast and intense pace.

Sora was enjoying this, the nervousness of being watched had been muffled by the exhilarating rush from the fight. And from the constant grins and increasing vibrancy in Fayt’s green eyes, it was safe to determine he was having fun too.

Yes, there was a mutual respect for the others’ skills and fortitude found. But, alas, the match had to end sometime. And only one of them would emerge the victor.

Fayt was back in the air, intending to deliver his powerful diving strike. Sora dove and rolled away from the attack in time, briefly anticipating for his opponent to try to get the drop on him again. His guess would be proven correct as the blue-haired boy appeared right behind him.

Sora made a front roll in evading Fayt’s aerial slash and quickly turned to face his opponent, lunging forward.

Fayt would attempt to block Sora’s attack, only for the other boy to zip around him. The blue-haired boy’s eyes widened. “Huh?!” He whirled around, unable to react to the sudden slash that connected to his person. Orbs flew out and dropped all over the ground.

But, Sora wasn’t done yet. With his opponent stunned, the focused brunet unleashed a short yet effective combo that sent Fayt downward. The blue-haired boy managed to recover just as he was about to hit the ground, pushing off the surface to flip onto his feet.

Sora met Fayt back on ground level, the latter being the one getting pushed back in the flurry exchange of attacks.

The crowd watched in complete awe at the seemingly boundless energy discharged in the fight.

Fayt broke the clash and began dash to the side with Sora following after him. The blue-haired boy suddenly turned on his heel intending to catch Sora with a hard swing, but the smaller boy was fast to duck. Using this chance, Sora jumped back up with a slash that sent Fayt flying nearly off the platform.

Gasps were heard from the audience as the blue-haired boy twitched and shakily made to sit up, all the while still gripping his bat. Sora was panting from the exertion but upheld his battle position, prepared to continue to fight.

Alvin stood abruptly from the announcer’s side, waving his arms in a crossing motion as he called, “Time!”

It was over.

Biggs was joining in the applause as he walked onto the middle of the platform.

“What a fight, folks! Only the first match and I was already at the end of my seat! These boys just made me even more excited for the rest of the tournament, wouldn’t you all agree?” An affirming cheer coursed from the spectators. “And the winner of this match…” Biggs held one of Sora’s hands up in the air. “Is Sora!”

The crowd roared in applause at the result.

For a moment, Sora just stood there. He hadn’t even recognized his own name at first, having been under the hold of the residue adrenaline. However, once the fog lifted, it dawned on the brunet that he had indeed won. A huge grin then broke out on Sora’s face in rightful triumph.

He actually did it! He had won the first match! And against a tough opponent at that.

“Sora outright earned this win!” Biggs remarked to the audience. “This slippery little slugger brought it home with those incredible maneuvers! And Fayt fought well, too!”

Sora held his hand at the back of his head, feeling a little bashful at the audible praise soaring his way. He smiled and waved to the cheering crowd. He ran over to Fayt who was sitting up while he recovered.

“Hey, Fayt,” Sora said kindly as the blue-haired boy lifted his head up. He offered out his hand. “You okay? It was great fighting you. You really made me work for that win!” He chuckled.

Fayt amicably took the brunet’s hand and stood up. “Thanks,” He replied, not the least embittered to have lost. “I’ll admit, your skills are on another level.” The blue-haired boy sighed, placing his hands on his hips shaking his head. “Looks like I still have some work to do.” Nevertheless, he smiled at Sora. “Anyway, congrats on the win, Sora. I better see you get to the finals.”

“Thanks! I’ll do my best.”

The two shook hands amidst the crowd’s cheers. Biggs then approached placing a hand on Fayt’s shoulder. “You did well, Fayt. Thanks for showing us an awesome match.” He turned to Sora. “And you. You were simply incredible, Sora. Keep it up!”

Sora and Fayt smiled at each other one last time before going their separate ways. The brunet had more applause waiting for him when he re-joined Roxas and their friends. They ran up to him with their congratulations.

“Way to go, Sora!” Hayner jovially clapped a hand on Sora’s back.

“You were spectacular!” Olette added.

“Excellent job!” Pence grinned as he gave Sora a thumbs up.

Roxas smiled at Sora, his expression filled with palpable pride. “And you were shaking in your boots earlier,” He jested, giving the smaller boy’s shoulder a light nudge.

“Hey! Pre-game jitters are an actual thing, thank you very much!” Sora playfully huffed. Though, he blushed to be on the receiving end of the blond’s smile. He was thrilled to have won, but knowing he had made Roxas proud as well somehow made the victory feel all the more fulfilling.

“It’s time for us to get the second match going!” Biggs announced from the platform. “Roxas! Hayner! Come on up!”

The group collectively gaped in response to the match-up. Roxas then peered to his best friend who promptly met his gaze.

“Well,” Hayner began, forming a small smirk. “Guess it was bound to happen at some point.”

Roxas agreed. “But who would’ve guessed it would happen so soon?” He laughed. Despite the initial shock, the blond was enthused to face off against his best friend. After all, Hayner did exhibit his seriousness during their practice match. He knew they would both give their all.

Sora, Olette, and Pence wished the two friends luck before they stepped onto the platform, none of them showing any preference towards who would win.

But personally for Sora, as happy he would be for Hayner if he won, he didn’t want to see Roxas lose either.

On the way, Hayner patted Roxas’s shoulder. “Hey,” The sandy blond had lowered his voice, which was probably needless given the sounds of the bustling crowd. “You guys all good?” He looked from Sora to back at Roxas.

It didn’t take long for Roxas to decipher that his friend was referring to the state he and Sora were in yesterday. He glanced over at Sora who was talking with Olette and Pence and smiled. “Yeah,” He replied, his gaze still on the brunet. “I think we’re going to be just fine.”

“Glad to hear it, buddy,” Hayner patted his back with a grin. “How ‘bout we get this show on the road?”

Roxas smirked as they collected their bats from Alvin, fully ready for the match. “No hard feelings when you lose?” He quipped.

“Ha! I’ll try not to feel too bad when I win!”

Biggs grinned as he announced, “And here they are! Two best buddies squaring off!” He held out his arm towards Roxas’s side. “In this corner: this tough young man, who also happens to be my favorite customer, Roxas!” The crowd cheered.

‘Oh, I’m his favorite customer, now?’ Roxas thought sardonically. He’d been over the photo incident at this point, but the blond still thought it ironic that a few days ago, Biggs thought him to be a petty thief only to change his mind again afterward.

“And in this corner,” Biggs waved his arm towards Hayner’s side. “Underground favorite and local attitude problem: Hayner!” More cheers reverberated amongst the crowd.

The two friends smirked across from one another, more than geared up to go.

The countdown then commenced.

“It’s Roxas vs Hayner! And counting down! 3….2….1..?”

“STRUGGLE” The audience chorused.

Hayner ran at Roxas to deliver a powerful strike that the blond was quick to parry. Following up, Roxas jumped up and landed to deal a downward swing that Hayner managed to block, but left his grip faltering from the force.

Those in the audience watched in awe as the two well-known friends traded strikes and swings. Just like their practice round, Roxas noticed Hayner had indeed taken to putting up more of the defensive instead of just dealing as many hard blows as he could.

Hayner went in for a thrust, which Roxas dodged to the side to deliver another well aimed strike.

“Woah!” Hayner stumbled back. While he blocked the hit, the force of Roxas’s attack caused him to skid back a few feet.

Roxas was actually surprised himself. He knew all that practice had to amount to some payoff, he just didn’t expect it to be by this much.

Hayner was panting but grinned when the two clashed their bats. “Well, would you look at that!” He chuckled. “Neither of us have yet to take a hit!”

Roxas smirked. “That can be fixed,” He replied before following up with a swift slash. The blond quickly honed in on his best friend with vigorous combos, the latter barely able to counter with his own range of attacks.

Hayner jumped back and executed a wide arc club swing as means for a spinning attack when Roxas got near. However, Roxas leaped in the air, avoiding his friend’s bat just before it made contact with a speed that took the spectators by surprise.

Taking advantage of the opening Hayner’s attack granted him, Roxas flipped mid landing and dove with a barrage of viciously strong strikes.

At that moment, It was as if every instinct within the blond was filled with the surging desire to unleash sharp swings and slashes until his opponent couldn’t get back up.

“Gngh-!” Not getting the time to react, Hayner was caught and thrown back by Roxas’s torrential execution. Sounds of awe rumbled from the crowd as some of the sandy blond’s orbs scattered.

“Woah! Roxas got the first hit!” Biggs announced. Hayner managed to regain his footing while Roxas collected most of the orbs.

But Hayner wasn’t giving up just yet. His brows narrowing intently, he ran forward and jumped in an attempt to land in a strike, but Roxas jumped with the same increased velocity he perpetrated earlier.

The two swung and struck at each other as hard as they could on their way down. Roxas landed first, positioning himself in a crouch before shooting back up in the air at lightning speed. Hayner didn’t have a chance. The sandy blond teen had barely been able to process his friend’s movements before he was overwhelmed by a relentless air combo, which sent him hurling to the ground.

There was a collective gasp from the spectators as Hayner dropped onto the platform with an audible thud, his bat flying from his grip while more orbs dispersed themselves off his person. The boy appeared motionless lying on his back.

Roxas landed on his feet, immediately snapping out of his rush once it occurred to him that Hayner hadn’t gotten up.

Sora exchanged surprised and slightly concerned looks with Pence and Olette, the trio hoping Hayner wasn’t hurt too badly.

“Hayner!” Roxas called, now a little worried. ‘I….I didn’t overdo it, did I?’ He was about to run over to check on his best friend, when he heard a loud groan, much to his relief.

As for the referees and the rest of the audience, they were beyond elated by the match. The audience would be even more elated to hear the end results.

“Time!” Alvin called. Biggs ran onto the platform.

“And that’s that, folks! The winner of this round is Roxas!” Biggs held Roxas’s arm up, much to the cheers of the crowd. “Not even friendship can keep this kid down! And Hayner put up a good fight, too!”

Roxas grinned and waved, taking a moment to relish in the high of victory. He spotted Olette and Hayner clapping and cheering with the audience, as well as Sora looking his way with a broad grin on his face. Roxas smiled back at the brunet, feeling his heart do a flip at his friend’s excitement.

After a few moments of staring the whole time like a dope, Roxas ran over to Hayner who was still sprawled on the ground.

“Aw, man! I lost!” Hayner groaned out before accepting Roxas’s help in getting back on his feet. “I guess I taught you well,” He joked, scratching the back of his head.

“I had a lot of fun fighting you,” Roxas smiled. Hayner grinned as well before turning away with a mock huff.

“Yeah? Well, I didn’t, wise guy,” He grouched, crossing his arms. Though, it was clear he was joking. Mostly, at least.

Roxas laughed and patted his best friend’s shoulder. “Hey, why don’t we find a way to cheer you up?”

Hayner smirked. “Is the chicken suit an option?” He chortled at the disgruntled shift in Roxas’s countenance and received a punch to the arm. The quipping atmosphere gave way to a more genuine tone. “You and Sora go wipe the floor with those guys!” Hayner held out his fist for the other blond to bump.

Roxas smiled, getting over his buddy’s little crack. “Thanks, Hayner. We intend to,” He said, returning the fist bump.

On their way towards their friends, the boys were passing Seifer who had been called up for the next round. Instead of being psyched like the others, the Disciplinary Committee leader was wearing his usual scowl.

“Out of my way,” Seifer coldly said, brushing past Hayner.

However, instead of rising to his rival’s bait as he usually would, Hayner just turned around and smirked at Seifer’s back. “In a hurry to lose?” He taunted.

Meanwhile, Roxas jolted upon noticing that Vivi was standing, eerily silent at that, in his path. Roxas felt a shiver crawl up his spine as the squatty boy slowly lifted his gaze staring (whether at him or through him, the blond honestly couldn’t tell).

“R-Ro...xas….” Vivi’s voice sounded airy and pinched, which was very unlike the usually vocal boy. Roxas couldn’t help but be a little perturbed.

“Oh, hey,” Roxas greeted rather awkwardly. Maybe it was just nerves. After all, Vivi was about to face his own mentor who also outclassed him in experience. “Um….good luck.” What else could he say to one of his perceived enemies?

Though, Vivi didn’t seem to acknowledge the attempted words of encouragement and proceeded to walk past the taller boy.

Roxas looked on for a few seconds before rejoining his friends in the audience. Like Sora, the blond was hit with all kinds of expressions of congrats from their group.

“Way to go, Roxas!” Pence praised.

Olette patted Hayner on his shoulder. “You did good, Hayner,” She consoled.

Sora was smiling wide at Roxas. “You were great out there, Rox!” The brunet congratulated his friend.

“Thanks!” Roxas smiled bashfully, placing a hand behind his head. However, his expression became unsettled upon noticing that Vivi was staring in his direction from the platform the entire time instead of facing his opponent.

“Don’t mess with your elders,” Seifer barked, grabbing Vivi’s attention back towards him. From the unsympathetic look on the young man’s face, he didn’t appear bothered in the slightest about facing his own student and notoriously weakest member of his group.

“What’s up with him?” Sora asked Roxas in a confused manner, not missing that Vivi had been staring either. The blond just shook his head.

“I really don’t know,” Roxas answered. “I’d say he’s just nervous, but he doesn’t look it.” From what he witnessed of Vivi before, the squatty boy would be shivering or hiding behind someone or something in this type of situation. Here, he was just unusually calm.

Sora frowned, starting to get more curious himself on what was going on with the shorter boy. While the brunet wasn’t as familiar with Vivi as Roxas was, he did notice upon a second glance that his aura wasn’t as timid as the other day. “Maybe he just has his game face on,” Sora suggested. “Confidence is key, right?”

Key...Sora froze upon reminding himself what happened the other day. He had used that key shaped sword, the Keyblade, like Roxas did!

“Roxas!” Sora urgently put his hand on Roxas’s shoulder, making the blond turn to him in surprise. “There’s something I gotta tell you-!”

The brunet didn’t get to finish as the crowd’s gasps caused both boys to glimpse back onto the arena. What was occurring left Roxas completely flabbergasted.

Vivi was charging and striking at Seifer with a speed and dexterity that many couldn’t believe. Seifer himself was jumping back to evade, barely able to deflect his student’s unexpectedly swift moves.

“When did Vivi get so good?!” Hayner remarked, face ladened in complete disbelief.

Roxas shook his head, also wondering just where the hell this newfound strength Vivi was exhibiting came from.

The group was so entranced with the battle in front of them, no one noticed Sora slipping away towards the leader board, one hand on his head with his expression twisted in a pained wince.

Sora had been receiving those headaches again, as well as flashes of events that were unrecognizable yet at the same time achingly familiar.

“Hey, Alvin?” Sora got the host’s attention as he approached.

Alvin turned to the boy. “What is it, Sora?” He asked, his expression concerned at Sora’s disheartened face.

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

Seifer’s brows narrowed as he was practically backed to the edge by Vivi’s fast and relentless assault.

Despite the internal disconcertion that his subordinate was actually matching him step for step, the blond kept his cool, concentrating on blocking the surprisingly precise blows.

He was agitated to be cornered into the defensive, but even he had to admit this wasn’t going to be as easy as he initially perceived.

Seifer eventually caught Vivi off-guard and knocked him back with a harsh swing. A single blue orb fell to the ground.

The blond ran for it under the guise his win was secured. “You’re mine!”

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A look of surprise came over Alvin when Sora told him what was up.

“Are you sure?” The host asked, receiving a tired and crestfallen nod. “Alright then.” Alvin accepted in a sympathetic manner. “Take it easy, son.”

“Thanks, Alvin,” Sora smiled slightly in appreciation for his understanding.

The crowd gasped as Seifer was knocked to the ground. Vivi had quickly recovered his orb and spun in the air with a direct and harsh swing onto his mentor, his orbs scattering onto the ground.

Roxas and the gang could only watch in shock as Seifer twitched in an attempt to get back up, but was ultimately unable to move.

Biggs looked stunned when he announced with a slight stutter, “I...I don’t know what just happened, but the winner is Vivi!” The crowd had gotten over their initial shock and cheered, whereas the victor himself silently walked off the platform, not even bothering to go check on Seifer. Roxas couldn’t help noting that was extremely out of character for the shorter boy.

Seifer would be helped up by Fuu and Rai instead. Of course, their leader didn’t look at all happy once he recovered. Nonetheless, the blond stepped off the platform without a word.

Roxas was still watching Vivi who just stood stoically off the platform waiting for the next match to start. The blond’s weird feeling concerning Vivi was growing more justified with every minute.

“That’s not Vivi.”

Roxas snapped his attention towards Seifer who was walking past with Fuu and Rai. “Thrash him,” The taller blond had simply said before leaving the area.

Hayner had asked Alvin what the leader board looked like now that Seifer and Vivi’s match was done.

“Well,” Alvin began after having finished updating the bracket. “Seifer had just withdrawn from third place. So, it looks like that rank belongs to you, now, Hayner.”

The dirty blond teen looked like he was told he won an infinite supply of ice cream. “I’m in third?!” He exclaimed, pumping his fist in full-on glee. “Aw, baby!” Though, he instantly paused upon remembering something. “Wait...I’m in third?” Hayner’s triumph shifted to confusion.

Roxas was bewildered as well. “But, what about-”

“I’m afraid Sora had to withdraw from the competition as well,” Alvin informed regretfully, leaving both boys stunned. “Poor kid didn’t look so good. Could you guys check on him when you get the chance?”

Alarm bells sounded in Roxas’s head. Sora was getting sick again? He glanced all around the Sandlot, not spotting his friend in sight. ‘Where’d he go….?’ He thought with concern running high.

Next thing Roxas knew, he was being ushered up onto the arena to face Vivi who was already waiting for him with his bat in hand. That’s right, it was the semi-finals now. Which meant whoever won this round would face Setzer immediately after.

Roxas gave a frustrated glare. He wanted to go look for Sora. But he would have to deal with this first. The blond positioned himself, facing his opponent. The teen tried to maintain a level of calmness, knowing after witnessing how Vivi took out Seifer from earlier that this wasn’t going to be a quick fight.

Blond brows twitched as Vivi maintained that indifferent stance with his attention squarely on Roxas.

The teen barely listened to Bigg’s opening commentary and the commencement for the match to begin. It was when Vivi darted forward did Roxas get his signal to act.

“Woah!” Roxas fortunately dove out of the way of Vivi’s down swing, the bat somehow looking enlarged for that split second. ‘The fuck was that?’ He wondered incredulously, as he followed up with a thrust that his opponent spun in the air away from.

However, Roxas would manage to knock Vivi away when the latter rounded on him again in a strike, scattering some of the other combatant’s orbs.

Great! He ran in collecting the dropped orbs. So far so good-

Roxas jumped back as Vivi’s Struggle bat slammed on the ground. The blond winced; that impact sounded like it actually cracked the cement. Vivi swooped up the remaining orbs upon jumping into a relentless onslaught.

Just like Seifer before him, Roxas was forced on the defensive with his opponent attacking him left and right.

Sweat rolled down the side of the blond’s face. ‘He might actually be right. This can’t be Vivi…!’ If Seifer had gotten knocked out from one hit, Roxas didn’t want to imagine what that would do to him.

There was little room for him to run since Vivi kept closing the distance in his attacks. Thankfully, Roxas was holding his ground, managing to ward off the other combatant’s blows.

Suddenly, Vivi flipped backwards and spun through the air in a vortex-like formation, his bat colliding directly with Roxas’s chest, throwing the teen down with his orbs scattering. Roxas coughed out as he lay sprawled on the ground. He felt his head ringing and saw double. “Shit…” His teeth clenched in pain.

“Roxas!!!!”

Hearing his friends’ cries got Roxas to regain enough focus to roll sideways, just avoiding another deadly downswing from his opponent’s bat.

Roxas staggered to his knees and shook his head. He stood back up, relieved to have reclaimed some of his orbs during that evasive maneuver. Roxas wasn’t sure how much time was left, but he was geared to give it all he got up to the end.

Taking a deep breath, Roxas dashed towards Vivi, this time circling around the shorter boy when the latter threw a swing. The blond managed to catch Vivi off guard in a counterattack from the side, fortunately earning him more orbs to collect.

‘I might have a chance!’ Roxas thought, feeling more confident about getting the pattern to his opponent’s maneuvers down.

The fight was tipping more into Roxas’s favor as he committed to the strategy of circling Vivi every time he was mid-strike, granting him the opportunities to land his own attacks.

After what felt like hours of sliding and bats clashing, the two combatants landed across from each other.

Roxas panted out before charging towards Vivi, the shorter boy just standing there. Roxas spared no thought of it, more focused on delivering what he hoped would be the final blow in this match. But before he could deliver the swing, everything went still.

“What-?” The blond scanned his surroundings with bewilderment. It was like the last few times; everyone was literally frozen in place sans himself and Vivi…

Or should he say, not Vivi.

A bright aura surrounded the boy, shedding the disguise of what was revealed to be the creature in white!

Roxas stumbled back in clear startlement as more of the same monsters manifested all around him. “Not again!” He tensed. Panic rumbled inside him; he needed to find Sora. He wasn’t safe with those creeps prowling around!

He glared when he saw the heavy hilt of the Keyblade in his grip. Of course. Same old song and dance.

The blond lept towards the enemies, Key raised, actively destroying each one within his line of sight. ‘Please be safe, Sora…’

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sora sighed out as laid his head back against the small shop he sat against.

He was a little bum about dropping out of the competition, but he had to admit to himself he wasn’t in the best condition to continue.

The Tram Commons was devoid of activity at this time due to everyone spectating the tournament. This development proved beneficial for Sora wanting to find a quiet place to deal with his headache, and maybe allow himself to breathe for just a little while.

He also didn’t want Roxas to worry. Sora knew this tournament meant a lot to his friend and wanted to lessen any distractions for him if possible.

Besides, there was a lot to process. He promised he’d follow his own advice and pay closer attention to these flashes. The feeling he was missing something important hadn’t exactly gone away, and the accumulation of the visions wasn’t helping to ease his perturbation.

Sora’s musings came to a blockade when he noticed long white objects dropping in the distance. He scrambled to his feet upon realizing they were landing in the Sandlot.

Blue eyes became huge. That was where Roxas was! “Oh no!” Those ghost monsters must have appeared again!

He had to go back. Sora spotted a skateboard near him and grabbed it, quickly rolling towards the Sandlot. “Hang in there, Roxas…” He murmured whilst picking up as much speed he could kick.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The last of the creatures were obliterated, leaving Roxas to huff from the exertion as he checked his surroundings. Everyone around the teen remained stock-still.

That is, minus the sound of clapping behind him. The blond whirled around.

“All right, Roxas. Fight fight fight,” A tall male figure donning a particular black coat smoothly praised, carrying a tone of amazement that somehow sounded mocking and sincere at the same time.

Roxas tensed. How’d this guy know his name? And that outfit! It was the same black coat that guy from yesterday was wearing! “You!” The blond pointed the Keyblade accusingly at the taller male. “You’re that guy from yesterday!” The memory of Sora crumpled on the ground with the stranger standing over him made his blood boil.

“Huh?” The hooded male’s head flinched back in what appeared to convey genuine confusion. “Not sure what you mean, Roxas.”

He reached up to lower his hood. “I only just got here.” The individual was a young man with spiky flaming red hair and bold green eyes. One distinctive feature was the black upside-down tears tattooed under his eyes.

Strangely, Roxas felt a sense of familiarity the minute he saw his face.

“It’s me: Axel,” The redhead identified himself, giving Roxas an expectant and slightly hopeful gaze.

Roxas was taken back. “Axel…?” The name didn’t ring any bells, but a knock in his head elicited that same vague sense of familiarity once he heard it.

“You really don’t remember,” Axel sighed, scratching the back of his head. “Talk about “blank” with a capital B. Even the Dusks aren’t gonna crack this one.”

Roxas was starting to get frustrated. “What are you talking about?” He demanded. “Tell me what’s going on!” He wasn’t in the mood for any riddle talk.

Axel glanced around. “This town is his creation right?” In an instant, bursts of flames were conjured in his stretched-out hands, forming into circular red weapons covered with silver spikes at the ends. Roxas stepped back, feeling a fight coming on. “So we don’t have time for a Q & A. You’re coming with me, conscious or not. Then you’ll hear the whole story.” He shifted into a combative stance, flipping his weapons in his hands.

Roxas’s brows furrowed as a growl rumbled in his throat. The redhead spoke like it was going to be that simple. Well, jokes on him; Roxas wasn’t going anywhere with that guy. Not willingly, he might add.

Axel paused, having heard a rolling sound from behind. He turned and flicked one of the disks at the skateboard that came flying towards him, incinerating it into dust. “Wha-?” He growled at the sudden interference, only to look back at a certain brunet flipping over him and landing next to Roxas.

“Sora!” Roxas regarded Sora with surprise but was mostly relieved the other boy was alright.

Sora smiled back at his friend, also glad to find the other okay. “Sorry I’m late,” He said a bit sheepishly before gearing his sight on Axel.

Axel’s face darkened for a brief moment before relaxing with a smirk. “Yo, Sora,” He casually waved as if greeting a past acquaintance. “Long time no see.”

Sora flinched hearing Axel utter his name so nonchalantly. “Roxas…” He kept his sight on the redhead. “Who is this guy?”

Roxas shook his head, his grip on the keyblade tightening. “No clue. But, he’s definitely no friend.”

“But I am, Roxas,” Axel insisted, almost sadly. And perhaps with a tinge of desperation. “Your best friend.” The blond just continued to glare. He was clearly not convinced despite the faint tug in his heart. Sora was quiet, looking between his friend and the stranger.

Axel just sighed, dropping his head before lifting it back up with a smirk. “You know, two against one isn’t all that fair.” Gloved fingers snapped with a horde of the ghost enemies promptly appearing around Sora and Roxas. “How about we even the odds a little?” Axel retained his stance intending to pick back up where he left off.

Roxas and Sora were back to back in their fight positions as the blank enemies surrounded them. “Oh great! And how is this fair?” Roxas growled. His eyes widened as one of Axel’s weapons spun towards them like a deadly frisbee. “Sora, Look out-!” He tackled Sora to the ground, narrowly avoiding the flaming projectile. He quickly rolled them away as the creatures tried to jump on them, keeping one grip still on the Keyblade while the other was secured around the brunet’s waist.

Roxas swatted the persistent creatures away, still holding onto Sora. The brunet shook himself out of the fleeting dizziness from the roll and cast Fire to ward the enemies off enough for them to get back on their feet.

“Sora,” Roxas breathed as he slashed away some of the enemies slipping near. “You gotta-” Another slash. “You need to get out of here!”

“Say what?!” Sora panted incredulously. “Are you crazy?! I’m not leaving you here!” He evaded a strike from a noodly arm aimed for his neck before retaliating with more fire magic.

“This guy is bad news!” Roxas glanced towards Axel. The redhead had mysteriously disappeared, but it was reasonable to assume he was still around watching. Waiting. “I can’t let you get hurt!”

“What happened to sticking together?!” Sora countered. The two were practically arguing while in the middle of fighting off these monsters whose persistence could be compared to flies. “Huh?! This is the worst time to be on your own!”

“Damn it, Sora!”

“Damn it, Roxas! I can help you!” Sora puffed, continuing to blast the creatures on his end. “You know I can!”

Roxas growled frustratingly. “I don’t want your help!” At Sora’s hurt look, the blond quickly continued, “I want you Safe!”

Sora’s heart thumped in his chest at the proclamation. He blushed but immediately reminded himself of the situation at hand. The brunet refocused on firing his magic at the advancing horde. “Well, you know what?” He ducked a spearing arm. “So do I!” He pulled his arm back. “Neither of us will be safe if these goons get their way! You need me! So get over it!”

Roxas stared in awe when the enemies were slammed back by a fierce gust, blond spikes drifting left and right in the subsiding wind. He then looked at Sora who puffed out some air while lowering his hand. “...Okay. I’m over it.”

A smile lifted on Sora’s lips just before they were thrown back into the battle.

The horde seemed to grow in aggression as the boys were forced onto opposite sides of the platform while fighting the enemies.

Sora had picked up a random Struggle bat that happened to have been laying on the side and managed to blow his horde back with a swing, only for more to instantly spawn. The brunet saw Roxas taking out his horde with ease, but new enemies kept drizzling in like rain.

Sora was getting worried; most of the creatures were flanking around Roxas.

Acting almost automatically, Sora drew his bat back, letting it fly.

“Wha-?!” Roxas whipped around as a bright light flashed, the keyblade spinning like a boomerang, curving around and cutting through the enemies on both sides.

The blond would be even more dumbfounded when the key apparated back in Sora’s hand, just as it did with him. His eyes widened in shock. “Sora…?”

For a moment, things had gone quiet. Sora stood from his crouched position, looking down at the Keyblade with muted unsettledness. Roxas walked over, that same perturbed stare glued on his face at the sight of Sora also wielding the keyblade.

The two slowly held their swords up almost at the same exact time. They were exactly the same; from the length to the shape and mouse-head charm. There was no mistake about it, they held the same exact blade.

Roxas’s gaze drifted back to Sora in disbelief, whereas Sora faced him with dismay and guilt wrapped in a single package.

“What…What’s going on?” There was a shake in Roxas’s voice, manifesting that same fear and anger from yesterday back to fruition.

“Roxas-”

“What’s going ON?!”

Sora flinched as the keyblade Roxas held was thrown to the ground in pure frustration. The force sent the sword skittering along the surface.

However, the brunet snapped out of his frozen state, reminding himself he wasn’t the only one frazzled about the whole thing too. He dropped the key in the process of grabbing the taller boy’s shoulders. “Roxas…” Sora looked to him pleadingly.

Roxas sharply lifted his head but was pacified when his eyes landed on Sora.

No, he wasn’t going to do that again. He wasn’t going to lose himself and lash out at his friend a second time. Sora didn’t deserve it.

He closed his eyes allowing a few seconds to collect himself. “I’m okay, Sora,” He assured upon opening his eyes again. Of course, his concern over the two keyblades still lingered. Just what was the deal with these Keys?

“Number 13. Roxas,” The boys immediately turned towards Axel who calmly stepped forward and in their area of focus. “The Keyblade’s chosen one.” He smirked as he directed his attention onto Sora. “Or should I say…one of its chosen ones?” Sora was silent, but his brows were creased with clear unease.

“You mean you didn’t tell him?” Axel’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “Kind of a big secret to keep from your buddy don’t you think, Sora? What else have you been keeping from him?” The brunet just looked down.

“Hey!”

Sora’s head snapped up to see Roxas holding his arm out protectively in front of him. “This is between you and me, right?” The blond growled at Axel, the Keyblade summoned back in his possession.

Axel smirked, readying the flaming disks in his hands. “As a matter of fact, it is,” He affirmed. “Which is why we can’t have him around.” The redhead promptly tossed his weapons at Sora, but was swiftly intercepted by Roxas slashing them away.

All the energy Roxas thought he lost had spontaneously repleted and more the minute Axel attacked Sora. He was now running on pure protective anger and adrenaline.

“Big mistake,” Roxas snarled, resuming his fighting stance. It was one thing for this creep to target him. But trying to hurt Sora? It was on.

Axel shook his head. “The only mistake is you staying here, Roxas. I’m actually doing you a favor!” He attempted once more to appeal to the one he called his best friend. “Listen to me, Roxas! You gotta come back!” But, the shorter boy wasn’t hearing any of it. The redhead sighed out and readied his weapons.

He supposed he should’ve expected this.

Sora found himself confronted with more of the expandable enemies. The keyblade had long reappeared in hand, as well as the same painful jolt in his head from yesterday. But, he could still fight. He had to.

“I’ve got Axel,” Roxas told Sora, the two back to back facing their respective enemies. “You good on his pets?”

Sora nodded. “Be careful, Roxas.”

Roxas nodded as well. But before Sora sprang off, he stopped him by grabbing his free hand. The brunet peered over quizzically and perhaps a little pink-cheeked feeling the warm hand against his. “Sora…” The blond sighed, still facing away. “It’s not you,” Roxas softly said, looking over his shoulder. “I promise.” His lips arched in a faint but genuine smile.

Sora’s chest felt warm while a cool stream of reassurance washed over him. He didn’t need to mull over what Roxas meant. He knew.

Roxas glared facing Axel. What was said was true; his anger wasn’t on Sora.

“Let’s see if you still got it,” Axel flew at Roxas with a slash of his spiked disk.

Roxas dodged and followed with a counterattack which Axel darted from. He had a moment of surprise seeing Axel already on the other side of the platform. So the guy was fast and flammable. This could not have ended well.

But as the fight progressed, Roxas would actually find himself fighting pretty well against the pyro. He prioritized dodging around Axel when the former’s weapons flew at him in a trail of fire, knocking him back before the disks could return to their user.

Axel growled whilst skidding back. “Let’s see how you handle this!” He crossed his arms to charge up more power before hurling them towards Roxas again. “Burn!” The disks spun around each other in a huge fire wheel.

“Woah!” Roxas cried out in surprise as the flames were extinguished by a wind barrier surrounding him, also stopping the disks from touching him. He glanced over at Sora, the brunet pointing the keyblade in his direction, and smiled in thanks. Sora smiled back before concentrating on his own battle.

Axel’s face hardened as he sent his disks flying once again.

The blond back flipped and quickly deflected both disks, sending them back. Axel was unprepared for the speed of his weapons deviating back towards him, crying out when one grazed his arm, the spikes and fire tearing through the fabric of his coat sleeve making it bleed.

Axel raised his head back up to see Roxas lunged at him, lifting his other arm up in time to block the strike to his face only to stagger from the force before being knocked back by an aggressive combo.

The redhead got back to his feet. He panted, holding his side as he stared the two teens across from him down.

The still atmosphere was permeated with pants from both sides.

With the aches and strain spreading through him, Axel was forced to concede to the fact his retrieval attempt had failed. He let out an angered sigh. A dark vortex opened from behind the redhead. Sora and Roxas recognized it being the same one the stranger from yesterday used.

“That kid’s gonna be your downfall, Roxas,” Axel warned, a finger pointed sharply at Sora. “Just thought you should know.” He donned a faint smirk before vanishing completely.

In the blink of an eye, everything was back into motion. The townsfolk cheered and moved like normal. But the boys’ unsettlement remained.

Roxas stared in silence at the spot Axel previously stood with fists clenched at his sides. Sora gazed at his friend in worry. “Roxas…”

Roxas met the other’s gaze. However, Biggs’s announcement swerved the boys’ attention to where Vivi was lying facedown on the ground. Fortunately, it was the real Vivi this time.

“Woah! It looks like Vivi is down for the count!”

“Huh…?” Vivi stirred. “How did I get here?” He wondered after getting back up. The boy appeared confused and unable to remember what happened. But he eventually shrugged and waddled off to catch up to Seifer.

Meanwhile, Hayner, Pence, and Olette hopped on the platform to join the two boys.

“Roxas, you won!” Hayner laughed, giving Roxas’s shoulder a light punch. He directed his gaze to Sora in concern. “Hey, where’ve you been, Sora?”

Sora almost winced. “Um…”.

“Are you feeling any better?” Olette asked kindly, having heard he wasn’t feeling well. Sora didn’t have time to answer as the referee called for everyone’s attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Biggs announced. “Our new top Struggler is Roxas!” The crowd went wild.

Roxas, however, wasn’t sharing much of the excitement. He was still silent after the encounter with Axel and those ghastly creatures.

“Setzer!!!”

The aforementioned champion himself waved a hand, basking in the swoons and reverence from his adoring fans who were chanting his name.

The group looked back to Roxas whose thoughts were somewhere else.

“Huh?” Roxas snapped his head up once it dawned that everyone was trying to talk to him.

“Roxas! It’s starting!” Olette informed.

“It’s just you and Setzer now!” Pence excitedly chimed in.

“Weren’t you listening?” Hayner laughed in jest. “Were you asleep or something?”

Roxas, unfortunately, wasn’t in much of a joking mood. But since he made it this far, he knew he had to power through the title match.

Sora looked worryingly at Roxas. The brunet wasn’t jumping around either, being aware of the reason for the blond’s pensive mood.

Alvin gave a last-minute pep to the two finalists once they stepped onto the arena. Setzer looked smugly confident as usual, whereas Roxas barely paid attention to the host’s comments.

“You two, play fair now,” Alvin reminded them. “You’re at the top of the bracket.”

Setzer smirked in response. “There’s only room for one up here,” He smoothly rested the bat’s blade on his shoulder.

“Well,” The host let out a slight awkward chuckle at Setzer’s hubris. “May the best man win.” Truth be told, Alvin felt it was about time a new champion was declared. Setzer had obviously been way too complacent in his consecutive winning streak.

When Alvin walked off, Setzer approached the still silent Roxas to offer a “deal”. “Say, Rucksack. How’s about you throw the match for me?” The silver haired man proposed.

Sora, having heard Setzer’s bartering attempt, towards him. “Roxas! Don’t listen to him!”

“Roxas! Focus!” Hayner called.

Roxas returned to focus almost immediately. He stared Setzer down with defiant disregard of his opponent’s proposition.

“Let me win, and I’ll make it worth your while,” The taller man offered once more.

Roxas bared his teeth. He was already in a bad mood, and Setzer’s patronizing didn’t help matters. “Shove it!” He snapped with his stance becoming even fiercer.

“It all comes down to this!” Biggs announced with full anticipation. “Roxas, our underdog hero, versus Setzer, our defending champion! The winner of this match will be the true champion! That’s bragging rights for a whole year, folks!”

Setzer’s smirk stayed in place. “Whatever you think is right, you’re wrong,” He taunted. “And that is a big mistake.”

Roxas had sprung the second the countdown reached zero. As of now, he didn’t feel the sporting exhilaration that came with partaking in his favorite sport; he just wanted to get it over with.

Setzer, on the other hand, didn’t appear to be taking this seriously. He stayed where he was letting out a laugh. “Are you scared of me-” He was promptly cut off upon receiving a whack to the face with his carried orbs scattering about. The crowd’s gasping and “ooooo’s” spread like a wildfire in the background.

Setzer stumbled back with one hand to his face. For a flash of a second, he appeared taken back. However, he was able to recover, eyes narrowing as Roxas came towards him. “So, that’s how it’s going to be?” He raised his bat pointing straight up.

Setzer managed to block Roxas’s following attack and tried to parry, but the shorter male was faster. Moving out of the way, the blond unleashed a vicious combo that nearly emptied Setzer’s orb count.

However, the established champion was committed to going all-in with his chips.

Roxas momentarily lost track of Setzer when the latter jumped back amongst the scattering orbs. A few seconds later, the opposing combative spun forward in a stabbing motion caught Roxas with the tip of his blade, collecting some released orbs as he passed.

“And that’s checkmate!” Setzer called triumphantly. Roxas growled, retrieving some of his lost orbs as he sprinted over. The blond whipped his arm back and brought it forward, deflecting Setzer’s step swing before he unleashed one of his own.

Thrust.

Strike.

Left, right.

Up, down.

Every combo Roxas executed made contact. Orbs were flying everywhere. And at the final hit, Setzer fell to the ground.

“Time!” Alvin stood up making the call for the match’s end. There was no mistake who the victor was.

Even Setzer, who was staggering his feet, had to acknowledge it. “I’m not supposed to lose…” He strained, too deep in ache to express any anger at his unforeseen defeat.

Roxas panted out silent breaths as it finally dawned on him what this meant.

“Roxas!!! Roxas!!! Roxas!!!”

The chants and cheers from the town rang in his ears. ‘I…I won? I won?’

“Ladies and gentlemen! Our new champion is Roxas!!!” Biggs was heard declaring to everyone.

As Alvin came forward with both the Champion’s Belt and marble trophy, Roxas’s look of confused disbelief changed into that of widening joy. ‘I WON!’

“Great show, Roxas!” Alvin congratulated wearing a proud smile. He held the belt out for Roxas to take, which the blond held it up in commemoration of this indeed hard-earned victory.

Setzer, after recovering from the absolute beating he took, strode off with whatever remained of his dignity in tack. He pivoted around, pointing sharply as he was about to say something. But he held his tongue as Roxas’s friends shouted celebratory praises the blond’s way. The new boy Sora flashing the largest smile of the bunch.

The former champion looked on, witnessing Roxas being all smiles and surrounded by proud friends and acquaintances alike, before continuing to walk away with his coattails flowing behind him.

Sora was indeed incredibly happy for Roxas. The brunet couldn’t be any producer if he tried. After everything that happened so far, he was glad something had worked out in his friend’s favor.

Though, as the gang marveled over the prizes Roxas had won, especially the crystal trophy, Sora was met with Roxas facing him with a serious expression. The blond tilted his head in the direction pointing towards the Station.

Sora nodded, understanding what Roxas was asking of him. He guessed that talk had to occur sometime.

“Man! This is awesome!” Hayner gazed at the trophy in awe. “This is one for the record books! Eh, Roxas?” He grinned, only for his face to be filled with confusion when both Roxas and Sora had vanished. “Guys?” He, Olette, and Pence looked around.

Meanwhile, Sora and Roxas quietly departed from the Sandlot in heading towards the Station Tower.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The boys sat side by side on the Station Tower in complete silence for a while. Unsure where to begin with this conversation.

“So…” Roxas eventually spoke, his eyes still pointed ahead. “That’s what you wanted to tell me.” The blond would admit, seeing the Keyblade in Sora’s hands had him shaken for inexplicable reasons. But, he could see that Sora was just as bewildered as him.

Sora nodded to Roxas’s question, looking down nervously at his lap. “I know. Not a good start after promising to be more honest about things.”

Roxas let out a sigh but ultimately waved it off. “Well, a lot of stuff was happening at once, so I can see where you’d get sidetracked.” The corner of his mouth tugged a lopsided smile.

Sora smiled back, though it was short-lived as he was met with many unanswered questions that popped up since that encounter with Axel. “Roxas, about that guy from earlier. Axel, right?”

Roxas frowned. “What about him?” He asked flatly.

“I…don’t think he was the same one as yesterday.”

Roxas raised a brow inquisitively. “Are you sure?” He had reason to believe the pyro user was the same guy considering he wore the same black coat and everything. But then again, they never saw the face of yesterday’s hooded figure. “That would mean there are more of them…” He groaned. That must have been what Naminé warned him about earlier.

“How many of them do you think there are?” Sora felt a shiver crawl up his spine. He had the same nagging feeling as Roxas that there was something abundantly more sinister about the person, or people, in those black coats.

Roxas shook his head. “Not sure. But if they’re anything like that Axel guy…We might be dealing more trouble than we counted on.” He sighed.

Sora bit his lip, his hands balling on his lap. “Even so,” He began after taking a breath. “I got your back, Roxas.” He smiled at the other. “We’ve been able to power through some sticky messes.”

Roxas smiled back. “Yeah, we have. And you know I got your back.” He lightly nudged the brunet. Even with these moments of adversity thrown their way, the boys have been able to bounce back together. Their bond hadn’t been frayed, it was actually growing stronger.

“You know, Axel was talking like he knows you. Are you sure you don’t know him?” Sora asked.

Roxas frowned. “Positive. Not sure how he even knows my name.”

“He said he’s your best friend.” The brunet couldn’t miss the look of hurt that crossed Axel’s face at that time.

“Yeah right,” Roxas scoffed. “What kind of friend goes around attacking people?” Not to mention the fact the redhead tried to attack Sora on top of his kidnap attempt on Roxas.

Sora didn’t know how to reply to that. Yeah, Axel was a pretty dangerous person in a fight, but there had also been a trace of anguish and desperation muddled in the pyro’s actions that made Sora wonder if he wasn’t exactly bullshitting as they had thought.

But Roxas didn’t look too eager to continue discussing the red haired teen, so Sora didn’t push. He rummaged through his brain trying to look for something else to talk about, but thankfully Roxas would do it for him.

“There’s something I’ve been needing to tell you too, Sor,” Roxas spoke, his voice serious. “Yesterday, I met this girl. Naminé.”

“Naminé?” That was a name Sora couldn’t help but feel a pang of familiarity from hearing.

Roxas nodded. “She actually helped me find you yesterday,” He informed. “You know, after…well, everything.” He lowered his head in guilt, but Sora’s assuring hand on his shoulder reminded him they were all good now.

The blond shared all that occurred from when he first met the white cladded girl. “She actually came by again this morning when you were still asleep to check on us.”

“She sounds really nice,” Sora remarked. From what Roxas told of Naminé, she seemed like a sweet girl and really came through for them. “I’d like to meet her.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for, too,” Roxas directed his gaze back to Sora’s. “I think she could actually help us.” He took the smaller boy’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “And maybe with your memories too.”

Sora squeezed Roxas’s hand back at the possibility they might uncover something regarding his past. He had been feeling lost in the fog of uncertain familiarity that rippled through his mind for a while now. The brunet was ready to trust this Naminé just as Roxas had.

Sora was really touched by Roxas’s immense willingness to help him. In fact, the blond’s overall presence made him feel he was safe and sound. Even his touch felt warm.

Speaking of touch. Both boys looked down to realize they were still holding hands. However, they weren’t in a hurry to break the hold. Blue gazes met once again, holding it for some time as if waiting for something to happen.

What were they expecting?

Neither really knew.

“Told you they’d be up here!”

The boys detached, albeit reluctantly, their hands setting them back on their laps. Hayner, Pence, and Olette arrived and promptly took their spots at the Tower’s edge. The trio had previously been looking around for Sora and Roxas when they disappeared.

“You left this behind,” Hayner handed the Struggle trophy over to Roxas joking, “Don’t want Setzer stealing it back.”

“Whoops,” Roxas laughed it off. “That would’ve sucked.” He held the elaborate yet weightless trophy up, the sun’s light reflecting off of the colorful marbles. A symbol of victory in the palm of his hands.

Of course, this symbol wasn’t just his to keep.

One by one, Roxas detached the marbles off the trophy and tossed each one over to the gang. The yellow marble fell into Olette’s hands, Hayner effortlessly caught the orange one, while Pence fumbled but secured the green one.

And last but not least, the blue marble was left for Roxas and Sora. They all held the crystal orbs up, looking through them while they glinted under the afternoon sun. Roxas held his orb up for both he and Sora to peer at, the shorter boy leaning close to do so.

“As promised,” Roxas smiled.

“Thanks a ton, Roxas!” Pence said.

“One more treasure for us to share,” Hayner remarked.

After a few seconds, Olette rummaged through this medium-sized white box she had carried. “I’ve got a present, too,” She announced, pulling out five sea salt ice cream bars. “For all of us!”

Everyone looked over to the brunet girl. “Woah! Thanks, Olette!” They all smiled.

Roxas stood up in his excitement at having some ice cream. It was the perfect time for a trea-

“Hey, Roxas! Be careful!”

Sora gasped as he got up. Somewhere along the way, Roxas had lost his footing and was now falling past the clock of the tower. The brunet reached a hand out towards his friend.

“ROXAS!!”

Without hesitation, Sora jumped after Roxas with his arms stretched out. Upon reaching him, Sora threw his arms around the other’s neck. All Sora could do was close his eyes and hang on tight.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kairi couldn’t understand the pulsating feeling she got sometimes that something was missing.

The red-haired girl paused in her walk home from school. The dirt path she crossed was bordered with shrubs of various flowers, and she felt a faint breeze that made the surrounding palm trees sway.

The girl had a typically normal routine. She got up in the mornings, went to school, came back home, and spent time with her parents. Occasionally she would hang out downtown with her friend Selphie, attend Blitzball tournaments to cheer for Waka and Tidus, or on a rare case cast off on her canoe to the little island she played on when she was little.

For some reason, Kairi was discontent and often felt a pang of sadness one would feel towards a longtime friend that had moved far away. But that couldn’t have been it. All her friends were close by.

Right?

“Kairi! Wait up!”

Kairi turned around with a smile. Speaking of Selphie.

The brunet girl stopped beside her, dressed in the same school uniform and the Mog the Moogle keychain attached to her bag jingled as she ran up. Sharing a smile, the girls proceeded up the path.

The girls often walked home together, their houses conveniently being in close proximity to each other.

“Hey, do you feel like going to the island?” Selphie asked. Kairi frowned at the mention of the island; she hadn’t been able to step foot on that particular island without thinking of someone she couldn’t quite remember. “Tidus and Wakka are all wrapped up in their ball game and they won’t go with me!” The shorter girl pouted.

“Sorry,” Kairi regretfully declined. “Not today.”

“Aw! Why not?”

The redhead initially didn’t say anything only to respond with a question of her own.

“Selphie,” She began, looking out towards the orange-yellow horizon. “Do you remember those boys who used to hang out with us?”

“You mean Riku?” Selphie tilted her head.

Kairi nodded. “Yeah.” It has been a long time since she last saw her childhood friend on the island. She didn’t know where he was nowadays, but she liked to believe he was okay. Now, if only she could recall the other one…

“I wonder whatever happened to him,” Selphie sighed. “I sure miss him.”

“He’s far away,” Kairi simply answered. But a smile full of optimistic hope lifted the corner of her lips. “But, I know we’ll see him again.” The redhead didn’t know how or when, but something told her it would happen eventually. She just had to keep her heart on it.

Selphie smiled alongside her friend. “You’re right, Kai. Of course we will.”

“And the other boy?” That was a question the taller girl could no longer keep exclusive to her thoughts. She knew she was unable to answer it on her own.

Her companion was clearly confused by the question. “What other boy?” Selphie inquired curiously.

“The one who was with Riku and me all the time.” Kairi’s gaze stretched past the town, over the sea, and on that tiny strip of land that was the island frequented by laughter of a past carefree childhood. “His voice always used to be there. And now it’s just gone…” She felt that sad wistful feeling once more like a light drizzle kicking off a full downpour on a rainy day.

“I can’t think of his face, or his name…” Violet blue eyes turned downcast. “I feel awful about it. So I told myself that I’m not going to the island until I remember everything about him.”

Selphie gazed at the redhead with a worried expression. “Are you sure you didn’t….make him up?” She softly suggested.

Kairi gave a sure nod.

‘Naminé?’

She jolted and held a hand to her head, having suddenly felt faint. That voice…Who was this? And why were they calling her-

“Kairi? What’s wrong?!”

Selphie’s concerned voice dwindled in her ears as everything went black.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roxas felt it. For that moment, it felt like there was someone else in his subconscious. It felt familiar and somehow close.

‘Naminé…is that you?’ The blond reached out through the haze. ‘What’s happening?’

‘Who are you?’ A girl’s voice which Roxas instantly recognized wasn’t Naminé’s replied. ‘And that’s not my name. I’m Kairi.’

Kairi! Her voice sounded exactly like how it was from the dreams, perhaps a little more mature.

‘Kairi….? Wait, I know who you are…You’re that girl he’s friends with.’

‘Who?’ Kairi pleaded. Roxas could feel her increasing urgency in wanting to know. ‘Please, a name!’

‘I’m Roxas.’

‘Okay, nice to meet you, Roxas. But can you tell me HIS name?’

A third voice would join in. Said voice that took both parties by surprise.

‘You really don’t remember my name? Gee, thanks a lot, Kairi.’

‘Huh?!’ Kairi let out a gasp.

Just before Sora and Roxas hit the ground, the brunet’s voice had said, ‘Ooookay, I guess I can give you a hint. Starts with an ‘S’ and ends with an ‘A’.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kairi woke up finding herself back on the island. Selphie immediately kneeled at her side, helping her up into a sitting position.

“Are you okay?” The smaller girl asked softly. She let out a sigh in relief when Kairi smiled and nodded at her in confirmation.

Kairi gazed out towards the beach where the small island stood across the water. Her smile grew brighter with every second passing by. With every second, things had become clearer.

Still confused, Selphie followed her friend’s point of sight. In all honesty, the brunet contemplated if Kairi needed to be brought to the hospital. But then all of a sudden, the taller girl was running down the path where the shore lay just beyond their little town.

Selphie ran after her. She was still a little worried but was eased seeing that Kairi seemed okay.

As the two girls reached the beach, Kairi stood at the edge where water met sand. Gentle waves occasionally washed over their matching black loafers.

Kairi met her friend’s curious stare with a smile before directing her focus back towards the little island. She knelt down, putting a glass bottle that contained a rolled-up piece of paper into the water.

“What is that?” Selphie asked as they watched the waves carry the bottle off.

“It’s a letter I wrote yesterday,” Kairi explained. “It’s for the boy I can’t remember. I said that no matter where he is, we’d all find each other again. Some day.” Her eyes held a wistful sheen to them, but the hope remained. “And when I stopped writing, I remembered we made an important promise. This letter is where it starts, I know it.”

“Wow…” Selphie was moved by her friend’s determination and care towards the nameless boy. Even if the brunet didn’t know who the boy was, she for some reason believed as well that he was someone important. “I hope he gets it.”

Kairi smiled. “He will,” She said with most certainty. “Starts with an ‘S’ and ends in an ‘A’.”

She gazed up to the sky, emitting a small chuckle.

“Isn’t that right? Sora?”

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roxas and Sora both shot upright, their pants coming out in unison. They looked around, quickly discovering they were back in Roxas’s room. They just stared at each other, both wearing matching expressions of alarm.

They could have sworn they were up at the Station Tower. They knew they were.

Well, they had also fallen off the Tower. But, now they were in bed, dressed in their sleepwear. How did they make it back here? Everything that happened in between was a blur.

Was it just a dream? Which part was real?

Sora gazed up at Roxas with obvious fret in his features. “Roxas! A-are you alright?!” He held onto the taller boy’s shoulders. “That was too close!”

“Y-yeah! Yeah, I’m fine! Don’t worry,” He gently held Sora’s shoulders. “But, are you alright? Did you actually jump off the tower?!”

As big of a relief it was that they were both safe and sound, Roxas couldn’t help addressing the fact that the brunet fucking jumped from a building that was many stories high after him.

Sora blushed. “I guess I did.” He’d admit thinking about it now that it wasn’t the brightest idea considering he had no landing strategy planned out. But, he’d been so scared seeing Roxas fall. He couldn’t just sit by and watch him become fertilizer.

“But, look!” Roxas raised a brow as Sora reached into his pocket, not yet done grilling the other about the crazy stunt. But his expression morphed into that of shock as he was then presented with the blue marble originally attached to the Struggle trophy. He’d almost forgotten about it. “I managed to save your marble!” The brunet offered a smile.

Roxas was elated that the proof of his victory didn’t get lost from the fall. As he reached a hand up to take it back, one look at Sora’s bright blue eyes and the marble whose shade of blue matched almost uncannily struck the blond with a different idea.

Gently, Roxas closed Sora’s fingers around the orb. “You keep it, Sor,” He told the brunet who stared at him with confusion.

“...But,” Sora looked at the smooth blue marble in his hands before looking back at Roxas. “It’s yours, Roxas,” He insisted as he tried again to give it back. “You won it. It’s your prize.”

“Sure, it’s my prize,” Roxas shrugged. “I get to decide what to do with it. And I decide you keep it.” He smoothly pushed Sora’s extended hands back. The shorter boy pouted, having no argument to counter that.

Roxas’s smile softened. “Think of it as our treasure to share,” He winked.

Sora’s cheeks warmed at the sentiment. Just the two of them, huh. The thought made his chest thump and his stomach like he swallowed a bunch of butterflies.

The brunet gave the other a soft smile as he clutched the marble in front of his heart, already treating it like the keepsake it was. “Thank you.”

Roxas smiled back.

The two stared at each other for some time before they ended up embracing. The incident at the Tower along with what happened at the tournament admittedly left them with residue rattlement.

“What’s happening, Roxas…?” Sora murmured in the blond’s shoulder.

Roxas just shook his head, tightening his hold on the smaller boy. “I don’t know…” He uttered, feeling just as lost as Sora.

They didn’t know how or why these things were happening. And in all honesty, both were afraid to find out.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What were you hoping to achieve doing all this?”

Naminé kept calm in the face of Ansem’s composed yet scrutinizing question. The blond-haired girl could tell the minute he walked into the pod room that she had been caught. It didn’t strike her as a surprise, the man standing before her was acute when it came to carrying out what needed to be done for the restoration process. It was bound to happen.

“Are you going to tell DiZ?” Naminé simply asked. There was no use denying it. However, Ansem didn’t seem outraged or even upset with her actions.

“I should,” The hooded man replied. He then turned his gaze to the pod in silent contemplation. “Even though this wasn’t part of the plan…His memories are returning.” That acknowledgment stated in subtle ounces of disbelief and probably a little intrigue.

Naminé looked towards the pod as well before turning back to Ansem.

“Sora needs to wake up eventually” He reminded. “But he still needs his memories. All of them.”

Naminé nodded. “I know. And I don't plan on keeping them from him.”

After a minute, Ansem let out a sigh bowing his head, the blond tilting her head.

Ansem simply asked, “You’re positive Roxas won’t try anything once things come to light?” That was a pivotal point of contention regarding this situation.

Naminé turned to Sora’s pod, dwelling on what she witnessed of Roxas to direct interactions. And what she witnessed with his interactions with Sora.

“I’m positive,” The blond softly answered, hands held lightly behind her back. “He’ll make the right decision.”

Chapter Text

The boys had met up with the others at the Usual Spot. Sora and Roxas just sat and watched Olette training a stern gaze at Hayner, who was covering his ears due to the train running above them and perhaps to avoid the lecture the girl was intending to give him. Well, technically of them.

All except Sora since he wasn’t lumped into the summer homework that had been procrastinated on. Pence at least looked sheepish about putting it off, too.

“Give me a break, Olette!” Hayner nearly whined. “We still have a few days of Summer Vacation left! Do we have to talk about that assignment now?”

“Uh, yes ‘Now’,” The brunet girl sharply crossed her arms. “We said we’d get it done Today. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not start off the new school year with a big red zero.” Her shamrock eyes pointed daggers towards Roxas too, making the blond wince.

Even Sora hunched his shoulders, and he wasn’t the one getting scolded.

Roxas supposed he wasn’t blameless about this predicament. He, Pence, and Hayner hadn’t taken Olette’s daily reminders to work on the assignment all that seriously. Though in Roxas’s defense, a lot of shit had hit with most just barely missing the fan.

“Fine, you win. We’ll do the stupid homework,” Hayner conceded. “Independent Study Assignment.” He looked around. “Anyone got any ideas?”

Olette looked at Sora apologetically. “Sorry, Sora. We’ve got some last-minute work on our end.”

Sora tilted his head for a second before giving a smile. “Maybe I can help.”

Hayner beamed. “Hey! That’s not a bad idea! We could use the extra help!”

“Now wait a second!” Olette protested. She kindly regarded the brunet boy. “It’s really nice of you to offer, Sora. But this isn’t your responsibility.”

“Yeah,” Pence agreed. “We can’t just let Sora do work that we’re supposed to do. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Agreed,” Roxas spoke firmly, also not on board with appointing Sora to do something that wasn’t even his problem in the first place. It wouldn’t be fair. If they got a sucky grade for not putting in the work ahead of time, well, that was on them.

Sora gave a light shrug. “I don’t mind. Depending on the topic, it might even be fun!” Sure, homework wasn’t particularly on his enjoyment radar. But, if it meant he could help his friends out of an academic bind, then he was more than willing to lend a hand.

“You sure?” Roxas asked Sora, making sure he actually didn’t mind partaking in the assignment. But, of course, the other boy was steadfast with his offer. A fact of Sora Roxas was reminded of that he never backed down from a decision after making it. The blond smiled gratefully. “An interesting topic would be easier to write about.”

“I might have something!” Pence eagerly leaned in his seat with his hands on his knees. “There’s been some strange rumors going around. Wanna hear ‘em?”

“Sure!” Everyone chattered. It was as good a start as any to the assignment. Sora in particular was intrigued to hear stories that were unique to the town.

“Well, you know the stone steps at Sunset Station? We use them all the time without even thinking about it.” Pence explained. Roxas, Hayner, and Olette nodded knowing that was true. It was just a mundane thing for them that never prompted much contemplation. So hearing that there might be something unusual about them piqued their interest. “But-and this is the weird part- the steps apparently count different going up and down!”

“Wait, seriously?!” Hayner exclaimed, leaning forward in interest. Pence nodded.

“And there are six other weird stories like that. It’s like…The Seven Wonders of Twilight Town.”

“Looks like we have our topic for the project,” Roxas remarked.

“Hell yeah, we do!” Hayner leaped out of his seat with newfound excitement in terms of the assignment. “I say we go research those rumors….Later!”

Olette frowned. “Really?” She deadpanned.

“I’ve got stuff to do today,” Hayner shrugged. “Besides, we got plenty of time! And with Sora helping us out, we’ll get it done in no time!” With that, the headstrong teen took off. “Later!”

Olette shook her head and sighed as she got up from her seat. “Oh Well. I guess I have some errands I can do right now.”

“Me too,” Pence went to follow Olette out. “Should get some new film for the old polaroid. Gonna need it to document those wonders.”

Being the only ones left in the hangout spot, Sora and Roxas both agreed they might as well find something else to do in the meantime. Thankfully enough, there was nothing waiting to jump out at them when they went outside. With everything that had been occurring the last couple of days, the two had become a bit warier of their surroundings.

“Thanks for offering to help with the project,” Roxas told Sora while they walked the back section of Market Street. “You really don’t have to do that.”

“And I really don’t mind,” Sora affirmed, drawing his arms behind his head. “It’s what friends do.” He smiled at the taller boy.

“Yeah…friends…” Roxas lowered his gaze, having been hit by a strange sudden whirl of sadness. Ever since meeting that Axel guy, the blond had been ladened with strange feelings. Tried as he might, he couldn’t shake the feeling at the back of his mind that the red-headed stranger wasn’t exactly just some weirdo. He couldn’t help but feel a little….sad about it.

Sora was concerned then saddened upon noticing Roxas’s sudden somber mood. Upon searching his brain for something that could cheer him up, the first thing that came up was a little song they heard on Roxas’s radio during breakfast. “Raindrops keep falling on my head…” He softly sang out.

The blond’s head snapped back up, also remembering the song. He was quiet for a minute before finally joining in with, “And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed…”

“Nothing seems to fit…” Sora smiled at Roxas, the latter meeting it with a growing smirk. Over time, the boys’ steps turned lighter along the orange streets, their voices melding while their volume rose with pep. “Those…raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling.”

“But there's one thing I know.”

“The blues they send to meet me.

“Won't defeat me, it won't be long”

“Till happiness steps up to greet me.”

Of course, their rendition wasn’t accompanied by trumpets or guitars. But the uplifting and hopeful sentiments in the lyrics, the sun warming them in its constant shine, and just the act of belting their voices out was enough to push their worries to the side.

“Raindrops keep falling on my head

But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red

Crying's not for me

'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining

Because I'm free…”

It wasn’t long until they stopped smack in the center of the Train Commons, finishing it off with their arms out as if they were in a stage performance, looking at each other with smiles and lifted spirits. “Nothing's worrying… meeeeee.”

The sounds of hands clapping caused them to flinch. Ms. Marnie and Jessie were nearby, expressions filled with fond amusement having heard the two boys’ impromptu duet even before they arrived at the area.

“Excellent song choice, boys,” Ms. Marnie remarked with a chuckle.

Jessie smiled. “You guys sure know how to put on a show,” She nodded her head, genuinely impressed by their vocals.

“Oh! Uh…” Sora and Roxas looked at each other with matching red cheeks. They hadn’t realized they’d garnered an audience. Were they that audible?

“Jessie dear, you know your way around performances. Perhaps you can offer them a few pointers,” Ms. Marnie said, her eyes crinkling in a cheery display.

The Accessory Shop owner blushed. “Oh, never mind that. Those days are long behind me.” She waved a hand. “Anyways, I better get back to work-” Jessie paused, noticing the tear in the top Sora wore. “Sora!” She gasped, holding a hand up to her cheek. “Have you been walking around with a hole in your clothes this whole time?”

“Uh…” Sora held a hand behind his head sheepishly. They weren’t actually his clothes, though it’d probably be a little awkward to explain that tidbit. The next thing he knew, he was being led by the arm to Jessie’s store with Roxas following after them.

“We certainly can’t have that!” The shop owner offered. “Some thread and needle should do the trick.” She cheerfully held her arms out. Sora just stared before realizing that was his cue to give her the clothes.

“Oh! Right!” He slipped off the vest and shirt, not really thinking about it as he handed them to Jessie. It quickly dawned on him that he was standing out in a public setting shirtless.

Jessie, though, didn’t seem to pay that any mind as she took the shirt and vest with her behind the shop counter.

Sora blushed at the giggles coming from these two girls walking past. He turned his gaze over to Roxas who was holding his checkerboard jacket out, his toned arms shown to the full extent in his gray sleeveless zipped-up vest.

“Here. You can borrow this,” Roxas said while looking the other way, a faint pink flush on his cheeks.

Sora took the jacket. “Thanks, Roxas,” Baring his upper body didn’t really bother him, but doing so around Roxas left him feeling slightly flustered. It didn’t help that he became wrapped in the blond’s warmth and scent as soon as he slipped on the jacket like an indirect embrace.

The two sat on an empty bench near Jessie’s shop waiting for her to finish her patch job. Roxas occasionally watched Sora from the side, finding it cute how the smaller boy looked bundled in his jacket while idly swinging his feet back and forth. Of course, outside his notice, Sora had been sneaking in his own glances.

It felt nice; the two of them just sitting together watching the people stroll past them in the casual bustle of the street. The mild whirrs from the street tram, the chatter of the people walking by, the sounds of Biggs scrubbing pieces of his shop’s equipment. This moment of normalcy felt like a breath of fresh air after wandering a dark cave or breaching the surface after swimming in deep dark waters.

After a while, Roxas got up telling Sora to hang tight. “Just gonna pick something up from the store real quick,” He said with one of those half-smiles of his.

“Okay,” Sora blinked as he watched Roxas take off, wondering why the other needed him to stay. Not that he minded, he couldn’t exactly complain about kicking back.

The brunet felt he could even doze off on the spot, just basking in the calm open street watching the tram cruise by. He was about to doze off when a shadow suddenly loomed over him.

“Woah!” Sora jolted awake, definitely not sleepy anymore. It turned out to be just Jessie holding out the vest and t-shirt, neatly folded and newly sewn. “Jessie! Didn’t notice you there!”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” The young woman smiled apologetically. “Got the tears closed up. Had to sew in an extra seam, but no one’s gonna be able to tell unless they’re really trying to look.” She chuckled.

“You sure work fast,” Sora marveled, impressed by how well she fixed both articles of clothing. “Thanks a bunch.” He swiftly got changed. He was no seamstress, but he could tell that the shop owner put in great effort to make sure that the tear wouldn’t unravel again when he put the shirt and vest back on.

“Aw, it was nothing,” Jessie kindly replied, taking a seat on the bench next to Sora. “It beats having to go out and buy new clothes. Couldn’t do much of that back home.” She let out a sigh leaning forward as she held her cheeks, elbows on her knees. That rosy energy she exuded had waned.

Sora was taken back. Even seeing just the side of Jessie’s face, there was no mistaking the sad wistfulness in her brown eyes. “Feeling homesick?” The brunet softly asked. He could relate even though he didn’t know what home he had.

Jessie sat back up in surprise. “N-no! I actually-” Her answer began as if it was going to be full of denials and excuses, but in the end, she relented. “Yes…” The blond-haired woman answered quietly. She bowed her head. “I do miss home quite a lot.”

“Can’t you go back?” Sora inquired. He felt so bad for the sadness exuding on the young woman’s features; it made the boy wonder for just how Jessie had kept that sadness dwelling inside her.

Jessie lifted her head back up, her gaze quietly heeding forward. “Logistically, I suppose there’s nothing stopping me from just hopping on the train and heading back. But…personally, I’m just not ready to take that plunge yet,” She admitted, there was pain and something haunted in her eyes. “And I’m not sure If I ever will be.”

Sora was silent. As much as he wanted to assure or offer any type of encouragement in an attempt to lift the woman’s spirits, he somehow sensed she wasn’t looking for that. She just wanted someone to listen.

“It’s all pretty complicated,” Jessie explained. “Sometimes I feel it’s better if I stay away.” She unconsciously held her shoulder. “Kind of afraid of how they’d react if they saw me now.” She let out a humorless laugh.

“How come?” Sora asked, genuinely surprised at such a negative notion.

“Well, for one thing,” An eerily calm smile was plastered on Jessie’s face as she shrugged like it was no big deal, “Everyone back home thinks I’m dead.”

Sora did a double-take. “W-wait, what?” Out of all the possible reasons, this was one he didn’t anticipate. It was also very bewildering how she could state something of that caliber so breezily.

“Like I said, it’s complicated,” Jessie sighed, brushing a blond strand back. “I really rather not get into it. But let’s just say some things happened and I found my way here. Somewhere I can have a fresh start, a place where no one knows me, or the things I did.”

Sora looked at her. His mind was filled with so many questions. Though, he felt it wouldn’t be right to voice them just from seeing her tired expression; shadows of what appeared to be shame and guilt thrown into the mix.

“I haven’t been back in years,” She explained in a somber tone. “It would just make things awkward if I returned now, I’m sure.” Her head began to bow. “They must have all moved on from now; my mom, friends, everyone I knew…I do miss them. But, I don’t know if there will even be anything waiting for me if I do go back.” The usual light in her brown eyes dimmed.

The brunet bit his lip. He felt sad for the blond-haired woman next to him. To be pained by the subject of home, yet at the same time longing deeply for it. That kind of dilemma sounded so agonizing. She didn’t deserve to feel like that.

It made him wonder how long Jessie had been dealing with the ramifications of staying put while feeling the way she did, missing family and friends who surely would have missed her too.

It made him think about his own circumstances. He felt that same longing to go back to where he came from, but it was difficult to discern what he missed when he didn’t even know where home was.

“I’m sorry,” Sora said in a quiet voice. And he was. Jessie shrugged, but her usual smile was slowly making its way back.

“Don’t be. It’s a bridge I’m gonna have to cross eventually, Biggs has no problem reminding me of that.” The blond blew some air out the side of her lips. “But, he understands there’s no predicting the cut to that scene.”

“Huh?” Sora tilted his head.

Jessie laughed. “Just using some theater terms,” She explained with a wave of her hand. “You know, I haven’t really talked about this with anyone besides Biggs and Ms. Marnie.” She turned her head towards Sora. “But, somehow I felt I could tell you. So, thank you, Sora.” She smiled.

Sora’s cheeks were a faint pink as he held the back of his head. “Uh…You’re welcome? I didn’t really do anything, though.”

Jessie giggled. “You let me talk your ear off with my moping,” She pointed out, looking a bit embarrassed after the fact. But Sora really didn’t mind. “I would say you did a lot.” She patted the top of his head like one would do for a little kid which made him pout. That served to make Jessie giggle even more. “I really do appreciate you listening, Sora.”

The brunet softened at the sincerity. “Hey, anytime. Don’t feel bad for unloading how you're feeling, you looked like you needed it.” Sora’s blue eyes became a bit serious. “I’m sure things will be okay, Jessie,” He comforted. “Whatever happens, at least you know you’ll always have a home here, right? There are clearly people who care about you.”

Jessie looked surprised, then smiled in a way that Sora noticed would make Biggs blush. He could see why; Jessie did look beautiful and dazzling with the smile she had. If the world right now was a stage, the spotlights would all shine on her.

“You’re really sweet, Sora. I can see how Roxas likes you so much.”

Sora blinked a few times, his gaze pulling away in an attempt to hide the pink flush crossing his cheeks at that statement. If Jessie had noticed the blush, she refrained from mentioning it.

“Roxas says a lot of good things about you,” Sora remarked, jumping on the opportunity to steer the conversation somewhere else. “You guys seem close.”

“Well, he is my best customer. That boy stops by my shop so often, I’d predict almost perfectly when he’d show up behind the counter,” A smirk crossed Jessie’s face in a playful tenor. “Though, my timing’s been a bit off ever since you showed up.”

Sora hunched his shoulders. “Sorry…?” He didn’t know what else he had to respond with.

“I’m just kidding!” Jessie burst out in giggles, highly amused by the awkward face the brunet had. “I’m glad Roxas has someone he likes spending one-on-one time with. I always worry he might be lonely living by himself. It was really nice of him to have you stay with him.“

“He’s a great guy,” Sora agreed. “I try to help out however I can. Though he always insists I don’t owe him. It’s just nice spending every day with him.”

Jessie smiled and patted her hands on her lap as she stood up. “I better get back to the shop, those rings aren’t going to sell themselves!” She turned to Sora with an air that looked genuinely perked back up. “Thanks again, Sora. Don’t be afraid to come to me with any other clothes that need some restitching.”

Sora gave an appreciative nod. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh! And let me know how that cookbook is working for you and Roxas.” Jessie added with a wink before leaving.

Sora chuckled sheepishly. People seemed to have some sort of fascination with his and Roxas’s closeness.

At that thought, he was caught by surprise to find Roxas joining him on the bench. ‘Speak of the devil,’ Sora smiled. The blond greeted him with his own smile, holding a certain blue frozen treat towards him.

“Sorry about the wait. Was held up at the shop. Apparently, I’ve become something of a celebrity,” Roxas rubbed the back of his head. He’d been asked to sign some autographs by some eager kids who were blown away by the blond teen’s victory over the reigning champ yesterday.

“You the man, Roxas!” Some guy gave Roxas a thumbs up as he passed by.

“You were so cool yesterday, Roxas,” Some girls winked at the boy as they walked by.

Sora laughed. “Hey, don’t sweat it. You did earn that title,” He thanked the other for the ice cream bar before giving his jacket back. “Just don’t let it get to your head.” He smirked.

Roxas rolled his eyes. “Hey, I deserve to gloat a little, don’t I?” He playfully retorted. “And you say that after I just gave you ice cream?” He looked at the smaller boy with mock hurt.

“No takesies backsies!” Sora held his ice cream bar away. They both laughed.

The two sat in content, taking that sensational first bite of their ice creams, crisp and refreshingly cool which was perfect for the warm air.

“You two looked rather chatty,” Roxas remarked after some time. “What’d you talk about?”

“You,” Sora joked, receiving a curious brow raise in response, before a sad look crossed his features. “But mostly about being homesick.”

“Right,” Roxas’s cheerful countenance dampened as well. There was no need to elaborate considering he was also familiar with Jessie’s veiled demeanor on the subject. He sighed. “She actually told you what happened?”

“Not entirely. Just that…some things happened, and that she felt she couldn’t go back. It sounds like the only ones who know the whole story are Biggs and Ms. Marnie.”

Roxas nodded. “That sounds about right. Apparently, she and Biggs have been friends for a long time.”

“That’s good. At least there’s someone she can confide with. I wouldn’t have guessed she’s been having such a hard time, not with how nice and outgoing she is.” Sora turned his gaze to his friend taking another bite of his thawing ice cream. “You think she’ll be okay?”

“I’d think so. She’s a tough lady,” Roxas said, repeating Ms. Marnie’s disposition from the other day. “And besides, she’ll always have a home here.”

Sora smiled in agreement to that statement, but it was followed by a slight drop in his face. “Do you find it strange that I consider this place home?” His eyes lowered to his lap.

“Of course not,” Roxas was quick to say. “I’m actually surprised you’d think so with everything that's happened.” He’d honestly felt bad that Sora wasn’t able to relax that much with all the chaos that occurred in the span of just a few days.

Sora shook his head. “It’s not your fault. Besides, I’m actually happy here,” His response was filled with honest assurances. “I actually wouldn’t mind living here long term.”

That got Roxas to perk, his heart beating in the way it had been since Sora came into his life. He would love the brunet to stay here too, but there was that reminder his friend already had a place somewhere where he belonged. “But what about your real home?”

“Of course, I still want to find it!” Sora laughed. “It’s just this place has really grown on me, too.” He gazed fondly at the scenery glowing under the glazing summer afternoon and the quiet bustle on orange streets. “And the people here make me love it even more.” He peered towards the blond, a bit embarrassed. But thankfully, Roxas didn’t poke fun at how cheesy that sounded.

“You’ll always have a home here, too,” Roxas reached over and placed his hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder. “Things wouldn’t feel the same without you.” Now, it was his turn to feel embarrassed. But that’s how he really felt; Sora had made an impression on both his home and himself.

Sora’s absence would leave a sense of emptiness in the house that’s for sure, and he wasn’t sure if he’d get used to not hearing the brunet’s bubbly laughs or sunny looks as regularly anymore.

Sora felt that same strange warm feeling again upon hearing Roxas’s words; he could tell the other boy meant what he said. The fact it had reached a point that he could gauge what Roxas might be feeling was gratifying. “Same here, Roxas.” He gazed at him with a tender smile.

Their attention had quickly centered on the street tram making its way back around. Sora’s gaze followed the tram as it ran nice and steadily until disappearing under the arch around the corner. “Say, Roxas, have you thought about visiting other places?” He asked.

Roxas thought about it for a few moments. No one’s really asked him that before. “Well,” He began, leaning back on the bench. “I’ve had a bunch of stuff keeping me here; my friends, my school, my whole life was always centered in this town.” He always felt satisfied enough with his life here in Twilight Town, at least that’s what he thought.

Watching the trees peeking out from behind the town’s walls reminded him that there was a whole world out there filled with different people, places that offered different things to see and do. And Roxas could attest there were a lot of things he hadn’t seen before. “I guess I would like to see what else is out there.” He said, sitting up. His gaze stretching over the trees and all the way to the hills evoked a sense of wonder he hadn’t felt before Sora asked him that simple yet pretty thought-provoking question.

“Why don’t we hop on the train sometime and just go somewhere, just the two of us?” Sora teasingly suggested as he nudged Roxas’s shoulder. Perhaps mostly teasing.

Roxas’s mouth parted in surprise before he quickly clamped it back shut. “Not a bad idea,” He said, looking away as a red hue spread along his cheeks. “Maybe we can make a trip out of taking you back to your real home.”

Sora eagerly leaned forward. “Really? You’d actually go with me?”

Roxas nodded, lips quirking in a smile. “Why not? I promised I’d help you find where you came from, didn’t I? You’ve seen my home, I’m curious what yours is like.”

Sora smiled, picturing him and Roxas going to different places together like one big adventure. “I’d like that, too,” He said. He would like that a whole lot.

“Oh boys!”

The moment came to a halt when they saw Ms. Marnie waving to them from her shop. They got up and walked over, tossing their bare ice cream sticks in a trashcan along the way. A warm and delicious aroma greeted them when they approached the counter.

Ms. Marnie laid out a tray of rich dark brownie squares that were lathered with a white frosting coated on top.

“Fresh out of the oven,” Ms. Marnie gestured to the tray with a smile. “Don’t be shy, now. Help yourselves to one.” The elderly woman certainly didn’t forget the favor she told them the last time the boys visited her.

They happily obliged. “Thanks so much, ma’am!” The squares were soft and warm to the touch. No doubt the first bite was going to be just as enjoyable.

And they were right. “Mmmm…” Both boys hummed with relish once they took a bite of their brownie pieces. Moist with a smooth stream of chocolate and vanilla, as well as a faint nutty flavor.

“I did add some macadamias to the frosting,” Ms. Marnie confirmed. “I figured I’d try something different.”

“Well, I’m sold,” Sora remarked. Roxas agreed.

Jessie joined them shortly, having been on her break, and immediately noticed the brownie tray. “Brownies! Without me?” Her tone sounded dismayed while a smile was in place.

“Now, you know I’d never deny you of it, Jessie,” Ms. Marnie assured mirthfully. “Hasn’t the smell always been enough of an invitation?” The younger woman playfully rolled her eyes as the boys laughed before taking an offered brownie.

A click veered everyone’s attention to Pence who stood some ways away holding his camera up. The hickory-haired boy couldn’t help snapping a shot of the naturally pleasant scene.

“Hope you don’t mind if I add this to the album!” He grinned.

“Well, gee! Had I known you were doing a photoshoot, I would’ve dolled up!” Jessie joked as Pence joined them at the shop’s counter to show them the photo.

“Oh, there’s no need to fuss over your appearance, dear. You already look nice,” Ms. Marnie assured. As it wasn’t just the typical grandma-biased statement, a lot of the townspeople in Twilight Town agreed Jessie was a lovely young woman who had a refined air to her even in her simple attire. The kids would even say she looked like she could be in a stage play.

Jessie moved her hand in a half-hearted swat. “Oh, stop.”

“She’s right, Jessie, you look fine in it,” Roxas interjected as he and Sora looked at the photo. “It’s a good shot, Pence.”

“Yeah, you’re a natural with the camera,” Sora nodded.

Pence smiled, appreciative of the compliment. “I try,” He said while taking a free brownie himself.

“Hey, guys!” Hayner and Olette appeared momentarily, both happily obliged to take up Ms. Marnie’s offer to have a brownie each. “What’s happening?” Brownie crumbs sprinkled down with Hayner trying to talk and eat at the same time.

“Just snapping some photos,” Pence shrugged, sweeping off some brownie bits he may have gotten on his camera. “I might go over to where that old mansion is; there’s something I’m hoping to get a shot of.”

Sora and Roxas exchanged immediate glances. “By yourself?” Roxas asked, his brows pinched with worry laced in his tone.

“Eh, I’ll be fine. It’s daylight, and it’s not like there are any weirdos lurking around. The only creepy thing about the woods is that house.”

‘Think again,’ Another look was shared between the boys. After what happened in those woods, both were more than a little apprehensive about stepping foot back in the pitchy bushland.

“You can come along if you want,” Pence turned his camera over to check his film. “I’m foreseeing it to be a quick expedition, anyway.”

“Sure!” Sora and Roxas both replied rather quickly. While they had their reservations, watching their friends’ back was a higher priority.

“Yeah! why not?” Hayner interjected. “Beats doing homework.” Olette raised a critical brow but didn’t object to the excursion. Helping a friend always came first in her book, too.

After saying bye and thanking Ms. Marnie for the brownies, the group headed through the makeshift entrance of the town’s wall into the shaded world of the forest.

Sora instinctively grabbed Roxas’s hand with his own the minute they crossed the threshold. Both blushed.

“Sorry…” Sora looked to the side while taking his hand away. But the taller boy would reach over and grasp his hand to give it an assuring squeeze.

“Hey, what’d I say about apologies?” Roxas softly quipped. “You worried?”

“A little,” The brunet admitted, watching the branches high up on the trees. The area seemed calm and quiet.

Maybe a little too quiet.

Hopefully, nothing was going to happen with the whole group together. Emphasis on hopefully. Hayner and the others who were walking ahead and too engrossed in scanning around for what Pence was looking for, didn’t notice the exchange between the two boys.

Sora and Roxas’s hands would disjoin when Olette peered towards them over her shoulder. “You guys alright?” She inquired, having noticed the two were trailing behind.

“We’re good!” Sora reassured. Roxas nodded in agreement. “So, what exactly are you looking for, Pence?”

By that point, the group found themselves in front of the old mansion. Sora and Roxas both felt chills run up their spines at the large structure looming over them. They figured if they saw this house again, it would’ve been too soon. At least the gate was still shut like it was supposed to be.

“I heard there’ve been sightings of a rare bird out here,” Pence surveyed the top of the trees with a hand up over his eyes. “Apparently, this is the only spot to find it.”

Everyone followed Pence’s gaze to the treetops, but they all seemed devoid of life aside from the leaves growing from their many branches.

Hayner sighed out, crossing his arms. “Well, I sure don’t see anything.”

“Neither do I,” Olette concurred.

Roxas shook his head after double-checking the perimeter. “Sorry, Pence. Doesn’t look like anything’s here.” Both he and Sora were secretly relieved of that.

Pence let out a sigh while his shoulders slumped. “Oh well,” He conceded. “Thanks anyway, guys. I’m sure it’ll turn up at some point.” The hickory-haired boy wasn’t discouraged about finding this elusive bird.

Sora was still searching among the trees. “Maybe we aren’t looking hard enough,” He suggested. The brunet approached the broad trunk of a tree with the intention of climbing it, but was stopped by Roxas’s hand on his shoulder.

“Easy there, Sora. You could get hurt.” Sora pouted at the other’s assessment; it wasn’t like he didn’t have experience. The brunet wasn’t sure when was the last time he actually climbed a tree, but he knew he could do it. “You might also end up scaring the bird away if it is up there.”

Damn. Sora had to give Roxas that one.

“It’s okay, Sora. I can always come back some other time,” Pence said, not bothered by the unsuccessful sighting. He then looked around and smiled. “But, you know, this is a good spot to take that group photo.”

Everyone immediately perked at the idea. “Hey! You’re right! We haven’t taken a picture with Sora yet!” Hayner grinned while he smacked a hand on Sora’s back, nearly making the latter topple forward.

“But, how are we going to take it?” Olette asked, pointing out a little snag in the plan. The guys' faces all dropped at that.

That’s true. There wasn’t anyone else out here they could ask to take the picture.

Everyone’s ears perked as they heard a rustling in some bushes nearby, putting the brakes on their discussion. Sora and Roxas had assumed their fighting stances at the first noise with everyone else following suit.

“Who’s there?!” Hayner demanded towards the source. The group of friends tensed, and prepared themselves for whatever was going to emerge from those bushes when…

A distinctive yellow floppy hat poked out.

Everyone’s positions dropped along with a collective groan. It was just Vivi.

Hayner put his hands on his hips and stared down at the squatty boy waddling towards them. “Can we help you?” His gaze bore into him suspiciously.

Vivi seemed to have overheard their little dilemma with the photo when he offered rather timidly, “Ummm….I can take the photo for you.”

“Huh?” Everyone was surprised. The group looked at one another, pondering the unexpected offer.

Olette bent her knees at Vivi’s level when she talked with him. “You’d do that?” She asked, more curious than hostile. The boy’s hat flopped as he gave a nod.

“Why not?” Sora chirped in a small advocate for Vivi, earning incredulous stares from Hayner and Pence. “He offered. I don’t see the harm in letting him take it.”

“I have to agree,” Roxas concurred. “At least he didn’t bring his squad with him.” He fixed Vivi with a pointed look. “Right?”

Vivi nodded. “Y-yeah. Seifer’s too busy training and…” He touched his fingertips together. “He let me have today off.”

Hayner raised an eyebrow unconvinced. “Really? Boss man actually told you to take today off.”

“Well, he actually told me to ‘do what I want’ today and to not bother him unless someone is dying or something very violent like that.”

“Yup. That does sound like something he’d say.” Hayner shook his head.

Pence walked over and reluctantly handed Vivi his camera. “Just try to be extra careful, It was a birthday present.” The shorter boy nodded he would and made sure it was secured in his tiny hands. He was often on photographing duty for the Disciplinary Committee, so handling a camera wasn’t an issue for him.

“Fine,” Hayner relented, seeing everyone be apparently cool with their “enemy” partake in the group photo process.

The group took their spots in front of the gate with Sora standing on the end next to Roxas. The brunet yelped as Roxas wrapped an arm around his shoulder to get him closer in. He blushed from the closeness but didn’t protest. Just like the original photo, Hayner was at Roxas’s opposite side whereas Olette and Pence were hunched or kneeling down to allow the others more exposure.

“Ready? Smile!” A click sounded from the camera when Vivi pressed a finger to the shutter button. A photo came out from the camera’s slot. After waiting a couple of seconds to let the photo develop, Vivi then gave it to Pence. “Is this okay?”

Pence took a look at the photo and smiled in approval. “Yeah! It’s not bad!” He told the shorter boy, actually impressed at how well he took the picture. Everything from the angle to exposure was crisp and perfect.

Sora and the others eagerly crowded around to see how the photo came out. They agreed it was a nice picture, especially Sora. The brunet was filled with a warm feeling of being a part of this captured memory like this further sealed he belonged with these people he had the pleasure to know as friends. And the pleasure of being at Roxas’s side in it.

Roxas had a smile of his own the whole time he took in the image on the photo. Sapphire eyes met bright blue when he looked at Sora. It could be said the blond was just as giddy to take this new photo, especially so that Sora was finally included in his friend group’s photo. One that would surely join the collection of memorialized moments.

Olette looked up from the photo, towards Vivi. “Thanks, Vivi. That was really nice of you,” She told him kindly.

The boy bowed his head, appearing to be tickled pink from the thanks. “You’re welcome,” He said in a shy voice. “I’ll see you guys around.” He then turned and walked off.

The group watched Vivi leave until he disappeared in the stretch of trees.

“You know, he’s actually alright,” Sora remarked, remembering how Vivi let him and Roxas use his hidden practice spot.

Roxas sighed. “I guess he is,” He admitted.

“Maybe he can hang out with us sometime?”

A smirk tugged on the corner of Roxas’s lip. “I…don’t think his buddies would like that very much.”

“I wouldn’t like that very much,” Hayner crossed his arms as he scowled. “The day I play happy buddies with anyone in Seifer’s gang is when hell freezes over.”

“Hey, relax, Hayner,” Pence approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It was just a suggestion.” The taller boy took a deep breath, letting himself relax.

“Yeah, I know. Sorry about that…” Hayner rolled his shoulder. “So, can we go somewhere else? This place is starting to give me the creeps.”

“You? Scared?” Pence quipped and laughed when Hayner pointed at him with a half-hearted glare. At the very least, the self-proclaimed leader of the group seemed to already be in a better mood. “Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to find that bird right now. Guess it’s time to pack it in.”

“Sorry, Pence,” Roxas patted his back as they made their way back to town. The shorter boy shrugged untroubled.

“Don’t be, we still got a great photo anyway,” He smiled, brandishing the new group photo.

Over at the mansion, a small brown feathered critter would poke its peak out from the hole in a tree before emerging entirely out in the open. It stood on the branch, beady blue eyes looking on at the departing group before lifting its head to the glowy sky.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gang were now currently sitting in a circle on a rooftop. They had agreed once they returned to the streets to find a nice quiet place to hang out. And it just so happen that the most ideal location was the same rooftop Sora and Olette had traversed during their secret mission.

Well, not so secret considering Roxas figured out who was jumping around the high rises at the time.

Hayner bursted out laughing at the story. “So it was you guys who were monkeying around up here!” Sora rolled his eyes playfully.

“And we would’ve gotten away with it, too,” The brunet held his hands behind his head.

“If it wasn’t for the nosy folks,” Olette added, resting her elbows on her knees to plant her cheeks.

“Still can’t believe you guys were jumping rooftops,” Pence whistled in awe.

“Don’t forget to bring us next time,” Roxas nudged Sora lighterheatedly.

Pence kind of blanched at the idea. “No thank you,” He shook his head. “I’ll just take the stairs like everyone else.” Everyone laughed.

Over time, the enthusiastic conversation between the group of friends mellowed into quiet chatter. Pence looked deep in thought as he inquired, “Do you think we’ll always be together like this?” Everyone’s attention was on him.

“Where’d that come from?” Hayner asked.

Pence scratched his head. “Just…thinking out loud,” He said with a nervous grin looking like he was a student in class caught by the teacher for daydreaming. It did get the others to start pondering the same thing.

“Well, I doubt we can be together forever. But, isn’t that what’s growing up all about?” Hayner gave out a surprisingly insightful answer. “If you ask me, the time spent thinking of each other is more important than the time spent actually together.”

Pence couldn’t help joking, “Got that from a fortune cookie?” to which his longtime friend huffed and grumbled.

“See if I ever buy you ice cream again.” Hayner was obviously just joking, at least depending on how much more teasing he was going to receive.

Sora was quiet for a bit, having been in deep thought. He suddenly thought of something that popped in his head. “You know, someone once told me that even if we never meet again, we won’t forget each other.” While the brunet’s gaze was to the warm orange sky, everyone’s attention had shifted onto Sora. Especially Roxas who immediately noticed with great surprise that those were the same words he heard in his dreams. “And no matter where we are-”

“Our hearts will bring us together again.” Sora turned to Roxas, astonished. That was what he was about to say, word for word.

“Exactly,” Sora uttered as their gazes were locked, it was as if they were perfectly synced in that moment with that resounding pull in both their chests.

“I like that,” The boys’ attention was drawn to Olette who was wearing a soft smile. “As long as we always keep each other in our thoughts, then we'll never be far away. No matter where we end up.”

That was a belief they could all get behind. An unspoken promise made between them that they would always take to heart. This promise resonated almost especially with Sora and Roxas while their eyes seemed to be glued on each other the whole time.

Sora found himself glancing over the railing, taking a look at what was occurring on the streets below. The brunet leaned over, seeing the tram roll by on the track, his attention then directed to Jessie and Biggs who were walking together in the opposite direction the tram was going.

Sora watched the two, his head tilted and blue eyes fixated entirely on the two shopkeepers. They seemed to be deep in conversation, accompanied by occasional laughs and playful nudges by Jessie with Biggs, in turn, responding in kind with sheepish grins.

He’d usually want to call out to them and wave hello. But, not this time. He just felt like he’d be interrupting whatever was going on between them. Their shoulders at times brushed against each other, Biggs’s light brown eyes giving Jessie their undivided attention, and Sora swore for a split second that Jessie had moved a slender hand to hold Biggs’s.

All in all, it was the overall closeness the two expressed that occupied Sora’s thoughts. How it made him think that it was not much different than how he and Roxas acted around each other, that they two had gotten into this sense of closeness and trust where they could easily exchange touches and smiles without really thinking of it.

But what transpired next was something he and Roxas definitely didn’t do.

It was then, just before the two disappeared under the archway, Jessie leaned forward placing a chaste kiss on Bigg’s tanned cheek. A fleeting innocent kiss that still evoked a blush to spread along his cheeks and his lips stretching higher into a bashful yet joyful smile.

Sora’s blue eyes had grown wide even after the duo (or pair. Was it more accurate to call them a pair?) disappeared. His chest pounded at the concept of kissing, an act that could be innocent while also very nerve-wracking depending on the situation.

The brunet felt a bit guilty to have watched in the first place, as if he impeded on what was supposed to be a personal and private moment.

The brunet could see Roxas and the gang leaning over the railing, expressions of perpetual surprise frozen on each of them. For a while, silence hung in the air.

“Well…can’t say I should be surprised,” Pence remarked as the first one to break the quiet atmosphere. “Biggs has always been pretty protective of Jessie. And they’re always hanging out together.”

“So do we,” Hayner said. “Doesn’t mean we’re all kissing each other.” He smirked playfully towards Olette. “Unless you’d like to try it.” He rested his head on his hand, wiggling his eyebrows. To which the brunet girl glared and crossed her arms forming an X in front of her face.

“Not a chance,” Olette bluntly stated.

“Sorry, sorry. Okay, I’ll admit that was a lame joke. But man, it would be a dream to find someone I could kiss.” Hayner smiled in an almost dopey manner as he imagined that prospect

Roxas smirked. “Dream? Don’t you mean miracle?” The blond snickered, prompting the others to laugh too.

Hayner merely flopped his hand at them. “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, cockatoo,” He rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you go find a girl to kiss since it’s oh, so easy?”

Roxas shook his head. “Didn’t say it was easy.” He refuted. “And I’m not gonna kiss just anyone.”

“Good that you’re being smart about it.” Sora lightly bumped his shoulder with Roxas. He was internally relieved to hear that the blond wouldn’t kiss just anyone. Even if it wouldn’t be difficult for Roxas to, he was an attractive guy who was also considerate and brave. Who wouldn’t want him? Hell, if Roxas asked, he himself wouldn’t deny-

Sora squashed that thought before it could go any further. ‘Did I just- WHAT am I thinking?!’ It took everything he had not to openly flinch right there. There’s no way he was possibly thinking of kissing Roxas. There’s just no way. It was crazy to even think about. And yet, his face grew warm when he did think about it. Along with other thoughts that centered around the blond-haired boy.

Sora would find a merciful distraction from his thoughts in the form of someone calling his name. “Sora?” Roxas gently shook his shoulder. “Did you hear? Everyone’s heading home.”

“Oh!” Sora jolted and jumped to his feet. “R-right!” He laughed off his absent minded moment, putting on a smile that he hoped wouldn’t make it too obvious how flustered he was.

“Well, it’s been fun, guys,” Pence covered his mouth as he yawned. “Make sure to get plenty of rest.”

“Be up and early,” Olette agreed. “Because we will be working on the assignment tomorrow. No excuses, got it?” She fixed a look towards Hayner.

“I got it, I got it,” Hayner put his hands up. With that, the group exchanged their usual goodbyes before going their separate ways after descending the rooftop.

Sora and Roxas thankfully encountered no issues on their way home. The two breathed out a sigh of relief as soon as they stepped foot back in the comfort of Roxas’s flat which they felt was probably the only guaranteed safe place as of now.

“What a day, huh?” Sora plopped down on the couch. Roxas nodded in agreement as he took a seat, too.

“At least we got through the day without dealing with those rubber necks,” The blond laid his head back on the couch. “Still tired, though. Not sure if I even wanna bother about dinner.”

“Is that your way of saying you’d like me to make dinner tonight?” Sora joked, bringing his legs on the couch in a meditative position. The taller boy laughed.

“Well, I couldn’t say no to your cooking,” Roxas shifted his position to face the other. “Got inspired by Jessie’s cookbook, right?”

Sora blushed. “Maybe,” Feeling bashful as Roxas’s deep blue eyes looked right at him. It was true the brunet had been eager to try out other recipes that were in the cookbook. Earlier today, in an effort to wind down from the strew of events that occurred, Sora had gotten the idea to make them both strawberry parfaits for them both that required simple ingredients but came out pretty and delicious.

Roxas had been impressed and joked how he really would make a good wife.

Speaking of Jessie. “So, Jessie and Biggs, huh? You think they’re actually…” He waved his hand about. “You know.”

“Oh.” Roxas scratched the back of his head. He had been surprised but at the same time not surprised at the possibility of Jessie and Biggs being more than friends. “It kinda makes sense; they seemed pretty close for a long time, and I always see them walking home together. I can’t say for sure, though. I know I was never told.” He didn’t know if he felt sullen about being left out of that knowledge, but at the same time it wasn’t really any of his business. And he hadn’t really been keen on knowing what everyone’s romantic statuses were in the first place.

“Well, good for them if they are,” Sora said. He may not have gotten to know Biggs as much as he did Jessie, but she seemed to be happy around him. “They seem good together.”

Roxas agreed. “Biggs always did care for Jessie. I literally can’t think of any other guy who would be right for her.”

“Well, he definitely seems to be the only guy she kisses. Unless she’s kissed you at some point,” Sora wondered with a cheeky grin, remembering how delighted Roxas looked in that photo he took with Jessie.

Roxas sputtered out an incredulous laugh. “Hell no! Biggs would kill me!” He rolled his eyes as Sora laughed at the face he had made. “You done yet?” The blond crossed his arms, plopping his back against the arm of his couch, though an amused smile crossed his features.

“Okay, okay,” The brunet waved his hands as he snorted while trying to reign in his laughter. He eventually calmed. “But, really. Have you ever…” He bit his lip in hesitation, kind of already regretting starting the question. But, he might as well finish it. “Kissed anyone before?”

Roxas blinked, looking as if his brain had short-circuited at that question. “Uhhh…” The blond shifted, looking away while red splotches rose to his cheeks. “N-no. No, can’t say I have,” He ultimately admitted, looking a little embarrassed. “Why? Have you?” His gaze was back on Sora.

Sora’s cheeks were now pink as well when he answered, “No, I haven’t either.” Suddenly becoming fixated on his forefingers tapping together. “At least, I don’t think I have.” His lips stretched into an awkward smile, slender shoulders hunching like a hedgehog hiding in its quills.

“Oh.” It was all Roxas could reply with, seeing as the awkwardness had been turned to the max and he was sorta, kinda, for sure distracted by the adorable display Sora made. Surely, he wasn’t trying to be, but that was the beauty of it in Roxas’s opinion.

“It’s like you said, though, I don’t want to kiss just anyone either,” Sora almost whispered, his eyes looking anywhere but at the handsome blond.

Roxas’s heart fluttered at that. Admittedly, he was pleased that Sora never kissed anyone yet. It filled him with these strange feelings of want and somewhere along the lines of hope.

There was an unconscious thought as he took in the hearty flush on Sora’s soft and lightly tanned skin, spiky yet silky brown bangs framing a boyish yet delicate-like face, the shine in ocean eyes, and those pink lips that looked so soft.

‘Do I have a chance?...’

It was a long moment of silence between the two boys. Both ruminating on thoughts regarding the other they wouldn’t dare voice out loud. These feelings were uncharted territory for both of them, and they didn’t know what to do with them. Or more what they should do.

But it wouldn’t diminish the closeness built between them. They had no problem letting the other know how greatly they cared for them and that was something that wasn’t going to change. They didn’t even have to put it in words; it was all in the way they fought for each other, protecting each other, helping each other, being there for the other when they were down, and sharing little quiet moments at any given opportunity.

Sora cleared his throat as he moved to get up from the couch. “Feeling hungry?” He jumped to his feet, smiling to the other. Roxas got up soon after.

“Sure,” The blond nodded, smiling back. He patted Sora on the back as they went into the kitchen to get started on tonight’s meal. “Nothing too fancy, if that’s okay with you.”

“Eh, I was thinking the same thing.” Sora gave a lighthearted nudge to his shoulder.

The two always found a way to ease back into that state of comfort and pleasantness. It was all becoming natural.

Later, when they settled into bed on their respective sides assuming the same position of their backs facing each other, a change that neither had presumed to have occurred.

Roxas was staring at the bedroom door, finding it difficult to sleep right there. Despite feeling tired after they came home and had dinner, his thoughts kept him from letting himself be completely lulled to sleep. And of course, the one who occupied the majority of them was the boy lying next to him.

Roxas slowly turned until he laid on his other side to where his front faced Sora’s back. His heart thumped and beat increasingly to the point it was guaranteed to have reached the brunet’s ears. He knew Sora was still awake, and the smaller boy had to have known that he knew he was.

Sora for his part swallowed an inaudible gulp. Even without turning around, he felt Roxas’s eyes on him. His breath stilled to the point he had practically gone frigid.

For a few moments, nothing happened. Neither boy dared to make other sudden moves as if doing so would set off a bomb.

Then without warning, Sora would feel a strong arm find his waist. The warm sensation of the arm slowly wrapping around him drew out a small delicate gasp. But that was as far as Roxas went.

The blond kept a significant amount of space between them while loosely holding the other, as though asking if this was okay. Roxas wanted to give room for the other to let him know if this was uncomfortable, to slap his arm away, telling him to fuck off or something.

Sora shivered in delight. Because, yes, it was okay with him. More than okay. He wanted the weight and warmth felt from Roxas’s embrace to stay there. He just couldn’t get the words out of his mouth.

Turned out he didn’t need to.

Roxas pulled him closer with his hold still gentle but gradually growing more sure. Both boys could feel the other’s warmth, probably feeling more so than they already did under the blanket.

Sora didn’t fight it, even deliberately shimmying himself closer against Roxas. It felt…nice. The brunet expected himself to be embarrassed, if anything it somehow felt less awkward than when they were maintaining the more “neutral” sleeping positions they had the previous nights.

They probably should have questioned what this meant. But for that moment, neither cared to address it.

All Sora knew was that he felt relaxed and safe being held by Roxas like this. And for Roxas, while the blond didn’t do anything else beyond holding the smaller boy, he was just content to have him here.

The silence in the room remained aside from the occasional faint whistles of the train outside. But it flourished with the content the two felt in the embrace.

Before slumber took over, they hadn’t thought it was weird, gross, or anything negative like that. Not even close.

All they thought about was being close with the one they cared for. A safe haven shared between them and just them.