Chapter 1

Vortex

"Bored… Bored… Bored," Sora chanted. He stood in the Secret Spot alone examining the drawings on the walls. He stopped at one sketch in particular and smiled. It was one of him and Kairi exchanging Paopu fruits. Sora took once last glance at it before sitting cross-legged on the ground.

"I sure never thought I'd be bored in Destiny Islands. I mean I'm home, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are."

"Roxas?"

"No. The other guy that lives in your head, Bob."

"Don't get sarcastic with me Roxas."

"I am you Sora," Roxas chuckled.

Sora stood. "Get out of my head!"

"Why should I?" Roxas asked, remaining inside the mind of his somebody. "Besides, this isn't just your head now. It's mine too."

"Just get out or shut up Roxas! Why are you talking all of a sudden anyway?"

"Because I have a question."

"And what might that be? 'Why does Bob get more space then you do'?" Sora rolled his eyes.

"Oh… Good one. But I thought you didn't like being sarcastic?"

"Just ask your question damn it!"

"Whoa, fine. No need to get testy." Secretly, Roxas enjoyed put Sora through pain. It was his way of allowing Sora to realize he was still alive. Obviously, he hated being a nobody but he still got to be with Namine. It was the only reason he stayed; and the fact that he didn't know how to get out for good.

"Sora… Why do you talk to yourself?"

Sora gasped as his face turned red. It was a habit of his, talking to himself. He could barely control it, sometimes, the words just came out.

"It's a habit," he admitted. "But now that I have you, it won't seem as if I'm talking to myself anymore. So come out so I can actually talk to you."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't… This conversation will not continue."

"Big deal."

"And," Sora added slyly. "I won't look at Kairi for the rest of the week."

Roxas gasped. "You wouldn't…"

"Wanna bet?"

Reluctantly, Roxas stepped out of Sora, a glum expression on his face.

"Man," Sora chuckled looking at the blond male. "I'll never get used to that."

Roxas rolled his eyes. He stared at the image of the girl and boy giving one another the star shaped fruit.

"You know… Whenever I look at this… I always see me and Namine."

"Really?" Sora peered at the sketch. "All I see is me and Kairi."

"At least the fruit still stays the same, right?"

Sora nodded.

The two sat in silence staring at the illustration. What they thought was reality, changed not so long ago. They had so many knew challenges to conquer. Not only were they Keyblade wielders but they had to deal with their emotions and hormones since they were only teens. By now, they had the same question in their heads. "Could life get any crappier?"

Suddenly, small vibrations began in the atmosphere. Both males looked at one another.

"Do you feel that?" Roxas asked, looking around the dark cave.

"Yeah… The earth is shaking."

"What if... It's not shaking?"

The vibrations became stronger, as the blond and brunette tried to keep their balance.

"W-What do you m-mean?" Sora stammered.

"What if… H-Heartless are h-here!?" Roxas shouted.

The two glanced at each other before lashing out their keyblades. Sora kept his grip of his Kingdom Key while Roxas did the same with Oathkeeper and Oblivion as they ran out of the cave.


"W-What's going on!?" Kairi pondered as she kept grip of a palm tree. She had been staring into the ocean when she felt the island tremble.

"Kairi!"

The redhead spun around to see both Roxas and Sora running her way with their keyblades. This could only mean one thing, heartless.

As the two reached her, the quivering on their world came to an end.

Kairi watched the sand beneath her go into place. She took deep breaths and looked at the brunette. "Sora… What happened?"

"Well—" Sora began.

Roxas cut him off, "Where's Namine?"

Kairi glowed as Namine ran out of her and rushed into Roxas, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Roxas," she cried as she dug her head deep into his neck. "That… Earthquake frightened me so much."

Roxas felt his neck get moist. His keyblades disappeared from his hands. He brought one of his arms to the pale blue grey eyed girl's waist and the other to the top of her head, stroking her blond hair. He wandered why Namine had tears in her eyes and said she was scared. Even though Namine was different, she was still a nobody. It wasn't right for her to cry or suggest she had emotions. Never the less, Roxas still held her close. He was just glad that she was safe.

Sora smiled as he watched his nobody keep hold of his girl. Suddenly, he felt a warm presence by his side. He looked down to see Kairi resting her head on his shoulder. Blushing, Sora wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I'm glad you're all right Sora," Kairi smiled as she looked up into the male's ocean blue eyes.

"I'm just glad you're alive," Sora smiled looking into Kairi's deep blue eyes.

Kairi chuckled. "Where did the earthquake come from?"

"I don't know…" Sora admitted. "It just happened. Roxas and I thought it was the heartless but I guess we were wrong."

"Oh…" Kairi mumbled. "Let's go inside. It's getting late anyway."

Namine nodded. "The sun's about to set." She let go of Roxas and stood next to Kairi.

Kairi moved from Sora and walked alongside Namine to the row boat. Roxas and Sora followed the two girls to the boat, knowing that they would have to row them home.


"That was something," Sora mumbled to Roxas. The two stood outside leaning against the railing for the front porch. The watched the stars twinkle in the night.

"Yeah… Namine even cried."

Sora turned to Roxas. "It's that possible?"

"Namine's different," Roxas muttered. "So it's possible."

"Does it hurt to know that she can cry and you can't?"

Roxas remained silent. He didn't know how to answer that question. In a way, it did. It made him jealous; but then again, it wasn't so bad. It made him feel stronger. When he seriously thought about it, all he ever wished for was to be equal with Namine. So they could be the same and never go through difficult times again.

"At times," Roxas finally answered.

A silence arose between the two. They found, that this was happening often lately.

"Well... I'm off to bed, coming?" Sora asked.

Roxas nodded and followed him inside the large house.


The sun shone brightly through the transparent sea blue curtains. Roxas turned away from the light and pulled the covers of the bed over his head. He lay still expecting Sora to yank the covers from him. He remained this way for five seconds but when he felt nothing, his ocean blue eyes flashed open.

"Sora?" He whispered as he scanned the messy room.

It was strange to see Sora wasn't in the room. Normally, he was the one sleeping in and Roxas was gone. It was now Roxas was wishing he was in Sora's head. That way, it would be easier to find Sora. But no, he was the one that refused to sleep inside the brunette but was okay with sleeping side by side with him. Each way, he and Sora slept together.

Roxas shook his head, shooing away the thought of knowing he slept with another male. Whether he was Sora's nobody or not, he just didn't like it.

Roxas stretched and climbed out of bed. He scratched his head and kissed his teeth at the mess which he and Sora called their room.

"We have to clean this place up sometime," he declared to himself. He chuckled as he realized he was talking to himself just the way Sora did.


Sora sighed as he stared at the ocean. That situation with the quake had not only been scary but strange. It made no sense how one second everything could be normal and the next, the world shakes; but, wasn't that what earthquakes were? The keyblade wielder shrugged and lay down on the sand.

That's when it started. Once again… The island started to shake. Sora tried to stand but found he couldn't move. It felt as if the world was sucking him into the core.


Roxas had been walking around town in search of Sora when he felt the tremble. "Damn it!" He shouted aggravated. Suddenly, the sand beneath him arose, forming a barrier around him. Roxas turned around hectically, in search of a way to escape his sandy doom. Suddenly, he collapsed and was sucked into a hole beneath him.


"What the hell…?" Sora muttered. He was surrounded by endless darkness. He couldn't see a thing and what was worse was that he was just sinking deeper and deeper into nothingness slowly. Furthermore, he didn't stand, nor did he sit, he floated.

"Sora!"

Sora turned to see Roxas gliding towards him. "Roxas? How did you get here?"

"Damn it Sora!" Roxas shouted. "How the hell am I supposed to know!? All I really know is that I want out of this hell hole!"

"Don't you think I want the same thing Roxas!?" Sora shouted back. "God!"

Roxas silenced. He knew he had been acting bratty.

"I'm sorry Sora," He apologized. "It's just that question you asked me yesterday… It's been bothering me."

"It's all right…" Sora smiled. "I understand you, remember that."

Roxas chuckled. "Man, you've been acting a lot like me… It's funny because I've been acting like you."

"Are you saying I'm a brat?" Sora questioned.

"… Possibly," Roxas answered.

"I'm going to kill you Roxas!" Sora shouted lunging at Roxas. Before he could reach him, the darkness began to shake.

"Not again…" Roxas muttered.

"This is getting crazy!" Sora declared.

Not like before though, the trembling was stronger then ever and a lot more violent. It seemed as if the darkness wanted to separate the two males.

Roxas refused to move from Sora. He stretched his arms out to his somebody.

"Sora!" He shouted over the racket. "Grab my wrists!"

Sora did as he was told and held on tight.

Suddenly, the darkness began spinning them in a circular motion, like a wild whirlpool. The two males held tight onto each others wrists. But they weren't stronger then the vortex. It spun at an amazing speed, bringing them closer to the end.

"I'm slipping!" Sora shouted. His hands went from Roxas' wrists to his hands.

"Me too!" Roxas shouted. "But just try to hold on!"

The current spun faster, becoming more violent and loud. Only Roxas' and Sora's fingers were keeping grasp of one another.

"Roxas!"

"Sora!"

Those were their final words to one another before the current pulled the two apart. The vortex spun the two, one male in each current, into different directions. Deeper and Deeper it went. Further, and further Roxas and Sora fell into darkness.