Sora jumped up in bed. Something didn't feel right. He warily glanced around his room, searching for something. There! Something moved by his desk. Sora jumped to his feet, Keyblade in hand.

"Who are you?" he demanded. The black-cloaked figure laughed.

"Geez, Sora, I thought the outfit was a bit of a give-away," he said. Sora cocked his head. The voice sounded familiar.

"Are you...are you with the Organization?" he asked. The cloaked man shrugged.

"I was. But it kind of fell apart, with your help. Mine, too, now that I think of it," he said.

"Take off your hood," Sora commanded. "And tell me your name." The cloaked man shrugged.

"If you insist," he said. He took off his hood and smiled cockily, his blond hair glinting in the moonlight. "I'm Roxas. Member XIII. The Key of Destiny."

Sora stared, lowering his Keyblade. "What...you..."

Roxas's tenor laugh filled the room. "What, did I sound like Axel? I knew he would rub off on me eventually. I always wanted to see his face if I asked him 'Got it memorized?' again. Unfortunately, though, I never got the chance." At this last sentence, Roxas's smile died, and he grew serious.

Sora sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about Axel, but he chose to do it and..."

"Axel isn't why I'm here tonight," Roxas said. Sora cocked his head again.

"Huh?"

Roxas knocked some books off of Sora's desk and sat down on it. Crossing his legs, he stared Sora straight in the eye. "I came here tonight to tell you my story. You've never heard it, have you?"

"You're...my Nobody, right? And you're in Organization XIII. Is there much else?" Sora asked. Roxas laughed bitterly.

"'Is there much else?' Man...you are so oblivious..."

"Wait a sec!" Sora cried. "Aren't...aren't you supposed to be gone? I thought...I thought you met up with Namine, and that was it."

Roxas met Sora's gaze with a serious face. "It's never 'it'. I'm never gone. Apparently, you can't comprehend that I AM you. The only way I'm gone is if you're gone, too." He looked to the ground and sighed. "It'll probably make more sense if I tell you my story, from the very beginning. This starts way before I became a Nobody.

"Whenever someone's born, they have a light side and a dark side. Kind of like yin and yang. I've been here from the start, Sora. I didn't have a name, or a will, or really even a being, but I was there. And I was jealous."

"Jealous?" Sora asked. Roxas nodded.

"It was your light side that always shone, that everyone saw. I was your darker side, not evil, just dark. I was the part of you no one saw. And I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to scream at you to take off your mask."

"Mask?" Sora repeated, even more bewildered than before. Roxas nodded once more, a dark look on his face.

"You act so full of light, like there isn't one fiber of darkness in you. It's disgusting." Roxas shook his head. "I envied Riku, or, really, I envied Riku's dark side."

"He let it take over!" Sora protested. "You'd really want me to surrender myself completely to darkness like he did?!" He clamped a hand over his mouth after he realized what he said. A funny little smile curled the edges of Roxas's lips.

"Finally said what you've been thinking, hm?" he asked.

"I...no...I mean..."

"Face it. You're only true to yourself when no one's watching. I remember...all the while you were looking for Kairi, you kept saying 'Riku's still got light in him...Riku's still got light in him...', but in your head, all you could think was 'That traitor...he sold himself out...'"

"Shut up!" Sora cried. He glared at Roxas. "You really ARE a member of Organization XIII, Roxas."

Roxas sighed. "What, do you mean I'm playing with your head? Trying to get you to turn away from your task? Don't be stupid, Sora. I'm just telling you the truth. I don't see you denying anything I've said so far."

"That's because...because..."

"It's true," Roxas finished. Sora glared at his Nobody.

"Okay...fine...I thought that, but I was angry."

"Anger does not a seeker of light make," Roxas said, smirking.

"Shut up!" Sora cried again. Roxas simply looked amused.

"It's amazing how you act like a normal human being when I'm the only one watching," he said.

"Why are you here in the first place?" Sora snapped. Roxas's smirk died.

"You tormented me for a week. It seems only fair that I get to do the same to you."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Sora asked.

"I got to see your memories. I think I should share some of mine," Roxas said. He jumped off the table. "Tomorrow, at dusk, go to the secret cave. I'll be waiting there." He smiled slyly. "Don't think you'll get out of it. If you don't come, I'll give you the same torture you gave me. It'd be interesting, seeing you wake up, unsure of who you were..." He sighed. "But I'm too nice."

With that, he disappeared.

The next day, Riku knocked Sora to the ground. The two were in a mock fight, and Sora wasn't fighting as hard as he normally did. Riku cocked his head when Sora didn't get up.

"Sora? Are you okay?" he asked, crouching next to his friend. "C'mon, we gotta be ready when the King needs us."

"Riku...I can't. Not today..." Sora said with a sigh.

"What's up? Can I help?"

"No. It's...personal..."

"It's Roxas."

Sora looked up at the older boy. "How'd you know that?"

Riku crossed his arms as he stood up. "I've developed...well, a sort of sense for him. After all, I spent a long time monitering him with DiZ. I kinda know how he thinks." He let out a small laugh. "Even though he's your Nobody, he's not really like you at all..."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sora got to his feet, curious. Riku thought for a moment.

"Roxas...has an Organization XIII mindset. Not evil...more like Axel, which is probably why they were friends. Compared to the Organization, he was the angelic new kid. Compared to you, he's a little punk."

"I don't get it."

"Tell me, how is he bothering you?"

Sora thought back to the night before. "He appeared in my room. How did he do that?"

"Easy. He never properly faded. Go on."

"He...he...he told me he wanted to tell me his story."

"Did he?"

"A little..." Sora closed his eyes and thought. "He said...he was jealous. Jealous of my light side, and...and you..."

"Me?" Riku's eyebrows rose.

"Er...well, your dark side, cuz you let it show, and I didn't. And...I yelled at him..."

"What'd you say?"

Sora nervously swallowed and shook his head. "It was nothing...just...um...y'know...'son of a bitch' stuff..."

"Sora, since when do you say 'son of a bitch'? You really suck at lying."

Sora bit his lip and looked up at his friend with guilty eyes. "I...I said...that I didn't show my dark side...because it'd take over, like what happened to you...and...how you surrendered yourself to darkness..."

Riku was silent, and Sora hung his head shamefully. Neither he nor Kairi mentioned what had happened nearly two years ago to Riku, and Riku never brought it up.

"I...I wasn't thinking...it was late...and..."

"Did you hear me deny it?" Riku said softly. Sora looked up. Riku was staring at the the sunset, focusing on the darkness beginning at the edge of the horizon. "I know what happened two years ago. I was lucky I got out of it with my heart." To Sora's surprise, Riku smiled at him. "As for why you and Kairi never ask, that's your own problem. Looking back, it was kinda cool learning about Organization XIII." He quickly grew serious. "Now...how did Roxas reply to that?"

"He...just smiled. A really weird smile. And he...he told me I only act like a real person when he's around, and how it annoyed him that I act so full of light..."

An awkward silence passed between the two friends. Riku didn't say a word, in Sora's defense or otherwise. Sora stared at him through big eyes.

"You think so, too!" he cried.

"Did he say anything else?" Riku asked quickly.

"You agree with him!"

Riku sighed. "I never said anything."

"But you're thinking it!"

"Sora!" Riku snapped. "You're being a total idiot!"

"You're not telling me something!"

"Fine! You really wanna know what happened with me? I chose the darkness because your act of being all filled with light pissed me off!" Riku was breathing quickly, his eyes alight with anger. Sora met his gaze with equal rage.

"Yeah? Well, I could've sworn you'd never come back!" he yelled.

"What? Thought I was too weak?"

"Yeah! I did!"

"Proved you wrong, didn't I? And we also learned that you do have darkness in your soul! Roxas is proof to that. So give up your little game, Sora. Act like a human being for once!"

Sora's heart was beating so quickly, he could have sworn it was going to burst. Finally, the words he had swallowed during the first journey flew from his mouth.

"Go to hell, Riku!"

Riku's eyes widened, then he glared at the younger boy. Without saying another word, he shouldered his Keyblade and ran to the boats. Sora watched him row away without a backwards glance, then let his own Keyblade fall from his grasp as he collapsed onto the ground, fighting back tears. He suddenly heard a "tsk-tsk" from behind him and turned around. Roxas was leaning against the paopu fruit tree, shaking his head.

"That sucks. Getting in a fight with your best friend..." He smiled that odd smile again. "Really, Sora...'go to hell, Riku'? I could think of tons more interesting phrases. I used some of them against Axel once."

"Shut up..." Sora hissed. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Roxas sent him a theatrically sad, vaguely puppy-dog-ish face. "Sora, you stood me up...really, that was pretty heartless, and I'm the Nobody."

"If you didn't notice, I was kind of fighting with Riku."

"I did notice. And I'm fairly proud of you, Sora." Roxas applauded. "Getting into fights are what normal people do. I'd say you're on your way."

Sora glared at the blond Nobody, who just sent him a big smile. "Didn't you have something you wanted to show me?"

"Oh, right! I nearly forgot!" Roxas sat himself down next to Sora. "So here's the deal: I figure, if you can force your memories onto me, I can force my memories onto you."

"But I didn't force my memories onto you. Namine, DiZ...Ansem...whatever, and Riku did."

Roxas smirked as he rested his chin on his hand. "Bringing up Riku again, are we? Seriously, Sora, do you have a thing for him? Kairi's gonna be crushed..."

Sora scowled. "Get on with it."

Roxas laughed. "Touchy touchy...Anyhoo, I think it's fair that you should see my memories, the way I saw yours of course."

Sora snorted. "How're you gonna do that? You don't have Namine, or DiZ...You don't have anybody."

"Okay, what part of 'other half' do you not comprehend?" Roxas asked, rolling his eyes. "Well, this explains how I ended up blond..." He stopped. "That was mean. The Sora in me tells me I shouldn't've said that."

"Are you making fun of me?" Sora snapped.

"Ya think? No, wait, you don't."

"I should give you a good slice with my Keyblade," Sora hissed.

Roxas smiled darkly as he jumped to his feet. His dual Keyblades appeared in his hands. "I dare you to try."

Sora got to his feet, Keyblade out and ready. Roxas looked as though he were going to strike, then sighed and let his arms fall limply at his sides.

"This is stupid. We're wasting time, and your mom's gonna get worried." He nodded his head to the horizon. "Look, it's almost dark."

"Then let me go home," Sora said. Roxas shook his head.

"Nope. Not 'til you see my story." He smiled a far-too-sweet smile. "Don't worry your spiky little head, Sora. It'll be the work of a minute."

Sora watched as Roxas closed his eyes, then put a finger to his, Sora's, forehead.

"What're you doing?" Sora asked. Roxas, eyes still closed, smiled.

"Close your eyes and shut up, Sora," he said. "It'll make sense."

Sora cautiously closed his eyes.

"Now, what you're gonna see is my first memory after becoming a Nobody. Should be interesting, no?" he heard Roxas say.

"I don't trust you, Roxas," Sora said. He realized that the words he had just said had not come from his own mouth. He heard Roxas's tenor laugh. "What did you do?!"

"I'm in your thoughts, Sora. I mean, how else am I supposed to show you my memories? Now, open your eyes."

Sora slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground, but not on Destiny Islands. Somehow, automatically, he knew he was in Twilight Town. As he got to his feet, he heard the familiar sound of a Nobody's portal. Sora's instinct was to summon his Keyblade, but he couldn't. He didn't even flinch.

"What's going on?!" he tried to yell, but his mouth didn't move. He tried to look up, but his eyes remained on the ground.

"Do you want to know?" The voice belonged to Xemnas, that much Sora knew. He saw Xemnas's black gloved hand sweep in front of him, and the name "Sora" appeared.

"Why is he showing me my name? What does he mean by 'Do you want to know?'" Sora asked, his mouth still not moving.

"Shut up and listen!" Roxas snapped in his head.

"You feel nothing..." Xemnas said. "You can feel nothing..."

Sora's eyes, still acting on their own, looked back at the ground, and he suddenly felt numb.

"Do you want a meaning?" Xemnas asked.

Sora was at a sudden loss of words. He felt his head give a small nod.

Xemnas's hand twitched, and the letters began to circle Sora, faster and faster, but he didn't get dizzy. He just kept his eyes fastened to the ground. Xemnas's hand twitched again, and the letters stopped abruptly, but this time, there was a huge X in front of Sora's face.

Sora's eyes looked up as he read the new word in front of him, and his mouth finally opened. But the voice that came out was not his.

"Roxas..." he said in Roxas's voice. Sora finally saw Xemnas smile.

"A new you."

Sora opened his eyes quickly, gasping. Roxas opened his own identical blue eyes as a smile slowly curled at his lips.

"Interesting, ain't it?" he asked, taking his hand away from Sora's forehead.

"You...you didn't act anything like you do now!" Sora cried. Roxas rolled his eyes.

"I just turned Nobody. What would you do?" he asked, then he smiled again. "It's late. Your mommy's gonna get worried."

Sora just sneered at him, then turned and headed to his boat. Roxas smiled as he watched Sora row away.

"Have a nice few hours of peace," he said softly. "Cuz you are going to go through hell trying to sleep tonight."

Sora found himself walking through Twilight Town, feeling a little uneasy. Part of it was his own, because this time he knew he was Roxas right now. The other part was from Roxas himself. After all, he had just become a Nobody. Sora couldn't help but find it weird, being able to feel Roxas's emotions, even though they weren't true emotions. As he wandered, he saw another black cloaked man. Sora felt himself tense as he saw the man do the same.

"Are...are you with the Organization?" Sora asked, as Roxas. The man suddenly relaxed.

"Oh, so you know about it. Okay, that's cool."

Axel, Sora thought, and was soon assured as the man tossed off his hood, showing spiked, flame-red hair and teasing emerald eyes. Axel grinned.

"Name's Axel. I'm Member VIII. Got it memorized?"

Sora felt himself nod and nervously smile. "Yeah."

"Well? Who're you?" the redhead asked.

"I'm Roxas. Member XIII. Um...got it memorized?" he asked uncertainly. Axel stared at him for a moment, then snorted.

"Th-that's....that's a...that's a first right...right there..." he gasped. Sora laughed at the sight of the young man doubled over in Axel finally composed himself, he stood up, smiling crookedly. "You got guts, Roxas, I'll give you that. No one else has tried that. Not even to make fun of me."

"I-I wasn't trying to make fun of you! I thought that was how you guys did it in the Organization and..."

Sora felt a sharp pain through his head. Axel had whacked it.

"Rule number one, Roxas: Always take the compliment."

"I...didn't know it was a compliment..."

"Well, now you do." Axel shook his head. "Man, if you're gonna survive in the Organization, you're gonna need a lot of help..." He suddenly grinned at Sora. "Well, Roxas, how about I make you my partner in crime?"

"Huh?"

"I'll show you everything you need to know to survive in the Organization. I've been in it for a pretty long time, and I know every rule, regulation, and trick of Castle Oblivion."

"Really?" Sora was curious, even without Roxas's original emotions. Axel nodded and grinned.

"Yeah. I'll show you the ropes and make you a regular Organization member. Here..." He nodded his head toward the clock tower. "Let's discuss this up there, 'kay?"

Sora's vision faded to black, then faded back in on the tower. His tongue swept across a bar of sea-salt ice cream: cool, sweet, and salty all at once. He came in as Roxas was laughing, and as a result nearly choked on his ice cream. Axel was grinning.

"Yep, that's Xaldin for you. You better be prepared after I told you that."

"I will! I will!" Sora coughed, then grinned. His smile soon died, though. He sniffled, and suddenly felt tears sting his eyes. Axel's head cocked to the side.

"Roxas? You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah...fine..." Sora tried rubbing his eyes, but tears soon came. In a moment, the boy was completely sobbing. Axel was silent as he cried, not the uncomfortable type of silent, but more like an understanding silent. When Sora had calmed down, he was finally aware of Axel's stare. He rubbed his eyes again, embarassed.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." he said quickly. "I...I don't..."

"Twenty minutes," Axel said. Sora looked up.

"What?"

"Twenty minutes. That's how long I cried," he said. Sora blinked.

Axel...cried? he thought.

"Twenty minutes?" he repeated. Axel nodded.

"Yeah. Everyone does. One kid, Demyx, he cried the whole day. Not heaving sobs, although there were plenty of those from him, but steady tears for twenty-four hours. The only one I know of who didn't was Larxene, and she's just a freak. Well...Luxord didn't outright CRY...he moped more. But Larxene just tried killing everyone. We nearly lost Zexion that day..." Axel shook his head. "What I'm trying to get at is...well, it's freaky. Y'know, turning Nobody."

Sora sniffled again. "If...if we don't feel anything, why does everyone cry?"

"Did Xemnas tell you that? That's total bull. If anything, we have more emotion than those with hearts."

"Why?"
"Cuz we value it more. Everyone with hearts...they try to hide their emotion. Since we don't have hearts or 'true emotions', we really treasure what we do have."

"What's that?"

"Memories. Maybe not our past self's memories, but memories of feelings. Happiness, sadness, anger, fear...we know what they feel like and when we're supposed to feel them. Doesn't that count?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. I think it does."

Axel smiled. "For some reason, I thought you might." He got to his feet. "C'mon. We need to get you to Castle Oblivion before we're both Dusks. Let's go."

Sora opened his eyes as sunlight streamed through his window. He blinked and looked around the room.

"Castle Oblivion?" he muttered, half awake.

"Sora! Are you up yet?" he heard his mom call. Sora sat up and shook his head.

"Dream..." he muttered.

"Nuh-uh. Memory."

Sora's head snapped up. Roxas smiled.

"Morning, sleepy-head!" he said in a sickeningly cheery tone. He turned around as he heard Sora's mom call, "Sora! You're gonna be late for school!"

"Oh, that sucks. Have fun at school!" Roxas said, then disappeared in a portal.

"No, wait!" Sora lunged for Roxas, but the blond Nobody disappeared, leaving Sora to fall flat on his face. Sora groaned as he sat up and untangled himself from his sheets.

"Crap..." he muttered, then sighed. "Figures...he doesn't give drawn-out explanations when I need him to."