Author's note: Sorry, I mean't to say in the last chapter that I would have to give up on some of my stories, not all of them. Sorry for the mistake.

Anyway, this story will mostly follow the Sea-Salt trio before we reach the point of Sora and his companions and King Mickey, Aqua and Riku.

Anyway, here's chapter two. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to both Disney and Square Enix.


Chapter two: New days.

Back to day 8...

"I never really understood what Xemnas was sayin', ya know?" Axel muttered as he and Roxas stepped out of the corridor of darkness, just outside of the underground tunnels in Twilight Town. He smirked and said to Roxas, "Don't go and tattle on me, okay?" chuckling.

Calming down, Axel then began, "Alright, your mission is to collect hearts."

"...Hearts?" Roxas asked.

Axel nodded, then told the blonde, "But first, you need your Keyblade."

As if automatically, Roxas held out his hand, and the Kingdom Key Keyblade, which he did not yet know that it also belonged to his other half-Sora, appeared magically in the boy's hand. Axel nodded in approval and told him about the importance of his mission, the Keyblade and that Roxas and Xion were both special since both of them were the only ones who could wield the Keyblade.

What caught Axel off-guard was that Roxas scratched the back of his head, looking to the ground, and the blonde's cheeks turned into a shade of pink. "Are you blushing?" asked the redhead. It seemed amusing, though. Finally, it seemed the boy was starting to react.

However, before they could continue, Axel sensed something and looked sharply to his left, which slightly confused Roxas. "Here they come!" the older Nobody exclaimed, getting ready, as several Heartless appeared, and, acting on instinct and not being ones for brains, unlike Nobodies, thought that Axel and Roxas had hearts, or that they didn't like Nobodies, and considered them rivals.

"I got this!" Axel smirked, summoning his Chakrams and fought against the Heartless, bashing out three already, but one caught him off-guard from behind and shoved him roughly to the ground, causing the redhead to grunt.

"A-Axel!" Roxas exclaimed, finally starting to become more aware as he witnessed Axel getting hurt.

Not allowing to show his weakness, Axel grunted, "I can do this blinded folded!" while shoving one Heartless towards Roxas who blinked in surprise, already getting into a defence. "Here it comes, Roxas! Whack it with the Keyblade!" he instructed.

Roxas, not knowing what else to do, instantly gave the Heartless a good down-whack with the Keyblade, destroying it instantly, and releasing a heart it swallowed from a human, and the boy was stunned as he watched it float away. But he was soon whacking and destroying more via Axel's instructions, and, with the last one, Roxas actually and determinatedly rushed over to the last one and quickly skillfully destroyed it.

Roxas sighed in relief, while Axel, feeling his back ache and grunting, "Ow..." the redhead said to his younger companion, "Good job." admittedly impressed on how Roxas learned how to fight so quickly.

"You're hurt." Roxas said, noticing Axel's position.

At first, Axel quirked an eyebrow, but then understood what the boy was getting at and smirked, "Nah, this is nothing." before explaining, "You understand? Using your Keyblade to fight the heartless and the collect those hearts you release is your mission. Think you handle it?"

"Yeah..." Roxas replied, continuing as his eyes at least was showing signs of actual life, not a zombie, "I can do this blind folded!" re-quoting Axel's earlier statement, and the redhead actually smiled, more impressed.

"Okay! Come with me! No successful mission is complete without a little icing on the cake." Axel declared, leading the confused Roxas into town.


After doing a little quick shopping, Axel lead Roxas to the top of the Clock Tower, and both of them sat on the edge, and Axel digged out two Sea Salt Ice Cream bars and handed one to the boy as a reward for his hard work today. Axel remembered trying it for the first time a week ago when Roxas first joined the Organization, and at first it was gross, but then he managed to finish it and, it gave him memories of his own childhood when he was a human. He forgot what it was like to eat Sea Salt Ice Cream.

"You remember what this ice cream is called?" Axel asked.

When Roxas didn't replay, the redhead sighed and slumped, while taking a bite of his own ice cream, "Sea-salt ice cream. I already told you before. Get it memorized." though Roxas did lick it.

"It's salty...but sweet." Roxas muttered.

Axel actually smiled, thinking to himself, 'He said the same thing last time.' before muttering, "Hey, it's been, what, a week since you joined the Organization?"

"...I guess." Roxas replied, continuing to simply lick his ice cream.

"There you go, Roxas...that's what we call a 'Composed conversation.'" Axel replied sarcastically, before adding, "Anyway, starting today, you're one of us. You have a lot to catch up on since you were all Zombie-like. You better start getting that memorized."

Both fell into a somewhat comfortable silence, before Axel asked, "So, got my name memorized?"

"Axess." Roxas replied, just automatically, and find himself smilling a little, causing Axel to protest, "You're going that on purpose!" before he chuckled. At least Roxas is really starting to get out of the Zombie-mode. Maybe it has something do to with the Keyblade.

All in all, Axel realised that Roxas wasn't a bad kid.


The next few days were quite interesting for Roxas. When he paired up with Maluxia the 11th member on day 9, the pink-haired Nobody was muttering about the Keyblade's power until he noticed Roxas' confused look. The older nobody pretended to cough and cleared his throat, catching himself and saying, while flowers continuing to florush around him and holding up a wine glass, "I was just talking to myself! Here's to Organization XIII!"

On day 10, Roxas learned from Zexion the 6th member about Kingdom Hearts and the hearts they were collecting and how they lack hearts of their own. Zexion also gave Roxas some kind of fish he made.

Day 11, and he was working with Larxene who was quite annoyed and she grumbling about why she had to be the one to teach him this time, and how she muttered to herself that she couldn't stand kids.

On Day 12, Roxas learned about reconassince from Vexen the 4th member who was extremtely annoyed and seemed to have tantrum problems whenever Roxas accidently wrecked a Lamp-Post and how the scientest was rambling about missions being coverted operations and how Roxas learned about the portals of darkness also being good places to hide.

He also learned how some of the members of the Organization liked to slack off, like Demyx the 9th member for example.

Day 13, and Roxas learned about the calm of inner strength by Lexaeus how gave him a crown and heart chain puzzle while having one himself. While Lexaeus was telling Roxas the paitence and calm during troubled times, and how the puzzle can be difficult, Roxas solved it at first try in less than two minutes, while Lexaeus's puzzle was still stuck, making the larger Nobody's expression facefault.

When Roxas asked what a Heart was, he didn't get a straight answer.

A day later, the 14th day, Roxas was waiting in the lounge when Axel approached him. "Hey, Roxas! It's you and me again today!"

When the two returned to Twilight Town again, Axel was impressed on how good Roxas was getting, and how more conscious the boy seemed than days earlier. As the two completed their mission and began walking off, Axel asked the young teen, "So, how'd you like working with the other members?"

"I've learned that there are good apples, just like there are bad ones." Roxas thought.

Axel laughed at the boy's words, "You got that right!"

What he didn't expect next, as he went up ahead, Roxas paused and added, "Oh yeah, and I've learned that you're a really good apple, Axel." causing Axel to stop in shock.

"What?" Axel asked, turning his head to look at Roxas who continued, "You looked after me when I was a Zombie. I don't think the other members wanted to."

Now it was his turn to be very confused. Axel looked away and ahead of him again, scratching the side of his head, not really certain what to say to that comment. He wasn't even certain how to even react, as he didn't have a heart. No feelings for those who didn't have hearts period. This was the first time in his existance as a Nobody that anyone made a good compliment to Axel.

"I was just...ya know, following orders." Axel finally replied. Was he really the only one Roxas actually liked? Now that was very unexpected for the redhead.

Suddenly they heard voices and laughter, which made Roxas alarmed, and to Axel's slight different confusion, he was pushed into a small alley to avoid in being seen by three normal human teenagers. "What?"

"Shh!" Roxas shushed, "We have to hide." before he went to make sure they weren't seen, explaining, "Vexen told me that missions are coverted operations."

Hearing this made Axel become skeptical and quirked an eyebrow, "Right...I'd say Vexen's too coverted." he replied. He knew how Vexen is more into experiments than anything else and no one really knows why he's such a...well, it's hard to describe Vexen, though Axel didn't like him that much. That guy always gave him the creeps.

The three teens, Hayner, Olette and Pence who was lagging behind due to being slower than his friends, ran passed the alley the two Nobodies were at, and Hayner called out to his best friends, "Last one there has to buy the ice cream!"

"What!?" Olette exclaimed.

"No fair, Hayner!" Pence panted.

Axel watched the three kids and thought back of his own childhood, but couldn't dare himself to think too far into it...at least not until he got his own heart back. Shrugging, he said to Roxas, "C'mon, let's get some Ice Cream too."

"Why?" Roxas asked, confused as he looked up at the older Nobody.

Hearing this made Axel uncomfortable, and he knew he had to answer quick. ""Why"? Uh, well...'cause..." he muttered, feeling very uncomfortable, until finally, he replied, "Because we're friends."

"Friends?" Roxas repeated.

Axel nodded, explaining, "Friends eat ice cream together and laugh about the stupidest things." gesturing at the three teenagers at the ice cream stand, "Like those guys." in which Pence was crying since he lost the race, but laughed again with Hayner and Olette.

When Hayner and his two best friends left, Axel and Roxas went over to the stand as well and got two Sea Salt Ice Cream.

"Here ya' go." Said the kind old lady as she handed Axel the bag of two ice creams, "If you get one that says, "Winner", you might get a free bar."

"Heh, thanks." Axel smiled, paying for the treats before leading Roxas towards to the Clock Tower.

"Don't we have to get back to report?" Roxas asked.

Axel shrugged, "Friends always take a detour on the way home."

"And we are friends?" Roxas continued, referring to himself and Axel.

The older Nobody thought about it, and then answered, "Right."


The two were on the Clock Tower and ate ice cream together, watching the sun-set which felt somewhat peaceful and calming for the two of them.

"Hey, Roxas." Axel began, "After your next mission, let's meet up for ice cream again. No fun just going back and forth between the castle and work, right?"

Roxas nodded, "Yeah. Right." he looked to the distance again and thought, "We're friends, huh..."


8 days later...Day 22...

Days went by for Roxas who started to 'enjoy' hanging out with Axel at the clock tower, eating ice cream, and continuing his mission to fight the Heartless and collect Hearts. However, today it was different.

"What?" Roxas asked, puzzled on what Axel just told him.

"I'm goin' away for while." Axel repeated, "Starting tomorrow, at Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion?"

"It's the Organization's second home. I guess you could say it's a business trip."

"Oh..." Roxas muttered.

Axel nodded, looking a little sour, "Yeah...I'm gonna miss this ice cream thing we do." only to look at Roxas's own sour look, and asked, "W-what's with the face?"

Smiling, Axel continued, "I'll be back before you know it, so don't worry." quickly adding, "Though that'd be a neat trick without a heart, heh." before he stands up, ready to leave. "Well, I gotta head back, and get ready."

He opened up a corridor to leave, before pausing and turned to Roxas, saying, "The ice cream's on me. Later." then walked into the corridor and left, leaving Roxas alone for a while.


When Axel reappeared into one of the corridors of the Castle, having finished his ice cream, ahead of him, Saix appeared. Secretly, both men were once best friends when they were both human. They both lost their hearts on the same day almost ten years ago. Neither remembered how they lost their hearts or why, but both joined the Organization at the same time...not that neither of them fully trusted their superior.

"Axel." Saix began, "I have a message from Lord Xemnas. Among the members assigned to Castle Oblivion, there are traitors." pausing at Axel's side, facing the opposite direction. He pat's Axel's shoulder, finishing, "Find them, and eliminate them." before walking away.

Axel paused, looking back slightly, muttering, "Wow. Straight from Lord Xemnas' lips, huh?" before looking at the ice cream stick, and replied, "Well, roger that." knowing what this meant.

It was time for both recon and elimination mission, and how Axel disliked being the one to do all of the icky jobs, but had no choice. However, he had a feeling that it'll be just as easy as Saix told him. Axel had a feeling that Marluxia and Larxene were the number one targets ever since both of them joined before Roxas, but it also doesn't hurt to be careful, especially since Lexaeus, Vexen and Zexion were also involved.


Back to Day 23...

Sora, Donald and Goofy did everything they could in healing the girl who stumbled to their campsite. Donald provided better clothes for Namine using his magic as best as he could. She was now wearing a white tank top with a silver jacket, silver shorts with a white over skirt, and long flat-heeled white boots to make her more comfortable.

"Who is she?" Donald asked.

Sora shrugged, "No idea. She came like that and...she even knew my name."

"But how can that be?" Jiminy asked, confused. "Sora, do you know her?"

"No." Sora shook his head, "But for some reason...she kinda looks like Kairi."

"I wonder why." Goofy thought, removing his hat briefly to scratch his head, before putting it back on.

"This is very strange. I wonder who she is and how she-" Jiminy was cut off when they noticed the girl stirring, showing them that she was finally waking up.

Namine slowly sat up, amazed that not only she was back to health, but also that she was wearing new clothes she didn't even notice until now. How long was she out for? She then noticed four faces looking at her, concerned. She looked down, with a sad expression she wasn't supposed to feel at all.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked, unaware of what was going on.

"...I think so." Namine muttered. "You're...you're Sora..."

"Uh, yeah, but, how'd you know my name?" Sora asked, way more confused than he can let on.

Namine shifted uncomfortably, before muttering, "Because...I can see into your memories, and the memories of those who are connected to you...it's a very long story."

"You can see into Sora's memories?" Jiminy asked, in disbelief, "Does that mean you can see into our memories too?"

The girl nodded, and, Goofy, being, well, goofy, started to recite the alphabet, "A...B...C...D...E...F..." which was freaking out Sora and Donald.

"Goofy...what are you doing?" Sora asked, eyes widening, spooked out as Goofy continued, "...L, M, N, O, P..."

Donald blinked scaredly, "Goofy...you're scaring me."

To his and Sora's relief, Goofy sighed in relief and smiled, "I haven't forgotten the Alphabet! Ah-yhuck!"

Seeing this somehow made Namine giggle, and she admitted, "He's funny." referring to Goofy.

"He's just goofy." Donald stated, before asking, "So, how is it that you can see into Sora's memories?"

Namine became sad again, and, deciding it was better to tell the truth, began, "...I don't know how or why, but..." she looked at Sora and what she said next confused and shocked him, "...Sora...my name is Namine...I'm Kairi's Nobody."

Sora and his friends stared at Namine in silence, before he muttered, "Kairi's...Nobody? What's a Nobody?"

"A Nobody is...a second half of a person who turned into a heartless..." Namine said, "Nobodies are those who don't have any hearts at all...most Nobodies take form of monsters, but...those who have very powerful hearts are able to maintain human forms...at least, that's what I was told...we don't really exist...and we were meant to disappear into the darkness."

"Not that I get what you're saying, but Kairi never turned into a Heartless." Sora pointed out.

Namine nodded in agreement, "And she wasn't meant to have a Nobody, because she has no darkness inside her. But for some reason, after you saved Kairi...I was born...and, your Nobody was born too."

Sora's eyes widened, as he recalled back at Hollow Bastion how he sacrificed himself to free Kairi's heart from his heart, and turned into a Heartless before she restored him back to his human form...at least, half of his human form. "So...I'm still a Heartless, but in a human form?" he asked, shocked. Donald, Goofy and Jiminy all glanced at each other, horrified.

"No...you're the only one who turned back to normal, even if your nobody still exists. It's very rare for a Nobody to co-exist with their original. I don't know the full details." Namine replied. "But, I was also born because...maybe it was you. That's why I have the ability to see into your memories, and the memories of those connected to your heart."

"What about my Nobody?" Sora asked.

"I don't know where he is...but I can tell that he doesn't remember being you at all. As long as you still remember, I don't think he'll ever share your memories." Namine answered.

Sora was dumbfounded, and he couldn't help but ask, "So...he's like a Zombie?" before asking another question, "What about you? Where'd you come from?"

"I came from a place called Castle Oblivion...it's not too far from here." Namine replied. "I was found there, and trapped...until a strange man appeared, and tried to destroy me."

FLASH-BACK-Around Day 22...

Namine was in her room of Castle Oblivion, trapped here by Organization XIII who wish to use her for their goals. They already used her to use her knowlage of Sora's memories to create a replica. For what, she didn't know, nor did she want to know. All she knew was, that two of it's members want to use her to take over the Organization, but then...something happened.

She was on her own, drawing with crayons on her art-book, when suddenly, a portal of darkness appeared out of nowhere, and a man in red, DiZ, appeared, eyes glowing bright red. Namine felt scared.

"Why were you born?" DiZ asked, almost angrily.

Namine blinked, shaking her head, "I...I don't know...Who are you?"

"You have no right to ask! Nor you have the right to speak or even to be!" DiZ snapped in sheer anger, frightening the poor girl even further.

"I will make sure that no-one is reborn as a Nobody-that includes you, wrenched witch!" DiZ continued, holding up a hand and started to create a ball of darkness that will be so fatal that it could kill her.

Namine lets out a gasp before accidently falling off the chair and onto the floor. She began to crawl away in sheer fright that she could already sense and continued until her back touched the wall. So scared she shut her eyes tight and did her best to brace for her end.

Suddenly, a cloud of dust appeared out of nowhere and an armored figure, with a Keyblade, blocked the attack as best as it could, before the attack blasted at both the armor and Namine who screamed. The blast caused the room to become damaged, and Namine was hurt. The figure, who was actually Terra's Lingering Will, picked up the girl, before looking at DiZ again who prepared to figure another attack.

"I don't know what's going on," Terra began, as if he was recovered. "But I will not, let you hurt this girl!" before aiming his Keyblade behind him, opening a portal and threw Namine into it, and it closed before she could get out of the portal, leaving the Lingering Will to handle DiZ.

When Namine reached the end of the portal, she found herself on a grass field, and looked around, realising she was out of Castle Oblivion. However, terrified that the Organization could find her here, Namine, while injured, ran as fast as she could, through out the day until night time came, and, finally, she was close into collasping, until she found...

"S-Sora..."

END OF FLASH-BACK.

"...And that's what happened." Namine finished her story.

"Gawrsh, that's terrible." Goofy said, feeling sorry for Namine. Even Donald wasn't immune to the upset girl, whether or not she was a Nobody.

"I'm sorry...I...I should go, before any of you get hurt." Namine muttered.

Sora shook his head, saying, "It's not your fault, Namine. I can understand that you were alone, right?"

"I've been alone for a long time...I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Namine continued.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Sora pointed out. "Namine...I don't care if you're a Nobody or not...You need help." which surprised everyone.

Namine looked at her original self's best friend, and asked, "You really want to help me?"

"Yeah." Sora nodded, his mind already made up. "We'll just have to avoid Castle Oblivion and you can come with us. You can live with me, Kairi and Riku on the islands when we find Riku and the King."

When no one else replied, Sora continued, "Plus, better with us than those...whatever those guys in the black coats you mentioned, right? And way better than being stuck in Castle Oblivion."

"Yeah, and we can all be friends." Goofy added, taking a liking to the idea.

Donald, while a bit skeptical, even he could sense that Namine was like every other girl, whether she did have abilities or not. Plus, he could tell that Namine was telling the truth. "Yeah." he finally agreed.

"I agree." Jiminy added.

Feeling a little better, Namine smiled softly, looking at all of her new friends, "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jiminy...thank you." she said.

Jiminy then yawned, then suggested to the group, "Well, let's get some shut-eye." and the others didn't argue there. Once again restarting the campfire, the group, now gaining a new companion, all went to sleep to be ready to travel tomorrow.


Meanwhile, in Castle Oblivion...

When the six assigned Organization members arrived in the Castle that was impossible to count how many rooms there actually were, they did not expect to see the mess that occurred before they got there. On top of everything else, the resident that was supposed to be here was missing, in place of an empty broken armor that was left behind.

"NAMINE'S WHAAAT!?" Vexen exclaimed so loudly that the rest of them had to cover their ears with their hands.

"Calm down, Vexen." Lexaeus told no.4.

Axel approached the broken armor and bend onto one knee to get a closer look, eyes narrowing in confusion and supection. "Hmm...Somebody must've got here before we did, and whoever that guy was, he didn't leave without injuries. Something must've happened." he said.

"Who would be stupid enough to come here and know about this in the first place?" Larxene grumbled in irritation.

"If I knew, I'd told you." Axel pointed out as he stood up again. "Problem is, I don't even recongise this rusty armor." before he came up with an idea and turne to Zexion, and asked, "Hey, you're good in detecting in people's darkness. Think you can sense who was here before us-other than Namine?" to which the other members turned to the youngest of the six who nodded, and did what he did.

After a few moments, Zexion muttered, "Well, I picked up two scents that was left over here...one of them, having been possessed by a powerful resident of the Realm of Darkness."

"A resident of the Realm of Darkness?" Larxene asked, skeptical. "Not a heartless?"

"It's more powerful than a heartless." Zexion gestured, "But it's difficult to make out, as it possess someone who has darkness, so it's far to clouded. The other one, it's the one that left the armor behind."

"And who is it?" Lexaeus questioned.

Zexion shook his head, "I do not know for sure, but, this darkness is similiar to that of the superior."

"And yet, not the same, was it?" Vexen inquired, and at Zexion's nod, the blonde haired man smirked cruely, "This truly piques my curiosity."

At this made Axel roll his eyes, while Larxene sighed and said, "Hmph. Well, here we go again. It's just an excuse so you can carry out your little experiments." to which Axel snorted, while Marluxia shook his head.

Vexen replied, "I'm a scientist. Experiments are what I do."

"Whatever. You can do what you want." Axel shrugged. "My main concern is who were those guys, why they came here and what happened to Namine." 'And finding out how many traitors there are.' he added to himself in his mind, but he didn't acknowlage it to the others, in fear of being found out that he was sent to handle the traitors, under Xemnas' orders.

Zexion nodded in agreement, "Axel's right. This is very troubling. So, what do to?"

Everyone was silent, until Lexaeus muttered, "We wait-see what develops."

"What else can we do?" Axel sighed in agreement. "We're split into two groups of three, right? I'm with Larxene and Mister Flower Petals." referring to Marluxia who glared at him, and then glared at Larxene and Vexen who both smirked at his new nick-name.

"And Vexen, Lexaeus and I are in the lower floors of the castle." Zexion muttered, already teleporting away, along with his two companions, leaving Axel, Larxene and Marluxia.

What they didn't know yet was that Castle Oblivion was going to have more unexpected visitors, and not who two traitors were expecting or hoping for.


A/N: I know this chapter seems a bit boring, but I'll try to make up for it in the next chapter. In the meantime, fellow readers, please continue your reviews and I'll see you again next time.