A/N: Have any of you heard of VOCALOID? I absolutely love those little things. My favorite is Megurine Luka. But ANYWAYS (check out Just Be Friends by Megurine Luka) Here's the second chapter to my re-energized story. Reviews would be very nice.

Disclaimer: Neither Kingdom Hearts or VOCALOID are mine. I wish I owned the Engloids..

"… I looked everywhere for you..." Sora, on his knees, was crying bitter tears. A figure in black stood above him, silent. The mysterious man, adorned with silvery white hair and glowing golden eyes, remain stoic. His tanned skin appeared to make the surroundings seem even lighter. The silver-headed teen stood a few feet away, unable to speak.

"Sora…" Riku finally croaked out. A red-headed girl wearing a pink dress, who Riku had never seen before, stood endearingly next to the spiky-haired brunette with a hand resting on his shoulder comfortingly. Who was she? Frozen in his solid space, the teen glanced around at his blinding, white surroundings. Walls of white and glass roses as tall as forever were long. Out the enormous windows sited a menacingly black sky with a giant glowing heart in the middle.

"Sora, where are we?" Finally finding the voice to yell to the other boy, he asked, frightened.

Sora only continued to weep into his hands.

Riku's eyelids ripped from one another. His body lay hot and heavy, as if exhausted from a six mile run. He slowly attempted to sit up; his head began to whirl immediately after his silver hair left the brittle white pillow. Dropping his head back down with a light thump, Riku groaned in pain.

"Oh, you're awake." A warm feminine voice sounded, soothing Riku's hearing. From behind a thin white curtain, a woman with braided chestnut-brown hair revealed herself.

"A-Aerith…?" The silver-headed teen's voice broke from the lack of use. The nurse's slender eyebrows furrowed as she hushed him abruptly.

"Don't speak. You passed out in first period. Cloud had to carry you all the way here." Her eyes smiled warmly at the mention of the other man. "You have a high fever, probably from the unusual cold weather, and Sora's mother is on here way to drop you off at her house." She went quieter towards the end when she mentioned the brunette's mother's name instead of his own. She had come to terms with his past.

Riku's parents had been killed in a car crash eight years previously.

He nodded silently as he turned his head to stare out of the hazily frosted window. Clouds had begun to form in the sky, making the once-beautifully bright Destiny Islands gloomy and uninviting. As the nurse's heels tapped rhythmically away, leaving him in silence, Riku sighed.

He could remember being only ten years old and realizing the full impact of the fact that he would never see his parents again. Since then, The Hikari family, long time companions, accepted the orphan into their arms. Living with the family made Riku become accustomed to the three troublesome brothers; Sora, Roxas, and Cloud. Affection had begun to spark when the oldest Hikari and the silver-headed teen came into close contact, though they never acted on their feelings. Soon enough, when Cloud had become of age, he and Riku bought a penthouse in the city to live together as friends.

A shudder ran throughout his body in a cold chill.

Sephiroth and Jenova, the names of the parents he barely knew, somehow found a way to haunt him in both consciousness and unconsciousness. Somehow, something or someone was connecting all of this, linking the events together. A sudden urge to visit the fiery redhead overcame him; he needed answers.

Gradually at first, he removed his weight from the crisp white-sheeted bed and placed his feet onto the cold marble tile. He sighed lethargically, his joints popped and snapped from the absent movement from which his body was recovering. After putting on his required school uniform shoes, he stepped quietly to the infirmary doorframe and peeked out into the hallway to search for any signs of adult supervision. Grabbing his coat from the rack placed conveniently near the door, he walked down the empty hallway with a tad more determination. Peering around the corner to the reception desk, he saw that the workplace was also devoid of anyone he was supposed to see as an authority figure. Briefly taking one last cautious glance around the perimeter, he briskly walked out of the legalized minor imprisonment.

As he descended the grand front steps, Riku realized that he had left his belongings in the classroom with Cloud and Sora. Buttoning up his school blazer to prevent the biting wind from contacting his skin, the silver-headed teenager resolved that Cloud would, more than likely, keep his belongings in hand. Unhurriedly, silver hair loftily floating behind him, Riku cleared the final two school steps, turned right, and ambled through the busy mainland city streets, taking in all of the stimulants around him. He glanced at the varied faces of people rushing to their own destinations, and inwardly smiled. Here he was, ditching school and wandering, quite alone, in the biggest city on the world.

World.

Shaking his head, the boy shivered at the reflection. That one word was what caused his condition now, and he'd rather not reenact what happened before. Deciding against pursuing the thought, the eighteen-year-old allowed his feet and his instinct to guide him wherever they sought fit. Upon reaching a small, quaint building, he was overcome with eccentric scents of spices and coffee beans.

Back to where it all began was his best bet for answers.

He paced into the facility. The shop was quieter this time of day; no constant ringing cell phones or loud talking like the example of that morning. He swiftly looked at the small blonde who was reading a popular Destiny Island Mainland teen magazine, Eighteen. After the small bell signaled Riku entering the door, she looked up and smiled warmly.

"You're back." She beamed.

"Yeah, didn't feel like going to school today." He shrugged casually.

"I understand. Want anything? It'll be on the house since there's like, no one here." The blonde offered happily.

"No, thank you, I'm just here to rest… I guess." He acknowledged her offer and went to sit at one of the seats nearest the counter. He hummed to the soft tune he recognized playing on the speakers of the facility.

"Can I ask where you're from? You're so fair-skinned." Pulling her deep red apron over her hair, the girl hopped the counter in one fluid movement and joined Riku. His stare lingered for a moment, surprised from the swiftness of the girl.

"O-oh, I was born here, actually." The silver-headed teen's attention returned as he put his cool persona into place. The girl suddenly slapped her forehead; Riku let out a snort in amusement.

"Duh, I still haven't introduced myself! I'm sorry, my name's Namine; seventeen. It's nice to meet you…uh," Her blue eyes twinkled as she narrowed them slightly.

"Oh yeah, my name's Riku, I'm eighteen." He smiled warmly and laid back into his seat. Namine's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, and then regained the innocent expression. Her clothes ruffled as she shifted in her seat with ease.

"So," Riku traced his finger on a design on the tabletop awkwardly, "Are you from here as well?"

"Well... no. I was originally from Traverse Town. It's a small city far from here, but my sister and I moved a lot when we were young… her name's Kairi." Blonde hair was tossed as Namine rubbed the back of her neck, attempting casualness.

"Can I be honest with you for a moment?" Riku sat up straight, and then leaned in, making movements for the other to follow. Glancing past her shoulders as if someone was there, he spoke.

"I can tell you just lied to me." He whispered into her ear. She made a startled sound and moved her chair back. Riku smirked.

"How do you know I'm lying?" Namine's sky blue eyes narrowed.

"Apart from the obvious liar's signs? Well, I just have gut feelings, and most times I'm right." His smirk never faltered, "This Kairi person isn't your sister, and you didn't travel when you were younger… dunno about the Traverse Town part though…" Looking up, as if in deep thought, Riku tapped his chin.

"I have a feeling you're mocking me…" The blonde muttered to herself, slumping in her chair. "Either way, I don't make it of habit to tell my life story to strangers."

"You approached me, remember?" Riku deadpanned. "And I have a feeling we're not complete strangers. Have I met you somewhere before?" Leaning in over the square table, Riku stared accusingly into Namine's blue eyes; his own aqua orbs daringly narrowed.

Abruptly snapping his head up, a crash sounded through the back door. A string of curses was shouted as what sounded like hard metal hit the tiled floor. Saying her own obscenity, her thin white shirt floating behind her, Namine fled to the scene of the crash. The blond flung the door open swiftly to have Riku be greeted with flaming red hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Dammit, Axel! What are you doing in there?!" Namine cursed at the man struggling to stand.

"Jeez Nami, your words hurt me." The flaming red-haired man rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and leaned on the door frame as he sat. Riku could only stare dumbly.

Glancing over at the now-noticed boy, Axel stood rapidly and pointed an accusing finger.

"You're that kid I met earlier! Why are you back?! Nami, you think it's him?" A small-but-powerful fist met the top of the man's head as the petite blonde fumed. Axel cringed in pain as he, somewhat unsuccessfully, attempted to withhold swears. The silver-headed teen laughed in spite of himself at the scene unfolding. The two of them acted like the friends he was surrounded by at school.

"Fuck Axel, you might as well spill everything else we've been working on… Dammit. See what you did?" Riku's eyes widened at the seemingly-innocent girl's foul mouth. Namine sighed softly, "I believe the two of you have already met this morning." Riku nodded.

"Can I ask why you were back there, Axel? Wait, we are on first name basis, right?" The teen raised a questioning eyebrow. Axel walked away from the blonde and to the teen. Securing a seat, the redhead plopped down into a straddle of the iron chair.

"I was doing some work. If you follow me, I could maybe show you a thing or two of what I do to innocent little boys like you in a back room." His wolfish smile glinted as his words soothed the teen's hearing.

Riku glared, amusement fading from his expression. "You're turning out to be someone I don't think I'll like." He crossed his arms, confrontationally sizing up the other man.

"I have a feeling you're going to be asking a lot of questions now." Namine sighed and rubbed her temples, making her way over to the two. Riku nodded his head.

"We might as well start from the beginning." The two of them nodded to each other.

"Have you ever dreamt dreams that felt real?" Namine began after a second of contemplating.

"Of course, everyone does. It's just your subconscious surfacing a bit during sleep." The teen explained, sounding, once again, more intelligent than he seemed.

"We believe there are special cases for these kinds of dreams; almost as if they cross over into reality through the person dreaming." The blonde girl chose her words carefully.

"Okay. You see… god, how do I explain this…" The redhead seemed to be distressed.

"This island and the people here aren't... really here." Axel slowly spoke. Aqua eyes widened slightly, but the serious expression remained.

"So, you really are insane." Riku raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Look kid, ya gotta hear me out before you start making assumptions." A temper, fiery as his hair, was beginning to flare within the other.

"I hate to have to drop it all on you so quickly, but it's better if you know."

After a small nod of confirmation was cast, Axel continued.

"You see, you, me and Nami are different from the people here. You were 'born and raised' to know that there is only one world, right?" Riku opened his mouth to contradict, but failed as Axel continued.

"Well, some of the characters you know here are part of your real life, but, in reality, there's more than one world. So far, only the three of us are what we call Actuals; people who were more than likely… placed in this world."

"So, you're saying that some of my friends are not real here, but in another 'reality'?" The teen questioned.

"Something like that." Axel sighed, regaining his train of thought.

"You may not know them in your real life, but they are there. Namine and I have been doing research on this whole ordeal ever since we met three years ago. When I was younger, about ten, I was plagued with dreams and thoughts that felt as if they didn't belong to me. Sometime's I'd even lose consciousness, the feelings were so strong." The mischievous glint in the jade green eyes was but a ghost to the dark seriousness.

"When me and Namine met in school, she was known for being absent a lot due to illness. I linked the symptoms, put two and two together, and tried to get the message across.

"Never mind that, though. The only conclusion we've come to is that we don't belong here. We think someone or something is also here to help us escape... and we also think that someone is you." The man concluded, leaning forward on his elbows expectantly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa; do you even understand what you're saying? Are you insane?" Riku's eyes closed as he spoke, his voice laced with venom. "You seriously think I'm some Armageddon savior to these Actuals, and you want me to join on this quest to some reality which doesn't even exist?" The silver-headed teen rose from his seat and rested his hands on the table.

"I don't know if this is your idea of funny, but I know that I'm far from laughing." Upon those icy words, he turned to leave. As he reached for the doorknob, he stopped upon hearing the twenty-one year old laugh.

"Before you go, I want you to do just one thing so that I may convince you, even if it's only a little." Axel's green eyes glinted, whether in trickery or malice, Riku wasn't sure. "… Touch me."

Riku stared.

"You want me to...touch you." the silver headed teen turned on his heel to face the other man.

"That's what I said. Just come here, and you'll see what I mean. I'm being dead serious." He nodded the other over. Namine sighed, already knowing where this was leading.

Walking guardedly over, Riku hesitantly extended his hand to briefly touch the man's arm. Directly upon contact, jolts of what felt like electricity ran up from his pale hands to his whole body. Emotions, thoughts, and experiences that never belonged to him transferred to and from the two bodies. Axel smirked.

"Go ahead; I know you'd like stroke a little more." The playful attitude returned as briskly as it had left. Cringing a slightly upon contact yet again, the aqua-eyed teen's expression was that of sheer disbelief.

Closing his eyes, faint smells and voices flooded into Riku's mind as his kept his hand lightly in contact with the other's forearm. In his mind, Riku smiled as he saw his home island and an unfamiliar branch off-island full with tall trees and a waterfall. Opening his eyes slowly, and using the breath stolen from him, Riku exhaled.

"Okay, you've got my attention."

"Where the hell have you been? We were all worried sick about you and you up and walk out of school?!" a blonde man paced the wooden floorboards, his socked feet patting on the floor every step he took.

Laying on the black leather couch, Riku, with the remote in hand, flipped through TV shows, unfazed. The teen glanced at the venting man every once in a while, and smiled at his attempts to make him listen, but shrugged it off in a rebelliously apathetic conclusion. Suddenly staring at a black screen, Riku turned to glare at the man.

"I was watching that." Riku said lazily, without moving a muscle.

"You're acting like such a... ugh, such a teenager! Can you just listen to me for once? God, Riku, anything could've happened." Cloud sat next to Riku's form, clutching the teen's shoulders in his hand.

"The whole family was worried, and I can't have you just sit here and not tell me what you were thinking. Don't try to make me satisfied with your usual 'I'm okay's. Please, just… don't scare us like that again. I know you're eighteen now, and you think you're grown, but we're supposed to tell each other these kinds of things."

Riku's eyes softened; Cloud could be so sentimental at times. He playfully slapped the man's hands away from his.

"Okay, this morning I just had a bad headache because I didn't sleep much last night, so that's probably why I lost consciousness." He thought that wasn't exactly lying to the other, the lack of sleep had happened.

"Where I went… I went to see some friends at their job. You know me; I do things only when there's no one to stop me." The silver-headed teen smirked. Cloud released a sigh of relief.

"You're a demon you know that?" Lifting his blond head, he locked eyes with Riku and smiled. "Did you also walk home in the rain?" Glancing outside, the overcast clouds had gotten heavier and darker, making little droplets turn into shower hours ago. Riku thought back for a moment, and then nodded a 'yes'.

"Anyway, I suggest you call Sora and mom because they were practically losing their sanity." Cloud rolled his eyes and put a hand on Riku's shoulder for balance as he stand.

For that split second, Riku closed his eyes and did something he hadn't done for years. He prayed.

He prayed that he would feel the invigorating spark he had with Axel; he prayed that he would have distant memories like a far off dream into other worlds; most of all, he prayed that his feelings for Cloud remained, no matter how repressed he tried to keep them.

A warm hand set firmly on his shoulder for that fraction of a second, nothing more.

Reopening his eyes unhurriedly, he stared at the blonde's retreating form. When Cloud left, Riku absorbed his surroundings. The chocolate-brown wooden floors; the large screen set before him; the windows lined up with each other equally; the black grand piano that stood quietly; the faint aroma of tea bags floating from the kitchen…

"This world is nothing but a program someone wanted us to be in."

Riku's heart felt heavy.

"Everything you've come to know isn't really there, nor has it ever been."

The Cloud that Riku loved was only a figment of imagination created by some person with an agenda.

"You're the person who can help leave this world and into get us into our real selves."

A/N: Dun- dun-na- na! There's goes chapter two! *watches it walk off*

Now That I've got the plotline somewhat across, leave your kudos and whatever else in a review please?