The Way I Remember You

by Kiome-Yasha

As the years drift in, darkness can never erase the sins from Roxas's past. But when a new form of memories unfold and the one he has lost has returned, everything comes to an end that is beyond the door. Sequel to TWYRM. HIATUS, WILL BE CONTINUED!

2. As Daylight Falls

Declaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts…"

Kiome-Yasha: "Here's the next chapter everyone! I know I'm supposed to be on a break, but I got in the mood in updating this for you guys, because I like you all! :D"

Chapter 2 As Daylight Falls

Roxas took a moment to gaze at the person with shock, his mouth gaping open as he gawked over at the Nobody across the street. Before he knew what he was doing, he began to make chase. He pumped the heels to his feet that were buried into the inside of his shoes, bringing haste as he grinded his teeth together with a vulgar like behavior. He tackled the person off balance from his casual stroll, bringing him over inside some empty alleyway as he forced him up against the wall.

"Demyx! What the hell are you doing here!? Is Xemnas here too!? Where's Namine!? Tell me, Dammit!!!" He hollered desperately with anger, losing all rationality over the fact the last time he had seen the musician is when Sora had defeated him back at Radiant Garden.

"Roxas!?" The other blonde called out in the same shocking manner in seeing the other habitant Nobody, "What the hell!? Why are you here!?"

"I'm asking the same damn question!? How are you here?! Are you with Xemnas!? Tell me!?" Roxas pressed pressure into his hands, plunging the older Nobody into the brick wall even harder, "Where the hell is Namine!?" He wasn't just going to let him go, this was the first lead he had in three years in getting the person he cared for most back; Demyx just had to know!

"Hey! Hey! Calm down! I can explain! I totally cut myself off from those guys ages ago!" The retired member replied hastily, trying his best to explain even though he had a crazy person holding him, "Just—just let me explain!" He tried to reason, holding his hands up in defense as he tried to catch his startled breath.

Roxas took a moment to think, his mind racing as he tried to formulate a decision in trusting the Nobody before him. He remembered bits and pieces about Demyx during his time in the Organization, always finding the satirist to be harmless and carefree. He even recalled the time where he had mentioned before how he wasn't cut out for combat, always finding the duty in exploring areas to be his favorite ability. He remembered the jokes he and Axel used to play as they made fun of the performer, recollecting the moments where they even established of him having no talent at all. The same and usual Demyx who rather flee from battles than to fight them, who he had memorable moments with during missions. He even wondered if the male could even remember such moments from the past, Xion being one of his concerns; but he decided to go against mentioning that.

Roxas released a stressful sigh, closing his eyes momentarily before releasing his grip on Demyx's collar. The water user was dressed very nonchalant, causing him to blend well with the crowd and residence of Twilight Town. He wore a blue vest that had a hood attached, sporting a black tank top like shirt underneath. His bare arms only held certain decorations of string like bracelets around his wrists, having certain collection of hues. He even wore baggy jeans, which had black pockets stitched around the sides, and around his waist were remains of an old faded grey sweater. He wore normal and comfortable like flip flops underneath the hem of his jeans, barely causing his feet to be visible as the folds fell over them like a curtain. Other than that, Demyx still kept his 80 to 90s like hairstyle, keeping his expression the same with some residue of facial hair underneath his chin.

The cowardly but playful blonde slid down from across the wall, heaving with relief as Roxas decided to let him go from his violent grip. He placed a hand around his neck, making sure to adjust his breathing back to a normal degree before speaking, "I can't believe this…when I thought I was done with you guys for good…just, what the hell…?" He complaint dramatically, "And what's this deal about Namine, anyway? Just what happened to you over the years?"

He seemed to be really curious, but there was no way Roxas was going to explain his side of the story just yet, "You give me details first, remember? Now, start talking…" Roxas steadily demanded, glaring over at the blonde with slight interest of trust.

"Man, why am I getting the glare?" Demyx asked miserably, "I was the one who was suddenly attacked!" He felt insulted too, as it wasn't bad enough that a younger and previous member from the Organization XIII had assaulted him.

"Never mind that! Just tell me what happened!" The Key of Destiny reprimanded eagerly with distress, slightly beginning to lose his patience.

"Okay…! Okay!" Demyx replied with brisk alarm, "Look, I'm sure you knew how I was defeated by you right?" Roxas guessed he was referring him to Sora, disregarding to correct the musician, "Well, to be honest, you didn't…"

"Wait…what do you mean?" The nineteen-year old asked inquiringly, gazing down at his old companion with an odd look, "I saw you…you were…"

"It was all an act…!" Demyx safely proclaimed, "I didn't want to go back…! I was tired of fighting, so I acted like I lost on purpose…to get away…hehe, sort of like you…" He chuckled good-naturedly, doing his best to bring enlightenment towards the situation.

"No…" Roxas directed his tone to be stern and dejected, "You're nothing like me…" There was no way Demyx was any sort of monster like him, he wouldn't dare do the things he'd done.

The old accomplice ignored the comment though, continuing his explanation, "So, when I pretended to fade away, I found myself just mulling around from the realm of darkness to other worlds. Until I finally settled here in Twilight Town as my new home."

This struck Roxas to ask another question, "Wait, how come it isn't until now that I found you here?" Demyx actually shrugged from his own curiosity, "I don't know, I mean, I've been living here for a good couple of years now. And, not to be a downer, Roxas, but you really don't seem like yourself."

The younger blonde could only sigh in dismay as he realized he hasn't; but how could he when he lost the meaning to exist three years ago? And the random dreams he's been having lately didn't help at all to quail his suffering from his lost. Such isolation of depression has caused him to feel empty, causing him to be unaware of his surroundings as it weakened his senses. He didn't bother to explore the town during his dwelling in Twilight Town, missing many things as he imprisoned himself inside his room, sleeping away as he hoped to see Namine, anything that could result in being with her again; though it all ended in failure when all he had was nightmares waiting for him.

Demyx seemed to pick up the teen's depressed features, "Hey, Roxas? You alright?" He fiddled from his posture, picking himself up from the ground, 'Something bad must of had happened to him…'

He approached the blonde, "So…" He tried to lighten the mood, "What's been going on with you? How are you here?" Before he could get a remark from the younger Nobody though, he had already turned away to leave, "Hey! Roxas! Where are you going? We can be friends here; honest!"

The teen stopped from where he was, turning slightly around as he declined the marine's offer, "Sorry, Demyx." He glowered his eyes over at the pavement, 'Just when I thought I had something to help me get back to you…Namine…'

He gave a lament sigh, "I'll…see you around, I guess."

"Roxas!" The man called out urgently, hoping for the teen to come to his senses; but he didn't, walking away with a defeated posture. His emotions deflated, as it seemed Demyx held none of the answers he was searching for.

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On a high edge of a building, there was a tall but feminine figure perched securely on a ledge, scanning the area below her as she tried to locate a certain person. It didn't take long for her to discover the culprit who she had been looking for, becoming stunned from her sudden success after so many years of searching. She grinned manically with amusement, peeling off her black sunglasses as she peered and studied the lonesome blonde from below.

A gust of wind passed over her body, rattling her black and shattered cloak wildly around her shoulders, "Well, runt, it seems like we finally meet again." Larxene cackled gleefully, turning over at the setting sun that was never able to crossover before disappearing in a blink of an eye, leaving no traces of her shadow behind.

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Xemnas walked across the blinding white halls inside Castle Oblivion, his adjective clear as he kept his mind set on the task ahead. He had already assembled the members who were to accompany him over the retrieval of Kingdom Hearts, expecting them to be by the entrance of the castle. Although, he made a quick visit towards his old friend's room before his departure, salvaging her remains to be untouched as he kept them secured. He relayed his message to the disembody pieces of the armor, making it clear that they would soon face the future he had longed prepared for them. He was excited, his hands twitching as he had waited for three years to find her.

It wasn't long until he had made it to the main hall of the memory fort, spotting Saix, Lexaeus, and Marluxia, as the three of them were already prepared with their hoods up.

He grinned maliciously from the gathering, calling out to them in order to announce his presence, "Friends, let us collect what we have lost…together…" He kindly and respectfully stated, motioning his hand to the side as he summoned their own personal transportation, conducting their mission to have begun.

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A teen that looked about to be at the age of nineteen was lying peacefully on the sandy ground on Destiny Island shore. He had his eyes closed with a tranquil look, capturing the melody of the waves crashing against the edges of the shore with slow advancement in reaching over the land. He took in the salty air of the beach, letting it out through his mouth as he opened his eyes slightly. He barely could make out the figures of the clouds, the sky engulfed with the abyss of blue, streaming over their world in a slow circle. He picked up the grains of the sand with his hands, gathering the moist it preserved as he examined the texture. He gave a wry smile, finding the setting of the world around him to be consistent, feeling like nothing has ever changed.

Sora sat himself up as he tried to rub off the sand that clung on his hair and back. He gazed off into the watery depths of the sea, catching glimpses of fishes staggering under the surface of the shore. He chuckled lightly from the sight, marveling the tropical atmosphere of his home. He recalled the time when he was born here, his mother raising him as they blessed each day to be alive. As soon as he brought the memory up of his mother though, he decided to shake it away; he didn't wanted to be reminded of the past.

Since that day when they had escaped from The World That Never Was, him and his friends have returned back home to their own world. They had no activities of the darkness to be a further threat, believing everything was over, for now. He still had his theories that Xemnas was still out there plotting, keeping the faith inside his heart strong for that day to arrive when the Nobody will reveal himself. Until then, he lived peacefully on Destiny Island, waiting for any news he might receive from the King; still, he couldn't help but to wonder what had happened to Roxas and Namine on that day.

The Keyblade warrior lifted himself off from the ground, patting his bottom as he shook off the last bit of sandy particles. He had lost most of his baby face, but he still contained the value of his round cheeks and azure eyes. His hair was about the same as he always left it, only this time; he had more strikes of his brown mane over his cheeks. He still wore the traditional colors of his cloths, carrying the leisure color of red, blue, and a faded hue of black. He had a long sleeve undershirt, but he had rolled up the sleeves sloppily around the middle section of his arms, a zipper designed at the center of his shirt. He had a red and short-sleeve sweater, which stopped below the area of his chest, carrying white lines around the edges of the jersey as well as the pocket lines. His pants were similar to his old ones that he has worn few years ago and that of Roxas's, being slightly baggy, but slim enough to make him look comfortable in battle. His gloves were the same, the difference being he had bars across his knuckles and not 'x' marks. He also had pockets at the back of his pants where his rear was, two long red strings hanging down from the belts. His shoes were also the same, though there was slight alteration of colors of yellow and grey instead. Other than that, he looked to be the same silly and cheerful goofball, displaying his trademark crown necklace around his neck with pride.

He stood there for a moment, contemplating on his thoughts before speaking aloud, "Well, I guess it's almost time…"

"Sora, I knew you'd be here! You haven't changed at all!" A defined but feminine voice responded instantly, catching the brunette's attention right away.

The Keyblade wielder swiftly turned around, spotting the beauty of the princess before him who he claimed to be his official girlfriend. He grinned at her approaching form, finding Kairi to have change a lot form her appearance as well. She definitely grew when it came to her female curves and assets, growing a few mere inches in height. Her cloths had lost all childish pink, using the trend color of her hair as a part of her clothing, melding the rosy dye to her outfit. The style to her shirt was similar to her old pink dress though, only shorter with a black tank top shirt underneath. She had attachments of long sleeves across her arms, containing zippers lined across with black lines around the ends. She wore black and sporty tights as pants, ending above her knees. Her shoes were the same though, only this time they looked more like boots and were built higher over her legs; they also contained the color of gold and black, instead of her usual purple and white.

She was still the same old Kairi who cared deeply for her friends though, walking over to her childhood sweetheart as her long hair that was passed over her shoulders whirled against the wind, "Riku asked me to get you, we both kind of figured you'd be here."

He chuckled from their knowledge, "Goes to show how things haven't changed." They were actually on top of the small island where all three of them used to sit, the old papou tree slanted from it's usual position. He took it upon himself to come alone now to the area, his mind always wondering and refusing to sit still.

After awhile of them standing there in comfortable silence, Sora spoke quietly, "I guess we should be heading out then, right?" She nodded to agree, giving him a small peck on the lips before heading back.

He followed after the maiden of Radiant Garden while keeping himself in deep thought. They were planning to make a trip to Twilight Town, deciding to pay a visit to their old friends Hayner, Olette, and Pence. They had been planning this trip for a month now, wanting to surprise the group when they got there; after all, it had already been three years since they last saw them.

Sora and Kairi made it over the resident island of their home, walking their way over to Riku's place as he held a Gummi ship prepared for them that was left by the King. When they reached over the rather large house, they caught notice of Wakka, Selphie, and Tidus waiting outside.

Sora took the quick liberty to wave over at them, "Hey, guys!" He took off towards them, causing them to turn their heads over to him, "Are you guys here to say goodbye?" Kairi giggled behind him, always finding Sora to be energetic.

"Hey! It isn't goodbye!" Selphie protested defensively, a smile soon blooming over her lips, "We're just here to wish you guys a nice trip until you return!" She chirped up with a positive tone.

"Ya Budda! This is still your home after all, ya?" Wakka inputted thoughtfully.

His words caused Tidus to react with a pout, "Man, I wish we could go though!" The redheaded male gave the younger blitz player a pat on the shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm sorry, guys. I wish you can come with us too, but there's only room for three in the Gummi ship." Kairi explained light-heartedly, sympathizing with their old group of childhood friends.

They all nodded, understanding the circumstances of their absent invite, but taking the chance to wish the three adventurers luck on their journey. It was at that moment that Riku had stepped out onto the front porch, growing quiet handsome over the years. He looked to be professional prosecutor, the muscles on his flesh perfecting over the years, as his jaw line grew more stiff and defined. He wore a jersey like navy blue suit, which had similar old designs of his black belt lines over his shoulders. Underneath the suit was a nice and causal grey collar shirt, which he respectfully organized over his neck. He also seemed to have some sort of yellow wife-beater underneath, keeping a thin amount of layers over his clothing. He wore regular grey and saggy like Khaki pants, wearing nicely polished white and blue shoes right underneath the bottom folds. He was now at the ripe age of twenty, his hair groomed down as some of the edges grew over his cheeks almost similar to that of Sora's. And despite the shadows of his bangs, you could still see the bright serene colors of his turquoise orbs as they sparkled under the light.

"Hey, we should get going…" He lectured calmly, crossing his arms across his chest.

Sora and the others nodded with agreement, heading over to the back of the house where the Gummi ship was being held. They saw the familiar spaceship hovering over the ground, the engines already flicked on and ready to launch. The trio turned to their islander companions, bidding them a short farewell before heading off.

"We'll be back soon." Sora safely assured, giving a brother like handshake over to Wakka and Tidus before hugging Selphie. Kairi did the same; only she hugged Wakka and Tidus to display her affection for her friends. Riku nodded over at the three, keeping his usual cool and smooth demeanor, but he smiled at them to show that he cared.

"We better get going then." Kairi clarified, already climbing onboard with Riku following soon afterwards. Sora waved at them before heading up the ship as well, making sure to buckle up as he sat himself inside the pilot seat.

He began to switch on the controls, pulling the ship backwards before beginning to ascend to the skies. They all looked down below, catching the cries of best wishes and regards from their friends, who continued to wave vigorously. Riku and Kairi gave one final wave while Sora gave them a thumb's up, blasting the ship off into space as they took off to their destination of Twilight Town.

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Roxas opened the door to his apartment, paying no attention as he let the sound of the door gliding forward to be his map of direction to enter. He stepped upon a note that was left on the floor for him, picking it up right afterwards as it crumbled from the pressure.

He tried to straighten the edges to read the message clearly as he began to read aloud, "Roxas, we're planning to meet at the clock tower tomorrow, be sure to make it if you can; Olette." He sighed as he finished reading the note, tucking it away as he mentally promised them that he would come.

His mind than began to wonder back over the day, starting from the dreams, to the episode he had back at the manor, "And now Demyx…" He mentioned aloud, his features scrunching with dismay, "Today has been bizarre; it just feels like…something is coming and I don't even know what it is…" He placed a soft touch of his hand over his chest, feeling the uneasy beat of his mysterious heart.

He shook off the feeling though, adjusting his expression to a more severe one of concentration, "I'm not going to stress myself about this; I have other things to worry about…" He looked over at his bed, contemplating whether to sleep or not, fearing the idea of the nightmares returning; not like it mattered though, since he got them every time he slept.

He approached the bed with slight hesitation, slipping off his scarf as he began to undress himself to a more comfortable and indoor appearance. He couldn't ignore the heavy weight of his eyelids, as they threatened to fold over his cerulean orbs at any given moment when he blinked.

He rushed over to the bathroom to wash out the temptation of slumber away, looking up as he spotted his reflection from the mirror, the drips of water sliding off his cheeks, 'Even if I do try to find answers from my dreams, it's not like they'll make any sense…' He mentally explained, grabbing the ledges to his sink for support as he tried not to fall over and take refuge on the floor as his substitute bed.

Roxas shook his head, sniffing slightly before exiting the bathroom, "I might as well see where they take me…" He climbed over the bed, settling into the cushion as he abandoned his bed sheet on the floor. He looked out towards the glistening towers of the town outside, watching as the sun remained where it was, hearing the bypass sounds of trains driving pass.

He knew he was going to pass out soon, but he pulled out a sketchbook he had bought at a local store nearby from underneath his bed. He smiled at the leathery brown cover, duplicating it to be the one Namine once held. He trailed his fingers across the skin, before reaching towards the edge and opening the pad. He heard the creak of the worn spine, having already been ripened from the amount of usage it endured. There was fail attempts of sketches inside, but as Roxas kept turning pages over, there was improvement to be seen. He smiled at each drawing with nostalgic fondness, picking off a blue pencil he had left at the edge of his windowsill. He began to finish up a new drawing that he had started a week ago, doing his best to perfect the design.

It was a small sketch so far; he was taking it easy and slow, making sure to remember every detail in his mind. He pressed the point of the blue pencil over the smooth and vanilla surface, beginning to rough out the round circles of eyes. It didn't take long though for him to succumb to slumber, as he began to shift back and forth. Roxas fell backwards onto the sanctuary of his bed, casting the pencil and sketchbook to the side on his lap. He fell into the unconscious darkness of his dreams, as they once again possessed his mind to replay unknown memories.

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King Mickey gazed at the view overhead of him, watching the sky as he felt an ominous aura of darkness sweep by. He quickly turned over to where Donald and Goofy respectfully resided, waiting for any instructions from their king. Minnie and Daisy were also present, becoming wary over the grim expression that somehow melded into Mickey's usual happy face.

"We need to speak with Sora, right away…!" He confirmed warningly; the stars from above twinkling as the shadows came closer to engulf them.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "Okay, I'm sure some of you've noticed how I posted this chapter up on the day BBS came out. I did this on purpose to celebrate, hoping you all would be happy. And yes, it's Demyx! He's one of my favorite Organization members, besides Roxas, Larxene, and Saix; of course he was going to find someway to be in here :P, so he'll be coming back for sure ;D. Also, to give you guys some heads up, Axel and Xion will be appearing in the next chapter, so hold on okay! XD I know all of you want all the characters to come back, but we need to take it all slow :). Also, thanks for the AMAZING amount of reviews everyone! They made me ULTRA happy!"

Ventus: "Kiome-Yasha likes to give special thanks to: Idiotique, silentmusic16, Inspiration of Imagination, NinjaSheik, Dragonflies87, reachesforstars, Naminesweet, AonAllstars, jenyflo5483, Antiyaoifan, laughingx4ever, MonkeyGirlxoxo, shadowofthenightxx, saphirerose15, storycreator, HeartlessBuggy, xLycheeRAiN, ., Oathkeepera. We think that's everyone! Also, the next chapter title is: "Twisted Heart"!"