Two

I've been having these weird thought lately. Like, is any of this for real or not…?

Is the sky blue?
Is the grass green?
Are apples red?
Are oranges… orange?

And I want to think that all of this is a far-off memory like a scattered dream or a scattered dream like a far-off memory. I want to line the pieces up—yours and mine.

Your pieces are mine; my pieces are ours.
When we line them up at last, we will be one.

Sora stares at his reflection in the lake, water rippling as his toes curl into the sand, bare feet scraping against rough rocks. The scratches are starting to hurt, but he is far too deep in thought—thought about the Keyblade, thought about why his suicide didn't work, and thought about what Roxas said.

…Roxas…

When Sora sees himself, he begins to see Roxas' imaging morphing from his own. Each time the blond boy's face appears in the water, Sora makes a deal of smacking it away. For some reason it makes him feel guilty, as if he really is shooing Roxas out of his life. He only came asking for help. What's so wrong about that? To Sora, everything is wrong with that. For all he knows Roxas could be a part of the Heartless he constantly has to face in perilous battles against those and creatures of the Unknown.

On the other hand, Roxas could summon the Keyblade. That must count for something.

Sora sights in frustration. Why does this have to be so damn difficult? Why couldn't things just be simple and there be no darkness to fend off in the first place? There would be no Keyblade and no evil. Everything would be calm. Everything would be simple.

"Sora!" a girl's voice calls out to him. Sora squints, staring across the loch to see Kairi in a small pink number with a tall, slouching Riku. An untouchable smile graces Sora's lips. He waves to them. "Sora, come here!"

Sora, smile unwavering, dashes up the shore. His numb feet clap the sand, which slowly becomes dirt. The higher up land he runs, the grassier it gets. Then he jogs around the loch until Kairi and Riku are clear sights. He slows down to a brisk walk. Kairi meets him halfway and throws her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. Sora blushes, shyly returning the kiss on the side of her face.

"Hey Kairi," Sora greets like an average teenager would. He wraps his arm around Kairi's shoulder like an average teenager would and she snuggles into him like an average teenage girl would snuggle into an average teenage boy.

But Sora is far from average; so far from it in fact, that this exchange between them appears awkward, like it would between two friends who were attempting a relationship. This is precisely what they are, too. Someone pointed out how great they are for each other and that all wonderful relationships start out with steady friendships.

Sora had snorted. In a childish way he stated that, "If that were the case I'd be in love with you."

The other half of the conversation, his real best friend had said, "That doesn't sound so bad, does it?"

Sora had blushed. He considered that a standard Riku-type comment in which one person was the victim and he was always the object of the victim's affections. In most cases, Sora would play the victim. He always paid no mind to it. He had never fallen in love, never fallen in like, or any of those things. He never liked life enough to want a relationship that serious. The closest people he had were his parents and the two people here at the loch with him now. Those were the only ones that mattered. Everyone else could burn in hell.

Well, except maybe Roxas.

"Hi Riku," Sora hails with an unfaltering smile. It doesn't touch his eyes.

Kairi doesn't notice, but Riku does. He peculiarly raises a silver eyebrow to his companion. Sora returns the gesture. "What's wrong, Sora?" Riku asks, concerned.

Sora blinks causelessly, seemingly unfazed. "Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

This translated into: please kill me? That doesn't mean he really hates himself, really. It just means he hates Roxas. He hates that Roxas showed up – out of nowhere – and told him that his world is dying. What kind of guilt trip is that guy trying to pull? What kind of sick, twisted joke is Roxas trying to pull? It has to be a joke. There are tons of other worlds in the universes. Could there truly, possibly be an anti-universe where Roxas lives? Does Roxas even exist, or is he just some figment?

So many questions there are to be asked. So many questions without any answers hang in the thickening air around Sora and company. Riku and Kairi would not have the answers. There are so many questions—so many answers to be discovered. None of them he will find here. Where does he have to go? What does Roxas expect of him? There has to be more than one Keyblade wielder that Roxas could have asked for help.

Hundreds of worlds, dozens of universes, and only two people could summon the ultimate weapon of light? No chance. Sora refuses to believe that as true. There are, obviously, so many places that another Keyblade wielder could be hiding. Why would Roxas not just go get someone more qualified that actually gave a shit?

What is he saying? Sora gives a shit about Roxas, just not the situation he's in. If Sora loses Roxas, he'll – apparently – die. Nothing that insignificant is worth dying over. And with that thought, Sora decides he'd be honored to help his other half stay alive.

"Sora..? Sora, are you listening?" Kairi interrupts his thoughts cautiously, lightly shaking his hand that is hanging close to her face. She shakes it a little harder.

Sora snaps back into reality, almost getting whiplash from the unexpected force. He stares down at Kairi warily. "I'm sorry," he apologizes halfheartedly. "I didn't sleep well last night and haven't eaten yet today."

Neither of those statements were lies. He realizes that his promising smile has faded and has been replaced by a troubled frown. It's hard to pretend – for someone as naturally cheerful (despite constant difficulties) as Sora – that someone like him would be upset for any trifle reason. His most depressing points in life were during his adventures, where he was scouring the worlds for Kairi and Riku, bargaining with anyone who would give him information.

"You've been really out of it recently," Kairi points out, dropping Sora's arm from her shoulder and holding his hand in her own, squeezing it. Her hand is warm. His own is ice cold. She glances down at it, confused. She dismisses it as a simple case of the chills.

Sora smiles sheepishly. "Puberty?" he offers with lack of a better excuse.

Kairi smiles warmly and stops walking. Sora follows. They stand there together on the loch, sunrise on the horizon over white-capped mountains in the distance. How could a place so beautiful, so serene, be just on the other side of the woods behind Sora's house? He never understood. He probably never could. The murky water holds fish, foliage, and various aquatic creatures that have yet to be discovered. There is one creature in particular that always fascinates the people from out of town. Kairi knew only bits and pieces of the story, having moved after the year in school that taught about local legends.

"They say that a giant, serpent-like monster lives in this lake," he begins. His eyes flash before glazing over in a daze focused on a rock in the center of the lake. "It only comes up for air once every two and a third years. When he does, whoever he spies first will have good fortune."

Kairi, seeming interested enough, stares up at Sora's stoic face, requesting that he continue his storytelling. Sora tries to pull out an agreeable smile, but nothing can come of his attempt. His face stays stone cold, his eyes dead as a doornail.

"It depends on what you mean by 'good fortune' though," Sora notes. "Rumors say that one person who was seen by the beast ended up having every person close to them falling in love with them. Some say they won the lottery after meeting eyes with the beast. And some say that eternal, natural happiness follows whoever meets the monster. But you know what I got when it saw me?"

Kairi's eyes go wide in amazement. She stacks her other hand on top of the same of Sora's that she's already holding, eager to hear the rest. "You saw the serpent?" she asks, fascinated.

"You bet. Want to know what I got out of it?" he asks with an undertone that a real pessimist would use successfully. Kairi nods. "The day I saw that thing I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world. I thought I was going to be rich and famous and prosperous and everything that my parents aspired to and failed to live up to. I thought I was going to be the first one in our family to do something great.

What I got came to me three days later in the form of my Keyblade." He glares at the water. It ripples in response. "If that was my fortune from that ridiculous myth, then that is the worst fortune anyone could ever wish for. I don't know who would want the burden that thing gave me when I got it."

He mocks the incident when he received it. "It was wrapped up all nice and it had no tag or anything. It was just sitting next to me when I woke up with this weird note taped to it. Next thing I knew I was fighting Heartless and the Unknown and doing all this insane stuff I never would've chosen for myself. The first time I killed something with it I totally lost my mind. The little thing just went poof and disappeared."

Kairi gazes sympathetically at Sora, wishing there was something she could do to help him. If only he had the slightest distraction. Maybe that's all he needs is a distraction—something to take his mind away from reality and send him somewhere better for a moment or two.

Kairi reaches up with both hands and cups his face in her hands, turning him so his attention is forced onto her and her presence. Sora is startled and stumbles a bit. Kairi's hold on him is too strong – yet shockingly gentle and affectionate – to let him move. Without another word from either of them, the strawberry-haired girl leans in slowly. Sora realizes he's about to get his first kiss at a late seventeen years of age. He doesn't know what to do. He has no idea to react.

Don't let her kiss you! Something inside him screams. It screams loud enough that Sora worries Kairi might be able to hear it. Do not let her kiss you, Sora.

Slowly, ignoring the warning bells, Sora wraps his arms around Kairi's waist, pulling her slightly closer to him. She blushes in a way that even Sora has to admit is adorable on her. He's never seen her eyes quite that blue and he's never seen her cheeks quite that red and he doubts there is a single moment in time he has ever seen her looking quite that appealing.

He tries to quiet the subtle desire he has to kiss her. He tries to hide it or throw it in a box or lock it in a cage like a roughhousing bulldog.

Sora, I'm only going to say this one more goddamn time. If you don't listen to me I'll make sure you regret it. Let go of Kairi and don't kiss her. Or else.

That voice… strangely familiar as it is and no matter how strong the urge to obey it may be, Sora refuses to follow the orders of some anonymous puppeteer. He is no toy. He is not usable. He refuses to be so. The thought infuriates him.

In an act not of passion but defiance, Sora swiftly crushes his lips against Kairi's, not sure whether or not she'd pull away from the rough treatment. By the way she whimpers, shocked, into the kiss, he wouldn't doubt it if she shoved him away and slapped him at this point.

But she doesn't push him away. She doesn't slap him. She moves her mouth against his, their lips molding together imperfectly. Something about the kiss is very wrong… It doesn't work. They just don't… fit. Kairi doesn't seem to notice, but Sora does.

The rather obnoxious voice in his head laughs openly. With the sound of that laugh, Sora automatically knows who's disturbing his peace.

Tsk, tsk, Sora. It's too bad you didn't listen. Now I'm just going to have to punish you.

Sora's eyes shoot open wide. He forces Kairi off of him, tearing her hands off of his face and leaping back like she has burned him. Multiple things swirl in her eyes—dissatisfaction, anger, rejection… Those are just a few of the ones he can pick out. The others are deadly. She opens her mouth to yell at him, eyes narrowing into a glare. Then…

She stops.

Everyone, everything, even the subtle shifting of the lake's water placement stops. The wind stops blowing other than a suspiciously tame gust that whirls in a circle behind Sora. When it departs in a flash of light, Roxas is standing there, body racked with laughter.

Sora's jaw drops. "H-how did you-?"

Roxas shakes his head, smirk indefatigable. "You didn't listen to me, Sora. I told you not to kiss her."

Sora fumes. He hates when people order him around. He hates when anyone dares to try giving him orders. He can handle himself perfectly well. "What if I wanted to, huh?" Sora exasperates. "You can't control me."

Roxas arches an eyebrow in amusement. "Is that a challenge?" Roxas asks, moving one hand painfully slowly down his side, as if trying to make Sora nervous. Sora can't help but stare. The simple action has him riveted. Roxas fingers dip smoothly into his pocket, from which he pulls out a knife. In his other hand he summons his Keyblade. He holds it out. "Here," Roxas orders, "Take it."

Sora, incapable of denying Roxas' orders, reaches over and takes the hilt of the Keyblade in his hand. He stares at the knife in Roxas' other hand. "What," Sora nervously gulps, "are you going to do with that?"

The teasing smirk contorts into pure evil as Roxas turns to Kairi, blade of the knife readied against his finger, and begins to cut her.

.

I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut.
My weakness is that I care too much.
My scars remind me that the past is real.

.

A/N: Yeah, that's right; I'm going to torture Kairi. What of it? I think it is fun to torture characters—namely Kairi because she's a little bit more than useless. I'm not a Kairi-basher, but I'm not a fan of her. I like Naminé, but not Kairi. That's understandable, right? I think it is. So why don't you do me an itsy-bitsy favor and review, tell me what you think? I have tons of plans for this story and where it could go. :D

Sometimes you just need a little push from the readers.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sora, Roxas, Riku, the Keyblade, or Kairi. That includes the couple lines at the top I took from the Kingdom Hearts games. I also don't own the lyrics to Scars by Papa Roach. (But I own the serpent.)