New Beginnings
By Vampyra142001
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Square-Enix or Disney characters.
A/N: Big thankies to all my reviewers, you are always appreciated. There has been Heartless fighting on the worlds they've visited, but I thought if I wrote that stuff in it would make the story lag. A couple people were wondering about Axel's other, so I thought I'd explain before you get to the story. He is not an original character, nor is he Reno. Ansem's secret report says that the difference in appearance between someone and their Nobody is slight (hair style/color). Take Axel, dye his hair black, erase the markings under his eyes, and see who you end up with. Sorry, for rambling and enjoy.
"We'd better find Cloud or Aerith first. They should know where he is," Sora said to himself.
"He?" asked Kairi.
"A not-so-nice guy that's going to give me answers if I have to beat them out of him."
Kairi and Riku wore identical confused looks.
Sora set-up the landing and lead them out.
As they walked down to the Marketplace they noticed Leon talking to a strange man. He had long black hair and bright green eyes, a strand of his hair stuck out infront of his face.
"That guy looks familiar," Kairi said, frowning.
"I agree," added Riku.
"Yeah, but I know I've never seen him around here," Sora mused.
The trio approached Leon and the other guy. Leon waved a greeting.
"Hey, you guys look familiar. Especially you," the man said, pointing at Sora.
"You too," said Sora.
"I'm new around here," he said extending his hand. "Name's Zack. Z-A-C-K. Got it memorized?"
Sora blinked in shock.
"What's wrong?" asked Leon.
"Nothing. Be back in a minute." He grabbed his friends and drug them out of earshot.
"What?" Riku demanded.
"It's HIM," hissed Sora.
"The guy you were looking for?"
"No. HIS OTHER."
"I think he's right," Riku said, peering past Kairi.
"But why isn't Roxas reacting?"
Namine stepped up to Sora, squinting at his face. He leaned back, uncomfortable with the distance between them.
"He's asleep," said Namine.
"What?! So how do I wake him up?" Sora asked.
"What wakes you up?" She dissappeared into Kairi.
Riku punched him on the head.
"Not that again!" whined Sora.
"It worked when you were younger," Riku said with a shrug.
"It better have worked this time," warned Sora, rubbing his head.
Kairi walked back to Leon.
"Don't be surprised if there is suddenly more people here," she told him.
"Not much surprises me anymore," said Leon, dryly.
Sora and Riku were almost to the group when a third figure flung itself at Zack.
"Axel!" the boy cried. He passed right through the black-haired man, tackling a flame-haired man and hugging him.
"Nice to see you too, Roxas, but you're crushing me," he gasped.
Zack whirled around to see his look-alike being glomped.
"Um..." started Zack.
"Name's Axel, I'm your Nobody. Got it memorized?" Axel stated.
"Nobody?"
"When your world got attacked the Heartless took your heart, creating another Heartless and me. Don't ask me how it works cuz I don't care. Anyway, your Heartless was killed and I sacrificed myself for a friend." He looked at the boy still wrapped around his chest. "Your heart and I became you again."
"Then why are you on the ground instead of in here?" asked Zack, indicating himself.
"Maybe cuz I didn't die right I'm still alive in you, like Roxas here." He shrugged.
"I wonder if Aerith has anything for the headache you guys have given me," Leon said, massaging his temples with one hand.
"Where is Aerith? I really need to talk to either her or Cloud," asked Sora.
"Cloud?! He's HERE?" gasped Zack.
"You're not helping my headache," Leon said, dryly. "He's probabaly in the Borough killing Heartless." He waved a hand in the correct direction.
"As nice as it is to meet you all, I need to talk to an old friend," said Zack, who then walked off.
"If Cloud's going to be busy, where's Aerith?" Sora asked.
"Probably with Tifa, in Ansem's study, trying to get more information from the computer. Why are you looking for them?"
"I'm looking for answers and they know the guy that has them."
"What's he going on about?" Axel asked Roxas.
Roxas whispered something in his ear.
"Oh, really? I suppose I should help, but you'll have to go with."
Sora frowned at Axel.
"What's that look for? I've proved I'm trustworthy."
"It's not that, exactly. You know something more."
"True. Which is why I'm not going and Roxas is. I'd rather not deal with my other's problems."
"What -- "
"Ask Aerith sometime. Oh, one more thing: If I were you, Riku, I'd stay away from Cloud and Tifa for a while."
"Why?" demanded Riku.
"Fine, get beaten by a Ms. Kick-boxer and Mr. Effeminate Emo."
"Give me a straight answer," he growled.
"Okay. Head STRAIGHT to Dark Depth's," said Axel before dissappeared into a dark portal.
"I'm going back to sleep," announced Roxas. "And let him hit us again, he interrupted a nice dream."
"Wasn't it worth waking up?" Kairi asked.
"To see Axel? Of course, I just don't like being punched on the head."
"And you think I do?" complained Sora.
"You're both whiners," Riku teased.
Roxas blew him a kiss before dissappearing.
"That was creepy and wrong," said Riku, with a shiver.
"So, are you going to tell us who you're looking for?" Kairi wondered.
"Not until we find him."
"But why not?"
"It's important - okay?"
Kairi pouted.
"These crystals are really pretty," Kairi said.
"Take a few, this area's full of them," offered Sora.
"How close are we?" Riku asked.
"Across the Great Maw is the Dark Depths."
"Wow, it's huge," observed Kairi when they reached the end of the Crystal Fissure.
"And here come the Heartless," Riku said dryly. Several Armored Knights approached and advanced on the trio.
"Stay here. You guys might need your energy shortly," said Sora. "Valor Form should finish them off quickly."
"Show off."
Sora tossed a grin over his shoulder as he charged the Heartless. He Drove a second before he was within reach of their blades. But the Form that emerged from the light wasn't red, it was black.
The figure clawed and slashed the Armored Knights into oblivion.
"It can't be," Riku gasped.
"Oh Sora," said Kairi, sadly.
With all of his enemies gone, the creature galloped on all fours towards Kairi and Riku.
Riku summoned Way to the Dawn and handed Kairi the flowery Keyblade. It noticed the weapons and slowed its pace.
"He looks like the Anti Soras I created in Neverland."
"I don't think he'll attack us."
"Why?"
"He didn't attack when he was a Shadow."
Yellow eyes gazed up at them. Riku shrugged, but made both Keyblades vanish.
"It's okay, Sora, we aren't afraid. Come to Kairi," she cooed, holding out her hand.
He rubbed along her legs like a cat.
Riku passed a hand through the darkness curling off the boy's body.
"The darkness isn't radiating from him. It's actually emptying out of him," observed Riku.
"He'll turn back when it empties?"
"I think so."
"He's sweet like this," Kairi said, petting his spikey hair. "But I like him better as his normal, hyper self."
"Me too."
He crept over to Riku and wrapped his arms around the older boy's waist, his face pressed against Riku's stomach.
"Sora."
A flash of light engulfed Sora, causing Riku to throw an arm over his eyes. Sora released his grip and sat down, blinking up at his friends.
"Um..." started Sora awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Welcome back," Riku said.
"I wasn't exactly gone."
"Meaning?"
"I was still in control of myself, I just couldn't act like I normally do." A slight frown entered his face. "Anti Form is the darkness' way out. When the darkness escapes I have to act in a way the Heartless in me understands."
"Heartless understand hugs?"
"It knows you can't attack or defend properly with it pressed against you like that. I wasn't sure it would allow me to touch either of you without attacking, but then, I've seen them do stranger things."
"You're okay, right?" asked Kairi.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that lately? I'm fine," he assured her. "But we've got to go if we want to be home in time for dinner."
"My house this time. Your mother's cooking is fine, but our chef's is better."
While they walked across the Great Maw, Sora rumaged through his pockets till he found a large yellow orb.
"What's that for?"
"It replenishes my Drive," Sora explained as he pressed the object into his chest. "Next itme we see a moogle I'll have to get another one."
"How often do you Drive into Anti Form?"
"Not very often. The darkness randomly takes over a Drive transformation, though it can't take over Final Form for some reason."
"It's too light," Riku said.
"What?"
"Final Form is your light, the darkness can't overcome it."
Sora frowned with thought, then nodded.
"Before we go any further I have to warn you -- Sephiroth isn't nice and has a REALLY long sword. Run if I tell you to."
Kairi and Riku exchanged glances.
Rounding the corner, they could see a man with knee-length silver hair practicing sword slashes. The sword was longer than he was tall.
"Sephiroth!" said Sora sharply.
The man ignored him.
"I just need to talk to you."
Still being ignored, Sora charged the man, Ultima Weapon drawn. A fight ensued.
"You're...just mad...because...a BOY...beat you," Sora said while alternating blocks and slashes.
Sora had to block a rapid succession of blows.
"And you didn't get the Keyblade."
He ran from the fire Sephiroth summoned.
"Don't feel bad though. I'm not the only one with a Keyblade..."
Sora batted away th dark orbs surrounding him.
"Your son has one too," said Sora, pointing at the silver haired boy.
"What are you talking about?" demanded Riku.
The huge sword fell from Sephiroth's hand.
A/N: Ooh, cliffies suck don't they? If anyone noticed similarities to my other fic 'Anti Sora -- Anti Form?' that was the point. I realize this chapter wasn't as humerous as the others, but I'll try to bring back the funny next chapter.