Sorry ya'll, I didn't put an author's comment on my last chapter... 'sweat drop' Oops...?

Anyway, yeah... This one they make a new friend, and I hope you all know why... Because he never appears in the game! And it made me mad... Anyway yeah... If you don't like it and you rather it just the two of them, don't worry, there will still be a large amount of SoraRoxasness. So anyway... Here's the disclaimer...

Disclaimer:

Sora:We're gonna get old in this studio...

Roxas:No kidding...

Rikku:Whoa, whoa whoa... wait... If she doesn't own you... why are you still here if you don't want to be?

Me:Oh please, they're getting paid!

Roxas and Sora:You don't pay us!

Me:Shutup! I pay you in those cookies you love so damn much!

Sora:Ohh... Okay, I am perked up once more to disclaim!

Roxas:SORA!

Chapter 9

A Departing for Answers and Intros

After stopping Yzma in a chaotic attempt, the four had laid back the next day. They made sure she stayed someplace where she would behave, really with Kronk. She had turned into a small chinchilla Persian and the two boys just could not stop laughing about it. But they eventually stopped crying their eyes out when they were about to leave.

"So ya'll can take care of yourselves now right?" Sora inquired as Kuzco saw an old, literally old, friend off that he claims to have had accidentally thrown out the palace window.

"Yeah… Pacha and I-"

"Ahem…"

"Well, mostly I, have learned a lifelong lesson… We'll see ya'll later, we can survive on our own guys…" Kuzco suggested, patting Sora on the back.

"Okay, if ya'll are sure… No being naughty when we leave, alright you two?" Roxas smirked, making Axel crack up in the back of his mind.

The two South Americans glared daggers at the boy. Sora was stifling a chuckle with a hand over his mouth. Roxas' smirk grew gentler and bigger at the same time (if that's possible) as he stared at the two.

"No funny from where I standy! Now get ya'll butts out of here before I have you thrown out of the window next!" Kuzco threatened, a little moodily and seriously, "Kronk!"

The big guy showed up on the spot, saluting to the young emperor, "Kronk reporting for duty Emperor Kuzco!"

"Use Yzma's Lab to get these two back to where they were!" Kuzco ordered, walking to Pacha to show him into the next room and have a small conversation.

"Sir, Yes Sir! I still have some of the same potion left over from last time…" Kronk yelled, leading the way down.

LINE

Atlantis had already been save by Milo and the two poofed up right as the group was readying to leave. Sora and Roxas talked to them just in time, said their goodbyes to Milo and Kida, and went with the crew to the top. When they came to the surface and back to the base, Sora and Roxas found that their Gummi Ship was fully repaired (miraculously) and ready for take off. They thanked Mr. Whitmore hurriedly and left, waving to everyone they knew. As they flew silently through space, neither Sora nor Roxas said a word. Both too tense to have any courage to break the quietness. It was then that Sora jerked the wheel to the right and off course, towards the Radiant Garden. Roxas was so used to the stillness that he flew off his seat from the force and was sent slamming into the Gummi wall! He dusted himself off and got up, glaring at the other boy who had an intent scowl on his face.

"What the hell is wronge with you! Could you at least warn me before you do some crazy stunt like that!?" Roxas yelled, matching Sora's scowl.

Roxas' wounds were fortunately healed and he had taken off the bandages. Though the deep cut in his leg created a permanent scar that he would never forget. Sora's frown slowly turned into a smirk at how he was torturing his friend, but he refused to look at him when he answered, "I'm going to see Merlin! I have a few questions that need answering and we're not leaving until all my problems that can be solved are resolved."

"Ohh… Well, we're in for the time of our lives aren't we…?" Roxas answered sarcastically, getting back in his seat.

They landed shortly after the dispute and Sora dragged the poor boy off the plane and toward the wizard's house. He kicked open the door without hesitation to find Cid and Merlin jump in fear. Letting go of Roxas' wrist, he strut up to the old bearded man and got right up in his face with a glower.

"Oh… I can't go back to Destiny Islands because I will endanger everyone there but it's right fine if I go to other worlds, strutting about! What the hell is wronge with you people!??" Sora yelled into the poor man's face.

"W-Well I never!" the old wizard yelled back, getting ticked off himself, "You expect I had no idea about it?!"

"Well, it seems like it!" Sora yelled back, pulling his face away.

"Sora! You calm down now or so help me I'll turn you into a codfish!" Merlin threatened, taking out his wand from his baggy sleeves.

Sora's frown grew deeper before he closed his eyes and sighed deeply, "…Alright… I'm calm…"

"Right… Well, to answer your question… your aura appearing and soaking up light in the Hall of the Corner Stone where we shared our last meeting, now has protection from various dangers in the worlds that the bounty hunter cannot touch, but it is limited… So that is why you cannot permanently return to the Islands for now… Okay Sora?" Merlin explained, calming himself down as well.

"Oh… Okay… S-sorry…" Sora answered slowly, eyes downcast.

For some reason, Roxas felt a breeze of relief sweep over him, Axel quirking an eyebrow at the two in front of the blond. Suddenly, a knock at the door followed by a long "Hello? Is anybody home?" greeting. Roxas saluted the three with his pointer finger, assuring them that he had it, and turned to get the door. Opening it, he saw almost like a younger version of Sora's companion, Goofy. Only this kid didn't have a bump on his head or a clumsy look to him. He had some luggage and a small card that he was reading off of as Roxas opened the door.

"Umm… Is this Merlin's House? It says here that I need to meet Sora…" he said, still looking at the card.

He was really their age, bearing a little messed up head of hair. He wore a short sleeved, red jacket with blue, baggy jeans and black skater shoes. He had buckles here and there on his zip up jacket for designs and had a black patch of leather going down each of his pants legs on the outside. He also wore white gloves with a red buckle surrounding the wrist.

Roxas took his image in for a moment before calling Sora over, "Yeah, this be Merlin's house. And awkwardly you came at exactly the right time… SORA! Someone here for ya!"

Sora showed himself to the door to see the miniature Goof looking at him. He then put on a confused look and quirked an eyebrow. Then finally turning wide eyed, he gaped at the teenager in front of him, making the new guy incredibly uncomfortable.

"Goofy's not a VIRGIN!??!" Sora yelled with surprise.

The boy blushed fiercely at this, having an expression on his face that obviously read that he really wished Sora hadn't had said that. Roxas had fallen over at this, coughing and flinching at the same time. He then got up with Axel laughing hysterically in his mind and elbowed the stupid brunette hard in the stomach, making him jump.

"It seems that he isn't…" the boy answered, looking anywhere but at the duo, blushing deep red.

"O-Oh… Sorry… I was j-just a bit sur-surprised there… Come on in! And by the way, this is Roxas, my best friend…" Sora introduced, leading the boy in.

"I'm Max, Goofy's son as you've obviously noticed… He sent me over here to take his place on your mission. He said we might like to meet each other since we're the same age…" he explained, sitting down.

"Great! It'll be fun to have you around!" Sora answered cheerfully, taking a seat beside him.

"Yeah… It gets a little boring only having a duo around here, we desperately need to be a trio." Roxas added, sitting beside the keyblade wielder.

Max stuck a hand inside his pocket and took out a small colorless photo. It was taken of his father, Goofy, and a girl. She had long bushy hair and a short snout. She was really beautiful and was hanging on to Goofy's arm with a smile. Max smiled tenderly in silence, letting the two see the picture and observe its details.

"Whose she?" Sora asked politely, pointing to her.

"GiR-gIrLfReInD-d!!…" Roxas yelled/whispered through an unconvincing cough.

Sora shot a glare at him for a few seconds, but Max didn't seem to notice what Roxas had said and sighed.

"She was my girlfriend back home… Her name was Roxanne… I took a picture of the two of them together about a year ago because that was when I introduced her to my dad." The teen explained gently.

The three were silent for a moment before Axel pointed out something to Roxas. Roxas immediately agreed and decided to ask the boy about it, quickly thanking the redhead for the observation.

"What do you mean… 'was'?" Roxas asked with confusion, quirking an eyebrow.

Sora swiftly elbowed him hard in the stomach with a scowl as Max sighed deeply, closing his eyes. Roxas widened his eyes in guilt, realizing what damage his words put on their newcomer. But nonetheless, Max turned to them with a small, sad smile.

"She died… About half a year ago… In a car accident…" Max answered, becoming suspiciously interested with his shoes all of a sudden.

"I-I'm… Sorry… I-I didn't know until well… Honestly, until S-Sora nudged me after I asked…" Roxas apologized with his eyes downcast.

"Aww… It's okay Roxas, life goes on, and I've managed to get over it." Max forgave, nudging him cheerfully in the shoulder around Sora's back.

The three laughed together cheerfully at this and had quite a time. They caught up on things and asked about recent events. Soon they ended up playing a few games now and then and then it eventually ended up in a game of wrestling. Once the trio was out of breath, they all fell on top of each other crying their eyes out because they were laughing so hard. Finally, they all sat on the couch once more to rest, Sora in the middle once again. He placed an arm around both of them with a bright smile as he laid himself back onto the cushions. They all sighed in unison.

"So… Max, you know how to fight or spar or something?" Sora asked with a chuckle, letting his curiosity get the best of him.

"Well, yeah, what do you think? Goofy wouldn't have sent me here just to be dragged along by you two helpless and needy!" Max answered with a laugh in return.

"Really? What do you use to fight with?" Roxas asked, leaning forward to get a good look at him.

Max then looked around the room in thought and sat forward as well, leaving Sora to put his vacant hands to the back of his head. Max reached for his backpack and dragged it to lay between his knees. Opening it, he took out something the two would've guessed last to be in there.

"Well actually, I use my skateboard. I've based my attacks on how my dad uses his shield to fight. I'm also skilled in hand-to-hand combat. I can block nearly any hit you can throw at me. They say I have great reflexes." Max answered with a cheerful smile, letting his skateboard rest in his lap.

"Wow… Now that's something I wouldn't have had expected…" Roxas replied honestly, raising his eyebrows.

"Would you rather me empty handed and helpless?" the boy asked, mirroring the blond's expression.

"No! No! I meant, the skateboard… I didn't expect that…" Roxas answered quickly, putting up his hands defensively.

Max then got up, wiping his gloved hands on his jeans. Stretching, he put his skateboard back in his bag and picked the pack up. Looking around the room and then at the two, he gave them a soft smile.

"Well, I'll see ya'll later…" he called over his shoulder, heading for the door.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa… What?!" Sora and Roxas yelled in surprise, getting up and following him.

"Oh sorry… Um, I really just came here to meet you two and get to know you. You're gonna be my two new companions after all. I only had a while here. I have to go on a three-day trip for a mission the king himself gave me. I'll come back here as soon as possible when I get done, so try not to do anything exciting while I'm gone, okay?" Max explained, giving both of them a heart-felt smile that told them everything he just said was true.

"Oh… Okay… That's cool… And don't worry, we won't do anything… much…" Sora smirked, holding the door open as Max stepped through and out.

They all laughed one last time before Max had turned the corner and was out of sight. Sora and Roxas stared after where he had disappeared, smiling manically. Suddenly and without warning, Sora grabbed Roxas' wrist and dragged him through Radiant Garden. Roxas didn't even have time to protest as he let the door slam behind him. It wasn't even like Sora was walking anymore! More like… floating… He moved so swiftly, Roxas could barely keep his feet under him.

"Where are we going and why!?" the blond called after him.

"A place where it's quiet and has a good view!" Sora answered back without looking at him.

This made Roxas blush and he didn't even know why. Luckily, Sora didn't look back to notice and neither did Axel. He also was speechless with the sudden outburst. Finally, the brunette skid to a stop. They were on an eroded balcony, with a perfect view over Hollow Bastion's old castle. It was empty and hollow below them but beautiful all the same. It was quiet as the gentle breeze flowed over their exhausted bodies. Their muscles grew tense and then immediately relaxed soon after, the two smiling with relief. Sora jumped and sat on the stone barrier that prevented other people from falling off. Roxas leant onto it beside him with his arms folded. They observed the day for quite a while until the skies got quieter and the sun started to set. Suddenly, Sora noticed something run in one of the upper halls of the abandoned castle. Roxas noticed it as well, shivering from the slightest motion.

Impossible…

LINE

Of course, being the heroes they are, they decided to investigate. It was getting dark, and the castle seemed to had lost its beauty fairly quickly. Especially since they were inside its ruins instead of outside. They heard the motions of processing erosion as they searched, making the two jump a couple times and grab each other's hands. Getting embarrassed when they noticed the contact, they jumped back from each other with muttered apologies. Finally they reached the upper halls where they saw their suspicions and the stars already twinkled brightly in the skies.

"So… you saw it too?" Roxas asked, following him through the halls.

"With both eyes…" Sora answered with confidence crouching into a paranoid position.

That's when they saw it…

A silhouette of a young teenage girl ran behind them across a doorway, a giggle gracing her lips. The two spun around in unison, eyes wide and searching. Suddenly, a different form of a girl ran passed to their right, the exact opposite direction the other girl had left. She also shared a small chuckle.

They knew those voices…

Daring not to speak the names they suspected, they searched for the two troublemakers that scared the mess out of em. The two girls running every which way every two seconds, sharing quick giggles and laughter. Sora was clinging on to Roxas' arm behind him, his nails digging into his sleeve, both tense. Roxas was shaking violently, spinning around to face any sign of movement. Sora was also shaken, but not as paranoid. The red-haired one ran passed Sora's gaze to the left. The golden-haired one mimicked her movements to Roxas' right. The two frightened boys were back to back, using their eyes to follow the two girls. Then suddenly, they stopped. Everything went quiet, no giggles or footsteps… No signs of movement… The girls had vanished. Until…

"Sparkling angel, I believe… You were my savior, in my time of need…" the two girls' voices morphed together with a phantom like echo sang gently through and into a pitch black hall.

Sora looked at Roxas behind him uncertainly and then walked cautiously to the torn curtain that covered the entrance. Entering it, they saw and felt nothing about them, just hearing the soft haunting tune that now guided their every move.

"Blinded by faith… I couldn't hear… All the whispers… The warnings so clear…" they sang softly once more, their voices drifting a ways away.

The two kept walking, almost in a trance, yet they were both pale. Neither said anything to break the soft melody.

"I see the angels… I lead them to your door, there's no escape now… No mercy no more… No remorse cause I still remember…" they trailed off, their voices taking a menacing tone now.

Sora and Roxas froze right then, seeing the two culprits clearly and unmoving, their eyes downcast. Even though there were shadows cast upon their faces, their was no mistaking, that these two girls were Kairi, and Naminé. Their eyes were closed as they sang the harmony of the song.

Then, slowly lifting their heads and leisurely opening their eyes to stare at them with a hollow sight, they moved in such a way, they seemed haunted and dead, finally singing, "The smile when you tore me apart!"

The two girls stared at their hook-ups-by-fate and slowly walked toward their boy, their walk just as haunted and limp as their movement. Sora and Roxas standing side-by-side in fear, clutched each other's shoulders in tension. Now they definitely knew that they weren't dreaming and something was definitely haunting them.

"You took my heart! Deceived me right from the start… You showed me dreams… I wished they had turned into real… You broke a promise, and made me realize… It was all just a lie…" the both chanted in anger, their hands clutched into fists.

The boys were now backing up as the two girls crooned and walked toward them with anger. Now forced out of the hall, they were on the edge of the floor, about to fall fifty stories below into a twenty-foot deep cavern. They were on them now, touching their chests in sorrow and looking up into their eyes. Their touch burned greatly, and their eyes bored into them with their hollow stare. The two boys looked back down on them with guilt and fear, leaning back over the cliff with their hands raised.

"Sparkling angel, I couldn't see… your dark intentions, your feelings for me." their faces now inches away for their lips to brush as they sang, the two gave in, taking their girl into their arms.

Their foreheads pressed together, Sora tenderly smiled down onto Kairi as she sang with a frown, "Fallen angel… Tell me why… What is the reason… The thorn in your eye…"

Then he looked over at Roxas who he had almost forgotten completely about, and saw him sharing a tender kiss with his woman… Sora suspiciously felt a wave of jealousy flow over him as he scowled at the two. Shoving Kairi away, he turned and looked at the ground a quarter of a mile below them with narrowed eyes. She took this by surprise, her fist planted on her chest in shock. He couldn't bear to look at her face like this. He didn't even bother to look at the other two as he stared with pain filled eyes. It was all an illusion, he knew this… And soon, Roxas would get the picture because he had just pulled away with an uncertain expression. Seeing that Sora and Kairi were apart, his eyes widened as he snapped his hands away as if he had just touched a hot surface. He didn't shove her off though, but stood and looked away, toward where Sora was staring.

"I see the angels… I lead them to your door… There's no escape now… No mercy no more… No remorse cause I still remember…" they both continued singing as their scowls returned, tears flowing down their cheeks as Kairi assumed her position right in front of Sora.

Both boys could not stand to look at the girls, to hurt at what they were doing. Though they did glance at each other with sorrowful eyes. Roxas then voiced the few words that Sora needed to hear.

'I'm sorry…'

He smiled gently at this and continued looking down, wondering what to do next. He then looked at is other again with a smile, and then turned to Kairi with a slight smirk. Roxas did the same, though avoiding looking into Naminé's eyes. They then grasped each other's hands, attempting to send a certain message to their loved ones and looked at the two girls. Their scowls turned into gentle sad smile as they blinked with their tear-stained faces. They then took a step forward and placed their hands on the boys' shoulders.

"The smile when you tore me apart…" they finished in whispers, immediately pushing them off the cliff.

Still having their hands held, they were diving head first toward the solid earth beneath them. Now this was stupid… Doing a front flip in the air, they made it so that their legs were under them again… No way were they going to survive this! The two made it so that instead of hitting the ground while holding hands, they put them around each other's neck, side-by-side.

"Well… See you in the next life Sora…" Roxas said quietly, tearing from the fall.

"Likewise Rox…" the brunette answered, also tearing from the pressure.

Closing their eyes for the soon to be impact, they felt three tiny sets of hands grab their shoulders, saving them from the impact that never came. Sora opened his eyes to see Rikku holding his right shoulder, Yuna holding Roxas' left shoulder, and Paine, in the middle holding both of them. They soon floated to the ground softly, Roxas raising his eyebrows in confusion, not know what the hell just went on. Sora smiled his genuine smile to the three girls.

'Oh… that gorgeous smile…' Roxas thought dreamily.

'…what?' he heard Axel say soon after.

'Nothing! Shoosh! I'm trying to listen!' Roxas yelled quickly.

"Thanks Yuna, Rikku, Paine… Honestly, we can't thank you enough for saving our butts… But why are ya'll here?" Sora asked in confusion, scratching the back of his spiked head.

"Sora… We need your help…" the three said pleadingly.

So... Max has joined them! Exciting huh? WOOHOO! Anyway yeah... The song the two were singing was by 'Within Temptation' and it was 'Angels' if you were wondering. So yeah... frightening wasn't it? And very random BTW... Anyway, yeah... the troublesome trio have asked for their help right after!

HA! Another CLIFFHANGER!