I don't own the rights to Kingdom Hearts

Chapter 21

"Hey...can you hear..me?"

Roxas opened his eyes and tried to close his mouth. Althought, his mouth was already closed and has been for a while in this condition. Right now, Roxas's whole body was being submerged by a sea of darkness from beneath him. Only his consciousness and pieces of his memories were useful to him as he was being drifted away by the sea. His Identical bright blue colored eyes shut again as he tried to remember how this all happened. He thought back to when he was eating Sea-Salt Ice Cream while watching the sun set red on a peaceful Island.

When then out of nowhere, he saw a huge tidal wave coming towards him and the Island. He was consumed in it before he could even move. Leaving behind the sunset and Ice Cream bar in the ocean's aggressive path. He was able to escape from the water level and gasped for air. He looked around to see the comforting sunset or any form of light was no longer here.

This sudden frighting feeling left Roxas in a hopeless situation. Suddenly, he felt his body lean back into the ocean resting in the small waves's rocking away from side to side. Time passed, Roxas guessed he's been floating here for atleast a full day or maybe two, he didn't have the best record of keeping track of time. Plus occasionlly he would hear himself talking to himself asking If he could hear himself but that was stupid.

"Am I going insane?" Roxas asked himself with a small grin.

This wouldn't be the first time he felt his world crashing down on him. Diz or Ansem or whatever he wanted to be called, maybe did have a point after-all. A nobody does NOT have the right to exist and their only fate was to disappear back into the darkness.

"Is this my punishment for trying to become my own-self?" Roxas asked himself before he was completely submerged in the sea. His body felt heavier and the feeling of his negative emotions got stronger. A few bubbles came out from his lips and the sound of water clogged his ears from the effect of sinking deeper down. He was about to give in to his twisted desires when he felt a strong light surrounding him.

"You can't give up Hope!" the other Roxas shouted to himself. Roxas heard the voice more clearer now and right away, it sounded a little too childish and high pitch to be Roxas's own voice.

"W-Who are you?" Roxas asked seeing a small orb of golden light Infront of him.

"You may not know me but I know about you and Sora very well...enough to call you both my friends" The other Roxas answered.

"Friends..." Roxas repeated before smiling. "It's been a while since I heard someone call me a friend" Roxas said.

"Roxas, focus! I need your help If we want to save Sora" The Other Roxas said.

"Save Sora?" Roxas questioned him.

"A terrible threat has control over his body and will eventually spread over to his own heart" The other Roxas explained to him. "I tried to reach him, but he's far down too deep and my light isn't strong enough to reach the depth he's in now."

"Which is why your mine and Sora's only hope! You have a resistance to Vanitas's darkness and power to match Sora's own strenght." The Other Roxas said.

"Ok..." Roxas replied understanding what was going on but his consciousness was still flizzy.

"Yet, we still face a major problem and that's trying to get you back into the Realm Of Light" The other Roxas started explaining again. "You already became one with Sora, so it's impossible for you to exist in the Realm Of Light as nothing but a transparent being."

"What are you trying to say?!" Roxas asked wanting to get straight to the point.

"With my help, I can act as your vessel to get back into the Realm Of Light and help you stop Vanitas also" The Other Roxas answered.

"Alright.. It's worth a try! If what you said about Sora's being controlled is true then I want to help too" Roxas smiled as he stared at the orb of light.

"He's my other half after all, I have to look out for him too " Roxas told it.

Roxas heard the other version of himself laugh in joy. "I knew I could count on you! Well It's nice to finally meet you Roxas"

The orb of light shined again to reveal a single heart passed into Roxas's chest.

"I'm Ventus, but you can call me Ven"

'So this is Vanitas?' Roxas thought glaring at Vanitas with OathKeeper directly aimed at him. His appearance was identical to Sora's if only his hair wasn't black and his eye weren't golden.

"Let Sora's heart go!" Roxas shouted at him but only heard a old muffed laugh instead.

"I'm afraid your request isn't simply as you expect it to be, young Roxas" Master Xehanort interrupted. "I know you must be feeling a sense of overwhelming pressure from Vanitas's darkness that you found the power to manifest here in a realm you no longer belong to outside of Sora. However, If you will be patience with us then we will gladly re-balance the scale of light and darkness resting inside Sora" Master Xehanort said to him.

Roxas held his blade tighter and got into a protective stance, feeling the powerful darkness coming from Master Xehanort.

'This Power coming from him...It's more powerful than what I ever felt while being around Xemnas! Yet this scent is very familiar to his like him and this old man are the same' Roxas thought.

Roxas shook his head turning to face Master Xehanort. "Are you working with a man called Xemnas? I smell his scent coming from you" Roxas asked.

Master Xehanort then held one of his gloved hands Infront of his nose. "Yes, I know very well the name of that man" he answered.

"So It's the Organization's doing again?' Roxas said now holding out OathKeeper towards Master Xehanort. "Just what do you and Xemnas expect to gain from obtaining Kingdom Hearts!" he shouted.

Before Master Xehanort could speak another word. Roxas was then sent flying back by a whirlwind of flames.

"Lay your eyes off your enemy and you'll wind up dead" Sortias stated still in his final form as the flames from his Firaga disappeared. He then extend his hand at Master Xehanort in a stop signal. "You of all people WILL stay out of this fight" Sortias said glancing back to see Roxas recovering from the suprise attack.

"Such confidence, Fine then I'll allow you to engage alone in this fight" Master Xehanort told him as he started walking away.

"Don't find a place to sit down and watch because this fight will be over in a mere matter of seconds" Sortias said flying at Roxas.

Roxas caught a glimpse of him before guarding against a Keyblade strike. "You may not be Ventus but I'll settle by breaking his sorry excuse of a replacement!" Sortias shouted continuing his fast strikes. Sparks flew around from the two Keyblades clashing. After the next strike, He then dove into ground through a portal making Roxas lose sight of him. Roxas carefully looked around for any possible openings Sortias could use.

Roxas then took a deep breath of air before turning around to his right blocking a spinning aerial attack. The two were now locked in a head to head stand off. Roxas then lifted one of his hands up into the air. Summoning down a bolt of thunder to crash down onto Sortias as he broke away from the stand off. Sortias shook off the thunder magic like it was rain instead. He then grinned before jumping into the air and diving towards Roxas.

Roxas was prepare to block it head on but only to see Sortias hover above him seconds later. Roxas turned around but was instantly hit with three types of magic spells. A Thundaga spell delaying his movements and reaction time. A Blizzaga spell freezing parts of his body as his arms, part of his left leg and part of his face were covered in a Iced state. Lastly, Sortias summoned three large crystals around him as they focused their power together and fired a large beam of darkness at Roxas.

Roxas screamed out in agonizing pain being engulfed in the dark energy beam as it caused a expulsion to be produced where the nobody stood. Sortias reduced the damage he took by a reflect spell and a cure spell. When the smoke vanished from Infront of him, he saw it left behind a crater. Roxas laid there with burned pieces of his coat, ashes covering his skin and hair with bloody wounds leaking from his head and chest. He could be seen still breathing but slowly and wincing when his body twitched out.

Sortias tried to move but a light diminished reverting him back to his normal outfit.

"That form...does take up a lot of energy" Sortias said taking a few moments to rest. He could feel the muscle soreness and magic depletion from using the form to it's max. It didn't matter either way If he was in the form or not, he defeated Roxas. The pain he must be feeling from his shotlock should've put him out on the verge of passing out. He could take all the time he needed as he slide down into the crater and walked over to him. He looked down on him feeling a sense of victory and pride. He looked exactly like Ventus as Sortias then pulled him up from the rubble by his lingering piece of coat.

"I win Ventus..." Sortias told him curling his free hand into a fist.

"You weakling!" Sortias shouted punching Roxas in the face.

"You could've become part of something greater!" He shouted nailing Roxas in the face again.

"However, you were afraid of me! Afraid to let me help you!" He continued punching Roxas again and again.

"Afraid of your own darkness! Afraid of the power you wield! So why!" Sortias shouted unleashing his fury into Roxas face.

"Why! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why!" He screamed out his knuckles getting bloodly with each word.

"Why...Do you hate yourself!?" He asked raising his fist in the air. He then slammed his bloody fist down into the rubble besides him. He lowered his head feeling a familiar sensation in his chest. It was Sadness

Roxas mouth twitched despite his lips bloody and swollen. "I'm not Ventus... I'm me" Roxas said in a weak voice as he held onto Sortias shoulder.

"What?" Sortias gasped looking down at the injuries Nobody.

"I said..." Roxas then grasped both Sortias shoulder and head butted him with all his force.

"I'M ME! NOBODY ELSE!" Roxas shouted out loud knocking Sortias down.

"Heal!" He muttered casting the healing spell allowing the green light flowery magic to heal the wounds he took from Sortias's attack. Including his injuries from the recent punches with result of a black eye and bloody swollen lips fading from his face. He then grabbed his ruined black coat and tossed his aside to reveal his regular outfit he wore in the digital Twlight Town.

He then let out a short battle cry holding out his free hand. A light surrounded it before taking physical form as Roxas held it. The light vanished to show him wielding another Kingdom Key.

"T-Two?!" Sortias asked holding getting back up.

Suddenly a darkness cloud engulfed the Kingdom Key in his hand. Seeing this, Roxas then struck it down into the crater's rubble as darkness vanished from the blade to reveal it now took on the appearance of Oblivion. Sortias looked down at his own Oblivion to see it revert back to Master defender. Wielding both OathKeeper and Oblivion in his hands again, Roxas held up both keys. A beam of Light shot out from the two Keyblades as the light then formed many blades creating a barriers guarding Roxas.

He then held out Oblivion forcing a few blades to attack Sortias.

'Damn that was fast!' Sortias thought casting a reflect spell to block the blades and re-bounce the damage to Roxas.

Roxas saw this and glided out of the way at a much faster speed leaving the blade barrier surrounding him. He reappeared behind Sortias in a different battle stance almost like a samurai pose. Roxas then waited for Sortias charged at him as he then started swinging both Keyblades with more force and speed than with only Oathkeeper. Sortias was now on the defensive from Roxas's power up state allowing him to be at a dangerous advantage. Sortias winched from the cuts he felt from the swings he couldn't block with only one Keyblade.

Meanwhile, Master Xehanort was watching the battle from a safe distance. A look of interest was on his face caused by a certain feeling of nostalgia watching Roxas and Sortias fight.

'Please don't do this, Master! I'm not strong enough' Ventus's word still troubled him even now watching Roxas fight.

"Roxas...my dear boy, If only Ventus had the same fighting warrior spirit shared by both you and Sora. We would't need to go through the unpleasantness of causing another war" Master Xehanort said folding his arms behind his back and closed his eyes.

'Little does my old apprentice realizes it or not. I decided to respect his wishes to not interfere in this fight is because I already know the outcome. It's plain to see that Vanitas is desperately trying to suffocate Sora's light by his own darkness but that is upsetting the balance. If he does not accept Sora's light soon then the hold over him will become weak and Vanitas will be the one stuffed back into the shadows of his heart again' Master Xehanort thought opening his eyes to see Sortias unable to land a hit on Roxas. Then his stare shifted towards the entrance of the Castle's staircase.

"Althought, the queen's piece has finally arrived and by taking that piece from the board, we will be at the true advantage of this game" Master Xehanort said hiding back into the shadows.

Sortias was knocked down to the cracked area of concrete with Master Defender under Oblivion. While Oathkeeper was directly in his face with Roxas looking down at him.

"It's over Vanitas! I've won our duel" Roxas said.

"So, what do you plan to do now? Sora has already admitted defeat to my power over darkness" Sortias replied.

"Are you saying that Sora has already given up?" Roxas questioned him. "I don't believe that lazy buff at all! Sora has won against powerful foes that have use the darkness before" Roxas added.

"You know why? It's because his friends are the source of his power! He keeps on fighting and never giving up because his friends keep fighting for him. As long as his friends are still fighting for him, he'll kept fighting for them too" Roxas explained his eyes falling down on OathKeeper's keychain.

"I know... she isn't here anymore and I can't even think of her face or her name" Roxas said. "Still...I remember making a important promise with her that i would'nt let Xemnas have Kingdom Hearts" he said remembering the blurry memory.

"Save the sappy friendship speeches for someone who cares" Sortias told him. "If you think telling me the reason I lost to you is because of something so full of bullshit! You're mistaken"

"You're free to think and feel what you want but it won't change the results" Roxas replied.

"You sure? I think making speeches like that.."

Roxas felt pain flowing through in his legs as Sortias then sweep kicked him to the ground.

"Just make it's more easier for someone like you to let their guard down" Sortias said getting back onto his feet using his arms as a sprint board. He then grabbed Oblivion and stepped on Roxas's arm holding Oathkeeper. He then stabbed Oblivion into that arm making Roxas unable to use both that arm and hold Oathkeeper.

"Now this duel is over" Sortias said preparing to stab Roxas with Oblivion. Roxas closed his eye bracing himself from the pain he'll have to endurance.

"Sora!" a female voice shouted out reaching Sortias ears making him freeze.

Oblivion then dropped to the ground besides Roxas as Sortias hand was unclenched. Sortias turned around and looked up to see a young women with dark red hair and violet-blue eyes. Unlike the harsh golden eyes and weak blue eyes he hated through out his life. These eyes were different in a way, Sortias couldn't explain and the present of the women infront of him was familiar for more than just one reason. She has the same aura of pure light surrounding her like the other Princess of Heart he encountered in the past.

She then walked closer to him and didn't stop till she was face to face with him.

"Sora?...right, It's you" Kairi said placing one of her hand on his cheek.

Sortias felt warmth run across his body but it wasn't because of being hit by fire magic. It felt relaxing and nice, he felt the strains he placed on himself to kept Sora contain become unravel.

"Who are you?" Sortias said his tone showing he was afraid. Afraid of this emotion overcoming him and there wasn't anything he could do all because of this women.

Kairi let a small gasp and removed her hand from his face. Instead she then held both of his hands in her own as the warmth she gave him increased.

"You don't have to be scared or be afraid of me, sorry if frighten you at first" She apologized to him before smiling at him. "My name is Kairi and I want to help you" she told him.

"Help me?" Sortias asked her as Kairi looked up at him.

"I can clearly see the pain in your eyes and I can feel the tenseness in your hands too" Kairi answered him.

Sortias closed his eyes and slowly held her hands accepting the warmth he was receiving from her. It was so comforting and the pain he's been feeling was being washed away like she was the ocean itself.

Yet, he almost forgot something very important and simple in that peaceful moment. The stronger a light shines bright then it attractives a greater darkness to follow behind.

"Welcome home, Your Majesty, I'm honored that you offer to help my troubled student in pain" Master Xehanort said as he held his Keyblade in his hand. "I do hope you don't hold a grudge against me, I am only a mere scientist searching for knowledge after all" he said.

Kairi turned around to face him, only to gasp out loud as a pink light shined out from her chest.

Sortias stood in place feeling the warmth he gotten from Kairi vanished in a matter of seconds from hearing Master Xehanort's speak. The kind warmth was then replaced by a infectious combination of sadness and rage. Sortias stared at Master Xehanort who had plunged his Keyblade into Kairi's chest.

To Be Continued

End of Chapter 21

SoraX33: It's been a while hasn't it? Yes, I know I've been behind in updating this story but I do appreciate how patience you all are when it comes to waiting. I won't go to deep into why this chapter took so long to make. To summarize it, I took a decent long break because of something happening in my personal life in April and I wasn't in a good mindset to work on this because I wanted to give my all into writing this story. Plus High School was wrapping for me, which is why I'm proud to announce that I have graduated from High School. It's crazy to think I made this account when I was preparing to start High School and now 4 years later I'm finished with High School.

Which brings me to a big announcement and that is I wanted to do a Q&A. However, the rules are you can only ask me Kingdom Hearts related questions and you can ask me questions about the story. You are limited to 3 questions, if you go pass the limit then I'll choose 3 boring questions myself or not answer them. Also, If it's a question that will spoil future events of this story then I will not answer it. So everyone that wants to know if Vanitas will get redeem or fall back into darkness. Better keep reading the story till the end to find out. You all have till next month, June 21st 2018 to get your question in. So let's have fun with this and thank you all for the support and patience you all have shown.

Remember to hit that Favorite/Follow button to show your support to this story if you haven't. Leave a review of what you think of this chapter. It will be a big help to keep me motivated!. And as always, May Your Heart Be Your Guiding Key.