Sorry, this took so long. My computer sucked and didn't save the chapters that I spent hours typing and editing. Boo. Anyway, keeping this short.

I own nothing. DeadShut has kindly helped out once again. He had originally offered it as a name for the Reject, but I liked it better for a different character. And due to the lawyer in the previous chapter warning me, I'll credit him here. I dontz wantz to get sued! I also don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or so you think...

Good neews! Me and DeadShut are planning to do a new story...together! We are in the brainstorm stage, but it will be epic as hell. I'll be publishing it, though we work on it together. And another bit of news. There is an actual test out there that can gauge "Sue-ness". It's called the Litmus Test For Mary-Sues. I took it for each of my main characters and the results are as follows. Roxel: slightly sue (but mostly for his name. It kinda does have a special meaning) Soriku: slightly sue (but less than Roxel, again for the name) Asmuth: not a sue (can do with spicing up though) Haji: slightly sue (but more than Roxel) I feel that the test was pretty accurate. I answered the questions honestly. But, every character will have sue-ness in them. It is the way of fanfiction.

Anyways. Enjoy! Excuse any sad attempts at characters I've never even met yet. *ahem* BBS. . And, I'll never meet them. I'm not buying the new game. T.T

Roxel looked to Haji and Asmuth. He frowned, thinking hard about what he was going to do. He did not want to abandon them, but he had to find out about his twin, or copy, or whatever it was. Roxel couldn't believe there was another person just like him. He had previously thought that twins were non-existent. A myth, because he had never seen one before.

"Roxel…" Haji warned.

"I'm sorry."

Roxel dashed off after the Reject. Haji called his name, ushering more warnings and growling harshly. He chased after him, leaving Asmuth behind. Roxel seemed determined to catch up with the Reject, though he had no idea of what he was actually getting himself into.

The Reject turned sharply to avoid being seen by Roxel, though he was sure to let him just see him turn the corner so he could give chase. Roxel had lost him, but his fear of what Haji might do to him kept him going at a faster pace than usual. Haji had fallen into his familiar pattern of running. Crouching on all fours, and keeping low to the ground. He actually felt much more comfortable this way, which was unusual for him since he had not run like that in a long time. Not since he was escaping from his home world, and dodging Master Xehanort's attacks.

Roxel had finally caught up with the Reject. He was almost upon him, but something caught his eye. Soriku had appeared out of thin air and was sprinting with him. He was going to say something, but Soriku passed him and ran in step with the Reject. The Reject reached out to her, and Roxel could have sworn that he heard him singing to her.

Suddenly, Soriku crouched on all fours and circled around, coming back at him. She looked feral. Her eyes were not her own. She was more animalistic and she was targeting him. Roxel and Soriku almost collided, but Haji dashed out in front of him and tackled Soriku. They rolled over each other, biting and clawing at each other's necks. Roxel leapt over the pile of bodies and landed on his feet clumsily. He continued onward, though he could feel Soriku and Haji chasing each other while staying close to him.

Roxel prayed that Haji wasn't hurting her, but he thought more about what was actually wrong with Soriku. Why was she fighting Haji? And on behalf of the Reject? Something was terribly wrong. And the Reject was to blame.

But, Roxel was soon running out of breath. He slowed down to a walk. He looked behind him and saw that he was alone. He could hear hideous sounds coming from the shadows, and he thought he could recognize Haji's voice. He stopped, clutching a stitch in his chest.

"Giving up so soon?"

Roxel looked up. The Reject was standing at the end of the alleyway. His back was against the wall, and he smiled callously. Roxel straightened.

"Who are you?"

The Reject looked at the twilit sky. "What is it that you want me to tell you? That I'm your long lost brother?"

"The truth would be nice." Roxel commented.

"Well, the truth hurts." The Reject snarled. "I will tell you one thing. We are not related. But, if it makes you feel better, I'll call you brother…Brother."

Roxel grit his teeth. "You're…"

"What?"

"Not my brother?"

"Good heavens, no!" the Reject laughed. "I wouldn't even dream such a heinous thing. We are the same, but I am much better."

Roxel furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

"I know the Heretic sent you to get what I've taken from him." The Reject said softly. He reached behind his back and pulled out a deck of cards. "Let's play a Fair Game."

Roxel took this as a cue to fight. He summoned Blaze of Glory and stood at the ready. He could still hear Haji in the background. He sounded different. Strange. Almost like he was, evil. But, Roxel couldn't think about that. He had to concentrate.

The Reject smiled, pulling a card from his deck and looking at it. He clicked his tongue and looked up. "Let's play a game."

Roxel launched himself at the Reject, spinning Blaze of Glory. He didn't dare let it go, for he knew that if he did, the Reject would be upon him again, feeling his body. He inwardly shuddered, and cried out in anger. He didn't know why, but the Reject struck a chord in him that made him vicious.

The Reject stood still. He didn't move until Roxel was right above him, just about to connect with his target. He flipped the card in his hand over. It was blank. Roxel was almost there, when he disappeared. He landed on his feet and turned around, eyes searching for the Reject.

"You missed."

Roxel whipped around, and was met with a punch in the face. He fell back, stumbling over his feet, but not falling. The Reject kept in step with him, ducking whenever Roxel attempted to attack him. He moved to the side of Roxel's punch, looking along his arm at his hand. He turned back to Roxel and grinned. He leaned up close and licked his cheek.

"I win." He whispered.

Roxel arched back, wiping his face and screaming. He couldn't stand the Reject. He just could not look him in the eye and be okay. There was just something so wrong with the both of them being in existence in the same world. He hadn't been aware of it when he and Denzel were fused together. But, it crashed down upon him like a tidal wave.

One of them would have to go.

"You're such a wimp." The Reject said as he pulled his black gloves tighter. He wiggled his fingers. "I can't believe how long I've gone without killing you."

Roxel huffed harshly. He felt his lungs empty, but couldn't seem to bring in enough oxygen. He tried to reply, but the tightness in his chest stopped him. The Reject frowned, then smiled wider as he realized what was going on.

"You can't bare it." The Reject laughed. "You really can't bare it. My existence is too much for you. This is funny."

"It's…not funny." Roxel wheezed. His heart was beating faster. The blood in his veins curdled. He was losing his vision. The Reject pulled him up from his sinking position.

"Tell you what." The Reject said. "I don't want you to die just yet. No, you don't deserve that luxury."

Roxel cringed as he remembered that that was what Roxas had said before. "He was talking about you."

The Reject touched his nose to Roxel's. "Unfortunately, I'm not welcome in most worlds. Just like Haji. I will make a deal with you. You see, all I seek is your destruction. I will not tell you why. You haven't earned it."

Roxel faded into black, but the Reject slammed him on the ground. "NO! You are not going so easily. You listen to me! You must trade something for this information that I will so willingly bestow upon you."

Roxel squirmed under the Reject's weight. The Reject was so unbearably close to him, he could feel the heat coming off his body. He didn't want to look at him.

"I will trade you…your weapon."

Roxel pushed him off. "No." he growled.

The Reject stood up and brushed himself off. "Fine, then I will just take something just as precious from you."

He cocked his head slightly and uttered a sound that could not be described by any other word other than haughty. Soriku rose from the shadows. She was severely beaten. Bleeding from her arms and there were parts of her clothing missing. Her hands were curled into claws and she was growling.

Haji appeared next to him. He, too, was battered, though not as much as Soriku. He seemed much more distant. He obviously had something on his mind. He stood with a hunched back, ready to fight again if it was necessary. Roxel looked at him, then at Soriku.

"What happened?"

Haji didn't answer. He merely breathed heavily. It sounded almost like he was straining. Trying to hold himself back from something. He trembled. Roxel assumed it was because he was tired. The Reject took Soriku into his arms and cooed. She goggled softly, and Roxel burned with jealousy.

"The finish line…is just around the bend…I'll pause this game…so our love will never end…Let's go again."

Roxel couldn't help but feel a slight twinge in his heart, like he may actually have feelings for the monster that tempted Soriku with his voice. He shook his head, clearing the numbness that started to creep into his brain. Haji nudged him.

"What is it?" Roxel barked.

The Reject let Soriku go. "Protect me, Soriku. I need your help. They want to kill me."

Soriku lurched forward, but the Reject grabbed her by what was left of her jacket. He had a surprising amount of strength, considering that Soriku was digging her heels into the ground to get to them.

"You must make a choice, Roxel." The Reject said. "Your weapon or Soriku."

Roxel gasped. Haji pushed him back and leaned forward. He was ready for her attack, which was going to be a challenge. The Reject shrugged.

"I trust you'll make the right choice."

He released Soriku. She ran forward so quickly, she lost her footing and crashed into Haji. Haji hoisted her off the ground and threw her into the wall. She cried out in pain, and Roxel ran to her. Haji trembled harder. He was slowly losing his grip on reality. He was using so much of the darkness that he was losing his humanity. Something that he had been working for so long to build up. He shook his head again. Roxel moved Soriku and called her name repeatedly.

"It's such a waste, isn't it?" The Reject whispered in his ear.

Haji swiped at him halfheartedly.

"Two perfectly good hearts." The Reject continued. "One of a Keybarer no less. How could you resist? So tempting." The Reject kept his hand hovering just above Haji's shoulder. He didn't dare touch him. He was brimming with too much dangerous energy.

"Soriku!" Roxel cried. Soriku did not respond. "Soriku!"

"I'll trade her for something from you." The Reject said, still keeping close to Haji.

Haji shifted his weight. "I'm listening."

"You have knowledge of time don't you?"

Haji nodded.

"If you tell me what happened, I'll let you have her."

Haji shook his head. "I don't remember."

The Reject waved his hand and a portal tore open in the wall. It was light in color. Bluish and it crackled with electricity. Haji could feel a tug at his heart. The portal was calling to him. The Reject went to Roxel, threw him away from Soriku's body and picked it up. He nuzzled her, kissing her gently.

"You will remember, Haji." The Reject said, and he threw Soriku into the portal. "You have no choice."

Roxel jumped to is feet. "Soriku!"

He shoved the Reject out of his way and ran into the portal. Haji remained still. He looked at the Reject.

"If I get this for you, you are going to regret it." Haji said.

The Reject frowned. "You leave that to me. I trust you Haji. I know your kind."

"You don't know us that well."

"Just bring me what I want." The Reject snarled. "The Heretic has no power over me anymore."

Roxel held his hands over his face, cringing away from a blocky Keyblade that was dangerously close to his throat.

"I'm not who you think I am!" He cried.

The person holding the Keyblade was wearing a full suit of armor. His cape swirled in the gusting winds. He made a sound of disbelief and pushed Roxel closer to the ground. Roxel was frantic. He tried over and over again to reason with this person, but all attempts failed.

"Terra!"

The suit of armor turned away. "Aqua, stay out of this!"

Roxel turned as best he could to the side. Another suit of armor was coming closer. It, too, was carrying a Keyblade, though this one was a little more slender and quick looking. He guessed that this was Aqua, and that the one threatening him was Terra. So far, he liked Aqua more.

Aqua pushed Terra away, yelling at him. Roxel wasn't paying that close attention because two things had hit him simultaneously. He first realized that Soriku wasn't there. He panicked because that had been the only reason for such a reckless dive into a portal made by an enemy. He was beginning to regret that move. The second thing that occurred to him was that Asmuth had not been there when the Reject had opened that portal and he couldn't see Haji. So, he was alone.

Roxel stood up and stumbled away. He had no idea where he was, or what was going on. He was in a world that he had never heard of, or read about in his childhood stories. And though he had hated those stories, he knew that the only reason he could keep calm in his situation was because he had read all of Sora's adventures in books. Now that he was without his knowledge, he was vulnerable. And that scared him.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Terra said as he realized Roxel was trying to escape. He raced after him, but a third suit of armor slid in front of him and blocked what Roxel thought was sure to be an attack. He could hear the clang of metal on metal. He stiffened and turned on his heels.

The third suit of armor was considerably shorter than Terra. Roxel shivered. He wanted to leave.

"Terra, stop!"

Terra relaxed and threw his Keyblade on the ground. It disappeared in a flash of light, and he ripped his helmet off angrily. He threw that to the ground and punched the short suit of armor.

"Ven!" Terra growled. "Do you not see that I'm trying to stop the world from unraveling itself? Will you please stand aside?"

Ven remained adamant. "We'll talk to Master Eraqus."

Terra immediately protested, but upon a thump from Aqua, he dropped his shoulders and nodded. "But we do exactly what he says. And if it involves hurting him, I'll do it."

Aqua sighed and pulled her helmet off. She had beautiful short blue hair. Roxel was entranced by her face, which was stern. She soon relaxed and smiled at Terra. "You always jump the gun, Terra. Can't you see this is not the same person?"

"He sure as hell looks like him."

Aqua pushed past Terra. She patted the third suit of armor, and placed a hand on Roxel's shoulder. "I'm sorry Terra is such a hot head. He's just showing off."

She looked back at Terra, who made a face and looked away. "My name is Aqua. The hot head is Terra, and the short one is Ventus."

"But you can call me Ven for short."

The third suit of armor dismissed its Keyblade and removed its helmet. Ven shook his head and smiled. His blonde hair and blue eyes were familiar. Roxel gasped.

"Roxas!"

"You know, you're the second person to call me that, and like I said before, I'm not Roxas." Ven said. "Though I do feel bad for the guy. It seems he's not very well liked."

Roxel backed away. He was in an unknown world, with three strangers that he did not trust. He had to find a way to escape. He was sure that Terra was going to hurt him if he stuck around too long. He was either going to flee into the barren wasteland or fight Terra. His choice was obvious.

Terra and Ven were still arguing with each other. Terra was in favor of destroying Roxel, and Ven was in favor of at least hearing him out. Aqua looked between them. She looked like she was the oldest, but not much older than Terra. She wiggled in between them and pushed them apart.

"Stop it you two," she scolded. "You are acting like a couple of kids."

"Fine," Terra growled. "We'll take him to Master Eraqus."

Roxel backed away. They wanted to take him somewhere in this world. He didn't want to see whoever this Master Eraqus character was, and he wasn't eager to. There was no way they were taking him anywhere.

He took several steps back and summoned Blaze of Glory, though it didn't come. Instead, several black shadows shot up his arm and he could feel Haji's voice echoing in his ear. He instantly panicked. Even though he was sure that Haji wouldn't harm him, he thought that maybe it could have been the Reject, and that made him panic even more.

Haji formed next to him. His arms were still outstretched from when he had been protecting Roxel from the Reject. Black tendrils were wrapping around Roxel's body, but he retracted them quickly. He had hoped that no one had seen his momentary blunder. It seemed that he had been successful, but he looked away from Aqua's swift glance.

Roxel latched onto Haji. Then, after realizing that Haji had breifly abandoned him, he pushed him to the ground, wrestling him roughly.

"You abandoned me!"

Haji growled at Roxel, "I did no such thing. Traveling through time is tough. It was a simple time delay."

He kicked Roxel off of him, but Roxel continued to wrestle him. He wasn't that bad at it, but Terra and Aqua looked at them like they were foolish for fighting for no apparent reason. Haji pinned Roxel to the ground.

Aqua stared at Haji for a little bit longer. She thought he looked familiar. "Haji!"

Both Haji and Roxel froze. Roxel pushed Haji off him and stood up. "You know him?"

Terra looked at her. "You know him?"

Aqua shook her head. "I don't know him. I know about him. Ienzo asked me to help him look for him."

Terra and Ven looked at each other. "Ienzo?"

Roxel nudged Haji. "Who's Ienzo?" Haji ignored him.

Aqua huffed. "I don't have to tell you everything, you know."

Terra frowned, "But it would have been nice to know."

Ven agreed with him. "You usually tell us everything."

Aqua scowled. "Well, Ienzo asked me to not tell anyone. He had asked me if I had seen Haji around. I said no, but that I would keep an eye out. I promised not to say anything unless I had found him."

Terra glared at her. "Master Eraqus gave you a mission?"

Haji shivered. "We wish to not get in your way. We are here to get our friend."

Ven looked at him. "You mean that girl who showed up before you?"

"You saw her?"

Terra, forgetting his anger, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, there was a girl who got here before you did. She was beaten pretty badly. But, she looked strange. She was completely black. With big yellow eyes. And she moved so fast, we couldn't stop her. She ran away."

Roxel shook his head. That couldn't be Soriku. Soriku had been human when the Reject threw her into the portal. She was fine. Severely beaten, but other than that, she was normal. She was not a Heartless.

Aqua smiled softly, and then frowned. "There was something wrong with her. She wasn't normal. I could sense her mind being intruded by something else. She was just…so evil. I have never seen anything like her before."

Ven whispered to her. "Do you think it's Vanitas?"

Terra shrugged. "Maybe it's Xehanort. He's been skulking around here more often."

They stood together, talking to each other quickly, throwing ideas and concepts that Roxel could not follow. These were people he had never heard of. Not even in the childhood stories that he had read a thousand times.

Aqua looked back at Roxel and Haji. "Let's go talk to Master Eraqus."

Terra led them to a castle that loomed over head. The castle was floating, and Roxel wondered how they were going to get up there. Ven stood still for a while. He felt strange. There was something impeding his body. Master Eraqus had told him that his heart wasn't complete. This feeling that welled in his chest made him feel whole.

"Ven!"

Ven looked up. "What?"

"Are you coming?"

Ven nodded and raced after them. There was something different about him. But, he felt better.

"No! Absolutely not!"

Terra stopped in front of what looked like a grand office. The doors were tall, almost touching the ceilings and they were slightly ajar. A stern voice floated out, and it was coupled with just as stern protests.

They listened quietly to the conversation, but it was cut short by a loud slam and a shrill yelp. It wasn't long before the door opened and a two people left. The first was a man. He was brown, with pale hair that reached just past his shoulders. He looked livid, like he had lost the one thing that was most precious to him. The second person was a boy, who looked no older than eight years old. The sleeves of his white lab coat were rolled up several times.

The boy glanced at Aqua, and flashed a smile, but he had managed to make it look more like a half hearted scowl. Haji had cloaked himself quickly. He took the form of Asmuth. It was obvious that he didn't want the boy to see him. And he was successful, for the boy did not give a second thought to him.

Terra waited for only a moment before ushering Aqua in. He slammed the door shut as soon as Haji and Roxel were in the office. Master Eraqus was pacing back and forth. He looked like something was bothering him, but it wasn't evident. He had a mean look on his face, but it softened sligtly when he saw Terra.

Master Eraqus looked away and continued his pacing. It was quiet for a long time. Terra watched silently, then after getting impatient, he cleared his throat. Master Eraqus looked up.

"What is it?"

Terra took a deep breath and glared at Roxel. "These two intruders and one other…thing, have entered our world with the intent to destroy it. They claim to be time travelers and this one," he motioned to Roxel, "looks like—"

Master Eraqus held up a hand. "I know who he looks like, there is no need to utter his name."

Terra closed his mouth, angered at the fact that Master Eraqus had interrupted him. He was was embarrassed, but he had way too much respect for the older man to allow himself to protest such a trite occurrence.

Master Erqus sat at his desk. "Terra, I am a little preoccupied with more…complicated matters. I understand that they appear to be a threat to our civilization, but your claims are out-landish. I'm sure they do not wish to cause us any harm. They are welcome here."

"But, Master," Terra said. "They are liars. They claim they can travel through time. That is impossible. They are liars and deserved to be punished!"

"Terra!" Master Eraqus screamed. "You do not talk back to your Master. You have no rights and lack respect for someone who is better than you. Can you not see, based on the way they carry themselves that they are not of this time period?"

Terra stared, open mouthed at his mentor, not saying a word.

"You, will personally escort these two to Radiant Garden. You will take them to the castle, up the stairs, and into Ansem's office. Or you will never learn another fighting technique for as long as I live."

Terra closed his mouth and looked down.

"I expect you to take care of them, and protect them from any danger tha our world will provide. Especially the Unversed. Do you understand me?"

Terra nodded.

Master Eraqus calmed down and smiled at Roxel and Haji. "You are welcome in my world. I would appreciate it if you did not make a fuss while you are here. I understand that you are not of this time, and are just trying to get your friend. I can sympathize, but I do not want you here for long. Terra will take you to Ansem the Wise. He should be able to get you back home."

Terra grit his teeth and scowled deeper if it was possible.

"Terra, take them somewhere where they can blend in a little better." Master Eraqus commanded. "I don't want to alert anyone to their presence."

Terra nodded and rushed out of the office, grumbling to himself. Roxel and Haji followed. Aqua turned on her heels.

"Aqua. You stay."

Aqua stiffened and turned back to her Master. Terra closed the door and sighed. He then whipped around and grabbed Roxel by his collar.

"You better do what I tell you. Or you'll regret it."

Roxel gulped and nodded. Terra let him go and rushed down the hallway.

He guided them down dozens of hallways, through many dor, and up and down several flights of stairs. It was almost like he was trying to get them lost on purpose, but Terra wouldn't dare disobey a direct order from Master Eraqus. He walked so fast, that Roxel could barely keep up. He was just fast enough to see him whip around the corner. He ran to keep up, but still Terra was so much faster.

Terra stopped in front of another tall door. There was a sign hanging on the doorknob, but neither Roxel, nor Haji could read what it said. Terra appeared to have understood it, but his opened the door anyway.

Inside was a vast library. Thousands of books on hundreds of shelves lined the walls. The middle of the floor was set up like a presentation was about to start, though all the chairs were empty. A single voice echoed in the huge space.

Terra headed towards it. He rounded the corner and stopped in front of a large winged chair. In this chair sat and brown man, barely thirty years old, reading to a young boy. He spoke a strange language.

Terra coughed, and the man looked up. He smiled.

"Terra, what brings you here?" the man said.

"Anson, I need you to disguise these two so they look like they belong here."

"So, would it be safe to assume that they don't?"

Terra huffed. "Yeah. I need to take them to Ansem."

"I see." Anson mused. "Well, he won't see you now."

"Why not?"

Anson stood and pulled a book of a shelf. He placed the other book in its place. "He gave me time off. I'm his scribe, you know. He doesn't meet with anyone unless I'm there to document it."

Terra growled softly. "Then will you come with us?"

Anson laughed. "Good God, no. I'm on vacation. You'll be able to see him when I return to the Garden. But, you are more than welcome to go ahead of me. I will return soon. Tell me when to stop."

Terra sighed exasperatedly. "I really don't have time for your cryptic metahors."

Anson smiled, "You catch on pretty quick."

"Stop."

Anson, who had been flipping the pages of the book back and forth quickly, stopped on the page. He looked at it breifly, then tore out the page and crumpled it in his hand. It disintegrated and the fine powder drifted through the air and covered Roxel and Haji in a pale light.

As soon as the dust settled, they looked over themselves. The dust had transformed their clothing into the same white lab coats that the man and the boy had ben wearing when they were outside Master Eraqus's office. Haji remained unfazed, like he transformed more often than he was letting on.

Roxel actually liked the way he looked. He wasn't sure if he could be a man of science, since science was frowned upon in Krystahl. He thought that he could always be a scientist, but had never had the guts, or the smarts to study things in depth. But he thought about it.

"Thank you, Anson." Terra said quickly. "We'll see you in Radiant Garden."

"Bye."

Terra looked at Roxel and Haji, "Let's go."

Hope you liked it. :) Moving on to the next chapter. I'm kinda tired. I pretty much typed more than half of this today. *sigh*

Has a nice day. :)