Lost in the Darkness: Oathkeeper

Hello again. Chapter 1 is UP!

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Chapter 1 – Memories

Let's meet in the next life…

Nonsense, a Nobody would never get a second chance at anything. The moment they became one, their past life would be thrown away. The comforts of home, family, and feeling would be nothing.

Riku still was guarding the stairs from Axel.

"Look, just go and nobody gets hurt." Riku commanded in a snarling voice, and summoned his Souleater.

"Well it seems as if you still have your wimpy little weapon…" Axel said silently, and summoned his chakrams. "I don't want to do this, but I need someone here. And if I don't get him, my life would mean nothing."

Or would it? A reluctant little voice in his head questioned.

Shut up! Axel thought back.

"Fine," Riku said "But we better take this outside." Riku glared warily at Axel. He wouldn't risk his family for this fight.

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Silent, Smooth, and Strike…

Axel thought to himself outside. Riku was still watching his every movement, making sure he wouldn't do anything to his home.

"No worries. I plan on winning this battle fairly." Axel laughed, and thousands of flames burst up around them.

Riku was unfazed. "So the rumors are true. Some pyromaniac has entered our town…" he chuckled.

Before Axel could react, Riku was down on him, slashing his Souleater at him. Blocking every blow with his chakrams except for the first one, which clipped him inconveniently on the arm, Axel vanished for a second. Riku suddenly froze. Was this man telling the truth when he said he planned on winning the battle fairly? What if he had just teleported into the house –

"Never loose concentration on your enemy. Strike one." Axel's voice resonated around the street. "You lose your concentration so quickly don't you?"

Riku narrowly got his head chopped off as a chakram whooshed past his head, the wind whistling in his ears.

Axel reappeared behind him, catching the chakrams before ruthlessly slashing at him. Riku blocked the first few blows, until Axel sent a huge wall of fire at him.

"Agh!" he shouted as the fire hit him. On contact, the flames receded, and Axel stared down at Riku.

"I'm not done yet!" he shouted angrily as Axel teleported away.

This time, Riku stood in the same position, looking around for any sign of his enemy.

"Never stay in the same place. Lightning might not strike at the same spot all the time, but I can reassure you that I can make fire light in the same place. Strike two." Axel's taunting voice returned again, as the flare wall returned to burn Riku. "Basic knowledge, isn't it? Anyone can set fires at the same place again. Are you sure you should be fighting me?"

Now Riku was furious. No matter how hard he attacked, this man just kept on going.

Time to pull out a little trick.

Jumping into the air, a dark aura blasted around him as he transferred into Dark Mode.

"Ah. The ever predictable Dark Mode." Axel said lazily as he reappeared.

What! How did he know? Riku froze. No. Must keep concentration. Keep moving. Jumping into the air, he thrust his Souleater down at Axel, who glided away gracefully. Riku continued slashing as much as he could, but his fierce adversary proved much more quickly than presumed.

"Dark Firaga!" Riku shouted as he skidded to a stop, and aimed a ball of black fire at Axel. The flame absorbed right into him.

"Fire. I control it too. Strike Three. Use your head." Axel said one last time before appearing behind Riku, and grabbing the back of his neck before hitting it hard with his hand. "I'll let you lose shamefully." He said as Riku fainted.

Pressure points. You gotta love them. Axel thought with satisfaction. How interesting that one who once was so strong was easily defeated like that?

Laughing for a moment, before suddenly stopping, he looked towards the house.

"Now for the others…" he said silently to himself.

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Upstairs, Sora and Roxas had watched the whole battle, how their big brother had put up a fight, but lost in the end to his exhaustion and by a hit on the neck.

"Pressure points." Kairi had explained.

"What will we do?" Sora asked, trembling. "It's us kids who are hardly even teens against some guy who throws flames and sharp thingamabobers at people…we're doomed…"

Namine was now burning up in her fever.

"I don't get it!" Kairi screamed furiously. "Her fever's getting worse!"

For most of the battle, she had been pressing cold towels on her sister's head, but nothing was working.

"What will we do?" Roxas asked quietly.

"Lock the door." Kairi sighed exasperatedly. "It's the only thing we can do for now."

She then looked around before moving a large picture of a grassy plain to the left, revealing a dark room.

"Roxas. Sora. Get in here. It leads to the chimney." She said quickly, hearing the footsteps ascending up the stairs. "Take the candle with you too. I want you to run and get up on the roof and take the metal emergency stairs down. Get to Cid's bar, and don't stop running, mind you."

The two nodded in fright, and crawled in. Kairi closed the door with an exhausted sigh. Namine opened her eyes weakly and held her hand, a small smile on her face.

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Sora and Roxas had already climbed out of the roof, slightly ashy, but nonetheless fine. They slid down the metal ladder and began running.

"What do you think will happen to Kairi and Namine?" Sora asked quietly as they dashed towards the bar.

"…" Roxas was silent. Why were these strange new memories coming back to his brain? After watching the man fight with Riku, bright flashes of light had been interfering with his thoughts, until he saw himself with two Keyblades in his hand, about to fight him. Maybe he was foreseeing the future?

He had known all this long that his family could all wield Keyblades, but he hadn't learned yet. He was still training, while Sora could already use one. Perhaps he could see the future? But hopefully, he didn't, and even more, he desperately hoped to have no fight with the other man.

"Hey! Roxas!" Sora shouted, waving his hand in front of his brother. "Come on, we have to get out of here!"

The two began to run at top speed, but before long, a window exploded in flames in their house, and Axel jumped out.

"Hurry up!" Sora called back to Roxas, who was apparently five quick steps away.

They were almost at Cid's bar, just to be stopped by a Moogle that was sitting outside.

"The bar's closed, kupo, nobody can come in, kupo." It said smartly, just to be grabbed with a squeal and tossed across the streets.

Halfway through its fall, the Moogle frantically tried to fly, but obviously its pudgy body held it down, but helped to cushion the fall.

It flipped several times before fainting on the ground.

"Kupo! How rude!" it muttered furiously to itself.

Inside, Sora and Roxas flung the door behind them frantically. Cid looked up from where he was playing a game of Poker with several other Moogles.

"Hey, I thought the bar was closed, Kupo." One of the Moogles pointed.

Without warning, Sora and Roxas ran around the counter where they were playing and hid in the kitchen.

"…Uh…" Cid mumbled. "Give me a second."

Opening the door of the kitchen, he found Sora and Roxas hanging with some loaves of meat, upside down.

"What the heck are you doing?" he asked. Sora and Roxas began sweating funnily.

"There's a pyromaniac chasing us, so Kairi told us to hide in your shop." Roxas said quickly.

"What! I don't have any idea what to do with pyromaniacs!" Cid cried gloomily. "Now he's gonna burn down the bar and take my only business away from me!"

There was a sudden knock on the door, but then, a crack, and the door was down.

"Ok you guys better stay here and hang with the meat." Cid said quickly and slipped out of the kitchen.

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Kairi sat trembling beside Namine, whose breathing was a bit more even now. She had even stopped sweating as much. It was a good sign that her fever was letting up. What had happened though?

She had seen a red flash as the door burned down, and the stranger came in. There had been a silence, until he demanded to know where Roxas was. Kairi had tried to convince him that there was nobody here but herself and her sister. He had suddenly shot a flame at the portrait to reveal the secret passageway. He had laughed and said it was futile trying to hide secrets from him, then noticed Namine for the first time, with her fever. He had tried to walk over, but she tried to stop him. He had then teleported at Namine's side and placed his hand on her forehead. There was a strange steam that came from his hand and her head, and he suddenly lifted his hand up again, before moving to the window and burning it out, jumping out the window.

She was still confused. Had he purposely rid Namine of her fever? What did he want from them?

"K-Kairi…" Namine mumbled from where she lay.

"Namine…" Kairi replied weakly, and walked over to her sister.

"I don't know why…but I'm starting to remember…"

"Remember what?" Kairi nearly shouted. "Is it about our parents?"

"…Well…In a way…" she sighed quietly.

"Well? What about it?" Kairi demanded. For nearly their whole lives, they had no parents. They had died several days after Namine's birth. How could she remember?

"It isn't our parents." Namine whispered. "It's about our brother."

"Sora? Roxas? Riku?" she asked.

Namine only shook her head.

"I don't know why, but I think we had a foster parent or another brother or something. Or maybe it was a sister." She said, straining her head in thought.

"Rest, Namine. You can tell me later." Kairi placed a new cold towel down on her head, before closing her eyes in deep thought.

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"We're CLOSED!" Cid shouted at the man who had been in his bar less than an hour ago. "What? Do you want your munny back? Well you can't have it!"

Axel sighed exasperatedly.

"No, I'm just searching for two boys." He growled, growing impatient. Impatience? I don't feel – why am I feeling now? "I know they're here."

The black shadowy roots returned, flaring fiercely around his arms, and the chakrams reappeared.

Cid gulped, and pointed at the kitchen.

"Sorry Roxas, Sora…" he thought to himself as the stranger slid silently behind the counter, past the Moogles who had now started the poker game without Cid, and into the kitchen.

Sora gave a gulp of fear when he saw Axel enter the kitchen. Roxas groaned as his feet slowly began to slip oh-so-conveniently from the ropes that held him up. Sora fell with a thump on the floor, and along with that, Roxas as well, with gigantic bumps now welling up on their heads.

"Thanks for the laugh. Now lets get down to business." Axel laughed.

"Just WHO the heck are you?" Roxas growled, grabbing on to Sora's arm if they had to make a run for it.

"So you forgot again…" Axel sighed bitterly, his eyes suddenly cast down, before he looked back up with a new intent in his eyes. "I hear that battles can bring back memories. Why don't we try it?" he laughed as they suddenly found themselves outside.

Sora knew how to handle most battle situations, so he summoned his Keyblade, holding it out in front of him.

Roxas only looked down. He couldn't help in this battle. Sora nodded to him to leave and get help. Roxas went running down the streets, turned his head back while he did so, and saw Sora surrounded by the flames that had defeated his older brother.

Sora held the Keyblade tightly, watching the man's every movements. He would not make the same mistakes as his brother, after all, he was known to be one of the strongest fighters in the town.

Making the first move, Axel threw his chakrams at Sora, who moved out of the way quickly. Axel teleported and caught the chakrams.

He can't fool me with tricks I've already seen… Sora thought. What's even better is that I think that he's already used all his moves in the battle with Riku.

As expected, a burst of fire formed under Sora, who dodged it quickly. A wall of fire now separated the two.

With a semi-impressed whistle, Axel threw the chakrams once more, letting them explode out of the flames, and fly towards Sora.

With a shocked expression, Sora found himself sprawling across the ground.

Getting up, he saw the flames receded and Axel nowhere to be found.

"So it was just a distraction…?" Sora thought in confusion, before burning into fury.

He had let him escape, and now his brother was in danger.

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He was feeling the strange emotions again. The voice in his head was getting much more persistent.

And why do you want Roxas?

"Because…" he muttered as he glided across the town searching for any sign of his once best friend.

He doesn't remember you. Plus, he has his own family now…

"This isn't a reality! I know it's a trick!" he shouted, slamming a fist into the nearest building.

He felt a rush of pain tingle up his arm. Never had the pain felt so real. It was usually just a funny 'vanishing' feeling, like particles seeping away in him. But now, he felt something new. Something was running down his fingers. He turned around to look at his hand in wonder. Pulling off his glove, something red plopped out of it.

Blood. The voice said quietly.

More of the 'blood' crept from his hand.

It's proof you exist now. Pain. Hatred. Love. Desire. All parts of the human mind and spirit.

"So…this is more than real, hm?" Axel said quietly. "So what happened to them? Why are they suddenly younger?"

This is the next life. They've lived here for around thirteen years now without knowing of the existence of Heartless, Nobodies, and you. As for you? You just woke up from your sleep. The dark waters consumed you over time after you died. They gave you a body, but control you. Your heart lies not within you, but in the lake of darkness. You exist…but they have your spirit.

Axel shook his head in confusion.

"Save it. I want Roxas. We can return home together." He said almost angrily.

Ah…but what if Roxas doesn't want to return anymore?

The thought had never came to him. He had only thought…

The blood had now dried up on his knuckles. Picking his glove back up and placing it on his hand, he stared down the street.

"Was it better if I didn't exist then?" he asked, his voice filled with distaste and bitterness.

…

"Sora!" the familiar voice of Roxas cried from where Axel had just left.

Axel turned around, and all the way at the back of the street was Roxas trying in vain to pick up his brother.

"…Roxas…" Sora muttered quietly as his younger brother broke into a slow but steady run.

But what if Roxas doesn't want to return anymore? He thought. After all, he had injured both of his brothers…but he had relieved Namine of her fever…

Now where did I learn to do that? He subconsciously thought.

But he had come so far. It was fine. He would take Roxas, and bring him back to reality. Then…then…

Shaking his head madly and growling, he broke into a smooth glide to where Roxas was running off.

Roxas chose that time to turn his head around. When he saw Axel, chakrams out and gaining on him, he began running even faster.

But then, suddenly a shadow that wasn't his formed in front of him. Axel froze.

Heartless? I thought you said there were none! Axel demanded fiercely in his head.

Ah, but your arrival…your lone heart in the lake…it has brought many Heartless…

The black pool slowly rose up and formed into what looked like an overgrown ant with huge yellow eyes, but only four legs. It wobbled around a bit before suddenly turning its head towards Roxas, who froze.

"Roxas! Move!" Axel felt every bit of emotion pushing out of him as he began to run after. But when Roxas stood still, Sora on his back unable to help, he suddenly felt himself move without control, suddenly flying over and slashing the thing with a chakram.

"You-!" Roxas snarled in distaste, having barely any thoughts he had just been saved.

"No time for that!" Roxas suddenly found himself being picked up, along with his brother.

He turned his head upwards to take a look at the man who had 'saved' his life. Dark green eyes stared only forward, and bright crimson hair blew in his face as he glided through the streets. He then turned his head back to see Sora clinging on to his back still, opening his eyes slightly through the wind. More of the black creatures with golden eyes were rising out of the ground and chasing after them. He looked ahead and then gasped – as more began to form in the streets, blocking both points of exit.

Several seconds later, a wall of fire surrounded them from the strange creatures.

Axel cursed as more Heartless appeared from the sky, flying down to attack.

"They fly?" Roxas choked as one swooped down on him, only to be repelled by Sora's Keyblade.

"Come on Roxas! Try to fight! I know you know how…"

Roxas nodded weakly and held out his hands, closing his eyes.

But what this doesn't work? What if I get killed? What will happen to my family?

"Roxas!" Sora shouted over the screeching of the exploding Heartlesses. "You can do it!"

A sharp jagged pain ruptured through Axel's skull.

"What…" he growled as he singed several more Heartless. "…"

The pain receded.

By then, a bright light formed in Roxas' hand, and a single Keyblade formed.

"One…" Roxas growled. "But it's better than none!"

The two brothers dashed across the flaming arena, attacking whatever Heartless they could get. Axel stood momentarily at their synchronization as the two jumped up in the air and slashed at the oncoming heartless. That was when he felt something cold rupture through him. He turned around in shock and saw a Neo Shadow slicing through him.

"A…" he mumbled.

Remember, you exist, but you don't at the same time. No worries. The voice laughed.

But he didn't feel any pain. Nor did any blood come out.

Right now, you're returning to nothingness. It is up to you whether you want to be real, or be nobody.

"Hah. For now, I'd rather be a Nobody." He laughed, and he thrust his chakrams at the Neo Shadow mercilessly.

There was a sudden shrill cry among the Heartlesses, who suddenly receded. The Neo Shadow, who was nearly vanishing, quickly receded as well.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"I think it's over…" Roxas said quietly. "Maybe that thing was the leader, and it being hurt called for the others to retreat."

But Sora was no longer watching his brother, but the other man who suddenly collapsed onto the ground.

"Roxas…" Sora whispered quietly.

Roxas merely nodded, a strange bubble of emotion welling up in him.

"It's no longer safe here. We have to go." Roxas murmured, before looking back at Sora. "Tell the others we have to go, no matter what kind of condition Namine is in. Get Cid, I think he can help."

"And you?" Sora asked.

"I'm staying here. We're dragging him with us. I don't know why, but I have…" Roxas stopped.

"Don't worry, I guess I get it." Sora grinned before taking off. "I'll meet back here after I get the others."

The two smiled weakly at each other, before Sora dashed off, vanishing into the darkness.

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That's it for Chapter 1. Hope you enjoyed! Once again, review if you like. And thanks for the alerts! I really appreciate it!