Pieces of You
Chapter One: The Problem and Solution
Sora woke up to the sound of his own heartbeat drumming in his ears. The pace was too fast, beating in a way that had him gasping for air. He sat up in bed, the star filled sky still visible from his window, but it was too dark to see the time on his clock. In the distance he could hear the sound of waves hitting the shore, reminding him that he was home on Destiny Island.
He tried to calm his breathing while searching for the source of what had scared him awake. The quiet of the room gave no answer. Tentatively, he reached up and placed a warm hand over his heart, willing it to calm down. "Just... a dream?" He wondered, trying to recall the last bits of sleep. Nothing came up. Not memories of the dream or nightmare. Still, a shiver traveled down his spine bringing his entire body into a tremble. He hated thinking that a dream had scared him so badly, but this was the new normal. The idea of a good nights sleep was no lost to him, ever since the failed Mark of Mastery test.
Slowly, his breathing slowed and his heart quieted from its earlier panic. But something felt off.
Sora frowned, his fingers tracing the spot above his heart. The panic was gone, but so was something else. It reminded him of those days after he lost Riku and Kairi. The absence of their teasing, of their laughter, had left him feeling hollow those first few days on his own.
Now, that feeling was back. And he couldn't understand why.
Axel was summoned first thing in the morning to Yen Sid's tower. He gave a long exaggerated yawn as he stalked up the stairway. This morning his body felt heavy, he still wasn't used to the needs of being a whole person. Eight hours of sleep, meals three times a day, proper rest after a grueling day of training. Merlin had scolded him nonstop about these requirements, but he found himself only snacking on bread when his stomach demanded it and pushing himself too much. The aches in his muscles from training was usually pleasurable, but not as he trudged up the stairs. He cursed Yen Sid for calling on him after a particularly tough session.
A complaint was posed and ready on his tongue when he opened the door, and then it immediately died.
Standing there in front of Yen Sid's grand desk was a small body, a familiar mop of golden blond hair, a lazy slouch in posture. Axel's breath caught in his throat at the sight. He quickly blinked. It couldn't be.
Yen Sid glanced up from his conversation with the youth and met Axel's gaze. His mouth was pulled down in its familiar frown, but today he looked more troubled than usual. "Lea," his voice boomed, using a name that still caught Axel off guard. "It seems we have a visitor."
The boy turned. The golden blond hair melted to a mousy brunette, and he found himself staring at Sora. Axel schooled his features, hiding away his surprise. This needed to stop happening.
After all the time he had spent with Sora, he knew the other boy was completely different from Roxas. They may share similar features, but their personalities and mannerisms were unique from each other. Still, sometimes Sora would say his name or smile at him and the memory of another would ache in Axel's chest.
Axel bit back a growl of annoyance at himself. "Shouldn't you be out training? Those guardians of light aren't going to find themselves you know?"
Usually, Sora was quick with a retort. But today, Axel's teasing was followed by a long silence. His unease grew when he noticed Sora wasn't smiling. There were dark lines under the teen's eyes, his shoulders slumped with an invisible weight.
"It seems," Master Yen Sid said slowly, "That one of the guardians is impatient for us to find him."
Sora's head snapped up, eyes wide in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I've had my suspicion for a long time now. Ever since I heard about your nobody, Roxas." The name sent a shiver through Axel's entire being. Yen Sid's next words though turned his blood into ice. "But I don't think he was really yours to begin with Sora."
"What?" Axel was shocked to hear his question echoed by Sora. Their voice combined to make a strange new sound.
Yen Sid closed his eyes, a hand slowly stroking his beard, gathering his words. Axel wanted to shake the man, make him explain his cryptic message faster. "Nobodies take on the appearance of their whole person, but there was a marked difference between you and Roxas. I never saw the boy for myself, but from what I hear he bared a striking resemblance to one of the hero's of light."
Axel's knees felt weak. He gripped the doorway to steady himself.
Yen Sid's eyes fell on Sora. "You say your heart felt lighter this morning? Emptier? It seems the time has come for Ventus to wake up. The piece of himself that found solace within you has left."
Ventus. Axel didn't know who Ventus was, or what it meant that Roxas was a part of him. But he did hope. Foolishly, selfishly, he hoped. If he still had all his memories of those days spent as a Nobody, maybe Ventus would have Roxas' memories as well.
"Ventus," Sora repeated quietly, his brows furrowed at a recent memory. "Well, then that's good. Does this mean things are going well for Riku and the King?"
"It is hard to say," Yen Sid shook his head, "But something has definitely changed."
"Then we should go looking for him, shouldn't we?" The words were out of his mouth before a plan could fully form itself, but Axel had no regrets. Maybe he was new to this to the whole heroes of light and darkness thing, but he was a keyblade wielder now. And this was the first clue he had had for months regarding Roxas. "Riku is looking for Master Aqua in the darkness. Now it only seems right that we should look for this Ventus guy."
"Yeah," Sora jumped in, "I know I failed my mastery test, but I can do this Master Yen Sid. Please."
He held the gaze with the sorcerer in front of him, urging the old man to agree. Slowly Yen Sid lowered his gaze, "I'm sorry. But you are both too inexperienced and there is still so much we don't know. You will wait for Riku to return and then you may go."
"But-" Axel bit back his protest as a pulse of magic hit him with warning. Yen Sid didn't often show his true power to them, but when it came to protecting his students, he wouldn't budge. Now, more then ever, the old Master was on edge and practicing caution.
"You will wait." Yen Sid repeated, "We must be smart and cautious in order to defeat the darkness. Now, I will hear nothing more on the topic."
They sat outside the tower like two scolded children. Sora with his chin resting in his hands and Axel swinging his keyblade to and fro, practicing as it materialized and dissolved into golden dust at his command.
"This sucks," the redhead hissed, giving his wrist an angry flick. His keyblade appeared in his hands, pointed towards the stars above their heads.
Sora gave a heavy sigh in answer. It wasn't like him to be so quiet. His cheer was sometimes a little too much for Axel, but now he wished the other boy would flash his trademark smile or... something.
"What's got you so down? Are you missing your boyfriend that much?"
"Riku isn't my-" Sora's face flushed pink at the accusation before he caught himself. He quickly hid it in his hands, scrubbing away the embarrassment. "I'm just... not feeling great. Ever since this whole thing started."
"This whole thing?" Axel repeated slowly. It hadn't been too long ago that Sora had failed the trails to become a Master, and had been told to return to training. After that Riku had left to find Aqua. Anyone of those things would have been enough to cause the Burnett to be worried, but now there was something else.
He watched as Sora touched his chest gently. Gloved fingers curled against the cloth of his shirt. "I'm happy for Roxas, but my heart feels weird now that he's gone. I guess I got used to him. It feels like a piece of me is missing."
I know the feeling. The thought popped into Axel's head before he shook it off. He cleared his throat of the sudden tightens that threatened to crack his voice. "Well, that just means your heart misses him. You know how to make that feeling go away?"
Blue eyes blinked at him cluelessly.
Axel grinned, "You go and save him. Then you won't miss him anymore."
"But Yen Sid..."
"Said we needed to keep training." Axel finished, "So we'll go to a few worlds and do some training, and look for clues to where Roxas is."
To his surprise Sora didn't immediately object. He seemed to be thinking the logic over, a smile slowly creeping across his face. "That does make sense."
"You'll feel better once he find him." Axel urged, and so will I.
He was glad to see the bright smile return to Sora's face. "Yeah, you're right. Then we'll be one step closer to gathering the heroes of light. So," Sora turned and looked pointedly at Axel, "What do we need to do?"
"Why are you looking at me?" Axel frowned, "You're the guy who has already gone gallivanting between worlds once before."
Sora's smile stayed in place as if Axel had paid him the best kind of compliment. "I guess you're right. Alright, come with me." He sprang to his feet and took off down the dirt path away from the tower. Axel blinked, feeling a sudden whiplash from the boy's change in spirit. Finally, a chuckle bubbled out of his throat as he stood and followed.
It was about time something fun happened.
"You're leaving?" Kairi asked. She didn't sound a bit surprised by the announcement, just concerned as she watched Sora throw a bag of clothes and food onto the gummy ship. She looked different every time Axel saw her, either it was a new outfit or a new haircut. Today she was wearing the faintest hint of markup around her eyes, making her look older. Radiant Gardens had been good for Kairi, she'd found a home among the strange characters there and had thrived under Merlin's instructions. There was a self assured way in which she leaned against the ship that hadn't been there for months. If Axel leaned that way, he might have said she was attractive. Certainly half of the town was falling over themselves to be with her.
If Sora had noticed any of these changes, his face didn't show it. He was too busy with the thoughts bouncing around in his head and the amount of food which was needed for the trip. "We have to," he said, "We need training after all."
Axel thought it was sneaky of him not to mention the heart ache he had discussed with Master Yen Sid, or the idea that Roxas could be alive somewhere out there. Nope, they were just two keyblade wielders innocently going off on a training trip. Just as the Master had instructed.
"Just the two of you?" Kairi's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she leaned against the ship.
Sora nodded vigorously, his brown hair bobbing with the motion. "Two keyblades are better than one."
"Then I'm coming with you."
The movement stopped suddenly. "Kairi, I don't know."
"I'm a keyblade wielder too." she pointed out, "And I need training as well. So it only makes sense that I come." Her pink lips pulled into a mischievous smile, "three keyblades are better than two, after all."
Axel made a low whistle, "She got you there."
Kairi flashed him a smile of appreciation, but Sora shook his head. "But, it might be dangerous!"
"So only you and Riku can do dangerous things?" Kairi crossed her arms over her chest and looked defiant. "I've been in plenty of dangerous situations Sora and I've been training with my keyblade as long as Axel has. I can handle it."
Sora blinked at her, struggling to find a response. He turned and gave Axel a pleading look, but the taller boy shrugged. "If she doesn't come with us, she might tell Master Yen Sid."
"And why would that be a bad thing?" Kairi asked innocently, "He did tell you it was alright to go training. Right?"
"Fine," Sora huffed, "You win. But-" He trailed off as Kairi threw her body against his own, engulfing him a hug.
"Oh, thank you, Sora!"
Sora's frown melted away at the happiness in his friend's voice. He curled into the hug, finding solace in the embrace. For a second he looked like that was all he needed in the world. "It'll be fun," she said encouragingly, "We'll finally go on an adventure together."
That seemed to ease Sora's distress. When they pulled apart his smile was genuine as he laughed, "Alright, alright. You convinced me."
They gathered the rest of their things quickly after that. Kairi didn't complain about their need to rush. She disappeared and returned a few minutes later, a pink backpack flung over her shoulder and her petal keyblade in hand.
Axel and Sora exchanged a look at the excitement in her eyes. Neither knew if it was a good thing, or if it spelled trouble.
"You didn't mention your... condition?" Axel tilted his head once Kairi was out of earshot.
Sora's smile faltered. His eyes rested on the wing of the gummy ship, "She doesn't need to know. No one does really. I'm sure I'll get over it soon."
Axel didn't offer any comfort to the boy. How could he? His heartache was a completely different beast from what Sora was feeling. In truth, Axel's heart was about to burst from the hope it felt. A renewed purpose fueled his blood. For the first time since he came back, he was starting to feel whole.
He waved a hand at the ship and followed Sora's clumpy footsteps aboard. Sora took his place at the control panel while Kairi and Axel filled in the two unoccupied chairs. It was like the space for made for them, one chair was shorter to the ground while the other supported Axel tall frame. Sora looked completely at ease behind the controls as he made preparations. Getting to space was the easy part. Sora handled the ship like an old pro, steadying the boosters and then rocketing the three of them off into the sky with little warning. Kairi squealed in excitement, clutching the seat under her. Axel gritted his teeth and hung on for dear life.
Space travel was not Axel's usual cup of tea. He had been using the dark portals for so long that it was natural. Space was safer though at least that was what Merlin had told him over and over again. But once they reach space, Axel wasn't so sure. He looked out the window, into the vast darkness surrounding them and felt as small as a guy could feel. Even with the lights of thousands of worlds glittering in the distance, he couldn't help but think that one wrong move would let the inky blackness swallow them up.
"Where are we going first?" Kairi asked, taking in the stars with awe. It was a simple question, yet no answer was uttered. Axel looked to Sora and Sora blinked back uselessly. She sighed at the two of them. "You're both hopeless."
"Well," Sora said slowly, "Master Yen Sid didn't really tell us where to go for training."
Axel nudged his shoulder encouragingly. "Well, what does your heart tell you?" He asked with a meaningful wink.
Sora blinked, his smiling falling the slightest bit as he looked down and at chest. "My heart?"
The ship swayed in zero gravity, floating listlessly in space as they stared at the control panel. A list of worlds stretched out before them, some Axel had never heard of before. His eyes spotted Twilight Town among the list as well as Castle Oblivion. If Roxas was anywhere, he knew those two were the most likely places, but he wouldn't press. This wasn't just about him.
He knew this trip was also for Sora. To help him after the failure of his test. It hadn't been a complete lie when he suggested they go on a training trip. Maybe knocking some sense into heartless would help fill the hole in Sora's heart.
Without a word, Sora held out his hand to the control panel. His Keyblade appeared, the gold handle glittering in the ship's light. Axel watched as the keyblade was pointed towards the screen and the open space outside the window. Sparks of magic gathered at the end of the blade before a beam of light shot out, connecting with a keyhole that materialized in front of them.
Kairi let out a sound of wonderment. Even Axel had to admit, he was impressed.
When Sora opened his eyes, a gateway was waiting for him. The ship scanned it and came up with the world beyond. Coliseum.
"Well," Sora smiled, "I guess we're going to see Hercules." He pushed a lever forward and the ship jumped to life. Blasting off towards the portal and the world beyond it.
As the world whizzed by Axel couldn't help but feel a stab of disappointment. He wouldn't find Roxas in the Coliseum. So where was Sora's heart taking them?
Author's Note: This story is from my weirdo brain because I can't freaking wait for KH 3 to come out and this is how I think things should play out as we all wait. This takes place after Dream Drop Distance, so there will be spoilers as well as references for that game if you haven't played. Mainly I just wanted a story with Sora, Kairi, Axel, and Riku all going on space adventures, falling in love / finding love, and fighting evil. If you like all those things, hopefully, this will fill the need for you as well. The story will eventually be Riku/Sora and Roxas(Ventus)/Axel. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Leave a comment and I promise the next one will be up shortly!