"Ab Origine" and the general, basic concept/story of "Ab Origine" are copyright Orin Drake 2006. Kingdom Hearts, all characters and generally all cool places are copyright Square-Enix and Disney, forever and ever and ever. Or so I'm assuming.

Background: My first tentative steps into... exploration. I've had the fortune of good philosophical conversation regarding the games and ideas/theories/rumors surrounding them (and I can't thank you guys enough for that). Of course, I can't seem to delve into anything that deeply and not emerge with some "interesting ideas", so... I truly hope this eventually manages to reflect the weird crap going on in my head. Sorta AU--I'll let you know in a few months.

"The moon is up and over One Tree Hill
We see the sun go down in your eyes..." - "One Tree Hill", U2

Ab Origine
Chapter 3
by Orin Drake

All hearts begin in Darkness. Or so someone had told him.

Well, not him, exactly. He'd... overheard it. Sort of.

When Roxas had been wrest from Sora, neither of them had known it. Something happened, clearly--from one entity, two. Separate. But incomplete.

Despite what Roxas was, he didn't know that much about Darkness. Nor did he harbor any intense knowledge of hearts. He'd suspected things... uncovered bits and pieces and ideas to remember, to muse over and carry on with him...

He'd learned quiet a bit about the things beyond Darkness and Light, however. Part of Sora, but apart--he partially lived the other boy's life... and had learned of relief. Of what "home" really meant. Of true friends and... and desire for peace of mind. He learned... that he longed. But also, that he was not meant to long. Not as he was.

It wasn't that Roxas was unhappy. He had Sora, Sora's hopes and dreams and emotions. He had Namine and a front row seat to a "normal" life... or as normal as it could get with those guys. He was so much more complete than he'd ever dreamed possible. It was actually nice. Very nice. For a while.

And then a bottle had come to the island. Glass and paper and some sense of suspended, impending something--a letter from the king. So soon--too soon after they'd earned their rest. They'd been needed again. Asked to leave the island, to again lend their power.

It had taken everything within Sora, Riku and Roxas to convince Kairi and Namine to stay on the island. They'd honestly considered tying Kairi to the dock and then running the other direction... but in the end, the power of sheer vindictiveness might well have lead her directly after them.

At last, Kairi promised to stay. To "hold down the home front", to stay safe and to guide them back when they were done. Namine promised to protect her... to make sure she'd keep her promise.

Things happened. So many things. Sora and Riku had gotten split up, and then...

It had been too much. It had been one, quiet moment. One sharp realization. Sora felt the weight of all existence on his shoulders. Where did the hearts go when they fell from Kingdom Hearts... what if the Heartless still retained something of their human counterpoints... what if Nobodies could create their own hearts...

What if he'd killed people? Not Heartless or Nobodies, not labels or ideals or points of speculation--what if he'd killed people!

It snowballed in a world where he was alone and all was silent. One thought after another. Lack of sleep, over-use of adrenaline, lack of friends surrounding him...

Roxas tried. A soft voice at first, reassuring. Then worried. Talking turned to screaming. Pleas of desperation. Trying to force memories or mental images into Sora's mind, reminding him that he had friends, that he'd been fighting for the Light, that Riku would show up to meet with him and they could go back home soon, that King Mickey never would have chosen him if he'd been so far in the wrong--

But wise kings made mistakes. Ansem had been the living proof... before Sora had failed to save him. That was enough to push Roxas' presence away. Riku wasn't there to steady him. Kairi was a million worlds away. The spiral turned--straight down.

Sora couldn't hear him anymore. Sora couldn't hear anyone anymore.

And when the Keyblade Master let go... Roxas was plunged into Darkness. A steady, complete, Nothingness (Oblivion) that being a Nobody could never have prepared him for. At least then there had been life, there had been worlds and exploration and senses...

Sora abandoned his own heart. Gave up his soul.

Roxas... was left to the abyss.

Ouch, I know. And still things haven't been cleared up, have they? grin Soon, soon. You know I only torture the characters I love. (That's my story.)

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