Part II - The Empty Shell

Once upon a time, there was a princess, whose heart is pure, and gives the gift of joy to all around her. Her two best friends are two boys who protect her and bring joy to the princess. One of the boys was discovered to have the ability to wield the mysterious Keyblade, a weapon with immense power. At first, he felt the burden of the responsibility upon his shoulders; the princess lifted the burden, and took some of it onto her. Soon after, the princess was kidnapped, and the two boys set out to find her and restore ease in the kingdom.

The man known as the Dark One, sees the desperation in the Keyblader's heart. He speaks to the chosen one, offering a deal to use magic to find the princess. The Keyblader, although skeptical, took the deal, unknowingly giving up his most prized possession, a charm from the princess. He finds her practically dead in an evil fairy's castle, along with the other protector captive. The Dark One helps them once more, and collected his payment. The two protectors fight and defeat the evil fairy. Then the Dark One informs them that the princess cannot live without her heart, which is hidden away next to the Keyblader's own heart.

Out of love, the Keyblader willingly sacrifices himself, almost killing himself and successfully bringing the princess back. The princess is nearly heartbroken when she finds him on the brink of death. However, something was created in the process of the sacrifice that could save the Keyblader's life...

A bright and shining castle made of silver and covered in vines. The entire Kingdom of Light was in grief for their lost Keyblade wielder, save for one person. The princess known as Kairi went down to a hidden room in a tower. She entered, and saw that Sora, her savior and best friend was in a sleep so deep that he didn't move an inch. A single tear fell down the princess' face as she walked over to him and took his hand into hers. "Please come back to me," Kairi croaked, trying to hold back the tears. "I won't let you go." she leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. (1)

Unknown to Kairi, Riku, her other best friend was watching from afar. He saw the look in her eyes as she watched over Sora. He had only seen the look once, and that was a long time ago. Riku walked away, wanting to give Kairi some privacy.

"It's sad to see true love split up," he mumbled. He wandered down the tower stairs and through the eerie hallways. The servants were given the day off, for the castle's residents wanted to be undisturbed. Riku reached the throne room, where the King sat, sadness evident in his eyes. "Your majesty," Riku kneeled.

The King looked up. "Rise, Sir Riku."

Riku stood up properly.

"How is Sora?"

Riku shook his head. "No sign of waking up."

"And my Kairi?" the King asked.

"Heartbroken. She's not going to leave his side anytime soon."

The King sighed. He had always trusted Sora and Riku to protect Kairi, but Sora's sacrifice was to the extreme. "I can still hardly believe that he would go to the extremes just to save Kairi's life."

Riku nodded. "Yeah, well, people will go to great lengths for that rare thing, true love."

Taking in Riku's words, the King sighed. "There's someone I'd like you to meet, and do not tell Kairi about this." he closed his eyes and silently wished. A figure that glowed bright blue appeared out of nowhere. Her wings resembled that of a dragonfly's.

"King Hashimoto, I heard your request." the tiny blue figure said.

Riku widened his eyes. "The Blue Fairy."

The Blue Fairy turned to him. "Yes, Riku. The King thought I could answer any questions."

"What happened to Sora?"

"It's the Realm of Darkness' magic. It wants to eliminate the Keybladers for it's their greatest threat, so when Sora sacrificed himself, the Darkness was going to consume him, and take his heart," the Blue Fairy explained.

"Then what happened? Why is he still in the Realm of Light?"

"Kairi's heart is of pure light. She was close by when Sora sacrificed himself. The Darkness had its grip weakened, but sadly, I don't know exactly what happened. This has never happened before,"

Once Upon A Time...

A dark person shrouded in a black cloak sat quietly in the crook of a tree, a dagger in their gloved hand. Their mission was simple, ambush the Queen's carriage and steal whatever they can. A black carriage rode through the woods on an old dirt trail. The curtains were drawn, and the driver was wearing a helmet. The hooded figure was about to leap from the tree and strike when the carriage stopped suddenly. The figure silently cursed and stayed hidden, not wanting to compromise their position.

The carriage door was opened by the driver, a tall and menacing woman in a black dress stepped out of the carriage. She scanned her surroundings, searching for something. The dark figure in the trees shrunk backwards, about to flee. They suddenly were pulled forward by an unseen force. They flew from the tree, and onto the dirt ground. The woman had a sadistic grin on her face.

"I must admire your bravery, most people fear my power all too much," she said in a surprisingly calm voice. "Well, tell your leader that he'll have to try harder and send someone who is older and wiser than you."

The dark person stood up, dusting themselves off. "Queen or not, you will one day met your downfall, Regina. And even though it's not going to me to bring you down, I will aid in the downfall." They spoke in a deep voice.

Queen Regina laughed. "Hah! Don't fool yourself. The only reason why your leader is stealing from the wealthy and powerful is because that's what he wants."

The cloaked person remained silent. "So, who are you?" interrogated Regina. "More than likely a new recruit, since I've never seen or heard of you before."

"That is none of your business," the figure said in a low tone.

"It is my business when someone tries to stand up to my power!" Regina ripped off the person's hood. The guards seized him by the arms. Regina was shocked. The person was no more than fifteen years old, and had dirty blonde, messy hair. His eyes were a bright sapphire blue, and a pale thin face. She had seen someone who looked just like him, a teen from the Kingdom of Radia, who was in fact a Keyblade wielder.

Lord Xemnas has possibly recruited a Keyblader.

Regina frowned. She was going to suffer at the hands of Xemnas if this boy was what she thought he was. "Let him go." She told the guards. They dropped him on the ground. "Let Xemnas know that if he crosses me again, I will make your life and the rest of the Organization's a living hell."

The teen looked up. "And how are you going to do that? I have no heart for you to rip out." he said bitterly. "None of us do."

Regina smirked. "I have other methods." She quickly hopped into the carriage and rode off, leaving the blonde-haired boy standing idly.

He scoffed. "Now why would she spare a Nobody such as me?" He pulled on his hood and wandered into the forest, wondering about why Regina would just let him, Roxas be.

The next day, he was walking down a different trail. After being scolded by Saïx, the second in command, and delivering Regina's message to Lord Xemnas, who has never shown himself to the rest of the Organization, Roxas wanted nothing more than to see and explore the world, away from Saïx's droning. It was bad enough to be youngest in the Organization, but does he have to be treated like a ten-year-old?

He kicked a stone on the road, walking aimlessly. He then heard a loud snap, possibly someone stepping on a twig. Roxas ran off the path and climbed up a tree, not wanting to be seen. He heard another snap, and a figure wearing a silver and white cloak emerged from the other side of the path. The person was taking small steps, careful and delicate. Something shined in his face. A dagger was hidden in the person's satchel. This person might be of some value. Xemnas had said to take anything from passersby.

Roxas jumped from the tree, but he had under-estimated the distance at which he would fall. So naturally, he tackled the person. It came as a shock to him, when the person's hood fell off, revealing a fair and pretty girl, most likely his age. Her flaxen hair was a bird's nest, and her eyes were a blue-violet. Somehow, he had seen her before, but he couldn't place the person's name. He continued to look at her, baffled by her. He didn't even notice that he was practically crushing the petite girl.

He noticed her breathing hitch before she spoke. "P-Please get off of me." her voice was light and airy.

Roxas suddenly remembered the position they were in. "Sorry," he got off of her and stood up. "I didn't mean to hurt you or scare you."

She gave a slight smile. "It's okay, but why did you jump from that tree?"

"I saw that you're carrying a dagger with you," he answered.

The girl pulled out her dagger. "Sadly, I have no experience with weapons. I needed it to get food, being broke and all." She dropped the dagger onto the ground.

"That makes two of us." Roxas said. "Of course, I was taught how to steal as a way to survive."

"Don't you have a job?" she asked.

Roxas shook his head. "My job actually, is to carry out missions, and one of them is stealing."

"Oh," she faltered, but then she smiled. "My name is Naminé."

"I'm Roxas," he held out his hand.

She shook it. "Nice to meet you, Roxas."

"Likewise, Naminé," he grinned. Suddenly, something appeared in his hand, something large. It frightened the both of them, for it was so random. Or was it? Roxas looked at it, surprised at what it was. It was like a giant skeleton key, but it was silver, and had two necks. The end was an oddly shaped star, with blue and gold. The hilt was guarded by silver wings, and the end had a star-shaped keychain. "W-What is this?"

Naminé ran her hand across it. "It's a Keyblade."

Roxas gave her a look like she was crazy. "A what?"

She giggled. "A Keyblade. I vaguely remember my father telling me stories about Keyblades, how they chose the person to protect the Realm of Light."

He dismissed the Keyblade. "Protect? I don't even know how to fight."

"Don't worry, you'll learn," she said. They continued to talk more, interested in the other's personality. Unbeknownst to them, a person with scaly skin and a greedy attitude was watching them from the trees.

He chuckled. "Even when true love is apart, they're still together."

Once upon A Time

For a couple weeks now, whenever Roxas had the free time, he would go and see Naminé. Strangely, he felt happier when he was with her. It was just a feeling he got from her, whereas when he was with the Organization, he'd feel something sinister in the air, but he pushed it off.

One day, before Roxas left to visit Naminé in the village, his mentor and friend, Axel stopped him.

"Where have you been for the past few weeks?" Axel asked, giving him a suspicious look.

"Just doing some errands and stuff," Roxas replied nonchalantly. (2)

"Ohhh… 'Errands' and 'stuff'…" Axel air quoted.

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Why are you talking like that?"

"No reason,"

Roxas remained unconvinced as he walked towards the entrance to the hideout.

"Say hi to Naminé for me, will ya?" Axel called out, a smirk on his face.

Instinctively, Roxas turned his head at the mention of Naminé. "Huh?" Unfortunately, it caused him to bump his forehead into the door. "Ow!" Axel laughed while Roxas rubbed his bruised forehead.

"So, who is this Naminé?" Axel asked.

"No one, she's just a girl," Roxas coldly responded.

"She isn't 'just a girl' if you're visiting her a lot,"

"So what? Maybe I just enjoy her company," a thought suddenly occurred to Roxas. "Axel, how did you find out about Naminé in the first place?"

Axel scratched his head. "Well, you should leave your journal out in the open. But anyways, are you sure you don't like her, if you get my drift?"

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "No. Nobodies can't feel emotions, so of course I don't feel that way." He left out the door, quickly ending the conversation.

Axel rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Geeze, that kid is moody."

Roxas walked through the forest, taking in Axel's words. 'Maybe I do feel something about Naminé,' he thought. He got to the village, where Naminé met up with him. Curiously, she takes his hand into her own, causing a blush to appear on his cheeks. 'Yeah, I feel something.'

A few more weeks later, the two were standing in the woods, simply talking, when Naminé turned to Roxas and quietly spoke. "Why do you work for the Organization?"

Roxas froze. Now that he thought about it, why did work for the Organization? Now that he knows about the world amongst other things, he could've left them, so why did he stay? "I don't know," he answered. "I guess it's because I have nowhere else to go." He held out his hand and summoned the Keyblade. "Maybe it's because they might have answers to what this is."

Naminé reached over and lightly touched the silver key. All of a sudden, she started feeling dizzy; the world was spinning beneath her. "Ngh..." She fell over.

"Naminé!" Roxas caught her in his arms. Her eyes were closed as blackness surrounded her. He held her, trying to wake her up, but she was already unconscious. He took her and laid her gently on a flowerbed, watching her rest. (3) He once again pulled out his Keyblade, staring at it in wonder. He didn't have this until Naminé came along, so she must be special. 'But why?' he thought. 'Why do I even have it? And why do I still work for the Organization? What are their motives, now that I think about it?'

After a few hours, Naminé woke up. She sat up, still feeling a little dizzy. "R-Roxas?"

Roxas reached over and held her up by her shoulders. "Thank goodness, Naminé. What happened?"

"I-I don't know, I felt dizzy all of a sudden, then everything went black," she explained. In truth, she saw visions of a red headed girl much like herself with two boys. One had ridiculously messy hair; while the other had long silver hair. She looked up into Roxas' eyes, familiarity in them.

At that moment, Roxas saw something in her eyes, like a sparkle. It was bright and shining, and filled with emotion. However, he didn't why it was there in the first place. But he knew it was drawing him to her like a magnet.

For months, Axel kept bugging him about Naminé, and why he leaves so often, in which Roxas would not reply. Questions and curiosity grew and swirled around in his mind, until he had enough.

"Axel, what is the Organization's main goal?"

Axel snapped the book in his hands shut. "To put Regina and Rumpelstiltskin out of power."

"But why? And who's Rumpelstiltskin?"

Axel sighed. Hasn't anyone explained anything to this kid? "Rumpelstiltskin is also known as the Dark One. His power is unbreakable, and his deals are well known. Don't fall for his trap."

Powerful indeed.

The next day, Roxas was in the Organization's library, looking for more information on Queen Regina and the powerful Rumpelstiltskin. His eyes scanned the shelves, until a black leather book with golden lettering on the binding caught his eye. Roxas reached up and grabbed the book. The cover read 'The Legend of the Keyblades'. Not wanting to waste any more time before visiting Naminé, Roxas quickly stashed the book in his satchel and left.

It wasn't until a couple weeks later, when he had finally got a chance to read the book. It was the beginning of winter, and he found it hard to believe that already, nine months went by since he met her. Roxas wanted to read that book with Naminé, but he got lost in the sparkle in her eyes. The sparkle in Naminé's eyes never ceased, and he didn't want it to.

One day, the forest was covered in thick snow, and it seemed it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Roxas was late finishing his mission, so he sprinted through the forest, hoping the snow didn't get to Naminé.

He got to their meeting place, and found her lying in the snow, blue. He grabbed her and pulled her into a nearby cave, desperate to get her warm. He found a whole bunch of timber and lit it on fire. He took Naminé's soaking cloak off, and set it by the fire. Roxas then held Naminé close, warming her up with body heat. Her blue tint was going away. He removed his own cloak and wrapped it around her. He couldn't bear the thought of her freezing to death, or dying at all for any reason. It was too much. But the fact that he was willing to risk his life for her, made one thing clear; he was falling for her.

Roxas soon fell asleep, his arms around her protectively. Naminé woke up soon after, finding the warmth of his body thawing her out. She smiled as she studied his calm and resting face. She arched her neck up to kiss him on the cheek, resting her head on his shoulder, and drifting off into a deep slumber.

When night fell, Roxas woke up, noticing the different position they were in. He blushed. Naminé was still in her deep sleep, so he gently placed her on the cave floor in a bed of blankets. He stared at her innocent face before pulling out the book he stole from the Organization's library. He looked through the passages, each of them talking about the Keyblade wars, how they vary in appearance, until he came to one about how one is acquired.

The Keyblade choses their master. It takes a strong and pure heart for one's soul to gain the ability to wield it.

Roxas was baffled. It took a heart for someone to have the Keyblade. He was sure he didn't have a heart, so did he even have it in the first place? He continued reading.

This page is enchanted to show all the names of current Keybladers.

He went down the page to find only one name: Sora.

How come he wasn't on the page? He had a Keyblade, or maybe it was because of lack of heart? In a small fit of anger, Roxas slammed the book closed, but regretted it a little as the noise almost woke up Naminé.

When he went back to the hideout, his mind was numb, his eyes refused to sleep, and his bones were stiff. Nothing made sense anymore. Falling for Naminé, Axel straying from the subject of the Organization, lack of hearts, Keyblades. The anger rose and boiled within him, until he just wanted to explode.

All he wanted was an answer to at least one question: Who was he?

Two weeks passed, and he had sent Naminé notes saying how terrible he has been feeling lately. He was relieved when she replied back, saying it was alright. He sent a final note saying he'll visit in three days. Roxas literally had to drag himself out of bed. The anger, the confusion, and the ache in his heart were taking its toll on him mentally and physically. He stopped at the door of his room when he spotted a piece of paper on the floor by his feet. It only had seven words written in slanted letters on it.

Answers at the Hunter's tavern. Come alone.

This had to be a trick or trap. No one would ask him to come alone, but they said they had answers; how bad could they be? If they were as bad Regina, then Roxas would be in trouble.

The next day, after his mission, Roxas went to the hunter's tavern. It was moderately loud, perfect for exchanging secret information. A man in a dark traveling cloak sat in the very back, alone. Roxas walked over to the man.

"I heard that you can give me answers to my questions. First question: who are you?' Roxas said as he sat down across from the man.

The man shifted his hood a little so he could reveal his face. His skin was scaly and sparkled. "I'm the Dark One, or as you know me as…"

"Rumpelstiltskin, I know."

"Well, of course. I am known for my power and knowledge. I'm also known to be able to see a desperate soul,"

"I'm not desperate,"

"That's what they always say, even though I'm right. You have some questions that need answering, are I correct?" Rumpel said.

Roxas looked down. "Who am I? Why do I even have the Keyblade? And why is it my name isn't in this book?" he slid the Keyblade book across the table. Rumpel opened it to the exact page that angered Roxas so much.

"Your name is in this book. Or at least, your real name is," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Roxas was baffled. "But there's only one name in that book."

Rumpel smirked. "And that's your name."

The blonde was shocked. "My name is…is Sora?" 'No, I can't be Sora. I can't be someone else. I'm Roxas, my own being.'

"That's right. Everything, your heart, emotions, even your Keyblade belongs to Sora. All of it."

Roxas felt angrier than he had ever been in his life. He was nothing more than half of someone else. Nothing about him was his own; not even his love for Naminé.

He slammed his fist on the table. "Why did Xemnas lie to me?"

"Well, we all know that Xemnas wants power, but in order to do that, he needs a Keyblade. Then you came along, and he saw this as his big chance,"

This day couldn't get any worse for Roxas. He was a pawn; a mere chess piece on a board. He gave it some thought. If Sora has his heart, he could get it, and be able to fight Xemnas and be with Naminé. The anger has completely clouded his judgment. He stood up. "Where can I find this 'Sora?'"

Rumpelstiltskin smirked. "In the silver castle, up north."

Roxas walked away, only one thing on his mind; getting his heart back.

Once Upon A Time

Naminé sat under a tree in the forest. It was a gloomy day, and the sun was already starting to set. Where was Roxas? He said he was going to visit her today. She heard a twig snap, and she immediately hid in the bushes.

"Hello?" an unknown voice called out through the darkening forest. "I'm looking for Naminé, it's of upmost importance." Naminé peered over the bushes to see a man with bright flaming red hair and wore a black cloak. She stood up into the man's view, pulling up her hood to shield her face.

"Why do you seek her?" Naminé questioned. "And who are you anyways?"

The man walked over to her, urgency in his expression. "My name is Axel, get it memorized, and I believe this is for you." He handed her a piece of folded up paper.

She took it into her hand as she removed her hood. She unfolded it, and read:

Naminé, I have to do this, I don't want to be without a heart any longer, and I don't want any more lies. I'm getting my heart back, and maybe I'll find yours. Xemnas has only used me as his pawn. He'll probably find out about you, so you should hide. I will see you again, real soon.

-Roxas

Naminé nearly dropped the letter in shock. He was gone, but where?

Axel waved his hand in front of the shocked Naminé. "Earth to Naminé? Hello?"

"H-He's gone," she gasped.

His eyes widened. "He what?"

She looked down. "He left… something about finding his heart."

Axel ripped the letter from her hands and read it. "Oh great. He's going to do something foolish and reckless. Naminé, you have to go after him."

"Why me? Aren't you his best friend?" she asked.

"Eh, already tried to convince him not to leave, and well, as you can obliviously see, that failed," he shoved the letter back into her hand. "Look, what Roxas is going to do is probably what Xemnas wants. You have to stop him."

Naminé shook her head. "I don't even know where he is going."

Axel pointed north. "He's heading towards a silver castle in that direction."

She was about to walk off in that direction when something stopped her. "Axel…How do you know that?"

Axel refused to make eye contact. "Xemnas wasn't the only one who lied."

Naminé looked down. "One more thing…Am I a Nobody?"

There was a definite pause before a single word was spoken. "Yes."

Naminé's eyes widened, running off into the forest. They weren't so different after all. She realized what he was hiding, why he denies his emotions all the time, even she was the same.

Once Upon A Time

Princess Kairi sat on her bed, a stone statue. Within a week, it would be one year since Sora was chosen by the Keyblade. Just thinking about the mysterious weapon made her blood boil. 'All this happened just of one stupid key!' she screamed in her head as she threw a pillow across the room. She couldn't even cry; there was only rage in her heart now. She hugged her knees, wishing that this was all just a nightmare to wake up from.

Riku watched her from a crack in her door, silently wishing the same thing. Abruptly, a cloaked figure swiftly went pass him, nearly knocking him down. Riku registered what had just happened to grab his sword and run after the figure. "Stop!" he shouted.

The figure kept running until they hit a dead end. Riku held out his sword, making careful steps. "What is your business in this castle?"

The figure held out his hand, and two Keyblades appeared; one white, one black. The figure was just as surprised as Riku.

"Two?" Riku muttered. "That's impossible."

The dark person looked at the Keyblades before lifting them up. "Sorry, but no one is standing in my way, not anymore."

Riku swore he heard that voice before, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The cloaked person leaped to attack. Riku was about to strike when he realized that the person was already in front of him. He lifted up his sword in defense. The person slammed down the Keyblades, actually damaging the sword. Riku had to keep blocking each attack, for the person was an aggressive attacker. Riku leapt away, which prompted the intruder to throw one of their Keyblades. Riku waited for impact, his sword the only thing in the way. But when the Keyblade came, a light shined from Riku's hands.

When the light subsided, a weapon with a bat wing as the neck and feather wings acting as the handle guard and teeth was in Riku's hands. His eyes widened at the sight, he was another chosen one of the Keyblade.

"What?!" the person shouted, bewildered. Riku glared at him before throwing his Keyblade at them. The figure raised their Keyblades in front of them, but Riku had thrown it so hard, that when it hit and bounced back, the person was knocked back, the hood covering their identity falling down.

Riku thought that his mind was tricking him. This person was an exact replica of Sora, save for the hair color. He could only stand there and dismiss his Keyblade. The blonde replica got up and saw how Riku was defenseless. He ran off in a random direction. Once he was gone, Riku ran off to Kairi's room. He bumped into another person, this time a girl who is a replica of Kairi, except for the hair. She was about to open her mouth to talk when Riku stopped her.

"He went that way, if you were wondering," Riku said, pointing in the direction he just came from.

Without a word, the girl bowed her head and ran off after the other blonde. Riku then proceeded to find Kairi, hoping to tell her to visit Sora just once.

Roxas ran up the tower stairs, complete desperation taking over. He wanted his heart. He wanted to be with Naminé, to be real, to have something better than his existence full of lies. When he got to the top, he saw someone who looked just like him, resting, even though he wasn't moving. The person was Sora, the one who started all this, who caused Roxas so much pain and ache.

He looked over the still person, and suddenly felt images and memories flash in his head.

Sora and Riku were racing each other through the meadow, as Kairi stood behind on the grassy hill. She grinned at the two teenagers who were still acting like ten year-olds. Suddenly, a bunch of dark shadows surrounded her. One lunged and cut her leg with one swipe of their claw. Kairi screamed. Sora and Riku immediately stopped and saw the shadows attacking Kairi.

"Kairi!" Sora drew his sword and ran to her. He jumped in front of her and tried to fend off the attackers. But it was like hitting air, the blade went right through the shadows as if they weren't there. A larger and bigger shadow appeared and was about to hit them both.

In a bright flash of light, all the shadows were gone, and in Sora's hands, was a weapon known as the Keyblade.

All three teenagers stopped in awe; there hasn't been a Keyblader in eleven years.

Sora got up from the ground. "How do I save her?"

"When the witch said that you know where her pure heart is, she was right," Rumpel explained.

Sora shook his head. "I don't know where it is."

Rumpel laughed. "But you do know, or at least, your heart knows. The heart, as they say, will admit more than its owner."

Sora looked baffled, then upset, then shocked. It finally clicked. "Kairi's heart, is next to mine?"

"Bingo!" exclaimed Rumpelstiltskin. "Now to get her heart back to its body and soul."

Riku eyed him suspiciously. "And how do you do that?"

"Why, with all-powerful Keyblade of course. It can unlock anything! Nyah!" Rumpel giggled.

Sora raised the Keyblade, knowing what he must do.

Riku however, knew what Sora was going to do. "No! You can't that."

Sora grinned for a second. "But, it's my duty." And then he plunged the Keyblade straight into his heart.

Rumpelstiltskin disappeared while everything happened at once. Riku watched in horror as a small light floated from Sora to Kairi. It absorbed into Kairi, and she awoke with a gasp. She looked up to Sora falling unconscious.

"S-Sora!" she shouted. She quickly got up and sprinted towards him. But it was too late. The impact of the situation has stunned Kairi. Sora lay on the floor, a stone statue.

Roxas held his head in pain. The pain soon subsided, and Roxas finally understood. He was created to save Sora's life; to save his life. He liked Naminé the same way Sora loved Kairi. In order to be whole, he had to go back where he belonged, with Sora. "I see…that's why."

"R-Roxas!" Naminé called out as she reached the top of the tower. "Please, why are you here?" She asked, almost pleading.

He had to stop himself from crying, but a single tear escaped. "I was foolish. I can't live any longer." He turned and walked over to her. "Naminé, we have to go."

She embraced him. "I don't want to leave you," she muttered, tears threatening to spill.

He shook his head. "I'm a part of Sora; just you are a part of Kairi."

Naminé looked up into his eyes. "S-So, we'll b-be together again."

Roxas nodded. "Right. Any time Sora and Kairi are together." He moved his hands to cup her face. A single tear fell down her cheek. With a heavy aching in their souls, they leaned in and pressed their lips together.

At first, the kiss was soft, warmth spreading through them. But they suddenly felt themselves fading, the lip-lock soon grew desperate, never wanting to let go. Soon, the two were gone, but their embrace never ended.

Once Upon A Time

Everyone in Mr. Gold's shop stared at the newcomer. He was the splitting image of Sora, save for his dirty-blonde mess of hair. He looked around, reality setting in; he was finally free.

"W-Who are you?" Sora asked, getting up.

The blonde's eyes flickered with anger. His eye moved from Sora, to Regina, to Rumpelstiltskin, then back to Sora. "My name is Roxas, and I have business with you." Roxas grabbed Sora by the shirt and dragged him outside, tossing him to the ground in a fit of rage. "This is your entire fault!"

Sora rubbed his head in pain as he got up. "What did I do?"

"You took away my existence. You forgot everything whereas I remembered it all. And the worst one: you are the reason why Kairi is not here! Your stupid decision took her away from me and you!" Roxas shouted, the pent up anger exploding.

Sora would not stand for this. "I was protecting her; I didn't even know you existed until now! And what do you know about me?!"

"I know everything because I am you! When you gave your life for Kairi, I was created to save you from dying. You should be on your knees thanking me, or I know, getting her back!"

Charming stopped the war of words. "That's enough. The past is in the past, there's nothing we can do about it."

Roxas stood back and breathed. "I'm sorry. You're not the one who's had to watch for 28 years, knowing who you are and aren't able to do anything about it."

Rumpelstiltskin interfered. "So you remembered, huh."

Regina was confused. "How was that possible?"

"The curse varies from person to person. Sora's curse was forgetting, while his Nobody, Roxas' curse was remembering. Of course, the curse could not touch the heart or soul, so he remained unaffected by the curse."

Sora suddenly realized why Rumpel had him release Roxas. "So, you're saying he might still be able to wield the Keyblade?"

Roxas looked at him oddly. He held out his hand and summoned Oblivion. Sora then took the Keyblade into his hand so he could try and summon his own. However, before that could happen, both of them fell to the ground unconscious, visions of Kairi and Naminé in a very familiar forest.

Once Upon A Time

Kairi stopped in the middle of the tower stairs as she felt a soft feeling upon her lips. It was warm and faint. After a few minutes, the feeling subsided, leaving Kairi perplexed and disappointed. She climbed the tower stairs all the way to the top, where Sora slept. She walked over to him, still seeing the color missing from his skin, his body as stiff as stone, but a very low pulse. She gave a ghost of a smile and intertwined her hand with his, all hope leaving her pure heart completely.

Then he stirred. The action surprised Kairi so much that her heart stopped. He moved some more, until his eyes finally opened for the first time in many months. Sora looked up into Kairi's eyes. "K-Kairi," he muttered.

Tears of joy flowed freely down Kairi's cheeks. "S-Sora!" She embraced him, never wanting to let go. Sora hugged her back just as eagerly.

"Thank you, Kairi,"

"Sora…" she whispered.

Once Upon A Time

Roxas sat at the front table at Granny's, staring off into space. Riku came by and sat next to him.

"We're going to find the girls, don't worry," assured Riku.

Roxas sighed. "It's not that I'm really concerned about. What I'm concerned about is the Organization that took me in."

"What about them?"

"Well, I think their leader, Xemnas, might be planning his revenge. Not just against me, but also against Rumpelstiltskin and Regina."

Riku didn't know what to make of this.

End of Part II

Author's Notes: Hello again. Yes, when you think everything is explained, pop goes the cliffhanger. XD

(1): Even if Kairi kissed Sora on the lips, he still wouldn't wake. The only thing that would happen is a weird sensation occurring on Roxas and Naminé's lips.

(2): Guess where I got those quotes. Go on, guess. ;)

(3): This scene actually came from one of my very first fanfictions. Of course, it never made it to the internet, so the story behind it is a mystery.