Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me.

Author's note: Sorry for the long wait. And to answer some of you: no, I have not completely dropped off the face of the Earth, nor have I forgotten about this fic. It's just that I was busy and didn't have as much time as I used to.

Thank you to those who reviewed by the way; the encouragements were highly appreciated. Also, I rewrote the prologue, so before you read this you might want to read that.

Now, onto the story!

Touch the Sky

Chapter One: Incognito

Roxas stepped out of the black portal and was immediately blinded by such a fierce intensity of white light. It took a while for his sense of vision to accommodate the brightness and by that time he was already feeling very sticky beneath his black coat.

Just where the heck was this place? He thought as he tugged slightly on his collar. There was a trail of sweat that had already begun to roll down his neck.

As his sight finally cleared, the first thing he took note of was the sand readily seeping into his boots. And the next was the ocean.

He was at a beach, he thought, somewhat dumbfounded.

Somehow, he'd expected something less outdoorsy and tropical and something more urban … and well… princess-like. Apparently, a stifling island in the middle of a vast body of water wasn't the type of place he had in mind where a princess should be.

There was a familiar static in his ear as his communication device started up again. Roxas braced himself for the painstaking screech that was surely to follow, but to his surprise, a different voice spoke through the ear piece:

"No.13, confirm your position. Over."

It was Axel.

Roxas sighed in relief.

"This is No.13," he replied. "Transport was a complete success and I've made it to section 09878865." He paused and then said, "Destiny Islands."

There was more static as Axel then said: "Very well. Stay where you are until you receive further instructions."

"Copy that," Roxas muttered and with a last crackle of static from the other end, the line was cut; leaving Roxas alone in this foreign place.

However, he'd never been here before, for some bizarre reason he felt like he had; there was something about this island that made him feel… at home. Realizing how that must have sounded, Roxas mentally whapped himself for the stray thought. He'd never been to section 09878865 in his life, so logically, there was no way he could have felt right "at home" here. Right?

Roxas's mouth formed a deep frown in his confusion. He may not have been here before, but certainly there was something eerie about this island that was making him think strangely and not at all like himself. He shook his head and looked outward into the ocean again.

From overhead he could see the blue of the waters growing darker and deeper; the white whips of clouds billowing by nearly touching the surfaces as flocks of birds flew into the sky, which was just as bright and as blue with the sun shining so intensely. Behind him were unfamiliar, rather larger than the average size, trees growing, with baby bushes cushioned at its sides; and within the trees, Roxas could make out the recognizable shape of coconuts hanging from the branches.

He tugged on the collar of his coat again as the heat became more painfully apparent. He unzipped the front of his uniform quickly and was immediately disappointed when not even a wave of fresh air rushed passed him. The air was humid and sticky and it definitely didn't help matters in terms of keeping him cool. Seconds later, he'd had enough; he unzipped his coat entirely, threw the article of clothing over his shoulders along with his gloves, and sighed a little with relief as the space around him grew less hot.

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself already," said an unexpected voice.

Roxas nearly jumped out of his boots. He saw Axel standing there with a smirk across his face.

"Holy shit, Axel, you scared the shit…out…of…" he trailed of as he realized what it was Axel was wearing: a bright yellow shirt with a coconut tree stretched across the front and baggy, grey shorts with more coconut trees lined at the hem and pockets. He was wearing matching grey flip-flops, along with a pair of goggles suspended around his neck.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Roxas choked.

"This?" said Axel, pointing at his outfit. "Why I believe it's called a golf-shirt."

"Yes, I can see that," said Roxas with annoyance and disbelief. "But I mean: why?"

"You like it?" said Axel, looking excited. "Larxene picked it out for—"

"No, I mean why the fuck are you wearing it?"

"Tut. Tut. Tut. Roxas, don't cuss," said Axel with mock astonishment. "Remember: princesses don't like men who have potty-mouths. And in your case, a whole lot of it."

"Yeah?" said Roxas as he picked up his clothes off the sand floor with a scowl on his face. "Well, I'm sure what she doesn't know won't hurt her. But seriously: what the hell are you doing here …and dressed like that?" he added, eyeing his friend wearily. His eyes focused way too long on the coconut across his shirt and didn't know whether to be amused or horrified at such a terrible combination.

Axel shrugged with a grin. "Would you believe me if I told you I was ditching Marluxia and Larxene to come hang out with you?"

"Only if you wanted a death wish, yes," replied Roxas simply, who knew Larxene to be a formidable person when angered. Axel was a goof, but certainly not stupid. And Roxas doubted that his friend would want his balls used as target practice for Larxene's lethal darts. And who knew what Marluxia would do to extract vengeance.

"True," said Axel amusedly. He shrugged. "Alright. I've been caught. Here." He handed Roxas a folder.

Roxas took it and flipped it open. Instantly, he caught a picture of a girl inside. Beside the photo was an assortment of documents and other files of information, most likely related to this girl, he thought as he looked back once again to the photo.

"That's the target," Axel explained, briefly looking at the picture himself. "All you need to know from where she's from to what she ate last Saturday night is in that folder." He slipped his hand into his shorts pocket and took out another slip of paper. "Here are the rest of your instructions."

He handed it to Roxas, who was barely paying attention. His eyes were trained on the girl. Only on the girl.

So… this is the Princess of Heart, he thought, taking in her appearance with something akin to awe; as much as this place surprised him so did this girl. She looked hardly the princess-type at all, but he supposed… there was something about her that made him agree that she could pull off the princess role rather well.

The picture given was poorly taken; there were places in the photograph that were blurred, as if the camera used to take it had been jerked unexpectedly or perhaps the girl had moved in the last second, resulting in the pitiable shot. However, he could at least make out her face. A heart-shaped face with rosy cheeks and eyes as blue as the sky; she had short; red hair that barely went passed her shoulders. In the picture, she was wearing a white sundress with a silver chain hanging from her neck. There were others in the picture beside her, but Roxas could hardly make out their appearances; on her left there was someone with brown hair and on her other side he could see a flash of orange and blonde hair.

Roxas frowned. There was something about this girl, he thought. He didn't know what, but he couldn't explain why he was so drawn to her; he could barely stop looking at her face.

"A babe, isn't she?" said Axel, over his shoulder.

"Waah!" he yelled, jumping away.

"Oops. My bad," Axel chortled, looking the least bit apologetic. "Admit it Roxas, she's not bad-looking," he said teasingly.

"I never said that," Roxas said through clenched teeth. However, to his horror, he felt his face flame. He hastily shut the folder and tucked it his coat. He scowled at his friend. "If you have anything else you'd like to tell me, you'd better tell me now."

"Oh, okay. Well, it said on her file that she's about your age: 14-15… so…" Axel's smile grew wicked and he made a furtive jerk with his eyebrows. "Maybe…?"

"No," said Roxas flatly, the red hue on his cheeks darkening significantly. His scowl deepened. "Is that all you think about? Geez. And I was talking about the mission!"

"Aw, c'mon, Roxas," said Axel with a roll of his eyes. "Don't be such a stiff. You're a teenager for goodness sakes – raging hormones and oozing testosterones are the stage now!"

The blonde gave him a look between alarm and dispassion.

"I read it in a book," Axel explained, swelling with pride.

Roxas groaned.

"What?" said Axel, confused, "You told me to read a book and I did! I am—"

"Read another book!" Roxas snapped.

"Fine, fine, fine," Axel placated. "I'll get another book."

Roxas sighed. "Alright," he said with renewed calmness, "Is there anything else – regarding the mission – that I need to know?"

Axel made a wave with his hand and something appeared through a cloud of dark smoke. When it dissipated, Roxas realized it was a duffle bag. Black. Go figure.

He bent down and opened the bag, only to find a line of spare clothes, among other things. When he looked up Axel gave a shrug.

"You're gonna be here a while, I'm sure," he replied. "So there should be everything you need packed in there for a couple weeks: some clothes – trust me, this place will kill you if you wear that coat all day – bathroom utensils, toiletry, some home movies (courtesy of me, of course), trust me… you'll need those. And most importantly the hardware from the HQ has also been packed. Once you find a place to stay you can set up a database that will be directly linked to the main computers at Headquarters."

"Yippee," droned Roxas. "To think… I was going to spend two full weeks without seeing all of your ugly mugs—"

"Sorry, Boss's orders," said Axel, getting up and handing him the bag. Roxas took it with less enthusiasm. "Anyway, if there is anything else you need just use the equipment."

"Right, right," Roxas muttered.

And they both lapsed into silence.

Finally, Roxas cleared his throat. "You know, Axel… thanks," he said and looked away, slightly embarrassed.

Axel smiled. "Is the infamous Key of Destiny developing a soft spot?" he asked jokingly.

"I mean it," said Roxas gruffly, his hands thrust deep into his pockets. "I appreciate you looking out for me. You're a really good friend… probably the only one I got."

Axel's smile faded slightly. "Ah, I'm touched, really," he said with a hint of amusement. And then his face grew serious. "Be careful, Roxas."

Roxas frowned. "What do you mean?"

The redhead shook his head. "Just don't let your guard down," he murmured.

Roxas's frown deepened but he nodded silently.

"Okay," said Axel, returning to his cheery demeanor again. "Looks like you've got everything. Remember the rest of your assignment is on that sheet of paper. Oh and keep in mind what I said earlier, Roxas," he added. Roxas watched him carefully as Axel said, looking more serious than he'd ever seen him in his life, "Don't fall in love with her, okay?"

Roxas's face formed into an ugly scowl. "And I told you earlier that I wouldn't," he said, annoyed. He crossed his arms. "Well, if that's everything you can go now."

"Right, right," said Axel and then began to walk in the opposite direction. "See ya, partner!" He waved over his shoulder. Roxas did not return the gesture; he was still irritated with him for the previous comment.

A large pool of darkness opened before him. With one last meaningful look, Axel stepped into the portal and was gone.

Roxas sighed heavily. That Axel was trouble. Looking around, he suppose now he should set up base.

He went into town, which he quickly discovered wasn't as small as he'd pegged it to be. There was a variety of different shops – from jewelry shops to tiny thrift shops – all spread across the land, and he found a marketplace where he could do some grocery shopping; there were a lot of people, most of whom had stopped to stare at him while he made his detour. As he continued to maneuver around the market, he caught sight of some fairly large motels on the side of the road.

He gripped his bag to him tighter before proceeding to enter. Inside, he found the main desk immediately. It wasn't that hard to spot considering there was only one man stationed in the room. The rest of the area was vacant, save for the sofas situated by a fireplace that was not lit. Beside them were shelves and a rack filled with flyers and encyclopedia books; around the centre was a table with a bowl of fruit and an assortment of wildflowers encircled underneath it.

As Roxas approached the desk, he couldn't help but think if he was the only plausible customer to have entered here in days? Maybe weeks. Who knows? All he knew was the man sitting by the main office smiled way too brightly for someone who was so used to this job.

"Hello, sir," he greeted instantly. "Renting a room for the week? You look like you might be here a while," he added, pointing at the large bulk jutting out Roxas's duffle bag.

Roxas placed a protective hand over the bag and shook his head. "No, not that long. Just for the night," he said.

The man nodded and began to jot that in the computers.

"Alright," he said and handed Roxas a clipboard. "Now, if you could just sign this please, I'll bring you right to your room."

Roxas hesitated as he took the clipboard from him. Just below a series of bylaws, Roxas spotted a line for his signature. Trouble was he hadn't quite found a code name for himself while he was here yet. This could be bad for his cover, he thought as he placed the clipboard back onto the table.

"Uh, on second thought," said Roxas. "Do you know where I may find a place to stay? Like rent?"

The man frowned. "Yes, there is a place down the street. Um… Vacation Time, I believe is what it's called—"

"Thanks," said Roxas and he turned back the way he came, into the busy plaza.

He followed the directions the man had given him and minutes later he saw the bright structure of Vacation Time right ahead. It was a smaller shop than the ones he'd passed by, painted a golden shade of yellow while a big sign overhead spelt 'Vacation Time' in baby blue calligraphy. On the windows was a collection of colored pictures; there was a yellow sun on one corner of the glass and a beach. And just underneath that, in bright red, was another sign that said: Looking for that perfect spot for your Dream vacation? We can help.

Roxas walked through the opened door and was instantly greeted by a man dressed similarly in the shirt Axel had been wearing before: a bright yellow golf-shirt with a large coconut tree stretched across the front. Roxas considered seconds after he walked in whether this was such a good idea, however, the man was already thumping him happily on the back and welcoming him in further into the shop.

"Welcome, welcome, stranger," he said cheerfully. "Looking for a beach house of some sort maybe? Summer is the perfect time of the year!"

"I suppose," said Roxas, who really didn't care about a beach house.

"You're in luck, sir," said the man, grinning, "there is one spot vacant and it's just by the ocean – a beautiful lookout if you're really into the scenic route. I highly recommend that one."

"Sure," said Roxas, still with disinterest. "How much would it cost to stay there for a couple weeks?"

"About 8000 munny," said the man. Roxas blanched. However, the man simply smiled. "But considering you're our first customer in weeks I'll cut you some slack. How's about we make it 6000, is that a deal?"

Roxas considered this. If he stayed at a motel then surely the price to stay for two weeks would be double the money offered here. He realized that there were probably many other shops, such as this, that were on the low side of things; apparently the motel wasn't the only place who hadn't received customers in a long time and who knew what the charges would be if he decided to go to another. It may even be more bogus than the price this man was willing to offer for a couple weeks.

He sighed heavily, seeing no way around it. "Alright," he agreed. "I'll take it."

The man was ecstatic. "Perfect, perfect, sir," he said. "Oh, no you don't have to pay right away," he added when Roxas took out his wallet. "The bonus of our services is that you don' need to pay until the end of this week, so incase you're experiencing some difficulties paying for it you could always get a job. There are many opportunities here to work. But I suppose since you're on vacation you don't want to work, do you—"

"I'm actually on a business trip," said Roxas.

"A business trip, eh?" said the man, who looked him up and down with a hint of confusion and admiration. "You look a little young to be on business. What are you fourteen…fifteen?"

"Fifteen, actually," said Roxas stiffly and then he frowned. "Not that it's any of your business, but my father runs a business close to these islands. He's trying to invest in other parts as much as possible in order to expand the industry. He raised me to be self-sufficient and independent, and considering I will one day uphold the family business it's only natural that he'd send his only son to do some of his work for him. As you can see my father is a very busy man."

"Sorry, sir, I meant no harm," said the man apologetically. "Okay, I'll get some papers for you to sign. Be right back."

The man went into the back of the shop and Roxas exhaled a sigh of relief. He realized now was the time to read the rest of his assignment, lest more people started getting more and more suspicious and started asking more questions. He took out the sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it carefully.

No. 13: Roxas
Code: 005672893-AlphaS.
Sector: 09878865 of Division 1267 – Destiny Islands

Alias: Fujioma Takeru
Age: 15
Background: Parents are wealthy business owners of industrialized Crop Companies. They sent their youngest son away on vacation, because it seems his playboy habits is causing major interferences in the family business—

Roxas did his best not to return to Headquarters right now and find the son of a bitch who typed up his stupid excuse of a background story. He had a few people in mind and he made a promise – a very deadly promise – to himself that they'd all be receiving a visit from him very soon. He got the impression Axel was one of those few he'd be paying a visit to.

Gritting his teeth and quite reluctantly now, Roxas went back to his reading:

Having been kicked out of boarding school twice, his parents felt that by sending him to a less affluent board of education they may once and for all tame the boy's insatiable thirst for parties and hot chicks—

Okay. That was it! Roxas thought furiously, these people were so going to die. They took too much pleasure in his pain for his own taste. He could just it now: Xigbar and Demyx, giggling together while they coaxed Zexion into typing out what they wanted as Lexaeus, Luxord and Larxene roared in fits of laughter in the background. He didn't care if this assignment went bad or not, but he knew by the end of it the Order would have fewer members in it than it should. And then Xemnas won't have any choice but to rename Organization XIII to Organization VII.

"Idiots," he muttered, clenching the sheet in his hand tightly, wishing very badly it was someone else's neck instead, "Every single of them."

"Alright, I'm back," said the man, who appeared from out of no where, nearly startling Roxas completely. "Sorry, it took so long but… oh my, are you alright? You look a bit tensed – you're face is all red!"

"I'm fine," said Roxas, harsher than he meant it to. "They're just pests." Just wait till I take out my fly-swatter…

The man didn't catch the double meaning of his words and nodded slowly. "Okay, well… that's what happens when you live in a tropical island. Don't worry… you'll get used to it, and if anything else there is always bug repellent—"

"Yeah, I know," said Roxas, cutting him off. "Thanks."

The man smiled a little nervously and then handed him a clipboard. "Just fill out this sheet – most of the questions are optional, as we do respect our customer's privacy, but so long as we have your name and signature then it should be fine."

Roxas filled out what was necessary, signed his name – Fujioma Takeru – at the bottom and then handed the clipboard back to the man, who clapped his hands together happily.

"Alright, sir, you're all set!" he said, looking pleased. "Now, I'll come with you and escort you to your new dream home!"

They walked back into the village, passed the town, to where Roxas had first arrived for the first time. They walked along the beach for ten minutes; occasionally, the man would rattle on and describe the scenery, mention a few nice places in the islands where he could take pictures, grab a bite to eat and shop for clothes, etc. Roxas listened off and on, more focused on his whereabouts than what the man was actually saying. He nodded once or twice when addressed to but otherwise he carried on in silence. It wasn't until they reached a little clearing on the side of the beach, where a couple more of those coconut trees could be seen in between a few baby bushes and some flower shrubs did Roxas spotted the house.

It was like a cottage, much smaller than the average house he'd seen in the main villages, but was equally as nice looking. The entirety was made mostly of brick, a deep, dark red, like wine in color while the roof was of a lighter texture. The porch, however, was made of wood and looked very shiny and smooth as the sun hit its surface. The door was of an oak, a rich, vibrant shade of mahogany with a crystal-like window at the middle. And just above it was the number seven in black ink.

"Well, here we are, sir," said the man as he took out the key from his pocket. He opened the door and led Roxas inside.

It felt much smaller inside, but it was cozy and comfortable enough that Roxas felt right at home. There was an earthy, rich sent looming inside; it smelt strangely of wood and wind mingling together. There was a hallway that led deeper into the house and a flight of stairs just next to them.

"Now here," said the man as he led Roxas down the hall, "is the living room. It tends to get really cold here at night, so there's a fireplace installed just there. See?"

He allowed Roxas to inspect every inch of the place. The living room seemed like the biggest part of the house; there was a wide window adjacent to the fireplace, with faded yellow curtains hanging at opposite ends so that the view of the beach and the ocean could be seen just outside. Somewhere next to the window was a velvety green sofa and a pull-over couch of the same color.

"And on the other side," the man went on, pointing across the living room, "is the kitchen."

The living room opened up into the kitchen, where there was a stove by the wall, along with a refrigerator and a sink in between the two. At the centre was a tall, black table with two chairs of the same design. Up above the sink were an assortment of cupboards, which, when Roxas opened one of them, had already an alignment of plates and glass cups; and the drawer just beneath the sink was filled with knives, spoons and forks.

"Wow," Roxas commented, genuinely impressed, "you guys have everything here."

"Yeah, well our services make sure our visitors are comfortable," he said proudly. "And up here," they made a detour back down the hall and up the flight of stairs, "is your bedroom."

The bedroom was small but still spacious enough for both men to maneuver around in comfortably. There was another window just a few paces from where the bed stood, and it was much like the one in the living room only not as wide; it was decorated with the same faded curtains and through it Roxas could make out the path along the beach in which they'd walked on earlier. The bed itself was quite grand for just one person; in fact it could probably take up three at most, because it was that large. The mattress was a soft blue color with a couple fluffy pillows by the headboard. Next to the bed was a small, round wooden table with a pull-out chair and on the other side was a slide-in closet.

"It's attached to the bathroom," said the man, while Roxas walked around, "And on your other side is the laundry room."

Roxas and the man both went back downstairs and out the door.

"Well, if you need anything – anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask," said the man encouragingly, "Especially if there's a problem. We'll send a repairman or whatever on the way if you need anything."

Roxas nodded. "Alright. I think I should be okay, though," he said. He held out his hand. "Thanks for your help… Mr…?"

"Ah, Mr. Nomura," he said happily, taking Roxas's hand and shaking it firmly. "Always a pleasure, Fujioma-san, sir. Well, here's your key. Enjoy your stay!"

And with a little wave over his shoulder, he was gone.

Roxas returned back to the house. He decided to quickly unpack and start setting up the database network. He went upstairs to his appointed bedroom and hastily, but carefully, began to unload his belongings onto the bed.

He found a stack of clothes; shirts, shorts, pants, underwear (he hoped Axel didn't pack that for him), some sweaters; the next he found were the bathroom utensils – his toothbrush, toothpaste and a cloth to wipe his face, along with a bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo.

He placed those aside and found a pile of movies – true to Axel's word; however, one good look at the titles and he immediately threw them across the room, his face red with embarrassment and annoyance. Typical that the kinds of movies Axel took for amusement would be porno videos! Blegh.

Roxas proceeded with the rest of the things. He found a laptop, along with some cables and wires; there was a communicator, a cell phone, some headphones plus some large speakers. He assembled them as instructed before he pressed the 'on' button on the side of the laptop, eliciting the start-up screen. He waited a couple seconds before a toolbar popped at the centre of the screen, indicating that he should type in his username and password.

He reached back into his pocket for the sheet of paper he crumpled and unfolded it. He skipped the novel-length type up of his so-called background story and found the username and password at the bottom, however, one good look at it made his right eye twitch from another rouse of annoyance.

Username: Pole-dancing Lover
Password: Roxas-is-gay

Irritated, Roxas practically jabbed the information onto the keyboard. As he punched the 'enter' key, the screen went white and the symbol of the Order appeared at the centre. It wasn't long before he heard a voice speaking from the other end:

"Hey, there Pole-dancing Lover," said a snickering voice. "Or should I say Mr. Playboy-rich-guy with an insatiable thirst of parties and hot chicks?"

Roxas immediately recognized it to be Xigbar's voice. The bastard.

He fumbled to put his headphones on. "Yeah, a certain dumbass I know definitely has no imagination," he snarled into the little speaker.

"Hey, the user-name and password were all Demyx's idea, I just helped out with your background story," Xigbar replied.

"Whatever. You're still an asshole," Roxas snapped. "You and your asshole friends."

"Tut. Tut. That's no way to speak to your elders. You better shape up your language, young man," said Xigbar, with mock disapproval. "Princess's don't dig potty-mouth, hotheaded brats."

Roxas ignored this. "Anyway, I don't want to talk to you. Where's Axel, is he there? I want to speak with him."

"No can do, kid, he's off doing his own mission right now," said Xigbar, unfazed. "For now, you'll just have to put up with my pretty little voice."

"No, thanks," said Roxas, rather rudely, "You're pretty little voice is the last thing I want to hear before I go to bed. I think I'll call back later when—"

"That's not a good idea," said Xigbar in a tone as if he was talking to a three-year old. "The Boss wants to know your status, pronto. And you know how he is when he doesn't get what he wants."

Roxas bared his teeth but didn't press the issue. Instead he said, in a not so happy manner, "I'm here at Sector 09878865: Destiny Islands of Division 1267. As instructed I found a place to stay on the islands and have set up a database directly linked to the Headquarters' main computer systems."

"And what of the girl," said Xigbar, "did you find her yet?"

"No," said Roxas, shaking his head. "I didn't have time to locate her."

"Well, get a move on then," said Xigbar impatiently. "You've got two weeks to bring her back to base."

"Don't you think I know that?" Roxas hissed.

There was a blare of static from the other end and then finally Xigbar said, "Just make it quick, will you? Have you at least read the reports on the girl yet?"

"Yes," Roxas lied. "I'll begin my search tomorrow in the morning. I'll find her then."

"You better," said Xigbar menacingly. "Make sure you file a report every night to keep us updated on your progress."

"Aye, aye, captain," said Roxas sarcastically. "Now are we done yet or is there something else your pretty voice wants to tell me?"

More static. And then:

"No, that's all for now. But remember, Roxas, find that girl pronto."

"I know," said Roxas, who was growing impatient. He didn't need a bastard like Xigbar telling him what to do, especially regarding his own mission.

"See to it that you do. Over and out."

Roxas threw the headphones and fell back against the bed. It was going to be a long two weeks, he thought, and already he was growing weary of it. He had to report to HQ every freaking night. That was just as bad as seeing them every single day. And whoever this Princess of Heart was… well, she was sure more trouble than she was worth, that was for sure. Tiredly, he reached into the bag again and found the folder of her report. He flipped it open and once again sought out her picture.

She still looked very familiar… but Roxas knew for sure he hadn't met her in his life. He shook his head and started to read her file. In the documents, it said she wasn't born on the islands but from another world – a place called Hallow Bastion. He'd never been there before either, but something about the name of the place made Roxas feel as though he had. The documents also noted that she was 15 years old, her birthday was in April, and her blood type was of a rare blood nature: ABO and she was the adopted daughter of the town's Mayor. He also discovered she attended a private school called Alexandria Academy and she lived not too far from the beach shore.

Roxas yawned as he continued his reading, but his eyes were growing heavy and blurry from drowsiness. He rubbed at them and attempted to continue. However, he soon found that his focus and attention weren't on the same pace as it was previously and decided to retire to bed, perhaps just catch a few winks before he went back to reading. He closed the folder and cuddled up against the pillows. They were soft and smelt strangely like the sea. It was soothing.

"Just a little nap…" he murmured and then drifted off to sleep.

000

She was standing there, staring at the door.

She didn't move until he called her name. She turned around, appearing daze and unlike herself. Her eyes were dull… the luster and radiance her blue eyes usually emitted were gone, and all that was left was nothingness; emptiness. But something was wrong. Something was very wrong. She was acting strange.

She murmured his name as if mechanical; just a voice… with no feeling and no expression… just emptiness like her eyes. She raised her arm to reach for him, but then the door behind her burst opened, sending a gust of black wind to whip out from the entrance. She fell away almost instantly, like she weighed absolutely nothing.

He stood his ground and stretched out his arms to catch her. However just as he nearly caught her in his grasp, she disappeared… she melded into him like a spirit going through his soul and fading instantly. She was gone. He could barely keep on his feet this time and the last of his strength gave out, and soon he was being shot out of the entrance of the cave… where a black towing shape nearly swallowed him…

Roxas gasped awake, his eyes wide and bloodshot. He looked around him in a frantic, blind panic. Where was he? What happened? He had his hands held tight into fists as though ready to defend himself and attack whatever it is that was about to get him. But there was nothing. The room was still and there was not an utter of sound, except for his tired, labored breaths and quivering figure. And in a second, as if recognizing his surroundings, he calmed down again and fell back against the sheets, although reluctantly. He was gleaming and dripping in sweat and he was breathing heavily.

Outside he could see it was already nightfall and there was a distinct sound of the wind whapping by the glass of the window. Roxas took a deep breath and tried to quell is erratic state, but it wasn't easy – his hands just wouldn't stop shaking. And it didn't help now that the room was beginning to feel cold. He tucked the blankets more securely around himself before he attempted to close his eyes again.

That had been some dream… very tangible and almost real-like. But that wasn't what frightened him the most.

No… what did frighten him was the fact that he had experienced that same event some time before…

…and he had no idea how.

A/N: Yeah, again sorry for the long wait. But it's here! I realized the pace is somewhat slow, but hey, Roxas isn't going to fall head-over-heals with Kairi just yet and neither will she.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that this takes place sometime during CoM, but Roxas hadn't left the Organization and he isn't even remotely aware of Sora yet. This is obviously AU-based so don't start hunting me down for whatever inconsistency you might have caught. I'm just playing around with the possibilities.

Also, remember flames are not allowed but I will accept constructive criticism. Please send me your thoughts – feedback is always enjoyable.

Next chapter: Roxas meets Kairi. Finally. A peaceful meeting or World War III?