Roxas

Roxas never wanted to go on another mission in his entire life. He wanted summer vacations and friends and ice cream every day before going home. And, for about two years, he had that. It was good. Life was really good. He had his two best friends, actually made friends with the three he believed to be his friends for about a week, and lived in the one place he ever felt really at home.

He had friends beyond this small world. He'd go visit them regularly, now that they taught him what they could about the Keyblade (which he also never cared to use again—he never wanted it and it chose him doubly). He couldn't use the Corridors of Darkness anymore without putting his fresh heart at risk, so Keyblade Armor and Glider it was. He supposed the damned thing had its uses.

But he was done. He wanted a life with some goddamn peace and quiet and he thought he had it finally. Of course, nothing was that easy and it only fueled his already short temper. When people began to forget who he was, he started to think something went wrong somewhere.

He took Xion and Lea to hunt for the Keyblade Hero, who still strived to defend the worlds from darkness. Darkness couldn't be locked away eternally, even if the Light had won that war. Finding him proved to be much more annoying than he thought. When they landed in Radiant Garden, they asked around, only to be given looks of confusion. Leon, who had been there for Sora since the beginning of his journey, asked who Roxas was talking about. He, also, did not recognize Roxas and confused him for Ventus for about the millionth time.

Roxas hated being mistaken for Ventus. Ventus thought it was hilarious when people confused him for Roxas. Partially the reason he stayed in Twilight Town was to avoid unnecessary confusion.

That was when Naminé found them. She had been traversing the multiverse, never staying in one place too long since she had become her own person. Yes, she formed relationships, and powerful ones. But she couldn't find herself settling. She had grown to hate the feeling of captivity, which she had been trapped in for most of her existence before returning to Kairi. If it wasn't the Organization, it was the mansion, which she locked herself in until Sora's memories were restored.

"Sora!" she gasped, grabbing Roxas by the elbows desperately. "Kairi! Riku! They've vanished!"

Roxas furrowed his brows. "Uh… what?"

"They don't exist here." She released him, pointing to the ground. "In this period of time. When Riku wasn't… Terra, Aqua, and Ven don't even know who he is! So, I tried to find him through his memories and… gone! Sora? Gone! Kairi? Gone!"

Riku would often travel with Sora and Kairi (who had taken her world hopping and would often not be heard from for months at a time), but still spent most of his time in the Land of Departure. He, Aqua, and Terra took on apprentices and would teach in their own turns. Ven still trained and was due for his Mastery Exam within the next few months, administered by Yen Sid as a favor. True, he no longer was teaching, but volunteered to administer Ventus's exam as a non-partial judge.

"You mean like, dead?" Roxas asked, his throat tightening. Yes, he wasn't particularly close to his Other, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't care. He cared a lot, really. He owed his entire existence to him.

Naminé shook her head. "No. Like, they've stopped existing."

"And… where are they?" Lea asked.

Naminé slowly turned up to him. Her lips tightened as she eyed him carefully. Slowly, she released Roxas to fully face the older man. "Lea," Naminé began quietly. "Who are your best friends?" she asked.

"Uh, is this a trick question?" Lea rubbed the back of his spiky head. "Because you know the answer."

"Answer it," Naminé urged.

"Well, I've got a couple," Lea crossed his arms. "I've got Isa, Roxas, and Xion. And I'd like to think you and me got pretty close, don't you?"

"When did we start getting close?"

"When you were in the Organization," he rolled his eyes. "After you warned me about…" He stopped, trying to recall something. "What was it you warned me about…?"

Roxas and Xion glanced at each other; their eyebrows rose high as they turned back to Lea. Naminé shook her head slowly. "Lea… I was never in the Organization. I worked for you back in Castle Oblivion, but… what you think happened… what you think brought us close… it wasn't that."

"Wait a second," Roxas held up his hands. "Are we going to start remembering things differently?"

Naminé shook her head. "No. Not us. But he will." She pointed to Lea. "Those three have been forgotten. And, because of our ties with Sora and Kairi…" the blonde looked between Roxas and Xion, her frown deepening, "We should have disappeared with them."

"Why haven't we?" Xion asked, after having been silent through the whole conversation. It was something Roxas was used to. She was never all that talkative, even after they have been reborn and needn't worry about the Organization or Keyblades or secrets. It was her personality. When riled up, she could laugh and talk and mess around like the boys. But mostly, she listened.

Naminé shrugged. "I… don't know."

Lea sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe… we can ask the King for help?"

Roxas, personally, had only met King Mickey a handful of times. He was anxious about meeting with him again, but it was their only option for the moment. Not wanting to risk using the Corridors of Darkness again, as Naminé usually used them (her heart and being made too pure for the darkness to infect, like Kairi's), the three of them quickly gathered what resources they could muster to make her armor. She rode with Xion to Disney Town, where they navigated to the Castle to hunt down King Mickey.

When the four of them explained what they discovered, Mickey, luckily still being one of the few whose memory was relatively untouched (Naminé later told them it was beginning to blur and change, not wanting to alarm him), called upon Merlin. He feared perhaps someone was messing with the timeline, much like what happened to the Cornerstone so many years ago (Roxas barely had a clue what he was talking about—true, he had joined with Sora at the time, but he wasn't always aware of what was going on). Merlin helped them out by creating a Door and, perhaps, he could make another one.

The wizard was eager to help. But still, he warned that none of them knew when the timeline began to change and what set it off. They would only be able to go back through this door once. At the rate and scale the memories were changing and the fact that the three of them simply vanished proved that, most likely, if they returned to this time and place, it would be entirely different than the way they left it.

They had one chance. One freaking chance. And they hadn't gone back nearly far enough.

Here, before them, stood Aqua, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and weirdly enough Cloud. His Other had to have been about fifteen. He was being smothered by the Keyblade Master like a doting older sister, looking him over, and holding his face, and asking about whatever happened and how he got back. It was strange, because, while Aqua was quite friendly and open with him, they certainly weren't that close. Maybe her and Ven, but certainly not with Sora. It wasn't as if he wasn't comfortable, either. He held her tightly, like a lifeline, promising never to pull whatever stunt he pulled again.

She never told them where Sora and Riku were. Only that Kairi went to meet with Naminé. After some time, Aqua decided to check on her only to discover she wasn't on the top of the clock tower. There was nothing but a melted stick of ice cream waiting for her. So, Roxas and Xion followed her through Twilight Town on her search for Kairi. She wasn't sure what happened or where they could have gone, but… if Kairi knew about Naminé, why didn't the memory witch say anything?

He was confused. He hated being confused. He wanted some answers right now, but it seemed whatever reunion was much more important to this small group (and Cloud—what even the heck?) than a couple of out-of-time weirdos. He was breaking all of the ruled the Organization set for their missions. He preferred the outright approach, just wanting some goddamn answers and then to figure out how to fix this mess.

Xion, it seemed, was still a stickler for the rules. It was so ingrained in their non-beings that years after the Organization had been disbanded, she still strived to follow them. Don't approach. Only watch. Don't interfere. Don't be seen. All those freaking rules and Roxas just didn't want any of it! He hated the idea that they were on a mission but, even more than that, he hated the idea that their peaceful lives would be uprooted and their friends were in danger.

So, praying this would be his last mission, he watched Sora with Aqua, his brows pinched in confusion, probably saying much more than he even needed to. He just needed to rebel as much as he could against the Organization ideals.

Xion had slipped off his back, finally, after he promised not to say more than necessary. He supposed the remark, as a retort about Riku not liking Naminé, was more information than needed. Sarcasm was a better defense than lashing out when he became confused. Xion still had yet to learn that much, having not quite seen him at his worst (thankfully). Oh, yes, he'd been pretty bad when they returned. It had been years after all. But nothing would beat that week in a virtual Twilight Town, when all he felt was anger and hatred towards the people that only worsened his confusion (DiZ and at the time, Axel—for at that moment, he believed Naminé was the only one on his side). This endeavor was getting pretty damn close.

Kairi and Riku were gaping at them, the redhead not even bothering to close her dropped mouth. Riku slowly shut it for her, his teal eyes trained intensely on Xion. Roxas felt the girl beside him squirm with discomfort under their gaze. He instinctively stepped in front of her, which only elicited a disgruntled "Hey!" from the girl.

"We'll explain," Roxas promised, his eyes hardening as he turned his gaze upon them. Kairi jumped a bit at the sudden change in demeanor, clearly not expecting this. "We just need to meet up with our friends."

"We need to go right now!" Sora urged, holding on to Aqua's forearms tightly. Roxas frowned, realizing the brunette hadn't even noticed them. "Ven's in trouble! Big trouble! We need to find him!"

"Alright, calm down," Aqua pulled herself from his grip, putting her hands on his shoulders. "We're going to find him."

"You don't understand—" Sora's voice rose in panic. "It's Vanitas, Aqua! Vanitas has him! That guy said—I'm sorry! I couldn't contain him. I tried, but… I got distracted and he got away with Ven and now he's…"

"Okay, Sora," Aqua's brows pinched in worry. She inhaled slowly, urging him to imitate her. "Breathe in. Breathe out. We're going to find him."

Sora nodded, taking deep breaths. "Right… right. Right!" Sora twirled quickly, summoning a Keyblade that looked strangely familiar. He handed it to Kairi. "Here." She snapped out of her daze, taking the heavy blade from him. "Okay, now we can get—" His gaze finally landed on them. He blinked, his blue eyes wide with surprise, like he didn't even notice them there. "… You're not Ven."

"No, I'm not." Roxas huffed. Sora of all people should have known who he was. He was one of the only people who didn't confuse the two. Yes, he knew this Sora probably didn't have a Nobody. He should have been asleep, having Naminé restore his memory. Kairi should be on the islands. Aqua should be in the Realm of Darkness. And Riku should be… posing as an Organization member, Roxas guessed. He wasn't sure what Riku was doing exactly besides running around in a black coat.

Sora's gave a small laugh, the corner of his mouth pulling into a disbelieving half-smile. "You're… you're real."

"Of course I am." The blonde folded his arms, glancing at Xion. What was he even going on about? She didn't seem to have any clue either.

"But I… I never lost my heart." Sora folded his arms, his brow furrowing as he rubbed his chin. "Where did you come from?"

Roxas turned back to Xion. If she wanted to follow the rules, she should answer the questions, right? She seemed to understand his challenge, releasing a heavy sigh as she slumped. "It's a long story."

"Which… we don't have time for." Sora straightened himself out, grinning. "But… if you wanna help… you can come with us."

"We have our own mission," she rubbed the back of her head. "And… we at least finished the first part of it. You guys… go save Ven, I guess. Is there a place we can meet you? A place you generally return to in order to stock up and stuff?"

"Hollow Bastion," Kairi replied for him. She held the heavy Keyblade at her side, adjusting the sheath on her hip. What did she have a regular sword for? Where was her Keyblade? Why was she using this heavy Keyblade whose Keychain Roxas had the misfortune to obtain? He didn't get it. He just wanted to ask these questions and get his answers and fix everything! He wanted his normal life back and it was so clear that they missed the mark.

"Kairi!" Riku slapped his face in exasperation. "We don't even know these people!"

"I'm Roxas," the blonde pointed to himself. "This is Xion." He pointed to the girl.

"We're friends," Xion assured them. "We're on your side."

"We can trust them," Sora turned to his friends with a wide grin. "They have strong hearts filled with light."

Aqua frowned, uncertainty clear in her eyes. She nodded to the boy, trusting his judgment, which was good for them. Roxas was not about to fight a Keyblade Master. He went up against her once, just because she wanted to test his ability. He still didn't like to talk about it.

"Can I ask one question before we go?" Kairi pulled herself forward, holding out a finger. Her long auburn hair fell over her shoulder as she looked between the two of them, her eyes landing on Xion.

Xion fidgeted, finally conceding to the curious gaze. "Are you about to ask why we look like we do?" Kairi nodded, taking another step closer. Xion chewed her lip, anxiously exchanging glanced with Roxas. He nodded, urging her to answer the other. Xion never really liked explaining her origins. Their first year had good times—great times, really. But for the most part, it wasn't a happy year for them. "I am—"

"Was." Roxas corrected her. He shook his head, a light smile playing on his lips as he wrapped a hand around her head, bringing her into his chest. He'd take it from here. He knew how uncomfortable she could get when the subject was broached and didn't mind talking about it. It was in the past. Her insecurities hadn't changed much over the years and she still tried to hard to be her own person. "Go find Lea and Naminé. I'll be right behind you."

She gave him a grateful smile so wide it made his heart race. He pressed his forehead against hers, rubbing affectionately before kissing her cheek and sending her off. As she walked away, Roxas turned back to the others who grew immensely uncomfortable. Kairi knew she asked the wrong question.

"She doesn't like to talk about it. It's hard when you've never really been your own person." Roxas shoved his hands in his pockets. "We're trying, though. I was Sora's Nobody. I guess I look like this because Sora was sheltering Ven when he lost his heart. Ven's heart followed Sora's body and… well, that's why I look like him.

"And Xion," Roxas glanced back after where she had disappeared. "She was a replica created from Sora's memories of Kairi. She was made to duplicate my power. And the reason she looks like she does now is… when we were… reborn, my memories of her were the strongest of anyone's. Even Lea's. And her entire being was built on memories."

Roxas looked down, kicking a loose pebble. "It's… complicated."

Sora blinked. "I don't get it."

The blonde chuckled. "Of course you wouldn't. This timeline… it's all messed up. And we don't exist." He met Sora's gaze, feeling his lips tug into a smile. It was hard not to smile around the boy. "I'm telling you guys all this because I need you to trust us. I need you to work with us. And I'll tell you more when we see each other again, okay? You'll understand better when you hear the whole story."

Sora rushed up to him, holding out a pinky. "Promise?"

Roxas snickered, taking it. Sora was several inches shorter than he was, which threw him for a loop. Sora was a tiny, tiny boy now. It made him want to laugh about it. "Only if you tell me yours."

"Deal!" Sora's finger tightened around his. "Okay, but seriously, we gotta go now. I don't even know where to start. And Ven is really in trouble. If you guys see him, please, please, hold him down and make sure he doesn't hurt anybody."

Okay, yes, this timeline was very confusing. Not like theirs wasn't any better, but seriously. Whatever was going on was so convoluted and confusing, he felt the need to draw out a map. Maybe it was just comparing it to theirs and what they knew. Really, Roxas didn't even know the whole story in his own time. He knew about things that concerned him. He heard about some things, but didn't care to find out too much, what with his whole new life ahead of him.

They parted ways, Roxas heading back to the clock tower. There, he dropped beside Xion, who was telling Lea and Naminé about finding them. He was promptly handed an ice cream, which was exactly what he needed right now. Xion sighed heavily as she finished, flopping backwards to lay on her back. Roxas looked back at her, giving her his best smile. She returned with a rather exhausted one.

"Well, our chase is done," Lea said brightly. "We found those three. Did we find out when things went wrong?"

"No," Roxas shook his head. "One thing's for certain, though. We're nowhere near where we're supposed to be."

"Got that right," Xion agreed. "Everything's all screwy. Hey, Naminé, can you find out where things might have taken a turn? Maybe check their memories?"

The blonde girl bit her lip, looking down at the sketchpad that sat on her lap. Roxas waited patiently for her to say something as she mulled over her reply. It wasn't going to be that easy, he knew it. She set aside her pad and pencil, shaking her head. "There's interference. I can't… I can't look into anyone's memories."

Xion pulled herself up, sobering quickly as she frowned at the girl. Roxas pulled his ice cream away from his mouth, trying to process what she was saying. Lea leaned forward to look at her better, cocking his head sideways. "Huh?"

"It must be her…" Naminé reasoned quietly.

"Who?" Xion asked.

"Me," the witch met the girl's gaze. "The one from this time." Naminé clutched her hands to her chest, worrying on her bottom lip. "If there's another me, like there's another Lea, I might be affected by the alternate timeline. My abilities might change, along with my memories because of how I was born.

"And… if there is another me… who's to say how she was born in this time? For me, it was when Sora released Kairi's heart that I was created. But… what if it's not the same here? If, like Xion said, Sora never lost his heart, then how was the Naminé here born?"

"We don't know that there is another you, though, right?" Xion put a hand on hers.

The blonde shook her head. "We don't… but then why can't I use my powers? I don't have control over this Sora's memories or the ones connected to him. I can't see anything. Not even your memories, Lea. I wanted to monitor you, to make sure you could still help, but… there's nothing but static."

"So… what do we do now?" Roxas asked.

Lea sighed, getting to his feet and burning the ice cream stick to ash. He looked out into the sunset, hands on his hips, getting that look Roxas was so very familiar with. It came with the exhaustion of having to know everything they didn't, the exasperation of always answering their questions. Roxas knew Lea didn't mind answering them, but still felt bad for his ignorance.

"Time to do the icky job," Lea stated. "Infiltrate the Organization."

This story is waaaay longer than I expected it to go! I have so many ideas and it's just really fun to write. I know there's short comings and holes, but I'm gonna try and fill them as best I can, especially with an introduction of this being an AU hahahaha xD

Thanks for reading, guys!