This is a shorter chapter from a perspective you won't see very often in upcoming chapters, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Twilight Town Main Plaza

A day after the Battle of the Southern Water Tribe

[The Afternoon Streets - Kingdom Hearts 2]

"Ugh…" Roxas moaned, shaking his head to regain his bearings. He looked around at the usual, sunset-filled town, getting up in the meanwhile. Twilight Town hasn't changed a bit, with the usual few walking about the lively, but quiet streets. Stores were casually busy, the trolley rolled down the street calmly, as if pacing to enjoy the atmosphere. Roxas brought a hand to his face to wipe off the sweat.

"Wait, what the-?" Roxas looked down at his gloved hand, but instead of the usual Organization black, it was solid white. He then looked down at his garb; he was indeed wearing an Organization uniform, but it was completely white, shoes and everything. Curiously enough, underneath his new cloak were his old, familiar street clothes.

"This is weird…" his gaze moves to his right slowly, where he noticed another figure lying on the ground, one that even Luxord wouldn't have bet to see next to him. He was garbed in a normal Organization uniform, black and everything, sleeping peacefully on the ground as if without a care. Roxas recoiled.

"Sora?!" Roxas' outburst managed to break Sora's sleep, causing for the young Keybearer to stir. He got up slowly with an exasperated yawn on his face.

"Kairi, we can finish the raft later…" Sora had awoken from a dream, gathering his bearings. He looked around, puzzled, "Where am I? And why are you here, Roxas?" Sora asked in an almost drunken voice, as if sleep has intoxicated him. He hadn't grasped the situation yet.

Roxas sighed. Why are we separated? When he plunged his keyblade into his heart, I should've been the only one to emerge. But here he is…

Sora managed to get onto his feet, finally noticing that he's in an Organization uniform.

"What the-?" he muttered, but his expression seemed unfazed.

"Already said that," Roxas smirked. He often forgot that despite their differences, they were a lot alike. Roxas could tell, however, that Sora was completely disoriented, much like he was right after he was born…well, born isn't quite the right word…rather appeared into this world. Sora tried pacing towards Roxas, but grunted as he felt a strong pain in his chest. Sora collapsed.

"Sora!" Roxas rushed to his side. Sora tinkered on the brink of consciousness as Roxas lowered himself and propped Sora's head onto his knee. Sora only seemed capable of muttering jibber jabber under his breath before he simply began to stare up at the setting sun. Roxas felt as if he's seen this before, although he couldn't pinpoint exactly what. Instead, Roxas recalled how Axel described him in the beginning days of his Organization training: void and distant, like a zombie.

He managed to get Sora back on his feet after allowing the brunette to rest for a few minutes, deciding that taking any decisive action to leave Twilight Town immediately wasn't possible with Sora out of his element. Roxas used this time to think about what to do next. He had a feeling that Xigbar…Braig was going to be on their trail any minute and with Sora in this condition, Roxas knew he couldn't flee. He could stand his own against the sniper, but Roxas could not take any unnecessary risks considering how cunning his opponent was. Braig was a master of stealth – despite being a loudmouth – and there is a reason why, no matter how powerful his opponent, Braig can easily take someone down in only a few seconds. Roxas would need to be on his guard and he couldn't risk losing Sora either.

"I need to find a place to hide," then inspiration hit him.

"I just hope this isn't too obvious…"

…

Roxas laid Sora down on the couch hidden in the Usual Spot, allowing for the Keybearer to rest while Roxas thought of his next move. He knew that Braig would eventually come, but Roxas held two advantages: one, there is no clear indication of where a Nobody first spawns into the world. In other words, Roxas could have ended up in any world imaginable that Sora has been to before. Two, Braig was no longer a Nobody. True, Braig has the ability to warp space and create portals, but only in the Realm of Light; he can't use them to enter the Realm of Darkness like Roxas can. Now Roxas wasn't too keen on taking Sora into the Realm of Darkness, but he could keep it an option in case things go south and simply take him to another world, forcing Braig to begin his search once more.

I know running away won't work forever, but I just need to run until Sora recovers…

[Missing You - Kingdom Hearts 2]

Another though hit Roxas while he was contemplating his plan: why was Sora here? Why did he have an Organization cloak? And why wasn't Roxas experiencing the same symptoms that Sora was?

One thought that occurred to Roxas was that he never was a full human being to begin with, so having always been a Nobody, he didn't have to experience the same disorientation all over again. But why, then, was he in a white Organization uniform? Did it mean something?

Another thought was that, because Sora wasn't revived by Kairi this time, that Sora himself became a Nobody. In truth, Roxas knew he was Sora, but he thought of himself more as a part of Sora, as if he was a single piece of a larger puzzle. Roxas has also been aware of, having merged with Sora a year ago, another presence within Sora's heart that lied dormant, a fractured heart that took refuge within the young Keybearer that he couldn't explain. Perhaps Roxas wasn't just Sora's Nobody, but that other person's Nobody as well. That would explain why he looked so different from Sora and why he is, but isn't Sora.

If Sora became a Nobody, however, then it was critical that they find Sora's Heartless and make him whole again, but his Heartless was most likely in the heart of Xehanort's new base of operations. In other words, there was no chance he could retrieve Sora's Heartless without help and having no clue where Xehanort's base is exactly, he couldn't use a portal to get in either. Once Sora recovered, Roxas knew he would need to get help.

Sora…how long are you going to be like this?

"Hello?" A voice came from the entrance. Roxas immediately turned, recognizing a few familiar faces, which he waved back to. Then Roxas realized that, despite how many times he has seen this scene, they didn't remember him at all. He made his friendly hand withdraw sadly to his side.

"I'm sorry I barged in…" Roxas was trying to think quickly on his feet, "but my friend's very ill and I couldn't bring him anywhere else and…"

While rambling, Hayner walked up to Roxas, towering over him.

"What do ya think you're doing, explain yourself like we're the police?" Hayner crossed his arms. "We may not remember everything, but we're still friends, aren't we? So don't go trying to explain why you're here like some stranger. Got me?" Hayner smiled.

"You're one of us for life. There's no escaping it," Pence gave Roxas a thumbs up.

"Anytime you need us, Roxas," Olette nodded in understanding.

Roxas seemed stunned at first, but he grinned happily in return.

"So, what do you need us to do?"

…

[Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts 2]

After getting some sea salt ice cream and explaining simply that Sora was ill, Roxas and friends sat around a new round wooden table and a few crates Pence managed to find in a rummage sale. Sora was still knocked out on the couch, sleeping the day away. The air was getting much more humid overtime, so Roxas decided to unzip his white Organization uniform, still keeping the white cloak on but revealing his casual street clothes underneath. If Braig were to come, he'd still need to cloak, but Roxas could afford some comfort and to cool down.

"So summer vacation's still going on for you?" Roxas asked.

"Yup. We still have a good month until we're behind bars again," Hayner rolled his eyes, taking a bite out of the sea salt ice cream. Roxas kept forgetting that just because it was winter in one world doesn't mean that it isn't summer in another, so he often needed to remind himself of the season when he traveled to different worlds. While time seemed to flow the same even in the In-between, different worlds experienced different seasons at different times, assuming seasons exist underwater or in Christmas town.

"But at least it will be your senior year," Roxas shrugged.

"Never mind that! Tell us about what you've been up to, Roxas. I'm sure it's much more interesting than plain old high school," Pence looked eagerly at Roxas, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Roxas looked around at the expecting teens, rummaging his mind for something.

"Well, you see…it's kinda difficult for the both of us right now. Sora's not himself right now, a dangerous man's after us, and we need to act fast. I'm afraid if we wait too long, Kairi and the others will be in serious danger…I'd go back now if I could," Roxas fretted.

"Whatever happens will happen, but for now, you need to rest Roxas," Olette advised, "if you stress out too much, you won't be able to act when Sora needs you most, right?"

Damn, she has a good point

Roxas nodded in agreement, "I'll keep watch over him here then. It's getting late, so you guys should head home."

"Sorry, bud, but that's not happening," Hayner didn't budge an inch, "we're staying with you."

"We can't have you dozing off like Sora over there," Olette added, "and besides, we've never had a sleepover in the Usual Place before."

"A sleepover eh? I'm up for it if it means I could sleep half as well as Sora over there," Hayner pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at the sleeping Keybearer. Sora, almost as if in response, turned over so that his back was facing the other four, muttering incoherent words to himself.

"Yeah, sounds like fun," Pence smiled, "it'll be like old times…well, sort of." Everyone laughed lightheartedly, even Roxas. To Roxas, at least, it did really feel like old times. Spending time with Hayner, Pence, and Olette revitalized Roxas, as if a missing piece of his heart was mended back together once more, making him feel prepared for anything, even Braig.

Wait…did I just think 'heart?' Now that Roxas thought about it, he did feel a little different. He felt…heavier, somehow. This heaviness felt awkward, yet somehow this weight was reassuring, as if it bore proof of his existence. Roxas knew this idea was absurd, but he couldn't help but amuse the strange feeling.

Well, I guess this will be fine for now… Roxas smiled, returning to the conversation.

"Uh...hello?" An unfamiliar voice now rang from the entrance of the Usual Spot. Everybody looked over to find a girl with blue eyes, black hair and an Organization uniform standing at the entrance way.

And that's when Roxas remembered everything. Tears fell overwhelmingly from his face.

"Xion..."

…

Location Unknown

Same day

A fragment of light hovered above a sleeping boy in a white chair. The fragment spoke

Just wait a little longer...

I probably won't make it too much of a habit to write from Roxas' point of view, but this seemed like the most appropriate time to answer the question of what happened to Sora/Roxas/etc

Also, regarding the sleeping boy, for anyone who can guess who I was referring to, I did that more to tie up some loose ends, not to create a new plot point. I might revisit that minor detail at the end of this little adventure, though.