"A beast with his own castle, and a candelabra for a servant…" Roxas sat at the top of the clock tower in Twilight Town. The hooded girl speaking to him wore the same black coat as the rest of the Organization. "That wasn't the first time, remember?"

Strands of brown hair tickled Roxas. He scrunched his nose and lifted his head for a brief moment, smiling at Sora before lying back down and resting his head on the boy's chest.

"Not the bananas… no… the pineapple… there's too… many…"

Roxas squeezed Sora as he mumbled incoherently about fruit. Sora slowly opened his eyes, opting to stay under the covers, enjoying the feel of a heartbeat against his chest. Roxas's heartbeat. He was finally safe and free. Sora ran his fingers through that shaggy blond hair, making the teen yawn.

"Are you trying to make me fall asleep again?"

"If it means we get to stay like this."

"Okay fair, but what was that about pineapples?"

"Huh… Oh that. I just had a weird dream where we threw balls of fruit around, but I couldn't see you. I did hear your voice, though."

Just a voice, Roxas wondered.

"Was that the same voice you heard back in the hall? When you fell on your ass?"

"Yeah, when you finally used your keyblade."

"So locking a keyhole doesn't count? It's literally a giant key."

Sora chuckled, shaking the half asleep teen resting on top. Roxas grumbled and buried his face in the other teen's shirt. All jokes aside, Sora was incredibly impressed by the skill Roxas had demonstrated, seeing him dodge and soar through the air, fully in his element.

"Oh, by the way, I heard that voice in my room… and after I fell off the balcony."

Thrown. Roxas was thrown, Sora bitterly thought. He pulled the blond boy closer to his chest.

"What did it say?"

"It just said 'you got this,' and then 'look sharp' when I grabbed the lance." His voice wavered a bit recalling that moment. Sora grabbed Roxas and stroked his arm, soothing him while trying to forget the dread he also felt on that balcony.

"It was right. You did amazing, Roxas."

"Thanks, Sora. That means a lot."

A low growl from Sora's empty stomach unnerved Roxas until he saw the morning sun peeking past the curtains. Realizing they hadn't eaten yet, they reluctantly arose and got dressed in their usual attire before sauntering off to the dining room.

"Good morning, dearies. Are you all hungry?" Mrs. Potts poured tea for the teens as Lumiere brought them their plates. The two said their thank-yous and devoured the dishes lying before them. The servants were pretty pleased with themselves.

"Thanks for the meal. Did the others stop by yet?"

"Why Roxas, they should be outside. They said to meet them at the ship after breakfast." Cogsworth proudly informed him.

After downing their last cup of tea, the keyblade wielders strolled through the garden hand in hand, enjoying the little time they had left at the enchanted castle. The sounds of shrill quacking and keyboard smashes lead them to the spot where their Gummi Ship was parked.

"Good morning, fellas!" Goofy popped his head out of the main door. "Can you two come inside and take a look at this here message?"

The boys looked at each other and shrugged. Upon entering, they were immediately greeted by Donald's typical outbursts. Sora rolled his eyes, and Roxas lifted an exasperated Jiminy onto his shoulder.

"He's been at this all morning, and so far, it's been nothing but static."

"I can't get it to play, Jiminy! It's an urgent message from the queen!"

"Now hold on a second. What makes you so sure, Donald?"

"Because it's coming from the computer back at the castle library! We need to go. Pronto!"

That malevolent horned fairy appeared on the monitor with a flash of green, taunting the pint-sized wizard.

"So you finally figured out how to press the call button. Nice work. And I suppose I should be impressed that you fools managed to survive, especially runt of the litter like Roxas."

"If you're so tough, why not face us yourself, coward?" Roxas stood confidently next to Sora, who held his tongue this time. Maleficent gave them a devious smirk.

"At least let me tidy up for my guests. When I'm through, this entire castle will be drenched in darkness. So stop by if you're feeling reckless."

The screen returned to static as her horrible cackling got lost behind the white noise. Roxas felt dizzy but tried to conceal it this time. Sora understood all too well what the other teen felt.

"I can't let you go with us, Roxas. You already had a close call yesterday."

"Sora, don't treat me like a child. I'm going."

"I can't see you get hurt again."

"And leaving me to wait alone is better?"

"You wouldn't be alone..."

"If you don't want me around then just say it."

"That's not what I meant! And of course I want you around. That's why I have to protect you. This is all my fault."

"Fault for what? Is me being here the mistake?"

Sora was taken aback. Having Roxas by his side was the best thing that happened so far. All his friends were from other worlds and had their own lives. Riku and Kairi had been gone for at least a year and completely lost contact. But now, the only other person who truly understood Sora was insinuating that his own life was a mistake.

Sora felt a powerful pull in his heart and stepped towards Roxas, taking his hands in his own. The two closed their eyes and saw the faint silhouettes of a hooded girl and another blond teen, silently cheering them on. Roxas felt so much love, as if they'd do anything to protect him despite being unable to protect themselves. And that's when it hit him.

Sora was always in danger, always expected to smile, always expected to save the worlds from darkness, but he wasn't able to save everyone. He wasn't just afraid to be alone. He was afraid of being the reason his friends got hurt, and with how close the two boys were after sharing a majority of their lives together, Sora's fear of losing Roxas on that balcony was well-founded.

The two opened their eyes. Roxas held a misty-eyed Sora close to his chest, sharing that comforting warmth in their hearts.

"They can't get rid of me that easily."