Short: Friend with a Nobody

It is the world where Sora's Nobody Roxas is born, and now the world DiZ the exiled Ansem the Wise resides keeping the Slumbering Sora safe while he regains his memories.

Sora was mentored to Revan Shadow and worked with his members of Organization Keyblade in his first adventure as a Keyblade Wielder.

Melody the Hedgehog volunteered to station herself in DiZ's base at the abandoned mansion to keep an eye on Sora.

Meanwhile Roxas, Sora's Nobody continued to serve Organization XIII in  harvesting hearts from Heartless, along with his counterpart Xion, Sora's incomplete female Replica.

Vanitas was sent by Revan to check on Melody. But decided to make a pit stop to check on someone else.

As Riku, who's also Vanitas' teammate in the Organization, fought and visited Xion, Vanitas fought and checked on the progress of Roxas.

He found out from Revan, that his other half Ventus, after sacrificing himself to destroy the x-blade, his heart settled and merged with the Heart of Sora, making it partly the reason why Sora became capable to become the Kingdom Key's Keyblade Wielder after Riku it's Original intended wielder proved unworthy.  In addition their fushion of Hearts made it also the reason why Roxas looked exactly like Ventus.

It's because of those facts Vanitas was curious over Roxas' development, and fought with him from time to time in secret while masked in his helmet.

He found Roxas at his usual place sitting on the train Clock Tower, waiting for Axel and Xion.

Vanitas smirked under his mask as teleported near Roxas and sat near him lazily.  "How you been doing, idiot?" 

Roxas almost fell off the tower startled. "You!" Growled Roxas as he drew his Keyblade and slashed at where Vanitas was sitting.

But he slashed air, Vanitas already jumped off his perch and stopped falling in midair like he was floating then landed on the air like he's standing on invisible ground.

"Your reflexes gotten better to say at least," said Vanitas cooly.

"You again?! Why you keep coming to me? Why you keep messing with me!" Growled Roxas in a fighting position.

"Heh you have the same clueless look he used to have it's uncanny ," smirked Vanitas under his helmet.

"Huh what do you mean?!"

"Oh nothing, anyway how have the Organization been treating you? Have they done more then throw Heartless at you?"

"What are u talking about?" Demanded Roxas.  "Heh nothing you understand idiot,at least at the moment," Vanitas said turning as if to walk away."

"Hey don't ignore me!" Yelled Roxas as he jumped into the air, despite jumping off the clock tower, raising his blade as to strike him down.

But at last moment Vanitas turned back around and formed a  corridor of darkness portal in front of him as Roxas lunged at him, causing Roxas to fall inside it.

The next thing Roxas knew he was falling on a desert ground, as he fell out of another portal.

He got up seeing he was in the Keyblade Graveyard.  It was his first time in this world.

He turned around to see Vanitas landing on the ground near him.  "This world is called the Keyblade Graveyard, a world where legendary battles between the chosen people of the Keyblade are waged.  Even in modern times Keyblade Wielders still choose this ancient battlefield as a place to settle their differences.  What do you think? Gives you a sense of de'ja vu doesn't it?"

Actually Roxas does have a sense he's been here before, not realizing it's because of his connection to Sora which contains Ventus's heart, who has been to the Keyblade Graveyard before.

"I...don't get it I never been here but I got this feeling that..."

"That's it Roxas let your heart guide you to the truth," said Vanitas.

"What are you talking about! I'm a Nobody! I have no Heart! Stop trying to fool me with your lies!" he yelled.

"So you choose to continue to believe what they tell you when the truth is staring at you at the Face."

"What?" Said Roxas puzzled.

"Tell me Roxas has your buddies in your Organization ever told you why both you and that girl Xion wield the Keyblade?  Why they only want you both at their side? What is the true purpose of their Kingdom Hearts?

"You think they'll ever tell you? Even the red haired guy Axel? The truth is idiot they want you both to remain in the dark, as long as that happens they'll always control you both.  But if you want answers and break free from The shackles they bind you with come with me. My side has all the answers you seek and has a place for not just you but all your friends as well."  He said moving his hand forward offering it to Roxas.

Roxas looked at the hand and paused for a moment, then said, "Like I'll come with you, you creep! I'll never betray the Organization it's my home!"  As he said that he ran toward Vanitas and slashed at him.  He jumped back to avoid the attack and as he landed at the ground he drew his Keyblade Void Gear.

"What a Keyblade?" Gasped Roxas in awe, as Vanitas in their previous encounters used his Unversed to test him, or ambushed him with magic based Attacks, and haven't used his Keyblade against him Until now.

"Guess we aren't that different after all, now Roxas I'll be honest with you I would have been disappointed if you have agreed to join me so easily. If you did I wouldn't Be fighting you right now.  Cmon show me what you Are made of."

Meanwhile Melody the Hedgehog was out shopping in Twilight Town for herself, DiZ, Naminé, and Riku. She held the bags of groceries underarm as she walked around town dressed in a Black Coat hooded.

She stopped seeing Hayner, Pence, and Orlette running past her as they head somewhere. 

She kept an eye on Sora's two others, Roxas and Xion when they appear in Twilight Town.

 

She had a close bond with both Sora and Riku in their last adventures, and she found herself not helping but want to keep a close eye on them

When she could.

She sighed wondering where is Roxas thinking he should be here already to meet with Axel and Xion as they do almost every day.

She head back to the Mansion and put away groceries in the base kitchen.  She saw DiZ working at his computer.  "Have you gotten the tea as I asked?" Asked DiZ without turning.

"Yes..." Said Melody hardly paying him any mind as her mind is somewhere else.

"Good, check on Naminè on her progress if you please.  The restoration progress isn't getting much ground lately."

"What are  you doing?" Asked Melody.  "Creating a virtual realistic environment as an alternate to jog Sora's memory by putting his mind in a simulation replaying the events of his life. Like Naminè, however this seemed to be a dead end."

"You think Sora can ever wake up?" Asked Melody.

"I think you lot should take my advise and eliminate the puppet. As long as she exists Sora will have more of himself stolen and won't wake up."

"But Xion never ask for that and never had a choice..."

"It's the fate of a Replica not unlike a Nobody, now please get to your duties..."

Later Melody was looking at the sleeping Sora when Riku came to check on him and saw Mel.

"I hope he wakes up Soon..." Sighed Melody pressing her hand against the  hibernation pod where Sora rests inside.

"Me too," said Riku standing behind her.  "I'll do anything to see him awake again."

"Even kill Xion?" Asked Mel.  "DiZ says it might be the only choice...I don't want that to happen I want to help her..."

"I know, and I would like to help Xion...but how can I choose between her and my best friend?"

"Who said you have to Riku?" Asked Melody, as the statement made Riku silent.

"You know it isn't simple Mel," said Riku when he finally replied. He then tried to change the subject. "I heard Revan is sending Vanitas to report how things going on here, since after those Replicas invaded, he wanted to see how things have been."

"You know how things have been Riku you practically stay here when not training back at the Organization, dunno why he wants to sent Vanitas when you can do it yourself," said Melody.

"Because when I'm Here im

Assigned to guard with you and to help keep an eye on DiZ to make sure  he behaved.  Sending Vanitas is a formality, to get a report from a third party to keep DiZ on his toes."

"Revan doesn't trust him?" Asked Melody.  "He's wary of him, he knows his hate to Organization XIII and the Nobodies has warped him and could make him a reliability," said Riku.  "Just be aware of him."

"You must be more wary of Vanitas," said DiZ as he entered the pod chamber.  It was unknown how long he's been standing there.

"My surveillance system has found young Vanitas confronting Roxas in town and sent him away in the darkness to fight him.  I'm sure he's only testing the young Nobody but if he pushes too far he may break him."

"Roxas!" Yelled melody as he opened a Corridor of Darkness and ran inside. Riku was about to follow her when DiZ sealed the portal himself.  "Now let's not be hasty my dear boy let the girl spread her wings and deal this matter herself.  That aside she doesn't know where Vanitas sent himself and Roxas, but Revan paired you with him in the Organization and should know am I right?"

Riku knew he was right, since Darth Maul, Vanitas' former frequent partner, left the Organization to join Tasogare Shadow's new Dark Council in his Reformed Sith Empire in the Star Wars world, Revan had Vanitas worked more closely with Riku, to teach him how to control the darkness of his heart and deal with Xehanort's Heartless sealed and suppressed inside him.

Riku knew that as Roxas is drawn to visit Twilight Town often because it's his Homeworld, Vanitas is drawn to visit  often the world he was created in, the Keyblade Graveyard.

With that knowledge Riku formed his own dark portal to find Melody and leave to the Keyblade Graveyard.

Meanwhile Roxas was avoiding Shards of ice fired from Vanita's Ksyblade. He dodge rolled and upon getting back to his feet fired a fireball from his Keyblade.

Vanitas lazily deflected the fireball with a flick of his wrist.  "C'mon is that all you got? You can do better then that."

Roxas yelled as he With great effort fired another but more stronger fire blast. Vanitas jumped over the attack and dashed toward Roxas. Roxas yelled as he stabbed his Keyblade forward to intercept him.  It seemed he stabbed through his chest just as he reached him.  But it was an afterimage as Vanitas teleported out of the way and reappeared behind Roxas to strike him from behind.

Roxas was able to see it coming and deflect his sneak attack by swinging his Keyblade behind him to block Vanitas' strike at his back.  The impact sent Vanitas flipping backward to the ground.

"Hey not bad, you are getting better, guess all you truly needed was to Face a real enemy besides heartless. Let's see how far you can go," said Vanitas as he charged his strongest Attack, Dark Cannon.  Three dark crystals of energy rotates around his Keyblade and body vertically releasing energy focused at the Keyblade's tip, before firing it as a focused dark blast of energy.

It fired and struck Roxas and exploded.

When the dust cleared Roxas was still standing panting, with his Keyblade glowing with light energy, which he used the enhanced blade to deflect the attack.

Roxas might not have realized what he did as he seemed to be acting on instinct. He panted looking half surprised but continued to glare at Vanitas.

"Wow you are getting better, bet you'll surpass the losers in your team in no time," said Vanitas, nodding in approval.

"Let's up yet ante shall we?" He said as he channeled energy into his own blade, creating an energy blade of his own around his Keyblade.

They dashed from one place to another clashing blades, releasing a shockwave with each clash.

After a few minutes of this epic melee, they separated.  Roxas was panting for he was slowing down near the end.

"Heh looks like you might not cut it after all.  Not as you are at least. Guess you need more fine tuning," he smirked as he dashed toward him to continue the battle.

Suddenly a teal streak flew out of nowhere and slammed into Vanitas' chest sending him flying against a nearby rock pillar.  The streak moved to Roxas and pressed against him sending him and it flying into a nearby portal, which closed behind them.

Vanitas got up to see Riku in front of him.  "Now what you do that for? I was only testing his limits."

"You were going too far, you were gonna break him," said Riku.  "Oh please I know when to stop, was only taking the training wheels off him.  He has his look you know," said Vanitas.

"Who Sora?" Asked Riku.

"He and someone else I know fondly," smiled Vanitas referring to Ventus.

Meanwhile another portal opener and Roxas flew out of it and fell to the ground.

He got up to see the source of the teal streak coming out of the portal, it was Melody.  

"Are you ok?" Asked the Hedegehog with a smile.

"Yah," said Roxas looking around realizing they are in an alley in Twilight Town.  "You saved me didn't you?"

"Oh it was nothing," replied Melody with a shy chuckle.  "Just thought that guy was rough on you that's all."

"Hey why are you dressed as one of us?"

"There is no copyright reserved for your group to wear the Black Coat alone, a whole bunch of people Nobodies and humans alike wear them for fashion sense and to protect themselves when traveling in the darkness.  I'm kinda wearing it for both reasons.  I'm Melody by the way."

"Roxas," replied Roxas taking her hand to shake.  "Hey I'm late! I gotta RTC!"  He started running out of the alley, as he referred to the Code word for "return to castle" to the World that Never Was, the Homeworld of the Nobodies and the base world of Organization XIII.

"You be here tomorrow?!" Called Roxas after Mel.  "Meet me at the station clock tower, I'll be with friends to have sea salt ice cream!"

Melody smiled and called back, "Sure I love too! Cya soon!"

Melody later came to Sora in the pod chamber and said to him, "I met Roxas today, he's a lot like you he has your eyes full of hope and wanting friendship and love...but they are also more vulnerable to pain, and sadness. But he seems to have friends like you do that keeps him happy, but they might be taken away from him.  That's why I hope to be Roxas' friend and be there for him

If the worst happens.  Well sleep well Sora cya later."

Vanitas at this moment was meeting with Revan at the base, reporting what he  learned from his encounter from Roxas.  "...Roxas is getting stronger but if he is then so is Xion, I felt their connection with Sora as I fought him.  They each are dividing parts of his power within eachother.  It seems he has the desire to know what he truly is and why the Keyblade chosen him, he was tempted to come with me and join us to get answers but the Organization clearly trapped him Well having friends like Xion and Axel as reasons for him To Stay.  Him being with them makes him forget those doubts and are the main reason why he's still with the Organization.  But another thing that interests me is his reaction, when I crossed blades with him, I felt the reactions he gave me were geniune emotions, something not possible by a Nobody."

"Sora still exists as an individual person and still had his heart. He and Roxas Co-exist, because of that they have a bond which allows him to

Wield Sora's Keyblade, he's not just getting power from Sora, but he's also having a "wireless" connection to Sora's heart as his own, because  of that he can truly feel like a human," said Revan.

"Riku reports that Xion, also has a bond with Sora but the Keyblade she wields is a fake, but she's unwittingly siphoning more power from Sora, and might make her Keyblade real in no time.  Also however she seems to be taking more then strength from him, she's a replica made from the data of Sora's memories, and thus is absorbing Sora's memories like a sponge as she gets stronger.  I talked to Yen Sid and he and I believed that the Organization is using her to use Sora's memories and power to turn her into a true Keyblade Wielder."

"So they would have two Keyblade Wielders in their ranks," mused Vsnitas.

"No, they both are connected to Sora's power, if Xion fulfills her purpose there might be nothing left to share Sora and Roxas. A Replica can absorb the life force of others to get stronger, so it's logical to assume that Roxas  would be absorbed by Xion to turn her into a true Keyblade Wielder and Complete Replica of Sora. However if Roxas proved the stronger then he would be forced to Absorb her.  In either case the Organization would claim a valuable asset.

"But Xion seems to be the logical candidate because Replicas are more easier to alter and manipulate then Nobodies.  That's why Xion is a better for them."

"Then you want us to get rid of Xion?" Asked Vanitas.

"That's what DiZ wants but no not yet. According, to both Melody and Riku, Xion is a sweet girl, and seems to have genuine emotions  like Roxas due to her connection to Sora.  She didn't ask to be what she is, but yes she is a problem nevertheless.

"However there might be other ways, like having her willingly reunite with Sora.  In either case if we strike against Xion too hastily we would make an act of war against Organization XIII.  We aren't ready for them yet. We are dealing with whoever sent those Replicas against us, and possibly the Von Draco Family and the Purge we are not ready yet for a full scale war against a possible third enemy.  For now we let them do what they want while binding our time, you understand?"

"Yah boss gotcha," replied Vanitas as he turned away to leave but left with a smirk secretly planning to meet with Roxas again or even Xion sometime soon.

THE END