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The only sound he heard was the frantic beating of his own heart. It rang in his ears and throbbed through his body down to his fingertips.
The demon tide had been stopped, sliced down until it was nothing, but the large and ever-growing tornado loomed overhead. Sora stared at it, eyes wide and disbelieving.
He was so worthless. Without his friends, how could he draw out his real power? Without the people he cared about, how could he fight?
Sora clutched his head and screamed. He screamed until his throat was raw, until his lungs cried out in reply.
He could see their final moments so clearly. Riku’s back as his keyblade pierced the darkness, Kairi’s outstretched hand as she was swept away, Donald collapsed on the floor as he’d given everything to save them. Why hadn’t he acted? Why hadn’t he risked it all to protect them like Donald and Riku? His inaction kept him frozen, his fears realized as he did nothing to prevent their downfall.
Sora wept in the dirt and dust of the Keyblade Graveyard. He crumbled, becoming a shadow of his former self. Light gave way to darkness as it slowly spread, consuming Sora in dark ribbons of twisted black.
It’s hopeless, he thought, as bleak as the darkness that danced along his skin. He felt as alone and scared as his first time in Traverse Town, not knowing what had happened to his world or his friends. He couldn’t do it by himself. He never could. He felt… powerless.
He could vaguely feel it. Their ominous presence glaring down at him from up high. Sora stayed still, uncaring about what happened next. They’d come for him, most likely. Try and goad him on with speeches about helplessness and lost friendships but Sora didn’t care. This had never been his fight. He’d been pulled forward, forced into a role and expected to play it to the best of his ability. He’d been given importance, specialty, and responsibility when he’d only yearned for the simple things; Riku, Kairi and himself back home on the islands.
Such a simple wish, but he’d been denied it over and over and over again.
A sick part of him, the darkness dripping down his chest and elbows, reminded him that he’d failed. It’d started with the exam, nearly being taken by Xehanort and endangering Riku’s life as well as his own. He’d forgotten the power of waking and wasted time trying to retrieve it when Riku and the King needed him most. He’d led his companions into battle, urging them forward with words of encouragement and they’d been overwhelmed by towers of heartless and tides of darkness.
You’re a failure, it whispered, so sickeningly sweet. You didn’t even save them all!
Another truth that Sora had forgotten. Terra, the good friend of Ventus and Aqua was still lost to darkness. The girl with the familiar blue eyes and black hair whose name eluded him each time he tried to grasp it. The boy with sun-kissed hair and eyes as blue as a bright summer sky.
The first thing you set out to do, and you couldn’t even accomplish it!
Sora laughed bitterly, sobs shaking his shoulders as the darkness swirled around him. He should’ve stayed in Twilight Town, kept searching for answers and not leaving until he got them. The conviction with which he’d promised the boy resting in his heart had been wasted. Sora’s fingers scrapped at the dirt as he clenched his jaw.
I’m sorry… Roxas.
A spark. A sudden light that Sora felt like a shot through the darkness. He felt something stirring, a strange feeling that simultaneously pained and excited him. He closed his eyes and reached out with his heart to catch it. He clutched it desperately, suffocating it in what little warmth he had left.
Please, help me. Sora pleaded desperately. I’m all alone and I can’t do this by myself!
The spark glistened in his hands. It felt familiar and new. A ball of light left his chest and joined with the spark, creating something magnificent. It began to take shape, shining brightly. Too bright.
Sora’s eyes flew open just as a beam of light touched down in the Keyblade Graveyard. A cloud of dust rose from the ground and Sora shielded his eyes, coughing as dirt entered his lungs. Once the light dimmed and the wind calmed, Sora could feel threads of light around him. They tickled his fingers and surrounded him in a comforting embrace. The darkness receded from his body and retreated into the small corner of his heart.
Sora opened his eyes and saw Oathkeeper held tightly in a black gloved hand.
“You idiot,” A voice spoke, exasperated and sorely familiar. “Did you forget you’re never alone?”
Sora’s eyes trailed higher. The black coat of Organization XIII, the raised hood falling to reveal windswept blonde hair.
He held out a hand for Sora to take. “Look sharp!”
“Roxas,” Sora whispered, eyes swelling with tears of relief. He took Roxas’ hand but didn’t move. He intertwined their fingers, creating a connection that couldn’t be broken. “You’re here.”
Roxas turned toward him, crouching down so they were eye to eye. “Because of you, Sora,” he smiled, eyes thankful and kind. “You were the spark I needed to be complete.”
Sora flashed a smile. Roxas was here. In his own body with his own heart. “I’m so glad you’re here, Roxas,” he breathed, his voice trembling. “Everyone else was…”
“I know,” Roxas nodded. His thick eyebrows furrowed, looking over Sora’s shoulder and turning his head to take in the surrounding area. “They’re not playing around.”
Sora’s laugh was broken and he moved his other hand to clutch Roxas’. He knew how powerful Roxas was. In their duel, he’d barely won. In spite of that and his prowess with the keyblade, the two of them wouldn’t be enough.
Sora felt an itch, a nagging feeling that he couldn’t shake. It crept closer, swirling sneakily toward them. Before it reached them, Roxas pointed Oathkeeper in it’s direction, shooting a ray of light that disintegrated it instantly.
A shadow, but where one emerged, others followed. They crawled along the ground, slithering their way closer. If a frontal attack wouldn’t work, then they’d try something else. Not behind, but—!
“Roxas!” Sora cried and Oathkeeper slammed into the ground with a satisfying blast of light. A barrier protected them from the demon tide. The heartless wrapped around it, some flying overhead into the air. Shadows gripped at the barrier, trying to claw their way in and Sora shut his eyes.
That didn’t help. He only saw Donald falling after using all of his magic. Riku, overtaken by darkness. Sora clung desperately to Roxas, the only person he had left. The first person he should’ve saved. The demon tide reformed in the air, circling around and attacking the barrier head on. Roxas flinched, clutching Oathkeeper in his hand as he used the light within himself to ward them off.
Sora didn’t think he could cry anymore tears, but they fell all the same. One after the other as he looked up at Roxas in despair. “We have to go!” He yelled over the sound of searing darkness and rapidly fading light.
Roxas narrowed his eyes. “Sora, we can’t just—!”
“I’m not losing you, too!” Sora shouted, voice hoarse and throat burning. He wouldn’t be able to take it. As his heart was shattered piece by piece, he'd grown numb. Roxas was a shining beacon of hope amongst the dreary landscape of the Keyblade Graveyard.
Roxas looked stunned, blue eyes searching Sora’s own before he nodded resolutely. He kept Oathkeeper in the ground, the barrier flickering as he gathered Sora in his arms and held him tight. “I’ve got you,” Roxas said gently. A corridor of darkness opened beneath them and Sora wrapped his arms around Roxas’ neck. Oathkeeper faded into specks of light as they fell.
Deeper and deeper, they plunged into an abyss of pure darkness. Sora could feel it reaching for his heart. The tears kept coming, drifting above them into nothing. Roxas had a hand under Sora’s back, but his other one grabbed at the darkness in his heart, opening another corridor that would hopefully lead somewhere.
Deeper still as they entered the lanes in between. They floated alongside the stars and multicolored sky. Bright yellow, maroon and teal danced together in a way that Sora hadn’t seen before. A new cluster of words could be seen through the asteroids and heartless ships. His breath grew short and he turned to Roxas in desperation.
Roxas grimaced in reply. “Harden your heart, Sora,” he grunted. He summoned another corridor and down they went.
A world, but not the one they needed. A forest that didn’t seem familiar as they fell, but when a tower could be seen, Sora’s eyes widened in recognition. “Roxas!”
“It’s been a while!” Roxas explained, his eyes weary and unfocused. The trees drew closer and Sora hid his face in Roxas’ neck. A corridor appeared just before they hit the tallest branch of a tree and deeper they went.
The sunset greeted them, perfect and welcome. Sora stared at it, transfixed before it was blocked out by rooftops and large buildings. They were still falling and Roxas’ face had grown concerningly pale. Below them, the hard concrete drew nearer with each second.
Sora moved one hand, holding onto Roxas with the other. “Aero!” He called, and the wind came swiftly to their aid. It flew below them, breaking their fall with air that lifted them for a moment before dispersing, easing them onto the ground. They’d landed in an alleyway and Sora’s spell had spread trash and useless junk all over, but they were alive and safe in Twilight Town.
“Fuck…” Roxas groaned, his head thumping back against the brick of the building.
Sora touched his chest, a heartbeat thudding underneath his fingertips. “You’ll be okay,” he said. He reached inside himself for the last vestiges of light to give to Roxas. The darkness had stretched to nearly cover his entire heart. With each corridor, it’d gotten worse and Sora had been too caught up in his own grief to notice. He closed his eyes and felt their connection, the last one that Sora could actively see. He bit his lip as he tapped into it, light chasing the shadows and returning the brilliance that Sora had seen at the keyblade graveyard.
With a deep breath, Roxas opened his eyes. He smiled tiredly at Sora. “Thank you,” he croaked, sweat on his brow and pain in his expression. “Sorry, I got a little mixed up there.”
“It’s okay,” Sora said, shaking his head. “That was on me. I asked you so suddenly.”
“You made the right call,” Roxas assured him. He sat up a little and Sora readjusted himself in his lap. “We should focus on saving everyone.”
Sora’s eyes snapped up, looking at Roxas in confusion. “Saving everyone…?”
Roxas stared at him, equally confused before he chuckled. “You can still feel them, can’t you? They’re not truly gone.”
The certitude in Roxas’ gaze combined with the last bit of hope in Sora’s heart. He let himself trust those words. He closed his eyes, reached deep inside himself and felt for the connections that fueled his heart in battle. They felt so far away, so weak and lost compared to normal. Deep in his heart, in the one fractured piece that remained, he felt them. A quick vision of faces and memories. They weren't close enough to be tangible, but with the right hand, they could be.
He opened his eyes and smiled honestly for the first time since the final battle had begun. “You’re right,” Sora whispered, placing a hand on his heart. “They’re alive!” He wrapped his arms around Roxas and squeezed him tight, relieved laughter pulling them together.
Roxas placed a hand on his back, patting gently. “Yeah, so let’s go save them.”
Sora’s laughter stopped abruptly and he pulled back to look at Roxas, perplexed. “Wait, how?”
Roxas pulled on a strand of Sora’s hair, exasperated. “Don’t you have some special power or whatever?”
“The power of waking?” Sora asked, batting Roxas’ hand away. “Will that work?”
Roxas shrugged. “Can’t hurt to try.”
Sora grinned, the hope he had blossoming into something substantial. If Roxas hadn’t showed up, if he hadn’t created that spark, it would’ve been over. Through his connection with Roxas, they had another shot. “Okay, let’s go!” He said, moving off of Roxas’ lap and standing. He offered Roxas a hand up, smiling brightly when he took it.
“Where?” Roxas asked, wiping dirt off his coat and rolling his shoulders. The color had returned to his face, but Sora would keep an eye on his heart regardless.
Sora pointed out of the alley, confidence and optimism back in full force. “To Master Yen Sid! He probably has some tips on how to save our friends. Besides, I always go to him first before going a journey.”
Roxas rolled his eyes but followed Sora out of the alleyway. He held a hand up to cover his eyes from the sunset, expression somber. “Fine, we’ll check in with the old guy.”
Sora paused, looking back at Roxas and watching him closely. He was back home for the first time and, well, he didn’t look happy. Sora was determined to change that. He turned around, walking backwards with his hands behind his head. Signature easy-going and laid back style. “Y’know, this is our first adventure together!”
Roxas snorted, putting his hands in his pockets as they headed up the street to the train station. “Not really. It’s our first one where we’re in two separate bodies, though.”
Oh, right. Sora smiled sheepishly, but he felt excited. He’d accomplished the first thing he’d decided to do. Roxas was by his side and together, they were going to set things right. He reached out his hand and Roxas took it without hesitation.
“That’s worth celebrating, isn’t it?” Sora asked. At Roxas’ raised brow, he faltered. “I mean, not the circumstances that have us going on an adventure together, but… y’know the adventure itself.”
“I get what you mean,” Roxas laughed, letting Sora tug him along to the station.
Sora couldn’t believe how good it felt to hear Roxas laugh. After the memories he’d felt and witnessed, that’s the only thing he wanted Roxas to do on their rescue mission. “I’m looking forward to traveling with you, Roxas!”
Roxas smiled warmly, eyes soft and pleasant. “I can’t say the same, Sora.”
“Hey!”
“I’m kidding, calm down," Roxas chuckled, smiling until Sora stopped pouting at him.
They reached the stairs that led to the station and Sora felt Roxas freeze up. They stopped walking, Sora looking behind him to see Roxas’ eyes on the clocktower. Their hands were nearly pulled apart, but Sora walked backward until they intertwined again.
“We’ll save them, Roxas,” Sora said gently. He worried his words wouldn’t have the impact he wanted since he’d felt so hopeless and defeated only moments ago. But all it took was one person to change that, to make things right again.
Roxas briefly closed his eyes, his smile small and more for Sora’s benefit than his own. “I know.” He stepped forward, leading the way into the station. “You always manage to blunder your way into doing the impossible.”
Sora squinted at him. “Is that a compliment?”
Roxas shrugged innocently. “In a way, I suppose.”
They walked up the stairs to the double doors of the train station. Roxas gripped the door handle but before he pulled, he looked to Sora. Their eyes met, the same shade of blue but differing in disposition and nature. Sora, true to form, beamed as bright as his influence. Roxas’ own smile gave the impression of being mellow, but underneath, it was capable. A quiet strength that had given Sora some of his own.
With a jerk of his arm, Roxas pulled the door open. They took the first steps on their journey together.