Chapter Text
Worth, Part 1: Sora
"Roxas, you're you. We're not the same. I wanted to tell you that. That you deserve as much as I do to be your own person." — Sora, Dream Drop Distance
Sora's head whirled around the moment he heard it. "Sorry, what?"
A boy his own age—auburn hair, brown eyes, same height—just lifted an eyebrow at his inquiry. "Back off, Red. You're not part of this conversation."
This person was a resident of Twilight Town, which Sora was visiting today to check up on the Sea Salt Quintet (consisting of Roxas, Xion, Naminé, Isa, and Lea). But he was early, as Hayner told him. The Quintet were running errands with Olette and Pence and not expecting him until later, but Sora didn't mind waiting. So, here he was, chatting away with Hayner to pass the time, in front of the Bistrot. It would have been fine had this guy not been complaining to his friends about Twilight Town's new guardians.
Sora had just shrugged him off until he heard the magic word...
He stepped forward, "You're talking about my friends. So I'm part of your conversation now." There was no hint of his usual smile or bubbliness in his features, as he demanded, "Tell me. What. You. Said."
The guy scoffed, "I called Roxas a 'nobody'. So?" Of course he didn't see why that was wrong.
Nor did he seem to understand why Sora suddenly tensed up, his hands balling up into fists of anger.
"Sora, he didn't mean 'nobody' in the sense that you know," Hayner quickly stepped in, wanting to avoid a fight and having been told of his new friends' nature. "He meant–"
"I know! What he meant!" Sora growled out. His rage was quickly taking over, and he couldn't control it. But his fear of losing his common sense was being vastly outweighed by a sudden pain in his heart. He was hurting, and he wasn't sure why. He was seething as he addressed the guy, "And Roxas is not a nobody! Not by name or by actions! He's not worthless!! Whenever I'm not strong enough, he makes up the difference!! You're allowed to dislike him all you want, but don't you dare tell me that he has no worth!!! He has a purpose, and you have NO RIGHT to determine what that is FOR him!!!"
The tension was broken by a familiar voice gently cutting through the silence, "Sora?"
Said brunette turned to the direction of the sound and found Roxas himself staring at him in surprise. Lea, Isa, Xion, and Naminé were standing on either side of him, equally as stunned. They had heard every word of his rant. They had heard what caused it, the word that set him off.
It was only then that Sora realized that he was crying. Being a happy-go-lucky guy, upbeat and positive, he didn't shed tears that often, but when he did, it was a testament to how upset he was.
And Roxas knew that. He stepped forward, "Sora, you okay?", wearing a concerned expression.
No, he wasn't. He was having some trouble breathing. He had to take in air. He had to, he needed it to live. But he couldn't, couldn't breathe, couldn't–
"Sorry..." Sora muttered, before letting his legs take off without any input from his mind.
He had to get out. He couldn't breathe. He was too upset. He needed to get out of there. Couldn't breathe, couldn't breathe, couldn't breathe...
Sora was leaving the Old Mansion with Donald and Goofy at his sides when they heard someone with a deep voice ask, "So, you think you can bring Roxas back?"
They turned around and immediately went on guard upon seeing who had spoken.
"Ansem!"
Next to their enemy, a Corridor opened, revealing the arrival of another member of the new Organization.
"Xemnas!"
"Roxas should never have existed in the first place," the man told them. "What you seek is impossible."
Sora placed a hand over his chest, "Roxas does exist. His heart's inside my heart." Who cared if Roxas's existence was accidental? He existed now, and that's all that mattered!
The Nobody continued unfazed, "And in the unlikely event you did manage to separate the two, where is it you think you can put his heart?"
He hadn't thought about that. "Well...Roxas used to live in the other Twilight Town, right? So, I'm just gonna put him back there." But would the blonde appreciate it? Yes, his memories mostly consisted of Twilight Town, but the week in the simulation wasn't pleasant.
"Do you even realize what you are saying?" Ansem asked. "The other Twilight Town is just data."
"A heart can live anywhere," Sora promptly defended, feeling himself get heated. "Even inside data. There are hearts all around us."
But then, Goofy hummed, and Sora turned to face him. "Ansem and Xemnas used to be part of the same person, right?" Right, of Xehanort. "But look. Now, they exist separately just fine." That's right. Neither of them were flickering in and out of existence. "If they can do it, then I don't see any reason why you and Roxas can't find a way."
Sora felt himself smile, "Yeah!" There was hope, after all. There was a way.
"Yeah!" Donald cheered. "You tell 'em, Captain Goofy!"
The trio turned back to Xemnas and Ansem, as the latter smirked, "In that case, by all means."
"Nothing would please us more than Roxas's return, of course," Xemnas explained.
Sora's anger was back. "You wish," he scoffed. "He'll never answer to you again." Roxas had shared his memories with him, after all. He had trusted him enough to let Sora experience that pain for himself and not judge.
And if Sora had taken anything from those memories, it was that there was no one Roxas despised more than Xemnas.
It was Xemnas's turn to scoff, "Still so blind. A Nobody is what's left behind when one gives his heart to darkness. There is only one way to bring Roxas back, which is for you to give up your heart as well." He pointed at the boy, "Sora, have you finally decided to call upon the darkness?"
Sora gasped, "What?"
That's right. Roxas was born when Sora gave up his heart to free Kairi's, turning him into a heartless. Despite the brunette's constant insistence than he and Roxas were separate people, the two shared the same heart—Sora's heart. Xemnas had a point: Sora couldn't bring Roxas back without endangering himself in the process.
"Go on then," Ansem said. "The shadows are never out of reach."
On cue, a group of Neoshadows and Dusks appeared behind them. Sora briefly turned to watch them arrive, before turning back to Xemnas and Ansem, angered, "Tch!"
"Now, set your heart free," the two spoke simultaneously, before disappeared into a Corridor.
"Wait!" He ran after them. He wasn't done talking to them!
But he was stopped by Donald and Goofy's combined, "Sora!" He turned around to see his two friends facing the Heartless and Nobodies, their respective weapons in hand. Having no choice, he rushed up to join them, summoning his Keyblade on the way.
As he stared down their enemies, he told himself, "It's not darkness. Not if it helps him!"
It wasn't. Because Roxas was worth it; he was worth hell. Sora had no right to keep his heart a prison. Roxas deserved to live, so Sora had vowed to find a way to let the two exist side-by-side like Xemnas and Ansem.
Sora had no idea where his legs had taken him. He couldn't see anything; his world was darkened around the edges of his sight. But he was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree and tears flowing down his cheeks, as he struggled to breathe.
His mouth was open, and his airways were unrestricted. But he just couldn't get any air in, and he didn't know why.
Why couldn't he breathe? Why did his heart hurt so much?
Said heart suddenly beat hard in his chest, frightened, when he heard someone cut through his sense of anxiety, "Sora?" Whoever it was, he was not expecting them to have followed him. The person knelt down in front of him and placed a gentle hand on his knee, "Breathe, Sora. It's just me."
The hand had a black-and-white checkered bracelet around the wrist, and a couple of rings around two of the fingers—and that was on purpose.
Roxas...
Sora immediately found himself lunging at the blonde into a tight hug. He couldn't control himself; his body was moving faster than his brain. His instincts were taking over, induced and being influenced by his bout of heavy anxiety.
Breathe. Take it easy. Why was he so distressed? Why did he feel like Roxas was about to disappear at any minute?
"I'm right here," Roxas calmly, gently said, as he carefully snaked his arms around the brunette's shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere."
Here, Sora just realized that he'd been muttering "Don't leave, don't leave," over and over, like it was a mantra.
He didn't know what to do here. He'd never experienced this type of emotional breakdown before. The tears pouring down his face were now burning his skin, and his eyes were stinging. The tightening in his chest was still not easing up. He wanted to apologize for subjecting Roxas to this.
"You have nothing to apologize for," said blonde continued, his voice still gentle and soothing.
Oh. Apparently, he did apologize out loud. He was now repeating "I'm sorry".
Then, he heard it. A heartbeat. Roxas's heartbeat.
Roxas wasn't going to disappear. He was his own person now, with a replica body made by the research team led by Ansem the Wise. Sora had succeeded, and now he had nothing to be afraid of. The two could now truly exist side-by-side, enjoying sea salt ice cream while watching the sunset, running across the beach and feeling the sand clash with the water against their feet, laughing and enjoying the bonds they shared with their friends but especially each other. The two could now live together.
Sora did it. He kept his promise. Roxas was no longer his Nobody, but his brother.
His chest finally began loosening up, air poured into his lungs, and his vision started clearing up. He was still hurting, but his tears no longer burned him. And this relief was all thanks to Roxas.
'Whenever I'm not strong enough, he makes up the difference!!'
He didn't want this hug to end. He felt warm, safe. More so than he's felt in a while.
"I'm sorry..." Sora's voice wavered as he tightened the embrace.
"I told you, you have nothing to apologize for," Roxas began, not protesting to the brunette's grip.
But Sora interrupted him, "For being selfish."
He didn't need to see Roxas's face to know he was now feeling a mixture of confusion and surprise. "What?"
"I miss you," the brunette sniffed back some tears. "I'm happy you three have your lives back, and I would never dare change that, but ever since you, Xion, and Ven left, I've felt...empty. I thought I'd be fine, putting up the brave face whenever you three are around, but..." He sniffed again. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
Roxas was quiet for a moment as he digested that. Sora's fear that he would break the hug went away the second he felt the blonde tighten it himself instead.
"I miss you, too, Sora," Roxas softly replied. "Yes, I have my own heart, but we're still connected. But I wouldn't change that for anything." He paused for a moment. "Y'know, there was a point in time where I was jealous of you, because my life was in shambles and Xemnas had just told me that you were the connection between Xion and me. DiZ—Ansem the Wise—telling me that I had to return to you...just made it worse."
'Sora...you're lucky. Looks like my summer vacation is...over.'
"But then I saw how you interacted with people you met along your journey to various worlds," the blonde further confessed, "how strong your heart was. You weren't a bad person at all, and your life was in shambles too, trying to find your friends and pick up the pieces the Organization left behind while you were asleep. When we met in your nightmare, though...that's when I knew I didn't want to be the Nobody of anyone else."
Sora finally found himself smiling through his tears.
"Thank you for defending me," Roxas continued. "Don't worry about that guy; he's just jealous that the five of us have Keyblades and super powers, and he doesn't."
Made sense, and it kind of amused Sora, thinking about the truth in that. Roxas here had two Keyblades rather than just one, Lea's Keyblade had a special affinity for fire, Xion's Keyblade could copy other weapons, Isa still had his claymore, and Naminé had her memory powers and powerful light magic. So ordinary people had every right to be jealous that those powers were unique to only these five.
"It doesn't give him an excuse to call you a 'nobody'," was Sora's response, however.
"I know," he felt Roxas barely suppress a chuckle. "But it doesn't bother me. I've heard far worse from actual threats to my existence."
Sora couldn't deny that, so he didn't.
But that didn't mean that he wasn't bothered. He was. Roxas deserved far more respect than what that guy was giving him.
"Besides," said blonde continued, "maybe I'm not fazed because I know that it's no longer true. I'm my own person now, and I can proudly say it, because I have an Other that vehemently defends my right to exist at every turn."
Sora's answer was automatic, "I don't like people questioning it."
And not even Roxas himself was exempt from that.
'Roxas, you're you. We're not the same. I wanted to tell you that. That you deserve as much as I do to be your own person.'
The blonde didn't respond to that, instead choosing to ask, "You feeling better now?"
"Yes," and he meant it, "thank you."
"You're welcome." Roxas gently nudged his stomach. "Now, let's go to the clock tower. It's more comfortable there."
Watching the sunset...that sounded like a great idea. Sora had no energy left at the moment, so he relented to letting Roxas help him to his feet and leading to the clock tower by the hand. And having seen the blonde's memories, Sora knew how special the activity was to Roxas...
He felt content now, safe. With Roxas, no matter where they were, he was home.
And as long as Roxas was happy, Sora was too.