The Hero and the King...and the Princess.

[yami]

Roxas looked surprise as Mickey questioned him but after pondering for a moment, he'd respond.

"I feel fine also, I guess you can say I feel...complete? Yeah, wait I actually feel well---"

Problem, Roxas wasn't supposed to feel anything. He was a nobody after all...just a 'shell' of Sora. So why did he feel complete, why did he feel as if he was Sora? He didn't feel empty, he didn't feel confused. For him to feel this way meant that his 100 percent merge was still in effect, yet he was conscious which shouldn't be possible. For the sake of testing, he decided to call the Keyblade. It seemed to appear instantly in a burst of light. Now if his memories served him right, he had another one hiding---, yes Starseeker which he pulled out moments after.

"Well at least my ability is intact, Sora...?"

Now the moment of truth, the rugosa eyed boy simply looked to both himself and the King before manifesting the Keyblade as well. What would the King have to say now?

[King Mickey]

[79]

"I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you two," Mickey said in wisdom, though he could have also just said it without the two and still been correct, one could suppose. "This all came about so suddenly and it could disappear again just as fast. We have no idea what it is that's causing your memories and body to change like this, or for what purpose."

After saying as much Mickey turned around and saw the warp tunnel ending, their very short trip complete. Now the trio as in the Realm In-Between, staring down a world of perpetual dusk.

"We've reached Twilight Town," the King announced. "Kairi has always been more connected to Sora's heart than anyone I've ever seen. Maybe she can help you again just like before."

If she could save Sora from being a Heartless, anything was possible.

[yami]

As expected, the King spoke with great wisdom...who knew how long this unusual state would last. It was strange because, Roxas knew he was Sora and Sora knew he was Sora. There was no...differing personality between the two. As far as Roxas was concerned he was starting to wonder about the Sora that was beside him as well as himself. It'd be reasonable to assume doubt that however he existed wouldn't last long but he also knew he lived on through Sora, the way it was meant to be. Which ultimately left him in confusion. Though perhaps the fact he was conscious of himself was a sign that things were a bit loopy.

Then what of Sora? He certainly seemed to be acting like himself but...Roxas had some suspicion, though he decided for now to simply remain quiet. As for Sora, he just wanted to see Kairi...hopefully she was safe. He probably should have brought her along but, she didn't seem well so he made the decision at the time.

Now that they reached Twilight Town, it was time to put things into motion.

"We should probably check the Usual Spot." They'd both suggest at the same time.

[King Mickey]

[80]

Mickey chuckled. Hearing the two talk at the same time like that... it was sort of expected yet still priceless, at least to a resident of a place like Disney Castle.

"Well then, down we go!" the King declared, all three of them beaming down to the Usual Spot in a flash of light. The mouse looked left and right at the homey little hole in the wall, but it seemed to be completely deserted.

"All present and accounted for?" he asked as he turned around, which was sort of his joking way of bringing up Sora and Roxas being both there and yet not at the same time.

[yami]

Preparing for the arrival in the world, the two would soon find themselves on familiar territority. The Usual Spot was just as Roxas remembered it, though it was sad to see it empty. Perhaps they were out on the town somewhere, hopefully with Kairi in tow. Of course when Mickey asked if everyone was present and accounted for, Roxas replied first:

"Here." He even did a salute, though when he turned to Sora he seemed unusually quiet.

[glow=blue,2,300]"Uh yeah I'm here but...where are we, exactly?"[/glow]

He'd move his left hand to the respective temple...rubbing it somewhat as the migraine he was feeling earlier lingered before leaving his person entirely.

[King Mickey]

[81]

Mickey looked Sora's way and let out a breath, not quite a sigh but still a signal that he wasn't unprepared for this.

"Don't worry about that right now Sora," the King said, hoping that the hero would still remember him enough to trust him for a while. "Just try to focus on finding Kairi."

The mouse turned to Roxas, who still seemed fine, perhaps even heading back to being the only opaque one between the two, and opened up his arms in questioning.

"Well Roxas, you should have some idea of where the gang might go, even if you never really met them."

Mickey too hoped that Kairi was with friends. Little did any of them suspect that she was, but not the one they thought and not even on this world.

[yami]

Mickey's intuition was indeed correct, after he told him to focus on finding Kairi he simply froze in place. Next was Roxas whom seemed to respond slightly differently from what was expected of him.

"Well your Majesty, when I was here earlier we were looking for the gang and one of the places we were heading to was the Sandlot. I figured Hayner might have got the group to help him practice in struggle so he could beat Seifer. Though---wait did you just call me Roxas? Who's that?"

No sooner did he blank out right after before a flash of light filled the Usual Spot.

[King Mickey]

[82]

Mickey was forced to guard his eyes with his gloves as a flash of light filled up the tiny hang out. If there was any luck to be seen it would be that the Usual Spot was an indoor place with the only exit facing an alley, so this little spectacle probably wasn't going to draw any unwanted attention. It wasn't as if the trio(Or duo, as it were) was capable of explaining it anyway.

"Sora?!" Mickey called out as he blinked the flashes and spots out of his tall eyes. true the changes ion these two weren't really "phasing" him anymore, but that was the biggest reaction he'd seen yet... and of course the King was also keeping the option open that it wasn't the boy(s) at all, but something else. No Keyblade was drawn but His Majesty's guard was up.

[yami]

The light was temporary though it certainly didn't aid in Mickey's understanding. No sooner would it fade revealing some interesting twists. Sora was no longer there, whilst Roxas had now gained the new height of the present Sora. Not only that, his clothes changed to Sora's current colour scheme (not gonna like photoshoping this later). However what of Sora?

Well crouched down within his former position was...someone new? To be sure it certainly wasn't Sora. As the figure stood up, moving black bangs from their face it was revealed to be...a girl? Yet she had the same rugosa eyes as Sora had on the Gummi Ship.

[King Mickey]

[83]

You know what Mickey missed? When people didn't change who they were every five seconds. Yeah, those were the good old days. Clearly long over, but he'd always have fond memories of them, yes-sir-ee. As his eyes focused on the scene again Mickey took in the "new" Roxas with mild surprise, more or less expecting Sora to simply be gone completely. Instead he saw a brand new person altogether, a girl even. Mickey frowned as his eyes flashed green for a brief moment, almost impossible to notice. The mouse stomped over to the hero's replacement and crossed his arms, staring harshly at the girl.

"All right, who are you supposed to be now?" Mickey asked angrily. Whatever patience the kind ruler of Disney castle once had seemed to have been eaten away by something, and if its well-fed state was any indication then it was probably his temper.

[yami]

Now this was quite the scene, personalities changing, people changing, it was no wonder Mickey missed the good old days but the storm of confusion would now subside, Roxas seemed to go through a mild transformation on the outside but the real transformation was on the inside. Sora was...back in business, albeit business certainl was reversed. Thus when Mickey marched over to question the girl, 'Roxas' spoke up first, mostly in surprise.

"Woah what happened to me, I look different?"

Came the voice of the actual Sora. His memory had skipped a fair bit though he was trying to recall. Then he looked over to the girl as well.

Although it took a moment for her to respond, largely because she was afraid of the mouse whom was very irritated and seemingly quite hostile, let's not forget in front of her as well.

"I'm...I'm not too sure, I've just been sleeping this whole time. Until I woke up, on a ship?"

[King Mickey]

[84]

'Of course, it would be too simple to have a straight answer,' the King thought with rare sarcasm. His glare seemed to shift over to Sora/Roxas/whoever he was this week now with just as much irritation as had been sent at the girl.

"And you? What name do go by now?" he seemed to demand, quite tired of having to ask such questions of such a close friend. Though for some reason Mickey wasn't thinking of Sora as a friend right now. The Dark Realm's Key Bearer was more thinking of him as one big annoyance.

Donald, Goofy, Minnie and the like would have been able to tell Sora that they'd seen Mickey Mouse lose his temper in the heat of big messes plenty of items in the old days(Though certainly he restrained himself more after becoming king) but even they would find the abrasiveness of His majesty's words and expressions now quite off-putting.

[yami]

Considering that Sora hadn't exactly spoke to Mickey in such a state, he stepped back at first; half expecting the Mouse to start wailing on him. "He looks like the King but...is it really him?" Might as well thread the waters.

"Your Majesty, don't you recognize me...it's Sora?"

Though he had to take the time to think about that for a moment. It would seem just as they got closer to figuring things out new complications arose. Though it also meant they were progressing forward into figuring out Sora's ailment and further realizing Mickey's.

That didn't make things better for the mysterious girl. She stood up but while Sora had taken a step back, she remained calm and no sooner provided information.

"Mickey Mouse, you're not acting like yourself at all...your heart seems to be waivering."

[King Mickey]

[85]

"Your Majesty, don't you recognize me...it's Sora?"

"Well let's keep it that way then," the King answered, seemingly no more satisfied than when he asked. When the girl stood and spoke again he returned his attention back to her, though it wasn't made any mo e pleasant by her words. If anything it set him off all the more.

"And I suppose you know me so well even though I've never met you," he fumed. "Or maybe we have and you're just not yourself again. In fact you're probably still some part of Sora I suppose."

Mickey's body spun around in a snap and paused for just a brief second before it started walking towards the exit. That brief pause was quite noticeable however due to a sudden flare of green that appeared all around his tiny form, like sickly gaseous vines entangling the King's being before fading instantly into the nothing they had come from.

"Well why don't you two just take care of each other then? I think I've had quite enough of all this!" Mickey said as he made his way to the back alley.

The King hadn't even once thanked Sora for giving him the ship needed to escape the cured world of Eternaland. How very unlike him.

[yami]

Despite the anger he felt when it came to figuring things out Mickey was...pretty good, except he seemed oblivious to his own problem but that could probably be expected. Each of them didn't have much understanding of what was going on with themselves to begin with. Though Sora knew one thing and it was very clear, especially after the girl spoke. Mickey wasn't himself, something needed to be done. Yet before he could chase after the mouse, he had something else to figure out.

Mickey had guessed she was some part of himself, which caused him to look to her in wonder. No matter how much Sora racked his brain, he was positive that he didn't know her at all. Likewise when the girl caught onto Sora looking at her, she simply looked back equally as confused. There was no way they were each other or connected but they both 'knew' King Mickey and both were concerned so, a temporary 'truce' of sorts was made as they both ran out of the Usual Spot and into the Back Alley.

"Your Majesty wait--"
"--you're not looking so good, something's wrong."

And no they weren't refering to his sudden temper.