A/N: Yes, I'm finally updating! Sorry it took so long… between going to Europe, going back to work, and just having a huge writer's block, I couldn't find a way to finish this off.

Ahh… yes, after this, An Unanticipated Storm is finished.

The reason that the last chapter moved so fast was because this fanfic was originally intended to finish in three chapters, but it ended up being at least four. It took a direction I didn't quite intend, but it ended up being okay… it went in that general place.

Disclaimer: ShimaGenki has no ownage. If I did, I would overrule Disney on their policy of doujinshi. ;-;

I hope you enjoy the conclusion of this fic! …really, I hope so.

An Unanticipated Storm

Chapter 4

"So… did you mean it?"

"Mean… what?"

"What you said about me. That you needed me." Sora's gaze was averted from the ocean shore to the boy next to him, who repeated the action back with a mildly surprised look on his face.

"Of course I meant it, Sora. You're my best friend in the whole world… the whole universe." As nervousness built up inside of the older boy, he turned his head back to the waves, lapping up on the beach sand. "Actually…" he paused, seeming to think. "No, no. Forget it."

"Aw, come on, Riku. What is it?"

"You're my best friend and that's all there is to it."

"You're lying… you started to say something."

The silver haired teen sighed. "No… I was going to say something different. But that's all there really is to it."

Sora opened his mouth to argue, but he knew that no matter how many times he persisted, Riku would never budge and spill. "Well…" Both looked at the ocean, each in their own silent contemplation. "You know, it's not fair."

"What's not fair?"

"About Roxas."

"Roxas? Roxas is a big jerk who can't think of anything besides—"

"That's not true. He just wants to live… to be his own person. But because of me—"

"Sora, it's your life. Live it. He's a Nobody and can't feel anything."

"That's not true!" Sora argued, finally looking at Riku as he raised his voice. "Maybe he was born from Nothing, but who's to say Nobodies can't… develop feelings?"

"They look like they can feel, but it's just an illusion."

"Riku, Roxas… is hurting right now." A pause filled the empty space. "No doubt about it, I can feel him. His heart… it's aching."

"Are you sure?" Riku asked, his voice tense.

"I said, no doubt about it. I… just can't help feeling helpless. He wants to be with Axel… that's all he wants, but I…" He looked down as his voice dropped.

"But you…?"

"I just want to be with you. And Kairi. And everyone else. But we can't both be here, and what a mess it would be if we kept switching back and forth."

"That would also be hard on your body, I assume."

"Exactly…" His eyes shifted to the lower left, and he bit his lip in thought.

"Sora. You were the one born into your body. It's your right to be."

"Does that make it wrong for him to live? Just because he was born from the darkness does not make him darkness himself." Sora shook his head sadly. "It sometimes seems like he's of darkness now, but it's just pain. Blind, sad pain."

Riku stared at the anguished brunette for a few lingering moments. What to do? He couldn't lose Sora, his Sora, he just couldn't. But Sora, being the selfless person he was, was more likely to give Roxas life than let him live any more of his own.

The thought felt like someone drove an arrow right through his chest, and then began to twist it slowly, organs twisting around it like spaghetti.

"Sora you do know if you sacrificed yourself, how many people would miss you?"

"I know," Sora replied quietly. "That's why it's so hard… No matter what happens, somebody's heart's gonna get broken."

Riku couldn't find the words to answer. All he could think was, 'I hope it's not my heart that gets broken…'

-00—00-

"So… do you know what you're going to do yet?" Kairi asked, walking along with Sora. Riku had been asked to be alone earlier on the beach of the small island, so she accompanied the brunette through the center of the island. No where were Tidus, Wakka or Selphie to be found… just the three teenagers now on the island.

Sora only shook his head no.

"Well, Axel doesn't look too good. Ever since you came back, he's had himself cooped up in the guest room. My parents are concerned too, but what can they do?"

"Nothing," Sora answered. He knew it was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but he had to say something… something before he blurted he did not want to. But, he went ahead and said it anyway. "Um, Kairi…"

When he did not finish his response, Kairi gave him a concerned look. "What is it, Sora?"

"What would you do… if I gave Roxas my body?"

They halted in their pace. Voice caught in her throat, Kairi's eyes widened by a fraction.

"I feel so selfish if I don't… but…"

"Sora, I know how you feel about Roxas and I see your point, but just think about it. There are so many people that care about you… are you willing to make them sad because of one boy?"

"But what about Axel? What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

"I…" Kairi exhaled. "I don't know what I would do if I were you. I really don't."

"Maybe—" Sora's voice stalled as his blue eyes widened and he fell to his knees. Kairi kneeled quickly by his side.

"Sora! Sora, are you okay? Answer me!"

He felt the world fading away, his sight becoming blurred and his body losing its feeling…

"Sora! Come on, come on…" The redhead's voice became more distant as Sora fell into the nothingness within himself.

-00—00-
Meanwhile, Riku's meditation was interrupted by a figure that appeared beside him. Immediately, the silver haired boy rose to his feet, giving Axel a stare down. "What the hell do you want?" he spat.

"You know what I want," he responded, his voice uncharacteristically cold.

"Well, that's a shame. Sora's back, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

Axel bent his knees as if he were readying himself for battle. "Are you sure about that, kid? As I recall, Roxas still lives inside Sora, and can come back once more."

"So, you want to take away Sora's life so you can be with Roxas?"

"And you want to take away Roxas's life so you can be with Sora?"

"But Sora came first."

"So what? Being first is for ticket lines and siblings."

Both knew that their verbal war could go back and forth for a long time, so they both gave each other a look of death before holding their hands out to call their own weapons to their sides.

"Shall we dance?" Axel called, swirling his chakram (1) about his hands.

"It'll be your pleasure!" Riku hissed, fixing his grip on his Keyblade. He was the first to burst forward, the blade swinging to the side. Axel quickly grabbed his chakram and raced forward to meet the other.

-00—00-
"Sora?" The addressed brunette looked to where he was. It was completely dark, except for Roxas standing before him. It felt like de ja vu…

It was just like his dream from before.

"Roxas?" he responded. "I… what are we?..."

"This is the nothingness that resides within you. Look, I know I've been harsh lately, but understand—"

"I already do, Roxas," he interrupted. "I already understand. All that there's left to do beyond that is…"

"To settle this. You know as well as I do that no matter what choice we make, someone gets hurt."

"Right."

"So… I think we should decide this on a battle." For a second, Sora's face read, 'I agree,' but a certain realization dawned upon him. "Whoever wins gets to stay."

"But… Roxas… how can we fight if we're the same person?"

"We're not fighting. Can't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The sound of two men in battle. Why don't you see for yourself?" Before Sora could ask, his body was plunged back into his own world. He blinked momentarily, seeing Kairi at his side.

"Sora? You okay?"

"Uhh… yeah, I'm okay," he replied shakily. "But…" He paused, hearing distant shouts. "What's that?"

"I think it's Riku and Axel," she said.

"Riku… and Axel?" He suddenly understood what Roxas had really meant. He was seeing which would win… and whoever won obviously fought harder for them. "Well, let's go see… we wouldn't want them to get hurt." Sora shuffled to his feet and ran back to where he had left Riku, followed closely by Kairi.

When the two entered the scene, they immediately knew that they had come at mid-battle.

Axel's face was painted with one cut running across his cheek and dribble of blood running down it. His arms were trembling slightly, and his jeans had some new holes in them. Riku's left eye was squinted, and there many fine scrapes through-out his arms, a few deep cuts in his left. They seemed to be fresh, as Riku rose his left hand to cover them and use a healing spell to cure the wound as best as possible.

"Give it up!" Riku shouted, guarding his legs with his weapon. "My heart's stronger than yours… seeing as you don't have one!"

"Kid… you're asking for it!" New found energy made Axel spring forward, weapons readying to launch a blast of fire towards the opposing fighter. Riku tried to side-step towards the left to dodge the torch, but he wasn't fast enough. Flames grazed his right arm and he cried in anguish, dropping Way to the Dawn (2) at his feet. "You, give it up."

"Never," he growled through his gritted teeth. "I would never lose… to you…" His left hand quivered as he tried to hold it over his right arm to cast another spell of Hyper Healing. Though it was helpful, it did not eliminate the painful burning sensation. Deciding to keep going, he held out his right arm again to have his Keyblade appear in it once more. "Axel! You're dead!"

When Riku drove across the sand, Sora saw Kairi move to shout out of the corner of his eye. He blocked her with an arm. "No, wait… wait a bit longer."

"Why? If we let them keep going like this, one of them is bound to be dead… or both!"

"They wouldn't go as far as to kill each other, Kairi. And besides, there's something important that needs to be determined by this battle."

"What's that?" she inquired, looking at Sora curiously.

"Who's staying."

She squinted her eyes, giving him a confused look. He shook his head. "Just watch."

Axel swept his chakram to hit the oncoming boy, but he completely missed as Riku dove under and knocked his legs out from under him with his Keyblade. The older, lying on the ground, made a move to get up quickly, but found his left leg unable to move without causing pain. A dark shadow was over him, as Riku held his blade to Axel's face. "It's over. You can't win if you can't move. It's too bad… you might have had a chance if you hadn't suddenly opened your legs for an attack."

The red haired man cursed under his breath. "Fine… you win."

Sora shook his head sadly. "Riku won."

"And that means?" Kairi asked.

"I'm supposed to stay. But…" He looked away, closing his eyes. "Maybe… instead I…"

"Sora, what are you…" She paused when the brunette began to glow. "Sora! Wait! You can't mean…"

He smiled. "Hey, I'll see you around, all right?"

"Sora! No!"

Riku and Axel's attention was torn from each other and was now on the two spectators from the wooded path on the island. Axel could only sit in the sand and watch, and Riku was immobilized. Sora couldn't be… no no no…

"Sora!" was all Riku said.

And smile was all Sora did.

For a split second, the golden light brightened, and dimmed when Roxas appeared. He looked down at himself, lifted his hands and looked at them, and then peered up at the ocean sky. "Why did he…?" he asked himself quietly. "But Axel… he lost…"

"Sora… what did you do to Sora?" Riku shouted.

"I didn't do anything! I swear it!"

"Liar!"

"He was the one who was supposed to stay! You won!"

"…what the hell are you talking about?"

He shook his head before running towards Riku, stopping when he was a few feet away. "You and Axel started fighting, so me and Sora made a deal. If you won, Sora was the one who stayed, and if Axel won…"

"Then you would have stayed," finished the red head.

Roxas looked at him momentarily. "But Sora backed down anyway. I don't understand…"

"His heart's too strong," Riku murmured. "He wouldn't take something like that. It's not his nature."

"So then I guess you're here?" Axel asked, his voice almost hopeful.

But when Roxas's eyes darkened, Axel's hope was shattered. "Axel…" The blonde walked towards him and kneeled down to face the injured man. "I… know it'll be hard, but… just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not there. I'll always be here." He pointed to Axel's chest.

"Hey, silly. We don't have hearts, remember?"

"But who's to say we can't grow one?" He smiled. "If it feels like we have one, then that's enough, isn't it?"

"I…"

Riku suddenly saw what Sora had seen. Just because they're Nobodies makes them automatically without feeling… at least, that's assumed. But something drives them, something close to instinct. But when that drive is out of the lines of instinct… it becomes something that humans call feelings.

Feeling… something comprehended as an emotional state.

The loss of a friend… something taken as sadness.

The loss of someone you love so dearly, it makes your heart—or whatever may be there, ache… something understood as grief.

"Axel, I'll be with you always. You just gotta believe that." Riku was stunned when he saw the blonde kiss Axel, who was also taken aback. But he leaned into the soft kiss, just momentarily until Roxas pulled away. "Don't you forget that." He stood up and faced Riku next. "And you. You better take care of Sora. See ya around." Turning to Axel one more time, a bittersweet goodbye twinkled in his eyes. "Keep on living, Axel."

The light came… and was gone. And there was Sora standing in that place once more. There was a few moments of silence, aside from Kairi's footsteps as she finally ran towards the boys.

"Sora… you… how could you?" Riku finally broke the silence.

"As I was watching you and Axel fight, it occurred to me that Axel and Roxas would be happier together than I and…" He stopped in mid-sentence.

"How could you even think that? Sora, we're best friends, and—"

"But I want to be more than that, Riku!"

"Closer than that? What's past best friends?"

"Are you dense, Riku?" Sora shouted, closing his eyes. "I mean… augh… I love you!"

"What?" Sora's face turned red as the three others gave him a look bred between confusion and surprise.

"I said it! I know, it's completely wrong, but when I think about you, I feel all weird inside, and then I think of things I shouldn't even know about, and my heart races like a hummingbird and I just want to be with you for the rest of my life and—"

"Sora! Calm down, just a second!" Riku held his hands out as if that were actually going to do anything.

"…did I say too much?"

"Yes—I mean, no… I… I like you too."

"You mean like…"

"Yes, I… I love you too." Sora's eyes lit up, and he couldn't hide the grin on his face. Neither could Riku.

"Riku… I…" And Sora bursted into a full laugh as he ran into his arms, wrapping his limbs around Riku's shoulders as he was lifted around the waist and into the blue endless sky above Riku. When he was put down onto the ground seconds later, they both plunged in for a kiss, tasting the sweetness of a first love.

Kairi and Axel at this point looked like they were out of place characters in a cheesy chick flick, so Kairi walked over to lend a hand to the wounded man. He took her hand gratefully, standing up and leaning his weight on his right leg and wrapped an arm around her for extra balance.

When he was up, they were still kissing. As much as Kairi loved the two of them, it was quite embarrassing to watch them make out. But saying something would be kind of rude.

To her luck though, Axel wasn't afraid to clear his throat rather loudly, which caught their attention. They looked at each other momentarily, and blushed.

"Guess… we caught up in the moment?" Sora chuckled, nervously, his cheeks tinted pink.

"So what about me? Where do I go now?" Axel asked.

"You stay here with us," Riku responded, as if his face wasn't flaring with red from embarrassment.

"Me? Stay? There's no one here to stay for."

"Sure there is!" Sora said. "You've got three people standing right here."

"…you'd want me?"

"Duh!" Sora said, walking over and playfully knocking on Axel's head with his fist. "We just off to the wrong start, that's all! Actually, let's start all over again. I'm Sora." He held out a hand to the red head, who stared at it briefly. Then he gripped it with his free hand, shaking it.

"Okay, then, the name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

The end… of a new beginning.

(1) - When I went to check what the name of Axel's weapon was, in Jiminy's journal it only claimed, "a uniquely shaped weapon." So, since it reminded me of Colette's chakram, I decided to call it by that. I don't know if chakram is plural with an s or not… so I took a good guess and decided it wasn't. Later I found as I flipped through my guidebook that it was a chakram after all! I'm so cool. (not)

(2) – Way to the Dawn is Riku's weapon, just in case you all forget or got confused.

A/N: Dur. (hit with sharp objects) YES, IT WAS THE CHEESIEST ENDING KNOWN TO (wo)MAN. SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP.

I couldn't help the cheesy ending though. I'm kind of satisfied with it. I'm sorry there was no good kissing action, but I'm not in the mood to write it right now, and I never really intended a deep kissy kissy moment. Sorry if I crushed your hopes and dreams, but this was a softer fic for the less hardcore shonen-ai fans.

I bet you all were expecting for a way for Sora and Roxas to separate. Haha. Get real. That's too cheezy.

Anyway, enough ranting. Review kids, or I will cry a huge river of tears. And now that this fic is done (CUE THE PARTAY!) I can finally start up my newest fic. Who can say… DOCTORS, AFFAIRS, AND ANGST ALL AROUND? (I can! W00t!)