It was close to the middle of night when Ventus was woken up by something falling on him.

It had been an ordinary day for him and his best friends. Still he it seemed like time was going at a snails pace as the Mark of Mastery exam was fast approaching. He couldn't wait to see it, but no matter what he was routing for both Terra and Aqua.

When he was dreaming he felt something heavy had landed on his legs. He woke up when he felt whatever crashed on him shift off his legs and onto the mattress. For a minute he was half awake, before he moved to sit up and assess whoever landed on him.

"What hit me?"

In probably one of the bluntest ways possible.

He then noticed a person on his bed and who had turned to face him.

He wasn't expecting the person to have his face.

'I don't know how, but I think Terra was involved somehow.' Ven thought.

Technically he was right, just not in the way most would think.

Roxas could now tell that Ava had transported him in front of a mirror. For his lookalike was too lifelike to be a reflection. He had the same golden blonde spiked hair, the same blue eyes, the same facial features, the same build, and even the same voice.

The only difference was their attire.

Roxas was wearing his usual Organization uniform. While this lookalike was wearing a high-necked black shirt and pants similar to his Twilight Town outfit. He also strangely had a dull green and grey piece of metal on his left shoulder.

Neither didn't know what to say.

Until the lookalike started to poke Roxas.

"Hey! Cut it out!" The Nobody said indignantly. He batted away the other blondes hands. Roxas didn't like the feeling of being prodded.

"Sorry, just had to see if I wasn't dreaming." The lookalike said. Roxas nodded at his logic. It was utterly silent for a few minutes. Both didn't know what to say. You don't meet someone who can be considered your twin everyday now. The time traveler was wondering why he looked like him. While the other blonde at first thought this was a prank by Terra.

But considering that he was not really that well suited with magic it couldn't be Terra. It would be giving him too much credit. Also Aqua wasn't into pranks so she was out. So it just seemed that a double of him had woken him up.

So he also didn't know what to do.

"Um...hi." So he decided to break the silence. "Who are you?"

Roxas was thinking what of what to do. He had just come from basically the future and now was meeting a lookalike. So he decided to use what he had learned from his lessons with Axel and Luxord.

That when lying, include as much of the truth as you can so it could be believable.

They weren't the best of mentors on the topics of honesty, but considering that they were Nobodies, one was a gambler, and the other the Organization's fixer it made sense. Plus it also has helped him so many times in the past.

'Here goes nothing.'

"Roxas, now who are you?" He asked. The other blonde looked like he was studying him for a minute before answering.

"Ventus. Now how did you get in my room?" He asked. The Nobody thought about it for a moment. He decided to give him the simple truth.

"I was walking through a tunnel but in my hometown until the next thing I know I fall on top of someone who looks like me. So I don't really know what is going on anyway." Roxas replied back. It was after all the truth minus time traveling, Ava, Twilight Town, the Realm of Nothingness, and fighting an assailant who could reverse time.

Ventus studied his lookalike. He was telling the truth from what he could tell. Yet he felt something was missing. So he decided to get some more info from him.

"Okay then, but why did you look like me. The resemblance is seriously frightening. I mean at first I just thought that you were just a copy of-" He was silenced when he found Oathkeeper pointed at his face. To say he was shocked was an understatement.

'He can use a Keyblade!' Ventus thought. Truly he didn't know about any other Keyblade wielders besides his friends, Master Eraqus, and Master Xehanort. So to see someone who looked exactly like him hold one up to his face unnerved him. Plus the glare Roxas was giving him didn't help at all.

"Just to make things clear I'm not A COPY!" Roxas said with a tone laced with what was clearly anger and annoyance. "I'm my own person and nobody else. So please in the future don't say anything about it alright."

Ventus could only nod at that. Roxas apparently didn't like to be called a copy. Whatever must have caused this probably wasn't a pleasant memory for him.

The Nobody dispelled his Keyblade and looked a bit sheepish at that.

'Seriously we could be identical twins at this point!' Thought Ventus.

"It is alright. It is just the similarities are on the spot between us. I mean we not only lookalike, but we also sound a like and we both can use Keyblades. It's just a lot to take in." He said. Roxas could only nod before his eyes widened with shock.

'Crap!'

He had pointed a Keyblade at Ventus's face. The Nobody realized that if he is going to star a new life than summoning a Keyblade whenever someone had accidentally ticked him off was one thing that he needed to work on. Then what Ventus said finally sunk into Roxas.

"Wait? Did you say that you could use a Keyblade?!"

"Yes I can. Why do you sound so shocked? Didn't your master teach you anything?" Ventus said. He was wondering why Roxas was so shocked? Shouldn't he have learned anything from his Keyblade Master?

He was about to ask him more questions when he noticed that Roxas wasn't in the best of conditions. He was deathly pale, sweating like crazy, and he was shaking like a leaf.

"Roxas!" Ventus said. He went over to check him. While he wasn't as proficient at healing like Aqua, he has learned a lot from her. He could tell that something was wrong with Roxas. He couldn't really tell that it was physically wrong with him except that he had the injuries from a recent fight that were mostly healed. Strangely he couldn't feel Roxas's pulse, but he checked it off as his inexperience as the He was alright except that whatever was going on could be a mixture of something wrong mentally and exhaustion.

'I knew that there were a few chosen to wield a Keyblade, but Xemnas always made it sound like me and Sora were the only ones.' Thought the Nobody. What he truly experiencing was the fatigue of time travel, the fight with that man in the Corridor of Ages, and finding from Ventus that he can also wield a Keyblade along with the knowledge Ava can also wield one.

He truly didn't know what kind of feeling he would be having if he had a heart right now, but he would have to shake it off for the moment.

For now he would probably get some answers from Ventus.

"Cure!" Said the blonde in question. The rest of the injuries Roxas had were now healed and he was honestly feeling a bit better right now.

"Thanks Ventus. I needed that." He said. Honestly after everything that has happened, that spell had taken a little of his exhaustion off. Still he could tell that soon he would need to rest.

"No problem. Though why were acting like that Roxas? You had me worried for a second." Ventus said in concern. After what he saw happened, he was sure Roxas would have been knocked out by now. Still though he looked like he would probably need to rest soon.

"It's just that until recently I was the only Keyblade wielder that I knew. Plus I guess whatever transported me to your room took a lot out of me." The Nobody said honestly.

Ventus just widened his eyes.

"What? How is that possible?" He said. "Didn't you get learn from your Keyblade Master, Roxas?" He come he didn't know about other Keyblade wielders? Although they were quite rare, he should have learned about it. Unless...

"What is a Keyblade Master?" The Nobody asked.

"You don't know!"

(Elsewhere)

On the other side of Ventus's door the two were unaware of someone eavesdropping on them.

Master Eraqus had sensed that someone had infuriated the castle and into his youngest apprentice's room. He had there with Keyblade in hand. He had cracked open the door to see a boy who looked exactly like Ventus except in a black coat holding a Keyblade to his apprentice's face.

He was about to rush in until the stranger dispelled his weapon and both proceeded to talk like it hadn't really happened. He was stunned at what had transpired, but had chosen to stay alert Incase the stranger had anything planned for Ventus.

Eraqus learned that the strangers name was Roxas and he couldn't help but be a little proud of his student when he helped assess the what the intruders sudden ailment. He had improved on his healing skills greatly.

Still afterwards what he heard shocked him.

The intruder had never encountered another wielder until recently and had come here by complete accident it seems. He didn't believe the second one, but he could tell that Roxas truly didn't mean to come to the Land of Departure.

But what truly shocked him was that he didn't know what a Keyblade Master was.

He could tell from the brief moment that the intruder had the Keyblade out he was trained. So that means either he had a different kind of master or that he was self taught. If the latter then he had a massive amount of potential. If the former, then by how long he has trained then either he had a skilled teacher or again a lot of potential. But if his master had any darker intentions and passed them onto his student.

He will have to put the boy down.

Eraqus had decided into enter the room to assess the boy for himself.

He pushed open the door and let his presence be known to the occupants.

"I truly don't know Ventus." The Nobody said. Ventus could only sigh at that.

"Okay then how did you get your Keyblade then?" Ventus asked.

"I don't know anything about that either. I've always been able to summon a Keyblade for as long as I can remember." It was the truth. Though he inherited the ability to use the Keyblade from Sora, he truly didn't understand how his Other was able to wield one when it was originally Riku's until he proved himself to be worthy. So it was a mystery to Roxas.

Ventus could only sigh.

'It looks like he is probably a natural Keyblade wielder.' He thought. He had learned that natural wielders were extremely rare from Master Eraqus.

"Alright then." He started to say. "A Keyblade Master is-"

"The title given to exceptional Keyblade wielders who have passed the Mark of Mastery exam. Those who have passed are capable of feats a normal wielder would not be able to do. Including the Bequeathing, a trial conducted by a Master to see if a person they chose is worthy to wield a Keyblade. I can not sense that it was preformed on you, so you must be a natural wielder. Something that has always been extremely rare throughout history." Said a new voice that had entered the room. Ventus knew who it was immediately.

"Master Eraqus!" Roxas turned to look at the other blonde's master. The Nobody after taking one look at him and knew that if he started anything, that he would probably lose to this man.

Master Eraqus was a tale man with graying black hair tied in a top knot and a bang framing the right side of his face. Along with a mustache and a patch of facial hair underneath his lips. His silver-blue eyes were analyzing Roxas carefully. He was wearing a red-lined haori over a navy blue shirt with a white x over it and a hakama. He wore blue-green armor over his abdomen and black-gold armor boots. As well as two jagged scars, over his right eye and on his left cheek which was telling of his experience. Still there were 3 things about him that unnerved Roxas.

The first was by the way he walked and was ready to deal with him, that Eraqus was not a man to trifle with or to face him directly in combat without a massive possibility to lose. The Nobody figured that if he was a Keyblade Master, then he had to be a very experienced combatant.

The second was his Keyblade. It was a simple design, but Roxas could tell from his own experience and Sora's memories that it was one of the strongest he has encountered. It's guard was made of a few silver boxes and copper rods to form a square. It's grip was unlike any other Keyblade he's seen, for it was squared. The shaft was a long piece of cylindrical gray steel that was tampered on both ends. It's teeth were in the shape of a capital E. Final the chain was a few simple links with at the end he saw the same sigil within the teeth of Ava's Keyblade.

Finally was the light Roxas could tell within him. He had never sensed so much life, even from the distance that Kingdom Hearts was away from The World That Never Was. He couldn't even sense any darkness from him or Ventus for a matter of fact. But the light from Eraqus was blinding. Considering that the Nobody could use light he knew how powerful it could be when used properly and this man was most likely far more skill at using it.

If he was fully rested he could probably take on the man.

But right now he didn't stand a chance.

'I better tread lightly.' Thought the Nobody. It was his best chance of survival if Eraqus decided to attack him.

"I came to check what was the disturbance that was in the castle. I tracked it to to your room Ventus only to find you talking to a lookalike who can as well use the Keyblade. So tell me Roxas, what do you use your Keyblade for? To help others or to cause harm? Do you have a light heart or a dark heart?" Master Eraqus said as he pointed his Keyblade at the intruder's face.

This question would help answer his fate. Eraqus secretly hoped for the former, as he didn't want to kill in front of his student if possible. But he will if it came down to it.

Ventus couldn't help but be worried for Roxas. His master was the strongest person he knew and remembered.

Meanwhile Roxas was thinking of how to answer his questions.

'How am I supposed to answer that? I don't even have a heart!' He thought as saw the blade being lowered to his throat. The more he thought about it he didn't really know what he used his Keyblade for except for collecting hearts and to defend himself. As well as to help out Axel and X-

'What was that?' Roxas thought with a grimace. He felt like he forgot something important, but he couldn't really recall it. He would have to think about it later. As he had an answer for the Keyblade Master.

"Neither."

"What?" Eraqus asked confused. He had never heard anyone answer that question before.

"I belong neither to the light or the dark. Nor have I really used my Keyblade to help others much and only used it to harm others in self defense. So I'm in the in between, I belong to the twilight." Roxas answered. It was the simple truth.

He was a Nobody, he didn't belong to the light or the dark. So like his birthplace, he was settled in between the both of them.

Both master and apprentice were shocked at this. Roxas saw himself as someone in between or as he put it the twilight.

"How is that possible?" Asked Eraqus. He was confused. No one had ever answered that question with in between light and dark before.

"It is unlikely, but it is possible. Isn't their a neutral zone for everything? My home world lies within the direct center of the Realms Between. So my heart lies in the twilight." Roxas said

'If I ever had a heart.' He added mentally.

"Master is it not possible for someone to be perfectly in between, isn't it?" Ventus asked. He was curious as right in front of them who was someone who might be what was considered an impossibility.

Eraqus studied him closely. He could tell that there was no deception from what the young intruder was saying no matter how impossible it seemed. As alarming as that he could also sense a little light, but nothing else.

As if he was like a neutral zone for both. The Keybalde Master could only sigh.

"As much as it should be impossible, Roxas is proof to be as close to being in between." Eraqus said. He didn't really trust the boy, but he was telling the truth so far. Ventus's eyes widened at that.

"Really!" This was shocking as his lookalike was something that was considered impossible. "Roxas how long have you been like this?" He asked in curiosity. The Nobody in question noticed that both master and apprentice were giving him curious looks.

"I have been this way for as long as I can remember." Roxas said. Not long after that he began to sway for a bit before being caught by Eraqus. The exhaustion from all the other events from earlier starting to catch up to him.

"Thank you" He said weakly. Eraqus could only nod. He turned to face his youngest student.

"Ventus Im going to have him rest in one of the spare rooms. If you have any questions for him, save them for the mourning and after I get Terra and Aqua up to speed. Is that clear?" He finished sternly.

"Yes Master." Ventus said. He would have to wait until mourning to get to know Roxas but he could wait. As Eraqus proceeded to drag the half-conscious Keyblade wielder out of his room he couldn't help but wave at him.

"I'll see you later Roxas."

"I'll see you then Ventus." He said tiredly. He was getting close to falling asleep at this point and could only wave tiredly as he was carried out of the room.

As the door slammed shut Ventus could only lay down in his bed thinking about what to ask Roxas tomorrow. Well that and introducing him to Terra and Aqua. While he was laying down in bed trying to fall asleep, he remembered something important.

"I forgot to ask him to call me Ven."

(Chapter 7 end)