(( Welcome to Kingdom Hearts Reversed: 358/3 Days. If you haven't read the first two installments of the series, Kingdom Hearts: Reversed and Kingdom Hearts: Reversed Memories, I highly recommend you do so as many things in this story won't make sense otherwise. If you're still with me after reading the other two stories, then welcome! From the title, you've probably guessed that this story is to the Reversed series as 358/2 Days is to the real Kingdom Hearts series, and you're absolutely right.

As always, this will not be a carbon copy of 358/2 Days with Riku's Nobody replacing Roxas; while much will stay the same, many things will also be changed by the events in Kingdom Hearts: Reversed and Reversed Memories. History is like a domino effect -- one event sets off another and another, leading to an infinite chain of cause and effect that can alter the future completely.

That said, I now present Kingdom Hearts Reversed: 358/3 Days.))

Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free... until they weave together to make Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist.

"Roxas... are you really sure that you don't have a heart?"

Roxas peered at Axel curiously. The red-head always asked such strange questions... but then again, their conversations were part of why they were such good friends.

"I dunno. I can't... just look inside." The blond boy scrunched up his face in thought, staring out at the brilliant sunset pouring over the city. "But I figure... if there is something in there -- inside us -- then we'd feel it, wouldn't we?"

Axel laughed. "True enough." With that, he reached forward and handed Roxas a light-blue ice cream bar. Roxas took it with a grin.

"Hey, what about me?"

Roxas looked up and smiled brightly as a third boy joined them on the ledge of the clock tower. Xurik had short, dark grey hair -- although his bangs were a bit longer in the front, framing his face and stopping just before his brilliant green eyes. He smiled, then sat down next to Roxas.

"I didn't forget you, don't worry," Axel said, smirking and handing out a third sea-salt ice cream. Xurik took it gratefully, and all three began to eat.

"What about you, Xurik?" Roxas said after a minute, peering at him. "Do you think you have a heart?"

"Well... that's why we're here, isn't it?" Xurik said thoughtfully. "We wouldn't be in the Organization if we did."

"Yeah," Roxas said quietly. How had they been chosen? The heart wasn't something someone else could feel. Or maybe... it was just because they were Nobodies that kept them from feeling it. Just like how hearts were supposedly connected... their nothingness could also be connected. Maybe that was what separated them from the rest.

"You seek answers."

The boy looked up blankly, seeing the man in the hooded black robe but not really taking it in.

"I can give you purpose." The man held out a gloved hand. Brilliant, glowing letters appeared before him, spelling out a word. The boy read it -- SORA -- but it meant nothing to him. With a second wave of the hooded man's arm, the letters began to spin, swirling in a circle at a blinding speed and becoming illegible. He suddenly thrust his hand forward as a golden "X" appeared in the middle.

The boy stared up at the word. He read it aloud in monotone.

"...Roxas."

Within his hood, Roxas saw the man smile. "That is right-- the new you."

There was suddenly a brilliant flash of light behind the man. He turned, surprised, only to find that a second boy had appeared, seemingly unconscious. Within moments, the boy's eyes fluttered open. He sat up, staring around the clearing with disinterest.

"I see," the man said quietly. Roxas stared at the boy, still not understanding or caring where he was.

"Yes... I feel it within you," the robed man said quietly. He pressed a hand to the grey-haired boy's chest. "You are... they key we've been looking for."

Waving his hand, the man repeated the process with the second boy. Silvery letters spelling the word RIKU whirled wildly through the air, until an additional golden letter "X" formed another word.

"...Xurik." the second boy said quietly.

Day 255

"...Agrabah again? Didn't you just go there yesterday?" Xurik shook his head. "I went to Wonderland. Nothing really interesting, just Heartless duty."

"I wish I could," Roxas said with a sigh. "Maybe Saix will pair us up again soon. I keep getting stuck with Demyx, meaning I get to do all the work."

"Fun," Xurik said, smirking. "At least you can be serenaded while you do recon."

"Yeah, playing music is definitely the way to go unnoticed by the locals," Roxas said. The two laughed as Axel came around the corner.

"Hey lovebirds," Axel said with a smirk. "You're early."

"No, you're just late," Roxas said, flashing a grin. Axel waved a hand through the air, dismissing his suggestion. Xurik passed him an ice cream bar. The three ate silently for a moment before Roxas broke the silence.

"Today makes 255." Roxas said quietly.

"What's that about?" Axel asked.

"It's been that many days since me and Xurik first joined the Organization," Roxas said. Xurik peered at him, surprised.

"Has it really? Why do you know that?"

"He's got the number memorized, apparently," Axel said with a smirk.

"Hey, shut it," Roxas grinned. "I have to hang onto something, right? It's not like I have memories from before the Organization. Don't you remember? We acted like zombies."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Xurik said. "Heh. I barely remember."

"I do. That first week the two of you could barely form a sentence," Axel said thoughtfully. He gave Roxas a forceful pat on the back. "But come on, you're both still kind of zombies!"

"Oh, thanks!"

"So, boys," Axel said brightly. He pointed a thin finger at the setting sun. "Bet you don't know why the sun sets red." He waved his hand through the air, sweeping his arm across the horizon. "You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest."

"Like we asked!" Roxas jabbed Axel in the side with his elbow. "Know-it-all."

"That sounds kind of familiar," Xurik said quietly. Axel rolled his eyes, laying down on his back with his arms folded behind his head.

"Sure, pretty-boy. Stop trying to take credit for my genius!"

"Your what?" Xurik said incredulously, and Roxas laughed. The three fell silent once more. Finally Xurik turned his head, peering at the entrance to the clock tower ledge. He felt at home with Roxas and Axel, but... something just wasn't right.

"Man. What's taking her so long?"

From where he lay, Axel's expression turned stony and serious. They still had no idea, did they? How much more time did they have like this? They might not sense it, but he did... their days were numbered, and there was nothing they could do to stop the wheel of fate.

But that didn't mean they couldn't try.