DAY 163: What's a "Kiss"?
Day 162
Where Nothing Gathers. An appropriate title for the cylindrical throne room where quite literally nothing gathers. At least, nothing with feeling, for those unaccepted by light or darkness, those caught in the middle of nothing, gathered here. The first throne was suddenly filled as a sphere of dark aura surrounded the seat and dissipated. No. VII sat unmoving, waiting. The two blue strips of ruffled hair perfectly framed his recusant scar crossed over the bridge of his nose. His golden eyes shifted from each seat to the next, mentally counting off each member. Soon, the tallest throne in the room was filled as well by the same process. Xemnas sat with such authority, making it very clear he would not be overthrown soon. "You've arrived early," Xemnas stated in his slow, calmed speech.
"When I am exclusively invited to discuss matters with the Superior, I do not hesitate," Saïx answered. "So why has this meeting been brought upon me?"
"What do you think about our fourteenth member?"
"It has been collecting hearts at a steady level near to Roxas's. However, I am still quite uncomfortable that we even HAVE a fourteenth. These chairs, this castle, they were built for one less," the seventh said in a heavily monotonous voice. "Is this what I was summoned for? To speak my thoughts on the puppet?"
Xemnas did not answer for several seconds until, "I require a favor of you."
"A favor or an order?"
"Whatever you may call it. Xion has been with us for some time and has grown exceptionally. However, I feel she is not reaching the true potential and power that she should be at by now." Saïx waited with glazed eyes for the Superior to complete the thought. "After contemplating and pouring over Replica notes...I have found that a powerful surge should unlock Xion's true power."
"So I'll have Xigbar fire up one of Vexen's old electrocution devices," the second-in-command suggested.
"That is where the problem comes into play. The surge I speak of must be taken willingly. She must voluntarily accept this boost in power." Xemnas once again fell to silence, closing his eyes to mull over the thought. "It took some time, but I believe I've come up with the quickest, most efficient method of achieving this," Xemnas went on. "For this, I request that Roxas and Xion spend time together."
Saïx did not respond for a moment, puzzled. At last, he said, "Lord Xemnas, I do not question your memory, nor do I believe you to be the joking type, yet I must doubt them momentarily. Are you forgetful that Roxas and that thing sit atop the Twilight Town clock tower every day following each mission? You even had me bug the place-"
"I am aware. Surprisingly, however, they need to spend special time together, without No. VIII distracting them. This idea they have of 'friendship' must grow to a higher level," the Superior stated. "You know, just because we are incapable of emotion does not mean the power of physical expressions of those emotions are gone."
"My favor then?"
"Roxas, as the Keyblader's Nobody, holds inside him powerful memories of the island where he grew up, memories of home, memories of a young girl he gave his heart to save," Xemnas continued. "Xion, meanwhile, keeps memories inside her as well. Some from Sora, some from those connected to him, some from a young girl who remembers the boy who rescued her from darkness."
"I know you speak of Kairi," Saïx clarified, crossing his arms. "What of these memories?"
"Should these memories be subconsciously awakened inside them, I predict the result will do precisely what we want."
Friendship to a higher level, without No. VIII, memories of a girl, memories of a hero, powerful surge, power of physical expression...Saïx ran these key words through his mind until each piece clicked to one another and he saw the big, brilliant picture. When the broader plan revealed itself, he closed his eyes and grinned. "I would laugh if I could at how simple and circumstantial this idea is," he said. "You plan on having the Keyblader's Nobody and the puppet...kiss?"
"Do you remember how a kiss was like in your previous life? The beautiful sense of having your hearts intertwined? The light-headedness knowing the other truly loves you? The exhilarating surge that made you feel you could do anything? You see, we have no hearts to intertwine. We have no hearts to love. The exhilaration...that is what I'm after," Xemnas explained. "When the next day arrives, I want you to pitch Roxas and Xion on a mission together in Destiny Islands. The familiar scenery, the sounds, the smells. They should be enough to awaken those memories sleeping inside them. This is the favor I ask," the Superior said, finally getting to the point.
Saïx dropped his head, thinking this all over. "The Destiny Islands is not a world currently in need of help for missions...and I would need a mission that requires both of them to work together, but yes, I can manage that," he stated.
"Excellent," Xemnas concluded. "I look forward to hearing about Xion's sudden power soon." With that, a sphere of dark whorls encased his body and dissipated, taking the Nobody's body with it. Saïx did the same, returning to the Grey Area. Upon stepping back into the Grey Area, he noticed the distinct dreadlocks of No. III, Xaldin, reclined across the couch. "Xaldin," he said from across the room. The Whirlwind Lancer sat up to stare at the second-in-command.
"Why bother me now? I've already completed my mission," Xaldin angrily argued.
"I have another for you. It is of utmost importance, from Lord Xemnas himself." Saïx waited as Xaldin climbed to his feet and approached him. "Tell me...how are you at capturing Heartless...alive?"
"Ha!" Roxas grunted, swinging the Kingdom Key at the Crimson Jazz. The Heartless ascended out of his reach and swung a fireball toward him. Roxas rolled out of the way across the sand, the flaming projectile exploding into the ground. The boy leaped into the air and hit once, twice, swinging it 360 on the third. The Crimson Jazz exploded into dust, a crystalline heart floating into the sky from where it was released. Roxas took a second to admire what he'd done. "I wonder...has the Organization ever thought of just snatching a heart away as it's released?...In fact, how would completing Kingdom Hearts even give me a heart?..." He shook away the thoughts. "Heh heh, I'm doing it again: thinking too much on it. One heart at a time I suppose. And that was the last Crimson Jazz, so I'd better RTC," he said to himself. The Nobody turned around and began walking back towards Agrabah. Full-body black coat in the middle of a desert? Not a great combo.
As he entered the city wall, he spotted the Corridor from which he'd been deposited: a spiraling black whorl on the ground. Suddenly, Roxas heard voices coming his way, and he was too far from the Corridor to make a run for it. Uh-oh, gotta hide, gotta hide! he thought. Roxas climbed the dune of sand to his right, leaping from it to the nearest building, and jumping to a higher tier above that as the people entered the area. It was the same (and only) two people he ever saw here: a young man in a purple vest, thick black hair, and long baggy pants, and a young woman in a blue bra, pants, and a tiara held on her hair styled in an elaborate ponytail.
"...going great, Jasmine. The city's really coming together again," the man said.
"Oh, that's wonderful," the girl, Jasmine, replied. She threw her arms around the man, holding him in a hug as he hugged her back. "Where would this city be without you?"
"Well," the man answered, "I wouldn't be in the arms of the most beautiful girl ever." He said this as he looked into her eyes. Roxas watched this happen. Having a heart seems great, like they really care about each other, he thought. But...I care about my friends...Is just caring about someone not what having a heart's about?
Slowly, but suddenly, the man and the woman leaned their faces in towards each other and...pressed their lips against each other? Now this was something Roxas had never seen before. He watched intently, wondering just what was happening. The couple held their lips together for a long time, moving their lips in synchronization, until they finally stopped, Jasmine resting her head on the man's chest.
"I fall in love with you even more with every kiss," she told him.
"Your kiss always makes my head spin," he said back.
They held each other a little longer until the two finally let go. "Well, I'll see you later. The city's doing great, but I'm not out of work just yet," the young man stated. Jasmine nodded and they parted ways, both leaving the area.
The Nobody who'd seen it all hopped down to ground level. "What was that about?" he wondered aloud. "Ah well, I'll figure it out at the castle. This sun is killing me." Roxas stepped into the waiting Corridor of Darkness, the Corridor vanishing as he stepped inside.