Nobodies Don't Have Birthdays
"Happy birthday!"
"Huh?"
"It's your birthday, isn't it?"
"Axel, we don't have birthdays."
"Demyx said that Sora was celebrating his birthday today. Or at least... should be."
"I'm not Sora."
"Lighten up, Roxas."
Roxas sighed as Axel leaned forward with a goofy smile. He was well aware that it was indeed Sora's birthday, but that had nothing to do with him. Besides, he was a nobody. He couldn't have a birthday. That's what made things so confusing. Nobodies are created. They are not born. But in Axel's oppinion, that didn't matter.
"There you are! Come on Axel, I finally finished the birthday song!" Demyx was excited as he held up a sheet of music triumphantly and joined Axel by Roxas' side on the balcony.
"Are we celebrating here?" Axel asked the youngest member of Organization XIII in a hyperactive tone.
"Axel, we're not-"
"Why not?" Demyx chimed in. Then he smiled and continued, "Castle Oblivion is the perfect place. No one will bother us here."
"So what are waiting for?" Axel couldn't contain his excitment any longer, "Let's get this party started!"
"Axel!" Roxas was furious with the mere notion of it.
"What?" Axel asked innocently.
"I told you. We don't have birthdays. So there's nothing to celebrate..." Roxas had done a lot of thinking lately and the idea of celebrating the fact that he existed... It just wasn't right.
"Where's the cake?" Demyx had completely ignored the sudden outburst and the depression in the blonde's voice.
"Cake? Why do we need cake?" Axel was thouroughly confused, which led to an exasperated sigh from Roxas.
"You've got to be kidding me..." he muttered under his breath.
Demyx only blinked before turning to Roxas, "Sorry. I couldn't get you a gift... But I wrote a birthday song for you."
"I appreciate that, but-"
"Gift?!" Axel ran through the open door in a sudden burst of speed, leaving the others with a blank stare.
"What the-?"
"He's oblivous..." Roxas sighed again and stepped back into the empty room. Demyx followed but Roxas turned and said, "Thanks for everything but, I don't celebrate the birthday I never had."
"I was going to save this for a surprise, but..." Demyx held out a book with a ribbon on it.
"Demyx..." Roxas stepped closer and took the gift with a slight smile and said, "Thanks. But you really didn't have to."
"I wanted to. Open it. Oh, and just so you know... I'm still going to sing you're birthday song, whether you want me to or not."
Roxas opened the book and let out a small chuckle as he gazed upon the photographs that occupied the pages of the album. All contained various pictures of the three of them: Axel, Roxas, and Demyx, pulling pranks and just hanging out. Demyx stepped closer and commented on some of the pictures, reliving the moments in his mind.
"I supose that this proves that nobodies can have memories..." Roxas stated off-handedly.
"Yeah. Hey look. Do you remember this?" he pointed to a photo of both him and Roxas laughing with Axel in the background, hair dripping of water (via Demyx) and a sour glare at Roxas. Laughing he continued, "That was the greatest prank we have ever pulled. Axel wouldn't talk to us for days."
"Yeah, I remember. I actually got some of my work done for those four days..." his voice trailed into a soft laugh as he replayed the memory in the back of his mind.
"So, do you like it?"
"Yeah. Thanks Demyx."
"So... Where's Axel?"
"You mean you don't know? He's off to get the gift that he had no idea was a part of a 'birthday.' I'm pretty sure that he was only aware that there was a party involved. Or did you tell him that too?"
"Do you really think that he's that oblivious?"
Roxas let out another exasperated sigh as he wondered how Demyx hadn't noticed. He shook his head slowly, as he gave up on reasoning any further in the subject and turned back to the balcony once more. Demyx had rejoined him with a smile. It was clear he was lost in thought, but Roxas didn't care to ask. He was enjoying the silence. That was why he enjoyed staying at Castle Oblivion. It was always calm and serene here. It almost seemed as though worry and pain were washed away and erased along with the memories of the past. However, Roxas held tight to the few memories that he had, and tightened his grip on the photo album in fear that the pictures would dissapear.
"Demyx! You mean that you had a gift for him after all?"
"Yeah, you missed out on the fun, Axel." Demyx smiled as Axel ran to the balcony and beckoned for Roxas to follow.
"Come on. I thought of the perfect gift. It's just what you've needed." Axel gave a tug on Roxas' sleeve as he said this.
Roxas shook his head and followed obediantly. He turned to Demyx, only to find him reading over the music sheets again as though checking for errors. Demyx doesn't make errors when it comes to music. That was one of the few things that the youngest member of Organization 13 was sure of. Certainty was one of the few things that he had to cling to. The only memories that he had were in the photographs held in the book. He thought further on the few things he was certain of. Axel was the best friend he could ever ask for, as dense as he was. Demyx was almost as childish as Axel. And Roxas himself, suffered something short of amnesia. These were some of the few things that he was certain of. There were too many things that he didn't know... Too many factors that played such an important role, but he couldn't remember...
"So what did Demyx get you?" Axel had broken the silence and pulled Roxas from his thoughts.
"A reminder..."
"Of what?"
"Everthing..."
"What?"
"Here." Roxas held the book to Axel and continued, "See for yourself."
"This brings back memories..." Axel stopped and turned his head back to stare blankly at Castle Oblivion which was some distance behind them. He soon became lost in thoughts of time spent with his best friends.
"Come on, Axel."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Let's hurry, if we don't..."
"What?"
"You'll see."
"Axel!" Roxas shouted as he chased after his elder who had sprinted forward, laughing at the blonde.
Sometime later, they were standing at the top of the clock tower in Twilight Town. Roxas sighed sadly as he watched the people below, pondering about what it must be like to have a heart. He turned to see that Axel had dissapeared when he had needed his friend the most. The sun would soon set. Roxas was looking forward to that.
"Just in time!" Axel announced as he approached roxas with a sea-salt ice cream held just within reach of his friend.
"Thanks, Axel." Roxas gladly accepted the ice cream and sat down on the edge.
"Are you okay?" Axel's voice held concern, which sounded foreign coming from him.
"Huh?" Roxas gave Axel a curious glance before returning his gaze to the setting sun.
"I thought that you needed this, becuase you've been a little spaced out lately. So, what's bothering you?"
"Being a nobody."
"Can't help you there. Why don't we head back after this, and celebrate your birthday?"
"Axel... I don't want to celebrate my birthday. I'm a nobody. I shouldn't even exist!" Roxas' eyes were glazed in a depression that none of the others had ever witnessed there before.
"I'm glad that you do exist though..." Axel gave a weak smile when Roxas looked over to him.
"Is that so? Well, I'm glad that you exist too. Thanks, Axel."
"Roxas?"
"What?"
"You're ice cream's melting."
"It doesn't matter. Come on. Let's go back. I want to hear that birthday song."
"Now that's more like it! It's just starting to get dark... I'd say that there's plenty of time for a PARTY!"
"Whatever you say, Axel. Whatever you say..."