Author's notes: Here it is! The sequel to Following Trails that Don't Exist! Finally figured out a title, too. I said I'd upload it on the first of September, and well, here it is!
Just an Emotionless Nobody
So that's how it was. Sora was dead. Killed by Renxen, one of a group that tortured its captives. Neither Kairi nor Riku could figure out how the King did it, but some how, everyone Sora called 'friend' read the letter telling them of Sora's passing at the same time. All at once, all of Sora's friends from the many worlds mourned the loss of their friend and saviour of their worlds.
Sora's friends back home put up a memorial for him, including some of Sora's most prized possessions, and some of their own. Heck, Wakka even put one of his Blitzballs at Sora's memorial, Titus one of his swords and Selphie one of her whips, that's how much it meant to them. What remained of the raft Sora, Riku and Kairi had built was also placed there.
Kairi was at Sora's memorial every day, sometimes staying for hours, other times she'd fall asleep and Riku would come by and carry her home.
School had started up again on the mainland, so both Kairi and Riku were in school again. Riku was a senior, turning eighteen, Kairi in year 11, turning seventeen.
Over two years ago the Keyblade had chosen their deceased friend. Was it really that long ago? It didn't seem like it, but it was.
Riku had moved out of his parents' house to stay with Kairi in an attempt to cure her loneliness. It was more than that, though.
It was when they were planning to burry Sora that his body was stolen from them, just as Kairi was recovering emotionally. It shattered her heart and sent her into depression, which she was only just coming out of, thanks to her friends.
A lot had happened since they had started making the raft, too much for most of us to realise. And nothing seemed to fix any of it.
--
"I hear there's a new kid in our class." Selphie commented to Kairi as they walked through the air-conditioned halls of their school. "Wonder what he's like."
Both were in the school's uniform. The white shirt and the blue skirt for the girls.
"If you're suggesting he'll help me, you're wrong." Kairi was looking at the ground as she walked, her books in hand. "Unless his name is Sora and he's some how come back from the dead, you're wrong."
"You need to move on, Kairi." Selphie told her as they entered their home room class. Kairi noticed that the desk in the far back corner, usually unoccupied, was now occupied. She didn't care who it was, didn't care to look. It wasn't Sora. That was impossible.
Kairi took her seat by the window, Selphie taking her own on the other side of the room. Just as they did the teacher started writing down attendance. After calling out most of the names, the teacher glanced back at the kid in the back corner desk.
"How do you spell your name? c-s? C-k-s? K-s?" He asked.
"X. R-O-X-A-S. Roxas."
Kairi looked back at the kid in the corner, and sure enough, it was Sora's Nobody. Her mouth hung open for a moment in shock, before she closed it and turned away, looking at the desk. It took her several minutes before she finally reacted.
"How are you here?" Kairi spoke, just loud enough for Roxas to hear her speak, but not what she said. Everyone looked over at her.
"How are you here?!" Kairi got to her feet, facing Roxas.
"Kairi!" Roxas got to his feet quickly.
"Kairi! Roxas! Take a seat!" The teacher got to his own feet. His hair was light-coloured, and his piercing eyes green. Around him was the air of authority, even though he didn't appear to be out of his 20s.
"What do you mean, Kairi?" Roxas asked her, both ignoring the teacher.
"I said take a seat!" Repeated the teacher.
"Take a guess!" Kairi snapped at him.
"I don't know! You tell me!" Roxas shrugged. "I don't know what would make you upset at me like this!"
"Sora's dead and you rock up here like it's no big deal!" People gaped, gasped and clasped their hands to their mouths as Kairi spoke. "You were supposed to have died with him! How wouldn't that make me upset?! You must be heartless not to figure that out!" A pause. "Oh, I forgot. You don't have a heart."
"Is Namine dead?" Roxas asked Kairi.
"That's different." Kairi turned and stormed out.
"Kairi…" Roxas slumped into his seat. Sorry, Sora.
"Roxas… I don't know what your history with that girl is, but whatever it was it's not something I want in my class!" The teacher shook his head. "Stay behind after home class. I want an explanation." The bell rang. "The rest of you can go." Everyone but Roxas got their books, and left. Selphie was hesitant, but left when instructed by the teacher.
"Roxas." The teacher spoke. "Sora's dead, then?" Roxas didn't respond. How could he? He and Sora had switched places. It was Sora's wish before he was supposed to have died. Roxas… I can't do anything. Save us both. Finally, Roxas shook his head."Then what is wrong with Kairi?"
"It's a long story. If I explained it we'd be here awhile." Roxas didn't look up at him. "I will say this; myself and Kairi were good friends."
"Then go and fix this." The teacher motioned for him to leave. Just as Roxas did, he paused and spoke.
"Nobody isn't just a term used in school by the students. If a person with a strong will were to lose their heart, a Nobody would be created." He confused the teacher with that, but wasn't asked for an explanation, since he left too quickly.
--
"Kairi!" Roxas tracked her down between classes, grabbing a hold of her arm. "Kairi…" She didn't even turn to look at him. "I'm sorry."
"No you're not. You can't feel remorse." Kairi said in a monotone. She pulled her arm away and ran off around the corner. Roxas started after her at a quick walk. What he saw shattered Sora's heart.
Kairi was hugging Riku. But that was to be expected; since she was so upset she had nowhere else to turn to. But it wasn't that which shattered Sora.
Riku was kissing her. Not on the lips, on the forehead, but it was the sheer fact that he was kissing her at all. And it was obviously one that a lover would give if their partner was really upset about something.
While Sora and Roxas were gone, Kairi and Riku had hooked up.
It was Roxas' turn to turn around and hightail it, more because of Sora's emotions then his own, since he himself didn't have any emotions. Although, there was something inside of him that had been hurt as well; Kairi was Namine. Sora had lost Kairi, and Roxas had lost Namine.
Roxas slumped down against the wall, looking up at the ceiling in dismay. Sora? You strong enough to talk?
… I… I guess.
Sorry about this, Sora.
Don't… don't be… we could've predicted it... if we wanted to.
Roxas was pulled out of his thoughts when someone walked up to him.
"Roxas, right?"
He glanced up at Selphie standing over him.
"Y…yeah…" He looked away. "Kairi's with Riku, now?" Selphie was caught off guard, but she nodded. "That's what I thought."
"Why were you supposed to be dead?" Selphie asked him. Roxas sighed.
"Did Kairi and Riku ever tell you about Heartless and Nobodies?" He asked her.
"Briefly. Just explaining what had been happening. But that's all." Roxas nodded. He expected that much.
"Did Kairi ever tell you about Namine?" He asked her. Selphie shook her head. "Namine is a Nobody, Kairi's Nobody. The only difference is that Kairi is her own being, not a Heartless. Take the X out of my name and rearrange the letters." Selphie grabbed a piece of paper from her book, and a pencil, and started rearranging the letters in Roxas' name, minus the X.
Roas
Saor
Oars
Aors
Soar
Sroa
Sora
Selphie paused when she got to Sora, and blinked.
"Sora+X. Organization XIII's number XIII, Roxas. The Key of Destiny. Nobody of Sora." Roxas nodded. "I was living in Sora the same way Namine is living in Kairi, and when he was 'killed' I was supposed to die with him." Roxas didn't tell her anymore after that. Selphie eventually gave up and started to leave. "Don't tell Kairi I told you." Selphie nodded in response.
The bell rang a couple moments after, and Roxas got up and followed Selphie, knowing that she and Kairi were in all the same classes, and Roxas was in all of Kairi's classes through request, although he'd act like it was coincidence.
Walking into the class, Roxas heard a lot of people whispering about what had happened in home class. Kairi was already there, sitting by a window.
"Yeah, the new kid pissed Kairi off in home class today." Someone whispered. Roxas shot them a glare.
"I have a name." He snapped, and they shrank down into their seat. Roxas then sat down in an empty desk as the class started.
A little while into class Kairi asked for permission to get something from her locker.
She didn't come back.
Nor did she show up for the next class.
Or any after that.
During lunch, which was about half-way through the school day, Roxas headed to reception.
"Has anyone seen Kairi?" He asked the receptionist.
"No, sorry. We think she left." Replied the receptionist.
"Could I go looking for her?"
"No."
"Could I make a call?"
"Do you need to?"
A pause.
"Yes, I do." Roxas nodded.
"Fine, then." The receptionist motioned to the phone. Roxas dialled to his house, and waited for the call to go through.
"Hey, I know you're there. It's me, Roxas. Pick up." Roxas spoke into the phone. "Hello? I know you're there. Pick up now. Come on- Finally. Only took you half an eternity."
"Shut up, Roxas. What's up?"
"Kairi's left school without telling anyone and they're not letting me go look for her. Could you tell them to let me leave to find her?"
"Why'd she leave?"
"Because I'm alive."
"Whatever. Fine. Pass the phone over to whoever's there."
Roxas passed the phone to the receptionist, who hung up a couple minutes later after having an arguement about the school policy to whoever was on the other end.
"You're free to go, apparently." Roxas turned and darted out of reception, to his locker to grab his back, and then out of the school, but was stopped by his home room teacher.
"Where are you going, Roxas?"
"Kairi's left and I got my guardian to give me permission to leave early." Roxas replied quickly, darting past the teacher and outside.
He stopped at his house, rushing inside.
"Thanks. I owe you one." Roxas spoke. He didn't get a reply, but he didn't mind. He darted into his room and changed out of his uniform and into his black and white clothes, which were much more comfortable. He left his back behind and darted out of his house, and started searching the area for her.
"She couldn't get far." Roxas muttered. He searched for a couple hours, before noticing that some schoolies were headed home. He darted back to the school to see if she returned there.
He saw Riku out front, sitting on the fence waiting for someone.
--
School had been over for half an hour, and Riku hadn't moved from the fence. He was waiting for Kairi, long story short. Someone had come up to him and asked if Sora was dead, which confused Riku, although he didn't show it. Was it a joke or had someone let it slip? He didn't get an answer, because whoever it was left.
"Kairi's not here." He looked towards the voice in alarm, and confusion turned to shock.
"Roxas?!" Riku got off the fence.
"She left this morning." Roxas didn't answer. "Because I'm alive. I left during lunch to find her, but I haven't managed to. Do you know where she would run to?"
"The memorial." Riku replied, starting to walk away, motioning for Roxas to follow.
Riku led them to the dock, and into his boat. They went out onto the islet, and into the more forested area of the island that he, Sora and Kairi had always hung out on, and where the Princess of Heart's cabin was.
In a clearing was a small memorial with various items. One of Wakka's Blitzballs, one of Titus' swords, one of Selphie's whips, what had survived of the raft and several other little items. Roxas paused when he saw it.
All this for me?
Roxas didn't reply.
"She's not here." Riku sighed.
"She was, though." Roxas pointed at a third set of footprints. Riku nodded.
"Let's drop by home." Riku told Roxas. "She'll probably drop by sometime." Roxas nodded.
The two headed to Kairi's cabin, sitting on the beach in front of it, facing each other. Silence lingered for awhile.
"You and Kairi are together now?" Roxas asked suddenly. Riku took a moment to respond.
"Yeah, sorry." Roxas shrugged.
"It's okay." Want me to say anything, Sora?
Ask him if Kairi's happy.
"Is Kairi happy with it?" Roxas asked. Riku shrugged.
"You can't really tell anymore." Riku replied. "Hey, wait… how did you know in the first place?"
"I saw you kissing her at school." Roxas told him. Silence lingered, until someone started walking towards them on the soft sand. Roxas turned around, and Kairi stopped in her tracks. "Kairi…" Roxas looked down. "I'm sorry." Kairi didn't answer, but rushed into her cabin when the phone rang.
Kairi returned a minute later.
"Roxas, it's for you." She passed him the cordless phone. Roxas took it slowly, his hand brushing against her's. He put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"You at Kairi's?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I need you back home, quickly. Use a Corridor of Darkness, I don't care, just hurry. He's ba-" The man on the other end was speaking quickly and was cut off suddenly as the line went dead. Roxas had barely understood him, but knew it was urgent, if he had called in the first place.
"O…okay. I'll come right over then." Roxas replied, even though the line was dead. Passing the phone back to Kairi, he said, "I've got to get going." He got to his feet.
"Good to hear from you again." Riku stood. Roxas nodded.
Tell him that it's glad to hear from him too.
"Yeah. It's good to talk to you too." Roxas nodded. Riku smiled, knowing that it was more Sora than Roxas.
The Nobody turned and ran off. He'd have to trust that Sora's heart was strong enough, because he had to use a Corridor of Darkness, from the sound of the person on the other end. Hold on, Sora. He thought as he got out of sight. He raised his hand and opened one of the dark portals, and entered. Hold on!
--
Roxas came out the other side of the Corridor of Darkness in front of his house, and started inside. You okay?
Barely.
Good.
Roxas threw the door open and slammed it shut behind him. "Axel!" He called as he ran through the house. "Axel!" He repeated. He searched his room, Axel's room, the main room, kitchen and dining room, but no sign of VIII. "AXEL!" Roxas glanced around the main room again.
"Roxas…"
Roxas spun around. In the shadows of the corner, where Roxas had over looked, the red-head was on the floor, leaning against the walls.
"Axel!" Roxas crouched down by his friend. "You okay?"
"The traitor." Axel spat. "Renxen's back." Roxas' eyes widened.
"No!" He exclaimed. "He can't be!"
"He's a traitor." Axel nodded. "He came by when I called you earlier, and attacked me trying to find you. He's already killed Rexa." Roxas growled, getting to his feet.
"Where is he now? Kairi and Riku are in danger."
"Long gone by now."
"Curses." Roxas muttered. Sora wanted revenge, and that was not good. At all.
