Chapter I
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.
"You're early." I looked up to see my ginger friend walking onto the ledge of the Twilight Town clock tower. "No, you're just late." Axel sat down beside me and smiled, handing me a sea-salt ice cream. I gladly accepted it and become to eat the tasty treat.
"Today makes day 255." Axel looked at me curiously with his green eyes and leaned back a bit, licking his ice cream. "What's that about?" I licked mine and waited a few moments before answering. "It's been that many days since I first joined the Organization. Man, time flies." Axel let out a light hearted laugh and shook his head. "So, you've got the number memorized do ya?"
"Yeah. Have to hang onto something, right? It's not like I have memories from before the Organization. Don't you remember? I acted like a zombie." I looked over at Axel who was laughing. He put a hand on my shoulder and said, "Right, that first week you could barely form a sentence. But come on, you're still kind of a zombie." He pat my back playfully and I laughed. "Oh, thanks!" We laughed and looked back at the sun.
It was just starting to set over the hill. Warm colors stretched across the yellow sky, making being up here even more pleasant. Axel smirked a little and looked back at me. "Hey, Roxas. Bet you don't know why the sun sets red." He pointed to the sun. "You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest." I elbowed him. "Like I asked. Know-it-all." We both laughed again then just looked at the sun, eating our ice cream.
A long while passed, and Axel and I both finished our ice cream. My friend lay on his back, placing his hands behind his head. I looked around then on the other side of Axel. "Seriously, where is she?" I looked around the corner, seeing nothing. I looked back at Axel, whose face turned serious. He sat up and looked around too.
You gotta figure, everything starts someplace. The closest thing for me is when I was just seven days old, and I met her.
The Castle That Never Was loomed over the Dark City in the World That Never Was. Everything was grey and black with heartless and nobodies roaming around aimlessly. I woke in my stale white room and walked to The Grey Area, which is like the organization's living room. Larxene and Xigbar lounged on white chairs, and Axel and Saix stood near the large window at the front of the room. Like always, the sky is blank. Just the usual darkness.
Larxene looked at me as I emerged from the corridor and grimaced, as if I were a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of the shoe that she can't get off. "Ew, you're awake." Xigbar laughed coldly and grinned. "Hey, Roxas. Welcome to the program, as they say."
I walked over to the ginger boy standing by the window. I couldn't stop staring at the tear drop tattoos under his eyes. They were neat, because they weren't blue, or clear. They were purple. "Heya Roxas." I didn't say anything. "Something I can help you with there, chatterbox?" I still didn't say anything. Axel crossed his arms, thinking for a while. Then he snapped his fingers. "Ah! I remember now. We have that meeting today in the Round Room. Blegh, meetings…" I tilted my head and parted my lips a bit, preparing to speak. "Round…Room…?"
"Yup. Apparently the boss man's got some big news. Wanna head over there now?"
"Okay."
"Alrighty then! Follow me." Before we left, Saix added, "Today's is an important meeting. I expect everyone to be on time." Axel rolled his eyes and pulled me along the corridors until we came to the Round Room. It's a very big circular room with big white chairs going around the room in a circle. The tallest chair is the one Xemnas sits on. We all have our own chairs, which is pretty nice. A big circle platform sits in the middle of all the chairs. Once all the members were in their chairs, the meeting began.
"Good tidings, friends. Today is a momentous day." Xemnas said. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Axel scratch his chin and Luxord lean back in his chair. "I am pleased to announce that a new comrade has been chosen to wear the coat." Vexen smirked. Demyx adjusted himself in his seat. Xemnas looked down toward the floor. A small cloaked figure walked into the room and stood in the center with its hood up. "Number XIV. Let us all welcome one of the Keyblade's chosen."
I blinked, remembering when I was brought before them. I had woken up in front of The Old Mansion in Twilight Town. It was a nice old place with a forest surrounding it. A figure in a black cloak emerged from a corridor of darkness and walks toward me. "You seek answers." The man waved a cloaked arm between use and the word 'SORA' appeared in the air. The letters were shiny silver, and seemed to be suspended in the air. " I can give you purpose." He waved his arm again and the letters swirled around me, gaining momentum until they were barely visible as letters. The man slammed his fist into them and four points of golden light shot out, making me flinch. I opened my eyes and saw a new golden letter X hovering before me. The silver letters rejoin with the X in the center forming a new word, turning fully golden.
"Roxas." I said.
"That is right-the new you."
Later that day, I walked through Twilight Town, and saw a group of kids eating ice cream.
I was torn away from the memory when the figure looked up at me. I gasped.
After seven days of clinging to a number and a name, I had trouble processing anything else. I couldn't have told you who the people in black coats were, or what they wanted with me.
-Day 7-
It's been a week since I got here. Saïx told me to keep a diary, but he said nobody would check it. What am I supposed to write about? Today they told us to go to the Round Room, where we met our new member, No. XIV. Was I like that when I first got here? I think I was. But I don't remember too well.
Saix had Axel take me on my first mission the next day. He had to teach me how to fight and explore and RTC (Return to Castle). It didn't take very long. When we were finished, Axel took me to the clock tower. We sat down and he pulled out two ice cream bars."Here ya go. The icing on the cake." I nodded and took it into my hand, licking it. "You remember what this ice cream is called?"
"Uhm..."
"It's sea-sat ice cream. C'mon, I already told you once. Get it memorized, man." I nodded and licked it again. "It's really salty...but sweet, too." Axel shook his head, laughing. "Ha ha. Roxas, you said the same exact thing the other day." I tilted my head. "I did? I don't remember that."
"Hey, what has it been, a week since you showed up?"
"Maybe."
"'Maybe'"? C'mon, you must remember that much." I didn't say anything. "Well, that's okay. Today's where it all really begins anyway." I looked at Axel, who smiled at me. "Yeah?"
"Sure! Here you are, out in the field, working for the Organization... Today, you're one of us."
"I guess it's a start." I took a bite of my ice cream.
That was my first day working for the Organization. They gave me missions, and I carried them out. But if you asked me what my job was... I would've just stared at you.
-Day 8- Axel and I went to Twilight Town today. He taught me a lot. Before we RTC'd (Returned To the Castle) we swung by the clock tower and had some sea-salt ice cream. Axel called it the "icing on the cake" after a successful mission. Well, except there was no cake—just the ice cream.I don't know what to write in this thing! -Day 9-
The past few days, the other members have been showing me how to fight and do mission stuff. They also told me more about the Organization, and about myself. I still don't really get what a "heart" is. But apparently, it's a vital piece of who I am-so I've decided to cooperate. If I collect enough hearts, I can complete Kingdom Hearts. Then I'll be whole. The next day Zexion and I went on a mission. I found out I was a Nobody-that I was incomplete. Just like the rest of them, I came into the world without a heart. Would it have made a difference? If I had a heart...would that make me somebody?
Our group had its good apples, just like it has its bad. But everybody wanted the same thing: to complete Kingdom Hearts. What is Kingdom Hearts? What happens when we gather enough hearts and finish it? I didn't know then...still don't... But I'll fight for my chance to be someone whole-fight against the darkness, for however long it takes.
-Day 14-
Me and Axel went on a mission to Twilight Town. Afterwards, we went and had ice cream again up on the clock tower. He said friends do stuff like that. Or they laugh together. So does that mean me and him are friends?
On the 23 day of being in the Organization, I finally got a mission with our new member. I had woken up that day, looking for Axel, who had already left. As always, I walked up to Saix to see what today's mission was. "Today marks your first time out on a mission together. We need you to eliminate a specific Heartless. Roxas, you are in charge." I was surprised by this. "Me? Oh...okay." I looked over at the newest memeber, Xion, then draw a dark corridor. After I walked through, she followed after me.
We didn't say anything to each other up until after we defeated our heartless.
I looked at the girl and said, "I've got someplace to be. You go ahead and RTC without me." She nodded and stepped inside the corridor. Then I went to the clock tower and ate ice cream by myself. It was lonely without Axel there. I wonder how he's doing.
-Day 23-
Axel left before I woke up this morning. I never got to ask him about the ice cream stick. I was partnered up with No. XIV for today's mission. Xion wore a hood the whole time and wouldn't say a word to me. Come to think of it, I didn't have a whole lot to say, either. Afterwards I went and had ice cream by myself. On day 24, Xion and I were paired up again. We entered Twilight Town and went to the sandlot, where we defeated all of the heartless we had to to complete the mission. I looked at her and started to walk towards the clock tower. "I've got someplace to be again today, so go on ahead without me."
"R...Roxas?" Her voice caught me off guard. It was a sweet sound. Something you wouldn't mind listening to for a long period of time. I turned around and looked at her. "Huh? What did you say?" The girl turned to face me. "Your name...it's Roxas...isn't it?" I nodded slowly and said, "Yeah, Xion. ...That's right."
That evening I sat up on the clock tower alone again, thinking. My name... Was that the first thing Xion's ever said? The thought made me smile a little.I finished my ice cream and returned to the castle.
-Day 24-
I teamed up with No. XIV again today. We finally talked a little-Xion even said my name for the first time. Afterwards I had ice cream by myself again. The lady at the shop said you can trade the WINNER stick for an extra bar. But I can't eat more than one.
The next morning I woke up and walked to the Grey room, Xion standing by the window with her hood still up. I wonder what she looks like...
"Morning Xion." I said as I walked up to her. She was silent. "Uhm...something the matter?" She shook her head. "Good...morning Roxas."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Saix walk in and stride towards us. "Both of you, finish your preparations as soon as possible. A giant Heartless has surfaced. It must be exterminated today." We nodded and opened a corridor. I let Xion walk in first, and I walked in after her. When we got to Twilight Town, I started to walk toward the area where I target is. "Roxas." Raising a brow, I turned around. Xion took her hood down, and I gasped.
Her face was framed with pretty short black hair, and her eyes were really blue. She was gorgeous. I didn't really know what to say, so I didn't say anything at all. I just stared at her. How could something so beautiful hide under a black hood for so long?
"Good luck today." She said with a small smile. I smiled back and nodded. "Th-thanks, you too Xion." We walked to the Station Plaza, where the clock tower is and a giant heartless called a Darkside appeared. I gasped and my keyblade appeared in my hand. "What is THAT?" "Our target!" "You ready for this?" "Yeah." -
The giant Heartless slamed his fist down and I blocked with my Keyblade. The blow knocked the blade out of my hands, and it slid over to Xion. It vanished from the ground and reappeared in her hand. Xion, at first surprised, ran at the Darkside and slashed at him. It fell to the ground and the Keyblade vanished from Xion's hand.
I looked at her with surprise. "Whoa! Xion, I didn't know you could use the Keyblade." She looked as surprised as I was. "Neither did I." I smiled and patted her on the shoulder, leading her towards the clock tower. "You did great. In fact, you deserve a little something extra." She gave me a quizzical look. "Something extra?"
"Yeah, the icing on the cake. C'mon. There's this place..." We walked up to the tower and sat down on the ledge. "How'd you find such a great place?" I only smiled and pulled out two ice cream bars. "Heeeere you go!" Xion hesitated a moment but then took it.
"It's sea-salt ice cream." She simply looked at me. "Well, go on try it." She took a bite and stared off at the sun, as if collecting her thoughts. After a while she finally concluded, "It's sweet, but kinda salty too."
"It's really good, right? Me and Axel always meet up here for ice cream after work." I took a bite of my own and smiled. She giggled. "Sounds like it's yours too!"
"Heh, yeah. I don't remember it too well, but Axel said he took me here my very first day with the Organization. And then he bought me some ice cream again after my first mission. Said it was the 'icing on the cake.'" She nodded and took another bite. "A little something extra?"
"Exactly." We sat there in silence for a while and ate our ice cream, just staring at the sun. It was nice being up here with someone again. "You guys must be close." I looked at Xion and shurgged a bit. "Axel's my first friend." She looked down at her boots. "Your...friend? Roxas, do you think I could be a friend?" Smiling, I took another bite and nodded. "When Axel gets back, let's ask him. Then all three of us can have ice cream together!" The girl grinned at this. "Okay!"
-Day 25-
Today was my third day with Xion. I've gotten to know a little more about her. That's right-she's a girl, with black hair, and she can use the Keyblade just like me! I took her out for ice cream afterwards, but I'm saving the WINNER stick. Axel deserves a reward when he gets back. Xion wants to have ice cream with us from now on. Maybe we'll be friends.
-Day 26-
I only remember part of this day. I heard somebody sent to Castle Oblivion was terminated. Saïx said it may have been Axel.I tried to ask Xigbar about it on the day's mission, and he said nothing's left of Nobodies once we're gone, because we have no hearts to leave behind. I don't remember much after that. They say I collapsed and wouldn't wake up...
Hey! So thanks for reading the first chapter!
I just wanted to say that almost all of this chapter is from Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, and a little bit of the next chapter will. From that point on I'll only be using quotes and scenes I think are important to the story. Obviously, I had to use the first few scenes from the game to set the scene and introduce some of the characters in the story.
Okay! That's all :3