Just an Emotionless Nobody

Roxas glanced up at the night sky. He'd kill Renxen the first chance he got.

Was that him or Sora?

That was the question he'd been asking himself.

Roxas turned back towards his house, seeing Axel standing outside the door, hood up.

"I see you're back on your feet." Roxas commented. Axel nodded in response. Silently, Sora's Nobody headed for the door and started inside. "Come on. Fire and cold don't mix." Axel followed him in; lowering his hood once the door was closed.

"Roxas, you seem upset." Axel commented. Roxas shook his head.

"I'm not, but Sora is." Roxas replied. "Kairi and Riku are together, and it's tearing Sora apart."

"Poor kid." Axel muttered. A below freezing wind suddenly blew through the house, but none of the windows were open. Axel, being a fire element, kept warm, but Roxas wasn't that lucky, his body not able to withstand the sudden temperature change, which remained afterwards. Roxas' mind went blank, and Axel suddenly spun around to catch him as he blacked out and fell. "Roxas!" He exclaimed. No response. "Roxas!" He glanced around. "Renxen… I know you're there!"

"You think it's just the cold that's knocked him out?" Renxen stepped from the shadows of the corner. His clothing had changed from when he supposedly killed Sora, instead of the dark clothing it was now crimson, matching his eyes, with navy blue cargo pants. "No. Not on my name as an Emotion Hunter."

"How then? Roxas has no heart!" Axel snapped.

"There are emotions deep within him, and the sudden lost of the strength of heart has knocked him out. Unlike the Princess of Heart, he will probably wake up." Renxen's eyes started glowing in the same fashion Rexa's did every once in awhile, before he vanished with another wind.

Strangely, the room temperature didn't change. Ice? Axel shuddered. He picked Roxas up and placed him on the couch, placing a hand on XIII's forehead. "He's freezing…" Axel muttered. His hand started heating up in an attempt to bring Roxas' temperature up. Axel yanked his hood up over his head, and picked Roxas up, running outside. It was even colder out there… What was with this? This was a tropical island. Tropical. Say it with me. T-r-o-p-i-c-a-l. Got it memorised?

Axel opened a Corridor of Darkness, and darted into it, still carrying Roxas.

Where were Kairi and Riku? It would be safer for Roxas in a group that he knew well.

Axel had been hunted since he let Roxas escape from Renxen, about a month ago. That was a long story.

"Hang in there, Roxas." Axel muttered as they came out of the other side of the Corridor of Darkness, on one of the isles. Behind them was a cabin, and it sounded like someone was awake. Axel darted up to the door and sat Roxas down, before knocking and running off.

--

Riku and Kairi looked up in alarm when someone knocked on the door, and Riku walked over to answer it. When he opened the door, the rush of cold air hit him like a brick wall, which kind of surprised him. After noticing that, he saw Roxas and pulled him inside, before shutting the door, the temperature going back to normal inside. That was weird… It wasn't supposed to be that cold here… Plus, why didn't it stick around? It wasn't like they had a perfect heater

"He's frozen…" Riku commented, placing a hand on Roxas' forehead. "Kairi, get some blankets." Kairi nodded and left the room, coming back with a few blankets and passed them to Riku, who covered Roxas with them.

Roxas stirred a few minutes later, getting the two's attention.

"Sora…" Roxas murmured. "I can't… feel him there… anymore…"

"Roxas." Riku kneeled beside him. "You okay?"

"I am… but Sora… I don't know…" Roxas suddenly shot up. "Axel! Where's Axel?!" Riku and Kairi looked at each other in confusion.

"I think the cold's mucked up his memory." Riku commented to Kairi quietly.

"Unless we know what really happened Namine can't fix it, Riku." Kairi looked at him. "Not properly." Riku looked down.

"I know…" Riku glanced up. "What'll we do? Someone's dropped him on us. We can't exactly abandon him, not when he is Sora." Kairi blinked.

"Sora's dead. Even Roxas said that he can't feel him anymore." Kairi looked down.

"Kairi…" Riku sighed as Kairi walked off and went inside her room.

"Sorry." Roxas looked down.

"Don't apologise." Riku got Roxas to his feet, leaving the blankets to fall to the ground.

"Has Kairi been like this the whole time?" Roxas asked him.

"Yeah." Riku nodded. Roxas glanced outside.

"I should get home." He commented.

"Where's home?"

"On the mainland."

"Stay here for the night." Riku shook his head. "Strangely enough, it's freezing out there." Roxas blinked.

"Freezing? How?" Roxas was confused, long story short. Why was it freezing on the islet? Strangely enough was an understatement. Wait, Axel! Where was Axel? Roxas glanced around. "Axel…" He muttered, and then looked at Riku. "Have you seen Axel?" Riku shook his head.

"Axel faded over a year ago." He commented.

"No, he came back… he let me escape from Renxen…" Roxas could hardly remember the whole thing, but he did remember Axel waking him up with a chakram, then the two running through low-lit, white hallways, eventually fleeing to the islet here… "Kairi saw him… you saw him… he was in the Emotion Hunter's HQ." Riku blinked, and Roxas forgot that not Runielius, Renxen, nor Rexa or anyone else spoke that group's name. "That's what Runielius' group called themselves."

"I wonder why…" Riku muttered. "It's getting late; I'm going to head to bed." He changed subjects. Roxas nodded.

"Alright." He agreed as Riku started to walk off.

"Oh, and Sora." Roxas looked in Riku's direction. "If you can hear me. Don't try anything stupid." Roxas laughed. Riku walked off and into one of the bedrooms.

Roxas started pacing, wondering about what had happened to Axel. A couple minutes later he heard tapping on the window and walked over, spotting a black hooded figure.

"Open the window!" Came the muffled voice of Axel. Roxas walked over and opened it, a rush of cold air coming through. "You okay?"

"I guess… my head's a bit foggy and I can't feel Sora anymore…" Roxas held a hand over where his heart should be, where Sora's heart should reside.

"Warn Riku and Kairi; when you were knocked out, Renxen came by and said that you would wake up, unlike the Princess of Heart. He's going to attack Kairi." Axel knew that would worry Roxas, for two reasons.

A) Even if he couldn't feel Sora, Roxas' somebody was still there

And

B) Kairi was Namine. Need I say more?

Roxas growled. "If he lays a finger on her he is dead." Axel nodded.

"I better get going before I'm found. Once you've stopped Renxen, find me at Sleinr's lab." Axel then turned and ran off. Roxas paused. Sleinr's lab? Didn't Sleinr fade? He couldn't remember a lab… Roxas closed the window, the air going back to its normal temperature. That was weird... Was Renxen an ice element or something?

Roxas headed towards Sora's bedroom in the cabin, noticing that Kairi's door was open. He glanced in. Kairi was asleep, lying on her bed. Riku was in there, wide awake on a couch, looking at the ceiling. Roxas turned away, and headed into Sora's room, lying down on the bed.

R…Rox…as…

Sora?! You're back!

I… my… my strength… is gone…

Hang on, Sora. Survive the night and you should have your strength back.

Roxas smiled, once again feeling the presence, while it was weak, of his other.

He wasn't sure when, but Roxas eventually dozed off.

--

"Roxas! Get up." Roxas awoke to Riku shaking his shoulder lightly.

"What time is it?" Roxas moaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Too late to go to school but that's beside the point!" Riku yanked Roxas into a sitting position. "Kairi's missing!"

"What!?" Roxas jumped onto the floor.

"This was left behind." Riku passed a note to Roxas.

You should keep better track of that girl. Her power will be mine now.

Roxas growled, clenching his fists, paper in hand. "I'm going to kill you, Renxen." Roxas growled under his breath. He rushed past Riku, who followed shortly after.

They rushed out of the cabin, and much to Roxas' relief, the temperature had returned to normal. That didn't matter now, though. He and Riku ran out onto the beach, and were about to start searching when they were stopped.

"'Ey! What're you two doin' out of school?!" They turned to see Wakka standing there, Blitzball in hand.

"Looking for Kairi." Roxas replied. "Have you seen her?"

"I saw her. This mornin' actually. She was headed towards Sora's memorial." Replied the Blitzball player.

"We owe you one!" Riku turned and started jogging in the direction of Sora's memorial, Roxas close behind.

They looked around the memorial, seeing nothing new, nor seeing Kairi. Roxas cursed under his breath.

"Follow me." Riku motioned for Sora's Nobody to follow him. Roxas did so, and Riku led him between the trees.

"Riku!" Roxas pointed off to the side. Riku stopped and turned to look.

Kairi was lying there, motionless. Both Riku and Roxas darted to her side.

"Kairi!" Roxas called. "Kairi!" He shook her shoulder.

"Kairi, get up." Riku placed a hand on her shoulder.

"She will not wake."

Roxas and Riku turned to look at the owner of the voice.

"RENXEN!" Roxas shot to his feet, summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion.

Renxen smiled, dully raising his hand, his sword appearing in it and blocking Roxas' attack. Sapphire Blade. Given its name because the flat of the blade was not metal, no, it was a large sapphire.

"Why don't we take your emotions from you?" Renxen grinned, raising his free hand and facing his palm towards Roxas. Renxen's hand started to glow a purple colour, and Roxas could feel his strength slowly slipping away…

SORA!

Renxen smiled as Roxas slumped to the ground, all of Sora's strength gone. He could no longer feel Sora's heart inside him.

Riku summoned his Keyblade and rushed at Renxen, only to collapse onto the ground.

"Riku!" Roxas stumbled over to the silver haired teen.

"I do not need you." Renxen spoke as Riku's strength suddenly returned. "Not with all that darkness in your heart." Riku forced himself to his knees, growling at Renxen. The raven-haired eight- Hold on a moment!

"Why haven't you aged at all?" Roxas asked in confusion. "When I first saw you, you looked about seventeen, and that was over a year ago. You haven't aged a bit!" Renxen grinned.

"Twilights are ageless. If you found Yoruko, the second youngest, you'd find that she hasn't aged either. Nor has our youngest, but you never met him." Renxen snorted in amusement. "When have I seen yo- Hold on!" Renxen seemed to recognise Roxas. "Sora! The Keyblader! I though I killed you."

"My name's Roxas. Sora+X."

"Number XIII." Renxen smiled. "VIII and IX told me about you."

"Demyx?" Roxas blinked. "Demyx… That's right! Demyx… the idiot." Roxas smirked. "He and Axel were both in your little group's HQ."

"Kairi saw them, too." Roxas glanced up at a tree to see the ghost-like form of Namine sitting on a branch. "Both of them, but they kept their hoods up so she couldn't realise who they were at the time." Roxas paused, biting his lip.

"I am getting sick of this. Sora," Renxen held his sword towards Roxas, "I think we have unfinished business to attend to." Roxas growled.

"Yeah, we do. You're still alive!" Roxas darted to his feet, calling Oathkeeper and Oblivion back to him, rushing at Renxen.

"I was thinking similar, but about you. I'll deal with it later." Renxen vanished from sight as a breeze blew through. Roxas growled, before turning and heading back to Kairi, where Riku was already at her side.

"Kairi…" Roxas placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If she had strength left we could probably switch," Roxas glanced back at Namine as she spoke, "but she doesn't. Her heart is still in her, but its power, its emotion, everything has been drained from it." Roxas cursed under his breath. Namine gave him a smile, before disappearing.

"I'm going." Roxas got to his feet. Riku blinked at him. "I'm going to hunt Renxen down, and I'm going to figure out how I'm alive. I remember dieing, then waking up with a chakram in my face, but I want to know how I'm alive." Riku nodded.

"I'm coming with. Maybe we can find something to save Kairi." Roxas nodded in response. "How will we get to other worlds?"

Roxas was thinking of an answer, when suddenly a bright light engulfed him, Riku and the motionless Kairi.

--

Roxas moaned. Where was he? He could've sworn he was on the islet… He sat up.

"Radiant Garden?" He asked aloud, looking at Riku, who was sitting up beside him, attending to Kairi.

"She's still out of it." Riku sighed.

"She won't wake until we return her emotions to her." Roxas shook his head, then got to his feet before helping Riku to his. "Let's head to Merlin's." Riku nodded, before picking Kairi up.

They had ended up in the Bailey, and slowly headed in the direction of Merlin's house. Once there, Roxas told Riku to wait outside, he wasn't sure why, though. It was just a feeling he had, that it would be better to explain everything alone.

Roxas headed inside, finding that the Restoration Committee was sitting around the table, including two honorary members, Donald and Goofy. They all looked up in alarm when Roxas closed the door.

"Who're you!?" Yuffie flipped over the table and landed in front of him. "This is private!"

"Yeah! Get out!" Donald rushed over.

"Gawrsh, guys. Shouldn't we hear him out?" Goofy glanced around.

"He isn't a memb-" Leon was cut off when Roxas threw a purple-coloured card at him. Leon glanced at the name on the back then shot to his feet. "Murderer! You're the one who killed Sora!"

"Gee, that makes me so much happier." Roxas commented sarcastically.

"Thunder!" Donald exclaimed, electrocuting Roxas.

"Who are you?! Larxene?!" Roxas hissed, twitching slightly from the electricity running through his system. He then decided to imitate his somebody, turning away, then glancing back and pointing in their direction. "'So how 'bout it: Think we can handle one last rumble together?'" The imitation was spot on, even the tone of voice.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed, jumping up and hugging Roxas.

"Okay okay okay okay!" Roxas laughed, trying to get them off of him. "We all know Roxas and Sora are alive! Now get off of us!" He laughed.

"Us?" Goofy asked.

"You see, technically I'm actually Roxas, his Nobody, but Sora is living inside of me, like I used to be living in him." Roxas paused. I hope.

Nice imitation, bonehead.

Sora! You're okay!

Why wouldn't I be?

"So Sora is alive…" Leon smiled. "It seemed a bit far-fetched that he was dead."

"Well… truth be told we did die. How we're alive now, you tell me." Roxas shrugged. "Okay, Riku, come in. I'm running out of words for explanations." Riku shook his head in amusement as he entered Merlin's house.

The first thing everyone noticed was not Riku, but Kairi.

"What happened to her?" Aerith asked Roxas and Riku. "Darkness cloaks her heart…"

"She has had her emotions taken by Renxen," Roxas started to explain, "not her heart, but everything in it. Renxen is part of the Emotion Hunters and it's my best guess that he's a Nobody."

"Hm… we need to find a way to save her…" Leon glanced at Cid.

"I got nothin'" Cid shook his head.

"I think I can help." Everyone glanced over at the shadows of a corner of the room in alarm.