"You and I both miss someone we care about..."

As he did every morning and evening, Zexion entered Roxas' room to find him just as motionless as ever. Axel was hunched over in his chair, his head and arms resting on the bed, out like a light. At least he's sleeping… Zexion thought to himself with relief as he tread quietly through the room with his equipment. He carefully stepped around Axel as he ran his tests and performed his scans and typed his notes. Roxas' physical health continued to improve upon every examination, finally crossing over the barrier between unconsciousness and sleep. As far as he was concerned, Roxas could wake up any moment.

Zexion was deeply focused on his work when he was startled by a knock at the door. Puzzled, he quietly opened it to find Demyx standing there.

"Zexion! Sorry to bother you, I'm looking for Axel—"

Zexion clamped a hand over his mouth, shushing him as he gestured toward Axel's sleeping form. Demyx quickly understood, and Zexion let him go to continue to his work, whispering his query to the musician. "Why are you here?"

Demyx kept his voice to a soft whisper as well, leaning in a little too closely. "Axel wasn't in his room, so I figured I'd look here. The guys are going out and we wanted to invite him. But it looks like he's out cold."

Zexion bent down to ensure that Axel was still asleep, finding his eyes closed and his mouth hanging open. "Yes, and I would rather not wake him. It's not often he gets to sleep these days."

"Poor guy. Well, I'll get out of your hair." Demyx turned to leave but stopped short before he reached the door. "Hey, wait… do you want to come with us? We've got a great spot we go to; good food, good drinks, good music…"

Zexion, caught off-guard by the invitation, paused as he tried to come up with an excuse. It wasn't that he didn't want to go, but that some odd compulsion forced him to decline. This was a common occurrence for Zexion, seeming to always take place in social situations. "Thanks Demyx, but I have work to catch up on."

If Zexion didn't know better, he'd have sworn Demyx appeared genuinely disappointed as his face fell. His recovery was swift, however, and he shrugged as he made his way for the door once again. "Shucks, that's too bad. Well, maybe next time—"

They were soon interrupted by the sound of soft moans. They both glanced to the bed to find both Roxas and Axel just as they left them, having not moved even an inch.

"Crap, did I wake him?"

"Shhh!"

The moaning returned and both men were stunned when they saw where it came from. Roxas was moving, turning his head and flexing his limbs. Zexion grabbed one of his devices and his notepad before hurrying to Roxas' side. He quickly began to examine the boy, taking measurements and furiously typing away as Roxas continued to stir. Demyx, speechless, stared in awe as Roxas' movements became more pronounced, his soft, sleepy moans getting louder as he pulled himself back to consciousness.

"Zexion, look…"

Zexion paused his tests and reports, setting aside his equipment and silently watching Roxas' face as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He couldn't help but smile as he observed the momentous occasion, a sense of relief washing over him as Roxas scanned the room with a disoriented squint. His distant gaze finally rested on Zexion, who could barely contain his excitement. Roxas was awake at last.

"Roxas… Can you see me?"

Roxas nodded with a blank expression, confirming that he could not only see, but could hear and comprehend as well.

"Good! Do you recognize me? Do you know who I am?"

Roxas opened his mouth, but couldn't seem to draw enough breath to speak. He stuttered a few times, wheezing between attempts before Zexion stopped him.

"It's alright. You don't have to talk."

It took some doing, but Roxas managed to utter one word in response to Zexion's question. "Blurry…"

"I see… your eyes are still adjusting. Let's try something else. Do you know where you are?"

Roxas blinked several times, sweeping his eyes all around him, looking tired and lost. "Home…"

"Yes, that's right, you're home. Roxas, do you remember who we are?"

Roxas stared at Zexion's face for a long time, squinting and blinking as he dug through his mind for the answer. Zexion waited patiently, allowing Roxas to think without interruption. Finally, his eyes widened as his vision came into focus and he could match the faces he saw to names in his memories.

"Zexion… Demyx…"

The men smiled again, thrilled to be recognized. Zexion reached for his notepad and resumed typing while Roxas tried to prop himself upright. He quickly fell back down, his arms unable to bear his weight.

"Whoa, Roxas, take it easy. You haven't used your arms in weeks. Your muscles are probably pretty weak right now."

He pulled Roxas up off of his back, careful not to let go until he was certain the boy could sit upright on his own. Roxas took a moment to steady his breaths as he fought off the dizziness from holding up his head for the first time in so long. When the spinning began to subside, Roxas took notice of the figure lying over the side of his bed.

"Roxas… do you know who that is?"

Roxas stared intently for a long time, sensing the familiarity of the fiery red locks, but lacking the pieces to make the connection in his memory. "I can't see his face…"

Zexion, taking a hands-off approach with this aspect of Roxas' recovery, offered him a sensible suggestion, curious to see the result of his little test. "He's asleep. Why don't you wake him up?"

Roxas, hesitant at first, reached toward the unmoving body, nudging the man on the shoulder gently. "Hey… Wake up… Show me your face…"

He prodded the man for several seconds, eventually having to shake him to get his attention. The man began to stir, grumbling and rubbing his eyes. He lifted his head and turned to see who had awakened him as he stretched his cramped limbs. Upon seeing the culprit, he gasped, wide-eyed, nearly falling out of his chair.

"Roxas…! I can't believe it, you're awake!" He slapped his cheeks, pinching himself to confirm he wasn't dreaming. He stopped breathing entirely as he waited for Roxas to say something, having sorely missed the sound of his voice.

"Okay, Roxas. You've seen his face. Now, do you remember who he is?"

Roxas studied the man's appearance for over a minute. He had bright green eyes, purple marks on his cheeks, and his red hair stood tall in all directions. His physical features were familiar, but what seemed to draw Roxas' attention were the things he couldn't see. The man had warmth, somewhere deep inside him. There was a glow about him, visible not to the eyes but to the heart. Roxas could sense their connection, but couldn't seem to locate the information on what that connection was.

Roxas watched as the man's eyes welled up, his face falling into sadness. He found himself deeply troubled by the thought of upsetting him, as if he shared the man's pain. It stung in his chest, and Roxas grew nauseated the more he focused on it.

Out of nowhere, he felt something inside him unlock. Memories flooded in through the newly opened path and into his conscious mind. They swirled like a violent storm, loud and strong. There was a pounding ache in his head, but he refused to close his eyes until he could say this man's name.

In just seconds, the influx of memories ceased and he found what he was searching for. "Axel, why are you crying?"

Axel sprang out of his chair and threw his arms around Roxas, pulling him into a powerful embrace. Roxas, shocked by the gesture, froze momentarily before reciprocating with a confused expression. He could hear Axel fighting back tears as he held him, growing concerned for his friend's well-being. It felt to Roxas as if he had simply gone to sleep, then woke up to find these people in his room, looking surprised to see him alive.

"Axel… what's wrong? What's going on?"

Sniffling and wiping his face, Axel released his hold on Roxas, his voice shaking as he explained the situation. "You've been unconscious for weeks… I missed you so much…"

"Weeks…? But… how? What happened?"

Zexion stepped in to take over the questions and answers in an effort to keep from overwhelming the boy. "The shortest answer is that you were kidnapped and many of your memories were stolen from you. You have been asleep while your mind tried to put the pieces of the puzzle back together."

Roxas stared open-mouthed at the scientist, completely lost by his explanation.

"Tomorrow we will want to ask you some questions about what you can remember, so we can see what pieces are still missing, but for now I want you to rest. I promise, we will explain everything in detail tomorrow."

Axel couldn't stop beaming at Roxas, overjoyed by his awakening. He had no idea how he could possibly feel so happy, but for right now he didn't care. He was elated to have his friend back and even more so when he learned that Roxas' memories of their friendship remained intact.

Zexion gave Roxas a quick medical once-over before clearing him for the night. "You're in good shape for having been unconscious so long. Take it easy tonight. Vexen and I will be back to check on you in the morning."

He collected his instruments and his notepad, heading for the door. "Demyx, I've reconsidered your invitation. Turns out I have no work to do after all."

Delighted, Demyx practically skipped out the door behind him. Alone at last, Axel heaved an enormous sigh and slumped onto the bed again, overcome by the intensity of such an emotional experience. All the pain and sorrow he felt for several weeks, plaguing him even in his sleep, were finally lifted. For fake emotions, Axel was quite surprised by how strong they were, and how real they felt.

"Axel… are you okay?"

Axel finally picked his head up, grinning at his friend while coming down from the high. "Never better."

Roxas smiled back at him with a new appreciation for the warm glow Axel seemed to carry within him. His beaming face could outshine the sun itself. "I've never seen you like this before."

Axel played dumb, slightly embarrassed by his loss of control. "Like what?"

"I saw you crying, but you also look happy."

Axel chortled softly, barely understanding the concept himself. "Well… I guess when we try to mimic the feelings we used to have, maybe we get a little confused."

Roxas laid himself back down, his back having grown tired from sitting upright. He got lost in thought as he contemplated Axel's response. He recalled how just a few moments ago, Axel looked so sad, and Roxas felt sad along with him. Now, seeing Axel so happy, Roxas felt happy too. He wished he could understand this connection they seemed to share, but the more he pondered it, the more tired he began to feel.

As his eyelids began to droop, he reached out and laid his hand on Axel's shoulder. "I'm happy, too."

Axel had laid his head back down on the mattress beside him, and together they surrendered themselves to a deep, peaceful slumber.


"It seems Roxas is awake."

Xemnas smiled at Saïx's declaration. "What excellent news. What is his condition?"

"Fatigued. Weak, but stable." Saïx gave his report in an uninterested tone, leaning casually on his knees as he spoke to his Superior.

"And his memories?"

"Fragmented, as Zexion predicted. But he seems to remember his time with the Organization. Most of it, anyway."

Xemnas thought for a moment, formulating plans in his mind. "Do we know when he is expected to recover?"

"I'm told he'll be as good as new in a matter of days. The experiment could be performed in as little as a week."

There was another pause as Xemnas organized the information he had. He considered his options for several seconds before making his decision. "Give the boy an appropriate recovery period. Allow him the time to re-acquaint himself with his surroundings. As soon as he is ready, brief him on what will be done. When the procedure is complete, then we can set our plan in motion."

Saïx acknowledged his order with a silent nod before asking a question of his own. "Sir… when the experiment is complete, what will be done with Roxas?"

"If the experiment is a success, and we have our duplicate, then we will have no further use for him. He will be drained of memories, and when the vessel is removed, he will be but an empty husk, indistinguishable from a replica."

Saïx's eyes widened slightly at this unexpected development. It was becoming clear why so much of this information was not volunteered at the initial presentation. "I see."

"Consider the possibilities… Having the power to wipe a person clean, making them into a perfect human vessel. It's much faster than waiting for Vexen to churn out another replica."

"Indeed, it would be very useful if it works."

"You are not confident in Vexen's abilities?"

Saïx chose his words carefully before responding. "Vexen has remarkable ideas, and is a skilled researcher. However, the fruits of his labor have all been spoiled in some fashion. I am confident in his scientific creativity, but not in his execution."

Xemnas chuckled softly in agreement. "I can certainly concede to that."

"That being said, I would like nothing more than for this experiment to be a success. It would be another step toward recompletion for all of us."

"Of course… To rejoin our hearts with our bodies and minds… that is our ultimate goal."

Saïx stared up at his Superior without a word for several seconds. It was fascinating interacting with the man, given their similarities and contrasts. Both emitted pure emotionlessness, but with drastically opposite approaches. Saïx had long since mastered the haunting, blank stare. He considered it a useful skill to make his face unreadable, possessing no more animation than that of a corpse. Xemnas, on the other hand, smiled, laughed, grimaced, and glowered regularly, yet he experienced no more feeling than Saïx did. His emotional displays were obvious performances, perfectly concealing the true nature of his thoughts.

With a sinister grin, Xemnas disappeared into his corridor of darkness. Saïx found himself alone in the round room, contemplating the information he'd just learned. After several moments to his thoughts, he followed suit and left the room in a similar fashion, transporting himself to the Grey Area to wait for the day to begin.