Chapter 6

Roxas visited every day on the dot, which Xion was quite grateful for. She feared she might've died of boredom two weeks sooner if not for his visits. They talked quite a bit, about everything from his missions for the day to the latest book she'd read. He'd even brought ice cream once—sea-salt, one of Axel's favorites, though Xion wasn't new to the flavor. Whenever Joseph stopped by it always seemed to be with ice cream in tow.

"It's not like it's a problem, I've got a million WINNER sticks that've piled up between forgetting to trade them in and just getting more, so I've basically got a million free ice creams," Joseph had explained, very rapidly, when she'd asked. He always spoke rapidly like that, especially when he was explaining things. Xion half wondered if he was on a constant sugar-high or something.

Joseph aside, Xion didn't get much chances to talk to anyone besides Roxas—7 or one of the other Replicas he'd told about her would check up on her once and a while, but she was lucky if she saw one every other day. 7 said he'd visit more if he wasn't trying to figure out how to fix her data on his down time, and Xion understood that rather well. She'd much prefer not dying over frequent company. Everyone else had their tasks to be about, too, so she spent most of her time reading. Every time Zeta—the Zexion—visited, it was with an armful of new books for her to read, not that he ever seemed happy about delivering them.

"I don't see why you can't do this yourself," he'd said one day. "Sure, the library in the World that Never Was isn't extensive, nor safe to raid, but there are libraries elsewhere that won't miss a few books. The one in Radi—excuse me—Hollow Bastion, for certain. There are hundreds of books in that library, and none in use. Be better than me delivering an armful of books you aren't even interested in every week…"

Xion had tried to tell him that he had brought plenty of books she'd liked, and just because she hadn't liked them all didn't mean she wasn't thankful, but he didn't seem to care about anything besides complaining.

It was the end of the week (what she defined as a week, anyway), so she'd finished all the books Zeta had brought her, and it would be another day before he'd be back with more. Xion decided to take a walk around Castle Oblivion—there were plenty of floors and halls that were only visited on occasion, so as long as she was careful…

The walk did little more than get her up and moving, but at least it was something.

After turning two corners, she heard voices. Normally, that'd be her signal to form a dark corridor straight back to her room, but one of the voices was… familiar. She'd never heard it before, actually, but something about it… tugged at her.

"Do you really think this is gonna work?" the voice asked.

"We certainly have the resources to make it work," a second voice—a Vexen's voice—replied. She wasn't sure which Vexen it was (and likely wouldn't have even if she'd seen him), but she had a feeling it wasn't 7. Or 29. Those were the only two she knew.

She paused, listening, trying to determine which direction they were coming from. She didn't have a chance to. They turned down the hall she was standing in. Her first reaction was to jump three feet in the air, the second to dart back around the corner she'd just turned. She was very grateful she'd stifled the yelp that had tried to leave her mouth.

"Who was…?" the not-Vexen asked. Riku asked. Now that she'd seen him, she knew him, though she couldn't say how. That was Riku.

Though… perhaps he was taller than she remembered—Not that I remember him! I've never met him before in my life!

"Who?" the Vexen asked. Xion pressed herself against the wall and hoped they didn't turn this corner. From what she knew was in this hallway, they shouldn't need to.

"I thought I saw…" Riku began, but he trailed off.

"I didn't see anyone," the Vexen said.

There was a long pause. Xion held her breath, hoping they'd just move on, or continue the conversation. Finally, she heard footsteps—only one set.

Get out of there! You should move before—

A hand closed around her arm. She jolted, and instantly scolded herself internally. She needed to get out of the habit of jumping like that, she was as bad as a startled cat! Her internal scolding was the only thing that kept her from socking Riku in the jaw.

"Who… are you…?" Riku's voice was slow, unsteady, and his tone almost accusing.

Her first reaction was anger and a glare, but then she got a good look at his face. He had to bend down so he was level with her—he was definitely taller than her "memories" said he should be—and his eyes… They looked sunken into his face, heavy bags under them. She wanted to ask if he was okay, only then she realized the Vexen had seen her, too. She needed to explain herself, first, before one of them could sound any sort of alarm.

She struggled to pull her arm away from Riku, to no avail. His fingers tightened in an iron grip the moment she moved. Sighing, she said: "I'm… Xion." Name first. She was a person before anything else. "I'm… I'm a failed Replica of Sora…"

"I can see that," Riku said. He hardly blinked.

She gaped. Her stomach flipped. She couldn't even think of anything to respond.

"I don't recall more than one Replica of Sora being made," the Vexen interrupted. He sounded confused, but not alarmed. Not worried.

"That's… that's probably because I should've been deactivated." It was a struggle to say the words, especially under Riku's gaze. It was hard to tell if he just didn't like her or if he always looked like that. "There's- there's something wrong with my data," she continued, careful not to say what. "7 thinks he can find a way to fix it, and didn't want to deactivate me, so he saved me."

Riku raised his eyebrows. "Doesn't saying that get 7 in trouble?"

"If I'm found, he's in trouble already," Xion replied. "No one knows I'm here. No one can know." She fixed her eyes on the Vexen as she said that, looking past Riku's bulk. The words were for him—as frustrating as Riku was, she doubted he would blab, and further doubted anyone would believe him if he did. His track record with the Organization was rather… unsavory, after all.

"Understood," the Vexen assured her.

Riku said nothing. He just kept squinting at her.

"Why are you here?" Xion demanded. Not to kill the rest of the Organization, I hope. Though, maybe it'd solve a lot of trouble…

Riku made a noise that she couldn't tell whether it was a growl or just him clearing his throat. "Looking for a friend—for Sora, actually."

"And being here helps?"

"They have the resources…"

Xion considered him a long moment. Considered his tired eyes, the catch in his voice, the hesitant shrug. She could feel his grip lessen on her arm, and could see his eyes dart to the walls around them with unease.

"You don't want to be here," she said. It wasn't a question.

He let go of her arm, and she yanked it away the moment it was free.

"That's none of your business."

The hesitance had become hostility surprisingly fast.

Xion caught herself moving to rub her arm, and quickly turned the motion into that of dusting herself off. He didn't need to know that he'd hurt her. He didn't need that satisfaction.

"And I'm none of yours," she replied, making sure her tone was just as hostile as the one he'd regarded her with.

Riku grunted, and started walking. The Vexen looked between the two of them, and after a second sent a reassuring smile at Xion. "I won't breathe a word of this," he said, and started after Riku.

"Wait." Xion stopped him. "What number are you?"

"19." The Vexen smiled again, and then he was really off.

Xion clutched her arm now, swallowing around a dry throat. Riku hadn't hurt her that badly, she could just still feel his fingers pressed against her skin. She watched him and 19 leave, eyes narrowing.

Looking for Sora, he said, but is that all it is? she wondered. I didn't think he cared much about Sora. And why was 19 so friendly with him, anyway? He- he killed Master Vexen, and put Saix in charge, and if Saix wasn't in charge…

If Saix wasn't in charge, there would be no reason for her to be in hiding, no threat of annihilation if she was found out. Everyone but Joseph had told her that at least once.

Standing here glaring at his back isn't going to change anything, though…

She let out a long breath.

Back to my room, then, I guess. What I wouldn't give to follow him, though, and give him a piece of my mind…

xxx

Xion was a little surprised to see Roxas sitting in her desk chair when she returned to her room. He grinned at her, and she smiled back, moving to sit down on her bed.

"Where were you, huh?" Roxas asked.

"Walking," she replied.

Roxas raised his eyebrows.

"That safe?"

"Around this floor, yeah." Xion nodded unconsciously. "I, uh, I did run into someone, though."

Roxas sat up straight. "Is that bad?"

"No, no," Xion told him, quickly. "Well… They promised they wouldn't tell, but… Riku…"

"Riku?"

"Yeah. Riku. Here of all places."

Roxas grimaced, then. "Who's Riku?"

Xion rolled her eyes. Roxas never bothered thinking about this sort of thing before asking questions. If he'd take the time to think, he'd know the answers to all the questions he asked. If she knew them, they couldn't be that hard to figure out. "Think for a sec," she told him, sighing and shifting. She grabbed her pillow and threw it up against the wall behind her, so she could comfortably lean back.

"Ahh…" Roxas let out a long sigh through his mouth. His gaze was fixed on the ceiling, not on her. "Riku's a friend of Sora's. He… killed half the Organization in a week or so. Oh. He's classified as an enemy." His mouth turned down in a frown. "Did he say why he was here? Did you talk to him long enough for that?"

"Yeah. He said he was looking for Sora." She folded her arms across her chest, scowling. "And I still don't see why he's doing it here! What resources can this Castle apparently have that can help him? Here! Of all places."

It was only after a second of thinking back that she realized must've repeated herself at least once. At least.

Roxas didn't seem to notice.

"Since when was Sora missing?" he asked.

Xion shrugged.

"What I'd like to know is why that Vexen—" He'd told her his number, but she couldn't remember it. "—was being so friendly with him! I mean, Riku's an enemy and he…"

He shouldn't be here, of all places, was how she wanted to finish that, but she caught her near-repeat this time, and bit her lip to stop it.

"I don't see what we can do about it," Roxas said. He leaned back in the chair, tipping it onto its back legs for a moment. Like he wasn't even worried. The sight of it ticked Xion off, but she said nothing about it, nor Roxas's apparent lack of caring.

Honestly, she was quite afraid if she opened her mouth she'd repeat the words Riku shouldn't be here, of all places, another time. Maybe it was a silly thing to be afraid of. That didn't mean she opened her mouth.

Roxas sent her a long look, then plopped the chair back on the ground. "You want ice cream or something?" he asked. "Or… something else to cheer you up? I can't think of anything besides ice cream."

Xion thought about it for a long moment, largely just because it was amazingly hard to get her mind away from Riku. Riku, and how he shouldn't be here. She bit her lip in frustration, and then it occurred to her.

"How about… a favor?" she asked Roxas.

"Yeah?"

"Can I… Can I go on missions with you?"

Roxas stared at her. And he kept staring. Like she'd fried his brain with the question or something.

If there's anyone with a fried brain, it's me, she thought, bitterly. That thought stopped being bitter and became significantly more worried once it settled in. Oh no, this isn't what that "insufficient data" thing is going to come down to, is it? I don't think I could stand endlessly repeating myself.

Roxas cleared his throat. "Uh, look, Xion… I'd love to, but I don't get a lot of solo missions—even when I'm not on one with an Organization member, I've usually got at least one Replica with me. Marluxias make surprisingly good fighting partners…"

Xion's face fell. Of course. If other people went on his missions with him, she couldn't go with. She supposed if he happened to go on a mission with one of the five people who knew she existed, then she could go, but the changes of him going on missions with any of them seemed highly unlikely.

"Well, next time I get a solo one—" Roxas began, quickly, eager to please.

She cut him off with a shake of her head. "That's okay, Roxas. Thank you."

"I mean it, though! Next time I get a solo mission, you can come with me. Maybe I could request for one…."

Xion took a deep breath, trying not to sigh with disappointment or anything. Roxas had done all he could, really, and it wasn't his fault.

"Hey!" Roxas leapt out of the chair with his sudden excitement. He beamed at her, fists clenched together with a passion. "I got an idea! Just because I can't take you on missions doesn't mean we can't hang out in other worlds—what's a little change of scenery, huh? It's not like it'll take any extra time out of my day or anything, and I'm sure Castle Oblivion gets pretty boring without a change of pace!"

Xion nodded, slowly.

"Well? What do you say?"

"Alright…"

Roxas beamed wider, if that were even possible.

"Got any particular in mind?"

"Zeta… Zeta mentioned a library in Hollow Bastion."

Roxas grimaced, though the gleam hadn't left his eyes. "I… I don't think I know where—wait a sec! Yeah I do!" And just like that, he was grinning again, coming to pull her to her feet. "Don't just sit there, let's go!"

All sourness and worries left Xion's mind when Roxas grabbed her hands, and she let him drag her away.