KHA: Okay, if you thought the last chapter was long... I don't know what this one is.
Audience: It's not THAT long. I see the end from here!
KHA: -.- (sigh)
Akyra: (sob) It's the 6th day! WHY? (breaks into a frenzy of sobs)
KHA: O.o Anyways, I'm sure you would rather skip the insanity and get right on to the chapter, right?
Everyone: (wild monkey screeches)
KHA: I don't blame you. O.o
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Kingdom Hearts 1 or 2 or COM. If I did, the secret ending of KH2 would make a lot more sense. O.o
"Gawrsh, is that all that's left of the world's taken by the Heartless?" Goofy shuddered as he scanned the barren wasteland that was known as The End of the World.
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"Those worlds will be restored if we beat Ansem, right? But, if we do beat him and all these worlds become restored and disconnected, what's gonna happen to this place? And to us?" Sora asked, readying his Keyblade.
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"Kingdom Hearts?" Akyra asked as she read the inscriptions that were engraved on a large machine of some sort, "What's Kingdom Hearts?"
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The gang glided through the air as they dodged the many attacks of a large winged monster as it guarded the entrance to a sparkling, purple volcano.
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"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end," Ansem boomed as he floated off the sandy beach of Destiny Islands and glided softly towards the group, "The heart is no different. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."
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"That's not true! The heart may be weak, and sometimes, it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!" Sora said boldly.
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Ansem clutched his chest in agony. The four of them had spectacularly defeated him but he was not prepared to surrender.
"Kingdom Hearts!" he called, "Fill me with the power of darkness!"
"You're wrong," Sora said with a glare, "I know now, without a doubt, Kingdom Hearts is light!"
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A short mouse flicked his gold Keyblade and held it proudly in the air.
"Now, Sora!" King Mickey said, "Let's close this door for good!"
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Sora, Akyra, Donald and Goofy pushed the door to a close with all their strength as Riku, who was on the opposite side, helped pull it shut.
"Take care of her," he said simply as the door closed on him.
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Akyra began running towards Kairi but slowed to a stop.
"It's the last chance you'll get to say goodbye," Goofy pointed out.
"There's no need. I may not know much about what will happen but there's one thing I'm sure of. I'll see Kairi again someday. And Riku too. Why say goodbye when it really isn't?" she said with a wide, proud grin.
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"Kairi!" Sora cried.
"Sora!" Kairi called as she stepped forward. As the ground split apart, Kairi tripped but Sora managed to catch her.
"Kairi! Remember what you said before? I'm always with you too. I'll come back to you. I promise!"
"I know you will!" she called before the ground broke away, sending Sora and Kairi in opposite directions.
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Sora, Donald, Akyra and Goofy were pacing down a winding path, obviously bored.
"Well, now what do we do?" Donald asked.
"We've got to find Riku and King Mickey," Sora concluded.
"That sounds simple! And we've also got to find that door to the light," Akyra added.
Goofy scratched his head. "Yeah, but uh… where do we start lookin' for that there door to the light?"
Pluto proudly walked across the dirt road, a letter in his mouth.
"Pluto?" Donald asked in awe.
"Gawrsh, that's the king's seal!" Goofy cried.
"Have you seen King Mickey?" Sora asked before Pluto ran down the path.
"Guys, let's go!" he shouted happily.
The screen flickered in a static filled mess.
It is night. Sora walked down the dirt path, keeping his eyes peeled. A figure draped in black suddenly startled him but as Sora blinked to get a better look, the figure had vanished. Sora spotted it slightly down the road and dashed towards it, but it faded away once he came within range. Sora took a couple more steps. Before him lay a glorious castle. The golden bricks added brightness to its surroundings and its aqua green rooftops seemed to touch the sky. Several serrated extensions popped out of nowhere yet the castle still balanced evenly on the edge of a cliff.
The screen flickered again. Roxas rubbed his eyes.
"What a dream…" he said softly as he lazily opened his eyes. He felt mighty cold.
"Whoa!" he screeched as he fell back. It wasn't a dream. Or was it? Sora had completely vanished and Roxas was the one who stood before the grand castle. He picked himself up and looked behind him. Nothing but a long, empty, purple road… He sighed. Why did this weird stuff always happen to him?
He turned his head and gazed at the castle. It wasn't… horrible. In fact, if you look really hard, it was actually pretty stunning. Roxas even found himself being drawn to it. He took a step towards it. If it looked that gorgeous outside, what would it look like on the inside?
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Roxas stopped and smiled. He recognized the voice. After all, he had spoken to her recently.
"Akyra…" he said softly as he turned around. She wore a small grin as she placed her arms behind her back and stepped towards the castle. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I thought it was beautiful too when I first saw it. Little did I know…" she said, pretending as if Roxas hadn't spoken.
"You've been here before?" he questioned again as she came to a halt beside him.
She nodded and grinned widely. "Yes."
Roxas chuckled. "Then you can show me around. I wouldn't mind seeing it. C'mon!"
He gestured for her to follow as he broke into a run. What luck! He won't have to explore that castle alone now. He'd be with Akyra.
"Don't!" she screeched. Roxas came to a screeching halt right in front of the castle's doors. He turned his head. Her eyes were filled with fear as she stretched her arm out to him, as if gesturing him to stop.
"Don't go inside!" she said, "You'll only end up forgetting again, Sora."
Sora? Again? Roxas brought his hand to his forehead. What's with him and Sora?
"What's wrong?" he asked gently.
"Don't go through those doors. Don't forget me again. Please, Sora…"
Roxas approached her, taking large steps.
"I'm not Sora," he said as he got closer. Akyra wore a worried yet saddened look on her face. Only a couple of more steps and he'd be next to her…
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a figure appeared before him. Roxas was stopped right in his tracks and had to stretch his arms out as to not lose his balance. The figure that separated him from Akyra was petite, with droopy short hair and its hands behind its back. It was a girl.
"Kairi?" Roxas asked as the figure of Kairi smiled and nodded. Beside her, Riku had appeared, looking expressionless with his arms crossed.
What's going on? Roxas thought to himself, Why are all these people appearing out of nowhere?
Soon enough, many more joined the crowd. There was Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid… everyone he had seen in his dreams. Everyone who was tied with Sora. As much as it made him happy to see all these people, there was only one person he wanted to speak with.
"Akyra!" he called. Behind the sea of illusions, Akyra backed away slowly. She looked very sad, as if she was on the verge of tears. Roxas made his way through the crowd. He wanted to help her. But it was practically impossible to get through the swarm of people.
"Akyra!" he called anxiously, watching as she backed away even more. He was distraught. He had to get to her.
"Akyra! Akyra, wait!" She hung her head and shook it in disappointment. With a final glance at him she spun around and slowly began walking further and further away.
"Akyra!" he called, hoping she would stop. Yet, she kept walking, fading slowly as she walked further. Soon, he could no longer see her. He couldn't exactly explain why he felt so horrible as he watched her fade away. Maybe he just wanted to help her out, just as she wanted to help him the other day.
"Akyra…" he sighed, gazing at the distance.
It was night when they met. One cloaked figure sat on the shore of the beach and watched the waves roll in and out. The moon shone brightly overhead and its light showed the area for what it truly was; nothing. Just a few rocks scattered here and there decorated the beach and a long, narrow, rickety bridge. A shorter figure draped in the same cloak swiftly walked towards him.
"I've been to see him. He looks a lot like you," said the first.
"Who are you?" asked the second.
Even with the light of a heart-shaped moon that showered it, the city was still dark. Several black, abandoned buildings lined the sides of the street. Some of the lights inside these buildings were still flickering, meaning that it hadn't been that long since they had been abandoned. The only building that didn't seem forsaken was a tall skyscraper that stood right in the middle of a large square.
The rain was falling as he slowly walked towards the building. His steps were loud and assertive, causing water to splash all over the foot of his robe as he stepped into the puddles that scattered the street. Something drew him there. A being… an enemy.
Although his eyes could not be seen, not one can mistake his feelings, his intentions. He had a lopsided smirk on his face. The kind of smirk you would give someone just to confuse them further. He was entirely covered in a black robe from head to toe. His dark hood covered his visage, revealing naught but the bottom half of his face as well as a few strands of light, golden blonde hair. He abruptly stopped at the center of the plaza. The gentle raindrops splattered on the ground as he listened hard. He knew he was no longer alone.
As his concealed eyes darted around the square, hundreds of pools of darkness flowed around him and a countless number of strange Heartless erupted from the ground. Their arms dangled lazily and their antennas twitched violently as they wobbled towards him, piercing him with their glowing yellow eyes. The stranger wasted no time in defending himself. He dug both hands deep into his black coat and pulled out two different Keyblades, swinging them threateningly before placing them at his sides. The first Keyblade was composed of two simple silver rods that were tied together at the tip with something that looked strangely like a paopu fruit while the second one consisted of two black rods tied together with a single black chain down the middle. The first one was named Oathkeeper and the second was named Oblivion, even if their wielder might have had no idea that his own weapons actually had names. He swished and twirled, slashed and sliced, smacked and hit every single Heartless that would dare pounce at him. His battle seemed endless for the more Heartless he destroyed, the more there seemed to be. He slashed at two Heartless and watched them disappear as he prepared to deal another blow.
The Heartless stood still at the sidelines. They had sensed something. The stranger lowered his weapons and turned to face the skyscraper, raising his head to get a view of its roof. The rain had suddenly stopped. And rain doesn't vanish that quickly.
At the top of the skyscraper stood another man clad in the same black coat as the blonde stranger. Yet the one at the top of the tower didn't hide his face with his hood. His long yet stiff silver hair flowed in the gentle breeze as he smirked at our stranger. He was blindfolded with a white cloth. The dual-wielding stranger gritted his teeth and growled softly when he caught a glimpse of the man standing at the top of the skyscraper. He broke into a run and, the moment he reached the foot of the building, flipped sideways and began running up the side of the skyscraper with big steps. He never took his eyes off the blindfolded man. With a flick of his weapons, he twirled and tossed the Oblivion Keyblade to the blindfolded stranger, who dived off the edge of the roof and caught the weapon effortlessly. As the first stranger ran up the side of the building and the second fell towards the ground, they passed each other. They gave each other a look of blankness. Although these two seemed as if they had never met each other, the split-second of tension between them was much more than words can describe.
They both reached the bottom in an instant and began striking at every Heartless in view, eliminating the sea of creatures in the blink of an eye. Once the Heartless destroyed, they turned to face each other, each one gripping his Keyblade tightly. With a grunt of effort, the two strangers exchanged blows, attempting strikes and blocking the ones against them. It was an intense battle for the fighters had very good coordination and reflexes, allowing them to not take in much damage. Finally, the blonde haired stranger managed to knock the blindfolded one to the ground. They panted heavily, the blonde stranger's hands slipping off his weapon from sweat as he watched the other with hungry eyes. The blindfolded stranger bended his knees in an attempt to raise himself, not removing his covered eyes from the other.
"Why? Why do you have the Keyblade?" he shouted.
The blonde stranger straightened his shoulders and took a tiny glimpse at his weapon before raising it over his head.
"Shut up!"
And thousands of miles away… or maybe even less than that, if you count in time and not miles… a young boy with spiky blonde hair woke up with a start.
Roxas was rubbing the back of his head when he entered the Usual Spot. The room was filled with the chatters of Hayner, Pence and Olette. Roxas came to a stop in front of them and stretched out his arms lazily.
"Man, I could not sleep last night…" he said with a yawn. His friends continued to chatter away and burst into laughter… as if they hadn't even heard him. Roxas looked sideways and cocked an eyebrow. He didn't mind his friends not responding but he did get worried when they showed no signs of noticing his presence.
"Guys?" he asked loudly as he reached for Hayner's shoulder. To his surprise, his hand passed right through him as if he were a ghost. And his touch had no effect on Hayner whatsoever.
"Huh?" he asked softly as he gazed at his hands. They were no different. He raised his head and took a step back. He knew something strange was happening all along and this proved it.
Suddenly, Hayner stood up and ran right through Roxas towards the exit of the spot with Pence and Olette following closely behind him. He sighed heavily as he watched the curtain flap shut behind them and something white flutter out of Olette's back pocket. He slowly bent down to pick up the white object.
It was a photograph.
He flipped it over and gazed fondly at it. Roxas wasn't exactly the type to cry. He almost never did shed a tear. But as he stared at the picture, he actually felt the desire to cry for the first time in many years. The picture showed Hayner, Pence and Olette posing happily in front of the old mansion. The reason that gave Roxas a heavy heart was the fact that the photograph had previously included him.
Roxas felt the hot sun beat down on him as he stood outside his usual spot. He was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, no matter what. But where would he start?
The swift sounds of folding and flicking answered his question. Whether he wanted to or not, he would have to begin by eliminating these crazy creatures in white jumpsuits that seemed to stalk him endlessly. The Keyblade effortlessly appeared in Roxas' hands as they closed in on him. He twirled it through his fingers and struck the closest one, only to realize that he had slashed through the air. The creatures surrounding him had completely disappeared. Roxas raised his head and kneeled to the ground, panting heavily even if he wasn't the least bit tired. A familiar man stood before him, his arms crossed and his face wearing a blank look.
"Look at what it's come to. I've been given these icky orders to destroy you--- if you refuse to come back with me," Axel explained. Roxas picked himself up and brushed some dirt off his pants, his striking blue eyes staying in direct contact with Axel's. For some reason, he seemed to remember something…
"We're… best friends, right?" he asked. Axel scratched his head.
"Sure… but I'm not getting turned into a Dusk for… Wait a sec! You remember now?" Axel suddenly sounded very hyper, his eyes filled with excitement. He now gave Roxas his full attention.
"Y…eah," he sighed.
"Great! But, you know, gotta make sure and all," he said rather quickly, scratching his head and thinking hard, "So, um… what's our boss' name?"
Roxas looked away. He didn't have the faintest recollection of his boss' name… or that he even had a boss. Yet, he didn't want to disappoint Axel. Axel, on the other hand, got the message wide and clear.
"Can't believe this…" Axel sighed angrily as he violently waved both hands in the air. Roxas couldn't be sure but he could have sworn there was a twinge of sadness in his voice, as he called forth more of those creatures in white. As we swung his Keyblade and watched as the creatures disappeared in a flash of black mess, he couldn't keep his mind off Axel's words. Why was Axel… sad? Sure, it was a stupid thing to think about. But for some reason, he felt he knew the answer.
Axel growled once Roxas finished off the creatures. He advanced towards him, taking big steps, and summoned his familiar red chakram, which he held over his head, prepared to strike. Roxas bent his knees, placed the Keyblade horizontally and raised it to be in level with his eyes. He squinted, waiting for the sounds of metal clashing and Axel growling in fury. He waited for what seemed like an eternity. In fact, it probably was an eternity.
Roxas carefully opened one eye. Axel still stood before him, a sinister look on his face and his chakram still held up high over his head. Roxas opened his second eye and lowered his weapon slightly. It had happened again. He couldn't believe it. It used to always happen at the worst times yet luck was probably on Roxas' side today. Axel stood erect like a statue as if he were frozen in time. Roxas stepped back.
"Roxas, to the mansion! The time has come!" boomed a low, gruff voice.
Yes, he remembered that voice. It belonged to the man who had also appeared at the Struggle tournament two days ago. Roxas shook his head. Things shouldn't be this way. All he wanted was to go to the beach with his friends and attend the fair with them the day after. He didn't want this. He didn't ask for this.
"Hayner! Pence! Olette!" he cried. But his friends weren't there to save him. Not this time.
He turned to face Axel, who was still frozen in time. There was nothing left. All he could do was run to the mansion, towards the person who called for him. He flicked his Keyblade and darted down the alleyway and towards the Sandlot, dodging every creature that materialized at his sides.
Shortly after his departure, Axel was unfrozen and stumbled on his feet. He raised his head and watched the faint image of Roxas being chased by a horde of creatures as it slowly approached the woods. Axel crossed his arms.
"The Roxas that I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is…"
Akyra quickly paced around Sora's pod, picking at her gloves or scratching her head or even rubbing her eyes. She was very twitchy today. She had spent the entire morning walking from one place to another and finding ways to occupy her hands. It had all started that morning when she figured out that Naminé had locked the sliding door that led from Sora's room to hers. She never usually locked the door. Akyra thought that maybe DiZ was speaking to her in her room and she locked the door for safety purposes. But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't believe that theory. She knew something was wrong. She sensed it.
The aforementioned locked door slowly slid open and caught Akyra's attention instantly. She scurried towards the door as Naminé emerged from it, slowly shutting it behind her.
"Naminé!" Akyra said rather loudly, "What's going on?"
Naminé shushed her as she locked the door. Akyra stood perfectly still.
"DiZ might come into this room," she said softly, "You should hide behind Sora's pod today."
"Why?" she asked again, "Why would he come in here? What in the world is happening?"
"Look, Akyra, I don't know. I'm sorry," she said as she unlocked the door once again and slid it open.
"Stop it, Naminé! You know the whole truth! You know what's going on! Why can't you just tell me why I shouldn't know?"
Naminé stopped. She slowly turned to face her friend, her face struck with worry.
"It's something you need to learn for yourself," she said softly.
Akyra's face fell. It wasn't the lack of information that bothered her. It was something else, she was sure of it although couldn't exactly figure out what. She watched Naminé scurry up the stairs, searching for some sort of feeling of reassurance.
"Say, Naminé," she called. Her friend stopped mounting the stairs and looked down on her.
"Yes?" she said softly.
"When I do learn everything for myself, will you speak to me then? About everything?"
Naminé smiled. "Of course. When we do see each other again, we'll talk."
"Again? Are you leaving?" she asked, puzzled.
"Maybe. I'm not sure."
Akyra shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'll find you. I swear I won't give up until I find you. I promise."
Naminé chuckled and continued mounting the stairs.
"Naminé!" she called for a final time before shutting the sliding door. Naminé opened her end of the door to a sliver and peered down on her. Akyra wore a grin as wide as the sea as she watched her friend behind the door.
"Thank you," was all she said.
Okay, dodging white creatures did seem like a good idea at first. I mean, Roxas was a pretty fast runner so all the creatures he dodged should have had a hard time catching up with him. And this way, he wouldn't waste any time fighting off any useless creatures. Well, it did seem like a good idea. That is until Roxas reached the golden gates belonging to the mansion with a flock of white creatures at his heels. He couldn't defeat all of them. He would have to find refuge inside the mansion. He turned to face the gates and tugged hard. They opened slightly but the lock and chain that held both gates together stopped him from being able to enter. He tugged at them again and again, growing increasingly worried.
"Don't call me and then lock me out…" he said. He clutched onto the gates and hung his head as the creatures closed in on him. He sighed heavily. What would Sora do? He knew exactly what Sora would do. He'd raise his Keyblade and use its power to unlock it. After all, it is a key…
Roxas' head jerked up suddenly. Of course! He jumped back and flicked his Keyblade into the air, setting it in level with the lock. It fell sideways and opened, letting the golden chains it was attached to fall to the floor with a deafening crash. Roxas wasted no time. He broke into a run just when one of the creatures was about to pounce. He jumped over old statue remains and ducked to avoid any hanging leaves as he approached the front door. The creatures didn't seem to be following him anymore. It was better that way, anyways. He turned the knob and opened the door, letting himself into the place where destiny called.
Roxas took a second to gaze at the mansion's inside before proceeding anywhere. It may look old and abandoned on the outside but once you pass indoors, it really wasn't that bad. The carpeting looked new, the stairs were well kept and the back windows were spotless. In fact, it didn't look abandoned at all! The entrance consisted of a large room with two winding staircases on each side, which led to the upper floor. A dusty glass container stood in the center of the room. It was probably the only thing that actually needed some cleaning. Roxas tore his gaze away from the container and mounted one of the staircases. He couldn't explain why but he felt something calling to him. He found himself drawn to a room on the upper floor. It was well hidden but Roxas ended up finding it all too easily. He carefully turned the knob and entered the room.
Roxas shut his eyes the instant he caught a glimpse of the room. It was completely white and the brightness stung his eyes since he was so used to the mansion's musty, dark color. He blinked a few times and was finally able to open them normally.
A white table stood in the center of the room and held two chairs as well as a pot with exactly nine white flowers. Colored photos adorned the wall and a sketchbook with some crayons were scattered on the table. Roxas smiled. He knew how much Naminé loved to draw.
He strolled around the room, examining every detail in every drawing. Although they seemed different in his eyes, Roxas could have sworn that they were all connected in some way. He abruptly stopped in front of a picture that looked strangely like a young boy, about his age, with blonde hair and a black coat walking down a darkened alley. Roxas got closer to the picture, trying to get a better look. The boy in the picture did look strangely like… him.
A ringing sound pierced the air. Roxas clutched his head in agony as the sudden headache overwhelmed him. His vision blurred. He slowly closed his eyes, hoping the sudden pain would soon disappear.
The thunder rumbled overhead. But he kept walking. He never was afraid of thunder as a child, unlike most children. Roxas, wearing nothing but a long, black cloak, walked through the dark streets of the city. He took large, assertive steps and his expression was blank. He walked straight past Axel, who was leaning on a wall with crossed arms. He turned his head to face Roxas.
"Your mind's made up?" he asked softly.
Roxas slowed to a stop without turning. He kept his eyes glued to the distance as he spoke. "Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know."
Axel suddenly jumped and stood up straight, anger building up inside him. "You can't turn on the Organization!"
Roxas let go of his aching head and opened his eyes. The pain had stopped. He continued gazing at the picture, his mind clouded with questions. He knew she was in the room. Maybe she'd tell him.
"Organization XIII… they're a bad group," he said.
"Bad or good, I don't know," Naminé explained, "They're a group of incomplete people who wish to be whole. To that end, they're desperately searching for something."
"What?" Roxas asked.
"Kingdom Hearts."
Roxas placed a hand on the wall and chuckled.
"Funny?" Naminé asked.
"It's just, I think---I've been running away from the question I really want to ask…" he explained as he walked up to the table and leaned against it. Naminé gave him her full attention. "What's gonna happen to me now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore."
"You are…"
Naminé's image flickered. Roxas' eyes went wide with worry. He stood up straight and took a step forward.
"Naminé!" he called. Naminé's image broke into thousands of pieces, just like how a window would break when a careless child would accidentally throw a baseball at it. Roxas rushed towards her as the pieces vanished in the air and were replaced by a swirl of data. He came to a screeching halt. DiZ suddenly appeared among the data, wearing a threatening frown.
"There's no knowledge that has the power to change your fate," he said.
"Even if it doesn't, I want to know. I have the right to know!" Roxas shouted.
"A Nobody doesn't have a right to know. Nor does it even have the right to be."
"But what IS a Nobody?"
A hooded man draped entirely in a black coat similar to the one Roxas wore in his visions appeared behind DiZ. His face was concealed completely, protecting his identity from Roxas.
"DiZ, we're out of time! Too many Nobodies!" he hollered. DiZ nodded and conjured a portal of swirling darkness behind him. He prepared himself to step through it when Naminé suddenly emerged from the portal.
"Roxas. Nobodies like us are only half a person. You won't disappear. You'll be whole!" she cried.
"I'll…disappear…?"
"No further outbursts!" DiZ screeched at her, glaring wickedly.
"No, you won't disappear! You'll—"
Naminé couldn't finish her sentence. DiZ had grabbed her arm and covered her mouth with his other hand, stopping her from freeing herself or speaking to Roxas.
"Wait!" he called. He dashed towards the portal, attempting to catch up with Naminé when the cloaked figure known as Ansem grabbed his arm and held it tight, stopping his movements. Naminé succeeded in stopping DiZ's clench over her mouth with her free hand. She pushed it away and attempted to speak.
"Roxas! We will meet again. And then we can talk about everything. I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me. But we will meet again. The three of us will meet again. Someday soon. I promise!"
DiZ jerked his hold on Naminé, forcing her to step inside the portal with him. Roxas watched with horror as they slowly faded into the portal.
"Let her go!" he shrieked with rage. He fell to his knees as the portal vanished. Ansem vanished as well for his hold on Roxas quickly disappeared. He quickly got to his feet and held out his left hand.
"Naminé!" he cried. He tried to yell her name again and again, even if he knew very well that it would be of no use. Wherever she was now, she couldn't hear him. Once again, he was left completely alone.
Roxas had exited Naminé's room with a heavy heart and slowly made his way down the hallway. The upper floor was nothing but a large hallway with two rooms on opposite sides. He had just exited Naminé's room and was eager to find out what the other room held. He had also picked up Naminé's sketchbook before leaving. It held an interesting picture within it.
He stepped into what seemed to be an enormous library. Thousands of books stood neatly arranged on the tall bookcases that seemed to reach the ceiling. There was nothing but a lonesome table in the room along with the books. Another sketchbook like Naminé's lay on the table beside an elegant candlestick as well as several pencils. Roxas approached the sketchbook and examined it. It looked very similar to Naminé's drawing. It was only missing a couple of details to be its facsimile. He picked up one of the pencils and drew in the missing details, paying close attention to Naminé's version. The moment he lay the pencil down, a loud beeping could be heard as he sensed the floor move sideways. Roxas scrambled away from the table and ran towards the door. Luckily, only a part of the room's flooring moved, meaning Roxas was safe near the door. Yet that didn't exactly dissipate his worry. Since when did floors move?
He turned to face the room once again. The floor had completely vanished, leaving a large hole in the room. He peered over the edge of floor he stood on. It must have been a secret entrance of some sort. Roxas felt his way to one corner of the room and descended the small staircase that was hidden under the floor as well. He scanned his surroundings. There wasn't anything of any interest. The walls were just boarded up with blue sheets of metal drilled side by side with rusty, old screws. He took a few steps forward. A metallic, sliding door stood at the corner with beeping lights and touch sensors. Roxas approached the door nervously. It sensed his presence and quickly slid open, revealing a dark corridor that made Roxas reluctant to continue. Gathering up his strength, he clenched his fists and stepped into the hallway, the door sliding shut behind him.
The next room had no lighting whatsoever. It was boarded up with the same blue metal sheets and held very odd machines and devices. One corner of the room held a large set of monitors and computers. All these monitors were turned on and radiated a strange white light, which consisted of the only light in the room. The other corner of the room held a strange machine with odd buttons, levers and a small platform. Roxas gazed at these devices with awe. He suddenly placed his hands to his head as a loud ringing noise filled the air again. His head throbbed in pain. It wasn't the computer screens that were giving him a headache. This time, he remembered more…
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There was a large white room were various people dressed in similar black coats sat on what seemed to be white thrones. Roxas couldn't identify any of them. The only thing he knew was that he was one of the various people sitting on a throne.
The image disappeared in a flash and was replaced by Roxas, dressed in the same black robe, running through the streets of a dark city, pursued by a group of those white creatures he sees so frequently.
Now, Roxas was twirling the Keyblade through his fingers as he looked down on a silver-haired stranger. The stranger was blindfolded and Roxas had his hood on. It seemed that these two were in the middle of a clash when Roxas succeeded in knocking the stranger to the floor.
"Why? Why do you have the Keyblade?" the man shouted.
"Shut up!" Roxas spat cynically. He raised his Keyblade high, gathering his strength and waiting for the right moment to strike. Just as he brought his weapon down, the stranger grabbed his own and knocked Roxas away with such a force that he fell unconscious. The blindfolded stranger never took his eyes off him as he slowly paced towards him.
The next image showed Roxas, still unconscious, lying under the same odd machine he had noticed earlier. Two men were speaking to each other as they examined him. Roxas recognized them immediately. It was DiZ and that other robed man who had stopped him from saving Naminé.
"Will it work?" the stranger asked.
"If we can maintain the simulated town until Naminé finishes chaining together Sora's memories," DiZ answered.
"What will happen to Roxas?"
"He holds half of Sora's power within him. In the end, he'll have to give it back." DiZ turned away from the machine and began strolling towards the set of monitors that Roxas had also noticed were present in the basement. "Until then, he'll need another personality to throw off his pursuers."
The stranger turned his head to face the unconscious Roxas. He couldn't be sure but Roxas could have sworn he saw pity in the stranger's way of watching him.
"Poor thing."
DiZ sat on his rolling chair and began punching in some keys of his keyboard, watching the monitor closely.
"It's the fate of a Nobody," he said simply as they watched the machine turn the unconscious Roxas into data and vanish.
Roxas' headache subsided. He slowly let his hands fall to his sides as he breathed heavily. So many things that he didn't want to know… He had asked for answers to his unlimited questions. And now, as the evidence piled up in his mind, Roxas had to admit that all the mysterious things that had been happening to him… made sense, no matter how badly he wanted them not to. He never asked for this fate. All he wanted was to see his friends again, enjoy the last of his summer vacation and live a normal life like everyone else. Maybe… maybe if that stranger hadn't kidnapped him and DiZ hadn't done all those unforgivable things to him, his life would have actually been normal. It was DiZ who tore him away from his previous life. It was DiZ who was to blame.
Roxas felt the anger swell up inside him like a balloon. He gritted his teeth as the Keyblade materialized in his left hand. He slowly raised his head and watched the glowing monitors, glowering at them with such anger, one could see flames flare up in his blue eyes. It was the computer's fault as well. Without it, DiZ wouldn't have been able to ruin his life. The computer was also to blame. With a loud grunt, he raised his weapon and slashed the computer. He watched with fury as the various pieces of broken glass crashed onto the floor. Destroying the computer brought him such satisfaction. Now, it was Roxas who was getting his revenge.
He hacked away at the rest of the monitors, smashing them violently. The monitors' glow flickered as he damaged them, lowering the room's lighting. Still, he persisted. He wouldn't stop until he was certain that every monitor had been broken beyond repair. He took a few steps back, panting heavily as he gazed upon his masterpiece. A few pieces of glass lay scattered on the floor and many of the monitors sank in, leaning on other broken monitors as sparks occasionally flickered here and there. Roxas sighed. He had vented his anger. Yet, that other odd machine in the opposite corner seemed to deserve a good smashing as well… Before he could make up his mind, a door next to the now broken monitors quickly slid open. He stole a glance at the door then at the odd machine. There were so many things running through his mind that he hardly knew what to do next. Without another glance at the mess he had made, he backed away from the machine and paced through the doorway.
Roxas entered what seemed to be the basement's hall. It looked exactly like the laboratory he had just exited except for the fact that it was completely empty. All it held was a door leading back to the laboratory, another door leading to somewhere unknown and a mysterious glowing orb of energy in the corner. Roxas silently approached the swirling orb, wondering what it could possibly be. He was just about to touch it when he heard a rustling sound behind him. As if they knew of his intentions, many white creatures appeared behind him, flicking their arms violently as they leisurely approached him. Luckily, Roxas had some leftover anger from smashing those monitors that he would have gladly let out on them. He summoned his Keyblade and positioned himself in his battle stance, ready to take on any creature that dared attack him.
He defeated them rather easily. They didn't exactly put up a fight like the other ones he'd encountered. It was as if they didn't want to fight him, as if someone much stronger was only using them as a decoy for him to stay in that room. He panted heavily and turned around, scanning the area for any sign of movement.
"Simply amazing, Roxas."
Roxas jerked his regard towards the opposite corner of the room. He knew exactly who had entered the room. Axel walked towards the center of the room, his arms crossed and his face showing mixed emotions.
"Axel," Roxas said firmly, taking a step forward.
Axel widened his eyes, trying to look sarcastically surprised. "You really do remember me this time? I'm so FLATTERED!"
The contour of the room erupted in tall, sizzling flames. Still, Roxas kept his eyes glued on Axel, who was fuming with rage.
"But you're too late!" he boomed. Roxas sensed danger. He attempted to summon his weapon, hoping that the flames around him wouldn't burn him. He suddenly felt the cool metallic surface of his Keyblade in his left hand. Yet, this time, he felt what seemed to be another Keyblade in his right. Roxas gasped, raising both weapons to get a better look. One was black, the other white. This isn't what caught Roxas' attention the most, though. It was the fact that these two blades were identical to the ones he had seen in his memories. The Oblivion and Oathkeeper Keyblade.
"Two!" Axel gasped as he caught sight of the weapons. Roxas twirled them through his fingers and handled them easily. Although he only remembered bits and pieces of it, he did remember getting loads of practice with dual blades. He positioned himself for battle and watched Axel closely. He didn't want to fight him. But if Axel wanted to battle, he couldn't not defend himself. Axel conjured his own set of flames and withdrew his flaming red chakram from the burning fire. He placed it at his side and smiled at Roxas.
"Come here. I'll make it all stop!"
"Burn, baby!" Axel screeched as his chakrams erupted in flames. He swiftly twirled them between his fingers, creating a wheel of fire as he prepared to attack. He extended his arm, getting as close to Roxas as he could. Roxas jumped back, dodging the hit. Axel growled with fury. He never misses! This time, instead of reaching out to attack him, he simply hurled his chakrams at Roxas, who jumped to the side to dodge the first and bent low to dodge the second. Yet, evading his hits only made Axel angrier.
To make his job much easier, Axel lightly touched the floor, a cynical smile painted over his face. The hard, stone flooring was suddenly covered with a thick layer of flaming, hot magma. Roxas had no other choice but to keep his feet off the ground as long as possible by leaping in the air. His mind raced at top speed as he hopped from one spot to the other. He couldn't let Axel continue like this. Soon enough, he'd be burnt to a crisp if he doesn't do something quick! He had to attack Axel, even if it was just for one hit… he had to put some pressure on him.
With a menacing glare, he hopped towards the smiling pyromaniac, raising both blades in the air as he prepared himself for the hit. With one of his blades, he violently lifted Axel off the ground, taking him out of his comfort zone. Since he had caught Axel off-guard, he was able to pile all of his attacks on him before they reached the ground. He slashed him a good deal and kept him in midair for as long as possible. But, when Roxas reached the ground, he was forced to leap away, hoping that the magma hadn't burnt a hole in his shoe.
Axel was furious with Roxas' strategic battle method. He gathered both chakrams and jumped into the surrounding flames, out of sight. Roxas began panicking when he had lost sight of him. What would happen if he were to catch him by surprise? He decided to keep running, in case Axel would pop out of nowhere and thrash him without mercy.
Roxas panted heavily. He felt the air stiffen. Axel was planning to attack him. He was sure of it. He continued his race around the room, counting each second that passed with worry and despair.
"Burn!" he heard a voice shriek. In a streak of burning flames, Axel darted faster than lightning across the room, crashing into Roxas as he did so. Roxas cried in pain as he felt the sharp chakrams pierce through his skin. He felt a burning sensation run through his body as he let himself fall to the floor. Axel cackled. Roxas quickly stood up and clutched his weapons tightly. He wasn't going to get away with that.
Roxas sprinted towards Axel and slashed him, causing him to soar in the air. Yet, Axel regained himself. He flipped and landed sideways, positioning himself on one of the burning flames. This type of move was literally impossible, according to the laws of gravity. But, if you were skilled like Axel, even you could bend a few rules. Roxas copied his movements and jumped sideways, landing on a flame, face to face with his opponent. He began slashing at him, running towards him with great speed whilst Axel countered evading his attacks with one of his chakrams. Roxas didn't give up; he'd never give up. Even Axel knew that he didn't stand a chance against the Keyblade's chosen one.
Axel held one of Roxas' Keyblades in place with his weapon. With one final growl of fury, Roxas twirled his second Keyblade and slashed Axel's side with all his strength. Axel roared in pain as he landed on the floor, clutching the place where Roxas had attacked him. He wobbled slightly as he tried to keep his balance. Roxas landed in front of him, lowering his weapons with a blank expression. Just judging by the look in his emerald eyes, Roxas knew the battle was over. Axel surrendered and Roxas had emerged the victor.
"Roxas…" Axel sighed. He knelt to the ground, defeated, as the flames around them dissipated. Roxas' weapons disappeared as well when the fire had completely vanished. Roxas took two steps towards Axel, watching him closely. For some reason, he remembered the last time he had spoken with him before this whole mess had happened.
-----
They were in an alleyway. Roxas had his back turned to Axel, who had an angry expression on his face.
"You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!" Axel warned. Roxas looked sideways, his face still expressionless.
"No one would miss me," he said simply. He continued walking down the alleyway with slow steps, leaving Axel to yell at him from afar. Axel's glare softened into a miserable expression as he watched his only friend stroll away forever. Somehow, it felt like a piece of him was walking away along with Roxas.
"That's not true…" he sighed, "I would."
-----
"Axel…" Roxas said as he watched Axel slowly dissolve into tiny pieces of darkness. Now he understood. He understood why he was after him, why he wanted him to come back to the so-called Organization. He just…missed him. Roxas couldn't blame him. He missed Hayner, Pence and Olette deeply. In a way, he understood what it felt like to lose a friend. He and Axel weren't that different after all.
"Let's meet again in the next life," Axel said as he slowly began to vanish.
"Yeah. I'll be waiting." Axel chuckled.
"Silly. Just because you have a next life…"
Roxas frowned as he watched Axel disappear completely. You know, in a way, Roxas kind of felt tempted to call his name, hoping he'd return so they can talk to each other. As friends and not as rivals. But he knew better. He knew he wouldn't return. After all, Hayner, Pence and Olette didn't come back for him.
He switched his gaze over to the mysterious door he had spotted earlier. There was nothing left for him here. The only thing he could do was press on.
The door revealed a tiny, narrow corridor that was boarded up with… you guessed it… blue metal sheets, looking exactly like the previous rooms he had visited. Except, this corridor contained various white capsules that were lined neatly against the wall. Roxas leaned in to take a closer look. The white capsules looked oddly like closed flowers, just waiting for the perfect moment to open their petals and bloom.
"What are these?" he thought, "What do they do?"
He carefully strolled down the hallway, examining every pod closely. Until…
He stopped, gasping softly while doing so. There, in two of the pods near the end of the hallway, Roxas spotted the most unbelievable thing he had seen during the past six days. Two strangely familiar faces were clearly visible from inside their respective pods, looking as if they were both deeply asleep.
"Donald…" Roxas sighed, "…Goofy?"
He turned to face the doorway that stood at the end of the hallway. If Donald and Goofy were here… then he knew exactly who was in the next room.
Akyra's breath stopped as she heard the door connecting the laboratory to the pod room slide open.
"It's probably DiZ, just like Naminé had said!" she panicked, "Please don't come this way!"
Roxas slowly entered the white pod room, a glare forming on his face. Standing before the largest and only pod in the room was none other than DiZ. Roxas gripped his Keyblade tightly. He had a bone to pick with him.
"At last, the Keyblade's chosen one," DiZ said in a happy tone, acting as if he was thrilled to see him.
"Who are you talking to? Me? Or Sora?" he rebutted.
"Roxas?" Akyra thought to herself.
"To half of Sora, of course," DiZ responded, "You reside in darkness. What I need is someone who can move about the realm of light and destroy Organization XIII."
"What's Organization XIII?" Akyra whispered.
"Why? Who are you?" Roxas called.
"I am a servant of the world," DiZ explained, giving a small laugh, "And if I'm a servant, then you should consider yourself a tool, at best."
"Was that… Was that supposed to be a joke?" Roxas spat. He twirled the Keyblade through his fingers, daggers sprouting out of his eyes.
"'Cause I'm not laughing!"
Roxas sprinted towards DiZ, his weapon held up high. Akyra sensed the danger and crawled to her side, getting a tiny peek at the spectacle. Roxas had skid to a halt in front of DiZ and began hacking away at him, letting out all the anger he had bottled up inside of him. Akyra smiled.
"That's it, Roxas!" she encouraged, "Show that guy who's boss!"
Roxas continued his assault, piling hit after hit. He wasn't just hitting for the joy of hitting. He was attacking DiZ for everything he had done, everything he had destroyed. Roxas believed that he didn't only ruin his simple life; he must have wrecked someone else's as well. He was vile enough to do such a thing. Roxas was too preoccupied with his anger to even notice what was happening. Sure, he was slashing at DiZ like crazy… yet he sustained no injuries. In fact, every time Roxas ran the Keyblade through him, a wave of data would appear and DiZ would smile that sinister smile that angered him so. Roxas retreated, placing the Keyblade behind him as he examined his enemy. DiZ laughed heartily.
"My apologies," he said, "This is only a data-based projection."
Akyra gritted her teeth as she listened to DiZ's ominous laughter that followed. She already had a lot of anger towards him. And now that he was taunting her friend, she couldn't control herself any longer. In fact, she can't even remember why she did what she did.
"A data-based projection, eh?" she said rather evilly as she stood up and emerged from her hiding spot, "Then I suppose a few more whacks wouldn't hurt, RIGHT?"
Before she could even contemplate what she was doing, she had reached DiZ and landed a few hits on him.
"So… you did escape," DiZ said softly as she pulled back, "And you found a haven in the back room of my basement? Ingenious! All this time I believed you were lost only to discover that you were right under our noses this entire time."
"Yeah?" she spat, "I'd like to see you spend your fifteenth birthday locked in a basement watching your friend sleep!"
"Naminé must have been good to you."
"Yes, she has. Especially after everything you have done!" she hollered, "You almost destroyed me. Who knows how much more damage you could have done?"
"So… I'm not alone…" Roxas sighed.
"Have you no heart?" she asked in a low voice.
DiZ's eye twitched after her statement. He suddenly burst into a frenzy of laughter. Roxas tightened his grip on his Keyblade, preparing to strike at any given moment. With a triumphant glare, he raised it in the air and slashed DiZ with all his strength. He knew it wouldn't damage him in any way yet he still felt compelled to do it.
"I hate you so much…" he grunted as he regained his composure.
"You should share some of that hatred with Sora," DiZ said calmly, "He's far too nice for his own good."
"No!" Roxas shrieked, "My heart belongs to me!"
He began slashing away again, finding any possible way to vent his anger. DiZ smiled at his confusion and disappeared among the swirls of data generated by the Keyblade. Soon enough, Roxas found himself slashing through thin air.
"Roxas!" Akyra called calmly as she scurried towards him. He was still slashing through the air as if it would bring him back. At that moment, he probably would have done anything to get him back, just to give him a piece of his mind. He felt Akyra's hand on his wrist, stopping him from slashing further and calmed down.
"That's it, Roxas… He's not coming back," she said.
"Akyra…" he sighed, looking defeated, "I can't believe I actually found you."
She chuckled. "How could you be so happy at a time like this?"
"I guess… because you always are."
Akyra blinked a few times as she released his wrist. Yeah, she always found some way to be happy in the darkest of times. She kind of wondered why she couldn't this time around.
"Well, I am happy now that you're here," she said with a smile.
Roxas smiled as well. "So… this is where you've been hiding."
"Yep, for about a year. So… why did you come by here?"
"DiZ called me. I had to come this way. There is nothing left for me back there."
Akyra wore a confused look. "I don't get it."
Roxas laughed. "For some reason, I want you to learn that for yourself…"
"That's EXACTLY what Naminé told me!" she said loudly, "Speaking of Naminé, have you seen her?"
Roxas looked away. "DiZ took her away… somewhere. He didn't want her to tell me something."
"That SCUMBAG!" she screeched, causing Roxas to jump back, "Sorry…"
"It's okay. It's just… something she told me…" he sighed. Should he tell her? Should he not tell her? He didn't know. Yet, DiZ had also wrecked Akyra's life just as he had done to his. In a way, she and him weren't that different. Just like him and Axel. "I'll… I'll disappear," he muttered.
"What?" Akyra interrupted. Roxas looked up. Her eyes were filled with concern. He was about to try and console her but before he had the chance, Akyra did something… peculiar. She had flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"No! You won't disappear! I won't let you!" she cried. Roxas stood rooted on his spot. Akyra must have also felt a little weird because she had quickly pulled away from him and played around with her hands.
"Um… sorry about that," she chuckled nervously, "I… I don't know what came over me."
Akyra's head was swimming. Why had she done that? Why did she just suddenly feel compelled to do something like that? It was stupid of her to do that, just completely stupid… Hang on. This was Roxas, one of her friends. Why was she making such a big deal over something with so little importance?
"It's alright…" he said. Akyra sighed in relief when she heard him say that.
"What do you mean by… disappear?" she said softly.
"I… really don't know," he answered. He seriously didn't know. He only wished he could give her some kind of answer. She did sort of help him. Just knowing that she, an actual person, was going through the same thing he was comforted him.
Akyra straightened her face and shook her head. "N-never mind. If you do disappear, I'll find you. I swear I'll find you. Just like I swore to Naminé that I'd find her."
Roxas chuckled. "That's weird. Naminé promised I'd meet her again..."
"Then, let's make it a three-way promise!" Akyra squealed.
Roxas nodded. "Okay."
"I will find you. And Naminé. And when the three of us are together…"
"We'll talk. About everything," he finished.
"Promise," Akyra said simply, placing her hand in the middle.
"Promise," he answered, shaking her hand and doing a certain gesture, demonstrating that they'd keep their promise to heart. Even though Roxas felt alone after the events of the day, he had to admit that it felt good to promise something with a friend he can trust. It gave him something to count on. As for Akyra, she was determined. Determined to keep this promise, no matter what. No danger would be great enough to discourage her. Her friends were worth way more than that. And their promises were worth just as much.
The sound of creaking glass filled the room. The two teenagers whirled around, facing the source of the noise. Sora's pod slowly slid open, the various sheets of glass unfolding softly as if the capsule was nothing more than a blooming flower. The pod opened completely to reveal Sora, who was still sleeping soundly as he floated in the centre of the pod.
"Sora…" Roxas sighed as his and Akyra's eyes never left the sleeping teen.
"You're lucky," Roxas said softly with a gentle smile, "Looks like my summer vacation is… over."
Akyra watched Sora with a careful eye. The day she was patiently waiting for was finally here! She smiled brightly and turned her head towards Roxas. Her face suddenly fell as the blood flushed out of her face.
"Roxas?" she asked, slightly panicked. She looked around the room. Roxas was nowhere to be seen. He had vanished into thin air. Disappeared… just like he had said.
"Roxas," she screeched, looking up to the sky. "Roxas? Roxas! ROXAS!"
She knew he wouldn't come back. She screamed anyways.
KHA: (pulls out a hankie) Bye Bye, Roxas!
Everyone: BYE BYE ROXAS!
Roxas: (pulls out ice cream) I'm not going ANYWHERE! You can't make me! (pouts)
Audience: O.o Pasta...
KHA: All the credit deserved for the scene where Roxas meets Akyra in his dream and is seperated from her by thousands of images goes straight to Aesura. It was her idea. Thankies, Aesura! (insane applauding)
Akyra: O.o ... I feel like taking a nap...
KHA: You CANNOT do that! Starting next chappie, you'll be everywhere! Doing productive things, visiting the world...
Audience: Being tortured by the insane authoress.
KHA: Yes, that too. (cheesy grin)
Akyra: O.o Help...
