Chapter 9
A meeting. They'd been called to a meeting, in the Round Room. This wasn't the first meeting Roxas had been to, of course. And, as usual, none of them—except Xemnas, and probably Xigbar—knew why they were there before the meeting started. Also, per usual, gossip was more than expected beforehand, while they waited for Xemnas to arrive and the meeting to actually start.
"I can't be the only one who's heard rumors about Riku in Castle Oblivion, can I?" Luxord asked, shuffling a deck of cards. He was always shuffling a deck of cards. This time, though, after shuffling, he started laying them out before him in what looked like a game of solitaire. How they floated in mid-air like that, like they were on an invisible table, was a mystery to Roxas.
"You aren't the only one," Xaldin assured him. "Though, I suppose it's Saix whom we should be asking."
"I've heard the rumors," Saix said, and no more. He was sitting like he always was, legs crossed, hands clenched in his lap. He always looked like he was on the verge of yelling at someone, if not launching himself out of his chair and attacking.
"Well, shouldn't you do something about them?" Demyx asked. He was slouching in his chair, leaning in it in a way that Roxas had never even considered comfortable, half lying down like that. "I mean, you have all those Replicas at your command to check things out, don't you?"
"Not to mention the security cameras," Axel called. He sounded rather haughty, especially with his arms across his chest like that. His seat was, and always had been, directly across from Saix's.
Saix looked even more like he wanted to strangle something now. "I've told them to look, but reports on the matter have been… inconclusive."
"Inconclusive?" Xigbar laughed. It was the first time he'd spoken up—he rarely participated in the pre-meeting gossip, just watched. Observed. Always, with that sly smirk plastered on his face, as if he was hearing more than just the gossip.
"Yes." Saix seemed reluctant to admit it.
"Which brings us to our next point," Xemnas called, his voice resounding through the room. Roxas hadn't seen him arrive, but everyone—including himself—turned to look at him. Demyx even sat up a little straighter. Xemnas's attention was on Saix. He gestured for him to continue.
Saix seemed to hesitate a moment, then he said: "Reports have also said that many Replicas are… unaccounted for."
Roxas was a little surprised that this was what the meeting was about. He already knew about the M.I.A Replicas—Saix had mentioned it a time or two, though only in passing. Surely everyone else must've known, too… Though, apparently not. Perhaps Saix had only told him because he'd asked about solo missions.
"And you're only just bringing it up now," Xaldin said. He'd always given off a judgmental vibe, and it was twice as apparent in moments like this. Clearly, though, no one else had been told about the M.I.A Replicas.
"When it was only two or so, I found no reason to be worried," Saix explained, very slowly. "But I have ten now who each have not reported in for a week."
"Only ten?" Xigbar asked. "I thought it was more than that."
Saix seemed to hesitate again. "Alright, it's been closer to fifteen who haven't reported in. Only ten of those have been missing for a full week, though." He cleared his throat, drawing the authority back to him. "All Replicas are restricted to the World That Never Was, and Castle Oblivion. If you see any out in the worlds, apprehend them. If you cannot bring them back, kill them."
Roxas jolted. "That seems harsh!" he protested.
"The punishment for treason to the Organization has always been death," Saix replied, calmly, fixing an icy stare on Roxas. "Besides, it's not like we cannot just replace them."
Roxas's stomach roiled with anger. "And what if I left?" he demanded. Axel seemed to be making a gesture telling him to be quiet, but he ignored it. "Would you kill me, too? I'm a Replica!"
"You, Roxas, are a special case," Xemnas said. "It took too much effort to build you the first time, so I would hope we would not have to resort to killing you." Roxas's stomach roiled again, but this time he felt more sick than angry. He didn't like the look Xemnas regarded him with. He didn't like the tone with which Xemnas spoke to him.
"We'd drag you back kicking and screaming, if we had to!" Xigbar added, with another laugh and a shark-like grin. "Rewriting is an option, after all. Good thing you aren't planning on leaving, huh, kiddo?"
Roxas jolted again, a little surprised at being spoken to like this. He knew Saix often treated the Replicas like property, but he hadn't realized that apparently extended to the rest of the Organization. And the threat of being Rewritten—after they threatened to drag me back kicking and screaming!—didn't sit too well either.
"Can't you just Deactivate the missing Replicas?" Luxord asked. The game of solitaire had vanished. He'd likely gotten rid of it once Xemnas had shown up.
"Do you want to search the worlds for their bodies?" Saix replied.
Luxord didn't answer, but Saix's point had been made.
"You all understand your orders, then?" Xemnas said. Agreement rifled throughout the room.
"The 'apprehend all Replicas' thing doesn't apply to Roxas, right?" Demyx asked.
Roxas didn't see Saix roll his eyes, but he could well enough hear it in Saix's tone. "No, Roxas has permission to travel the worlds as his missions need him to."
"Just checking."
Roxas swore he heard Xigbar laugh, but it was hard to tell with all the different dark corridors forming at once. He formed one around himself only after a second of waiting. Not that he was sure why he considered staying longer—there was nothing to do in this room, once meetings were finished, and no good reason to stay unless he wished to talk to Xemnas about something.
xxx
Xion was sitting in a corner of the Main Room of Castle Oblivion, which was a change of pace she wasn't quite sure she enjoyed. Amaryllis had assured her—insisted, really—that it was absolutely safe. And, honestly, no one appeared to even glance her direction, she just felt like there were eyes watching her from every side.
But, in some ways, she was grateful to be out here. Riku was out here. The sight of him brought a foul taste to her mouth, but him being out here meant she could spy on him. Not that he was doing anything… interesting. He was just sitting at one of the couches. Staring at a piece of paper.
Xion drummed her fingers against her arm. She shouldn't be annoyed that he wasn't doing anything to make her more upset at him, really. That was just dumb. She should be glad, if anything. And, perhaps, she should head back to her room now. Especially considering the Larxene that was walking by—she always had to be more cautious concerning them.
Before she could get up to leave or form a dark corridor, she noticed Riku shifting. He'd turned towards the Larxene. Xion frowned. That can't have been… fear etched on his face. She wasn't sure why, but the thought of Riku being scared of anything seemed absurd.
"What are you staring at?" the Larxene demanded, after realizing that Riku was staring at her. She only sounded mildly annoyed, but the way Riku reacted, she might as well have said it with malice.
"Wh- what are you d-doing here?" he gasped. He honestly looked like he might faint.
The Larxene stared. "Well, it is Replica HQ," she said.
Riku made a sound quite similar to a strangled cat. If he'd looked like he was about to faint before, he definitely looked like he was going to now.
"I could ask you the same, anyway," the Larxene continued. "Aren't you some enemy of the Organization or whatever?" Xion couldn't say she disagreed there—the Larxene was right. Riku was an enemy to the Organization, and he shouldn't be here.
Riku didn't answer, and after only a second or so of waiting for him to, the Larxene reached forward and snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey! Are you listening to me?"
His response was to stagger to his feet and shove her arm away. "Stay away from me!" he shouted. Stumbling more than running, he started off. Xion jumped to her feet, more than prepared to follow him. What was with him acting like that? And why was he here? She knew it was to search for Sora, as he'd said, but why did he really think here was a good place to do that?
"I could say the same to you, freak," the Larxene muttered. "Huh? What's this?" She bent down to pick something up—the paper Riku'd been holding, Xion realized, with a clutch in her chest.
The Larxene turned the paper over in her hands, considering it with an amused expression. "My, and is that… is that Namine?"
Xion bit her lip. She watched Riku just long enough to see which corner he turned, then marched over to the Larxene. "Give me that!" She snatched the paper away from her, and took off at a run after Riku. The Larxene shouted, but Xion tried not to listen.
It's just… the right thing to do, Xion thought, trying very hard not to crumple the paper in her hands. It's his, and he should have it back. That's all.
It wasn't like she was trying to be nice. If the Larxene hadn't been there, she would've just left it there for him to have found. Though, if the Larxene hadn't been there, he wouldn't have run off, and…
What's his deal, anyway? And he- he shouldn't be—
She cut that thought short. It was probably normal to be thinking it again, after the Larxene had brought it up, but it still made her a little queasy. How much repetition of the same thought was normal? How much was just her failing data?
Stop thinking and keep running, Xion! You're gonna lose him!
She picked up her pace, and kept running. She nearly lost track of him at least once—no surprise, when the walls seemed to throw the sound of his footsteps behind her while she saw him ahead of her. And her eyes kept playing tricks on her, too, seeing him turn one corner out of the side of her eyes, but knowing he'd turned another.
Soon enough she was quite glad she had the ability to form dark corridors, because she was thoroughly lost. She had no idea if Riku was even heading anywhere, or just… running.
Shoulda kept his picture and returned it next time I saw him, she thought. She nearly crumpled it in her hands again. Or maybe I should've never returned it at all.
But it was the right thing to do.
Hard to return it, though, when I don't know where he is!
She'd lost him. One second of distraction, and she'd lost him. She stood still for a moment, angrily tapping her toes against the ground. She glanced at the paper in her hand, wondering again if it was even worth returning. It was a picture, a drawing. Riku and some girl with blonde hair… Namine, had that Larxene said? The name felt right, resonating with the distorted memories she'd inherited from Sora.
Sighing, she pocketed the drawing. She'd return it when she next saw him. If she ever saw him again.
She was just about to form a dark corridor back to her room, she heard shouting. It was distant, and scattered, but it… sounded like Riku. She followed it very quickly, and very carefully, knowing what these walls seemed to do with sound. Eventually the screams started becoming words.
"Pull yourself together you big failure!"
Xion paused, heart racing, before she finally realized that Riku was yelling at himself. She started walking again, but slower this time.
"You can't even look at her without freezing up! She didn't do anything to you! But you were scared like an idiot. Don't- don't—" The words dissolved into a choked scream.
Xion hesitated outside the door—it was definitely this one—not sure if she should… interrupt him, or just… leave the picture in the doorway and go. That latter option certainly seemed more logical, if not… safer. She pulled the picture out of her pocket.
"I'll kill her!" Riku screamed. "I'll kill every one of them! It'd be better than this. She deserves it, anyway! She deserves it!"
Xion's blood ran cold. He couldn't… mean that. Could he? She almost dropped the picture and ran, but stopped herself. She wanted to. But would he see it when it wasn't directly in the doorway? She'd come all this way to give it back to him, and…
And if I talk to him… What am I supposed to do? Talk him out of it?
It seemed absurd, but she cleared her throat anyway.
"Hey!" she called.
Silence.
She took a breath.
Any longer and she would just leave the picture here and leave. She'd gotten his attention, at least—he'd come investigate and see it.
"Go away!" he replied, finally. It was more a croak than anything else.
"Trust me, I plan on it," Xion mumbled. "I have something I think you want," she called, though. "Especially so another Larxene doesn't get their hands on it."
She heard him scrambling to get up, followed by frantic footsteps. He half slammed into the doorway, though he didn't appear to mind. "The picture! Did she see it?"
"Unfortunately," Xion said, assuming by she he meant the Larxene. She handed the picture to him, and he took it. His hands trembled. And, looking at him, he looked a right mess. His eyes were red, and tears streaked his face—his hands weren't the only thing that was trembling.
Don't go feeling sorry for him! she scolded herself. After what he said? Even if he is a mess, he just threatened to kill quite a few people! And she felt like he'd done worse, too. She opened her mouth to give her mind on that matter—it wasn't his place to go around killing people like that. You couldn't just go around killing people, anyway. There was no right to that!—but he spoke before she had the chance.
"Hey… It's you…" He frowned at her, as if studying her.
Xion swallowed. Yes, it's me, now about this whole killing Larxenes thing—that was all she had to say. Instead she said: "I'm only here to return the picture. Good day." And she left, turning up her nose as she did so.
