A/N: Right, now I'm back at work on other stories, I figure it's about time I put this up.
How many of the cats did you figure out the identities of? Well, read on and see how many you got right.
The transferring was taking some time, so Roxas has handed back over to Sora to take a nap. Sora followed suit, finding a chair in one corner of the room to doze in.
Finally, the controls on the box beeped, flashing a single green light. He glanced up and checked it, noticing it now read 'Transfers complete'.
"Roxas," he said aloud.
What?
"It just finished."
Any of the pods opened yet?
"Not yet. The ones the cats were in are empty though."
Sounds about right. Give it a little time. If I understand those controls right, then they'll open when the occupants reach consciousness.
Sora nodded, yawning, glancing through each of the pods.
The fourth of the larger pods clicked, then opened, revealing none other than Seifer inside. He looked himself over, pulled his hat out of a pocket, then winked at Sora as he left the room.
"Guess we got them right after all," Sora murmured.
Still got to wait for the other one first, Roxas reminded him.
The third pod opened next, showing Hayner, closely followed by Pence in the sixth. Hayner too looked down at himself, then ran out of the room muttering, "I'm gonna kill him for this."
"Hey, wait for me!" Pence called after him, pausing by the door to say, "Thanks Sora. And you too Roxas."
"It's weird having people talk to you through me like that," Sora murmured.
Might as well get used to it. Unless you can find a way to separate us or something, you'll have to put up with me for a long time yet.
Kairi came next. She glanced over at Xion's pod then laughed, "She always did like to sleep in. Thanks boys. It was nice being a cat, but I missed being human."
"You're welcome," Sora answered, turning red.
"I hope neither of you mind. She and I told each of them about you."
Excuse me Sora, Roxas said, then borrowed his voice again.
"How did Seifer take it?"
"He says as long as Sora keeps Roxas from breaking anything else of his, he was alright with it."
As she said it, Xion finally exited her pod, yawning then adding, "Riku was a bit annoyed at you both though. He reckoned Sora could have trusted him with it, and Roxas should have stuck around to get him out of trouble."
Sora somehow felt Roxas feeling a little uneasy now Xion was awake, but also knew he wasn't going to do anything, so he tried something new and let himself slip out of control, leaving Roxas to take over.
Roxas didn't seem to have noticed for a moment, then he realised, nervously looked Xion in the eye, then blushed, setting both girls laughing.
"Um. I guess I don't need to tell you it's me then."
"What's wrong, Roxas?" Xion teased. "You've gone all red."
Sora felt him try to give up again, but this time he resisted.
Go on, Roxas. Tell her how you feel.
Roxas was saved from having to by the distraction of Riku's pod opening at last.
"You could have let me have a little longer," he told them, shaking his head. "I was enjoying myself."
"I'm pretty sure I know how to work this well enough to put you back again if that's what you want," Roxas replied.
"Maybe later. Setzer fed us that tinned cat food, and I want a real meal again. Don't keep our boys too long, will you?" he asked the twins, then left.
"What did he mean by that?"
"We thought you'd like to know why Roxas exists," Kairi answered.
"We're twins," Xion continued, "But we have to try to act differently, because we're actually identical. That's why I dyed my hair."
"When we're around anyone who starts to get close to us, because we're so alike something makes them split into two. Like here, Sora, and you Roxas. You're like him, but with just a few differences – like us."
"Is there anything we can do about it?" Roxas asked.
"We've never found anything," Kairi shrugged. "There's only a few others like you though, but they were all managing alright when we left. That's why Setzer did all that to us. He wanted to see if we still had the same effect if we stopped being humans. We didn't want him to do that though, so he went around us to our parents instead."
"That's wrong."
"Odd sentiment, coming from you," Xion said with a raised eyebrow. "I saw you punch Rai that night. Isn't that wrong too?"
You hit Rai? He didn't think you were me, did you?
Of course not, Roxas told him then to the twins, "He annoyed me. Besides, I had other things on my mind."
Ask them where Setzer's gone.
Roxas passed the question on.
"Probably back wherever his home is," Kairi shrugged. "I think that's what he said once."
"Yesterday," Xion confirmed. "When he brought the others in."
"How did he manage that?" Roxas asked curiously.
"He tricked them," she answered with an edge in her voice. "Lured them out to the storerooms, then knocked them out. When they came to, they'd already been turned into cats with the rest of us."
"Wonder what we should do with these things..."
"I guess we keep them..."
"Yeah," Kairi grinned. "For Riku when he wants to go back again."
Sora nudged Roxas, who gave him control again.
"What would happen if Roxas or me used them?" he asked.
"No idea. Welcome back again," Kairi added absently. "I reckon we should keep them safe here for now. I mean, it's not like anyone except us knows how to get here."
"And the others Setzer used them on," Xion nodded. "And Roxas is the only one who knows how to work them besides Setzer."
"Maybe we can lure Setzer back here and unexpectedly turn him into a cat," Sora thought aloud. "Just so he gets to find out what the rest of you had to go through, that is."
Do you ever stop thinking about playing tricks on people? Roxas sighed.
"It'd teach him a lesson," Xion murmured, the glanced to Kairi. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?"
"Naturally," Kairi answered, grinning. "Would you boys care to wait here for us? I think we might be able to bring a special guest here."
Not them too...
Loosen up, Roxas, Sora said, finally figuring out how to talk to him without needing to say it out loud. It's just a little harmless fun. Try to get in the spirit of things.
Oh, alright then. At least find out how long it'll take.
"How long d'ya think it'll take you to persuade him to join us?"
"Good question. Could we talk to Roxas a moment?" Kairi waited until the change of appearance happened, then went on, "These pods, do they put someone to sleep as soon as they're closed?"
"I think so," Roxas answered. "Why-" he began, then nodded. "Oh, I see. Very neat. He'll be kept out of trouble in one until we turn up to set it going."
"That's the plan. We'll come find you when it's done."
"Oh, by the way... sorry about your door. I was sort of concerned about you, and I didn't have a key."
"Don't worry about it," Xion replied. "Seifer paid to replace it when he had his own one fixed. He even stood guard over our house for us until it was finished."
"I guess Seifer does have his useful moments then," Roxas grudgingly admitted. "I guess we're off home then. If Sora lets me call his home mine too."
Of course. Did you think I was going to just make you sleep outside or something?
