I noticed a really odd thing about multi-chapter stories. You start to run out of titles for chapters after a while. :P Anyway, I will admit that this is kind of a breather chapter until the third scene. Kind of a side-effect of being behind on my word count. :P But it gets better, I promise. Enjoy!

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The Longest Night

Chapter XI

Whispers

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"Poppet is obsessed with you, Roxas."

"Call her Xion! And my name's Sora! Where's the real Roxas?"

"He's pretty close, and so is Poppet. You just need to dig a little deeper. Maybe inside your own memories. Have you payed enough attention to your memories lately?"

"Get out of the way or I'm going to hurt you!"

"Now we're talking. Come on! I want to see how you dance!"

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Xion hid in the corner of the bunk bed blanket tent, doing the breathing exercises Zexion had instructed her in just minutes ago. It wasn't helping much, mostly because she didn't believe for a second what the same man had told her about her memories.

The memories that she now held had the feeling of memories, that feeling of 'rightness' that separates true memories from imagined experiences or half-remembered dreams. They had to be the truth, no matter what anyone else said. Zexion, Namine, Axel, Roxas, anyone who told her that her version of reality wasn't true had to be wrong. That was that, as far as she was concerned. And when she got to Sora, she would be validated. She looked forward to this a lot.

But she couldn't go without Roxas, Namine and Riku. That was a problem. Roxas and Namine didn't believe her story, and Riku had more or less vanished since the last encounter. Xion needed to find a way to get the first two on her side and go find the third.

But now Zexion was watching her every move. Even if he didn't say it, Xion got the feeling that he did think she had gone crazy.

She poked her head out and looked at Zexion. "Why do you need to watch me?"

Zexion kept reading, which was safe for him to do because he had crafted a sound illusion that made Xion's tiniest footsteps sound like large objects being thrown to the floor. "I have to make sure you don't do anything you'll regret."

"Like what?"

"Maybe like running away from your entire support structure."

Xion bit her lip, considering how to approach this. "…Can Namine watch me?"

"No. She's not an adult like I am."

Xion laid back down and faced the wall. "I just want to see Sora again…"

Zexion sighed, put down his book and sat on the bed again. "Xion, you have to accept that you are the only person who has the memories you have."

"That's a lie. Sora would remember me, I know it."

Another sigh. "Well…he would. But that's not because he knew you previously. Namine was affecting his memory, too."

Xion curled up into a ball. "Stop lying. I'm done with all the lying."

"The only things lying here are your own memories."

Xion felt tears bunching up in her eyes. She had been getting a crash course in holding them back lately. Of course, she was constantly failing her classes. Still, she kept trying to hold them back as best she could. "Memories can't lie…"

"Xion, even without someone like Namine, memory is malleable. You forget things, and your mind fills the blank space with something that isn't real because it hates forgetting things. Forgetting creates void, and the mind hates void."

Xion shook her head. "That's wrong. When I couldn't remember, everything before my first day in the Organization was this dark void. I still remember seeing void, Zexion! That's when they were erasing my memory!"

"No, your brain just put void there to explain to itself why everything before that point is gone. Before all this, it was essentially trying to convince you that all reality came into existence at the moment your memory finally kicked in."

Xion sniffled, still trying hard not to cry again. "Maybe I'll start listening to you when you start making some sense…"

Zexion held Xion's arm. "I hate to make you cry. I really do. I shouldn't be able to feel anything, and yet I feel hurt inside for making you feel this way. But I have to give you the cold, hard truth, whether you like it or not, because it's the only way to save you."

Xion didn't even bother trying to resist Zexion's grip. She knew it was pointless. "You're going to cast some happy illusion that makes me sleep again, aren't you?"

"Not unless you want that. I do have ethics about using my powers without some necessity. Though honestly, I think a nap would help you."

"You'll just make me forget Sora again…"

"No, I won't. I won't do anything right now." Zexion leaned close. "I'm going to let you cry and scream and rant and rave all you want. It won't change anything about your situation, but I at least hope letting your feelings out will help you calm down. The most important thing you can do right now is be calm."

Xion let her tears come out of her eyelids, not because Zexion had told her to, but because she couldn't hold back any longer. "Why are you doing this to me…?"

Zexion moved back up and stared at the wall, keeping his grip tight. "To keep you safe."

"I don't want to be safe, I want to see Sora."

"The best thing you can do for Sora right now is stay safe."

Xion started shaking. "I want to see Sora."

Zexion made his hold even tighter. "You can't see Sora right now."

Xion's voice cracked. "Why not?!"

"Because then you wouldn't be safe."

"Let me see Sora!"

Zexion turned to Xion, tapping her to make her give him eye contact. "Xion, you're being pathetic. I've seen sugar-hyped toddlers with better composure. It hurts to see you like this. This isn't you, Xion."

"You're just trying to make me forget him again!"

"Xion, the more worked up you get, the harder it gets to think, and the harder it gets to think, the harder it gets to not go insane."

Xion couldn't stand to look at Zexion anymore, so she shut her eyes as tightly as she could. "I'm not crazy!"

"That's right. You're not crazy. But you will be crazy if you can't calm down."

"When will you get the message that I don't want to be calm?!"

"Why don't you want to be calm?"

"I'll lose my memories again!"

Zexion placed his free hand on her forehead. "I want you to focus on your happiest memory of Sora."

"Why? You hate my memories!"

"I am neutral toward your memories. And if focusing on Sora helps you feel calm, then so be it."

Xion ran out of energy for shaking and yelling, and just went limp. "I'll fall asleep if I calm down…don't let me sleep…"

Zexion shook his head. "Sleep is going to help you. And you won't lose any memories."

"…Promise?"

"I promise."

Maybe Xion was being overly trusting, but she didn't have too much time to think about that before the feeling of Zexion's grip faded and she couldn't hear her own thoughts anymore.

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Saix crossed his legs as he always did and looked up at Xemnas. "Superior, the situation at Castle Oblivion is deteriorating rapidly. Xion now carries memories that place her in the false reality Marluxia crafted for Sora."

Xemnas shook his head. "Do not worry for our plans. All is as the mighty Kingdom Hearts wills it."

"You want her to discover the truth, is that correct?"

"Of course, as I have told you."

"Then why give her a reason not to? She is convinced that finding Sora will be her salvation."

Xemnas grinned. "If she finds her way to Sora, the end result is the same. She disappears into nothing, as she should, and the True Keybearer becomes stronger for it."

Saix sighed. "I still think the true end result will be defeat."

Xemnas closed his eyes, still smiling. "You have always been stubborn, Number VII. That is part of why you are my right-hand man. You have the needed loyalty and refusal to back down. But it seems those very things are coming to impede my plans."

"Thinking of our members as disposable can only lead to ruin."

"Why do you choose to bring this up? Is it because you fear that I may now consider you disposable?"

Saix didn't break his cool demeanor for a second, though on the inside he could feel some shadow of Somebody-like terror. "Of course not, Superior."

Xemnas leaned back in his throne. "Good, because I don't consider you disposable. Not yet, anyway. But if you continue to question me like this, then I might."

"There will be no need for that, Superior."

"I should hope not, Number VII. I should hope not."

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Xigbar strolled into the meeting room, still carrying his arrowguns. "I gave Sora a good show, just like you wanted."

Marluxia tapped his fingers on the table, not bothering to look back at Xigbar. "Good. I never expected him to get this far, this quickly, you know. Thus is the power of the Keybalde, I suppose."

Xigbar laughed. "You'd like your own Keyblade, wouldn't you? Can't say that I don't relate."

"And why would you care?"

"Honestly? I don't. I actually wanted to talk to you about Poppet."

Marluxia smiled. "I would assume you care even less about that."

Xigbar walked up next to Marluxia. "Oh, Roseboy, I care a lot when you're driving her bonkers. I already told you that insane Poppet is dead Poppet. And dead Poppet just isn't to helpful for us, is she? You see, there's this thing about dead people. They don't do much. Dead Nobodies, even less. Mostly, they fade into nothing."

Marluxia didn't let that stupid smile leave his face for a single second. "If she becomes too much trouble, I can always get Namine to restore her to original factory settings. Shouldn't be too hard. This is the factory, after all."

Xigbar snapped his fingers dramatically. "Oh, Zombie Poppet, clever idea. Maybe Zombie Tiger, too, now there's an idea! A couple perfect little dolls who follow our every direction. Why didn't Xemnas ever think of this? Oh, wait, now I remember, because you made her befriend them, and she won't want to do it. Aw, gosh darn it! Not the smartest move now, huh?"

Marluxia snorted. "Not to worry. I'll make it so that it isn't a matter of wanting to do it."

Xigbar crossed his arms. "Come on, she's naïve, not stupid. She knows you need her, and you won't just off her."

"What makes you think she even knows her true purpose?"

"Bookworm told her."

Marluxia turned around. His smile was replaced by a scowl. "What?"

Xigbar shrugged. "Hey, I get around a lot, I hear a lot of whispers. You're welcome."

Marluxia took a second to regain his cool. "All right, no matter…eliminate Zexion. That traitor is of no further use to us."

Xigbar stroked his chin. "I don't know…I don't like just shooting someone at the first sign of poor loyalty. Usually, if you play with your food a bit, you can still milk a little more benefit out of them. And I think I have just the idea."

Marluxia considered this. "…Fine. But if your idea ends up causing more trouble than it's worth, you're dead."

Xigbar grinned. "Fair enough. And what about our little witch?"

"You are to bring Namine to me. I will deal with her appropriately."

Xigbar made a dramatic bow and put on a fake British accent. "It shall be done, my Royal Highness."

Marluxia made the little laugh again, shaking his head. "I am no king, Xigbar. I am the servant. But if we do this right, we can all be kings…"

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There, see? I told you it would get better. :)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember, reviews are always appreciated. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for chapter twelve!