So… I'm late. Sorry. School started again, so I've been distracted.

Other than that… Lord of the Rings reference in that title.

DAY 96

Song: Sacred Moon

Blyxil stood around a corner, watching as Roxas entered the Grey Area.

Blyxil didn't often have much to do, so he concerned himself with Roxas and Xion. Those two intrigued him, and sometimes they worried him. In his eavesdropping sessions, he discovered that Xion was trying to recover her Keyblade, and needed Roxas to cover for her.

"Xion, Roxas. I need you two on separate missions today."

And then there's Saix. Drill Sergeant of the Organization. Always telling everyone what to do. He'll ruin everything and Xion will end up with a massive punishment.

"Huh? Why?" Xion asked.

"Two major Heartless targets have surfaced in separate worlds. Roxas will go to Beast's Castle while Xion goes to Agrabah."

They're probably not even both Emblem Heartless. But then why would Saix really need them split up?

Blyxil was also not sure how they would each fare. Blyxil was recently at Agrabah, and the Heartless there seemed pretty powerful.

"Whoa! You're going to send Roxas to Beast's Castle?" Axel walked up to the group, woken up from his nap. "I was just there yesterday for recon. I saw the Heartless you're talking about. You don't want to pit Roxas against that thing. Not by himself."

Saix stood there, uncaring. "If I send them both, who's going to take care of the Heartless in Agrabah?"

"Me." Axel said without a breath. "I'm a big boy."

"You can not collect hearts." Saix said.

"So I'll keep the Heartless busy, and they can take it on another day. Problem solved."

Roxas turned to Saix. "Is that ok?"

Saix turned his back to them. "This is the last day you two work together."

As Roxas and Xion walked through the corridor of Darkness, Saix was left with Axel, and Blyxil would be surprised by his next find.

"Don't think for a minute I believed that."

Axel turned to his co-worker. "Believed what?" He said in a believable tone.

"That reprehensible performance."

Blyxil decided to ignore his shock and show himself. "I'll show you reprehensible you ja…"

"Quiet, Blyxil." Axel said. He grabbed Blyxil before he could pull anything rash. "We're going to Agrabah."

Song: Waltz of the Diamond

"You ok?" Roxas asked.

"I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow."

Xion attempted to summon her Keyblade, but to no avail.

Roxas summoned his own and handed it to Xion. "Here. Maybe it can help you figure out how to summon your own."

"But… what about you?" Xion asked.

"I can just use magic like you've been using this whole time. But if you're still worried…" Roxas took a look around, then picked something up off of the ground. "I can improvise."

"Roxas…" Xion sighed. "That's a stick."

"You managed without the Keyblade. Do you think I'm not up to it? I'll be fine."

"If you say so. Thanks." Xion replied. Then she took a look around. "You'd probably do better with one of those." Xion pointed at the suits of armor on the walls, each one carrying a sword.

"You're probably right." Roxas said, embarrassed.

Song: Dance of the Daring

Roxas and Xion set out to take on the Heartless around to find the big one.

Roxas went headfirst into battle. He wasn't used to fighting with something other than the keyblade, but hey, he still had magic.

Song: Waltz of the Diamond

"Those horrid creatures plaguing the castle have kept the master from Belle long enough. We have to bring them together!"

"The clock…" Xion began.

"He mentioned Belle." Roxas said.

"The candelabra mentioned her last time." Xion continued. "The servants seem awfully interested in making sure their master and Belle get along."

"Is that strange?" Roxas asked.

"It's just that…" Xion answered. "They're in such a rush."

"Hmm… Let's just focus on our mission. Let's not get caught."

Song: Arabian Dream

Blyxil and Axel managed to keep the other Heartless busy.

"See. I told you I could have it burrowing in circles all day." Blyxil said, lying on his back.

"You're almost as brilliant as Vexen." Axel said nonchalantly. As though it didn't matter that he was gone.

"Almost as smart, you mean. I'm much more brilliant." Blyxil said. Then he toned down. "And you're wrong. Vexen could've done much more. This was all I had."

Axel had a thought. "Vexen's role as the researcher shouldn't go undone. Maybe you should take his place."

Blyxil had a small glint in his eye. "That thought hadn't crossed my mind this whole time. I'll try it." There was a bit of silence, during which Blyxil took a bite out of some chicken. "So what's the deal with Xion?"

Axel turned to him. "Can I trust you? Like I did at C.O?"

"I'm trustworthy." Blyxil replied.

Axel sighed. "Your words aren't annoying, but it sounds like you're correcting me."

Blyxil turned the other way. "I'm not gonna start using big words like reconna… whatever it was. But some 'acceptable' vocabulary isn't illogical."

"It's not big words that are the problem. It's complicated words like illogical." Axel countered.

"I won't try to change. But I'm with you. Just like at Castle Oblivion."

"Alright. I'll tell you what I know."

Song: Tension Rising

"There he is!" Roxas yelled.

Roxas and Xion entered the ballroom and found a giant, purple Heartless dog.

Xion kept whacking it with the Keyblade, and Roxas decided to prioritise magic, focusing mainly on his light spell, Pearl.

When it was almost dead, Roxas and Xion rushed in together for a dual attack.

Song: None

Xion turned to her partner. "Thanks, Roxas. You can have this back." She handed the Keyblade back to him.

"Do you think it helped?" Roxas asked.

Xion shook her head. "I don't know, but let me try again." Xion held her hand out, and concentrated. Like normal, she could feel the power in her hands. It was just the matter of materializing it that had her stuck. She could see it in her mind. She just had to bring it into the world.

And she did. The blade and teeth of the Keyblade are silver, the rainguard is blue, and the guard is bright gold. The teeth of the Keyblade form the outline of a crown. (Kingdom Key)

"You did it." Roxas said.

"Roxas it worked!"

"Let's go show Axel!"

Axel and Blyxil sat at the edge of the clocktower. Axel sat back staring at the sky, and Blyxil was fiddling with a ball of electricity.

He heard footsteps and turned to see Roxas and Xion.

Roxas ran up to them. "Hey!"

Axel sat up in surprise. "Whoa! Where'd you come from!?"

Roxas and Xion laughed. "How was your mission?" The two of them turned to Blyxil with questioning glanced.

"At first we couldn't get it to stay in one place." Blyxil said.

"Then, thanks to him, we got to stay in one place ourselves." Axel continued. "Well anyway, how did your caper go?"

At first, they were apprehensive of Blyxil. "I won't bite. And I won't tell either. If you got it to work, then show us."

Axel nodded when they turned to him, so Xion summoned the Keyblade.

"Thanks, you guys." Xion said.

"I didn't do anything." Axel said.

Blyxil had also moved over a bit, having not done anything either. "It was all you. You and Roxas, that is."

"It was your idea to have us work together, Axel." Xion said. "So thanks."

"How about some ice cream then. Buy me Sea-Salt, and we'll call it even."

Blyxil tossed a pouch to Xion. "I'll take Mint."

"You got it." Xion caught it. "I'll be right back!"

When she got back, they all sat there. "A circle of friends…" Blyxil said. "Well, I guess we're more of a line, all sitting on the edge like this."

Roxas laughed. "I hope we can be just like this, forever."

"Me too." Xion said.

"What's that all about?" Axel asked.

"I just… want these days to last forever. Hanging out, the ice cream, the sunsets."

"Nothing lasts forever." Blyxil said.

"Least of all for Nobodies like us." Axel continued. "But it's ok if things change and we can't meet up here, as long as we keep each other in our thoughts, none of us will ever have to be apart. Got it memorized?"

Roxas laughed. "Wow, that was so not you."

"Hey!" Axel playfully pushed Roxas, and they both laughed. Xion joined in, and then Blyxil.

"Oh, Blyxil. How was your training thing?" Roxas asked.

"I'm surprised you remember." Blyxil sighed. "I've learned something from Xemnas since then. But either way, it's best not to force it. I'll get stronger some day."

"Xion's Keyblade, the presence I sensed with it… but why…? Nothing makes sense."

And now Xion is useful. She had magic before, but now she can collect hearts without Roxas's help, which is a big deal to the Organization. So… yeah.