I had a burst of inspiration today! I wanted to work on the next chapter! I know I said I would be ending this fic soon, but it doesn't look like I will
:D So you'll have more awesome chapters to read!
"I had ice cream with Axel after work today, but Xion didn't show.
Axel said she got sent on an important mission, but he wouldn't look at me when he said it. I've been wondering what's wrong with Xion all this time, but now that I stop and think about it, Axel's not himself either." Roxas's Diary Entry XLI
Chapter 12 – Disappearance
Lira anxiously flew the gummi ship. 'Where the heck do I even start looking for Levina?' She thought. 'I don't even know where this Organization 13 headquarters is.'
She looked at the control panel. The closest world to her was Olympus Colessium. A smile touched Lira's fierce lips. "Wonder how Phil and Herc are doing without me," She said out loud. 'I wonder if I'll see Zack there too.' She thought.
Lira sighed. It had been ten years since she last saw Zack. She really wondered what became of him. A sudden image of Axel played in her head.
Lira shook her head instantly. "Great now that Organization member has got me thinking about him!" She face-palmed as she held her forehead. "Got it memorized…" Lira pressed her lips and groaned. "Argh! Now that guy has got me saying his catch phrases too!"
Lira remembered the brief fight they had inside Castle Oblivion. 'That guy…, he didn't seem all that bad. It looked like he wanted to help his friend out,' Lira continued maneuvering the gummi ship. 'He probably knows where Levina is.'
She held onto the controls of the gummi ship and flew to Olympus Collessium.
Roxas slept and dreamed. He dreamed about an island surrounded by water.
'What is this place?'' Roxas thought as he dreamed.
There were three kids playing on the beach. It was Sora, Kairi, and Riku. Sora's memories were now invading Roxas's head.
'Three people together…,' Roxas dreamed. 'With smiles on their faces.' He thought happily. He could vividly see Sora with Riku and Kairi running along the beach. 'That must be the other me…with Axel and Xion.'
The boy continued to sleep. 'That's right,' He thought. 'This coming vacation, we're going to the beach together,' He smiled in his sleep as he yawned. 'I want to bring Levina too. It's definitely going to be fun.'
Roxas happily dreamed and smiled as he slept. Axel on the other hand was roaming the halls. He stopped by Xion's room.
'She still hasn't come back yet,' Axel thought. He stared at her empty room. 'Xion…'
Roxas headed for the lobby. He yawned and said, "That was a pleasant dream. It was like the four of us going to the beach. I wonder how long till our next vacation…?" He saw Axel and Saix, they were talking to each other. The small boy smiled at Axel waving at him. "Hey Axel!" He said happily.
Axel looked merely glanced over and walked through a dark corridor.
Roxas blinked in confusion and then looked around. "Xion's not here either," He frowned lowering his head. "Maybe she's already left for her mission." He assumed.
"Yo Roxas!" Demyx said from behind the boy.
Roxas turned around. "Oh it's you, Demyx," He said. "Looks like we've been paired up for today's mission."
The taller blonde cheekily smiled and told him, "I'm gonna need you to work twice as hard for the both of us!"
'I've got a feeling it's gonna a tough day.' Roxas thought in dismay knowing very well that would have to do everything during the mission.
"Roxas, Demyx," Saix spoke to them. "In preparation for future missions, I want you two to go on a training mission."
"Training…?" Demyx whined. "Awwww!" He pouted in dismay.
Saix rolled his eyes at Demyx's immaturity and looked at Roxas. "I believe you've been to Olympus Coliseum."
Roxas had remembered his first visit to the coliseum with Xigbar. It wasn't exactly fun for him. He remembered Phil yapping about being a true hero and had put him through some strenuous labor tasks.
"As a keyblade wielder your power is of great use to us all," Saix told him. "So it would be best to try and have you work out learn to work independently as soon as possible.
'And I had thought Axel, Xion and I would stick together.' Roxas frowned as he thought this.
"Then why do you have to send me?!" Demyx asked whining since he wanted to stay and not do anything.
"We can't send you on more difficult mission with your current level of fitness." Saix told him.
"So what?" Demyx complained clinging to Saix's coat. "In that cast don't send me at all!"
"You moron," Saix shoved Demyx off him. "If you do your training mission properly, I'll consider assigning you both a day off." The Lunar Diviner's eye twitched as Demyx hugged him. "Let go of me already!"
"A vacation?!" Roxas beamed.
"So don't even think about slacking off because I will go check up on you later." Saix ordered.
Roxas smiled. This is what he wanted since the moment he woke up. He wanted another vacation with his friends. He looked back at Saix asking, "Is…," he wanted to say Levina's name, but thought it wasn't a good idea to say it. "Is the prisoner ok?"
"She is under surveillance by the Dusks," Saix replied. "Perhaps if your training mission goes well, I'll allow you to see her for a brief moment."
Roxas smiled happily. "Let's go Demyx!' He beamed making a dark corridor appear.
Lira touched down on Olympus Coliseum. She smiled seeing Phil still training Hercules. Hercules had definitely grown in the past ten years. He was ready to be a full-fledged hero. There was no sign of Zack though.
"C'mon champ! Just a few more thousand push-ups!" Phil instructed.
"A thousand more?" Hercules pouted. "I've been doing push-ups all day!"
"What's the matter, Herc?" Lira asked as she walked over. "Don't tell me you've gone soft since I've been gone."
Both Hercules and Phil looked up.
"Whoa who's the babe!?" Phil cheekily grinned.
"Do we know you?" Hercules asked.
Lira leaped in the air with her sword and staff pointing her sword at Hercules. "Don't tell me you forgot all about me!"
"Lira!" The hero in training cried out. "Is that really you?!"
Phil's jaw dropped to the ground. "I wanna know where in Kronos name have you been?!"
Lira laughed. "Training of course!" She beamed.
"You definitely look like you have been training!" Hercules commended her.
"Hey have you two seen Zack anywhere?" Lira asked.
Phil dropped his head in defeat. "That no good up-start wannabe hero ditched us years ago!" The small goat sighed. "He would've made a great hero."
Hearing this Lira frowned. 'Zack where are you?'' She wondered.
"Since you're here, do you want to spar?" Hercules asked.
Lira smiled. "Sure! It'll be like old times."
As the two were about to spar they all heard Demyx yelling in frustration.
"Is this even possible to do?!" Demyx screamed looking at a list of training exercises on the wall.
The list read: 100 bench presses, 100 squats, 100 arm curls, 100 dead lifts, and 100 chin ups.
"Are you insane?!" Demyx hissed at Phil.
Lira looked at the two Organization members. 'Are they part of Organization 13, too?' She wondered readying her weapons in case she needed to fight.
"Are you two yahoos looking for the easy way or the hard way to be a hero in training?" Phil asked them.
Demyx kept on complaining, while Roxas remained silent. He kept looking at Lira and he could swear he saw her before, but that was impossible. This was the first time these two met.
"You can't be a hero without the muscle to back it up!" Phil told them. "Just have a look at these chicken bones!" He grabbed Demyx's scrawny arms. "Way off the mark! First I need you two to bulk up!"
"Roxas!" Demyx yelled. "Back me up here!"
"Ummm," Roxas stammered as Phil shoved a large dumbbell at him. "We have a bit of muscle too," The boy fell over since the dumbbell was too heavy for him.
'Guess they aren't part of the Organization,' Lira thought. 'They're way too immature and weak.'
Phil face-palmed. "Just look at all these statues!" The small goat said with pride at all the Adonis statues in the coliseum. "All that muscle don't represent strength! It just makes you look flashy!"
Roxas looked at Demyx. "B-But if we don't train… we won't get to go on vacation…" He pouted.
"I know…" Demyx sighed.
"Oy! How much longer are you planning on chit-chatting!?" Phil yelled shaking his fist. "If you're not gonna do it them leave!"
"Let's decide with a match!" Demyx declared
Roxas tilted his head utterly confused as to what Demyx was planning. 'That's gotta be a bluff.' He thought.
"What are you saying!?" Phil yelled out raged.
"If I win, you'll call off all the muscle training!" The Melodious Nocturne declared.
"Fine.." Phil agreed.
'Is he sure about this?' Roxas wondered.
"I've never met a person who wants to get stronger by being lazy." Phil said.
Demyx rubbed the back of his head smiling, "You're welcome."
"That wasn't a compliment." Phil replied and threw Demyx wrestling garb. "We'll settle this with a wrestling match!"
Roxas and Demyx headed for the coliseum.
Phil walked over to Lira. "Hey kid, since you're here, I've gotta job for you!" He told her.
"I'm up for some fun, Phil!" Lira replied heading towards the coliseum.
"Are you really sure about this?" Roxas asked as he sat in the coliseum seat while Demyx waited for his opponent.
"I'm already prepared to win!" Demyx declared.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Roxas asked again.
"Man stop being such a worry-wart, Roxas!" Demyx told the small boy. He took out a small bottle of steroids from his pocket. "I just need to take this and I'll be able to take down any opponent without breaking a sweat!"
"Isn't that against the rules?" Roxas asked as he saw Demyx swallow the entire bottle of steroids.
"Who cares as long as I can win!" Demyx answered.
"You two chumps ready!" Phil called out. The effects of the steroids were already working. Demyx's weak physique turned into a buff Greek God.
"Bring it on!" Demyx said with pride.
Phil brightened seeing Demyx's body. "To think that you have those muscles under your clothes!"
"That's right!" Demyx grinned.
'This is really scaring me….' Roxas thought.
Demyx looked down at Phil. "Speaking of which aren't you prepared yet?!" His muscles were bulging and twitching. "Shouldn't you be trembling with fear?"
"Who ever said I was competing?" Phil asked.
"Huh?!" Both Roxas and Demyx looked dumb founded.
"You called for a match Phil?" Lira stepped up into the arena. She was holding her sword and staff in each hand.
"I have to fight a girl?!" Demyx exclaimed having a nose bleed seeing Lira in her outfit.
"Hey Demyx?" Roxas asked. "What are you going to do now?
'I can do this…!'' Demyx thought nervously.
Roxas noticed Demyx's knees were shaking. 'He's doomed…'
"The first one to hit the ground first is the loser!" Phil instructed.
'I don't think I can do this!' Demyx panicked.
"Ready!" Phil gave the signal to start.
'Guess I'll have no choice but to resort to it.' Demyx thought.
"GO!" Phil gave the signal.
Out of nowhere, Demyx manifested water in his hands. It was like he was bending the water to his will. "Take this!" He splashed Lira in the eyes.
'That's cheating!' Roxas thought.
"Hey!" Lira yelled annoyed. 'He knows how to control water!?'
As Lira struggled to get the water out of her eyes, Demyx was behind her. "Time for you to kiss the ground!"
Demyx reached to grab Lira, but all of a sudden he felt the effects of the steroids wear off.
Lira grinned. "You're not the only one who knows how to control magic!" She raised her hand in the air created fire in her bare hands. The fire began to grow larger and larger until it covered the entire arena. "Flare!"
Demyx screamed with fear as the fire engulfed him and fell over on the arena floor.
"Demyx are you alright?!" Roxas asked as the flamed disappeared.
"Guess we were right!" Phil said. "Time for you to start training!"
Axel roamed the empty Destiny Islands. He was looking for Xion. It was a priority that he would be able to find her and bring her back.
"She's not here either…" Axel said to himself. He remembered the conversation he was having with Saix before he left.
"If you don't find Xion by the end of the day," Saix's voice ehoed in Axel's head. "I'm going to inform Xemnas. Do I make myself clear?"
"Xion…" Axel said gazing into the ocean. "Where could you have gone?"
In the Twlight Town mansion there was a plain white room with drawings plastered all over the walls. These drawings represented Sora's memories. Naminé was looking at her drawings on the walls. She was particularly concerned about the one with Roxas, Axel, and Xion. She doesn't remember these ever being a part of Sora's memories.
"I wasn't sure I'd see you again." Naminé said looking at Riku.
"You made me a promise." Riku replied back.
"To look after Sora," Naminé said. "I remember," The Nobody of Kairi lowered her eyes to her sketchbook. "I'm sorry but, I'm not sure I've kept that promise very well."
"What happened?" Riku asked.
"Some of Sora's memories are missing," Naminé answered.
"How can that be?" Riku asked.
"They're escaping through Sora's Nobody into a third person – and now they are being a part of her." Naminé told him.
"You can't get the memories back out?" Riku asked her concerned for his friend's life.
"If they're still separate," Naminé began. "Then yes, I think so." She thought of Xion. "But if they join with her memories, things get a lot more complicated." The blonde girl looked at her sketchbook. "I would need to untangle her memory before I could finish Sora's…" She sighed. "What was supposed to take months might take years. DiZ would be furious."
"What can we do?" Riku asked.
"If I try to jump in and rearrange her memory…," Naminé said slowly. "I risk Sora waking up to find out that nobody remembers him anymore." She lowered her head. "I can't do that to him." She looked up at Riku. "It's too late anyway. His awakening will have to be delayed. I never imagined Sora's Nobody and the other one would fight so hard to be their own people." She stared at the drawing of Roxas, Axel, and Xion. "Unfortunately, the only real solution…is for both of them to go away." She looked up at Riku again. "Did you know her face was blank at first?" The blonde girl said referring to Xion. "Only now you can see someone. That proves some of Sora's memories are inside her. Some inside her, some inside Sora, and others inside Sora's Nobody…," Another fearful sigh escaped her lips. "I can't sort it out anymore. All I can do is pick up the pieces once what has to be done, is done."
"I've met her." Riku said causing Naminé to jolt up.
"I see." Naminé replied. "We can't go back." She looked down at her sketchbook a page with Sora's sleeping face on it. "This is the only way."
"We can't go back." Riku told her.
Unbeknownst to the two struggling warriors to keep Sora's memories intact, DiZ was listening in on every word.
Roxas and Demyx lay on the arena floor. They were panting and sweating.
"Excellent you've both worked your butts off!" Phil congratulated them.
"I think that should be enough training for the day, Phil." Hercules said.
"Yeah those two look like they're about to die." Lira added.
"Ugh…finally!" Roxas gasped. "It's over!" He panted. "Did we even get stronger?" He wondered.
"I hope so…," Demyx wheezed.
"Alright!" Phil shouted. "Time for one last thing!"
Demyx and Roxas groaned still exhausted from their training.
"This final task is to put your training to the test with a make-shift battle!" Phil ordered. "Both of you are to put everything you got into this!"
Demyx held his wooden sword. "How am I supposed to put everything into this when I have nothing left…" He pouted.
"Start!" Phil told them.
The two crossed paths with each other parrying and thrusting the sticks at each other.
"Hey Roxas!" Demyx said. "Why don't we put on a show for them?"
"What?" Roxas frowned. "You just want to impress that girl!"
"So?" Demyx asked. "Don't you do that all the time with the prisoner?"
"I do not!" Roxas yelled. "She's my friend!"
"All we have to do is just act like we're really strong." Demyx told him. "I'll need you to gently hit me first and then I'll hit you back."
"Uh…," Roxas said slowly. "I think I understand…"
Roxas gently tapped Demyx in the face with his stick. "Hiyah…" He said effortlessly.
Demyx landed to the ground yelling in pain.
'He's such a drama king…' Roxas thought.
'If these people are the ones who have Levina, I'll find her in no time.' Lira thought lightly snickering at Demyx's antics.
"Good for you Roxas!" Demyx complimented sitting up.
"You really are the biggest moron!" It was Saix.
"Who's that?" Phil wondered.
"Oh uh…," Demyx stammered. "Hi Saix."
"I told you earlier didn't?" Saix said to them. "That I would be checking up on you." He made his claymore appear. "Now I will be the one to test you."
Lira could feel the darkness emanating from Saix's body. She tightly held onto her sword.
"No holding back." Saix said bitterly.
"W-Why do I get the feeling your angry with me?" Demyx stammered nervously.
Saix held his claymore in his hand. "So you can tell I'm angry?"
"Actually anyone can tell..," Demyx joked. "It's not that difficult!"
It was as if Saix was in some sort of angry trance. He was focusing all his anger into one big and deadly attack.
"Is that so?" Saix sneered. "That's because of the unsatisfying report I have with you!"
"W-What are you saying?!" Demyx asked nervously. "We didn't slack off! We worked reeeaaallly hard today – right Roxas?"
"Uhhh yeah…" Roxas replied seeing Saix getting angrier by the second.
Saix fumed with anger. "You used my computer without my permission! Does that jog your pitiful memory!?" He raised his claymore into the air.
Demyx panicked. "I-I think he's gone into a real berserk mode."
Everyone then heard Demyx yell as Saix lowered his claymore at the taller blonde. Demyx fell to the ground leaving a small crater in the arena.
"H-Hang in there Demyx!" Roxas cried out running over to him.
Saix sneered. "Looks like you have gotten stronger…"
"He's our comrade!" Roxas yelled. "You didn't need to go full force on him!"
"Comrade…?" Saix scowled. "There's something I'd like you to remember about the Organization, Roxas. Our goal is to soley complete Kingdom Hearts. That is the only reason why we banded together."
'They must have Levina for sure!' Lira thought as she listened to the conversation.
"All who obstruct our goal will not be tolerated," Saix told the small boy. "That goes for Organization members too," He looked at Roxas. "Don't you forget it." The Lunar Diviner disappeared through a dark corridor.
Roxas helped Demyx up. "Are you ok?" He asked his fallen comrade.
"I think so…" Demyx groaned.
Lira ran up to them pointing her sword at them. "Alright you two! Where's Levina?!"
"Who?" Demyx asked rubbing his head still reeling from Saix's attack.
"Levina?" Roxas asked. "You know her?"
"Of course I know her!" Lira yelled. "I've been searching for her all this time! Where is she?!"
"Well…," Roxas began but then kept quiet remembering what Saix had just said.
Demyx stood up. "There's no way you're going to find the prisoner," He said cheekily. "She's with us now, isn't that right Roxas?"
"Umm…" Roxas stammered. "Yeah she is, but she's safe!" He told Lira. "She's my friend!"
"I'm supposed to believe that?!" Lira growled. "Where are you keeping her?!"
"That's for us to know," Demyx said. "And you to find out." The two disappeared through a dark corridor.
Lira growled in frustration as she saw Roxas and Demyx leave.
"Lira, are you alright?" Hercules asked.
"Fine.." Lira replied leaving the coliseum and heading out to her gummi ship. "I have to find her!"
"That wasn't very nice." Roxas said to Demyx as they walked through the corridor.
"We've got to keep our enemies on our toes remember?" Demyx told him. "Besides I don't want to get hurt by Saix again."
'Still no sign of her.' Axel thought as he arrived on the Clock Tower of Twilight Town.
He saw Roxas sitting there eating his ice cream.
"You're early." Axel said to him as he walked over.
"No you're just late…" Roxas replied with a smile. He handed Axel an extra sea-salt ice cream bar.
"Thanks." Axel said.
The two sat there together eating ice cream.
"Today marks 255…" Roxas said.
"Huh?" Axel asked.
"Since I joined the Organization…" Roxas said. "Man time sure flies…"
"So you've got the number memorized?" Axel asked.
"Of course," Roxas answered. "Gotta hold onto something, besides it's not like I have memories from before the Organization," He held onto his ice cream tightly. "Don't you remember? I acted like a zombie."
Axel put a friendly hand on Roxas's shoulder. "That's right," He said. "That first week, you could barely form a sentence," He gently patted Roxas on the back. "But come on, you're still kind of a zombie!"
"Oh thanks!" Roxas laughed smacking Axel's hand off him.
The two friends laughed while gazing at the sun set.
"Hey Roxas," Axel said. "Bet you don't know why the sun sets red?" He looked at the sun setting. "You see, light is made up of lots of colors. Out of all those colors red is the one that travels the farthest."
"Like I asked, know-it-all." Roxas teased.
The two had never laughed so hard in a long time.
Roxas looked to side where Xion sat with them. Axel was laying on the side of the clock tower.
"Seriously?" Roxas wondered. "Where is she?"
Axel said nothing to this. He noticed a bag of one sea-salt ice cream that was meant for Xion.
"Her ice cream's gonna melt…" Roxas frowned.
"Roxas…" Axel said gently.
Roxas looked at him.
"I don't think Xion's gonna make it today." Axel told him.
"Huh?" Roxas grew concerned. "Did she faint again!?"
Axel knew the truth. Xion knew what she really was. She must be hiding from the Organization. He didn't have the heart to tell Roxas that.
"I hear she's been assigned on a very important mission," Axel lied. "She's pretty amazing."
"I see.." Roxas said. "I hope she gets back before our next day off…"
Axel returned to the Castle that Never Was. He was walking down the corridor and saw Saix.
"Did you find it?" Saix asked referring to Xion.
"…No." Axel replied bluntly.
"I see," Saix sighed. "I have to inform the Superior."
Axel watched Saix disappear through a dark corridor. He felt like everything was crumbling around him.
'Xion...' He thought dismally.
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