Things are starting to get real now :)

"I don't believe it. Axel attacked Xion. There had to have been some other way.

I know she's acting weird, but I hardly recognize Axel these days either. What's going through their heads? I feel so left out." Roxas's Diary Entry XLVIII

Chapter 14 - Fracture

'If only we could regain the days filled with smiles.' Xion thought bowing her head. 'Am I really not supposed to exist?' Xion vividly thought about her, Roxas, and Axel going to the beach. To Destiny Islands. In her mind, she could see and feel everything so clearly. She was with her friends watching the waves go by along the shore.

"I just want to say with you two..." Xion's voice echoed in her head. She felt Roxas's hand grip hers in her own little imagination.

"Then come back with us." Roxas's voice said to her.

'Roxas...' Xion thought in dismay.

At the Castle that Never Was, the Organization members who bravely tried to stop Riku were reclining in the lobby.

"Xion has gone against us." Saix told them.

"What?!" Axel yelled.

"No way!" Roxas shouted. He was tired of Saix always bad mouthing Xion.

"Did you not observe that she sided with the imposter." Saix retorted. "it is obvious she stands against us."

"She only stood next to him!" Roxas yelled. "It doesn't mean she's against us!" He soon became defensive of his missing friend. "She could have just been threatened...!"

Saix sneered," Your pitiful way of thinking is just like a humans..," he told the boy. "It makes me want to vomit."

"What do you mean 'like a human'?!" Roxas glared. "Are you saying we can't even trust our own!"

Roxas wanted to say more, but Axel stopped him. Axel looked at his former best friend. "Are you going to do it?"

Saix said nothing to this while Roxas watched in utter confusion. The Lunar Diviner maintained his calm exterior. "Now regarding the imposter..."

Demyx, Xigbar, Luxord, and Xaldin looked nervous as they saw Saix with the report of their failed mission to capture Riku.

"I refuse to accept six members let the enemy escape due to trivial reasons!" The six members in counting could swear they saw Saix's gold eyes flicker angrily. "Explain yourselves!" When Saix received no answer from the other members, he slapped the report onto the table. "Are you crowd of mind-less birds?!"

"Birds?" Xaldin blinked,

"Don't you mean flock?" Demyx asked.

Saix became irritated by his comrades "Next time if anyone encounters the imposter, you are to eliminate him on sight without incident!" He raged at them. "All of you back to work!" He commanded and looked at Axel. "You have your orders too. Dispose of the traitor."

Roxas looked on anxiously wishing he could say or do something to persuade Saix to stop.

Axel sighed getting up from his seat making a dark corridor appear.

"Axel, wait up!" Roxas trailed after him.

Axel looked at his friend.

"You're not seriously going to do what he says?!" Roxas protested. "Don't you care if she disappears?!"

"Calm down," Axel reassured him. "I don't think she'll resist."

"But they're treating Xion like she's committed treason!" Roxas told him. "How can you be so calm, Axel?! Just because we're Nobodies does that mean we can't feel anything?!"

'Saix is right,' Axel thought as he looked at Roxas. 'He is acting more human than the rest of us.'

"Then why does it hurt so much...?" Roxas asked his friend. "I'm scared for Xion and worried about Levina...," He confessed. "But I'm not supposed to have these kinds of feelings because I'm a Nobody, but I do have them!" The small boy fought the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"Roxas..." Axel said quietly. "Trust me, when we find Xion, I'll make everything ok."

On a strange impulse Roxas punched Axel's chest, where his heart was supposed to be. Axel slightly winced holding his chest. "What was that for?!" He yelled.

"We're Nobodies we don't feel pain, right?" Roxas asked him and then said determinedly, "I'll buy Xion's share of ice cream too! I'll wait for you at the usual place!"

Axel watched Roxas walk off deeper into the dark corridor. He rubbed his chest where Roxas had punched him. 'How ironic...,' He thought, he didn't feel pain at all where Roxas had punched him. 'Perhaps being a Nobody is fortunate...if it means I can't feel anything.' He sighed heavily. 'Because if I could feel, it would definitely be unbearable.'

Xion looked out the window from the Twilight Town mansion. She peered at the Clock Tower wondering if Roxas and Axel were waiting for her there.

"You're awake." Riku said to her.

Xion looked over. "Riku…," She said softly recalling the dream she had. "I dreamt that...," She said slowly. "…I was on a little island, watching the sun set into the ocean with Axel and Roxas."

Riku looked at her. "Aren't you going back?"

Xion lowered her head. "I don't know what's best," She answered. "Recently I've been 'recalling' a lot of things. I feel like these memories aren't supposed to be mine," She looked at Riku. "What's going on with me Riku..?"

"They're Sora's," Riku told her. "Your memories come from Sora's memories."

"Sora's memories?" Xion repeated.

"It seems that when the fragments of Sora's memories were scattered, some of them found their way into you."

"I…," Xion lowered her head. "I see," She looked stared down at her gloved hands like she was examining them closely. "It's because those fragments are inside me. That Sora can't wake up right?" She looked up at Riku. "Sora must be quite important to you, isn't he?"

"He…," Riku paused. "We're best friends."

"Best friends…" Xion repeated.

Riku looked at the girl in front of her. At that moment he didn't see Xion. He saw Kairi.

"Riku…," Xion said. "Do you hate me?"

"No…," Riku replied looking at Xion's face again. "It's not your fault, Xion."

"I'm sorry," Xion apologized. "I'm going for a walk."

"Are you going to Twilight Town again?" Riku asked.

"Yeah," Xion nodded making a dark corridor appear. "I feel at peace when I'm there." She turned away and started walking. "About my reply…," She said slowly about what Riku had asked whether she should go back to the Organization or not. "Please give me time to think about it and I'll let you know my answer." She then disappeared into the dark void.

Roxas arrived in Twilight Town. He looked around curiously. "Axel…I wonder how he's doing?" He thought out loud and decided to visit the milk-bar to get some sea-salt ice cream. He opened the door and greeted the woman running the shop.

The hefty woman smiled at him kindly. Roxas was always a returning customer to the shop.

Roxas smiled at her and said, "Excuse me ma'am?" He said politely. "May I please have three ice cream sticks?"

"Coming right up!" The woman said.

Roxas beamed and felt someone behind him.

"Does that ice cream taste good?" Roxas turned around hearing the person seeing Riku. Immediately the boy made his keyblade appear.

"It's the imposter!" Roxas yelled, but was suddenly tackled by Riku. "Ow! Let me go!" The small boy struggled against Riku's hold.

"Look around carefully," Riku told him motioning to the people everywhere. "Do you want to start a fight here?"

Hearing the commotion the owner of the shop ran over. "Oh dear," The woman said. "You shouldn't fight – oh definitely not. "

"Aww," Roxas pouted trying not to make a scene. "We weren't."

"I was just telling him I was gonna pay," Riku said trying to make up something for their little scuffle. "But this guy wouldn't listen."

The two walked out of the small shop and Roxas glared at him. "What are you going to do?!" He asked.

Riku didn't face him. All he said was, "I just wanted to have a little talk with you."

"I've got nothing to say to you…!" Roxas sneered at him.

"Don't you want to meet Xion?" Riku asked still not facing the boy.

"Huh?!" Roxas replied dumbfounded.

"If you come with me…," Riku began. "I'll take you to her."

"You aren't lying are you?" Roxas asked squeezing his fists. "Who are you?!" He snarled. "Why are you dressed like one of us?!"

Riku said nothing to these questions and Roxas became more furious. "Are you ignoring me?!"

"Do you…have any memories of you time as a human?" Riku asked.

"What's it to you if I choose not to respond or not?!" Roxas scoffed.

"Being cheeky now are we?" Riku replied with a snide smirk.

"What did you say?!" Roxas fumed.

For a brief moment instead of seeing Roxas's face, he saw Sora's. "Roxas…," He said. "Can you feel Sora?"

"What?" Roxas blinked in confusion.

"I said: 'Can you feel Sora'?" Riku repeated.

Roxas was now more confused than ever. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

Riku said nothing for a few moments. It was like he was trying to piece together who or what Roxas and Xion were so he could help his best friend awake again. "Kairi…," Riku said to him purposely. "I mean Xion is waiting for you." He told him and walked off.

'What is going on?' Roxas thought suspiciously and in confusion. 'He said something about Xion..She's waiting for me…'

Xion sat on Market Street, which was Twilight Town's hub for shops and job inquiries. She stared at the Clock Tower in the distance, which could easily be seen from here.

'Right about now…,' She thought in dismay staring at the Clock Tower. 'Those two should be there having ice cream together again…'

Xion heard footsteps approaching her. She saw Roxas panting for air.

"Xion!" Roxas yelled.

"Huh…?" Xion snapped out of her fixated trance of the Clock Tower and turning seeing her friend. 'I…' She thought. 'Maybe I can still…' She looked at Roxas with a faint smile. "R-Roxas…" she said meekly.

Roxas ran to her. "Xion!" He yelled. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" He caught his breath reaching for her hand. "Let's go back to the Organization.!" He told her. "If you come back voluntarily Saix definitely won't be mad!"

Xion lowered her head.

"If he says anything bad to you, Axel and I will come and protect you!" Roxas said to her.

'I really want to go back…' Xion thought shutting her eyes in furstration.

"Come on Xion!" Roxas kept on convincing her as best he could

'But I…' Xion made her fake Kingdom Key keyblade appear in her hand. Slowly she raised her keyblade at Roxas. 'What do I need to do…?' She thought. 'For me to become like you both…'

Roxas stared at the keyblade which was inches away from his face. "X-Xion…" He gasped. "W-What are you…? Is this some kind of joke?"

Unknown to either of them, Riku was keeping a close watch on the two of them. 'Xion…,' he thought. 'Is this your answer?'' He watched as Xion raised her keyblade to strike Roxas.

One of Axel's chakrams disarmed Xion of her keyblade.

"M-My keyblade…" Xion stammered.

"Axel…!" Roxas shouted.

"Just when I thought we'd finally found you," Axel said. "I see you trying to kill my best friend!" He glared at Xion as she picked up her keyblade. "So you've chosen to betray us after all. If your mind's made up, then I have no choice but to take you out."

"Stop Axel!" Roxas yelled. "It's not like that!"

"You sure?" Axel asked him. "She just drew her keyblade against you!"

Xion lowered her head holding her keyblade tightly in her hands. 'I have no choice…' She thought and ran at Axel with all her might.

Axel gritted his teeth. "Fine!" He screamed. I'll play with you!" The two fought against each other. Neither one of them seemed to be holding back.

Roxas watched horrified seeing his best friends fight. "W-What are you…?" He stammered. "Why do you have to fight each other!?" He saw Xion swing her keyblade at Axel nearly hitting him. "Stop!" Axel then threw his chakrams at Xion with the intent on making sure she would never get up again. "Axel! Stop!" Roxas continued screaming. "Xion! P-Please stop!" Roxas's pleas fell on deaf ears as his friends continued fighting with each other. "I SAID STOP!" The boy screamed at the top of his lungs.

Naminé looked at Sora's sleeping pod. "What is going on?" She wondered.

DiZ was right beside her looking at Sora's pod as well. "The restoration of the hero's memories has completely halted!" He looked at Naminé. "What has happened?!"

"I think…," Naminé began. "Maybe Sora's Nobody has encountered a strong emotional stimulus," She said honestly. "…And that increased his self-awareness."

Hearing this DiZ became furious. "What did you say?!" He spat out.

Naminé lowered her head and continued looking at Sora's pod.

Lira heard the commotion. "Finally getting somewhere!" She sprinted over to the trio and saw Roxas on his knees.

"P-Please…," Roxas begged panting for air. "Stop it…!" He looked at his friends with pleading eyes. "Both of you…"

Xion stopped seeing Roxas's face. "Roxas…" She said slowly and then fell over as Axel hit her in the back of the neck knocking her out.

"Xion!" Roxas yelled and then saw Lira. "You again."

"I want some answers!" Lira glared. "And I want them now!"

Roxas lowered his head and saw Axel lifting Xion up in his arms and opening a dark corridor. Axel glanced over at Lira and he swore he saw her eyes twitch.

"Axel, wait!" Roxas yelled. "You didn't have to attack her like that, did you?!"

Axel looked at the smaller boy. "If I didn't make my move," He told him. "We'd both be goners."

"…That's not possible…," Roxas frowned. "Aren't we supposed to be best friends!?"

"That's not the problem." Axel said.

"Then what is it?!" Roxas demanded. He held his head in pain. "Ugh..," He groaned. "My head…"

"Are you two done arguing?" Lira asked impatiently waiting. "Or do I have to get deadly with all of you!" She threatened.

Axel looked at Roxas. "I'm sorry…," he told his friend and disappeared through the dark corridor.

"Hey wait!" Lira ran towards where the dark corridor was, but couldn't reach it in time. "Not again!" She yelled frustrated and looked over at Roxas who was still struggling to get up. "Are you ok?"

"F-Fine…" Roxas stammered. He slowly got up. "Why do you keep following me?"

"I told you I want answers," Lira told him. "I need find your base to rescue Levina."

"But..," Roxas frowned. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone that."

Lira held her sword tightly. "Then I'll make you!" She swung her sword at Roxas, who refused to make his keyblade appear. He backed away as Lira kept swinging her sword at him. The boy tripped over a crate box and fell over.

Roxas gritted his teeth as he saw Lira's sword in his face. The boy placed his palm on the ground creating a dark corridor below him. "I'm sorry," He told her. "But she's safe, I'm making sure of it." He said and disappeared.

Lira angrily kicked the crate which Roxas had fell over from. "This is getting ridiculous!" She yelled. "King Mickey, why'd you make take on this stupid rescue mission! I'm not getting anywhere!"

"Relax….," Riku said to her as he walked over to her. "I know where their base is."

Lira turned. "So you're stalking me now, kid?" She asked cheekily. "I'm a little too old for you, kid."

Riku lightly flushed looking away. "S-Sorry." He stammered.

Lira looked at him. "So you know how to get to their base?" She asked.

Riku nodded.

Axel returned to the Castle that Never Was. He had placed Xion in her room and then headed to report in what he had done. He had met Saix along the way.

"In the end, you were able to force her back?" Saix asked him.

Axel just nodded.

"I'll be sure to reward you for your effort." Saix commended.

"Is this really for the best…?" Axel asked.

Saix sighed crossing his arms. "This doll," he said referring to Xion. "Or Roxas, which one of them is more important?" he asked deviously.

Axel remained silent.

Saix looked at his former friend. "Or let me put it this way," He told the red head. "Which would you rather suffer the loss of? A make believe friendship or a real one?"

Axel stared hard at the Lunar Diviner.

"Things are finally right again…," Saix told him. "Of course, we're better off this way," he said. "Xemnas is exasperated from all the 'fixing' we've had to do," He turned away slightly from his once best friend. "We have to set things right. "There is simply too much on the line…Lea…"

Axel lightly glared as Saix called him by his Somebody name. He watched him walk away. 'Sometimes I feel like you're not you anymore…Isa.' Axel thought.

Roxas returned back to the Organization. He was in the Round Room speaking with Xemnas.

"I need to ask you something." Roxas said to the Superior.

"And what would that be?" Xemnas asked uninterested.

"What happened to Xion?" Roxas asked. "Can you tell me?"

"Xion is a valued member of the Organization," Xemnas answered. "but she needs her rest."

Roxas sunk in every word Xemnas was saying. It was like he had met Xemnas before.

"Put your mind at ease." Xemnas told him.

A vague memory flashed back to Roxas. He remembered speaking with Xemans in the Realm of Darkness of someone named Sora.

"Sora…" Roxas said slowly.

Hearing Sora's name from Roxas's mouth Xemnas grinned.

Roxas looked up at his superior. "Who is Sora?" He asked.

"He is the connection." Xemnas simply said.

"Connection?" Roxas repeated.

"He is what makes you and Xion a part of each other's lives," Xemnas explained. "Just as he is the reason I placed Xion among our number," he said. "And if you want her to stay that way, I must insist you get your mind off these needless distractions."

Roxas lowered his head. "Alright…"

Roxas sighed as he roamed the empty halls of his headquarters. He glanced at the door which led to the dungeons. He let out a frustrated sigh and squeezed his fists.

"I can't help it…," he said to himself. "I need to see her…" He thought about Lira. "I wonder why she's looking for Levina so badly?" He walked into the dungeons and peered at Levina's cell.

Roxas saw that her cell was empty. "Where is she…?"

"I knew you would come here…" Xemnas said casually.

Roxas turned around swiftly. "W-Where is Levina?!" He demanded lightly.

"Being put to good use." Xemnas said to him.

Roxas suppressed the urge to summon his keyblade at the Organization's superior. "What are you going to do with her?!"

"You worry too much, Roxas," Xemnas said to him. "We have no intention of harming the prisoner, just putting her empty shell of a heart to a better use," He told him. "The girl has not yet awakened. She has been asleep for days, but she will soon wake. Go get some rest."

Roxas lowered his head and walked off. He wandered the hall and saw Axel.

"Yo…" Axel called to him waving lightly.

Roxas said nothing to him. The two just passed each other.

Xion could hear her friends from her room. She hugged her kneed together while sitting on her bed. "What should I do…?" She thought of Riku. "Riku?"

"Are you certain we've taken suitable measures with Xion and Roxas?" Saix asked as he appeared in the Round Room.

"I will admit," Xemnas began. "Xion has strayed from our original designs, but this unpredictable behavior is proving to have an interesting side effect."

"Really?" Saix asked.

"We wanted the Key," Xemnas replied. "Xion's exposure to Roxas effected a transfer of its power, just as we hoped," He stated. "Had things stopped there, Xion would have been an unequivocal success. But then through Roxas, Sora himself began to shape into her, giving Xion a sense of identity. I was ready to scrap the project…," he went on further explaining. "Then, it occurred to me; Xion is keeping Sora's memories trapped by claiming them as her own. Keeping her close to Roxas will prevent Sora from ever waking."

"I see," Saix replied. "What do you want to do about the imposter in black?"

"That gadfly," Xemnas sneered. "See that he stays away from Roxas. He only poses a threat if his buzzing reaches Xion's ears."

Saix nodded in approval. "Then we are back on track." He said and disappeared.

The Superior had returned to his chambers. He smirked staring at Levina, who was trapped in a large tube. She was to be the Superior's next experiment. The grin on his face grew wider, almost resembling Master Xehanort as he stared at the girl. Levina's eyes were still closed and she was stripped of all her clothes. Her wayfinder was lying carelessly nearby on a white desk. 'Fascinating…,' he thought staring at her. 'To think this girl would become the other 'vessel.'

Told you things are getting real :D review :)