With only a short time between creating Roxas and Naminé starting the painstaking work of setting my memories straight, I spent the better part of an entire year sleeping. In that time I can only assume Roxas's life went on as expected. I had some idea even before Castle Oblivion that Xion would be radically altered, taking my appearance instead of the one she normally has that resembles Kairi. Naminé had confirmed that this would affect her, and that even she had no way of telling what would happen between her and Roxas – or indeed, him and Roxas, as Xion would appear to be me instead. After all, Kairi is special to Sora, not me. I don't know why Xion would take my appearance instead of the one most important to me, but Naminé had told me that was what would happen.
I don't know what did happen exactly in that time. I don't recall reminding Kairi of my name when Roxas accidentally contacts her after falling off the clock tower, but that may or may not have happened.
But whatever did happen, roughly fifty weeks after I'd gone to sleep, Roxas at last found his way to me, whether because something had told him to, or because DiZ had captured him and left him no other choice.
In that short time where the line between sleep and wakefulness is blurred, where reality has yet to fully assert itself and dreams can appear real, I heard a voice very clearly.
"Hey! Come on there, wake up already." A pause, then, "Haven't you slept long enough now, Liam? If you don't get up, I'm gonna get up for you."
Still not fully awake, I managed a vague, "Huh?"
"Do you always take this long to get up? Man, I can't believe you. And I'm meant to be your Nobody. I never took this long."
"Roxas?"
"About time too," he grumbled, or at least his voice did, then he said no more. At least, not out loud.
"Sora!" two other voices called, muffled though. As I finally opened my eyes, feeling that lethargy everyone gets as they first get up, I recognised who they were. Donald and Goofy were looking through the transparent parts of the pod at me.
A huge yawn later – it had been a long nap, after all – and the pod opened outward again, several of the flower-like sections providing an easy way down and out. I ignored them anyway, stretching a bit then jumping down between him. As I did so, I felt a differences. I'd grown while I'd slept, and the old clothes were just a bit too small now. I imagine I looked even more ridiculous like that than I felt before I'd outgrown them. Say what you want about them, but I maintain they just look silly.
"That was some nap!" Jiminy said, hopping up onto my shoulder again.
"When did we go to sleep?" Goofy wondered. Donald looked blank.
"Let me just check the journal..." I waited, knowing what would happen. "It's blank! Just like Sora said... no, wait, there's a note here."
"Thank Naminé?" I suggested, hearing Sora's older voice. Maybe it's just me, but I think it suits him better than the younger one.
"How did-" he began, then shook himself. "Of course. You knew it was going to be there. What happened?"
I still didn't remember of course, I never would have those memories back. But I knew what should have happened.
"After we defeated Ansem, we went to a place called Castle Oblivion."
"I don't remember that," Donald said.
"I know. Neither do I. But we did go." I gave them a brief outline of what should have happened there. It wasn't too inaccurate, given that I had yet to see the book that had documented it.
"So where are we, Sora?" Jiminy asked afterwards. "Are we still in Castle Oblivion?"
"No. This is Twilight Town... where Roxas spent a lot of his time.
Donald and Goofy shared a look, then together asked, "Roxas?"
"C'mon, I'm sure I told you who Roxas is before. Don't you remember?" They both shook their heads. "My Nobody. I guess you don't remember what that is either, right?" Another shake. "Don't worry, it'll get explained in a bit."
You're lazy, Roxas's voice accused me.
"Why don't we go explore Twilight Town?" I suggested, ignoring the remark.
I like Twilight Town. At least, when it's not infested with Heartless or Nobodies. I'm fairly sure Nobodies were only in the simulated Twilight Town though. Anyway, it's a nice, quiet town. Traverse Town had a lot of bustle in the safety of the First District because there always seemed to be a handful of surviving newcomers from worlds that had been lost. Twilight Town on the other hand is peaceful and friendly. Even Hayner, once he got over our 'accidentally' ending up in their usual spot, was hard not to get along with.
Olette mentioned someone had been looking for us, the description immediately identified as Mickey by Donald, then Pence told us we'd find him up at the station.
On the path heading up to the station, I felt it worth warning them.
"We're going to get attacked up there," I murmured quietly, so the locals wouldn't hear. "So be ready for it. We'll also see the King, but don't be too loud about it – he doesn't want everyone to know about it."
"Just like you, Sora," Jiminy laughed.
"What's that meant to mean?"
"You're looking ahead again already, and you're looking out for everyone, not just us."
"Why does the King want us to keep it quiet?" Donald asked.
"I don't know everything, Donald. I still don't get everything that's going to happen. I don't know why yet."
Liar. You do know why.
Oh hush, I replied. Or at least I hoped I was replying. If I let on that I knew that much, I'd be here answering questions all day. It's easier this way.
Roxas did not answer.
Having him pass comment on me was going to be interesting, to say the least. It was slightly different to having him around the way I had before all this happened, but that was because I'd thought that Roxas up – this was really him, albeit as my own Nobody instead of Sora's.
As we came close to the station we noticed there was a lack of people around. A brief glance behind us told me no one was watching, so in preparation for what was going to happen, I called on my Keyblade.
It appeared, back in its default form, the familiar Kingdom Key. I searched the pocket I had stored the other chains for it in, finding nothing, then searched the other pockets too, confirming what I suspected. The only one I had was Oathkeeper, but even that was lacking the actual chain, it was just the charm itself. I guess that was so I couldn't use it too early. I would be stuck with the good old Kingdom Key again.
I was a little irritated at losing all the Keyblades I'd worked so hard to gather though – especially since it had Ultima Weapon among them.
To make up for it though, I called on a second Kingdom Key. Since Roxas was with me, that meant Ventus's Heart was back with me as well, giving me two Keyblades. This time, I was going to make use of that. I admit, it might have been nice to have actually borrowed one of Ventus's Keyblades, but I guess that would have meant having to get the chains for them as well.
Jiminy took cover in the hood of the jacket when he noticed the two Kingdom Keys, realizing the fight I'd mention was imminent. Both Donald and Goofy looked at me curiously when they saw I had two instead of one, but quickly brought out their own weapons when Dusks showed up around us. Goofy had the Adamant Shield he'd bought back in Traverse Town, though instead of the darker appearance it had then, it now bore a series of green panels in a golden outline, looking more like a turtle's shell. Donald of course still held on to Jafar's Staff.
Dusks are thankfully not all that strong, either when attacking or taking hits. At this point, this was doubly good for me – I was feeling a bit better now that the last of the effects from the long sleep had passed, but I was a little rusty, needing to get in practice again. The other reason this was good for me is because fighting with two Keyblades is not as straightforward as it sounds. I'm right-handed, and I have pretty bad coordination in my left hand. Remember when I took on Leon, way back when I first got to Traverse Town, I had trouble sending his fire attack back at him? That was with my right hand, and mostly due to inexperience. Now I had the same problem here with the left, except it wasn't just inexperience, it was partly natural too.
Mostly I used the left Kingdom Key to supplement the other, since I'd fought with that one for much longer. It made a difference, and more than once it gave me the chance to block an attack that I wouldn't have been able to reach in time with only one Keyblade, and that gave me the opportunity to swiftly turn on the offending Dusk with the other one.
Two or one, it didn't make that much difference. We still fought alongside each other just as we had the Heartless before. Not quite exactly the same though – it is just me, or does Donald sound like he's saying 'I farted' when he uses magic?
Anyway, we were still not long out from our long sleep, and even feeling better it still held an effect on us. The Dusks just kept on coming and coming, and even I had to admit defeat before long, too weary to keep on going.
One Dusk drew close to me, got ready to attack, then was destroyed. I looked up to see for just a few moments a diminutive figure in a black coat land, then take off again with the sounds of the coat flapping slightly in the air.
When it landed again, the Dusks were gone. The figure had large black ears, and in one hand held the Kingdom Key D, with the white handle and golden blade.
"Mickey," I murmured quietly, gesturing to the others to keep this quiet.
He looked around furtively, then dashed back to us, casting a cure spell on us along the way. "Shh! You gotta board the train and leave town. The train knows the way. Here – take these too." He handed me a pouch of munny, and the book – the one I'd lent to Naminé.
"Thanks," I replied. "Take care of yourself, Mi-"
"Shh!" he cut me off insistently, then he was away again.
"What that really him?" Donald asked me.
"Of course it was. I told you we'd see him."
"That must mean Riku's here somewhere too then," Goofy told me. "We can look for him."
"He's not here. I don't know where he is exactly... but I'm gonna check out this train the King told us to take. How about you guys?"
"Do ya really have to ask?" Goofy asked. He and Donald pulled the same faces they do for Sora, and I couldn't help but laugh at them.
"Come on then guys – let's stick together for one more adventure."
Hayner brought his gang along to see us off, and Olette noticed the munny pouch. That meant Roxas had almost definitely gone to the simulated Twilight Town.
Travelling on that odd train, I noticed two things. First, as we left Twilight Town, I was certain I saw Axel and Naminé, up on Sunset Hill.
The second was not nearly so interesting, more like an observation. Have you ever noticed that the view from the windows is remarkably similar to the Lanes Between? That in itself reminded me I was going to have to get up to scratch on flying the Gummi Ship again.