DAY 345

The next few weeks passed by Callum in a blur while he tried to process everything. His memories all came back in one fell swoop, so he had to spend a lot of time comprehending the massive wave that attacked him not that long ago. He always knew he was a Nobody, but the question of whose Nobody he was always lingered in his mind. Thanks to his restored memories, he finally knew.

He was Hallie's Nobody.

After his mission, he headed to Xion's room. When he entered, he saw her seated on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, and looking out the window towards Kingdom Hearts. He closed the door, and Xion turned to him.

"How are you, Callum?" Xion said, focusing her blue eyes on him.

Callum shrugged weakly. Xion patted the spot next to her, and Callum sat there. After his memories returned, he went straight to Xion and told her about it. He told her that Hallie and Sora were somehow deeply connected, making him, her, and Roxas connected as well.

"I'm still so confused. I can't believe the Organization would do something like that..." Callum said. He clenched his fists. "I hate them. I hate those empty shells with a passion. I hope they all rot away."

Xion rested her hand over Callum's balled up fist, and Callum immediately uncurled it and intertwined their fingers.

"Do you think one day... we'll be able to meet again as Somebodies?" Callum said.

"I... don't know. Maybe you and Roxas, yes, but... I don't know if I..."

"No. Stop."

Xion obeyed and turned her head back to the window.

"What should I do, Riku...?" Xion whispered.

Callum recalled when he first met Riku on Destiny Islands.


Xion slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the blindfolded boy standing over her and Callum hovering in her vision while he held her in his arms.

"Who are...?" she said.

"Riku." Riku said. "Sora's friend."

"Sora?" Xion sat up, and Callum kept a hand on her back to steady her. "You know Sora?"

"Yeah."

The two Nobodies stood up and watched Riku walk towards the bridge.

"Riku, please... tell me more about Sora and that girl he's always with." Xion said.

Riku stopped walking. "You mean Kairi."

"Kairi..." Xion rested her hand against her cheek in deep thought. A flash of pain struck Callum between his eyes. He winced quietly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's right. She's the one who looks so much like me."

Riku approached Callum and Xion. "To Sora, she's someone very special."

"It's just... I remember things about the two of them. But I'm nothing more than a puppet- something that somebody created."

"Stop saying that, Xion. It's not true!" Callum said. "You're more than that."

Xion walked over and leaned against a tree trunk. "So, then, why would I have their memories?" She glanced back at Riku. "Do you know where Sora is now?"

"That secret stays with me." Riku said.

Callum remembered his dream with Naminé and DiZ in the all-white room. He recalled the giant egg-shaped pod Naminé constantly watched over- where Sora slept.

"Why's that?" Xion said.

"Xion... Your memories... they really belong to Sora." Riku said.

"So you mean... I'm like a part of him?"

"When his memories were scattered, some of them... found their way inside you."

"Were they his memories of Kairi?" Callum said. "Is that why she looks so much like her?"

"Probably." Riku said. Xion gripped her head, and Callum rested a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Riku approached the two. "Now, Sora has been put to sleep so that we can piece together his memory. Except..."

"You can't, because part of it is inside me. That means... he can't wake up." Xion said.

"Yeah. You got it. But, if you go with me to Sora right now, we could give the memories inside you back to him."

"What?!" Callum said. "No. I won't let you do that!"

"That's not your decision to make, Callum." Xion said, making Callum's stomach drop. She brushed hair out of her face and turned to Riku. "So, do you hate me for taking your friend away from you?"

"No. I guess... I'm just sad."

"I'm sorry, but... I can't go with you." Xion reached out and gripped Callum's hand. "It's my friends- they need me. And I need them, too."

Callum squeezed her hand. Riku rested a hand on Xion's shoulder.

"Maybe you should take some time and think about it." Riku said. "Figure out who really needs you more. And where you belong."

"How will I know where I belong, truly? I'm not sure I can promise you I'll come up with the right answer." Xion said.

"Well, the answer you come up with can't just be right for you. It has to be one that works best for everybody: you, your friends, and everyone else."

Riku walked away.

"I'll try..." Xion said with a small smile. "Thank you, Riku."


The memory sent fearful chills down Callum's back. Xion wouldn't think to sacrifice herself for this Sora person... would she?

"I have to make the most of the time Riku's given me." Xion said.

Callum reached into his pocket and pulled out his yellow and blue thalassa shell. Xion stared at it for a few moments.

"Whatever you choose..." Callum said, swallowing hard. "I'll be there by your side all the way."

Xion jumped off her bed and faced it. She reached out her hand to Callum with a smile.

"Promise?" Xion said.

Callum stared at Xion's hand for a few moments before he reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers, the seashell pressed tightly between their palms.

"Promise."


Callum and Xion ran into Roxas in the Grey Area.

"Hey, guys." Roxas said.

"Hey, Roxas. How have you been lately?" Callum said.

"Pretty good. I guess I'm still a little worn out. Maybe it's just all the missions Saix has been piling up on me." Roxas said, rubbing his shoulder. He shifted his eyes to Xion. "Xion, listen..."

"Sorry, but we gotta go." Xion said. Xion tugged on Callum's arm and led him away. Callum looked over his shoulder and feigned an encouraging smile at Roxas.


Callum and Xion entered Halloween Town to defeat a powerful Heartless, an Orcus. They looked around the Square, but they saw nothing. When they entered the Graveyard, they saw the Orcus appear.

"Let's do this, Callum." Xion said.

"Right."

The two summoned their Keyblades and attacked. The Orcus, despite its menacing appearance, was very weak.

"You want to do the honors?" Callum said.

Xion grinned and nodded. She gripped her Keyblade and lunged. The Heartless lunged at her as well.

There was a loud clang.

"STOP IT!" a voice screamed.

"Huh?!" Xion and Callum cried. Suddenly, Axel appeared. His chakrams were out and blocking Xion's attack, as well as someone else's. Callum peeked through the spikes and saw Roxas.

"Roxas?! The Heartless we were fighting... it was you?" Xion said.

"This mission was a setup." Axel said.

"What?!" Roxas, Xion, and Callum cried.

"It was rigged so you two would battle each other."

A new wave of anger towards the Organization crashed in Callum's chest. "How... How dare they!"

"They would do that...?" Xion said, bowing her head shamefully. "Roxas, I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay." Roxas said. "Neither of us knew. Thanks, Axel."

"No problem." Axel said, dispelling his chakrams and running a hand through his red spikes. "Let's go get some ice cream."

"Yeah!" the younger Nobodies said.


The four Nobodies sat together on the clock tower ledge, munching on their ice cream.

"Brain freeze..." Xion giggled with a mouthful of ice cream.

"It's been a while since we all hung out like this, hasn't it?" Roxas said.

"Well, we've had our share of drama lately." Axel said.

"Yeah." Callum chuckled. "It's really worn me out. I'm ready to take a three day nap."

"Hey, I just remembered- did you know you should be checking your ice cream sticks?"

"Oh, yeah, to see if your stick says WINNER on it." Roxas said. "I got one of those when you first left for Castle Oblivion."

"Lucky. I wish I could see one myself." Axel said.

"So then, what happens when you win?"

"I'll tell ya... That's a good question."

"What, you don't know?" Roxas said.

"Well, it's gotta be something nifty, if you're a WINNER, right?"

"Cool..."

Xion giggled quietly and looked forward. "Wow. The sun's beautiful."

The three boys looked forward at the yellow and orange sky.

"I know we've seen a lot of sunsets, but today's puts them all to shame." Xion said. "If only things could stay like this forever..."

"Yeah. Don't we all wish that." Callum said, looking down at his ice cream.

They all sat in silence for a few moments. Roxas looked between his friends.

"Say..." he said. "What if... we all just took off?"

"What?" Xion and Callum said.

"If we ran, I bet we could always be together."

"But we have nowhere to run." Xion said.

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

Axel sighed. "What's important isn't that we hang out with each other every day."

"As long as we keep each other in our thoughts, we'll never be apart, right?" Xion said. "We've got it memorized, Axel."

"Good."

Xion looked at her ice cream with a hopeful smile. "I'll have these moments memorized for a long time. Forever."

"Me too. Forever..." Roxas said.

Callum looked between his friends as his chest swelled with tender feelings. He wished the same too. With all his non-existent heart.


Naminé stared up at the giant, egg-shaped pod with concern etched in her blue eyes. "Sora..." she whispered.

Footsteps approached her, and DiZ appeared at her side. "It appears we've come to a standstill."

"Yes."

"This has gone on long enough. Riku..." DiZ turned around and faced the blindfolded boy. "I think you know what needs to be done."

"Right." Riku turned around and walked out of the room.

"Do you think he'll be able to fix things?" Naminé said.

"Riku has helped us so far. I doubt he'll fall to a couple of Nobodies."

"But what about the new one he told you about? Even you didn't know about him until Riku told you."

"Callum, you mean? Despite his origin, I doubt he contains any real threat. I instructed Riku to issue Callum as his top priority."

"Really? But what about Roxas and Xion?"

"Sora will wake up, but I am deeply intrigued by the power contained within the girl Callum belongs to. Her light surpasses that of even Sora, and she is connected more deeply to others, including some... old friends of mine. I must know more about Callum and his Somebody. Perhaps she and Sora can attend to our situation."

"Okay... if you say so." Naminé said quietly, turning back towards the pod.


My friends and I are becoming aware of who we are, so the Organization is trying to halt our progression. They tried to make Xion and Roxas kill each other! I wish we could run away from this horrible place.

Maybe... Maybe we still can...