Doctor

Roxas' PoV

Roxas—through Sora—had looked at the white curtains that flew in the breeze of Twilight Town—at the beginning of this journey—and he'd thought of Naminé and the words they'd shared there.

…It had been a trying time for Roxas, when he'd first met the white witch: a time that was made even moreso that, when she had told him that he wasn't meant to exist… and Roxas had resented her for it. How could he not have?

But now Roxas appreciated the blonde's brutal honesty there, and her giving him a truth he had needed to hear. That he had wanted to hear, really, as no one else had been being honest with him.

Roxas even respected how Naminé had been his guiding light, when he'd been lost in the fog of Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

And now... now in this "Final World", he, from within Sora, wished he could do more for Naminé, like she had him.

And Roxas would carry that thought with him, even when he came back to save Xion and Axel.

He would focus on the battle—because there would never be any other choice for him. His best friends were in danger! Axel in particular, since his Keyblade was broken and he was being tormented by his former best friend… and even Kairi had been kidnapped, and Sora was falling because of that now—but in the back of his mind, he'd think on how Naminé had been so certain that no one missed her…

That thought of hers reminded him a lot of what he'd thought when he left the Organization, but it wasn't true. Had never been true, and it wasn't true for her either!

And when Sora was saying he needed to go to save Kairi after Master Xehanort had killed her? Roxas decided then and there that he needed to go with Sora to save both girls! Because he cared about Kairi, he did—and his heart ached for how his Other felt in the loss of her—and because a world without Naminé in it wasn't a world that Roxas even wanted to fathom.

But when Sora said he had to go it alone, Roxas had to accept his decision—like Sora had once accepted his returning to him—even though it was killing him inside.

But it was when two days turned to three, and Sora still wasn't back with Kairi yet, that Roxas knew he had to risk calling Sora on the gummiphone... wherever he was.

"Sora, I know this is a really bad time... but have you found Kairi yet? Naminé's body is ready, and-"

"Uhh..." Sora breathed then as he ran away from some Invisibles with Kairi, who seemed exhausted—Roxas could see all of this from the screen on the gummiphone—"I don't think we're close enough yet for us to try and send Naminé's heart to Radiant Garden. I don't want to risk injuring Kairi, because she's still not doing too well.

"But… if data can grow hearts, due to the imprints it's based on… I almost wonder if Kairi could make a new heart for Naminé, by talking about her heart to the empty Replica. Roxas, press the gummiphone to the Replica's ear."

And he did just that… and he leaned in, too, and heard everything that Kairi was whispering about Naminé: how she, unlike Kairi, loved mushrooms… that surprisingly, Naminé wanted to try wearing red, if she could ever get around adults who would be okay with her wearing color… and how she apparently loved him—Roxas—because to her, he represented the brightest part of the day before it went dark.

"Kairi… thank you," Roxas found himself whispering now. "I adore you because Sora does… But I won't lie… for some reason, I imagined you as selfish. And I thought that if you had to talk about anyone here, you'd talk about yourself. But thank you for doing this and talking about Naminé instead."

And then Roxas saw blonde hair starting to spout from the doll, and he realized all their hard work was paying off. And he held Naminé in his arms even before she woke up. But he had to admit that it was muchbetter, when he saw pale blue eyes and felt arms squeezing him back.

And once Naminé was free and created again—and outside stretching her wings, so to speak—Riku helped her get into a much bigger gummi ship than the one Roxas had, with all of the millions of belonging that Ansem the Wise had just given her. And so, Roxas ended up hating Riku a bit less. But just a little.

But though he despised Riku less, he would later berate himself for being the one selfish here… and caring so little about Sora and Kairi's fates—as they tried to help him, from even beyond death—when it would end up so badly for them.

…

"Yeah, everything's great, guys. I promise. Naminé's as good as new. And, yes: so are Xion and myself, still. No worries. Anyway, we'll talk to you guys later. Okay? Get home safely." And he disconnected his call from Sora… and—little did Roxas know it at the time—but it would be the last time he ever got to talk to Sora on the phone.

But no one was thinking about dire things now: they were believing Sora's words that he'd return home with Kairi faster than they could blink. And instead, everyone was caring about Naminé on the beach, as they had missed her and it warmed Roxas' heart to see. He knew that his girl had worried about not having a single friend group to call her home. But really, because of that, she was everyone's friend, and he almost wanted to joke with her that that was the better deal.

"Roxas told me about you two's story on the way home from the Graveyard, you know," Xion was saying now—as she tried to help Naminé down the zipline and he was right behind them; he was already rolling his eyes, in trying to anticipate how she'd make him sound like a fool to his new girlfriend here—"and I think it's beautiful. But he really didn't tell you 'See? We meet again, like we promised' when he woke you up?! That was a missed opportunity, Roxas. You hear me? A missed opportunity!"

Everyone laughed at this—because, yes: Xion was talking so loudly, that all those gathered (Hayner, Pence, Olette, Riku, Lea, Isa, Terra, Ventus, Aqua, and King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy) could hear her.

But while Roxas wanted to be somewhat mad at Xion for this—and play punch her in the arm—he thought that maybe it was okay that everyone was laughing at his expense. They had all just come out of a grueling war, after all. And they still didn't know where Kairi and Sora were-

And right when the last name entered Roxas' head, he had a splitting headache and knew that something was wrong… wrong… so horribly wrong. And out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that Naminé, Xion, and even Ven were feeling the same way.

As Roxas fell on the floor of the zipline area, alongside Xion and Naminé, he tasted blood in his mouth… and tried to say his former Other's name and reach out his hand to him… but no dice. And then Roxas promptly passed out.

…

"Wha- what happened?" Roxas asked days later—he assumed it was days later, based on how hungry he was, anyway—as he woke up in a hospital: he knew from Sora's memories that it was exactly that.

"Roxas… I don't know how to tell you this," a kind lady doctor, with brown eyes and the same colored hair to her shoulders said. "Especially since I'm only starting to learn about Nobodies—former Nobodies, in your case—and their connection to their Others… but- but your Other died. And you and some of the others felt that, and that's why you're here… I'm Doctor Aki Ross, by the way."

"He- he what?! No. No! It wasn't supposed to be like this! It wasn't!" and Roxas buried his face in his hands and cried. And he could tell the doctor wanted to reach out to comfort him, but also held off on doing so… probably because she didn't want any lawsuits against her. But it was okay. Roxas had hands that he'd no anywhere wrapped around his shoulders now.

"Shh, shh. It's okay, Roxas. I know," Naminé tried to soothe him, as the doctor quietly and gracefully left the room. "It's horrible. Oh, so horrible! I know you all apparently knew there was a risk with Sora going after Kairi… but hearing about it, and dealing with the reality of it, are two completely different things. So…"

And here Naminé trailed off. And Roxas wondered if she was regretting that she was back now, and that Sora had ever gone to fetch Kairi…

And to say that Roxas felt like he was going to throw up at the notion, would've been an understatement. He was upset about Sora—he always would be; and he was going to try and find some way to bring his brother back—but it wasn't these golden girls' faults. It just wasn't.

But grief also made no sense. Because even while Roxas was thinking those thoughts that would free Naminé and Kairi from guilt, he was blaming himself… for not insisting that he go with Sora… for caring only about Naminé while he and Kairi had clearly been in danger, and for hanging up on him…

And for existing now at all. Was Sora's death the price of him being here? Was it really true that the two of them couldn't co-exist? And if- if he had stayed assimilated with Sora, would he have been strong enough to survive whatever had done this to him?

Roxas was just about to ask if Naminé if she could help him return to Sora again—because maybe it would save him!—when Kairi entered the room.

And if Roxas thought that he and all of Sora's "Others" probably looked dead without him, that was nothing on how Kairi appeared now.

It was clear that she'd been crying. And Roxas would wager that she hadn't eaten or slept in many, many days.

She also looked like she'd been hurting herself some… but Roxas knew he wanted to get some actual information about if that was true, before he judged.

"Kairi, I-" Roxas said, as he got to his feet and resisted the urge to bow to her—something he didn't think she would like much—since it just felt like Kairi needed some sort of assurance that she was worth it, after what had happened.

But then she was the one who reassured Roxas and Naminé instead, acting much like the monarch she might have been in another life.

"Roxas, I'm so glad to see that you're okay! I thought that after Sora, you might- Anyway, Naminé I came to tell you both that you're more than welcome to stay at my house. My parents already see you as my sister, Naminé, from what I've told them...

"Roxas… I know you probably want- want to be Sora's sibling. But since you might find it hard to speak to his- speak to his parents a-a-after… you're welcome to stay with me too, if you want."

Kairi had always glowed with such confidence and light—even when she'd been more concerned with Sora's name than his own, and had actually been somewhat rude about it, she'd handled their encounter so well, that Roxas hadn't been offended at all. So, seeing her like this… where she was stuttering and surely hating herself, was too much for Roxas to bear. And he could understand perfectly why Sora would sacrifice his life to spare this poor soul from even more pain. He probably would have even done the same.

"We're- we're going to find him, Kairi," Roxas promised the redhead then, as he stood up from his bed and took his hand in his own and put an arm around Naminé. "Naminé and I together, I mean. We probably have the deepest connection to Sora—aside from you and Riku—so I'm sure we could locate him if we really tried, and you're welcome to come with us."

"Yes, Kairi," Naminé backed Roxas up—and how he loved her for it—as she ran a hand through her sister's hair and then brought her in for a hug as she cried. "Don't let this eat you up. Do something about it."

And Kairi spoke so quietly, that Roxas could barely even hear her words. But still… hear them he did, and that was more than enough for now. "Let's do it," she'd said.

…

Roxas let the Three Good Fairies size him, Naminé, and Kairi up for new outfits, and to tell them exactly what they should do to activate their new powers in the clothes.

And while a lot of this was helpful—getting even stronger was always good in Roxas' book—he couldn't believe that Sora had so easily put up with these women fighting over colors… and Master Yen Sid's lack of know-how and respect.

As usual, it seemed like the wizard had no idea how they'd find their friend. And instead of admiring Sora for his sacrifices that had quite literally saved the worlds, the Master was instead blaming Sora's current disappearance on his recklessness. And it took all that Roxas had, to not beat the former Keyblade Master within an inch of his life and he could tell Kairi—and heck, even Naminé!—was almost there herself.

"All we can say for sure," the Fairy Godmother was telling them now, "is that though your and Sora's journeys may be separated now, you'll find each other in the end."

"Can we skip to the end, then?" Roxas asked helplessly.

And Naminé and Kairi giggled for the first time that Roxas could remember. Any time before Sora's death felt like a lifetime ago to everyone. "No, Roxas, it's pretty clear we can't. Don't you see how Master Yen Sid has a book on his desk, detailing the Beginning, Middle, and End?" Naminé asked. But Roxas could tell she wasn't being serious… and was as done with the old man as he was, as that book was about Sora's first journey, his time in Castle Oblivion, and his first battle with the Organization. None of it seemed relevant now. But Roxas figured that that was just Yen Sid for you.

But still… the three gathered were good at acting and pretended that they weren't the three angry teenagers that they really were. So, they thanked the four women and one man, bid them adieu, and hopped onto the gummi ship.

And it was only there that it suddenly struck Roxas that he had no idea what Naminé was going to fight with on this quest, since she didn't have a Keyblade.

He knew she had her memory powers… but would she be able to use that on the offensive at all? Roxas reallyworried about that when he landed the gummi ship on a dark highway—where he could feel the faintest connection to Sora—where no soul was in sight… it was as if everyone in this world had already been killed. And if so… what had killed them, and would Naminé stand a chance against the threat at all?

But before Roxas could freak out too much, Naminé was already answering Roxas' question by summoning golden chains that lit up, and suddenly made this new world seem less foreboding.

"Kairi's asleep in the back, Roxas. And though I know we should wake her soon—because this world seems dangerous to me, too—let's let my sister finally catch a few Zs before we return her to this nightmare."

Roxas nodded, not having to be told twice because he felt the same about Kairi's situation right now. The poor kid…

But perhaps she wasn't the only one he was thinking about protecting in some way.

Putting a hand over Naminé's where it rested on the dashboard, Roxas motioned for her to angle her body so she could look at him. And she did. "You know, Naminé… this isn't exactly what I wanted at all—how could it ever be?—but I did imagine taking you to other worlds with me, even before this. Because I thought it wasn't fair how little of this beautiful world you've gotten to see… Even less than Kairi. And wherever you were, it was always with a gun pointed to your head. So even though this situation isn't ideal… I'm glad we at least have this moment."

"Me- me too, Roxas," Naminé admitted as she rested her head atop his. "And, I mean, I want to see worlds, too. And even when I thought I couldn't… I knew I'd be content in having my world in you—and seeing the worlds through your eyes, when your face lit up in talking about one of them—and that hasn't changed. You're- you're an amazing being, Roxas, who was meant to be here. And if anyone can find Sora, you can. I love you."

And as the two kissed, in the background was a blue and red-eyed man who had become their Sora, that they would soon learn.