He sat on the warm sand as he looked out towards the bright ocean, his eyes growing lidded under the beams of the sun. The smell of salt was carried by the breeze, only aiding in his drowsiness- but then he snapped to attention as a crab was dropped on his face. Frantically- he knocked it away and looked up towards a girl whose face was obscured yet smiled cheekily- amused at the sight.

I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here.

Roxas opened his eyes to a familiar ceiling. His mind was hazy as he felt empty within. Mindlessly, he stood up from his bed and robotically walked to the grey room as he would every time he woke up previously but no one there to greet him.

The last he could recall was going on a mission with Xigbar and…

His chest started to each as an image of Axel appeared in mind. He hung his head for a moment before leaving the room- wanting to be somewhere else rather than in the castle.

Uncertain of what else to do he sat atop the Clocktower in Twilight town, looking out at the sunset.

"Roxas!?"

He turned to see Xion quickly approaching him with a bright smile on her face. "You're back!"

"...Did I go somewhere?" He asked in confusion.

Xion shook her head. "You were sleeping for a long time. Saïx told us not to get our hopes up. That you might not... " Her voice trailed off slightly, but then her cheer immediately returned. "Well, you're awake now. That's what counts!"

Roxas nodded, holding his head as Xion sat down next to him.

"Here, I brought you this. It's a seashell." She placed it in his hand as Roxas looked at it curiously. "I've been picking one up every time I go out on a mission. Hold it up to your ear."

Roxas closed his eyes as he tried to listen for what Xion called the ocean, but what little he felt slipped away too quickly. "I don't hear anything."

"What?!" Xion exclaimed in disbelief as she grabbed the shell holding it up to her own ear. From the expression of disbelief on her face, Roxas assumed she faced the same issue. "I don't understand, it worked before!"

"Did you listen to it while at the ocean?" He asked and immediately a wave of realization washed over Xion's mind, now holding her head in embarrassment at the situation while Roxas could help but smile in amusement.

-Roxas's Diary Entry: Day 50-

I must have missed a lot. It's like I had the longest dream. I woke up to find a bunch of seashells by my pillow. I counted them-one for each day they said I was asleep. I was wondering who left them there, but then when I got to the clock tower, Xion gave me another one. I held it up to my ear, and I could hear something... Why did it sound so familiar? The stuff I dreamed about felt strangely familiar, too.

I remember being in a white room with somebody the same age as me wearing red clothes...and then he sort of disappeared into the white. And there was a girl's voice-she said I knew I'd be "snoozing." Why would she know that? The voice was a little like Xion's.

-Secret Report: Xion-

In the other world, I overheard some sailors talking about these special shells that could bring people back to where they came from. I wasn't sure which one it was so I collected every shell I could find. I think at least one of them worked because Roxas Roxas woke up today.

I think he was dreaming the whole time. Being with him feels strange. Familiar. Like listening to the waves crash up against the shore. But why?